Weiss Kreuz Fan Fiction / Yami No Matsuei Fan Fiction ❯ Red Shaman ❯ Playing Poke The Suit ( Chapter 65 )

 

I would remain and witness the pain
I am beyond silent black

I will be back
As your guardian

 

 

Crawford sat up gingerly, feeling like there was nothing solid underneath him. Which there wasn't. Just vast emptiness all around. It was almost like being in the space room but Crawford knew that wasn't where he was. Then there was the odd man sitting nearby watching him like a child would watch an interesting bug. Crawford found and put on his glasses so he could see the other man better, taking in the waist length blood red hair that was braided and pulled over one shoulder and the almost electric blue eyes. It seemed to Crawford as though he had seen him somewhere before but couldn't remember where.

 

“Since you're wondering, you're in the void.”

 

“The void?”

 

“The place between and beyond human bounds,” he clarified.

 

“I didn't catch your name,” Crawford said.

 

“I didn't throw it,” the man said.

 

“I take it back. You look more like Schuldig by the second.”

 

The man threw back his head and laughed. “My friend, you have no idea. I knew you had a sense of humor. Schuldig wouldn't love you half as much as he does without one.”

 

Crawford's eyebrows drew together in a frown. “Schuldig . . . loves me?”

 

“So, you threw yourself in front of a demon's claws to protect someone you aren't sure loves you? That was an idiotic move of mind boggling and epic proportions. And my baby girl said you were smart,” he said, putting his elbows on his knees and grinning at him. “Why do you think he's put up with you all these years?”

 

“It's his job. I am . . . was the leader of Schwarz.”

 

“Do you really think that Schuldig would stay where he didn't want to be for an instant if he could get out of it?” he said nonchalantly. Crawford had the impression of Schuldig when he was bored, absently tossing his pens into the ceiling tiles to see which ones would stick.

 

“Essett would have . . .”

 

“Never found him and you know it. If you couldn't predict him, no one else has a coward's chance in Valhalla of doing it.”

 

“Too late smart,” Crawford said thoughtfully.

 

“Happens a lot.”

 

“How do you know Schuldig so well?”

 

“Suffice it to say, I've watched him for a long time now. He's very entertaining, even without my influence. Not that I've ever had to influence him. He does so well at making his own mischief. He does get himself into the damndest messes though.”

 

“That he does.”

 

“Especially the latest one,” the other man said, smirking and watching Crawford's expression closely.

 

“What do you mean, the latest one?”

 

“Oh, come on! You have to know he loves the dead woman as well as you.”

 

“It isn't like that . . .”

 

“Yeah, it is. He's in-love-with her, if that clarifies things. Though he hasn't said that to her in so many words, I'm sure she feels it from him. But he's in-love-with you too. So, he's gleefully tearing himself apart because he knows that you would never go for a threesome or foursome as the case would be. Because Sunny will eventually grow a set of balls or at least let the boys drop and tell Skye he loves her. Plus, Sunny really hates Schuldig and the feeling is close to mutual. You and Sunny get along but aren't attracted to each other. Skye likes you but doesn't love you and you don't like women anyway. See how much fun this is?”

 

“You're only saying that to annoy me,” Crawford said.

 

“Why would I do that?” he said, absently chewing on a piece of his hair. “Other than playing the always fascinating game of “Poke the Suit”, which is highly entertaining.”

 

Crawford glared at him briefly then sighed when he saw it had no effect on the man. “I hate being lied to.”

 

“Oh, I never lie. There are times I put a certain spin on the truth to fit my own purposes but I never lie.”

 

“You said yourself you were the original shit disturber and lord of chaos.”

 

“I did say that and I am. But what would I have to gain by lying to you about that? In your subconscious you were already aware of that probability. It would have been far more fun to just let you walk into it. That or watch Schuldig worry his guts out trying to figure out how to get himself out of this mess.”

 

“Damn it. You're really serious about this.”

 

“What was your first clue? Chaos for no purpose is pointless.”

 

Crawford stared at him. “Not tracking.”

 

“The reason I do what I do is so nothing stays the same for too long.”

 

“Stability is a good thing,” Crawford protested.

 

“Stability is. Stagnation is not. Think about all the narrow little minds in the world. All the complacent sheep who would be perfectly happy to drone along in their lives and never explore anything if not pushed to do so. Schuldig pushes everyone's buttons for the same reason. To get them to live even if it's only for a few moments instead of just exist.”

 

“That puts 99% of Schuldig's actions into a completely different perspective.”

 

“I would certainly hope so. Schwarz, as a group, has always seen the bigger picture of things. Collectively you've all thought to change the world as well as individually. You especially, have had an image in your mind from the time you were young of how you would prefer things to be. You also knew that in order for reality to fit your ideology things would have to change. You changed your demeanor, abandoned your upbringing, planned to get yourself kidnapped by certain entertaining government and later private factions. Still not sure why my daughter seems to think you're smart. You altered yourself first, then sought to change everything around you. Just like the rest of your team did.”

 

“I'm not so certain any of the others were interested in changing the world so much as dominating it.”

 

“The easiest way to change is often domination.” The man tilted his head and studied Crawford for a moment. “Then you really don't know them very well at all, do you? Schuldig's initial inclinations were fairly simple. He was bored easily and found he could play with people's minds. But somewhere along the way he got tired of forcing someone to do his will and found it far more interesting if he removed the blocks held in place by fear. You've no doubt seen the effect that has on most people.”

 

“Yes. They become nearly feral, primal.”

 

“No. They do not. They become genuine. They become honest with themselves and everyone else. All human beings are murderous beasts beneath the thin veneer of civility. Some merely hide it better than others.”

 

“So what were Farfarello and Nagi's designs for the world initially? Since you seem to know so much more about everyone than I do.”

 

“Farfarello and Nagi's desires were quite alike.”

 

“How do you rationalize that?”

 

“I don't. I'm telling you what I've observed. They both sought to destroy that which had brought them undeniable pain in the past. Farfarello's hatred was just more focused on one particular group than Nagi's.”

 

“You use their desires in the past tense,” Crawford pointed out.

 

The man nodded. “Yes. Because those desires and inclinations no longer exist in them. Haven't you noticed the changes in your charges?”

 

“Of course I noticed,” Crawford snapped. He had noticed Schuldig's genuine personality coming to the forefront, not just the obnoxious façade he presented to everyone. Noticed Farf become much more focused and calm. Noticed that Nagi had grown up considerably. Noticed that they really didn't seem to need him anymore.

 

“You were never very good at self torture, Brad, so stop it. They do need you. And gods help you, they care about you more than you could ever imagine. You were always their guardian. You were the one who sheltered and protected them when no one else in the world would have taken any of them in. Granted, you thought you had your own agenda. But you needed them just as much as they needed and still need you.” He grinned at Crawford's dubious look. “Don't buy it? Why do you think Farfarello is, at this moment, pondering what funerary goods would best serve you in the afterlife? Or why Nagi feels like he's lost his father? Or why Skye had to siphon off the rage and pain Schuldig was feeling before he destroyed the minds of everyone in a hundred mile radius?”

 

Crawford put a shaking hand to his forehead, trying to ease the ache that had suddenly started there.

 

“So what the hell am I supposed to do from here? It's obvious that I'm dead. What's the point in telling me all of this if I can't do anything about it?”

 

“You are so much fun. I could play with you for ages. Who said you couldn't do anything about it?”

 

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

 

Thanks to the always wonderous Assassin's Anonymous team for all the support and encouragement. (Plus the subtle threats)

The song used in this chapter is Guardian by Fates' Warning.