Disclaimers: I don't own SD or the song "Diamond Dust", which is so sad …. *sigh*
NB: … Thoughts
(…) akane's ramblings
"…" character's speech
Bolded words = mysterious character (so far)
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Chapter 1 – Cloudy Past
[Current Days, Year 2002, Japan]
How long has it been since she was able to walk on open streets once more, after her released from his binding? Was it four, five or six centuries ago? Throughout the ages, she'd seen the rise and fall of numerous empires, and how society had changed since then. Yet, all these seem like it had happened only yesterday.
A withered leave fell into her palm. The sound of crushing leave slipped through her fingers. When her hand opened, a gentle breeze scattered the finely crushed leaves, dancing under the bright rays of the sun.
"Daiyamondo dasuto (1)." She whispered. "Just like the dust mother showed me once…"
She smiled to herself and walked away. She pulled her coat tighter to block out the chilly winds of the season. The simple action reminded her that she was alive yet she was also dead…
~*~*~*~*~ Flashback ~*~*~*~*~
[Muromachi Period, Year 1455, Japan]
"Run mistress!" Etsu shouted to her mistress. "Run while you have the chance!"
Hiyuki ran without turning back. She didn't want to leave Etsu behind, but she had no choice. This was the only chance for her to escape from him, and she had waited so long for this chance. So, she ran, leaving Etsu who had been her best friend for the last centuries behind.
Behind her, the villagers had set the castle alight and the crimson light lighting the night sky eerily. Not far away, the cheering sounds of the villagers could be heard.
"The monster's den is destroyed; let us hunt him down now!" A villager shouted vibrantly.
"Yes! We shall destroy him tonight! We shall be free from his tyranny as of today!" Another shouted.
"Destroy! Destroy! Destroy! Destroy!" Others chanted.
As the voices closed in, Hiyuki ran faster. She ran as fast as her feet could carry her. Suddenly she bolted to a stop; fear marred her pristine features as her diamond-like eyes widened at the sight of the man in front of her.
The man, her maker of what she was now grabbed her shoulders with brutally, causing her to wince at the sudden shot of pain.
"Why?! Why are you always running away from me?! Why can't you love me?!" He shouted in a pained voice.
She turned her pale face away from him, not wanting to see the hurt in his dark green eyes. She bit her lower lip.
"You knew from the start that I don't love you and I will never love you." She spoke in a flat, cold tone.
He released her shoulders and she fell to the ground due to the sudden lost of support.
"Hahahahaha…" He laughed. He laughed hard. A laugh that was full of pain and realization. "All these years and you still love him. Hahahahaha…"
She looked up at him, silver eyes hardening at the mention of her lost love. "Yes. I love him. And I love only him."
"Hahahahaha…" He continued to laugh as tears of blood fell from his eyes. He now realized that all he had done to gain her love and trust had been futile.
"You knew from the very beginning that I love him, but you threatened me to choose between his life and going with you! I chose to go with you to safe him!" She screamed abrasively, telling his crimes. "You forced me to part with my love, and expect me to love you instead? How ironic!"
He did not reply her, he just kept on laughing. Unexpectedly, he grabbed her into a tight embrace and spun around quickly. She gasped and tried to free herself from his hold, but his grip loosened without much effort from her. She looked up and saw blood trickling from his mouth.
He smiled at her sorely. "I've loved you since I first set eyes on you four hundred and forty five years ago, and I will continue to love you no matter what, even if you do not love me."
It was then that she saw a wooden arrow had penetrated his chest. Her eyes bulged in shock as she lifted her hands to cover her mouth, gasping at the sight before her.
He pushed her away forcefully and shouted in a gentle tone. "Run while you still can. Go!"
She fell onto the soft shrubbery. When she looked back, she could hear the villagers closing in. She took one last look at him, and saw him mouthed the word 'go' before he tuned into dust before her very eyes.
She got up on her feet and ran as blood tears fell from her eyes. Although she did not love him, he was still her maker and… her friend.
~*~*~*~*~ End of Flashback ~*~*~*~*~
[Current Days, Year 2002, Japan]
Someone tapped her shoulders. She smiled knowingly and turned to face the culprit. "Etsu…"
Hamase Etsu smiled at her mistress and friend. "You should put a stop to your disappearing acts."
Hiyuki lowered her head. "Gomen Etsu, I've worried you haven't I?"
Etsu sighed. "What am I going to do with you, Hiyuki?"
Hiyuki remained silent. Etsu sighed again.
"C'mon let's go. Although you're an ancient (2) who's not worry about the sunlight, you still need your monthly dose of fresh blood." Etsu said as she hurried Hiyuki into the waiting black Mercedes Benz.
o o o o o
[Rukawa's Penthouse]
Kaede bolted upright in the middle of the night, breathing heavily and drench in cold sweat.
It's that dream again. What the heck is going on?
He pushed the blankets away and headed towards the kitchen for a glass of cold water, which helped calm his frenzied nerves. He leaned his forehead onto the cold surface of the stainless steel fridge and heaved a heavy sigh.
Why is this happening to me? What did I do to offend Kami-sama to ensue such crazed dreams?
He put the glass into the sink and dragged himself back to bed hoping that he'll be free of the dreams for the rest of the night…
o o o o o
[ToDai (Tokyo University), Basketball Gymnasium]
"Teme kitsune!" Hanamichi shouted at Kaede for the millionth time. "Earth to kitsune!"
No getting a response, Hanamichi stomped over to the raven head and slapped friendlily, very friendlily.
Kaede stumbled at the force and glared icicles at the red head. "Do'aho! What was that for?"
"So, your brain's still here. And here I thought your brain was sucked by aliens. Nyhahahaha."
"And your point is?" Kaede was getting more annoyed by the second.
Before Hanamichi could respond, Maki stepped in and answered for Hanamichi, just before they start another brawl.
"Sakuragi's been calling, no shouting is the more appropriate word, at you for the last five minutes. What gives Rukawa? Is something the bother?" Their team captain asked in a concerned voice.
"Iie sempai, I'm fine." Kaede replied in his monotone.
"The kitsune's not paying attention during renshuu! News of the century!" Kiyota Nobunaga snickered at the sidelines, which earned him icicles from the Ice Prince.
Out of the blue, heavy and rushed footsteps echoed in the hallways that led to the basketball gymnasium. Ayako and Ryota appeared at the doors huffing and puffing.
"Guys, the new professor is here!" Ayako shouted excitingly.
"Yeah, and she sure is youngest professor I've seen in my life." Ryota added after smoothing his breaths.
Those who were present in the gym looked at the couple who just busted in with questions in their eyes.
"Nani? Professor?" "What professor?" "What's a new professor gotta do with us?"
While everyone spoke their questions, Kaede remained emotionless and silent as usual.
"Shame of you all, especially you Maki sempai and you Fujima sempai!" Ayako accused as she pointed a finger at the players. "You two are supposed to be the pride of ToDai's medical school and yet you two claim to know nothing about the arrival of a new professor who is renowned for her genius in genetics engineering?"
Maki and Fujima blushed embarrassingly at their kohai and team manageress.
"You mean Kazekan sensei, Ayako." Fujima said, after comprehending Ayako's speech.
Maki sighed. "Ayako, how do you expect to know 'which' new professor is here? We get so many new professors coming in and out of the different faculties all the time."
Ayako stuck her tongue out cutely. "Oops! I forgot. Gomen ne sempai."
"Ne…Ayako-san, why are you so excited about this Kazekan sensei's arrival?" Morohoshi Dai asked curiously.
"She's incredible!" Ayako gasped. "She's the most beautiful and gentle person I've ever seen in my life."
"Huh?" "Honto?" "Nani?" Maki, Fujima, and Morohoshi asked in unison.
The other players present, namely Hanamichi, Kaede, Sendoh, Hanagata and others eyed their manageress weirdly. What is she talking about?
"C'mon, you'll see what I mean once you see her!" Ayako hurried everyone to follow her. "Kogure sempai, Akagi sempai and Mitsui sempai are there now!"
Due to the fear of her infamous tessen, all the players followed her out of the gym and headed towards the sunken garden outside the main library building.
As the group neared the garden, they could hear soft music produced by a flute. The piece being played was 'Diamond Dust' (3), a famous folk song. The soft yet eerie sound of the flute touched the strings in everyone's heart, even Kaede.
Kaede felt a pang in his heart as he listened to the melody. Why is this so familiar?
Then, as if a movie scene flashed across his eyes, he saw himself wearing a traditional hakama with a samurai tied to his waist. His long hair was tied back. Beside him sat a girl whose features were hazy, yet he felt that he'd know her for eternity. He was playing the flute for her, and the melody was that of Diamond Dust. This strange scene lifted as swiftly as it came.
What the?! He shouted mentally.
When the group reached the garden, the music stopped and the audience applauded. The player looked up as she lowered the flute, holding it in her laps. She stood up and bowed, and then she straightened slowly. Her midnight blue hair shimmered in the sunlight and her silver eyes sparkled like diamonds. A soft smile curving her red lips, perfecting her delicate features and soft porcelain skin.
"Arigatou minna san." She spoke in a soft, gentle voice that was akin to the spring breeze.
Her audience stared at her in admiration because of her beauty and her mysterious charms. She, like Ayako had said earlier was the most beautiful creation of heaven.
When Kaede's cobalt orbs meet her silver ones, an electrifying chill crept up his spine making him shiver. The feeling was so unique that he felt like he'd seen her before, and had known her for the longest time. This feeling came from deep within him, from his soul.
"Sei…" Kaede's eyes widened as he heard a mental voice. It was the voice he'd heard over and over again in his dreams. 'Sei…" He froze as the voice replayed itself in his mind.
=|=|=|=|= Kaede's Recurring Dream =|=|=|=|=
The fog was heavy, so heavy that he couldn't see his hands when he held them up in front of him. What is this place?
From a distance, a gentle voice, a voice filled with pain and sorrow, but loving at the same time cried out to him.
"Sei… Don't be sad; don't close yourself to the world anymore. Please don't grieve continuously from lifetime to lifetime over something that is done and cannot be reversed. Please Sei… Open your heart to the world around you. Please learn to love again, Sei…"
As the voice faded, he could see the silhouette of a young woman with long hair. Her hair danced as a light breeze blew.
"Who is Sei?" He shouted his question at her, but she never replied his question. Not once. She turned and disappeared into the fog.
Despite of the unanswered question, somewhere deep within his soul, he knew that Sei was him and he was Sei…
He always broke away from the dream after shouting out his question.
=|=|=|=|= End of Kaede's Recurring Dream =|=|=|=|=
Kaede snapped out of his reverie and saw Hiyuki smiling at him. It was strange, but her smile warmed his heart. To everyone's surprise, he smiled back at her. This shocked everyone since no one had seen the Ice Price smile before!
What followed put everyone into further shock. Kaede walked up to Hiyuki and asked softly, "Who are you? Why do I feel like I know you?"
Everyone stared at Kaede in disbeliefs. Did the Ice Price just smiled? How can his voice be filled with tenderness and emotions, instead of cold and monotonous?!
Hiyuki remained smiling. "Watashi wa Kazekan Hiyuki desu. Douzo yoroshiku." She spoke softly.
"Kazekan Hiyuki." Kaede mumbled. "I know that name from somewhere…" He said as he looked at her puzzlingly.
"She's the tensai of genetic engineering, of course you've heard of her from somewhere since her name is mentioned in almost every single report from the field." Etsu said sardonically.
"Etsu." Hiyuki said gently to silence her friend. She then turned to Kaede. "I apologize for my assistant's brashness."
"Iie..." He said.
Hiyuki looked into his blue pools, smiling. "You're eyes are as beautiful as always."
"Nani?" He asked astounded.
"Iie, nandamonai." Hiyuki lowered her head. "I have to go now, see you again sometime, Rukawa Kaede-san."
Hiyuki ended their conversation with that and walked away with Etsu. Fellow ToDai students and basketballers were baffled by what had just happened.
What the!? How did she know my name? Kaede asked himself in bewilderment.
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NB: (1) Daiyamondo dasuto = diamond dust
(2) ancient = the "older" population of the undead community, more than 500 years old (I made this up, so don't sue me if it's not true~ :P)
(3) Diamond Dust = a song by Himuro Kyosuke, so it's definitely not a folk song~ :P Also, it is this song that gave me the idea to write this fic :)
akane の teahouse~
OK… this chapter sucks, right? But I am doing my best to set the story up, so please don't throw rotten eggs at me if you don't like it? Pretty please??? *runs to find some place to hide* And… R&R please? Comments? Flames? Just gimme what you think I deserve k? Thank you…
By the way, if you're curious of the song Diamond Dust and can't find it on the web, then try looking for me on ICQ (33823296)…if I'm around I'll send you the file.
sLL, Eliar Swiftfire, and Fiery-Ice… tnx for reviewing :) I promise you guys that I'll clear things up ASAP! :)
Cheers~ =^.^=