Snow Kiss

    My arm was pulled rather enthusiastically away from town, my body following shortly after.
    “We’re almost there brother, just up that hill!!” My older brother looked back and grinned at me, my short 6 year old legs having trouble keeping up with his 8 year old ones.
    “Are you sure it’s ok we’re out here?? Won’t dad yell at us if he catches us??” I replied.
    “IF he catches us, Tyki-pet.” We reached the top of the hill. “He won’t see us from here trust me.”
    “Why do you call me that??” I mumbled under my breath “I don’t like it it’s weird in public….”
    “Who’s gonna hear us out here?? We’re in the middle of nowhere, Tyki.” He looked back out over the ridge, towards the slowly setting sun in the distance. “See that place on the ridge that’s glowing?? That’s where father is.” He pointed.
    I looked down to the ridge where his finger extended, and there it was, a spot in the mountain that swam with colors like liquid metal, barely visible from the shocking red of the sun.
    “Adam, why is it glowing like that?? Is dad alright??” I looked fixed at the tiny glowing spot from behind my brother, oddly drawn to it.
    “He’ll be fine, it’s sorcery. Dad meets with others like him every few years, they’ve only met twice that I’ve seen, but every time when night falls colors stream together in the hills, and then- well you’ll see if you keep watching.” He smiled broadly at me, nudging me in front of him.
    “Well why didn’t you bring Tride then?? He’s older than I am.” I looked up at my brother confused.
    “I tried once, but he refused to sneak out with me. He just always clings to mom. He’s no fun at all with how quiet he is. You’re different Tyki. You’re a rebel, and you wanna do fun stuff like I do. That’s why you’re here and not Tride.” He responded.
    “What’s a rebel??” I asked curiously. I had never heard that word.
    “Someone who wants to break the rules and enjoy themselves despite what other people think. They really don’t care about the world, just themselves, and each other of course.” He smiled broadly at me.
    “A rebel….” I whispered. I liked the sound of that word, and a small smirk came across my face, but just as it did the sun set, and the colors swan into the sky from the earth, dancing before my eyes like nothing I’d ever seen. It was as if the whole world had melted just for this moment, but suddenly they began to fade, and darkness came over me. I struggled to make a sound, but no noise came from my mouth.
    “I’m falling, is this it??” I closed my eyes tight, waiting for impact. “I’m going to die.”
    Suddenly my eyes sprung open, staring upward at a blank white ceiling high above me. I held my head in shock.
    “What a weird dream….could it have been….a memory??” I pressed myself to remember the dream but all I got where fragments of color and voices I did not recognize.
    “Guess there’s no point in dwelling on it….” I looked up at the tall elaborate clock at the end of the room. “I’m gonna be late for my light sides job if I don’t hurry.”  I quickly sat up, changed back to my street cloths and headed to Roads room.
    “Hey road, I need you to open me a gate to Europe, I can’t exactly get there in ten minutes from Japan.” I waited outside the door.
    She opened it, still in her pajamas with a sleepy look on her face “Why should I do that Tyki-chan?? I’ll only do it if you’ll play with me later.” She smirked.
    “Why should I do that, I don’t have time for babysitting….” I looked off unamused. “Can’t you get someone else to play with you??”
    “No, I want to play with you Tyki!! Is it so bad that you’ll have to come back here tonight, or would you rather get fired from your day job??” She leaned up into me on her toes, as if she could somehow make herself tall enough to get in my face.
    “Fine fine, just open me a gate. I’ll be back after my shift, alright??” I replied exhaustedly. I was not in the mood for Roads childlike behavior right now.
     “Why is the one of us with the least control and responsibility in control of our movements besides The Earl anyway?? It makes no damn sense….” I thought.
    “Alright then Tyki-Mik~” she smiled “Be back soon I’ll have lots of things for us to do by then.” She opened the portal in front of me, and I gulped a little nervous on what bizarre games she’d come up with for later. I’d have to find some way out of it.
   “Right, see you then.” I stepped through the heart shaped door, light spilling out from the daylight of the other side of the world. Outside I saw the mine I worked at in the distance, along with the house I usually stayed at and a few men outside that heading out to work. I closed the door quickly behind me and stepped out of the alleyway, lighting a cigarette from the box I kept in my pocket.
    “It never gets old, having a human life.” I smirked a bit, running out towards a pair of my co-workers.
   “Even though it’s a total lie” I thought.

    Later that night I waved the few friends I had off and began to head towards a safe spot to transfer to the ark. As usual, a few of the asked why I wasn’t staying the night, and as I usually did, I responded that I had another job to do, and that it’d be very difficult for me to stay.
    “You should hook us up.” One of them spouted. “I could use the extra money.” He laughed.
    Another piped in “Yeah me to!! If your boss ever needs a hand give us a shout alright??”
    “Yeah sure.” I said, a false smile spreading across my face. They had no idea what they were saying. If they knew, well, I wouldn’t be here anymore.  Little did they realize that one of our own workers, the quiet one at the back of the crowd already did, and he looked at the shouting man curiously, then he looked at me and smiled.
    “Level 2’s….” I whispered under my breath. I’d have to have him removed from camp, or my human life could be in jeopardy. In the back of my mind I wondered if the earl had sent him here to spy on me.
    “No, he can’t be that obsessive….” I thought hopefully. He trusts me more than that. I hope.
    With a quick flick of the key I had stolen from road I opened a door to a room in the ark, white sunlit corridors and fresh flowers on every turn.
    “You know, all the times I’ve been here and I have no idea who maintains this place….” I pondered “I guess it’s probably akuma, but I don’t see any.”
    I knew at this point I was trying to ignore the obvious fact a hyper-active road would be waiting for me the instant I turned my key in the next door. I really didn’t want to go home.
    “But if I don’t she’ll be worse next time….” I lit another cigarette. “Guess I should get it over with….” I opened one of the doors, stepping into the front entrance of Sheryl’s house.
    “and if roads unhappy so is Sheryl, and that’s a death sentence.” I thought menacingly.
    Oddly enough as I entered the house no crazy flying girl struck me, nor did my brother Sheryl barrage me with questions. As I stepped further in it appeared as if the house was completely empty.  
    “I thought I was supposed to come here….this is just great I should have stayed back with the guys then.” I looked around the near empty house far too large for the few people who lived in it. “I could use a shower though before I leave.” I said.
    I climbed up the stairs and thought with a smirk “at least I don’t have to play with road tonight. Maybe I can actually finish my book for once instead of being dragged off somewhere.”
    I pulled my shirt off tossing it over the railing, heading to the top floor. As I reached the top of the stairs I could have sworn I heard water running, but I ignored it.
    “It’s probably nothing.” I mumbled under my breath.
    I turned the corner only to be proven utterly wrong as I smacked hard right into something, or someone, quickly sticking my hands out to guard. As I looked up a man stood not inches from me at eye level wearing nothing but a towel, the stunned look on his face nothing short of panic. My body was pressed up against his just for a second before tripping back from him on my heels.
    “Who the hell?!?!” I yelled eyes wide with shock.
    “Tyki??” the man said stepping back as well, body in a readied fighting stance. “Oh it’s just you…”
    “Just me?? How do you even KNOW me??” I looked over the man, seeing if maybe I knew him, but nothing about the man in the towel looked familiar. He just seemed like an ordinary, though fairly athletic looking guy in his late twenties with shoulder length brown hair. “Why are you in my house?!?!”.
    “Your house?? You can’t possibly be that arrogant….wait a minute, you seriously don’t recognize me do you??  I don’t know whether I should be offended or glad about that actually….” The man drifted off looking away from me.
   “….Why would i??” I replied. Who did this guy think he was?
   “Tell you what; I’ll give you three guesses. If ya can’t guess it THEN I’ll be offended.” He smirked a little, crossing his arms.
    I tried to calm myself from the sudden intrusion “All right I’ll bite. I like humans with a little bit of balls. Thing is that as long as you’re a person I’m still gonna kill you.” I looked at him nonchalantly. “So I doubt it matters.”
    “So sure about that are we??” he grinned, though this time I could sense a bit of sickness behind it that seemed faintly familiar. “Well go on then.” He gestured. “Guess.”.
     I narrowed my eyes. I actually had no idea who he was. He wasn’t a follower, they wouldn’t risk coming here, and akuma are more obedient. Defiantly not an exorcist or finder, unless they were crazy; I twitched a little.
    “You know, on second thought I’m just gonna kill you. I haven’t ripped someone’s innards out in a while and I’d hate to miss an opportunity.” I smiled sadistically, lunging forward to his chest with my choice ability to rip out his heart.
    In the split second I had reached out before I could even think I was on the ground my arm twisted backward with a foot pressing down on the back of my neck.
    “Sorry tyki-pet, but I don’t have a heart to rip out even if that attack had succeeded. Your human life has made you slow.” He pulled my head up by my hair causing me to wince. “I can’t believe you’d consider attacking ME of all people, anyway. I might just fire you for this, ya know.” He dropped my head and pressed down on my neck with his foot, cracking it painfully before letting me go.  
    “E-earl?!?!” I stammered quickly righting myself to a sitting position despite the pain in my neck.
    “Yes, it’s me. I’m surprised you didn’t recognize me from my charming smile.” He said sarcastically, giving me a toothy grin. “Sheryl and Road are out tonight. I’m the only one home. I wasn’t expecting you.”
    “I wasn’t expecting you either!!  Not like- like this….” I looked down my face growing hot, though I couldn’t have told you why.
    He kneeled down to where I sat getting way to close for comfort, an amused look in his gold eyes. “You mean human?” he said calmly. “I admit I don’t take my work cloths of much but I’d hope you’d at least remember what I look like.” He rolled his eyes. “As I said before, my weight is fine. You, however, are STILL a hobo.” He smirked.
    I pushed him away, embarrassed. “I am NOT a hobo!! I live here don’t I? Besides you still dress like that. That makes it even creepier.”
    “and you choose to be a moneyless tramp.” He stated. “That still doesn’t explain why you didn’t recognize me.”
    “How could I? You don’t even sound the same!” I glared at him.
    “What would be the point of a mask if I still sounded the same?” he replied. “Besides my voice just came with the curse it’s not like I picked it.”
    I narrowed my eyes “curse??”.
    “Never mind about that.” He stood up abruptly. “Unless you where performing a strip tease I’d assume you where planning to take a shower as well, correct tyki-pet??” he scanned me over with his eyes for a second. “The waters still running and I have work to do.” He brushed past me and headed down the stairs before I got a chance to talk to him, his head lowered like he was trying to hide his face in embarrassment. I felt the same heat in my face as earlier as I watched him walk down the stairs, but I shook it off.
   “I’ll never understand that guy.” I said, heading off to take my shower.