Before we start...

Thank you Countess Caramel, GakupoGoneGhost and electricangel12 for your kind words :)

This isn't based on any particular song. Like Beyond (my other fic), I had a dream that served as initial inspiration for it.

Chapter 2 – The Joy of the Rose

Captain Fuuga and Kaito were the only people present as the coffins of Gakupo's parents were buried. The shovels did their work efficiently, covering the simple wooden boxes with dark soil. There was no singing of hymns; neither regretful nor soothing words. Apparently, Oto as a whole was fine with the idea of two of its own being lynched in their own home.

Kaito glanced at his father, looking for some kind of reassurance. In his thoughts, Captain Fuuga was the one pillar holding up the world, the one fortress he could always rely on. His father had all the answers, and he was never caught off-guard. The heroes of the past were nothing compared to the man that constituted Kaito's sole family.

For that reason, it was especially hard to find so little solace in his expression.

Their work completed, the undertakers left without even making a gesture in their direction. Kaito squeezed his father's hand. "Dad?"

Captain Fuuga snapped out of whatever dark thoughts were circling inside his head and looked down at his son. "I guess it's time to go, huh?"

"Dad, is Gakupo going to be ok?"

The officer looked away. "I don't know. I never expected that Oto would abandon one of its own so easily."

It was hardly the answer Kaito wanted to hear. The thought of going through the day without Gakupo was unthinkable, as far as he was concerned. And his parents? Kaito was used by now at the idea that his own mother was waiting for him and Captain Fuuga on the other side, but his father had said those were very extraordinary circumstances. Parents weren't meant to die until their children became parents as well, those were the rules.

"Kaito, can you promise me something?" His father said in a pensive tone.

"Yes?"

"Never take things for granted. Always think for yourself, 'Is this really true?' and…"

"And?"

"And defend your friends, no matter what." His father's voice became fervent. "If nothing else, be constant and true."

"I promise," Kaito replied, feeling some of his father's sudden energy infuse him with a speck of cheerfulness. He turned towards the fresh graves. "We're going to take care of Gakupo for you, Mr. and Mrs. Kamui!"

"…Yes, yes we will." His father smiled proudly, making Kaito feel twice as tall. They walked hand in hand out of the cemetery, ignoring the cloudy skies above and the chilly wind.

It was uncommon for Luka to climb all the way to the rooftop of the old building where the Megurine family made their residence. Her parents, especially her father, were afraid she would fall if she was allowed to play up there. Only Yuu, her mother, used the rooftop with any regularity, to hang the laundry to dry.

But Luka was a big girl now. She wasn't going to go anywhere near the edge of the rooftop, she didn't need to.

Gakupo would be able to see her where she stood.

The idea formed slowly in her head in the weeks after Gakupo was taken from her. The tower was pretty close by, to her father's intense annoyance; Luka wasn't allowed to go near it, or try to speak to Gakupo. So Luka snuck up to the rooftop with a big stack of sheets of paper under her arm and her box of color pencils.

The day was delightfully clear; the sky above her head was intensely blue, wiped of all traces of ill weather, but the temperature was mild. Luka's skirt waved slightly with the gentle breeze. It would've been the perfect day for her and her friends to go swim in one of the ponds near Oto.

Luka placed her art supplies on the ground and shielded her eyes. She focused her gaze on the window at the top of the tower, squinting. According to Kaito, Gakupo tended to sit curled up in the sill for hours and hours in absolute silence.

She gasped. There was a white figure sitting by the window, crowned by purple hair. The distance was too great to make out his expression, but Luka's mind supplied it: the gentle smile that seldom left his face. True, he had no reason to be cheerful at the moment, but she shied away of the idea of him crying.
He seemed to be looking this way. Luka tried waving her arms, and was delighted to see the figure shift position and wave back after a minute of vigorous jumping and moving her arms. Luka stifled a shout. She wasn't supposed to talk to him.

She set up the papers on the ground, covering a good half of the rooftop, with pebbles to keep them in place, and began working. Her black pencil was the first to run out, but she continued the letters with red and pink. Thanks to a touch of inspiration, she drew a big purple heart at the end of the phrase, and then stood up to see her work.

"We're still friends," she whispered her message. She turned towards the distant figure and mimicked a hug. Usually, she wasn't too comfortable with open displays of affection. Everyone else seemed to have an easier time with that sort of thing. The end result was oftentimes Gakupo hugging her and her standing stiff as a piece of wood… not because she disliked him, but simply because her mind drew a blank whenever anyone touched her, even Gakupo or her parents. But now, the hurdles imposed upon them seemed to have counterbalanced her awkwardness. This time, she wanted there to be no doubt of what her feelings were.

The distant figure seemed to look to its side for a moment, and then stood up in the still carefully. He reproduced her gesture.

"I'll get you out. I'll get you out somehow," Luka whispered. It wasn't talking if he couldn't hear her voice. "The mage is wrong."

Time passed.

Oto continued his daily life, unmindful of the three lives it had cast aside. Some of the youngest children now walking its streets had no idea that the inhabitant of the tower even existed. It was as if the whole populace had agreed to let the name Kamui be buried along with the caskets in that quiet corner of the cemetery. The riddle of their deaths remained unsolved, despite Captain Fuuga's unwelcomed efforts.

But the blanket of silence wasn't complete. There were always fresh flowers over the graves of Gakupo's parents. All of Kaito's toys spent some time inside of the cell, and then his books, notebooks, and homework. He could only visit when Captain Fuuga was on watch, in order to avoid uncomfortable questions, but the officer made sure that it happened at least once a week.

And on the rooftop of the ugly, unremarkable building some distance away, many reams of paper were spent in the biggest, most conspicuous secret messages in town, before Luka was caught and promptly grounded for most of a summer. If anything, that only made her natural stubbornness flare in indignation.

Once her punishment was over, Luka marched down the street towards Kaito's house, her hair fluttering behind her. She had decided to grow it long after noticing Gakupo's own hair grow longer and longer. When she asked her friend about it, Kaito replied that the mystic had requested them to leave it as it was, for whatever reason. More magic crud, probably. In any case, Luka's mother and father were very happy to see her finally take on a more feminine appearance. Yuu especially seemed to relish making her daughter more and more elaborate outfits, as she grew older. Luka suspected she was turning into the life-size doll her mother had always wanted.

Finally she reached the small house that Kaito and his father shared. With the familiarity that close friendship granted, Luka surrounded the property and entered the back garden. As she expected, she found Kaito napping by the pond. His face was spotted with tiny patches of light where the leaves above failed to stop the sunrays from caressing his skin. Similar splotches of brightness made the white of his outfit stand out against the grass.

Unceremoniously, Luka plopped down next to him, and dunk her hand in the water. She then positioned her dripping fingers over his face. "Hey, I have a question."

Kaito twitched as the cool drops touched his face and ran down his neck. "Ack, what the- Luka!?" He pulled himself into a seating position, blinking.

"When's your father's next shift up there?"

Kaito gathered his thoughts with some difficulty. "Um, Friday. Mori wants to spend the night with his wife before she leaves for the north, so he asked to be excused. Why?"

"Bring me with you."

"What?!" That finally woke Kaito up.

"I want to see Gakupo. It's not fair, I barely remember his voice anymore!"

"Um, his voice is starting to change, in any case."

"All the more reason for me to go see him!" Luka grabbed Kaito's arms, in a show of emotion that surprised even herself.

Kaito nodded, a curious smile growing in his face. "I don't mind, really, and I doubt dad will. But yours is going to skin you alive if he finds out."

Luka pulled away, red-faced. "That's not your problem."

"You really miss him, don't you?"

"Shut up."

"You want to kiss him!" Kaito cried out in a sing-song tone, and made a ridiculous face. "Oh, kiss me, Gakupo! Kiss me!" He intoned in squeaky tones that had little resemblance to Luka's voice.

"Shut the hell up!" Luka threw herself at him, and they rolled on the grass. Kaito laughed loudly the whole time they wrestled, even as Luka threatened to push his muffler down his throat. After a couple of minutes, he pinned her on the ground under him, and they stared at each other, huffing.

"I'm getting stronger than you, Luka. A couple of years back, you would've kicked my rear," Kaito noted.

Luka just glowered at him.

"Gakupo's taller than me, now. Not too strong, though. You could have your way with him if you wanted," Kaito snickered.

"…I need to see him." Luka's words were tinged with sadness, despite herself. It was strange, how easily her feelings could be drawn to the surface by her friends. Everyone else called her cold and standoffish, and left it at that. They never even considered she didn't know how to bridge the distance with the rest of the world on her own. And it was worse now that one important piece of her life was missing.

"I know." Kaito smiled sheepishly and pulled away. "I'm sorry I made you mad, I can't help myself sometimes."

"…Moron."

"Guilty as charged." Kaito fixed his muffler, his smile turning somewhat malicious. "How are you going to convince your parents to let you stay the night out?"

"I'll make Meiko invite me to a sleepover."

With the mention of the fourth member of their little group, Kaito's smile lost some of its energy. "Meiko… are you sure you want her involved in this?"

Ever since Gakupo was accused of being the reincarnated beast, Meiko began to grow distant from them all. At first, Luka attributed it to severe parents, like her own situation. But Meiko never tried to reach out to Kaito or her, even when they were no adults present. She threw herself into dancing practice and church activities, and pretended to be distracted or busy whenever she ran into them. Luka couldn't understand it. She and Meiko hadn't been as close as she was with the boys, but Meiko's crush on Kaito was painfully obvious, even at such young age. Was love, even childish love, so easy to throw away?

"I'll make sure she knows the price for telling on me," Luka said darkly. Kaito frowned, but made no comment. The girl then rose and patted her skirt. "I'll go talk her right away. She should be in the old temple, drooling over the relics."

"Good luck." Kaito ran his hands through his hair, dislodging a few bits of grass. "Luka, can you tell Meiko…"

"What?"

Kaito looked to the ground. Luka waited a few seconds, but then faced away, anxious to leave.

"Luka, wait!"

She turned again, tilting her head. Kaito had an unusually earnest expression of his face, as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Tell her I'm still here, if she wants to talk. Ok?"

"Sure."

The old temple wasn't a place Luka frequented due to its gloomy, suffocating atmosphere. It was even somewhat frightening to her as a child, with its high ceiling shrouded in deep shadows and deformed, mysterious statues peering at her from every corner. Now it was dedicated to celebrate the hero that saved Oto almost fourteen years ago, but that was nothing but a new, thin layer of paint over an arcane, incomprehensible gallery of phantoms.

Most of the old faiths had fallen out of favor after the Lady of Brilliance became the official deity of the region. Some of the old places of worship were even destroyed by the masses, their holy symbols trampled under many feet spurred by the priests of the new faith.

But this place had endured, dusty and ugly, shambling through time as a bad, lingering memory. Even though not many people came to visit it before the hero's sacrifice, it remained a place of power in Oto, subtly coloring the mood of the streets around it.

Nowadays, however, the youth group of the church kept a constant vigil over the relics of El Gris, lovingly displayed over the altar in the central nave. It was necessary, due to the constant trickle of devotees that wanted to touch them, hoping for a miracle cure to their illnesses. His sword and shield, a dagger, a ragged banner, a war bow and quiver, a book of prayer and a lantern… hardly tools of healing, in most cases. But then again, the slayer of the beast wasn't the passive type of saint.

As expected, Meiko was proudly standing near the altar. She watched the three or four pilgrims praying nearby with so much satisfaction, that it almost seemed like she had slayed the beast of Arjavanda herself. As it often happened lately, Luka felt an intense desire to pull her hair and ruin her poufy dress.

As soon as Meiko caught sight of her, her smile wavered upon her face. With visible effort, she composed herself, and stared right ahead of her, ignoring Luka. There was another youth group member at the opposite side of the altar, a boy named Kiyoteru. He looked from one girl to the other with curiosity, but judiciously refrained from meddling.

"I need to ask you something," Luka whispered in Meiko's ear, and saw one of her eyes twitch.

There was no response at first. Meiko did her best to remain still, but it was clear that Luka's presence right there at her side was affecting her. "…I can't talk right now, don't be so disrespectful," she finally mouthed after it became clear that the rose-haired girl wasn't going to leave.

"If you say yes, I'll leave right away," Luka said in a falsely sweet tone.

Meiko finally looked at her, her eyes clearly scornful. "Why can't you be a proper lady?"

Luka raised an eyebrow, bemused. What did that even mean?

Meiko scrunched her face, then turned to Kiyoteru. "I need a few minutes to deal with this."

The boy nodded, a bit perplexed. "No problem."

Meiko then grabbed Luka's forearm and half-dragged her towards the vestry behind the altar. Luka stared at the girl's hand, wondering if that kind of grip was all that ladylike itself.

Luka had never been in the vestry before, since she wasn't a member of the youth group, so she looked around her with surprise. Aside from the racks of priestly garb, there were a few chairs and a table at the end of the room, along with some musical instruments. Three yellow lanterns hanging from the high ceiling filled the room with warm light. It actually looked rather cozy, compared to the lugubrious space outside.

A third youth sat on one of the tables, strumming a guitar. He abruptly stopped when Meiko and Luka entered the room, and his cheeks turned crimson. "Hm, h-hi, I didn't know you were part of the group…" He stammered, his eyes wandering up and down Luka's figure.

"She's not," Meiko said bitterly. "Go and help Teru, she and I have a matter to settle. Please."

"Ah, right." The boy left the guitar on the table and walked out, still checking out Luka.

Once the door was closed, Meiko crossed her arms and tapped her foot, making an exaggerated display of impatience. "So?"

Luka glanced at the foot inside a pretty slipper, and then to Meiko's face. "You used to be so meek before all of this."

"And that made things easier for you, right?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Whatever, just get to the point." Meiko avoided her eyes, as usual.

Since you insist, Luka thought, rather annoyed. "I want you to invite me to your house on Friday for a sleepover."

Meiko's eyes widened.

"I don't actually want to spend the night there, don't worry. I've got other plans," Luka added before Meiko could formulate a proper response.

Meiko's expression darkened and she pointed to Luka's face with an accusing finger. "You want to go up there, don't you? To see that filthy-"

"He was your friend!" Luka caught Meiko's hand and squeezed it, enraged. Meiko cried out, trying to get loose, but Luka applied more force. "We were all your friends!"

"Let go of me!"

"Then promise you'll help me! Promise!"

"Fine! Come to my house, then slip out of the window, I don't care! You and Kaito are both crazy!" Meiko shouted, as mad as Luka.

Luka released the other girl's hand, and watched her rub her fingers vigorously.

"You are an animal in a dress!" Meiko said contemptuously. "Your parents are going to have the hardest time finding you a husband."

"Good thing I don't intend to marry, then," Luka stated, unconcerned.

"Better tell them that, then," Meiko commented. "Word is, they are already looking around for marriage prospects. Especially merchants from the north." She smiled a little, seemingly enjoying Luka's expression of worry.

"You're lying!" There was no way her parents would send her away from Oto and her life here.

"That's what you get by clinging to that beast," Meiko shrugged. "They'rejust trying to protect you. So enjoy your little visit, while you can." She observed Luka with half-lidded eyes, triumph plainly written in her face.

Luka ran off, not bothering to reply. She needed to speak to her mother, to find out the truth.

A hunter and a flower shop owner: not for the very first time, Luka marveled at how different her parents were. Yet somehow, they managed to make things work thus far. Her father spent his days out in the woods, or selling his spoils in the marketplace, while her mother tended the small store at the ground store of the building where they lived. It was a sleepy place, not well positioned to be really successful. But Yuu cultivated some rare plants in her orchard, which guaranteed her a steady flow of clients, while simultaneously giving her time to relax and sew dresses for Luka.

She was deeply engrossed in her favorite hobby, when Luka walked into the deeply perfumed store. A white and pink dress was laid out on the counter, all bows and ruffles and embroidered roses, exactly the type of abominable gown Luka usually ended up ruining by having adventures with Kaito somewhere. Her mother was applying the finishing touches on one of the sleeves, while humming to herself in her beautiful voice. She raised her eyes and smiled when the chimes at the door revealed Luka's presence.

"Oh, dearest! Just in time, I need you to try this on! Come here!" She picked up the gown and walked towards the backroom, without waiting for an answer. Luka followed her, resigned.

The backroom was full of boxes of aromatic herbs, seeds and various gardening implements. And incongruously, a sewing machine, baskets of different fabrics and threads, and a full length mirror. Yuu waited in front of the mirror, holding up the dress.

Luka quickly undressed, tossing her clothing aside carelessly over some sacks of strengthened soil.

"Now Luka, I told you to be more mindful of your things…"

"Sorry," Luka replied mechanically. "I know that you work hard on these."

"That's not the only reason." Yuu helped Luka into the new dress and tied the ribbons on its back. "Look at you. You are the most beautiful girl in town. In a couple of years, you'll be the most beautiful woman. You need to learn to use it to your advantage." She smoothed her daughter's hair. "For starters, you need to smile more."

"I smile when I'm happy." And right now, Luka didn't feel particularly happy. Sure, the dress was pretty, and part of her wondered if Gakupo and Kaito would like how it looked on her. But the recent argument with her former friend weighted heavily on her mind.

"Well, people will expect you to smile and be polite and composed no matter how you are feeling at the moment. Even a girl as pretty as you doesn't have the leeway to impose her bad mood onto others."

Luka made a face at her reflection on the mirror. "I don't care about being pretty."

Her mother laughed kindly. "Are you sure about that? I think you'll soon care a lot about it, when you meet the right person."

Luka turned to look at the mother with a serious look. "Mom…"

"Yes?"

The girl hesitated. Perhaps it wasn't a good moment to bring up Meiko's news just yet. She couldn't help but feel that was going to end up as a heated discussion, and Luka couldn't risk being grounded again for a while.

"Luka, you know you can tell me anything, right?" Her mother smiled innocently at her.

"I…Meiko invited me to a sleepover on Friday. Can I go?" Luka said quickly, and then lowered her eyes, pretending to fix a ribbon on her chest.

"That's a great idea! You should spend more time with other girls your age, and less with that rowdy Fuuga boy." Yuu nodded approvingly. "It's about time you reconnected with Meiko, in any case. I was very sad to see you two drift apart these few years."

"…Yeah, me too." It wasn't a lie, exactly. Luka didn't miss Meiko the way she missed Gakupo, but it did ache her that the girl had abandoned them without showing any regrets.

Well, for now it didn't matter, as long as Meiko kept her promise. Otherwise, Luka was in all likelihood going to be grounded until the next glacial age.

Luka arrived with her new dress at Meiko's house that Friday, carrying a small backpack and a basket full of treats. Meiko herself waited on the doorway, lips pursed and arms crossed.

"So you are here," the girl said, in lieu of a greeting.

"Are your parents here?" Luka asked, peering at the dark hallway behind the brown-haired girl.

"No, church meeting. So you can go out the backdoor and go on your way the moment it gets dark," Meiko said dismissingly. Without even inviting Luka in, she turned around and walked down the corridor towards her room.

Luka shook her head and stepped inside, closing the door behind her. The corridor and what she managed to glimpse of the living room and kitchen had changed little since the last time she visited, three years ago. Just more amulets and relics on the walls, perhaps.

Meiko's room, on the other hand, was completely different. All the cutesy stuff, the dolls and stuffed animals she used to hoard were gone. It really seemed that Meiko had truly embraced being a young woman, and an active member of the church. It was kind of off-putting for Luka, having portraits of the saints looking down on her from every wall. None of them seemed too happy with her, though considering she was going to spend the night with three men (sort of), it was to be expected.

Meiko noticed her uneasy expression. "They can see you sinning, Luka. It's not too late to turn back and repent."

"Oh, spare me," Luka replied with fake bravado.

"Virtue is the most valuable thing a girl has," Meiko recited with eyes closed. "It's more precious than the rarest jewel."

"I think you have the wrong idea about my intentions tonight," Luka quipped.

"Isn't it greedy, to want both the beast and Kaito for yourself?" Meiko questioned in the same lofty tone.

Was that really all it was? Was Meiko jealous of her friendship with Kaito? Luka stared at her, wide-eyed. Then with a jolt, she finally remembered Kaito's message.

"I…I forgot to tell you something the other day," Luka shuffled her feet. "Kaito says he's there for you, if you want to talk."

For an instant, Meiko's eyes glimmered, and Luka could see the besotted girl hiding behind the religious rhetoric. But then, her arrogant expression returned. "He has to renounce the beast first."

"Not happening."

"Then I won't go to him."

"I'm sure he'll stop crying about it eventually," Luka replied with a sardonic sneer. She was beginning to tire of Meiko's attitude.

The girl scowled, and then turned to the nearest window. "I think it's dark enough outside. Get out of my house."

"I'll be happy to do so. Thanks for the hospitality," Luka went towards the kitchen. If she remembered correctly, it lead to the backyard.

"You invited yourself here through violence. Don't expect a proper welcome," Meiko pointed out, striding behind her.

"Fair enough. I'll be on my way, then."

Luka's memory was correct. She stepped outside, noticing with gratitude that the night was going to be a dark one, thanks to the thick clouds on the sky. It was already dim under the trees of the orchard behind Meiko's home.

She gave a falsely cheery wave to Meiko and set off cautiously towards the tower in the distance. She had taken the precaution of wearing a dark cape and hood over the pretty dress, and now it would serve her well to mask her presence.

It was amusing, in a way, to go all the way to Meiko's house only to return almost to the starting point. But this time around, she cut through the orchards and gardens, and approached the tower at the edge of town from the woods behind it. By the time she reached the structure, it was past her usual dinnertime, and she dearly hoped that there was some supper waiting for her.

As she hoped, there was no one at the entrance. She easily slipped inside, and went up the stairs. As she neared the top floor, her heart began to pound. Only now the reality of what was going to happen seemed to dawn on her. She was going to talk to Gakupo again. The idealized, distant figure in her thoughts and fantasies was going to be replaced with a real person, someone that was both a stranger and the most important person in her life.

Luka paused on the landing before the last set of stairs, staring blindly at the ground. How could he be more important than her parents? But the label rang true.

Above her, she heard the familiar sound of Kaito's hearty laughter. Then, a voice that was familiar, yet deeper and fuller than the soft voice of her memories. She leaned on the wall, suddenly dizzy.

Stop wasting time, she firmly told herself. Gathering her courage, Luka began climbing again and reached the top floor.

The door to the cell was wide open, to her surprise. Kaito and Gakupo were sitting on the bed playing cards, but Captain Fuuga wasn't around, as far as Luka could tell. The table was set for three places, still untouched.

Both youths turned in unison to look at her. A second later, Kaito smiled widely. "About time you got here, I'm starved!"

Luka didn't reply. At the moment, all her attention was focused on Gakupo. He rose from the bed accompanied by the grating sound of the chain, and slowly approached the center of the cell. It almost seemed like the motions of a sleepwalker.

Luka moved forward with the same glacial pace, until they were face to face. They stared at each other in tremulous silence.

He had changed so much! Luka felt her face growing hot, as she took in Gakupo's features. He had been a cute child, for sure. But now that his face and body were taking the more angular look of adulthood, he was clearly on his way of becoming the most handsome man Luka had ever seen. Even the simple white robe and the ludicrously long hair seemed to fit him, that silky mane of purple hair cascading down his back. She suddenly felt the strong urge to touch it, but instead her hands gripped the basket she was holding even more tightly.

Kaito sighed. "So, you guys are gonna stand there not saying anything all night?"

"Um…." Luka lowered her eyes. She was never going to get anywhere as long as she kept eye contact, she surmised. But even without it, she still had no idea of what to say. Gakupo seemed similarly at a loss for words.

"It's not that hard," Kaito whined. He swiftly approached the pair, and before Luka could process what he was doing, he grabbed one of Gakupo's hands and pulled it towards her. Gakupo reacted before he could actually touch her, however, and yanked his hand away, red-faced.

"Kaito!" They both growled. Luka made a mental note of get some sweet revenge on his friend later, but decided to let it slide for the time being.

"I just wanted to speed things along," Kaito shrugged and turned towards the table. "Now can we please eat?"

"I guess we should humor him," Gakupo said haltingly. He eyed Luka for an instant, before looking away, even redder.

"Right," she answered, still quite flustered. But neither moved. Kaito shook his head and began uncovering the various bowls over the table.

"Luka….I'm so happy you came." His voice seemed to make her chest vibrate, spreading heat all over her body. Dazed, Luka grabbed on to his hand, the whole world dancing around her. He exhaled, surprised, but then surrounded Luka with his arms.

Then Luka's stomach growled.

"See? Reunion dinner first, sappiness later," Kaito commented.

"I guess he's right," Luka whispered, shamefaced. Gakupo smiled kindly and guided her towards the table.

"Gakupo," Luka blurted out, once she was seated. "I'm happy to be here."

In that moment, no one in the world would've been able to convince Luka that her place wasn't there in that cell, with her friends.