Is This Real? {Leon}

[VICTORIA]

Smoke curled up into the night sky, moving like a hungry snake. Black marble rose up out of the ground and a single flame burned at it's base. It was an eternal flame, one that would burn forever no matter what. It along with the memorial was protected by a powerful magic that was cast by the Headmaster herself. A lone figure sat next to the fire. Blue hair pooling around her like a small puddle. The memorial was for those who were lost at the academy all those years ago. Everywhere around the memorial was completely over grown and scattered with the broken remains of the school. The years had truly taken their toll on the place and it was hard to make out where the school had once been. The only reason she had any idea where anything had been was because she had been here. This sacred place was Ground Zero of the war. A sigh escaped from the figure as she shifted to stare out around the entire area.

Closing her eyes, the female let the memories flow through her mind. Slowly the school rebuilt in her mind. All the hallways and students began to play through her mind. So many students that met there ends here. Akashibai academy had been such a peaceful place. Sure it had it's ups and downs, but it was a place for humans and yajuu to get along. It was a place that she wished the world would become. Humans and Yajuu no longer fighting and everyone getting along. Opening her eyes, a frown crossed over her. Why was this so difficult? Why couldn't she simply beat the Iustus? Her palm opened but she quickly closed it. If she used her abilities here, the Iustus would know that she was here. She'll be damned if they ruin her anniversary.

[Sigmund]

The flame in the distance lit the path for the lone man. A half smile danced along his lips as he moved in perfect silence. He was still getting used to the new body for the most part, but it moved with the grace and ease he'd most wanted since age had taken its toll on him before. As he walked, his mind wandered back across the years to the first time he'd taken this path, when he'd first been arriving at the academy. Not everyone had been happy to have a human on campus for a school dedicated to Yajuu. As such, it created a bunch of unease and animosity. It hadn't helped any that it had been a human carrying the name of one of the most feared names in Yajuu history. The Belmonts had become an almost legendary clan of Yajuu hunters, who had never failed to slay their prey, no matter how strong or well defended. Luckily for him, he'd been raised and trained with the best of them of his clan, and even further by an ancient vampire and his family. He had been more than capable of defending himself at the school, though it rarely came to it. As he continued, he remembered the last time he'd walked this path. He'd been arriving a moonlit night like this to pay his respects at the memorial commemorating the fallen that had died in the first Iustus attack that had claimed the school. That night he'd seen the woman he'd loved again for the first time in ten years of cat and mouse tactics with the Iustus and Cruor as he'd built the Resistance from the ground up. He'd been crippled that night and out of the fight for eighty years.

He'd seen her again a few months before this current night, when he'd been in his original body. He had born the marks of age that night, and it had been his last. His heart had given out the next morning after helping to fight off an Iustus strike force. He had died in her arms, and here he was, heading back to her once more. He could only imagine how she'd take it, seeing him back from the dead. He still found it a little hard to believe himself. Not that it mattered really. All that mattered was what it meant. It meant he could stand. He could walk. Most of all, he could fight. The war had not gone well, the Iustus had taken over damn near everything in the past eighty years. It was about time that the Resistance got its act together, and started putting the elitist bastards back where they belonged. Six feet under.

His boots kicked up small clouds of dust as he went, emerging onto the school grounds, passing under the wreckage of the front gate, merely a ruin of its former grandeur. The ruins of the school rose up before him, silent and foreboding, a testament to what might have been, monument to what was. They were as much a memorial as the statue they had raised in the center of the ruined quad. That was where he made for. As he approached the fire that blazed at the base of the memorial, he could make out the silhouette of the woman he was looking for. Surprisingly she wasn't surrounded by group she'd had with her when he'd last seen her at his bar. He smiled lightly to himself, approaching slowly, hands resting on the hilts of his weapons, the gunblade and whip. A wide grin stretched across his face and he opened his mouth to address her. "So this is what the leader of the Resistance does in her free time huh? Had you pegged as a bottle cap collector. I'm looking to join up. Think I'm good enough?" he drawled, standing well out of her reach. No sense in pushing his lucky. She'd always been punchy when startled. Or angry.

[VICTORIA]

A soft wind blew and her hair shifted around her. A sigh sifted from her as she pulled her back and tied it in a loose bun. It was getting so long and annoying lately. Maybe she'd cut it off. Short couldn't be that bad of a look. "I'll bring this place back some day. I promise you all that." The female smiled as she let her hand run over the darkened marble. It used to be white, but after the attack and so many of her loved ones had been killed off she made it black. The fire crackled beside her as she let the memories flow freely. One particular person came to mind. One that she had lost twice. The first time had been after the attack on the Academy. They got separated and that was when....The mental block in her mind slammed down blocking out those ten years. A shudder rolled through her as she pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her hand around the necklace around her neck. It was his necklace and she took it from him after he had passed. She needed something to remember him by. More memories rose up and threatened to swallow her whole as tears gathered in her eyes. "Leon come back to me." The female whispered burying her face into her knees.

The wind shifted again and her head jerked up eyes narrowing. Their electric blue glow shining almost as bright as the flame beside her. Fingers wrapping around the hilt of her blade, the female rose to her feet. Shadows quivered beside her in anticipation almost coaxing her to call upon them. Someone was coming towards the memorial and she wasn't sure if they were friendly. "What I do in my free time is none of your god damn business. Who the hell do you think you are you piece of...." The female trailed off her mouth falling open as her sword slid back into it's sheath. "L..Leon?" The demoness' voice shook as tears rimmed her eyes. He was dead. She held him in her arms as he gave his last breath. Just who the hell was this guy. "Leon is dead. Who the fuck are you and why do you look like him? Answer me." Her eyes glowed their bright electric blue as her grip tightened on her sword. She drew her weapon and pointed it at the newcomer.

[Sigmund]

He laughed at her response, shaking his head at her. His hands tightened on his weapon hilts but didn't draw them yet. "Seriously? Guy comes back from the dead and you threaten him? You want me to prove who I am? Fine." In the blink of an eye he was before her, emerald eyes alight with life and vitality. His hands moved almost too fast to follow and faster than blinking he was back where he started, a small flash of silver chain twirling in a circle around his finger before he caught it and slipped it around his neck. Once again the silver lions head gleamed on his chest. "Thanks for holding this for me. Now, if you want a fight, come at me." he said, grinning gamely as he gunblade sprang forth from its sheath. Frost rimed the blade as he called on his cryomancy to sharpen the edge. "Or you can explain how you're honestly surprised my stubborn ass didn't let death stick. Looks like Roxi and Sero pulled a number on us this time around." he said, shrugging lightly.

His emerald eyes watched her, before he sighed, sliding his blade away. "Bah, damned fool. I'm not going to fight you. Though if you try anything, I'm gonna kick your ass up between your ears." he said, eyes twinkling. He pulled out his pack of smokes, tapping it to slide one out, lighting it and inhaling deeply. He exhaled a light cloud of smoke, watching her carefully. "The night before I died, I received a visitor. Didn't really have time to think about it or talk to you about it. Things kinda got hectic. Some weird chick. Put my spirit into a new body at Roxi's request. Apparently she felt I got shafted too. Ah well. Can't say as I'm gonna complain. I'm young again. Knees aren't creaking with the cold, heart's not hammering and I'm not losing a lung and half my blood supply every time I cough." he said, shrugging lightly.

{color=blue]"Now. Either you throw out your umbramancy at me and I kick your ass, or you wind down and we chat like civilized folk. You damned idjit."[/color] he grumbled, thrusting out his jaw belligerently at her, staring her down without giving an inch. Despite the new body, he was still an old man in spirit.

[VICTORIA]

Rage boiled up inside her as she gripped her sword tightly. This was not Leon. He died. She held him in her arms as he died. "How dare you." The female growled between grit teeth as she focused her gaze on him. Everything about him seemed to scream Leon, but she didn't want to believe it. It hurt too much for it to be true. When he came at her, she reflexively moved back. Her sword went up and slashed at him. The distance between them had almost doubled when she moved away from him, her inhuman speed matched his. When they parted, she saw the silver necklace dangling from his finger. Darkness swirled around her and pulsed as if it was alive. "You give that back. You give that back right now." A low noise came from her as she gripped her sword tighter and it cried out. "Leon is dead. I watched him die." The female stood there staring at him with a blank expression on her face. He then went on to say how he wasn't dead and how someone had put his soul into a new body. Did he realize how crazy that sounded? The demoness waited until he finished talking all the while her darkness pulsing and moving around her.

"Well I'm glad you are getting a kick out of this. Excuse me if I don't laugh with you." The demoness spat at him putting her sword away. Tears streamed down her face as the darkness around her began to move towards him and engulfing the surrounding area. The Iustus probably already knew she was her and were on their way but she didn't care. This wasn't Leon. There was no way this was Leon. "Fine. If you seem so bent and putting me through hell please tell me something that only Leon would know. I'm sure since you look like him you know a lot about him, but I want to know something only my Leon would know." Electric blue eyes narrowed as she watched him. If his answer didn't please her, then she'd kill him. Simple as that.

[Sigmund]

He rolled his eyes lightly before shaking his head at her. "Seriously? How the hell should I know something only you and I would know?" he merely sighed, walking towards her. His hands were to his sides, away from the weapons he bore as he moved towards her. His expression was calm, not betraying anything of his emotions. Each step was soft and steady, loud in the silence with only the crackling flames behind her to add any other noise. He smiled softly at her, that familiar half grin playing along his lips. "Victoria. It's me. There's no one else that would be masochistic enough to put them self in my body, or try and take my form." he said softly, his emerald eyes serious as they watched her. If she attacked him, he wasn't going to hurt her. He cared too much for her to do that, and he could understand where she was coming from. Though he couldn't really see who in their right mind would pretend to be him.

"What do you want me to say? I was old, my body gave out. My spirit got caught bu Roxi's friend and moved to a new body prepared specially for me. It's me...but, at the same time, it's not me. This isn't my actual body of course, it's one made for me to inhabit. There's been all sorts of work done on it, things I'm still not entirely familiar with or have figured out yet. It's a real pain to get used to. All I know is...I'm back. I'm young and healthy. I don't have to worry about my heart failing, my lungs filling with my own blood and drowning me." he continued softly, moving closer to her. "I'm strong, I'm fast." he spoke, shaking his head. "Vikki, I can fight again. I'm not a useless ass old man stuck in a wheelchair anymore." he finished. He stopped in arms length of her, holding out his hand to her. "Control your darkness Victoria, don't let it control you. I trust you." he spoke softly. "I love you."

[VICTORIA]

She listened to him as he spoke and she wrapped her arms around herself. She wanted to believe it was him. Everything about him just seemed so real. It was as if Leon was actually standing in front of her, but she knew that couldn't be true. He was dead. The wind blew sharply and her hair danced around her almost disappearing into the darkness. "I saw you die...I saw your soul leave your body..." The demonness whispered not looking at him. When he started towards her, she didn't even move. Closing her eyes, she let the sound of his voice flow through her ears. It was soft and so many memories began to rise up in her mind. Tears spilled over and streamed down her face. A sob shook her as her knees gave way and she fell to the ground. Her body shook uncontrollably as sobs came from her. "Leon...Oh Leon...god you asshole.." She didn't know whether to laugh or cry at him being here. One of her hands reached out to him and her fingers twined with his. She hesitated at first but her hand fit with his and she gave it a firm squeeze. Another sob shook her as the darkness around her seemed to calm.

"Leon I thought you were dead....that's twice now you know that. Twice I thought you had died and left me alone. Do you know what that does to a person?" Vikki whispered softly as her gaze kept to the ground and his feet. The darkness pulsed around her once before it receded completely. The only black that pooled around her was from the ends of hair blue hair. A sharp wind blew around her again and her hair danced up slightly before settling back down. "I love you too. God Leon. It really is you isn't it? I don't know whether to be happy or punch you in the ribs." Vikki gave him a weak smile wiping away some of her tears.

[Sigmund]

"I saw you die...I saw your soul leave your body..."

He sighed softly, shaking his head. "I know. And as far as I can tell, that's what happened. My body died, my soul fled. I awakened later in what you see before you." he gestured down at his new body, that of his eighteen year old form. It wasn't of course, not really. It felt like some modifications had done to it, it felt better than he remembered, but that might've been due to having been old and stuck in a wheelchair for the better part of a century.

"Leon...Oh Leon...god you asshole.."

He smiled softly at her, moving forward to wrap an arm around her shoulders. "I know, I'm sorry Victoria. It wasn't really anything I had any control over. If I could've, I would have let you know. I hadn't intended to do anything dramatic." he whispered softly, squeezing her gently against him.

"Leon I thought you were dead....that's twice now you know that. Twice I thought you had died and left me alone. Do you know what that does to a person?"

He squeezed her gently in response. "I know how it feels to lose people Victoria. Remember who founded the Resistance. I lost a lot of people in the early years. I haven't heard from the Valtieri family since the first attack on the school. For all I know, the family that took me in is dead, and a lot of friends died in the initial fighting. he said softly.

"I love you too. God Leon. It really is you isn't it? I don't know whether to be happy or punch you in the ribs."

He smiled softly at her, chuckling quietly. "I'd go with happy. I'm pretty sure you'd break my ribs if you hit me." he said, sliding his arms off of her and standing, extending his hand down to her to help her to her feet. "Now, are you gonna sit there sobbing, or are you going to get off your ass and start knocking the Iustus on theirs?" he asked, that familiar grin on his face again. "I don't know about you, but I'm getting real tired of the shit these assholes have been pulling. I think it's about damned time someone stood up to them, and took the fight to them for once." he declared with a cocky smile and arrogant attitude.