Chapter 7~ Remembering
"What do you mean? We all saw the blood." Takuma asked, shock etched in both his face and voice. "It was your blood."
"Where's Lord Kaname?" I asked, ignoring his expression.
"Uh…this way." Takuma was still confused, but he took the lead and headed for a door at the opposite end of the hall. He paused for a moment before knocking. "Kaname? She's awake." The door opened and the Pureblood stepped out, maroon eyes dark.
"Are you interested in what Hanabusa's punishment is?" Kaname asked, stepping back.
"That's the problem. Hanabusa never did anything against me!" I snapped, glaring at him. I felt Takuma stiffen and Kaname's eyes gained a crimson light, but I was past caring. I knew Hanabusa had saved me last night and to hear he was being punished for it was something I didn't accept.
"Are you saying that the blood was from another source?" Kaname's voice held a deadly edge that made me flinch back for a second.
"No…I know that it was my blood. What I am saying is that someone else came and attacked me and Hanabusa used his ice to save me." I said, meeting Kaname's gaze as best I could.
"How would anyone have been able to sneak past the security around the academy?" Kaname asked dryly. I was about to reply when my eyes caught the fire flickering in the fireplace in Kaname's room.
Fire….So much fire….
"You have to be go! There's too many here!" I spun around to see a red haired man with amber eyes.
"There's no way I'm leaving you all here." I snapped at him, feeling the heat of the burning building around us.
"It's you that they're after, Lady Ariao." Another figure slid out of the shadows of the fire and pulled back his hood, revealing a soot covered face, silver-blue hair, and dark indigo eyes.
"If I leave, do you really think they'll leave you all be?" I asked sarcastically. I saw a bit of doubt flicker in their eyes but the man with silver-blue hair gave his head a shake.
"It's the only choice. We will keep you safe." He told me stubbornly.
"Ariao!" I was snapped out of the vision by Takuma's voice. Back in reality, I could feel the wall against my back and the vice president's grip on my wrists.
"What happened?" Kaname demanded, eyes narrowed. I looked at the president, not even sure how to explain it. After a few minutes like this, Takuma finally let go of me and backed away cautiously, like he expected me to jump him for holding me against the wall.
"Go. I'll send someone to fetch Hanabusa." Kaname finally told me, turning his back on us to gaze into the fireplace himself. Shakily, I backed out of the room, leaving Takuma and Kaname inside. Once in the hallway, I sank to the floor, closing my eyes to try and regain myself.
"This is the second time now. Is fire really so connected to me?" I said softly to myself. After sitting on the floor for a moment more, I stood and headed for the stairs that led to the rooftop.
I must have drifted into sleep because I woke when a hand touched my shoulder. I jumped awake only to see Hanabusa crouched in front of me. "Sorry." He grinned. "It's good to see you up here."
"Hanabusa." I breathed, sitting up. He looked a bit battered, but his eyes were still bright.
"Ruka told me that you fixed up what happened with Lord Kaname." Hanabusa said, shifting so that he was sitting next to me. "I don't know how to thank you enough."
"You did nothing wrong. There was no reason for you to be punished." I said, noticing his gaze lingering on a bit of the bandage wrap that showed through the collar of my shirt.
"Does it hurt?" He asked softly, blinking slowly. He reached out and gently touched my shoulder, his gaze darkening and gaining a touch of crimson. I flinched back for a moment and he froze. "Sorry." He pulled back and settled back against the wall.
"Don't apologize. Old habits die hard." I said, closing my eyes. My mind drifted to the vision earlier in Kaname's room. But is it from the past or what is yet to come? I wondered. Before I could think about it further, Hanabusa placed something in my lap. Puzzled, I opened my eyes to see my ocarina.
"You look troubled." He said simply. "You play when something's bothering you right?" I blinked at him and nodded, touched that he had actually known this. He smiled lightly and blinked back. Leaning back against the wall, I closed my eyes and started to play.
Hanabusa just watched me quietly the whole time, and I was glad he was with me up here. Perhaps Takuma is right. Maybe there is something more with us. I thought as my newest song began to fill the air. As I wasn't sure what effect it would have, I kept one eye on Hanabusa while I was playing. Once the last note faded, he opened his eyes.
"Cherry blossoms?" He asked, tilting his head a bit.
"It's something that's held a large part of my past." I said, casting a glance at him. I had changed it just enough to make the cherry blossom petals appear instead of what the song was really about.
Burning fires and falling embers.