[FF] Crossings

[Kieran]

What he said.

[MrTags]

Character Focus, Satsuki's Story,
Part 2 B: Explosion of Rage

“Are you alright?”

“Are you alright?” the voice pressed.

Satsuki looked up dazed. For a moment the boy was there, asking her a question, but then the image resolved into just another emergency worker. The lights flashing everywhere were bothering her. Someone was yelling. She just sat on the concrete and didn’t answer. The blanket over her shoulders felt heavy.

Where was her mother? Where was her father. She’d gotten separated in the rush out of the building. When the sirens had started the halls had cleared. Someone had called something and now they were all over.

Sitting on the sidewalk across the street from the hotel she looked up dazedly. It was such a mess. Something had taken off part of the top floor since last time she saw it, and left a big scratch on the wall all the way down to the bottom.

She waved off the person above her annoyed. Couldn’t they mind their own business. It was so sad, so sad. She was in her pinch again and Tohno hadn’t been there to help her. She had to rely on a stranger. She just bet Tohno could have done a better job.

“Maybe a Tohno could…”

She looked up. Something wasn’t right. Was that pressure, that horrible pressure back? No, something was there, but it was different this time. Someone was calling her?

“Hey, over here.”

Her eyes were drawn to a figure in the doorway of the hotel. Someone was there, by the men rushing in and out. Someone who went completely unnoticed. Someone with grey hair. She got such a familiar feeling. Was that like Shiki? The figure beaconed her. She just had to follow.

Getting up she crossed back over the street. She passed the police. They didn’t even seem to see her. She just had to follow.

----

There's a hungry road I can only hope's
Gonna eat me up inside.
There's a drifting spirit coming clean
In the eye of a lifelong fire.

NO! No don’t!

Something in her mind was screaming. The pain was back. Something bad, something bad was going to happen. It was too much for her.

The draw was stronger now and she shambled along the wall. Stumbling almost like a drunk she weaved her way out past the sidewalk. She’d have to cross the street to get where she was going. The street was so bright. It bothered her eyes.

----

Something small in Satsuki’s head called out to her. It pointed out something was wrong. She ignored it. Something in her had such hope. That boy smelled like Shiki. He felt like Shiki. Had her Shiki come for her at last.

Up the stairs she went. Past the cordons and past the police. She went up and passed dead bodies, in pieces and parts. None of it seemed to concern her. The little wound on her head throbbed. Why was it hurting her now for some reason? Something in her had felt its like and wanted to come out.

She found the floor, went in. The boy slipped into a room down the hall. She followed as closely as she could, but he felt like a ghost, always beyond her reach.

Then he was there. He’d chosen a distant room, a conference room high up in the hotel. The back wall was gone, letting in the starlight. Wisplike curtains floated in spectral splendor from the walls and in the middle of all this grey was the most beautiful of all. The boy was there, grey hair and clothes. He smiled, flexing his bandages slightly and reached out his arms for her.

Satsuki smiled. It was like coming home. A hand was offered and she almost floated across the room to take it.

Tell monday I'll be around next week;
I'm running ahead of my days.
In the shotgun chance that scattered us,
I've seen the error of my ways.

----

No! Stay away! Stay away from him.

She almost screamed it out loud as she wobbled on her feet. The pain was so intense. Something was splitting in her head. One thing, one thing. An image appeared. A lonely desolate place. What was that? What is it?

There was something behind her. Bright lights.

Well we've wrapped ourselves in golden crowns
Like sun gods spitting rain.
Found a way home written on this map
Like red dye in my veins.

-----

His mouth was opening. Satsuki smiled. Was he going to say something? Why were his teeth so big? Why were they so sharp.

The boys eyes were red. Were they supposed to be like that.

The pain spiked in her brain. A lonely vista flashed across her sight for just a moment before the picture of the boy returned, but it wasn’t a boy anymore. Oh he was still as young but… but… His teeth… his teeth.

His mouth was open. His teeth, fangs were out. They closed around her neck.

No no no no no no no no… this wasn’t happening no!

Why? Why didn't he protect me?

In the hardest times that come around,
The fear of losing grows.
I've lost and seen the world shut down;
It's a darkness no one knows.

----

She wheeled around. It was a car. A sports car was closing on her. The speed was too much. She could barely see through the pain in her head.

She knew she was going to die.

The driver hadn’t seen her. He was swerving around. Totally drunk. He was bombed out of his mind.

How could this happen?

How could this happen to her?

Was this all there was for her?

Why? Why didn't he protect me?

----

The fangs pierced her neck. The pain, she didn’t want to feel the pain.

----

The car bore down on her

-
This wasn’t it. This wasn’t how it would end.

TO HELL WITH IT!

Brown Eyes turned red...
-

The pain in her mind burst. There was fire. There was fire.

And I've poured out the pleasure! and dealt with the pain!
I'm standing in a station waiting in the rain!

The vampire’s eyes opened wide reflecting the huge wall of flame that had burst from the first drop of his victims blood.

I'm starting to feel a little muscle again,

He fled from the impossibility he knew was to come.

But love is lost like a runaway train.

----

The small fingers of a tiny hand curled into a little fist.

I'm out of control and out of my hands.
I'm tearing like a demon through no man's land.

That little fist came smashing down, half in resentment half in rage. The front of the car couldn’t take it, buckling inwards. The ground couldn’t take it, smashing into a crater.

I'm trying to get a grip on my life again.

That small girl straightened up slightly. She stood tall in a crater of her own making, eyes shut, head down. There was a scream of metal under stress. The car, flipping end over end as it soared through the air landed in a heap of twisted wreckage behind her.

Nothing hits harder than a runaway train.

To be Continued...

[Kieran]

So Vampire Satsuki can take out cars?

[MrTags]

Oddly enough that was HUMAN Satsuki... but not for much longer.

[Erlkonig]

*Reads Chapter 1*

AWESOME-

...Wait, what does Gil have to do with Sacchin?

Anyway, I liked the first chapter (I like pretty much everything), but I can't help but notice that you repeated many sentences several times in the same paragraph. Why is that?

[MrTags]

Oh the first chapter is a recreation of I think the 9th and 10th tablet of the epic of gilgamesh. They wrote like that back then. Every single damm person repeated the same line in length. I was making small jokes about it thought the piece. The last person's line is a joke on the whole epic, a bit of a "why don't you just come out and say what you mean" thing.

I admit it's a little deeper(and more confusing) than I'd have liked to have started, that first chapter was added on about halfway through, but that interaction between Gilgamesh and the person he met on that date is important later in the story.

As for what Gilgamesh has to do with Satsuki... Well I'm using a lot of characters from both Fate and Tsukihime through this. The roster of players is pretty damm long. Arc, Shiki, Archer, Saber, Gil, KoGil(already showed up if you look deep), Zelretch, Satsuki, Akiha, the maids, hell even Guitar Angel showed up once in the "ancient past" skit that I'm saving for closer to the end.

BTW, here's the 9th and 10th tablet to compare the writing type.

[Erlkonig]

Oh the first chapter is a recreation of I think the 9th and 10th tablet of the epic of gilgamesh. They wrote like that back then. Every single damm person repeated the same line in length. I was making small jokes about it thought the piece. The last person's line is a joke on the whole epic, a bit of a "why don't you just come out and say what you mean" thing.

I admit it's a little deeper(and more confusing) than I'd have liked to have started, that first chapter was added on about halfway through, but that interaction between Gilgamesh and the person he met on that date is important later in the story.

As for what Gilgamesh has to do with Satsuki... Well I'm using a lot of characters from both Fate and Tsukihime through this. The roster of players is pretty damm long. Arc, Shiki, Archer, Saber, Gil, KoGil(already showed up if you look deep), Zelretch, Satsuki, Akiha, the maids, hell even Guitar Angel showed up once in the "ancient past" skit that I'm saving for closer to the end.

BTW, here's the 9th and 10th tablet to compare the writing type.

Oh, I see. That's good; you made an effort in order to manage to make the writing close to the tablets. I think that's nice.

[MrTags]

Thanx Erik. Heh, there's a lot of in deep jokes like that. I probably should stop making so many injokes, not a lot of people are in and have read stuff like the Epic of Gilgamesh.

Woot, 1000 views. Thanx much my adoring public. Just for you guys Fic alert!

Character Focus, Satsuki's Story,
Part 2 Final: Finding One's Self

----

The wind howled. It was whipping around him violently, threatening to pull his grip away from the wall. Roa/SHIKI could care less. That had been close, too close.

He couldn’t be blamed for surprise of course. None of his victims before had ever awoken to a reality marble in the midst of his feeding. The girl’s contact with Nrvnqsr’s soil of genesis marble may have primed her. His own introducing of vampiric power to her veins had definitely awakened it.

Holding tight to the wall just above the room he’d just hurriedly vacated the vampire gazed down onto the blazing edge of the girls reality marble. The area where the power contacted the universe was a broiling sea of flame. He couldn’t see into the room at all. Whatever it was, the whole situation was ripe with possibility.

With a flick of his wrist SHIKI/Roa sailed off across the city, laughing manically.


The fear was receding. She could control herself again. Satsuki sadly looked up to the forlorn landscape of her own creation. Nothing but darkness and desolation as far as the eyes could see. Her own depletion garden left her feeling chilled to the soul as a spectral wind blew dead leaves past her shivering body.

With a sigh she let go of her fear, and the landscape that went with it. The edge of the blaze fell inward, sucking back into her young soul, and with that Satsuki fell to her knees, head in her hands. Tears fell to the ground along with a slight drip of blood. She moved a hand from her face to clasp the bleeding. It wasn’t much but it bothered her.

A rain of dust began to drift through the air and she looked up. The room itself was coated with a thick layer of ash. Satsuki shook her head sadly as it flitted down. She couldn’t explain what had happened. She didn’t even think she wanted to.

Standing wearily the young girl staggered out of the room and back into her life.

----

The hissing woke her back up. She shook off the remnants of that dream that had been bothering her like the last bits of morning dew. Looking around she blanched as she found some parts of what she’d seen were real.

The hissing… That hissing was coming from the remains of a wrecked mini-sports car. The crumpled ruin sat behind her, and she found herself waist deep in a crater. The whole scene was covered in a layer of ash. For a moment she wondered where that had come from.

The panicked girl looked around. There was some commotion on the street. If it hadn’t been so late there would have probably been a lot more attention paid to her. As it was a small group of people were gathered on the sidewalk whispering to one another.

Satsuki gasped. With a panicked little shriek she climbed out of the hole and ran away from all the people. This was definitely not the place to be anymore.

----

Yawning lazily the vampire Satsuki Yumizuka cracked her neck and stretched. It was odd for her to sleep away any part of the night. As a creature of darkness such frivolity didn’t really fit. She was getting hungry already and it didn’t make sense to waste the late hours dozing. Shifting over she slid herself out of the light coming from over a wall mounted payphone she’d been using as a lure to hunt the unwary.

The dream she had was also something of a bother. A few times she’d just recalled the events of her becoming a vampire, but that last time. The last dream was something different entirely. She couldn’t explain it, and the parts of it she’d seen that she hadn’t even been there to watch. Licking her fangs the young vampire pondered what she’d seen and tried to figure out what it meant. Nothing like that had ever happened before, but it was just one more unexplained event in her continuously spiraling life. She decided to put the whole thing to the back of her mind.

Expanding her senses over the local area she got an earful of horns and traffic snarling. Some idiots must have gotten into an accident nearby. The smell of fear and sound of whispering assailed her senses. It must have been a rather odd accident. Maybe she could pick off an onlooker or two.

There was another sound that perked her interest. The sound of running feet. Someone was coming towards her, quickly, and rather deliberately.

Standing up the vampire prepared to greet her guest. Fangs glistened in the light as she slipped back into the shadows, only her red eyes showing. The sound of running came down the alley and stopped just at the edge of sight. The vampire blinked in surprise.

Before her, gasping and out of breath, was a grey figure of her, with one exception, one with her own red eyes…

“There you are.” the human said, gasping for breath, “I can feel you, in my heart.”

“Hrmm?” the vampire remarked, slipping out of the shadows, “You’re back again? What do you want?”

The human Satsuki kicked a small rock and rubbed the back of her head, “I was led here.” she admitted, “Something’s happening with me, I think I’m becoming something.”

“Something?” the vampire had little time for vagueness, she crossed her arms, “Like what?”

“Like you!” the human blurted out, waving her arms in a panic, “I think I just killed somebody!”

“Pfft, I just killed somebody.” the vampiric Satsuki said with a grin, lowering herself to all fours and flashing her fangs, “He was yummie.”

“Hmm?”

The human glanced around, looking almost embarrassed, “You’re lying.” she replied, “You were asleep, having a dream. I saw it.”

“Aww you’re no fun.” vampire Yumizuka grumbled, standing up, “You’re too hard to scare away.”

“But… but… but….” human Satsuki blurted, running up to her counterpart and grabbing her hands, “You can’t want rid of me, I need you!”

“What are you talking about?!”

The vampire ripped her hands out of her opposite’s oddly strong grasp, growling “You can’t need me, I’m just a monster.”

“You’re me as a monster, and and look at me.” the human wailed, pointing at her eyes, “You’re bleeding into me. I can run real fast, I’ve got fangs sometimes, and I wrecked a car with a punch.”

“You what?”

“It was cool, kinda… don’t think the people in the car liked it much.” the human admitted like she was giving up a secret. The vampire looked like she could cry.

“Aww no, no no no no no no…” she groaned, “This isn’t right, why does it have to go this way?”

“What’s wrong?”

“YOU! You are. Damn, DAMN!” the vampire raged, “Another hope spoiled, why me why always me.”

“Uhm, me too you know.” the human side pointed out.

“But no, you had it all, the friends, the family… you weren’t a monster. You had everything I wanted. It was great knowing there was a me out there that made it, and now look at you.”

The human Satsuki looked herself over on reflex. She was a little dirty to be sure, but that dust had gotten in everything earlier at the car wreck. It’s not like she could be blamed for being a bit disheveled. Hell she was sure she looked better than some people would have in the same situation!

“I don’t think I look all that bad.”

“You’re eyes are red.”

“Well your’s are too… you’ve got major Visine eyes there!” the human chided, “I wasn’t gonna say anything but whew.”

The bloodsucking side glared at her human half, getting uncomfortably close, “It’s because I’m a vampire!” she growled, pointing at her eyes to mark each word.

“Oh I see… does that make me a vampire too?” the human Satsuki sounded rather sheepish.

“I hope not but probably.” the vampire grumbled, turning away from her human side.

“Maybe we’re merging!” the human cried out like it was some realization.

“Merging? Like we’re cars on a highway.” the vampire grumbled, turning again, “Like fu-shun-HA merging, like we’re gonna go whoop-die and become one person all of a sudden.”

“It might be cool… look at Arihiko.”

“No no, don’t look at Arihiko, whatever happened to him was just freaky, and half of him wasn’t a vampire.”

“Like we’re not kinda freaky already?” human Satsuki pointed out, “Look, maybe that dream…”

“Dreams are dreams, they stay dreams.”

“Not all of them.”

“Really you’re bumming me out.”

“I’m sorry.” the human Satsuki looked defeated, “But who knows what would happen if we did merge like Arihiko…”

“Not my problem.” the vampire side grunted.

“But that boy…”

“There are no damn heroes.”

“That boy saved us!”

“And yet look at me, I’m still a vampire.”

“But I’m not totally human anymore. Maybe this is what’s supposed to happen.” the human said, grasping at straws.

“Just get away from me.” the vampire retorted, “Go back home to your happy house with your happy mommy and happy daddy and just get away from me. Hell maybe if you get far enough away your eyes will go back to normal.”

“Oh NO!” Satsuki’s human side gasped, “Mommy, Daddy! I ran out on them!”

“Over there.” the vampire motioned to the phone on the alley wall, “Go give them a ring or they’ll be worried sick about you.”

“Oh no, oh no…” the human Satsuki mumbled worriedly as she hurried over to the phone and dropped some coins into it, “I’m gonna get killed, I’m gonna get so totally killed.”

“Shouldn’ta come looking for trouble.” the vampire said with a shrug, leaning against the opposite alley wall.

“Mom!” the human shouted into the receiver, “Yeah Yeah! I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. I know! I know! I’m sorry for scaring you, I just got so scared. Of what? Uhm.. Uhm…”

The vampire Satsuki grimaced. There was something, she heard something. Her vampire senses were so sharp, so attuned. What was bothering her?

“Bad dreams! Bad dreams! Yeah that’s it!”

A tear rolled down the vampire’s cheek. What was it? What was causing her such trouble? There was something, it was filtering in and out of her senses. There was something she hadn’t heard in so long.

“Oh… oh my…” the vampire whispered to herself. Was that? Was that even possible. She hadn’t heard anything at first. Could she? Was it possible?! Could she really!!?

The human Satsuki let out a little eep as her vampire side grabbed her and pushed her out of the way, yanking the phone out of her hand in the process. Confused the girl looked up at her grey counterpart as the vampire brought the phone up to her ear. She couldn’t believe it. The vampire was shaking.

“M-m-moommmmmyyy??!” the vampire spouted out, barely holding in her emotion. The call must have really confused her mother. There was an odd noise over the phone. Her mother must have really said something loud.

“Hey!” the human Satsuki called out, getting back up, “What are you doing? Why did you do that?”

“I lost you, I miss you! Is that really you?”

Human Satsuki stopped short. The vampire had fallen to her knees and was looking at her through the widest most soulful eyes she’d ever seen her other half manage. She looked so sad. In an instant the vampire’s story ran back through her mind. She’d seen her mother die right in front of her and had barely registered it till afterwards. That she could speak to her now…

"My mommy!!!!" the vampire side cried, "I can hear my mommy!!"

Tears ran down human Satsuki's cheeks, matching her vampire self. She closed her eyes, seeing bits and pieces of what she had thought was a dream. Somehow, he'd changed it... somehow it would all work out. She knew what she had to do. She wasn’t damning herself like her other half thought. She was saving them both.

"Thank you." she whispered silently to no one in particular, then knelt down before her vampire self and held out a hand. The crying self styled monster, looking more like a sad little girl than the human side ever thought she'd felt, brought her gaze up to meet that little girl she never thought she would be again. She panted, out of breath, unable to cry any more.

"Come on." the human called softly, "Let's go out, maybe take a walk in the sun, maybe get a date, or get something yummy to eat. Let's go home."

"It's alright... if the maybes don't all come true?" the vampire questioned back, "If maybe we can't go out, if maybe mom and dad aren't there..."

"Hope is better right?" Satsuki asked, her cheeks still slick with tears, "It's all for tomorrow, hope for tomorrow."

"Yeah..." the vampire reached out and took her hand.

For a Brighter Tomorrow

----

A hand reached up and grabbed the phone.

“Mommy?” a small voice called out. There was a commotion on the other end of the line.

“Yeah, I’m sorry…” she said, “I was a bit confused, it’s been an odd night, but a good one.”

The voice on the other end of the line was still just as concerned.

“I’ll be coming home soon, I’m still really close by.” Satsuki remarked into the phone, “I’m sorry to have worried you! And mommy, thanks for being there for me.”

With parting words the little girl set the receiver back down. Taking a deep breath she sampled the night air. It was time to go home. In a bounding leap she cleared the alley and the next street. She’d been far from home for a long time, but now, now she couldn’t, wouldn’t ever be that far again.

Satsuki, Part Two: Finish

Oh the next part... Shudder... this is gonna hurt. There's stuff that needs to be done and I don't like the writing of any of it. Given that everyone's gonna love it.

[Erlkonig]

I don't what just happened (Haven't read the rest of the fic), all I know is that this was heart-warming.

[Paean]

Self-talk is a good thing. Excellent work, Tags. ^_^b

[Kieran]

That was sweet, in a semi-disturbing way.

[Inugami]

Dammit to hell.

I finally look at and answer Tag's email asking me for advice about this scene, and today I look at see he's already written it while I kept him waiting.

I am a heel.


*sigh* Well, let's read this and see what he came up.

[Inugami]

Yeah, that worked out just fine.

And the ideas in my reply might still be in time.


When did v-Satsuki's parents die, though?

[MrTags]

Vampire Satsuki's parents originally died by Nero Chaos's beasts in his attack on Century hotel. At least that's how I'm portraying it. I'm working with a lack of information on how things went down in the VN for her parents, they didn't seem to even be mentioned there, while in both manga and anime realities they did just fine save a bit of illness.

If one notes it, the entire effect of the timeline alter was actually to make sure they'd be there for Satsuki, since she'd have "lived" through the attack anyway.

I like your ideas on the Depletion Garden subject, and though Satsuki's role in this story is just about done... at least as a major player, there's plenty of other stuff she's slated to do in the next one. I just have to get my timeline for Tatari's appearence in Misaki down. I don't know if I have time to do everything I need to before the @#$% hits the fan. Though I suppose a TV vs. HV Sacchin showdown would be something of interest.

Ergh, my head hurts trying to figure out the events of the next day. The rest of this night and the next are pretty much set out, but this day is causing me effing headaches.

[Erlkonig]

Good luck, Tags, may you recieve inspiration by Divine providence or elsehow.

[MrTags]

I just whipped up this little segment to finish up the night and get myself on to the tougher problems that tomorrow brings. Short and sweet this time guys.


Crossings, Section 16 Begin:

There was a dragging noise. Akiha scowled down the walk to the main gate, her look of displeasure easily bridging the gap between herself and the people who had just appeared there.

Shiki, having just pulled up inside the gate with Kohaku supporting him, simply smiled at her and rubbed the back of his head with embarrassment. Hisui padded out the door to help her sister.

“Uhm… I’m home.” he called lamely with that small smile.

Akiha crossed her arms and let out a harrumph, turning her head away angrily while speaking, “That’s all you can say for yourself brother? I would think you’d have some more explaining to do.”

Shiki drooped a little in his pained step as he got to the end of the walk with the maids and started up the stairs. He didn’t seem to be in much mood for conversation, that much was apparent. The way he slouched made Akiha look him over a bit closer.

“What happened to you?” she gasped. Shiki just shrugged.

Kohaku lifted a hand to Akiha, showing her just what she’d picked up by only helping Shiki along so far. Her fingers and palm were slicked with black ichors and blood.

“Lady Akiha, I’m sorry, I’m not sure this is the time to press…” the maid started. She was cut short by Akiha charging up to them and taking Shiki’s weight for herself.

“What the hell have you been doing brother?!” Akiha choked out, finding Shiki’s open jacket coated with rips, tears and all manor of foul black ooze, “ Kohaku, first aid quickly.”

“I’ll be alright Akiha.” Shiki assured his sister. The oriental dressed maid bowed and slipped inside as Akiha and Hisui pulled Shiki in behind her.

“You’ll be alright when I say you’re alright.” Akiha shot back, “You look like you’ve been through another war. Who did you find that you shouldn’t be handling alone this time brother? I swear I have to keep a closer eye on you.
.
Shiki slumped again, “It’s not as bad as it looks, not much of it is my blood this time.”

“How could you let him go out like this again Hisui.” Akiha shot a look to the maid.

“But Master Shiki is the Master.” Hisui returned. Akiha just shook her head. Shiki grinned slightly, the act wasn’t fooling him. Akiha was sure to know he’d left.

“Hisui, get brother’s bedclothes!” Akiha ordered as Kohaku hurried back with the first aid kit. The three lowered Shiki into a chair before Hisui padded away up the main stair to get Shiki’s garments.

Kohaku went to work quickly, peeling away Shiki’s blood soaked top and jacket, then dabbing at his cuts with a cotton swab of alcohol. Shiki winced at her but avoided being anything but a good patient. Akiha looked over the wounds as they were cleaned and nodded occasionally.

“See I told you.” Shiki muttered, leaning back into the chair from exhaustion.

“You shouldn’t press yourself with your anemia.” Akiha scolded, “Getting into life or death fights like this will do nothing but worry me.”

The stern sister looked towards the door as Shiki started to respond, and shushed him with a curt finger to the lips. Shiki didn’t seem able to continue so he lay back as Kohaku continued to treat his wounds. Akiha however stormed out the door and onto the front path where she met a familiar figure.

“What do you want?” the sister growled at the person standing there.

Out on the walk another woman waited, her arms crossed, face stern, “Is Tohno alright?” Ciel questioned, her burrier’s garb fluttering around her in the night breeze.

“So you’re back.” Akiha grumbled, ignoring the question, “You’re not welcome here trespasser.”

“Oh my, how unfriendly.” Ciel sing song’d, her arms held behind her as she shifted from one foot to the other, “I’m just here to check on Shiki, is that such a bad thing?”

“You could have asked him while he was out.” Akiha growled, glaring at the blue haired woman, “You got here before he did. You’re not fooling anyone.”

“I’m just here to see Shiki, not argue with his little sister.” Ciel retorted, trying to weave past Akiha. A quick burst of flame held the burrier short.

“He’s not taking visitors.” Akiha said with malice in her eyes and red in her hair, “You’ll be leaving now.”

“Hrmph, not the friendliest welcome.” Ciel grumbled with a grimace. She was still smart enough to leave it alone, turning around and leaping off into the night.

-----

Hisui padded up to Shiki’s room and opened the door. Bowing quickly to the occupant she slipped into the closet and grabbed a set of nightclothes.

“So Shiki’s home?”

The maid jumped slightly. With wide eyes she turned around and looked at Miss Arcueid. The True Ancestor was wearing one of Shiki’s bed tops and little else as she lazed on her bed.

“Uhm, you… well…” Hisui started awkwardly but then returned to her monotone best, “Yes Miss Arcueid, Master Shiki has just returned.”

“Goody!” Arcueid chirped happily. Hisui quickly took her leave.

-----

“What was that Akiha?” Shiki mumbled as his sister came back through the door and slammed it behind her.

“Solicitation.” Akiha brushed the question off brusquely.

“At this time of night huh?” even tired Shiki’s eyes still kept a knowing sparkle. Akiha just turned up her nose, crossed her arms and advanced on her brother.

“And so exactly what is it this time brother?” Akiha asked, her tone allowing no dissent or questioning.

“I really don’t feel up to this Akiha.” Shiki responded with a wince as Kohaku pulled something small and sharp from his side.

“And when will you feel, up to it?” Akiha returned in a with a scowl as she bent down to look at what Kohaku had pulled free from her brother, “Claws? Shiki we’ll not have much time to talk tomorrow morning, you know my schedule is busy now. You owe some explanation to the head of this household.”

Shiki turned his face downward, laying his head in a hand, “When I can figure it out in my head I’ll be sure to tell you.” he said solemnly, “All I know now is it’s about crossings.”

With a quick motion Kohaku finished placing a few sparse bandages over Shiki’s wounds. It took her only a few short moments to tape them up and she was done. She stood and smiled, looking over her expert handiwork.

“Crossings?” Akiha didn’t quite know what to make of it. Hisui had just reached the bottom of the stairs, coming up on everyone silently as usual. She handed Shiki his bedclothes and the wounded youth thanked her as he pulled himself up off the chair.

“Like I said, I’ll tell you when I figure it out.” Shiki remarked then headed up the stairs. His only thoughts at the moment were full of sleep. Kohaku turned and helped him.

“Come back to me when you’re done there Kohaku.” Akiha commanded, “I’ll need to have a word with you.”

“As you wish Lady Akiha.” the maid responded with a nod.

It didn’t take long for Kohaku to help Shiki into his room and close the door behind him. Thoughts and ideas rolled through Shiki’s head as he stood there changing into his bedclothes. He’d hated not telling Akiha everything, but at the moment he just hurt all over. With a sigh he collapsed on the bed.

-----

Arcueid rolled around on the bed, not fitfully but happily.

Where would he be??? Where would he be??? She tried one position, rethought it then tried another. Again and again she changed spots.

It was so hard cuddling up next to her Shiki without being able to see him…


At the same time, yet so far away it is just past noon.

He trundled through the bush, brushing the fronds of mutiple types of plant out of his way. The heat here was overwhelming, the sun beating down mercilessly. He took it all in stride. Such things were on his mind but had slipped into the background a while ago, replaced by the information he needed to track something, and his sense of location to help him keep on that track.

Balance scolwed as he looked at the scenery. It seemed a tad bit wrong Something was off in this forest. He smiled, that meant his quary was closer than he’d reconned . These feotid jungles weren’t exactly his favorite place to haunt but they weren’t the most horrible place he could think of… No that was coming up soon enough.

He noticed his sense of distance was off. That matched his expectations. A hundred yards could have been mistaken for miles the way he was going, and it wasn’t just the harsh conditions and forbidding foliage. No this was something completely different. The jungle was silent here, deathly silent.

He knelt down and pulled up a shoot from the ground. It felt wrong. With a movement of his fingers he cracked open what should have been a soft young plant. It was full of something that looked like glass to the naked eye.

Yep… that was just about right.

With a nod Balance stood up. Before him the jungle fell away, into a wide, distorted valley. The trees before him were deforned, sprouting at angles and with materials that were far from anything earthly. Their patterns and rows, mixed with spikes shooting from the ground, formed a number of concentric rings around a massive center many miles across.

The owner of the place, as if sensing a force other than it’s own, scuttled out of a secluded nook in the center of it’s vast palace. Standing up to it’s full height even such a large creature seemed tiny at such a distance.

Balance nodded, drawing his sword. He pulled it up and patted the flat of the blade against his shoulder a couple of times as he nodded. Here was the problem he was having. Something in the world too different from everything else to naturally fold into the newly created order, even though it was exactly the same creature on both sides of the rift.

Oh well, he’d have to handle that.

“Damn overgrown nexus spider.” he grumbled under his breath. His target chattered a response, as if it could hear him across the distance.

With nothing too it but to do it, Balance broke into a run straight into the Crystal Valley.

To be continued


Well that's that. Now off to the jungles might make more sense. Argh this is gonna hurt.

[Kieran]

Well, good luck - and that last scene gave me flashbacks to the Silent Hill film.

[MrTags]

That previous bit wasn't quite long enough, so I added the teaser to the next.

The earlier story post is just a bit longer. I think we all know why I said the jungle was gonna hurt.

[Kieran]

Oh God - THAT?!

. . . Owwww.

[Inugami]

Well, good luck - and that last scene gave me flashbacks to the Silent Hill film.

I know what you mean.

also, "It was so hard cuddling up next to her Shiki without being able to see him…"

Is just so damn cute.


Ouch. Taking on ORT?

TWICE?