Cherry blossom petals drifted in Yamatai's spring air and the shone shone merrily in the blue sky.
The Star Army four-wheeler came to a stop before the gates of the Samurai House. This was to be Nyton's scond visit at Kotori's side since back when he and his princess had visited the place just shy of Miharu's subsequent attack on Bowhordia.
Now, they were back. Eve was defeated, her plans torn to shreds, and Kotori had mustered the courage to go and visit her mother - though 'confrontation' might have been a better word for it. After the way Kôsuka had left them last time, Kotori was visiting more by obligation than because she really wanted to.
The wary Nyton exited the car first. Clad his in Rosenthal-bought bodyguard clothes, he cast an alert look around - the vigilance all the more important due to his Yamataian body's lack of cybernetics - and then walked to the other side of the vehicle to open the door for Kotori.
The adopted Ketsurui princess emerged from the car, smoothing the folds of her pale colored kimono before smiling her thanks to him - she was more than a little grateful for him delaying his return to Nepleslia to help her confront her mother again. Something seemed to spark her attention and then, smiling in amusement, she reached out for Nyton's shoulder.
Gently, she plucked an errant cherry blossom petal from his otherwise impeccable attire.
Then all of a sudden, blood sprayed in Nyton's face, the sensation accompanied with the late recollection of having heard the subsonic shriek of a railgun weapon. Well trained reflexes had him crouch for cover, making a grab at Kotori to drag her to relative safety with him...
...only to realize that the only thing remaining of Kotori's head was her lower jaw. The rest had turned up redecorating the pavement with gore.
It was over. She was dead. He never even had a chance to appropriately defend her - the assassin had no doubt gone by in a stealthed power armor and used a sniping weapon (probably the LASR Mk. II) to take her out. He might even be next; unless the assassin had decided to not take chances and flee while it was ahead either through teleportation or thermoptic stealth.
But, would Kikyô really chance leaving him alive?
Nyton shuddered at the horror of the loss. He knew he was likely in danger and his enemy would not let him breath and yet he could not move. His hands trembled as he touched Kotori's jaw where her skull had once been.
How!? I was so sure-! The scans-!! Nyton thought in near panic. He felt his insides churn at so much loss when something blinked in his mind's eye.
Why do I feel like I have felt this so recently? In an instant images associated with heart wrenching pain came to the fore.
"Welcome home father!"
"Nyton, we missed you so much."
"Y'drich, I wish to share your journey."
The images were disorienting to the man and at a time when his senses needed to be alert. He argued with himself until realization dawned on him. He then slammed his fist into the door of the car.
I'm still in the dream!
Before Nyton could ponder further, his other self materialized in front of him.
"Good thing you realized that sooner this time. Nyton, we have a serious problem." the Memory Nyton said.
The Dreaming Nyton let out a breath. "How much worse can it get?"
Memory Nyton opened up a window and displayed the scene. It was a scene looking from the floor up only this time Melisson was
very close and reaching towards him with her hand. Then something stopped her hand and she bore a slightly confused expression.
"She's after me." Memory Nyton informed.
"How can you tell?" Dream Nyton asked.
"I studied the data from Arethusa. What I can understand from my limited viewpoint is that Melisson tried to phase herself through to grab something. I don't know what stopped her exactly but see how she's withdrawn herself. Plus we're the only one that she is paying attention to." Memory Nyton reviewed, assuming their thinking position.
"Hmmm, that does make some sense. Or maybe I'm just the closest one for her to kill." Dream Nyton proposed.
"If she wanted to kill us she could have just run us through or something. No, she's trying to play with something and I think that something is me." Memory Nyton suggested.
"Could she actually consider you a threat?" Dream Nyton queried, also assuming the thinking pose.
"We are the only one with a memory chip." Memory Nyton stated. The scene in the view then changed and Melisson turned away from them, obviously infuriated. Memory Nyton then processed more data and brought up another window. "Kai, Kyou, and Yuzuki are awake! Their suits are registering consciousness!"
"And Melisson is turned around." Dream Nyton hissed through his teeth. At this point the image on the screen slowed down and they resumed existing in dream time.
"If I could take control of your body independently from you then I would draw our ASP and shoot her before she notices." Memory Nyton declared.
"But we've just barely begun to tap into giving you primary motor control functions in the case of my incapacitation." Dream Nyton stated.
"True but remember our cybernetic programs. Our original brain had all the established hard wires for activating the ADN and using your cybernetic left arm in case of psionic attack. When we transferred into the Yamataian brain all the programmed routes were still in place. Even moreso since this brain's digital interface allowed us to better synchronize us together. This body is more machine than our original." Memory Nyton pointed out.
"Then if all the original programming is still intact you can control my left arm even without it being cybernetic. You could use it as though I were sleep walking." Dream Nyton concluded.
"Almost. Melisson has severely usurped our body so it is going to take a lot of physiological stimulus to give us even a few seconds of control." Memory Nyton said.
Memory Nyton looked at Dream Nyton's left arm and vice versa. It was then that an idea sparked between the two of them. "We need adrenaline.
Lots of adrenaline." they said in unison.
"There is only one way to get the adrenaline necessary for this kind of attempt." Dream Nyton said.
"And then, even if I can use your left arm it will be like trying to fire an uncalibrated artillery piece with few coordinates and only one shell." Memory Nyton added.
"But she's not far away at all. Plus she's distracted. We have a chance. Arethusa can only operate defensively without me so we have to try to make this shot." Dream Nyton said.
"Alright then, we agree. Locke's Socks, Nyton." Memory Nyton said with a sly grin.
"We are me. Go get to work and stand by." Dream Nyton said while he grinned back.
"I'll be in touch. Good luck." Memory Nyton then said before vanishing.
With the second Nyton gone, the one remaining looked around. No more sniper fire had come since the initial round took Kotori's life. Even though he knew this was a dream it still pained him to see Kotori's dead form.
"......failed me...."
Nyton's breath began to grow shallow as his heart began to beat. He knew that voice. It was faint but familiar. With all the courage he could muster, and even then he still felt like a small child, he looked down over to Kotori. The dead Nekovalkyrja began to twitch.
"..ou failed me...."
With wide eyes the man saw that her head was no longer missing. Her hair was a tangled mass, horrid and wiry instead of the smooth polish it normally was. It was twisting around now at an odd angle. Even more odd because it turned like an owl's head, completely around unnaturally. His heart pounded harder as he saw her face was stretched out with horrible teeth and a scaly tongue that seemed to lash about like a lizard. Her eyes were dark and bleeding a black putrid liquid that appeared gruesome.
"You FAILED ME!!" the Kotori demon hissed. With that shout she then reached out with her hand and clawed at Nyton. He pulled away just in time to avoid another shot from the sniper rifle. Fear was gnawing at him and there was only one thing he could do when faced with this monster.
Nyton ran.
He ran into the nearby woods, avoiding another shot from the sniper. He had no idea whether the nightmare Kotori would follow or could chase him but he did not care. He just ran.
"You faaaaailed meeeeeeeee......!"
The taunting howl was distant but to Nyton it could have been directly behind him. He ran harder. It was then that the woods broke and he found a house. For some reason he felt it was familiar so he ran towards it. Grabbing the door he opened it and threw himself inside. He slammed the door and looked around, afraid the monster had beat him to the house.
"Father is home!"
"Oh Nyton, you're home!"
For a split second there was a joyous relief in Nyton's heart.
My family! he thought, rushing over to see them-
A pale shriveled rendition of the dream family. Odessa and Hinoto were bony zombie like beings, their eyes gone and bleeding the same black substance the nightmare Kotori did. Odessa stood up from the floor and shambled over towards him while Hinoto staggered over from the kitchen.
"Father, we missed you...." Odessa said, her voice raspy now, like dry paper.
"You were gone so long, Nyton..." Hinoto declared, her voice also a dry twig.
Nyton shook his head in horror at seeing his dream family in this state. Immediately he began trying to escape, find another door, not the one he came from, that led to Kotori. He needed another avenue-!
"What's the matter father, don't you love me anymore?" asked the nightmare Odessa before she closed in and tried to bite him. Nyton narrowly cleared her and ran for the back door, shoving the nightmare Hinoto out of his way.
"Nyton! Is that anyway to treat your WIFE!?" Hinoto protested as she was forced aside.
Running as though his life depended on it, he passed by several windows. More sniper fire came through, narrowly avoided as he crashed into the back door.
"Aren't we GOOD ENOUGH for you!?" the nightmares cried out as Nyton fell through into another place. It was an empty hallway, dimly lit and familiar. Nyton did not look around but ran farther down the hall into a ruined locker room. The Claymere Arms locker room.
Nyton licked his lips in expectant terror as he looked around for any signs of movement. Cautiously he stepped forward when he realized he was wearing his old combat suit again. When he looked up he could see a familiar person standing in front of the mirror.
"You know Nyton, I used to be very pretty."
"Minerva...." Nyton gasped.
"Oh you remember? Yes I guess you should." Minerva replied as she brought a hand up to her face. She was covered in blood again, fully dressed in her combat suit. Nyton couldn't see her face but he knew something horrible was standing there. "Don't you want to see me? Maybe have another go? I'm aaaaaaall bloody and hot, just for you...."
All Nyton wanted to do was leave but he found it hard to move quickly. It became harder when Minerva turned around and showed her face. She was missing the left side of her face. It had been blown off and a huge gaping hole was in it's place. Her hair seemed to form around to cover it and that same black ichor was flowing out from the wound. Her right eye was normal but it rolled about uncontrollably. Before Nyton could move, the nightmare Minerva charged him and pinned him to the wall.
"I'm bleeding Nyton. There's sooooo much blood. Dont you find me sexy now?" Minerva taunted. "I'm bleeding because I died protecting your father. Where were you when I died Nyton? Banging some nekovalkyrja cadets at basic? Couldn't handle it with an older woman so you decided to find someone younger. Like a few years old? Maybe a few months? Is that it?" she said with a hint of rage. The blood from her many wounds was pouring out onto Nyton's body and he protested.
"Where were you Nyton? I saved your life, you know that? You
know that? I saved your wretched little crying ass and you couldn't do the same thing for me. I should have left you to die there Nyton. Just bleeeeed right out and die like the little pig you are." Minerva said.
Nyton shook his head and shoved her off of him. Minerva tripped on the bench behind her and fell giving Nyton the opening to run away. He continued to run, reaching the door and throwing it open to escape.
"Why couldn't you be there for me!? You
OWE me Nyton!"
Nyton found himself out on the Nepleslian street full of people bustling about. He was dressed in his old jeans and t-shirt now. The grimy sneakers were uncomfortable as he ran to get away from the monster in the locker room. For all he knew there were more monsters coming for him. Nyton rounded a corner-
"So the prodigal son has returned?"
A strong arm was held out and clothes lined him. Nyton's neck was caught and he fell down, choking in pain. Still coughing Nyton looked up and saw his father Anthony. Sort of.
"Hey kid. What's the matter? Don't recognize your old man you piece of shit." Anthony said. He was covered in needles. Drug needles. From every piercing the pitch black ooze trickled out just as it did from his sunken eyes and the hole in his chest where his heart would be. "Yeah, its me. Remember kid, I'm just as much a part of you. Except you're a part of me I can do without. Little ungrateful shit. You think so much more of your grandfather than you do me. I know you do. I hated you from the day you were born. All you ever were was a distraction to my work. And then you go and fawn over that metal junk heap while MY work puts food on the table and clothes on our backs and BULLETS in the GUNS you love to use!"
Anthony then kicked Nyton in the face before he could stand up. Nyton fell away and rolled about, clutching his face before groggily standing up. Anthony moved in to attack again but Nyton had recovered more than he let on. Nyton then shoulder slammed his father into the building before pulling away and running.
"That's right! You run, you little cat lover! You'll never be a real Nepleslian! You're a cat lover! A fraud Nepleslian cat loveeeeeerrrrrrrrrr!" Anthony shouted.
As Nyton ran there were more reports from the sniper as he narrowly avoided getting hit again. Panic had almost gripped him and so he ran harder until he saw a door. It was a door, any door, just had to get to the door, the door the door the door! Nyton ran through and crashed again inside a room.
His living room. Nyton breathed heavily as he looked around and realized he was home. He was dressed in his clothes for being home. It felt comfortable.
"Ny, you're just in time for dinner. Come to the table, dear." Celine called out to him.
Logic should have warned him but there was none right now. All that had happened left him confused and terrified. Hearing his mother's voice brought peace until he stepped into the dining room.
"We have lots and looooooooots of food to eat Ny. Come to the table." chided Celine. Her face was missing chunks of flesh, peeled away as though by a knife but her eyes poured the same black nightmare he had encountered earlier. Her hands were long gangly talons and she grinned at him.
"Yes soooo much food. Food that I make. I make food and feed you and make food and heal you and feed you and clean after you because that is my life now. No I can't be a warrior now. I have kids to take care of. Little parasites who kept me from my dreams. If not for you and my grandfather I could have been a warrior Ny. I would have been better than you but you would never know that. You can hardly appreciate how much I sacrificed for you. Oh no of course not. You selfish child." ranted Celine, edging towards Nyton.
Nyton stepped back, his breathing picking up again before he tore off at a run down the hall. He reached a door and ran into the room before slamming it behind him.
"Oh, big brother. You're here."
Nyton turned around and saw his brother Nellis sitting at his desk. He was reading a book as usual.
"Or should I say no brother. It's not like you're ever here. I'm all alone just here doing my thing. You said you would teach me stuff. I guess you only cared about yourself and being some
big shot strategist or something." Nellis taunted.
Nyton shook his head and tried to push the image out of his head.
Nellis turned around. A huge hole was visible in his forehead and the brains oozed out while the black fluid poured out. The young boy threw a book at Nyton which caught him in the face. Nyton flinched and held his face before Nellis banged his knee with a metal bat.
"That's for not being here, no brother! I hate you! You only think about yourself and your
crew like they could take my place. I hate you!" shouted Nellis before hitting Nyton with the bat again. The door then opened and revealed Celine creeping in.
"Ny, play nicely with your brother. Or I will have to punish you....."
Nyton screamed in fear and pain before he shoved away Nellis and ran for the window. He threw himself into the glass and it crashed as he fell through into nothingness.
"You abandoned your family Nyton!" shouted Celine and Nellis.
Nyton crashed into the hard concrete floor of an old building. It was full of holes from gunfire and explosions. He was wearing his old combat suit again. But for all the supposed weapons on it there was no security. Only fear. He breathed harder, his heart pounding in terror.
"What's the matter you little pussy? Didn't I teach you how to have some balls or did you fail THAT lesson too!?"
Nyton began to tremble as he heard a metal pinging noise. It was getting closer as it approached from the shadows. He didn't want to look at this monster. He really didn't want to look at it.
"You're just a frightened little baby. Why did I bother to waste my time TEACHING you everything I knew just to have you pissing in your panties." Thomas declared as he emerged from the shadow. Black fluid was pouring out from every joint in the cybernetic man's body.
"Maybe I'll just correct that mistake now and put you out of your misery instead. Would you like that? Better then being afraid all the time, isn't it?" Thomas said. Nyton began to gasp for air as he stood up and began to run. "Oh running now? Little sissy boy!"
Nyton could not even comprehend the speed of his grandfather. He was too fast. Nyton was grabbed and tossed into a wall. The impact jarred him almost as much as the terror he was gripped by. He thought his heart would burst out of his chest at this rate. "Just gettin' warmed up boy."
Nyton felt his leg grabbed and then got tossed again like a rag doll. He crashed into the wall and fell down to the floor. By a stroke of luck the floor gave way and he fell down further, away from his nightmare grandfather. The impact hurt but his fear made him get up and run.
So he ran. And ran. And ran.
When Nyton stopped he was in an alley. For all he knew the alley was the only thing that existed. Color had practically drained out of the world and melted into light and shadow.
"Nyton, help me!"
It was a child's voice. Familiar. Have to run. Nyton ran.
Searching for the source, Nyton ran harder to find who was calling him. The boy was young and he could recall exactly who it was. Nyton emerged from the alley to see a tattered old man, intoxicated and out of his wits. His old clothes were dirty and he wrestled with a young boy.
"Nyton, don't just stand there! Help me, please!"
The man held a knife. He was trying to stab the boy.
Charlie. Charlie Peterson. Chappy.
Nyton raised his gun and aimed it at the man. The shot was easy. It was close. The man was not skilled just big.
Just shoot him. Shoot him. But it wasn't easy. The trigger wouldn't move. Nyton's finger pulled as hard as it could be there was no response. It was like the gun was made of stone.
Please, shoot him. Shoot him! Shoot shoot shoot shoot! Just SHOOT already!!
The struggle to shoot went on until finally the man stabbed Chappy through the chest with the knife. Chappy screamed in pain as the blade went into his body and through his heart. The scream was silenced only by the gunshot. The bullet traveled and hit the man square in the face. He fell back dead but Nyton knew it was too late. He rushed to the boy who was still struggling to breath.
"Nyton..... help me.... help me...." Chappy forced out as his breathing shallowed.
"No no, Chappy, I'm sorry I can't do anything. You're the medic. How do I help the medic? What do we do if the medic goes down!?" Nyton said in panic. And then Chappy breathed his last.
Nyton couldn't think clearly. All he knew was that he needed help and he needed it now to save his friend. With all his might he then began to shout. "MEDIC!! PLEASE MEDIC!!!!"
It was all in vain though. Just as before. His childhood friend had died and all the grown up Nyton could think to do was to shout for a medic just as he had done when he was a boy. Nyton stopped shouting and looked down to see Chappy's body, pouring out black fluid.
"You let me die, Nyton. This was all your fault. You let me DIE!" accused Chappy, dead but now alive. The knife in his hand.
Nyton scurried back in fear of his undead friend. Chappy swung the knife around. "You were supposed to watch my back, Nyton. I would fix you up and you kept me safe. But you couldn't do it so I died. I DIED AND IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!"
Nyton shook his head and stood up. He then turned around and ran away, down the alley again as though it would take him to some sort of safety. As he ran he began to hear familiar taunts trickling in as though carried by the wind. That is what he wanted to tell himself but in fact they were in his head.
"You faaaaaaaailed meeeeeee....."
"Faaaaaatherrrrr....."
"Terrible child...."
"Ruined my lifffffffffe...."
"Never there for meeeeee......"
"Let me diiiiiiiiiieeeeee....."
Raising his hands to his ears to try and shut them out he failed to notice a red tracer dot lining up on his body. It tracked him until it finally located it's target. A hollow gunshot rang out and Nyton fell to the concrete pavement. The first sensation he noticed was that it was cold. This was followed by the pain in his leg. Sitting up, he took stock of his situation. He had been shot in the right leg.
"Stop running coward."
Nyton's blood froze as he heard it. Footsteps. They were not far. How had he missed it?
"What are you so afraid of? Death? Losing? Failure? Loneliness?"
Nyton was panting as he looked over to the source of the voice. So tired of running but too scared to stop. Now he did not see to have much of a choice.
"Now are you going to look at me?"
Nyton looked at the shadow. It carried a high powered sniper rifle and was dressed in a black suit. It's face was emotionless and chiseled. It's voice was hollow and empty.
It was himself.
"No, not ready... I don't want to... I don't
HAVE to!" Nyton protested.
The nightmares he had been running from were all gathered around him now. Each of them bled horribly profuse amounts of dark fluid now. All of them looked at him with so much contempt. The first one that moves is Thomas, gripping Nyton by the right arm and picking him up until he is face to face with the cybernetic man.
"What are you runnin' from, boy?" the nightmare Thomas asked, a spewing of black fluid spilling onto Nyton's arm, sickening him by the touch. Fear rushed into him until it touched a pit that was deep inside him.
"You really want to know?" Nyton replied with all the bitterness that was creeping up from that pit. "I'm tired of trying to be like
you! You molded me, trained me, made me into a little version of you. You took my childhood, I couldn't play like a regular kid, it was always train, train, train, train, train! Up in the morning all the time, exercise, discipline, learning stuff, just so I could take the place of all the family members you lost because you were so stubborn. Sometimes I just wanted to sleep in! Sometimes I just wanted to play and go to school like the other kids but you just couldn't let me live my life, could you? Now all I do is try to be just
like you because it's all I know how to be!" Nyton shouted and he pulled his left leg up to nightmare Thomas's chest. With a push he forced his arm out of the spectre's grip and landed on the pavement.
No sooner did Nyton land then Anthony rushed up and kicked him in the face. Before he fell to the ground the horror grabbed him by the collar and picked him up. "What are you running from kid?"
Nyton glared daggers at his fake father. "All
you ever showed me was how to be a cold hearted jack ass! You never spent time with me unless it was convenient for you. It was always work and business and protecting your precious business! I hated your business and I hate
you!" Nyton planted his feet, grabbed Anthony's shirt and head butted him away.
Sharp fiery pain filled Nyton's back as he was scratched by the talons of his nightmare mother. She grinned with cold contempt at him. "What are you running from, Ny?"
Nyton let out a gasp before looking at Celine with anger. "If I'm such an inconvenience to you then why don't you just go away? I'm so tired of feeling guilty for myself. Like it's all
my fault that you had to throw away your precious dreams. You chose to listen to grandfather, you chose to marry pops, you chose your life. So stop making me feel
GUILTY for it!" he shouted back before kicking Celine in the stomach.
Just then Nellis struck Nyton with his bat, bringing him down to his knees. "What are you running from, big brother?"
Nyton grit his teeth as he looked at his little nightmare brother. "You lucky little brat, you had no idea how jealous you made me. Always safe at home, playing all day, going to school, having friends and sleepovers. You got to be a kid while I was out in the battlefield murdering other kids. You make me sick telling me that you had a tiring day while I was recovering from shrapnel and knife wounds. I don't want to see your smug little
face!" he shouted and then grabbed the boy, tossing him away as far as he possibly could.
Minerva flipped Nyton over before landing a hard kick to his crotch. "What are you running from, lover?"
Tears welled in Nyton's eyes as he grimaced through the intense pain in his groin, curling up for a moment before forcing himself to look at her. "Why did you have to die? You think you were the only one who felt abandoned? Betrayed? You died protecting pops but did he appreciate it? The worst part was you didn't even HAVE to push him, the damn sniper missed. If you hadn't moved to him you wouldn't have been hit and you would still be alive. You think I was having
fun resisting all those nekos in basic? Besides why didn't you tell me you had gotten pregnant!? I didn't even know if it was
MINE!" he growled before stretching out his legs to wrap around Minerva's leg. Twisting his body, he brought the ghastly woman down to the ground. Hopping up onto his feet he then kicked her in the stomach like a soccer ball, rolling her away from him.
A sharp fiery pain struck Nyton in his already wounded leg and he collapsed again. Chappy had stabbed him. "What are you running away from, chum?"
Another growl escaped Nyton as he forced himself back up to his knees. "I'm tired of you haunting me, Chappy. I was just a kid when you died. I never killed anyone before. Didn't you think I was scared too!? I don't want to feel guilty for you anymore. I just want you to go
AWAY!" he screamed before grabbing the fist holding the knife and turning it around to drive it back into the original victim. Nyton then picked up the boy and threw him, much like he had thrown his brother earlier.
While Nyton's arm is outstretched it gets grabbed. The brittle looking clawed hands of Odessa took hold of him before she began to bite down on it. After tearing a couple chunks from his arm he falls away. "What are you running away from, father?"
Nyton's heart felt as though it were turning to ice but it was a burning cold. He spat and pushed himself backward with his tired and injured legs. "You're not real. No matter how much I wish it you're not real. But even if you were I wouldn't deserve to have children. I can't! Not after all the killing and the cruelty and the death I've committed. I-I'm just not worthy." he said as tears edged into his eyes. Grabbing Odessa, Nyton pulled her to him and slammed her on the ground before throwing her. "So just
get out of my sight!"
Nyton then felt teeth biting down and tearing into his shoulder, this time from the nightmare Hinoto. She chews on him while he tries to get her to let go but her claws are around his chest. "What are you running away from, Nyton?"
Enduring the intense pain of being bitten Nyton gasped and grit his teeth. "Y-you killed me, Hinoto. Did you think I didn't want to make you pay? Didn't you think about how much I wanted to wipe that smug look on your little face after I had revived the first time? You smarmy little bitch, I swore when this mission was over I was going to beat you down. I would prove to you who was better! You thought you were so clever killing me by using the whole fucking ship against me! I wanted to teach you just how uncomfortable a knife to the skull feels!" The man then grabbed Hinoto's head and leaned his body forward, using the leverage to help him flip her over and crash into the pavement. While on the floor he began to stomp on the twitching monster.
"You think I didn't feel betrayed!? I
loved you! I wanted nothing more than to come out of this mission alive and be with you! Even if you didn't feel the same I thought there was a chance! I told you what I loved about you! Your strength! Your spirit! Your intelligence! Your passion and emotions! Those reasons were real! They were always there! Melisson didn't have to make anything up, all she did was make me take my eyes off of Kotori long enough for me to realize those feelings were there! And then you fucking killed me and all I could feel was so much hate and anger and you didn't even stop to think about it. You just went on your happy smug little way because you
don't care! If that's the way it is then fine!
Go to hell!"
With that final demand Nyton then stomped Hinoto's head before kicking her away and into the shadows. Just then he felt his neck in the grip of an invisible force that began choking the life out of him. The power behind it was so strong that he was brought to his knees. Fighting to control himself he then looked over and saw nightmare Kotori, glaring at him through the black filth in her eyes. After holding his breath for what felt like eternity he was released where he collapsed to his hands and knees.
"What are you running from, Nyton?"
Vomit rushed forth from Nyton's mouth, urged on from within his stomach. There was blood mixed in with it along with traces of the black fluid. Coughing and choking on this, the man thought his mind had snapped. His body was so tired even while his heart was pumping faster than ever. "I.... I knew you had issues... I was willing to
wait for you to resolve them.... hell I was content to serve you and just be your friend if that was all we could be... but I just wasn't good enough was it? I try to be a good friend who was willing to listen and hear you out without judging..." he gasped before cold bitter rage filled him.
"But it just didn't matter to you! It was always 'Yukari' who you cried out to. 'Oh please Yukari hold me!' 'Oh Yukari I know you're with Tom and but please come back and comfort me!' 'Yukari, play your little instrument for me!' Not me, nooooo never Nyton. Never mind I willingly listened to you, dropped everything to spend time with you, offered everything I had to you, would have gladly laid down my
life for you. It was STILL Yukari you reached out to and wanted to be with. You think I didn't feel slighted? Maybe just a little
jealous? I knew you two had relations before so I just figured it was a hold over from that time. But you weren't even giving me a chance! No matter what I did it was like you just couldn't catch a clue how I felt for you. I loved you Kotori but I knew you weren't ready for that and I would've waited. But more and more you kept giving me reasons not to even bother!" The angry 'confession' gave Nyton the strength to stand up now.
"So maybe I don't want you anymore. Maybe I should just go latch on to Hinoto if I don't end up killing her. She wasn't some 'second place' runner up prize you know. All the things I loved about her were what I loved about you! But you were just too busy being hung up on how you weren't 'human' and finding comfort in Yukari that you didn't notice." Nyton shouted, staggering closer to the Kotori in front of him who wasn't even moving. He finally staggered close enough to grip Kotori by the shoulders and stare at her inhuman face.
"You think I
didn't want you to kiss me that evening? You think I it was
easy turning you down when you offered yourself to me? It was all I ever wanted but I didn't want just some night! Some moment! I knew you weren't ready so I told you to follow your heart without feeling compelled beyond that. You sure put up a nice little sincere act then because I thought I had moved you. At least enough to let me in and be your friend! Maybe I should've just taken the sex instead because that's what seems to get your attention even LONG after its over. Maybe that's why you pine for Yukari." Now Nyton was clenching his fingers and digging them into Kotori's shoulders.
"I never judged you, your powers, or the fact you were trapped in a body you considered made you a monster. I would've done everything to make you as close to human as I could. But now-" Nyton sunk his fingers into Kotori's shoulders, "I just don't give a flying
FUCK about it! Just go away and stop hurting me dammit! You won't let me in? Fine you can have all the space to chase Yukari with. I won't let
you in ANYMORE!"
With that last shout of spite Nyton rushed forward and slammed Kotori into the wall behind her. He slammed her again and again before releasing his grip and turning her around to face the wall. He then shoved her into it again before grabbing her by the neck. Pulling her down he then raised his knee and broke her back over it before throwing her away from him. Falling to his knees he panted and looked at his hands covered in the black liquid. He felt a trickle on his face and reached up only to find more of the fluid. Then he realized what it was and why it felt so poisonous to him.
It was his own hate.
The shadow Nyton walked up to him. "What are you running from?"
Nyton pounded his fists on the pavement in frustration. "I don't
want to feel this!"
"Why?"
"Because it's wrong, dammit! I don't want to because then that means I have to admit that I
AM just a petty man filled with hatred and guilt and jealousy and spite. I don't want to feel this way! Not even for a second! I know it's just being selfish or unrealistic but I can't help to feel this way sometimes. I should be better than this! I HAVE to be!"
"So you can be more than a human?" the shadow inquired.
"No, so I can be like you! Strong and unmovable and in control of myself!" Nyton gasped.
"That is cold and empty. That is not life and you know it."
"But its better than feeling ashamed for feeling how I do!" Nyton protested.
"Then you throw out the good with the bad. You cut yourself off from the risk, you cut yourself off from the loss and you cut yourself off from the gain."
"I just want this nightmare to end..." Nyton then moaned.
"It will only play itself out in reality unless you accept everything about yourself you deny."
"But then how will I keep myself from doing the things that I feel like doing when I feel these things?" Nyton whined, feeling defeated now.
"You have to figure that one out. Otherwise it will accumulate and you will find yourself just like this."
Nyton looked around and realized the black fluid was pouring out of him from everywhere. His eyes, his ears, even from his mouth unbidden. It was choking him and Nyton fell to the ground gagging from it. As he lay there rolling in the filth he felt more afraid then ever. Nyton thought he was dying when one more thought managed to cross his mind.
Hurry up and shoot her already!
