RARARA! VOLUME 1 CHAPTER 4-THE STRANGE DUO PT.2
(Ah! Right! You see the words between the _0_0_0_? Well, those are summarized words of dear Narita's version of introducing Celty. Sadly, I didn't have the same luck when it came to Anri-chan's introduction, so, for future reference, Anri's introduction are direct words and belong to the brilliant Ryohgo Narita because I just couldn't sum it up as well as lovely Narita did. My apologies. If this angers the majority of you, I'll delete it. REMINDER WHICH YOU PROBABLY ALREADY KNOW: Takeshi Hitoshi, Nishi Akihiko, and Moon belong to me. All other characters belong to dear Narita. Thank you~)
Near Kawagoe Highway.
Moon was pretty satisfied with his kill tonight. He was actually kind of embarrassed at the moment. He overdid on the killing that night.
He chuckled sheepishly.
But really, it was beautiful, his work. If he searched up the word "moon" he was fascinated at how many results popped up dealing with him. The news reports even continued to mention him.
It wasn't as big as he wanted, but it was a good start.
Fame. He had finally reached it. Not yet on the level he wanted, but he had reached it!
He chuckled more and spun around in the dark alley then stumbled as he hit a body hidden in the shadows.
He froze.
This body, he did not recognize. Moon stooped to observe it more closely.
Perhaps he killed this person but hadn't realized it...?
Wait... Was this person even dead...?
He spun the person around so that it could face him, his knife ready for any sudden movements.
In only a split second, he spotted one thing. The skin had split for a moment, but now it seemed like it never happened. Moon poked the body in disbelief. No reaction.
He ran a finger on the skin of the person and barely felt a small trail of bumps. Stitches...?
Why on earth...?
Recent neat stitches... And cuts... All over this person's body...
Moon ran his hand over the victim's body in amazement and... Fear.
His hand sunk deep into nothingness when he passed over the chest.
In curiosity, he unzipped the victim's jacket and hurriedly pulled off the person's shirt.
There was a gaping hole where his heart should have been.
Moon stiffened.
Not fear in his heart, something else.
Anger...?
No, jealousy.
He grabbed his knife and walked to his own victims who had just been stabbed to death and frowned in disapproval.
His victims were nothing compared to the other one he found.
He picked up his knife and started tracing where his victims' hearts were.
What the hell?
What the HELL?
The reports never talked about another serial killer! There was only him!
Unless... Hollywood...?
No, why would he be in Ikebukuro anyways...
Dammit...
DAMMIT!
He couldn't... He couldn't do it...
It was too disturbing.
What the hell was he going to do with a heart anyways?
He paced back and forth, fuming at his unknown competition.
This other killer... Has that trademark... Right?
Well then... Moon will just have to come up with his own. Something simple maybe...
He started etching the words "moon" on his victim's bodies.
Yeah, simple. And they're obviously mine.
His eyes locked upon the body with no heart.
His competitor... Would surely not care... If Moon took his victim...
Yeah, if he did, his competitor would've already been all over the news and whatnot.
No, this isn't a bad thing. It's a blessing...
Yeah...
Moon took his knife and eagerly stabbed the words "moon" on the side of the heartless victim.
It was an unclaimed prize.
This was just a faster path to fame
This, was what he needed.
Unaware that far off, their true nature was unraveling to a man named Tanaka Tom, two young men walked casually through the streets of Ikebukuro, despite the recent news of a serial killer on the loose. Some people must have heeded warning though, because the streets weren't as crowded. The two young men seemed completely different as the smaller of the two marched with a casual face and the taller was skipping and humming happily beside him.
The soft tap tap tap of the smaller man's sleek black boots was easily distinguishable.
"What if we ~buuump~ into the serial killer Hitoshi-san~?"
The taller but younger looking man asked curiously. He flashed a huge smile as if he just asked for a puppy.
The shorter but older looking man snorted and narrowed his eyes, still looking forward.
"That would be bothersome."
His eyes instantly softened though, as they fell upon something passing them. He smiled in a sickeningly sweet manner at a black figure driving a motorbike and instantly ran to the middle of the road, arms held high to make himself a bigger target.
"?"
The motorcycle came to a sudden, almost impossible, halt although it was dangerously close to hitting the short man.
"Celty-chan~!"
Cried the man in black boots gleefully. He grinned eagerly at the unknown rider, acting very out of character.
The one named Celty froze for a bit as she responded to her name then took something out of her sleeve and started typing hurriedly then shoved it in the young man's face.
[Do you have a death wish?]
The PDA read.
The young man tilted his head as if thinking it over.
"I might. I'm not sure yet~"
He laughed gently at the biker.
The biker continued typing.
[Don't say that!]
After a while, the rider made a movement like she just noticed something.
This realization wasn't showed on the rider's face, because it was hidden under the helmet.
It was hidden under the helmet because there was no face. In fact, there was no head.
[HITOSHI-KUN?]
The short man now revealed as Hitoshi laughed at such a reaction as if Celty herself had exclaimed it.
"So you remember~"
Hitoshi's tall companion looked confused. Apparently he never met this headless rider before.
"Hitoshi-san... You can't go running around in the streets... You could've gotten hit..."
His tall friend whined softly. True concern rung in his tone but he was forever smiling.
"Ah. Celty-chan. This is my roommate Nishi Akihiko. Akihiko-kun, this is Sturluson Celty. She is by far the most beautiful woman I have ever met~!"
"Wow! Even more beautiful than those ladies from the show about maids we watched last night~?"
"Much more beautiful than that."
_0_0_0_
You see, Celty Sturluson was not human.
She was a dullahan, similar to a banshee that roamed through Scotland to people who were dying. She always had her head at her side and rode a carriage which was pulled by a headless horse.
Better known in Europe, she was a messenger of death.
Sadly, Celty lost her memories Te same moment someone stole her head.
She had pursued this unknown headnapper all the way to Ikebukuro.
Her headless horse had transformed into a motorcycle and her armor turned into a rider suit. For a long time, she was in this foreign land, far from home.
She never did find her head.
But not all was bad.
She fell in love, and had people she could consider as friends. Celty had accepted spending her life with these people, and abandoned her search for her head.
The headless woman would show the world her resolve through her actions rather than her non-existent face.
Such was the being named Celty Sturluson.
_0_0_0_
[You grew up so much!]
"Huuhuu~ if only my height would prove it... Wow Celty-chan! I never thought I'd see you again!"
Hitoshi exclaimed, now at the side of the road once again. Akihiko was silent behind him, trying hard to analyze whether the person in front of him was happy or not. His eyes sharpened in seriousness, obviously frustrated with not being able to tell if she was or not. Nevertheless, his lips continued to play a happy smile.
Celty's shoulders moved as if she was laughing. She typed skillfully on her PDA.
[You guys should really be careful though... Haven't you seen the news?]
"Oh Moon~! We hope we see him soon! He doesn't look too happy."
[What? Hitoshi-kun, tell me your not really looking for him!]
Hitoshi waved the question away with lack of interest.
"Celty-chan, you really surprised me with your quick reflexes. You're something special, you know?"
Celty's helmet shook no. Hitoshi's smile grew even more.
"You're so modest. I really mean it, Celty-chan."
He shook his own head and let out a soft chuckle, stopping himself before he ranted on about why he thought Celty was so special. He cleared his throat and looked at the dark visor, the reflection of light from the helmet matched the sparkle in Hitoshi's bright green eye.
"But it seems that we're interrupting something...? Are you doing a job right now? Huuhuuhuu, that's Celty-chan, always working~! I'm sorry for your urgency, we should get out of your way."
He bowed politely.
Celty felt a bit shocked. Her thoughts were starting to wander to the urgency of the package she was carrying but she hadn't said a thing about it out of politeness. How come Hitoshi always knew what was going on in her head...?
[I...ummm... No, don't worry about it Hitoshi-kun! Please don't apologize! Well, I am working but... It's fine!]
"Aww, it's fine. We'll get out of your way. Please don't feel compelled to stay. I bet chichi-ue's son is waiting forever loyal to you at home anyways."
If Celty could blush, she would.
[Shinra...? Well... About Shinra...]
"Ah I see. So you're still living with him. Well then, tell him I said hi."
[...]
[You know Shinra doesn't... Get along with you.]
"Huuhuuhuu~! 'Get along'? Damn, Celty-chan! He downright hates me! But thank you for trying to sugarcoat it. Ah, well, we won't hold onto you long. He must be getting anxious. Bye Celty-chan. Take care. And don't push yourself too hard."
Celty hesitated before nodding her helmet to both of them courteously.
[Thank you, Hitoshi-kun. We will talk some other time, ok? May I have your number?]
[Oh! And nice to meet you, Nishi-kun.]
"Oh, the pleasure is all mine, Sturluson-san. I'm happy to make a new friend. I'd love to make you happy when you need it."
Akihiko stated simply with a small smile on his lips. Hitoshi added his number to Celty's list of contacts and added Akihiko's as well.
"There. Don't hesitate to contact us. We'd love to hear from you."
He gave his taller companion a stern look.
"Truly."
Celty nodded in appreciation then thanked them once again before taking off on her bike. The motorbike made an authentically proud roar as it sped off into the night.
Both men looked at her disappearing figure in silence. Akihiko's curiosity never expanded so widely for a person. But really, it intrigued him not knowing for certain if the woman was happy or not.
"Huuhuuhuu~ What a woman~!"
With that, Hitoshi spun on his heels and began walking away. Akihiko, pulling away from his own thoughts, continued to smile openly as he tagged along beside him.
Hitoshi sighed as if something was wrong though. He shook his head.
"Too bad she doesn't have a heart..."
Evening. Kawagoe Highway, Shinra's apartment.
The headless rider burst through the doors to her home with great excitement. Although she had no head, this could easily be seen by her bold movements and restless state.
[You'll never guess who I saw today!]
"My darling Celty! Don't sound so excited! Surely the love of my life cannot be talking about another man!"
Her roommate replied stubbornly.
That's because her roommate recently became her lover. It was a moment Celty would never forget because it had brought her infinite happiness. She began typing on her PDA screen.
[Well... It is about another man... But don't think like that!]
"Oh someone surely shot a bullet through this wounded heart!"
Shinra cried out woefully.
Before Celty could respond however, something on the TV screen made her freeze.
"Another Moon incident went on tonight. On the Kawagoe Highway, police found two bodies carelessly tossed aside. On the bodies, the word 'Moon' was etched, making these deaths finally connected. Not so far off, another body was..."
"..."
Shinra observed his lover's lack of reaction with never ending concern.
"Celty...? What's wrong...?"
Although Celty hadn't planned to worry Shinra, she knew that Shinra would resent it more if she kept something hidden from him. She also felt that she had to share her fears with the person she loved most. Celty sat on the bed and began typing frantically then shoved the PDA in Shinra's face.
[Today... I saw Hitoshi-kun. I almost ran him over! We had a chat and he had this friend named Nishi Akihiko but then I left them alone because of this job I was in the middle of doing! I should've never left them! I hope those two bodies aren't them...]
Shinra's smile turned into a frown.
"Hopefully it is them..."
He murmured in a low voice. His face did not read that it was joking.
[How could you say that? Is it because your father likes Hitoshi-kun better than you?]
Celty began typing that but thought it over and deleted the last part.
Shinra instantly went back to his original personality as if nothing had happened though.
"Because that bad bad man knows about my Celty and wants to take her away from me~! He's evil! But it's ok! Because nothing can tear this love apart! Not even anything in the whole universe and beyond!"
Shinra whined as he tried to sit up. Celty's shoulders sagged like she was giving an exasperated sigh.
It was true that Hitoshi was a charmer and that he always called Celty "the most beautiful" or "the most human" but despite that, he never made a move on her.
[He's a gentleman. He'd never do that...]
The bespectacled man was acting like a six year old as he tried to squirm and protest. Where he got all that energy, Celty would never know.
"Look at how evil he is! You only saw him moments ago and already he is pitting our souls against each other!"
[That's not his fault!]
Celty turned and saw that the victims on screen were not, in fact, her two friends. She felt a sigh of relief in her heart.
[Thank goodness it's not them]
[Not that it's good two other people died! That's horrible!]
Shinra laughed softly at his lover's cute reaction then waved his hands at her.
"Here! How about we not mention his name! From now on, the name Takeshi Hitoshi is taboo!"
Celty hesitated before nodding her helmet reluctantly. She knew that in this certain matter, there was no reasoning with Shinra.
But that didn't mean she'd stop seeing her old friend.
Shinra knew this as he sighed, wishing that Hitoshi and Akihiko would've stayed gone.
Now that they returned...
Shinra remembered how Hitoshi was 14 years ago.
He was watching a movie with a small fragile boy with bright green eyes and a red bow tie. Shinra's father told him that he should make friends with the young boy because he was one of the most intelligent boys he's ever met. They were watching a horror movie. It was excessively bloody. Shinra had been giggling and sometimes even he had to cover his eyes from the images in front of him. The young boy named Takeshi Hitoshi simply looked onwards with obvious disgust.
"Is it too scary for you? Haha avert your eyes!"
Shinra piped up before rolling on the floor and giggling.
"No, that's not the problem.."
Shinra smiled, expecting Hitoshi to reject his fear but his smile fell when he heard the next words.
"It's inaccurate."
Entrance of the Russian Sushi Shop. Nighttime.
There was a commotion.
Some sort of mix between a greeting and an argument.
Some people looked with interest because someone had chosen to argue with Simon. Simon was a big Russian man-taller than Akihiko- who worked at the Russian sushi place. Although his Japanese was a little...off, he was a good soul. He was also know for being a pacifist.
"Shachou-san! Eat sushi. Sushi is good for the soul."
"Oh Simon, my dear, how I missed you~! Sushi sounds wonderful, thank you. Uh... But... Don't you think in a bit too young to be called 'manager'...?"
"Simon-san! What the hell? We're not managers... Peh! Did you give up on those useless theories of peace?"
Simon shook his head at the short man with black boots who just spoke.
"Oh never. Peace is good. Good like food for the soul. Eat sushi, Shachou-san. You out of all people need all the sushi there is. Come come."
"Don't try to turn me into a pacifist, they don't exist!"
Akihiko looked to and fro the two men and just laughed merrily in amusement
"I exist. Sushi is peace food and exists as well. Sushi is the pacifist of all foods."
"Accept that without violence, peace wouldn't exist! Ikebukuro knows it full well and it's about time you accept it as well!"
"Hitoshi-san... You're making a commotion."
Akihiko noted curiously. It wasn't warning or anything. He just stated it as he grinned.
"Yeah, yeah, like you did when you knocked that guy out! Jeez Akihiko-kun, you're killing me!"
"My sincerest apologies Hitoshi-san. I shall visit Simon-san on my own tomorrow I suppose."
Akihiko's tone was one of infinite regret as if he was a puppy who disobeyed his owner. His never ending smile never left his lips.
"No need! Come in now! Eat sushi"
Simon bursted out laughing as he picked Hitoshi up into a full embrace and forced him inside the shop. Hitoshi squirmed and tried getting out of his grip, hissing like an angry cat. Akihiko followed behind and laughed at Hitoshi's expressions. Such a wide variety of expressions impressed him since he himself had been forever trapped with the blissful ignorant smile on his lips.
When inside, Simon put them into a private room and came behind them.
"What's this? Aren't you gonna make sushi or something?"
Hitoshi growled softly, reluctantly accepting his fate as a customer.
"Hitoshi-kun..."
Simon's face turned serious now that they were in private.
"The Moon attacks..."
The air suddenly became tense. Both young men observed Simon quietly. No reaction was given on either ends of the table. Hitoshi reached at his cup in front of him.
"I want tea. What about them?"
Simon hesitated before going on.
"People popping up. No heart. Heart missing."
Hitoshi's lips curled into a cold grin-unlike the smile he gave to both Celty and Shizuo-as he leaned back.
"Kinda reminds you of the Loveless attacks, hmm?"
There was silence between the two men whose height difference was ridiculous. Their eyes met and the atmosphere became colder. Akihiko seemed unaffected by this and continued to smile naively at both of them.
"Thinking... Moon is Loveless. Loveless is Moon."
"That's a nice theory. Hmmm... It's getting late. Come on Akihiko-kun. We can pay if you want, Simon-san."
Hitoshi got up and marched out quickly, already leaving his payment on the table despite not having been given a meal. Akihiko stood up.
"Akihiko..."
Simon gave him a hard look as if asking for an answer.
"Moon can't be Loveless~! Moon is too messy, don't you think?"
Akihiko smiled innocently at the big Russian man before him.
"I think Hitoshi-san likes you. You get him to lose his temper. He doesn't normally do that."
Akihiko bowed politely before scampering after Hitoshi once again.
That night, more incidents involving a serial killer named Moon appeared. The victims seemed like they hadn't been attacked until examined closer. There was also the obvious gaping hole on their chest. Their hearts had indeed been missing.