Warning for implied murder and violence.

Chapter Two – Symphony in Death (Nene I)

The rapier gave a comfortable pulse against her palm. Amano Nene didn't swing it, as she had the first time. Rather, she left it in its sheath and stepped forward. Her shoes did not seem like they even touched the ground. With a careful thrust, the rapier's point sank into the gap in the dragon's scales. Nene stepped back, watching the brief blood trail and spurt before everything disappeared to the air and nothingness. Back to the earth, or more likely, to her master's palm.

She had started working this way believing they were one and the same. She supposed she was wrong.

"Nene!" whimpered the voice of her once eager friend. "They're coming!"

Nene knelt, careless of the mud, and picked up the little memory card before obediently turning around and climbing aboard. Then they were off, climbing atop the fighter jet, who obediently shot into the sky. She ducked her head into the comforting warmth of the metallic wings, blade vanishing into her Xros Loader.

Fashioned by a Rosemon, dancing with blood and poison, it was the greatest weapon she could ever wish for. It was the closest thing ot safety she held.

"Ready, Sparrowmon?"

"For you, Nene?" There was a nearly dramatic pause. "Always."

Nene let her giggles fade into the wind as she transferred the two of them out, letting herself smile where no one could hurt her-

Even her Xros Loader was safe now. Though that was for as long as she was good. She almost missed the black color. It was a good reminder of ash.

-But the thudding on her chest, on her body, she paused, gripping the familiar grooves on the wings left by her fingers.

A sign of her experience, her commander would call it. A sign of her fear.

Those would be the words of the other. Lucky for her the laughing skull was currently buried.

As Digital Space vanished around her, Nene slipped her face back into its simple mask. She drew the real one over her eyes once more, leaving purple irises to peer out of fox slits.

"Tonight is the bluebell platter." Her voice was a gentle whisper. "Get your fill, okay?"

"Okay!" Why Sparrowmon was so obedient, why he loved her so much, she couldn't understand. But questioning these things had never ended well for her before. So she flew to the nearest tower balcony and dropped a few feet in the air. Anywhere else, that would have killed her. But in this world, it merely ended with her taking a few steps. She returned Sparrowmon with a nod of gratitude, making her way into the dark alcoves of Bagra Castle.

The first time she had been here, she had shivered from cold and nausea. Now the chill rolled off her back like raindrops. She had adjusted, as children often do.

What she had yet to adjust to, however, was the thud of her brother clamping onto her chest. "Welcome back!"

He was so innocently delighted, this cause of all of hermisfortune. But even now, her heart thudded too hard to keep herself from pulling at him and bringing him harm. She had a feeling he knew it too, knew it in his gut that maybe knew that this was a real world. "Sorry I took so long," she murmured. Nene had no idea if she actually was sorry. Hearing this idea of 'back', like they really belonged, it was a horrible, heart-wrenching thing. Thank goodness he hadn't said home.

"It's okay. Sniping games are rather difficult, aren't they?"

"I don't really snipe too often, Yuu." She bit her tongue to swallow the laughter buried in her stomach at the absurdity of this discussion. Then she was biting down a scream of pain. Her knees buckled, her chest flared and the mask crumbled as she suddenly leaned against Yuu for strength, for control and that was all wrong, he had to lean on her but-

The comet blazed on, its heat not felt until that very moment where it was in her lungs. She cried out in pain at last, unable to contain it as the fire above and in her stomach twisted. Mercifully, she felt the world turn black after she drew into herself. By the time it all receded, she could see jagged scarlet eyes staring her in the face and the gray ceiling overhead.

"My lord," Nene croaked. "Forgive me. I was unprepared for sensation."

The tall, dark angel was quiet, observing her. Feeling a strange chill in the air, Nene made herself look down. She fought down a flush of rage at the sight of her bare torso.

"Forgive me," Bagramon said with an inclination of his head. "I wanted to find the source of the pain. The mark on your chest has begun to move further down. I will worry on your behalf."

"It didn't hurt before!" Yuu's voice watered like his eyes, even from a distance away and all Nene could think was thank the gods. He wasn't completely gone yet. "Did it?"

"No." Nene admitted this freely, reaching for the cup of water next to her.

"This is to do with the red army." Bagramon helped her rise with surprising gentleness from his bone arm. "And the dark knight."

Your brother. "Yes, my lord," she agreed. "I do believe so. The girl and I were caught in his rage. I've suspected something to do with it, along with the aftereffects of the Lucemon's magic." Wow, that was pulled superbly from nowhere. Nene offered herself some mental applause.

A nod, short and clipped. "Then we must investigate it. It may lead to the whereabouts of the missing red general. An enemy we cannot track has a knife to our necks, more often than not."

Nene could not imagine the red general being anything much of the sort, but she agreed, if only to be able to look for answers. She'd rather not die in pain from a tattoo, thank you. "I shall investigate on the morrow, if you allow me."

"See that you do."

Nene watched him go, then slumped in her bed. Her brother immediately crawled up to her, like they were small and this was just a bad dream.

"It'll be okay, Nee-san," he said, trying to smile all the more. "We're gonna win this game."

"We will," Nene agreed, looking into his guileless, false smile. But should we?