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In the dark of night, two women huddle close to each other. One was a psychic, helping the other to give birth. It was cold out, and the gloomy atmosphere made them shiver even more.
The younger women screamed and pushed, until finally she felt the baby come out. The older of the two, the psychic, dried the bloody baby and handed it to its mother. “It's a girl!”
The newborn child’s cries echoed across the empty town square. The mother cried and held the baby close. “I think… oh, I've given birth, but I still feel… as if I'm not done?” she mumbled.
As the baby continued to scream and cry, the woman could feel a second baby coming out of her. Oh no… Twins. That was a bad omen. The second child finally popped out, but something was wrong. It wasn't crying. Of course, having twins always ended up badly.
The psychic swept up the second baby and began to press on its chest. Eventually, the child coughed and began to breathe weakly.
“Is… is the other one okay?” the mother said quietly.
The psychic shook her head. “She'll live, but she's very sick.”
The mother nodded and sighed. Maybe this was the worst it would be, maybe one twin was sick and nothing else would happen. Maybe they were safe… She held up the first child close to her face. “I think I'll name her Dia…” she whispered.
“Mrs. Kurosawa… These children are cursed.” the psychic continued. “I can tell, they have some sort of powers… I don't think it's related to the psyche like mine, but there's definitely something there.”
Mrs. Kurosawa moaned. “Please, no… my children… What's going to happen?”
“I'll be blunt with you: they will most likely be burnt at the stake for witchcraft if anyone finds out. The safest place for them is the convent, however…”
“What is it, Mrs. Takami?” Mrs. Kurosawa replied.
Mrs. Takami hesitated before continuing, “Only the older one is healthy enough to be sent away. The younger must stay in the village. She'll have a better chance of surviving, but if the other villagers find out, it could be disastrous.”
Tears flowed down Mrs. Kurosawa’s face. “Both of those options sound bad… I want them both to survive.”
Nodding, Mrs. Takami patted Mrs. Kurosawa’s shoulder. “It'll be okay, Chika can protect her… Her psychic powers are only a little developed, but together they have a shot at avoiding the authorities.”
Mrs. Kurosawa smiled for the first time that night. “Thank you so much… We can't tell anyone about Dia. We'll send her away, and you can help me raise the second child…” She paused. “Wait, what should we name the one we're keeping?”
“How about…” Mrs. Takami struggled to come. up with a name. “Hm… Diamonds are a gem, and so are Rubies, we can name her Ruby to match!”
Both women laughed at Mrs. Takami’s joke. But after they calmed down a little, Mrs. Kurosawa nodded and said, “Well, I can't think of a better name, so Ruby it is.”
“Alright, sounds good. I'll take little Dia over to the convent to be raised by the head nun, Mrs. Tsushima.” Mrs. Takami said.
The two women bid each other goodbye. Mrs. Kurosawa returned to her house, while Mrs. Takami got upon her horse to deliver Dia to the convent.
~~~~~~~
“Come on, Riko, eat your breakfast!” the blue haired woman pleaded.
Riko crossed her arms. “No! Yohane-chan can eat it for me!” she pouted.
“Heh… oatmeal, the perfect meal for a fallen angel like myself,” said a voice that was fairly deep for a 5 year old girl.
The blue haired woman sighed, looking at her daughter. “Please, Yoshiko, don't eat Riko’s food. You both need to become strong, healthy nuns.”
A knock on the door interrupted their conversation.
Riko squeaked, “What was that!?” and covered her eyes.
As the blue haired woman got up, she could hear Yohane teasing Riko for being scared. She approached the door cautiously, expecting to find a demon on the other side. What else would knock at this godforsaken hour? They were only up this early because morning prayers started at dawn.
“Mrs. Tsushima!” a familiar voice cried out.
“Mrs. Takami? Is that really you?” Mrs. Tsushima said while rushing over to open the door.
The two women smiled and hugged each other. “It's so good to see you, Mrs. Takami! Come on in!”
“Ah, just a second… let me get something…” Mrs. Takami said, going outside. She returned with a bundle of cloth. “Mrs. Tsushima, I need to ask a favour of you. This child is named Dia Kurosawa, she has some sort of magic. Please keep her safe, I think she'll be helpful to the other nuns.”
“Magic? Is she psychic like you?” Mrs. Tsushima asked.
Mrs. Takami shook her head. “I can't tell what it is, but it seems powerful. There's one more thing you should know…” She went on to explain Ruby’s condition, and that sometime in the future she may come back to deliver her.
“I see…” Mrs. Tsushima mused. She would take good care of Dia, and raise her to be a good sister. Many people outside the convent did nof understand magic, so they were afraid of it. Hopefully, Dia would not be burned at the stake. However, that didn't stop Mrs. Tsushima from worrying about Ruby.
After Mrs. Takami left, Riko looked up at Mrs. Tsushima, wide-eyed. “Mama? Are you gonna adopt Dia like you adopted me?”
Mrs. Tsushima smiled and patted Riko’s head. “Yes, I promise I'll keep you both safe. Now you and Yoshiko go wash your faces and get ready for morning prayers.”
~~~~~~~
Early morning light streamed through the open window. The birds chirped and the breeze rustled up high in the trees.
Ruby sighed and dragged herself out of bed. Back to another day of hell at school, where she'd be constantly bullied and called a witch. She didn't know what to do about these claims.
The truth was, Ruby could see into the future. Not very much, her powers were weak and she could only see random snippets, but the magic was strong enough that the other villagers could tell. But was she really a witch? Witches were evil, and Ruby didn't think she was a bad person. She tried her best to be nice to everyone, even her peers who made fun of her.
Whatever. At least Chika’s here for me… Ruby thought, trying to cheer herself up. It didn't work very well. Chika was always so happy, even though she was teased, too. She knew about Chika’s secret.
The rumor was that Chika was psychic, and could read minds. It would explain how she managed to sneak out of class without getting in trouble. She knew exactly what to say to convince the adults it wasn't her fault. Ruby believed it, but certainly didn't believe either of them were bad people. As she got ready for school, she reminisced in the memory of confirming this rumor.
It happened a few years ago. Ruby and Chika had been out in the courtyard while some other kids played kickball. Ruby could sense a ball about to hit Chika, and pushed her out of the way before it was even thrown. She had acted too soon, she should've waited until the ball was in the air. But she didn't wait, and Chika found out about her future sight.
Chika had sensed Ruby’s panicked thoughts, and managed to calm her down. They both confirmed each other’s suspicions with a whispered, after-school conversation. Chika was psychic, and Ruby was a witch.
Now, it was Ruby’s 11th birthday. She knew Chika must be waiting for her at the front door.
“Hey, Ruby!!” Chika excitedly said. “Ready for another bright, sunny monday?”
Ruby shook her head. They walked together in silence, until Chika piped up with, “Oh! Ruby, here's your birthday present!”
Chika handed Ruby a small box. Inside was a simple necklace, just a pretty rock with string looped around a singular hole. “Oh… thank you, Chika, it's very pretty!”
“Just like you!” Chika replied. Ruby smiled and hugged her best friend.
“Thanks,” she whispered.
~~~~~~~
“So much stress!” Dia complained. “Everyone keeps asking me about their futures. I need some peace.”
She was sitting outside with her sisters, Yohane and Riko. Yohane was high up in a tree, sitting like a smug kitty. “Dia, Riri, you want an apple?” she asked.
“Sure. Dia probably wants one, too,” Riko replied. Yohane threw down two apples. Riko’s hit the ground, but Dia caught hers easily.
Dia continued to rant as she angrily bit her apple. “Jeez, so much salt in a little kid! Calm down, sis.”
Riko glared up into the tree. “Do not speak the Lord’s name in vain! Mama always tells us this, Yohane,” she hissed.
“Whatever!” Yohane replied as she stretched out on her branch. “I only said jeez, chill out, Riri.”
Dia sighed. Her sisters argued a bunch. Something about being 16 years old made Riko irritable all the time. Yohane had always been laid back, but Riko had really gotten into her studies the past few years. It was something about impressing her crush- Hanamaru Kunikida, was it? She claimed to be a converted Christian, but almost all the nuns knew she was still a hardcore Buddhist. Anyway, Riko studied many different religions in order to get closer to Hanamaru.
Standing up, Dia walked across the abbey’s lawn, and went back into the building. She had recently been promoted to the title of Saint. Supposedly she was more virtuous than the average nun and destined to end up in heaven, but she couldn't really care less about where she went after this life. After all, death was so far off into the future, wasn't it?
Upon entering the building, Dia heard her mother’s footsteps coming down the hall. “Hello, Dia! Having a good time?” Mrs. Tsushima said, obviously distracted.
“Mom, are you alright?” Dia asked. She was worried that something bad had happened.
Mrs. Tsushima sighed. “Dia… it's time you and I had a talk.”
“Wh-what? Am I in trouble!?”
Dia’s mom shook her head. “No, it's about your sister. Your blood sister,” she said.
A wave of confusion washed over Dia. Blood sister? But Riko and Yohane were her blood sisters… weren't they?
“Sit down,” Mrs. Tsushima said, patting the chair. Dia sat down nervously, and her mother sat across from her.
They were silent for a moment. “Soo… What's going on?” Dia asked.
“I'm sure you must have a million questions, but please wait until I'm done to ask. You are not my blood daughter, you were born in a village to the south of here and sent here by a friend of mine. You were healthy, but your sister was not. She’s still in that town because of her condition. I just received word from your blood mother that Ruby’s in danger of being executed.”
Dia felt so overwhelmed. This all made no sense. She had a twin? And she was in trouble?
“What can I do to help?” Dia asked.
Mrs. Tsushima thought about it for a bit, then said, “Well… I don't like to encourage skipping prayers but… there’s a horse cart out back.”
“Do you have a map?”
Her mother disappeared under the desk for a second, rummaging around various papers. She popped back up holding a very weathered map. “Come on, I'll show you to the cart.”
And that was when Dia made the biggest decision of her life. The decision to save her sister.
~~~~~~~
“Leave her alone!”
Chika’s words rang out in the now silent courtyard. She was breathing heavily, and her fists were balled. “Ruby is not a witch! If you're gonna fight her, fight me first!” Chika yelled.
Ruby’s heart pounded. Out of all the days for Mari Ohara to start a riot about Ruby’s future sight, did it really have to be on her birthday?
“You're going down, Takami, and so’s your little witch friend,” Mari sneered. Chika let out an exasperated scream and rushed toward Mari, only to be hit by a speedy girl that jumped between them.
You Watanabe. Mari Ohara’s buff girlfriend. You was usually sweet to Chika, but she was dedicated to Mari and would not let even her friend Chika hurt her. Mari’s other goon was a girl named Kanan Matsuura, but she was out sick today.
The two of them began to hit and kick each other. Ruby felt ashamed that she couldn't help Chika, but was honoured to have such a noble and caring friend. Damnit, why was she so weak?
“I could beat up a 14 year old any day!” You chuckled, slamming Chika into the school building wall.
“Shut up, you're only a year older,” Chika retorted.
They continued to fight. Eventually, You managed to slam into Chika so hard that she collapsed. Ruby rushed forward, screaming Chika’s name and crying. Her nose was bloody and badly damaged, and the rest of her face was bruised up. She looked up at Ruby with tears in her eyes and mouthed one word: Run.
So Ruby ran.
~~~~~~~
The chilly wind blew around Dia’s face. The cart was very fast and bumpy, and she held on for dear life. It was a two horse cart, so she was going twice as fast as a single horse cart. Or so Dia hoped. Anything that helped her feel like she was getting to the village as fast as possible.
As she rode, Dia daydreamed about what her sister was like. Mrs. Tsushima had said Ruby didn’t look the same way, they were fraternal twins. Was she short or tall? Mature or childish? Mrs. Tsushima said she had a condition that made her weak and sick. And what about her mother, Mrs. Kurosawa? Dia hoped she was taking good care of her sister. The prospect of meeting her blood sister and mother was exciting, and Dia barely had energy to feel scared.
Finally, Dia approached the village. She could see fire and smoke in what she presumed to be the town square. A giant bonfire. Was that how they were gonna execute Ruby? Dia could hear angry shouts too.
Dia crept up and watched the townsfolk rioting. “Where’s the witch?” and “Burn her!” seemed to be very common phrases. A girl about Yohane and Riko’s age with blonde hair was quietly watching the fire. Dia walked up to her and tapped her shoulder.
“Eek,” the blonde girl screeched.
“Hey, could you tell me where a girl named Ruby is?” Dia asked, hoping the girl didn’t know the accusations about her sister.
“Ruby Kurosawa? That witch? They’ve got her in prison, she’ll be burnt in a little less than an hour.”
Oh. Well, that was okay, at least Dia knew her sister was still alive. “Um, could you direct me to the prison?” Dia asked, desperately trying to remain calm.
“What are you, five? Stop being nosy,” the girl scoffed.
“No way! I’m eleven!” Dia said, clearly miffed. They both fell silent, watching the fire sadly. A couple minutes passed, and Dia decided it’d be best to introduce herself. “Hey, uhh…”
“What?” snapped the blonde girl, turning her head to look at Dia.
Dia nervously backed away, but continued, “Um… I’m Dia Tsushima, what’s your name?”
“I’m…” The blonde girl had a sort of faraway look in her eyes. “I’m Mari Ohara. I was the one who… I’m the reason Ruby’s in jail.” A tear rolled down her cheek. “I teased her too much… My girlfriend beat up her best friend… Now she’s in jail cause I couldn’t keep my stupid mouth shut, her best friend is dead already and soon she’ll be too. I’m a murderer.” Her voice broke. Mari seemed to honestly regret what she had done. Dia put an arm around her shoulder.
“Hey, Mari, it’s okay, we all make mistakes… I plan on saving Ruby and escaping with her. I’m from the convent, my mother-” Dia caught herself, “Um, the high priestess, my adoptive mother, I’m sure she’ll forgive you.”
Mari seemed interested. “Convent? Isn’t that a holy place? Ah, do you really think Christ will forgive me?” she asked. There was a sense of hope in her voice.
Dia nodded. “I truly believe it. You know what you did wrong, and that’s what’s important. It’s not the fact that you killed someone, it’s that you regret it.”
Surprisingly, Mari hugged Dia. Someone who was a stranger not only ten minutes ago was now hugging Dia like her life depended on it. And in some ways, perhaps it did.
“Now, Mari, in order to save Ruby, I’ll need your help. Where’s the prison at?” Dia asked, patting Mari’s back.
“To the east a little. I’ll show you the way.”
“Thank you so much, Mari.”
~~~~~~~
Ruby awoke to the sound of a door screeching open. She looked up from the floor of her cell. Standing in front of her was that bully, Mari Ohara, as well as an unfamiliar girl with long brown hair. “Wh-what?” she asked groggily.
Mari knelt down and put her hands around the bars of Ruby’s cell. “Ruby… I am so sorry. I got Chika killed, I have no excuse but I promise I won’t let you die too.”
The brown haired girl seemed to be investigating the cell walls, mumbling something under her breath.
“I… don't know if I can forgive you, Mari…” Ruby replied.
A tear rolled down Mari’s cheek. “Please, just let me save you!” she cried out. Mari suddenly stood up and began to search through the pile of rubble to her right. Whatever she was looking for, she couldn't find it.
The brown haired girl approached Ruby’s cell. “Hello, um, I'm Dia, I think I'm your twin sister?”
Ruby stared in awe. Dia put her hand in her sister’s and both girls felt an odd sensation go through their bodies. It was charged with electric passion and love for each other.
Dia looked Ruby is the eyes and began to tear up. “Ruby… I've been missing you my whole life, and now I've found you. I only learned of your existence today but I feel as though I've been searching for you my whole life,” she mumbled.
Ruby nodded and began to cry, too. Dia was now sobbing. The sisters held hands and comforted each other, until Mari let out a loud, “Aha!” and ran back to Ruby’s cell. She was holding a slender metal rod.
“What's that?” Dia asked, wondering if that could help break Ruby out.
“It's a lockpick!” Mari said triumphantly. “Dry your eyes, Ruby, nobody’s going to be burnt tonight.”
Dia frowned and said, “A-are you sure?” She looked like she was contemplating something. Mari didn't seem to hear.
“C’mon, Kurosawas! Let's escape,” Mari grinned. As she was speaking, her hands were already moving the metal rod into the lock. She jiggled it around a few times, and eventually the three girls heard a little click . The lock opened.
Ruby stepped out of the cell and was immediately embraced by Dia. “My sister… I love you,” Ruby whispered. The three of them walked toward the front of the building.
Outside, there was shouting. They could hear the villagers pounding on the door.
“Has it been an hour already?” Mari asked, surprised. Dia had a defeated expression on her face.
The door broke. At the front of the crowd was a woman with long, red-pink hair. Ruby could hear Dia gasp and whisper, “Riko? No, there's no way…”
Behind the first woman was Chika’s mom. “Please, Mrs. Sakurauchi, don't hurt her!” she begged, barely audible above the shouting.
The other woman, presumably Mrs. Sakurauchi, pushed Mrs. Takami to the side.
Ruby was frozen in place, unable to move except for a few shaky breaths. Then, she heard Dia shout.
It was the second time she'd heard the word today. Run .
Dia pulled Ruby along the corridor, and she regained the ability to move. They ran and ran, until they came to a dead end. “Where's Mari?” asked Dia, panting.
“I don't know,” Ruby murmured.
It was probably thirty seconds before they could Mari’s footsteps coming down the hall, but to Ruby, it felt like hours. She was breathing heavily. “God, I'm not used to running!”
Dia chuckled. “If my sister was here- no, my adopted sister, Riko, she'd be on your case for ‘saying the Lord’s name in vain’ or whatever.” Her face fell. It was clear that she missed Riko.
“I can't wait to meet her! I think I'll love it at the convent,” Mari said, gushing with excitement. She walked over to investigate the bar windows.
Convent? Was Mari escaping with them and heading to a holy place? Of course Mari was escaping with them. She’d be put on trial for helping a witch. So they were going to become nuns. Dia was wearing nun clothing, after all, it would make sense if that's where she was from.
All of this flashed through Ruby’s mind in the space of a few seconds. Just then, Ruby got a vision. “Ahh!” she screeched, falling to the ground.
“Ruby! What's wrong?” Dia asked frantically, squatting next to her.
From the windows, Mari said, “Oh, she's doing her witch thing. She falls to the ground and her eyes glow then she says something creepy and it comes true.”
Ruby couldn't deny that. Her visions were always abruptly cut off, and this one was no different. She could see a very clear future. “Only one of us will get out alive,” she choked, tears falling down her face.
All of a sudden, Mari’s face looked like it'd turned to steel. Her expression was full of anger and determination. “I'll let them have me. You two figure out who lives.” She began to walk quickly.
“Mari, no!” Ruby cried out.
Mari stopped and looked back at Ruby. There were tears in her eyes. “I can distract them. Plus, I have to… I'm a killer.” She started jogging down the hall.
Ruby screamed for Mari to come back as Dia held her. “Ruby… it's too late,” she said quietly. Ruby sobbed into Dia’s shoulder.
“Dia… are you gonna leave, too?” Ruby asked, not sure if she wanted to hear the answer. More tears slipped down her cheeks and she stared at the ground dejectedly.
Dia brushed a lock of Ruby’s hair out of her face. “I'm so sorry. Ruby, I love you, but I came here to save you. And that's exactly what I'm going to do.”
The next few moments were a whirlwind of panic and grief. Dia was holding the metal rod from earlier- She lifted it toward her chest- Descending- Dia fell to the ground as the metal pierced her heart. Ruby’s sister was dead.
A voice echoed in Ruby’s head. Run . It was Chika. No, that can't be right- Chika is dead. However, Mari’s distraction would not hold off the mob for long, so Ruby thought it best to obey the command.
By some miracle, Ruby managed to find a weak spot in the wall. She shoved her entire body against it and managed to bust a hole in the wall.
It was dawn when Ruby stopped running. She was deep in a forest, with nobody around. It was eerily quiet.
She sat down and cried. Chika, her best friend, died trying to protect her from Mari. Mari died trying to protect her from the villagers. And Dia… she had sacrificed herself for the sake of Ruby’s survival.
Ruby felt fear grip her heart, and she took off again. “I can't stop… not now, not ever,” she mumbled.
~~~~~~~
Ruby stood at the edge of a cliff, exhausted. It had been days of nonstop movement to get away from the village, away from any
“I'm tired of running!” she shouted. “I'm not going to run away anymore. I'll take one last step to freedom…”
The plummet down the cliff was far. Ruby didn't regret taking that step. In her last moments, she remembered Chika's smiling face, Mari’s dedication to justice, and most of all, Dia’s selfless sacrifice. Arguably, they died in vain. But as Ruby reminisced on the past, she could feel something in her heart tell her that this was for the best. She didn't want to spend the rest of her life in paranoia. Smiling one last time, Ruby closed her eyes and embraced her fate.
Even in death, Ruby would never see her sister again.
After all, saints go to heaven, and witches go to hell.