Memories

Elle met William's emptied eyes.

"I saw Nicola.. He must know where I live..." Elle swung her bag across her back. Pushing passed Will and hopped down the steps to her bike.

"How does he?" Will turned, following her back down the cold stone steps.

"I don't know.... And I don't like not knowing.." Elle swung a leg over and threw an extra helmet over to Will, which he caught midair. Elle put her own helmet on too.

"They have built in communication devices... try to keep up" Elle snapped down the helmets visor and knocked up her kickstand. Walking her bike backwards onto the street, she waited a moment for Will to back out as well. As soon as he was next to her, with a loud rev of the engine, Elle sped off, popping a wheelie from the sheer speed off the bat. William followed suit. They were both silent, only the sound of traffic and bustling people broke the silence between them. Until Will spoke up.

"Any idea where we'll go?"

"I have a safe house a little further up north. It hasn't been used in a while, but it's a roof over our heads." Just as Elle finished speaking, the light sound of raindrops hitting her helmet echoed into her ears.

"And by the looks of it we'll need it." Elle sped up and William did as well, following her closely.

They drove for a few hours, the rain grew steadily harsher before turning into a full on downpour, where the street in front of them was indistinguishable.

"We're almost there" Elle said, letting Will know he wouldn't be wet for much longer.

"You said 'almost' an hour ago" Will pointed out

"Well now we're almost there for sure this time" William could've sworn he could hear Elle laugh, even in the slightest. She had been so serious and stern since they met.

Elle turned up a dirt road that was lined with tall, towering trees that swayed violently in the wind. They rolled up to what looked like an old Japanese lodging on a lake, a shoin-zukuri style home. Hopping off her bike she parked it off to the side and waved William down, motioning for him to do the same. He jumped off his bike and left it next to hers, they both scurried inside. The house looked like it hadn't been touched in a while, but it was still furnished and decorated beautifully. Taking her boots off and tossing them to the side, she pulled her helmet off and left it on the table by the door.

"This place is beautiful.. did you live here?" Will assumed he should take his shoes off to, and placed them neatly next to hers.

"Thank you, yes I did a long time ago... I'll get a fire going" Elle hurried around gathering wood and matches. William, unsure of what to do, began exploring. There were many rooms divided by their paper walls. He passed bedroom after bathroom to find them all furnished as well, as if they were all occupied at one point or another. Until William stumbled upon a secluded room off on its own. Wondering what was in there, Will slide the double doors open to reveal a large livingroom-esque area. Mounted on the walls were 5 different sets of Katana, each with it's braiding a different color. The mounts had small inscriptions on them, but they were in Japanese so William payed them no mind. He grabbed the centermost one off it's mount and unsheathed it. Like a boy who had just gotten a new toy, he began to swing it around playfully. Pretending he was in combat with an enemy, who of course was no match for William's ninja skills. As Will turned 180 degrees and went to slash, Elle caught his hand just as the blade was a mere few centimeters from her nose.

"It's very rude to go snooping" She pointed out while quickly disarming him. She grabbed it's sheath from off the counter and returned the sword to its wall mount with a bow.

"I wasn't snooping" Will pointed out

"Then what were you doing?" Elle had a very lofty air about her that Will had not experienced before. Did this room mean something to her? She seemed to care about it.

"I was just having a look around... Hey what is this room anyway?" He put his hands in his pockets, shrugging.

"A memorial.." Elle answered with a trembled voice as her eyes danced from sword to sword, finally resting back on the centermost mount. The answer took Will by surprise.

"To whom?" He asked.

"The finest 5 men I ever had the pleasure of calling my comrades..." Elle's voice regained it's composure.

"Come, the fire's read-"

"Was this yours?" William motioned to a glass case that housed an ebony kimono that had golden embellished dragons flying across it. Ornamented hair clips as well as two open bladed hand fans also made its home propped up next to the kimono. A small smile made it's way across Elle's lips.

"Yes it was." Elle had a quick moment of reminiscence. For a second she saw the image of her and her merry band of misfits sitting around a table in the middle of the room, drinking and laughing. That was the first time William saw such a smile on her face. As she gazed at the case that housed her wardrobe, the image of a man with kind, golden eyes draped in white robes smiled sweetly back at Elle. She felt her heart skip a beat while reaching out to the glass, placing her hand against it. but the image faded just as quickly as it appeared. William watched as her smile twisted into a painful one as she stared at her reflection in the glass.

"Come get warm, I have soup boiling." Elle turned her back and began to leave the room. Will took one last glance around the room that held a piece of Elle's past and closed the doors behind him. When he returned to the living room, Elle had moved the table closer to the fire, a steaming bowl of soup was waiting for him too.

"Thank you" Will plopped himself down onto the floor cushion and placed his hands in front of the fire.

"Take your clothes off" Elle stated blankly.

"Wha?!" Will's cheeks flushed.

"What are you looking at me like that for? Take your clothes off... they're wet and you'll catch a cold if you sit in them." Elle threw a robe at him to change in to.

"Oh.. right.. thanks... did you plan to watch me change?" Will looked confused.

"Right sorry" Elle disappeared into the kitchen. Returning momentarily to grab Will's clothes. She layed them out to the side of the fire to dry off.

"Arn't you cold?" he questioned

"Don't worry about me, just make sure you're warm."

"How is a house like this even here, in america?"

"I had it made to replicate my home in Japan.. everything down to each cushion perfectly resembles it."

"Was that house really that great?" Will sipped his soup.

"The time I spent there was the happiest of my entire exsistence on this planet." Elle sat opposite Will.

"You've got to have great stories about it, right?"

"Why do you ask so many questions?" Elle was genuinly curious.

"You're a God, are you kidding? You've lived through the history of the entire world. There's so many questions I want to ask you, so many things I want to learn... about you." Will's words came as a shock to Elle. He wanted to know about her? Elle didn't find herself to be that interesting, but when she heard Will say it, she began to realize. Elle was like a history book, Will could learn anything from her.

"Back then I was a vampire hunter in Japan, as well as an assassin. I was the head of the Tarkou order, and we dedicated our lives to killing vamps and just about anyone who posed a threat to our land. It was a thankless job, but I found pride in it, and friends that I will never forget." Elle gazed intently into the fire.

"vampire hunter? didn't you spend time with vampires for the past thousand years?" Will asked surprised.

"It was only a couple hundred, but you can understand why I hated my time there so much... my only goal in mind was survival. I had to live so I could exact my revenge. Thats the only thing that's kept me going this long."

"Did they know you were a God?"

"No, though most of them believed I was a demon."

"Haha really?"

"Yeah, I was so vicious that even normal folk spread legends and lore of the Akuma, a merciless demon who slaughters those who have betrayed someone. Some even said I absorbed the souls of my victims." Elle laughed.

"What happened to them?" Will took another sip of his soup, he was really enjoying it but would rather ask questions than compliment her cooking. The question got a small emotional response out of Elle, he could have sworn he saw pockets of tears begin to well up in her eyes, but didn't dare bring it up.

"Zeus happened... in an attempt to get to me... They fought valiantly and died a warriors death trying to protect me.. little did they know they were the ones who needed protecting.. but I was on a mission at the time. I had no idea untill I came home and saw my life in ruin once more. I waded through the holy flames that tore at my skin to search for something, anything that might give me a sign,.. something that would tell me they were alive.. There was no sign of their bodies...All I found were each of their swords amongst the ashe that had was a mix of our home, our furniture, and the remains of my sanity."

Will's face grew sorrowful.

"Whos sword did I-"

"Kotaro's.." Elle's bangs fell infront of her face, Will couldn't read her any longer.

"I'm sorry.. I didn't know.." Will tried to stretch over and put a hand on Elle's shoulder. Who was this Kotaro to Elle? She said she had only fell in love once with a human.. could this Kotaro have been it?

"You should get some sleep. Starting tomorrow I will teach you the ways of Tarkousu and Ninjutsu.. you must be prepared" she got up, knocking his hand off her shoulder.

"Why does a God need to know martial arts? Don't you have magic?" Will asked.

"When Zeus exiled me he sealed away most of my Godly powers... I've relied on my own skill and a very, very small amount of power since then" 

"I am not tired though" Will sounded like a child.

"Sleep anyway"

"You must be tired, are you?"

"No, I am fine, preperation's must be made, I cannot afford to sleep. Come I'll show you to your room" Elle stood up and motioned for Will to follow. She was a strange creature, Will thought to himself. He looks at her face and can see the age and wear through her young, smooth skin. Though it had one imperfection. The gash that was on her eye from the first night had scarred and had no intention of leaving. Elle took him the opposite way of the memorial and the cluster of bedrooms and into one that was near the kitchen.

"My room is next door if you need anything" Elle slid his door open and motioned for him to enter.

William's new room had a tightly turned down bed that was on a raised wooden platform to his right. A closet was to his left and in front of him was another door that led out to a balcony. The rain had subsided so Will pushed the doors open, and his jaw suddenly dropped. Completely awe struck by the scene infront of him. The large full moon hung so close to the Earth Will thought he could just reach out and grab it. It's reflection danced on the lake below him. The trees he couldn't make out earlier? They we're the most beautiful cherry blossom tree's he'd ever seen in his life. The flower's petals sprinkld the water. It was like a scene out of a movie. He left the door open a crack so he could still see the outside from his bed. Climbing in he rested his head against the soft pillow, reflecting. Was Elle really going to teach him the lost arts of the first assassins? Would he be able to stand against Gods and Vampires? He didn't know if he'd be good enough, but he got Elle into this problem in the first place and he'll be damned if he just left her. Besides, what were the odds he'd survive on his own? Slim to none was the answer, and Will knew this. Time passed and just as Will's eyes fluttered closed, he heard something coming from outside. His eyes jolted open as he assessed the sound.. It was a song... Someone was singing... was it Elle? My God she had the most beautiful voice he'd ever heard in his entire life. It was a resonating tone that was almost operaic, angelic even. From when he began to hear her, he made out what she was singing.

Ask not the sun why she sets
Why she shrouds her light away

Will sprang up and snuck out onto the balcony to get a better look. Estelle was sitting at the edge of the pier, letting her feet dangle into the water. She had changed into a nightgown. The moonlight tiptoed across her pale skin and hair, illuminating her almost completely. She seemed to be singing to somebody... Was it the moon?

Or why she hides her glowing gaze
When night turns crimson gold to grey

For silent falls the guilty sun
As day to dark does turn
One simple truth she dare not speak:
Her light can only blind and burn

No mercy for the guilty

Bring down their lying sun

Blood so silver black by night

Upon their faces pale white

Cruel moon, bring the end
The dawn will never rise again.

Will climbed back inside before Elle could realise he was not sleeping yet, and in fact, was spying on her. He lost track of how much time had passed and whether or not Elle had gone back inside or not yet. But he was afraid she'd get upset if she found out he was awake, so he decided to just stay in the bedroom tonight until he finally fell asleep. Tomorrow would begin his new life.