Soft Light and Shadows

Chapter 7: Right Ride

By: IMBSA

IMBSA: with a broken arm, black eye, and a twisted ankle Like I said in the last chapter, we had a bit of an argument over the way the story should end. winces Well, that's been resolved due to a certain blunt object coming into contact with a certain co-writer's head. self-satisfied smile Anyway, here's the chapter. (P.S.: Get your Kleenexes handy!)

Disclaimer: "I don't know whether to save him or kick his ass."

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"We should really put her some where." A doctor was saying. "Some place where she's not able to harm herself or others."

"The poor dear." That was Mary speaking. "The Psych Ward?"

"It would have to be." Valerie heard this, but as numb as she was, couldn't process it. It wasn't until a couple of orderlies wheeled a gurney in, Mary holding a full syringe, that Val grasped the concept.

"Don't do anything, Val," the nurse murmured, a pitying look in her eyes.

Valerie's eyes widened as she understood what the hospital staff was trying to do. Horrified, she began backing up toward the window, waving her arms to ward off any attempts to touch her. "Get away from me!" She screamed, green eyes full of fear and apprehension. "Don't touch me! Stay away!" She got closer to the window, so close, that Sakaki decided to intervene. Despite Valerie's repeated warnings, he closed the distance between them and grabbed her lower arm to prevent her from plunging out the window. Valerie screamed loudly, "LET ME GO!!!" and began using her free hand to try and pry his fingers from her twisting limb.

"You're gonna fall!" Sakaki yelled back. Then, he gasped as an ominous shadow rose from Valerie's silhouette on the floor. It slowly began to take the shape of a man and moved threateningly toward Sakaki. Valerie and the rookie could only watch in terrified fascination as it began to engulf the young STN member. Sakaki's free hand clutched at his throat as he gasped for air, but still held on to Valerie's arm. In one swift movement, Robin put her glasses upon her nose, ready to set fire to the thing that endangered Sakaki. Valerie's protector be damned, she thought.

Amon, seeing this preparation, put a restraining hand to her shoulder, and commanded, "No." Robin looked up at him, primed to protest, but he said, "We can't do anything."

Making one last desperate attempt to save Sakaki, Valerie wrenched her arm free, falling backwards, through the hospital window. As she tumbled down the three stories, the shadow went with her. Tears fell from her face. "I'm sorry," she whispered, closing her eyes, before the ground met her body. Sakaki, who nearly fell out the window himself, could only helplessly watch as the young woman and her dead brother's soul plummeted, as one, to their final resting place. The shadow slowly dissipated as the gray concrete was gradually stained a dark crimson.

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No matter how hard he tried, Sakaki couldn't erase the picture of Valerie's pale form, made even paler by death, as it lay on the ground like a priceless statue that had been knocked over on accident and shattered on the floor. He sat in shock on a bench just outside of the hospital entrance, forearms resting on his thighs, hands covering the top of his head when Karasuma sat down beside him.

"Coffee?" She asked, extending a fresh Styrofoam cup of the beverage to him. He shook his head and waved her off. "Hey, don't be so hard on yourself." She told him gently.

"I could have saved her," Sakaki replied sullenly. "I could've, and I didn't."

"There was nothing you could have done Sakaki. If she hadn't broken contact with you, you would have died. Your Orbo couldn't have saved you. It didn't even react."

"I doubted her so much, and all this time she was telling the truth."

"She thought it was the only way to stop him." The two looked up to see Robin standing beside them. "Don't blame yourself for what's not your fault Sakaki."

"WHAT?!" They heard Doujima's voice echo in the hall. A couple of people, obviously with loved ones in the hospital, looked up to see the blonde storming over to the group of three STN agents. "I can't believe it," she muttered, just loud enough for the others to hear, enticing them to ask. They turned to look at her. "They're taking her to the Factory." She announced. "They want to see why Sakaki's Orbo didn't work." A collective gasp went around the group. Sakaki stared up at Doujima in barely contained horror.

"What?" He sputtered breathlessly. "She's not even a witch's descendent!"

"They wouldn't...." Karasuma began, and then trailed off. Suddenly, a black form jumped into Sakaki's lap. Shini rubbed herself against Sakaki, as if sensing his feelings.

"She loved this cat." Sakaki muttered forlornly, not so much as moving to shoo her away. All three of the STN members began to pet it. Amon made his way over to them. On a sudden impulse, Karasuma stood up in front of Sakaki, blocking from Amon's view Shini. Robin and Doujima also seemed to bend forward to protect the cat from whatever fate Amon came to bestow upon it.

"They want all of her possessions. Do you have any?" Amon asked. They silently shook their heads. Amon's eyes flicked to where Shini lay in Sakaki's arms behind Karasuma, as if he could see Shini. Chopping his head in an affirmative motion, he turned and walked to where the SOLOMON agents waited.

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It was many hours after the incident at the hospital when a gray tabby slunk low to the ground, intent on some kind of prey. The something it was hunting revealed itself to be a black cat. The black one hissed a warning, but the tabby ignored it and pounced like a mini gray tiger. Its hiss was suddenly transformed into a yowl as a force prevented it from coming towards the cat...and then some. Shini walked unsteadily away from the tabby's body, the shadow it cast seeming immense for such a small feline. Wondering where her owner was, Shini went off in search of the answer.

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IMBSA: And so ends my first multi-chaptered fic. Yay! ::cheers for self:: Anyway. It was a fun and interesting ride, and thanks for having me! I hope you liked it as much as you tell me you do!

AnimeFreaks13: Thanks for the encouragement, but I disagree. I think the ending has to have a meaning, just like every death must have a meaning. Speaking of death, I find it very ironic that I complain about how all my fave characters die or go evil or something. Yet, I can't help killing off my characters. I'm addicted! Don't be so hard on your sister. I know how it feels to have all these unfinished stories. Not that I have a lot of those! ::nervously slips a HUGE pile of papers beneath bed with toe. nervous laugh::

AnimeReviewer790: Thanks for soothing my worst fears! Well if pinches and bites are "harmless", then I'm perfectly weak! Ya hear that Tommy?!?!?! Come and get me!!!!! ::cough:: Erm, right. Ok, I won't take your sister. Do you have an annoying little kid that runs around the neighborhood that everyone would love to stick hot pokers in, but can't 'cause of legal ramifications? Cause I'll take anything. #(btw, the number sign means singing) ALL IS FAIR IN LOVE AND WAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!# God, I've got to stop listening to Drowning Pool.

AlyssC01: My second fave reviewer! (AnimeReviewer790 being the honorary first 'cause s/he reviewed first.) How goes life? I did visit another plane of existence for a while. Please remind me to never, ever, under ANY circumstances whatsoever piss DeathMask off. Hades is so frickin' weird. ::shudders:: (yes, this is another shout out to other Saint Seiya/Knights of the Zodiac fans!) I thank you for the advice. Believe me, it came in handy. -

And to all of you out there, I thank you for reading and reviewing, as well as fanning this little authoress's (yes, I prefer that word) ego. Thankies! -