Notes:
- For background story, see Retribution Chapters 9 and 10
Ever since Kyuuzou came to live with Sensei, the child barely smiled. His third senpai Ayame felt vaguely guilty about her new kouhai. She had realized by now the child had not had a smooth life, and her earlier childish cruelties only added to his pain. One day, when the two young students of Aikawa Sensei were finished with training and done with their chores, Ayame said to Kyuuzou, "Come with me. I want to show you something."
The 11-year-old obediently followed Third Sister, who led the way to the stable and un-tethered the fast turtle. Ayame turned to the shorter child and said, "Hop on board!"
"Ne-san, may I ask what it is you intend to show me?" Kyuuzou was puzzled. "Is it far
away?"
"It is not too far away. We'll be back before the sun goes down," The dark-haired girl mounted the fast turtle. "Come on!"
Reaching down to the younger child, the 14-year-old hauled him onto the fast turtle. Kyuuzou fidgeted slightly, settling himself on the beast's back behind his senpai.
"Oh, before I forget," Ayame reached over her shoulder and passed Kyuuzou a long strip of cloth. . "Tie this around your eyes."
Kyuuzou looked at the blindfold apprehensively. Although Third Sister had not acted viciously towards him again since that traumatic incident, Kyuuzou did not trust Ayame unreservedly. Was his senpai planning to take him somewhere strange and abandon him? He did not think she would sink quite so low, but still...
Third Sister, may I ask why...?" The crimson eyed boy asked cautiously.
"Because what I want to show you is a surprise." The topaz-eyed girl replied, "You'll see why. Just do as I say."
Hesitating slightly, the blond child complied. Ayame glanced back to make sure the blindfold had been securely fastened, then she said, "Hold on, we're off!"
The thin boy put his arms around the bigger child's waist as Ayame dug her heels into the fast turtle. The beast trotted out of the stable. They rode on and on for goodness knows how long.
Kyuuzou could tell the turtle was going down the mountain path by the jerky motion of their descent. Then Ayame set the animal at a gallop. They must be on flatter terrain now. Sitting behind Third Sister, the child was not very comfortable. The beads his senior wore in her hair were hitting him whenever the turtle lurched forward. Kyuuzou laid his forehead against Ayame's back to avoid being whipped in the face by her flying dreadlocks.
On and on they went. The skinny child could smell the scent of the pine trees. They must be moving through a forest. Kyuuzou's bottom was starting to hurt from being bumped against the saddle. Just as the 11-year-old was wondering how much further they had to go, the running turtle came to a stop in a place where the birds were singing. Ayame dismounted and carefully helped Kyuuzou down. Taking his hand, she led him forward.
The blindfolded Kyuuzou, cautious about his surroundings, stepped forward slowly, but his senior chose a good path. She did not even let him stub his toe against a stone.
"There are flowers in front of us." Kyuuzou spoke suddenly. The golden-eyed girl, turning around to make sure Kyuuzou had not yet removed his blindfold, was relieved to see that the cloth was still in place.
"I can smell them," the pale boy stated. There was the vaguest hint of a smile playing about his lips. Indeed, the air was full of the fragrance of a thousand blossoms. Ayame was pleased.
"Where are we?" Kyuuzou wondered to himself. "A valley meadow?"
Now Third Sister put a hand on his shoulder and firmly steered him forward.
Ayame guided the smaller child towards the middle of the meadow where the blooms were the thickest and richest in color. Kyuuzou, allowing his small hands to trail over the tops of the wildflowers, felt the delicious smoothness of the petals.
The dark girl finally came to a halt. "All right, you can open your eyes now!"
Kyuuzou pulled off his blindfold, opening his crimson eyes and staring around him. There were flowers blooming thickly all around him, spreading across the meadow for almost as far as the eye can see. Flowers in many shapes and sizes. It was a magnificent, breathtaking sight!
"Look at the colors!" Third Sister exclaimed with a triumphant flourish of her hand. "The reds, the pinks, the whites, the yellows, the oranges, the blues and the purples! Oh, what a blaze of glory! Is there such a sight under heaven?"
The sturdy girl grinned broadly at him. Kyuuzou did not answer her. He was once able to see all hues, but now everything look red to him - tints, shades and tones of red. The boy could only guess at the colors of the flowers. He could guess very well indeed based on memory and experience, but all Kyuuzou truly saw was red. Red - the color of blood so readily spilled when the soldiers came to his family's farmhouse. His vision had been colored by crimson lenses ever since the day his old world died. The day his childhood was murdered by that dark samurai.
The pale child shut the memory away as he silently gazed around this strange place that the sword had not touched.
With a questioning gaze, Ayame looked at the silent Kyuuzou. This was not quite the response she wanted. The 14-year-old was not expecting the somewhat reserved child to gush effusively, but she thought that he would be moved at least a little by such beauty. But Kyuuzou had not yet even cracked a smile.
The perceptive Kyuuzou did not want to disappoint Third Sister, so he turned to
her and said, "This is very beautiful! I like it! Thank you very much!"
He gave her a slow, small smile.
"You're welcome!" The girl nodded happily. But she had a vague feeling that something was not quite right as she watched the younger child bend down to pick flowers. There was something marring the joy of what could have been a perfect moment. Ayame could not guess what it was.