Walking Delusions

a/n: Ahh, where have my readers gone? I hope I haven't scared any away with my plot.

Chapter Twenty-One: Malice Aforethought

The last thought I had of this world,
Faded quickly in falling memories.
A walking emptiness trailing my steps,
golden eyes blackened and gone,
And this is what it brought me.
Alone in my delusions,
I face the final end,
And this is what it brought me.
I watch the last death and wish,
Oh, how I wish for salvation,
And this is what it brought me.

The Way to Dawn was not as bad as I expected. A three-story structure formed of the same pale clay as the rest of the buildings, it seemed relatively new. The windows were covered with curtains on the inside and flower pots sat on the sills, colorful plants making it seem homey. I wasn't sure what to think about it.

Melath was a silent presence at my side. I couldn't decide if his being there made me nervous or frightened. I wasn't even sure he was alive. Merely an expressionless walking corpse that accompanied me. He was simply waiting to die.

Steeling myself, I gathered my lacking courage and stepped through the open doorway, a wave of something freshly baked smacking me in the face. It took a moment for my eyes to adjust. I felt the eyes on me before I could see cleanly, and once my vision cleared I was greeted with the sight of being stared at.

All gazes had risen at my entrance with interest. Faces had darkened, a few grumbling under their breath. I could see the bar at the far end, a set of stairs leading up beside. Not an unusual set up.

Melath stepped in behind me, his movements absolutely silent. Eyes shifted to him and then back to me. It was disconcerting and I didn't know what to think of it. Clutching Ryou's staff to me, I weaved my way through the tables and headed for the bar. Eventually, the gazes left us, returning to their drinks. The low murmur of conversation had gone silent though. For some reason, our presence made them wary.

We made it to the bar without incident. I took the nearest stool which was furthest from other patrons and seated myself. The screech of the legs against the ground was jarring in the unnatural quiet. I winced. It was beginning to feel distinctly uncomfortable, a low thread of unease curling through me. On impulse, I quickly scanned the room.

There were about ten tables, only half of them with patrons. Most of the them looked half-lit already, a few asleep on the table, drooling on rough wood. One of the tables sat in a darkened corner, two perched with their back to me. No one seemed overly threatening but I couldn't shake my discomfort.

The bartender finally made his way over as Melath perched in a stool next to me, managing not to make a noise. “It's unusual to see strangers nowadays,” the barkeep commented, swiping a towel from over his shoulder and using it to wipe out a shot glass that was already clean.

I tipped my head to the side. “How so?” Though I had already figured as much from the reactions of the people in the town. The residents here didn't seem to like strangers that much. I wondered if Dainichi had anything to do with it.

He shrugged but it lacked nonchalance. Dark eyes were sharp as they flickered around his bar. “The gates are always guarded. Boss man's particular about who is allowed in.”

“He means no one!” Someone drunkenly added with a slur. I didn't bother to turn and identify the speaker. I still needed more information.

“I see,” I commented, trying to plan out my attack. I wasn't exactly an experienced hand at extracting information. The best I could figure was to just be blunt.

The bartender shifted his gaze back to me and I sensed him closing up. “You ordering something?” he demanded with a hint of anger. “Cause if you're not, then get out.”

Heart beating in my chest, I quickly checked my pockets. Unsurprisingly, I didn't have any coin. Biting the bullet, I held out my hand to Melath.

He frowned. “What?”

“I need coin.”

He stared a bit longer, unmoving.

I sighed. “Information doesn't come without a price.”

Watching for another long moment, I was relived when he finally pulled out a few coins and handed them over to me. I set them on the counter with a faint clink, though I kept my fingers on the metal. I looked at the barkeep from under my lashes, trying to sound firm and determined. I played at knowing what I was doing.

“Whatever he wants,” I ordered, jerking a thumb towards Melath. “Plus water and information.”

The barkeep's hand ceased its movement over the glass. He was sizing me up. “Information isn't cheap. Depends on what you're asking.”

“Dainichi.” I felt that name was enough. It had certainly caused a reaction before. “Most specifically, his location.”

There were some gasps behind me. I heard some people get up and leave, abandoning the bar within seconds, leaving coins behind them on the table with a rattle. The bartender didn't blink however, a slow grin taking over his thin lips. A scarred hand reached forward, picking up my coins.

“That could be arranged,” he responded, thumbing the money and deciding it was worth taking. “And what for the gentleman?”

Melath, though unable to understand the man's words, seemed to guess the basic gist of his question. “Whiskey,” he gritted out. “Straight from the bottle.”

“You get that?” I asked.

The barkeep, who I belatedly noticed was rather burly and broad-chested, simply tapped his neck. It was the same place I had my tattoo. “What kind of businessman would I be if I couldn't understand all my customers?”

“You didn't freak out when I said Dainichi?” I asked as he turned away, pulling open a cabinet to locate what Melath had requested. “Why?”

He blinked at me in confusion, thunking a clear bottle onto the counter. It sloshed brown liquid. “Freak out?”

I sighed. “You didn't pale and run away in fear.”

He shrugged, pouring the alcohol into a glass for Melath and pushing it towards him. The barkeep was ten times more friendly after being offered coin. Some things didn't change, even across worlds.

“It's not fear that you sense from the townspeople,” he explained. “At least, not fear of Boss man but for him. He's their hero.”

That didn't make much sense to me but I didn't want to argue. What did I know after all? I nodded as I listened, taking the glass of water he offered me and drinking half of it down in one series of gulps. Thirst had nearly overwhelmed me.

Honestly, it was the purest water I had ever drank. It lacked the subtle flavors of constant purification of city water. It lacked the mineral taste of well water. It was simply clean and clear water, entirely refreshing. Beside me, Melath finished his second shot of whiskey and was already reaching for a third. I wondered if he planned on getting totally wasted. But then, I had never seen him drink before. I had no idea what his tolerance level was.

Swallowing thickly, I returned my attentions to the bartender. “Then you won't mind telling me where I can find him?”

Dark eyes watched me, gauging the level of danger. I was sure I didn't even rate a blip on his scale, though Melath was likely up there with “probable assassin.” His hands returned to cleaning the shining glass, already without streaks or possible stains.

“I might.”

My finger tapped the counter. “How much?”

His gaze flicked to the others remaining in his bar. None were paying any attention. This seemed to satisfy his concern.

“Twice what you've given me already and I'll consider it.”

I was wary of his wording of that. “You'll consider it?” I repeated, wanting to know exactly what he meant.

His lips crooked up into an amused smirk. “Sharper than you look,” he replied and chuckled under his breath. “Fine. I will tell you when you give me the coin.”

“Fair enough.” I looked towards Melath again.

He squared his jaw but handed me more coin anyway. He was probably just interested in getting rid of it. If he was planning to die, he wouldn't need it anyways. It was such a shame.

I handed the coins over to the barkeep and he nodded in satisfaction. “If you leave this Inn and follow the main road to the town center, you should see Dainichi's fortress. The largest structure against the setting sun.” He paused, considering. “You'll have trouble getting in by the gate. I recommend using the waterways on the south side.”

Finishing the last of my water, I offered the barkeep a half-smile. “Seems simple enough,” I responded, moving to slide from my stool. “Thanks for the help.”

He took the glass and began wiping it out. “No need for gratitude. It wasn't out of the kindness of my heart.”

Made sense to me. I gestured for Melath to follow me and with a parting wave, I began to thread my way back to the door. I noticed that the other patrons of the bar were carefully avoiding all eye contact with me. Except for the two in the corner. One had turned to look at me, though I couldn't distinguish anything beneath the heavy hood.

I was immediately reminded of that dream, the cloaked stranger who had warned me of a dead Tears and my hand in it. The dream man who was actually Vincent. I shivered unconsciously and tore my gaze away, speaking under my breath to Melath.

“We leave here and head straight for Dainichi.”

“I have already told you once. I do not care.” His voice was cold and empty.

I sighed and coiled my empty hand into a fist. “Forgive me for the courtesy of informing you of my decisions,” I countered in a bitterly sarcastic voice. I knew I should be feeling shameful for my hand in his pain, but his behavior was annoying.

Half of me wished he would do something. Go ahead and try and kill me rather than follow me around with obvious hatred. He was a reminder of my mistakes, of the blood that tainted my hands. It was painful.

We stepped into the dry heat of midday of Nyorai, the air feeling as if it immediately sucked all of the water from my body. I began to sweat and I paused a few steps beyond the doorway to get my bearings. I looked to the left and right of me, trying to discern which way led to the main street. Unfortunately, my navigation skills sucked.

I turned towards Melath who was still standing framed in the doorway, face somewhat shadowed by the overhang of the roof. “Which way do you think takes me to the town center?”

He stared past me, eyes flickering between the two directions before pointing to my left wordlessly. I should have known better than to expect a polite response.

“Gee, thanks,” I responded sarcastically and turned away, stepping onto the path and heading for the main square.

I paused after three steps when I realized I didn't hear Melath following me. Usually I could at least tell his clothes were rustling faintly, or his heated gaze searing into the back of my head. This time, nothing.

I paused and turned, opening my mouth to say something to him. He hadn't moved from his position, both arms laying slack at his hands.

And a pool of blood beginning to gather beneath his feet.

I gaped in horror, my eyes flickering between his blood and his face. I staggered backwards, words entirely escaping me.

“Melath...?”

A form stepped out from behind him, one of the cloaked strangers from the bar. He watched me as he stood beside Melath. “Anne.” It was my name, the voice distinctly masculine. It sent shivers down my spine.

I wasn't sure what to do.

Melath's body suddenly jerked and I heard the slither of some weapon. He stumbled forward, one foot snaking out to catch himself. He coughed, blood flecking his lips, before a glare centered on me. It was full of more heat than I had seen in his dead eyes since we appeared in Nyorai.

One of his hands grasped for his sword, pulling it in an elegant arc. I thought he was going to attack the man at his side, but I was wrong. Instead, he darted forward. He intended to take my head before dying. I remained where I stood.

I intended to let him.

It was the least I could do for him after all. If it would ease his death, grant him some solace from the pain that had consumed him, then my blood was the least I could offer. Maybe I would truly die. Maybe I would find myself born again. I couldn't be sure and honestly, I wasn't really sure which I preferred.

I never got the chance to find out.

In a flash, faster than my eyes could catch, another cloaked stranger suddenly appeared between Melath and I. Two swords met in a brilliant clang that echoed around me, the metal of one flashing sunlight onto my face. Melath was thrown backwards from the force of their weapons meeting. His opponent wasted no time in stepping forward, slashing viciously downwards.

Blood sprayed in a fine arc as Melath was nearly cleaved in two, sliced from shoulder to hip in a diagonal mark across his chest. His sword clattered to the ground amidst the drops of his blood and he crumpled like a rag doll. Despite this, his eyes found mine around his killer. Even though his voice was faint, I heard the curse falling from his lips.

Cursing my very existence. Not that I expected anything less.

He shuddered, blood spurting onto the ground, and then stilled, eyes remaining open and staring sightlessly. It made me nauseous, yet I couldn't stop staring. I was officially alone in this world. In the back of my mind, I could hear Ixion laughing at me, delighting in the blood shed. He was speaking, but I had blocked his words. I didn't want to hear his taunts.

“Miss Anne.” One of the cloaked stranger's had spoke in a feminine voice.

My gaze snapped towards them. “Don't call me that!” I hissed, stomach churning.

There was a chuckle of amusement as the one who had killed Melath turned towards me, the other stepping over Melath's body to stand in front of me. Both of their forms blocked Melath's corpse from my sight, but I couldn't shake the image. It was burned into the back of my eyeballs. Just like all the other deaths, all the others I had known. Their fallen forms were forever ingrained into my brain, each last breath forever echoing in my ears.

“As you wish,” the melodious male voice answered, coming from the form on the right. They were roughly the same height, though the cloaked one on the left was somewhat slimmer.

I took an unconscious step back, unable to decide if I should flee or remain. They weren't here to hurt me. Somehow I knew that much. What they wanted, however, I had no actual clue.

“Why did you kill him?” I demanded with more bravado than I actually felt. “And who are you?”

The two looked at each other, exchanging glances before reaching up simultaneously and unclasping their cloaks. The dark fabric slithered to the ground, revealing them completely. Red-gold hair of the same length, flowing in straight strands to their hips, glinted in the sunlight. Brown eyes filled with amusement regarded me with interest and fair skin almost glowed.

One male and one female. They were most obviously twins. I could hardly tell one from the other. Blood dotted the distinct clothes of the female. It was she who had killed Melath. Then again, I wasn't certain the underwear-type outfit she wore could even be called clothes.

Both shared identical smirks. That uneasy feeling began to grow.

“We serve Dainichi,” they explained in unison, making me feel as if I somehow stood between two speakers. “And we are here at our master's request.”

I stood my ground, sensing I was approaching answers. To my surprise, an anger was steadily building, growing out of my control. Was it over Melath's death? Was it over their obvious amusement at my expense? Or the situation itself? I didn't know and I couldn't be certain. I could only feel the rage growing.

It was nearly blinding.

In the back of my head, Ixion continued to laugh, mocking and loud. It reverberated along the inside of my skull, making me dizzy. I clutched Ryou's staff so tightly I feared my fingers would begin to bleed. The smell of copper was thick in the air. Melath's sightless eyes still stared at the heavens, though I couldn't honestly see them.

“That explains nothing,” I hissed, taking a defensive stance. “Why did you kill him?”

The man cocked his head to the side. “Why do you care?”

I worked my jaw, asking myself the same question. “That's not what I asked.”

The woman laughed, her voice like the tinkling of Christmas bells. It immediately grated on my nerves. “He was corrupting you, sweet Anne. We had to be rid of him.”

“Corrupting?” I repeated, my heart beating in my chest. It didn't make sense.

The heat was getting to me. I could feel it raining down on my shoulders and the top of my head. It felt as if my brain were frying from the force of it. I could hardly think clearly.

“Come with us,” the male suggested, trying to coax me forward with gesturing fingers. “Our master will explain everything. All of the answers you have been seeking, he will give them to you.”

It sounded too good to be true. Yet, I took a step back and shook my head. It was the wrong thing to do. Moving my skull only seemed to enhance the dizziness and I swayed on my feet. The ground kept wanting to say hello. I was having trouble ignoring its call.

“But Melath,” I protested, words feeling heavy on my tongue. I gripped Ryou's pouch with my free hand, the scent of his herbs floating to my nostril. It wasn't enough.

My head twisted and my eyes crossed. “Melath and Vincent and Ryou and Ivory... what about them?”

“They're dead.”

“I knew that,” I snapped crossly, trying to take another step backwards and failing miserably.

Someone was calling my name. Someone was laughing. I suddenly felt as if I were floating. And then I hit the dirt and sand; I was staring directly into the bright sun. I saw myself covered with blood. I mumbled incoherently.

And then there was darkness.

I opened my eyes and found myself surrounded by high walls, steep and nearly vertical. They were jagged and made of brown stone, like the walls of some deep canyon. A path stretched out in front of me endlessly. At my back was a dead end, wicked barbs jutting out from the wall as if to prod me forward.

I feared what was ahead without knowing why. I had the sudden thought of the movie Labyrinth but knew that couldn't have been where I was. This was something else entirely. I looked down and my mouth dropped. I was back in my true clothes, jeans and a t-shirt. The marks on my body were gone. All evidence of my trials on Tears had disappeared.

In fact, it was all starting to seem like a really bad dream. Like a distant memory. I couldn't help but wonder who was fucking with my mind this time. Speaking of which, it was pleasantly empty. No voices. No laughter. Nothing. Just white static. Empty of sound. I wasn't sure if I was relieved or terrified of that fact.

The sun shone down above me, but at an angle. I could clearly see into this path in front of me, but it wasn't overly hot or cold. Actually, the temperature was rather pleasant. Blue sky stretched above me, a few fluffy white clouds decorating the azure expanse. Any other situation and I might have enjoyed myself.

Taking a deep breath, I stepped forward tentatively. There was nowhere else to go after all. The ground crunched beneath me. I glanced down. I was walking on gravel, expensive gravel. The polished type of white stone that was more than twenty dollars a bag and looked as if it were carved from rare rock.

Follow the white marble road. I chuckled like an idiot at the random thought. I kept moving.

“It's not so bad. Is it, Miss Anne?”

I whirled at the familiar voice and nearly screamed. There was Ryou, smiling at me, looking whole and even. No injuries. No disease. No dust. Just a smile and sincerity, love shining in his eyes.

I could only gape at him. “Ryou?”

He chuckled, seeming more at ease than he had ever in his life. “And who else would I be?”

“But you're dead!”

He looked around pointedly, brown eyes achingly familiar. “Am I?” he asked and poked at himself, pinching a bit of skin on his cheek. “I feel pretty warm to be dead.”

Dreaming. I had to be dreaming.

“She's an idiot,” came another familiar voice. “Surely you've learned this by now, Ryou?”

I was afraid to turn, yet did so anyways. There was Ivory, as I suspected. She had her axe balanced on one shoulder, her always present smirk decorating her lips. Not a single wound marred her body. Lines of stress had disappeared from around her green eyes. She still stared at me with distaste.

I gaped, mouth working over and over but nothing coming out. The path suddenly seemed that much smaller, that much more confining. “You're alive?” I rasped, feeling as If I couldn't breathe. This couldn't be happening to me.

“In the flesh,” came the cocky response. I should have expected it.

I felt a hand settle on my shoulder, squeezing companionably. I jumped three feet in the air, heart pounding on my chest. “It's okay,” Ryou's voice attempted to soothe. “You know I wouldn't let her hurt you.”

“But it's my fault!” I cried, tangling hands in my hair with the sudden urge to tear it out. “Both of you. I killed both of you.”

Ryou looked stunned. “With your own hands?” he asked, trying to calm me down. Ivory still snickered; I couldn't get her mockery out of my ears.

“No,” I moaned, certain I was losing my mind.

“But it might as well have been.”

I dropped to my knees. “Not you, too,” I moaned, covering my face with my hands. Yet, I couldn't stop from peeking between my fingers. There was an insane urge within me to satisfy my macabre curiosity.

Surely enough, the voice had been Vincent's. He stood before me, towering over me. His skin was unmarred, lacking even his distinctive tattoos and earrings. His hair had been cut shorter, perhaps a few inches from his scalp. But his golden eyes were as piercing as ever, as hateful as they had been.

I gaped up at him, hands falling into my lap. This must be some punishment, I surmised. God was pissed that I had always turned my back on him. Someone wanted to see me suffer.

“Compared to my pain, your own is nothing,” Vincent hissed, hatred burning his gaze.

Ryou put a hand on Vincent's shoulder but Vincent jerked away, shooting him a look that was full of poisonous. The monk seemed to understand but didn't move far, the urge to protect me still strong in him. Even after what I had done, he still wanted me. He still loved me. I did not deserve such kindness.

There was the scrape of boot against gravel. “If only we could kill her.” That had been Ivory. I heard her glove rasp against the steel of her axe. I was certain it glinted in the sunlight.

Vincent snorted. “If only.” He reached up, tracing his blank forehead with his fingers. “If only my fate granted me such lenience.”

I didn't know what they were talking about but I didn't dare move from my spot. It seemed safer to be on the ground, surrounded by the ghosts of the ones I had helped to kill. My very presence had been enough to ensure their deaths. Of that I was certain. I could not feel any more guilty than I did at the moment.

I was wrong.

“Runihura din.”

The voice was Melath's.

I gasped as fingers tangled in my hair, jerking my head backwards and baring my throat uncomfortably. I stared up into familiar crystalline blue, Melath seeming younger than I had ever witnessed. His hair was even longer than before, the ponytail lower on his head and causing falls of silver to cascade to his hips. His clothes had changed as well, his stature shorter. He resembled Lali more than anything now, even his features slightly pixeish.

“That is what you are,” Melath added, his gaze flickering between me and Vincent. For the first time ever, I saw the love in his eyes. I was able to watch the softening of Vincent's features.

I felt as if I were the one intruding in a moment.

I attempted to nod in agreement, but could hardly breathe with the grip he had on my hair. None of the four carried a weapon save Ivory, yet the threat was evident in the air. It was beginning to grow tangible, even my precious monk. His face was darkening before my eyes, the wonderful tanned glow becoming tainted and poisoned.

Someone's hand grasped my arm. It took me a moment to register Ivory at my right. And then Vincent was on my left, fingers like iron bars around my arm. Ryou was left standing in front of me, something more like hate etched into his face.

I felt a scraping down my back, felt blood trickle down. But oddly enough, there was no pain. Copper filled the air. My arms were tugged, not gently, but not harshly either. My knees hurt as they dug into the cobbles. The sky was turning cloudy and rough. Somewhere, thunder rumbled. It rattled through me.

Fear became more than just a vague presence.

“Ryou...” I hoped that wasn't my voice coming out as a tremulous whisper.

“I loved you,” he said in a broken tone. “I loved you and this is what it brought me.”

His skin blackened before my eyes, some of it peeling away from his hands to reveal the stark white of bone beneath. His clothes rotted, becoming tatters that flitted away in a sudden wind. The smell of rot struck me. Fingers dug into my arms.

“I hated you,” Ivory hissed at my right. “And this is what it brought me. You took him from me, you bitch. And this is what it brought me.”

Something snapped in my wrist, the sharp crack echoing in an otherwise stillness. I wanted to scream but there was no pain, only a dull throbbing. The noise was what bothered me, causing my stomach to churn.

Teeth nipped at my left ear, biting down ungently. I felt the warmth of blood and still there was no pain.

“I was supposed to belong to you,” Vincent growled, the sound sending a trill of fear down my spine. “And this is what it brought me. I tried to find my own love, to be happy without this curse. And this is what it brought me!”

He yanked viciously and my arm went limp at my side, pulled from its socket. There was no pain, just a vague feeling of detachment. His fingers were still pressed against my skin, digging deeply, creating furrows.

I began to sob wetly, tears trickling down my cheeks. I had no choice but to stare at the sky above me, turning black and churning. Lightning crackled. I wondered if rain would fall. The wind was swirling and twirling. Would a tornado come?

“I never wanted you,” Melath muttered behind me. “And this is what it brought me.”

More sharp gouges raked down my spine, spilling more of my blood to the ground. It was a pressure but no pain.

“I tried to keep you from death. And this is what it brought me.”

His free hand came around, cupping my exposed throat. I felt nails I didn't know he had digging into the strained flesh, talons cutting through my skin. Blood trickled and dripped, copper staining the air. It mixed with ever growing scent of rot.

I was afraid to look but I did anyways. To my left and to my right, to in front of me. They were rotting before my eyes, skin peeling away and blistering. Clothes tattering and tearing. Turning to corpses and skeletons, blaming me for their pain.

The tears came without ceasing now. I trembled violently but there was nothing left in me to struggle.

“And this is what it brought me,” they chanted in unison.

The pain hit all of a sudden, every wound that had been inflicted on my body falling over me at once. I screamed, high pitched and loud. The thunder drowned out the first piercing wail but it couldn't sound over the next. And they laughed at me, even Ryou, their bones creaking and rattling as they left.

The four I had trusted with my life fell over my like ravenous zombies, tearing and cutting, taking their pound of flesh and then some. I was crushed beneath their weight, still screaming myself hoarse. I flailed and floundered, begging for someone, anyone to come save me.

With a wild jerk and a hoarse shout, I emerged from wakefulness with all the subtlety of a train wreck screeching through the middle of town. My flailing sent me flying off of a rather plush cushion and I landed on the floor, staring neatly at twin pairs of black boots. Panting like a madwoman, I swore that I could still feel their nails in my flesh.

“Anne?”

I looked to find the twins looking down at me. It was then that I realized I was no longer in the streets and that I was actually in something moving. From the sound if it, it was a carriage.

I scrabbled upwards into my seat, pressed against the back of the plush cushions and watching them with wariness. “What's going on?” I demanded, but it came out more of a croak. I winced and rubbed my throat. “And who the fuck are you? Don't tell me whose servants either. I want names.”

Inwardly, I was still shivering from that dream. It was bad enough that I didn't want to ever sleep again. Perhaps it was caused by my guilt. Maybe someone was trying to show me something. Either way, I was suitably freaked the fucked out.

“I am Adam and you are in my carriage.”

“And I am Eve. We are taking you to Dainichi's fortress.”

Clearly they were not the least bit creative. I stared at them. “You can't be serious about those names.”

Adam shrugged. “They are not our true names but those names no longer matter. Not in service to the Master.”

His sister nodded at his side and they looked too at ease with each other to be sitting that close. There was all that fucking room over there. Why were they practically in each other's laps? It made me uneasy and I suddenly felt like the carriage was too small.

“Our names are not important anyways,” Eve added. “Our Master has declared that he has desires to see you and we have answered. That is what matters.”

I folded my arms over my chest, mostly for my own comfort than to try and appear as if I was in control over the situation. “And what does Dainichi want from me?”

The slow smirks that spread across their faces in unison did not ease my anxiety in the slightest.

“The creation of a new world,” Adam said in an almost worshiping voice, face filled with rapture. “A new beginning.”

I was quickly convinced that the male twin was off his rocker and certain Eve was no better. But I was also ready to see the end of this. Ixion had grown noticeably silent, possibly excited that were growing closer this power. I was on my own.

“Fine,” I responded, trying to push away thoughts of the weird dream from my mind. “But I better see all my questions answered.”

“We promise,” Eve vowed with a sincere smile, nodding pleasantly.

Hmph. Too bad I wasn't going through on any of my promises. I was going to play this my way, by my rules.

Dainichi wouldn't know what hit him.

*****

a/n: Moving right along here. It's almost at the end, and I hope I still manage to surprise. Comments are always appreciated!