Secrets Held Within

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The year is 1864, and a traveling youth by the name of Dark finds himself stuck in the small town of Azumano. During his stay he discovers a mysterious mansion, and suddenly finds his destiny intertwined with that of it's enigmatic occupant.

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Chapter 16

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It was so familiar to Dark, and yet it was still foreign.

Azumano was a ghost town. No one was around anymore to watch the falling snow spill from the ever-gray clouds. The whole town was a mess; Building stood half-burned, collapsing in on themselves. Carts and wagons long since abandoned harbored mold.

The male drew in a great breath, releasing it slowly after. A haze of white appeared before him as he stood, gazing sadly at the remains of the town.

A hesitant step forward; Dark forced himself to move deeper into the town. Pangs of worry and grief suffocated him, but he had to know. He had to find out what happened to Krad.

Silence as his company, Dark trudged through the remains of Azumano. Slowly, the buildings disappeared and he approached a dreaded path. A winding, dirt path. Trees sprang up on either side of Dark, and his head hung low.

Four years? Was that all it had been?

It felt like forever.

He continued walking, his pace slow.

What if he was there? What if Krad was waiting for him? What if he had been waiting for all these years?

Dark's gait increased.

What if he wasn't there? What if he had left? Or died? What if…

Dark's gait slowed, again.

Each step grew more tentative as Dark reached the bend in the road, and he had to force his eyes to stay open.

Slowly, from around the corner, did the mansion appear. As always, Dark was left with a shock. The once great and beautiful mansion stood as solemn as ever, though it's great roof had sunken a bit. It's walls leaned. Windows were broken. The yard was even more unkempt, foliage growing everywhere, it seemed. The house was brown, as if it had been burned.

Dark groaned, continuing forward. The hill that served as a front-yard to this place was a long trek, and constantly did Dark find that his cloak had been snagged. Always, he stopped for a long moment to untangle it, dreading that he would reach the house and find it empty.

Another eternity it took for Dark to make his way to the doorstep of the building. He reached the stairs, and suddenly his legs felt like lead. The front porch was only a small distance. Dark couldn't help but stare.

The front door was still bashed it, and all the windows on this side of the house were broken. Tattered drapes fluttered a bit from within, charred from fire and worn from age.

Dark stood in the doorway, now, having taken the last few steps to reach the house. The inside was far worse than could have appeared from outside, and Dark gave a look of pity. So many memories had been burned from this house. Some of the furniture had melted, others had survived, only to be scarred by misuse and time. Paintings—or, what was left of them, anyway—lay either molded against the wall or in heaps on the floor. The floor was bare, the mantel place empty.

Dark swallowed as he slid carefully across the floor and into the living room he had spent so much time in. It was as empty as the last room. Dark looked towards the window. A phantom image of a certain vampire flashed through his mind; it was gone by the time he blinked.

That window. It was the last place he had seen Krad. Slowly, still, Dark stalked to the place. Glass was everywhere, and blood matted the walls. Bullet shells…so many shells.

But no Krad.

Tentatively, Dark called out, "Krad?"

There wasn't even an echo.

Snow fell in through the broken windows of the house, and Dark released a sigh.

Of course. Who would stay in a place like this?

Krad was gone. He was gone. Gone.

Dark shook his head. It only made sense, after all.

The words slipped quietly from his lips. "Who would wait for four years?"

All was quiet for a moment before a small voice replied, "I would."

Dark spun on his heels, his violet locks whirling about him. His eyes widened and his mouth remained agape for a long moment as he scanned the figure before him.

Krad.

A battered, more haggard than usual, dressed in crimson-stained white robes blonde stood before him. His long blonde hair seemed shorter, and more unkempt. It's luster was no long so vibrant. Krad's flesh, once only pale, now seemed luminescent. His catlike eyes had lost their golden shimmer and were now a dull amber color.

A smile donned on the pallid face of the other, and Krad gave a little bow. "Hello, again, Dark Mousy."

"…What happened?"

Dark reached out a hand to cup Krad's chin, marveling at the coldness the blonde radiated.

Krad allowed Dark's hand to trace over his marble skin, watching the hand as well as he could as it moved over his face. "What happened…to me, you mean?"

Dark gave a feeble nod.

"Nothing. They fired at me a few times," Krad paused and drew open his loose robes a bit to reveal several tiny, round scars, "And they left their mark. I think I passed out for a bit. When I woke up…the house was on fire. I left for a while. Visited the lake. When I came back, the fire was out. The soldiers were gone, so I waited."

"That's it? You haven't done anything but wait…?"

Krad shook his head. "I have done nothing but wait. You?"

"I…I don't know. I've done a lot. Why did you wait?"

Krad gave a sad smile. "Because I told you I would."

"But why here? This place…" Dark's hand finally fell from Krad's face and he moved to trace his fingers over the blackened walls of the living room, "This place is ruined."

"I had no where else to go. And, even if I had somewhere else to go…I would not have left. I am bound to this place by some unseen force. This whole mansion is full of only bad memories, and I am drawn to them like a moth to the flame…"

"But you don't have to stay. You could come with me!"

"I could not. These years have been hell for me. My…condition. My condition has worsened. I stand before you, only barely myself. By nightfall…I can make no guarantee that you will be safe around me. You cannot stay, and I cannot leave."

Dark looked saddened. "But there has to be a way!"

"There isn't. There isn't any way, and as far as I know, there never will be. Just…give up hope, Dark."

"No! There isn't…anything?"

Krad shook his head.

"But I don't want to leave you, again…"

"You will not leave, this time. I will."

Dark raised a brow, suspicious of the tiny smile that lingered on Krad's face. "What do you mean?"

"I told you, once before, that I was tired of all this. Things are worse…I can feel little emotion, and it drives me mad. I cannot taste a good meal, and have not, for so very long. I have not seen a human since you that has ever had the courage to stay in my presence for longer than need be. I have no friends, no companions. No emotions. I don't even dream, anymore. I'm forgetting things I know I should remember. I'm losing everything I used to be to this monster that I will become."

Dark listened, silently, as Krad added, "Today, Dark Mousy, we shall say goodbye, forever."

"…No."

"No?"

"I won't let you. I won't let you destroy yourself!"

"You have no choice in the matter."

"I have every right to stop you, don't I? You're my friend! I can't let you!"

"You can't stop me," Krad murmured. "And I wish that you wouldn't."

"Why? Why are you so intent on destroying yourself?"

"I shouldn't have said anything. Forgive me."

"No! Krad, answer me…"

The blonde gave a shrug. "What do I have left? Do you want me to turn into a monster? Do you want me to suffer?"

"…I don't want you to suffer," Dark said, guiltily. He was being selfish, and he knew it. "I just don't want to lose you."

"I am nearly lost," Krad stated.

"You waited four years. Four years because you promised me."

"I did."

"Was it really worth the wait?"

"If I have waited for anything, ever, waiting for you was the most important to me."

"So. How will you do it?"

"Dispose of myself?"

Dark's silence gave all the assurance Krad needed, and he pulled a small vial out a pocket. "Holy water. It is a poison to me. It won't take long, and I would suppose it's virtually painless if one of my kind were to ingest it."

Dark shook his head. "I can't believe you."

"What will you do with your life, Dark?"

"I don't know. I'm thinking of traveling for a while, but I promised Rika I'd visit her."

"Rika. Who is she?"

"A girl. She saved me."

A grin from the blonde, "You like her."

Dark rolled his eyes. "Not that it's any of your business, or anything."

"It isn't. I won't pry on that matter. Dark, you have been my truest friend. I am determined to leave before the moon rises, tonight. Have I anything you want? I would leave you my fortune. I would leave you my mansion, were it in better condition. I would leave you Azumano, if I could say it was worthy."

"I don't want any of that. I don't need anything."

Krad gave a nod. "So be it, then."

"Oh. But I've got something for you, before you go. I've grown attached to it," Dark murmured, reaching into his bag and drawing out a stringed object, "Your violin. While I was in town, I had someone fix it up…I thought maybe you'd want it back."

Krad reached out his hands and lovingly took the instrument. "How considerate of you…I thank you. I did miss this," Krad admitted, running his fingers delicately over the smooth surface. "Where did you find it?"

"In the woods. While I was running."

"Ah. That would make sense…that is where I left it, after all."

The instrument was set aside, and Krad gave it a yearning look. "I shall miss you, Dark."

"I'll miss you, too."

"Then…let us say Goodbye. Let me spare you of seeing me in a worse state."

"Already?" Dark jerked his gaze out the window. "But it's still early in the afternoon!"

"There are things I must attend to before I go. I wish to attend to them alone."

"…Then this…is really our last goodbye? I'll never see you again?"

"I doubt that we will meet again," Krad said bitterly.

"Then…" Dark leaned forward, embracing Krad, "I'll never forget you."

"Nor I, you."

The two drew away and looked at each other for a long moment.

"Goodbye, Dark Mousy."

"Goodbye, Krad."

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Dark didn't make it out of Azumano, that night. He hadn't been able to leave. He had wandered for a bit, but couldn't bring himself to depart. When night approached, he yearned to drift back to the mansion he had spent so much time at with Krad, though he did not dark. Instead, he returned to a very familiar in—an inn which, thankfully, had remained very much in tact over the years.

The soldiers had not made an effort to burn the Harada Inn, and Dark made his way inside. He drifted to the same room he had stayed in while visiting Azumano; the door was locked, though he hadn't the slightest problem with prying it open. The room, as was expected, was dark. He lit a candle that sat, alone, on the bedside table and looked around.

"Just like home," he said, bitterly, crawling into the clean—albeit dusty—bed.

His sleep was easy, though he awoke in the morning with tears streaming down his face. Hastily, he wiped his sleeve across his eyes to dry himself off and clear his vision.

Out of the corner of his eye, a small speck of white called for his attention.

Atop his nightstand lay a single white rose and a very empty vial.

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The End.

This time, of course, I do mean it. It was very hard for me to write this chapter, because…well, first of all, this WAS my first fanfiction, and always I feel that sadness is involved when something—anything—comes to an end. The ending of a great story or movie or series…oh, well, that's definitely something to cry about. But my story? That's nothing for you to cry about—unless you're someone like me, who cries at silly things, like that beautiful white binder they saw in Office Max last week…but, I digress.

I really did enjoy writing this, even if I'm not satisfied with a lot of it. I feel that the ending is weak and needs revision, but right now I'm just not in the best state to revise. I'm sad enough as it is…it feels like a part of me has died! I've been writing this for two years, now (my god, has it been that long?) and…well, it is, as all writers can say, "my child." I've killed my child! For you! Are you happy?

I hope you're happy, because, for as sad as I am, I'm glad that I could finally conclude this story. To those of you that review, I love you, and I always shall. Your reviews mean the world to me, and I love hearing what it is that you have to say. For those of you that don't review…well, I do love you, still. So, my friends, I suppose this is where we part? Let this be, then, the final goodbye. Secrets Held Within has reached it's conclusion. No more shall be added, though I cannot promise I will not reread and edit certain chapters every now and then.

Thank you all very much, for everything.

--Kyuseisha no Hikari