.02. - Kaname
"Legend?" Reiya muttered quietly, not believing what she was hearing. Who
was this girl, calling herself a legend? Barely in her teenage years, she
looked to be someone from the more unscrupulous side of town, another
faceless girl who had been either cast out by her parents or orphaned at a
young age. But she was a demon - she must have been, as her aura was
setting off every warning alarm with her Guardian. Wave after wave of
disapproval came from Setsuna, and Reiya slowly tightened her grip upon the
sword, her fingers curling.
"That's right." Kaname raised her arms upwards, curling them so that her
knuckles were facing outwards. "Prepare yourself!"
Toji gritted his teeth and looked desperately around once more, wishing
that there was some way - *any* way - that he could be of use. If this was
their next target, they were going to be in trouble. Reiya by herself was a
good fighter, but even she had needed Minaki's assistance last night.
Without his abilities in the battle, she may not be able to hold her own
against... whatever this person was.
In an effort to stall for time, he raised a fist and gestured towards
Kaname, speaking as authoritively as he could. "You! Kaname! Are you
working for the demons?"
Kaname said nothing as purple energy suddenly curved and spun about her
raised forearms. Her lips formed a wicked, gleeful grin as the discharge of
energy increased rapidly in intensity, causing the wind to whip around the
parking lot violently. Toji raised his arms and spread his feet, setting
himself into a defensive stance in order to brace himself against the rush
of power. The kid had ability, there was no doubt about that; why she was
trying to use it against them was another issue altogether.
And then, something abruptly shifted within both Toji and Reiya. The
patterns of demonic energy dropped out completely - to be replaced with a
familiar feeling and presence. Their eyes widened; it was not a demon that
they were facing.
He turned towards Reiya in surprise, and her expression of disbelief
mirrored his own. No, this familiarity was something that they had only
found in themselves and each other... up until now. But there was no
mistaking what they were feeling.
The energy patterns were those of a Host and a Guardian.
Toji turned towards Kaname, trying to ask her what was going on - but by
now the light surrounding the girl was pulsing so powerfully that he
couldn't face her directly. Instead, he brought his arm up to shield
himself from the sphere of pure force that had formed in front of them. The
field quivered briefly before exploding in a burst of sound and energy, a
high-pitched shrieking tearing through the air.
Toji and Reiya quickly leapt backwards and away, the fringe of energy
barely missing them as they soared away from the attack. He flipped back
and tucked himself into a crouch to roll with the force of the attack,
landing low to the ground with his feet wide apart and his fists extended.
As for Reiya, he could see her from the corner of his eye, poised atop a
handrail post, the soles of her sneakers clinging tenaciously to the metal.
She was calmly brushing her hair away from her face, readjusting her grip
upon her blade.
*This power...* he thought to himself as the swirling dust clouds slowly
thinned. *Where did it come from? Why does she have it?*
Kaname's form emerged from the midst of the wreckage, her arms glowing
lavendar through the smoke. As she continued to walk forward, he abruptly
realized that it was not her arms that were glowing; rather, there were two
curved blades hovering just above her forearms, each shining with its own
light. Toji narrowed his eyes. That was not demon power by any stretch of
imagination. It was a Guardian exactly like their own.
"A Host," Reiya said coolly. She levelled Setsuna at Kaname, who was still
grinning at them. "Not a demon... but one of us."
"Why are you doing this?!" Toji called out, lowering his fists slowly. He
had no desire to fight against a human, and a fellow Host even less so.
There had only been one other instance that had been necessitated by
circumstance, and he had hated every moment of that fight. The girl before
them looked so young and fragile, like the product of a blissful marriage
that had soured over time. He had no desire to bring further pain into her
life. "There's no meaning to any of this!"
Kaname shrugged once, then raised her closed fists casually. Her posture
was confident and relaxed, and in that instant Toji knew that this girl,
unlike him, had embraced her Guardian willingly from the very beginning.
She knew what she was capable of, and reveled in the fact.
"I don't really care what you think," she muttered lowly, flexing her
fingers. "You two are pathetic, having this much trouble already. I'm gonna
enjoy beating you up."
"And just what makes you think you will be able to do that?" Reiya asked
quietly, not having moved an inch from her perch.
The girl's grin became even wider, smug and proud. She swung her arms
forward and brought her fists together, a shower of purple sparks flying
from the impact. The two ends of the blades met, glinting in the moonlight.
"Just bringing out my Guardian was enough to make you fall back," she said.
Her arm blades flared with energy as she suddenly broke into a sprint
towards them. "But it's gonna end soon. You're not dealing with a stupid
demon anymore! You're dealing with Fighting Legend Kaname and her Guardian,
*Rave!*"
__________
Angelblade
by Jeffrey Yang
09.27.02 to 10.25.02
__________
Reiya remained perfectly still as Toji and Kaname both blurred out of sight
at exactly the same time. She closed her eyes, letting her will diffuse
into Setsuna by degrees, her senses expanding as the fight commenced around
her. Toji was grasping at straws, utilizing his Guardian to draw the
moisture from the surrounding air. It was all he could do at this point; he
moved about the air in quick strides, touching upon droplets of water and
pushing off moments before they struck the ground. Reiya knew that he was
out of his element, but she forced herself to remain still for the time
being. She couldn't lose her composure before this new Host - she had to
figure out a plan of attack before committing herself.
Meanwhile, Kaname was zig-zagging about the parking lot in a seemingly
random fashion, the energy of her Guardian trailing as she darted about.
Toji was close behind in pursuit, his face tight with determination. He
could already tell that she was faster than him by a fair margin; he had to
make his moves carefully. As she came rebounding off a wall at a sharp
angle, he flipped about in the air, intercepting her just before she
reached Reiya.
But it was too slow. Kaname smirked as his punch fell squarely upon one of
Rave's halves, and almost immediately the intense energy output of the
Guardian began searing the skin of his knuckles. Toji flinched, not having
expected that, and she suddenly flipped forward and up - causing him to
stumble forward - bringing one leg around and down on his head to push him
into the ground face-first. In the same motion, she propelled herself
towards Reiya, her arms extended to attack.
But Reiya was prepared. "Setsuna!"
She swung her sword up in a tight arc, golden energy erupted from the blade
and spiralling towards the incoming girl. Another explosion filled the
area, obscuring Kaname from sight - but Reiya was already in motion, having
leapt off the railing and onto the edge of a planter. She spun around and
brought Setsuna back into position against her arm, glancing over at Toji
to check on him as the dust slowly dissipated; he was already on his feet,
fists raised in anticipation.
A power shout came from the dust cloud. "RAVE *STRIKER!*"
Bare moments later, Kaname sprung outwards towards Reiya, each half of Rave
glowing fiercely about her arms as she brought her arms together to strike.
Reiya spun her sword around once and lifted it upwards to deflect the
attack, bracing herself for the impact; the resulting blow sent her
skidding backwards and off of the cement edge, the blade resonating from
the shock. She hopped lightly back a couple times into the middle of the
lot, flicking her blade about in preparation for the next attack.
"What's wrong?!" Kaname shouted, having rebounded off her attack to slide
to a halt twenty or so feet away. "Afraid to fight me?"
"Not afraid," Reiya murmured, quiet but strong in her tone. She subtly
shifted her gaze over the girl's shoulder to check on Toji, who was waiting
quietly for the right chance to strike. "Unwilling."
Kaname laughed once: a harsh, derisive sound. "Your loss!" she yelled,
dashing forward.
That was when Toji chose to move. He swung his foot out at a nearby fire
hydrant, knocking it clean away. Water began spraying up torrentially;
Kaname froze and spun around at the sound, not having expected that. Toji
rapidly closed the distance between them in sprints - and with no warning
at all, the water suddenly *bent* and curved back around on itself, forming
a pulsating ring of liquid in the air.
Her eyes widened in surprise. "The hell - "
Toji smirked and gestured deftly with one hand. The ring flew directly
towards her at a breakneck speed, seemingly expanding in size as it flew
through the air. She barely had time to raise her arms to block, and even
so the sheer force of the attack sent her flying into the air helplessly,
the ring pressing itself angrily against Rave's arm-blades.
Reiya quickly ran forward to meet Kaname as soared upwards, pushing herself
high into the air and somersaulting once before bringing her sword in a
downward thrust. Emerald power flared from the blade, trailing in the air
above her. The girl screamed in disbelief, barely managing to twist around
to intercept the attack. Green met purple as the two's Guardians met in a
blinding flash of energy - but it was already over before it began. Kaname
screamed again, this time in frustration, as Setsuna forced her into the
ground... the last vestiges of Rave abruptly fading away with a flicker of
light.
Reiya's expression was carefully neutral as she laid the blade against
Kaname's throat. The girl struggled at first, growling, lifting her arms
upwards - and quickly stopping as Reiya pressed downwards. She resigned
herself to lay perfectly still, casting a hateful glare upwards at her enemy.
Despite the antagonism, Reiya smiled softly, her tone as gentle as her
expression. "I'm not going to kill you," she said, turning briefly towards
Toji as he drew close and nodding in approval.
"So what? I know you won't." The words came out sulkier than she would've
liked. She looked over at the young man, who was still panting from
exertion, then back at Reiya. "You people are too weak."
"Weak?!" Toji demanded, stepping forward angrily. Reiya quickly raised her
arm, indicating for him to hold off, which he did so... reluctantly.
"You're the one who lost, not us!"
"That is not what she meant," Reiya murmured, debating whether or not to
let her go. Maybe Kaname was just looking for a quick thrill. She looked
young and lost, at an age where nothing was certain; fighting people
would've been just about as productive as anything else. Nobody would have
told her what to do with her powers, anyways, and had it not been for
Reiya's own sense of duty she probably would've done the same, going around
doing as she pleased. "Kaname, would you like to come with us?"
The girl sneered, enjoying their reactions. "For what? So I can turn into a
bunch of pansies like you? I don't care if I lost. I got people who can
back me up and they're more powerful than you'll ever be."
Reiya and Toji paused, and they quickly exchanged glances. While there was
no doubt that Kaname was not a demon, the earlier patterns had been
unmistakeable - that, in addition to what she just said, indicated that
they had definitely managed to come across a lead to why the demons were
attacking. It was the break they had been waiting for.
Reiya quickly turned back to Kaname, who was still grinning smugly at their
reaction. "Could you tell us who you're talking about?" Reiya said, still
keeping her voice as warm as she could.
"I could."
A long pause stretched out as they waited... then Reiya mentally sighed and
tried again. "*Would* you tell us who you're talking about?"
Kaname's grin widened. "No."
Children. Reiya kept her smile pasted on her face, although she was quickly
remembering why she preferred her solitude most of the time. "Why not?" she
said, slowly pulling her sword away cautiously. No use in making her
distrust them even more.
"Because," Kaname replied, pointing behind their shoulders. "It's a lot
better to show you."
Reiya stiffened. "What - "
Something slammed into her and Toji at exactly the same time, catching them
both by surprise. The two flew back to land painfully on the ground,
coughing from the force of impact. Reiya craned her neck upwards to see
where the blows had come from, only to be pinned helplessly onto the
asphalt as a wave of invisible force struck her bodily once more. No, not
force... despite the overwhelming pressure, she could see the trees bending
in a sudden, powerful windstorm that had come from nowhere. She tried to
turn her head, but the pressure was too much; she could feel the air in her
lungs being physically pushed out of her.
A few moments away from unconsciousness, the pressure relented. Reiya
gasped deeply, blinking her eyes rapidly to clear her vision. She struggled
to sit up, barely noticing that Setsuna had already shimmered into
nonexistence from her right hand. Toji was sitting besides her, coughing
violently and clutching at his stomach. With a bleary gaze, she looked
upwards to where a surge of Guardian energy was concentrated, atop the bare
flagpole in the library's garden.
There was a man standing on the very top, poised in perfect balance as if
it was the most natural thing in the world. His hair was long and golden,
tied in a ponytail that was floating behind him gently. He wore the outfit
of a Hoshimi Academy student... except it was unbuttoned down the front,
revealing a white undershirt beneath. Every detail of his uniform was
spotless otherwise, from his pressed slacks to the polished black boots. He
narrowed his eyes, flecks of red glowing through the dim night air.
"Kaname. What were you doing?" he muttered. His voice cold and harsh,
somehow clearly audible over the rush of wind.
The girl had gone over to the base of the flagpole while Reiya and Toji had
been immobilized and was now looking down at them, looking even more smug
than before. "Teaching those two a lesson," she said, placing one hand on
the flagpole. "They should know better than to try and mess with me!"
He smirked and leapt off, touching down on the ground lightly. The wind
stirred around his boots, kicking up tiny clouds of dust and gravel. "If I
remember correctly, you were the one who lost," he said.
Kaname gulped, her grin disappearing. "Um..."
"Stop being silly. Let's go."
"Y... yes," she stammered, suddenly much more sober. The two of them leapt
upwards at the same time, floating above and onto the roof of the building.
Moments later, they were gone, the soft night breeze being the only thing
to mark their passing.
Reiya pulled herself up on her feet, brushing the dirt of her skirt and her
bracelet. She helped Toji up, looking around at the silent parking lot and
at the flagpole the man had just been perched on seconds earlier. Questions
and doubts ran through her mind, all asking the same question: what was
going on? Kaname and her partner were both Hosts... so did that mean that
they both worked for some greater force? The trace of demonic energy was
still bothering her; there had to be some link between those two and the
constant attacks.
Toji squeezed her shoulder to get her attention, his expression radiating
concern. "Reiya, are you - "
"I'm fine, Toji," she replied, rubbing her fingers together. She shouldn't
have let her guard down like that, and the fact that she did began to gnaw
at her. "I need a shower. Toji, can I come over for a bit?"
"Um..."
"It's too late to use the one at my place. I wouldn't ask otherwise..."
"Sure, I suppose," he mumbled, not quite sure about it at all. Though it
wasn't the first time, he never felt really comfortable with the situation;
the way Reiya handled herself made it seem as if she didn't mind at all,
but he wasn't about to risk his friendship with her to find out. He glanced
around for her bike, and was mildly surprised to see it still intact on the
far side of the lot.
She smiled at him just as the street lamp overhead flickered to life.
"Thanks," she said, taking his hand into hers. "Shall we go now?"
He nodded, following behind as they made their way towards the bicycle.
_____
It had been a long time since she had lost. The taste of defeat was bitter,
far more than she could handle; even as she soared through the air in
Keiya's arms, Kaname could not help but think of revenge. The very concept
began to burn at her from within, the thought of how easily she had been
overwhelmed only serving to increase her anger. Her hands curled into
fists. She lifted her head and let out a scream of frustration, the sound
echoing around the run-down buildings that they were currently passing over.
Keiya barely reacted to the noise as he bound across the rooftops, his
Guardian drawing the surrounding air so that he soared impossibly far with
each step. His eyes remained slitted against the debris in the air, his
ponytail whipping in the enusing breeze as he moved. One arm was curled
around Kaname's waist; he tightened his grip slightly, eliciting a yell of
protest from her.
"The hell was that for?!" she demanded, squirming around to loosen herself.
It didn't quite work; Keiya's hold was too strong for her.
He barely tilted his head in acknowledgment. "Just shut up for a bit."
"Keiya - "
"Shut. *Up.*" His tone was harsher, if such a thing was possible.
He leapt over an air conditioning vent atop a particularly grungy-looking
building before descending swiftly down the front, landing neatly before
the entrance to what appeared to be a run-down hotel. There was a sign
above them that proclaimed the establishment to be the Family Motel,
although there was neither an air of hominess or domesticity about it. He
dumped Kaname onto the ground without preamble and walked forward, the
revolving doors ushering him forward in a rush of cool air.
Kaname stumbled onto her feet, hastily readjusting her cap so that it
pointed forward again. "Keiya, wait - wait!" she called out, darting
forward into the lobby.
Despite the exterior, the actual interior of the hotel was lush and
well-decorated, with thick crimson carpet leading a path towards the front
desk. The floor was tiled with what looked like beige marble; a lounging
area was indicated by dark, drab carpeting underfoot with a variety of
armchairs and couches arranged about a dull mahogany table. The furniture
looked as if it had been bright and cheery once, a long time before.
Chandeliers overhead provided a soft, glittering light.
She wasn't overly concerned with anything around her at the moment, though.
Instead, she glanced around frantically to see if Keiya was still around.
His gruff air didn't bother her most of the time, but this time was
different. She had lost, and the way he was speaking was beginning to scare
her. Fear was not something Kaname felt often; she saw herself as
invincible (or a fairly close approximation thereof). But his eyes... they
had been cold, colder than they'd ever been. It was that coldness she was
afraid of, a coldness that indicated separation.
The lobby was empty. She peered around the corner towards the elevator
hall, where a grandfather clock was placed incongruously between the two
doors. One of them had just slid shut; Kaname ran forward and managed to
reach it just as the light on the panel clicked to the second floor. She
sighed and pressed the button, waiting patiently for the second car to come
down. Keiya had simply left her alone. He obviously didn't want to talk to
her right now.
The hotel was completely silent as she waited. Kaname leaned against a wall
and began kicking her foot on the ground listlessly. Keiya had more or less
taken the hotel entirely for himself - well, himself and her, and a couple
other people in his gang. Still, she did have an entire floor to herself,
although she had little use for a bunch of empty hotel rooms. Why he had
done such a thing was still beyond her understanding; as far as she figured
it, he must have found her useful enough to keep around, and was going to
great lengths to keep her appeased.
But that made no sense... if he wanted to appease her, why did he act so
cold all the time? It was a question that Kaname had never been able to
answer, something which had puzzled her since she arrived here. She held no
delusions about herself; she knew that people disliked and hated her, so
she lived for what she felt deserved her time. And Keiya was the only
person who did, if not only for what he had done for her.
It was back when she was much younger and less aware of what she could do.
The day had been cold and rainy, back in her old neighborhood when she
still lived with her parents. They were gone now - but that day, they had
been arguing about the same old things that they always fought over: money,
possessions, separation, and their daughter. She was curled in the far
corner of her room trying to escape the voices, the angry voices which
seemed to ring constantly in her home, just audible through the thin wall
she was huddled against. Her arms were wrapped tightly around a stuffed
teddy bear, which she clutched onto as if it was her last shred of hope.
Something struck the wall on the other side of her, the impact dulled and
muffled. She trembled and tried to shrink in on herself even further, her
body shivering with fear. Indistinct conversation came through the wall;
she could hear her father on the verge of screaming, and her mother sounded
as if she was crying. Her lips moved to form a single word, but no sound
came out from her dry throat. Her eyes refused to focus, and she was only
dimly aware that she had been crying for some time already.
"Stop..."
Another impact vibrated through the wall, and Kaname hazily realized that
her father was shoving his wife against the kitchen door. Her hands twisted
the stuffed bear, fear imbuing her with unnatural strength. Another shove.
Screaming, growing louder by the moment. She clenched her teeth and tried
to stand up, her legs shaky and unsteady. Fingers tightened, and moments
later the toy burst apart in an explosion of curled brown wool and cotton
stuffing.
But she didn't notice anymore; her mind was numb with grief and the world
had already ceased to exist around her. All she could feel was something
burning inside of her, starting in her hands and spreading slowly down the
length of her arms. It was a painful yet pleasurable kind of sensation,
almost as if she was being consumed whole by some external force - yet she
welcomed it, opening her arms to embrace oblivion as it raged through her
body. She didn't need to be here anymore. She could escape from everything
and be blissful in her isolation...
Faint sounds that bore little similarity to spoken word resonated in her
ears. From some distant corner of her detached mind, she could hear her
name being spoken, the three syllables blurring together. The burning
sensation tore through her and was suddenly in every part of her being,
whipping her body about fiercely like a mere puppet. The sounds grew louder
and she tried to open her eyes to see what was going on - but she couldn't
- the gravity was too powerful - she couldn't control the flow of energy at
all. The sounds turned into screams before all went silent, even the rush
of noise in her ears.
Everything was quiet.
She sunk back onto her knees and collapsed weakly onto her side, her entire
body filled with intensely excrutiating pain. That was when she tried to
scream, but she was barely strong enough to manage a pathetic cry. Her eyes
opened slowly and she saw her father and mother lying in the floor,
unmoving. Kaname reached over hesitantly and tried to wake them up;
somehow, she already knew that it was too late, that she had done something
very bad.
They didn't respond to her touch. She tried again, eyes widening in
desperation. "Mama? ... Papa?"
No response.
What happened afterwards had never been wholly clear to her. She remembered
seeing Keiya for the first time, but everything else was indistinct. He had
stood above her, his expression contemplative and his appearance perfect.
She remembered thinking that he was her salvation - and that was what he
eventually became, teaching her what she was capable of, that she had no
one else to rely upon but herself. Despite that lesson, Kaname knew that it
was not true. Whatever Keiya said was just an attempt to keep her at a
distance; she knew that she could rely on him, and that alone was more than
she'd ever had.
Kaname never remembered her full name ever again, but by the time she came
to terms with her Guardian, Rave, she no longer cared. She was reborn, and
she was determined to be the strongest Host of all. She had been granted
power. The question of "why" never even occured to her; to Kaname, the fact
that it existed was reason enough to utilize it at its highest level, and
through Keiya's training she had finally managed to become the best fighter
in his entire gang - second to him, of course.
Which was why her loss had been so crushingly painful, and why she was
suddenly very scared once more, more than she had been in years. Her life
seemed to be falling apart all of a sudden, and she was powerless to do a
thing about it.
"This sucks," she muttered to herself. The elevator door slid open at that
moment with a soft chime, and she stepped inside quietly to see Keiya
standing there, a smirk on his face.
She stumbled back against the closing doors, startled out of her wits, her
hands moving upwards instinctively in self-defense. Then she lowered them
and scowled, although the emotion behind the gesture wasn't there. As the
car began to move up, she stuck her tongue out at him. "Bitch."
He said nothing as they continued to move upwards. After the first few
floors, the elevator shaft opened up to reveal the lobby below, the
entirety of the hotel visible through the glass wall of the car. Elaborate
miniature gardens were strategically placed on railing of the second and
third floors to provide a more outdoor-styled feel. It really was a grand
affair, but it failed to impress either one of them; they'd both seen it
countless times. A tiny light on the control panel flickered, indicating
their progress. The car came to a slow stop as they reached the tenth
floor, and Keiya stepped out wordlessly into the hall the moment the doors
slid open.
Kaname stomped out after him. "Well?!" she demanded, managing to look
sincerely annoyed this time.
He barely slowed on the way towards his room. "Well... what?"
"I don't know. Say something!" she demanded, moving right up in front of
him and leaning as far up as she could in his face. "I hate it when you do
this!"
"Do... what?" he murmured, the faintest traces of a smirk playing across
his lips.
"Stop that. You know what I mean!" She stomped her foot on the carpet, the
muffled thump echoing off the walls.
Keiya said nothing and headed down towards his room, one of the penthouse
suites at the far end of the hall. Still scowling, she trailed stubbornly
behind and refused to be shaken, even as he pushed the door open. Finally,
he simply turned around and brought his hand out in a quick motion to shove
her back outside. Kaname - who had not been expecting that - stumbled back
and struck the opposite door in the hallway with a loud rattle. Her eyes
widened; but it was already too late. The door clicked shut in front of her
quietly. Keiya had shut her out once again.
Indignant tears welled up in the corners of her eyes, and a familiar yet
uncertain pain filled her heart. Her hands balled up into fists and she had
to refrain herself from smashing the door in front of her into splinters.
It wasn't her hotel, it wasn't even truly her home. She couldn't raise her
fist against the only person who had ever treated her well in her life...
and yet she hated being left alone like this, helpless and without
recourse. It was just like when she was defeated by that Reiya bitch.
Instead of punching the door, Kaname decided simply to scream at the top of
her lungs, a cry of frustration and anger.
_____
It was a beautiful Saturday when the three met again, the sky a crisp blue
with only a few wisps of clouds overhead. They had decided to have lunch
together in one of the local plazas downtown so that they could discuss
what had happened in the past two days, with the newer demon breed and the
appearance of Kaname and her ally. Since none of them had cars (or even a
license, in Reiya's case) they had to settle for meeting at the Bluebird
around one o'clock and leave it at that.
The moment Minaki set the appointment, she knew exactly two things would
happen: one, Toji would be late, as he had somewhat of a notorious track
record for never, ever being on time for anything but school; and two,
Reiya would be even later than Toji because she hated waiting around for
him. It wasn't the first time something like this had happened, which was
why she was so familiar with it - but really, there was simply nothing to
be done, so she decided to wing it and see how things turned out.
In the end, Minaki arrived precisely at one o'clock and sat around in a
dimly-lit booth, sipping on a glass of iced tea as she waited for her
friends to arrive. The Bluebird was one of those restaurants that they
always enjoyed eating at, although each time they did they ended up feeling
vaguely guilty about how much money they had spent. She had already been
waiting for half an hour, and the waitress was beginning to wonder if she
would even order anything. Minaki herself was aware that she was wearing
out her welcome, but if she left now she knew that Toji would probably show
up a few minutes later. So she waited, and hoped that things would work out
with all the hope she had in her heart.
A few more uncomfortable minutes later, Toji finally came through the door
with Reiya in tow, looking as if he had been running the whole way. One
thing that Reiya had always been very strict on was usage of their
Guardians in public. Granted, there was no real reason why they *couldn't*;
they knew that other Hosts existed but they had precious little proof other
than the rare sighting here and there during their missions. Reiya,
however, had basically insisted that they *shouldn't*. People feared what
they didn't understand, and there was no telling what would happen to them
if they revealed themselves.
So while they could have made their way across town in a matter of minutes
with their Guardians, they hadn't - and as such Toji and Reiya had nothing
to say as they slumped into the booth next to Minaki, panting with exhaustion.
"... hello?" Minaki said curiously, peering at them over the edge of her
cup of iced tea.
Reiya smiled weakly in response and held a hand upwards, waiting for her
breath to return before speaking. "We had to bike," she said
apologetically, downing half a glass of water before continuing. "I'm sorry."
"*We're* sorry," Toji said emphatically. "You know how Reiya is."
Minaki nodded, cheerful as ever. "I know."
"Huh?"
"Nothing," Toji amended quickly. He knew that he was perpetually late - and
that Reiya followed him in the same pattern, making sure she was around
only when she knew he would be. Apparently she was not aware of her
tendency to do so, or was simply not admitting it. "Um... hey, Minaki, did
you order yet?"
"I couldn't order without you guys."
"I'm actually not really hungry," Reiya said with a tiny shrug. "I just
kind of want to talk."
Toji gave Reiya a suspicious look. "About the demons again, right?" he
mumbled. "Don't you ever talk about anything else?"
Reiya nodded, smiling tinily. "Of course. I wanted to talk about Kaname as
well."
"... ah." He opened his menu and proceeded to busy himself in looking over
the appetizers section. "Why don't you tell Minaki all about it?"
The girl nodded, looking up from her own menu. "It's just unbelievable,"
she said softly, making sure to look about to ensure that she wasn't
attracting anyone else's attention. "I can't believe someone would use
their Guardian like this."
"Well, to be fair, no one ever told us what we had to do with them," Toji
murmured, flipping a page. "If it hadn't been for Reiya - "
"What's that supposed to mean?" Reiya said coolly, pulling the menu down
and peering over it.
Toji smiled nervously. "Nothing!"
"Look, it was just chance, all right?" she said a bit hotly. "I didn't plan
to meet Minaki when I did, and she was the one who wanted to show me her
Guardian."
"So you're saying it was all chance that we met, then?" Minaki said
quietly, sounding almost a bit defeated.
Reiya shook her head. "Not quite. What I meant was - " She paused and
looked up as their waiter approached, handing her menu to him. "Just a
roast beef sandwich and another glass of water, please."
Toji and Minaki placed their orders as well, giving their menus to the
waiter as he left. "What did you mean, then?" he said curiously. He *had*
been wondering about how they had all gotten to met originally... his
memory of the incident wasn't too clear, despite the fact that he
remembered almost everything else in the past four or five years of his
life perfectly. It was confounding, in all honesty.
"What I meant is that maybe we did meet by chance. Maybe we met by destiny.
It doesn't really matter." Reiya held her glass up for a refill, taking
another deep sip as the waiter moved away. "We're here now, and we have a
goal. Toji, have you forgotten already? You got careless... that's how we
found you."
He scowled as the incident suddenly came to light in his mind. Yes, he had
been standing in one of the soccer fields one particularly hot afternoon at
school. His classmates had already gone back in for fifth period class, but
he had been too preoccupied...
"You do remember," Reiya said, noting his reaction and sounding quite
pleased. "There was the hose, and the water..."
Minaki suddenly grew excited. "I remember this story! Toji was using Liquis
in the open, wasn't he?"
"Look, I didn't know what was going on. Cut me some slack, okay?" he said,
giving Minaki a withering glare. "How did *you* react when Kalciane first
showed up?"
Minaki's expression grew earnest. "I thought she was an angel from God,"
she said simply.
Toji looked doubtful. "An angel in really colorful armor."
"She was small at first, like a doll," Minaki said a bit sheepishly. "She
wasn't very strong in the beginning. But then she got bigger as I got
better and now she's a real angel. Don't you think?"
"Something like that..." he replied, still dubious. Minaki had always
seemed insistent upon her Guardian being an angel sent from God for some
reason. Perhaps she might have been, but there was no doubting that
whatever Kalciane was, it was the same stuff that was within himself and
Reiya - and their Guardians didn't assume the form of angels, or even
anything remotely human. Their leading theory was that it took the form of
whatever the Host's desires were. It sounded as solid as anything else
they'd managed to concoct.
Reiya propped her chin in her hands, looking over Toji and Minaki each in
turn. "I hope you don't regret my asking you," she said softly. "About...
well, helping me."
"Of course not!" Minaki said immediately, shaking her head in protest at
such a thought.
Toji, however, was not as quick to answer. "It's better than what Kaname
and that other guy are doing, I'll admit," he said. "But I don't know. We
still don't know where the demons are coming from, or what they even are.
Maybe Kaname and that guy are linked to them, maybe not. But what's to say
that they're right and we're wrong?"
"How can they be right? They're the ones breaking the laws," Reiya said simply.
His response was instant. "Human laws."
"We're still humans."
"Humans can't do what we can."
Reiya paused uncomfortably, not sure what to say to this. After all, Toji
did have a point... but why he was suddenly playing devil's advocate was
really beyond her. He had been reluctant with his powers from the very
start, but she could sense the thrill of combat each time he fought
alongside her. She knew that he enjoyed being able to go beyond being a
"normal" human, and each time he denied it she had simply brushed it off as
latent uncertainty. But perhaps she had been misreading him all along;
after all, she didn't have Minaki's sense of empathy. Maybe the thrill was
only a brief moment of adrenaline-induced emotion, amplified in the rush of
the fight so that her Guardian could sense it. He was certainly impossible
to read any other time, a fact that constantly frustrated her to no end.
"They're the ones behind the demon attacks," she finally said, her tone
slow and uncertain now.
Toji shrugged, diverting his gaze towards the television in the upper
corner of the room. There was a baseball game playing - not that he found
baseball interesting, but he didn't want to look at Reiya right about now.
"We haven't proved that yet."
"We can't let them going around doing as they please!" she retorted,
raising her voice just enough to attract a few stares.
"Why not?" he replied, completely unruffled. "Isn't that what we do, going
around doing as we please?"
Reiya shook with fury, barely restrained herself from punching Toji on the
shoulder. Instead, she fell silent as the waiter brought their soups and
salads, watching dully as each plate and saucer was laid out neatly. Her
thoughts began to jumble and blur together, rushing through her mind in a
torrent of self-doubt. As soon as the waiter was out of earshot, she cast
an angry glance in his direction.
If Toji noticed, he gave no visible sign; instead, he simply turned away
from the television and began sprinkling pepper onto his salad, keeping his
eyes focused upon his plate now. Minaki glanced back and forth between the
two for a moment... and abruptly jabbed Toji in the arm.
He winced just as he was about to take in a forkful of salad. "Ow. What?"
"Apologize to Reiya," she murmured, glancing up at him with a hurt look on
her face.
Toji stared at her in quiet disbelief. "Apologize for what?"
"Look!" Minaki gestured at Reiya, who was sullenly working on her plate of
salad in silence, her head tilted downwards. It was obvious that she was
trying to avoid looking at them directly. "You were being mean to her,
Toji. You better apologize, or I'll have Kalciane beat you up."
He chuckled at that, managing to hide his doubts as to whether Minaki was
truly capable of doing so or not. She probably could. "All right. I'm
sorry, Reiya."
"That's not very convincing."
"What do you want me to do, then?" Toji said exasperatedly.
"Apologize honestly," Minaki insisted, bunching her mouth up defiantly in
the face of his protests.
"That's all right." Reiya glanced up suddenly, lowering her fork onto the
edge of her plate. "He's right. We don't have any more right to do what
we're doing any more than they do. We really should stop before we get into
any more trouble."
Minaki's eyes widened and she stood up in her chair, nearly knocking over
her glass. "You can't be serious..."
"I don't mean the demons, of course," Reiya continued calmly, her gaze
still focused on her own glass so as to not look her friends in the eye.
"But Kaname and her protector. They're Hosts, too... they're people. If
they want to fight us, they have every right to do so."
"Then they're the ones in the wrong! They're breaking the law!"
"Human laws." Reiya's words echoed Toji's, her voice calm. "We're not
humans anymore, Minaki."
The young girl's expression sank as the words registered in her mind. "Of
course we are, Reiya - "
"Sit down, you're making a scene," Toji mumbled through his napkin. He was
covering his face with one hand, hoping that no one was staring.
But neither one of them listened to him. Reiya simply shook her head and
smiled at him, a false, artifical smile. She stood up and gathered her
belongings on one arm. "I had a lovely time, Toji. I'll see you later."
*You have to be kidding me,* he thought to himself. "Reiya - "
She was already heading towards the front, her wallet open in her hand.
Toji contemplated for a moment whether or not it would be better to go
after her... and ultimately remained in his seat, staring bitterly at the
crumpled napkin on his placemat. His hands clenched into fists under the
table, before reaching out to grab Minaki's arm as she made her way out
behind the table to chase after Reiya.
"Stop it, Toji!" she said, struggling against his grip. "Haven't you done
enough already?!"
He somehow managed to keep his expression utterly deadpan. "No."
Minaki swung her hand outwards swiftly, catching him on the cheek. He
recoiled from the blow, releasing his grip to raise his hand instictively
upwards towards the wound. In that moment, Minaki was off, running out the
door and after Reiya.
Toji stared in mute disbelief as he was left alone at the table. His
fingers brushed over the spot where Minaki had struck him, the spot still
tingling. The actual impact had not hurt very much at all... he had
sustained worse in any given mission he had gone on with Reiya. But the
very thought that Minaki - *Minaki*, of all the people, the most docile
person he'd met in his life - would do such a thing was beyond his
comprehension. He had been venting, yes, but he had not expected Reiya to
take it as seriously as she apparently had. She never had before, and maybe
this one time he had gone too far.
"Damn it," he muttered to himself, staring at the unfinished food. *What
the hell am I going to do now?*
_____
Reiya wasn't in the parking lot when Minaki finally managed her way past
the crowds in the lobby. Judging by the elapsed time frame, she almost
suspected that Reiya had ended up using her Guardian to flee as quickly as
possible, despite the fact that they had promised each other they wouldn't
do such a thing. Her own Guardian reached out, reassuring her that it was
not the case. She could sense Reiya somewhere distant - probably on her way
home already - and that alone was enough to reassure her. Things were going
to work out. They were going to be all right.
She had no intention of going back to check on Toji. Once again, she knew
that everything was going to be all right in the long run, and that the
three of them would eventually return to normality. In the meantime, she
wanted him to think about what he had done; she wanted him to be upset
about it, because it was exactly what he deserved. Minaki felt a quick
twinge of guilt at the thought, but she quickly brushed it aside. Reiya had
indicated so many times, through her words and her actions, that she cared
for him. Why couldn't he open himself to do the same for her?
Minaki stepped onto the sidewalk, clutching at her purse as she began to
walk home. It was only a short distance, perhaps three or four blocks; her
parents, once they found out about Kalciane, had entrusted her to go as she
pleased during her free time as long as she maintained good grades in
school. The skyline was rapidly darkening, the rich oranges and burning
reds giving way to the deeper tints of night time. Cars drifted slowly down
the boulevard in a steady stream as the world grew darker.
She broke into a quick trot as the street continued east, turning into a
dust-swept avenue that led to her house. It was distinctly quieter here,
the first half of the street being mostly comprised of dying small-time
stores; the second half began just after a shallow turn, leading into a
stretch of road that was still under development as a private community.
Skeletons of incomplete houses littered the area, casting broken, angular
silhouettes against the twilight.
She took one more step before becoming aware that something was terribly
wrong. Her shoes skidded against on the asphalt, and she braced herself to
move as a battle shout cut through the air.
"RAVE BREAKER!"
Two arcs of purple light slashed through the darkness, each curving
directly towards Minaki. She spun and angled herself around in midair,
flipping back onto her feet in a tight landing upon an unpainted wooden
fence. Her arm snapped upwards, fingers curled downwards. Bright golden
light swirled into existence in front of her, forming a tiny ball that
seemed to explode out in the silhouette of a winged being; moments later,
Kalciane stepped forth, her eyes opening and arms spreading. Gold sparkles
cascaded from her being as she flicked both wings outwards, assuming a
defensive stance with her arms raised.
An arrogant, boyish voice came from the distance. "Nice. You must be the
other one." Although Minaki couldn't see who was speaking, the hesitation
in his tone was clear. There was a quiet rushing sound, and her apparent
enemy leapt into sight: a young boy, wearing a faded grey pullover and blue
jeans. A red cap was on his head, the brim pointing backwards. As she
watched, the boy's own Guardian moved back towards his arms, floating
calmly in the air above them.
Minaki peered at the boy confusedly. "... Kaname?"
"What? Did those losers fill you in on who I am?" He smirked triumphantly,
seemingly pleased with the fact.
She nodded solemnly, feeling a bit silly. How to phrase it, how to phrase it...
"I thought you were a girl," she finally blurted out.
"Dumbass! I *am* a girl!" Kaname spat, raising her fist in Kalciane's
general direction. "What the hell ever gave you the idea I wasn't?!"
Minaki raised her hand apologetically. "You looked like a boy?"
"Oh, that's *it*. I am so taking you down," Kaname muttered furiously,
lifting her arms high. "*Rave!*"
Minaki simply turned around so that both she and her Guardian faced Kaname,
the two smiling softly at her. Enemy or not, she wasn't going to let
herself be unprotected. "... Kalciane."
Both Guardians flared with energy at the exact same moment, Rave's blades
bleeding a dark purple as Kalciane's wings spread in a vivid explosion of
gold and blue. Minaki quickly leapt back again, landing on a wrought-iron
gate this time to focus upon her angel as she flew towards Kaname in a blur
of light. The two met in a clash of fists, colored sparks hissing from the
point of impact; a split second later Kalciane spun around and down in a
tight circle, bringing her leg around at Kaname's ankle.
She hopped back and up to avoid the attack, her smirk growing wider. This
was good. Whoever this Minaki was, she obviously lacked the skill to fight
by herself. Defeating her would be just what she needed at this point, and
who knew? Maybe Keiya would start talking to her again, if she managed to
prove herself. She raised her fists and spread them apart slowly, feeling
her Guardian gradually infuse her with even more of its essence. The power
crept into every vein, her fingers clenching tight...
"There's no need for this," Minaki was saying. She was still perched atop
the gate, her arms folded over her chest; it was hard to tell whether she
was trying to look confident or was simply cold. "Kaname, I just want to talk!"
"You and those other weak losers! Forget it!" Kaname screamed, bringing her
arms back together and pushing off towards Kalciane in a massive burst of
speed. Purple energy trailed behind her, searing the ground in her wake.
"RAVE STRIKER!"
Minaki looked almost a bit embarrassed. "Please stop shouting!"
Kalciane steeled herself as her opponent came barrelling towards her,
lifting her arms and unclenching her fists. Moments before impact, she
jumped straight up and twisted her body in the air, pushing off of Kaname's
head with a hand to land a distance behind her. Kaname stumbled forward a
bit in surprise, not having expecting that... to end up directly in front
of Minaki. Their eyes met for a moment.
*Why am I fighting her, again?* she thought. Minaki certainly didn't look
like she had any great desire to do battle.
But then Kaname drew her fist back in defiance. *Why *shouldn't* I be
fighting her?* She growled and swung her arm in a quick right hook...
... to hit nothing.
Kaname whirled around, eyes narrowing. *Fast...*
Her enemy had already retreated behind her Guardian, like the coward she
was. Kaname raised her arms again, grinding Rave's blades together with an
unpleasant screech of metal rubbing on metal. "Why don't you put your
little angel away and fight me one on one, huh?"
"That wouldn't really be fair," Minaki replied softly. "Kalciane's my
Guardian... and you're using your Guardian, aren't you?"
"Yeah, but you're running away! No real Host runs away from a fight!"
"I'm not running away. I just don't want to fight," Minaki said, stepping
besides her angel. "I - "
Kaname flapped her hand dismissively. "Yeah, yeah, you just wanna talk. To
hell with that. You sound exactly like that Reiya bitch." She shook her
head, inwardly amazed at the stupidity of the girl. Who in their right mind
talked this much in the middle of a fight?
With a grunt, she launched herself towards Kalciane once more. It was
obvious that she wasn't going to get a chance to hit the Host until she
took the Guardian out. Instead of concentrating upon a single, massive
attack, she ducked into melee range and began to launch a series of quick
punches towards Kalciane, using Rave to accentuate each blow with a burst
of lavendar power.
The two exchanged blows back and forth for a time, neither one gaining the
upper hand as the battle raged down the deserted street. Minaki kept
herself a fair distance aways, her eyes closing once more as her
concentration intensified. Kaname's attacks were quick and steady; there
was no mistaking that she had been fighting for a very long time. But
somehow, she could sense an emptiness behind the ferocity, a sort of
internal hesitation before each strike that made anticipating it almost
easy. Skill aside, she had no style or strategy, only tenacity. And in
terms of raw power...
Minaki had remained defensive the whole match, hoping that Kaname would
come to her senses. But as she watched, it became apparent that it was
simply not going to happen. She chased after them as they approached a turn
in the street, balancing herself upon a stack of lumber and watching as her
Guardian and Kaname continued to fight. Why was she fighting, this Kaname?
What good did she think it was going to do for her?
"Kaname - " she tried again, willing Kalciane to flip to the side, narrowly
avoiding Rave as Kaname swept her arm around in a wide arc. Slowly, she
shook her head; there was no way to get through to her like this.
She was going to have to attack.
Kaname bore down once more with another fierce hook - and that was when
Kalciane suddenly slid her upper body to the right, reaching out to grab
the incoming arm. Her fingers tightened and she pivoted on her heel, using
the momentum to fling Kaname away. The girl sputtered in surprise and spun
around tightly with one leg outwards, forcing Rave into the ground to stop
herself. Dust rose up in a streamed plume, her Guardian carving twin
trenches in her wake.
She looked up just in time to see Kalciane whipping her leg around in a
massive roundhose directly at her, stretching her wings out to maintain her
balance and stirring up more dust in the process. Minaki quickly shifted
her position so as to get a better view - and blinked in sudden confusion
as the debris cleared. Kaname was grinning tightly at her, grasping
Kalciane's foot solidly in between Rave's arm blades.
"Wh... how - " Minaki stammered.
Kaname's response was a powerful wrench using both arms, calculated to
break the Guardian's leg in two. The angel, however, simply launched
herself into the air, her wings flaring as she twisted around to flow with
Kaname's motions. One hand shot downwards and planted solidly into the
asphalt, and for the space of a few milliseconds Kalciane's entire body
seeming balanced upon one hand.
Everything seemed to slow down suddenly as Kaname remained motionless. Her
Guardian was screaming at her to move, to block the inevitable attack, to
do *something*... but her body simply refused to comply, growing heavier by
the moment. She knew was going to lose again - but somehow she wasn't as
upset with the fact as she should have been. Maybe it was the fact that she
had really expected it all along. Maybe -
And then Kalciane swung her legs around in the space between herself and
the ground, using both arms to push herself up into a one-handed spin. Her
feet parted, legs whipping out horizontally to swing in a vicious circle.
With the same motion, she tucked herself into a cartwheel, gliding smoothly
back onto her feet as Kaname crumpled onto the ground face-first. The first
kick had landed on her shoulder, the second against her cheek. Minaki
gasped and immediately commanded Kalciane to remain still as she leapt off
her vantage point towards her fallen opponent.
But Kaname was still awake. Her body refused to move, but the pain in her
shoulder and head was proof enough that she wasn't dead. She would have
screamed in frustration, except she couldn't even do that anymore; there
was simply no strength or will left in her body. She had failed Keiya
again... and with each throbbing pulse in her brain, one thought repeatedly
surfaced in her conscience.
*How did I lose to her...*
*How could I lose to her...*
*HOW could I LOSE to HER?!*
She felt a comforting hand upon her shoulder, massaging it gently. For a
moment she thought it to be Keiya's grip - before realizing that the hand
was far too small and gentle to be his. Kaname struggled to get up and
quickly decided not to as something tilted crazily inside her head, making
her sick to her stomach. A low moan escaped her lips, and she suddenly
realized that she had not only lost - she had been defeated. No, worse...
she had been completely dominated.
It was one of the worst feelings she'd ever felt in her life, even more so
than the sickening wave of nausea that kept threatened to overwhelm her.
She clenched her fists, noting that her Guardian had already vanished back
within her, and slammed them weakly on the asphalt. Pebbles and dirt stung
her skin. Hot tears brimmed from her eyes, the saltiness of her
perspiration biting her scraped face.
Minaki seemed to be saying something, but Kaname couldn't quite make it out
- not that she really cared to. So instead of listening or replying, she
rolled over onto her back and brushed the irritating hand away, marvelling
at how indistinct the stars in the sky were. She took in a deep breath,
doing her utmost to stop herself from coughing. It was bad enough she had
lost to her. There was no need to keep looking weak.
She ended up coughing anyways, which only caused Minaki to sigh in mild
frustration. "Stop exerting yourself," she chided, carefully checking
Kaname over for anything that may have been broken, although she knew full
well that her Guardian - Rave, or whatever it was called - would have
protected her from such injuries. "You need some juice. I have some at
home. It'll be good for you."
"Juice - what the hell?" Kaname coughed again, some corner of her mind
screaming at her that it was a trap. What kind of a fighter offered *juice*
to their opponents? "Le... lemme go!"
"I can't do that," Minaki said, frowning as she quietly let Kalciane
dissolve into light. "You're coming with me. You caused a lot of problems
with my friends, and I'm going to get it all cleared up."
"... whatever." At this point, Kaname found herself too tired to argue.
Maybe if she didn't do anything, the girl would leave her alone. With that
idea firmly planted in mind, she let herself go limp on the ground, staring
blankly at the sky even as she was hefted up into Minaki's arms.
Minaki smiled and began making her way towards her home down the street,
peering down at Kaname every so often to make sure she was still awake.
"You're not too heavy," she said, surprised. "Do you eat enough?"
Kaname's reply was a disdainful mutter.
_____
A few minutes later, Kaname insisted on walking by herself; she didn't need
or want Minaki's help. After two or three steps, though, she collapsed in a
heap again, still sick to her stomach. Minaki simply sighed and scooped her
up in her arms again, marvelling at how light Kaname was. She certainly
*looked* healthy enough: her wiry arms were well-muscled enough to indicate
that she did a fair bit of exercise on her own without her Guardian. There
was a certain lankiness about her, however, which made Minaki pause in her
observation. It wasn't the kind of form that a normal, healthy girl - Host
or not - should have.
*Kalciane...* she murmured inwardly, turning her gaze away from Kaname's
body. *Are you helping me lift her?*
The Guardian spoke quietly, her voice echoing within the recesses of
Minaki's conscience. *Minaki, I am doing nothing now. You are strong...*
*Don't be silly. You're my Guardian, and you protect me. You make me
strong; together we're invincible.* Minaki hefted Kaname upwards, gingerly
stepping across the path that led up to her home. The path illuminated with
a series of tiny lamps strung along the edge of the lawn, casting a
shifting maze of shadows as she moved. *I just didn't expect to be this
strong. Or maybe she's really light.*
A faint sensation of what felt like a smile radiated from Kalciane's
presence. *You underestimate yourself so much, Minaki. Someday, you will
understand.*
"Here we are," she said brightly, pressing the doorbell. A faint chiming
resonated from inside the house, and she could hear some scuffling as her
dad put the newspaper down to get the door. "You're going to have to meet
my parents. I hope you don't mind."
"Of course I mind, you stupid bitch," Kaname mumbled. Nausea had dulled her
sawblade-like tactfulness, leaving behind what mostly amounted to quiet
sulking.
Minaki bapped her on the forehead, eliciting a squeak of irritation. "Don't
use that kind of language in front of my parents," she reprimanded. "I've
been very nice to you, so you should do the same."
"Whatever."
The door swung open, and Minaki's father peered at the girl in his
daughter's arms with only a moment of confusion. He had grown accustomed to
strange things happening late at night rather quickly, but this was
definitely the first time he had seen her carry someone home. If anything,
he had always expected it to be the other way around.
"Hey, Minaki," he said slowly. "Who's your friend?"
"She tried to beat me up, so I had to fight her," Minaki responded with a
bit too much cheerfulness. "Can she stay over tonight?"
"... sure."
Kaname lifted her head to glare at them. "I am *not* staying - " Her
protest was quickly cut short as another wave of dizziness swept through
her, forcing her back down in Minaki's arms.
"Yes you are," Minaki said, frowning and using her foot to nudge the door
open. Her mother was reading a book in the living room; she couldn't see
the cover clearly, but given her tastes it was probably some sort of
psychological thriller. The television was droning softly in the
background, going over the evening news. She quickly moved inside and down
the hallway, turning sideways to make sure Kaname didn't end up clipping
her head against the wall.
"Mom, this is Kaname and she'll be sleeping over tonight!" she called out,
shoving the door open with her shoulder.
"Have fun, you two!"
She set Kaname gently down on her bed, a twin-sized mattress laid out with
a simple pink cover complete with lacy fringe. With another nudge of her
foot, the door swung and clicked shut. Minaki switched on the lamp, bathing
the room in light. A small study desk rested in the corner, piled with
textbooks and various math handouts. The walls were plastered with various
posters of idol bands both male and female, each with a tiny Heart Heart
Delight logo on the bottom right corner. A row of stuffed animals - bear,
pig, cow, raccoon, panda, kitty, puppy, mousie, and a dragon - sat atop the
nightstand. Against the far wall, a six-tier bookshelf rested comfortably,
each row filled with magazines, various novels and comic books.
Kaname visibly winced. "How horrible."
"What?" Minaki spun a desk chair around and plopped herself into it.
"What's so horrible?"
"Your room. It's so... *cute*."
"Isn't it?" she said, nodding and smiling. "Thanks."
"That wasn't a compliment!"
Minaki pouted. "It sounded like one. Why are you so mean all the time, Kaname?"
"I'm not mean!" Kaname yelled, sitting up on the bed. "You're just stupid!"
Her father's voice came drifting from the living room. "Everything okay in
there, Minaki?"
"Just fine!" She quickly moved forward and got right up in Kaname's face,
causing her to blanch slightly. "Please stop raising your voice. I'm not
going to tell you again to behave because I'm really tired of repeating
myself. If you want, I can leave you out in the street."
Kaname narrowed her eyes, managing a small but triumphant smirk. "You
couldn't do that. You're too nice."
But Minaki remained close, her smile fading and her expression shifting to
something resembling hostility. She felt no remorse as she reached out with
her hand to grasp Kaname's shoulder, pressing down upon where one of
Kalciane's blows had struck. The girl squeezed her eyes closed, her mouth
tightening in obvious pain. She refused to cry, though - and Minaki found
herself bearing down harder with a strength she didn't know she possessed,
her fingers turning white from pressure.
"Why don't you stop being mean?" she said, her face now deadpan. "You only
make other people hate you that way. That's why I don't want to be mean...
everyone likes me. They would probably like me even if they knew about
Kalciane."
Kaname struggled weakly, the lingering nausea and the fresh agony tearing
through her. "B... bi - "
"I can be mean too, if I wanted," Minaki continued, twisting her hand
slightly and watching as Kaname gasped sharply, biting on her lip to
prevent herself from screaming. "But I don't want to be. So could you try
to be more like me, please?"
"K-Keiya - " she grunted, the spikes of pain running up and down her arm in
near-intolerable waves of torment. "L... let me go..."
And Minaki paused as she suddenly realized what she was doing.
She shook her head in disbelief as cold terror settled in her stomach, her
grip relaxing quickly. Slowly, she moved away and retreated to her chair,
staring at her hand in mute shock. It wasn't like her to get so upset this
easily... and now Kaname looked absolutely terrified, whimpering on the
dishelved bedsheets. Minaki sighed and buried her face in her hands. The
argument back at the restaurant must have cut deeper than she'd suspected.
Somehow, seeing Toji and Reiya argue just didn't resonate well with her,
and she nearly...
"I'm sorry."
Kaname blinked, looking up at her with a tear-stained face. "You're what?"
"I'm sorry," Minaki repeated, sighing as she returned the look, their eyes
meeting. "I shouldn't have done that."
"No, you shouldn't have. It hurt, damn it." She was trying hard to be
defiant, although her voice was still hushed and tinged with no small
amount of fear. Minaki suddenly found herself wondering where this girl had
come from, why she had received a Guardian. She wanted to know more about
her. There was a fragility beneath her tough exterior, and for a moment it
was as if she was with Reiya; she could feel her emotional undercurrent in
her mind, like touching a rapidly-flowing stream with the tip of her
finger. She could sense her sadness and her fear as clearly as if she had
confessed them aloud.
Minaki swung her legs idly over the edge of her chair's seat cushion,
peering shyly as Kaname. "You can sleep on the bed if you want."
"Whatever."
"It's more comfortable than the floor," she tried again, shrugging.
"I don't care."
"I'm really sorry, all right?" Minaki said softly, reaching out with her
hand. Kaname flinched and quickly backed away, scooting against the wall.
The blankets bunched up under her jeans. "I... didn't mean to hurt you. I
just wanted to talk."
Kaname gave no visible indication that the words had registered in her mind.
"Will you let me see your shoulder?"
"Hell no."
Minaki seemed to visibly slump a bit. "Well, it's going to get worse if no
one looks at it - "
"I'll be fine."
"No you won't," she insisted. "Let me look at it. You're going to be
sleeping here tonight, so you might as well be comfortable."
*Comfortable...* The word seemed to linger in Kaname's mind as she gave
Minaki another sullen, half-hidden glare. At least her dizziness was gone
now; the fact that her shoulder was still a throbbing forge of agony
probably had something to do with it. She wished that Keiya was here, so
that he could beat the crap out of her... but if had wanted to protect her,
he would have done so already. He had obviously not followed her this time.
The thought hovered about in her mind, refusing to go away. If he hadn't
cared enough to protect her, then...
Kaname glanced up.
"Yeah, I guess," she said finally, slipping her arm out from the sleeve of
her pullover. Doing so hurt like hell, but she managed to keep her
composure. It wasn't the first time she had been in pain, anyways.
Minaki seemed satisfied with that response, waiting patiently as she slung
her arm out from the collar to tuck the loose sleeve against her side.
Kaname repeated the process with her undershirt, exposing her bare shoulder
and the patch of discolored skin covering most of it. Minaki frowned and
hopped onto the bed, gently guiding Kaname around so that she was facing
the bookshelf.
"I'm going to get the stuff," she said, sliding off the bed. "I'll be right
back."
"... stuff?" Kaname mumbled, perplexed.
"You know. Medicine stuff." Minaki gestured a little, making circular
rubbing motions and dipping into an invisible jar with her fingers.
"Oh."
She watched as Minaki slipped out of the room, leaving the door ajar behind
her. Her first thought was to run like hell, away from the crazy girl and
her angelic Guardian; every instinct told her that she was being led into
some sort of bizarre trap involving shoulder rubs and muscle cream. But
then she remembered the way the fight had gone... the critical moment where
she should have gained the upper hand, and the way it had been thrown back
at her. Keiya should have been there - he *should* have! Why hadn't he
been? Was he finally just going to forget all about her and leave her as
suddenly as he had come into her life?
Maybe she just needed some time away from him. She had always prided
herself on being able to support herself, not needing anyone but Rave. The
folly of that thought became instantly clear to her: she had been relying
upon Keiya the whole time since she'd come into her power. She had never
really been self-sufficient. On her own, she was barely a match for that
Reiya bitch and her boyfriend... she was nothing in Minaki's eyes. She was
nothing, after all. The ease with which Kalciane had taken her down kept
haunting her mind. If Rave was so weak, why had Keiya led her into thinking
she had been strong the whole time while they were together?
Kaname stared at the white door, lifting her legs up to hug her knees. She
decided that she might as well stay for the night... comfortable... and
that she was damn well going to get some answers before she left.
-- bellreisa
"Boku no koto o wasurete."
.---Anime/Manga Fanfiction Mailing List----.
| Administrators - ffml-admins@anifics.com |
| Unsubscribing - ffml-request@anifics.com |
| Put 'unsubscribe' in the subject |
`---- http://ffml.anifics.com/faq.txt -----'