Still going. SACCHINx2 TIME!
Character Focus, Satsuki's Story,
Part One: Irreconcilable Differences
"Why me?"
It was the one question she'd hoped he wouldn't ask. Not that it was a question she didn't have the answer to, but maybe it was one she didn't want to admit the answer to. Such a simple thing, that question, yet so hard to explain.
"Well... I... I..."
Satsuki Yumizuka rubbed the back of her head, bemoaning her fate in yet another outing. She looked around the school grounds, trying to find an out to the situation she was in. She'd stopped Arihiko on the way out of class, catching him before he went home. She had a request of him, an odd one admittedly, but nothing too hard. Ever since the dream she'd had last night, the young girl had a strange but pressing need to go and check something out. It was like she wanted desperately to go someplace and dispell any notion that the dream was anything but. Now though, a snag had appeared, the traditional one in the name of Shiki Tohno.
"Uhm really Yumizuka." Arihiko pressed on slightly, shifting from foot to foot and looking at her, "Why me? Isn't this more of something Tohno would handle?"
Satsuki's shoulders slumped. He'd caught on to the biggest annoyance about this little problem. As she believed him to be Tohno was a far more logical choice to ask help her than Inui. She really didn't want to have to explain this, but oh well...
"It's just that it's gotten so complicated with him Inui." she said, blushing with a slight sigh, "I really need this done, but if I asked him, well he could look at it as some way to get closer to him, or as a sneaky kind of date, or... or... well, It'd just be so hard to make him say yes, that it's not even worth trying. He hasn't seemed to be very reliable lately has he?"
Arihiko sighed, nodding in understanding, "Yeah, he's gotten that way lately hasn't he?" he managed back, "Then I can't say I blame you for not asking him, but jeeze Yumizuka, thinking of all that's gone on down there, it's not like I'd be of much use!"
With a beaming smile Satsuki giggled at Arihiko's bemused look. He was so funny being honest like that. She hadn't even thought about him fighting off some monster for her! Is that what he thought this might come to... yikes! She had to set him straight.
"No no no!" she gasped, relieved, "If we go now it'll be daytime! No big bad monsters! I just need, ya know, to feel a little looked after when I'm there... It's still kinda scary!"
Arihiko grinned widely, lifting an arm and flexing it, "Well then, I'm your big strong man!" he laughed. Satsuki giggled again.
"My hero!" she cried, grinning back. The two of them shared the laugh as they headed out under the afternoon sun.
A simple little quest. Go down to the back alleys of town, check around and proove Satsuki was just dreaming things, then split up and head home. Nothing easier, right?
The sun was still gracing the sky when Satsuki and Arihiko reached downtown. They had a decent number of back alleys to cover so they went right to it. Starting at the first block they came to they began walking the alleys. To keep their minds occupied the pair chatted away.
"Hmm." Arihiko mumbled, holding his nose to stave off the worst effects of something rank in a dumpster they'd just passed, "I don't think we'll really be able to do this all today Yumizuka."
The brown haired girl looked back at him and shrugged, "Ah, it shouldn't really matter." she said happily, "We'll just check what we can, that should do right?"
"Heh, well it's your dream." Arihiko replied as they turned down another side alley. Satsuki smiled broadly, looking around. The alleys were dank, but not as cold as she would have thought, the tight walls trapped a lot of heat in the area. It was so, depressing and foul down here though, someone could almost get lost forever if they wanted to, if they avoided the main streets and stuck to the smaller lanes between them. She thought of something and figured there'd be no better time to ask.
"Arihiko?" she queried in a voice that made him cringe a little, the sad sound behind it telling him there'd be only one thing she was asking about. He looked like he'd try to hide behind some crates.
"Arihiko..." she said again, then went on, "Is it, well do you know... is there something wrong with me?"
"Gaahhhh..." Inui twitched, rubbing the back of his head, "That a loaded question if I've ever heard one."
"No really," she said looking back at him, eyes a bit sad. The way opened up into a main street and the two fell silent as they crossed it and headed into the next set of alleys. These were just a little darker, turned mostly North and South or at angles, the sun wasn't filtering in as well.
"So, do you think, maybe it's me?" Satsuki asked again, sighing slightly, then looking around, "Or maybe is it Tohno?"
"Ahhhh... Yumizuka, ya know you're really putting me in a spot here." Arihiko replied, hand practically affixed to the back of his head, "You're both my friends, it might not be right to interfere."
"Oh like that would really stop you Inui." Yumizuka remarked with a big knowing smile, "Remember who was all, 'you better go after him' earlier?"
Arihiko blushed a bit. Satsuki noticed but didn't mention it. The boy was falling a little bit behind her. She figured she oughta slow down or she'd loose him all together in these dark places.
"Well yeah, but he wasn't that sad back then." Arihiko mentioned, "Come to think of it, maybe he's just really really out of it you know? I wouldn't put it past him... this is Tohno we're talking about here."
Satsuki giggled, hiding her mouth behind a hand, "Yup!" she called, "It is."
Arihiko practically had his eyes closed he was smiling so broadly. He looked as if he was hoping for all the world that exchange was over. Satsuki giggled again. Energetic as ever she was pulling ahead a bit. As Arihiko sped up to catch her he tripped over something hidden in the shadows.
Something that made a little mmph as he did.
"Gaahhhh! Satsuki." he grunted, regaining his balance.
"What?" came a stereo reply.
Arihiko turned back to what he'd tripped over in shock. Sitting against the wall, hidden in the deepest shadows, her legs, sticking into the alley, having tripped him, was another Satsuki. She looked around drowsily, just waking up from sleep. The first Satsuki must have walked right by her, it was so dark there. Arihiko bent down, grabbing her by the shoulders and shaking.
"Yumizuka! Yumizuka! Wake up! Where have you been!?" he cried, "Everyone's been so worried!!"
"Huh?" the first Satsuki said, walking back, "Worried? What are you talking about? You're talking like I've been gone."
"Mmmmph... Inui... just a few more minutes... the teacher can't care that much..." the sleepy Satsuki grumbled, sobbing slightly "...school sucks."
"Ack!" Arihiko shook his head, "We're not in school Yumizuka! Wake up!"
Satsuki wondered exactly what Inui was on about. He'd stopped so suddenly and now, well wasn't he talking to thin air? She straightened her pleated skirt and crouched down making sure she didn't flash anyone to get a better look at the dark area Inui was so interested in. The schoolgirl gasped as something odd started to blur in and out of her vision. It couldn't be!! Looking harder she could see what had to be another girl from their school, wearing the same school uniform she was, just in greys not yellow and blue. The sight confused her... if only the image would focus down. What was Inui doing?
"Nyaaahhh..." the sitting Satsuki stretched and yawned, inadvertently flashing Inui once or twice before she blinked her large eyes open and tried to figure out what the commotion was, night was still a ways off and she didn't like wasting energy. Groggily she noticed someone had her by the shoulders and was shaking off and on. Someone must have had a death wish or something. Who was it? She looked up and almost lost her cool in shock.
"You ok?" Arihiko Inui, just about the last person she'd ever expected to see in the back alleys, asked. Her eyes flashed wide as she reached up and grabbed his arms back.
"ARIHIKO?!" she gasped, "What are you doing here?! How did you find... wha... where... how is..."
Dozens of questions flew through the sitting Satsuki's mind. She could find out about everything! It was wonderful! Then something started nagging at her from the back of her mind. With a start she realized she was hungry... the sound of Arihiko's blood was rushing in her ears. The painful truth of still being cursed as a monster hit her. He couldn't possibly stay here... not even long enough for questions. She couldn't stand the thought of hurting a friend.
"Hey hey! Waittaminute!" Arihiko was laughing, "One question at a tiiiiii..."
"NO!" Satsuki shouted, tossing Arihiko back across the alley into the far wall with all the effort of lifting a paper clip, "Leave me alone!! Arihiko! Leave me alone! Run away! RUN! NOW!"
Satsuki's eyes widened to saucer size as Arihiko went flying across the alleyway to land with a thud against the far wall. How the hell had that happened? At least Inui seemed to be alright. He picked himself up from where he'd landed, only slightly winded. He looked more concerned than hurt. What was going on?
Arihiko's eyes almost teared as the missing Satsuki curled herself into a little sobbing ball in front of him. Laying on her side she pulled her knees into her chest and hugged them tight as she cried softly. She saw him get up and was at least happy she hadn't hurt him, but still he wasn't leaving. Her big red, tearing, eyes looked over at him in fear. She didn't need the problems someone knowing she was still alive was going to bring, she didn't want to be hurt again.
"Hey!" another girls voice called to her, shocking her out of her thoughts, "That was mean! You shouldn't have done that. He was only trying to help!"
The crying Satsuki looked up in shock. She'd sensed no one else in the alley with her, and to a vampire that meant a lot. There was no way someone should have been able to sneak up so close. There was another girl there, crouched only a few feet away, looking at her sadly. She squinted her eyes, as the other girl was, trying hard to bring the vision into clarity. It seemed that this girl was greyed out somehow, lacking any sign of color. They both put some effort into looking... and both were shocked to the core by what they saw.
Satsuki let out a little eek, falling back on her bum with a thud as she finally realized who she was looking at. The fact it couldn't possibly be true not able to outweigh the evidence before her. There was another version of her curled there! Sure she was a bit dirty, kinda crudded up looking. Her uniform had some stains on it, and he socks and shoes were scratched up, and her hair was a little bit of a mess, but that was her! She scrambled back up to a crouch as the other her uncurled and looking at her with a facial expression that suggested horrified fright began pulling herself away across the dirty ground, legs seeming to be almost paralyzed.
"No no..." the other her whimpered, "That's too cruel, that's just too cruel..."
Crossing her arms Satsuki growled at the rather pathetic, unkempt version of herself, "Hey! what are you doing?! Cruel? I'll say." she grumbled, looking at how messy the other her was, "Get up! And for the love of fanservice close your legs and COVER YOURSELF!!"
The crawling Satsuki let out a little strangled noise, then an eep as she took note of how she was arrayed on the ground. Scuttling over back to the wall she fixed up her small skirt and pushed it down more. She wasn't used to having to watch her amount of coverage lately, most of the boys she saw ended up dead anyway. To her surprise the other Satsuki was right beside her before she even noticed the movement, reaching up to fix one of her disheveled pony tails. The hand passed right through, hair and head.
"EEE!" both stereo gasped, "Freaky!"
The pair of strangely mismatched twin girls started giggling. Arihiko pulled himself back to his feet on the other side of the alley, sporting a lump on the back of his head. He looked at the pair in a kind of aghast way.
"Owww, did you have to be so rough?" he grumbled.
"You knew!" the Satsuki he'd walked with turned to look at him and said accusingly, surprising her twin, "You knew there was another me out here, one that had been missing! How did you know!?"
"Huh, well..." Arihiko stammered, not quite sure of himself, "Maybe I should have..."
"That's not an answer Inui." the first Satsuki harrumphed, crossing her arms sternly.
"Well, there were two of me too this morning..." Arihiko admitted to the girls shock, "One who'd been at school with Shiki and you Yumizuka..." he motioned to the one he'd come with, "...and the other who was missing Shiki and hadn't heard from Yumizuka since she disappeared."
"And there's only one now?" the girls chimed together, interested. They didn't even seem to notice the stereo. Arihiko blanched, rubbing the bump on his head.
"Well, we kinda got together on it, decided to work together ya know..." he explained like he didn't quite get it himself, "And well, here I am all of a sudden, with two sets of memories."
"So you combined?!" the first Satsuki said with her eyes wide, "So cooooool..."
She looked over at her other to find that Satsuki slowly sneaking away from her, looking scared. The reaction really confused her, she didn't spend any time thinking over it though, it was coolness.
"Wait!" she called, stopping her other in her tracks, "What are you doing?!"
"No, no no!" the other Satsuki cried, seeming to be scared, "You don't want anything to do with me! Stay away! Don't come near me!"
"Huh... wha?" the first Satsuki looked confused... then noticed Arihiko was similarly edging down the alleyway, "And where are you going?!"
"Well, now that you two are together," he pointed out, backing off and turning down the alley, "You don't ne-eeed me anymore, so I'm just gonna go..."
The twin Satsuki noticed themselves starting to flicker a bit when he walked off. Worried they turned to Arihiko. He must stay! He was making it easier for them to see themselves! Err... them other selves... whatever...
Arihiko had almost thought he'd made it away before he felt the powerful evil force catch up with him. He felt it boring a painful hole into his back... it was too much! Far to much for any male to bear!! NOOO!!! He peeked back over his shoulder...
And saw two sets of tear-stained, saucer-sized, massive female doe eyes in twin side-by-side pose tearing away at his conscience. He wheeled around and looked back in horror, his ability to do anything against the wishes of the two Satsuki's melting in a pained flash. He cried the pained cry of japanese males throughout anime eternity.
"Aaaahhh!!! Ok ok! I'll stay!" Inui wept pitifully, unable to resist the sheer mass of teary red/brown cute.
The Satsuki he came with just had to giggle, holding her hands up to her lips, "Heehee, boys." she laughed. The other Satsuki just returned to the wall, sulking. Arihiko sat down over by the other wall, keeping his distance from super strong Satsuki model two.
"Hmph, yeah... boys." the other Satsuki grumbled, sitting down and stretching her legs, "I don't know why I did that, I must need company or something."
The first Satsuki sat facing her, fixing up her skirt demurely, then looked over and spoke, "It's ok." she said with a giggle, "I'm here."
Sadly the second Satsuki ducked her head, sighing, "What do you think?" she asked, "I'm going to be some friend or something? You must have seen the dream... you shouldn't be near me, it hurts... I can't deny what a monster I am with you around."
"You don't look like a monst..." the first Satsuki started. With a growl the second rammed her fist into the pavement. It went in an inch making a small crater. The first's eyes went wide.
"Coooooooollllll." she gasped. The second just couldn't believe it, she started to cry.
"Is it COOL that I can't go out in the sun, is it COOL that I kill people?! Is it COOL that I saw mom and dad ripped apart in front of my eyes! IS IT COOL THAT I'M A MONSTER?!!" she nearly screamed, her fangs glinting even in the shadowy light, "What the hell does cool mean then?!"
The human Satsuki almost choked. She'd nearly forgotten the pain of the dream... the horror... the fear. Now here it was in front of her and all she could think about was how cool all the powers were. She had to know...
"Could you... uhm... tell me?"
Arihiko looked up, shaking his head, "Satsuki, maybe it's better if you don't..."
"I wanna know... please." the first Satsuki rebuked her friend, looking straight at the second, "Tell me what happened."
The vampiric Satsuki glowered at her counterpart, "It's not all fun and coolness, it's not some happy shallow little game like your life is, like mine was..." she warned, growling with her fangs out, "You might get scared."
"Please?" the human Satsuki repeated, sadly, crossing her arms and pushing her chin down into them. The vampiric Satsuki grumbled, closing her eyes and resting her head against the wall.
"You're going to make me remember aren't you..." she said sadly, "I try to forget."
"She has a point." Arihiko mentioned, "Getting it off your chest might help."
Satsuki the vampire slumped into a sigh, bringing her hand up to absentmindedly rub her fangs while she thought about it. She shook her head slowly, sadly, not wanting to. Why ruin a peaceful life with her horror story. The look in her former self's eyes told her she wouldn't be easily denied though, as most overly optimistic girls her age she felt everything could be solved by talking. Oh for the days in which she could afford that kind of naiveté. She sighed one more time, looking to the sky.
"Oh well... if I must." she remarked, laying her hands by her sides, "I'd better make it somewhat quick though, finish before the sun goes down."
"I don't mind the dark!" the human Satsuki scoffed.
"No, no..." the other almost laughed, "It's for your own good. You won't like me very much when the sun goes down."
"Cranky without enough sleep eh?" Arihiko joked, knowing full well what was meant, "Ichigo gets like that too... ooh can she go off on a rant."
The vampiric Satsuki laughed a little. Her real laugh was a bit more of a dark chuckle, less of the girlish giggle her human version used. She did appreciate the attempt at humor. Her eyes glanced up to the sky, maybe because she missed seeing the blue up there more often, maybe just to check how much time was left before there was more monster and less Satsuki in that dark alley. Her eyes fell back to her feet just staring there, not really looking or seeing, but staring off.
"It was that night, that night at the hotel. That night after I'd told Shiki I believed he would be the one that always saved me." she started, slowly, her eyes falling into shadow, even the alley seeming a little darker, "I was feeling a little queasy earlier that afternoon, but I got over it in time to go. Dad was so happy, it was his party, and everybody was so happy for him. It was his birthday, but you know that... of course you do. The party was great, kinda european and american. We had a yummy dinner, that italian place was great, and then cake... lots and lots of cake. It was almost a perfect night. I was so happy for Mom and Dad, I stayed out of their way a little, let them get closer."
The human Satsuki coughed, knowing where that part of the night was going. She'd been sad her sickness had prevented her parents from making the most of her father's birthday. Arihiko just crossed his arms and looked down the alley.
"It was all ok you know? I stayed out for a while, then went back to our room, we had one like halfway up. The place was pretty back then, I don't think they let anybody see what it looked like after..." the vampiric Satsuki spoke almost wistfully, her story starting to darken like the alley, "I was almost up to the room when the lights went out, it was scary. The place got soooo dark, and you could almost feel this like... I guess pressure, or presence or something. I got so scared I ran back to the room. I think I heard the first screams then, my heart was pounding so hard... I figure there weren't many people on our floor, cause no one else was out. I almost made it in the room too, had the door all open. Mom and Dad were in there, looking concerned. I thought I was gonna be ok, as long as I was with them everything would be ok right? It wasn't though... I must have blanked out because I was already way into the room with Mom yelling something the next thing I knew, and my shoulder really hurt. Something hit me I guess, one of the things... they were really really bad, worse than scary. Scary was what I knew back then. Scary things just stayed in the dark, in my imagination, they didn't come out, they didn't leave big claw marks on my back. And then there was the screaming..."
"S-ss-s-s-screaming..." the human Satsuki stuttered like a hissing air hose, holding both hands balled in front of her face and cringing, "People were screaming?"
The vampiric Satsuki looked at her counterpart sadly. She turned away, looking out into space, focusing somewhere past the walls of the alley, far far away. Taking a deep breath she shook her head and averted her eyes. She looked sad enough to start crying.
"It... it wasn't so far away anymore." she said, a shudder in her voice, she shook her head even harder as if trying to dispel the image, shake it off like a dream, one that clearly wasn't going to go away, "It was on us, it was us... it was me, it seemed so distant, but it was my voice. I could hear my own voice shout in pain. I could hear Mom and Dad cry out, running to me. Mom was stooping down, screaming about blood. I felt wet, maybe it was blood. I don't know... really I don't. Dad was gonna too, but I guess he saw something. I really didn't hear much after that, feel much. It was all so slow. It didn't hurt, I wasn't feeling anything, I mean nothing. It was like it wasn't me ya know? But it was, why did it have to be? Dad moved past me. There was a funny noise, tearing kinda, and there was blood, so much blood. Mom's mouth was moving, she was screaming too I think, and she was a funny color. Was she turning red? Or was it blood? There was so much blood I think, it was so thick, moving so slow... Then Dad was there, falling past me with something black, something black there, and Mom was falling to. I think I started to blank out cause I was getting up the next thing I remember. I remember Mom... Mommy was coated with black, or was it red, something big and black, or red... She was reaching out to me, pushing me. I don't know I didn't hear her tell me to run, but I knew she was telling me too... and I think I heard Dad say it too... but his eyes were so blank... I don't know... was it one eye... or two... were they both there? It's so... That noise, that tearing noise was so loud..."
"Shhh... shhh... Satsuki, hold on." Arihiko moved forward a bit, holding his hands toward the vampire, "You're gonna give Yumizuka a heart attack. I think she knows all she needs to about that part."
The vampire Satsuki broke out of her thoughs with a start. She saw the other poor Satsuki cringing on her rear, sliding away slowly, her eyes full of tears. Reaching out for her double fearfully the vampiric Satsuki realized and pulled her hand back. Arihiko started sliding away himself.
"I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking." the vampire said, looking down. Arihiko smiled and backed off a little more.
"It sounds like you're alright." he remarked, "You really don't need me for this..."
Arihiko was starting to sneak down the alley, trying to get away. He thought he could have made it until he realized he was looking straight into vampiric Satsuki's blood red eyes. She gazed deeply back into his eyes.
"Stay." she commanded.
"Yes master." Arihiko droned, dropping cross legged on his butt. The human Satsuki was awed.
"That could be useful." she whispered. Arihiko just shook his head with a grin.
"I was kidding about the master stuff." he said chuckling and rubbing the back of his head, "Pretty nasty force of will you've got there though, I couldn't stop myself."
Satsuki shrugged, "It's no big thing." she said, then pulled her knees up to her chest, hugging them to her as she rested her head on them, "Where was I."
"Being scaa-aa-aa-ry." the human Satsuki offered.
"At the running part I'd think." Arihiko responded.
"Yeah, running." the vampire continued, "I really don't know how I got out of the room. The things, they were these black animals, they were all over. I rushed out of the room, pushed past one that was... well it was eating something, I don't even want to think about it, and headed for the stairs. I ran and ran, it was all still kinda a dream, numb, moving slow, my vision kinda went all tunnel. I hit the door and was gonna go down, but there was just a wall of them below me, so I headed up. I just wanted to get away. I remember thinking a lot of weird thoughts. It's strange what went through my head. Well, maybe not too strange. I knew I didn't wanna get eaten. I didn't wanna die. I wondered how I looked for some reason, how I could face him. Urr, yeah and him. I kept thinking, kept asking where he was. Why wasn't Shiki there? Why wasn't he saving me? I was so naive back then, he'd shown up to help me once and I figured some way he'd always show up... kinda silly huh?"
A glance from the vampire Satsuki to the human one showed all to clearly the human was still a believer. The vampire rolled her eyes as the human glared at her angrily. She'd have to learn that lesson on her own someday then. It wasn't the vampire's problem.
"Never mind..." she grumbled, sinking a little lower, "It didn't happen anyway, no saving, no savior, no super Shiki to the rescue. Just little me running blind as far as I could. I think I got to the top floor before they got to close to stay on the stairs. It was all such a blur. I ran through the doors, there wasn't anyone else up there I guess, cause I didn't see any monsters. But I wasn't gonna get anywhere either... I kinda cornered myself I guess. So I ran, and when I ran out of space to run, I hid in the deepest darkest corner I could find. Heh, seems really funny to think about it. I was probably the only one that couldn't see in the dark... I was just breathing real hard, and panting and all out of breath. I couldn't stop myself from crying, I didn't even remember why, I just was crying. So I hid in the dark, away from the bad animals, the killing monsters. I didn't know the worst monster there wasn't an animal at all... he found me up there... it... that damn thing. It should have just let me die, die like everyone else, die like I knew everyone else was dead. That thing, that grey haired boy didn't though. I was so hopeful when I saw him... saw someone, anyone, someone alive. I didn't notice anything unusual about him, I was such a mess, I suppose a few bandages on him didn't mean anything to me. I just knew there was someone there, he even held out a hand to me and I took it... I could scream at myself now, to not go near him, not take that hand, not get so close... but I didn't know monsters came looking like humans too, the worst ones always look like humans... and then... and then... that pain... the teeth... I was so shocked, it hurt so much... all I could do was cry, I wasn't strong enough any more, I wasn't in any control any more... and he did it... he did it... that thing..."
Arihiko started to reach out for the dark, huddling Satsuki across the alley from him. Even the human Satsuki looked so distraught, her eyes had grown so wide. It was probably for the best that the vampire's shriek stopped Inui from going to her.
"HE ATE ME! IT ATE MEEEEE!!!" she shrieked, slamming her head back against the wall and wailing to the skies, "It didn't eat skin, or bone or body, it ate ME... it took me away! It killed me! Killed everything I was, killed everything I ever wanted to be, love, hate, feelings, life, it didn't matter... I WAS FOOD..."
The human Satsuki made a little choked noise, holding a hand over her mouth. She remembered vividly that pain at her neck, the pain of soul as well as flesh. She had felt it, remembered it, and it hurt all the worse knowing what it was.
"And then, even worse... I woke up... not me, nothing like me..." the vampire groaned, her eyes wide and glistening, "So hungry, so much pain... I wish I hadn't woken back up, I always wish that. Cause I guess for the first time I was the prodigy, I was really really good at something, and it was killing. I wanted so much to be warm again, to be me again, and I just felt blood would do it... bring me back, so I had to have it... had to have blood! I took it, took a lot of it, lots and lots, so much blood, so much red deep red thick, tangy pumping hot blood, right out of people... so much of it..."
Satsuki and Arihiko cringed at the strange tone in the vampire’s voice. It was like she was enjoying remembering the blood, savoring it in her own mind. They backed off just a little.
"And the worst thing, the worst damn thing, he found me like that! HE had to find me like that... to see me... to recognize this thing that was wearing me. Shiki found me!" the vampire cried into her hands, gripping her forehead, "But I wasn't ready, wasn't ready to see him. I killed so many, so many more cause I had to be ready... had to be ready to see him! I was gonna be strong enough! I'd force him to save me!"
Satsuki and Arihiko exchanged a worried glance. Neither of them liked where this part was heading. To the best of Arihiko's knowledge no one had seen Yumizuka since the hotel. To hear he'd seen her. If she was like this though, maybe it was better he'd not been told. Satsuki, the human one, looked at his pained expression. Shiki, uh... one Shiki... Well she was fast enough to catch on.
"I saw him the next night. This time I was supposed to be ready... but he found me at my weakest, when I'd come to my senses and seen what I'd done. It hurt so much worse, the more me I got the more it hurt... and I was lonely, so lonely when he found me. I think I was in a pool of blood... another person I'd killed, so many... I can't even begin to understand how so many people could just vanish from what I did without something happening, some police or something, but I didn't get them, not their punishment for what I'd done, I got Shiki for that. I was so out of it I attacked him too... I so wanted him to be there, I wanted him so much, wanted to keep him, but he got me off of him, something I hadn't been able to do and chased me down." Satsuki recounted the events almost as a fond memory, so strange from what she was describing, "It's kinda funny... instead of fighting he talked, we talked. He actually felt it, felt guilty... was sorry he couldn't protect me... to believe it!! He actually cared... felt sorry, wanted to protect me. I thought it had been a dream promise, one I dreamed up, but he felt it too, I hadn't known... He was so sorry for letting me get hurt... but I was so twisted then, so new at being this, I didn't think. I just wanted what I wanted, so I tried to make him like me... and he let me try... he actually did that for me, let me try to make him a monster... I shouldn't have wanted it, I shouldn't have wanted to condemn him too! I was so lonely... and well, I felt the killer in him, but I didn't know it was so strong... he was too powerful for me... he stopped it somehow... stopped from changing... stopped it all... then... well he tried to save me the only way he could... he... he turned his killer on me... that killer, the power I'd felt that pulled me to him... and he did it. He did his best job of it, saving me... by killing me, running me through with that that killing thing he does."
Arihiko's ass hit the floor almost as fast as his jaw. He scrambled back to the far wall... choking on something not there. He couldn't handle the idea. The human Satsuki just managed to cock an eyebrow.
"No way, no way Shiki wouldn't do something! Couldn't do something like that!" Inui gasped out loud. The look he got from the vampiric Yumizuka said something different. It was a sad, but almost happy resignation. She shook her head slowly. No wonder he'd never ever told.
"He saved me... it was what needed done... I'm so sorry Inui." she said slowly, shaking her head, "I was so happy it was him, so happy he'd saved so many lives by stopping me."
"You're still here." the human pointed out. The vampire's shoulders slumped impossibly low.
"It didn't work..." she said between crying sobs, "I floated free... so free for a while. I was happy, free of it all. Then something tugged me back... I woke up again, felt the pain again... the hunger again. If I could have died from disappointment I would've. It all started right back up again, and for some reason Shiki wasn't around anymore. Maybe he could have done it better... but he was, well just gone."
"Yeah, I know." Arihiko said sadly, looking down. The human Satsuki just glanced around confused.
"I tried to, ya know, limit what I did... but it was hard, and someone was working against me." the vampire confessed, "When she found me, that blue haired pain... I almost laughed at her." she shook her head with a sigh, "Still can't believe it was Ciel-sempai who came after me next. She killed me too... not that it did anything."
"Cie... err? Wait..." the human Satsuki broke in, "You mean that weird sempai Shiki talked about, the one he swears was here but I never heard of?"
"Never heard of?" the vampire gasped, "How never heard of? We ate lunch together, well for a little while... I thought it was longer but... oh... yeah, makes kinda sense."
The vampire looked over to Arihiko. He nodded and pointed at his eyes knowingly. She smiled back and shrugged.
"So now you're back again." the human Satsuki said, deep in thought, "Wow... so sca-a-a-rie. I never realized, I don't know what to think..."
"WHAT TO THINK?!" the vampire almost roared, leaning towards her human double with blood in her eyes. She growled deeply at the care in her other's features, and let her own switch on to full monster.
The human Satsuki blushed as her other, person... err... her leaned closer. She felt so sorry, felt so sad... wanted to help so much. Then she got her first real good look at a monster. Her other's face had contorted, it almost glowed darkness. Her large glowing red eyes stood out, throwing strange ruddy shadows across her nose and forehead, and her teeth... The vampire Satsuki's evil pointy teeth grew over her lower lip for just a moment before she opened her mouth and showed off her evil sharp fangs. Satsuki's heart almost stopped as she was caught in her own glare. She had the horrifying feeling of being prey, of an evil, hungry thing coming at her, coming at her and looking at her not like a person, like like... She fell back on her rear, her eyes wide, her expression a mix of broken denial and the helpless look of someone who knew they were cornered by something they could never handle or escape.
The human Satsuki let out a shriek, a shriek that was matched by the sound of metal parting air and slashing into cement. Both Satsuki's eyes went wide, distracted by the black gripped sword now sticking out of the ground between them. Arihiko bolted down the alley, having already seen to much. The vampire Satsuki snarled and wheeled about, looking above where Inui had raced, up to the form of another girl standing atop a fire escape. The human Satsuki looked up too, not recognizing the new, blue haired arrival.
"Get away from her!" Ciel ordered in her most commanding, mighty tone. Which, if either, Yumizuka the words were directed at wasn't clear, but nor was it a concern. The vampire Satsuki stood, her legs spread, her arms held out with hands balled into fists. She growled darkly at the cursed figure standing there. The human Satsuki just let out a horrified eep, scrambling backwards, even faster as the sword vanished in a burst of light. The clattering of it's crossguard to the ground seemed to break the spell the human was under and she clambered to her feet and shot out of the alley in the opposite direction as Arihiko.
"Damn you!" the vampire growled. Another black key flashed through the air towards her, and Satsuki directed her strength against it. The air around the key sparked, but it didn't stop. With a surprised noise the key blasted past her powers and flashed right through her like a trick of the light. The sound it made when it hit the ground was real enough and the vampiric Satsuki cursed out loud when she realized this Ciel was colored in greyscale to her eyes.
The phantom image of Ciel began to flicker, but for a moment she looked so sad, "Yumizuka I..." she started, almost choking the words, but then she was gone.
"Whatever..." the vampire grumbled with a shrug, "Kinda what I was trying to do anyway."
She no longer felt comfortable where she was, and the sun was low in the sky. With an audible "hupp" Satsuki Yumizuka the Dark Apostle hurled herself upwards, grabbed hold of the wall of the building beside her and with a push she was soaring away through the darkening sky.
Arihiko came around the corner of the alley at a full tilt run, his legs taking him as fast as they could go. The alleys were getting dark and this was really not a good place to be at night. He didn't even see the figure standing around the corner before she reached out and snatched him.
"GAHHH!" Arihiko gasped, looking over with dread, not quite liking what he saw, though a little less afraid for it, "Ciel-sempai!! What are you doing here? Weren't you jus... oh, wait. Crap..."
The blue haired girl, decked out in her full burier habit scowled at him, then looked down the alley.
"Damn, I'm late." she grumbled, shaking her head. She looked back at Arihiko and he waved his hands in front of her face.
"Late for what?" he spouted quickly, trying to find an out, "Hey, it's getting dark back here? Should you be here? Uh, nice outfit... err, maybe I should walk you home?"
Ciel sighed, but didn't relax her grip. Arihiko was finding the slight girl to be uncomfortably strong. Her blue eyes turned to him, looking more weary then he'd ever seen them. It almost felt like it wasn't quite her without her glasses.
"It looks like you're going to have to forget a few things Arihiko." she said solemnly. He turned away fast, holding his hands out.
"No way! Not the eyes!" he choked, "Not again!!"
Ciel's face for a moment betrayed her shock, then she scowled, "Oh yes, definitely forget a few things..."
Satsuki grabbed her chest, she was breathing so hard, her heart was gonna burst. She fell forwards, leaning on a storefront for support. She had to catch her breath, there was no way, just no way. This was a hard one, she'd have to think up a good excuse for being out so late, and that wouldn't be easy with everything going through her head. She glanced around, trying to get her bearings, then felt something and looked up.
Her other, was up there, she just knew it. She was over the city somewhere, in some big leap. Places to go she figured. Catching her breath she tried to straighten out her thoughts about all of this. It was so horrible, she could never understand. Then another annoying thought struck her... her double was up high, in the air...
great...
just great...
And in some other reality she was flashing the whole damn city...
Satsuki, Part One: Irreconcilable Differences, Finish
Somehow I'm remembering
"We are Satsuki's if you please."
"We are Satsuki's if you don't please."
But not where it came from.