Hello, my dear readers!
I guess I miscalculated and this isn't the last chapter! True, I could glue this one together with the next one and make this the last but that would take me a little more time (and I'm already late with this one, soorryyyy) and I think this way it will be better to make you 'tense' (I'm sorry again), unless you aren't already fed up with this fanfiction and stopped reading it. If that's so, I'm sorry again for my horrible writing skills and boring ideas...
Chapter 15: What you really deserve is...
Black rabbit"s P.O.V.
"Izayoi-san?" I asked as I noticed the stunned blond.
We were teleported to an unknown place. There was a house, remoted from the other ones, standing in the middle of a meadow. On its right side there was a big and thick forest and on the left just... nothing but grass. Since it was on a smaller hill, the view from that place revealed a whole country with white houses, big things I didn't know (they were mainly from glass and hight about 200 meters) and many streets. I knew very well that this wasn't our Little garden.
Before our eyes, about eighty meters away in the house, there was a beautiful and bright woman with a boy... with a familiar boy possessing blond hair and violet eyes. She called him 'I-kun'. I really didn't know where I knew him from but he was so familiar! Was I just too dense to remember?!
"Hey, Izayoi-kun!" I heard Asuka-san calling.
The teen slumped down and started heavily breathing... Could it be that we were in his world? There was no doubt, since he reacted like this.
"What is this place?" Yo-san inquired while trying to calm the boy down.
"Izayoi-san's world... I guess" I answered, concerned by the sight of my friend breaking down... again.
Suddenly everything around us stopped, wind, the two people and even the sound.
"Welcome, welcome! Guess where you are?" a happy voice said out of nowhere. I recognised that voice, it was Miss witch-san's, but to my surprise she wasn't here.
"Why did you sent us here?" I asked, not minding her question but not daring to sound rude.
"Hm? Looks like you know where I sent you" I just realized that the voice came from a sky. "But your assumption isn't actually right" she said, confusing me.
"What do you mean, Serene?" Asuka-san hissed, she was obviously fed up with this 'game'
"The past" Izayoi-san suddenly declared, making me violently flinch. However after saying that, he looked paler than before.
"That's right" I focused on the witch's words again. "You are in past, four years ago, a day before your friend's guardian was killed"
If that was so, that child over there was the twelve years old Izayoi-san, right? Of course, why didn't I realize it?! That explained why that boy looked so familiar to me! Then... that woman, was she miss Aiharu? Yes, no doubt.
"Do you like it?" she asked with a overjoyed voice.
A smile... I could imagine her evil smile right now. Even her voice clearly sounded happy! How could she be so optimistic and carefree while talking about someone's death?! Or when she sent the one who was influenced by that so much even after four years?! How dared she show Izayoi-san this hell again?!
"Return us to Little garden!" I rather than commanded, plead.
"Hm? No way!" she laughed. "The game rules have to be fulfilled, no exceptions, am I wrong?"
No, she was not wrong. And that's why we were cornered with no choice but to watch. To watch how someone is killed before our eyes, watch our friend falling apart and suffer. So this... this is the prize? The prize for winning the game? Because... to me, it looked more like punishment.
Serene's P.O.V.
How cute, their reaction was so cute! That furious yet worried face of the long-haired brunette, those frustrated eyes of the rabbit and desperate expression worn by the short-haired girl! And on top of that, the boy, that lovely boy who called me not only once 'old hag' who was now near to blacking out.
He was completely different person from before, that confident and provocative smile was gone. Those violet eyes that had no fear in them were now shut, trying to stop the sparkling tears from falling down. But I understood his sudden change of character after seeing his past.
I am kind of a sadist, indeed, but torturing him and watching him break down wasn't my aim at all. I didn't send them one day before the event just to make the boy nervous or something. I did it so he would have time to clear his head and calm down.
I knew very well that this was cruel of me, but I also knew how strong that Sakamaki boy was. I saw it all, his hard childhood and the warmth from his saviour Aiharu. I could also say that I knew him better than anyone did, I saw all of his experiences and feelings after all. And that's why I sent him there.
He may appear like a naughty brat with no respect to elders (like when he dared to make fun of me) but he is nice. He is one of the most generous and sensitive people. I went through his memories and every harsh, violent or problematic thing he did was for sake of others or to help and protect. Like when he fought the water god... that rabbit girl surely thought he did it because he wanted to 'have fun', like he claimed, but he knew very well even before that her community wasn't in the best shape since she even had to summon children from different world, and that it needed help. He could even very well detect the lie and tension in her voice while introducing Little garden to them. That's why he challenged the god. To give something useful to the No names he didn't even know yet.
I smiled... I liked the boy, Sakamaki Izayoi. I was never keen on this ability of mine, to see into people's heart and past, it was annoying! No, rather it was painful. Even though that was before I learned to restrain the gift, I still didn't like to use it even now when I could limit what to see and what not to. But this boy, he drew my attention immediately.
First thing I noticed on him was his face, that frown and pain in it. I saw it on lot of people's face but this one was more... deep. I tried to ignore him but those thoughts in his head were leaking, leaking out and taking over his mind. I sensed it even from far even without having to use my ability. His heart was clearly pleading for help, crying out for a way to forget about all of those 'things' that happened in past. I couldn't help it but hear it all.
Help me
His unsaid wish pierced my heart and I started to lose control. I wanted to know what made him feel so grievously so I peeked, just a little.
It was my fault Aiharu is dead
Was the first thing I found in his head. So much blame was hid in this sentence. I had to know more, understand and help. I had to!
I loved her. Aiharu was my most precious one. She gave me name. She gave me birthdays. She gave me all I could ever dream of. Love. Care. Joy. Happiness. Feelings.
I first looked who this 'Aiharu' was.
Then, I watched their happy and love-filled live together.
And then witnessed her death.
I was the reason she was gone.
I was the one who killed her.
I was the cause of this.
I was a monster.
I pitied him, felt sad for him, but saw through one thing. And it was also the most important one. It was something that the woman said while leaving this world, something that had to describe what she felt all this time. Her last words.
unfortunately he didn't hear them properly, his mind was too blurred and frustrated to perceive anything from the outer world, the only thing he knew was that his Aiharu was dying. And then he was influenced by them. By those bastards!
I returned my gaze at the glass orb that enabled me to see them. I guess they didn't realize that I didn't really sent them to the past, just their... how to say it, mind? Prehaps. Anyway, their bodies were still here, laying on the ground. The ones I was watching were something like ghosts, unable to be touched or seen.
I just stayed still, eyes fixed on the round thing and thinking... Those were the only things I was capable of right now. Sending them into past alone would already be very tiring, but this past belonged to a different word, it was about twice more exhausting than normally. But I decided to do it, not just because the rules of game (if it was the reason, I would just split it all and send them to hell), I did it for that hopeless brat.
I was lost in thoughts for quite a long time. In that word, it was already dawn but those little kids were still standing on the same place. All of them were desperate, I saw it in their face. I knew very well what they were thinking... I bet they were cursing me for sending them into that place, right? Well, if it was me there, I would also do so since that Izayoi boy was white like sheet and shaking like a leaf.
But I would be happier if they just thought I was such a sadist to make that kid go through his painful past again. Why? Of course, my pride and reputation didn't let me show any feelings like pity, sympathy or anything similar. Pff, it would be so embarrassing if anyone heard something about that witch Serene to helping a pathetic problem child. Yeah, very embarrassing for me! But I wasn't an emotionless hag to ignore it either!
I looked at Sakamaki Izaoyi who was still in shock. I trusted him, I believed he would compose himself and face it. I gave him a day, one day to prepare himself.
If I would just say it, it would be meaningless, Sakamaki Izayoi. I put a lot of effort so that you would find way to be freed from that sorrow, now it all depends on you whether you choose to cope with it or run and hide... I know you can win in this battle, that is why I'm doing this. Don't disappoint me, don't let yourself be consumed by those memories. Don't think that Aiharu would say that to you, her priceless child.
So open those violet eyes, uncover your sharp ears and listen to what she really did say. Comprehend her feelings. Save yourself, liberate from that burden and live in present, because... that's what you really deserve.
I know, I know. It's too short! But I swear to god that I did my best! I really did, trust me! I hope you will continue on reading this (horrible) fanfiction story. See you again!