Falling Petals

Chapter 1

Blood-stained Pink

Kanon had long, blonde hair. Her side fringe was messy as always and she had tucked a cherry blossom behind her ear. She was smiing – in fact, she almost always was. And it was quite clear that she wasn't soft-spoken, excited and enthusiastic were better words to describe her. Her uniform was quite clearly well-worn. It was specially-made, indicating that she was a member of the student council. To be specific – the treasurer. Then you look to Kanon's left.

Saki was the quiet one. She had the same blonde hair as her twin sister, but her eyes were the calm blue ones she proudly shared with her father. She was cool, collected and when she spoke, it was almost always something unexpected. Her uniform too, shouted out the fact that she was a student council member, Vice President.

The sisters were sitting in the student council room. Saki was sitting on the floor, beside Akio – only he sat on the couch. Akio Narimiya was attempting to persuade Saki off the floor. "Saki, it's dirty-"

"You know perfectly well it's not." She was typing at a great speed on her laptop, several manilla folders spread out around her. Her blonde hair was pulled up into a French braid, she had some hairs falling out around her face. Saki was the elegantly beautiful type – no matter how her hair was.

Akio wasn't giving up, "Saki, even so, you really shouldn't-"

"Just give up already."

He looked up to see Kanon at the doorway, Kichi Narimiya – the koutei, behind her. "Oh, Kanon, Kichi!"

Kanon waved cheerfully and quickly went to her sister's side, before receiving a shouted and angry welcome thanks to the five folders she had managed to crinkle.

While the sisters shouted at one another in one of their frequent arguments, Kichi was speaking to his younger brother. "Akio, did you bring-"

"OH MY GOD, I DIDN'T DO IT!!!"

Kichi sighed as the entire room broke out into chaos. How on earth had he managed to receive a group like this one? Kanon and Saki's father certainly hadn't been like his. Kaito's parents hadn't been like this either. So out of the entire collection of friends and family – why was it HIM that received the troublesome group?

-WHACK-

Kichi blinked and saw Kanon swiftly whack Saki on the head with a bundle of pages. It was a friendly whack, but Saki glared up at her sister. "What did you that for?"

Kanon regarded the younger twin coolly, "Because you weren't acting like yourself." And then the two girls started laughing.

Kichi went ahead and face-palmed.

"Eh??!!! Akio forgot it?" Kanon was looking around at the rest of the council, "We don't have the files that have the-"

Kichi cut her off, "Yeah, we don't" He was wishing that Saki would stop nibbling on the gigantic chocolate cookie and help him with managing the explosive Kanon-questions volcano. "Would you mind going and getting it? Akio's acting like a raving maniac and I think I'm the only one here who's capable of keeping him in check." As though to make his point, Akio dropped a massive folder onto the floor in the next room.

Saki nodded and stood, "I'll get it then. Kanon can stay here and use her big maths brain to do her job as treasurer." Then she left. Just like that.

Saki didn't hate her sister. Nor any of the other student council members. But sometimes, they just got too rowdy. Okay. So she could get rowdy too. But still, she was the calmest – fine, Kichi was calmer than her. Either way, she just needed some time away. Saki sat in the limousine, idly staring out. Until she snapped back to life when she heard a screeching of brakes.

Saki whipped around on her seat, and was horrified to see a truck – a semi-trailer no less racing down the intersection. Two cars had already been hit. But now, while it was failing to brake, was heading straight for them. She didn't even have time to scream. She could only stare straight ahead as the harsh metal buckled horribly out of shape, airbags exploded and the pain came.

Kanon couldn't believe it. No. It was a nightmare. It's a horrible, extremely vivid nightmare. It's a nightmare where she couldn't stop crying. She would wake up. And everyone would be okay. Really. But that wasn't true.

"Kano-"

"Shut up!" She broke free of the person's grasp and pushed open the doors. Who cared about her parent's wishes? Who cared about what the doctor's said? She needed Saki, Saki needed her. End of story. She pushed through those surrounding Saki's frail frame. Her vision was blurred. She was crying. "Saki! Saki! Can you hear me?"

Saki's blue eyes were half-open. And they looked up at Kanon weakly. The frown on her face was now a weak smile. "Kanon." She whispered, her voice was so thin, "Onee-chan." It looked as though she was trying to move the one free arm she had – horridly bruised. "Onee-chan."

Kanon took her sister's hand gently as she knelt on the cold floor. It didn't matter. Saki mattered though. "Saki-chan." She could hardly smile, but she did her best – for Saki. She looked so horrible, so weak. Almost inhuman. Because nobody that pale could possibly be real.

Some warmth seemed to flow into Saki's eyes. "Onee-chan…I saw everything…I couldn't believe…that…it was real." She had put so much energy into those words. It hurt Kanon to see her sister talk.

"Saki, don't talk. You're weak."

Saki seemed to find this amusing, as her smile grew a fraction. Just a fraction.

"Saki. Please."

Saki just rocked her head a little. Kanon took that as Saki shaking her head. "Kanon…don't be silly."

Kanon frowned at her sister – they were bickering. "I'm not. You need to rest."

Saki actually managed a small chuckle. So quiet, so small. It was shocking. "Dummie…" Her voice died off, as though she couldn't find something to say.

"I'm not one, Saki."

Saki just kept looking at her sister.

"I swear, those drugs have gotten to your head." Although Kanon was saying light-hearted things, she certainly wasn't feeling like that.

"Kanon…I thought this…was…a dream before…" She looked as though she was hesitant as she spoke. "I'm still hoping…that it is…" Saki looked pained now, she was tearing up. "Because…I don't want to … see onee-chan…cry." Those tears were about to fall. "But…there's no way …that it's a dream."

Kanon frantically shook her head, "No, Saki-chan! It's a dream. It's just a dream! Everyone's okay, you are-"

"It's not a dream." There was some more force in those words, yet they were so gentle at the same time. "Because…in a dream…I can't possibly…be feeling this weak. In a dream…I cannot possibly be feeling disappointed…that Akio…is…not here…I cannot be…trying…my…best to tell…onee-chan…about how much I love…everyone… About…how much…I will miss everyone…" Saki's voice died off, getting weaker and weaker, and then her eyes began to close. And the tears started running down her face.

Then the beep kept going when it started…and all hell broke loose.

The funeral was a grim thing. Kanon, Akio and Kichi were the last ones there. Kanon was still holding the bouquet she had made – a white rose, cyclamens and cherry blossoms. Saki loved those flowers. Kichi and Akio stood by Kanon's side. Both were not crying, but they had cried the night before. More would follow. But today was Kanon's mourning day.

Kanon knelt in front of her sister's grave and laid the flowers down. She was crying. Tears streamed down her near-white cheeks, her blonde hair was loose and this time, not messy. Her floaty black dress was spread out around her. Then she stood. As a sudden anger rounded onto her. She whipped around to Kichi, glaring at him, "IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!!"

Kichi was shocked and took a step back, Akio was the next one to make a move, grabbing Kanon by her wrists, restraining her from taking a lunge at Kichi.

"IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT, KICHI!! YOU'RE THE ONE THAT LET HER GO!!! YOU'RE THE ONE THAT WAS SILLY ENOUGH NOT TO REME-"

Kichi was shaking his head, "No, Kanon. Please, don't –"

But the screaming continued. The screaming echoed around, beneath the cherry trees that were blooming around them. The accusations still flew, and the tears still flowed.

Finally, Kanon fell to the ground, sobbing.

It's all his fault.

Had it not been for him, Saki would not have left.

Saki would still be here.

We would be in the student council room.

Laughing, smiling.

But it's never going to be like that again.

It's all his fault.

Good luck gives itself luck.

But whatever luck that it leaves to fall on others.

Happens to be bad.