Chapter: Where the hearts meet not

Original work of amanda.faith and pristine.chow

Status: Partially complete/intended ending for Ryuu-Arizce plot (out of role play site)




A slight evening breeze blew over the lakeside. The place had been beautifully decorated to create the perfect Halloween ambience. Pumpkins have been made into Jack-o-lanterns and the candles placed in them dimly lit up the area, covering it with an aura of mystery. Arizce walked slowly along the lakeside. Small lotus candles were floating beautiful in the azure waters as soft ripples continuously moving towards the other side of the lake, sending the lotus further and further away from shore.

A quick study left her an impression of up most beauty. Skeletons were hung around and people were dressed in many different kinds of beautiful costumes that were either scary or absolutely gorgeous. Arizce had once again decided to go with black, her favourite colour, and hence had gone as a vampire. Consciously, she ran her tongue slightly over her fake fangs, feeling the sharp ends against her tongue. She looked around, as if in search for something. She knew something was missing from her life; she just didn’t know what.

Another form soon entered the bewitching scene. Riccardo slowly decended the steps towards the party grounds. Beside him was Marilyn, tightly grasping his arm. Riccardo glared slightly at her. He didn’t like the way she stuck on to him, or the way she behaved but he had to do it. He had to forget Arizce and get back at her.

Gently, he smoothed his vampire cloak with his free arm. From afar he might have appeared to be attempting to swip the hands of his vixen companion away. The way Marilyn dressed disgusted Riccardo. From the skimpy body hugging suit to her stelitto heels. But all the same he kept those thoughts to himself.

He didn’t enjoy having to attend balls, especially with a partner he did not like. But this had not been much of his choice. Marilyn would have wailed like a baby right in front of the crowd had he not complied to her whims. Trying his best to ignore her presence, Riccardo scanned the area.

A speck of black and white caught his eye. He spotted Arizce in the sea of faces, standing in the middle of the crowd like a lost child. She had too had came as a vampire and was dressed in a turtleneck with pants and a cloak billowing to the wind behind her. Her pale blond hair was pulled into a simple French twist. Riccardo found himself staring slightly at her.

Still as beautiful... Rizce, I miss you. Why can’t I just bring myself to tell you that I love you, why?

Thoughts aside, Ryuu continued to observe Arizce, oblivious that Marilyn had walked on ahead of him. He only nodded in acknowledgement when she beckoned to him and started to follow her lead; trying his best not to think of Arizce, and to cast her aside. If it hadn't been for his pride, he would be with her right now and who knew what they'd be doing? No... he couldn't think of that. His pride would not allow it.

"Come on Ryuu. Be quick now or we'll miss the show!" Marilyn's childish voice interupted his train of thoughts.

Ah yes... Ryuu... the name he went by in public. That was a nick name he had gone by since childhood. Of course now that he was an adolescent it had become his second identity. Barely anyone except his family knew him by his birth name... exceot for Arizce...

There she was again. Couldn't he just get her out of her mind? Forcing himself to push her aside in his mind Riccardo strod on after Marilyn. But his anger and jealousy was inevitable when he saw Kevin walked up to her and put his arm around her. Though he was too prideful to confess, his true feelings could not be ignored.


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Arizce stood, confused in the middle of the crowd around her. She blinked her pale grey eyes, not knowing what she was trying to do. She whipped her head around, only to see Ryuu and Marilyn walking down the stairs. Arizce’s eyes fell slightly. She did not want to see him together with someone else. Darn her pride. Why couldn’t she just tell him and get over with it. Arizce took another glance at him. He still looked the same as before, as charming as ever. Arizce knew it was going to be hard for her to forget him, but perhaps, it wouldn’t be so hard in the end, afterall, with her illness there would be no other option. Arizce sighed slightly and willed herself not to look at him. Tears were already threatening to roll down her face when suddenly; she felt someone's arm around her shoulder.

“Hi, Arizce.” Kevin said, greeting her politely. Arizce nodded her head in acknowledgement of Kevin's greeting, although, her heart wanted to turn her head back towards Ryuu and lose herself in those mesmerizing yellow eyes of his before she left this world. However, Kevin had already put his arm around her shoulder and had begun to lead her towards the drink stand. Arizce turned around and took one last look at Ryuu before she sadly turned her head and allowed Kevin to lead her away.


Ryuu, you know I’ll always have you in my mind.


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Ryuu yawned slightly. Balls were never fun, he did not know how he managed to let Marilyn cajole him into going to the ball. Worse of all, he was stuck with Marilyn, "his fox vixen" (or so she declared) while having to witness Arizce dance with other men. He didn’t like it one bit, but there was no way he was going to admit it. He did not know if Arizce felt the same way, and did not wish to be deemed a fool in her eyes. Unknowingly, his eyes searched for her presence again and that was when he saw her, dancing slowly with Kevin who held her tight in his arms. Ryuu did not know whether Arizce enjoyed it, though his memory prompted that her expression had been drastically different when he held her close to him. Did she enjoy his embrace more or Kevin’s? Ryuu’s fists clenched as he glared at Kevin, seething as he thought how he should be the one holding her now and not him. A slight tug on his shirt snatched him from his thoughts. As soon as he had turned round, he felt a kiss planted squarely on his lips.


~Epilogue~

Cold and merciless the winter wind howled; blowing hard against frail shivering trees and scattering the last of their dried burdens towards the south. The gate of the main cemetery creaked on it's frozen hinges as a figure swung it open without making physical contact. More gates swung open in the stranger's path until he finally arrived at the crypt of the Martins.

"We meet again my darling Arizce..." A mellow voice murmured as its owner knelt down on one knee, placing a bouquet of long-stemmed roses before the grave.

Unlike the other Martins who lay either in the crypt's vault or in slots along the crypt walls Arizce Martin lay in a separate memorial wing of her own. The Nefis family had made sure of that on his request.

"It has been a long time since we last spoke face to face." Riccardo began. But he could say no more. His words invoked his own misery as the memory flooded back into his mind.

"Riccardo I... I love you... I always will... but I have to go now... don't forget me..."


"No, you can't go. you can't!"


"Lord Riccardo... My Riccardo... Ri..."


"No!!! Arizce! Don't leave me! Wake up! I love you! I... love you... Arizce..."

Tears streamed from the once bright honey-yellow eyes, splashing soundlessly onto the polished marble that marked Arizce's grave. The memory of that fateful night still stung like a fresh wound even though more than a year had passed.

"I will never forgive myself Arizce. I just can't. I haven't found the heart to love another... I never will... I'm yours and yours alone..." the mournful lord muttered, his tears still a continuous stream.

Though drowning in his misery, his senses were still keen. He knew he wasn't alone.

As his head remained bowed, the hidden assasin crept forward as quietly as a hunter about to catch his prey, until he was within striking distance. And still, Riccardo did not move. Without a moment's hesitation the murderer-to-be drew out his weapon and aimed it at the back of Riccardo's head. A second's pause was soon followed by the sound of a gunshot ringing like a siren across the silent cemetery.

For a moment, Riccardo's last moments seemed to unfurl in slow motion as his form fell forward, onto the marble steps. His face bore an expression of peaceful contentment set in a half smile as his body lay strewn across the sacred steps.

I'm now truely yours Arizce... now and forever...