Ghostly Dreams

AN: Late Gakupo's b-day present. One night, Kaito and a bunch of friends decide to go to the graveyard to vandalize some graves, but end up meeting with a strange man in a kimono sitting by the graveyard's fountain.

AN: Check my blog for updates. Comments and others.

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Part 1 - Man in the Night

Don't ask me why I accepted the offer to go with my friends there. Len and Rin were always getting into trouble and we always ended up being dragged behind. They needed intelligence, so they dragged Leon, they needed wits so they dragged Meiko, charisma so they dragged Miku, and a scapegoat so they dragged me. We usually had fun pulling pranks, but I never imagined that they'd bring me to the cemetery.

The cemetery at night was horrifying. It was completely dark with just these small lights at floor level that would terrify the shit out of whoever passed by. The graves were surrounded by this ominous feeling, with several weeds and high grass. I was afraid to look back. What if someone was standing behind us? There was this almost constant mist in the air around us, as if warning us about the future.

At first I thought we went there to scare someone or to play some pranks on visitors, but when I saw them actually breaking and vandalizing the graves, I could not take part in it.

"You're a wuss Kaito!" Rin mocked me.

"Am not! Watch!"

I can't say I am practically proud of myself. I was a fool back then and did not know better. Grabbing the cans of spray, I started writing insults and curse words in kanji in many of the graves. I was a teen back then and did not know better, I thought that writing "Fag" in an old abandoned grave was awesome, that writing "bitch" in an old lady's grave would make me a cool guy.

I was a jerk. A pretty pathetic one, too.

Me and my friends did not stop. Breaking pots, ripping plants, we soaped the fountains-all kinds of messed up shit that the dead did not deserve falling victim to. Kids certainly are cruel, but we weren't expecting anybody to be there, until we heard a noise.

At first it was a weird sound, something unexpected for a place like that. It seemed as if someone was slowly unsheathing a sword, and then we saw a figure, an ethereal shining figure of a man amidst the mist, holding a half unsheathed katana, like a samurai seeking for his prey. He was staring down at us, a man, a few inches shorter than me, but ominous looking, dangerous. A serious look lingering on his eyes, he was, unpleased. His yukata moved in the wind and he seemed to blend perfectly with the mist, as if he was part of it, as if he was extension of the place itself.

"Who's there?" We heard a deep voice ask.

"Fuck! It's the groundkeeper! Let's move!" I heard Meiko yell, but I remained in my place. It was as if it was a ghost that was walking towards us. "Kaito! Move your ass!"

Awakening from my trance, I turned around and ran after Meiko and the others. We ran until the figure was no longer visible in the night. My friends climbed the fence and made it to the other side, but as I got there I stopped once more and looked back. I could see the man clearly now, a young beautiful man, with long purple hair and blue eyes shimmering in the moonlight. He wore a simple male's dark blue yukata. He stared directly and me and left go of a sad smile, as if he had seen a friend from whom he hadn't heard from in centuries.

Yet, in fear, I did the same as my friends and made my way to the other side. That man's face forever imprinted in my mind.

Remarkably, there were no news in the weeks following to this event of the vandalizing we did on the cemetery, and we were all too burned to talk with each other about it. Once in a while I would question people about strange happenings in the cemetery but no one knew about them. Only one person seemed to know.

"Strange stuff in the cemetery? Like ghosts?" Big Al, our exchange student colleague asked me.

"No, like vandalizing and stuff…"

"Oh, that's never going to happen!" Al said.

"How can you be so sure?" He asked lifting his hands at Al, concerned about it all. Al blinked.

"Well, the Cemetery has a guardian spirit," he winked at me with a smirk.

Guardian spirit? I instantly thought of the man in the cemetery.

That night, I dreamt of him, a beautiful man in blue yukata with purple hair and sapphire eyes, wandering alone amidst the mist, carrying his sword, like an ethereal guardian of those grounds, and then he saw me and smiled. I walked towards him, but not by my command, I had no control over my body. And, as I was getting close he suddenly pushed me over and I fell down a grave hole, hands bursting from the walls, darkened black hands, grabbing me, dragging me into the ground.

"Help!" I yelled. He just smiled at me sadly.

"I hope one day you can forgive me, as I forgave you…" He said.

I could feel the heat below me and as I looked down I could see lava and flames, awaiting me. Burning up legs, the flames quickly consumed me. I tried to run, to get free, but the arms held me for my untimely end.

I woke up sweating and in panic, my breathing harsh and difficult. There was a tingling sensation in my legs and lower torso. I could still hear his words in my mind. "Forgive me for this punishment…"

I had to see him.

Jumping over the fence, I made my way back into the cemetery. I just wandered around for quite some time. I wasn't sure for how long. I was scared to death. What was I planning to accomplish with this? It was all a nightmare. It meant nothing! I was over-exaggerating; he was not a ghost, nor a guardian spirit. He could be a yakuza for all I know.

In the cemetery, there were no signs of vandalizing, as if my friends and I were never there. As if that night never happened. Quickly, I found the grave in which I fell too in my dream. It was closed up, and there was a plaque there for my great, great, grandfather, Kyohei.

"What are you doing here?" Suddenly that voice asked.

I turned around and stared at the fountain that we had soaped - the large one with the samurai statue. It appeared flawless, glistening under the moon. Sat by it, there was, again, the same man. Purple long hair tied up in a high bun, long sideburns falling loosely over his shoulder, pale white skin with a hint of yellow, sapphire blue eyes, and a face so delicate and beautiful in a body that appeared well toned by work, by the sword. On his sash, a sheathed katana rested.

"Are you here to vandalize this resting place once more?" The man asked me.

I remained in silence, too shocked to respond. Shaking my head, I finally awakened from my thoughts. He was just a man, not a ghost-regardless of what the mist and the ethereal shimmer around him said.

"I came to apologize," I answered and he tilted his head. "For that night, for what me and my friends did. It was stupid of us."

"It's not to me that you should apologize, but to the people whose family members were buried in the graves that you defaced," he said as he stared at the waters.

"I know, and I am sorry," I said. "Do you have family here?"

"No," he answered and looked up at me. "My family is buried elsewhere."

"Oh… then, why are you here? You're the groundkeeper, right?" I had to ask.

"No, I am waiting for someone," he smiled hopeful at me.

"Why… do you look at me like this?"

"You sort of look like him," he answered. "His hair was darker though, but had the same clueless face," he chuckled and looked at the water smiling. A sad, resentful smile.

"Oh, what's his name?"

"His name is Aoi Shion."

"Oh! You're a Yakuza!" I said. There was only one Aoi Shion around I knew, and it was my uncle who happened to be a yakuza. "He's in China currently… so, you're in a bit of a bad luck…"

"Not that Shion…" He said nonchalantly, still not looking at me.

"Oh… I guess it is a common family name," I said and smiled ashamed, I sat beside him. "My name's Kaito, Kaito Shion."

"Gakupo Kamui," he presented himself.

"So, how long have you been waiting for that person?"

"For over 200 years," he answered.

"What?!" No way! Could Al be right? Could he really be a Guardian Spirit? I was dumbfounded at the thought.

"Just kidding," he said, chuckling at my expression. "But it's been a while…"

"So, you come here every night?" I asked.

"I'm always around," he answered.

More and more, he sounded like a hurt, trapped ghost. "I see… when will your friend come?"

"I don't know," he looked down; there was some sorrow in his eyes.

"Oh, did you guys agree to meet here?"

"Not exactly," he answered but did not say anything else.

"Oh…" realizing how the mood had changed, I decided to talk about something else. "Is that a real sword?"

"Yes! Her name is Miburi Gakutou, she can sing!"

"A singing sword?!"

"Yes!"

"That's awesome! Where did you get it?"

"It has been in my family for generations," he answered.

Our conversation went on until morning rose. Silly things, most of the time we would just both stood quietly, staring at the moon.

"I must go," I said. "I have school."

"Very well," he smiled at me, a smile that made my heart skip a beat and my head feel light.

"Humm, but, hum… Can I see you tonight?" He tilted his head at me, a curious expression on his face. "So that I can keep you company while you wait for your friend… This place is scary and, you don't need to be alone."

"I would enjoy that," he smiled again and I felt dazed by that smile.

I spent the whole day in a completely dazed state. That face, those eyes, that smile, caught me completely unprepared. I think it was love at first sight! I couldn't stop thinking about him.

When night came, I snuck out of my room and went to the cemetery again, and there he was, by the fountain once more, same set of clothes, same hairstyle, and same katana.

He was happy to see me. We talked again, and he found out about my endless number of brothers and sisters. I told him about my friends, how they were always so troublesome, always doing pranks and making a hard time. He also told me about his family, he had three sisters and an older brother. He spoke mostly and very fondly of his brother. I could clearly tell that he admired him greatly. He lived with his mother and his father was deathly ill, but he never specifically stated the disease.

Then, he later told me that he enjoyed going there to watch the moon and take some rest from all the worries at home. Apparently, he was alone taking care of his elder sisters and parents while his brother was away at war. I couldn't help but wonder which war?

It was there that he met Aoi and started spending time with him, but he said nothing more about his friend.

Our meetings became regular. I would sleep during the afternoon and visit him at night. I even took my homework with me sometimes, he'd even help. I could no longer spend one day without thinking about him, without seeing those beautiful sapphires framed by those long eyelashes. The whole day was a race of excitement to that time of the night in which I knew I would see his eyes again and hear his voice. An ethereal spirit waiting for me in the dark.

I found out he practiced kenjutsu. Later the same day I had to google in order to discover that it was old style samurai martial art. He had been taught by his brother and used to practice often with him. With a gentle smile, looking down so he wouldn't sound arrogant, he told me that he believed to be good, but not as good as his older brother. Apparently his brother always said that in a couple of years he'd surpass him.

I just heard all he told me with devotion and admiration.

He's a Kendo fighter, what about you, Kaito? What have you done with your life? Played pranks and masturbated. I couldn't help but feel ashamed and reduce my hobby descriptions down to simple five words.

"I like to watch movies…" No use telling him what kind.

I was glad that he trusted me enough to tell me a lot about himself. I realized he was very… traditional, almost too traditional for a man who seemed to be between his late teens and early twenties. And more of what he told me made me think of him as a spirit, rather than a living person. I wanted to know everything about him, but during the few hours we were together, he avoided speaking in depth of his family to me, of where he came from or what happened to his friend.

Because of this, I wanted to know everything about him.

"Hey Kaito, how are you?" A raspy, cheerful voice started. "I'm surprised to see you."

That day, I went to the library. I was supposed to do the history of a location but hadn't chosen which yet. My exchange student kohai, Al, had come to meet me. He sat beside me and smiled at me, worry splattered all across his face.

"What's so surprising?"

"You're always gone as soon as school ends! Did you find yourself a pretty girl?" He asked and I looked away. "What building are you going to do your report on?"

"I don't know…" I answered.

"Then why are you googling the Siblings Memorial Garden?" He asked.

"The what?" I suddenly realized I was looking for local cemeteries. It was something so automatic that I didn't even realize it until I was doing it. Apparently I was researching the old cemetery where I would meet up with Gakupo.

"How do you call it?"

"Siblings Memorial Garden."

"Huh, what a weird name for a cemetery," I mumbled, staring at the picture of the fountain where Gakupo would always sit by. "That's the one you said it had a Guardian Spirit? Why do you say that?"

"You don't know the story of the Siblings Memorial Garden?" He asked and I glared at him. He took a deep breath to prepare himself for a long history lecture.

"It used to be a part of this Feudal Mansion that belonged to a samurai family, but they were in territorial wars with another family who considered they had stolen the land from them. The elder brother went to the war, since his father was deathly ill," the choice in words Al did made me flinch, "but to watch over the father, the mother and the three younger sisters, the youngest sibling stayed back, with the elder's sword."

"Now, what exactly happened, I don't remember. I'll have to do research," he said brushing his chin. "But apparently, the son of the rival family went to visit the youngest sibling and brought assassins with him. They attacked the youngest sibling who fought back all of the assassins but was still stabbed in the back by the son of the rival family. He held back the attackers long enough for his older brother and the husbands of his sisters to arrive. The son of the rival family, now outnumbered and wounded, ran off with his allies, leaving the youngest sibling dying behind."

"That is sad," Kaito mumbled.

"Because the youngest sibling loved the Garden, the family buried him there and turned the garden into a graveyard in his honor," Al explained. "They say the youngest brother still haunts the Garden and protects it. That's why I said there's a Guardian Spirit."

I looked down, silent. Could that be Gakupo? Could Gakupo have been murdered in that very garden, only to stand there forever waiting for someone? But it wasn't his brother- Aoi Shion couldn't be his brother, could he? Maybe it was his lover.

"What was the family's name?" I asked.

"Don't remember, I read about that cemetery ages ago in a Vision Magazine. A guy was saying that he saw a ghost of a figure one night when he vandalized the Garden and the next morning, it was as if he hadn't done anything at all to the Cemetary."

That gave me a feeling of Déjà Vu. It was what happened with me.

"Hey Al, can you research a family name for me?"

"Sure, what do you want? Family trees? Journal clippings?" He asked.

"Anything you can get. Research the Kamui family, try to find any evidence of a Gakupo Kamui, no matter how minor!"

"Gakupo Kamui?" Al tilted his head. "Is he someone you have taken a liking?"

I blushed and with a worried smile I looked down.

"Don't tell me you think he might be a Yakuza. Kaito, if he's a Yakuza it's better if you just stay away from him, you know how relationships with them end up! One of the parties may really end up in the Sibling Memorial Garden."

"That's why I want you to find out about that person."

Al looked down and rubbed his head with a sigh, finally nodding at Kaito. "Okay, you can count on me!"

That afternoon, I had a dream again. I believe in my mind that I dreamed this due to what Al told me. It was the only reasonable explanation. It made me wonder if the Buddhists were right about reincarnation.

I found myself in the graveyard; only, it was a garden- a beautiful garden filled with roses, lisianthus, orchids, trees and bonsais. It was night, and there was the fountain- beautiful, glistening under the moon, but with no statue. I could see koi fish swimming around, white and red, black and white.

I felt a sense of bitterness growing inside me, a guilt that was tying up my throat, causing an unbearable pain in my chest. Why was I there? What did I do?

Then I saw him, the same dark blue yukata, his hair, long and lush, tied up on the top of his head, the moon shining on his face, his sapphire eyes filling with joy once he saw me.

"Aoi-sama!" I heard Gakupo say excitedly as he walked over to me.

I was caught by surprise. Why are you calling me Aoi? Is this Aoi? I am not Aoi! Gaku-sama, it's me, Kaito! I wanted to say this, but no words came out of my mouth. I'm Aoi… I realized, I was seeing out of his eyes, feeling his emotions, hearing his thoughts. It was as if I was just an outsider looking through someone else's eyes. Maybe I was - maybe I was dreaming.

I saw as Gakupo got closer to me placing both his hands on my arms, looking at me with a devotion that could only be described as love. He seemed preoccupied with my presence, but, at the same time, joyful for having him there.

"I'm glad to see you un-harmed. My brother, he went to battle and I was afraid you'd be there," he said. He looked down in fear and sadness.

Was this the man Gakupo was waiting for in the cemetery? Where they really at the cemetery before it became one? Maybe what Al said was true; maybe Gakupo was the man who was murdered in that Garden. It couldn't be. No, he was a living, breathing person.

"Your brother couldn't deal with me."

"Do not be so conceited, Aoi. You may be skilled, but my brother is… terrifying," he said. "I'm glad you came anyway, I was worried with you. I adore my brother and my family, but I am quite relieved that you are alright."

I watched as Gakupo suddenly let go of my arms and turned around, hugging himself. I could tell he was suffering, I just wanted to turn around and hug him closely against me, but I couldn't move. This wasn't my body, this wasn't my life, I was just a guest in this person's mind.

"I'm glad you came here, maybe, we can find a way out of this stupid feud."

Suddenly I heard a sound, as if people where around. I found myself looking from the corner of my eye to someone, to a group of men in yukatas, with swords in their hands, hiding, and waiting. They were looking at me as if waiting for an order and I nodded. I nodded at them, I didn't want to, but I nodded at them and I saw a wicked heart-stopping smirks on their faces.

They're going to kill him! I yelled in my mind. Gakupo! They're going to kill you!

I wanted to yell at him, but I said nothing. Once again I heard rustling, very silent, but I heard it. Suddenly I heard Gakupo pull out his sword, holding it tightly. He looked at me with worry across his eyes, he kept total silence, and then, taking a deep breath, he stared at me.

"Did you bring people with you?" I realized I was pulling my sword out as well. "Aoi, what are you doing?"

From out of nowhere a man charged at Gakupo. Their swords hit against each other. The purple-haired man moved with a grace and an agility I had never seen. He quickly struck the man across the chest and arms opening several wounds, even, with one clean cut, severing his attacker's arms off. The others came to join in, beside me. Swords on their hands, ready to attack him. I wanted to stop them, I wanted to yell, but I couldn't do anything.

"Why are you doing this?!" Gakupo asked stepping away. "I thought you cared for me."

"And I do, but honor comes first," I answered. "You really thought we could be together? We're from rival families, both males furthermore. I'm sorry Gakupo, but family duty is more important."

"You came for my father…" He realized. I saw him looking towards a large mansion on the East of the cemetery. "And I just happen to be on the way," he shook his head. "Aoi, please don't do this," he asked moving his hand towards the attackers. "He's just a sick man! Let him go!"

"I didn't come for your father, though he's also going to die," I hear myself say as I signaled the other men to approach.

One after the other, they surrounded him. Attack after attack, they threw their blows at him. I watched him fight, worry invading me, I wanted to yell, I wanted to fight beside him, but I couldn't. At every roar of sword hitting against blade, I felt the knot on my throat, the pain in my chest thicken. Why was I doing this? Why couldn't I stop them? Was he really going to die?!

I could know what the man was thinking. Gakupo's speed and skill was unparalleled, if Gakupo was that good, then his brother must be a sword god. I couldn't believe I was more worried about the prospect of facing Gakupo's brother than the fact that Gakupo could die. Though, for what I was watching, he should be worried about his men. One after the other, they were struck down by the man in the blue yukata.

My body moved… this man's body moved itself carefully until we was behind Gakupo. And once we saw Gakupo slash away two of his fighter we pulled our sword.

NO! I yelled in my mind.

"A-aoi…"

The blood was reaching my right hand. I saw Gakupo look over his shoulder in shock at me, his eyes filled with sorrow, disappointment, distress. I had betrayed him, betrayed his trust. I stabbed him… he stabbed him! Right in the back. He just…

He was going to die. I stabbed him right in the chest, on his heart…

But, to my surprise, the purple-haired male wasn't done for it yet. He pushed himself away from me… him, and flip around with a speed so amazing that I could just watch the blood spray across my face. Before I knew it I was on the floor holding onto my right arm, yelling, cursing. He had with one single slash, cleanly cut off my arm. I could see my arm on the floor still grasping onto the sword I used to stab Gakupo.

I looked up at Gakupo, sweat was running down my face, my body invaded by pain. I got up, feeling woozy and just watched as the man who had severed my arm fell back, flat across the floor. His last breath of life, his last attempt to stop me… him, was that attack, was to cut off the arm I… he used to kill him. I walked over to him, panting in pain, the men who were with me, the few who were still alive ran over to me saying something, but I couldn't hear it.

I kicked the body on the floor and found myself snickering. And, if that wasn't enough, I even leaned down and picked up his sword.

"…run!" I heard and looked at the men.

"We have to run, my Lord. Yuma Kamui is on the way with his army, that… runt stalled us long enough for his brother to return, we are in no condition to face his brother and his army. We must run, my Lord."

"Yes, let us go," I heard myself answer back.

I stared down at the body before me and literally spat at it. "I'm keeping your brother's sword."

And we ran off. As we ran off, I could hear something wailing in pain, a terrible sound, like something I never heard before. I looked down and realized it was Gakupo's sword, it was multicolored and it had small holes on the blade, and, due to the blood, when the wind went through the holes, it made a crying sound.

…

I felt like crying. I want to wake up! I wanted to wake up from that nightmare.

Why did I have to witness that?

Why?

It's all your fault, Al! Why did you tell me that story?

He's not a ghost… he can't be a ghost…

He can't be… can he?

I woke up with a thud on the floor. My face was wet from crying and I could still feel tears running down my cheeks. Sweating and panting, I brushed my forehead. I could see that on the upper bunk bed of my room, my younger twin brother looking down at me with worry. I just closed my eyes and covered them with my hands and started sobbing.

It was just a dream.

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End of Part 1