Disclaimer:I do not own the anime, manga, novels, and most importantly the characters of K. K is officially owned by GoRa/GoHands.
Author's Note:Back to the main Anna of the fanfic! Here, I will incorporate some scenes from K: Missing Kings.
K: Preserving the Blaze of Your Red
BY: TCOOKIES777
Chapter 20: Embers in the Dark
Darkness entrenched her entire body, sticking to her skin like cold slime. Anna shivered, automatically wrapping her arms around her vulnerable self. She felt naked and alone in this haunting pitch blackness. Where were her clothes? Where was everyone? Where was she? The only sound she could hear was her own nervous breathing. Blackness. It was everywhere and all at once. It coated her body like a second skin and it blinded her sight for she could see nothing.
Nothing but darkness.
Daring to take a tentative step forward, Anna gasped at the sound of water rippling. She took a more confident step forward to test her theory.
Splash!
She was standing on a layer of water? But why? She should've been in a new timeline by now. She'd crushed the marble, after all. Why was she here? Alone in the dark with nothing but black to follow her every step.
With nothing else to do but to keep moving forward, Anna continued walking. She hoped that wherever she was, there was a way out. For she could not see and she did not know the way. I'm lost, Anna realized with dread. Panic clawed at her chest, tripping her heartbeat to three times its normal pace. Tears swelled in her eyes and she pressed them back with the heels of her palms. It would do no good to cry. Her parents had told her that years ago when she had gotten lost at the park.
"Don't cry, Anna-chan." Her father brushed her tears away with the pad of his thumb. "Crying helps no one."
"Anna-chan, do you remember what we told you to do if you ever got lost?" Her mother, with her beautiful and kind face, asked patiently.
"G-Go to a policeman!" Her younger self had sniveled.
"Good!" Her father lifted her up into his arms. "Don't wait around for help to come. It's better to take action yourself rather than simply wait."
"Now, what should you do if there's no one around to help?" Her mother questioned as she wiped Anna's dripping nose with a handkerchief.
"Get to a safe place first." Anna wiped the last of her tears away.
The two parents nodded solemnly. Her father then added, "You're a very cute girl, Anna. Gifted too. And there are bad people out there who are attracted to precious, valuable things... or people such as yourself. Understand, princess?"
Anna nodded. "But Daddy's my magic knight! You'll protect me from the bad guys, won't you?"
"Of course, Princess." The knight cradled his child in his arms. Together, he and his wife continued to gaze down at their daughter with both worry and love. "We'll protect you."
"Daddy… Mommy…." Anna allowed herself to whisper as she continued walking. Just keep moving forward. Find a safe place, she told herself, I've got to find somewhere safe. As she trekked onward, Anna tried to ignore the icy water soaking her numb, bare feet with every step she took. It reminded her of the many times when Mizuchi had forced her into tanks of cold water and hold her breath as long as possible while syncing with the Slate.
However, it was even harder to ignore the darkness clinging to her naked skin. Sometimes, the darkness would feel so solid and tangible—even alive—that she swore she would feel a tendril or two brush her thigh or caress her stomach. Every time that happened, she'd shiver and fight the urge to swat away whatever was touching her.
There's no such thing as monsters, Anna silently repeated in her mind whilst struggling to keep her breathing calm.
No such thing as monsters.
Something stroked up the back of her leg and she cringed. Keeping her arms crossed over her chest, Anna hurried forward.
Splish, splash! Splish, splash! Black water erupted from her feet, splattering her calves as she quickened her pace.
Anna halted to a stop at the sensation of a phantom hand hugging the curve of her waist. Possessive. The touch was too possessive and disgusting for her to handle. The hair on the back of her neck rose up instinctively. There was definitely something here with her and she could do nothing but freeze.
She squeezed her eyes shut in fear. Go away, go away, go away! Too loud. Why, oh why, was she breathing so loud?! Clamping a hand over her mouth, Anna prayed the shadow being would disappear if she were to remain silent and unmoving. Seconds passed by. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. A minute? Tick. Tock.
Then she realized the harsh panting wasn't coming from her but from behind her. And then she felt the hand curve around her waist to wrap itself around her flat belly. Anna held back a sob, for it terrified her how possessive but gentle the thing's touches were. And, more than that, it reminded her of the Colorless King and that night on the rooftop. How the Colorless King had touched her all over and in Tatara's body. She'd been defiled and dirtied both inside and out and she could still feel all the painful and disgusting sensations the Colorless King had given her.
Was this a reminder of that shameful night?
Please, stop. Anna prayed desperately in her mind. Leave me alone. Don't touch me. Don't touch me. Don't touch me!
The phantom hand stopped caressing her belly and began sliding down to between her legs at the same time something pierced the thin skin of her neck. Anna cried out at the excruciating pain, her tears finally streaming down her cheeks. But before the shadow's fingers could touch the junction of thighs, Anna screamed, "Stop it!", and her body burst into flames. She was a living inferno of raging hell, pushing back the slimy tendrils of the sentient darkness.
"Keep your filthy hands off me." Anna snarled, and inside she was taken aback by how vicious she sounded. This was not her. This Anna was powerful and merciless. And as she continued to burn in the blackness, Anna faintly thought to herself that she kind of liked this new Anna. She burned bright like a star, more radiant than the moon itself. When she glanced down at the water now alight with her brightness, she took in her naked form, covered with invisible bruises. The clawed scars ringing around her ankle. The colored shadows under her tired eyes. The blood dripping down the column of her pale neck. Her fresh, bright red blood caused by the shallow bite wound at the side of her neck. It hadn't been to injure her—no, it was more like to mark her. But why?
What was that thing? It had seemed almost… human. And why was its hand touching her stomach so protectively?
Out of wonder, Anna hesitantly pressed her palm against her flat belly. She waited, not knowing what to expect exactly. And then—a gurgle. She sighed in exasperation. She'd been trying to think of other things besides the hunger gnawing at her stomach but now the hunger pangs were coming back in full force. Hungry, Anna thought, sighing again. Her stomach rumbled louder in agreement. In the middle of ignoring the hunger once again, she was about to take a step forward to continue her journey out of this nightmare when a sharp pain stabbed her core.
Anna cried out, falling to her knees and clutching her stomach. This definitely wasn't just the hunger pangs! She felt like her body was being torn apart from the inside out. "Agh!" Her small hands pressed against the center of her stomach helplessly, but the pain continued ripping into her. Gritting her teeth, she peered down at the water to see if she could check what was wrong. But the reflection before her was not herself. Or, it was, but not exactly. It was the Other Anna with the chin-length hair and her reflected, naked posture was exactly the same as the Anna that knelt on the layer of water. Her red eyes were filled with fury and tears. She had her hands pressed against the bottom of her flat belly. The blood red orb hanging on her left ear swung wildly as frustrated cries racked her body. The water rippled then, transforming the image into someone else. This time, it was the older Anna she had glimpsed at with her marble. The one with the long hair and sorrowful gaze. She too knelt naked on the other side. The only exception was that her belly was heavily swollen with child.
"I'm… pregnant?" Anna whispered in abhorrent shock. The other Anna remained silent and sad even as she caressed her swollen belly, gazing down at her unborn child with a sorrowful love. Anna's hands automatically moved across her stomach to feel any roundness. To her relief, however, she found that her belly was still completely flat. It was the Anna in the reflected water who was pregnant, not herself.
"How? Who— "Anna began to ask before another knife-cutting pain dug deep into the pits of her belly. Both Anna's bent over, towards each other, clutching their stomachs as they cried out against the unbearable pain spasming within them. Anna hissed in agony, struggling to gulp in breaths of air to relieve the pain even by a fraction. A red stain bloomed out from beneath her, covering the image in the dark water. Blood. Her blood. There was so much spilling out from her. It blossomed across the water in red clouds, like a bloody flower.
"No!" She gasped, clutching the bottom of her belly even tighter even though the pain had already faded away to a dull throb. Something had happened. Not to her but to the pregnant Anna. And what about Other Anna with the short hair? Why had she looked so painfully angry, clutching her flat stomach like that? Something had gone terribly wrong for those two, the feeling shook Anna to her bones.
As she sat upon the water, subconsciously rubbing her belly, movement in the dark water caught her attention. The blood was moving, swirling in the water and hardening into form within the center. It only took a second until a dark red marble floated atop of the water before her. Cautiously, Anna reached out towards it. As soon as the tip of her fingers brushed the glass-like surface, a film of images flashed through her mind. Gasping, Anna grasped the sides of her head as memories that were not her own filled her vision.
A large room with intricate, gold designs.
A young man with messy, coppery bangs holding a metal rod and a needle.
A silver, wisp-like fox—the Colorless King—staring down at her while grinning.
Something cold and numb filling her body and head until she felt as light and airless as a cloud.
Then an intense, physical heat searing its way into her.
Anna hissed, one hand flying down to clutch at her belly again.
Colored light sparked in her vision. Green lightning, pink flames, a grey mist, and a familiar voice screaming in agony.
Laughter. Cruel, mocking laughter echoed in her ears, too close for comfort.
"It is done." She heard the Colorless King say with satisfaction.
Her eyes slowly opened as the vision faded away into nothing. The marble in her hand began burning up and Anna immediately tossed it away before it could scorch her like last time. Instead of hitting the water and bobbing back to the surface though, the orb bounced off the fluid surface and continued bouncing away.
"W-wait!" Anna shouted for the marble. Getting up on weak legs, she began stumbling after the orb that continued bouncing away from her as if it had a mind of its own. It got to the point where she had to start running even. Black water splashed against her thighs and she shivered at the droplets racing down her bare skin because the contact reminded her of the shadow and how it had touched her too intimately. She kept on moving though. Something told her that this orb was leading her somewhere. Anna could only hope that she was being led to a safe place.
So she kept running and the orb kept bouncing for what felt like an endless amount of time. Did time even run in this sort of place? She began to wonder about that until a searing light flashed in her line of sight. Squinting, Anna slowed down to a stop so she could figure out what it was that she saw. The light flashed again after a moment of dispelling darkness. And there it was, as bright and radiant as the sun itself. A door of light!
"A way out." Anna breathed, watching how the marble bounced into the entrance of light. Her feet took a step closer, then another step. Soon, she was running as fast as her legs could carry her. Towards the door and away from the darkness. She closed her eyes once she was near enough to feel the soft buttery warmth of the golden light bless the skin of her bare body. She'd been traversing the darkness for so long that she hadn't realized how cold her body had become. But now she was finally leaving the darkness and stepping into the light, embracing its warmth like a long awaited hug.
As soon as Anna raced into the light, everything around her suddenly flashed with brightness and she felt herself lose consciousness.
"What are you doing?" A deep voice rumbled before her.
"Um…" Anna blinked in confusion at Mikoto, feeling herself sway as she took in her surroundings.
"Hey." Mikoto grabbed both her shoulders, steadying Anna and keeping her from falling off the top of the stairs. He knelt down at her level, the frown on his face deepening as he studied her. Anna continued blinking at him, still feeling the effects of the light that had blinded her just then. "Go back to bed."
"Uh.." Anna's head scrambled for a response. What had she said to Mikoto back then? I don't think I should go downstairs. Something like that.
"I'll ask Izumo to bring you breakfast." Mikoto placed a rough hand on her head, turning her the direction back to her bedroom. "Stay in bed a bit longer."
"Okay." She mumbled before heading off to her room. Technically, things were still going the way they were supposed to. She remembered that she had returned to her room upon hearing Tatara and the men planning her birthday downstairs. All she had to do was keep out of the way from here on out.
Anna sighed, closing her door and sliding down it until her knees were pressed against her chest. She buried her face in her arms, wrapping her body as tight as possible to keep herself from falling apart. This was it. This was what she had chosen. To run away. It'd been a mistake, all of this. Messing with Time had only made things worse. How many Tatara's and Mikoto's and other clansmen had she killed? Oh, how foolish she'd been. To try and save her timeline when she was creating chaos within other timelines.
"I'm… a danger to everyone?"
"Not only that," Other Anna added casually, "but your actions have left open multiple timelines a mess. Did you think that just by breaking a marble and restarting in a new timeline, the previous line would clean itself up after you just like that? No, you've left so many loose ends in your wake. And that's not all. In every single timeline you escaped from, Tatara and Mikoto still die. HOMRA is still disbanded. And you're still all alone. Your fire has left a trail of decimation and death. Ironic isn't it? You try to fix things—to save people—but, in reality, you've only made things worse, I'd say."
It was all her fault, the thought made Anna push her face into her hands. Better to not take action, a small voice whispered in her head. Your parents were wrong. It's better to just sit and wait. Wait and grow stronger. Wait until the right moment comes for you to strike back. Wait until you are a mighty King whom no one will dare defy. Wait, and you will be able to exact vengeance and justice on those who have hurt you.
"But I don't want that." Anna whispered, clutching the sides of her aching head. "I just want my family back."
It's not about what you want, the voice bit back. It's about what you need.
Wait, the seductive voice breathed its idea into her mind, letting the plan hug her consciousness tight. Wait and grow till you are no longer a child.
Grow beautiful.
Grow strong.
Grow graceful.
Grow daring.
Grow sly.
Grow powerful.
Wait. And grow to become the King you are destined to be.
"I…." Anna swallowed hard, trying to think straight while ignoring the ache in her head and the dull throb in her belly. Maybe… maybe Other Anna was right. She whispered her resolution aloud, though it felt wrong and painful to say. "I will wait."
And so she waited in her room for the rest of the day, eating her breakfast, lunch, and dinner from the confines of her bed. Izumo had come up once to see why she hadn't come downstairs at all. Her pathetic excuse was that she was feeling under the weather. Of course, news of her sudden illness had arrived downstairs and she had to keep her hands from clenching the sheets once Tatara visited her.
Tatara. Oh, her dear Tatara. How she wanted to tell him how sorry she was. She wanted to tell him how much she loved him. If he could snuggle with her on the bed for a quick nap. Though, the idea was immediately shot down as soon as she remembered how the Colorless King had possessed his body to do unspeakable acts of wrongful intimacy on her body. Still, she wished she could stop him from leaving. She wished he didn't have to go.
And she almost said that aloud, stupid her. Please, don't go. Don't leave me all alone.
But Anna simply bit her lip and closed her eyes, maybe to hold back the tears, when Tatara placed a hand against her forehead out of concern.
And she didn't know why but… maybe because the request was harmless. Because it wouldn't mess up the future events that had yet to unfold. But deep down she knew it was because she couldn't help it. It was because she was desperate and she needed a memory of him that would give her the strength she would need to do what needed to be done tonight. And she wanted to tell him sorry and thank you for it at the same time. Anna didn't. She simply drew in a deep breath, and asked, "Sing for me?"
Tatara looked at her in befuddlement, as if he hadn't been expecting her to ask him for such a thing. Then he smiled at her. And his smile was so bright and warm and his eyes were crinkled with mirth and tenderness. All directed towards her and it had Anna fighting to keep her lip from quivering because she could not ruin this. "Anything for the princess."
And she closed her eyes as he sang, sitting on the edge of her bed beside her. Anna pretended to sleep even though her hand held onto his with such desperation that she wondered if he knew there was more to this moment than she let on. If he did, he didn't let her know. He merely sang his lullaby to her as she requested. It took all of her strength to not let any tears escape her shut eyes. However, her feelings must've shown with how tight she was gripping his hand because then she felt him squeeze her hand back reassuringly in response.
At some point, she almost did fall asleep. His golden voice was so soothing that it relieved the ache in her head and the pain in her belly. For the first time in what felt like a whole lifetime, Anna found her frenzied consciousness quieting down to a peaceful echo. The melodies and gentle vibratos he sang out warmed her to her very soul.
If love could take on the form of sound then this was what it would probably be like.
It was a slight disappointment once Tatara's song came to an end. But the melody was one to remember and, if Anna wanted to, she could hum it with ease. But she pretended to remain fast asleep, even as Tatara got off her bed. And she had to stifle the ache in her heart once she felt him let go of her hand. It took every ounce of her strength to keep herself from telling him, "Thank you."
Thank you for caring for me.
For loving me.
For keeping your promises.
For all the fun days we had.
For your beautiful voice and songs.
For showing me kindness and compassion.
Thank you for cherishing me.
"Tatara…" She said aloud in a broken whisper upon sensing him leaving the bar. It was near midnight and he was off to record what would be the last view he would ever see. For he was destined to die and his death was inevitable. As soon as she sensed Mikoto and Izumo slip into their respective rooms, she flung the covers off and stepped toward her window. The moon was beautiful and bright tonight. The city was alight and bathed in colors from the nightlife and people turning on their Candle App. To Anna, it seemed wrong that the city would look so dazzling and peaceful during such a night of death and tragedy.
Sighing, she climbed halfway through her window, leaning on her sill as she breathed in the coldness of the winter air. Then, she pushed herself off, letting her wings sprout from her back and shape into broad plumes of glittering fire. As she soared into the night sky, the heat of her wings provided a warm layer of protection against the forces of wind. She glided on gentle breezes, and twisted like a ballerina against sharper currents.
Once her feet landed on the rooftop of the building, Anna flapped her golden wings sharply, letting them dissipate into a cloud of sparkling embers. She flicked the remaining embers off her bare shoulders, adjusting the strap of her nightdress, as she made her way to the shadowed side of a wall. Here, this corner would give her a perfect view of what was to come as well as keep her hidden.
Now, all she had to do was wait.
It didn't take long till the crunching steps of someone walking on the roof's gravel reached Anna's ears.
He was here.
The Colorless King.
Fear tightened in Anna's chest and she pressed a hand against her heartbeat racing under. Don't make a sound. Don't make a move. Don't do anything.
Or he'll rape you again, the dark voice in her head echoed. And this time, he'll take what he wants.
Anna squeezed her eyes shut, struggling to hold back the vile taste in her mouth as memories surged forward.
She arched her back as his long fingers slid far inside her. Her opening burned as the swollen skin stretched to accommodate the size of the intrusion.
A weird sound came out from her when she felt him curl the tips of his fingers inside. "There's that sweet moan I've been waiting for."
The boy gazing at the stars began to hum a song she'd once heard—in a dream or from a memory, she couldn't remember anymore. It was Ode to Joy. Her head spiked with pain as more painful memories of that night forced their way into her mind.
"I know your mind says 'no' but your body says 'yes'…. It will always say 'yes' because once aroused, it's natural instinct is to mate." He stopped pumping into her, simply letting his fingers lie within the tightness of her slick walls. "Even now, your hot walls are contracting, sucking my fingers in. It's burning hot within you." He pushed farther inside, and she realized he was using his whole hand because she sensed his palm rubbing her entrance. She cried out when he wiggled his fingers. He was hitting a spot within her that felt so good it scared her all the more. "I think I can feel your cervix… and it wants me."
Anna shuddered when Tatara pulled her lips apart to get a better look inside her. Revolt made her stomach roll as she thought faintly that this person was looking so deep into her secret place… and that it was about as terrible as someone looking through her mind for her deepest fears and secrets.
"Your pink is so beautiful." She bit her lip so hard that she drew blood and tasted it as he slipped his tongue into her.
"You have no idea how delicious you taste." The King groaned. "Sweet like nectar…. I can't get enough of you."
Anna almost cried out "Stop!" before she managed to clamp a hand over her mouth, saving herself from blowing her cover. The urge to puke had her body shaking as she struggled to stay standing. The Colorless King, wearing an innocent boy's body, continued to hum to the night as they both waited for the third person to enter the scene.
"So how was your first orgasm?" His chuckles were so cruel and mocking, wet against her ear.
"You look so beautiful, all hot and flushed." And when he pressed his mouth back against her slit again, she held her breath so as to not pleasure him with any sounds. But this time, there was something that was different. He was pressing his lips to her swollen flesh, as if he was kissing her real lips.
"You're warm." She heard him say. "It's so warm with you." His voice was uncharacteristically gentle.
She wasn't sure what to worry about—getting air to her lungs or the fact that he was grinding his stiffness against her opening. It frightened her down to the very core because she could feel his rock hard bulge pushing inside her slightly, and she knew it was way larger than his fingers. And that if he put it into her, it was going to hurt her—a lot.
Tears sprung to Anna's eyes and she held back a whimper. She could practically feel his hands touching her all over, his tongue and lips caressing places where they shouldn't be, his eyes memorizing what she didn't want him to see. It was like she was reliving the nightmare all over again. And the boy kept humming Ode to Joy. Anna had to wonder if he somehow knew she was there and if he was taunting her on purpose. No, he didn't know she was here. He couldn't have. If he did, they'd both be on the floor already with their bare bodies pressed together and she'd be crying out in pain as he finally took what he wanted from her, over and over again.
To open her wider, he grabbed her legs again and pushed them so far back, her knees were literally pressed up on either side of her head.
With their bodies molded against each other, they rocked together in time with his hips.
"Do you feel how wet this guy's pants are now?" He grunted after a while. "You're soaking his dick in your juices. What a naughty girl. Sooo fucking naughty."
"December seventh," A warm, nonchalant voice, completely opposite of the vicious voice she'd just been hearing, snapped Anna out of her nightmare. Her eyes opened, and her heart seemed to beat so loud in her ears. "Hey, it's a nice night out."
Buh-dump. Buh-dump. Buh-dump.
Anna pressed herself flat against the wall, her ears straining to pick up the slightest sound made. With clammy hands trembling at her sides, Anna didn't even know if she was breathing or not.
Buh-dump. Buh-dump.
"I came here to take pictures of the nighttime view, but what are you doing here?"
Buh-dump. Buh-dump. The man had stopped humming, leaving the silence hanging heavy in the frigid winter air. Buh-dump. Buh-dump. Buh-dump.
"I'm Totsuka Tatara." Her beloved friend said so lightly with such kindness. "What's your name?"
BANG! Anna jolted at the sound and her hands flew over her mouth to muffle the sob threatening to escape her. Her eyes shut tight when she heard the thud of Tatara's body hit the ground like dead weight.
"I'm the seventh King, the Colorless King!" The boy crowed out proudly as he announced his true self. "I'm waiting for someone here."
Keeping her hands clamped against her mouth like restraints, Anna slid down the wall and then pressed her face against her knees. Her body silently shook as stifled cries racked her.
"A nice night, you say?" She could barely concentrate on the boy's voice as she struggled to keep herself hidden and quiet. "Indeed it is."
She flinched, pressing her face harder against her knees upon hearing another resounding crack of the gun going off again. Even when she sensed the Colorless King finally leave, Anna still kept herself curled against the side of the wall shadowing her.
"No matter what I choose to do, it'll be such a burden… Tsk…." Tatara's quiet groans surprised Anna. She had forgotten he still had minutes left to spare before…. It took all of her willpower to not run to his side and cradle his head. To not spill her tears over his face. To not gaze into those warm eyes once bright with ideas and now dulled and lifeless. It took everything to not stay by his side during his last, final moments.
She was cruel. She was so cruel. And she thought that even as she did nothing. Even as she listened to him grunt in pain as he attempted to move his broken body.
"Haaa… Haa… Kusanagi… san…" She pulled her knees closer to her chest, ignoring the biting pain of the gravel digging into her bare feet. There was a pregnant pause, and then, "Kusanagi… san…. Can you hear me…? … I was blessed… Even now I think that."
Anna bit onto her thumb, letting the blood spill down her wrist in a thin river. The physical pain wasn't enough though to distract her from having the pain of her heart break over and over again into pieces and shards and then dust.
"Ahaha…." Tatara laughed weakly but Anna sensed none of his usual mischief or joy in his laughter. "Augh! Hagh.. guh…" Wet coughs broke into the silent night, making Anna cringe because she knew what that meant.
She could hear Izumo shouting Tatara's name through the PDA.
Poor Izumo.
She wondered if he felt as helpless as she did right now.
"Tell Anna…" She drew in a sharp breath at the sound of her name, wrapping her thin arms around her legs. "I don't think I can wish her happy birthday."
I'm sorry, Anna wanted to tell him. I'm so sorry, Tatara.
"King," His soft voice sounded strained, and Anna could already see the tears she knew were spilling from the corners of his dull, amber eyes. "I wonder if he'll be angry…."
This young man was lying broken on the cold, hard ground and, still, he was concerned for his beloved friends. The last of his warmth continued leaving him as his blood kept draining from his body. And the young princess wondered as she looked up into the beautiful, cold blackness of the night… she wondered if her dying friend was gazing up at the stars like she was. She wondered if, during his final moments, he was wishing for something with the last of his strength, just like she was right now. Anna wondered... Was Tatara sad that this would be the last night he'd spend under such a beautiful sky?
Because she was.
And she kept wondering that as she flew across the sea of blackness and glittering diamonds once Izumo had arrived with Yata. The icy tendrils of the night stole her tears as she cried in isolation. If anyone were to look up and away from the Silver King's blimp, they would've been taken aback to see a broken angel with wings of golden light weeping in anguish high above them, cradled in darkness. They would've seen how her beautiful face glistened with tears as the light of the full moon filtered through her snowy strands and caressed her cheeks. Had someone seen the melancholic beauty of this angel's face, they would have felt her heartache as well, and cried from it.
ONE YEAR LATER….
"Misaki!" Anna called out to her dear clansman as he finished sliding across the polished floor only to bump against the golden cage confining her.
The vanguard's face scrunched up in pain in response to being thrown through the doors and across the room. However, he immediately gave her a strained smile, chuckling as he leaned on the broken broomstick he used as a weapon, "Don't worry. I'm just upping the odds in his favor.", so as to not worry her.
"Then I'll take those odds and send you to hell." A muffled, androgynous voice said as the masked ninja slid out of the ground to appear behind the vulnerable vanguard. She called out his name again in warning and Yata's mouth dropped open as he realized he'd left his back open. He screamed in agony as the mercenary ninja's Fūma Shuriken sliced straight down his back and then he collapsed forward. Anna's eyes widened at the sight of his ruined long sleeved shirt, torn at his backside and stained with blood.
"Misaki!" Anna cried out, reaching through the golden bars to cradle the young man's face. His breathing was ragged and shallow. Don't leave me. Not you too! Was this the future she had waited for? A future of death and loneliness? "Misaki, wake up!"
"Say goodnight to your fallen knight, Princess." The armored ninja said, raising their Fūma Shuriken for the final blow. Suddenly, thin streams of fire flew by the ninja who barely managed to jump out of the way. At a safer distance, they held her blade up in defense, demanding, "Who's there?!"
"Caw! Another enemy! Another enemy!" The green parrot of JUNGLE flew around, screeching in warning of the new arrival. It danced around the columns of fires shooting out like comets. "The enemy from HOMRA..!"
"Izumo!" Anna gasped in disbelief. She didn't think he would come. After all, he had left her without much of an explanation four months ago and she hadn't heard from him since. Not long after that, everyone else had left her. Though, she bitterly admitted to herself that it was to be expected.
"Hey, it's been a while." The bartender smirked, leaning against the wall with the holographic panels swimming with designs and patterns from behind him. His silver lighter danced between his fingers so casually. He raised a cigarette to his mouth, dragging in a deep pull before flicking his hand towards the mercenary ninja, murmuring, "Bang!", and snapping his fingers to release several more fireballs that arced across the room.
The ninja hopped around, deflecting a few with their blade before jumping away to phase out of the room and escape.
"What made you…" Anna glanced down to find Yata's dull eyes partially open, if only to glare at the suave bartender, "decide to come here?"
"Same reason as you. To save our princess." Izumo answered, kneeling down to assess the vanguard's injury. The smirk on his face fell away as he took in the damage—at how deep the cut was on his back. "Your wound is serious, Yata. I need to get you out of here."
"Not without… Anna..!" The young man grunted, yet he laid unmoving. "Besides… I don't think I can move…."
"Of course Anna will be coming home, ya hot headed idiot." The older clansman smiled wryly at the boy. "The both of you."
"Hey, Glasses! Glasses!" A clanging sound stole the man's attention and the three HOMRA clansmen looked over at the Strain clinging and tugging at the bars uselessly. "It won't open..!"
"Ah, geez!" Izumo said in exasperation, rubbing the back of his neck. He waved a hand towards Neko, indicating for her to step away. The cat-like girl nimbly pounced off the bars to land on her feet, looking on expectantly for the bartender to do his magic. He pulled out his signature lighter again, flicking the top open to reveal the flame within. "Step back, Anna, I'm gonna—AGH!"
Anna and Yata cried out Izumo's name while Neko shouted, "Glasses!" The man's lighter clattered onto the polished floor of the tower as he grasped his hand in pain. A kunai was now embedded deep within the center of his palm, the pointed tip coming out through the other side. Scarlet blood poured down his wrist, staining the white of his dress shirt and splattering onto the marble floor. Gritting his teeth against the immobilizing pain, he turned away from his comrades so as to not let Anna see the savageness of his injury. Neko yelped as another kunai flew in and hit the lighter away from reach.
"Damn you, you bastard!" Yata cursed under his breath.
"Neko will take care of Ninja!" The Strain announced, clenching her hands into paws and lifting them to hiss at the mercenary. The ninja brandished their Fūma Shuriken, and swiped to the right even though nothing was there. The illusion cast upon them, however, would not last much long.
"Anna… listen.. to me…." Izumo leaned against the bars, hiding his bloodied hand under his jacket. The smile on his face was to reassure her, but she could see the anguish behind his tinted glasses. "I'm sorry for the wait."
She clenched at the marbles fisted tight within her palm. They were dulled and cracking, yet they still possessed the power she had breathed into them from long ago. Power she had forcibly subdued as she stood on the sidelines and reluctantly watched everything unfold as it was supposed to be.
"I went to Germany to investigate… hoping I could do something about this…" Izumo continued explaining to her with an apologetic expression. "But I was… too late."
"Izumo…" Anna whispered, realizing that he now knew the truth.
"It's no use avoiding it any longer." He spoke to her gently, as if she was scared she would run away despite having nowhere else to run to.
Don't say it. Don't say it. I don't want to hear it. I don't want to hear you call me that. That forbidden title. That title I hate so much.
"Anna… No." His lips were turned down at the corners with sadness as he properly addressed the princess who simply wanted to stay as just a princess. "Red King."
She slowly closed her eyes as the truth was finally spoken aloud. She did not think this day would come. She did not think her clansmen would ever figure out the royal inheritance forced upon her. It was a secret she would've wanted to reveal on her own accord. Fate, it seemed, had a different plan, however. And it angered her, for it proved that she could not control anything. She could not control her destiny nor her powers.
The Red King. She did not like that title. The King of Fire and Fury, the people had sometimes called Mikoto. They would now call her that too.
Anna squeezed her worn out marbles which threatened to shatter under her grip. She felt them suddenly burn up and she opened her palm to gaze into them, only to be sucked into a vision for the first time since the night Tatara died.
When she opened her eyes, she found herself no longer confined within a golden cage. No, she wasn't even in Mihashira Tower. She was at the last place she had ever expected herself to be in: an amusement park.
Cotton candy and popcorn vendors with no sellers waited by almost every ride. Balloons of various jubilant colors swayed to and fro against the blue, cloudy background of the sky. Yet, as Anna slowly walked through the park, she discovered that there was not a single person in sight. No, it was just her. The swirling teacups laid abandoned, roller coasters stuck to their tracks unmoving, and the carousel did not turn with its gallivanting steeds. The place was completely abandoned.
However, as Anna continued on past rides she'd dreamt of playing on, a sad memory resurfaced. This was the same park her parents had promised to take her to. A promise her parents would soon never be able to keep. Yet, this was also the same amusement park Mikoto and the other men had taken her to during the time she was still a patient at Scepter Four's science branch, under the surveillance of Mizuchi.
She remembered how she'd wanted to go on the ferris wheel but the park had already closed by then. So Mikoto had taken it upon himself to carry Anna and Tatara atop of the highest gondola where they could watch the sunset together.
Anna smiled softly at the memory. Wondering if the ferris wheel would work in this vision of hers, she began heading towards it. It wasn't hard to miss, considering it was the tallest ride around since its purpose was to provide its riders with a beautiful view of the open sky and the sparkling waters.
However, as Anna neared the ride, she immediately halted at the sight of a cloaked figure standing before her, right in front of the gondola she was to step into. The man stood as still as the rides around here. Anna would have mistook him for a stuffed doll or statue had she not sensed the power flickering within him. Had she not seen his lips spread into a smile as the person he'd been waiting for finally arrived.
Yes, Anna has been in this timeline for about a year now. And this will have consequences on herself and on others.
Next chapter will be up tomorrow! Stay tuned for more K: Preserving the Blaze of Your Red!