Ceeda & Medea
Part Two to Warrior Returns
Cirrus
Cirrus looked up from her books when she heard someone open the door. She had been trying to study from the moment she had returned from dinner. Kayne had been gone all day, even after she had explicitly told him to stay inside. The doctors in the hospital wing had told Kayne to take it easy and now he was off doing god knows what with god knows who. She had thought that maybe he had sought out Jess, but the dojo had remained locked all day due to the teacher's staff meetings. So she figured he would turn up for dinner. But he hadn't. Maybe he would be in the room. But he wasn't. Now, hours later, his rusty head was poking around the door. She set her pencil down and looked up at him, crossing her arm and leaning on them on the coffee table.
"Where have you been?" she asked, her grey eyes stormy.
"Where have you been?" she asked, her grey eyes stormy.
Kayne
Kayne looked up at Cirrus' sharp greeting and fowned a bit. He really hadn't expected anything less. He just wasn't in the mood right now. Sighing heavily he closed the door behind him and returned her stormy gaze.
"Leave off it, will you?" he said slipping off his coat, wincing a bit.
"Leave off it, will you?" he said slipping off his coat, wincing a bit.
Cirrus
Cirrus rose to her feet, a moment of concern crossing her face when she saw him wince, but it quickly faded back to her annoyance. She placed her hands on her hips and levelled her eyes at his.
"You're supposed to be taking it easy. I've been looking for you all day and you didn't leave me a note or anything. What would have happened if you had gotten hurt again?" she demanded, avoiding the question she really wanted to ask him.
"You're supposed to be taking it easy. I've been looking for you all day and you didn't leave me a note or anything. What would have happened if you had gotten hurt again?" she demanded, avoiding the question she really wanted to ask him.
Kayne
"I'm alright though. I just needed to breathe a bit. Your smothering was driving me crazy," he said a bit darker than he had meant to. He looked away. He needed to calm down or this fight would take him places he'd rather not go. He needed to protect Jess from anything his sister might cook up against her.
Cirrus
Cirrus eyed her brother closely. She could not have been born of the same woman at the same time and not know this boy inside out. There was something written on his face and in his stance. He was tired. But that was obvious. He was irritated. But that wasn't too unusual, especially after his accusation of smothering him. He was... sad? What could he possibly be sad about?
"Where have you been?" she asked a bit gentler, hoping to coax the answer out of him.
"Where have you been?" she asked a bit gentler, hoping to coax the answer out of him.
Kayne
Kayne noticed the change in Cirrus's tone immediately and looked at her in a sideways glance.
"What are you getting at Cirrie? You want me to tell you that I was with Sensei? Because I was. I had been wandering around the campus, enjoying my time to myself. Dinner time rolled around and on my way to the cafeteria I ran into her, and I had a nice little chat with her. You care to explain to me where the hell you get off butting into my life?" he demanded softly, looking her straight in her eyes.
"What are you getting at Cirrie? You want me to tell you that I was with Sensei? Because I was. I had been wandering around the campus, enjoying my time to myself. Dinner time rolled around and on my way to the cafeteria I ran into her, and I had a nice little chat with her. You care to explain to me where the hell you get off butting into my life?" he demanded softly, looking her straight in her eyes.
Cirrus
Cirrus's eyes narrowed at his admission and accusation. So that explained the sadness. She just hoped Jess had lived up to what she said she was going to do.
"Kayne... you know I'm right about this. Jess has no right to treat you differently from any other student she is in charge of. Especially with the way you feel about her. And yes... I do know how you feel about her. I'm not your twin for nothing," she said, crossing her arms. "And how dare you accuse me of butting in and smothering you. You won't ever let me breathe. I hate to break this to you Kayne... you're a victim of your own devices."
"Kayne... you know I'm right about this. Jess has no right to treat you differently from any other student she is in charge of. Especially with the way you feel about her. And yes... I do know how you feel about her. I'm not your twin for nothing," she said, crossing her arms. "And how dare you accuse me of butting in and smothering you. You won't ever let me breathe. I hate to break this to you Kayne... you're a victim of your own devices."
Kayne
Kayne closed the space between him and his sister as his temper began to rise. This was all too much. Having had his emotions thrown around through the entire spectrum and range, he had had enough.
"What the hell do you want from me Cirrus? Would you have rather I sit back and allow our parents to beat you into unconsciousness like they did to me so many times? Would you rather I allow those disgusting miscreants at the institution torture you until there was nothing left of you? Would you rather I allow some ******** rich boy take advantage of you because you're suddenly rich and he thinks that you're some common gutter whore for his own amusement?" he yelled at her.
"All those times and you never once objected to the way I took care of you. You allowed me to take the brunt of it all and I was glad to do it. Because I love you and I can't stand to see anyone hurt you. Excuse me if after seventeen god damn years I've developed the nasty habit of devoting myself to protecting you. But now.... after all these years you suddenly decide you want to step up as the protector. I'm sorry hon. You're a bit late," he continued to yell, his face flushing with his anger.
"What the hell do you want from me Cirrus? Would you have rather I sit back and allow our parents to beat you into unconsciousness like they did to me so many times? Would you rather I allow those disgusting miscreants at the institution torture you until there was nothing left of you? Would you rather I allow some ******** rich boy take advantage of you because you're suddenly rich and he thinks that you're some common gutter whore for his own amusement?" he yelled at her.
"All those times and you never once objected to the way I took care of you. You allowed me to take the brunt of it all and I was glad to do it. Because I love you and I can't stand to see anyone hurt you. Excuse me if after seventeen god damn years I've developed the nasty habit of devoting myself to protecting you. But now.... after all these years you suddenly decide you want to step up as the protector. I'm sorry hon. You're a bit late," he continued to yell, his face flushing with his anger.
Cirrus
Cirrus blinked back the tears that his accusations had caused to well up. They were all true. Everything he said was true. She had always sat back or turned to him for protection, too scared to stand up for herself.
"I-I'm sorry Kayne. I just thought that just this once I could be the one to help you, because you know this isn't right. She has no right to encourage you, which is what she's doing whether you think so or not. You're only going to get more attatched to her... and what if one day she decides to act on the way you put her on a pedestal? She's a teacher. You're a student. I don't want to see you get hurt by her. All it would take is one time, one mess up and we're going to be sent back to California, and I can't go back Kayne. Not after being here. For the first time I feel so unbelievably happy and safe, and it's not because of relying solely on you. I'm finally free to take car of myself here. You're finally able to have a normal life, which won't happen if you continue to spend so much time with her," she said tearfully.
"I-I'm sorry Kayne. I just thought that just this once I could be the one to help you, because you know this isn't right. She has no right to encourage you, which is what she's doing whether you think so or not. You're only going to get more attatched to her... and what if one day she decides to act on the way you put her on a pedestal? She's a teacher. You're a student. I don't want to see you get hurt by her. All it would take is one time, one mess up and we're going to be sent back to California, and I can't go back Kayne. Not after being here. For the first time I feel so unbelievably happy and safe, and it's not because of relying solely on you. I'm finally free to take car of myself here. You're finally able to have a normal life, which won't happen if you continue to spend so much time with her," she said tearfully.
Kayne
By this time Kayne was too emotionally drained to deal with the subject anymore. The damage had already been done and Cirrus had gotten her wish.
"Next time you get the urge to 'protect' me, don't. You ruined everything Cirrus. You may be unbelievably happy here, but you just took away the one thing that mattered to me... and it wasn't Jess," he said angrily, lying through his teeth. "Despite how you think I felt for Sensei it was nothing compared to the way I felt while training. That was the best thing that has ever happened to me. Haven't you noticed that I'm a different person now?" he demanded.
"Next time you get the urge to 'protect' me, don't. You ruined everything Cirrus. You may be unbelievably happy here, but you just took away the one thing that mattered to me... and it wasn't Jess," he said angrily, lying through his teeth. "Despite how you think I felt for Sensei it was nothing compared to the way I felt while training. That was the best thing that has ever happened to me. Haven't you noticed that I'm a different person now?" he demanded.
Cirrus
Cirrus wiped her tears away. She hadn't realized what else he would be losing if Jess pulled away from him, and again she knew his words to be truth. She had never seen him so happy and his temper so even-keeled.
"I'm sorry Kayne. What was I supposed to do? If things turned wrong or got misinterpreted... I... I just can't go back! So she won't train you anymore? There's so much more you can do here Kayne. The world doesn't revolve around the dojo. Can't you do this one more thing for me... for us?" she pleaded. She didn't want him to be angry with her, but she knew she was right about this. Looking up at the silver eyes that mirrored her own, she searched for anything other than anger in them.
"I'm sorry Kayne. What was I supposed to do? If things turned wrong or got misinterpreted... I... I just can't go back! So she won't train you anymore? There's so much more you can do here Kayne. The world doesn't revolve around the dojo. Can't you do this one more thing for me... for us?" she pleaded. She didn't want him to be angry with her, but she knew she was right about this. Looking up at the silver eyes that mirrored her own, she searched for anything other than anger in them.
Kayne
"Forget it Cirrus! It's done. It's over with. I'm staying away from the dojo from here on out. I'm staying away from Jess as well. You won. Soccer and track it is for me. But don't you dare ever go behind my back like that again. It's despicable and betrayal of the highest degree, especially after everything we've been through together. I think I deserve better than that, especially from my twin sister!" Kayne shouted and stormed off to his room slamming the door behind him.
He leaned back against the door and took a deep, shuddering breath, clutching his side. "Oh Jess," he whispered as he exhaled. Stumbling through his dark room he collapsed down on his bed. Today had to be the worst day of his life. He had found someone to love and lost her just as quickly. Now he was supposed to continue living... as if his heart was still whole. And when he saw her... he was supposed to pretend as if tonight had never happened. Squeezing his eyes shut tight, Kayne placed a hand over them as a couple of tears managed to squeeze through.
He leaned back against the door and took a deep, shuddering breath, clutching his side. "Oh Jess," he whispered as he exhaled. Stumbling through his dark room he collapsed down on his bed. Today had to be the worst day of his life. He had found someone to love and lost her just as quickly. Now he was supposed to continue living... as if his heart was still whole. And when he saw her... he was supposed to pretend as if tonight had never happened. Squeezing his eyes shut tight, Kayne placed a hand over them as a couple of tears managed to squeeze through.
Cirrus
Cirrus blinked and spun around in time to see Kayne's door slam shut. This had all gone horribly wrong. She hadn't expected him to be so angry... or had she? If she were honest, she hadn't really given the day when Jess ended it much thought, though she should have. She really should have expected this. But he was right. He had changed. This had to have been the quietest, shortest fight she had had with her brother. Sighing deeply, Cirrus closed her eyes for a moment. She had done the right thing. She knew he would be hurt by this, but it only would have been worse if it had continued. She held onto that thought as she opened her eyes to look at Kayne's closed door. Glancing down at her untouched homework, Cirrus knew it was time to just give up and go to bed. Kayne would be better in the morning. She turned off the lights in the living room and went to her own bedroom, shutting the door behind her.
Fin
~~~ Fade to Black ~~~
