Crazy Times


Part Four

By: Rhole Hidaka

"..." normal conversation
//...// flashbacks
~...~ inner thoughts/conversation

Large blue eyes slowly fluttered open. Omi groaned--the back of his head was throbbing
with pain, although he didn't know why. Hearing footsteps shuffling about in the room,
the young White Hunter sat up with a start. He was lying on a large bed, elaborate pillows
strewn about the gold satin sheets.
~How did I get HERE?? This can't be any of the guys' rooms...where AM I...???~
The person in the room turned towards the confused blond and bowed slightly, setting a
tray of food.

"Please relax and eat this until he comes; you will only have to wait a short while." 

"He?? Who's 'he'??? Hey! Hey wa--!!"

The server bowed once more and exited the room without another word, leaving Omi
twice as confused. A delicious aroma wafted to the air, and the young blond focused his
attention on the rather large tray of food sitting on the table. 

"This place can't be that bad to have decent food..." Omi mused to himself, and began eat
voraciously. When was the last time he'd eaten?? He guessed that wasn't as important as
how he'd ended up here in the first place. 
"Oh well..." he muttered to himself between mouthfuls, "maybe this 'he' person will be
able to explain what's going on..."

~Oh, you could say that...~

Omi nearly choked on his food as the door clicked and swung open, the rasp of an
all-too-familiar nasal tenor echoing in his mind.
"Yo. I see the kitten has awakened..." Schuldig grinned at him, and Omi felt as if those
condescending jade eyes were staring right through him, into the center of his being...

Into his soul. 

The honey-haired youth felt his mind swirling suddenly, his body becoming surpisingly
weak and numb. 
"What's happ--" he glanced down at the tray, then back at the smirking German. 
"Oh, so the kitten's figured it out. Not bad, but it's too late for you now..."
He'd been poisoned. How could he'd been so foolish?? He couldn't die here. Not when
Ouka's death hadn't been avenged. That was the LEAST he could do for her now. As
Omi's vision became a colorful swirl, he smiled slightly. 
~I'm thinking just like...like Aya-kun. G..gomen, Ouka-san. I couldn't avenge you...~ 
"Y--you basta..." Omi shot a cold glare at Schuldig before he collapsed onto the bed.

*******

Four days. 
Four days without his cheerfulness brightening everyone's mood. Omi's disappearance
had a profound affect on everyone, even Aya. The crowds of girls that frequented the
shop had thinned out, since most of them were kokousei who had the hots for the young
blond. Fortunately, there hadn't been a mission in ahwile, since they relied on Omi for his
computer genius. Even the weather seemed to be affected by Omi's abscence; it had
began raining ever since Omi burst out of the store that day...
Ken looked out the window, large chocolate eyes staring through the bleak streets. Aya
had vanished again-- 
"Probably went to see his sister..." the soccer player mused. Not that he'd blame the
red-head for wanting to get out for awhile; hoping and waiting for something that may
never happen was absolute torture.
"Omi, wherever you are, please be safe. We doing all we can to find you..." 

~Please....stop...~

Ken nearly fell out of the stool he was sitting in as the voice echoed for a few moments.
That WAS Omi's voice he'd just heard, right?? Dark brown eyes darted around
frantically. He was the only one in the shop--Youji was in his room asleep, and Aya was
probably at the hospital. "Hidaka, get a grip. You are NOT crazy..." Afer a few moments
of questioning his sanity, he simply shrugged the voice off, assuming it was just his
current state of worry that had him so worked up. He stood, grabbing a broom and began
sweeping to clear his mind.

******

//Mamoru!! You're still alive?? I'm so relieved; father said that you'd died, but I didn't
believe him...don't go! Let's combine our strenghts as brothers and help realize our
father's dream!//

//...O-otousan....??//

//That's right, Mamoru. You're one of us. A Takatori. Stay with us. Stay with us...//

"...this can't be...I'm a Takatori?? NO!! You aren't my brothers!" Omi readied his
crossbow at the eldest Takatori, sapphire eyes blazing with a mix of hate and uncertainty. 

"I--I'm NOT a Takatori!!!" 

"No matter how you try to fool yourself, it doesn't change the truth of who you are..."

Omi inhaled deeply upon hearing that voice. His own, with a dark and foreboding note to
it. Turning, he saw his double standing next to Masafumi, both holding guns and
smirking coyly at him. 

"Well, this is a problem..." his other self mused. "There can't be more than one Takatori
Mamoru, ne, niisan?" He glanced at Hirofumi, who nodded silently, a cold smile creeping
upon his lips.

"I'm not Takatori Mamoru! I am Tsukiyono Omi!!" Omi's young voice trembled.

"You're right. A problem easily rectified." the eldest Takatori sibling reached into his
pocket, pulling out a gun and aimed it at the young Weiß memeber's heart. 

"We certainly can't have impostors parading around, tarnishing our father's name..."

"And that is why you must die." Omi's double chuckled darkly as he pulled the trigger,
the other two following in suit as Omi's young body wildly gyrated from the impact of
bullets... 

"AUUUGHHHHH!!!!" Upon opening his eyes, Omi looked around. Darkness, except for
a soft glow in the distance. There was no sign of his double or the Takatori siblings. He
frantically patted himself down, expecting to be covered in blood and bullet holes--he
found none.
~W--what is going on..??? Am I dreaming again..??~
A low chuckle.

"Far from it, kitten...It's like I told you. Consider this the beginning..."

Omi whirled around, fear and hate brimming at the sound of Schuldig's voice echoing
through the semi-darkness. 

"DAMN YOU!! LET ME GO, YOU ASSHOLE!" 

"Oh, he's angry! It seems you just won't except the truth, will you? Allow me to clear
things up for you..."

Omi shielded his eyes as the distant glow grew in brightness, consuming everything in
the light...


Part Five?

Reading Room?