[Fic] Once Upon a Time...
Jul. 30th, 2005 11:43 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lotus_beautyLong time no see. I've been writing this over the last month I believe and it's time to start posting it. Hope you'll enjoy~
Title: Once upon a time…
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
lotus_beauty
Genre: J-pop/rock/fantasy
Pairings: GacktxYou
Warnings: shounen-ai, yaoi, AU
Rating: R/NC-17
Summary: You’s father is captured by a demon and imprisoned. You does the unthinkable and takes his place. Can he learn to live with the moody demon?
Notes: Woe, more of my AU and stealing of old stories, making them into something else. For enjoyment, not awards. Have fun~
~***~
Part 1
Okay. He heard she was at the bakery, so he would slip around the long way so that she wouldn’t see him. It seemed like a good plan, since she had missed him four days this week. You peeked around the corner of the bookstore, his blond hair almost falling into his dark eyes as he looked at the music store. She wasn’t hanging around out front. Thank god.
The young man jogged down the street and went into the store before anyone might spot him and alert his constant annoyance.
“Hey! You! We were wondering when you’d be back,” the shop owner said from behind the register.
“Yeah, well, Namie doesn’t give up,” he smiled sheepishly and looked around. “Anything new?”
“Shipment arrives on Friday. Sorry,” the owner smiled.
“Ah, that’s okay. I think I feel safe in here. I’ve avoided her so far.” You wandered over to the wall and admired the beautiful guitars out of his price range.
“She’s persistent!” the owner laughed. “She was outside waiting for three hours yesterday.”
“Ridiculous.” You shook his head. “Can’t she ever take no for an answer?” He eyed an acoustic guitar before him.
“She’s never had to. She’s rich.” The older man sighed and wiped the countertop. “Even if she married you, she’d never understand you. Those rich people never have any sense.”
“Neither of us would be happy, but she thinks money can buy everything, so why not love?” The blonde rolled his eyes and turned back to the shop owner. “I wish I could knock some sense into her.”
“Doesn’t everyone?” The older man laughed as You waved. “Going home then?”
“Yeah, I’ll see ya later,” he said as he left, hearing a farewell as he walked out onto the street. At least the day was going well. The sun was out and the town seemed pretty busy. It wasn’t a bad day by any standard. You took a breath and relaxed, thinking about how he should go out in the country and lay in the grass. Yes, a nap out in the grass would be extremely nice. Under the nice warm sun and—
“YOU!”
He wished he’d gone for that nap 10 minutes ago as a female latched onto his side.
“Yooouuu!” Namie’s voice almost made You grind his teeth.
“What do you want?” You crossed his arms and looked at her as she pouted at him. “Well?”
“When are you going to take me on a date?” She kept pouting, as if the crazy expression was going to garner some sympathy for her.
The blonde snorted. “Let go, Namie,” he told the petite girl. “Holding onto me like this isn’t going to win me over.”
“But I get to hold you, and that’s the good thing.” She nuzzled his side, making him want to shudder in horror, but he suppressed it, thinking about how he would avoid her better in the future.
“Namiiieee….” You growled but was interrupted by the sound of an explosion in the direction of his home. “Crap.”
Namie let him go and laughed. “Your father blew himself up again. What a kook!” She doubled over and slapped her knee as she laughed.
You grabbed her shirt and pulled her up. “My father,” he snarled, “is not a kook you selfish brat!” He let her go and stalked away before taking off at a sprint, praying to god his father was okay. The blonde breathed hard as he forced himself to run faster down the dirt road to the house he shared with his father. At a dead run, he burst in the door and hurried down to the basement to find a cloud of smoke. “Dad!” he called as he made for the windows, opening them to air the room out as he heard his dad coughing.
“I’m here!” the old man coughed some more as the smoke began to disperse and You found his father at the table at the center of the room.
“What happened?” You asked as he fanned his arms around, trying to get the smoke to dissipate.
“I’m sorry, son. I ruined the table you made for me,” his father said quietly.
You blinked at him and looked down, staring in surprise at the large black mark on the surface of the table he’d built for his father as a Christmas present. He chuckled lightly and ran a hand through his hair, shaking his head at his father’s worry for him.
“Dad, it’s a table. I can always make a new one. Are you okay?” You put his hands on his father’s shoulders. “Not hurt at all?”
Dad shook his head. “My ears are ringing, but other than that, I’m fine.” He sighed. “Your mother would have been screaming and shouting.”
“Well, I’m not mother,” You laughed. “She’s probably yelling at you from heaven. You better go to her shrine and apologize for the noise.”
His father smiled. “I suppose I should. And ask her for some luck when I leave for the Chemist Conference tomorrow.”
The blonde shook his head. “Are you sure you’re ready for it?”
The old man rolled his eyes and threw his arms up. “I make one little mistake and I nearly explode!”
You stared. “Well, what did you do?”
“I mixed the wrong chemical that had the exact same color,” his father murmured sheepishly.
“Are you really sure you’re ready to go?”
Dad nodded. “I need to do this, son.”
You smiled. “Alright. I’m finished shopping, so I’ll help you, okay?”
His father nodded. “Thank you.”
~***~
The next morning, very early, a very sleepy You saw his father off and then fell back into his warm bed, knowing his father would be fine on his trip. Just as he was about to fall back into a deep sleep, a loud banging on the front door and Namie’s voice made him jump. Son of a… You yawned and got himself up, put on some pants and a shirt before getting himself to the banging door and pulling it open.
“What?” he snarled at her, making her jump in surprise.
“Yooooou!” She attached herself to him before jumping back. “Haven’t you showered? You smell.” She pinched her nose shut.
“No, now go away.”
“Wait, wait!” Namie slipped her foot into the doorway, causing You to swallow a growl. “Come on, You. Let’s go out for lunch today!”
You turned and glared at her. “You have one of those surprise weddings planned again, don’t you? The one time I actually was going to trust that you weren’t going to do anything, and you sprung that on me last time. For heaven’s sake, Namie, I’m not going to marry you. Can’t you get that through your head?”
“But, you’re the most eligible bachelor in town!” Namie whined and stamped her foot.
“You mean I’m the tallest and you think I’m the most handsome so you want my genes for your children,” the man muttered.
“Of course! You, I need someone to compliment me!” she hissed. “Who else in town is as perfect as you?”
“I do remember you telling me to get my mole removed.” You mused aloud, seeing her cringe. “And to get my nose fixed and to work out more so that my muscles were more defined.” He rolled his eyes when she tried to babble an explanation. “Save it. If you really cared about me, you’d like me just the way I am, Namie. Just because you have money doesn’t mean it can buy you my love. Go home,” he told her quietly and closed the door before she could recover with a fake protest. The blonde sighed and leaned on the door, listening to her slowly walk away. He hoped he’d finally gotten through to her this time.
~***~
“My name is Hiroyuki.” You’s father smiled and puffed out his chest. “How does that sound, Hoshi?” The horse on which he rode made a snort sound and tossed her head. Hiro laughed and patted her neck. “You’re right, I should just be myself.” He smiled and looked around at the scenery, which seemed to be getting dark faster than he’d expected. “Too bad You isn’t with us, he loves twilight when the sun is setting.” Hiro frowned a little as he looked around with more attention. “Hoshi, does this place look familiar?”
The horse stopped at a fork and Hiro looked at the worn off signs, not able to make out anything from them. “Hm, maybe we should turn back. But if we do, I’ll be late…” He sighed and weighed his options. He knew the conference was in the city to the south, but that road looked darker than the one going east. If he was lost, he wanted to make up for time. He directed Hoshi to go down the southern route, to which she whinnied and protested at first before finally giving into Hiro’s coaxing. After about an hour, Hiro knew that he was inexplicably lost and looked around for some sort of structure, hoping to be able to ask directions.
“It doesn’t look like anyone lives in this part of the country,” Hiro mused aloud as he stared off into the forest. “It’s odd seeing this type of vegetation—Hoshi!” he exclaimed when she stopped suddenly. “What are you…” he trailed off as he looked ahead of them and gasped. A dark, tall castle with looming spires stood menacingly in front of them. Hiro stared at it for a long moment before snapping out of his trance. Where had it come from? No matter, he told himself and dismounted. “You stay here, okay? I’m going to ask for directions,” he told her, getting a snort and a nod in reply. He smiled and petted her head for a moment before slipping through the gates and walking toward the large wooden door that guarded the ominous castle.
Once at the huge doors, he used the knocker, making the doors vibrate with each knock. He sighed as he waited, hoping someone actually owned the castle. After a moment, he heard a few clicks, and the door start to creak open. What he saw next dazzled his vision, and he would never forget.
A being inside the door stepped forward, their body shimmering with a pearlescent light. Long blonde hair and a young clear face caught Hiro’s eyes and he stared in surprise to see such a beautiful creature at such a dark castle.
“Hello,” the deep voice caught Hiro off guard, making him stare in bewilderment this time.
“I beg your pardon, I didn’t know you were…” he trailed off, embarrassed.
“A man?” The blonde haired man laughed lightly. “I hear that commonly. Is there something you needed?”
“I—Oh! Yes! I’m lost. I’m sorry for the inconvenience. Do you know which way Spotton City is?” Hiro asked and bowed, not really knowing how to address this man…thing...whatever he was, it was beautiful.
“Ah, you’ll never make it there before nightfall.” The man smiled. “Come in and rest a while.”
“I’ll be late for a conference tomorrow morning, I really need to be there,” Hiro tried to tell the man.
“Trust me sir, you don’t want to be traveling in the night in this area. It’s wicked out there and wolves are rampant. My name is Chachamaru. You can call me Cha, sir. Come in and rest a little before leaving again.” He bowed and gestured for Hiro to come in. “I’m sure your conference will excuse your absence.”
You’s father sighed and nodded. “You know this area better than I. I would be honored by your hospitality,” he stepped in and looked around as Cha closed the door.
“May I take your coat?” Cha asked, and helped the man out of it, scurrying away to hang it. Hiro stared after him, very curious about the glowing.
“Excuse me, Cha, why is it that you glow?” he asked quietly.
“Ah!” The blonde man chuckled. “I didn’t realize I was doing it. It’s so hard to see in here, because the master likes it dark,” Cha told him and moved to a side table, lighting a lamp as the light around his body died away. “Does it disturb you?”
“No, I’m just curious as to how it’s done.” Hiro moved closer and inspected Cha curiously. “Maybe it has to do with the chemicals in your body…” He stroked his chin thoughtfully.
“It feels natural to me now. I’m not sure, but you’re probably right about chemicals.” Cha smiled. “Then again, there are lots of other things I can do beside glow.”
“Really?” Hiro looked at him in surprise. “Like what?”
Cha laughed. “Sir, why don’t I take you to the sitting room, and we can speak there. I’m sure it’s not too interesting, but I can tell you if you like.”
“I’m very interested. I’m a chemist!” Hiro brought himself up straight and proud as he followed Cha. “It is what I was going to a conference for.”
“Really? I wonder if the master would find that interesting.” Cha sighed. “Nothing much pleases him lately.”
“Your master is unhappy?” Hiro asked as Cha led him through a door into a cozy room. Two girls were stirring up the fire, shining faintly. The old man gazed at them in surprise. Could everyone in this place glow and do otherworldly things? Maybe he would be able to investigate this!
“He’s been in a depression for some time now,” the blonde man helped Hiro into a large armchair and attended to a cart with coffee on it.
“Black, please.” Hiro smiled.
Cha smiled and nodded, handing him a cup. “Our master used to be the one who had these powers, but they passed to us in an incident.”
“Was he experimenting with something?”
“You could say that,” Cha said quietly and shrugged. “We’re not allowed to leave the grounds because we don’t want people finding out about out condition.”
Hiro nodded. “Some people might take advantage of you. I can understand that.”
“It’s a little more complicated than that—” Cha stopped when the door abruptly slammed open and a dark figure moved into the room. “M-master! What’s the matter?” the blonde man asked the black cloaked figure.
“Who said you could invite a guest?” a deep voice rumbled from the cowl.
“He’s a traveler who lost his way! I can’t just turn him down, the wolves might get him!” Cha protested.
“Pardon me, sir. I didn’t know I wasn’t to be here. I’ll take my leave if you wish me to.” Hiro stood only to freeze in terror. The cowl had turned to look at him, piercing red eyes staring at him from the darkness of the hood. He began to tremble and fell back into the chair, fear rooting him into that spot.
“You don’t belong here,” the deep voice told him.
“I-I’ll leave then!” Hiro told him, but he was too afraid to move.
“I’m sorry, but now that you know...” The cloaked figure moved forward as Hiro pressed back into the seat, his heart racing. What was he supposed to do? How could he get away? What about his son?
“No!” There was a glaring flash of light, causing Hiro to cringe. When he looked up, he saw the blonde man standing between him and the cloaked one. As the light faded, Hiro saw that the cowl had fallen back to reveal the master. His skin was deathly pale, and if Hiro had been asked, he would have sworn he could almost see the veins on his neck. His eyes were deeply sunken, dark, like he’d never gotten sleep. His dark brown hair framed bright yellow eyes that glared at Cha with ferocity.
“You dare challenge me?” the master growled as the castle shook. Hiro almost felt as if the man could control the very earth they stood upon.
“You can’t kill him! He’s innocent!” Cha tried again. “Please. I know you don’t want to hurt him.”
The master frowned, the urge to kill bright in his eyes. “I never planned to.” He didn’t move as Cha signed in relief. “He’ll be a prisoner.”
“What!” the blonde man exclaimed. “You can’t do that!”
“The hell I can’t!” Gackt moved around Cha and grabbed Hiro’s collar, hauling him up. “This is my castle. MINE. Just because your powers can rival mine doesn’t mean you can just do as you please. You can’t even leave! You must obey me,” he snarled.
Cha just glared at him for a moment before looking away. “Yes, master,” he grumbled through his teeth as Gackt started to drag the poor old man away.
“Wait!” Hiro tugged against the master’s strong grip. “Where are you taking me?”
“To the dungeon,” the master replied quietly. “Cha will attend to you twice a day and you won’t be allowed to leave. I must protect our secret. I’m sorry you stumbled upon us, but this has to be done.”
Hiro tripped and followed as he was dragged through the halls and down stairs. This wasn’t supposed to happen today! He was supposed to be on his way to the convention where he would meet many men, eager to learn, like himself! Now he was suddenly condemned to a dungeon cell? Why did this have to happen? Would he ever see his son again?
“Please sir, I won’t tell anyone! I promise!” He begged as they stopped at the cells.
“How am I supposed to trust you?” The master glared at him with hard, cold eyes. “One of my servants said you were a chemist. You’ll want to test us, won’t you?”
“No, sir. I wouldn’t do that if it was supposed to be kept a secret.” Hiro bowed. Such an opportunity to turn down! But he cherished his life far more than a discovery such as this.
“I can’t let you go.” The master pushed Hiro into his cell and locked it.
And with that, he walked away. Hiro stared at the door in disbelief. Was this really happening? He trembled as he moved to the barred window and looked out. He could see the cragged landscape and the front of the castle where Hoshi was.
“Hoshi!” he called and the horse startled a moment, looking around. “Hoshi! Go home!” he yelled at her. If she went home without him, maybe You would realize his father was in trouble and come to find him. He watched as the horse hesitated and bit his lip. Please… “Hoshi! Go home!” he yelled and the horse took off down the road, leaving Hiro all alone. In the darkness he wept wondering if anyone would come for him. His son had to come. He had to.
~***~
Part 2
You stretched as he woke from a nap to find the sun had dipped below the horizon. It wasn’t often that he slept past sunset because his father would usually wake him up to call him in right before the sun went down. With a sigh, You sat up to stare at the blazing orange and yellow clouds in the sky, hovering over the horizon. He missed his father. Hiro wasn’t gone very often, so You was very used to having his father around, especially after his mother was gone. A smile graced his lips as he reminded himself his father would be home before he knew it.
The blonde man got himself up on his feet and turned his back on the sun to gaze out over the land to the sea yards away from his and his father’s home. He had the faintest urge to run down to the beach area and jump into the water, but by now, it was probably too cold for a swim. He shook his head as his eyes caught the reflection of the moon in the water and looked up. There was the bright moon that led the faithful sea. You smiled and wondered if he would ever have someone to be a moon to his sea and vice versa.
He sighed and trotted back to the house and milled around inside with a feeling like he was supposed to do something. Always when father was gone, he had an odd feeling, like he was forgetting things. It dawned on him as his eyes caught on his violin case as he was walking into his room. He laughed quietly and went to take the instrument out and tune it quickly. He always played his father a song or two before the older man retired for the night. It made him feel better to follow his habit rather than ignore it and go to bed without playing.
You played a slow quiet song, as he usually did for his father. He smiled as it calmed him, the way it would for Hiro when he was ready for sleep. In the middle of the song, a faint whinny caused him to stop in surprise. It sounded like Hoshi, their horse. You shook the frown away and was about to start playing again when he heard another whinny, this time closer and louder. The blonde nibbled on his lip, knowing that Hoshi was with his father. Was another one of the farmers’ horses loose? You set his violin down on his bed and looked out the window. He jumped back and yelped in surprise as he saw the white star on Hoshi’s forehead for which she was named. He stared for a moment before running outside.
“Hoshi?” he called and she came around the corner. He scanned her and caught her reigns—she didn’t have a rider. How could she not have a rider? Where was his father? You’s stomach dropped as a million scenarios flashed through his mind. Did he fall off? Did she get away from him? She would never do that! What in the world could have happened? Did he get hurt and tell her to come home?
“Where’s dad?” he asked and she pulled on the leather in his hands, as if to say to come with her. “Oh, god…” You shook his head, a wave of fear washing over him as he really started to realize something was very wrong. Hoshi nudged his chest and blew on him to get his attention again before pulling on the reigns again. “I know, we’ll go get him,” he murmured, the fear fading, but not by much. You led her over to the house and tied her up before running in to get whatever he might need. His father could be far away, or he could be near, but he grabbed whatever he could: food, clothing, whatever was in his reach or flashed in his mind before he finally locked everything and made his way outside. Hoshi whinnied and danced around impatiently as he locked the front door.
“I know, I know. I’m coming.” You hurried down the stairs and got his bags onto her before mounting himself and turning her. “Take me to dad, Hoshi. Go!” He didn’t even have to urge her on; she took off quickly into the night. You just leaned over her and held on as she galloped down the road. She wasn’t the fastest horse in the world, but her heart was in the right place at the right time. He made a mental note to give her extra treats for her help.
Once Hoshi got them into the forest, she slowed down, because the path was more uneven, but she went as fast as she could before You pulled up the reigns and slowed her.
“It’s okay, Hoshi. Dad wouldn’t want us hurting ourselves just to get to him,” he told her and patted her neck as she finally snorted and slowed. You gazed around at the dark forest, wishing the moon had been full instead of half. He shivered involuntarily at the night’s chill and ignored the fact that he thought things were moving around him. It’s just my mind, he told himself. He knew full well what tricks his mind could pull when he was scared. They were only trees and leaves. They couldn’t hurt him.
“Hey, what the—” You blurted out as Hoshi stopped suddenly. Before them stood a sign, one piece of wood pointing right, the other left. He stared at it for a moment. “No wonder he’s lost. No one in this country ever repairs the signs,” You grumbled as he glared at the worn wood with no sign of paint or actual information. He sighed and patted Hoshi. “Okay, which way did he go?”
Hoshi looked to the left for a long moment before she let out a sigh and made her way down the right fork. You raised an eyebrow at her behavior, wondering why she looked down the other fork, but trusted her judgment. She was the only way they would find his father. Before long, You noticed they were moving along beside a high wall and wondered if there was a dwelling or village on the other side. He shrugged, knowing it was too high to see over, and gazed at the forest instead, watching for anything suspicious. He didn’t know if wolves roamed this area.
You swore softly as Hoshi stopped suddenly again. “Stop doing that!” he scolded before looking up to see a gate standing before a large castle lit only by the moon. There was a sharp intake of breath to You’s lungs as he gaped at the huge structure. “Why are we here?” he whispered to Hoshi.
The horse moved forward and nudged the gates with her nose.
“You have got to be kidding me.” You’s hand went to his forehead. His father went in there? “Idiot,” he muttered and dismounted. “Why the hell did he come here?” he asked quietly before carefully pulling the gates open to lead Hoshi through. As an afterthought, he closed the gates and lead Hoshi across to the doors of the castle. He felt a little more protected inside the walls of the castle grounds, even though he didn’t know who or what lived here.
The blonde stopped and sighed when he noticed his father’s hat on the ground. “He’s so forgetful,” he murmured with a wry smile. You stooped to pick up the hat and led Hoshi closer to the castle. He stopped at the door and looked around for something to tie her to. He gave up and tied her to one of the knockers, not knowing what else to use to get her to stay. It’s not that he didn’t trust her to stay, but he wanted to make sure she wouldn’t wander away if he needed her.
You stood before the other door and gazed at it nervously, not exactly sure what to do next. Was his father really in there? Had the owner been angry at him? Or had Hoshi gotten scared and ran away for reason? He hoped for the latter as he reached out to use the knocker, making a few loud bangs on the door. He cringed at the volume of the sounds as they echoed in the night. You waited for a while and wondered if everyone inside was asleep. He tried the door to find that it was actually unlocked and pulled it open. How strange.
“I’m going in. I’ll be back,” he told the horse, who snorted at him. “Stay,” he ordered and slipped into the door, carefully closing it behind himself. You stopped and leaned on the door to let his eyes adjust to the darkness. It had been dark outside, but the moonlight didn’t light the inside of this castle as it had outdoors. He had to force himself to move after a while. The blonde took a few tentative steps forward as he shivered. It wasn’t that it was cold in the castle, but it had an odd, otherworldly feel that made him uneasy. Maybe the place was haunted.
As he made his way farther into the castle, he heard some soft whispering in a hall close to him. He inched closer to see a faint glow and peeked around the corner. The shock of the sight made him gasp. Two beings were standing in the hallway speaking quietly and glowing faintly. Well, they were until he gasped and gave himself away. They jumped as he tripped and tried to crawl away from them, hitting a wall before getting very far.
“A-are you g-ghosts?” he stammered as they were still staring in surprise. The two frowned and looked at one another.
“No,” the one with long blonde hair said. You half expected that one to be a girl, but the voice was deep man’s voice.
“Maybe it’s the glowing,” the shorter one with black and red hair muttered.
“Oh!” The blonde one chuckled and stopped glowing, as did the other. “It’s a rather busy night tonight,” he commented and moved closer.
“Yeah,” the shorter one reached for a switch on the wall and turned it, bringing the lights up.
“Are you okay?” the long haired one leaned over him. “Are you lost? Our master is in a foul mood so I’d really like to get you on your way before he finds out you were here.”
“I’m looking for my father,” You told the man, and blurted before he could help himself, “How do you do that glowing thing…?”
The red head laughed and moved closer. “It’s hard to explain.”
“Are you sure you’re not ghosts? Because I’ve heard that sometimes ghosts don’t know they’re dead…” You looked up at them from his position on the floor warily.
“I can assure you, we’re not dead. Well, not yet anyway.” The blond laughed. “You can call me Cha, and this is Ren.” He gestured to the shorter man.
“My name is You.” He stood.
Cha nodded. “You said you were looking for your father?”
“Yeah, he’s about this tall,” You gestured with his hand, “and he’s got short black hair and little glasses…” he trailed off as he saw recognition appear on their faces. “You’ve seen him?”
“I’m afraid so,” Cha wrung his hands.
“Did something happen to him? Please, tell me!” You pleaded.
The two looked at one another. Ren shrugged and Cha sighed. Their actions worried You even more. Was his father hurt? He couldn’t be…dead, could he?
“Please,” he said quietly. “If you know where he is, please tell me.”
“Very well,” Cha murmured. “You need to be quiet, okay? Like I said, the master is in a horrible mood. If he finds out you’re here, he might get… testy.”
Ren snorted. “He’ll rip his limbs off. Hey!” he yelped when Cha smacked him.
“Don’t say things like that! He’s not that bad!” the blonde exclaimed. “Turn the lights down again,” he told Ren and turned back to You. “Please, follow me.” He made his way down the hallway and You stared after him for a moment before Ren tugged at his sleeve. This was a bit much to take. What in the world was going on? And why were these men glowing before?
“Excuse me, but why were you guys glowing?” You asked quietly as he walked with Ren.
“I can’t explain it quickly, and I really shouldn’t talk about it,” the red head told him. “I suggest you forget about it, because the master would be angry if he knew you were here.”
The more You heard, the more this master person didn’t sound all that nice. He wondered if his father was okay, since he didn’t like what he was hearing about their master. Had his father induced this foul mood? Had their master done something to hurt him? If he had, You would… well, he’d do something, that’s for sure. He worried a little as he was led down a set of stairs and down a narrow stone hallway. His stomach dropped as he realized they were passing cells. The master put his father in a cell?! His arms shook as his hands balled into fists, his anger rising. How dare him!
Cha stopped in front of one of the cells and spoke quietly into it. When You reached them, he saw his father moving to the cell and rushed to it to grab his father’s hands as he did the same.
“You’re cold!” he exclaimed at the icy hands in his.
“I knew you would come!” his father gasped relieved. “I told Hoshi to go get you.”
You turned to the other two. “What are you waiting for? Let him out!”
The two shrunk and cringed. “We can’t,” Cha told him.
“Why not?”
“The master put him in there.” Cha nodded at the lock. “He probably has a magical lock on it. And if we did get him out, if he found out your father escaped he would… would…” he trailed off and You could see the sadness mixed with fear in his eyes.
“He would hurt you,” You finished as they nodded. He cursed and turned to his father. “I’ll get you out of here, I promise,” he said as he noticed his father’s eyes wander away over his shoulder. Hiro then backed away from his son as You felt something. “What’s the matter?” he asked as the hair on the back of his neck stood up. He heard the two men fall to the ground and scuttle away, whimpering in pain and knew something was terribly wrong.
You turned slowly, his eyes taking in a figure cloaked in black which was staring at him with two blood red eyes, the only things that could be seen under the dark hood. His body shook as he pressed himself back against the bars of his father’s cell. Was this the master of their castle? He could have sworn it swelled and grew before his eyes, but he wasn’t sure if it was the master or his eyes playing tricks on him. He jumped when the master spoke.
“Why have you come here?” a deep, rumbling voice asked.
The blonde tried to work his mouth, but nothing seemed to come out. All he could do was stand there in front of the bars, gripping them as his knuckles started to turn white. His hands were starting to hurt from the harsh grip, but the pain couldn’t overtake the fear.
“ANSWER ME!”
“I-I’m here for my father!” You yelled back, a sudden anger flaring in him. He’d have to fight fire with fire. He wasn’t going to get his father out by being meek and submissive. If his servants were any indication, the master obviously got his way, whether anyone liked it or not.
“Your father?” The red eyes narrowed. “And why should I give him to you? He trespassed on my property.”
“I was invited in!” Hiro protested.
“SILENCE!” the master growled, making You’s father shrink back. The master’s eyes darted to Cha, who looked away. “My servants weren’t in their right minds, or they would have sent you away.”
“Why won’t you let him go?” You asked. “He’s old, he can’t hurt you!”
“He knows about us, how we look, what we can do.”
You started to realize what was going on. “You don’t want him to leave and tell everyone about how they can glow and stuff, right? Well, what if we promised not to tell? Isn’t giving our word enough?”
The master gave a deep laugh. “You think I am naïve?”
You bristled. “Well what are we supposed to do? Live in your dark cells for the rest of our lives and waste away?! Like hell I will!” His voice was silenced when he could have sworn that the cloaked man grew again. He swallowed and tried to think of a solution that wouldn’t get them both killed.
“I can’t let you leave. How am I supposed to trust two people I’ve never met before?”
“W-what if I took his place?” You murmured before he could stop himself.
“You! No!” His father grabbed one of his hands. “I won’t let you. I’m old and I’ve lived my life!”
“I won’t let you stay here and rot away,” You told him.
“You would trade places with him?”
The blonde blinked and turned to see that the master’s eyes were now yellow instead of red. Was he not angry anymore? You shook his head to clear it. Whether or not the master was angry, he didn’t care. He did want to know what he was getting into before making the deal though.
“I want to see your face, so I can make a deal with someone I can see,” he said, almost wanting to take it back as the master’s eyes flashed red for a moment before back to yellow.
“Light,” he commanded, and the two servants glowed a white light that filled the dungeon area that You could finally see.
You watched as the master reached up with a pale, nearly white hand and pulled the cowl back to reveal his face. The blonde lost his breath as he stared. The man was so deathly pale that it almost made him sick. His eyes were sunken in, darkness around them, and his yellow eyes made him look even sicker. You had to stop himself from imagining what the rest of his body looked like. He put a hand to his mouth and looked away, not able to look at the man anymore. Could he really do this? He had to. He couldn’t let his father stay in this horrible place. And he was far more capable of trying to escape, with a younger and healthier body.
You gathered his strength and stepped forward, looking the demon straight in the eyes. “You have my word.”
“Done.”
>>;
Title: Once upon a time…
Author:
lotus_beautyGenre: J-pop/rock/fantasy
Pairings: GacktxYou
Warnings: shounen-ai, yaoi, AU
Rating: R/NC-17
Summary: You’s father is captured by a demon and imprisoned. You does the unthinkable and takes his place. Can he learn to live with the moody demon?
Notes: Woe, more of my AU and stealing of old stories, making them into something else. For enjoyment, not awards. Have fun~
~***~
Part 1
Okay. He heard she was at the bakery, so he would slip around the long way so that she wouldn’t see him. It seemed like a good plan, since she had missed him four days this week. You peeked around the corner of the bookstore, his blond hair almost falling into his dark eyes as he looked at the music store. She wasn’t hanging around out front. Thank god.
The young man jogged down the street and went into the store before anyone might spot him and alert his constant annoyance.
“Hey! You! We were wondering when you’d be back,” the shop owner said from behind the register.
“Yeah, well, Namie doesn’t give up,” he smiled sheepishly and looked around. “Anything new?”
“Shipment arrives on Friday. Sorry,” the owner smiled.
“Ah, that’s okay. I think I feel safe in here. I’ve avoided her so far.” You wandered over to the wall and admired the beautiful guitars out of his price range.
“She’s persistent!” the owner laughed. “She was outside waiting for three hours yesterday.”
“Ridiculous.” You shook his head. “Can’t she ever take no for an answer?” He eyed an acoustic guitar before him.
“She’s never had to. She’s rich.” The older man sighed and wiped the countertop. “Even if she married you, she’d never understand you. Those rich people never have any sense.”
“Neither of us would be happy, but she thinks money can buy everything, so why not love?” The blonde rolled his eyes and turned back to the shop owner. “I wish I could knock some sense into her.”
“Doesn’t everyone?” The older man laughed as You waved. “Going home then?”
“Yeah, I’ll see ya later,” he said as he left, hearing a farewell as he walked out onto the street. At least the day was going well. The sun was out and the town seemed pretty busy. It wasn’t a bad day by any standard. You took a breath and relaxed, thinking about how he should go out in the country and lay in the grass. Yes, a nap out in the grass would be extremely nice. Under the nice warm sun and—
“YOU!”
He wished he’d gone for that nap 10 minutes ago as a female latched onto his side.
“Yooouuu!” Namie’s voice almost made You grind his teeth.
“What do you want?” You crossed his arms and looked at her as she pouted at him. “Well?”
“When are you going to take me on a date?” She kept pouting, as if the crazy expression was going to garner some sympathy for her.
The blonde snorted. “Let go, Namie,” he told the petite girl. “Holding onto me like this isn’t going to win me over.”
“But I get to hold you, and that’s the good thing.” She nuzzled his side, making him want to shudder in horror, but he suppressed it, thinking about how he would avoid her better in the future.
“Namiiieee….” You growled but was interrupted by the sound of an explosion in the direction of his home. “Crap.”
Namie let him go and laughed. “Your father blew himself up again. What a kook!” She doubled over and slapped her knee as she laughed.
You grabbed her shirt and pulled her up. “My father,” he snarled, “is not a kook you selfish brat!” He let her go and stalked away before taking off at a sprint, praying to god his father was okay. The blonde breathed hard as he forced himself to run faster down the dirt road to the house he shared with his father. At a dead run, he burst in the door and hurried down to the basement to find a cloud of smoke. “Dad!” he called as he made for the windows, opening them to air the room out as he heard his dad coughing.
“I’m here!” the old man coughed some more as the smoke began to disperse and You found his father at the table at the center of the room.
“What happened?” You asked as he fanned his arms around, trying to get the smoke to dissipate.
“I’m sorry, son. I ruined the table you made for me,” his father said quietly.
You blinked at him and looked down, staring in surprise at the large black mark on the surface of the table he’d built for his father as a Christmas present. He chuckled lightly and ran a hand through his hair, shaking his head at his father’s worry for him.
“Dad, it’s a table. I can always make a new one. Are you okay?” You put his hands on his father’s shoulders. “Not hurt at all?”
Dad shook his head. “My ears are ringing, but other than that, I’m fine.” He sighed. “Your mother would have been screaming and shouting.”
“Well, I’m not mother,” You laughed. “She’s probably yelling at you from heaven. You better go to her shrine and apologize for the noise.”
His father smiled. “I suppose I should. And ask her for some luck when I leave for the Chemist Conference tomorrow.”
The blonde shook his head. “Are you sure you’re ready for it?”
The old man rolled his eyes and threw his arms up. “I make one little mistake and I nearly explode!”
You stared. “Well, what did you do?”
“I mixed the wrong chemical that had the exact same color,” his father murmured sheepishly.
“Are you really sure you’re ready to go?”
Dad nodded. “I need to do this, son.”
You smiled. “Alright. I’m finished shopping, so I’ll help you, okay?”
His father nodded. “Thank you.”
~***~
The next morning, very early, a very sleepy You saw his father off and then fell back into his warm bed, knowing his father would be fine on his trip. Just as he was about to fall back into a deep sleep, a loud banging on the front door and Namie’s voice made him jump. Son of a… You yawned and got himself up, put on some pants and a shirt before getting himself to the banging door and pulling it open.
“What?” he snarled at her, making her jump in surprise.
“Yooooou!” She attached herself to him before jumping back. “Haven’t you showered? You smell.” She pinched her nose shut.
“No, now go away.”
“Wait, wait!” Namie slipped her foot into the doorway, causing You to swallow a growl. “Come on, You. Let’s go out for lunch today!”
You turned and glared at her. “You have one of those surprise weddings planned again, don’t you? The one time I actually was going to trust that you weren’t going to do anything, and you sprung that on me last time. For heaven’s sake, Namie, I’m not going to marry you. Can’t you get that through your head?”
“But, you’re the most eligible bachelor in town!” Namie whined and stamped her foot.
“You mean I’m the tallest and you think I’m the most handsome so you want my genes for your children,” the man muttered.
“Of course! You, I need someone to compliment me!” she hissed. “Who else in town is as perfect as you?”
“I do remember you telling me to get my mole removed.” You mused aloud, seeing her cringe. “And to get my nose fixed and to work out more so that my muscles were more defined.” He rolled his eyes when she tried to babble an explanation. “Save it. If you really cared about me, you’d like me just the way I am, Namie. Just because you have money doesn’t mean it can buy you my love. Go home,” he told her quietly and closed the door before she could recover with a fake protest. The blonde sighed and leaned on the door, listening to her slowly walk away. He hoped he’d finally gotten through to her this time.
~***~
“My name is Hiroyuki.” You’s father smiled and puffed out his chest. “How does that sound, Hoshi?” The horse on which he rode made a snort sound and tossed her head. Hiro laughed and patted her neck. “You’re right, I should just be myself.” He smiled and looked around at the scenery, which seemed to be getting dark faster than he’d expected. “Too bad You isn’t with us, he loves twilight when the sun is setting.” Hiro frowned a little as he looked around with more attention. “Hoshi, does this place look familiar?”
The horse stopped at a fork and Hiro looked at the worn off signs, not able to make out anything from them. “Hm, maybe we should turn back. But if we do, I’ll be late…” He sighed and weighed his options. He knew the conference was in the city to the south, but that road looked darker than the one going east. If he was lost, he wanted to make up for time. He directed Hoshi to go down the southern route, to which she whinnied and protested at first before finally giving into Hiro’s coaxing. After about an hour, Hiro knew that he was inexplicably lost and looked around for some sort of structure, hoping to be able to ask directions.
“It doesn’t look like anyone lives in this part of the country,” Hiro mused aloud as he stared off into the forest. “It’s odd seeing this type of vegetation—Hoshi!” he exclaimed when she stopped suddenly. “What are you…” he trailed off as he looked ahead of them and gasped. A dark, tall castle with looming spires stood menacingly in front of them. Hiro stared at it for a long moment before snapping out of his trance. Where had it come from? No matter, he told himself and dismounted. “You stay here, okay? I’m going to ask for directions,” he told her, getting a snort and a nod in reply. He smiled and petted her head for a moment before slipping through the gates and walking toward the large wooden door that guarded the ominous castle.
Once at the huge doors, he used the knocker, making the doors vibrate with each knock. He sighed as he waited, hoping someone actually owned the castle. After a moment, he heard a few clicks, and the door start to creak open. What he saw next dazzled his vision, and he would never forget.
A being inside the door stepped forward, their body shimmering with a pearlescent light. Long blonde hair and a young clear face caught Hiro’s eyes and he stared in surprise to see such a beautiful creature at such a dark castle.
“Hello,” the deep voice caught Hiro off guard, making him stare in bewilderment this time.
“I beg your pardon, I didn’t know you were…” he trailed off, embarrassed.
“A man?” The blonde haired man laughed lightly. “I hear that commonly. Is there something you needed?”
“I—Oh! Yes! I’m lost. I’m sorry for the inconvenience. Do you know which way Spotton City is?” Hiro asked and bowed, not really knowing how to address this man…thing...whatever he was, it was beautiful.
“Ah, you’ll never make it there before nightfall.” The man smiled. “Come in and rest a while.”
“I’ll be late for a conference tomorrow morning, I really need to be there,” Hiro tried to tell the man.
“Trust me sir, you don’t want to be traveling in the night in this area. It’s wicked out there and wolves are rampant. My name is Chachamaru. You can call me Cha, sir. Come in and rest a little before leaving again.” He bowed and gestured for Hiro to come in. “I’m sure your conference will excuse your absence.”
You’s father sighed and nodded. “You know this area better than I. I would be honored by your hospitality,” he stepped in and looked around as Cha closed the door.
“May I take your coat?” Cha asked, and helped the man out of it, scurrying away to hang it. Hiro stared after him, very curious about the glowing.
“Excuse me, Cha, why is it that you glow?” he asked quietly.
“Ah!” The blonde man chuckled. “I didn’t realize I was doing it. It’s so hard to see in here, because the master likes it dark,” Cha told him and moved to a side table, lighting a lamp as the light around his body died away. “Does it disturb you?”
“No, I’m just curious as to how it’s done.” Hiro moved closer and inspected Cha curiously. “Maybe it has to do with the chemicals in your body…” He stroked his chin thoughtfully.
“It feels natural to me now. I’m not sure, but you’re probably right about chemicals.” Cha smiled. “Then again, there are lots of other things I can do beside glow.”
“Really?” Hiro looked at him in surprise. “Like what?”
Cha laughed. “Sir, why don’t I take you to the sitting room, and we can speak there. I’m sure it’s not too interesting, but I can tell you if you like.”
“I’m very interested. I’m a chemist!” Hiro brought himself up straight and proud as he followed Cha. “It is what I was going to a conference for.”
“Really? I wonder if the master would find that interesting.” Cha sighed. “Nothing much pleases him lately.”
“Your master is unhappy?” Hiro asked as Cha led him through a door into a cozy room. Two girls were stirring up the fire, shining faintly. The old man gazed at them in surprise. Could everyone in this place glow and do otherworldly things? Maybe he would be able to investigate this!
“He’s been in a depression for some time now,” the blonde man helped Hiro into a large armchair and attended to a cart with coffee on it.
“Black, please.” Hiro smiled.
Cha smiled and nodded, handing him a cup. “Our master used to be the one who had these powers, but they passed to us in an incident.”
“Was he experimenting with something?”
“You could say that,” Cha said quietly and shrugged. “We’re not allowed to leave the grounds because we don’t want people finding out about out condition.”
Hiro nodded. “Some people might take advantage of you. I can understand that.”
“It’s a little more complicated than that—” Cha stopped when the door abruptly slammed open and a dark figure moved into the room. “M-master! What’s the matter?” the blonde man asked the black cloaked figure.
“Who said you could invite a guest?” a deep voice rumbled from the cowl.
“He’s a traveler who lost his way! I can’t just turn him down, the wolves might get him!” Cha protested.
“Pardon me, sir. I didn’t know I wasn’t to be here. I’ll take my leave if you wish me to.” Hiro stood only to freeze in terror. The cowl had turned to look at him, piercing red eyes staring at him from the darkness of the hood. He began to tremble and fell back into the chair, fear rooting him into that spot.
“You don’t belong here,” the deep voice told him.
“I-I’ll leave then!” Hiro told him, but he was too afraid to move.
“I’m sorry, but now that you know...” The cloaked figure moved forward as Hiro pressed back into the seat, his heart racing. What was he supposed to do? How could he get away? What about his son?
“No!” There was a glaring flash of light, causing Hiro to cringe. When he looked up, he saw the blonde man standing between him and the cloaked one. As the light faded, Hiro saw that the cowl had fallen back to reveal the master. His skin was deathly pale, and if Hiro had been asked, he would have sworn he could almost see the veins on his neck. His eyes were deeply sunken, dark, like he’d never gotten sleep. His dark brown hair framed bright yellow eyes that glared at Cha with ferocity.
“You dare challenge me?” the master growled as the castle shook. Hiro almost felt as if the man could control the very earth they stood upon.
“You can’t kill him! He’s innocent!” Cha tried again. “Please. I know you don’t want to hurt him.”
The master frowned, the urge to kill bright in his eyes. “I never planned to.” He didn’t move as Cha signed in relief. “He’ll be a prisoner.”
“What!” the blonde man exclaimed. “You can’t do that!”
“The hell I can’t!” Gackt moved around Cha and grabbed Hiro’s collar, hauling him up. “This is my castle. MINE. Just because your powers can rival mine doesn’t mean you can just do as you please. You can’t even leave! You must obey me,” he snarled.
Cha just glared at him for a moment before looking away. “Yes, master,” he grumbled through his teeth as Gackt started to drag the poor old man away.
“Wait!” Hiro tugged against the master’s strong grip. “Where are you taking me?”
“To the dungeon,” the master replied quietly. “Cha will attend to you twice a day and you won’t be allowed to leave. I must protect our secret. I’m sorry you stumbled upon us, but this has to be done.”
Hiro tripped and followed as he was dragged through the halls and down stairs. This wasn’t supposed to happen today! He was supposed to be on his way to the convention where he would meet many men, eager to learn, like himself! Now he was suddenly condemned to a dungeon cell? Why did this have to happen? Would he ever see his son again?
“Please sir, I won’t tell anyone! I promise!” He begged as they stopped at the cells.
“How am I supposed to trust you?” The master glared at him with hard, cold eyes. “One of my servants said you were a chemist. You’ll want to test us, won’t you?”
“No, sir. I wouldn’t do that if it was supposed to be kept a secret.” Hiro bowed. Such an opportunity to turn down! But he cherished his life far more than a discovery such as this.
“I can’t let you go.” The master pushed Hiro into his cell and locked it.
And with that, he walked away. Hiro stared at the door in disbelief. Was this really happening? He trembled as he moved to the barred window and looked out. He could see the cragged landscape and the front of the castle where Hoshi was.
“Hoshi!” he called and the horse startled a moment, looking around. “Hoshi! Go home!” he yelled at her. If she went home without him, maybe You would realize his father was in trouble and come to find him. He watched as the horse hesitated and bit his lip. Please… “Hoshi! Go home!” he yelled and the horse took off down the road, leaving Hiro all alone. In the darkness he wept wondering if anyone would come for him. His son had to come. He had to.
~***~
Part 2
You stretched as he woke from a nap to find the sun had dipped below the horizon. It wasn’t often that he slept past sunset because his father would usually wake him up to call him in right before the sun went down. With a sigh, You sat up to stare at the blazing orange and yellow clouds in the sky, hovering over the horizon. He missed his father. Hiro wasn’t gone very often, so You was very used to having his father around, especially after his mother was gone. A smile graced his lips as he reminded himself his father would be home before he knew it.
The blonde man got himself up on his feet and turned his back on the sun to gaze out over the land to the sea yards away from his and his father’s home. He had the faintest urge to run down to the beach area and jump into the water, but by now, it was probably too cold for a swim. He shook his head as his eyes caught the reflection of the moon in the water and looked up. There was the bright moon that led the faithful sea. You smiled and wondered if he would ever have someone to be a moon to his sea and vice versa.
He sighed and trotted back to the house and milled around inside with a feeling like he was supposed to do something. Always when father was gone, he had an odd feeling, like he was forgetting things. It dawned on him as his eyes caught on his violin case as he was walking into his room. He laughed quietly and went to take the instrument out and tune it quickly. He always played his father a song or two before the older man retired for the night. It made him feel better to follow his habit rather than ignore it and go to bed without playing.
You played a slow quiet song, as he usually did for his father. He smiled as it calmed him, the way it would for Hiro when he was ready for sleep. In the middle of the song, a faint whinny caused him to stop in surprise. It sounded like Hoshi, their horse. You shook the frown away and was about to start playing again when he heard another whinny, this time closer and louder. The blonde nibbled on his lip, knowing that Hoshi was with his father. Was another one of the farmers’ horses loose? You set his violin down on his bed and looked out the window. He jumped back and yelped in surprise as he saw the white star on Hoshi’s forehead for which she was named. He stared for a moment before running outside.
“Hoshi?” he called and she came around the corner. He scanned her and caught her reigns—she didn’t have a rider. How could she not have a rider? Where was his father? You’s stomach dropped as a million scenarios flashed through his mind. Did he fall off? Did she get away from him? She would never do that! What in the world could have happened? Did he get hurt and tell her to come home?
“Where’s dad?” he asked and she pulled on the leather in his hands, as if to say to come with her. “Oh, god…” You shook his head, a wave of fear washing over him as he really started to realize something was very wrong. Hoshi nudged his chest and blew on him to get his attention again before pulling on the reigns again. “I know, we’ll go get him,” he murmured, the fear fading, but not by much. You led her over to the house and tied her up before running in to get whatever he might need. His father could be far away, or he could be near, but he grabbed whatever he could: food, clothing, whatever was in his reach or flashed in his mind before he finally locked everything and made his way outside. Hoshi whinnied and danced around impatiently as he locked the front door.
“I know, I know. I’m coming.” You hurried down the stairs and got his bags onto her before mounting himself and turning her. “Take me to dad, Hoshi. Go!” He didn’t even have to urge her on; she took off quickly into the night. You just leaned over her and held on as she galloped down the road. She wasn’t the fastest horse in the world, but her heart was in the right place at the right time. He made a mental note to give her extra treats for her help.
Once Hoshi got them into the forest, she slowed down, because the path was more uneven, but she went as fast as she could before You pulled up the reigns and slowed her.
“It’s okay, Hoshi. Dad wouldn’t want us hurting ourselves just to get to him,” he told her and patted her neck as she finally snorted and slowed. You gazed around at the dark forest, wishing the moon had been full instead of half. He shivered involuntarily at the night’s chill and ignored the fact that he thought things were moving around him. It’s just my mind, he told himself. He knew full well what tricks his mind could pull when he was scared. They were only trees and leaves. They couldn’t hurt him.
“Hey, what the—” You blurted out as Hoshi stopped suddenly. Before them stood a sign, one piece of wood pointing right, the other left. He stared at it for a moment. “No wonder he’s lost. No one in this country ever repairs the signs,” You grumbled as he glared at the worn wood with no sign of paint or actual information. He sighed and patted Hoshi. “Okay, which way did he go?”
Hoshi looked to the left for a long moment before she let out a sigh and made her way down the right fork. You raised an eyebrow at her behavior, wondering why she looked down the other fork, but trusted her judgment. She was the only way they would find his father. Before long, You noticed they were moving along beside a high wall and wondered if there was a dwelling or village on the other side. He shrugged, knowing it was too high to see over, and gazed at the forest instead, watching for anything suspicious. He didn’t know if wolves roamed this area.
You swore softly as Hoshi stopped suddenly again. “Stop doing that!” he scolded before looking up to see a gate standing before a large castle lit only by the moon. There was a sharp intake of breath to You’s lungs as he gaped at the huge structure. “Why are we here?” he whispered to Hoshi.
The horse moved forward and nudged the gates with her nose.
“You have got to be kidding me.” You’s hand went to his forehead. His father went in there? “Idiot,” he muttered and dismounted. “Why the hell did he come here?” he asked quietly before carefully pulling the gates open to lead Hoshi through. As an afterthought, he closed the gates and lead Hoshi across to the doors of the castle. He felt a little more protected inside the walls of the castle grounds, even though he didn’t know who or what lived here.
The blonde stopped and sighed when he noticed his father’s hat on the ground. “He’s so forgetful,” he murmured with a wry smile. You stooped to pick up the hat and led Hoshi closer to the castle. He stopped at the door and looked around for something to tie her to. He gave up and tied her to one of the knockers, not knowing what else to use to get her to stay. It’s not that he didn’t trust her to stay, but he wanted to make sure she wouldn’t wander away if he needed her.
You stood before the other door and gazed at it nervously, not exactly sure what to do next. Was his father really in there? Had the owner been angry at him? Or had Hoshi gotten scared and ran away for reason? He hoped for the latter as he reached out to use the knocker, making a few loud bangs on the door. He cringed at the volume of the sounds as they echoed in the night. You waited for a while and wondered if everyone inside was asleep. He tried the door to find that it was actually unlocked and pulled it open. How strange.
“I’m going in. I’ll be back,” he told the horse, who snorted at him. “Stay,” he ordered and slipped into the door, carefully closing it behind himself. You stopped and leaned on the door to let his eyes adjust to the darkness. It had been dark outside, but the moonlight didn’t light the inside of this castle as it had outdoors. He had to force himself to move after a while. The blonde took a few tentative steps forward as he shivered. It wasn’t that it was cold in the castle, but it had an odd, otherworldly feel that made him uneasy. Maybe the place was haunted.
As he made his way farther into the castle, he heard some soft whispering in a hall close to him. He inched closer to see a faint glow and peeked around the corner. The shock of the sight made him gasp. Two beings were standing in the hallway speaking quietly and glowing faintly. Well, they were until he gasped and gave himself away. They jumped as he tripped and tried to crawl away from them, hitting a wall before getting very far.
“A-are you g-ghosts?” he stammered as they were still staring in surprise. The two frowned and looked at one another.
“No,” the one with long blonde hair said. You half expected that one to be a girl, but the voice was deep man’s voice.
“Maybe it’s the glowing,” the shorter one with black and red hair muttered.
“Oh!” The blonde one chuckled and stopped glowing, as did the other. “It’s a rather busy night tonight,” he commented and moved closer.
“Yeah,” the shorter one reached for a switch on the wall and turned it, bringing the lights up.
“Are you okay?” the long haired one leaned over him. “Are you lost? Our master is in a foul mood so I’d really like to get you on your way before he finds out you were here.”
“I’m looking for my father,” You told the man, and blurted before he could help himself, “How do you do that glowing thing…?”
The red head laughed and moved closer. “It’s hard to explain.”
“Are you sure you’re not ghosts? Because I’ve heard that sometimes ghosts don’t know they’re dead…” You looked up at them from his position on the floor warily.
“I can assure you, we’re not dead. Well, not yet anyway.” The blond laughed. “You can call me Cha, and this is Ren.” He gestured to the shorter man.
“My name is You.” He stood.
Cha nodded. “You said you were looking for your father?”
“Yeah, he’s about this tall,” You gestured with his hand, “and he’s got short black hair and little glasses…” he trailed off as he saw recognition appear on their faces. “You’ve seen him?”
“I’m afraid so,” Cha wrung his hands.
“Did something happen to him? Please, tell me!” You pleaded.
The two looked at one another. Ren shrugged and Cha sighed. Their actions worried You even more. Was his father hurt? He couldn’t be…dead, could he?
“Please,” he said quietly. “If you know where he is, please tell me.”
“Very well,” Cha murmured. “You need to be quiet, okay? Like I said, the master is in a horrible mood. If he finds out you’re here, he might get… testy.”
Ren snorted. “He’ll rip his limbs off. Hey!” he yelped when Cha smacked him.
“Don’t say things like that! He’s not that bad!” the blonde exclaimed. “Turn the lights down again,” he told Ren and turned back to You. “Please, follow me.” He made his way down the hallway and You stared after him for a moment before Ren tugged at his sleeve. This was a bit much to take. What in the world was going on? And why were these men glowing before?
“Excuse me, but why were you guys glowing?” You asked quietly as he walked with Ren.
“I can’t explain it quickly, and I really shouldn’t talk about it,” the red head told him. “I suggest you forget about it, because the master would be angry if he knew you were here.”
The more You heard, the more this master person didn’t sound all that nice. He wondered if his father was okay, since he didn’t like what he was hearing about their master. Had his father induced this foul mood? Had their master done something to hurt him? If he had, You would… well, he’d do something, that’s for sure. He worried a little as he was led down a set of stairs and down a narrow stone hallway. His stomach dropped as he realized they were passing cells. The master put his father in a cell?! His arms shook as his hands balled into fists, his anger rising. How dare him!
Cha stopped in front of one of the cells and spoke quietly into it. When You reached them, he saw his father moving to the cell and rushed to it to grab his father’s hands as he did the same.
“You’re cold!” he exclaimed at the icy hands in his.
“I knew you would come!” his father gasped relieved. “I told Hoshi to go get you.”
You turned to the other two. “What are you waiting for? Let him out!”
The two shrunk and cringed. “We can’t,” Cha told him.
“Why not?”
“The master put him in there.” Cha nodded at the lock. “He probably has a magical lock on it. And if we did get him out, if he found out your father escaped he would… would…” he trailed off and You could see the sadness mixed with fear in his eyes.
“He would hurt you,” You finished as they nodded. He cursed and turned to his father. “I’ll get you out of here, I promise,” he said as he noticed his father’s eyes wander away over his shoulder. Hiro then backed away from his son as You felt something. “What’s the matter?” he asked as the hair on the back of his neck stood up. He heard the two men fall to the ground and scuttle away, whimpering in pain and knew something was terribly wrong.
You turned slowly, his eyes taking in a figure cloaked in black which was staring at him with two blood red eyes, the only things that could be seen under the dark hood. His body shook as he pressed himself back against the bars of his father’s cell. Was this the master of their castle? He could have sworn it swelled and grew before his eyes, but he wasn’t sure if it was the master or his eyes playing tricks on him. He jumped when the master spoke.
“Why have you come here?” a deep, rumbling voice asked.
The blonde tried to work his mouth, but nothing seemed to come out. All he could do was stand there in front of the bars, gripping them as his knuckles started to turn white. His hands were starting to hurt from the harsh grip, but the pain couldn’t overtake the fear.
“ANSWER ME!”
“I-I’m here for my father!” You yelled back, a sudden anger flaring in him. He’d have to fight fire with fire. He wasn’t going to get his father out by being meek and submissive. If his servants were any indication, the master obviously got his way, whether anyone liked it or not.
“Your father?” The red eyes narrowed. “And why should I give him to you? He trespassed on my property.”
“I was invited in!” Hiro protested.
“SILENCE!” the master growled, making You’s father shrink back. The master’s eyes darted to Cha, who looked away. “My servants weren’t in their right minds, or they would have sent you away.”
“Why won’t you let him go?” You asked. “He’s old, he can’t hurt you!”
“He knows about us, how we look, what we can do.”
You started to realize what was going on. “You don’t want him to leave and tell everyone about how they can glow and stuff, right? Well, what if we promised not to tell? Isn’t giving our word enough?”
The master gave a deep laugh. “You think I am naïve?”
You bristled. “Well what are we supposed to do? Live in your dark cells for the rest of our lives and waste away?! Like hell I will!” His voice was silenced when he could have sworn that the cloaked man grew again. He swallowed and tried to think of a solution that wouldn’t get them both killed.
“I can’t let you leave. How am I supposed to trust two people I’ve never met before?”
“W-what if I took his place?” You murmured before he could stop himself.
“You! No!” His father grabbed one of his hands. “I won’t let you. I’m old and I’ve lived my life!”
“I won’t let you stay here and rot away,” You told him.
“You would trade places with him?”
The blonde blinked and turned to see that the master’s eyes were now yellow instead of red. Was he not angry anymore? You shook his head to clear it. Whether or not the master was angry, he didn’t care. He did want to know what he was getting into before making the deal though.
“I want to see your face, so I can make a deal with someone I can see,” he said, almost wanting to take it back as the master’s eyes flashed red for a moment before back to yellow.
“Light,” he commanded, and the two servants glowed a white light that filled the dungeon area that You could finally see.
You watched as the master reached up with a pale, nearly white hand and pulled the cowl back to reveal his face. The blonde lost his breath as he stared. The man was so deathly pale that it almost made him sick. His eyes were sunken in, darkness around them, and his yellow eyes made him look even sicker. You had to stop himself from imagining what the rest of his body looked like. He put a hand to his mouth and looked away, not able to look at the man anymore. Could he really do this? He had to. He couldn’t let his father stay in this horrible place. And he was far more capable of trying to escape, with a younger and healthier body.
You gathered his strength and stepped forward, looking the demon straight in the eyes. “You have my word.”
“Done.”
>>;
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