As a Fish, Dreaming Under an Icy Blanket

In a blank half-circle room, Engeki sat on her knees in a seemingly perfect calm. Her pale eyes stared aimlessly ahead, falling on nothing in particular. It wasn't as though there was a great deal to look at either, the walls and floor were painted in soft silver shades and there were a only few aesthetic pillars and architectural pieces to support the acoustics. Other than that, it was empty as can be. There was were no windows, no desks, not even a lamp to light the surroundings. A single orange light shone from a candle the girl had brought with her. In her hands was a violin and its bow, and as complete silence filled the room, her head began gently lilting down...

--[TICK]--
"...Gkh!" she snorted and sneezed out her inertia. There was a sound like something hitting the wall outside.
--[CLACK]--

Engeki's head snapped back as the instrument she was holding fell onto the wood flooring. She stretched her arms out with an extended yawn.
"Mngh...what was I doing again?"
She glanced down at the violin. Her deadpan expression, something she carried with her wherever she went, had become the most prominent feature of her face.
"...Oh...practice..." she continued staring down, idling in her drowsiness before finally raising a hand to pick it up, placing it under her chin.

The evening was winding down, the sun over the village having set some time ago. The children of the art school stayed in the various practice rooms, whether it was writing, drawing, or  as in the case of the black-clad, white haired Engeki Otogi; music. Those students and prospective students that stayed were determined to spend all night in the pristine, isolated school as if their lives depended on it: exhibitions and recitals were to be held the next day. It was a branch of a prestigious private school located in the capital, usually only the most affluent or distinguished families would bother to send their kids to an art academy like this. If a person were to roam freely in the hallways, the students they'd come across would invariably leave the impression of one of the most upscale and eccentric communities to find. It leaves an idiosyncratic taste in the mouth. Engeki certainly fit the latter description. Her regular attire was evocative of a theater production that could very well have been titled "Curse of the Black Forest Doll," but she far from what anyone would call wealthy. She left the finances to her surrogate mother Kiyo, conductor and owner of one of the most beloved orchestral ensembles of the world. Granted, it isn't much of an achievement when one takes into account that it's possible to count the number of orchestral ensembles on one hand. The prestige that came with travelling with Kiyo's ensemble, even in a world with little value for music, was the one thing that granted Engeki the chance to impress the exclusive academy in the upcoming recitals.

For just that night, all of the instructors had gone to a private conference room. Something about a practice session. Waiting quietly up upon the roof, watching the rising moon, a man in a red oni mask individual readied a set of explosive tags. For just that night, a fireworks display had been readied.

--[BOOM]--

The reverberation reached the hall Engeki was in. She tensed up reflexively, but as it sounded far away, she soon relaxed. Her thoughts spun and spun, {"I feel asleep? What time was it? Where am I? What was I practicing for?"}
"Practice...Practice..." she would repeat to herself. "The recital was...when was it again?"
{"Recital...this was for the advanced classes,"} her thoughts reminded.{"If I do well, I'll get new instructors."}
A frown grew.
{"Kiyo and the everyone...they're leaving me here for a while, aren't they? After I begged Kiyo to let me into the ninja academy, she's been acting so weird and distant. I don't understand it at all."} Memories of the travelling orchestra bubbled up, back to the surface.
{"Everyone else always tried not to look at me too much. They thought they could hide it, but I noticed. Now I know why. They were all just as scared about my mouth as I am now."}
Her fingers on the string trembled as she held her breath, accidentally tapping out notes out of tune.
{"...I don't like dissonant notes. A family should be...harmonious. Maybe if I stay with everyone in the academy, maybe if we could get a little closer... If I can become a little stronger, maybe they'll be..."}
Frustrated, she slides the bow out, generating a violent chord. Engeki inhales and exhales sharply.
{"Even so, Kiyo was always the one that really cared! The principals wouldn't have bothered to teach me to play if it weren't for her, so... I hope she's feeling well. I hope she's just being bitter because of something I did and that she'll be back soon... Ah, don't think like this!}
She shook her head, refocusing. {"More importantly, this school's practice hall is a really dull-looking place. Looking at how empty it is, I'd probably be able to pick out a flea on the wall...ah, there's a cute little millipede on that pillar, even! What designer thought this would be an inspiring place to play? It's as boring as a blank canvas!"}
"..." as briefly as it lasted, the frown soon left her face.
After a moment of absent-minded staring, she stood and blinked.
{"A canvas... Maybe something original should..."}

She pulls on the bow, the sound of the A note resounded long across the hall.

{"Mezzo piano, andante rhythm on glockenspiel, flutes play the melody high up on the fifth register,"} Engeki imagines the sounds, closing her eyes. Upon the walls, she conjures up an orchestra of her mind's conducting. Golden figures playing each part, painting a picture of {"A playful, uplifting tune, full of hope... The academy!"}
Her eyes fly open. With a tap of the foot and a bend at the knees, she mimics a classical dance and drags marks in the snow. She corrects to C and restarts major key arpeggios, while the little flakes fall in tempo.
{"A waltz like warmth on a winter night; horns against flute and cello while the bass drones on below... A sound that reverberates deep in the chest, the delightful strength to push forward. This is my new life."}
She twirls, back brushing against bristling pine. The flow of her hair sparkles with frost as she basks in the crispness of the air. The unfamiliar taiga lilted in the wind, casting a shade over the distant academy building. With the clarity of mind the hall imposed, she had distilled a piece in mere moments, losing herself in the welkin winter whirling amid the wondrous symphony...

--[BOOM]--[BOOM]--

...Until unceremoniously dragged back to reality. A second reverberation, that time causing the hall itself to shudder. There were two, in fact, occuring in quick succession.
"...Hagh!" Engeki's eyes darted across, looking for any danger. "That couldn't be the drums downstairs, no?" {"How annoying if so... Those were nearby and sounded like an explosion going off. Oh, what if there was a gang attack? That's always a possibility, however slim. Bad people are supposed to be all around hidden villages, waiting for their moment like...like...snakes. Vultures? Vultures sounds better. Dastardly vultures."}
She had stood entirely still.
{"Maybe I should do something."}

Hesitantly, she set the violin down and approached the exit door. It was, much to her surprise, locked from the outside. Fortunately, she had a little more strength than the average twelve-year-old and casually broke it. Outside, she found the entire building dark, moonlight shedding in through a blasted open hole in the wall some ten yards from her door. Now thoroughly convinced of an attack, Engeki rushed over and found the opening situated close to a stairwell leading down. Shouting echoing from below gave the girl some pause.

"Who are you!?"cried the familiar voice of one of the upper-level instructors, "What do you want with us!?"
A muffled man's voice responded, "Ignoring the first question, I will answer the second. All I want is an object that recently came into your possession."
"This is ridiculous, an 'object?' What are you even talking about?" a woman huffed. They were shouting through a closed door.
"An instrument you received in exchange for allowing that girl into your academy - one Engeki Otogi. I've heard the violin belonging to the orchestra lady that raised her is considered a priceless artifact in this industry, having belonged to the prodigious Kiyo ever since she was a girl. Now that it's returned to the very village she was born in, what an opportunity it must be! To be handed something like that in exchange for one measly brat... Clearly, such a piece of living history is to be a treasure for this academy...give it to me."

Engeki stood quiet above. If any shock came to her, she hadn't reacted. Turning back to the hole, she found traces of explosive tags shredded in the debris. Dust permeated the air still, so as she began to feel it in her lungs, she ran from the scene.

{"Kiyo gave up something that important to her so I could be accepted here? Then...if that's true, the recital I practiced for would just be for show... No, what should be on my mind is making sure that violin doesn't end up in that person's hands."}
Hiding behind a corner further down the hall, she waited to continue listening in.
{"Think a moment, remember the lessons you learned,"} she focuses, {"Why use an explosive tag to gain entry? This school has a front door, windows, rooftop access, all kinds of entrances that have to be easier than blowing open a wall. There's another reason why they went through the effort. A lure? Was there no time left?"}
After some time, the figure walked up the stairs cloaked in black and wearing a red oni mask.
"...Scary..." Engeki muttered under her breath.
He paused and took a look down the hallway toward her, then turned and calmly walked in the other direction.
{"...He looks so calm and cool and in control. Super confident, like the academy teachers. He must be a shinobi, right?  I wonder what master plan he has prepared... How exciting. This could be my chance to prove that I can be a ninja, too."}
Assuring herself with a smile, she followed the path downstairs only to find the doors to the conference room sealed shut with sealing jutsu.

"Hello? Are you safe inside?" Engeki knocked on the doors. "I overheard the situation, so--."
"Oh thank goodness, village ninja are always right on time!" exclaimed an older lady on the other side.
"Quiet down or he'll hear us!" remarked a gentlemen.
"Um..."
"How can you expect me to be quiet in a situation like this!? The lives of those kids are on the line!"
"Precisely! So shut your mouth and let's prepare the transfer."
"What!?  You couldn't possibly be caving to that ruffian's demands, could you?"
"Oh, for the love of -- and are you claiming that this old violin is more important than our students!?"
"If I could--"
"Preposterous!" the lady interrupted again. "I refuse to put the students in danger, but I equally refuse to have our illustrious institution go down to a common bandit! We have shinobi to rely on now, so calm yourself sir and allow them to handle this promptly. Which you will do, miss kunoichi?"
{"This is hard to follow..."}
"You are still there, yes?" she continued to ask.
"She probably left while you were causing such a ruckus and calling attention to ourselves,"
"Actually, I'm still standing outside the door," Engeki piped up, "I'm not a kunoichi {yet} either. Sorry," she bowed her head despite the doors between them.
"Not a...but then who are you?" the lady asked.
"Engeki Otogi."
"A student," the gentleman commented. "And the one the enemy singled out, no less."
"Ah, so you must be the one that was specially admitted..."
"I feel cheated," Engeki bluntly admitted.
"Nevermind that for now, how did you manage to get here?"
"I left after there was an explosion. The door to the hallway was locked, but I broke it and overheard everything in the conversation earlier."
"Hrm... I would not call that 'conversation' per say, but regardless. It's not safe for you to be wandering around where that man could find you. It's best that you return to the practice room, pretend you never escaped, and wait for the proper authorities to arrive."
"I refuse."
"Wha-- Listen to your instructors, this is for your own sake!"
"I'm not a student at this school. You aren't my instructors."
Engeki quickly noticed a change in his tone. The fact that she had just been told not to mind this situation and she very much ignored those directions had clearly irritated the gentleman.
"You overheard everything, your admittance was already guaranteed! "
"I haven't decided," Engeki continued to force.

She had not enjoyed pressing the issue, but the pressure of her life's direction could not be removed from her mind. If what they had said was the truth, then it was blatantly clear: Kiyo was giving her this choice. If she really belonged here, to further study music, she would be giving up the other life without hesitation. She would participate in the recital, earn her marks regardless, and allow the story of her own instrument to make up for the one lost. It would be Kiyo's legacy she followed, as she had always done. However, if she decided otherwise, what was to keep this violin here? Coming to this village, she had wanted to learn how to reunite with her lineage, the legacy her parents had quietly passed on. If that was what she truly wanted, perhaps it was better to allow it to be taken, and therefore leave only the path of a shinobi for herself to walk. That apathy, however, did not sit right within her restless heart. She had but two worlds, neither of which she could ever give up on. {"Was that a selfish want?"}

"Do you think your mother gave us that priceless violin just for you to walk away at the very last moment!?"
"..."
"Hah, what a selfish child..."
"I'm not leaving because I want to help. I wanted to become a shinobi, so I have a little skill."
"WELL NOW, what a considerate young lady you are!" the lady took over, pushing the man aside. "Still, what could you possibly manage to do here? The rest of your peers are all locked inside their rooms, with that dastard's explosives primed to detonate on them if we refuse to cooperate."

Engeki opened her mouth to respond, in her haste, but stopped herself when she recognized the certain facts. There was much to interpret, from the nonsensical actions of the culprit to the complexities of her own situation. Had she acted brashly, there would have been dire consequences - she might even lose her life. With a finger to her lower lip, she put her back to the door and pondered.
"It's true, I don't stand a chance."
"So you do understand why you should hide unti--"
"He's a shinobi and I'm not. Even if I can't fight, I'm still going to try in other ways," she soon added.
"Oh, it's useless arguing with such a pertinacious girl... The man in question is indeed a shinobi and He'll be back at this very door in ten minutes. Supposedly, that is when he will release the seal so we can hand over your mother's violin."
"He used explosive tags to blast open the wall outside. I think he's planning on using that same path as an exit," Engeki brought up.
There was a pause, a few murmurs heard behind the closed door. "The academy has a security detail, but it's limited this late at night. Only the front entrance is covered," the lady returned. "I thought he'd have used a more subtle entrance, since they should likely have noticed a fireball flying in the air above their heads."
{"...Ah!"} Engeki realizes, { That makes sense! But it's been a while already, so why haven't they arrived yet? More and more strange things keep coming up here. Think clearly and start at the beginning. When did he infiltrate the building?}
"..."
Engeki went completely silent, interred in her thoughts.
"...In that case, there should be help arriving. If you really want to help, young lady, you should find them first and do as your told."
{"The sound that woke me up... Something hit the walls outside then. Could that have been him? There a few more sounds after that, all of which could have been the explosion going off. One just after I woke up, and then another close-by that interrupted me. Counting the total amount, there had to have been two - no, three paper tags used. The last one was close to my room, and since there was still a lot of dust in the air at the site, it must have been the one leading here. It's likely he hadn't actually entered the school until just recently."}
"In the worst scenario, you could at least try making sure that they and the other children are alright. Oh, they must be terrified being locked in here..."
{"The instructor lady mentioned that the others are held hostage by more paper tags. Taking into account that only the last one was used to make an entrance and he chose not to use an easier entrance even when very little security is around probably means that he's done something to block off those exits... That's the key to this: he didn't need to make an entrance at all. If the first tag was for somewhere else in the building and the second was to make a new exit... Actually, thinking back, there were two paper tags that went off just before I left. I only saw traces of one, though. Where was the other placed and why? It must have been nearby..."}
"...Hello, are you still there, Engeki?"
{"...I think I understand. If I'm right, then..."}
"Oh..." Engeki finally spoke up, "I'll be back soon."
"Honestly..." The gentleman sighed.

Engeki raced away from the conference room doors and chased down the hall in the direction the man in the red mask left in. Passing by the opening, she began to notice black smoke beginning to gather toward the ceiling, heat licking down to her head. She chased as fast as she could, her heart racing. As she turned the corner, that's when the blaze was apparent. The corridor was left in a great inferno, smothering the entirety of the way down. The doors that lined these walls were for the other music students, and occupied. However, she was stuck. She tried going in, but quickly turned back as it became hard to breathe.

{"Oh! That must be why,"} Engeki thought. {"It was all a feint; he must have already found where they were keeping the violin and that's what the first explosive tag was for. The second explosion was to set a fire that went down to the ground level near the entrance which is probably below my room. He would have had to make security think that he would have to come out from the opening made by the third explosion so that he could escape without any interference by starting a fire. They would think he's sealed in there. and keep them from catching up due to the fire. This means that there was never a time limit for the instructors to give it up, and all he had to do was buy time so that he could make it from where he was going to start the fire to where the violin must be."}
She glanced back behind her.
{"If I went around as fast as possible, I might be able to get there before he does. But..."}
Engeki bites her lip, gazing into the fire.
{"It's prettier than I thought...so much capability to destroy in something that doesn't even realize it. It dances so brilliantly over the ashes it makes... No-one else is in the halls besides me, is there? I'm alone... Security is going to be watching a fakeout exit and the instructors are sealed inside, bickering. Right now, I'm the only one who could do this. Engeki, don't be afraid!"}
Slowly, she reached her hand into the blazing heat. Humming her symphony, she calmed her nerves. The fire blazed a path across the blizzard; she faced either warmth or cutting winds, but at the end of the flames, the academy loomed over still. She stepped inside.
"...Ah...aaangh...!"
She held herself through the stinging bites of the flames.
{"Kiyo...I'm sorry, I know you really wanted me to succeed here... That man was right; you gave up the key to who you are now just for me, so that I could follow in your footsteps like you promised...but I don't think it will work out."}

The man in the red oni mask stood in front of set of double doors, encrusted with the gold image of twin dragons. He held his hand over the electronic sensor, running raiton briefly through his fingertips. It opened, and before him was a grand gallery. From behind sets of protective glass, he viewed an ancient shamisen belonging to the school's founder, a series of landmark compositions throughout history, and a gold leaf covered recreating of the first piano among many other such exhibits.
"I hesitate to imagine how gaudy the main campus must be..." he mutters.
Unperturbed, he at last stops upon arriving at a case containing a modest-looking violin. White, with the image of a koi fish printed on the side. It was slightly worn, but still in good shape. He steps closer, reaching his hand toward the glass, but stops partway.

"I knew you wouldn't be able to keep your eyes off it for long," the man remarks.
"Impressive, impressive," a woman's voice replies from behind, "every piece seems to have gone your way...so far. Consider my doubts null."
"You say that with such exuberance, but I still haven't seen you smile once."
With a flick of her brow, the woman made her dissatisfaction clear. The masked man only massaged his wrist, paying her as little mind as he might.
"I never said I agreed with the idea to begin with," she passes him by. She was a tall woman wearing flowing black robes and a wide-brimmed hat bearing dangling beads. She had wheat blonde hair that parted in the center with a pair of long braids in the back and dark, narrow eyes accompanied by a pair of red glasses. The outfit looked as if it came right out of the costume department for "The Midnight Witch and the Sea." "If it were up to me, Engeki wouldn't have gone anywhere near the ninja academy to begin with."
"...There it is."
She could hear the roll of his eyes under that mask. Without hesitation, she puts both hands on the protective glass for the violin, viewing him in the reflection.
"You can take the mask off, Otogi. We're past the point of worrying about appearances."
"..."
"...Or could keep it on if you're so embarrassed about showing your face around me."
Otogi shrugs and, obliging the request. Underneath, He had rather long, clean kept hair that fell straight across his face. Black, apart from a single violet tuft that matched the color of his eyes. A distinctive scar ran across his lips.
"I should apologize, Kiyo," his tone was deep in supposition.
"Of course you should," abruptly, she did not hesitate to answer, "you're stealing away my most precious student."
He was taken off guard. The gloom he'd put didn't stand much for scrutiny.
"Huh. I thought you would have been more concerned for the violin."
She adjusted her glasses with a chuckle. "Well, it is a 'priceless piece of living history' after all..."
He pinched the bridge of his nose.
"STILL," Kiyo turned and asked in a stern voice. "Are you certain this is really the right way to go about this? Doubtless, this is the riskiest you've ever been with that girl's safety."
"It can't be helped," Otogi shook his head. "Just as you told me; ever since she found out about her seal, she's been doubting herself - doubting which world she belongs in," he clasped his hands together, focusing his chakra elsewhere to ensure his katon only licked harmlessly at Engeki and those she rescued. "Even now, she's struggling to decide whether she'll follow your path or mine."
"..."
Both paused a time and glanced back toward the open doors of the gallery.
"...Time's nearly up. She isn't here," Kiyo remarks with little wonder. "That means she's made her decision."
"It was made the moment she entered those flames of mine, really," he lowered his head. "I should have known I couldn't keep a girl like her from this life forever...she wants to make her mom and dad proud, even without knowing their faces."
Kiyo sighed with a cheeky smile.
"Such a skilled shinobi, yet you don't even know how to hide a smile. It's fine with me, of course. Something tells me that I'll get to see what kind of art that mind of hers can produce either way. At least she passed her first test..."

Otogi paused.
"It's hard to tell, but I think she's made it out safely with everyone. That means it's time for us to leave before we're spotted."
"Maintaining that jutsu for so long...must have been exhausting, huh?"
"Ha! When did you start worrying about me, Kiyo? Something like this is nothing for us ninja."
"The sweat on your brow says otherwise..." Kiyo takes long steps away from the exhibit.
"Hm? Don't tell me you've forgotten the reason you tagged along..."
"Oh, that beat-up old thing? You're the one that went crazy marketing me and my life to that old headmaster."
"Ah..." he made a quiet promise not to embarrass himself further.
She stops. "I'm not saying it isn't worth anything to me. I only offered my violin on the condition that Engeki is accepted. So, you see, I don't really hate this change of hands as much as you'd think."
"...I'll take your word for it," Otogi relented. "I've released the flames, meaning security will be here any moment now; we should hurry along our escape route."
"Hmhm~, I was taken off guard when you just started blowing things up. Here I thought you were the sneaky type." Kiyo stood before a gaping hole in the wall behind the exhibit. "Oh well...take us away, 'master'."
"And you wonder why I don't like spending time with you..."

Picking her up, Engeki's two mentors fled the scene of the crime. Shortly after, the girl herself arrived at the scene, only to find the violin in question still safe in its little glass cage. By the time security made it through, however, it was already gone. Tapping out the notes on her desk the first day of class, the priceless piece of living history sat snuggly in her case.

(WC: 4,564)