(no subject)
It is done! The final part of the Duelist saga. Took me 8 hours to write. ;_;
I hope it is well done. I hope. Cos I really tried my best.
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Eri didn't know what to expect, as she mounted the spiral stairway up to the arena, that strange sense of vertigo haunting her every step as she went still higher.
Castles in the air...and a damsel in distress.... Eri smiled grimly. What is this, a fairytale?
More like a nightmare given form. The sun had already set, but yet time felt somehow irrelevant when one was within these grounds. It was as if the arena and the Tower were on a different dimension of existence entirely. Eri shivered, feeling the evening chill set in, the mournful dirge of the wind whispering, siren-like, into her ear.
I'll defeat you, Ai. I have to. For Gaki-san, for Sayu... Eri refused to contemplate the fact that it was entirely possible that Gaki-san was already dead, clinging to the belief that no matter how much Ai had changed, she would not be gone as far as to kill Risa.
The stairway was interminably long, but Eri finally found herself at the top, framed in the arched entrance to the grand arena. A few forlorn petals swept across that broad circular space, and Eri once again contemplated the intricate designs carved into the floor of the arena itself. The patterns were beguiling, compelling even, when one looked too long at it, and Eri had to tear her gaze away even as her mind begin to spin. The whole place gave her the creeps.
There was no Ai waiting for her on the other side. According to Reina, Ai had already been there and waiting when she came, as if she had known long beforehand that they were coming. Eri felt a sense of foreboding, a chill that ran down her spine. There was something terribly wrong here. It felt almost too quiet, even though the winds continued to draw the petals scattered all over the arena into some kind of ancient dance.
As if the thought had summoned it though, a doorway opened, a portal-like entrance that Reina had described earlier. Eri steeled herself and walked down into the arena proper, one hand on the hilt of her sheathed rapier and eyes alert. She did not want to be caught unawares.
The person that stumbled through was not Ai though.
"Gaki-san?" Eri breathed out shallowly, not believing her eyes. So Risa was alive? And...from the Tower? The portal had closed immediately the moment Risa had been, for lack of a better term, ejected from within, since the older girl had ended up on her butt, before falling backwards to lie on her back.
"Gaki-san!" Eri abandoned all caution and rushed over, kneeling by Risa's side and gently supporting her senpai to sit upright again. "Are you alright? Are you hurt? What happened?" The questions came out in a confused blur, since Eri was herself rather baffled by the whole turn of events. Risa squeezed her eyes shut, putting her hands to her ears as if to cover them.
"Kame, one question at a time!" She cried out, opening one accusing eye reproachfully to look at the abashed Eri. Eri slowed down, giving Risa a quick once over and noting wordlessly the tear-stained face and reddened eye. There were no obvious wounds or injuries, which relieved the turtle girl.
"What happened to you?" Eri blurted out, even as Risa started to try and stand up again with Eri's help. The older girl leaned on Eri, one arm thrown over Eri's shoulder for support, still feeling dizzy from her run out of that nightmare Tower.
"Ai...Ai-chan...she..." Risa mumbled, her eyes filling with tears again. "She..." Images flashed in her head, of Ai bowing to that living presence on that altar, that indifferent figure as she yelled at her. Risa gritted her teeth, still not wanting to believe, but yet her heart ached painfully at the memory, of hurt and betrayal.
"Did she hurt you? I found your sword. There was...blood on it." Eri babbled, halfway between elated that Risa was alright, and still very worried about her condition as they limped slowly across the arena.
"No...not really..." Risa felt like her mind and heart were separating, the heart that wanted to believe, and the mind that struggled with the overwhelming evidence that Ai had chosen her own path. "She...the blood...that was hers..."
"You managed to wound her?" Eri asked a tad incredulously. Risa nodded slowly, then just as quickly, shook her head.
"No...no...she..." Walked right onto my blade. Risa didn't understand why Ai did that. In between one breath and the next, before the darkness had claimed her, she had seen, or felt, Ai-chan catching her and whispering something to her.
I'm sorry. Forgive me. Was that what she said? Risa couldn't remember clearly. Just the lips moving. I'm sorry. And then, darkness.
The steps were difficult to navigate. Risa kept feeling like she was going to trip and roll down the rest of the way. Given how crappy she felt, she was beginning to find that an attractive alternative. Beside her, Eri was also struggling, more with her own mind than the terrain. There were so many things she wanted to ask, but didn't dare to. Risa's eyes frightened her. So haunted, so hurt, so full of despair.
What on earth happened in there, Gaki-san?
~*~*~
Ai was sleeping. Or not. It was difficult to separate dream and reality in the realm of the Tower. She was merely...differently aware in this particular state.
Her eyes opened slowly, the room shifting around her, rearranging itself to suit her perception. This was a very strange place, Ai reflected not for the first time. Nothing was ever as it seemed in here, and not everything was permanent or even substantial. Her environment seemed to change according to how her mind was ordered, and Ai had learned very early on in her stay here to school her thoughts carefully. If she went on too much of a mental tangent, things tended to get confusing.
Perception shapes reality. She echoed in her mind, and the room solidified as she grew more alert. That was the first thing she learned during her sessions with the spirits of the Tower. That line had a very profound significance in this dimension.
Everything was in a dark tone now, in her room. Jet black, blood red, like a scene right out of a gothic novel. Ai smiled mirthlessly. Apparently her choice in reading material, back when she had a normal life, had played no small part in forging this state. Of course, her less than bright mood probably contributed to it as well.
There was something bright and shimmering in a corner. Something that didn't belong. Ai stood, her feet touching the shadowy "floor", feeling it bounce a little under her step. A few steps, and she was there by it, touching the fabric.
And time slowed around her as she absorbed the psychic memory invested within the garments. Ai shuddered, staggering back as her hand snapped back as if jolted by the contact. She knew now, instinctively, that she would have to wear that for the ceremony. As the Vessel, she would have to be properly attired.
Somehow, that amused her. Turning around, she wondered how much time she had left until the ceremony. A series of flashing numbers appeared on a wall in response to her unspoken thought, answering her question. She had slept longer than she had thought, but then again, she had barely slept much since entering the Tower. Time passed differently here, or so it would seem. Ai already felt significantly aged despite knowing intellectually that it really hadn't been all that long since she was in here.
A few more hours. Already, darker thoughts were beginning to encroach on her own mind, shadows of her own making beginning to lengthen in the room. She pushed the melancholia away, as best as she could. She had no time for regrets now. Instinctively, her hands sought the hilt of her katana, that familiar, reassuring grip in her hand reminding her of better times.
She banished those thoughts as well, drawing her katana so swiftly that it was barely more than a blur, cutting the suddenly materialized shadow that she had allowed to emerge from her mind. Oni, the manifestation of a human's negative thoughts and emotions. In this place between worlds, the spiritual energy needed to give it form were in abundance, and Ai needed an outlet to kill her thoughts and focus on nothing except the rigors of her katas.
Within seconds, she had managed to shred the dark creature into little bits, and the strange floor absorbed the remains even as her blade found its way into her sheath again, her breath coming out in time to match the motion. The focus she needed to perform that move required a clear mind, and it helped to ward off any unwanted memories. Clenching her teeth tightly together, she continued, fighting against shadows of her own making, a dance of death as her blade sliced through everything in its path.
She was unaware of how much time had passed, only focusing on the moment, of the intricacies of the sword movements, on her footwork as she moved all ghost-like to match even the true ghosts in agility. But there was no mistaking the call when it came.
It is almost time. Prepare. No question at all. Ai slowed, banishing the shades with a single thought as she resheathed her katana in a single smooth move. She was panting, sweating hard, but the touch of the spirits removed her fatigue, and she felt refreshed and more clearheaded than when she had first begun. Her workout had its benefits, after all.
Wordlessly, she shed her clothes and put on the shimmering robes, feeling them fit her as neatly as if it had been made for her --- which it had been. She tied on her katana to the silken belt at her waist, not wanting to leave it behind even though there was no need for it where she was going. That done, she looked out of the window, at a sky painted red with the setting sun.
My last sunset. One last, grim look. Then she turned, drawing the hood of the outer robe over her head, putting her face in shadow.
She walked out of the door. There was no hurry. She would get there in plenty of time.
~*~*~
Eri had been fiercely protective of Risa when they returned to the dorms, keeping a hawk-like watch on the exhausted girl, as if afraid that the moment she took her eyes away, Risa would disappear. It was bad enough that Reina had to physically drag the taller girl away just to make sure Risa got to shower in peace.
Reina, on her part, had been greatly relieved to see Risa back, even if she didn't say much about it. However, even she knew well enough to give Risa space to recover, after taking one look into her senpai's eyes. Eri had taken much longer to convince, and Reina had to resort to locking the door again.
Of course, this time she locked herself in with Eri so that the girl wouldn't have to be alone. Reina might be blunt and straightforward in her speech, but she wasn't completely insensitive. She knew Eri had been rendered quite insecure after Sayu's unfortunate accident, since the lack of someone who kept clinging to her managed to unsettle her, no matter how much she complained about Sayu never leaving her alone all the time before.
Reina also knew that Risa needed time alone, being herself in need of copious amounts of alone time every so often, which was why she had made Eri bunk over in her room (since Eri busted the door on her own).
It had been a long night, but somehow they made it through intact, if somewhat fuzzy-brained in the morning. It was an uncharacteristically quiet breakfast at the mess hall, given that there weren't many students left around, and the 3 of them were all huddled together in their own corner, poking at their food. Even Reina, who usually always had something to say, no matter what the situation, was silent, chewing on her food contemplatively, her mind elsewhere.
Finally, Risa was the one who broke the silence.
"I guess you guys want to know what happened." Reina snorted, rolling her wonky eyes.
"Took you long enough. So spill. Why did you disappear?" Eri kicked Reina under the table. Reina kicked right back. Eri winced and pouted. Reina stuck her tongue out at Eri. Risa pretended not to know what was going on, gathering her thoughts.
"I think...I fainted after the fight with Ai-chan." She wanted to stop referring to Ai so affectionately, but old habits die hard. Resigned, she continued.
"She brought me into the Tower..." At the mention of it, she shuddered again, remembering the chaos she had woken up to, the shifting reality giving her a pounding headache wherever she looked. "It was...scary. That place..." She rubbed her hands together before clutching her coffee cup tightly.
"Get to the point." Reina said bluntly, unwrapping a bar of chocolate she took from her pocket. "Did you find out anything useful? Like, how can we get Ai-chan out of that bloody place?" She snapped a section off the chocolate bar and handed it to Eri, who had been eying it the moment Reina started unwrapping it. Eri mumbled a thank you and munched happily on the chocolate, finishing it before directing her attention back to Risa.
Risa ignored Reina's words and continued, detailing what she saw and heard in that place, right down to when she had stumbled on the chamber where Ai had been. She had heard Ai's voice, as if she were talking to herself, and had moved closer, only to hear those fatal words that had shattered her confidence in Ai.
"No...way..." Eri said slowly, uncomprehendingly, as if unable to process what Risa had just said. But one look at the pained expression on Gaki-san's face told her that the older girl had not been lying at all. Reina's face was unreadable, although her eyes burned with a mix of emotions.
"She chose it huh...what the fuck..." Reina muttered, half to herself, the chocolate suddenly a lot more bitter in her mouth. She swallowed, then gulped down her cooling tea, eyes hard. Her hand gripped the cup tightly, as if trying to shatter it in her hand, even as her jaw worked silently, teeth grinding together.
Risa closed her eyes, looking very old in that instant. "I don't know why she's doing this...I just don't...I don't want to believe, but that's what I heard." Risa bowed her head, feeling the tears burning in her eyes and the back of her throat. She felt sick. Sick at heart, at this betrayal.
Eri was thinking. She had a distant expression on her face, as if she wasn't quite there. She felt like they were missing something, somehow. Despite everything, she still wanted to believe in Ai. The Ai she knew...even if she chose to do this, there had to be a reason for it. A reason that must have convinced Ai to do so. They just didn't know what.
"Didn't you say..." Eri started hesitantly, processing Risa's account of what happened. "...that Ai-chan was talking about some ceremony?" The gears in her head worked in vain for some plausible answer, but coming up empty. "That would be important, wouldn't it?"
Risa too, felt as Eri did, even though her own private pain was making it difficult to focus on the matter at hand. She nodded slowly, trying to think, but Reina cut in.
"Does it matter?" Reina slammed her fist down on the table, making everyone in the vicinity jump in their seats at the loud bang. "There's some major hoodoo happening, I don't know what, but I'm gonna stop it cos it can't be anything good." Her face was grim as she announced that, never mind that everyone in the cafeteria was staring at her.
"What the fuck are you looking at?!" Reina yelled, making everyone at the other tables quickly look down again. Risa looked at her reproachfully.
"Tanakacchi, cool it. We can't just go charging in like that. Whatever's happening, it's big, and it's happening tonight, so we still have a little time to prepare." Risa managed to state coolly, in a way Ai would have been proud. In Ai's absence, she had to be strong and level-headed, and not give in to her instincts to hide somewhere and cry. Beside her, Eri also nodded, trying to come up with something that made sense.
"Bah, whatever." But she did sit down, staring at the table blankly. It was difficult, putting up a gruff exterior, but she managed it, scowling at nothing in particular, if only to hide the fact that she was hurting inside. She felt the need to smash things, just to let out the pent up frustration, but restrained herself. No need to act like a brat right now.
They kept talking, Gaki-san and Eri, and it was driving Reina mad inside. She wanted to just go to the Tower, drag Ai-chan out, and kick some sense into her. Reina didn't like feeling so powerless, so at a loss, and just helpless in general. It made her feel useless, and she hated that.
"You know," she found herself cutting in. "Why don't we just go to the Tower and ask if we don't know anything?" Better than just sitting here and grumping. Reina favored constructive action over this kind of useless inaction. Risa and Eri looked at each other, then back at Reina, who was tapping her foot impatiently.
"Alright, fine, we go, we find out what happen, and we fix it!" Risa declared as if it had been her own idea to begin with. Reina sighed and bounced to her feet.
"Come on, slowpokes. We're wasting time here."
They went. Who knew what lay ahead? They certainly didn't, but they were going to find out, one way or another.
~*~*~
The sky was darkening overhead, the absence of the moon robbing the encroaching night of its luminiscence. Storm clouds were brewing, hanging low and pregnant across threatening skies. In the distance, the faint rumble of thunder made itself heard.
Ai stood in the middle of the arena, her hood still drawn over her head, in the precise middle of the grounds where the designs intersected. Waiting, watching. She raised her head, gazing at the incoming storm. Lightning crashed across like an accident waiting to happen. She closed her eyes, taking in the scent of approaching rain on the wind, letting her senses reach out and absorb everything around her.
She could feel them, her friends, trying in vain to gain access to the arena grounds. She smiled, feeling their frustration, remembering.
They will come, because I am here. She had said that to the spirits, at the beginning of the formal duels. Once again, they have come. For her.
She tilted her head skywards, letting the hood slip back just a little, her face angled to the skies as she spread her arms. No regrets. She promised herself that.
And knowing that they would come, despite what she had done to them, perhaps that was reward enough. It was worth it, to protect this world with her sacrifice.
~*~*~
"Fucking door, open already!" Reina kicked at the unyielding door, only succeeding in bruising her foot. She yelped and grabbed at it in pain.
"I don't like this." Eri said nervously, glancing at the threatening skies above. "Something's happening...something..." She shuddered.
Risa was staring at the door, as if it would open by sheer force of will. "It's sealed...Ai-chan...what are you doing inside?" She was shoved aside by a growling Reina.
"If it won't open the regular way, then we'll just make our own way." The tiny rebel was interrupted by Eri handing her an axe. She blinked at the normally reserved turtle girl, who flushed slightly and scratched at her head.
"Um, I kinda took this from the store earlier..." Eri confessed sheepishly. Reina, however, let a savage grin creep onto her lips.
"I like how you think, Eri." Reina turned back to the heavy door blocking their path.
"Let's get this party started." And swung.
~*~*~
The seal will come into alignment soon. Prepare yourself, Vessel. Ai nodded, drawing the ceremonial dagger and raising it and her other arm high.
"One last boon, will you hear it?" Ai requested on dry lips, licking them as her hands wavered in the air.
The wish is yours, as the victor. Name it, and we will accomplish it if it is within our power.
Ai spoke. The skies rumbled, along with the assent of the spirits that guarded this place. She closed her eyes, nodding in acceptance. She heard voices in the distance, and steeled herself. She cut, a deep gash across her palm, and let it fall.
Forgive me. Ai cast a final, desperate glance at the horrified expressions on the faces of her friends in the distance. Somehow, they had managed to make it up to the arena's gates, but the barrier surrounding the grounds kept them from entering. And now they were watching as her blood dripped from her hand, down...
...touching the grooves of the carved design on the ground. Instantly, it flared up, glowing with an eerie light. More of Ai's blood dripped down, filling the little crevice where Ai stood, even as the sky above her started to rumble even more loudly, flickers of lightning illuminating the night sky.
~*~*~
They raced up the stairs faster than they ever had, knowing, instinctively somehow, that they had to hurry. When they reached the top, Eri leading the pack, there was a collective gasp (minus Reina, who was still a little behind).
"AI-CHAN!!!" Risa screamed, trying to barge into the arena, but an invisible force prevented her from entering. She could only watch, helplessly, as Ai cut her palm, the blood gushing out like a fountain.
Reina pushed her way past to gape at the scene, shocked as well. If she screamed something, it did not register in her mind. She had lost the axe somewhere in the mad scramble upwards, so she started pounding at the barrier with her bare hands, ignoring the sizzle whenever she made contact with the barrier. Her fists began to bleed at some point, but she did not care. All she knew was that she had to get in, some way, somehow.
Eri had sunk to her knees, mostly in terror. She was the most sensitive to the force building in the place, and the overwhelming pressure forced her to her knees. She clutched at her head, trying to push the feeling out. She was shaking so bad, she barely knew what was happening around her.
They cried, wept, pounded, screamed and shook. A variety of responses, all in vain. They could only watch. Only that, and nothing more.
~*~*~
The design begin to glow more brightly, even as the blood spread out from the center, snaking across the grooves and filling them with that blood red glow. The pattern seemed to come to life, lighting up wherever the blood touched, and Ai's hand continued to bleed, far more than was normal for a cut that size at that location. The knife dropped from her hand with a clatter, and she clutched at her arm, gasping as her blood seemed to be drawn from her more and more quickly.
The circle took her blood and began to power up, the rings of blood beginning to throb with a steady beat, and Ai sank to her knees, unable to stand upright anymore. Around her, the magical design rose in strength, driven by her lifeblood. Above, the sky began to open up, the dark black of night bleeding to crimson, the exact replica of the pattern that was carved into the arena grounds.
The seal is ready. Commencing energy transfer. If Ai heard it, she did not respond. She could not. It was all she could do to stay conscious already.
She would regret that decision shortly.
The first ray that came down was gentle, almost soothing, and Ai found herself bathed in light and lifted off the ground, floating a few feet off the floor, her body angled at a slight incline, her hood falling off so she could see into the heart of the seal she was going to power. She saw it, and felt no fear. She was past fear at that point.
But not past pain, when the next bolt came down.
Ai choked, a strangled cry escaping her lips as a blood red spike impaled her right through the left wrist. Before she could even register the pain, the next one pinned her right wrist, and so on with both her ankles.
Crucified. She coughed, and blood dribbled from her lips. She threw back her head and screamed as the final spike went through her abdomen, the pain white hot, searing her every nerve as her eyes bulged. Her body spasmed involuntarily, and her vision almost blacked out at the shock.
She vaguely registered that she was still suspended in the air, this time by the spikes, which had been driven straight through into the holes in the pattern below her. She thought it would hurt more, but the pain was so intense that it didn't really hurt anymore. She was, thankfully, almost numb at this point.
Then she felt it. Great power, flowing through her, and upwards. Powering the seal. She smiled, laughed, cried, shouted. She did not know what she was doing, reliving all the emotions that had been taken, the purity and intensity of the feelings directed at her during the duels.
And then she wept, silently, because she never realized how much they loved her, and she them. And now it would all be too late.
Forgive...and if you cannot, forget. Ai closed her eyes. My last gift. Forget.
The seal took everything she had to offer, waxing in strength to last another few hundred years. And its guardians were content, their duty performed for yet another generation.
The sky flashed, brilliantly, lighting everything in the immediate vicinity and blinding everyone with eyes to see. And then it was all over, and faded to darkness absolute.
Only the spirits remained, watching what they had wrought. They would keep faith, as they always have done.
Done, and done. It is finished.
And then it was over, at long last. The spirits saw what they had done, and were content.
Let no one claim that they had broken their promises, for they had done as promised.
In every end, a new beginning...
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Eri woke with a start, in her own bed, thrashing about violently at first as she looked about wildly, terror coursing through her veins. The last vestiges of her nightmare faded out of recent memory as she calmed down. She was alone in her room. Where was Sayu?
Then she remembered that Sayu had fallen ill and was in the medical wing. Seized by a sudden urge, she dashed out of her room, the door flying open on contact (I thought I locked the door, she thought vaguely), skidding round the corner and running helter skelter down to the medical wing, bursting into the room panting hard.
Sayumi was sitting up, propped up by numerous pillows and startled by Eri's sudden entrance.
"Eririn! Why are you...mmphf!" Sayumi found herself cut off by a huge bear hug from her best friend, who was...sobbing into her shoulder?
"I thought you were gone for good..." Eri wailed, not knowing exactly why but feeling a strong urge to cry. Which she did, with great vigor. Sayumi patted Eri awkwardly on the back, hugging her back.
"I'm fine, it's just a bad cold..." The self proclaimed cutest girl in the world chuckled. "No need to act like I died."
"I was so scared..." Eri mumbled, managing to sit up next to Sayu on the bed and snuggling up to her best friend. Reaching out, she took Sayu's hands in hers and squeezed them firmly. "Don't you ever disappear on me, you hear?"
Sayu smiled at Eri warmly. "Never." Then she sneezed. "Darn cold..." She grumbled, and Eri laughed, freeing her right hand to reach for the box of tissues by the bed, handing them to Sayumi, who blew her nose loudly after taking a wad of tissues. Eri watched her, idly toying with her own fingers as if to play with the ring there, but finding nothing on her hand. She looked at her hands.
"What is it, Eri?" Sayu also looked down after she had cleared her breathing passages. Eri was staring at her own hands, at the lighter patch of skin in a ring around one of her fingers. Sayu prodded at the same spot, a confused expression on her face.
"Were you wearing a ring?" Eri slowly shook her head, the sense of unease growing within her.
"I don't know, Sayu...I don't know..." Sayu shrugged, snuggling up to Eri and distracting her with other topics of conversation. Eri also ignored her hands and returned her attention to Sayu, although that nagging feeling continued on in her mind, even as she made idle conversation with Sayu.
Am I forgetting something...?
~*~*~
Risa was straightening her hair in her room, struggling with the task in front of the mirror and resenting her hair dreadfully at the moment. Her hair wasn't completely untameable, but it could be a handful at times. Like right now.
She could have used a little help, but she wasn't rooming with anyone else, so she couldn't beg the help of a roommate. It was strange, living in a double room on her own, but the extra space wasn't so bad. Although...it felt a little empty at times. Too empty, even.
I should ask for a roommate...or just transfer to a single room... She mused, overcoming a tangle with a triumphant grin. "Yay~"
Then she caught sight of the clock. "Oh no, I'm running late!" She half-shrieked in panic, scrambling around for her things, finally reaching for the sword lying in a corner of her room. She missed a step though, falling to the floor with a clatter and knocking the sword over, sending it out of its scabbard.
"Ouch..." She winced, rubbing her nose where she had hit it on the ground. Climbing up to her feet, she reached for the fallen sword, ready to shove it back into the scabbard, and then froze.
Blood...? What was blood doing on her blade? Confused and curious, Risa drew her sword fully, holding it to the light. No doubt, there were dark crimson stains on it, especially around the tip.
"Why..." Her throat tightened for reasons unknown to her, and tears began to flow from her eyes. She just stood there, staring at the bloodstains, and weeping.
"Why am I crying...?" She whispered aloud, not knowing the reason, but feeling indescribably sad, little stabbing pains in her heart as she looked on at the blood.
Why do I feel so alone?
~*~*~
Reina woke up with something very similar to a hangover, if the pounding headache threatening to drill its way out of her skull was any indication. Her hand throbbed painfully, matching the pain in her skull. Blearily, she opened her eyes, raising one hand to shade her face from the sun.
Ugh...too bright... Reina rolled over, burying her face into the pillow in some hope that the evil sunshine would leave her alone. The headache was not helping. Neither was the pain in her knuckles. What was the pain in her hands? Frustrated, the little yankii opened one wonky eye and looked at one hand.
The other eye snapped open very quickly after the first glimpse.
"What. The. Fuck." Reina intoned with genuine confusion as she stared at her bruised and bleeding hands. Did she beat someone up with her bare hands the night before? What happened the night before? Did she get drunk or something? Reina groaned and let her head fall back into her pillow.
Then she looked up suddenly, groping for the clock by her bedside. One look at the time confirmed her suspicions.
"Great..." She was already late for practice. Whatever. The only thing she ever did there was break the wooden practice swords. Niigaki-senpai did try to teach her stuff, and those things were even useful sometimes, but Reina wanted a truly strong opponent to cut her teeth against. It was boring, and the only other person she could really fight against was Eri, but Eri was such an annoying pacifist. Pity, since Eri was fairly skilled.
"Bah, practice can go to hell." Reina muttered grouchily. Besides, she had a good excuse this time. Her hands hurt, and they were obviously in no condition to be wielding a sword at the moment. Besides, more sleep sounded like a good idea.
If only she didn't have a headache, and better still if that damned sunshine would just leave her alone.
"Ugh, screw sleep." Reina rolled up to a sitting position, rubbing at her eyes with her wrists since her hands were still sore. She felt warm and sticky all over. A shower would be a good idea.
With that in mind, Reina stood up, stumbling over to her closet and opening it with a yawn. Idly, she picked out some casual clothes. It was a weekend, so she was free to go down to town and walk around or something. Fault her for as many things if you would, but one could never accuse Tanaka Reina of having lousy fashion sense.
She was about to head out of her room towards the showers when something caught her eye in the corner. Curiously, Reina draped her clothes over a nearby stool and put down her other things on top of the dresser, crouching down to paw at the mess of stuff in that corner. She had seen the glint of metal...
There. She pulled it out of the pile of books and magazines. One eyebrow raised high as she stared at the object in her hands.
"A sword...?" A steel one. A fine shortsword, the heavy weight of which felt really...familiar in her hands. Comfortable, like taking hold of an old friend.
"I have this...?" There was an annoying blank in her mind as she tried to figure out how she had come by such a thing. She stood up, still holding it between her hands, ignoring the pain from the cuts and bruises.
She drew it, and it whispered out of the sheath smoothly. Reina fell into a fighting stance with it, feeling the balance and weight of the weapon she held, marveling at how perfect it was for her. She swung around with it carefully, pleased by the weapon, but still baffled as to how it came to be in her possession.
Returning it to the sheath, she examined it carefully, her fingers probing curiously across the surface. She raised another eyebrow when her thumb caught on something, and she sprung the hidden compartment in the hilt of the sword.
"What's this?" Surprise, certainly, as she pulled out the tightly rolled up piece of paper tucked inside. Curious, she set the sword aside and unrolled the paper.
Reina,
If you've found this, that means you've been paying attention to your sword. That's good. You should always care for your weapon, and know it well.
I hope you like the sword, I had it made for you. Do take good care of it.
I look forward to the day when you can give me a good fight with it.
No need to rush, I'll be waiting.
--- Ai
Something wet fell onto the paper, then another, and another. Reina gripped the paper tightly, her shoulders shaking as tears fell from her eyes, unbidden.
"Ai..." The name rolled off her lips, barely above a whisper. It set off tremors right through her soul.
So close. She knew that name. She just knew she did. But what...?
"Ai..." Her tears continued to fall, her heart aching within her. The note was half crushed in her fist.
"Ai...chan?"
I'll be waiting. Reina laughed, a high, wild, shaky laugh. Her hands shook, almost tearing the note apart.
"Liar." She whispered at the note. "You lied."
I remember now. How could I forget?
You're so cruel, Ai-chan. So damn cruel.
I won't ever forgive you, or forget what you've done.
Never.
==========================================
T___T This made me saaad.
-creeps into bed and pulls covers over head-
I hope it is well done. I hope. Cos I really tried my best.
===============================
Eri didn't know what to expect, as she mounted the spiral stairway up to the arena, that strange sense of vertigo haunting her every step as she went still higher.
Castles in the air...and a damsel in distress.... Eri smiled grimly. What is this, a fairytale?
More like a nightmare given form. The sun had already set, but yet time felt somehow irrelevant when one was within these grounds. It was as if the arena and the Tower were on a different dimension of existence entirely. Eri shivered, feeling the evening chill set in, the mournful dirge of the wind whispering, siren-like, into her ear.
I'll defeat you, Ai. I have to. For Gaki-san, for Sayu... Eri refused to contemplate the fact that it was entirely possible that Gaki-san was already dead, clinging to the belief that no matter how much Ai had changed, she would not be gone as far as to kill Risa.
The stairway was interminably long, but Eri finally found herself at the top, framed in the arched entrance to the grand arena. A few forlorn petals swept across that broad circular space, and Eri once again contemplated the intricate designs carved into the floor of the arena itself. The patterns were beguiling, compelling even, when one looked too long at it, and Eri had to tear her gaze away even as her mind begin to spin. The whole place gave her the creeps.
There was no Ai waiting for her on the other side. According to Reina, Ai had already been there and waiting when she came, as if she had known long beforehand that they were coming. Eri felt a sense of foreboding, a chill that ran down her spine. There was something terribly wrong here. It felt almost too quiet, even though the winds continued to draw the petals scattered all over the arena into some kind of ancient dance.
As if the thought had summoned it though, a doorway opened, a portal-like entrance that Reina had described earlier. Eri steeled herself and walked down into the arena proper, one hand on the hilt of her sheathed rapier and eyes alert. She did not want to be caught unawares.
The person that stumbled through was not Ai though.
"Gaki-san?" Eri breathed out shallowly, not believing her eyes. So Risa was alive? And...from the Tower? The portal had closed immediately the moment Risa had been, for lack of a better term, ejected from within, since the older girl had ended up on her butt, before falling backwards to lie on her back.
"Gaki-san!" Eri abandoned all caution and rushed over, kneeling by Risa's side and gently supporting her senpai to sit upright again. "Are you alright? Are you hurt? What happened?" The questions came out in a confused blur, since Eri was herself rather baffled by the whole turn of events. Risa squeezed her eyes shut, putting her hands to her ears as if to cover them.
"Kame, one question at a time!" She cried out, opening one accusing eye reproachfully to look at the abashed Eri. Eri slowed down, giving Risa a quick once over and noting wordlessly the tear-stained face and reddened eye. There were no obvious wounds or injuries, which relieved the turtle girl.
"What happened to you?" Eri blurted out, even as Risa started to try and stand up again with Eri's help. The older girl leaned on Eri, one arm thrown over Eri's shoulder for support, still feeling dizzy from her run out of that nightmare Tower.
"Ai...Ai-chan...she..." Risa mumbled, her eyes filling with tears again. "She..." Images flashed in her head, of Ai bowing to that living presence on that altar, that indifferent figure as she yelled at her. Risa gritted her teeth, still not wanting to believe, but yet her heart ached painfully at the memory, of hurt and betrayal.
"Did she hurt you? I found your sword. There was...blood on it." Eri babbled, halfway between elated that Risa was alright, and still very worried about her condition as they limped slowly across the arena.
"No...not really..." Risa felt like her mind and heart were separating, the heart that wanted to believe, and the mind that struggled with the overwhelming evidence that Ai had chosen her own path. "She...the blood...that was hers..."
"You managed to wound her?" Eri asked a tad incredulously. Risa nodded slowly, then just as quickly, shook her head.
"No...no...she..." Walked right onto my blade. Risa didn't understand why Ai did that. In between one breath and the next, before the darkness had claimed her, she had seen, or felt, Ai-chan catching her and whispering something to her.
I'm sorry. Forgive me. Was that what she said? Risa couldn't remember clearly. Just the lips moving. I'm sorry. And then, darkness.
The steps were difficult to navigate. Risa kept feeling like she was going to trip and roll down the rest of the way. Given how crappy she felt, she was beginning to find that an attractive alternative. Beside her, Eri was also struggling, more with her own mind than the terrain. There were so many things she wanted to ask, but didn't dare to. Risa's eyes frightened her. So haunted, so hurt, so full of despair.
What on earth happened in there, Gaki-san?
~*~*~
Ai was sleeping. Or not. It was difficult to separate dream and reality in the realm of the Tower. She was merely...differently aware in this particular state.
Her eyes opened slowly, the room shifting around her, rearranging itself to suit her perception. This was a very strange place, Ai reflected not for the first time. Nothing was ever as it seemed in here, and not everything was permanent or even substantial. Her environment seemed to change according to how her mind was ordered, and Ai had learned very early on in her stay here to school her thoughts carefully. If she went on too much of a mental tangent, things tended to get confusing.
Perception shapes reality. She echoed in her mind, and the room solidified as she grew more alert. That was the first thing she learned during her sessions with the spirits of the Tower. That line had a very profound significance in this dimension.
Everything was in a dark tone now, in her room. Jet black, blood red, like a scene right out of a gothic novel. Ai smiled mirthlessly. Apparently her choice in reading material, back when she had a normal life, had played no small part in forging this state. Of course, her less than bright mood probably contributed to it as well.
There was something bright and shimmering in a corner. Something that didn't belong. Ai stood, her feet touching the shadowy "floor", feeling it bounce a little under her step. A few steps, and she was there by it, touching the fabric.
And time slowed around her as she absorbed the psychic memory invested within the garments. Ai shuddered, staggering back as her hand snapped back as if jolted by the contact. She knew now, instinctively, that she would have to wear that for the ceremony. As the Vessel, she would have to be properly attired.
Somehow, that amused her. Turning around, she wondered how much time she had left until the ceremony. A series of flashing numbers appeared on a wall in response to her unspoken thought, answering her question. She had slept longer than she had thought, but then again, she had barely slept much since entering the Tower. Time passed differently here, or so it would seem. Ai already felt significantly aged despite knowing intellectually that it really hadn't been all that long since she was in here.
A few more hours. Already, darker thoughts were beginning to encroach on her own mind, shadows of her own making beginning to lengthen in the room. She pushed the melancholia away, as best as she could. She had no time for regrets now. Instinctively, her hands sought the hilt of her katana, that familiar, reassuring grip in her hand reminding her of better times.
She banished those thoughts as well, drawing her katana so swiftly that it was barely more than a blur, cutting the suddenly materialized shadow that she had allowed to emerge from her mind. Oni, the manifestation of a human's negative thoughts and emotions. In this place between worlds, the spiritual energy needed to give it form were in abundance, and Ai needed an outlet to kill her thoughts and focus on nothing except the rigors of her katas.
Within seconds, she had managed to shred the dark creature into little bits, and the strange floor absorbed the remains even as her blade found its way into her sheath again, her breath coming out in time to match the motion. The focus she needed to perform that move required a clear mind, and it helped to ward off any unwanted memories. Clenching her teeth tightly together, she continued, fighting against shadows of her own making, a dance of death as her blade sliced through everything in its path.
She was unaware of how much time had passed, only focusing on the moment, of the intricacies of the sword movements, on her footwork as she moved all ghost-like to match even the true ghosts in agility. But there was no mistaking the call when it came.
It is almost time. Prepare. No question at all. Ai slowed, banishing the shades with a single thought as she resheathed her katana in a single smooth move. She was panting, sweating hard, but the touch of the spirits removed her fatigue, and she felt refreshed and more clearheaded than when she had first begun. Her workout had its benefits, after all.
Wordlessly, she shed her clothes and put on the shimmering robes, feeling them fit her as neatly as if it had been made for her --- which it had been. She tied on her katana to the silken belt at her waist, not wanting to leave it behind even though there was no need for it where she was going. That done, she looked out of the window, at a sky painted red with the setting sun.
My last sunset. One last, grim look. Then she turned, drawing the hood of the outer robe over her head, putting her face in shadow.
She walked out of the door. There was no hurry. She would get there in plenty of time.
~*~*~
Eri had been fiercely protective of Risa when they returned to the dorms, keeping a hawk-like watch on the exhausted girl, as if afraid that the moment she took her eyes away, Risa would disappear. It was bad enough that Reina had to physically drag the taller girl away just to make sure Risa got to shower in peace.
Reina, on her part, had been greatly relieved to see Risa back, even if she didn't say much about it. However, even she knew well enough to give Risa space to recover, after taking one look into her senpai's eyes. Eri had taken much longer to convince, and Reina had to resort to locking the door again.
Of course, this time she locked herself in with Eri so that the girl wouldn't have to be alone. Reina might be blunt and straightforward in her speech, but she wasn't completely insensitive. She knew Eri had been rendered quite insecure after Sayu's unfortunate accident, since the lack of someone who kept clinging to her managed to unsettle her, no matter how much she complained about Sayu never leaving her alone all the time before.
Reina also knew that Risa needed time alone, being herself in need of copious amounts of alone time every so often, which was why she had made Eri bunk over in her room (since Eri busted the door on her own).
It had been a long night, but somehow they made it through intact, if somewhat fuzzy-brained in the morning. It was an uncharacteristically quiet breakfast at the mess hall, given that there weren't many students left around, and the 3 of them were all huddled together in their own corner, poking at their food. Even Reina, who usually always had something to say, no matter what the situation, was silent, chewing on her food contemplatively, her mind elsewhere.
Finally, Risa was the one who broke the silence.
"I guess you guys want to know what happened." Reina snorted, rolling her wonky eyes.
"Took you long enough. So spill. Why did you disappear?" Eri kicked Reina under the table. Reina kicked right back. Eri winced and pouted. Reina stuck her tongue out at Eri. Risa pretended not to know what was going on, gathering her thoughts.
"I think...I fainted after the fight with Ai-chan." She wanted to stop referring to Ai so affectionately, but old habits die hard. Resigned, she continued.
"She brought me into the Tower..." At the mention of it, she shuddered again, remembering the chaos she had woken up to, the shifting reality giving her a pounding headache wherever she looked. "It was...scary. That place..." She rubbed her hands together before clutching her coffee cup tightly.
"Get to the point." Reina said bluntly, unwrapping a bar of chocolate she took from her pocket. "Did you find out anything useful? Like, how can we get Ai-chan out of that bloody place?" She snapped a section off the chocolate bar and handed it to Eri, who had been eying it the moment Reina started unwrapping it. Eri mumbled a thank you and munched happily on the chocolate, finishing it before directing her attention back to Risa.
Risa ignored Reina's words and continued, detailing what she saw and heard in that place, right down to when she had stumbled on the chamber where Ai had been. She had heard Ai's voice, as if she were talking to herself, and had moved closer, only to hear those fatal words that had shattered her confidence in Ai.
"No...way..." Eri said slowly, uncomprehendingly, as if unable to process what Risa had just said. But one look at the pained expression on Gaki-san's face told her that the older girl had not been lying at all. Reina's face was unreadable, although her eyes burned with a mix of emotions.
"She chose it huh...what the fuck..." Reina muttered, half to herself, the chocolate suddenly a lot more bitter in her mouth. She swallowed, then gulped down her cooling tea, eyes hard. Her hand gripped the cup tightly, as if trying to shatter it in her hand, even as her jaw worked silently, teeth grinding together.
Risa closed her eyes, looking very old in that instant. "I don't know why she's doing this...I just don't...I don't want to believe, but that's what I heard." Risa bowed her head, feeling the tears burning in her eyes and the back of her throat. She felt sick. Sick at heart, at this betrayal.
Eri was thinking. She had a distant expression on her face, as if she wasn't quite there. She felt like they were missing something, somehow. Despite everything, she still wanted to believe in Ai. The Ai she knew...even if she chose to do this, there had to be a reason for it. A reason that must have convinced Ai to do so. They just didn't know what.
"Didn't you say..." Eri started hesitantly, processing Risa's account of what happened. "...that Ai-chan was talking about some ceremony?" The gears in her head worked in vain for some plausible answer, but coming up empty. "That would be important, wouldn't it?"
Risa too, felt as Eri did, even though her own private pain was making it difficult to focus on the matter at hand. She nodded slowly, trying to think, but Reina cut in.
"Does it matter?" Reina slammed her fist down on the table, making everyone in the vicinity jump in their seats at the loud bang. "There's some major hoodoo happening, I don't know what, but I'm gonna stop it cos it can't be anything good." Her face was grim as she announced that, never mind that everyone in the cafeteria was staring at her.
"What the fuck are you looking at?!" Reina yelled, making everyone at the other tables quickly look down again. Risa looked at her reproachfully.
"Tanakacchi, cool it. We can't just go charging in like that. Whatever's happening, it's big, and it's happening tonight, so we still have a little time to prepare." Risa managed to state coolly, in a way Ai would have been proud. In Ai's absence, she had to be strong and level-headed, and not give in to her instincts to hide somewhere and cry. Beside her, Eri also nodded, trying to come up with something that made sense.
"Bah, whatever." But she did sit down, staring at the table blankly. It was difficult, putting up a gruff exterior, but she managed it, scowling at nothing in particular, if only to hide the fact that she was hurting inside. She felt the need to smash things, just to let out the pent up frustration, but restrained herself. No need to act like a brat right now.
They kept talking, Gaki-san and Eri, and it was driving Reina mad inside. She wanted to just go to the Tower, drag Ai-chan out, and kick some sense into her. Reina didn't like feeling so powerless, so at a loss, and just helpless in general. It made her feel useless, and she hated that.
"You know," she found herself cutting in. "Why don't we just go to the Tower and ask if we don't know anything?" Better than just sitting here and grumping. Reina favored constructive action over this kind of useless inaction. Risa and Eri looked at each other, then back at Reina, who was tapping her foot impatiently.
"Alright, fine, we go, we find out what happen, and we fix it!" Risa declared as if it had been her own idea to begin with. Reina sighed and bounced to her feet.
"Come on, slowpokes. We're wasting time here."
They went. Who knew what lay ahead? They certainly didn't, but they were going to find out, one way or another.
~*~*~
The sky was darkening overhead, the absence of the moon robbing the encroaching night of its luminiscence. Storm clouds were brewing, hanging low and pregnant across threatening skies. In the distance, the faint rumble of thunder made itself heard.
Ai stood in the middle of the arena, her hood still drawn over her head, in the precise middle of the grounds where the designs intersected. Waiting, watching. She raised her head, gazing at the incoming storm. Lightning crashed across like an accident waiting to happen. She closed her eyes, taking in the scent of approaching rain on the wind, letting her senses reach out and absorb everything around her.
She could feel them, her friends, trying in vain to gain access to the arena grounds. She smiled, feeling their frustration, remembering.
They will come, because I am here. She had said that to the spirits, at the beginning of the formal duels. Once again, they have come. For her.
She tilted her head skywards, letting the hood slip back just a little, her face angled to the skies as she spread her arms. No regrets. She promised herself that.
And knowing that they would come, despite what she had done to them, perhaps that was reward enough. It was worth it, to protect this world with her sacrifice.
~*~*~
"Fucking door, open already!" Reina kicked at the unyielding door, only succeeding in bruising her foot. She yelped and grabbed at it in pain.
"I don't like this." Eri said nervously, glancing at the threatening skies above. "Something's happening...something..." She shuddered.
Risa was staring at the door, as if it would open by sheer force of will. "It's sealed...Ai-chan...what are you doing inside?" She was shoved aside by a growling Reina.
"If it won't open the regular way, then we'll just make our own way." The tiny rebel was interrupted by Eri handing her an axe. She blinked at the normally reserved turtle girl, who flushed slightly and scratched at her head.
"Um, I kinda took this from the store earlier..." Eri confessed sheepishly. Reina, however, let a savage grin creep onto her lips.
"I like how you think, Eri." Reina turned back to the heavy door blocking their path.
"Let's get this party started." And swung.
~*~*~
The seal will come into alignment soon. Prepare yourself, Vessel. Ai nodded, drawing the ceremonial dagger and raising it and her other arm high.
"One last boon, will you hear it?" Ai requested on dry lips, licking them as her hands wavered in the air.
The wish is yours, as the victor. Name it, and we will accomplish it if it is within our power.
Ai spoke. The skies rumbled, along with the assent of the spirits that guarded this place. She closed her eyes, nodding in acceptance. She heard voices in the distance, and steeled herself. She cut, a deep gash across her palm, and let it fall.
Forgive me. Ai cast a final, desperate glance at the horrified expressions on the faces of her friends in the distance. Somehow, they had managed to make it up to the arena's gates, but the barrier surrounding the grounds kept them from entering. And now they were watching as her blood dripped from her hand, down...
...touching the grooves of the carved design on the ground. Instantly, it flared up, glowing with an eerie light. More of Ai's blood dripped down, filling the little crevice where Ai stood, even as the sky above her started to rumble even more loudly, flickers of lightning illuminating the night sky.
~*~*~
They raced up the stairs faster than they ever had, knowing, instinctively somehow, that they had to hurry. When they reached the top, Eri leading the pack, there was a collective gasp (minus Reina, who was still a little behind).
"AI-CHAN!!!" Risa screamed, trying to barge into the arena, but an invisible force prevented her from entering. She could only watch, helplessly, as Ai cut her palm, the blood gushing out like a fountain.
Reina pushed her way past to gape at the scene, shocked as well. If she screamed something, it did not register in her mind. She had lost the axe somewhere in the mad scramble upwards, so she started pounding at the barrier with her bare hands, ignoring the sizzle whenever she made contact with the barrier. Her fists began to bleed at some point, but she did not care. All she knew was that she had to get in, some way, somehow.
Eri had sunk to her knees, mostly in terror. She was the most sensitive to the force building in the place, and the overwhelming pressure forced her to her knees. She clutched at her head, trying to push the feeling out. She was shaking so bad, she barely knew what was happening around her.
They cried, wept, pounded, screamed and shook. A variety of responses, all in vain. They could only watch. Only that, and nothing more.
~*~*~
The design begin to glow more brightly, even as the blood spread out from the center, snaking across the grooves and filling them with that blood red glow. The pattern seemed to come to life, lighting up wherever the blood touched, and Ai's hand continued to bleed, far more than was normal for a cut that size at that location. The knife dropped from her hand with a clatter, and she clutched at her arm, gasping as her blood seemed to be drawn from her more and more quickly.
The circle took her blood and began to power up, the rings of blood beginning to throb with a steady beat, and Ai sank to her knees, unable to stand upright anymore. Around her, the magical design rose in strength, driven by her lifeblood. Above, the sky began to open up, the dark black of night bleeding to crimson, the exact replica of the pattern that was carved into the arena grounds.
The seal is ready. Commencing energy transfer. If Ai heard it, she did not respond. She could not. It was all she could do to stay conscious already.
She would regret that decision shortly.
The first ray that came down was gentle, almost soothing, and Ai found herself bathed in light and lifted off the ground, floating a few feet off the floor, her body angled at a slight incline, her hood falling off so she could see into the heart of the seal she was going to power. She saw it, and felt no fear. She was past fear at that point.
But not past pain, when the next bolt came down.
Ai choked, a strangled cry escaping her lips as a blood red spike impaled her right through the left wrist. Before she could even register the pain, the next one pinned her right wrist, and so on with both her ankles.
Crucified. She coughed, and blood dribbled from her lips. She threw back her head and screamed as the final spike went through her abdomen, the pain white hot, searing her every nerve as her eyes bulged. Her body spasmed involuntarily, and her vision almost blacked out at the shock.
She vaguely registered that she was still suspended in the air, this time by the spikes, which had been driven straight through into the holes in the pattern below her. She thought it would hurt more, but the pain was so intense that it didn't really hurt anymore. She was, thankfully, almost numb at this point.
Then she felt it. Great power, flowing through her, and upwards. Powering the seal. She smiled, laughed, cried, shouted. She did not know what she was doing, reliving all the emotions that had been taken, the purity and intensity of the feelings directed at her during the duels.
And then she wept, silently, because she never realized how much they loved her, and she them. And now it would all be too late.
Forgive...and if you cannot, forget. Ai closed her eyes. My last gift. Forget.
The seal took everything she had to offer, waxing in strength to last another few hundred years. And its guardians were content, their duty performed for yet another generation.
The sky flashed, brilliantly, lighting everything in the immediate vicinity and blinding everyone with eyes to see. And then it was all over, and faded to darkness absolute.
Only the spirits remained, watching what they had wrought. They would keep faith, as they always have done.
Done, and done. It is finished.
And then it was over, at long last. The spirits saw what they had done, and were content.
Let no one claim that they had broken their promises, for they had done as promised.
In every end, a new beginning...
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Eri woke with a start, in her own bed, thrashing about violently at first as she looked about wildly, terror coursing through her veins. The last vestiges of her nightmare faded out of recent memory as she calmed down. She was alone in her room. Where was Sayu?
Then she remembered that Sayu had fallen ill and was in the medical wing. Seized by a sudden urge, she dashed out of her room, the door flying open on contact (I thought I locked the door, she thought vaguely), skidding round the corner and running helter skelter down to the medical wing, bursting into the room panting hard.
Sayumi was sitting up, propped up by numerous pillows and startled by Eri's sudden entrance.
"Eririn! Why are you...mmphf!" Sayumi found herself cut off by a huge bear hug from her best friend, who was...sobbing into her shoulder?
"I thought you were gone for good..." Eri wailed, not knowing exactly why but feeling a strong urge to cry. Which she did, with great vigor. Sayumi patted Eri awkwardly on the back, hugging her back.
"I'm fine, it's just a bad cold..." The self proclaimed cutest girl in the world chuckled. "No need to act like I died."
"I was so scared..." Eri mumbled, managing to sit up next to Sayu on the bed and snuggling up to her best friend. Reaching out, she took Sayu's hands in hers and squeezed them firmly. "Don't you ever disappear on me, you hear?"
Sayu smiled at Eri warmly. "Never." Then she sneezed. "Darn cold..." She grumbled, and Eri laughed, freeing her right hand to reach for the box of tissues by the bed, handing them to Sayumi, who blew her nose loudly after taking a wad of tissues. Eri watched her, idly toying with her own fingers as if to play with the ring there, but finding nothing on her hand. She looked at her hands.
"What is it, Eri?" Sayu also looked down after she had cleared her breathing passages. Eri was staring at her own hands, at the lighter patch of skin in a ring around one of her fingers. Sayu prodded at the same spot, a confused expression on her face.
"Were you wearing a ring?" Eri slowly shook her head, the sense of unease growing within her.
"I don't know, Sayu...I don't know..." Sayu shrugged, snuggling up to Eri and distracting her with other topics of conversation. Eri also ignored her hands and returned her attention to Sayu, although that nagging feeling continued on in her mind, even as she made idle conversation with Sayu.
Am I forgetting something...?
~*~*~
Risa was straightening her hair in her room, struggling with the task in front of the mirror and resenting her hair dreadfully at the moment. Her hair wasn't completely untameable, but it could be a handful at times. Like right now.
She could have used a little help, but she wasn't rooming with anyone else, so she couldn't beg the help of a roommate. It was strange, living in a double room on her own, but the extra space wasn't so bad. Although...it felt a little empty at times. Too empty, even.
I should ask for a roommate...or just transfer to a single room... She mused, overcoming a tangle with a triumphant grin. "Yay~"
Then she caught sight of the clock. "Oh no, I'm running late!" She half-shrieked in panic, scrambling around for her things, finally reaching for the sword lying in a corner of her room. She missed a step though, falling to the floor with a clatter and knocking the sword over, sending it out of its scabbard.
"Ouch..." She winced, rubbing her nose where she had hit it on the ground. Climbing up to her feet, she reached for the fallen sword, ready to shove it back into the scabbard, and then froze.
Blood...? What was blood doing on her blade? Confused and curious, Risa drew her sword fully, holding it to the light. No doubt, there were dark crimson stains on it, especially around the tip.
"Why..." Her throat tightened for reasons unknown to her, and tears began to flow from her eyes. She just stood there, staring at the bloodstains, and weeping.
"Why am I crying...?" She whispered aloud, not knowing the reason, but feeling indescribably sad, little stabbing pains in her heart as she looked on at the blood.
Why do I feel so alone?
~*~*~
Reina woke up with something very similar to a hangover, if the pounding headache threatening to drill its way out of her skull was any indication. Her hand throbbed painfully, matching the pain in her skull. Blearily, she opened her eyes, raising one hand to shade her face from the sun.
Ugh...too bright... Reina rolled over, burying her face into the pillow in some hope that the evil sunshine would leave her alone. The headache was not helping. Neither was the pain in her knuckles. What was the pain in her hands? Frustrated, the little yankii opened one wonky eye and looked at one hand.
The other eye snapped open very quickly after the first glimpse.
"What. The. Fuck." Reina intoned with genuine confusion as she stared at her bruised and bleeding hands. Did she beat someone up with her bare hands the night before? What happened the night before? Did she get drunk or something? Reina groaned and let her head fall back into her pillow.
Then she looked up suddenly, groping for the clock by her bedside. One look at the time confirmed her suspicions.
"Great..." She was already late for practice. Whatever. The only thing she ever did there was break the wooden practice swords. Niigaki-senpai did try to teach her stuff, and those things were even useful sometimes, but Reina wanted a truly strong opponent to cut her teeth against. It was boring, and the only other person she could really fight against was Eri, but Eri was such an annoying pacifist. Pity, since Eri was fairly skilled.
"Bah, practice can go to hell." Reina muttered grouchily. Besides, she had a good excuse this time. Her hands hurt, and they were obviously in no condition to be wielding a sword at the moment. Besides, more sleep sounded like a good idea.
If only she didn't have a headache, and better still if that damned sunshine would just leave her alone.
"Ugh, screw sleep." Reina rolled up to a sitting position, rubbing at her eyes with her wrists since her hands were still sore. She felt warm and sticky all over. A shower would be a good idea.
With that in mind, Reina stood up, stumbling over to her closet and opening it with a yawn. Idly, she picked out some casual clothes. It was a weekend, so she was free to go down to town and walk around or something. Fault her for as many things if you would, but one could never accuse Tanaka Reina of having lousy fashion sense.
She was about to head out of her room towards the showers when something caught her eye in the corner. Curiously, Reina draped her clothes over a nearby stool and put down her other things on top of the dresser, crouching down to paw at the mess of stuff in that corner. She had seen the glint of metal...
There. She pulled it out of the pile of books and magazines. One eyebrow raised high as she stared at the object in her hands.
"A sword...?" A steel one. A fine shortsword, the heavy weight of which felt really...familiar in her hands. Comfortable, like taking hold of an old friend.
"I have this...?" There was an annoying blank in her mind as she tried to figure out how she had come by such a thing. She stood up, still holding it between her hands, ignoring the pain from the cuts and bruises.
She drew it, and it whispered out of the sheath smoothly. Reina fell into a fighting stance with it, feeling the balance and weight of the weapon she held, marveling at how perfect it was for her. She swung around with it carefully, pleased by the weapon, but still baffled as to how it came to be in her possession.
Returning it to the sheath, she examined it carefully, her fingers probing curiously across the surface. She raised another eyebrow when her thumb caught on something, and she sprung the hidden compartment in the hilt of the sword.
"What's this?" Surprise, certainly, as she pulled out the tightly rolled up piece of paper tucked inside. Curious, she set the sword aside and unrolled the paper.
Reina,
If you've found this, that means you've been paying attention to your sword. That's good. You should always care for your weapon, and know it well.
I hope you like the sword, I had it made for you. Do take good care of it.
I look forward to the day when you can give me a good fight with it.
No need to rush, I'll be waiting.
--- Ai
Something wet fell onto the paper, then another, and another. Reina gripped the paper tightly, her shoulders shaking as tears fell from her eyes, unbidden.
"Ai..." The name rolled off her lips, barely above a whisper. It set off tremors right through her soul.
So close. She knew that name. She just knew she did. But what...?
"Ai..." Her tears continued to fall, her heart aching within her. The note was half crushed in her fist.
"Ai...chan?"
I'll be waiting. Reina laughed, a high, wild, shaky laugh. Her hands shook, almost tearing the note apart.
"Liar." She whispered at the note. "You lied."
I remember now. How could I forget?
You're so cruel, Ai-chan. So damn cruel.
I won't ever forgive you, or forget what you've done.
Never.
==========================================
T___T This made me saaad.
-creeps into bed and pulls covers over head-