Summary: The first conflict between good and evil tests the strength of bonds between friends, and enemies...
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Hitomi crawled into her bed, still shaken from Van's kiss. She had hoped he didn't still have feelings for her...but now it would be all right, she thought. He understood...but then, what was that flicker of anger in his eyes that she had seen?
"Poor sweet thing," came a velvety feminine voice from out of nowhere, and Hitomi shot bolt upright in her bed.
"Who's there?" she called, trying her best to sound confident over her sudden fear.
"You should be more careful with others' hearts, dear Hitomi," the voice continued, as the form of a woman began to materialize before her. She gasped and shrunk back; that was the woman from her vision! "You never know who you'll break," Aquaria finished with a dangerous smirk on her blood-red lips. "And don't you dare scream," she added with something almost like a light humor in her voice, "Or I'll kill you on the spot."
"What do you want?" Hitomi asked with an audible tremor in her voice.
Aquaria's smirk widened slightly, and she leaned in closer to the other girl. "Simple," she spoke matter-of-factly, "I want you to stay out of my way. I want you to go back to your own world and stay out of affairs that aren't your own." For a moment, the demon looked thoughtful, then she smiled, almost innocently as she continued, "Or I want you to die. Either way suits me fine."
"Why?"
"I have my reasons." The demon chuckled then, a sound that sent shivers down the other girl's spine. "This city will be the first to fall. You and your worthless little friends can't do anything to stop me...don't play with fire," With this, Aquaria lifted an ivory finger, from which a small flame sprung to life, "You'll only get burned."
Hitomi leapt from her bed as Aquaria's arm swung around, throwing an arc of fire across the exact spot she had the moment before occupied. The demon laughed delightedly at this, at Hitomi's horrified expression as the bed began to burn brightly, which then caught the curtains and began to spread slowly throughout the room.
"You move quickly, little one," Aquaria spoke almost gently, "But do you move quickly enough to survive?"
Before she had a chance to respond, she was grabbed from behind by a powerful arm, a hand clamping tightly over her mouth to prevent her from screaming. Hitomi, squirming to get away, suddenly caught sight of the reflection in the mirror, and was unable to keep back a cry of terror, which was muffled out by the hand over her mouth. Holding her, illuminated by the growing flames, was none other than Dilandau Albatou. On his face was a demented grin, and in the hand not covering her mouth laid a serrated dagger, one of the likes she'd never seen before. Using all her strength, she managed to struggle away from him and run out to her balcony. Eye wide in horror, she let out another cry, shaking her head as if to will the sight in front of her away.
The city was on fire.
"Don't you see?" Aquaria spoke calmly, as though speaking to a small child, "Don't you see that it's hopeless to stand up against us? You'll all die by our hands. You'd be better off if you left, and never returned." If she didn't already know better, she would have thought the demon was actually concerned for her.
Acting entirely on her instincts, she bolted for the edge of the balcony that faced the next patio, the terrace of Allen's room. Dilandau started after her, but was held back by Aquaria's hand.
"Later, Dilandau. She's of no concern now."
Building up as much speed as she could, Hitomi jumped and pushed off of the balcony's rail with her feet, sending her soaring easily over the gap between them, and landed on the other terrace. She let out a breath and looked behind her, relieved that neither had followed. In fact, it seemed as though they were no longer there at all...
She made quick work of waking Allen and the others, as the flames from her room were starting to creep out into the hallway. The castle was quickly evacuated, and any survivors from the city itself were collected by scout soldiers. It seemed only like minutes later that Hitomi was sitting on the cliff behind the city, looking down at the raging fires that reflected in the tears that had welled in her eyes.
"Hitomi."
She turned around at the sound of her name, and saw herself looking up at Van, whose expression she couldn't place. "I'm sorry," she whispered, though she wasn't entirely sure why she was apologizing.
Van's expression didn't change. He looked down at her and took a step closer, which made her a bit nervous. "Did you see this? Did you see this before it happened?"
"A vision...?" she asked quietly, more to herself than Van. It did seem odd, now that she thought of it, that she hadn't seen everything beforehand. "No," she said with a shake of her head, casting her watery emerald eyes up to him, "No, I didn't see anything..."
He said nothing more, but waited a moment before turning around and walking back to where most of the people had collected. For some reason, his silence made her feel extraordinarily guilty - this could have been prevented if she had only seen it. The tears that had been threatening to fall since leaving the city behind now became unstoppable, and she pulled her knees to her chest, leaning her head against them as her body began to shake with silent sobs.
After a moment, she felt a warm hand on her shoulder, and she looked up to find herself looking into Allen's eyes through tear-blurred vision. "Hitomi," he said very gently, trying to soothe her, "This wasn't your fault...it couldn't have been stopped."
"Why did they come to me...?" she whispered, shaking her head slightly before leaning into him, wrapping her arms around him in a gentle embrace, seeking comfort. Though he seemed timid for a moment, he returned the motion and held her close, stroking her hair and murmuring soothing words to her. After a short while, her sobs began to ease.
Unseen by both of them, Van glared sharply at the couple before turning his back once more.
~~
"I could have killed her."
Dilandau finally spoke after a long while of silence, standing by Aquaria on a nearby hillside, close enough that they could survey the damage. He had seemed bitter for some time now, and it was evident in his voice.
"But where's the fun in that?" Aquaria said in remarkable good humor, turning to look at Dilandau with an almost childish amusement in her eyes. "Think about it. Wherever the girl goes, she brings death and destruction with her. It won't be long before she's blamed for everything we're doing. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me in the least if sometime soon, the people themselves burn her at the stake as some sort of an attempt to appease the gods..." She laughed at this, as though finding the statement ironic. "It's almost sad...but soon enough they'll realize it."
Despite his bitterness for not being able to kill the pesky brat himself, his curiousity was piqued by Aquaria's words. "Realize what?"
A devilish grin spread across her lips as she looked from the city in flames to her soldier. "That I will soon be their god."
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Hitomi crawled into her bed, still shaken from Van's kiss. She had hoped he didn't still have feelings for her...but now it would be all right, she thought. He understood...but then, what was that flicker of anger in his eyes that she had seen?
"Poor sweet thing," came a velvety feminine voice from out of nowhere, and Hitomi shot bolt upright in her bed.
"Who's there?" she called, trying her best to sound confident over her sudden fear.
"You should be more careful with others' hearts, dear Hitomi," the voice continued, as the form of a woman began to materialize before her. She gasped and shrunk back; that was the woman from her vision! "You never know who you'll break," Aquaria finished with a dangerous smirk on her blood-red lips. "And don't you dare scream," she added with something almost like a light humor in her voice, "Or I'll kill you on the spot."
"What do you want?" Hitomi asked with an audible tremor in her voice.
Aquaria's smirk widened slightly, and she leaned in closer to the other girl. "Simple," she spoke matter-of-factly, "I want you to stay out of my way. I want you to go back to your own world and stay out of affairs that aren't your own." For a moment, the demon looked thoughtful, then she smiled, almost innocently as she continued, "Or I want you to die. Either way suits me fine."
"Why?"
"I have my reasons." The demon chuckled then, a sound that sent shivers down the other girl's spine. "This city will be the first to fall. You and your worthless little friends can't do anything to stop me...don't play with fire," With this, Aquaria lifted an ivory finger, from which a small flame sprung to life, "You'll only get burned."
Hitomi leapt from her bed as Aquaria's arm swung around, throwing an arc of fire across the exact spot she had the moment before occupied. The demon laughed delightedly at this, at Hitomi's horrified expression as the bed began to burn brightly, which then caught the curtains and began to spread slowly throughout the room.
"You move quickly, little one," Aquaria spoke almost gently, "But do you move quickly enough to survive?"
Before she had a chance to respond, she was grabbed from behind by a powerful arm, a hand clamping tightly over her mouth to prevent her from screaming. Hitomi, squirming to get away, suddenly caught sight of the reflection in the mirror, and was unable to keep back a cry of terror, which was muffled out by the hand over her mouth. Holding her, illuminated by the growing flames, was none other than Dilandau Albatou. On his face was a demented grin, and in the hand not covering her mouth laid a serrated dagger, one of the likes she'd never seen before. Using all her strength, she managed to struggle away from him and run out to her balcony. Eye wide in horror, she let out another cry, shaking her head as if to will the sight in front of her away.
The city was on fire.
"Don't you see?" Aquaria spoke calmly, as though speaking to a small child, "Don't you see that it's hopeless to stand up against us? You'll all die by our hands. You'd be better off if you left, and never returned." If she didn't already know better, she would have thought the demon was actually concerned for her.
Acting entirely on her instincts, she bolted for the edge of the balcony that faced the next patio, the terrace of Allen's room. Dilandau started after her, but was held back by Aquaria's hand.
"Later, Dilandau. She's of no concern now."
Building up as much speed as she could, Hitomi jumped and pushed off of the balcony's rail with her feet, sending her soaring easily over the gap between them, and landed on the other terrace. She let out a breath and looked behind her, relieved that neither had followed. In fact, it seemed as though they were no longer there at all...
She made quick work of waking Allen and the others, as the flames from her room were starting to creep out into the hallway. The castle was quickly evacuated, and any survivors from the city itself were collected by scout soldiers. It seemed only like minutes later that Hitomi was sitting on the cliff behind the city, looking down at the raging fires that reflected in the tears that had welled in her eyes.
"Hitomi."
She turned around at the sound of her name, and saw herself looking up at Van, whose expression she couldn't place. "I'm sorry," she whispered, though she wasn't entirely sure why she was apologizing.
Van's expression didn't change. He looked down at her and took a step closer, which made her a bit nervous. "Did you see this? Did you see this before it happened?"
"A vision...?" she asked quietly, more to herself than Van. It did seem odd, now that she thought of it, that she hadn't seen everything beforehand. "No," she said with a shake of her head, casting her watery emerald eyes up to him, "No, I didn't see anything..."
He said nothing more, but waited a moment before turning around and walking back to where most of the people had collected. For some reason, his silence made her feel extraordinarily guilty - this could have been prevented if she had only seen it. The tears that had been threatening to fall since leaving the city behind now became unstoppable, and she pulled her knees to her chest, leaning her head against them as her body began to shake with silent sobs.
After a moment, she felt a warm hand on her shoulder, and she looked up to find herself looking into Allen's eyes through tear-blurred vision. "Hitomi," he said very gently, trying to soothe her, "This wasn't your fault...it couldn't have been stopped."
"Why did they come to me...?" she whispered, shaking her head slightly before leaning into him, wrapping her arms around him in a gentle embrace, seeking comfort. Though he seemed timid for a moment, he returned the motion and held her close, stroking her hair and murmuring soothing words to her. After a short while, her sobs began to ease.
Unseen by both of them, Van glared sharply at the couple before turning his back once more.
~~
"I could have killed her."
Dilandau finally spoke after a long while of silence, standing by Aquaria on a nearby hillside, close enough that they could survey the damage. He had seemed bitter for some time now, and it was evident in his voice.
"But where's the fun in that?" Aquaria said in remarkable good humor, turning to look at Dilandau with an almost childish amusement in her eyes. "Think about it. Wherever the girl goes, she brings death and destruction with her. It won't be long before she's blamed for everything we're doing. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me in the least if sometime soon, the people themselves burn her at the stake as some sort of an attempt to appease the gods..." She laughed at this, as though finding the statement ironic. "It's almost sad...but soon enough they'll realize it."
Despite his bitterness for not being able to kill the pesky brat himself, his curiousity was piqued by Aquaria's words. "Realize what?"
A devilish grin spread across her lips as she looked from the city in flames to her soldier. "That I will soon be their god."
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