Yami no Uta
Note: I have never been on a train before, so the train I'm imagining might not be close to what a train really is. Please bear with me. I own nothing.
----
The world has been covered in darkness. Fear blankets the earth, and grief governs the land. Many people have been fleeing. The train station was packed.
"Where are we going?" Len looked up at his caretaker. Miku's face was calm, but her voice was trembling.
"We're going to go to Kaito's." She squeezed his hand. It was smaller than hers. On her other side was Rin.
"But why? Why can't we stay with you and Megumi?" Rin was furious, with good reason. The Twins had been passed from house to house for a while. "We've been at your house for the past 2 years! They're not going to attack here!" She wrenched her hand out of Miku's.
"Rin..." Miku knelt down in the middle of the crowded train station. She looked at Rin, whose eyes were filled to the brim with tears. "Two 15-year olds cannot protect you here. It's too dangerous!" Miku gave Rin a tight hug. Rin's arms were limp against her sides. Len watched, his hand resting on his bag, hanging at his waist.
"Megumi is almost 16." Rin's fingers closed around Miku's back as she returned the hug.
"We're going to miss it." Len looked for the train, trying not to show his sadness.
"Oh, yes, you're right." Miku stood up and they walked through the gate together.
"Over here!" A familiar voice called them. Gakupo was standing there, wearing a black suit, and carrying a large briefcase. "What's up, kiddos?" He patted Rin and Len on the head.
"I'm 13 already! Sheesh!" Len waved Gakupo's hand away as if it was an annoying fly.
"We're not kids anymore!" Rin smiled.
"Yeah, yeah..." Gakupo shrugged. He then turned to Miku. "We decided to send another escort, just in case."
Miku nodded solemnly, then the tone of her voice changed, and she blushed. "How is Kaito?"
"He's fine of course, enjoying his position at the top of the house!" Gakupo laughed. Then, seeing on the look on her face, "Not bossy though, I mean."
The four of them boarded the vehicle as it pulled in, chattering animatedly about Gakupo's new bed. They found some seats in the back, and settled in.
"I guess it's okay, it has some pretty cool features!" He rested his arm on his chair and scratched his nose with his other hand. They talked for a while but then fell silent.
"Miku, can you get the chips from my bag? We're hungry." Len couldn't reach his bag since it was lying between her and the wall. Len peered over to Miku. She ignored him, and nothing happened. She seemed to be searching for something in the tunnel. The only noise was the wheels running over the tracks.
"Miku?" Rin looked curiously at her.
"Rin." Gakupo sternly said, and put his finger to his lips. He too looked out the window, expecting something. It was almost scary how easily he could change his tone of voice and concentration level.
Suddenly, from above them, a thudding noise rained upon the ceiling of the compartment. Gakupo opened his briefcase and pulled out a gleaming silver gun.
"I guess they've come after all." He clicked his tongue impatiently, and watched Miku pull a similar weapon from her bag. Glancing at Rin and Len, he instructed them to stay in the train. They obeyed, and he flung open the window, jumped out, Miku following, gun ready.
"Rin!" Len grabbed her arm, and they stepped away from the window, out in the hall.
"Huh?" She looked around in a daze. A gunshot echoed above.
"It's dangerous out there! We should stay away from the window!" He looked around the train. People were panicking, screaming. A man threw himself out in the hallway. "We need to calm them down!" He shouted to Rin over the noise. She nodded.
"Everyone! Don't worry! The Anti-Mask Society has members on the train!" Rin called. No one heard her. Chaos ruled the train, glass was shattered, and the passengers were going mad. The car shook violently.
"Calm down!" Len shouted. From above him, a hand violently ripped through the metal with a loud screech, bearing inhuman strength, and reached down into the train, grabbing Len's collar, and hoisted him up through he ceiling. His arm cut on the splintered steel on the way up, blood dripping onto the carpet.
Len let out a piercing scream. Rin watched helplessly, as her brother was taken by one of them. She toppled over on the ground, and heard Gakupo.
"Len!" He gasped.
Her brother's name brought sanity back to Rin, and she ran into the compartment again, and looked out the window. There were 3 of them. Len was held in the arms of one of the Masked, in front of him, shielding him from bullets. Miku and Gakupo were further down the train, the latter looking at Len. One of the Masked seemed to be dead. The other one was locked in combat with Miku, one wielding a knife, the other a gun. Miku's Green hair trailed behind her, some of it stained red.
"Len! What are y-" Gakupo looked between him and the hole in the roof and seemed to understand.
Looking down the train, Rin found the ladder leading up. She reached out with one hand, feeling the strong wind pull her back. Clutching the ladder, she jumped out of the train, and for a split second, dangled a few inches over the tracks, before grabbing the ladder with her other hand.
Once at the top, she struggled to balance on the roof. It was curved, and slippery. She discarded her shoes, throwing them inside the compartment. Finding her hold, she pulled herself up, shaking with the effort.
Farther away, Miku was fighting the 2nd Masked. It looked as though she was dancing with him, gracefully spinning around and around, making sure that her gun hit the knife. They met, and the knife and gun were in a battle of arm-wrestling. Miku swiftly ducked under while the Masked was distracted, flew between his legs, quickly spun around to the back of his head and shot. Blood spurted out and flew to the metal floor.
"R-Rin?!" Their eyes had met. Panting hard, she stood up, and found Len as well. Gakupo took hold of the situation. The 3rd Masked was looking at Rin. Grabbing a knife lying beside his shoe, Gakupo threw it at the last Masked. He skillfully caught it, though he released Len, who rolled on the roof, coughing and sputtering.
Gakupo and Miku rushed forward toward it, and the 3 of them began to fight. Rin carefully inched along to Len, who was still on the floor. She leaned over, and saw him still breathing, alive, though he was still bleeding.
Not watching the scene behind her, she didn't see Miku backing up. The Masked dived for Miku, who jumped back, and hit her leg on Rin's back, losing balance, the gun flying up into the air, skidding further along the roof.
"Rin! Get away from here!" Miku was stunned. Her leg was covered in red, and it ran down the side of the train. She could no longer stand. Gakupo was fighting alone.
Following her orders, Rin jumped up, and ran toward the gun. The last Masked was the toughest, and Gakupo, panicking over Rin and Len was not his usual fighting self. He tripped over his own feet making sure Len and Rin were safe. He crumpled down the side, unable to catch his breath.
Rin could hear the pounding footsteps behind her as she ran for the gun. It was drawing in closer and closer, almost ready to pounce, she reached for it. Feeling the cool metal in her palm, she pivoted on the spot, and saw it. A large shiny black mask, and glowing red slit eyes, a mere few centimeters from the tip of her nose.
"Rin!" Gakupo yelled. Rin screamed, her face, frozen in fear and shot the gun, feeling in recoil, pushing her on one foot, teetering dangerously in the space between the cars, the wind, keeping her from falling, as it supported her from behind. The body fell backward and Rin fell on her knees, face splattered lightly with blood.
---
They safely made it to Kaito's. Of course, all 4 of them were taken in for treatment at the hospital.
"Kaito!" Miku hobbled forward happily, her injured leg slowing her down. He rushed out of his house to greet them.
"Miku, I'm so happy you're safe!" He gave her a big hug. Then, greeted Gakupo, they shook hands. He took everyone inside. Gakupo explained what happened in the living room, which was rather large, and decorated in dark blue. A fireplace was set in the wall. It looked freshly cleaned, though sloppily. They all sat in big squishy chairs.
"So they're attacking in public now?" Kaito's eyes glazed over the fire. Gakupo nodded. "Are you two okay?"
Both Rin and Len nodded, though both had pale faces. Kaito stood up, and led them to their room. Miku and Gakupo stayed the night as well, Miku took the couch, and Gakupo slept in Kaito's room, using his sleeping bag.
---
"You're too young!"
"I already proved myself!"
"I said 'NO!'"
"Maybe Miku, she could?"
"Kaito! How could you!"
....
"Who did this?"
"You think this is some child's game?"
"It's not, you know!"
"And...and I...I knew you couldn't do this!"
"I've lost him..."
...
"Rin...take my gun..."
"Where are you going?"
"I...just want to leave."
...
"A demon of the heart."
"It builds itself from fear, anger, and grief."
"And is triggered a response when those feelings explode."
...
Faces, faces drawing in. Red, red...
I'm scared, I'm scared!
...
---
Rin woke up. She was hot, and found herself hunched up against a wall, tears streaming from her face.
"Rin, are you okay?" Len was carrying some medicine.
"Yes..." Rin panted. She was out of breath. It was if she had been running. "I was...dreaming about the past. I remembered everything."
"It all started on that train didn't it?" Len patted her on the back. Rin whimpered. Snow drifted down outside. The demon was laughing.