Bara no Scarlet
Chapter 22
Introspection
Ayomi had to ring the bell at the door of the Kiryuu residence because Anshii was supporting the still-unconscious Nanami. When Touga opened the door, Anshii simply looked at him, eyes unreadable and dark. She didn't want to tell him what had happened, didn't want to admit that her own powers could well have killed the girl. Least of all did she want to tell him what his own sister had said about the one that Touga so desperately loved.
"When she is dead, Touga will be mine!"
At a loss, Touga gathered the slender blonde into his arms and looked across at Anshii. No words were spoken, but he knew that Nanami had fallen prey to the End of the World, no, Akio's plots. Anshii smiled faintly to him, and he nodded his head to her. Ayomi looked as if she might have spoken, but after a moment, she shook her head slowly and looked away.
As Touga watched Ayomi turn and walk away with Anshii, he wondered how long it would take for Nanami to recover from whatever Akio had done to her. While he didn't approve of her actions, she was his sister, and he'd be there for her.
Utena had taught him that much.
He turned silently and carried his sister inside, the door closing quietly behind him in the darkness of the evening.
A few minutes of silence passed, and then Anshii looked to Ayomi as they walked back towards the on-campus apartments. "Ayomi, do you like horses?"
Blue eyes blinked several times. "I." She frowned. "You know. there's something fuzzy in my mind about horses. I may have liked them. I just can't remember." Ayomi tilted her head at Anshii. "Why do you ask?"
"Well. I was thinking of going riding tomorrow morning, and wondered if you would like to join me," Anshii replied, opening the door to the apartment building, as if nothing had happened, as if the Duel that was only an hour ago had never been.
Ayomi considered, entering the hallway, and looking back at Anshii with bright blue eyes. "That would be fun. Yes, let's do that."
The lavender-haired man in white took the sword towards the gate that was shaped like a rose, but growled in anger when the gate refused to open. The sword was the key! It had to be! Over and over, he hit the gate with the sword, each blow glancing off of the gate, his anger so great that he did not notice the pained cries of the girl behind him matching every blow that the sword took.
The blade broke with a sudden shatter, and he grew angrier, spinning around to watch as the girl struggled to her feet and staggered towards the gate. He moved, as if to assist her, but she smashed her hand into his face and used him to push herself forward.
She caught herself on the gate, leaning on it to rest for a moment while clutching the handle and coughing up blood. She'd gather her strength here for just a moment.
A single red droplet fell.
Magic unlike any felt before swirled wildly, and he watched in astonishment as the seal split, and the Gate opened. His own weak powers came forth, as he swore. He was to be the one to open that Gate! Not her! It was his right, he was the chosen! He called out to the girl in a desperate gamble, cautioning her not to open it, that she didn't know what was behind it.
She ignored him and reached to open the gate, speaking, reaching into the gate, and he unleashed a torrent of magic that rained destruction down around them. A well-placed bolt hit the gate, breaking it, and as it fell, he saw.
He saw the circling swords, he saw them swing away from him, swing away just as they had done so very long ago.
Darkness fell.
The swords had not.
"That's it, isn't it?"
She turned away from the scene, looking at someone who was shrouded in darkness. "That's the truth. Whatever that is, it's what happened. Is that what I don't remember?"
You remember what you want to, came the reply.
"But I want to remember the truth!"
Do you? Then remember it. It sleeps yet within.
"Sleeps? There was something about someone sleeping. a prince." Blue eyes widened as she peered into the darkness. "Are you a prince?"
The corner of a white cloak flipped and the person turned away.
"Hey, tell me. Hey!" She called to the other as she could hear the footsteps. "Tell me."
The scent of roses washed over her. Something important was falling, she was falling, falling.
There was a scream.
Dear readers, you'll notice that yours truly screwed up. I fixed it (
Ayomi had to ring the bell at the door of the Kiryuu residence because Anshii was supporting the still-unconscious Nanami. When Touga opened the door, Anshii simply looked at him, eyes unreadable and dark. She didn't want to tell him what had happened, didn't want to admit that her own powers could well have killed the girl. Least of all did she want to tell him what his own sister had said about the one that Touga so desperately loved.
"When she is dead, Touga will be mine!"
At a loss, Touga gathered the slender blonde into his arms and looked across at Anshii. No words were spoken, but he knew that Nanami had fallen prey to the End of the World, no, Akio's plots. Anshii smiled faintly to him, and he nodded his head to her. Ayomi looked as if she might have spoken, but after a moment, she shook her head slowly and looked away.
As Touga watched Ayomi turn and walk away with Anshii, he wondered how long it would take for Nanami to recover from whatever Akio had done to her. While he didn't approve of her actions, she was his sister, and he'd be there for her.
Utena had taught him that much.
He turned silently and carried his sister inside, the door closing quietly behind him in the darkness of the evening.
A few minutes of silence passed, and then Anshii looked to Ayomi as they walked back towards the on-campus apartments. "Ayomi, do you like horses?"
Blue eyes blinked several times. "I." She frowned. "You know. there's something fuzzy in my mind about horses. I may have liked them. I just can't remember." Ayomi tilted her head at Anshii. "Why do you ask?"
"Well. I was thinking of going riding tomorrow morning, and wondered if you would like to join me," Anshii replied, opening the door to the apartment building, as if nothing had happened, as if the Duel that was only an hour ago had never been.
Ayomi considered, entering the hallway, and looking back at Anshii with bright blue eyes. "That would be fun. Yes, let's do that."
The lavender-haired man in white took the sword towards the gate that was shaped like a rose, but growled in anger when the gate refused to open. The sword was the key! It had to be! Over and over, he hit the gate with the sword, each blow glancing off of the gate, his anger so great that he did not notice the pained cries of the girl behind him matching every blow that the sword took.
The blade broke with a sudden shatter, and he grew angrier, spinning around to watch as the girl struggled to her feet and staggered towards the gate. He moved, as if to assist her, but she smashed her hand into his face and used him to push herself forward.
She caught herself on the gate, leaning on it to rest for a moment while clutching the handle and coughing up blood. She'd gather her strength here for just a moment.
A single red droplet fell.
Magic unlike any felt before swirled wildly, and he watched in astonishment as the seal split, and the Gate opened. His own weak powers came forth, as he swore. He was to be the one to open that Gate! Not her! It was his right, he was the chosen! He called out to the girl in a desperate gamble, cautioning her not to open it, that she didn't know what was behind it.
She ignored him and reached to open the gate, speaking, reaching into the gate, and he unleashed a torrent of magic that rained destruction down around them. A well-placed bolt hit the gate, breaking it, and as it fell, he saw.
He saw the circling swords, he saw them swing away from him, swing away just as they had done so very long ago.
Darkness fell.
The swords had not.
"That's it, isn't it?"
She turned away from the scene, looking at someone who was shrouded in darkness. "That's the truth. Whatever that is, it's what happened. Is that what I don't remember?"
You remember what you want to, came the reply.
"But I want to remember the truth!"
Do you? Then remember it. It sleeps yet within.
"Sleeps? There was something about someone sleeping. a prince." Blue eyes widened as she peered into the darkness. "Are you a prince?"
The corner of a white cloak flipped and the person turned away.
"Hey, tell me. Hey!" She called to the other as she could hear the footsteps. "Tell me."
The scent of roses washed over her. Something important was falling, she was falling, falling.
There was a scream.
Dear readers, you'll notice that yours truly screwed up. I fixed it (