Disclaimer: I do not own any characters in Blood+.
One of the many goldsmith mansions that were scattered across the globe in various prominent cities, was located on a lush, pristine, grass field just two miles outside of the city of Marseille. It sat exclusively from the prying eyes of the cities' inhabitants. The late afternoon sun shone brightly through the Victorian-style estate's many windows, filling almost every room with light. The built-in greenhouse was most affected, the dozens of plants and flowers basked in the warmth that radiated through the walls of glass that separated them from the world outside. The air surrounding the mansion as well as inside was very still, as if the structure itself were holding a secret. Indeed, one of the present live-in co-habitants walked gracefully through the archway that began the largest hallway.
As she stood there, in the small distance between the archway and the main entrance hall on the second floor, she closed those blue eyes and listened. As she was standing, the atmosphere around her seemed to become quiet. Her pale skin, as white as the stone used to create sculptures of art, illuminated under the rays of sunlight that streamed through the windows. Her black tresses that fell to her waist, always shined as if each strand were coated in silver.
Using her acute hearing, Diva listened for anyone and anything. A heartbeat, a pulse, a breath, any sign of life besides her own. She listened and heard nothing but the old age of the building itself. Karl had yet to return. Good. She glided into the hallway. Her simple long-sleeved dress form fitted her every movement. She opened the door on her right and slipped inside, closing the it behind her. The room was as large as any king-size bedroom could be. It was fairly dark, the long cerulean drapes covered the windows. The four-post bed was positioned near the middle of the room, the headboard touching the wall behind it. A small square-shaped wooden table took sat in the middle, two chairs adorned either side of it. As Diva looked around the room her eyes fell upon the single-drawer table beside the bed. She went to the drawer and opened it, revealing the cellphone that Nathan had secretly put there for her should she wish to call a certain someone before nightfall.
The only way she's able to make these calls is when left alone. Today she was supposed to attend Solomon on one of his business meetings. She threw a tantrum instead about not wanting to go. So Solomon decided to call Karl to return to watch over her, but he then decided that he would try and stay as long as possible for Karl to arrive before he had to leave. Thereby cutting down the precious time she could rarely afford. It annoyed her greatly. These communications weren't easy to come by especially when Amschel insisted on her being constantly monitored. But it was to be expected given the persona she'd created for herself. Solomon headed out the door just a half hour before Karl would arrive. Diva had hoped for at least two hours but she'd take what she could get. Sitting on the soft carpet next to the bed, she dialed and waited. Excitement finally beginning to fill inside of her.
Elsewhere, at the same time near the coastline of the city, sat a small bakery also known for it's delicious coffee. It was located on a corner of one of the more busier streets, only a few dozen feet across from the ocean that glistened under the late afternoon sun. Cars and people bustled on by. The air inside the cafe was filled with different sounds and smells. The scents of newly brewed coffee and freshly baked bread hung over everyone like a light blanket. It was still fairly busy, people shuffled in and out of the glass doors and those behind the counter were taking orders from customers. Each of the tables that were positioned against the large windows that looked out towards the ocean, had at least two or three people at every one. One customer, in particular, sat alone at a two-seat table located in the cafe's far right corner. Accompanied only by the hot cup of coffee in front of her, she sat with her arms folded underneath her chest while she looked solemnly out of the window. Her jet black boy-cut hair glossed in the sunlight that beamed through the glass. With mildly tanned skin that were in stark contrast to her ruby-red eyes, Saya thought about what was to happen later tonight. All the while waiting patiently for what she had come to this shop for. Saya had earlier asked Haji and the others for some alone time to think.
Although Saya had promised herself that she would never become too emotionally attached with the kind people she should ever meet over the years, she couldn't help but feel searing stabs of guilt at how she had been lying to Kai, Riku, and most of all, Haji, who had always stayed by her side without question. As for David and the Red Shield, Saya had learned a long time ago to never fully trust them. While she always thanked them for any help they gave her, she knew the truth. They were only cleaning up their own mess that started so many years ago.
Saya kept both her feelings and knowledge of the truth about everything to herself. At the moment, it would only give them incentive to kill her. So until she knew they were ready, Saya kept quiet and played the part of the sensitive and amnesiac school-girl. She had to, every detail, every plan of action, every cover needed to be precise if they were going to lure him out of hiding. They couldn't afford any slip-ups, any kind of suspicion. Abruptly, Saya was pulled from her thoughts by a woman behind the ordering counter who was holding up a cordless phone and motioning for Saya to come and get it. Saya had asked the woman if she could receive an important business call from within the shop, to which the woman saw no harm in allowing. Saya calmly got up and walked to the counter, with a smiling 'thank you' she took the phone and walked back to her table.
"Hello?," Saya said as she sat down.
"Hi Nee-sama!," Diva said happily, Diva hadn't spoken to her sister since she had awakened and hearing her voice was always something that cheered her up instantly.
" I'll never understand how you can always be so happy," Saya told her younger twin, her voice tired and laced with a little annoyance.
Diva just giggled at her elder sister's cynicism.
"How have you been doing?," Diva asked, her voice taking on a more elegant tone and abandoning the childish one she used to fool those around her.
"I'm fine, I've just been thinking is all," Saya said with a hint of sadness.
"Nee-sama thinks too much," Diva said, playfully accusing her.
"I do not," Saya dejected.
"Do too!," Diva mocked.
A short silence ensued, broken when Diva said with a calm and more serious tone, "You're worried about tonight, aren't you?"
The accuracy of her sister's question didn't surprise Saya. Her 'pretend' mortal enemy knew her better than those who have always been with her. They always knew what the other was thinking, they were twins after all.
When Saya didn't respond, Diva continued.
"You're afraid that he won't be able to handle what's going to happen, you're afraid that this will destroy him," Diva said a little more soothingly, and it was more of a statement than a question.
Diva waited patiently for Saya on the other end of the phone for her to respond. Then, "I have faith in Kai. I have faith that he'll be strong enough to evolve from this and pull through it. If I didn't, then I would have never have suggested doing something like this. But, you're right, I am still worried that it will only serve to break him," Saya said, regret leaking into her voice.
Diva hated to hear her sister like this, Saya was always very sure of herself and knew what the right decisions were. This time, to, was no different.
"You were right in suggesting it Saya. It was a hard decision but you were right in making it. Like you had told me, he needs to harden his resolve, he needs to learn how to survive if he has a chance at living through what we both know is going to be the inevitable conclusion to what we've been working towards," said Diva, hoping that this would put her sister a little more at ease with her decision.
Saya did feel better knowing that she had the support of her sister. Saya cared a great deal about Kai, but, she needed to see if he was strong enough for the kind of things that will need to be done. There was no room for weakness in this fight. Fro no one. Not even those she cared about most. All this discussion about tonight had Saya worried about her other foster brother.
"Diva, how's Riku?"
Diva perked up at the question regarding a certain adorable young boy. "Don't worry, he's fine. Nathan has him safely secured in a condo somewhere in the United States," Diva said.
"Amschel?" Saya said, a little more serious.
"He doesn't know anything about anything. As far as Mr. Know-it-all is aware, I'm still an incompetent bubbly girl with the mind-set of a ten year old child." The irritation in Diva's voice was apparent on that last part.
Saya had to stop herself from giggling. Though it was on purpose she knew Diva had become annoyed by everyone treating her like a petulant 2nd grader.
"Have you talked to Riku lately?," Saya asked.
"Hai! I talk with him whenever I know that it's safe," Diva said.
"I see..." Saya said, the sadness in her voice almost tangible.
Diva assured her sister, "Don't worry Nee-sama! Nathan is making sure that he's always comfortable."
Saya, while she missed Riku, was relieved that Nathan was taking care of him. Both Saya and Diva trusted Nathan. He was, after all, with them from the beginning.
Saya opened her mouth to briefly discuss him and his current status when she stopped. Saya closed her eyes and began to feel her surroundings, the shop, the streets outside, the people walking by, when she felt him. Haji was close, and getting closer, probably worried about Saya and coming to find her. Damn it.
With a disappointed sigh Saya said, "I have to go Diva. I can feel Haji coming for me. Tell Riku that I miss him and I'll see him soon."
Diva silently but reluctantly agreed, she too could feel Karl getting close.
"Hai! I'll tell him," Diva said, and then added, "I really miss you, Nee-sama."
It hurt Saya to know that her sister wanted to spend some 'normal' time with her, but with the way things were, it just wasn't possible yet and both of them were well aware of that. But it didn't stop them from feeling lonely without each other.
Saya smiled and said, "I know, I miss you too Di-chan".
Diva smiled warmly at the other name Saya had given her, one that only Saya, her big sister, could use.
As she felt Haji coming ever so closer, Saya hurried up, "I'll see you tonight, bye Diva."
"Bye!," Diva said, and with that, she closed the phone, and put it back into the drawer beside the bed.
Saya gave the phone back to the woman behind the counter and walked out of the shop and made her way along the coastline towards the harbor where the Red Shield ship was docked. Saya enjoyed the scenery of the ocean that sparkled under the the sun that had just begun to set. The peaceful atmosphere was a welcomed calm before the storm that would destroy Red Shield and possibly Kai. Saya had her reasons for eliminating Red Shield's main defenses, it was because the less people involved in this, the better. If David and the others only knew who they were really fighting against.
Diva was still in the room. She stood with her arms folded underneath her chest and looked out of the window towards the field of pure green grass that rippled in the wind like waves on water. She too was thinking about tonight. She knew that she would have to fight with Saya tonight, like they had when they saw each other at the Zoo. They of course didn't enjoy inflicting pain on one another, but if they're plan was to keep working, then everything needed to look genuine.
It was almost twilight and Saya had arrived at the ship with Haji, who she met up with a few minutes after she left the bakery. As Saya reached the main deck she could hear Kai and, who he thought was Riku, talking, mostly about their adoptive father, how when everything is over they would all return to Okinawa and be together again. Saya knew that dream was far from coming true, but she stayed silent, because right now that far away dream was the only thing that kept both Kai and Riku moving forward. 'But hopefully', Saya thought as she set her eyes on Kai's smiling face, 'hopefully after tonight, you'll discover more reasons to fight, Kai'. Saya looked back at Haji, who was standing quietly behind her, as Saya stared into that stoic and calm face she wondered how she'd been able to look him in the face everyday, and lie to him, about everything. Saya hated herself for this because she knew that Haji, most of all, deserved better, but Saya just couldn't risk it. Too many things were stake.
"Saya? Is something wrong?" Haji asked.
'Haji, when you finally discover the truth, I hope you'll be able to forgive me', Saya thought as she quickly regained her composure.
"N-No! I'm okay!", Saya said, settling into her facade.
"Saya! Come and play ball with us!" Kai said, waving a baseball mitten in the air.
Saya looked back at Kai and said, " Hai! I'm coming."
Things were only going to get worse from here on, so Saya decided to enjoy this last moment of peace, before the real battles were soon to begin.
Diva could feel Karl getting closer and closer to the mansion as she lay on top of the stone arch in the middle of the greenhouse. 'Soon Saya, Diva thought, soon we'll be able to fight together, as sisters'. 'But like you told me once before', she watched Karl enter the greenhouse and call her name, 'for now, we must play our parts'.
In that cheery and playful voice, she called to her most devoted chevalier, "Karl!"
Karl turned towards the arch where Diva was now sitting, "Yes, my beloved Diva?"
Diva gave him that child-like smile, "There's something I want."