Into Another World (The Lost Souls Trilogy)

-Chrysanthemum-

Alyona didn't question the dried blood on her hand, that washed away with the rain, and Aoi didn't question why Romeo stood there silently, walking them back to the school with an umbrella.

France was already there, waiting for them. "Can you not mention this happened to anyone? If people found out about well... any of it, they'd freak out," she whispered to him. Without waiting for his response the two of them got into the car. Romeo watched the two of them drive away.

The warm smell of hot chocolate and soup greeted them when then opened up the door. Alyona waved goodbye to France as he pulled out of the driveway. "How was school?" Canada asked them as they stepped inside, handing each of them a mug. "I hope you two got caught up, it's good for you two to have some... normalcy, right now."

"It was, um... good. I got all my missing assignments in," Alyona said, sitting down on the couch and sipping the warm drink. There were hints of maple syrup in it.

Aoi went upstairs to their room, taking the cup with her. She set it down on the nightstand to cool while she changed into something that wasn't soaked, or covered in her blood. "Why?" She thought. It was the only thing that ran through her mind on the way home. Why did Aku-no keep doing this, and what was she supposed to do about it herself?

"That's the thing, you can't," Aku-no spoke up, he had been strangely quiet up until this moment. "This is the plan, I take over the world, you just sit back and watch, ningyo." She cringed at his voice, and sat down on her bed, grabbing the mug again. "Awe, don't tell me you're trying to ignore me."

"Go away, Aku-no, I don't want to deal with you right now."

"Too bad."

Aoi flops onto her bed, sighing. "Please, just leave me alone. I am tired."

"Good, that makes my job easier. Who do you think I should get first, probably someone already close to you, like Canada, I'm sure no one will notice he's gone."

Aoi continued to ignore him as he rambled on about his plan for world domination, deciding what he should start with first. "Hey, Aku-no," she spoke up, curious about something.

"What now? Are you going to tell me to shut up-"

"Who is Nanako?"

Aku-no immediately fell silent for a moment, clearly surprised by the question. "I don't know who you're talking about, never heard of them. Then again I have been around for a while, it's easy to forget."

"I hear this girl's name over and over in my dreams... ie, memories, your memories. Clearly she is important to you, so, who is she?"

"She is not, watashi o nayamasu no o yame nasai." Aku-no's voice cracked at the end.

"Aku-no, I've known you long enough to tell when you lie. I won't ask this again, but really, who is-"

"No one! Okay!" His voice changed, saddened as he spoke, "she's dead." It felt strange to Aoi, hearing something other than greed and anger. Aoi opened her mouth, but she wasn't sure what to say. Aku-no spoke for her, "it doesn't matter anymore. That was a long time ago."

Alyona walked into the room. "How are you feeling?" She asked. Aoi just shrugged in response. Neither of them wanted to push the other into talking after everything that had happened. It was something they needed though. "Canada thinks you might get sick so he called the school in advance, so much for catching up on homework," she joked, it was awkward, but Aoi couldn't help laughing at it.