Chapter XXV: Piercing Night
Welcome back everyone, to another chapter in Darkness Falls, part of the Peach/Ani alternate Yugi-verse. Today, we bring you a special treat! Ani and I are doing the intro!
-Ani steps onto the stage with a wireless game controller in hand- Uh, yeah. Hi. Been a while if I've done this, so... Peach'll probably be doing most of the recap. -Ani sweat-drops-
No worries, Ani! Anyway, we were glad to get your reviews and we apologize if anyone was missed in the reviews! Just let us know if you were missed.
-Ani gives a sheepish grin- Peach handles those; I just get to read 'em. I really don't do anything aside from write and come up with ideas or chapter titles. But anyway, Peach, why don't you go ahead and remind our good readers what happened last time in this dark story of ours?
--Peach smiles sheepishly-- Okay... this is indeed a disturbing universe... Last time, our heroes banded together along with the rest of the school after Marcel was taken and Jaden and Jesse almost became crocodile treats. Then late at night, Violet had a horrible nightmare showing her friends betraying her. And then, the next day, Trueman came. Will Violet be able to escape, or will Darkness claim another victim?
--Ani takes a deep breath and continues-- As you can probably guess, I decided to do this intro with Peach, seeing as one of my own OCs is in danger. However, you're not getting a spoiler out of me. You'll have to read to see whether she stays or goes. And I'm also not going to guarantee that Peach will pull out of the evil cliffhangers. You know you enjoy them. -Ani smirks knowingly-
-Peach chimes in-- Well, now that that's out of the way... Let's get a few things straight. We don't own the Yu-Gi-Oh franchise!
--Ani nods in agreement-- Duh! If we did, do you really think Bastion would have been tossed to the side in the show like he was? I don't think so! But I'm not going to start ranting. I'll spare you poor readers. Just don't go thinking we own the franchise, 'cause we don't!
--Peach starts again-- I own Annie Hanson, of course, and I'm the reason she has the Moon Kingdom deck.
--Ani grins-- And I own Violet and Rosa, as well as most of the cards in their decks. Aliens, music, wrestling, and bull-fighting! Wooo!! -Ani throws her controller, and the sound of a crash followed by Chazz cursing is heard- Oops. I DIDN'T DO IT!!!
-Chazz from his position yells-- SLACKER!
--Jaden yells from where he is-- I didn't do it!
--Bastion looks up from behind the stage-- It was Violet's counterpart in that other universe...
-Violet pokes her head out of a costume trunk backstage- Bastion! Don't talk! She'll hear you- AGH!! THERE SHE IS!! Run, Bastion-baby, run! -there is now only a puff of smoke where Ani was standing and screams and crashes can be heard behind the stage--
--Peach sighs-- Oh, brother... Not again...
--Annie peers out from an alcove-- Okay... I guess we need to start this story... But there are a couple of authors' notes... Yet another light make-out scene, I'm yelling as Bastion is, which for the latter might seem OOC, and... Is that it?
-Peach nods as Bastion comes running through the stage-- CALL HER OFF!! AAAAHHH!!!
-Ani is close on the genius boy's heels, arms outstretched- BUT BASTION!! JUST ONE HUG!! THAT'S ALL I WANT!!!
-Violet is also seen chasing after the both of them- The last time you hugged him you wouldn't let go!! HE'S MINE!!!
-Peach groans- Curtain... -And the curtain falls-
And then the room abruptly darkened, becoming colder by ten degrees. "Hello there, Violet Haverbrook," a menacing tenor voice said.
Violet yelped, book slipping from her grasp as she flipped around. She instantly felt a chill come over her, guessing who the person was even if she had never seen him. "H-How do you know my name??"
"I know everything about you, including your deepest, darkest fears... My name... is Trueman. But you may call me Mr. T," the tall man in the dark jumpsuit stated.
Violet didn't feel more comfortable when her suspicions were confirmed, but she did go on the defensive. "I figured it was you. I already know what you're going to try to do, but it won't work! So you might as well leave!"
"Oh... but you know I'm right about this... You're afraid your friends will abandon you... like they did before..." Trueman knew, thanks to Darkness's information, about Violet's nightmares. And he also knew what to do with the information.
Violet's confidence faltered for a moment, quite obviously. "S-So what if I am? I trust them...I know they won't abandon me, ever! They even said so themselves!!"
"Maybe... but feelings can change... Including feelings of love," Trueman countered, beginning to draw on Darkness's powers.
Violet knew THAT all too well, but she wasn't about to let him win. "Maybe that's true. But I have a stronger bond with my friends now. And an even stronger bond with Bastion! It's not like back...home," she muttered the last part, wondering if she should have said that.
"Ah, yes... Those friends... and the young man who betrayed you... And nearly killed you," Trueman smirked.
Violet clenched her fists, finding herself falling inwardly. "That was the past... It's different now. Bastion is nothing like Mike!"
"No... But have you considered that his love has faded?"
It felt as if her heart stopped beating for a moment, her blood running cold. "F-Faded?"
Trueman knew that he had this girl's spirit now. "Yes... his love has faded. He stays with you out of a sense of duty. You have been through so much together... He wouldn't abandon you, but he no longer loves you... You are just connected to him..."
Violet suddenly felt weak in the legs, as if her bones had turned to jelly. His words made so much sense, even if she didn't want to believe them. How many times had Bastion said he'd wanted to protect her? That he'd stay by her side? Unable to handle the thought, she dropped to her knees, body shaking. "He doesn't... B-But...he said... All those times...he said he l-loved me..."
And then the room dissolved to reveal what looked like a church. Bastion was standing at the front of the church in a black tuxedo. But his face looked grave. Violet suddenly found herself on her feet again, dressed in the wedding gown she had chosen with the other girls. This was supposed to be one of the happiest days of her life, and yet... Why was there no one sitting in the pews? Where were her friends? And...Why did Bastion look so upset?? Frowning, Violet made her way down the aisle, getting a very uneasy feeling.
Bastion took a deep breath as she walked down the aisle. And when she got to him, he said, "Violet... I can't do this..."
It was like a record stopping suddenly, the needle sliding off its surface. "Wh-What??"
"I... can't marry you... I'd be condemning you... to a loveless marriage..."
"Loveless... Bastion, what are you saying?" Violet could feel something chipping away at her heart, the pieces that had been mended starting to loosen.
"I..." Bastion's eyes looked blank. "I'll always love you... but I am not in love with you."
And that did it. Like a frustrated statue carver tossing away his tools and pulling out the big guns, a hammer slammed into Violet's heart. And it fell to pieces for the second time in her life, even more shattered this time around. She felt broken. "But...but you said... All those times..."
Trueman tightened the vision. Bastion's face became even more contorted in pain. "I couldn't hurt you... I wanted to spare you the pain..."
Violet's anger sparked like any person's would from such a deep hurt. "So...so you thought telling me this on our wedding day would hurt less?! How could you lead me on like that?!"
"I... I wasn't... I just thought perhaps the feeling would come back," he said softly. "But... I was wrong and I've hurt you..." His eyes lost the blank look to be replaced by honest pain. "I am so sorry, Violet... but... I cannot condemn you to a marriage where I lack the feeling to be a proper husband..."
She was too overcome with sadness, hurt, and anger to see his pain. The betrayal she felt only let her see her own. Falling to her knees and burying her face in her hands as she sobbed, she didn't give him a second look. "How could you... Giving me so much hope... And then smashing it to pieces... I...I HATE you, Bastion Misawa!! I HATE YOU!!!" And in reality, Violet was also on her knees, crying violently as she screamed the same thing in the empty classroom. "Why does everyone leave me?! Why can't anyone just love me?! I...I feel so alone," she whispered, hugging herself and shuddering.
"No one in this world truly loves, Violet," Trueman said, trying to sound sympathetic. "People take what they need and then they leave. It is the nature of humans... they are more like beasts..."
"I...I thought...he was different," Violet muttered, still shaking as tears continued to fall to the floor.
"He isn't... But I can end your pain," Trueman offered. "I can send you to a place where there is no pain, young one..."
"I don't want to be alone anymore..." Violet whispered, speaking from the depths of her soul and finding his offer very tempting. Yes, she could have used her PDA to call for help. But her mind was too clouded and her heart too broken to even think of that option now.
Bastion, meanwhile, had finally tied his shoe and realized that Violet wasn't back. "What could be taking so long?" he wondered, heading back to the classroom. "Violet?" he called, heading in. And then the horrific sight greeted his eyes. His love was standing in tears as a man stood over her. "WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MY FIANCEE?!" he demanded.
"Ending her pain... Violet... are you ready to escape this painful world where no one truly loves?" Trueman asked, meeting Bastion's eyes cruelly for only a second.
"What did you tell her? Violet!" Bastion shouted, running down to her, "Violet, I love you... and I want to be with you! Don't give in!"
Violet's anger peaked again, and she turned, backing away from Bastion but glaring at him through her tears. "Stay away from me! You...you LIAR!! I HATE YOU!!!" she screamed, clutching at the spot where her heart was.
Bastion jerked as if slapped. "Darling, what are you saying?! WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER!" he demanded again.
Trueman smirked. "I have shown her the truth of humanity... No one truly loves..."
"That's not true! I would give myself to save her from you! And to make her remember!" By this time, tears were coming down Bastion's face as he tried to break through to Violet. "Remember, love, until you... I had never loved before..."
"But you don't love me anymore... Or you won't eventually... You'll stop...and then you'll just HURT me... Just like everyone else... I...I can't take it anymore... It hurts too much," Violet sobbed, turning back to Mr. T. "I want the pain to stop."
"Violet!" Bastion moaned, moving to touch her shoulders, hoping desperately to break the spell, "I will never stop loving you... Please... don't forget this," he cried, feeling his heart tearing in two.
Violet smacked his hand away, emotions still tossing between rage and depression. "Don't...don't touch me... Just...leave. Me. ALONE."
"Are you ready to go?" Trueman asked, smiling wolfishly, knowing that he'd won.
"No! Don't take her!" Bastion pleaded, smarting from her hit.
"I'm ready... I'm tired of being betrayed and hurt," Violet muttered, reaching up to hug herself again. "No matter how much I come to love anyone...it doesn't matter... I'm so tired..."
Bastion was on his knees. "Violet..." But he knew the battle was lost now.
And Trueman laid his hand on Violet's shoulder. "Prepare for forgetfulness, Violet Haverbrook..."
"I...I want to forget... Bastion...I still love you...I always will," Violet whispered, eyes closing to release her final tears.
"I love you darling," Bastion whispered brokenly, reaching out to touch her. But as he did, Trueman lifted his other hand and he and Violet disappeared in columns of dark light. "NOOOO!!!" Bastion cried out, and his and Violet's PDAs dropped to the floor. Instantly, the alarms activated, sending the message to the group's PDA's. It wasn't a pleasant sound for any of them to hear.
Jaden, sitting in his last class of the day with the rest of the gang, groaned softly. And Professor Viper, standing at the front of the class said, "Students, we have an emergency. Class is dismissed." The gang looked at each other and then looked at the numbers.
"No!" Annie moaned. Two of her friends, brother and sister, taken? She couldn't take that. Not both of them.
Syrus frowned. "And...they're in the math room... Wasn't that the class they had after lunch?!"
The group ran and Professor Viper made the call to the other instructors who had also just cancelled their classes. The teens arrived at the math classroom and saw how empty it was. Until they noticed Bastion was in there. "BASTION!" they shouted as one.
They all could tell when they'd gotten to him that something horrible must have happened. He looked even worse than when they had found Tyson in the woods, and he had told them how terrible that had been. "Bastion...?" Alexis tried, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"She... was angry," he moaned, tears still coming. His face was the color of whey, and his eyes looked terribly haunted. "She... said she... hated me..."
"No, Bastion, that isn't true," Annie tried, feeling her own heart rip. 'No, this can't be,' she thought, agonized.
"She didn't mean it, Bastion. She couldn't have... He drove her to it," Syrus added, biting his bottom lip. This was bad.
"I failed her... I failed her again," the tall Ra moaned again. "I was right there... Why didn't I just go with her?"
"Bastion, don't say that! Losing both of you guys would have been even worse," Atticus countered, fists clenching.
"I should've taken the hit... But... he wouldn't take me in her place..."
"Bastion, he wants all of us! We don't want that!" Jaden yelped.
"Jaden's right! He might...he might still come after you," Alexis tried to reason, frowning deeply.
"Then... I can be with her," the Ra answered, his eyes looking horribly blank.
"Soldier, don't you dare give up!" Tyson shouted, grabbing the older boy by the collar and shaking him. "You ain't givin' up, you hear me?!" His eyes flashed dinosaur.
"Whoa, Tyson, easy there... Don't hurt 'im, mate," Jim said quickly, putting a hand on Tyson's arm.
Tyson blinked, his eyes going back to normal. "Huh? Oh, yeah... But Private, you can't give up! We ain't gonna let you," he asserted, setting his dorm-brother down neatly.
Bastion, however, sighed. "There is no way out of this... I can't figure it out... There is no logic... There is nothing."
And then, despite her feeling stunned, Annie walked down to him. "Bastion, figure out a way. Logic is only the start of things! We have the ability to figure our way out of tough spots! It's what makes us human!"
"Annie... I can't figure it!" he shouted. "I can't figure how to stop this!"
"Yes, you can!" she countered. "Remember, if you want to be James T. Kirk, you figure a way to reprogram the situation! Make it possible to rescue the ship! Since when do you believe in a no-win situation?!"
And then Bastion got an angry and pained look in his eyes. He lowered his voice, and it took on a cold edge that the group hadn't truly heard from him before. "As long as we're talking Star Trek Two: The Wrath of Khan, do you remember how that movie ended?"
"Spock died," she answered, just above a whisper, "to make it possible to save the ship..."
"That's right, Annie... And maybe I want to be Spock right now!" he shouted cruelly. Annie pulled back, a horribly hurt look in her eyes.
Syrus stepped in. "Hey! Bastion, she was just trying to help! You don't have to act like that!!" He knew that Bastion was in pain and upset, but he wasn't going to let him be cruel to his fiancée.
But what Bastion had said made something in Annie snap. Her tear-filled blue eyes suddenly burned with anger. "NO YOU DON'T! YOU WANT TO BE JIM KIRK! HE FOUND A WAY TO BRING SPOCK BACK FROM THE DEAD! AND HE AND HIS FRIENDS RISKED EVERYTHING TO DO IT! DON'T YOU DARE FORGET THAT WE'VE BEEN READY TO RISK EVERYTHING! REMEMBER THAT NIGHT WHEN TANIYA HAD YOU AND WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON?! IF SHE'D DONE SOMETHING TO YOU, SHE WOULD'VE BEEN DEAD RIGHT THERE BECAUSE VIOLET AND I WOULD'VE TORN HER APART!"
When Annie had finished venting out her anger, there was silence. The rest of the group was too shocked to say anything, and even if they hadn't been, what could they possibly say? Bastion blinked, coming out of his self-pity and anger. "Annie..." He shook in place, realizing what he'd done. "I'm sorry... I just..." And then they hugged.
"It's okay, brother... I'm here," she murmured. And so the group pulled Bastion into a tight group hug, hoping that surrounding him with their love could somehow break through his pain. They were already down two friends now; the last thing they wanted was for another to be taken. But it was obvious that Bastion was hurt deep, maybe even deeper than their love could reach. He needed Violet.
The teachers arrived to the room to see the group hug. "Who..?" Chancellor Shepherd began, but the question died on his lips when Jaden brought him Violet's PDA.
"Violet, Chancellor," the Slifer stated, his voice shaking a little.
And Fonda Fontaine couldn't hold back a painful gasp. "No..."
Don Sartyr put a comforting arm around her, frowning deeply. "And Bastion...?" He knew that even though one of his favorite Ras had remained, he must have been hurting.
Bastion pulled out of the group hug to move to his favorite professor. "I'm here, sir," he stated softly.
"I'm glad for that, Bastion... But are you all right?" Don asked, wanting to hug the teen but deciding it was more appropriate to place a hand on his shoulder.
"N-No, sir," he answered, unable to hide the tears. "I... I'm sorry..."
And then, the older teacher decided that his student needed a hug, and he filled that need. "Don't be sorry, Bastion... You love her...of course you will be upset..." Bastion held on, crying silently. The last class of the day was cancelled, and the students were all allowed to head back to their rooms. Jaden and the rest of the gang headed to Obelisk with Annie, Sy, and Bastion, where they could all be together. The Ra genius headed to his and Violet's bedroom and sank face-down onto it. He had no tears left to cry, and he needed to lick his wounds.
Outside the room, Alexis groaned. "This is even worse than the first time they attacked..." The rest of the group was in one of the Obelisk lounges on the third floor, talking about what had just occurred.
"Yeah... That guy didn't even duel Violet," Jaden added. "She didn't have a chance..."
"He just snatched her," Chazz sighed sadly.
"And from the way Bastion was talking...this guy can make people think whatever he wants them to," Syrus stated worriedly, frowning.
"She thought we'd hate her... or that Bastion would stop loving her," Annie moaned. "She couldn't escape that..."
"Bastion said that she told him that she hated him... Violet's never said she hated anyone...not even Mike," Atticus noted thoughtfully.
"What did she see?" Mindy wondered, looking thoughtful. "It must've been something really bad... If we knew what it was..."
"Hold on a second... Remember back when Rosa had that nightmare?" Jim asked, thanking his parents for passing onto him a very good long-term memory.
"Yeah," Annie and Tyson said at the same time. They both had good long-term memory as well.
"It was her memories," Tyson realized.
Jim nodded. "Tyson, what you told us about what happened sounded a lot like Rosa's nightmare. So what if Violet's nightmare is basically what happened when Mr. T showed up?"
"But... why would she hate Bastion?" Annie wondered. "She didn't hate Mike for that..."
"Maybe he showed her somethin' like that, but worse?" Jesse offered.
"But... what could be worse?" Jaden asked, trying to think. As if on cue, something small, round, and fluffy landed squarely on the Slifer's head with a squeak. He looked up and picked the fluffy creature off his head. "Hey, Tiffles! You got out too, huh?"
The pink Watapon squeaked again, smiling for a moment before frowning. It was obvious he was as upset as the rest of them about Violet being taken. And then, he surprised them. "I don't usually like talking... But I know the answer to your question and only Violet can understand my normal language," Tiffles stated in a voice that definitely didn't suit his body. It was strong and sophisticated, more like a knight's form of speaking than a fluff ball's.
Several pairs of eyes blinked. "Tiffles! You can talk!" Annie said happily. And then she sobered. "Do you know what happened to her?"
The little Watapon sighed. "Yes, I do. And it wasn't pretty... That creature spared no expense on breaking down her willpower..." He, like her other spirits, had seen everything. But they had been unable to act, the darkness holding them at bay until it was too late. So Tiffles told them what had been said, as well as the vision Violet had been forced to go through. Tiffles also included the aftermath with Bastion, guessing he hadn't told them much. "...And that's how it went... We couldn't do anything to help her."
"So... she saw Bastion dumping her at the altar," Jasmine moaned. "That's horrible... and none of us were there... Oh, no..."
"She was so broken down that she couldn't control her emotions... It's no wonder she said those things to him," Atticus agreed, pained like the others.
"Tiffles, are you okay?" Jaden asked, noticing the little pink creature trembling.
Just because the alien talked strongly, that didn't change the fact that he was still a soft-hearted creature. He started bawling on Jaden's lap, much like baby creatures did in anime shows. "I couldn't do anything to help Violet!! Now she's trapped along with my brothers and everyone else!! I miss her!"
Jaden held the little creature close, much as he'd hold Winged Kuriboh if he were troubled. "We're gonna get her back, Tiffles... It's gonna be all right... We'll get everybody back, okay?"
The Watapon sniffled, eyes still teary, but he stopped crying as hard. "O-Okay. Is Bastion doing all right?"
"He's sad... Maybe you can help him feel better," the Slifer boy smiled.
"Good idea. I'll make my way up there right now!" With that said, Tiffles hopped out of Jaden's lap and continued hopping in a very cute fashion out of the room. Back in Bastion and Violet's bedroom, the Ra genius laid curled around Tiffles' stuffed counterpart. All he knew was agonizing pain, but the soft fur of the toy reminded him of another world. And then fur just as soft brushed against his hand, though it felt just slightly different. The feeling was accompanied by a squeak; a very familiar squeak.
"Huh?" Bastion muttered aloud. "What in the world?" He lifted his head and blinked to see the pink puffball. "Tiffles... how can you be here?"
"I escaped, of course!" Tiffles answered smartly, sounding like a miniature Bastion almost.
"And... you can talk?!" the Ra asked, stunned.
The Watapon sweat-dropped. "I usually let Violet just translate for me... Human language is so much more complex than beast... But yes, I can talk."
"Goodness... Tiffles... I'm sorry," he apologized to the Watapon. "I failed her..."
"Now, Bastion, don't even think of starting that! She was quite clearly tricked, just like the rest of the captives. You couldn't do anything, just like Tyson couldn't and Blair couldn't," Tiffles countered seriously.
"But... I should've been able to save her," Bastion moaned.
It was then that Fire Dragon, also known as Vulcan, appeared in the room. "He's discouraged," the large dragon explained.
Pacifica, the Water Dragon, also appeared. "He's dug himself too deep after all this time..."
Tiffles nodded in understanding. "Yes, I know. It was much the same with Violet... Bastion, you can't save her if you lose yourself to this, now can you?"
"I just... want to be with her," the young man sighed tiredly.
The three duel spirits looked at each other in heartache. "We're losing him," Vulcan moaned softly.
"Bastion...if you get her back, you will be with her," Pacifica said softly, brushing her cool snout against his back.
"I'll fail again, as I always have," the young man groaned in supreme agony. "Cleveland, here at the coliseum..."
"You didn't fail at either of those places! You avenged Violet and then saved her, remember?" Tiffles squeaked.
"But... she was so badly hurt..." There was no convincing him.
GXGXGXGXGXGXGXGXGXGXGXGXGXGXGXGXGXGXGXGXGXGXGXGXGX
Day turned to night and the gang headed to their rooms again. They had had dinner together, and then Sy and Annie had helped Bastion to his bedroom. "Bastion... let's get you in your pajamas... Sy... could you?" Annie asked.
Syrus nodded. "Yeah, I'll help him, Annie..."
"Thanks, hon..." She headed to her and Sy's bedroom to get on her nightclothes while Sy went in with Bastion.
"Thank you, Syrus," the large young man said softly, sitting on his bed.
"Hey, I want to help... What kind of pajamas did you want to wear?" Syrus asked, going over to the dresser.
"It doesn't matter. Pick what you like," Bastion answered, dully.
Syrus frowned, grabbing a pair of gray sweatpants and a black shirt. "Bastion...Violet would hate seeing you beating yourself up like this..."
"How would you feel were it Annie? You could protect her..." Bastion's eyes and voice were devoid of passion, dull.
Syrus sighed as he helped his friend change, knowing this was a bad sign. "How is this going to help protect Violet, Bastion?" he tried.
"That ship has sailed, my friend. This is the third time I failed... and the damage to her will be worse..."
"But doesn't that mean you'll have to be stronger for her? What happened to you saying that you'd stay strong for her, no matter what?"
"I don't know," Bastion muttered as he pulled his pants on. "Syrus... I feel like... I've got an open wound... and it's mortal..."
"Well, until we get Violet and everyone else back, let us help you tend that wound, Bastion... Violet may be the only person to help you heal it, but we can help you handle it until then," Syrus continued.
"Thank you, Syrus, and... whatever happens... I'm glad we've gotten closer," the tall young man stated gently, meeting Sy's silvery eyes with his storm cloud-gray ones.
Syrus smiled, hoping he had helped Bastion enough to keep him afloat. "You're welcome, Bastion. And... I'm glad we've gotten closer like this, too."
Bastion pulled the small Obelisk to him in a hug. It was a lot like the hugs Jaden gave Sy, but with bigger arms and a broader chest. "You're a good friend... Never doubt that..."
Syrus hugged back, finding himself comforted as well as comforting Bastion. "I won't... And you are too, so you'd better not doubt it, either. Got it?"
Bastion nodded. "I'll do my best... Good night, Syrus... Don't keep Annie waiting..."
"Good night, Bastion..." Syrus left, hoping his friend would be all right and hoping he had done enough.
"How's he doing?" Annie asked as Sy entered their bedroom. She had chosen a new nightgown tonight and hoped he was surprised.
"I think he's doing better..." Syrus blinked, noticing. "Is that a new nightgown??"
"Yeah," she blushed. It was a blue affair with a pink ruffled skirt. The blue section was off the shoulders and there was a ruby jewel with a golden pentagram at the chest. "Do you like it?" she asked shyly.
He blushed as well. "Y-Yeah...it looks really nice on you, Annie..."
"Do you recognize the costume?" she asked, hoping he recognized it on her slim yet shapely form. 'Sure I'm not wearing the boots or the hat, but... I hope he does,' she thought.
He thought for a long moment, and then his eyes widened. "It sort of looks like Dark Magician Girl's outfit..."
She nodded, turning even redder. "I thought... you'd really like that..."
He smiled, going over to her and kissing her cheek. "I do like it..."
"I'm not like her, though..."
"No... But it's okay. I like you the way you are, Annie. It's why I fell in love with you..."
"Sy," she began, "I need to tell you something, and you're probably going to think less of me... But I need to tell you..."
He blinked in surprise. "What is it, Annie? Whatever it is...I promise I won't think any less of you... I can't."
"I was jealous of her... I mean... I couldn't compete with her," she admitted.
He smiled again, taking her hand. "Is that what you thought?"
"Y-yeah, because... I don't know," she sighed, frustrated and ashamed of herself.
"It's just funny... After I met you...at first, it was kind of even between the two of you... But then, when we started getting closer, it was more like...she couldn't compete with you," he soothed her.
Annie froze at this. "What? Seriously?"
Syrus blushed again, nodding. "Y-Yeah... I mean, when I really started falling in love with you... Even though Dark Magician Girl had kissed me at that festival...I enjoyed your kiss a lot more..." Annie blushed as red as the ruby on her chest and pulled him into a very passionate kiss. She was glad he had said that, and knew he meant it.
Syrus found himself enjoying this kiss as much as he had enjoyed the others they had shared, gladly wrapping his arms around her waist.
The couple enjoyed kissing for a long moment and then they broke for air. "Oh, Sy," Annie murmured.
"I love you, Annie," Syrus murmured back, smiling.
"I love you too, honey... Let's get to bed," she sighed softly, thinking of Bastion alone in the next room.
He nodded, pulling back the covers so they could get comfortable under them. "He'll be okay...I hope..."
"Me, too," she sighed, tears coming.
"Don't cry, Annie," he murmured, brushing them away with his thumb.
"I just... Sy... we're going to lose him... Unless something happens soon, we'll lose him," she whimpered.
"I...I know, Annie... But what can we do?" he asked softly.
"I don't know..." She pulled as close to him as she could. And then she shifted uncomfortably, realizing something about the outfit she was wearing. "Uh... I need to change..."
"Huh? You do?"
She blushed. "Uh... yeah, this is cutting into me... I guess... it's not meant to be worn long..."
"Oh, okay." He sat up, letting go of her so that she could slide out of the bed. She quickly headed to her pajama drawer and selected a simple pink cotton nightshirt with black polka dots that had short sleeves and a v-neck. "Ah... much better. Sorry, honey," she said as she slipped back into bed with him.
He smiled, pulling her back to him. "It's okay, Annie. You should be comfortable..."
"Thanks, Sy," she murmured, cuddling into his embrace. "I know you like this one too... I will wear the Dark Magician Girl get-up again some night..."
"All right... But you don't have to, Annie... You look just as beautiful in a normal nightgown," he whispered truthfully. He liked her dressed as Dark Magician Girl, but he loved Annie as herself.
"Oh, I want to," she whispered back. This might've been accompanied by a naughty grin, but tonight, it was only a wistful smile.
"Then do what you want... Good night, Annie," he murmured, giving her a quick kiss.
"Night, honey, love you," she sighed, kissing back.
"Love you too..." And the couple drifted off to sleep, along with what was left of the island population.
And no cliffhanger this night; just a little fluff. So Violet is gone and Bastion is heartbroken. Will he be able to find strength in the gang, or will he be another casualty? Next time, "Heartbreak." Until then, please read, review and stay tuned! Thank you!