CHAPTER TWO
It had been a few weeks of me training Xion and she was starting to grow on me and I've been told I act like her big brother which was fine by me, she acted like a little sister to me. Speaking of the demon, her scent flooded my nostrils and I greeted after I felt the wind from her wings stop, "Greeting Xion. How can I assist you?"
"I don't know. I'm just kind of bored and a little horny... this girl named Kairi here is hot as fuck," she explained and I knew the other redhead as well. I commented looking through my mirror at Xion, "I know her, kinda. Angel type until she went psycho and murdered her friends and eared her black wings that day. You remind me of her in away." She glanced at me oddly before shrugging and sitting on my bed. She stated, "If you say so, Axel." I turned towards her as I remarked, "You sound troubled. What's wrong?" Xion sighed and laid back on my bed as she answered "I don't know… I've been thinking though… Axel? How did you die? You talk about how Lucifer praises you, but you never talk about how you came here." I sighed a bit before sitting on my bed next to her, letting my wings droop and relax.
"You never asked, but I can tell you…" I remembered that day when I died clear as anything. It was eighteen fifty four when it happened…
A hazy mist filled the air as I opened my eyes. I had a pulsing headache and when I tried to move my arms and legs, I realized they were tied to something heavy and the whinnying of horses then hit my ears. I glanced around and noticed I was tied to four horses and in front of me, or right above me was a farmer who realized I was awake and stomped on my chest. I grunted out in pain and he then spat in my face.
"Yer nasty vermin! Yous just as bad as dem fuckin pricks who always trying to steal our here life, well, time fer a little pay back. Yours 'bout to get quartered by my horses," he threatened. I killed his family without mercy and set their old house ablaze one night because I was simply bored. Now as I stared my death in the face, I smiled.
"Just as long as you memorize that Axel Harley Taylor made you to a murderer," I smirked and he glared at me and yelled, "I ain't never gonna forget you! I'm killing you through justice, I's not a murderer! I'm ridden this world of something that should never been born!" He then whistled and three other men appeared from the barn behind me. I asked still not really caring I was about to die, "Who y'all you fucks?"
"Axel, these are my family. Met Braig, Dilan, and Aeleus who are all pissed off ya slaughtered my wife Leenra and our sons, Meyd, Ienzo, Duol, and Lea!" He spat in my face again and got onto the back of a horse just as everyone else did. He turned to me and asked, "Any last words?"
"Yeah. Suck my cock you, fucker," I remarked before I felt my limbs being tugged on. Before I knew it though, the pain became so intense that I was begging for it stop as tears streamed down my face. I screamed as I felt and heard my bones moving from their sockets.
"I'M SORRY! MAKE IT STOP!" I pleaded, I knew I wasn't going to get mercy though. He was treating me like I treated his family and I had to give him that respect. My pain increased to the point where it was unbearable as my flesh began to rip. Blood oozed out from my body, falling to the grass below me. I screamed even louder as I became lightheaded, but in the middle of this vacant shit-hole, no one was going to respond especially since everyone knew me as a crazed asshole. They were probably cheering if they did hear me. Though, soon, my screaming stopped as blood began to force itself up my throat and I was puking blood. I just wanted to be dead at this point. But, Marluxia stopped pulling and commanded everyone else to as well as he stared back at me and through my blurred vision, I stared back. I couldn't even say anything from how much pain I was in and from my blood coming up.
"Goodbye, Axel Taylor" he said as cold as ice before I blacked out, but my spirit, who I am now, stared down at the limbless corpse and sighed. I knew I deserved it, but there was just something eerie about looking at your own cadaver. I could see the fear in my eyes as the last seconds of life plagued me. A gory sight indeed, but one I certainly deserved to see.
"...and that's how that happened. Lucifer was the one to pick me up, too," I finished and Xion's eyes were wide. She mentioned "Wow…. picked up by the Devil himself." I nodded, informing, "Only the worst of the worst get that kinda treatment so feel lucky." She sighed before she posed an interesting question, "Why am I in Hell if you did that and I was just naughty?" Xion seemed pretty saddened by saying that and I wrapped my arms around her and stroked her hair saying, "You were dying because of an illness and if you wouldn't have gotten infected, you would killed four people by the age of seventeen." She stared up at me and asked "How do you even know that?"
"It was a fatal accident you even contracted the sickness. It wasn't supposed to even happen, but it did," I told her. Maybe that's why Lucifer assigned me to take care of her, I had the most heart out of all the demons here it seemed. Xion sighed and left my arms and stood up to face the wall. She then turned back towards me and asked, "Axel? Is there a place besides Heaven and Hell?" I mumbled, "Purgatory..." I spoke up, looking her way, "Or the Netherworld, whatever you prefer to call it. It's hard to explain because the place only exists if you go there. No one winds up there on accident and there's a no return policy... once you're sent, you stay. Only God or Lucifer can send you and it's rumored to be one painful trip since you feel the way you did in your last moments of life for the rest of eternity. Imagine someone like me, I was screaming for help. Getting ripped into quarters is not how I'd wish for anyone to go and certainly not feel that kind of agony forever."
"Damn... I didn't think it would be worse than being in Hell," she mentioned and I laughed a little. I set my hand on her shoulder mentioning, "Xion, trust me, you're living a life of luxury expect you're hated because of what you did in your life. There're really no differences between Heaven and Hell except they have more morals and masturbating and loud sex is wrong and, of course, the obvious difference, Lucy likes torturing us demons when we misbehave. So, you'll never know if someone's being tortured or pleasured down here. Believe me, going to the Netherworld is hard, let me tell you. Especially if he likes you..." She smiled hearing that and gave me a hug. She glanced up to me and stated, "You make me feel so much better, Axel. Thank you."
"You're welcome. Now stop being all cutesy and go play in the blood pool or something or in the hot springs," I told her and she laughed and let go of me. I added before she went off, "Go get hooked with Kairi too! You're hot, there's no reason why she won't like you!" Xion laughed a bit more and waved before heading off. I waved back and sat on my bed before hearing my stomach growl. I then began searching under my bed for a black bin and pulled it out when I found it. I opened the lid to reveal snacks upon snacks ranging from chips to gummy foods to pixie sticks. Anything imaginable was in here and I had one massive sweet tooth. I smiled and thanked, "Thank you, Lucy for the pleasure of never getting fat, well, at least not staying that way." I guess how much I was able to eat even surprised Lucifer, goal accomplished, though: taking the devil himself off guard. I then dug into my stash and literally ate more than half of what I had. I felt a little bloated, but that feeling would disappear soon enough. I sighed and grabbed a half full bottle of alcohol before snapping my fingers and appearing in the exact spot right outside the barn where I died. I touched ground a bit sighing and taking a swig of the alcohol in my hand before I smelt that strangely appealing scent again out of the blue.
"YOU?! YOU! You died there, you were quartered by four fucking horses in eighteen fifty four, September twenty fifth! You caused my death because I saw you, you fucker!"
I turned to see that angel again and my eyes widened.
"Well maybe you shouldn't have been hanging around a bunch of nut jobs in the first place!" I yelled back and he stomped up to me pointing down the street. He lashed out, "I was going to church when I noticed something weird and just as any curious person would, I stared! I didn't expect it to end in my death! And it's all your fault!" Fuck, was this thing dense. I folded my arms and mentioned, "I'm sorry the crazies killed you because you saw me die, really. But I didn't cause your demise, okay?! If I would have, it would have been much more exciting than whatever happened to you!" He glared at me which was actually giving me time to look into his eyes and for ten seconds, though, he had me pinned against the barn now.
"Do you understand how much more I hate you?!" he yelled furiously. I sighed and wrapped my hand around his neck nearly choking him. I threatened pulling his body against mine, "If we're going to be having a little problem here, then maybe it's best we leave each other alone. You were shot between the eyes, my limbs were removed so I suggest you give this vermin a little bit more leeway than what you are. I killed up to twenty different people and I was hated more than anything. My next thoughts were actually on the Wiether's so just be lucky I didn't kill you too, Saix. You blue haired fuck!" I shoved him to the ground and left him there and flew off. He had a perfect childhood, perfect life when he knew nothing about how my life was lived out and he never would. I mumbled to myself, "I fucking hate angels. Noting but boring goody-two-shoes who don't know the definition of fun if it got shoved into their eye sockets." I landed in the cemetery where my body was left to rot with not even a single flower of family members who moved on, only a jagged rock that didn't even look like a tombstone above a pile of bones that they didn't even care to put in a coffin. I never had a funeral, when I first died, I always expected to be seeing, at least, my brother come to visit my tombstone, but he never did. I glared at his: Reno Shaun Taylor and angrily threw fire at the rock before I collapsed onto the ground and cried into my palms. I deserved these black wings and always would, I was heartless as a human and everyone knew that. I'd use everyone who tried to flirt with me and treat them like shit, most I killed, the others got away. I really was a demon and that's all I'd ever be. Angels like Saix couldn't comprehend the feeling of being hated forever.
After hours of crying and playing with my pitiful excuse for a tombstone and emptying my alcohol bottle, excited voices of children were coming down the street and then turned to come into the cemetery. One reminded me of myself with the red hair and the other… of Saix? The kid's hair was exactly the same color as his. I shivered a bit, but decided to watch and listen. I flew above them and heard the blue haired kid ask, "So? Is it true, Lea that you're named after one of the kids that died by your idiot retaliative?"
"That's what my mom, said, Isa."
"Well, I wasn't an idiot. I was actually the smartest of my class, graduating with a four point zero and I was on the honor role. So, no. Fucked up and deranged, but not an idiot," I smirked to myself as I corrected the children. Nice to know my blood still lived on, must have impregnated one of those bitches... or Reno got someone knocked up. I heard the redhead boy named Lea mention, "He was my great, great grandfather I guess." I smiled and noted, "Yup, that was me! Hm... wonder what my child was like then. They were probably told they didn't have a father..." I sighed and tried not to let it bother me as I watched the kids go to Reno's grave.
"This is my great, great uncle. He was in the Civil War," Lea mentioned. Me and the blue haired kid said simultaneously, "Really?!" Lea nodded to his friend and I went up to my twin's grave and slid my fingers along the stone.
"Reno... I... I never knew... talk about being a shitty brother... I couldn't even be there for you... You live a legacy of love and I live one of hate. Morons... the people who wrote on your stone, never mentioned anything about that!" I pouted before I heard the blue haired kid ask, "So... where's the other's grave?"
"I dunno. I doubt if he has one. He was killed by the townsfolk who were thought to more of heroes afterwards, not killers," Lea stated. I clenched my fists and growled slightly before noticing Lea playing on the rock that served as my tombstone and already being angry, I pushed him off of it yelling, "Get off!" The look on the child's face as he looked around for what pushed him... it brought a tear to my eye.
"Are you okay, Lea?"
"Yeah, I'm fine Isa... something just pushed me..."
"Well, maybe you shouldn't be standing on rocks in cemeteries, dumb bell!"
"Oh, no, please don't fight, I didn't mean to start anything, I just..." I sighed and gripped my arm as I shut up. They couldn't hear me anyways, so what was the point? I glanced back the kids and Lea still looked pretty shaken up, but at least Isa, I think, wasn't calling him names anymore. I was going to head back to Hell before Isa stated, "Lea, you said something pushed you when you standing on that rock, right? What if that's a tombstone, but it just wasn't marked or anything?" That kid's smart, really smart. I urged, "Yeah, keep talking. Where are you going with this?"
"What do you mean, Isa?" Lea asked.
"Well, think about it. Reno's grave is right here so what if that's your great, great grandfather's?" Isa suggested. The smile that appeared on my face was the purest it's even been. Someone got it! I nodded and perched myself on Reno's stone and wondered if they could get a name out. If not, I could lend a hand. Isa asked, "What his name anyways?" Lea shrugged and I face palmed.
"I think Alex or Axel... something like that... my parents don't allow me to hear what he did, they say it's too gross," Lea remarked.
"Well, they have that right." I sighed before letting them hear my words and spoke, "Axel Harley Taylor." The kids jumped and Isa asked sounding terrified, "Was that his name?" Lea nodded looking really scared before he asked, "Are you Axel?" So? He wants to meet his great granddad? Fine, let him have the opportunity, I am related to the kid. I spoke, "Yes I am." The kids gasped, but Lea seemed entranced.
"Lea? I wanna go home... I don't like this... He hurt a lot of people and you know that!" Isa urged tugging on Lea, but he pulled his arm back and asked, "Are you gonna hurt us too?"
"Nope," I answered, but before Lea asked anything else, I apologized, "I'm sorry for pushing you." Lea's eyes went wide asking, "Wait? You pushed me? So that is your grave!" I smiled and replied, "That is my grave." He rubbed his arm and said, "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to be rude..."
"I forgive you," I mentioned and Lea smiled too. He then sighed and mentioned, "I wish I knew what you looked like..." I asked knowing I could reveal myself in perfect form, "Wanna see right now?"
"Yeah! You're a ghost though, you can't do that," Lea answered and I laughed a bit before transforming into my human form and then revealing myself and I said as I materialized, "I'm actually a demon." Both kids looked scared out of their minds as I appeared and I waved with a smile.
"I'm getting out of here!" Isa yelled and ran off. I raised my finger to say something, but didn't. Lea then glanced back at me and I folded my arms and asked, "Are you going to run too?" He shook his head and then tilted his head and mentioned shyly, "You... you don't look like a serial killer..." I became amused to his words and asked, "What does a serial killer look like then?"
"Creepy, fat, ugly, dumb," he stereotyped and I sighed and pointed out, "Most aren't. Take Jeffry Dahmer for example, he wasn't bad looking or Ted Bundy? Who also was an attractive man. They weren't fat, creepy, ugly, nor dumb. Both were very intelligent men who used their brains to create a masterpiece of showmanship, but in a very twisted, disgusting way. Same with myself, I'm smart, but I was hated because of what I did." Lea's eyes widened, most likely from disbelief. He asked, "How did you die then?"
"In a very, very gross way. My arms and legs were ripped off," I stated and Lea made a grossed out face and I nodded. I then glanced at my grave and sighed. I added, "Again, I'm sorry for pushing you. That's really all I have as a tombstone. At least they managed to mark where they threw my body."
"I know you're being all sad right now thinking about that, but talking to a dead person... that's such a weird feeling, you have no idea!" Lea exclaimed and I couldn't help but to laugh a bit.
"It's weird for me, taking to someone's who's alive. It doesn't happen very often," I stated and Lea smiled. Suddenly, I sensed the smell of Saix in the air and I noticed him near the church. A part of me became nervous at his intentions and wanted to leave while another part of me wanted to stay and talk with Lea.
"What are you looking at, Axel?" Lea asked and I looked back to him as I answered "Another dead person who has some harsh feelings towards me. He blames me for his death." Lea curiously asked "Why?" I smiled and replied "He saw me get murdered and the farmers who killed me didn't want to be known for what they did so they shot him. His name is Saix." I walked along the cemetery until I found his grave and found out he's the same age at me, I'm just a few months older.
"Here's his grave," I pointed out. Lea glanced at the stone and asked, "Can he see you right now?" I shook my head and explained knowing he still could look directly at me, "Nope, but he can smell me though. Every demon and angel actually have a scent that's unique to them and he'll be after me soon enough even if I stay in my human form."
"Is he a demon too?"
"Nope, he's an angel. He did nothing wrong in his life so he hasn't a reason to be a demon," I mentioned. Lea then mentioned innocently, "I never thought I'd get to meet my great, great grandfather..." Those words stung me for some reason, mostly because I didn't think my bloodline would have been pasted on. I told him glancing to the ground, "I didn't think I would have any children to even have my bloodline continue, but serves me right, doesn't it?"
"Well, I guess? I mean, that's what having sex can do," Lea mentioned. At least he knew what sex was. I sighed and smiled before seeing Saix again and he was walking towards me, but not in a threatening way.
"Lea, I'll see you again, I have a needy angel staking me," I stated before snapping my fingers and growing back my wings while becoming transparent to any human eye and visible to the sights of the dead. I asked walking up to him, "And what is that I can do for you, Saix?"
"Nothing, it's more of what I want to do for you."
"Oh, is that so? You don't feel like yelling at me anymore? Perhaps you can act like a proper angel now," I teased, but he growled at me. I put my hands on my hips as I waited to hear his words. He jumped up a few feet and circled me as he questioned, "You know my life now?" I smirked and stayed planted on the ground as I replied "Ah, yes. The second time I meet you, you fail to keep your words. You should have never stared into a demon's eyes for so long." I jumped to his height and followed his moves.
"It wasn't my intention, I was pissy" he insisted.
"Oh, so you stare when you're mad?"
"No, not usually. My eyes wouldn't move away from yours."
"Are you saying you became entranced? Some might mistake that for flirting."
"There's no way in Hell I am flirting with you."
"Oh, but here's where you're wrong. In Hell, if there's a will there is a way. We get what we want and when we want it." I noticed how close I was to Saix now, but for some reason, I didn't feel like moving. I was entranced by his eyes.
"Are you flirting with me then, Axel?"
"I see you got my name memorized. Great job, angel."
"Answer my question, are you flirting with me, demon?" Saix scowled. I smirked and remarked, "Haven't decided yet. I'll fill you in when I have." At that, I snapped my fingers and left the angel Saix to decipher my words. But in honesty, there was something different about that angel and maybe it was his foul temper that got me or the fact he knew my death. Whatever it was, something got me hot and bothered about that angel and I needed to catch him more. We both seem to like to hang out near the old barn so maybe there's my ticket to him. Whenever I'm not training Xion, I could go hang out there, well, as long as Lucy didn't need to use me.