[Fic] Of Mythology and Fairytales
Title: Of Mythology and Fairytales
Author: queen_kat_tun
Beta: kaykm
Pairing: Akame
Rating: R
Genre: Romance, Supernatural
Disclaimer: Akame are my favorite puppets. (^~^)b
Summary: It’s Mythology meets Fairytale and Fate Stay Night.
---
Part II
Kazuya reached the last step of the stairs. The mansion was quiet, only the sound of the waves from below the cliff could be heard.
Water. He needed water. He knew he won't be able to go back to sleep after that dream. It was disturbing, but Kazuya somehow found it a pleasant dream.
A sigh slipped past his lips as he went towards the kitchen. He got a bottle out of the fridge, uncapped it and drank some of the cool water.
"Jin..." he repeated the name. Unconsciously, Kazuya put up a finger and drew circles in the air. He blinked when the remaining water inside the bottle went afloat in the air, moved in circles; like the way his finger moved.
"Woah!" he exclaimed to himself, amazed. He knew he had control over the element of water in his dream but this was surreal as the water obeyed his every whim.
With wide eyes, Kazuya opened the faucet and allowed the water to flow freely.
Once again, he moved his finger and the water obeyed his every command. He closed his eyes, thought of snow and snowflakes and soon enough, he could feel flurry white specks touching his skin. Kazuya opened his eyes, smiled widely when he came face to face with intricately designed snowflakes.
"So pretty..." he told himself as he caught one and traced its edges. It didn't seem to melt even though he was feeling warm.
"If my powers are real then..." his voice trailed off as realization dawned upon him. Feeling a bit giddy, Kazuya made his way out of the mansion and sat on the edge of the cliff. He watched the sea as waves made its way to the surface.
"Be calm." he whispered to the wind and the sea soon became an even surface. It shimmered beautifully under the moonlight.
"Oh, this is fun!" Kazuya chirped happily. He spent the next forty-five minutes playing with his new discovery. Suffice to say, he did everything he could with the element of water. It was an exhilarating experience.
"I can see that you've regained control of your power, Kazuya."
Kazuya stiffened upon hearing the voice. Has anyone seen him use his power? Are they going to scream? Expose him? What would the mortals think of him now? Will they burn him alive? Kill him?
Wanting to defend himself, Kazuya thought of icicles and saw them form in the sea below. He hid them onto the depths, thought that it'd be better if the intruder couldn't see what he had prepared for his attacker.
"Who are you?" he asked, his eyes still focused on the body of water below the cliff. The waves were now back, no longer keeping the sea calm as Kazuya felt the need to guard himself.
"You don't have to be scared." the voice was gentle. Kazuya saw how the angry waves of the sea had calmed down again. "Now before you freak out, I can control the elements except for light and darkness."
Kazuya turned to his left and soon found a man in a casual get-up. The man wore black, fitted pants and a white, button-up shirt. He had a feeling that he knew the stranger.
"Do you not remember me from your dreams?"
Kazuya stared at the man's face, his icicles long forgotten as he met that gentle gaze. "I'm sorry...I remember your face but I don't know your name. You always play a harp in my dreams."
"Yes, I do. You don't need to be sorry." the stranger said as he sat down beside the younger man. They both listened to the sound of the gentle waves hitting the shore.
"You haven't changed."
"You know me?" Kazuya asked. Somehow, he felt relaxed with this man.
"Yes, I know you." the man said. He flicked his wrist and soon, there were dolphins, made and shaped out of water, swimming and playing on the sea.
"That's so cool!" Kazuya sounded excited and amazed. His eyes were wide, like those of an overexcited child.
"You're better at it than me though." the man replied. "You can control everything about water, even the creatures whose habitat is the water."
"No way!" Kazuya gasped.
"I'm serious. You could order the mermaids, water nymphs, the dolphins, etc. to do whatever you want them to."
"How do you know all these?" Kazuya asked.
"Does the name Tatsuya ring a bell?"
Tatsuya...Tatsuya...Tatsuya...
"Tat-chan...?" Kazuya whispered. He didn't even know why but the name slipped out of his lips without him even knowing how. It felt familiar. Then something clicked inside him.
"Tat-chan!!" he squealed, a wide grin formed on his face.
Tatsuya smiled and unable to resist such urge, he wrapped his arms around Kazuya and held the younger close to him. "Yes, Kazuya." he whispered. "I'm your Tat-chan. I missed you."
"Hmm..." Kazuya hummed, tightening his arms around his friend.
---
"So...uhh, what happened to me? If I am what you claim me to be, then why am I here? Why am I living with mortals?" Kazuya asked when they finally were comfortable with each other. He didn't feel like rejecting the other's company since he felt very comfortable with the man. Besides, Tat-chan was his friend. He was certain of that.
"Wait, do you have any proof that you're a god? It's not that I'm not convinced that you are but-"
Tatsuya chuckled. "Yes, I know what you mean. And no, the dolphins aren't some kind of a trick." Kazuya sighed in relief as he watched Tatsuya put his left hand on top of his shoulder blades, one after the other, and touched his scapulae.
In a blink of an eye, Kazuya saw how two wings emerged from the man's back. It was amazing that the wings were there but Tatsuya's clothes had received no damage. The wings were very much like the ones Kazuya saw in his dreams.
"Can I touch them?" the younger of the two asked. It was amazing to see the wings up close.
"Sure." Tatsuya smiled.
Kazuya put a hand up and traced the golden edges before he traveled down its body that is very translucent but very beautiful. It glistened under the moonlight.
"They're very beautiful, Tat-chan." Kazuya said as he laid his hands on his lap again.
Tatsuya chuckled. "They are. Thank you." he felt his cheeks go warm from the praise. "Anyway, would you like to know about what happened to you?"
"I'd be very glad if you tell me." Kazuya smiled at the other man. "My dreams are getting more intense and they occur every night now. Before, my dreams only occur once a week and some were blurred. But they're all clear and vivid now. It's like I'm living in it already." he told the other male.
"Hmm...I know about that." Tatsuya said softly.
"You do?" Kazuya exclaimed. "How so?"
"I've been watching over you." the older of the two said. "We visit you through your dreams, Kazu-chan."
"We?" Kazuya frowned.
"The ones you see in your dreams." Everything in your dream actually happens. You just refuse to go back and live with us again.
"Ah! You mean the other gods and you?"
"Yes."
"I see..."
"You see, Aphrodite's spirit dwells in you. You represent the goddess of love, beauty, and sexuality." Tatsuya started to say. He touched the ground with his fingertips and flowers bloomed from the usually barren soil. Tatsuya held a hand up and a pomegranate appeared in his hand. "Here. I know you've missed this." he said and offered Kazuya the fruit.
Kazuya reluctantly accepted the fruit, held it in between his two hands. "I thought I love the golden apples in my haven? It's what I always eat inside my dreams."
"You do love it. It's just that I can't materialize those that are inside your haven."
Kazuya just nodded. Somehow, he understood even though he was confused.
"As I was saying, the spirit of Aphrodite lives inside of you."
"I've actually realized that much..." Kazuya answered, his voice almost a whisper.
"You did?" Tatsuya frowned. How was Kazuya able to realize that when he was at this state? But then again, considering the fact that he was allowing himself to be united with Jin in his dreams again, Kazuya must've been waking up. Tatsuya knew he needed to give the other a little push so Kazuya could free himself of that state where he refused to accept and repressed the fact that he had fallen so deep in love and was terribly hurt.
"Yeah. My dreams are quite...helpful." Kazuya gave a nervous chuckle. "Am I not supposed to know that?"
"Have you seen Ares?" Tatsuya wanted to know even though he knew that the lovers had been together in the dream.
"Ares?" Kazuya repeated the name. Of course he knew who Ares was. "He's the one I hated, right? I mean the man whom Aphrodite hated."
A chuckled, almost a giggle, escaped Tatsuya. "What made you say that?"
"Because we always fight and...fight." Now Kazuya couldn't find it in him to say that they, he and Ares, always ended the fight by making sweet, passionate love.
"Hate?" Tatsuya gave out an amused laugh. "It's the opposite actually."
"What?"
"That's not the point though." Tatsuya gave the other a teasing smile. "Like I've said, you represent Aphrodite and Jin as Ares." Tatsuya paused for a short while and continued with, "Jin once went out to live like how mortals do. He found friendship in the form of demigods, namely Yamashita and Nishikido."
"Then why don't I see them in my dreams?"
"Your dreams are quite...limited." Tatsuya informed the other. "Demigods don't live in our forest. They prefer to live with the humans. They watch over our temples and maintain peace while we are busy handling everything in this world."
"How many demigods are there?"
"A lot. There's NewS, Arashi, SMAP, Tokio, Kinki Kids, Tackey and Tsubasa, Kanjani8, Hey! Say! Jump and a whole lot more."
"We don't see them?" Kazuya had to ask.
"We rarely see them." Tatsuya reiterated. "They can function on their own. They all have their respective powers and areas of expertise."
"I see..."
"Let's go back to our story, shall we?"
Kazuya nodded and waited with much anticipation. He wanted to know everything that includes him and his dreams.
"Jin has Ares' spirit inside of him." Tatsuya repeated and looked at the man. "I believe you know the relationship between the goddess Aphrodite and the god Ares. You do, right?"
"I have a fairly good idea. Almost perfect, actually." Kazuya answered. With his dreams, he came to a conclusion that Aphrodite and Ares are lovers.
"Yamashita and Nishikido enjoyed the life of humans. They were worshipped and loved and adored. Mortals are a fool when it comes to us gods. They believe that by making us fall for them, they will forever be saved and secured. Yamashita and Nishikido loved playing around. They were troublemakers but they knew how to escape the problem they had created. They loved fooling around with women the most for they are vulnerable and fragile. Women are the perfect prey for the gods' predator selves."
"That's cruel..."
"It depends on how one views things, Kazuya." Tatsuya told the younger male. "Jin was fond of those two since those two are his stepbrothers. Their bond is deeper than any platonic relationship there is. Like Ares, Jin has it in him to play the role of a predator. He represents the god of war and that's expected. He seeks adventure in everything. And as a man, he envied the two for having the privilege of playing around. Ares refused to be passive. He wanted to play the game even if you were already his consort. He wanted to be free and so, Jin desired to do what his friends do."
"Men are shallow beings." Kazuya remarked.
Tatsuya could only smile, knowing that the statement was somehow true. "You could say that. Anyway, the temptation proved to be too strong. Provoked by his stepbrothers, Jin went out of our place and had his share of fun with the mortals..."
"And then?" Kazuya's voice was now indifferent; emotions no longer evident. It was flat and cold and silent.
"They had fun the way a bachelor would; booze, women, gambling, and everything else that basically screamed the word fun. They terrorized some foolish men and killed them."
Kazuya didn't even cringe at the fact that Jin and his stepbrothers had killed humans.
"What about sex?" Kazuya couldn't stop himself from asking.
If he was Aphrodite and Jin was Ares, Jin better knew to whom he belongs to. He believed that he wouldn't like the fact that Jin had been doing such intimate act with a mortal when the two of them were lovers. Tatsuya just affirmed him of his relationship with Jin. If Jin did have sex with another then that would be cheating and gods or not, cheating is considered a mortal sin. He knew that because he once watched a scene in his dream where a god was punished because he cheated on his partner.
"Jealous?" Tatsuya's voice broke Kazuya's reverie.
"No, I'm not."
"You sound possessive just a while earlier."
Kazuya kept his mouth shut as melodious laughter echoed from Tatsuya.
"The water reflects how you feel, Kazu-chan." Tatsuya said as he watched the waters below go wild.
"You still haven't answered my question." Kazuya tried to change the subject.
"Are you sure you want to know?" Tatsuya asked.
"It couldn't be that bad."
Tatsuya heaved a deep sigh and said, "Ares visited the mortals and lived with them for two months. His physical beauty was enough to earn him the attention he was given. He liked to be the center of attention. Eventually, women and men knew that inside Jin resides the god of war. It was already a given that women would fall for him and men would admire him. Besides, they needed Ares' support to win their battles and the women wanted his child."
"He granted a mortal's request, didn't he?" Kazuya hissed. He could feel anger boiling in his very being, licking his veins.
Unaware to Kazuya, Tatsuya had been trying his very best to control Kazuya's emotions. It was a power unique only to him. Asides the fact that she was the goddess of love, beauty, and sexuality, Aphrodite was known for being vain, ill-tempered, and easily offended. Tatsuya could see that the Aphrodite in Kazuya was getting out of control. The brown eyes reflected anger, jealousy, and the feeling of being betrayed.
"You are not answering me." a cold, stern voice echoed in the silence of the night.
"There was this woman he had the chance to meet." Tatsuya started to speak again. "She was the prettiest of all mortals. She loved him but instead of begging like the others, she showed her love for him by treating Jin as the most superior of men and of the gods."
"Ares would love that." they both knew that it was Aphrodite's influence that caused the younger to say those words. The goddess of love refused to bow down to anyone. Ares could go shed tears of blood but Aphrodite won't beg him.
"This mortal," Kazuya said, "tell me more about her."
Tatsuya saw how Kazuya's eyes grew sharp. He knew he shouldn't anger him but he had the right to know. Jin had been keeping the world dark and fire destroyed cities that Jin found annoying. The dreams were no longer enough to sustain Ares' and Jin's wants; what Ares feels, Jin feels. What Ares does, Jin does.
If this kept on going, the world would soon be destroyed once Jin let Ares overpower him. Ares' violent side screamed for blood to be shed, for the world to be bathed in blood. Ares desires for Aphrodite and Jin yearns for Kazuya. It was only Aphrodite and Kazuya who could put a stop to the pending chaos.
But Aphrodite was being stubborn and kept Kazuya away. That was the reason why Kazuya couldn't remember his life and who he really was. She was the reason why Kazuya was confused. Tatsuya knew that Kazuya knew what was happening. He just refused to believe it because Jin had hurt him through Ares.
"I told you to tell me more about that mortal!" Kazuya's voice pierced through the night. Tatsuya glanced at the sea below and saw how high the waves had been. Dark, thick clouds rolled by. It started to drizzle as Kazuya felt Ares' lover awoke inside of him.
"Suffice to say, the woman earned his affection. Both Ares and Jin had been fond of her and she was treated like a queen."
"Is that why I've isolated myself?" A jealous Aphrodite and Kazuya wasn't something one would like to deal with.
"No, Kazuya." Tatsuya shook his head gently. "What angered you was the fact that Jin took her innocence in one of your temples..."
To cheat was one thing but to fall in love with a mortal and had sex in his, rather Aphrodite's, place of worship...
The muscles on his jaw tightened. Kazuya found it hard to speak.
"Kazuya...?"
"Tell Jin never to visit me in my dreams. Ever again."
Tatsuya watched the young god stood up and made his way towards the mansion.
The calm evening became a stormy one. Lightning danced in the skies, thunder echoed loudly and the heavy downpour of rain would surely do damage to some parts of the earth.
"Kazuya..." Tatsuya whispered the younger's name but the other never looked back. Tatsuya sighed and tried to calm the element of water.
"Dare to interrupt me and I'd create havoc, Ueda Tatsuya."
The voice was loud in his ears but Tatsuya was sure there was no other being in sight.
Ueda Tatsuya...
"You're finally getting back to your senses, Kazuya. I know I shouldn't be, but I am glad. I am very, very glad that you are finally starting to remember."
---
The loud sound of thunder disrupted his sleep. He looked outside and saw lightning cross the sky.
He watched as the rain poured hard. He could even hear how huge waves hit the shores angrily. The wind, he was sure, was already being taken cared of by Yuichi despite the storm. He thought it would be a pathetic effort on Yuichi's part since the wind was too out of control. Sometimes, he wonders if Tatsuya really is the superior of them all when another god was capable of doing so much damage by controlling another element.
"I'm glad you're awake, Kazuya." he whispered softly, watching how trees, plants, and rocks were uprooted and was hitting whatever that blocked their way. Koki and Junno would have a lot of work to do once the storm stops.
Jin closed his eyes again and tried to search for one particular dream bubble. He didn't find it. He focused all of his senses to find it but his efforts were put in vain. After a last try, he gave up and tried to sleep again, the feeling of emptiness washed over him.
***
Part III