Miyu, Larva and related story elements are owned by a most excellent manga-ka, Kakinouchi Narumi, and Hirano Toshihiro, her husband, who helped produce the OAVs and the series of short novels. It is distributed by Antarctic Press (manga) and Animeigo (OAVs) here in the US. Everything else is mine, all mine! Mwahahahaha! Each chapter starts with 'Chapter X Start' (where X is 1, 2, 3 etc) so you can search for them. Chapter Intro Start My tale, dear reader, begins amidst the pale, dark trees and swiftly fading light of autumn's quiet eve. God's own truth as to what I saw there. And now, the mists part and my eyes can once more see . . . Gentle shadows drift about a tall and elegant youth. He stands unmoving; surprise, pain, and passion etched upon his face. A delicate girl, wrapped in white, eyes closed, held fast against his shoulder. Her soft bare legs and feet are lifting, stretching . . . her body, free of earth, pressing tight . . . The gentle bend of neck and back, beckoning . . . The caress of hand at throat, enticing . . . Sweet red lips touch pale white skin. Missed drops trail gently down across one breast, shirt pulled free by insistent hands . . . Quiet, gentle, thrilling sounds, unbidden from her throat, at savored essence and rush of blood beneath her touch . . . ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Ari ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ He remembered the first time. He hadn't understood, then. She, cold and shivering . . . the body upon the ground . . . the blood upon his hands . . . Behind some bushes, a girl sits and trembles. She had followed them here, deep in the woods and behind the shrine, following and spying; her heart hurt so . . . The look in her eyes, the longing, the need, and then . . . and then . . . The boy shudders slightly, and the girl's grip tights upon his shirt. A small moan escapes her as her lips refasten upon his skin, reflexively tightening her hold upon the answer to her need . . . She had finally found the two of them, here in the clearing behind the shrine. She almost screamed, seeing the blood. They were so still, unmoving against the shadows. She had followed them here, away from prying eyes and whispered questions. The boy, a classmate, a new friend and maybe, she had hoped, more. The girl, a childhood friend, that now . . . that now was . . . She shook her head. She wouldn't have thought it possible, less than a month ago. An undying monster, a mythical creature of darkness? Fear and adrenaline left her shivering. Each heartbeat crashing louder than the last, drowning out the roar of blood within her. The two of them had been together more and more, these last two weeks. Her desire to know what had happened had left her desperate, following after them every chance she had. Now her curiosity had driven her to follow here . . . to the woods . . . To the shrine, deep in the shadows and far from human eyes . . . It had hurt, the first time. He hadn't known what to expect. E'ani had uttered one short scream then fled, and then . . . that touch . . . He had felt his own life flowing out through that one sweet touch, which even now, continued deep within . . . At first, she told herself it was concern alone. As time passed, that lie was stripped away by her pain. The change had made him unique, someone no . . . mortal . . . girl should ever have. She wanted to be with him. She had been too shy at first, not knowing how to approach him, wondering if he could feel her presence as she felt his. Then, the awful day Mieko and he had been seen together at a park, Ari carrying her within his arms. Speculation had run rampant across the school. After that, they had been inseparable. Slowly, bit by bit, her hope had begun to die . . . He remembered his first time with E'ani - the utter thrill of immense vitality searing through his body, his laughter at the energy of a thousand souls filling his mind, the radiance of fire as E'ani opened the full power of the foci within him . .. She remembered, and her heart's ache deepened. He had been just another boy at school. Then that day came, the day of the change, first for her and then her friends. It was less than a month later when she first noticed the change in him as well. It all came back to her in a rush, every time she thought of it, the strange feelings of those first days when she could feel him being there, all the way across the room. Glancing sideways to look at him, seeing nothing different, but knowing the alien feel of other-not-self, so different from the warmth and comfort of those who changed with her. And now, only a brief, bitter two weeks later, he was lost. Mieko, a girl she would have sworn as perfectly normal only yesterday, a human, unchanged in any way, now clung to him, drinking in the ecstasy that should be hers. "My spot," she whispers softly but fiercely in anger. Then anger swiftly yields to despair. 'There is always a terrible lurch,' she thinks to herself, scornful of her pain, 'when the world changes on oneself, becoming different from what one foolishly thought it ought to be.' Looking back into the clearing showed that nothing had changed yet. Quietly she rose to her feet and backed away, turning to flee when trees hid her from view. Maybe Karin would know. Aiya talked to her in ways that none of the rest of them understood. She was badly frightened, uncertain of Ari and terrified of Mieko. Silent tears began to roll down her cheeks as she fled, now blindly rushing down the path leading away . . . away from one more painful instance of unsought grief . . . *********************** Two figures stand in darkness, watching, stepping here and there between. Sighing, she leans against him. His dark robes flow out about her, drawing her deep within their folds. His arms surround her, holding tight. "I like them, Larva," she whispers softly. His mask gazes back, ever silent. Only the small, imperceptible tightening of his arms about her speak of his concurrence. Raising one pale hand, encased in living armor, he flows backward, leaving not but night's pure breath, a pool of darkness waiting, death's gentle hands outstretched. Once more two lovers fade away . . . *********************** Chapter 1 Start Four weeks into the past . . . A pale maiden sits upon a branch, peering intently through a window into the room before her. A teenage boy lies upon the floor, unconscious, his head resting in an elderly man's lap. The boy's face is peaceful now, though pain still etches the corners of his mouth and eyes. The old man's shoulders shake slightly, but she cannot see his face. A dark grimness touches light and then shadow forms behind her. She waits, patiently, then stretches backwards, embracing her companion about the neck. Smiling, she twists about to look into his face. "This is where his part of the story begins, Larva, " she explains softly. "The boy, there, is the teenager from the shrine. The old man is his grandfather. You've missed the most important part, though." She rises to her feet and Larva's arms surround her. "Take us back three minutes in time." He raises an arm and marks the air with lines of fire, tracing out an ancient word of command. With a deep scream, the darkness surrounds them, burning with the same arcane fire. With an audible snap it pulls them in, then slowly fades, till all that remains is a forgotten shadow. ********** He had never approved of Ari's training. It was required, but the teenager's frail body could not take such exertion for more than a short period of time. Ari glanced over and saw his frown. "Sheesh, Ojiisan, it's not like I haven't done this before." He grinned and returned to his preparations. His eyes closed in concentration. After a minute or two, he grimaced in pain slightly and started to open his eyes. With a sudden jerk, his body collapsed back into the chair. This was the part Godai hated the most, watching the boy's body die. It made every protective instinct in him respond at the same time, leaving him feeling nauseous from not doing anything. A pale light filled the room, surrounding the body. The light carefully wrapped itself around the body, covering every square inch. With a faint tremble, it began to push into the body, slowly disappearing from sight. With a gasp of air, Ari sat back up, and grinned at his grandfather. "Ah, now for my favorite part!" Slowly, he leaned forward, stretching his legs and arms, then with a leap bound to his feet. Laughing with delight, he began to spin around the room, twisting and turning, moving his now functional body with the joy of a prisoner freed. Finally, he stopped and began to go through a series of stretching exercises. "Can you tell the difference, ojiisan?" he asked, grinning in delight as he carefully stretched his arms and legs again. Godai smiled in return. "No, but I am sure you will tell me soon enough. You never can keep a secret for long." But within himself, he opened his inner self, stretching out a tendril to touch Ari's body lightly, scanning it quickly to reassure himself that Ari was still in good health. "Hey, quit that! It tickles!" Laughing at the light touch, Ari brought up a simple block to ward him off. Turning serious, he knelt down before his grandfather and stared into his face for a second. "Seriously, ojiisan, you can't tell the difference?" At his grandfather's nod he grinned in triumph. "Cool! Well, in a half an hour you would be able to. I . . . I found a new source of energy." Seeing his grandfather beginning to rise in anger, Ari put out a hand to placate him. "I know, I'm not suppose to mess around with unapproved sources, but it just sort of appeared out of nowhere a couple of days ago. I wasn't really messing around with it seriously, but the second I touched it, I found myself linked to it - without even trying! And the great part is that I've found a way to pull off just enough energy to sustain myself physically for as long as need be!" Trying to smile, he continued. "Isn't it great? I won't have to sit in that chair for another second if I don't want to!" He leapt to his feet to resume his stretching. "I know, ojiisan, I will get it approved, but I couldn't wait any longer, I had to show someone!" Ari began to smile, but then he grimaced and cried out, dropping to his knees. He grabbed his head as pain tore through it like lightning through a tree. "O . . . Ojiisan!" His cry brought Godai to his feet. Ari's face was filled with pain and wonder. "Something's coming," he said quietly. The corner of his mouth began to twitch, then a tremor went through his shoulders. Looking up in a sudden panic, he threw up an arm to protect himself. "It's too big! I . . . I can't see it all! Wait, its stopping, no, its . . . its . . . NOOOOOOOO!" His scream of agony stopped abruptly when his head slammed forward and back as his body jerked in place, smashed into an invisible wall by some unknown and unseen force. Godai opened his inner heart to maximum, bringing his full powers into play, searching desperately for whatever was attacking Ari. Scanning the room revealed nothing. There was nothing else in the room except for himself and Ari. Only he and Ari . . . he froze for a second. Then panic seized him and he turned to face his grandson. Reaching inside his shirt, he brought out his handoru no ono and raised them in a defensive posture. A voice spoke, cold, ancient, quiet, yet so powerful that it hurt to hear. *MINE.* Thinking quickly, he tried to find the source of the attack. Godai wondered. A basic exorcism might work then, if performed quickly enough. Raising his handoru no ono and crossing them in front of him, he lifted his voice in an ancient chant. Nothing happened. Worse than nothing, he could feel it laughing, as if tickled by his attack. He couldn't sense Ari's mind anymore. He began again, this time with a more powerful attack. His hands trembled as the handoru no ono suddenly burst into flame. The fires burned fiercely, first red, then black, and finally a pure, white flame that burned without consuming. Finishing his chant he raised them above his head and attacked. A blazing beam of light shot forward and smashed into Ari. For a brief instant, the room was filled with a blinding light. His strike shattered in a multitude of directions. Then, darkness. Through barely opened eyes, Godai peered across the room. With a painful realization, he knew that it had failed as well. *FOOLISH.* Ari's arm slowly rose until his hand pointed straight at his grandfather. A red glow engulfed it as it began to trace a word of power. When it finished, a massive force smashed into Godai's chest and drove him back against the wall. A fierce pain began to build in his chest as the pressure did not stop. Finally, it was too much, and he screamed in pain. With his cry, a shiver went through Ari and then the pain stopped, instantly. Godai slumped to the floor. As the aching pains dimmed, he opened his eyes. Ari remained as he had been, frozen in place, but now a look of rage burned across his face. *No! I won't let you!* It was Ari's mind, lashing back at whatever was trying to use him. Wonder filled Godai's heart as he realized the power levels Ari was attaining in fighting back. It would have taken a whole subclan to generate that much power only a generation ago. He could feel the presence's astonishment and fright. Ari's body began to shake, every muscle struggling against its neighbor. The boy's mouth opened in a silent scream. Godai could feel the waves of pain that emanated from Ari and the invader. It lasted for a minor eternity, till finally, with a massive shudder of Ari's body, it stopped. After a long pause, the ancient voice spoke again, first to Ari and then to him. *As you wish, foci. But it will cost. Understand that, 'grandfather'? It will COST.* Abruptly he was alone in the room with Ari and the presence was gone. Like a marionette with its strings cut, Ari's body collapsed to the ground. ********** Miyu's eyes remained locked on the scene for a minute longer till she had seen enough. Turning to Larva, she buried her face against his chest. "It will cost him too much," she whispered sadly. Larva did not move, his gaze locked upon the scene within the room. Miyu looked up and then pushed back from him, startled. "Larva!" There, welling from the mask's eye, was a single blood-red drop. Slowly, it began roll down the mask. Reaching out, she caught it on her finger and stared at it. Shaking her head, she raised her hand to show him the red drop. "Larva . . . why?" Gently, he began to push the finger towards her mouth. Angrily she tried to pull back, but his gentle, insistent grip was unbreakable. He tapped her lips. She shook her head, but he grasped her chin and tugged. Surprised, she gasped, and he quickly placed the drop upon her tongue before she could close her mouth. A bitter, salty taste filled her mouth. It was a tear, she realized, not blood. And there was more. Remorse, shame, desire, sadness, horror, and heartache flooded her senses. "Larva!" She threw herself against him, wrapping her arms tightly around him, desperately trying to stop the feelings. No tears came to her eyes. It was a luxury she no longer had. She could still hurt inside, though, knowing this pain. But Larva pushed her away, turning her to face the window. He reached out his gloved hand and pointed at the young man on the floor. Larva's fist clenched tightly and then slowly uncurled. Upon his palm rested three more tears of blood. Gracefully, he tilted his hand and let them roll off to fall to the ground below. Hitting the ground, they disappeared into the earth with a twinkle of light. Larva stood suddenly, stretching a hand down to her. When she placed her hand in his, he pulled her up and wrapped his cloak about her. Stopping, then, for a second, he cast one last glance at the boy. Turning away, he bowed his head and stepped backwards into darkness, bearing her away. ********** She sat shivering on her bed, alone in her cold and dark room. She shouldn't have followed. What if he found out? What would he do? She couldn't stand his rejection or scorn, not yet. She hugged her knees, rocking back and forth. It was all too much, she couldn't think straight anymore. She closed her eyes and cried quietly, resting her head against the wall. A gentle tap came at her door. "Your friends are here, Jenny!" called her mother. She raised her head, wonderingly. Why would they have come to visit her now? She had been ignoring them for weeks . "Jenny, quit moping and open the door!" came Harimi's voice. She slowly got off the bed and straggled over to the door, opening it a crack to peer out. The sudden light blinded her temporarily, letting someone gently push the door open further and her out of the way. Her three friends swept into the room, turning the lights on, chatting and laughing, grabbing her by the hands and twirling her about in a dance. A small smile began to form, and then a small giggle as serious Naru-chan made a face at her. "My, you are one depressing person, Jenny!" cried Harimi, looking out from the closet. "There's not one new thing in here! How am I suppose to try on something new if you don't go shopping more?" Their warmth and love filled her, flowing over so generously, restoring her spirit. "Thank you, everyone." But guilt now overwhelmed her. "I . . . I'm sorry!" She couldn't say anymore, as tears began again and she covered her face with her hands. Karin gently drew her to the bed and sat her down, pulling a blanket around her shoulders. "It's ok, Jenny. We've known that something was wrong for the last few weeks." Naru-chan sat down on the other side and Harimi collapsed into a heap on the floor. Their faces were serious now, and they sat waiting. She didn't know where to start. So much had happened. *It's all right, Jenny, just start with that first day.* Aiya's gentle voice whispered in their minds. She was always there when they were together. Haltingly, Jenny began her story, starting from the moment she entered the classroom that day, the day he changed. She related feeling a strange, disturbing presence. She turned in surprise to see who was there. Reaching out inside, she could see it radiating like a star from across the room. It was coming from the new transfer student, a crippled boy who usually rode in a wheelchair. Today he sat in a regular chair behind his desk. He was talking excitedly with several other boys, laughing and joking. She reached out inside, trying to touch him, but she could find nothing there other than that constant presence, a gentle insistent pressure. Somewhere deep inside her, something began to respond. Dazed, she sat down at her desk, staring blindly ahead, trying to stop it, block it out. That was the first time . . . ********** In the present, two figures stand in darkness near a bedroom window, listening intently as a teenage boy's voice comes from inside. "Tar-Voronwe, heru ap Cair Andunak, Mellenorn, Ilu . . . Iluva . . . Iluvator." The voice pauses for a moment and then stiffly asks a question of the unseen listener in the room. "Please remind me again. Why exactly am I learning this stuff? I believe the comment you made was 'Win fights, get girls, and see the world while making tons of money', and this is definitely not one of those." ******************** Chapter 2 Start He waited patiently by the wall, waiting for her to pass by. Extending his field outwards, he felt the whisper of her presence at the edge, and that of her friend. Invoking the discipline of internal silence, he moved deeper into the shadows. She finally arrived, walking along slowly, a pensive look on her face. Her friend was gone, apparently turning off somewhere along the way. That was good, he didn't know if he would have had enough courage to say what he had to say if there had been some one else there besides her. She didn't notice him at all, and once she had moved past him he deliberately kicked the sidewalk to get her attention. She started, then slowly turned around. She looked a little scared, and then angry. She raised her hand and it began to glow brightly with energy as she began to edge backwards. "Hisada-san . . ." He called her name as he stepped forward. She took another step backwards, and began to turn away. "Wait!" He spread his arms wide, showing he meant no harm. She hesitated, uncertainty written across her face. "I need to talk to you, Hisada Jenny." It dawned upon him that he was still in the shadows and that she couldn't tell who he was. He took a step forward and blinked a little as the moonlight fell across his face. She blushed then, a little, as she realized who he was. "Ozawa-san! I couldn't tell it was you. What do you want?" But the worry didn't leave her eyes, and she looked unhappy to see him. "Please, I just need to talk to you, nothing else." He looked across the street to avoid staring directly at her. He wondered again if this was a good idea, but he had committed himself. Again, he tried to look directly at her, but his heart and body betrayed him and he glanced away again. He choked back the urge to laugh hysterically or kick something. The tension only got worse as he waited, torn between need and desire. "I, um, I . . ." He just couldn't say it straight out. "I've noticed you in class," he managed, finally. "You're very popular." She blushed even harder than she had before. Why was she blushing? His heart skipped a beat. Maybe she liked him. Cold cynicism crushed that hope mercilessly. All he was doing was embarrassing her by saying something so personal in a public place. Maybe he could ask her to go somewhere more private. Now he blushed a little. Baad idea. E'ani's impatience finally erupted. *Say what you came to say, you fool, but quit taking so long. You are wasting my time!* Ari startled in surprise at the sudden, loud voice in his mind. *Shut Up!* he screamed back mentally, but the interruption served its purpose. He began again. "Hisada-san, I wanted to say that . . . that I like you." There, he had said it, for all its brief agony. Now he had to know, and so he looked directly into her face. At first, she seemed a little surprised and shocked. Her eyes widened a little in disbelief and she started to say something, but stopped. She looked away for a minute. When she looked back, he could see a spark of anger in her eyes and her voice was harsh. "What about Mieko?" Then her blush deepened, and she looked slightly embarrassed, but he hardly noticed as he turned away in sudden confusion. What sort of question was that? "I . . . she . . . um." He was stammering now, desperately trying to find an answer. What did she mean? Worse than that, what did she know? A confused tide of emotion rolled over him and he found himself swimming in quicksand, struggling to find purchase or bearing. She was clenching her fists, and her shoulders hunched forward. That wasn't a good sign. His younger sister always did that when she was really, truly angry. Unconsciously seeking escape, he edged backwards towards the wall. She spoke again, still angry, but with a slight tremble in her voice. "How can you like me if you are always with her! I've seen both of you together, holding hands, kissing. Why?" He staggered backwards. Kissing? What was she talking about . . . A cold sensation of dread filled his stomach. She had seen him and Mieko when . . . when Mieko had been hungry. It must have been behind the temple today, he had thought he felt something or someone, but it had been too faint and he hadn't been in much condition to concentrate. He needed time to think. Desperately, grasping at straws, he replied with the first question that entered his head. "How would you know that? Have you been following us around?" His back bumped into the wall. It had all started out so well, gaining E'ani's strength and freeing Mieko-chan. But the moment had vanished two weeks ago, and now everything turned to ashes as he touched it. Bitterness gnawed at his stomach, and he felt the cold iciness of despair begin to creep up his limbs. He glanced back at Jenny, but she was no longer looking at him. She had paled at his accusation. Her face was ever so beautiful. He had always liked the way she blushed, a soft rosy color brushed across her soft white skin. She began to speak, softly, quickly, the embarrassment and despair she was feeling evident in her voice. "I just wanted to know what had happened. Why all of a sudden you could walk and why one of my friends was spending all her time with you and no longer talking to me or any of her other friends. I didn't mean to see anything . . . like that." Did she really see them behind the temple? He wouldn't have thought she would describe it as kissing if she had. He felt scared, and he could feel the blood draining from his face with fatigue as he hunched back against the wall. She closed her eyes briefly, and he could feel her trying to probe out towards someone. Reaching out himself to see who she was trying to reach, he ran into a barrier. Startled, he tried again, applying more force, trying to ram through it. It remained, unmoved. He looked back at her to see how she would react. Did she think he was creating it? He could see her begin to panic as she tried to get around the barrier. She opened her eyes, startled. He watched the color of her eyes swirl around with her emotions. Something seemed to snap inside her, finally, and she began to talk, quietly at first, but gradually rising in tone as she grew more and more agitated. "I can feel you in my mind. Whenever I am near you, I . . . I don't know how to describe it! You're inside my head. I didn't ask for it, I don't want it there!" She paused for a second, calming down a little. "It's not that it feels bad, I mean, your mind feels sort of comfortable and . . . and nice. I just wish it wasn't there all the time, nonstop." She frowned briefly, then looked back, her eyes trying to convince him of her sincerity. "I get a headache sometimes, I'm so afraid to think or feel anything too strong for fear you'll hear it somehow." All her frustration continued to pour out, now that she had started. "What happened between you and Mieko? I heard there was a fight and you beat Mendou up badly. And then I saw the two of you, and she was . . . was . . ." Ari flinched. She had seen it clearly! She just hadn't been able to say it outright. "And now I can't hear you at all, and I don't know why! Why is there a barrier? I can't call my friends! Please, just stop it, leave me alone!" She began to cry. Her words were arrows of pain, pinning him to the wall. When she finally stopped, he slumped to the ground, drawing his knees up against his chest and hiding his face against them. Reaching inside he let go, losing the barriers that had separated them. He too had feared that she would feel his emotions and hear his thoughts. He hated pain, in himself and others. He couldn't stand it. He felt a terrible need to be alone. He began to whisper aloud, just loud enough to draw strength and conviction for himself. "Please go away for a few minutes, E'ani. Leave me alone. I won't say your name, I won't betray you. Just leave me alone for a few minutes. Please." Grudgingly, he felt the shadow leaving, pulling away. As the power left, he could feel the dead weight of his body returning. Prices to pay, he knew that so well now. Always prices to pay. Looking up at her tear-stained face, he realized she was waiting for his response. *************** She huddled in darkness, silent. She felt cold, but the heat and need inside pulsed with a life of its own. *Soon,* the little voice whispered. Her Need always demanded, never asked. After the first few moments of terror as He defeated the enemy, the pain of hunger, the blood . . . She retreated inside the safe place again. Let the other take over. Her life was unbearable - if she could kill herself she would. *NEVER!* shrilled the ancient voice, *I will not be destroyed again!* The girl screamed briefly as pain lashed her. *Never think that, human, never! I will live and have my vengeance.* It changed tone, pleading with her in that soft, sweet voice, begging. *Please, why won't you understand? If you would only understand and accept, I wouldn't have to hurt you.* She could feel its aggravation. *Animals are so weak compared to my mighty D'nars. But he killed them all. I can still remember their death screams as his machines came for them.* The anger returned, its raging tones lashing at her soul. *NEVER AGAIN! I will destroy him! I will leave nothing but his core, and that I will torture for as long as I live.* Mieko flinched, and once again withdrew deep inside herself to the safe place she had made in her memories of childhood.. Like a marionette with its strings cut, her body collapsed on the bed. The shadow raving on, unaware. Mieko had tried, tried so hard to stay in control, but the need always returned, always took control, always made her do things she didn't want to. Mendou had awoken the need, but the Need had been too frightened of him, and so she had been left to deal with his petty cruelties and physical abuse by herself. It wouldn't let her leave, not till Ari had stepped in and driven Mendou away. She shuddered and whimpered as she felt it begin, the slow burning of deep, unsatisfied hunger. Not again, not so soon! She needed to sleep, but it never understood things like that. Yesterday had been the worst ever, sneaking out in the middle of the night to lie naked in the compost heap to satisfy one of Her cravings. Nausea lanced through her, and she curled up in agony. She couldn't fight anymore. Please, help me, someone please help me! she cried out silently in her mind. No one responded. No one ever did. Mechanically, she rose to her feet. She had to find him. Silent tears began to trickle down her cheeks as Need took control and began to call him to Herself as the body stumbled out of the room and towards the front door. ******************** Chapter 3 Start Miyu yawned politely behind her hand. Below the tree she sat in stood Ari and Jenny. She was bored. The halting conversation between the two teenagers was putting her to sleep. She drifted off into a recollection borrowed from Ari's memories of a much more interesting event from two weeks past. ********** Ari was definitely worried. He had spent the last twenty minutes of lunch looking for Mieko. She wasn't at her locker. She had missed her last class. None of her friends had seen her since early this morning. He debated swinging by the nurse's office to see if she had gone home sick. Deciding it wouldn't hurt to check, he started down the hallway. A younger girl came tearing around a corner and ran right into him, knocking herself down and him staggering backwards. Reaching out to steady himself against a wall, he recognized the smaller girl on the floor as Midori Izumi, a friend of Mieko's. He was about to yell at her when he saw the scared expression on her face. "Izumi-san, what's wrong?" "Mi . . . Mieko!" gasped Midori. Struggling to regain her breath, she tried again. "Mieko-san's in trouble!" "Trouble? Where is she?" Kneeling down, he grabbed Midori by the shoulders, shaking her gently but insistently. "Where is she? What is wrong?" Still a little dazed, Midori stared at him blankly for a minute before his question registered. "She's behind the gym. Mendou-san has her . . ." She trailed off as she realized that Ari was no longer there, gone in the blink of an eye. "No, we need to get a teacher!" Startled, she stared wildly around, but he had vanished without a trace. Borrowing from E'ani's vast reservoir gave him the energy he needed. Power sang through his blood as he moved between dimensions and slid towards his destination. Those last three words he had heard repeated again and again in his mind, feeding his fear and rage. It was Mendou, again. Rematerializing beside the gym, he cautiously looked around the corner. First he saw Hiero, facing away from him, arrogantly leaning forward. And then, beyond that monster, he saw Mieko, trembling, her back against the wall. Mendou was pushing her chin up with one hand, the other trying to force her against him. Mieko cried out and tried to jerk her head free. Laughing, Hiero pulled her in tighter, forcing her chin up further. "You still want me, don't you, pretty girl?" he jeered. Licking his lips, he brought his head down to kiss her. Something inside of Ari snapped. A scream of rage filled the air as his battle aura flared into life. "NO!" he howled, leaping around the corner. Hiero spun around, a startled look on his face. Ari raised his hand and unleashed a blast of red energy that engulfed the larger boy, knocking him away from Mieko. For a second, Ari was blinded by the bright flare of light. As his sight returned, he stepped back in astonishment. A blue aura now surrounded Mendou. Ari's attack wasn't touching him. Damn, Ari growled to himself, he's a foci. I'd better finish fast before E'ani shows up and starts panicking. He opened the channel wider, shaking slightly as the energy passing through his body increased ten-fold. Still Hiero stood, untouched and unhurt. He smirked. "Nice try, lover boy. Keep it up. Just let it all out." He threw his head back and laughed as a startled Ari stopped his attack. "Here, try this on for size," Mendou said with a grin. Without further warning a bright star formed between his hands and shot through the air towards Ari. Ari pivoted to one side, but the sphere changed course to follow his movement, moving too fast for him to dodge again. He screamed in agony as a wave of blue fire engulfed him from head to toe. The grass beneath his feet began to smolder. The air around him was so hot he couldn't breath. Doubling over in agony, he finally managed to summon enough control to teleport a short distance away, leaving the flames behind. He crouched on the ground, panting. This wasn't working. "I pity weaklings like you," Mendou sneered. He paused dramatically, throwing his arms wide flamboyantly. "Ready to die?" he asked as he closed the distance between them rapidly. Grabbing Ari by the hair, he lifted him up until the smaller boy's feet dangled above the ground. "Considering you tried so hard, I will be sure to make this hurt as much as possible." Ari screamed as a terrible pulling sensation began at the top of his head. He could feel all the blood in his body flowing upwards, and his heart spasmed once and then stopped beating. His energy was being rapidly drained, and he couldn't stop it. He continued to scream as his body began to age rapidly as his physical vitality was leeched out along with the energy. His hair slowly turned white and a haze of dust created by his dying skin surrounded him. It was then that E'ani finally arrived in his head. *Fool! ENOUGH.* The pain stopped, though the power continued to flow out. *Foci, what have you done? I give you the freedom of being alone and this is the result.* E'ani paused, and Ari could sense him probing the other foci. *Ah. The Other is not fully awake in this one. You would have died before I got here if He was. This time I will be able to rescue you. Perhaps not next time. Think about that, eh?* Fighting to remain conscious, it was all Ari could do to respond. *No! This is my fight! She's my friend, and I have to protect her!* His mind weakened, and one last thought flickered through. *This is my problem, not yours.* E'ani considered it briefly. *In the interest of peaceful coexistence, you may try one more time, foci, but only once more.* Ari felt the shadow's presence withdraw, but E'ani left him with one last gift, the intense pain did not resume. Free at least from it's crippling effects, he could now concentrate well enough to redirect his remaining energy into his legs. He brought his knee up as hard as he could into Mendou's crotch. The older boy doubled over, clutching his privates with both hands and letting go of Ari. Ten years of practice took over as Ari's feet hit the ground. Without losing momentum or balance, he swiveled around on one foot bringing the other up in a smooth arc to connect with Mendou's chin with tremendous force. Hiero flew backwards, slamming in to a tree trunk. For a second he remained standing, then his eyes rolled back in his head and he collapsed to the ground. Ari was almost doubled over as well, and gasping for air. He finally managed to speak. "You beat me up once before, Mendou. You wouldn't remember, of course, we were little kids at the time, but I do. And I've spent ten years preparing." Closing his eyes, he concentrated on his body, scanning to find where it was damaged. Everything hurt, all over, there wasn't one part of him that didn't feel some sort of pain. He concentrated again, drawing energy from E'ani, recharging his own core. With the slow patience required for healing, he carefully converted more and more energy back through his bloodstream and into his body, reversing the effects of Mendou's drain. Hiero stirred and groaned, but there was nothing Ari could do until he finished fixing himself. Moving too soon would leave him permanently damaged. He grimaced as muscles spasmed and flesh stretched, writhing under his skin. Finally, he was done. Straightening up, he saw Hiero had returned to his feet, weaving a little, still in shock from smacking into the tree. Hiero tripped on a root and collapsed to the ground, still desperately trying to shake off the shock that fogged his brain. He braced against the tree and levered himself upright, his back against the trunk. He tried to move sideways as Ari began to stalk towards him, but unfortunately he forgot about the tree root and almost fell again as he stumbled over it. Ari lashed out with a kick to the side, knocking Hiero away from the tree. He staggered sideways a few steps, then turned to face Ari once again. He smirked confidently as he deflected Ari's next attack, his equilibrium and balance finally returning to normal. "You're still alive, eh?" Hiero mused, staring intently at Ari. "Let's make an end of it, then." A tight beam of blue energy lanced out from his hands, impaling Ari through the chest. Ari staggered back a step, then pushed back with his own protective aura, deflecting the beam into the ground. The gaping hole in his chest slowly closed as his body regenerated from the damage done it. Hiero blanched slightly. It had begun to dawn on him that Ari's powers might far exceeded his, and he glanced around frantically for a way to escape. A scream ripped from Ari's throat as he launched himself again at his hated opponent. Just enough warning for Hiero, who brought his arms up to protect himself, generating an intense blue field between them. Ari slammed into the hastily raised shield and bounced back in a shower of sparks. He smashed at Hiero with a backhand slash. Energy crackled off Hiero's shield. It was no longer strong enough to withstand the combination of physical blows and psychic energy attacks, and Ari's onslaught began to get through, resulting in a series of bloody slashes and burn marks down Hiero's raised arms. Screaming in rage, Ari twisted through a reverse kick, smashing Hiero further away from where Mieko had collapsed at the base of the wall. She was clutching her ripped shirt together, and she shivered repeatedly. Ari stopped as her eyes caught his. For a brief second time stopped as her eyes drew him into their depths and a darkness engulfed his soul. He took a deep breath of air, shaking his head to clear the cobwebs. A blast of energy from Hiero knocked him down and brought him back to his senses. He glared at Hiero, and with a scream he hurled himself back into battle. Repeatedly, now, Ari lashed out, driving Hiero back, more scratches and burns appearing with every strike. Hatred burned within his heart, and though each blow brought some measure of release, there was little satisfaction in the pain inflicted. Finally, he had had enough, and he pulled his fist back for one last, final blow. "Ter'animus, save me!" Hiero screamed as Ari's fist smashed through his weakened shield. Time slowed as the fist moved with agonizing slowness towards his head. No, it can't end this way, he whimpered in his mind as he fought to bring an arm ever so slowly up to block a blow he knew would kill him if it got through. For a split second Hiero was still there, then with a slight pop of imploding air he vanished. Ari's fist slammed into the ground with a massive discharge of energy, leaving a small crater and a large area of burned grass. ********** There was a sudden silence. Midori ran as fast as she could. She had heard the screams and blows and cries of agony. She berated herself for telling Ari, she should have known better. Almost at the corner, she paused, and then started in terror as a howl of rage ripped through the air. "nnnNNNOOOOOO!!! Come back, you coward! You're not supposed to get away, you're suppose to die! uuUAAHHHHH!" Peeking around the corner, she could see Ari, surrounded by a glowing red aura, raging at an empty burnt spot on the ground. Glancing past him, she spotted Mieko struggling to rise from where she had been sitting against the wall. Her shirt had been ripped down the front and her bra twisted to one side. One hand was cupped gently over an exposed breast while the other pushed against the wall. It was her eyes that bothered Midori the most. There was something wild about them, something that gave Midori a funny feeling inside . . . ********** He felt the presence of another foci nearby. Turning to face the new danger, he screamed in rage at the sight of an enemy standing by the corner of the building. He shook his head as something began to itch at the back of his brain. He would destroy them all! His uneasiness did not go away, though, and a sudden sharp stabbing pain brought reason flooding back into his mind. With one last growl, he let the battle rage die out. It was only Midori, staring at him in shock. There was something he was forgetting, a thought floating just out of reach in the back of his mind, but he couldn't remember what it was. A cool hand slipped under his shirt and pressed against his back. He went rigid as his senses were suddenly overwhelmed and burning. He was consumed by a feeling so strong it temporarily blinded him as he tried to arc away from that hand. Breaking free, he twisted about to face this new attack. He stared in shock at the girl standing there. He glanced down, and then back up again quickly, blushing. "Mie. . . Mieko! Are you ok?" he stammered, carefully looking straight down at his feet, nervously backing away and rubbing at his arm. When he finally looked back up, her eyes caught his. The fierce passion in them held him frozen in place, like a rabbit caught in the headlights of a car. His mouth was suddenly very dry, and he swallowed convulsively. Her lips parted ever so slightly, and he could hear her breathing, small gasps that left him dizzy. She smiled at him, finally, and raised her hands up in supplication, eloquently and silently begging him to place his hands in hers. He closed his eyes and turned his head away, too tired to move. Something was very wrong, and she was definitely not the Mieko he thought he knew, but he couldn't figure it out. He shuddered as raw desire burned through his body and mind, leaving him completely shaken and unable to control his most basic physical and mental reactions. He took a half step forward, and she moved as well. Her arms reached out to embrace him, but with a wail of anguish he wrenched away from her, turning around and almost falling, coordination gone as he tried to flee but couldn't. E'ani began to wail inside his head as the girl continued to move closer. The only coherent thought Ari could make out was for Ari to run, to keep the Other away. The shadow's fear almost drove him mad, radiating from their shared core in terrifying waves as E'ani struggled with and against him to regain control of their mutual body. He again tried to move away from her, but only managed a few steps before the internal fire obliterated the last of the restraints he had thrown up to stop it. It wasn't just that feeling, the particular one every teenage boy discovers when a pretty girl smiles and moves closer. It was twisted and different, more intense and disorientating, and so powerful that it simply flowed over every barrier he threw in its way like a tidal wave. Finally he stopped moving, desperately trying to clear his head enough to think. He lost control complete as arms embraced him from behind, and his knees began to buckle as he felt her body pressing against his. In his mind E'ani was now screaming in sheer terror. Ari's eyes snapped open and he desperately gasped for air. Her hands slipped under his shirt, moving across his body, seeking. He froze, unable to react. She slowly moved around his body, opening his shirt and running her hands across his bare skin. It was too much, and his muscles spasmed once then again froze in place. There was only a blank spot in his mind where E'ani had been. Pushing his shirt down to bare one shoulder, she tugged at him, insistently, pulling him down to her level. Her small hand touched his throat, then slid down his body to rest against his side. She stretched up to press her lips against his, and then proceeded to place a series of small kisses down his neck. Her lips whispered across his skin till she reached the hollow where neck and shoulder met. A sharp pain lanced through his chest as her teeth pierced his skin. His eyes glazed over as the intense feeling shifted from pain to pleasure. The pressure on his mind mounted, leaving him precariously balanced between consciousness and the darkness of oblivion. She began to hum, her lips vibrating gently against his skin. His head fell back as ecstasy overwhelmed him. A coldness began to seep into his bones, and the deep power of his recharged core flowed out of him and into that delicate little mouth pressed against his skin. The fire within continued to burn unabated as the girl's body moved against his. The touch made his heart beat faster and his blood surge, pulsing out of his body rapidly. Some small instinctive part of his soul continued to draw on E'ani's power, replacing blood and energy as fast as possible, desperately trying to keep him alive. After a time had passed and his body continued to weaken, he found he was finally able to think clearly and move a little. Weakly lifting one hand, he gently placed it on her shoulder, shaking her ever so slightly to get her attention. "Please . . . stop, Mieko. I don't think I can give you anymore. Please!" he whispered, drawing breath raggedly to keep from passing out. She gave a little sigh, and with a lick of her tongue and a sweet kiss of her mouth let go of his shoulder. His arms reflexively caught her as she collapsed against him. "Why, Mieko?" he wondered aloud, "What are you?" There was no response. Looking down, he found she was fast asleep in his arms. He felt Midori's eyes on them, then, and turned toward her, beseechingly looking for help. ********** In the present, Miyu shuddered slightly, delicately licking her lips. She could still remember, watching, also trembling as the other fed. And now, she tried to separate the two of them, to find out who and what they were, the ones hiding within the two young bodies. Miyu had used all her skill and power to hide Ari from Mieko, but somehow the girl was still able to find him. She had entered the park and headed straight across it towards the spot where Ari and Jenny stood talking. Larva observed from the shadows behind her in the tree. He shifted abruptly, as if bothered by some small insect. He gave a small sigh and then touched his cheek briefly before faded away, vanishing into the shadow of a tree limb, leaving Miyu to her own devices for a time. ********** Mieko stumbled as she stepped on yet another rock. There had been no time at all, not even to put on shoes. So far she had been lucky, since her pajamas looked enough like one of the newer fads that people paid no attention and no one appeared to have noticed that she was wearing house slippers. But these weren't thick enough to protect her feet from the rough ground, and Tel's need now dragged her through a park. She cried out a little as she stepped on a broken branch and then almost tripped as part of it snagged her pajama leg. Where was Ari? Couldn't he hear Her calling him? She slipped on some wet grass and sat down abruptly. Sobbing now, bruised, cold and scared, she panicked. Struggling to regain her feet, she began to run forward blindly. A wall loomed ahead, blocking her path. She took a step towards it and something pushed back, stopping her. She started to move to one side, but Tel stopped her. *I can feel him now! He's straight ahead!* Tel's power flared briefly and Mieko could sense the barrier weakening, finally allowing her push through. Now she too could feel him, a warm, intoxicating presence, like gentle sunshine. Tel was frantic, the small energy use having drained her available power. *Climb over, I need him right now!* she demanded. The wall was too high, and there was nothing she could use to climb over it. *I can't. You find a way over, Tel. And he's talking to someone on the other side, I can hear them.* She was too tired to make out what was being said, and the wall damped out most of it, anyway. *Call him! I can't reach his mind, something is still blocking me.* With a sad weariness, she called his name. "Ozawa-san?" There was a sudden silence from the other side. She pressed her face and hands against the cool bricks of the wall. A wave of nausea clenched her stomach, and she retched silently. When it finally stopped, she called his name again. "Ari-kun." Her voice dropped to a whisper, muffled againt the wall. "I'm sorry . . . please!" ********** He stopped moving at her voice. No! He hadn't had a chance to tell Jenny everything he wanted to tell her. He glanced back at Jenny with a growing dread. There was a determined look on her face. Oh, no, she wouldn't, she couldn't, he told himself. "Where is she?" Jenny asked. He shrugged wearily and pointed at the wall. "I imagine she came looking for me again. Somehow she always knows where I am." Using E'ani's power, he reached out and gently lifted Mieko up and over the wall, carefully lowering her to the ground next to him. "Ari-kun, I'm sorry. She's hungry. Please, Ari!" Mieko looked at him with those large, pleading eyes, standing there in her pajamas. He could see that she was trembling slightly, but she came no closer. She had sworn to never let Her touch him if he refused, but he couldn't. He had seen how Tel punished Mieko for that declaration, and the subtle demonstration of Her ability to inflict pain on his childhood friend was not wasted on him. He sighed and began to unbutton his shirt. "Hisada-san, would you please leave? I would rather you didn't see this." He took his jacket and shirt off. "It's not her fault, she hates it more than I do. Come here, Mieko, let's take care of Her Highness." Mieko continued to stare into his eyes for a moment longer, looking for what he knew not, then with a little cry she flew into his arms. "I'm sorry, Ari. She . . . she . . ." For a brief second longer she was still his Mieko, and then the other was there. "Hello, lover," she purred. Her arms wrapped around his neck and pulled him down. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Jenny hadn't left yet. "Please leave, Hisada-san," he pleaded. He could feel Mieko's lips on his skin, slowly moving back and forth, a little touch of tongue here and there, tasting. He shuddered as she moved against him, and then he closed his eyes as he felt the slight suction as she found her favorite spot. "What's wrong with her?" Jenny whispered. His eyes snapped open in shock. She hadn't left. She had moved closer, trying to see what Mieko was doing. He almost laughed. Of course, he asked her to leave, so she remained and asked questions. "I don't know. Well, I'm not completely sure. I have . . ." and he winced as Mieko finally bit, " . . . my suspicions. She's not alone, there's something else there, but whatever it is, it's hunger is making her do this." He closed his eyes again, and the pain increased and increased until it became a pure brightness in his mind, so intense he felt disconnected from the rest of himself. Mieko was now floating a few inches above the ground, and she was humming to herself, the same strange tune she hummed every time. Her hands pressed against his chest, and her eyes sparkled languidly, half closed with pleasure. If he ever found a way to kill it without hurting her, he would. He could feel the tug of that little mouth on his shoulder all the way down to the core of his being. Pain and pleasure washed over his soul. Weariness slowly began to replace them as he felt the energy and vitality flowing out of him, slowly draining him dry. But never quite all the way. Somehow he always managed to regenerate himself just enough, using E'ani's enormous pool of energy to bring himself back from the edge. ********** Miyu leaned back against the tree above, her eyes closed. Her body is shivering continuously. It's been too long since she last fed. Her mouth opens slightly, her small fangs bared. Something warm presses against her lips and she bites instinctively, greedily sucking blood from the wrist pressed against her mouth. When her eyes open she almost chokes as she realizes who she is drinking from. Her head turns slightly, and her eyes lock with his, hidden behind his mask. She remembers the first time she met him, and the first time he let her do this to him. Convulsively she swallows and then begins to drink again, shuddering as her need overwhelms her. There is only pain on her face, though, and her eyes are cold with anger at his presumption. Though she feeds eagerly, her whole body speaks of her disdain for his offering. Inside the mask, hidden from everyone, the one called Larvae shudders. For him it is no sacrifice to thus provide for her. A part of him longs for the day when their dark task is finally done, returning the last of the lost ones to the waiting darkness. Then and only then would he be freed, just as she would be. Then and only then would he be able put his arms around her, pulling her to him to gently kiss those tender lips, no mask to separate them. He would tell her all he wanted so desperately now to tell her, and then he would lose himself once and for all in the depths of her eyes. Tears flow behind his mask as he watches her feed. Someday I will make you whole, he promises silently, but for now I will cry for both of us, since you cannot. ********** Grey shapes float high above the scene, gently probing those gathered below. They are those sent to watch, but now they shimmer and disappear with a ripple of their powerful flukes. Time begins to blur by them, flowing backwards past their sleek forms and the veils of the past part before them as they find the one they seek . . . The sky blazes with fire as a piece of the sun falls from the sky. A man peers up through the trees. On a sudden, unknown impulse, he stands and begins to run in the direction it will land. He travels for more than an hour, till he can smell burning grass and the trees begin to thin, revealing a huge plain ahead. Pausing at the edge, hiding behind some bushes, he peers out in curiosity at the bright, shiny rock that rests in a large blackened area of ground. A sudden whining noise makes him duck, and he wants to run, but he can no longer control his body. His body stands up and his head turns to look directly at the strange object. A hole slowly begins to open in one side . . . Something inside of him screams in anger as people-like shapes begin to emerge from the shiny rock. He tries to turn, to run, to hide, but that Something inside makes him walk toward them. His hands tingle. He can just barely see them out of the corners of his eyes. The man's mind writhes in horror as he sees fire engulfing his hands. His arms raise up and now his hands point straight at the large, shiny rock. With a shrieking roar, the fire on his hands flares out towards the rock and there is a large explosion. A chunk of the rock flies off and it tilts to one side. One of the figures standing outside raises its hand and . . . The watchers flee forward through time. Sleek bodies playfully bump against one another as blunt noses pierce through time, returning them to the present. An Old One had told them to go, to find one more piece of the puzzle. There was nothing more to learn there, though, and they surge forward through time to return to their beloved cradle, the sea. Every little stray bit of memory added, slowly but surely, to the total the Ancient was piecing together as his children gathered the parts of the mystery, bit by bit . . . ******************** End Chapter 3 C&C much appreciated. Fight scenes are hard! I can see what I want in my head, but the description in words - never adequate, always too verbose or to simple. Grrrrr. Oh, author's note - Ari is a cripple since birth, so how the heck does he spend the last 10 years training in martial arts? All those powers he was born with (oops, I don't think I've mentioned those in the story yet, have I? A-ha-ha-ha, well, I'll leave it, I think he gets around to explaining it partially in about two chapters, or maybe the next) allow him to move his body, but he can only manage this for about an hour a day (more and he burns himself out and gets to spend some serious time in a coma recuperating). Fortunately, this allowed him to train himself physically, building some muscle tone but more importantly allowing him to ingrain the moves mentally. This is why he really, really likes having E'ani around, no matter how much it complicates his life - he now has enough power to draw on to move his body all the time. Salute! Charles K. Hurst - ImageNation Corp. Wage Slave/Employee - RPI graduate-MechE Chocolate and Anime Forever! 1 year, 2 months a fan and counting. MI = eps. 96 MB = eps. 76 - 0/0 episodes each to utter boredom or Fushigi! FY = eps. 24 Escaflowne = eps. 13 - ?/? to my next bout of depression. ^ ^ Well, this is just a little bit lemony, but enjoy. And there are very good reasons why it happens, but they won't come out til much later in the main story (or maybe in Chapter 4, heck, I don't know). Ari Side Story 1 Amai Mondai no Kisu The Sweet Problem of a Kiss **)(** Ne-chan snuggled in Ari's lap, leaning back against him and resting her head against his chest. She was listening to his heartbeat. She had told him once, when he asked, that she always did. Ever since their parents' deaths 8 years ago, she had crawled up into his lap to cry or simply hold onto him. She had only been 5 when they had died in the car wreck. He had been 8. He remembered sitting in his wheelchair with two wailing children clinging to him after Grandfather had gently told them they would never see their parents again. After a few years she had mostly outgrown it and his lap, but every once and a while she would track him down on a gentle evening and once again sit quietly in his lap, her arms wrapped tightly around him, listening to his heart beat. He knew it was the fear that he too would disappear from her life and leave her all alone. When she had been three, she had gotten separated from everyone on a family outing and had been lost for two days before being found. She had been discovered wrapped up in a small ball under a tree, cold and shivering. It had taken two weeks for her to stop desperately clinging to one family member or another at all times, and several months before she could be enticed to go outside and play. She stirred in his lap, and tilted her head back to look up at him. He had called her Ne-chan since she was little, though her real name was Meiko. She acted and looked like a cat at times, and he teased her often these days about it, accusing her of grooming in front of the mirror in the morning or napping in the sun in the afternoon. He had even gone as far as pouring a bowl of cream for her one morning, but she let him know in her quiet way that calling her Ne-chan was all she would stand for. Now that she was in junior high school, using that name in public earned him a withering glare and a cold shoulder for days afterwards. She didn't cry often, but when she did, it was most often while sitting in his lap. Those tears were one of the most wonderful things about being an older brother, and one of the most terrible. He always felt utterly helpless when she cried softly on his shoulder. Though he had oftened tried, she never wanted words of comfort or solutions or jokes to cheer her up, just someone to hold onto. She smiled at him, and reached up to touch his cheek. "Oniichan, have you ever . . ." and she paused, blushing a little, "ever kissed a girl?" He began to panic inside. Where did she get these questions? And she could always tell when he was being evasive or not telling the truth, it was her strongest gift, something their mother had been able to do, so he couldn't make something up to avoid the question. He could feel his face heating up and he shifted uncomfortably in the chair. "Why do you want to know?" he finally asked, escaping with a question. She continued to look at him, unblinking like a cat, but as he watched he could see her large expressive eyes widen slightly. "Oh, just curious. Some of my friends at school have been wondering what it is like to kiss someone. I was deputized to find out what you knew about the subject. They felt a cute older brother would know all about it." She looked at him expectantly. He blushed again. He did not need a bunch of giggling 13-year olds talking about his love life or lack of one, as the case was. "No, I haven't yet." "Really? What about Mieko-san? I know you like her. You've really never kissed a girl before?" She sat up, placing her hands on his shoulders. He stared back, helplessly. It's not fair, he told himself for the millionth time. Mother should have been here to answer these questions. The place where she had been inside still ached. It had never stopped, though it helped to hold Ne-chan or play with Kuriko, his other sister. She was 10, and already big enough to knock the breath out of him when she jumped on him and tried to flip his wheelchair onto its back. He sighed and smiled at her, tilting his head to one side. "Really, I haven't." "Wouldn't you like to?" she asked, wrapping her arms around his neck and moving closer till there was only a few inches between their faces. He could feel her breath lightly on his cheek. She tilted her head so she could look directly into his eyes again. "Yes, of course I'd like to, but it just hasn't happened yet." She tilted her head back and closed her eyes. She leaned into him and pressed her lips against his. Startled, he tried to move his head back, but her arms around his neck held him in place. Her lips were soft against his, kindling a passion within that left him terrified. His lungs demanded air, but he dared not open his lips. He felt her mouth move, and hoping she was stopping opened his to get a breath of air. He gasped and froze as a small wet tongue touched his lips. Oh, no, Ne-chan, please don't, his mind cried as his body responded. He lifted his arms up and placed one on each side of her head, gently trying to push her away. She resisted fiercely, pushing her mouth hard against his, breathing in as he breathed out. Finally, seizing upon a weakness of hers, he pulled her shirt lose. Baring her sides, he tickled her gently just below the ribs. It proved to much for her, and she broke free from him, laughing helplessly, though her eyes still accused him of his crime. He leaned his head back, taking in long breathes of air. He could still feel her lips on his and her tongue in his mouth. He shifted again, desperate to hide his discomfort. A part of his mind was sick at the feelings coming from the rest of his body and soul. She was his sister. "Ne-chan, don't do that again. Please." She stared at him a moment longer, her eyes unreadable and dark. Finally she blinked, looked away and then back, grinning at him. "Akiko said to try that. She didn't think I would, so she dared me to." Relief washed over him and he relaxed. Thank you, God, she wasn't serious. He grinned back and touched her nose with one finger. "You shouldn't do everything your friends dare you to do, Neko-chan." She smiled and hugged him briefly, then rose to her feet, extracting herself from his lap. Bowing gracefully, the slim girl let her hair swirl down around her face. "Domo Arigato, Oniisama," she whispered, then twirled and ran from the room, laughing as she went. Behind her, alone again, Ari reached up to touch his lips briefly, pressing the back of his hand against them. A faint tinge of fire responded. "Traitorous self," he whispered to himself. He slapped himself in the face hard. "Forget it, it was just a joke." But the taste of her lingered, and his heart still beat a little faster. Sighing, he turned to look out the window. Spring had ended, and the promise of summer's full bloom shimmered in the air. It wasn't until the next morning that he awoke in a heart-stopping panic as he remembered the curse. **()** No, this isn't some sicko twisted bit of story writing. No, I have never kissed my sister. No, I have never thought about it. Yuck! But when I go to bed at night to that other place and to the other me, sometimes things are different and stories linger. I think this will actually work into the story, since its spawning a new thread and a possible resolution. Which is to say, it will probably make a lot more sense once I have written a lot more of the main story. The title is my attempt at translating "A Sweet Kiss's Problem" or "The Sweet Problem of a Kiss" into Japanese. Originally I wanted to call it "The Curse of a Sweet Kiss", but my Japanese/English dictionary is missing an number of interesting words, which just happens to include "curse", so that was out. I think the current title works well, though. Thank you for taking the time to read. C&C much appreciated! Thanks goes to skywise, who has given me some helpful advise on the wording in part of this story. Subject: [FFML] [Fanfic] Ari Side Story 2 [Orig/Miyu] Much thanks to Windlilly and skywise for their valuable C&C. All legal rights to Vampire Princess Miyu and related elements belong to the original writer, Kakinouchi Narumi. This is a side story explaining certain background elements (see Author's notes at end for more detailed explanation)for an ongoing fanfiction, Ari, where Miyu and Larva are observers. Larva's Pain Ari Side Story 2 by Charles Hurst I am Larva and I am bound to Miyu, the one chosen by the ancients to keep the way between the darkness and this world sealed. Before this tale, my mask came off quite easily. I could smile at Miyu and talk to her as I willed. But the death of Remlas cast a dark shadow over all of this. My eyes never left her, even as Remlas passed away into the darkness in pain and suffering. I had given myself to her, and nothing else mattered. If only . . . No. 'If Onlys' can't change what happened, and they won't bring back what was. The clan's retribution for Remlas and my original crime took a long time to happen, but was sure and by their standards, just, when it finally did. Time has little meaning for shinma, but the day came when I awoke to find my brothers around me and the Dark Portal waiting. I tried to get away, but I couldn't use my full strength for fear of hurting them. I cried out, begging them to let me go, but they only looked away, sadness in their eyes, as they dragged me, chained and Sealed, to the Portal. As they pushed me through, I felt myself pulled away, back to the place I had left long ago with better intentions. I blinked my eyes to clear the tears as I emerged into the brilliantly lit room. My parents and old friends moved to surround me as I stood before the assembled clan. I had never felt such fear or certainty in this place of judgment. The elders whispered softly of my sin, my arrogance and my suicide. They spoke of Remlas. Their voices dropped lower in fear, and they spoke of Her. At long last, they rendered judgment. Placing their masks of duty upon their faces, they rose to stand before me. "Larva, never-was, unborn, enemy." That I had expected, but they continued. "Masked and silent forever, her freedom is yours." I collapsed to my knees on the cold floor as the words sank in. My name removed from the clan and all records of my existence destroyed. The erasure of the memory of all who had ever known me. The bond of mother and child to be severed, my mother to never again know my face. To be known only as a sworn enemy of the people, to be destroyed on sight. These I had expected and had thought bearable, despite their severity. I had been a fool to think that way, but at the time I had felt it was true. But the last two were unexpected and horrifying. The mask of duty was not assumed lightly, and while it increased its wearer's abilities in many ways, it stifled the soul and made everything dim and detached. And in all the hundreds of years of clan history, only one other had been silenced, and he took his own life shortly thereafter, unable to cope, to survive. These two I might have been able to bear, somehow, but the last destroyed all hope. I could only stare numbly ahead, my eyes unseeing. And then Elena appeared before me, holding my mask in her hands. I tried to leap to my feet and flee, but my father and brothers held me in place, pulling my arms back and pinning my legs to the ground. I could only howl my defiance as she pressed the mask against my face, and my outcry became a scream of agony as my very essence burned as it meshed with the substance of my imprisonment. With one final burst of pain my voice was silenced, and only a faint echo was left to linger a second longer in the cold room. Elena, she who had once been my betrothed, leaned close and whispered in my ear. She was as beautiful as the day I first met her. And as cold. "There's one other way to be free, Beloved." She smiled and pulled away enough to take my face into her hands, gently stroking the emotionless white mask that hid it. She stared into my eyes and once again I saw the sickness in their depths, the desire to maim and kill others. That mad lust of hers had destroyed what feelings I had for her, and had led me to take one mission after another in an attempt to keep as far away as possible. She shivered and her eyes widened slightly as her breath became ragged. "Kill Her." Her eyes held mine for a moment longer and then she began to laugh in that terrible, insane fashion. She rose to her feet in one graceful motion and spun around to disappear back into the crowd. Her laughter echoed in my head long after she had gone. Slowly, one by one, those standing around me left. When the room had emptied of all but what had once been my family, my brothers and father released me and left as well. Only my mother remained. She stared at the ground for a long time without moving, then with one, last quick glance, fled. I thought I heard her choke back a sob, but perhaps it was just my fevered imagination. I could bear it no longer, and in the insanity of the ensuing moments tried repeatedly to smash the mask on the stone floor. My ears began to ring and I tasted blood in my mouth, but the mask remained unbroken. The pain finally restored me to myself, and I lay on the ground and stared at the ceiling far above, lost in thought. Something inside had broken, something I hadn't realized I had until I met Miyu. My heart. Miyu. The only one left who knew my real name. The only one left who cared whether I existed or not. My limbs had begun to ache terribly from the cold. Finding strength in the thought of Miyu needing me, I dragged myself over to the portal. I lost my balance as I stood to step through and fell forward out of control. I arrived on the other side in a heap on the ground, dazed and past caring what happened next. I lay in the darkness for a long time before Miyu found me. Even now, I feel the urge to echo Elena's insane laugh as I continue to realize the full weight of that terrible punishment. Miyu didn't understood at first. She tried to pull the mask off repeatedly. When she realized that it was now a permanent part of me, her eyes filled with tears and she turned away. I had only seen her this disturbed once before, when she had found Kaoru's double and had been forced to kill him. I was to blame for this pain. My love had brought nothing but grief to her young life. All I had to do was seal her as a child as I had been commanded to do, and none of this would have happened. But every time I tried, I would look into her eyes and lose myself all over again, and forget everything but her. When she discovered that I no longer spoke to her, she ran away. It took me several agonizing weeks to find her. She was in a junior high school, as usual, pretending to be a normal girl, laughing with her new friends. She continued that pretense for a month, ignoring my presence until she could stand her loneliness no longer. She turned and stared at me for the longest time, then gave a small cry and fled into my arms to bury her face against my chest. She couldn't cry on the outside, but I could feel her tears soaking through my shirt. She didn't speak at first, and just held on to me fiercely as her whole being trembled. I tried, Oh, God, how I tried to say something to soothe away her pain. At first she thought that I was silent because I was angry with her. She begged my forgiveness and pleaded for just a word or two. Then she grew angry and demanded that I forgive her. Finally, furious at my continued silence, she tried to use her power over me to force me to talk. I tried. She put her hand against my throat and felt the muscles straining to move as I lay on the ground in convulsions as two unbearable forces shredded my soul between them. She frantically commanded me to stop, then, to never speak to her again if it would cause me such pain. I . . . I couldn't tell her! I tried everything! Attempts at writing came out as utter nonsense on paper. I tried signing, but my fingers would spasm and twist as the muscles knotted up. I cried behind my mask, but she couldn't see the tears, only the bloody stains upon my mask which she did not understand. Sometimes, when the pain becomes to great to bear, I have to be away from her for a while. But I always return. She's my only joy, my fate, my doom, the girl-woman I gave all I held dear for. I love her and I cannot permit her to go with me into the darkness forever. And she would try to go with me if she knew. Her freedom is my final punishment, for I cannot stop our meshed destiny, nor turn back the hands of time. Don't cry for me, for I am what I am. The dark calls. I feel its gentle caress as it sighs my name and I know that I am doomed to wander in it for all eternity. Be happy that I have had one brief moment of joy, that I was able to experience true love once in my miserable existence. Soon they will have all been sent back, and then I too will join with them, my brothers and sisters, my mother and father. For it is Miyu's destiny is to return all the wandering shinma to the dark. And I . . . am a shinma. Fin Author's notes: Kaoru was a boy Miyu grew up with when she was human and she fell in love with him right before she discovered she was a vampire. His fate I do not know, but in a later story, she finds a boy that looks just like him. A shinma gets him and she is forced to kill the shinma. When a shinma takes someone over, they are dead, for their soul cannot be restored to their body as far as I can tell. Miyu still feels like she is killing the person. On another note, I've never understood exactly how Larva was suppose to "seal" Miyu, but I have a feeling it involved Miyu dying, so Larva's falling in love with her made him unable to do so.] After comparing the manga to the OAVs for Vampire Princess Miyu, it dawned upon me that I had based my Larva upon the one in the OAVs. The Larva in the manga is a very different sort of person, able to talk and remove his mask whenever he wishes. Striving to reconcile these two very different people, I found myself writing another side story. The events of my story do run counter to events in the novels, so this is definitely an alternative universe to the actual VPMiyu written by Kakinouchi Narumi. Finally, for those who have honored me by actually reading this far - my writing is full of angst, but I hate angst and sad endings, I want, no, need happy endings. I will finish the main story. I will solve the problems. I will fix and repair and heal and restore. In my universe, no matter how bad things get, the prince slays the evil dragon and kisses the beautiful princess awake. Yup, I was raised on Sleeping Beauty, and I listened to the LD again and again. Of course, the road there can be terrifying and terrible, so consider yourself warned. ^ ^