Disclaimer: You know the drill… On with the story!
Soujiro squeezed her closer, trying to convince her silently that life was not like this. That life shouldn't be this way. "I cry for you…" she whispered.
A Guiding Angel:
Soujiro tensed up. "I feel it… the pain…" she murmured again finally looking at his face. She reached up and wiped the tears that Soujiro's heart long waited to shed. In her words, he felt that she had suddenly grown older… that she had grown into… forever-ness…. "My past scares me too," she said in a soft far-away voice, looking at him with her pleading blue eyes. She said no more, only snuggling back into the warmth of his arms in which she found safety from shameless men, pain, and, most of all, time.
There they remained for moments long, each sorting through their own sorrow and misfortune. Time passed as the sky and the angels above poured down their tears. Slowly, Soujiro heard a soft voice singing. It was sweet, steady, melodic, and… comforting…
"When clouds above you start to pour
And all of your doubts rage like a storm
And you don't know who you are anymore
Let me help you find what you've been searching for.
Somewhere there's a field in a river
Somewhere you can let your soul run free
Someday let me be the giver
Let me bring you peace!
Somewhere there's a break in the weather
Somewhere, where the heart and spirit go free!
Someday it'll be for the better.
Let this bring you peace!
[Boy] I know you think no one sees
The weight on your shoulders
But you can't fool me
Aren't you tired of standing so tall?
Let me be the one to catch you when you fall
Somewhere there's a field in a river
Somewhere you can let your soul run free
Someday let me be the giver
Let me bring you peace!
Somewhere there's a break in the weather
Somewhere, where the heart and spirit go free!
Someday it'll be for the better.
Let this bring you peace!
Let me bring you joy
Let me bring you peace
Take these tears that you cry
And trust them to me
Let me give you heart
Let me give you hope
Be the one constant love
That you've never known
Somewhere there's a field in a river
Somewhere you can let your soul run free
Someday let me be the giver
Let me bring you peace!
Somewhere there's a break in the weather
Somewhere, where the heart and spirit go free!
Someday it'll be for the better.
Let this bring you peace!
Somewhere, Someday
Let me be the one to catch you when you fall
Somewhere, Someday
Somewhere, Someday…"
-"Somewhere Someday", N'Sync, Pokemon The First Movie
As the rain began to dwindle slightly, a tall man in police uniform stepped into the courtyard. His long wispy bangs couldn't begin to hide the sunken cheeks and the cold, slit eyes of this man who took a long draft from the cigarette he held. His other hand remains poised over his blade as he flicked the cigarette to the damp ground.
"We're needed outside," Aiteru whispered, mechanically pulling herself away from her protector. Soujiro could only watch the girl walk apathetically to her kimono and clothe herself again. When she was done, she draped her cloak around her like a cape, slung her bag on her shoulder, and stood by the open door, waiting for him... Watching him with eyes that told nothing.
But Soujiro remained where he was, unsure of everything. Aiteru waited calmly, making no move at all. Lightening flashed one final time, as if the gods were impatient with the situation. And Soujiro stood, smiling. He only smiled because of pain, certainly not for any of the reasons you or I would smile for. But he stood, because in that one illuminating moment of lightening, he saw great white wings spreading out from Aiteru's back and a flowing white robe of the westerners adorning the child, who looked like forever again, and there was an unknown source of a strong warm ki that enveloped the air around him and washed the worry away. When he stood next to Aiteru, Soujiro received an identical smile from her.
"Interesting," the man said, standing behind Aiteru, surveying the damage.
"I didn't do it!" Aiteru said quickly as any child would have when they were actually guilty. He raised an eyebrow, presumably at her comment first then at her companion which immediately turned into a frown.
"Don't worry!" Aiteru answered, smiling at the man over twice her height. "Soujiro's real nice!" The man remained frowning at Soujiro, who also smiled.
"Please don't kill him," Aiteru said in a desperate tone, her eyebrows twitching slightly, tugging on the sleeve of the policeman. The man only grunted as he walked to the main building.
"So you know the guy?" Soujiro inquired, when the screaming began from within the house.
"Yup!" Aiteru said cheerfully, oblivious to the horrors within the house. "Uncle Saito saved me a lot from opium dealers."
"Interesting," Soujiro said, still smiling that smile.
"You know I hate it when you do that!" Aiteru cried out at Hajime Saito, who came out of the house wiping his sword.
"Aku Soku Zan, ahou," he merely said, sheathing his blade. "Where have you been?" he asked without a sign of worry, pulling out another cigarette. "You couldn't have stayed with that moron for the last three years."
"No way!" remarked Aiteru, looking positively innocent and overjoyed. "I was happily working for Makoto Shishio!"
Author's Notes: I just realized that Saito doesn't go around on a killing spree, but if he did anything different, it would mess up Aiteru's characterization. Gomen! Next chappie and review please! PS: You'll soon notice that despite the fact I can't sing and keep a tune, I like songs a lot!