You Know My Name, Not My Story [Private: Yazuki Yoshino]

CLAWED MY WAY TO VICTORY

Her reddened gaze wandered from side-to-side, taking in the desolate scenery of the canyon the farther she wandered into its depths. She had never been here before, not in her lifetime, not even to claim a soul that had passed on from its vessel to the afterlife. This place, it was all new to her, yet something was sparked inside of her head, like a memory’s case was lit aglow by a spotlight. It took her back to Phoenix Mountains, to the plains that were cast out miles beyond her before the magnificent birds’ paradise would be reached. Each nook and cranny of Mysterious Canyon brought back inklings of feelings that she had not felt in months since their first meeting. Yet, these feelings she felt were ones she embraced with a sense of happiness, a sense of love and eternal loyalty to the one she had met. They brought a smile to her wretched face, to the face that was carved with strange etchings and markings hardly explained.

She peeled back the reddened hood that covered her face in shadows, letting locks of darkness cascade around her torso and hips. Red orbs quickly disappeared behind painted lids, her chest rising as she breathed in the fresh, crisp air of the canyon she was in. Seconds ticked by before she released that breath of air in a whoosh of sound and reopened the glittering optics that studied the world time and time again. In a way, it was relieving to be in the canyon, almost as though she could feel the tension she had once felt days upon days suddenly wash away. Her hands gripped at the long fabric of her cloak and tightly grasp it, like she was afraid to lose her sense of self amidst the reminiscing. Each memory that touched the surface of her mind was a beauty to behold, and for once, she was glad she had come to a place such as this one. Glad that pieces of this place were able to bring back memories she held nearest and dearest to her that clouded the ones that were bad.

Beside her, the colossal head of a snake slithered near, blinking eyes of brown watching its master as they roamed deeper into the canyon. Its fox-like muzzle often found its way to the feet of its master and bumped its nose lightly into her heels pushing her long or even causing her to fall upon its head. However, the reptilian creature didn’t mind when its master fell upon it, but instead, carried her along as they traversed their man-made path. Her slender hands found their place upon the bristled scales of the gargantuan beast, wrapping around the hooked skin as a means of holding on. Yet, one hand didn’t remain still, striking along the side of the reptile’s face as a means of praising it and caressing its features. She sat upon this creature comfortably, her gaze forward and unblinking as they moved, hand busied as it kept the snake moving. “Apep, vhat do you dink of dis place, hm?” she inquired, as though the snake was able to respond to her in the tongue she spoke in.

Mysterious Canyon was a place of peace and silence, but something about this place did not give Marceline that sense of peace. The rain that trickled down from the skies told her of a sorrowful tale, weeping as it pattered against skin and scales of the two. Her gaze eventually ran away from the silence and wetness of the canyon to gaze upon the darkened skies that cried their tears. Outstretching the hand that had been petting the beast, she watched as droplets of cold water splattered against her hard skin and rolled off with ease. “I feel as dough zomeding ist lost here, like it had come here zu hide avay. . . from vhat, I do not know,” she murmured to her pet. “It ist not a feeling of sadness here, Apep, no. . . just a fery tranquil feeling, ja? So peaceful dat it nearly comes off as such sadness?” Her ramblings quieted down and she let her hand settle back onto the head of the beast and her gaze to lower back to where it had once been.

Reaching backward, the woman, pulled the hood of her cloak back over her head, shielding off the droplets of water as they fell. Each slither deeper into the canyon brought her closer to a place she’d yet to expect to exist, and to a being of which she knew not its existence. And upon peering through the corners, this figure could easily be seen, standing there as though it was just a statue in the emptiness of the canyon. A light brush of her hand told Apophis to stop in its tracks, letting them rest there and gaze momentarily at the statuesque figure beyond. Daringly, her eyes wandered from the statue to an opening that had briefly caught eye as something that reminded her of him. She scooted closer to the bridge of her pet’s nose until she diligently slid off it with a grace most notable to the ghosts of the dead. Her feet had barely touched the ground, but she did not make a move toward the statue in the landscape, peering at from ‘neath the shadows of her hood.

A wispy darkness formulated at the tips of her fingers and accumulated more toward her palm before stretching out in both directions. The northwest of the mist curved in a fashion similar to a sickle, and quickly solidified into metal like that of titanium material. Yet, the metal was of black and orange like brimstone, curved in opposite directions as a double-headed scythe meant for butchering. Silver glares sparkled through the darkness of her hooded cloak, glimmering like reflective eyes against lights in the darkness. All around her was grayness, yet where the statue stood beyond, it held a silver glow similar to her eyes, yielding that it bore a soul. “Who are you?” she called to the figure, “by vhat means does a soul like you belong in a place as empty und peaceful as dis?” Though was this statue true to what she believed it to be? Or perhaps it was just a soul locked within stone, of which she could not understand?

CLAWED MY WAY TO VICTORY

Apophis slithered closer to its master, then slowly rose upward, so that it towered above both Marceline and Yazuki. One hand reached out and placed itself gently upon the reptile's side, keeping it at bay from rushing the lightning mage. The other hand gripped the double-headed scythe tightly in its palm, the knuckles of her fingers white like snow with how tight the grip was. Her eyes never left the silent statue, waiting for it to respond to her if it was able to respond to her at all. Its silence didn't deter her; in fact, its silence made her more curious as to what exactly was standing before her. It seemed to breathe, it seemed to be a living thing to her, but of all things, it seemed to pay no mind to her. That was what frustrated her: a being who didn't acknowledge her existence, though may be quiet aware of Death's existence.

She watched it, and as she watched, she began to notice the change in the weather, the subtle draw of the storm coming to bay. For once, her gaze had wandered away from Yazuki to stare back up to the sky and study the misting storm above. The clouds had dulled to a lighter gray, and even a peek of sunshine could be seen casting rays down below to them. It brightened the aura of the place in a way, left them standing in a valley of silence with only a ray of hope to see. With no movement from the statue to determine whether it was friend or foe, the woman had no reason for her weapon to be drawn. Instead of holding it tightly there in the palm of her left hand, she let it drop from her grasp and clatter to the ground. However, the weapon never touched the ground; it rolled off the tip of her fingers, then dispersed into a puff of black and purple mist upon mid air.

Marceline studied Yazuki as the soft misting of the storm turned quickly into a torrential downpour, roaring through her ears. She was able to see every inch of the man before her, every metallic and cloth piece of his clothing that he bore. What he wore upon his backside was what had caught her attention first and foremost, an item she had never seen before. In all of the millennia she had lived, a piece of armor such as the one Yazuki had, had never been seen by her. It intrigued her, but by now, she had no way of inquiring what it was, as now, she had been spotted by the statue. It was no statue though; no, this being before her was just as she expected it to be: a living, breathing human. Breathing in, Marceline dropped her hand from Apep's side and took a step forward, still keeping it from moving in front of her.

The flow of her cloak made it seem as though she was gliding upon her footsteps rather than taking actual steps. Billowing around her like a ballgown until it came to rest around her once her movements had come to a complete stop. Paled finger reached upward toward the sides of her hood, which by now were soaked from the rain that fell upon it. Peeling it down from around her face, so that dried locks of raven feathers danced out with the wind and wrapped around her bodice like a second cloak. Along her neck could be seen small etchings and markings that had no significance to those around her, but all the significance to her. And where one side of her hair fell, none was there on the other side, but a shaved cross in the stubble of hair. Black veins crawled down from the bottom of her eye lids, matching the abysmal sclera that allowed red eyes to pop out.

Silver pupils against bloodied irises still contentedly watched Yazuki as at long last, he began to speak to her. "You lif' here?" she repeated his words, her gaze wandering from him to look around at the emptiness; walls that were slowly decaying from her presence. "Nein, help ist not needed für mich; it ist help that ist needed from mich und of vhich I come zu help dem vid." A soft smile caressed her grayed lips, like Death had just recently taken the life from once vibrant and soft lips. "But I see now dat it ist not mich who ist needed here, no one of who I am ist needed in dis canyon of yours. . . Please, pardon my intrusion upon your grounds, I belief I am in ze wrong here und I vill take my leaf of dis place." The smile remained plastered on her face, like she was trying to be innocent to the one that stood before her.

"But please, of who am I intruding upon?"

CLAWED MY WAY TO VICTORY

Why bow? Why bow to her of all people? She was not fit to be bowed to, let alone had a reason for people to bow to her. This man who bowed before her showed it out of respect, but why show respect to someone such as herself? She did countless disrespectful things, so of what means did this man have to bow before someone of the likes of her? His show of respect startled her a little, paralyzed her in her words and her steps, keeping her at a distance from the man. The silence between the two grew ever longer, a gentle ringing settling into her ears to make up for the quietness. Her gaze had wandered from Yazuki to the ground, the utter silence deterring her from doing much more than looking away. However, she slowly returned his bow, dipping down into a curtsy that caused her cloak to fill out more around her feet.

The communication between the two calmed the lightning magus down, bringing the storm that brewed overhead to a soft drizzle. Rising back to her feet, the woman glanced toward the sky again, letting the light droplets of water trickle down her stony face. She blinked a few times before dropping her gaze away, staring intently back at Yazuki as he did the same to her. "Are you causing ze storm?" she inquired, tilting her head slightly and glancing momentarily back to the sky. "I hafe noticed dat ze storm tends zu change vid your emotions. . . how you füh-f-feel at ze current moment oder situation." It was a curious situation for her, one that she hadn't encountered even with the most powerful of magi she had met. A storm that occurred in time with a person's emotions, it was almost like her own aura that occurred with her love of life.

"Ya. . .suh. . . keh?" she repeated his name as though she wasn't able to pronounce such a strange combination of letters. "It ist a pleasure zu meet you, Yasuhkeh, but are you sure you vish zu hafe my presence around you, I am not who you dink I am." Again, it was a situation she had yet to encounter before, where a person had genuinely wanted her presence near them. Especially of a person who appeared not to be of the same alignment as her and perhaps even of the opposite side of the spectrum. "I appreciate ze offer. . . you are a lot more kinder dan I beliefed you zu be. . . a lot more kinder zu zomeone like me." The smile returned to her face, gracing her luscious lips for a brief second before it was suddenly gone once again. "Yes, I vould like zu get out of ze rain," Marceline added after a moment's hesitation, then took a step closer toward him.

Apep moved to block her way, but a quick, stern look from its master told it otherwise and it backed away from her. It let out an angered hiss, but with the man no longer potentially posing as a threat to its master, it turned away. The beast snaked its tongue out and flicked it in a frustrated manner, then began to slither off back to its resting place. Her red orbs turned from the massive reptilian to the lightning magus in front of her, a glitter of curiosity and interest sparking in them. "Meine Name?" her native tongue rolled from mouth, catching her off guard by the inquiry even though she had asked him of his name. "Marceline Anicetus."

CLAWED MY WAY TO VICTORY

The storm was as natural to her as it would ever get, but the unmistakable sensation of aether residing within it washed over her like waves. It was the only aspect of the storm that told her it had been produced by the residual energy of a long-forgotten beast. But realizing that the storm wasn't something that had been created by natural means caused Marceline to hesitate in her tracks beside Yazuki. A storm that was caused by magical energy was more volatile to her than a storm that had been naturally produced by Earthland. Against her body, lightning was more dangerous; it could easily cause irreparable damage to her no matter what form she took. However, it wasn't the storm's story that had grabbed her attention, it was a single word that drew her back to reality. She stared at Yazuki as he explained to her how he had been cursed by a lightning demon to, without avail, strike its kind down with the same magic it had.

"Cursed. . ." she repeated the single word she had picked up throughout the story Yazuki had told her of. Her voice lost the subtle happiness that it held within, almost as though the life had been sapped out of it. She dropped her gaze to the dirt of the canyon and watched as the red cloak grazed over rock and pebble in the ground. An overwhelming sensation of sorrow filled her and for a moment, it would feel as though she was weeping, but weeping for what? Each pebble that her cloak drew over quickly lost its color and grew holes that they once did not have before. And as they continued down their path to Yazuki's cave, a strange feeling crawled over the canyon like the impending feeling of doom. Clatters of rock would occasionally be heard as they wandered the path of the lost, signifying the crumbling of the canyon, itself.

"I vas cursed. . ." Marceline spoke up after a moment of silence had swept over the duo on their trek to the cave. "I vas cursed at bird. Cursed zu die young, cursed zu life alone für ze rest of my life, cursed zu nefer be able zu lofe. . ." She glanced down at her hands and stared at her open palms, like they were cursed to never be able to touch things. Turning them over, she continued to stare at them, look at them as if she did not even want them on her body. Her fingers slowly curled into fists, the sharp nails of her fingers digging into the earthen flesh of her body. "Eferyding I touch. . . dies. . . eferyvhere I go. . . people die. . . I'm not able zu control it und I absolutely hate it." Marcy bit her lip and held back bloodied tears, then let her hands drop to her sides in defeat, "I suppose eferyone has dere bad parts, hm?"

He was right. She thought differently of herself; in fact, she hated herself more than anyone else in the world possibly could. She couldn't stand the fact that she could not be near those that she loved or those that she wished to befriend. People were either scared of her or her magic did not allow for her to get close enough to them without hurting them unintentionally. It was her magic that caused her distress, a form of evil that disallowed for the pleasures of life that she longed for. Cursed at birth to have such strong, uncontrollable magic, she had been destined to live a lonesome life she did now. Yet, she had many under her authority, many who were obligated to obey her because of what she had done to them. Many who called her a friend or lover, but she did not see them the way that they saw her; she still believed her magic to be a barrier.

"Yes, it ist a pleasure zu meet you, Yahsuhkeh," she replied, giving the man a softer smile than her natural one. It was more of a surprise to her than anything else that Yazuki wasn't aware of just who she was in the world. Her name must have been plastered over poles upon poles in every city, town, and village known to mankind? If not, then perhaps she was not doing what a Sinner was meant to do in order to keep her infamy throughout Fiore. "You may not know of my name. . ." Marceline stated slowly, almost like she was hesitating in what she was telling him. "But I assure of you. . . you must hafe heard of zome of ze dings dat I hafe done around Fiore, no?" Maybe not. . . He didn't seem like the kind of person to really care though, so maybe he truly didn't care what she was like.

It was upon entering the cave that her attention would be drawn away from him and she would gaze around at the scenery. The place was rather simple, to say the least, but enough was there to allow for a man to survive on his own. She had moved away from Yazuki to explore the cave on her own and wasn't paying much attention to what he was doing by now. So, when she heard the crack of thunder, it startled her, caused her to jump out of her skin, but it wasn't the thunder that deterred her. Marceline turned to face the blazing heat of the campfire that Yazuki had just made, and slowly backed away into the shadows. Pressed to one of the far side of the walls, the woman let her eyes gaze into the burning flames of the fire. No words came out of her mouth, and no movements were made by her; she simply stared into the fire.

"Please. . . it hurts. . . please. . . make it stop. . ." she managed out, pulling her knees to her chest and pulling her hood farther over her face to keep out the heat. "It hurts. . . it hurts. . ."

CLAWED MY WAY TO VICTORY

"It's not a pride ding," she responded to him slowly from beneath her hood, her face still shielded from the intense heat. "It vould be a pride ding if I vas proud of being able zu kill ze innocent, und dat ist not zomeding I am proud of. . . at all. I do not vish harm on dose who I encounter in life; I vish only for ze best of dem, but meine Magie does not allow für dat zu happen. Meine Magie contradicts vhat I vish für und dat makes dings harder für mich zu do. . . Ich hasse es. . . Ich hasse es so viel." The woman moaned out the words in her native tongue, her voice long and drawn out like she was despairing over what was being done. If people believed they had a bad life, they had yet to encounter just how miserable of a life Marceline led right now. They could whine and complain all they want, but to never be able to touch someone without hurting them, that hurt her the most.

"Dein Fluch. . . you. . . you can do so much more vid your curse dan I could efer dream of doing vid meine," she spoke up. Her voice held a tone more stubborn and vocal than the despair that had once resided inside, like her sorrow was nearly gone. "Yours ist just lightning, you can embrace it nd life vid it far better dan zomeone of meine own stature and status. Lightning ist just an element, learn zu vield it und you vill hafe ze whole vorld in your hands, do not despair ofer it." Marceline pulled herself up to a better seated position and allowed for her hood to fall back ever so slightly so she could look at him. "Vhen you learn zu embrace life und life zu your fullest as though eferyday vould be your last, only den vill you learn zu accept your Magie. Death cannot bring back vhat has once died, but lightning. . . lightning has life gifing powers und so much more."

She fell silent and glossed him over momentarily, eyeing the wounds that were created by her magic's current aura. A frown creased her lips and she looked away from him, hiding, once again, beneath the shadows of her hood. "You do not need zu hide ze wounds dat meine Magie gifes," Marcy murmured softly, "I understand you vill be hurt by it." Luckily, she was able to control the range of the aura, enough that she could withdraw it so that he would not be as affected by it was he was now. So, she silently concentrated, imagining that the aura around her was slowly dwindling in size until nothing of it was left. As she was doing so, the aura of her magic began to shrink, until it was only a foot or two out from where she sat. "If my aura efer hurts you, promise me dat you vill tell me so? I can at least reel it in so dat it ist not such a large range."

"Yahsuhkeh?" she inquired, taking his hands into her own, despite knowing that touching him would hurt just as much as the aura. "It does not matter dat you do not know of ze lightning hurting me. . . almost no one ist avare of who I am exactly. Dey are only physical barriers of meine body, but dey are dings dat I am not afraid of facing vhen it comes time zu. I appreciate dat you put out ze fire, but you need not hafe done dat. . . a fair varning vould hafe been better." Finally, she let go of his hands, and what would be in their place would be a marking matching her own hand print. Almost like a burn over his own hands, though without the blistering and searing pain that often came with blister. They would just be red markings in the shape of how she held his hands in her own, perhaps even a bit of decay as well.