Ahhhh~ So here's the last half of the three-part introduction to Anna! :D
I figured I would get this out now because I've been working on it since supper time, and it's now passed midnight. Oh, insomnia... How I love you so much when you want to work with him as I type these things out~ NOT. -huff-
This was particularly annoying and difficult to write as the last two chapters have so much information in them that it was hard for me to condense it all into one update, but I did it for all of you lovelies. This chapter will be hella long, but I promised you a lengthy update in the last one anyways. ;)
Sorry if it seems choppy, but a lot of it would have been like a "copy-paste" thing if I'd gone into detail. I really wanted to describe a lot of the fight scenes, but like I said, it would have been like I was just copying everything straight from the novels.
PIECES OF ME
CH XI
Anna Kushina; The New Arrival – Part III (of III)
It was dark in the room that Anna was locked away in, left alone to her own devices as means of punishment for her escaping the Center's grasp and for disobeying a certain Blue clansman. She could feel an array of emotions flood over her like harsh, unforgiving waves in the sea that brought a storm into her delicate mind. She was scared, and she knew she'd made a mistake.
"Have you learned your lesson?"
When began Mizuchi asking her such taunting, arbitrary questions, Anna could only hug her knees closer to her chest and nod under his cold, emotionless gaze. He was smiling at her, taking pleasure in seeing her so cooperative attitude. If she was to become the next Blue King, he would reign in her power and have her under his control before she finally contacted the slates and touched them to be granted power.
In the room that they were currently in, Anna felt cold. She had no comfort in the dull, monochrome room aside from the red marbles that had been left scattered across the table in front of her. Instantly, it reminded her of him and the the warmth she'd felt in his clan. She recalled having been touched of his red to the inner depths of her soul, knowing that changed her for eternity.
There was also that woman who bravely stood so close to the man, unafraid to meet his sharp gaze and would smile up at him with what Anna could only imagine was affection. She'd seen the way her mother once looked at her father and compared the two to them. Were they like her parents? That woman would look at her with such kind, caring eyes that it would unnerve her. It was like she was seeing too much, too soon. Anna took a moment to wonder if she would ever see that woman again, or her aunt, Honami.
But, that man...
She knew from the beginning that she was not sick, but having that term shoved down her throat and being forced to swallow it was what made her believe. There were also the constant threats from Mizuchi that kept her in line, knowing that he would be hovering over her until she could one day break free from him. It had always been like this, since the day she had been left in the hospital by her parents and told she was 'special'.
Anna would plead with her mother and father to listen to her and trust in her words, telling them repeatedly that she was not sick. She hadn't suffered any medical trauma or had a mental illness that the regular, standard doctors seemed to think she had. No, she was able to manipulate a person's mind and make them experience her own pain. She could see things that others couldn't, and that made her a freak. After her third visit to another clinician, her parents were referred to the Center, where Anna was registered and submitted to their mercy.
It would seem, however, that they were moved by Anna's emotions and decided to give it one last chance. Anna was brought home and together, her mother and father discussed her fate. When it was decided that she no longer had to go to the Center, Anna stood beside Honami in the living room window as her parents got into the car to go negotiate the terms they'd agreed to about Anna's condition.
It would be the guilt that consumed her for the rest of her life, knowing she'd willingly let her parents drive into that trap.
This was how Mizuchi controlled her.
She questioned him and was met with a cold smile as he offered her a bogus explanation as to why her parents had been executed. He would assure her that he was not the one responsible, but deep down she knew the difference.
"I promise to stay here and not run away again," Anna said softly, not wanting to look at his face again to see a triumphant look in his eyes, "So, please... Don't hurt Honami."
"Such determination," Mizuchi pushed himself off the wall he'd been leaning against and walked towards her, "Should you finally hone your power and reach the point of connecting to the slates, you won't have to be cooped up in this facility any longer," He paused and let out a forced, dramatic sigh, "If only you'd arrived here earlier, than we could have shortened the process significantly."
"Stop," Anna muttered, gripping the hem of her frilly blue dress.
Mizuchi grinned down at her and crossed his arms, "Well, lets not waste more time than we already have. Begin, and this time, try to reach the slates."
Nodding slowly, Anna closed her eyes and focused all of her power into the marbles sitting motionlessly on the table. With a tickle of her energy, the red orbs began to circulate around a map of the city that Mizuchi had laid down earlier when Anna had been brought to the room. Using her 'other' eyes, Anna was able to see around the city. It was if she was floating and passing through walls, letting her celestial self guide her towards what she was seeking.
As the form made its way to the building which pierced the sky with its outstanding height, Anna walked inside. Suddenly, she felt bombarded with a force that was very similar to when she'd been met with the Red King's energy, although this time it was trying to force her out. She was feeling the Gold King, knowing he was there protecting the slates and would make it difficult for her to touch them.
To the very top she went, passing through many hallways until she finally reached a pair of sliding doors decorated in lavish, old-style Japanese picture. She passed through, seeing to the middle of the room where the Dresden Slates lay.
She could feel them pulsing as if they were alive; so heavy and suffocating, it was if the entire room shook with its power.
One by one, her feet carried her towards the massive piece in the center of the room. Taking a deep breath, she allowed her heart to become synchronized with the pulsing of the slates, feeling the power flow through her as the maze of cracks covering the rock form began to glow.
Too much...
"Failure again?" Mizuchi watched as Anna finally came to, after having passed out and fallen limply to the floor, "This is unacceptable, Anna."
Anna frowned and looked down at the floor while pushing herself up, "I touched it this time."
"Oh? Well then, at least we've made some progress," He walked back towards the door and looked over his shoulder to her, "Continue trying. I have a feeling that your escapade to the Red's territory will cause us some trouble within the next little while."
- x -
It should have surprised Mikoto when he and his clan pushed passed the few Blue clansman playing guard at the front doors to the civilian hospital portion of the building. However, his eyes were set on finding a pair of black doors that Tatara had pointed out to him as they made their way over, knowing that once they crossed through to the other side, it would be war.
His amber eyes narrowed when he caught sight of more Blue's, only this time, there were twins standing guard with gleeful expressions in their eyes.
From behind him, Yata clicked his tongue and dropped his skateboard in preparation to fight. Several of the other Red's shuffled and prepared themselves as well, either gripping their weapons tighter or closing in around their King to charge forward when given the order.
"This is your last warning, Suoh," The black haired Hayato Minato said.
His brown haired brother, Akito Minato, grinned, "You will be punished for entering another King's territory without permission, Red King. Turn back or face the consequences."
"We've come to collect one of ours," Mikoto said in a monotone voice as his eyes narrowed at the two.
"Ah, you must be talking about the girl. Anna Kushina, was it? I'm sorry, but she's a strain and a danger to the civilians, so she is no longer your concern," Said the twins in a mocking, flat voice.
Yata watched the two and felt his blood boil as his flames threatened to burst out of his body, "Can I?"
"Go ahead," Mikoto never looked back at his clansmen as he spoke.
Yata grinned a very malicious grin towards the twins, tossing his flaming bat in their direction as he pointed towards them, "Let's cut the shit and get started. I'm tired of listening to you two run your mouths!"
All of the HOMRA members suddenly joined in, all smirking and readying themselves for the fight while the Blue's began unsheathing their blades. As Mikoto ordered them to destroy them, Yata lifted his weapon to the sky and yelled loudly.
"Alright, let's do this!"
"Yeah! No blood! No bone! No ash!"
Charging forward with a mighty kick to the ground, Yata skated across the floor and headed straight for the middle of the fray. Giving another kick, Yata was air born and cut through the Blue's defenses. It was only when he was met with one of the twins, Hayato, that he was brought back to the ground and smirked. The two exchanged several blows until another presence made itself known from behind him, but Fushimi intervened quickly with a sigh and a click of his tongue.
"We'll hold these two off so you can make a path!" Yata looked at Kamamoto, "Cut them down!"
"Alright, let's do this!" Kamamoto exclaimed with delight, charging forward with other clansmen on his heels.
"Quick! Don't lose formation and stop them from entering the Center!"
"Shut your mouth, dogs!"
Excitement began to build as the Red clansmen felt their King begin to move, followed by Kusanagi and Tatara. There were frantic yells from the Blue's as Mikoto made his way down the path his clan had created for him, only two in particular were more interested in who was in front of them.
"Tch," Yata smirked at the twins, "You two are doing a shitty job at protecting the door to the facility, aren't ya?"
The twins both eyed Yata and Fushimi, who was standing beside his companion with narrowed eyes, "We have only one objective, and that is to eliminate the targets in front of us."
"Is that so?" Yata mocked, "Well then, lets get this over with. I promise I'll make it painless for you when I knock you both the fuck out."
"Such vulgarity," Hayato sighed.
Akito watched the russet haired boy, "This will end in our favor."
From around them, the battle between the Red and Blue clan continued as blades clashed with weapons being held by HOMRA. To the twins, the cries of Mikoto getting dangerously close to breaching their defenses were long gone. All they were focused on was the two in front of them, who were currently the strongest duo of all of the other clansmen. The vanguards, Misaki Yata and Saruhiko Fushimi.
"The Third King, Mikoto Suoh has entered the facility!"
The announcement echoed through every hall and room in the underground portion of the Center, finally reaching Mizuchi's ears. His body froze for a split second before a cruel smile graced his lips as he looked down at the tiny, doll-like girl still slumped on the floor.
"How does it feel, Anna? Do you feel like a trapped princess to be rescued by her King?"
Anna didn't look at him and didn't answer him right away, "I want Honami to be safe."
Meaning, she didn't want to be saved.
Little did she know that Honami was in the safest place she could possibly be at the moment, under the protection of the woman who was the closest to being a Queen in her own rights than any other.
Mizuchi taunted her once more, "Pain brings forth more power in your abilities, Anna. Let your power feed off that sadness and allow it to consume you. Take control and push further if you wish to save your aunt. You need to the become a King in order to protect her, and that is what you want, isn't it?"
Anna began to shake a little, nodding slowly and finally looking up to meet his eyes.
She hated how cold they were, and how amused his facial expressions appeared when in regards to her suffering.
However, he was running out of time. He knew it was a gamble he'd taken on a child capable of handling the influence of the slates in order to become a King, and it was with his own life that he put at stake. Whether it be the notorious Red King that eliminated him, or the copious amount of "rabbits" that flooded into the facility to eventually find him, he wouldn't be walking out of here alive. It was a dangerous thing he'd set his mind to, knowing he was indirectly meddling in affairs that the Gold King should be dealing with, but he had no other option. His research on the matter had led him this far, having been working under Daikaku Kokujoji for some time in the laboratory, but from what he discovered left unanswered questions.
That's why he was determined to salvage this girl and rise her to the top. He wanted answers and to know if it were possible to 'create' a King. He would be the one to discover if it were possible.
- x -
Honami paced in the main bar area as she nibbled on the fleshy part of her thumb. Not only was she confused as to why she was escorted to the bar and left there without any explanation, but the girl standing in behind the counter polishing Kusanagi's glasses to occupy her time hadn't been any help to her curiosity, either.
"Mikoto," Honami looked over to Kaori, noticing she'd paused briefly at the sound of her lovers name but continued with what she was doing, "He came to see me before I was picked up. Did you know about that?"
Kaori smiled and set one of the finished glasses down, "He wanted to make you aware that we were going to protect you and Anna at all costs, didn't he?"
"Well, yes, but–" Honami frowned, but Kaori cut her off politely.
"Then trust him," She finally looked up at the older woman and offered her a kind smile, "Anna will be fine. She's in great, capable hands."
Honami watched as Kaori continued the usual routine she'd often saw Kusanagi doing and reluctantly walked over to the counter, "Can you make drinks?"
"Hmm, I only know a few but Izumo has instructions in case he's away and one of us losers tends to his precious business," Kaori giggled, "What can I get you?"
"Whatever you find easiest to mix," Honami sighed, running her fingers through her hair gently, "He hinted to me that the hospital she's staying at isn't for normal people. Did you know she was different?"
Kaori prepared one of her favorite, minimal alcoholic drinks and laid a piece of black cloth down before setting the glass on top of it, "Yes, we all did. Anna is a very gifted young woman that is just like you or me, only she has abilities that not all people understand. They're called strains, which are gifted individuals that are born with special powers."
Honami stared at Kaori wide eyed, as if she suddenly realized something from before their conversation had begun, "He told me he was a King..."
"He is," Kaori leaned down on the bar with her arms folded comfortably, "Like Anna, he was born receptive to the powers that most humans don't have. It was difficult for him, but he accepted his new role in life."
"You're alright with that?" Honami frowned, "He looked so upset when he spoke, as if he were depreciating himself after giving me what little details he did."
Kaori heaved in a wistful sigh and smiled small, "It's been hard on him since he's got access to so much power that he keeps so tightly guarded, but he's coping. Just like him, Anna will learn to cope and eventually control her powers perfectly. All she needs is guidance that we can provide."
Honami nodded slowly, "Then, you...?"
"I also have power, yes," Kaori looked at her, "But I wasn't born with this. I was gifted, along with several others. We use our power to protect those we care about, and we wish to teach Anna to do the same."
"I... I knew there was something different and that it wasn't a sickness, but I let her go into that awful place," Honami's eyes began to swell with tears, "I feel like I've failed her."
Reaching out, Kaori placed her hand gently over Honami's in a comforting gesture, "Please don't beat yourself up over this, Honami. I'm sure everything will make sense when you and Anna finally talk about everything that's going on. I know for a fact that she doesn't blame you."
Her words seemed to work, noticing Honami was slowly calming down but the tears were still streaming down her face.
"You know, Anna talked about you once..." Honami looked at Kaori, "She said that she was comfortable around you. At first, I thought I was dreaming when she'd spoken. It was almost like a whisper, but it was real."
Kaori smiled at that and felt her heart swell, "She's more than welcome here, Honami."
"Maybe she would be better off staying with you," She sighed deeply and rubbed under her eyes with her fingers.
"Don't say that," Kaori frowned slightly, "Anna loves you, Honami. Let her decide."
Honami looked up at her and nodded slowly. There was another silent exchange between the two before she finally reached for the glass and sipped at the alcoholic beverage, letting the taste take over her train of thought as a distraction for the current situation.
"You know," Kaori suddenly said with a sly grin, "I have an idea..."
- x -
Mikoto stood idly behind Kusanagi as he activated his power by using the lighter in his hands to burn all of the Blue's that charged at them. To the King's side, Tatara's eyes were scanning a map of the underground facility in order to lead their small group of three in the right direction.
"Ahh~ Sorry boys, but we're in kind of a hurry," Kusanagi grinned at several of the Blue clansmen who were moaning in pain on the floor after receiving a flurry of fireballs produced by the bartenders power, "Any luck, Tatara?"
"Well, since we're guaranteed to find Anna in the basement level of this facility, it'd probably be best if we had someone guide us in the right direction," Tatara looked over to the elder male and grinned, "Besides, aren't you having fun? It's been a while since we've seen you fight, Izumo."
Kusanagi chuckled and turned to the men on the floor that were still alive, "Alright, then," Walking over to one of the males that looked like he might have some information, he squatted down in front of him and offered a friendly smile, "So, mind telling us how to get to the bottom of this place?"
The clansman coughed several times before passing out, much to Kusanagi's dismay. With a sigh, he stood up and ruffled his blond locks as he turned to his two companions. Before he could walk over to them, the sound of a blade being pulled from its scabbard echoed from behind him and suddenly, Kusanagi felt a sharp pain his shoulder.
"Damn," Kusanagi muttered and took the cigarette that he'd just lit, tossing it behind him and sighed as he activated his power, "What a waste. It was freshly lit, too."
Tatara watched as the man hit the ground without a sound and looked around, spotting a man leaning against the wall as he watched the three of them, "Hmm," Walking over, he kneeled down in front of him and offered him a kind smile, "I suppose telling you that I will torture you wouldn't get me anywhere, so would you mind telling us where a young girl named Anna Kushina might be?"
The man scoffed and looked away from him, causing Tatara to frown slightly, "Well, I guess I have no choice."
With a cheery smile, Tatara used his power to create a small hole beside the man's face, who made a startled sound and dove away from the spot he'd just been.
"Since our power is fire, I can create holes like these without much bleeding. I don't think you'd die right away, but I can't be certain" He grinned, "So, should I start playing, or are you going to help us?"
. . .
"You know, Izumo, I could have done a better job if you'd of let me handle things without having me almost torture that poor man," Tatara complained as he, Kusanagi and Mikoto entered a special elevator that would take them to the lower levels, "I don't like it when you pick roles for me."
Kusanagi chuckled and grinned, "It got the point across, didn't it? Besides, he told us what we needed to know before it got any further, so why complain? Getting people to talk is your specialty, even if means you have to threaten a little."
"This elevator doesn't even go all the way down," Tatara sighed dramatically, "We're going to have to find another set of key cards to use the other elevators to access different levels."
The bartender shrugged his shoulders, "It's a start. Just be prepared for anything when those doors open. Hell knows what we're going to be walking into when this thing stops."
Mikoto stared at the door and narrowed his eyes when the elevator finally came to a stop. When the doors opened, his eyes were met with enemies, but he was focused on the currently stand-in King, Shiotsu Gen.
Kusanagi had a crooked grin on his face as he stepped out of the elevator, "Sorry but, I need you two to go on ahead. I'll be fine, so just make sure Mikoto doesn't go overboard and trash the place, will ya?"
Tatara frowned, "Izumo?"
"This guy is a buddy of mine, so it's alright," Kusanagi waved his hand without looking back at his companions, "Like I said, I'll be fine."
Not at all impressed by having Tatara as his babysitter, Mikoto walked towards Kusanagi and reached for his breast pocket, snatching his box of cigarettes before pulling one out. His friend protested but sighed when he was given the same excuse Mikoto always had, catching the box as it was tossed over the man's shoulder.
Kusanagi watched as Mikoto walked passed Shiotsu without so much as a glance, leaving Tatara to follow him curiously but without a word. When they were finally out of sight, he flicked the top of his lighter open and lit the cigarette between his lips.
"I was expecting you to try and stop us, but you let Mikoto walk right passed you without so much as a glance," Kusanagi looked at the man, "Care to share your thoughts?"
"There wouldn't be a point in me trying to stop him," Shiotsu sighed.
"Well then, why not quit? I mean, not only this fight, but being a clansman. Without a King, it's pointless," Kusanagi frowned.
"It's not that simple," Shiotsu crossed his arms and frowned, "There are still civilians that need protected as this place is connected to a hospital, but that's not the main reason why we're here. Apparently, Mizuchi has found us a new King."
Kusanagi sighed, "I'm assuming that's where Anna comes into things?"
When Shiotsu nodded, Kusanagi sighed again, "You're alright with that?"
"No, I'm not."
Kusanagi watched as Shiotsu drew his sword, facing him now as an opponent rather than a man willing to discuss his differences. He understood how he felt now, and decided to save his commentary for a more appropriate time.
- x -
On the outside, the Red and Blue clansman continued to clash until finally, HOMRA had the upper hand. Kamamoto turned to ask Yata what the next step would be, when he noticed unfamiliar faces that were dressed in civilian clothing running towards them. He prepared himself, wondering if they were reinforcements for Scepter 4, but was surprised when his eyes landed on someone he recognized.
It was the strain from before when they'd come to gather information on the facility and Anna.
"Hey!" Kamamoto called him over, noticing the boy's features go from scared and confused to grinning and assured.
"So it was you guys," He said with confidence, "I didn't expect you all to show up."
Kamamoto nodded, "Are you guys escaping or leaving with permission?"
"Well, things are getting pretty bad down there, so we all decided to take the chance and get out of here while we can."
Suddenly, a large tremor coming from beneath them shook the entire building. Kamamoto's hair stood on end as he felt the raw strength of Mikoto's power begin to pulsate around them all, knowing he was down there and facing an opponent that required special coaxing. It must have been pretty bad, considering Tatara was there with him to keep him from popping the cap on his power.
That gave him an adrenaline rush as he smirked and shot his fist into the air, followed by several other HOMRA members.
"No blood! No bone! No ash!"
The boy stood there confused while the men around him chanted, when a startled gasp tore through the air. Kamamoto looked over to see if it was an enemy, but was shocked to see two familiar faces running towards them.
"Hey guys!" Kaori grinned, hauling a tired (but stunned) looking Honami behind her as she kept a firm grip on her hand, "I see you boys have been having lots of fun around here."
Kamamoto's jaw dropped, "What are you both doing here?! Where are the guys that were supposed to be keeping you inside the bar?"
"Well, you see, while we were enjoying so girl time I decided that it was too boring for us to be there. So, here we are! And don't worry about them, they're all fine," She continued to grin as she briskly walked up to the chubby male, "Mind looking after Honami for me? She has an idea of what's going on, so just try to offer her some comfort."
Kamamoto frowned and opened his mouth to speak, when his eyes flickered to a group of strange men standing where Kaori and Honami had just come from. He suddenly felt tense, noticing the traditional Japanese clothing and the rabbit masks each one of them wore.
Kaori turned to see what Kamamoto was looking at and grimaced, "Ah, so they've arrived, huh?"
- x -
After many attempts, Anna had let her concentration slip from trying to reach and connect with the slates to the overbearing power that was circulating through the air at that moment. It was him, she was sure of it. Mikoto. The man she'd connected with on one occasion. He was here, and was using that beautiful red power of his. The aura itself was like an alluring presence to Anna, making her so intrigued that she couldn't help but wish to reach out to it.
As her thoughts changed from the slates to Mikoto, the marbles pulled her consciousness into the pits of his mind. He was smiling and enjoying himself as he fought against a hulking strain that wasn't backing down.
It was such a terrifying world inside of that one man, as she delved deeper into the depths of Mikoto's aura. What she could only describe as a sea of liquid fire coursed around angrily in accordance to the Kings will, threatening to unleash it's hellish fury and burn all those it touched.
To her, it was beautiful.
All the while, she was drawn to the pulsating liquid red that thrashed about angrily. It wasn't like when she would grow close to the slates and have them reject her. No, this was inviting. It welcome her. It called out to her with it's sweet, intense song.
She was abruptly pulled from her solace as she gave her head a shake to recover from the shock of being taken from her moment of enjoyment. A frown graced her lips and she instantly blocked the screams of those outside the doors being engulfed by the liquid red.
"I will become the Blue King," Anna said with a cold voice, "I will connect with the slates and become like him."
Mikoto...
Pushing what she most desired aside, she steeled herself and forced her will to continue the attempts at connecting with the slates. However, that was cut short when the ceiling of her room suddenly cracked and began to cave in.
- x -
Mikoto was smiling the entire time that he let his power pour out from every pore in his body. His opponents were entertaining and finally a challenge. The strains that attacked him didn't back down at his display of red power, so he entertained the thought of taunting them to keep them coming back for more.
The more he released, the stronger his hunger grew to let the chains drop and let it all out.
The strain that called itself Senkouki continued to swing at him and attack in various way, only continuing to excite the King more and more. There was a split second where he looked as though he was going to receive another blow from the strain, when he parried with a block of his arm and grabbed the man, using more force than necessary to send him flying across the expanse.
"Tatara, come here," Mikoto's eyes never left the strain, "I've decided I'm tired of walking through halls. It'll be easier if I just create my own opening, so brace yourself."
"But, King!" Tatara protested as he rushed over, but it was in vain as Mikoto concentrated a mass amount of energy directed at the ground beneath his feet.
Tatara gave a startled yelp as the floor melted away like butter against Mikoto's raw power. Again, his protests died in his throat as he caught sight of Anna standing near the end of the hallway.
She must have come out to see what the commotion was about. Tatara thought to himself before looking at Mikoto, "You know what, never mind. I'll scold you when we get back to the bar."
"I told you it would be easier, so don't complain," Mikoto said gruffly.
"I figured you would make it here, King of Destruction."
Both Tatara and Mikoto turned to see a tall male standing close to Anna, who was watching the two with a shocked expression.
Mikoto's eyes were narrowed but his face was void of emotion, "So, you decided to show your face."
"Do you even understand where you get that power from, Suoh?" Mizuchi chimed, "You enjoy that power of yours without a thought, swinging that flaming sword of yours around with the enjoyment of destruction and violence. I suppose it suits you though. A man who is but a mere flame to be put out in the wind."
Tatara glanced to Mikoto and grinned sheepishly, "You aren't listening to him, are you?"
"... I don't listen to nonsense."
"Figured as much."
Mizuchi watched the two and clenched his fists to the point where they shook with anger, "I will not allow you to get in the way of my research! With the help of Anna Kushina, I will find a way to help mankind evolve with the power of the slates to avoid having repeats of you, who swing their powers around without meaning and for their own gain!"
"Seems he keeps talking nonsense," Tatara pocketed his hands as he looked to Mikoto, "What will you do?"
Mikoto's eyes left the enraged male standing so close to the doll-like girl before locking onto her own. She looked torn, as she stared back at the two across from her. The two that came to save her.
"You know what you need to do, Anna," Mizuchi said with a strained voice, trying to keep a hold of the anger boiling inside of him.
It angered him even further to see such a serene look on Tatara's face that was paired with the carefree, emotionless facade of the Red King.
"Anna."
Her body froze as he spoke to her. She lifted her eyes to meet his own again, instantly regretting doing so. All of her worries and all of the promises she'd made to the man beside her threw themselves at her with a force that could have knocked her over, but there was a nagging feeling inside of her chest that pulled her towards the Red King.
"Anna," He repeated, "Come here."
Her feet moved on their own as she suddenly threw herself forward. The indignant, startled yell from Mizuchi was long forgotten as Anna ran as fast as she could towards the man coated in red, throwing herself at him as she collided with his leg. He looked down at her on impact and reached for her, steadying her for a moment before patting her head roughly.
"Don't strain yourself, kid," Mikoto sighed as he reached lower to grab the back of her dress to lift her in the air, not at all bothered by the fact his pant leg was soaked from where she'd cried against him, "Take her, Tatara."
"Oh, I get it," Mizuchi watched the exchange as the strains from the earlier fight jumped down through the hole created by Mikoto and landed in front of him, "You have such intense power that is probably the most devastating out of all the Seven, but you can't unleash it all in your fury when those you care about are around. How foolish you are. Just like your foolish predecessor, Genji Kagutsu."
Mikoto smirked at him.
With Anna wrapped securely in his arms, Tatara watched as the flames began to lick away at Mikoto's body. There were flickering around him angrily, matching the mood of the King perfectly. He gave a small smile and sighed softly, tightening his grip on the young girl who was still trembling.
"Do I even bother stopping you?"
"No."
"Fair enough."
Mikoto's smirk widened as he took several steps forward, letting his energy cackle around him and sparks spit out from under his feet, "I'll make sure there's nothing left of any of you," The flames began to surround him like a massive ball of pure energy, making it seem as though he were engulfed by the sun, "No trace of bone or ash. Say your prayers now if it soothes you."
The strains watched and prepared themselves for the attack, readying their own defenses while the self-named Senkouki watched without attempting to prepare himself. He only watched with a smile, admiring the Red Kings display of power. The more energy that coursed through the already thick air pulsated, and soon the massive ball of red moved on its own accord.
It was like its own entity, followed by the man controlling the mass as he moved like a lion. The flame roared at their release, capturing all three of its targets and effectively burning them down to the bone. Even Senkouki, who had thrown his fists against the flame in a last effort to exert his excitement, fell to the floor with a loud thud of burnt flesh.
However, Mikoto's victory was short lived as the hulk of a strain slowly began to rise back onto his feet. Amber eyes trailed to the person standing behind him, noticing Mizuchi's hand was a glowing golden color to match the aura that encased Senkouki.
"Ah, so this is your talent," Mikoto said flatly.
Not losing any momentum, Mikoto continued his attack and threw a devastating amount of energy into a kick that sent Senkouki spiraling to the floor once again. With a frown, Mikoto watched as he hauled himself up again with the same golden aura surrounding him and rushed for him once again.
The exchange went on for much longer than Mikoto would have liked, now finally beginning to lose his cool with the situation.
"You shouldn't allow yourself to get beaten so badly," Mizuchi looked at Senkouki, "There's only so much my power can do for you."
"I don't need your power," He grinned, wiping the dribbled trail of blood from his chin with the back of his hand as he stared the Red King down, "This is what I was meant to do. I'm meant to go through any opponent, no matter how powerful they are."
Mizuchi scoffed and narrowed his eyes at the man in slight disgust. He recovered quickly and looked at Mikoto, feeling a sense of pride as the strain continued to push the Red King to a limit that only another King had ever been able to achieve.
"Do you think this cruel of me? They're means to an end, Suoh. Experiments to test the boundaries of the power you King's possess," Mizuchi smirked, "You should be thanking me. Isn't that right, Anna?"
Mikoto eyed him for a moment when Senkouki chuckled, "Save the pretty talk for after. Right now, I want to fight the Red King. I'm going to kill the Red King. Stay out of it."
Watching with a droll stare, Mikoto wanted to scoff at the idiocy of this man, boasting that he was going to kill him.
. . .
Anna watched the exchange with wide eyes. She'd been called out by Mizuchi again, but found that she could bring herself to lean away from the enticing red that was so closely in her grasp. That hot, red sea of liquid fire that she could see when she closed her eyes was right there. It was so bright and vivid and oh so tempting. She couldn't bring herself to look away, neither ashamed or embarrassed to the fact that she found the beast within him so beautiful.
She could feel the desire that was pent up in his mind, at killing the man he was fighting. It was the same when her mind filled with Senkouki's feelings, shivering as the ripples of pleasure flooded through her while he danced with the Red King in the joy of a fight to the end.
"Don't worry," Tatara said to her with a calm smile, "Everything will work out in the end. You'll see."
With Tatara's calm words, Anna steeled herself and watched as the magnificent red beast continued to dance around his opponent like a predator circling his prey.
Beautiful. She wouldn't hesitate to call him beautiful, even when the flaming lion inside the Red King was merely inches away from being released.
"King."
The beast faltered only slightly as Anna watched Tatara bravely place a hand on the back of Mikoto's shoulder, amazed that he could calm the King's inner self with just a touch.
"Remember who you are and what you're doing," Tatara said in a light voice, "She would be angry if you let go because of this, King."
It took a lot of concentration on Tatara's part for him to synchronize his own flames to the Red Kings as he attempted to reach him within his own inner world of lust and power. With a jolt, Mikoto inhaled a deep breath and reached up, running his fingers through his messy locks as though he'd just been woken up from a long nap. At a closer look, Anna could no longer see the beast so proudly poised in his inner consciousness. No, instead, she could see the man before her surrounded by a blanket of red.
"So pretty..." Anna murmured.
Tatara looked down at her and smiled, "I know."
"What in the hell do you think you're doing?!" Mizuchi looked down at Senkouki, who had been recovering from the last attack in a moment of silence as he stared at the Red King, "You are supposed to be murderer! A strain who has killed so many others that lives to fight and kill!"
Senkouki, who cradled his injured arm, grinned and stood up shakily, "I will fight. I will continue to fight this man until the end."
Mikoto eyed him, knowing exactly what that meant.
Crossing the distance between the two, Mikoto lifted a fist to Senkouki and with a thump, landed a light hit on a point of his chest that was directly above his heart.
"No blood. No bone. No ash."
In an instant, the hulking strain was gone. His body fell to the floor in a heap after having his heart burned to nothing from within his body, leaving Mizuchi to watch with wide eyes and a shaking form.
"W-Wait," Mizuchi backed up as Mikoto took a step forward, "Don't you want to know the secrets behind that power of yours? I've done all of my research on why you as prospects for Kings and strains are born! Don't you want to know why? What about the child? Don't you want to know why she is so powerful?!"
"Just shut the fuck up, would you?" Mikoto said in annoyance.
Using his power, Mikoto lifted Mizuchi off his feet and into the air without much effort. The man struggled against the invisible source that held him above ground, pleading with King to release him.
"Yo," Kusanagi's voice sounded through the area, "We should go. The rabbits are here, so leave him for them to take care of."
Tatara looked over to Kusanagi and blinked, "Izumo?"
Mikoto also looked over and noticed his closest friends disheveled appearance and that his white button-up shirt was covered in blood, "The hell happened to you?"
"Don't ask," Kusanagi sighed, "I should be asking what the hell happened here. I thought I told you not to let him go overboard?"
A sheepish smile pulled at Tatara's lips, "Well, you see..."
"Never mind. I'll give you both hell later," Kusanagi looked over to Mikoto, "Let's go before the entire building collapses. Everyone else is outside and the other strains have already taken off."
Tatara nodded and grinned, "Yeah. We might get buried alive in here if we don't move soon."
Mikoto released his hold on Mizuchi and let him fall to the floor before turning around to walk over to Tatara and Anna, who was now standing close to his vassal watching as he approached. He looked down at her for a moment as if to ask her what she would do, when her hands suddenly reached up to grab his sleeve.
When the four finally got to the surface, a scowl made its way to Mikoto's face at the sight of a familiar woman who was patching Yata's wounded arm up, "What the hell do you think you're doing here?"
Kaori looked over at him, but her eyes fell on Kusanagi, "Izumo?!"
"Don't worry about me," He chuckled.
"Mikoto!" Yata jumped up, "You're all okay!"
Fushimi watched as the four of them approached, releasing a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding at the sight of a dirty, yet very safe Anna. Tatara walked over to him as the group began to walk away from the crumbling building, complimenting him on the job well done for all of the efforts that went into rescuing Anna. He explained to Fushimi what had happened and smiled, assuring him that once again, everything had worked out in the end.
Meanwhile, Mikoto walked with Anna clinging to his sleeve to his left, while holding Kaori's hand on his right in a tight grip, "I assume that Honami is nearby if you're here?"
"Yeah. She's up ahead with Rikio and the others," Kaori looked up at him, "Are you alright?"
Mikoto gave a nod as is answer but never looked at her, causing a wave of worry to build up in her stomach.
"Kamamoto!" Yata ran ahead of the small group and waved sporadically, "Look! Mikoto is back and he's got Anna with him!"
Kusanagi grinned, "Apparently we're chopped liver, Tatara."
"So it seems," The younger of the two grinned as well.
Suddenly, out from the middle of the gathered HOMRA members, Honami pushed through them and ran towards the small group. Kaori smiled as she approached while Mikoto gave a small tug forward to pull Anna into sight, easing her grip off his clothing as Honami's arms flung around the tiny girl. Everyone watched the exchange with smiles on their faces, enjoying the fact that all was well in the world once again.
All, except for Mikoto.
- x -
It was early morning when Kusanagi had woken up to find himself laying on the couch in his apartment. It confused him as to why he'd fallen asleep there, but he brushed it off once he recalled the tiny figure that would be sleeping in his bedroom beside the terrifying Red King, who she insisted sleep over with her at Kusanagi's expense. He sighed and chuckled softly, pulling himself up off the couch and made his way to the room to shower.
As the water hit him, his mind raced with all that happened just recently between meeting the strange girl in blue for the first time to her now being one of Mikoto's clansmen. There was also the fact that several of the boys were supposed to be in charge of tidying the small room that was once the storage closet to his bar for Anna to use as a room, since Mikoto and Kaori shared the only real bedroom on the second floor.
Some of what Kamamoto had found out the day before had also crossed his mind, concerning the rabbits and what had happened. Apparently when the rabbits had arrived, Kamamoto had been knocked out, along with several others in the area, including Honami. Kaori and one of the other Red clansman had been the only two to escape their hold, but they were forbidden from entering the building. The strains that had been nearby were caught, so Kusanagi wondered what would happen to them now that the Gold clan had them once again.
With a shake of his head, he brushed the thought off and quickly finished his shower and dried off. After tending to the wound on his arm, he made his way to the kitchen and pulled out his phone. The number he'd dialed rang only twice before the recipient picked up.
"Morningggggggg~"
"Hey," Kusanagi grinned, "Are you on your way over?"
"Yes, I'm almost there actually. I have some things for Anna, too. I thought she'd like some jello and some blood red orange juice."
Kusanagi chuckled, "Alright, well, the doors unlocked so come on in. Is Kaori with you?"
"No."
With furrowed brows, Kusanagi prepared the frying pan with his free hand, "What do you mean, no?"
"I'll talk to you about it after," He heard Tatara sigh, "Alright, I'm here!"
Kusanagi walked over to the spot where the alarm system's controls were situated on the wall and pressed one of the keys to let Tatara into his building before walking back over to the stove. When the younger male finally walked in, he made his way over to join Kusanagi in the kitchen and helped prepare breakfast.
"So, care to tell me why she's not here?" Kusanagi asked in a low voice, trying to keep their conversation between just the two of them.
Tatara frowned, "It's about Honami," He looked at Kusanagi, "The rabbits went and took her last night, but apparently she was back home relatively fast."
Kusanagi's brows knit together at this, "Really?"
"Mm," Tatara nodded.
"Well, lets keep this between ourselves for now. One of us can tell Mikoto after and let him decide what's going to happen," Kusanagi said before smiling, "Want to go wake them up? Anna insisted Mikoto stay the night with her so they're both in my room."
Tatara chuckled and nodded, walking passed him to go wake up HOMRA's King and princess, "We should take Anna shopping for some clothing today, too."
"I agree."
- x -
Mikoto would have been lying if he didn't feel the least bit guilty after having the conversation about Honami with Kusanagi earlier that day. Now, he found himself walking towards a familiar apartment complex with a tiny girl padding beside him. She was silent and gripped at his sleeve the entire time, his eyes focused on the door that would lead to the inside of her aunts apartment.
When the two walked up the stairs and were standing at the door, Mikoto pushed the doorbell and waited for her to answer.
When Honami answered the door, she gave Mikoto a pleasant smile that both confused and bothered him. Kusanagi and Tatara had been vague about what they had to say when they spoke to him about the woman in front of him, so why was she not in tears over her niece being safe?
Come to think of it, she wasn't looking relieved to see Anna standing there, either. Rather, she smiled politely down to her as if she'd never seen her before.
"Ah, is this yours and Kaori's daughter? Or perhaps a sister?"
Ah, so that's what happened.
Despite what he wanted to say, he bit back all of the comments and his feelings towards the situation and looked down to Anna. Sure, he'd considered the possibilities of the rabbits taking Honami to either erase or manipulate her memory into forgetting what happened, but he didn't think they would go to such lengths after Kaori had explained everything to her. For all they could have known, Honami might have been a future member of his clan.
Anna, however, had accepted the fact that her aunt was safe and would never be bothered again now that she had no recollection of who she was. Perhaps it was out of the selflessness that she felt when she thought of Honami, or even the fact that all those who threatened her were now eliminated... Anna could live with the fact that she was orphaned and to live with the man who saved her for the rest of her life.
"What's wrong?" Honami looked up at Mikoto, who was giving her a serious look.
"I should be asking you that," He said bluntly, "You're crying."
That she was.
Honami inhaled a gasping breath as she choked back a sob, "I..."
She was confused, that much was obvious. Mikoto watched her and didn't really know what to say, until he felt Anna's hands leave his sleeve as she walked over to Honami. He watched her awkwardly take the elder woman's hand in both of her own and looked up at her with a calm expression.
"It's okay..." Anna gave her a small smile, albeit strained and somewhat awkward, "You don't have to cry. It's okay."
Mikoto watched the exchange silently before turning on his heel suddenly and began walking away with his hands stuffed in his pockets. He'd apologized for being a lousy student before his abrupt departure and wondered if he would ever see that woman again, figuring that now she wouldn't bother coming to the bar after having her memories altered. Not that it bothered him, since he'd threatened her countless times to stay away.
From behind, he could hear Anna's quick footsteps as she ran to catch up to him. He slowed down his pace for her to make it easier, walking towards the park that was near the apartment building.
Ironically, it was the spot where both Tatara and Kusanagi tried to convince him of Anna's possible occupancy in the upper level of the bar with him and his lovely girlfriend.
"Mikoto," Anna stopped and with her single call, he stopped as well, "I want it. I want Mikoto's red."
He looked back at her and instantly felt uneasy, knowing that she was a very powerful, but dangerous strain. The fact that Honami's memories had been altered was proof of that, being that the rabbits didn't trust her to be in the hands of a civilian any longer. There was also the point that Mikoto came across that the Gold clan was offering him the chance to keep the child instead of her going back to them, which made his decision more difficult.
She would be his burden and his responsibility now.
"I can't always guarantee your safety."
"That's fine," Anna shook her head, "I just want to be with Mikoto. I want to follow you until the very end."
Her words made his unease intensify, but he sighed and brushed that aside. Pulling one of his hands from his pocket, he amber eyes watched as the flames engulfed the appendage before he looked down at the mesmerized girl.
"Take my hand."
As he held it out to her, she grabbed it immediately and held it to her chest as though it was the most valuable thing in the world to her. A flame that was warm and inviting, and one that would never burn her.
SOOOOOOOOOOOO, that was a long fkn into to Anna, but it was so worth it! ;D
Sorry if it seems super choppy, but like I said up at the note before the start of the story, I wasn't going to put everything and make it seem like I just copied everything. I also changed a few things around to add my own little bit of spice. There are however, some parts that I did take from the light novel that I felt were important, mostly dialogue, to the story. Of course, I worded it differently to avoid accusations. ;)
Also, I decided to omit the last part about Scepter 4 after the fighting stopped and things died down. I didn't feel the need to put it in, but for those of you who are wondering, it's just a small section that explains why Scepter 4 disbanded after the incident at the Center where Anna was being held.
Again, for those interested in reading the light novels, please see the tumblr user's page, "Secrets of the Slates". They have an invaluable resource for English translated material from K-Project that I think everyone should check out! :)
Next update will be probably posted sometime this week. I have a butt tone of math homework to do tomorrow, or else I would have typed it up and had it posted this weekend. Like I said previously, it's going to be a bit of a depressing, sad update, so prepare yourselves! :o
Anywhoo, I love you all SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much! Thank you for being patient with me and thank you all for sticking with me even after my short (and abrupt) hiatus! :'D
~ Kayori, out!