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++ Love's Nocturne ++ Yuki/Ahiru fanfiction -- Remastered. |
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☆☆
Haha! That's right, people. My writing skills have improved, and I'm rewriting the fanfiction. With more details, too! I left out a lot, because I didn't want to ruin some little things I was going to surprise people with in Roleplay. But here it is, the full, un-cut, more detailed version of Love's Nocturne. -nodnod-
Once again, I'll be adding chapters as I write them. -nodnod-
Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket, or Evangelion. However, Ahiru is my OC. Steal her, and die. [Believe it or not, some people have tried. O___o;;]
++ Prelude ++
It was a bright, sunny day in Spring. The sun was glowing brilliantly upon the earth, unprotected by the fluffy white clouds that painted the sky. The birds chirped melodically as the scent of newly blossomed flowers filled the air with their pungent aroma. Thirteen ducks waddled by the waterside of a warm, foggy pond. Everything was in harmony until a gunshot rang throughout the area. The piercing sound sent everything awry. Birds fled, and the mother duck that had been leading the others collapsed. Soon following in her footsteps, twelve of her newly hatched ducklings were shot by a hunter.
One lone little duck survived, however. It was a girl duck -- And the only reason she hadn't been shot was because she was unusually small, and went unnoticed. The duckling fled into the pond, finding shelter under a lillypad. Shaking and frightened, she watched as the hunter carried away the bodies of her dead mother and siblings.
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++ Chapter One ++
The small duckling, now two months old, was asleep on that very same lilypad she had hid under not too long ago. Her head bobbed up and down slightly as she slept, her nightmare waking her with a jolt. She looked around, her head moving back and forth quickly in paranoia. She looked down, realizing that her nightmare was also her reality. Though just a duck, she had very deep, and complex thoughts. She stared at her reflection for a short moment before flapping her wing at it to make it go away. In doing so, she fell clumsily into the water.
"NO! Please! STOP IT, Akito!" Yuki cried as Akito whipped him relentlessly, the same eerie glow in his eyes as was there every time. Once satisfied, Akito left, leaving Yuki quivering on the cold, cage floor. His shoulders shook with tears as he curled up into a ball, hugging his knees tightly to his chest as he tried to control his sobbing. After a short moment, he bolted up from the ground and just ran. He didn't even know where he was headed, he just knew he couldn't stay there anymore. He reached a dead end at a calm, serene pond. Falling to his knees, he cried again. The last time he ran, Akito had found him. He just hoped it wouldn't happen again. Not this time.
The duck's gaze darted about after she resurfaced. She watched as other ducks, birds and fish fled the area. Curious as she always was, she looked around to see what had caused the commotion. She saw a little boy, kneeling at the water's edge. He had light, lavender hair and piercing amethyst eyes that put the sun to shame. The small duckling tilted her head, staring at the poor boy as he continued to cry his heart out.
Yuki saw a little yellow figure floating on the pond's surface, and instinctively flinched. He quickly realized it was just a duck, and couldn't help but laugh at himself a little. He sniffled quietly as the duck approached him. The duckling frowned inwardly, wondering why he looked so sad. She swam a bit closer to him, quacking stupidly. 'Hey, you! Smile!' She said inwardly, but alas, she was unable to offer any real words of comfort to him. Yuki's eyes widened a little as he wiped some of his tears away. No one -- Not even an animal approached him like that. "Y-You... can run away... if you want..." He smiled sadly, but when the duck didn't flee, he held out his hand, offering a little place for the duck to sit. He was a bit naive, and assumed the duckling would just come right up and sit in the palm of his hand. The boy's sudden movement made the duckling swim backwards a little. She paused, and continued towards him again.
"Come on... I won't hurt you," Yuki persisted, finding a small gleam of comfort in the duck for whatever reason. Just as the duckling was about to get out of the water, though, Akito appeared behind Yuki once more. The duck fled, being started by the evil cackle of the stranger behind Yuki.
"Trying to run again...?" Akito sneered, watching Yuki quiver at the sound of his voice. Yuki said nothing, the words choking up in his throat as tears threatened to resurface. As Akito cracked the whip, Yuki ran off, with Akito hot on his trail. The duck could hear the whip against Yuki's skin in the distance, and Yuki's screams and cried echoed in her mind.
And that was how things were most of the time. But one day, when Yuki came to the pond, Akito was more ill than usual, and was too busy being treated by the family doctor to chase after him. Yuki smiled, petting the duck with his index finger lightly. The duck lifted her head slightly, rubbing it against his fingertip even more. She'd never really been petted before, and it felt really good. "Hey... Do you have a name?" Yuki asked, not really expecting the duckling to actually answer. She just stared up at him. After a short moment, Yuki beamed. "I'll call you Ahiru! It's a cute name, don't you think?" He laughed a little, kissing the top of the ducks head and leaving just as the sun began to set.
Maybe that's what started it all. But one thing is for sure -- The more Yuki came to the pond, and the more he talked to, pet, smiled at and even looked at the duck, she had grown to love him.
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++ Chapter Two ++
It was sometime in late August, when that fateful day came. Ahiru had stopped seeing Yuki, and began to worry. Worry turned to sleepless nights, and an aching pain in her heart. Then, as the moon glistened on the pond's surface, the duck had an idea. She hadn't heard of a God, or anything, but she knew there had to be someone out there that could help. She talked to herself every night -- Right before she would attempt to sleep. I suppose you could call it a weird, awkward, unconventional form of prayer. And what was she praying for? A way to help Yuki, and nothing more.
Before too long, God had appeared before Ahiru one morning. "You have been faithful, and what you desire is completely selfless. I come to you now, offering help. Do you accept?" He asked. Ahiru nodded eagerly, not hesitating to answer. "But, you will have to die. You will be reborn in Heaven, as an angel. But you will have to give up the life you have now. Is that alright with you?" He asked again, almost expecting the duck's answer to change. She nodded again, still just as eagerly. She was willing to sacrifice anything at this point. Considering the fact that she had no idea if he was even alive, she felt it all the more necessary to do this. So, without further questioning, God took Ahiru to the Heavens. After killing her, of course. [ O_o;; ]
Ahiru's eyes fluttered open. She awoke to find herself surrounded by lush green grass. She sat up, rubbing the back of her head. She blinked, looking around. "Is this... Heaven?" She muttered, assuming God must be nearby. She gave herself a really weird, surprised look. She covered her mouth, not familiar with the sound that just came out of it. "Uhm... Quack?"
"Welcome, my child." God smiled, offering a hand to her and helping her from the ground. "I didn't think you would want to spend so much time learning how to speak, so it comes natural to you now." He spoke softly as Ahiru inspected her new body. She was an angel now. Huge, glorious white wings and a brilliant golden halo that hovered above her head. She spread her wings, flinching at their immaculate size. She was familiar with wings, but none this big. In this form, Ahiru had short, brunette hair. Her eyes were brick read, and her skin was as white as a porcelain doll's. She poked her nose, remembering when it was a duck's bill. She laughed a little, feeling a bit retarded. God led her towards a whirlwind of swirling leaves.
"Now, I'm making you a guardian angel. The boy you want to be closer to... Is Yuki, right?" God hid a smirk.
Ahiru beamed. "H-Hai! Wait -- That's his name?" She tilted her head, never hearing his name before. She raised her arms to touch her head. "He had lavender hair." She stated, then pointed to her eyes. "And really pretty eyes." God just nodded, saying nothing in response. After an awkward moment of silence, he made Akito's image appear in the whirlwind. Ahiru's eyes widened. "That's not the boy I was talking about, sir..." She glared at the image. Though she only knew two humans, she had known enough to come to the conclusion that she despised Akito for what he'd done to Yuki. God chuckled.
"You will be this boy's guardian angel. You're closer to Yuki, as promised." He said, small laughter filling the area. It was the other angels, snickering. Ahiru swung at the image in the wind, not being able to look at Akito's face without bile rising in her throat. At this, God stopped laughing and sneered. "Are you defying me?" He hissed. Ahiru nodded firmly, her angry expression not diminishing.
"I'm grateful that you brought me here," She started, narrowing her eyes. "But I really don't give a s**t WHO you are -- I'm not going to protect a monster."
"Then you will not be given the privilege of living." God said, the lush green grass dying beneath their feet as the angels began chanting...
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++ Chapter Three ++
Ahiru stepped back, a bit surprised that God was acting so... Satanic. Before Ahiru knew it, she was bound to a wooden cross, nailed down by the palms of her hands and the ankles of her feet. The angels proceeded to tie her down with barbed wire -- And they tied it so tight that it dug into Ahiru's skin dangerously deep. Ahiru winced, trying to wriggle out of the metal that bound her. She let out a small squeal of pain as the blades of the barbed wire only cut into her deeper, and the nails at her hands and feet got hammered in deeper by a particularly malicious angel. God stepped in front of Ahiru, looking emotionless. Ahiru looked at him, tears swelling in her eyes. God shook his head, clicking his tongue in disapproval. "You forced me to do this..." He muttered, ordering the angels to whip Ahiru until every inch of her skin was covered in bloody welts. Ahiru held back her screams and cries, not giving into God's demands for her to become Akito's guardian angel. Once the angel's put down their whips, Ahiru hung her head, quivering with pain.
God looked at the whips that the angels lied on the ground. Every single one of them held a piece of Ahiru's flesh, and were soaked in blood. He raised an eyebrow, and turned to Ahiru. "Does it hurt?"
Ahiru lifted her head, and smirked at him. "It stings a little, yes." God's temper flared, and he drove a metal crucifix through her left wing. He laughed maniacally, knowing one thing that Ahiru didn't know -- The tip of the razor-sharp crucifix was doused in poison that made the skin more sensitive to the touch. Ahiru hung her head, gritting her teeth to force back a shriek. God twisted it while it was still inside of her flesh, wanting the satisfaction of hearing her cry. Ahiru didn't let out a single whimper as God and the rest of the angels continuously tortured her. One of them poured salt into her open wounds, while another whipped her in the face and scratched at her wing's open wound. Just as an angel started to gouge out Ahiru's eyes, God stopped them.
"These wounds... will never heal. Unless you abide by my rules, and do as you're told," He said calmly, lifting Ahiru's chin to look at him. Ahiru bit his hand when it came near her.
"Go ******** yourself." She growled, her voice raspy from all the pain her body was taking right now. God glared.
"So be it..." He untied Ahiru, and threw her to the ground. Just as Ahiru hit the grass, it seemed the ground itself caved in as easily as wet paper and she fell. She closed her eyes, one small, glistening tear falling from her eyes as she plunged down from the Heavens. As she fell, images of Yuki s flashed through her mind and her once golden halo became a tainted silver.
She crashed back onto Earth, hitting the back of her head on a concrete sidewalk. It wasn't until a few hours later that she awoke, in the middle of a town unknown to her. She winced, sitting up. "Nn.." She looked around as people walked by, not noticing her. She watched them all walk by, not even glancing at her. It was as if they couldn't see her. She drew in a sharp breath, the air against her wounds hurting her even more. "H... Hey... C-Can someone help me? Please? I.. It hurts..." She looked up at the people, but they didn't look back at her. She held her hand in front of her face, and realized she was translucent. Her body was a faint, grey outline in the bold world. It was at this moment when she realized no human would be able to see her. She looked down, wanting to cry, but unable to.
She got to her feet, steadying herself against a wall. She looked up at the sky, glaring. "Well you're just being an a** today, aren't you?" She hissed, assuming God could hear her wherever he was. Just then, she heard someone's footsteps stop behind her.
"Miss, who are you talking to?" Asked an old lady, who looked like she was about to die any minute now. Ahiru peered over her shoulder, sighing. She presumed the old hag wasn't talking to her, since no one else could see her. But the old woman stared directly into Ahiru's eyes. "Yes, I'm talking to you."
"M-Me?" Ahiru asked, pointing to herself. The old woman nodded, and grabbed Ahiru's hand. Ahiru flinched, the open wounds burning at the woman's touch. But quickly, the circular gashes on the palm of her hand healed completely.
"Come with me, and I'll make you better." The woman promised, smiling. Ahiru shook her head, yanking her hand away from the woman's grasp.
"I.. don't trust you." Ahiru said, looking absolutely pathetic. The woman frowned.
"Why not? From the looks of it, you haven't got much to loose," She said. At this, Ahiru remembered why she was even in this mess.
"Yuki-senpai!" She gasped, looking around frantically for the pond. She was so lost right now. The old woman sighed heavily, and hit Ahiru in the back of the neck. She hit a pressure point that immediately knocked her out.
"All I want to do is help you," The woman whispered softly, carrying Ahiru's motionless body off into the woods.
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++ Chapter Four ++
When Ahiru awoke, she found herself in a warm, cozy cottage. The walls were made of wood, and it was a very old-fashioned house. The strong smell of incense lingered in the air as she sat up. She put her hand to her forehead to try and stop the room from spinning. "Gah..." She looked around, pouting. "Where the HELL am I!?" She hissed, just as the old woman walked back into the room. She sighed, but smiled kindly at Ahiru.
"You're safe, Ahiru." She said, stepping closer to her. Ahiru sweat-dropped, wondering how this lady knew her name. "I know a lot of things about you," The woman continued. "For instance, I know you're not a human." She glanced at Ahiru out of the corner of her eye as she took out a blood red pendant and chanted something inaudible. Ahiru just blinked, not realizing that her wings and halo weren't currently visible. "My name is Marucheil, by the way." The old woman said, approaching Ahiru once again with silent footsteps. Ahiru just stared at Marucheil in a daze, suddenly looking down with a sense of longing reflecting in her aura. Marucheil sighed heavily, and sat beside Ahiru. "Look... I know that you want to help him, but---"
"Want? Are you ******** blind? I need to. It's.. the whole reason I've been living. And now... I'm completely useless to him..." She clenched onto a pillow that Marucheil had resting on the couch, tears welling in her eyes. "And now he's all alone out there..." She sniffled quietly, burying her face into the softness of the pillow.
"Then give me a chance to help you.." Marucheil said, running a hand lightly through Ahiru's hair. Reluctantly, Ahiru nodded. If not for her desperation to help Yuki, she wouldn't have trusted Marucheil so quickly. Marucheil lifted up the blood red pendant from before. "This will ensure that you can take care of him. When this stone heats up or glows, it means that Yuki is in danger, or needs your comfort." She smiled a little, gently putting the pendant around Ahiru's neck. The coldness of the chain rested against Ahiru's skin, and she smiled.
"Thank you... Maru-senpai," she said, hugging her gratefully. Her broken wing was dragging a trail of blood all along the hardwood floors. Marucheil sweatdropped, and got out a wet towel.
"Now, you'll be staying with me for a few months. Maybe a year... I'll teach you alchemy and white magic." She said while wiping up the blood. "First, you'll need to learn the art of possession," She continued, standing up to wash the towel. "Then, you'll need to learn to solidify." Ahiru blinked, watching Marucheil's every move, and listening intently to every word.
"Okay... S-Sounds easy enough," Ahiru said, though she didn't sound very confident. Marucheil looked at her, raising an eyebrow. Ahiru flashed a nervous smile. "I can do it." She paused for a moment, her eyes softening when she thought of Yuki -- The whole reason she was doing this. "For him," she muttered. Marucheil smiled, ruffling Ahiru's hair playfully.
"Good. Also... Erm... About that," Marucheil started, motioning towards Ahiru's immaculate wings and halo. "That pendant will also help you gain control of that. It can't heal it, but it can make it fade temporarily -- Or, for as long as you can keep it up." Upon hearing this, Ahiru glanced down toward the pendant, and focused her mind a bit. Closing her eyes, she envisioned herself with a normal appearance, lacking wings and a halo. Gradually, the appearance of the angelic attire faded. Marucheil's eyes widened. She was a bit shocked as to how quickly the pendant responded to Ahiru's heart. Ahiru glanced at Marucheil, smiling.
"Very good... Very... good.." Marucheil said, returning Ahiru's smile. "Now, since you're going to be Sohma Yuki's guardian angel, I should show you how to get to him, if that pendant so intends." Marucheil held out her open hand. Ahiru got up, and the two exited the secluded area, and started out into the town. Ahiru looked around in wonder, taking in every aspect of the world. It had seemed to big before, but now it was like she was seeing it in a completely new way. Marucheil glanced at Ahiru from the corner of her eye, smiling as Ahiru's gaze darted around in curiosity and admiration.
Shortly, they arrived at the infamous pond. Ahiru paused for a moment, immediately spotting Yuki. Her eyes lit up, but the excitement quickly turned to worry when she saw him curled up, clenching onto the tiny yellow body that was once Ahiru.
"He's heartbroken, dear... The duck he depended on is gone." Marucheil explained, looking down at Ahiru. Ahiru's eyes widened, and she dashed over to Yuki without hesitation. Yuki was shaking violently with sobs, feeling completely alone for the first time since he had met the duck. "I... I knew it was too g-good to last," he breathed through helpless cries. Ahiru looked down, her eyes closing a little. She knelt down beside him.
"No... It's not over," she said quietly. "It's... barely beginning." She smiled faintly, looking up at Yuki. Though, she knew that it might be a while before he looked back at her again.
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++ Chapter Five ++
Five months passed, with Ahiru quickly learning how to solidify. Though, Marucheil insisted that she learn possession first, Ahiru had a plan of her own. As soon as Ahiru had the basics down, she left for Yuki's place. "I'll be back later, Maru-senpai," Ahiru said, smiling as she shut the door behind her. Immediately, she ran to him. She found him sleeping in the corner of the cold, damp cage Akito kept him in. She knelt down beside him, caressing his cheek and wiping away his tears. Within a few moments, Ahiru's form became solid. Not completely, but enough for her to carry him out of there. After being around Yuki so much, she had figured out enough to learn that Yuki had other relatives nearby.
Shigure was cleaning his house, humming a little tune he wrote about high school girls. He heard a knock at the door, and looked up curiously. "My oh my, who could that be?" He said, walking over to the door and opening it. His eyes widened when he spotted a young girl, carrying the unconcious Yuki in her arms.
"I know it's a lot to ask," Ahiru started. "But... please take care of him?" She pleaded, her eyes welling with tears. Shigure could vaguely see her halo and wings, and stumbled back a bit.
"Uhm.. O-Of course." He said, unable to refuse her request. He took Yuki into his arms, and gently laid him on the bed in the spare room. Ahiru followed him, and pulled the blankets over Yuki's shaking figure carefully. She smiled, staring at Yuki with the utmost affection in her eyes. Shigure just observed her actions intently, until he was sure that the girl wouldn't cause any harm to Yuki or himself. Ahiru looked back at Shigure, smiling gratefully.
"Thank you," She said, bowing politely before allowing her form to become invisible once more. Shigure fell back into a chair, not exactly sure what just happened. He looked back at Yuki, staring for a brief moment before he awoke.
"Nn..." Yuki sprang up in the bed, immediately confused as to where he was. He looked around, stopping when he saw Shigure sitting across the room. "Sh-Shigure!?" He said, confused beyond belief. Shigure just smiled.
"You're awake so soon?" He said, standing up. "Are you hungry? Thirsty?" He asked charmingly, making a vow to himself to take care of Yuki so long as he was in his care.
"N...No..." Yuki mumbled, looking down. "How... How did I get here?" He asked, having a hard time believing that Akito would let him go so easily. Shigure whistled suspiciously, walking out of the room to get Yuki a glass of water. Yuki watched him exit the room, and sighed to himself. He was grateful, of course. Just... very confused. Ahiru was sitting on the bed beside him, though she was unseen. She smiled, the feeling of accomplishment filling her heart.
Meanwhile, Akito's evil laugh echoed through the house. He was unaware of Yuki's absence, and with his whip in hand, he slid open the doors to the cage. He paused, darting around the room. He gritted his teeth, dropping the whip and storming off. "HATORI!" he called angrily. Hatori sighed heavily, putting his stethescope down.
"What is it?" He asked, turning to Akito with a curt expression.
"The rat. He's disappeared! Weren't you keeping an eye out?!" Akito screamed, his anger rising with each passing moment.
"Of course I was. I didn't see him leave," Hatori said simply. "And you shouldn't get so angry. It's not good for your health," he sighed. And, just as Hatori had predicted, Akito passed out because his heart was beating too fast. Hatori sighed heavily, carrying Akito to the couch. "You have no idea how badly I want to jsut leave you here," He muttered.
Before too long, high school had started for Yuki. Ahiru had been switching back and forth between watching over Yuki, and training with Marucheil. By the time Yuki was a week into the school year, Ahiru had mastered both possession and the art of solidifying. "It's been almost a year, hasn't it? Since you first met him," Marucheil said, a regretful smile falling upon her lips when she realized that Ahiru would be leaving that night.
"Yeah..." Ahiru looked down, her eyes closing a little as clips of the past events flashed through her mind. She lifted the cup of tea to her lips, taking a sip. "It seems like it's been a lot longer..." She said, setting the cup down lightly.
"Really? It seems like it went by so fast," Marucheil reminisced, looking up toward the ceiling. "You know... I'd always wanted a daughter," She started with a smile. "And when I pictured what that daughter would be like... Well, you fit the description," She said, flashing a smile in Ahiru's direction. Ahiru looked back at her, somewhat surprised that Marucheil thought so highly of her. She paused for a moment before returning Marucheil's warm smile.
"I never knew my real mother," Ahiru said. "But, I guess that doesn't matter now. Meeting you made up for it." She smiled a little more before standing up. "Well... I should get going..." Marucheil nodded, giving Ahiru a tight embrace before allowing her to leave. Marucheil peered out the window, watching Ahiru as she dashed off into the distance.
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☆☆
 xBroken Porcelainx · Wed Jan 02, 2008 @ 10:41pm · 4 Comments |
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