Weiss Kreuz Fan Fiction ❯ Kuroi ~ Shiroi ❯ a new crisis ( Chapter 5 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: PikaChan 
Omi and Akari have a little heart-to-heart. Eiki reminisces, but winds up getting captured by Schabön, who want to use her in their latest plan...
Anime/Manga: Weiss Kreuz Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action | Type: Self Insertion | Uploaded On: 08.21.2002 | Updated On: 08.21.2002 | Pages: 5 | Words: 4.1K | Visits: 225 | Status: Completed
Omi and Akari have a little heart-to-heart. Eiki reminisces, but winds up getting captured by Schabön, who want to use her in their latest plan...
Anime/Manga: Weiss Kreuz Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action | Type: Self Insertion | Uploaded On: 08.21.2002 | Updated On: 08.21.2002 | Pages: 5 | Words: 4.1K | Visits: 225 | Status: Completed
- chapter 5 -
Akari lay awake in bed again that night, the pillow wet from her tears. *Ryu... why did you have to leave me? Why did this have to happen...?* She buried her face in the pillow, letting out a sob. *I need you...*
A shadowed figure stood in the doorway, watching her try to sleep. *Akari...*
The raven-haired girl was unaware of the person's prescence, until she felt a hand touch her arm.
"Akari, I know you're awake... and you probably don't want to talk to me right now..." It was Omi. "You don't have to talk. Just listen... I'm really sorry about what happened tonight. If I had known that Ryu was there... God, I feel really stupid now. I told you that he would be alright..." He gently squeezed her arm. "I'm so sorry... I... I'll understand if you hate me."
"I don't hate you," Akari mumbled, her face still buried in the pillow. She turned her head to look at him. Her eyes were red from crying. "It wasn't your fault that my brother was killed."
"I feel like it is, though... I mean, I said that he'd be okay, and look..." Omi looked away from her.
Akari pushed herself up on her elbows. "Really, it's okay..." She had to use all of the willpower she could summon to keep from crying again. "If anyone, Swordfish is to blame..." She gave him a sad smile. "It wasn't you..."
"Akari... you can't be over it already. Your brother..."
Akari sat still for a moment, then fell back down on her stomach. She released another sob. "I'm not..." Omi sighed, and rubbed her back. "He was the most important person in my life... Omi, I can't take this. I just can't..." Tears began falling down her face again. She buried her face in the pillow.
Omi looked at her clenched fist. He took it in his hands, gently unfolding it. In the palm of her hand was a ring with a round emerald set in the center of it. He read the tiny print along the side of it.
*Nagareboshi Ryu -- Class of 1996. To my dear sister, Akari: I will always be with you.*
"He gave you this ring, didn't he...?" Omi asked.
Akari lifted her head from the pillow and nodded somberly. "Yes..." Omi closed her hand back into a fist, and held it for a few moments. She sat up, looking at him. She then looked out the window, sighing. She got up, walking to the window, and leaning against it. She was looking at the sky. "Okaasan used to tell me, before she was killed... whenever a person dies, their spirit forms a new star in the sky. Sounds kinda dumb, ne? Yet... I always took it seriously. I still, sometimes, just sit and talk to the stars, like they were my own family." She smiled slightly. "And sometimes... I think they talk back."
She turned around and looked at Omi. Tears were in the corners of her eyes. "Oh well... there's nothing I can do about Ryu now. His own star... it sounds silly, doesn't it?"
Omi said nothing, and stood up. Akari thought he was about to walk out of the room. Instead, he walked up to her, placing his hands on her shoulders. "It doesn't sound silly at all." He smiled. "That's what I like about you, Aka-chan," he blushed slightly, "you have a good heart. And an insane imagination."
Akari looked at the ground. "Heh... I guess that was a compliment, ne? ..."
Omi placed his hand under her chin, lifting her head back up. "That was my intention." He leaned over and briefly brushed her cheek with his lips. Akari felt her face begin to burn. Omi looked at her, smiling brightly. "I'll let ya get some sleep now, 'kay?"
Akari blinked, suddenly feeling very warm. "Uh... okay..."
Omi let go of her shoulder and walked to the door. "Oyasumi." He left, shutting the door quietly.
Akari touched her face where he had kissed her. Suddenly, it seemed like everything she had done had been worthwhile. Her mind was reeling as she climbed back into bed. *Ryu... you were right. I'm not alone...* She finally fell asleep, dreaming of the stars.
*********************************************************** **********
Akari wasn't the only person who had been depressed that night. Flipping her long lavender braid over her shoulder, Nusutto Eiki looked at the semi-clouded sky. "I really should get some sleep... but that's the last thing I want to do right now."
She tore her eyes away from the stars, wrapping her trenchcoat closer around her. It was awfully cold for a summer night. "Ran..."
Her mind was reeling, full of thoughts from her past. She gave up on trying to sleep, and withdrew a small notebook and a pencil from her trenchcoat, propping herself up against the cold brick wall.
*June 16, 1997... Nusutto Eiki,* she wrote.
*I'm reminiscing again. Me, Nusutto Eiki, the Velvet Warrior, reminiscing. Of all things. But... I've been thinking about him a lot lately. Maybe if I just spill my thoughts onto this paper...
Crashers Knight and Ran. An inseperable pair, no doubt. (Author's Note: I'm a little hazy on the Crashers thing... -.-; If you have any info on it, other than it being a spinoff of WK, e-mail me please.) Named after chess pieces. Heh.
Ran...
He goes by Aya now. I don't know why, and I ain't about to ask. How do I know him? Long story, actually... Knight and Ran, on one of their little 'missions'... I was a bigger criminal at the time, the mission was to bring me down. I wasn't scared. I knew I wouldn't die. So... Knight and Ran. Two versus one, two guys and a girl. Despite my being younger at the time, I was still a decent fighter.
We fought a bit, I nailed Knight hard with one of my knives. One down. 'Twas me and Ran now... Sword versus knives, it was hard to tell which was better.
Our fight spanned several city blocks, and came to stop at a ... hell, I don't know. The next thing I knew, Ran had jabbed his sword into something, causing the wall to cave in. I guess we had wandered into a cave in the forest surrounding the city. I do know, however, we were both tired of fighting.
So we just sat there. I guess Ran was bored or something, 'cause he asked me why I was so bent on stealing from people. I didn't really feel like telling him my life story, but I did anyway. I was surprised to see him listening so intently. We just kept on talking, telling about our pasts... it was well into the night before we actually got tired enough to sleep. So yeah... we woke up to bright light. Turns out that Knight had found us, and had been digging away at the rocks and stuff that had blocked the entrance of the cave. He started to attack me, but...
Ran stopped him. I don't know why, he just did. He said that I was a... good guy. Yech. Things are a little fuzzy after that... I remember travelling with them, and getting... well, close to Ran. We were chums, hehe. But... he kept talking about the time when his sister, Aya, got hit by a car. He got bent out of shape over it, and just... I guess he needed the money from being a party crasher to pay for her hospital bills.
... Now that I think about it... I get it now, he changed his name to Aya because of his love for his sister! However... he became cold, and left the Crashers. I asked him why, but he never answered me. So... we parted ways. I moved to a different city to steal from, and he joined Weiß.
But... I think of him now, and... he's softened up, a little. It's gotta be that Nagareboshi kid. I guess she's the kind of person who has a positive effect on people. But this isn't about Akari, it's about Ran. I don't think I'll ever be that close to him, as I was when he was a Crasher, again.*
Eiki stopped writing, and looked up at the sky again. It had begun to rain. *Damn,* she thought. She stuffed the notebook and pencil back into her trenchcoat, and wrapped it tightly around her again. It was going to be a long night.
She thought about what had happened back then, and shook her head... it was hopeless. She'd just continue to be a distant friend to Aya/Ran.
For the first time in a very long time, Nusutto Eiki cried.
The next thing she knew, it was morning. She barely cracked her eyes open, just as a runaway newspaper hit her in the nose.
"Ow! Damnit..." She sprang up, holding her hand to her nose, which had begun to bleed slightly. She looked at the newspaper, feeling like ripping it to shreds. But she took one look at the headline.
*Tragedy at Comic-Con*
Eiki disregarded it, but one word caught her eye.
Nagareboshi.
She subconsciously began to read the article.
*Last night, fun turned into disaster as a fight broke out between two convention-goers at the Tokyo Annual Comic-Con in the Reishin Convention Center. Spectators say that the two adversaries pulled weapons on each other, yet the male grabbed the arm of a bystander, just as a stray arrow would have hit him in the back. The victim was later revealed to be Nagareboshi Ryu, a sophomore at Osaka Grand College.
Nobody knows where the arrow came from. We are trying to get in contact with the victim's sister, Nagareboshi Akari... an employee at the Koneko no Sume Ie. She, being his only known living relative, may be able to provide us with more information.*
"Holy..." Eiki dropped the newspaper.
******************************************************* *************
A dark aura seemed to loom around Akari that afternoon. She kept her distance from everyone to the best of her ability.
The usual crowd of girls looked at Akari sadly. "Did you hear about what happened?"
"Yeah, I read it in the paper. Her brother..."
"Shh, don't talk about it! She's already upset about it!"
"Poor girl..."
Akari couldn't block out the random comments from the girls, no matter how hard she tried. It was hard enough just keeping her eyes open; the tears welling up in her eyes only made it worse. She looked down at the ground while she swept, a lonely tear dropping to the ground, like the rain that fell outside.
And then, the Koneko no Sume Ie grew even more crowded than it already was.
Ken blinked. "... What. Just. Happened?"
What was once an empty little circle around Akari was now filled by a crowd of ... boys.
"Yo, Akari, I heard about what happened!"
"Who hasn't?"
"Wow, that really sucks!"
Aya groaned. "Are any of you actually going to buy something?"
A couple of boys crowded at the counter, holding pots of flowers that had randomly been picked up. "I'd like to buy these as a cheer-up present for Akari!"
Youji peered at the flowers that the boys were holding. "Horseshoe geranium? Not a very wise gift for a lady," he said.
"..Why not?"
"Horseshoe geraniums mean stupidity," Omi said, "which would be perfect for you guys if you decided to give those to Akari. Try again."
The two guys sweatdropped and picked up a few different flowers.
"Hellebore? Nope. You don't want to say mean things." More different ones. "Orange lily? Bad idea."
Omi and the two guys continued this until Akari's voice broke the conflict. "Really, it's okay. I appreciate the gesture, but... I'm fine." She smiled slightly, looking rather tired.
"Well okay, Akari, if you're fine..."
"We're just tryin' to help, yanno..."
"Yeah, don't want ya to be all depressed and stuff..."
Akari tuned out all of the remarks from the boys (and everyone else), leaving her alone with her thoughts.
******************************************************** ************
That night was quiet.
Too quiet.
So quiet, the silence was deafening.
Nobody heard the six assassins lurking outside.
... Until Akari's bedroom window was smashed in.
Akari's eyes opened widely. She clutched the blanket to her, hearing the members of Schabön file into the room.
She felt the blanket being ripped away from the bed, and she turned to look at the group.
"Sleeping like a little baby, eh?" came Manta's voice from the darkness.
Akari backed up against the headboard, unable to make a sound, much less open her mouth and scream. She shut her eyes tightly, as the six assassins advanced on her, weapons drawn. Everything went black...
... Omi shot up in bed, back straight as a ramrod, upon being awakened from the piercing scream that filled the rooms and hallways. *What the hell?* He stood up, sliding a pair of slippers on his feet. *It came... from Akari's room!* His steady walk broke into a run as he burst into Akari's room without thinking, afraid of what he might see.
Akari wasn't in the bed; Omi's eyes scanned the room, his breathing growing quicker. He finally spotted her, curled up in a corner of the room, a blanket wrapped tightly around her. She was quietly sobbing to herself.
"Akari!" Omi quickly rushed over to her, kneeling down and taking her by the wrists. "What happened? Are you okay?" His face turned a little pink when Akari wrapped her arms around his shoulders, burying her face in his neck.
"My GOD... It... it was awful! Schabön... they broke in, and..." Akari said quietly, clutching at Omi's shirt.
Blushing, Omi pulled her away from him a little, his hands on either side of her face. "Akari, it was just a dream..." He brushed her face with his thumb, in an attempt to calm the shaking girl down.
"It seemed so real..." Akari sighed, resting her head on his shoulder again.
Suddenly, two more shadows appeared in the doorway. "Woah, what happened here?" Ken's voice said.
Omi turned his head. Ken and Youji were standing in the doorway. Youji looked at Omi oddly. "... Whaaaaat'd ya do to her?" he asked. He had an irritated tone in his voice. That was understandable, since they had been awakened by a scream that could shatter glass if it was loud enough.
Omi's face turned bright pink. "Nothing! She just had a nightmare, that's all..."
Youji grinned. "Uh huh, sure."
Ken blinked. "Is she okay?" he asked.
"Just a little scared..." Omi said.
"Heh..." Youji rubbed his chin. "Yeah, okay. I believe ya." He clapped his hand on Ken's shoulder. "C'mon, Kenken. Let's leave these little lovebirds alone." He pulled Ken out of the room and shut the door.
And locked it.
Omi stared blankly. "I worry about him..." He turned back to Akari. She was asleep, her face buried in his neck. He couldn't help but feel sorry for the girl, she had been through a lot, and still tried to live normally. *All of this must really be wearing her out...* He put one arm under her knees, the other around her shoulders, and began to stand up.
No such luck. His legs had gone completely numb.
*Damnit. ..oh well. I guess I could just sit here for a while...* Omi leaned against the wall, watching Akari sleep. His face flushed a little, the way the moonlight was hitting her face made it seem as if she was glowing.
He really didn't mind sitting there, holding her. She moved around a little, as if she was settling down into his embrace; Omi couldn't help but smile slightly.
Reaching up to her face, he brushed a few stray hairs away from her eyes. He looked at her for a few moments, before leaning down and lightly kissing her forehead. Feeling a bit sleepy, he rested his cheek against her forehead, and closed his eyes.
He didn't see the light smile that had found its way onto Akari's face.
************************************************************ *********
"So... what's the next plan?" Hata asked, fidgeting in his seat.
"We're just going to have to wait, for now..." Arashi said, folding his arms across his chest. "We've been attacking so much lately, it's almost become routine. And we don't want that..."
"Say... where th' bloody 'ell is Mei-san?" Soui asked, blinking her good eye a few times.
The room fell silent. Nobody knew.
"I'm right here," a voice came from the door. Mei walked in and sat down at the small round table. "Gomen, sorry for being late. I was ... talking with one of my contacts ..."
"No time for excuses, Retsukari. We here've been trying to come up with some sort of plan for getting rid of Weiß ..." Ryoku said, brushing the lock of blue hair out of his face.
"Funny you should mention that, Ryoku... I seem to have come up with what seems to be the best plan yet..." An evil grin spread across Mei's face as she remembered what the psychic had told her.
[flashback]
"It may not be any of my business, but..." Naoe Nagi began, "I know you and the rest of Schabön have been trying to do away with Weiß, as we have."
"Hai, Nagi-san... what about it?" Mei asked, looking at the brown-haired boy as the two of them walked through an alley.
"Well... it turns out that they have a very powerful ally. She moves the streets like a lioness, using her collection of knives like great claws. And the braid... it follows her every movement, as a young cub would do."
Nagi's words painted a vivid picture in the azure-haired girl's mind. "The bandit..." she muttered.
Her companion nodded. "And..."
"Maybe if we can get her on our side, then our chances of slaying Weiß are extremely high..." Mei looked wistful for a moment, but it quickly faded. "... But how will we get her on our side? There's no way she'll part with them. Nagi-san, what do I do?"
Nagi looked at the ground. "You'll just have to find that out on your own, Mei-san. Crawford has forbidden me to help you do away with Weiß, and he's psychic so of course he'll find out ..." He sighed.
"Oh." Mei pondered for a moment. "Wait ... I think I may have something. Maybe... maybe if we take her hostage, and have the ransom be Weiß, instead of money..."
Nagi grinned and nodded his head again.
Mei showed one of her rare smiles. She turned to face him, and placed her hands on his shoulders. "Arigatou, Nagi-san."
Nagi's face showed a little embarrassment as Mei did this. "Uh, no problem..." For the first time in a while, Naoe Nagi was at a loss for words.
Mei giggled a little and ran off.
He watched her retreating back. For some reason, he didn't want to take his eyes away.
[end flashback]
"Yes..." Mei muttered to herself.
********************************************************* **********
"Tch."
Eiki looked down at the newspaper. "Why should I care about that little... Geez, I'm not a *feelings* person. I'm a ruthless bandit!" Eiki clenched her fist and squeezed her eyes shut. Her fist involuntarily came up and forward, punching the brick wall of the alley.
She clutched her fist, a pained expression crossing her face. "Shimatte..."
Eiki suddenly became aware of footsteps behind her, and whirled around.
"Well WELL. If it isn't the infamous Velvet Warrior..." A figure was silhouetted in the light. One with hair that stood up in spikes.
"Manta..." Eiki narrowed her eyes. "What the hell do you want?"
"I have come to ask a favour of you..." His face was now lit up by the street lamps shining into the alley.
"Okay then, let's hear it." The lilac-haired girl crossed her arms. "This had better be good."
"I have a business proposition for you," Manta said. His eyes trailed to a spot above her, where a shadowed figure came down upon her.
The last thing she felt before blacking out was a jab to the back of the neck.
Eiki finally came to a few hours later. Her first conscious thought was the fact that her head hurt. BAD. "Ow... damnit..." She started to reach with her arm up to rub her forehead, but for some reason she couldn't move it.
"The hell?" There was feeling in her arms (one of them, anyway), however she felt something binding her wrists together. "..."
"Something the matter, Nusutto-san?" a voice asked her. Eiki's mind was a little fuzzy, but she could definitely tell it was Manta.
"What the hell is this? You said something about a business proposition, not an abduction!" she spat angrily. She started to fish around for one of her knives, but not only were her hands tied, her trenchcoat was nowhere to be found. "Damn..."
"So... about that little busness proposition..."
"I was wondering when you'd get to that, ass."
"My friend, you have two choices. One, you can join us, and not have to steal your way through life anymore." Manta sneered. "Or two..."
A shadowed figure quickly ran up to him and whispered in his ear. "Ah... even better..."
Eiki glared at the redhead. *What the hell is he planning now?*
"Now, where was I...? Ah, yes. Seems like we've had a change of plans, ne? So. You can join us, and help us get rid of Weiß, or... you can die. Your call."
Eiki's eyes opened wide. "... You bastard..."
"Well, what's it going to be, Nusutto-san?" Manta crossed his arms over his chest.
She looked down at the ground. "I... I don't CARE what happens to me... just... if you hurt Ran, I'll... I'll kill you!"
Manta blinked. "Ran?" He then smirked. "Ah, Abyssinian..." He motioned the shadowed person back, and whispered in his ear. He then turned back to Eiki, taking out a pen and a piece of paper.
She felt a pair of hands around her own; they were being unbound. "Finally..." She shook her wrists violently, attempting to get the feeling back in them.
Manta shoved the pen and paper into her hands. "Write."
Eiki blinked. "Write what?"
"Repeat after me..." He cleared his throat, then continued. "Ran... Meet me on the rooftops of the convention center at sundown tonight. Bring the rest of Weiß with you. Signed, Eiki."
"What?! What the hell are you-"
"WRITE."
Eiki felt a sharp poke in the back. She turned around to see Swordfish, his javelin in hand. "Alright already!" She began writing down what he had told her. She didn't notice the tears that had begun rolling down her face.
"Ah, done?" Eiki nodded, and Manta picked up the paper, which had the note scrawled acorss it in sloppy katakana. "Tch, your handwriting needs some work... but it'll do. Now," he folded it up and poked her in the nose with it, "all we have to to is get this thing to your little Ran-kun tomorrow, and we should be all set."
Eiki snorted, then turned away from the leader of Schabön. She closed her eyes, afraid to think about what would happen the next day.
************************************************************* ********
The next morning brought stress for some of the customers in the Koneko. The five workers were acting quite oddly.
"Uh... Akari?" a boy from the crowd muttered. Strangely, Akari was quite happy. She hummed to herself as she picked up the broom and began her usual sweeping routine.
"Hmmhmhm... yeees?" There was a tone of cheer in her voice.
Other members of Weiß were ... not so sociable. Omi attempted to stifle a huge yawn as he watered some tulips. A sleepy expression was plastered on his face. Several of the girls wondered what he had been doing the night before.
"Heh," Youji said. "Methinks Omi's been up all night lookin' at-"
Ken slapped his hand over Youji's mouth. "Enough said."
"Mmm mph mff hmm mm fmm hm."
Aya, being the ever-so-silent one, seemed no different from his usual 'if-you're-not-buying-anything-then-get-the-hell-out' self. Except...
Something didn't feel right.
It was then that the door burst open. A hooded figure quickly dashed in, handed an envelope to Aya, and ran back out.
The entire Koneko grew silent as Aya blinked and opened the envelope. He read it to himself, then his expression turned from one of indifference to one of confusion.
Akari lay awake in bed again that night, the pillow wet from her tears. *Ryu... why did you have to leave me? Why did this have to happen...?* She buried her face in the pillow, letting out a sob. *I need you...*
A shadowed figure stood in the doorway, watching her try to sleep. *Akari...*
The raven-haired girl was unaware of the person's prescence, until she felt a hand touch her arm.
"Akari, I know you're awake... and you probably don't want to talk to me right now..." It was Omi. "You don't have to talk. Just listen... I'm really sorry about what happened tonight. If I had known that Ryu was there... God, I feel really stupid now. I told you that he would be alright..." He gently squeezed her arm. "I'm so sorry... I... I'll understand if you hate me."
"I don't hate you," Akari mumbled, her face still buried in the pillow. She turned her head to look at him. Her eyes were red from crying. "It wasn't your fault that my brother was killed."
"I feel like it is, though... I mean, I said that he'd be okay, and look..." Omi looked away from her.
Akari pushed herself up on her elbows. "Really, it's okay..." She had to use all of the willpower she could summon to keep from crying again. "If anyone, Swordfish is to blame..." She gave him a sad smile. "It wasn't you..."
"Akari... you can't be over it already. Your brother..."
Akari sat still for a moment, then fell back down on her stomach. She released another sob. "I'm not..." Omi sighed, and rubbed her back. "He was the most important person in my life... Omi, I can't take this. I just can't..." Tears began falling down her face again. She buried her face in the pillow.
Omi looked at her clenched fist. He took it in his hands, gently unfolding it. In the palm of her hand was a ring with a round emerald set in the center of it. He read the tiny print along the side of it.
*Nagareboshi Ryu -- Class of 1996. To my dear sister, Akari: I will always be with you.*
"He gave you this ring, didn't he...?" Omi asked.
Akari lifted her head from the pillow and nodded somberly. "Yes..." Omi closed her hand back into a fist, and held it for a few moments. She sat up, looking at him. She then looked out the window, sighing. She got up, walking to the window, and leaning against it. She was looking at the sky. "Okaasan used to tell me, before she was killed... whenever a person dies, their spirit forms a new star in the sky. Sounds kinda dumb, ne? Yet... I always took it seriously. I still, sometimes, just sit and talk to the stars, like they were my own family." She smiled slightly. "And sometimes... I think they talk back."
She turned around and looked at Omi. Tears were in the corners of her eyes. "Oh well... there's nothing I can do about Ryu now. His own star... it sounds silly, doesn't it?"
Omi said nothing, and stood up. Akari thought he was about to walk out of the room. Instead, he walked up to her, placing his hands on her shoulders. "It doesn't sound silly at all." He smiled. "That's what I like about you, Aka-chan," he blushed slightly, "you have a good heart. And an insane imagination."
Akari looked at the ground. "Heh... I guess that was a compliment, ne? ..."
Omi placed his hand under her chin, lifting her head back up. "That was my intention." He leaned over and briefly brushed her cheek with his lips. Akari felt her face begin to burn. Omi looked at her, smiling brightly. "I'll let ya get some sleep now, 'kay?"
Akari blinked, suddenly feeling very warm. "Uh... okay..."
Omi let go of her shoulder and walked to the door. "Oyasumi." He left, shutting the door quietly.
Akari touched her face where he had kissed her. Suddenly, it seemed like everything she had done had been worthwhile. Her mind was reeling as she climbed back into bed. *Ryu... you were right. I'm not alone...* She finally fell asleep, dreaming of the stars.
*********************************************************** **********
Akari wasn't the only person who had been depressed that night. Flipping her long lavender braid over her shoulder, Nusutto Eiki looked at the semi-clouded sky. "I really should get some sleep... but that's the last thing I want to do right now."
She tore her eyes away from the stars, wrapping her trenchcoat closer around her. It was awfully cold for a summer night. "Ran..."
Her mind was reeling, full of thoughts from her past. She gave up on trying to sleep, and withdrew a small notebook and a pencil from her trenchcoat, propping herself up against the cold brick wall.
*June 16, 1997... Nusutto Eiki,* she wrote.
*I'm reminiscing again. Me, Nusutto Eiki, the Velvet Warrior, reminiscing. Of all things. But... I've been thinking about him a lot lately. Maybe if I just spill my thoughts onto this paper...
Crashers Knight and Ran. An inseperable pair, no doubt. (Author's Note: I'm a little hazy on the Crashers thing... -.-; If you have any info on it, other than it being a spinoff of WK, e-mail me please.) Named after chess pieces. Heh.
Ran...
He goes by Aya now. I don't know why, and I ain't about to ask. How do I know him? Long story, actually... Knight and Ran, on one of their little 'missions'... I was a bigger criminal at the time, the mission was to bring me down. I wasn't scared. I knew I wouldn't die. So... Knight and Ran. Two versus one, two guys and a girl. Despite my being younger at the time, I was still a decent fighter.
We fought a bit, I nailed Knight hard with one of my knives. One down. 'Twas me and Ran now... Sword versus knives, it was hard to tell which was better.
Our fight spanned several city blocks, and came to stop at a ... hell, I don't know. The next thing I knew, Ran had jabbed his sword into something, causing the wall to cave in. I guess we had wandered into a cave in the forest surrounding the city. I do know, however, we were both tired of fighting.
So we just sat there. I guess Ran was bored or something, 'cause he asked me why I was so bent on stealing from people. I didn't really feel like telling him my life story, but I did anyway. I was surprised to see him listening so intently. We just kept on talking, telling about our pasts... it was well into the night before we actually got tired enough to sleep. So yeah... we woke up to bright light. Turns out that Knight had found us, and had been digging away at the rocks and stuff that had blocked the entrance of the cave. He started to attack me, but...
Ran stopped him. I don't know why, he just did. He said that I was a... good guy. Yech. Things are a little fuzzy after that... I remember travelling with them, and getting... well, close to Ran. We were chums, hehe. But... he kept talking about the time when his sister, Aya, got hit by a car. He got bent out of shape over it, and just... I guess he needed the money from being a party crasher to pay for her hospital bills.
... Now that I think about it... I get it now, he changed his name to Aya because of his love for his sister! However... he became cold, and left the Crashers. I asked him why, but he never answered me. So... we parted ways. I moved to a different city to steal from, and he joined Weiß.
But... I think of him now, and... he's softened up, a little. It's gotta be that Nagareboshi kid. I guess she's the kind of person who has a positive effect on people. But this isn't about Akari, it's about Ran. I don't think I'll ever be that close to him, as I was when he was a Crasher, again.*
Eiki stopped writing, and looked up at the sky again. It had begun to rain. *Damn,* she thought. She stuffed the notebook and pencil back into her trenchcoat, and wrapped it tightly around her again. It was going to be a long night.
She thought about what had happened back then, and shook her head... it was hopeless. She'd just continue to be a distant friend to Aya/Ran.
For the first time in a very long time, Nusutto Eiki cried.
The next thing she knew, it was morning. She barely cracked her eyes open, just as a runaway newspaper hit her in the nose.
"Ow! Damnit..." She sprang up, holding her hand to her nose, which had begun to bleed slightly. She looked at the newspaper, feeling like ripping it to shreds. But she took one look at the headline.
*Tragedy at Comic-Con*
Eiki disregarded it, but one word caught her eye.
Nagareboshi.
She subconsciously began to read the article.
*Last night, fun turned into disaster as a fight broke out between two convention-goers at the Tokyo Annual Comic-Con in the Reishin Convention Center. Spectators say that the two adversaries pulled weapons on each other, yet the male grabbed the arm of a bystander, just as a stray arrow would have hit him in the back. The victim was later revealed to be Nagareboshi Ryu, a sophomore at Osaka Grand College.
Nobody knows where the arrow came from. We are trying to get in contact with the victim's sister, Nagareboshi Akari... an employee at the Koneko no Sume Ie. She, being his only known living relative, may be able to provide us with more information.*
"Holy..." Eiki dropped the newspaper.
******************************************************* *************
A dark aura seemed to loom around Akari that afternoon. She kept her distance from everyone to the best of her ability.
The usual crowd of girls looked at Akari sadly. "Did you hear about what happened?"
"Yeah, I read it in the paper. Her brother..."
"Shh, don't talk about it! She's already upset about it!"
"Poor girl..."
Akari couldn't block out the random comments from the girls, no matter how hard she tried. It was hard enough just keeping her eyes open; the tears welling up in her eyes only made it worse. She looked down at the ground while she swept, a lonely tear dropping to the ground, like the rain that fell outside.
And then, the Koneko no Sume Ie grew even more crowded than it already was.
Ken blinked. "... What. Just. Happened?"
What was once an empty little circle around Akari was now filled by a crowd of ... boys.
"Yo, Akari, I heard about what happened!"
"Who hasn't?"
"Wow, that really sucks!"
Aya groaned. "Are any of you actually going to buy something?"
A couple of boys crowded at the counter, holding pots of flowers that had randomly been picked up. "I'd like to buy these as a cheer-up present for Akari!"
Youji peered at the flowers that the boys were holding. "Horseshoe geranium? Not a very wise gift for a lady," he said.
"..Why not?"
"Horseshoe geraniums mean stupidity," Omi said, "which would be perfect for you guys if you decided to give those to Akari. Try again."
The two guys sweatdropped and picked up a few different flowers.
"Hellebore? Nope. You don't want to say mean things." More different ones. "Orange lily? Bad idea."
Omi and the two guys continued this until Akari's voice broke the conflict. "Really, it's okay. I appreciate the gesture, but... I'm fine." She smiled slightly, looking rather tired.
"Well okay, Akari, if you're fine..."
"We're just tryin' to help, yanno..."
"Yeah, don't want ya to be all depressed and stuff..."
Akari tuned out all of the remarks from the boys (and everyone else), leaving her alone with her thoughts.
******************************************************** ************
That night was quiet.
Too quiet.
So quiet, the silence was deafening.
Nobody heard the six assassins lurking outside.
... Until Akari's bedroom window was smashed in.
Akari's eyes opened widely. She clutched the blanket to her, hearing the members of Schabön file into the room.
She felt the blanket being ripped away from the bed, and she turned to look at the group.
"Sleeping like a little baby, eh?" came Manta's voice from the darkness.
Akari backed up against the headboard, unable to make a sound, much less open her mouth and scream. She shut her eyes tightly, as the six assassins advanced on her, weapons drawn. Everything went black...
... Omi shot up in bed, back straight as a ramrod, upon being awakened from the piercing scream that filled the rooms and hallways. *What the hell?* He stood up, sliding a pair of slippers on his feet. *It came... from Akari's room!* His steady walk broke into a run as he burst into Akari's room without thinking, afraid of what he might see.
Akari wasn't in the bed; Omi's eyes scanned the room, his breathing growing quicker. He finally spotted her, curled up in a corner of the room, a blanket wrapped tightly around her. She was quietly sobbing to herself.
"Akari!" Omi quickly rushed over to her, kneeling down and taking her by the wrists. "What happened? Are you okay?" His face turned a little pink when Akari wrapped her arms around his shoulders, burying her face in his neck.
"My GOD... It... it was awful! Schabön... they broke in, and..." Akari said quietly, clutching at Omi's shirt.
Blushing, Omi pulled her away from him a little, his hands on either side of her face. "Akari, it was just a dream..." He brushed her face with his thumb, in an attempt to calm the shaking girl down.
"It seemed so real..." Akari sighed, resting her head on his shoulder again.
Suddenly, two more shadows appeared in the doorway. "Woah, what happened here?" Ken's voice said.
Omi turned his head. Ken and Youji were standing in the doorway. Youji looked at Omi oddly. "... Whaaaaat'd ya do to her?" he asked. He had an irritated tone in his voice. That was understandable, since they had been awakened by a scream that could shatter glass if it was loud enough.
Omi's face turned bright pink. "Nothing! She just had a nightmare, that's all..."
Youji grinned. "Uh huh, sure."
Ken blinked. "Is she okay?" he asked.
"Just a little scared..." Omi said.
"Heh..." Youji rubbed his chin. "Yeah, okay. I believe ya." He clapped his hand on Ken's shoulder. "C'mon, Kenken. Let's leave these little lovebirds alone." He pulled Ken out of the room and shut the door.
And locked it.
Omi stared blankly. "I worry about him..." He turned back to Akari. She was asleep, her face buried in his neck. He couldn't help but feel sorry for the girl, she had been through a lot, and still tried to live normally. *All of this must really be wearing her out...* He put one arm under her knees, the other around her shoulders, and began to stand up.
No such luck. His legs had gone completely numb.
*Damnit. ..oh well. I guess I could just sit here for a while...* Omi leaned against the wall, watching Akari sleep. His face flushed a little, the way the moonlight was hitting her face made it seem as if she was glowing.
He really didn't mind sitting there, holding her. She moved around a little, as if she was settling down into his embrace; Omi couldn't help but smile slightly.
Reaching up to her face, he brushed a few stray hairs away from her eyes. He looked at her for a few moments, before leaning down and lightly kissing her forehead. Feeling a bit sleepy, he rested his cheek against her forehead, and closed his eyes.
He didn't see the light smile that had found its way onto Akari's face.
************************************************************ *********
"So... what's the next plan?" Hata asked, fidgeting in his seat.
"We're just going to have to wait, for now..." Arashi said, folding his arms across his chest. "We've been attacking so much lately, it's almost become routine. And we don't want that..."
"Say... where th' bloody 'ell is Mei-san?" Soui asked, blinking her good eye a few times.
The room fell silent. Nobody knew.
"I'm right here," a voice came from the door. Mei walked in and sat down at the small round table. "Gomen, sorry for being late. I was ... talking with one of my contacts ..."
"No time for excuses, Retsukari. We here've been trying to come up with some sort of plan for getting rid of Weiß ..." Ryoku said, brushing the lock of blue hair out of his face.
"Funny you should mention that, Ryoku... I seem to have come up with what seems to be the best plan yet..." An evil grin spread across Mei's face as she remembered what the psychic had told her.
[flashback]
"It may not be any of my business, but..." Naoe Nagi began, "I know you and the rest of Schabön have been trying to do away with Weiß, as we have."
"Hai, Nagi-san... what about it?" Mei asked, looking at the brown-haired boy as the two of them walked through an alley.
"Well... it turns out that they have a very powerful ally. She moves the streets like a lioness, using her collection of knives like great claws. And the braid... it follows her every movement, as a young cub would do."
Nagi's words painted a vivid picture in the azure-haired girl's mind. "The bandit..." she muttered.
Her companion nodded. "And..."
"Maybe if we can get her on our side, then our chances of slaying Weiß are extremely high..." Mei looked wistful for a moment, but it quickly faded. "... But how will we get her on our side? There's no way she'll part with them. Nagi-san, what do I do?"
Nagi looked at the ground. "You'll just have to find that out on your own, Mei-san. Crawford has forbidden me to help you do away with Weiß, and he's psychic so of course he'll find out ..." He sighed.
"Oh." Mei pondered for a moment. "Wait ... I think I may have something. Maybe... maybe if we take her hostage, and have the ransom be Weiß, instead of money..."
Nagi grinned and nodded his head again.
Mei showed one of her rare smiles. She turned to face him, and placed her hands on his shoulders. "Arigatou, Nagi-san."
Nagi's face showed a little embarrassment as Mei did this. "Uh, no problem..." For the first time in a while, Naoe Nagi was at a loss for words.
Mei giggled a little and ran off.
He watched her retreating back. For some reason, he didn't want to take his eyes away.
[end flashback]
"Yes..." Mei muttered to herself.
********************************************************* **********
"Tch."
Eiki looked down at the newspaper. "Why should I care about that little... Geez, I'm not a *feelings* person. I'm a ruthless bandit!" Eiki clenched her fist and squeezed her eyes shut. Her fist involuntarily came up and forward, punching the brick wall of the alley.
She clutched her fist, a pained expression crossing her face. "Shimatte..."
Eiki suddenly became aware of footsteps behind her, and whirled around.
"Well WELL. If it isn't the infamous Velvet Warrior..." A figure was silhouetted in the light. One with hair that stood up in spikes.
"Manta..." Eiki narrowed her eyes. "What the hell do you want?"
"I have come to ask a favour of you..." His face was now lit up by the street lamps shining into the alley.
"Okay then, let's hear it." The lilac-haired girl crossed her arms. "This had better be good."
"I have a business proposition for you," Manta said. His eyes trailed to a spot above her, where a shadowed figure came down upon her.
The last thing she felt before blacking out was a jab to the back of the neck.
Eiki finally came to a few hours later. Her first conscious thought was the fact that her head hurt. BAD. "Ow... damnit..." She started to reach with her arm up to rub her forehead, but for some reason she couldn't move it.
"The hell?" There was feeling in her arms (one of them, anyway), however she felt something binding her wrists together. "..."
"Something the matter, Nusutto-san?" a voice asked her. Eiki's mind was a little fuzzy, but she could definitely tell it was Manta.
"What the hell is this? You said something about a business proposition, not an abduction!" she spat angrily. She started to fish around for one of her knives, but not only were her hands tied, her trenchcoat was nowhere to be found. "Damn..."
"So... about that little busness proposition..."
"I was wondering when you'd get to that, ass."
"My friend, you have two choices. One, you can join us, and not have to steal your way through life anymore." Manta sneered. "Or two..."
A shadowed figure quickly ran up to him and whispered in his ear. "Ah... even better..."
Eiki glared at the redhead. *What the hell is he planning now?*
"Now, where was I...? Ah, yes. Seems like we've had a change of plans, ne? So. You can join us, and help us get rid of Weiß, or... you can die. Your call."
Eiki's eyes opened wide. "... You bastard..."
"Well, what's it going to be, Nusutto-san?" Manta crossed his arms over his chest.
She looked down at the ground. "I... I don't CARE what happens to me... just... if you hurt Ran, I'll... I'll kill you!"
Manta blinked. "Ran?" He then smirked. "Ah, Abyssinian..." He motioned the shadowed person back, and whispered in his ear. He then turned back to Eiki, taking out a pen and a piece of paper.
She felt a pair of hands around her own; they were being unbound. "Finally..." She shook her wrists violently, attempting to get the feeling back in them.
Manta shoved the pen and paper into her hands. "Write."
Eiki blinked. "Write what?"
"Repeat after me..." He cleared his throat, then continued. "Ran... Meet me on the rooftops of the convention center at sundown tonight. Bring the rest of Weiß with you. Signed, Eiki."
"What?! What the hell are you-"
"WRITE."
Eiki felt a sharp poke in the back. She turned around to see Swordfish, his javelin in hand. "Alright already!" She began writing down what he had told her. She didn't notice the tears that had begun rolling down her face.
"Ah, done?" Eiki nodded, and Manta picked up the paper, which had the note scrawled acorss it in sloppy katakana. "Tch, your handwriting needs some work... but it'll do. Now," he folded it up and poked her in the nose with it, "all we have to to is get this thing to your little Ran-kun tomorrow, and we should be all set."
Eiki snorted, then turned away from the leader of Schabön. She closed her eyes, afraid to think about what would happen the next day.
************************************************************* ********
The next morning brought stress for some of the customers in the Koneko. The five workers were acting quite oddly.
"Uh... Akari?" a boy from the crowd muttered. Strangely, Akari was quite happy. She hummed to herself as she picked up the broom and began her usual sweeping routine.
"Hmmhmhm... yeees?" There was a tone of cheer in her voice.
Other members of Weiß were ... not so sociable. Omi attempted to stifle a huge yawn as he watered some tulips. A sleepy expression was plastered on his face. Several of the girls wondered what he had been doing the night before.
"Heh," Youji said. "Methinks Omi's been up all night lookin' at-"
Ken slapped his hand over Youji's mouth. "Enough said."
"Mmm mph mff hmm mm fmm hm."
Aya, being the ever-so-silent one, seemed no different from his usual 'if-you're-not-buying-anything-then-get-the-hell-out' self. Except...
Something didn't feel right.
It was then that the door burst open. A hooded figure quickly dashed in, handed an envelope to Aya, and ran back out.
The entire Koneko grew silent as Aya blinked and opened the envelope. He read it to himself, then his expression turned from one of indifference to one of confusion.