Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Dark Kingdom Fanfic: Sweet Dreams ❯ Within the Shadow of the Mind's Eye ( Chapter 21 )

Sweet Dreams

I was dreaming. I could feel that airy detachment that accompanies a dreamer in those endless voids. No pleasure. No pain. Turning slowly, I cast my eyes about this desolate ethereal location...a land of obvious ravaging...smoke rising from the charred ground as a dull rain thrummed over the destruction zone. Pillars of elegant carved stone laid broken and crumbled, strewn amidst the wreckage of what had once been a recently prosperous city. Bodies and human pieces scatter the ground and rubble...blood and gore blending with ash and stone to paint macabre masterpiece of merciless war.

A choking breath caught in my throat as I viewed this horrible scene, the blood within my body chilled as if iced. Finally tearing my eyes away I closed them, burying my face in my hands as my mind reeled...holding onto one desperate thought...whispering it over and over in a mantra.

"Only a dream...this is only a dream...a nightmare..."

"This is QUITE real. It is time for you to acknowledge what you are."

A force beyond my control drew my hands away from my face...revealing Kunzite holding my wrists in both of his hands. I stared at him for a long moment in startled silence...gazing trapped into those endless arctic blue eyes. After a long moment, however..my eyes strayed to my hands held securely within his own.

Bloodstained.

Terror gripped my heart which leapt to nestle within my throat as I stared at trembling hands coated liberally in the dark crimson lurid paint of fresh blood. Breath came difficult as I stared at my hands which seemed so alien to me. I never would do such a thing! I could never do such a thing...could I?

Kunzite drew me closer, and I...too caught up in shock...stepped forward unresisting. I was being nestled possessively to his chest...his words distant...soft, far away. And yet...they still echoed within my mind in detachment. Distantly, I felt one of his arms curve about the small of my back...the other raising one of my unresisting stained hands.

"And now...you finally understand what it is you are. Do not fear, Koibito...I will be with you for all eternity."

As if the grim abyssal scenery never existed...or perhaps to emphasize the grotesque allure of it, my silver maned mentor raised my death tainted hand to his lips...purring in a soft murmur before drawing his tongue over the stolen life of unnamed innocents.

"Forever."

He lapped the crimson vitae from my skin slowly without removing his eyes from mine and...too stunned by the terrifying allure...I was caught within his gaze. Much to my astonishment, an indiscernible yet drastic something changed about Kunzite. A subtle shift to a deadly predatorial presence. A dark sultry temptation of beckoning danger. But most of all...were his eyes. Pure illuminescence devoid of pupil, iris or color. Utter glow of a white phosphorescence.

A fine tremble raced through my being.

However...was it in fear...or something other?

"B..Beruche? Would you mind telling me..ah...why I am tied up like this?" Alas, due to my nerves...I couldn't keep the slightly fearful squeak out my voice. The cerulean blue clad Weird Sister touched a dainty glove clad hand to her cheek, sapphire eyes wide in innocent worry.

"Oh my...well..."

"After you passed out, you were providing an entertaining spectacle. This was the only way we could make sure you would wake without harming anyone...or yourself. "

I tensed as I felt my blood chill and my cheeks flush slightly at that familiar deep cool voice. I bit back on a wince as I raised my head slightly to catch sight of my Mentor striding from the shadows to the side of the bed...each footstep sounding uncomfortably clear and loud in the silence. Uneasily, Beruche slinked out of the room, closing the door behind her gently after a last concerned glance at me. A viscous silence settled in...thick and all the more disconcerting with those arctic eyes staring unyielding. Attempting to swallow down a sudden dryness in my throat...I dared to meet his gaze...feeling haunting recollections of my dream.

"You should be grateful you were allowed to live after such a shameful display."The cloth of his uniform rustled softly as he leaned forward over the edge of the bed...resting his palms over the spread as he stared intently into my eyes. Despite the obvious chastise of his words...he seemed far from upset. Amused, almost. I squirmed against the bonds as I swallowed selfconciously as he leaned close enough for the ends of that glorious silvern mane to lightly brush my jacketed chest.

"I...it was just a dream. It happened after I was knocked out. D..did I do anything really..erm...embarrassing?"

"If you consider flailing like a drowning rat and veritably begging my name embarrassing...then yes."

I felt my cheeks flush a more and more rosy hue as with each word he murmured his face inched closer to mine until our noses nearly touched. I bit my lower lip as I veritably pressed back into the bed beneath me.

"Will you let me go...Lord Kunzite? These are awfully tight..."

"I am curious to know...what kind of dream it was." I trembled slightly like a cornered rabbit as I stared back up at him with startled wide eyes.

"A....a nightmare. W..w..war....not sure uhm where...l..lotsa ruins and....and...."I blinks rapidly as I found my words vanishing as I recalled that vivid frightening carnage. I closed my eyes tight as I fought the sudden unexpected warm burn of tears teasing my lids. I felt an indrawn breath of air above me and a subtle shift of weight as he kneeled over me...the warmth of his body crouched over mine. I fought in earnest....I was NOT about to cry. I was not going to show weakness.

"I don't want to remember anything else...please."

"You will tell me everything." Much to my dismay, I felt a familiar viselike grip about my throat...constricting in warning.

"It's...too...terrible."

Like the distant drums of war drawing nearer...I could hear my pulse grow louder and louder in my ears as asphyxiation began to settle in from the constriction about my throat. My breaths came in strangled ragged gasps...and yet, all I could do was simply stare at him through the flickering increasingly familiar star bursts in my vision.

"Why?! Why must you always be so stubborn? So headstrong?! Why do you insist on denying fate and what holds you to this chosen destiny while living it at the same time, Zois..."

Nothing could have surprised me more than the startled...almost spooked look that overcame those sharp elegant features as Kunzite cut himself short. Mercifully, I felt that grip about my throat ease...those strong commanding hands bearing an uncharacteristic tremble as they drew away from my skin. A soft uncertain whisper escaped his lips as he stared intently...as if studying me for the first time.

"Who are you?"

After several deep welcome draughts of air I could respond, however...it was with uncertainty, perplexity at this eerie mood.

"P....Pyrite, Lord Kunzite. Is...is there something wrong? Are you all right?"

Something set into my mentor's demeanor in an instant...a predatorial hunger...a thin veil to a needful power that lit those winter silver eyes to gleam luminous platinum in the dim light like a cat's in the night. A haunting echo of him from the dream. With a languid predatorial grace he leaned down, bearing his face closer. The only sound disturbing the silence was the faint whispered rustle of the voluminous pristine white cloak that fell over my prone form under his. A low purr of a murmur stirred the thick silence...revealing a raw side of my Mentor I had not witnessed before.

"Too much....too much like...Him...."

I felt my own breath hitch in my throat as my heart lurched to a swift rapid pace as I felt the band binding my hair into a ponytail loosen then fall away...a faint tease of a breath on my cheek followed by the nerve tingling brush of soft lips as he drew closer to my throat. All I could manage in that stunned moment of silence was to stare up at the darkened ceiling with one thought racing through my stunned mind.

Is...is he going to kiss me?