The Adventures of Queen Draqueesha and the Undead Composer Mozart

Chapter 10 - Left Behind

A/N : Hi, tried to make this feelsy, not great at romance, would appreciate any constructive criticism. ONLY THREE CHAPTERS LEFT GUYS! WOOT! I really appreciate it if you've stuck this far. Tysm! (Also, ignore the camera in the pic :P)

Adrianna and Mozart huffed and puffed as they dragged their instruments from the bus stop to the cemetery under the midday sun. Sweat ran down Adrianna's face, but she still managed a roguish grin at Mozart, who returned it. They dumped their instruments under a bench, then sat down, surveying the scene. A cobblestone pathway wound through the graveyard, stones  bleached white by the sun. The whole place was rolling green grass, pretty as a picture. The only thing that marred the view was the sorrow filled families, shoulders hunched and trembling with sobs. It was in this picturesque scene that Mozart and Adrianna waited for the cemetery to empty and the sun to set. It wasn't boring, though, they made pleasant conversation and practiced on their instruments, teasing each other mildly when they tripped up. As the sky darkened, the gravity of the situation settled upon them. The last tourist left with a suspicious glance, and they stood.

"We're really doing this, huh?" Adrianna's voice trembled slightly. 

"Yep" Mozart smiled, popping the 'p'. Despite himself, he felt a flutter of excitement. Home, he thought. 

They walked back and forth near Mozart's grave, until Mozart stopped, feeling a tingling in his feet. Adrianna and him stood face to face, feet stacked practically on top of each other to fit into the fault between the realities. They could hardly see each other under the night sky, and they waited for it to fade. 

The both of them were flickering between opaque and translucent, and their heads filled with static. It was like they were  radio waves, unable to form the right station, scattered and broken. They flickered and faded and then came back slightly before the process started again. It was like a vicious limbo, a war between realities.  Neither wanted to accept what was in between. Mozart needed to reinforce the link, and then remembered his clothes. Gesturing to Adrianna, he took the bag from her with some difficulty. It felt like it was made of concrete, and he was hardly more than a feather. Pulling his bloodstained slacks out, he dropped it to the grass. He looked at Adrianna, who glanced away and shifted from foot to foot. He frowned, then all at once the buzzing became much louder, then a flash of purple smoke. A tangy citrus smell, a shock of electricity and a singed patch of grass. With Adrianna standing on top, hands empty.

She closed her eyes, concentrating on her toes. 

Nothing happened. 

She wiggled her toes into the ground, desperate to feel any tingling - before she realized what had happened.  

He had betrayed her. 

"NO!" She screamed in frustration, dropping to her knees and digging her long fingers into the ground in desperation. "NO!" she pounded her fist on the mud, over and over. How dare he leave her, how dare he? He had done something, with those slacks, reinforcing his connection between realities and using the residual energy to push himself through the gap - leaving her behind. A tear trickled down her cheek. The three musketeers, she had thought. Adrianna, Mozart and Draqueesha. But it wasn't, was it? It was just Mozart and Adrianna on their little adventure. Adrianna gritted her teeth, seething with anger. Promises of dinner and a strange new world. All lies. Did he even like her? She cursed through her teeth. 

Adrianna screwed her eyes shut, tears leaking out from the corners. Her reasons for crying were a little bit selfish. Yes, she had wanted more than anything to escape her boring reality. Yes, she had wanted to experience something wholly new. Yes, she had wanted her own great adventure. Yes, she hoped that she had found something with Mozart. But she also wanted her best friend back. She remembered their first day at the college.

They had had a stupid mixer in the cafeteria, all the tables pushed to the side and laden with fruit punch and chips. She had sat in the corner, trying to pick out decent people with her eyes. She had tried dancing as well, in the middle of the room, but not a single person had joined her. Except Draqueesha. They had moved without abandon, laughing smiling and jerking all over the place. Despite being musicians, they had no sense of rhythm and their movements were disjointed and uncomfortable. It had been immense fun though. They made an awkward pair, Adrianna who had worked her arse off for everything she had achieved, and Draqueesha who barely showed a passion for music. Adrianna, who had lived in the same small apartment with her mother her whole life, and Draqueesha, who lived in an enormous mansion with her father. A few months ago, though, they had both found something in common. Neither of them had mothers anymore.

Adrianna pulled herself back from her past, and sat back on her haunches. Removing the backpack, she set it in front of her, and began her stakeout. She glared at the patch of grass, and ran her fingers over it, fancying that the spot was a little warmer than anywhere else. A whisper on the wind sounds like her name, in his voice, a soft, muted "Adrianna".

"Friday night" she jabbed her finger at the spot, then settled back, waiting. In vain, perhaps. But maybe he'd come back.

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Mozart felt a cool wind on his face, one that smelt like sea salt and greenery. A cool wind that you couldn't get in Vienna. He smiled and opened his eyes. 

"Welcome to Nalas!" he exclaimed, turning to face Adrianna.

Except she wasn't there.

Mozart looked around the park, craning his neck. Where was she? There was nothing behind him. He was alone in themiddle of a football field, under the heat of the noon sun. He looked forward,but all he could see was the stark brick and mortar skyline of his city. It wasthe biggest city on the planet, taking up nearly the entire western half ofRussia. Most of the world's population was contained within. Nearly threebillion people, but not Adrianna. Mozart was unsure of what to do, and herubbed his gauze covered arm, trying to get over the fact that her comfortingpresence had left him. He cursed silently; she would think he had purposelyleft her behind. 

"Adrianna?" he called loudly. Then it dawned on him. He remembered that last instant, her shifting her feet, looking away. Mozart cursed under his breath. He had left her. Was that dinner a moot promise? Did she hate him? Did she think he was a freak? "No" he whispered under his breath. She hated him. But why even tag along then? Was it a sudden last minute fear? Or perhaps a strong feeling of revulsion. Tears welled in his eyes, and he wiped them away. At least he was home. He took a deep breath, and picked up his stuff. 

"Goodbye Adrianna" he whispered to the wind. 

Mozart lifted his viola case higher, hearing the reassuring rustle of his sheets. He decided to go looking for Draqueesha.

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Exhaling sharply, he stood on top of one of the tallest buildings in the city. Eighty seven storeys on a rickety fire escape had not been good for his confidence, and he felt shaky standing up there, surveying the city. His eyes tracked the artificial river and the canals which cut their way between buildings, bordered by a thick green fringe, not unlike the ones that covered most of the city's rooftops. Loose gravel shifted as Mozart swiveled, searching for something, anything, perhaps a glowing rainbow bubble or something. Running his fingers through his blond hair, he lay onto his back, exhausted and emotionally drained, but happy to be home. His world was so much better than theirs, carefully controlled populations, government implementing many environmental laws with severe consequences. The lowest literacy rate in any of the seven countries was 98% and everybody maintained their own cultures, but knew enough English to communicate. They didn't try to squash everyone into the same mold. Citizens of Nalas were free to do what they wanted, who they wanted. He didn't want to see his world crushed. He didn't want to see anyone's world crushed. So he set up camp and waited for Draqueesha.