(Risa)

I thought I heard something. At first I thought it was just my imagination. No one would be at my door at midnight. But...

Is there really someone there? No, there couldn't be. Wait. Maybe I should just open the door to see. Just to see. I highly doubt anyone would be there, but just to check...

"Hi..kari?"

His surprised eyes meet mine, and I ask him, "What are you doing here Satoshi? Did I miss a homework assignment or..?"

"I...I was...worried about you."

I stare blankly for a moment.

Did he just say he was worried about me? That couldn't be. I must have heard him wrong. Satoshi isn't the type to worry about the welfare of anyone, except maybe Daisuke, since they're such close friends. But why would he worry about me? I barely speak to him. The last time we spoke was the time at that tree..

"I heard.."

My mind goes blank.

"That something happened.."

News of her death spread around the school like the plague. Now even he knows.

"I'm sorry Miss Harada, but it is very late. I know I haven't an excuse to be here at your doorstep this time of night, and for that I apologize."

You don't mean to tell me that you just stood here at my doorstep for the sake of just standing here?

I had trouble sleeping. I couldn't think of anything but his face. His beautiful face. His deep eyes. His thin, azure locks. Painted as a perfect picture in my mind. What a unexpected surprise. To find him there. And to think..he was there. Out of all the porches in Azumano..he was standing before mine.

But why did he have to walk away? I didn't mean to bring up his bruised face and his swollen lip..I didn't mean to embarrass him or anything..

Satoshi..why did you leave me?

Just like you avoided me at school. I wish he would just tell me what I did wrong..

He finally decides to let go. I asked him if we could just take her home. But of course he said no. She wanted the sea. She wanted to be in the sea. My eyes are so blurry and I'm so weak. Riku was weak, too. Now she is really leaving forever. I will never hear the clank of the dishes in the morning. I will never hear the sizzle of pancakes and bacon on the frying pan in the morning. I will never see her small smile. She will never braid my hair again. Nor will she sleep in my bed with me when I'm afraid of some fictitious monster.

He gasps and bursts into tears, hugging it so tightly I fear he might crush it. Then he wills himself to let it go. He tosses the urn into the sea. Riku and I watch her sink into the watery depths until she is not visible anymore. She has her arms spread open, waiting to be embraced. She has her perfect lips curved into the perfect smile, but we will not return it. And so she sinks. Transcending until we cannot see her anymore. In her tomb by the sounding sea.

"Riku, Risa.."

"I just love you so much."

The light leaves her.

Never.

Never again.

My body prepares itself. My brain sends the message, waking every other organ of my body from it's slumber. It seems that only my heart is lagging behind, never forgetting what broke it.

The sun's rays sting my eyelids, and I can only see a blinding light. When they flutter open, the orange orb is slowly flying into it's rightful position, high into the magenta firmament. The earth is very much alive when I am dead inside. This contrast irks me. I used to be lively. I was as bright as the mighty star itself.

I lazily roll over and catch a glimpse of Riku's red bob protruding from her blanket. Guilt drops into my stomach and simmers my acids, and I feel ill again. Seeing her fingers curled around her cast worsens the effect, and I have to look away. That is what I've done. That is what I've done to her.

I'm glad we have our own beds. When were inseparable children bound by the sanctity of our mother's presence, we always slept in unison. Mom loved when we were together. She always called us the "little rugrats" or "two peas in a pod" and her "little kittens". So for the sake of pleasing the only woman who had given our lives purpose, we were always together. We made the transition from fighting for our mother's attention individually, to being partners in crime. Though we had very different mentalities and views on life, we would find someway to work it out. But is there anyway to get around what I've done?

Maybe it's better if she never sleeps near me again..

She tumbles down the steps and I hear an echoing crack. The ripped skin reveals a white surface.

I groan and hide myself in my warm covers, clutching my mother's dress and desperately trying to ban the upsetting imagery. I hear Riku stir, and I'm immediately glad I hid myself before she woke. I stiffen and strain my ears to hear her get up off her bed and leave the room.

I haven't talked to Dad or Riku since I ran out of the hospital, and every time I think about the things I've done, I break. And he's in the bedroom all alone. Mom isn't sleeping next to him. She isn't running her smooth fingers through his course hair and saying, "Wake up, sleepy head, time for a new day."

She will never see the light of a new day.

I feel..so numb. My fingers are shaking so violently I cannot feel them anymore. My body trembles freely. So eager. So fearful. So impatient.

I didn't see her at the kitchen table, eating a bowl of Cheerios or Cinnamon Toast Crunch. She left before I could sum up the courage to approach her.

She's afraid of me.

I know she must be here somewhere. She's in the class I should be in right now. She shares all my classes. We arranged our schedules like that at the beginning of the school year, so we would always be together. We knew there wasn't much time left. We couldn't separate when she was laying in the hospital bed, praying to the deaf ears of an indifferent being.

Maybe she knew everything was going to shatter after she departed, so she emphasized the importance of being sisters. But her prayers were as soundless as her broken voice. Look at who we are now. We are strangers. Riku and I.

And I can't remember where I am supposed to be right now. I haven't attended class much lately..

I need to find her. I have to beg for forgiveness with all the breath in my lungs. I cannot live with myself any longer if I don't.

Maybe I can turn down that hallway and leave altogether..

No! I need to keep walking straight. I'm near her classroom. I'm so close. So close. Alright, Risa, you know the drill. Just apologize. Even if she walks away, even if she says something vulgar, just say your sorry.

I can't live with myself any longer if I don't apologize. What she did for me was out of the purest love. What she did was selfless. She could've turned me in to the cops. She could've destroyed me. And yet, in her lengthless mercy, she spared me. It is not she who is the traitor, but I.

Her fractured arm haunts me. How could I do that? How could Risa Harada, the paragon of Azumano Middle School, the envy of every girl in town, stoop to such a level? What I did defies the lowest caliber. It deserves punishment, yet the criminal is not being condemned for her crimes. I was set free.

Riku...I'm sorry.

The door opens.

I stare into the classroom.

No Riku.

Every other accusing profile. The confused teacher. The writings on the board. But no Riku.

I close the door. Strange. She isn't here. Why wouldn't she be? Where could she be? I sprint down the hall, having decided that I must look for her, regardless of the fact that I have no idea where I'm going. God forbid she's doing something she shouldn't or in a place where she shouldn't be.

"Hey, Risa!"

I cease my sprinting and whip around to face him.

"I'm...part of Daisuke.."

His other half.

Daisuke Niwa stands amid me, his stare gazing into my auburn mirrors. Anger flares inside me, and I refute it with the notion that I no longer have the right to hate, as I have acted upon it and shunned my innocent sister. Though it's painful, and the hate I bear for him is overwhelming for shielding me from Riku, this has to end. I have to stop lingering in this black abyss of misanthropy.

"Hello, Daisuke." I manage.

How I have changed. I used to be so familiar with him. His face was as normal as the sky itself. I was accustomed to referring to him by the childish name "Dai". Now we are so detached I have to call him by his whole name.

He scratches his head, "If you're looking for Riku..she's been suspended..and uh...I was wondering.."

I choked. "Suspended?!"

Daisuke bit his lip. "Yeah...she got into a fight with another girl."

I slowly approach him. "A fight? Why on earth..?" I utter breathlessly.

Riku? In a fight? Riku has never been violent with anyone except me. And that's only because we're sisters and we know each other as well as we know ourselves. Please don't tell me she's walking down a road of self destruction just like me..

"Well, let's say the girl brought up something she shouldn't have, and..well.." he held out his palm and punched it with his other hand. "Got pretty bad.." he murmured.

Saying I'm disheartened is an gross understatement. Mom would be dismayed. She would be crying in her grave! Riku knows how to restrain herself way better than I ever did, and now I'm struggling to believe she's actually been suspended..

Good God, what did I do to her? I know somehow this whole mess leads right up to me. Why had I dealt with her so violently that day? She didn't deserve a single word I said to her..and she didn't deserve all the agony I inflicted on her.

"Risa?"

I become aware that I've been staring into space for a whole minute, and my cheeks flush. "Oh, I-I'm sorry...I just drifted off a little there.."

Daisuke forced a fake chuckle from his mouth, "Yeah, you were pretty spaced out."

I folded my hands together and cleared my throat. "Well, I really have to go.."

"Why?" his eyes were searching mine for an answer. But I found it hard to speak. It's been so long since I had a conversation with Daisuke. But I can't just tell him I want to leave because I feel awkward talking to him.

Fortunately, I think up a quick excuse, "Lunch is coming up soon. I don't eat in the cafeteria."

"You don't eat at all. That's not healthy, Risa." he points out, "Have you seen yourself lately? You've changed."

His words are making me queasy. Yes, I know all too well I have changed. My hair is knotted and neglected, when I always had it in a very sleek, smooth form. My eyes are sunken and weary, and my lips are chapped. My nails are malnourished and cracked. I haven't been taking care of myself at all. I am aware of it, so why does he need to point it out? He needs to stop this humiliating interrogation session of his. I don't have to explain every single motive for what I do. Why can't he just leave me alone?

Before I can censor myself, I blurt out, "Why can't you just leave me alone?"

He started.

I wanted to gasp, but held the urge with difficulty. Perfect. I've hardly the power to control what comes out of my own mouth anymore! Despicable! When I was a model of excellence, I never said anything I regretted. Now, if it were somehow possible, I would take back anything and everything I've ever done to myself and those around me. But the impossibility of it all irritates and irks me to no end. Why can't I just reverse time and take back what I said to him?

"Risa, can I talk to you somewhere...private..just for a few minutes?"

My heart was beating madly, threatening to break free of my chest, and my mouth suddenly ran dry. The first initial thought was that he wanted to talk about Riku's "accident", and thinking of him bringing it up terrified me. I knew she must have told him somewhere along the line, it was simply inevitable. She's not one to keep secrets. Especially about something so dire and serious. But despite these frightening possibilities, he could want to discuss something important, something that needs my immediate attention. I only wish I could quell the fear inside.

"Oh, alright.." I reluctantly oblige.

We sit on a bench in the desolate locker room. Gym classes usually commence around the afternoon, and it's 8:23. At least we don't have to worry about pesky teachers or school administrators.

He takes a moment or two to collect himself, and says, "I saw you in the park...a few weeks ago."

A jolt of surprise stings my senses and my brain is flooded by a vast influx of images from the past. The purple sky. The suspended chains. The warm bench. My wristwatch. 4:09 am. Emptiness sitting on the swing.

"How did you..?" Not recalling all of the memories, at first I was confused. I had completely forgotten about him. Dark.

"I-I mean...Dark..saw you there."

"You should be with your family. At home. Do you have any idea what time it is?"

"Do you know what time it is?" I ask, though knowing the answer. I know how late it is. But you're not making me go home. I won't go home. You won't do this to me. I'm not coming home.

"It's four in the morning, Risa." he says. "You should be asleep."

"I was asleep."

"Where? On the swing?"

"No. The bench."

"The ben...you don't mean to tell me that...you actually slept in the park?"

I nod.

"Please look at me, Risa." he said softly, grasping my chin and turning my face to his. Our gazes meet.

"What are you trying to say that Dark hasn't already said? That you're sorry?"

"No, I wanted to tell you something else."

"What?"

He looks away from me, though still expecting my gaze to stay on him.

"I've been so worried about you, Risa. You've changed so much, I can't sleep at night.."

He runs his fingers through his spikey red mane. "I've been meaning to tell you this, but it never seemed appropriate to revisit the subject anymore." he began.

I nod slowly. "Yes, Daisuke?"

A blush appeared upon his cheeks. He narrowed his eyes and murmured, "I've loved you for a long time. I've been in love with you since I was 5 years old."

My heart skips a beat and I involuntarily shiver. What had come over him? Just when I was sure he was going to bring Dark into the conversation, he completely abandons that thought and decides to profess his love for me? I've already rejected him once. Do I have to painfully reject him again?

"Wh..what?" I stutter, trying to stop trembling. He had caught me off guard. He's loved me since he was 5 years old?

A much smaller form of Daisuke gapes at me with his huge, ruby eyes. Am I beautiful to him?

"Oh, little Dai, she's so pretty! Is this your girlfriend?"

Then again, my mother once told me that he had followed me home on "many occasions".

"I'm sorry, Daisuke..I just don't think of you that way.."

"I'm sorry," he says, averting his gaze to the floor, "I didn't mean to.." he trailed off.

"No. It's fine," I lied, "I just..don't know what to say." I thought for a moment. "I didn't mean to reject you like I did. I was a heartless person back then..and I'm so happy that you've found love with Riku."

His flush intensifies, and he takes sudden interest in his shoes.

"But I don't understand. You're with Riku." I reasoned. "You're with her all the time. How can you still love me?"

"Yes, I do love Riku." He folded his hands together. "I love her very much. But that doesn't mean..I completely abandoned my feelings..for you."

Walking home now. Even though I'm far away from Daisuke, my conscience is blurry and being assaulted by insecurity. I know I have to tell Riku I'm sorry, but do I have to tell her what Daisuke told me earlier? No. I can't. That would render my apology useless. Why would I beg for her forgiveness, only to upset her again with Daisuke's secret feelings for her twin sister? This is terrible. He just hampered and disorganized my thinking, and now I'm losing my will to confront Riku.

I fling open the door to my home. But much to my surprise, I am met only by darkness. I take in the pungent scent of smoke and exhale. This is not what mom used to smell like. Where ever this smoke is coming from, it's killing her. It's choking the last essence of her. It's suffocating her in a cloud of black.

I peer over into the living room, fanning off smoke with my hand. I coughed.

The rocking chair is creaking. Porcelain dolls are strewn about the floor. He is rocking back and forth, as if trying to calm himself. The acrid smell is coming from his cigarette. The ashes fall unto his lap and there the embers die. From my fogged vision, he is a weeping phantom in my home, clutching Lucy tightly as he did the urn. His shadow leaves a fading ghost lying on the floor.

He slowly turned to me and said, "I don't like what's happening. I don't."

A broken bottle rests near his feet. He nudges it, causing the glass to scrape the floor. Catherine's curly tendrils are drowned in his beer. I gape at the various broken appendages on the floor, and the only thing I manage to utter in my shock is: "What do you mean? Where's Riku?"

"You know she was suspended? Yeah." he nods to himself, blinking away his tears. "That never happened before. She's turning out like you."

I realize he is intoxicated, and my mind is clouded with fear. I just..have to get away. I have to go.

And I leave without another word to him.

I slide the books in their proper place, feeling useless and shaken. My father was deteriorating, suffering in that gloomy atmosphere of smoke, and I did nothing. Then I became angry. He destroyed everything. The only one who survived his wrath was Lucy, and I left her there in the cold and rigid hands of that beast. She must hate me. It was one thing to break her leg, and now I abandon her? What would Riku do if she found out Dad had demolished our lifeless sisters in a bout of drunken melancholy? And now I can't smell that painfully sweet smell of her in my own home.

I stare at the isles beyond me. My thoughts transfer to Satoshi. I hate him for walking away from me. I hate him for leaving me there with my unanswered question. How rude!

His bruises are becoming agitating to me. I want to know why his lip was swollen. I want to know why his cheeks were discolored. I want to bond with him more, and hopefully I'll claim his interest. I could really use a friend..

"...the greatest work of art.."

Maybe even more than that.

(Exeunt)

(Satoshi)

5 hours ago

I can't believe my ears. This did not just happen.

"My feelings..for you.."

Daisuke still has feelings for Risa?

Is Daisuke and Risa in the locker room, confessing to each other?

No, Satoshi, don't jump to conclusions. I just came here a few seconds ago and caught them. No, don't say caught. That makes them sound like they're criminals..

Why am I spying on them like this? The bell is about to ring. Lunch time is coming soon. Why in the world am I concerned with this at all? Damn it all! Curse these stupid emotions! I can't stand them! Why must I be tormented by these..feelings for her?

One smile. One smile was all it took. How had I allowed her to capture my heart so effortlessly?

I walk away, hating just for the sake of hating. I can leave them to their little charade and paint something. I could paint a searing fire from the pits of hell to promote my fury. I could paint a rippling black puddle to promote my jealousy.

Such a peculiar creature I am. Outwardly, I'm not even human. Inwardly, my feelings are climbing high up into the mountains, screaming for release and never getting their wish. But when I am around her..

I completely lose my sense of self. I question my actions, I reprimand myself. I get nervous, and I want to walk away and stay at the same time. Is this what it feels like? To be in love?

But I can't expect Risa to take the news lightly. How would she react if she knew the monster inside me?

Chaos, to put it simply.

I don't understand myself. I shouldn't be jealous at all. Why am I even admitting I'm jealous, even in the safety of my own mind?

"I've loved you since I was 5 years old.."

I shouldn't have followed her. I shouldn't have told Daisuke that Risa peered into our classroom. I shouldn't have lied to the teacher and said that I had to go to the restroom. It would have been better if I had just stayed where I was.

The bell rings.

I paint at my tree in silence.

In a constant battle with my feelings and my consciousness, I struggle to hold back my misery. My hands tremble as I hold the brush and I can barely make a clean stroke. What had come over me? Why am I so angry at Daisuke? I knew he loved her a while back..

But when he just confided that he was still in love with her it just..

Augh. I don't need to be thinking about this! What happened between Niwa and Harada shouldn't concern me at all.

But it does, and it's proving to be very bothersome.

I'm now staring at a multitude of animals on display in front of a pet store near my home. Some kittens frolic about with their brothers and sisters. Puppies tackle each other, nibbling on their ears. Crickets chirp, and hamsters and mice scamper past each other in their little homes. My eyes trail all over the store until..

One lone bird catches my eye. His body is a brilliant green, and his wings are blotched different hues of white and blue. He preens himself, then looks right at me.

The colorful bird remains silent and looks away from me, drooping it's little head down and staring at the bottom of his lonely home. He sits solemnly on his perch while all the other animals make a variety of noises.

My cage is my own personal angel. A parasitic seraph of light. I am the bird. And my obscure emotions are my perch.

I'm trapped.

An all too familiar voice rings out and startles me. "Oh, how amusing it is to hear you torture yourself with such clever metaphors. You really are quite poetic, Satoshi-sama," he snickers.

I groan and leave.

Now I am walking the desolate and caliginous abode of the Azumano museum, basking in the welcoming darkness. I almost feel at home. How I would love to fall asleep here. So soundless. So calm. Such a lovely chasm of archaic masterpieces. I would love to live here, seeming as it's so lonely at night, and I can sink into my thoughts and fantasize about my out-of-reach desires.

But sometimes this place is disturbed by a rather uninvited thief roaming it's walls, where he clearly does not belong. And I would usually be hiding behind some shadowed pillar, waiting to strike like the perfect predator I am. He certainly enjoys our little games of cat and mouse, as it is enjoyable to me. But the ending of our little game is quite irksome, as he flies off into the vast legion of stars, leaving me here alone.

But is that so horrible? I'm better off alone anyway. I can't hurt anyone, much less myself, at least physically speaking, if I don't socialize with others.

I walk down a lengthy corridor, taking a turn and stopping at a closed off section of the museum. The 3 story high double doors dwarf me, forcing me to stare in awe at their gargantuan stature. I slip out the keys from my back pocket and swiftly unlock them. The doors creak open, revealing to me another blackened interior only lit by an adjacent pair of elongated windows. The moonlight leaves it's ghost on the dusty marble floor, lighting the display case bearing my prize. I approach it calmly, simply adoring the sight of it. On the satin pillow rests a beautiful Hikari art piece. Perhaps more magnificent than it's appearance is it's powers.

The necklace's cord bore crystals, and the pendant was a golden angel wing embedded with diamonds at it's edges. It glimmered in the moonlight, sending off it's own luminescence.

The "White Wings Lament", a very useful piece to an Hikari male. Legend has it my own mother once possessed it, and it was given to her by my grandfather, Hideki Hikari, who died soon after.

I only hope it will assist me tonight. What I'm pursuing is dangerous, but just once. If only once..

I want to be with her.

I punch in the 10 digit code to deactivate the security system and the monitor. In seconds, the lock clicks and the door to the display case swings open. I snatch the necklace and place it in a earring case. I close the glass slide and walk out with my new possession.

Hours later, I lazily lay on my cold bed, thinking of nothing in particular at the moment. Then the memory hits me: I stole the necklace. I get up and retrieve it from my back pocket. I flip open the lid and stare at the gold pendant. I sigh.

Hope this works.

I put on the necklace, adjust the wing, and look at myself in the mirror on the wall. I'm baffled. I can only see myself, not a reflection of Krad. Since I was an infant, I would always see Krad standing behind me whenever I looked into a mirror. But now I only see me. Why is that so? Are the powers taking effect?

Well, I guess the only way to find out is to get him to wake up.

I conjure up a thought that will certainly stir him:

She is unclothed. She wraps her arms around me, taking me into her mouth. Her bare bosom presses against my chest, and her breathing escalates. Caught in her tight embrace, our bodies collided in perfect matrimony. We moved against each other, exchanging our cries. All I knew was this internal fire, these flitting butterflies, and the warm depth of her. I kissed her moist lips, savoring her taste. The world was non-existent, and every broken mirror, every bleeding gash and muffled sob was demolished by this wonderful trembling sensation.

I hear a hoarse cry brake the boundaries of my fantasy, and he emerges in a bout of anger.

"How dare you assault my consciousness and wake me from my slumber with such lucid notions!" he roared.

"Good, your awake."

"Why have you summoned me?" he put his hands at his hips and bore into my nonchalant eyes.

"I want you to take over my body."

He started. He arched a brow and opened his mouth to say something, but found he could not reply immediately. With that one simple sentence, I had left him confused and speechless. His hands slid down his hips and rested at his sides limply. He studied me for the longest time, looking for an answer in my expression. But he found nothing.

Krad took a few more seconds to gape at me and finally answered, "Exactly what are your intentions?"

"Simply what I asked." I reply tranquilly.

He is again stuck in a fog of wonderment, pondering why I would want him to do such a thing. He knows very well that any other time I fight his will for dominance any way I can. I can tell by the look on his profile that he thinks I have gone lucid. Cautiously, he murmurs, "I don't know what you're trying to do, but whatever it is, it better end soon. I did not wake just for you to toy with me."

"I'm not toying with you."

He still doesn't trust me. He is aware I'm up to something. But surprisingly, he's too tired to pursue the reason, and slowly says, "Satoshi-sama, you are obviously in need of rest. I suggest you sleep. I can't remember the last time you even touched this bed. The lack of sleep must have caused you to lose your mind somehow."

He shakes his head and and walks down an imaginary road to the back of my mind, where his bed chambers await.

Not satisfied with his reaction, I decide I must take a different approach. A rather perilous one at that.

Is there anything I might have missed? Any suggestions? By the way, I really appreciate everyone's thoughts on the story. When I was writing this, I was convinced no one would like it. I didn't think angsty stories were well liked here, but I'm glad to find out I was wrong. Thanks for reading!