TITLE: Song of the Gentle Wind

CHAPTER: Twelve

BY: Simply Kim

GENRE: Yaoi (Angst/Humor)

CAST: The guys from Weiß and Schwarz… who else? ^_^ (And, Ehehe... yeah, I forgot to mention in the preceding parts... the Crashers too. ^_^;

DISCLAIMERS: The series I'm referring to do not belong to me… ^_^

NOTES: A form of enlightenment… if you could ever call this chapter that! Oh, yeah, btw, again, this thing: (~*~), heralds Crawford's visions and recollections!

CHAPTER 12: Midnight Conversations

Alone...

He felt so alone...

Here he was, in a padded cell, imprisoned like a criminal.

He did not even do anything.

They wanted something from him... something he couldn't quite name. He remembered having visions... those of the future. He had seen this before... His own family would sell him to these people who treated him like dirt...

Sold.

It was agonizing even to think about. Sold by his family at the age of fourteen... kept in prison by the people who bought him... kept alive for six months on crusted bread and water...

Pure hell.

He wondered if there were people unluckier than he was...

"I am." A small lilting voice sounded from the cell across his. He looked up in surprise, seeing another boy a bit younger than he was, sporting scraggly and unkempt auburn hair and pain-filled Jade eyes.

"You are?"

"Uh-huh."

"Why's that?"

"I'm an orphan!"The boy gave him a weak gap-toothed grin. "Raised by them whores in downtown Berlin... nabbed me... verdammt, hate them... I can hear their evil voices..."

"Telepath?" He asked, amazed.

The boy nodded. "Sounds something like that..." He scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Ja. I have a friend with me... and they took him too... right Jei?"

The other boy in the same cell as the other grunted in reply. "Uh, don't worry about him, he's just shy!"

Laughter.

"By the way, my name's Engel!"

"Engel?"

"Ja, they gave me that name, though why they did, I would never know."

"Ah." He smiled."I'm glad that they did. It suits you."

"It does." Came a low rumbling agreement from the blonde boy sitting with his back against the wall. Jei.

"See? Even he agrees with me." He grinned.

"Oh, ehehe..." The redhead smiled, obviously flattered. "Well, what about you? What's your name?"

"Me? Oh, I'm... I'm Brad... Brad Crawford... pleased to meet you..."

* * *

Crawford shot up from his bed at the sudden implication of what he had just seen in his mind. Memories... no doubt that all he was seeing... all that he had dreamt of these past few nights... they were all memories...

"But Engel... Jei...?" He murmured. "I've met them before? Why? When? Where's that creepy place?" He curled into a pain-filled human ball and rocked in an effort to console himself. "Why can't I remember anything?"

* * *

Schuldig opened his eyes slowly. "No fucking way." He swore, getting up and searching his drawer for a smoke. Finding none, he walked towards the window and opened them wide, causing the light breeze to filter in.

"There's no fucking way that I've met them before... I'm not even an orphan!"

* * *

Farfarello played with the blender, the incessant whirring sound somehow calming him down.

"Must not think of it... must not think of it... must not think of it..."

* * *

"Sir... are we going to collect our experiments now?"

Light reflected eerily on the thick-lensed glasses the scientist's superior wore.

"Ah... not yet... just a few more days... I'm glad that everything's going according to plan."

"Yes sir. As far as we can see, they're responding to everything the right way."

"Test Number 001 finally regained much of his memories back as expected the moment his power connected with that of the target." The scientist agreed, fiddling with the folder he held in his hands. "The other two, Test Numbers 004 and 005 are about to regain theirs."

"And what would follow would probably be the best of all..."

Manic eyes glowed under the dim lights.

"The target would finally be eliminated... he's not going to escape my wrath this time."

* * *

"Omi..."

"Hush now, I'm here..."

"I don't feel so good..."

"Shh... Don't talk, just rest..."

"I feel like I'm burning up... I... *gasp* I..."

"Hush now... I'm going to take care of you, alright? I'm going to make all the pain in your head go away..."

Pain-filled chocolate browns met watery blue.

I'm glad you're here Omi-chan.

"Don't leave me alone Omi... Onegai..."

* * *

Crawford was trudging wearily along the secluded grassy area leading to his sanctuary. He wanted some semblance of peace... He wanted something to keep his mind and body at ease...

Or else he'll go insane.

So many memories... memories that did not have the space in his overworked brain. His vital organ seemed as if it would shatter in a million pieces. He sighed, shaking his weary head, looking up in nervous anticipation as he heard a small sound behind the rundown wall he was about to scale.

Suddenly, a thick film of midnight blue covered everything, shadows playing with mocking enthusiasm, countless voices ringing amidst the bland nature of his surroundings. The trees were gone, the grassland transformed into an area of inky matter. Crawford felt as if he was floating. He couldn't feel the ground he was supposed to be standing on. His eyes were watering a little at the sudden fragrance emanating from a certain area in the vast darkness.

There was a glimpse of burning white light above him. He straightened out his arms, trying to reach for whatever it was... all to no avail. He was simply too far from the figment of light.

He surveyed his surroundings, his mind processing what was happening at that moment. He knew it would be impossible to think that it was all a product of witchcraft... however, he could not deny that everything surrounding him then seemed coated with a thing dusting of magic.

Without warning, his eyesight blurred heavily, the golden brown orbs blanking for a moment. He couldn't see anything... couldn't see anything but the light above him. From the light came down a creature so majestic, he couldn't bear even to get close to it. However, even before he had a chance to get away, the creature saw him, unearthly eyes meeting his. Gem-like eyes... the same ones Ran possessed.

Ran.

He was not dreaming...

The creature was the spitting image of... Ran!

He wanted to call him, however, all words left his mouth as he saw Ran's eyes flutter close. Tears, quiet as they usually came, now flooded the entire area, flowing from the sudden crack in the darkness... a parody of a human face clothed in the shadows... along with gem-like orbs peeking from half-closed incisions. The redhead's body was now curled into a fetal position, deathlike expression on his face, and pale skin aglow... he seemed too vulnerable to touch... too fragile to approach...

What was happening? He could not understand everything around him... where was he? He was supposed to be in his sanctuary!

He tried to break away from the shadowy tendrils that wound around his ankles, trying to draw him into their murky depths.

A sob...

A sob that came from a place he couldn't even decipher where... a sob that wrenched away his heart and broke it into millions of tiny fragments... a sob that claimed to be...

<FLASHBACK>

The presence of tears spurred Crawford into action.

His heart pounded as he pulled him into his arms. His hands soothed the younger boy, rubbing his back gently, massaging one-handedly at the knots on the fragile shoulders.

He closed his eyes.

He must have had an unhappy life. Crawford mused, feeling tears prickling his own closed eyelids. His heart felt as if an iron vise was clamping it.

Tears sopped the front of his shirt, and he knew it would look like hell before he even washed it, but he did not care. All he cared about was making Ran's pain disappear. What could he do?

He held him tighter, murmuring endearments that he knew would somehow help calm the helpless boy. Ran clutched his thin shirt, crumpling it beyond repair. The tightening of the fingers' hold tightened the vise around his heart at the same rate.

Ran... what had happened to you before? Why do you break down now? Why?

He let out a shuddering sigh, pushing Ran a small distance away from him. "Ran... Shh... It's alright... everything's gonna be fine."

"Demo... demo... Watashi wa..."

Crawford had absolutely no clue as to what Ran was saying. All he knew was that the words were laced with a peculiar sense of desperation and utter loneliness that made him want to protect him from everything.

Gently, he wiped the tears away with his slender fingers and smiled reassuringly.

"It's alright." He whispered tenderly, ghosting a touch on a cold cheek before turning towards the still-starry sky.

<END FLASHBACK>

His eyes widened at the memory of that night...

The sobs were of the same tone... the same level of sadness... the same tempo...

His eyes searched the glowing figure that threatened to break.

Ran.

The tears that flowed from the amethyst eyes were now dripping with abandon... this time, the moisture was coupled with the presence of gut-wrenching sobs that burned in his psyche... he had heard that before... he swore that he had heard that before...

Even before he first saw and heard Ran in their Sanctuary....

That night...

That night...

His mind began its series of assaulting pain... pain that throbbed, wanting to drive him to bash himself with a hammer just to make it go away and leave him in peace...

Ran...

Ran...

Crawford tried to move his feet and discovered that the shadows that eagerly wrapped around him were gone. The shadows were still prominent, but the light around ran glowed brighter... a depressing off-white hue, bordering on a lighter shade of gray, shimmering as if pure silver...

Ran...

He stumbled towards him, his hand reached out to touch him... touch that dear pale face and try to wake him up, taking him away from this place of sorrow...

Ran...

Crawford knelt down before the redhead, his features light and soft... his eyes crinkling at the corners as an endearing smile present upon his lips...

"Ran... can you hear me... Ran?"

There was no response from the boy. His smile vanished.

His fingertips finally touched a warm cheek. "Ran... wake up..."

Suddenly, the darkness fell apart. Chunks of midnight fell as if shattered glass, leaving the green environment that he was familiar of. Crawford found himself kneeling on a patch of slithery grass, touching Ran... and the latter was lying almost immobile on the ground, his head pillowed by a small rock. Immobile... immobile except for the fluttering of the lids, as if wanting to wake up, but did not have the will to...

He shifted the younger man's body, that he cradled him, his red-haired head relaxing on his lap.

Crawford could not believe it.

So... it was Ran... he was the one who did everything... he was the one...

The gloomy world disappeared the moment Ran was stirred into consciousness...

He made everything up... How ever did he do it? Could it be that he's the same as... as...

The pounding inside his skull intensified, his eyes quirking at the feeling of pain. However, as painful as it might be, it was instantaneously forgotten as Ran's hands moved to grasp the front of his shirt.

A smile once again crossed his lips as the redhead opened his amazing eyes.

Ran blinked, his lids a bit swollen from the tears he shed unconsciously, probably hours before.

"Ran."

Amethyst eyes finally focused, and pale cheeks turned crimson as the sight of the American greeted his return to the living world.

"C-Crawford...san..."

"Are you alright?" Crawford's brow furrowed as a panicked look entered Ran's eyes.

"I-I'm fine... A-A... I mean... Umm... What am I doing here?" The last word came almost in a shout as an internal battle was waged. Will he try to get away from the comforting hold, or will it be better if he stays?

"You tell me." Crawford's eyes glittered in amusement, the pain he was experiencing appearing as dim glimmer swimming in pools of golden browns. "I saw you here... well... not quite here..."

"I don't understand Crawford-san..." The Japanese youth said incredulously. "I was sleeping in my bed a while ago... I was..."

A dark head swished from side to side. "No, I saw you... in another world, I guess... the place was so dark..." His brow furrowed as he peered at him. "What's happening, Ran?"

There was fear in the sudden stiffening of the redhead's body. He averted his eyes. "I don't know what you're saying, Crawford-san."

His voice was so quiet that he might have not heard it if not for his sharp ears.

"Tell me the truth. What was that? Why was it that when you woke up, the images disappeared?" The American's resolve was strong. He must know what the hell was that that happened! A painful thud awarded his thoughts.

He winced.

Ran, seeing him, inched carefully away, sitting up quickly when he disentangled his body from strong arms, mistaking the expression as that of incredulity and disgust.

"I'm sorry." He started. "I should have told you sooner... but I did not know how..."

"Ran..."

The redhead held up a hand to stop his words. "No, Crawford-san... should know - Iya - you MUST know..." he took a deep breath and found the courage to stare into the American's eyes.

"I'm not normal... I'm..."

Ran sighed, turning away from him.

"I've learned about this ability a year before my family died..." He gazed at the still water of the pond, trying hard not to let the past ache catch up with him again. "I'm not normal..."

"I'm a Hybrid."

* * * * * * * *

TBC

* * * * * * * *

A/N: *Pants from exertion* Ah, finally finished this chapter! ^____^ Sorry again for the delay (I seem to be saying that A LOT... oh well... *sighs*) I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I'm hoping for more support guys! Thanks a lot for the past reviews and the future too (in advance! ^____^) Reviews, reviews! ^___^