Ch. 5: Graveyard Symphony
Lights swirled, intermingled with darkness. Colors flashed incohesively. For a faint moment, she felt a familiar presence, a face she'd not seen in ten years.
"Alice...?" she whispered.
"Alice? No. I am not Alice."
"Kenji?" she muttered. "What happened?"
"There was an accident. You were injured. Simple, really."
"You took care of me? Why?"
"Honestly, I haven't the foggiest clue."
Uriko could feel strength returning to her limbs. Her accelerated Zoanthrope physiology was healing her wound far faster than a normal human. She could sit up, look Kenji straight in the eyes, and smile. "I know why," she teased. "You're smitten with me, aren't you?"
"The trauma to your head must have been worse than I thought." He reached for some bandages, no doubt stolen. Uriko's hand stopped him.
"Admit it, Kenji. There's something there."
"There isn't!" he yelled. Uriko's eyes widened, and she drew back. "I... I'm sorry..." He tried to stand, but Uriko held tightly to his hand.
"Kenji, stop pushing me away. We're in this together. There can't be secrets between us."
Kenji sighed, and sat down. "It was seven years ago. I was under the command of Busuzima at the time. I was his hand, an extension of his will. Then I met her. She had short brown hair, green eyes, and was so full of life. I was forced to bring her in. A day hadn't gone by I didn't think about her... the way she looked at me with a slightly flirtatious look in her eyes... that I didn't regret what I had done. I tried to push it out of my mind, but..."
"That was you?" Uriko asked as long-suppressed memories flooded into her mind. That day when an assassin, a ninja, swooped down and plucked her from the streets, the beginning of her time in Busuzima's care. "You were afraid I'd find out, weren't you? That's why you were so mean. You wanted to push me away so if IU found out, it wouldn't hurt you as much."
"Yes. As much as I don't want to admit it, yes."
Kenji looked into Uriko's eyes, still filled with a sympathetic, loving gaze. "Kenji, I should hate you, for taking away my life. But you took me from that horrid place. You gave me hope when I had long given it up. I could never hate you. People change, Kenji, you are no exception."
Uriko smiled and drew her face closer to his. Her soft lips pressed against Kenji's. At first he resisted, but finally gave in, letting her tongue play with his. For a moment, the world was gone. There was no ZLF, no Shina on their heels; it was just them for now and forever.
A pity it was not to last. The doors burst from their hinges and windows shattered. Men and women armed with rifles and clad in black burst in, with guns fixed firmly on Kenji and Uriko. He looked around. Twenty, no thirty armed men, and him with no weapons. They had no recourse but surrender.
"How could they have found us so quickly?" he thought as they approached. Kenji felt a sharp pain against the back of his head, and he faded into unconsciousness.
Hours later, Uriko found herself again in a cell. This one, however, was more humanely kept and the guards were less abusive, nicer even. Finally, one unlocked the door to her cell. "Young lady, you've been asked to meet with the leaders of the Resistance. If you would come this way." She sighed and followed him down a long, sterile corridor. He opened a door in fron oif her, and she walked through. Inside to people awaited. One was a gruff- looking old man with long gray hair and scars to match. The other sat in a wheelchair, her back to Uriko. Slowly it turned, revealing a face aged and wizened through hardships, but one Uriko would recognize in a heartbeat.
"Sis!" she yelled. Uriko ran over and hugged her long-lost stepsibling.
"Uriko, it really is you! It's been so long."
"Sis, what happened?"
"ShenLong's doing. I... confronted him after he..." she struggled through painful memories, "killed Yugo. He shattered my spine. If Gado hadn't found me, I would have been dead. But you... you were locked in ther for ten years!"
"Yeah, I'd still... wait, where's Kenji?"
"Kenji? That boy you were with?"
"Bakuryu is locked up downstairs. He's a threat." The older man said sternly.
"I don't care! He saved my life, Sis! Let me see him."
"Absolutely not," the older man refused. "He's killed more of my man than any other ZLF agent, and I intend to see him pay for each and every one."
Alice raised her hand, revealing a matching band to the older man's. Uriko's eyes widened slightly. "That's not our way, Alan."
"I know, but..."
"No buts, Alan. We let Uriko see him. You remember what its like to be young and in love, don't you?"
"You'd let ShenLong himself in here. If you weren't my wife I'd...
"You'd what?" Alice challenged.
"Forget it. Let her see him," he grumbled. Alice smiled. "You never could say no to me," she teased, kissing him on the cheek. Uriko pushed her out of the room.
"You and that man?"
"Alan Gado founder of the Bi-Partisan Rebel Battalion. Yes, we were married. We met after the incident ten years ago. I guess, we had both lost something dear to us then. He lost his daughter, and I Yugo.
"But still, he's so... old..." she groaned. Alice sighed. "Just keep going."
Inside the office, Alan, looked out the window. A smaller female frame came into his view. She was shorter than him, with matted black hair. She wore a black tank top, black pants, and a trenchcoat. His face scowled, as she walked in. He let out an audible sigh, and stared her directly in her cold, emotionless eyes. "Tell your master, tell ShenLong that Bakuryu and the girl are here. And that he better not forget our deal."
"Don't worry. My master will be most pleased," the woman said with a smirk, "father."
Lights swirled, intermingled with darkness. Colors flashed incohesively. For a faint moment, she felt a familiar presence, a face she'd not seen in ten years.
"Alice...?" she whispered.
"Alice? No. I am not Alice."
"Kenji?" she muttered. "What happened?"
"There was an accident. You were injured. Simple, really."
"You took care of me? Why?"
"Honestly, I haven't the foggiest clue."
Uriko could feel strength returning to her limbs. Her accelerated Zoanthrope physiology was healing her wound far faster than a normal human. She could sit up, look Kenji straight in the eyes, and smile. "I know why," she teased. "You're smitten with me, aren't you?"
"The trauma to your head must have been worse than I thought." He reached for some bandages, no doubt stolen. Uriko's hand stopped him.
"Admit it, Kenji. There's something there."
"There isn't!" he yelled. Uriko's eyes widened, and she drew back. "I... I'm sorry..." He tried to stand, but Uriko held tightly to his hand.
"Kenji, stop pushing me away. We're in this together. There can't be secrets between us."
Kenji sighed, and sat down. "It was seven years ago. I was under the command of Busuzima at the time. I was his hand, an extension of his will. Then I met her. She had short brown hair, green eyes, and was so full of life. I was forced to bring her in. A day hadn't gone by I didn't think about her... the way she looked at me with a slightly flirtatious look in her eyes... that I didn't regret what I had done. I tried to push it out of my mind, but..."
"That was you?" Uriko asked as long-suppressed memories flooded into her mind. That day when an assassin, a ninja, swooped down and plucked her from the streets, the beginning of her time in Busuzima's care. "You were afraid I'd find out, weren't you? That's why you were so mean. You wanted to push me away so if IU found out, it wouldn't hurt you as much."
"Yes. As much as I don't want to admit it, yes."
Kenji looked into Uriko's eyes, still filled with a sympathetic, loving gaze. "Kenji, I should hate you, for taking away my life. But you took me from that horrid place. You gave me hope when I had long given it up. I could never hate you. People change, Kenji, you are no exception."
Uriko smiled and drew her face closer to his. Her soft lips pressed against Kenji's. At first he resisted, but finally gave in, letting her tongue play with his. For a moment, the world was gone. There was no ZLF, no Shina on their heels; it was just them for now and forever.
A pity it was not to last. The doors burst from their hinges and windows shattered. Men and women armed with rifles and clad in black burst in, with guns fixed firmly on Kenji and Uriko. He looked around. Twenty, no thirty armed men, and him with no weapons. They had no recourse but surrender.
"How could they have found us so quickly?" he thought as they approached. Kenji felt a sharp pain against the back of his head, and he faded into unconsciousness.
Hours later, Uriko found herself again in a cell. This one, however, was more humanely kept and the guards were less abusive, nicer even. Finally, one unlocked the door to her cell. "Young lady, you've been asked to meet with the leaders of the Resistance. If you would come this way." She sighed and followed him down a long, sterile corridor. He opened a door in fron oif her, and she walked through. Inside to people awaited. One was a gruff- looking old man with long gray hair and scars to match. The other sat in a wheelchair, her back to Uriko. Slowly it turned, revealing a face aged and wizened through hardships, but one Uriko would recognize in a heartbeat.
"Sis!" she yelled. Uriko ran over and hugged her long-lost stepsibling.
"Uriko, it really is you! It's been so long."
"Sis, what happened?"
"ShenLong's doing. I... confronted him after he..." she struggled through painful memories, "killed Yugo. He shattered my spine. If Gado hadn't found me, I would have been dead. But you... you were locked in ther for ten years!"
"Yeah, I'd still... wait, where's Kenji?"
"Kenji? That boy you were with?"
"Bakuryu is locked up downstairs. He's a threat." The older man said sternly.
"I don't care! He saved my life, Sis! Let me see him."
"Absolutely not," the older man refused. "He's killed more of my man than any other ZLF agent, and I intend to see him pay for each and every one."
Alice raised her hand, revealing a matching band to the older man's. Uriko's eyes widened slightly. "That's not our way, Alan."
"I know, but..."
"No buts, Alan. We let Uriko see him. You remember what its like to be young and in love, don't you?"
"You'd let ShenLong himself in here. If you weren't my wife I'd...
"You'd what?" Alice challenged.
"Forget it. Let her see him," he grumbled. Alice smiled. "You never could say no to me," she teased, kissing him on the cheek. Uriko pushed her out of the room.
"You and that man?"
"Alan Gado founder of the Bi-Partisan Rebel Battalion. Yes, we were married. We met after the incident ten years ago. I guess, we had both lost something dear to us then. He lost his daughter, and I Yugo.
"But still, he's so... old..." she groaned. Alice sighed. "Just keep going."
Inside the office, Alan, looked out the window. A smaller female frame came into his view. She was shorter than him, with matted black hair. She wore a black tank top, black pants, and a trenchcoat. His face scowled, as she walked in. He let out an audible sigh, and stared her directly in her cold, emotionless eyes. "Tell your master, tell ShenLong that Bakuryu and the girl are here. And that he better not forget our deal."
"Don't worry. My master will be most pleased," the woman said with a smirk, "father."