A/N: Hey Hey Hey! Hello folks! I know it's been a loooooong while since I last updated. I am terribly sorry about that. Life's been hard, and there's just some catastrophe that just can't stop itself from moving towards my direction. It's been hard, but I finally managed to wring out something from my blank mind. I hope this will satisfy all of you for the moment while I work hard on my next chappie, Okay? Thank you for staying with me and reviewing my story!
Enjoy~
14-Desperate Measures For Help
As expected, Satoshi ran back to Pub Rose only to find Wild Daisy trying to get her last customer out of her pub, apologizing profusely for the inconvenience caused. Upon entering, Dark and Riku came up to him anxiously.
"Have you found her?" Riku asked worriedly, nearing tears as she twisted her handkerchief over and over again to try and calm herself down. When Satoshi quietly gave her a pained look, Riku's tears burst from their dam and she turned, burying her face into Dark's comforting neck.
"I'll take that as a no, yes?" Dark said tonelessly, patting Riku's back while giving Satoshi an understanding look. The blue-haired genius merely gave Dark the bitter look of distress and disappointment before reaching into his back pocket, fetching out a sleek and shiny Blackberry Torch.
(I tried to modernize this story from hereafter, so please excuse the flashy gadgets. ^_^ There might be a few new characters too…)
Sliding the phone to unlock it, he quickly dialed a series of numbers and waited for the other party to pick up their side of the phone. After what he thought was an eternity when it was just 3 rings, the call connected and in came a sleepy and husky-sounding "-ello?"
As much as Satoshi intended to sound formal, he couldn't help but to convey his feelings into the mouthpiece, sending a cold and grave tone to the receiver, "Kitsuo-san. It's me, Hiwatari."
The individual on the other side of the phone immediately woke up at the sound of his boss calling him. Satoshi was never one to bother others after working hours, but when he does, it was always for a valid reason, or if an intensely grave situation has occurred.
"Yes, sir?" Kitsuo said into the earphone, already up and about grabbing his shirt, his pants, his stockings and an extra sweater for the bitterly cold nights at Azumano-Chou. Due to the region situated in a place surrounded with plenty of seawater, the breezes late at night and the temperature could drop to an alarming degree of 4 degree Celsius by the stroke of midnight. No one would be stupid to walk out without a thick woolen sweater in the night. "Has something come up?"
"I'm afraid so, yes," Satoshi sighed exasperatedly, running his hand into his hair. "The girl that the Mafias have been targeting-"
"Akihiko Maia. Yes?" Kitsuo said, remembering the girl with the warm brown eyes photo in one of the files at the Police Department. She was a beautiful piece of work, and she was also famous around the department as Satoshi's significant other half. Everyone in the department loves her. "What of her? Is she safe?"
There was a pause. Kitsuo heard a muffled crying sound at the background, and when he strained to hear for more, Satoshi said suddenly in the coldest tone that Kitsuo had ever heard, "No, she's not." Kitsuo's heart dropped. He shuddered to even think about his boss's current facial expression. It would have freeze hell 3 times all over. "She's taken. She's no longer safe. Bring out the whole team. I want her found by dawn."
As Maia excused herself from the table to change into something that doesn't reveal more than the dress suggested, Maia bumped into a tall lean man as he exited the pub hurriedly. The man have a long light blonde ponytail and sparkling beautiful dark blue eyes, instantly reminding her of Yoi. His facial features are darkened by the dim lights of pub rose, and she couldn't see the man's face properly.
Before she could say anything, the man had disappeared outside of Pub Rose, his expression hidden underneath the hood that he had pulled up as soon as he is outside of the pub. Looking into one direction, the man quickly started to walk briskly towards that area and disappeared as the door closes the outside world from her curious eyes.
"Yoi…?" she said softly to herself, cocking her head slightly to the side. It couldn't be, she thought to herself. As far as she knows, Yoi is 3 inch shorter than she is, and his hair is longer and more beautiful, reflecting light in an almost impossible way. Plus, Yoi's eyes are a shade of beautiful light marine-colored eyes, not dark blue.
Shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly, Maia proceeded to sway out of the way of waiter and servers and headed straight for the changing room, passing by the back door in her direction.
The back door creaks open silently and ever so innocently and a man in his mid 30-ies entered the pub casually, his white suit a stark contrast against the dim-lighted ambiance inside Pub Rose. Tilting his bow hat at Maia and blocking her way, the man wrapped one of his arms around Maia's waist and glided out of the back door, all the while maintaining the wide set of smile on his face, guiding her out of the door fluidly without stirring up any suspicions or commotions.
Maia, on the other hand, felt a sudden wave of ill-omened energy radiating from the very man who had her in his arm. She had no idea why her legs would allow her to follow the men easily out of the back door, but it felt as if she's under some sort of obeying spells. She frowned when she saw a dark tinted car waiting at the end of the alley, all sorts of thoughts racing through her mind. The only thing that had her still and quiet is her consciousness telling her to "do not panic" and run, because if she did, she would have suffered greater damage and her friends and Satoshi would die.
Wait, she thought to herself. Time seemed to slow down whenever she started to think to herself for some of the illogical things that had a habit to pop into her life when she least expected it to. How did I know that I'm going to get tortured and raped if I opted to get panic and run? How did I know Satoshi is going to die and Dark and Riku would get shot if I resisted right now? How?
When she thought about it logically, none of her instincts could be explained. It would just pop in her mind and instructed her to do and what not to do in such situations, especially when dangerous situations such as this surfaced. She thought about a premonition ability, which she had never had in life, so it couldn't possibly be something that she possesses. If it is about the power of deduction, it couldn't possibly be that too since the voice in her mind sounded as if she herself had thought about it. It is as if suggestions came to her when she is in danger.
Trusting her instinct which had saved her for a few occasions, Maia remained calm and cool, watching as the back door of Pub Rose closes slowly. Her one way back into Satoshi's arms are gone, but still, she trusted her instinct.
Halfway through the car, the man slapped a white handkerchief onto her nose and mouth and grinned widely when Maia obediently takes a deep breath from the expensive handkerchief, slipping into darkness and slide right into his arms. Caressing her face with the back of his hand, the man muse to himself in a victorious tone, "I've finally got you, lovely Akihiko Maia."
Easily carrying her in his arms, the head of the Mafia gang in Azumano-Chou walked quickly to his car and slipped inside with her, instructing the driver to start the car and go back to their base while he started to admire the lovely lady slumbering deeply in his arms, running his hands all over Maia's slim body.
"Such a beautiful lady, and such a sexy built of breast and hips," the man talked to himself, smiling as he slipped one of Maia's dress strap and running his hand across her shoulders, sighing at the smoothness of her unmarred skin. "A rare jewel indeed; undeniably, she would do very well. Sexual Intercourse would be 10 times wonderful with her kind of body. All mine now, Surpreme Commander Hiwatari Satoshi. She's all mine now."
Laughing throatily, the black car speeds down the alley and disappeared into the night.
That was the last thing she remembered.
Waking up to some unpleasant sound of men chuckling to themselves, Maia opened her eyes to some blindingly bright light bulbs and more chuckles. God. How she hated those sound of chuckles. So disgusting. Just as her eyes recovered from the momentary blindness, Maia's eyes begun to take in her new and strange surroundings, which gave of a pretty unpleasant vibe around it and make her feel uncomfortable.
"What the-" she mumbled to herself, sitting up and realize that she is still in her dark molten gold garb, and when her hand reaches for her hair, she is surprised to find that the crystals that has been woven into her hair are still in place. Then a sudden wave of dizziness came over her, leaving her to clutch onto her head to steady herself.
"Finally awaken, are we?" said a smooth masculine voice from behind her. When she opened her eyes, she saw that there is a glass of wine settled on top of a small round table that she is sure has not been there earlier. "Well, my Sleeping Beauty. Drink up. Won't want to have you dehydrated now, won't we?"
"Where am I?" she said, taking the wine glass instinctively and gulped it down in less than 5 seconds, not realizing that her actions actually impressed her captor. She had not wanted to drink from the suspicious wine glass, but her instinct told her that it is fine and clear of all poisons and sorts, and she quenched the roaring instincts within that told her she is in need of liquid and that she is dehydrated by complying with its wishes. Settling the wine glass back down onto the table clumsily, Maia summoned her strength and asked the man currently admiring her while sitting down cross-legged on an expensive looking lush white cushion. "What am I doing here?"
The man flashed to her his most charming smile and casually took a small sip from his own glass wine. "I am Kent. I am the owner of this place, and I've retrieved you, little beauty. You've been on my mind since the first day I saw you at Azumano-Chou's airport. You're the first choice in our list, but due to the fact that little boy commander is constantly by your side and you're always under his watchful eyes, we couldn't get you sooner to be with us. It's alright now, you'll be safe here."
Just then, a loud wail of distress echoed from behind her. Turning around, Maia surveyed her surroundings once again and realizes that this place looked like a steel warehouse. There was a small door open on the right side corner of the warehouse, and she, despite her shivering after hearing another loud wail of distress and the voice of a few men laughing and groaning, Maia braved herself to walk towards the door and peered inside.
She saw a woman- No. Not just a woman. There were 3 young girls, barely past 17, and already there are 3-5 men surrounding each of them. All of the occupants in the room are naked. The men are obviously enjoying themselves, sticking themselves deep inside the girls from all positively disgusting angles. All of the girls have 2 men wrapped tightly in between their legs; bottom and top, while their hands and mouth are full of what she realizes were the men's sexual organs. Everything she saw stunned her to the point that tears fell from her eyes without warning, finding herself suddenly shivering to an extent that she can no longer stand still.
"No! No…! Harder…please…no more…I can't take it anymore…! It hurts…please…faster…faster…! Fuck me, please! Fuck me, master! Fuck me to death!"
"I'll fuck you to death, Chinatsu-chan. Your ass is so wonderful."
"I'll give you an orgasm you've definitely never have before, considering your virginity is taken by me. Haha!"
"Yes! Yes! Fuck me! Right there! Don't stop! Yes! To death, master! Fuck me to death! Fuck me forever!"
Collapsing onto the floor, Maia found herself in a situation wherein she is unable to watch the scene any further and just buried her face in her hands, sobbing openly in fear, in disgust and in pity of the lives of 3 young girls being ruined under the hands of these animals as her white rose corsage gleamed protectively on her wrist.
Not to mention the stench; the smell of all those men and their distorted way of nature is just so overpowering that it couldn't be compared with the worst rotten smell she have ever smelled in her life. It was one that had a vomit-inducing effect on people, and she couldn't believe her eyes when the strange purple snakes coiling around the men's neck slithered towards the girls, splitting into half and latched themselves at the girl's neck. The sight of them was pure horror for Maia.
It was akin to one turning an innocent, untainted girl into one of their own.
"Don't worry, Maia-chan," said the wine-drinking man, his masculine voice whispering and breathing hot breath into her ear. "You won't be like them. I must admit, they have terrible masters to teach them in the art of sexual intercourse, but since some men preferred their woman more 'flexible', I have no choice but to let these savage beasts teach them. Rest assured, my dear, you'll be safe with me."
Lifting her face from her hand, Maia glared at the man with her tear-stained face and practically screamed into his face. "Safe? Safe my ass! This is the fucking whore factory isn't it!"
Some of the men in the room turned their heads to look at who had screamed such obscenities. They resumed their activities and left Maia alone when their boss, the wine-drinking gentlemen gave them a knowing glance. Turning his attention back at Maia, the man said to Maia in a gentle tone, "Now, now, that's not a language that a lady like you ought to say. We train all of you to be high class entertainers. With your looks here, you'll be famous in minutes! Be glad about it, will you, my dear?"
Straightening his back, the man gazed across the room and explained, and his eyes stared at all of them with a disgusted look, as if they're no more than maggots and worms in his eyes. "All the high class entertainers are personally trained by me. The rest of the girls are not so fortunate though…such as these three. They're not as pretty as they are without makeups, then a common whore they shall be, as you so rudely put it earlier, darling."
Dozens and dozens more calls poured in the Azumano Police Department, particularly the room belonging to the Supreme Commander of Azumano Police Department. Kitsuo had rang a call to all of the officers on duty that night and that they are to surround and search every streets for any sign of the girl named Akihiko Maia, because according to their Supreme Commander, the kidnapper could never and absolutely must be halted before they get out of Azumano-Chou region. In other words, the police department is to stop them from getting out of the region and instead retain them within the compound and area that allows them to be busted.
Satoshi gave a call to Maia's family and waited for her brother to pick up his phone. He drummed his fingers on the table and momentarily got into a stupor as he stared at Maia's ill begotten picture. She was so carefree and beautiful in it, and yet he couldn't protect that one single thing about her. He regretted leaving her side that night, and he regretted still that he had listened to her request that morning despite having protested to it.
It had been that same morning when Satoshi went out for a walk with Maia. He had seen her eying the dark blue irises with such longing that he chuckled and went straight to the flower shop, picking out a few stalks here and there while Maia smiled widely at him.
She noticed that there are a few people following them around, and that they are dressed as normal civilians. She knew they are the bodyguards that Satoshi had assigned for her, and for a moment she thought about how silly it was for 5 grown men to be protecting one small girl.
"Sato-kun," Maia called, acquiring his undivided attention when he snapped his blue eyes away from all the stalks of flowers. There, she stared at him for quite some time when she suddenly sighed and said softly with a smile, "Sometimes you really make me jealous by being so beautiful, Sato-kun…"
He blinked his eyes before giving her a wide grin. Leaning in quickly to land a kiss on her forehead, Satoshi whispered to her so that others won't be able to hear it, "And the same thing goes for you, love. You can be so terribly adorable that you appear almost delectable to me, making me want to tie you down to bed and have you all to myself for the entire day."
He could practically feel all the heat emanating from her very being when she flushed from everything he had said. He smiled triumphantly and handed her the irises, having paid for them while picking them out.
"Can I just ask you to release the bodyguards? Just one day?"
Satoshi blinked. "And why is that?"
"Well, first, it's a holiday," she said, holding one of her finger up to count. "-and second, it's a boring job having them set on watch while you walked around with me, da-dating." Maia flushed a little when she said the last part, still not quite used to the idea that both of them now belonged to each other.
Smiling slightly, Satoshi crouched slightly so that he came nose to nose with her. Their height difference had somehow pleased Satoshi in a way. He loved to be able to tease her with his height. As per usual, she flushed. He liked to play this game with her. "Then what if you're kidnapped right in front of my eyes after I dismissed them?"
Maia's eyes kept darting away from his, but she answered anyway, "If worse came to that, I'll stay alive for you to save me."
"And what makes you think that you'll be alive by the time I reached you?"
"My instincts!" she said confidently, light sparkled in her eyes. "They'll keep me alive long enough for you to find me."
Chuckling, Satoshi repeated, "Your instincts?"
Maia nodded. "Yeah," she replied. "My instincts have been getting really, really good lately. I mean, well, when I'm about to encounter a disaster like dropping a glass from the kitchen counter, something in my mind would scream for me to place the glass in a safer zone. It's as if that voice in my head is my life instinct. I'm sure it'll keep me alive."
That was when he agreed with her nonchalantly, thinking that without the bodyguards, he'll be there to protect her in their place. That explains the nagging feeling behind the back of his head when he watches the bodyguards that he had personally picked out and assigned to watch over her walked away. It had been an impending doom since then, and that feeling he felt on stage when Maia sang her song. Those have been the last signals for him to heed, but he choose to ignore them still. He slapped one hand to his forehead and let it slide down to his spectacles, wrenching them away from his eyes angrily.
Just then, the call connected.
"Hello?" A deep voice greeted him. As expected from one of Maia's description about her beloved brother, Akihiko Kira is definitely a no-nonsense man judging by the sound of his voice. There's just so much authority in there that he couldn't help but to sit up straighter unconsciously at the sound of it.
Bracing himself, Satoshi prepared for the worst.
"Konbawa," Satoshi replied back politely. "I presume this is Akihiko Kira, Akihiko Maia's brother?"
He could practically feel the person on the other side of the phone tensed. The next thing he knew, Maia's brother's voice and tone took a change and he said anxiously, "Who is this? What happened? Did something happen to my sister?"
Taking a deep breath, Satoshi said gravely into the mouthpiece. "I am Hiwatari Satoshi, Supreme Commander of the Azumano Police Department. I am sorry to disturb you this late of a time, but I'm afraid that there had been a misfortune. Akihiko Maia has been kidnapped by the Mafias this late evening and we are now trying to locate her to the best of our abilities."
Satoshi thanked the Gods that Maia's brother is not the ranting type. He had enough troubles to be dealing with a screaming frantic brother, not to mention an incoming migraine that had started to brew troubles in his brain brought nothing but stressed the young commander further still. Upon hearing Satoshi's explanation and delivering the unfortunate event, Akihiko Kira said gravely, "I understand. I will inform my families and we will be coming over by dawn. Is that all?"
"That would be all, sir." Satoshi said politely, marking the end of the conversation. Akihiko Kira said his farewell and hung up.
Heaving a sigh, Satoshi leaned back into his seat covered his eyes with his arm, trying hard to ease the migraine back into his head by rubbing his forehead. Tonight is definitely not his lucky night.
Just then, a knock sounded on his door. Without lifting his head or opening his eyes, he uttered a decent, "Come in." and continued to sigh, thinking of all the possibilities and ways that would lead him to her.
"Have you found her?" he said silently, finally lifting his eyelids and focused them on the man standing straight and solemn in front of his desk.
"Sir!" the man saluted Satoshi and continued. "We've dispatched all the teams we could, and still there's no sign of the missing girl." When Satoshi gave no comment and just closes his eyes in disappointment, the officer clicked his boots together with his boots smartly and said, "I'm sorry for our incompetence, Supreme Commander."
Waving one hand, Satoshi said to the officer. "You're dismissed."
The officer gave Satoshi a low bow and exited his room, leaving Satoshi to his own thoughts as he stared at the scenery outside his office's window.
All of a sudden, a thought kicked in from nowhere, as if it had been there all along. When he looked at the moon, he thought about Qualia, and when he thought about Qualia, he thought about Argentine, and when he thought about Argentine, he thought about the Niwa family having a Guide of Eternity living with them as a maid right at this moment.
That's it, he thought to himself inwardly, picking up his coat and strode out of his office with a slam of his office's door, ignoring the looks that he'd generated from the people working overtime at the department. That's it! The Guide of Eternity! He continued to think inwardly. Why didn't I realize it earlier?
"Sir?" both Inspector Saehara and Vice Supreme Commander Kitsuo addresses as Satoshi passed by them in a breeze, sending a few sheets of paper floating to the tiled floor.
"I'm going somewhere," Satoshi said, walking straight on ahead towards the exit, his eyes shined with renewed vigor. "Keep the searching on and don't stop. Inform me if there is anything strange discovered."
Saluting the young commander, Inspector Saehara and Vice Supreme Commander Kitsuo cried out a loud, "Yes, sir!"
Daisuke attacked the remote the moment he got home after sending Riku safely back to her manor. She had begged him to let her stay with him, but he told her that it was dangerous for her to be with him now. He didn't feel right after Dark proclaimed that somebody used bad magic, as the after effect of a magic user is heavy in the pub. Riku stayed put since then.
There was two charms used, Dark said from within Daisuke, his frown getting deeper when after possibly 6 local news channel and 4 international news channel later, there was not a single information reported on the news screen about the abduction of Akihiko Maia. Daisuke felt guilt gnawing onto Dark's subconscious soul. One's a Summoning Charm, while the others an Obeying Spell, It stinks up whenever it is used on a human. Magical or not, as long as the object you summoned is a human, the spell would gave off an unpleasant smell that alerts the other magical users. It's something forbidden in the magical world, and if caught using it even once would put you in a super deep shit hole, human or magical users alike. You'll never see daylight afterwards.
Dark-san, Daisuke started, his fingers continued to try the entire news channel on the TV. It's not your fault. Don't blame yourself.
But it was! Dark exclaimed from within Daisuke, throwing his arms up in frustrations. It was, and I would never forgive myself for it…
Dark-san, Daisuke begun, but he didn't manage to finish what he wanted to say when the doorbell to his house rang and interrupted his thoughts.
"Who could it be at this late of an hour?" Daisuke's mother, Emiko, said to no one in peculiar, her eyebrows knitted together while trying to think of anyone who could visit the Niwa household at this late hour.
When she looked into the peep eye hole, she squeaked when Satoshi's very blue eyes flashed at her, as if knowing he is being watched through the door's peeping eye hole.
"I know it's late and that I, as the descendant of the House of Hikari is not at all welcomed in the House of Niwa," said Satoshi gravely, staring steadily into the peep eye hole. "-but I came in peace and I am in a desperate situation where I need your help, especially the artworks that Dark have stolen all these whiles, so open this door up, Mrs. Niwa."
The moment Daisuke heard the young Supreme Commander's voice, his ears perked up and his back straightened, checking to see if he had heard Satoshi's voice in his imagination as he had been waiting the rest of the night for a respond or a call from him. Before Dark could even assure him that he hadn't heard it wrongly and that the real Satoshi stood just outside his porch, Daisuke's father had surprisingly rushed out of nowhere, pulled his stunned wife aside gently and opened the door with a welcoming smile on his face, as if he had been expecting his arrival.
"Hello, Hiwatari-kun," Kosuke said in a calm voice while opening the door wider for Satoshi to step through the door, smiling widely at the young man who gave a light nod politely at Daisuke's father. "Come on in. It's cold outside. My son's inside waiting for you."
"Hiwatari-kun!" Daisuke exclaimed in surprise, very much confirmed with the appearance of his friend at his house and jumped up in surprise. It's not every day that a Hikari descendant visits the Niwa household without a valid reason, except that one time when he fainted a few years back and Daisuke had brought him back home for rest, dinner and an overnight stay. "Is there any news? Is she found? Is there any calls or something? Anything?"
Marching into the household as if he belonged there, Satoshi sat down on the sofa and heaved an exhausted sigh; the blue-haired genius rested his forehead in his hands and answered Daisuke without looking up.
"There's absolutely no news. It's all quiet, as if she just disappeared. Then there was a note delivered just recently on my way here to your house…"
"What does it said?" Daisuke asked, not conscious of the fact that his family had begun to gather around and listen.
Satoshi removed a small white card from his breast pocket grimly and gave it to Daisuke, who reached out for it and scanned the card while Satoshi's hands clenched in a tight fist at the thought of the card delivered to the police station after his depart from it. It was as if they – the mafias who took Maia – are watching him from somewhere he can't see them. On the white card was a plain message written in an elaborated handwriting.
You will never see her again.
Ever.
Kent
"Kent?" Emiko read out aloud. "Who's that?"
"My guess is that Kent is the one who is involved in the Azumano-Chou's Mafias, possibly the boss," Daisuke offered his opinion, placing the card on the coffee table. "But I heard from Maia-san once that her uncle's name is Kent…?"
Satoshi smirked to himself. "They're two different Kent. I've also informed Maia's brother about the arrival of the card and the name written in it. He told me that his uncle is coming to settle the Mafias problem here. They're on their way right at this moment as we speak, and Niwa-"Satoshi said suddenly, his head snapping up to meet Daisuke's eyes with a renewed vigor and ignoring the other Niwas who turned to look at him reflexively at the sound of their family name. "I need to borrow the Guide of Eternity from you. It'll be just for a moment."
"O-of course!" Daisuke stuttered out a reply. "Anything here would be of service to you if that could help locate Maia-san's location!"
When he turned around to find the now butler of the Niwa household, Argentine, he is surprised to find that everyone; his grandpa, his parents, Towa and Argentine had all but gathered in the living room, their face intent from listening to snippets of their stories.
"A friend of Dai-chan is a friend of ours, right father?" Niwa's mother, Emiko hooted, her eyes burning with an eerie energy for a Niwa who previously stalks Satoshi in her own home and also actively advised Daisuke of the importance to distance himself as a Niwa from a Hikari descendant. Standing beside her, Daisuke's grandfather nodded his head in agreement.
"Though you have released me from servitude, I would gladly be of service to you again, Master Hikari," Towa said to Satoshi, one hand crossing over her chest while she bowed to him in respect.
"I would be grateful for that," Satoshi replied, standing up and moving towards Towa. He placed one hand over Towa's forehead and closes his eyes as a faint light glow emanated from his hand.
"Tell me the location of Akihiko Maia's white rose corsage."
Towa closes her eyes and releases her magical powers, stretching it far and wide across Azumano-chou as she searched for the said item telepathically.
"Why a corsage?" asked Argentine. The almost-emotionless incomplete artwork refused to be left out of the conversation and the gathering, his large pastel green eyes wide with innocent curiosity. "Why not just 'Akihiko Maia'? Why choose something that belongs to her?"
"Because that is the one thing that she will never be apart from no matter what happened," Satoshi explained patiently despite his anxiousness regarding Maia's whereabouts, placing a hand over Argentine's mop of light pastel green hair. He knew that the artwork is merely curious about life, and just wanted to be a part of it instead of standing by like normal artwork does. "I made that for her, and I've also imbued a little of my magic into that corsage to protect her and notify me if things were to get worse in her situation. Right now, I felt that she is handling the situation quite well, and is safe for the moment. Besides, the Guide can't track a human. It's a forbidden magic. Using it could get everyone into permanent trouble."
Cocking his head to one side, Argentine voiced out his thoughts, "Does that also mean Akihiko Maia is safe with the white rose corsage, and that finding the corsage is equivalent to finding her location?"
For once, Satoshi smiled through his anxiousness, feeling glad that Argentine is finally living his life the way a free live artwork ought to. Patting Argentine's head, Satoshi nodded in agreement. "Good guessing, Argentine. That's what I thought."
"Found it!" the Guide of Eternity exclaimed, her open eyes white and glowing. "I've found the white rose corsage. It is safely wrapped within the hands of Akihiko Maia."
"Tell me the place, Guide!" Satoshi said, his voice rising due to his anxiousness. Getting up from his seat, Satoshi grabbed the Guide and shakes her in hopes of getting more information out of her about Maia's whereabouts. "Where is the exact place that she is being confined in! Was there anything around that you could see as a clue to her whereabouts?"
"Hiwatari-kun, calm down," Kosuke said calmly, sensing that the tension has gotten the better of the young Supreme Commander. Grabbing the young Hikari's shoulders, Kosuke tries his best to talk Satoshi out. "I understand how you feel, Hiwatari-kun. Losing the person you love to some kidnappers would have set me on edge too. But you have to know that keeping cool and calm would have done you better and give you improved concentration in finding ways to get her back. You'll think better with a calm mind. Trust me…"
"Why can't she sense her?" Satoshi said almost anguishly, clutching his chest where his heart is supposed to be. "She's the Guide of Eternity. She can find anything – Anything! Why not her…?"
"I am sorry, Young Master," Towa apologized truthfully with a sad expression on her face, feeling ashamed that she couldn't even help in such a simple task. "I tried to search for her, but all I can find is the corsage and the view of her hand. I couldn't see anything else. My eyes appeared to have been blocked out by those who don't want me to search for her."
"Barrier," Daisuke suggested suddenly, a new light entered his eyes as everyone turned their attention to him. "There must be a barrier around that place. When Maia-san first went missing, I remembered Dark-san saying something along the line of 'Someone is doing some bad mojo tonight'. It would probably mean-"
"He smelled magic in the air!" Daiki, Daisuke's grandfather joined in, abandoning his newspaper on the table. "Dark is an entity of a magical art himself. He would know best if there was somebody doing magic. And since he said it was a 'bad mojo', then…then it is a bad mojo."
"Dark magic," Satoshi said, convinced of his theory. "People who have real magic in them never uses Dark Magic; only those that are purely human would resort to such low tactic to get her. The people we are chasing are the Mafias, and they practiced Dark Magic to erect a barrier, creating a distraction to whomever that stumbles upon it and making them confused. That's why the police department never managed to find their headquarters hideout!"
Flipping his phone and dialed the Inspector's number, Satoshi barked orders into his cell phone the moment the line came through the other side.
"Kitsuo! Interrogate everyone on the patrol department; find out if anyone ever gets confused around some areas when they're patrolling or smelled something out of the blue. Report back after you has done your interrogation."
With another flip of his phone, he ended the call without ever hearing the Vice Supreme Commander say, "Sir!"
"We're another step closer to her, people. Another step closer and we'll get her back…" Satoshi mumbled to himself, not noticing that everyone heard what he had said and actually gets highly motivated with his words alone. He is never one to pray often, but now, he prayed to whichever Gods up upon the starry skies that Maia believes, praying for her safe return and praying that she will be safe.
"If I were Kitsuo-san, I would've gotten confused with that kind of order too…" Emiko mumbled to herself, sighing as the night stretched on without another news about the missing student, Akihiko Maia.
Towa is serving tea to the family and the guest when suddenly, she seemed as if she had been strike by lightning and straightened her back in less than a second, a vacant look in her eyes as she stared ahead.
"I felt the White Rose Corsage moves," Towa said in monotone. "The Corsage has changed its location."
Instantly, that piece of news had Satoshi's eyes glowed, an eager look on his face as he once again strode up towards Towa and grabbed her shoulders. As soon as Towa felt something about the corsage, Satoshi's heart literally sank into his stomach as he could feel, despite the small, almost miniscule bond between him and Maia through the White Rose Corsage disappears. He could no longer feel her in his inner mind. "Where is it?" Satoshi demanded anxiously, gripping Towa with a disbelieving expression on his handsome features. "Is she with the corsage! Tell me she's with the corsage!"
"It fell out of her hand by force," Towa said, her eyes still vacant and staring into the distance. "Someone must have slapped her or something. Then someone picks it up. A man, a man picked it up. Then towards the dustbin, he walks towards the dustbin. The ocean and the sound of water hitting the cliff are loud here. Warehouse. A black one."
"It must have seemed pretty useless to them or else something beautiful like that corsage wouldn't end up in the dustbin," Kosuke said thoughtfully, fingers stroking his chin as he thought about the reason and possibilities regarding the strange white rose corsage that Satoshi talked about. "If it was a girl who picked it up, they would have tried to bring it home. So our culprit who has thrown it away must be a man."
"Where does this warehouse faces, Towa?" Daiki asked calmly, noting the young Hikari's anxiousness. "If it is near the sea, we would find it ultimately, but all four corners of Azumano Chou are loaded with ports and warehouses. You need to be specific."
There is no answer from Towa. Instead, she stared for a long time to empty spaces, seeing with her all seeing eyes and trying to fulfill the request of her current master. It was a long while before she finally answers with a definite, "Eastern side."
Everyone gaped. The Niwa family lives at the eastern side of Azumano Chou, and the nearest warehouse is just 2-4 blocks away from their current residence. Everyone was surprised with the new information.
"Hiwatari-kun! That's good news!" Daisuke cried out, slapping a hand on Satoshi's shoulder and yelled that particular information into the young prodigy's ears. Daisuke laughed happily, and suddenly, he started to laugh stupidly and awkwardly. The redhead suddenly stiffened and slowly removes his hand from the commander's shoulder, his face frozen into a mask of awkward smile while his eyes betrayed his current emotion.
"How brave…those fucking man-whores…" Satoshi said in a deep low tone, his eyes burning angrily at the thought of them hurting his Maia. Emiko flinched from the amount of hate generate by the young Supreme Commander. "They dared to hurt my Maia. They dared to take away the one thing I gave her…they dared to undo the protection that I've weaved for her…They dared to commit such absurdity…"
Standing up, Satoshi walked to the windows and looked up to the night sky. It was a crescent moon, shrouded within grey white clouds and appearing briefly every once in a while, only to hide behind the clouds once again when the wind picked up their speed. He glared into the dark sky and said solemnly, "I've given fair warnings that she is mine, and that nobody is to touch her, more so to hurting her. For her, I would weave all the magic I have and secure her to safety, and destroy those vermin who have dared to lay their filthy hands on her. I'll vanquish all her fears, and get her back to me."
"And how do you suppose to do that?" said Daiki, his old wise eyes scanning the young raging man who had lost his lover. He knew that kind of pain. He's been through it when Emiko's mother passed away. His world fell down that time, and he so wanted to kill whatever it was that killed her. But she passed away peacefully, and there's nothing he could do about it.
At least the young man's lover is still alive…thought Daiki grimly for a moment.
Turning around, Satoshi regarded the old man carefully.
"How do you suppose you could get her back when her exact location still remains a mystery to you? What Towa had said just now might just be useful, but so far as I know, those warehouses are lined up in a maze, and there's more than one black warehouse over there…" Daiki explained kindly. "I trust that my son-in-law have given you another ring after you used it up to seal Qualia?"
"Yes," Satoshi said after a moment of silence. "But I'm not going to use it. Krad's more than sane right now, and he, too, is upset that she's missing from my side…"
I'M NOT UPSET, YOU STUPID BOY! Krad denied vehemently. HOW DARE YOU ACCUSE ME OF THAT!
If Krad were to appear out of the blue in reality, temperatures surrounding them would rise up, and everyone would laugh at the red blushes spreading alarmingly across the blonde's pale face.
…
DON'T YOU DO THAT TO ME! DON'T YOU DARE DESTORY MY IMAGE RIGHT IN FRONT OF THAT MOUSY! DON'T YOU "…" ME OR I'LL START CUSSING EVERY WORD I KNOW IN MY HEAD!
… The only time when I can see you lose your control and scream like that is…well…never. Not until Maia went missing. You do live in the back of my mind, you know, so I know everything you're thinking about unless you tried you're very best to suppress it from me. You love her, just like how I love her. We're living in the same body after all…
YOU STUPID SHIT! YOU STUPID PIECE OF SHIT! YOU STUPID STUPID STUPID STU-
"As I was saying before Krad started to scream in my head," Satoshi mentally blocked Krad's voice from getting into the mainstream of his mind so as to not get a migraine, he continued in his normal tone, "I'm not going to use the ring. I'm saving it for something more crucial, and I sensed that it's not now."
"So how about your police forces?" surprisingly, Daisuke joined in the discussion with his own opinion. "Have you heard anything from them?"
Satoshi shook his head dejectedly. "Not yet, and I don't suppose my forces could have done anything better. Like your grandpa had said earlier, there's more than one black warehouse here, not to mention that there is dark magic at work here. It is what will shield them from ordinary people's vision, and even if I rounded up all the magic users and help to search for her, it won't happen any moment sooner and I'm afraid that it'll be too late." Satoshi's eyes darkened at the thought of finding the cold corpse of Maia, or that she's been violated violently, or that she's been bloodied and hit and beaten and – Satoshi quickly shakes his head to clear off all those thoughts away from his mind. He promise himself that he won't think of the consequences, but focus about how to save her. "The magical barrier will bar my police forces from finding their place, as it is what had shielded them all these whiles. It'll need some considerable amount of magic to reveal them and destroy their barrier. I've been gathering my magical powers for a long while now just to use this today…"
"Gathering magical power for a long while…?" Daisuke repeated as his eyes widened in surprise when Satoshi nodded his head in agreement. "You mean, you knew this day is gonna arrive? That Maia-san is going to get kidnapped?"
Satoshi smiled stiffly. "Maia tends to tell me things that are bothering her when she's having cakes," Satoshi stood up once again, pacing in front of the Niwa family members with his head hung down in deep thought. "Everything she talks about tends to include a fair amount of incident regarding stalkers stalking her at broad daylight. As far as she realizes, these incidents have been increasing at a frightening amount. She kept me in the dark about this for all these while and refused to let me worry about her. I found out about them anyway and assigned bodyguards for her, keeping her safe from all those Mafias who are trying to take her, but she refused them, so yes, I knew about them and tried everything I could to prevent them," By this time, Satoshi's hand had already clamped tightly in anger, forming a fist and ready to hit the imagery Mafia floating right in front of him. Eyes burning in fury, Satoshi said coldly in a tone laced with hate he never knew he is capable of, "-and yet she is still taken away from me and all of them slips pass my sight."
He closes his eyes and rubbed the spot in between his brow. He couldn't help but to feel helpless. He had let all of them take his Maia away when she is still in the pub, meaning that they, too, have been inside the pub house, and hiding in the shadows to avoid his all-seeing eyes. He trusted Wild Daisy's safe pub, but it appears that he is wrong in assuming that the Mafias wouldn't dare to enter such a place with his influence floating around it. They really would do anything to get his Maia.
And they succeeded. At such thought, Satoshi's furrowed his brow again in hate and angrily glared into the sky again.
"Here's what I thought," Daisuke suddenly piped up, his head snapped up in a way that gives hope to everyone surrounding him. Those eyes of his sparkled with a shade of light that tells everyone he has a brilliant idea. "Yoi, the King of the Waters of Azumano-Chou, has pledged himself to help and protect Maia-san. He probably didn't notice that Maia is taken with all those bad mojo going around, but we could try and enlist his help, tell him what happened…"
"Maia-chan had the Water King's pledge!" Emiko said, appearing suddenly impressed with Daisuke's friends. She never knew most of his friends are so capable. Before she could think more, her father's opinion came pouring out into the conversation. "Wow, she's good!"
"And with the cleansing power the Ancient King held," Daiki said thoughtfully, "-he could bring a bout of seawater rain all over Azumano-Chou and wash away all the bad spells!"
"We could use Towa's searching ability to locate the King and request that he'd come over-" Kousuke said, not missing out on the beat of thoughts surrounding the Niwa family.
Towa's eyes widened in excitement at that particular news update in rescuing Maia. It's been a while since she had laid eyes upon the King of the Waters of Azumano-Chou. Rumors had said that he's far cuter than Dark in person, and she wanted to see him more now that the Niwa's have mentioned him. "I could do that!" she chirped happily.
Without waiting, the Guide closed her eyes and looked far away into the waters, searching for the King's whereabouts. She is surprised when she found out that the King is wandering not far from Satoshi's home, looking up hopefully into the sky, awaiting the call of the girl he had pledged his trust in.
When she came over to him telepathically, the King snapped his head around and a shield of water surrounded him. It looked more like a natural defense the waters have for their king, and Towa quickly explained the situation to the startled King. When she came to the parts about the girl named Akihiko Maia, the King's eyes widened and, in a flash of lightning, the waters rushed forward in jets of streams and headed right towards the Niwa's household, not bothering to wait for an invitation.
Searching the King's quick job, locating him is quick job, briefing him on Akihiko Maia's situation is also quick job. Bringing him over to the House of Niwa? She didn't even get to do that in person! Towa pouted to herself when she thought about it. Such a short amount of time and her work is done. Still, she stood around and listened intently to anything more that she could do for the Niwa household. After all, it's rare that a visitor from the Hikari clan came over all distressed and lost. It was an exciting event. For now, Towa would satisfy herself with staring long and hard at the King of the Waters of Azumano-Chou. Oh, so damn cute, she thought to herself.
"We are Yoi," the blonde royal said hurriedly, nodding his head to the family and standing in a manner befitting a royal. "We are the Ruler of the Waters of Azumano-Chou. What had happened? Lovely Maia is gone from her abode by the Cliffside. By this time, she would have come back from wherever she was. We have our suspicions when the tinge of black magic lingers around her abode a while ago, but we have thought sincerely that you, Lord Hikari, would have dealt with them…"
Satoshi bowed back respectfully at the young ancient King. "Thank you for receiving me, O Ancient Highness of the Waters." Straightening up his back, Satoshi flashed the young king a grim look. "I have, in fact, dealt with them, but I regret that I did not pursue the matter due to Maia's own request. I'm the one to blame for listening to her, and by the time I realize just what kind of dangerous situation it has become, she has gone missing from my side. It's been hours. I need to find her as quickly as possible. I fear for the worst to befall her…"
"Lovely Maia?" Yoi said, thunder shocked thoroughly to the core of his very being. The water splashed jerkily following his emotions. "She is missing?"
Satoshi nodded once dourly. "I'm afraid so."
In an instant, the water tide rose magnificently above the Cliffside and splashed angrily against the stone, its very force created a loud noisy thunder-like sound that doesn't exactly sounds good. The dark sky, originally clear, suddenly looked dark as clusters of dark puffy clouds gathered at an alarming rate. "Who did it?" the Water King said in a deep dark voice, his eyes swirling in a sudden bright blue color that looked menacing enough to make the Guide of Eternity stopped staring and flinch in fear.
"It's recent, and I've dispatched my people to stand guard against all exits of Azumano-Chou. The kidnapper is still within this region, but I – we remained ignorant of her exact location. Your water, especially the waters surrounding you, has the power to purify evil and destroy what are not supposed to exist by the hands of a human with no magical powers. Those who kidnapped her are residing in a warehouse with their own makeshift barrier surrounding it, hindering the Guide's sight and my forces' ability to locate them."
The young King nodded once in understanding. "We understand. We will assist Hikari-sama in locating Maia of the Human's location immediately."
Turning around, the young King casted his swirling bright blue eyes into the sky. Drawing his powers from within his very being, his eyes became dilated and rimmed with the bright blue irises, swirling dangerously as he directed his anger towards the sky. Immediately, thunder raged across the dark clusters of clouds and rain started to pour down heavily from the sky.
"Our water will wash away all the evil surrounding her," the Water King said solemnly, his dark eyes now watching the raging sea. Willing himself to calm the ocean he currently reigned, the young King turned around and placed his gaze onto Satoshi himself. "Our time on land is limited, and since we've let our emotions gets the better of us, our waters is upset, and we need to calm it down before more damaging catastrophe occur. We trust that you will find her and keep her safe, O Lord Hikari?"
With a burning gaze, Satoshi said somberly to the King in promising words, "She guards my heart and soul. I won't let my future bride be tarnished by the filthy hands of lowly humans such as the likes of the Mafias."
With that said the King gave Satoshi an encouraging nod and dove into the rain smoothly, disappearing into the water silently as everyone watches the young Ancient King vanishes into the deep water. Everyone watches in awe at the disappearing King. No one alive in history has seen the Kings of the Olds – no, not even the Niwas – more so than making a contract with them.
How is that bratty kid able to find her when Argentine here is not able to do so? Dark said from within Daisuke, making a stupid jealous face when the Water King managed to get Towa to stare at only his royal face when he has the looks of a young brat who just started to grow up.
"How is the King able to find Maia-san?" Daisuke asked, modifying the question in hopes of avoiding further argument between the two souls of the Dark Artworks within Satoshi's and Daisuke's body. "Isn't Argentine here enough?"
"Argentine's ability can only pinpoint the corsage's location, as Maia's captor probably have removed it and thrown it away," Satoshi explained, looking out into the raging sea as it gradually calms down with the presence of the King. "I wanted the exact location of Maia's whereabouts so that I can send my men in to destroy the sole checkpoint of the Dreamer's Warehouse once and for all. I don't want the proprietor of the Dreamer's Warehouse to get away this time." Satoshi finished in a rather sinister tone, his blazing gaze casted out into the sea, the very image of the ones who have captured her getting closer within his grasp.
The flag is waved. The fight now commences. The reward?
Akihiko Maia.
A/N: I can't believe I've done it actually. Tell me what you think about it and the next chappie might just come up quicker...teehee!