Guess who? That's right, it's me! In this story... Hahaha... Whatever. Thanks for all the encouraging reviews! I'm glad I managed to make so many people sad. *evil laugh*

epicmaster26: I'm glad it made you depressed! Well, that just sounds mean.. Anyway, no, Mikoto and Kuroko will not get together in Heaven.. That would be sort of... Cliche? Anyways, You'll see what happens.. ;)

cry like a baby: I am so sorry I made you cry like a baby. Maybe this chapter will make you feel better? *Gives you tissues and a lollipop*

Kumi: Please do not tear your hair out... No reason to go bald over a story... (except this chapter lol)

Blood-Stained Roses Chapter 2: The White Rose Painted With Passion

When I was little, my mother was always there to make whatever made me upset go away. She was like the knight, and I was the princess. Even if whatever was bothering me was childish. But, it didn't matter. I was a child. I think everyone, no matter how old they may be, is always a child. At heart, at least.

But, where was my mother to comfort me now? Now, while I am standing over my best friend's bloody, lifeless body? Staring at her eyes, drained of their normal sharp pinkish color to a duller one. Her hair, messy and tangled, sprung out in every which way. It isn't even tied into its normal pigtails. Her uniform, stained in blood. Her skin, pale. It's so pale, It looks as if I can see every single one of her veins through the skin, like it's transparent.

Her mouth is slightly opened, making it look as if she was trying to say something.

All I can do is stare, my mouth agape, a lump in my throat. I can't say anything; what would I say? This is a situation I would never expect myself to be in, yet here I am, living it. Konori-Senpai and Uiharu are staring at me with distraught faces, like they're expecting me to say something.

I close my lips tightly together and swallow the lump in my throat. I can't see, I can't think, I can't hear. I don't want to. This is a dream. I tell myself. Wake up.

Yet, I never do. It seems like forever I have just been standing here, staring at Kuroko's lifeless self.

A million images play through my head at once, of Kuroko and I, all the times we've shared. Is my brain telling me it's over? Telling me that I'll never see her, talk to her, hear her, see her smile, again? No! I scream in my mind. Shut up! I don't believe it!

I can't believe it.

I won't believe it.

"Kuroko!" Is all I can manage, running to her, pushing Konori-senpai and Uiharu out of the way. I don't need their pity right now, I need Kuroko.

I kneel next to the latter, softly placing my palm to her cheek. She's cold. I run a finger down to her neck, searching for a pulse. I find none.

I've started sweating, a cold sweat. The one you feel when you panic. I run my hand down to her stomach, the origin of the red liquid. I lift the shirt of the uniform enough to find the wound. a large gash, right above her belly button. It makes me shut my eyes tight, feeling sick. Not just because of the grossness of it; but because it makes me sick to know someone did this to her.

But who?

My breath becomes ragged, and I know what it means. I don't even try to stop the sobs as they come. Tears run down my cheeks, and I lean my face into Kuroko's shoulder, gripping her arm tightly with both hands.

"Kuroko..." I whisper. "You... Can't..." I feel a hand grip my shoulder. "Misaka-San..." Uiharu coaxes softly. I ignore her. I just want her to give me a minute to comprehend this.

My tears soak the sleeve of Kuroko's shirt. "Don't do this to me, Kuroko..." I plead. "Don't leave me." All I want is to feel her body move so that she returns my embrace, but it doesn't. In fact, I feel her body being pulled away from me, startling me.

I lift my head up to see some Anti-Skill officers carrying Kuroko away. To where, I don't know.

"Wait!" I shout at them. "Where are you going? You can't take her from me!" They ignore me, walking on. Uiharu comes over and wraps her arms around one of mine, just as Kuroko does, or did. It doesn't make me feel any better.

I try to free myself from her grasp, reaching for the people who suddenly came and stole Kuroko from me. Uiharu stands behind me and wraps her arms around my waist, trying to get a better grip. She's stronger than I thought.

"Stop! Bring her back!" I yell; but it's no use. They've put Kuroko in a vehicle, and driven off. My knees buckle and I fall to the ground, dragging Uiharu with me.

The tears keep coming as I practically sit in her lap, sobbing. She runs a hand over my back comfortingly, saying, "Shhhh," Every now and then, just as my mother used to do. I feel wetness on my back and I know she's crying, too. Konori-senpai sits on the ground in front of us, her head in her hands, and her stomach heaving. We're all crying. I grip Uiharu's hands hard. She doesn't seem to mind, squeezing back with the same strength.

Kuroko is gone.

And there's nothing we can do about it.

When Konori-senpai and Uiharu finally manage to get me so that I can at least walk, we make our way back to the branch.

My head hangs down, staring at my feet as I walk. Uiharu stares at me. Konori-senpai looks towards the sunset, away from both of us. None of us say a word. We walk like this all the way back to the branch, where Saten-san is waiting. She, too, says nothing. We all sit down, drinking tea, still silent.

I don't even drink my tea. I just stare at it intently, as if I could bring Kuroko back by doing so.

Konori-senpai is the first to speak up after what seems like a millennium.

"The cause of Shirai-san's death is still unknown," She says, barely above a whisper.

Saten-san wipes her eyes. I guess she was crying, too, silently. She looks from me, to Uiharu, to Konori-senpai. "When did you... Find her like that?" She asks.

Konori-senpai runs a hand through her hair. "I was just patrolling," she says. "And I saw her there. At first, I didn't know it was her. But then..." Her voice catches.

I hear Uiharu sniffle, and it only makes me want to cry. But I can't. I think I've used up all the tears in my body. I feel a warmness overcome my right hand, which rests on the couch. I look up from my tea to see that Saten-san has set hers on top of mine. She stares into my eyes with some kind of determination I can't describe, and I look away sharply, taking a long, drawn out drink of the tea.

"Misaka-san," Konori-senpai beckons to me. I set my tea on the table and manage to look her straight in the eye.

She clears her throat. "We're all saddened by this, but I can't imagine how.. distraught you must be..." She stops, wiping sweat off her forehead. "If you ever need anything, we at Judgment are forever here for you."

I should be happy, but I can't be. Not without Kuroko.

"Thank you, Konori-senpai." I say plainly.

Saten-san leads me out of the office when I say I am ready to leave.

"Do you want to... Stay at my place tonight?" She asks. I nod. I am not ready to be alone just yet. She smiles at me, and stretches out her hand. "Shall we go, then?" I don't smile back, and grab her wrist rather than her hand. She makes a confused expression but decides not to say anything, and leads me.

When we reach her room, she closes the door and practically pushes me in, then stands in front of me, gripping my wrists tightly.

"It's a dream, right?" She asks. I shake my head. It is not a dream.

Her expression, which was hard, softens. She releases her grip on my wrists and slumps down onto her bed. I just stand there.

"Why?..." She says. I don't think she is asking me. That's exactly what I'm wondering. Why? Why Kuroko? To die at such a young age, it's cruel. But I've learned that this world is cruel.

Saten-san looks to me, tears welling up in the corners of her eyes. "Why do you deserve such heartache as this?" She asks me. My eyes widen. I don't. Do I? Could this be karma? What did I do to deserve this?

She shakes her head when I don't answer and stands up, stretching. "Why don't you go bathe?" She suggests. "I'll let you borrow some of my clothes." I simply nod, and go to the bathroom.

I slouch down into the tub and let the warm, comforting water overtake me. How I wish this was a dream, how I wish I could just wake up in my bed, look to my left, and see Kuroko there. But I can't. She's gone.

When I exit the bathroom, Saten-san is waiting with a sandwich for me on her table. I sit down in front of the food. "Thanks, I'm not that hungry." I say, my voice hoarse.

She shakes her head. "That's no good, Misaka-san. You need to eat."

Unable to argue, or rather, not willing to, I take a small bite out of the sandwich. It tastes like Heaven, but Heaven is one thing I don't want to think about right now. Saten-san smiles at me, not happily, but more like comfortingly.

I stare at my sandwich, slowly taking tiny bites out of it. She clears her throat to get my attention. I look at her.

"You know, Misaka-san," She says, not looking at me, but looking at her hands, which are fidgeting in her lap. "Just like Konori-senpai said, I am always here if you need me. I may be a level 0, and I may not be in Judgment... But... The least I can do is comfort you, right?"

"No one can comfort me right now, Saten-san," I say, harsher than I mean to sound. Her eyes widen, and for a minute she looks hurt, then shakes her head.

I slam the sandwich down onto the plate angrily and clutch my hands into fists until they become pale and it starts to hurt. "Why? Why did this have to happen? Why did she have to die at such a young age?" I ask quietly.

Saten-san stares at me, not knowing what to say. "It's not fair!" I shout, looking at her with tears streaming down my cheeks. "It's not fair! I want her back!"

She reaches her hand across the table, like she wants to touch me, and I smack it away. "I don't need your sympathy! I don't need your pity! I don't need comfort, I need Kuroko!"

She nods and backs away. Her expression is not hurt, but more like understanding. "I can't say I know what you're going through, Misaka-san," She says. "But... Whatever you want, I will make it happen. But I can't bring Shirai-san back. No one can. I'm sorry, Misaka-san, you'll have to face it..."

I blink tears away. Her expression hardens all of a sudden, like she's angry. "But, Misaka-san, Shirai-san isn't the only person who's important to you, right?"

I tilt my head. "Wh-what?"

"I mean, even if Shirai-san is gone, I'm here..." She trails off and softens her expression back to how it was before, shaking her head. "N-Never mind... That was totally rude of me..."

"N-No, that's okay," I stammer. "O-Of course you're important to me, Saten-san. And Uiharu-san and Konori-senpai too, but..." It seems like no one can complete a sentence today.

"I know. You loved Shirai-san, right?" Her words shock me so much I feel like I might fly through the roof.

"W-Well! As a friend, yeah! B-But, not anything past that! I-" I stopped, remembering the dream. Maybe I did love Kuroko. But now I couldn't do anything about it. She died before I could return her feelings.

I stop talking, leaning my face into my hands.

"I'm sorry... I probably shouldn't have asked such a question at such a time..." Saten-san apologizes.

"Don't apologize," I mumble into my hands. "I should apologize..."

"Why?"

"Because I was so rude to you earlier," I say, sighing. "It's wrong of me to take my emotions out on you."

She leans forward, reaching her hand across the table and touching my shoulder. "Hey, could you do something for me? It's a very small thing." She requests. I nod.

"Call me by my first name," She says, grinning at me. "Wh-what?..." I question.

"I said-"

"I know what you said!" I shout, interrupting her. "But, why?"

She makes a fake sad expression. "Because, I thought we were close enough..."

"F-fine!" I oblige, shoving her backwards. "R-R-Ruiko..." I mumble, feeling my face heat up. Why? Who knows anymore?

She giggles. "Thanks, Mikoto." Hearing her say my first name is weird. Before I know it, we're both laughing, on the floor, clutching our sides. Once we calm down, we lay there for a while, staring at the ceiling.

"Thanks, R-Ruiko..." I say, still stammering when saying her first name. "You've managed to cheer me up... Slightly."

She nods, a happy smile on her face. "Anytime," She turns onto her side so that her whole body is facing me. "But, in all seriousness, who could've killed Shirai-san?"

I narrow my eyes at her. I have no clue. Maybe she pissed off some guy she arrested a long time ago, and they did it? Maybe she was trying to arrest someone, and they did it? For all I know, It could've been Musujime Awaki. She almost killed her that one time.

"I don't know," I say, anger in my voice. "But whoever it is," I look Ruiko dead in the eyes with determination.

"I'll kill them."

Oooooooh. Mikoto should have a new nickname, "Murderous Misaka". *SHOT*

Okay, so, was I drunk when I was writing this? I mean, dafuq? Did this turn into some kind of SatenxMikotoxKuroko love triangle? That's actually not a bad idea, though... And maybe I could add Uiharu and like, Touma in there. Mikoto harem, bitches!

Yeeeeaaahhhh, no. She deserves a harem, though. Much more than Touma does... (Sorry Touma)

Still, how is this supposed to be a MikoKuro fic if KUROKO IS DEAD?! Well, you'll find out soon. (Next chapter)

Review?

I'm gonna go lay down now. My stupidity is off the chart today. Until next time!

P.S. About Sinful City, check my profile. It's going to be on hiatus for a while. (I like this story better lol... Except for there's no Accelerator in this one. *sad face*)