Genre: fighting anime, martial arts, wuxia, melodrama
Length: 9 chapters, each ~69kb
I posted this on FFML a while back, not sure if anyone remembers. After a
hiatus, I went back to it and decided I would finish as much of it as
possible before throwing it out in the open for peer review. Now that it is
in that stage nearing completion, some feedback on it would be greatly
appreciated. All chapters, along with the formatted draft, can be found at
http://kalciane.tnim.org/ab, although I'll be posting all nine chapters in
due time.
_____
.01. - Reiya
The clouds had obscured the moonlight, leaving the city beneath shrouded in
inky darkness. The buildings formed a jungle that reached high up towards
the skyline, an amalgam of concrete and metal. It was already late into the
night; the streets were devoid of people with the occasional piercing yowl
of a cat being the only sign of life. Lights curved above the deserted
sidewalk, casting pale yellow circles through the enveloping blackness.
A faint shuffling marked the presence of a lonely couple, their faces weary
as they trudged steadily down the sidewalk and towards the flickering
lights of a gas station up ahead. He was supporting her with one arm, their
breaths coming raggedly from their chests, sending plumes of mist spiraling
in the air. His car had ran out of gas a few miles back, and the mere sight
of the dingy gasoline pumps was enough to make them start walking more
briskly over the gravel-covered dirt road.
But the time spent walking had taken its toll; she nearly fell, her ankle
giving way as she tripped over an empty soda can. He reached out to support
her, catching her loosely in his arms with a smooth motion.
"We're almost there," he said reassuringly. "Hang on."
But she wasn't looking at him, her gaze shifting to focus over his
shoulder. The man blinked in mild confusion before turning around to see
what she was pointing at - and as he did the shadow of something very large
and fast swooped just out of his peripheral vision. A sudden wind whistled
by from its passing, raising goose bumps on his neck. It was cold... very
cold... and as he scrambled back to his feet, he could feel that it was
right behind him.
He turned around and came face-to-face with a lumbering shape that seemed
made of the night itself, its form blurred and indistinct. Deep, piercing
pupiless eyes shone a malevolent red that looked directly into his soul...
and in that moment, he realized that he was too frightened to move.
It wasn't until he heard the screams of his girlfriend that he felt himself
moving, struggling to tackle her out of the way as the thing raised a dark
paw. The sidewalk all but exploded as the beast slammed its limb downwards,
the concrete flying apart in a cloud of dust and debris. He scrambled
desperately off to the side away from the monster, reaching for his pocket
- only to be lifted bodily off the ground as the creature lumbered forward
with incongruous speed, slamming its fist into his stomach.
He barely had time to gasp in shock before pain exploded through his body,
his mind blacking out quickly after. With a triumphant roar, the monster
wheeled about, raising its arm high up above the woman. By now, she was too
terrified to scream, and she silently raised her arms futilely to ward off
the impending blow...
... a blow that never came.
A strange, sharp sound resounded through the air behind her, followed by
the dulled impact of the monster's limb hitting the dusty pavement. Another
roar split the night air as ichor spurted from the stump, the demon's life
pooling darkly on the concrete.
The thing barely had time to turn around just as a silver burst of light
shone through the darkness, slashing its other arm cleanly off. It
screamed, the pain maddening its senses, before deciding on simply charging
forward in a blind attempt to lash out at its attacker. The woman shrieked
as the creature rapidly closed the distance between them. She scrambled
backwards in a desperate attempt at escape... just as another blinding
flash of light tore downwards through the demon's body.
When the light faded, she saw someone standing in front of her: a girl
calmly holding a sword glowing with faint blue light in her hands. She
remained in place for what seemed like an eternity before taking a step
forward, pushing the monster's body quietly with one hand. The creature
staggered back and toppled over onto the sidewalk in two pieces, quickly
dissolving into the air in sparkles of emerald light until there was
nothing left.
The woman tried to form words, to articulate her utter disbelief. That was
when the girl turned around. She was young, her features delicate but
sharp, dressed in a blue long-sleeved jacket and a neat black skirt. Every
detail of her appearance burned itself into the woman's mind as she took in
the sight. White socks, plain black sneakers. A silver bracelet around her
right wrist, with an arrowhead charm dangling loosely from it. The sword in
her hand was still shimmering, its surface humming with life.
She smiled and reached out with her free hand, offering to help the woman
up. "Are you all right?" she said, her expression calm. "Your friend took a
bad hit earlier, but he'll be fine."
"I..." the woman stuttered, eyeing the sword nervously and wondering
exactly what was going on here. No answers came immediately to mind. "Um..."
"Hm?" the girl said, her hand still stretched outwards expectantly.
The woman tried to articulate the rush of thoughts in her head and managed
to come up with only one question. "Who... who are you?"
"Ah," the girl said, smiling once more. "That's not important... but if you
must know, my name is Reiya."
__________
Angelblade
by Jeffrey Yang
08.22.02 to 09.21.02
__________
Her name was Reiya indeed: Reiya Eice, one of the employees at the local
Book-Zilla chain store in the city of Hoshimi. She was seventeen, a young
soul who had chosen not to walk the same path as her friends. At a younger
age, Reiya's parents had passed away in an automotive accident, leaving her
on her own in the world. There had been no tears or fits of depression.
Instead, she simply went home from the local high school one day and did
not come back for a long time - even her friends lost track of where she
went off to - until they met again at the store just a few miles away from
the very border of the city.
She strode across the parking lot with her bike in tow, one hand
preoccupied with smoothing out the front of her uniform. One of the
benefits of not having to worry about school was the peace of mind it
brought about. One of the drawbacks was not being able to really afford
anything she would have wanted a few years ago... a large house, countless
dresses, and her own shiny car. On the other hand, it did provide her with
ample opportunities for exercise, and she didn't really have any other choices.
Reiya chained the bike to the rack placed neatly in front of the store and
pushed the door open, stepping inside against a cool rush of air. It was
only a few minutes past two, and as such, the store was mostly empty. Her
co-worker glanced up from his magazine and smiled, waving briefly before
turning his attention back to his article. She smiled faintly in return -
making sure to keep the exchange mute - and made her way behind the counter
to get ready for her shift, thinking over the details of last night.
The couple had been fortunate, in that she had decided to take a walk last
night. Ever since she had discovered her Guardian, she had been having
premonitions: dark, chilling moments when her heart throbbed with a
sensation of dread that left her shivering for minutes afterwards. She had
one right as she was about to go to bed, and as such she had decided to
take a look around the neighborhood to make sure everything was all right.
She took a stack of magazines from the back room (ones that her co-worker
was supposed to have put out on display) and meandered over to the shelves,
not bothering to mention it to him as she passed. The woman had looked so
terrified as she stood over them, her Guardian in hand; perhaps she hadn't
realized the situation she was in, the shock of seeing the demon too much
for her mind to handle. To Reiya, however, it was just another demon, one
of many that had started prowling the streets of Hoshimi. The manifestation
of her Guardian was obviously a sign for her to protect those weaker than
herself, and that was exactly what she had chosen to do.
Reiya began to lay out each of the magazines carefully, making sure they
were sitting correctly on the shelves before moving on to the next section.
Her job with the bookstore wasn't the most thrilling, but it was necessary
for her to survive. Her other job with the demons was far less mundane, one
she didn't let anyone but her closest friends - those with Guardians as
well - know about.
The bells on the door chimed softly as it swung open. She glanced up from
her work, expecting to see a few kids who had left classes early to pick up
the latest issue of some comic or magazine... and was mildly surprised when
she saw two of her friends standing in the doorway, peeking around
curiously. The girl, obviously the younger of the two, was glancing about
with a delighted look on her face. Her features were pleasingly smooth, her
eyes and hair a soft brown. Two tiny ribbons adorned the braids at the
sides of her face, which bounced lightly to and fro as she walked further
in. The young man standing besides her was looking a bit apprehensive, and
once inside he immediately made his way towards Reiya, his expression
growing more concerned as he approached.
"Are you all right?" he said, glancing furtively over at the co-worker to
make sure he wasn't listening. Reiya just looked slightly bemused at all
the sudden attention, not responding right away. She took her time in
setting the remainder of the magazines on a table close by, humming softly
as she did so until she could feel the heat of his scowl upon her.
"Is something wrong, Toji? Why wouldn't I be all right?" she finally said,
pulling out the seat for him. "What's Minaki doing here?"
Toji followed Reiya's glance as she looked past his shoulder towards the
young girl, who was now toying around with some pamphlets on the counter.
"She was worried too," he said quietly as he took a seat. "We heard about
what happened."
"See you tomorrow!" Reiya called out as her co-worker headed on out the
door, leaving the three of them alone inside. With him gone, Reiya's
expression and tone both became firm. "I can handle myself. You don't have
to worry about me losing my head out there."
"That's not really the problem." Toji kept his gaze upon Minaki as she made
her way from the pamphlets over to a stack of gift cards, noting her
wide-eyed exuberance as she riffled through the variety. "You aren't
supposed to go out by yourself, Reiya. You know that."
Reiya nodded absently and moved to resume her arranging, gesturing for Toji
to stay seated as he began to rise up from his chair. "I know. If you want,
I'll apologize to you, even though it's not going to change anything. I
came out of it alive, and the demon didn't... it's as simple as that."
"And what if you hadn't?" His eyes strayed towards the bracelet she wore
constantly, upon the arrowhead pointing away from her hand.
"Then I would've died doing something I was destined to do."
Toji shook his head in disbelief as he looked away to focus upon her back.
"Reiya, please... don't shut me out right now," he pleaded. "You felt it
again, didn't you? There wouldn't have been any other reason for you to go
otherwise."
His words caused her to pause in her steps, one hand poised to place an
issue of Gamers Watch on the shelf. Silence filled the space in between,
interrupted only by Minaki's footsteps as she began to move into the aisles
of books placed in the middle of the store. Reiya turned to look at him,
her expression still cautious and reserved. "I felt it, yes."
"Why didn't you at least try to contact us?" Toji persisted. "We would've
been able to help - "
"It wasn't difficult at all."
"Even so..."
Reiya smiled abruptly, a genuinely warm and friendly smile. "What does
Minaki think? Minaki, are you there?"
"Here!" The voice came from somewhere in the midst of the bookshelves,
sweet and soft.
"Minaki, tell her what you told me," Toji said, sounding vaguely
exasperated now. "She isn't listening to me at all."
Minaki came bounding out, carrying a few issues of Heart Heart Delight, her
latest obsession. "Oh, you mean Reiya?" she said. "She's not listening
because she's right."
Toji blanched. "What?!"
"See?" Reiya said, trying her hardest to not look satisfied. "Minaki knows
what's going on. But seriously, Toji, if there had been a problem I
would've called for you. I never planned to go out there on my own, you
know... it just sort of... happened."
He didn't look satisfied with that answer. "Look. Reiya. I can't help it if
I worry, all right?" He frowned, then ran a hand through his short black
hair, trying to come up with a way to say what he wanted to without
sounding too forward. "It's been almost a year already... the least you can
do is to give us a chance."
Reiya nodded. "Thanks... I appreciate it." She finished arranging the
magazines and headed back towards the counter to grab the rest of the
month's stock. "I'm going out tonight for a routine check. You two can come
along if you want. If you're not busy, that is... um, I don't mean to sound
snobby about it."
Toji shrugged, watching Minaki go up to the counter with the latest issues
of Heart Heart Delight in her hands, her purse already opened. "I have a
test tomorrow... you know how it goes. Minaki should be fine, though."
"I'll be fine," Minaki said, nodding as she pushed the magazines towards
Reiya. "Could you give me a discount? Please?"
Reiya smiled and shook her head no. "Sorry... college students with valid
IDs and senior citizens only. Maybe when you're older."
"Aww..."
"All right. Well, I guess I'm going then," Toji said, dropping a little
piece of paper he had been unconsciously folding all along. A few more
seconds and it would have been a tiny paper crane. He picked up his
backpack and headed for the door, turning around and leaning against it as
he watched the transaction. "I'll see about dropping by later this week...
we'll be around at the usual place after school as well. Try to be there,
all right?"
She nodded idly from behind the cash register. "I'll try."
For a moment, Toji felt all of his frustrations piling up as she remained
her noncommittal, unflappable self. "If you're not there, I'm not going,"
he muttered.
"I'll be there." Reiya peeled a few bills from the drawer, smiling at him
as she handed the change to Minaki. "I promise."
_____
Her shift ended sometime between nine and ten, during that time when the
store was closed to the public but not the employees. Business had been
surprisingly good that day considering it was the middle of the week,
leaving Reiya a bit pressed to manage the entire store by herself. The
district manager was often out and about doing other things, leaving the
task of running the store to its employees. There were currently only four
people working at the Hoshimi branch: Reiya, her co-worker, and two other
college students who came in at odd hours. Between them, she often found
herself carrying the brunt of the responsibilities.
However, it wasn't something that she really minded. There was a certain
tranquility about the bookstore, and she took comfort in it when she didn't
want to think about her other job. It wasn't a matter of hiding from
destiny; the plain fact of the matter was that she had to remain practical.
If she couldn't provide for herself, there was no way she could be expected
to provide for others... and *that* would have been avoiding her fate. Her
ability to help others hinged on her own well being, something Reiya had
learned forcefully after her parents' accident.
She unlocked her bicycle from the rack, the metallic clinks silencing the
crickets in the bushes. The parking lot was already mostly empty, save for
a couple of part-timers left over from the fast-food joint on the other
side of the plaza. A line of cars stopped at the traffic light, engines
humming as they waited for the signal. Reiya swung her leg over the bike
seat, making herself comfortable; one firm kick and the bike was speeding
down the concrete walkways. Once she left the plaza, she took a detour down
a back road, gradually increasing in speed until her black hair trailed in
the breeze.
The mission tonight was supposed to be with Minaki. Toji was still in the
middle of exam week, and he was even more uptight about maintaining his
standards of reality than Reiya was; it was no surprise that he had come up
with a rather thin excuse to not go with them. His sudden concern had taken
her somewhat by surprise, though, as he was the one who had always been the
least interested in his Guardian. While Reiya - and Minaki, to an extent -
had willingly embraced their powers, Toji had always been the reluctant
one. It was another reason why she hadn't bothered to ask Toji to help,
even though he indicated that he would have wanted to.
Her legs pumped steadily as she directed her bike down the darkened
streets, the lights overhead stopping short as she proceeded further into
the residential areas. For some reason the city officials had opted to
leave this part of town in the dark, perhaps from lack of funding. As a
result, she had only the light of the moon to guide her towards Minaki's
house, which was located somewhere in the maze of turns and cul-de-sacs she
was maneuvering through. Reiya never understood why Minaki's parents chose
to live in this part of town, save perhaps for the fact that it was quite
picturesque when it was daytime.
She still remembered the time they first met, which had also been when her
Guardian first emerged. It seemed so long ago, back at a time when she
still thought that she would be able to make something of herself in
school. She had been in the middle of math class when she saw a tiny green
butterfly flitting about in the air. Before she could wonder why no one
else had noticed, or why it was inside the classroom to begin with, it had
dove towards her hand, embedding itself inside her skin.
There had been no pain, even as something warm made its way deep through
her flesh until its presence vanished entirely.
She remembered the panic, growing exponentially until she felt herself
choking on fear. She was barely able to speak loud enough to ask to be
excused, stumbling down the hallway towards the girls' bathroom. Once
inside, she turned the knob on the faucet as far as it would go, holding
her hand underneath the stream of cool water to see if anything would happen.
For almost an entire minute, nothing did... then white-hot heat lanced
through her forearm as sapphire light shot from her palm, a high-pitched
ringing echoing from the tiles. Reiya screamed and recoiled away from the
sink, eyes squeezing shut. She felt herself backing into the wall as the
last vestiges of her cry faded. When she opened her eyes, she saw a sword
lying on the ground in front of her, the blade emanating a soft blue aura.
This wasn't right. It wasn't right at all. She stared at the sword, then at
her hands, which were glowing with a fading light. That weapon had come
from somewhere within her arm, somehow. It had to be because of that green
butterfly... what was going on? It wasn't right... it wasn't right at all!
Reiya clenched her fist, the light leaking between her curled fingers. Was
this a sign of some sort?
"Miss Eice?"
That voice, sweet and tinged with uncertainty. Reiya glanced up to see a
girl standing there, her eyes warm and shimmering with strange hope. Hope?
Yes, it was hope... she didn't understand why, but she was certain of what
she saw. She didn't know the girl personally, although she had heard a fair
share of rumors floating around campus about Minaki Harado, the perfect
girl. It was too late for a formal introduction now, though...
Reiya forced herself to relax, laughing softly as she let her arms drop
loosely at her sides. "Hello, Miss Harado. What a strange coincidence."
Minaki blinked in confusion, making a soft questioning noise as she stepped
further inside. "You should call me Minaki. Everyone else does. What were
you doing, Miss Eice?"
"... nothing," Reiya muttered, her hand clenching once more. This time, no
light came forth. The only remainder of the power within her was the weapon
laying on the ground between them.
"Your hand was glowing... and there's a sword on the floor."
"Um, about that..." Reiya stepped forward, knowing that there was no way
she could hide the thing - but the least she could do was to make sure it
was out of Minaki's way, in case it came to life.
But Minaki only smiled, completely unafraid. "It's all right, Miss Eice,"
she said, reaching for the other girl's hand as she moved closer. Reiya,
however, backed away immediately, stomping down on the sword and dragging
it across the tiles with a sharp rattling. "I saw it but I won't tell
anyone. It's a secret between us, all right?"
"I... suppose so." She had heard stories about Minaki, and in the end it
turned out that the accounts - which had sounded exaggerated at the least -
were not too far from the mark. Minaki was supposedly a shy and extremely
childish girl, traits that stemmed from her sheltered upbringing before she
transferred to Hoshimi Academy. Reiya furrowed her brows, puzzled by the
response. A secret? This was not a game... it was something that should not
have been.
"I'll tell you a secret too so we can be even. But only if you promise not
to tell anyone else, okay?" Minaki's smile brightened further as she
offered her curled fist with pinky finger extended.
Reiya looked briefly around, wondering why she was still in the bathroom of
all places; she had a class to get back to, and her teacher was probably on
the verge of sending someone out to find out where she had gone off to.
Best to get this over with quickly. She extended her own pinky and hooked
it around Minaki's, sealing the promise as solemnly as a child would
have... a pinky swear was a pact not to be broken by time or distance.
Minaki seemed pleased enough by that, and quickly hopped back to leave a
bit of space between the two of them. As Reiya looked on silently, she
lifted her hand up and to the side, splaying her fingers outwards, eyes
closing in concentration. Bright light suddenly coalesced in front of the
girl, reflecting pools of white onto the ground and walls. Something began
to form from the orb of energy spinning in the air, taking shape by shades
and degrees as it traced the outline of a vaguely humanoid figure. A faint
gust of wind sparked by the gathering of energy swirled about, rippling
Reiya's skirt slightly.
The light and power gradually took the shape of a tall woman, standing
proudly before them. She was a being of color and strength, bearing
luxurious wings whose feathers were a rich purple. Her hair was a fiery
red, flowing down her back in a wild mane. On her limbs was a set of white
bracers and greaves, each fringed with gold and inset with a sapphire gem.
Her form was enclosed within a deep navy blue bodysuit, her upper half
covered with a white breastplate that bore sapphires upon the
shoulderplates. Her entire presence was majestic and radiant, the
aspiration of a young girl's dreams. Reiya found herself too awestruck to
speak, her mind taking in every detail of the angel's luxurious frame.
Minaki smiled happily and wrapped her arms around the being's waist from
behind. "This is my friend. I named her Kalciane... and she's my secret."
She peeked around Kalciane's right wing, looking at Reiya quite seriously.
"You promised to keep the secret... so you will, right?"
"Um... I guess so," Reiya mumbled, her eyes still wide. Was this power of
hers the same as what she could do? Why wasn't she the only one? The
questions began to pile on top of themselves, and Reiya found herself
unable to think any more - she fainted, sliding against the wall to land in
a heap upon the tiles.
Minaki had taken her to the school clinic, and after school the two of them
talked for hours in the deserted courtyard in front of the science
building. They came to understand that the beings called themselves
Guardians, who granted powers to their respective Hosts. At first, Reiya
saw no use for her Guardian, which seemed to be nothing more than a sword.
But as time passed, the two girls began to speak with each other more
frequently, discovering things from each other gradually. It sounded
reasonable enough that they were given their powers for a reason, and so
Reiya decided that she would discover what it was...
... which was why she was now cutting across the deserted road on her bike,
slowing down as she crossed the street towards Minaki's home. The
neighborhood had recently been developed and was now undergoing vigorous
construction, giving Reiya plenty of debris to avoid as she gradually made
her way closer. Somehow, even amidst all the rubbish and materials strewn
about the various house skeletons lining both sides of the street, Minaki's
home remained a comfortable presence, nestled at the end all by itself.
Reiya found herself smiling as she pulled up the driveway, her earlier
doubts almost wholly gone from her mind.
Setting the bike down off to the side of the garage, she walked up to the
front entrance and pressed the doorbell. The door opened almost instantly,
the soft glow of muted lighting from the interior casting Minaki's face in
an angelic fashion. Reiya smiled warmly at her and waved lightly. "Good
evening, Minaki."
"Hi, Reiya!" she said happily, pushing open the screen door and all but
hopping out to greet her. "You're late. Was it busy tonight?"
Reiya flipped her hand back and forth lightly to indicate indifference.
"You can say that... are you ready to go?"
"Uh huh. Mama and Papa said I couldn't be out too late, though... it's
almost time for tests." Minaki peered anxiously upwards, almost as if she
was asking for the demons to take the night off.
Reiya simply nodded and stepped slowly away from the door. She could see
Minaki's parents in the living room behind the screen door, waving and
smiling at their daughter's guardian. It wasn't the first time she had been
through this, yet it never failed to disturb her each time. Her parents
knew of Minaki's Guardian and abilities. They looked to Reiya as a
protector and mentor, entrusting their daughter's life in her hands.
*When did this responsibility get placed on me?* she wondered to herself,
waving slowly in return before turning around towards the garage door. With
a strong tug on the handle, Reiya hiked the door open, hearing the springs
creak laboriously. *I'm in the same situation she's in... and there's no
one to protect me.*
"Reiya? What are you thinking?" came Minaki's voice from the garage. She
had always been able to sense when Reiya wasn't feeling herself ever since
they came to know each other; it was something that hedged the line between
pure luck and intuition. Reiya found it to be both irritating and relieving
at the same time; at least *someone* was able to tell when she wasn't
feeling herself, but on the same token Minaki also wasn't the person she
wanted to talk to about some of her problems. She knew that Toji's
abilities were not as developed, so he had no way of just knowing like
Minaki did - nor was he as sensitive as the girl was.
"Nothing important," she answered, lifting her bike upwards as Minaki came
out with her own bike, wearing a pink helmet, elbowpads, and kneepads to
boot. "We should go now before it gets too late."
"Okay." Minaki hopped onto the seat and was immediately off, making her way
down another street that would eventually open out into a different part of
town. "Tell me about your day, Reiya."
Reiya smiled again as she followed behind Minaki, the wind casting their
words behind them. "You seem rather interested..."
"I just want to know. Is that wrong?"
"Not at all," Reiya replied, mulling over what exactly had happened aside
from the usual events of running a bookstore. "Let's see..."
_____
The two of them made their way out towards an unfinished part of the city
where the sidewalks were littered with tattered posters requesting that the
passerbys excuse the dust. Grimy tarp flapped lazily in a cool night
breeze, managing to hide only the first floor of a skyscraper under
construction, the site surrounded by a flimsy chain link fence. Minaki and
Reiya peered upwards briefly as the moon disappeared behind a few clouds,
leaving the area shrouded in blackness. They set their bikes onto the
ground carefully and minced their way up to the locked gates, peeking at
the barbed wire atop the fence.
Reiya looked slightly amused as she crouched down to tighten the laces on
her sneakers. "This is where it has to be," she said. "You can feel it too,
right?"
"Uh huh." Minaki smoothed out the front of her skirt, legs tensing. In a
single graceful leap, she flew through the air and cleared the fence
easily, landing softly on the other side. Reiya followed a second later,
and the two of them stretched their hands out to the side at the same time.
Warm light infused the surrounding air, Minaki's Guardian taking shape as
Reiya's Guardian snaked slowly from her extended hand. Energy bled from
their fingertips as each Guardian took shape, resolving into solidity at
the exact same moment; Kalciane brushed a few locks of her hair aside,
moving forward while Reiya flipped her sword around against her forearm.
"Stay on the lookout," she said quietly, knowing that Minaki hardly needed
to be told. The demon's presence was especially strong in this area, an
unsettling feeling in the back of their minds that would not go away. There
had been a surge in demon attacks after Reiya had discovered her Guardian,
and none of them had any idea as to why they showed up or where they came
from. But that didn't matter to her at this point; after the first demon,
she realized why she had been given her power, and that understanding was
why she was here.
The three of them had settled on letting the enemy make the first move,
biding their time by holding off the attacks as they came. They waited for
the real enemy, knowing that sooner or later he would have to show himself
- and at that time, they would finally understand the truth behind
everything. What their Guardians really were... where they came from... and
why they had been the ones to receive them. As firm as Reiya was in her
conviction, she knew that her friends were not as sure as she was -
It came from the left.
With a blur of lavender and blue, Kalciane was in motion, her wings
outstretched as she flew upwards. Reiya followed the angel, leaping
gracefully onto the beams that supported the second story of the building.
She whirled around as something flashed by in the corner of her vision, too
quick for her to see clearly. It darted back and forth until it had made
its way higher, perching on the beams overhead in waiting. Kalciane's wings
snapped open as she gave chase, her fists clenching in anticipation.
Reiya smiled to herself and twirled her sword outwards, the blade
flickering with bluish light as a strange, high-pitched ringing pealed
forth. "Let's go, Setsuna..."
The sparks and bursts of light overhead was a clear sign that Kalciane had
already found the enemy. Reiya quickly made her way down the railing,
leaping up one story at a time until she was close enough to see the angel
and demon locked in combat. Kalciane appeared to have the upper hand,
pressing the offense with a quick series of punches and kicks; however, the
demon also seemed to have little problem evading, weaving its body back and
forth between the assault as its crimson eyes regarded the Guardian warily.
Something was wrong, Reiya decided as she drew closer. The demons had never
been this strong, especially against Kalciane. Though Minaki was still
young, the bond between her Guardian and herself was unnaturally strong;
she was undeniably the strongest of the three of them, and yet the angel's
attacks were shunted aside carelessly, even as she forced the demon closer
towards the edge of the railing.
Minaki seemed to sense it as well and frowned, her hands balling into
fists. "Come on, Kal," she whispered, her eyes narrowed with determination.
"What's wrong? You're better than this! Come on!"
As if in response, the demon let out a piercing screech and lashed its arm
out in a vicious hook, catching Kalciane directly in the face. The Guardian
staggered back, trying to regain her balance on the narrow girder before
tumbling off in a blur of light. For an instant, it looked almost as if she
would fall to the ground... but then one hand shot outwards to grip the
edge of the railing, the metal shrieking in protest as it crumpled beneath
her grip. With a powerful swing, the angel propelled herself upwards and
above the beam, flipping in the air and landing back on the girder solidly
upon both feet.
The demon charged towards Kalciane, a low growl rumbling from its chest as
it raised one paw upwards - but a burst of blue light cleaved through the
air quicker than it could strike. The monster barely managing to spin in
time to intercept Reiya's sword, and metal met claw in a vicious screech as
both Host and beast locked together in tight conflict. Deep in the thing's
eyes, it appeared to be laughing at her... humor borne out of spite and no
small amount of madness...
With a curdling roar, the demon jerked its massive arm around, flinging
Reiya away and into a beam. White energy flared out from the point of
impact, the guardrail twisting violently beneath her body. She gasped in
shock, but was back up in a flash, balancing herself carefully with her
sword poised against her forearm. The blow hadn't exactly hurt, although it
did manage to knock her windless - and her Guardian, who had been
protecting her, sent a torrent of warning thoughts at her as twinges of
alarm raced along her arm.
*Don't worry,* she thought back reassuringly. *We'll be fine.*
Kalciane was already back in action, having intercepted the demon before it
could reach her. Minaki was standing in front of Reiya, watching the battle
tensely as it was became increasingly clear that they most definitely did
not have the advantage this time. The monster had little problem holding
off the onslaught of punches and kicks that the angel was delivering and
was even starting to retaliate, shifting the battle uneasily close towards
the edge of the platform. Reiya twisted her sword around slightly,
readjusting her grip upon it. Perhaps this was the enemy's move. Perhaps
this was what they had been waiting for.
The demon suddenly ducked as Kalciane went for a high roundhouse, wrapping
one paw about her leg. There was no time for her to react; the demon
shifted its weight and swung its entire body around in a massive shoulder
check that sent the Guardian flying. Kalciane managed to turn herself
around in mid-flight, using her leg to push off from a beam and propel
herself back at the demon... but it was too late. The demon was already
beneath her - having anticipated the move - and easily parried her incoming
kick, using the angel's momentum to fling her away into the elevator cage.
"*Damn* it!" Reiya swore as Kalciane tumbled limply onto the platform,
dashing forward while bringing Setsuna upwards. The demon lashed out with
its claws, its visage twisted in what looked like a grin of triumph. She
easily deflected the strike with a flick of her wrist and lunged forward,
thrusting her sword between the creature's claws and twisting sharply to
the left. A wet snap crackled through the air and the demon roared in
maddened pain, stumbling backwards blindly - and Reiya blurred forward,
capitalizing with a kick to the creature's torso that packed enough force
to send it pitching over the edge with a pained howl.
She paused to catch her breath, glancing backwards to make sure Minaki and
Kalciane were all right as she stepped towards the edge of the platform.
There had been no sound of impact. The demon was still alive.
"Minaki, get ready," Reiya murmured.
A high-pitched scream cut through the air, and Reiya dove backwards,
flipping away neatly as jagged claws raked the space she had just been in.
The demon burst out from under the platform a second later, both arms
raised high as thick streams of dark blood seeped down one sinewy arms. It
clenched its paw as if to attack - but instead, it simply remained still as
the air about it began to bleed a deep hue of red that seemed to blend into
the night sky. Trails of crimson light erupted from its broken claws a
moment later as the demon swung fiercely at the two, the energy sizzling
through the air with blinding speed.
Both Hosts leapt aside nimbly as the arcs of blood-red power tore
effortlessly through the steel and cement behind them. Reiya lifted Setsuna
upwards, readying herself to attack... just as the girders began to creak
and moan ominously around her, the top floors of the unfinished building
collapsing inwards as the foundation gave way in a widening cloud of dust
and debris. A hollow metallic cacophony filled the air as the entire
structure began to fall right on top of them, disintegrating in upon itself
one story at a time.
Reiya quickly leapt upwards to meet the incoming rush, darting deftly back
and forth between the collapsing girders, hopping off the ones she could
avoid and lifting Setsuna upwards to cut apart the ones she couldn't. Her
blade sang along the surface of the metal, flashing through the air with
deadly precision in bursts of silver-bluish light. Unfortunately, there was
no sign of Minaki or the demon; both were completely lost in the crush. But
Reiya was confident that the girl would be able to find her way out of it,
and as for the demon, she only hoped that its rage had finally been its own
undoing.
She sank to her knees as the last of the building's skeleton jangled its
way down against the interior of the structure, leaving her slumped on one
of the few remaining beams in the structure. All the noise had undoubtedly
awakened the entire neighborhood and probably half of the Hoshimi police
force; they had to get out of there as quickly as they could once they were
finished. Reiya staggered onto her feet, sinking the tip of her sword into
the girder for support. She would find Minaki and run home, if needed.
Hopefully their bikes hadn't been crushed beneath the assault -
- and without warning, the demon boiled upwards from within the mass of
metal, gibbering in pure unbridled anger and pain. Wings burst out from its
back in a decaying outline as it flew higher and higher, its twisted
silhouette outlined starkly against the emerging moon.
Reiya let out a soft gasp. Somehow she had not been able to anticipate or
sense the demon's presence at all, and by the time she realized what was
happening the demon was already on its way downwards, the claws on its feet
extended to cut her to ribbons in a single pass. She desperately raised
Setsuna to ward off the blow, knowing that it was already too late...
A blinding ray of azure light pierced the air right next to her ear, the
rush of energy tingling against her skin as it passed above her shoulder
and towards the demon. It struck true, an arrow of pure willpower and
energy throbbing with its own life inside the creature's chest, where its
heart would be if it had one. The demon seemed to hover in midair, not
comprehending its fate... until it clutched at the shaft of power that was
eating at it from within, letting out another pained roar once more that
split the night air.
It was the only chance she would have.
*Let me silence you,* Reiya murmured to herself mentally, bracing her sword
tightly in both hands as she leapt upwards. Blue light flared brightly from
the metal before spilling over into a brilliant crimson as she focused her
will and her strength into her Guardian. With a deft stroke, she whipped
the sword around and out in a wide arc as she approached the demon, the
blade digging into its flesh with ease. Then she was past, landing on the
remnants of the elevator platform.
The demon twitched once in midair, its body sliding apart in two perfect
halves that melted into nothingness before it touched the ground.
Reiya managed to remain standing for another few seconds before her legs
finally gave out, sending her sprawling onto the platform. Setsuna was gone
just as quickly, a faint flicker of bluish light being the only sign of its
passing. Kalciane and Minaki touched down moments later besides her, the
Host looking only slightly battered given the circumstances. Her Guardian,
though, was still radiant, every hair on her head perfectly in place, her
armor polished enough to reflect the moonlight.
"We have to go," Minaki said urgently, tugging at Reiya's torn jacket
sleeve and doing so again when it failed to elicit a response. "Reiya...
please..."
"I'm coming, I'm coming," Reiya mumbled, hauling herself up to her feet
with a bit of help. She peered down at the ground, where a cloud of dust
had gathered and was swirling around the base of the building. "Hopefully
our bikes are all right. I can't afford a new one right now..."
_____
As it turned out, their bikes were perfectly fine, if not a bit dusty. The
two of them wasted no time in speeding back the way they had come, making
sure to go a little bit faster than usual. It wasn't the first time that
they had caused property damage during a mission, but this time things had
gone a bit too far; Reiya was fairly sure that Hosts and Guardians weren't
common knowledge, and she intended to let things remain that way for the
time being. Getting caught up with the law would only cause more problems.
By the time they pulled up to the darkened driveway of Minaki's house, both
of them were breathless and generally uncomfortable, the dust and debris
from the battle caking their skin. Minaki hopped off her bike to open the
garage door for them, just barely managing to heave it upwards by herself.
*It's a strange contrast,* Reiya thought as she watched the girl push her
bike inside, dumping it unceremoniously to the side next to a pile of
towels that had been assembled for cleaning duty. *On one hand, she looks
so frail, and yet... Kalciane...*
"Reiya? Do you want some apple juice?"
She glanced down at Minaki, who was using one of the towels to brush as
much grime off herself as possible. "Apple j... oh." She was being asked if
she wanted to come in. "I suppose."
Minaki smiled and tossed the towel back into the pile, kicking her shoes
against the ground a few times. Dust rose in tiny clouds, twisting into
nothingness in the air. She pushed the door open and held it in place as
Reiya removed her torn blue jacket and her sneakers, walking in first into
the darkened hallway. There was not a single light on in the house; her
parents had already gone to bed, apparently entrusting Minaki to her care.
They moved silently down the hallways, eventually ending up in the
expansive kitchen. Minaki opened the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle
of juice, nudging the door closed with her foot as she reached across the
counter for glasses. Reiya took a seat at the dinner table, feeling
thoughtful and somewhat awkward. This was definitely a first for them both,
having been nearly defeated like this. She was going to have to spend the
next week or so figuring it out. There was a good chance that another one
or two attacks would come in that time, but...
"We have to be quiet," Minaki said as she tilted the bottle to fill the
glass with apple juice. "Mama and Papa are sleeping."
Reiya nodded and placed her index finger over her lips in a shushing
motion, indicating that she would be quiet. She grabbed the glass as Minaki
offered it to her, gulping the contents down immediately and sliding the
glass back for more. "I've never seen a demon like that," she said
thoughtfully. "Maybe they've finally decided to up the ante... I just don't
know."
Minaki nodded solemnly, refilling the glass and pushing it back towards
her. "You look tired. Can you get home okay?"
"I'll be fine." She sipped a bit more juice until the burning in her throat
finally ceased somewhat. "We've been through worse, remember?"
"Kind of sort of. This was the first time I had to use Angel Pianissimo in
a long time."
Reiya blinked. "'Angel Pianissimo?'"
"It's the name of that move I used!" Minaki said brightly, the need to
remain quiet momentarily forgotten. "It's an arrow attack. It's really
cool! I taught it to Kalciane myself, and it saved you just in the nick of
time."
"Ah. I... see." She finished the juice and fell silent, the conversation
pausing for a beat. Minaki had names for her attacks; that was rather cute.
Reiya had never thought of any names for her own moves, but then again she
had always been more worried about other things.
The lull didn't sit well with Minaki, who tilted her head slightly to the
side. "Is something wrong, Reiya?"
But Reiya only smiled and shook her head. "Nothing at all, Minaki. I should
go home now... and you should go to bed, or else you'll be late for school - "
Minaki suddenly moved forward, her arms spread outwards for an embrace.
Reiya gasped softly in surprise before she hesitantly pulled the girl close
towards her, returning the gesture warmly. The younger girl pressed her
face against Reiya's chest, closing her eyes as she spoke quietly.
"Thank you, Reiya," she whispered. "I didn't do good today. I'm sorry..."
Reiya exhaled slowly, trying to steady her quickening heartbeat. What was
Minaki doing? Was she really this frightened from the mission? She placed
her hand gently on top of the girl's head, stroking as comfortingly as she
could, her awkwardness lingering in the silence. Comfort and reassurance
had never been Reiya's strong points; having lived much of her life alone,
she found strength from within herself instead of through others.
"What are you talking about?" she murmured gently after a long silence.
"You did great. Much better than I did - "
"If I hadn't tried to push so hard I wouldn't have gotten Kalciane hurt,"
Minaki said, stumbling over her words slightly.
Reiya shook her head again, slightly puzzled. What was she going on about?
The Guardian had been spotless, not a single scratch on her when she had
emerged from the collapsed building.
"I shouldn't have tried being so strong... if I hadn't, she would be okay
now. I can feel her pain..." The girl was visibly trembling now, making
Reiya more uncomfortable by the second. Gingerly, she lowered one hand to
stroke Minaki's back, which only caused her to tighten her grip.
"Um..." Reiya mumbled, trying to extricate herself. "Minaki... what are you
doing?"
Minaki pulled away slowly, revealing a slightly tear-stained and dusty
face. "I'm sorry. I should go to bed, shouldn't I?" she said softly, wiping
at her face with her forearm.
Reiya slid her hands up onto the girl's shoulders, noting with faint
disappointment that her own shirt was moist from the tears. "That would be
a good idea," she agreed a bit hastily. She flicked one of Minaki's braids
about playfully. "Crying too much makes your face look old."
"Ah! Reiya, that's mean..."
"I'm kidding." She took the girl's hand and rubbed it between her own,
tugging her away from the kitchen and towards the hallway. Minaki's room
was the third door on the right; she had memorized its location from the
many times she'd walked her in. "Shhh... you'll wake your parents."
Minaki nodded slowly and nudged the door to her room open. "Good night,
Reiya," she whispered, disappearing from sight as she closed the door
behind her.
Reiya blinked in confusion at the door in front of her, unaccustomed to the
abruptness with which Minaki had shut her out. Something was not quite
right here. The one person she trusted enough to be open with, from the
time she had lost her family and to the discovery of her Guardian, had
simply closed herself off without explanation. She shook her head slowly,
unsure of what to make of it. Maybe Minaki was just scared... or maybe it
was something deeper. Maybe she didn't trust her anymore, after seeing how
strong the last demon was.
Or maybe Minaki was just tired.
That must have been it. Content with that notion, Reiya decided to put the
matter to rest; she would undoubtedly see the girl again before the week
was over, and by then she would hopefully be back to her usual cheerful
self. Reiya returned to the kitchen, straightening out the counter and
placing the glasses in the sink. Yes, Minaki definitely must have been
tired. Normally she would've cleaned everything up first.
She stepped out into the cool night air, closing the garage door behind her
quietly. The moon was out in full view overhead, the faint wailing of
police sirens off in the distance. It was a dissonant, unpleasant sound,
one she had not heard for a long time. Her eyes lingered on the twinkling
stars above for a bit longer before she lifted her bike up, brushing some
errant hair away from her face. One strong push and she was off again,
heading down the street back towards her home.
Her thoughts drifted as she pedaled, touching upon her work and her duty.
They were disorganized and unfocused, mostly because she was tired; the
stress and tension of the battle had left her drained. Once more, she tried
to reflect upon how she could have done better, on the critical points of
the battle where she could have done something more effective. Her mind
clouded at the attempt and refused to focus; she tried once more before
resigning herself to glide down the streets in morose silence, the wind
whistling against her hair and in her ears.
Perhaps she was thinking too much these days. She found herself often
preoccupied with the way her Guardian worked, and what she was capable of
with a simple thought. Her body acted without hesitation, instincts she
didn't know she had awakened as if from a long reprieve. It was
frightening, in a way; at a younger age, she never would have imagined that
she would be the person she had become now. Even though she didn't wholly
understand what was happening to her, Setsuna had never done anything to
make her think that she was becoming something unpleasant. Quite the
opposite, really... it was because of her Guardian that she had friends
like Minaki and Toji, and a renewed purpose in life.
There used to be another purpose before the accident. Her parents had
raised her to be a good girl, and back then Reiya was just as much of a
star student as Minaki. She wanted to go to college and become a doctor
like her father wished her to; it sounded like the smart thing to do at the
time. With her parents' voices gone, she found that her world was suddenly
dark and empty; in an instant, her life was empty. The sight of it was
burned in her memories, still smoldering with a dull heat beneath the
events that time's passing had placed over it. There was no one to welcome
her home. The only thing even left of her old life was a faded calendar in
her room with the days marked off until she was supposed to have left for
college. She was alone, all alone in the world with no one to care for her
anymore.
She knew that she had to run away. No rhyme or reason presented itself. The
singular notion in her head was to flee from the pain and perhaps find some
way to start anew... and so she did, without knowing where she was going.
Her academic career plummeted, but she didn't care anymore. Every visit to
the principal's office was just another hour of her time wasted. She
pretended to pay attention, playing up her sad story to him each time he
asked her what had happened. Her answer seemed to placate him, at least;
she knew that she had been one of the few contenders for class
valedictorian, but somehow that didn't seem to matter either.
Had it not been for her Guardian, Reiya was sure that she would not have
lived to graduation. But Setsuna was there during the nights when she
wasn't sure if she wanted to wake up in the morning, whispering words of
encouragement. At first, she resisted; the words were like insanity to her,
creeping through her mind when she least wanted to, telling her not to give
up. It was insulting and repulsive. What did a sword know about her pain?
Maybe she had finally gone crazy... but the pain was gradually diminishing.
Instead of the numbness she had feared so much, the sheer absence of
emotion left in the wake of her recovery, she found herself becoming filled
with conviction. She had to *do* something. She couldn't let herself go on
drifting aimlessly...
The rest of the journey home was uneventful. She lived beneath one of the
staircases in an apartment complex located at the end of a cul-de-sac. It
was not an apartment, and technically speaking it was barely even a room.
Reiya wasn't often at home, and as such she didn't see a need for anything
particularly fancy or large. She had struck a deal with the people living
in the apartment above. Both the landlord and the tenants had been really
nice about it when she first approached them, her meager earnings in hand,
a hopeful look on her face, a worn backpack on her shoulders. They had
heard about what had happened to the Eice family - a terrible tragedy, it
really was - and took pity on the girl. The look on her face at that time
had told them one thing... she was no longer a child and didn't want to be
treated like one. So instead of trying to reign her in, they simply took
legal responsibility and let the girl do as she wish. After all, she
visited them at least twice a week, and she seemed like a nice enough person.
Reiya reached out to unlock the door, having chained her bike against the
stairway railing. The interior was just a bit smaller than Minaki's room,
not much more than a glorified storage shed. The floor was covered with
thick rugs of all kinds, smooth cement peeking out in between the patchwork
carpet. An ancient wooden desk sat against the far wall, propped in one
corner with a block of wood. Piles of paperwork from the bookstore and a
few pages filled with elegant cursive sat on top, rustling in the breeze
coming from a square-shaped fan poised atop a stool. Her bed rested
directly to her right as she stepped in, comprised of two old mattresses
piled atop each other. A truncated halogen lamp - one of the sections had
been removed to accommodate the low ceiling - flooded the interior with
piercingly bright light.
She collapsed on the bed, which was littered with clothes and a few towels
(she used the bathroom upstairs in the daytime). Instead of the thinking
she had decided to do, she found herself rapidly falling asleep. The
mission *had* left her far more exhausted than she thought; at least
tomorrow would be a day off from her normal job. Reiya blinked wearily,
reaching over to switch the lamp to a lower degree of brightness, swinging
her legs over the edge of her makeshift bed. She pulled her sneakers off
without untying them, stripping the socks off her feet and pushing the
crumpled white balls of fabric into a pseudo-hamper next to the desk.
*Wonder what Toji will think of all this?* she thought, stretching out on
the bed, feeling her hands and feet touch cold, clammy cement. She closed
her eyes and was asleep almost immediately, the crickets outside the only
accompaniment to the soft sounds of her breathing.
_____
She found Toji after school the next day, waiting for her outside the doors
leading to the main building of the campus grounds. There were three
buildings in all, the other two situated on either side of the science
building, looking dimunitive in comparison. He was leaning against the
wall, going over a small pile of what she presumed was homework and
apparently wholly absorbed in his work. Reiya paused as she moved close,
observing his profile silently. He finally noticed almost a full minute
later, looking both startled and somewhat embarrassed.
"Hey," he muttered, shoving the papers into his backpack and moving away
from the wall. "I heard about what happened last night. You all right?"
Reiya laughed softly, patting him on the shoulder. "Yes. I'm fine, Toji. I
had help this time, remember?"
He frowned and turned past the corner, heading towards the parking lot
while shifting his backpack over onto his other shoulder. "I know. It's
just that Minaki... wasn't quite herself today," he said uncertainly. Toji
and Minaki often conferred with each other during lunch over the demon
attacks, mostly to keep themselves on top of what was going on; Reiya was
the driving force behind the three of them going out on the missions in the
first place. "She was out of it... she looked scared, I guess. From the way
she described it, it almost got both of you."
Reiya shook her head. "Not quite - "
"Did you walk here?" Toji said abruptly.
"I, um... rode my bike. Like always." She blinked in confusion, not sure
why he had asked that, considering that he should've known the answer.
He nodded in return and quickly shifted around so that he was just slightly
behind her. "Let's go get your bike first."
"Huh? Why?" Reiya asked, not exactly sure what exactly was going on.
Toji didn't answer at first, skirting around the rows of cars as he
half-nudged, half-tugged her towards the bike rack. Although he remained
behind her, Reiya somehow felt as if she was being forced the entire way.
She tried asking him again as they drew closer to the chain-link fence that
surrounded the bike area, to no avail. Moments later, Toji strode inside,
all but pulling Reiya by her hand with him. He leaned against the wall and
closed his eyes in thought, shoving his hands into his pockets.
"Tell me what happened last night," he said quietly.
Reiya smoothed out her jacket sleeve a few times with her hand. "What's
with the sudden cool act?" she demanded, managing an indignant look. As
overprotective as Toji tended to get at times, the way he was acting now
was more than slightly creepy.
Toji abruptly looked puzzled. "What?"
"I mean," Reiya said patiently, enunciating her words with a hint of
wryness, "what is going on with you taking me out here and then asking me
what happened? My bike isn't even here."
"... oh," he said, somewhat dejectedly. His face reddened by shades, and he
rubbed at his neck uncomfortably. "Um, sorry - "
"As for what happened, it's just as Minaki said." She shook her head slowly
in disbelief, exhaling in frustration. She had almost thought him to be
possessed; this wasn't the first time he'd acted strange and paranoid
around her. "What did she tell you?"
"I don't trust Minaki. No - that's not what I mean." He scratched his head
briefly. "I mean... I don't think the way she described what happened was
one hundred percent accurate. She might have been too scared from the
events to really... think properly. If you know what I mean."
"I know." Reiya hesitated, wondering if she should ask... "What did she say?"
"She said that it nearly killed you."
"... what? Was that all?" Reiya murmured, somewhat mollified. Had Minaki
really said that? She found that somewhat unbelievable, given that they put
their lives on the line every time then went out - but then again, after
how she'd acted last night, she couldn't really be sure anymore.
"More or less. The details weren't very clear... she kept pointing out that
Kalciane wasn't an even match for the demon. She sounded like she was
obsessing."
Reiya shrugged. "I think she's just young. She's good and her Guardian's
well developed, but in the end she's still a kid... I wouldn't think too
much of it."
Toji reached over and punched her lightly on the shoulder, eliciting a mild
squeal of protest. "She's not much younger than you are, you know.
Technically you're still a kid, too."
She decided not to reply to that, instead moving the topic towards another
direction. "Are you good for tonight?"
"Tonight? I guess so. It's not like I have anything important, like
studying or homework to get in the way..."
It was Reiya's turn to punch him on the shoulder. "Oh, quit complaining.
You know you like going out on the missions... even with all the whining
you do. I can see it in your face and in your eyes."
Toji looked almost panicky. "I... I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Of course you do. The rush of being able to utilize your Guardian's
powers, feeling their abilities move your body in ways beyond anything you
could have ever imagined..."
"Eh, I suppose I do," he said reluctantly, scratching at his head
nervously. "If you want to put it that way. I'd just rather not think about
it most of the time, honestly."
"Why not?"
Toji looked earnestly at her, their eyes meeting. "Because it makes me
uncomfortable."
Reiya smiled cautiously in return, hesitating for a moment. "All right...
we won't talk about it then." She looked off to the side after realizing
that she was blushing slightly. "Um... did you want to go to dinner or
something? Before we go on the mission, that is."
"Dinner? I can get dinner at home," Toji said casually, blinking in confusion.
"Oh. Well, all right, then." She stopped smiling, tracing a few dusty links
on the fence with her finger. "Where should we meet? Does the library sound
good?"
"Yeah, sure," he said, looking around the bike rack abruptly. "I think I
should go now."
Without another word, he hastily stepped outside and was gone, leaving her
alone within. Reiya sighed softly to herself, frowning at first - how could
he just turn her offer down so easily? - and smiled wistfully at the spot
he had just been seconds ago. Toji was still a kid as well, whether he
wanted to admit it or not. She knew he had a point, but their pasts were
different. She *was* older, in mind if not in body. His casual dismissal of
that was infuriating; she would have been angry with him, but he was
already gone.
Reiya moved towards the gate, which had swung closed in the wake of Toji's
departure. She pushed it back open and stepped around the fence towards the
far wall, where her bike was locked to one of the fence's metal posts.
_____
It was almost dark when they met again, the world painted in deep hues of
purple and black that marked the time before nightfall. The library was
located a few blocks away from the school, convenient for both students and
their parents. It closed at seven, so by the time Toji showed up the
parking lot was almost empty. Reiya was already there, nibbling on half of
a roast beef sandwich and sitting on the edge of one of the planters. She
was reading a book as well, propping it up in her other hand and looking
quite captivated for all he could tell. As he drew close, she stuck a
folded sheet of scrap paper between the pages - a makeshift bookmark - and
closed the novel, smiling up at him.
"You're late," she said cheerfully, working on the last bits of her sandwich.
"I had to eat," he said a bit sourly, trying to peer at the cover of the
book. Reiya moved it out of the way coyly, blocking it from his view. "And
do other things. Unlike you, I do have other things to do during the day - "
Her sudden sharp look made him cut off in mid-sentence. Toji quickly raised
his hands defensively and skittered back away from her just in case she
decided to try something. "I didn't mean it that way! Look - "
Reiya smiled dryly and finished off the last of her sandwich, making sure
to exaggerate every aspect of the act so as to deliberately take as long as
possible. She tucked the book into the inside pocket of her blue jacket and
hopped off the planter, strolling casually towards the steps that led down
to the sidewalk below. "It's all right," she finally said. "I know you didn't."
"I'm sorry, okay?" he said in exasperation, half-stumbling along behind
her. "Look, I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to imply anything. It's just been a
long day, I don't think I did well on my test, and I still don't know what
to make of all this."
She paused on the stairs and turned towards him with a curious look on her
face. "Make of what?"
"You know." Toji gestured a bit frantically. "The demons. Us. Minaki..."
"You worry too much," she said coolly, continuing on her way down.
"You don't worry enough."
Reiya shook her head. "Of course I do," she said, turning at the base of
the steps and starting on her way towards the parking lot. It was all but
night now, the purples having deepened to blues. Her steps crunched against
the paved concrete underfoot. "I just don't express it like you do."
"Thanks," Toji mumbled, not sure if that was a compliment or not. He
trailed behind her for a while as she led them across the lot, wondering
briefly where she was going. "I think."
She rounded the parking lot and doubled back in her steps without warning,
leaving Toji behind as she imperceptibly quickened her pace. The last of
the cars in the lot backed out of its space and drove off, leaving the
entire library more or less deserted. Toji frowned as he glanced over in
Reiya's direction and strode after her to catch up, tapping her lightly on
the shoulder to try and get her attention. She didn't notice - or at least
didn't seem to. He tried again, and this time she gently clasped his wrist
with her hand, pulling his arm close against herself in a smooth motion.
*Um...* was all he could think of at the moment.
But whatever she was thinking of was apparently not what he had thought it
to be. Her eyes narrowed and she lifted her free right hand - the one with
the bracelet on it - in a distinctive gesture. Toji knew immediately what
she was doing, and in an instant he felt it as well. He cursed under his
breath for not realizing sooner: the air around the library was tense with
the energy patterns of a demon, and being as absorbed in other matters as
he was, he had not sensed it.
"It's here," she whispered, so quietly that he barely heard her despite
their closeness. He nodded in response and gently pulled himself away,
bringing his hands forth and spreading his fingers wide. This was always
the part he hated the most; his Guardian lay deep within, not as readily
accessible as Minaki's or Reiya's. They had told him repeatedly that his
mistrust was the reason it didn't take physical form - but that was just
fine with him. Unfortunately, that particular trait also led to several
drawbacks...
He looked around briefly for water, any form of it - and came up with a
little more than nothing. There was a shallow puddle formed by a leaking
pipe against the far wall, but that was about it. Such a trifling thing
wasn't going to do him any good if the demon was like the one from
yesterday, and of all the times for him to be useless, this was not it. Had
it been a normal mission things would have been different, but if Reiya
alone wasn't enough -
"I can't fight here," he said, a bit too loud.
Bare moments after he uttered the words, the leaves on the trees abruptly
began fluttering as if caught in a violent breeze. Reiya shifted her gaze
towards the large oak behind the flagpole, her hand snapping outwards and
imbuing with warm light. Toji growled quietly and quickly closed his eyes,
letting the essence of his Guardian slowly overtake him in a wash of power
that flooded his entire being. Reiya closed her eyes as well, the light
increasing in intensity until it finally coagulated and shaped itself
within her hand, taking the form of a sleek sword. Her fingers wrapped
around the hilt and she brought the blade upwards, trailing wisps of
residual energy as she flipped it around, placing it against her forearm.
Toji quickly assumed a defensive stance behind his partner, turning his
head to look up at what was causing the disturbance.
"Heh. Nice!" came a voice from somewhere in the trees.
Reiya froze. *What the hell?*
Something rocketed out from within the branches with a burst of purple
energy, moving above them to stand tall upon the edge of one of the
planters. The two spun around almost simultaneously, Reiya bringing Setsuna
to bear and Toji raising his fists defiantly to come face to face with a
young girl, her form pulsing with malevolent power.
The girl's appearance immediately seared itself into her mind, simply from
how utterly *human* she appeared compared to everything else that she had
dealt with in the past year. Green eyes and blond hair, braided in a nappy
rope behind her. A faded red baseball cap with a thunderbolt across the
front, and clothes that looked equally as worn. A tired grey longsleeve
pullover and blue jeans with patched knees. Dirty white sneakers, the laces
ragged. Worn black fingerless gloves on her hands, which were clenched into
fists.
There was something nolstagic about her to Reiya's eye, and for an instant
she refused to believe what she was seeing. Despite her age - which
couldn't have been a day over thirteen - she was radiating power not unlike
that of a demon's. Her aura pulsed with a life of its own, a dark purple
that seemed to ooze from the surrounding night.
But...
"Who are you?" Toji demanded, taking a step forward. "What are you doing
here?!"
"The name... is *Kaname!*" the girl pronounced boldly, reaching up to
adjust her cap so that the brim pointed backwards. "And you two should feel
lucky, 'cause you're about to be defeated by a legend!"
_____
.---Anime/Manga Fanfiction Mailing List----.
| Administrators - ffml-admins@anifics.com |
| Unsubscribing - ffml-request@anifics.com |
| Put 'unsubscribe' in the subject |
`---- http://ffml.anifics.com/faq.txt -----'