Guardians
Note: Are you ready for the romance? For the drama that always follows? We'll have to see, won't we? Review, please!
Chapter 11: Falling and Realization
Before he really thought about it, he stood up, crossed the short distance between them, and wiped away her tears with a single, tan, finger, brushing lightly on the crimson surface of her cheek. She looked at him questioningly and he pulled his hand away.
"Don't… don't cry. I didn't… didn't mean…"
"Umm… I… I didn't mean t-to c-cry… it's j-just… well… you… you were mad."
"No. I wasn't."
"Umm… yes, actually… it… it s-sounded like you were."
"I'm just not used to people telling me… or asking me… caring if I'm frowning."
"I… um… well… I just… y-you always look so… sad.
He turned away, not willing to face the truth. He was, indeed, sad.
"S-Seto… y-you… shouldn't try and hide… who you are. I… I know… what that's like… more than anyone. It leaves… it leaves you… so broken inside."
He didn't answer. She smiled sadly. "No… I shouldn't have… I just thought… maybe you'd understand… since… you're hiding, too. I… I see… a lot… since no one… no one notices me… I wish… it doesn't matter."
"Go on."
"So… you're going to… order me around?"
"I…"
"It's okay… I… I think I get it…"
He turned back around and there seemed to be the smallest trace of emotion in his eyes. Karmina stepped back and tripped, as she seemed increasing good at doing. Before either could react, she was in Kaiba's arms.
"Sorry," she said.
"Sorry," he said.
And the strangest thing was, neither one of them meant it. Seto Kaiba pushed the girl off of him, and she straightened, blushing, and brushed herself off.
"There's actually… there's someone I… I need to find," she said, realizing suddenly that the situation with Wingweaver was getting serious. She would be there, taunting her for touching Kaiba, if she was at all able to.
"Then I can help."
"Somehow… I don't… I don't think… you're fancy satellites could… find… this… person."
"Who?"
"Umm… it's nothing."
"You aren't going to tell me. Just say it."
"It's… it's not… not about… who you are… it's about… who I am."
"Who are you looking for?"
"It's not exactly… a who… really."
He raised an eyebrow, making her feel even more silly. "You… I don't think… you'd believe me… if I told you."
He responded by raising his eyebrow to meet his hair. Karmina absently felt amazed that it could go that high, but soon snapped out of it. "I… I have… a… well… a… guardian, of sorts… her name… is… Wingweaver."
He laughed. It was the harshest, cruelest, sound that Karmina had ever had the misfortune to hear.
"Haven't you ever… had… had… a sort of… invisible… advisor? She tells me that… everyone… has a guardian… when they are born. But most of us… we don't pay attention… and they fade away."
He was stunned. That voice in his head… could it have been… No, that was silly.
"I think you're even crazier than I thought."
I can't believe I thought you'd understand. "Okay… don't b-believe me."
The saddest part was… he did. "No… I… I've heard… a voice. But… I thought… I thought… I was losing it."
You? Of all the people who could still hear their guardian… it's you? Does this mean something important? "Oh… wow…"
"I haven't heard it in a while, though."
"Then… this could be… very… bad."
He nodded, waiting to hear what she would say next.
"I think… there m-might… be some sort of… threat against… the guardians… which means a threat to the ones they protect."
"You mean… like an evil person… or force… trying to take over the world, or destroy it." This was starting to sound awfully familiar.
"I… I think…" Something deep inside of her seemed to be stirring. Something dormant for a very long time. "There's some type of… disturbance in the balance of our world and theirs."
"And what… are you going to do about it."
"I… I haven't the s-slightest idea."
End note: Since I am busy contemplating what type of peril the world is in this time, it might be a few days. Review, and it may well encourage me.