[fanfic] Night of the Hunter - Uruha x Aoi - 04/??
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Title : Night of the Hunter
Chapter : 04/??
Author : kei_kyuuketsuki
Fandom : the GazettE, Kanon Wakeshima, Rose Noire (more to come)
Pairings : UruhaXAoi, KouyouXAoi, TakashimaXAoi (confused? *chuckled*)
Theme Song : all 30 Seconds to Mars songs from their “This is War” album
Rating : R
Genre : AU, fantasy, action, romance
Warning : there are TWO URUHAs here, complex situation, ambiguities, figurative words, bad English
Disclaimer : I don’t own the boys. They belong to themselves. The bands belong to their company. I adapted the main idea of the story from CLAMPS’s CARD CAPTOR SAKURA. I only fitted the main idea of the story with new settings and - of course - new characters. That’s all.
Summary : those powers have ‘minds’. ‘They’ can think. They rebelled. They wanted to be free, yet they need humans to be their host. Not all the people were able to bear such a power. Several of those people turned mad and became a menace to the world. That is what Aoi had to deal with. As some kind of guardian, Kouyou and Takashima are there to help Aoi whenever the boy needs them… or was it the contrary?
Comment : several explanations about the Arcana Power. Hopefully, this won’t be a boring chapter. *fingers crossed* x(> <)x ..anyway, happy reading!
Chapter 00 // Chapter 01 // Chapter 02 // Chapter 03
04. Tutorial
“Understood!?” Kouyou snapped at me. He was clearly still angry with me.
“Yeah…” I answered.
“I can’t hear you!!” he yelled again.
“Yes, I understand..!” I raised my voice a little.
“What do you understand?” he asked. I blinked. “Aoi-san!?”
Oh, I get it. “I won’t do it ever again…”
“What?” He gestured like he didn’t hear anything. He got closer to me with his ear right in front of my nose.
I sighed. “I won’t do it ever again..!” I repeated.
“Do what?”
I rolled my eyes.
“Aoi-san!?”
“Darling…”
“Shut up!!” Kouyou pointed a finger to Takashima’s face. Takashima sighed. “Say it, Aoi-san, I beg you.” Kouyou changed his tone a little. “Do you understand about not doing what?”
“I won’t use two cards to myself ever again.”
“Please, don’t correct the words, Aoi-san!”
“But what if we’re in emergency state, Kou? Just like two days ago?” I asked.
“You-”
“There, there…” Takashima cut Kouyou’s yelling by holding Kouyou’s hand. “Kouyou-darling cut it out already…”
Kouyou warded Takashima’s hand and grumbled. I couldn’t hear him, but I bet he said something about me being stubborn and disobedient and all. Kouyou walked away, but never left the room.
I lowered my gaze. Well, it’s not his fault to be that indignant to me, actually.
It was about two days ago, when we faced The Empress. I still remembered it clearly, when The Empress attacked me with a blizzard and Kouyou protected me. He was frozen in some ice crystal for some moment back then. I still remembered it when the Knight of Swords kicked Takashima’s stomach and made him fell. I remembered when I use two cards - The Magician and The High Priestess - to myself so that I could do something against The Empress.
I remembered it all. The only thing I couldn’t remember was either Reita or Takashima who carried me home on their back after I fell unconscious after I got The Empress card.
Speaking of which…
We’re in my apartment this time. Beside Takashima and Kouyou, there’s also Reita, Kanon and Jill here.
Jill. Yes. She was the one who got possessed by The Empress.
They’re all in my apartment, witnessing every single fury Kouyou threw at me at that moment. They saw me sitting like a little boy who got bad mark for his test and had to listen to whatever his mother said to him for the embarrassing mark.
I didn’t work at the café today. Well, I COULDN’T work actually. I just woke up two hours ago after the encounter two days ago. I realized that using two cards in one moment like two days ago was really absorbing a lot of my energy. Now I know why I lost my consciousness after some relieving state that got into my brain in a sudden right after I got The Empress card.
And that’s why Kouyou got really angry to me. He just doesn’t like it that I use the card to myself. It’s not about the amount of the card actually, whether I used one or two cards. He just doesn't like that I use it. It’s just that. He said it’s such a stupid move to use myself as the temporary host for the Arcana Power like two days ago.
“Darling…” Takashima patted my head. I looked up to him. “You said you want us to explain about these Arcana things?”
“Ah, now you reminded me about it…” I said as I change my sitting position. I guess Kouyou won’t say anything in the mean time, right?
Kanon suddenly raised her hand. “Can I listen too?”
“Yes, of course, Dear…” Takashima said with a smile.
“Yay!” she squealed happily. “Hey, Jill. You said that you bring some cookies?”
Jill nodded. The girl was surely rare talking. It’s so much difference with Kanon who much more cheerful. Then I saw them preparing something in my small kitchen.
“So…” Takashima said as he sat in front of me at the opposite of the table. I turned my attention to him. He put the three cards on the table. “Here they are…”
There they were, the cards I collected all these moments: The Magician, The High Priestess and The Empress.
“What do you want to know first?” Takashima asked.
“About the spirit inside these cards… who were they?” I asked.
“The creator of these cards used a small fragment of those spirits to bring Arcana into life. It can be anyone’s spirit or anything’s spirit. The creator of these cards did that so he could communicate with the Arcanas. The creator just didn’t want these cards to be just mere dead cards…”
“What… was the creator looking for friends or something?” I asked.
“Probably,” Takashima answered with a smile. “First… The Magician…” Takashima pointed to The Magician card. “Do you know who might be the person in this card?”
It made me think for awhile. While I was thinking about it, Kanon and Jill came with a lot of cookies, six cups with a tea pot on each of their trays. “Here are the cookies!” Kanon said cheerfully.
“Hey! Where are those cups came from?” I asked. I never had a set of cups and tea pot like that. Moreover, it has that classical ornament around the cups and the teapot. I’ve never think about having all of those things in my small apartment. What for? I’m not going to make a tea party or anything.
“They are all Jill’s,” Kanon answered. “They’re beautiful, aren’t they?” Kanon said as she put the tray of cookies on other small table, and Jill prepared the tea for us.
Wow. These girls were really enjoying their time preparing all of these things.
“OK, now, let’s get back to the lesson!” Takashima clapped his hands and got my attention back to the card. “So, Darling. Do you know who the person in The Magician card is?”
“Who? A magician? Mm…” Then I remembered when I changed the card into many different things. “Some kind of a trickster?”
“No,” Takashima answered. “The person in The Magician card, and the spirit that lingers inside this card, is Apollo.”
I fell silent.
“I know, I know!” Kanon raised her right hand. “Apollo is a sun god in Greek Mythology, right?”
“Exactly. Ten points for the girls!” Takashima clapped his hands again.
“Is there anything in this world that you don’t know?” Reita asked to Kanon.
“I wonder…” Kanon said as she shrugged and giggles.
“Apollo?” I repeated. “Do you mean that the creator of these cards was using a god’s spirit to make one of the Arcanas?”
“The fragment,” Takashima pressed his words. “It’s the fragment only, Darling. Not all of the spirit…”
“Whew… I never knew that those mythological gods and all really exist…”
“Not all the people in this world can see ghost, right?” Takashima winked.
“Stop it,” I said.
“What? You don’t like ghost stories?” Reita asked.
“Just… stop it!” I glared at him.
“Ok… ok… I get it…” Reita raised both of his hands in the air in defeat.
I drew my attention back to Takashima. “So it’s Apollo… The Magician has Apollo, the sun god, as the spirit… now, what about Joan?”
“The High Priestess? She’s a legendary female Pope who allegedly reigned for a few years some time during the Middle Ages.”
“What!?” This is crazy. “The creator even used this kind of spirit too!? A pope!?”
“Just the fragment...” Takashima said it again. “The creator used the knowingness and wisdom fragments from the spirit to make this card.”
“OK… now I know why she’s really smart…” I scratched my forehead. “And… now, The Empress. Her name is Adelaide?”
“This card is pretty complex…” Takashima pointed at The Empress card. “The creator used two fragments of spirits inside this card. That’s why it’s pretty hard to face it as opponent. The spirits are Adelaide and Demeter actually…”
“Demeter?” Kanon asked. “The goddess of abundance in Greek Mythology?”
“Yes,” Takashima answered. “The goddess who lost her daughter after Hades, the god of the underworld, kidnapped her…”
“Her… daughter..?” I don’t know why I absentmindedly looked at Jill. The girl just lowered her head. I turned back to Takashima. “Then… what about Adelaide? Was she lost her daughter too?”
“Adelaide was actually a regent of the Holy Roman Empire as the guardian of her grandson in 10th century…” Takashima answered.
Oh, my… “Why the heck I have to face another history lesson now?” I rubbed my forehead. “Can’t these Arcana things be easier to understand?”
Takashima just smiled. “Complex as human beings’ life, isn’t it?”
“I guess the creator of these Arcana Power DID really need friends… was the creator a lonesome person or something?” I asked.
“Probably,” Takashima answered. “So, is there any other thing you want to know?”
“I guess it’s enough about the spirit… for awhile…” I added. “Now, about the power subsists inside each of these cards… I absentmindedly used these cards actually… I don’t really know what happened back then…”
“It synchronized. Remember? Just like when they possessed our new friends here…” Takashima said as he pointed Reita, Kanon and Jill. “It synchronized with the wish you had inside your head… if only you’re in more proper situation, you might be able ask several questions or quizzes to The Empress! Hahaha!” Takashima laughed. Me and the others stay silent. “Sorry…” Takashima cleared his throat. “Well, maybe we can start from The Magician… you see these?” Takashima pointed at the card again. “There are actually four items in this card: cup, coin, dagger on the table in front of The Magician, and a wand. You see the wand? The one in The Magician right’s hand…” Takashima asked. I nodded. “Well, you just can turn this card into these four things… the cup is the only one that you haven’t used, right?” I nodded again. “It’s because your wish at that moment had nothing to do with the cup.”
“I guess The Magician is more to a brawler type, isn’t it?”
“More aggressive. Yes. Unlike The High Priestess that gave obstacle to its opponent rather than to strike them straightly…” Takashima explained.
“Each of these cards has their own uniqueness, don’t they?” I looked at each of the cards. Then my eye stopped at The Empress card. I took it. “This card. You said that this card is associated with several other powers too…”
“Yes, Darling. You saw one of them at the encounter. It's the Knight of Swords.”
“Knight of Swords?” I asked. “But it didn’t possess anyone…”
“It’s because only The Empress can control it,” Takashima explained. “If, I said, IF you use this card, you too might summon the Knight of Swords.”
“So, the Knight of Swords card can only appear if I use The Empress power?”
“Exactly.”
“Then what about… mm…” I tried to remember the name of the power. “The one that Kouyou mentioned that night…” I clapped my hands. “Ah! The Hanged Man! What about that one? I’ve never seen him before… he didn’t appear at the encounter too, right?”
“Yet,” Takashima corrected his words. “We might see him one day…”
I nodded. “OK. I think I understand about that… a little…” I add.
“Can I ask something?” Kanon suddenly voiced out.
“Sure. What is it, Dear?”
“The fourth card… what is it?”
I saw Takashima sighed. “The Emperor…”
“Emperor?” Kanon asked. I was surprised myself for the answer. Kanon asked again, “Is The Emperor affiliated with The Empress?”
“Surprisingly… no,” Takashima answered. “They were like… enemies, actually…”
“Really? The Emperor… is he… mm…” I hesitated. “Is he aggressive? The brawler type?”
“Not like The Magician if you want me to compare it,” Takashima answered.
Then I think about using The Empress card for facing The Emperor when he shows up later. “About The Empress card… can you tell me about all the power inside this card?”
“You’re NOT going to use those cards to yourself again, are you, Aoi-san?!” Kouyou said suddenly. “Tell me you’re not going to use it again!”
I sighed. This time I looked at him. “Then what should I do if I have to face an encounter like two days ago?”
Kouyou walked toward me and grabbed my arms. “You have us, Aoi-san… me and Takashima here…”
“K-Kouyou…”
“Yes?”
“It h-hurts…”
Kouyou loosen his grip on my arms and finally let it go. He lowered his gaze before he stood and walked away from me. This time, he exited my apartment.
“Kouyou!” I called. I almost stood too if only Takashima didn’t hold my hand. “But he-”
“It’s ok, Darling. Kouyou will be just fine…”
“No. I really need to talk to him.”
This time, Takashima loosen his grip. I didn’t take too long to stand and ran to my front door. There, I stopped and turned to Jill. “Jill,” I called. The girl tensed, I could see it. “Can I talk to you later?” I asked. The girl nodded. I smiled. “Thank you…” I said before I opened my front door and ran after Kouyou. I could still saw him walked to the corner of my apartment block. “Kouyou!” I called. “Kouyou wait! Kouyou!” I ran faster. I extended my hand to reach him. “Kouyou, please!” I grab his wrist. He stopped, and I stopped too. I’m panting. I guess I’m still not fully recovered yet. My legs are shaking and I almost fell if only Kouyou didn’t catch me.
He caught me and pulled me into his embrace. He hugged me. He shocked me.
“Please, Aoi-san…” he said. “Don’t do it again… I beg you…” I could feel his breath on my neck each time he talked. “I’m sorry that I couldn’t protect you that day… I’m sorry… but, please… don’t use the card to yourself ever again… it’s dangerous for you…”
I nearly closed my eyes. “You want me to stay silent as I see The Empress attacked you and Takashima and nearly killed the both of you?”
“I-”
“I agreed to help you guys out, right? Don’t you remember? The agreement… I’ll help you out until we collected all the Arcana Power, right?”
“But-”
“I’ll help, Kouyou… you said you’ll protect me, right? Takashima said that too…”
“But I won’t be able to protect you if the Arcana powers absorb all of your energy when you use your body as their host…”
“I promise I won’t force myself next time…”
“Why won’t you promise not to use it at all instead?”
“You know I can’t… we can’t…”
Kouyou sighed, but he tightened his arms around me. There, I closed my eyes completely.
Maybe it sounded weird. But I enjoyed it. I enjoyed the embrace very much. This was the first time I’m being so close with him… with anybody else…
Kouyou has strong arms.
I don’t know…
I just feel… safe…
After all of these years…
This is the first time I could feel someone hugging me this close…
“You made me worry when you use those cards to yourself…”
Worry?
Someone was actually worried about me…
My tear fell…
____....++++****++++….____
A/N: THERE! I’ll wrap it like this. So, how do you think about this chapter? I hope it didn't turn into some boring chapter..(o> <)o ..I put several links for some instant (but long..lol) explanation for the terms..let me know if the links don't work..
(These were the actual cards: The Magician, The High Priestess, and The Empress. And this is Knight of Swords)
Jill! The one that got possessed by The Empress. She's from Rose Noire. I guess some people out there already know about this band? :D
And..mm..what else..
Oh, about Aoi..I just love writing the last part of this chapter..*chuckled*
Well, there you go! As usual, your critics and comments are SO MUCH LUV! ~♥ thank you very much! :-*
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Title : Night of the Hunter
Chapter : 04/??
Author : kei_kyuuketsuki
Fandom : the GazettE, Kanon Wakeshima, Rose Noire (more to come)
Pairings : UruhaXAoi, KouyouXAoi, TakashimaXAoi (confused? *chuckled*)
Theme Song : all 30 Seconds to Mars songs from their “This is War” album
Rating : R
Genre : AU, fantasy, action, romance
Warning : there are TWO URUHAs here, complex situation, ambiguities, figurative words, bad English
Disclaimer : I don’t own the boys. They belong to themselves. The bands belong to their company. I adapted the main idea of the story from CLAMPS’s CARD CAPTOR SAKURA. I only fitted the main idea of the story with new settings and - of course - new characters. That’s all.
Summary : those powers have ‘minds’. ‘They’ can think. They rebelled. They wanted to be free, yet they need humans to be their host. Not all the people were able to bear such a power. Several of those people turned mad and became a menace to the world. That is what Aoi had to deal with. As some kind of guardian, Kouyou and Takashima are there to help Aoi whenever the boy needs them… or was it the contrary?
Comment : several explanations about the Arcana Power. Hopefully, this won’t be a boring chapter. *fingers crossed* x(> <)x ..anyway, happy reading!
Chapter 00 // Chapter 01 // Chapter 02 // Chapter 03
04. Tutorial
“Understood!?” Kouyou snapped at me. He was clearly still angry with me.
“Yeah…” I answered.
“I can’t hear you!!” he yelled again.
“Yes, I understand..!” I raised my voice a little.
“What do you understand?” he asked. I blinked. “Aoi-san!?”
Oh, I get it. “I won’t do it ever again…”
“What?” He gestured like he didn’t hear anything. He got closer to me with his ear right in front of my nose.
I sighed. “I won’t do it ever again..!” I repeated.
“Do what?”
I rolled my eyes.
“Aoi-san!?”
“Darling…”
“Shut up!!” Kouyou pointed a finger to Takashima’s face. Takashima sighed. “Say it, Aoi-san, I beg you.” Kouyou changed his tone a little. “Do you understand about not doing what?”
“I won’t use two cards to myself ever again.”
“Please, don’t correct the words, Aoi-san!”
“But what if we’re in emergency state, Kou? Just like two days ago?” I asked.
“You-”
“There, there…” Takashima cut Kouyou’s yelling by holding Kouyou’s hand. “Kouyou-darling cut it out already…”
Kouyou warded Takashima’s hand and grumbled. I couldn’t hear him, but I bet he said something about me being stubborn and disobedient and all. Kouyou walked away, but never left the room.
I lowered my gaze. Well, it’s not his fault to be that indignant to me, actually.
It was about two days ago, when we faced The Empress. I still remembered it clearly, when The Empress attacked me with a blizzard and Kouyou protected me. He was frozen in some ice crystal for some moment back then. I still remembered it when the Knight of Swords kicked Takashima’s stomach and made him fell. I remembered when I use two cards - The Magician and The High Priestess - to myself so that I could do something against The Empress.
I remembered it all. The only thing I couldn’t remember was either Reita or Takashima who carried me home on their back after I fell unconscious after I got The Empress card.
Speaking of which…
We’re in my apartment this time. Beside Takashima and Kouyou, there’s also Reita, Kanon and Jill here.
Jill. Yes. She was the one who got possessed by The Empress.
They’re all in my apartment, witnessing every single fury Kouyou threw at me at that moment. They saw me sitting like a little boy who got bad mark for his test and had to listen to whatever his mother said to him for the embarrassing mark.
I didn’t work at the café today. Well, I COULDN’T work actually. I just woke up two hours ago after the encounter two days ago. I realized that using two cards in one moment like two days ago was really absorbing a lot of my energy. Now I know why I lost my consciousness after some relieving state that got into my brain in a sudden right after I got The Empress card.
And that’s why Kouyou got really angry to me. He just doesn’t like it that I use the card to myself. It’s not about the amount of the card actually, whether I used one or two cards. He just doesn't like that I use it. It’s just that. He said it’s such a stupid move to use myself as the temporary host for the Arcana Power like two days ago.
“Darling…” Takashima patted my head. I looked up to him. “You said you want us to explain about these Arcana things?”
“Ah, now you reminded me about it…” I said as I change my sitting position. I guess Kouyou won’t say anything in the mean time, right?
Kanon suddenly raised her hand. “Can I listen too?”
“Yes, of course, Dear…” Takashima said with a smile.
“Yay!” she squealed happily. “Hey, Jill. You said that you bring some cookies?”
Jill nodded. The girl was surely rare talking. It’s so much difference with Kanon who much more cheerful. Then I saw them preparing something in my small kitchen.
“So…” Takashima said as he sat in front of me at the opposite of the table. I turned my attention to him. He put the three cards on the table. “Here they are…”
There they were, the cards I collected all these moments: The Magician, The High Priestess and The Empress.
“What do you want to know first?” Takashima asked.
“About the spirit inside these cards… who were they?” I asked.
“The creator of these cards used a small fragment of those spirits to bring Arcana into life. It can be anyone’s spirit or anything’s spirit. The creator of these cards did that so he could communicate with the Arcanas. The creator just didn’t want these cards to be just mere dead cards…”
“What… was the creator looking for friends or something?” I asked.
“Probably,” Takashima answered with a smile. “First… The Magician…” Takashima pointed to The Magician card. “Do you know who might be the person in this card?”
It made me think for awhile. While I was thinking about it, Kanon and Jill came with a lot of cookies, six cups with a tea pot on each of their trays. “Here are the cookies!” Kanon said cheerfully.
“Hey! Where are those cups came from?” I asked. I never had a set of cups and tea pot like that. Moreover, it has that classical ornament around the cups and the teapot. I’ve never think about having all of those things in my small apartment. What for? I’m not going to make a tea party or anything.
“They are all Jill’s,” Kanon answered. “They’re beautiful, aren’t they?” Kanon said as she put the tray of cookies on other small table, and Jill prepared the tea for us.
Wow. These girls were really enjoying their time preparing all of these things.
“OK, now, let’s get back to the lesson!” Takashima clapped his hands and got my attention back to the card. “So, Darling. Do you know who the person in The Magician card is?”
“Who? A magician? Mm…” Then I remembered when I changed the card into many different things. “Some kind of a trickster?”
“No,” Takashima answered. “The person in The Magician card, and the spirit that lingers inside this card, is Apollo.”
I fell silent.
“I know, I know!” Kanon raised her right hand. “Apollo is a sun god in Greek Mythology, right?”
“Exactly. Ten points for the girls!” Takashima clapped his hands again.
“Is there anything in this world that you don’t know?” Reita asked to Kanon.
“I wonder…” Kanon said as she shrugged and giggles.
“Apollo?” I repeated. “Do you mean that the creator of these cards was using a god’s spirit to make one of the Arcanas?”
“The fragment,” Takashima pressed his words. “It’s the fragment only, Darling. Not all of the spirit…”
“Whew… I never knew that those mythological gods and all really exist…”
“Not all the people in this world can see ghost, right?” Takashima winked.
“Stop it,” I said.
“What? You don’t like ghost stories?” Reita asked.
“Just… stop it!” I glared at him.
“Ok… ok… I get it…” Reita raised both of his hands in the air in defeat.
I drew my attention back to Takashima. “So it’s Apollo… The Magician has Apollo, the sun god, as the spirit… now, what about Joan?”
“The High Priestess? She’s a legendary female Pope who allegedly reigned for a few years some time during the Middle Ages.”
“What!?” This is crazy. “The creator even used this kind of spirit too!? A pope!?”
“Just the fragment...” Takashima said it again. “The creator used the knowingness and wisdom fragments from the spirit to make this card.”
“OK… now I know why she’s really smart…” I scratched my forehead. “And… now, The Empress. Her name is Adelaide?”
“This card is pretty complex…” Takashima pointed at The Empress card. “The creator used two fragments of spirits inside this card. That’s why it’s pretty hard to face it as opponent. The spirits are Adelaide and Demeter actually…”
“Demeter?” Kanon asked. “The goddess of abundance in Greek Mythology?”
“Yes,” Takashima answered. “The goddess who lost her daughter after Hades, the god of the underworld, kidnapped her…”
“Her… daughter..?” I don’t know why I absentmindedly looked at Jill. The girl just lowered her head. I turned back to Takashima. “Then… what about Adelaide? Was she lost her daughter too?”
“Adelaide was actually a regent of the Holy Roman Empire as the guardian of her grandson in 10th century…” Takashima answered.
Oh, my… “Why the heck I have to face another history lesson now?” I rubbed my forehead. “Can’t these Arcana things be easier to understand?”
Takashima just smiled. “Complex as human beings’ life, isn’t it?”
“I guess the creator of these Arcana Power DID really need friends… was the creator a lonesome person or something?” I asked.
“Probably,” Takashima answered. “So, is there any other thing you want to know?”
“I guess it’s enough about the spirit… for awhile…” I added. “Now, about the power subsists inside each of these cards… I absentmindedly used these cards actually… I don’t really know what happened back then…”
“It synchronized. Remember? Just like when they possessed our new friends here…” Takashima said as he pointed Reita, Kanon and Jill. “It synchronized with the wish you had inside your head… if only you’re in more proper situation, you might be able ask several questions or quizzes to The Empress! Hahaha!” Takashima laughed. Me and the others stay silent. “Sorry…” Takashima cleared his throat. “Well, maybe we can start from The Magician… you see these?” Takashima pointed at the card again. “There are actually four items in this card: cup, coin, dagger on the table in front of The Magician, and a wand. You see the wand? The one in The Magician right’s hand…” Takashima asked. I nodded. “Well, you just can turn this card into these four things… the cup is the only one that you haven’t used, right?” I nodded again. “It’s because your wish at that moment had nothing to do with the cup.”
“I guess The Magician is more to a brawler type, isn’t it?”
“More aggressive. Yes. Unlike The High Priestess that gave obstacle to its opponent rather than to strike them straightly…” Takashima explained.
“Each of these cards has their own uniqueness, don’t they?” I looked at each of the cards. Then my eye stopped at The Empress card. I took it. “This card. You said that this card is associated with several other powers too…”
“Yes, Darling. You saw one of them at the encounter. It's the Knight of Swords.”
“Knight of Swords?” I asked. “But it didn’t possess anyone…”
“It’s because only The Empress can control it,” Takashima explained. “If, I said, IF you use this card, you too might summon the Knight of Swords.”
“So, the Knight of Swords card can only appear if I use The Empress power?”
“Exactly.”
“Then what about… mm…” I tried to remember the name of the power. “The one that Kouyou mentioned that night…” I clapped my hands. “Ah! The Hanged Man! What about that one? I’ve never seen him before… he didn’t appear at the encounter too, right?”
“Yet,” Takashima corrected his words. “We might see him one day…”
I nodded. “OK. I think I understand about that… a little…” I add.
“Can I ask something?” Kanon suddenly voiced out.
“Sure. What is it, Dear?”
“The fourth card… what is it?”
I saw Takashima sighed. “The Emperor…”
“Emperor?” Kanon asked. I was surprised myself for the answer. Kanon asked again, “Is The Emperor affiliated with The Empress?”
“Surprisingly… no,” Takashima answered. “They were like… enemies, actually…”
“Really? The Emperor… is he… mm…” I hesitated. “Is he aggressive? The brawler type?”
“Not like The Magician if you want me to compare it,” Takashima answered.
Then I think about using The Empress card for facing The Emperor when he shows up later. “About The Empress card… can you tell me about all the power inside this card?”
“You’re NOT going to use those cards to yourself again, are you, Aoi-san?!” Kouyou said suddenly. “Tell me you’re not going to use it again!”
I sighed. This time I looked at him. “Then what should I do if I have to face an encounter like two days ago?”
Kouyou walked toward me and grabbed my arms. “You have us, Aoi-san… me and Takashima here…”
“K-Kouyou…”
“Yes?”
“It h-hurts…”
Kouyou loosen his grip on my arms and finally let it go. He lowered his gaze before he stood and walked away from me. This time, he exited my apartment.
“Kouyou!” I called. I almost stood too if only Takashima didn’t hold my hand. “But he-”
“It’s ok, Darling. Kouyou will be just fine…”
“No. I really need to talk to him.”
This time, Takashima loosen his grip. I didn’t take too long to stand and ran to my front door. There, I stopped and turned to Jill. “Jill,” I called. The girl tensed, I could see it. “Can I talk to you later?” I asked. The girl nodded. I smiled. “Thank you…” I said before I opened my front door and ran after Kouyou. I could still saw him walked to the corner of my apartment block. “Kouyou!” I called. “Kouyou wait! Kouyou!” I ran faster. I extended my hand to reach him. “Kouyou, please!” I grab his wrist. He stopped, and I stopped too. I’m panting. I guess I’m still not fully recovered yet. My legs are shaking and I almost fell if only Kouyou didn’t catch me.
He caught me and pulled me into his embrace. He hugged me. He shocked me.
“Please, Aoi-san…” he said. “Don’t do it again… I beg you…” I could feel his breath on my neck each time he talked. “I’m sorry that I couldn’t protect you that day… I’m sorry… but, please… don’t use the card to yourself ever again… it’s dangerous for you…”
I nearly closed my eyes. “You want me to stay silent as I see The Empress attacked you and Takashima and nearly killed the both of you?”
“I-”
“I agreed to help you guys out, right? Don’t you remember? The agreement… I’ll help you out until we collected all the Arcana Power, right?”
“But-”
“I’ll help, Kouyou… you said you’ll protect me, right? Takashima said that too…”
“But I won’t be able to protect you if the Arcana powers absorb all of your energy when you use your body as their host…”
“I promise I won’t force myself next time…”
“Why won’t you promise not to use it at all instead?”
“You know I can’t… we can’t…”
Kouyou sighed, but he tightened his arms around me. There, I closed my eyes completely.
Maybe it sounded weird. But I enjoyed it. I enjoyed the embrace very much. This was the first time I’m being so close with him… with anybody else…
Kouyou has strong arms.
I don’t know…
I just feel… safe…
After all of these years…
This is the first time I could feel someone hugging me this close…
“You made me worry when you use those cards to yourself…”
Worry?
Someone was actually worried about me…
My tear fell…
____....++++****++++….____
A/N: THERE! I’ll wrap it like this. So, how do you think about this chapter? I hope it didn't turn into some boring chapter..(o> <)o ..I put several links for some instant (but long..lol) explanation for the terms..let me know if the links don't work..
(These were the actual cards: The Magician, The High Priestess, and The Empress. And this is Knight of Swords)
Jill! The one that got possessed by The Empress. She's from Rose Noire. I guess some people out there already know about this band? :D
And..mm..what else..
Oh, about Aoi..I just love writing the last part of this chapter..*chuckled*
Well, there you go! As usual, your critics and comments are SO MUCH LUV! ~♥ thank you very much! :-*