The house had had eerie silence ever since she left. With nothing in mind, I stayed sitting on the floor, seeming not to bother to sit properly on the couch. Whether I'm waiting for her or not, I do not know. Then the doorknob of the front door turns, revealing the princess peeking through a small creak, and quietly entering the room. With everything that had happened, I don't understand her reason for coming back at all, nor do I understand why I still love her.

Go. . . A voice whispered inside of me.

What? I answer back, though I really know what the voice was talking about.

Settle your fight with her. It didn't sound like a command, nor a request. It sounded more like a opinion of some sort. It seems weird, really.

And why should I? I shot back.

I believe I saved her for you.

No, I saved her. I emphasized.

Using my powers, yes. Ggh.

I stand up and brush the dust off my butt. I put my hands in the pockets of my jacket, and as I pass by her, I can't help glancing. She was staring at me, but with blank face, showing no hint of emotions. I continued on. Suddenly I was struck by consuming sadness, the longing of holding her again in my arms. I walk to the door and close it behind me. I sighed so deep and lean my head on the door, gradually the longing spreading to my heart, bringing with it the sadness. This is not what I am supposed to feel. I should just move on and forget her, just like what I had planned a long time ago. Broken are my thoughts when a thump sounded on the other side, and instincts swiftly kicking in and telling me she's leaning her head on the door, her hand crumpling into fists. Dismiss the idea of asking why, 'cause I have no idea how I knew. I gently place my hand on the part where I feel her fist, as if for comfort's sake. I place my forehead on the obstacle between us and quietly asked,

"Is estfa really that important to you?" Whoever and whatever it really is. Though asking it seems ridiculous.

Nevertheless I was taken aback when she replied, but mostly because of her answer.

"Yes."

She sounded hurt, and I caught myself wanting to comfort her so badly. It took all my willpower not to, 'cause I thought it would be a better idea to comfort myself. It wasn't even me she wants. But she wasn't finished speaking.

"But she's going away anytime soon." I can hear her sigh. "It's almost as if. . . I'm in an obsession. But my pride. . . my pride would never let me stop her from going."

I clutch my hands to fists and walk away, not bothering to tell the girl behind the door. She's a Qwaser. She'll know I'm gone without even having someone to inform her. I'll just enter my apartment through the balcony later.

Walking at the streets for half an hour already, all there ever were: deserted shops with their closed doors and a sign that says, "Sorry, we're closed." Suddenly I remembered something huge that would take place at the coliseum….. today.

You see, when I was passing this very street to buy Katja-sama Russian food last Saturday, I bumped into someone. She was dressed in simple jeans and a white jacket was hanging by her shoulders. She tumbled over as I bumped into her. I apologized and helped her up, picking up her jacket for it has fallen. When I had a good view of her face, I realized just how strikingly gorgeous this girl is. With jet black hair and amber eyes , but I felt definitely sure she stares directly inside of me, like, well, my feelings. But the weird thing was, she looked pretty much like someone I know.

"Sorry, I wasn't looking." I was kinda embarrassed since I caused quite a commotion. People are easily distracted these days. What gossips.

"It's okay." She smiled melancholy at me.

"Something the matter?" I asked, craning my neck, although it's a little unnecessary.

"I was just. . . finding my way to the coliseum. You see, it has opened yesterday, or so I heard. And I was hoping it would be starting today." She answers.

"Ah, yes. The coliseum. It did open yesterday. Quite the new building. Anyway, it wouldn't start today."

"Why?"

"Because they haven't gathered enough. . . what do you call them?"

"Gladiators?" She's a Roman geek. (It sounded wrong..)

"Ah yeah, that's it. Gladiators."

"Oh."

I wish I hadn't said that. Hastily I offered her my assistance- or rather help, whatever you call it- in order to make up for it.

"Tomorrow, then? I'll accompany you."

"What?!" She exclaimed. "No, no! It's fine. I don't want to be a hindrance."

"Hindrance? Of course not! I'll fetch you, then. Now tell me where you live, I'll escort you home." Yeah, yeah, I know. This is so not like me. Perhaps I'm in a curse called Evil-Hana-Transformation-Curse. Whatever.

We laughed our way to her house. Whenever we fall silent, I would stare at her. If you were in my place, I bet you would have done the same thing. It's just that. . . it's like staring at an angel. Can't help it. And whenever I stare at her, she would complain because she keeps getting a bad feeling, and the hairs on the back of her neck would prickle. Half an hour later, we arrived at her house. Typical house for a typical person. Not too big, not to small. Just right.

"Well then, see you tomorrow."

"Yeah," she agreed. "Bye. Take care, Miss. . . "

"Hana. And you are. . ?" I completely forgot to ask her.

"Hikari."

Okay, show's over.

Oops. I mean flashback. Whatever you call it.

Back to the present, I instinctively went to her house. Turning a bend here and there. When I was about to take a sharp turn (like a car), she appeared in front of me and I stopped before I bump her, again.

"Hola, Hikari." I greet her.

"Pardon?", she asks me, though she knows who she's talking to.

"Just said hi. Wanna go to the coliseum?"

"Sure." I ran out of things to say, since our conversation had this kind of finality, so I gently put her hand on my arm (I feel so stupid). She startles me by snatching her hand away.

"No," she had said, "hold my hand instead." Much more startling, I admit. It took minutes for my heart to calm down. (Two timer, aren't I? Heh, easy. All you have to do is—What's that? Oh, right, on with the story.)

We started walking to the coliseum when I saw a small figure from afar, standing in our way, with a woman much taller with a veil on her head, waiting. When we got closer and I had a good look I stopped on my tracks.

Katja-sama had left the apartment. She's messing with me again.

But Hikari tightly gripped my hand and asked why I stopped, and I kindly said it was nothing. Then Katja-sama ruined my cover by snatching her away from me. Her playful and malicious nature can be, indeed, dangerous. Katja-sama puts her hand on Hikari's hip and the other on Hikari's lips. I tried to stop her, whatever she's planning, but Anastasia held me back and tied my hands with copper ribbons. She looked cruelly at me while she kissed Hikari by the neck. I can see her shudder.

"How disappointing, Hana. You're bound to me, have you forgotten? Now others have to take your punishment because of your infidelity." She bit her lower lip. "You're mine, and only mine."

"No, I haven't forgotten," I replied, which was hard with Anastasia pinning me down. "so let her go already. Punish me later if you wish. But don't hurt Hikari."

She quizzically looked at Hikari and said, "Hikari? Ah, you use that name? Suits you well, Silvia."

Silvia?

Now that I notice it, they do have some resemblance. "She's my cousin. Her name is not Hikari." She smirked cruelly at me. Hikari, even though it looked like as if she's held captive, still had a calm face. Maybe she doesn't mind at all.

"She had survived the ambush of the royal family, alongside me, when we were young. Those mad scientists found us and raised us, in exchange of being experiment subjects. They never hid our true identities from us, and we have always been together, right, Platinum?"

Ambush of the royal family?

Ah, right. When there was revolution of some sort, they, the second and last imperial family to rule over Russia, were waken and told to dress. And after getting themselves dressed, they were lead and trapped unknowingly in their basement, as they were told to wait. But then the soldiers came in and ambushed them. Everyone was killed. There were but rumors about Anastasia, the youngest, to have survived.

"The rumors are true." Katja-sama had said, noticing I grew quiet as my mind reeled for more information. "My mom, she had survived. She gave birth to me. But they pursued her. And they had succeeded in killing her. Then the scientists took us in. And as soon as I learned everything I had to and as soon as I got out of that hell," she continued with distaste but went on with her chin held high, " in honor of my beloved mother, I made her." She proudly nodded to Anastasia, her copper puppet.

A direct descendant of the Romanov family. I should have known. I never really paid attention to it at first and now I wish I had. Her name was really close to Yekaterinburg though I can't remember the details.

"Now, now, Hana." She said. " Are you prepared to witness your wrongdoings punished on your beloved friend?"

I completely forgot.

"Stop it cousin. It won't do you any good." Hikari interrupted. "I'm going." She pushed Katja-sama's hand away and beckoned for me to catch up to her. Katja-sama sighed and with one snap of her finger, the copper ribbons loosened.

Just that easily? What's this, a planned act?

But I left them off the hook.

I dared to glare at Katja-sama and to my amazement, she just shook her head. Her cellphone rang and she dug it out of her pocket. She flipped it open and spoke, "Hello?"

On the other end, the caller spoke. Katja-sama nodded and smiled. I felt a pang of jealousy.

"Tomorrow?" she asks. "Okay then. Bye, Take care." I might as well stomp my feet in frustration just by watching. She never replied so sweetly from a phone call! But I don't want her noticing my jealousy so I just gritted my teeth. She closed it, put it back from her pocket and vanished.

I caught up with Hikari, who held me hand-in-hand. I couldn't care less if we look differently. I tried to divert my attention to her. We walked down to the coliseum and I'm starting to wonder why she likes 'em. I mean, they're Greek, not Russian. Perhaps a fetish? Then I wondered who her royal parents were, of whom belonged to the ambush. I felt sorry for her.

We walked slowly, and my mind started wandering off to Katja-sama like it always did. (Our love story is almost over. I wanna cry.) Her voice kept whispering inside my head. You're mine, and only mine.

Yeah, like a slave. But part of me thinks very differently, like, you know…romantic. But I don't actually believe it would end up like that. Plus, there's this girl (I'm so sure of it) who's taking her away from me! Not like she was my possession or anything. And you should get my mood by now. So don't go believing when I say I don't love her anymore 'cause at any moment I would be blabbering about how much it irritates me when she's with someone else.

I never realized I was walking up to the marble column until Hikari pulled me. We have arrived.

"Cool." I commented. "It's big. And look," I pointed at the marble column I almost ran into, "it looks like the real ones." When I look at Hikari, she was smiling at me, which would have made me blush.

"Let's see how grandiose it is inside then."

As we went in, it took me a moment to realize we arrived a little late. I gaped at the looming coliseum, which looked like eight stories high, when a javelin went sailing above my head and scared me to death. I frantically dragged Hikari up to the stone bleachers before I become Hana-flavored barbecue on a stick.

The crowd roared. They had let loose a lion from its cage. The champion (is that what you call them?) was circling his sword in his hand. His face was hidden in a hood of his black cloak. I squinted. He looks like… nobody I knew.

The lion pounces and the champion rolled to the left. Still on his knees, he turned and slashed his sword on the lion's side. The lion howled painfully and staggered, limping and keeping a distance from the champion. I gritted my teeth. How can they be so cruel? I was about to intervene when the champion chuckled, removing his cloak from his head. He threw his head back and laughed, the way antagonists do.

I think he's crazy.

He has sandy hair, with a scar that ran down beneath his right eye. He has really pointy teeth and I get the feeling he has another set of them behind the front ones. He wore a lion pelt over a Greek tunic, which is really out of fashion. He took me by surprise when he tossed his sword upward and catch it by the blade (like when they throw javelins) and the next thing I knew was the blade was hurtling toward me. I snatch the dagger from its sheath and tried to parry it but I was too late. The sword badly grazed my left shoulder as it whistled past. The people screamed and frantically went to the exit except Hikari.

"What are you doing?" I could barely mutter the words. "Go!"

But she just stood her ground, her eyes flashing dangerously at the enemy. She took a step. The ground shook. I was like, What the heck?! . I think of her as a Titan in Greek myths more than a Qwaser. She spoke a word that made our enemy cower in fear, "Die." The ground shook more violently that I worried it might split in half. Our enemy gritted his teeth and retreated in the shadows. It was over. She smiled at me and grinned, and I almost shivered. She's a killing machine. She was like Nah, I just ordered a minor earthquake from the Internet. It's not like it can swallow. So, was it nice? I hope you liked it! She's scarier than Katja-sama.!

I laughed nervously and collapsed. A big mistake. I might find myself in chains with Hikari holding up a chainsaw and wickedly sneering, the chainsaw whirring to life. Or worse. . .

I opened my eyes and blinked. A square room. Phew, still alive I guess.

I was in a soft, fluffy bed, lying. . .

WHERE ARE MY CLOTHES?!

I jumped into sitting position and frantically looked around and I spotted her, right beside meand peacefully sleeping, was Hikari and . . . naked.

I tried not to cry. She has stolen my. . . my. . .

Hu-hu. My life's over.

Hey people! Sorry for the long wait, although I'm not actually expecting there would be many who would be reading my story. It sucks like garbage.

Anyway, my story just changed its course so I guess it'll get longer and longer, but I'll try to finish it, of course. I've already thought of a nice way to end it but the middle part is still empty.

Encourage me people! I'll try to satisfy you! Sorry for the grammar. :D