Rest of chapters at http://kalciane.tnim.org/ab.
.04. - Toji
The air was perfectly still between Keiya and his opponents, and though
they were motionless they could each feel their Guardians slipping through
the air silently. Half-formed shapes of water floated serenely around Toji,
awaiting his command; a soft breeze stirred about Keiya's shoes, dust
grinding underfoot with a faint scratching sound. Minaki, however, remained
standing alone without Guardian, something that continued to nag at Toji.
Why was she fighting alone, and what did she expect to accomplish?
Apparently he was going to find out now... and probably not in the fashion
he would have liked.
"... well?" Keiya sounded impatient and just a touch bored. "Giving up
already?"
Minaki lashed out without warning, swinging her leg with deadly precision
at his head. The blow stopped inches short and rebounded off of an air
cushion - but that didn't seem to discourage her as she spun around with a
vicious kick for his side. But Keiya's defense was perfect. Another sharp
gust cut through the air, sending Minaki flying back and away just as Toji
surged forward, the watery shapes about him coagulating into a multitude of
spheres that swooped towards his opponent as he moved.
The wind Host began darting rapidly away, dodging some of the orbs that
veered in his direction and invoking his Guardian to scatter the rest
aside. Toji pursued him relentlessly across the courtyard, the droplets in
the air reforming into thin ribbons that flicked soundlessly through the
air in wide slashing motions. Tiny splashes of water dotted the concrete as
Keiya easily avoided the clumsy attacks, and after nearly crossing the
length of the courtyard he finally leapt upwards in a graceful arc to land
easily on the rooftop. Toji followed a moment later, stepping through the
air upon droplets of water in pursuit, panting lightly from exertion.
"You're tired... and so is your Guardian." Keiya's tone was flat and
unrelenting. "If you fell to the ground now, it won't be able to protect you."
Toji gritted his teeth and hesitantly reached for Liquis, not believing
what he was hearing. But his Guardian's voice, soft and sibilant, only
corroborated what Keiya had said - and even as it pleaded for him to stop,
he straightened and lifted his arms back up in a defensive stance, ignoring
its warnings. He didn't understand why he was suddenly so intent upon the
fight... but the feeling of exhilaration was still there, surging like
wildfire through his veins.
Why *was* he trying so hard?
Maybe he was simply trying to prove himself to Reiya, that he *could* be
like her. Even though she wasn't with him now, he kept feeling as if she
was watching him... judging him... and disapproving of his failure. Even if
he wasn't good enough to be a friend to her, he would at least fight for
her cause - but as Keiya stood before him, he could feel the last hopes for
victory draining from his limbs. The wind Host's gait was perfect and
smooth, utterly unruffled. It was the sign of someone still ready to fight
the next round.
Keiya smirked lightly, the ragged flaps of his uniform whipping about as
the wind became a storm around him. "It's over..."
Toji brought both hands up instinctively. Water sluiced through the air
rapidly, forming a pulsing wall as a last ditch effort to intercept the
assault - but the rush was far too strong for the piddling attempt. Toji
barely had time to steel himself as the blast knifed into him with enough
force to penetrate Liquis' defense, sharp pain lancing through his abdomen
in a burst of agony. He felt himself lifted off his feet, tumbling
helplessly as the world darkened.
*I guess that's it...* he murmured to Liquis as his eyes slid shut,
struggling to find some way to stop himself even as his Guardian rapidly
joined him in unconsciousness. *Sorry, Reiya...*
He wasn't aware of Minaki catching him just before he struck the ground.
The girl fumbled slightly and set Toji down carefully, her arms exuding the
faintest aura of golden light. Once he was safely out of the way, she
turned towards Keiya, her expression a carefully controlled mask. He
swooped down in front of her, smirking as he landed casually with one hand
in the pocket of his slacks. The other was crooked in her direction, as if
he was daring her to fight him.
"Where is your angel, girl?" he murmured. "Do you intend to face me alone?"
For a second, she hesitated. Even though her Guardian's strength was
flowing like cool mercury through her body, she felt the cold fingers of
fear squeezing her heart. Nothing she had fought before had ever been so
strong, and she wasn't sure if she would be able to beat him. But she also
wasn't about to let him injured Toji any more... or Kalciane, for that
matter. She wasn't going to allow that, even if she had to let herself be
hurt in the process. But she also found that she didn't care anymore.
Minaki clenched her fists, raising her arms upwards with a confident air.
"... I'm never alone... Kalciane is with me, even now."
"Really." For the first time, Keiya seemed genuinely interested in what she
was saying. "Perhaps you are indeed something special, then..."
"Special?" she murmured, momentarily confused. She never thought of herself
as special, even with her Guardian's abilities.
Keiya chuckled humorlessly, his expression hardening abruptly. "... but it
doesn't matter. Even if you are one of them, girl, I won't let you get away
with what you've done."
The confusion evaporated instantly as he spoke and Minaki's face tightened
with resolve. "And I won't let you get away with this either! Kalciane and
I... we're going to make sure of it!"
__________
Angelblade
by Jeffrey Yang
06.18.03 to 09.05.03
__________
"I see."
Keiya took one step forward, removing his hand from his pocket. "How much
do you understand about your Guardian, girl? Why you were given this
power... and what it was intended for?"
Minaki did not hesitate in her response. "Kalciane is my angel from heaven,
sent to protect me and to help others."
"Do you really believe that you were given this power to do with as you will?"
"Why else would I be given strength?" she murmured. "I don't need it for
myself."
Keiya smirked, the air about him whipping into a sudden frenzy. "What a
foolish attitude." Blades of wind cut through the space between them, aimed
directly for Minaki.
She sprung up from the concrete in a shower of golden light, twisting
through the air with ease and coming down with a wide kick at him. Once
more, Keiya called upon his Guardian and shunted the blow aside almost
effortlessly, swinging his hand outwards in vicious retaliation. Minaki
twisted herself downwards through the air to avoid the punch, hands
flattening against the ground to steady herself. Golden light flooded her
fingers to angle into sharp blades - and with a burst of speed she lunged
forward, driving both arms forwards and up at him.
The wind Host barely evaded the strike, one of the blades tearing a bloody
gash along his abdomen. With a mild grunt of irritation, he scooted away
from her and lifted one hand up, raising a barrier of concussive air
between them. But Minaki had expected such an attempt, and as the air
swirled in front of her, she swung herself to the side with all the force
she could muster. Her foot skidded along the concrete with a high-pitched
squeal - and that was when she used her other foot to launch herself at an
acute angle from nearly behind him.
He had not expected that at all, and even though the attack itself was
weak, he found himself stumbling back a couple of steps before his Guardian
steadied him upon a curl of air. Minaki flipped back and away, bringing her
fists up as she regarded him warily.
"I'm not afraid of you, Keiya," she said, the blades of light upon her
hands flickering out. "Please come at me again."
He let out a light snort of contempt, amazed at the utter brashness she was
exhibiting. "Do you really want me to come at you with all my strength,
girl?" he muttered. "Are you that eager to die?"
"When I die... it will not be by your hand." Her expression was serene,
giving no indication of the fear that had been so prominent in Toji.
"Please come at me once more."
Her calmness only intensified Keiya's scorn. In a flicker of movement he
was skirting across the courtyard, closing the distance between them with
incredible speed. Minaki tried to move aside, but Keiya was simply too
fast; his arms whipped out at her in a series of rapid punches as soon as
he was within range. Each strike carried the force of Kazeki behind it -
and it was all she could do to slip in between a few of the blows, parrying
the rest with her forearms and duly ignoring the pain shooting through them.
The flurry abated as Keiya noticed that Minaki wasn't retaliating. Smirking
lightly, he stepped back and casually shook his hands out, waiting for her
to recuperate. There was no reaction for a few seconds... and then she
uncurled her arms with a wince before moving shakily back into her stance,
eyes squeezed tightly shut.
"What's the matter?" he said, slipping one hand into his pocket. "Is this
your first time feeling pain?"
"... no..." Minaki whispered, lips quivering as she fought the impulse to
cry out in agony. She had spoken the truth - it was not the first time
she'd felt pain, even though she always let Kalciane fight for her. But the
pain had never been so bad; lances of heat throbbed and pulsed from her
wrist to elbow, refusing to be ignored.
Her reaction didn't go unnoticed. Keiya lifted his other hand high in the
air imperiously, his voice decisive. "Don't worry. It'll be the last thing
you'll feel."
In her injured condition, all she saw was a blur of motion as Keiya moved
in for the final blow. With the last of her strength, Minaki leaned forward
until she was almost touching the ground. Her arms snapped out at her sides
for balance as she swung one leg up from behind, hoping to evade and
counter in one fell swoop. The shock of impact nearly numbed her leg, and
for a moment she was sure she had succeeded.
Then something iron-clad yet immaterial wrapped around her throat.
She tried to scream even as the protective shield about Keiya swirled
outwards into formation, lifting her off of her feet and tossing her back
into the side of a nearby building. A loud crack split the air as she
struck the wall, the concrete shattering from the sheer momentum. Jagged
cracks spidered out behind her, and a second later Minaki collapsed
face-first onto the ground, the last traces of golden power dying out from
her limbs as she sank into unconsciousness.
Keiya stepped forward, reigning in the last traces of Kazeki's influence as
he drew closer towards the girl's crumpled form. He crouched down smoothly
and grabbed her chin, tilting her face upwards... opening his hand and
letting the air gather at his fingertips with enough force to almost be
tangible.
"Kazeki. Let's end this," he whispered, thrusting his arm forward deftly.
- as a violet streak of light tore directly towards him.
Keiya's eyes narrowed and he pushed himself away, narrowly avoiding the
curved blade of light that slammed into the concrete besides Minaki. He
gazed around the courtyard quickly, even as he already knew who the
interloper was...
And sure enough, Kaname was perched upon an overhang, her Guardian trailing
wisps of energy from one of her arms. The blade detached itself from the
concrete and spiraled through the air towards its owner, snapping back in
place above her other arm.
"Leave her alone," Kaname said softly, her voice uncharacteristically dark
and somber.
Keiya was silent for a long while. Minaki had potential, but she had chosen
to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. Had it been under different
circumstances, he may have even taken her in under his wing like he did
with Kaname... but her sudden insubordinance had come to him completely
unexpected. Despite her recalcitrance in the past, she had never actually
interfered with one of his fights. Something had to be fueling her actions,
and as much as he wanted to find out more about Minaki, taking care of his
own took precedence.
With a flare of wind, Keiya was airborne, pausing atop the building to
address Kaname. "We're going to have words later." Then he swooped over the
edge and was gone.
Kaname glanced over at the fallen fighters, cursing herself for being so
stupid. Though Keiya's tone had been ominous, his words nevertheless
sparked hope in her heart. Even if the things he wanted to speak about
weren't going to be pleasant, they would at least be talking again - and
that was worth bearing whatever anger he was going to bring upon her.
"Rave," she murmured. "Let's go home."
Silence descended upon the courtyard as Kaname rocketed through the air
after Keiya, a gentle wind sweeping past the prone forms of the two laying
on the concrete.
_____
By the time Keiya made his way back towards the Family Motel, Kaname's
elation had subsided into sullen resentment. Her initial excitement at the
prospect of finally speaking with Keiya faded as he soared across the
rooftops just out of her reach, apparently uninterested in whatever she had
to say. As soon as they were within sight of the hotel, he descended
lightly to the ground and began walking towards the abandoned movie theater
without so much as a word. Kaname let him get halfway across the street
before she began striding angrily after him, grabbing for his tattered sleeve.
Keiya stopped in his tracks. "What is it?" he said, voice nearly inaudible.
"Weren't we going to talk?!" Kaname demanded shrilly, tugging at his arm.
"Where are you going?"
He began walking again, more or less dragging the girl along behind him.
"We can talk later. I need to meet with my men tonight."
"You never have any time for me!" she continued, her voice growing
desperate. It was the only chance she'd had in recent memory; she wasn't
going to let it be lost so easily. "They can wait. I know what you're going
to tell them anyways."
"I know what you're going to tell me."
That seemed to mollify her, and she released his arm numbly. However, Keiya
moved no further, even though his back remained turned upon her.
"We've been through this, Kaname," he said, his voice flat. "It's the same
every time."
"That doesn't mean you have to be an asshole about it," she replied dully.
"It's how I am. If I didn't care, I would've left you to be beaten down by
those Hosts." He started walking towards the theater again, but his pace
was careful and deliberate, almost as if he was afraid of something.
"Sometimes I think you could use the lesson... but you deserve better than
that."
And with that, he was on his way once more, the faded silhouette of his
form vanishing into the theater entrance.
Kaname hesitated for a long while before she sprinted forward, slipping
inside the building after him. He didn't like it when she tried to peek in
on his meetings. She had done it once and he'd come dangerously close to
hitting her; but at the last second, he had ended up simply slapping her
upside the head. Somehow, she always managed to avoid the brunt of his
anger even though she knew she deserved it occasionally.
The lobby of the theater was even more dilapidated than the streets of the
south-side, the carpet underfoot sporting a faded beige and peach that
matched the peeling wallpaper. Kneaded black patches of bubblegum, flecks
of candy and coagulated soda stains marked the passing of an age long since
forgotten. Kaname's footsteps were soft as she made her way towards the
twin doors that led into the main amphitheater. She made sure not to push
too hard; Keiya's Guardian would sense the shift in air pressure if she
wasn't careful.
She slid inside the amphitheater and eased the door shut behind her,
glancing around as her eyes gradually adjusted to the dimly-lit interior.
Faded seats lined the area in stadium fashion, a steep flight of stairs
leading down towards the stage, almost a full two stories below. The
orchestra pit rested before the stage, the interior pocked with scratches
and dents from concerts that had been held in the past. The stage itself
was decaying from disuse, its panels warping away from each other to leave
gaping holes in the woodwork.
Kaname crept along until she reached the railing, hopping lightly over it
towards a nook tucked in the back of the room. She planted herself
comfortably on it and looked downwards towards the gathering, leaning
forward to observe silently. Keiya was already on stage, a whisper of air
cushioning the space between the bottom of his soles and the ruined
platform. Other people slowly began emerging from various parts of the
theater: some from behind the seats, others swooping gracefully down from
the overhanging rafters while still more walked through the emergency exits
in the corners of the room. They congregated towards the stage, each taking
a seat so that they were all gathered neatly in the first three rows of the
amphitheater like a motley congress. None of them said anything, their
muteness indicating unanimous deference to the wind Host that floated
serenely before them.
After a minute of unbroken silence, Keiya looked over his crew with a hard,
dispassionate gaze that focused upon one person as he spoke in a quiet,
authoritative voice. "What did you find?"
A young woman with loose rose-tinged hair stood up from her seat. "Our
search came back without anything of note," she replied evenly. "Though
with our latest discoveries, we believe that we can narrow down the
vicinity of the targets to be within the downtown sector - "
"I've already found them."
There was a slight ripple of commotion from the gathered crowd. Of course,
it was just like Keiya to be so resourceful as to find them first - but if
he had, what was the point of asking?
"You've had two weeks." Keiya began pacing about the stage upon cushions of
air, his boots never quite touching the ruined flooring. "Two weeks, and
all you can tell me is that they're downtown. You don't think I already
know this?"
The woman smiled thinly. "Of course you do, Boss. We've also managed to
procure the whereabouts of the swordfighter, or at least where she stays
when she's not prowling about the south-side."
"Oh?" Keiya paused and raised a brow, seemingly interested.
"Reiya Eice," she continued calmly, her voice becoming academic. "Student
at Hoshimi Academy, seventeen years of age. Just over one year ago, her
parents were killed in a car accident, and the Okare family took the
responsibility of becoming her legal guardian so that she could finish her
studies. We are guessing that at about the same time, the demons began
their attacks... please look at this display."
The woman lifted her hand upwards, her own Guardian flaring to life as a
series of intricately colored lights that spanned almost half the stage,
stretching and swirling about to form a detailed map of the downtown sector
of Hoshimi. Within the miniaturized boulevards and alleyways, various
street lamps were flickering to life, casting a sallow light upon a myriad
shops and restaurants. Though the streets themselves were devoid of
pedestrians, it was more or less a perfect representation of the downtown,
so real and solid that it seemed like a model kit that somehow transcended
life.
Twelve pinpoints of light appeared in a loose circle around the
south-eastern area of the map, pulsing softly with a sapphire glow. "The
attacks are all homing in around this area, always within twenty miles of
this particular neighborhood. This is where we found Reiya Eice to be
living. Interestingly enough, though she is legally under the Okare's care,
she does not live in their apartment, but rather within a small storage
shed below it."
"Solitary..." Keiya mused as he stroked his chin thoughtfully. "And what of
her friends?"
"They have not been as easy to locate," the woman responded calmly. "The
only reason we were able to find Reiya was from the latest incident at the
now-leveled construction site a few days ago. The other Hosts are careful
in submerging their Guardians and mingling with normals to effectively mask
their presence."
"But you fought them, Boss!" one of the others called out from the third
row. "Why didn't you tear 'em up?!"
Keiya was silent as he moved contemplatively down the stage, his tattered
clothes fluttering lightly behind him. "It was too easy," he finally
replied, almost as an afterthought.
There was a collective sigh of resignation. Keiya's arrogance was
well-known and tolerated amongst them, if only because of his status as
their leader. No one said anything about it, mostly because those who had
tried to defy him in the past had been disposed of rather quickly and
painfully. After four or five failed rebellions, the rowdy mobs of the
south-side had gathered before Keiya and grudgingly accepted him above
themselves, quickly realizing that a person of such power would be an
enormous asset to helping the south-side regain its status against the
downtown sector.
And so, no one said anything further after that last comment, leaving Keiya
to glance coolly over the gathered crowd. "But Reiya Eice is the one
responsible for all of this," he said quietly, his tone leaving the
truthfulness of the statement beyond a shadow of a doubt. "Because of her
awakening, the downtown has been subjected to the demon attacks. Because of
the demon attacks, we of the south-side are being persecuted and
scapegoated. We have become the demons, the ones they think responsible."
Angry murmurs rippled through his men. They understood and knew this much,
and his words only fanned the smoldering coals of resentment in their hearts.
"I have nothing against her friends. But if we do not make a stand, we will
be destroyed." Keiya's usual taciturn nature gradually dissolved as
conviction filled his voice. "We must find Reiya Eice, and we *will*
discover why she is attracting these demons. Once we know the answer, we
will be free to live on our own again, the way we lived before."
He turned away, already moving off the stage. "Should any of you find her,
you are not to kill her. Report it to me immediately, so that I may handle
it personally."
Silence wreathed the gathering for a long while as the men turned over what
Keiya had told them in their minds. It was not the first time he had
attempted to convey a sense of community to them; but on the other hand,
most of them realized that only another Host would have been capable of
taking Reiya on. Normal humans had no chance of facing Guardians in unarmed
combat unarmed, and Keiya had demonstrated once or twice that even with
weapons it was still a lopsided match in favor of the Host. A good number
of his men were not Hosts. The ones that were possessed far less skill than
their leader, and the prospect of facing an experienced enemy fighter was
not thrilling.
The woman watched Keiya silently as he made his way towards the door, his
gaze meeting hers for the briefest of moments. Then he began floating up
the staircase, his Guardian carrying him directly towards the nook where
Kaname was resting as the proceedings continued below him.
She didn't even notice him until he was almost halfway up the steps, and by
that time it was already too late to escape. Nevertheless, she tried to
scramble away from the approaching man to no avail, as Keiya slipped easily
around the railing to intercept her neatly with a firm hand that clamped
like a vise about her forearm.
Kaname immediately assumed her sulky look again, glancing off towards the
side to avoid looking at him. "Ow. Let me go, dammit."
"I hope it was interesting."
He looked amused, if nothing else, and that only pissed her off even more.
"Yeah. I guess," she muttered, still not looking at him.
Keiya seemed ready to walk out the door, already halfway through before he
turned around, his face stoic and unexpressive. The words that came next,
though, were so radically different that even in his disinterested tone of
voice they caused her to look at him with something approaching stunned
surprise.
"If you want to, we can talk."
Kaname blinked once, then again and circled around him a few times in
disbelief. She poked at his arm a few times to make sure he was real before
glancing up with just the tiniest bit of hope glimmering in her eyes. "...
really?"
He looked away, not wanting to see the look on her face; it was too much
for him to take. "About those Hosts," he muttered, quickly exiting the
theater. He made no pretenses otherwise; that was the only thing he wanted
to know, after which he would be off to glean further information from his
men. Maybe his indifferent air would be enough to convince her that he
really didn't care for her, although even he knew that was not quite the truth.
He didn't say a word as Kaname fell eagerly into step behind him.
_____
The first thing he became aware of once his mind freed itself from the
grasp of unconsciousness was pain, throbbing all over his body as if his
skin had been torn open. But that was not all; he realized that he was no
longer lying on hard concrete, but rather a soft bed. Vague recollection
crept into his mind by degrees. He had left the bed strewn with clothes,
but it looked to be clean now, so this obviously wasn't his room. He tried
opening his eyes and found that they were as heavy as lead, barely
responding to his desire to see where exactly he was.
Sitting at the edge of the bed was a girl with loose black hair and a dusty
blue-jean jacket. She was reading patiently from a book, and as he opened
his eyes she smiled faintly down at him, tucking a scrap piece of paper in
between the pages to serve as a makeshift bookmark. "Good morning, Toji,"
Reiya murmured.
" - morning?" He tried to sit up, but Reiya pushed him back onto the sheets
with a firm hand. Once the initial numbness - which he had mistaken for
pain - passed he felt completely normal, if not a bit lethargic. Upon
probing further into his Guardian's consciousness he could feel that it had
taken the brunt of the damage from his battle with Keiya. Though it
whispered comfortingly at him, he knew that Liquis was hurting badly, which
only made him feel all the guiltier.
"The two of you were lying on the ground by the time I arrived," she said
hesitantly. "Was it Keiya again?"
"Yeah. He didn't hold back this time." Toji decided on making himself
comfortable by sitting against the headboard, propping himself into a
slouched position as he mulled over Reiya's words. "Arrived?" Had she been
biding her time all along, while he was enveloped in self-doubt and
paranoia? Perhaps she had grown tired of being the one always early at the
meetings, and had decided that this one time she would come later,
unintentionally leaving them at Keiya's mercy by doing so.
Reiya frowned deeply, decidedly unhappy with that. "Toji... I didn't mean
to let that happen," she said quietly, placing her hand on the edge of the
bed. Sunlight filtered through the curtains and glimmered softly from her
bracelet. "I was afraid again, and because of that he nearly killed you and
Minaki..."
"Don't say that," he interjected quickly. "It's not your fault Keiya showed
up - "
"I was afraid to see you again," she said quietly, the emotional
undercurrent beneath her words cutting through his own easily. "So I didn't
come... I had to muster every bit of courage I had to face you tonight."
"Afraid?" Toji said incredulously. "Why? I was the one being a jackass."
"That isn't it at all." Reiya stopped, knowing that she wasn't ready to say
what she truly wanted to. Instead, she switched onto another train of
thought, trying to divert their attention away from the lingering tension
over their argument the other day. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine, I guess." He rubbed at his forearm, trying to get some semblance
of feeling back into them. Fortunately, the numbness was rapidly receding,
leaving his skin prickling as the cool air of the room settled in his skin.
"It could be worse. Where's Minaki?"
"She's back home now. It was somewhat difficult explaining why she had
passed out to her parents, but they seemed relieved that she was in one
piece." Reiya smiled somewhat ruefully, shifting on the bed to ease the
curtains open. More sunlight filtered through, casting a narrow slant of
illumination across the sheets. "She's probably at school now, though."
Toji flinched, glancing around the room in a sudden panic. He had forgotten
all about school while being caught up in the moment. Between being alone
in his room with Reiya and just regaining consciousness, it had simply
escaped his thoughts altogether. "School - what time is it?" he mumbled,
rubbing at his head a bit confusedly.
"It's almost noon. I don't think there's really any point to going today,
Toji." Reiya slid the curtain shut again, leaving the room in dimness.
"Unless you want to, of course. I won't stop you if you do."
"I can't, anyways," he muttered, slumping dejectedly against the headboard.
"My parents work, and I don't have a car. By the time I get there the day
would be over."
Reiya only looked at him wordlessly, and somewhat expectantly.
"... I'm not going to use Liquis. It's not like it's even close to being
fully healed," he continued, knowing full well that he could have easily
done so if he wanted. But he had sworn to himself that he would never use
his Guardian for anything but what he had promised Reiya - to defeat the
demons - and by reminding himself that it was still mending, he could
justify his unwillingness more easily.
She just shrugged, not bothering to argue the point further. "I suppose.
What do you want to do now, then?"
Toji shrugged back at her, though he was noticeably less spirited about it.
"You don't have to stay here... I'll be fine," he said.
"I don't have to, no." Reiya moved away from the bed and took a seat on a
chair, swiveling it around away from the study desk. "But I'd like to, if
that's okay with you."
"Of course I'm okay with it. But I don't really have anything to do..."
She folded her arms over the back of the chair, resting her chin on top so
she was looking directly at him. "You don't have to do anything, Toji. Just
talk about whatever you want... I'll listen."
"I guess. Are you sure you're okay, Reiya? You're acting a bit strange."
Strange? That was one way of putting it, she supposed. But things were
tense now; she sensed Toji's unease and self-loathing on the fringe of her
thoughts, carried to her by Setsuna. Antagonizing him was not something she
wanted to risk right now, as the mere prospect of straining what had
already been tested was probably not something he wanted to go through. So
instead, she decided to humor his tantrums until he got over the whole
incident.
"I'm fine," she said reassuringly, smiling a bit coyly at him. "Why, you
don't believe me?"
"Of course I do." He didn't seem to notice that he was repeating himself,
as he was more worried whether Reiya was being sarcastic or if she was
actually expecting an answer. "It's just... sometimes I wonder what's going
to happen to me."
Reiya tilted her head slightly to the side. "I think what happens to you is
really up to you, Toji. You said you wanted to go to college, didn't you?"
"I did. That was before I... awakened, I guess." He ran a hand through his
hair, looking down at the sheets. Reiya's gaze was somehow oppressive,
making him uncomfortable; he felt as if he was on trial and that he had
already committed perjury. "I don't know if I want to anymore. It's what my
father wants, my mother too. They want me to be a doctor, or a lawyer."
She nodded, remembering the familiar feeling of parental pressure to make
it to college. Just over one year ago, she had been quite eager to obey,
and had all the qualifications of a student at Hoshimi Tech. Nowadays,
school was almost a joke. More than one teacher had asked to speak with her
after class to pose the same question: if she wasn't taking school
seriously, why was she even bothering with attending?
"It's... different when I'm fighting, Reiya. I know I keep saying that
again and again, but each time Liquis opens up inside of me, I learn
something new." Toji's voice grew deeper and more earnest as he spoke,
almost as if he was becoming more alive. "Even though I lost, I felt
something change again. I didn't want to let him find you, Reiya, and I
started doing things with Liquis I never knew I was able to. Not like it
mattered, in the end - "
"Don't say that. It did matter, Toji, because if you hadn't held him off,
he probably would've found me. I don't think I could've stood up to him,
either." Reiya lifted her head up, shifting her arms around and smoothing
out the sleeves of her blue jacket. She didn't want him to see the stitches
where she had mended the damage from their last mission together.
Toji shrugged slightly to indicate both indifference and acquiescence.
"Something changes every time I fight. I don't know if I want it to keep
happening, Reiya... it's scary. It's very scary, like I'm turning into
something I don't understand."
"Did you ever think that what you're turning into might not be something bad?"
That gave him pause, for it was indeed something he had not thought of.
"What's that supposed to mean?" he finally asked, a bit warily.
"You have the ability to manipulate water. I think it doesn't need to be
said that you've changed quite a lot from the person you once were... but
whether you try to resist the change, or work with it, is something for you
to decide."
"Why *shouldn't* I resist the change?"
"I don't think that's the issue, really." She adjusted herself on the
chair, turning it around so she was leaning against the back. Her concern
for his temper had diminished; he was denying the truth, and that wasn't
something she could let him continue doing. "I think the real question is,
how long you can stave it off."
Toji scoffed lightly. "You make it sound like some kind of incurable disease."
"That's one way of looking at it. Of course, it's also a completely wrong
way of looking at it." Reiya smiled mischievously as he shot her a
withering look. "Guardians don't take life... or rather, they shouldn't.
They help people help themselves, and others. We're not fighting because we
want to kill the demons... we're fighting in order to stop them from
hurting others."
"You've given me the lecture already, Reiya," Toji pointed out dryly.
"But you never seem to listen to me, or at least try to believe what I'm
saying," Reiya replied patiently. "You were given Liquis for a reason,
Toji. Something in your life wasn't right, and someone saw fit to try to
correct it. It's not some kind of punishment, and you would do a lot better
not to act like it is."
He shrugged again, this time decidedly more nonchalant about it. "I can't
imagine what it could be. I've got a pretty normal existence - or had,
anyways. Everything up until when Liquis awakened was going fine... it's
more like my Guardian screwed things up for me. But I can see you believing
that."
"... what's that supposed to mean?" Reiya said slowly, a bit unsure as to
whether he meant for the implications of his statement to come through so
starkly. Was he implying that she had been given Setsuna because she was
incapable of coping with the loss of her family? While it wasn't exactly
untrue, the way he had sounded made it come across like a stinging
accusation rather than a casual observation.
But Toji managed to catch himself this time, quickly lifting his hands up
apologetically as he noticed the look on her face. "Sorry... sorry. I
didn't mean it that way. But Reiya, you have to admit... if someone thought
I needed help in my life, then they had to have seen that you needed it
more than I did when that incident happened. It doesn't make sense for me
to get these powers as much as it does for you."
They were always careful to never refer to it as "her parents' death" or
"the accident"; merely saying "the incident" was enough for all three of
them, including Minaki, to know what they were talking about. "I guess
you're right," Reiya said evenly. "If nothing else, Setsuna's given me a
purpose in life... even though I don't understand it fully, I can at least
know that I'm accomplishing something that would've made my parents proud."
His response was a gentle nod, for he wasn't entirely sure how to answer
that. Anyone else would have probably continued to try for college, taking
the loss in uneasy stride. Though he didn't actually meet Reiya until that
day when he had let his curiosity get the better of himself, he had seen
her around school more than a few times. She had gained a reputation for
being somewhat of an unapproachable person, imposing in her near-perpetual
silence. Word through his friends told him that she was actually a nice
girl beneath her formidable exterior, and he had come to understand that
first-hand through their shared focus in their Guardians.
So in a way, he *was* profoundly glad for his Guardian, for otherwise he
never would have met Reiya. Though he wished they could have met under
better circumstance, it was beyond his control. Still, he longed for the
regularity of his old life, and that was the one thing Reiya just didn't
seem to understand. She was the one whose life had been torn apart at its
roots; of course she would want to have a change. She had no other choice
but to adapt to what fate had decided for her. Perhaps she had already
forgotten the tranquility of a settled life... or perhaps she was used to
the adrenaline thrill of the fight.
"Is there something wrong?" Reiya asked quietly after he had remained
silent for a good while. She took a quick peek at the clock: it was well
past noon, and she was starting to feel the slight pangs of hunger gnawing
at her. She wasn't sure about just leaving him behind, as it wasn't
something she particularly wanted to do; Liquis' pain was still there,
running through her own Guardian in hot strands and throbbing like a dull
coal buried beneath ash. If anything, he needed rest and recuperation.
Toji shook his head slowly. "No... not really. I think I just want to be
alone for a while, though."
Reiya felt her heart sink uncomfortably in her chest, but her expression
betrayed only the slightest hint of disappointment. "Are you sure you'll be
all right? I hope I wasn't bothering you too much," she murmured.
Much to her surprise, Toji smiled reassuringly at her, his compassion quite
evident behind the gesture. "You weren't, Reiya. I just need to think some
things through, but I'll be fine. I can probably use the time to wait for
Liquis to recover as well... do you think Minaki will be able to get me the
notes for class?"
"Probably... knowing Minaki, she'll be her usual happy self at school." She
gathered her book up, placing her palm against the cover so that the title
was obscured from his sight. A trace of hesitation crossed her features
before she continued, not really sure if it was a good time to ask what she
wanted - but then again, there wasn't going to be another chance. "... were
you planning on coming tonight?"
Toji didn't know what she was talking about at first. Was it another
mission? The mere thought of it was ridiculous to him, coming so soon after
his crushing defeat. Though Liquis would have healed by then, he simply
wanted for things to return as they were for now, with the three of them
attending school like usual and Reiya and himself on speaking terms once
more. He glanced over at her, but she was turned away in such a way so that
her face wasn't visible to him. She apparently didn't want to influence his
decision at all, for Reiya had always wanted Toji to be with her out of his
own free will, not through guilt or obligation.
He wanted for it to all end... but he knew it wouldn't. And on top of that,
he could feel his Guardian's presence within his soul: a smooth, cool
ribbon of existence just behind the veil of his thoughts. Words, soft and
sibilant, filtered from it and diffused into his mind in swirls, asking
him... compelling him... encouraging him in his uncertainty, filling the
more rational portion of his brain with promise of action and adrenaline.
"Yeah." He spoke before he could think, before he realized that some part
of him wanted to find Keiya and challenge him again. The last two times
they had met, he had lost - but the second time, he had managed to put up a
decent fight until he had tired himself out. Something was amiss in the
equation; there was a piece to the puzzle he wasn't getting, and that
little detail meant the difference between an uphill battle and a match on
even ground.
Toji glanced at the curtains, the sunlight having faded as sullen gray
clouds rolled across the skyline above. He tugged the window open, letting
the cool air splash against his face. It was quickly beginning to darken
outside, a rumble of thunder pealing through the air. He looked back at
Reiya and smiled again, sliding the window closed once more.
"Yeah, I think I will come along..."
_____
Within the confines of her room, Minaki was lying on her bed deep in
slumber. Though she appeared to be at peace, she was dreaming, a violent,
rough dream that seemed all too real even as she kept on reassuring herself
that it was not. She found herself in the midst of an imaginary castle,
utterly lost in corridors that stretched forever in all directions.
Kalciane was besides her - but for some reason Minaki could not bring
herself to face her. Even as she began to run down one of the infinite
hallways, she felt her Guardian's presence hovering just behind her, right
out of her line of sight.
Suddenly, ribbons of every color burst out from doors along the floor and
ceiling... doors that had not been there a second ago. They whipped around
her like vipers, whistling through the air with deadly intent as they
sliced through various busts and vases sitting on the tables around her.
The dissonant shattering of ceramic against the ground filled the air as
fragments of the sculptures knifed past her face and arms. Minaki flinched
and stumbled back, shielding herself... belatedly realizing that Kalciane
had not come to her aid at all.
She tried to ask what was wrong, but no words came from her mouth. The
ribbons flicked again, tearing towards her... and it was this time that
Kalciane intercepted them. But her angel's strength seemed diminished; the
cloth punctured easily through her armor, lifting and flinging the Guardian
viciously against the wall. Kalciane did not utter a single word even as
Minaki scrambled to her side, crouching down to see if she was all right.
Words refused to come from her mouth.
The ribbons loomed up in brilliant arches behind her. Her Guardian's armor
was cracked and faded, as if she had been exposed to the elements for a
very long time. Minaki placed her hands upon the angel's shoulder, trying
to rouse her - but it was no use.
Her Guardian could not protect her anymore.
It took a while for her to fully understand that with the state of
unreality she was in. Her Guardian could not protect her.
Then the tassels were upon her, puncturing through her body like paper. Hot
blood trickled from her wounds in crimson streams... and in that moment,
her voice finally returned as she let out a terrified scream.
A strong hand clamped onto her shoulder and the darkness receded
immediately, taking the infinite castle and the ribbons with it. Minaki
tried to jerk away, only to be further restrained as another hand pressed
down upon her other shoulder. The girl was on the verge of unleashing her
Guardian, before she opened her eyes to look straight in her father's face.
"Minaki. Minaki!" he said, his voice firm. It was just loud enough for her
to shake off the last vestiges of the nightmare and sink into his embrace
with a slight shiver. "I heard you screaming... is everythin' all right?"
"I'm sorry, Papa..." she murmured, her eyes stinging with hot tears. "I...
I just had a scary dream..."
He brought her further into his embrace, hugging tightly as his hands
stroked her back comfortingly. "I see... don't worry, Minaki, you're safe
now. You're awake."
"Honey, what's going on?"
Minaki looked up to see her mother standing in the doorway, looking as
concerned as she sounded. She blinked her tears back and slid out of her
father's grasp to lean against the wall, dangling her legs over the edge of
her bed. "It's okay, Mama," she said quietly. "I just had a bad dream...
I'll be fine."
"It sounded more than just a dream, honey," her mother said, sitting down
on the chair at the study desk. "You sounded rather terrified."
"Minaki, I know that we've been fairly lenient about this whole... affair
with your Guardian," her father continued, looking a bit uneasy. "But we've
actually been meaning to talk to you about that, your mother and myself.
Especially after how things turned out last night with Reiya carryin' you
into our home."
The girl glanced back and forth, somewhat puzzled. Part of her mind began
insisting that she was dreaming again, but things felt too real for that to
be true. "... talk?"
Her mother nodded, placing her hand comfortingly upon Minaki's. "This might
not be a good time, but... I don't think we're going to have another chance
to say what we want," she said hesitantly. "We're both quite busy with our
work, as you know, and you're often out and about or busy with your homework."
"I didn't mean it," Minaki murmured. She huddled up against the wall,
sounding vaguely guilty. "I really didn't."
But her father chuckled softly, giving her a reassuring look. "Honey, we're
not here to tell you to stop," he said. "I just want you to listen to what
we have to say. The decision's still up to you."
Minaki looked back and forth between her parents, wavering between
uncertainty and conviction. Somehow, the very idea that they wanted to
speak to her about what she had been doing was enough to make her consider
stopping altogether. They had never said anything further to her after
their initial agreement, and she simply hadn't thought anything of it
afterwards under the assumption that they were fine with the way things stood.
"I know that Reiya's a very special friend to you," her father continued
softly. "And we trust her. We've seen what you and Kalciane can do, and
she's never let us down. But at the same time, I have to ask you somethin':
do you really understand what she's doin'?"
"Of course I do!" Minaki said defensively. "Reiya wants to protect the
world from all the bad demons sent by the devil."
Her mother smiled faintly. It was the exact same thing she had said those
many months ago when she first wanted to go out fighting with Reiya. "That
may be true, Minaki, but I hope you understand that Reiya may have her own
reasons for fighting, reasons she may not want to tell you. Everybody has
their own reasons for doing what they do, Minaki, even if they're not aware
of it themselves."
"I can't say I know exactly what you do out there," her father went on,
"but it worries me sometimes. It worries me a lot. We still don't
understand exactly what's happened to you, so that you now have these
powers - "
Minaki only shook her head solemnly. "But I don't have any strength of my
own, Papa. Kalciane does everything for me... all I do is tell her what she
has to do."
"Either way, it's still a miracle... a strange one indeed." He rubbed his
chin thoughtfully, as if planning how to continue. "You've never told us
what sorts of things you see on these 'missions', dear. What sorts of
things you feel."
"But you never asked, so I just thought that you didn't want to know."
Her parents exchanged a brief look of amusement before he chuckled softly
once more. "Maybe it's our fault for bein' so busy lately, then. The
fellows down at the plant have been makin' some changes, so I've had to
hold their hands through it. And your mother here's doin' some mighty
important work with molecules or somethin', all kinds of stuff I don't
really understand. You understand how it is, though, don't you, Minaki?"
"Uh huh. I understand." She nodded obediently, smiling softly and clasping
her hands in her lap.
"We finally managed to wrangle some free time, had to all but twist their
arm to do it. It might seem a little strange to you, honey, but we don't
really like our work..."
Her mother nodded slowly, shifting in her seat. "We'd much rather spend the
time with you, Minaki. This is a very important time you're going through
now, one that you'll never be able to experience again. The memories you
create now will be with you for the rest of your life."
Minaki nodded again, a bit stunned by the suddenness of the lecturing she
was receiving. While she didn't exactly mind, for her parents always said
wise things that she took to heart, it seemed to have come out of nowhere.
Perhaps it was something they had been bottling up for a while, but even so
they had given no indication that they had even been this concerned.
"I'll tell you, if you'd like," she offered, a bit slowly; her adventures
with Reiya and Toji were something private that they had promised to tell
no one about. But her parents already knew that she had been spending a
good number of nights with her friends... plus, they *were* her parents.
Refusing them was out of the question. Indecision suddenly crept into her
thoughts, leaving her paralyzed with silence. She was being asked to break
either her parents' trust, or Reiya's - and she found herself unwilling to
do either, silently wishing that she hadn't been so quick to speak.
For a moment, it looked as if they were going to ask her anyways, leaving
her with no choice but to break the promise she had made. But something
made them stop; perhaps it was the look on her face, or the hesitation in
her voice. Either way, her parents exchanged another look before her father
reached forward to pat her on the shoulder comfortingly, squeezing with a
strong and reassuring grip.
"Nah, that's all right," he said in that gruff, rumbling baritone Minaki
had grown to love. "I was a young 'un too, and I didn't like my dad pokin'
in my business. Turned out he just wanted the best for me, but a man's got
to have some things for himself... and so does a woman. You just take care
of yourself and let Reiya look out for you. I won't be happy if my little
princess ends up gettin' hurt, you hear?"
Minaki breathed a sigh of relief internally, giggling lightly at her
father's serious demeanor. "I won't be hurt, Papa. I have so many friends
to protect me..." She paused as a brief flicker of memory came to her: the
three girls who had hated her so much. Where were they now? "... but I'm
happy you trust me."
Her mother blinked a few times, taken aback by that last bit. "Trust
you...? Of course we do, dear... otherwise we never would've let you go out."
"When - or if - you want to tell us what happened, we'll be here to listen
to you," her father said quietly. "Try not to forget your old man and your
mother here while you're out fightin' evil, you got that?"
"I won't forget," Minaki said solemnly. It was another promise, one she had
every intention of upholding. "I'll never forget... Mama... Papa."
Her parents smiled and got up from their seats, patting her on the
shoulders. "Get some sleep, honey," her mother murmured. "You didn't look
too well when you came home from school today."
"I'll be all right," Minaki replied cheerfully. "Everything will be all
right - naa! Papa, don't do that!"
Her father chuckled again, having reached over to ruffle her hair
affectionately. "That's my girl," he said, not without a hint of pride.
"Always the optimist. Let's leave her alone so she can sleep now, dear."
And with a final nod from them both, Minaki's parents slipped out of the
room, the door clicking softly shut after them... leaving her to peer
silently at it wondering if she had done the right thing. Someday, she was
going to have to tell them everything; she wasn't going to be able to hide
the truth forever. She wasn't like Reiya, who no longer had anyone to
confide in. Nor was she like Toji, who did everything in his power to
pretend that there was no other side to him.
One day, she would be stronger than she was now. She would be strong enough
to break one promise, in order to fulfill another.
Minaki curled over in bed and tugged the blankets over herself, squeezing
her eyes shut. That day was coming; there was no way to avoid it, and she
knew as much. She could only hope with all of her heart that it would not
come anytime soon.
_____
The meeting place that Toji and Reiya agreed on for the night's mission was
a small plaza a few blocks away from Minaki's house, close to the
undeveloped downtown sector they had been in about a week ago. There had
been no demonic activity since their last encounter, but Reiya made one
thing clear as soon as Toji pulled up on his bike: they were going after a
different target tonight. The spot she had picked was fairly close to the
south-side, and they would be able to try and find Keiya directly to get
some of their questions answered, provided they met him in battle again. If
they weren't successful, they could go back to Minaki's house and get the
notes from her to make sure that Toji didn't fall behind in his studies.
It had been cloudy since afternoon. By the time he pulled up in the
darkened plaza the first drops of rain had begun to fall, darkening the
cracked asphalt underfoot. Reiya had not brought an umbrella, of course -
but he had, knowing that today was going to be his day. The thunder that
rumbled overhead was only a prelude, and as the storm opened with a sullen,
gradual shower, he opened the umbrella and held it over her wordlessly.
She looked up at the sky, then up at him and let out a somewhat embarrassed
laugh. "You seem prepared, for a change," she observed.
Toji shrugged casually and lifted his hand outwards, watching in bemusement
as the falling raindrops curved to the side away from his skin and leaving
him completely untouched. "I thought you might've needed it... but this
might not be a good idea. If we're going after Keiya, we're going to need
to be on even ground, and I know that you can't handle yourself in this
weather."
He was right, of course. The one time Reiya had tried to go on a mission
despite the bad weather had resulted in disaster. Not only did Toji and
Minaki have to finish the task, but she had caught a cold afterwards,
leaving her bed-ridden for almost a week. By the time she had recovered,
she was sullen and angry with herself and a bit frustrated that her
Guardian had allowed her to be susceptible to something so trivial. It was
the first time she learned, the hard way, that just because she had Setsuna
didn't mean she was invincible.
It was already looking to be a terrible night, and she couldn't let Toji
just walk into Keiya's territory and issue a challenge on his own. It was
quite obvious that he was planning to use the storm as a means to level the
playing field, but the risk was just too great for someone who never
practiced and shunned the use of his Guardian. While he would undoubtedly
have a greater advantage than his last fight, Reiya's sense of faith was
already wavering, even as she desperately wanted to believe that he would
be the victor.
"I'll be fine," she said, shaking her head and taking a few steps forward -
only to be abruptly pulled back when Toji clamped his hand on her shoulder.
"Toji, don't...!"
"Quit being stupid, Reiya," he said tightly, his voice cracking with
barely-restrained frustration. "This is my fight, not yours. You don't need
to put yourself in danger because of me."
She tried to break away, to no avail; Toji's grip was suddenly stronger as
she felt Liquis' presence unfolding. "No, I don't have to," she murmured.
"But neither do you."
He seemed taken aback by that, though his annoyance was still evident.
Reiya could feel a certain warmth to it, though; it was something that she
had not noticed before at all and was catching her entirely by surprise. It
seemed to be his concern for his well-being, and... no. It had to be her
Guardian reacting to his, growing edgy with the anticipation of battle. She
couldn't be reading it correctly...
"Don't joke around. After everything I've screwed up, you're asking me to
stay out of it?" He would have felt indignant if he hadn't been so wrapped
up in his fear... both at facing Keiya again, and of seeing Reiya at his
mercy. But something was stirring beneath the layers of terror, refusing to
give in. "Minaki told me to be there for you. She said it was the best
thing to do... I can't believe you're telling me it's not!"
"Minaki said that...?" Reiya glanced up a bit stunned, wondering why she
had done such a thing; it wasn't characteristic of her at all. "When?"
Toji didn't answer, pulling her back as he proceeded to move forward once
more. "Reiya, can you please go and see if Minaki's feeling better?"
"I won't let you just push me aside." Her voice became adamant as a sudden
burst of energy flickered at her side, the sharp ringing of Reiya's
Guardian cutting through the air. "I'm coming with you."
He continued walking, knowing that if he stopped he would not be able to
keep going; the fear and uncertainty was weighing heavier on him, wrapping
around each and every thought that was going through his mind. But he knew
Reiya was right behind him, raindrops pattering softly from her umbrella,
the fringe of her Guardian barely brushing against his. It was some amount
of comfort, at least, knowing that she would be with him during the
upcoming ordeal - and so he did nothing to stop her as he made his way
across the plaza.
Toji didn't remember how long he continued to walk, barely noticing as the
unfinished houses and dirt roads gradually gave way to cracked asphalt and
tired brick buildings. There was no official boundary separating the
downtown and the south-side, but the difference was tangible, evidenced by
how old everything appeared. He had only heard stories up until now about
the sector, having previously avoided the sector altogether in the past.
The recent renovations in Hoshimi were supposed to be an effort to drive
the criminal element out of the city, but thus far they were mostly
unsuccessful.
He remained silent as they made their way through the deserted main street
of what had once obviously been a thriving tourist strip. Empty buildings
loomed around them like ghosts. Off in the distance, they could see a hotel
that still appeared to be in operation, judging by its bright marquee that
proclaimed it as the Family Motel. Toji turned around and began moving in
its direction silently, unconsciously clenching his fists as he went. He
sensed the uneasy presence of other Hosts now, skittering like fireflies
over a grassy field.
"Toji." Reiya had stopped and was tapping Setsuna against the ground
pensively. "You feel them, don't you?"
His only answer was a slight nod. He had to focus now, so that they
wouldn't be caught off-guard again. The first time he had been too involved
with Kaname; the second, he had come too late to save Minaki. This time he
would be ready for whatever Keiya was going to throw at him, and he would
finally be on equal footing with his Guardian.
The pinpoints of energy seemed to be converging on them, and the sheer
number was enough to startle even Reiya. She had expected things to be
complicated, being that they had walked into unfamiliar territory with
their Guardians alert, but this was far beyond the threshold of what either
of them would be able to handle. Kaname had mentioned something about
people who could help her. Was this what she had meant? Were there other
gatherings of Hosts besides themselves?
Toji nudged her subtly, his gaze still locked on the hotel off in the
distance. "They've stopped."
Reiya blinked and realized that he was right: the Hosts had stopped moving.
Upon a quick inspection of their surroundings, she noticed that they were
perched atop buildings and hiding in the darkened alleyways, apparently
waiting for the critical moment to strike. Or perhaps they were waiting for
a cue from something else...
A sudden flare of wind tore through the air, seemingly coming from the front.
The two leapt away, letting the blast soar past to hit a building behind
them. Reiya was on her feet instantly, her sword poised against her forearm
as she glanced around for the source of the attack. A presence flickered
from atop the Family Motel and off towards the side; Toji glanced upwards
as it headed towards an old wood shed in the distance. He heard Liquis
whispering at him, its words like ice upon his heart: Kazeki was near.
In a flash he was soaring through the air, launching himself upwards by
stepping upon the falling raindrops like a staircase to make his way
towards the top of the shed. Reiya remained where she was, watching him
go... before turning up the collar of her jacket, letting the umbrella drop
at her feet. Then she was off as well, pushing herself upwards in a
powerful jump to glide effortlessly across the street in a single bound.
Another leap and she joined Toji on the slanted ceiling of the wood shed,
feeling the dampness of the rain seeping through the fabric of her coat.
"What are you two doing here?" Keiya strode into view from across the
rooftop, the air around him reshaping to outline a protective sphere within
the downpour.
Toji was striding forward before Reiya could respond, his clenched fists
glowing faintly as curved blades of water formed above his arms. "Keiya!
I've come here to challenge you!" he shouted.
His words only elicited dark amusement from the wind Host, who turned his
back on him even as he replied. "Challenge me?"
"You've hurt my friends too many times," Toji said, trembling a bit. He
felt himself losing control and quickly struggled to quell the wave of
anger that was already sweeping through him. Anger would do him no good
right now; he had to remain calm. "I'm here to settle things once and for all."
"There is nothing to settle." Keiya turned around to glance at Reiya with a
slight smirk, brushing his hair away from his face. "But I do thank you for
making things easier for me."
Toji gritted his teeth. "What's that supposed - "
He had no time to finish as Keiya abruptly flew through the air towards
them, one arm raised to strike. Toji quickly moved in front of Reiya to
intercept the blow, bringing his water blades whipping around at the
incoming threat. The space between them imploded as water met air, each
scattering the other into nothingness - and then Toji was upon Keiya,
delivering punch after furious punch in an attempt to drive his enemy back
and away from his supposed target.
Reiya took the opportunity to leap downwards towards one of the wooden
girders holding the ceiling upright, pushing off from it to take shelter
from the rain. Through the few gaps in the metal roofing she could see the
two men fighting - although after a few seconds, she noticed that Keiya was
not bothering to retaliate. Instead, he was deflecting the brunt of Toji's
offense with a single arm, weaving his way around the rest with an
arrogant, casual demeanor. She frowned and tightened her grip upon the hilt
of her sword. There would be no way for her to join in now, as she'd only
get in the way. She had to bide her time and hope that Toji would realize
what he was doing wrong.
But he didn't seem to be. Keiya was matching him punch for punch, even as
Toji struggled to make himself go faster, driving his opponent steadily
back along the roof. He was being denied again and again in an almost
nonchalant fashion, and it was driving him mad with frustration. How could
he be fighting with both arms and yet be pushed away with only one?
Something was not right. He had to change what he was doing - and just as
he was about to, the air around him seemed to solidify itself, ramming into
his stomach. The impact was palpable, sending him skidding backwards across
the slick metal to tumble through one of the gaping holes in the worn roof.
Keiya hopped lightly through the gap in pursuit, his smirk widening as
Reiya moved in to intercept him. Toji was clambering to his feet behind
her, his fists still raised defiantly like the last time they had fought.
It was almost as if he thought he had a chance... foolish boy.
"I did not expect you to place yourself in my hands," he said, shaking out
his free hand carefully. "Why have you come here?"
"I came because I want to know the truth," Reiya replied evenly, bringing
her arm upwards and twirling her sword forward with a flick of her wrist.
"We both have questions, Keiya. I want to know why you've been sending the
demons to attack us."
Her accusation caught him by surprise, and mild puzzlement crossed his face
for a moment. "You should know the answer, Reiya Eice. You are the reason
behind them, aren't you?"
She took a step back, unsure of what to think... and in that instant Keiya
moved forward with a broad sweep of his arm, intending to knock her away.
She brought her sword around in an arc of blue light to parry the blow, the
sheer force leaving the blade humming in her hands. Then she pressed
forward, twisting herself around with a vicious slice aimed at his face -
but Keiya moved aside easily, almost as if he had seen the move coming. A
quick leap backwards and he was poised upon another platform, one hand
raised as if to beckon her to come at him again.
"Reiya, don't!"
Toji's words went unheard as she flew through the air in a powerful leap,
swinging her sword gracefully outwards in an arc of golden light that
sizzled towards the wind Host. The energy smashed through the platform,
cutting a ragged gash as Keiya slid away from the attack. But Reiya refused
to give up; Setsuna flared with emerald energy as she landed on the
platform, renewing the assault with a series of rapid thrusts and slashes.
Air imploded between them as Keiya narrowed his eyes, batting the dancing
blade away with twists of wind timed to intercept her strikes.
He knew he had to be more careful with this one. Just by the way she was
moving, Keiya knew that the girl had far more skill than her friend - but
that didn't matter, as it wasn't something he hadn't encountered before. He
would end this fight like all the others. As Reiya moved in for another
swing, he reached out with Kazeki and smashed a column of air into her
body, sending her spiraling through the air and nearly off of the platform.
With another burst of wind he pushed himself through a gap in the ceiling,
lifting his arm as Toji appeared in front of him.
"Keiya!" he shouted, the rain sluicing around him angrily. "What was that
supposed to mean? That Reiya's the reason behind the demon attacks?"
The wind Host remained silent. He was, in all honesty, rather uneasy with
Reiya beneath him; there was no telling what she would try as soon as he
let his guard down. However, there had no choice but to move the battle
into the rain. Although Toji did have more of an advantage in his own
element, his lack of skill was apparent. He would just have to deal with
him first to ensure that he wouldn't interfere when it came time to face Reiya.
"Answer me!" Toji shouted, taking a step forward.
Wind snapped around Keiya, forming a protective sphere once more. "Who do
you think are you fighting?" he muttered, ignoring Toji's question. "Those
demons... she's the one they're going after. Your ignorant efforts are only
making things worse. Why don't you just quit now?"
The water Host shook his head vehemently, bringing his arms outwards.
"Quit? I can't quit... not after what you did to Minaki." Power surged
through his limbs as his Guardian focused upon the surrounding rain, a
growing sphere of water gathering in his hands. "Why did you attack her?!
She's got nothing to do with this!"
Keiya smirked. "I had hoped she would be more of a challenge than you."
Those words finally got to him.
With a powerful shout, Toji snapped his arms forward. The globe of liquid
in his hands shivered and exploded outwards at Keiya with blinding speed,
increasing in size exponentially as it flew through the air. While Toji
knew that it would most likely be deflected, it was what he was counting on
to get around Keiya's defense. It was what he was hoping for.
But it was not what happened.
Instead, Keiya simply shot himself up into the air... and by the time he
felt Reiya's presence approaching, it was already too late. She burst
through the ceiling in a brilliant array of sparks, her sword lashing
through the air... only to miss completely as the blast struck her dead-on,
shattering into thousands of droplets upon collision and flinging her
across the rooftop to land in a crumpled heap near the edge.
"REIYA!" Toji screamed, breaking into a panicked run towards her.
But Keiya swooped down to stop him short, the wind stirring ominously about
his raised hand raised. "This ends, Toji Kizuda. Now."
And as Toji lifted his arms in preparation, he could feel the faint
coldness of the rain seeping through his shirt.
_____
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