Police Car – Real World Yoshiki

I've never taken a ride in a police car.

I may not be the most upstanding citizen, and it used to be a lot worse、but I've never did anything serious enough to get arrested.

After I saw Shinozaki, the man, I guess it was her father, knocked me out. When I came to, a woman, most likely her mother, was talking to a couple of police officers. They cuffed me, grabbed my arms, and shoved me in the backseat.

I stare down at the metal holding my hands together.

Shinozaki… Shinozaki didn't even blink. She just had that same blank look she had back in the Nirvana.

My teeth clench together.

What happened? We got back. We should have been fine. Did I do something wrong?

"Hey, cool it. We don't want you making a fuss back there." The voice of the policeman in the passenger's seat brings me out of my thoughts.

Yeah. I'm already in a lot of shit already. No point in making this worse.

Sighing, I lean back and review everything else I know.

Shinozaki had the Book of Shadows with her. How it got back, I have no idea. I remember kicking it away, but it's the thing that caused all this. Escaping the Nirvana might not be that hard for it.

Was it the reason for her being like that?

I don't know. It called her master, and healed her, but I don't trust it.

Whatever the reason, the situation I'm in is pretty bad. Since I got caught by the cops, I'll probably have to meet my parents again. I don't want to deal with that right now. It'll just turn into another fight between me and dad.

To be honest, breaking in like that was probably a bit too much. I also ended up tackling Shinozaki's father to the ground to. That's probably gonna make it a lot harder to get near her.

Shinozaki's face flashes up in my mind again. That blank stare. Those empty eyes.

Christ, she was always running off on her own, and getting into trouble. Every time, I was worried sick that I wouldn't make it, and that worry finally became real. I was too late.

I look out the window; a few ruined buildings and emergency workers whip past. Not many people are out this early.

I failed. Gradually, that was the only thought that I could think of. I failed, and Shinozaki got hurt. A burning sensation begins in my chest. If only I had been a little faster, a little stronger, a little smarter…

Regret and loathing begin swirling in my mind. The world in front of me greys out and blurs.

Shinozaki… I… Dammit!

"Hey." The policeman calls back again. I blink my eyes, restoring my vision. "Why did you do it?"

"Huh?"

"Breaking and entering like that. Why'd you do it?"

"What's it matter to you?"

"We're not taking a statement, so relax. Just want to know why you did it."

Why did I break in like that? I don't know. Everything around that time is a little blurry now. I just had to see her, that's all.

"I just had to see someone." I mutter.

"A girlfriend or something?"

"… No, just a classmate."

"Well, that wasn't the way to do it."

"What's this? A lecture?"

"It's common sense." The policeman sighs. "If you want to see a classmate, just wait for them at school."

"You sure you should be giving me advice like that? What happens if I'm a stalker or something?"

"A stalker doesn't look as miserable as you do."

"…"

"I've seen a lot of young people in the back seat, but most either look scared shitless, or don't even look the least bit sorry. Your face has nothing but regret on it."

"…"

"If you regret something that much, then find a way to fix it. That's why I'm telling you to go about it the right way this time. Got it?"

The right way… What is the right way? Shinozaki ended up like that, and I probably can't see her again. Just what can I do?

The car falls silent as the scenery continues passing by. People are beginning to fill the street as the morning rush begins.

What can I do? I don't know. I don't know anything. Why Shinozaki ended up like that. Whether she can get better. I don't know.

I try to scratch my head, but the clink of metal reminds me of the cuffs.

If there's one thing for sure, I won't be able to do anything right now. All I can do is wait for them to let me go.

…

…

…

We reached the police station without incident. After asking for my name and address, they just locked me up in a cell while they got into contact with my parents. The cell itself wasn't too bad. A little cramped, but it had a cot and toilet built in. The door was made of bars, giving little privacy. Well, since I was the only one in here, it isn't a problem.

I scratch my head as I lie on the cot. They'd taken the cuffs off once we got here.

What in the world can I do?

That thought kept going on over and over in my head.

Right now, I can't do anything. Not just because I'm in a cell, but out there as well. I'm just a high school punk with bleached hair. There are too many things I don't know, and too many things I can't deal with.

So, I've got to change that.

First of all, I need to figure out what's going on at the moment. Besides Shinozaki's condition, I also need to know more about what's going on with the more supernatural side of the world. This whole thing started because of our ignorance. The Sachiko Ever After charm, and the mess with the Nirvana could have been avoided if we knew what we were dealing with. In the end, because we didn't know anything, we were manipulated and tricked over and over again; especially by Misuto.

The second thing I need is power. In Heavenly Host, all we could do was run away, but that's not enough. With Shinozaki like that, there might be a time where running away ain't an option. It shouldn't be impossible. That girl with the scythe… Magari was it? She dealt with that monster in the pool with a single swing. I don't know if she's just monstrously strong, or using some tool to increase her strength, but I need something like that. She looks human, so I should be able to at least mimic how she got her power. Well, that'll still take a while, so I guess I should get some talismans or something as a substitute for now.

So, now that I know what I need, how do I get them?

To be honest, asking Magari sounds like the easiest way. She's a higher up in a cult. You don't get that more immersed in the spiritual world than that. Plus, she's the one of the few people I know who can actually fight monsters.

However, that's not an option. I have no idea where she is, and I don't think she's the charitable sort. On top of that, she's one of the people who wanted the Book of Shadows. She might ask for it in exchange for any help I ask for. I'd love to get rid of that thing, but handing it to her is definitely a bad idea.

The other person who could teach me about these things is Niwa Aiko. She called herself a spiritual information broker, so she should at least know something about the spiritual world. But, it was her information, or lack of it, that caused this mess…

Well, it's better than nothing.

I don't know if she can teach me how to fight, but I can definitely learn more about what's going on from her.

Right. Guess that's my plan of action decided then. First thing I need to do when I get out of here is… Oh, wait.

I slap my hand against my forehead.

I'd completely forgotten about Satoshi and the rest.

It's been a week since we went into Heavenly Host. It might have been an instant for me, but it's been a week for them. They probably think Shinozaki and I died in Heavenly Host.

I should talk to them first. They might know what's going on. Hell, they could have met Shinozaki already. Yeah. Meeting up with Satoshi and the rest should probably my first goal.

Nodding to myself, I play with my hair as I wait. It's been a while, but nobody's come to check up on me. Heh, maybe my dad's giving them a hard time, saying I'm not his son or something. Well, I have to say that it's not totally undeserved this time. A national disaster happens, I disappear for a week, and the first thing he hears about me is a call from the police. Yup, he's probably pissed alright.

I yawn. Seriously, nothing to do here at all. Just lying here being bored.

Well, I could probably organize a few other things in my head while I'm here. There were actually a couple other strange things at Shinozaki's house besides her condition.

First of all, her father's reaction. He denied that Shinozaki existed. Even if she was paralyzed, why would you say you didn't have a daughter? On top of that, the way he tried to shut me out… Could Shinozaki already have been attacked? She still has the Book of Shadows. That thing's a magnet for trouble. That's part of the reason I tried to get rid of it in the first place.

And that brings me onto the second odd thing.

The Book of Shadows.

I swear I left it behind, but somehow it's here in this world. Whether it got back on its own, or it jumped into the sphere generated by the Ever After stones with us at the last moment, I don't know. But, its presence here complicates everything. Because of that book, people will start looking for Shinozaki. That's why I left it behind. If there's no book, there's no reason to attack us.

I scratch my head again, irritated.

The situation is looking worse every minute. Shinozaki is comatose. On top of that, she could have been attacked already. I can't rely on Satoshi and the rest. Their chances of standing against someone like Magari, or anyone cult related are about as good as mine. Niwa, my best option for allies, didn't seem to be able to do much either against them, but she at least knows about them.

Kuon-sensei… was probably my best option, but she's no longer here.

And Magari? I'm not sure if she's an ally or an enemy. She helped us out, but mostly so she could get her hands on the Book of Shadows. The only reason she let Shinozaki keep it at the end was so she could stop the Nirvana. Then again, she seemed to have some sort of personal code of honor. Could I rely on that?

I sigh. My head's just going in circles at this point. Nothing left but to try stuff out and see what works.

My eyes droop, and conscious darkens. Now that I think about it, I haven't slept for an entire day. I've been running on adrenaline and worry for the past couple of hours.

I'm still worried sick about Shinozaki, but there's nothing I can do at the moment. At least she has her parents. Hopefully that'll keep her safe.

Then again, there's not much I can do at the moment; inside or outside this cell.

First, I have to prepare… then… I'll…

I'll get her back. This world has magic, ghosts, and monster in it. I bet there's room for a comatose cure somewhere.

…

…

…

*Click… clack… click… clack…

The sound of sharp heels against a hard floor wake me up. I sit up on the cot, and shake my head.

How long has it been? I feel like I've slept ages.

There's no one outside the door, just the sound of someone's slowly walking down the hallway in high heels.

I yawn and stretch. I thought the police officers would wake me when they got my parents on the phone, but looks like they're still trying to get to them, or they forgot about me. Of course, the worst case scenario is that they can't reach them because my parents are dead.

The thought pops into my head, before slamming me in the gut.

I had checked the casualty list, but that doesn't mean it's going to be right all the time. My parents didn't have the best relations with their own parents. If they all died, there would be nobody left to report them in the first place.

Sucking in a deep breath, I close my eyes and hold it in.

Calm down. True, I could be an orphan at the moment, but panicking about it won't help anything. It could be that they were just taking a while to get in contact with them. Maybe they were in a refugee camp where the telephone was bust. Maybe they're on their way now to pick me up, and the police just forgot to tell me about it.

The click clack continues as I make more reasons for being left like this.

Strange… There's only one pair of footsteps, and I don't think police officers are allowed to wear high heels. Could it be mom, or maybe Miki? No, there'd be someone with them if it was them.

So, who was that?

The question was just a distraction; something to stop my brain from thinking about anymore worst case scenarios.

Heels continue ringing against the floor, growing louder and louder. A slow regular step, counting off the seconds until they pass by.

However, the owner of the heels stops right in front of my cell.

I jump off the cot as I see them.

"Last time we met, I said I'd kill you after I killed Mist, didn't I?" Blond twin tails wave, as the person tilts her head. "You really didn't think you could just grab my breasts and get away with it, did you?" Piercing blue eyes lazily look me up and down over a condescending smirk. She holds her massive scythe lightly in the right hand, while her left rests on her hip.

"… shit…"

It's Magari.