Weiss Kreuz Fan Fiction ❯ Twilight Youji ❯ falling into hell ( Chapter 8 )

Twilight Youji 8/?

By Nix Winter

Disclaimers: Ne… I only own this particular story, not Youji, Ken, Omi, Aya, Aya-chan.. nee you get the idea.

Warnings: If I do a beta on this story.. I have to smooth out the whole Queen of wraiths thing.

Twilight Youji

Insanity, despair, grief, all walked back into the Koneko with Youji. These feelings had followed him for years, using his grandmother's voice or Asuka's voice. As he closed the door, switched the 'Open' sign to 'Closed', he thought he could feel ghosts gathering around him. He swayed, unsteady, dizzy in the moment, surrounded by sea of gray grief; he was just one more lost soul the universe couldn't digest.

The sounds coming from the greenhouse/potting room behind the main store distanced him further from any sense of sanity. So much death and it weighed his failures down on him. That someone else was having what sounded like good sex ought to have made him feel better, but it didn't.

There was one small light. Aya, Aya was his bright shining hope. Youji stood there for a moment, thinking of Aya, angry, defensive, honest Aya forcing life down Youji's throat. It made Youji smile as he moved water lilies to look down into the goldfish pond he'd built by the north side of the shop, he tried to think back, to find when Aya had become his light. It was months before, building slowly through the days.

Aya noticed him. He dropped to his knees and searched. Crawford said it was in the lilies. Wet to his elbows, one goldfish ran into his arm, biting at him with painless lips as if he were something edible, only to float to the top. "Sorry," Youji whispered, finding the goldfish's soul uncomfortably odd. Then his fingers found it, round and smooth, cold stone egg, some kind of dinosaur egg object that he pulled up out of the water. This hope in him had started because Aya had noticed him, had yelled him when he didn't eat. There was the time that Aya had taped his broken ribs for him and holding that white marble egg up, he decided it was that moment, with Aya's fingers touching his bare skin that he'd come around some kind of fork in his life. Aya made him want to be alive. Or at least he head, before this. The lilies that he'd touched were wilting now, shriveling up like death himself had stirred through them. Now Youji just wanted to see Aya alive, safe, see him know that his sister was awake, and then, Youji thought with a sense of peace, then he wanted to die.

"Give it to me," she said, a voice melodic and rich, a singer's voice. "Give me his heart and I will lift the curse I laid on you."

Youji rose, clutching the price of Aya's life to his chest. Holding it to him, whatever angelic blood he had hummed in harmony with the thing contained with the marble. He backed away from her, both arms wrapped around it. "I think I'll take it to Akron myself, you see, he's got something I want."

"Funny little man," she said, not amused at all, and floating towards him without her feet touching the ground. "You're a nasty little angel bastard, aren't you? Was it your mother, or your father?"

Years of unprocessed grief battered at Youji's emotional wall. So very vivid, he could see his noble Japanese Grandmother, his mother's mother, telling him that his mother would never come back, that the plane taking her to Paris had fallen out of the sky. The Japanese were not meant to marry the French. His eyes on the spectral woman following him, as her jeans left her body like smoke drifting away, leaving her in a Roman toga, her hair up and spun around her head, opals hanging from her ears. She was his image of a Greek goddess, but he knew, she was no goddess. He backed up the stairs that lead to their private living areas. The family resemblance jumped out in stark relief to him as she laid a hand on the railing and followed him up. "The girl, that one that hid behind me, she's your descendent."

"From my sister's line, actually," the woman said, floating up the stairs. "You have to give it to me, and those bad bad men have done so much damage to it. Can't you feel it? It's almost ruined."

Schwartz never seemed cleaner to Youji. The thing in his arms seemed t glow, to hum out loud now. "You. You're the one that set those stupid people to doing that ritual. You were going to get your own descendent killed."

"Hardly. Angels are always so stupid, so slow to see what really is." She followed him down the hall, pure white cloth flowing around her, shifted by the very faint breeze of her passing. "Come now, I'll give you another gift. You want to be free of all those painful memories, don't you? No more teary nights waiting for your mommy, no more memories bringing back your Grandmother's disapproval of you, you French Bastard, disgrace," her voice stole the perfect copy of his Grandmother's tone and voice, the dripping disgust that could barely stand to speak of him, "Why can't you be more like your Uncle? At least try to be Japanese! Dye your hair a decent color before you go out, so everyone doesn't know at first look. You're a shame on this family. All the French are faggots. It's amazing they have children at all."

Tears, from years of emotional bruising, chilled blackly down Youji's face, and the stolen angel heart in his arms was all that kept the sorrow from swallowing him. "My mother loved me very much."

"Yes, but she's dead," the woman said, this time in Asuka's voice, "Let's get married Youji! I want to have your baby!"

Youji turned and ran. Those words came right from his mind, from his nightmares. He loved Asuka, but like his grandmother had accused him, he was a faggot. None knew. None had called him on it, not until Judas, and then it was too late, he already loved Aya. Youji ran into his room, only to come to a hard stop. The room was filled with the ghosts of those he'd killed, throats deformed, eyes bulging, He screamed, and her words formed ice crystals over his cheek. "I brought some friends, Youji. Give me my husband's heart, and I'll go away. I'll take them all with me, all your memories, no more pain, no more death, Youji-kun, just give me what's mine."

He spun away from her. "It's not yours! Or you could take it from me! You! You're the one that cut it out of him, that stole it from him in the first place!"

"He had no right to leave me!" Fury made a blizzard of her words and the ghosts closed on him.

He wished with all his might that the floor would give away, like it had on the trains. He'd take hell over this any day. "Leave me alone!"

"Oh," she purred, arms lying over her head, ghosts around her like dark clouds on the horizon, roiling, folding, thriving on her hate and lust. "I can't go away until you give me the heart. What do you care for him anyway? Didn't he carry away the one you love? He'll do as he said, and make a demon of your Ran, make Ran into a screaming rabid demon. You'll die under Ran's fury like you killed the man on the train. Akron is doing that right now." She brought her fingers down to her cheek, looking like a little girl playing a game, "If you listen, you can probably hear him screaming in agony right now. And you want to help the monster who did this to your lover? Akron is torturing the only person who loves you and you're going to help HIM?"

Youji dropped to his knees, leaving space for ghosts to spill in over-the-top of him around him, filling up the very air he needed still to breathe. "You're lying! I will trade this for Aya's life and if Aya kills me and it makes him even a little happy that's good! I will never give this to you! It's not yours!" He curled in a ball around it, some shielding warmth wrapping around him, shielding out the ghosts, the fears.

From within the cocoon of angelic light, he couldn't see his own black wings, huge and vibrantly alive, black as a raven, but glittering with sparkles of twilight. The egg he held in his arms warmed him, spilled light between his arms, cast shadows of his curls, made haloed outlines of his wings, his feet.

The queen of wraiths screamed and dove at him, tearing at the wings he'd inherited from a father he never knew. Feathers and blood sprayed like acid over ghosts that went lacy and disappeared when faced with flying angel blood. "Give it to me! I will rip apart myself!"

Youji wailed as she shredded skin, feathers, bone, but to defend himself, he'd have to release the egg that he protected. He had only one person to call to for help, one person who was already dead. "Aya!"

"Stop!" The voice came from the direction of his door, was a voice he'd heard only once before, calling out Aya's real name. "Demon! Get away from Youji-kun!"

The kindness in her words, so tender and affectionate soothed the screaming pain in his back and soul. Aya-chan knew his name.

A reek of brimstone, of heat and unseasoned barbecue wafted into the room, riding a wave of heat as if the air had turned to fire. Youji sat up, one wing hanging, lying against his shoulder. Ran Fujimiya ascended up through the floor of Youji's room, hair like living flame dancing around his chest and down his back. A katana in one hand, a shorter length of black and dripping chain in one hand, the end of it still manacled to his wrist, he stepped out onto the floor of Youji's room like an angel of flame more than a demon. Skin pale, eyes filled with violet fury, he growled and the ghosts rained like ashes, all complaints laid to rest.

"Ran!" Aya-chan called, running into the room, her arms open, only to stop short when those violet eyes. "Ran."

He blinked, chain rattling as he shifted his position. Youji rose to his feet, shaking and unsteady. "Aya-chan," he said, softly, calmly. "He's not himself today, bad morning. Come here, please."

She turned to look at him, tears filling her eyes. "He doesn't know me."

Akron's wife laughed, her fingers like claws and dripping Youji's blood. "You're going to die, defending her because you love him. Then I will have what I want! Do you understand now why your Grandmother said you were a failure?"

"Aya-chan, come here, we just have to give him a chance." Youji encouraged, hoping he could get her to the window, push her out. There was another of his goldfish ponds below; she would stand a better chance of escape. As she got behind him, her hands and body touching his battered wings, he winced, clutching Akron's heart tighter, as if that would help. Addressing the newborn fire demon, he said, "Aya, you remember me? Youji? Lazy assed bastard, always telling me not to smoke in the shop? That's right, no smoking in the shop. You always said I'd get ash somewhere, start a fire."

"Fire," the creature that had Aya's face purred. It was Aya's voice though, the same voice that had told Youji he loved him. Aya stepped towards him, flame now dancing along the sharp edge of his katana, leaving burning footprints where he'd been standing. "Burning Youji."

"Uh, yeah, well, that's one choice," Youji agreed, stepping backwards towards the window, pushing the slender and fragile girl behind him. "Do you really think that'll make you feel better?"

Flame jumped down the links in the chain, swirling, flowing like red and yellow water.

"No!" Aya-chan yelled, pushing against Youji's broken wing so she could get back around him. "Ran! You don't want to do this. Youji-kun saved me! He helped me find my way back to my body!"

"Hurry up and kill him! We can return to your master and complete the ritual!"

Ran turned to look at her, a cascade of fire spilling over his shoulder. "I have no master."

The fear only showed in her eyes. "Kill the angel," she snapped. "Tear into those wings. Smell the reek of angel blood."

Ran turned back towards Youji and his sister. "Youji is an angel. Let the girl go, if you kneel angel."

"And Omi and Ken," Youji bargained, "Don't burn the Koneko or hurt them and you can do anything you want with me."

The fire demon nodded. "Angel hurt me, now I'll have vengeance."

"You were always big on that vengeance kick, Aya," Youji agreed. "After what Taketori did to your family. Aya-chan's awake now. She was your sister."

"Oh for the grace of Claudius! Will you shut up!" She grabbed his shattered wing and jerked hard.

Youji's scream rippled like a violet light over Ran's fire, shifting something in his eyes. "I have waited lifetimes to have Akron back, for his love to come back to me! Who do you think you are?" She stabbed one finger into the broken flesh of his wing, flooding wraith energy into a body turning angelic. He rolled tightly into a ball, around the stolen heart he needed to buy Ran's freedom with. His cry shook the Koneko, shattering widows and the illusion that Schuldig had locked Ken and Omi into. Twenty miles away Schuldig collapsed against Crawford, cursing in every language he knew as he tried to block Youji's overflowing agony.

Aya-chan picked up a lamp from Youji's bedside table and threw it. "Stop! You're hurting him! Ran! Remember!"

"Demon's don't remember loving, stupid girl!" Youji's wings shriveled as his screaming died.

"Die!" Ran shouted, flaming katana slashing down towards the Queen of Wraiths, who dodged back, letting Youji sag as if he could go right through the floor. Ran lunged, skewering the woman on his flaming sword more like an avenging angel than a demon. She howled, enraged and utterly surprised. She lashed at him with gray ice energy and the fire of his being flashed around her, surrounding and consuming her. She went up like a Roman candle, but the flames simply roiled over Youji's room, around his door.

Ken and Omi were there now, Ken's arm around Omi's shoulder, Omi's arm up before his eyes, blocking some of the heat that wasn't really burning anything, but the woman who'd made Youji a wraith. "Aya!" Omi yelled, realizing who was in the center of the flames as the woman rained down, just white ash now. "Aya! Youji!"

Angel Youji, wraith Youji, had rolled over, the price of Aya's freedom held to his chest, as he inched his way back from the flames. Cheeks sunk in, eyes looking large and vividly emotional green, he inched back, the broken wing dragging. He left a lacy trail of blood, the last of his sanity burning up with Aya's flaming hair and rage.

Aya-chan dropped to her knees, crawling towards him. "Youji-kun," she called, knowing that look in his eyes, trying to call him back towards life, away from the fear and horror. "Youji-kun, trust me, please come to me."

Then she reached out to him, slender little fingers, braids falling over her shoulders as she reached for him. "Give me your hand, Youji-kun, trust me."

"Don't touch me!" he screamed. "Don't touch me!" The scream broke down to tears, sobbing.

Demon Aya turned, sword and chain lower to his side, some humanity returning to those violet eyes. Slowly glowing ember lips created his name, "Youji. Yo ji."

"Aya," Youji said, his breathing slowing, as he collapsed back, eyes locked with Aya's. "Still love you, always will, forgive me?"

Fire flared as Aya tilted his head, violet eyes narrowed. It was a difficult concept to work into all the rage. "Love. Love Youji."

"See?" Aya-chan said, sniffing back tears, "It'll be okay! Youji-kun!" And she reached for him, to take his hand in hers and absolute terror blackened his eyes, pupils going wide as a moonless midnight.

"Don't! I don't want to kill you," he whispered. "Don't touch me!"

The gate to Hell that Aya had come up through opened then, just so Youji sat there a moment, fire flashing up behind his one erect black wing. Black wraith tears inking down his face.

Aya demon stepped closer, confusion flickering blue through his flames. "Angel. My angel."

"Yours," Youji whispered. "I have the price of your life, Aya. I'll pay."

Aya-chan screamed, reached for him, but Ken caught her shirt, holding her back, as Youji slipped backwards into the flames of Hell.

The floor closed. Flames died back and Aya, Ran Fujimiya blinked. The sword clattered to the floor, and one red headed saved man dropped. Completely human, unmarked, he lay naked and perfect, breathing the gentle breathing of a sleeping man on Youji's hard wood floor.

Aya-chan threw herself over Aya's sleeping body, and Ken didn't stop her. The room felt sane again, normal. There were four people, just normal people. Omi crossed to Ken, who wrapped him in his arms. None of them had any doubt. Youji had bought Aya free of Hell.