Capu 4 ch9 Surprise surprise
Akemi rose in her crib, holding onto the bars to help her stand. Through the window the early morning sun cast beams of light into her room, making the dressing stand glow. Leaning over, Akemi tried to grab the nearest bottle of baby powder. It was so pretty all lit up, she wanted it!
Grunting in concentration, Akemi climbed up on the railing of her crib. She teetered but managed to get her body atop the rail. She attempted to reach the bottle and her world tumbled.
Face scrunched up in a quiet whine, Akemi touched her nose that tingled. Sitting up, she saw the crib was above her now. She stared at it, never having seen this part of her world before. Crawling over to a leg, she climbed up to stand.
Kumiko made a noise from her crib. Looking over at her, Akemi waved an arm up and down and ga-ga'ed at her, inviting her down to see this new, strange thing. Kumiko pulled herself up and Ga-ga'ed back. The way Kumiko bounced up and down was funny, Akemi laughed. In her joy, she ran.
Akemi met the floor again on her face. A short whine and she sat up to look for something to up pull herself up with. Seeing the door nearby that had a ribbon hanging down, she crawled over to it. She pulled on the yellow ribbon and got part way up, and the it dropped, making her sit.
The ribbon that was tied around the ornate door latch had been put on by maids to help open the door when their hands were full. When Akemi pulled, it also unlatched the door.
Seeing the door crack open, Akemi used this to pull herself up. As she pulled, the door opened. Akemi got to her feet and wandered out into the hallway. She heard voices, and headed towards them to look in the room. In this room, a pair of maids had their backs to her, facing a table full of colorful blankets and clothes, folding them as they talked.
Akemi watched them. Seeing their big, juicy calves, she became a hungry. They were good, but the taste she wanted was that loud big person who really tasted good. Akemi went on down the hall, looking for the tasty woman.
There was a block across the floor. It was like her crib bars, but not as tall. Beyond was all kinds of open space. Akemi climbed up and again fell over the top. Getting back up she saw more flat floor continuing on, and the steps going down. Walking over to the steps, Akemi stepped down on the first one, and lost her balance.
Thump
Thump
Thump
Thump
Thump
Ameki's world again tumbled. She stopped tumbling to land on her back and look up at a ceiling high above her that was moving. Fascinated, she watched railing go by one one side, and wall pass by on the other. Waving her arms, she giggled with glee at the strange sight.
The step then stopped, rolling her off onto the floor. Now she was in a cavernous room. Gazing at the immensity of it, she sniffed. Was that food she smelled? Getting up, Akemi wandered off trying to find it.
"AKEMI'S GONE!" Came a screech that seemed to surround her. More excited voices called out, sounding panicked. The sounds made Akemi afraid. She whined as she toddle-walked through a doorway and into a hall. The voices became more frantic, and even more voices joined the cry. "Ama," she cried as she searched for a mother.
Passing a doorway, Akemi saw the long table with the tall glass thing centered on top. This was the place she saw the tasty woman. She looked around, but no one was here.
Frantic cries of, "AKEMI!" filled the air, floating down from all around her. Something had to be wrong!
"Ama," Akemi cried, and went between the big people chairs, looking for someone to hold her. There was no one there.
As far off calls of "AKEMI!" drifted to her, Akemi saw another doorway in front of her and toddle-walked to it. This room was smaller, and had tables ringed with large, fluffy chairs. She giggled happily, these chars was where Papa held her sometimes! Smelling Papa's chair, she climbed up. Gripping the seams in the upholstery, Akemi grunted and hauled herself up and in.
Tired from the exertion, and feeling afraid at all the yelling that was drifting to her, Akemi curled up on the seat, up against the back. In Papa's chair, she felt a bt safer. While she waited for Papa to come sit in his chair with her, she drifted back off to sleep.
.
Moka bore a stricken face as she cried, "What do you mean, you can't find her?" She grabbed a robe on her way out of the bedroom. Right behind her, Tsukune grabbed his robe and joined the search.
"How far could she have gone?" Tsukune asked, stunned that Akemi was missing.
"She wasn't in her crib, she's just GONE!" Suki cried in anguish.
The family floor was covered with everyone frantically searching for the missing child.
Tsukune covered every bit of floor and under every piece of furniture. Going back to the nursery, he searched the same places again, making sure Akemi hadn't somehow gotten into the closet or some nook they hadn't noticed. Fear began to nag at him. Had Akemi been kidnapped? Having his new place as Akasha's heir and right hand, it was possible. He then looked at Kumiko, sniffling as she watched the all-out search for her sister. Why kidnap one baby, and not both?
"Yukari!" Tsukune bellowed. Seeing the frantic witch run up to him, he said, "Check for any magical intrusion."
"She's not up here!" Moka called out in desperation.
"The stairs!" Kurumu called from the landing. "Minori, Yuki, go upstairs and look for her. Suki, come with me. Maybe she got to the stairs!" Kurumu then spread her wings and dove over the railing.
"Tsukune, there's been no magic," Yukari said, wide eyed. "How could she get out?"
Tsukune had no idea where his daughter could be. The windows were shut and not tampered with, and with no magic he didn't think (and prayed) that someone didn't take her. "She HAS to be here someplace!" he announced.
.
"Akemi!"
The startled cry was so close it snapped Akemi awake. "Ama!" she cried, and held her arms out to her blue-haired mother who was sobbing in relief. Her mother picked her up and cradled her in her arms closely. Knowing something had to be wrong, Akemi cried with her.
"Ya-hoo, I found her!" Kurumu cried happily.
.
After their heart-in-their-throat morning, Tsukune and his wives altered their day slightly. Tsukune had a meetings all day with city officials, Ruby and then with the Yokai school officials. Moka was going to go with him, but after Akemi pulled her disappearing act, she decided to stay home and ensure the 'babyproofing' was reinforced to keep them from another terrifying episode. Kurumu also put off meeting the new band manager until she helped Moka fortify the house against infant escape attempts.
Tsukune left the house to find a car waiting for in the courtyard, courtesy of the Mayor. Thankfully it was a small sedan, nothing that would draw attention. After a non eventful drive to city hall, the driver parked in a parking garage and led Tsukune up the elevator.
Off the elevator, Tsukune was led into an outer office where Mayor Hiromasa was taking to a small circle of men. Off to the side was a thin girl with curly blone hair wearing a dark skirt and blazer. Tsukune wouldn't have noticed her, but upon his entry, her eyes locked on him and went wide.
"Good to see you, Mayor Hiromasa," Tsukune said in a polite greeting as he bowed.
"Thank you for coming, Lord Aono." The Mayor replied. "There is someone I'd like you to meet."
Tsukune followed the Mayor over to the girl who was watching him. Her large sky blue eyes were locked onto Tsukune as she gazed at him in awe.
"This is Chris Tappan, from New Zealand," Mayor Hiromasa explained. "She was sent here from a Catholic school, part of a convent I believe."
"Greetings, Miss Tappan," Tsukune said as he bowed to her.
Chris just stared at Tsukune.
"She doesn't have the best of manners," a man behind Tsukune said.
Tskune turned to see a man who wore a suit, but had the white collar piece of a priest. The frowning man said, "Lord Aono. Chris was taken in as an orphan. Over the years, we've had problems with Miss Tappan, and we are at wits' end. We heard you were ... someone who may be able to deal with her."
"I don't understand," Tsukune said, eyeing him.
Slowly, the man said, "Chris has a few behavioral problems. We even sought the council of an exorcist," the man explained. Wincing, he added, "He fled after the earthquake. Not a normal earthquake mind you, but one just on the grounds." Seeing the odd look on Tsukune's face, the man added, "We don't think she's human."
"I see," Tsukune said. Turning to Chris he looked at her carefully. As he focused on her, he did feel a small amount of yokai energy. "Possible," he admitted.
.
Chris Tappan had heard all her young life about God. She read scriptures, she sang songs, she listened to sermons about the power and glory of God. Mother Superior had a god-like power about her. Chris could sense it. The Holy Mother had a small glow about her just like what was depicted around the saints in the stained glass windows. When she was confused or frightened, it had always been Mother Superior who was able to calm her and help her regain control.
The one they were calling Lord Aono didn't have a small, barely perceptible halo of energy around him like Mother Superior had. His energy was a blaze of glory Chris had sensed coming long before he walked in the room. When he entered, his glow seemed to penetrate the room, just like sunlight flooding into the sanctuary when the sun came full in through the tall multicolored windows. His aura was that of pure power, bathing her in the glory of his presence.
Chris had been afraid leaving the convent. Not because she liked living there, but because without Mother Superior, there would be no one who could give her comfort, no one to be on her side when she was teased and harassed. That would not happen to her any more. The Lord himself had come to take her home. There was only one way to show one's devotion to God.
.
As Tsukune studied Chris, her lips trembled. She began to sing softly. "Then sings my soul, my savior God to thee ... how great thou art, how great thou art..."
"Huh?" Tsukune asked.
"Chris has a tendency to sing and quote bible verses instead of speak."
"And you think we can help her?" Tsukune asked.
"Please, sir. With the wild happenings, many are leaving the convent, and others are fearful of what she may do," the man begged.
"Ummm, sure. I'll take her to Ruby," Tsukune told him as Chris kept singing as she stared at him. To try and get her to say something, Tsukune asked, "Hey Chris, would you like to come with me to meet a nice Lady?"
Chris responded by taking his hand, slipping to her knees and gazing up at him as she said, "Heavenly Father, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done.."
"Ahhh," Tsukune winced, feeling very uncomfortable with what she was doing. Trying to ignore her praying as she stared at him, Tsukune turned to the Mayor. "Mayor Hiromasa, I think maybe I should take care of Miss Tappan before we ... um, have our meeting."
"Please take good care of her," the Mayor said. "I will inform Sir Smith of any items we would like your assistance with."
"Here is her suitcase, and the information folder we have on her," the priest said as he handed Tsukune the items. He then bowed with a, "Good day, Sir, and thank you." He then walked quickly out.
Tsukune looked at the folder. It didn't seem very thick for a girl who looked to be in her mid-teens.
"... and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory forever," Chris finished as she gazed up at Tsukune.
Flustered at this girl, and the way the priest had fled the room, Tsukune decided it was time for him to flee also. "We'll be going now, Mayor." Tsukune bowed and used the hold Chris had on his hand to help her to her feet. "Come on, Miss Tappan, we're going to see a lady who can help you."
Chris stood up and still gazing at Tsukune intently, promptly recited, "The Lord is my Shepard, I shall not want..."
Ignoring her, Tsukune led her to the elevator. When Chris was done with that prayer, she sang another song. Then another. For some reason, the ride back to Witch Hill seemed to take forever.
.
Apollo had finally ceased his aimless wandering and sat on a bench by a lake, staring out over the water. Off to the side near a dock, laughing, squeals of joy and the chatter of young people came to him. The trees blocked his direct sight of their fun from his view, and him from them. He didn't want to be within sight of them and ruin their good time.
When Apollo had first arrived, he had been walking through the woods with no direction in mind. He'd come to the human word just to get away from his daughter. Hearing a girl scream and rough laughter, he raced toward the sound. He sensed yokai near, and feared someone was being attacked. Coming to the clearing by the lake, he did see a bear yokai standing in front of a human girl, with two other yokai, two other girls and three human boys around them. They were all laughing except for the human girl in front of the bear-boy.
"BAKA! You scared me!" the girl yelled at the bear-boy, and playfully slapped him on the nose. The bear boy put a paw over his nose and let out a fake yowl like he'd been injured.
"Now you have to ..." The girl stopped in the middle of her announcement as she saw Apollo. Her eyes grew wide. She grabbed a handful of bear fur and pulled, saying, "Get out of here, RUN!"
One by one, the teenagers followed the girl's gaze and saw Apollo. The boys yelled for the girls to flee and tried to stand in front of them. The girls grabbed handfuls of boy's shirts and fur and tried to pull them away. Once they got migrating in the same direction, they all fled. The bear boy scooped the girl he'd scared and another one up onto his back and took off. One lizard yokai grabbed a human boy under each arm and quickly followed. The last yokai, a wolf, got the last girl on his back before he took off running.
Apollo stared at the scene. The humans weren't afraid of the yokai with them, they were afraid of him. In fact, from the little he'd seen, they were getting along well together. Not one had fled alone, they had fled from him together.
Was Aono really onto something?
It was after that that Apollo found his vacant bench and sat down to contemplate the events after Akasha's court. He'd been angry. Very angry at the woman he called daughter, the fact that his little girl that he loved so much had betrayed him.
After court was over, Apollo had escaped into a sitting room. Akasha had found staring off at nothing.
"Papa...I'm sorry it's come to this." Akasha began gently but then became more stotic "But your judgment is impaired when it comes to the best interests..." The Vampire Queen's sentence was cut off as Apollo glared at her, livid in rage. For the first time ever, Akasha was on the receiving end of Apollo's anger.
"Best interests?! YOU DARE TO ME OF INTERESTS!?" Apollo thundered as he shot up, his eyes blazing "ONLY WHEN YOU HAVE LIVED EVEN THROUGH HALF OF THE THINGS I HAVE WITNESSED SHOULD YOU EVEN DARE QUESTION MY JUDGMENT!" Apollo's temper flared as he threw the heavy looking chair against the wall causing the wall itself to splinter and the chair to shatter.
Apollo went on at the top of his voice. "You speak of the pain's I've endured, of the nightmares I suffer? WELL YOU KNOW NOTHING AKASHA! YOUR LIFE SPAN IS A FLICKER COMPARED TO THE MASSES OF DOUBT AND REGRET THAT I HAVE PERSEVERED THROUGH SINCE CLAUDIA FIRST LIBERATED AND BARRED ME FROM DEATH!"
Akasha's eyes were wide as saucers as Apollo vented out his rage. She had known him to have a temper, but this was on a whole new level.
Apollo continued his rant, spittle fling from his mouth as he went on. "THE ONLY THING I HAD FOR THE SAKE OF LIVING THIS MISERABLE EXISTANCE WAS TO SEE THE LONG HOPED PEACE BETWEEN HUMAN AND YOKAI FUFILLED! YOU IN YOUR IMPAITENCE HAVE RUINED THAT DREAM AND STRIPPED FROM ME THE ONLY THING I HAD IN LIFE!"
"You have your family Papa...you have us" Akasha muttered, trying her hardest to hold back her tears and remain behind her mask, but the snarl that echoed from Apollo made her regret bringing it up.
"My family?" he asked caustically. "My family, YOU, have betrayed me! What is worse, you are using your own daughter and her mate as a means to do so! You are using your own child for further your gains. How DISPICABLE!"
CRACK
Akasha recoiled, backpedaling as she held her face from the hard slap as she gapped at Apollo.
"In all my years, I have NEVER used you!" Apollo spat as his jaw tensed up. "I've cared about you, looked out for you and I trusted you to be able to work with your better judgment to the best of your abilities, but now look at yourself. Reduced to using your own family to get what you want!"
Despite his utter rage at Akasha, Apollo saw the pained look on Akasha's face and the tears dripping from her eyes. It was too much for Apollo to take. He'd slapped her without thinking. The sting on his hand broke him out of his rant. He realized what he'd just done, and it broke his heart. Before he burst out in tears, he turned and fled.
Now as Apollo sat staring off across the lake, he felt numb. The anger was replaced by a hollow pit where his emotions used to be. It would have been better if Akasha had ordered him chopped up into bits and sealed away. Maybe then he would die and not have to live with the pain of this betrayal.
"Why are you here?"
The harsh voice snapped Apollo out of his thoughts. Not far away, Queen Lucy stood eyeing him. He let out a snort and returned his gaze to the water. "Oh great. Come to gloat, eh? I bet you are really enjoying this," he grated.
"What are you talking about? A couple people told me you were around. So, why are you here?" Lucy asked firmly. "I will not tolerate bullying."
Apollo let out a sarcastic chuckle. "No one has any need to fear me. Not any more." Waving a hand in a dismissive manner, he added, "It is safe to leave me here in my pain."
"Life IS pain. Anyone who tells you differently is selling something," Lucy stated.
For some reason, Apollo thought that was funny. Throwing his head back he belted out a hearty blast of laughter. "OH, you are so right!" Apollo agreed as he chuckled. "Perhaps you do have some wisdom after all."
"If you are not here to bother people, why did you come?" Lucy asked in a hard tone.
Apollo looked at her. Another young woman, too young to know the dangers of what this great plan of Aono's would bring. "Tell me, your Highness, what do you plan to do when this project falls apart, and the killing begins? Who will be the bully when masses of humans and Yokai slaughter each other? Have you ever seen the gore of mangled bodies? Not one or two, but enough to make the ground turn red?"
Lucy's face became a mask. Coming closer, she said, "I have torn people to bits. I have dealt death fast and indiscriminately. I killed soldiers en-mass as they watched their bullets fall down in front of me. Many babies of my kind, killed just for being like me. Young girls like Nana be subject to brutal tortures. Yes, I've seen the worst. I've lived it." Stopping before him, Lucy glared down on Apollo. "I have seen and done horrendous things because humans were afraid. In my case, rightly so. I have also seen greater kindness from humans like Kouta, more than I could ever deserve. I was the monster that everyone feared. Yet, Kouta loves me."
Apollo stared at Lucy, having no doubt she was telling the truth.
"And do you know WHY I do not kill ever human that I see here?" Lucy asked in a hard tone. "Because Kouta is so kind to me. Because Tsukune, Moka, Ruby and the others have showed me that life does not have to be one continuous battle. They showed me we can get along, live and let live. They showed me a place where I can have children, and those children can grow up happy and not be killed or tormented by heartless bullies like I had to endure. And if you think for one moment that I will let you do anything to those who are trying to stop the fear and hate once and for all, you are sadly mistaken."
Apollo had assumed that this young queen was young and inexperienced. From what she was saying, she'd been fighting her whole life. "Do you really think Aono can stop the hatred?" he asked.
Lucy let out a snort and said, "I can't see the future, and neither can you. I do know he is our best hope."
"I have tried before what Aono is doing, and it lead to ruin," Apollo stated.
"With the way you try to bully people and will not listen to them, I am not surprised," Lucy retorted.
"What makes you think Aono can do what I can't?"
Lucy cast him a smirk. "Tsukune has the same kindness as my Kouta. If Kouta can stop me from killing every human I see, I am sure that Tsukune can bring about peace between the races," she said. Looking back over her shoulder at the dock area where people were having fun, she asked, "Are you going to leave them alone?"
Another figure came running. As she got closer, Apollo saw it was the younger girl, Nana. Lucy turned to her and said, "Nana, stay back."
Wearing a look of fright, Nana asked, "You're not going to fight again, are you? Nana hates fighting."
"We're not going to fight," Apollo assured her.
Nana blinked at Apollo. "You look sad," she stated.
"Very observant," Apollo said. Hearing her innocent question, he managed to keep the sarcasm out of his voice.
"Nana knows what to do!" Nana announced, and ran off.
"It's safe to leave you here?" Lucy asked.
Apollo eyed her. "Yes. I would appreciate it if you would leave me alone."
Lucy turned and walked back the the dock area. The area where humans and Yokai were getting along with each other, much to Apollos' bewilderment. Lucy had no more than walked out of his vision when Nana came running back, holding an ice cream cone in each hand. Coming up to sit beside him, Nana thrust one of the cones at him.
"Nana knows how to get rid of sadness. Eat ice cream with Nana," she stated.
That serious look on Nana's face made Apollo crack a grin. He honestly wished that ice cream could make everything all better. "Thank you child, but..."
"But nothing!" Nana said firmly. "Nana doesn't like people to be sad. Sad people become angry, then they fight. Nana doesn't like fighting, so eat ice cream with Nana."
Her demand was so ridiculous, so innocent, and it warmed Apollo's heart. Apollo took the ice cream cone. "Thank you, Lady Nana," he said sincerely.
Nana bobbed her head in a nod.
They sat licking their cones for a while. Apollo asked, "Dare I ask if ice cream can help Queen Lucy get into a better mood?"
Nana frowned. "No," she mussed, "Lucy likes baths, and tickling me and Mayu. Lucy isn't a Queen either, that's just what those men who held us called her."
"Those men, they are holding others like you?"
Nana's frown became deeper as she said, "Not any more. Everyone from there is dead except for Nana, Mariko, Lucy and Papa. That was why Papa brought us to his house."
"No others of your kind survived? No humans?" Apollo asked.
Nana turned her frown to him. "Nana just said that! And you are ruining the ice cream mood! We have a good home now, so no more unhappy thoughts while we're eating ice cream," she said sternly.
"My apologies," Apollo said automatically. He began to think about the three girls left from an entire race. Only three of them, and all those humans. He feared to ask how many had died. Even as he thought these things, Nana started talking about how pretty the sun looked as it reflected off the water. He gazed at the girl who'd been through the horror of what had to be a terrible war, yet she was focusing on the pleasant things in life.
Apollo broke down and cried. As he did, a small pair of arms wrapped around him. He hugged Nana back and let his grief flow.
