Thorns by liahime

Sixteen Rose Sun

Disclaimer: Depending where you are, direct your thoughts upwards and left/right... No, not towards heaven, your authoress isn't dead yet, only in Oregon.. Now if you listen closely you can just hear someone saying "I don't own Digimon!"...

-

"I accept your demand."

Priscilla smiled smugly. "I knew you'd see it my way." She carelessly threw a tiny glass bead at him. "Catch."

He leaped for the fragile, spinning container, cradling it in his hands. Uncorking it, he gently poured the watery antidote into her mouth.

Again, nothing happened.

Ryo turned to glare at Priscilla.

"There's one more condition for this."

The sky was stained with a rosy pink, making Rika look even closer to death's door. A bead of blood rolled down her cheek, crimson on ashy white.

"What?" He was impatient, strain showing in his voice.

"I don't want you running off as soon as you heal the little beggar, so there's something you have to do. It's nothing, really."

"Anything." Rika seemed to have faded with the curse, as if she was getting ready to fade away.

"You just need to drink one potion. It's painless." She held out a pink, heart shaped vial to him. The tiny, spidery label on it read 'Love-philtre, fast acting, high intensity,' followed by more of the scribbled handwriting.

Ryo looked at the potion, and then to Rika. He could still leave, and run to a different kingdom where a trained guard was always welcome. There were endless beaches and waves out there, waiting for him.

Rika stirred, her breathing slowing even more. It was painful for her to even attempt breathing, as if her lungs were cast in lead. Fire was creeping closer and closer to her, sending out greedy sparks.

He looked at Priscilla, waiting smugly, sure of his answer. He could always back out- there was nothing he could do. She was asking for too much- his life, his mind, his heart-

But then again- was there ever a girl who had even made him consider doing this, made his breath catch in his throat, or bring a smile to his face as quickly?

Without hesitating, he took the love potion from her gloved hand along with the second half of the antidote, and spit at her feet.

He turned to Rika.

-

The second antidote smelled of roses and dew. It had a warmth to it, as if infused with sunlight and joy- something that the witch, edging away from the fire, would never have made. A soft petal pink syrup, it flowed down her throat as easily as water. Rika swallowed it quickly.

She stirred. Color came back into her cheeks, and her hair regained it's former brightness. It was as if she had risen back from the realm of the dead. He shuddered, knowing how close it was to reality. Ryo ignored the waiting Priscilla, instead kneeling down to watch Rika bloom back to life. She sat up and yawned, as if she had just dropped off in a quick catnap..

Rika trembled, like the shell of a leaf blown in the cold night wind. He steadied her, keeping her from falling back to the ground.

Sleepily, she looked up at him. "I'm fine, you know."

He didn't answer, instead just looking at her, trying to take in every detail of the moment, memorizing every dot and line on her face. He bit lis lip, nearly drawing blood.

"Ryo?" Rika ,eyes cloudy with sleep, looked up at him.

Priscilla tapped her foot impatiently against the ground. "We don't have all the time in the world, Ryo darling." She pointed to the other vial in his hand. "Drink up."

Priscilla, in a fit of unusual generosity, had given Ryo five minutes to write whatever he wanted to say and give it to Rika. She stressed that he couldn't look at her, speak to her, and to stay five feet away at all times. All for a tiny five minutes, with the seconds ticking by, and an eternity of words that he needed to tell her. Time was against him, moving so quickly when he needed the world to slow down, and stop. There wasn't much he wouldn't hesitate to give to freeze this moment, relive it and come back to it anytime-

He had started to write something, planning in his cell to flee the castle without looking back- he had planned to leave it for her to find. It didn't seem right now, to give it to her-

"Four minutes."

"Ryo." Rika pushed herself up. "What happened while I fell asleep?" Her eyebrows threatened the glare to come.

"Three minutes and thirty seconds." The high voice floated out of the darkness. Priscilla blocked Rika's view of Ryo.

There were a million things he could say right now. Explanations, apologies, confessions- there was no way to tell her everything.

And so, he sat down, pen and paper in hand, and wrote.

Dear Rika,

First of all, I'm sorry.

He paused, and scratched it out.

Dear Rika...

Ryo found himself stuck again. Think, he told himself. You need to finish this! It's your last chance and you're messing it up. He began again, pen to paper, and wrote.

This is the end, I guess.

I know you're going to hate me after this. I'm horrible at writing these kinds of things.. It's going to come out mixed up.

Rika, don't hate me, but I have to say this. I'm not going to say 'I love you'.. No three word statement says enough. There isn't a word in any language that works to fill all that I want to. But here's the thing- I think that from the first day I saw you- really saw you- I was caught, and you never let me go..

No matter what happens, what I might do in the future without knowing- I love you, have loved you, and will always love you..

I'm going to miss you, wildcat.

-Ryo

He rolled the letter up, and brushed by his brother. Itachi stared at him. "You're actually doing this."

Ryo nodded. "Yes. I am."

"You don't have to do this, you know."

"I know."

"Then why?"

Ryo couldn't find an answer for it. He searched his brain for the answer, and came up without a logical explanation. There was no solid answer without holes for this- but he had to do it.

There was only this.

He looked past Itachi, towards Rika. "My reason?"

"Yes, idiot! Your reason for pretty much condemning yourself to a lifetime of slavery to that blonde idiot back there!"

Rika pushed past the blonde princess in front of her, filled in and up to date from Priscilla's smug gloating. "You're not going to do this."

Priscilla, chasing after her, shouted. "He is!"

"You're doing this to impress me, like some stupid hero, aren't you." A statement, not a question. "Akiyama. Stop."

He handed her the letter. "I am.. is it working?"

Priscilla raised her high voice, cutting through the noise. "I'm waiting...Hurry up!" She waved her fan at the bottle in his hand. "We don't have all the time in the world, you know... Just drink already!"

Priscilla was not a very patient person, really. She hated waiting- because after all, what Priscilla wants, Priscilla gets- and it had to be fast. She slid a tiny stiletto from her slipper, and with surprising, near- assassin like speed, leaped towards Rika.

She pressed the flat edge of the knife into Rika's neck, letting it come close to piercing the skin. "Well? Ryo darling? Are you going to speed up now?" She laughed. "There's no way of getting in between me and her, after all.. If you kill me- which you wouldn't, of course, I'm much too beautiful- then she dies too."

She was right. With his guard down, Priscilla had gotten what she wanted- he was stuck in a corner with only one way out.

"I'll let her go after you drink, Ryo."

Rika's eyes pleaded with him, arguing their case. No. Absolutely not. Don't do it.

His eyes flickered to the potion, and then to the thin bead of blood running quickly down her neck.

Ryo uncorked the bottle.

-

Priscilla smugly pulled the knife away. "I knew you'd see things my way."

Rika stayed as still as possible, searching for any escape, pulling as far away from the stiletto as she could. The knife pressed in closer.

And then, Ryo realized- this was his reason.

He raised the bottle to his mouth. "Priscilla. Let her go. I'll drink it."

Triumphant, Priscilla let Rika slump to the ground. "Good."

Itachi looked at him mildly." I'm still waiting for a reason."

Dawn had come, covering the sky with orange flames and blushing clouds. The fires crackled around them, spreading outwards into the forest. Pine trees were ringed in golden fire, sending up their smoke to the sky.

Ryo turned, and looked atthe flame hairedprincess, already up from her fall.

"She is my reason."

He drank.

Anna- thank you very much! I will work harder now that my piano Syllabus is finally over (so much work! Three hours of practice a day.)

Meeko Meldoie- thank you for reviewing!

kau-sama- thank you! Glad you like Itachi here..and may you find your Ryo Akiyama soon!

LoneWolf and Hiei- Thanks! Glad that it wasn't too bad..

lady-snow- thank you for the four exclamation marks!

danchoo- thank you, dear.. Sorry for the loong update wait..

Dolce Saito- Thanks for reviewing! Again, I'm sorry I made you wait so long!

GTKari-123- Thank you for reviewing.. I know.. I made you wait for a long time. I will (try) to work faster this week!

Kari Minamoto- ah.. Thank you! I feel bad about not updating faster because I hate waiting for the new chapters of the stories I read.. Good luck with your AP History!

craziestanimefan- Thank you very much!

Whitezetsu- Thank you for your patience ( I know, it's getting repetitive, but I'm doing this late at night..)

Lil' Lilo- Thank you very much for reviewing!

AzNAnGeL07- Thank you! I'm glad you liked the new update..

authoresss note:

yay.. I actually finished this! I had a ton of writer's block this week, so it took a loong time to write this not-too-great chapter.. This is really short because.. I'm tired... (and of course, I'm gonna get in trouble for using the computer waay too early in the morning..)

Please forgive me for the long wait! I know! This chapter is really really bad and really really late.. but the next one will (probably) be better.. and sooner!

must eat breakfast..

-liahime