Mirage Of Blaze Fan Fiction / Weiss Kreuz Fan Fiction ❯ Chasing Twilight ❯ Chapter Ten: Strays ( Chapter 10 )

(A/N: I'm really hoping this uploads correctly…)

 

Chasing Twilight

By: Banshee Puppet

Chapter Ten: Strays

 

~“What's brought us all to this? If I had to make a wager, I'd say it must be love.” -Crawford~

 

“The long and short of it is this: in return for the destruction of a detestable man, I will make certain that the one you love can think of no one but you.”

 

Minako Takeda—to say she was always driven by hatred and despair would be untrue. To claim that Kagetora Uesugi had once fallen for the enemy—an overstatement of the obvious and the worst-kept secret in the known world.

 

Minako was not one of that clan who fought so long ago with the Uesugi, but rather, a direct descendant of same and quite new to being a possessor. She never wanted this. Even now, she longed for the simple life she had nearly had within her hands, if not for that reckless fool of a man who she hated so much that her soul could not find rest or peace.

 

“So who is this guy?” Schuldich asked flippantly, staring out the window to the deep forest beyond.

 

Minako looked down at Yuukio's hands—her hands—Yuuiko's hands. It was still confusing. This wasn't her body, but in a way, it was.

 

“The man who brought me to this, who soiled me so much, ruined me so badly, that my soul defiantly refused to die. Nobutsuna Naoe. I will never, ever forgive him. And I will never forgive Kagetora either. You'll help me destroy them, right? After all, the person best suited to getting you what you want, is me.”

 

Shuldich gave a vague shrug. Manners never WERE his forte. “What did you have in mind? If they just keep coming back to life, then killing them repeatedly seems a bit redundant. You'll never be free of them then.”

 

“That is correct. My desire is to ruin them. To have you help me destroy his soul, and put an end, once and for all, to that polluted Naoe line that my former self brought into this world. Can you do that much? For love your can, right? No matter what, you'd sacrifice anything to make him feel for you, right?”

 

Farfarello grabbed Shuldich's wrist, searched his gaze. Even a masochist like the albino knew there were some things to be held sacred, and the link before the four assassins of Schwarz had always been the absolute most sacred thing of all. `You're not really going to kill Nagi, are you?' he thought. The long moment of suffering in Schuldich's gaze gave him answer and was so tangible that it felt like a physical blow.

 

When had he come to love Omi so much? It seemed to have come from nowhere, but perhaps it was a possibility that had been lingering within him for a long time, just waiting for the chance to surface. In the end, human emotion was…inescapable. By reason, or madness, or mere circumstance, he'd come to look at the young man who now consumed his every thought and see something so much bigger than he thought was possible. The woman was right, he'd do anything, make any sacrifice, to know those bright blue eyes, saw nothing but him.

 

“Yes,” he answered after a pause. “Anything is fine.”

 

`Do you hate me now, Farfire? Do you want to turn back? It might not be too late for you to leave.'

 

`No,' Farfarello returned through the telepath's link with him. `I understand your… …feelings.'

 

A shared glance traveled over Kosaka Danjoh, standing disinterestedly in the corner with his arms crossed over his chest. `Yeah, I guess you understand better than anyone else,' Schuldich replied wryly. Farfarello was in love. He supposed stranger things had happened, but he couldn't think of any.

 

An ordinary man in a business suit entered, bowing slightly. You know, the typical non-descript man, easy to overlook and even easier to forget entirely, one of life's little extras, as it were. Anyway, as I was saying, he bowed.

 

“Excuse me, Lady Minako. You asked to be informed when they arrived.”

 

“Of course. Put up a bit of a fight to make it look good for Estet , but let them escape for now. A useless sacrifice or two would not be uncalled for in the name of the greater cause.”

 

“As you wish,” the man said, bowed again, and left the room.

 

Minako turned to Schuldich and Farfarello. “Two rooms down you will find a security point. The cameras monitor this complex. You may want to watch this. We will discuss the plan later. For now, you are excused.”

 

Schuldich smirked and played along. “As you wish, Miss Minako,” he said, though it seemed mostly like a tease given his usual defiant nature.

 

“Lady Minako,” Kosaka corrected for what felt like the hundredth time. After this one he was going to give up and not bother anymore.

 

When the mortals were gone, he turned to the woman. “Quite similar to Naoe, isn't he?”

 

“Yes,” Minako replied. “Their nature is the same. That is what makes him useful and easy to manipulate. He would kill his own mother if it meant that boy would acknowledge him.”

 

“Isn't that a bit of a moral quandary for you?” Kosaka mused aloud. “Doing your best to create the very same thing you're trying to annihilate?”

 

Minako moved to the window and stared out at the heavy canopy of trees. “I left my morals behind when I became a possessor. Didn't you do the same?”

 

“Well, I probably never had any in the first place, so it's not really an issue,” he replied. “I am loyal to my Lord Shingen Takeda. You are his descendant. It's to be expected.”

 

“You really are a simple-minded person, aren't you, Kosaka?”

 

Kosaka smirked vaguely. “A person can't defy their nature.”

 

*~*~*

 

She had to be an angel, or maybe it was just lack of oxygen to the brain combined with a trick of the light that made Crawford think so. Their air supply had been cut off, after all, so when the door swung open and with it a cool breeze, he thought, angel—definitely.

 

No wings maybe, but she really was the most beautiful woman—curves in all the right places, pouty, malleable lips, and hair like crushed velvet.

 

“Haruie!” Takaya exclaimed and, though he had intended to leap up, dizziness had him stumbling to his feet.

 

“Yeah, I know,” the woman answered lightly, “boy are you glad to see me.”

 

Takaya rolled his eyes, helping Nagi up with the assistance of a suddenly very appreciated wall. He felt kind of dizzy and drunk. Stupid lack of oxygen screwing everything up.

 

Haruie decided that if she didn't peel the bespectacled man off the floor, they'd never get out of here. “Come on Sparky, up you go,” she said.

 

Feeling a little drunken himself, Crawford touched the woman's face and lips as if checking the reality of their situation, his brow furrowed in concentration.

 

“What are you up to?” she laughed.

 

“Feels real,” the assassin mumbled. “But way to pretty to be real.”

 

Nagi covered his mouth to contain his laughter. Crawford was so never living this one down.

 

Haruie blinked, then laughed. “If you keep that up when you're back to normal, you might just earn yourself a date mister,” she teased, coaxing him into walking as Takaya and Nagi used one another as support as they stumbled along passably well on their own. The barely conscious Crawfurd mumbled something about `date with an angel sounds nice' and this time even Takaya couldn't keep himself from laughing.

 

*~*~*

 

“It's like they're not even trying,” Omi complained a bit, loading another bolt. “I don't get it.”

 

“I'm afraid I have to agree. There's something more going on here. However, for now this is the best we can do.”

 

“Naoe.”

 

The man looked up to find Haruie with some guy hanging off her shoulder, not an unfamiliar sight. Actually, it reminded him a bit of old times. “Well, that brings back memories,” he commented before noticing the half-slumped form of his would-be lover. “Takaya!”

 

He collected the young man against his chest, and Omi had to rush to catch Nagi, who was suddenly without much appreciated support. It wasn't standing that was so bad, mind you—it was the fact that the room he was standing in refused to stay still…and the damn drummer that decided to make residence inside of his skull.

 

“You kind of have a one track mind, don't you Naoe,” Omi teased.

 

Nagi blinked up at the elegant businessman. He wished there was only one of him so he could better see his only sort of living relative. “I…you're…” How exactly do you say this sort of thing anyway?

 

“Nobotsuna Naoe,” the man replied in a deep tenor.

 

“This is Nagi Naoe,” Omi said, as it seemed it might take a bit before the shock wore off and Nagi was able to say anything of use. He was just going through this moment of stunned awkwardness where sentences refused to form.

 

Naoe looked the boy up and down in brief—slender with dark hair and large, pouty eyes, though the color of said eyes was not the same. He nodded in acknowledgement of the relation, saying, “yes, I suppose you do resemble her, but now is not the time to discuss it.”

 

Harie nodded in agreement. She propped Crawford against the wall and was in the midst of trying to perform multiple `speed-exorcisms' at the moment. “I agree. The family reunion is sweet and all, but have you forgotten that Yuzuru is alone with a comatose possessor right now?”

 

A buzz of static came out of Omi's pocket. “Bombay. We're clearing the Western Gate, so hurry up. These guys are like Schwarz on steroids.”

 

“You got it Balinese. On our way,” Omi replied, while Takaya tried to right himself enough to at least be remotely useful and focus on one of the enemy. Naoe coolly began the exorcism chanting as well.

 

“The chip…”

 

“Eh?” Omi asked, looking at Nagi, who was still gratefully inhaling lungfulls of air.

 

“I told you…that they'd come in handy,” the telekinetic said, righting himself as the dizziness began to fade somewhat.

 

A bark of laughter escaped Omi's throat as he loaded his crossbow, now that both hands were free. “A little to handy as of late. Come on, let's get out of here.”

 

“Takaya…” Naoe began to ask in concern as the young man swayed slightly.

 

“I'm fine, Nobotsuna,” he replied. “Just a little groggy. Let's get out of here. We can talk about it all you want later.” He was acting a bit abrasive, even though he'd promised himself to try to `play nice' with Naoe from now on, but he was always abrasive when he was embarrassed.

 

Oh, he was glad to see Naoe, to know that he was in one piece, but at the same time, Chiaki's words kept cycling through his mind and leaving him flustered.

`Oh god! That's right, Chiaki was shot!'

“ `tsuna, Chiaki, is he okay? He's too stubborn to let even a bullet stop him.” He was met by a remorseful silence. “Right?”

`Oh god, no…'

 

“Nagahide is still in the hospital,” Naoe replied simply. “Yuzuru is watching over him.”

It was then that the earlier words hit him. `Have you forgotten that Yuzuru is alone watching over a comatose possessor right now?' `Oh dear god…no…' Takaya thought.

 

When thegroup emerged from the complex, it was to a scene that could only be described as carnage. It looked like the battlefield of some long-forgotten war. Ken and Yohji had blood splattered across their features, many dead and injured lay across the ground.

 

“We borrowed a van!” Yohji chirped. “Everyone in!”

 

“Don't you mean commandeered,” Ken retorted, opening the van's side door.

 

“Who the hell are you guys?” Haruie gasped.

 

Crawford finally managed to right himself, adjusted his glasses. “They are Weiss, the White Hunters.”

 

Yohji rolled his eyes. It seemed as if whatever was going on, they were all in this mess together for now, and without some exchange of information, they wouldn't get anywhere. “We're assassins,” he answered for himself, “and right now, Bradley darling, we're the only friends you've got. Get in.”

 

*~*~*

 

Ran fidgeted with…he looked down, what was he fidgeting with, anyway. Oh, it was one of those ring puzzles where you have to figure out how to get them apart. That explained the weird clanking noises. He was fairly sure there was no way to solve these things anyway, and they were designed just to drive you crazy.

 

Still, sitting on Saori's couch, he went about trying to solve it in earnest, because anything was better than thinking about the water of the shower cascading over bare shoulders, smooth, supple flesh. He shook his head, dragging his mind back to the puzzle.

 

`Chill out, Ran. You're not some hormonal little brat. You're a grown man, and in no position to get into a relationship. Ken and Yohji have a relationship—that's totally different, they don't need to keep anything from each other. Nagi and Aya are in a relationship—they're in high school; it's normal for high schoolers to date…high school. Saori is in high school.' Ran slumped forward, resting his forehead in his hands. `Oh god, I'm a pervert.'

 

Saori lifted the game lightly from his fingers and bet forward with a light smile. “What's got you so bummed?” she teased.

 

He blinked as he watched her make the rings come apart and put them back together in less than thirty seconds. “How did you?”

 

Saoi dropped the puzzle in his hand and sat down, brushing out still damp hair. “I like puzzles,” she answered simply. She had slipped into a simple t-shirt and denim skirt, a pair of white ankle socks, and ran thought, as cute as her uniform is, I like this even better. No stop stop stop!' He mentally scolded himself.

 

“Sooo,” she said in a sing-song, beginning to braid her hair into its customary pigtails. “Are you going to tell me what's bothering you?”

 

Ran paused and stood. “No,” he replied. Was it just him, or was the air getting really heavy in here?

 

Saori jumped up, only half of her head braided, and clung to his arm. Feeling the swell of her breasts against him, he blushed brightly. “Tell me, tell me!” she insisted, hopping a bit, which caused her body to move along his arm, leaving a small path of flames in its wake. His mind screamed and he decided to answer her just to get her off before he …got excited.

 

“Yuzuru is lucky,” he said through semi-grit teeth. “To have someone like you so infatuated with him.”

 

Saori stood stock still for a moment in shock, then let go. “Ran are you saying you…” she gulped a bit… “like me. Like, want to be my boyfriend, like me?” she was honestly quite stunned. Ran was like this totally gorgeous guy who could probably be a model if he wanted to, so what he saw in her was a total mystery.

 

“Yes.” He took his time in answering. “But that would be impossible.”

 

“Being my boyfriend would?” she wasn't saying she wanted him to be it, or didn't want him to, but it seemed like such a strange thing to say that she was curious.

 

“Yes.”

 

“How come?”

 

“For the same reason I can't answer that question,” he replied. “Let's get you back to the hospital so you can be there for the guy you like.”

 

`The guy I like? …Oh! Yuzuru!' Saori thought. `Why did I forget that just now?'

 

“You're weird, Ran,” she said. “Really strange. And that means a lot coming from me,” she chirped, quickly finishing her other braid. `This guy…'

 

“Are you ready to go?”

 

“Yes!” Saori chirped. “My shoes are by the door. `…what happened to him that made him so sad and lonely?' she wondered. `He sort of reminds me of a stray cat. Then again, maybe we're all strays.'

 

*~*~*

 

A/N: I'll admit it. I've let this story fester. I want to apologize for that to anyone who is still reading. I let my life get taken over by video games, artwork, and suikoden III, and when I had time to work on fanfics it was just easier to deal with the short ones that only have one or two pairings in them rather than this crossover epic. As most of those are nearly wrapped up, I'm hoping to have more time to devote to this story, now that I appear to have an actual plot (only took me ten chapters to get one).

AAANNDDD, you'll be glad to know that the next chapter is already written and only needs to be typed and some minor edits made, so that shouldn't take me too long to get done. The next chapter is all Chiaki and Yuzuru stuff though, after that we'll get back to the main storylines, like what is Schuldich getting himself into, and what WAS that special something that Chiaki whispered into Takaya's ear back then? I have a hope that we're finally approaching both plot and a little bit of romance as well, so just wait for it and I'll try to get better and not let this story fester again.

Such drama though! I'd better find a happy ending for everyone!...especially Schu and Chiaki—I'm abusing those two so much in this story I think they've earned one! Well, that's it for now!

 

~B.P.~