I have tons of sewing to do but this story is getting to the good part and it's just not leaving me alone, even the great joy of going to a con can't keep this story at bay for too long!
Anyway just random info...
1. If you like oldies music or Cher, I'm sure you'll understand what I mean when I say that "It's in his kiss" is playing on repeat on my CD player right now.
2. I like Yami no Matsui and for those who have seen it or picked up on the title of the last chapter I'm playing a bit on it again.
Major hint don't read unless you're totally clueless about #2! If you haven't seen it the line in the show is something along the lines of "The true beauty of the sakura blossom is in its fleetingness."
Chapter 19: Sunlight
Die?
Something had to die? No, that couldn't be right. No way! Was she planning on... could she possible be thinking of?
"No! I won't let you!" He shrieked. "Don't even think about it!"
Akito had her pinned against the old sakura tree. "I won't let you do it. Just leave it be don't do anything! I'll die instead! It was supposed to be that way anyway! I'll be the last one. No more!"
He was crying. The tears were falling so quickly, and his face was twisted in anguish, grief, and desperation.
"But something..." She began.
"I don't care! I'll take it. I won't let you die. I... I think I... No, I know that I..."
Adrian silenced him with the palm of her hand. She was terrified of what he was going to say. She was going to save him no matter what he said about it, and she knew in her heart if she heard anything from him at all her heart would break. She wouldn't let him die. She couldn't let him die!
The mere thought was anguishing for her. It hurt. The thought of going to his wake, of knowing that there was something that she could do to save him.
No!
She wouldn't let it end that way!
"You can't stop me." She whispered. "I'll save you, and I won't let you die!"
He grabbed her wrist and angrily yanked it away from his mouth.
"No! I won't let you! There has to be another way!" He grabbed her jacket, and angrily pulled her towards him.
They had only shared one kiss. It had been filled with tenderness, and caring, but this one was nothing like that one had been. It was filled with desperation, a burning desire to hold on to her no matter what. He just didn't care what the price tag was as long as she was there alive.
"There has to be another way." He repeated when he broke off the kiss. "There just has to be!"
Adrian was in such a daze from that kiss that when she finally felt strong enough to stand on her own without the tree for support, Akito had already left.
This was becoming way to complicated.
Still a part of her was happy. Akito was the first person that had ever truly cared about her. It only made her more determined to save him. She looked up into the old sakura tree that had become her friend in the last few days, and wondered if the tree had seen everything important that had happened to him.
This tree probably held all of Akito's secrets beneath it's bark, and knew his every worry and thought.
She turned around and leaned her forehead against its cool bark, and wondered what it thought of the whole situation.
A beautiful white kimono....
Akito smiling in joy...
Adrian's face covered in sunlight...
The fleeting beauty...
What a silly dream the tree had. Like that would ever happen!
No, when everything was done she would trade with her life for Akito's and he would live on. He would find someone else to care for. He was a handsome man after all. No her life didn't matter at all.
She smiled sadly as she left the tree behind her and went back to work preparing for the next curse breaking. She didn't really care if she lived; she never really had anything to live for before coming here after all. Still that picture the tree showed her for those few moments, gave her strength. The image of the two of them hand in hand beneath the sakura tree being wed was an image that couldn't be purged from her mind.
She worked hard all day trying to purge that image from her mind. She couldn't afford to have her curse be activated through her own selfish desires. No, she had to help them... she thought as she drifted off to sleep.
Darkness.
Terror.
Pain.
Loneliness.
The words echoed through the... where was she? There was no light, only the same kind of pitch-black darkness that existed beneath the earth.
She stared into the darkness, a candle was in her hand, and she tried to light it. She could hear someone yelling in terror. Trying to keep something back away from him in the darkness.
At last the candle was lit. The light was small but it shown brightly in the darkness.
A cave?
She could hear the footfalls, running towards her. Her light was attracting them...
There were two things running in the darkness...
She could clearly hear Akito's voice scream, and there was something else something following him.
She began to walk forward.
She had to save him!
Price didn't matter as long as he would live!
Something was clinging to her foot, she tore her foot free, but each step she took it clung to her again and again more tightly than the last. It was taking all of her strength to move towards Akito.
She just had to save him!
She saw his face terrified, and he entered into the small circle of light, and that's when she saw it.
It's face was a shadow sucking in all the light, the shadow's fleshy face began to blister as the light brushed against him.
The candle began to waver, and Akito tripped.
The monster went mad, and came after Adrian.
It's arm swung wide to remove her head from her shoulders, when a root came from the walls of the cavern, rapping itself around it's hand, roots shot out of the ground and the ceiling binding the monster in one place. A few rays of sunlight broke through the cavern walls to illuminate everything.
She reached out carefully offering Akito her hand, and he took it.
When she awoke the next morning she couldn't help but wonder what it was that she had seen.
Chapter 20