(no subject)
Title: Insanity In Flight
Chapters: 1/?
Author: seannabirchwood
Genre: fantasy/erotic romance/dark romance
Warnings: Bad language so far, rape for sure in later chapters
Rating: NC-17
Pairings: Uruha/Aoi (onesided (bet you didn’t see that one coming!), Kai/Shou/Kai, Tara/Yuu/Tara
Characters: Gazette[Uruha, Aoi, Reita, Kai, Yune], Alice Nine[Shou, Hiroto], 176Biz[Yuu, Tara], Nightmare[Yomi], An Café[Bou], Miyavi
Synopsis: In a land of humans a creature was created a long time ago. That creature was supposed to be the turning point of humanity, but only served to further destroy it. This is what is left.
Comments: “I am king of all you can see from the tallest spires of my castle, and beyond. You are my prisoner of war. What is your name?”
Disclaimer: I own nothing TT_TT
Chapters: 1
Breathless,
I only hear your whispers;
Reminiscent of the nights
We spent as one person.
*
His room was bathed in crimson darkness. His window was covered in a thick red tape that let in little of the bright moonlight outside. A large vanity adorned a section of his wall. He could just make out his form sitting on the bed in the mirror. He laughed a little, not recognizing the shape that moved of its own will in the reflective surface. Behind him, a mouse scurried along the window ledge and chewed its way through the tape, illuminating the darkness with one shaft of moonlight.
The reflection laughed. He recoiled away from the mirror, his eyes rolling as he dug into his knees with his fingernails. The dark haired man in the reflection laughed again, insanity in every sound he made. He scrambled away from the bed, even though the reflection remained exactly where it was, laughing.
“Why do you fear me so?” It had such a melodious voice, almost enough to draw one into the mirror.
He screamed in terror, throwing his hands over his ears. Anything to even block out the noise a little. Anything would do. And then he was laughing too, his nails biting into his scalp.
He flinched away from the door when it creeked open and a young man stood there. “Master, is there something troubling you?” The voice was soft.
Slowly, he glanced over at the other man. He was still trembling all over from his episode, but his logical mind was taking over and ignoring the leering reflection in the mirror. “No, a night terror, nothing more.” He murmured when his voice stopped shaking. His fingers twirled through his black hair. “Tell the guards “At ease” for me, will you?”
“Yes, my lord Kouyou.”
The man sitting in the crimson room smiled. “Have a good night.” He chuckled softly to himself as the other man walked away, closing the door and leaving him in the darkness. The chuckle turned into a laugh.
*
Shou stood silently on the edge of battlements, scanning the land before him. The Flightless had advanced their armies, without and within the great city. He needed to remain vigilant for his sake and that of his brethren, but it was becoming more dangerous to fly.
Itching to be in the air, he shook out his tawny coloured wings to their full length of close to 240 centimetres* from the niches constructed in his back and through the slits in the light weight armour he wore. Slowly falling forward from the ramparts, he caught a large buffet of wind and brought his powerful appendages downward, taking him far higher than the highest building in the city.
Although his eyes were not those of an owl’s, he could pick out the glints of armour worn by the rest of the night guard. He quickly rose to meet them and see if their leader had spotted anything that would need to be researched. Soft calls greeted him as he rose into their level. He made the proper sign of respect and glided gracefully to where Miyavi was hovering.
“Greetings to the Nightwing,” Shou murmured the proper greeting to the leader of the Winged of the night guard. “How is the wind?”
“Greetings Kohara.” Since they were not on a mission, it was alright to use last names. “The wind is clear, no darkness can be seen but that which is normally there.” His large snowy wings beat the air once to keep him in place, his golden brown eyes glittering in the moonlight. “We chased his armies back far the last time, I believe the cowards are still licking their wounds.”
Shou nodded. The battle had been great, with minimal losses, but. . . “The silence bothers me, too.”
“You have other concerns. By all rights, you shouldn’t be on this watch. How is Uke Yutaka?”
Shou winced. “Please, Miyavi-san, use our fake names.”
Miyavi sighed. Once Shou had been a great leader. He really had been; that was past. “Sorry Shou… I forget how it still affects you. How is Kai?”
“He’s doing okay.” Shou resented how hoarse his voice was. “They’re looking for a mortally wounded Winged so they can…” he trailed off, unable to describe the only way Kai would be able to live.
“Enough,” Miyavi commanded in a soft tone. “Fly, forget your troubles. Reita can join you, scout the north east.”
Shou nodded, hoping the cool night air would so something to numb his agony.
*
The forests were dark. The trees were silent. Nothing stirred, for fear that it, too, would be destroyed. Only four brave souls walked with their heads held high through the angry woods.
Abominations.
“We’re going to be hunted for the rest of our lives.” The pale faced man with bright blonde hair and dark roots asked softly. A long staff stuck up over one of his shoulders.
“Let them hunt us, we haven’t done anything wrong.” The second blond man with dark eyes and a very feminine touch blurted. “And we can escape them, anyway. They can’t catch us.”
“Don’t….don’t raise your tempers,” the third man whispered, his voice heartbroken. Even the pink patch in his hair seemed dulled. The life in his eyes was gone.
The woman of the group, possibly the strongest of the four, hugged the third man. There was a hilt of a long bladed sabre visible over her shoulder. “Don’t give up on Yuu, yet, Tara-chan.” She pleaded. “You don’t know for certain. . .”
“Be betrayed us, Kira!” Tara cried, more sharply than he had meant to. “I hope he rots.”
“You…you can’t mean that…” Kira’s voice was weak, a very rare occurrence.
The second blonde haired man hugged her. “He’s just upset.”
“And rightly so. Because of him we could be the ones rotting, Kira. I say we never speak of him again.”
“That’s not fair, Yune.” The second blonde haired man reprimanded. “We don’t know if Yuu had a choice in the matter. What if he’s suffering, trying to get away?”
Yune snorted. “Yeah, and we all know Tara would feel that. They had blood bonded, or did you forget that? We all know exactly what He has done to us, Bou. Tara and I won’t be in denial.”
“You’re so cold hearted.” Bou grumbled.
“I’d rather be cold hearted than dead,” there was a pause, “and I’d rather be dead than be a traitor.”
“Enough.” Tara snarled. He wasn’t used to being their leader. Loneliness pricked at his heart. “Enough, okay?” A pleading tone.
“Why are you the leader,” Yune asked suddenly, turning his anger onto the quietest one.
“I was second in command, and I’m longer than you. Those are ancestral laws, you cannot deny them. Give it up, Yune, or form your own flock.” Tara retorted, wishing he could get his mind off of the brunette he was leaving behind.
Yune huffed, but did not rebuke.
*
One person, one body,
One thought, one mind,
We almost shared the same soul,
But now you’ve gone. Gone.
*
He was shook brutally from his dreams. Rough hands pulled his aching form up from the bottom of his cell and out into the bright sunlight before he really knew he was awake. He groaned quietly, wishing he could massage his wrists, which were chained behind his back. The best he could do was keep his head high, like those in his dreams, and walk with the step of royalty - which he was, no matter how filthy and ragged he looked.
He was paraded through throngs of people: the latest captive of war. If the tight metal band around his chest was removed he would show them how helpless and captive he really was! On the other hand, he was thankful, very thankful, that the general population couldn’t see exactly what he was. The sapphire coloured jewel shinning brightly in the sunlight, centered in his forehead, was bad enough. Little kids jumped out and poked him harshly with little sticks. Even though they were little, he reacted with barely constrained anger.
“Destroy the freaks! God created us with only one purpose in mind! You have no place with Him!”
That, of course, brought his anger to the next stage: unrestrained. If only these savage like people truly knew what the world really was. If only they knew what existed just beyond their narrow minded sights.
He started to struggle. His struggling accomplished only one thing: a severe blow from a staff by a man walking next to the man leading him. He winced, gritting his teeth and growling at the man who struck him. Acting like royalty was hard when everyone else was treating him worse than a dog. The man laughed, actually laughed. Anger darkened his eyes.
And then he got an idea.
“Ka to mizu to kaze to tsuchi, watashi wa zenbu no moku no shinrin yarasete ga kikoemasu! Kikoemasu ka?” He spurted in a singsong voice.
The immediate reaction of the crowd of people were hilarious. They scattered. They screamed. He laughed, almost doubling over, and it hurt against the metal ring around his chest. The man leading him was giving him a terrified look and their pace picked up as he nearly ran with him into the palace. That part wasn’t so funny. He glared at the almost running man pulling him along.
“Yomi!” A voice shouted as they entered a large room. “Why have you barged in on me without ceremony?” The man who spoke sounded imperious.
He looked at the man sitting in a large ordinate chair near the back of the audience chamber. He was astonished at his looks. The young king had black hair that fell to his shoulders and dark eyes. His skin was pale and he wore simple black robes, as if he had just gotten out of bed. No crown adorned his head. A simple silver chain graced his neck. His teeth were eerily white next to even his chalky skin.
“Sorry, my Lord.” The man bowed. He hoped that the ruler didn’t expect him to bow, because he wasn’t going to so much as dip a hair toward the smug- fuck, he thought as the man shoved him to his knees. “But I was spooked. He is a spell caster, sir.”
The ruler laughed. “And how did he cast a spell, Yomi?” Yomi tried to explain the “weird” words his captive had spoken. His captive stifled a snicker. “You dumbass. Even if he was a spell-caster, which I highly doubt, he can’t do a think with his hands bound. Don’t be such a fool.”
The captive arched an eyebrow: someone actually knew what they were talking about around here.
“Sorry, my Lord.” Yomi murmured.
The ruler stood and walked over to the two of them, his steps cat-like in their gracefulness. The captive remained fixed to his spot by an invisible anchor. He could sense an immense power rolling off the ruler, causing him to shiver. Light fingers graced beneath his chin as the ruler lifted his head a touch so their eyes met. The captive felt as if he were lost in the dark malevolent orbs that stared down at him.
“What is your name, Freak?” His voice was cool, not mocking or superior in itself, and yet superior in its strength and beauty. The captive felt confusion.
“Aoi.” He replied.
A light tap under his chin. “Aoi who?”
Aoi grinned. “Just Aoi.”
The ruler huffed, the light fingers beneath his chin turning into a stinging slap. “I know Aoi is your code. Tell me your actual name and do not treat me as an unintelligent person.”
“You mean a dumbass? Can’t you speak your own language?”
A second slap.
“You hit worse than a drunk whore. Try me again.” Aoi taunted.
There was a punch to the side of his head, which left him on the ground seeing stars. He stared up in surprise at the black haired man with the fierce eyes. Somehow, he hadn’t been expecting that after the little slaps. The ruler smirked, his lip moving slightly to show those stunningly white teeth.
He began with a soft, dangerous tone. “Do not push me any further, Aoi. Your race may think they are superior to mine,” and he ended with an angry, dangerous growl, “but hollow bones are easy to break, and little wings are easy to saw off.” There was a long pause. “My name is Kouyou Takashima. I am king of all you can see from the tallest spires of my castle, and beyond. You are my prisoner of war. What is your name?”
Aoi understood then that he was looking into the eyes of the insane.
*
Kai lay quietly in the bed he had been laying quietly in since he had been taken from the air. He stared up at the moon, eyes reflecting those of a great horned owls mirrored the sun’s faded light. Loneliness was the night hours he was used to spending high above the city. Loneliness was being unable to see his signals and hear his cries in the cool night air.
In the loneliness, his mind had time to return again and again and again to when he had fallen.
The wind was sharp against his ears as heated missiles rained down upon them from below. The mechanisms firing those missiles on their city behind them, they were the target. The mission was easy enough.
With the signals from Shou up ahead, he angled his wings and dove, spiralling to avoid the deadly fire projectiles. He was god compared to the groundlings; he was the being to be afraid of. It filled him with confidence, lent strength to his already powerful wings.
Then the pain erupted in his stomach and a strangled cry tore from his throat. He glanced down, afraid to see a hole burnt through his middle as he came out of his dive, his wings opened wide in shock, but there was nothing. He hadn’t been hit, but his body felt like it was being doused in acid. Stars burst in his vision and he screamed again, froth coming to his lips.
“KAI! LEFT!” Shou’s startled voice rang out.
And suddenly, he was going left. He shrieked in pain, his eyes dazedly turning to badly damaged left wing, still smouldering from the projectile, as he plummeted toward the earth at a fatal speed.
With a whoosh of air, Aoi was beneath him, his stronger white wings, normally a dangerous attribute to the night guard, were safety. His voice was concerned, but Kai couldn’t distinguish what was being said. He doubled, crying out in agony as his stomach tore at itself, a pink coloured frost building on his lips. Aoi’s grip slipped.
“Kai, stop kicking me! Stop struggling! I’m trying to help, let me land!” Kai could barely feel how the albino hawk was stumbling through the air, fighting to keep both their weights from plunging to the earth like stricken angels.
The crash landing left Aoi without his consciousness and Kai writhing like he was demon possessed. Kai didn’t see, but was informed later, that Shou had lighted by him and Aoi, that Shou had to make the choice between which one to secure as the traitor confronted him.
Kai had been late to the fight that night, he was told late by the messengers that a scouting mission from the enemy had turned into a raid. All he had wanted was to grab a quick bite to eat, and since the dinner hall was empty and the kitchen was empty, he had had no idea that the food was poisoned. His foolishness had cost Aoi his life and was slowly draining his own.
The Flightless doctors had spoken to Shou in private, informed him that Kai had the liver-rot disease and wouldn’t live without a donor. Kai had simply overheard, they weren’t going to tell him. There was hope, a Winged liver came in four separate pieces, so a donor wouldn’t be hard to come by. It was time that was rare.
Shou had immediately offered a piece of his. Miyavi quickly put an end to that. He wouldn’t have another night guard out of commission for any period of time.
Kai was so deep in thought that he didn’t hear the footsteps.
“We have a donor.” Shou whispered, sitting lightly on the edge of his bed.
“Shouldn’t you be on the watch?”
“Miyavi dismissed me, said I was too distracted to notice an elephant running through the woods.” Shou murmured. “Don’t you want to know about the donor?”
Kai shook his head. “As long as we have one. I don’t want to think about the person whose organ is going to be inside of me, thanks.” He sat up and nudged his friends nose, kissing his cheek. “When’s the operation?”
Already he could feel the burning in his stomach; something told him he would need another strong dosage of painkillers. The doctors cautioned him against painkillers, they said it could further damage what remained of his liver. He didn’t care. Let’s see them handle the pain one of the fits bring me. THEN tell me I don’t need fucking painkillers.
“In half a moon. They need to make sure they have all the materials, blah blah blah,” Shou informed him. Kai understood they to be the doctors. Neither of them much trusted Flightless anyone, but the Flightless in the city seemed to be adept at becoming doctors and healers, which they were in sore lack of. In matters of trust, well, they couldn’t trust anyone, groundling or skyling, not after Reita’s betrayal.
Kai nodded. “I wish it was sooner. That’s a long time when you’re in a war…” He snuggled up closer to the shorter man, annoyed with the blanket separating them.
“It could be over by then.”
“Maybe…”
*
He pulled weakly at the chains keeping him firmly to the wall in the dampness of the night filtering through the window. Beyond, he could hear the birds of the night and the bats calling to one another and hunting. Tears filled his eyes. Had Tara been able to escape? Would they see each other again?
His wings ruffled stiffly in the scattered bits and pieces of hay on the stone floor. A low sob escaped his throat. Why had he allowed himself to think of Tara? If his luck decided to return, Yuu would be dead by the next moonfall, why torture himself with thoughts of a love he would never see again?
Yuu screamed in his mental agony and the pigeons living in the crossbars above him took off, startled, showering him in their useless feathers. It wasn’t fair! Oh, how badly he wanted Tara to return, to save him! But no…no…he had sacrificed himself so that his flock would live on and make something of themselves.
Tears spilled down his cheeks. The very loneliness, the very silence of the room was picking away at his sanity.
So
That
All
He
Could
So
Was
Scream.
Scream.
Scream!
*
Blood carves rivers
That flow between us and
Further the rifts between our hearts
But I will not forget you.
*
A/N: How’d you like it? Inspired in a dream I had, lol. I know Kai and Shou is a weird couple, but that’s what I dreamed, so should it be. XD. I’m not going to beg for comments, but… *shifty eyes* comments are love. ^_^
Taion + Filth in The Beauty - Gazette
Leave Out All The Rest - Linkin Park
Maximum Ride + Wind the Wind Blows + the Lake House - James Patterson
The Things We Forget - Amanda (Kara_16)
* 240 centimetres is 8 feet. Or if you go by a ruler, a ruler is 30 centimetres or 12 inches, so a foot….