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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
- 4
- 5
- 6
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

© September 5, 2005 By Rory
V. Pascual

CHAPTER FOUR: A Sunday Interlude
Albert had little time to lament
the mistakes he had made during his first encounter with the enigmatic
Etienne Delacroix. The minute he sat down at his desk at the Embassy, he
was immediately inundated by mountain upon mountain of paperwork that,
soon, he could not even see his office door from the towering stacks. Albert
had a nagging suspicion that much of the paperwork did not belong to his
predecessor, and he was right. After reviewing each document, he sent them
back to their respective departments, giving each head complete authority
to act on these documents within the boundaries of their duties. Beyond
that, they were to be sent directly to him. It was a move that surprised
everyone. Apparently, the former ambassador distrusted his Luna employees,
thinking them to be of the same ilk as the cutthroats roaming the streets.
In five days time, Albert had the Embassy running like a well-oiled machine
and, to his relief, his paperwork had been whittled down to two to three
folders on his desk.
When Sunday at last arrived, Albert
found himself sitting in a pew of the crowded little church of the Order
of Poor Clares. The nuns sat behind a lattice partition. Still, he could
see Sister Bertrille sitting right in front, giving him a smile and a small
wave before glaring back at the empty seat in the choir box. Even the orphans,
dressed in pure white robes, were anxiously awaiting their soloist.
Feeling rather stifled, Albert loosened
his bowtie by running his finger under it. He did not lie to the good nun
that he was not a regular churchgoer. His aversion began when he attended
Franz's funeral. Back then, it had been difficult for him to accept that
it was his best friend lying in repose inside that coffin. It was still
the same even now. Every church he went to, all he could remember was Franz
dead in a satin-lined box.
Albert squeezed his eyes shut as
he tried to block out that memory from his mind. He wanted to remember
Franz when he was still alive, certainly not in death.
Believing that he had calmed down
enough, he slowly opened his eyes, only to be greeted by a shocking sight.
A young man stood beside the statue
of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Baby Jesus. A man with golden hair.
There was a charming smile on his face as he waved to Albert.
There was no mistaking that handsome
face.
"FRANZ!" Albert leaped to his feet,
startling his seatmate. But the young man he had glimpsed was no longer
there. In his place was a couple who, Albert realized, had been standing
there since he entered the church. He sat down with a disheartened sigh.
Franz was dead. How long would it take for him to get over the guilt and
the pain?
The ringing of the bells and chimes
marked the beginning of the Mass. As he stood up, he noticed that Sister
Bertrille had a dark scowl on her face. Then, the children started to sing
the entrance hymn, a song called "Sing A New Song." Father Tretini, together
with the altar boys, marched solemnly towards the altar.
So, Albert mused in dismay,
he's
not coming after all.
Then, a voice rose from the back
of the small church, its richness causing the disharmonious melodies of
the churchgoers to fall silent. The crowd at the opposite aisle parted
like the Red Sea, allowing a very familiar figure to stride towards the
choir box. Even with each swift step, not once did his voice tremble. When
Etienne Delacroix took his place, every man, woman and child had a smile
on his or her lips, with Albert's smile being the brightest of them all.
When the opening song ended, Father
Tretini cocked his head in the direction of the singer and remarked good-naturedly,
"You're late today, Etienne. How about I make your Penance that you sing
with me in this Mass' Traditional form?"
Etienne took the thick Missal that
was being offered to him by a little girl, but not before giving a sharp
glare to Sister Bertrille, who was smiling smugly in the nun's box. "I'll
try my best, Father."
As he raised his head, his eyes met
Albert's, who mouthed the encouraging words, "You can do it!" Etienne lifted
the book to his face to hide the becoming blush on his cheeks.
The next hour and a half, Albert
believed himself to be in Heaven. The Holy Mass never failed to drive him
into nodding slumber. But not this particular Mass. Somehow, with the magic
of his voice, Etienne had revitalized the little church. All sat bright
and alert. Father Tretini's sermon was riddled with ribald jokes, reducing
everyone to laughter, including Sister Bertrille whose guffaw nearly shocked
the novices out of their habits.
When Etienne sang, however, everyone
listened. The singer himself appeared to be deep in contemplation, eyes
closed and hands clasped before his chest in prayer. Sometimes, he would
raise his hands, palms up, as though offering the prayers of all present
to the Almighty. God would certainly be deaf if he could not hear the sincerity
and earnestness in that enchanting voice.
It was after Communion that Albert
was jolted by another surprise. At the urging of Father Tretini, Etienne
took his place before the altar. A small shake of his head was signal enough
for the organist not to accompany him on the song he had chosen to perform.
There was a moment's silence, and
then Etienne began to sing�

Ave Maria, gratia plena.

Maria, gratia plena

Maria, gratia plena

Ave, ave dominus,

dominus tecum.

Benedicta tu in mulieribus,

et benedictus

et benedictus fructus ventris

ventris tui, Jesus.

Ave Maria.
Sancta Maria,

ora pro nobis,

nobis peccatoribus,

nunc et in hora

mortis nostrae.

Amen

Albert felt as if a bucket of
cold water had been dumped over his head. The "Ave Maria" had been Franz's
favorite song. The one song that soothed the troubled heart of a young
man who blamed himself for his father's tragic demise.
The hymn's effect on Albert was totally
different. It stirred memories inside his mind that he did not want to
remember.
A bitter fight between two friends�
A brief reconciliation�
A huge sword being plunged hard and
deep into the heart�
His one, true friend dying in his
arms�
Albert was unaware that he was panting
heavily, his tears pouring like rain down his face. All he could see was
Franz's smiling face as he bled to death.
"Franz! Franz!" Albert muttered
his beloved friend's name, as he bent over. "I'm so sorry! It's because
of me that you died! I killed you!"
Suddenly, everything became a blinding
white that he pressed his hands to his face to shield his eyes from the
glare. With Etienne's voice wrapping its melody around his wounded heart,
Albert heard Franz's laughter in his ears.
"Stop blubbering like an idiot,
Albert!" Franz scolded him with his usual good cheer. "You're making
him cry!"
At that remark, Albert's eyelids
fluttered open to behold dim shadows looking down at him. Only one face
was clearest to him, like the morning sun � Etienne's. Concern furrowed
the singer's brow. As Franz had said, Luna's Nightingale was in tears.
The face of Sister Bertrille popped
up beside the singer's. "Albert, are you all right? Heavens, you gave all
of us quite a fright when you fainted!"
A choked sob escaped Etienne's lips.
Pressing his hands over his mouth, he pushed his way through the crowd
that had gathered and fled.
"ETIENNE!" Albert struggled to get
to his feet, but dizziness made him fall back into the seat.
"You must rest, my son," Father Tretini
advised kindly. "Give yourself a little time to recover."
"No, I'm fine, Father," Albert said
as he stood up with the help of two kind gentlemen. "Please! I must go
after Etienne!"
"He is probably in the garden near
the fountain with the statue of St. Michael," Sister Bertrille suggested.
Pointing to the door beside the nun's box, she said, "You can go through
there."
Although still a bit wobbly, Albert
headed straight for the door. It was not difficult to find the singer.
The wails of children were all too audible, as well as Etienne's frantic
pleas, "Please stop! I promise I won't cry again!"
As Albert emerged into the garden,
he saw Etienne sitting on the edge of the fountain, surrounded by little
children, all of them not more than seven years old. They were huddled
around Etienne like chicks. But as he took one approaching step towards
them, the children turned as one in his direction, bloody murder written
on their tiny faces.
A little boy, who couldn't be more
than five years old, stormed towards Albert. Pointing a finger at the startled
young man, he shrieked accusingly, "You made my Etienne cry!" and
he stomped his heel down hard on Albert's toe.
Etienne was horrified by the move.
"Pierre! Stop tha�"
However, another little girl shouted
with bloodthirsty glee, "KILL THE BAD MAN!"
Before Albert knew what was happening,
he was desperately dodging well-aimed kicks and punches to his groin and
legs. Wanting to get away, he ran all over the garden with the children
in hot pursuit. Etienne, who was too stunned to act, winced as Sister Bertrille's
prized petunias were trampled under foot.
"WAIT! STOP! I SURRENDER!" Albert
cried, waving his hands frantically in the air.
To his dismay, the children's counter
cry was still, "KILL THE BAD MAN! HE MADE ETIENNE CRY!"
Albert knew where salvation lay,
and he headed straight in the direction of the singer, who was, by now,
reduced to laugher.
"ETIENNE! HELP ME!"
Etienne's mismatched eyes flew wide,
seeing Albert running towards him. "NO! STOP! STAY AWAY!"
But it was too late to stop. Albert
barreled into the singer, sending them falling into the fountain with a
loud splash. With Albert a heavy weight above him, Etienne found himself
submerged underneath the water. Lack of air made him sit up abruptly, mouth
opening to breathe�only to have his lips meet a startled Albert's mouth.
Both men were shocked to immobility,
the beating of their hearts like thunder in their ears. Instinct was screaming
for them to end this accidental kiss, but a much stronger force would not
permit their lips to part. It was Albert who surrendered to the needs of
his lonely heart. Gripping Etienne's arms, he leaned forward and deepened
the kiss.
Albert was shoved back and a hard
slap was delivered on his cheek. Etienne was leaning against the statue,
breathing heavily.
"How dare you!" the singer exclaimed
in fury. "I had hoped you would be different from the others! You're all
the same! You all want the same thing from me! None of you care about what
I feel!"
"No, you're wrong! I never�" Albert
knelt before the angry singer, ignoring the fish that were nipping on his
legs. "Forgive me, Etienne. I got carried away and I�"
"Are you going to betray me again,
Albert de Morcerf?"
Albert gasped at that muttered query.
As he lifted his head, for a brief moment, he thought he saw the singer's
eyes glowing with an unearthly light.
Seizing Etienne's shoulders, Albert
demanded, "What did you say?"
Anger was instantly replaced by fear.
"I�I don't know," Etienne stammered, shocked by the sudden change in demeanor
in the other man. "I didn't say anything!"
"Yes, you did!" Albert said
this with empathic shakes, causing droplets of water to fly from Etienne's
dripping mane. "You called me by another name! Tell me what it is that
you called me!"
Desperate to get an answer out of
the now terrified singer, Albert did not notice the children run off, screaming
for Sister Bertrille.
Tears filled Etienne's eyes as he
gazed at the young man before him. "I'm so sorry, Albert! It's all my fault!
The 'Ave Maria', my voice�it brought back painful memories, didn't it?
That's why you fainted. That's why you're angry with me now. I thought
I'd make you happy but instead I� I won't sing it ever again! I swear
I won't!"
Albert was seized by guilt and remorse,
as he carefully released the trembling singer. What had he done? What he
saw earlier could simply be a trick of the bright sunlight. This weeping
young man could not be Gankutsuou.
Slowly, so as to not slip in the
water, Albert stood up. He held out his hand to the distraught singer,
a gentle smile on his face. "We'd better get out of this fountain or we'll
both catch a cold."
Etienne hesitated for a minute before
tentatively laying his fingertips on that offering hand. Albert's grasp
was warm as his fingers closed around the singer's hand, and pulled him
out of the fountain.
Sister Bertrille feared murder and
mayhem when she arrived at the garden, the children following close behind
her together with two nuns. What she saw in the garden filled her heart
with joy.
Albert sat at the fountain's edge,
his arms wrapped around Etienne, whose head was laid on the young man's
chest, his tears glistening like gems on his blue-tinged skin. Albert was
soothing the singer with gentle strokes through his luxurious tresses.
"Get some towels, Sisters," the Mother
Superior ordered the two nuns. Turning to the children, she ordered, "Come
with me."
"But Sister�Etienne�" they were about
to argue.
Sister Bertrille shook her head.
With a reassuring smile, she said to them, "Let's leave Etienne alone,
little ones. Let him be with his Raoul."

~~~~~~~~~~
"I remembered my best friend, Etienne.
A very dear friend who loved the 'Ave Maria' with a passion."
The two men sat on a bench underneath
a weeping willow in the garden, bundled up in large, thick towels.
Etienne looked at Albert meaningfully.
"You must've loved him very much."
"That's the problem. I did not love
him enough." That painful admission just burst out of his mouth. "That's
why he's dead."
"Albert�"
"I never knew that his love for me
was more than that of a friend. I broke off with him, because he dared
to speak ill of another whom I admired and, yes, learned to love." Tears
fell from Albert's eyes. "When I finally found out the truth�Franz�he took
my place in a duel that I had instigated. I saw Franz die at the hands
of the man I had given my heart to!"
Etienne was stunned by Albert's confession.
He never knew that this cheerful young man held such deep wounds inside
his heart.
Albert continued, "It's been seven
years, but the guilt remains. I try to remember the happy times of our
youth, but I keep going back to that image of him lying in a coffin." He
shook his head furiously. "I don't want to remember Franz in death!"
"How did he look inside his coffin?"
Albert was taken aback by that soft
query. " What�do you mean?"
"His face, Albert," Etienne prodded
patiently. "What did you see when you looked down at his face?"
It tore at Albert's heart to remember.
"Franz�it's like he was only sleeping. There was even a hint of a smile
on his lips. He looked so�" He never finished what he was going to say
as the point the singer was trying to make was driven home to him.
"He looked as though he were at peace,"
Etienne concluded for him. "That meant he had accomplished his mission
in this life, and that is to protect you. Yes, he sacrificed his life,
but in my eyes, he is a hero, a noble hero who had been gifted with eternal
happiness in the presence of the Almighty." The singer gave Albert a thoughtful
smile. "Think of your friend as merely sleeping in a soft bed. Our time
here on Earth is as brief as a silent night in eternity. Tomorrow, you'll
be sure to see Franz again. All you have to do is just wait and hope."
Albert found himself staring at that
beaming face. Wait and hope�the same advice that the Count of Monte Cristo
had given to him. Etienne was so like the Count�.
"Is something wrong, Albert? You're
starting to scare me again."
Hearing the nervous tremor in the
singer's words roused Albert from his thoughts. "Forgive me, Etienne. I
was just feeling a bit embarrassed to ask this of you, but� Would you please
sing the 'Ave Maria' again?"
"But Albert�"
"It's not for me. It's for Franz.
Wherever he is, I'm sure he would love to hear you sing it. I promise I
won't faint this time."
That heartfelt request touched Etienne's
heart. Clearing his throat, he straightened up and sang. Knowing now the
story of the two star-crossed friends, he conveyed all of Albert's emotions
in every note of the solemn hymn.
Albert loves you deeply, Franz,
and he misses you very much, Etienne let these words fill his heart
and his song. Please, Franz. Continue to watch over him. Help him to
recover from the pain of your loss.
:I never
knew�I'm sorry�:
Etienne's voice nearly faltered at
the sudden entry of that thought inside his mind. Where had it come from,
and why was he feeling guilt and regret?
Probably sensing his hesitation,
Albert took Etienne's hands, cupping them between his palms. For a moment,
their eyes met. As the song drew to a soft close, Albert slowly leaned
forward, his lips slightly parted. Etienne found himself moving as well,
closing the distance between them. Then, as their lips met in a tender
kiss, their surroundings faded into the ether. Nothing else existed, except
for the two of them, the fluttering of their hearts, and the sweet pressure
of their lips.
It was Albert who broke the kiss
with much reluctance. Etienne's cheeks were rosy, his eyes wide and bright,
as his fingertips touched his flushed lips.
"Thank you, Etienne," Albert said
with all sincerity. "Thank you so much!"
From the garden door, a nun suddenly
called out, "Etienne! Monsieur Tintoretto has arrived to pick you up!"
"Please tell him I'll be right there,"
Etienne replied, his mismatched eyes still fixed on Albert's sky blue orbs.
As the nun left, the singer stood
up, only to have Albert seize his right hand. "When will I see you again?"
"Sunday�if my Master permits it�."
"Let me escort you to the front gate
at least."
Etienne, however, shook his head.
"No, please don't. It would be better if Monsieur Tintoretto did not see
you. I promise I'll do everything I can to be here on Sunday."
The singer pulled his hand out of
Albert's grasp as he ran for the door. Reaching the doorway, he paused.
"Albert�" Etienne began haltingly.
"The man who killed Franz� Where is he now?"
That question took Albert by surprise.
"He is�dead."
"I'm glad," Etienne said firmly,
the relief obvious in his voice. "I don't think I could forgive the man
who killed your best friend and broke your heart."
Etienne did not wait for Albert's
reply as he hurried to the front gate where he knew Tintoretto was waiting
for him impatiently. Passing through the church, he somehow glanced at
the image of the Blessed Virgin and Her Child. A blond haired young man
stood beside the statue, clapping his hands. Strange, the singer thought,
that he could not hear those hearty claps. As he neared the doors of the
church, the young man bowed to him graciously.
"Thank you�" Etienne heard a warm,
gentle voice inside his head. To these two words, three more were added,
"�And I promise."
"ETIENNE!"
Tintoretto's sharp voice distracted
the singer. When he turned one last time to the statue, the young man had
disappeared.

* * * * * * * * * *
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Gankutsuou Reborn