Hidden Motive

Chapter 6

Ryoko opened the door as she finished telling me a funny story about Yata and Kamamoto. We laughed, walking into the apartment to find Aki sitting with her arms crossed, staring at us.

"What took you so long?" she asked.

"I don't know, " Ryoko answered sarcastically. "Probably the fact that I wasn't trying to collide with everyone in sight!"

Aki rolled her eyes and moved over on the couch so Ryoko could sit. I brought a stool from the kitchen and sat down next to where they sat.

"So you've joined Homra?" Ryoko asked, turning to face me.

I opened my mouth to speak but Aki cut me off.

"Not yet, " she said as she grabbed the remote for the t.v. and turned it on. "She hasn't done the intiation ..."

"What's intiation?" I asked curiously.

"It's what you have to do in order to join..." Aki answered absentmindedly as she changed the channel.

I gave her a dirty look until she noticed me staring at her.

"Oh! That wasn't what you meant... You wanted details, huh?"

I nodded and received a smirk from Aki, "Well too bad, you'll have to wait until tomorrow!"

Ryoko shook her head, ignoring Aki, "Basically, all you have to do is inform some of our clansmen that you wish to join us and the reasons for wanting to do so... Then you see the king..."

"Who's the king?"

Aki looked rather annoyed by all of my questions but I just couldn't help it. There was so much that I wanted to know.

Aki stayed silent as Ryoko sighed, "Well now it's Anna... It used to be Mikoto until-"

Aki pursed her lips and stood up suddenly, stomping down the hall without a word and slamming the bathroom door shut.

I raised my eyebrows. Ryoko just shrugged in response.

"Mikoto's death took it's toll on everyone. Aki especially. She won't tell anyone why she's still so bothered by it. It definitely has something to do with the fact that she had a major crush on him."

"Mmmm, " I said thoughtfully as I looked door the hall and stared at the light that poured out from under the bathroom door and onto the opposite wall.

"If you want, you can put your stuff down in the guest bedroom over there, " Ryoko told me as she pointed to a bedroom at the very end of the hall.

i walked to the bedroom and placed my red backpack on the bed before I started to put my clothes and possessions away. I couldn't help but wonder what I would say to the clansmen about my wanting to join their clan. What were my intentions? I hadn't really thought about that. Did I even have any? I suppose it mostly had to do with my brother but I couldn't quite figure out why I'd want to join Homra in the first place... 

I could hear Ryoko and Aki talking in the bathroom, evidently Aki didn't want to leave the comfort and safety of the small room. Maybe Ryoko was going to be able to get her to talk. I walked down the hall and found the door wide open. Aki's head was buried into her knees and she sat on the floor with her back against the wall. Ryoko leaned against the bathroom sink in front of Aki with her arms crossed. I stood in the doorway and leaned my shoulder against it as I looked down at Aki and over to Ryoko. Ryoko shook her head sadly and Aki looked up with her tear stained face.

"Get out!" she growled.

"Aki, she just wanted to help, " Ryoko said softly.

"I never asked for her help!"

I held my hands up in surrender, "Fine. I'll leave... But before I do, let me ask you something."

I paused and stared at her as she waited silently, "What's the point of all this? All this crying? Not meaning to be insensative but... Crying is not going to bring him back!"

I had to stop to swallow the lump that was beginning to form in my throat. I felt like I was saying this to mainly comfort myself, to perhaps force myself to move on and enjoy life instead of writhing in pain because of my brother's death.

"You should move on, for Mikoto's sake. I'm pretty sure he wouldn't want you to get stuck in the past and just barely make it though everyday."

Aki gave me a blank look and we were all silent for a few minutes.

"You really are your brother's sister..." Ryoko muttered.

Aki sighed, "Yeah, I guess you're right... But there will obviously be times when this subject is too touchy for me."

I nodded, "That's understandable."

I yawned slightly, feeling overwhelmingly tired all of a sudden. I excused myself from the conversation and walked back to my room. I listened to them arguing the whole way there, Ryoko teasing Aki and Aki acting defensive as hell. I collapsed on my bed face first and sighed heavily once more. Today was definitely exicting and I knew that this wasn't the fun part just yet.

I'll make you proud, Tatara. Just wait. I'll be a part of Homra just like you...

I drifted off to sleep with a smile on my face as I thought about tomorrow.