Reiha remained silent, gazing back with unyielding resolve at the person questioning her. The trickling dejection into Enya's voice gave the impression that any single declaration, whether they had been good friends or have never been, that their bond back then meaningful or no, it was empty as their hearts now, would be enough to cease the fight. But Reiha maintained her silence and straightforward gaze into the golden orbs which upon this cowardice silence were ignited once more with fury.
"You don't even dare declare our friendship, or address our enmity; running away from me for centuries! How arrogant can one be? Do people's feelings weigh nothing to you?"
Indeed, Reiha's indifferent features the rarity of her words gave that impression but deep down Ayumi could not believe this to be the case but why was she saying anything? Why was she not defending herself? Stating her reasons? Was it actually guilt? Had she really betrayed a "friend"?
"Fine, don't acknowledge me… don't acknowledge the love I had given you and the one that you have stolen, but I won't stand in quietude about my soldiers… the ones you slaughtered single handedly while they believed you were on their side!"
Ayumi's pupils widened in shock, she turned her head at Reiha as soon as the words left the fire princess's lips. The wind was starting to brew once more around that solemn figure.
"I never said you did not have the right to seek revenge from me. I simply believe you cannot do it, you are unable to exact any retribution upon me and thus I decide to avoid a trivial battle that would only waste my time."
"Not only do you look down on me, but you dare call the souls of my soldiers and troops trivial? Those who look down on others from their castle, are surely to fall down as fast as the speed that built said castle, as it it made of nothing but sand! We have already loved long enough to witness an example!"
Was the enraged Enya referring to Amaterasu? Truly, these words of wisdom leaving the princess of fire mouth did not suit her aura of mad rage or conceited appearance, true as they may be. Ayumi beseeched Reiha desperately with her eyes to defend herself or give an explanation but the wind princess clearly had no intention of doing so.
"Now move away from my path!"
Ayumi jumped in daze at the flame of fire paving a path for the its princess to fly at her true opponent, Ayumi stumbled back pushed away by the fire princess dashing at her enemy. Ayumi fell down, expecting the place where she fell to be sat ablaze and burn her alive. Surprisingly, it was not. Enya was truly only after Reiha, maddened by revenge though not blinded completely yet in a very thin sense of morality. Summoning a spear of fire she intended to deliver directly into Reiha's heart, the latter yielded a similar yet airy weapon while stirring whirls of wind around them at the same time that Enya easily sat on fire, not fearing their harm but before her spear could touch Reiha, it started to shake and dissipate sending little flames in every direction as the princess of fire came to a sudden halt. These whirls of wind were merely a diversion, while she sat them aflame, Reiha's spear had already pierced close to her heart, but it was not made of air anymore. It was frozen, icing the fire that was burning madly.
"You… deceptive bastard!"
Enya barely breathed out, the coldness eating at her flames and powers. She tried to retreat backward and free herself from that grip of icy death, and could only do so as Reiha let go of the spear instead of driving it further into enemy. The princess of the fire stumbled back, hissing in pain as she grasped at her wound. Her irises turned a crimson color as if absorbing the sight of flowing blood they were beholding.
"The air is in my command, be it a stormy wind or a frozen blizzard!"
"Truly, a weapon suiting your cold faithless heart!"
Enya muttered painfully as she pulled the bloodied spear away, melting it beneath her fiery palm. Ayumi rushed to the scene, despite everything, Enya was still an elemental princess, a fact she did not know what to do with, and somehow, the latter had not endangered her life once.
"Reiha… Enya… please wait…"
Both did not seem to listen or care for the worried girl, who was supposedly their queen and supreme commander, they kept looking at each other; Reiha with composed features as ever, while Enya's eyes dialted dangerously assimilating the irises of a snake, at this look, Reiha's face finally twitched, seemingly in alarm at anticipating a woeful danger to befall her and Ayumi, she was about to say something, probably a trial at negotiating getting Ayumi out of this battlefield but Enya's eyes returned to normal after sparing the young girl a quick glance, smacking her lips in frustration.
Enya was not a warrior to predict outcomes, she preferred to charge until death solved the score, whomever it favored. However, receiving that injury gave her power and physic more damage than what she liked to deal with and bear with right now. This did not mean that her revenge was over, merely delayed to another time as the blaze of her resentment had dwindled even a little, that wind had only set it more ablaze.
"If you have wanted to finish me off, you would have done by that strike so I take it you are still not tired of me yet… Nevertheless, neither of us can proceed in this situation so… until next time!"
Reiha raised an eyebrow in question until Ayumi shouted in horror as she reached to her:
"Reiha… your shoulder!"
Indeed, the wind princess's shoulder was injured by a hellishly burning stone that was still thrust deep into her flesh. Enya had most likely projected it as she was injured by the wind spear. By the time Reiha had gotten that stone out with a frozen hand and threw it away, the fire princess and her territory had already vanished into thin air. No trace of the fight was seen and the moon brightened the sky once more instead of the infernal fires.
"Are you alright?"
Ayumi asked worriedly, but Reiha dismissed her worries with a confirming nod, staring at the distance. Ayumi realized that Reiha was too proud to admit she needed care and would probably heal her wounds by herself. Maybe it was not the best time but Ayumi could not help but ask, mostly to reassure herself. However, she was cautions enough to start her question far off the point then lead into it.
"That woman.. why did she betray Amaterasu?"
"She merely thirsted after her position and power. Nothing too complicated."
"But she did not harm me even once… and those people she had burnt… she said they had crossed her first and were already wanted criminal and thugs… I still don't approve of what she's done but…"
"Enya would not harm innocent people, but her fire would burn all evil intentions… yet she herself had fallen into these evil intentions and ambitions. As for you…"
"I guess she doesn't consider me as powerful as I should be…"
Ayumi laughed at herself, sparing her dignity an intended yet honest humiliation from Reiha, which her silence confirmed.
"So… Reiha… I truly believe you would never harm me… but is it true that you two were friends and that you… broker your promise with her?"
Ayumi uttered the last words with a quiet voice, almost a whisper, her eyes hanging down not daring to look Reiha in the eyes, not that hers gave anything away. Reiha merely pressed her frozen fingers on her wound and stated:
"Trust is not easily earned, keep that in mind. As for us… me and her… if she is the fire, then I am the wind and the wind blows everything that dares to stand in its away."
The princess of the wind coldly stated before she disappeared into a whirl of agitated whiffs, clearly wishing not to dive into the matter any further, at least for the present time. But although she had warned Ayumi about trusting others easily, she knew the girl could not help herself. If she was not pure hearted then the light power would have never chosen her. After all it was how it started with the previous murdered queen, leaving Reiha to wander how long can the girl's light remain pure and innocent before it falls into the darkness? That was not an outcome she would allow again.
***
Having no more power to recreate her territory, the princess of fire hid once more in the alleys wishing to avoid any further contact with humans. Her injuries were starting to heal already, albeit slowly. Her heart was throbbing with a mixture of humiliation and anger for failing to exact her revenge after finally being able to lure Reiha out. The moment Amaterasu's light was reborn, it was calling to its past subordinates and believers, the remaining four princesses who were up until that point unable to let go of their powers and rest, denied a a new cycle to begin as their previous queen's last wish, a wish no one could know yet, was not fulfilled. This left them all hanging by a thread, some of loyalty, some of annoyance, others of futility. For Enya, she had no intentions of resting yet, and the return of the light signaled the perfect opportunity for her to go on with her revenge. Only then she could rest satisfied and her flames can burn with the warmness they once possessed.
She had a trump card, but did not use today all because an idiot little girl, a girl whom she kidnapped to use as a bait, was there and would probably, though possessing Amaterasu's crown, not survive it. How was the idiot now? Enya but her lips, promising herself never to fall to this again.
"Young girl, are you alright? You should not be here alone…"
Enya turned to the voice ready to burn the speaking person into crisps, but what she saw was an old man, frail like an autumn leaf, about to collapse off the branch of life at any moment. He was rubbing his hands in a frantic effort to warm his freezing figure, laying on a cartoon board in front of a trash can; a pitiful sight indeed yet Enya has seen so much of it in the past years.
"You look injured, you need to rush home or go to a hospital…"
Enya could not help but smile, "home?" Where was that exactly? Nowhere currently. The last place she could call a home was Amaterasu's palace where she gathered all the four princesses of nature to live in harmony, a time when the world prospered but even of that palace, nothing remained.
"Don't worry about me old man. I will be fine."
Enya answered with a calm voice, the haughtiness chiming through it lost. The man's tone bore no ill intention. Although a complete stranger, he spoke with sincere worry. Truly life was unjust.
"You are right, I should be heading home now."
The princess of the fire passed by him, touching the trash can on her way, the night concealing her supernatural features and as she disappeared into the darkness leaving behind her a trash can blazing with harmless warm fire.