A/N: Reviews are appreciated, flames are unnecessary. I listened to sad Naruto songs while writing this, and for some reason I put on 'Requiem for Red [k]' on youtube and I just ugh, don't know why I do these things to myself.
Hope you enjoy!
LaughterLover98: I love your exclamation of surprise! I laughed incredibly hard and felt honored that the feels hit you so strongly. Don't worry, we'll still be seeing more of Fushimi! Thank you for reviewing, and keep reading to find out!
IrishLover470: Thank you so much for your kind words! I had a huge smile on my face as I began to write this! I hope you enjoy, and thank you for reviewing.
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THIS SHOW OR ITS AMAZING CHARATERS. *Sobs*
Chapter 13: Why?
It hurts.
It felt like her world was in slow motion when she felt Munakata pull his sword out from her body. She turned her face up slightly to watch the remnants of the healing to the sword fall with the snow over them. Her blood, warm and red, fell down in streams and made pools in between them.
No one was moving, no one was breathing-she felt like this was just a dream by the way the world was so still and quiet.
But it wasn't a dream, not when she could feel blood coating her stomach and taking with it her life.
Without her command her knees locked and she fell into the muscled chest before her, strong arms catching her and pressing their fingertips into her arms to keep her up. A small smile formed on her paling lips as chocolate colored eyes closed, lashes brushing her cheeks and catching the snow.
She wasn't cold.
''Alaura?"
The brunette looked up tiredly from her studies towards her eleven year old brother who stood at the entry to the door.
''What's wrong Jacob?"
His lower lip trembled as he shuffled his feet. ''One of my friends…they told me you'll die since you're always in here working.''
She laughed and stood, closing her book and turning off her light. ''I won't die, silly boy.''
Brown eyes became defiant as he pushed her thigh slightly. ''Just promise me you'll never die! Ever!"
Alaura smiled and patted the boy's head, surprising him. ''I'm immortal silly. You're stuck with me forever.''
Jacob…
''Alaura! Alaura!'' Kuroh screamed, dropping his sword and catching her body as she began to fall to the ground.
"Kuroh! What happened!?'' Liz cried, eyes widening in horror as she saw blood staining Alaura and Kuroh's bodies.
''I wasn't-I wasn't watching! I should've-I'm sorry! Please Alaura, don't die!"
Kuroh…Liz…This time-this time I won't make it…
'' "Are you sure? They're nothing but a couple of orphans.''
Ichigen Miwa stared back into brown orbs that watched him carefully yet hopefully. She was clutching a small bundle to her chest and shifted to offer out her hand to him.
''Home?" She asked, fingers stretched out.
He smiled and gripped her hand in his own. Of course he was sure, even more so now.
''Home.''
A tear leaked out from the corner of her eye as she felt herself slowly being lowered to the floor, the strong arms around her body never disappearing.
Home.
She wanted to stay.
Liz struggled out of Yata's grip, stumbling to the floor and feeling her skin freeze as the cold around her seemed to suffocate her.
Blood.
There was so much blood.
''Not again,'' she breathed, running forward as she saw Mikoto collapse to floor, head hung and buried into Alaura's neck. Blood was beginning to soak the ground around the two.
''No, you can't-''
Please don't.
''You-''
You promised!
''I can't-!''
You promised, you promised I would never have to be alone again!
Kuroh couldn't move. He couldn't do anything but watch as Liz shot by him, hand outstretched and tears falling from her eyes in rivers as Yata followed, his own eyes watering. All he could do was watch as the Red King cradled his eldest sister in his arms as if she was glass. She would snap back, she always snapped back. Snap back!
''I love you, Kuroh. Please don't ever hurt yourself, I need my little brother.''
His feet moved forward with a jerk, and with a sudden snap he rushed forward until he dropped to her side by Liz, both of them breathing heavily but not uttering a word.
Alaura opened her eyes slowly, painfully. It was beginning to become too hard to remain conscious and any moment now her soul would begin to pull away from her dying body.
''You idiot!'' Liz shouted suddenly, shaking her head back and forth as tears soaked her cheeks. Raven colored hair whipped around her pale cheeks. ''Why did you-!''
Her words cut off with a start as Alaura brought her hand up to weakly brush aside her hair from her face. Identical pairs of blue eyes wavered as she offered them her hand.
''Don't…Liz…'' Blood dribbled down her chin as she looked at them with all the love and affection they had been stripped of before they all found one another. ''Don't…''
Kuroh clenched his eyes shut and grasped her right hand in his, Liz following his suit as both clung to her life for her.
Alaura chuckled and looked up to where Yata stood behind Liz, his shoulders shaking as he sniffled and clenched his fists.
''Take care of her…Yata…'' Her voice was fading and she steeled her soul to hold on a while longer. Just a little longer.
Yata started and wiped away angrily at his face with his sleeve as he nodded quickly and dropped to his knees, hiding away his face in his arm.
''I'm sorry…'' She smiled and squeezed her siblings' hands. Their grip tightened. ''But thank you…all of-you…thank you…for loving me.''
Liz sobbed and pressed her forehead against their hands. ''Please don't die, please don't leave.''
Alaura felt her lower lip tremble but she pushed it aside, no-no she wouldn't break.
''You can't leave.''
Chocolate orbs snapped open as she looked up towards where the voice had come from, feeling her breath catch as she saw the tears falling from amber eyes onto tanned cheeks.
He didn't make a sound, didn't sob or cry out angrily at her, the tears just continued to slip down his face.
''Why would you do something so stupid?" He gritted, the hand tangled in her hair pressing her face into his neck. The pain flamed around her body but she ignored it.
''Ridiculous…man…don't you-see?" Tears fell from her eyes and dropped onto his shoulder, wetting the fur of his collared jacket as her body shook. Please, please give her enough time to tell him!
''Stay by me.'' He begged.
Surround by her loved ones she blinked slowly, lazily, feeling her mind beginning to shut down at the loss of blood circulating its way.
''Where…'' She gasped, vision darkening. ''el-se…''
Her hand went limp in Kuroh and Liz's hands.
Forgive me Anna…I broke my promise to come back.
The wind blew softly around their frozen forms, lifting their hair and shifting their clothes as they hung their heads and waited, waited for all of this to be a cruel joke.
Alaura didn't laugh.
Mikoto felt too much, there was too much anger running through his veins; too much regret and sorrow for one man to hold. All he could do to hold it at bay was to cradle the warm body to his.
He didn't care if he became saturated by her blood, he didn't care that the tears rolled down his cheeks and landed on her cheeks, or that the thought that he should get up and move her before she became cold crawled into his head.
He didn't care, not about any of that as he looked at her blank face.
There was no smile on her lips, no laugh in her eyes. Not for a second did he think she would do something like this, risk her life for his and now…
''You-you! This is all your fucking fault!"
Mikoto raised his head to watch as Yata charged for the stunned Blue King, landing a punch on his jaw and sending him staggering back.
The enraged teen went to land another blow, but a soft tug on the back of his shirt made him pause. He twisted around, ready to unleash his sadness on whoever was there-but stopped.
Liz was standing before him, her tears never ending as she slowly brought her eyes up to his. They held that for a moment, both unable to look away.
''My sister Yata…she's dead.''
Mikoto turned away to look back at the woman he held as Liz collapsed into Yata's arms, the two clinging to the other.
You should have lived.
Carefully he slipped his arms under her arms and legs, carrying her bridal style. Her head lolled into his chest as her right arm fell limp, her wavy brown hair falling over.
He turned and walked by everyone, not giving them a notice as he looked forward. A red barrier slowly formed around the two of them as the soft glow surrounded her body.
Mikoto wouldn't let her get cold.
Noticing that he had begun to walk away Liz and Yata shot after him, Kuroh grabbing Shiro and Kukuri and pulling them along.
Munakata watched them leave, eyes wide as he stared at Mikoto Suoh's back. That woman…she had, she had given her life to save Mikoto's. She had jumped in front of his blade with no hesitation, risking it all to save the life of a man who had accepted his fate…
Why?
Mikoto didn't stop for them. He didn't slow down for them. He kept his mind focused on Alaura, on keeping her warm-a deep subconscious need telling him to not let her get cold.
The barrier had changed from being a soft shimmery ball to a raging flame surrounding them, burning away everything it touched as a testament to his anger. He was being consumed by it, the feelings threatening to pull him under and wash him away, only to leave him drowning at sea.
The sight of the other members of Homra appeared, the sound of their cheering as they noticed him alive and well with Yata and Liz next to him increasing. They took the flames around him as a sign of his strength, a sign that he had won.
They hadn't seen the blood that coated him.
Anna pushed past the others to the front, eyes bright in excitement as she noticed Mikoto coming towards them. Kusanagi and Tatara followed after her, smiling as they waited for their King and friends. Her lips pulled up as she looked past him for Alaura-feeling the older girl's energy but not seeing her bright colors.
That's when she saw her.
No.
Ruby red eyes widened slowly as she stumbled back, hands clutching her chest as she saw the red blood dripping from the woman Mikoto carried in his arms. She hadn't noticed at first, didn't even think-
''Anna? What's wrong?" Tatara gripped her shoulder, frowning and following her gaze before his heart dropped.
The soaring flames consuming Mikoto evaporated into the night air, and behind it left the image of the limp body of Miss Alaura emitting a soft red glow.
A hush fell over Homra but Mikoto never stopped, a path way being created for him as the members pulled away and looked white faced at the girl who they had come to respect.
Anna shoved the men away, darting and weaving between legs to race up to them. She saw Alaura's hand swaying back and forth-the hand that always squeezed hers and never let go- and tears welled within her eyes as she jumped out of the crowd and fell to her knees in front of Mikoto's way.
''Anna…move.''
"No!'' She cried, raising her arms out towards Alaura. ''She-she isn't dead!"
"Dead?"
''No, there's no way.''
''Miss Alaura…?"
The hushed whispers rose before silencing with one look from Mikoto. Anna stretched her arms out further in desperation.
''She isn't dead! It's her birthday tomorrow! She promised me, she promised me she'd come back!" The little girl wailed, dropping her arms and covering her face with her hands.
Mikoto frowned and looked at the lifeless face of Alaura, before closing his eyes and gently kneeling before the crying girl.
''She's still colorful Anna.'' He whispered.
Anna sniffled and wiped away at her tears to look at the woman being shown to her. It was true-a red hue surrounded her body but it-it-it wasn't her red!
Silence reigned over them and Liz felt hollow inside, not knowing what to do next after this. What would happen to them? Alaura had become something for their King she knew no one else could become. She had just lost her best friend, a piece of who she was.
What did they do now?
''No blood…''
Her eyes widened as she sucked in a sharp breath of air. She turned to see Rikio sniffling, lips drawn into a sob as he raised his fist into the air.
''No bone….''
Others turned to look at him, before they smiled watery and raised their own fists into the air. Tatara's lips were pulled back into a broken smile as he threw his fist into the air, face tilted up to the sky. Kusanagi stood with his hands in his pockets, a frown on his lips that mouthed the words as she saw a single tear roll down his face.
''No ash…''
Yata's soft voice broke through her daze and she looked over to see him raising his fist, the tears falling down his face as he squeezed his eyes shut and began to shout.
Her lower lip trembled as she sobbed and raised her own fist, reaching out for Yata's other hand and clutching it in her own for dear life.
''No blood! No bone! No ash!'' She shouted over her tears, the snow falling over them and making her cold. Alaura wouldn't want them to stand here and just cry, wallowing in their sadness.
''No blood!"
''No bone!''
''No ash!"
A gust of a warm gentle wind washed over them, weaving in and out and making their cries grow wilder as the snow danced in the air. Kuroh appeared beside her, thrusting his own fist into the air for the clan his sister had sacrificed her life for.
Liz thought she heard Alaura laugh in her ear, mutter something like "You all make me so happy", and as she whipped around she sobbed when she saw nothing but empty space. ''Alaura…''
Kuroh felt warm phantom fingertips brush aside his bangs from his face, and heard the soft comforting words Alaura had whispered to him as a child when he was terrified of hurting everyone, locking himself away curled up in a corner and crying.
''You could never hurt me, little brother…''
Both siblings thought the same thing:
You'll never leave us alone.
"NO BLOOD! NO BONE! NO ASH!"
Thump.
''Hmm.'' Mikoto started, eyes opening to look down at the lifeless girl who Anna was pressing her face into her stomach. The cries of Homra were going crazier with every passing second, their grief turning into something else.
''NO BLOOD! NO BONE! NO ASH!"
Thump.
He frowned at the sound in his ears, was he imagining things wishing for something that couldn't happen?
''NO BLOOD! NO BONE! NO ASH!''
Thump.
Amber eyes shook as he leaned down to press his ear against her chest, lips thinning as he felt his hopes begin to rise even though he knew what was happening was impossible.
Mikoto prayed to the gods that they gave her back to him, gave her back to them and he got to see her smile. That's all he wanted, all he needed to make his grip on reality strong again.
He was teetering, and she was what he needed to pull him back.
''NO BLOOD! NO BONE! NO ASH!''
THUMP. Thump.
''Louder,'' he ordered, "LOUDER!"
All of Homra began to stomp their feet, their throats becoming hoarse as they clenched their eyes shut and thrusted their fists up in the air. Spurred on by their King's commands, they shouted to the heavens.
"NO BLOOOOD! NO BOOOOONE! NO AAAAAASH!"
THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!
Brown orbs shot open.
A/N: This was short yes but it was mainly focused on what happened immediately after Alaura's death.
Review, eat amazing food, and have a great day/night!
PPREVIEW OF CHAPTER 14: You can't/ I do
''Don't. Don't say those next words.'' He ordered, looking away from her and towards the floor.
Alaura narrowed her eyes and reached for him, fingers gripping his chin and pulling his gaze towards hers.
''Why not?"