Chapter 4 - Bring Me To Life

Catch me As I Fall

Chapter 4 :Bring Me To Life



Bui was up in his own room, dialing a number on the phone. He was shaken up. Things were already in motion, and too soon for them to handle. He could hear his own heart as Sakyo picked up on the other line.

"Hello?" Sakyou answered.

"Sakyo?"

"Bui?"

"Yeah, listen..." Bui began in a hushed whisper. "It's been set into motion, the emotions are shifting with the memories and the-one-we-do-not-speak-of is enraged. I beleive Toguro already entered, I haven't seen him since Ani left him in the room with the book alone. And Ani's getting these mood swings that he can't even remember." There was an intake of breath from Sakyo.

"Now all we can do is sit back and wait." He said. "It's all up to the brothers."

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'I have no choice.' Ani thought, opening the book. 'I must go in and retreive him.' He turned to hte inside cover and placed his palm over the stone and closed his eyes.

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Toguro released Hopes hand and leaned against the tree. His eyes skipping from Joy, to Hope, then back to Joy. The beings just gazed at him. Joy bore a happy-gp-lucky expression, and Hop had a pensive look set on his face.

"What happened to you guys?" Toguro inquired. "WHy are you guys fading?" The beings looked at eachother, then back to Toguro.

"Ani is losing us." Hope quietly said. "We are being lost to him, he is finding less need for us." Toguro stared. "As for me," Hope continued, "I was never that important or useful to Ani."

"And me," Joy said. "You were the reason I was created." Toguro cracked his knuckes, sighed, and sat at the base of the tree.

"What's your story?" He asked, his eyes on Joy. Joy, apparently delighted that Toguro was interested danced about before settling infron of Toguro and smiled.

"Well," He began. "When he was born, his mother wasn't the most caring or loving thing in the world. IN fact, ANi hated her and she hated Ani. He was an abomination to her. SHe made his life a living hell, and he was raised in this enviroment. But after you were born, he was given a reason for exhistance. He was dedicated to you, and you brought him happiness, by the time you were full grown, he was so proud of you and your accomplishments. HE loved you, you loved him and thats what made him happy. They very sound of your voice or the call of your name could lighten his sould on even the darkest moments. My and Hopes cousin, Pride was also created from you, but he was consumed along with Patience, Betrayal, Romance, Devotion, Wisdom, Strength, Mercy, and that fool, what was his name......... Ah Joker. and many more. The-One-We-Do-Not-Speak-Of has consumed them. That is why Ani had has been malfunctioning." Toguro though about these words for a few moments before jumping up nd staring disbeleivingly.

"No!" He said. "The you guys ARE Ani's personalities!" HE shouted. Hope and Joy nodded. "Then I'm-"

"Inside my head." A voice said. A figure materialized out of thin air inbetween Hope and Joy. It was Ani. The real Ani. Hope and joy slowly backed away from him and into the red mists out of sight.

"I want you out." Ani said. "Now! I trusted you. You intruded on my most personal thoughts. I-" He was cut off as Toguro scooped him into his strong arms and squeezed him for all he was worth.

"I had no idea." He said. Ani was limp in his arms. "This whole time, I had no idea how much I affected you. I learned so much!" He sqeezed Ani tighter to him, feling his body against him. Ani just rested there, his eyes open in disbeleif, he slowly laid his head against Toguro's throat and sighed. Toguro was lost in a jumble of words. He felt tears spring to his eyes as Ani lifted his own arms around Toguro's neck.

"I should've told you." Ani whispered. He looked over the side of Toguro's arm and saw Joy, Hope, and Misery, along with a being dressed in black with a spike fools crown. Ani gave them a hard look and they withdrew deeper into the mists. Toguro released Ani, and grasping his shoulder smiled at him. Ani lokked down. "I know. You talked to Misery, Hope and Joy. Didn't you?" He asked. Toguro nodded.

"They told me all that stuff." He said. He lowered his face and brushed his cheek against Ani's. Ani gripped the trenchcoat on his brothers shoulder and tightly shut his eyes. "Brother, what is it?" He asked, feeling Ani tense up.

"You have to leave....." Ani urgently whispered. He released Toguro and turned aorund, his eyes scanning the misty haze. Toguro grabbed Ani's arm to him as a noise was heard in the distance. The mist suddenly turned gray, then dark blue, then back to a black silver color. A dark shadow enveloped the brothers and drew in. Toguro momentarly forgot about Ani as he stared at the shadow that was growing larger and larger.

"B-brother!" Ani stuttered. Toguro felt Ani's hand grip the leg of his pants for support as he hunched over. He knelt quickyly and grasped Ani by the shoudlers. Ani tightly held his chest. "Help me....." He whispered. Toguro gently pulled Ani's arms away to see what was wrong. A large bloodstain was slowly spreading throughout Ani's trench coat. His eyes were wide with fear and pain. His coat now had blood dripping off of the hem. He slumped into Toguro's arms and softly moaned.

"What is it?" Toguro asked. "Brother...." He held Ani and softly touched his cheek. Ani fell limp, and his breathing came quick and heavy. He tightly squeezed Toguro's arm.
"It's...time." He whispered to Toguro. He lifted his face to Toguro, his lips, chin, and slender neck was covered in blood. "I must leave you." He closed hsi eyes and slowly opened him. Toguro lifted Ani closer to him. He cringed as he felt his older brothers blood soak through his coat and onto his skin. He gently held the back of Ani's head and tilted him back. Ani made a soft choking noise as more blood poured from his lips and streaked his pale skin. Toguro felt tears prick his eyes as he kissed Ani's neck and gently nuzzled his brother cheekbone.

"I don't understand...." He whispered in Ani's ear. Ani slowly carressed the back of Toguro's neck, his hands tembling like the rest of his body. Toguro lowered his face and his lips interlocked with Ani's. He pulled back as a surge of blood gushed from Ani's lips once more.

"The one I must not speak of has won...the battle. Win the war, don't let me die here. Bring me to life." He choked. He swallowed and opened his mouth to speak, but the words were a war to fight for. "I...lo........" He pulled himself up. "I...love.......y-y-you..B-b-b-broth...er......" His body went limp. He was dead. Toguro stared disbelievingly at Ani's face. He pulled Ani's face closer to him. The shadow was now closer to him and it appeared to have glowing eyes. But he didn't care.

"I will win." He whispered against Ani's lips. Toguro knew it was his own faulth his older brother was dead, if only he had listened. "I'm sorry." Toguro gently placed him down. Ani's body stared back at him with an accusing stare in his icy eyes. Toguro closed them and wiped his brothers lips free of the blood. It was over. No more Ani. He had nothign left of a brother but a corpse. Ani was gone forever. Toguro stared at the shadow, beginning to swirl around him, his eyes pooling with tears. The walls that stood between him and his emotions came tumbling down. His tears streamed down his face. It felt as a chunk of him had been ripped away and burned. He felt empty and hollow as he stood, Ani's body at his feet. He watched the shadow slowly materialize into another Ani being, except it was clad in a black robe with the anit-cross on the front.

"Brother...." The being said. He pulled back the hood of his robe to expose eye-less sockets. Toguro lept back as a black scorpion crawled from its eye and down it's robe. "I am Fear X. I am the one they don't speak of." Toguro slowly wiped his tears and stared at the being.

"I'll kill you." He bitterly spat.

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Next xhapter: SHOWDOWN

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