Symphonic Lie
She pivots slowly, breathing deep breaths. Her eyes try to focus away from his wound; away from his eyes. The fierce, unflinching determination is vaguely recognisable. She can't recall the last time she spent enough time with people to notice such things. Perhaps, she fears, her heart beginning to race, it was with his father: his dear, unknowing father.
She fails to hide her anxieties.
Her voice is weaker than before, tinged with an edge of vulnerability. "What do you expect to come from this? No answer that I have can give you closure. No words of mine can give you comfort,"
He snarls impatiently. "I want answers now. You owe me at least that much,"
She sighs deeply. It's the sound of despondency and it rings in his ears. Her eyes are bleak and dulled. Her expression is a mix of unreadable emotions. She seems to be on edge.
She speaks again, her voice like ice. "No one can escape fate: not you, not I. It's a path that is carved for us to walk without a backward glance. The path that the likes of us must travel is not for the faint of heart. You have few friends and their very existences are endangered by our own. You lose your family. The people in your life diminish swiftly until you feel that you are the last of everyone… I had hoped that your father was dominant and that would have kept you safe,"
Shun's hands tremble. "Who is my father? And stop talking in riddles! I can't understand what you're saying!"
She looks him in the eye. "I do love you. I love you more than you will ever know, more than you will ever appreciate. That is simply who we are,"
She vanishes almost immediately. Her long hair and clothes flutter in her wake. However, even that is only a fleeting glance. The trees are silent. The undergrowth is still. Even if he had the strength to pursue her she has made it impossible to be caught.
His hands won't cease trembling. His eyes sting with unshed tears. A great terror has enveloped his heart.
"Koori…" he mutters. "Mother…"
The stillness of the night is pristine. The soft breezes, the moon's light and the hushed sounds of the weary world coming to a close. From her place atop a tree Koori relishes it. She can't recall the last time she was able to be in such a place. Though the serenity is marred: ancient screams and splattering blood fill her eyes and ears.
She runs her fingers along the flat of her blade. The amantyrium steel is sharp. She bleeds from the mere touch and her eyes daren't gaze upon it. It was made for those far superior than her. A soft sight whispers past her lips. Her blade is lonesome. Its twin resides with Shun's father. She wonders if the mere possession of it has cost him his life.
She should never have let it go to mortal hands.
Koori's head falls forward. Her left hand clutches at her forehead. Her throat is tight. The urge to scream has never been stronger. She wants to run away but she can't. Death is her only escape and it will condemn all those she loves.
She groans. "What do you want?"
"I wanted to see how you are. It's been a while,"
She jerks. The blade escapes, gliding down through the air. The beautiful reflection of the moon's light on the dancing blade allow for the briefest of glimpses that freeze her heart. Her senses return in a heartbeat. The blade halts just above the ground, held in place by sheer willpower.
She tries to look at him but swiftly faces away. "How is this possible? Were you hurt?"
He shakes his head. "No. I found the scripture that you left behind in the attic. There were quite a few… interesting things there, but they brought me to you,"
"You should have been careful," she almost snaps. "They could have destroyed you - body and soul."
"You're not pleased to find me here,"
Koori opens her mouth to speak but the words are dead on her tongue. She buries her face in her hands. The blood trickles into her eyes but she still refuses to surrender. Her pride, as always, is too great.
He isn't pleased, most likely frowning. "I'll stay away for the three days that this remains active for. You won't hear me from me like this again,"
Her left hand clutches at her dress. The fabric twists and tightens over her heart.
"He's here," she whispers and he listens. "I can't offer you much more than that…"
His hand comes to rest on hers. "I know you have important work. I saw what your sister did, remember? You can barely tell me anything, but it's all right. You save countless lives. A Guardian of the dimensions doesn't owe me an answer,"
She peeks at him through her bleeding fingers. "What of a friend? What of something more?"
Shun peers at the creature in bemusement. Its short body is curled over itself. A low whine escapes its throat every now and then. The wrinkled excess skin of its throat trembles with each strange sound.
"Gah!"
His grandfather races out. Above his head is a shining sword, an ōdachi: the one sword that he vowed to never use. It crashes to the ground, slashing and slicing without reason. The creature flees with ease and without a single injury.
"Come back here!" he yells. "You come back and pay for what you did!"
Shun grasps at his grandfather's hand. "Wait! Gramps, what are you doing? That thing wasn't-"
He pulls out of Shun's grip. "That thing's why your mum's not coming back. That's why she's gone. They took her off to death,"
The coldness of uncertainty grips Shun. Which mother? Is it Shiori? Is it Koori? He suddenly has a feeling that Shiori's death wasn't as simple as it seemed.
Author's Note: I've missed this tale. I've missed it a lot. This isn't the most comfortable to write, but I find it beautiful. The process, the words, the imagery... I won't lie. I know this is far from my best work. I know that it lingers on being painfully dreadful. I love it still. There's something personal hidden between the words. It isn't known to anyone but me. That's why I'm here. That's why I'm back. This is... This...
This is mine.