star☆slayer

Awhile ago, he might not have really planned something like this on his own. But it was an idea… And with his best friend’s help, it was put together.. Hell, with his best friend’s help the guests of honor would at least show up. The perfect bait to lure in a beast.

Maybe that was going too far. Yamato Hotsuin wasn’t exactly a beast, right?

… Right?

Of course not! Yamato was his friend. So he didn’t mind setting this all up. A cake… Minor decorating. Party hats for the fun of it. Just a small set up! All that was left was to invite the guest of honor.. Guests? There were two Hotsuins listed in his contacts.. But he was unsure why. He didn’t recognize the second name. Miyako? But he sent the message to her too anyway.. Subtly mentioning that Hibiki was there too, of course. Messages sent? Aaand.. With that out of the way…

“Hibiki–? Hibiki, what are you?!” 

“Dude, the cake is for later!”

All they had to do was wait.

It was probably something viewed as absolutely frivolous to the Hotsuins--and the present circumstances would only make it even more unbelievable, besides--but Hibiki had a number of reasons for wanting to throw it, and with Daichi’s help, it quickly came into fruition. Mainly it’d serve as a good way to round everybody up, but like just about everything he did, it had more depth to it than that.

At Daichi’s exclamation, he hastily put the cake’s paper plate to the side, behind the main bulk of the thing; the idea of either of their two friends actually subjecting themselves to the birthday candle-blowing ritual was unlikely, but hey, a guy could dream, right?

"I don’t know if I should feel flattered or...what,” he remarked dryly.

“You seriously think my being here is going to make that much of a difference to Yamato?” A thoroughly rhetorical question since they both knew the answer was a resounding yes.

Guilt included.

It probably showed too.. There was no hiding anything from his best friend, was there? But he was sure as hell going to try. It was for the greater good.. The good of this world. Well. Not this world. The city he was from was his priority. And anyone that stood in his way? 

“… Yᴏᴜ ᴍᴇᴀɴ ᴛʜᴀᴛ, ᴍᴀɴ?”

The alternate’s gaze dropped when whatever look he was offering was pointed out. That wasn’t to say Hibiki’s words didn’t relieve him. He was glad to hear what the other had to say. But… The other continued.. What came next was kind of what he didn’t want to hear. This Hibiki was willing to fight with him but… “Cᴏɴᴠɪɴᴄᴇ ʏᴏᴜ…? Hᴏᴡ?… Yᴏᴜ sᴀɪᴅ ᴡᴇ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴀ ᴅɪғғᴇʀᴇɴᴄᴇ ɪɴ ᴏᴘɪɴɪᴏɴ ᴀɴᴅ I… I ᴅᴏɴ’ᴛ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ғɪɢʜᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴏᴏ..” Implying he’d already been fighting, of course. At this point, he was doing what he had to… At least, he had himself convinced that was the case. And what Hibiki was saying had him convinced that working together in this might not be an option. If Hibiki disagreed then, he didn’t want the same things. So…

“I ᴅᴏɴ’ᴛ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛʜɪs… Yᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇ ᴡᴀsᴛɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴘᴏᴛᴇɴᴛɪᴀʟ.. I-I ᴄᴀɴ’ᴛ ʟᴇᴀᴅ. Nᴏᴛ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛʜɪs… Rᴇᴄᴏɴsɪᴅᴇʀ, Hɪʙɪᴋɪ. Dᴏɴ’ᴛ ᴊᴜsᴛ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴍʏ ʙᴀᴄᴋ! Fɪɢʜᴛ ʙʏ ᴍʏ sɪᴅᴇ… Hᴇʟᴘ ᴍᴇ, Hɪʙɪᴋɪ–! Oᴛʜᴇʀᴡɪsᴇ.. I.. I’ʟʟ…”

Wu Kong moved then. Raising it’s staff before seemingly readying itself for battle. 

He’d rather not.

“We clearly disagree--but that’s okay, Daichi! We don’t have to fight just because we've got different opinions! I don’t want to fight you. I’ve never wanted to fight you.”

He didn’t even take his cell out, leaving it in his pocket.

“Seriously, dude,” he said with the same lighthearted tone he usually spoke in. “What would we fight over? For what reason would you waste all that energy? I don’t really plan to stop you or anything. You’re my friend.”

He opened his arms and shrugged.

To: Bunny ear Jacket

From:Playboy Magic King

[txt] So you have to be a little crazy to last long in this city.

To: Playboy Magic King

From: A Guy Who Shouldn’t Wear a Bunny Jacket Next to a Playboy

[txt] that’s...totally true, tbh

[txt] i’ve seen them. all the weirdos were out in force back during that war, but what else is new?

To: Bunbun

From: Kaz

To: Lord Kaz the Sarcastic

From: Hibiki Kuze

that’s proooobably a good idea

though sometimes interesting messages go out and i want to keep an eye on the city? stuff like that.

He hadn’t considered this city’s Daichi Shijima either.

“O-Oғ ᴄᴏᴜʀsᴇ ɪᴛ’ʟʟ ʙᴇ ᴇᴀsʏ… Iғ ᴡᴇ ᴄᴀɴ ɢᴇᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇᴍ… Tʜᴇɴ… I ᴍᴇᴀɴ. Wᴇ’ʟʟ ғɪɴᴅ ᴘᴏᴡᴇʀ, ᴍᴀɴ…”

Already, he seemed to be doubting himself. He looked thoughtful as he pondered the possibilities. He wasn’t a leader. Not like Yamato Hotsuin… And not like this person either. Yet, he still wished to follow the ideals of Yamato Hotsuin and he wanted his best friend at his side. Leading him through it–

“A ǫᴜᴇsᴛɪᴏɴ?–”

By now, he pulled his hand back.. Waited anxiously. As if it’s own reaction to the alternate Daichi’s change in attitude, Wu Kong bared it’s teeth with a hiss. And then? There it was.. The question, he’d been hoping to avoid. The alternate held his breath, eyes widening as his mind raced to find some answer for his friend.

“… Hᴇ ᴅɪᴅɴ’ᴛ ᴀɢʀᴇᴇ. B-Bᴜᴛ… Hɪʙɪᴋɪ.”

He just knew he didn’t like to see it.

Hibiki sighed, his expression smoothing out before that worried edge could manifest itself for too long. He approached Daichi and offered his hand, smiling warmly at him.

“And you’re my best friend, Daichi.”

“Hah, oh man, what’s that look about? Differences in opinion or not, we’re always going to be friends.” He meant it, even if they were from...alternate timelines, or whatever. This Daichi still came to seek him out and understandably hoped that this time, he’d have his best friend on his side. He could comprehend what train of thought had brought him here. But.

It was a tricky situation.

So he spoke carefully, maintaining his cheerful tone. And thought ahead.

“To be honest, I don’t really want to lead, or take control, but Yamato and probably you too would say I’m wasting my potential, right? So...maybe you can convince me.

“Tʜᴇ ʙᴇsᴛ ᴡᴀʏ, ʜᴜʜ? Wᴇʟʟ–”

His eyes moved to Byakko quickly.. His own demon, Wu Kong, leered over his shoulder… It seemed more menacing than the one from the original Hive City.. But this Daichi didn’t seem to notice… He was too focused on his current ideas. The other in front of him? Hibiki? He was strong. Stronger than Daichi was… With more potential than anyone could imagine.

“Hɪʙɪᴋɪ. Cᴏᴍᴇ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴍᴇ… Lᴇᴛ’s ғɪɴɪsʜ ᴛʜɪs ᴘʟᴀᴄᴇ ᴏғғ! Aɴᴅ ᴡᴇ'ʟʟ ᴛᴀᴋᴇ ᴍʏ ᴄɪᴛʏ ᴀғᴛᴇʀ. Tᴏɢᴇᴛʜᴇʀ ᴡᴇ'ʟʟ ʙᴇ sᴛʀᴏɴɢ ᴇɴᴏᴜɢʜ, ʀɪɢʜᴛ? Wᴇ ᴄᴀɴ ᴛᴀᴋᴇ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ sᴄɪᴇɴᴛɪsᴛs ɴᴇxᴛ… Tᴇᴄʜɴɪᴄᴀʟʟʏ, ᴡᴇ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ʀᴇᴄʀᴇᴀᴛᴇ ᴛʜɪs ᴘʟᴀᴄᴇ, ʀɪɢʜᴛ?”

He held out his hand to the other then, a smile spreading across his expression.

Hibiki put his hands inside of his pockets--Byakko’s electric-blue eyes actually rolled, tail flicking dismissively--regarding Daichi with a look of carefully constructed amusement.

Though “faint amusement” pretty much was his default expression, so there was nothing suspicious there.

“You think so? It’s that easy, right?”

Hibiki made as if to grab that hand, only to spin on his heel and snap his fingers, back turned to the other, ambling forward a step instead.

“Kinda hard to create a world without power, and maybe our world has bit the dust, for all we know. I’ve got a quick question before we start this meritocracy rampage--Yamato’s shedding a tear at the thought, somewhere.”

Hibiki looked over his shoulder at him, still so very casual.

“Thank you! Thank you, mister!” she chimed, sweet as could be, and it was almost genuine; she was certainly excited to ride on the pretty birdie, and she was excited that he’d actually offered to take her somewhere else (less crowded, hopefully)–if she were one to thank people, then her thanks would have been genuine.

She giggled as she was lifted up and set onto the creature’s back, kicking her legs back in forth in anticipation–it wasn’t long before the bird took off, and she spent a while just laughing in delight before she got around to responding to the male.

Suzaku made a dignified sound but generally ignored the child, not out of rudeness, but out of being preoccupied.

“Good to meet you, Emi! Just hold on tight and enjoy the flight, I’m gonna see if there’s anywhere safe to land.”

Hibiki scanned the area, taking in the signs of a fire in several Sectors, with Six looking as if it’d been halfway combusted. He ruled the Districts out thanks to an overload of angry Pariah pouring out of Alpha, settling instead on the green part of Six that was near Auburn’s “no technology” thorn barrier.

Suzaku alighted gently and the silence was overwhelming, after the screams of the city.

“All right, down you go, Emi. I think we’ll be safe here for a bit.” Hibiki adjusted his hood, pulling the ears straight.

“Tʜᴇʀᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇ! I'ᴠᴇ ʙᴇᴇɴ ʟᴏᴏᴋɪɴɢ ғᴏʀ ʏᴏᴜ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴡʜᴇʀᴇ, Hɪʙɪᴋɪ!”

Both relief and determination were heard in the alternate’s voice. A mirror image of the Daichi Shijima from the original Hive City… The differences being the lack of the familiar scarf around his neck replaced with the yellow of the JPs uniform. Something strange to see Daichi actually wearing at least… 

It was also the first sign that this wasn’t the Daichi that Hibiki was currently familiar with.

Joined by two demons, this Daichi made his way over to his friend. 

“Lᴇᴛ’s ɢᴏ, ᴀʟʀɪɢʜᴛ? Wᴇ'ʟʟ ʜᴀɴᴅʟᴇ ᴛʜɪs ᴛᴏɢᴇᴛʜᴇʀ! Wᴇ sʜᴏᴜʟᴅɴ'ᴛ ᴡᴀsᴛᴇ ᴀɴʏ ᴛɪᴍᴇ– Tʜᴇ ᴄʜɪᴇғ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅɴ'ᴛ ʙᴇ ᴛᴏᴏ ʜᴀᴘᴘʏ ɪғ ʜᴇ ᴋɴᴇᴡ ᴡᴇ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ᴊᴜsᴛ sᴛᴀɴᴅɪɴɢ ᴀʀᴏᴜɴᴅ ʜᴇʀᴇ.”

There was absolutely no hostility coming from the image of his friend, so he rolled with it, for lack of a better option. “Two things. First: when’s Yamato ever happy, and secondly...what do you have in mind? I’d like to handle this as much as the next guy....”

Her wailing quieted to sniffles as she shook her head; no, she wasn’t hurt (as much as she’d like to be).

“I-I’m okay, mister… S-Sorry, I was re-really scared…” she mumbled, tugging lightly at the bandages covering her left arm. “Um– uh, I think I’d like to go somewhere else, yeah… If it’s okay…” Just as she expected. She was so delighted that she was having a hard time keeping her crying act up–but she managed. Tentatively, she pointed at the bird-thing, 

He gestured for the phoenix to come closer, and the demon did so, its great eyes fixed on the girl. It seemed concerned about her bandaged arm. “...You may wish to hold on to her firmly, Summoner,” was all it said, so he took it as permission.

“Yeah, you’ve got it! Okay, come here.” Hibiki grinned and picked the girl up, setting her on Suzaku’s red-feathered back. “Let’s find somewhere with a bit less mindless carnage.”

The teen scrambled up onto Suzaku soon after, keeping the girl in front of him so he could keep an eye on her. “First thing’s first--what’s your name? I’m Hibiki Kuze.”

Poised with one hand on the small of her hip, was the figure of the intoner Zero. Striking similarity between the authentic and illusion was uncanny, save for the lack of a prosthetic, and the cross shaped mask that bore a closed eye. There were no deliberate plans, this manifestation acted solely on the intent of destruction – without reason – it was the epitome of death.

Hibiki regarded the figure with the bloody blade from halfway down the block, his blue eyes steady, the only sign of concern being the way his brows were furrowed ever so slightly. He held a cell phone in one hand, and was seemingly unarmed. He began to walk toward her.

This other city was boring, Emi had decided.

Too many nice people. Too much panicking. No one wanted to play with her… everyone worried about her instead. “You need to get somewhere safe,” they told her, or they would ask where her parents were, or if she had someone with her… safety wasn’t exactly a concern of hers. She’d rather be out where all the fighting was than hiding in some ‘safe’ place.

So for now, the little girl was just standing in the street, watching people run about. Oh, she would very much like to fight as well–but she didn’t like that term, “fighting”. It wasn’t any fun to fight–she much preferred playing instead. But no one would play. She wondered if the Emi that lived here was just as boring as everyone else. She hoped she wasn’t. (This was kind of like a game of hide-and-seek, she thought. That made the idea of staying here a little more bearable.)

… But she didn’t feel like searching for her double right now. Maybe later. Still left her bored–until suddenly an idea popped into her mind. A crying child would certainly attract someone’s attention–and then she could get them to play with her once they took her somewhere safe. So she took a deep breath, then frowned, forcing herself to look as upset as she could.

That...could have been bad.

Leaping off of the monstrously large red phoenix that had conjured such a blaze, he tried his best to calm the girl. Unbeknowst to him, she’d already put that crying act on before he had even arrived.

“Oh! S-Sorry about that! You’re not hurt, are you? I was aiming for those Otherworld Drones...”

Hibiki cast a brief, wary look around them before turning back to her. “I don’t know if you want to sit here in the street, or if you’re waiting for someone, but would you like to come with me? Find somewhere with a better view?”