Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Shattered Illusions ❯ All the Sanity In Me ( Chapter 24 )

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Shattered Illusions

Chapter 24: All the Sanity In Me

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Tsubomi stared up at him, wide-eyed. Her face was riddled in worry. “What? Tell me…t-tell me…I…I just didn't hear you say that.” The tom boy uttered in disbelief. She immediately felt her castle walls fall in and her heart sink into the crushing debris. Her head was filled with thoughts that ran a million miles a second.

Copernicus pulled back with a look of concern. “What's wrong? You look afraid.”

“You love me?” The words were an octave above a whisper.

“Yes, but it seems that you don't feel the same way-huh?” He was cut off by the tears that Tsubomi had been fighting back. They rolled down her cheeks. She had been fighting them back all of this time, refusing to show him her weakness only to fail and cave in the end.

“That's not it,” her voice was low and trembling from emotion. “I love you, too, actually. I've loved you for a while…That's why I was jealous. I'm sorry…I'm so sorry.”

“What are you apologizing for? We're in love with each other, so what's the problem?” Honestly, there was not a real reason to cry unless Tsubomi was that happy and she really didn't seem like one of those types of girls. The vampire expected such a thing from Coscatta, before he would from his male donor. This was a conundrum in itself.

`Why? Why does he love me? I've been deceiving him the whole time. How much more can I take? How much before I can no longer wear this masquerade and hide my true identity from the world?' The guilt was crushing her, and she felt the need to tell him the truth but at the same time, Tsubomi knew that wasn't an option right now. “I'm horrible. Forgive me. I have to go,” the tomboy said in a hurry and shoved the vampire off, running out the door in her disheveled clothing.

Copernicus called out to her, rising from the bed as he took a step towards her and reached out to the fading form. `That's the oddest reaction to I love you that I've ever received. I thought I did everything right. He does love me back, but still…I'm so confused.' Dashing out of the door after him, Copernicus gave chase. `What is hurting him this badly? Why is he apologizing to me for seemingly nothing? I don't understand it at all.'

Tsubomi ran as fast as she could into the living room, darting between the small space in the middle of Prince Yale and Millie. Both of them reeled back as the emotional tomboy plowed through them. The duo cast confused expressions at her.

“Tsubomi-kun?” Millie questioned as her confusion morphed into concern. `Was he…crying? I've never seen Tsubomi-kun cry before.' Her sights were deflected to Copernicus who hauled himself into the room. Immediately, the school girl grabbed him by the collar and shook him. “What did you do to poor Tsubomi-kun? I'll kick your ass if you made him cry!” She shouted angrily. No one hurt Tsubomi while she was around.

“I don't know…I'm confused.”

“Get unconfused!” Millie barked at him. Something was obviously wrong and now was not the time for Copernicus to act confused about anything, especially if he was the only thing in the room that could have made Tsubomi cry.

At that moment in time, Coscatta stepped out with a happy expression on her face, holding a plate of freshly baked goods. “Scones are ready! I made them myself!” She chimed as Tsubomi shot by, earning a confused blink from the blue-haired girl. “O…k…then…” Walking over, she sat the food on the table. `I didn't even have to do anything this time and he's upset.' Blue eyes glanced to the boy's form as he disappeared and a look of determination spread across her features. “I'll go after him.”

“Coscatta! Wait!” Copernicus called out, but to no avail, the girl dashed out of the door.

She ran as fast as she could, her Mary Janes clacking against the harsh surface of the pavement as she slowly gained on the boy. He had the advantage from being more athletic than she was. `No way am I being considered useless, even if he likes this guy more, there's still some time to prove myself to him.' Lunging forward, she snatched the boy's wrist tightly.

Tsubomi whirled around; the tears on her face had already dried. “Coscatta?” That wasn't not who she expected.

“What's wrong with you?” The diminutive girl snapped. It was a little annoying that this boy got her master in trouble, but at the same time any tension between them only meant that she could get an edge. Anything was better than nothing.

“Like hell I'm going to tell you,” Tsubomi's face twisted from sorrow to malice.

“Um, I didn't ask you to but you made my master look bad. Look, we are doing the same job so we have to get along to some extent. I know I'm probably not the best person to talk to but even if I'm not worried about you, other people are. So, tell me what's wrong. Maybe I can help you.” Contrary to her seemingly sincere voice, her thoughts held wicked intention. `And get some good blackmail.'

“Look out!” Tsubomi shouted and suddenly grabbed the girl around her slender waist, taking the two of them to the ground as a whip lashed into the concrete surface, making a laceration on it that could have torn through their bodies with ease.

“What the hell was that?!” Coscatta exclaimed from her position on the ground, lying on her back with her blue ringlet curls strewn haphazardly about. Her back stung from the abrasive surface of the ground scraping against her, but it was better than dying.

Turning her head up from the girl's bosom, a dire look crossed Tsubomi's face. She wasn't ready for this shit. “Estella Nu…” She rose up and put herself in front of the other girl, protecting her. `Fuck me twice. Man, my day gets worse and worse.' Tsubomi held her hands out to either side. “Stay back. The important factor in this fight is that you stay alive.” Otherwise, she would never be able to forgive herself for taking another person out of her master's life.

“Hey! I only listen to Copernicus!” The girl fumed her arms straight to her sides, balled in fists with a pouty expression on her visage. Like hell she was just going to bow down to the other donor because he happened to know who attacked them. The whip was launched at her again, causing Tsubomi to grab her and jump out of the way again.

“Guess Copernicus likes the stubborn ones,” Tsubomi wagered.

“Hey! Don't compare yourself to me,” Coscatta shot, offended that she would even dare to say such a thing around her.

“Nice seeing you two again, although this was completely by chance,” the female vampire ran a hand through her hair. There was something about the ability to cause these girls pain that filled her soul with joy. Maybe she could even bring them both in to Hide. What a grand opportunity that has been laid before her, and she'll be damned to let it slip by her.

“What do you want, Estella?” Tsubomi was really not in the mood for this, but she knew the sadistic vampire had other plans.

“What a pity that your vampire friends aren't here to save you now. Honesty, Hizaki is so incompetent to fall for your pathetic mind game. It won't work on me,” her fingers idly played with the end of her whip, feeling the cutting razors on her skin.

“Who are you anyway? What do you want with us?” Coscatta asked, body positioned defensively in case Estella launched that disturbing weapon at her again.

“You mean you don't know her?” Tsubomi was sort of shocked that Coscatta seemed to be kept in the dark about Estella Nu.

“Never seen her. The only vampires I know about are Hizaki and Hide.”

“So, she must have rebelled against the royal family recently.” That was the only conclusion she could come up with.

“So, she works for them?” Coscatta inquired.

“You seem to have some experience in this field.”

The girl shot her an irritated look. “You think you're the only one who knows about Copernicus' problems? I was shocked that Prince Yale was even alive.” Honestly, did Tsubomi think he was something special? He needed to stop having such a big head about everything.

Estella was beginning to grow impatient with the two human's bickering. “Enough!” She shouted, causing the two to look at her. “Time to suffer!” She launched her whip at the girls, who dodged out of the way. Her weapon sunk into a shrub behind them, tearing the foliage in half.

`It must have razors on it.' Tsubomi looked at the mangled plant, then to Coscatta. “Don't let it touch you!”

“Do you think I'm that stupid?” The girl snapped as the whip flew at her, taking off part of the bottom of her Lolita dress. Coscatta screamed in aghast at the damage to her dress and the fact that it could have been her face.

“You stupid human. I'm surprised Copernicus wants something like you as a donor,” Estella berated the blue-haired girl, launching her whip at her once more. “Now, bleed for me.”

Coscatta tried to run out of the way to put distance between the two, but the whip wrapped around her ankle and pulled the screaming girl to the ground. Tsubomi called out for her. Out of instinct, she pulled the pistol from her pocket and shoots the offending weapon to get it off of its host. However, this proved futile when the bullet made contact with it. Electronic waves were sent through the whip, shocking Coscatta. Her body jolted and spasmed as she wailed in pain.

“Sweet screams are a beautiful, haunting rhapsody…wouldn't you concur?” The vampire purred affectionately.

“Shit!” Tsubomi cursed.

Coscatta reached for a knife that she had tucked under her petticoat and tried to cut herself free, only to receive the same punishment as before. She screamed in pain as her body was electrocuted. Tsubomi ran to her side, only to get kicked in the face by the injured girl. Estella jerked her weapon back, pulling the donor up to her level. Tsubomi ran at her and Estella nu spun around, launching Coscatta like a projectile. She slammed into the tom boy, who was thrown back into the trunk of a large tree.

“Little urchins. You'll pay for that.”

“Are you alright?” Tsubomi asked.

Coscatta rolled off of the tom boy's legs and propped herself up, rubbing her head in pain. “Fine. I just hate that I spilled blood for my master,” she glanced to her cut up ankle with a disappointed frown.

“That really is too bad, poor thing,” Estella's sentiment was faux as she pivoted around and viciously swung her whip at them again. Tsubomi picked up the smaller girl and jumped out of the way as the whip dug into the surface of the tree.

“You?” Coscatta glanced up at her savior.

“If you don't want to shed blood, fine. I'll shed mine. I don't care if Copernicus likes it. This is my original job,” Tsubomi leveled her with a stern gaze. Some things just could not be avoided. Being injured in battle is one of those things.

“Such a noble speech. Too bad it will be your dying words,” Estella smiled and swung her whip around; the blades detached and launched themselves at them, desiring the taste of flesh. Coscatta screamed and Tsubomi dodged out of the way, shielding the younger girl with her body as the blades dug into her skin, drawing blood.

“Where's your genius plan, Mr. Tactician?” Coscatta shot sarcastically.

“My gun is ineffective and it's my only weapon.”

“Shoot her body then.” It wasn't that hard to figure out.

“That won't work,” she evaded another slash from the whip.

“Well, we can't just keep letting her hit us,” Coscatta was frustrated that they were both spilling blood. Not only that, but this fight seemed impossible. There had to be some way of defeating Estella Nu. No one was truly invincible.

“Don't tell me that you're tired. I thought you'd be more exciting than this,” she was so disappointed. Estella thought that these two would at least be a challenge after that move Tsubomi had played on Hizaki. At this point, they wouldn't even be fun to torture. Such weak little things did her fighting sessions no good. How Estella longed for an enemy who would bleed and scream for her.

Tsubomi sat the girl down, telling her to run. She could handle the situation by herself and buy Coscatta some time if she could go and get the others.

"What? No!" Coscatta was offended that Tsubomi would even mention her commit such a cowardly act. There was no way in hell that she was running for any reason.

"Trust me. I have a plan," The tomboy uttered lowly.

Coscatta puffed up her cheeks. "Fine. It's had better work," she said reluctantly and turned around, bolting as fast as her feet could carry her.

"Oh no you don't!" Estella shouted as her whip shot forward, latching around the petite girl's neck. The blue-haired girl gasped as she felt the razors cut into her skin. Blue eyes widened in horror as images of what was to come reeled through her mind at light speed.

"What?" A sudden shock came to Estella's visage. Tsubomi grabbed her wrists and swung down between her legs coming up and over her and stomping her in the back of the head. The tom boy landed on top of the vampire, heel dug into the back of her opponent's skull. Moving to the side, Tsubomi leg swept her and the sadist's body rolled along the surface of the concrete relentlessly. The whip slipped from Coscatta's neck and when her body stopped, Estella gazed at Tsubomi in awe with widened maroon eyes.

"That's…amazing…maybe you are worthy of being Copernicus' donor," her fellow donor was also in awe at her fighting ability before a look of irritation was sketched onto her face. "Hey! Wait! You just used me as a decoy!"

"Let's get out of here," Tsubomi didn't have time for another bitching round. She darted towards the doll like girl and grabbed her wrist taking off as fast as her feet could carry her.

“How did you do that? That was really smart, but risky as hell. You're lucky that you only got out with those cuts,” Coscatta said as she was pulled along. Her shorter legs made it harder for her to keep up with her long-legged fellow donor.

“I'm a daredevil when it comes down to it. I've always done stupid crap so it's no skin off my hide.” After all, it didn't stop shooting herself that was for damned sure. If she could survive a self-inflicted bullet wound, then there was no contest when it came to running away from a little whip.

“You're utterly insane! You could have been killed Decoy Boy! Not only that, but Copernicus is going to kill you when he sees what you did to yourself!” She was quick to reprimand Tsubomi on the injuries she sustained.

“Well, you're fine now, so don't complain-“ Suddenly, her sentence was cut short by a harsh grunt as the whip wrapped around her slender stomach. Shock infected her visage as she let go of Coscatta's hand, trying to keep her from sharing her fate as she was lifted into the air and launched into a nearby tree. “Shit!” She cursed as her body slammed into the abrasive bark.

Coscatta whirled around. “Decoy Boy! What are you doing?” The girl yelled and ran over to her fallen ally. “Come on! She's up! We have to get out of-“

Tsubomi reeled up and called her stupid, grabbing the girl by the shoulders. Coscatta was swiftly pulled to the ground as the whip tore into the tree, creating a burn in its wake. Both girls lay flat on the ground for a moment before propping themselves up and staring at the sizzling scar left on the tree.

“What the hell? I'm glad that wasn't me!” Coscatta then turned her gaze to the tom boy. “You…You saved me again…You hate me but you saved me so many times.” It began to guilt her how noble this boy was turning out to be. Maybe he wasn't half bad for her competition.

“It doesn't matter if we hate each other, Coscatta. We both exist as factors in this equation for a reason, and that reason is that we both were chosen by Copernicus as donors. It would be underhanded to let you die because of how I feel. Besides, you were his donor long before I was. I didn't intend to take your position away. I'm sorry, Coscatta.” It was what she had been trying to say from point one, only the stubborn girl didn't listen to her. Maybe this would be a small step in proving that Tsubomi didn't want to take her job away or make her feel any less as a donor, but to be at her side. The war was technically over between them. Copernicus admitted his love to her, so there wasn't anything left to fight for.

Coscatta was disgusted at her pitiful attempt to seem chivalrous at a time like this. It proved nothing. “Too late to apologize now. It doesn't change anything between us.”

As soon as that sentence was uttered, Tsubomi warned her to look out again as the whip's path sent it spiraling towards them. From out of nowhere, they both heard a familiar voice shout `Snake Blade'. A long chain of sword blades spiraled out from the opposite direction and knocked the whip away. Coscatta smiled in relief and shouted Copernicus' name happily. Finally, her master had showed up to save her like she always knew that he would.

Estella was overjoyed, and a coy smiled crossed her maroon lips. “So, I finally get to meet you. You know, the whole time I've served under the royal court, I've never met face-to-face with you and yet you employed the Black Knight Ops.”

“You what?” Tsubomi was shocked at that development. Copernicus was the one who hired the very branch they fought against? Why would he do such a thing?

“What did you do to yourself this time?” The Inheritor sighed in exasperation as he eyed his two donors.

Tsubomi pulled herself off of the ground and stood defiantly before him. “I protected Coscatta, like I planned to when we first met.”

“Irritating.”

“I know, you're pissed off. I knew you would be,” she didn't care to be frank. He had to get over this little butt hurt feeling he had every time she went out and risked her life on the battlefield.

“I'll deal with it later,” Copernicus turned to Estella. “I've only seen the Black Knights through a television screen, so it's interesting to meet you in the flesh. You must be Estella Nu.” The sadist that muted Prince Yale, and locked him in a dungeon room for years, not to mention the one who put Millie through so much pain. She had more than a long track record of doing what she was so famed for.

“Of course, guess you can't sit in your chair and watch everyone else do your dirty work,” Estella took a verbal jab at him.

“In a way, it saved my ass,” Copernicus was thankful for that. He would have ended up like the prince if he had taken a more active role.

“Too bad you let the prince take a fall for you. You're such a coward to hide behind a fool like Prince Yale.” If that was his best retort, than he needed better material. Nothing like a true coward showing himself for what he really was. His crippling flaws amused her beyond belief.

“Idle opinions speak nothing to me.”

Estella placed a hand on her hip and shifted her weight to one side. In her opinion, Lord Hide was better than that idiotic royal family. It would be her pleasure to have them all dead, and she wasn't afraid to tell Copernicus that to his face. They did nothing but take up space and oxygen. What a waste to the biggest society of vampires known throughout many lands.

“Just because I'm closely affiliated with them doesn't mean that my work was shoddy. Aside from Prince Yale, I contributed a large amount of work into our kingdom of Ramada,” Copernicus countered. It was more than anyone in her position could even begin to have knowledge of. He didn't have the reputation of being iron-fisted for no reason.

“Everyone says that Prince Yale founded the Black Knight Ops, but it was you, wasn't it?” Estella prodded him for information, more like for the truth of the situation. Copernicus was going to get backed into a corner whether he liked it or not. “You always worked behind closed doors, and you gave your credit to others in order to escape your mastermind reputation.”

“Master…” Coscatta was shocked to know that Copernicus had such an interest in dreadful things like the Black Knights. If this was true then it completely changed the type of person she thought he was for many years. No longer did he seem like the loving, charming dark prince who suffered through so much pain. Copernicus was something much more sinister.

Tsubomi jerked her head towards him and leveled him with an angry gaze. “You created the Black Knights?”

“I created many things,” he might as well admit it now. “I am the founder of the Black Knights. I also appointed each member and put them through a series of tests that were beyond the standard of a normal vampire. I never intended for them to turn out this way.” If they were to be knowledgeable of the fact that he was indeed their founder, and then they should also know what the Black Knights original intentions were supposed to be, not the warped perception that Estella Nu had on them.

“You also appointed Hide and Hizaki! You're a master of secrecy and of anyone in the royal court, you're the most dangerous. Even for a vampire, your intelligence is amazing. Not to mention the fact that you have extensive knowledge of both weapon function and war tactics,” Estella added onto his already incriminating list of activities that he excelled in. It was about time his little donors knew the truth behind the mask, and right now Copernicus didn't have many that he would wear.

`Who the hell is this guy? He's got quite the track record. No wonder he's so valuable…Founder of the Black Knights? You mean he created a band of people like Estella Nu? Is he some sort of scholastic genius? Maybe he's an advisor…or a war tactician? I can only imagine how many medals this guy has. I'm damned surprised he's not been knighted. Maybe he's a Bishop…that can't be it. Copernicus, I love you to death but whatever you're hiding is massive. You really do have two different lives, don't you?' Tsubomi pondered over the ever present conundrum of who exactly Copernicus was.

“Master…you did all of that?” Coscatta questioned in disbelief.

“Yes, I'm considered a prodigy. Usually, when I speak, people listen,” she was pretty sure that was a clue, but what kind she'd never know. It really only amplified the fact that he was important.

“You sound more famous than Prince Yale,” Tsubomi pondered out loud only to get that he was in response as well as the uttering of her infamous pet name.

“How can that be? You're not even related to the royal family!” Coscatta threw out her arms in confusion.

`Is he a general? An Earl? A master strategist? What in the hell is he? He breaks my damned brain. This man is a conundrum wrapped in a riddle.' The more she thought about it, the more of a headache she got and the more questions sprouted from the original ones that he had brought up.

“You really are an idiot,” Estella frowned and looked down on the blue-haired girl. Honestly, why did Copernicus keep her around? Was he just amused with the fact that she was that stupid?

“What?!” The girl fumed and whirled around, leveling the sadist with a malicious glare.

“You have no idea. He's more important than any of you could imagine,” Estella didn't have time for any more small talk, so she let her whip do the talking. Flinging it at the group, Copernicus seemed intimidated as he just stood there and stared it down with steely blue eyes. Coscatta called out for her master as the whip wrapped around his neck. This excited Estella beyond belief, as she clarified in spoken words on how she got him. Before she could reap the elation of causing the other vampire pain she was struck in the back full force by what seemed like an invisible blade of air. This launched Estella backwards, sending the vampire landing on her back as the source of the powerful force revealed itself as a sword blade that dug into the ground.

“Rigatama, Phantom Blade,” the Inheritor said, as if it were nothing special.

“What the-?” Tsubomi was awe struck by the attack in general, much less the man behind its ability to perform such a high speed move. `How in the hell did he do that? I didn't even see him move.'

“What…How did…Oh wow…” Coscatta was beyond forming proper sentences. There was no doubt that her master was a superior fighter.

“With that being said, what do you calculate your chances are?” Copernicus stared down the female vampire, who slowly pulled herself from the ground, scowling at him in disgust. The fact that such an attack caught her off guard only irritated her even more.

“You really are as good as they say.”

“I don't have time to play around. I've always been a serious man.”

“I've heard no one's ever seen a real smile from you.” While it was a rumor, it was definitely one that held her interest. In the back of her mind, Estella wondered what kind of person could mean enough to him to evoke such a thing.

“Only two people have ever seen my genuine smile,” Copernicus admitted. Those two people knew exactly who they were.

“Ha!” The sadist let out a battle cry as she flung her whip at him once more. Her opponent merely waved his hand as his chain of sword blades pointed skyward and formed a shield around him that merely deflected her weapon's strike.

“You'll have to do better than that if you want to defeat me,” he taunted. This only sparked more of a smile from her, feeding her promise for pain as she slammed her whip against the ground; the weapon submerged itself and disappeared from sight.

“What is she-“ Tsubomi was cut off by an explosion as the ground flew up and the whip made looping circles around the three of them, plunging in and out of the ground without mercy. The ground below them slanted to and fro as it was being maimed by her whip. Coscatta lost her footing and tumbled down onto a slanted piece of earth. Tsubomi could barely keep her footing and maneuvered the best way that she could to keep from falling.

“You won't escape me this time, Copernicus,” Estella's smile widened, bearing her fangs. This time, her plan was fool proof.

Copernicus summoned his Snake Chain, as it swirled around the ground and blocked out Estella's whips, electricity shot through the air in the form of lightning bolts. Coscatta yelled out in terror, and covered her head, hoping that none of them struck her. Tsubomi just stood there and uttered `master' under her breath as the vampire went to one knee, trying to fight it as long as he could. If there was one thing that Copernicus wasn't going to do, it was lose to one of the Black Knights, much less a Black Knight who muted someone dear to him and wounded another. His blade had to hold up, and now was the time to test his own powers.

“Fight it all you want, soon you'll be bowing at my feet, just like Prince Yale,” the words rolled from her painted lips in pleasure. Crushing Copernicus and his donors would be the sweetest of blood baths.

…To Be Continued