Fifteen days: Chapter 6

Chapter 6

I laughed as the human before me crumbled into dust. His ashes fluttered toward me, integrating themselves into my clothes. The dark gray cloak I wore would never be the once green sheen it was ever again. I looked toward my medium, and my smile stopped. Her eyes, downcast for the first time, were deep in thought.
"Hey, what's going on?" I asked her, her red hair evoking no emotion.
"There is a disturbance," she told me, looking up as she finished.
"What kind of disturbance?"
"GEMiNi."
"Has another one awakened?"
"Yes."
"I need to know the code phrase. How do I unlock your voice?"
"The code phrase from heart."
"I see, so I have to make the code phrase."
"Assumed."
"Where is the GEMiNi subject?"
"Aria."
"Alright, I'll find him, and bend him to our will."
"Are you finished, with them?"
"No, I'll do that first. Thank you for reminding me."
I cracked my knuckles, and sparks emerged from my fingers. I let my arms burst into flame, and I walked toward the far door of the warehouse. Kicking the steel door down, I erupted my entire body in flames, and let the guards shoot towards me. After their clips were empty, I withdrew the flame.
The guards reloaded slowly, unable to load the clip without it falling out of their hands. I laughed, and snapped my fingertips. One guard's gun was superheated, and I burned it into his hand. His screams of agony warmed my heart, and his comrades turned to see him. They looked in horror, as his hands, liquefied, could not let go of the gun. I warped the air behind him, and then tried to catch his heart alone on fire.
Catching a man's heart afire is difficult, even for a strong Gemini such as I. The amount of water and other liquids inside of the human body put fires out almost immediately, so I focused on another vector to light a fire. It was painful to have many fires placed into the body, and when they went out, another would light. I now attempted to boil the water inside his body, and with a lack of water, I was able to catch his core on fire. I knew how painful it must have been, so I was trying to perfect this technique.
Superheating all electronic devices in the room led to a fascinating effect, as all the guard's ears were incinerated, and radios burned through their clothing. I lit a computer until it exploded, a microwave, and several other miscellaneous items. The guards died soon, as the electricity in the earphones soon burned their brains to ash.
I gave them a funeral, burning their ash into my cloak, and then started to search for intact sustenance. My medium required food, unlike me, who only required ash. I searched cabinets and I soon found a soup that I could make with fire alone. She smiled when she saw the can, and I put it into a pot along with water to make her the food. I poured it into a bowl and let her sit at a table that the guards used as cover, and sat across from her.
Her red hair seemed to twist and turn when the soup touched her lips, and I realized for the first time of how fragile she was compared to me, and how beautiful she was. Showing almost no emotion other than anger, I knew she was alive. I couldn't even remember her old name any more, no matter how hard I thought, and I realized that the medium is who I cared most for.
"Hey," I said, and her eyes went up. "What is your name, and my power?"
"Ashe," She said, waiting for me to ask the second question again.
"What is my power?"
"Fire."
"How long would the code be?"
"As many lines as you love."
"I see. Then, there will be many lines," I put my hand across the table and held her by the shoulder. No matter how evil I became, no matter how much emotion she could show, I knew she would love me without fail. I hated this feeling of anger that became my power.
"Understands."
"You do?"
"Tell."
"I must inscribe a word of fire to unlock you."
"Please, I am wishing to converse with."
"Hmm…" I began to think. I let heat flow from me into her, and I began to wonder what the code of unlocking would be. I started to write on the wall, the flames leaving behind a dark letter with each stroke. I began to take heat from her, and I wrote another word. I again gave her heat, and wrote another word.
I realized that the words only came whenever we transferred between each other, and began to continue this process until no more words came. The script was ancient, yet the code was the part I could understand. It was a message, and Cyrillic writing stood on each side of the line. The old Symphonian letters were a piece of the code, and I repeated it as it said.

УП I am ПУ
Ш sworn to Ш
АЖ protect thee ЖА
Д Forever. Д
"Pushad, I am sworn to protect thee forever, Deshop." I pronounced, and I felt something give inside me.
"I thank you, for now I may converse freely," Ashe said, and a small symbol appeared on her forehead. I looked up, and envisioned myself onto the roof. Looking toward the sky, I sent a solemn vow toward the gods.
I would find this Gemini, and destroy his will.


Waking was hard; I was warm in my bed, not having any care over what was in the world or in my room. My bed was unusually warm, and I turned to find what could make it this way. I turned to see Mono's sleeping face, emotionless, and I jumped up. She had surprised me. Despite knowing she had slept alongside me, I did not know she was there.
She was roused from sleep as I turned away, not making a sound as I stepped out of the room. I sat down at the breakfast table, alone with Mono, and I began to think. Something that could rouse her from this speech, I wondered, what could that be? I thought that it would be a good idea for me to go train my power, and I rose.
"Go," Mono said, and I knew she read my mind.
"Okay, I'll head out before another attack starts," I walked out to the back, and began to focus. An obelisk was set up for training me; this stone object was now standing before me, as if prepared for me to attack. The gray sky was the same as my gray hair, alone and foreboding. I began to draw on the levitation power of the vision, and I felt its knowledge seep into me.
I focused on a nearby stone, and told it to rise. The stone did as I commanded, and it came to me. Floating in midair, I made it spin, flip, and move back and forth. Staring at the obelisk, I forced the stone to go towards it. The stone didn't respond at first, but as soon as I pointed my hand and told it to shoot, the rock was torn to pieces by the impact.
I attempted to pick up a larger object, a chair sitting at the table, and I willed it to come to me. The chair obeyed, and I threw it into the air. As gravity regained control, I reinstated my power and held it up in the air. The object floated where it was, and I willed it to set down slowly. Seeing a boulder behind the obelisk, I drew it toward me.
The boulder was a heavy object normally, far beyond human ability, but my telekinesis negated that fact. I touched the boulder, and stroked along its side. I then looked toward the obelisk, and threw the rock at it. The boulder broke in half, most of the pieces shattered, and the obelisk now had a large crack in it.
Now that I had mastered this ability, I attempted to call upon the dark fire. Looking to my left, I saw Sarah and Mono watching, Mono emotionless, and Sarah dumbstruck by the force. I recalled that the fire in my memory had no color, and I felt the burning sensation that had occurred when I first gained my power.
Looking down at my hands, I saw the seven-sided stars light up. Each one was glowing white as the newborn snow, and I felt its energy. Sarah had told me that my origin was neutrality, and I called emotions of anger. The marks on my hands dimmed. I regained control of my emotions, and the light returned. I told the flame within to appear, and suddenly two orbs of light appeared.
These orbs gave off no heat, were not cold, nor were intimidating or inviting. These orbs of light were just there to be, not to do anything except be. I willed the orbs to become rods, and the large sabers that emerged were pillars of unholy power. I tried to grip this power, and holding the light, I projected it to impale the obelisk. Feeling no resistance, I made a slow uppercut, cutting the pillar in half.
Now some of the servants, James, and Lin were watching alongside Mono and Sarah. I pulled the light back in, and willed for one to disappear and the other to become a blade. I held the remaining light in my hand, and recalled the power of speed. Slowing the world around me, I ran toward the obelisk, and sliced it in half down the abdomen area. It slid down, and didn't hit the ground.
I willed the stone to stay, and I made myself float over to it. The power of speed no longer active, I made the light carve the stone. The light became liquid, and I willed it to make exactly what was in my head. I had remembered a picture I saw long ago, of my friends and I standing together. The liquid light encased the stone, and pressed it into the shape I desired.
Fading the light, a statue of the picture had appeared, with every detail embedded into the stone. I called light to fix the diagonal slash I had made on the obelisk, and set the statue on it. Everyone inside was clapping, and Kayla finally woke. She walked outside to see what was happening, and seeing me, floating above her, she ran back to get something.
I set myself back down to earth, and I looked at the sky. Wondering if I could access such a large space, I willed a circle to appear in the sky. My company was leaning out of the windows, some almost falling out, so I willed for them to float. The ones who flew were so surprised that they tried in vain to "swim" back down to earth, only to look back when they realized their futility.
A circle of sky appeared in the clouds, and I moved it out of the way. I had been able to move an entire area of cloud cover with my mind. I heard a gunshot and a sudden impact in my chest. As I fell, I did my best to make sure the floaters would touch ground safely. I remembered the way that the visions healed themselves, and I tried to call upon that power as best as I could.
As my vision faded to black and my blood spewed out, I saw Lin, and all of the people watching me jump from the windows and doors they were in, and run over to me. My head tilted back, and I saw Mono lying behind me, bleeding from her chest. I looked toward the sky again and felt that I was completely alone.
I struggled to lift my hand, and placed it over my chest. Mono moved behind me, in the same motion. I told myself that if I couldn't be one alone, then what could I do without any at all. I thought that if I died here that my friends would be let down, that I would be less than one. I held a light in my hand, a light that seemed neither benevolent nor malicious.
Pressing this weak light into my heart, I felt the blood flow slow down. I pressed another light into my heart, and I felt my chest begin to draw over the wound. I was focusing on this light, and my lack of vision had not hindered me of my knowledge of anatomy. I pressed myself again, and started to let my heart pump. I heard Mono gasp behind me, and the sudden oxygen sent a rush to my head.
With renewed power, I moved my hands to my head. The lack of blood made some parts of my brain stop, and I pressed light into my forehead. The light became electrical impulses, and I noticed my vision slowly return. I pulled my head back again, and seeing Mono looking at me, I moved my hand toward her.
Our hands touched, and I used the combined power and completely restored all the damage. I sent a wave of telekinetic force out, pinning all around me down. Rising, I saw Kayla's wild eyes looking down the gun sights.
"Kayla," I whispered. "What have you done?"
"You're a monster," she said. "Monsters are hunted again and again until they are dead."
"What kind of monster would help fend off a Flynnan attack?"
"Shut up! I know those Flynnans only came to kill you! It's your fault that our friends were in danger!"
"Go ahead, shoot me. You never know what may happen next," I held Mono by her shoulders.
"You would kill her just to survive? Just as I said, you are a beast."
"I wouldn't be the one to kill her."
"Why would I shoot her?"
"Could you shoot her? Could you shoot me before I gained this power?"
"That's not Tsukasa! The Tsukasa I drove here two days ago was no lifeless zombie!"
"I'm just wondering on whether you could shoot me at all," I called power of speed to wait for the time. "I mean, not having a gun would be a major inconvenience." After I said this, I slowed time to steal her gun. I reset the speed when I was back in position with Mono.
"Of course I could! Wait… What the hell?"
I held up her gun. She backed up a few steps, reaching behind her. I smiled.
"Now, are you truly wishing to do such a beautiful girl harm?"
"You're just trying to get me to attack. I'm not going anywhere near you."
"I don't need you to be near to hurt you. I'm only talking with you."
"Kris, stop!" Lin's musical voice yelled out. I turned my head toward her. "I know all you are doing is protecting you and Tsukasa, but isn't this too much?"
"Tsukasa is not longer with us, don't you remember?"
"Yes, I know, but why do you fight so desperately for her?"
"When I was shot by Kayla, Mono had felt the same pain as I did. I don't think anyone needs to die except the offender."
"DEMON!" Kayla screamed, and unsheathed a wicked blade. She came at me, ready to stab both Mono and me. "You shall die!"
I looked back, and slowing time again, I willed the knife out of her hand. I then stopped time entirely, and both Mono and I walked behind Kayla. I held the knife above her head, and I reset time. Kayla turned towards me, furious, and I smiled and flicked my eyes up. She looked up, and seeing the knife, jumped back.
"Why?" she whispered, and began to cry. "Why can a demon defeat me?"
I sent the knife into the villa wall, and I thought of a challenge I could give her that didn't involve suicide. Mono put her hand into mine, and her warmth confused me. She had slept alongside me yesterday, and yet had no answers for me or any feelings.
"Kayla," I said, and she looked up from her weeping. "If you can obtain the knife, I allow you to stab me once, anywhere."
"No, Kris!" Lin yelled. "There's no reason to-" I warped over to her, and pressed my palm to her mouth.
"I am sorry for your inconvenience," I whispered. "I cannot allow you to interfere."
"If you truly wish to live," Kayla whispered. "Then a challenge to me is not what you should want."
"I have no meaning. I am only here to be here."
"No," Mono spoke up now.
"If demons are here to be," Kayla stood up. "Why are they not here to leave?"
"Must live."
"Why must demons live!?"
"Protect life."
"How can a bastard like him," she pointed to me. "Protect life?"
"Not only him."
"I'm going to carve a nice pâté out of you!" Kayla began to walk towards Mono, drawing a knife. "Your white skin will be a nice change from the red meat of steak!"
"I refuse your idea."
"Refuse? You can't refuse to die."
I felt something give, and another flow of visions came up. I saw people fighting each other, except each fighter was the same person. I saw a man jump into a series of spikes, and then return to the ledge that he stood at before. I saw people stand in place and block any attack using their light. I used the first power, leaving my first body and slowing time as I ran over to Kayla.
Keeping time still slowed, I punched Kayla twice in the stomach, and then kicked her from her position. I let time return and she flew across the air into the ruins of the obelisk. I set another clone and walked over to her. Picking Kayla up with my mind, I held her arms down and her head up. I made a clone float me, and I brought her down to my level.
"Why fight me," I asked her, the rest of the crowd watching in wonder as I had appeared three times. "When no one person can win?"
"You're a bastard," Kayla spat blood at me. "How are you so strong?"
I floated her over to the knife, and she took it into hand. I recalled my clone holding Lin, and the flaming spirit disappeared. Setting both her and I to earth, I waited, bowed to her, for the knife. I drew upon the power of reversal, and waited for the fatal stab. The stab never came. I looked up, and Kayla stood with the knife.
"Kayla," I whispered." I'm allowing you to kill me."
"I can't," Kayla cried. "I can't kill anyone, even if they are a demon."
"Kayla, do it. I deserve it."
"I won't. I can't."
"Do it."
"You can't make me."
"I'm telling you, do it. If you don't want to kill me, kill Mono instead."
"I'm not going to do it."
"FUCKING KILL ME! YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO!"
"NO!"
I took control of her, using telekinesis to move her arms. I placed the knife in each hand, and held it above my head. Mono watched silently behind; everyone else watching, prepared for the worst.
"The rest is yours. If you want to give me mercy, do it now."
"No, don't make me…"
"Fine, I'll snap your neck, then let your hands drop into my skull."
"No, no. Don't… I'll do it," Kayla felt the heavy knife in her hands, and closed her eyes as she hardened her grip and her heart. She lifted the knife, and brought it down into my throat. Pain reverberated through me, and the people around me dropped from their pins. I dropped to the ground as Kayla let go of the knife and dropped to her knees.
I released the reversal power to Mono and myself; our throats filled back in with sinew and blood, our eyes returned to health, and the knife came out of my throat. Holding the knife above us all, I threw it into the wall again, this time it connected all the way down to the grip.
Everyone jumped back. I stood slowly, and I walked calmly over to Mono's body. Being unable to stand, I had to pick her up and carry her. I had set an example of who I was and who Mono was to me. I used Kayla in order to kill myself just to prove that Mono and I are the same person.
"Am I such a demon," I began. "To let such a beautiful child die?"
"I killed you," Kayla whimpered. "I killed you, yet you came back to life."
"No thanks to being stabbed, no doubt. Someone draw the Hellfire Cannon, I'm taking it with me."
"How are you to take it?" a butler said. "Such a massive object…"
"Remember my power. I will carry the burden of one."
Everyone stood, ready for another fight. Lin ran to me, holding me tight. Sarah held Kayla softly, knowing the injuries I gave her. James stood resolute, and looked sternly at Mono. I needed to head out of Aria, out of my home to find my reason to live, and to find more power.
"I'm not going alone," I said, and everyone saw my smile. "A group of fourteen more will suffice."
Suddenly I felt something give, and a flame of hatred hit my back.


I walked through the capital of Balladia along with Ashe, seeing the great sights of the city before its inevitable destruction. Flynn would not allow my country to live, and after it captured Balladia, Aria would soon follow. I was angered that my sworn enemies were the people I had worked with all my life.
Flynn took me in and told me about my power, and about Ashe. I had no name other than the one they gave me, and I feel it is unfitting for who I am. War, I thought, why is my name War? I desired a new name. A name that fit my personal setting and my ideals. I had asked Ashe about a name that would fit me, but of course, a medium of anger would have nothing for me.
Flynn taught me to fight with my hands and with guns, but as my powers developed, the training lessened and they honed my power to be more useful than anything else. I was a flame master, embedded with ashes and fury. Balladia's people rarely stayed outside for as long as I was, and the ones who did were drug dealers and thugs.
Looking ahead, a couple of thugs were up to no good; they were looking at Ashe like she was an object, and fury reveled through me. Ashe put her hand on my shoulder as a signal to restrain my power.
"Hey," one of the men said. His voice was smoky, as if he was breathing fire. "How about your girl come and hang with us for a little while?"
"I think," I said, "That any man that comes near her should be killed."
"What do you think you can do, old man?"
"Old? You call me old, simply because of the way I speak?"
"Yeah! You got a problem with it, tell it to my face!"
"I'd rather not come near you, good sir. I think you reek of shit and drugs."
"What'd you say about Tony?" another man said, a large man wearing military camouflage.
"I said that he'd do well to take a bath. Perhaps you should check your hearing."
"Well, old man, it looks like the only way this is going to end is with your body dumped into a sewer."
"I was hoping you would say that," I smiled maliciously, and took off my over coat. My lack of shirt was substituted by a hard stomach and chest, and the tabi I wore along with training pants gave me a more oriental feel. Putting up my right leg, I gestured for them to fight.
"Ha, ha, ha! This old man thinks he knows kung fu!" The large man cracked his knuckles, and pulled out a shard of glass. He walked slowly towards me, and on his third step, I flipped toward him. My left foot connected with his neck, and I twisted around for a roundhouse kick to his face.
As he stumbled back, I dropped low and kicked out both of his legs. His now flying body was back to earth as I hammered him with an axe kick down, cracking the concrete underneath. His friends now noticed how quickly I had beaten their leader, and all got out assorted weapons.
The first strike was theirs this time, with one short thug swinging a bat over his head. I caught the bat with my hand, and twisted along its surface to kick him three times followed by an airborne axe kick to send him behind me. As I landed, a knife whizzed by my face, and I pulled back my right leg to send the man flying.
I wanted to finish the fight quickly, so I crouched to the ground and the next man close to me had a foot to his jaw, sending him a few meters in the air. As his comrades watched him fly, I sent them flying with a jumping kick outwards. The flying man came down, and I had a leg out to meet him. As he lay on my knee, I had a few things to say to him.
"So," I began. "When you see a man walking around this late, remember not to challenge him."
The man laughed, and I looked behind me. Ashe had been taken, and I saw her figure vanish around a corner. Slamming my fist into the man's skull, I then ran after Ashe. Leaving a trail of flame and a pile of bodies behind, I rounded the corner and melted several bullets aimed toward me.
"What the hell are you!?" one of the shooters yelled.
"I am… Gemini," I growled, and started to sprint after the man with Ashe. An inch away from her, I felt an impact and a feeling of flying, then another impact into concrete. Looking back up, I saw a large body of armor, sword in hand, glowering over me. I sent a fireball at it, but it was blocked by a swing of the knight's sword.
"Hmm," I mused. "It seems that nonphysical attacks have no effect on you."
I heard a metallic bellow, and realized the knight was laughing at me. It brought up its sword, and I prepared to catch it. Smashing each hand into either side of the sword, I made a small crater in the concrete underfoot.
With new-found handholds in the blade, I grabbed the sword, and wrenched it from the creature's grasp. I then drew my own weapon, a long, double-bladed sword, and pointed toward the knight. The knight materialized another blade, and the fight was on.
He jumped towards me, swinging his sword to a left slash, and I jumped to dodge the blade. Integrating fire into my sword, I performed an overhead swing aimed at his head. As the sword connected, I spun and launched myself up into the air. The knight put up his sword in expectation, and I was impaled down the middle.
He lowered his sword, so that I was standing to talk with him. The helmet he wore drew back, and the hooded man gestured for his comrades to bring Ashe. Two men came up, holding Ashe by her shoulders, and she stared at me angrily. I felt rage flow through me, and I started formulation of a plan to rip all these men apart.
"So, this is your girl," the man on Ashe's left asked. "Huh?"
"Yeah," I growled. "Ashe is mine, and I am Ashe's."
"If you say she is yours," the knight bellowed. "Take her from us."
"I think I will!" As I said this, I wrenched the sword from my chest, and tore it out of the knight's hands. I turned it around, and wielding Dual-edge, I started to swing around. The knight tried in vain to block my vengeful attacks, but as his energy wore down I started to slice into his armor.
Small torrents of blood started flowing out, and all of the misfired swings killing his allies made quick work of the gang. The knight ejected from his armor, and landed nimbly on his feet. I tossed away his gigantic sword, and put up my guard. The hooded man looked at me, and drew a sword of his own, with blades in two directions.
"You are no normal man," the hooded man said. "It appears that this girl is truly special to you."
"So all of the hits," I whispered. "All of them were just to your armor?"
"Yes, and now, with this V-edge, I will defeat you."
"That truly depends on whether or not you are the better swordsman."
"So it may be. Shall I smite your woman or you?"
"Only a coward goes for those who cannot fight."
"It seems you are a true Balladan."
"Yes, and you are a true asshole."
"Enough talk, let's fight!"
"Victory comes to those who strike first!"
We dashed toward each other; each of our swords brandished in hand, both of us trying to end it in one attack. Our swords clashed, and we swung repeatedly, each time striking the other's sword. Sparks dashed off the swords, I swung overhead to counter him, and we both jumped back.
I spun my Dual-edge, and rectified my stance. The swordsman adjusted the angle of the lower edge to accommodate our speed, and set up his stance. We glared at each other, and prepared for the next wave of battle. I applied fire to my sword, and charged forward to meet his attack.
He looked cocky, and I slid under his attack. His sword was impaled in the concrete, and I turned to finish the fight. I dashed through him, cleaved him in two, and turned to watch him fall. He was dead before he reached the ground, and I burned the body of the fighter whose name I never knew.
I turned to the allies of the swordsman, and seeing my glare, they sprinted away, leaving behind Ashe. I took her into my arms, and we headed to the airport. She walked alongside me, eyes downcast, as if embarrassed that she could do nothing to help me. I pulled her closer and she looked up.
"It's okay," I tried to comfort her. "I'll help you become stronger."
"But," she whispered. "How can a medium be strong?"
"Even a medium needs to defend themselves."
"Mediums are supposed to be protected by our Gemini, though."
"I was, but I didn't think that another guy would come to take you."
"That why you have the power, to do it fast."
"I didn't want to be regarded as someone I'm not, as a Flynnan. I'm Balladan."
"I know that, but sometimes restraint can lead to strain."
"You're just telling me to be careful?"
"I'm not telling you to not use your power. I'm telling you to use it where your medium is concerned."
"I'll try, but I'm not making any promises." We refrained from talking anymore until we entered the aeroplane. The large flying machine was always unsafe to me; it seemed unnatural for anything to fly in the sky other than the birds, and a large piece of metal didn't help ease that fact.
I would miss Balladia, my home country. I would miss my country's beauty, its people, and how it seemed to sing with every twist of the wind. I remember when I was a child that I would help my family with its farm, and its home, and when I fell out of a tree and scraped my knee. My family seemed so far away, and I wondered if they were looking down at me and wondering what went wrong.
My family, I thought, looking down at my hands. I missed them, even after all the years since she came. My hands glowed as I thought, anger rushing through me, and I struggled to keep the two-pointed star docile. Ashe put her hand across the table and held mine, calming me. I knew Ashe even before the incident, and I still wondered what my best friend's name originally was.
The stars on my hands faded as I looked at her, and I wondered where I went wrong myself. I used to be an innocent farmer, then one day I became a cold-blooded killer, maybe worse, I am a torturer, a mutilator, and in all terms, cruel. I remembered the day my family died, and I think that was the day I lost my soul.   
A girl came to our house one day, wearing a beret, and she asked if I was there. She flashed a knife, and Mom told me to go hide in the closet. They barricaded the front and back doors, and threatened her with a gun. Dad kept the gun trained on her at all times, yet she still came forth.
The girl was at the front door now, and I heard a stabbing sound, and the sound of wood splitting. Dad fired the gun, and the door had a gaping hole in it. She continued destroying the door, and Dad fired again. This time it hit her, and she stepped back. After the blood had faded from her chest and her arms, she continued to go forward. Dad prepared to fire again, but a knife pinned him against the wall.
Dad's shoulder was deadened, and we stood defenseless to this one girl. The round hilt of the dagger stuck out, and Dad tried in vain to pull it out. The girl had blades coming from her sleeves, and her work of the door was finally done. The second she stepped in the door, all movement outside of my closet stopped. Mom was frozen in place, and Dad had his hand stuck on the dagger, but no blood flowed.
The girl stood in front of Dad, and he turned to see her. She smiled happily, and began to stab him. She stabbed his shoulders first, and the wicked blade quickly tore through his skin and clothing. A knife fell from her sleeve, and hit Dad in the foot before falling sideways, tearing apart the tendons in his feet.
Dad's voice was like an alarm, loud and tenuous. The girl then choked him with a knife, jamming it down his throat and cutting his tongue and anything else apart. Dad's eyes were crying, and red tears were streaming out when he fell towards me, as if willing me to stay alive.
The girl walked to Mom, and she looked down at her pitifully, white hair stained with blood. She shoved a knife into both Mom's stomach and her throat, and twisted the knife in her stomach to eviscerate her organs. A piece of the girl's sleeve fell out, revealing a glowing mark, one-pointed tear, and I now know that the mark was her star.
The sleeve turned into a blade, and the girl picked it up to stab my mom in the forehead. The girl pulled the blade up, and opened my mom's skull. I saw a knife creep out of Dad, covered in blood, and seep into the girl's skin. I was dying slowly, watching my family be torn to pieces before me.
The girl only had one knife now, the one that hit Dad in the shoulder. The circular hilt dripped with blood, and I saw it enter my mom's stomach. The girl started to cannibalize my family, and before I threw up, I blacked out. The last thing I remembered was the girl's blue sleeves and her blue beret covering her face unnaturally, and her scars carved into her hand, seeming to glow black.
At the same time of missing my country, I was happy to leave. I would lose the pain of my family's death, and I would lose the happiness of seeing my beautiful country. Ashe would be happy, and I would finally be at peace. I would exact my revenge on the first Gemini, and finally all the years of murder and pain would end. I hoped my family would watch as I killed her, watch as I impaled her on her own knife, and burn her body until even the ash was gone.
Ashe was asleep now, and I thought rest would be good, even for me. Even I, a Gemini, can get tired.


I turned to meet the flame, and saw a man standing above me. He glowered over me, and all of my friends, as if there was no one in the world better than him. The fire that hit me had disappeared as quickly as it came, and he held another ball of fire in his hands. I was surprised that he could, as I was a Gemini, I should be the only one that has power, but he did, even though he was human.
I then saw a woman behind him, a red-haired girl who looked happy. I knew then that she was his medium, and that he was a Gemini. I showed him my symbol, and he repressed the fire enough for me to see a half circle etched into his palm. I then called my own power, and prepared to hold him off.
"You have the power," the man said. "I see that yours is much different, however."
"Back off," I snarled. "There is nothing you need here, Gemini."
"Gemini? How I despise being called that name. I see you are no different though…"
"I am the power of Solitude, flame of Balladia. Leave me be, and no harm will come to you or your medium."
"Harm? Me? You truly believe that such a weakling can defeat me, the wolf of fire? I laugh at your ignorance."
"I will kill you, as I have already myself."
"You've killed yourself?" he seemed to laugh as I said this. "I haven't eaten for ten years. That is what is best of my power, I require no sustenance, but I cannot die."
"How is this possible?"
"He needs no food," the girl said. "He needs only rage and ash."
"Your medium speaks normally?"
"Yes," he laughed. "She does, which proves the victor."
"At least tell me your name before we duel."
"My name? I am referred to by no name. A name is a label of who you are, and I am no one. If you wish a name for me, then call me Victor."
"Victor? You are Balladan, aren't you?"
"Yes, and now, Arian, you will face your demise."
Victor threw fire at me, and I dissipated each ball with a lash of my light. As I broke the last ball, I saw the flame come down upon me, and I was slammed to the ground. He stood on me, and I heard gunshots. Kayla shot at him, but each bullet simply dissolved into flame when it reached him.
He smiled, and I knew he would attack her next, so I projected light out to hit him. As I sliced, he looked and dodged the beam, jumping back to draw his own sword. I stood, and Victor lit his sword aflame. I called out the ion cannon, and waited until the right moment to use it.
I held a beam sword in my hands, and I prepared for him to strike. Victor moved, and before I could block, I had the cold steel of his sword through my heart. He smiled, and lifted his sword up; I slid down while he taunted me and turned to face my friends. I grasped at the sword, and he stood where he was, surprised at my survival.
His katana had two blades, one now on each side of my heart. As I pulled myself off his sword, blood dripped from my mouth, my wound, and my fingers. Red liquid flowed down his glowing blue blade, and I needed to run. I needed to save my friends, and Mono, who lay on the ground behind me, bleeding again.
I projected light from the wound, and sent Victor flying. Finally able to pull the blade out, I wrenched it out using the rest of my power. He sent fire at me again, and Kayla shot the flame before it hit me. It was strange, a woman so determined to kill me a few minutes ago was now saving my life.
"I will withdraw for now," said Victor. "I do not wish to kill you yet."
"Fuck you," I spat, and ached where the wound was. I went over to Mono, and started to heal her. As I healed her, my wounds reformed, and I felt it was time to leave Aria.
"There will be more," Sarah told me. "All of the active Gemini will be informed of your presence. I believe it's time to leave Aria."
"Yes," I groaned. "It's time to go and for all of us to run."
We proceeded to get ready, and I modified the ion cannon so that it would fold up, and I could take it with me. I knew I could never return to this place, and told my servants to go their separate ways. They all got their things ready, and we said our goodbyes. I was tired, and sad that I would never come back. It seemed as if this Gemini project was made just to pull me away from all I knew.
School would not be missed, but those who were my friends there would be. I knew that Lin, James, Kayla, Sarah, and Mono would be coming, but at the same time I felt that something was being torn from me. Some foreboding reached me that not all of us would escape, not all of us would be the same in the end.
I looked to my companions, and none of them smiled. They all were just as sad as I, knowing where they have been their whole life will be taken from them while they go. It seemed that after we left, all that was Aria would be gone; all that I knew would be destroyed and desecrated. I would miss Aria, just as much as I missed Tsukasa. I missed the way Tsukasa could make you smile even when everything was wrong.
I felt like dying, blowing away everything I knew in one fell swoop, rather than have it gradually taken away, just a few millimeters per second. I was ready to leave, before I could ponder anymore and force myself to stay. Seeing everyone, preparing to go, I felt alone in the world. Even Mono had left me, assisting the others in preparation.
I took the ion cannon in hand, and walked out of the room. It was time for me to go; if anyone had come with me, then they would only get hurt. This was my fight, and I wasn't going to let anyone fight it for me. I let the light carve a message into the wall, saying that I was going and I wouldn't be coming back.
The night chill overtook me, and I ran to call for a taxi. I left the warzone behind, and the villa, my friends, everything. The taxi at the station asked for my destination, and I gave him his fare and his tip to an airport. He drove quickly, obviously not wanting to be caught in the next snowstorm, and I couldn't blame him. I'd rather him go faster; it would make it easier for me to leave my guilt behind. All that I took with me was a mobile phone, a large pad of papers, the ion cannon, and a change of clothes.
Arriving at the airport, I thanked the taxi driver, and set off to find the first station to Symphonia. Giving the ticket master my pay and a false name, I went to the platform. The man searched my suitcase, and told me I wouldn't be able to take my phone onto the aeroplane. I told him it was fine, and took the case out to board.
I climbed into the large craft, and I found my seating in the sparsely populated area. Then taking out the pieces of paper, I began to write letters to my friends, never revealing my location. I told them of how sorry I was, and that I would write to them whenever I could. I told them to leave Mono alone, not bother her, and to wait until she returned to being Tsukasa.
Looking out the glass into the night beyond, I felt as if I knew more about myself than I ever had. I now knew that a Gemini could feel sadness, and that a person like me could feel lonely, even in a large crowd. Now that I was thoroughly tired, I let my eyes rest and was quickly asleep.