Swords of Revolution
Disclaimer: don't own anything you recognize. Do own everything else.
Fourteen: Future Past (Part I)
Amy
After the last Duel a few days ago, Miki and Alex are recovering. Miki's recovery is painfully slow, and nobody hates it as much as the said captain himself. Already, he managed to convince the med staff that he'll be fine on his own and returned to classes after a forcibly sedated three-days' break.
Of course, for now, one of us Student Council members is sticking with him as often as we can, without intruding on his time. However, a few hours ago I had to put my foot down and drag a rather reluctant Miki from supervising yet another fencing practice, third one this week.
'Telian, Michael, and Eric can manage it,' I told him blithely, as he complained about being pulled away from his duties. 'You'll have plenty of time to harass the younger students about the right foil handling.'
Well, that phrase got him wired up and I was subjected to a long lecture on terms in the fine arts of dueling. Thankfully, he exausted himself with talking and fell quiet a few minutes ago, allowing me to mull over of some technological things he managed to point out to me during his rant.
'...And you're caling yourself a Duelist!' he was raging as I dragged him towards the glass house containing the rose garden which all of us already were familiar with.
'Miki,' I finally sigh, and he gives me a still-enraged glance. 'Relax and take a deep breath.'
Much to my surprise, he does as he told. Now I can't help it but giggle a little, and a reluctant smile appears on his face.
'I've just made a complete idiot out of myself, didn't I?' he asks quietly. I smile in relief. It seems that Miki had managed to get his temper under control and was back to his soft-spoken, easy-going self. But just to be fair...
'Yeah, you did,' I tell him with a grin. 'But that's okay with me. We all make idiots out of ourselves from time to time.'
This time, he smiles lightly, his good humor apparently back along with that small smile.
'I just hate being inside,' he confesses lightly. 'Plus this...' this time, Miki helplessly gestures with his right hand that's at the moment lying in the sling.
I manage a small noise of condolescence and push him into the glass house. The abundance of differenty coloured roses makes my head spin with sweet fragrance for a few minutes, and I shake it from side to side, adjusting to the scent.
'Quite a difference from what it was a few years ago,' Miki comments lightly, as we walk farhter inside the house. 'Makes your head spin, doesn't it?'
I nod in agreement and see his eyes narrow slightly as he moves towards the window.
'Miki?' I come to stand beside him and gently place a hand on his arm. 'What is it?'
'I just thought I saw...' He trails off or a moment before squinting into the forest. 'Yes, there it is again. Look.'
He points with a free hand right in front on him, as I lightly step a little behind his back, in order to see more clearly. I gasp slightly, as I finally recognise what it is I am looking on. The spiral reaches around a stand of stone, and on the top of it is an oval-shaped ring, seemingly extending into nothingess.
'What is it?' I ask shakily.
'It seems familiar' Miki's voice is suddenly low, and he watches the unknown tower with slitted eyes. 'I want to take a closer look at it. Come with me?'
I just follow him as he leaves the garden and strides towards the forest. Us the current Student Council members, have avoided it earlier, firmly convinced that the forest was haunted, and Miki did nothing to ease our fears. Now I gulp nervously, as Miki easily jumps around the 'DO NOT ENTER' sign and goes straight towards the trees.
Sensing my nervousness, he slightly turns his head towards me.
'Don't worry, it's not haunted,' he says quietly. 'There's completely different secret. Come on.'
I barely manage to nod in agreement before I follow him into the forest. Miki's stride is wide and sure, as if this is not the first time he walked the path. The forest becomes darker by the second, and invariably, I clutch my hands into fists, almost running to keep up with his sure steps.
'Miki, what is it?' I ask, gasping for air. 'What was here?'
'You'll see,' he replies shortly. 'We're almost there anyways.'
I decide to save my breath and concentrate on keeping step with him. We arrive on a small clearng at a run and Miki gives a startled exclamation.
The reason for the surprise in his voice is a towering marble structure, with millions of wide steps spiraling around it. In the middle sometime there was a working elevator, but now it seems to be closed. Not caring the slightest about the elevators, Miki dashes towards the stairs, his breath now slightly labored. I struggle to keep up.
'Sorry.' Miki reluctantly slows his steps to match my own. 'I guess I grew over-exited.'
'What is this place?' I ask agan, as we stop for a moment to catch our breath.
'This was our Arena,' Miki replies shortly. 'But then again, if I'm right about what I suspect, you'll see what I mean...'
The stairs seem to be endless, and I gasp when we finally arrive on the top. The place where we arrived was indeed the Arena, similar like ours. The only exception was that it seemed to be brand-new and glowing instead of being completely broken down and destroyed, like I thought it would be.
I gasp again as I look up, and this time, the gasp is being echoed by Miki, who also stares up. There is that castle, overturned and floating in the sky. I stare at that castle in wonder, but, looking back to Miki, I notice suspicion and anger beginning to show in his rigid posture and darkening eyes.
'Miki?' I question carefully, briefly sidling away from him.
'This must be some mistake,' he mutters, as he steps back, ready to bolt at any minute. 'It must be an illusion. I swear it was
an illusion all this time...'
'Miki, get away from there,' I caution him worriedly.
He seems to ignore me, making a few more steps back from the castle. I grab him by the hand and forcibly drag him back to the centre of the Arena we accidentally discovered.
Bad mistake.
As soon as I step inside the miniature circle, dragging Miki with me, everything around me fades, even the feeling of his hand in mine disappears. The Arena grows dark, giving way to its dark secrets, and I gulp nervously, thinking that Miki was wrong in saying that the forest was not enchanced. Ghosts crowded this very Arena, and not just any ghosts. I knew them.
/My memory is fuzzy, but I barely recognize those whom I saw but never knew their names. They were staring at me oddly, and someone stood beside and slightly in front of me, his hand over mine. The dress is highly uncomfortable, but I know I'm not permitted to run. After all, I was the one who.../
/I was the one who did what.../
/And then, through my hazy memory, I hear the music and stop to listen to it... the pianist stops playing and I hastily leave the hall before meeting him.../
/I am in the dark area same year... I have a sword in my hand..? I am trying to... kill... someone...? No.../
/No/
/NO/
'NO!'
'Amy, wake up. Amy, what is it? Can you hear me? Amy?'
I gasp for air, as I realise I have been shouting aloud. I am back on the Arena, and Miki is kneeling next to me, his blue eyes slightly worried and his face a little pale, but seemingly fine otherwise.
'What happened?' he demands with a frown.
'I'm fine...' I slowly sit up, Miki's hand supporting my shoulder. 'I'm sorry, I overreacted...'
'It's all right.' Miki gives me an uneasy smile. 'I lived through some scary moments myself for a few minutes back here.' He shakes his head dejectedely. 'Let's get out of here before one of us loses it completely.'
I nod in agreement and the two of us slowly walk back towards the exit, this time silent. Glancing covertly at Miki, I wonder what he saw there, but decide not to press the issue.
He will tell us when he will be ready.
But he's not ready now.
Neither am I.
A/N: Amy's point of view on the event... Arena in the air? a strange flashback... and Miki's reluctance to explain things... time to say something like 'uh-oh'...