Second part of the double update, but first part of a mini-arc. I'm feeling evil ;)

Dormance

"Miss Kaoru, may I speak with you after class?" Mrs. Hamada said, tapping my desk with her ruler. I grimace, roll my eyes, then nod. "I'd appreciate it if you showed me a little more respect, Miss Kaoru." I scoffed. "Detention, too, Miss Kaoru. Now, for the love of roses, please open your calculus textbook."

"Why doesn't this genius girl just go to college instead of disrupting my high school class?" I heard her mutter under her breath as she made the rounds in the classroom. It was a silly task. What was the point of making sure everyone was studying? Anyone who wanted a good grade would study. Those who didn't need to study or just didn't care wouldn't have to crack a book. I'm surrounded by ignorance.

At last, the bell rung. I didn't stay behind, but Mrs. Hamada caught up to me in the hall. I ground my teeth and turned to face her. "What do you want?"

"Miss Kaoru. The other teachers and I have been very concerned about your grades. We understand that you're a very brilliant student and just wouldn't start slacking off without reason."

"How would you know?" I crossed my arms.

"Miss Kaoru, please. We've set up an appointment with one of our counselors, Professor Souji Mikage. He specializes in talking with gifted young adults like yourself. You may even join the prestigious Black Rose Seminar." I opened my mouth to protest, but she stopped me. "You are going, as an order from the Acting Chairman. After last period and detention, go to Nemuro Memorial Hall. The receptionist will direct you to the room."

"Yay," I said sarcastically.

"Be there," Mrs. Hamada warned, walking away.

"That was very rude of you." Damn it, Miki. Why now? I slowly rotated to see him standing, clutching his music books as always. His blue eyes were as clear as the morning sky, even as he frowned. His music teacher squeezed his shoulder.

"Is this your sister, my dear Mickey?" he inquired, his oily words dripping with grease. I felt like retching. How dare he touch Miki.

'Kozue Kaoru and displeased to make your acquaintance."

"Kozue."

"Miki." We seemed to stare into each other's eyes for a millennium. I was drowning in pools of blue. The warning bell rung, threatening the start of fifth period. I broke away and hurried to the odd refuge of the classroom. There, on my desk, was a paper packet. I opened it hurriedly. Maybe… no. It wasn't konpeito. It was just my academic honors pin for last grading period. I laughed to myself. I was an idiot.

I barely made it through the rest of the school day. Detention was unbearable. I just wanted to go home and sleep, but I was besieged by my old friends Insipids One and Two. They had gotten in trouble for sneaking sweets to their boyfriends during Japanese Literature. They wanted to talk to me about my supposed new boyfriend. I fed them some blither blather and observed them making fools out of themselves.

I pretended to listen to their pedantic complaints as I replayed the earlier scene in my mind over and over. I didn't like how that teacher held Miki. It looked wrong. Shaking, I stood up and raced out of the room in the middle of detention. Miki would be alone with the teacher right now. Tomorrow was the competition. I had a sinking feeling.

Racing over to the performing arts complex, I quickly spotted Miki and the teacher. They were in a secluded part of one of the smaller rose garden. Even though I did not really see Miki's discomfort, I felt it. Rage insinuated its way into my brain. What was he doing to my twin?

The teacher left the garden, and Miki, just about as I reached it. He began to travel down the very long set of stairs that went to the ground level of the school. I had to wring his scrawny neck, break his putrid arms. No one has the right to touch Miki that way. Stealthily, I crept up behind him and shoved him as hard as I could down the steps. He tumbled forward, screaming and groaning until he crashed at the bottom.

"Kozue!" I heard the tapping of light running footsteps and spun around. Miki was a mess, his hair tousled, his jacket buttoned incorrectly. "Why did you do that? Why, Kozue?" Tears were streaming from his face, and I reached out to wipe them away. He jerked back. I felt as stone.

"He hurt you, Miki," I told him seriously. "What he was doing to you was not right."

"But he's a teacher."

"He's a molester!" I yelled at him. "What were you thinking?"

"He threatened me…he said he would go after you if I told." My jaw dropped. I grabbed Miki by the shoulders and shook him.

"To hell with protecting me, Miki! I can take care of myself."

"Then why don't you? Look at yourself, Kozue. I can't even see my sister in you anymore. I guess I shouldn't have tried. I can't even pretend that nothing is wrong with you anymore." He walked away, and I collapsed to the ground, head bowed, legs bent. He didn't… no more.

That damned sunlit garden was seducing his heart and mind. We had changed. Change has to happen. But we are still, at the core, the same in the end. So what does that mean for me? my soul must be twisted beyond belief. What a yin and yang pairing we are. One tear made its way down my cheek. I swore it would be my last for Miki. I would fight for him now. I can't be the princess expecting to be saved. We might as well be children playing mindlessly in a rose garden, the brother acting the prince for his sister.

Gingerly, I got up and walked to Nemuro Memorial Hall. I've never been there before, but I've heard it's mostly just a gathering place for ambitious geniuses like Miki, but nothing more. As I opened the front door, Miki was walking out. He gave no sign of having recognized me, walking past me as if I was a mere ghost. Dead. My heart felt as hard and cold as a diamond. I sashayed past him up to the receptionist. Funny thing, I could barely see the receptionist's face. So I just filled out the form and followed the pointing hand signs to the door.

"I'm Kaoru Kozue, 7th grade, Class B." I announced, sitting down on the stool. There was a darkened window, which Mikage was most likely behind. I decided to just accept it. Super geniuses are strange. I saw a slight smile grace his mouth. I don't know why I shivered.

"Well, please begin." Somehow, his impersonal voice calmed me down. He sounded like a robot, not a person. I decided just to babble. He wanted a sob story? I'll give him one.

"I have a twin brother. Miki Kaoru." There was suddenly a sinking feeling in my stomach, as if I was in an elevator. But I kept on going. "He has treated me fondly ever since we were little. lately, though, even if he pretends that nothing is wrong…" I made fists. "If something happens to sully me, he pretends not to have noticed." My voice grew quiet.

"Even though inside he is hurt and obsesses over me." The story was only half true. I wish that he cared. "That's why I go out with people Miki would hate. On purpose." That was true. Because maybe, maybe if he saw how wrong it was for me to be with anyone else, he would come back to me. Well, a few days ago perhaps. But my chance had vanished. I squeezed my eyes shut. "However…"

"Deeper. Go deeper," Mikage said. I saw a glimpse of pink hair as he leaned forward. My heart felt so heavy at this moment. If it would just stop beating…

"But… Miki's attention and obsession is slowly turning to that other woman. I'm no longer a part of his world. He no longer looks at me." I was trembling as rage and hurt coursed through my veins. There was a metallic thump that almost shook me out of my seat. What the hell was going on? I looked behind me, and a figure that must have been Souji Mikage greeted me with a slow smile. His eyes were blank and soulless.

"I guess you have no choice but to revolutionize the world," he murmured, turning away through a door that I swear was not there before.

"What kind of hokey roleplay club is this?" I scoffed.

"The way before you has been prepared." Mikage's voice was serious as he ignored my comment. Geniuses may be geniuses, but they're idiots. Me included. If I stopped living in my damn head all the time, maybe I wouldn't care as much about Miki. Ha! As if.

I followed Mikage into a room filled wall to wall with drawers. He pulled one open. It was long for a drawer, too long. I started to shake when I saw two corpses entwined in what I realized was a coffin. What crazy shit was going on in this building? I saw the features on their faces, and they looked like Miki and I. They were so lucky to be together like that, hands laced together. Mikage started to disconnect their hands.

"No! Don't!" I yelled reflexively.

"It's quite alright, future duelist. Sometimes things must break apart together." He put their hands back together and held the item he had retrieved up to the dim light. I sucked in my breath, stepping away. A rose crest ring, like Miki's. But black. Suddenly, I reached for it. It could, no, it would bring me back to Miki. Bring him back to me.

"This room leads to the Ends of the World, and the Black Rose has chosen you." I willingly gave him my left hand. "The Black Rose Signet." He put the crest on my ring finger, his eyes filled with cold satisfaction. I didn't know what this was about, and though I had an idea, I didn't care, I just wanted Miki. I wanted my miracle. I didn't care what Juri said. A boy appeared before me who looked strangely like Himemiya. He held a black rose in his hands. Wasn't that… unnatural? I couldn't think straight.

"This rose is your new heart and your new life." He held me by the waist, and before I knew what was happening thrust the rose into my chest. I screamed. It felt like I was burning from the inside, a fever consuming me. I could feel my eyes glaze over. Miki… Miki… I had to get to Miki. I joined the twins in their coffin.

"Where is your twin?" they asked me, assaulting me with venomous gazes. "There is no place for you here. You must duel. Duel and win the power to keep you together forever. Go!" They pushed me out of the coffin, and I fell onto cold stone floor. The sound of melancholy piano music made me look around me. Where was I? Deliberately, carefully, I opened the door before me. My heart constricted. Miki sat there in front of the piano.

Then a strange feeling took over. He would be mine. I just needed to take him. I just needed to duel for him. Miki's playing stopped without warning.

"Kozue? Kozue…" he trailed off. I could see the pity in his eyes and felt like laughing. I caressed his soft cheek, not yet touched by a razor, and trailed my hand down to rest at his hip. It felt so right, I knew his body better than I knew my own, I couldn't help myself. So I kissed him. He tasted better than I remember, after missing him for so long. But I had to hurry, so I pulled back. His eyes spoke for him. What was I doing?

"That ring?!" he breathed.

"Isn't it nice? It matches yours, just like twins." I touched his chest, right over his heart. His warmth filled the cold emptiness that was eating away at me. "And here is one of the roses that blooms at the Ends of the World." Utter bliss exploded in me as the hilt of a sword burst from Miki's chest. I drew it and quietly reveled in the feeling it gave me as Miki's life energy coursed through me. Miki groaned, a beautiful sound. I gently laid him down and left the room. I had to complete this quest. For then, all of Miki would be mine.