Volume 1, Chapter 2
"Where are we going?" Miyuki asked for the hundredth time. "Would you shut up already? I'm doing my best for YOU." Yuu snapped, ticked. So far, the only emotions he had shown were mad, bored, and. . .mad. "WHAT are you doing for me? Leading me around. And you're going to kill me." Miyuki pointed out. "Not if I can find a way to save you. Besides, I'm only doing my job." Yuu said, looking around. "So. . .You expect an answer to just, like, pop out?" Miyuki asked, frowning. "Uhm, yea, that's what I'm aiming for." he said, then shook his head. "Aru! What did you find!?" he barked. Miyuki looked around. "A-Aru. . .?" she asked, wondering if he meant her. "Nothing. I've still to see the mark." a voice said. "Ah, yes yes." Yuu said, bringing his fist down onto his palm. "That's it. C'mere, Miyuki." Yuu said, opening his arms to her. "W-W-What? What do you want?!" Miyuki said, stepping back. Yuu's eyes flashed. "Mi-yu-ki." he said, his voice pronouncing each syllable deliciously. Miyuki flushed. "What? You're weirding me out," she said, shrinking back. "Just come here." he said, grabbing her. "HELP ME, SOMEBODY~!!" Miyuki shrieked, though no one was near. "Stop struggling—! Aru, here!" he snapped. Before she could react, he pulled her shirt down, revealing the ugly birthmark. Miyuki was about to scream again, when a Yuu's left eye changed colour. "W-What's happening?" she asked. Yuu gritted his teeth. "Aru. . .It hurts." he said. "You'll get used to it." the voice came back. What seemed to emerge from his eye was the cutest little girl Miyuki had ever seen— besides herself. The girl floated and examined the mark. "Interesting..." she said. Miyuki stared at her. "Ah, I'm Aru." she said. Her voice echoed, even though they were in open space. "M-Miyuki. . ." Miyuki managed, shocked. "The birthmark. It's what curses you. If we can find a way to remove it, Miyuki-tono and the world will be saved." Aru said to Yuu. "Hmm. . . How troublesome." Yuu said after a moment. "I know." he said suddenly. "Jukusei*." he said to Aru. (*-'Jukusei' can translate to 'cure'.) "Ah, yes. Jukusei can remove any curse, no matter how strong. But for a price. . ." Aru said solemnly. "Hmm. . .You're right." Yuu said, rubbing his forehead. "What price? Money? I have money." Miyuki asked, a bubble of hope swelling in her chest. "Uhm, not money. An object. Like a sacrificed soul or an artifact." Yuu said. "No matter how much cash you have, it won't do." he added. The bubble burst. Speaking of bursting, that's what Miyuki did. Into tears. She fell to a sitting position, sobbing. "We'll do our best, Miyuki-tono. . ." Aru said in her echoey voice, landing by Miyuki. "Stop crying. You can't change anything by being a wuss." Yuu said, crossing his arms. "W-WHAT A COMFORT YOU ARE!!" Miyuki screamed sarcastically, between gulps of air.
"Now to track down Jukusei." Aru said, floating above them. "Lead the way, Aru." Yuu said, picking Miyuki up. Aru sped off, and Yuu trailed her. "You're not human, right? Are you, like, a robot?" Miyuki asked Yuu. "I'm warm, aren't I?" he said, looking bored. "I guess. But it could be from wearing this furry trench coat. Or, like, you GENERATE heat to appear human." Miyuki pointed out. Yuu took her hand and dragged her nails across his face. Blood spilled out. "Human." he said simply. Miyuki pulled her hand back, shocked. "You're NOT human!! You can jump high and you didn't show any pain!" Miyuki snapped. "Well, I am human. Two percent human." Yuu muttered. "TWO PERCENT?! What's the other ninety-eight?" Miyuki said. "Umm... I dunno." Yuu said. As usual, he didn't volunteer any information. "You don't ACT human. You're the most anti-social guy I've ever met." she said. ". . .Am I supposed to care?" he said, sighing. "Well, you SHOULD. Tell me, what kinds of things do you like?" Miyuki asked. ". . .Dunno." he repeated. ". . .Well, I'll name something, then you name something. Okay?" Miyuki tried. "What ever shuts you up." he said, exasperated. "I like the way you say my name." Miyuki counted off. ". . .Uhm, why?" Yuu asked, looking at her strangely. "I dunno. It's cute. It sounds like you're saying 'Mickey' or 'milky'. It's adorable." Miyuki said brightly. Yuu looked away, obviously frustrated. "You're turn." Miyuki said, huddled in his arms. Yuu thought it over. "Blood." he said, his eyes lighting. "Why?!" Miyuki asked, shocked. "It has a sweet taste, like honey. . .It's crimson and beautiful." Yuu informed her. That was the most he had ever given away about something. "Well, that's weird for humans, but okay. It's a start. Are you, like, a vampire?" Miyuki went on. "No." Yuu said, lapsing back into his closed off self. Ah well.
Yuu landed, looking around. "Curse that Aru. She went too fast. . ." he said, setting Miyuki down. A raindrop hit her nose, which she wrinkled. "She'll come back, right?" Miyuki asked. "Duh." Yuu said, plopping down. They were in the middle of what appeared to be ruins, the buildings old and collapsing. Miyuki sat by him, shivering as rain started to fall. "It's eerie here. . ." she whispered, inspecting the place. "It reminds me o' you." Yuu said, his arm over his eyes. Miyuki got up and stormed off angrily. "Fine. I'll wait by myself." she snapped to herself, shivering. She looked at the sky miserably. She could be at home right now, warm. Why was HER life any less important than the world?! She deserved to live as much as the next girl. Warm drops dripped from her cheeks, and she realized she was crying. Why her? She wiped her eyes, crying softly. Hopefully Yuu wouldn't notice. She didn't want to cry in front of him again, especially since he would just yell anyways. She sniffled, then froze. Music was drifting softly throughout the ruins. Miyuki staggered back to Yuu, whispering softly, "Can you hear that?" He didn't respond. "Yuu?" Miyuki tried again. Nothing. She shook him gently, his arm falling to his side. He looked asleep, peaceful. "Yuu. . .Yuu, knock it off. This isn't funny. . ." Miyuki said quietly, terrified. She turned as the music got louder. She started going in the direction it was loudest, slowly. The ruins were like a maze. . . She stopped. Uhm, oops. Lost was a way understatement. She looked around wildly, and called, "Yuu?! Aru!!? SOMEBODY!!" Someone landed behind her. Mika bowed. "I'm somebody, aren't I? Allow me to escort you to your tomb." Mika said, smiling evilly. "Stay away from me. . ." Miyuki said, backing up. "Or what? Where's your knight in shining armor? Sleeping on the job! With our help, of course. I'm shocked YOU aren't asleep. . ." Mika said, crossing her arms. Miyuki didn't know what to say. So, she turned on her heels and shot off. "Good thing Athletics are one of my best subjects," she muttered, sprinting off. "YUU!! ARU!!" she yelled, hoping for some backup. "Yuu's asleep." Mika said, floating above her. Oh, flying was faster then running. And, wow, did you know? If you look behind yourself while running, you, like, trip. Miyuki fell down, face first. She sat up, rubbing her ankle. She looked up and saw Mika, Yuu, and another male. Yuu was still unconscious, but Mika was holding him up, to Miyuki's surprise. "See? Fast asleep." Mika said, rubbing her cheek against Yuu's. Miyuki gritted her teeth. "So, unable to win unless we're sleeping?" she said snidely. Mika's eyes narrowed. Miyuki's eyes trailed to the other male. He was dressed lightly, despite the frigid rain. "Ah, this is Alec." Mika said, gesturing to the male. Alec bowed. Miyuki's hand groped around, and she found a rock. She slid it closer slowly, hiding it. "So...Alec, eh? Another person trying to kill me?" Miyuki said, standing up. Alec just smiled. "Well, welcome to the club!!" Miyuki snapped, throwing the rock with all her force. Luckily, they were only a few feet away and caught off guard. They swerved from the rock, surprised. Miyuki shot off again. "Yuu, wake up soon!!" Miyuki begged silently.
"After her!" Mika shrieked, Alec walking slowly. Yuu opened one eye, trying not to startle Mika. "Crap. What a troublesome girl." he thought, biting his tongue. Mika hovered a few feet from the ground, muttering under her breath. Slowly, Yuu took his gunblade from the holster, hardly moving. He pressed it to her back. Mika stiffened, and looked down. "Good morning." Yuu said, smirking. Mika stifled a shriek of rage. "Now, listen to me—" he started, before he heard Miyuki scream. "Miyuki!!" he cursed, shooting Mika. "Oh. . .That was my last bullet." he said, seeing Mika fall. "That was an accident, old pal. Don't be too mad." Yuu said, kneeling by Mika. "Yo-your gunblade fir...es?" Mika asked weakly, blood flowing from her stomach. "Oh, you didn't know? Well, yes, it does. Now, excuse me. I have to go save an idiot." he said, standing up. "Aru? Here yet?" he called. Nothing. He clenched his jaw, running briskly. He sneezed, pausing to shake his head. "I hate rain. . ." he muttered, running off again. The smell of blood reached his nose, and there was no way it was Alec's. He followed the smell, peeking over a wall. Alec, katana in hand, was standing over Miyuki. She seemed to have been able to dodge the blow for the most part, only her arm sliced. She clutched her arm, grimacing. Alec crouched by her. "Well, here we are now, arrogant trash." he said coldly. Okay, Miyuki had been called everything from arrogant to zealous, but trash was pretty new. "Up yours! We COULD be somewhere else." Miyuki snapped. Alec clicked his tongue. "Too bad we have to kill you. I like 'em feisty." he said, rubbing her cheek. "Get off of her!" Yuu snarled, tackling Alec. "Yuu!" Miyuki said happily, relieved. Alec was much taller than Yuu and badly outweighed him, but Yuu was coldly furious and out for blood, managing to take Alec by surprise. Alec managed to knock Yuu over, and jump up. "Now you're asking for it." Alec hissed, running his fingers over his katana. Yuu spat blood from his mouth.
Alec jumped up onto a wall, smiling crazily. He flicked his katana up, and a note played. He started using his katana as a baton, music playing. Yuu blinked, staggering. "Yuu!! Don't fall asleep!!" Miyuki cried. "Shut up, you moron. . ." he mumbled, falling over. Alec smirked and jumped high into the air, positioning his katana under him. When he fell, Yuu would totally be skewered. "YUU!! WAKE UP!!" Miyuki shrieked, lunging for Yuu. Her hand touched his shoulder, and he gasped. "He woke up?!" Alec snapped, plunging down. Yuu's eyes widened, and Miyuki shut her eyes tight. Alec dropped quickly, and Yuu was out of options. He tried untangling Miyuki's arms, whispering to her, "Get out of here, moron." Miyuki shook her head, her grip tightening. Yuu looked up, the katana about to plunge through both of them. Yuu shut his eyes right along with Miyuki, hugging her tight. Miyuki's birthmark started to glow, just barely. Alec floated above them, his katana only inches from stabbing them. He tried forcing his katana down, confused. Yuu opened one eye, then both. "What the hell?" Alec muttered, looking around. His feet weren't touching the ground. He tried to push the katana again. Yuu's arms loosened as he realized what was going on. "Suetsukata. . ." he muttered, looking at her neck. Miyuki looked up, tears streaming from her eyes. "W-What's going on?" she asked Yuu. Yuu dropped his jacket, then tore his shirt off. He turned his back to her. "Is it glowing?" he asked. There was a black mark on his back, and it was glowing. It wound around his shoulder blades, down his spine, then flowed around his waist. "Yes. . ." Miyuki said, inspecting her own birthmark. "Why?" she asked. "We must've made a temporary contract." Yuu muttered to himself, pulling his shirt back on and tightening his jacket around himself. "Well, Alec. Let's do this properly now." Yuu said, running his tongue over his lips.
"Where are we going?" Miyuki asked for the hundredth time. "Would you shut up already? I'm doing my best for YOU." Yuu snapped, ticked. So far, the only emotions he had shown were mad, bored, and. . .mad. "WHAT are you doing for me? Leading me around. And you're going to kill me." Miyuki pointed out. "Not if I can find a way to save you. Besides, I'm only doing my job." Yuu said, looking around. "So. . .You expect an answer to just, like, pop out?" Miyuki asked, frowning. "Uhm, yea, that's what I'm aiming for." he said, then shook his head. "Aru! What did you find!?" he barked. Miyuki looked around. "A-Aru. . .?" she asked, wondering if he meant her. "Nothing. I've still to see the mark." a voice said. "Ah, yes yes." Yuu said, bringing his fist down onto his palm. "That's it. C'mere, Miyuki." Yuu said, opening his arms to her. "W-W-What? What do you want?!" Miyuki said, stepping back. Yuu's eyes flashed. "Mi-yu-ki." he said, his voice pronouncing each syllable deliciously. Miyuki flushed. "What? You're weirding me out," she said, shrinking back. "Just come here." he said, grabbing her. "HELP ME, SOMEBODY~!!" Miyuki shrieked, though no one was near. "Stop struggling—! Aru, here!" he snapped. Before she could react, he pulled her shirt down, revealing the ugly birthmark. Miyuki was about to scream again, when a Yuu's left eye changed colour. "W-What's happening?" she asked. Yuu gritted his teeth. "Aru. . .It hurts." he said. "You'll get used to it." the voice came back. What seemed to emerge from his eye was the cutest little girl Miyuki had ever seen— besides herself. The girl floated and examined the mark. "Interesting..." she said. Miyuki stared at her. "Ah, I'm Aru." she said. Her voice echoed, even though they were in open space. "M-Miyuki. . ." Miyuki managed, shocked. "The birthmark. It's what curses you. If we can find a way to remove it, Miyuki-tono and the world will be saved." Aru said to Yuu. "Hmm. . . How troublesome." Yuu said after a moment. "I know." he said suddenly. "Jukusei*." he said to Aru. (*-'Jukusei' can translate to 'cure'.) "Ah, yes. Jukusei can remove any curse, no matter how strong. But for a price. . ." Aru said solemnly. "Hmm. . .You're right." Yuu said, rubbing his forehead. "What price? Money? I have money." Miyuki asked, a bubble of hope swelling in her chest. "Uhm, not money. An object. Like a sacrificed soul or an artifact." Yuu said. "No matter how much cash you have, it won't do." he added. The bubble burst. Speaking of bursting, that's what Miyuki did. Into tears. She fell to a sitting position, sobbing. "We'll do our best, Miyuki-tono. . ." Aru said in her echoey voice, landing by Miyuki. "Stop crying. You can't change anything by being a wuss." Yuu said, crossing his arms. "W-WHAT A COMFORT YOU ARE!!" Miyuki screamed sarcastically, between gulps of air.
"Now to track down Jukusei." Aru said, floating above them. "Lead the way, Aru." Yuu said, picking Miyuki up. Aru sped off, and Yuu trailed her. "You're not human, right? Are you, like, a robot?" Miyuki asked Yuu. "I'm warm, aren't I?" he said, looking bored. "I guess. But it could be from wearing this furry trench coat. Or, like, you GENERATE heat to appear human." Miyuki pointed out. Yuu took her hand and dragged her nails across his face. Blood spilled out. "Human." he said simply. Miyuki pulled her hand back, shocked. "You're NOT human!! You can jump high and you didn't show any pain!" Miyuki snapped. "Well, I am human. Two percent human." Yuu muttered. "TWO PERCENT?! What's the other ninety-eight?" Miyuki said. "Umm... I dunno." Yuu said. As usual, he didn't volunteer any information. "You don't ACT human. You're the most anti-social guy I've ever met." she said. ". . .Am I supposed to care?" he said, sighing. "Well, you SHOULD. Tell me, what kinds of things do you like?" Miyuki asked. ". . .Dunno." he repeated. ". . .Well, I'll name something, then you name something. Okay?" Miyuki tried. "What ever shuts you up." he said, exasperated. "I like the way you say my name." Miyuki counted off. ". . .Uhm, why?" Yuu asked, looking at her strangely. "I dunno. It's cute. It sounds like you're saying 'Mickey' or 'milky'. It's adorable." Miyuki said brightly. Yuu looked away, obviously frustrated. "You're turn." Miyuki said, huddled in his arms. Yuu thought it over. "Blood." he said, his eyes lighting. "Why?!" Miyuki asked, shocked. "It has a sweet taste, like honey. . .It's crimson and beautiful." Yuu informed her. That was the most he had ever given away about something. "Well, that's weird for humans, but okay. It's a start. Are you, like, a vampire?" Miyuki went on. "No." Yuu said, lapsing back into his closed off self. Ah well.
Yuu landed, looking around. "Curse that Aru. She went too fast. . ." he said, setting Miyuki down. A raindrop hit her nose, which she wrinkled. "She'll come back, right?" Miyuki asked. "Duh." Yuu said, plopping down. They were in the middle of what appeared to be ruins, the buildings old and collapsing. Miyuki sat by him, shivering as rain started to fall. "It's eerie here. . ." she whispered, inspecting the place. "It reminds me o' you." Yuu said, his arm over his eyes. Miyuki got up and stormed off angrily. "Fine. I'll wait by myself." she snapped to herself, shivering. She looked at the sky miserably. She could be at home right now, warm. Why was HER life any less important than the world?! She deserved to live as much as the next girl. Warm drops dripped from her cheeks, and she realized she was crying. Why her? She wiped her eyes, crying softly. Hopefully Yuu wouldn't notice. She didn't want to cry in front of him again, especially since he would just yell anyways. She sniffled, then froze. Music was drifting softly throughout the ruins. Miyuki staggered back to Yuu, whispering softly, "Can you hear that?" He didn't respond. "Yuu?" Miyuki tried again. Nothing. She shook him gently, his arm falling to his side. He looked asleep, peaceful. "Yuu. . .Yuu, knock it off. This isn't funny. . ." Miyuki said quietly, terrified. She turned as the music got louder. She started going in the direction it was loudest, slowly. The ruins were like a maze. . . She stopped. Uhm, oops. Lost was a way understatement. She looked around wildly, and called, "Yuu?! Aru!!? SOMEBODY!!" Someone landed behind her. Mika bowed. "I'm somebody, aren't I? Allow me to escort you to your tomb." Mika said, smiling evilly. "Stay away from me. . ." Miyuki said, backing up. "Or what? Where's your knight in shining armor? Sleeping on the job! With our help, of course. I'm shocked YOU aren't asleep. . ." Mika said, crossing her arms. Miyuki didn't know what to say. So, she turned on her heels and shot off. "Good thing Athletics are one of my best subjects," she muttered, sprinting off. "YUU!! ARU!!" she yelled, hoping for some backup. "Yuu's asleep." Mika said, floating above her. Oh, flying was faster then running. And, wow, did you know? If you look behind yourself while running, you, like, trip. Miyuki fell down, face first. She sat up, rubbing her ankle. She looked up and saw Mika, Yuu, and another male. Yuu was still unconscious, but Mika was holding him up, to Miyuki's surprise. "See? Fast asleep." Mika said, rubbing her cheek against Yuu's. Miyuki gritted her teeth. "So, unable to win unless we're sleeping?" she said snidely. Mika's eyes narrowed. Miyuki's eyes trailed to the other male. He was dressed lightly, despite the frigid rain. "Ah, this is Alec." Mika said, gesturing to the male. Alec bowed. Miyuki's hand groped around, and she found a rock. She slid it closer slowly, hiding it. "So...Alec, eh? Another person trying to kill me?" Miyuki said, standing up. Alec just smiled. "Well, welcome to the club!!" Miyuki snapped, throwing the rock with all her force. Luckily, they were only a few feet away and caught off guard. They swerved from the rock, surprised. Miyuki shot off again. "Yuu, wake up soon!!" Miyuki begged silently.
"After her!" Mika shrieked, Alec walking slowly. Yuu opened one eye, trying not to startle Mika. "Crap. What a troublesome girl." he thought, biting his tongue. Mika hovered a few feet from the ground, muttering under her breath. Slowly, Yuu took his gunblade from the holster, hardly moving. He pressed it to her back. Mika stiffened, and looked down. "Good morning." Yuu said, smirking. Mika stifled a shriek of rage. "Now, listen to me—" he started, before he heard Miyuki scream. "Miyuki!!" he cursed, shooting Mika. "Oh. . .That was my last bullet." he said, seeing Mika fall. "That was an accident, old pal. Don't be too mad." Yuu said, kneeling by Mika. "Yo-your gunblade fir...es?" Mika asked weakly, blood flowing from her stomach. "Oh, you didn't know? Well, yes, it does. Now, excuse me. I have to go save an idiot." he said, standing up. "Aru? Here yet?" he called. Nothing. He clenched his jaw, running briskly. He sneezed, pausing to shake his head. "I hate rain. . ." he muttered, running off again. The smell of blood reached his nose, and there was no way it was Alec's. He followed the smell, peeking over a wall. Alec, katana in hand, was standing over Miyuki. She seemed to have been able to dodge the blow for the most part, only her arm sliced. She clutched her arm, grimacing. Alec crouched by her. "Well, here we are now, arrogant trash." he said coldly. Okay, Miyuki had been called everything from arrogant to zealous, but trash was pretty new. "Up yours! We COULD be somewhere else." Miyuki snapped. Alec clicked his tongue. "Too bad we have to kill you. I like 'em feisty." he said, rubbing her cheek. "Get off of her!" Yuu snarled, tackling Alec. "Yuu!" Miyuki said happily, relieved. Alec was much taller than Yuu and badly outweighed him, but Yuu was coldly furious and out for blood, managing to take Alec by surprise. Alec managed to knock Yuu over, and jump up. "Now you're asking for it." Alec hissed, running his fingers over his katana. Yuu spat blood from his mouth.
Alec jumped up onto a wall, smiling crazily. He flicked his katana up, and a note played. He started using his katana as a baton, music playing. Yuu blinked, staggering. "Yuu!! Don't fall asleep!!" Miyuki cried. "Shut up, you moron. . ." he mumbled, falling over. Alec smirked and jumped high into the air, positioning his katana under him. When he fell, Yuu would totally be skewered. "YUU!! WAKE UP!!" Miyuki shrieked, lunging for Yuu. Her hand touched his shoulder, and he gasped. "He woke up?!" Alec snapped, plunging down. Yuu's eyes widened, and Miyuki shut her eyes tight. Alec dropped quickly, and Yuu was out of options. He tried untangling Miyuki's arms, whispering to her, "Get out of here, moron." Miyuki shook her head, her grip tightening. Yuu looked up, the katana about to plunge through both of them. Yuu shut his eyes right along with Miyuki, hugging her tight. Miyuki's birthmark started to glow, just barely. Alec floated above them, his katana only inches from stabbing them. He tried forcing his katana down, confused. Yuu opened one eye, then both. "What the hell?" Alec muttered, looking around. His feet weren't touching the ground. He tried to push the katana again. Yuu's arms loosened as he realized what was going on. "Suetsukata. . ." he muttered, looking at her neck. Miyuki looked up, tears streaming from her eyes. "W-What's going on?" she asked Yuu. Yuu dropped his jacket, then tore his shirt off. He turned his back to her. "Is it glowing?" he asked. There was a black mark on his back, and it was glowing. It wound around his shoulder blades, down his spine, then flowed around his waist. "Yes. . ." Miyuki said, inspecting her own birthmark. "Why?" she asked. "We must've made a temporary contract." Yuu muttered to himself, pulling his shirt back on and tightening his jacket around himself. "Well, Alec. Let's do this properly now." Yuu said, running his tongue over his lips.
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