Seijyu
~Zoi no miko
~Chp 5~
Lafarga failed.
Something - somehow - the flame of the little fire-knight's sword had
broken Zagato's spell.... it didn't matter, now, anyway.
Zagato and I watched silently through the scry spell until Zagato dissolved
it with a wave of his hand. I turned away silently, forcing myself to cling to the
strength and resolve I'd felt earlier. "I'm ready, Zagato-sama."
Zagato turned, catching my shoulders quickly, pulling me to look at him.
"...ready?" he echoed, such a look of loss, of hopelessness on his face.
"Send me now," I replied, forcibly steadying my voice. "They're weak, they
won't expect it. I'll kill them. For Emerald-hime."
Soft hands caressed my hair, and I closed my eyes. "Please," I begged
weakly, voice catching, sagging against him as he pulled me against him. Lips
found my forehead, kisses a little desperate. "Zagato-sama...."
"Not yet," he whispered. "Just a little... just a little more time. Give me a
little more... Innova...."
"They - " I tried again, but stopped. How could I say no? He had such a
longing, such a desperate pain in his eyes. And my own heart hurt so much.... I
buried my face in his neck, holding back tightly. "Tomorrow," I whispered.
"Tomorrow," he echoed, kissing my hair.
He always looked so untroubled when he was asleep. I leaned on one
elbow, eyes tracing the outline of his body, his bare chest as it rose and fell. My
beautiful Zagato-sama. I reached out with gentle fingers and smoothed a stray
strand of that silken black hair away from his lips, careful not to wake him.
I wanted, so badly, to tell him to forget everything... to stay with him, to
forget fighting. For a few moments I'd even forgotten that this would be my last
night with him, the last opportunity to hold him, kiss him.... But I knew I had to do
it. My very presence here, human.... I was so afraid that I'd all ready done
irreparable damage. Zagato-sama needed all of his will focused on Emerald, like
she needed all of hers focused on Cephiro. Now the plan, our dreams were
crumbling around us.... like Cephiro was....
I shouldn't have ever asked to become human. I shouldn't. As a Seiyju...
maybe I would have even killed those magic knights by now. And Zagato-sama
would never have... have....
There were tears on my face. I dropped to lie on my side on the bed, curled
in on myself. I had no right to what he'd given me, the affection we'd shared, but...
oh! I wouldn't trade the world for it. Even for one kiss, I'd go through this all, I'd
do it again. For Zagato-sama.
If I asked, he'd stop. I was the lord now, binding him by whatever emotions
I'd managed to take hold of. He'd let Emerald-hime die if I asked him to.
I wrapped my arms around my shoulders, trying vainly to keep myself from
shaking. I couldn't do it. And I couldn't live in happiness if she was dead.
I couldn't let Emerald die.
But... Zagato-sama.....
"...Innova?" I must have woken him. Strong arms wrap around me, pulling
me close, stroking my back. "Shhh, shh... koishii.... don't cry...."
I bit down on my bottom lip, as if will alone could stop the tears.
"Zagato-sama - !"
A trembling breath. "Lets not fight anymore," he whispered, tangling one
hand in my hair, holding tighter. "Ne, Innova? Lets just stay like this. I don't want
you to fight tomorrow. I'm staying with you. So don't cry, all right? We don't have
to fight anymore."
Finally managing to quell my tears, I nodded against his chest. "All right."
I left his side before he awoke, dressing silently in the morning light. He'd
almost convinced me to stay. I couldn't take that chance again. I stood, just for a
moment, at the side of the bed, looking down at him again. My beautiful
Zagato-sama....
No... he was never mine.
The spell triggers weren't to hard to set up. I'd felt what Zagato did the first
time, I was sure I could undo it. I was in the great hall, about to unleash it when he
walked in.
I froze, watching him silently. He looked so... sad....
"No good-bye?" he said, softly.
"Not good-bye, Zagato-sama," I replied. "You make it sound like forever.
I'll be back."
"I didn't mean that," he replied softly.
"... I know."
We stood, just watching each other for several moments before he stepped
forwards, pulling me into his arms again. "I thought you said we didn't have to
fight anymore," he murmured into my hair.
"You said that," I replied, holding tightly to the resolve I felt.
Emerald-hime.... "You forget, Zagato-sama. I am Emerald-hime's confidante." I
pulled myself from his arms at that, managing a small, weak smile. "I'm not about
to let her die. Your will may have failed, but mine hasn't. I will kill the fledgling
Magic Knights. For Emerald. For your wish."
"A wish that goes against everything Cephiro stands for...."
I shook my head. "That's not true. Cephiro is a world of will. There's no
reason why... if you focus all your will... that your dream can't come true. Your
dream means everything to me. We have to win." I raised a hand to touch his face.
"Ganberu, Zagato-sama.... please.... let me do this. For Emerald-hime. For you."
"All right," he replied softly, stepping back. Then he raised one hand and
undid the transformation himself.
It didn't hurt as much as it had the first time. I re-adjusted to my original
form within minutes, turning back to look at Zagato one last time before leaving to
fight.
('Ganberu wa, Zagato-sama.')
They were surprised. I was determined. ('Girls from another world... I will
not allow you to go any further.')
They couldn't touch me, couldn't penetrate the lightning's that arched
through my body. Blow after blow they fell back... hurt... weak... until only one
was left standing. The little fire night....
('You have fought very well. I praise you. But this is the end.') I fuelled my
lightning's as she charged, and sent arching towards her. Then....
A - a sword! Masaka! Piercing... the fire knight... breaking the gem on my
forehead....
The pain... stabbing, blinding pain, my energies draining away... and the
knowledge... I'd lost.... I'd failed them.... failed.... I couldn't! I clung desperately to
the pain, to the world around me. I had to.... to defeat.... them.... ('Zagato-sama....
geika.....')
And I saw them, suddenly, in the palace, Emerald and Zagato. Emerald was
in tears... my dear, sweet princess, always so lonely, clutching in her hand the
magical orb that matched the ones she had given to her brother.
"Zagato, please! Call him back, stop this! Please, Zagato!"
Zagato, face calm as always, lowered his head. "I cannot."
Emerald gave a sob, voice desperate. "Please, Zagato! If you care for
anything, if you care for me at all, call him back.... Zagato!"
Zagato turned his back on her words, a pain and sadness in his eyes I'd
never seen. "Emerald...."
"Please, Zagato! I don't want Innova to die!"
"And you think I do?!" He whirled back around to face her, eyes flashing.
Angry. At Emerald.... I'd thought it impossible, and yet....
"He loves us!" Zagato told her. "He wants your life, he wants a Cephiro
where the Pillar is free. A Cephiro without that is not worth existing. He will
succeed where the others failed. He will kill your Magic Knights."
Emerald had her eyes closed, trembling, tears on her cheek. She hugged the
orb to her heart. "He won't."
"They aren't strong enough to beat him, Emerald-hime. Even with the
Mashin, they can't defeat him in this form."
Emerald lowered her head. "I've told them how to beat him."
Zagato stared at her, disbelief mixing with anger on his face. "You.... you'd
kill him?"
"I told them how...."
"You'd take his life? He's been nothing but faithful to you, Emerald! He is
more loyal and more pure, more wonderful than anything - and you'd kill him?
How could you?! How could you even think about it, sacrificing him for the lives
of those Magic Knights!?"
"How is it different from what you're doing? You want to sacrifice Cephiro
for my life! Hundreds of people, people you know and used to love. How can you
say what I'm doing is wrong?"
Zagato closed his eyes, eyes that betrayed his emotions in that stone mask,
eyes a mass of indecision and hurt. "All right," he said, finally. "Call them off. I'll
call Innova back. Please, make your knights stop."
Emerald smiled up at him, for the first time in forever, and raised the orb to
her mouth.
But then, of course, it was impossible to stop. She dropped the orb, closing
her eyes, crying. "Innova!"
And my dear Zagato turned his back on his princess, so that she could not
see the lone tear that escaped his perfect control. "Innova."
I let go, closed my eyes on Cephiro. I'd failed him, through everything I
done, failed both of them, the only two people I'd ever loved. As hard as I'd tried, I
hadn't been good enough. 'gomen nasei, Zagato-sama... aishteru. Ganberu. Make
your wish come true....'
Somehow, though, all I saw was darkness....
~~~
~~~
~Epilouge~
In another time, a cherub comes to earth, searching desperately for an
Angel who he loves most desperately, to save her from exhile....
In a vulnerable state, he is attacked by crows, and saved by a regal,
dark-haired man.... offering a wish in return for his kindness. When the man
cannot think of anything, the Cherub vows to stay with him until he can grant his
wish....
The one with whom his string is tied....
~Fin~
zoi_no_miko@kuronue.zzn.com
~Cont. in Epilogue
zoi_no_miko@kuronue.zzn.com