Chapter 37: Run For It
Previously:
Up till now Run was having the blast of her life, being given a piggyback ride by none other than her crush whist jumping on the trees and rooftops of Sainan City. She felt relaxed and excited as the wind flew past both their faces, her light green hair thrashing about like wild. Rito was courageously leaping from roof to roof occasionally spicing things up by doing front and back flips, quick turns and speeding up suddenly, surprising the young alien on his back as she laughed and screamed in glee. Looking down Run saw the city in an eagle's point of view. Everything, all her concerns and problems, seemed so distant and far away. But suddenly, she felt a sharp pain all over her body.
"Uah!" She grunted as she dug her fingernails into Rito's shoulders. "What's happening to me?"
"What's wrong, Run-chan!?" Rito demanded in panic he landed in the middle of an isolated public park.
Chapter 37: Run For It
Rito gently got Run off his back and placed her onto the ground in a sitting position in the isolated park, letting the back of her head lean against the cold metal railing. The street lamps from afar gave off an ominous dim glow.
"Hey, you alright? What's wrong?" The boy asked as he knelt down and held her shoulder.
"I-it's nothing…." She replied weakly as she struggled to stand up, but did so anyway with the help of Rito. The green haired girl then turned to the railing and looked up at the night sky. Rito followed her example and gazed up. The two stayed silent for a few moments.
"A-are you sure it's nothing? I'm kinda worried…." Rito voiced out casually with a smile. "Maybe she's sick?"
"Are you, really?" The unusually quiet and quivering voice of Run sounded out from utter silence. Those words came to Rito as a confusion and a surprise.
"Run, what are yo-" The assassin asked offhandedly, but halted abruptly as he saw strands of tears flowing down the idol's face from the corner of his eyes. "W-Why is she crying?"
"Run….."
"You know….. I consider Lala-chan my rival in love…." Run chocked out in a shaky voice, "But to be honest, I already knew deep down t-that, as long as I'm sharing my body with -Ren…. I-I can never compete with h-her…." Rito's eyes widened, but he did not move, allowing the weeping girl to continue. "W-working in the entertainment business is fun and rewarding, so I thought I'd just immerse myself in that, demo…I locked my feelings for you deep down in my heart. A-and in the end…. I….I just….. I just can't do it!" She shouted at the end as tears continued to flood down her cheeks.
"Run, I-"
"Gomen ne….. It's probably because of Ren….He's has caused you all those trouble… I could've stopped him…. Back then-" She found herself unable to finish the apology as she looked down and wept even harder, Her light green hair shadowing her face as she looked towards the concrete earth below.
"Why can't I say anything!? Why can't I move!?"Rito shouted inside in his mind.
"All…All I want…..I want you to look at me!" Run shouted as the Lone Eagle's golden brown eyes widen. "I love you just as much as Lala does!"
"Run…" Rito found himself speechless at the confession. "She loves me... I never realized….. I'm so sorry…."
"T-that's why… I'm…..I'm going to be selfish just once!" Run shouted as she spun around and using one hand, she flipped his hood off and gave him a soft kiss. Run then deepened the kiss by wrapping her arms around his neck. Rito had every chance to push her away, but he stayed frozen from the shock. "I love you, Rito-kun."
With a few heavy breaths after the near thirty second kiss, the young idol's legs gave in as she dropped to the ground. But Rito reflexes were fast enough to catch her before she hits the ground.
"I guess I'm not feeling well. Probably because I've been working so busy with work lately, gomen…" She squeezed out as pain started to once again develop in her body.
"No's not the time to apologize, J-just rest there for a while!" Rito said as he carried her to a park bench not far from here.
(At the same time, behind a bush, near the park bench)
Kneeling behind a thick bush were three heads, with two being pink and one being golden.
"T-they finally did it! They kissed!" Momo cheered as she punched the air, but was stopped by her twin sister.
"Shhhh, you can't be too loud. Sure, they got together, but even so, why did you drag me- even Yami-san along?" Nana hushed as she gestured Yami to say something.
"Please don't mind me." Golden Darkness stoically replied silent as she further immersed herself into the romance novel she was reading, completely ignoring the outside world. Both twins sweatdropped at the reply.
"Sis, what're they doing at the park bench?" Nana curiously asked as she pointed at Rito.
"Huh?" Momo wondered as she also stared at her fiancé behind the thick greenery shielding her from view.
"…"
(With Run)
The Memorzorian idol found herself on the edge of consciousness. Her necklace and shoes were discarded on the cold ground. Her vision was reduced to blurs of blue and orange as Rito was fussing over her. The girl was lying down face up on the park wooden park bench.
"Rito-kun….. I feel so hot….." She whimpered as her body crackled in pain. "What's happening to me!?"
In response, the assassin leaned in and connect his forehead with hers for a few moments. "You're burning up fast. Hang on Run-chan, I'll find some help."
"Crap, what should I do!?"Rito dug his brain for an answer, but none come to mind. He activated his eagle vision, hoping to locate some passerby to help out. He vision scanned around the park until he suddenly located three distinct blue auras hidden behind some shrubs, he knew exactly who they were.
"Huh? What are they- Now's not the time! Nana, Momo, Yami, please help me out here!" Rito begged as he faced the direction of the bush. And just as he expected, three teenage girls came out running towards him.
"Huh? Run-san? Wh-what happened?!" Momo and Nana exclaimed in unison as they looked over the body of Run. Yami, on the other hand, was standing at a distance, still immersed in her novel.
"She suddenly started feeling sick, I don't know what to do…." Rito explained in a confused manner, which was rare for the usually composed assassin.
"Rito-kun…." The bench-ridden idol sickly moaned out as her body began radiating off a mysterious bright glow. Her breathing and moans of pain grew with the light.
"Run….." was all the Lone Eagle managed to stutter out as he and the girls were all taken aback at the sudden development with shock eyes, including Yami, who stowed her small novel away between a strap on her left thigh.
The glaring light around Run began emitting tiny light particles as she screamed in pain. The whole park was now illuminated as if it was still noon. With each passing second, Run seemed to get even brighter and brighter.
"What's going, Momo!?" Nana shouted.
"I don't know! I've never seen anything like this!" Momo replied as everyone squinted their eyes from the glow, save for Yami, who shielded her eyes with another book.
"We should take her to Mikado-sensei." Rito concluded as he reached out for Run. "Hang in there, Run."
"No…" Run whispered out, then suddenly her eyes widened. "(Gasp), this is probably-" But the Memorzorian didn't finish the sentence as the light became a blinding flash. Everyone took a step back as they covered their eyes in confusion. Moments later, the light dispersed in to nothing, leaving the park dark once again.
Everyone went into a state of shock at the sight before them. On the park bench now lied an unconscious naked beauty with light green hair, and groggily getting up on the ground was a teenage boy with hot pink eyes, in a girl's dress.
"Wh-what just happened?" Nana and Momo stuttered in unison as they stared at the two Memorzorians in fascination and awe.
"According to this Encyclopedia of Galactic Species," Yami started in a monotone whilst reading off a thick book, which she held with her hair transformed into hands. "Memorzorians fully mature by developing their unique, tertiary sexual characteristics, in addition to their primary and secondary ones." The female assassin then paused to flip a page, then continued as the girls were frozen in silence. "This is known as 'Metamorphose', then they split into an independent male and female individual. Congratulations, Run Elise Jewelria."
Unbeknownst to the three girls, while the explanation was taking place, Rito was glaring daggers into Ren, only half listening to Yami. The Lone Eagle then approach the boy, gripping him by the neck. He then threw Ren towards another wooden park bench a few meters away from them. The Jewelria prince smashed into the construct and toppled onto the ground, effectively destroying the bench into chunks of wood and splinters.
"Owwww…"
"Nani?!" Nana shouted in confusion.
"Rito-kun!" Momo shouted in surprise as the girls now watched as Ren groggily stood up for the first time after the metamorphose. The three girls at the side saw the jet black hooded Rito standing still, glaring at the alien prince with his shadowed eyes. He then unleashed his right hidden blades in an almost unnoticeable flick of his wrist as the blade shot forward with an audible ring and began stepping towards his enemy. "Ren Elise Jewelria, I'll strip the flesh from your body…"
With the tiniest jerk of his left leg, the male assassin seemingly disappeared from the existence with a harsh burst of flames, but to Konjiki no Yami, Rito was already halfway to where Ren is. Acting almost out of instinct Yami crouched down and placed a palm on the earth whist summoning tendrils of her golden hair towards Rito. "It's not fast enough."
Rito suddenly appeared on top of the body of Ren. The now unhooded teen had his left palm firmly planted onto the boy's chest, his right arm and hidden blade extended straight behind him, ready to kill.
"NO!" A feminine voice cried out as Rito was hugged from behind by a flat chested girl. The boy's eyes widened as he hesitated for a fraction of a second. But that was all Golden Darkness needed as coils of golden hair wrapped Rito's right arm tightly. The Trans weapon gave a silent sigh of relief as a small bead of sweat dripped down her face. "That was too close. If princess Nana wasn't there….."
"W-w-what-" The now fully awakened Ren stuttered out in fear as he saw the harbinger of death on top of him, his life flashing before his eyes.
"Nana, Yami, let me go. He doesn't deserve to live." Rito stated coldly as he strengthen his right arm, trying to stab the poor boy.
"Yuuki Rito, please calm down." Yami replied in a slightly more desperate tone, as she found herself slowly losing the tug of war with her target's arm.
"Think about Run, how will she feel if her new-found love killed her brother?" Momo asked from a distance as she covered a jacket over the unconscious Run.
"…fine, he lives for now." Rito breathing out then eventually softened and calmed as he retracted his right blade. Nana gave a sigh of relief as she released her fiancé. Yami relaxed her hair and allowed it to uncoil around his arm. The Lone Eagle roughly pushed off Ren and stood up alongside Nana, a few meters away from the Memorzorian.
"That night in the forest, why were you there?!" Rito demanded in fury, glaring daggers at him.
"You were attacking fellow space travelers! Plus, if I defeated this 'Lone Eagle' assassin, then-"
"Then what? You expect Onee-sama will sudden just fall head over heel for you? Is that it, does it just boil down to simple jealously?!" Momo asked irritatingly. "You have no idea the trouble you have caused Rito and-"
"I am clearly the better man than Yuuki Rito! I saved lives, whereas this monster take them. If you really love Lala, you'd hand her to me, she might end up dead because of his-" Ren shouted disrespectfully.
"Rito-kun is ten times the man you are, you're outclassed in every possible way!" Nana shouted as her purple eyes became slitted, like a beast.
"Not this again…." Rito said as he rolled his eyes.
"What good are you anyway, Yuuki Rito? You run around nearly every night, killing people for no reason other than money. You parents should be ashamed-" Ren taunted.
"You honestly think I WANT to?! I have spent a bit more than a damn YEAR training, fighting, killing and more killing, searching just for your two 'fellow space travelers', I could've been halfway to Talha Galaxy now!" Rito thundered, angrier than ever. "I had not one but TWO of my targets meeting there like sitting ducks and you robbed me of both!"
"So what? You can just find them again right?" Ren retorted offhandedly.
"Because you stupidity, Kotegawa-san was almost kidnapped!" Nana added in anger, who was now standing beside.
"Do I look like I care?! And watch who you're speaking to, you insolent little-" Ren said furiously as he raised a hand and fast walked towards Nana, who inwardly smirked as she eyed Rito, who was shaking in anger the whole time. Just as Ren was about to bring his fist down onto the girl. He was impacted with a massive yet simple backhand and flew backwards into a park tree, creating a crater in it.
"Never in my entire career have I ever wanted to kill someone so badly, excluding from Azenda! You know what, I've had it with you! I take back what I said, Lala is MINE, not yours, MINE. Should I ever see your FACE while I'm working ever again, I'll kill you, and nobody CAN stop me." Rito growled.
"He said can, not will."Everybody thought in slight terror.
"Let's get out of here." Rito spoke softly to Nana as they regrouped with Momo and Yami.
(That very night, on the slightly slanted roof of the Yuuki Household)
The crystal clear night sky was littered with bright sprinkles of light, clouded into the clusters of distant galaxies, the moon lighting the skies. A lonely assassin found himself lying face up on the slightly slanted side of the rooftop of the house. He was dressed in nothing but a pair of blue boxers and a pitch black T-shirt. He looked up into the starry sky and sighed.
"Lots of things happened today…" Rito thought to himself as he softly closed his eyes, preparing to drift off to sleep.
"I knew I'd find you here, Yuuki-kun." An all too familiar voice sounded from behind. Rito's eyes snapped open in surprise as his arms flailed around to regain balance.
"H-h-haruna-chan?"
"Wh-what's with the reaction? I thought you already knew?" Rito's first love asked with a questionable face as she looked over him from above. She was in a full pink pajamas.
The teenage boy's mouth then curled into a serene smile. "I can relax at home, care to join me?" He replied as he patted a spot on the roof next to him.
"Mm!" the blue haired girl smiled and laid down not beside Rito, but onhim, her head resting on his strong chest, instantaneously causing Rito's head to go red. The girl then grabbed both his hands and wrapped his arms them around her.
"H-haruna…I…..ah….."
"I heard you were on a date with Run-chan today, what happened?"
"Well…."
(Minutes later)
"That's new… who would've thought they would split." Haruna muttered in amazement as she snuggled further into his chest, feeling his warmth. "Ne Yuuki-kun…"
"Y-yeah?"
"What're you going to do if- no, WHEN you rescue Mikan-san?" Haruna asked, stunning her first love, who was now in deep thought.
"….I honestly have no idea, but for now, I'm gonna concentrate on getting up-" Rito replied as he took Haruna's hand and together they pointed up towards the sky. "there."
"Well then, be sure to introduce her to all of us."
"Definitely."
The two then came to a very comfortable silence as they just looked up at the sky, until Haruna flipped so that she was facing him whist being on him. They stared into each other's eyes as blue/purple meets golden brown. Their heads eventually got closer and closer, till they eventually close the gap and engaged in a light make out session, all under the moonlit sky.
"I love you, Yuuki-kun."
"I love you, Haruna-chan."
(One Week later, somewhere in Sainan City [I know it's sudden, but whatever…])
"This city sure is nice isn't it, Rin?" A boisterous teenage girl said as she elegantly walked down the pathway of the public park. Beside her were two other girls, one with black hair and a kendo sword in her hand and the other girl with dark blue hair and swirly glasses.
"Hai, Saki-sama." The girl with the sword replied respectfully.
"A-are you sure moving here is the best decision, Saki-sama?- N-not that I'm disagreeing, it's just that….. Well….."
"Aya?"
"Are you questioning Saki-sama's judgment?"
"Well….. what if we get robbed, or mugged… then-"
"Then I'll protect you both." Rin said as she raised the hand that was carrying her sword a little.
"Are you sur-"
"What was that?!" Rin yelled as a red tick mark appeared on her forehead.
"N-nothing! Nothing!" The girl with the glasses laughed off as she followed her two friends down the road. "What is this uneasy feeling…. It's like we're being watched."She thought to herself as she timidly looked all around her. The park was completely deserted, despite being the middle of the day. Grey clouds were beginning to blanket over the sky. Saki looked up at the sky and sighed in a disappointed yet dramatic way.
"(Sigh), looks like it's about to rain. Well, Rin, we should go home-"
"Not so fast." A deep and menacing voice growled as the three girls came to a halt. An ominous gentle breeze blew across the park as their hairs swayed to their side. Moments after, all manner of human like creatures began appearing from behind and above the trees around the park. It was a large group, approximately ten to twenty individuals. They were all dressed in armor similar to that of a samurai's and numerous weapons strapped to their bodies. Some had swords on their backs, and others had deadly looking small blades strapped onto their bodies. The individuals themselves were strangely paranormal, possessing a humanoid body, save for some, who had either a shark, eel, tiger or bull's head. Other had scales and other unusual bodily traits, like an extra two limbs or tails.
The girls saw them and began to slowly back away. Suddenly Rin came forward and stood in front of Saki and Aya. She unsheathed her katana and discarded her sheath onto the ground.
"I will not let you lay a hand on Saki-sama!" The ponytailed Rin proclaimed as she sunk into a typical kendo stance, ready to defend her master and friend. "State your business or leave!"
"Woah! Calm down hottie. First of all, is the lady over there the one they call Saki Tenjouin?" one of the figures asked as he raised a knife towards Saki. But seeing their unwavering reaction, the figure confirmed it inside his mind.
"I'm told you have plenty of money and resources…." The figure started. "Now! Give us all of your money and we won't hurt anyone!" He yelled out.
"Resources indeed, hehe….." one nameless member of the group perversely commented as the others chuckled and began to slowly approach them, their eyes wondering into places of their bodies.
"S-stay back!" Saki shouted.
"Saki-sama, Aya, get out of here! I'll hold them off!"
"You can't, there's like twenty of them and one of you!" Aya yelled out defiantly.
Rin's eyes quickly darted from enemy to enemy as a bead of sweat rolled down her face. It was true, she's at a great disadvantage. "We've no choice!"
"Che… Saki-sama! Aya! Run! I'll cover you!" Rin shouted as she began backing away, still facing the enemy.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: I HAD A VERY BUSY WEEK, BUT ENOUGH ABOUT ME.
I HAVE DECIDED THAT THIS STORY WILL HAVE TWO ENDINGS, PROBABLY A HAPPY ONE AND A SLIGHTLY TRAGIC ONE.
ALSO I HAD PEOPLE TALKING TO ME ABOUT SEQUELS, I WAS HOPING FOR YOU GUY'S OPINION.
A SHOUT OUT TO THOSE WHO HELPED WITH MY STORY! THANK YOU GUYS!
AND AS ALWAYS, MORE CHAPTERS STILL TO COME.
REVIEWS ARE HIGHLY APPRECIATED AND LOVED
CRITICISMS ARE ALSO ACCEPTED.