Chapter 11 Zoos are for Monkeys… and Chiropterans
"Nathan, what the hell are you doing here?" the words flew from her mouth as broken shards, and Nathan flinched visibly, but didn't leave.
"I came for you." He said quietly; no trace of the familiar teasing guise he usually wore, nor the deep growl of anger, in his voice, only quiet assurance. Ibukishi's fringe was suddenly swept off her face as both eyes narrowed at Nathan; one red, one blue. Nathan however, betrayed no emotion at this sight, as Ibukishi spat out her next words, both eyes raging.
"Well I don't need you, so leave."
"You may not need me now, but you will. And I will always-"
"Don't!" Ibukishi snapped, and surprisingly, Nathan didn't, but stopped and stood in silence. Another gust of wind blew through the clearing, stirring Ibukishi's fringe once again, as she stared angrily at the floor, ignoring Nathan. Minutes passed, and it was Nathan who broke the silence;
"You haven't had any since then. You'll need more. Even Diva needs it; Saya too, why must you deny yourself, and me?" Nathan spoke calmly, but the anguish he felt was evident in both his eyes and his voice.
"What does it have to do with you? It's my choice, and I don't..need… No." She stepped back glaring, as Nathan, sudden determination showing in his eyes and turning them hard, used his nails to slit the side of his throat. Ibukishi's eyes widened as both her eyes began to shine against her will; caught in bloodlust. Nathan advanced on her, as she backed up faster and faster. Ibukishi was reaching her limit and was on the point of turning and fleeing, when her back touched rock and earth.
With a panicked look, Ibukishi realised she was backed up against the cliff, with Nathan advancing on her, that mouth-watering red liquid flowing from his neck, and she had no escape, despite her struggling. She made a thin cry of distress, but it wasn't so much fear of Nathan as fear of what he represented, what that meant to her, the feelings it conveyed. She whimpered again while Nathan pressed closer. Ibukishi strained away, but she was half imbedded in the cliff face as it was; she could go no further.
Nathan firmly planted each hand on the cliff, one by Ibukishi's waist, one by her head. Nathan paused and surveyed her for a moment; even with panic fighting lustful hunger in her mismatched eyes, he still thought her one of the most beautiful creatures he had ever seen.
"This time," he murmured, their faces now bare centimetres apart, "This time I will not let you run away from what you need." Finally, Ibukishi met his gaze and their eyes locked. And Nathan saw her give in, saw her let go, heard the savage growl rip its way up her throat, and then felt her push against him; no longer resisting but attacking.
How she managed to find any purchase for strength half buried in a cliff would probably always be a mystery, most of all to Ibukishi herself, but all Nathan could think was: Finally. Thank you. Thank you. Over and over again, even as Ibukishi somehow found that strength and threw both Nathan and herself flying several feet. They landed, Nathan slightly winded and lying flat on his back, Ibukishi on top of him. She bit hard and deep, but Nathan felt no pain, and his arms came up to lovingly hold her as she drank.
As she drinks, Diva wrecks havoc. Riku is cast aside. Saya remembers her life's goal. Kai, David and Joel meet their deadly foe for the first time. But Ibukishi doesn't see any of it, and she will only find out later, when it is far too late for Himi to reign Diva in.
-n/s-
Nathan sat, Ibukishi's head in his lap, with his usual smile that managed to be somehow sarcastic and intimately caring at the same time. Gave up trying to clean himself up; his shirt was ruined anyway, especially after using it to wipe the blood from Ibukishi's lips. Ibukishi herself had collapsed from drinking too much; had she been awake she most certainly would not have tolerated lying in Nathan's lap, especially with the Zoo so close to seeing yet another tragedy.
"Ah- Kishi. You are very silly. So very wonderfully silly, my very own" Nathan's voice dropped to a whisper. "My beloved Queen."
-n/s-
Ibukishi, still in her broken self, sat in her favourite vantage point; a rooftop. If you could call it a roof; she sat on an outcrop of what might have once been a wall, the aged yellow stone providing no answer as to what part of the building it had originally been, and she was watching as Diva prepared to slice Saya's throat. And she was doing nothing.
Nathan stood behind her, and Ibukishi wasn't sure whether she was ignoring him or not, but stand there he did, and although Ibukishi would have hated to admit it, it felt right to have him there; a steady presence she could rely on. Her chevalier. And at the same time, not. Ibukishi's eyes narrowed, her fringe still in its natural disarray and displaying both her eyes in clear view.
Those narrowed eyes watched as Diva taunted Saya, who sat listless, overcome with memories that clashed with her current personality and views and left a fresh trail of guilt in its wake. She watched as Diva pondered where to stab Saya; where to kill her, and she did nothing but hunch her shoulders and hug her knees.
"They disgust me." She said quietly, to no one in particular. Nathan looked at her and sighed quietly in agreement.
Neither reacted when Hagi arrived in a flash and rescued Saya, and neither reacted when Solomon retreated with Diva in his arms. Actually, Himi reacted with delight, when Diva explained to Solomon that she wanted a new dress, at the thought of more shopping, but Ibukishi didn't bat an eyelid. Both Nathan and Ibukishi reacted, however, when Lewis rushed onto the scene, sweating profusely and far too late, Nathan with a chuckle and Ibukishi with a cold smile. Then Saya remembered her family as a raucous scream suddenly rang out across the spacious grounds of the Zoo. Nathan looked startled in girlish way while Ibukishi jolted, before paling slightly with an expression of guilt and sadness as she made out the screamed word;
"RIKU!"
It was Kai, and his brother's heart was no longer beating.
-n/s-
Saya didn't cry, or scream, or wail. Kai was doing all of that for her, loud enough to contain her sorrow and her dead father's too. She stood to one side, subdued, faithfully loyal Hagi by her side, and simply watched. Kai shook Riku as he screamed, but Riku did not react. David knelt by the boy's side, Lewis standing frustrated nearby.
"Where are the reinforcements?" Lewis asked, worried.
"They won't make it. He's lost too much blood." David said severely; only those who knew him recognised the grief in his eyes.
"Damn it! Can't we do anything?" Kai demanded, his voice full of tears. Saya continued to look on solemnly, her eyes not quite focused. Kata stepped silently into the tower, having judged that now was a good a time as any to rejoin Saya for a while.
She was dressed once more in typical 'Kata' fashion; though she no longer sported her previous outfit of a grey skirt and blue t-shirt coupled with black biker boots, leggings and her beloved leather jacket, her clothing was similar enough (and the jacket was the same) that no one would have noticed any difference. Her unusual swords were strapped securely into her belt; Kata could never quite be 'Kata' without them.
Nobody noticed her as she approached the group gathered around Riku; and Kata decided she was going to keep it that way, for a while, and simply stood, her face serious, but not sad. For Kata wasn't watching Riku, or Kai, or even Hagi, and she certainly wasn't watching any of the Red Shield members. Her blue eye; now the only once visible once more, was fixed on Saya, and she noticed immediately, as did Hagi, when Saya started. But everyone's attention was claimed by her next words.
"If I give him my blood… I can save Riku." She said softly, as if the very words and not just the meaning behind them pained her. David sat up to stare at her with barely concealed shock, while Hagi looked at her gently; already forgiving and accepting of her choice.
"If that is what you truly wish…" He said, and Kata had to stifle an incredibly inappropriate laugh; she found the 'your wish is my command' of both Saya and Diva's chevaliers hilarious, but even Kata with her ability to be completely unaffected by the situation recognised that laughing just then would most likely be the worst possible move. The slight gasp she gave as she struggled not to laugh, however, attracted Hagi's attention who betrayed himself with a barely detectable flicker in his eye. Saya didn't notice, wrought with such a difficult choice, and neither did anyone other than Hagi as Kata casually stepped silently closer and leant against the wall.
Saya's eyes narrowed in anguish, but she stepped forwards and took David's place by her brother's side. Kai looked up at her, his face tearstained.
"Your blood? What do you mean?"
"If he drinks my blood, maybe I can save Riku…" Saya began to shake as hope leapt to life in Kai's eyes.
Kata gave a barely audible sigh.
"Is that true?" Kai cried. Saya's fists clenched.
"But… you see…but… Riku's time will stop as it is now…" Saya got out. Kata rolled her eyes, unable to stop herself. Oh geez. Why does nobody say 'stop aging'? It's much simpler than all of this 'time stopping' business. Kata then had to suppress the urge to whack Kai over the back of the head with something big, hard, and preferably very heavy as he gripped Saya's arm.
"That's fine." Kai said determined. Whoa. Careful what you wish for there, ginger. Saya choked and shut her eyes again, shaking her head.
"No… I can't do it after all." Kata rolled her eyes again, wondering absentmindedly if she was the only one finding this conversation incredibly slow moving.
"You don't know what it means!" Saya cried. Well. I'm with you on that one, deary. Kata then had to bite her tongue to suppress the urge to whack Kai over the back of the head with something big, hard, and preferably very heavy yet again.
"Maybe so, but there's no other way!"
"But…"
"Please! Riku's my one and only brother! If he dies, I'll be all alone! I don't want that to happen!" Kata counselled herself desperately; she didn't think she'd ever found the ginger brat so irritating before; which was probably due to her very stressful afternoon - Don't kill him. Don't kill him. Don't kill him don't kill him don't kill him."So please! Help him!"
Saya stared at Kai uselessly for a bit, eyes wavering, before speaking in such a self-pitying way that Kata now wanted to give Riku her own blood, knock Saya and Kai's heads together and be done with it;
"That's right… Riku's your brother… If he dies, you'll be all alone…" Kai released Saya's arm and sat back, about to bawl again, when Saya did what Kata had expected from the start and agreed.
"All right. I want to save Riku, too." Kata rolled her eyes yet again. Of course you do dear, so can we get on with it? "This is the only way…"
Kata watched, bored, while Hagi supported Riku and Saya cut her hand with one of his daggers; drinking the blood from the wound, Saya leant over, gently cupping Riku's face in her hands and feeding him her blood in much the same way she had to Hagi.
Yep. Mouth to mouth, always the most fool-proof way. Kata thought wryly, stepping forwards again into the light. She passed unnoticed still, but it wouldn't be long.
"Kai. Hold his hand." Kata said, as with a start everyone whipped around to face her. Saya stared, questions in her eyes, but Saya didn't focus on whether Kata's absence had affected Riku's fate; what Kata said was true. As Kai's eyes darted between Riku, Saya and Kata, Saya nodded.
"Hold his hand." She said sadly, locking her tears away. Kata, to her relief, went unquestioned for the moment as everyone's attention focused back on Riku, as Kai reached out to hold his younger brother's hand.
Saya stood and stepped back knowing what was about to happen and not wanting to see it. Hagi however, didn't move, still supporting Riku, as the young boy's eyes opened very wide suddenly.
"Riku! Are you all right?" Kai cried, half a tearful smile on his face. But then the reaction that Saya was dreading and both Hagi and Kata were expecting came; Riku's back arched in agony and he began to scream and twitch; his body no longer under his control. Saya closed her eyes as Riku writhed and Hagi restrained him.
"What? What the hell! Riku, what's going on?" Kai yelled, while Hagi held the jerking boy down. Kata suddenly noticed Saya staring at her hand where she had cut herself to get the blood to save Riku, as Kai shouted to her.
"Saya! What's going on?" Saya looked pained, but she did not move.
"Don't let go."
-n/s-
Kata was pissed off again. Actually, whenever I'm Kata I seem to spend a hell of a lot time being pissed off. She reflected grumpily, but this realisation did nothing to improve her mood. Sitting out of the way on a railing, legs dangling over the sea, of the Red Shield HQ -I still don't get why it's a cruise line r- Kata frowned.
Damn it. I completely lost control there. Completely and utterly. Distracted, Kata almost didn't notice her fingers moving to touch her lips, the feel of Nathan's neck beneath them still fresh in her mind. Her eyes narrowed, but now amongst the anger there was something that wasn't quite happiness, but closer to guilty satisfaction. Kata closed her eyes, her shoulders hunching as she remembered the sensation of being held gently. She'd never been held like that before. Kata opened her eyes miserably. She wasn't even sure why she was miserable, and she could find no answers as she felt herself slipping slowly into 'Ibukishi'.
She was jolted back into Kata, however, before any seriously depressing thoughts could take hold, by a soft step behind her. Kata didn't need to turn to know who it was; that presence was as familiar to her as the back of her hand.
"Kata." Saya said, tortured pain and anger fighting for dominace in her voice. Now Kata turned, wary. "Where did you go?" Saya asked accusingly, and Kata sighed.
"Himitsu."
"A secret? Why is it a secret? You said you helped me with my fight! You said you were my friend! Friends don't desert each other!" Saya cried, her voice betraying just how attached she had become to Kata in the brief time they had spent together; how Saya held on to any connection to her past like a drowning man to wood.
"I am your friend. And who doesn't have a few secrets? If you can look me in the eye and truthfully tell me that you're not hiding a thing from somebody, then I'll tell you." Kata said, her voice hard and tired. Saya stared at her, breathing hard, but she couldn't hold Kata's one-eyed gaze on that point.
"Fine. Don't tell me." Kata sighed again while Saya stared angrily at the floor. "Then, why didn't you help? You were at the Zoo. Why didn't you save Riku?" Saya cried, and was just about to say more when with a blue blur, Kata was standing right in front of her, face set and glaring. Saya took a nervous step back as Kata began to speak, her voice flinty and eyes cold.
"Don't. Don't you dare try and blame this on me. There is a whole big picture here," Kata hissed. Saya's eyes were wide with a hint of fear. "That you still do not see. That you have never seen. And when you don't even have all your memories, you are in no position to make assumptions." Saya stuttered wordlessly, but Kata was on a roll. There was only one person who could have stopped her now, and he was several thousand miles away buying a new shirt. "Don't assume that I would save Riku. Don't assume that I could save Riku. Don't assume that you're the only one suffering right now." Kata stepped back, panting slightly, while Saya processed this. Kata saw the reluctant agreement in Saya's eyes and stopped herself from saying more.
"I'm sorry." Saya said, her voice soft and her words genuine. She leaned her forearms on the railing where Kata had been sitting a few minutes ago, her face sad; the little crease between her eyebrows had appeared several days ago when she first discovered she was a chiropteran, and it was still there. Kata didn't respond, but her expression softened. The two spent a couple of moments in comfortable silence, while Saya worked up the courage to ask her next question.
"Kata." Saya finally ventured, her voice nervous.
"Uh huh?"
"You know… a lot about chiropterans… and chevaliers, right? More than Hagi and I do?" Kata frowned to herself.
"Well… I wouldn't call myself an expert, and it's not exactly hard to know more than you guys, but yeah, I guess." Saya stared down at the foaming ocean, struggling with herself; she had been determined to be angry with Kata, but Kata was inexplicably hard to stay angry with, especially when you were actually in her company. Now, Saya needed Kata's help, so she gave in.
"I'm worried about Riku. What if he doesn't wake up? What if I've killed him? Hagi turned into a chevalier so much faster; what if I didn't give Riku enough blood?" Saya said, panic creeping into her voice as she spoke aloud the fears she could barely express to even Hagi. Kata was silent, thinking, before she sighed and ran a hand through her hair, joining Saya at the railing and, as ever, careful not to disturb the fringe that hid her scarred red eye.
"Well. I think you did give him enough; he probably wouldn't have reacted if he wasn't going to change." Saya winced at the memory of Riku's thrashing body. "And I have a theory about why Hagi's transformation was so much quicker." Saya looked at her, her eyes full of questions, but Kata wouldn't meet her gaze, instead draping herself over the railing, arms dangling. "The night you turned Hagi into a chevalier," Kata continued, ignoring Saya's flinch. "Diva sang, right? So that probably hastened Hagi's transformation."
"Diva's song can do that?" Saya asked, her voice suddenly focused, as it always became when discussing Diva. Kata gave a short, unexpected bark of laughter.
"You could fill a book with what that song can do." Saya stared down at the water again, her expression settling back into worry. Kata glanced up at her, before straightening with a sigh.
"If you're that worried, I can probably wake him up." Saya turned and faced Kata in shock, mouth open and eyes wide.
"What… you can do what?" Saya whispered hoarsely, as Kata grinned.
"Uh uh. I am not explaining that one right now. So do you want me to try or not? Even if it doesn't work, it won't do any harm." Saya stared at her, concern and caution fighting in her eyes. Worry for her the boy she still viewed as her little brother won, and she nodded, shutting her eyes. When she opened them once more, Kata was gone.
-n/s-
Kata wasn't sure what she wanted to do more, laugh hysterically or beat her head against the wall, as she stared incredulously at Riku through inch-thick protective glass. Riku was pale, comatose and linked up to so many machines and monitors that the room managed to look crowded, and made Kata wonder how much time she could waste (and how much she could piss off the Red Shield) destroying them.
Kata rolled her eyes. Upon seeing that the only entrance to Riku's quarantined hospital room was through and observation room where Julia sat, and deciding that she really couldn't be bothered to have al lengthy discussion with the Doc and also seeing an excellent opportunity to break something and vent, smashed the glass with a lightning fast kick. The window shattered around her, sparkling, as Kata strode in looking particularly fearsome, blue eye glowing.
Of course you'd have to be extremely absorbed or deaf, dumb and blind to not notice that; with a cry of alarm, Julia fumbled with the code to open the door, while Kata reached Riku's bedside. With a cursory glance, Kata disconnected the machines, and then gave the closest one a hard kick for good measure. Julia finally managed to get in, having already called for David, and ran towards Kata shouting.
"Kata! Stop! What are you doing?" Kata glanced back, and the incredible coldness in her eye made Julia stop in her tracks, stuttering, while sparkling glass dust continued to fall like fine snow. Kata leant over Riku, hair falling forwards, determined. David arrived with his army-face on, with Kai, Lewis, Hagi and Saya in tow, in a swirl of broken glass. Kata calmly ignored them; a bare flicker of a smile crossing her face, and placed a gentle hand on Riku's shoulder. The others watched, confused and, for the moment, still.
"Hey! What are you doing to my brother?" Kai yelled angrily, stepping forwards. Kata glanced up disdainfully.
"Saya asked me t." Kai blinked, and everyone, including Hagi, turned to stare at Saya incredulously, who stammered and looked at the floor, ashamed.
Kata ignored them and, closing her eyes, took a deep breath and centred herself. When she opened her eye, it seemed to be glowing even brighter; noticeably so, which did not escape David's notice, who went for his gun. But before anyone could react, Kata opened her mouth and began to sing.
natsukashii michi hitori tadotteku
osanai ano hi te wo tsunaide
nani mo shiranai mujaki na egao wa
kokoro no sumi wo akaruku suru
awai enogu omoi de iro no
Uh toki wo kasane egaiteru
akai chiisana kutsu ooki na senaka oikaketeita
akane iro no sora ga futari no kage tsutsundeiku
ame no doori ni nureteru TANPOPO
shizuku ni awase utatteiru
nakitaku naru yoru no fukasa mo
Uh kimi wa shitteirunda ne
yume wo kanaeru nara naicha ikenai sou omotteita
kakae kirenu omoi sotto kimi ni uchiaketa hi
kimi to isshoni iru to fushigi na kurai
"Tokubetsu" ja nai watashi de irareta
shinjiru koto wo oshiete kureta hito
kondo watashi ga kimi wo mamoru
samishiku natta nara itsudemo koko e katte oide
kata wo narabe aruku futari no kage sora e todoke
Everyone stood and listened in awed silence; it was very different from the joking song full of laughter that Kata had treated them to before; this song was gentle, probing. Kata's eyes did not leave Riku's face, and as the last of the dust settled, Riku twitched.
And then his eyes opened.
Phew. This is quite long... sorry! Quite a lot happened too, and the next chapter's looking busy too but hopefully I can calm it down a bit after that... -.-'
hope you like and no one died from suspense! :)
Please review!
