Thorns by liahime

Disclaimer: If I owned Digimon, the word disclaimer would not exist here. Instead, I would probably be off writing screenplays and making money... but I'm not, so you're all stuck with me .. hehe..

Seven Rose Blood:

They plunged into icy water, Ryo pulling Rika behind him through the churning black depths of the river, fighting the pressing current. They pushed deeper and deeper, moving far away from the bank they had stood on, lungs tightening without air.

Overhead, Rika dimly saw a flash go off through the water, and a muted boom shook the surface of the water. They swam on, until lungs bursting, they cut the surface, gasping in the sweet afternoon air. Hair dripping, arms aching from fighting the current, they sat on a solitary rock, sticking out like a tower from the rushing water.

Rika turned and stared at the other shore. Where there once was a young maple lay charred wood, black and disintegrated into little more than ashes. The beach was coated with gravel,burnt black as well, with tiny bits still white-hot sizzling near the water. "What happened-"

Ryo had started to lower himself into the frigid water once more. "Let's go. I'll tell you later." He shivered as the water soaked into him. "Swim to the other side. Just keep going straight? Ready?"

"Wait a moment."

He pulled her into the river, serious for once. "Let's go. Whatever did that-" he pointed to the other shore, "might come back. Just swim." They plunged back into the water.

It was darker than before, with sand swirling off the bottom of the river, twigs and debris floating past them, into them. Rocks loomed up in front, huge and white. Twisting and turning past the rocks, legs kicking against the current, they swam towards shore.

Black and gray and churning water. Rika's vision blurred in the water as she struggled to keep her eyes open. Brushing past jagged rocks. There was no thought in this, no asking if Ryo was still to be trusted, wondering if she'd come out alive. It was sink or swim. The gown, thick and heavy weighed her down; shoes were long gone. Flame colored hair danced in the water, around her as the current pleased. It was getting harder and harder to breathe.

Pain exploded in her leg as water slammed her into one of the rocks. A murky cloud of blood floated from a cut, slowly forming a soft cloud. Air. She needed air.

A shadowed face looked at her from underneath the water, gesturing something with it's hands frantically. She tried to make out what he was trying to say, but it seemed to get darker and darker. She swam towards the surface, fighting the pull of the layers of fabric surrounding her. She cut the surface, gasping for air.

A stray rush of water flowing off nearby rocks rushed into her lungs, making her cough. She tried to breathe, to bring in more air-

but it seemed to stay dark- the water's rushing fading, the sunlight dimmed- she could feel drops of water softly falling on her skin- getting darker, darker- someone was calling her name, but she couldn't see them-

The last thing Rika knew was black.

-

The first thing Ryo thought of as he dove down into the water after Rika, was that he, Akiyama Ryo, was the king of fools.

Here he was, risking life and limb on a girl that he had seen less than a dozen times in his life, a girl who had punched him and would probably do it again, debt and gratitude to the person or not. Diving back into bitterly cold water - and he hated the cold- to save her, the girl who thought he killed her father.

She had completely destroyed his former reputation as the "sword-champion" of the realm, making him come second place- every time. He couldn't beat her. He needed the prize money. She didn't. Here he was, saving the person who had him eating canned food for years. Saving the person who slapped him and punched him and most likely- though he hoped not- hated him from the depths of her very existence.

But that wasn't the reason he was crazy.

He was crazy, stupid, and the king of fools, he told himself, because he had once again, for the third time, nearly killed Rika, and this time, it was completely his fault.

He came up, sucking in cold, fresh air and dived again under the water. A gush of darkness roared past him- a log found it's way down the river and swept past his head. Rika appeared then, drifting downwards in the dim light, like a lifelike statue, sinking. He grabbed her, pushed and thrust her to air.

The moment they were up, she stopped being the strange statue, and immediately began to breathe in, getting rid of water, replacing it with air. She looked at him, pale as ice. "I was-"

He pulled her awkwardly to shore. "Don't talk. Breathe"

"I was fine-" She stood up, freezing in the breeze maliciously blowing past them.

"Perfectly fine drowning, I know." He shook the water off his hair, letting droplets scatter. "You need to get your leg bandaged up. Come on."

It was taking all her strength to stand up, any fool could see that- even him, the king of them all. It would be difficult for anyone, even someone stronger- to stand up after nearly drowning, to argue back bleeding and weak from lack of air- and so Rika's beloved and wonderful dignity aside, he told himself, he had to do it.,

Heswepther up, ignoring her glare. "Dear, wonderful princess Rika-"

"Put me down, Akiyama."

"Please forgive me for this-"

"I really don't need to experience a typical y-chromosome's foolish strength insecurities. I can walk. Put me down, now."

The rather one-sided argument continued and slowed as they kept walking, past the pruned trees and bushes of the gardens.

"AKIYAMA, DOWN! NOW!"

He just laughed and kept walking. She struggled against him, shouting at him, glaring at him, until she had fallen asleep after putting up an hour long fight, finally exhausted.

Here he was, assassin-suspect, frozen and exhausted from the water, with shoes that were decidedly ruined, carrying an arguing, angry, tired princess through what seemed an eternity of mud.

Undoubtedly, he was the crazy, stupid, king of fools, carrying the queen who's job was to see him hung in gallows. But as he looked down at the sleeping Rika, resting her head on his shoulder he smiled.

After all- crazy, unlucky, condemned fool he may be... but ...

Sometimes things happen- to the craziest, to the most foolish that make it all- shoes past saving, freezing arms getting tired, dripping wet, all worth it.

-

Rika rolled over, feeling soft sunlight stream in on her face. For a second, she was back home, in her bed, covered in thick eiderdown blankets, warm and blissfully just awake in early morning's half-light .

Then she opened her eyes.

Kami, she must be sleeping still, dreaming some strange dream.

She thought she was still sleeping... in the point drifting between sleep and awake where only

your mind is awake... She wasn't in the river anymore- instead, she was wrapped with soft blankets, her head on a pillow- she must be sleeping, dreaming it all- the river, the blood.

Because there was no way that this could be real, right?

Maybe she had hit her head on a rock very hard and forgot about it.

She must be dreaming. Or at least not sane.

Because right next to her, head flopped back on the pillow next to hers, was a shirtless Akiyama Ryo, sleeping.

It was a very awkward moment.

Rika immediately got off the bed, feet hitting the floor hard. She sat back down almost immediately, wincing at the unexpected pain that had shot up and coiled around her foot, shooting up her leg. Her head was dizzy, clouded with pain.

There was a grumble behind her. "Augh.. I don't wanna wake up.. Leave me alone stupid sun..." He turned over, covering his head with a pillow. "Ten more minutes..."

Rika looked down at her leg, wrapped around neatly with white cloth. It didn't hurt as much as it did before, she concluded. Gingerly, she put her foot down lightly, stepping like a cat around the tiny bed she had been on.

She grabbed the pillow from the shirtless lump that had been beside her and whacked him on the head with the pillow. "Get up! NOW!"

He jumped up. "Huh? What? What happened?" He looked around. "I don't see anything-" He turned and saw Rika.

"You're awake, then." Ryo stood up. "How's your leg?"

"It doesn't feel too bad." Still, Rika sat down on the bed. "It doesn't matter. I want that explanation."

She hadn't forgotten. He sat down next to her. "Rika, you're going to have to trust me on this. But I swear, I did not kill your dad."

She stared at him, looking for truth, searching him for any hint of a lie. Violet eyes as he had never seen them before- it was as if they were iced over and frozen since her father died. Seconds felt like decades as they ticked past.

He continued. "It was someone else, who wanted to for a long time. I should have told you, but I thought that-"

Rika interrupted him . "If you didn't do it, who did? Don't try and say something stupid like your evil twin brother made you do it, Akiyama."

"Actually.. You're not far off."

"Keep going." She stared at him, waiting for answers.

"You remember that guy at the river- the one who you met before I came, right?"

Rika nodded.

"That's the guy."

She stepped back off the bed, bumping into the bamboo wall. Rika took her first good look at her surroundings. It was cramped. The bed took up most of the one-room shelter, which had been cobbled together out of bamboo and wood.

In the window, a small line of plants grew, climbing up the bamboo or pointing out of cups and pots. She walked over- two steps, in the tiny house- and looked down at the small flowers.

It was beautiful- a bud just unfurling in the light, spreading it's petals out carefully, shy and innocent. Soft muted velvet skirts, unfolding and blooming in the warm sun. They were flowers she only vaguely remembered, in petals in a warm rainbow of silk and velvet. The flowers were familiar... she didn't remember seeing them grow, but she had seen one before. In a dream?

"They're roses. Not the best, but it reminds me of home..." A voice came behind her, obviously full of relief that for a moment, the inquisition had stopped.

"Ow!"

"Be careful! They have sharp thorns..." A scarlet drop of blood fell from Rika's finger to the floor. Ryo handed her a bandage. "Be careful, Rika.."

"It's just blood, Akiyama. I'm not going to die from seeing it."

But still, her fingers were abnormally pale, and her whole body was trembling, and he noticed. "Rika, are you cold?"

"I'm fine." She sat up straighter, and forced her eyes open. "Continue. I haven't forgotten, so don't get off track."

"That was my brother. He's older, and my parents adored him from the start. He's well.. Against royalty in general. Most of my family is."

"So... you're saying that guy who looks like you-" Her head was spinning again, and it seemed colder than ever. She felt the soaked fabric weigh down on her more than ever as wind rushed in between cracks of the bamboo walls.

"Here." He handed her a bottle. Twisting the cap off, she swallowed, and realized how parched and dry her mouth was. If I was drowning, why am I so thirsty? she grumbled to herself. She swallowed again.

"Yeah." His voice was getting fuzzy, fading in and out now, she thought. Was he drunk? Was she drunk? Could it have been alcohol in the bottle? For all she knew, it could be poison in it. She fought to keep her eyes open.

Her mind swayed, her head felt so much heavier. Why was it so cold? She pulled her knees up to her chest. She couldn't hear him. Ears were ringing, eyes were dropping against her will.

There was something she should remember about thorns... She just couldn't remember... What was it? Something... If her mind wasn't as tired.

Another drop of blood sped to the floor, in a perfect carmine teardrop.

"Rika! Rika!" Ryo's face was over her's, ocean blue eyes looking worried. Her brain was screaming at her, telling her to do something,buther body was falling, going against her every will, falling... Suddenly she seemed so tired now. Every blink slowed, not wanting to lift up again. Rika struggled to sit up... but...

she drifted back into blackness again.

Lisha/GTKari-123- you're the 100th reviewer, congrats! yay! Thank you!

:) -I'll e-mail you the updates (you want the updates, right? ) and whatever you request, ok? Thank you very much but. You must review and tell me what you think, OK?

corruptedgoddess- ah.. I'll try to make the chapter less hard to follow.. Don't worry, you're not late at all.. It takes me a week normally to update, so whenever you review, it's great!

neko-lia- continuing right away!

tsuhime- thank you for making the exception for my bit of fluff..- and you don't sound boring at all..

Dolce Saito- it's ok, haha.. I updated fast cuz I didn't like having Ryo as murderer- suspect at all either.. Thank you very much!

DigiChick- hehe.. Love your logic.. But. I haven't thought of a name for the brother yet (I kept calling the brother "the brother" in my head.. So. If you or anyone else can suggest anything..) Thank you very much!

rose-white- glad you liked the format better! I liked writing the return to part too..

Lil' Lilo- explanations are all coming.. (but the brother has no name.. Suggest one please)

Sparkling-Ruby Gem- Thank you very much again.. (don't worry, I don't think it'll end soon..)

My Dream's Shadow- thank you very much- glad you love it..

Strawberry'd- I'm happy for you- if you go, have a lot of fun! (You will, of course..) Yes, I hate the uploading thingie.. I have to reformat everything once it's uploaded.. Oh well..

asnwater- I'm sorry for Rika too.. yea.. The nobles in this are quite like that...

very happy authoress note!

ah... poor Rika... I'm very sorry for her.. but it will get better for her too, of course

Thank you y'all for the 100 review mark..- very very happy ...

by the way, I can't pick Ryo's brother's name. Like I said, I never thought of him as anyone else except 'the brother'. So if people can suggest names so I don't have to call him the brother anymore, I would be extremely grateful (so I hope you're not skipping this!) I can't think of any good names at the moment. (Meanings with the name would be absolutely wonderful too!

I want to write fluffy-fluffy-fluffy stuff again... but... when you have a curse it's hard to do fluffy.. TT ( complaining cuz it's early.. And I love fluff best.) Expect some in the near future.. thank you for putting up with the long wait everyone ( I have crammed this all into my minutes grabbed in between (sigh) housework... cleaning.. dish washing.. vacuuming.. etc.. all of the chapter was written in between and at late night.. hehe.. that's my excuse if you don't like the chapter.. )

by the way everyone.. how old do you think I am? just guess, ok?

- (can't-think-up-names-at-all) liahime