http://clampfix.fanworks.net/kenichi/essen02.txt </head><body><pre> Second part in the series. If you will find someone here who seems to resemble someone we all dislike, it's not your imagination; It's based on him. |) "He who will not reason is a bigot; He who cannot is a fool; and He who dares not is a slave." -William Drummond Chapter Two I tread the darkness like a swamp, thick with its impending dread. My body was visible, as if illuminated in spite of the total absence of any light source. There was nobody and nothing I could see outside of my own self and the absolute void of pure black surrounding me. Fingers toyed with my collar. I was surprised at first, but then realized the fingers were but my own. Inwardly, I chided myself for being a coward. Silly. Scared of your own self now, Sumeragi? I felt utterly ridiculous. Window. Old fashioned, the kind seen in the olden days of wooden houses. Hanging in the black space just ahead of me, attached to some unseen wall. Curiosity piqued, my feet drove me closer. Watching. Watching the watcher. A tall man in a trenchcoat, looking deeply into a sphere. A crystal ball of some unknown seer. The blood rushed to my head as I recognized his face. Rushing forward,I pulled myself out of the window, launching out and closing the gap. Hatred. Rage. Fear. Seishirou. Sakurazukamori. The dark man seemed enthralled by what he saw, totally unaware of me. I was but two steps away when his head tore away from the sphere and focused on me. A cobra preparing to strike. That look. My knees froze once again as I dropped to a full halt at his feet. Damn, I want to kill him. But I'm so afraid... A smile parted his lips like a slice from a blade. "Hmmmm... So now it's you who interrupts me, Subaru-kun..." I wanted to curse, to scream at him, to spit in his face. All I did was sputter unintelligible babblings. His look... At once kind and cruel. How can I... The thin lips parted in a grin that mixed calm with mischief. "Do you know who this one is? He is the one who interrupted my last visit to you, Subaru." His words were lost on me. Maybe he really is a madman. No, not maybe. Definitely. "I find this one..." The sphere suddenly floated toward me as if drawn by my presence. "...interesting. Very sensitive, strong in some ways, weak in others." "What are you talking about...?!?" I was surprised that I was finally able to blurt out something. The Sakurazukamori within Seishirou subsided as he took a more serious mien. "At first I'd say he's like you, but that would be totally incorrect. No, this boy..." He took time to point to the sphere. "...is dangerous. To you and I both. He just has absolutely no idea what he is capable of." The anger that built within me helped me to rise. "And what's that to me?" I felt bile rise in my stomach. "The only thing that concerns me now is you, Seishirou..." I clamped down my teeth and hissed. "...iie... Sakurazukamori!" The sphere nudged me slightly and I looked into it. The visions drew me in, despite my best efforts to concentrate on Seishirou. His voice resounded like a singer and his song. "Believe me when I say I am not your enemy, Subaru...At least for now..." I heard his words, but paid them no heed. My vision was fixated on the sphere and it's contents. Within it lay a blue, beautiful planet. One far removed from the cares of this world. One ruled by the strength of the heart. How I wish that were true of this one as well. Our own earth, wherein betrayal and cruelty meant power. Was humanity really worth fighting for anymore? But that wasn't what I was meant to see, was it? Look deeper. All is not as peaceful as it seems. This was the world of another's. In spite of beauty it carried tragedy. Machines of war like men in form, but beast in nature. Powerful Magic unlike that which I know of. A duel with destiny... And death. Death indeed, taking away all that is dear to life. Taking away whatever meaning there is to love. Like Death in its most gentle form took my sister in a most horrible way. To kill as if it were sport alone. Someone. Someone here knows. Knows what it is like. To have felt pain. Who... I sucked in a breath as I recognized the boy in my previous dream. "Sumeragi-San!" I awoke to see Professor McCarthy's face, along with three others, looking down on me. Daylight further heightened her caucasian features. I propped myself up from the couch where I lay. Dreaming. Again. And I was still in the clothes I wore the other day. "Gomen. I must have dozed off." McCarthy's reassuring look calmed me. "I waited for the others. I'm sorry, but I'm afraid we already finished last night's dinner." "That's all right, McCarthy-San." "Please, call me Julie." "Hai, Julie-San." She paused an instant, then began her introductions to the other members of her group. A "research team" so to speak. It took me awhile to get my bearings as two of the other members sat close, a look of friendly anticipation crossing their faces. She first introduced me to a bubbly, bespectacled young asian lady. "This is Anna, our main bookkeeper and researcher. You could say that she's quite the brains...she's the one in charge of recording our finds." The girl named Anna whispered something in what I percieved to be English. Professor Julie chuckled as she seemed to share a private joke. I wasn't able to make out what Anna was saying, so I asked Julie. The professor couldn't help but giggle. "She finds you cute." "Oh..." My face was beet red as she introduced me to a husky black man who quickly reminded me of an american football player. I found his size fairly intimidating at first, but the genuinely sincere smile on his face put my fears to rest. "This is Charles. Other than the fact that he's the only one among us with an international driver's license, he's also majoring a degree in parapsychology." I nodded. A ghost-chaser of sorts. The fourth member among them as a callow-faced youth who seemed to wear a permanent frown on his face. "This is Richmond, he..." The young man bitterly said a few words and left. The other three were apologetic. "Sorry about Rich, he's a skeptic. The University asked us to bring him in to make sure that what wer'e dealing with isn't a hoax." It wasn't difficult, putting two and two together. "I take it he believes I'm a fraud." "Bluntly, He dosen't think that your'e worthy of the respect attributed to you. Richmond's spent his entire life debunking everything from UFO sightings to ghost photographs..." The Professor bit her lower lip. "And he's pretty closed-minded about this little caper as well." I folded my arms across my chest. Charles did the same, while Anna for an all-too obvious reason couldn't keep her eyes off of me. I felt it was time to get down to business. "So, McCarthy-San, what is the reason you need me for?" Photographs. They won't harm you. And yet it was with a certain sense of dread that I picked the first picture. It was not so much the blood as the familiarity that struck me as I viewed the first picture. With a heavy heart, I browsed through the others. Similar. All with the same technique. Familiar... And yet... "Sumimasen, Sumeragi-San..." Julie had a look of worry on her face as she spoke. "...those were the members of the Miskatonic Research team we sent last month..." I understood, somewhat. Charles had risen and brought Anna to another room. I needed no translator to know that they were upset over the deaths of their colleagues. Doubly so, it seemed, for the Professor. I chose my words carefully. "Any...friends...among them...?" Julie clasped her hands and bowed her head in silent anguish. "...My husband was the leader of the team." "...I'm...Sorry..." The Professor's eyes looked deeply at mine as she spoke. "Don't be. Martin knew the risks, as I do." There was something she hid from me. It was tangible in the way she spoke. "There's something your'e not telling me, Professor." She absently ran a hand through her blonde hair as she began. "The Miskatonic University not only researches Archaeological artifacts, Parapsychology is also one of the majors taken there..." She paused as she put her hand to her lips, leaning slightly on the table as she did so. "...As is Abnormal Psychology. We believe that whatever did this..." Her hand skimmed over the upturned photos cautiuosly, as if afraid. "...Was probably a Cult... Yet I can't tell what kind could do this. No knife, just a kind of physical tearing, or as the Police would have us believe..." The next question she sent my way was anticipated. "Sumeragi-San, have you ever seen anything like this before?" I knew what my answer would be. Once again, I looked at the photos. Each body had their hearts torn out by someone's bare hands... No words were spoken over lunch; the entire team ate in perfect silence, more out of worry than etiquette. I myself had questions that needed answering. One, if the killer is Seishirou, what is his purpose? There was no reason to kill the entire research team, much less in such an obvious manner. Two... What if it isn't Seishirou? Charles drove us to the site of their colleagues' demise. The wooded area was a few miles out of the town proper, and way out of American Militar jurisdiction. The vehicle, a Toyota RAV 4, was hardly a fully off-road truck, but it sufficed for the slightly rough terrain we experienced. Needless to say, I nearly regretted eating lunch at all... "Right there." I let my eyes survey the area, but my mind was somewhere else. Something was wrong... The deaths... just were'nt... Artistic... No, not artistic at all. Not the way Seishirou kills... Seishirou... Not now... Not Seishirou, the man whom I trusted dearly. Now Sakurazukamori... Heartless, soulless killer. "McCarthy-San, could I look at those photographs once more?" Julie fished her bag for the offensive scenes and let me have them. I felt a little odd as she gave them to me with both hands, as she did earlier in their residence. Very respectful. Very Japanese. Certainly out of place from a westerner. My mind turned to the photos. I spread them over the car hood as I viewed the area, comparing... I was no police detective...But I knew what I was looking for. "The bodies were strewn about the area, almost carelessly...?" The one named Richmond spouted something unintelligible. Julie nodded. "Hai. Almost as if they were merely tossed away." This is very wrong. This can't be a Sakurazukamori killing... Multiple kills... Hearts torn out viciously... The clincher was the fact that the bodies were strewn carelessly about the area... No, Sei...Sakurazukamori would not kill like this. It just wasn't his style... <Believe me when I say I am not your enemy, Subaru...At least for now...> Was Sakurazukamori telling the truth this time...? "Sumimasen...?" I turned to face the Professor. "Sumeragi-San, you look troubled... Is there anything we can do to help...?" "Iie, Julie-San. It's just that..." Careful! "...at first this looked similar to something I investigated...long, long before..." "YA, BAKA!" I whirled around and was surprised to see that the Richmond fellow was speaking in Nihongo. His face was rapt with complete distrust. "I told you we couldn't trust him! I'll bet he's going to look into a crystal ball and then tell us who the killer is..." Julie's normally gentle expression turned into a mask of rage. "Richmond, if you don't believe Sumeragi-San's reputation, at least give him the benefit of the doubt!" Richmond's demeanor turned smug as he strode casually over to my side. I tensed as he hovered close to my ear. He whispered a few words into my ear which I did not understand. Just as suddenly, the professor's hand struck his left cheek. As the two exchanged what I felt were invectives, I cursed myself for not having learned more English in my school years... But then again, I didn't have much time to learn Academia while my sister and I were running around Tokyo with a master Assassin at our side, did I? Richmond sulked all the way to the truck, as the professor cursed one last time before seeing to me. "Subaru-San daijobu desu ka?" "I am alright, Julie-San. But what did Richmond-San say?" Her eyes narrowed with embarrasment as she spoke. "Gomenasai. He called you... well..." "Please be what you Americans call 'Blatantly Frank', Julie-San. I am not one who wilts easily at words alone." A sigh came across as the Professor steeled for the worst. "He called you a... A... Faggot... Sumeragi-San..." Somehow I was not surprised with Richmond's assessment. It stung a little, but it didn't matter. How could I blame him? After all, did people not mistake Hokuto and I to be both female on some occassions? No, it was beside the point. "It's all right, Julie-San. I don't have to prove anything to anyone. I came here to help you solve this, and I will. It dosen't matter what he thinks." The professor nodded, but retained an apologetic expression. "Domo Arigato, Sumeragi-San. It's just that Richmond... is never very careful nor cautious about who he insults... and I know that most Japanese men would be greatly offended by any doubt cast on their manhood. Gomenasai." I nodded and smiled, wondering in that same moment why I was smiling at all... The professor gestured for Charles, as we got ready to leave. As I stepped into the truck, Julie brushed my shoulder with her left hand. "Thank you for being so patient and understanding, Subaru-San..." Again, I mustered a smile. Like the good old days, I felt as I sat in the rear. When I had no fears. My beloved twin sister was alive. And Seishirou was my friend. No sooner had I thought of Seishirou than the darkness surrounded me once again. Why was I aiding these Gaijin? Because Obachan insisted. Do I owe them anything...? I continued to stare out the window. The face was still there. Hokuto-neechan. Every time I look into a mirror, I see your face looking back at me. Subaru the innocent still lives. I shut my eyes, not wanting to see. It was that very innocence...no, stupidity, that cost Hokuto her life. Had I been more cautious, more skeptical... More like Sakurazukamori...? I opened my eyes as we drove into town. Okinawans. Not like us, yet not Westerners, either. Of Chinese or Korean descent. It was surprising...they looked only a bit darker than your regular city-bred Japanese, and yet we, the Japanese people in genreal, discriminate against them. Had I been younger, the concept of Racism would have been difficult for me to understand. Now... It is an unavoidable object in the world. We are equal only in death, Seishirou once told me. Maybe he was right, maybe... What...?!? I found myself planting my face against the window. There he is. The boy in my dream. Fifteen, maybe. In school uniform. Fairly short, earthy brown hair... Something about the eyes. Young yet old. As if though his body were young, the person inside was ancient... Experienced... but what? I was surprised to see him look at me as well. There was a spark of recognition somehow in those eyes. Recognition...surprise... Resentment...? We drove by quickly, and I soon lost sight of the boy. Yet something lingered on. This was the first time I saw this boy, at least in real life. Something told me it was not to be my last. <This boy... is dangerous. To you and I both.> Sakurazukamori... afraid? Not afraid. Awed, maybe but not afraid. No, it was not awe that he felt to the boy, not that. <He just has absolutely no idea what he is capable of.> What does he mean...? How can a single boy be a danger to the Sakurazukamori? For that matter, why should he be dangerous to me? My thoughts ceased as we pulled into the small garage. </pre><p><a href="./">Back</a></p><p><a href=http://www.dreamhost.com/donate.cgi?id=216><img border=0 alt="Donate towards our web hosting bill!" src=https://secure.newdream.net/donate1.gif></a></p></body></html>