Fear of Angels

                                 Part Two

                              Tatiana Celeste
                            lintila@hotmail.com

"Himemiya Akio? Himemiya Akio?!" the shrill voice of the teacher demanded.
She frowned as he continued to ignore her. Such insolence. Well, she would
show him.

"Himemiya Akio!" She slammed the ruler on his desk and the young man jerked
awake. The others students tittered and giggled, as he looked around
confused.

"If you see fit to sleep in my class then perhaps you should leave and go
back to bed. Or why don't I require you to show up in your pajamas."

Several girls gasped and began to giggle at this prospect.

"Gomen nasai," he said, his head low and his green eyes focused on the
ruler that was pressed against hit desk.

"You will of course stay after class."

"Hai ma'am."

The bell rang and the other students took advantage of the distraction that
Akio had caused and were scrambling out the door before the teacher could
give them an extra assignment. Akio remained in his seat, his face red with
embarrassment and anger.

"You will remain here until you complete a five page essay on why you
should not sleep in class, this will be turned into my office. You may not
leave until then."

"Hai ma'am," he said...though in his mind this was not what he had wanted
to say at all.

He took out several sheets of paper and a pencil and began to write what he
knew she would want to hear, resenting her need to abuse what authority she
possessed by giving him such a menial punishment, next she would probably
make him clean the room. Why was it that those with the least power always
sought to dominate others?

"Onii-sama? Are you in here?"

Akio looked up from his writing, "Anthy!"

She smiled and hopped into the room, "What are you still doing here? You
promised to take me to the forest behind the school so we could look for
bunnies."

He ruffled her hair, "Sorry Anthy-chan, I got in trouble. Just sit over
there and let me finish this, then we'll go to the forest."

"Okay!" the girl did as she was told and sat in the desk next to him,
swinging her short legs back and forth. He smiled and went back to his
writing, half way there. This wasn't the first time he had to write such an
essay; more and more he had been falling asleep in class and he couldn't
explain why. Anthy next to him began to sing a quiet little song to herself
about bunnies and he spared a glance at her, her violet hair covering her
face as she bent her head down and made the motions that went with the
song. He smiled.

Anthy paused and looked up at him, "I'm sorry Onii-sama, I'll be quiet."
She placed her hands in her lap and Akio went back to his essay.

******

"Look at the bird!" Anthy exclaimed in an excited voice, pointing towards a
low branch in one of the trees.

Akio nodded, saying that it was a very pretty bird. He was distracted
though. This place felt so familiar.

"The forest hides secrets," he mused to himself.

"What did you say?" Anthy asked, her eyes curious.

"Huh? Oh nothing, just thinking of a dream I had."

"I had a dream last night," Anthy said, "I dreamt I was a princess and I
lived in a beautiful castle in the sky and in this castle lived a prince
named Dios and he told me that he would make me his Rose Bride."

A chill ran through Akio's body and he used a near by tree for support.

~I am the Rose Bride, I am yours if you will have me, but you must create
me first~

"Onii-sama? Are you all right you look pale? Why are you sweating so?"

Akio's world went black and he felt as if the ground was spinning beneath
him as he tried to hold himself up using the tree but to no avail. The last
thing he heard was Anthy's worried cries.

******

He groaned. Cold, he felt so cold. There was a warm hand clutching his own,
no, two small hands.

"Onii-sama?" Anthy's soft voice asked.

He could hear how worried she was, he wanted to tell her that he was fine,
that she didn't have to worry. Her hands released his. No, he tried to
reach for her. She wasn't going to leave him was she?

A short moment though and he felt a wet cloth on his forehead and her hands
returned to his. "C-cold," he managed to whisper, "I'm cold."

Anthy pulled the blanket tighter around him, trapping the heat inside, "Lay
still, I'll be back," she kissed his cheek and he could hear her leave the
room. Why did this feel so familiar? He had never been this sick before had
he?

~Lay still, I'll take care of you. Don't listen to them, they don't
understand. You're ill, you can't fight for them any more, there's no more
you can do for them, let them fight for themselves for once. Refuse to feel
their pain.~

"Anthy?" He whispered, he thought he had heard her voice, "Anthy?"

~Shh. I'll only be a moment Dios.~

"Dios? Who? Anthy?"

Something screamed in his mind, a female voice crying out for help, for him
but he couldn't move, he could do nothing, he felt so weak. He continued to
call out for Anthy.

"Oni-sama!" she said gently, gripping his hand once again.

"Anthy, Anthy," He opened his eyes, and could see her face looking down
onto his own, "Where did you go? What happened? Are you alright?"

She only gave him a confused look, "I was just in the other room Onii-sama,
I was getting you a blanket," she removed the cloth that had slid down the
side of his face and wet it again, gently wiping his face.

"I thought you...you were telling me to ignore others and were calling me,
calling me Dios."

"You were dreaming," she said, "You have a fever, you passed out in the
forest don't you remember?"

"I...? I passed out?"

"Yes."

She was trying to be strong for him he could tell, but her eyes betrayed
her.

"My brave little Anthy, soon you won't need me anymore." Anthy looked at
him horrified, "No! Don't say that!" She clutched his hand desperately, "I
will always need you. You're all I have," her eyes were squeezed tight,
crystal droplets of tears were beaded on her eyelashes and were running
down her dark cheeks. He freed a finger from her grasped and brushed the
tears away but let her cry, she had been suppressing it for sometime now,
probably from the time he passed out.

"Don't worry onee-chan. I am still here. I do not find the angels enticing
at all. Shh."

"Oh Onii-sama, I was so scared," she released his hand and hugged him.

He stroked her hair gently, feeling his body grow heavy with exhaustion.

******

"Ah, your awake again, how do you feel?" a strange voice asked.

Akio took a moment to remember his surroundings.

"You're in the infirmary," the man said.

"Where's Anthy?"

"That girl?"

"Yes."

"I sent her back to her dorm, no need for her to stay here."

"But she was here before," Akio protested, sitting up.

"Well," the doctor said with his back turned to Akio, "you were asleep on
and off for several days, you didn't expect her to stay here all that time
did you?"

"Well...I gah!"

"Say ah." He said pressing Akio's tongue down with a tongue depressor.

"Ahhh,"

"Uh huh, now, hold this in your mouth for a bit," the doctor said placing a
thermometer in Akio's mouth.

Akio sat there impatiently, wanting to ask his questions but instead being
forced to remain the patient.

"Oh now don't be like that, this is just routine," the doctor said removing
the thermometer, "ah yes, your temperature is almost back to normal. You
should stay here a few more days; rest up."

"Hello?"

"Anthy!"

"Don't stay too long," the doctor told her, "He need's his rest."

"Hai!" she said smiling brightly.

Akio smiled.

"I brought you something Onii-sama!"

"Oh?"

She took a box from behind her back, though how he hadn't noticed it before
was beyond him. Then again she was adept at keeping secrets.

"What is it?" he asked intrigued as she set the box on the side of the bed
and opened it for him.

"I got you some chocolates," she said pulling out a small box, "The kind
you like, I was saving them for your birthday but I thought this was as
good a time as any," she said, "and this," she handed him a white rose,
"Isn't it pretty?"

"Oh Anthy,' Akio took the rose from his sisters hand, "Its beautiful, thank
you."

Anthy just smiled, " I grew it myself, in a little clay flower pot in my
room.

Akio just looked at her, "If I had known that you liked to grow flowers I
would have gotten you what you needed."

"I know...but, I just..." Anthy looked away sheepishly.

"What?"

She shrugged, "I just, suddenly decided that I like roses, I don't know
why."

"Well, everyone likes roses," Akio said plainly.

"This is my fifth attempted, all the other ones died."

"Oh, but its so beautiful Anthy, the white, its so pure and true and
noble."

"Just like you, I'm glad the white one bloomed."

"Go put it in a vase so it doesn't die, see, the petals are already
beginning to wilt a little," Akio said pointing to the fading edges.

Anthy nodded and found a small cup and filled it with water from the
pitcher next to the bed. Akio leaned against the pillows and closed his
eyes.

Anthy sat next to him on the wooden chair next to the bed, "Feeling
better?"

He opened his eyes and glanced over at her, "Yeah."

"Good, you look like you might want a chocolate."

He laughed, "Go ahead and open it."

Anthy began tearing the cellophane off of the box, opening it carefully as
if it contained something precious, "Here Onii-sama," She took one of the
chocolates from its little wrapper and held it out to him. "Say ah!"

"Ah," Akio played along opening his mouth popping the candy into his mouth.
He smiled and chewed happily.

Anthy giggled and ate one too, sighing happily at the chocolaty goodness.

"What's this?" Akio asked.

"Oh, its your homework."

"Ew."

"They made me, I told them that you wouldn't be up to it, but some of the
books look interesting," she shifted through them, "Will I get to read
these when I'm in your grade?"

"You can read them now if you want."

"Alright, but I won't write any reports for you. Remember what happened
last time."

"Yes, I almost got an A."

Anthy laughed.

******

"Do you know do you know? Have you heard the news?"

"The prince fell ill but the princess healed him."

"But how can she be a princess with no prince of her own?"

"Oh courageous prince what will you do to help her?"

"Will you shelter her or help her blossom like the roses that she grows?"

"Do you know do you know? How will the princess fare?"

Akio watched the shadow girls again, he had gotten used to their visits in
his dreams, their cryptic words and metaphors along with their
performances. He wondered where in his subconscious they had come from.

"They are entertaining aren't they?" a young male voice said from beside
him.

"Huh?" Akio turned to see a boy covered in shadows wearing a pristine white
uniform with noble decorations.

"The shadows are always amusing though. They are more tangible then you
might think, they possess a life of their own."

"Who are you?"

"Me? I am called Dios, I am yourself."

"Myself?"

"Once a long time ago you existed as Dios, you were a prince and your
castle was here, where this forest is now."

"What happened?"

"You grew ill," a female voice said.

He whirled around to see the Rose Bride emerging from the forest.

"Dios, you, finally died of exhaustion. Your sister was killed for this."

"But why?" Akio was beyond confused but this was a dream world, the words
these shadows spoke were just shadows themselves weren't they?

In the distance he could see the shadow girls continuing their dance, one
dressed as a prince and the other dressed as a princess reenacting the
story that the Rose Bride told him.

"Time has a way of repeating itself you see," the boy said.

"It is repeating again...you must take up the mantle once more." The bride
continued.

"You will be a prince once again and you can bring peace to this world,"
Dios said, his young voice filled with idealism.

"What...What is needed?"

"You must sacrifice yourself to the swords, once the swords are fed, then
hatred and anger, all inhumanity will vanish," The rose bride said, "The
Rose Bride will provide you with the necessary power to launch into that
realm. Until you do this, you will know the suffering of the world."

Akio backed away from them, what they were asking him to do! It was
impossible. "No, I...I can't!"

"We know that it is much to ask from you, one who doesn't even remember
what happened, but it is in the best interest of the world." The boy prince
insisted.

"Well, why didn't you do it then? Why didn't you sacrifice yourself for the
world if it is such a noble deed?" Akio asked in an angry voice.

"Because I couldn't, I was going about it the wrong way and I died before I
could complete what I was supposed to do."

"Why should I do this though? Why? I don't want this! I don't desire to
change the world!"

"Please," the shadow covered bride walked towards him, "release me of my
sin to the world, if I had not kept Dios from the world he might not have
died...the world would have been as it should be. The one who revolutionizes
the world...that person will be able to change the world as they see fit!
Dios, you, are a pure soul! Only the pure, the innocent, can heal the
world. You can heal the world."

"I don't know who you think I am. My name is Akio, not Dios. I will no
throw myself to swords just because you say I should!! I won't!"

"Why? Please we're begging you!" the bride pleaded, stepping out of the
shadows, revealing her face, her eyes...those green eyes...she looked like an
older version of...

"NO!"

Akio trembled and looked around, trying to catch his breath. Had it been a
dream? Only a dream? Anthy!

Akio leapt out of bed and dressed quickly, barely remembering his keys as
he dashed out of the East dorm and ran towards the West dorm. His mind
screamed, it couldn't be true, it just couldn't be. He was...he was Akio and
Anthy was Anthy. Dios and the Rose Bride, it was ridiculous!

He pounded on the door to the dorm waking up the attendant.

"What do you want then? It's the middle of the night!"

"Please," Akio said breathlessly, "I need to see my sister, its important."

"She's probably asleep, come back tomorrow," the middle aged woman began to
shut the door.

"Please, please," Akio pushed on the door frantically, "Let me see her."

The woman looked at him strangely, "Have you been drinking young man?"

"No of course not!" Akio said, "Just let me see her." The woman sighed,
knowing that she would not be able to push the door closed with Akio
leaning on it, "Very well, come in."

"Thank you!" Akio said bowing low, "Thank you."

He ran past her and up to the second floor. "Anthy," He called out in a
loud whisper knocking on the door, "Anthy!"

The door opened, "She's asleep what do you want?" Anthy's roommate asked
irritably, rubbing her eyes.

"Move!" Akio pushed her to the side and kneeled next to the lower bunk,
"Anthy, wake up." He shook her. She was lost in dreams, unstirring. What
nonsense were they telling her? Would they get her to try to convince him
to follow their plan?

~Do you know do you know?~

~Do you know do you know?~

~Do you know do you know?~

"Do you know what time it is? Baka, leave her alone and go away I have a
test tomorrow."

Akio ignored the girl and continued to shake Anthy.

The girl finally stirred, her eyes opening slowly, widening as she noticed
Akio. "Oh Onii-sama!" She sat up and hugged his neck tightly.

"Gah, stupid roses! Anthy you've gotten potting soil on my homework again"
the roommate complained, "I swear Himemiya, I'm getting a new room mate you
and your brother are too weird.

"Don't do it Onii-sama, don't do it, the world can take care of itself, but
I need you."


                              End of Part Two