Every Dark Corner [Tristan]

[Aione Higurashi]

"If heaven and hell decide that they both are satisfied,
Illuminate the no's on their vacancy signs,
If there's no one beside you when your soul embarks,
Then I'll follow you into the dark..."
-Death Cab for Cutie-Follow You Into the Dark

The dorms sure could be lively at night. It was three in the motherfreakin' morning, but the sound from the eigth story was echoing down to the library down the street. At least that's how it felt to the people on the seventh floor. And it didn't help when you have been up to five yesterday studying...and said student was sitting up in her bed, messy black hair in her eyes, cursing the ceiling in silent loathing. "Shut the hell up, bakayaro's...!!" she hissed in japanese, covering her ears in a vain attempt to shut them out. That didn't work. Duh. Silver eyes glanced over at the snoozing Sori, the boy could sleep through a gunshot, and sighed. Turning her feet over the side of her bunk, Ai started shruging out of her nightgown and grabbing a t-shirt from the desk.

What's the point of trying to sleep? I'll only have nightmares... The voice in her head echoed, and Aione nodded to herself absently. She'd gotten used to it after a while, since it wasn't exactly going to vanish. Besides, it was right. Hearing about the slave vanishing made her relapse, and she kept having the same nightmares about the past. Good memories? No. Not really. They weren't even about the Wonderland. They were about the old house, before everything had gone wrong. About Darion. Ai's skin chilled again at his name and she tugged a hoodie up over her neck. It was Sori's hoodie, but she didn't notice. Neither would he, since he slept like a rock.

Brushing a patch of black from her line of vision, the college junior stood up and stretched. A walk wouldn't kill, right? And there were students everywhere, so no sane Boogie would show up in such a crowded place...though there were alot of insane Boogies I knew. Before heading out the door, Aione leaned over and pulled her cellphone from the bedside table and her bag from the chair. There was a flashlight in it. Of course. That was as important as a textbook or a panic-button nowadays. Ai reached the door in three steps and slipped out into the hallway. The lighting was dim, but she was thankful for any light at all. It'd probably be brighter if the idiots upstairs weren't using up all the power.

She walked aimlessly through the hall, peeking into the occasional open door. It had been a passtime of hers to wander like this in the old dorms just for the fun of it. Ai's eyes lowered a bit as she remembered. I'll give myself more... she didn't finish her train of thought because, still her old self, she had walked right into somebody. "A-Ano--!! Gomenasai!!" she whimpered, putting her hands on her bumped nose, "I didn't see you there...gomenasai..." Of course Aione was speaking japanese in all this, assuming it was another student.

Good memories and nightmares.

[Ryan Cardwell]

Sitting in the hallway had been a taller man, sitting and staring out a window a he idly tapped his foot in time with the music. Every so often he would be passed by others, whether alone or in little groups. The boys mostly ignored him, but more often than not the girl's would glance at him, giggling and whispering under their breath as they passed. However the man merely ignored them, staring out the window with his odd amber eye.

Yes, it was the one and only Tristan Blackthorne. At the moment he could easily pass for a student, sitting there in light blue jeans and a gray Lynrd Skynrd t-shirt. Hell he was even wearing tennis shoes. So why was one of the most hated boogies in Wonderland currently sitting around dressed as a human? Simple. He was here to visit his little sister. Well, she wasn't technically his sister, they weren't even the same species. But he had sort of adopted after she'd been brought to Wonderland, and he had cared for her as if she were his own flesh and blood. And he loved her just as if she were indeed his own sister.

He had come here to check up on her, to make sure nothing had happened. He'd been hearing disturbing news of late, and was worried that something might have happened to do her harm. By 'something' he of course meant that bastard Darion. Everytime he thought of that bastard it set his blood to boiling. There were few people that Tristan hated, about two, and that fucker was most definitely one of them. His fingers clenched against the windowsill, the wood already straining and splintering under the force. But about that moment he heard something and glanced up, the rage immediately dissipating as his eye caught sit of her. He stood, moving towards the girl as he did so. And true to her nature she ran directly into him.

"A-Ano--!! Gomenasai!!"

He smiled down at her chuckling softly. She hasn't changed a bit... He was glad that she appeared well, it did his heart a great deal off good. Letting the chuckle die off he closed his eye, speaking in a poor account of the Japanese language. "It's been a long time imouto-chan" Well, it wasn't too bad, but it was quite obvious that it wasn't his primary language. He'd studied it a bit since he'd met Ai, but he still couldn't quite grasp it.

[Aione Higurashi]

Darkly lit places were never good for ones vision. And hitting your face into something doesn't help. Aione rubbed her nose a bit with a slight smile on her face. This must be a forgeiner...his japanese isn't that good... she mused, but Inner Ai paused. Wait. What did he call me? The semi-dazed Ai looked up to see who she'd walked into. He looked like any other student, but why had he called her imouto? It couldn't be Sori, the punk was still fast asleep. Then her sight got less blurry from impact, and she could see the man's face clearly. The single amber eye made her face pale noticably.

No way in Wonderland...

The coal-haired girl took a step back, dimond eyes wide with either terror or surprise. The reaction made Inner Ai laugh. Never, not even when they'd first met, had Aione been afraid of her then-master. But now she was scared. And the reason elluded her. Still, she back up even more, her hand shaking toward her handbag. Inner Ai frowned, shrugging. Hey, moron. That's Tristan Blackthorne, remember? Not that a-hole Darion. He's our Oniisama...why so terrified? The real Aione pushed the question out of her mind. She was really starting to hate that voice.

Probably the fact that I haven't...oh, what is it...seen him in three years?!

"Tr-Tristan...wh-what are you doing here?" Ai was speaking in english now. She'd learned it a couple years before she'd first appeared in Wonderland, thank goodness. Her hand reached around the purse, touching lightly at the flashlight. It was cold metal, not very pleasant. But this could be a trick by Darion or that Mayuko chick...she knew she could change shape...

[Ryan Cardwell]

Friggen great. She was scared of him, he'd been afraid that she might have been. The boogie sighed, rubbing the back of his head as he watched her back away. His eye caught her hand as it fumbled inside of her bag, probably looking for one of those funny light sticks that humans carried with them. It would be bad if she did, for him at least. He could stand them alot better than most boogies could, but they still had a powerful effect on him.

"Tr-Tristan...wh-what are you doing here?"

The boogie grimaced, his face making it quite obvious that he was hurt by the reaction. He held up his hands to show he meant her no harm, even backing up a few paces. "I just came to visit, its been a long time since I've seen you." After that he just stood there, staring at the girl. She was still just as adorable as that first day they'd met at the beach, but he hated to see the fear in her eyes. It split his heart in two, and the fact that he was the cause only made it that much worse.

Sighing sadly he rubbed the back of his head again, not quite sure what to do. Part of him had been hoping she'd be happy to see him, maybe even run up and give him a hug. That part of him had taken a severe beating, and was currently in the process of slinking out of his conscious mind. He opened his mouth to speak, half raising a hand as he did so. But he didn't know what to say. So he let his hand drop, standing in silence for a few more unbearably long moments. His voice was soft as he spoke, the sadness still clearly evident on his face. "I've missed you..."

With that said he closed his eye, his will overpowering his emotions and keeping them in check. He'd just wanted to check on her and make sure she was safe, and he'd done that. He had no more reason to be here, or so he told himself, especially since his presence only upset her. Giving her one last pained smile he turned, slowly making his way towards the end of the hallway where the stairs lay. It was almost time for him to go back, and he wouldn't be returning. Ever.

[Aione Higurashi]

Come on you idiot. Cut it out. You're hurtin' his feelings. the voice was scolding this time, prodding Aione's heart coldly. Apparently it hadn't forgotten just how soft their master had been, and how much Aione meant to him. Her hand stay in the bag while Tristan backed away, but it was slowly moving off of the flashlight. She didn't want to make him sad...she never wanted that. But with what had happened to Kris and Terry a few days ago... How do I know this isn't a trick?

Because you know him. Because he missed you. Because he's your big brother. Aione's silver eyes widdened, but the fear wasn't there anymore. It was replaced with slight confusion. He missed her? But that was ridiculous. How could he still worry over her after she'd been gone for three years? After she'd run away from him? It didn't seem to fit in her brain. Inner Ai sneered. God Ai, what happened to little miss chance? Aione didn't understand the voice this time. Little miss what?

He started to turn, and it snapped back into place. This could be a trick. But it also couldn't be. this could be one of the shape-shifters trying to kill her. But it could also be Tristan making sure she was allright. She could let him go. Or.. Aione let her hand slip out of her bag, hanging loose at her side. Inner Ai smiled. Remember: You let him go and I'm dropping us out a window.

Aione took a step forward, eyes on the floor. "Tr-Tristan..." Her voice was to low. He wouldn't hear her. Come on dummy, louder this time! Inner Ai jeered. "Tristan-san...don't..." she took a deep breath, then looked up at his back as he walked away. "N-Niisama..." Her feet started towards him without a second thought, her silver eyes starting to tear. Ai reached him quickly, her arms wrapping around his waist.

"D-Don't go! I'm sorry!" she cried, not caring if it was a trick or not. This was going against all things sane...but we were never sane to begin with, eh love?

[Ryan Cardwell]

As he walked away, his gaze was locked on the floor. There was something about the tiles that he found suddenly fascinating, or so it seemed. To be honest, walking away from her was perhaps the hardest thing he'd ever had to do. Every step sent a jolt of pain through his heart, and it took every bit of his resolve to keep himself together. Perhaps the worst part, was knowing that he'd never see her again. He had one more human to check up on, and then he was returning to Wonderland. Once there, chances were he wouldn't survive long. He planned to do whatever it took to insure that the humans he cared about were forever out of harms way.

"N-Niisama..."

He was almost to the stairs when he froze, hearing the word he had been longing for more than anything these past years. Hope overrode his better judgement and so he turned, just in time for her to wrap her arms around his waist. He almost cried himself as he placed his arms around her, holding the young woman to his body. Almost. The tears came to his eye, but they stopped there. His pride as a boogie refused to allow them to escape, so he merely contented himself with holding her.

It had been all he could do to keep himself going after she'd left. Not only had he lost the girl he loved all those years ago, but then he'd lost his little sister. Even Tristan Blackthorne, big bad unkillable Tristan Blackthorne, had nearly broken because of it. But now he pulled her away from him, squatting down in front of the black haired girl. With a smile that was far too gentle and loving to be imitation he raised his hand, softly wiping her tears away. "Shh. You know I never want to see you cry."

[Aione Higurashi]

Aione couldn't help but giggle through her tears. This couldn't be an imposter...it just felt to real. To familiar. As Tristan brushed the tears from her now rosy face, her own smile started to brighten as she pointed to his eye. "Same for me, Oniisama. You start crying and I swear..." she couldn't finish her sentence because her silver eyes started overflowing again. Intead, the ex-slave wrapped her arms around Tristan's neck and just hugged him. Inner Ai purred, clapping her hands. Encore! Encore! I love a good idiot drama! Aione beat her head in with a (mental) mallet.

Some boy from down the hall noticed the scene and started jeering. Something about 'making girls cry' and 'getting a room'. And for the first time, since Tristan had known her anyway, Aione's head turned sharply to glare at the unknown student. "Kutabare o Baka ze!!" she shouted in his direction. The guy took off, leaving Ai paused at her violent reaction. And she doubted that Tristan would understand that...though he might have been studying...in that case, he'll be mighty surprised.

Ai cleared her throat, moving her arms back and pulling at her sleeves. since returning to the human world, she'd matured a lot. Maybe to much for the 'innocent little Ai-chan' she used to be. Besides the cutting of her crimson hair, now pixie-cut black, she'd gotten a bit tougher from being around Sori. Which was a good thing, since it kept her out of trouble. But for Tristan to hear her cursing like that? That was embarassing...and her bright red face clearly showed her anxiety.

((Kutabare o Baka ze! = "Fuck off, idiot!" ^^)

[Ryan Cardwell]

The boogie laughed quietly as she spoke, wondering where she had been planning to go with that sentence. But he brushed the thoughts aside, just as he continued to do with her tears. He'd found her again, that was all that mattered to him. Then some idiot had to come along and ruin it. Anger suddenly rolled over him, and he turned to snarl at the boy. But just as he turned his head Ai did the same.

"Kutabare o Baka ze!!"

He was indeed mighty surprised. As Ai had thought he had been studying, and thus knew what she'd just said. Of course his Japanese was far from perfect, so he didn't know exactly what she'd said, but he had a pretty good idea. And needless to say, he was more than a bit startled. Not so much by what had been said, but by who had said. She'd never acted like that before she'd left, she'd always been so sweet and innocent. But then, he'd always been there to protect her so she had no need to be anything else. Once she left though, that protection was gone. Sure, she had Sori, but then the protection that one human could offer was considerably less than the protection that one boogie could. Which meant that she'd had to move beyond what she had been before.

Tristan noticed her embarrassment immediately, he was he brother afterall and so he could instantly tell how she was feeling. But he merely chuckled softly, smiling up at her gently. "You've grown up on me..." He was rather sad about that, but then he was happy at the same time. He was sad, because he hadn't been there to see her change into a fully independent adult. And because she no longer needed him. But he was happy because she had moved on with her life, and she seemed to be genuinely happy. That was enough for him, he'd just have to live with the rest.

[Aione Higurashi]

Ai's face stayed bright red as her eyes stayed pinned to the wall. The white-on-white color scheme seemed very intresting. At least to her. Her silver eyes turned back to Tristan sheepishly, meeting his golden one with a gentle gaze. She'd grown up...she liked that. She wasn't the same little kid she'd been three years ago. Not that age ever had mattered to her. But when Tristan said it, she felt a weight in her chest. I liked being the 'little girl' arond him...I don't wanna be a grown up... her inner voice started pouting, whimpering a bit. Aione menatly hissed at her.

"Is that a bad thing?" she murmered, looking up with a 'ashamed kitten' face. So what if she'd matured mentally? She still looked like the same little girl...minus the hair. Ai's free hand brushed Tristan's right shoulder softly. "You haven't changed at all, niisama. Minus your new wardrobe." She smiled lightly, joking as if a day hadn't passed. That was good. I haven't joked at all since I arrived here. Inner Ai purred. For the first time in a while, Aione agreed with it.

Then she noticed something. Her hand raised from it's place on Tristan's shoulder and touched his face lightly, moving the hair from his face. She noticed wounds, injuries...on him. Diamond eyes because wide with shock and terror. "Wh-when did you get those?! Who...who have you been fighting?!" her voice was frantic, earning a few more looks from down the halls. She didn't notice this time. Her Oniisama was hurt.

[Ryan Cardwell]

"Is that a bad thing?"

He just smiled at her, hand cupping her cheek as his thumb gently stroked her face. "Of course not. I'm happy for you Ai." At least, that's the lie he was trying to sell himself. He was happy that she was living out her life, that's what he wanted for her afterall. The last thing he wanted was for her to be stuck in a memory or something of the sort. All he wanted was for to live and be happy. But even so, everyday that passed he missed the way things were. Part of him had hoped, despite all the odds against it, that in coming here he could in some measure return things to the way they were. But as he knelt here now, smiling up at the dark haired young woman, he knew they never could be.

"You haven't changed at all, niisama. Minus your new wardrobe."

Despite his feelings he laughed at the joke, he'd missed hearing such things from her. To tell the truth he missed everything about her. "You think? Maybe i should stick around and go to night school?" Oi, what was with him and the lame jokes? Ah well, it was jsut a joke. He'd never consider doing something like that. .......Right?

"Wh-when did you get those?! Who...who have you been fighting?!"

All he did was sigh, though his eyes gave away his pain at her discovery. He hadn't wanted her to worry, but she was nonetheless. And there was really nothing he could do to prevent her from worrying. He could try and cover the wounds all he wanted, she'd already seen. All he could do was try and comfort her. Still stroking her cheek with one hand, he placed the other on the shoulder as he softly kissed her forehead."It's nothing. Please, I don't want you to worry." He closed his eyes, smiling at her yet again. "And please, smile. Your so much prettier when you smile."

[Aione Higurashi]

Tristan's comfort made Ai's heart tremble lightly. Her eyes closed too and she took a breath, pushing the fear from her face. She'd missed him so much, even if she'd never told the others. They wouldn't know what to think, an ex-slave missing her master? It was laughable. But Tristan would always be Tristan, and she couldn't help it if she felt whole around him. That was just how it was. Piper would get that, wouldn’t she? After all, he was the one who rescued them. Her eyes reopened with the gentle look she had had as a child, lips twitching into a weak smile. "I wish you wouldn't get hurt, Oniisama...but…”

Okay, idiot. That’s enough.

A pair of imaginary hands wrapped around the real Ai's, making her skin chill noticeably. At the mental contact, Aione's voice died and her eyes glazed, black rather than silver, and she pulled away from Tristan’s hold. The voice hissed in her ears, stronger than earlier. Don't try to weasel out of this one, Oniisama. She may be a softy, but I’m the bad cop. I want answers. Inner Ai’s eyes narrowed to slits, voice cold. Strange enough, her real face shifted to the same daggered glare. “…I’m not letting you off like that. Answer me. Where did you get those injuries? Was it Iugo? That Honest kid? Or…” even the bad girl had trouble with his name, “…was it him?”

She knew he had been fighting with the Boogies. She knew that. It was obvious. However, she wouldn’t put it past Darion to try to reach her again. That was what the dreams had been about. I'm not gonna take any chances...my dreams have been right before.

[Ryan Cardwell]

For once, Tristan was at a loss as to how to handle this situation. Then again, he probably should have expected it. He rarely ever knew how to handle things when he was around Ai, which is why he was forced to let go of his control and just let things be as they may. That was the way it should be though, and so it never bothered him that he was floating along with no grasp of anything. As long as he was with his little Ai-chan, then nothing bothered him. He dearly loved the girl, which is why it bothered him so much to see her upset. That's why he hoped she wouldn't push the matter further.

"I wish you wouldn't get hurt, Oniisama...but…”

At first he was relieved, believing that she was going to let him off easy. That was good, he really didn't want to delve into matters. Telling her that he'd been attacked by Iugo whilst visiting Piper certainly wouldn't relieve her fears any. His eye closed in relief, only to open again in surprise as she cut off her sentence. Looking up at her, he was certainly far more than surprised to see the look she was giving him. Needless to say confusion swept over him en masse. What was the matter? Had he said something wrong? In all the time he'd known her, Ai had never looked at him like that. Not once. Well that wasn't quite true. She had looked at him like that wh--- Oh hell....

“…I’m not letting you off like that. Answer me. Where did you get those injuries? Was it Iugo? That Honest kid? Or……was it him?”

That confirmed what he'd feared. He was no longer dealing with his sweet little sister, but instead her not so sweet other half. This girl was stubborn as he was, there was absolutely no reasoning with her. Which unfortunately meant that he had to come clean. He sighed exasperatedly, flashing her a grim look. "This." At this point he pointed to the burns on the left side of his face. "Is courtesy of out mad doctor. And this-" He pulled his hair to the side, revealing the gruesome scars once covered by his eye patch. "Is the price I paid for being what I am." His voice was much quieter as he spoke the last words, memories coming up even now.

[Aione Higurashi]

The darker Aione kept her eyes locked on her exmaster, drilling into his with an icy edge. She knew he would recognize this half of her. Tristan was one of the few people she'd willingly revealed herself to. That was kind of a sign of trust between Ai and her Oniisama. But it didn't stop this other side from being a bit of a bitch around him. Her hand reached up and mimiced his as he spoke, still not moving her gaze. "Figures Dr. AkaBara would leave a mark on you," she mumbled, sighing, "After all these years, you're still on his 'want-to-kill' list?"

"Idiot." Ai said, plain and simple, as she gently touched the wounds on Tristan's right. "You say that like it's bad to be a sea-sponge. Look, I like the way you are. So does she..." a slight pause, Aione's breath had hitched, and she frowned, "...I thought you'd learn to stop blaming yourself." The dark-haired girl stared at the wall past Tristan's head, focusing on the shadows. Maybe she shouldn't have said that. Might not be the best thing to say.

((AkaBara = Blood red Rose. Fitting, ne?))

[Ryan Cardwell]

He didn't like the look she was giving him, not one bit. Normally he wouldn't have minded the look in the least, but it was coming from his little sister. He hated it when that other girl looked at him like that. Sure, he knew that they were the same person really, and he didn't mind her for the most part, but even so. The girl had the habit of taking over at bad times, a habit that Tristan was none too fond of. He really wished she could pick her entrances better, because he'd wanted to spend this time with Ai. Whether her other self liked it or not.

"Figures Dr. AkaBara would leave a mark on you. After all these years, you're still on his 'want-to-kill' list?"

That... Even he had to smile at that one. She has such a wonderful way of phrasing things.... It was true though, Iugo had been after his hide for years. Ever since he'd 'stolen' Piper away from the psychotic bastard. Apparently the mad doctor had been quite fond of the girl, though he certainly had an extremely odd way of showing it. Had he been a bit more tactful, Tristan might not of had to have stepped in. But then again, tact was never something Iugo could be accused of having. "I think he just misses my company is all" Bad jokes... Oi...

"Idiot." Idiot? He had to suppose he was. "You say that like it's bad to be a sea-sponge. Look, I like the way you are. So does she......I thought you'd learn to stop blaming yourself."

Sea-sponge? Was he really that soft? Really? Sure he was always nice to the humans, and he was like a little kid when he was with Ai but.... Anywho. That was beside the point. The point was, that she'd struck quite the chord with her words. His eyes immediately filled with sadness, forcing him to look away from her face. He hadn't stopped blaming himself. Not for one day. It was his fault that she and Haruko had died. And it was his fault that Ai had run away. Whatever it was that he'd done, he'd forced her to leave. Knowing that, was part of what had made things so hard for him these past years. Sadness and remorse filled his voice as he spoke, still unable to look at her. "How can I....?"

[Aione Higurashi]

"At least you still have your sense of humor," she chuckled, eyes closing as she smiled. Her eyes glimmered silver again, a friendly shine in her cold exterior. Ai, the good one, giggled on the inside. Niichama can make even her smile... she mused. This time it was Dark Ai's turn to hiss at herself. But her cheeks were pink as she did so.

Oh. I'm so stupid.

Aione's smile faded as soon as it appeared, and her hand lowered from Tristan's face. She hadn't meant to do this. Her hand stopped at his shoulder and she clung to it, eyes showing like silver coins. Inner Ai willingly stepped back into her corner of Ai's mind, cursing at herself. "...Oniisama..." she whispered, leaning her head in to try and catch his eye. "...some things happen that we can't stop...but it wasn't your fault. Don't be so sad..."

She gave him a gentle smile, tilting her head. "...Haru-neesan wouldn't want to see you upset. And I don't want it either."