赤いローズ
A rose. A simple flower, yet it held everything in the world. A single rose could convey emotion, feeling, and passion. It could spark a romance, and end a life. It could cross the boundaries between friendships into courtship, and be used to sever those ties. It could cause heartbreak, and it could cause heartache. Roses were a beautiful flower. A beautiful flower, always surrounded by their thorns. A protection for their beauty.
How could a simple flower do all of this? How can one flower alone be the start and end to so many beautiful and so many ugly things in this world?
ローズがすきですか？
There was once a rose garden. To say it was beautiful was an understatement. No words could describe its beauty. Its elegance. Its magnificence. This rose garden expanded far off into the horizon, it stretched across time and space. Yet the roses were still, never leaving their place, never moving, never changing. They were eternal, they were forever,
They were the same.
All the roses were white. Sympathy was written in their petals. They bloomed with white innocence every year. White roses, they were of the highest purity of the world. And they themselves knew it.
Yet,
One day, one mysterious day, a red rose appeared.
Different. Different. So very different was this red rose compared to the white around it. It was a drop of blood in sea of snow.
The other roses knew it was different, knew it was strange. For the first time, the roses began to move. They distanced themselves from the red rose, they feared being around it. For the first time, the rose that had been always surrounded found itself alone.
Loneliness. Fear. Emotions that had never been felt before flooded into the rose. These new emotions choked the poor red rose.
Pain. All this pain. All this pain that the rose felt just because its petals were the color of blood, just because it was different, just because it was no longer-
Pure.
That's when the red rose became angry. Why should it be alone? Why should it be excluded? Why should it suffer by itself?
Fueled by rage, fueled by anger, fueled by loneliness, the red rose stabbed its thorns into the thin petals of a white rose.
At first only two, tiny holes were made. Then, color began to pour out. Spreading from the open wound, the white rose became red.
There were now two.
Soon the red began to cover what was once white. The white flowers hid, but the red found them. They stabbed their thorns into petals; they ripped roses that were once their neighbors into shreds. They destroyed anything and everything that was pure.
And that red rose? That one who had suffered first? That one who had stabbed its fangs into a white rose out of rage, out of anger, out of fear?
That red rose began to cry. It didn't want this. It didn't want this. It only didn't want to be alone anymore. It only didn't want to be different anymore. It didn't want to see friends destroy each other. It didn't want to see roses suffer. It didn't want this.
The petals on the red rose began to curl inwards, as if hiding itself.
It didn't want this.
The ruby red petals began to sag, its color fading.
It didn't want this.
The red began to fade, replaced by black.
That one poor red rose turned black. Black, the dirtiest of souls, the farthest from white, the farthest from pure.
泣くないでください。おねがい
"I don't get it."
Silver let out a sigh. A pair of blue eyes looked at him indignantly.
"Did the rose die? Is it still alive?"
"Yes, it's still alive." Silver said, running a hand through his hair. He had hoped that the story would come across as making sense but,
"How is it still alive? Doesn't a black rose mean the rose is dead?"
"No, it just means that…. it turned black."
"But how?"
"It committed a crime."
"And that caused it to die?"
"It didn't die."
"But it's a black rose now. Didn't it die?"
"No it didn't."
"But you said-"
"Listen," an exasperated Silver said. His head was hurting and as much as he wanted to argue with a ten-year-old girl for the rest of the night, the fifteen year old would rather be sleeping. Rubbing his temples, he tried again to explain.
"The point of the story is that the rose committed a crime and was punished." He said. He was again met with a confused look.
"But it was alone and just wanted to make friends." She said. Silver fought the urge to sigh (again.)
"That was the wrong way to do it."
"But it was scared and lonely!" The child yelled. "It just wanted to have friends again!"
"Sapph-"
"And what about the other roses?! They were being mean just because-"
"Sapphire," Silver cut the girl off. "Do you understand what I'm trying to tell you?"
The girl instantly froze, an expression of fear crossing her face. Looking down, the brunette shook her head. Another sigh passed by the Silver's lips. Turning away from the girl in front of him, he fixed his attention to behind her.
"How about you, May?"
From the darkness of the corridor, a girl emerged. Her features, so strikingly similar to Sapphire's, conveyed a shocked expression.
"How did you know I was awake nii-chan?" her voice shook as she walked over and joined Sapphire on the carpet. The boy gave her a small smile and tapped his head.
"Intuition."
"Into-what?" Sapphire asked while she extended her small arms out of her blanket to make room for May. Said girl joined her and the two were now wrapped together in the bright red blanket, looking at Silver with their big, blue eyes.
"It means-never mind. We're getting off topic." Silver said. He looked at May. "Do you know what it means?"
Silence once again filled the air. Silver worried that the message of the story hadn't been conveyed to the two. Sure they were young but…. but they should be mature because-
"I-it means, i-it means we shouldn't…shouldn't…shouldn't bite white roses….right?" May's voice was small and shook violently, yet it was full of understanding.
A small breath of relief rushed through Silver. So, at least one of the girls understood it.
"Yes, that's correct May." He said, nodding a little. May took a deep breath before continuing.
"Because i-if we do….if we do…."
"We'll just end up hurting everyone and ourselves." Sapphire finished, her voice now too filled with understanding. Silver nodded. Now both girls understood.
"We are red roses in a sea of white," he said.
A terrible fate. What the three lived with was a terrible fate. It made Silver's heart hurt to know at such a young age the girls must be taught about the world. Taught about their fate. But he had to; he'd be failing his role as the twins' guardian if he didn't.
He had to.
"Does that mean... we can't be friends with anybody?" the question hung in the air ominously.
"You…have to be careful," warned Silver. "If people find out who you are, they'll try to hurt you. They'll try to hunt you. They'll try everything to get rid of you."
"Will we…will we turn into black roses too?"
Silver shifted uncomfortably. "No," he said. "You'll only turn into a black rose if you bite a white rose. And," he added looking straight at the two. "I'm guessing you already know what a 'white rose' is a metaphor for."
"So we should…should…"
"Never bite a human." Silver said, his voice low. "That is the greatest sin a vampire of the Red Roses can commit. To take away innocence," he said, his eyes clouding over, "No vampire should do that…Do you understand?"
The girls, after hesitating, looked at each other, then back at Silver. They nodded.
"We understand." They said at the same time.
始まります。
Red Rose of Romance, Courage, and Passion- Silver, May and Sapphire.
XXX
A/N: Hello lovers of Gen III! Welcome to your new favorite story! My name is Heart and I'm the author of this tale! This idea came to me a long time ago and I am just happy that I am finally writing it! Expect to see characters from Pokemon Manga, Pokemon Anime, and Pokemon Games just littered across this heartwarming tale!
In all seriousness, this is an idea I hold close to me and can't wait to write about. I hope you all keep faith and support me through thick and thin.
I'll be updating (hopefully) in days ending in a "y" in a time period of maybe 2 to 3 weeks (1 if I'm really good.)
Thanks again and (ahem) review maybe, please?
つづく
"Silver…what are you?"
"…"
"Silver? You don't look that good, do you want me to-"
"…Why?"
"Silver?"
"Why?! Damn it why!? WHY?!"
"Silver calm down! Here I'll- Aah!"
"…"
"Sil….ver?"