Disclaimer: No, I don't own a thing.
»«»«»«
Especial thanks to:
animechick13: First of all, thank you for your words, they mean a lot to me. And I think you're right, MK authors are an 'endangered species' but, even if only one person keeps writing then, MK will never disappear (at least, that's how I think). And I'll be waiting for a fic of yours, can't wait to read them «wink» Oh, and you can write reviews with any size, I don't mind.
GetHika: Thank you for your words, I'm trying my best. And, I hope you like this chapter as well.
Good reading!
»«»«»«
Chapter 3: Ruby & Amber
She had not quite understood what had happened: she still did not understand what he had meant with such cold and hard words. Sure, she had tried to help him and she still did, but not by entering on his mind. Besides, how could she do such thing? And, how on Earth was she was able to change if he kept scaring her like that?
With a sad sigh Ikhny looked up.
'Hiead can be so complicated, sometimes.' she thought while looking at the stars 'Why is he always threatening me? And, how can I feel a shock every time he touches me? I have been able to stop feeling it until now, but it's like I can't do it anymore. Is it possible...? No, of course not, that's completely impossible. But then my mind always returns to him? Is it because I'm, his partner or because I...'
"#87!" a voice called-out, breaking Ikhny's thoughts, and the girl looked up to face Azuma Hijikata:
"Hai?" she asked, getting up from the ground
"I have bad news for you." the professor started, and Ikhny clenched her fists:
"What is it, sensei?"
»«»«»«
Hiead looked around: everyone was having dinner, except for Ikhny, that did not seem to be anywhere:
'Humph, as if I care.' he thought 'Why should I even think about that weak? She can die for all I care, but only after I became a pilot.'
"Hiead?" a voice called, and the silver haired boy looked up to face Kizna.
"What is it, cat girl?" he asked coldly, and the pink haired girl narrowed her eyes.
"Look Hiead, I only came to make you a simple question: where's Ikhny?"
"As if I cared." the boy replied with boredom, and Kizna exploded.
"How can you say that?" she screamed "How can you act so cold? Ikhny is always trying her best to turn you into a pilot, and you don't even care for her! What do you have instead of a heart? A stone? Ice? You're a jerk, Hiead! You don't deserve to have Ikhny as a repairer!"
Suddenly Hiead stood up, and looked right into Kizna's eyes:
"Look here, cat girl, I don't know where Allecto is and I don't care. She can go to hell and never come back, that I don't care."
"Bakayarou!" Kizna exclaimed, her hands clenched into strong fists "You don't deserve to become a pilot and I hope you'll never will!"
Suddenly Hiead slammed her against the wall. Due to the fact she had been taken by surprised, Kizna can't help but groan in pain:
"Watch your mouth, cat girl!" Hiead hissed in a deadly voice "You don't know whom you're pissing off."
"I thought I was pissing a jerk!" Kizna replied through her teeth, and Hiead raised his hand:
"Hey!" a voice exclaimed suddenly, and a hand grabbed Hiead's making the boy turn around, not to face Zero, but to face one of the five pilots: Rioroute Vilgyna or Rio, as his friends called him
"What do you want?" Hiead snapped
"You're candidate #87, right?" Rio asked, looking at the boy
"Yeah, so?"
"You shouldn't treat your repairer, like that."
"She's not my repairer." Hiead replied coldly "Why should I want this weak?"
"Kizna!" a voice called-out.
"Zero!" the girl replied, watching her friend running towards her.
"Hiead, what the hell are you doing?" the brown haired boy asked furious.
"She was the one who was pissing me, off." the silver haired boy replied, with he same cold eyes "You really should get a life, and stop worrying about others." he finished looking at Kizna, before walking out of the cafeteria.
"With that attitude, he won't go far." Rio sighed before turning to Kizna "You ok?"
"Hai, arigatou." Kizna thanked not believing she was actually talking with a pilot, and Rio smiled:
"That's ok." he replied "Well, gotta go and eat." with that he walked away
"Strange guy." Zero commented now with an arm around Kizna's shoulders.
"Makes me remind someone." the pink haired girl agreed, looking at him
"Who?" Zero asked, raising an eyebrow, and Kizna rolled her eyes:
"Baka." she whispered.
»«»«»«
'She dared to yell at me? She dared to say I won't be a pilot? She deserved a good punch, oh she did! If it hadn't been for that idiot! I still ask myself how such a baka turned into a pilot. Argh! Everyone here is so weak I'm feeling sick, already. Obviously I had to get the most weak of them. Hey, speaking of which, where the hell is Allecto?'
Hiead stopped walking, his eyes widened in surprise.
'What the hell did just happened? I don't care about what happens to that weak! She really should change her personality, or I'll ask for someone else, who can do her job well.'
Without noticing Hiead started walking towards the Observatory: he knew no one was there, and by the fact Allecto wasn't eating, he bet she was studying
'Good, I'll be alone.' however as Hiead continued to walk towards his destination, his mind kept returning to Allecto 'Damn, why can't I stop thinking about her? She's just a weakling!'
Is that so? a voice in his mind asked What if she stopped being a weakling? Would you start liking her?
'No.' Hiead replied immediately 'She could stop being a weakling, but she would continued to be a stone in my way.'
Is that so? the voice asked again Do you really think that?
Hiead did not notice the seconds that passed before he answered with a simple
'Yes.'
Suddenly he looked up, and saw that he had already reached his destination:
"Finally..." he whispered, "I'm all alone."
But, it's then that a sob made him look to the darkest part of the observatory, only to see someone's form:
'Great.' Hiead thought, sarcastically 'Just great.'
Despite the sobs he was hearing Hiead managed to block them, and lean against the wall, next to a window before gazing at the stars. He couldn't help but think about his so called life: the memories that haunted his dreams, the memories that haunted him, every time he looked at his repairer's eyes and...the sobs that were already getting to his nerves
"Cut it out, already!" Hiead snapped as he looked at the form, and he noticed the person jump in surprise.
"Gomen ne.." a trembling voice whispered, and Hiead frowned: he knew that voice. However, before he could give it a face, someone passed besides him, leaving a trail of tears behind.
'Allecto.' the silver haired boy thought while turning to the open door, through where the brunette was getting out.
"Allecto!" he called-out, but the girl did not stop. Without knowing why, Hiead started running after her.
'Since when, she's so fast?' the young man asked to himself
"Allecto!" he called again, now close to the girl, and without any warning, he grabbed her by her waist, and turned her to him:
"Let me go!" the girl exclaimed, with tears still falling down her cheeks "Please!"
"What's wrong?" Hiead asked as Ikhny continued to struggle to get away.
'What? Since when I care for her? Since when I worry about her?'
"That doesn't matter, let me go!" Ikhny begged again, while trying to hit him with her fists "Please, let me go!"
"Not until you tell me, what the hell is going on." Hiead answered still in his cold and commanding voice.
"I don't want to tell you." the girl said through her tears. She had already stopped her attempts to get away from Hiead's grip, and without any warning she grabbed his shirt with her fists, and started crying into his chest.
'Great, what do I do now?' Hiead asked 'What the hell am I suppose to do, with this weakling?'
Show you have a heart. a voice in his head replied
'I don't have a heart.' Hiead replied coldly
Then care to explain, what you're doing? the same voice asked, and Hiead looked down: he had not noticed, but he had encircle the girl's back with his arms, and now they were in a almost comfortable position if it was not for the fact Ikhny was crying.
Suddenly Ikhny stepped back
"Gomen ne." she whispered, looking down. She was still crying, and Hiead could easily see tears streaming down the girl's flushed cheeks.
"I'm sorry for crying on you, and for showing how weak I am." with that she started running down the hall, leaving a very confused and shocked Hiead behind.
»«»«»«
'Where in the world is she?' Kizna asked, looking at the ceiling 'The lights are almost out, and she's not here...' however Kizna's train of thoughts were interrupted when the door is open, and Kizna saw a flash of brown running towards the other bed:
"Ikhny?" the pink haired girl asked confused and worried
"Hai?" the other girl asked back through the darkness
"Are you crying?"
"Iie, I'm just tired. Go back to sleep, Kizna."
Still doubting her friend's words Kizna leaned her head against her pillow, and took a deep breath:
'What the hell did you do to her this time, Hiead?' the pink haired girl asked to herself, before falling asleep.
On the other bed, Ikhny closed her fists, while tears continued to fall:
'I'll change.' she vowed 'I'll change to forget.'
»«»«»«
Just like during the others breakfasts, everyone was trying to eat, but since the food was everything except eatable not many eat it:
"Do you know where Ikhny is, Kizna?" Wrecka asked, and Kizna shook her head:
"She wasn't in he room when I woke up." she replied.
"That's strange." Tsukasa stated.
"You tell me; but she can't be with Hiead, since he's there." Saki said, pointing to the silver haired boy with her fork.
"Hum...interesting." Clay muttered, and Yamagi rolled his eyes:
"Other word from time to time would be cool, ya know?" he questioned.
"I agree." Roose said with a nod, and suddenly Kizna stood up:
"Where are you going?" Zero asked with his mouth full.
"Baka, don't speak with your mouth full." Kizna replied, hitting him on the arm
"Ouch!" Zero exclaimed after swallowing "Ok, but where are you going?"
"I'm going to ask Hiead where Ikhny is." the pink haired girl replied, "I'll be right back." with that she starts walking towards Hiead that, noticed the pink haired girl and rolled his eyes.
"What do you want?" he deadpans
"Have you see Ikhny?" Kizna asked annoyed
"Why would I want to?" Hiead asked back though last night was still on his mind.
Kizna rolled her eyes, but when she was about to reply she froze. Everyone seemed to have frozen due to who had entered inside the cafeteria. Even Hiead seemed surprised.
Close to the door was Ikhny, but not the same shy and sweet Ikhny Allecto everyone loved: this one had a pair of black trousers, a black jacket, a yellow shirt, and her hair was falling down her shoulders, in waves. Though she still had her spectacles, she looked beautiful:
"Something wrong?" the brunette asked confused
"Ikhny?" Kizna asked back, and the brown-eyed girl looked at her:
"Ohayo Kizna." she complimented with a smile "Azuma-sensei called for us; we have to train." with that she walked away giving Kizna only time to blink her eyes confusedly, before she was surrounded by her friends.
"Ok, what did just happened?" Saki asked still shocked.
"Was that Ikhny?" Wrecka asked at same time.
"I...I think so." Kizna replied still looking at the door
"She was? Men, what a girl." Yamagi commented, and Hiead glared coldly at him before getting up. Growling, the silver haired boy walked away, leaving a confused group behind. Suddenly, Tsuksa hits Yamagi on the arm:
"Baka." she said simply before walking away with the other girls.
"What did I say?" Yamagi asked to the other boys.
"Hum...the truth?" Roose asked back while Zero nodded.
"Interesting..." Clay whispered, pushing his spectacles to their place "Interesting, indeed."
»«»«»«
When everyone entered inside the training-room they spotted Ikhny leaned against a wall, with her arms crossed, her hair covering her face.
'Strange.' Kizna thought 'She looks just like Hiead.'
"Lets get started!" Azuma exclaimed "#85 vs #86; #87 vs #88 and #89. Go now, I have an important thing to say after the training."
"Hai!" everyone saluted before walking towards their posts
"Ikhny..." Kizna trailed off, looking at her friend who had her eyes now glued to the screen.
"Hai?"
"Why...I mean, something wrong?"
"Iie, everything is fine." the brunette replied without looking at her friend.
"Hum...they why are you wearing that?" Kizna asked still confused.
"#87, you can go." Ikhny said before glancing at her friend "Don't worry about me, Kizna." she finished, typing on the keyboard.
"Ok." the pink haired girl replied before looking to her screen "Zero, you can go."
"Finally!" Zero exclaimed.
"Clay, what are you doing?" Saki asked slightly annoyed "You can go!"
"Interesting..." the boy replied, and Saki rolled her eyes:
"CLAY!" she yelled.
"Yamagi, Roose's behind you." Tsukasa warned, staring at her screen.
"Roose, look out!" Wrecka exclaimed.
"Roose!" Yamagi called-out, smiling "Prepare to die!"
Suddenly a scream was heard, close followed by a mad laughter, and then a sigh:
"Roose, you're such an idiot." Wrecka said, looking down
"Clay, look out!" Saki exclaimed
"Clay, I'm going to get you!" Zero exclaims
"Ah, Saki!" Clay yelled in despair.
"Use your weapons!" Saki exclaimed, typing on her keyboard
"Which? When? Ahh!" Clay screamed as Zero laughter filled the room.
"Zero, stop acting like a mad-man!" Kizna exclaimed
"Hai!" the boy replied before hitting Clay with his foot, and in seconds Clay was on the ground, and Saki shook her head:
"Baka." she whispered
"Zero, Yamagi's on your left!" Kizna exclaimed suddenly.
"Zero!" the purple haired boy exclaimed, pointing his weapons towards his friend.
"Yamagi!" Zero complimented also preparing his weapons, and in seconds bullets were being throw against each other until:
"Yamagi!" Tsukasa shouted when her partner fell on the ground.
"Where's Zero?" Hiead asked annoyed
"Right." Ikhny replied, "Approaching slowly."
"Give me, my sword." Hiead ordered, but Ikhny shook her head:
"Negative, only bullets can be use as a weapon."
"Damn."
"#88 running towards you." Ikhny said "Impact in three...two..."
"Hiead!" Zero yelled, and bullets, kicks and punches were being thrown everywhere within seconds.
"Zero, calm down!" Kizna instructed "Your left arm is losing power, and so is your right feet."
"#87, 50 power in your right arm and left leg." Ikhny informed "Weapons...without bullets in 30 seconds."
"Zero, your bullets are almost gone." Kizna continued "And the energy of your right arm is almost gone."
"#87, your left shoulder has 30 power." Ikhny said "15 power in your right feet."
"Stop the simulation!" Azuma shouted while writing something in a notepad.
"What?" Zero asked shocked "Why now?"
"Stop at once!" Azuma ordered again "And come here."
"Ah men..." Zero moaned.
"Baka! Just get out of there!" Kizna exclaimed
After some minutes everyone was already together. However, Kizna noticed Ikhny did not go to Hiead's side, instead she leaned against the opposite wall of her partner.
'What the hell is going on here?' she asked, looking to her friend.
"As you know, Christmas is approaching," Azuma started "and I want to tell you, you're able to return to your colonies during holidays."
"Really?" Saki asked while everyone started cheering. Everyone except for Ikhny and Hiead.
"You'll go on December 18th, and return on January 5th, to train harder than now. For that day on you'll start working harder because at the end we'll know who has been chosen to be a pilot." Azuma continued, annoyed by the noise "In other words: enjoy this holidays, because they'll be your last for a long time."
Hiead was about to walk out of the room when he noticed Ikhny's eyes on him before disappearing through the door.
'What the hell is wrong with her?' he asked to himself, before shaking his head mentally 'Humph, as if I care.' with that he walked out of the room.
"What's wrong with them?" Zero asked, and everyone shrugged except for Kizna, who raised her eyebrow:
'What's going on?'
»«»«»«
"Allecto!" Hiead called-out, but Ikhny ignored him. They were still walking, and the distance between them wasn't much so it was impossible for her not to hear him.
'Is she ignoring me?' Hiead asked to himself
You actually care? a voice asked back, sounding surprised.
'No.' Hiead replied
"Allecto, stop this instant!" but once again the brunette ignored him. Annoyed, Hiead started walking faster, and without warning, he slammed the girl against the wall beside them "Don't ignore me, you weakling." he hissed, and Ikhny looked up at him.
What Hiead saw made him froze: instead of scary, tearing eyes, he was looking right into annoyed and cold ones:
"What do you want this time, Gner?" Ikhny asked coldly "I didn't do a good job? I made you lose the simulation? Is that it? If it is save your breathe, because I already know the lecture. Now, let me go, because you're hurting me."
"Are you giving me orders, weakling?" Hiead inquired coldly, and for his surprise Ikhny smirked:
"Take it as you want." she replied
"Stop talking like that or I'll..." Hiead started, but Ikhny interrupted him:
"What? You'll kill me? Go ahead and do it, Gner, just don't blame me if you can't turn into a pilot."
'What the hell happened to her?' Hiead asked to himself 'She wasn't like this.
Hiead scared of a girl?
That simple question was enough for Hiead to tight his grip around Ikhny's arms who, despite her tries, couldn't help but wince in pain.
"Look out, Allecto, you don't know with whom you're talking to." the boy started dangerously "Be careful." with that, he released the brunette, and walked away.
When she was all alone Ikhny leaned her head against the wall:
'I'm not going to cry, I promised to myself I wouldn't cry because of him, or anything else.'
Taking a deep breath Ikhny straightened herself, and started walking towards the gym.
»«»«»«
"Does anyone know what happened to Ikhny?" Kizna asked suddenly, and everyone shook their heads:
"I thought you did." Tsukasa started "Mainly, because you two are best friends."
Kizna shook her head:
"And how can she wear black?" Wrecka inquired, "I thought candidates for repairers could only use grey."
"Me too." Saki agreed "Did you saw the way everyone looked at her, when she entered in the cafeteria?"
"I did." Wrecka started "It was like 'wow...what a girl', completely disgusting."
Kizna flicked her ears towards her blue haired friend:
"Is it just me, or there's a note of jealousy on your voice?" she asked, raising her eyebrow "Ikhny deserves a bit of attention too, ya know?"
Wrecka rolled her eyes:
"But...she's Ikhny!" she exclaimed
"What's that suppose to mean?" a voice questioned suddenly, and the four friends turn around to see Ikhny walking inside the room.
"Hum...nothing, forget it." Wrecka mumbled, looking down.
"No, please, I really want to know." Ikhny started, while pulling an envelop inside a drawer "Continue as if I'm not here."
"Hum..." Wrecka gulped "I was just saying I thought you were the kind of girl that doesn't care about male attention."
"And I don't." Ikhny agreed while taking her jacket off
"Ikhny, I thought we couldn't wear black." Saki commented, eyeing her brown-eyed friend.
"And we can't." the brunette deadpans, grabbing a towel
"Then, why..." Tsukasa started, but Ikhny interrupted her:
"I had to ask for a special permission, and a good reason."
"And, what reason is that?" Wrecka asked, and Ikhny gazed at her with cold eyes:
"None of your business." she replied coldly, before closing herself inside the bathroom
"Something wrong is going on, here." Kizna said when silence fell over the group.
"Yeah, why did she start wearing black?" Tsukasa asked, "I thought she didn't liked to wear that colour...at least, not much."
The four girls sigh confusedly, until Wrecka clapped her hands:
"Hey, what do you think about being able to go home for Christmas?" she asked in an attempt to change the subject, and thankfully that did caught the girls' attention.
»«»«»«
'Gomen ne, but I can't tell you the truth. It will take to much courage from me...courage I don't have. Besides, I don't want pity...comprehension yes, but not pity. That's one of the few things I learnt with Hiead: what I want is someone who understands me but, until that day, I'll be quiet and silent.'
»«»«»«
"Hey Hiead, what's up with Ikhny?" Zero asked, sitting on his bed, but Hiead did not move; he simply continued to look to the ceiling "Oh c'mon Hiead, I bet you know what's going on."
"Shut up, Enna." the silver haired boy said coldly and annoyed "I don't care about what Allecto does or not."
"Well, she's your partner, shouldn't you be interest about what happens to her?"
"No."
"Aren't you curious, to know?"
"No."
Zero shook his head while lying on his bed:
"You're a strange guy, Hiead. I really would like to know, how you can do it."
Hiead gazed at the other candidate:
"Don't try to understand me, Enna." he warned, before turning his back to the brown haired boy.
"Strange guy." Zero self-whispered, closing his eyes "Very strange indeed."
To Be Continue...
A/N: Please leave a review after the chapter. Thank you. Oh, and Feliz Ano Novo
(Happy New Year)!