Defy

Chapter 21

Author Notes: You all knew this was coming eventually...Time for me to go and ruin the happiness and peace of both the characters in the story as well as the lovely readers of this story~ I don't own Nanbaka~

3rd P.O.V

"Jyugo! Jyugo you need to calm down." She gasped, opening hers eyes to meet Unos. "It's ok...it was just a dream." Shivering she sits up, clenching her arms as she glances around.

Everyone was still resting, undisturbed. Except for Uno, who was laying down with her. "I'm sorry-I..." Worried he tucked a piece of hair behind her hair, it was growing longer, the bangs starting to fall over her frightened eyes.

She's hushed, brought into his arms like a mother consoling a crying child. "Was it the same one?" Vigorously she nodded against his firm chest. The last couple days have been hell. Nearly every single night her dreams were filled to the brim with terrifying visions of her worst fears.

"There was so much blood and you-" Her eyes were shut tight, though tears still leaked through. "It's happening again." She sobbed unable to erase the horrible images plaguing her mind.

It always started off the same, she would be out with Uno and the others, free of the prison walls. There she and them would be laughing and enjoying the sunshine. But then she would feel a chill.

A harsh wind would blow, manipulating her hair so that her vision was blocked, one by one her friends would vanish in front of her. She'd scream for them, a feeling of dread hitting her stomach.

The sky would go black and the ground shifted to a disturbing scarlet. Her feet carrying her as she continued searching for them. Sometimes it was in an instant or it would be endless but eventually her findings would lead her to a trail of corpses.

All in order of those who has died to those she was terrified of losing. Her mind was never creative enough to reveal the way her companions died, but there was plenty of blood on the ground and their lifeless gazes for her to hyperventilate about.

Uno would always be the last one there awaiting her, miraculously alive as he would be telling her to leave. That it wasn't safe for her to be there-and that's when Elf came, behind the braided haired gambler. Grinning as he looked over the unaware victim's shoulder before stabbing his victim in the back.

"Oh Aki..." He presses his lips to her forehead, keeping her close. His soft reassurances and loving embrace was all he could offer-as she had good reason to be afraid, to seek some sort of comfort.

Elf killed more guards a few days ago.

The two hand in hand had entered along with the rest of building 13, eager to eat. Only to find the horrific sight positioned just for them to discover. There was three of them...and all of them died cruelly. One man was hanging by his own tie, limbs ready to fall off from mutilation.

Another was stabbed all over, looking like a demented humanoid pin cushion as chopsticks stuck out of his form. The third had his head sliced off, rigor mortis forcing the cadaver to hold it in his hand.

Even Shiro was injured since he was always the first to arrive in order to prep for the day. Fortunately with his size and bulk, the wounds were minor and just required looking over. Still Aki felt bile rise in her throat as she retched, collapsing to her knees. On the walls, written in blood was a message for her and her only.

"I'm coming for you my dear Aki."

Elf was starting to lose it, what little sanity he had left was fading as he grew more and more impatient. He had expected his beloved fiancee to come crawling back to him by now.

But she proved stubborn, sticking to her promise to Uno, as well as putting her faith in Momoko and the others to catch him. And that enraged him, so he took that anger out on more innocent victims. Her resolve was beginning to crumble, everyone could see it.

Zen volunteered himself to help with the search, no longer able to just sit and watch the madness continue. And that desire caused a heart breaking fight between him and Aki. One that left both of them in tears as he marched on, ignoring her pleas.

Leaving her as a damn damsel in distress, forced to wait as the insane fiend came for her. "You need to rest Aki. You've barely gotten any rest the last few days." She shook her head, refusing.

"There's no point Uno. You should sleep though. We both know how cranky you can be when you don't get that fabulous beauty sleep of yours." Her smile was shaky, she was trying so hard to stay strong. To make light of the situation. "Not a chance."

He wasn't going to let her suffer this alone. The moment he closed his eyes, she would break down, and that was the last thing he wanted. Both of them needed some sort of distraction.

Then an idea came to the girl, biting her lip she gently tugged on a strand of his hair, catching his concerned gaze. "Can I braid your hair? Please?" This wasn't the first time she's made the request, but it puzzled him as it suddenly came out of nowhere.

Her hands lifted slightly, showing the tremors. "I need to do something with my hands. Please." He couldn't say no to her, not when she was like that, and in all honesty he didn't mind.

Uno loved it when she played with his hair. "Go ahead." He laid on his stomach in front of her. Giving her full access. "Thank you." Her touch was soft, the smooth silky strands of blond and pink easily falling through her fingers.

Using her hands she combed through his hair, making him relax. For a moment he pushed himself up, placing his head over his arms on her lap. It took some time for her to detangle the small amount of knots he had, but she was satisfied as she was able to split the long locks into three sections with little issue.

Being as careful as possible, she interwove the long thick tresses, noting it was getting harder and harder for Uno to keep his eyes open. He looked beautiful when he was sleeping. And that was what she wanted.

Her repeat motions stilled her nerves, calming the tension in her muscles. And he fell into a peaceful rest, making her smile a bit bigger. Even when she knew he was out like a light she continued her ministrations.

Not stopping until she had reached the end. In her opinion she did pretty good this time around. There were barely any missed strands this time! Her hair, back when she was little was never long enough to be braided, so she never bothered to learn, so doing Uno's hair...has been quite the struggle.

But seeing her handiwork left her proud. Aki stayed in this position for a few moments longer, before gently moving Uno's head from her lap onto his pillow. "Thank you Uno...I love you." Blowing her lover a small kiss she rises, straightening her shoulders as she undoes the locks to the cell.

Elf was waiting for her in the shadows, even if she couldn't see him, she knew he was there. "It's time to end this." She gave one last sad gaze over her shoulder towards her true friends, quietly saying goodbye.

Zen wasn't there, but she knew he was thinking of her safety and was just as upset over their fight. If she lived through this, there were a lot of things she wanted to do. Apologize to them all for betraying their hard efforts to protect her.

Apologize to her brother for getting mad at him, Apologize to Uno for breaking her promise...She imagined at the beginning at least she'd be saying sorry quite a lot. But there were things she wanted to look forward to.

Rock trying to ask out Liang, Nico trying to convince Upa to be his teacher. Mitsuru asking out Kenshirou, Momoko kidnapping Hajime. Zen finally having the freedom to live out his life without having to fight tooth and nail for it.

Maybe if she were lucky and Uno hadn't dumped her selfish ass they'd go on that date finally. Right now hoping was all that she could do as she made her way down the quiet halls.

Her footsteps were like a disturbance to the eerie silence, alerting anyone awake of her presence. She had no idea where to go, but she knew Elf well enough that he would be somewhere where he could wait without opposition.

After making a mental map of Nanba prison, there was only one place she could think of. A place where there were no cameras, where there was seclusion yet had enough open space to breathe in the stars.

Sure enough as her feet carried her up the various staircases, still somehow not at all alerting anyone of her disappearance she reaches the door to the rooftop. A rough gust blows into her face as she pushes the entrance open.

"About time you came my dear. I was getting Tired of waiting." There he was the sadistic prick. Sitting leisurely on the railings, an illuminating glow of the moon surrounding his being as the horizon of stars and sea collided.

"It's time we finally have an actual talk Elliade. Regardless of what happens tonight your mindless serial killing ends."

To be continued

Author Notes: And that's a wrap~ Muahaha! I feel goosebumps racking up my skin in anticipation as we're getting so close to the finale of this surprising long but addicting story. Seriously amazed at how much I was able to get done in such a short amount of time.

But woo i feel a nap coming on! If you like this series and support Mako(me) actually getting sleep please fav/follow/review as...its nearly 1 am and I am ready to keel over from exhaustion, this story is literally eating away at my life lol. Tchao for now~