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Gankutsuou Reborn	By : roryheadmav Category: +G to L > Gankutsuou Views: 5812 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Gankutsuou, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 16
- 17
- 18
DISCLAIMER: This story is a non-commercial
work of fiction based on the anime/manga Gankutsuou. Original copyright
of Gankutsuou belongs to Mahiro Maeda, Gonzo/Media Factory, GDH.
Absolutely no monetary gain has been made with this work.
GANKUTSUOU REBORN

© January 22, 2006 By Rory
V. Pascual

CHAPTER SIXTEEN: The Truth About the Nightingale
How could an evening of joy and triumph
turn so quickly into a nightmare?
Etienne had locked himself inside
his dressing room, keeping out his friends who were frantically knocking
on his door and calling out his name, begging to be let in. But he could
not muster up the courage to face them all, not when the sorrow and shame
were battering his shredded pride.
A tear trickled down his bruised
cheek. He had anticipated rejection from Albert's mother, given his unsavory
background. But he never expected to be treated with so much hatred.
The angry voices outside his dressing
room window only made him sink deeper into the quagmire of misery.
"I never thought you could be
such a fool, Albert! How could you allow yourself to be deceived by that
man again? Have you forgotten what he had done to your friends, to US?"
"And I told you a thousand times,
Mother, he is not Edmond Dantes! Edmond is dead!"
"Unlike you, I am not fooled by
his act! Don't forget I was his childhood friend and fiancée! I
know, Albert! I know that that man you call your precious Nightingale is
truly Edmond Dantes!"
Etienne pressed his palms to his
aching temples. He could imagine the fury on Mercedes Herrera's face. It
was an expression he never expected to behold in that kind, gentle beauty
he had once�
Loved?
The singer shook his head as a fleeting
vision flashed through his mind.
Running by the shore with another
young man, giving chase to a wayward hat that had been blown away by the
ocean wind�
A lovely young girl pouting at
their inability to get her hat back which was now drifting away with the
sea current�
A promise� "I'll just buy you
a new hat, Mercedes."
An expectant smile� "Get me one
just like it, Edmond."
That name again�
Edmond Dantes�.
Etienne's head went up at the sound
of a hard slap.
"Don't be stubborn, Albert! I'll
be waiting for you at the Paris Royale Hotel. You're coming back to Marseilles
with me!"
"I am not a child that you could
still order around! Don't bother waiting for me, because I won't be going
to Marseilles. Hurt me all you want, Mother, but I will never forgive you
if you dare to lay a finger on Etienne again!"
The quarrel between mother and son
proved to be too unbearable for the Nightingale. Before he could run outside,
a troubled voice stopped him.
"Etienne�"
Gankutsuou gazed back at him through
the mirror, regret etched on his handsome, ageless face. "I don't want
to be the cause of your unhappiness. Before any more ugly surprises spring
up on you, you must know the truth. I won't keep it from you any
longer. And the road to the truth should start with Madame Herrera."
"Does Albert's mother know�"
"She has knowledge of the past."
"Of Edmond Dantes?"
"Yes." Gankutsuou pressed his hand
to the glass. "I had wished to spare you from the pain�"
"I've long been prepared for this.
No matter how painful it may be, I must know." Etienne laid his hand over
the entity's palm. "But I'm not afraid," he added, smiling, "because you'll
be there with me."
"Oh, Etienne!" Gankutsuou exclaimed,
with a forlorn shake of his head. "Once all this is over, I doubt if my
presence would still be welcome to you."

~~~~~~~~~~
A very concerned Haydee immediately
met Albert. The Princess cried, "He won't open the door!"
"Bertuccio went to get the key from
the manager," said Eugenie. Noticing how her ex-fiancé was looking
at the empty hallway, she explained reassuringly, "You don't have to worry
about the press. Beauchamp and Lucien had a firm talk with them. None of
this will go out in the papers tomorrow. I guess they're also afraid because
Etienne has the President's favor."
"I'm very disappointed in my mother,"
Albert admitted bitterly. "After what happened, I don't know if I could
face him. I'm too ashamed."
"I think it's about time you told
Etienne about the Count, Albert," Eugenie offered the tentative suggestion.
"You can't keep this from him forever."
"What if Etienne thinks that I fell
in love with him because he reminded me so much of the Count? No, I can't
tell him, Eugenie, especially if it means that I might lose him!"
Haydee and Eugenie exchanged troubled
glances. Making up her mind, Haydee took Albert's hand. "Albert�there's
something that you should know."
"I've got the key!" Bertuccio hurried
up to them before Haydee could continue.
Snatching the key out of Bertuccio's
hand, Albert slid it into the lock and swiftly opened the door, only to
be dismayed to find the room empty. The open window marked Etienne's escape.

~~~~~~~~~~
Mercedes Herrera sat in pensive silence
in her hotel suite, unconsciously wringing her right hand. She was shocked
that she had struck her dearest son for the second time in both their lives.
It's because of him, she thought,
her face darkening once more in anger. He made my son turn against me!
Inwardly,
Mercedes felt no shame for her scandalous behavior at the opera house.
If
it means driving him out of my son's life, then I have no regrets.
A small nagging voice inside her
heart suddenly inquired, Are you being true to yourself when you say
that?
Before she could silence her berating
conscience, there were two soft knocks on her door.
"Albert? Is that you, son?" Mercedes
exclaimed in relief, as she ran to the door, flinging it wide open. "Albert!"
A shocked gasp was elicited from
her lips, seeing the young man she despised standing outside.
Mercedes was about to slam the door
in his face, but Etienne immediately stopped its closure with his hand.
"Please, Madame! Don't send me away!" he begged despairingly. "I must speak
with you!"
"You and I have nothing to talk about!"
Mercedes declared heatedly. "All I want to hear from your lips, Edmond,
is that you will leave Albert alone!"
"That's what I want to know, Madame!"
the Nightingale insisted, a fat tear rolling down his cheek. "I must know
who Edmond Dantes is! Is he also the Count of Monte Cristo? Everyone's
been telling me that I look like him." The singer hesitantly revealed,
"I�I have no memory of my past. All I know is that my former employer found
me barely alive. He never mentioned the exact circumstances of how he had
found me. I only assumed that it was in Luna, but� I'm begging you, Madame!
I do not wish to cause Albert any more heartbreak, but if I am to comply
with your demands, all I ask in exchange is that you give me the truth."
Although suspicious of the young
man before her, the urge to see him gone from Albert's life was stronger.
Grudgingly, Mercedes let him inside, waving him to the armchair before
her. As Etienne settled into his seat, so too did she sit as well, and
looked the Nightingale straight in the eyes.
"Edmond Dantes was my fiancé,"
Mercedes told the attentive Nightingale. "On the day of our engagement,
he was arrested for assassinating the prince. In truth, he was innocent
of the crime. Three men saw him as a threat to their ambitions, especially
since he was privy to a secret document that was entrusted to him by his
captain to deliver to someone in Paris. The first was Baron Danglars, Eugenie's
father, whom Edmond discovered was embezzling money from the shipping company
of Morrel et Fils. The second was Chief Justice Gerard de Villefort, whose
name was listed among the conspirators in that secret document. The third
was Fernand Mondego, who was a close friend of Edmond's. His reasons were
personal. He envied his friend's success and was secretly in love with
his fiancée. With Edmond imprisoned, nothing stopped him from rising
up the ranks in the military and marrying his friend's fiancée.
He took the name of Morcerf, pretending to be of noble birth. Fernand was
my husband and Albert our son."
Etienne was stunned by what he was
hearing. Timidly, he ventured to ask, "What became of Edmond?"
"Edmond was imprisoned at the Chateau
D'If for ten years," was Mercedes solemn reply. "I could only imagine the
unspeakable sufferings that he endured in that horrible place. The only
thing that drove him to survive was the desire for vengeance. While there,
he made a pact with a demon named Gankutsuou. Through this demon's help,
Edmond somehow miraculously escaped from the prison and was given immeasurable
wealth and power, which he used to plot against those who had caused his
torment. He became the man known as the Count of Monte Cristo."
The Nightingale gasped in shock at
this disclosure.
"For the next fifteen years, Edmond
planned it perfectly. He knew my son would be vacationing in Luna with
his best friend, Baron Franz d'Epinay," Mercedes continued. "In order to
capture my innocent son's heart, he had Albert kidnapped by a band of bandits
and pretended to rescue him. To show his gratitude for his so-called 'savior',
Albert invited him to Paris. He took residence at No. 30 Champs-Elysees
where he put his elaborate scheme of vengeance into motion."
"Edmond brought about the collapse
of Baron Danglars' financial empire. The Baron himself was never found.
Although many believed that he had simply escaped from his creditors, I
know that Edmond had killed him. Chief Justice Villefort's career was ruined
by a horrific scandal. His wife Heloise, you see, had been trying to poison
Villefort's daughter by his first wife, Valentine, using a Borgia ring
that was a gift to her by Edmond. Villefort made the mistake of confronting
Edmond and shooting him, and was later convicted of attempting to assassinate
the Count of Monte Cristo. But he never got to serve time in prison. Villefort
is presently in an asylum in Paris, made mad by a drug that was injected
into his bloodstream by the illegitimate son he had buried alive at birth
� Benedetto or Andrea Cavalcanti as he was known back then."
"Benedetto!" Etienne could not stop
himself from crying out, surprising Mercedes. Blushing in embarrassment,
he admitted to her, "He�It was Benedetto who had found me, Madame. He was
my�employer." He clutched the lapel of his shirt, crushing it tightly as
he remembered the terrible things that the rogue did to him.
Mercedes gazed at the young man before
her, and pity filled her heart, seeing his tense, flustered form. She had
read about Etienne's life at the brothel.
"Benedetto�" the singer began, trembling.
"He told me that he had violated Eugenie."
"Yes, he had. His own sister, because
their mother was Victoria Danglars," Mercedes sadly confirmed. "He almost
married Eugenie, if it were not for Peppo's stalling the wedding and Albert's
getting her out in time. Lucien had him arrested, but he escaped during
the siege of Paris."
"I don't want to cause you pain,
Madame, but your husband� What became of Albert's father?"
At that query, her hands closed into
tight fists on her lap as she struggled to find the words to continue her
story. "I told you that Fernand became a high-ranking general in the army.
I never knew that he earned that position by killing the King of Janina
and selling his wife and daughter to slavers. Edmond bought Ali Tebelin's
daughter Haydee and used her to expose my husband's treachery."
Etienne was aghast by that revelation.
"Are you telling me that Haydee knows�"
"Yes, she does, that is why I was
surprised that you did not hear this story from her. To continue, Fernand
sought to gain power by attacking Paris. When I refused to join him in
his quest, he shot me, as well as Albert. Learning that Edmond was the
cause of his downfall, he challenged his former friend to a duel at the
ruins of the Champs-Elysees mansion. But it was Albert who brought an end
to that duel by purging the demon that possessed Edmond. As for Fernand,
the guilt of what he had done to his friend and family prompted him to
take his own life."
"And Edmond�"
"Albert told me that he too died
that day, when the broken tip of Franz's sword that was embedded in his
chest, finally plunged into his heart. Franz, you see, took Albert's place
in a duel when my son discovered about the Count's treachery. Edmond even
made me witness the duel, and I believed that it was Albert being butchered
inside that suit of armor. I later discovered that Albert was alive, but
still, I could never forget Franz' terrible death. Franz, however, had
managed to score a strike that proved fatal to Edmond in the end." Mercedes
suddenly exclaimed, "After all the horrible things that had happened, I
thought that Edmond was dead. But then you came and I� You can deny
it all you want! I know that you are Edmond Dantes! I have known
Edmond since childhood. Your voice, your mannerisms, your demeanor� It's
exactly the same as his!"
Tears were streaming down Etienne's
cheeks. He wanted to deny the woman's accusations, but he too was getting
very confused. It certainly did not help any that visions were suddenly
flashing through his mind like strobe lights, scenes from the terrible
past that Mercedes had just narrated to him.
Mercedes leaped from her seat and
gripped Etienne's shoulders, shaking him hard. "Why did you come back?
Haven't you ruined my son's life enough? How much suffering do we have
to take until you are satisfied?"
"UNHAND ME!"
A strong hand swatted Mercedes' hands
away. She gaped in horror at the pink marks that blazed up on the singer's
forehead.
"Oh my God!" Mercedes gasped. "The
demon! Then you are�"
"You selfish woman!" Gankutsuou could
no longer stop himself from railing at her. "All you talk about is your
sufferings! Your pain! But have you ever thought about what he went through?
I know, Madame, because this so-called 'demon' took all of your Edmond's
pain! I tried to heal the darkness inside his heart, tried to steer him
away from the path of vengeance! But it's not solely revenge that drove
him on. It was you! Edmond loved you, and yet you did not wait for
him and, instead, married the man who had betrayed him! I was powerless
against a broken heart! If you had only waited for Edmond to return, none
of this would've have happened!"
At that tirade, Mercedes found herself
sinking down into her seat, guilt-stricken. "I would've waited for Edmond.
But I�I was too lonely. His father told me that I should not wait any longer.
And Fernand was always there for me. But even if I had married Fernand,
Edmond was always in my heart!"
"That may be so, but it does not
change the fact that you had betrayed him!" Gankutsuou muttered between
gritted teeth, "Did you know that your husband raped Edmond in Auteuil?
He may have loved you, but Fernand had been harboring lustful thoughts
about Edmond right from the beginning! Even if Edmond was in the guise
of the Count, Fernand took advantage of him�because he reminded him so
much of the Edmond Dantes he had known in the past!"
Mercedes was shocked by that revelation.
Despite herself, detestation filled her heart at the man she had chosen
to marry over the one she truly loved. Not only had Fernand destroyed Edmond's
life, he had also taken the only precious thing that was left to him.
"What are you going to do with me?"
Mercedes asked in resignation. "Do you plan to kill me? Then do it now!
But I beg you to spare my son!"
"I did not come to cause any more
trouble for you, but I will not lie that it is Albert who is the true reason
for my return."
"What do you mean? I don't understand."
"Before Edmond died, he had a wish,
a wish that I shared with him, since we were of one body, mind and heart.
If it were possible for him to be reborn again, he would want to spend
his new life with your son." Seeing those stunned brown eyes staring back
at him, Gankutsuou confirmed, "Yes, Madame. Edmond had fallen in love with
Albert. In my case, Albert reminded me of someone I had loved deeply a
thousand years ago. I only realized recently that your son was my love
reborn in this era. Since Edmond and I found it unthinkable to be without
Albert, I decided to use my powers to fulfill our wish."
Mercedes' right hand went up to her
parted lips as she gasped out, "Then are you saying that you are�"
A kind, albeit weary smile formed
on that handsome face which Mercedes had seen many times in the man she
once loved. "Yes, Mercedes. I am Edmond Dantes."

~~~~~~~~~~
A furious Albert barged through the
door of his mother's hotel suite. He saw her sitting in the parlor, her
face buried in her hands.
"Mother! Where's Etienne?" Albert
demanded. "And don't you lie to me! The concierge told me that he had been
here. What have you done to him?"
Mercedes lifted her head, showing
her beautiful face that was drenched with her tears.
"I'm sorry, Albert," Mercedes sobbed.
"Please forgive me for what I've done. I've always blamed him for everything
that's happened, but it's actually all my fault. How many times do I have
to hurt him?"
Albert's heart thundered in his chest
as he got down on his knees before his mother. Gripping her arms, he asked,
"What are you talking about, Mother? And where's Etienne? Please don't
tell me that you drove him away! I�I love him, Mother! I don't know how
I could live without him!"
"And he loves you, my son. So much
more than when he loved me in the past. Don't make the mistake of losing
him, like I had done."
"What are you saying, Mother? You're
confusing me! Please tell me where Etienne is!"
Mercedes suddenly cupped Albert's
flushed face in her hands. What she said next caused the blood to drain
from his cheeks.
"He'll be at No. 30 Champs-Elysees,
Albert, waiting for you," his mother whispered tenderly. Your precious
Nightingale�Your beloved Count of Monte Cristo�Edmond Dantes�."

~~~~~~~~~~
While mother and son were talking,
Etienne had already broken into No. 30 Champs-Elysees and was descending
into the bowels of the mansion via the elevator. The door opened and the
Nightingale stepped into the golden domain of the Count of Monte Cristo.
With Gankutsuou pointing the way
out to him, the singer soon found himself in a portion of the cavernous
catacombs that were no longer touched due to the large amount of debris.
Climbing over a small hill of brick and dirt, he saw the half-buried remains
of a huge golden eye. The eye itself was hollow, its interior lined with
remnants of gossamer pink threads.
:Are you ready, Edmond?: the
entity asked the singer.
Etienne found it strange and a bit
disconcerting to be called by that name. But the exchange between Mercedes
Herrera and Gankutsuou already confirmed that he was this enigmatic avenger.
The only thing left for him to do was to learn the rest of the truth.
His answer to Gankutsuou's question
was a simple nod as he stepped into the eye, curling up into a ball. The
pink threads wrapped around his form. The eye shone with a golden light
as the memory restoration process was initiated�

A dark bedchamber in a villa located
in the remote forest of Auteuil where a poor nobleman had just been violated
by the man he once called friend�
Gankutsuou standing on a balcony
blanketed by a starry night sky, caressing his lower belly where Fernand
Mondego's seed had taken root. Although his present form was that of an
amorphous creature, a being of spirit, he possessed the characteristics
of both male and female, and self-procreation was something that his ever-mutating
cells could accomplish.
A smiling boy's face flashed through
the entity's mind. "Let some good come out of the evil that you had sown,
Fernand Mondego."
Then, a terrible duel that cut
short the life of a brave boy�A sword breaking before it could reach its
mark�The entity's futile attempt to seize control of Edmond's mind before
that long blade could be buried into the boy's body�
"I'm so sorry, Franz," Gankutsuou
wept, his anguish mirroring that of the man whose body he shared, realizing
that they had just slaughtered an innocent. "I'm so sorry!"
A bloody hand caressed his face.
"I forgive you...Gankutsuou" Was that a smile on Franz's lips? "I promise�I'll
be watching over you�Edmond�and Albert�."
Another duel�A bitter confrontation
between two former friends that nearly led to the deaths of two more innocents�A
wounded but brave Albert berating the conscience of the avenger�
Not wanting a repeat of the earlier
tragedy, Gankutsuou used Edmond's momentary indecision to take control.
"Would you kill this boy whom
you claim to love with all your heart?" he shouted furiously at the confused
avenger.
It was easy to turn around and
walk away. But Albert had run after him and blocked his path. As their
eyes met, feral mismatched eyes gazing into fear-filled blue orbs, it was
only then that Gankutsuou realized that this boy saw him as a monster,
but a monster he had learned to love.
"Do you understand my friend's
heart?" the entity asked the boy in deep sorrow.
"No, but�" Gankutsuou heard the
unspoken continuation to Albert's reply. :�I understand mine.:
It was Albert's loving kiss upon
his cheek that drove human and possessor into the very depths of guilt
and despair. But vengeance continued to burn inside Edmond's heart even
if this desire has left him vulnerable and mortal.
As Edmond raised his pistol one
last time, Gankutsuou cried out, "No Edmond! No more!"
Tender mercy came in the form
of the tip of Franz's sword that suddenly drove into Edmond's wounded heart.
With a scream of agony, Edmond fell to the ground, dying in a pool of his
own blood. His ice-cold hand was enfolded in a warm grasp. The pain of
seeing Albert's bright blue eyes clouded with tears was too unbearable.
A fervent promise�"For you, even
if I am seized by the grip of despair, I will survive as you had done,
Count," Albert had sobbed out to him.
"Remember my name�Edmond Dantes,"
Edmond had told Albert with his dying breath.
Even when Albert had shrouded
him with his black cloak, Edmond's consciousness continued to hang on to
the remaining dregs of life still left to him.
:I don't want to die, Gankutsuou.
It's too soon,: Edmond whispered to the entity he knew still dwelled
inside his body. :I don't want to be parted from this dear boy who
had brought light back into the darkness of my life.:
:It is in my power to grant your
rebirth, Edmond,: Gankutsuou offered then, showing to the lonely mortal
the seed he had preserved. :Do you wish to be reborn?
:Yes, do it. But purge me of all
the memories and the bitter emotions that had made me the monster that
I am now. If it is willed by a Higher Power that I should be reunited with
Albert, I want to start anew with him. Can you give me that my friend?:
:Yes, my dear Edmond. I can.:
:Another wish, Gankutsuou. I wish
you to be with me. Let the both of us be reborn.: Edmond had given the
entity a gentle smile. :I've seen what's inside your heart, good friend,
and I know you love Albert as much as I do.:
:I'm afraid I could only grant your
first wish. I do not have enough genetic materials to create a body that
could lodge two conscious beings.:
A loving kiss upon their lips
followed by a shocked gasp caught their waning attention. As if in answer
to their unspoken prayers, a voice they never expected to hear whispered,
"Edmond, you're still alive, but barely."
:Fernand�:
"Take what you need from me, O
Great Ruler of the Cave," Fernand Mondego offered as he raised his gun
to his temple. "Let this be my way of making amends." Then, a pistol shot
rang out, marking the one true noble sacrifice of a sinner.
It dismayed Edmond that he could
no longer shed a tear for his friend.
As the mansion began crumbling
all around them, Gankutsuou told the still warm corpse of the general,
"Your death shall not be wasted, Fernand Mondego."
The entity gathered all the genetic
materials he needed from the bodies of the two friends, encoding it into
the seed. Assuming the form of a glowing ball of pink light, he emerged
from Edmond's body, bearing the seed with him and carrying it to the fallen
golden eye that was to serve as its cradle. To further protect the precious
seed, Gankutsuou wrapped it and himself within an elaborate cocoon made
of pulsing pink threads. Even when the mansion finally collapsed, the entity
and the seed remained safe in their shelter.
With his great powers, Gankutsuou
guided the swiftly growing child's physical development. He also nurtured
it with the knowledge it would need for the new life ahead, at the same
time removing all the bitter memories, storing them as bits of data within
the threads of the cocoon. Among the gifts that the entity had specially
given to the child were a beautiful singing voice and a name.
"You shall make people happy with
your sweet voice," Gankutsuou had whispered to his child, who was now,
in three months time, the size and appearance of a nine-year-old boy. "You
are my precious Nightingale, Etienne Delacroix."
The care of the growing boy, however,
took its toll upon Gankutsuou that, by the beginning of the seventh month,
he had succumbed at last to exhaustion. Before he curled up into his now
fifteen-year-old child's psyche, he kissed Etienne on the brow and simply
ordered, "Wake up!"
At that command, the Nightingale
opened his eyes. Realizing to his horror that he had been buried alive,
Etienne was seized by panic and he tore out of his cocoon, digging through
rock and dirt with his fingers.
"Help!" Etienne would often cry
out. "Somebody help me!"
Even when his strength threatened
to give up on him, he would not stop digging. He swore he would not die
in this accursed place.
When Etienne finally broke through
the surface, the first thing he saw was an artificial sky of blue and gold
with multi-colored stars. As he reached through the hole he had made, a
strong hand seized his wrist and pulled him out of his womb of gold.
Without the entity or his past
memories to guide him, the Nightingale had no idea that his savior was
a rogue and a plunderer, who would condemn him to a life of debauchery
for the next seven years.
The final image was of Andrea
Cavalcanti grinning down at him, with lust shining in his eyes. "So you
are alive, Count! Or should I say�Edmond Dantes!"

It was near dawn when a despondent
figure stumbled out of the gates of No. 30 Champs-Elysees. Edmond Dantes
fell to his knees at the weight of the memories that had been restored
to him.
"Oh God! It's true!" he began to
weep bitterly. "It's all true!"
:I'm so sorry, Edmond,: Gankutsuou
apologized profusely. :The last thing I wanted was for you to go through
this much pain and sorrow again.:
"What's going to happen to us now,
Gankutsuou? After this, Albert will no longer want us."
:If he loves you, Edmond, he will
want you back with him. And I have no doubt that he will never betray you
as his mother had done. However, he would not want me inside you. He believes
me to be the one who had influenced you to pursue vengeance. Don't worry.
I've taken the steps necessary to ensure our permanent separation.:
"What are you talking about? What
did you do?"
"You made the right decision, Gankutsuou,
my friend!"
Edmond whirled to see Andrea Cavalcanti
getting down from his car. Sitting inside, waiting, was the voodoo priestess
Marie Laveau.
:No, Gankutsuou! You didn't! No,
I won't allow�:
Gankutsuou, however, silenced Edmond's
weary consciousness with the might of his will. :Forgive me, Edmond,:
he
whispered, feeling Edmond fall into deep slumber.
"Shall we go, Gankutsuou?" Andrea
asked invitingly, extending a hand to him.
The entity was about to reach for
that hand when a familiar voice made him pause.
"Don't do it, Edmond! Please don't
go with him!"
Gankutsuou turned to see Albert standing
at the street corner, panting for breath.
"Albert�" the entity whispered his
beloved's name. As he looked closely at his lover, superimposing over Albert's
form was the image of another young man who looked just like him, but dressed
in a white tunic and tight trousers. A man who had loved and protected
him in the past.
With a weary sigh, Gankutsuou willed
the pink marks to glow on his forehead. It did not surprise him to see
the fear form on Albert's face.
"It's all right, Albert. You'll be
getting your beloved Edmond back. I promise," Gankutsuou reassured the
young man he had learned to love. "I must do this first. I don't want to
cause any pain for the two of you anymore." Saying this, he took Andrea's
hand.
Albert was jolted into action by
that gesture, running towards the car. "No, don't go with him! Please!"
But it was too late. Gankutsuou swiftly
got inside the car and Andrea closed the door just as Albert reached them.
Albert tried tugging on the door latch, but it was locked on the inside.
As the car pulled away from the curb, Albert ran with it, pounding on the
glass and shouting, "Don't go! Please don't leave me!"
The car sped up as they wheeled away
from the crying figure. Broken-hearted, Gankutsuou could not bear to look
back.
"Goodbye, Albert!" the entity whispered,
burying his face in his hands as his tears began to flow.

* * * * * * * * * *

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I
never thought I'd get over the writer's block caused by all these deadlines,
but here is the latest chapter of "Gankutsuou Reborn". If you are new to
this story, some of the events mentioned here are from the story "Of Sinners
And Innocents". You should read it to understand this chapter. There are
also hints here of Gankutsuou's past life. In answer to the question on
your minds, yes, I will be writing a prequel to the Gankutsuou anime, which
will be entitled "Gankutsuou Alpha". Since this "Reborn" is already nearing
its end, I plan on starting "Alpha" very soon so just watch out for it.
Thank you to everyone who has been reading this story and making the writing
of it worthwhile!
- 16
- 17
- 18
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Gankutsuou Reborn