"Ayame-kun..." Yoneda said coarsely on the other line, "... is with the enemy."
"I... I cannot believe it..."
"Please try to stay calm, Kaede-kun..."
"H-Hai..." Kaede said, exhaling a deep breath as she took a seat. Her eyes moved to the photograph on the desk, of her and her sister. 'Neesan...'
Clasping onto the framed photo, Kaede listened carefully to Yoneda relay the events that had taken place...
It began as soon as Yoneda suspected that the enemy was after the Majinki. Immediately he positioned both Ayame and Oogami in charge of guarding the three treasures in the secret safe in the basement. This followed a series of strange behavior coming from Ayame, who said she was having nightmares.
"I'm sorry... I'm just not acting myself lately..." she told him earlier in the basement hallway.
"Are you ill?" he asked. Ayame shook her head, yet the strain was unable to leave her face. "Then, I should have Oogami guard the Majinki by himself while you rest..."
"That's not necessary," she replied right away, her hand clasping onto his wrist, "Shihainin, I can handle it."
"Are you sure?"
"Hai..."
That was Ayame; dedicated to her duty always. But Yoneda felt it was a mistake to allow her to continue. Next thing he knew, he heard yells coming from the basement. Ayame had attacked Oogami and taken the Majinki outside.
'What is she thinking?! Surely the enemy will appear...!'
Yoneda turned to Oogami for answers, as the two of them searched for her. "We were just talking..." the young ensign tried to explain, "Ayame-san said she felt strange... that she suddenly didn't trust herself. She even told me that if she were to do something unusual, that I should...."
But Oogami couldn't come to say it. He felt the bulge of a gun against his chest, inside his shirt pocket. He could see Ayame standing before him, handing him the gun, telling him what to do with it. 'There's no way...' he told himself, 'No, I will never bring harm to Ayame-san!'
Once outside, their eyes met with the red sky and the full moon that looked closer to the Earth than ever. Also, on the rooftop, there she was - her arms wrapped around the three treasures.
"Ayame-saaan!!!" Oogami exclaimed, "AYAME-SAAAAN!"
But his voice would not reach her. Ayame's body was moving on its own, towards a man who awaited her with an outreached hand. "Ayame..."
"AYAME-SAN! DON'T DO IT!!" Oogami kept on yelling. All at once so many things were going through his head - his orders to protect Teito, to keep the majinki out of the hands of the enemy, but he wanted to protect Ayame as well. 'Dammit! What should I do?!'
Again, Ayame's image flashed in his mind, her face pleading with him. 'I don't know what's happening to me... Oogami-kun... please... for the sake of everyone... for Teito...'
"AYAME-SAAAN!!"
The next loud noise was a gunshot. Oogami stared at the gun in his hand; shocked over what he had done... to the woman he loved. 'No...' He watched as she stumbled down onto one knee, clutching the wound. 'Ayame-san...' Her eyes met his for a slight second, before they fell shut.
"Ayame..." The man dressed as a samurai stared towards her dying form for a moment. There was a glint of unease in his blue eyes that faded away as he forced a sinister smile. "No... it won't end here."
"Aoi Satan!" Oogami yelled, erupting with immense anger as the villain took steps towards the wounded Ayame. He too started to make his way up there, "You bastard, you stay away from her! Don't you dare touch her!"
Satan ignored him and the rest of cries that came from below. His eyes focused on what he wanted. "It's mine now." he said, stopping and looking down at the treasures, and also...
"Eh...?" Ayame's eyes struggled to open as she felt some presence near her. Pain and blood was all she could recognize as the blurry figure arrived. "Who..."
"Ayame," the familiar voice said softly as warm arms wrapped around her shivering body. "It's going to be okay..."
"What...?" She couldn't comprehend anything what was happening. She just felt herself being lifting up onto her and held so warm, so tight. 'Where is this from...?' she asked herself, trying to remember. The hold then loosened and arms started to move away. 'No, wait...!'
Ayame, with her last bit of strength, struggled to see the face in front of her. Slowly, it started to become more and more clear, but...
"Ayame-san! Ayame-san!!" Oogami's voice was faded in the background, along with her rapid heartbeat, "Ayame-san!! Aya---!!"
Oogami stopped his footsteps, his rage at its highest. 'That bastard...!' he thought as he glared ahead, 'How dare he... In Ayame-san's most vulnerable moment... for him to... !"
Satan placed his fingertips at Ayame's chin and smiled, then moved forward and caught her lips with his. Instantly, Ayame felt a jolt of energy sweep through her body. She pulled away from the sweet kiss as her feet left the roof. She was suspended in midair, the power within her awakening.
'This is...!'
'My true self... Hmhmhmhmhm!!'
Oogami watched in disbelief. "AYAME-SAAAAAAAAN!!!"
"After Ayame gave up the Majinki and transformed," Yoneda said over the phone, "She fought against the Hanagumi in her own koubu. They weren't able to defeat her and she went with Aoi Satan to resurrect Yamato."
"It can't be...!" Kaede cried, "Why would Neesan change into such a person?"
"Perhaps it has to do with that time..." Yoneda sighed, "Back when we were in the Tai Kouma Butai, Ayame-kun's soul was possessed by dark spirits. She has been able to suppress them for this long, but somehow the enemy was able to take advantage of it..."
"This enemy... seems to know a lot about Neesan..." Kaede noted, "Who in the world could it be?"
"I have some kind of theory... but I don't think you want to hear it, Kaede-kun."
"Eh? What do you mean?"
"Please, do not ask any more. We shall do our best in trying to get Ayame-kun back. I just wanted to inform you of what is happening. Please, just leave it to us."
"Hai, I leave my sister in your hands. Please take care of her."
After hanging up the phone, Kaede lifted her head and gazed out the window. 'Neesan... how can this be... I thought you would wait for me... Someday we were going to be together again... in Teito... But... I have this feeling... Neesan, I know you can't hear my voice now... But please... please hang on...'
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Oogami's heart ached with every step he took. He walked around the Teigeki after Yoneda had called him into his office. "Tomorrow you board the Shougeimaru and will uptake the mission of entering the floating island Yamato. That is where the enemy is and that is where we will end this!"
'That is where Ayame-san is...'
"Oogami, I want you to talk to each of the girls. Calm their fears. Please do that. Only you as their Taichou can do it."
'I don't want to do it... I want to lie to down... I'm tired...'
"Oogami, I'm counting on you!"
'Don't count on me... I couldn't even protect Ayame-san... The one I...'
Oogami walked aimlessly through the hallway, when he stopped by the library. He had already spoken with Sumire in the parlor. The girl was angry with him for some reason and left in a hurry. But that was how she handled these things.
'She has every right to blame me. I was right there and I didn't do anything to stop the situation. I even... no, don't think about it...'
He stopped at the table and gazed at the sobbing girl. "Kohran..." he uttered, putting his hand on her shoulder. He had never seen her unhappy before; to see a cheerful person as Kohran crying brought even greater sadness to his heart.
"Oogami... han..." uttered Kohran as she lifted her face, which was now full of shame. "I'm sorry... I couldn't hold it in... It's just Ayame-han... she... she was the first person to believe in me... She saved me... Without her... I just...!"
"Kohran..." Oogami watched as she broke down into more tears. 'What am I supposed to say, to do? Ayame-san is such an important person to us all... I too am suffering... How am I supposed to make this situation better...?!'
"Oogami-han... do you think that we'll be able to save Ayame-han...?"
He looked into her pleading face. He couldn't answer right away. In his heart that was exactly what he wanted to do, but in his mind he was uncertain if he could do it.
"We have to... No, we must! Ayame-san just has to come back. I'll make sure of it, so please stop crying, Kohran. A smile seems to suit you best. I can't stand watching you like this."
"You're right, Oogami-han..." Kohran said, bowing her head. In the next instant, she lifted her face, it sparkling with a wide smile. "I won't cry anymore! I'll smile - yes, that's what I do best! Yossha!"
"Heheh... okay, Kohran..." Oogami stammered, a little surprised by her quick recovery. 'Now she's scaring me. I better go check on the other girls.'
Oogami checked all of their rooms, but no one was in. He then made his way to the terrace. Sakura was at the window, her gaze on the snow that had started to fall during their battle with Cho.
"Sakura-kun..."
"Aa, Oogami-san..." Sakura looked a bit weary, but at least she wasn't crying. Oogami felt relieved. But he also felt a little uneasy. Why wasn't Sakura distressed over Ayame being taken by the enemy???
"Sakura-kun, are you okay? I'm worried about you and all the other girls. I mean, since Ayame-san was taken away..."
Sakura paused. She then replied, "Unfortunately, Ayame-san and I didn't really know each other; we don't have a close relationship like everyone else..."
"I see..." Oogami said, "But still, surely you..."
Sakura quickly cut in, "Oogami-san, do you love Ayame-san?"
'Gah!' Oogami's face went red. 'W-What kind of question?!?'
Sakura saw his reaction and turned back to look outside. "I did... I admired her so much... She was so calm and so mature... watching her, the way she just handled herself... I felt a little envious... Yet, it was really love."
"Sakura-kun...?"
"A lot of the Hanagumi also admire Ayame-san... She is a very special person to everyone. But now... Ayame-san has turned into our enemy."
"That is true but... But surely we will get her back! Right, Sakura-kun?"
Sakura just leaned her hands against the glass, "I admired Ayame-san so much; I wanted to be just like her... But now... I will become stronger than Ayame-san... I shall!"
'Whaaaaaat???' Oogami thought, clenching a fist, 'She didn't answer my question! Doesn't she believe we will save Ayame-san!? Doesn't she want Ayame-san back?! How could she!!'
She slowly moved away from this startled face and turned for the hallway. "I'm tired now; I think I'll go rest. See you in the morning, Oogami-san."
"Aa... Good night..." Oogami uttered, watching her leave.
He then looked outside again. The scene just made him even sadder. Walking out onto the balcony, he rested his arms against the railing and felt the flakes of snow flutter down onto his shoulders.
'Ayame-san...' he sighed, his heart aching with longing for her, 'I want you back... Where in this snow can I find you...?'
* * * * * * * * * * *
Ayame slowly woke. 'Where am I...?' She looked around the dimly lit room. There were some bulbs that were providing the little light in this large spacious place. 'This place is...?' she thought as she sat up on the soft bed she was on. She looked down to see that she was in her uniform, but her hair was down. 'Yoneda-san... Oogami-kun... Minna... What exactly happened to me...?'
She took the next moment to think back over the events that occurred. She remembered that her body was moving on its own, that she stole the majinki and brought it outside, then Oogami - following the orders she gave him - shot her down.
'Aa! I was shot!' Ayame quickly took off her jack and threw it aside. She then felt the area that had been wounded, but found that it had been taken care of. 'Itai...' she thought, 'It hurts... But how did it...?'
"Don't move around so much," said a voice, "You'll aggravate it."
"W-Who's there?!" she demanded, her eyes searching through the dark room. Finally a shadowy figure stepped into the light. Ayame watched as he started to come towards her. "Aoi Satan... why did you do this?"
"You would have died."
"No, not that... Why did you take over my soul? Why did you make me do such terrible things? Why did you turn me against everything that I love?"
A half smile appeared on his face. "Love... you know not the meaning."
"What?"
He shrugged and went on to pace in front of her. "You say I took over your soul... No, I simply woke it up. That form you turned into was your true self. I had nothing to do with it."
"Liar! You turned me into that, that monster! I can't believe I was attacking my own friends... and Oogami-kun..."
She paused to think about how the young man positioned his koubu up front, yelling at her to remember who she was. "Ayame-san! Please!! Listen to me!!"
But all she did was attack him. The brutal assault would have finished him off if the others hadn't saved him. 'Oogami-kun, you were calling out to me, but it couldn't stop anything...'
"Ayame," Satan had stopped right in front of her and placed his hand onto her shoulder. "I'm sorry it had to come to this, but..."
"You are sorry? You, who is planning to use the majinki to destroy Teito... No, I will not accept any apology from you. I don't even know why you even bothered to try!" she cried as she pushed away from him, "And don't ever touch me again!"
But in her movements, Ayame had aggravated her injury and collapsed onto the bed in pain. Satan lunged forward to help her, much to her surprise. "There, just lie down and rest. I'll get you some medicine to dull the pain..."
"Why..." she uttered, staring up at him as the warm hand left her arm, "Why are you doing this..."
Satan didn't say anything and turned for the door. He paused and looked over his shoulder, saying, "Ayame... I'm sorry." And then he left his blue hakama wafting in the windy hallway.
Outside in the hallway, Cho stood there. Even though he had died in the battle against the Hanagumi, he was revived easily on Yamato, the land of the dead. "Satan-sama..." the little transvestite uttered, "That woman... who is she...?"
"She is just a pawn." Satan replied, "I have nothing to do with her."
"Then why... why did you worry so much about her survival? I was the one who perished, not her!"
"Cho, this isn't the time to argue about this. Tomorrow, I am certain the Kagekidan will come for us. We have to worry about that. Now, I am going to my room to plan our attack. Try to calm down."
While Satan walked away, Cho watched with an indignant face. 'I won't let that dirty human take Satan-sama away from me! I will put an end to her while she is still in this weak form...'
Cho then went into Ayame's chamber. Ayame was lying down, resting her eyes, and doing as she was told to do. 'Why am I listening to this man? He is the enemy. I cannot forgive him.'
She then felt a shadow over her. Thinking it was Satan, Ayame lifted her hand slapped the person across the face. "Kyaa!" screamed Cho, "Why you! You uncivil, little hussy! How dare you strike my beautiful face!"
"Y-You are...!"
"That's right! I am Cho! The one and only for Satan-sama! Don't even think about coming between us!!"
"What?" Ayame couldn't believe what she was hearing. "You have it all wrong."
"No! I saw how Satan-sama looked at you... And he had you - of all people - at his side when he woke up Yamato. That should have been me!! And then, he went to all that trouble to get that bullet out of you, before he summoned me back! I cannot forgive you!!"
Ayame just sat there, feeling a little overwhelmed. "Are you saying that... that monster is... love with me?"
"Monster?!?" Cho clenched his fists. "How dare you call my beloved Satan-sama such an insulting thing! He is so wonderful! I won't let you degrade his hard work and effort!!"
"Eh?" Ayame blinked her eyes. "Destroying Teito takes hard work and effort??"
"Sure it does! Satan-sama has been thinking this plan up for years. Finally it is all coming to play and he will get his wish! Although I wish you weren't here! You belong down there with those filthy humans, preparing for your death! But I ought to just end it right here! Or do you rather aid in ending all humanity?!"
"What...!" But Ayame couldn't do anything. Cho had lifted his hands to her neck and started to strangle her. "Uug!"
"CHO! STOP IT!" Satan had burst into the room and pulled the little transvestite away, "What are you doing to her?!"
"I-I was just...!" Cho tearfully gazed up at him, "Oh, Satan-sama, I was only doing it for you!"
He only hissed, "Get out..."
"But, Satan-sama...!"
"LEAVE US ALONE!"
By the tone in Satan's voice, Cho finally took a hint and rushed out of there. The angry look slowly started to leave Satan's face as he turned towards Ayame. "Are you okay?"
Ayame slapped his reaching hands away from her. "I am fine!"
"You really don't see it, do you?"
"See what?"
Satan just knelt in front of her, looking her in the eye for a moment. Ayame wondered what he was going to do next, and remained on guard to react in any way that she could. But she couldn't do anything as he reached up to take off his head ornament.
"Ayame..."
Slowly the spell wore away and she could see him for who he was.
"Ya... Yamazaki...san..."
* * * * * * * * * *
to be continued...
