" Damn it! This dream again!" Leon sighed looking over the empty streets of Downtown LA… It was the middle of the day where the hell was everybody?
Sighing Leon looked around again the skyscrapers looked sadly desolate without the hustle and bustle of people and cars…shaking his head he reached into his pocket for the pack of cigarettes that usually resided there almost like a part of his body, so imagine his surprise when said body part wasn’t there. Uttering a curse he patted his other pocket, his jacket pockets, then finally his shirt. Coming up empty in each place.
Frustrated beyond words he was about to launch into a long string of cursing when a soft growl from behind him caught his attention. Whirling quickly he froze in both surprise and fear seeing the animal behind him. It was the same animal that was always in these dreams…A black panther with violet eyes that seemed to be looking into his soul. He swore he could almost feel it’s breath on his leg.
This was a new turn of events in these dreams, the cat was never this close to him. It usually chose to keep a lofty distance, as if being near Leon was somehow beneath him.
Standing perfectly still, he tried to decide what the best course of action would be.
Run screaming?
Who’d hear him, the city was empty. Besides if he even tried to move it would probably rip his throat out before he so much as took a step backwards…well that ruled that out. If he could get to his gun he could shoot it…that wouldn’t work either. For two reasons one it would probably rip off his arm before he could even move, and two just like his cigarettes his gun was missing as well.
He’d have probably pondered the best course of action for a while longer if the panther hadn’t taken a step towards him…and spoke.
“ Why do you hide from what you are?" it asked simply lowering it’s head as if preparing to pounce. “ Why do you hide from what you are Leon? Why do you reject your guide?” it asked again.
“ Wha-what are you talking about? What guide?” He asked defensively, “ Wait a minute why the hell are you even talking?! You’re a damn animal! Animal’s don’t talk!”
The panther’s eyes shifted from Leon to a point just over his left shoulder, without pause it asked again, “ Why do you hide from what you are Leon? Why won’t you accept your guide?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about! Hide from what? I don’t have a damn guide”
“ Yourself.” It answered without pause,” Why do you deny him?”
Leon shook his head, “ I don’t know what you’re talkin’ about…I don’t even know why I’m talking to you! Hell I don’t even know why you’re talking! Tigers don’t talk.”
The panther shook it’s head, “ I’m not a tiger you idiot. You need your guide more than any other I’ve seen. Why don’t you accept him…he’s waiting for you. Every moment that you deny him. Is another moment that you both suffer.”
“Um yeah…” he said blandly…” So where is this guide?”
“ Right where he has always been. Right behind you.”
“Hm?!” Spinning on his heel Leon glanced up and down the empty streets, “ What the hell are you talking about there’s no one here!”
The animal seemed to sigh, “ I don’t even know why I bother.” It grumbled, before straightening up again it’s eyes boring into Leon’s, “ It’s time for you to accept yourself Leon. You do not see your guide because you refuse to see yourself. As soon as you see yourself, you will know your guide, just as your guide knows you. Do this quickly Leon, if not the consciences may be more than you could ever realize.”
“ Wha-“
Before he could even finish forming the question the panther faded away leaving him alone in the abandoned streets.
“ Well that’s just great-and hey what the hell is that smell?” Leon asked sniffing the now rancid air of his dreamscape.
D woke with a start, that was the fifth dream he'd had about…Leon of all people. It was always the same, Leon standing around the empty streets of the city looking lost and confused. D would call out to him, and he'd never respond…sometimes he'd even look through him as if he weren't even there…
Sitting up straight in the bed, D frowned. This dream however was a little different…the panther that always spoke to Leon looked at him and called him a guide… of course Leon still didn't see him…
" Queep?"
Blinking the sleep out of his eyes D looked towards his little Q-chan…" No I'm not sleeping well as of late." He said wearily to the little babbit floating over his bed.
Q-chan blinked it's beady eyes at him in confusion, "Queep?"
D sighed, " No it's not something I ate. I've been having disturbing dreams…about Leon."
" Queeeep…" the babbit said wearily…
" NO! Most certainly not those kind of dreams….it's more like him not being able to see me….it's strange really because-"
" Queep. Squeak."
D arched a brow, " Don't bother pretending to care…and no I will not get up and get you a strawberry!"
" Queep?"
" No not even if you say please." D replied laying back down.
" Queep?"
" Good night Q-chan."
" Queep."
If he didn't adore animals….and his grandfather.
Leon’s wake up call was an impossibly strong stench coming from everything around him, “ Ugh!” he said placing the back of his hand over his nose, and climbed out of bed quickly. Trying to shake off sleep and ward off the smell of mold, and just general dirt bombarding him.
Unsteadily he made his way to his bathroom through the piles of junk and dirty clothes that seemed to reek more as he moved them out of his way.
Dizzy and disoriented from the smell, Leon finally made it to his bathroom. Flicking on the light he got a double shock when the light burned his eyes, and the heater fan’s metallic whine sounded like the engine on a 747. Quickly shutting the lights back off Leon stood stock-still holding onto the edge of the sink, waiting for the pain to recede.
Finally after many long minutes he eased his death grip on the sink, briefly he considered turning on the lights again, but decided against it. Instead he fumbled around in the mess and semi-darkness till he found his toothbrush, toothpaste, shaving cream and rust-free razor. Pushing the rest of the clutter onto the floor he set down his scavenged items and set to work.
He got as far as putting his toothbrush in his mouth before his tongue started to sting, then the next ten minutes were spent dry heaving over the toilet…which in turn set off white spots in his visions, and caused his ears to start ringing. The overpowering scent of urine he’d gotten a lot closer to didn’t seem to help matters any.
Miserably Leon pushed himself to his feet again and stumbled out of the bathroom. His head was swimming with all the smells and sounds surrounding him.
The sudden blaring ring of his phone only further disoriented him. Causing his already unstable vision to blur even more, mercifully enough his machine picked up and stopped the painful ringing…until the beep that is.
Groaning in pain again he clutched his ears, and screwed his eyes shut in a bid to block out the sounds around him.
“ Hey Leon! Jill here where the heck are you? You’re over an hour late! Anyway a new body came in today. Technical cause of death is decapitation by some kind of wild animal. But get this they’re hoof prints all over the body! Isn’t that weird? And best of all I did some checking up on the victim. His name is Adam Mink, you know the cook guy! Plus he just so happens to be a regular at your favorite pet shop. You may want to go check that out. Bye!”
Leon winced as the second beep blared from his answering machine. What the hell was wrong with him?! Opening his eyes slowly so as not to upset them too much he headed back towards his room to put on some kind of clothing.
After trying unsuccessfully to pull on a pair of jeans.( The material just hurt to damn much.) Leon gave up and grabbed a pair of plaid pajama bottoms from his drawer, and a baggy tee shirt. Changing was torture, it felt like a layer of skin was being ripped off every time anything rubbed against it.
Finally changed Leon slipped on any shoes that he didn’t have to look for. Somehow he managed to find his wallet and a pair of sunglasses and made his way out of his apartment.
That turned out to be a bad idea since the second that he stepped outside the sun set his senses into a frenzy. His eyes whited out, and his skin felt like he’d just been tossed into a vat of acid, the last thing that Leon remembered was the feel of the ground making contact with his face. As well as the scent of old bubble gum, and dirt before he passed out.
Much to his annoyance Leon found himself back in the middle of an empty city. He really hated this dream!
“ If you would just accept the truth Leon you wouldn’t have to suffer like this.”
There was that voice again. Turning around Leon looked down to where the giant panther lounged on the edge of a water fountain.
“ I already told you. I don’t know what you’re talking about! What the hell am I supposedly hiding from?! Why the hell won’t you leave me alone?! What do you have to do with what’s wrong with me?!”
The panther flicked it’s tail impatiently, “ I only tell you the truth, you know what you’re hiding from Leon. I can’t leave you alone because I am you. I have nothing to do with what’s wrong with you, because there isn’t anything wrong with you. If you would just accept who you are-“
“ Look I know who I am okay! I always have! Now cut the mystic tiger crap, and tell me straight out! I swear you sound like that damn Count D.” Leon grumbled.
The panther said nothing.
“ Well?”
“ The knowledge is right there waiting for you, only when you accept yourself will you find peace.”
“ And how do I do that?”
“ Accept the other half of yourself.”
Leon rolled his eyes, “ And who pray tell is my other half?”
“ You truly don’t understand do you Leon? You seek to destroy the only thing that can save you. Your guide.”
“ Oh and what’s this guide? Is it like one of those people with the weird hats that lead those tours through Disneyland because if it is. Just count me out now.” He said dryly.
The Panther sighed, “ You truly understand nothing…”
Leon shrugged.
The Panther looked on the verge of saying something else, but stopped when the sudden scent of vanilla and roses flooded the city.
“ Hey where’d that come from?” Leon asked turning towards the panther. It was gone again. “ Damn it!”
“ Open your eyes Leon, and you will see your guide.” The panther’s voice echoed through out the empty city.
“ Leon?”
" Count?! What the hell you're my guide?"
"Detective?" D cast him a confused glance.
Leon shook his head, " Nothing…weird ass dream." He grumbled.
" Dream?"
" AH! Damn it Count you don't have to yell. I can hear you just fine…" Leon said softly trying hard to ignore the scorching pain that shot through him, along with the irritating beeping, and buzzing going on around him. The sickening smell of ammonia and chemicals were starting to get to him as well. But over all of that was this insistent thumping sound that echoed in his ears…
" Sorry…" he replied softly, " You were talking about a dream?"
Leon raised a hand to his eyes, damn even the florescent lights were to bright. " Hm? Oh yeah it's this really stupid thing with a panther…nothing to- Damn this place is noisy. What the hell is with all that buzzing and beeping?! And that thumping! That's really getting on my nerves the worse…"
D gave him that funny frown again," I don't hear anything are you certain you're feeling well detective?"
Leon glowered up at him, or at least began till D's lips distracted him. D having for once opted to go without make-up he still looked his same striking self…Leon had watched D's lips on many occasions but he'd never seen them looking like this. There were so many tiny lines he couldn't believe he hadn't noticed them before… -where was that heat coming from?
" Detective?"
Almost like a tidal wave all the sounds and scents rushed in on him again, beating at his ears, eyes and skin almost physically!
He hadn't felt anything like this since he was a child…wait a minute! He had felt something like this before? How could he have forgotten…when-falling back onto the bed he clutched at his ears desperately attempting to block it all out…steadying his breathing he thought he heard someone call his name. Leon couldn't be sure since it sounded so very far away…as a matter of fact everything felt far away…
The brief impression of fingers brushing against his forehead was the last thing he noticed before he fell into blissful nothingness.
Black fog surrounded him completely, a vast nothingness that's what he was in, safe stored away from everything out there…everything that could hurt him. The only downside being the fact he couldn't get out. Matter of fact he didn't know how he got in it, in the first place…that and he had plenty of time to think in the blackness…
Memories that he'd long forgotten, or hoped were long forgotten were awakening to haunt him.
He remembered what it had been like for him as a child…all the little things that made him different, his clothes, his hair, his ability to hear a conversation happening 4 stories above him…damn he hated this visiting the inner child crap!
"UGH! How do I get out of here?!" he thought miserably…then again why would he want to get out it was safe here, away from the chaos…but he couldn't stay here forever alone with his memories…he couldn't…he had a job, he had rent to pay! He had to make D miserable! D…he liked tormenting the pet shop owner. He didn't really believe half of the stuff he screamed at him himself, but it was still fun to rant at him…and then watch his condescending non-reaction.
Who'd keep D company if he stayed here? God knew no one really visited him in that dreary pet shop of his. No one but his animals and that freaky little bat winged thing…now that he thought about it. The Count didn't seem to have all that many friends…maybe that was why he was the way he was. He was lonely…Leon really missed the Count-missed him…he missed him. That was a strange revelation. Next he was going to be lamenting on how much he loved him...