Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Night of the New Moon ❯ Ghost Stories ( Chapter 3 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: Lotus-chan 
The history of the Inn's ghosts and their gruesome deaths is revealed.
Anime/Manga: Gundam Wing Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Supernatural / Horror / Action | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 09.01.2001 | Updated On: 11.13.2001 | Pages: 5 | Words: 4.6K | Visits: 511 | Status: Completed
The history of the Inn's ghosts and their gruesome deaths is revealed.
Anime/Manga: Gundam Wing Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Supernatural / Horror / Action | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 09.01.2001 | Updated On: 11.13.2001 | Pages: 5 | Words: 4.6K | Visits: 511 | Status: Completed
Disclaimer: Gundam Wing and all it's drop dead gorgeous bishounen don't belong to me. -.- Sigh.
Warnings: Shounen ai, AU, 1+2, a tiny little blood, angst, violence, & Death? ^.^;
Authors note: Like the title says, this part is basically one big ghost story. Kinda like
the history behind our two ghosts. But anyway things are really meant to pick up in part five.
Night of the New Moon
Part 3 'Ghost Stories'
by: Lotus-chan
Morning came faster than it was wanted. Sunlight glittered over the condensation that had
formed on the sliding glass doors and passed through to fall over a rumpled bed. It's
occupant groaned and pulled a pillow over his face. It had been a struggle just to walk up
the flight of stairs last night and he'd been so tired that he'd entered his room, fallen on the
bed and gone to sleep right there. He hadn't even remembered to close the damn curtains.
This wasn't like him. Heero made it a habit to get up early... but then again, he'd gone to
sleep very early. Looking over at the nightstand, he glanced at the old fashioned wooden
clock. 10:45. He'd missed breakfast. Not that he really cared though, he never ate
breakfast anyway.
Noticing an uncomfortable lump under his leg he sat up. His duffel bag, still unopened and
unmoved from where he'd thrown it yesterday, lay under his knee. He'd gone right to
sleep last night. Without unpacking or even changing his clothes. Heero sighed and got
up. He got a few things out of the duffel and walked into the bathroom.
After brushing his teeth and showering, Heero came out with a towel wrapped around his
waist. He walked to the bed and pulled his boxers, a pair of faded jeans, and a tank out of
his duffel bag and got dressed. He finished unpacking and after some deliberation, hid the
gun he always carried, in the dressers bottom drawer under his clothes along with an extra
clip. Stuffing his duffel bag under the bed, Heero walked to the front of the room and
opened his door...
At the same time the door next to his opened and Wufei stepped out.
Heero froze in mid-step while Wufei nearly gapped in his shock, "Heero?!" Heero blinked,
he couldn't believe it. "Wufei, how did... when... what are you doing here?!" Wufei
crossed his arms, looking somewhere between confused and surprised, "The same you are,
I suspect. Waiting it out someplace secluded until things can die down."
Heero was about to ask what he meant when the sound of something shattering and a
woman screaming from downstairs caught their attention and both took off at a dead run
down the stairs to the lobby. Two women were holding back another angry woman who
was spouting a number of curses at the Inn keeper. Okada somehow seemed to have
fallen, or been pushed, back against a pedestal that had been holding a large oriental vase.
They both determined that must've been the source of the shattering sound for it was in
pieces all over the floor.
Wufei summed up what had happened in a split second and stepped in front of Okada,
eyes blazing. "Onna! How dare you strike an old man like that!" he exclaimed, pointing a
menacing finger. Her struggles against the other two only increased when he intervened,
"This is none of your business, kid! That old bastard lied to all of us and if he thinks I'm
going to stay here one more night and let him kill me in my sleep HE'S GOT ANOTHER
THING COMMING!" Wufei's eye's widened with rage not just at being referred to as a
*child* but at the accusations this woman was making.
Heero, meanwhile, was checking on the Inn keeper. Okada sat up and rubbed his back,
wincing. "Are you ok?" Okada looked at Heero and tried to smile, "Don't worry about
me. I'll be fine." Giving the woman another wary glance he looked around the room and
spotted what he wanted on his desk. "Yuy-san, could you get me my cane, onegai?"
Heero nodded and got up, walking around the two, he grabbed the cane on the Inn
keepers desk and walked back to him. Okada took the cane in his hand as Heero helped
him back on his feet.
"He is NOT a murderer! This man has offered you his kindness and hospitality and this is
how you repay him?!" Wufei nearly screamed. "I don't know how the twisted mind of a
serial killer works! I'm leaving this place and coming back with the cops! Then you'll see!
If he thinks I'm going to stay here another minute then he really *is* crazy! But I swear
I'll see to it that this psychopath is brought to justice!"
Heero's head snapped up at the last statement and he barely caught Wufei in time. "You
dishonorable cur! Don't you dare talk to me about justice!" Wufei struggled in Heero's
grasp, "Let go!" he growled and looked back at the women, "It go's against everything I
am to hit a woman but you've just proven to me that you do not qualify as one!" The
woman stopped in her struggles and gasped at the insult. "How dare you..."
And for the first time, she noticed the blazing look in his eyes and took a step back. One
of the other women, took advantage of her momentary shock and pulled her to the door.
When she noticed, her expression turned to one of anger again, the new distance making
her brave. "I'll..." but she never finished. The other woman next to her pulled a hand over
her mouth and yelled, "Shut up already before he kills you!" and dragged her outside
literally kicking and screaming.
-----------
Heero let go once the door closed but Wufei stood rigid, fists clenched tightly for a few
moments to let himself calm down. Eventually he sighed and turned around, "Are you
alright?" he asked. Okada smiled, "Nothings broken. But hey, I should be the one asking
you that." His voice held a light edge to it and Wufei smiled. "From the bottom of my
heart, I thank you both for helping me."
Heero glanced back at the door when he heard the loud skidding of tire on gravel which
could only have been a car pulling away. "Will she really call the police?" Okada sighed
heavily and slowly but carefully walked toward the sofa and sat down. "C'mere and sit
down boys, as my last remaining guests there are something's you should know."
Heero and Wufei sat on the sofa across from him and waited for him. Okada placed his
cane on the seat beside him and took a deep breath. "The police won't come, even if the
young lady does go to them. The authorities here are very familiar with this place as well
as myself and are also aware of how... overzealous some of my guests can be when told
about the history of the Inn. Quite frankly they're tired of coming up here and usually only
bother coming to take the body after another murder."
Wufei was surprised by the bluntness of his words. It even seemed as though this was
something he'd had to say many times before. "I've been warned that if one more death
occurs here, then I must shut down the Inn for good." Heero cleared his throat,
"Okada-san, not to change the subject but why was that woman angry with you?"
Okada leaned back in the sofa and closed his eyes, "I told you both a vague story of what
was going on here when you first arrived, so you knew how dangerous this place could be
from the beginning but still stayed..." he sighed, "I thought that three women traveling
alone might get spooked or grow uncomfortable here if they knew about the Inn's history
and I hadn't planned on telling them... but long ago I promised myself that I would not
keep the Inn's dark past from any of my guests... so I told them.
"But I only told them about the ghosts on their first night. I left out the part about the
murders until this morning and unfortunately something must've been misinterpreted
because the rather vociferous young lady jumped to conclusions... and the rest you know."
Heero nodded, now understanding.
"You boys should probably go aswell." he said solemnly. "What do you mean?" Wufei
asked. Okada turned a serious expression on them, "Neither of you are safe here. It is only
a couple short days until the next New Moon and with your presence here there is a good
possibility that (1)Selena will rise." Heero shook his head, "We can take care of
ourselves."
Okada looked from one to the other, "Do you two know each other?" "We've met
before." Heero replied. Okada glanced almost questioningly at Wufei, "I see..." but he
didn't take notice. "Okada-san, who is Selena?" Wufei asked. Okada smiled sadly and said
almost to himself, "Selena... Well, people always say all old men are good for is telling
stories... I hope you boys are comfortable because this is a long one." Heero raised an
eyebrow but Wufei leaned forward and Heero noticed that he seemed genuinely interested
in whatever Okada had to say.
He shrugged and leaned back on the sofa. It surprised him a bit that Wufei seemed
interested in what obviously appeared to be some sort of ghost story, since he was sure
he'd now found the 'deadbeat' Duo had been talking about last night, but Wufei had been
here longer than him and probably knew the Inn keeper a little better than he did. If there
was another reason behind his wanting to know this, he'd ask later. For now he resigned
himself to listen.
Okada took a deep breath before beginning. "When you first arrived I told the both of you
that there are two ghosts that roam about the area. A kind young man that never leaves
the cove and another vengeful and murderous spirit who 'has yet to be identified'. That is
not entirely true. I believe I have discovered that spirits identity as well as the past behind
both. The local historic society took it upon themselves to research the happenings here
along with the 'alleged' ghosts that haunt this place but they have made very slow
progress.
"I, on the other hand, conducted my own study on the history of the building and the
restless dead and have come to my own conclusions based on the information I found in
the towns Hall of Records and the Inn itself, such as court confessions, personal journals
and other various written accounts. You see, this Inn was first built and maintained by the
Maxwell family. There are no surviving members of that family in existence today but the
things they left behind in this place when it was sold by the last Maxwell have greatly
aided my research.
"The real story behind the ghosts themselves though, begins somewhere in the mid to late
1700's AD This town, quite literally, had been built and was owned by two of the
wealthiest families in New England America: the Maxwell family and the Yuy family." (2)
Heero turned his drifting eyes back on Okada. Wufei spared his friend a brief glance
before looking a question back at the Inn keeper. Okada smiled, "Odd coincidence, ne?"
"Please continue Okada-san." Heero said. Okada smiled, *now* he was interested. He bit
back his next comment and did as asked.
"Well, both families had generations of ties together and instead of becoming rivals like
some had expected, worked together in building this town and in many other business
transactions within or outside the town. Both were very powerful and politically influential
families who made several contributions to help the efforts of the revolution. Maxwell and
Yuy were so close that they built their estates next to each other and visited frequently. In
fact, we are now on the very edge of what was once the Maxwell grounds.
"Maxwell Manor is just a couple miles up the coast line. I believe today it is a large
museum. The Yuy Mansion is a few miles in the other direction and is now the
headquarters of our local historical society..." "Okada-san." Heero said. The Inn keeper
looked up from his contemplation's and blinked, "Oh, pardon. Back to the story... um...
oh yes.
"Things *really* begin when Mrs. Maxwell and Mrs. Yuy gave birth only hours apart to
their families healthy male heirs, Duo Maxwell and (3)Katsuhiro Yuy." Heero's eyes
widened and Okada smiled, knowingly. "Yes, *that* Duo Maxwell." Wufei looked back at
Heero then to the Inn keeper, "Did I miss something?" Okada shook his head, "not really
but you'll see in a moment." Wufei frowned but didn't ask. Okada obviously wanted to
continue.
"Anyway, from the very beginning the two boys were brought up almost as brothers. Mrs.
Maxwell and Mrs. Yuy had been very close and decided that they would raise their
children together, from their schooling to their family life and eventually the two young
heirs became inseparable. Thats is, until their teenage years. According to the court
testimony of Katsuhiro Yuy as well as what I..." he cleared his throat awkwardly,
"...found in the personal journal of Duo Maxwell, things began to change dramatically
when the boys hit sixteen.
"To get right down to the point, they stopped seeing themselves in a 'brotherly' sense
when they discovered... deeper feelings for each other." Wufei's face did a slow burn and
he looked off to the side before someone noticed. Heero was keeping his expression
carefully neutral. He couldn't explain why but hearing that Duo had feelings for someone
made him uncomfortable. Mostly, for some reason he couldn't explain, it made him angry.
Okada was enjoying their reactions. He'd never had this much fun telling anyone this
story. Noticing the way Wufei was avoiding his gaze he grinned and was about to mention
it him when Wufei's eye's flew wide. Okada frowned, "What is it?" Wufei straightened up
in the sofa but didn't look at him, his eyes were fixed on the painting above the fireplace.
He looked at it and smiled, "Oh, yes. I forgot to mention that."
Okada looked straight at Heero with a grin that raised the hairs on the back of his neck.
"Heero. I don't believe you've seen the painting." Heero raised an eyebrow and glanced
up without moving from his position. Okada had to put in extra effort to keep from
erupting in laughter when he saw Heero's shocked expression. Kami, but life was full of
surprises. Heero's mouth was opening and closing in his failed attempts to voice what was
on his mind.
Wufei beat him to it, "Oy, that... thats Heero!" Okada *did* laugh then. They both looked
at him as if he were out of his mind. "Old man, what are you laughing at?!" Wufei
demanded. Okada was shaking a hand and trying to calm down. "I... I have to admit, when
I first saw young Yuy-san I was shocked at the resemblance but at least let me explain."
He smiled and looked back at the painting. "This was a gift from Maxwell Manor to the
Inn many years ago. Its been here longer than I have. The two in the painting are Duo and
Katsuhiro." But despite himself, he fell more serious the longer he looked at it.
In the painting a young boy with long braided chestnut hair had arms wrapped around the
neck of another youth and was smiling playfully. Violet-blue eyes sparkled in the sunlight,
seemingly by themselves telling of a young man who was full of life. The other boy in the
painting was smiling back at the first. Dark brown, nearly black bangs fell over cobalt blue
eyes. The Japanese boy held a striking resemblance to Heero. In fact, they could've been
twins.
"This painting was done only a few months before the... accident." Okada said. Wufei
looked back at him, "What accident? What happened?" Heero didn't say a thing. He was
still looking at the painting... but not at his near-twin. Okada played the non-observant and
pretended not to notice but kept watching Heero out of the corner of his eye as he
continued.
"After some time the two fell very much in love but for Duo and Katsuhiro growing older
meant their duties and responsibilities grew as well and they had less and less time
together. Also well aware that society would not permit a romance between two men they
grew increasingly worried that they might be discovered.
"One day, their fears became a reality when both their mothers walked in on a... small kiss.
They were immediately separated by their horrified parents who eventually blamed each
others children for being sinful and/or perverted and without bothering to listen to either
of their childrens reasoning, forbade their sons from ever seeing each other again.
"The two however, would not be deterred. Their servants and attendants had long been
aware of the romance and sympathized. For the next few weeks they helped them by
secretly passing notes and letters from one household to the other. Although still unable to
see each other, Duo and Katsuhiro were now able to keep in touch. They wrote long
letters to each other everyday... until news came of the next disaster to hit their lives.
"Mrs. Yuy must've been more affected by the thought of her son being involved with
another male than she let on because she panicked and within weeks had forced Katsuhiro
into an arranged marriage with a young lady from out of town. It was said that her family
was one of the wealthiest in Europe at the time. Katsuhiro had met her briefly many times
before but it obviously had been enough for him to despise her.
"Excerpts from her personal diary, however, hint that she must've fallen in love with him
at first sight and a look into her private life would reveal an almost inappropriate obsession
with him. So when his mother proposed the idea of an arranged marriage, Selena jumped
at the chance. Needless to say Katsuhiro was appalled that his mother would do such a
thing to him against his will. Duo, by all accounts, was devastated.
"The bride-to-be arrived soon after his mothers announcement and so began Katsuhiro's
relentless attempt to ignore and avoid her whenever possible. He began writing more and
soon proposed that they meet. He could no longer stand to be anywhere near Selena and it
had been too long since the two of them had seen each other. Duo agreed, and if I
remember correctly, was the one who suggested the cove.
"The wedding was to take place in a month and while the giddy young maiden helped to
make preparations, her unwilling fiancée was meeting his true love every night. And they
met EVERY night possible, as soon as it was dark enough. Their servants kept watch and
helped by sneaking them out and later back in." Okada smiled, "One even later confessed
to sneaking into his masters bed, pretending to be him when his mother came to look in on
him.
"Eventually though, not even this would last. Selena began to notice how her fiancée was
tired most of the time and would fall asleep at odd moments. By then it was three days
before the wedding and naturally she expected him to be as excited as she was. She grew
suspicious of his behavior and began watching him carefully. That night, Katsuhiro's
attendants were unable to hide him from her watchful eyes and she followed him without
them knowing.
"Selena was shocked when she arrived at the cove behind Katsuhiro only to find that Duo
was there waiting for him. She was even more devastated when the first thing they did was
fall into each others arms and share a kiss. She later wrote herself that she'd felt insane
with anger when she stayed and overheard their plans to elope the night before the
wedding.
"Selena had been previously warned by Mrs. Yuy that she'd caught the two of them
together once before and fully blamed the other boy for perverting her sons mind,
although Mrs. Maxwell had made similar accusations towards *her* son, Selena
completely believed Mrs. Yuy and developed a burning hatred toward the other boy
almost instantly. The next day Selena confronted Katsuhiro.
"She told him she had followed him to the cove the night before and heard everything. She
began to say things like she'd forgive him because it wasn't his fault, that Duo was
tricking him and proceeded to spout her delusions of a happy marriage. But when she
began to insult his lover, Katsuhiro erupted in anger. In that moment he let go of
everything he'd been holding back for the past three and a half weeks and told her clearly
that he didn't care about her and never had.
"That he, infact, couldn't stand her and that he was in love with Duo and went to him
every night of his own free will. It was at that moment that something within her must've
snapped because by all other accounts, for the rest of that day she was abnormally quiet,
withdrawn and snapped at anyone who asked her what was wrong or offered their help."
Okada leaned back in the sofa to take a deep breath and a brake. The continuing silence
caused him to look at the two sitting across from him. They were both still there. Surprise
surprise. But they also seemed to be waiting. "And?" Wufei asked. Okada sighed but
nodded, "Most of what happened next is only according to Katsuhiro's court confession.
There were no other witnesses that night...
"As you know, the two had planned to run off together on the night before the wedding
and when that night came Katsuhiro was anxious for the sun to go down and darkness to
come. He packed a few meager belongings and waited for the sun set in his room,
announcing that he was going to bed early to be ready for the wedding tomorrow and was
not to be disturbed for any reason. His mother was only too happy to comply.
"Selena hadn't said a word of Katsuhiro's plans to anyone and he didn't care. It was a
New Moon that night so it was darker than usual when Katsuhiro ran from the house,
without anyone the wiser. The cook, however, had seen Selena leave the kitchen when the
sun set, almost in a daze. He later commented that he'd never seen such a frightening
expression on her face or on anyone's face in his life. Selena followed her fiancée again
that night, not even careful to keep from being seen. Many said they saw her heading off in
the direction of the cove but the servants were so frightened by her demeanor and the
cleaver she held in her hands that no one bothered her.
"Though, I'm sure that if they would've known Duo and Katsuhiro were to meet and
leave that night, they would've stopped her. Katsuhiro arrived at the cove first but didn't
have to wait long because Duo arrived a short time later. According to him, Duo slid
down the slope and ran toward him. Katsuhiro met him halfway and embraced him
immediately. At that point, Selena, who had been hiding behind a few rocks could no
longer contain her rage.
"Her fury at being humiliated and rejected by her fiancée in favor of another *male* rose
to its peak and she ran from behind the rocks ready to strike down the man who she felt
had betrayed her. Katsuhiro had his back toward her and didn't see her coming but Duo
did. As Selena came up behind him and lunged, Duo pushed him out of the way. But her
momentum was too great for her to stop and before Duo could move she plunged the
cleaver into his heart."
As Okada spoke this Wufei couldn't help but notice that Heero was clutching the cushion
of the sofa so tightly his knuckles were white. Fearing he might rip the cushion, Wufei
placed a hand on Heero's shoulder. Heero spared him a brief glance before returning his
full attention to the Inn keeper. Wufei sighed quietly. They would definitely have to talk
after this but he left him alone for now.
"Katsuhiro was momentarily frozen in shock." Okada continued, "Selena took that
opportunity to pull the bloody cleaver out of Duo's body. The wild look in her eyes is
what finally snapped him out of it. According to him, the expression on her face as she
looked at him was inhuman and at that point he remembered she'd said something along
the lines of 'if I can't have you, no one can' when she charged at him.
"Having no weapon to defend himself with and half scared shitless, Katsuhiro ran. He
climbed up the slope as fast as he could but she was right behind him, mad with rage.
Once at the top, she backed him into the edge of the cliff and with a final scream she
lunged at him but he stepped out of the way before the cleaver could hit it's target. The
sheer momentum of her lunge again taking control, she was unable to stop herself when he
dodged. Stumbling forward on the edge she slipped and fell to her death on the rocks
below.
"Ever since then, the two that expired on that night of the New Moon have been haunting
the places they died. They've been there for centuries, one looking for a way out, the
other looking for a way to fulfill her revenge. Selena rises every few random number of
New Moons to kill again, which is why I don't believe either of you are safe here." Okada
stressed and looked back at the two. Heero had crossed his arms and he seemed to be
glaring at the floor. Wufei looked curious, "Whatever happened to Katsuhiro?" he asked.
The Inn keeper shrugged, "Went to court, of course and told it all. They let him go but he
was never quite the same after that. He grew bitter and hateful toward life in general and
his social life suffered but when he showed no interest in settling down by age twenty his
mother married him off to a wealthy young widow. She eventually gave him two sons but
he was still a very unhappy man for the rest of his life.
"I think he even made a failed attempt at suicide when his wife was pregnant with her third
but I don't remember well. I'd have to double check. And unfortunately he never did
return to the cove." Wufei nodded. Heero suddenly stood up, "Excuse me." and with that,
he walked out of the lobby. Wufei sighed and stood, "We'll talk later, ne?" Okada nodded,
understandingly. He'd also seen the look on Heero's face. "I'm sure you two have some
things to discuss." 'Do we ever...' Wufei thought as he followed Heero down the hall.
--------------
End of Part 3
(1) Think of it as if the romanji spelling were Seliina. With a strong English E sound on
the second e, not like the famous Hispanic singer. BTW I deliberately choose this name
for how close it sounds to the name of another GW character. ^.~
(2) Ok, we ALL know that there weren't Japanese families in America in the 1700's but
for a little while, lets pretend there were. K?
(3) Sound familiar, ne? ::snickers::
Warnings: Shounen ai, AU, 1+2, a tiny little blood, angst, violence, & Death? ^.^;
Authors note: Like the title says, this part is basically one big ghost story. Kinda like
the history behind our two ghosts. But anyway things are really meant to pick up in part five.
Night of the New Moon
Part 3 'Ghost Stories'
by: Lotus-chan
Morning came faster than it was wanted. Sunlight glittered over the condensation that had
formed on the sliding glass doors and passed through to fall over a rumpled bed. It's
occupant groaned and pulled a pillow over his face. It had been a struggle just to walk up
the flight of stairs last night and he'd been so tired that he'd entered his room, fallen on the
bed and gone to sleep right there. He hadn't even remembered to close the damn curtains.
This wasn't like him. Heero made it a habit to get up early... but then again, he'd gone to
sleep very early. Looking over at the nightstand, he glanced at the old fashioned wooden
clock. 10:45. He'd missed breakfast. Not that he really cared though, he never ate
breakfast anyway.
Noticing an uncomfortable lump under his leg he sat up. His duffel bag, still unopened and
unmoved from where he'd thrown it yesterday, lay under his knee. He'd gone right to
sleep last night. Without unpacking or even changing his clothes. Heero sighed and got
up. He got a few things out of the duffel and walked into the bathroom.
After brushing his teeth and showering, Heero came out with a towel wrapped around his
waist. He walked to the bed and pulled his boxers, a pair of faded jeans, and a tank out of
his duffel bag and got dressed. He finished unpacking and after some deliberation, hid the
gun he always carried, in the dressers bottom drawer under his clothes along with an extra
clip. Stuffing his duffel bag under the bed, Heero walked to the front of the room and
opened his door...
At the same time the door next to his opened and Wufei stepped out.
Heero froze in mid-step while Wufei nearly gapped in his shock, "Heero?!" Heero blinked,
he couldn't believe it. "Wufei, how did... when... what are you doing here?!" Wufei
crossed his arms, looking somewhere between confused and surprised, "The same you are,
I suspect. Waiting it out someplace secluded until things can die down."
Heero was about to ask what he meant when the sound of something shattering and a
woman screaming from downstairs caught their attention and both took off at a dead run
down the stairs to the lobby. Two women were holding back another angry woman who
was spouting a number of curses at the Inn keeper. Okada somehow seemed to have
fallen, or been pushed, back against a pedestal that had been holding a large oriental vase.
They both determined that must've been the source of the shattering sound for it was in
pieces all over the floor.
Wufei summed up what had happened in a split second and stepped in front of Okada,
eyes blazing. "Onna! How dare you strike an old man like that!" he exclaimed, pointing a
menacing finger. Her struggles against the other two only increased when he intervened,
"This is none of your business, kid! That old bastard lied to all of us and if he thinks I'm
going to stay here one more night and let him kill me in my sleep HE'S GOT ANOTHER
THING COMMING!" Wufei's eye's widened with rage not just at being referred to as a
*child* but at the accusations this woman was making.
Heero, meanwhile, was checking on the Inn keeper. Okada sat up and rubbed his back,
wincing. "Are you ok?" Okada looked at Heero and tried to smile, "Don't worry about
me. I'll be fine." Giving the woman another wary glance he looked around the room and
spotted what he wanted on his desk. "Yuy-san, could you get me my cane, onegai?"
Heero nodded and got up, walking around the two, he grabbed the cane on the Inn
keepers desk and walked back to him. Okada took the cane in his hand as Heero helped
him back on his feet.
"He is NOT a murderer! This man has offered you his kindness and hospitality and this is
how you repay him?!" Wufei nearly screamed. "I don't know how the twisted mind of a
serial killer works! I'm leaving this place and coming back with the cops! Then you'll see!
If he thinks I'm going to stay here another minute then he really *is* crazy! But I swear
I'll see to it that this psychopath is brought to justice!"
Heero's head snapped up at the last statement and he barely caught Wufei in time. "You
dishonorable cur! Don't you dare talk to me about justice!" Wufei struggled in Heero's
grasp, "Let go!" he growled and looked back at the women, "It go's against everything I
am to hit a woman but you've just proven to me that you do not qualify as one!" The
woman stopped in her struggles and gasped at the insult. "How dare you..."
And for the first time, she noticed the blazing look in his eyes and took a step back. One
of the other women, took advantage of her momentary shock and pulled her to the door.
When she noticed, her expression turned to one of anger again, the new distance making
her brave. "I'll..." but she never finished. The other woman next to her pulled a hand over
her mouth and yelled, "Shut up already before he kills you!" and dragged her outside
literally kicking and screaming.
-----------
Heero let go once the door closed but Wufei stood rigid, fists clenched tightly for a few
moments to let himself calm down. Eventually he sighed and turned around, "Are you
alright?" he asked. Okada smiled, "Nothings broken. But hey, I should be the one asking
you that." His voice held a light edge to it and Wufei smiled. "From the bottom of my
heart, I thank you both for helping me."
Heero glanced back at the door when he heard the loud skidding of tire on gravel which
could only have been a car pulling away. "Will she really call the police?" Okada sighed
heavily and slowly but carefully walked toward the sofa and sat down. "C'mere and sit
down boys, as my last remaining guests there are something's you should know."
Heero and Wufei sat on the sofa across from him and waited for him. Okada placed his
cane on the seat beside him and took a deep breath. "The police won't come, even if the
young lady does go to them. The authorities here are very familiar with this place as well
as myself and are also aware of how... overzealous some of my guests can be when told
about the history of the Inn. Quite frankly they're tired of coming up here and usually only
bother coming to take the body after another murder."
Wufei was surprised by the bluntness of his words. It even seemed as though this was
something he'd had to say many times before. "I've been warned that if one more death
occurs here, then I must shut down the Inn for good." Heero cleared his throat,
"Okada-san, not to change the subject but why was that woman angry with you?"
Okada leaned back in the sofa and closed his eyes, "I told you both a vague story of what
was going on here when you first arrived, so you knew how dangerous this place could be
from the beginning but still stayed..." he sighed, "I thought that three women traveling
alone might get spooked or grow uncomfortable here if they knew about the Inn's history
and I hadn't planned on telling them... but long ago I promised myself that I would not
keep the Inn's dark past from any of my guests... so I told them.
"But I only told them about the ghosts on their first night. I left out the part about the
murders until this morning and unfortunately something must've been misinterpreted
because the rather vociferous young lady jumped to conclusions... and the rest you know."
Heero nodded, now understanding.
"You boys should probably go aswell." he said solemnly. "What do you mean?" Wufei
asked. Okada turned a serious expression on them, "Neither of you are safe here. It is only
a couple short days until the next New Moon and with your presence here there is a good
possibility that (1)Selena will rise." Heero shook his head, "We can take care of
ourselves."
Okada looked from one to the other, "Do you two know each other?" "We've met
before." Heero replied. Okada glanced almost questioningly at Wufei, "I see..." but he
didn't take notice. "Okada-san, who is Selena?" Wufei asked. Okada smiled sadly and said
almost to himself, "Selena... Well, people always say all old men are good for is telling
stories... I hope you boys are comfortable because this is a long one." Heero raised an
eyebrow but Wufei leaned forward and Heero noticed that he seemed genuinely interested
in whatever Okada had to say.
He shrugged and leaned back on the sofa. It surprised him a bit that Wufei seemed
interested in what obviously appeared to be some sort of ghost story, since he was sure
he'd now found the 'deadbeat' Duo had been talking about last night, but Wufei had been
here longer than him and probably knew the Inn keeper a little better than he did. If there
was another reason behind his wanting to know this, he'd ask later. For now he resigned
himself to listen.
Okada took a deep breath before beginning. "When you first arrived I told the both of you
that there are two ghosts that roam about the area. A kind young man that never leaves
the cove and another vengeful and murderous spirit who 'has yet to be identified'. That is
not entirely true. I believe I have discovered that spirits identity as well as the past behind
both. The local historic society took it upon themselves to research the happenings here
along with the 'alleged' ghosts that haunt this place but they have made very slow
progress.
"I, on the other hand, conducted my own study on the history of the building and the
restless dead and have come to my own conclusions based on the information I found in
the towns Hall of Records and the Inn itself, such as court confessions, personal journals
and other various written accounts. You see, this Inn was first built and maintained by the
Maxwell family. There are no surviving members of that family in existence today but the
things they left behind in this place when it was sold by the last Maxwell have greatly
aided my research.
"The real story behind the ghosts themselves though, begins somewhere in the mid to late
1700's AD This town, quite literally, had been built and was owned by two of the
wealthiest families in New England America: the Maxwell family and the Yuy family." (2)
Heero turned his drifting eyes back on Okada. Wufei spared his friend a brief glance
before looking a question back at the Inn keeper. Okada smiled, "Odd coincidence, ne?"
"Please continue Okada-san." Heero said. Okada smiled, *now* he was interested. He bit
back his next comment and did as asked.
"Well, both families had generations of ties together and instead of becoming rivals like
some had expected, worked together in building this town and in many other business
transactions within or outside the town. Both were very powerful and politically influential
families who made several contributions to help the efforts of the revolution. Maxwell and
Yuy were so close that they built their estates next to each other and visited frequently. In
fact, we are now on the very edge of what was once the Maxwell grounds.
"Maxwell Manor is just a couple miles up the coast line. I believe today it is a large
museum. The Yuy Mansion is a few miles in the other direction and is now the
headquarters of our local historical society..." "Okada-san." Heero said. The Inn keeper
looked up from his contemplation's and blinked, "Oh, pardon. Back to the story... um...
oh yes.
"Things *really* begin when Mrs. Maxwell and Mrs. Yuy gave birth only hours apart to
their families healthy male heirs, Duo Maxwell and (3)Katsuhiro Yuy." Heero's eyes
widened and Okada smiled, knowingly. "Yes, *that* Duo Maxwell." Wufei looked back at
Heero then to the Inn keeper, "Did I miss something?" Okada shook his head, "not really
but you'll see in a moment." Wufei frowned but didn't ask. Okada obviously wanted to
continue.
"Anyway, from the very beginning the two boys were brought up almost as brothers. Mrs.
Maxwell and Mrs. Yuy had been very close and decided that they would raise their
children together, from their schooling to their family life and eventually the two young
heirs became inseparable. Thats is, until their teenage years. According to the court
testimony of Katsuhiro Yuy as well as what I..." he cleared his throat awkwardly,
"...found in the personal journal of Duo Maxwell, things began to change dramatically
when the boys hit sixteen.
"To get right down to the point, they stopped seeing themselves in a 'brotherly' sense
when they discovered... deeper feelings for each other." Wufei's face did a slow burn and
he looked off to the side before someone noticed. Heero was keeping his expression
carefully neutral. He couldn't explain why but hearing that Duo had feelings for someone
made him uncomfortable. Mostly, for some reason he couldn't explain, it made him angry.
Okada was enjoying their reactions. He'd never had this much fun telling anyone this
story. Noticing the way Wufei was avoiding his gaze he grinned and was about to mention
it him when Wufei's eye's flew wide. Okada frowned, "What is it?" Wufei straightened up
in the sofa but didn't look at him, his eyes were fixed on the painting above the fireplace.
He looked at it and smiled, "Oh, yes. I forgot to mention that."
Okada looked straight at Heero with a grin that raised the hairs on the back of his neck.
"Heero. I don't believe you've seen the painting." Heero raised an eyebrow and glanced
up without moving from his position. Okada had to put in extra effort to keep from
erupting in laughter when he saw Heero's shocked expression. Kami, but life was full of
surprises. Heero's mouth was opening and closing in his failed attempts to voice what was
on his mind.
Wufei beat him to it, "Oy, that... thats Heero!" Okada *did* laugh then. They both looked
at him as if he were out of his mind. "Old man, what are you laughing at?!" Wufei
demanded. Okada was shaking a hand and trying to calm down. "I... I have to admit, when
I first saw young Yuy-san I was shocked at the resemblance but at least let me explain."
He smiled and looked back at the painting. "This was a gift from Maxwell Manor to the
Inn many years ago. Its been here longer than I have. The two in the painting are Duo and
Katsuhiro." But despite himself, he fell more serious the longer he looked at it.
In the painting a young boy with long braided chestnut hair had arms wrapped around the
neck of another youth and was smiling playfully. Violet-blue eyes sparkled in the sunlight,
seemingly by themselves telling of a young man who was full of life. The other boy in the
painting was smiling back at the first. Dark brown, nearly black bangs fell over cobalt blue
eyes. The Japanese boy held a striking resemblance to Heero. In fact, they could've been
twins.
"This painting was done only a few months before the... accident." Okada said. Wufei
looked back at him, "What accident? What happened?" Heero didn't say a thing. He was
still looking at the painting... but not at his near-twin. Okada played the non-observant and
pretended not to notice but kept watching Heero out of the corner of his eye as he
continued.
"After some time the two fell very much in love but for Duo and Katsuhiro growing older
meant their duties and responsibilities grew as well and they had less and less time
together. Also well aware that society would not permit a romance between two men they
grew increasingly worried that they might be discovered.
"One day, their fears became a reality when both their mothers walked in on a... small kiss.
They were immediately separated by their horrified parents who eventually blamed each
others children for being sinful and/or perverted and without bothering to listen to either
of their childrens reasoning, forbade their sons from ever seeing each other again.
"The two however, would not be deterred. Their servants and attendants had long been
aware of the romance and sympathized. For the next few weeks they helped them by
secretly passing notes and letters from one household to the other. Although still unable to
see each other, Duo and Katsuhiro were now able to keep in touch. They wrote long
letters to each other everyday... until news came of the next disaster to hit their lives.
"Mrs. Yuy must've been more affected by the thought of her son being involved with
another male than she let on because she panicked and within weeks had forced Katsuhiro
into an arranged marriage with a young lady from out of town. It was said that her family
was one of the wealthiest in Europe at the time. Katsuhiro had met her briefly many times
before but it obviously had been enough for him to despise her.
"Excerpts from her personal diary, however, hint that she must've fallen in love with him
at first sight and a look into her private life would reveal an almost inappropriate obsession
with him. So when his mother proposed the idea of an arranged marriage, Selena jumped
at the chance. Needless to say Katsuhiro was appalled that his mother would do such a
thing to him against his will. Duo, by all accounts, was devastated.
"The bride-to-be arrived soon after his mothers announcement and so began Katsuhiro's
relentless attempt to ignore and avoid her whenever possible. He began writing more and
soon proposed that they meet. He could no longer stand to be anywhere near Selena and it
had been too long since the two of them had seen each other. Duo agreed, and if I
remember correctly, was the one who suggested the cove.
"The wedding was to take place in a month and while the giddy young maiden helped to
make preparations, her unwilling fiancée was meeting his true love every night. And they
met EVERY night possible, as soon as it was dark enough. Their servants kept watch and
helped by sneaking them out and later back in." Okada smiled, "One even later confessed
to sneaking into his masters bed, pretending to be him when his mother came to look in on
him.
"Eventually though, not even this would last. Selena began to notice how her fiancée was
tired most of the time and would fall asleep at odd moments. By then it was three days
before the wedding and naturally she expected him to be as excited as she was. She grew
suspicious of his behavior and began watching him carefully. That night, Katsuhiro's
attendants were unable to hide him from her watchful eyes and she followed him without
them knowing.
"Selena was shocked when she arrived at the cove behind Katsuhiro only to find that Duo
was there waiting for him. She was even more devastated when the first thing they did was
fall into each others arms and share a kiss. She later wrote herself that she'd felt insane
with anger when she stayed and overheard their plans to elope the night before the
wedding.
"Selena had been previously warned by Mrs. Yuy that she'd caught the two of them
together once before and fully blamed the other boy for perverting her sons mind,
although Mrs. Maxwell had made similar accusations towards *her* son, Selena
completely believed Mrs. Yuy and developed a burning hatred toward the other boy
almost instantly. The next day Selena confronted Katsuhiro.
"She told him she had followed him to the cove the night before and heard everything. She
began to say things like she'd forgive him because it wasn't his fault, that Duo was
tricking him and proceeded to spout her delusions of a happy marriage. But when she
began to insult his lover, Katsuhiro erupted in anger. In that moment he let go of
everything he'd been holding back for the past three and a half weeks and told her clearly
that he didn't care about her and never had.
"That he, infact, couldn't stand her and that he was in love with Duo and went to him
every night of his own free will. It was at that moment that something within her must've
snapped because by all other accounts, for the rest of that day she was abnormally quiet,
withdrawn and snapped at anyone who asked her what was wrong or offered their help."
Okada leaned back in the sofa to take a deep breath and a brake. The continuing silence
caused him to look at the two sitting across from him. They were both still there. Surprise
surprise. But they also seemed to be waiting. "And?" Wufei asked. Okada sighed but
nodded, "Most of what happened next is only according to Katsuhiro's court confession.
There were no other witnesses that night...
"As you know, the two had planned to run off together on the night before the wedding
and when that night came Katsuhiro was anxious for the sun to go down and darkness to
come. He packed a few meager belongings and waited for the sun set in his room,
announcing that he was going to bed early to be ready for the wedding tomorrow and was
not to be disturbed for any reason. His mother was only too happy to comply.
"Selena hadn't said a word of Katsuhiro's plans to anyone and he didn't care. It was a
New Moon that night so it was darker than usual when Katsuhiro ran from the house,
without anyone the wiser. The cook, however, had seen Selena leave the kitchen when the
sun set, almost in a daze. He later commented that he'd never seen such a frightening
expression on her face or on anyone's face in his life. Selena followed her fiancée again
that night, not even careful to keep from being seen. Many said they saw her heading off in
the direction of the cove but the servants were so frightened by her demeanor and the
cleaver she held in her hands that no one bothered her.
"Though, I'm sure that if they would've known Duo and Katsuhiro were to meet and
leave that night, they would've stopped her. Katsuhiro arrived at the cove first but didn't
have to wait long because Duo arrived a short time later. According to him, Duo slid
down the slope and ran toward him. Katsuhiro met him halfway and embraced him
immediately. At that point, Selena, who had been hiding behind a few rocks could no
longer contain her rage.
"Her fury at being humiliated and rejected by her fiancée in favor of another *male* rose
to its peak and she ran from behind the rocks ready to strike down the man who she felt
had betrayed her. Katsuhiro had his back toward her and didn't see her coming but Duo
did. As Selena came up behind him and lunged, Duo pushed him out of the way. But her
momentum was too great for her to stop and before Duo could move she plunged the
cleaver into his heart."
As Okada spoke this Wufei couldn't help but notice that Heero was clutching the cushion
of the sofa so tightly his knuckles were white. Fearing he might rip the cushion, Wufei
placed a hand on Heero's shoulder. Heero spared him a brief glance before returning his
full attention to the Inn keeper. Wufei sighed quietly. They would definitely have to talk
after this but he left him alone for now.
"Katsuhiro was momentarily frozen in shock." Okada continued, "Selena took that
opportunity to pull the bloody cleaver out of Duo's body. The wild look in her eyes is
what finally snapped him out of it. According to him, the expression on her face as she
looked at him was inhuman and at that point he remembered she'd said something along
the lines of 'if I can't have you, no one can' when she charged at him.
"Having no weapon to defend himself with and half scared shitless, Katsuhiro ran. He
climbed up the slope as fast as he could but she was right behind him, mad with rage.
Once at the top, she backed him into the edge of the cliff and with a final scream she
lunged at him but he stepped out of the way before the cleaver could hit it's target. The
sheer momentum of her lunge again taking control, she was unable to stop herself when he
dodged. Stumbling forward on the edge she slipped and fell to her death on the rocks
below.
"Ever since then, the two that expired on that night of the New Moon have been haunting
the places they died. They've been there for centuries, one looking for a way out, the
other looking for a way to fulfill her revenge. Selena rises every few random number of
New Moons to kill again, which is why I don't believe either of you are safe here." Okada
stressed and looked back at the two. Heero had crossed his arms and he seemed to be
glaring at the floor. Wufei looked curious, "Whatever happened to Katsuhiro?" he asked.
The Inn keeper shrugged, "Went to court, of course and told it all. They let him go but he
was never quite the same after that. He grew bitter and hateful toward life in general and
his social life suffered but when he showed no interest in settling down by age twenty his
mother married him off to a wealthy young widow. She eventually gave him two sons but
he was still a very unhappy man for the rest of his life.
"I think he even made a failed attempt at suicide when his wife was pregnant with her third
but I don't remember well. I'd have to double check. And unfortunately he never did
return to the cove." Wufei nodded. Heero suddenly stood up, "Excuse me." and with that,
he walked out of the lobby. Wufei sighed and stood, "We'll talk later, ne?" Okada nodded,
understandingly. He'd also seen the look on Heero's face. "I'm sure you two have some
things to discuss." 'Do we ever...' Wufei thought as he followed Heero down the hall.
--------------
End of Part 3
(1) Think of it as if the romanji spelling were Seliina. With a strong English E sound on
the second e, not like the famous Hispanic singer. BTW I deliberately choose this name
for how close it sounds to the name of another GW character. ^.~
(2) Ok, we ALL know that there weren't Japanese families in America in the 1700's but
for a little while, lets pretend there were. K?
(3) Sound familiar, ne? ::snickers::