Moments

Moments
Chapter Two: A Wandering Mind.
Where ignorance is bliss tis folly to be wise.

On the Path Outside of Kagutsuchi
December 25th 2199, 5:00 am.

Seithr. Unable to be seen, smelled, or touched that hangs over these lower quarters. This close to the city the air is still in it's eternal spring but not entirely. The cold edges of winter denied within the city itself touch the very edges of it's domain here. Soft bits of frost crunching under foot in one of the few roads that remains. Not to say it is maintained in the very least, no it is quite opposite in fact. The road is overrun with debris and weeds. The only way one knows a road is there at all is the fact that it is slightly lower than the rest of the ground and in sections large pieces of the original rock of the road can be seen. No one walks these streets anymore. They hide in the monorails high above the seithr that gives them power and frightens them. Yet for those who are not smiled on in the light of others, or those who simply do not want their trails found this is where they walk.

Very few creatures can take the high concentration of seithr that is found on the ground levels, and even many of them cannot take it for the amount of time it takes to get from Hierarchical city to another. Those who are brave and stupid still walk these lower paths for this long. I know I will meet him here, almost as easily as my knowledge of how to get to so many other creatures of this realm. My memory only remains clear of the important ones and this system makes it easy to find him. After all, in many ways he is the beginning...and end of all of this. He is resting in the grass not too far from where the blackness of the beyond opens to release me. The smell of my rose garden wafting after as it always seems to follow my presence. I am surprised the familiarity of the smell does not wake him, but I am grateful for it. The high grasses of this plain hide us both from eyes if there were any other wanderers in the unseen mist of seithr. There is one, I feel his eyes for a moment before turning away and I am thankful with silence for his kindness. What I am about to do none should see, for my sake and their own.

His white hair is pale in the moonlight, as if a bit of it was stolen for himself to stay upon his head. In all of my time with him, this is the first time he has ever seemed peaceful. To most it is madness to rest here, but they do not know that the elevation here saves it from much of the seithr that plagues the lower valleys. Better that they live without that knowledge, to give rare beasts like him a point of refuge.

His eyebrows scrunch in the middle for a moment, as if he senses a presence but is to tired to wake himself. Perhaps he knows it is me in his mind, and that I pose no threat in his sleep. Regardless it does not matter and I slowly move to my knees beside him. The red jacket slightly crumpled his blanket as his sword lays beside him untouched. He does not curse, groan, or do any of the other unsightly things he does when he is awake. He is peaceful and boarders on handsome in this state. It is one of the only times I can see he and his brother's relation, but it is not close enough to be a direct match.

I am guilty of his changes, and yet I also am innocent of it. I changed his hair, his eye, but his harsh features and harsher natures were creations of his own. The edges of my skirts slightly rustle against him and he seems to try to wake once more, but dream holds fast and he succumbs. I feel guilty, gazing upon him like this. Should he wake only cruelty will pass between us. As it always will, it is my place, my station to taunt him. To taunt them all with knowledge beyond them for I could do nothing for them. Once I had tried to directly interfere with the things going on within their world. I learned differently with time that I was not one to play a single part. Merely to watch and every once in a great while to add some entertainment for my own sake. Never, not even once once, did I admit how lonely an existence it is. I would never admit the feelings that were at play every time I watched the end come. Where I would watch the beast mock me as he tore everything asunder. It left me alone, time and time again. The beast created from two halves of an Azure that was not.

I knew things about the beast most did not, but I harbored no hate for the thing. Nay, all I carried within my breast is a wanton sadness. The sadness that brought me before this man now. Ragna, the Bloodedge. He sleeps peacefully here on these mist covered slopes outside the city, head against the grasses, moonlight in his hair. It is almost serene...

As always; however, something is boiling beneath the surface. A creature who cannot remain still for long and I begin to feel him shift in his sleep. I chastise myself as for but a singular moment I had been tempted to jump into that dream with him. To gently take out the crinkles in this dream blanket, to smooth it so he would rest. I know these nightmares, but to take them away would be wrong. It is one of the few things I know within my heart is wrong. So instead I merely watch him as he fitfully leaves the calm dream scape of nothingness to the rapids of nightmares. It takes only a few moments before sweat breaks on his brow and his eyebrows knot into one of pain. I worry some times that he dreams of me in these moments, of my sin and my mistake. I know better to hold myself in such high regard with him, in fact I am sure I only grace his memory when he sees me. His mind is trapped within his purpose, trapped within his hate and sense of revenge. I cannot blame him, so many play within the bounds of memory that it does not let others within their thoughts. I was that way once.

He shivers and at long last I wake him up. My fingers grabbing onto his shoulder and giving a small shake to rouse him from the nightmare. He can't afford to cry out or some traveler may in fact discover him on this road. Such a disadvantage would end the fun far too quickly. Another shake and suddenly he starts awake. Hair in disarray around him like a halo sticking in every direction. His bi-eyes searching as he pants his breath back to normal. That is when his eyes spot me, hardly awake he seems to stare in utter disbelief at me for a few moments. “Saya?!” His voice is full of shock, wonder, and fright. A fright I had never heard within him, not to mention my utter aggravation of being compared to a creature so long dead she was hardly worth mentioning. I was vampiric sure, but hardly to be compared to a dead girl. His eyes seem to clear and he realizes who he is staring at.

“Rachel! You dumb rabbit. Don't fucking scare me like that.” His voice instantly hardens and despite myself I am sad. The anger of being considered a dead girl was better than that annoyed tone he always takes in my presence.

“Pardon me! You should be more grateful. Perhaps I should have let you sit there and wallow in your nightmares. I do not take well to be compared to a dead girl.” My tone is biting and harsh full of the bitterness I feel. That is when his hand reaches out and does something incomprehensible, he pushes a loose bit of hair from my face.

“Stupid Rabbit.” He mutters, and it is then I realize just why he thought, even for that fleeting moment that I was Saya, my hair. I have always found it strange that in tone my hair was comparable to Jin's and even Noel's but in it's high holding the comparison could never be fully made. I never left my home with it down before but with the fright bestowed upon me it was no wonder I left without giving proper thought to it. Nago and Gii would be punished horribly for not taking every measure to stop me from going out in this state.

I stare away from him, quickly moving out of his grasp. “I will have you know that calling one of my station by such an insulting nickname is almost cause for a fight.” My biting tone, cold words are there but for some moments I cannot meet his eyes. I am vulnerable once again, the piercing stare of Terumi only beaten away to this cold stare and aggravated expression of Ragna.

“Oh why don't you shut up for once. I don't have the time to fight you, Rachel, and if you were going to fight you wouldn't have been an idiot and come here alone.”
I smirk at that a little bit of human haughtiness. He was perceptive, though wrong. I could easily take him in a fight with or without my servants, but my strength is my best hidden weapon. My age, based on looks, my manner and my cold witticisms do not make me the threat that I am. Still I simply give him a smile and shake my head. “You are quite the rare beast Ragna. Entertaining as well as perceptive. Too bad for you,” a crack unleashes from the sky and a pink bolt crashes from behind him. He jumps as my cool smile watches a bit of panic fill his face. “Not perceptive enough.”

His eyes cool from their panic and now that edge of rage shows in them. His sword is unsheathed within a few seconds and he is ready for a fight. I am in no mood and simply raise my hand to the end of his blade. He freezes, eyes wide with a strange confusion. Most cannot even touch the blade without their life being pulled from them, but I only smile before stepping back my cloak raised high. “Perhaps another time Ragna the Blood-”
“Wait!” His voice rings in the night air, over taking the crickets and the rustle of far away creatures. I stopped, my interest was piqued. Rightfully so, I had never had him call out to me in such a manner in any meeting we had had, in any time line thus far.

“Today is a day of profound peculiarities.” I say, more to myself than to him. Still I am smiling and he takes that to be a good sign.
“What were you doing here anyway? I've never seen you without those two fucking annoying pets of yours.”
I simply smirk at him, “One must be alone some time. To sit with company, even of servants, can become far too invasive.”
“So why come here?”
This question hits me off guard. Truly I did not have a clear answer as to why I came here and my insecurity was some how caught by him. A strange look over coming him. “I-I was bored,” I feigned disinterest but the way he was looking at me was most disconcerting. “I decided you would suffice for an evening's entertainment. Though evening is quickly leaving us.”

The pink of morning was beginning to come over the mountain and soon Ragna would leave. The process would begin again. He would meet ν-13, she would kill him and the world would end. The room would return, and this moment would become just another aborted time line. Like a forgotten child left to die at the river bank. I turned from him watching the day become more apparent, and my sorrow to take place behind the mask I bore. I grew tired of the endless cycle, yet could do nothing to stop it. A mere plaything to watch the play over and over until some one got it right. Only every once in a great while changing things, and even that was mostly for my own amusement.

“Rachel?”
I had not realized he had walked to my side. I was closed within my own thoughts and I did not hear his approach. His eyes are puzzling in their expression, something I cannot read in either the red or green orb. His stare is honed to an intensity I am not experienced in, something within those eyes...I believe a question that he doesn't ask. He just stares at me for a long time as I stare at the rising sun.

“Why are you really here?” His voice is lower than normal, not harsh and distrusting but in the strangest way concerned. I don't really like it, this concern is not something I am aware he even harbored. A part of me so sure of his disgust given my being the cause of his change...it is disconcerting, nay disturbing to have him show any form of concern for me what so ever.
“I told you, I needed to be away from my home for a time.”
“Tch.” My eyebrow quirks at his noise of disgust. “I don't like being lied to Rachel.”
That dangerous edge is present once again and for a moment I feel a small bit of apprehension. It passes as he relaxes and his fingers come to brush hair out of my face once more. I am aware of what he is doing, he is forcing me to look him in the eyes, but the mere contact of his hand near me causes me to move backward. Eyes averted as they had been almost constantly since he had awoken. He gives a groan of irritation but doesn't move to touch me again. “Fine, what ever. Fucking suit yourself.”

This gives me a small amount of pleasure and I cannot help but smile at his frustration.
“You think this is funny?!” That edge is back and before I know it his hand has wrapped into my hair, grabbing a fistful of it before I can so much as give a noise of surprise. “I don't enjoy being toyed with Rabbit. Now tell me why you are here before I make you regret it.” I am shocked, but more than shocked I am angered. He dared to lay a finger on me, worse yet to grab my hair and to drag me to his eye level. My boots barely touching the floor are only allowed to brush ground due to the heels. But I do not show him the fear he expects, instead there is an anger that causes his grip to loosen. But it was too late. Something flies in and hits his hand. A shot of blood and a tear in his glove as a cry of surprise has him drop his grip rather unceremoniously. It is only the years of dance that allow me to keep my balance. Ragna's eyes are rage filled as I feel the ever familiar sensation of Valkenhyn at my side. Nago and Gii apparently had hitch hiked along as I soon feel their familiar presences as they take their places around me.

“You ungrateful monster.” Valkenhyn is hissing through pointed teeth at him, “If you have pulled even one hair from the Madam's head I will ensure you have no hands-” My hand raises and he is silent.
“It is quite alright Valkenhyn. There is no need to lose your civility.” My eyes are dangerous, but Valkenhyn does not fear me, he never has. Still as Lady of the house he backs down, but the anger he feels is not directed at Ragna alone, and I feel quite the lecture coming on.
“You are an ingrate to have harmed the princess.” Nago mutters,
“Yes no manners at all!” Chimes in Gii, but the sting of my hand is quick to silence them. I have been humiliated and interrupted. I have no need for further embarrassment. Instead my eyes meet with Ragna and I give him a look he has never seen before. Something unfathomably sad as if a large weight of knowledge hangs over me. A look that causes him to pale and move away from us both. At some point he had drawn his blade, but it hangs limp in his hand now.
“Until we meet again Ragna.” The blackness comes, and I am gone from his presence, and the echo of him calling my name is the last thing I am to hear.