Fallen angels at my feet
Whispered voices at my ear
Death before my eyes lying next to me
I fear she beckons me
Shall I give in?
Upon my end shall I begin?
Forsaking all I've fallen for
I rise to meet the end...
From the song Whisper (the Fallen album), by Evanescence
It was after I had woken up, and only after he had arranged for me to have a transfusion (which from that point on became a regular part of my "life"), that Solomon told me what had happened.
He told me that I had very nearly completely died, that I had almost been beyond his power to reanimate.
"She refused to let go of you, and I was afraid of being too rough."
When she had finally allowed him to take me, he had fled with blinding speed through the school grounds to an isolated garden where he had ripped his wrist and put it to my mouth.
He had apologized to me again and again over what had happened. "If only I'd gotten back in time..."
I shook my head at him gently. "Don't blame yourself, Solomon. Things would have been a lot worse if it hadn't been for you." He had told me himself just how many of the demons he had fought alone outside the Residence. "We both knew the risks involved, and this was my idea to begin with."
But I could see how genuinely pained he still was, how upset he was at thinking that he had caused my death.
"Perhaps it's even better this way, Solomon. If I assume any of the Chiropteran powers you told me about from before, I'll be a much better asset in this war."
It was his turn to shake his head. "It's too soon to tell how exactly the blood has changed you. Its effects tend to differ from person to person."
To distract him from his anguish, I asked him how the Academy was coping.
"The entire school is in shock, though not as much as I would have expected given the circumstances. Perhaps it has something to do with the Academy's history - I take it "mysterious" incidents like this used to happen quite frequently when you were still a Hime. In any case, there's very little evidence people can use to reconstruct what happened. I don't know how they did it, but the Searrs have engineered their Chiroptera so that they crystallize and disintegrate completely when destroyed. It's likely a precaution they took to prevent anyone from understanding their methods."
I nodded slowly. "Was anyone else seriously...hurt?"
He shook his head. "Fortunately, no. But Shizuru," he paused, then looked at me, "we need to decide what to do about you. Right now, no one knows for certain what happened to you. Kuga-san and Tokiha-san saw you hurt, perhaps fatally. But then I took you away, and at this point, any story still remains plausible."
I reflected quietly for several moments. "I understand what you're saying Solomon, but at this point, I think it's best to allow the world to believe that I'm dead. The Searrs now know that you exist - which means you've lost the element of surprise. I'm the only thing you have that will allow you to regain that advantage. Besides, if the Searrs found out about me, they would go to extraordinary lengths to retrieve me."
He stared at me levelly. "Those are sound arguments from the standpoint of a war, but what about her?"
"I am doing this for her."
"You know what I mean, Shizuru."
"And what would you have me do? If she discovered the truth, she would insist on getting involved because it's simply the way she is. I want to keep her out of this as much as I can, Solomon. My hands are stained. I'll keep them that way so hers can stay pure."
"And if, and when this is all over...?"
"That's something I'll deal with if and when the time comes. As it is, having seen what we're dealing with, the possibility of that time coming seems fairly remote."
He nodded slowly. "If that's your final decision, then we'll need to fake your wake and your funeral."
"Can you do that?" I asked him. "My family's corporation has resources for accomplishing a great many things, but I'm afraid that faking demises doesn't fall within our range of competence."
He gave me a strained smile. "Fortunately - or unfortunately - it falls within the range of competence of mine. Don't worry about it." Then he paused. "Speaking of corporations, what do you intend to do about your father?"
I shook my head. "My father's a practical man. The Fujino Corporation is designed to last for eternity. I may be the only direct heir, but I'm not the only heir. In any case, my father tends to have an uncanny sense when it comes to me. There's no need to tell him anything apart from what you intend to tell the world."
He nodded. "Alright. I'll take care of everything then."
At the doorway, he hesitated, then turned back. "As someone who's fighting and leading a war, I appreciate the choice you've made, Shizuru, and I would have made the same choice as well. But never forget that I'm also someone who knows what it is to love. If one day, you wish to be able to choose differently..."
I cut him off with a smile and a gentle shake of my head. "I know Solomon. But for me, as well as for you, the choice to fight goes hand in hand with the choice to love. It always has and it always will."
He smiled at me then, a sad, wistful smile that combined affection with understanding. And a few hours after he left to effect the decision I had made, I, Shizuru Fujino, officially left the world of the living.