I'm Sorry
On a dark night in France, a cold breeze fluttered in through the open top-floor window of an apartment complex, where a young black haired girl slept peacefully. The cool nighttime air gently swept over the sleeping girl, gently tossing her hair and rustling the sheets. Yet, she slept on, unaware of the danger that had slipped in with the innocent breeze. The shine that flowed into the room from the bright midnight moon was blotted out by an indiscernible shape, replacing the light with an unnaturally dark shadow that extended out into the room like a veil. Slowly, the shape, cloaked in darkness, crept into the room, its shadow expanding across the floor until it had completely overshadowed the defenseless girl lying upon her bed.
"You left yourself so open," the figure taunted as she leered down at the sleeping girl, mouth curling up into a confident grin. "Saya-neesama," Diva spat the words out in barely a whisper, her voice filled with mockery. "Truly, it's pathetic just how simple it was to discover where you were hiding."
Diva swept her cloak back, revealing a small metal scabbard strapped to her hip. Slowly, she pulled the blade from its sheath, the low sound of metal grinding on metal cutting through the air. Her smile broadened as she brought the dagger up and ran the blade across her thumb. Extending her arm out, she allowed her blood to trickle out and drip onto her unsuspecting victim's cheek, her grin growing more wicked before she ran the cut over the side of the blade, coating it in the venomous ichor.
'It's been fun, Saya-neesama, but I've grown bored of this game…' Diva took a moment to run her eyes over her twin sister's helpless, innocent form, protected by nothing more than a thin nightgown and the bed sheets. With barely suppressed glee, she raised the dagger high into the air. 'So I think I'll just end it now!'
Diva plunged the dagger down, her eyes fixated on her elder sister's chest. The sound of Saya's beating heart filled her ears, and she could already imagine the silence that would fill its absence in only a few moments.
"No…"
The barely audible declaration filled the otherwise utter silence of the room and broke Diva's downward thrust, causing her to go rigid. The voice had emanated from the girl lying before her. Diva remained deathly still, unsure as to whether or not her sister had awoken.
"No… don't die..."
Diva observed as Saya's body tensed, her eyes twitching beneath their lids and her lips quivering in her dream-state.
When it became fully clear that her sister was still sound asleep, Diva's form relaxed as the dagger came to rest at her side. 'A pity your final dream will have to be one so dark.' The victoriously mocking grin returned to her face as she slowly pulled the dagger back into the air.
"Diva…"
Diva's expression twitched as her eyes widened, the sound of her sister calling out for her in her sleep reverberating through her mind. 'Saya-neesama… is dreaming about… me?' Her eyes focused on Saya's sleeping face, her arm falling limp by her side.
"I'll help you… Diva…" Saya's eyes tightened in her sleep as tears slowly formed and began to roll down her cheeks. "I'll help you… just don't die...!"
An alien feeling, incomprehensible to Diva began to well up deep within her. Her eyes shifted rapidly between Saya's face, her vulnerable chest, and the dagger that trembled in her own hand.
'Does she care about me...?' she thought, the dagger inching out towards Saya, before falling back to her side. 'Should I really do this...?' Memories that she had long ago pushed out of her mind began to flood back to her. 'This is Saya-neesama, the first person to ever listen to my song, the one who gave me my name, who let me out of that horrible place…'
'Could she actually care about me as I care for her?' Tears began to fill Diva's eyes as her grip on the dagger slackened. 'Maybe… if I had not done those things that she says are 'bad' and 'wrong', we could have been together...?'
Diva audibly clenched the dagger tighter as she shut her eyes, tears sliding down her face. Her entire body began to tremble as she struggled with her internal dilemma. 'All I ever wanted was to get revenge on the humans for what they did to me; I didn't want to make you hate me.'
Opening her eyes, Diva looked down once more at the still-sleeping form of her sister, before leaning down and gently touching her lips to the girl's cheek.
"I'm sorry..."
Saya awoke with a start at the sound of metal clanging on the hardwood floor. Alerted by the sudden noise, her eyes scanned the darkness. Neither seeing nor sensing any intruder, she visibly relaxed; it was then that she felt the dampness on her face.
'Was I crying?' she wondered as she brought her fingers to her face. She gasped as she felt a substance thicker than blood on her face. Pulling her hand back, she discovered a dark red ichor smeared across her fingertips. It was then that a glint caught her eye, and she looked to the floor, only to find an elegantly curved dagger, moonlight twinkling off the blade, lying benignly at the side of her bed.
Jumping from her bed, Saya retrieved the blade. 'Could it have been Diva?' She examined the blade, noting the still-wet blood and the warmth of the hilt. 'Why didn't she kill me…?'
A breeze blew in through the open window, breaking Saya from her thoughts as the cold air caused her to shiver. It was then that she heard it: a lyrical tone on the wind. Saya closed her eyes and concentrated on the sound.
It sounded like… singing.
END
Author Commentary: This story was inspired mostly by episode 49; which, to me, showed that Diva had a deeper and more thoughtful side to her than just her childish and malicious nature. And, that she's capable of feeling love towards Saya, and vice-versa. As always, all feedback is happily welcomed!
