Oh my gosh. It is literally one am over here and I have band practice later at 8:30 am, but this was totally worth it.
This is perhaps one of my favorite chapters that I've worked on, even though it doesn't have a whole lot of Mustang (sorry! But just you wait! This is my OC development! I want you guys to love her!) it's very depressing and such, but it explains a lot about Misaki and the way she behaves :)
It may be a bit confusing to read as I've connected both the past and present using the space dividers! Remember, italics are the past and straight text is the present ^.^ at the end I made it a bit less straining on the eyes and easier to distinguish by bold ing the present descriptions!
Thank you so much for reading! We've almost hit the 4,000 views!
Love you guys3
"Will you marry me?"
Four words.
"Yes."
One syllable.
"I love you."
A lifetime of change.
We had no idea what we were doing. Had no clue what we were getting ourselves into. I barely held the mindset to register what position I'd agreed to. He dove right into the moment, uncaring of later consequences we may have had to face. All we were completely certain of, one hundred percent, were the comforts of each other's arms. The security of the other's company. At that moment, we believed we were untouchable. We'd live to be a thousand, forever young, always together. Nothing in the universe could ever pry us apart.
Of course any infatuated couple would believe this to be the truth. Ritzu and I did.
"Sorry my gift is such a lousy one this year."
I laughed, breathless. He could do that to me. A simple peck and I'm left gasping for the strength that'd been drained. It both aggravated and amazed me. There was simply no explaining it.
"First a sword and now your 'heart'," I paused at his lips resting at my throat, planting sweet spots of sizzling electricity. "You're losing your touch." Those last few words I managed to choke out in ridiculous stutters.
I felt him smile.
"If you want, I have more than just my heart to offer."
I slowly processed the meaning of his words, flushing to a brilliant shade of pink. At his explosion of laughter I smacked his shoulder, failing to hide my flustered reaction. He only laughed harder, even when I noticed my firmly placed grimace and a twinge of something...different. It hung uncomfortably like a flaming furnace. Somewhere below my stomach. Right at me-
I melted into an unhealthy shade of purple.
I had to be honest. That hadn't been the first time I experienced such a...discomfort. It was, however, the first time he spoke of it so bluntly. Even if it was only a joke. But having just been proposed to and still trying to recover from our miniature celebration of closeness, there was a flurry of emotions bustling around up and downstairs. Mainly confusion, embarrassment, and lust. Or perhaps love? I really couldn't decide for the life of me. I was hoping on love at the time.
I really did love him. So terribly, terribly much.
He regarded my stoic expression with wide eyes, unblinking. An aching swelled up within my gut and climbed up to my chest. With those intensely blue eyes peering into mine, I couldn't seem to function in any way. My muscles tightened and at the same time, loosened to useless masses. The ground had never felt so wobbly.
I'd never gone through it before. The "event". The "connection". Whatever it was. Never even gave a single thought to it, ever. After all, I was a father's daughter with the lack of a mother. Especially during my most crucial times. My most confusing.
So sitting there, practically in his lap, saying nothing while watching each other almost hungrily, I hadn't the faintest idea what to do. Whether to break off the tension with a random laugh or lame attempt at subject change, my brain screamed for me to escape. Meanwhile, other areas...were a bit more demanding in an entirely different notion.
It was almost a shameful moment for me.
Almost.
He cleared his throat, suddenly shy, and I snapped away from my trance. Awkwardly we smiled at one another. He held my hand, then heavy with the weight of diamond, and I stared silently at the beautiful ring. It was ironic how before I'd settled my eyes on the past diamonds with an overwhelming hatred. Seeing Papa going around with that lie, a promise for him and Mom to be together, it sickened me. I'd gone on keeping true to my deductions of the romantic sides of the world were merely illusions, and stupid rings that held the message of love were simply rings. Yet now, glinting ever so slightly in the cloudy daylight of the calming outdoors, I could see that everything had changed. I couldn't tell if it was for the better or the worse, but frankly, I couldn't have cared any less. Like a love sick pup, I was blinded, led only by the one who had leashed me.
"Well," Ritzu suddenly started, pulling me towards him into a suffocatingly pleasant embrace. He leaned his head back against the bare tree trunk, gently resting mine against his shoulder. "I suppose we should alert the others at some point, yes?"
I secretly smiled at the use of "we". How would I ever get to used to it, I had wondered. It was scary how different everything changed in the span of a single Q&A.
"Maybe," I answered softly.
"Maybe," he echoed and we went off into a peaceful silence.
That was the other of the many things I loved about him. The conversational silences. There could be crickets in the air or children screaming in the background, and we could easily sit and tune out our surroundings. We didn't have to speak aloud to each other. Everything was said for itself during those quiet moments. We could be content being just that way.
It always drove Naomi insane.
Would you at least talk about boring stuff or something? Your likes and dislikes? What you did today? You two are being incredibly antisocial and it's disturbing, she would say at the brink of tearing her bangs out in frustration and discomfort. Ritzu and I would only roll our eyes at her panicked, confused state and share looks with hidden messages. That would then drive her to huff angrily and eventually leave us to our 'weirdness'.
It was just how it worked for us. We could either have the words or the pauses, and a point would get across. At that moment, we were both thinking about our futures. We wondered what the next day would bring, and the next, and the one after that, and so forth. Trivial things like "husband" and "wife" floated through our minds. Basically anything concerning what we made happen circled between the two of us. Even the more explicit details.
"Claudio?" I asked out of the blue. With a nod, Ritzu made a short, confirming reply. He'd asked for his brother's blessing and was granted the request. In a way, I'd already known he'd be in full support of it. It was wonderful to hear it anyways.
"Your father too."
For a moment, my heart shattered at the mentioning of my dearest Papa. It'd been a while since I'd exchanged warm, friendly words with him as he'd finally reached his breaking point since Mom left. Outraged by his insistence to tune out the entire universe, including his only daughter, I deemed him unfit to be useful at anything. Ever since I'd arrived at the palace gates, standing defiantly before my stack of beaten soldiers, I'd hardly acknowledged the man. To me, he was already dead. A weak sack of skin and bones that I refused to deteriorate to. Blood lines were of no importance to me anymore.
However, the fact that Ritzu had not only visited him, but actually got a syllable from that walking corpse put me into a slight tremble of disbelief. How could my own father, who I'd known all my life, share his voice with Ritzu and not someone of his own flesh and blood? As much as I loved Ritzu, it still hurt to find out all those years of fighting, learning, and laughing beside my father weren't quite as meaningful to him as they were to me. Did he even remember the responsibility that was past due? Taking care of his little girl? Even on my own birthday he'd kept to himself. No card. No hello. Only permission to be passed on to another family. Pushed away like some sort of unwanted property.
"Oh," I managed to say, not even attempting to hide my disappointment. "That's good."
Ritzu went soft, playing with strand of my hair. He exhaled a gust of warm air upon my head, burying his face against my heated cheek.
"He loves you. That never changed," he whispered comfortingly as I tilted my head back to smile at him sadly.
"It's easier to believe he doesn't."
In reply, he said nothing. Only continued to fiddle with my tangled locks.
That day, I'd turned eighteen. I was taken by surprise into the rich green fields of Aerugo by my dearest companion in the middle of my training. Claudio had wished me a wonderful day, congratulating with a new sheath for my weapon and his blessing to be his future sister in law. My men, sweet as can be, all crowded me with kind words and humorous teases. Naomi had planted a friendly peck on the cheek, supplying me with beautiful dresses and not so clean remarks on relationship advice. People I didn't even know came up to me as I walked through the marketstreets, pulling me into respectful curtsies and the occasional hug. Overall it had been a truly remarkable day of growing up. It was the best gift. The attention. The love. But none of it could quite compare to that very moment where those three words finally spilled from my mouth. None could compare to that single life changing experience, his hopeful question. I never would have guessed someone of my character, so frequently joked as a man in a woman's body, would face this day of intimacy. If I had known many years in advance, I probably would have spent every second trying to get myself out of it. But now, it was too late for such an attempt. And it wasn't as if I wanted to. I'd already been lost to the spell. It was too late for me. Too late for us.
Such a time wouldn't last long. It was bound to come at a decline at some point.
I just never would have imagined how quickly.
"You know that I love you," Ritzu reassured. In response, I gazed at him lovingly.
"Who wouldn't?" I teased, reaching up to flick his nose.
That sparked a war of wrestling, and so all things troubling were forgotten. Papa was a dull throb. Mom was almost nonexistent. All that remained was me and my fiancé, driven by the law of being inseparable.
Til death did we part.
Til death did we part.
I hated that statement.
Until death do we part.
To me, it was its own promise. A guarantee of a division. The hinting of a breaking bond between even the sturdiest of the beloved.
Until death, we part.
And just as it was written, depart we did as death was inevitable and cruel with its mighty swing on the strings of my heart.
Of course Ritzu should be the one to go. He'd been the least deserving of such a fate so it was only ensured. The soon execution of his well-being had been planned, plotted, and performed. As for me? I'd never reach a point of searching for him. I'd never be given the chance to discover whether another life existed after this one. Ritzu was gone not only from the world, but my grasp. His entire being had been stripped away. Unobtainable.
I didn't even get to say goodbye.
There was a startling explosion. A following stench. Gunpowder.
Ritzu and I perked up, listening in alarm.
"Hear that?" I asked ever so quietly. He nodded. A grave look plastered his face.
"Hunters?" I suggested. He shook his head slowly, rolling away from me to a standing position.
"This far from the town? I doubt it."
Tensely, I swallowed. Indeed we were quite a distance away from our homeland. To hear harmless civilians performing their hobbies several miles away from others, it was at a low chance. Very unlikely.
Based on Ritzu's serious expression, it couldn't have been anyone considerably friendly.
"Let's go," he said grimly, frantically gathering the blanketed goods he'd snatched from the palace into a single clump. I made for some of the items myself, ready to help quicken the process when my troublesome curiosity got the best of me.
"What if someone's in trouble?" I wondered aloud. The idea wasn't completely unlikely. Perhaps there really was a dispute getting out of hand between a lone traveler and some random thug. I'd been convinced that was the case. Someone was dealing with a dilemma and Ritzu and I were the only ones close enough to interfere. How was I to leave with the possibility festering in my head?
I dropped our belongings, drawing out my blade. Whether an innocent was involved or not, I couldn't just stand by.
But before I could take a step in the direction of the commotion, a pair of strong hands looped around my waist, extending past my wrists to the handle I clenched tightly in anticipation.
"No," he breathed as a warning. I shivered, even under these situations, under the intensity of his contact. "My biggest priority right now, is you. Let's get you back home and I'll send some of my guards down."
Carefully, I pried away from his grip, shaking my head disapprovingly.
"That'll take too long. We're here so I might as well go check," I argued, glancing back towards the dying echo of the gunshot. "With my alchemy I can mend up any wounds." As I attempted another step, Ritzu once again snatched at my body, uncomfortable by the idea.
"We don't know who it is," he countered.
"Exactly, we don't," I agreed, trying to pull away from his unrelenting grip. "So it's only logical if we make sure we're not leaving some kid to his or her death."
Ritzu frowned. His eyes scanned the open field, empty, deprived of life besides the two of us. Then he glanced over to the forest area where the sound was made. He bit his lip anxiously.
"Come on," I pushed further, messing with the ring on my finger for comfort. "Just let me go check it out, at least. I'll be back in no time."
He rolled his eyes, regaining some of his liveliness. With a light shove, I was sitting on the ground, staring up at him casting an exasperated, scolding scowl.
"You're stubborn as always," he teased, ruffling my hair. Pouting, I waved away his hand, about to protest. He quickly silenced me with a swoop-in kiss, holding my shoulders in place so I wouldn't melt on the spot. When he pulled away, he was smiling, tracing the tired lines below my eyes. "I'll be back. If anything goes wrong, run."
"Hey-!"
But even as that exclamation poured out in a tremendous growl, he had already leapt off into the shaded trees, light and quick on his feet. I watched him debating whether or not to pursue after him until he eventually disappeared into the shadows, becoming a part of the mysterious terrors lurking beyond my comprehension.
Three more rounds of gunfire rang out.
Gunfire. Ishval. Flames.
Everything under the control of the Fuhrer.
King Bradley.
Tyrant. Dictator. Whichever. He was cruel.
A horrid monster.
Bloodthirsty, power driven demon.
He wouldn't ever be satisfied with what he already had. There was always room for more.
The selfish bastard.
As Ishval wasn't enough, he had his sights on more territory. More land to lay claim to. Expand and grow into an unbeatable nation.
Aerugo.
Beautiful land. Wonderful people.
Powerful weapons.
He had it pinned in bright red on that map of his. Targeted. My home.
His men prepared to attacked.
He seeked to conquer.
We were in the way.
I was in the way.
I never felt so useless in my life. Or no, that wasn't right. Back in Ishval, I'd let the lives of many slip through my fingers. I didn't want this to be a repeat. Never again.
But Ritzu had gone instead of me. Almost as if he felt the need to shield me from what laid ahead. Protect me. Just as he said he wanted to do.
I was so used to being the one doing the protecting. How could I just sit idly by and let him carry on the work? Alone?
Five more shots shook the sky.
I couldn't. That's how.
With a silent apology, I stumbled up to my feet, weapon in hand.
I ran.
I run.
I run to the best of my abilities. Maneuvering through buildings and keeping to the shadows.
My feet are raw and red. The soles of my shoes ripped apart, stabbed by multiple shards sinking into my flesh. It's unbearably painful, but I don't dare to stop sprinting.
My eyes play tricks and I mistake walls for mouths, windows for ghouls, and lone pieces of trash as dead bugs. A couple appear to be writhing around. My stomach loses itself in the moment.
I have to stop. When I've finished, I start taking off yet again. The shoes push deeper. A forgotten bandage slowly begins to peel away into the wet ground. I don't look back.
Somewhere in my tracks, a group of boys are playing chase with the intent to kill and other worse things. At this rate I'm going, they'll undoubtedly catch up to me. I've lost all energy. My body is in ruins.
It's terrible of me, but I have to find it. I have to rest within its comforting atmosphere, listen to laughter of the past. Even if it meant leading the corrupted into its security. Were that to happen, I would unleash a final terror upon those ruffians. I'd give it my all, small as it may be, and protect that beautiful place. Protect it and keep it for my own to sleep in. Take a long, long nap. Hopefully never wake up.
It's my first plan in years.
The plan? For the first time I had none.
Going off my instincts, I leapt into the trees, out of sight, mindful of the loose branches and loudest leafs. Though not perfect, my stealthiness was at an all time high.
My feet landed in quick precision upon the dry bark, never missing it's targeted spot. The sounds of whistling winds covered the slightest of noise I would accidentally create from time to time. It carried the scents of strangers to my active nose, metallic.
Unknowingly, I bared my teeth at the recognition of uniform. The strong smells of freshly ironed, cleaned uniforms.
I knew right away those didn't belong to us. It was wrong. Too different. There was no way my, Ritzu's, or Claudio's men were away from their posts. These people were real intruders. Not a single one of them was of Aerugonian blood.
I went straight for the worst and guessed they were Amestris military.
My jaw clenched.
My jaw clenched as the second wave of nausea hit, mercilessly. With a muffled scream I hit the ground, knees first, and clawed at the concrete. My tongue exploded in flavors of metal and salt, dripping down to my chin as I prepared to hack out my intestines.
It felt like pin needles had multiplied in my stomach, expanding and contracting with everything in a constant motion. Organs were tearing open. Acid was eating through tissue.
I was dying with the consequence of avoiding death.
But I had to go on. I had to get to where I wanted to be. Away from the torturous cruelty.
Away. Get far away.
I had to get away.
The soldiers, I knew what they were capable of. The terrors they could and would unleash on our people. I had to go warn them.
But Ritzu was still out there. I couldn't leave him. Not to defend against these savages.
I continued forward.
A wild rustling captured my attention from the side and I froze in my tracks.
A pair of eyes peered deeply into mine.
Ocean.
They widened. A finger pointed frantically at something behind me. My heart pounded.
Slowly I turned.
I slowly turn.
Stand up.
Limp.
It's such an agonizingly slow pace, but it'll have to do. Anything is better than nothing. As long as I reached it before I lost consciousness.
One step. Two.
I stumble and fall.
Vomit.
Get back up.
Try again.
Repeat.
It goes on for an eternity. The hurt, stumbling, aching. Everything falls into a rhythmic motion. I fear I'll forget what I've come here for. I'm afraid I'll forget. I'm afraid.
But then I find the decayed wall, the looming darkness, and I cry out in relief. I want to curl up inside the greenery, below the open roof, drown in the pouring rain. Listen to the excited squeals of Gracia or the humorous remarks of Naomi and-
I collapse before the entrance. Everything hits me at once. Everything.
"Fujiin!"
Immediately hands flung out and I knocked away the gun before it blasted a hole into my temple. In a whirl I checked where I'd seen Ritzu, only to find the area emptied of his presence.
Explosions of gunfire ignited the forest. In a fearful impulse, I fled away to the next branch, missing it in the midst of my terror.
Where was Ritzu?
As I fell, I compelled bursts of wind to cushion the impact. At a steady glide, I found a place to land, just behind the intense blue of an armed soldier.
I lashed out with sword without hesitation. He crumbled without a sound. Quick and painless.
As I spun to continue my search for Ritzu, two bullets whizzed by my dumbstruck face. Quickly I located the sources, stripping away two more lives in merciful execution.
Where was Ritzu?
From above, leafs rustled and I rolled away in the nick of time to avoid being crushed. The man snapped his ankle from the underestimated weight capacity of his hiding spot, and so I went ahead and put him out of his misery without flinching.
Ritzu was nowhere to be found.
It would have been stupid to call out while in the center of a raid, so I went on through the area, scouring for him. During the process, I encountered several more men, downing them with surprising ease. It was unsettling how almost willingly they seemed to go. If these were really soldiers of the Ishval status, then shouldn't their combative skills be a bit more impressive? I had the sneaking feeling of missing something important. Something critical. It felt like I was ensnared in some devilish trap.
"M'Lady."
Startled, I drew my blade to the speaker's throat, gently pressing the tip against his soft skin. A thin line of blood trickled down along the sharpened edge, splitting at the handle and dripping to the brightly green grass, staining it. I prepared to finish the job in a quick, fluid motion when the soldier flashed a fearful look, waving his arms frantically in surrender. It had completely slipped past me just what I'd been called. Even so, to my upmost shock, I found myself slowly retracting to hear what it was he wanted to say.
"Try anything and I won't be quite as considerate," I warned.
The man gasped. Hyperventilating. I patiently waited for him to come into a more suitable condition to speak. When he did, it was nothing I would have ever expected an enemy to say. In fact, it was nothing I would have ever believed possible for the enemy to say.
"M'Lady... I'm sorry... I've failed...you..."
It made no sense. This Amestris soldier noting me with such nobility. Using the voice of one of my most trusted men. Apologizing for what? Why? Why would the enemy-?
My eyes widened. In a panicked rush, I reached to tear back the sleeve of his right arm. I recalled my second man, Leo, who had a series of scars lining along his forearm. The same exact pattern, exact place, and exact size as this man's.
I practically snapped my neck to gawk back at his shame-filled expression. Tears pooled at the corners of his eyes. His mouth opened but no sounds came out as he took in my changing demeanor.
My chest inflated rapidly. My nostrils flared. Fingers twitched. Ears roared with terrifying sounds.
If this soldier was in actuality a member of my squad, then was it possible...?
I clasped my hand to my mouth, moaning. Leo stared at me, broken, reaching out to comfort me but then thinking better of it.
"M'Lady..." he whimpered. I forced myself to the nearest body. Squatted down. Shakily removed the jacket and helmet of the man to discover the name "Becka" tattooed across his collarbone. The name of Dane's wife. Now a widow.
I bit back a building scream and checked on the others. Leo said nothing, hardly moving, letting out a sob from time to time to prove he was still alive.
Jared. Miles. Gerald. Westly. Nate. "Big Boy John". Sam. Elan.
"No...no...no..."
I couldn't accept it. I couldn't accept what I'd done. There was no way I could believe myself capable of such a terrible thing. Killing my own men. My own, dedicated, loving soldiers who had, just earlier, wished me a happy birthday and joked with me in bursts of laughter and pranks.
That explained the lack of resistance. The horrible concealed attempts at ambush. They weren't willing to harm me, period. They chose death over the harming of their leader.
And I killed them.
Jared and Westly with their yearly pranks and childish plays.
Gerald and his stories of his kids who sometimes came to the palace to distract everyone from work.
Miles, the thoughtful, intelligent man who provided me with information, always loyal and precise with his research.
"Big Boy John" and his ridiculous flirts and joking relations.
Nate and Elan with their sweet, wonderful contributions. With me on the field. Never wanting to leave my side.
Sam who refused to leave me on the Ishval field.
Dead.
Because of me.
My fault.
I killed them.
"M'Lady."
I murdered my palace family. My beloved friends.
"M'Lady, please."
My arms went slack. Fell against the dirt and painted green.
"M'Lady, it's not your fault."
I stared at Leo blankly. The sword slipped from my palm. It felt too heavy.
"You didn't know."
He was right. I didn't know. I had no clue, but what did it matter? I still killed them. I could've checked. Maybe waited for them to attack first and realize they weren't even trying to be aggressive. I could have... Should have...
My legs went hard. My eyes sharp and shoulders tense.
What sick bastard would do this? Who the hell would shove my men, MY men, into these horrendous uniforms just so I could be the one to do the dirty deed of ridding of them? Who would dare to screw with me? Who dared to pick a death wish?
I recalled the two fired bullets and landed a punch into the ground.
Who would dare frame my loyal men?
I went ballistic.
Like a rocket, I shot to my feet, storming around the area, casting entire trees aside like they were nothing, screaming maniacally.
"SHOW YOURSELF YOU BASTARDS!"
It had to have been a more than one man job. Taking down even one of my guys? That alone was a challenge. They had to be up against a numerous amount of people. An army would be just about equivalent to their status. It would have amazed me if any less then ten soldiers fared against one of my men. It was no matter though. I'd be the one to finish each and every one of them, personally.
"M'Lady, please calm down," Leo said urgently, stepping completely out of his usually calmly self. "You don't know what you're up against."
I stomped before him, putting my disastrous search on hold to take in his trembling stature.
"Who?" I asked without a hint of sympathy. Only rage. "Who did this? Who's responsible?"
His body went rigid. A paralyzing terror overcame him and I worried he would stop functioning entirely.
"Who?" I demanded.
Eyes darting back and forth, he seemed to be looking out for something, or rather someone. I tried tracing his line of vision, but found no one remotely near where we stood. Impatiently, I leered at my remaining man, awaiting his answer.
He took a deep breath.
"It was him," he whispered faintly.
"Who?" I hissed, itching for a title, a clue to my targets.
Tears flooded down his face and I felt a single twinge of guilt. I didn't mean to be cruel, but I had to know the information if I was to avenge my brothers. Without anything to work with, what was I to do?
I tried a softer approach. My hand patted his shoulder, resting there in reassurance. Under the contact, I felt him relax just slightly.
"Leo," I addressed gently. "I know you're probably freaking out right now, but I'm relying on you to tell me what you know." At this, he shook just slightly and I stabilized him by placing my other hand on the opposite shoulder, squeezing. "I want to help you, and I want to not let everyone's...sacrifices to be for nothing," I choked. "So please... Tell me to the best of your abilities. Who did this to you?"
His teeth chattered even though he wasn't cold and he numbly nodded. I passed an appreciative smile, watching as he opened his mouth.
"F-"
There was a suddenly explosion and I made sure to yank down Leo with me as we sucked for cover. In a flash, I tightened my gloves, swinging them in the direction of my attacker, knowing whoever I'd hit was only going to be enemy. Ritzu was clever enough to avoid such contact. I didn't need to worry about him.
A reassuring thud echoed and I turned to observe the closeness of the bullet. It had sunk right into the nearest trunk, one of which I'd yet to tear from the ground, leaving a slight trail of smoke.
I decided speaking out in the open really wasn't the smartest idea and gently patted Leo.
"Let's head into the trees, away from the broad daylight, yeah?"
No response. He really must have been shaken up. Being that close to death, it could do that to you. But I couldn't just wait for him to recover at his own pace.
"Leo. I know you're scared, but you have to snap out of it."
He didn't even stir. I knew I had to apply some more force, so I snaked my arm around his, and pulled with all my might, hoping he'd get the picture and start applying his own strength.
I ended up falling backwards onto the ground.
"God dammit, Leo, you have to get u-"
I stopped at the sight of his wide, wide stare and tear stained cheeks. Flecks of blood decorated his short, wispy hair. It gathered in one solid circle around a black hole just at his brain, going straight through to the other side.
I screamed but no sound came out.
When there was another rustle, that time in front of me, I couldn't move. I could barely think. But when I saw what it was that was hiding behind that thicket, I completely lost all will to live.
Red, glowing eye. Not eyes, but one single glare.
It penetrated my defenses, mentally. My mind threatened to shut down entirely. My morbid fears circled in shifts. I watched my men die, again and again and again. I saw myself standing before their corpses, laughing deliriously, bloody tears staining my face. More bodies added to the pile. Papa. Naomi. Claudio.
Ritzu.
My legs screamed to move. And somehow I managed to obey. One second I'm sitting before hell itself, and the next I'm sprinting for my life through the trees, uncaring of the branches smacking my limbs or the leafs cutting my skin. I was being chased. That- That thing was running after me, and u knew that once it caught me, I'd be dead.
It was going to get me. I was going to be ripped to shreds. Die a horrible, painful death. It was only a matter of time.
I didn't remember when I had picked up my sword. Didn't care to. It granted me at least a smal bit of comfort, and so I held it, ready to swing when the moment came.
I have to stop remembering. Have to stop reliving the past. I have to stop.
I couldn't stop running. It was like that was all I knew. My purpose in life was to run. Run and survive.
Thunder screeches, covering my own wails. The rain falls harder. They feel like bullets on my back.
It was near. Too close. It could smell me. It breathed on my neck.
I shakily turn to rest my back against the crumbled ruins of the wall. The entrance is as far as I'll be able to go. There's no way for me to climb over that single step. No way to lie where I wanted to lie. This would have to suffice.
The boys would be lucky tonight. They'd have no troubles getting what they wanted. I was done.
Its body coiled around my wrist. Constricted. Like a viper. I tightened my grip on the blade.
A pair of eyes emerged from the frigid air. Dark. In search of something or someone.
I plunged the tip blindly behind me.
The eyes come closer and I identify hands reaching for me.
I'd struck something smooth. The blade sunk in with ease.
I'm lifted up into arms and my head rolls to my carrier's chest. I hear a beating heart. It's soothing.
I'd hit it, but was still afraid. I felt the urge to check. I wanted to know for sure if I was really in the clear.
Tired hiccups rack my body as this stranger and I entered the hole in the wall.
Before I caught my look at what it was, a glint captured my attention. My ring. The diamond had turned red, probably by the bits of blood that slipped on through the cracks.
We step into the center of the Usual Place where it's now come to a dull sprinkle. A mellow mist.
I turned my head.
I am set down, gently.
Blinked.
His arms are still around me, keeping me up.
I collapsed into myself. Screamed.
"You don't have to be alone."
Standing before me, I witnessed the red enveloping every inch of his body. Plastering every piece of his beautiful skin in hideous Crimson. Taking all I loved and adored and ruining it with that color.
"You don't have to live like this."
Ocean.
"You don't have to be brave."
Only the ring on his finger remained spotless.