Happy Holidays, Here's a new chapter. Thank you to those who are sticking with me and with this story! I apologize for the wait for the update, but I will update next week.

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own this anime, nor characters except my own OC's.

Italian Translation: Adagio For Strings (Composed by Samuel Barber)

Chapter 8- Adagio Per Le Corde

A particularly sharp turn caused the brush to veer out of its lane and onto the forbidden grounds of Kaoru's painted face. Hikaru cursed softly and stepped back to observe the damage he'd done. A bold, black line of oil-based paint stretched across his forlorn eyes. Hikaru stared up at the painting and cringed; that one small mistake made his eyes look darker than natural. The painting was one of sorrow, and the black line made the eyes look sunken in and desolate. Hikaru sighed, wiping the sweat from his brow. Soon, his sighs turned into screams as he ripped at the canvas of the wall with his fingernails burned into the wet paint. He growled and scratched at the portrait.

The other occupants of the room just stared at the poor boy, each of them daring themselves to help. But they stared with pitiful indifference and resumed their work. They expected it because it was the fifth time it'd happened that day.

When his frantic state had died and he was just a ball of self-rage, Devlyn walked to his side and offered a hand. He didn't accept. She circled around him and glared at the walls of the cart. There were six or seven canvases stuck on the wall, filling the cart with color. Each canvas held the face and body of Hikaru. Why would you. . .? Devlyn stopped herself and realized who this was plastered on her walls.

"He is beautiful." She muttered, "Just like you." She knew this was the wrong thing to say, in every sense, but his rage need be directed to her rather than his work. She didn't mind being the person he hated, if it unlocked the demons inside him.

To her surprise, he laughed. It was a loud, harsh cackle that rang through her ears. His voice was so close that her skin became prickly. He stood with her. Staring. Remembering.

"Yes, he is." He choked out, his voice laced with a thick bitterness. She turned to him and stared at his shaking stature; he looked so angry. Devlyn never thought she'd seen him look so small, so fragile. She was afraid to touch him, thinking if she did, he might shatter into a million pieces. She sighed and bit her lip, weighing her options.

"I know what's wrong with you, Hikaru." Devlyn whispered softly. She could hear the guilt lacing her voice.

Hikaru flinched in surprise at the unexpected confession, but kept his eyes on his painting. He didn't say a word, and Devlyn didn't take the silence lightly. Hikaru could hear Devlyn's heels clicking away as she distanced herself, while he wondered why she was leaving.

"Where are you going?"

The noise subsided, and Hikaru knew she had stopped at his question. Uncertainty rattled through her fingers as she turned toward him slowly. Her eyes rested carefully on his, and Hikaru could feel her invading his personal thoughts. He let her.

"Are you sure you want to know?"

Devlyn reached a hand toward him but stopped when she heard the door of the cart slide open. A wave of tense air overtook the atmosphere, and the other scientists stopped their work to look up at who had entered. Devlyn pivoted around and smiled, something she hadn't done in ages.

Annata stepped into view and smiled at Devlyn who kindly returned the gesture. She wrapped her arms around the other woman, and they relished in each other's embrace before exchanging a few words of greeting. Before Devlyn could lead Annata away, their eyes had met, and Devlyn felt Annata tense in her arms. She turned to Hikaru, and his eyes emitted guilt. Weariness flooded over him the next second, and the only word Develyn could think to describe the way Hikaru's body slouched was defeat.

"Hikaru. . ."

"Devlyn here was just telling me what she thinks is wrong with me. I would very much like to know. Please, continue Develyn." Hikaru said, turning his back to Annata. He didn't have the strength to face her. Develyn gave Annata a knowing look before returning to Hikaru's side. Annata stayed put; she couldn't miss this moment.

"I need to tell you what's wrong, Hikaru, but not here with all these. . ." Devlyn eyes quickly flickered to Annata, ". . . distractions."

Hikaru understood instantly and gave Devlyn an appreciative curl of his lips before walking past Annata and out the compartment door. Devlyn made her way to Annata and placed a soft hand on her shoulder.

"We're going for a walk. You probably shouldn't be here when we get back." Devlyn flashed a small smile, skirting past Annata before she could get an answer. She missed Annata's slight nod of understanding.

Devlyn found Hikaru standing outside the cabin in the small, lit area between carts. She whispered "follow me" before walking from the back of the train to the front. She stopped with Hikaru in tow at the door separating them from the Engineers. She gave two knocks and turned to Hikaru.

"Aspetta qui. Wait here." The door slid open, and she disappeared into darkness.

After a few moments, the train suddenly halted, almost causing Hikaru to topple over. A brief announcement was made over the intercom, and Devlyn appeared in sight. Devlyn smiled at Hikaru, motioning for him to follow her off the train. They walked off the train into a small station with barely any people. It was just them and the workers. Hikaru was secretly content with the isolation of the area, because he honestly, wasn't sure if the conversation to come could push him from reality.

Hikaru and Devlyn walked along the tracks, glancing behind their back every few seconds to see if there was a train. They walked in silence for a few moments. They were both contemplating what to say and how to say it.

"How'd you stop the train?" Hikaru whispered. Devlyn was slightly thrown off by the simplistic topic of the question. She was sure the first words from his mouth would be complicated.

"Uh, I have. . . clearance I suppose with the engineers. Because of the nature of my line of work, the engineers are aware of my needs. If stopping the train happens to be one of them, then they happily oblige."

Hikaru pondered this for a moment, his eyes searching for the clouds. "I see, and how did you start this business of yours?

Devlyn stopped in her tracks and looked directly at Hikaru, although his eyes were elsewhere. She hadn't had the chance of telling this story in years, because no one cared to ask. It wasn't a secret, what she did, but it wasn't necessarily out in the open either.

"I was offered a business deal wi-"

"No, let me rephrase that. Why did you start this business?"

Devlyn continued her walking, not looking back to see if Hikaru had as well. She'd never really been asked that question. People tended to shy away from her once they saw what she did.

"You really want to know my story?" she asked, confused.

"Yes, Devlyn. You know mine, tell me yours."

She pondered silently for a bit and formulated her story. And then she began to tell.

"My mother was diagnosed with schizophrenia when she was fourteen years old. My grandmother attained her the appropriate treatment and medication, and soon doctors and psychologists deemed her able to live without the supervision of a nurse, as long as she had family. For the better part of her young adulthood, she lived happily under the care of my grandmother and her sister. She was able to attend university, and soon she fell in love. She married my father, and it was only custom they have children. She birthed me and my younger sister, Ariana. We were left mostly in the care of my father, due to my mother's condition, but we loved her all the same.

I eventually left home in order to obtain my doctorate in psychology and neurology. My sister and I were four years apart, so she was just starting high school as I began attending university. All was well, and I called home at least twice a week to check on mother. She seemed fine, always fine. Always healthy. Until. . ."

Devlyn stopped, both in her tracks and in her speech. She looked behind her, catching Hikaru's curious eyes. She sighed and decided to pick a spot along the track to sit. A few feet ahead of them, a small clearing of gravel lie next to the tracks. She hurriedly walked to the spot and sat in a comfortable position on the ground. She waited patiently until Hikaru joined her before continuing.

"I received a phone call from her the day I was supposed to be coming home for the holidays. She talked normally and her breathing was normal, but something seemed off. I can never remember what it was I noticed, but I do remember the sickening feeling it gave me. So, I made haste in returning home. I was sure I was overreacting and nothing could possibly have gone wrong." Devlyn's eyes went to the ground, not from the tears that shed there, but from the undeniable shame she possessed from reliving this story.

"I came home, only to find my sister dead, my mother wielding the weapon, and my father nowhere to be found."

Hikaru couldn't help but look up at that point, but Devlyn's eyes never left the ground. She was shaking with sobs, but Hikaru couldn't bring himself to wrap his arms around her. That would only make her angry. So, he let her cry until she couldn't cry any longer. When she regained her composure, she wiped herself dry and realized she hadn't finished the story. No matter how strong her feelings were, she would not let them get the best of her.

"My mother was put into a mental institution, and my father still has yet to be found. I gave my sister a proper burial and continued on to receive both doctorates. After graduation, I was approached by a businessman who'd seen my more than admirable application. He asked me to be a part of an advanced psychology program based in Italy, dealing only with severe cases of mental illness. I accepted and was admitted into the program, where I worked on a series of cases, several of which dealing with patients with schizophrenia. With the help of that program, my colleagues and I created a synthetic drug that could be injected into the bloodstream to create new cells in the brain. Basically, we developed the cure to schizophrenia and several other mental disorders. However, when we tried to present the cure to the businessman, he threatened to terminate the program if the cure ever got out. He admitted to us the illegality of the project, and we realized we had no way out.

Under these circumstances, my colleagues and I decided the best way to distribute the cure was through secrecy. Thus, the train. We were able to cure several patients, but eventually, the problems grew deeper. Along with the cases dealing with mental disorders came the cases dealing with strange matters. Paranormal happenings such as out of body experiences and paralysis began coming our way. It got to a point where were unable to deny what we were doing: Curing paranormal diseases. Now, it's become one of the only cases that wind up on my desk."

Devlyn leaned back into her body and stifled a sigh, seemingly finished with her story. Hikaru regarded her thoughtfully, drinking her in. He knew not to say anything after a story that detailed, so he quietly watched her. A mutual silence surrounded them, as they listened to each other's steady breathing and the crackling of the tracks as trains flew by.

"How long until the train comes for us?"

Devlyn shifted in her position on the gravel floor of nature. She seemed contemplative, but Hikaru soon realized she was only counting in her head.

"We've been talking for maybe an hour and a half, so. . ." The look crossed her face again.

"Another hour or so."

They crossed into silence yet again, and the time seemed to slow as Hikaru observed Devlyn. He'd never truly gotten to understand her, especially with his constant anger. He looked onto her with an understanding eye now. Her past was only the half of it. Looking at her now, he could see the small things that made her who she was.

"Are you Dyslexic?" Hikaru asked after a long, fifteen minutes of silence.

She looked at him with a strange look, a mixture of surprise and expectancy, as if she knew he would ask.

"Yes. Is it that obvious?"

"Your great intuition and intelligence caught me first. Then I noticed you would always get a headache after reading one of your colleague's reports. But what really gave you away was while you were telling me your story, sometimes, I almost felt as if you weren't there."

Devlyn smiled, even laughed a little. "So, incredibly obvious?"

"No, I'm just. . . good at seeing the finer details." Hikaru almost cracked a smile, remembering the way his brother always wondered how he knew his every move.

His brother. Kaoru.

Hikaru stood, surprising Devlyn as he wiped the dirt from his jeans. Devlyn, slightly confused, picked herself up from the ground. She began to protest to their standing position, but Hikaru finally allowed his eyes to meet hers.

Oh.

"Keep your ears sharp." Devlyn began to walk back the way they came, expecting Hikaru to follow. He did.

"Have you ever heard the term Astral Projection?" She didn't look back, nor did she wait for an answer.

"Almost everyone in their lifetime experiences one unexpectedly. Many believe it's another dream, because sometimes, it's barely remembered. Hikaru, have you ever opened your eyes and you feel like your floating above your own body?"

She glanced back and caught his slight nod. "That is an Astral Projection."

"It's basically when your soul separates from your body during sleep, leaving your soul able to roam free of boundaries. The term comes from the belief in the afterlife. Your "astral body" is your soul leaving your physical body to ascend into Heaven. In several cases, during very deep sleep, one is able to completely disconnect their astral body from their physical body. This is usually only done unconsciously and never in succession, but-"

"Kaoru and I are the exception." Hikaru interrupted, his curious mind overtaking his thoughts.

"Yes, I'm afraid the both of you are. This might seem hard to understand, but it has always been said that twins, especially identical, have a very strong, spiritual connection. I can only assume that because of your intimacy with your brother, your spiritual connection has grown incredibly powerful. It seems that both of you are able to separate your astral and physical bodies during sleep and travel along the astral plane." Devlyn paused and contemplated how to formulate her words.

"The astral plane is almost like limbo. It's the area between death and dreams. It's strange because you and your brother's need for each other have almost reset the rules of the astral plane."

"How so?"

"It has never been said that one astral body can posses another. Yes, there are ghosts and spirits and such, but one astral body cannot possess another. But your astral body and his are the only I've seen to accomplish possession."

"Wait, you cannot say that my brother and I are possessing each other! We have no control, neither of us. Possession at least holds some sort of control!" Hikaru spat as he tried desperately to understand what Devlyn was telling him.

"Yes, that's why it's so strange, Hikaru! I can only explain half of the phenomenon. The voices, the hallucinations, the shift in emotion—that is a part of the astral physics. But not everything else! The. . . evil that has seeped into you and your brother is completely unknown to me, Hikaru. And I am so sorry, because I cannot explain that to you. It is beyond my knowledge." Devlyn almost wanted to cry again, having to admit that she did not have all the answers.

"So, you don't know." It wasn't a question, but a snarled statement.

Devlyn couldn't bring herself to look back; she couldn't look into those eyes, not now.

"It's so strange, Hikaru. It's as if a third body is controlling you two. Something, someone evil is controlling you and your brother, Hikaru. Do you understand, Hikaru? Something is controlling you. Do you understand!" No answer. She couldn't look back.

"Do you understand, Hikaru!" Devlyn shouted the inquiry once more, but again she received no answer. And then she began to notice. After his last statement, the quiet sounds of his shoes hitting the gravel had disappeared, along with his frantic breathing as she told him what she knew.

She couldn't look back, for she was afraid of what she might find.

She began to feel the sickening feeling of panic at the bottom of her stomach as she turned around to face nothing but the nature in the distance. She cried out at that point. She screamed his name over and over again, running up and down the tracks until she couldn't run any longer. But yet again, she received no answer but the crackling of the train tracks as a train flew by.

Hikaru was gone.