13author's note: Nine years ago, under a name I can't even remember anymore, I began writing a Spiral fanfiction called Art of Life. It was long and clumsy and full of cursing and sex, and while poorly written and preposterous, it was also somehow... special. And somehow that initial idea and story has stayed with me and evolved, and grown, and now it has seized my mind and hands in its grasp and forced me to write it again, damn it, but better this time. So that's what I hope to do.
This is an alternate universe fanfiction. It assumes that the manga never happened, only the anime, and thus all of what happens or is explained in the manga is rendered null and void. It's also important to know that certain important details will be changed for the sake of the plot. The best thing you can do, as you read this, is forget most of what you know, and just let me tell the story. Also, this will all be from Kousuke's POV, because writing as Kousuke is fun. :)
I don't know how far I'll get with this, but I hope you enjoy it, no matter what.
"all existence you see before you
must be wiped out:
dreams, reality, memories,
and yourself."
- X Japan, "ART OF LIFE"
art of life
chapter one
"Once upon a time, a long time ago, there was a god and a devil."
We've all heard this story before. We know it by heart.
Well - most of us do, anyway. By now, I could tell it to you forwards and backwards, and probably in my sleep.
"The devil was not an evil man. He was charismatic and brilliant, and sought change for the world. He meant to do well by his people. But he was consumed by a desire for power, and by the need to bring about a new world with his own two hands."
"What is this, a fairy tale?"
"Ayumu." There's a pretty young woman seated to my right with honey-colored hair and warm brown eyes, and although she's giggling at the remark that has just been made, she's playing peacekeeper like she always does, trying to keep a fight from breaking out. "Please."
"Seriously." The second speaker is a young man - younger than the rest of us, actually - seated on the floor by the blonde's feet, one hand in his messy brown hair and the other gesturing to the occupants of the room as if completely bewildered. His name is Narumi Ayumu and the blonde is Yuizaki Hiyono, and they are both too damn smart for their own good. "You're telling me I waited three years to hear this?"
"Narumi-otouto." The voice that comes from my left - from the person who had begun telling the story in question - is low and slightly cold, and it belongs to a man with pale hair, ice blue eyes, and a closet that contains nothing but black clothing. His name is Eyes Rutherford, and he is a famous pianist. He's also a downright pain in the ass, but that's another story. "It would do you good to listen closely to this story. As unbelievable as it may sound, it does concern you, as well as all of us."
"Because of my brother?" Ayumu asks, his eyebrows creasing slightly. Eyes nods in response, and then there's a pause as the younger man exchanges glances with Hiyono - who, it might be important to mention, is Ayumu's girlfriend. Or fiancee. I forget, whatever. "Fine," he says, slowly. "I'm sorry to have interrupted."
"I will continue." Eyes looks out of place sitting on a high-backed kitchen chair in the middle of my living room, although if anyone could make such a situation look regal, it would be him; as he folds his hands across one bent knee, I'm struck by how much he resembles some kind of dark prince. All he needs is a crown. "The devil was not an evil man. But he desired change in this world. He used his charisma and intelligence to attract like-minded people who could help him fulfill his desires, and reach his ideals. While his intentions were noble, they were also ill-suited for our society."
"Ill-suited?" Hiyono tilts her head to one side, a braided pigtail falling across her shoulder. "How is that, Rutherford-san?"
"You could say that the world wasn't ready for the kind of thing he created." The high-pitched voice across the room comes from Takeuchi Rio, a tiny little thing with long gray hair, wide eyes, and a countenance that is deceptively sweet. I've known her all my life, almost, and I still don't trust her. Rio sits beside Eyes in another kitchen chair, her legs tucked beneath her, and the smile she gives Hiyono is genuinely kind. They like each other a lot, I think. "This man - the devil, as we call him - decided that he wanted to improve the world. But the way he chose to improve it wasn't... um, right."
"Are you talking about the Blade Children?"
"Yes." Eyes nods at Ayumu, who has already pieced things together, being a genius and all. "The devil's name was Mizushiro Yaiba. He was the creator of the Blade Children."
"I see."
"Yaiba sought to purify society by introducing children with high levels of intelligence and ability. He brought together men and women who were the greatest in their respective fields - physicists, athletes, technicians, researchers, and so on. These men and women identified with his intentions, with his ideals, and willingly produced him heirs. They agreed to surrender their children to his care, with the understanding that they would be taught by Yaiba, and raised without knowing of their parents. In all, eighty children were born in the first "Blade Children" experiment." Eyes pauses, looking from Ayumu to Hiyono, then to the rest of us. "As you already know, a vast majority of the Blade Children are now... deceased. Very few remain."
"Why's that?"
"We were told they were killed, but..." On the floor to Rio's other side is a brunette with ruby eyes and hair cut short, her slender arms wrapped around a pillow in her lap. Takamachi Ryouko is someone else I've known almost my entire life, but you could say I "know" her a lot better than everyone else in this room. If you know what I mean. "But it's sounding like that isn't the truth at all," she continues, her gaze shifting to mine just briefly, as if to confirm what she's saying. "Apparently most of them died at birth, or at a very young age, all under suspicious circumstances."
"That's horrible..." Hiyono covers her mouth with one hand. I nod at her, as if to say "tell me about it," but horrible doesn't even begin to describe it.
"Circumstances aside..." Eyes rubs the bridge of his nose with one hand for a moment, and I can tell he's tired already. He doesn't do well with social interaction, never has. "... it appears that the original plan was to raise the Blade Children together in a compound, to prepare them to infiltrate society. Whether Yaiba's intentions were for us to naturally raise the intelligence of society by continuing to produce higher than average children, or for something more... savage..." I see him shudder slightly. "... we do not know."
"You don't know...?"
"Consider this, Narumi-otouto." Eyes fixes Ayumu with a cold gaze. "You are familiar with Newton's third law, are you not?"
"Of course." Ayumu nods, crossing his arms. "How is that applicable to this situation?"
"Hey." I speak up, finally, rolling my eyes. "Care to explain for us plebians over here?"
Ryouko throws her pillow at me, and I catch it. "Idiot. Pay attention in class for once. Newton's third law of physics says that every action has an equal and opposite reaction."
There's a moment of silence as I turn the pillow around in my hands. I'm pretty sure I know why Eyes brought it up - and I do remember all of Newton's laws of physics, now that my memory's been jogged - but I'll never miss an opportunity to be a smartass. "So for everything you throw at me - "
"Kousuke," Ryouko cuts me off, groaning, "stop it."
"For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Where there is light, there is also dark." Eyes is probably ignoring me, which is for the best. "Where there is life, death. And where there is a devil... there is also a god."
"That was very poetic, Eyes-kun!" Rio claps her hands together, giggling. "Very good!"
"So there's a god in this story too, eh..." Ayumu shakes his head. "Who was he?"
"His name was - is - Narumi Kiyotaka."
"Aniki?!"
"Kiyotaka-san is - " Hiyono's eyes are wider than I've ever seen them, and considering how dramatic her facial expressions usually are, that's saying a lot. "How so - ?!"
"If Mizushiro Yaiba was the dark, Narumi Kiyotaka was the light." Eyes' voice is hardening now, and I brace myself, anticipating what is about to come next. I know this story well, but that doesn't mean I like it. Across from me, I see Ryouko's gaze fall to the floor, and even Rio seems reluctant to listen now. "Many years ago, before his disappearance, Narumi Kiyotaka emerged as a man of power. He located Yaiba, and ended his life."
"... what?"
"No..."
"I am afraid it is true." There's a flicker of what might be sympathy on Eyes' usually cold face as he looks first at Hiyono, then Ayumu. "Kiyotaka's intention was to put a stop to the Blade Children project before it could begin anew. His way of ensuring this was to end Yaiba's life. However, he did not do so because he knew the truth about the Blade Children. He did so only because he disagreed with Yaiba's ideals." He pauses, swallowing. "After Yaiba's death, Kiyotaka was unable to learn the truth about the remaining children. When he left, he did so proclaiming that he would learn the truth - and that we would be saved from it. He also told us that you, Narumi Ayumu - " He points at the brown-haired man. " - would be able to save us, even if he could not."
"Aniki..." Ayumu starts, and then his brow furrows in thought. He stares at the floor for a few seconds, and then he lifts his head, looking at Eyes. "Alright. I can accept my brother's actions. It doesn't appear that you hold a grudge against him - or me - for ending Yaiba's life. Given what you've said so far, I can see why a man of his ideals would be killed." He frowns a little harder. "But you say that my brother was unable to learn the truth about the Blade Children. What exactly is the truth about the Blade Children, then? What exactly are you, if not simply children of unusually intelligent parents?"
"That's the thing, Ayumu-kun..." Rio sighs. "What Eyes-kun has been telling you is almost everything we know."
"... you can't be serious."
"Honestly, Narumi, we know precious little about what we are." I speak up again, understanding Ayumu's dismay, wanting to put it to rest as gently as I can. "No one has told us exactly why so many of the other Blade Children were killed, or why we are to be feared. No one has explained anything beyond what Rutherford has already told you. We were told as children that we were cursed, and destined to die, and that's it. The Hunters you saw chasing us around - well - " I gesture to Eyes. "Maybe you'd better explain that."
"After Yaiba's death, three groups were formed. The Hunters are those who seek to end our lives at any cost, believing the Blade Children once had - or perhaps still have - the possibility of ending or drastically impacting society in Japan. The Watchers are those who prefer to monitor the situation, and act accordingly. And the Savers are those - like Narumi Kiyotaka - who believe that the Blade Children can be "saved," or kept from causing harm, with the proper intervention." Eyes clasps his hands together tight. "However, a very large majority of the people in these three groups do not know the truth, either. In fact, many of them are following orders given by Yaiba, or Kiyotaka, based entirely on ideals."
"Then..." Hiyono looks around the room. "Why is it that the Hunters would try to kill you...?"
"Our best guess," I answer her, "is that we have some kind of power, or ability, that we aren't aware of. It would be overkill to murder children simply for potentially having high IQs, right?" When she nods, slowly - rather nervously - I continue. "We've heard rumors that something is supposed to happen to us around age twenty that will make everything clear. Narumi's older brother left to try to seek out that truth, and to find out what could be done to "save" us. But..." I see Ayumu watching me now, carefully. "... it's been a long time since we've heard from him. There haven't been a lot of Hunters around us, recently, and nearly all the Savers we knew have vanished. There are just a few Watchers left, but they try not to contact us unless it's absolutely necessary - since they're supposed to be some neutral third party, or something." I see Eyes rising from his chair and know exactly what he's doing. "I know it's frustrating, waiting so long to hear us tell you about all this, and then finding out that not even we really know the meaning behind the Blade Children - "
"Frustrating is an understatement, Asazuki." Ayumu's voice is dry. "I've also just learned that my brother is a murderer, in case you've forgotten."
"Hey, don't be an asshole."
"Kousuke!"
"What? He's being a jerk. It's not my fault Kiyotaka murdered some stupid guy." I push my glasses up on my nose, ignoring the glare Ryouko is currently sending my way. "Besides, you shouldn't forget who you're talking to. We're the ones who had to get chased around fighting for our damn lives all the time. Maybe you should have a little more sympathy for our situation."
I expect a fight, but Ayumu seems surprised, somehow - and when Hiyono reaches down to gently place a hand on his shoulder, he sighs heavily, shaking his head from side to side. "Sorry," he apologizes, softly, "... Asazuki. I wasn't implying that your situation wasn't difficult."
"Ayumu is surprised, that's all." Hiyono smiles slightly. "And I am, too."
"It's completely understandable." Rio smiles as well, but her expression is almost radiant, and I can tell she's trying to cheer everyone up. "Honestly, Ayumu-kun, we had hoped that it wouldn't be necessary to involve you in any of this, or tell you any more than you already knew. After all, we were all happier living as we were, right?" She looks to Ryouko, then to me. "Kousuke-kun and Ryouko-chan have been doing so well in university, and I've been having fun helping to research explosives for the government. And Eyes-kun - " She lifts her head to watch Eyes come back in from the kitchen, a long white envelope in one hand. " - Eyes-kun has been playing the piano for the whole world to hear. Somehow, we've been able to be happy, the four of us. But..."
"But," Eyes continues, sitting again in his chair and opening the envelope, "we received a message a few days ago. This is what made it necessary to contact you."
"A message?" Ayumu lifts both eyebrows. "Not... from my brother, is it?"
"No."
"... ah."
"Who is it from, then?" Hiyono blinks at Eyes, her hand slipping away from Ayumu's shoulder; I notice a silver band on it and remember right, fiancee, that's what she is after all. "A Hunter?"
"A Watcher." Eyes pulls out a sheet of paper and unfolds it, smoothing out the creases on his lap. "Her name is Tsuchiya Kirie."
"And Eyes-kun looooooves Kirie-chan," Rio comments, giggling, and Ryouko and I both smother laughter into the backs of our hands. Eyes turns up his nose at that remark, suddenly looking rather indignant, and Rio takes it upon herself to explain to Ayumu and Hiyono. "Kirie-chan is a Watcher who has interacted with us a lot. Usually the Watchers don't do anything for the Blade Children, but she used to know Kiyotaka-san very well, and has decided to work independently of the rest of the remaining factions."
"She is also," Eyes says, nose still turned up, and Ryouko nearly cackles, "a woman with miserable habits, and a personality to match."
"She smokes," I tell Ayumu, and he grins, because we all know by now how Eyes Rutherford feels about that subject.
"As I was saying." Eyes crosses one leg over the other, obviously annoyed with our banter. "Kirie sent me a message several days ago. I had been traveling, at the time, but she made certain that I received it. Although I am still waiting to hear from her again, she does not... mince words, so to speak. So I am certain that her letter was meant to be the catalyst for this conversation to come about."
"What does it say?"
"It says," he continues, lifting the sheet to read - and squinting, because the idiot needs glasses and won't admit it - "that she has news to share with us. She requests our presence for a meeting. This is not unusual, on its own, yet her final sentence..." He pauses, and I see him swallow, and at the sound of his next line Ayumu nearly starts from the floor. "Narumi Kiyotaka has turned from you."
"What does - what does that mean?"
"It means he's a Hunter," Hiyono declares, and I have to give the girl credit - she's as sharp as a knife when she wants to be, even smarter than Ayumu sometimes. "... doesn't it?"
"Aniki," Ayumu breathes, and cradles his head in his hands and stares at the floor. Eyes watches him for a moment before folding the paper again and tucking it back inside the envelope. Hiyono leans over her boyf - fiance and places both hands on his shoulders, murmuring words of comfort and support, and I have to admit I'm a little jealous. My eyes meet Ryouko's and she shrugs, not carelessly but rather sadly, and when I finally look at Rio I see that she's shifted in her chair, drawing her knees to her chin like a child would sit, and I imagine it's only a matter of time before the crying begins again.
I have no idea what is about to happen to us, but something tells me I should be concerned. Or scared. Or both.
