Prelude - Avetino

Avetino

-

I'm searching out your past
I'm searching out your present
I'm searching out your future
I'm searching out your consciousness
No need to worry, I'll push on forward
Let your mind to unfold, tonight

Omega Boost

-

The little girl ran laughing through the streets, her brother chasing along behind her. "Meiun!"

She looked over her shoulder at him, slowing only slightly. "Catch me, nikichan!"

He frowned, to cover the smile that threatened on his face. "Don't call me that!" He glared down at her as he finally caught her hand, but his eyes were smiling. "I'm either your aniki or your oniichan. Decide."

"Nikichan!"

"A-ni-ki!"

"Nikichan!"

"O-nii-chan. Pick!"

"Ni-ki-chan!" With a delighted laugh she scampered down the road towards the bridge.

He caught her before she could get more than halfway across. "Why do I have to have such an annoying imouto?"

"Because you love me!" She smiled and glomped him. "You love me and no one else."

"What about mother?"

"You don't Love mother." She grinned and held out a hand. "Haha ski dakara..." She pointed to herself. "Atashi... DAI suki!" She beamed.

"..." She was right. He'd never put up with this from anyone else. Mother would never play games like this, but then, he'd never respond so either. "Meiun, you presume too much."

"Oh, really?"

He stared down at her smiling face, so reminiscent of a pixie in her white dress with the small sheer wings on the back. He'd thought it silly when she'd asked for it for her birthday, but now... She tugged his sleeve. "I want to go to the park!"

"You always want to go to the park." He taunted her, ruffling her hair. She laughed in delight as he picked her up piggyback and headed for the park. She locked her arms around his neck, burying her face in his hair. "You do love me best..." She grinned mischievously. "Your little fairy."

He winced. She could read him like a book, even down to the nicknames he never told her. It was...

Dangerous!

...Strange!

He headed straight for her tree, since he knew that was where she'd inevitably go. She adored the tree, coming at every opportunity to stare into its blood-red depths. She'd often come home covered in dark petals, so like blood it seemed that she'd been doused in the dark red liquid, covering her hair and trailing down her body...

"Nikichan!"

He jumped. "Wh-What?"

"What's wrong?"

"Betsuni. It's nothing."

"It's not nothing! Nikichan doesn't get upset over nothing!"

Nikichan doesn't get upset over anything but you, imouto-chan.

He set her on the lowest tree branch and smiled. "It's nothing, really. Don't you trust your oniichan?"

"Nikichan!" She insisted, climbing higher.

He sighed but didn't correct her. He was still...

He jumped as the world went black, except for Meiun, who was now standing on the ground before him, blood dripped from her hair, down her body, the Sakura tree behind her. She smiled, saying something. '... you... best...Sei...chan...'

He blinked. "What? What did you say, Meiun?"

'....-ace... only... you...'

He leaned forward, hand stretched out. She laughed. 'Only ... you'

A strange wind began to blow around her, sakura petals flying everywhere.

'Only for you, Sei...chan...'

He opened his mouth to scream. Blood flowed from the sakura branches, dripping into her hair, trailing down her face. It streamed from the gaping hole in her chest, down over the white dress, staining it red to match the now-pink wings. She was still smiling, as blood made more and more inroads down her cheeks, closing her eyes as it dribbled over her eyelashes, smiling as it pooled on her lips.

'I can change your future. I can trick destiny!'

A man appeared behind her, in a white coat and black clothing, pained green eyes staring into nothingness . He put one hand on Meiun's shoulder, the other wrapped around her waist to pull her close. They spoke as one.

'Even if I'm not the one you love best.'

"Meiun!!!" His eyes snapped open. He found himself staring into the tree, hearing the voices of people all around him, light again. The man was nowhere to be found.

Neither was Meiun

"MEIUN!" He ran to the tree, putting a hand on the trunk, staring into the branches. "Meiun, come down! Meiun, get down here right now!"

"..."

"MEIUN!!!"

He pounded on the tree trunk, tears streaming down his face. "Meiun! Meiun-chan o kaeshite! Kaeshite ageru!"

"Impossible."

He turned to face the woman who'd come up behind him, her dark hair flowing over her white kimono, face impassive. "Mother, make it give Meiun back!"

"Impossible."

"Make Meiun-chan come back!"

"Impossible."

"Why?"

"Because...she was never meant to be. There can only be one."

"Meiun-chan was never meant to be?...Uso! Shinjirarenai! You lie, I won't believe it!"

"Only one can inherit the power of the Sakurazuka-"

The Sumeragi...

"Only one can become the Sakurazukamori."

The 13th Sumeragi head.

"She will help you to your destiny but,"

"You must face it alone."

"Seishirou."

Subaru.

"You will be strong."

And the world will end.

"Yada!"

Iya!

"Without Meiun-chan-"

Without Hokuto-chan-

"What does it mean?"

Seishirou awoke with a start. Meiun-chan! ...

He shook his head. He hadn't had that dream in...how long? He'd almost managed to forget...Almost... He made a face. She was dead, gone. Her spirit wouldn't even respond to his calls, the tree held her so closely. A constant reminder... He was the only one, the Sakurazukamori. Destiny couldn't change, it erased all who didn't fit into its plans, all who dared to challenge the inevitable tide. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out his cigarettes and his lighter, going and sitting in the windowsill. Lighting it he stared out the window, the image of himself, cigarette dangling loosely, a wavering half-reflection on the pane.

Hokuto-chan!

Hokuto? Hn. That girl was nothing to him, why should she appear in his dreams?

If you make Subaru cry...I'll kill you.

'I'll always protect my Nikichan. Zutto, zutto!'

"Tche." He quickly flicked the ash off his cigarette before it could drop on his pants. They were nothing alike. Meiun had been so cute, smiling and insightful. She'd always known how to cheer him up. And she'd never wear half of what Hokuto had... But still...

When he'd seen Hokuto at her most outrageous, hadn't he thought how Meiun would've made it different and more adorable? Hadn't he always thought how cute Meiun would be if she could get a hold of Hokuto's wardrobe?

Hadn't winged costumes always reminded him of that day?

He sniffed. Even so, that was Meiun the child. She'd have known better than to wear such outrageous things as an adult...

And she was dead. So far gone from the world even he could never reach her.

'Without Hokuto-chan...'

He scowled. Subaru...Why'd he intruded?

Ah, simple. Because memories of Hokuto had brought those of him. And memories of his Meiun-chan had brought memories of the two of them together. 'Sei-chan' 'Nikichan!' Wouldn't Subaru be surprised, knowing he'd had a twin sister too? An imouto, barely younger than him. He'd always cared for her the same as Hokuto had cared for Subaru...

But he'd felt nothing killing Hokuto. It had had to be done. Meiun was gone, as was Hokuto. Hokuto was only a pale reflection of a memory and barely that. He sighed. Meiun had been so opposite Hokuto, so shyly adorable to Hokuto's strange brashness. Did that make him and Subaru opposites too?

Hadn't they always been opposites, in everything else?

He snuffed the cigarette out. If they were truly opposites then, since Subaru hated him, it was logical to assume... He pulled out another cigarette, leaning against the window pane. If this was love, it was a wonder anyone wanted it. It certainly wasn't caring.

Without Meiun-chan, what does it mean?

Subaru sat straight up in bed, eyes wide, panting. "Hokuto-chan!!"

Meiun-chan!!

He put a hand to his head. Who was that girl?

'Sei...chan...'

'Seishirou...'

'Mother, make it give Meiun back!' The child hit the sakura tree. 'Make it give me back Meiun-chan!'

Seishirou-san...had had a sister?

Your little fairy!

They'd appeared to be the same age. Twins?

Nikichan!

What had happened to her? All he'd seen was that strange vision and then...His eyes widened. She'd disappeared? The sakura tree had taken her?

Give back Meiun!

It explained a lot actually. He pulled out his cigarettes and wandered over to the window, staring out. He wasn't going to get any sleep tonight, that was for sure.

Hokuto-chan

Meiun-chan

Why now?

* * *

She floated...no...she simply *was* in the darkness. Simply existing in an absence of light...

Meiun-chan!

Brief light.

Sei...chan?

You are unnecessary. There can only be one.

I'm...unnecessary? A waste?

Meiun-chan dai suki

I'm not a waste!

Meiun-chan...

Meiun...

My name... is Meiun...

A faint light tinged the darkness. A memory.

He smiled at her, a dark smile from a dark, but handsome, man. He reached for her, she felt...something, magic?, then pain.

So much pain. She shattered.

Then darkness. This darkness.

"Meiun-chan?"

She opened her eyes, how long?, and peered around her, when had she last?. "Who..."

A female face peered at her intently. "You spaced out again, Meiun-chan."

The man/boy beside her smiled. They both appeared to be older teenagers, maybe 18, 19. What are years to me? "You'll worry Ruri-chan if you don't stop blanking out like that."

Who are these people? She felt herself smiling stupidly. "I'm sorry, Shota-kun."

"Don't apologize to him! I'm the one you conked out on. Are you sick?"

"No. I feel fine." How long?

"You should see a doctor, if this keeps up." How long had it been?

"I said I'm fine." Since...

"Are you sure? You don't look like yourself." Laugh. "Of course, when you look like yourself you seem spaced out anyway." She'd seen...

"Ruri-chan!" Him...

"Don't worry about it though, Meiun-chan!" The female was sing-songing her name. "We'll take care of you."

"Pervert..."

She looked at the girl, Ruri, and blinked. Ruri was about two-inches away from her, smirking. "Ne, Meiun-chan, are you sure you feel OK?"

"Get away from me."

Ruri and Shota blinked. "Huh?"

Meiun clenched her fists. "Stay away from me."

Ruri grabbed her by the wrist. "Hey, wait up!"

Too familiar. Too close. Only he... only he was allowed that close.

She looked down at herself and almost screamed. She was as old as they were! How much had she lost?

How long...

Am I too late?

Did it End already?

She shook Ruri off, and ran across the park.

The Tree.

Everything seemed off, too small now. She heard them following, but ignored them.

If I can find the tree... If I can just find the tree, he'll be there.

She didn't know how she knew it, but somehow...He was tied to that tree, just as she was.

She'd almost outdistanced Ruri and Shota when she crashed into someone.

"Itai!" She pushed herself to her feet. Someone helped her up.

"Yo, Neichan, be careful. Never know who you'll run into around here."

"You're the danger here, Sorata! Subaru wouldn't hurt anyone!'

"Hai, hai!" The man who'd helped her held up his hands defensively. "Kamui, you're mean."

"I am not!"

She looked at the man she'd run into, who was pushing himself to his feet and frowned. Something... She felt something. Some connection...Not to her, but through her. To someone close to her. A powerful connection...

The man, Subaru, pushed himself up "Anou, be careful where you..." He trailed off, staring into her eyes. "You!"

"Ne, Sumeragi-san, just because a girl runs into you doesn't mean you need to 'fall' for her...OOF. Miss, you hit hard!"

Another voice giggled.

She pushed herself to her feet. He wasn't here. She didn't need, or want, them. She ran past the man with the green eyes, avoiding his hand as he reached for her. She heard him running behind her.

"Meiun-chan!" She hadn't lost them after all...The man stopped running, hesitating. She quickly out distanced him. She raced through the park, towards the tree, avoiding people as they walked past, leaping over benches. It had been too long already...

There! The pair with the ice cream cones. The dark man with the smile. The boy who'd carried her.

Nikichan!

* * *

Subaru watched the girl run off. Did they say Meiun? Her eyes...

Just like Seishirou-san's!

He grabbed the boy as he ran past after the fleeing girl. "Who are you?"

The boy struggled. "Let me go, Meiun-chan..."

Sorata stepped up behind the girl, holding her by the back of her shirt. "You shouldn't be chasing girls around like that, you know."

Arashi snorted. "Who're you to talk?"

Sorata pouted at her. "That's a different kind of chasing, neichan."

"Why were you chasing her?" Subaru asked, ignoring the other Seals.

"Look, she's our friend! We've been taking care of her...She needs us! She doesn't have any memories or anything."

"No memories?"

"No. Mom found her wandering the streets and took her in. We have to watch her, she tends to space out... Let me go, I have to catch her!"

Subaru kept his grip, as did Sorata. "You said her name was Meiun."

"Yeah. What of it?"

"Did she ever mention anything about a last name? Or a brother?"

"Why, you know her?" He stopped struggling.

Subaru felt Kamui step up behind him. "You know that girl, Subaru?"

"Not really...it's just..." He let the boy go. "Hurry, we have to follow her!" He ran off.

"Mou!" The girl kicked Sorata as he let her go. "If you wanted us to follow her, why'd you stop us?" They all took off, except for Sorata who kind off hobbled behind them yelling something about how mean Arashi was.

* * *

Seishirou blinked at the girl racing up to him. Beside him Fuuma made a strangely pleased noise. "Hmm?"

Fuuma shook his head enigmatically. "The girl."

Seishirou turned back to the girl, who'd almost reached him. He nearly dropped his ice cream cone. Her eyes! That hair!

When they were born, they'd been told, he and Meiun had been identical. Over time, however, her hair changed, and he grew taller than her. Her hair changed from pure black to a black-streaked blood or, as he'd thought back then, the color of a glowing ruby. Like living, darkened, pulsing flame. It'd been her most distinguishing characteristic. He'd never seen anyone with that color, that vibrancy, to their hair since.

Until now.

The girl glomped him, as his hands fell to his side. He barely heard voices coming towards them.

"Meiun-chan!"

"Fuuma!"

"Seishiro-san!!"

Meiun? He stared down at the girl, watched Fuuma put his hand on her shoulder and restrained the urge to snarl. She was his!

His ice cream cone dropped as he put his arms around her. He'd barely touched her when he felt the surge of magic, from the Tree itself, and the sakura petals began to swirl, overdramatically he thought, around them.

They disappeared.

I can change your future. I can trick destiny!

Nikichan!

End Prelude