A/N: Okay, I'm drunk, my cat is dictating what music I'm listening to and I am trapped in my home because of Covid-19. Don't blame me. LOL, I hope you are enjoying the story thus far.
Chapter 18
Lory and Ren both had been frantically worried about Maria and Sebastian. Ren remembered reading about fairies as a child and how they would kidnap human children, never to be seen again; although, that really wasn't the only thing they were worried about. Lory had firmly believed that Kyoko and her escorts, along with Haruki Asami had been killed in the collapse of the research facility.
Ren, had the added worry of the three small vials of Kyoko's blood that he had crushed in his left hand, in his pocket during the fateful event. Dr. Ogata was genuinely concerned about him after the discovery. He had fully briefed him on the situation, and the redacted information once they reached Ogata's home, the glass from the blood collection tubes had been removed from his palm and fingers, and the wounds were properly dressed. There was no stopping it, Ren had been exposed and Ogata was keeping a close watch on him.
~xoxo~
Of the missing individuals in the scheme of things, had been one Yukihito Yashiro. He, Hiroaki, and Ren had been listed as missing and would continue to remain so. Yuki however, was right where he needed to be, knocking out electronics, destroying cameras, and scrambling information beyond recognition.
"I'll be taking her to New York, Chiori." He politely informed as they moved to their next destination. "You'll be traveling with her grandfather to California."
Technically, Yukihito had not been initially assigned to Maria, but considering that he was supposed to be missing or dead, this was one of his few options, and he absolutely wanted to make sure that everyone had safely escaped that fiery hell. "Of course." She groused. "But you better not let anything happen to her." She scolded. "I've grown somewhat fond of her." She quietly commented.
Yukihito glanced at his new female charge and her unusual cat, chuckled, and gave Chiori a small smile. "Don't worry. I'll make it a point to stay by their sides until they can protect themselves, and long after." He promised. After that strange surge of energy that had passed throughout their community, he had been worried. Something like that only happened once before, that he could remember and that was on the previous December 25th. The day the Kyoko had been brought into existence; although, none of them realized it at the time.
Lory Takarada should have been devastated by the knowledge of his only daughter's "death"; however, something kept telling him deep inside that she was safe and well protected. It was the same for Kuon, Yukihito, Hiroaki, and the others. Instinctively, he knew in his heart that they had all survived the horrific event at the academy. The one he was truly worried about was Maria. Her two bodyguards had taken her and Sebastian with them and told him they would be traveling via other means to a safe house where Maria would learn to cultivate and control her gifts. That was two weeks ago. He wasn't sure what those other means were, but shouldn't he have at least heard something from her by now? It was driving him to distraction.
~xoxo~
She had awakened the day of her rescue, in a panic. Her unfamiliar surroundings only worried her until she discovered that she still had her wings, her tail was intact, the blinder was off, and the medication they'd used to silence her was wearing off. She slowly calmed when she realized that she was no longer in a sterile, Spartan lab. The room they had put her in was fit for a queen: muted, soft colors; billowing, diaphanous drapes; the new morning sun was just beginning to peek into the room through the large French doors leading to a balcony; her large bed was draped in silk and satin, with pillows that would make an angel envious; there was a walk-in closet, filled with clothing; she had a large bathroom attached to her room, with a bathtub she had to use steps to walk into; finally, there was a small sitting area that included a love seat, arm chairs, and an antique roll-top desk made of mahogany. She thought that her room at the mansion was big and well furnished, but this actually put it all to shame. Her father would have died of envy knowing that he hadn't thought of spoiling her this way himself.
"Ah… How are you feeling today, Kyoko?" Asami asked as she entered the room to check on her.
Kyoko startled. "Oh! Asami-san, you didn't need to go through the trouble." She told her referring to waking her and bringing in her meal.
Haruki giggled. "Don't worry. It's really not that much trouble. I'm only doing this to satisfy my own selfish concerns, Kyoko-chan. You've been through a lot and Hiro would be very upset with me if I didn't make sure you completely recovered from our thoughtless actions." She sat on the little armchair in Kyoko's sitting are. "So, how is your throat feeling today?"
"I'm doing better. I'm not sure of my vocal range though. I haven't really been able to test it." She confessed.
Haruki nodded in understanding. There really was no way to fully test Kyoko's vocal abilities without putting someone at risk and the girl had made it abundantly clear to everyone that she didn't want to bring harm to anyone just to see what she was capable of, early on. "Well, regardless… we need to find a way to make sure you have recovered." She held up her hand to stop Kyoko from protesting. "I promise that I will try and find a way to test you without bringing harm to others." She promised.
Kyoko sighed in frustration, she was a bit exhausted from everyone trying to get her to use her abilities to a destructive end, but she could understand the necessity of it. She never wanted anyone to suffer as she or the others had in those labs, again. "Fine, if you can find a way… I'll be willing to test my abilities, but until then I prefer not to put anyone at risk… even if they may be an enemy." She conceded.
"That state of mind and opinion is going to put you at risk of getting killed, my Queen." A familiar male voice scolded as he entered the room.
And so here came another lecture about her safety from one of her faithful generals, Reino. Honestly she wasn't comfortable with the way things were heading, but he had made it very clear to her that he and many others saw her as a beacon of hope for their kind. They had been suppressed for centuries, nay… eons. For thousands of years they had been persecuted and executed simply for the fact that they were a bit different than "normal" humans, even though they had been around just as long, if not longer. Even without her, this was going to happen. At the moment she was simply a figurehead for the cause; however, she was not content in her position. She wanted to help in some way.
"What do you have planned for us today, Reino?" She asked, not sure she really wanted to know the answer.
He gave her a sly smile, bowed elegantly, and glanced up at her. "Well, after you finish your breakfast, I would appreciate your presence in the basement. You need training. I want you to be able to protect yourself. You won't always have others around to assure your safety." He informed her, picking a cherry tomato from her plate before she sat to eat breakfast.
She smiled and nodded. "I suppose I can do that. It wouldn't make sense for your glorious leader to not be able to take care of herself." She tease sarcastically.
He nodded in agreement. "Right you are. Ryotaro Uesugi will be waiting for your training session."
