Steps

Aya + Aki

By: L 0 K I

Mark

Subtle differences were better than out-right disguises. Aki knew this intimately. Loose jeans in place of a skirt, for instance, could be used to hide her figure. Braiding her hair while it was still wet and tying it back from her face tightly could give it a darker tone, and also make her look older. Just a touch of make-up helped.

Darker colours, a different style, all meant to cast off eyes, and allow her to blend into the crowd.

The same could be said for Aki. They spent an hour in the bathroom together, deciding what to do and how to do it. Shoes with a slight heel, jeans of a different length and cut. Hair gel to comb his hair back, that also darkened the gold nearly to bronze. She didn't like the gel, but it was only for now, only until they got to the other side of the country. And only in public. Aki understood that pretence, too.

She even added a touch of make-up, filling his lips out a little, darkening his eyelashes and eyebrows---neither of them planned on getting close enough to anybody for it to become readily apparent.

There was only one last thing for them to do, before they could leave...

Make the seal permanent. The ink was beginning to fade, as ink tended to do. On the surface anyway. And as they always said: a tattoo is for life.

Finding someone who would do it was easy. Finding someone who would mark Aya without a guardian was just as easy, as soon as a certain number was offered. It put a considerable dent in their limited amount of funds, but it was money well-spent if they never had to deal with Ceres again.

But, as the moment of truth approached, Aya grew shakier and shakier. And Aki noticed, pulling her to one side of the small sitting room as soon as he could catch her in her nervous flight.

She stared at the floor, looking so much more solemn and mature than he was used to seeing. The severe plait bound her hair up, leaving her face bare to the world. The black pants and dark blue top added to the affect. With her head bowed, she didn't quite look like his sister at all.

He crooked his finger under her chin and brought her head up, trying to see her as a stranger might for a moment.

This was an image of a woman, someone maybe going to a university, studying business. Or a lady in an office building, leaning against a window thirty floors up.

He sighed. This was his sister, looking far older than her age, and bravely trying to present a calm face.

He dropped his hand and shoved it in his jeans pocket, but he didn't drop his eyes. "We don't have to do this," he said gently. "We can choose another place, and redraw the seal whenever it starts to fade..."

She shook her head slowly. "That's a chance. And it's one I can't take. Not with you, Aki. All that has to happen is for one little line to get smudged, and then she's free again."

She sighed miserably, turning away from him to wrap her arms around herself. "If I thought for one second that she and I could get along, could exist together in peace, then no, I wouldn't be doing this. But I can feel it, Aki; she's not going to stop. I don't know why she hates you so much. I mean, I know the facts, but I just don't understand why this is happening.

"And you know what, I don't really care about her reasoning. You are you, and I am me. And I don't care who we might have been before. We are who we are now. And...and I won't let her kill you." Her voice broke on that last, as if her throat was trying to close just at the thought of saying such words. Her shoulders rose slightly as her arms tightened around her middle. They started to shake.

Aki's chest clenched painfully. He took her arm, turning her back around to face him. At the sight of her spiked eyelashes he slid his arm around her, pulling her into him. With one hand he threaded his fingers through her hair, drawing her head down to rest on his shoulder. He leaned his cheek against her temple, feeling his own eyes blur and sting, as he could never stand to watch Aya cry.

In the dim light of the room, their shadows merged into one shape on the floor. It was hard to tell where one began, and the other ended.

( ) *

Aya wasn't scared of much, and thankfully that short list didn't contain needles. At the same time, she was very anxious, and refused to even go in without her brother at her side.

Fortunately, Aki absolutely refused to leave her side, assisting her up onto the table, and glaring at the 'artist' as he eased her shirt up. He had to clean off Aki's hand-drawn symbol, to redraw it in preparation of the tattoo gun.

In that small space, between the cleansing off of the old ink, and the application of the new, Ceres was finally allowed to speak.

'Don't do this, Aya! Please!'

Aya started once, at the depths of the Celestial Maiden's panic, but she settled down as Aki whispered soothing words to her, petting his fingers gently across her hand.

Ceres, she returned, not having thought of what she would say to her if this moment ever occurred.

'Aya, don't! Don't let him do this to us! He's just trying to shackle you again!'

Aya closed her eyes, frowning. I don't know what you're talking about. You are the one who has been shackling me. Using me as your puppet and trying to hurt the ones that I love.

Her bitterness in that declaration may not have been audio, but her 'other self' heard it loud and clear. 'Aya,' she began tentatively.

Ceres, Aya cut her off forcefully. Are you willing to leave the Mikages alone, especially my brother?

'That man is not your brother,' Ceres exploded furiously, trying through sheer force of will to overthrow Aya's consciousness and take control of her body.

Aya's hands tightened into fists, and with the combined focus of her own will, she reigned the Maiden in, tamping her down with the strength of her own anger.

No! I'm not your puppet, Ceres! This is my body! You will not harm anyone through me, EVER AGAIN!

A few seconds of silence on both sides of the mirror, and Aya calmed down again. Tried to appeal to her again.

Aki---whoever he was in the past, I don't care. He is my brother now. You claim he stole your Hagorama, right? He stole something irreplaceable. Something very precious to you...

But aren't you trying to do the same to me?

Ceres went still inside her.

Aki is irreplaceable. He is very precious to me.

Aya felt Ceres' emotional denial of that statement, even as she remained silent to listen. Aya knew better than to believe she was actually getting through to her.

Ceres, this man you keep going on about, this man you say Aki once was---How are you any different than him, she continued in a mental whisper. How?

'How dare you---!'

Going after your own desires, and to hell with anyone who gets in you way, Aya threw that barbed accusation at her, like throwing a stone at a glass house. She couldn't understand the Celestial Maiden's blindness when it came to this particular subject. She couldn't understand how someone's anger could be so great that it eclipsed everything else.

Ceres was silent for a very long moment, and Aya could feel her chewing on her rage, trying to swallow it back so she could reason with her 'other self'.

Aya let her re-gather her composure. Her mind was already made, and each word Ceres said only reinforced her decision. The Maiden was too selfish and destructive to be allowed the opportunity to live through her.

'All I want,' she began coolly and slowly, 'is my Hagorama back. Just return it to me, and I will leave you alone forever. I promise you this, Aya.'

And you won't harm the Mikages? My brother? Aya already knew the answer to her question. She could feel the wrath bubbling up from the bottom of her soul.

'That man stole my Hagorama,' Ceres hissed. 'He shamed me and trapped me in this world!'

There was a strange feeling, as if Ceres was taking a deep breath, and consciously trying to distance herself from Aya for a moment. She could probably feel Aya's emotions welling up into a tidal wave of defiance.

'Aya, I know you think of him as your brother, but it is only a cruel twist of fate that has placed that particular soul within that body. It is only a matter of time before he slips up and falls back into that darkness that sleeps within him.

'What will you do then?

'What will you do against him, once you have sealed away our powers for good?'

Aya took several deep breaths herself, but did not waver in her resolve. If what you say is true, then Aki is the same as me.

Ceres stumbled at that, clearly not understanding.

'He is nothing like us, Aya.'

Quit saying 'us'! Whoever I might have been in the past, I am me now! And you're wrong! If this man you hate sleeps inside Aki, then how is that any different than you and I?

Aki hasn't left me. Even though you are a danger to his life, he still stays by my side. I refuse to leave him, even if what you say is true. Besides...She trailed off hesitantly, sadly, actually imagining it for a second.

Besides, I think I would rather die at his hand, then take his life with my own. I...I don't want to live in a world where something like that can happen...

'Aya...'

Aya flinched at the first touch on her lower back, her hand tightening around Aki's as he whispered to her. She didn't really hear the words; she listened to the cadence of his voice, and relaxed.

She felt the first circle slowly closing. She felt Ceres shudder. All her sympathy suddenly swept away in the rush of her panic.

'Aya! You're going to regret this! Your brother cannot be trusted! Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but some day soon that man will awaken in him, and then where will you be?'

Aya didn't budge, she did the mental equivalent of turning her back on the Maiden.

She didn't like that, but she paused in her appeal, taking a moment to rethink her strategy.

'Aya, what if we...make a promise?'

Aya glanced at her.

'You stop this now, and look for my Hagorama, and I'll let you remain in control. I won't do anything you don't approve of; I'll leave the Mikages alone. I'll---'

You'll 'let' me be in control of my own body? Aya cut-in in exasperation. Besides, you don't mean that, Ceres. You know you cannot lie to me.

'I will. As long as 'Aki' remains the dominant personality, I swear I won't harm him.'

As long as I'm awake, you mean.

'Aya, just listen to me,' she pleaded.

Why? She spun back around. You and I both know it's the truth. As soon as I fall asleep---you won't even hesitate to try and keep me under.

The second circle closed.

'Aya, I just want to go home,' she cried frantically.

Aya gritted her teeth, her eyes narrowing at the shadow of the woman she once was. I had a home once. A father, too. So what makes you special? What makes it okay for you to take over my life and wreck everything? I just want to go home, too, Ceres. But. I. Can't. The home I had is gone. But I'm not going to let you destroy the only sanctuary I have left.

The details between the lines.

This is it, she thought. Goodbye, Ceres. I hope somehow, someday, you find peace.

'AYA---!'

The final line was drawn.

TBC...