Chapter 32: Truth

Azami's eyes narrowed into two small slits, both of them trained on her adversary. One Ai Tzu Yang. The crimson haired woman came at her with twin daggers in each hand. The seasoned alchemist-trainee took a step backwards to avoid the first thrust aimed at her neck, the second she deflected with her katana - but only barely.

"I won't let you take him from me!" Ai snarled, the woman crouched low and suddenly rose in a spiral motion. Azami brought her blade in an upwards slash, effectively blocking all three rising strokes. "What the hell are you talking about!" Azami snapped back.

The alchemist-in-training jumped backwards, her blade drawn back in preparation for a vicious thrust. Ai sidestepped the fatal strike, the cold blade slicing off strands of hair. "Do you honestly think you could fool all of us!" she screamed and lunged forward, her face contorted with rage, azure eyes intense.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Azami lied. She re-sheathed her blade and quickly turned around, with the gathered momentum from the revolution she delivered a powerful slash which sent one of Ai's daggers spinning out of her hands.

Ai somersaulted backwards avoiding an attack that would have sliced her in half. "How come a woman with your reflexes seems so clumsy, so much that she has to fall into his arms almost every other day?" she lifted the dagger in front of her defensively. "Bad luck." Azami replied.

"And I take it the fire that burned Lei's room was also bad luck." Ai continued.

"What are you getting at!" Azami shot the woman a cold stare.

"By the way, how did you know what sort of drug was used on Yukino during that play." Ai said in a taunting voice.

"…Shut-up" Azami said weakly, her eyes downcast.

"Though, I didn't think you counted on being paired up with him in the play. Did you?"

"Shut up!" Azami shouted. She lifted the katana overhead and charged forward, it was exactly the sort of reckless attack Ai had hoped for. The mage twirled to the side, avoiding Azami's downward slash, just as the katana was about to reach the ground Ai kicked Azami's back with such force that the alchemist-in-training was sent skidding face first into the ground.

"You know, I was beginning to get curious as to why you always, without fail, went out of your way to help him." Ai spat.

Azami tried to get up, but was pinned down on the ground by Ai. "It's none of your business!" Azami groaned as Ai dug her heel into her neck. "It's damn right my business! I love him, that's why I'm going to protect him from the likes of you."

Azami forced a chuckle. "He's already fallen in love with me!"

"He fell in love with someone who doesn't exist!" came the woman's sharp retort.

"Whatever!"

"You did your research well." Ai bent down taking a fistful of Azami's hair. "You grew your hair this long, dyed it black, even your attitude… You're exactly his type aren't you?" she kicked Azami's katana away.

Azami's eyes darted to the body of one unconscious Yukino and it shifted to the body of a snoring Lei. "…They're both asleep…no one will believe you."

"Tell me, what do you really want?" Ai asked, in a voice that was barely a whisper.

Azami closed her eyes. "My mother, she coerced me into—" Ai slapped the girl's face. "I want to know what YOU want! Do you want? his country's power? the wealth that comes with it? What!" Ai screamed into the girl's ears.

"I'm not so sure anymore… At first, yes, I was after the wealth, the title of his wife, everything that came with it…" Azami paused, her breathing erratic. Tears running down her face, she felt choked up, her breath came in tiny gasps as she continued. "I really like him. He's nice, stupid at times, but he's really kind."

"If you knew what sort of guy he was then how could you do it!"

"…"

"Well, speak up!"

Ai lifted the girl up by her collar and placed the flat side of the blade against Azami's neck. "You know, you're worse than I am!" she croaked. Ai drew her dagger backwards and was about to land the fatal blow when her arms froze. "What the!" Ai turned around and saw Yukino finishing the last verses for the stone-curse enchantment.

Azami blinked at an Ai made of solid stone. The alchemist-in-training shot Yukino a mortified look. "How much did you hear?"

"Hear what?" Yukino supported her weight with her staff and gave Azami an odd look. Azami sighed and approached the still sleeping Lei. "He's fine, let's take him back." she breathed.

Yukino prodded the unconscious Ai with a stick. "What about her?"

"Leave her there, we'll just come back for her later…"

Yukino gave the alchemist-in-training a concerned look. "Azami, is something wrong?"

"No, everything's alright." she forced a smile.

"Then why are you crying?"