Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Shattered Illusions ❯ All of The Sanity In Me ( Chapter 25 )

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Shattered Illusions

Chapter 25: All of The Sanity In Me

By: Melissa Norvell

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The ground splintered below their feet. Coscatta released an ear piercing scream and fell to the ground after losing her footing. Before her body could make contact, Tsubomi reached out and grabbed the slender girl, who looked grateful for a few seconds before realization hit and her face contorted into a look of anger.

“I don't need your help!” The blue-haired lolita scolded.

“Shut up and be happy that I saved you,” Tsubomi replied as lightening hit the ground inches from both of them. The tom boy jumped away with her arm around the girl's waist.

“That hurt!” Coscatta protested when they landed.

“Would you rather be hurt or dead?” Tsubomi gave her an option that only earned that same look of irritation.

“Rigatama: Shattered Blades!” Copernicus commanded the blades created by his mighty sword to fly out, disconnecting and acting as single weapons. The headed towards Estella, who launched her whip at them, only to have it severed in multiple pieces. The blades continued on their course, headed straight for the vampire.

Estella dodged the swords, narrowly missing a few of them. Jumping into the air, she pivoted her body. “Take this! Spiral!” Turning around, she placed her hands out at her stomach, palms together and fingers outstretched. Red rings of energy shot from her and rolled though the air at Copernicus.

“Ha!” The Inheritor called out, creating a white energy shield around the himself. The red rings of energy clashed with the barrier and dispersed into small particles, deflected and destroyed on contact. After the energy cleared, he put his sword to his side. “That wasn't too effective. The rotation must be too fast,” the vampire noted as he flung his sword outward, silently commanding his blades to come back to him.

As if they were loyal pets, they pulled themselves out of the ground by invisible magic and came back to him.

Tsubomi pulled out her gun and fired it at the female vampire, only to miss her entirely. She sighed to herself in exasperation. “Honestly, I should have taken the machine gun.”

“What do we do now?” Coscatta questioned from behind her.

Wordless, Tsubomi turned and grabbed her, diving out of the way as one of Estella's red rings of energy dug into the ground, leaving a massive scar on the earth in which they were standing on. She looked back as their bodies propelled themselves through the air. “That was close.”

“Hey! Do you mind? Treat me gently! I'm a lady, you know!” Coscatta shouted and flailed in her arms. How dare she just jerk her around with no warning. She felt like a rag doll.

“You're a little cry baby and you're pissing me off,” Tsubomi warned, on the edge of just throwing the girl into an attack and saving herself the trouble. If Coscatta wasn't a fellow donor, she would have let her fend for herself a long time ago. Copernicus should be happy that she's not letting her die.

Copernicus charged at Estella with his sword drawn, but a red ring of death stopped him. He deflected it from the blade of his sword and sent the magic circle flying wayward towards the sky.

“Just try and defeat me,” Estella smiled, egging him on, insisting that he attack her.

“So, you are the most ruthless of the Black Knights?” The brunette charged at his opponent and brought down the Rigatama, slicing her deeply down the side. Estella's body recoiled from the force of the slash and blood streamed from her side, coating her burgundy colored jacket.

Shock lit up on the vampire's face as the pain registered in her mind. Estella stumbled as she clutched her side and winced in agony. She stumbled back as dizziness washed over her and caused her to fall on her knees. She hung her head in defeat.

“But, you tend to leave yourself unguarded. Enemies can pop up from any direction, and I am no exception. A true warrior must be aware of the land, air, and physical body before them. Just because I'm standing in front of you, doesn't mean that I can't attack from elsewhere,” Copernicus spoke, as the image before her disappeared.

Estella let out a short breath and her maroon eyes widened. “You…You tricked me…” Copernicus had never moved from his original spot, he merely sent out a clone to deal with her. The red Death Circles stopped spinning and fell to the ground in the form of many whips.

Tsubomi and Coscatta glanced around as the light smacking of the objects hitting the ground sounded throughout their surroundings.

“Were they…illusions?” Coscatta questioned with a finger up to her lips.

“No, they were real,” Copernicus looked to his two donors, “they just dissipated when she lost her concentration. They lost their ability to stay up.”

Growling lowly, Estella got to her feet and dashed off while her enemies were engaged in conversation. Her vision blurred in and out, and her steps were awkward but her desire to get away unscathed overrode her weak state. She needed to find blood fast, or she would pass out from exhaustion. `My wound is bad. I've got to get some blood or I'll pass out.' She noted her state as the events of a few moments ago reeled through her mind.

She could still feel the blade as it dug deep within her side. Estella damned herself for such a miscalculation. `I'm so stupid not to have counted on something like that happening. Next time, he won't beat me and I'll damned sure be a lot smarter about facing off against him. He definitely lives up to his expectations.'

Coscatta watched the vampire retreat and looked to her master with concern. “Aren't we going to chase her?”

“No.”

“What!? Why not?!” She was shocked that Copernicus was just going to let her slip through his fingers and go back to Hide. What was her master thinking?

“Because we don't know what kind of traps they've set or if she'll lead us to Hide. If she does, I'm not sure we can take him right now,” Tsubomi knew what was up. Estella's marking day would come, but it wasn't going to be today. There were too many risks involved.

“Not the three of us, anyway. Hide is my counterpart. He excels in subjects I'm weak in. We could evenly defeat each other. It would be like a double homicide. I'm not ready to face him quite yet. I'm uncertain about his plans and I've gained no prior knowledge about what he could be planning or even if his status has gone up. Come, we should get home,” Copernicus walked up to the two girls and gave them a small smile.

In the back of his mind, he knew that Estella would no doubt inform Hide of their advancements and strengths. However, all they could do at this point is prepare for what was to come. It was a giant game of the waiting for the right moment and gathering information. For now, they would go and rest in order to plan their next move. Estella would come back in an attempt to claim his life, and she would more than likely be stronger than she was before.

“Yes, master,” Coscatta agreed, following him as they walked away from their battle ground.

Tsubomi stood there, watching them walk for a moment, engaged in deep, cognitive movement. Not sensing her behind him, Copernicus turned and glanced over his shoulder.

“Well, you don't learn your lesson, do you?” His voice was still calm, but she could tell that he was angry with her.

“I told him, but he didn't listen to me,” Coscatta put her hands on her hips and leaned towards the girl, who stood her ground.

The Inheritor glanced towards the blue-haired girl with a small smile. “What should we do about that, Coscatta?”

Tsubomi's eyes narrowed. “Why are you asking her?” She didn't appreciate leaving the pretentious little urchin to define her punishment. No doubt the little brat would find the darkest thing she could get away with as a proper form of reprimand.

“I think you should drink my blood, master. After all, someone so reckless couldn't possibly have enough blood to feed you,” Coscatta gave her a sly smile and lowered her eyes. Having Tsubomi watch as he fed from her was the epitome of her heart's desire and the perfect form of payback.

Copernicus nodded and knelt before her, taking her arm. He lowered his head and punctured her skin, drinking from her.

Tsubomi just turned around with a disgruntled expression and waved in dismissal. “Yeah, yeah…I did my job as a decoy so you punish me for losing some blood. I'm going home.”

She turned to leave, but her wrist was grabbed. “Or not…What are you going to do to me this time? I'm tired and I told Coscatta that I didn't care if you were angry.” In all honesty, she wasn't really in the mood for being treated like shit for something she did to benefit everyone. If it wasn't for her, Coscatta wouldn't even be alive.

“That's because he acknowledges himself as the inferior donor,” Coscatta's words ground on her mind, and this time her insults weren't going to get her anywhere.

Tsubomi whirled around, her face marred with anger. “Look, you whiny little bitch. All I did was save your weak ass and you call me inferior?” She was outraged at how disrespectful she was. Anyone would have thought that her good breeding would have made her more lady like, it only made her more of a twisted, horrible person.

Coscatta pulled away from her master and walked up to her, blood traveled in a small stream from her wrist. “Excuse me? You act like a fighter, not a donor. You're more like a Black Swan to me.”

“Black Swan?”

What in the hell was that?

Crossing her arms over her small bust Coscatta closed her eyes and spoke with an upturned frown. “Yeah, you idiot. A Black Swan loves to be in the presence of vampires and they'll do anything to be around them. Some of them don't want to be donors; they just want to know a vampire. They are also called vampire whores, but I can't really call you a whore since you're just a stupid Decoy Boy.”

Those words only angered Tsubomi even more. Her fists were balled and shook with anger at her sides. “…and you're an ungrateful bitch. You think you know everything about Copernicus but you don't know crap about him. Maybe that's why you never succeeded in capturing his heart. You know about him. Yeah, sure, but do you know what makes him smile? I mean a real, honest smile. Do you know what makes him laugh? Do you know his pains, desires and goals? Do you even understand him at all?”

Copernicus was caught off guard by her emotional questioning, so much so that all he could do was remain in his knelt position and let go of her hand, uttering her name in the faintest of octaves.

“All you do is stand around like a wall flower. You're just like all of the humans that vampires think are useless. The only thing that you're good for is blood, and if it weren't for me you'd be dead. You can't fight, you can't do anything, and you call me worthless? Stop mindlessly idolizing him. No wonder he looks at you like he's amused with your bullshit. You're nothing but a joke, even to him,” her words cut deep, massacring Coscatta's heart and stunning her master into silence. It was about time everyone knew exactly what she thought, including Copernicus and Coscatta…especially Coscatta.

“What? How can you say that?” Coscatta argued. That was the coldest thing she had ever heard! How classless and horrible!

“At least I serve a purpose. I can stand alone. You're just a weakling.”

“You act more like a prejudice vampire than a donor!” To think that something like Tsubomi was human. Recognizing her as such was a grave mistake. She was the most inhuman thing that ever roamed the face of the earth. If she ever had any respect for Tsubomi before, whatever inkling remained had been killed off.

“If I was a vampire, I'd starve before I'd drink your blood.”

“Same here,” Coscatta's feelings were mutual as she leaned in to have a glaring contest with her opponent.

“You disgust me. You're a whiny brat and you're undeserving of someone like Copernicus.”

“You're rude, cold, obnoxious and snobby. You don't know anything.”

Tsubomi cracked a smile. It was time to deliver the final blow to this little exchange of words.” I know enough to sleep with him.”

Coscatta smacked the tom boy across the face. “That's the only worth you have. You're just some pretty boy slut-“ Her words were cut off by a hand smacking her across the face with enough force to knock her sideways.

“What?” Tsubomi's blue eyes widened.

The blue haired girl held her stinging cheek as tears rolled down her face. “C-Copernicus…you…you…slapped…me?” ; Her voice trembled with the pain she felt both inside and out. Her master ever done anything before but treat her with gentility, such actions struck her to the core.

“That's enough,” Copernicus' voice was as stern as the expression on his face.

Tsubomi turned her head to the side in defiance, closing her eyes and sticking her nose into the air.

“Are both of you saying that I'm incompetent in choosing a good donor?”

“No, master. I think you chose to use both of us for a very good reason. I was simply venting my irritation,” Tsubomi was tired of being muzzled and taking whatever the foul mouthed girl dished out.

“I need to speak with you privately.”

“Alright,” she didn't really know what the purpose of this conversation was going to serve. No doubt he had far worse things to say about her when he wasn't trying to put on a good show and act neutral for Coscatta. Tsubomi braced herself for whatever punishment she was about to receive.

Coscatta stood there, venting to herself in vexation. `I hate Tsubomi! I hate him for humiliating me like this. He took my master from me.'

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Millie and Yale both sat on the couch a slight distance from each other, enough for their knees not to clash when they turned to face each other. They each held one of Copernicus' porcelain tea cups, red roses scrawled on the sides.

“This is good,” Millie smiled. “I never knew you could make edible things with flower petals.”

Yale took a sip, relishing the in feeling of the warm liquid as it slid down his throat. `Yes, there are edible flowers.' He noted, taking a red petal between his lips, the prince leaned forward.

Blushing, the girl took it carefully from his lips and sucked it into her mouth. She chewed the sweet petal and smiled.

Yale smiled in turn. `You're funny, Millie.'

“I guess I am. I'm glad you're smiling.” Taking the petal from her own cup, she nibbled on it.

Suddenly, Coscatta burst in the door. Tears streamed down her face, and her cheeks were red. Her face was an oxymoron to her tears. It was like she was more angry than sad. The force of the door being flung open and hitting the wall made the couple jump. Startled, they turned to the petite lolita.

“Coscatta, are you okay?” Millie could see that she wasn't, but she asked the question more out of the fact that she wondered if Coscatta would actually give her an answer.

“She's fine. Mind her, would you?” Copernicus was behind her with a stone cold expression on his face.

“I don't need to be babysat,” the repugnant girl crossed her arms and puffer up her cheeks. She earned a glare from the vampire, and then sighed in defeat.

Copernicus and Tsubomi walked down the hall together and into his room, shutting the door and locking it. No words were shared between them at all. Millie and Yale's eyes followed them, and bewilderment was painted on their faces. However, no one asked about the situation. In hindsight, they knew better to question their drama.

After what seemed like a good ten minutes of silence, Millie's face became shifty-eyed and she elbowed Yale. “I wonder what they are doing.”

Yale blushed and looked embarrassed at the thought of picturing the two of them like that.

“Your face!” The school girl pointed. “It's so cute!”

“I feel awkward.”

Millie wrapped her arms around him with a smile on her face. This was a memory that she wanted to keep etched in the confines of her brain for all eternity.

Coscatta turned away from them with a sour expression on her face. `Ack…All around me, everyone seems so happy with someone. Why can't I be happy for once in my life? Do I not deserve happiness? Master…why can't you love me like I love you?”

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Copernicus learned on the door, wordless and stared at Tsubomi who turned to him with an inquisitive visage. “Something wrong?”

“I didn't mean to make you cry,” Copernicus remembered that time, and he had always regretted it. The last thing he wanted to see were tears running down his lover's face that was caused by him.

“No, I made myself cry. I'm happy that you love me. I love you too.” A faint blush crept to her cheeks. She hadn't told him, and felt like an ass for never mentioning it before. Now she wanted to make things the way that they were meant to be, despite her secrets.

“So, you weren't just making it up?” Copernicus cocked his head, raising an eyebrow.

Tsubomi shook her head. “No, I'd never play mind games with you like that. Just promise that whatever happens that you'll always feel the same way about me,” she never wanted to lose him. Copernicus was much more than a master. Much more than she could ever describe with mere words alone.

“Because you're hiding things from me, right?”

Those words made her jolt noticeably. She couldn't even defend herself from the blow that she was given. Tsubomi wanted to will herself out of existence. Tsubomi felt her heart slam into the floor and shatter into a million fragments like glass.

“I'm hiding things from you as well. Please, forgive me,” Copernicus knew that they both had secrets. While two wrongs did not make a right, he felt compelled to apologize at the fact that the boy might have been hiding things from him because she knew that he held his own secrets.

“It can't be that bad. I'm pretty sure I can forgive you,” Tsubomi was a little shocked that he wasn't trying to force things out of her. He had every right to at this point, although part of her was happy that he hadn't. `Even if you discover my true identity. For now, I dread that day.'

“No matter what it is?”

“It's always better at your side, no matter what you are,” Tsubomi tried to chide him. `Even if you discover mine along the way. For now, I'll live in dread and guilt.'

“I do love you,” he assured. “I have for a while. I was never too sure how you felt about me.”

“You have some strange ways of showing it with your little punishment game.” Being slapped was no form of love that she ever saw, unless it was an S & M situation but she never consented to that type of relationship.

“I've got to let Coscatta think she's got a chance. If I let her go, things could be devastating if she's found by the enemy. Plus…” He trialed for a moment before continuing his train of thought. “She's the only one who could tell me what I need to know about that day.”

Tsubomi gave him a half-hearted smile. “You are a corrupt, manipulative bastard.”

“Disappointed?” He joked and gave her his own half-hearted smile in return.

“No, it's kind of exciting, really. I'm just as bad as you are. I just sit back and laugh at people's stupidity with you Guess we really do belong together,” she let a slight chuckle escape her lips at the bittersweet truth.

“Hey! Lovebirds!” Coscatta called out to the pair on the couch.

Yale and Millie returned their gazes to her

“I want to make some tea from scratch. You think you could escort me to the store?” It would get her mind off of whatever it was that was happening in that room. She couldn't stand to be in the house while she was separated with her master. Not to mention, while he was with that grody Tsubomi boy.

“Sure,” Millie glanced to Yale. “Would you like to come or do you want to stay?”

`Stay.'

“Okay, watch these two for me.”

Yale nodded.

“What's his problem? Can he not talk or are you crazy? Or both?” Coscatta arched an eye brow. Millie just talked to herself, she was clearly insane.

“He's mute but he talks to me by ESP,” Millie informed. She forgot that no one but her or Copernicus could really hear Yale's psychic communication. This was awkward.

Yale nodded again, just to testify that she wasn't going crazy.

“Is he your mater?” The blue-haired girl noted that he was a vampire and the two of them seemed close.

“No…” Millie's voice faltered for a moment before it bounced back into its normal tone. “We don't have a contract. He's my best friend. I saved him.”

“You saved him?” Coscatta arched an eyebrow at the validity of such a claim. A human saving a vampire? That was nearly unheard of.

“Yes,” Millie smiled and Yale backed her up with another nod.

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Millie and Coscatta walked down the sidewalk, both were engaged in conversation regarding how Millie saved Yale and the hell that they went through when they were both prisoners of Estella Nu. He skies were blue and completely cloudless and sun was burning bright. Coscatta never would have guessed that there had been a fight hours ago.

Soon, their subject was turned back onto the reason that they left the house to begin with. Millie looked to the other girl. “So, what kind of tea do you want to make?”

Coscatta looked thoughtful for a moment and glanced skyward. “I don't know yet. Maybe Spice Tea…or Peppermint Tea…Lavender maybe? Hm…” Her face lit up as the she made her mind up, slamming a gloved hand into the other. “I know! How about Nutmeg Tea?”

Millie's face lit up. “I love Nutmeg Tea! Let's do it!”

“Okay!” Coscatta beamed. “Hey, you're not so bad. You're probably the only person who even likes me.”

“I bet Prince Yale likes you. He's really sweet, though a little warped in his own way. You can't really blame him though. He's been tortured for years,” Millie's eyes glanced down at her feet, clad with white heels and stockings as they paced down the street, advancing towards the store.

“That's really sad. I don't know why the vampires are fighting like this,” Coscatta turned her gaze to a man walking his dog across the street. Things have been harder than usual, and a part of her wished she could have gone back into hiding. Doing that now was futile, considering she probably would have eventually ended up dead if she chose to stay in hiding.

“Have they been fighting since you've been Copernicus' donor?” Millie had wondered about that for a while. When she came into the fight, whatever issues they had between each other were well established.

“Yeah.”

“How did you meet Copernicus, anyway?” After all, she didn't know much about Coscatta, other than she just popped in and was introduced to everyone as his other donor.

“My family has been serving the Wittenbergs for years. From what I've known, Copernicus' great, great, great grandfather saved my great, great, great aunt and so she became his donor. So, Virgil and I did the same When I met Copernicus four years ago, I was happy to finally see one of the people who had saved my family's lives over the years At first, I was a little scared because I didn't want to be abused. I've always heard that sometimes, donors are ill treated by their masters, but Copernicus was very gentle,” Coscatta blushed a little and smiled to herself as vivid memories of that day raced through her mind. Those were the days. The days when Tsubomi couldn't interfere with her feelings. The Golden Age of their relationship.

“I think he's awkward,” Millie noted, turning her gaze back on the other girl.

“What do you mean, awkward?” Coscatta asked in confusion.

“He acts off. I don't know how to describe it but he has an evil streak.” While Millie knew she could trust him, she didn't put it past Copernicus to turn around and stab her in the back. He never had a reason to, but there was something capricious about the Inheritor vampire.

Something not quite right.

“I've never seen it until he slapped me…” Coscatta's voice trailed to nothing.

“He slapped you, too?” Was there something that Millie needed to know about this guy? Tsubomi was slapped by him before and now Coscatta too? She was beginning to question if Tsubomi should really be around such a cad.

“I slapped Tsubomi, so he slapped me. We got into an argument. He doesn't like his donors fighting. Luckily, Virgil and I always got along,” Coscatta would have rather had Virgil back at times like these. Tsubomi did nothing but cause trouble for her and proved to be an eternal thorn in her side.

“Hey, can you tell me about Virgil? What kind of person was he?” Millie had heard the name brought up several times. She couldn't deny the fact that it definitely raised questions in her mind as to who the boy was.

“Sure…I'll tell you.” Coscatta looked to her with clear, blue eyes. “What do you want to know?”

…To Be Continued