Dependent Independence
By: Undercurrent
DISCLAIMER! We do not own Spiral/Suiri no Kizuna.
Chapter I - "Questions Unanswered"
Hiyono stood up from where she sat, against the door to Ayumu's room, as he played the last notes of the song he was playing on the piano. She knew he didn't like it when other people listened to him playing the piano openly but then again, he never caught her in the act during the many times she quietly listened from outside their school's music room.
She had to wonder what his reaction will be when he sees her though. After all, she had been gone for two years with no communication with him whatsoever. Though he never got to hear a word about her, she, on the other hand, constantly inquired about him through her varying resources in Japan. Luckily, she had an informant in the hospital where he was confined, letting her know all the technicalities, complications and progresses in his situation. She just hoped that he won't get too angry with her. It wasn't like she had that much time to explain to him her part in Kiyotaka-san's plan two years ago. Even she herself didn't fully understand the situation and by just how much her involvement was.
There are just too many questions that needed to be answered prior to her disappearance. Not exactly the best of topics to talk about in their very first meeting in two years. 'But such things just couldn't be helped,' Hiyono thought to herself silently, biting her lip in her anxiety.
After much thinking, she decided that she couldn't bear to be there any longer, being so near to a person whom she missed so much in her absence, yet, feeling so far from him because of everything that she hid from him. Things that she knew he'd ask her as soon as she walked through his door. She didn't know if she was ready for that yet.
"Anou… whatever," she said to herself as she walked towards the door, throwing away all of the doubts and 'what ifs' that were clouding her mind, 'He needs to know,' echoed in her mind, making her even bolder and sure of herself and how she'll be able to handle things.
She held her breath, clenched her eyes shut and pushed the door open.
Or, at least she intended to. But due to her eyes being closed, tightly at that, she missed the hazy shadow on the tinted window on the other side of the door. The door had swung open, leaving her nothing but air to push, only to land in an ungraceful heap inside the small hospital room.
'Talk about a grand entrance,' Hiyono thought sarcastically, her cheeks feeling hot as she blushed furiously at her clumsiness.
"Yeah," Ayumu said, startling Hiyono because he looked like he was reading her thoughts… and he was correct, if ever he was really reading her mind.
'Eh… Freaky,' Hiyono thought as a comically gloomy look appeared on her face like it would on any freaked-out anime character.
Desperate to give him a fast reply to ease her embarrassment, Hiyono blurted out, "So, how were you this past two years?" It was a random thought, just how anyone would ask their friend after being separated from each other. However, having asked that, Hiyono unconsciously brought upon herself the situation that she wanted to avoid.
Ayumu found a funny diversion though. Well, it seems like he was avoiding the situation himself. I mean, no one likes being interviewed about things that they're not used to sharing. Things like… their feelings, for example.
She was still lying across the floor, flashing anyone who happened to pass by his room, her pink floral printed panties.
"You're still wearing that type of undergarments at your age? And you claim to be older than me." Ayumu muttered, as he walked back to his bed to lie down.
It wasn't meant to be an answer but a warning, as Hiyono obviously wasn't fully aware that her undergarments were on display.
Yeah, Hiyono could be really slow at times especially where Ayumu was concerned and after a short while, screamed an, "ACK!! You saw my bloomers! Hentai! Ecchi!!" when she finally understood what Ayumu meant.
Ayumu only shrugged, "Really now, like I wanted to see that… Obba-san."
Hiyono released a frustrated sigh, puffed out her cheeks, and crossed her arms over her ample bosom, childishly refusing to look anywhere but him.
Yes, Hiyono is the perfect example of a mature and intellectual nineteen-year-old.
Not!
A result that was unforeseen from his diversion, Ayumu realized, for the first time in two years, just how much he missed Hiyono's antics.
He first felt scorn when he had heard that she left for Germany two years ago without so much as a goodbye or a note. But after a while, he didn't really care anymore because he became angry with her about her involvement in his brother's plans. 'Just ignore it, it will pass,' he thought and he actually believed in himself that time that he was correct. Only now, he proved himself wrong.
Because as time passes, it slowly turned to a dull ache when he realized that it isn't really the truth that "he didn't care"… he did.
Why wouldn't he?
They had parted ways with a large rift between them, though he'd rather lose his other arm than admit it out loud to anyone else that he was devastated when she left.
As much as he missed her though, he really dreaded their confrontation, after who knows how much time passed, knowing that it will be a very long and troublesome talk.
But he was obviously worrying over nothing for the past two years.
When it came to Hiyono, she always finds a way to break the tension whether intentionally or not.
"So... where should we start?" Hiyono interrupted his thoughts with her bubbly voice as she started fumbling around with her fingers, knowing that this situation cannot be avoided anymore. They had to talk.
'She's uneasy too,' Ayumu thought warily.
He sighed as the atmosphere around them thickened with questions waiting to be asked but both inquirers not really sure if they want to hear the answers or not. It could just be too painful but, curiosity killed the cat, you know? Knowing those two, their questions would bug them for forever and a half.
"Seriously, why did you leave for Germany?" he heard himself ask her, not being able to control himself anymore, the phrase "what if" seemed like it was taking over his mind.
From the very beginning, he never really wanted to ask her this because it made him appear disbelieving and a bit emotional too, but he just wanted to know what she had to say.
His brother's explanation may all be too well and correct but he wanted to hear it from her... why she chose to leave him when he needed her the most. Up to now, he really couldn't believe everything that was happening. How he was a clone and she was a machination... It's just all so darned confusing.
'I'm letting my thoughts get ahead of me again,' he scolded himself, stopping him from thinking about more unnecessary things.
Lately, he had been questioning himself what his purpose was now that the future of the Blade Children has been made stable.
Is he really supposed to go back to his normal life like nothing happened?
What about his being a clone, is he really doomed to always be under his brother's shadow? He hated himself for thinking these things and envied Hiyono for being her happy self amidst the fact that her situation is, technically, worst than his.
'I was supposed to die… though,' he added shortly after that last thought, memories of Hizumi suddenly clouding his mind, but now, he chose to clear his head of them because that wasn't the main point, his relationship with Hiyono was.
"Y-You know the answer to that," Hiyono finally replied, shocking Ayumu out of his train of thoughts.
"I didn't want to believe that everything my brother said was the complete answer behind your sudden disappearance because I know that you have things to say from your own perspective as well," Ayumu replied, not noticing how what he said touched Hiyono.
"You... You know that that's my purpose, right? To obey Kiyotaka, I mean. After all, I'm the machination he made to prepare you for all of... this..." Hiyono hastily replied, although the two last words came out of her mouth slowly.
For a few moments, nothing but deafening silence was heard from the two until Ayumu finally asked, "So that was your sudden 'assignment' then?"
Hiyono only nodded in reply, seeing that there was nothing else to explain or even to say in additional.
"Why did you come back?"
His voice sounded different, telling Hiyono indirectly how much he struggled to ask such a question.
"Y-You... care?" Hiyono asked right back at him, feeling stupid for asking something like that when the answer was obvious, but still, it was nice to hear the words from his own mouth. She speculated at how she missed irritating him like this. However, the situation now was different because she asked the question not just to tease him but also because of pure curiosity. I mean, this was the person who didn't even give her importance back then! Of course she'd be shocked at such a development from the norm.
"Of course I do! Why would I ask if I didn't?" Ayumu exclaimed, his voice sounding angry when it was indeed only him being emotional over this, "Sorry for being emotional," he quickly apologized as he recomposed himself, slowly adding, "Anyone would... if someone they cared for suddenly disappeared."
"Well, first, I need to know what he told you before I can add anything, right?" She flashed him one of her eager smiles to lighten the tension that was in the room. This, in a way, also helped her calm down and think.
"Hiyono went to Germany because of an urgent assignment she needs to attend to," Ayumu swiftly replied, quoting not only Kiyotaka's words but also the way he spoke it then as he remembered it, cold and without feeling. It appeared to him then that his brother took the matter lightly, very lightly.
"Then I guess I'll have to start at the very beginning, ne?" Hiyono said, as she got herself comfortable beside him on the bed.
A/N: The information on which we based this fic on was from the whole anime (25 episodes), manga chapters one to sixteen and the anime's Wikipedia article. The rest, we weaved them, those facts being the foundation, with our wild imaginations. I hope our characters weren't too OOC. This was our first time writing a Spiral fic. R&R please!
Anou - Japanese equivalent of "err..."
Obba-san - old lady
Hentai - pervert
Ecchi - indecent
