[ Watashi ]

[ Tomodachi ]

[ Saint Seiya ]

[ Clamp ]

[ Fanfiction ]

I yawned widely in the train, ignoring the looks of people around me. My fingers tightened their hold on the pole and I toyed with the idea of falling asleep right in the middle of the wagon. I yawned again. Why did the trains always have to be so crowded ?

Rush hours.

Yeah, I knew this was the rush hour and people were going back home but still... Japanese society was so well organized, it should have done something about this. At least during the Summer season.

Hell, the heat wasn't making it any easier. I sighed. Where was air conditioning when you needed it ?

Temporary out of order was the right answer.

I smiled and leaned my brow against the metal pole, closing my eyes.

Seishirou...

Oh goddess I had been so thoroughly embarrassed by my behaviour once the morning had come and I had woken up with an atrocious headache, wondering how in hell I had managed to get back to my small studio. When I was drunk, restraints snapped. Only a small part of them, but still... Shit I had cried in his arms. Cried... It had been so good to be held like he had held me. To feel someone close, warm and gentle. Someone who understood...

A friend.

A true friend.

I firmly shut up the insidious cynical voice in the back of my head. No, not this time. This time I would not doubt.

One had to take risks at times.

Yes, there came a time when one had to stop cold-bloodedly analysing the smallest gesture and searching for people's motives.

There came a time when one had to trust.

Had to, if one wanted to find a reason to live on.

Besides, there was something about Seishirou...

My smile widened.

He was no ordinary person, that was certain. Charming and easy to get along with on the surface. But that was a wall, a shield like one of those I had. Beyond that attractive personality was the coldness of ice. I was certain he wasn't aware I knew. But once or twice I had glimpsed this aspect of him, when I had surprised him.

His mask slipped back on almost instantly, but only almost. And beyond that barrier of ice had to be the real Seishirou. The Seishirou who had danced the Dress Waltz with me, who had held me in his arms, comforting me.

I had let him come beyond my first shield.

Would he do the same ?

Suddenly, movements brought me out of my day-dreaming, and I realised that the train had reached its last station. I hadn't been aware of the journey... I yawned again. I had almost fallen asleep for real. Chuckling, I shook my head and walked out of the train.

That would teach me to get drunk and go back home when dawn was about to break and I had to be at work three hours later. Four days had passed since then, but I still hadn't really gotten back on my sleeping hours. The work at the criminal brigade kept on becoming more demanding.

As if my boss wanted to crush me under so much work that I wouldn't have time or strength enough to continue my private investigation.

Stupid of him. As I was a contrary person, all his actions could do was to give me further motivation...

Finally, I reached the riding-club and walked in the yard, waving hello to people around me. I checked the time, and thought that I was late. It would be hard for me to finish in time to catch the last train back to Tokyo... Oh well, there were rooms in the club after all...

"Kassandra-san, will you come for the regional competition next month ?"

I nodded at the boy, lowering down my truss of straw and smiling.

"Of course Kenji-kun, I wouldn't miss your debut for the world, and I'm your coach, I have to be there you know !"

I winked good-humoredly at him and he grinned, happy. As my fingers lifted the truss of straw again, I thought that life could be good.

Yes, it could be worth it to be alive if you were lucky enough to be able to relish simple, small happiness, like a child's smile, the beauty of a sunset or the pranks of an unruly horse...

If you could contemplate trusting someone without questioning your feelings constantly. If those feelings were strong enough. And somehow, mine were. For what had to be the first time. Either because of Seishirou himself or because I had come to a point where I couldn't bear to stay utterly alone as I had been until now any longer... Most likely because of a mixture of both reasons...

A loud noise cut into my thoughts and I looked towards the riding club's entrance with curiosity.

A big, luxurious competition truck was coming in.

I looked at the paintings on its side and recognized the logo of one of the most prestigious racing stables in Japan.

What on earth were they doing here ?

I quickly went to Dolphin's stall and littered it, absentmindedly shrugging off the stallion's every attempt at biting me or kicking me. I distantly thought that he would never give up, although he had to know he could not take me by surprise... As soon as I was done, I went back to the courtyard.

The rear door was opened, and they were briging out a horse.

The sunset light caught on the horse's shining chestnut coat. As he reached the ground, the horse looked around with curiosity and whinnied soflty.

He was the most beautiful horse I had ever seen.

Everybody in the courtyard had stopped what they were doing in order to watch.

Hands gently settled on my shoulders and I jumped.

"Ah, I see I surprised you this time..."

I shook my head, smiling as I recognized Seishirou's voice. Turning towards him, I said :

"I'm happy to see you... Tell me, what brings you here ?"

He chuckled softly.

"That, my sweet lady is a surprise as well. Come with me will you ?"

His right hand took my left and drew me away.

What was going on here ?

Suddenly, I realised he was taking me towards the wonderful chestnut. But what... ? He stopped right in front of the horse and said, looking at me :

"This is Hisei. He's nine years old now, and his owners have decided that his racing career was at an end. He is the champion of his generation. They wanted for him to spend his retirement days in a pasture, but I told them I had a friend who would take very good care of him, and that he would be much happier with her than in a pasture. As one of the owners owed me, he simply couldn't refuse. So..."

He smiled.

"Hisei is yours."

For a few seconds, I didn't move, paralyzed.

Surely he couldn't mean...

He couldn't...

With an effort of will, I looked away from him and walked slowly towards the horse.

Gently, carefully I reached out to him, giving him the time to get used to my scent. I felt a smile coming to my lips as he blew in my hand and as his lips began to tickle my palm. I moved closer, whispering :

"Hello Hisei..."

His ears twitched a little and I gently patted his neck. When I saw he didn't mind, on impulse I embraced his neck and buried my head in his mane, suddenly overwhelmed by the enormity of what was happening.

It couldn't be true...

This was too wonderful to be true...

At last, I released him and stepped back.

I shook my head, facing Seishirou again, who was watching me with a mysterious smile. I walked to him and whispered :

"You are crazy, you know that ?..."

Unable to keep my mask any longer, I looked away from him.

"You know how much this means to me, don't you ?..."

I smiled softly, feeling something unknown gently taking hold of my heart. I should have chased the strange feeling away, but once more I refused to listen to the voice of reason and logic.

"Thank you..."

His index finger slid beneath my chin and gently made me look at him.

"You do not have to thank me Kassandra. We are friends, aren't we ? And the truth remains that you are the most qualified person I know to take care of this stallion, so..."

But that was not the reason he had called in a debt on one of the owners. No, I knew it wasn't the reason.

Shadow's death was.

My pain the other night was.

Suddenly, I hugged him, saying with a smile :

"All right, I will do as if I believed that..."

I leaned my head against his chest.

"You are the only true friend I've ever had Seishirou."

One of his hands gently ruffled my hair and then he held me at arm's length, saying soflty :

"I know Kassandra..."

He smiled.

"Does this mean I have come beyond another of your shields ?"

I looked at him, taken aback, and laughed suddenly.

"Gods ! You're nothing if not persistent !..."

I shook my head.

"Didn't I tell you I wouldn't bet with you on this ?..."

I smiled back at him.

"And anyway I see no interest in a bet I am certain to win..."

His eyes locked on mine.

"In your place, I wouldn't be so sure."

I shrugged.

"Maybe, but it doesn't matter much anyway since I didn't agree to your bet. In order for a bet to exist, the two parties must agree to it, ne ?"

He smiled fondly.

"Is that so Kassandra ?"

His smile...

The look in his eyes...

Fighting a sudden sensation of cold inside me I said firmly :

"Oh yes it is so. And I *didn't* agree on any bet, is that clear ?..."

My index finger gently pushed at his left shoulder.

"Perhaps you may reach beyond all my shields, given a few centuries, but even if you do, you won't have won any bet."

Suddenly, something bumped into my back, pushing me against Seishirou who chuckled, saying :

"Well, I think we'll have to settle this point at a later time, there is someone who wants you to take care of him now I think..."

I looked back and saw the proud chestnut stallion right behind me, watching me with curiosity. He snorted and I laughed happily.

"Don't tell me he's the jealous type !"

I was getting seriously bored.

I sighed.

Shit, I had known this would be worse than a dish-washing chore.

I looked at the crowd of people talking merrily in the beautiful hall. Busy sipping at costly drinks and speaking about insignificant things. Showing off. Thanks the Gods I had found a relative shelter beside a huge velvet curtain. Thanks the Gods no one knew me here and I was not a celebrity.

I hated society gatherings.

I looked at my flute glass and smiled.

Genuine French champain.

At least that didn't give any headaches.

I grinned, and emptied the glass.

Impressive ! You're really beautiful...

I shook my head, smiling ironically and remembering Seishirou's voice.

Really, this dress suits you... You should clothe yourself in dresses more often, you know.

The most unbelievable thing about it was that he had really looked sincere.

I just didn't feel comfortable in dresses or skirts.

I'm not mocking you Kassandra, I mean it. You're beautiful.

He had been lucky I couldn't throw him out of my studio on the spot. I hated being made a fun of on that subject. I knew myself, and I couldn't stand flattery, flattery that was moreover a blatant lie. But then, I had been aware that he had had no wish of hurting me. And since I had needed his car to get myself here, I had had no other choice than to bear with compliments I had no need of.

Will you grant me this dance, my lady ?

I suddenly found myself wishing he was here and that someone put on the Dress Waltz.

Dancing with him had felt so incredibly good...

So *right*.

But I was stuck here alone. I looked around disgustingly, and then closed my eyes, feeling cramps in my shoulders and at the base of my neck.

Shit, I had been too tense these last few days.

I really had no place in this reception. I didn't belong.

But I had to stay.

Until Takashi Shiro made his speech of thanks.

That would be embarrassing. I didn't know the man, I had simply been doing my job...

Unfortunately, he wasn't in the reception hall for the moment, and apparently the speech wasn't due until later.

I checked my watch, hoping it wouldn't be too long. Anyway, I had told Seishirou I would put his car in the underground parking where it belonged, so that he'd find it to go to work in the morning. So I guessed that even if I still had to wait during an hour or two before being able to leave this place, it would be all right....

Lucky me.

Cold...

Pain...

Arrow...

I tensed.

Fear...

Terror...

I shivered, feeling cold sweat running down my back.

Death.

Suddenly, I put the flute glass on a nearby table and quickly walked out of the hall.

The corridor was empty. I looked around and saw nothing.

Heard nothing.

Felt nothing.

It was dark, and the voices of the guests were muffled.

I gritted my teeth, and went up the great flight of stairs.

I tripped on the last step and cursed under my breath.

Damn high heels.

Reflexively, I took my shoes off and ran barefoot on the thick soft carpet.

Here.

I listened to the sound of my too rapid heartbeats for a few seconds, and suddenly opened the door.

It was a small room.

The moonlight was the only thing cutting through the darkness.

My hand groped for a switch but found none.

Shit, I could only distinguish shadows...

There, a man.

Staggering.

Slowly, he fell on the floor.

Soundlessly.

I ran and knelt beside him.

Takashi Shiro.

My hand felt for his pulse.

He was dead.

A part of me thought it wasn't surprising.

A part of me realised it had known and insisted I should have understood and expected this.

No...

It couldn't be !

My fault...

Cold...

Icy cold...

I stood up slowly.

The assassin was still in the room.

I strained my eyes, trying to see into the darkness, tensing.

A soft chuckle resounded from nowhere.

"Too late my little lady, far too late..."

I whirled around, in time to see a shadow walking towards the bay window.

Its back contemptuously turned on me.

As if I was insignificant.

As if there was nothing I could do.

Anger filled me and I ran, heedless of the danger.

Laughter resounded in the room as I tripped and fell.

The shadow had dissolved at the instant I had reached it.

I got up.

Something was brushing my body.

Flying all around me.

Small, silky soft things.

Delicate.

Fragile.

A myriad of them.

A sweet perfume touched my senses.

Blossoms ?

One by one, they vanished, as if they had been nothing more than a dream.

All but for one which landed in the palm of my right hand.

Sakura.

I closed my eyes, remembering Tokyo Tower.

Him.

Oh yes. It was him.

The assassin I had been looking for.

And he was aware of me.

Damn it to all the hells !

I whispered in the night :

"Show yourself if you dare ! Show yourself and let's end it here and now."

Cold hit me from all sides, and suddenly a ghostly wind rose, surrounding me.

Holding me and touching me like a lover.

"A time for everything my lady."

As quickly as it had come, the wind died down and all feeling of presence left the room.

I looked around.

Nothing had been disturbed.

As if no one but me and Takashi Shiro had ever come here.

Gods rot it.

I smiled humorlessly, thinking that I would be very lucky indeed if any sign of the murderer could be picked up, or if the examination of the body would reveal any kind of evidence.

What was this assassin ?

A simple aneurism rupture.

My fist violently hit the wall of my small room.

The pain was distant.

Bullshit.

I had expected their finding a natural cause for Takashi Shiro's death.

But damnit I was a witness !

And they had told me to go get some rest and take a few days holidays.

Be reasonable Ange-san...

I bit my lower lip.

Did you see anyone ? Apart from this strange wind of Sakura petals that left not tracks and didn't disturb the room whatsoever ? No, of course you didn't. We only found your fingerprints on the corpse, and no other in the whole room. Of course you saw the man falling down dead. It shocked you... His death shocked everyone. Please stop making a fuss over this. The family was kind enough to let us make an autopsy, and that's it. This case is now closed. And you will go back home and sleep it off. That is a direct order, am I clear ?

Yeah, he had been crystal clear.

I leaned my hands on the wall and bowed my head, breathing deeply.

Hell, what was going on in this city ?

Who was that assassin ?

What was he ?

Why did my boss seem to know of his existence and refuse to do anything about it ? Why had there been such a devouring fear in his eyes ?

Curse it, I couldn't simply ignore this.

A man was dead by my fault.

It was my responsability.

Guilt filled my heart, and shame.

After I had prevented Takashi Shiro from jumping to his death on Tokyo Tower, I had dismissed him from my mind. When the report of the lab had come my way I had shrugged, telling myself it was simply one of those cases one could not explain.

Damnit I had deliberately denied my memory of the man's fear on the top of the Tower.

Of his terror.

A hunt...

I had refused to see the obvious.

The link.

If I hadn't been there, the reason for Taksahi Shiro's death that day would have been obvious : suicide. What better way to dissemble a murder ?

But I had held him back.

And of course the assassin had come back to finish his dirty work.

With only one difference.

He had been careful to do it with me as a witness. Oh, not a witness of the murder itself, no. He was much too intelligent for that.

But...

It had been a challenge.

What could I do ?

How could I find him ?

I shook my head, and reluctantly went to lie down on my head.

My boss had been right on one thing.

I would be better able to think on it in the morning.

Fog...

So thick...

I can't see anything.

I am lost.

I hear a cry and feel cold coming all over me.

Someone is dying.

Someone is being hurt and terrified so much that he will kill himself to win free.

I run in the direction of the voice, and suddenly the fog lifts.

A man looks at me with pain in his eyes.

Despair.

Pain... So terrible...

Sakura petals appear out of nowhere and surround his body gently turning around him.

Ever so slowly, the man's shape dissolves itself in the blossoms, as if he was somehow absorbed my them.

His blood drips in the ground.

Once his shape has completely disappeared, the petals fall on the pool of blood and cover it.

I look at this, paralyzed and vaguely horrified.

Suddenly, I see a shadow on my left.

Someone else is watching.

Fear abruptly grips me.

The assassin.

He laughs, and the fog rises again, blinding me once again.

My room.

I am sleeping.

I can see myself lying on the right side as usual.

My fingers are clutching the pillow.

There is pain written on my face.

I must be having a nightmare.

Yes, certainly, and a bad one at that.

Funny, I never had this kind of dream...

I've never seen myself like this.

A faint sound alerts me and I suddenly see a dark shape materializing on the left side of the bed.

The shadow watches my sleeping form for a while, unmoving, and then slowly gets on the bed, placing himself right above me, his knees on either side of my thighs, his left hand closing on my right wrist and his right reaching out to my face.

A few Sakura petals float in the air around him.

No...

I have to move !

I have to cry out, to run, to do someting !

I...

I awoke suddenly, a scream in my throat.

Damn...

I tried to catch my breath, conscious of nothing but the disordered beatings of my heart.

I felt like a diver who'd have reached the surface of the ocean after having stayed underwater too long. I...

A presence.

A touch on my right wrist.

My heart skipped a beat.

Belatedly, my eyes saw the shadow above me, saw his hand reaching out to me and I screamed.

No sound came through my lips.

Frantically, I tried to move, I tried to knee the intruder.

I couldn't move a muscle.

As if I was spellbound.

I looked up, but couldn't see the man's face.

I didn't need to.

I knew who that was.

Damn me for being a cursed stupid fool.

Once more, I tried to move, unsuccessfully.

Shit, this couldn't be real.

This couldn't be true.

He had practically no hold on me !

"This is another nightmare."

I gritted my teeth. This time, I had heard the sound of my voice.

The assassin whispered softly :

"Oh no, this time, you are wide awake my lady."

Furious against myself and my mind for making up such dark fantasies, I repeated :

"This is a nightmare, a figment of my imagination. You are not there."

This time, no answer came back to me.

Slowly, his left hand began squeezing on my wrist.

Gradually, the pain spread into my arm, then my chest, and my whole body. Instincitvely, I tried to free myself, but I still couldn't move.

Pain...

It hurt.

My vision wavered.

It hurt so much !

I bit my lower lip, and eventually whispered between clenched teeth :

"Okay, you proved your point."

He relaxed his hold and I savagely fought the need to moan. I shivered, and he chuckled.

"You are incredibly stubborn, I thought I would have to break your arm..."

Fear...

Hell, fear wouldn't help me, it was only clouding my mind.

I couldn't move, or fight him back.

In short, I was at his mercy. I said defiantly :

"What do you want ?"

His fingers gently stroked my face and reflexively I tried to recoil. Ineffectively.

"I have come to pay a visit to my would-be hunter..."

I didn't need to see his face to know he was smiling. For some reason, that turned my terror into fury. Damn him, I wouldn't let him kill me that easy.

I focused on my left arm.

I had to move.

I had to get free of whatever hold he had on me.

I had no choice, and no time to waste on thinking aboutt what I was doing.

Do it. Or do not do it. There is no try.

I smiled in the night.

I had always been a fan of Star Wars.

Slowly, my left hand moved up.

I felt sweat on my brow.

It was so hard... So hard to will the movement to be...

Suddenly, his right hand caught my arm.

"Oh... I see, you are really strong-willed, aren't you ?..."

His voice was mocking.

He brought my left hand to his lips and kissed it. As he released it, it fell back on the bed, lifeless. I said in a voice made hollow by anger and fear :

"Finish it, kill me since you came for that."

He laughed.

"Kill you ? I don't think so... Not quite yet..."

He bent down on me, and I suddenly felt his mouth covering mine and forcing a deep kiss. I bit him, and tasted his blood in my mouth. He ended the kiss and chuckled softly.

"I think I am really going to enjoy this, Ange Kassandra..."

I felt tears burning my eyes.

He hadn't even been angry when I had bitten him. He hadn't even recoiled. I knew I had hurt him, but... It was as if he had relished my fighting him. As if he had been feeding on the struggle.

I wanted to wake up from this nightmare.

Damnit, I couldn't...

Help me...

I closed my eyes.

He said in a very gentle, very soft voice :

"No one will help you my sweet lady. No one will come..."

His fingers gently brushed my hair.

"You shouldn't have meddled in my affairs. You shouldn't have deprived me of my prey on Tokyo Tower. For this, there is a price to be paid..."

His lips brushed the base of my throat and I felt something icy touching my soul. I shivered.

He kissed the side of my neck, whispering in my ear :

"Did you feel the cold just now ? I have marked you as my prey. When I choose, the hunt will begin, and it will last until I grow tired of it. We will see how long you manage to keep your sanity and to remain alive..."

His hold on me suddenly relaxed, and the shadow above me disappeared.

A lonely Sakura petal fell from nowhere and landed on my throat, its touch the lingering kiss of the assassin's lips marking me as his prey.

I got up and ran to the light switch.

My fingers stopped an inch from it.

The lights would not undo what had just happened.

They would not protect me.

I looked at the mirror beside me and thought I could see a five-pointed silver star shining very faintly at the base of my throat.

My fingers crushed the fragile petal and I turned towards the window and the night beyond, saying in a tight voice :

"You should have killed me when you had the opportunity. For it is too late now. I am nobody's prey. If you thought to paralyze me, then you are sadly mistaken. I shall find you, whomever and whererver you are. If it is a hunt you want, I shall give you one, but not the one you expect."

I watched with delight as shock registered in her eyes.

As she understood.

As tears at last won through her shields.

As I freed her from the illusion, she got up and went to the light switch, stopping herself right before turning on the lights.

I smiled as she faced me and challenged me.

Even though her conscious mind thought she was only facing the night, deep inside her something knew I was listening.

She was brave.

I had to give her that.

When she had managed to move her arm, I had almost seen the light of her soul shining in the darkness.

As incredible as it had seemed, she had managed to break through the hold of my illusion, if only briefly.

Oh she was special.

Her shields masking a soul as sensitive as Subaru-kun's had been.

A capacity of pain perhaps even greater, and...

A strange, surprising strength.

Her wall of cynicism would not protect her much longer, I would see to that.

I had let her taste my blood, I would have hers when the time came.

But before, I would have much more.

Eventually, she went back to her bed and laid down on it.

Her eyes haunted.

She was afraid for herself of course, but only marginally. Most of all she was feeling pain and guilt about the death of Takashi Shiro. As if she could have done anything about it...

I chuckled silently.

She was really cute.

Her eyes closed, and on impulse I gently brushed away stray locks of hair which had been invading her face. As exhaustion won over her and sleep claimed her, tears began to run on her cheeks.

Tears she had been fighting with all her will.

Pain, grief and sorrow she had denied.

Fear she had savagely refused.

I would teach her to acknowledge her feelings and embrace them.

I kissed her soflty, and tasted her tears.

This hunt would last.

A long time.

End of Part 4.

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