Kuroshitsuji © Yana Toboso
OCs © reaper-of-lost-souls
A/N: Well I figured I'd be about time for another chapter. I may or may not have a lot of chapters posted this weekend. We'll see because I'm going to a convention all day on Saturday and I may be too tired to review anything after that because of my final exams and catching up on work. Anyways I hope you enjoy this next chapter. ENJOY!
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Alex walked into the library, noticing a light lit in the far off corner of the dark library. He walked towards the back and paused at the edge of a large wooden table, seeing Sophie reading vigorously and flipping through pages. "We knew this day would come," he said softly as a way to comfort her, "and we know no amount of medicine can heal him –"
"Yes, b-but there has to be something!" Sophie explained, grabbing another book and flipping it open.
Alex put a comforting hand atop hers, looking into her frightened crystal blue eyes. "Stop," he said as she picked up her hand and set it aside, "Don't…"
Sophie looked away, biting down on her bottom lip as she tried to keep tears from falling down her face. "Y-you… you don't know what happened…" Sophie said softly, Alex walking around the table as she slumped down in a chair behind her and set her head in her hands.
"I don't have to," Alex said softly, "because Rose doesn't want me to know and I expect her wish –"
"P-please Alex… let me tell you," she said quietly, her eyes wandering back to the books before letting out a sigh. "I-it's all my fault –"
"It can't be," Alex shook his head, "you wouldn't harm him like that –"
"We were out on a mission and Alistair wanted to tag along," Sophie said quietly. "… We came across a hoard of demons and fend them off. Just then the ground broke around us, the demon and Alistair stuck in the middle of the large canyon while Rose and I were on the edge. The demon grabbed hold of Alistair and held a knife up to his neck, threatening to kill him. I just… something happened and my mind almost went blank," she sighed, "and… before I knew it I had the knife imbedded in the demon's body and Alistair hanging off of the ledge with the other hand. I picked him up and set him aside me, using my death scythe to finish off the job… but then… but…" Sophie gulped, rubbing her eyes and trying to avoid eye contact. "Then it… the records… w-went crazy and… we fell… I thought that nothing happened! I really did! But then Alistair had these problems and I don't know what happened –"
"Hey calm down," Alex said softly, "That wasn't your fault. It was the demon's. If anything you saved him Sophie… even if it was only for a few more years."
"But –"
"Please come the infirmary and wait," Alex told her as he turned around and began to leave her. "There is no cure. You know that. Let it go and accept he will die… I already have…"
"B-but –" Sophie sighed, watching as Alex left her and walked back down the hall. She cringed as she heard the door open and close, leaving her alone in the dark. "I have to try…" she finished talking to herself, standing up and grabbing a book off of the shelf. There just had to be something around here that could help her, but so far no magic or spell books had a cure for the Thorns of Death. She decided to look in one last book before she headed back, opening the old and dusty book and skimming though the contents. "The Chronicles of the Divine," she read the title quietly, flipping through the book randomly in hopes of finding something on the Thorns of Death.
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"W-wait no… no! Haden!" Sophie cried, pushing her head into her father's arms. "W-why does everyone die? Am I bad luck?" she sniffled, tears rolling down her face. "Daddy… I-I don't want to be alone…"
"I know my little maiden," he said softly into her ear as he hugged her tightly to his chest, "and I don't want you to leave. Now cheer up. You can mourn at his funeral this afternoon."
Sophie nodded and sighed, gripping his clothes tightly as she rubbed her face on his chest. "D-daddy…" she said quietly, "W-will I ever die?"
"Everyone dies little maiden," he grinned before giving her a comforting kiss on the top of her head.
"G-good," she chuckled nervously, "b-because if I ever see someone I love die again I… I don't know what I'd do –"
"As long as I'm here I won't let you get hurt," he smiled and lifted her chin so she was looking up at him. "Now help me with the casket. We have to deliver it to the church by two."Sophie nodded and lifted up her head, scooting away from him and sluggishly walking over to the small coffin in the corner. She let out a gasp, feeling long boney hands grip her own as her father pulled her close to his chest. "I won't die before you… I promise you that," he told her softly, running his hand through her auburn hair and smiling sincerely down at her. Then he sighed, "Don't ever stop loving me little maiden… I won't know what to do with myself…"
Sophie cracked a smile, chuckling slightly as she rubbed her face in his hand as he intertwined his other hand into hers. "Don't worry about that," she giggled, "I'll love you regardless of all your little flaws."
"Flaws you say~?" he grinned, Sophie gulping as she took several steps back. "Maybe I should teach you a lesson before we leave, hmmmm~?"
"Undertaker no!" Sophie laughed aloud, trying to grab his hands as he began to tickle her sides.
Sophie woke up with a jolt, her sides suddenly sore as she scratched her head and looked at her surroundings. She was back in the library as a shinigami and not yet dead… Sophie sighed, slowly remembering what was going on now. That's right, little Alistair was dying and there was nothing she could do… again… She looked down at the book she had open, deciding to read the passage in front of her before heading back to the infirmary and confront Alex and Rose.
'... The Thorns of Death cannot be cured, even I know this, but there is one being that I have met who can stop the thorns and even go as far as pulling the thorns out from the dying person. The Thorns of Death were created as one of the ways a shinigami can die. There is only one true way to get rid of the thorns: pulling the record out of the infected body and slowly separating the record between the infected soul and the soul the thorns came from. That is the only true way to get rid of the thorns, but it is dangerous. You must be a strong and powerful being to complete this, for even I have trouble separating records. The other way is to collect one thousand pure souls to help combat the tainted soul, but even if you collect all thousand pure souls you can never be sure the method would work. The best method is for a powerful shinigami to separate the records by hand. Even if this is the best method, the power the shinigami will drain their energy to the point of certain death. The shinigami may die, from both parties, so great caution must be made when getting rid of the Thorns of Death…'
Sophie sighed, scratching the back of her head and standing up. Well this is what she was looking for, but that was all the information she could find on the thorns. The only thing she could do now is head back to the infirmary and hope Alistair didn't die yet… and if she could heal him herself.
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"I'm sorry for being late," Sophie cracked a smile as she walked into the waiting room and sat down next to Rose. "So how is he?"
"He… h-he's in critical condition," Rose shivered, "and they don't know if h-e'll hold up –"
"Hey now," Sophie sighed as she opened up her arms and grabbed Rose in a tight hug, "I'll help you through this I swear."
"H-help?" Rose gulped, "H-how? Did you find something Sophie –"
"No she didn't," Alex sighed as he sat down and sipped his coffee, "but she tried and couldn't find anything on the thorns. Trust me Rose, I've told you I've tried looking for a way for years and couldn't find one. We knew this would happen… and I heard what happened."
"Y-ou did?" Rose frowned, looking at Sophie with shock, "Y-you told him?"
"I-I thought it best," Sophie sighed, running a hand over Rose's cheek with a sympathetic look on her face, "b-but don't hate me –"
"It wasn't your fault for crying out loud!" Rose threw Sophie's arms away and standing up, "I was there! I saw! It was that demon and not you, and I knew him okay! He was in cahoots with Viktor! I-I know because… he was my best friend back… then…" she sniffled into her hand, tears rolling down her eyes. "Don't blame yourself," Rose sniffled, "it's all mine…"
"Veronica," Alex said, setting his coffee down on a nearby counter and pulling her into a hug. "It's okay… it's okay… don't blame yourself. It couldn't have been helped… I-it would have happened… it always does." Rose sighed and gripped Alex's clothes, not caring that she got his shirt wet with her tears. Sophie looked around for Sasha, Alex looking over with a smile. "Grell promised to look after her while we're here. I didn't think she'd want to be here."
"Good," Sophie nodded, "I know she wouldn't…" She sat back down and ran her fingers through her hair, placing her head in her palms as she thought quietly to herself. "R-rose," she said quietly, "can I s-say something?"
"… Yes," Rose sniffled; keeping her head buried in Alex's chest as he gently rubbed her back.
"I-t doesn't matter if it was your fault or mine," Sophie mumbled into her hands, "I was… w-was just glad that you've i-invited me into your family… e-even if I don't deserve it." She looked up at Rose with a smile, the other woman turning around to see the shine in Sophie's bright blue eyes. "Al was a blessing, h-he really was. If I could I would use everything in my power to save him… but I won't try u-unless you want me to."
Rose sighed, wiping a few of the tears from her eyes to look at Sophie with a serious look on her face. "Y-you think you can save him?"
"Perhaps," Sophie shrugged, "but we won't know unless I try. There's more to me then I even know, so it's possible to save him if we act quickly."
"… Alright," she nodded, "You can try… but I want to be in the room with you." Sophie nodded in response as she stood up, sighing as she stretched and scratched the back of her head. Then she walked down the hallway and sensed where Alistair was being treated, with his parents behind her wanting to see what she'd do.
Sophie walked into the room where she knew Alistair was, a monotone look on her face as she noticed the boy laying on the white bed hooked up to a bunch of gadgets and machines. She frowned, shaking her head as she walked over to the side of the bed and loomed over the boy. Alistair slowly shifted his weight and smiled, feeling a hand lay upon his chest as Sophie gave him a smile. "Т-тет-ушка?" Alistair gulped, breathing heavily as he clutched his chest.
"Yes it's I," she continued to smile before letting out a sigh. "There… your mother would like me to try something and I'm willing to do it –"
"D-don't tell me y-you found the passage i-n that old b-book?" Alistair frowned. "N-no… Т-тетушка I-I don't want –"
"Please Al?" she smiled, gently rubbing his hand as she fought back tears. "T-the last time I couldn't do a thing. I-I want to be able to help, please…"
"O-okay," Alistair sighed as he looked up to the ceiling and closed his eyes, "b-but if you die… I-I won't be able to h-andle that."
Sophie nodded and wiped a tear that started to fall down his cheek, running a hand through his hair and down to his face. "Stand back," she told the other people in the room, Alex and Rose backing away and standing at the door. "If something goes wrong don't try to save me. Save the child alright?"
"Y-yes," Alex nodded, holding Rose tightly in his arms as they watched Sophie.
Sophie leaned into Alistair's face and breathed on him, a grin appearing on her face as she still felt him there. Then she stood up tall, holding out her hands and concentrating on his heart. She let out a deep sigh, the room going chill as Rose clung tighter to Alex for warmth. All at once the gems on her person were the first to glow, the bright amethyst on her right hand and the bright emerald around her neck illuminating the darkened room. Then her hands began to glow black, slowly turning gray as time went on. As the color became white Alistair let out a groan of pain, gritting his teeth as he felt something flowing deep in his chest. Then his cinematic record began to stream out of his chest, swirling around them in an attempt for a place to reside. Sophie's eyes slowly opened to reveal a bright blue and green, her eyes shining as she watched the cinematic records reel in front of her eyes. The book was right; she could see the records playing the life of two souls… as her own record would do. Her left hand began to glow, the marking on her hand appearing as the records began to shine brightly and slow down around her. Sophie pulled out her death scythe and clutched it in her hand, using her left hand to reel the record and using her right hand to wield the weapon. Then she gently cut into the record, separating the cinematic record into two different records spinning off in two separate directions.
Alex and Rose watched in awe at what happened before them, Alistair groaning as he set his head to the side of the pillow and felt his insides splitting apart. "I am right by your side Alistair Engjëll," Sophie told him quietly, "You will not be harmed. Trust me~"
Alistair opened his eyes and looked over at her, a weak smile forming on his face as he chuckled lightly. "I-I do," he whispered quietly, enough that his parents could barely hear him, "… b-but if my t-ime is to d-die then I w-ant to d-die…"
"You know what Alistair," Sophie smiled down at him and looked him square in the eyes, "I would like nothing more than for you to die, but to die like this… with your soul trapped with another? I-I cannot allow that –"
"W-hy not?" Alistair asked as he tried to reach for Sophie's hand.
"Because I know how it feels to have your soul intertwined with another," she confessed. "Why do you think my marking is a skull and thorns? Thorns of Death I suppose," she chuckled lightly, sighing as she kept her eyes on the reeling. "Thorns… from a rose… A beautiful thing, but carelessly grip the rose and your hands will begin to bleed. It is protection, a way to preserve the life growing around. They serve as a restraint and a release, the beauty of a rose. Even one as decayed as mine," she sighed, the reeling coming close to the end. Alistair closed his eyes and trembled, Sophie smiling to him before looking back at her work. She bit down on her bottom lip, drawing blood as she felt her wings flapping behind her. Once the record came to the end she cut it in the middle, two records running wild around the room. Alex gripped Rose protectively as Sophie raised her scythe, using her left hand to reel Alistair's record back into his body as she snapped the blade against the demon's record and swallowed it into her scythe. She let out a huff, a cough escaping her throat as the demon flowed into her scythe. Sophie gasped, white feathers circling around them as she kept staring at the records. She couldn't let her guard down now. If she stopped the records would take over her own body.
Alex and Rose's eyes went wide as white feathers surrounded the room, Alistair and Sophie disappearing into the white cloud around them. Then the feathers slowly turned from white to gray, progressing into black and overwhelming the room. "ALISTAIR!" Rose yelled, Alex pulling her out of the room as he opened the door behind them and fell into the hallway. The staff jumped back as they were thrown to the ground, feathers floating down on their body as they stood up. "Sophie?" Rose stood up first, dashing back into the room and looking around. Sophie stood there, swaying back and forth in an involuntary state. The woman looked over at Rose, Rose gasping as she saw a bright yellow glow coming from the woman's eyes. "SOPHIE!" she ran to Sophie's side, Sophie slumping forward on the bed as her arms slumped over Alistair's legs.
Alex ventured into the room, swatting the feathers away as he made his way to the bed. "Alistair are you there?" he shook his son's chest, a groan coming from the boy as he shifted and pulled the covers closer to his body.
"Five more minutes papa –" Alistair paused, his eyes opening as his eyes adjusted to the room and noticed the feathers on the ground. "H-how…" Suddenly he became alert, sitting up in his bed and jumping out of the bed.
"Alistair hold it –"
"No wait!" Alistair called to randomly, slipping past Alex and dashing out of the room.
"Alistair!" Rose called to Alistair, Alex dashing out of the room and pursuing the boy.
Alistair avoided everyone with ease, hands grabbing out for him as he jumped back and forth with such speed that most couldn't spot him. He ran to the end of the hallway and pushed open the doors, running out the door and into the setting sun. "Тетушка!" he called as he continued to dash down the hill, "Sophia! Don't go! Don't –" he paused, noticing the end of the realm in front of him. He sucked in his breath and continued running, running as fast as he could, which was actually the first time he felt that great in years. He looked up to see a flock of birds flying above, squinting his eyes and noticing a white dove trailing behind them. "Wait a second…" he slowly realized, "there's no thing as a pure white dove – Тетушка! Sophia!" Alistair continued to yell, knowing full well the birds were too high up in the sky to hear him. "Тетушка come back!" he cried out, "You said you'll never leave me! Come back!" he cried, falling to his knees and pressing his head into his hands. "I-I'm sorry… I-I'm sorry…" he repeated over and over, sniffling as he continued to sob.
Then he dark presence behind him, turning around a little too late as he was grabbed tightly by a being with bright red demonic eyes and a grin plastered on his face. "I'm going to finally kill you, you little brat!" he hissed, opening his mouth about to rip into his body.
"HELP! HEEELLP!" Alistair cried, tears falling down his face as he tried to pull away from the creature. Then all at once the demon screamed in pain, the boy being pulled away as something grabbed a hold of his shirt and pulled him backward into the air.
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A/N: And that's where I'll end it. Yes it's a cliffhanger and yes it's short, but I wanted to get this part down before writing anything else. So there you go XD Though it looks like little Alistair is alright, but what happened to Sophie? =O That'll have to be revealed later I suppose. SEE YOU LATER!