Authoress's Notes: Hey, been a while, hm? I've been having Writer's Block for a long time now. But, here it is, the
sixteenth chapter to ~A Red Rose in the Darkness~. *looks at it proudly* Sixteen chapters... I feel so special. My
baby is growing up...
*sobs uncontrollably*
Swissy: Well, how about you go and read it?
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~A Red Rose in the Darkness~
Chapter Sixteen
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A slight breeze caused Shuiichi's eyes to open lightly. He stared to his window and saw that it was open. Hearing a soft
step on his rug, he sat up to see a figure standing at the foot of his bed. It was a short figure, shorter than him.
Maybe my father's killers have come to kill 'Kaasan and me too, Shuiichi thought.
"Shuiichi..." The figure spoke, stepping into the light that shone in through the window.
"Hiei! What are you doing here?" Shuiichi asked.
"I came to deliver a message. From Ku - your brother."
"Well...?"
"He wants to meet you tomorrow, in front of your school."
"Who said I'm going to school tomorrow?" Shuiichi asked wryly. He had been in bed since his father died. First his mother,
then his father. Now both of them are dead, and his step-brother had left him as well. "I don't want to see him, he left
me too."
"Shuiichi, listen to me. He had no choice. Shiori forced us - him to leave. But he loves you, and wants to see you again."
'Kaasan...what? "What are you talking about...?"
Hiei instinctively put his hand on his cheek, where Shiori had slapped him so long ago. "Just...go tomorrow."
"But my father is dead...I don't want to see anybody..."
Hiei sat down by Shuiichi's side on the bed. "I know how it feels to lose someone you love, especially a parent. Hell, I
don't even know who my father was. But it's different with you. You have a third... You still have Shiori. Not going to
see your brother tomorrow isn't going to make your father any less dead. I realized something like that a while ago. Some
secrets are better when they are told to someone."
Shuiichi's bottom lip quivered as Hiei stood and walked to the open window.
"So are you going, or not?" The fire demon asked, facing outside.
The brown-haired boy nodded, though Hiei's back was turned, and the fire demon left.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Touya shot up. He started coughing, and awoke Hagiri next to him. The sniper put a hand on his back. After the coughing
fit was over, Sniper clicked on the lamp. He turned Touya's head so the ice demon faced him. Touya's eyes, those ice blue
eyes, were outlined by a pink and yellow. His eyes were half-lidded, and his face seemed paler than normal.
"Touya...you're sick."
The small ice demon put his hand to his mouth and violently coughed again. Hagiri pulled him close. For some reason, the
warmth seemed to calm down the convulsions that tore at Touya.
"Calm, Touya, just stay calm..."
Hagiri's younger sister stepped into the room with a glass of water and a pack of swallow pills.
"Hey, thanks..." Hagiri said to her, and kissed her forehead.
The girl walked to the other side of the bed to face Touya. "G'night Touya..."
He nodded at her, and she left the room.
Sniper removed two pills from the plastic packet.
"...what...what are those...?" Touya asked meekly.
"Swallow pills. You swallow them with your water and they'll try and make you feel better."
Hagiri supported Touya as the ice demon took a slow drink from the cup. Then Touya lay back and Hagiri shut off the light.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Morning came all too soon. Shuiichi wasn't bothered by Shiori, wasn't bothered by the lack of knocking on his door, the
lack of his step-mother telling him to get up and get ready for school.
He threw on a school uniform and brushed his teeth. Grabbing his case, he wrote a small note for Shiori and put it on the
fridge.
'Kaasan,
I decided to go to school today.
He didn't sign it, "love, Shuiichi". He didn't sign the bottom at all. After all, they were the only two living in the
house now. And he left, closing the door behind him.
It wasn't until the end of the day that he saw Kurama.
Everybody else around them seemed to stop. The redhead's eyes widened. Shuiichi's eyes teared, and the two ran to each
other, in a tearful embrace.
"Shuiichi..." Kurama said.
"'Niisan..."
Hiei stood back at the place where Kurama had stood moments before. He had the sudden urge to see Yukina.
"Why did you leave me, 'niisan?"
"I didn't, Shuiichi, not really...I thought about you and 'Kaasan everyday..."
"What about Otousan?"
Kurama felt a twang of guilt, as if a knife wrenched through his heart. "Him too, Shuiihci, him too..."
"He's dead, 'niisan...somebody killed him!"
"I know, I know..." Kurama volunteered. "And I'm sure that person is regretting that and will be for the rest of their
life."
"How did you know?"
"...the television..."
"What am I gonna do now? Otousan was the last of my family..."
"Not the last...you've got a third. You've got Shiori. And me."
"That's what Hiei said."
"What did he say?"
"I have a third."
Kurama turned to look at Hiei, who shrugged. The fox smiled in his direction.
"Hiei is very wise, isn't he?"
Shuiichi nodded. "Yeah, he made me feel a lot better..."
"Hiei does that to people sometimes. He doesn't even notice it, though."
"But, 'niisan, I miss Otousan..."
"I...do too, Shuiichi."
"Are you going to come to his funeral?"
"...when is it?"
"In two days. At the cemetary closest to our house. At...ten in the morning, I think."
Kurama looked into Shuiichi's eyes. The eyes of an innocent child. Much like Rei's eyes, only Shuiichi was older than
Rei.
"So will you come? Please, 'niisan... I miss you..."
Kurama shifted his gaze downward, towards the ground. Opening his mouth, he replied;
"...I'll be there. I promise..."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Jin sat by Touya's side. The ice demon converted his gaze to Jin's.
"Am I...dying?" Touya asked.
Jin looked at him for a second and burst into laughter. "No way! It'll pass. Worry wart."
Touya smiled weakly, and started to cough again.
Hagiri handed him some more cough medicine pills.
What did it? The chloroform? Too much can result in an illness, or even death...
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"I'll be there. I promise..."
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Hieica: Sorry to disappoint you with this crappy McCrap crap chapter. I've just been having Writer's Block for a while,
and this is all I could do.
Did you see, did you see!? We got over 100 reviews!! WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!! *twirls*
Swissy: Review. NOW.
Hieica: Wow, even Swissy is having threatening block.
sixteenth chapter to ~A Red Rose in the Darkness~. *looks at it proudly* Sixteen chapters... I feel so special. My
baby is growing up...
*sobs uncontrollably*
Swissy: Well, how about you go and read it?
*
*
*
*
~A Red Rose in the Darkness~
Chapter Sixteen
*
*
*
*
A slight breeze caused Shuiichi's eyes to open lightly. He stared to his window and saw that it was open. Hearing a soft
step on his rug, he sat up to see a figure standing at the foot of his bed. It was a short figure, shorter than him.
Maybe my father's killers have come to kill 'Kaasan and me too, Shuiichi thought.
"Shuiichi..." The figure spoke, stepping into the light that shone in through the window.
"Hiei! What are you doing here?" Shuiichi asked.
"I came to deliver a message. From Ku - your brother."
"Well...?"
"He wants to meet you tomorrow, in front of your school."
"Who said I'm going to school tomorrow?" Shuiichi asked wryly. He had been in bed since his father died. First his mother,
then his father. Now both of them are dead, and his step-brother had left him as well. "I don't want to see him, he left
me too."
"Shuiichi, listen to me. He had no choice. Shiori forced us - him to leave. But he loves you, and wants to see you again."
'Kaasan...what? "What are you talking about...?"
Hiei instinctively put his hand on his cheek, where Shiori had slapped him so long ago. "Just...go tomorrow."
"But my father is dead...I don't want to see anybody..."
Hiei sat down by Shuiichi's side on the bed. "I know how it feels to lose someone you love, especially a parent. Hell, I
don't even know who my father was. But it's different with you. You have a third... You still have Shiori. Not going to
see your brother tomorrow isn't going to make your father any less dead. I realized something like that a while ago. Some
secrets are better when they are told to someone."
Shuiichi's bottom lip quivered as Hiei stood and walked to the open window.
"So are you going, or not?" The fire demon asked, facing outside.
The brown-haired boy nodded, though Hiei's back was turned, and the fire demon left.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Touya shot up. He started coughing, and awoke Hagiri next to him. The sniper put a hand on his back. After the coughing
fit was over, Sniper clicked on the lamp. He turned Touya's head so the ice demon faced him. Touya's eyes, those ice blue
eyes, were outlined by a pink and yellow. His eyes were half-lidded, and his face seemed paler than normal.
"Touya...you're sick."
The small ice demon put his hand to his mouth and violently coughed again. Hagiri pulled him close. For some reason, the
warmth seemed to calm down the convulsions that tore at Touya.
"Calm, Touya, just stay calm..."
Hagiri's younger sister stepped into the room with a glass of water and a pack of swallow pills.
"Hey, thanks..." Hagiri said to her, and kissed her forehead.
The girl walked to the other side of the bed to face Touya. "G'night Touya..."
He nodded at her, and she left the room.
Sniper removed two pills from the plastic packet.
"...what...what are those...?" Touya asked meekly.
"Swallow pills. You swallow them with your water and they'll try and make you feel better."
Hagiri supported Touya as the ice demon took a slow drink from the cup. Then Touya lay back and Hagiri shut off the light.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Morning came all too soon. Shuiichi wasn't bothered by Shiori, wasn't bothered by the lack of knocking on his door, the
lack of his step-mother telling him to get up and get ready for school.
He threw on a school uniform and brushed his teeth. Grabbing his case, he wrote a small note for Shiori and put it on the
fridge.
'Kaasan,
I decided to go to school today.
He didn't sign it, "love, Shuiichi". He didn't sign the bottom at all. After all, they were the only two living in the
house now. And he left, closing the door behind him.
It wasn't until the end of the day that he saw Kurama.
Everybody else around them seemed to stop. The redhead's eyes widened. Shuiichi's eyes teared, and the two ran to each
other, in a tearful embrace.
"Shuiichi..." Kurama said.
"'Niisan..."
Hiei stood back at the place where Kurama had stood moments before. He had the sudden urge to see Yukina.
"Why did you leave me, 'niisan?"
"I didn't, Shuiichi, not really...I thought about you and 'Kaasan everyday..."
"What about Otousan?"
Kurama felt a twang of guilt, as if a knife wrenched through his heart. "Him too, Shuiihci, him too..."
"He's dead, 'niisan...somebody killed him!"
"I know, I know..." Kurama volunteered. "And I'm sure that person is regretting that and will be for the rest of their
life."
"How did you know?"
"...the television..."
"What am I gonna do now? Otousan was the last of my family..."
"Not the last...you've got a third. You've got Shiori. And me."
"That's what Hiei said."
"What did he say?"
"I have a third."
Kurama turned to look at Hiei, who shrugged. The fox smiled in his direction.
"Hiei is very wise, isn't he?"
Shuiichi nodded. "Yeah, he made me feel a lot better..."
"Hiei does that to people sometimes. He doesn't even notice it, though."
"But, 'niisan, I miss Otousan..."
"I...do too, Shuiichi."
"Are you going to come to his funeral?"
"...when is it?"
"In two days. At the cemetary closest to our house. At...ten in the morning, I think."
Kurama looked into Shuiichi's eyes. The eyes of an innocent child. Much like Rei's eyes, only Shuiichi was older than
Rei.
"So will you come? Please, 'niisan... I miss you..."
Kurama shifted his gaze downward, towards the ground. Opening his mouth, he replied;
"...I'll be there. I promise..."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Jin sat by Touya's side. The ice demon converted his gaze to Jin's.
"Am I...dying?" Touya asked.
Jin looked at him for a second and burst into laughter. "No way! It'll pass. Worry wart."
Touya smiled weakly, and started to cough again.
Hagiri handed him some more cough medicine pills.
What did it? The chloroform? Too much can result in an illness, or even death...
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"I'll be there. I promise..."
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Hieica: Sorry to disappoint you with this crappy McCrap crap chapter. I've just been having Writer's Block for a while,
and this is all I could do.
Did you see, did you see!? We got over 100 reviews!! WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!! *twirls*
Swissy: Review. NOW.
Hieica: Wow, even Swissy is having threatening block.