I wished for an adventure. Lumi, I wished for an adventure, and this is what happened. I dragged you and me away from our homes, from our world, and I got my parents and I killed. I was a fool Lumi; I'm so sorry. It pains me to even think of what our lives might have been like if this hadn't happened, if DN Angel had never become this real to us. Would you have really fallen in love with your crush? Would I have ever stopped worshipping Krad and moved on? Would my parents have lived?
Lumi, I don't know, but… I think so. I wish it would have, almost. Then I wouldn't have to be typing this goodbye to you. I'll miss you in these years to come, if you can't bring me back. Remember Lumi; don't kill yourself looking for me. No matter what happens, live and enjoy life. I won't be mad at you for that. Just remember me.
Remember me, Gray Valo, the hopeless klutz who couldn't even stand on two feet without falling over. But remember me as a friend, a near and dear friend. Remember me as the girl who loved black, who had a heart of white. Remember.
In the coming years, Lumi, you will find there is a price to betrayal, and you must test its limits. I've Seen some of the disguises you will wear… of friends and enemies. Living and dead. It will not be easy, but you must. I can only come to you three times throughout the years you look for me, because I can tell I'll have to speak to Dark once, and I must send thoughts to Krad. Without him, you will surely fail, and without me… I'm terrified he will.
Lumi, I would tell you of my vision in the fountain, but that was simply me watching my own death. Yes, I knew that I would die in the end, but I knew I was dying for a good cause, and that made it alright. But I would like to tell you of the vision my parents sent to me, through a specific song. Do you ever remember listening to 'Blackbird' by the Beatles? If not, go listen to it to refresh your memory. I don't know why it sent me the vision it did, but… here it is:
In my vision, I see myself typing this document, typing it quickly so as not to forget. There is something much more pressing on my mind.
There is a flash of white, and I am shoved into the future. Now you are sitting at the same chair I was, and reading a much longer document than the one I was typing up, but quite obviously the same one. Your eyes are ringed with red, as though you have been crying, and I want desperately to know what is going on, because I know that I am dead and gone as you read. However, I cannot, and I feel suddenly compelled to look over your shoulder and read the words I am to write. This is what I read:
First there is simply what I have already typed, explaining, and then it changes to this:
The tears of flame enter slowly into the wounds I have suffered deep. I am held, bound, locked in a room where I can see nothing but white. I am not cold, but not hot either. I am only there. I wish I wasn't. I feel as though every second, I fade. I fade and fade… and then… oh, there will soon be nothing left. My window is closing Lumi… I need to find some way to stop it. I'm not ready to die yet!
I've no idea what this means, I haven't seen into the future to see this, but it clicks into a slot in my brain and I remember the words. Oddly, this explanation is also there … but consider it a time paradox and don't think of it too much. It gives you a headache. (Or at least, it did me.) I hope I'm not confusing you. Here, read on.
As I sit in the room of white shadows, the white forest, as I call it, I hear the gentle clanking of chains. Perchance I am bound within a prison? Who is to know? Not I, not I. Ah, but I sound so old… here, forgive me for that if you will.
I sit awake in this room, trying to keep my eyes from closing. Is this Purgatory? I hope not, that would mean I am another step closer to death, and I have made it clear I don't want to die. I'm terrified of closing my eyes, for fear of not ever waking up again. I know, I know… a childish fear, but I can't shake it. Lumi, listen to me and listen close: I was terrified when I faced Syerdtsye, and I still am. Don't be afraid to face your fears Lumi, please don't. If you fear, you will fail. Be smart, but not afraid.
Hm, I was repeating myself there, wasn't I? Ah well. My time here is almost up Lumi. I wish I could tell you more, or speak these words to you myself instead of leaving them in print, but I cannot. But I can leave you some clues as to what shall happen in my absence.
Fear for fire and shadow
The rose not planted on my grave
Laugh and bask in moonlight
White wings fore'er unchained.
Dance in glow of midnight
Fly up through the air
Deadly voices call the bird
Remind her to beware.
Ice has made me what I am
And told me where to go…
The painfully bare forest
To be awakened in the snow.
And then there is a warning for you, Lumi. You have to be careful, because in the end, you will decide the outcome to many things. Lumi, listen well. You are the point of light that will shine in even the darkest of moments, and there will be many attempts on your life because of it. But never stop being the beacon, the flame that others will flock to. Never lose hope.
I'm sorry it had to end like this Lumi. Goodbye, if we do not meet again.
…
I stared at her final words again, feeling the hot sting of tears at the back of my eyes. Even now, reading about this, this last piece, hurt worse than the sight of her being shot in front of my eyes.
It hurt because it told me… that she had known. That she had known and been afraid and gone ahead with it anyway, because she had wanted to free Krad so badly… she died for him. "She died for him and he didn't even come to her funeral," I whispered. "That self-centered, cold-hearted, sick, twisted, psychotic, evil…" I clenched my teeth. I didn't swear. It wasn't something I did, ever, and I wasn't going to start now.
"Lumi, just take a minute," Satoshi said from behind me. This was the only bit of my plan that had bothered him, mainly because he thought it was a waste of time, time we could be using to prepare. "Take a breath, try to relax…"
"Fear for fire and shadow," I muttered, "That's Dark and Daisuke. It has to be. The rose not planted at her grave… That's the Silver Rose. But why fear for it?" I looked at my arm, almost hoping that it would burn and send me a message.
My magic was so weak compared to the displays of power Gray had given… I couldn't throw up shields; I could hardly fight without falling out of the air… I could change my appearance, channel electricity and sneak around almost undetected… but that wouldn't help Satoshi any unless Namida-san got her finger stuck in a light socket. And even then, she'd probably just set me on fire again…
"Lumi?" Satoshi's worried voice snapped me out of my reverie, and I realized why he sounded so odd. The plastic wireless mouse was melting in my hand. With a yelp, I tried to take my hand away from it, but strands of half melted plastic stuck to my skin like pulled taffy. I took a deep breath and willed myself to calm down, willed my hand to cool. I felt the plastic harden somewhat, and tore it away from me. It ripped away some of my skin, and it stung like mad, but I didn't have time to think about it.
It was early evening. There was school tomorrow. I had to go and rescue Dark and Daisuke. Mura was sleeping, under my orders. (The sleeping potion Towa had given her probably helped somewhat.) I wanted her to come, but she wasn't needed and I was terrified of her being hurt. "Satoshi, should we go yet?"
"A few more minutes," he replied. "Do you feel okay?"
I decided to be honest. "No. I feel like I'm going to pass out, my stomach hurts, and my wings ache. I keep imagining what will happen if we fail, and I miss Gray." I knew I sounded like I was whining, but he had asked and I had spoken. "I'm scared Satoshi. I'm terrified of losing anyone else. I'm terrified of losing myself. What if we can't bring her back? What if we can't even save these two?"
"We will," he reassured me. "You've got a good head on your shoulders to think up a plan like what we've got now… even if it could fail in about ten thousand different ways."
"The plan's terrible," I smiled, "But I think if we just follow her instructions… or, you do at any case, we should be fine." My plan had been simple and rather stupid. Satoshi would try to distract the artwork, try to bargain with or threaten her, while I helped Dark and Daisuke escape.
I know. Stupid. Simple. We'd probably be seen through and I'd end up having to save Satoshi. But if I could find where the two were, at least, and release Dark… they'd have a chance.
If only I had known about what was to happen…
In the air above Azumano…
Krad coasted on a thermal about fifteen thousand feet above the city he had learned to call home. He still wasn't sure why he had come back, not now, but…
Oh right, the altitude. Hey, he's got magic coursing through his veins, he's been flying like this for the past four hundred years… he's fine.
It was mid-afternoon when he got to the city, and he had been careful to remain out of sight. His eyes weren't of much use this far up, but he could still pick up certain landmarks. The high school, the skyscraper he and Gray had gone to… the sea, several hundred miles away, where he had found Ella half-dead.
He shook those memories out of his head. Ryoushi.
Yes master? Krad had no idea where his familiar was, but he had ordered him to leave him shortly after he left Gray's grave. He had told him to stay away from him and Azumano until he was called.
Come here.
Yes master. It might take him days to get here, weeks or even a month. But he would come back. One less thing on Krad's mind. With a gentle twitch of his wings, he circled the city several times, then came to rest with a gentle 'thud' on his and Gray's skyscraper. He could have chosen a higher vantage point, but… this felt right. He would wait for Ryoushi here, and then go and look for the silver rose Hateshiganai had been speaking of. Certainly she hadn't meant the one he had planted.
Only after this was done would he seek out Candra Orvokki.
Krad waited as the shadows in the city grew longer and longer, and the sun sank lower in the sky. He watched the western horizon like a hawk would watch its prey –never allowing himself to look away.
But if he had… he might have seen the two winged figures that swooped past behind him, and the small form that followed them.
…
AN: Wow. It's still not as long as I would like, but it seems like this is as long as it'll go. Shame… oh well. You'll be seeing much more of Krad in these next few chapters, so I won't need to use so many scene changes. Maybe that'll help.
Anyway, please review! Comments and constructive criticism are always welcomed! Oh, and I don't own DN Angel! (I forgot to out that up at the beginning…)