12/23/06

“Decision of Sin”by KrysYuki. (yup, that’s meh new nickname!)

-1- ‘Renkin no Hitzuzen’

“Wake up, Nii-chan!”

…

“Wake up!”

Arima felt a sudden sharp pain in his abdomen before opening his eyes to a wide smile. “Mizuna, would you please break the habit of punching me as an alarm?”

“Would you break the habit of your sleeping habits matching a cat’s?” she turned from her older brother.

“Alright, what do you want?” Arima held his stomach, trying to relieve the pain by slight. For such a small girl, Mizuna could really hurt someone when she wanted to. And when it came time to wake the man, for any reason at all, she wanted to.

The girl’s features shifted as she did, facing back to the man. “Well, Sashiko’s waiting outside for you.”

“Sashiko?” Arima leaped instantly from his bed, heading to the door faster than Mizuna could reclaim herself. “Hey, Sashi-chan?” he glanced quickly around the hallway, coming up with nothing. No Sashiko. In that instant, said woman dropped from the ceiling with a blade to his throat. Arima could feel the cold steel against his skin, he held back his breath. “S-Sashiko?”

The woman’s face faulted, returning to a smile. She let out a small laugh, gracing the silent air around them. “Still get you with that one,” the ninja stepped back, the blade leaving the man’s neck. “So,” she neared him and playfully whispered into his ear, her sudden hot breath causing a tingle to shoot through Arima. She glided her lips lightly to his neck then looked up smiling brightly again. His reaction was purely laughable. “I got your sword fixed.”

“M-my…sword?” Their proximity to each other still shook him. His gaze fell below him and landed on the hilt of the aforementioned weapon. “Right, that sword.”

Mizuna walked to his back. “Nice for you to come around, Sashiko-san,” the girl smiled wide, emanating cuteness.

Sashiko stepped to the side and let herself in, the man who answered it still not fully recovered from shock. “Yeah, I’m finished with my last job, so I decided to come back here.”

The girl sat on the bed, disturbing the recently made sheets. “No, it’s because you haven’t anywhere else to go.”

Sashiko laughed, “Yeah, you’re pretty much right there.”

As the two of them talked, the collected blood in Arima’s cheeks returned to where it belonged, his complexion losing the scarlet glow. He snapped out of his daze and closed the door, leaving himself in the room with the two others, highly hoping nothing similar to the recent situation would occur again.

Mizuna noticed a small glint from Sashiko’s waist. She immediately spoke her thoughts. “What’s that, Sashiko-san?”

The ninja need not looked down as well, already knowing what the girl implied. “It’s called a ‘Renkin no Hitsuzen’.” She noticed the confused daze fall upon the two, so she explained more deeply. “It means ‘Deal of the Alchemist’. I received it from my adoptive father. It’s an heirloom started only three generations ago when my great-grandmother passed.” She loosely glided her forefinger over the detailed metal. “My great-grandfather was an alchemic genius. Especially when it came to pressured situations. He made a deal with a witch, the Witch of Heaven, to give him enough energy to save his family. She obliged to the request, but in turn of his second most greatest treasure, a treasure of most mortal beings, his life.” Sashiko’s smile faded. “He got what he wanted, but soon after, he just dropped to the bloodied ground, dead, without a chance to even give or receive a farewell from his family. My grandmother, held back from him by her older brother, watched crying as my great-grandmother fell to her knees, blinded by tears, crying his name between gasps of air, only to find a metallic coin grasped in is hand, held closely to his chest.” She gazed longingly at the heirloom resting in her palm, the chain hung to her belt. Her stare seemed as if she was seeing the exact scene in her mind, feeling the pain of everyone there. “Of course, his wish had been granted, but it was almost in vain. My great-aunt was killed soon after, as was my great-grandmother a year later. My great-uncle died in an accident nearly the same day as my mother was born. After my mother…” her features shook, her eyes holding back the burning tears at the loss of her mother, “died of an illness, as both of you know, my adoptive father gave me this saying that it was in my blood to carry on the family, and the family’s compiled pain.”

“So, that’s why you can do alchemy,” Arima whispered, more to himself than any other. “But that means, you’re the only one left with your great-grandfather’s blood.”

Sashiko nodded, feigning strength that really did reside in her; just it would not rise past her willingness for it to. “He told me, that in order for the pain to lift, and the pact of my ancestors’ souls being protected in the afterlife to continue, I have to carry on and birth someone else of my blood.” The ninja turned her attention to Mizuna. The girl’s cheeks were graced by pure tears. “No need to cry, Mizu-chan. It’s nothing of your fault.” She held the girl’s face gently and stroked away tears with her thumb. Even in a serious state, Sashiko never used her full name, which was reserved for her brother. And him alone.

“B-but, that’s such a sad story!”Her shoulders lifted and fell with each continuing sob. “I’m trying not to cry, but I feel like I can’t do anything to help you. I know you must be going through Hell with this. It was just forced onto you!”

The woman shook her head and held the small girl close. She wanted to comfort her, to tell her that it was alright, but neither seemed in reach at the time. “Please, Mizu-chan, you mustn’t shed tears for me.” Her soothing voice whispered softly to the girl.

Arima could only watch from the doorway he leaned upon. His heart turned at the sight of his sister in a tearful mess, but with Sashiko there, he would not even be seen, let alone heard. She was more of an older sibling than he was, but he still had the mind to protect her with everything he had. And with the title he unknowingly held, that was a lot.

The rising and falling in the girl’s shoulders seemed to subside with her muffled cries. She remained in the woman’s embrace until she backed away slightly to see her face. She smiled, feigning self-restrain, self-strength. “Are you alright now, Mizu-chan?” Her smile was brightening to anyone’s mood.

The girl nodded. “I just never knew how much pain you were going through,” her shorter arms wrapped back tightly around the woman’s waist. This time, the embrace was not for self-calming her cries; it was to show Sashiko that she had someone there for her. Someone, anyone, was exactly what she needed.

But Arima, the man who loved her, could not be that much to her. He was always proven that her actions, no matter how intimate they were, were a joke. A joke that showed how gullible and sufferable he really was. His blush-reflex would react greatly and his face would glow a full crimson. All for her meaningless satisfaction. He loved her, but his growing emotions were cast away unrequited. Now that there was a growing pain in her and her legacy, he wanted to be there for her, perhaps belong to her. But he was not sure if he would belong or be pushed aside.

Mizuna pulled back, wearing a forced smile. “I’ll help you in any way, Sashiko-san!” Her smile widened, this time being true.

“Thanks, Mizu-chan. Thanks.” Sashiko smiled genuinely, her eyes dancing in their place. She never really had anything in her life but her friendship with the two, this proved important to her.

It made Arima’s heart twist. He couldn’t be there for her the way he wanted to.

“Can I see that Hitsu…Hit...Hitsu-thingy again?” Mizuna all-too-innocently asked. The ninja nodded and unclasped the chain from her belt, handing it the girl with utmost care. The girl gazed at it with wide eyes, holding the cold metal in her hand, the chain dangling between her lithe fingers. “Wow, it’s so much cooler up close!” She looked over the intricate detailed molded into the smooth metal by the Witch of Heaven. It amazed her, and then she noticed something else about the design. “Hey, Nii-chan, there’s that mark here. The one that’s on your back.” Her eyes never left the coin. “What do you think that means?” She received no answer. “Nii-chan!” she glared up at him, “are you even listening to me!?”

Arima nodded, but he was in thought about what she said. What could the coincidence actually mean? He glanced back to his sister and Sashiko, unable to think of anything to say.

“Arima, you have that marking on you?” Sashiko’s stare gained a seriousness Arima had never seen of her. A mix of stern truth and a shock for not knowing the truth.

“You really do?”

Mizuna answered for her brother. “Yup, Nii-chan’s got it right there.” She poked Sashiko’s back to show her, touching right dead center under the neck.

“What does it mean?” Arima asked, finally rejoining the conversation. Now the two of them had managed to perk his interest. This might connect to a way Arima could help Sashiko.

All she did was shake her head. “It’s nothing. That’s just something known by my family. I couldn’t tell you if I wanted to.” Mizuna continued to look at the coin.

“Wow! There are so many alchemic symbols in here! I can figure out at least twelve!” Her eyes positively danced at the details. How could anyone create something so beautiful but hold such a dark meaning?

Because the creator was not mortal, herself.

The girl handed the heirloom back to the ninja. “That’s a wonder in itself, Sashiko-san” she smiled.

“Yea,” the woman sighed, “I guess it is…”She re-clasped the chain around her belt and hid the cold metal coin from her sight, slipping it into her pocket. “It’s all the types of alchemic designs used to create and destroy a life, both mortal and immortal. The witch created it herself.” By the look in the ninja’s eyes, she didn’t comment the immortal being in a polite-hearted way. She just continued to stare blatantly to the floor.

“Hey,” Arima spoke up, “You didn’t come all this way to mope around, did you?” He wore a smirk of truth. He had all reason to, he was completely right.

Sashiko shook her head. “You’re right,” she smiled up to him. “I came here to be with my friends, not make them sad and sympathetic.” Her smiled did not fade, but Arima could tell, even from where he was standing, that it pained her. It was hurtful to act in a cheerful manner. Although she didn’t know her ancestors personally beyond stories, she felt connected to each one, each moment they lived. The small, almost meaningless-seeming heirloom was responsible for her internal struggle. Arima wanted to take that pain away.

But was there a way in the man’s reach?

Mizuna broke the silence filling the room with her sweet voice. “So, Sashiko-san, what do you want to do while you’re here?” The question was innocent in itself, but it took a short moment for the woman to react.

“Oh, well, maybe we can go to see Katsuhiko-sensei.” She answered seemingly normal enough. “I haven’t seen him in a long while.” Her faux smile laid lies upon her thin lips.

The girl nodded. “Alright. He’s actually been asking about you,” she smiled back. Mizuna stood and gently held the ninja’s right hand in her own. “Let’s go.” Sashiko nodded and rose to her feet. “You coming, Nii-chan?” she looked past Sashiko to her brother.

Arima broke from his thought in time to answer with a short nod. He walked over to them and followed the two out the door.