The Beginning of the End of the World By the lovely and talented Ryuko-chan, AKA DragonGirl Episode Two: A Secret Pain Revisited "I am the rose bride..." Saionji could not get the visage of the calm girl out of his head. For quite a while he had just sat in the kendo room, brooding over his ken. He didn't understand the notion of the duels, he doubted anyone but Touga did. But he wished he could, for perhaps then he could make the girl his. A knock came at the door, and he opened it. There again stood the girl with the wavy hair. He gave her a look and took the letter she offered. "Kyouichi..." she said, "You are getting into more than you know." She warned. Saionji blinked at her. She just stood there expectantly. He opened his letter. ~Dear Student Council Members~ I am greatly pleased to find that you have accepted my offer. I plan on observing your actions. I have no doubt that you will bring about the revolution. ~Sekai no Hate~ Saionji crumpled up the paper. He threw it on his desk. By some strange coincidence, it ended up bouncing off the picture which he kept on his desk. A picture of Touga and him as youths, smiling with their shinai. He stared at it over his shoulder. "This is how I will get even with you." He said in a soft voice. His eyes belied none of what was going on in his mind. "I think that it's cute.." Touga's mother had said, "You boys just go off and have fun!" She had no idea. They would go out into the forests, and practice. Endlessly. And Saionji would always lose. One day... One day.. Something happened which Saionji would never forget. "Spirited away?" he had said, amazed. He clenched his fist as he remembered the look on Touga's face. It was a look of victory. He looked down to the ground. "Something eternal." He said, "I will find something eternal. And someday I will beat you, Kiryuu Touga!" he shouted, "Someday I will be the victor." He finished. Arisugawa Juri sat on her bed, legs crossed, clad in a flowing nightgown. She stared at the picture on her desk. It was one of her entire class last year. But there was only one who drew her gaze. She sighed. Gingerly, she opened her drawer, and took out a long gold chain. At the end, was a locket with a rose set upon it. "It will match my ring." She said, mostly as a way to justify it to herself. She picked up the frame of the picture, and with cruel, fast motions, she opened it. Her face twisted. "Miracles.." she murmured. She drew scissors from her drawer, and painstakingly cut an oval from the picture. As she cut, she muttered, "Believe in miracles.. and they will know your feelings. Miracles." She said, "There are no miracles." She said, as an oath, as she finished the cut. She drew the oval from the picture and stared at it. With a finalizing motion, she stuck it into the locket and shut it. She drew her fingers up to the nape of her neck and fastened it. Taking the locket on the end of the string, she opened it and stared within for a moment, "You. You told me to believe in miracles. But.. The very miracle I wanted didn't happen." She smiled bitterly, "Ironic, isn't it? But now I know. There are no miracles. Miracles are something for the innocent to believe in." She said. She lay down in bed and pulled the covers over her head. She was past tears. There were no more left to cry. Fingers danced over the keys, arms waved, head nodded to the tune of the music. Anyone else would have thought it was beautiful. Kaoru Miki stopped, and banged his hands on the keyboard. He leaned his elbows on the keyboard, making a horrible cacophony. "It's gone.. gone.. gone..." he said, "When... When will I find that shining thing that I've been looking for?" he asked aloud to no one. He recounted his foolish words, "Don't worry.. don't worry, I'll be right there beside you.." He banged his hands against the keys. In one swift movement he closed the keys, and stood up. He put his face in his hands. "I broke it. I destroyed my happiness with my own hands..." he said, staring at them. He sighed, "And that sound that I strived so for, it's never coming back." He said, "Never." There was a sound at the door. "Oh, I don't know about that, Mickey.." Touga said. "Kiryuu-sempai!" Miki said. Touga blinked. "What's that you were talking about, a shining thing?" he said, blinking. He thought about it, "Novel idea." He said, "I hope you do find it, Miki. Whatever it is." He said, a smug smile on his face. Miki sighed. "Well, I must get to my dorm. After all, I must duel tomorrow. Kyouichi-sempai." He said. Touga nodded. "If you wish so. I could accompany you.." he added. Miki blinked, eyes wide, but hunched his shoulders and shook his head no. Touga shrugged, "No matter. I have business to attend to anyway." He said. Miki hurried out of the building into the night, which for some reason felt a lot colder than it had before. Back in the music room, Touga smirked. There was a sound at his hip. He reached down to grab his cell phone. "Hello." He said in a voice that was certain of who was on the other line. He listened for a moment, and smiled, "Of course. I was just speaking to Kaoru Miki..... What was that? .....Oh, yes.. He seemed to be a little worried about it.... Have I spoken to Kyouichi? No... we're not on very good terms." He listened for a moment, and then smiled, "I have no idea. We used to be such good friends....... And Juri? No.... I don't relish having to speak with her. She seems to be immune to my- What? ....I'm not sure. I actually noticed that too.... Sooner or later it will come out. Ah, well.. All the more opportunities." He nodded for a few minutes, "Uh huh...... Uh huh.... Right. I've got it. Arigatou. Ja." He said, hanging up the phone. He looked up and smiled. "Who was that?" said a voice from the doorway. Touga turned. "No one." He said, "Just a friend." He said. Kozue walked up to him. "How is my brother?" she asked with a sly smile, "I haven't seen him in a while." She said. Touga shrugged. "Fine, I suppose." He said guardedly. Kozue giggled. "Come on.. The music room isn't just for playing the piano..." she said with a smile, taking him by the shoulders. A tapping beat of music started.... "Ouch!" Said B-ko. A-ko blinked. "What's the matter?" she asked. B-ko looked up. "Oh, I'm fine.. You see, I broke my leg, and it really hurts!" she said. A-ko nodded sympathetically.s "That can be rough.. So what happened?" she asked. B-ko sighed. "Well, I was trying to rescue a kitten from a pine tree, and I fell out and twisted my ankle.. It's been really bothering me.." A-ko put her hands to her mouth. "So, what happened to the kitten?" she asked. B-ko waved her hand. "Oh, he was fine, I'm sure he forgot all about it. But it hurts!" she said. A-ko blinked. "Well, what happened to the cast?" she asked. B-ko looked at her leg. "Oh, that. I got my cast taken off a long time ago. Around a month." She said. A-ko whirled. "And it's just started to hurt?" she asked, confused. B-ko nodded. "Well, you see, when I broke it, I got so many presents, and so much ice cream, that I just forgot how much it hurt!" she said, "Now that something reminded me, it's started to hurt again!" she said. A-ko put her hands to her lips. "Well, what reminded you?" she asked. B-ko put one finger up. "It was the pine tree that I tripped over and twisted my ankle on!" she said. No music played as Saionji Kyouichi walked up the stairs. However, no music had ever played, so he missed nothing. He turned to his right to see Kaoru Miki striding, two steps to his one, up the stairs, keeping pace with him. He didn't know Miki very well, but he did know of his skill with the sword. Miki smiled. "Ohayo, Kyouichi-sempai." He said. Saionji growled. "Saionji." He said. Miki's smile faded slightly. "Of course, Saionji-sempai." He said, demurely, "Gomen Nasai.." Saionji shrugged. "I have a question..." he said, thinking. Miki blinked and looked over. Saionji sighed, "Do you know what this all means?" he asked. Miki shook his head. "No. I really don't. Maybe someday I will." He said. Saionji wasn't exactly sure whether they were speaking of the same thing. He shrugged, and soon they reached the duel arena. They were a bit overwhelmed for a moment. Then Miki's eyes were drawn to the sky. They widened. "Look!" he shouted, one finger pointing impotently to the sky, where a distant castle lazily circled. Saionji stared. There seemed to be an aura there. An aura around the castle, which felt almost timeless.. "Something eternal.." he murmured. Miki looked over, and was about to say something, when the bells on the distant tower began to ring. He jumped, as a voice behind him said. "Here." And turned him. Anthy put a blue rose into his lapel, and he stared at it for a moment. Anthy walked over and placed one in Saionji's lapel, and favored him with a rare smile. She closed her eyes and walked to directly between the both of them, "Whoever loses their rose first, is the loser." She said. She threw her hand between them, and backed away, as the bells abruptly stopped ringing. The air seemed abnormally quiet. Saionji drew his sword. "Kaoru Miki." He said. Miki drew his sword. "Saionji Kyouichi-sempai." He said. An understanding passed between them. Then they lunged. Saionji's katana overpowered Miki's thin fencing sword. Miki's arm power was not up to Saionji's power. Panting, Miki broke away. Saionji sneered. "You aren't as skilled.." he muttered. Miki shrugged. "I use a different style than you. That doesn't mean that I'm worse than you." He said noncommittally. Saionji shrugged. "We'll just see how you fare against Juri-sempai." He said. Miki smiled faintly. "I will never beat her." He said. Saionji held the end of his sword. He extended it in fencing manner. "I will rise.. to your level." He said. He extended his arm, and Miki smiled. Their ken met, and then started a ferocious volley of slashes. Miki clumsily made movements to disarm Saionji, which didn't work, due to the thinness of his sword. Meanwhile, up at the council tower, Touga peered through opera glasses at the duel. He smiled. "Oh.. Kyouichi.. You're so generous." He muttered. Juri leaned over the bar, squinting at the action below. Touga took the glasses away from his eyes. He glanced at her, "So interested in the action?" he asked mildly. Juri glanced at him as if he was intruding on her property. She smiled faintly. "He's my prodigy, why shouldn't I be worried about his progress?" she asked. Touga nodded. "I suppose. Taught him everything he knows?" he asked. Juri nodded. "Yes. He's not as fast or as strong as me, but he's fast enough. He's not quite up to my level. But, he's getting there." She said distantly, concentrating on the duel below. Saionji was mercilessly driving the less strong Miki. Miki's frustration was not showing on his face, but in his movements. He struck forward, and was quickly driven back, his arms were now moving jerkily. Touga smiled, "Have any feelings for him?" he asked slyly. Juri's eyes widened momentarily. She shook her head. "No. He's just a child. He doesn't know anything about that kind of thing." She said, her voice revealing some long-distant pain. Touga raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? His sister seems to have some knowledge.." he said. Juri raised an eyebrow at that, but shrugged. "No. He's too innocent. I can't love someone so innocent." She said. Touga looked at her, eyes involuntarily drawn to her chest, for no perverted reason, but the fact that there was a necklace there that he had not seen before. The open clasp yawned toward him and his eyes belied surprise at the picture. Juri's mouth clamped shut, and she reached up in one swift moment shut the locket. Touga turned his eyes to the duel again, and silently passed the glasses to Juri. She glanced askance at him, and he smiled. "Just thought you'd like to witness it. You duel him tomorrow." He said. Juri gave him a mistrustful look, and turned back to the duel. Miki's willowy chest was heaving. He still managed to throw off all of Saionji's stronger slashes for his rose. He knew that any initiate he took as to slashing Saionji's rose would only leave him open for Saionji to take his faster. However, his arms were wearying, and he knew he would need his strength for tomorrow's duel. Anger flared in him as he thought that perhaps they were set together like this so that he would lose. And that irrational anger gave him the speed and strength to try for Saionji's rose. In a snakelike movement, he slashed forward. Saionji attempted to lurch backward, but failed. However, only one green petal fluttered to the ground, torn halfway through, and as Miki cursed mentally, Saionji made short work of his rose. The petals floated along the breeze, and the bells rang. Saionji's head snapped to the sound, as did Miki's. On the tower, Juri glanced up. The only who didn't seem surprised were Anthy and Touga. Anthy smiled. "Winner." She said in a soft voice, "Saionji Kyouichi." Miki looked at his fluttering petals, and sighed. Another sour note. Later that night... Shadows resided in the lacy pink coverings of Touga's bed. A reclining Touga, girl leaning upon him, breast rising and falling in the regular rhythm of sleep. Touga brought a phone up to his ear. "Hello." He said in a mild voice. He paused, "Yes. The duel went well. As you predicted, Saionji won.... No.. No.. He wasn't too upset. He didn't cry, or anything........ No. I don't know... wait.. Wait, yes I do. It's his sister.... Yes, I do know her. Rather well, actually. We've done business together on numerous counts...... Yes, that's it.. OH! I forgot to mention. I think I know why Juri is so... Huh? Yes, that. Well, it involves a girl by the name of Takatsuki Shiori, and the former fencing club head.... No.. Not him... the other. Yes. That one. Well, there was a rumor, but I never thought it to be true... Turns out it was, with a delicious twist. I believe we can turn it to our advantage." The girl beside him stirred, "But, I shall explain that later, I have pressing business... Yes. That business.... Thank you. Bye." He hung up the phone and placed it on the table. The girl moved. "Touga...." She murmured. Touga put his fingers on her lips. "Shh... Don't worry.. I'm here.. Your prince is here." Next time, on the Beginning of the End of the World Girl A: Miki and Juri? Girl B: You don't think they're an item, do you? Girl A: I sure hope not.. Miki's so cute.. I want him for myself! A-ko: Tie me up here.. and there... and here.. B-ko: Are you sure? A-ko: Yes.. Tighter! That's good. B-ko: Now nothing can hurt you! A-ko and B-ko: Next time on The Beginning of the End of the World: Someday we'll find what we've been looking for... Anthy: The beginning of the absolute destiny apocalypse! Author's note: The letters from Sekai no Hate are kind of anti- climactic.. I hope to make them more interesting.. Any questions, comments, and such can go to DragonGirl17@AOL.com. Flames for evil treatment of Touga can go to Smokey the Bear.. Because only you can prevent forest fires..