Starry Skys (open)

Kayl smiled as she finally wiped away her tears. Lily was gone and now she had accepted it. Running away from it hadn't helped. She looked up, into the flames. "Hidgero, where's Da now?"[/color]She asked in such a quiet voice she wouldn't be surprised if he hadn't heard her. As she waited for an answer she looked outside. It was getting very dark.

Kayl was getting tired. Her head started to droop and her eyes started to shut. She tried to resist it. She finished her tea and grabbed some smoked fish out of her bag. It was good but she wanted something cold. She quietly got up and went to the little spring. She washed the tear stains from her face and returned to the warmth of the fire. It helped but the fire was like a baby's lullaby, making her nod off once again.

Hidgero looked at Kayl and Epsilon, then smiled greatly. The smile was full of real happiness and even relief. The old man saw the girl and boy drifting away into sleep, so he lowered his smile into a mild grin. "Hopefully, still living at home," he murmured.

While he was walking over to Epsilon and Kayl, Hidgero pulled out - from another bag he had - a large fur blanket composed of deer hide. Like a father, the man wrapped it around the two kids, mature mirth manifesting on his hard face. "Just get some shut eye, ya rascals. The night was long."

For Robyn (in case she was sleepy as well), he withdrew a makeshift pillow. "Not the best thing in the world, but I won't be needin' this." Hidgero placed the beaten-up pillow right beside her. He thought it would hopefully give her something to sleep on if she was not bothered by the feathers coming out of the fabric.

The blue-eyed man sat and leaned against the wall, arms folded across his chest. He knew what he could do without for nights. The effect the campfire had over him was hypnotizing; flames reflected off his orbs as bits of semitransparent oranges, reds, and yellows intermixed with his more-clear blue. Hidgero was staring long and hard into the pyre.

"G'night, kiddos."

Hidgero quietly fell deeply into darkness. The temptations of the fire had cackled him a lullaby. A dream sequence had immediately played out.

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The room was white, plain, and hardly with props in the background. Shadows were almost nonexistent under the lights from above hanging and dully staring at the people. Not a sound was emitted; the air bland and normal. The room was large enough to be considered a basketball court. Shackles connected to chains jutted from the wall; they were old and worn-out, starting to rust away. The cuffs were recently used. Gloom and despair dissipated throughout the area, choking all into anxiety.

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The scenes rolled into the next like jump-cuts. The next picture was an up-close shot of a man whose face was hidden by strands of his black hair. It was smooth and silky, well-kept. Heavy breathing was present as he panted; beads of sweat streamed down his strong cheeks and dripped off the chin. A white headband pressed down some hair; it was starting to become drenched, naturally. Black was mostly his attire. Covering a good portion of his well-built, tall body was a custom black robe loose but not baggy. Some collarbone exposed itself through the neck. Large-linked chains bound the robe, cross-stitching themselves over the zipper beginning from the chest down to the abdomen. From the elbows to his wrists, narrow and thin pipes made of durable steel were striped along his arms. The man wore black shoes and gloves, as well.

"Get up, you piece of deer crap," a gruff, cruel voice called out.

The man panting and crouched on the floor glared up. Red eyes grew fierce and defensive. One hand tightened around an object with a barrel and a pipe welded together. It was odd-looking; the thing was made entirely of metal and had a trigger device near the handle.

"I said get up, Zibralter!" A rough, scarred hand took hold of the man's shirt and pulled up, slightly choking him. "Are ya deaf? Are you frickin' deaf?!" The hand pushed the black-haired powerfully but he was still on his feet.

"No," the man called Zibralter finally answered with anger. "I can't be deaf if I can answer, correct?"

A fist swiped across Zibralter's cheek, near the eye. The man did not flinch or even seem to respond; but, redness started to manifest in the spot. "You better get rid of that fresh attitude, boy. If Mere hadn't picked you up from a darn street and say you had potential, I would have killed you by now."

Zibralter's frown twitched. "It wouldn't matter, would it, Hidoshi? A runaway is close to a dead man."

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Side-by-side, a younger boy with a white fur coat was smiling with Zibralter. The boy's eyes matched his hair, a brown smooth and devoid of defects. He seemed not off from being the black-haired man's age, and the brown-headed youth was shorter by just an inch. A gentle breeze blew through his boyish hair, hardly swaying unlike Zibralter's black and long silk. He wiped his black gloves against his jeans which had gotten dirty along with his shoes. The two's combination of white and black seemed to mix decently, much like how Zibralter's handsome look with the boy's cute seemed to go together on a middle level.

"Today was fun, Zibralter. You've improved greatly!" The boy's voice was gentle and soft.

"It's nothing. You have as well." Zibralter put his hands in his coat pockets.

"I don't think so. You've really gotten better, though; you only started in the spring but picked up drastically after that. You tore through the music pages!"

"Stop praising me. It's annoying, like your cheeriness."

The boy only smiled more. "But I'm serious. You're quite the genius."

"You could be the same if you work harder. What's the point?"

Black gloves laced themselves together. The younger one took on a serious, smiling face. "Because not everyone are geniuses, Zibralter. It's something that doesn't come by often, and everyone likes a smart guy. I don't see why nobody would like you, really. You can be mean, rude, and bitter - even a sourpuss - but you're just you, and I like you like that." The boy deepened his smile as his eyes drooped into a mature state. "Everyone has got to have people that accept them as they are. No matter what."

Zibralter had widened his eyes a little in a bit of surprise. The gesture was not noticeable much, but the tiny twitch of his frown forming a half-grin was more perceivable. "You're a fruit and a retard. So stupid."

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"Zibralter, ah!!" The boy from the previous scene had many forming bruises and scratches across his face, bits of blood seeping through. He was thrown onto the ground, dirtying up his clothes but not paying any attention to a thing by his brother. Reflected off his brown eyes were red ones absent of sanity and any drop of kindness. "What's the matter, Brother? What's wrong?!"

The man named Zibralter stood tall and firm, his arms obediently to his sides and hands contracting over and over into fists. Everything seemed to be normal except the face: he was actually smiling.

"Zibralter, what's gotten into you?!" The younger brother stayed in his position, truly terrified.

"Oh nothing..." the older brother muttered, his voice sadistic-sounding. "I just want to see blood, Daitaro. Blood has a nice color; it's smooth and rich. You can satiate my desire, can't you?"

A girl slightly younger than Daitaro had pinned herself against a tree, her purple hair and eyes showing signs of her fear and helplessness. Quick breaths constantly entered and left her lungs. The clothes, a silky blouse and skirt flowing to her knees, were also getting dirty and torn into several places. She was fixated on the scene, her legs beginning to cave in.

Daitaro's eyes grew big in terror. Brows knit themselves up in sadness. "Zibralter... I... I'm sorry! It's my fault, isn't it? Y-You're mad at me, aren't you?"

Laughter. True cackling as spread fingers went over the eyes. "You're so retarded! Retarded!" Zibralter exposed his face once more, laughing. "I just want blood! I want to see it!"

The boy got up and almost lost his balance, but Zibralter grabbed Daitaro's undershirt and presented him the cliff's edge. The young one was struggling as the sensation of flight was starting to kick in, shoving and pushing his brother, throwing apologetic words at an ineffective person.

Zibralter was strong; he had enough strength to toss Daitaro off the cliff without much resistance. So, the boy was now over the edge in air, staring up into the sky. Below to meet him were rocks, both flat and sharp.

When he finally pushed Daitaro off the edge, Zibralter snapped out of insanity and, eyes wide and full of fear, an emotion that seemed to not exist for the man many a year ago, watched as Daitaro had done something that both he and the girl, who had quickly ran to the edge once he was shoved, would not understand at the moment.

Daitaro smiled to the sky, a smile that seemed full of mystery and cheer. As he was smiling, the last objects he would see were birds, a sky with puffy clouds and a bunch of rocks.

His body hit the flat and sharp surfaces down below, and his smile was forever embedded on his face, blood splattered everywhere on his body. Life was over for Daitaro Fujikaro.

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Hidgero woke violently, sticky from sweat and tears over the course of the dream. He was shaking in thrashing spasms, and his eyes usually of cheer seemed to be dilated solely by horror alone.

Deep breaths entered and exited Hidgero's lungs in rapid succession; after a few seconds, calmness was blanketing over his senses. He placed fingertips on his forehead, smirking and laughing a little. "Just a horrible nightmare, is all. Nothin' I can't handle." His still-big eyes turned to Kayl; the horror in them was dissipating into nothingness.

Emotional and mental stability were reached. Hidgero felt like he was sore from arduous exertion without any physical activity. His chest went up and down in a steady, normal rhythm. "Drinking an' washing water would be nice. I smell like a thirty-day jockstrap." He tried to chuckle out the remnants of fear and anxiety and wiped the salty perspiration off his brow.

Hidgero literally threw one cup's water at his straight face. Most perspiration was washed away by the purifying liquid, the sigh of chilled relief emitted from his lips proof. "Ah. Thanks. Now I smell like a twenty-day jockstrap." He laughed softly before taking sips from the other cup. Blue eyes turned towards the breaking rays of the new day. The man grumbled. "Sheesh. That nightmare lasted me the entire night? What a waste of a good sleep, eh?"

He thought about breakfast when Kayl mentioned it. "Hm... Think we can make a makeshift pan and heat up those bad boys? Heated fish and meat isn't as good as fried, but it's better than cold ones."

OOC: Sorry it took so long to reply, but ive been in Oklahoma (not where I live), and its been kinda hard to find a the time to post.

Surprisingly enough, Epsilon had slept through all of this exchange except the last bit when Kayl had stepped out of the cave to look for something. He was just lying there, thinking about the day to come, when he heard Kayl scream.

In an instant he was up and climbing up the slope to get to the hole to get out of the cave. He was so desperate he fell down the other side and tumbled headlong down the other side. He got up and checked himself. Nothing but some bruises. And he was off again,, running and calling out.

"KAYL!" He cried desperately, "KAYL! WHERE ARE YOU!"

No! Not again! I cant do this again!

"Ep...Epsilon! I'm...I'm here!"

He heard her voice and started to sprint in her direction. He was so scared for her he couldnt think straight. All he could think of was to get to her as fast as possible.

"I'm here, I just fell it's ok!"

She fell? What the hell was she doing climbing? was the next thing that went through his head. She could, well, did, hurt herself! What was she thinking?

He finally burst through some foliage and he found Kayl lying at the base of a tree with a clearly broken arm, and a blood trail leading down her body.

"Kayl..."

For once in his life he couldnt find anything to say to get a smile on his lips. He had never even felt this way when his sister died, so what he did next took him completely by surprise.

He walked over to her, and kissed her right on the lips.