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Show Me the Ropes
By: Angelus Erreare

Her purple eyes scanned the area around her. Everything was new. She knew no one. Unconsciously, she brought her hand to her left side and began to scratch the skin that seemed to itch.

She was surprised though, to realize moments later that the itching had not ceased. She then stopped walking, not at all paying attention to the person who walked alongside her who was showing her around the building.

She then looked at the irritating source of the itch; right, she nodded, feeling silly, her new uniform was preventing her from scratching it.

'Damn uniform...' she thought.

"Ey! Come on ja? We still have a lot of ground to cover ja? Besides, Gale would kill me if he finds out that we haven't completed our rounds ja?"

The purple-eyes girl rolled her eyes, "Ok ok! No need to be paranoid."

Cielo cleared his throat, "Ahem! As I was saying, before I got ditched" he said emphasizing the last word, slightly glaring at the girl who smirked in return, "These are the barracks where we rest and go to bed and dat kinda stuff..."

Cielo waved his hands off carelessly as he walked through the halls before stopping in front of the door, "And, this is where you'll be sleeping. This is 169-A."

Cielo turned to see that the girl with whom he had been talking to was a few meters behind him who seemed to be intimately scrutinizing the wall before her. He growled; she was damn annoying!

Couldn't she just follow him around like every new recruit should? Couldn't she see that he didn't like these boring rounds any more than she did? Besides, who would volunteer for this kinda job anyway?

Give a tour to newbies?

"Gimme a break brudda!" Cielo said, smacking his forehead with his left hand. He walked towards the girl and grasped her arm, not paying attention to her random lines of protest which consisted of lines such as "Let go me creep!" "Jack ass!" "Son of a-"

He dragged her and stopped at the door, "As I was saying, dis is your room. Don't do wondering in the middle of the night ja?"

The girl raised an eyebrow, "Why not?"

Cielo grinned, "Because! Dere are ghosts here ja? But dey only come out at night!"

The girl snorted, "I may be green, but I'm not stupid."

Cielo chuckled, "I didn't say you were stupid. But just be careful ja? De ghosts here are very noisy ja? So, just try your best to cover your ears and get some sleep ja?"

At this the girl touched her chin, genuinely curios, "What do you mean?"

"Just what I said. Many recruits complain about de noises too but den, dey get used to it too..."

"Eeehh?"

"Well, I'd love to stay and chat but...I gotta go. Well, I'll see you at 0600 hours ja? I gotta bring you to the mess hall, the conference hall and the training grounds ja? Well, take care ja? And like I said, don't go out at night ja?"

With those words, Cielo disappeared through the doors.

Haunted? This place?

'Gimme a breeeakkk!' she internally whined.

~~

She looked at herself at the mirror. So this was her life now. She didn't remember anything about her past. All she knew was that, she woke up in the infirmary that day and that she was a member of the "tribe" called "Embryon".

"Embryon?" she asked aloud, clearly unimpressed, "Who thought up that weird name? Em-bry-on-?"

"Sounds like 'embryo...'. Lame."

She giggled at her own joke.

And then frowned; that's right, she didn't remember anything. Not even her name. But then, she had a name now. What was it again?

That's right. It was Keiko.

Why Keiko? It was the Japanese word for "lucky". The staff had all told her that she had been lucky to be alive. She was lucky as she was found by their scouts. Luck eh?

Whatever.

But then, she supposed, that it was there her "luck" had stopped. She had been informed that they were currently fighting a war. A war she knew nothing of.

She sneered; waking up in a battlefield after a seemingly tranquil life; talk about a rude awakening.

She was bored.

Cielo had informed her that her training would begin ASAP. She really didn't feel like it. She thought about leaving through the door to do some exploring on her own. Keiko glanced at her watch; it was nearly midnight.

It was dreadfully quiet.

"Haunted eh? Yeah right..." she snorted.

She blinked once, twice and felt laziness sweep through her body like an enraged virus strain.

"Maybe going out wasn't such a good idea..." she said, yawning.

She stripped of her uniform and got into the covers wearing only the Embryon black underwear.

"Sheesh....even the underwear is standardized." She said irritated.
As soon as she was comfortable, she closed her eyes and let sleep overwhelm her.

~~

She awoke a few hours later. She knew that something had woken her up. She sighed deeply; she couldn't remember that something.

Right. Her mind was still half asleep.

A few moments later, as she continued to lay in her bed, with every intention of letting whatever that something that had woken her up go, her eyes shot wide open, her mind fully awake as she realized what had woken her up.

It was faint but it was some sort of noise.

Keiko felt the hair on her skin stand up.

Was that the noise that Cielo spoke to her about?

As the noises persisted she remained in her bed, unmoving and unflinching.

After a few moments, when fear had relinquished control of her systems did she decide to investigate.

They weren't noises. They were speech; language. Someone was talking! Keiko grabbed her blanket and threw it off her body. She got to her feet as quietly as she could and followed the source. She pressed her ear through the wall and presto, it WAS coming from the other side.

Wait. The other side?

Did that mean that the other room was haunted?

As she mentally repeated the word "haunted" did the hair on her skin once again stand. She shook her head violently, "No! This is a trick!"

She pressed her ear into the wall again and then, she was able to discern whatever the words were...

"More..."

"Ahahahha..."

Keiko blinked; the ghost was laughing?

Wait.

Then, she heard a crash.

Then a grunt.

Then a growl.

The growl was unlike any other that she had ever heard. It seemed at that it wasn't human, it sounded like a monster. Keiko felt her strength leave her body and she immediately ran for her bed, grabbing her blanket and spreading it all over herself.

She shivered within the blanket, huddling herself in a fetal position to trap any and every ounce of body heat.

~~

"Good morning Sunshine!" A cheerful voice beamed breaking Keiko from her much needed sleep.

She was greeted with the cheerful face of Cielo, which instantly contorted into a face of disgust, "EWW!! You have SOME dragon morning breath ja?" he said, wrinkling his nose, flicking his hand to and fro in front of his nose.

Keiko, who had been disoriented through out Cielo's wake up call, was now a fuming bull as she registered that he was disgusted with her, "Hey!! No one asked you to wake me up you...you ass!! Get out!!"

Cielo wasted no time and darted for the exit, "I'm going ja?!"

"I'll meet you in ten minutes ja?"

~~

Cielo and Keiko sat in the conference room. Keiko had procrastinated from asking Cielo about the monster; after all, it would appear that she kinds owed him.

"Keiko, be quiet ja? Our Leader is about to make an announcement."

"Cielo...?"

"Hmm?"

"What's the Leader like?"

Cielo chuckled, "He's nice."

"Really?" she asked with genuine curiosity.

"You'll like him."

"Oh?"

Cielo chuckled again, "You would. Every female does!"

Keiko's eyebrow twitched, "Why you sexist-steroetypical-"

"shhh..."

Keiko grumbled but then stopped as she laid eyes on the figure that walked in.

He was very easy on the eyes. Silver hair, silver eyes...those lips...that nose...that face...that body...

Keiko could feel her body slump lifelessly on the chair. Cielo was right. "Leader" was gorgeous...

"Shouldn't he be called 'God' instead?" Keiko asked absentmindedly.

Cielo patted her back, "Forget it ja? It aint gonna happen."

Keiko glared daggers at him, "Why not?"

"Because..."
Cielo chuckled. "He's cursed."

"Ehhh????!!"

"Yep. Leader is cursed."

Cielo, who had the most dignified and wise countenance stole a look at the girl behind him and saw the despair in her eyes. He grinned.

"Yep. It seems that every girl who falls for him suddenly dies. Or disappears..."

Keiko gulped, "D-dies??"

"Yep."

"Why?"

Cielo raised an eyebrow, "Wat do you mean 'why'? I just said he was cursed!"

"..."

"Did you hear it last night?"

"Hear what?" Keiko replied almost too soon, telling Cielo that she HAD heard it.

"The monster."

She gulped and he smirked, "Well, it's dat monster who keeps Leader all to itself."

Keiko sat there, gripping Cielo's wrist as tight as she could, "What? Leader is...mated...with a monster?!"

Cielo bared his teeth in his broad grin, "Well, I guess you could say dat..."

"Then..." Keiko thought in understanding, "The noise was that...the monster killed someone!! Quick! Who was stationed in the room next to mine?!"

"The head nurse...Argilla."

"Argilla...the one with the pink hair?"

"Yep."

Keiko stared into space, her hand flying up to her mouth in utter disbelief. It was a tragedy.

~~

As the days rolled by, she saw more and more of Leader and she sighed, "Serph..."

He was such a hottie! She couldn't help it! "Stop it!" she yelled at herself, "Wanna die?!" She found her mouth suddenly dry and she shivered. She heard noises the previous night once again. But, Argilla was dead right? Then, what would the monster want with her room?

Maybe it decided to nest there!

"Ack!" she squealed and forced herself to remove such thoughts from her head and instead, focus on the more "finer things in life." She directed her vision to the figure in the distance. Serph. Leader. Sex God. HHHHHHOOOOOOOOTTTTTT.....................!

She continued to drool on the visage and suddenly, she stopped. She saw that he was different today.

She noticed that he looked exhausted. He looked tired. She nonchalantly walked up closer to him pretending to mind her own business to get a better look at him. Serph's eyes were quite bloodshot and eye bags graced the skin around his eyes. His shoulders were slightly slumped but all in all, he looked fine.

Well, as fine as he tried.

"Hmm..."

Keiko was getting suspicious.

~~

A few days later and she continued to watch Serph. He still looked bloodshot and exhausted. Keiko frowned. Something was keeping him up. Someone or was it something; something was draining him of energy.

She gasped, "Could it be? Could it be that the monster had gotten tired of him and that it's going to eat him?!"

She rushed to seek Cielo's advice. She had blurted to him her theory. Cielo had remained quiet but the grin refused to leave his features.

"What the heck is so funny?" she asked indignantly.

"Nothing...well, I'll see you later."

"Wait! Aren't you going to stop this monster?!"

"No."

Keiko growled; she couldn't believe this! What were they doing are they going to stand idly while this monster kills their leader? Well, she wasn't about to let that happen!

"No?! What do you mean 'no'? Well, if you're too much of a sissy to stop it fine! I'll do it by myself!!" She yelled.

Cielo sighed; maybe it was time to tell her.

"Keiko. I have something more to tell you..."

"Eh? About the monster?"

"Yeah...about the 'monster'."

"Well?" she asked impatiently.

"I can't tell you now but, I can tell you at..." he looked into his watch, "1800 hours. Meet me at the conference hall ja?"

Keiko nodded.

~~

1800 Hours seemed like an eternity to wait for. Keiko had been in the conference room for over an hour now. Her palms were sweaty. She needed to know. This mystery was just eating her up!

As her digital watch beeped 1800 hours, her eyes quickly went for the door and saw Cielo walk in.

"Well...?"

Cielo smiled, "Well... come on."

"Eh??" Keiko asked, confused, "Where are we going?"

"Back to the barracks."

"Why?!"

"Just come on."

~~

Cielo and Keiko stood by her door. Keiko didn't object as she heard the noises once more. She gripped her heart as she saw horrible visions of their leader being mangled and eaten by the monster.

Cielo pulled her closer and had her look through their peephole that was installed at the door.

"What are we doing?" Keiko asked.

"Sssh..." Cielo instructed, "Just listen and look."

The noises stopped. The minutes ticked by and still nothing. Keiko was starting to get annoyed when she heard the door next door slide open!!

"OMG!! It's the monster!!"

"Sshh!"

Keiko glued her eyes through the peephole. What she saw shocked her. There walked Argilla, alive and well. Keiko's eyes widened and before she could utter a word, Serph came out a few seconds later, looking all the more exhausted.

Before she could think any further, Cielo pulled her from the door, an apologetic smile plastered on his face, "I tink I owe you an apology ja? Well, Argilla wasn't dead...ja?"

Keiko furrowed her eyebrows in thought, "Then who...?"

"Was the monster?" Cielo finished for her.

She nodded.

Cielo smiled, "Keiko...she was the monster."

"Ehhh?! What do you mean?!"

"Erm...you see...leader is...mute..."

"Mute..." Keiko repeated lamely. "I've been lusting after a guy who was MUTE?!"

Cielo said nothing but then Keiko continued, "That's why...that's why Gale was always making the speeches for him...But then...you said that Argilla was the monster..."

She gasped; "Mazaka...she and...Seprh...?!" She looked at Cielo.

Cielo nodded, "She could be really scary when she's jealous...ja?"

Keiko nodded, "Then those 'noises' and 'growls' and 'grunts' were..."

"De expression of deir 'love' ja?" Cielo winked drawling on the word "love".

"That's why he always looked tired...in the mornings...she...drained him..."

"Yep."

"Then, where was she these last few days?"

"She had been busy on a mission lately that required her to leave very early and come back late at night. Serph was just patient to wait for her."

"But...I never heard or have seen him enter her room!"

"Serph is mute remember? Plus, he leads Embryon, of course he can get past all of us undetected!" Cielo reasoned out.

Keiko stared at Cielo with a weird expression on her face, "What about those women who disappear? Did they really die?" she gulped.

This time, Cielo's grin widened, "I should ask you Keiko...do you remember anything from your past?"

"What does that have to do...with...oh..."

Suddenly, as realization hit her, she held her head in her hands, "I was...she did that...to me?"

Cielo sweat dropped, "Well...like I said, you were lucky; lucky that she didn't kill you. She just knocked you out. But den again, your amnesia will wear off. It's only temporary ja? Don't worry; you'll be fine."

Keiko remained quiet; shocked. So, she had probably been hitting on Serph and Argilla found out.

The rest was history.

"You lied to me Cielo!" she yelled, thrusting an accusing finger at his direction.

Cielo looked at her with a feigned hurt expression before smiling, "Well, technically I didn't. She IS a monster; just not in the way you thought..."

"Grr...get out!"

"I'm going!"

He stopped right in front of her door and looked at her, "Don't do anything you'd regret Keiko. I'm getting tired of explaining these things to you over and over again!"

It took a few minutes for Cielo's words to sink in. And as soon as it did, she gasped in shock. She had been having these experiences numerous of times now! She'd like Serph, Argilla would attack her rendering her without memories, she'd figure out the mystery of the monster, regain her memory...and then, flirt with Serph once more and voila, the cycle begins again!

Fin