A and K Chapter 19: In a Different Key

There, Aria sat before him, a bandage still wrapped around her head and left eye.
Kei: Aria...
Aria: Yeah, what is it?
Kei: You shouldn't be up and around, you're still injured...
Aria: I can take care of myself. However...
She mutters something.
Kei: What?
Aria grumbles.
Aria: Thank you for helping me in my incapacitated state.
Kei: (About the best I'll get out of her.)
Aria: So there, I thanked you, now I figure you want something from me?
Kei: Who attacked you?
Aria: ...Michel. The same guy who gave you your cuts.
Kei: ...We have that much in common.
Aria: I'm not leaving until I get my revenge on that guy.
Kei: We have to set a few ground rules.
Aria: You don't have to worry. I'll keep to myself.
Kei: You won't touch Alexandria?
Aria: I've got my own agenda. That said don't expect me to be all fuzzy towards you.
Kei smirks.
Kei: Wouldn't count on it.
There is a sudden knock at the door. Kei looks over before walking toward the door. As he opens it, he is surprised to see Nick standing there. This time he's in regular clothes. Something slung over his back wrapped in cloth.
Kei: Nick?
Nick: Mind if I come in?
Kei nods. Nick quietly leaves his shoes at the door before he enters to see Aria there.
Nick: Now this is a surprise.
Aria: ...tch. Kei's old partner.
Nick: Indeed. Pleasure to see the queen of good luck herself.
Aria: ...such a stupid nickname.
Kei: Nick, what's that thing over your back?
Nick: Oh, this? A gift.
Kei: Gift?
Nick: Yes, a gift for you.
Kei: Me?
Nick lays the thing on the table, then pulls back the cloth to reveal a sword. Kei is surprised to see the weapon.
Nick: Your new weapon, Kei.
Kei: Nick, how-?
Nick: Does it really matter?
Kei: What is this?
Nick: A nox nyctores.
Kei's eyes widen.
Kei: How did you manage to get your hands on a weapon like this?
Nick: Please don't sweat the details. It arrived at the station. A written note said to give it to you.
Kei: ...
Nick: Multis Iustus: Tri
Kei: ...?
Nick: A weapon truly fitting of your skills, Kei.
Kei: That so...
Kei looks at the sword in great detail. The blue hilt, the luster of the sword, it looked amazing.
Nick: Its yours, Kei.
Kei gently grabs the weapon. It felt like one of his own swords.
Nick: What do you think?
Kei: Its impressive...
Nick: I wanted to at least drop it off, I'll be on my way now.
Kei: Nick, wait, where'd you get this?
Nick: Still hung up on that, huh? Just consider it a gift.
Kei: You know me better then that, Nick.
Aria: Just leave it be already, I'm sick of hearing you argue with him about it.
Kei: ...
Kei wraps the weapon back inside its cloth.
Kei: (I can't just leave it be. There's too much I don't know.)
Nick: I have to get back on duty. They're expecting me.
Kei: Oh...if you say so...
With that, Nick quietly heads to the door and retrieves his shoes to head back toward his precinct. This left Kei and Aria alone once more. Kei quietly puts the weapon away alongside one of his other swords.
Kei: (If I face Michel again, I may have no other choice but to use it.)
With that, Kei returns to the room to see Shigure standing there.
Shigure: Morning Aria.
Aria: ...morning...
Shigure: Its good to see you at least up and about.
Aria: If you call this up and about.
Shigure: Well, you're okay, at least. I was worried about you.
Aria: ...worried?
Aria was surprised at the word she used. Only one other person had used that word when referring to her. Aria seemed to stare at Shigure.
Shigure: Is something on my face?
Aria stands up and looks at her.
Aria: You have power.
Shigure: Huh? No, I'm just a-...
Aria: I can sense it.
Kei: What are you talking about?
Aria: Its tough to explain, ever since I was a little girl, I've been able to sense...
Shigure: That's crazy, I...
Kei: Shigure...
Shigure: I don't have any powers. I don't know what you're talking about.
Aria: Then they haven't be released?
Shigure: What hasn't been released?
Aria: Shigure, was it? Tell me, have you come into contact with azure?
Shigure: N...
Shigure suddenly loses herself in thought.
Shigure: Yes.
Aria: Who and what Azure?
Shigure: Miwa, and Pink.
Kei: What?
Shigure: It was a long time ago.
Kei: Then start explaining.
Shigure sighs.
Shigure: My mother and father separated when I was a young pup. I was visiting my father, and I was attacked.
Kei: Attacked? By who?
Shigure: I don't know. I didn't get a good look at their faces. It was likely enough that they saw a beastkin and wanted to hurt me to scare me.
Aria: And Miwa saved you.
Shigure: She found me. She healed me. She told my father everything she did for me. He never let me walk on my own again. I always had to have a bodyguard.
Kei: Mitch.
Shigure: Yeah, he walked me everywhere. Made sure I was safe.
Aria: Azure doesn't just pass to other people. The pink azure must have loosened some kind of power, but you have yet to unlock it.
Shigure: I wouldn't know how.
Aria: Its waiting for a trigger, I imagine.
Shigure: I wouldn't know what.
Shigure turns and leaves.
Aria: I imagine I dragged out a memory she didn't want to remember.
Kei: Thank you for doing it anyway. I wanted to know.
Aria: You didn't know?
Kei: I didn't ask.
Aria: You should've.
Kei: Perhaps I should've.
Aria: I'm surprised you didn't take me to the nurse here in Yamatsumi.
Aria sits back down on the comfortable chair.
Kei: Ah, her, well...
Aria: You had to make sure I was safe...
Kei: Yeah, couldn't just take you to her and leave you there by yourself. The doctor here is skilled, but she can't fight.
Aria: And you were worried Michel would come back and attack.
Kei: At the time we didn't know, but now, yeah, him.
Aria: I knew they'd come after me.
Kei: Your luck held out again.
Aria: It wasn't luck. I had an angel watching over me.
Kei: An angel?
Aria: I won't say anymore then that.
Kei: Well, you're still in no condition to leave here without supervision. You still need to have your bandages changed frequently, and Shigure will handle that.
Aria: You have modesty, that's nice.
Kei: You were expecting different?
Aria: No, that fits you.
Kei: So you've been able to sense power since you were little, huh?
Aria: Don't know how or why I got it, but I have it.
Kei: Well, you have it. It would be great if you could be able to sense the power from our opponents.
Aria: Now that I've been excommunicated from them, I'm just as much a target as you are.
Kei: Then we're now partners, like it or not.
Aria: You kept me alive, I'm now in your debt. I'll pay it off.
Kei: Whatever makes you sleep at night.
Kei walks off to the backyard and leaves Aria to her thoughts.
Aria: (You still care, Rin. I knew you did.)
Shigure sits in her room. She takes out a framed photo of herself and her father. As she sits and thinks about it, the memory comes flooding back. That moment, seeing the legendary Miwa and Makoto for the first time in her life.
Shigure: I owe my life to them. I hope to speak with Miwa again one day, so I can at least thank her for everything she did for me.
Category:A and K
Category:Novel Chapter