Chapter 34

A/N: For those who remember Matt and Mello's pasts, you'll understand whats going on with them.

"Sir,"

The world was still covered in its snug blanket of darkness, but soon the sun would come and Kyosta would be half way across the Atlantic by then and on his way back to the comfort of the Motherland. His excitement was clear in his voice as it shook despite his efforts to sound calm and professional. "Target has been acquired." He said into the cell phone gripped tightly in his gloved hand. A short pause as he listened to the response.

"No," Kyosta's triumphant smile slipped slightly. "not Mihael, but, I have his mate. I figured this way things would be a lot more interesting on your part. I've seen their tight knit relationship with my own eyes and in both their minds. Mihael will come to you to claim his bait." The smile returned, slowly turning into a grin with each passing second. "Yes, sir. Of course sir. Oh! And I hope you make arrangements to accommodate a few handfuls of extra vampires."

"Why? Because there's an entire coven heading our way and with as many vampires as we have, I'm sure we will be convincing enough to persuade them to join our happy family, don't you think so?" Kyosta's grin blossomed into a full out smirk. "I knew you'd approve. Till then." And he snapped the phone shut with a quick flick of his wrist before replacing it in his coat pocket.

Kyosta turned his face towards the slowly brightening sky. It had gone from black to a navy blue. The sun was coming and he had to keep moving. Then, with a warm smile, he turned back to the unconscious boy he had laid out on the grass. He crouched down to brush the red bangs from Matt's face, a frown suddenly replacing the smile. His brow furrowed in thought as he pressed his hand to the boys forehead and listened in on his nightmare.

'No! Alessandro, you'll kill him!' A woman screamed. Somewhere in the dark abyss of Matt's mind, Kyosta heard something slap against skin, and the redhead himself screamed out in pain.

'Stop it, please!' Another cry of agony. 'Mail!'

'Mom!'

BANG!

A gunshot rung loud and clear and Kyosta pulled out of the boys mind with a gasping breath.

He had seen nothing, but he had heard it all and that was enough to piece together Matt's less than friendly past. Kyosta kneeled there for a long while, taking in deep breaths as if he had run a marathon, and watching Matt's expressions as they changed from pain to agony. Humans...some of them were down right cruel. To do such a thing to a child. Not that he would be in any place to judge...seeing as he was doing the exact same thing. But they were human. He was a monster. He had an excuse.

Kyosta shook his head as if to rid himself of the voices still ringing and echoing in his mind. He cradled the still unconscious human and stood. Not much farther and he would be able to steal himself a boat. A row boat preferably so that he would be able to row them across the North Atlantic. His arms were faster than any engine. With a last sympathetic look at Mello's mate, he took off once more into the darkness of the trees and bushes.

Almost there.

- - -

Music.

It sounds so familiar, so sweet but he can't remember where he's heard it before. The violins and cellos working together to keep pace with the soft click of boots and heels on the, no doubt, tiled floors. There's different voices, women and men, all speaking in a congregation of pure ignorant bliss. They were laughing as if they didn't have a care in the world. And maybe, he thought, they didn't. Or more so, they thought they didn't.

He had not been able to see a thing, but now a scene begins to unfold before him. Bright lights from glimmering gold chandeliers above make him blink. There are couples swaying and swinging on the dance floor to the calming beat of the orchestra and he can't help but think that this all looks so familiar and yet so strange. As if he were looking in on a life that he had known so very long ago.

The pieces of this puzzle were missing and so he moves closer to the dancing couples, searching for the pieces so that his puzzle may complete and show him what he so desperately needs to see. To know.

No one seems to notice him and he suddenly feels like a ghost among the living. His steps are slow and calculated. Though why, he doesn't really know. Just feels the need to be precise, and cautious of his surroundings. Outside, white falls from the black velvet sky and collects at the window sills, while the glass fogs from the inside with all the body heat. He doesn't know why, but he smiles at the sight. White snow...the symbol of peace and tranquility. It was a comfort to him he had to admit.

But a comfort from what?

Feeling a little lighter in spirits, he weaves through the couples who all seem faceless from where he's standing, but he doesn't really pay it much heed. Instead, he moves toward a group of laughing, whispering women in beautiful silk gowns. He's sure that the remaining pieces to his incomplete puzzle will be found with them and so its with only a seconds hesitation that he reaches up to pull at one of the women's sleeves.

Her hair is blond, a brilliant golden color that catches the light of the chandeliers and seems to glow. When she turns to look at him, there's a wide pink smile on her lips and she leans in close to kiss his forehead. "What is it?" She asks. Surprised as he is, he parts his lips to speak but the words that follow are not what he had wanted to say. In fact, they sound so small and scared. Like a young child.

"I couldn't sleep..."

Why had he said this? What was going on? Sleep? He wanted to shake his head and try again, but the woman had already turned away from him and was speaking to the other women in her group, excusing herself. A few seconds later, she had her hand around his and was leading him out of the main room, away from all the people. He had no choice but to follow. His body had a mind of its own and he couldn't find his voice.

"Now," She says once they had come to a grand winding staircase. She sat and without waiting for a response, she reached over and picked him up to sit him in his lap. Her arms wrapped around him in a soft, warm embrace and she whispers sweetly into his ear. "Will you tell me what's wrong?"

He was stunned. What was this? How?...But again, as he parted his lips to ask, the words that fell from his lips were not his own. Nor was it his voice. It was that of a young child. A young, scared child. And he was so confused!

"There was someone in my room."

"Mihael," Her voice shook the slightest bit, but it sounded calm regardless. "it was probably just a bad dream. Let's get you back to bed, okay?"

His name. This woman had known his real name. Who was she?

"Okay." Once again he had no control over his words.

-

The scene faded to black, before brightening once more as a new scene began. This time, the bright light that forced him to blink was the sun. He was outside surrounded by lots of white and red rose bushes. The smell of damp grass and dirt mixed pleasantly with their sweet scent. Most of the snow had melted, which explained the wetness in the earth, and the glistening dew drops that covered the lush green lawn, sparkling like diamonds under the suns light. He smiled.

Confused as he was, he was equally curious, so he moved across the grass toward a small pond not far from where he had been standing. He was suppose to be looking for someone, he could feel it deep down in his gut. He didn't know who, but he did know that this was the reason he had come out here for, to look for them. So, with eager eyes, he scanned the lawn as he walked. Nothing.

Giving up on looking for someone he didn't really know, he bent to sit down at the edge of the pond and dipped his feet in after rolling up his pant legs. There were fish in the pond of many different colors and they swam up to tickle his feet with their mouths.

"Mihael," The voice was soft and smooth. It startled him but he turned to look in the direction in which it had come. And to his surprise, he saw a man with the same blond hair as he; the same deep blue eyes. It was like looking in a mirror. Despite his confusion, his lips formed a smile. Was this who he had been searching for?

"You scared me, father." Came his reply in the same child's voice. And at this, he began to panic. Though the body he was using didn't show it, on the inside his mind was racing. Had he just said father? This...this man was his father? So, did that mean that the woman from earlier...had been his mother? Oh, how confused he was!

What was going on? Was he dead? Was this heaven? Had he managed to get in despite all his sins? Or was this hell...for he felt so lost and helpless...and Matt wasn't here with him. So It might as well be.

"Mihael, son, may I ask you something?"

He nodded against his will. For some reason, he didn't think he wanted to hear the question.

"Well, your mother tells me that there was someone in your room last night. Who was it?"

"I didn't see their face." The child's voice mumbled. "But he did say something."

"Oh? And what may that something be?" His fathers tone was even but it was easy to see the change in his posture and expression.

"He who easily strays from the path before him, shall find himself in a strange town not his own." The child smiles proudly as if this had been a great accomplishment, but the smile fades as he catches his father's horror struck expression.

"Did...I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you-"

"No, son." The blond man stands and begins to move toward the house, boots creaking as he walks. "We'll talk later, yes?"

And he can't help the feeling of absolute dread that washes over his body like cold water. His heart is heavy, like lead in his chest as fear begins to ripple in the pit of his stomach. He knows what comes next. He knows where he is. He knows why he has no control over the body he is residing in. Its because he's trapped in his past, simply looking in from the outside, almost as one would watch a movie.

He is watching himself as he was as a child, back when his parents were alive. Back when everything was perfectly peaceful. This is a nightmare. He knows what comes next...he knows now!

This was Hell.

-

A new scene unfolds before him, this time there is no bright light that he has to force his eyes to adjust to. There is only darkness and the light of a sparkling white moon. The grass is damp and it makes their boots squeak as they cross the dark lawn.

"Have you heard the legends?" Kyosta's young voice sounds in his mind and he turns to look at him sharply.

"Legends?" He echoes against his will. Though, by now he's stopped trying to form his own words, seeing as this is nothing more than a nightmare put into his head by none other than the person he is speaking with now. The one person who for so long was like a brother to him. Despite the burning desire to yell and curse at the young boy leaning casually against the bowing tree, he couldn't. So, he simply watched the scene.

"The legends about the living dead. Vampires."

Yes, he knew that this was coming so it didn't surprise him one bit to see his child self gasp and reply with a very unconvincing; "Kyosta, you're crazy! Those tales and legends are nothing but old maids tales. Father and mother said so!"

"Am I?" Kyosta ran a hand through his dark locks.

Silence as the scene morphed once more. It was still dark, but now there was the sharp cries of anguish that his child self released as he let himself fall to his knees onto the damp grass. His small fingers were tangled in his golden hair, tugging and clawing desperately. "No!...My...my mother!" Were the agonized cries. His head bowed, forehead touching the grass as his body shook with his sobs.

Matt's face flitted through his mind. His cheeks were bruised and blood seeped from a cut there. Twice, this time he was smiling. Thrice, his cheeks were blushing a light pink, flushed, and his lips were parted in a low moan. Then came Near's impassive, emotionless face. He was pale, and almost more stone than vampire. Again, and this time there was more color in his face. He was human and smiling.

He missed them both, terribly.

"I won't let anything happen to you."

What a liar he had turned out to be. But that was fine. Shit happened.

"Mother!"

- -

"Kyosta!"

His breath was coming in heavy pants; chest heaving. Growls were rippling in his chest and sounding low in his throat. Anger was the only emotion bouncing around in his mind right now and he felt as if he would blow from the sheer amount of it.

"Mello, darling...Shh." A woman's soft voice soothed. And for a second the blond thought that it was his mother, but that was silly. His mother was dead. "Relax, child. What has happened?" Her sea blue eyes were pleading as she stared deep into the male vampires equally blue ones. "Where is Matt?" Though Mello knew that she probably already knew, he didn't hesitate to growl out a response.

"Kyosta took him. He's going to use him as bait, no doubt. He has found the chink in my armor, Celestria!" His voice was rising in panic with every word he spoke, but he didn't care and Celestria didn't try and silence him, merely rubbed his arm in a motherly way, encouraging him to go on. "He knows that Matt is my weakness and he will pass the word along! I..." He paused as a pathetic, helpless sob tore from his throat. "My only comfort, is that as long as Matt remains my weakness, they will keep him alive. For how long though, I don't know."

Celestria nodded, slowly. Her eyes overflowed with sadness and sympathy. "We will win this war, Mello. I know I myself have never been one to read into the whole 'Good will prevail' crap, but I'm sure that with a bit of faith, and luck, we will win and you will have Matt once more. Light will no longer be able to hurt you."

Mello found little to no comfort in her words. But there was a rage inside him, like wild fire, consuming him from the inside and slowly working its way out, crawling across the surface of his skin to burn all who dared approach him. There was so much anger in him that honestly, if he were to go alone, he was sure that he could take them all down himself. Without meaning to, he shook off Celestria's mothering hand and stood, eyes blazing with hate.

"When do we leave?" He growled. He had composed himself, all sadness washed from his body, letting himself be driven by his rage. It was a lot more efficient.

Celestria stood as well. She wore a simple coat over a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. She was already dressed for battle and it made Mello's blood run hot with eager desire. She brushed her pale blond bangs from her face. "Now. We were waiting for you and you're mate."

Mello nodded. His eyes fell on the open window that no doubt Kyosta had used to escape through with his heart. Yes, Matt was his heart, though, it probably wasn't saying much, seeing as a vampire's heart was cold and unbeating. But, Matt's heart still lived and breathed and so Mello had marked it as his own. Two bodies to one heart. A lot more pleasant than he could have ever hoped.

A low string of curses fell from his lips in Russian, and a single shaking, gloved hand moved up to clutch at the shiny silver metal of the crucifix hanging from the blood red rosary that never parted company with him. Celestria didn't understand Russian, so she didn't catch any of what he had said, what she did catch though, was a single airy phrase that even an idiot would understand.

"Mea culpa, Matt."

Celestria moved to cross the room. She placed a hand on Mello's shoulder, giving it a light squeeze before jumping from the window and out of sight.

Mello didn't even flinch. He prayed silently in his native tongue, fingers moving across the blood red beads as they hurried to keep rhythm with his lips and whispered words.

It took him less than a minute to recite the whole rosary. What good it would do a vampire, really, he had no idea. It was stupid. Praying when one's soul was so damned it was darker than the soot left in the wake of Hell fire.

Then, with a determined, set jaw, Mello stood before the window, eyes scanning the slowly brightening sky. His hands clenched and unclenched at his sides. His fangs were throbbing painfully. He wanted to tear into flesh, rip it from the lifeless bodies of those who would wish ill on Matt. Light...an enraged growl tore from his throat.

He, would personally destroy his creator with his bare hands. The initial plan was to evade the vampire for as long as time allowed, but this time, things were different. Revenge was knocking at his door, and he would gladly open it, regardless of the company that revenge brought with it. Death. Mello didn't care. He would invite the thing he had cheated for so long into his home, and let it shit on his carpet for all he cared anymore.

For Matt.

Mello stepped up, eyes fixed in a glare at the dark trees beyond the hotel. The vampires were hiding and waiting. For a second, he turned his face up to the sky, eyes closed as he breathed in deeply. He could smell the anxiousness that all the vampires shared. They were thirsty. After so many years of being pacifists and hiding and controlling their true animalistic natures, they were starved for the kill.

And though killing other vampires was a crime, the rules would change for this battle. The other side had awoken a dormant volcano and so they would soon feels its wrath, for Mello was sure that these vampires would be vicious and merciless on the battle field to make up for all the years they had forced themselves to hold onto their calm ways. Victory now seemed a lot more possible.

"Don't worry," Mello whispered in a harsh, ice cold tone. He was speaking to the others. "They will taste the fires of hell soon enough."

And when he landed on the dark grass, they all moved in sync, following the scent that the vampire, Kyosta had left.

War was close enough to taste.

A/N: Wow, another long chapter. Not as long as the last, but eh. Mkay, to clear up a few things. Kyosta can read peoples minds, so yes, he would be able to see Matt's dreams/nightmares. He put Mello to sleep, trapping him in a nightmare as well, so thats whats going on up there. Just letting the slow people know. -grin- kidding.

One more thing. Stop adding my story to your favorites, and shit if you're not going to review. Thats really annoying. I'm sure a lot of people would agree. -shrugs- Don't care if it makes me sound like a bitch. I like feedback. Let me know you're still interested. Thats all I ask.

~ Matt.