[fanfic] Night of the Hunter - Uruha x Aoi - 06/??
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Title : Night of the Hunter
Chapter : 06/??
Author : kei_kyuuketsuki
Fandom : the GazettE, Kanon Wakeshima, Rose Noire, Alice Nine (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 : long comment at the end of the post. Happy reading!
Chapter 00 // Chapter 01 // Chapter 02 // Chapter 03 // Chapter 04 // Chapter 05
06. Home but not Home
“Well, The Emperor hates anyone who disobeys his rules…” Takashima told me.
Disobeys his rules. OK. It might madden him a little. But will he get rid of the fort just by doing that? “Is there any other thing that we can do to make him undo the fort?”
“No need to do anything,” said The Emperor. “I won’t undo my proud fortress anyway,” he smiled.
“You’re not going to live like this forever, aren’t you?” I asked.
“Aren’t you?” he asked me back.
“What..?”
“You like your current condition, right?” He was still smiling. “You like being with your new friends.” His words stunned me. “You’re scared of losing them… again… right?”
“I’m not going to lose anyone!” I yelled. Yes. I’m not going to lose it, again… please…
“Yes, indeed,” The Emperor smiled. “You’re not going to lose anyone if you stay here, inside my fort. Don’t you feel grateful with it?”
I have my friends here with me. For eight years, this is what I’ve wanting, right? I have my OWN friends now. I might deny it. I still can’t believe it actually. But at last, after all of these years, after all of this time, after THIS long, now I’m able to make friends.
Without him around…
Then… why should I bother to get out from here?
“DARLING!!” A slap on my face. I blinked for several times. I saw Takashima right in front of me. He’s holding my cheeks with both of his hands. He yelled again. “DON’T!! I repeat! Don’t let any of his words got into you!!”
What..? I blinked again. This time, I tried to look around me and Takashima. We’re in Ruki’s café. There were Kanon and Jill who also look at me. They looked worried.
This was the second time I think somebody was actually worried about me. “W-what happened?” I asked.
Takashima sighed. “I bet The Emperor had been put some hypnotic in his words to affect you.”
“H-hypnotic..?” I said in disbelieve.
“Tsk… that’s very close…” The Emperor - Ruki - said with a smile. He’s sitting on one of the customer chair inside his café. Koron was still sleeping on his lap. “I almost got you, Young Man…”
“What exactly are you going to do to him!?” Takashima yelled at the Emperor as he pulled me and make me stood behind him. It looked like he wanted to make himself as some kind of shield to me from The Emperor.
“I’m an Emperor. Of course I need a successor who can rule my fortress after I’m gone,” The Emperor explained. “Well, I’m not going to be gone that easily. You know that already, don’t you?” He smiled again. “But I just need to prepare for everything, right? I don’t want to be reckless just because I’m nearly invincible.”
“Oh, you admitted that you’re not THAT invincible, didn’t you?” Takashima smiled.
“But as long as you can’t defeat me, you can consider I’m invincible…”
The Emperor put his elbow on the table, and he put his chin on his palm. He’s still smiling. It’s still the same smile with Ruki’s. But the person I saw right in front of me is possessed. Until I defeat him, I won’t get this café owner back.
“Well then…” I looked at The Emperor right into his eyes. I stepped forward, and stood in front of Takashima.
“D-Darling…”
“Then try to make me your successor without hypnotize me,” I said, not listening to Takashima’s words.
The smile was gone from The Emperor’s face. “Are you challenging me?”
“What? An emperor scared to mere challenge?” I asked.
“SILENT!!” The Emperor hit the table very hard.
I took a glance to Koron on his lap. Koron didn’t wake up. Maybe The Emperor used his hypnotic to the tiny dog. I’m not sure. But if this goes on like this for, for I don’t know for how long, it won’t be good for the small creature too.
“You’re not becoming my successor yet but you’re being presumptuous to go against me, Young Man!?” The Emperor asked angrily. “You better watch your mouth or I exile you out from this fort, away from your friends!!”
“Oh, you want to send your soon-to-be-successor away? Will you be able to find another person to become your worthy successor? Him?” I pointed at Takashima. “Or the ladies?” I pointed at Kanon and Jill. “Oh, I see. I guess you won’t entrust your very fortress to any person, would you? What? Are you going to choose your dog instead?”
It happened very fast. I didn’t see it when he extended his hand toward me and send something sphere-like to slam me to the wall behind me. I hit the wall very hard and fell to the floor.
“DARLING!!” Takashima called as he ran toward me. He lifted my body, and helped me sit. “Are you OK?”
“Just… a little bit more…” I said with a hoarse voice.
“What..?”
“Just a little bit more… until he sends me out from this place… I’ll search for Kouyou and Reita for help…” I looked at Takashima. “I realized that I just can’t use The Empress card to freeze this place, nor to summon the Knight of Sword to attack The Emperor. I just can’t destroy this place, and I don’t want to hurt any of you… I can’t use The High Priestess’ labyrinth to lock him either. This place is under his control, I guess he’ll counter-attack the spell instead. I can’t use The Magician too. The fire wand, the dagger, the coin, not even the cup will be much of use in this condition. The only thing I can try now is to get out from this place…”
“But, Darli-”
“Takashima…” I held his hand. “I just can’t let him throw you, moreover the girls to a wall like what he did to me… and I don’t want you to fight him in any way. I know you have a sword. But I guess that won’t be a wise option right now…” I sighed, tried to get rid of the sting on my back. “I promise… if I can get him mad, and make him sends me out from this place, I’ll demolish his stupid-arrogant-fort and beat him-”
Takashima kissed me, right on my lips.
“If only you could see yourself when you said all of those beautiful words, My Precious Darling…” Takashima said after he broke the kiss. “You made me fall in love with you even more…” He smiled. “Now, come on…” Takashima helped me stand. “I’ll make sure he won’t put any other wound to your lovely body, Darling… and here…” Takashima handed me The Magician, The High Priestess and The Emperor cards to me. “Just in case…” Takashima winked.
I stood. Right now, I’m standing. I know. I’m facing The Emperor. I know. But I just couldn’t… I shouldn’t…
Takashima kissed me.
No! Not right now! I ruffled my hair, tried to get rid of the taste of Takashima’s lips on mine not long ago. It’s so warm… so soft… it felt good… it’s-
I slapped my face. I shook my head before I stare at The Emperor. He smiled again.
“I guess I should do it twice or three more times. You’re actually enjoying it, aren’t you, Young Man? After I slammed you to the wall, you got a kiss… a lovely kiss… what a scene… are you a masochist?” The Emperor chuckled.
“Sh-shut up!”
The Emperor smiled. “Oh, you didn’t even deny it. Really, this is my authority, yet because I love the scene you gave me before, I let you do it again.”
“I’m-”
“I’m just trying to be a good predecessor.” The Emperor cut my words. “By letting you do anything you like inside my authority, I can have your word to be my successor later instead. Isn’t it fair enough for you, Young Man?” He asked. “After you have this fortress on your own, you’ll have all the power you need to control everything you want. Isn’t it good enough? You’ll have your friends live with you the entire time you want.”
「“You’re mine, Yuu… you’re mine, and you’re going to stay with me… for good…”」
“NO!!” I yelled. “I don’t want to lock anyone here for my own sake!! And you!” I pointed right to The Emperor’s face. “You! Don’t act like you can control me! You’re not my father! You’re not Kai! You’re NO ONE!!”
「”I’m no one…”」
I gasped at my own words. I lowered my hand and I lowered my hand. I guess…
I’ve becoming like him… after all…
Like him… Kai…
“Why you… little punk…” The Emperor growled.
“Matsumoto-san…” I called. “You are… Matsumoto-san… right?” I clenched my fist. “You always wanted me call you with your nickname, don’t you?” I lifted my head and looked at The Emperor in front of me. “But you, Emperor… you’re no one to me… ‘cause I don’t know you… I don’t know who The Emperor is to me… not even as my predecessor… but I DO know Matsumoto-san… Ruki-san… and I… want… him… BACK!!!”
“IMPUDENT!!” The Emperor shouted. “You’re not worthy to become a successor of mine!! Now BEGONE!!”
When I thought he’d hit me with the sphere, the floor below me suddenly opened and swallowed me in. I didn’t remember anything other than Kanon’s and Jill’s screams and Takashima’s desperate callings.
*+*
It was dark.
I couldn’t see anything. I thought I was closing my eyes. But after I opened it, I still couldn’t see anything. It’s a pitch dark.
“Yuu…”
I looked around me. I couldn’t find anything, anyone.
“Yuu…”
“Who’s there!? I… I’m not Yuu!”
“You abandoned your name? Your beautiful name?” The voice sounded sad. “And… you don’t remember me?”
“I can’t see you! Where are you!? Who are you!? Show yourself!”
“Really?” The voice chuckled. “Do you really, really want me to show myself in front of you? After you ran away from me, Yuu?”
What? “I… I don’t know what you are talking about… I’m not Yuu! W-who… are… you? Where are you!?” I looked around me. I hate being in the dark like this. Alone. “Where are you!?”
“I’m waiting, Yuu…”
“What..?” I was so confused. “W-waiting..? W-where..?”
“Here… inside our proud castle…”
「“Here… inside our proud castle…”」
Oh… no…
There, in the dark, I saw something turned around. Like a head, like a face. It turned toward me. A pair of eyes opened on it at looked at me. Slowly, under the eyes, a smile cracked open. It smiled at me. It smiled, and said, “If you don’t come back, I’ll look for you… Yuu…”
“Kai..?!” Before I had the chance to run, to turn away, to do anything, something grabbed my hands. “No!!” I struggled. “No! Let me go!! NO!!!”
“Come home, Yuu…”
“I won’t!! I don’t want to!!” I struggled again. I didn’t know what it was. It grabbed my hands; then it grabbed both of my feet, which I didn’t remember whether I was walking or just wondering around, floating.
I was floating… in the darkness… I don’t know where I was… and the “thing” kept pulling me to…
Nowhere…
“I’ve been waiting for you for this whole eight years, Yuu… now it’s time for you to come home…” It pulled me again.
“NO!! I don’t want to go home!! I won’t see you again!! I don’t like you!! I HATE YOU!! Takashima!! Kouyou!! Help me!!!!!!!!!!”
“Aoi-san!!”
A hand grabbed my collar. A hand. Yes, I knew that it’s a hand. Not like the one that grabbed my hands and feet. I could feel it. I knew by heart the feel of this hand. I know whose hand was this.
“K-Kouyou..?” I called.
He pulled me. I moved upward.
“Yuu!!” The voiced growled. I could hear it sounded so desperate. “You’re not going anywhere, Yuu! You know you can’t be too far from me!!” The “thing” loosened its grip from my hands and feet. “You’re coming home, Yuu!! YOU’RE COMING HOME!!”
“Hang in there!!” Kouyou said as he kept pulling me. At last, the “thing” completely let me go. I’m free from it. Slowly, I could see a light. Kouyou pulled me out from the floor where The Emperor exiled me. After I got out from the swallowing floor, I saw the floor was closing again under my feet. I’m saved. “Aoi-san! Are you OK? Aoi-san!!” he asked as he shook my body a little.
“I… I’m OK… I guess…” I looked at Kouyou. Behind him, I could see Reita, Kanon and Jill. “R-Ruki-san…”
“He’s fine…” Kouyou pointed to some direction. I followed to where he was pointing. There, Ruki was sitting on the floor, Koron was barking at him. Beside him, Hiroto - my partner in the café - was bringing a glass of water for Ruki. In front of him, I saw Takashima stood with a card in his hand.
The card of The Emperor.
It reminded me of something. I looked at my hand, I was glad that the other three cards were still there, save, in my hand. I thought it might fell somewhere in the dark when the “thing” was pulling me back then.
Suddenly, Kouyou took the cards from my hand. “You’re going to use it to yourself again, aren’t you, Aoi-san?”
“No, I’m not… believe me, Kou…” I said. I smiled at him. “I’ll tell you everythin-”
“Do it later… you need rest… and the owner does too…”
I looked back to Ruki. I was so glad that he was just fine. The café was fine too. No damage. I was wondering how Kouyou and Reita got here.
Well, I guess… I could wait…
*+*
The next day, here we are, seven people, sitting in Ruki’s café, sipping each of our tea. In front of us, on the table, there are four cards, The Magician, The High Priestess, The Empress, and The Emperor.
“So this is our headquarters now! Yay!” Kanon said happily.
“H-headquarters..?” Reita looked at Kanon skeptically.
“Yes! Isn’t it cool?!” Kanon still squealed. “We’re like on a mission of collecting some magical items, and here is the place where we can gather ourselves! Like a headquarters, right?!”
“I think…” Takashima fixed his sunglasses. “It’s more like home… well, even though I’d prefer to go to Darling’s apartment to go home…” He hugged me.
“L-lemme go!” I pushed him away accidentally.
“Oooh! Darliiing! Why are you being so cold again to me?! We already shared a hot kiss yesterday!” Takashima whined.
“SH-SHUT UP!!!” There, I heard giggles. I looked at Kanon, Jill and… even Ruki!? “Wh-what are you guys laughing about!!?”
“Y-you two… kissed..?” Reita asked. His face turned pale.
“I-it’s not that!!”
“Hey, you know?” Takashima patted Reita’s shoulder. “My darling’s lips here taste sweet. Like sugar.”
“Takashimaaa!!” I almost threw my tea cup to him.
“There, there, Aoi-chan…” Kanon held my shoulder, and she was still giggling. “You’re making a cute couple with Takashima…”
“It’s not-! I’m not-!” This is hopeless. I turned to Kouyou “Kouyou! Help me! It’s..! K-Kou..?” Kouyou blushed. “O-oi..?? What’s this all about..!? You guys! Stop this already!!”
“People, enough already…” Ruki clapped his hands. I could see a tear at the corner of his eyes for too much laughing. “Really… thank you for yesterday… I don’t know what I should say… I don’t really understand with this Arcana thing. But, I’m glad that all of us are fine here…”
“Oh, about yesterday…” I looked at Kouyou and Reita. “How you guys got here?”
“It was Kanon’s message to me. She sent the message to me right when she was coming to this café with Jill, right? I was sleeping back then… when I woke up, I read the message, and I casually walked here. I was really confused when I saw this… this… wall? Mm… fort? Yeah, fort. I saw some kind of fort right around the café. There, at the same time, I saw Kouyou came. Kouyou was the one who told me that this was The Emperor’s doing. Then, Kouyou shifted into-”
“I exploded the fort wall…” Kouyou said suddenly.
“Ah, yes. See that, Darling?” Takashima pointed at the energy aura around Kouyou’s eyes. It’s glowing in red. “You know that sometimes Kouyou’s aura could be out of control when he went berserk, right?” Takashima asked. I nodded. “That’s what saved us all yesterday…”
I looked at Takashima. He’s smiling. There’s something I wanted to ask. But I couldn’t remember it. I couldn’t remember to whom I wanted to ask it, and I even forgot my own question.
But…
I looked around, I looked to Kouyou, Takashima, Reita, Kanon, Jill, and now Ruki. I can ask it later. Right now, I want to enjoy this time first. I remembered when Takashima said “home”.
Home…
Yeah… home… the mother-like behavior from Jill, Ruki who sometimes treated us like his children. He’s like a father, wasn’t he? I guess I had to agree with Kanon about this one. Kanon was more like a sister, and Reita was like a brother.
And Takashima and Kouyou… I guess they were like… my…
My…
____....++++****++++….____
A/N: THERE! I’ll wrap it like this. So, how do you think about this chapter? Aoi got four cards so far! Yay! The other card is still waiting to be found! *doki doki* who will appear next?
Special for v_meilie : at last! I can post this here! At LiveJournal! Very sorry for the long wait. Whereas you already read it at Facebook, but still. It felt different to post English fanfics there, doesn't it? LOL ..thank you for your comment, and again, sorry for the long wait! (PS: I know, I still remember that I owe you the explenation about all of this mess..lol *flee* ..XD)
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 : 06/??
Author : kei_kyuuketsuki
Fandom : the GazettE, Kanon Wakeshima, Rose Noire, Alice Nine (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 : long comment at the end of the post. Happy reading!
Chapter 00 // Chapter 01 // Chapter 02 // Chapter 03 // Chapter 04 // Chapter 05
06. Home but not Home
“Well, The Emperor hates anyone who disobeys his rules…” Takashima told me.
Disobeys his rules. OK. It might madden him a little. But will he get rid of the fort just by doing that? “Is there any other thing that we can do to make him undo the fort?”
“No need to do anything,” said The Emperor. “I won’t undo my proud fortress anyway,” he smiled.
“You’re not going to live like this forever, aren’t you?” I asked.
“Aren’t you?” he asked me back.
“What..?”
“You like your current condition, right?” He was still smiling. “You like being with your new friends.” His words stunned me. “You’re scared of losing them… again… right?”
“I’m not going to lose anyone!” I yelled. Yes. I’m not going to lose it, again… please…
“Yes, indeed,” The Emperor smiled. “You’re not going to lose anyone if you stay here, inside my fort. Don’t you feel grateful with it?”
I have my friends here with me. For eight years, this is what I’ve wanting, right? I have my OWN friends now. I might deny it. I still can’t believe it actually. But at last, after all of these years, after all of this time, after THIS long, now I’m able to make friends.
Without him around…
Then… why should I bother to get out from here?
“DARLING!!” A slap on my face. I blinked for several times. I saw Takashima right in front of me. He’s holding my cheeks with both of his hands. He yelled again. “DON’T!! I repeat! Don’t let any of his words got into you!!”
What..? I blinked again. This time, I tried to look around me and Takashima. We’re in Ruki’s café. There were Kanon and Jill who also look at me. They looked worried.
This was the second time I think somebody was actually worried about me. “W-what happened?” I asked.
Takashima sighed. “I bet The Emperor had been put some hypnotic in his words to affect you.”
“H-hypnotic..?” I said in disbelieve.
“Tsk… that’s very close…” The Emperor - Ruki - said with a smile. He’s sitting on one of the customer chair inside his café. Koron was still sleeping on his lap. “I almost got you, Young Man…”
“What exactly are you going to do to him!?” Takashima yelled at the Emperor as he pulled me and make me stood behind him. It looked like he wanted to make himself as some kind of shield to me from The Emperor.
“I’m an Emperor. Of course I need a successor who can rule my fortress after I’m gone,” The Emperor explained. “Well, I’m not going to be gone that easily. You know that already, don’t you?” He smiled again. “But I just need to prepare for everything, right? I don’t want to be reckless just because I’m nearly invincible.”
“Oh, you admitted that you’re not THAT invincible, didn’t you?” Takashima smiled.
“But as long as you can’t defeat me, you can consider I’m invincible…”
The Emperor put his elbow on the table, and he put his chin on his palm. He’s still smiling. It’s still the same smile with Ruki’s. But the person I saw right in front of me is possessed. Until I defeat him, I won’t get this café owner back.
“Well then…” I looked at The Emperor right into his eyes. I stepped forward, and stood in front of Takashima.
“D-Darling…”
“Then try to make me your successor without hypnotize me,” I said, not listening to Takashima’s words.
The smile was gone from The Emperor’s face. “Are you challenging me?”
“What? An emperor scared to mere challenge?” I asked.
“SILENT!!” The Emperor hit the table very hard.
I took a glance to Koron on his lap. Koron didn’t wake up. Maybe The Emperor used his hypnotic to the tiny dog. I’m not sure. But if this goes on like this for, for I don’t know for how long, it won’t be good for the small creature too.
“You’re not becoming my successor yet but you’re being presumptuous to go against me, Young Man!?” The Emperor asked angrily. “You better watch your mouth or I exile you out from this fort, away from your friends!!”
“Oh, you want to send your soon-to-be-successor away? Will you be able to find another person to become your worthy successor? Him?” I pointed at Takashima. “Or the ladies?” I pointed at Kanon and Jill. “Oh, I see. I guess you won’t entrust your very fortress to any person, would you? What? Are you going to choose your dog instead?”
It happened very fast. I didn’t see it when he extended his hand toward me and send something sphere-like to slam me to the wall behind me. I hit the wall very hard and fell to the floor.
“DARLING!!” Takashima called as he ran toward me. He lifted my body, and helped me sit. “Are you OK?”
“Just… a little bit more…” I said with a hoarse voice.
“What..?”
“Just a little bit more… until he sends me out from this place… I’ll search for Kouyou and Reita for help…” I looked at Takashima. “I realized that I just can’t use The Empress card to freeze this place, nor to summon the Knight of Sword to attack The Emperor. I just can’t destroy this place, and I don’t want to hurt any of you… I can’t use The High Priestess’ labyrinth to lock him either. This place is under his control, I guess he’ll counter-attack the spell instead. I can’t use The Magician too. The fire wand, the dagger, the coin, not even the cup will be much of use in this condition. The only thing I can try now is to get out from this place…”
“But, Darli-”
“Takashima…” I held his hand. “I just can’t let him throw you, moreover the girls to a wall like what he did to me… and I don’t want you to fight him in any way. I know you have a sword. But I guess that won’t be a wise option right now…” I sighed, tried to get rid of the sting on my back. “I promise… if I can get him mad, and make him sends me out from this place, I’ll demolish his stupid-arrogant-fort and beat him-”
Takashima kissed me, right on my lips.
“If only you could see yourself when you said all of those beautiful words, My Precious Darling…” Takashima said after he broke the kiss. “You made me fall in love with you even more…” He smiled. “Now, come on…” Takashima helped me stand. “I’ll make sure he won’t put any other wound to your lovely body, Darling… and here…” Takashima handed me The Magician, The High Priestess and The Emperor cards to me. “Just in case…” Takashima winked.
I stood. Right now, I’m standing. I know. I’m facing The Emperor. I know. But I just couldn’t… I shouldn’t…
Takashima kissed me.
No! Not right now! I ruffled my hair, tried to get rid of the taste of Takashima’s lips on mine not long ago. It’s so warm… so soft… it felt good… it’s-
I slapped my face. I shook my head before I stare at The Emperor. He smiled again.
“I guess I should do it twice or three more times. You’re actually enjoying it, aren’t you, Young Man? After I slammed you to the wall, you got a kiss… a lovely kiss… what a scene… are you a masochist?” The Emperor chuckled.
“Sh-shut up!”
The Emperor smiled. “Oh, you didn’t even deny it. Really, this is my authority, yet because I love the scene you gave me before, I let you do it again.”
“I’m-”
“I’m just trying to be a good predecessor.” The Emperor cut my words. “By letting you do anything you like inside my authority, I can have your word to be my successor later instead. Isn’t it fair enough for you, Young Man?” He asked. “After you have this fortress on your own, you’ll have all the power you need to control everything you want. Isn’t it good enough? You’ll have your friends live with you the entire time you want.”
「“You’re mine, Yuu… you’re mine, and you’re going to stay with me… for good…”」
“NO!!” I yelled. “I don’t want to lock anyone here for my own sake!! And you!” I pointed right to The Emperor’s face. “You! Don’t act like you can control me! You’re not my father! You’re not Kai! You’re NO ONE!!”
「”I’m no one…”」
I gasped at my own words. I lowered my hand and I lowered my hand. I guess…
I’ve becoming like him… after all…
Like him… Kai…
“Why you… little punk…” The Emperor growled.
“Matsumoto-san…” I called. “You are… Matsumoto-san… right?” I clenched my fist. “You always wanted me call you with your nickname, don’t you?” I lifted my head and looked at The Emperor in front of me. “But you, Emperor… you’re no one to me… ‘cause I don’t know you… I don’t know who The Emperor is to me… not even as my predecessor… but I DO know Matsumoto-san… Ruki-san… and I… want… him… BACK!!!”
“IMPUDENT!!” The Emperor shouted. “You’re not worthy to become a successor of mine!! Now BEGONE!!”
When I thought he’d hit me with the sphere, the floor below me suddenly opened and swallowed me in. I didn’t remember anything other than Kanon’s and Jill’s screams and Takashima’s desperate callings.
*+*
It was dark.
I couldn’t see anything. I thought I was closing my eyes. But after I opened it, I still couldn’t see anything. It’s a pitch dark.
“Yuu…”
I looked around me. I couldn’t find anything, anyone.
“Yuu…”
“Who’s there!? I… I’m not Yuu!”
“You abandoned your name? Your beautiful name?” The voice sounded sad. “And… you don’t remember me?”
“I can’t see you! Where are you!? Who are you!? Show yourself!”
“Really?” The voice chuckled. “Do you really, really want me to show myself in front of you? After you ran away from me, Yuu?”
What? “I… I don’t know what you are talking about… I’m not Yuu! W-who… are… you? Where are you!?” I looked around me. I hate being in the dark like this. Alone. “Where are you!?”
“I’m waiting, Yuu…”
“What..?” I was so confused. “W-waiting..? W-where..?”
“Here… inside our proud castle…”
「“Here… inside our proud castle…”」
Oh… no…
There, in the dark, I saw something turned around. Like a head, like a face. It turned toward me. A pair of eyes opened on it at looked at me. Slowly, under the eyes, a smile cracked open. It smiled at me. It smiled, and said, “If you don’t come back, I’ll look for you… Yuu…”
“Kai..?!” Before I had the chance to run, to turn away, to do anything, something grabbed my hands. “No!!” I struggled. “No! Let me go!! NO!!!”
“Come home, Yuu…”
“I won’t!! I don’t want to!!” I struggled again. I didn’t know what it was. It grabbed my hands; then it grabbed both of my feet, which I didn’t remember whether I was walking or just wondering around, floating.
I was floating… in the darkness… I don’t know where I was… and the “thing” kept pulling me to…
Nowhere…
“I’ve been waiting for you for this whole eight years, Yuu… now it’s time for you to come home…” It pulled me again.
“NO!! I don’t want to go home!! I won’t see you again!! I don’t like you!! I HATE YOU!! Takashima!! Kouyou!! Help me!!!!!!!!!!”
“Aoi-san!!”
A hand grabbed my collar. A hand. Yes, I knew that it’s a hand. Not like the one that grabbed my hands and feet. I could feel it. I knew by heart the feel of this hand. I know whose hand was this.
“K-Kouyou..?” I called.
He pulled me. I moved upward.
“Yuu!!” The voiced growled. I could hear it sounded so desperate. “You’re not going anywhere, Yuu! You know you can’t be too far from me!!” The “thing” loosened its grip from my hands and feet. “You’re coming home, Yuu!! YOU’RE COMING HOME!!”
“Hang in there!!” Kouyou said as he kept pulling me. At last, the “thing” completely let me go. I’m free from it. Slowly, I could see a light. Kouyou pulled me out from the floor where The Emperor exiled me. After I got out from the swallowing floor, I saw the floor was closing again under my feet. I’m saved. “Aoi-san! Are you OK? Aoi-san!!” he asked as he shook my body a little.
“I… I’m OK… I guess…” I looked at Kouyou. Behind him, I could see Reita, Kanon and Jill. “R-Ruki-san…”
“He’s fine…” Kouyou pointed to some direction. I followed to where he was pointing. There, Ruki was sitting on the floor, Koron was barking at him. Beside him, Hiroto - my partner in the café - was bringing a glass of water for Ruki. In front of him, I saw Takashima stood with a card in his hand.
The card of The Emperor.
It reminded me of something. I looked at my hand, I was glad that the other three cards were still there, save, in my hand. I thought it might fell somewhere in the dark when the “thing” was pulling me back then.
Suddenly, Kouyou took the cards from my hand. “You’re going to use it to yourself again, aren’t you, Aoi-san?”
“No, I’m not… believe me, Kou…” I said. I smiled at him. “I’ll tell you everythin-”
“Do it later… you need rest… and the owner does too…”
I looked back to Ruki. I was so glad that he was just fine. The café was fine too. No damage. I was wondering how Kouyou and Reita got here.
Well, I guess… I could wait…
*+*
The next day, here we are, seven people, sitting in Ruki’s café, sipping each of our tea. In front of us, on the table, there are four cards, The Magician, The High Priestess, The Empress, and The Emperor.
“So this is our headquarters now! Yay!” Kanon said happily.
“H-headquarters..?” Reita looked at Kanon skeptically.
“Yes! Isn’t it cool?!” Kanon still squealed. “We’re like on a mission of collecting some magical items, and here is the place where we can gather ourselves! Like a headquarters, right?!”
“I think…” Takashima fixed his sunglasses. “It’s more like home… well, even though I’d prefer to go to Darling’s apartment to go home…” He hugged me.
“L-lemme go!” I pushed him away accidentally.
“Oooh! Darliiing! Why are you being so cold again to me?! We already shared a hot kiss yesterday!” Takashima whined.
“SH-SHUT UP!!!” There, I heard giggles. I looked at Kanon, Jill and… even Ruki!? “Wh-what are you guys laughing about!!?”
“Y-you two… kissed..?” Reita asked. His face turned pale.
“I-it’s not that!!”
“Hey, you know?” Takashima patted Reita’s shoulder. “My darling’s lips here taste sweet. Like sugar.”
“Takashimaaa!!” I almost threw my tea cup to him.
“There, there, Aoi-chan…” Kanon held my shoulder, and she was still giggling. “You’re making a cute couple with Takashima…”
“It’s not-! I’m not-!” This is hopeless. I turned to Kouyou “Kouyou! Help me! It’s..! K-Kou..?” Kouyou blushed. “O-oi..?? What’s this all about..!? You guys! Stop this already!!”
“People, enough already…” Ruki clapped his hands. I could see a tear at the corner of his eyes for too much laughing. “Really… thank you for yesterday… I don’t know what I should say… I don’t really understand with this Arcana thing. But, I’m glad that all of us are fine here…”
“Oh, about yesterday…” I looked at Kouyou and Reita. “How you guys got here?”
“It was Kanon’s message to me. She sent the message to me right when she was coming to this café with Jill, right? I was sleeping back then… when I woke up, I read the message, and I casually walked here. I was really confused when I saw this… this… wall? Mm… fort? Yeah, fort. I saw some kind of fort right around the café. There, at the same time, I saw Kouyou came. Kouyou was the one who told me that this was The Emperor’s doing. Then, Kouyou shifted into-”
“I exploded the fort wall…” Kouyou said suddenly.
“Ah, yes. See that, Darling?” Takashima pointed at the energy aura around Kouyou’s eyes. It’s glowing in red. “You know that sometimes Kouyou’s aura could be out of control when he went berserk, right?” Takashima asked. I nodded. “That’s what saved us all yesterday…”
I looked at Takashima. He’s smiling. There’s something I wanted to ask. But I couldn’t remember it. I couldn’t remember to whom I wanted to ask it, and I even forgot my own question.
But…
I looked around, I looked to Kouyou, Takashima, Reita, Kanon, Jill, and now Ruki. I can ask it later. Right now, I want to enjoy this time first. I remembered when Takashima said “home”.
Home…
Yeah… home… the mother-like behavior from Jill, Ruki who sometimes treated us like his children. He’s like a father, wasn’t he? I guess I had to agree with Kanon about this one. Kanon was more like a sister, and Reita was like a brother.
And Takashima and Kouyou… I guess they were like… my…
My…
____....++++****++++….____
A/N: THERE! I’ll wrap it like this. So, how do you think about this chapter? Aoi got four cards so far! Yay! The other card is still waiting to be found! *doki doki* who will appear next?
Special for v_meilie : at last! I can post this here! At LiveJournal! Very sorry for the long wait. Whereas you already read it at Facebook, but still. It felt different to post English fanfics there, doesn't it? LOL ..thank you for your comment, and again, sorry for the long wait! (PS: I know, I still remember that I owe you the explenation about all of this mess..lol *flee* ..XD)
There you go! As usual, your critics and comments are SO MUCH LUV! ~♥ thank you very much! :-*