A Reason to Protect
Reija winced as she snapped her bones back in place, gritting her teeth tightly to prevent herself from crying out in pain. Turning to look at Niki, she asked, "What are you going to do with me?"
Niki raised an eyebrow and gave Reija a brazen look. "Quite frankly, you are not my problem anymore. There are bigger matters the Shadows must attend to. The vampires are no longer a priority among the Shadows. Perhaps you should take that into consideration as well."
"You choose to protect these…mortals?" Reija asked quietly, wondering if Niki had other hidden agendas in mind.
A smirk rose up to her lips as she brushed her hair off her shoulders. "Mortals are fragile things. They can die so easily, they've become quite a bore to hunt. Their existence is so futile, so tragic. I find it quite enjoyable sustaining what little happiness they have acquired in their meager lives. After all…" her eyes gave off an eerie glow as she stared intently at Reija. "…everyone deserves happiness even in the smallest measure."
"A Shadow protecting mortals?" Reija asked skeptically, unwilling to believe a word of it.
Niki gave an amused sighed and tilted her head back to look up at the night sky. "And you, Kage? What do you long to protect?"
Reija had not anticipated such a question. Unable to answer, she shook her head and glanced up at the sky. "There's nothing I want to protect…A Kage knows only her duty."
"What a sad life you must lead. To have such power with no will to use it even for your own pleasure…" And with that, she rose up from the bench and moved to face Reija. "Your fate will be the saddest of all."
"I don't care what happens to me. As long as I get the job done," Reija whispered quietly, her eyes changing back to their normal color.
"A true altruist. It's no wonder the vampires love you," Niki said, an amused look rising to her cold eyes. With one more flick of her hair, she turned her back to Reija and headed towards the school's back entrance, dissolving into the shadows. Within seconds, she was inside the locked building, not giving the Kage a second glance.
Reija rushed into her run down home and bolted up the stairs. Passing through the hallway, she opened the door to the study and entered quickly.
The room was empty when she entered. Just like the first time she had set foot inside the room, the fireplace was burning brightly. Before it, the old rocking chair began to sway back and forth in a rhythmic beat, as if someone were perched on it.
Reija quickly eyed the shadows cast by the dancing flames, feeling uneasy at the sight. Slipping completely inside the room, she closed the door behind her and placed her fingertip on the rocking chair.
"Nataku."
There was no reply.
Reija called again, gripping the rocking chair and held it still.
Suddenly, a strong gust of wind blew into the room, nearly extinguishing the burning hearth. But as quickly as it had come, the wind soon died down, replaced by a gentle breeze. A warm hand rested on top of Reija's hand firmly as a dark cloak emerged behind her.
"You summoned for me?"
Reija moved her hand away from Nataku's touch and shot her guardian a venomous look. "Where were you?" she demanded, glaring impatiently at his concealed face.
Nataku moved past Reija and seated himself on the rocking chair. "Resting. You are tiring to watch over."
"Me?" Reija demanded, scowling. "Where were you when I was attacked?"
Nataku leaned back against the chair and began to rock back and forth, his face unreadable. "Watching you, of course. I gave you my word to keep an eye on you," he answered calmly. "However, vampire affairs are no concern once I gave you my service. It is forbidden to interfere with vampire combat."
Reija gave an exasperated sigh. She was tired of rules. "I don't care what the rules say. You serve me, not the vampires. You are free to do whatever you bloody well please," she declared, folding her arms over her chat. "You Shadows make everything so complicated. I have no intention of enslaving any of your kind. I'm not here to keep prisoners. If you want to leave, then leave. I free you of our contract."
Nataku chuckled in amusement and lifted his hood off his face. "For a girl who seeks revenge on the Shadows, you certainly get your point across." He rose up from the chair and gripped Reija's chin firmly. "However, I keep my promises. Soon you will realize that not all Shadows are your enemies, and that not all vampires are your friends."
Reija looked away from Nataku's gaze, her head beginning to ache. All her life she had been taught to hate the Shadows and seal them at will. But now things were different. The vampires seemed to be attacking, and the Shadows wanted to help her. Reija had never been more confused in her life.
"Next time when you are in danger, I will be there," Nataku said. "You have my word."
"Hey, are you alright?"
Reija blinked as she looked up to meet Suzuki's concerned gaze. Blinking for a moment, she scowled slightly as she looked Suzuki over. He seemed taller. "…Why wouldn't I be?" she asked, strolling along the sidewalk with Suzuki beside her.
Suzuki placed his arms behind his head as he walked. "Yumi and Matt said that they saw you near the courtyard where the window fell. I was just worried something might have happened, that's all," he replied with a shrug, looking ahead.
"I arrived just when the window crashed," Reija lied calmly, having rehearsed her alibi many times before. "The tree blocked the shards from hitting me though."
Suzuki grinned and ruffled Reija's hair. "That's good. I was really worried, you know."
Worried about me? Reija thought to herself. Glancing up at Suzuki once again, she asked, "Why would you worry about me? Everyone else seems to think I'm a freak. They wouldn't care if anything happened to me."
It was then that Suzuki halted abruptly, a horror-stricken look on his face. "That's not true!" he blurted out quickly, unable to bottle up his dismay. "You're not a freak, Reija! There's nothing wrong with you at all!"
"I'm not exactly the best choice for a friend, Suzuki," Reija said, stopping as well. "You don't know the real me." She looked away from his gaze, inhaling sharply. You wouldn't like the real me.
"To hell with what everyone else says about you!" Suzuki growled in frustration, grabbing a hold of Reija's shoulders. "I don't see anything wrong with you. You're always courteous to everyone around you, and you never complain if something's bothering you. So what if no one considers you normal? Normal is boring. I love you just the–" Suzuki suddenly clamped his mouth shut with his hand and turned a bright shade of red. Immediately, he released Reija's shoulders and took a step back. "…just…just the way…you are," he finally mumbled, looking down at his feet in order to avoid Reija's gaze.
Reija blinked a few times, beginning to feel awkward. Suzuki had just said he loved her…just the way she was…
Suzuki shook his head in embarrassment and cleared his throat. He was beet red now, his cheeks glowing as brightly as his red T-shirt. "I'm sorry. I-I've said too much," he stammered uncomfortably. "I'll just…" And with that, he began to walk away, shaking his head.
For a moment, Reija stood where she was, watching Suzuki depart without her. But that didn't last long as she caught his arm. "Wait. Suzuki…"
He turned to look at her, his face still red.
"U-um…" Looking away, Reija thought for a moment, not knowing exactly what to say. "Th-thank you…" And for the very first time, Reija smiled.