26th of December, during the same time, streets of Tokyo
26th of December, during the same time, streets of Tokyo
Ruby paced down the crowded streets of Tokyo, her body weakened by exhaustion. Her body felt like it was about to collapse, yet she kept pushing. Her breathing turned more and more irregular, to a point where her very thoughts turned to a giddy mess.
Aqua...
Why do you
always have to do everything
on your own?
Is it so hard to
finally let
people help you?
The streets around Ruby were filled with festivity, people who were out with their families and friends, enjoying the holidays.
God damn it
you are
acting like you
are the only capable person.
Like you are the only person
on this planet that can
do this.
Is it because of Ai?
Cars and trains passed by her, filled with people who all had their own destinations, their own joy, problems, and guilt to carry.
Because you
couldn't protect her?
Don't you see that your life
is important too?
You only have...
No, that's not it,
Some birds flew out of the leafless trees, while other birds landed in the same trees just a few moments later.
This isn't about
revenge for Ai anymore,
you solely want to protect
me now.
Don't you?
You are trying to give
me the chance
I never had,
not as Aqua and Ruby.
But as Gorou and Sarina...
A few stray cats were close by; they were fighting, fighting over warm spots, the few warm spots that the outside world, cold and harsh, had to offer during the winter.
But you deserved this chance too.
Your other life was also cut short.
Barely thirty,
You also had your entire life ahead of you...
And Kana.
She really only has this one chance.
Sarina died because she... she had bad luck.
It was cruel, it really was,
but this is just the way life goes.
Aqua, stop playing god,
deciding who gets to live and who doesn't.
It started to snow heavily, the humans stopped walking and started to search for cover, the cars stopped driving, the birds stopped flying, and the cats stopped fighting.
Sarina's...
My Death...
It wasn't unfair,
it was unlucky.
But Kana's...
This is still her first and only shot at life.
If Kana gets hurt because of you...
Because of us.
Because our problems dragged her into all of this...
I could never forgive you...
"Damn you."
Ruby whispered to herself. Her entire body ached as she kept going. She ignored everyone and everything around her, just focusing on the way ahead and the crumpled piece of paper she clutched in her hand, on which she had Kamiki's address written down. It's not far anymore.
26th of December, during the same time, Kamiki's penthouse
The snow outside of the penthouse stopped falling, and the blood stopped hitting the floor, while even the hands of the old clock that was carefully pushed against the wall earlier stopped moving too.
Bright...
Metallic...
Red...
Blood...
Cold...
Loud...
Shiny...
Black...
Silent...
White...
...
What...?
What happened...?
Why does Kana look like that?
Why is her face red? Is she bleeding?
Did Kana hurt herself again by accident?
Should I go over and help her? Like always.
She just has to take better care of herself otherwise...
No,
no,
no,
no,
He didn't–
She isn't–
He didn't really–
No–
Why would he–
I'm dreaming
She is–
Why is–
What
He isn't moving. Why is nobody moving?
Why are my knees cold? Am I touching the floor? I don't remember kneeling.
Why do I smell blood? Did I cut myself somewhere? If so, I can not feel it; I can not feel anything.
I failed–
NO
I need another one–
Tsukuyomi, reverse time,
please.
Just 10 seconds, 20, please.
I will make it right.
What do I do?
What do I do?
WhatdoIdo?
So much blood?
I need to do something?
Why?
Why didn't I?
...
Aqua falls onto his knees. No, he doesn't; he is standing in front of Kana, she is uninjured, Kamiki, on the other hand, is lying next to her, mangled and disfigured. He can't look up at Kana's ruined face. Even if he could, he wouldn't.
Oh my god-
This is all my fault.
myfault...
my fault-
Why was I born?
I dragged her into this?
...into this world
I dragged her...
My actions did this
caused this.
She needed me
The room stays silent, probably. Aqua is most likely kneeling by now, while Kana's face is certainly still bleeding, Akane could be doing something, and Kamiki is also still there.
Why are you even here?
Why are you here?
Here listening to this...
Aqua
You made it this far.
I should be impressed.
Is this the end?
Does it end here?
Aqua
Are you enjoying this?
This
My suffering
I see you
Still there, I see.
Aqua
That's... dedication...
Tsukuyomi.
Finally, the hands of the clock move again, just once.
Aqua still hasn't decided if his world should continue.
I-
I shouldn't have-
What have I-
Why did I do this
Why did I
Why
I shouldn't have-
...my fault...
...she got hurt?
It is...
Just breathe
In
Out
In
Out
I can fix this
I can fix this
In
Out
I can do it
What am I thinking
I can't fix this-
Nothing can.
Too dumb-
Too weak-
Too slow-
Too careless-
Too scummy-
Aqua can suddenly hear screams; they seem far off, unimportant. Why would anybody be screaming right now? Can't they just wait? I'm thinking right now.
Why are they coming closer?
Seriously, leave me alone.
Go away.
The screams continue to come closer and closer,
until he is finally back again,
standing in Kamiki's living room.
The room was silent. Who was screaming? Aqua's eyes gazed over to Akane; she looked like she was even more paralyzed than Aqua was just a second ago. The grandfather clock on the other side of the room indicated that just a few seconds had passed by. Aqua's head turned slightly until his eyes landed on Kana. The blood was still flowing down from her chin. It stained her clothes and the floor beneath her crimson red. She didn't scream, she didn't beg, and she didn't plead. Yet, Kana wasn't numb or unconscious; she was very aware of what was going on around her. But even now, under all the physical pain and psychological pressure, determined enough not to break down.
It hurts–
So bad–
My face is–
It is on fire.
Make it stop.
Am I going to die?
There's so much blood...
So much blood...
I can barely see.
It's so hot and wet.
I don't want to die.
Let me go...
I'm sorry for everything,
my wrongdoings...
Maybe I deserve this...
dying like a worthless piece of trash.
But even if that's the case,
I won't accept it.
I just can't,
and won't.
Don't cry.
Not now.
"You-" Kana's voice was quiet, yet the room was much quieter, so to Aqua it sounded like she was shouting. "-piece of shit."
Her hair looked like it was fading over into her very skin. The blood had by now covered the entire lower half of her usually snow white skin. A pool of tears formed in her eyes as they met Aqua's, "Please, Aqua, please look away."
Aqua stood frozen in time and place; he was unable to avert his gaze as her chin started to quiver slightly. "Aqua, please don't look at me." Kana repeated, her voice fragile like speaking too loudly would shatter it.
Faint sniffles were what he heard just a moment after he obeyed and looked down at the floor. He instinctively wanted to look up again; it took him every bit of self-control he had left in his entire body not to comply with his urge and look up. Each sniffle made Aqua flinch and bow even deeper than before. The person whom he had called 'always strong' just hours prior broke, and it was entirely his fault.
"So Aqua, now this is your chance, your chance to prove me wrong." Kamiki's words sliced through the air like a knife and made Aqua flinch like a beaten dog.
Yet, they also made Aqua feel, feel something other than fear, agony, and misery for the first time that day.
"Like this you can't help Kana the failed actress back to her former glory, all you have left is Kana the person, you still have her character, feelings and personality. Now y-"
"ENOUGH…" Aqua shouted. "Please, just let me help her, cut her loose. I can't bear it any longer."
The scent of iron in the air made Aqua want to throw up everything he ever ate as it, without invitation, crept up his nostrils.
Kamiki smiled faintly, but nobody in the room was aware enough to even see it. "You know I can not do that, not yet. First, I need Ruby, bring her over here, and I will cut Kana loose." Aqua slowly turned around, now facing Akane, who was standing right behind him. Her Ruby imitation was still flawless, maybe a bit too much so; she played the role so well that she was still not back out of her trance-like state. Her body was present, but her mind was repeating the same 2 words over and over again in a seemingly endless cycle:
My fault,
My fault,
My fault.
She snapped back as Aqua, who was now standing directly in front of her, gently shook her shoulder, "Ruby, we need to do something, fast." Their eyes met for a second — perhaps for a second too long or a bit too deep — and Aqua grabbed her arm. "No!" He said in disbelief at what he saw flash through her eyes. Aqua strengthened his grip, using more force than he had intended to, but Akane didn't even react to it; she simply used her other hand to gently tuck a strain of Aqua's hair behind his ear. "My plan seems to have failed Aqua. I'm sorry for doing this, it's my fault that it even got this far, but there is one last thing I can do..." Akane said, a hint of sadness in her words.
Aqua stayed silent; the light snow outside had evolved into a full-blown storm by now.
"I'm sorry, I said I don't plan on dying, and I still don't want to, but it doesn't seem like there's any other way. So please, I know... I'm selfish for requesting something from you, especially now. But please, let go of me." A gentle smile that didn't reach her eyes spread across Akane's cheeks. "No... No... No, No, No. NO, NO. That's unacceptable, you liar. There is another option; there must be something you overlooked in your analysis, Ak... Ruby. There has to be something... anything," Aqua stammered out.
Her hand gently caressed Aqua's hot cheeks, her thumb was carefully gliding over them. The pain in her other hand must've been unbearable, yet it didn't reflect in her expression one bit. "There is no other way, Aqua, and you know it. What will you do, save Kana, or save Ruby? The time is ticking. Tick, Tack, Tick, Ta-" Kamiki abruptly stopped and froze mid-sentence, as his eyes snapped away from Aqua and Akane. Akane didn't even attempt to free herself as Aqua's grip loosened. Instead, both followed Kamiki's gaze with their own, over the table, over the couch, over the TV, until they finally landed on the cracked ajar door.