Date: Sat, 04 Feb 2006 00:44:43 -0500 From: Michael Shearer Subject: Fire Bird Fire Bird By: Adrian Alexander Chapter One 1 "YOU CAN'T KEEP RUNNING AWAY!" Alex screamed at his turned lover. Alex was standing in the doorway. His arms diagonally pointing out from his body and his legs spread far apart as he watched Aiden pack. His fists were tightly clenched and his eyes were glaring at Aiden. "LOOK AT ME!" Alex screamed. Tears were streaming down his delicate face. He was now walking towards Aiden. His strides were awkward and of different lengths. He stood behind Aiden and put his arms around the strong biceps he himself had been held. "You can't...I won't let you..." his voice was soft and sounded as if he finally broke. Aiden glanced back at Alex, his green eyes meeting with Alex's brown. Aiden looked forward again and said nothing. He reached for his toothbrush that was sitting on the bed and wrapped in a plastic baggy, but Alex tightened his arms. Constricting any movement the best he could. His face was now pressed against Aiden's back and his tears had soaked through the shirt. "If you leave...at least take me with you..." he said rubbing his face against the soft fabric of the white button up shirt. "No..." the voice was cold and he did not look back. His hair was in his eyes and made his face look dark. "WHY?" Alex screamed pressing his face against the back of his beloved. "Why wont you take me with you?" "I SAID NO!" Aiden screamed and moved his arms and forced Alex to let go. He continued putting items into the suitcase. Alex stood there dazed and confused. His arms were hanging limply from his shoulders and his back was slouched. "What exactly did that woman say to you?" his voice sounded broken and his face was covered in tears. "Do you even love me anymore?" "Yes...I still love you..." Aiden said turning and walking over to the dresser and past Alex as if he was nothing. Aiden reached for the top drawer and pulled out three pairs of boxers and three pairs of socks. He walked past Alex in the same manner as he did before. He did not seem to acknowledge that Alex being there did not change anything at the moment. "What did she say?" he persisted. "Nothing...you wouldn't understand." "Who is she?" "No one..." he said taking the suitcase in hand and turning to leave. "A lover?" "No..." his tone did not change. No emotion was in his words. "Why wont you tell me what she said?" "You would not un-" "I don't care! At least tell me!" "Hino Tori..." he said walking past Alex and out the bedroom door. He walked down the hallway and before he could enter the living room where his other luggage sat Alex looked out the door. "What does that mean?" "Fire Bird..." he said taking a book bag and putting over his shoulders. He then picked up a large duffel bag and put it on his left shoulder and then he picked up his two suitcases. Alex was now standing in the room. His body felt heavy and the tears had stopped. "Why are you leaving? What do those words have anything to do with you?" Alex said crossing his arms over his small delicate chest. He blew upward knocking a tuft of blonde hair away from his right eye. Aiden dropped the suitcases and turned to Alex. He took three long strides to the blonde haired boy. "I will always love you," he said put his arm around Alex's back and his left hand on Alex's right shoulder. He leaned forward and kissed him unlike anytime before. Tears began coursing down Alex's slightly dried cheeks and he clenched his eyes shut. Aiden pulled away and looked deep into Alex's eyes. "I am never going to see you again am I?" he said turning his face to the left, away from Aiden's. "Probably...but you can still hope..." "Can I at least drive you to the airport?" Alex asked looking back at his dark haired lover. "I am not going to the airport," he said flatly. "What? Then where are you going?" "Just away...far away..." he said turning back to his luggage. "I doubt I will need all this..." he said looking back at the two suitcases. He then pulled the duffel bag off his shoulder and then removed the book bag. He walked to the door. His eyes looked back at the one he loved. "I will never forget you." he said looking at the small delicate boy he had come to love. "Aiden..." he said as more tears spilled forth down his face. He watched helplessly as Aiden stepped out the door and into the rain. Alex then ran forth and stopped in the doorway. He screamed out to his lover but nothing replied but the ominous sound of the rain. He looked back and forth and saw no one. Aiden was nowhere in sight. 2 When he was a good distance away from his country house he pulled his shirt off. He placed his left hand on his right shoulder and the right hand on the left. He began muttering incantations and finally he yelled "HINO TORI!" the skin on his back began to push up and suddenly, in a burst of blood, his wings flung out from his back. Blood covered almost every feather in beads. The rain was hitting the wings mercilessly and caused pain to the delicate muscle that was hidden beneath the blood soaked feathers. He looked up at the sky with his mouth open in agony. His body was tight and his muscles were knotting themselves. He let out a cry and the rain stopped. This cry echoed out through the entire valley and even reached Alex. He fell forward and memories of the day before filled his head. 3 Aiden and Alex sat at a table in a corner cafe. Alex had a cappuccino and Aiden had black coffee. No sugar. No creamer. Just plain black coffee, he never added anything to it. If he wanted coffee he wanted a bite to it. Aiden was sitting there stirring a small spoon around the coffee and had his head resting on his turned out hand. Alex was sitting straight with the paper cup in his hands and was blushing profusely, for some reason. Alex was talking to Aiden about his coming up thesis for one of his classes. Aiden did not really care, but listened so that Alex would not get angry with Aiden never listening. Sometimes Alex would test him on what he was talking about and half the time he caught Aiden and would almost be in tears. Aiden avoided this with every chance he had. Yes he loved Alex but he was not quite sure if he wanted to be with him anymore. They had been together for three years. They met at a gay bar downtown and it was supposed to be a "one night stand". Somehow it turned into more... Aiden wasn't sure how it happened, nor was he too thrilled about it when Alex showed up at his house the next morning with all his things. But being the nice guy he was he could not shoo the kid away. Besides, he was not that bad in bed. Suddenly Aiden spotted a woman with white hair that was chipped in the front and back and a little on the sides. She had milky white skin and her eyes were sad and looked as if she was about to cry. She wore a dress of the finest design. It was mainly black and white. It was also decorated with feathers and had many different beads. Clearly the woman was out of place. He looked at Alex who had just realized Aiden was not listening. He was about to yell but Aiden stood up with a small "Excuse me" and had slipped out of his seat. He walked over to the woman who had just entered. She raised both hands, in fists, to her breast. She smiled and her eyes glistened with tears. Aiden had a look of anger in his green eyes and was not about to let this woman ruin the life he had set up for himself. After all he escaped that world because he could not live the way he wanted. He walked past her and grabbed her by the arm at the same time. His steps were angry and hard. The shoes made padded sounds on the carpeted floor. He took her outside and pulled her into the alley. He pushed her away and said, "What the fuck are you doing here?" his voice was angry and hard. His eyes were blazing with fire. She looked at him delicately and then added in. "We need you back. Back there!" she pointed into the sky "Where we are meant to live in peace!" "What are you talking about? I am living at peace right now! I gave up the Tsubasa so I could come here and live a peaceful life and forget about the magic of the--" "NO! You did not give them up! I saw you at the ceremony! You did not give up your wings!" "What are you talking about? I gave them up just like Celsius!" "No you did not! You lie!" she had no anger in her. Her eyes still had been filled with sorrow. They both stood there standing with tightened fists. The muscles in their legs were taught. "You just sealed them...and used a spell to make them look like they were there...we need you back..." "I am never going back there!" he stepped forward towards her. "But SHE has taken over since you left. I don't know how SHE managed it but, SHE has succeeded. She has us all in peril! She even has him in the dungeons... where he cries out your name every night." His eyes widened and he looked away. "SHE does not...SHE does not have that kind of power..." "Yes SHE does! SHE can control anything and anyone now! SHE has The Wand of Wind...and no one can stop her but you..." "How so?" "You are the greatest of us all!" her voice was now enthusiastic beyond belief. "You also have The Sword...I know you do..." "You know the spell to get me to come back...why don't you just use it?" he asked staring at her suspiciously. "Because I want you to come back of your own accord," she said looking at him and then to the ground. "She has Celsius too... locked in the ballroom of the castle...she is tied down with chains and she can't move from that spot. She is also in a bound circle. She moves back and forth in pain saying your name over and over in a song...trying to reach you..." "But Celsius was one of the higher gods! If she was forced back up there...her Tsubasa are now..." "Yes... Her arms have become wings..." "Why is SHE doing this? " he asked alarmed. "Her love fled the heaves for the real world and she misses him dearly..." "I never loved her," he said angrily. "Yes but SHE loved you..." "Alight..." "Yes?" "What is my name?" he asked with a smirk on his face. She smiled "Hino Tori..." He smiled and walked away from her. He left behind one sentence to greet her. "I will be leaving tonight..." She smiled and looked up at the sky. Suddenly translucent wings flung up behind her and turned into real wings. Stars floated around her head like a crown and she flew up into the sky. "Come Fire Bird..." she said and left behind a loud cackle that echoed through the world. 4 Alex was walking down a path with a bright yellow rain slicker on. It shined in the sunlight. Up ahead he saw a mass of white feathers with small traces of maroon. He ran forward a bit and stopped when he realized what it was. It was Aiden. Alex stood frozen. He watched as Aiden crooned forward with his wings flapping. He watched as Aiden shook his wings of the last few drops of water. Aiden then stood up. His wings shifting and getting use to being out. He then flung them straight out and flapped them three times. The third time he lifted off the ground. He beat his wings hard but slower than before. He got higher and higher, he turned in air and saw Alex standing there. Baffled. Alex dropped to his knees and stared at his ascending lover. Aiden stared at Alex with a frown. He then gave his most beautiful smile and blew a kiss at Alex. The kiss took form as a purple and blue butterfly with sparkles flying behind it. The butterfly smacked onto his cheek and stained onto the skin in the image of the butterfly. Aiden turned in the air pulling his outstretched hand back and flew into the heavens. His wings turned red at the ends and he disappeared in the clouds. "Why... What is happening?" Alex asked no one as he felt his cheek.