To the Darkest of Nights We Go

~Dystopian AU ~

Chapter 80

Written By: RinoaDestiny

King of Fighters, Chizuru Kagura, Kyo Kusanagi, Iori Yagami, Terry Bogard, Andy Bogard, Mai Shiranui, Blue Mary, Rock Howard, and Joe Higashi all belong to SNK


Right before sunset, Rock took a flashlight and food and climbed the stairs towards the rooftop. Kyo Kusanagi had stayed there for the entire afternoon and it'd be nightfall soon. He'd told Terry, of course. Dad had advised caution, for Kyo was still shaken, preferring solitude to companionship. Kyo hadn't spoken much. It was a valid warning, which Rock kept in mind. He didn't have much to ask – just a few specific questions.

He'd leave the flashlight and food afterwards.

Opening the door, he glimpsed Kyo's back first. The man sat facing the smoky stretch of land, brown hair swept aside by the light breeze still currently present. His shoulders were level, with one arm on the ledge. The other arm Rock couldn't see, which meant it was likely in his lap. Dried bloodstains on the back of his shirt as well. Kyo sat cross-legged, staring out and gave no indication of hearing him.

"Kyo?" Rock took a careful step forward, letting the door close behind him. Like with Mai, startling Kyo wasn't wise. Kyo had been agitated earlier and he had the famous Kusanagi flames. Rock had seen those flames rip apart and burn the border garrison. He'd no desire to have those directed at him. "Can I join you?"

The man turned, surprised. His arm was halfway off the ledge.

Rock held up his small offering of food. "If you're hungry…"

Kyo shook his head and then stopped, watching him. It was uncomfortable – the sense of being studied – but nothing truly unsettling. "Howard."

"You can call me Rock." He smiled, trying to remove his unease. "Everyone else calls me that."

A shifting of muscle in Kyo's face. "You're here to talk?"

That didn't take long. He wondered how Kyo knew. "Just want to know a bit more about you. The others." He doesn't say their names – could see the pain there, present since the night they found Kyo besides Iori's body. "I…was eager to talk to you. All of you." He left the rest unspoken, its meaning clear. Hoped it wasn't offensive or hurtful.

"Why?"

"Because…" How to phrase it? "Dad said you guys were amazing to watch, but I only got a glimpse. You're like legends to me. So…"

"So, you wanted to talk to us directly. Ask questions."

"Yeah."

Kyo looked away from him, expression downcast. His mouth twisted. "Sorry to disappoint you."

"But you…"

"I what?" No rage or hostility – just tiredness, Kyo's voice low.

"Can I? Stick around, I mean. If you don't mind."

Kyo glanced at him, as if deciding and then sighed. "Sure. Bogard knows you're here?"

"He does."

"Okay then, I guess."

Stepping closer, Rock approached Kyo and sat down across from him, placing the flashlight and food to the side. Kyo flicked a glance over to them, but didn't say anything. With his hands free, Rock positioned them in his lap and looked at Kyo. There was an object in his right hand which he recognized, but didn't know the name for. A carved green stone?

His gaze must've been obvious, because Kyo angled the stone in his hand. "You don't have these in America, right?"

"What is it?"

"It's a magatama."

"Maga…tama?" The word felt strange on his tongue, being new. The syllables weren't difficult; he'd just never heard of this object before. "What does it do?"

"It's a sacred treasure. One of Japan's three imperial regalia."

Sacred Treasure. Team KKY was also known as the Sacred Treasures team. Since the magatama was one, then…. "Are there others?"

The smile contorting Kyo's face did strange things to it. "There's also the Yata mirror. The Kusanagi sword." Kyo's expression turned inward, suddenly inscrutable. "The magatama was Yagami's."

It was like walking on solid ground, only to have it disappear beneath his feet. "I'm…I'm sorry."

"You can probably figure out the other two." Again, that smile, dark irony behind it. "I have the mirror, too. Kagura-san gave it to me before she died."

There really was no good way to respond to that.

"I know you're not here to talk about treasures," Kyo said, tone altering. "What did you want to talk about?"

An opening, which Rock took. "About you. Iori. Chizuru. What you're all like."

"Meaning?"

"I know you're legends. But…what were you all like before this?" He doesn't elaborate, leaving the implication of the war unsaid. "Dad said you and Iori were enemies. Rivals."

"We were."

Were. Something had happened, causing a tremendous sea change in that relationship. "Was it as bad as Dad made it out to be?"

A smile that wasn't quite one. "Yes." Kyo shifted, moving his position away slightly. "Yagami used to stalk me. Wanted to kill me. His clan had bad blood with mine. It's a long story."

"So you fought him."

"We were the talk of the tournaments. The never-ending rivalry. It was amusing when it wasn't annoying."

"But he never killed you."

"He didn't." Kyo's thumb moved over the green stone. "We ended up saving the world together more times than expected. Had common enemies."

"And Chizuru?"

"Kagura-san? She was the one who started it, actually. Got us together to fight Orochi." A significant pause. "Without her…"

Rock guessed where Kyo's train of thought went, but didn't say anything.

"We were the perfect teammates, if you think about it. Yagami and I knew each other's techniques down – could cover for each other." Another pause – unspoken pain there – and it passed as Kyo continued, as though rushing past unwanted memories. "Kagura-san was older. Knew we were just boys wrangling over nothing. She got us together, made us work together against Orochi. Against all enemies. It…worked. And then…"

Silence.

"The treasures represent virtues. Wisdom, benevolence, and valor."

He hadn't known that; then again, there was a lot Rock still had yet to learn. "Which did she represent?"

"Wisdom. Makes sense, right?"

If Chizuru Kagura's treasure was wisdom, then Kyo's would be… "Are you benevolence?"

Kyo laughed without joy. "No. That's Yagami."

Iori Yagami's was… "Huh? But how does that…"

"Seems strange, right? Until you get to know the guy. Best partner in battle ever. He'd look out for you – take care of you after."

"So he can be good."

"Yeah. If he didn't hate you, he'd show that. It's just…difficult to see."

Kyo had blamed himself for failing to cover Iori in battle. Rock could draw the lines now, charting their course towards how the rivals mended their strife and became like brothers. Since Iori was benevolence, then Kyo would be… "Yours fits."

"Valor? It does."

"Kyo?" Rock asked, wondering if it was wise to follow this next line of questioning. "Do you…regret anything?" Kyo's expression darkened, agony apparent and Rock himself had a twinge of regret. "I mean…since the war started?"

"You heard me earlier. I couldn't save Yagami. We lost Kagura-san. I…there's a lot I wish I could've done better. Maybe Yagami could've lived. You could be asking him questions now, though I doubt he'd answer."

Rock glanced aside at the food and flashlight for a brief second, noticing in his periphery the brilliant coloring of the sky. Sunset starting, painting the empty world with bright and subtle hues. He looked back, fixing his gaze on Kyo.

"I would've liked that."

"You knew him as Murasaki, didn't you?" A small pained smile. "It means 'purple' but it's also the court name of the first female writer in Japan. Used to tease him about that."

"Kagami?"

"Mirror."

"Oh. Kaen?"

"It's an ancient word for flame or fire." Kyo's replies were soft and quiet, almost thoughtful. "We chose the code names most suitable to us. If you knew Japanese, though…" The man across from him shrugged. "It would've been obvious, I guess."

"Easy to remember, though."

"Yeah."

Rock let the quietness settle upon them, the sky streaked with gold, peach, and fiery orange behind Kyo. Up here on the rooftop, they were removed – a separate space – and it appeared beneficial to Kyo. Perhaps that was his reason for being here – a need to distance himself from what happened. "I'm glad you survived."

"Are you?" The question seemed rhetorical. "I'm not sure I agree."

"Why?"

"The others were…" Kyo stopped talking, looking lost. "I'm not that…"

"There must be a reason you're here."

"And the others? Why did Kagura-san and Yagami have to die to…?" Kyo shook his head. "Not for me."

"Mai felt the same." Now Rock knew why Mai spoke to Kyo first. "She felt guilty for surviving. For Andy making that sacrifice for her."

"But she couldn't have –"

"No."

Something changed in Kyo's face and his expression became unreadable. "You're saying it's not in my control, either. What happened."

"My mom died when I was young. It was hard, but…" Rock shrugged, the casual gesture comforting. "I don't know why it happened. I'll always blame him, but…I learned to move on. Terry became Dad and…it's not like I forgot her."

"Instead of feeling guilty, you learned to live."

"Mom would've wanted that. Maybe Chizuru and Iori are the same."

Kyo didn't say anything for several seconds. Rock saw thoughts waging war on his face, emotions there and then gone. Again, Kyo's thumb flicked over the magatama, slipping off the smooth curve. "Haven't seen my parents since the start of the war. Stayed away to keep them safe."

Another regret, evident in the other's voice.

"I'm sorry."

A shrug, too nonchalant. "Don't even know if they're alive now."

Rock kept silent, judging a response might sound callous.

"I'm not the legend you're looking for."

Harsh. Rock forced himself not to wince. "You are to me."

"In what way?"

"You ripped through that garrison like…you and Iori. We didn't even…we wouldn't have dared. Like that. And O.R.O.C.H.I. hasn't done anything since then. So…"

"So, I'm still a hero to you." Said without arrogance or pride. Sadness, if he had to pinpoint the feeling that emanated from Kyo. "Even though I'm the last one standing."

The last member of Team KKY. The last Sacred Treasure. "Yeah."

"Can't promise you anything."

"I know. Still happy you're here."

Another silence, sunset falling as swiftly. The sky above them was beautiful. Kyo shifted, moving out of his cross-legged position. His gaze was searching; yet, Rock didn't know what it sought. "You're heading down soon?"

"Yeah. Wanna join me?"

Sunlight soft upon Kyo, who appeared to think before nodding. "What about the flashlight? The food?"

"We can bring them down. Dad might be back up here later."

Quietness descending, stillness in the falling dark.

"Thank you, Rock Howard."

He doesn't correct Kyo this time, nor does he ask him why. "You're welcome."

They waited for the sun to disappear – slipping below the horizon they couldn't see – before they both arose and left. Rock closed the rooftop's door behind him, glimpsing below him on the stairs Kyo's awaiting figure. One of the remaining primary enemies of Orochi and as human as him, lost in the legends told. He hadn't mentioned his dream to Kyo – about their flames in the world of the dead or the gleaming city with open graves – but in that moment, sunlit, Kyo seemed illuminated. Shining.

Brightness overcoming the darkness.

An end to the violence – to the death of humanity.