Disclaimer: I do not own Zankyou no Terror.
-X-
"One, two, three, four-"
She repeats those numbers while hopping across the chalk-drawn boxes that lay on the ground with nimble feet. She plays the game alone. No one else accompanies her.
They deem it far too childish, but she doesn't care. She plugs her ears, smiling as she nods in agreement. She doesn't listen. She doesn't obey.
Idly, she wonders if that boy will come again today. He watches, but he does not play. He speaks, but says no words of criticism or sarcasm. An odd one, she thinks.
"What are you counting?"
She opens her mouth, intending to utter a reply but, the continuation of her chant spills forth instead.
"Five, six, seven, Heaven-"
Curious, curious, and curiouser. Curiosity killed the cat-
The petite girl stops, turning to face the wiry boy who had posed her the question. Briefly, she scans the boy from head to toe, wondering what was it that seemed so... off about him today.
She doesn't see it.
She's probably imagining things... or it could have been another bad day, she reasons sagely. Yet, it still bothers her for some strange reason. Shrugging it off, she skips over to the bench and plops down beside him.
He watches her patiently.
Expectant, albeit desperate, eyes waiting for her reply. His insides, as opposed to his calm exterior, is in complete turmoil, even as his traitorous body lay there, frozen- flickering gaze trained on the phantom of a girl by his side.
They were seated in very close proximity to one another. She was within his arm's reach. He could grab her. He knew that he could.
...but he didn't. He doesn't.
She hadn't answered him yet.
He reiterates his question and she giggles quietly- but he doesn't hear it. He doesn't hear it, for it's drowned out by the constant ringing in his ears as it grows loud, louder and louder still.
She smiles, but it feels as though it doesn't reach her eyes. He doesn't see it, he doesn't see it because he's on the ground, head in hands, willing the ear-splitting pain and constant ringing away-
And abruptly, they are gone.
There are no sounds, no pain and no scenery. Suddenly, suddenly, it's just him and her- in the middle of the howling abyss.
She smiles, she tilts her head back and smiles, but it's not right. It doesn't reach her eyes. She speaks, she replies, but-
"Does it matter, Twelve?"
She doesn't answer.
-X-
"And knowledge brought it back," he whispers, eyes stubbornly shut.
He lies in bed, still, as the faint rays of the rising Sun wash over him. A hand is placed over his heart, over the one body part where he still felt the dull ebbs of pain.
Nine's awake, and watching him with hawk-eyes. He knows because, Nine's stare has always been awfully piercing. Awfully nasty too, she would say...
"Nine. What do you think she was counting?"
A pause.
"Why does it matter?"
He's silent as he ponders over Nine's response. Why indeed.
Is it because she mattered to him? Or maybe because it was the only thing he remembered about her? Not her face, nor her smile... but that one particular scene with her?
He doesn't know. He doesn't know, because he could never tell with her- could never guess what she was thinking or even win any of her games. But, perhaps, just perhaps, that was the reason why.
"Nine. Let's go visit them soon, okay?"
And although Nine doesn't speak, Twelve knows that his answer would have been-
.
.
.
.
"Yes."
-X-
A/N:
Just watched Zankyou awhile back and I have to say its one of the most beautiful animes I have ever watched. :) Really glad I could write a little drabble for it while I'm still on writer's block :(
PS, I apologise for the title that does not match the story, cos I decided on the title and a vague outline, before this other plot hijacked it... haha well.
Comments and critiques would be nice :)
EDIT: some minor grammar edits and a slight change to the end.