Oh, for those of you who are still with me in this, I need a little piece of advice. Really, no coaxing into reviews. PM me if you want, but please... do you think 60 chapters will be too long? I mean, I have been counting the words and really, this IS maddening long, so if you think the story is not progressing, just tell me. I am only 1/4 through with the written story and I can fix this mess before is insufferable. (And believe me, I'm just thinking in you, dear readers. For me, the story is way too short [The novels are 4 and the series is 60 chapters long, and I am following their storyline]).

Sorry if there are more mistakes than usually. I make the last-moment revision just before publishing and right now I'm kind of sick. Very nauseous and can't eat. XD, If it weren't for the obvious, I'd think I'm pregnant.

Oh, I don't own Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles (you will see)

ALERT: Character near death!


Chapter 3: Start point

-This is all the information we have right now- David said, through a phone connected to a device on Toto's legs. -Yes, I'm aware of the risks- another pause -Haru will be under our supervision- he shut off the phone and returned it to the man in the backseat. It was in times like these David was grateful to be assigned to the same team as the "lucha libre" duo, because even tough they couldn't stop fighting, they did their jobs in a fast, clean and efficient way. Like right now; How Toto had managed a reliable connection in that short time, he didn't know, but with the american soldiers spying all the suspect calls in the city, he couldn't bear to make any mistake or reveal information. "Toto", as the agency called him, was the best communications technician, and "Muta" was the best for getting information, being it hacked or obtained in the underworld.

Said big man was just returning to his seat, at the front of the car, with both papers and a box in his hands. The first he put on David's hands. The last he put on the junk-food-wrappers covered dashboard and opened it. Several little balls of dough greeted their sight, as Toto leaned to the front to see over David's shoulder the papers in the folder.

David sighed, keeping to himself all his complaints about the fat-man eating habits. Muta turned to see him, and, grunting, he offered him the contents of the box -Want one?- he asked with his usual gruff voice, but David just shook his head, a little nauseated with the smell inside the car.

-It's so like you to be distracted from work with stuffing your face, isn't it?- the black-haired man scolded Muta, who put down his box and toothpick to turn to shout back at the thin man.

-Shut up, birdbrain, I already did my job!-

-You've been calling me birdbrain for years, lardball, can't you think of a better insult?- Toto snapped back, both of them keeping an eye on their immediate superior. But David wasn't paying attention to their fight. He was looking at an old photograph, faded at its edges. The smiling face of Haru von Gikkingen was pictured in there, her right arm hooked with the one of a blonde young man, her head on his shoulder. He was described in "Jared's diary" as one of Haru's servants.

David put the photograph back on its place, stuck behind the sun visor and opened the folder to see what Muta had got him. Apparently there was another "kitten" out there. But he hardly could make any move to solve this. On the bright side (is there even a bright side in fighting these creatures who feast on human blood?) their enemies could neither raise their heads. Right now, they were on equal ground, where a truce was forced on them, under the eye of the massive media. Neither of them couldn't let the public to discover the existence of this monsters. Their motives, David didn't know. The ones of his organization was not to sow panic among the population. The very life of the Shadowwalkers had been a secret defended with the lifes of his comrades since the beginning, and David wasn't planning on breaking the thrust everyone had on him.

On other hand, there was the problem with Naoko's refusal of giving up her "daughter". They might be creating the monsters, perfecting them by the years, but his group had long depended on the single effective weapon they had in their battle against the Shadowwalkers, and it was Haru von Gikkingen. Right now, he felt he was failing all his name represented, putting his personal feelings, the respect for his long time friend's feelings, before his mission. He scowled at himself for his lack of professionalism.

-Corbin, it's there still no change in their communications?- David said out the blue, cutting short the fight between his companions.

-What's the whole point of the codenames if you are still going to call me by my real one?- asked Toto, annoyed to be cut mid-insult, before checking again the data in his laptop. -Nop, nothing yet- the voice of Machida telling his mother he was on his way back home with Haru sounded in the background, to back-up his affirmation. David nodded and started the motor of the sedan.

Looking past the rearview mirror, David could see the doors of Omoro. He stepped out the car, exposing himself to the burning sun of the okinawan summer/fall. It wasn't still seven in the morning, so a little sign was on the doors, saying "We're closed, come back at 8 am", with Naoko's younger daughter's (only daughter, his mind said) handwriting. David walked to the shop, but stopped cold at seeing Haru walking out, Machida and Naoko following her close.

-Mom...- she began, turning to see her mother, but Machida took her by the wrist and pulled her to his bike.

-Hey, we're gonna be late, first day back to school...- he said and Haru turned just once again to Naoko, who nodded to her with a smile.

-He... hey, wait- was the last David listened from Haru before the sound of the motorcycle drowned it all. Naoko sighed and returned to the store, completely ignoring the man, but he just called her.

-Naoko- and that was all needed for her to turn and glare at him.

-Oh, it's you- she said with a cold tone in her voice and gave him her back to open the store. That didn't stop David, who followed her into the local. He always felt kind of out-of-place in the middle of the rolls of fabric, balls of yarn and all-sized needles. It was hard to reconcile the image of a middle-aged woman sewing and the young adult with a bazooka on her shoulder, back when they both were in the army.

Naoko let herself fall on one of the stools of the "learning zone" and leaned her head into her hands. -You haven't told her yet?- he asked and his only answer was the silence -why are you delaying the inevitable? There's no other choice but to tell her, things are getting out of hand...- he tried to say, but Naoko's angry voice stopped him mid-sentence.

-Weren't we waiting for her to remember everything on her own?-

-There's another one, we can't afford to wait- but listening to no answer, David just continued, trying hard not to hurt his friend -If we could have told her everything from the beginning, we would have, but we learned not to the hard way... remember Vietnam?- that earned a cringe from her, a single tear falling on the wood table. Yes, she too remembered it, so many of them have paid with pain for that single mistake -That's why it was decided a single person would take care of her, but you insisted in seeing her as a part of your family, when she isn't. You stopped being an agent to become a mother...- and by her posture, he comprehended his words have hurt her, more than he was trying to, so he shut(ed) up and straightened again -I'll give you until sunset. I can't wait anymore.-


Haru's head had started to drop onto her chest in the middle of the principal's speech. All the students had had to assembly in the gym first thing in the morning to mourn the death of the school's football team couch. But what began as a speech to praise the abilities of the teacher and his team, had somehow turned into a rant against the USA army. Apparently they haven't returned the corpse yet to the family, that topping the classdays lost to so many students, the barricade around school and their negation to let the japanese authorities enter the schoolgrounds.

-I can't stand this- Hiromi whispered to Haru, snapping her to attention -Mom's in a pretty bad mood. Things are very tense in the base too...- because it had not gone without notice that the teachers were specially sensitive and moody about this.

-Uh... yes...- Haru answered hesitantly after some seconds of silence. The authorities weren't the only ones on the edge, but Haru couldn't tell Hiromi about the events of Thursday and Friday. She just couldn't share with her best friend something not even her understood.

Hiromi parted her lips to say something, but the voice in the speakers told them to stay silent for a minute in respect for their fallen teacher, so she zipped her mouth and looked at the ground like every student. But even so, she couldn't help but shot some worried glances in Haru's direction. The pale girl seemed distant...

After the assembly, everyone returned to classes like nothing had happened. This was a fact to everyone in the world; after some terrible event, the routine is the best emotional shield, not allowing everything to fall apart. Life goes on, one second at time, one step at time...

However, for Haru it wasn't working. She didn't have a cemented past like everyone else, so it wouldn't be all that strange for her "normal" life to end at the same instant. Things around school didn't help her tough. During one of the class switches, she had to pass besides the Biology lab, just to discover everything was back to normal, not a single clue of what happened that night evident. They simply had made disappear every trace of the event, and since Haru herself was part of it, she was feeling more and more depressed... If everything could be wiped so easily, who could assure her very existence would not be "made disappear" too?

The uncertainty stood by her side the rest of the classday, accompanying her to the end. She was waiting for Hiromi outside school, when the weight of her schoolbag attracted her attention and the green edge of the only non-schoolar notebook catched it. Resting her back on the school gates, Haru opened her diary, words speaking about repetitive dreams, ones of running happily in a garden full of flowers, being on picnics with someone, dancing gracefully in the arms of a stranger, elegant dinners, the warmth of a fireplace in a winter night, snow falling in front of a window of a moving train... A sound reached her ears from a passing car running down the street. A song she knew all too well because it made her think of her situation. She closed her eyes and moved her lips, making words without sound.

In your eyes, I search for my memory
lost in pain, so far in the scenery
hold me tight, and swear again and again
we will never be apart...

The song lost itself after that, the car going faster than sound could move to reach her ears. She opened her eyes feeling the tears beginning to form, so she turned down to her notebook again, looking at the drawings. And all her drawings were about the same thing, the cat-man, a cat with orange, almost golden and cream fur, dressed in a dark blue suit and a lace white shirt. His hypnotic green eyes boring a hole in her heart, filling it with... love? desire? despair? hope?. Haru wold never know and even now, looking at the eyes she had drawn on the paper, she couldn't comprehend what was he trying to say, his eyes so familiar...

-Heeey, don't be sulking!- Hiromi's cheerful voice sounded behind her, while a hand collided against the small of her back, making Haru's head lift automatically.

-Hi... Hiromi- was Haru's instant answer while her best friend catched up with her. Hiromi grinned at her, her mood far too cheerful for the moment.

-Everyone in the school is gloomy, so cheer up please!- Hiromi begged, hugging the slim girl around the shoulders.

For the mental good of her friend, Haru tried her best to smile, but she only earned an inspecting look in Hiromi's eyes. -Wait...- she said before stopping in their walk.

-Wha...what?- Haru asked, slightly alarmed at her friend's look.

-You... didn't eat a proper breakfast this morning- Hiromi assured, with her hand on her forehead and her eyes closed like some kind of fortune-teller, before opening them, grinning at her friend.

-No... I did...- Haru tried to lie, but her stomach destroyed her scheme before she could begin.

-See, your body is honest- Hiromi said after a laugh that sounded far too forced in Haru's ears -Let's go eat okonomiyaki- she began guiding Haru towards a certain direction, pushing her by the back of her shoulders, when they both heard a car-horn at their side.

-Haru!- a voice came from within a little van and both girls turned to the sound to find Naoko waving at them from the parked vehicle near the schoolgates, smiling at them.

-Mom...- Haru began -why are you here?- she asked, walking near the family car, Hiromi following her a couple steps behind out of respect.

-I need to show you something- traces of the smile were still on her face, but the serious tone of her voice was one Haru had never heard before. -Oh, hi Hiromi-chan!- she greeted her friend cheerfully -Do you think Yuki can stay at your place and eat dinner with you?, there's something important I need to talk about with Haru- Naoko asked, her eyes almost begging the girl to say "yes".

-Uhm... of course Mrs. Yoshioka. There's no problem, mom likes Yuki to visit- Hiromi answered in the same forced tone from before, concern for her best friend showing in her eyes.

-Thanks for taking care of Yuki- Haru said, opening the front door of the van -I got to go-

Hiromi watched the car disappear around the street, Haru waving at her. A sense of foreboding almost drove her to her knees crying, but her bubbly personality couldn't allow her to fall. She trusted in everything would be alright at the end.


The trip had been silent on both sides. Naoko was submerged in the memories of the last year of her, the complete family, her brown-haired daughter, the happy moments, the sad moments... Haru, on the other hand, was thinking about her uncertain future, her unknown past, the same lie about her whole existence...

Naoko stopped the car at the side of a large set of stairs, going up the mountain, far from the town. She remembered all too well the last time she had been there and nothing had changed since then. She turned off the engine, got out the car and waited for Haru to get down as well. Then, together, they braved the steps leading to wherever Naoko was taking them. And while Haru had thousands of questions she knew not how to ask, Naoko was trying to soothe the pain her daughter was feeling. And the only thing she could offer Haru was the truth she had.

At the end of the stairs was a shrine-like building made of stone. The night was closing in, releasing the smells of the plants and wet soil around them. Haru felt the last warmth of the setting sun in her skin, breaking at the patterns made by the trees above them, green shadows cooling the atmosphere.

-A tomb?- she asked once her eyes adapted to the change in the light. She felt she almost knew this place, like she had been there before, but Naoko knew better than that. Haru couldn't remember that day at all, since back then she had the mentality of a newborn baby.

-This is the final place of rest for the members of the Yoshioka family- Naoko answered, signaling the building with her right arm. It looked like a sake-cup upside down, with a little door just in the front. -My mother, father, husband and first daughter are there. This is the place where all my personal story lies in- she began and Haru turned to see her face, a single tear travelling down her left cheek from the memories. Then, Naoko's warm brown eyes looked inside hers and the woman smiled slightly -And it's here where our story began.-

-Our... story- Haru asked, taken aback by the intensity of Naoko's gaze.

-Yes, your life, as my daughter... and your future... your true life- the redhead answered, her voice trembling slightly.

-My... true life...- Haru mumbled, her hands shaking -So... I'm going with David-

-You heard us- it was more a statement than a question, but Haru nodded anyway. Naoko had suspected it since the beginning, when Haru ran away from the clinic. By doubting, she had hurt her daughter more than necessary. It was Haru's right to know and she should have told her sooner the truth, but there was still time to right her wrongs. She could be honest with her daughter.

-I was sent to Vietnam, almost at the end of the war. I had a mentor, who I respected highly. He entrusted you into my care, just before he died. He asked me to watch over you, until the day you woke up again. He asked me to take care of Haru von Gikkingen.- She was decided to tell her daughter all she knew -I didn't know when you would wake, or if you would wake, or what to do when you did, so I returned here to Okinawa, retired from the military, married a good man and opened the shop.- From the place she was, Haru could see the tears forming in her eyes, but the woman willed herself to contain them, so Naoko blinked repeatedly to get raid of them -My husband and daughter died in a car accident, outside Okinawa. The car they were in fell from a cliff in the highway -her voice seemed to break by then, but Naoko forced herself to continue. It didn't matter how much it hurt to remember, Haru deserved the truth -I considered to suicide back then, just to be with them again, so I came here with my weapon and put it's muzzle against my temple- the woman signaled it with her left hand unconsciously, making Haru stiffen in terror at the pain her mother had endured -but just as I was going to pull the trigger, I heard a sound. It was your heart, beating strongly. It was as if you were saying me not to give up. To keep living- Naoko lifted her gaze to Haru's brown eyes, marvelling once again in the similarity between them. If her daughter could have lived enough to reach her teen years, she would have to look like her, at least her eyes; her beautiful, warm eyes. -Come- Naoko commanded before walking through the door, closely followed by the girl.

-You were there, back then- Naoko pointed to something in the back of the room. Haru's eyes took just a couple of seconds to adapt to the darkness inside, but after that she could see a white lump that occupied a good portion of the room. It seemed a big-sized butterfly cocoon. -I knew I had a reason to keep living. Your heartbeat was like the sound of my ancestors, my husband and my daughter, asking me not to die. To live instead of them. You all gave me strenght, gave me back my soul- Naoko's eyes almost glowed in the darkness, when she tought back about that epiphanic moment. -I decided to live to the fullest. Since I had a good income, I adopted Machida and Yuki, whose parents had died too in accidents. I wanted to give them all the love I could and live according to what my heart desired- And she had never feel like a "rescuer" or something by the style. Both children were always treated like people instead of pets or objects. Both had been treated like son and daughter, just what they were. -They kept giving me reasons to live, as they grew up and I became older. But you, you continued to sleep- She turned to look at her daughter again pride and love in her gaze, making Haru feel cared for -I didn't know what I was going to do once you woke up. Even tough I had plenty of time to think of something, your reborn catched me off-guard- Naoko looked again at the cocoon, guilty memories returning to her mind -When you were born, I didn't receive you like a daughter, or even a human being- the image of a naked girl on knees and hands passed trough her mind. The girl had long hair, long enough to cover all her body -I tried to kill you, with the same gun I tried to kill myself- she said without restraints. The truth and all the truth, she had sworn. The girl gasped, but wasn't that much worried about her mother not loving her. The life she had leaded to the day showed her the strength of the bond uniting them -But I couldn't. You, a creature who wasn't human... how could I let you live among my family?- Haru felt every word stabbing her heart, but she needed to know -You looked at me with such thrusting eyes... and you smiled at me. I couldn't help but swear I would raise you as my own daughter.-

The wind ruffled Haru's hair once they both were out the tomb, the silence of the almost night engulfing them, a calm, warm feeling settled in the girl's heart. Maybe she didn't know everything, but she could be sure of something: Naoko had told her everything she knew, and for that, Haru was grateful. The ring of Naoko's phone broke the silence, signaling the end of their time together. "It's time" was all David's cold voice told the woman, before she shut off the device, walking towards the stairs -Come on- she said to the girl, instead of "Don't worry, I'll always be with you" like she wanted. But she couldn't make that kind of promises. Not anymore. The sun had set and she was no longer her daughter -Let's go home. There are people who need you-

-What am I supposed to do now?- the girl asked, feeling the weight of her responsibility on her shoulders, despite the reassurance the woman had given her regarding her past. There were still so much things lost, and Haru felt no one but her could get back those memories.

-I can't answer that. Your future is up to you-

-And... Machida... and Yuki...?- Haru felt how her heart ached about leaving her little sister behind, but an even stronger pain at the tought of losing Machida, her crush... her brother...

-I'll talk to them- Naoko said, already going down the stairs and silence fell again between them.


-Why're you taking your bike apart?- a teenager named Kato asked from the shade of a building in the gas station.

-Something's wrong with it, okay?- Machida answered in an angry voice, annoyed at being interrupted in his work, but her hands never stopped moving, repairing the vehicle.

Since they had only half-day at school, Machida and his group of friends had decided to go to the self-service gas station in the highway, wich was a great place to ditch classes and spend time, since there were a fair amount of tools available to the public and the teenagers liked to get their hands greasy, repairing and upgrading their bikes.

-I want to take Haru to the north part of the island and it has to be in its best conditions- his face was suddenly soft, thinking about his sister, and not even the boys could not-notice it.

-Haru's.. your lil' sis, isn't she?- the other boy, named Kakimoto, asked -why going through all that?- the friends not working exchanged glances, hoping for their "leader" to take the hint and admit his own feelings.

-She's been feeling down lately, and I want to do what a good brother would do- Machida, still fixing his bike. But his mind could not help but remember he had never done that for Yuki. "She had never lived what Haru did" he assured himself once again "that's all".

-Hahaha- laughed Kato, gripping his sides -Just listen to the king of brawlers-

-You didn't hit your head, did you?- asked Kakimoto, whose laugh was more tamed than his friend's.

Machida by then could not restrain his own desire to get back at them -Hey you...- he begun, but the sound of a car stopping by the gas station interrupted him. A man got down the compact car, talking to the phone by his ear. He looked like he was in his late twenties, but the attitude of her body, the fatigue of his every movement made him look older. But for Machida's trained eyes, the man had the face of a fighter: frustration in his eyes but a feeling of never being unprepared for any eventuality.

-No, I haven't found anything- said the man with a tired voice -No, I'm digging for information, I keep doing, but nothing comes out. This is not norm...- a pause -They still keep the body... we know this is unfair...-

While talking, the man reached inside his pocket to get some change and one of the coins fell to the floor and rolled directly to Machida. The boy picked it and handed it to the man, who thanked him with a nod. That gave Machida the opportunity to learn his apparent name. The ID clipped to his breat pocket read "Akihiro Okamura, Reporter".

-I'm going to the dead teacher's natal city- pause -yes, we need the family's point of view-

After the man had left, Kato sighed out of relief -Sheesh, must write for a rag!- the teenager seemed somewhat nervous -Those guys are going crazy too- because it wasn't going unnoticed for the younger, people in the city were on edge about the semi-military-state they were in. Of course, the huge amount of media-related people, getting their noses inside every single aspect of the okinawan life wasn't helping. And no one seemed to bring up anymore information.

Machida was thinking back on that night, when the sound of Kakimoto's voice brought him back to reality -Hey Forest!- the teen called and Machida lifted his head from the work. Sure enough, the man was walking down the sidewalk on the other side of the highway, and he seemed to be the soldier named Forest, judging by the profile he could see. But he couldn't understand why he would be wearing that thick hooded robe when it was so hot outside.

-Is him Forest?- Kato's voice asked -the same crybaby who used to spend more time in your mom's shop than other places, crying on her shoulder?-

-Yup, the same. I think he is mom's friend, so anytime something happened in the marine, he'd come complaining about it to mom- Machida answered, thinking about all the times he would find the man snoring in the sofa in the Yoshioka home.

-I heard from the AmazonessGoGo girls he was going to retire and go back home. Guess, he couldn't- Kakimoto commented before waving his arms, calling the man again -Hey, Forest!-

From across the highway, Machida could see Forest turning to see the source of the voice calling him and his mouth became dry and his heart skipped a beat. He watched directly into the crimson-red eyes of the man.

A long trailer passed by and interfered his vision. When the silver-lightning was gone, the same happened with Forest. The man was nowhere to be seen.

-Where did he go?- asked Kato, but Machida was already on his way.

-Watch my bike, 'kay?- was all he said to his friends and didn't even bothered to listen their answer. He had the terrible feeling something was going to happen. Those eyes... they were the same as the monster Haru had fought against, and there was no way in hell he was going to let them fall on his sister.


When they got to Omoro, it was already very late. In the darkness of the street, Haru could see the familiar sign saying the shop was closed for the day. The time was moving very slowly, the doors taking hours to open under the touch of Naoko. The shop was in almost total darkness, but Haru could see the form of a man sitting in the learning zone. He stood up while Naoko turned on the switch and the shop was flooded with sudden light. The man didn't even wince in pain, he just turned around to gaze at Haru with the usual coldness.

-You are late- he said without taking his eyes off Haru.

-I know- Naoko answered before Haru even got the chance to talk, but David was already ignoring her, focused as he was in the teen in front of him. -I'm part of an organization named Red Shield-

-Red... shield?- asked Haru after some seconds of uncomfortable silence, the words in english sounding weird in her voice.

-We were created with the sole purpose of destroying the Shadowwalkers. Like the monster you saw three nights ago. Those are creatures that feed on human blood-

-A shadowwalker...- she whispered, remembering the words of the blonde man. He had said the same words. The memories she had tried so hard to keep forgotten returned to her brain and she took her hands to her head in a useless attempt to erase it all. But David couldn't have any of it.

-We have been killing them for a long time, and our trump card is you. We need you- he said to the girl, trying to make her see the reality of her life.

-Me...?- she whispered, not leaving the position she was in. Naoko, at her side, only tightened her fists until her nails began to dig into her skin. She couldn't do anything more than be by her side. She could not shield Haru anymore from her past.

-To be more precise, your blood. That is the only effective way to kill a Shadowwalker-

-My blood...- she keep on repeating, her brain barely processing all the information. She wanted to scream... what was next?

The sound of the bell at the door startled them all, none of them expecting anyone to come inside the door.

-Na... Naoko- the visitor's voice broke the silence and the figure of a cloaked man reached the counter, near where they were.

-Forest?- the woman asked, surprised to see him -Is that you?- but seeing the man's profile, she got all teh answers she wanted. Even if he looked sick and somewhat weird, he was still her friend -Haru, go get a glass of water- She heard absently the girl opening the door to the living quarters and run up the stairs. She was too focused in heer long time friend. -Hey, Forest...- she said with the same tone of voice she used to talk into when she was still young and in the army -weren't you supposed to be flying back home?, what're you doing here?-

-Help... me- was the only answer she received, in a broken voice. His shoulders were dropping, his head hanging and his legs barely keeping him on place, standing up.

-Help you?- she asked, just as Haru returned with the promised glass of water and offered it to the marine. He raised his head, as if to thank her, but Naoko could hear Haru gasping, stepping back from the man and she could see what had caused so much surprise in her daughter. His eyes were crimson.

The man (or formerly man) raised a hand to Haru. His skin seemed to peel away, leaving only a paw/claw, similar to the one of the monster in the school. The girl was frozen in place as the face of the man moved closer to her own.

-Get back!- David's shout resonated in Haru's brain, the hand with the glass loosing all its strength. But she never got to hear the sound of the crystal breaking. All she could hear was the thunderous cracking behind her, while her eyes saw Forest's body falling on his back.

-Why did you shoot him?- It was the almost hysteric voice of Naoko shouting to David.

-He is a Shadowwalker- was the simple answer from the man. Haru turned around to see David still holding the weapon directed to the fallen body of the monster, knowing somewhere in her brain that a bullet wouldn't be enough to annihilate it. -Get away, take her- David commanded her mother and the woman nodded once before running to her daughter, her military training finally hitting in. She took her by the wrist and Haru couldn't do anything else but to follow the woman out the shop. She turned her head once, just to see the monster moving again, trying to get up, and after, she could only hear two more shots as her mother leaded her through the empty street.

They couldn't go farther. Haru's sensitive ears catcher the sound of something breaking and she turned just in time to see the doors flying from their hinges, David's unconscious body behind it. Haru managed to make her mother duck with her just in time, her reflexes faster than they had been before, barely avoiding the dangerous crystal shards and wood splinters. The half-monster was only two seconds slowly in appearing.

The weapon formerly in David's hands was now on his muzzle. Forest wasn't the same man Haru had seen many times in her house. Half of his face was unrecognizable, his mouth and nose forming now a feline muzzle. Both his arms were now long appendages with claws at their ends. Padded claws, if Haru's sight was not failing her. From his former mouth, both the women could see the sharpened fangs, saliva filtering between them, making a puddle at his feet.

-Forest, what happened to you?- Naoko's voice asked. Forest opened his mouth and the pistol fell to the floor with a half-thud, half-splashing sound, and charged towards them at incredible speed, his eyes somewhere between empty and hungry, his claws directed to the cowering teenager.

But his claws never made contact with her. Instead, they hit the black, polished wood of a cello case.

The man from before had shielded both of them with his body and his coffin-looking box, appearing out of nowhere. He turned his body and kicked the monster hard, effortlessly making him fly in the direction of the back of the alley.

Haru looked up at him in awe, as he straightened up again as if nothing had happened. He kneeled on the ground, uncaring about his immaculate outfit and opened the case again, only to extract the sword and offer it to her.

-Haru... fight- his voice seemed to awaken something in her, and her hand moved to the handle of the sword, but the moment of enlightenment disappeared just as quickly and the teenager took her hand back to her chest, hugging it as if she had been burnt.

-I... I can't- she cried in a scared voice. The man's gaze softened and he lowered the sword to his side, so he could fight instead of her. After all, all he needed was a little of her blood, and it wouldn't hurt her much to give it...

Forest charged at them again, and just as the man was preparing to draw the sword and attack, a hand firmly took the handle and unsheathed it.

-I'm not going to let you make my daughter cry!- Naoko shouted and attacked the monster before any of them could react. The sword travelled through the air and landed on the creature's flank with a loud thud, not moving from there. But sadly, that gave the monster just enough opening to counterattack, sending Naoko flying backwards until her body was near that of David.

-Mom!- shouting was all Haru could do, frozen in place at the perspective of fighting and loosing her mother. The blonde man was already on his way, slowly walking to where the creature was. Haru's acute senses could see the hairs at the back of his neck standing on end and her nose could identify a strange smell, mixing with that of the garbage, saliva and, please... no, blood in the alley. An unknown part of her brain identified it first. Rage.

-Si...mon...- Naoko's voice cut the silence they were in, and only then Haru could see the pool of blood forming under the woman. The monster's eyes lost the crimson color, and with it, the madness. His name had snapped him back to reality.

-Naoko...- he whispered, horrified at his actions. Trembling, he disappeared in a blur of brown color, leaving them alone. But Haru couldn't care less. She was already running at her mother side, to kneel on the ground, applying pressure in the wound on her abdomen, her hands quickly soaking in red and warmth.

It was all her fault.

-Mom!- she screamed once she saw the woman's head falling to a side, unconscious.

-Mom!- another shout added to her own, and the man and her raised their heads to look at Machida, panting heavily, horror in his eyes.


The song is "You are my love", english version, from Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles Sountrack.

Everything for now... hope you have a great week!

Oh, and in a little piece of unwanted advise, if you are a construction worker, don't take ballet classes just after working on a "firm". Especially if it's on the second floor and you carried the materials by hand.