Xenosaga Fan Fiction ❯ 30 Kisses ❯ Sweet Dreams ( Chapter 9 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: Niu Shiy-Ue 
#24 Good Night
Non Anime: Xenosaga Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 09.21.2005 | Updated On: 09.22.2005 | Pages: 1 | Words: 958 | Visits: 371 | Status: Work In Progress
#24 Good Night
Non Anime: Xenosaga Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 09.21.2005 | Updated On: 09.22.2005 | Pages: 1 | Words: 958 | Visits: 371 | Status: Work In Progress
Rubedo dragged himself out of the depths of sleep, the ragged, slimy fingers of nightmare clinging to his mind. He was still for a few moments, trying to figure out what had awoken him. Shadows billowed against his vision for a second, alerting him to the distress of one of his fellow URTVs. A few more seconds and he realized it had not been his nightmare, but rather one of the clones. The blue overmind of the normal URTVs began to sparkle with awareness, disturbed by the same images as he was. But he still couldn't tell who was causing the ripples.
He reached down and tapped his twin on the shoulder. "Albedo, Albedo, wake up." The white haired boy murmured then buried his face more deeply in Rubedo's stomach. "Albedo, I need your help with something."
One lazy violet eye opened. "Whaaaat?"
"Someone's having a nightmare. Who is it?"
The other grumbled and closed his eye, but he felt the soft brush of his twin's empathy reaching out. A few seconds later dark eyes popped open again. "He's such a baby. Crying over a nightmare, instead of worrying about real things."
"Thank you, Albedo." Rubedo slipped out of their shared bed. Albedo's statement about being a baby meant only one person.
"Where are you going?"
"His nightmare is waking everyone up. Don't worry, I'll be back in a few minutes." Albedo swore under his breath, but within a few moments the white head disappeared under the covers.
Rubedo carefully made his way down the hall of the dormitory. A few doors were open, the URTVs who were just a little more intelligent or independent or sensitive than their fellows were already awake. He tried to calm them and sent them back to bed, promising to take care of things.
At the other end of the hall, he quickly tapped in his code to unlock the door to the last room. The inside was just as bare as all the others, except instead of the usual four bunk-beds or the two pushed-together that made up his and Albedo's room, this was slightly smaller and only held one bed. A younger, black haired boy was curled up in the covers and crying.
Rubedo closed the door behind him. Sitting on the bed he reached out and began to rub the smaller boy's back. It always helped when Albedo was overwhelmed by the hate from the other URTVs and it worked just as well on the last of the special ones. The other's sobs slowed into hiccups then stopped and after a few minutes he turned around to show teary green eyes at the older clone. "Hello," said Rubedo.
"H-h-hello."
"You're the new one, right?" The other nodded. "I don't think we were really introduced this morning. I'm Rubedo."
"I-I'm Nigred-do."
"Well, Nigredo, would you like to tell me why you were crying?"
Viridian eyes stared suspiciously at him, but slowly melted into trust when the red-head didn't laugh or mock him. Rubedo wondered if he had ever been that naive and innocent. "Everyone he-here is-s s-so mean. Their eyes are s-so c-cold and, and they k-keep s-saying I'm a m-monster 'cause I'm different-t from the others-s and, and . . . their thoughts h-hurt so bad-d. Right h-here." The small boy gestured to his chest. "Everyone h-hates me."
Rubedo took a deep breath and reminded himself that the other URTV was three years younger than he was. And the other didn't have an Albedo to protect and be strong for. It had been just as bad when he and Albedo had left isolation, but this one didn't have anyone to support him. "Not everyone hates you," he said, thinking about how glad he was for Albedo. At least he had some experience in comforting someone. "I don't hate you. Neither does Albedo. We're just like you. Special."
"R-really?"
"Yup. Check out our hair." The other stared at the blood red locks for a second. He began to calm and his breathing began to slow. Rubedo took this opportunity to go to the attached bathroom and dampen a clean towel. He came back and washed the tear stains from the other boy's face. "Do you want me to stay here until you go to sleep?" he asked as he began stroking the obsidian hair.
"Uh-huh." He started humming a soft song; Rubedo wasn't a very good singer, but he could stay fairly on tune as long as he wasn't trying to concentrate on the words instead. After a few more minutes periodot eyes began to flutter and eventually closed. Rubedo waited a few more minutes, then leaned down and kissed Nigredo's forehead before leaving.
He made his way down the now empty corridor and into his and Albedo's room. He knew the other was awake but tried to be quiet anyway. As he slipped back into the shared bed, Albedo commented on the newest addition to the URTV army. "I said he was a baby. Can't believe he's the Executioner."
"Hush Albedo. He's just scared, meeting everyone today."
"Yeah, meeting those meat bags would scare the Gnosis into retreating. Were they bullying him too?"
"Yes."
"Cheap, mass-produced bastards. I'll beat them up tomorrow during training."
Rubedo just shook his head and closed his eyes. He mentally reminded himself to ask Dr. Yuriev if they could step up the mental training. He really wasn't looking forward to dealing with an over-emotional, out-of-control telepath.
He reached down and tapped his twin on the shoulder. "Albedo, Albedo, wake up." The white haired boy murmured then buried his face more deeply in Rubedo's stomach. "Albedo, I need your help with something."
One lazy violet eye opened. "Whaaaat?"
"Someone's having a nightmare. Who is it?"
The other grumbled and closed his eye, but he felt the soft brush of his twin's empathy reaching out. A few seconds later dark eyes popped open again. "He's such a baby. Crying over a nightmare, instead of worrying about real things."
"Thank you, Albedo." Rubedo slipped out of their shared bed. Albedo's statement about being a baby meant only one person.
"Where are you going?"
"His nightmare is waking everyone up. Don't worry, I'll be back in a few minutes." Albedo swore under his breath, but within a few moments the white head disappeared under the covers.
Rubedo carefully made his way down the hall of the dormitory. A few doors were open, the URTVs who were just a little more intelligent or independent or sensitive than their fellows were already awake. He tried to calm them and sent them back to bed, promising to take care of things.
At the other end of the hall, he quickly tapped in his code to unlock the door to the last room. The inside was just as bare as all the others, except instead of the usual four bunk-beds or the two pushed-together that made up his and Albedo's room, this was slightly smaller and only held one bed. A younger, black haired boy was curled up in the covers and crying.
Rubedo closed the door behind him. Sitting on the bed he reached out and began to rub the smaller boy's back. It always helped when Albedo was overwhelmed by the hate from the other URTVs and it worked just as well on the last of the special ones. The other's sobs slowed into hiccups then stopped and after a few minutes he turned around to show teary green eyes at the older clone. "Hello," said Rubedo.
"H-h-hello."
"You're the new one, right?" The other nodded. "I don't think we were really introduced this morning. I'm Rubedo."
"I-I'm Nigred-do."
"Well, Nigredo, would you like to tell me why you were crying?"
Viridian eyes stared suspiciously at him, but slowly melted into trust when the red-head didn't laugh or mock him. Rubedo wondered if he had ever been that naive and innocent. "Everyone he-here is-s s-so mean. Their eyes are s-so c-cold and, and they k-keep s-saying I'm a m-monster 'cause I'm different-t from the others-s and, and . . . their thoughts h-hurt so bad-d. Right h-here." The small boy gestured to his chest. "Everyone h-hates me."
Rubedo took a deep breath and reminded himself that the other URTV was three years younger than he was. And the other didn't have an Albedo to protect and be strong for. It had been just as bad when he and Albedo had left isolation, but this one didn't have anyone to support him. "Not everyone hates you," he said, thinking about how glad he was for Albedo. At least he had some experience in comforting someone. "I don't hate you. Neither does Albedo. We're just like you. Special."
"R-really?"
"Yup. Check out our hair." The other stared at the blood red locks for a second. He began to calm and his breathing began to slow. Rubedo took this opportunity to go to the attached bathroom and dampen a clean towel. He came back and washed the tear stains from the other boy's face. "Do you want me to stay here until you go to sleep?" he asked as he began stroking the obsidian hair.
"Uh-huh." He started humming a soft song; Rubedo wasn't a very good singer, but he could stay fairly on tune as long as he wasn't trying to concentrate on the words instead. After a few more minutes periodot eyes began to flutter and eventually closed. Rubedo waited a few more minutes, then leaned down and kissed Nigredo's forehead before leaving.
He made his way down the now empty corridor and into his and Albedo's room. He knew the other was awake but tried to be quiet anyway. As he slipped back into the shared bed, Albedo commented on the newest addition to the URTV army. "I said he was a baby. Can't believe he's the Executioner."
"Hush Albedo. He's just scared, meeting everyone today."
"Yeah, meeting those meat bags would scare the Gnosis into retreating. Were they bullying him too?"
"Yes."
"Cheap, mass-produced bastards. I'll beat them up tomorrow during training."
Rubedo just shook his head and closed his eyes. He mentally reminded himself to ask Dr. Yuriev if they could step up the mental training. He really wasn't looking forward to dealing with an over-emotional, out-of-control telepath.