Summer of the Lake House

Summer of the Lake House

Chapter 13: I Hate Everything About You

TorturebyAssosiation: Yep, your right, there are three fates and I was going to introduce the third in the previous chapter but it was getting a bit lengthy so I decided to just cut it off where it was. Also, your right, there are only four horsemen but nobody knows about Tyler yet and Death doesn't count because he's the leader. So someone isn't who everyone thinks they are. O_o

Kizuna: Yep, I've decided to have some lovin' between Dion and Jamie but I'm a little undecided about Tyler and Lucifer. Guess we'll see. ^_~

Magalina: Ah ha, yep there all gods, and Horsemen no less. The plot be speedin' up but that's not the only surprise...well, you'll see. Don't wanna ruin it for you. Thanks for the compliment, btw, I really try to get the emotion of the characters across so glad to know you can see that. ^^

Nathaniel: Yep, sloooooowly becoming clearer. I take so long to update people probably think I've abandoned the it but I'll try to continue the progression of the plot as fast as I can without confusing myself. Darn me and my poor plot planning.

Madlodger: Yesss, finally made it to a favorites list. ~ victory dance~ Thank you for adding me ^__^



Dion's POV:

Azrael paced back and forth, snarling furiously. “Those filthy pigs! I'm going to make them pay, every last one of them! How dare they do this to me, desecrating my body! Humiliating me for all to see!” He whirled around to glare at Clotho and Atropos. “What have I done to deserve such utter contempt? Have I offended them in some way? What could I possibly have done to deserve this,” he screamed at them, voice cracking with furious emotion.

“You did nothing, my child. The Light has gone astray, they don't know what they do,” she murmured gently. “You were the victim of fear. The Light was afraid of what you had the power to become, what others like you had become. You know of what I speak.”

Azrael scowled at her. “Don't make excuses for them, you and I both know I am not like Him. I have neither the power nor ambition to be like that and the Light knew it, everyone knew it. No, they can't be allowed to get away with this. I won't allow them to walk away unscathed, not after all they have done. If they were blind enough to let their fear guide them than they don't deserve to rule, we've been suppressed for to long because of His actions and the Light's fear. It has to stop.”

“Be careful,” warned Atropos, placing a firm hand on Azrael's shoulder, “don't let your anger cloud your judgment. Nothing good can come of it.”

“Are you telling me that as a friend or as a Fate?” He asked, contempt shining through in his voice.

“You decide. But heed my advice, Azrael, if you let it your anger will consume you and kill you. I would hate to lose another friend to that all-consuming anger.”

They stared at each other for a long time, unspoken words passing back and forth until Azrael finally nodded, smiling reassuringly at her. “ You don't have to worry, I have it well in hand.”

“Well, that's lovely,” Clotho said, interrupting the moment abruptly, “but the fact is that you still have much to do before you can even begin thinking of revenge. Tell me, what are you planning on doing with four fledgling gods while you go hunting for your body and Scythe? And for that matter, how are you planning on getting into Mount Olympus without being detected?”

“Uh,” Azrael smiled sheepishly, managing to look charmingly embarrassed. “I was really hoping you would help me with that.”

Both the sisters opened their mouth to speak and were cut off by a voice I hadn't heard before. “Come on now, Azreal, you know for a fact we can't do that. If we let you use our knowledge than we would have to let everyone and that would just be a mess.” We all turned to face the voice and I watched in disbelief as a short little girl trotted up to us. He was probably the cutest thing I had ever seen in my life, and I had seen plenty of cute things. She couldn't have been anymore than six years old with messy red hair done up in two pigtails, skin that looked completely sun-baked, a full round face that was still holding onto it's baby fat, and a mass of freckles across her nose and cheeks. Like the others she was dressed in colorful slashed skirts with matching ribbons in her hair but while Clotho was cheerful and Atropos was somber, this girl seemed a mixture of both. Her appearance was happy and childish but when I looked into those black eye's of hers I couldn't help but feel as though I was looking into the eye's of an old woman.

“Lachesis, I was wondering when you were going to show your face.” Azrael grinned at her. “But I was hoping since these are rather...unusual circumstances you would be willing to bend the rules...just this once.”

“You know we can't,” Atropos sighed while at the same moment Clotho burst out, “Lachesis, have you been playing in the dirt again!”

“Well can you blame me,” she snapped indignantly, “Leaving me to mind the Tapestry all alone, and in the state it's in, while you two just prance off to have all the fun! You two always leave me out of the fun, I hate you both, I hope you know that!”

“Honestly,” Atropos groaned, “why do you insist on acting like a child? And you left the Tapestry unattended, you can't do that.”

Sticking her tongue out, Lachesis pranced on over to Azrael and stood firmly before him, looking both immature and wise. It was giving me a headache. “We can't help you but there is someone who can.”

“Who?” He asked, looking doubtful.

From behind us a familiar, raspy voice trilled. “Me!”

My stomach lurched violently, seeming to rise up into my throat before thumping back down into my belly, making me harshly nauseous. Jamie had a worse reaction. His whole body flinched and he cowered back against me. I winced as his fingernails dug deep into my flesh.

“Oh god,” he choked quietly.

My thoughts exactly. I wasn't terrified like I thought I would be but my stomach roiled, anticipating death and destruction and all sorts of horrible things. But in the back of my mind I felt a calming presence, a warm glow that assured me I wasn't in any danger, that We had nothing to worry about. We were strong and could defend Ourselves and Our Jamie if need be.
His presence, the sensation of his small, warm body tucked tightly against mine gave me strength. Alone I would have crumbled but I had a purpose, a duty to guard and protect him. He gave me a reason to be brave and to face that voice without flinching.

Within the space of the few seconds it took me to turn around that warm glow had turned into a flame and I wasn't afraid any longer. A violent possessiveness, a will that wasn't my own raged through me and all I could think about was Jamie, how I wanted to hold him, defend him, own him, make him mine and let every soul alive and dead know who he belonged to. The Voice spoke words in a language I had never heard but could understand better than my own thoughts and I knew...I was unstoppable. Jamie would be mine and this time nothing would stop me.

.....Than nothing. My entire body jerked as the presence that had filled my entire being for those few seconds left. Just like that it was gone and I was left to face my fears alone.

Tense with a nervous anticipation I faced him.

Raven.

He looked the same, delicate nude body, beautiful mischievous face, enormous onyx eye's and a head full of feathers (in more ways than one). I took one look at that deceptively innocent face and something snapped inside me. He just looked so freaking happy. After all that he had done, after all he had put us through, that he could look so happy was more than I could stand. Before I knew it I had thrown Jamie aside and lunged at Raven.

Just before I hit I saw those big black eye's widen and a look of pure astonishment pass over his face. It was the sweetest moment of my life and I had only a tenth of a second to enjoy it before Raven and I fell to the ground in a mass of flailing limbs and flying fists. As quick as I possibly could in the moments before Azrael pulled me off of him my fist connected with Ravens thin body as fast and furious as I could. He didn't even fight back, he did nothing but give a surprised squeak when I slammed my fist into his stomach, trying my best to reach the ground beneath him. He just lay there, arms covering his face and taking the beating in near silence.

I was just about to deliver a nasty left hook to his ribs when Azrael wrapped his arms around my waist and hauled me back as easily as if I was a child.

“You son of a bitch,” I shrieked, fighting against the iron grip on my waist, “I'm going to kill you!”

“Stop this,” Azrael growled in my ear. When I didn't he turned me around roughly and shook me like a rag doll. “Dion! Stop this!”

That didn't help, if anything it made it worse. He didn't care. None of them cared that this was the monster who had killed Tyler, that he had completely ruined our lives. How could these creatures be so selfish?

“Get off of me!” I shouted, grabbing his arms and stilling him with sheer force of will and a strength I didn't know I possesed. He actually looked surprised that I was able to stop him and I used that moment of surprise to twist my body under and around, slipping under Azrael's arms and throwing myself back at Raven.

I never made it.

I actually thought time had stopped for a brief moment as I lay on my stomach, suspended in midair. Raven sat beneath me, legs tucked underneath him, staring up into my face with a tiny sad smile. The feathers on his head were sprinkled with dust and lay low against his head, making him seem sad and subdued. It took me a moment to realize that it was Raven who was holding me up. Once again I was totally powerless and at his mercy.

I scowled but there was no force behind it. I was drained. I was so sick of being angry and afraid, all I wanted to do was sleep. Raven saw that in my eye's and sighed heavily.

“Don't hate me,” Raven whispered, slowly bringing me down to slump on the ground.

“You killed him. He didn't deserve to die.”

“It would have happened one day.”

I shook my head, he just didn't get it. It seemed like a lost cause but I wanted him to know why Tyler's death bothered me so much. I had to get it all out. “He was a good person,” I insisted, “he cared about everything...I just don't understand why good people like him die and the rest of us get to live. It doesn't seem fair.”

It was Azrael that spoke this time, putting a surprisingly supportive hand on my shoulder. “It's just the way things are, Dion, it may not seem fair but for some it's for the best. Truly good souls often can't make it in your world, they get trampled on and used by those who are stronger and more inclined to evil for their own gain.”

“But,” continued Atropos, “when I cut their threads their souls are the strongest of all. Power and money may account for much in the human world but in our world it's the soul that means true power. A corrupt soul will get you nowhere whereas those with a pure soul will go on to become the children of the Mother and Father, Angels of great power.”

“See, if your friend is as good as you say he has nothing to worry about.” Azrael gave me a small quirky smile and I actually felt a little better.

Azrael alone I might not have believed but I knew Atropos had no reason to lie. It was a strange feeling but I just knew Atropos wouldn't lie. Maybe they were right and Tyler was doing fine. I hoped so, it warmed me to think he might be looking down on me...I just wanted him to be happy.

“But that doesn't answer a question I've been wondering,” said Azrael softly, turning to face Raven blinked innocently at him, “why did you kill that boy in the first place? You've never killed without a very good reason and I've never known you to kill an innocent.”

“I was anxious. I could feel you in the area and I knew Amenci had something to do with your appearance, I wanted to get to you before anyone else could.” He bowed his head, clasping his hands together and looking thoroughly pitiful. “I suppose I got overexcited when the boy wouldn't bring you to me. I didn't think I would actually kill him...it just got out of hand.” When Raven looked up his black eye's were glistening with tears and his bottom lip trembled. “I'm truly sorry.”

He made such a sorry figure I almost wanted to pat him on the head and tell him it was alright but Azrael beat me to any sort of response with a loud barking laugh. I looked at him disbelievingly as he began giggling madly, covering his face as if it was to funny for him to bear. I didn't find anything funny and looking at the faces of the guys, neither did they. The Fates, on the other hand, all shared the same little half smirk, as if they were in on a joke none of us knew about.

By the time Azrael was done laughing and wiping away tears of laughter I was well beyond confused and a little insulted. I didn't think Tyler's death was anything to laugh about.

“Oh my,” Azrael wheezed, still chuckling softly, “that felt good. I haven't laughed like that in far to long. Seriously though, Raven, that was bad even for you.”

“Really? I don't know, I thought I was rather convincing.” Raven stood up and brushed himself off, shaking the dust out of his feathers and standing them to their full height. There wasn't a trace of tears or remorse in that pretty face.

“Alright, the time for joking is over. Actually, I'm not quite sure it even began, you do tend to joke at the most inappropriate times. Why did you kill the boy, what is he to you? And enough with the lies, you don't kill without a very good reason and I want to know what it is.”

I picked myself off the ground. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. “This is all a joke to you? The apology, the tears, my friend dying, all of it's a fucking JOKE?”

Raven shrugged unapologetically. “I had to say something. But alright, if you want the real reason. I would have killed him no matter what you had said or done. You all are gods now and he's not, he would have been dead weight, both physically and emotionally and you can't afford to have dead weight. Not now, not ever.”

“Why you!” I screamed in outrage, lunging forward with every intention of making Raven nothing more than a bloody smear on the floor.

“Whoa, boy,” Clotho said, holding me back in a surprisingly strong grip. “You'll have to forgive him. Raven can be annoyingly blunt at times but you'll only be wasting time if you attack him. It's best to just ignore everything he says.”

“Hey!” Raven whined.

“Shut up, you! Haven't you done enough? I would expect more tact from a rutting bull than I would from you!” She hissed, glaring furiously at the pouting man. “You should go, I'm sure you have more important things to do than tormenting this poor boy.”

He shrugged. “Well, I was thinking of visiting Lucie. He's been having problems with his new servant, apparently he's quite a handful.”

“Just go,” she growled softly.

“OH! Wait!” Lachesis called, trotting up with a large jar of what looked like peaches. God only knows where she got it from. “Give this to Lucie, will you.” She said, holding up the enormous jar.

Azrael snorted. “I don't know why you do that, you know he can't stand peaches.”

“Shut up,” she snapped, handing the jar over to Raven.

He ignored her. “You know, I think the only thing he hates more than peaches is canned peaches. What was that funny thing he said about it...something about baby vomit...oh bother, I can't even remember.”

“He said it had the same texture as congealed baby vomit,” Raven chirped, “though how he knows that is beyond me. As far as I know he's never been near a baby.”

The both hummed thoughtfully.

“Er, whatever,” Lachesis said, giving them both a strange look, “just give it to him.”

Raven took the jar and turned to Azrael. “I wish you luck...all of you. And I do apologize.”

We said nothing. The apology was worthless, he didn't care, he probably wasn't even capable of caring. Tyler meant nothing to him, our loss...my loss meant nothing to him.

I don't know about the others but I felt something changing, a deep unrelenting rage slowly building up...simmering just below the surface of my control and the Voice in my head laughed. As Raven left I could hear it speaking to me in a soft, silken tone.

'Soon. Soon. When the time comes our Wrath will be known. We will make them pay...everyone.'

A/N: I know what your thinking, where's Amenci you lying biatch? I know I said he'd be back but I decided, for the sake of the plot (yes, there is a plot, I promise) to have Raven make the reappearance. You'll see why eventually. My apologies. ~holds out consolation muffins~

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