Memento Mori

[rukio 8924]

 

Chapter One

 

"I only have three emotions, you know." He said in a quiet voice.

 

"Oh...well you use to have more." Alice replied, studying the ground to avoid his gaze.

 

"Maybe I have other emotions." 

 

"Oh?" She said in a monotone, uninterested voice.

 

"Yep."

 

"Guess its a mystery then."

 

They both went silent, neither knowing what to do or say. Alice continued to study the ground, the forest floor warm and familiar to her. Jaden studied the sky, the trees and other plants that surrounded the pair were strange and unknown to him as he had never been here. This was her realm, somewhere she belonged and few were able to enter. From a distance, the hooting of a barn owl signaled the change from day to night.

 

"Jaden?" Alice asked, now watching as the full moon quickly raced up the sky, stopping suddenly as it reached the highest point of the sky.

 

"Hmm?" was his reply as he studied the quickly changing sky with a look of perplexity. 

 

"You can be bored, sarcastic, and neutral, right?" Alice's red eyes glowed with the light of the moon. 

 

"That's what I said." He replied in a near mutter, tilting his head back in confusion as the moon disappeared, leaving the world dark and empty.

 

"Then which would you feel if your beloved kissed you?" Alice looked to his eyes, studying his face as she said this, her expression unreadable beyond her glowing eyes which were full of curiosity. 

 

Jaden stared back a moment before cupping his hand under her chin. Alice made no move to pull away or move closer, simply standing and waiting for his reply. Around them the fireflies began to glow, giving the world a faint light to see by. The dark forest began to come alive with the fireflies, revealing many pathes which had been unseen to either of them before.

 

"You're not my beloved." Jaden said quietly, removing his hand and letting it fall back into place at his side.

 

"I know this." Alice replied, the red glow leaving a slight trail as she turned her head to the side, looking away from his blue eyes.

 

"Then why did you ask?"

 

"Come. You must see something." Alice said, ignoring his question as she grabbed his wrist. Not giving him time to protest, Alice began to run down the path most lit by the fireflies. The rest of the fireflies flocked behind them, lighting up the rest of the path until a bend in the trees. Beyond there the trail was dark once more.

 

"Alice..." he began to speak, but Alice jerked harder on his wrist and said nothing. As they rounded the bend darkness nearly blinded the both of them. The glow in Alice's eyes grew stronger and she turned to glare up into Jaden's blue eyes. A savage glare intensified the glow even further as she bared her teeth at him. Within a heartbeat she had turned around once more and taken off, catching him off guard and half dragging him down the path once more.

 

A wilted tree stood in the pathway. Its bark had all peeled away and many carvings scarred all the way up the trunk. The fireflies had followed the two of them, and now they lit the tree until the branches, which were masked by darkness. A long and detailed family tree stretched the full length of the trunk, reaching up past the unlit canopy.

 

"I don't understand." Was all he could say, standing a few feet back from the tree and rubbing his sore wrist once Alice had released it.

 

"Come here so you can." Alice ordered, the savage look mostly faded from her face, only a hint remaining from the way she studied him. The glow in her eyes had vanished as the fireflies had lit the area, a look of remorse replacing the previous detachment. Saying nothing more, she motioned him closer. 

 

Jaden hesitated before finally approaching and kneeling beside her to look at where she pointed. He still held his wrist, rubbing the sore part. Neither spoke as Alice grabbed his wrist once more. This time however, she held it gently, rubbing it thoughtfully for a moment before guiding his hand to part of the trunk. Going down several inches, she paused and held his hand against two names. Holding his wrist in place, she gently massaged it as he read the names. A perplexed yet wistful gaze replaced her remorse as she studied his face.

 

Quickly ducking her head and releasing his wrist, Alice got back to her feet and turned away. Without a word she then waited tensely, not daring to be brave enough to look at him as it occured to him why she had brought him here. Inhaling deeply, she tightened her hands into fists, bracing to be struck. Her look became that of a stoic person, and she did her best to empty her mind.

 

Jaden remained silent, and after a few moments he stod as well, turning to face away from Alice. The fireflies flew away silently, leaving the pair in the dark. Neither moved a muscle, the only noise coming from the wind striking the leaves high up in the canopy of the ancestor tree. A wolf then howled from the distance, waking Alice from her deep thoughts.

 

"I....we have a child?" Jaden finally said, his boots scraping the dirt and breaking the silence. Rubbing the back of his neck he studied her apprehensively, uncertainty apparent on his face. Chewing on his lower lip, he silently awaited her response.

 

"Her name is Anna..." Alice said after several tense moments of silence. Flicking her head to knock the hair out of her eyes, she looked over her shoulder at him, though avoiding his eyes as she smiled weakly. "She has your eyes and hair." Alice shook slightly, fighting back tears. The battle was a loss however, and soon she was crying.

 

Placing a hand on her shoulder, Jaden turned Alice towards him and pulled her into a hug. The leaves had ceased moving, the muffled cries of Alice and feeble attempts to calm her by Jaden the only things audible in the darkened forest night.

[rukio 8924]

 

Chapter Two

 

The shrill cries of a far off eagle woke the forest. A lazy fog hid the ground, concealing everything as the animals began their day. Various species of birds flew from spot to spot, always keeping a keen eye out for their next meal. The occasional mouse had the misfortune of leaving the fog's safety and was gone in a flash, providing energy to the birds of prey as they carried on about their day. 

 

A crow circled high above the ancestor tree, its keen eyes locked on two dark shapes that were cloaked by the fog. Letting a caw of victory at finding carrion escape it's beak, the crow quickly descended and came to a rest on the ground beside the pair. Tilting its head upwards, it studied the sky to ensure no other scavenger had found the meal as well. Satisifed that it would not be disturbed, the crow hopped over and began to peck at the smaller one's head. 

 

With a groan, Alice opened her eyes and looked at the crow. As her red eyes met its amber eyes the crow let out a bewildered caw and took off, the fog quickly hiding the creature. Still sleepy, Alice slowly tried to get to her feet. Something held her down and so Alice tried again. She found this had the same result, no matter how many times she tried to get up.

 

Finally looking to see what bound her, Alice yelped in surprise and a bit of fear. Jaden's arm was over her side, pinning her down and close to himself. As she yelped, it had startled Jaden and he had awoken as well. His eyes met hers and Alice calmed herself immediately. Her fearful expression changed to a soft smile and a trusting look in her eyes.

 

Jaden slowly removed his arm from her side, yet maintained the eye contact. Alice turned towards him, lowering her gaze from his submissively. Jaden didn't move, simply watching her with a curious expression on his face. Alice slowly moved closer, then, finally summoning her courage, laid her head against his shirt and closed her eyes again. A sad smile flickered across Jaden's lips as he stroked her dark blue hair.

 

"I can't love you." Alice said after a few moments of silence, yet remained against him.

 

"I know." He said softly, kissing the top of her head.

 

"Do you?" Alice replied, slowly turning her head upwards to look at his eyes, a questioning look on her face before continuing. "Do you know how I antagonized over you, grieved you, adored..." Alice's voice cracked as tears came to her eyes. "How I loathed myself?" She added in a hoarse whisper as she tried to regain her composure. 

 

"I know...and I'm sorry." he said, a bit of uncertainty in his voice.

 

"Jaden..." 

 

"Shh..."

 

The two laid there and Alice buried her head into his chest once more. Quietly, Jaden began to stroke her hair once more. The crow cawed from nearby, and slowly the fog began to disappear. Jaden's face was blank as Alice pressed her head against him more, her shoulders trembling as she fought back tears.

 

"I can't love you either." He said finally, his voice flat and emotionless.

 

"I know." Alice whispered back as she let go of her hold on him.

 

"No, you don't know. At least I don't think you know entirely..." He said as he pushed himself up to a sitting position. Wrapping his arms around his knees, Jaden peered down at Alice who slowly got to a sitting position as well.

 

"Then tell me why. You know why I can't love you, how is it fair to keep me in the dark?" Alice responded as she tilted her head to teh side and pushed her hair back behind her ears.

 

"I hurt you, Alice. More than that, I enjoyed hurting you."

 

"I know....I liked hurting you too though. Even more than that, I enjoyed your cruelty. From your abuse I knew you cared...I love that you care." 

 

Alice then grew silent, unsure of how to make him understand. Jaden looked off in the distance, studying the sky. Looking at his face, Alice bit her lower lip and got to her feet. Throwing one last glance over her shoulder, she stuided his face, trying to take note of even the smallest detail, as though to keep his face in her mind forever.

 

"I loved you then, I love you now, and I will always love you." Alice laid a hand against the ancestor tree, a weak look on her face as she continued. "She's proof of that, you know? This is farewell though, isn't it?" Alice nearly choked on the last sentence before quickly taking off, back down the path they had come.

 

"Goodbye Alice..." Jaden said softly, ensuring she could not hear. Expressionless, he watched her leave, waiting until she was out of sight before standing up.

 

Scanning the area around him, Jaden began to walk down the pathm past the ancestor tree. As he walked past the tree his body slowly daded. Once he was beyond the tree he was a ghost. A few feet further and there was no proof he had ever been there.

 

The crow cawwed once as Jaden vanished, summoning the fog. Spreading its wings, the crow glided down from its perch, circling over where Jaden had just been. After a few moments the crow seemed content that there was no sign left of him. It then flew off once more, this time back the way Alice had gone. 

[Knox213 10]

Moved to the Archive. It shall be sorted into the appropriate category shortly.