Sarah.

The deep dreaded voice croons with sickening sweetness from behind her as she continues running. Her face twisted with terror while tears stream down her cheeks as the darkness closes in. A nameless icy-cold darkness intent on consuming her. Already her legs seem to be weighed with lead as each step becomes more of a struggle to perform.

Sarah, you're mine to play with.

"Leave me alone!" Her screams came out as rasps as her throat seemed to close together.

You belong to me. It's tone mocking and cruel. We're going to have so much fun together.

Sarah can no longer move and looks back to see that profound darkness of the blackest black possible almost upon her. So close and yet so distant.

A pair of large glowing blood-red eyes appear within that darkness. It has pin-pricked vertically-slit yellow pupils that shine like twin suns. An equally malevolent mouth full of serrated teeth appear just beneath those eyes, grinning with an impossible wideness that shows each and every shark-like tooth, along with every inch of its pink gums. A spine-chilling guttural chuckling emerges from that mouth as a pair of gnarled and clawed hands protrude from either side, slowly reaching out to grab her. They are so close that they seem to loom over her and are only a second away from grabbing her, and yet they seem to be hours away from grabbing her.

I'm going to enjoy you so much. That hideous face crooned grotesquely, moving only its lips while radiating a genuine promise of horrifying torment for her.

Sarah can't even scream, let alone move. Horror and despair twists her cute face in a most heart-wrenching manner.

In a flash someone now stands between her and that face, cleaving it in two from a sword swung in a wide arc. The pieces separate and disappear, along with its hands. But not before that face twists with agony, along with outrage over being denied its pleasure; all while making a scream to match, which hangs in the air and fades. The malevolent darkness vanishes, to be replaced by a more benign darkness that doesn't seem so dark.

Her rescuer sheathes the sword and turns to face her, wearing a short and simple white robe that reveals feminine gender. Tall and strong, like a tower, she has very long midnight hair that billows on some unfelt wind that frames a beautiful strong face. She kneels close to Sarah as she gently clasps the little blonde's chin between her thumb and forefinger, closing the distance between their faces. Her rescuer's eyes shining with empathy and concern.

"M-Motoko!" Sarah sobbed with relief as her expression brightens.

The kendoist kisses her lips with eyes closed. Sarah closes her eyes too, causing more tears to flow down her face. Each find the others lips to be warm and soft. A long and tender kiss it is, but an innocent one at that.

Motoko breaks away and Sarah opens her eyes to discover that she is within her own room and bed. The kendoist releases her chin and strokes her in one slow and lingering motion from crown to hand, getting a feel of blond hair that is thicker and softer than her own. She brings her hand to rest upon Sarah's hand and clasps it. Sarah finds her touch to be warm and strong, yet gentle.

"I felt someone suffering and hurried forth," she cooed, "then knew it was you as it came from your room. I entered and held witness to you muttering and weeping in your nightmare, then used my chi to enter and vanquish the nameless terror."

"Th-Thank you," Sarah croaked and hugs her tightly. Motoko strokes her hair for a moment with her other hand.

"Now come with me, Sarah-chan," she then said as she rises while still holding her by the hand, compelling Sarah to rise, showing that she is wearing pyjamas.

"W-Where are we going?"

"You will see."

Motoko leads her out of her room as they hold hands. The kendoist leads her down the darkened hallway in the dead of night, past the rooms of sleeping boarders and into another room. Sarah knows that room upon entering it because of the presence of the samurai armor that she can make out at the back of the room.

"Over here," Motoko cooed as she leads Sarah over to a futon with the covers pulled back. The only futon there.

Sarah now knows that the kendoist wishes her to spend the rest of the night in her bed and gets in. Motoko rises and turns away as Sarah turns over and got comfortable. She can hear the kendoist fumbling with clothing.

Then before she knows it, Motoko lifts the covers and crawls in. Normally, the kendoist sleeps naked as she had only thrown on that robe before rushing to Sarah's "rescue". She now wears a simple T-shirt with panties underneath. At first, Sarah finds it a little odd to be sleeping with Motoko as she understands that the kendoist has a steely personality. Now that she remembers it, she had been punished by the kendoist back at that beach house for mistakenly believing that she had caused the mess that Kaolla had made. Nevertheless, Sarah accepts her presence. In fact, she feels relieved.

"Let us get comfortable," Motoko whispered as she shifts halfway over onto her back while pulling Sarah closer to herself.

Sarah now lies almost on top of her as they hold one another with their bellies pressed together. Each find the other very warm and can feel the other's heartbeat intimately. Sarah finds her to be firm and wiry as relatively large and cushiony breasts press up against her. She presses her face into Motoko's neck to feel soft smooth warm skin and equally soft but thick black and shiny hair.

Motoko in turn nuzzles her head while feeling her soft physique that holds a moderate amount of toning to it, along with hot breath blowing pleasantly against her throat. Despite Sarah's thorny disposition, the kendoist can feel the gentleness of the exotic little foreign girl's touch upon herself.

"Goodnight, Sarah-chan," she whispered into her ear, before gently kissing it. "Sleep and have peaceful dreams."

As they each drift off to sleep together, each felt a warm and milky feeling from within themselves that make them both blush and smile.

Sarah feels at ease and sleeps peacefully, knowing her protector is here.


Note: This story was inspired by a chapter from my story, Azumanga Hina.