(A/N: -runs in, balancing a pile of homework papers in one hand and a keyboard in the other- WAH! -falls- -sound of rustling paper- xX Ehe...greetings, all. As you can surely fathom, I'm in a bit of a pinch at the moment. I blame school. -ahem- Anyway, I'm finally done with this chapter here. It took a lot out of me, so I hope it will be appreciated. On with the reivew replies.
EvilTwinKae: I can't say that I entirely understood what you said there, but it's okay. Glad you love it. Here's the next chappie!
Smoke-Angel: Sulfur. It is a peculiar word, isn't it? Anyway, thanks for the appreciation. Here's da update of DOOM! Mmyes, I love Rei and Tala also. Sorry for the shortness. -dies from stress-
Lunar Fire: Actually, we don't see Carmen at all in this chappie, but never fear! She shall return! -thunder crashes- ONWARD!
crimson gates of paradise: Yesh, Esther, BATEN KAITOS! Gawd, that game. I MUST OWN IT! -dies- But, sadly, I can only rent it for now. Mourn for me, if you please. -cough- Anyway...I seriously don't know how I do this, Jessica. It just sort of...pops into my head...at random times...heh heh. I'm glad you both liked the last chapter. Yes, Rei absolutely had to have a spirit thing too. I really go out of my way to find these significant names for my charas.
Storms-winter: YES, THE CLIFFHANGERS. I ADORE THE CLIFFHANGERS. -turns off Caps Lock key- -ahem- Mmyes, laziness is bad. I should know. -hides- Watch me as I keep it up!
And now, ladies and...ladies (I don't think any of you are boys, huh? -unsure- ), happy readings!
Chapter Six: Of School And Sorrow
The clouds seemed to be dragged lower and lower in the sky with each passing hour, the weight of their burden heavier than the tension drenching the atmosphere.
Why is it that Man's grief is so great?No matter how fast and cold he coaxed the wind, no matter how strongly he wished to see his feelings evaporate into distant bliss, he just could not erase the burn marks that had scorched his heart through.
I don't want to hear you anymore, Tarian.
My little love…Giving a cry that only those of broken hearts could comprehend, Tarian willed the zephyrs across the sky, and lightning flashed like a knife through the clouds, screaming in its crackling voice. Still unsatisfied by the chaos ringing all around, the spirit tossed more currents together, and as the ire of the sky was unleashed, tears cascaded down, dissolving into nothingness once they hit the surface of the gray clouds underneath.
I don't want to hear you…The thought was a scream in his ears; a cut to his heart, dealt with a knife of cold, sardonic steel. Rejection, the pain of reopened wounds, sting of white hot fire. Soul blood, torn from the gaping wound as the wind lashed out to rip again at the wielding flesh.
The wind was growing faster, or maybe he was moving slower. It did not matter. Nothing mattered.
Carmen…Even the howl of his creation could not lessen the rushing sound his thoughts in his head. Even the strain in his tiring body was not enough to convince him to stop.
Ceridwen…The name, forsaken by his lips and mind. And yet, its taste was so sweet, rolling off his tongue, before a burst of recollection, and sudden, returning pain. Thought to be numbed, but as scalding as ever; a flame of brokenness.
Ceridwen…you…you who did this to me…you…All too suddenly, the breeze halted, dying out as the will to do anything fluttered from his mind. Idle, he hovered, torn between his desire to return to his young mistress' side and the order of his silence.
And yet, everyone else has been able to hear me, all this night and day.
Tarian sighed, the sound low with the memory of so much hurt. He turned to gaze down at the Earth's surface. It was still gray with the few last drops of rain plummeting towards it, and he could just distinguish the puddles decorating the streets, shining a dull, lifeless silver in the meager afternoon light.
You always did dwell too much on trivial things.
The voice surprised him, and he swerved violently, the winds throwing themselves automatically in the direction of the interruption, but their shrieking was abruptly cut off by a burst of crimson flame, spreading across the sky to form a shield against the attack.
Smoke formed at the contact of the two elements, and Tarian withdrew himself swiftly, peering past the soot, seeking to quell the near-horrified curiosity that had the voice had invoked.
A woman's figure floated there, curvaceous and sparingly hidden by the dissipating evidence of their encounter. Her hair was long and lavish, flowing unbound behind her in the same scarlet that her fire had shown. Her stance was neither defensive nor offensive, and her eyes bore straight into his with a strange kind of laugh that made their reddish color shimmer beyond compare.
Tarian did not speak, observing her with the quiet intent of one that had nothing to say. She regarded him with patience, idly twirling a small fireball in the slender fingers of her right hand. Then she smiled, rightly recognizing his silence as the shyness of his earlier days.
Have you nothing to say to me, then, Tarian? After so long…You should not have come, said Tarian suddenly, not meeting her eyes anymore, no…you should not have come…
She waited for him to say more, but when he chose once again to not respond to her presence, she rolled her eyes.
This is so typical of you, she remarked in a strangely off-hand voice, spinning the minuscule fireball faster and faster on her palm, being nothing but chatter one moment, and refusing to say a word the next…it is so very typical of you…
Again, he kept his silence, and the woman gave a snort of disbelief, moving closer to him, so that he recoiled quickly. She noticed, and frowned, the fireball in her hand forgotten.
Did you think that I would not notice your storm? She asked in that same conversationalist air, Well, if it is indeed what you were thinking, then you are gravely mistaken. You know that I know your element better than anyone…
You used too, Tarian corrected roughly, shifting farther away from her, but if you were so wise, you would know that those times have long gone.
Do they have to be?The sudden question caught him off guard, and he looked up just as her gaze dipped to catch his. Their eyes locked, causing a tremor to pass through his body before he tore his eyes away from hers, moving even farther away. This time, though, she followed him, spreading her arms in protest.
Tarian! Why are you so stubborn? She demanded, ferocity leaping in her eyes, Why do you run from everything in this manner?
You wonder still, to this day? He shouted back, I thought you an intelligent girl, but I suppose that I was wrong, seeing how you cling so to something long gone!
Do not call me a girl, Tarian! She all but shrieked, shooting forwards and catching him by the shoulders, If there is one thing that I despise, it is being called a girl by you, when you of all else should know that I am anything but!
The sincerity and truth of her words shocked him, and he lapsed once more into silence, still caught in the grip of her thin hands.
They remained in that manner for several moments, trapped by the near-embrace, their faces just inches apart. He could see tears trembling in her eyes, and when the first one fell, he reached up to wipe it away, hating to see her cheeks tainted by such sadness. She gave a wan smile at his actions.
I am not the only one who wants the old days back.
No.
Then why do you hide? Why do you not forgive me, Tarian?
He considered her for long moments, remembering everything. How he had wanted nothing but to be back in her arms in this way, and yet, now that he was here, he could not bear their closeness.
Slowly, Tarian reached up and took her hands, drawing them from his shoulders. Her expression was painful to read.
I cannot, he said mournfully, it will not…it was not meant…to…
No!
Giving a short cry, the woman grabbed onto him again, pulling him closer than ever and capturing his lips with hers in a desperate kiss. He gasped against her, pulling roughly away, and this time he was angry, though his eyes betrayed something deeper.
Ceridwen! Let me go! It is your own fault, and you know it well!And without another word, he summoned his winds and disappeared from sight, leaving Ceridwen to sob; burning tears that left trails of fire down her cheeks.
They have met.
I know.
Well, if you are so all-knowing, boy, then whatever use am I to you?You know that I can't live without you, Aria.
Perhaps, Aria replied with a ripple of a smile, watching him work as the teacher droned on in the distant background, and perhaps not.
You know I don't lie to you.
And that, Rei, is only because you cannot.
Perhaps, Rei echoed, and Aria laughed at the blatant mimic in his voice.
Yes, perhaps…Still giggling lightly, the female spirit amused herself by gliding back and forth across the room for a moment or two. She smiled as Rei snorted, watching her out of the corner of his eye as he always did.
You're such a child, Aria! The boy scolded jokingly, trying to contain his laughter in the complete silence of the classroom, Stop that! I'm trying to study!
Oh, but Rei, if only you would allow me to take you from this dreadful place, then you would not have to worry about all of these trivial things!
School is not trivial, Aria, nor is it dreadful.
Huffing childishly, Aria came to a clumsy halt in mid-sprint, so that Rei nearly choked from suppressed chuckles.
"Is there something that you would like to share with us, Mr. Kon?"
"No. No, sir, nothing at all."
Aria!
Rei!
This isn't a game. Quit that, please. You're gonna get me in trouble!
Then draw your eyes away, boy.
Almost moaning in despair, Rei shook his head and continued to write as the teacher etched more notes on the worn blackboard, and Aria could not help but admire the shine in the amber eyes as his mind drowned back into its own thoughts.
The rain was nothing but a dull melody against the duller window panes. It had lessened considerably in the past hour, and Kai could just about hear the ticking of the clock over the discreet murmuring of the class.
The teacher seemed to be completely oblivious to the students as he continued to give his lecture, occasionally giving a cough and sending a glazed look to the rain outside. Chances were that he would not even notice if half of the boys got up and walked out the classroom.
Kai allowed his gaze to wander, wishing that he could find something besides the man's teachings to distract him. Most of the students were slumped in various states of lethargy over their desks, whereas a few were conversing in whispers. Tala had his elbows propped up on the surface before him, his pointed chin leaning in the palm of his right hand, crystal blue gaze unfocused. His notebook lay open and empty on the desk, save for a few random scribbles across the margins.
The only student that seemed to be remotely interested in the lecture was the brunette up front, jotting down every one of the teacher's remarks at the fastest speed that Kai had ever seen anyone write in his life. The more he watched him, the more he found the movements dizzying. It was like watching a machine working at maximum speed.
The boy was extremely short for a senior, as though puberty had passed him by completely. His hands were still small and child-like, his thin legs swinging gently, smartly-clad feet just barely touching the floor. And he was still writing in that impossibly rapid hand. Kai began to wonder if the kid ever stopped long enough to breathe.
Finally, the bell rang, startling the blue-haired youth from his observations, and immediately, a discordant symphony of screeching chairs and relieved chatter broke through the air. Kai automatically rose from his desk, closing his also empty notebook and piling it on top of his other things, just as the rumble of passing students filled the hallway.
"I have just gone brain-dead from boredom," Tala declared, sauntering up to Kai's desk.
"You're not he only one," Kai replied, rolling his eyes at his best friend, "but don't die yet, we still have one period left."
"Damn. Wanna skip?"
"Will you? It's science."
"All the more reason to play a bit of innocent hooky!" the redhead reasoned as the two made their way from the classroom.
Kai rolled his eyes, avoiding a group of younger boys who were attempting to push past in the crowded hall.
"I've never skipped a class in my life, Tala," he reminded, not quite sure what the point of the statement was.
"Yes, a fact that I'm not too proud of. So will you come?"
Kai was about to reply, feeling the slight gust of someone striding past behind him, then, he felt it. That same, unnerving shiver that caused him so much frustration and confusion in the white hospital room. Sharply, the blue-haired youth spun around, almost knocking Tala over in his frenzy, but he saw nothing but the vaguely familiar faces of his school mates.
And then, there was Rei, walking leisurely down the hallway as though the chaos around him was nothing but the drizzle that persisted outside.
Kai watched the ebony-haired student as the latter made his way to his locker, opening it and stashing his things in it. Then, without so much as a glance around, he shut the compartment, arms empty of any books whatsoever, and strolled away towards the main doors.
"What the hell are you staring at?"
"Huh?"
"Hello!"
Tala waved a hand vigorously in front of Kai's face, snapping his fingers a couple of times in order to ensure that had now regained his friend's full attention.
"I repeat, what the hell were you staring at?"
Kai blinked, still dazed from the strange feeling that seemed to pursue him.
"Uh…Rei," he answered hesitantly, still trying to watch the boy from the corner of his eye.
Tala looked towards the double doors of the school just in time to see them swing shut. Rei was gone. The redhead's eyes widened slightly.
"Dude, if you were gay, one would think that I would have been the first to know. Sooner. As in anytime but now."
"Idiot, I'm not queer," Kai snapped, swiping at the other, who ducked in the nick of time, "it's just…I had this weird feeling when he passed by…"
"Puppy love. Happens to everyone."
"Dammit, quit that!"
Dismissing Tala's very characteristic behavior, Kai turned back to the doors, biting his lip gently as memories about the previous day washed over him.
You need help. I can't leave now that I know this.
You're too compassionate. Or perhaps…
…too foolish.
"Yeah."
"Yeah what?"
Impatiently, Kai looked back towards his friend, and Tala thought the mahogany eyes strangely determined.
"We're skipping."
"Nice. I knew you had it in you!"
"Shut up. Let's go."
(A/N: Kai, have you never skipped class in your life? Shame on you! Then again, I've never skipped a class either. Oh well. Anyway...review, please, and tell me if it was good! For some reason, this chapter took a lot of effort to write. Don't know why. Anyway...ta ta for now, faithful readers, and until next chapter! -salutes-
Carmen - genius chicken (Don't ask. Please, don't.))