Black as night, white as light

[pyromaniac]

Its the middle of the night, the stars shining bright in their never-changed places in the blackened sky; not that anyone could see them, of course, since the skies above the fields where almost always cloudy. Simply another side-effect from the cities and towns; it was the only real field in the area, and the only plants that would really grow naturally where weeds. The farmers had their work cut out for them, when it really came down to it. And thats where she was at the moment, lying on the ground in a set of black jeans and a white tank top, hands laced together over her stomach, blood colored eyes closed, white hair fluttering softly in the wind.

On the ground, barely a foot away from her, there was a large, black bag, which looked like some odd cross between a suitcase and a backback; it was stuffed to the brim with clothes and books, but not much else. Just enough things, the important stuff and the essentials, to survive for a few months. And thats exactly what she had done.

Rumours travel fast in Serenity, and though she knew very few people, it hadn't taken Twilight more then a day to find out that the boy she had feelings for was apparently 'doing someone on the side. A guy.' so said the person that had informed her. On September 25th, Twilight packed up, and left town. By the time Kitten was in the ice cream parlor on the 26th, she was already two towns away.

But now she was back, for what reason she didn't know, without a place to stay or a job to live off. Which would explain why she was just lying around in the fields, spaced out but not asleep.

[Kuki]

It was pretty out tonight, Kitten noted absently, staring up at the clouds as he wandered from the back of his house, dark, bruise like bags from sleepless nights hanging beneeth his whiskey colored eyes. He didn't feel like going to the bar tonight, it was that damn bar that got him into this mess. He met Twilight there. And he met the person that made Twilight leave.

The white haired neko walked through the field behind his house, his legs barely even moving, like he was wading through a dream. The walking dead. Mako would've laughed if he was fuming over Kitten's broken state. A worried kitten trotted into the tall, itchy grass after her master, mewing and hopping around his feet. The teen looked down, golden eyes tiredly searching for the source of the troublesome sound. Kuki stared back up at him. It seemed like she could see through his eyes into his souls, and he had to close his eyes to block the innocently curious gaze.

[pyromaniac]

In the back of her mind, she could have sworn that she heard footsteps, and a soft <i>mew</i>ing sound from not to far away, but at the moment, Twilight was to far gone to take real notice of it, of how the footsteps where familiar but not; the presence of both figures, one much smaller then the other, was non-threatening, and so, she didn't bother getting up and leaving. Up ahead of her, the cloud-filled sky cracked, black and gray giving way in odd places so that shafts of moonlight shown down on the earth below.

Perhaps if she'd known at that moment just who was in the field with her, she would have fun, as fast and as far as she could. If there was one thing she knew about herself, it was that she was a runner; it was all she could do to survive anymore. All she'd ever been able to do. But she didn't know, wouldn't know until it was to late, so she didn't move, even as the presence drew nearer and nearer.

[Kuki]

Moonlight flitted down to the field from the sky, casting the chilly night in a white glow. It was eerily magical, and coaxed Kitten down to his knees, pain jolting up his waist as knee caps twitched. Kuki pranced around him, looking to cheer him up, like what was wrong with him was something so easily curable. Kitten almost snorted, picking Kuki up and gazing off ahead of him-

And then she was there, laying serenly in the moonlight, her long, glittering white hair splayed around her. Her eyes were closed, her achingly beautiful face blank and peaceful. Kitten's heart spasmed, and a few tears finally escaped his golden eyes. He held the baby cat up to his face, staring sadly into her eyes. "I've gone insane, huh Kuki?" He murmured. She mewed understandly and hung limply in the neko's hands, resting a fuzzy paw on one of his overly pale hands.

[pyromaniac]

"I've gone insane, huh Kuki?" Blood colored eyes snapped open abruptly, and in a split second the small, pale girl was sitting up, eyes wide and possibly scared as she turned her head; blood colored eyes settled on gold, though they weren't looking at her, and she nearly called out to him. It was why she hadn't said anything before leaving, why she hadn't waited for him to tell her himself.

If she had seen him, she wouldn't have been able to leave.

She opened her mouth, as though to say something, but no sound came out. Briefly, she contemplated grabbing her bag off the ground and running, but she'd seen him now; seen the bruise-like discoloring under his eyes, how he seemed to be skinnier then she had remembered. How he looked so sad that it was breaking her heart. And then, without realizing it, her hand was held out just a few inches infront of her, as though reaching towards him, a single syllable slipping past her lips. "Kit..."

[Kuki]

He looked up absently, sure he had fallen asleep on the floor again, and sparred a small smile. He pulled his legs out from underneath him, crossing them in indian style in front of him, placing Kuki carefully in his lap, scratching behind the kitten's ear. "You seem sadder than the other ones," He said absently, itching the side of his nose.

His empty golden eyes flitted to the hand she held out, his own hand itching to reach out and touch it before she disappeared. Just one more second of her cold skin against his before he woke up, that's all he wanted, but he didn't want it to end, he didn't want Twilight to leave him again. Like everyone else did. Like she did every time when he woke from his minute long slumber. The breeze felt nice against his cheeks, the cold air feeling warm and bringing the unique smell of blood and rain that Twilight always carried. He cringed.

[pyromaniac]

"...Other ones...?" She said softly, a hint of confusion flitting through her ruby orbs; she glanced downward, trying to sift out what was going on, her hand lowering itself down to the ground. It took a good five minutes of silence before what was happening finally registered in her mind, and when it finally did, she looked back up abruptly, eyes immediately seeking out and locking on the familiar golden orbs; only they wheren't like they where when she'd left, not really. There was something missing, something vital, and anything she could have said died in her throat, contricting her air ways. He was a wreck. And it was her fault.

"....O-oh god, Kit...." She murmured softly, her shoulders shaking slightly; it was barely noticable, as where most of her actions, whether voluntary or not. But it didn't make sense, not in the least. He'd been the one to sleep with someone else. He'd been the one to make things as they where now in the long run. So why was he so sad?

And why did she feel so damn guilty? "....Is this my fa--?" She couldn't finish her own statement, instead cutting herself off once more as her throat constricted.

[Kuki]

And then Kitten did laugh. It was a dry, hollow laugh that made him seem all the more pitiful. "I'm the one who strayed, aren't I? I'm the one who couldn't kick the habbit of drinking and had butt sex," He giggled, his mind too tired and hungry to really take any notice to what he was doing, "with a total stranger. You left, I deserved it." And all the thought that had filled the white haired teenager while he talked, drained out, leaving his eyes empty again. "And you're still gone, huh? It's nice to see you again though, Twi-chan." Kitten winced, as if saying the word brought him physical pain.

Kuki pawed helplessly at Kitten's arm, making him look down at his marred flesh. Fresh, sore, angry red cuts lined his hopelessly thin arms. His fatigue worn face stretched into a grimace, "Yeah," He exhaled, tracing a longer gash that stretched from his elbow down to the middle of his palm. Boy had that baby bled. Too bad Mako had to save him, damn shield..."I still miss you, even though you're not here." He mumbled to Twilight, staring at his arm. His chest tightened. "I was missing you when I went into the bar, but I just had to have a taste of alcohol, I'd promised myself I'd buy a bottle and leave..." He clutched his arm and let out a small sob. He'd ruined it. Everything.

[pyromaniac]

She hadn't cried when the stranger had come to her that night and told her that the person she was in love with was cheating on her. She'd almost been expecting it, in some twisted corner in the back of her mind, and so it hadn't really affected her as much as it should have. She'd just... Packed up and left, while her mind was still working. Twilight coped oddly at times. There where no cuts on her arms, and she was no more sleep deprived then usual. Time had stood still on that day back in September, and she hadn't really moved since. She'd hadn't felt anything, there where days when she couldn't even remember what she'd done the day before. She just kept walking, stopped when she needed to, and before she knew it, it was December, and she'd ended up back in the place that she'd run away to. She didn't even know how it had happened.

"....You really think this is a dream, don't you....?" She asked softly, her voice even quieter then it normally was. But she was moving closer until only a foot remained inbetween them, and she lifted her hand once more as she smiled, as though asking him to take it in his; it was a sad, torn sort of smile, as she had already taken notice of the raw, angry cuts lining his arms. "...Please forgive me...." And then the tears where rolling down her cheeks, and though she tried to stop them they just wouldn't; the shaking was worse now then it had been before.

[Kuki]

A purring locked up the small sobs that Kitten was emmitting, and when he opened his dry eyes he saw Kuki rubbing against his leg, no matter how bony it was. A sighed a bit and pulled her close to his chest. The kitten was a bit suprised, but purred and curled up in his arms. Her furr was soft and comforting against the aching of his arms and chest, he rested his forheard against her back, painfully closing his eyes. How could there be so much pain in a dream?

"If it wasn't a dream, why would you be back, Tw-" He stuttered on her name, finally exhaling it out, wheezing like it burned his throat a bit, "Twilight." The world got dark for a moment, and the soft bell like laughter that haunted his dreams rang out, echoing around him.

He blinked blearily up, Twilight was standing above him, her arms held out, bloody streaming from her eyes, "...Please forgive me..." Kitten laughed at the pure absurity, trying to ignore the blood streaking down her perfect face.

"I've already forgiven you, it's me I'm worried about." The neko reached out, and brushed his fingers longily against the dream Twilight, savoring in the flash of cold that jolted up his arm, and his hand fell, his eyes on the ground, she was gone by now. A small childish pout formed on his lips, he was alone again, the dream was over and he would wake up in a second.

[pyromaniac]

The place where his fingers had brushed against her arm burned pleasently, and she momentarily shut her eyes, letting out a breath of air she hadn't realized she'd been holding in; it was the first warmth that she'd felt in all those long months, and it was heaven, even if it lasted only a few moments.

And she was still there. Slowly, carefully, she kneeled down infront of the sickly-looking boy (because really, he just didn't look healthy, not even in the slightest) sniffling softly as she tried to calm herself down. "....I-i'm still here, you know...." She said softly, the quiet bell like ringing of a soft, sad laugh slipping past her lips. She reached a hand out and gently brushed her fingertips against his cheek, shuddering lightly at the burned sensation now running through the bones of that arm. But there was no way she'd be complaining about it. "......I circled around, I think.... I just walked.... Ate when I had to, rested when I had to..... I didn't register, didn't feel, just walked...." Briefly, she glanced down at herself; she was much skinnier then she had been when she'd left. "And before I knew it, I was here again...."

It the the whole truth and nothing but it, but for some reason it sounded like such a lie to her; maybe, subconciously, she'd known where she was going all along, and had wanted to come back to Serenity. To him. It hadn't been a realy choice. But she was back atleast.

[Kuki]

The dream was over, wasn't it? He'd just ended it by touching her. And yet there she was, kneeling before him, telling him she was here. All the pain of the past 4 months, all the regrets and whispered goodbyes and bloodied knifes, slipped away at Twilight's touch on his cheek. All of it was washed away, and he'd never felt emptier. He stared at her with wide, confused golden eyes, his mind scrambling in panic, oh god he really had gone insane.

"But you're not here," The neko's fevered mind insisted, "You're no way near here. You're off up in Alaska, or in Russia, somewhere far off where I could wonder if your skin got cold in the snow, or if it got warmer," He was tripping over words now, desperate to prove that she wasn't there, that she wasn't touching him, that she wasn't seeing him. He was broken, he was helpless, he was dead. He couldn't feel the hot tears streaming down his face as he shook his head, slowly at first, clenching his fists in his lap. Kuki wisely jumped away, staying silent.

"Just stop! Please! I don't want to do this anymore!" The heart broken teen lurched away from her, clutching his head. He was curled up, his fingers tangled in his oily silver hair, stuck on knots he hadn't bothered to brush out, tears running freely into the dirty denim of his jeans. "I don't want to see your face, knowing you're not here...I don't want to live anymore." He whispered, and Mako's icy heart broke completely, so he dived into the happier moments, with Twilight and Will, and tried to keep the memories hidden from his counterpart.

[pyromaniac]

"I can't feel the cold, actually..... Not even in the snow." She said softly, her gaze shifting downward as she cut herself off from saying the rest; that the only time she ever really felt warmth of any kind was when he touch her, or she touched him. The feelings where fleeting often, unless the contact was kept in tact, but it was real, and it was as close to humanity as she could get now.

But then he wasn't infront of her anymore, her fingertips stinging as the school seeped back into them once more, and she turned her head to look at the curled up teen, the words repeating themselves in her head over and over again, "I don't want to live anymore. I don't want to live anymore. I don't want to live anymore. I don't want to live...." As the words sank in, something deep inside Twilight's chest lurched forward, and she lifted up a hand to clutch at it, taking a sharp intake of air almost like a gasp. All of a sudden, she felt like she was drowning, something painful and dark squeezing the air out of her lungs as something (she wasn't sure what, since she didn't have a heart) slowly broke apart inside of her, because she knew it was all her fault.

From what she knew of Kitten, she should have stayed where she was, shouldn't have touched him at all, but she just couldn't; not after that. Not when all she wanted to do was curl up and cry herself to sleep, praying to god that the words wouldn't haunt her dreams. So there she was again, arms wrapped around him, her small, pale hands overtop his. "Please d-don't say that..." She said quietly, her voice cracking as she spoke; she was pleading, no, begging him to take the words back, to say it had been her imagination and she'd heard him wrong. "Please...!"

[Kuki]

The white haired neko felt something crumbling in his chest, slowly chipping away and falling apart. It wasn't like the violent tearing like he had felt with William, this one was softer, more accepting and resigned. He wasn't going to get out of this alive, he was going to drown in his heart break, dreaming of Twilight and the man he'd killed.

Cold enveloped him, words spoken quickly and nervously. She didn't want him to think like that, but it was true. Long restrained memories of his first love flowed through him, the smiles and the promises. Will only wanted to be remembered. "I can't do this...I can't say I'm sorry because I can't feel it anymore. I can't live like this Twilight," He murmured feverently, clamping his eyes shut and revelling in the feeling of her cold embrace. He didn't care if he was dreaming any more, it would hurt all the same.