Weiss Kreuz Fan Fiction / Yami No Matsuei Fan Fiction ❯ Black Velvet ❯ Questions and Answers ( Chapter 2 )

 

******************************Author's Notes*****************************************

Being “ridden” by a loa is in reference to temporary possession of a human being by one of the gods. As I understand it, this is a common practice both in Hatian Voudun and South American Santeria. A Mambo or Manbo, I've seen it spelled both ways, is a priestess of the Voudun traditions. If I'm mistaken about any of these things, I'm sure I'll hear about it.

***************************************************************** **********************

 

 

Watari and Tatsumi both blinked and tried to make their vision adjust faster to the rapidly fading light of the swamps.

 

“Blaze, where are we going?” Watari finally asked as they stepped onto a well worn dock.

 

Blaze glanced over her shoulder and the look she gave both men effectively silenced any further questioning from her husbands-at least temporarily. When they started up a makeshift path of joined boards it was Tatsumi who asked the next question.

 

“Love, you know I'd be happy to follow you anywhere but I have to echo Yutaka's question. Where are we going?”

 

Blaze sighed. “To see a Mambo about a man.”

 

Tatsumi shot Watari a puzzled look. Watari shrugged and shook his head. As they continued to follow Blaze up the torch lit path of boards both men noticed an almost complete absence of any noise from the surrounding area. No crickets or any other night noises could be heard.

 

They rounded a small hill and a dimly lit small cabin came into view. Nestled between two enormous cypress trees it had both a welcoming and a foreboding air about it. Tatsumi thought he felt shadows moving restlessly that weren't under his control. Instinctively, he reached for Watari's hand in the same instant his other hand stretched out to take hold of Blaze's shoulder.

 

Ease your mind. No harm comes to either of la belle dame sans merci's mates here. You know she would never risk either of you anyway.

 

Tatsumi shook his head to clear it. Since when had he started hearing people speak to him in his mind aside from Blaze? Even that was on very rare occasions.

 

Blaze half turned and looked at him oddly.

 

“It's . . . never mind,” Tatsumi said, letting go of her.

 

Blaze took two more steps to the door of the little cabin and knocked lightly three times. The door swung open and a voice from inside said “Entrez.”

 

Even at that, Blaze still didn't enter the little cabin but called out to the occupant. “Question pour la Bon Mambo Ceile Po.”

 

“Ton question est, Maman Flamee?” came the same voice from the depths of the cabin.

 

“Bradley Crawford.”

 

“Ah. Entrez. Bring your men before they die again from the shivers.”

 

Blaze grinned as she glanced back at her husbands. Both seemed ready to jump out of their skin at any given moment. She ducked a little and went inside the cabin, motioning for Watari and Tatsumi to follow her. They did so warily, coming reluctantly into the well kept little place and staying close to the door.

 

“Close that,” said an older woman as she came through the doorway which led to what had to be the back room of the cabin. She was petite yet carried herself like a woman who was used to being in charge and well respected. Her skin was the color of dark chocolate, her face strongly boned and deeply lined around the mouth and eyes. It was her eyes that stood out most prominently. They were quick and alert but also a beautiful color; a pale green that was a sharp contrast with her dark skin.

 

Both women did an elegant little bow to one another before embracing. The other woman waved Blaze into a seat at a small table.

 

“Miss Maggie knows all about Bradley Crawford. Why come to me?”

 

“Because Skye was in his life for only a very short period of time. You know almost everything that happened to him while he was here. You knew him from childhood.”

 

The other woman snorted. “Knew him from the minute he was born. Knew that boy'd be trouble and triumph all rolled in one. You want something specific or all of it?”

 

“Both.”

 

“What's the specific first? The other will take a long time telling.”

 

“He's been ridden before, hasn't he? By one of the more powerful loas I'm guessing.”

 

“That he has. How do you know that? Not something he'd talk about, at least not anymore.”

 

“He was temporarily taken over by the great god.”

 

“Mon dieux!”

 

“Indeed. It was so . . . easy for him afterward. Anyone else would have been flat on their back for a week from the sheer overload of energy.”

 

“But he was all giggly and silly.”

 

“Yes. He was,” Tatsumi answered from near the door.

 

“He was always like that after,” the Mambo said thoughtfully. “Always so giddy and happy after a ride. What happened for him to be taken over by the great god?”

 

“The lost daughters,” Blaze answered quietly.

 

“Ah. Of course he'd allow himself to be taken in that circumstance.”

 

“Why?” Watari asked, gently setting a jar he'd been inspecting back onto the shelf.

 

“It would have brought back memories. Bad ones.”

 

“Of what?” Blaze asked.

 

“One of his sisters. Their Papa sold her to one of those places, you know the ones I mean,” she said, looking pointedly at Blaze. “Not quite the same situation as the Daughters but close enough to draw lines.”

 

Blaze nodded and turned to her husbands, sensing their puzzlement. “Probably to a place very similar to Rosenkruz or Esset. Which is sometimes a fate worse than death. Especially for a small child.”

 

“He sold his own child to one of those places?!? Why?” Watari asked, feeling sick to his stomach suddenly.

 

“Because she had power and he was afraid of her,” Ceile said. “Was afraid of them all really. But she was the one he wanted gone most because she could stop him doing what he did to them usually. Bradley came to me that night he'd seen his Papa take her away before he ever did. He'd tried to stop him. Put himself between his father and his sister to try to protect her.”

 

“What happened?” Watari almost whispered, afraid to know the answer yet somehow wanting to hear it.

 

Ceile closed her eyes and when she opened them again everyone in the room could feel the pain from her look. She sighed heavily and continued the story. “Papa Crawford beat his ten year old son unconscious and then sold his six year old daughter to the worst kind of monsters imaginable for the paltry sum of five thousand dollars.”