Completely horrified by his recent episode with the apparition of Near, Mello finds himself traveling to his arch rival's mansion in hopes of settling this disturbing situation.
Love and Hate...so different yet so alike. In this chapter, you get to take a sneak peak into Near's mansion and discover what the quiet little boy is really like on the inside. He is much deeper than he lets on.
Chapter II
Near's Mansion and the Room of Red
Mello shoved the puzzle piece in his pocket. This is going to be one helluva story.
Despite the rivalry that the two boys shared, they somehow remained within reach of each other. They shared a belief that if one did not exist, that the world would be deathly boring. Without Mello, there would be no competition and without Near, there would be no fun. After flagging a cab down, Mello continued to contemplate the realization of it all. The puzzle piece...the apparition...the kiss. The blond gazed out the window and found his reflection staring back at him. His eyebrows furrowed as he placed his hand on the glass. He didn't recognize himself. He was always hard hearted, obnoxious, proud and vain...and he knew it. But now, he found none of these within his eyes. He continued to search nervously, hoping for a sign, an ounce of anger, but he only found confusion and this troubled him further. He sighed and shook his head.
For the rest of the cab ride, he fiddled with his bangs. He had never been so bored in his entire life.
"Finally." The blond mumbled after a two hour journey. He handed the driver a wad of bills and insisted that the man keep the change. There was too much on Mello's mind to deal with the cab driver's babbling, so he simply shut the door and continued toward the mansion upon the hill. It had been nearly three years since Mello's last visit.
After trudging up a gravel path, Mello came to a sturdy iron gate that was decorated with intricate swirls and various N's throughout the design. A matching iron fence looped around the entire property; the iron spikes at the top removed the idea of hopping over altogether. Unfortunately, Mello would have to enter the proper way. Something he was never accustomed to doing. He approached two marble columns that stood before the gate. On one of them was a screen and below it sat a number of various colored buttons of different shapes. Mello poked the red, square shape button and a withered old man appeared on the screen.
"Master Near is not to be disturbed...If you-"
The blond crossed his arms, "Tell him, Mello is here to see him and he'll change his mind."
The old man straightened his spectacles and gave a "humph" before he disappeared from view. All that remained on the screen was an organized desk and an empty arm chair. A few minutes later, the man returned.
"Master Near will see you now." He said before a shrill beep resounded in the air.
The iron gate slowly swung open and the man behind the screen vanished altogether.
Mello continued down the gravel path until his eyes met a beautiful arrangement of square shaped shrubbery. Atop these cubic plants was a sphere shaped rosebush. These structures continued alongside the gravel road. After a short walk, Mello came upon the mansion itself.
A humongous building constructed entirely of marble stretched to the sky. Authentic 17th century stained glass windows decorated the mansion and glistening spires tipped every tower. Now that Mello had thought about it, it looked more like a modern day castle then a mansion. Birds of Paradise plants circled the house and random little rock gardens sprouted around the entrance. Despite the elegance of the home, not a single balcony was found on any of the stories. Considering how pale Near was, he must've hated the sun.
The castle cast an ominous shadow upon the earth and Mello felt like he was in another dimension. He approached the massive oak door that loomed before him. He inhaled and calmed his nerves. He had no idea why he was shaking and was quite afraid that he would stammer while he was speaking to Near. He bit his lip and pulled the velvet bell cord beside him. His eyes glanced at the marble around him; he noticed that engravings had been made in a number of the columns. He wanted to inspect them, but before he could do so, the door opened with a loud groan.
Mello drew back, slightly alarmed at the sight of Near. He never answers the door.
"Near." He struggled to control his voice.
"Yes?" He replied, hardly a hint of emotion in his voice.
"Well, can I come in?" Mello crossed his arms. He tried to play his part normally, and not sound and seem as nervous as he felt.
"What is it you want?" Near raised an eyebrow. "You have rudely interrupted my play time."
"Your little games are of no importance to me." The blond replaced and forced himself in.
The inside was more beautiful then he remembered. The lobby was fashioned with various antiques from different time periods. Luxurious chairs made of the finest leather sat around the room and were accompanied by a French coffee table made of cherry wood. Ancient Chinese tapestries, animal heads, and African war masks decorated the wall. Other artifacts remained behind glass. The room itself was painted a deep crimson and lined with ivory colored crown molding that gave it all a royal touch. The floor was made of the purest marble; the center of the room was covered by a Persian rug that depicted battle of long ago. Magnificent statues of mythical beasts lined the corridors that sprouted from the lobby. Mello wondered where the spiral staircase was; he was sure it was in this room during his last visit.
"What is it you want?" Near blinked.
"I need to speak to you about something." Mello replied, his eyebrows furrowing.
"Are you always so vague?" Near responded. "Come, join me in the West Wing."
Mello crossed his arms and half-heartedly followed the boy into the adjacent wing. Along the way, he found himself not gazing at the treasures around him, but solely at Near.
They stopped at a tiny oak door that stood but four feet above the ground; it looked much taller from a distance. Near the removed a set of toy keys from his pocket and after selecting the proper one, stuck it into the keyhole. A light click echoed throughout the hall, and the door creaked open.
The two stepped inside and Mello found the room to be constructed entirely out of Legos. An immense pile of stuffed animals lay in one corner and in the other, boxes of blocks and other such things. Roller coasters and train sets looped around the room, exited and entered through holes in the wall and finally coming to rest at a miniature station on the ground. Ever area of the room had its designated theme. For instance, the action figures, ranging from robots to army men were stacked neatly on two bookshelves. Racecars and other tiny modes of transportation were contained inside transparent bins in one corner of the room. After growing bored of gazing at so many useless toys, Mello found that the very floor he stood on was made of black and white dice. The center of the room was covered by a multicolored shag rug. Mello rolled his eyes at this childishness, but on the inside he truly found it amusing.
"This way..." Near gestured as the two entered an even smaller door at the opposite end of the room.
After crawling through, Mello nearly gasped at the sight before him. A lifesize chess board, with ten foot pieces decorated the room. The ceiling, at least two hundred feet high was made entirely out of stained glass that cast a soft rainbow light upon the black and white chess board. They proceeded to walk through the pieces when finally they came to the center where a small circular table entirely made of crystal was. Two chairs, also made of the same stone sat on opposite ends of the table.
"Won't you sit down?" Near politely pulled out the chair for his rival.
"Thank you." He whispered. Mello had never "thanked" anyone before.
Near then began rambling about something, but the blond was paying no attention at all. His eyes were fixed on the millions and millions of jigsaw puzzles that lined the walls of this bizarre room. There must have been hundreds of puzzles, all neatly framed and carefully put together. They extended a ways up, but ended when the stained glass interrupted their path. Mello also noticed a series of origami animals hanging down from the ceiling.
"Mello, do you like puzzles?" Near asked.
"What?" Mello drew back suddenly.
"Do you like puzzles?" He repeated. "Because you appear to be looking over at my collection instead of at me."
Mello retorted, "I find them interesting."
"Just interesting?" Near replied. "They are more than just that, Mello. They are like a life within themselves. An entire soul."
Mello recrossed his arms.
"You see, Mello, a puzzle is very much like a human being. It cannot live nor coexist with any other creature unless it is completed. Every piece, no matter how insignificant is part of the soul of the puzzle. Without it, life cannot be accomplished. Without the last piece, humans and puzzles alike are dead..." Near paused a moment. "Why have you come here, Mello? Truly it is not for the sake of my company."
Mello was extremely disturbed by Near's explanation. He reached into his pocket and clasped the puzzle piece within his hand. A missing piece?
He breathed in, "Near..." He began.
"Yes?" The white haired boy smiled.
Mello's eyes narrowed. "I have something for you." He placed the piece upon the table and watched for a reaction from Near.
However, none came and Mello was once again disappointed. The boy tilted his head slightly and lifted the piece gently with two fingers. "This piece..." He whispered. "Where did you find it?"
"I stole it, you idiot." Mello remarked. "I took it from you that miserable day when I ruined your puzzle."
"This is so very like you." Near replied, his eyes flitting towards the blond. "And why after nearly a decade to you give it to me now?"
Mello made no answer.
"Mello, I know what it is." Near smiled his small smile. "You have given me this present because you feel sorry."
The blond sneered, "The hell I don't. I returned your stupid piece because I found it."
"If you would excuse me." Near said, ignoring the comment. The white haired boy walked along the chess board until he came to the last square in the fourth row. He lifted the top off and jumped down. As soon as he was sure Near was gone, Mello ran over and peered down the chute.
Where has he gone? Should I leave?
Hesitantly, Mello followed after him. He immediately regretted it when he found himself sliding at the speed of light through a tube that constantly was looping and throwing him in all directions. The unpleasant roller coaster ride lasted all of one minute, but it felt like a life time to Mello. Sick and a little shaken up, he wobbled around the room and tried with all his might to stop the world from spinning.
"Why have you followed me here?" Near turned around.
"I wasn't going to wait up there alone." Mello replied. He then wished he had retracted that statement; it sounded as if he had needed Near beside him.
Near shrugged and proceeded down the very plain looking corridor. The walls were white washed and not a single thing decorated the hall. The floor was made of simple ceramic tile and the lighting of small paper mache lamps. They finally came to a door that was no taller than two feet high and certainly no wider than a yardstick.
This is ridiculous! Mello thought.
Though fitting through was a tight squeeze, Mello regained his composure once more when they entered the next room. It belonged to Near.
An enormous fireplace blazed at the north end while a luxurious king sized bed rested on the south. The bed was covered with pure white silk sheets, and intricately laced pillows rested lightly against the studded headboard. A massive white curtain in laid with silver N's covered the east end of the room. On the west were two arm chairs made of quality white leather. Despite the white painted furniture and other objects made of marble and ivory, the room was painted a mournful color of black. It was so dark not even the firelight could cast a shadow upon the wall. The shag carpet beneath their feet was a deep scarlet; the entire room reminded Mello of a whirlpool of emotions. White for life. Black for Death. Red for Love...and for Hate.
Dear watcher, a point of observation must be made. The room of Near is one large symbol that is expressed solely through the eyes of Mello. White, like Near, purity and life. Black, like the leather of Mello's clothing resembles sorrow and death. The red in the room is like that of blood that conveys a sense of love and of hate. Despite the worldly contrast of the last two feelings, in truth, love and hate are not as far apart as is believed. Both are represented by the color of red. Without love there cannot be hate. Both are emotions of the strongest calibur tha can either be destructive or beneficial. For are not wars also started in the name of love just as much as they are for hateful reasons?
Mello's trek into Near's castle is a solemn one. The entire mansion tells those who know Near of who he is on the outside. On the inside, however, is a very different person. Near's heart is just as lonely and suffers just as much as every other human being on the mortal earth. Though Mello and Near, black and white, hate and love are enemies, they are truly not as different as they appear to be.
This is playing out beautifully. The collision course is inevitable. It is just a small amount of time before one breaks.
Tell me what you think! :D
Mello is just as surprised as I am! Near's mansion is astoundingly gorgeous, but something about his bedroom isn't right.
Near isn't known for serious interior design skills, but something is more than meets the eyes. The tru Near isn't entirely made of the pure and innocent color of white.
