I SLOWLY OPENED MY EYES.THE VIEW IN FRONT OF ME WAS NOT UNFAMILIAR IN ANY WAY.I WAS IN MY ROOM,LYIMG ON MY BED.I WAS GLAD TO FIND MYSELF INSIDE THE SAFETINESS OF THE CASTLE.I TRIED TO SIT UP BUT I FELT REALLY WEAK AND HEAVY SO I DIDN'T TRY TO MOVE ANYMORE.I LAY THERE,THINKING.I WAS WONDERING HOW I GOT HERE FROM THE FOREST WHERE I WAS HUNTIING.THEN MY THOUGHTS GREW WARM AS I GLANCED AROUND ME.MY BED,ON WHICH I WAS NOW,WAS SURROUNDED WITH CANDLES THAT WERE LIGHTING UP THE HUGE ROOM IN A DIM WAY.
I SUDDENLY FELT LIKE I WAS IN A TRANCE.BUT THIS TIME I FORCED MYSELF TO GATHER ENERGY AND SIT UP AND THEN I SAW SOMETHING REALLY STRANGE...MY BEDSHEET WAS COVERED WITH A THICK LAYER OF SMOOTH RED ROSE PETALS.I TOUCHED IT AND SHIVERED.SO COLD.AND THEN I WALKED OUT OF BED AND AS SOON AS MY FEET CAM E IN CONTACT WITH THE GROUND,I REALIZED I WAS FEELING COLD.I WAS SHOCKED TO DISCOVER THAT MY BODY WAS WARM.THE CONFUSION WAS NOW OVERTAKING THE DOUBTS...
BUT I MADE MY WAY TO THE HUGE MIRROR SET ON THE NORTHERN WALL OF THE ROOM.WHAT I SAW WAS,INSTEAD OF THE TATTERED OLD GOWN I WAS WEARING AT THE FOREST,I WAS NOW WEARING A COLA BLACK GOWN THAT HAD ROYAL MARKS OF THE DARKWING FAMILY ON THE SILKY,LONG SLEEVES.MY HAIR WAS BRUSHED STRAIGHT AND TIED LOOSELY AT THE TIP WITH A SCARLET CHIFFON RIBBON...I WAS WONDERING WHO HAD DRESSED ME SO ROYALLY.AND I WAS WEARING MY DARKWING CROWN,THE SAME BLACK CROWN WITH THE SHINY RUBIES...WEIRD...
OH NO!SOMEONE WAS COMING!I HURRIED BACK TO BED AND PRETENDED TO BE ASLEEP.I HEARD THE BIG DOOR TO MY ROOM CRASH OPEN LOUDLY.I KEPT MY EYES SHUT AND LISTENED HARD.I WAS SHOCKED AND HAPPY BOTH AT A TIME...SHOCKED BECAUSE I HEARD A BOY'S VOICE AND HAPPY BECAUSE I KNEW THE VOICE.IT DIDN'T TAKE LONG FOR ME TO REALIZE THAT IT WAS THE VOICE OF MY BELOVED CIEL.
I OPENED MY EYES AND LOOKED AT HIS PERFECTION AS HE STOOD THERE TALKING TO SOMEONE I COULDN'T SEE.THEN,SUDDENLY ANOTHER VOICE THAT CAME FROM THE DIRECTION HE WAS FACING MADE ME EVEN MORE SURPRISED AND MY HEAD TURNED AUTOMATICALLY TOARDS THAT VOICE...
MY VOICE!I SAW MYSELF DRESSED IN THE SAME WAY I WAS NOW,IN THE SAME ROYAL MAKEOVER.I WAS POINTING AT CIEL AND SHOUTING OUT SOMETHING.THEN I SAW MYSELF SUDDENLY CRYING AND BEGGING FOR MERCY.CIEL'S FACE WAS IN AGONY,HE WAS IN DISGUISE,WEARING A BLACK VEIL WITH A HOOD TO COVER HIMSELF.I SAW MYSELF WALK AWAY FROM HIM,PACING BACKWARDS BUT HE KEPT UP EASILY AND GOT TO ME IN NO TIME.
HE WAS HOLDING ME,I COULD SEE THE INTENSITY IN HIS EYES AS HE TALKED TO ME BYE LOOKING DOWN AT ME,AS IF HE WAS TRYING TO CONVINCE ME ,TO PUSH SOME SENSE INTO ME.BUT I SAW MYSELF SHAKING MY HEAD FRANTICALLY,AS IF TO SAY NO.CIEL BRUSHED HIS HAND ON MY CHEEK AND SMILED,A DETERMINED SMILE.
I SAW MYSELF GRASP WHAT HE WAS ABOUT TO DO AND JUST STARE HELPLESSLY AT HIM AS HE PREPARED TO PROCEED.MY EYES BURNED WITH DESPAIR AND PAIN,TEARS SPLASHED OUT OF THEM AND I CLENCHED MY TEETH AS THE PAIN SHOT THROUGH MY ENTIRE BODY AND MY FACE CHANGED,IT LOOKED LIKE THE PAIN WAS TURNING MY BODY INTO ASHES.I WAS BEING TRANSFORMED....
BUT NOW I SAW SOMETHING THAT I HAD NOT SEEN WHILE DYING.I SAW IT FROM THE DISTANCE CLEARLY,CIEL'S GUILTY AND PAINED FACE AS HE PULLED AWAY ,REALIZING WHAT HE'S DONE,FOR I FOUND MYSELF CLOSE MY EYES FOR THE LAST TIME AND FALL ON THE GROUND IN A NUMB MOTION.CIEL'S HANDS WERE SHAKING AS HE PICKED MY BODY,WHICH NOW HAD NOT A SINGLE SIGN OF LIFE LEFT IN IT.THE TEARS SLID DOWN HIS CHEEKS ONTO MY PALE,LIFELESS FACE AS HE CARRIED ME.
OH!HE PLACED MY BODY RIGHT ON ME!AND I FELT MYSELF BLENDING..MIXING...IT WAS A STRANGE FEELING TO HAVE.I WAS IN MY BODY,MY SOUL COMPINED WITH MY DEAD BODY.IN WAS IN ONE PIECE,AS I FELT MYSELF PENETRATE THROUGH MY BODY AND I STARTED TO FEEL NUMB.CIEL SAT THERE BESIDE ME,HOLDING MY HAND WHICH WAS GROWING COLD.THEN,BEFORE HE LEFT HE KISSED MY COLD LIPS FOR ONE LAST TIME.HE WHISPERED SOMETHING IN MY EAR AND THEN I SAW HIM WALK OUT THE DOOR.I TRIED TO THINK.SO,THIS IS WHY I DIDN'T REMEMBER ANYTHING FROM MY EARLY LIFE.BUT I WAS HAPPY.THIS WAS THE LAST THOUGHT I COULD MANAGE TO HAVE AS THE LIGHTS SLOWLY STARTED GOING OUT ALL AROUND...
AND THEN THE DARKNESS SURROUNDED ME AND I KNEW I WAS ALIVE THOUGH I FELT LIKE I'D DIED...I WAS DRIFTING AWAY,ONE LAST CANDLE TO KEEP OUT THE NIGHT AS THE DEEP SLUMBER WASHED THROUGH ME...