Supposed to be my Contest Entry however, due to being disorienting, long and not fluffy, I had no choice but to do this. It'll be a multi-fic.

Setting:

5% - Flames immune

30% - Flames unlucky

65%- Dead

Warning: Gore and Extreme Violence. I am not kidding.

"Where Rainbows End"

-Burn the Ghosts we've carried home-

~X~

What little things they are. What Big Damage they conceive.

Present-

"You're invading my space."

The bedraggled girl didn't seem to notice the guy who was now walking up to her, a small pocketbook in one hand and a look of disgust in both eyes.

"Hey," his feet found her arm splayed on the white floor with eyes refusing to open. "If you don't fucking get out I'll kill you."

She didn't answer. Her hunched figure continued its wispy daze, head on knees, and hands on the floor as she lolled to the side, still unreachable.

The guy's green eyes examined the intruder closely.

"Drugged. Looks like you put up a fight to be put here with me."

She didn't reply to confirm his suspicions. He sighed and then turned his heel to leave her.

"If you don't hurry the poison from the bracelet might get you," he waves as he proceeded to the door. "If you die I don't honestly give a damn."

There was still no reply. He frowned. 'This girl's gone'. He thought as he tried stealing a glance. 'The poison's potent enough to take effect within a day if the victim doesn't take the antidote.'

"Is this... the Crimson Castle?"

The girl, eyes red and puffy greeted him. He hid the surprise earlier. He then noticed the empty vial beside her, making him deduce that he probably heeded his warning.

"Why? Not the fairytale you imagined?" he mocked, kicking the rock bed beside him. Those guards thought they could dispose this girl through him, eh?

"I don't care. Are you... an inhabitant?" she asks. Her body looked weak. Her voice was tiny and pitchy.

"More like a prisoner," he snorts back. It was the first time in two years since he talked to a girl. He had forgotten how to talk properly.

"Then you know a friend of mine here?"

"If you don't tell me the name, how would I know?"

She has to take hold from the wall lamp to stand. There was now a big grin splayed on her face as she eyed him happily.

"Her name's Sasagawa Kyoko. She was taken as a prisoner for three years now. Do you know her?"

The guy eyed her quizzically. He was bad at remembering names. The friend this girl had was no exception.

"No it doesn't ring a bell," he shrugged as he then plopped himself on his white stone bed. The girl had a bed opposite her. She'd probably just lie there later. He grunted as he continued reading. She had already taken the antidote. She should be fine for another twenty-four hours anyway. He looked at his right, and saw the silver harmless-looking tech-bracelet glinting in his right arm. He didn't have to worry about the poison for the week.

He sifts his hair as he then peered at the girl. She was wearing the rags the female prisoners wore. Her long hair was in disarray as it fell to her shoulders. She seemed to have stopped crying (otherwise, he would have choked her for ruining his peace) and was now eyeing the bracelet too. Her hand then touched the dewdrop pearl earring on her right.

"Where's the other one?" he growled when she met his gaze.

"Kyoko-chan gave it to me," she smiled. "If I see her, then I can probably return this to her."

Gokudera growled. "Just make sure you survive. The poison will take effect after a day. You need to get an antidote soon. Check the ruck-sack they gave you. You see the notice stamped with the Dying-Will Flame?"

"The Dyeing-what?"

"The one with a fire on top." God this woman is so stupid.

"Umm, yes I see."

"That's the Flame Charade. The prize is an antidote."

"Oh... look. Here's my name."

"Then you'll be participating tomorrow," he said curtly and resumed reading his book.

"Why are you nice to me, telling me all of this?" she asked aloud.

Gokudera ignored her and flipped the page.

"Because you're an idiot and as far as I know, idiots don't stop yapping here," he grunted.

Idiots... himself included.

-X-

Future?

"It's been three years," Haru inhales as she looks around. The place seems almost alien to her now. She looks up. The castle seems such a small, insignificant object now compared to when they spent their days there. This is probably the effect Liberty has.

"Five for me," her companion interjects as he also steps into the virid grass for the third time. His lips once more curl up into a frown. He had been used to having that expression since the moment he had lived within that citadel's walls. He checks the world he was in. He couldn't seem to believe that this place was really the place where his Heaven ended.

"You're noisy!"

"Well look who's talking," Gokudera snorts sarcastically. He then walks faster. The sky wasn't the color of flame nor cloud. It was a vivid blue. He gazed at everything again. The color of green blinded his eyes.

"Just let me finish!" Haru pouts. "It has been a long time and look, there are plants again and pretty butterflies (Gokudera rolls his eyes). Haven't seen this color in like, twenty years?"

He doesn't need to argue. They were the same age after all.

She grins. "The earth's thriving again. Isn't it great, Gokudera-san?" she twirls around and smells the sweet scent of the small rosemaries on her feet. "The Arcobaleno were probably right to enforce that rule."

Gokudera sneers. "And yet people continue to die with that damn virus. That's comforting to know."

"Stop being sarcastic Gokudera-san!" Haru scolds him, pacing up to him and then kicking him, only to have Gokudera backtracking and avoiding the blow. "Aren't you happy seeing a new world again?"

"All I'm happy about is being free from that hell-hole," he sighs and stares at the sky grimly.

"You think this place is heaven then?"

"Idiot. There's no heaven on earth," he grunts as he turns and walks forward. Greenery continues to welcome them.

Haru beams. "Then we'll make one," she runs after Gokudera, her feet seemingly floating from delight as beauty personifies itself through Mother Nature. "Once we start a new life here…"

"Who said we'll begin a new life here?"

"Not here as in here here, Mister Common Sense," she facepalms. "I meant here as in a clan. You have a clan to go to?"

Gokudera's eyes sombers. "I was the last one to survive."

Haru stops and smiles. "I forgot about that. Then you wanna join mine?"

Gokudera snaps out from his melancholy remembrance and shrugs.

Both continue to walk.

"Will they… accept me?" he then wonders out loud.

A moment. Just one beat.

She stops and then warmly grins. "They will see that I love you. They'll accept that," her hand clasps his tightly and yet gently at the same time.

His frown wanes and he smiles too, albeit tiredly. "They won't. Definitely. They won't see it from you or from me."

Haru doesn't reply as the memory comes back to her.

-X-

-Past.

"You can see it, right?"

"Ooh.. right after the rain. It's as pretty as always."

The rhythmic plic-ing of the rain was steady. It sure had taken a long while before the clouds had become grey again. Once more, like the two weeks of drought, the sky will be clear and become an empty azure sea.

But the sky wouldn't be alone for now.

Because another element will be coming into play- rains always had bows, right?

It was a breathtaking sight, after the grey and arched on the glorious blue sky an opalescent array of colors to signal the end of a storm.

A rainbow would be seen. Many thought of it as a symbol of Nature's beauty.

But to the two friends, it symbolized the nonexistent thing called Hope.

It was nonexistent now- almost. The sky was beautiful but the earth wasn't.

"We're pretty lucky, aren't we Kyoko?" The girl on the left of their plush sofa bed smiled at her friend, her eyes locked on the iridescent being above them, hovering on their roof- the glass dome of an infrastructure that was known as a mall back. "We're still able to see that again and again day by day."

"We just have so many nice people. The clan here was just kind enough to let us join them. They even let us have this room all to ourselves," her friend, Kyoko replied with her hand aloft and to where perched what to be a yellow bird.

"Yeah. They even let us use this home depot store as our quarters. Words just aren't enough to thank them, right Hibird?"

The little puffball in Kyoko's dainty finger merely emitted a short chirp. It was Kyoko's pet, and named because of the bird before had the inability to say anything except 'hi'.

"Not like our last clan. They didn't even give a damn when... when Ryohei-san disappeared," she added bitterly as she rested her head on the pillow a little forcefully as she watched the rainbow shine brighter and brighter.

"There's no point in thinking about them. It's just... It's because Ryohei broke the one and only rule here."

"That's a stupid rule to begin with!"

"Our planet's dead. More than half of the human populace are gone, including our moms and dads."

"But for people to disappear when they kill ANY KIND OF LIVING THING I-!"

"This is for our own good Haru. For the world to thrive again- I know it's a slow process but-"

"Don't you care that your brother is gone then?"

Kyoko didn't answer back. Silently, she let the bird go and stared at the rainbow. There it was, the thing in the rainbow that they were looking at- the source of their hopes and dreams... their beacon that helped them survive the Apocalypse that wiped sixty-five per cent of the population, including plant and animal life.

The Crimson Castle.

"If I didn't care, then I would've killed myself long ago," she retorted finally. "I then would've just lost my mind and would have let my disease take over. But I have a gut feeling he's still here. And if I go there, then I would find some answers," her throbbing finger pointed at the castle.

"And you think I'll let you go alone, Kyoko?" Haru whispered, as she looked at her now. "I know- you sound pret-ty crazy but hey- if we're not in this together, then why the hell am I still living?" She then grabbed Kyoko's hand and gripped it tightly.

"One day, we'll definitely go there," Haru assured Kyoko.

Kyoko smiled sadly. "I just hope that when we go there, it won't be too late."

-X-

Present-

"She wanted to see her brother. It was often what she'd say. But I can't blame her. Ryohei-san was always the one we'd depend on when we were kids and alone."

"You don't ever stop babbling, don't you?" commented Gokudera irritably as he rolled for the umpteenth time on his bed, tossing the blanket down the floor again.

"Does it bother you?" she said alarmingly.

"You are obviously ignorant," he sighed and resumed the chapter where he left off.

"I-I'm sorry!" she stood up and bowed apologetically.

"Che. Shut up."

Dammit, he forgot what chapter he was reading! Stupid girl, ruining my day...

"You broke the rule too, Silver-san?"

"I have a name," he snapped.

"Eh- then what-?"

"..It's Gokudera."

"Umm... then Gokudera-san..." she hesitated. "Well, my name is Miura Haru. But you can call me Haru if you want."

"I'd rather call you 'idiot'."

"E-eh but that's mean!"

"You were supposed to ask me something, right? Then shoot," he said, his patience continuing to lessen with each ticking second. This was why he hated girls. They stray off the topic often with their petty worries.

"Y-you killed someone too? That's why you're here?" She asked, her voice tremulous. She had after all, never had a real conversation with a guy before. Much more, with a guy like him that reminded her of a bomb that might detonate any minute now.

The guy stood up and Haru shielded her face in case he tries to harm her (not that she can do anything about it).

"Hahi! D-don't-" she tries to scream.

"Damn. This is why I hate girls. They're so noisy." he mutters as he sticks a finger to his ear and carelessly plunges his hand to her mouth.

He doesn't need another moment more to look into her eyes and let his emerald ones flicker with hers.

He sneers. "It's better if you only know I've never killed anyone before this all." With that, he wipes his saliva-stained hand in disgust with her sleeve. After, he walks back to his bed to finish his chapter for that night.

Haru looks on, unable to digest his words.

But she smiles.

"We're not the same, are we Gokudera-san?"

~X~

-Past.

"You're always wearing the same accessories, Kyoko-chan."

Kyoko beamed when she pointed at the dewdrop earrings she was wearing. Hibird snuggled closer to her shoulder. "Onii-chan gave them to me. If we see each other again and if he sees me without this, won't he get a little mad?"

Haru shrugged back and stared at her reflection in the mirror. The jewellery she had wasn't the same as from an hour ago. So was her dress now. The free things they get to have in their new clan... maybe she was abusing it a little?

"You miss him very much, Kyoko-chan?" she asked, grinning a little as she sat on the red velvet sofa beside her friend.

Kyoko tittered. "A little. But Haru-chan... if you weren't here... I would've died a long time ago."

Haru met her gaze. Her mouth was open.

It was then when she noticed that her Kyoko-chan looked less like the Kyoko-chan she knew. She looked older- much, much older than the nineteen-year-old-Kyoko-chan she was supposed to know. Her face was more mature. Her height was awkwardly different. Much more, she looked more like the girl who had reached her mid-twenties now. And her age continued to clock faster.

"You could've died from your virus, am I right?" she murmured. Kyoko grins and nods as she turned her head towards the body mirror.

"Almost. I just... I couldn't stand seeing myself grow old quickly and die. But somehow, with you I was able to see that I can accept my fate. It's pretty confusing to explain, sorry."

Just as Haru was about to hug her friend, the door then opened, and an old man, whose gray beard was visible underneath the bandages peeked inside.

"Greetings. I am Coyote Nougat, adviser of the Clan Boss Timoteo. There is the annual clan meeting that will start in five minutes at the supermarket in the ground floor. It's obligatory for you to attend," he says in a mechanically strange and guttural voice before closing the door.

"I guess we ought to go then?" Kyoko whispered, tugging onto Haru who stopped daydreaming immediately.

"That person... you know the virus he is suffering from?"

"Eh?"

"It's the Storm. His body's in the state of decay. Even his vocal chords are almost gone."

"And what, Haru-chan?"

"He's lucky to have lived that long, despite suffering from it. Kyoko-chan, is there any other way for you to live longer?"

Kyoko paused and looked at Haru. Her face was stained in tears. She seemed to be crying for quite a while now without her noticing.

"You worry too much," she said as she patted Haru's head, her smile getting smaller and smaller. "I'll be able to live until we see the next Rainbow. I promise."

Haru feigned assurance once they stepped out of the door and went to their destination.

~X~

All of the members (and there were hundreds of them) were already seated in their wooden stools. Being late, the two girls were forced to make themselves comfortable in the back. Luckily, the sheet for the projector was big enough for them to see though. So there was nothing to worry at all.

"Can anyone hear me?" boomed the leader's voice far in the front. The two didn't need to crane their necks to understand him. They managed to get a view of Timoteo along with his supporters standing in the front. From one of the six people at the back was a twitchy Coyote Nougat.

The clan cheered back. Haru found them to be a little too forced.

"Good. Almost everyone here must know why they will attend our clan meeting. Except for our two newcomers, that is," he waved at their direction. Stupefied at how he managed to see them from the throngs of people, they waved back less earnestly.

Haru, after greeting Timoteo looked around as she absent-mindedly stroke Hibird. The place had become very much like a ghost town. Everyone was holding his breath. It was probably because they give their full attention to the boss.

She was soon able to correct herself.

"Every year or more, we have to collect ourselves and ask, 'From where do we get our blessings? Why are we different from the other starving clans? Why are we so lucky?' The answer is simple: It's because of the gifts the Crimson Castle bestows upon us."

Haru and Kyoko looked at each other. This person knows about the castle?

"I can still remember when in the early days of our clan fifteen years ago, I had to do the sins of sins tabooed in this world."

Haru looked at the crowd. All of them were still. To her right, someone was clasping a beaded necklace tightly while muttering a few words under her breath. In front of her, a man had his head bowed, and she can make out a few words from his whispers about 'please', 'help us', 'save' and other whatnot. She craned her neck a little to the side. All of them were doing the same thing.

They were... praying.

But why?

"And then I managed to see just what kind of punishment awaited me- and that was within the Castle walls. But I gave it my all. I never faltered, despite the virus of mine being enough to destroy me fully. And in the end, I was cured because of it. I was the first person to ever survived the horrors after two years. Then I asked myself as I led my clan forward, 'Can I help cure others the same as myself?'."

Somehow, Haru couldn't figure out why the hairs in the nape of her neck were standing up. This was eventful, right? He had found a way to help people and possibly cure them, what can't she be happy about.

A small box was being catered to the front. Timoteo smiled expectantly.

"Then I realized that I can! Not only can I help that poor soul, but also fill the bellies of many. I can give them their whims. I can clothe them with the garments they have lost. I can make them see that what happened... the plague... they were something for them not to worry about now. Because Paradise can be attained on this world."

His hand rises above the box excitedly. From Haru's left the woman gasps, her mutterings becoming louder and louder. Others buzzed... almost in fear. Kyoko whispers that she couldn't understand what the hell was going on.

"And sacrifices have to be made," he says simply as he plunges his hand through the box and fishes out a piece of folded white paper. "Because only if we give, do we receive." He then opens the paper slowly, patiently and perhaps... fearfully? "Am I right... Sasagawa Kyoko?"

Haru was unable to digest the words. Everyone froze and looked around, wondering who that girl might be. After several seconds, their eyes landed on the twosome. The woman beside Haru doused water in their heads while muttering something about safety and salvation.

Even Kyoko was stunned. What the hell was going on? She seemed to say to herself as Timoteo beckoned her forward in a gentle, fatherly way. She looked at Haru.

And she... cried in her arms. Haru looked at her, still in a state of shock and confusion of the events happening. She still couldn't understand, as Kyoko unpinned an earring and put it on Haru's ear. She still couldn't understand, as she whispered about not being able to keep her promise in seeing the Rainbow with her again.

She must've guessed what was going to happen to her.

"Don't be shy, dear one," the leader said benevolently as he beckoned her closer. She squeezes Haru's hand assuringly before going forward to the podium.

"Be happy here," she whispered to her. Haru didn't reply back.

"Basilicum, come forward." Timoteo orders and from the side of the stage, a boy probably their age walked confidently and bowed to Kyoko before facing the crowd with unwavering blue eyes.

"Like two years ago, it is time for our ritual to commence," he said as he took something from his coat and handed it to Kyoko who was shaking from head to foot. "For one soul, we can save hundreds."

Haru eyed the object. It was a small pistol.

Kyoko was now having constrictions as Basil paced forward, his posture straight and eyes looking straight at her own, with the gun now being handled by Timoteo in her hands as her fingers curl through the trigger.

"Now-" he says softly, and Haru had to move forward to hear. The crowd was unable to watch. The Basilicum boy was brave as ever. "Shoot."

The gunshot and the scream was enough to make Haru lose her senses.

~X~

Present-

"They aren't going to give us any food?"

It was already morning, and she had managed to fall asleep while sitting by the window to the world below.

He doesn't reply as his long index finger produced scarlet flames. It singed the wooden and heavily-furnished walls as it made its way between their beds and until it reached the end of both walls, lining their room territory. To her outrage, he got three-fourths of their glass window.

"That antidote was your food," he replied indifferently as he made a gesture to kill her in case she crosses the other side of the bed. He then takes up a big glass with the contents looking eerily like the one she had drunk last night to survive for another day.

"H-how come you got that much antidote?" she complained, disheartening an urge to throw something at him.

"I win," he replied coolly as he jumped from his bed and took his book with him. "If you've got some kind of quest to save that friend of yours, I suggest you do the same."

She looked at him again. She noticed he often had the frown on since.

He must hate women like her.

"Your flames were a Storm's, right?" she asked, trying to spark a conversation.

"I'm not in the mood to talk much."

"But they were a Storm's, right?"

He stuck his finger on one ear and glared at her. The woman was so noisy.

He nodded.

"How come then that you don't look..."

"Ruined? Burned? Ashed?"

"Y-yes. I have the Lightning disease so... I lost my sense of smell and taste (probably touch too, I don't know) but you don't look like you don't exhibit your symptoms or something like that."

He snorted as he turned his back on her. He never replied as he returned his book on his drawer at the far side of the wall.

"I'm not like the remaining thirty per cent people still dwelling and not like those sixty-five who died already," he replied tonelessly. "Even if I have the disease... I can't die from it."

"You are so lucky to be immune."

"Shut the hell up."

Haru looked at the window. The rain was coming to an end again. She can almost see the rainbow that she was now side-by-side with- thanks to the castle.

"They're going to come for you soon."

She nods.

"As well as a rainbow, Gokudera-san- it will come soon. The rain's just a drizzle now."

And for the first time since she set foot in their room he snickers.

He snickered and then when they made eye contact he bursts out laughing.

"You- really- think-" he spewed out words between guffaws. "You-really- think- the- damn rainbow means something like some sugary hope you can prance around with?"

Haru turned pink. She felt insulted. Both Kyoko and she felt that way.

"Yeah. S-so what if I do?"

His bullying grin turned into a grimace as he looked away.

"The rainbow's the reason why there's a castle in the first place. No rainbow, no castle. And only when rainbows appear do contests for the antidotes take place."

"I don't see the connection."

"You will if you win or lose. Take your pick," he said as he twists his foot away and goes to his own bed, stretching his arms as he does. "I'll wait to see what happens to you."

There was a knock on the door. Thankfully, the metal automatic sliding-door was on her side of the room.

She had an urge to stick her tongue out but thought better.

She walked to the exit of her cell, but before she opened it she threw her shoe on his head.

He snarls but he slumbers on. What a fitful sleeper. She muttered before stomping her way out.

"Heyyy… what took you so fucking long? I thought Storm killed you." There was the same crew from the guards who took Kyoko away, led by the same long-haired guy with that maniac look on his face that just creeps her out.

"Ushishi. Perhaps he knows you'll be dying in the game anyway?" said the bangs-guy as he chains pushes her forward, to her discomfort because she had no bra on.

"When do these games happen?" she asked curiously as the long-haired guy leads them onwards. The white walls were boring her. Much more was the way they handled her. She seemed more like some kind of trussed-up doll. Their rough hands threw her around and spihe had to struggle walking as they dragged her to the end of the blank passageway where its sides were planted with doors every three feet.

"Whenever the rainbows appear. We need to let them see the consequences if they broke the Rule," leered the long-haired Commander as he adjusted his ponytail and pushed random snow-coloured buttons on the right of the gates they stopped onto. The end of the passage they had stepped in was covered by a colossal door of metal, embellished in what seemed to be diamond screws, forming a symbol of what seemed to be a silver rainbow at the middle. "I wonder what kind of red we'll get to see this time?" he cackled as the buttons produce a low hum, and the door opened horizontally.

"See ya later. Ushishi," smirked the yellow-bangs guy and pushed her inside.

And only there does she realize that there was no foothold once she took a step.

She fell, as the metal door closed and she was now plummeting into further blackness. She couldn't see anything now.

She didn't scream. She had to be strong now. If she wanted to win at whatever they were planning, she had to fall without fear of the unknown.

For her life and for Kyoko-chan, she had to give it her all. Even if...

It was as quick when she hit the bottom, and it was all too soon when she felt herself landing hard on the grainy ground.

She thought hard.

Grainy... no, more like... sandy...

Her eyes instantly adjusted to the blindness. Her feet met foam. Her mouth tasted salt as she blinked rapidly and stood, dusting the semi-yellow sand off and examining her surroundings.

The sky was a vivid blue as its unreachable vastness poured out from above. Whiteness, unlike the dullness she saw inside her prison walls. It was full of life, and beautifully-rendered.

She had... never seen the sky this blue before.

She looked at the horizon. It was green mountains that met her eyes. The white sand tickled her feet as the splashes water and foam cooled her toes.

It was surreal. She had been her only when she was four.

So this... was the sea. And the sea was really in front of her.

"Hm. You're my opponent then?"

It ended quickly when the realization hit her. This was something she won't be enjoying any sooner. This beach... to be inside the prison... This. Wasn't. Real.

She looked up, slightly chilled because now when she looked to her left, a man with dirty yellow hair raised his right hand, the other one digging in his pockets. Green was what he wore, and his eyes were fierce, playful and near-aggressive. She takes a step back and feels her feet sinking deep into the water as she walks her way into the sea. Her eyes briefly examined her surroundings. She didn't know the rules yet of the contest, and she didn't know how the hell she'd be able to win. Her opponent looked deranged, he licking his lips pleasurably as he eyed her hungrily and hunches down, almost like an animal as his left hand left his pocket.

"Name's Ken. I haven't seen you before. New?" he grinned widely as he opened up the hand to reveal fangs. "Did your mate told you the rules?"

She needed to buy some time, or else she knew that she wouldn't be able to beat this person. She shook her head in reply.

He laughs in his animalistic way. "We'd be fighting. To kill." With that statement, he sauntered forward, pushing his fangs to his face and licking it sickeningly. "With the diseases we have as our weapons." His mouth rabidly turned scarlet and in horror, Haru notices that it was his teeth that were ablaze.

"Oh god-" she nearly says to a scream as she checked her soon-to-be battleground. There were not much cover. Trees didn't litter her abode. They were out in the open. There was no place to hide.

"Let's begin our hunt, shall we?" Ken asked before lunging straight at her throat as Haru shielded her face and forcing back a scream.

~X~

He merely looked on at the projector that rolled in front of his bed and at the sight of the first Flame Charade. There was the idiot, and soon she'd be eaten alive by that Ken. That's how he'd finish his opponents, anyway. He moaned and cursed himself for not killing the girl sooner.

"Kill only when necessary."

He pondered on those rules. He snapped his eyes shut and forced his body to land on its feet. He walked up to the small drawer near his bed and opened it. Inside were pictures stained in ash and soot. He took one and looked at it hard.

"As you ordered, Tenth," he mumbled as he looked at one in the middle of the three people. There he was, with his clan subordinates smiling and laughing.

"AND KEN BITES THE ROOKIE! OH, LOOK AT THE BLOOD STAINING THE WATER! TRULY A MAGNIFICENT SIGHT! RIGHT MOSCA? OI! LUSS IS TALKING TO YOU!"

"Goddamn announcers..." he mutters under his breath as he stows the picture once more away and launches himself on the bed.

"Gokudera-kun, I don't want you to face the same sins I have done in the past. Please live a happier life now."

He smirked as he looked onto the screen and imagined his Tenth's pleading eyes as he took his gun out.

"I'm sorry Tenth. Looks like it was right for you to think I'm not a dependable Right-Hand man," his grin slanted as he looked on and saw the girl trying to run away into the sea, with blood trailing behind from her bleeding left shoulder as she did. Ken didn't give much chase as he nearly slithered up to her, knowing that he'll catch up with her soon.

He had been right for not killing his second roommate this time around. Otherwise...

"Once upon a time..." he whispered to nobody. "I was also there in her place and had my First Blood. Then I killed more and more. To make me guilty... happy... It was comforting to know I did a crime. But Tenth... I..."

It wasn't easy to not apologize to his Boss.

Much more if that person's death was your entire fault.

~X~

-Past.

"Why didn't you tell me that the lottery was a mistake?"

"Miura-san I-"

"DAMN IT TIMOTEO-SAN! GODDAMN IT ALL!" bellowed Haru back as she looked away and pushed back her angry tears. "Why did you have to screw up and double her name?"

"It was a small mistake. A simple-"

"Look at what big damage it brought!" she answered, trying to lower her voice and giving him the death glare. "Why didn't you tell us about this? About the cruel way you choose us to be your- your sacrificial goats for-"

"It's for the greater good of our clan Miura-san."

"Then don't you feel any remorse you stupid old man?"

"Remorse?" Timoteo's eyes widened, and somehow Haru could see the sliver of flame. "I lost that word the minute I made that mistake years ago. Didn't you know, my dear that my four sons were chosen? Didn't you know how hard it is to watch them being shackled by the Rainbow's chevaliers and rising up to their new hell?"

"Th-then the Castle-?"

"It's a prison. A prison for those who committed the only possible crime made in this world."

"B-but to force Kyoko-chan to kill you-"

"I have no choice. For our clan to survive one has to pay the price. If only I can return there then-"

"Damn it," Haru tried to find the strength to slap the very leader who brought them their real shelter for a long time. She searched hard into his face to find out if he was telling the truth. His expression made her wincingly look away.

"Timoteo-san..." she whispered as she unpinned her hair and fumbled with the butterfly hairpin in her hand. "Give me two years. Two years and if Kyoko-chan still hasn't died, make sure my name will be picked."

"A-are you sure? But you already know the consequences once you do! It is still not your time! Whereas Kyoko has-"

"I'm not stupid. But I've already done lots of mistakes in the past before Kyoko and her brother found me nearing death at an abandoned shack seven years ago. It won't show but my disease has already begun seeping through me. Soon I'll die."

"Yet fool-"

Haru laughed. The pin in her hand was now crackling in her flames.

"No one had called me that in a long time. I killed them all before they were able to."

"You are bluffing my dear. The Castle can detect flames. How can they possibly-"

"I controlled my flames. I had been doing that for a long time since that Crimson Castle appeared and made our world a living hell." The pin crackled and broke suddenly as her flames became much, much brighter. "And then Kyoko-chan and Ryohei-san came along and made me think about the sins I've done. They told me that if there's despair, then there can be hope."

"A childish statement..."

"Yes. I am still a foolish child, unfortunately. A small thing compared to that castle up there," she says, smiling as her flames disappeared, and she sinks into a chair beside her from exhaustion. "But they taught me something. They said that even the smallest dent can cause a tough rock to crack. They said that even the smallest flicker can shed darkness to light. That even..." she had forgotten what they said. "They said too much and I forgot the rest," she laughed. "But even so... even if it might be suicidal for me to bring her back I won't know until I try, will I?"

"You're a big fool, Haru-san," Timoteo shook his head, looking away and walking to the edge, where the glass pane showed the bluish sky spitting rain. "To let courage get the better of you-"

"I wonder what the hell happened to me too. Soon I will kill like before. How ironic: Killing one to save another..."

Timoteo smiled sadly. She'd really taint her soul for the sake of her friend. It was something he had never seen in such a long time now.

"Make sure then that you'll be ready before you go," he said, making her stand up straight. "Once you are inside, survival will be the only thing in mind."

"And finding Kyoko-chan," she piped up.

"And finding Kyoko." he repeated, trying to sound strict. "We'll be helping you back in the shape you were in."

Haru was surprised. Timoteo was really going to help her? He'd really be training her until that day arrives?

"It's been a long time since I've met a girl like you. I wish you luck."

"B-but I'm not dead yet!"

He didn't answer back. He walked up to the entrance and closed the door.

Walking up to the mirror, she tried to imagine her face when she was twelve. When she had a mask on and was killing people left and right as a bounty hunter, with her undetectable flames strangling them left and right.

She'd soon be doing that.

"Haru! Haru!" something chirped from behind.

Haru grinned. "Hibird. Looks like we'd be the only people eating here tonight- is that okay with you?"

He didn't chirp back.

~X~

Present-

Gokudera didn't look back at the screen.

She was trapped. She was at the edge of the beach. Any more walking and she'd be walking underwater.

"So this is it, eh?" he muttered, stifling a laugh as he grabbed his book and read it, not looking anymore.

He thought she was going to survive like the first roommate he ever had would.

He heard a snarl from the screen. Ken must've lunged. There was the sound of trashing and more trashing until... silence.

"End of the story," Gokudera mutters and closes his book.

~X~

The End.

She was really going to get it.

Her dress was weighing down on her, as she tried to swim into the water and feeling less and less foothold as she traded on.

Ken wasn't putting much of a fight once he had bitten her. Sure, since her disease didn't make her feel, it made her more agitated. She won't feel just how much blood she had now lost and with her knees now getting wobbly and her vision getting blurry, she knew it'd be soon when she'll reach her limit.

"Yo... when will we stop with your silly games?" said Ken as he walked nearer and nearer, eyes ablaze and teeth of flames gnashing as it tried to search more flesh. "Just let me gobble you up. Don't worry, it'll be less painful. It's easy to chew you. Girls' flesh are tender than boys' after all."

Just a little more...

"Eh? Are you listening to me?"

A little more...

"End of the line. Just let me taste you again. You taste delicious anyway."

More...

"No," she said flatly, panting as she did, raising her arms midsection to her chest, forefingers pointing up. Please work... it's been quite a while since I used this...

"It's the first time I heard you speak. Wonder what your vocal chords will taste like with that voice of yours..." he said, the ripples becoming less and less distilled as he picks up speed. "You're really going to pick up a fight with that injury?" he laughed again in that animalistic way of his.

Haru nodded. Her forefingers now emitting a lot of flames as its tips touched. She looked on determinedly.

"But your flames are weak," he sneered as he paced more steps closer. "Do you think that having Lightning Flames can help you in this much water? It'll electrocute us both. And with that measly flame of yours..." he began to howl with laughter again.

"I just want to trap you. It'll be a disadvantage if we took our fight to the mountains. I know that," she said coolly and pulled her forefingers apart. From the tips came out a small thread of the lightest green and the more she pulled, the more its length grew. "You know too... a friend once told me. Even the smallest things-" More and more she spun the thread and lassoed herself up, letting her blood flow freely from the water and upwards, from it crackled flames. More and more threads began forming from her fingers and reaching forth to the mountains from afar as she looked down, tied up in her own web of protection.

Ken just stared in shock as he tried to reach her, the blood mingling with the water and from it more and more Lightning.

"Even the smallest things, they are the ones who produce the biggest miracles," she grinned as she snapped her fingers and a small dollop of flame fell.

The small flame caused the entire sea to explode.

~X~

Gokudera was wrong to turn off the projector before Haru was able to show off her flame.

The door opened, and his eyes widened when he saw the person who entered.

She was sobbing quietly, her wound encased in bandages and freshly clothed in the same white gown. Her hair was now pinned up securely, but twists of hair tumbled to her front.

"You won?" he asked.

She simply raised her head.

"They made you paint the castle?"

She nodded slowly.

"That's why you're crying."

"Dammit all. I couldn't see the reason why they should do that. I didn't kill him. He should've lived."

"And yet they forced you to see how they killed him. They cut his skin into strips before killing him."

"You know too much. You must've seen them do that a lot."

"Too much to make me stop shaking and just kill my opponents on the spot," he grunted as he stood up, shuffling as he walked to his drawer, and taking out his bottle and drinking it. "They made you paint the castle with his blood?"

"They did. Oh god- dammit all. Dammit all!" she screamed finally as she threw the small bottle in her hand away. Gokudera merely caught it.

"Don't waste your prize. You're lucky still that they didn't refuse giving you this," he spat as he threw the bottle to her face. By reflex, she caught it and stared at him.

"Why... are you so nice to me?" she asked tonelessly, tears refusing to come out.

"Because you won't stop yapping if I ignore you- girls are like that. My sister was the same."

She sat on her bed and looked at him. He stops and forces his hand on his mouth and looks away. She had never heard him say something about himself before. Maybe it was because it was just a day since he met but still-

"What about your sister?" she asked further.

"Just drink that antidote. Your time's almost up."

"You're changing topics again!"

"Just fucking drink that antidote!"

She gave him a fuming look before taking the cork off and giving off a big gulp. Her bracelet beeped and she felt less light-headed again.

"So what happened to your sister?" she asked again.

"She died. Does that satisfy you?"

"How did she die?"

"She had the Storm. She wasn't immune. Happy?"

"What happened after that?"

"Just go to sleep and I'll probably tell you."

"Ehm... okay."

She took her bed covers and tumbled onto the bed, eyelids drooping as she did. With that, he closed the lights and also mutters a few curses before lying into his own.

"Gokudera-san, did you manage to see the rainbow when you painted the castle every time?"

"No. Were you able to?"

"W-well I-"

"Just go to sleep."

"Eh... ok."

Silence followed as Haru tried to shut her eyes. She couldn't drift herself to sleep though. The thoughts of what happened that Flame Charade kept disturbing her.

"I don't want you to see the next Flame Charade next week."

"Hahi? Why is that?"

"You don't want to see it. Just do as you're told."

Haru couldn't understand why the hell he was saying stuff like that. It was just probably to protect her. That's all.

"Gokudera-san... what was your first Charade like?"

"I did the same thing you did. Big mistake."

"Wow. You answered my question fast."

"That's because I'm sleepy!"

"S-sorry..."

"...You shouldn't get all friendly with me. Otherwise you won't be able to kill me once we fight each other. You're too predictable and weak."

"You don't have to worry about me. Maybe that won't happen. Probably by then, I would've found Kyoko-chan."

"Don't get your hopes up, idiot. It will happen."

Haru jumped off her bed and ran to touch Gokudera's hand.

"I was right. I couldn't even feel if your hands are rough or not. I'm so sorry."

"You apologize too much. It's not your fault that the disease is taking over you," he pushed her hand away.

"I don't have much time. Sooner or later, I'll die. That's why I have to hurry. So when the time comes, we'll be able to escape. You can come along if you want, Gokudera-san," Haru smiled assuringly.

"Damn it. I'm tired of all this. Just go to sleep," yawned Gokudera as he kicked her out of his bed. "And remember what I said about the Flame Charade next week.

He looked up and remembered the first roommate he had in these four corners.

~X~

-Past.

"You don't have to be afraid."

"Fuck off you bitch!" he yelled as he punched her away, his tears already hot and falling. "You don't know anything! I deserve this! I deserve to die here. I killed them! I killed my friends! I-I'll kill you too if you come any closer."

She fell and massaged her right cheek, where a purple bruise was now clearly visible.

"It's okay. You can cry in my arms now. It's okay to admit you are weak."

"Damn you!" he bellowed as his flames encircled him and used it to shield himself away from her touch. "Just- just die already!"

She just simpered back. Her earring was dangling from her left as she walked. Her amber hair flowed freely to her knees as she paced closer and closer. She holds her arms out.

"We're the same aren't we?" she said in that sweet voice of hers. "We just got here, had our first Flame Charade and find out we are weak. It's not shameful to admit that."

He threw a flame at her. Her face hissed as it was hit.

"Die! Die! Die!" he said, with every word another ball of fire he threw. "Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die-"

Her whole body was now swathed in his flames.

"Just- just-"

But still she continued to walk. She continued to walk and the more he threw, the more strength she urged herself to go on. When she was merely a hair's breath away, the flames faded away, and yellow flames replaced it, replenishing every tissue hit.

Her benign smile graced her lips once more.

"It's okay. It's okay," she patted him, but he continued to push her away. "I'm not strong either. See?" Slowly, her cheeks were wet. Her eyes filled up with more liquid. Full to the brim, she washed it all down to her chin.

Then she broke down and cried.

Gokudera looked at her, unable to digest that she'd be the first to cry.

He was also unable to digest that he was the person to embrace her.

"It's okay, ma'am. It's okay to be helpless once."

"I know. But my friend- I just don't want her to be- I- I love her so much!" she wept as she also encircled him close to him. Merely, he closed his eyes.

"I'm here. I'm here."

~X~

She merely pulled her close to her bosom as she flipped the page she was reading to him.

"I'm not a kid anymore," he said, his cheeks reddening.

"But Hayato-kun, you act so cute!" she pinched his cheek affectionately as he pulled him close.

"I-I'm already nineteen, dammit!" he yelled as he tried to push himself from her grasp.

"Oh..." she said, startled as she immediately yanked away and closing her book. She looked at him, examining him carefully before smiling and turning a light pink. "We're the same age then."

"WHAT?" Gokudera said aloud. His eyes widen as he looked at her again from head to foot. "Just nineteen?"

"Yes," she laughed. He immediately blushed a deep crimson.

"I-I thought... well you- uh- you remind me of my mother..."

"Oh do I?" she grinned. "Really? Haha. That's a relief. What happened to her, if I'm not that rude to ask?"

Gokudera didn't answer fast. He looked at her with distrust for a moment, but he just smiled and shrugged the feeling away.

"She died a year after the Plague. Her body was weak. I was just five," he choked and swallowed before continuing: "Three years later, our town was burned by a clan, and two boys from another clan saved me and my sister. I served the clan then for eleven years and then..."

"It fell?"

"It wasn't our fault. It was bound to happen. We were low on supplies. The disease was getting worse... same old story."

She nodded in assent and didn't ask any further.

"So if you look now like my mother then... your disease, is it getting worse?"

"I'm afraid it is," she said and looked on at the window. There was the rainbow again. "I don't have much time."

"You're here because you want to?"

"Yes... and no," she smiled, now standing up and plopping herself on the bed. Her hands caress the sheets as she spoke, "I knew my brother will be here. I never told my friend about it, and I regret not doing it. She'll come here to find me, and I know it'll be too late if she does try."

"It will," he agreed. "With the twisted rules inside these walls..."

"That's why I want to ask you something. If I do fail finding my brother... will you help her yourself?" she unpinned the earring and beckoned him forward. As he does, she came closer and places the earring in his right hand and lets him clasp. She looks at it mournfully before forcing a small simper.

"I will try. I won't guarantee it though," he said, not averting her gaze.

That was enough to make her embrace him.

"It will be my turn soon. Wish me luck," she whispered as she looked at the window and at the bow outside.

He just let her embrace him one more time. There were no more words left to say.

~X~

Present-

He wasn't there the moment she opened her eyes.

She merely combed her hair using her hands and stared at emptily at the window. A rainbow was present again.

She remembered the warning Gokudera gave her. That she shouldn't watch the next Flame Charade no matter what.

She stared at the projector in front of their beds. A small remote was at his desk. Probably for the projector, she thought absent-mindedly and continued to stare at the blank screen. Then remembering the drawers were she saw some bottles, she yanked the drawer handle.

A slow chink made her realize it was locked.

She sighed.

She had nothing to do anyway. Ignoring her screaming conscience, she pushed the button.

"COMING FROM BLOCK E STAGE WILL BE OUR SECOND ROUND FLAME CHARADE THIS WEEK! I'M YOUR ANNOUNCER LUSSURIA ALONG WITH MY LOLI PARTNER, FRAN! SAY HELLO!"

"GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME. I DON'T WANT TO BE ALL GAY LIKE YOU. I STILL HAVE A GIRL I LIKE."

"AWW BUT FRANNY~"

She looked disgustingly at the screen. Obviously, she was having enough of this. The announcers sucked. She pushed the button off and ran to the door and pushed the door open.

Someone was waiting for her from the outside.

"Wanting to run away, do we?" A man said from behind, arms folded and chuckling at her. He was tall, blond and formidable-looking. The friendly smile he was giving her still made her uneasy.

"E-eh please don't-" she said, hastily putting her fingertips together to create a thread.

"I won't be hurting you." he said reassuringly as he patted her back. She hesitated for a moment and looked at him more. His suit hid no weapons, but knowing her experience, she wasn't going to trust him just yet.

"H-how can I be so sure?" she asked, her voice a little jittery.

He began to laugh. "I figure you won't be. You don't look like a hapless girl you ought to be when I saw your Flame Charade match."

"Eh... about that..." Her feet began making slow skips. Should she just close the door? She was like, talking to a total stranger and, knowing what kind of place she was in, he might kill her if they continue their 'chat.'

"My name's Gamma," he smiled as he gave his hand. "May I come in? I wanted to speak with Gokudera about something..."

"Eh? But he just left earlier. Sorry about that Gamma-san," smiled Haru uncomfortably. He looked friendly enough, but can she trust him really?

"Yes... hmm... I had forgotten it was his turn today. Looks like an easy win for him anyway," he rubs his chin thoughtfully.

"Umm... is he really that good?" She wonders out loud. He just pats her head affectionately.

"He hasn't lost a single match since he arrived here two years ago," Gamma winked.

"O-oh..." her jaw dropped. "He never told me that..." More like, he never bragged about it. What a humble guy.

"Can I come in?" he asked again. Haru didn't need to be asked twice. She pushes the door open and enters, him trailing behind.

"Eh... what about your room mate, Gamma-san? Won't that person wonder why you're gone?"

Gamma didn't smile as Haru offered him her bed to sit on.

"She's dead." he stated flatly.

"I-I'm such an idiot to ask you that." Haru banged her head as she sat on the floor and turned on the button for the projector.

"Worry not," he replied, patting her head again. "It happened a year ago. There's nothing I can do anyway."

She stopped talking. She obviously didn't want to pry further and looked on at the screen.

"AND WE HAVE ANOTHER BLOODFEST! LOOK AT THAT! IS THERE REALLY NO ONE ABLE TO STOP THE BLOODY TEMPEST? ONCE AGAIN WE SEE ANOTHER MASSACRE FROM STORM-KUN!"

Haru stopped.

The remote fell from her hands and hit the floor with a 'tok'. Her eyes and mouth widened. Her legs fell onto the ground.

There was Gokudera. On the screen, on one hand his flames like explosives. On another hand, was the neck of his opponent, who was gurgling blood.

His opponent was a girl.

"Poor Chrome Dokuro," she heard Gamma say. "And it was just her first time today. She just had to fight Gokudera..."

"P-PLEASE..." she heard the girl say as she coughed more of the sickly fluid. Gokudera was expressionless. He merely raised her higher and higher the more she struggled. Her trident on one hand disappeared like the Mist. Her feet slowly and slowly stopped kicking.

Haru didn't know what to feel.

Gokudera's eyes remained hidden as he ignored the plea and continued to strangle her, her blood from her wounds beginning from her torso mingling with his.

She was really going to watch someone die. She had been used to this but to see a person she knows... doing that in his own will... she...

The girl was slowly losing her breath. She just looked at her would-be murderer helplessly before smiling at him, accepting her defeat.

"GOOD NIGHT..." she whispered, before closing her eyes.

He immediately let go. Her body clattered to the stone floor. Her mouth still had that smile on. He just continued to look on at the battered corpse. He just continued to look on at the wounds he had inflicted on her and at the blood-stained floor.

And then, from behind him, he takes the bucket and before he takes her blood, the projector becomes blank white again.

She looked back and saw the remote on Gamma's hand.

"It's not right for you to see how he takes the blood from his victim. Gokudera can be really careless," he shook his head. "Well... I don't want to intrude into your reunion. I better go then."

He stood up to leave.

"Was he... always like that?" she asked hollowly.

"He usually never shows mercy. I'm sorry you had to see that..." The slight pause was enough to make her know she hadn't introduced herself yet.

"It's Miura Haru," she didn't want to see Gamma looking into her eyes.

She didn't look at the door closing but turned at the window. The rainbow was as beautiful as ever.

Gokudera wasn't able to appreciate it. And for the first time since it appeared in the sky, she wasn't able to appreciate it also.

The rainbow came to an end.

~X~

"Gamma told me. I warned you about watching. It's your fault."

She doesn't answer as she digs her head further onto her pillow. She heard Gokudera's soft footsteps coming closer and a loud plomp on the bed was enough for her to know he was lying down.

"You'll get used to seeing stuff like that. Hell, most of the people here are more brutal than me."

"You made her suffer."

"I made her death bearable."

"I don't know if I should correct you or hit you."

"You can do neither."

"Fuck off the wisecracks. It's not helping," she whispered as she rolled to her back, refusing to believe that this person should actually kill someone that way.

"If that would make you stop being noisy..." he grunted.

"Why did she smile when you killed her like that?"

She took off the pillow and was now looking at the tiled ceiling.

"It was what she wanted."

"To be slaughtered like that?"

"I just granted her wish that's all. She just wanted to be with her parents again."

"That way?"

"That's the way she killed them, anyway. They'd do the same with her before she gave their just desserts."

She stopped talking and continued her reflection. So he... he did that for her. He didn't kill her like that because he wanted to. Maybe all the people he killed... maybe he did the same for them.

"You're very kind... Gokudera-san."

"I just did what she wanted. What's 'kind' in that?"

She guffaws.

"If you're not going to say anything else, I'm going to sleep."

She didn't answer back.

She didn't need to, after all.

~X~

-Past.

"I should probably give this to you. You're still alive, after all."

He takes the earring from his drawer and gives it to her. Rolls and rolls of bandages hung on every corner of her body with her trying her best to stand up. She shakes her head.

"I saw him. He's here, and he recognized me. I don't need that anymore," she murmured excitedly before falling.

He caught her just in time.

Just a beat. Just a moment before the blushes appeared and ruined it.

"It's difficult to beat a sun user like you?" he asked as he helped her by the window, the place she often would wander into.

"I made sure Shouichi-san passed on peacefully," she smiled, her thoughts lingering along with the small drops of rain. "I made sure of that."

He looked at her and ignored the tears that were falling down her cheeks.

"You should sleep now. It's nearing midnight."

"Will he come and see me... I wonder?" she didn't seem to be listening. He smiled and let her fall into her reverie.

Before he could step to his bed however, he felt her bandaged hand taking his arm.

"Thank you for everything, Gokudera-kun," she said placidly. "You made me so strong."

He notices her for the first time. Her face had thin lines forming from her eyelids to her temples. Her eyes were sunken. Her skin was wrinkled and worn. Her neck was sagging, as was her bosom.

Her battle with Shouchi made her exhaust the energy she had left. If she continued this way then she'd be-

"Is it okay to tell you that you're wrong? That all along it was the other way around?" he murmured. Before it was too late it was better for her to know about it.

"Wish it was. But I was never the one who gave you strength. You know that right?" she sat down as she looked more into the night sky.

"You make me laugh."

"You're not laughing," she said finally, smiling at him.

He knew he wasn't. He hadn't done that in a really long time.

"If I laugh... will you laugh along with me?"

She just stared at him then, his face was pink and he was mustering all his strength to look serious.

"Sure."

Her answer was enough to make him do so.

~X~

Future?

She wanted to ask why he was smiling like an idiot.

"Hey, why are you smiling like a nincompoop?" So she asks, flamboyantly, at that.

"I just remembered something, with that friend of yours."

"Her name's Kyoko."

"It's just a little thing that will contribute to what kind of person she was."

"Oh shut up with your useless comebacks," she sighs as they walk. The greenery continued to stretch forward, encasing them fully, with abandoned structures abounding the greenery as they do go on.

"Hey," he says suddenly once they stop outside what seemed to be an old factory. A tattered flag weakly blew along with the gentle wind.

She just looks quizzically at Gokudera.

"This was the building our clan stayed in before all of them were wiped out," he says suddenly as he turns to walk inside. She follows silently. Nothing bars their way as they walk into the hunks of rusting debris. Light filters through the glass panes above, and she can see what became of the dilapidated factory. Dirt and scattered belongings occupied the room.

"This was where my sister died," he points at one area. "This was where I saw Yamamoto kiss my sister. This was where the Tenth scolded me for spying. This was where they told me they were now together. This was where I said bad things at Yamamoto. This was where the Tenth told me that I... wasn't fit to be his right hand man... This was where that Yamamoto... goddammit... I never apologized to him properly!"

They pass rooms inside. More and more they do... the more and more does she became silent. She has, after all never heard him say something about himself before.

"This was where... I played. Oh... it's still here."

It is a small room. Too dingy for three people to come in but nestled cosily inside was a dusty grand piano.

He walks carefully, his left hand reaching out until it touched the grimy thing. He touches the keys he opens. A low hum of the C one launches a smile on her face.

"You didn't tell me you played the piano." she pouts, as she follows him.

"I forgot that the only person I told about it was her."

"You never told me anything," she pretends to be hurt.

He struck another chord. It reverberated to her heart and somehow, she felt a little warmth flowing to her. It was a feeling that she had never felt before in a long time.

"You're crying again," he teases.

"Oh- I- I'm so sorry." The tears continue to flow even if she wipes them away. "I-I've just never heard something that made me feel that's all..."

"You're such a crybaby," he scoffs as he plays the keys and remembering the melody he was taught long ago.

His hands fly over the keyboard and more and more do his fingers touch white or black, the more and more does he remember that face with silver and emerald. His hands fell from low to high, from fast to slow and before long, that melody became a song.

She just looks on, entranced at it all. For obnoxious and short-tempered Gokudera-kun to know playing the piano... really...

"Did your mother teach you?"

He just nods as he concentrates on his piece.

"You're lucky. My mom and dad died after I was born."

He doesn't listen and continues playing.

"So your mom dies... and Tsunayoshi-san and Yamamoto-kun takes you and your sister in... then what happens?"

He doesn't stop playing.

"Sis dies when a clan war was raging on. I rage at everyone then Tenth decides to let Yamamoto-kun get the Right-Hand-Man title. Then I go emo and decide to just let him win. Then I find out he was going to die with that Rain Sickness of his and pitied him (just a little). We were still happy."

His playing begins to pick up speed.

"Then our clan disbanded. Not because of the clan wars we had to go through, but because the disease was really getting the better of us. Soon, it was the three of us left. He, Yamamoto told me to use that gun to kill him."

"And did you?"

He doesn't stop as he reaches now the high notes.

"I didn't. I couldn't do it. But the pain he was in, letting his body freeze and then break apart... it was just too much a sight for me to ignore. So I grabbed the gun."

~X~

-Past.

He won't put a fight. He knew that.

"D-do it now... Gokudera please..." he heard Yamamoto say as he heard the sound of cracking ice. His skin was becoming more and more cracked. It'll be soon when he'd die.

"Alright." he decided finally as he snatched the gun and pointed it to his forehead. Yamamoto forced a smile that ended up cracking his lips further.

It would be quick right? He often wished to kill Yamamoto. His rival, his brother-in-law, the Right-Hand-Man. He was too big an obstacle. It would be all quick. Just one gunshot and he'd be able to avenge the title that should've been his.

Yes... soon...

"Stop that, Gokudera-kun."

Of course he'd come. His Tenth would never tolerate any killing from any sides, whether enemy or ally. It included them. He placed his gloved hand on the hilt of the gun and before Gokudera could react, he takes the gun away.

"Yamamoto-kun, just close your eyes," he whispered as his cloaked figure approached the dying man. His Right Hand Man obeyed.

There was a gunshot, and the wound in Yamamoto-kun's forehead was enough for his body to fully shatter.

Gokudera was too much overcome with shock at the sight he was seeing.

"Tenth... why?" he didn't need to elaborate as his heavily-cloaked boss looked at him with his all-knowing eyes.

"Gokudera-kun, I don't want you to face the same sins I have done in the past. Please live a happier life now."

He takes off his cloak, and from it, he almost lost his footing due to horror. His arms were cracked while his left leg was in a state of decay. His body seemed wrinkled and when he took off his glove, his fingers on one hand were eleven while on the other, fourteen. He randomly coughed up blood as he notices how sunken his abdomen looked like.

All along, his boss had the Sky disease and he never told them.

"T-tenth I never knew you-"

And he suffered a lot just for the sake of this clan and to die like this...

Still, his Tenth waved it all off as he closed his eyes.

"Once I die, we will disband and you'd be the only survivor. By then I beg you to live simply and without any regrets. That will be the final gift I will give you. Gokudera-kun, live the best of it."

"T-tenth."

He just nodded in reply as he placed the gun to his temple. "I was right for you not to become my Right Hand Man. If you followed me into my grave, then how would the world know about the Clan of Clams?

"Tenth!"

He smiled one last time. "Be strong, Gokudera-kun."

"TENTH!"

The gunshot that followed merely drowned the wail after.

~X~

Future?

"And so when that long-haired commander came-"

"His name's Squalo."

"Well then fucking correct me again!"

"Expletive word..."

"Well..." he huffed before continuing, "When Commander Squalo (happy?) came with his cronies, they thought I was the killer. Being the emo as I was, I didn't put up a fight and thought it was my entire fault so I followed them straight to the castle I had cursed almost all my life." He stops playing and began walking again, letting his hand burrow into the pocket to find the earring that Kyoko gave her years ago. He pauses and then thinks hard before chuckling.

"Well whaddaya know. The earring she gave me has disappeared."

"Eh?" she looks at the mirror and notices the earring not in their place too. "W-what happened?"

"I forgot you neither tend to nor remember things like an average woman does. You're an idiot, after all. I forgot about that. You even forgot what happened."

"What did I forget?" she thunders, looking panicky. "Where is the earring? What the hell happened?"

And like the usual question-and-answer portion they often had, Gokudera passes the questions and searches for a new one.

"Let's go then. You and your silent treatments... ugh! You just piss me off so bad!"

~X~

Present-

"Ken merely underestimated you. That's why you won," said her opponent, walking in a slow, robotic manner as the yoyos in both hands began to steadily multiply as he walked forward.

"He did." Haru smirked as she jumped from wall-to-wall in their arena. Desks and bags were thrown aback and forward as she controlled her strings to every corner of their classroom arena. Her ripped 'school uniform' tattered along the more his yoyos become buried in purple flames and a shower of needles came to greet her. "And I apologize. You're probably his best friend. My room mate told me everything about you, Kakimoto Chikusa-san." She brandished her strings as she carefully controls the strings to attack, she jumping from wall-to-wall as she does. "I apologize for everything. I never thought-"

"You never managed to give him a peaceful death!" interrupted Chikusa as he jumps to avoid them and with a burst of purple flame, his yoyos steadily increase in size as the two ones wrenched a desk apart. The more he did, the more he gained foothold to reach Haru. "You let them killed him! You made him die like that!"

"I-" Haru couldn't say anything to soothe him further, he was right after all. "I'm sorry." She infused more Lightning to her fingertips and used it to buy more time before she'd do her final assault. "I-I thought," she whispered, her voice losing both strength and intonation as her Lightning gave more light than the fake sunset on that phoney window. "I thought that it was right to let him live. Like what happened in the past, I was wrong," with that she twirled carefully as her strings she let wrap around her body, glowing brighter and brighter as the strings wrap more tightly than the last time. "That's why I-"

He was beginning to understand why she was wrapping herself in her own cocoon. The strings that ebb through every nook and cranny gave him an idea.

She was using her flames to shield herself.

"Chikusa-san, I promise you won't feel a thing," she whispered as she holds her hand out, and lets it flow to her cocoon and out to the threaded world she had infused her Lightning onto. "Please- don't cry anymore."

Chikusa just stared and thought time slowed down as her Lightning flames went from inside her and into the classroom. He shoves the glasses to his eyes further. 'So she saw...' He, with all the strength he has, brandished his yoyo straight at her cocoon. 'She really saw it...' As he screamed, his glasses slipped off and showed his eyes brimming in tears. He then jumped and proceeded to deal a final blow.

The arena exploding indicated that he had failed.

~X~

Hours later-

He pushes the wheelchair without question. The person inside was lightly bandaged. The cuts she had sustained were just moderately poisonous and thankfully, did not induce anymore wounds.

"This is just your tenth match and for you to be reduced to a state like this..."

"You don't have to be so concerned Gamma-san. I'm okay," said Haru, looking at the passageway expectantly. "You should worry about yourself more. It's your match tomorrow, right?"

"It's better if you don't remind me," he laughs off. "Better still if you get some rest."

She was thinking hard. Gamma was probably right of chiding her stubbornness. She had, after all nearly exhausted herself this time around. Thank god though, that after painting the castle for just a few minutes, they let her go again. It was sickening after all to see Chikusa's body being crushed to obtain blood, and then using it to maintain the castle's color. She was never going to get used to that. Like before, she puked on the clinic's clean floor after much to the annoyance of the doctor Shamal.

"Gamma-san, why are you so kind to me?" she asked out of the blue. Gamma, who was expecting the question, answered quickly.

"Because you remind me of my roommate; she was as optimistic as you."

"E-eh?" Haru immediately blushed as Gamma smiled at her.

"And I figured..." he began pushing the wheelchair again. "That Gokudera might not treat you as much. He had after all killed all his roommates when they picked a fight with him."

"You're wrong Gamma-san," she corrected, as they rounded a curve on the passageway. The doors showed no numbers, and the only thing they could depend on to know the room they were staying in is their memories. Since Gamma was just two doors away, it was okay to let him lead the way. He had, after all done that since she had her own matches. "Gokudera-san had been kind to me. Umm... he often tells me to shut up but after, he's really kind to let me know about the Castle. He told me that he'll be leading me outside to one of the turrets."

"Uh... when did he tell you that?"

"Before we sleep. He seems much calmer then," she beamed.

"Eh... maybe he's just sleep-talking. He often does that," said Gamma, eyeing her closely. She seemed to be truthful, and he never saw Haru saying lies before... oh. He noticed something as he looked at her.

"Is that an earring?" he asked as the wheelchair speed began to slow down. Haru looked forward and saw they were nearing their cells anytime soon.

"Y-yes," she was surprised at Gamma now. He had never asked small insignificant things like this before. He'd ask more about what Gokudera was doing, and forces her to spy on him.

"I saw him having that exact earring. When I was talking to him and he picked something up, it slipped to the floor. I can't be wrong. It was long and had the same insignia in the middle of the pearl. Funny since he doesn't like to carry girlish keepsakes like that. But now that I thought about it..."

"What?" she suddenly felt like she had been thrown with a pond-ful of ice-cold water. Gokudera had mentioned something about the earring in his sleep. "What do you think about it Gamma-san?" she said imploringly, her hands already grasping on his black suit as her brown and grief-stricken eyes near hers. She had to know. Gokudera... is there really something he knows about her? Was he lying all along?

"He... well he had a roommate he didn't kill. His first one was a girl."

"Did she have long hair and yellow eyes?"

"Who knows? I only came here a year ago. I just heard the rumors..."

"Thank you for telling me Gamma-san."

They stopped at her door. He pushed the button for her.

Before he said 'Your welcome' she had already closed the door, her thoughts too occupied for her to notice him.

~X~

He was sleeping when she had arrived. It was already night time after all. She pushed her wheelchair once more at the window, her heart racing as she tried to piece everything together.

So Gokudera's first roommate was Kyoko. She's probably the person who softened him up or something. Then there's the earring mystery. He had the earring and probably, Kyoko gave it to her. But why? She'd never give it to anyone unless...

She only said she'd give it away unless she found her brother.

Then after... if she wasn't here then maybe, just maybe... they must've escaped already. She smiled and clapped happily. Then they're okay. They're really okay. And they're probably... they're probably... oh no... she stopped clapping. They're probably looking for her.

Oh god, what the hell has she done?

"You're noisy as ever! Stop that stupid clapping!" he says angrily as he wipes his eyes. When he sees what she was sitting onto and the horrified look on her face, he just looks on with heavy-lidded eyes.

"Gokudera-san, is there any way to escape the Castle?"

His eyes found life as he understood. He then forced back a laugh and looked at her, smirking.

"You're kidding me."

"I'm serious here!" she stressed. "You know the passageways inside the castle right? Then there's a way you must know to get out of here."

He chuckled at her idiocy. "If I knew, then I wouldn't even be here, fool. Why? You wanted to get out of here?"

"No... I just thought... maybe my friend... maybe she had escaped with her brother... that's why I can't probably find them. I asked Gamma to help me so..."

"Then they're probably dead. Or they're taken by the leaders of the castle. That's all there is to it."

"You lied to me."

The sudden switch of topics prolonged his patience. His eyes opened as he gave her a what- the-hell look.

"You're delusional. I've never been dishonest to you."

"And yet you talk like you don't know her," she muttered bitterly. "She must've thought you were a friend. That's why she gave you that earring." She took off the dewdrop on her ear and threw it to him. He caught it by instinct and returned it to her without even looking at it.

"She... that person was the only one who'd ever told me I was important to her," he said as his hair loomed over his eyes and he bowed his head. "She wasn't a fool like you. She knew that she might fail in finding someone here. People who are here, after all have succumbed already to despair."

"What happened to Kyoko-chan?" Haru screamed as she placed her fingertips together again, unable to accept that the truth was already in front of her. She told herself that the clues he were giving her didn't make sense. That all of them were fucking lies. That Kyoko wasn't- "What happened to her?" Her strings now were becoming longer as she yanked more and more of her flames.

He just turned away. "You already know yourself." One by one the strings fell down to the ground, singed in what seemed to be scarlet.

She gave him a wild look and said no more.

She knew it already. Yet she was hoping that she was wrong.

"I will give you the final warning: Do not ever watch the Flame Charade tomorrow. If you do that, then I won't hesitate killing you."

His tone was icy and somehow, her back prickled as he said those words.

He, after all had always been honest to everyone.

...Including with her.

To be continued.

Review if you think this sucked or not. Sorry for the length and not going anywhere.