NOCTURNE
Chapter XII (12): Rescued
As the week progresses, Akira and Dark find themselves in yet another storm out in the vast ocean that stretches endlessly. The clouds overhead block the high noon sun and move slowly towards Dark and Akira's position. Rain pours down hard, and hail along with it. Eventually, the rain clouds do make it towards Mini-Tuatha (the name of the ship) and the pellets of rain move closer and closer, like hungry sharks that haven't had a meal in ages. Effortlessly, Akira puts up his shield, protecting Dark and himself from the icy sheets of water. Thunder rolls above and lightning strikes multiple times at the water, sending huge electric shocks throughout the ocean, killing fish that were unfortunate enough to be close to the surface. In the distance, waterspouts form and run into each other, either canceling each other out or forming even more powerful pillars of swirling water. The Mini-Tuatha is eventually pulled into one of the stronger ones and is swirled about multiple times, but it never leaves the water's surface. Dark turns as pale as a ghost each time that happens, while Akira lies on the deck, smiling and closing his eyes, enjoying the ride.
Several days later, the large storm (which was later clarified as a level 5 hurricane) disappears from existence, and both Dark and Akira are all alone at sea, still heading to only God knows where. Their food supply is still very, very high, as well as their water supply, so there are no worries… just yet.
Eventually, Dark and Akira stay at sea so long that they both start to go mad and start to beat at each other! Well… not really, but they're on the verge of insanity when, suddenly, the Mini-Tuatha is hit by a major wave and is sent skyward. Akira is totally unprepared, for he was napping at the time, and he tries his best to get the boat back in control before it hits the sea, but to no avail. The ship turns upside down in the air, and Dark disappears from view. The boat hits the water, making large waves and sending the salty water high into the air. Akira searches frantically for Dark, and just when he thought he had found him, he hears a low laugh above him. He looks up and sees Inyu staring back at him evilly.
"You again!"
"Heh, I'm glad you didn't forget me. I know my boss told me not to kill you, but… meh… Why not? HAHAHAHA!"
With that, Inyu stretches both his arms forward and opens his hands to reveal two small balls of energy. The orbs grow unimaginably fast, and Inyu shoots both of them at Akira. Akira can not block the orbs, for they are so strong, and Akira is engulfed in the orbs' magnificent power. The orbs cause a massive explosion, which sends mighty tsunamis in all directions. Akira's seemingly lifeless body floats on the water, blood seeping from large wounds caused by the blast. Inyu laughs again and creates two more balls and shoots them at Akira. The end seems near as another outburst of energy sends Akira's body under the surface of the water. He glides downward to the depths of the ocean…
Akira opens his eyes slowly. Everything is a blur, and he can't see straight just yet. He focuses very hard and his eyes manage to see okay again. Beside him is Dark, sleeping as if nothing ever happened. Akira sits up as straight as an arrow and looks around. He's still in the Mini-Tuatha. All of it was just a nightmare.
"What… What the…"
Akira looks all around him. Nothing has happened. He's not dead. Inyu never came. It was all just a horrible dream, conjured up in his mind.
"Whoo… What a relief…"
Akira's pulse is racing, and he is breathing heavily. His shirt is drenched with sweat, and his body feels as cold as ice. Akira stands up and shivers, trying to shake off the feeling of the nightmare. As he stands, he sees in the distance land.
"YES…"
Akira no longer feels fear, but instead joy. He cannot wait to be on dry land again.
After about half an hour later, both the now-awakened Dark and Akira are standing on dry land, while the Mini-Tuatha stays stationed at a local port, waiting for her next ride to the seas.
Night falls quickly as the two head into a nearby city, looking for anything that could be useful on their journey. As the duo trudge along the concrete sidewalks of the dark city, they both hear the faint cries of a young woman in the distance. Her cries are short-lived, however, as her mouth is taped shut by a mob of five gangsters, out for money and for women as well. Akira shrugs his shoulders as he hears the voice has stopped and continues along. The screams are miles off, and only Dark and Akira could hear them because of their extremely acute hearing. Dark starts to squeak sadly, trying to tell Akira to go back and look for the source of the screams.
"Forget it, Dark. It will only cause trouble. I don't want any of that here…"
Dark comes to a dead halt, looking angrily at Akira. Akira has never seen Dark look more serious.
"Okay, okay, I'll go— we'll go and look for the person. Happy now?"
Dark cheeps happily. Akira then heads the opposite direction of where he was originally going and goes towards the source of the cries for help. He then breaks out in a fast-paced run, breaking the sound barrier as he goes to unimaginable speeds.
In just mere seconds, he's at the source of the yelling woman. In between two large buildings that looks big enough for only several people to walk through together, he sees the five mobsters ganging up on one small young woman. Her hands are tied tightly and she has duck tape over her mouth. She also has a white cloth covering her eyes and the men have money from the woman's pockets in their hands. Not only that, but they were also in the process of raping her and killing her afterward, for one of the larger men has a small magnum gun in his hand, loaded and ready for its job. Akira glares angrily, for none of the men have noticed him yet. The young woman's muffled screams for help are heard very faintly, while the gangsters crowd around her and start to take off her dress. Akira can't see the woman very well because of the savage men, but he can tell that this situation has to be taken seriously. He yells at the men loudly.
"HEY! GET OFF OF HER!"
The men stop their snickering and turn their heads in the direction of the young man with glowing emerald-green eyes and black-as-night hair. Akira's fists are clenched tightly, and his sword is glowing a deep redish color, as if to match his mood perfectly.
"'ey, kid, get outta here! Unless you wanna get HURT."
The man with the gun points his weapon straight at Akira. He sneers. One of the men takes off the young woman's cloth from her eyes and whispers into her ear.
"Look what happens to those who mess with us."
The young woman seems to scream to tell Akira to run and to not stop these mobsters by himself, but her cry goes unheard as the man with the gun pulls the trigger. The woman shuts her eyes and tears start to well up in her eyes as she hears the sound of a man's body hitting the ground, injured severely. Then she hears the gangsters start to gasp in horror, and she slowly opens her eyes. She looks to the ground and sees the man with the gun lying on the dirt, his hand that was holding the dangerous weapon missing and his body totally trashed. The woman looks in horror as she looks back at the young man with green eyes and black hair, who is now holding his sword out, ready for more. One of the gangsters loses his temper.
"HOW DARE YOU! I'LL FUCKIN' KILL YOU!"
The thug dashes towards Akira and lifts one of his fists up, ready for a mighty blow at Akira's head. In just milliseconds, his hand is missing and his body is totally beaten to a pulp. The man's body falls to the ground, unmoving. Everyone looks in fear at Akira, who smiles.
"Who else wants some?"
The three remaining hooligans bulk up their chests and all make a run towards Akira, confident on talking him down as a group. The sickening sound of bones breaking and skin being slashed at is heard, as all the men fall to the ground, totally bruised and bleeding badly. Akira sheaths his sword and looks at the young woman, who hides in the shadow of a large garbage can, trying her hardest not to look at Akira with fright. Akira's look changes totally as he looks back at her. He no longer looks like he's filled with rage. Instead, he looks concerned and happy he was able to do some justice. He approaches the woman rapidly and pulls the tape of her mouth quickly (the woman lets out a weak "Ow"). He then unties her wrists, which she rubs gently with her own hands. The young woman stares back up at Akira, very happy that he found her, and also very fearful at his speed and strength. Akira, still standing, lets out his hand and offers it to the woman, who accepts it. Akira pulls her to her feet. Akira is totally stunned when he sees the person whom he rescued. The woman has long, purple hair with lavender eyes that match her hair perfectly. She wears a large, orange bow with small red lines that crisscross one another. She also wears a long, sky blue dress with thick straps (almost like overalls, except not as "thick") that has thin blue lines crisscrossing one another horizontally and vertically, forming large, sky blue rectangles on her dress. The woman also has a baby blue sash around her waist. She wears purple, lace-less shoes with no heels, so her shoes hardly affect her height. This woman was the woman that the "old hag" told Akira about approximately a month ago when she was inside the crystal ball. 'I am your future…' she said. The woman is shaking terribly, possibly from the experience she just had and also because of the cold, night air that nips at her body. Akira can see that part of the woman's long dress is ripped off, for he can see part of her purple lingerie she has on for her bra. The woman looks at Akira in both shyly and fearfully. She speaks very softly.
"Hello…"
"Hey."
"How… How did you do that?"
"Do what? Oh, you mean to those bastards?"
"Well… Yes…"
"Nothing much. I'm just 'gifted,' as I've been told."
"In some ways, I'm glad you are… If you weren't…"
The woman suddenly breaks down crying, clinging onto Akira's clothing. Akira is rather surprised at this. The woman is much more soft to the touch than he had imagined, for he has never had a woman ever get this close to him before, nor has Akira ever had a lover. Akira pulls the young woman close and strokes at her hair gently, which is as soft as kitten's fur.
"Hey, hey, it's okay, it's okay. It's over, it is all over…"
As Akira holds the weeping woman, there is the huffing and puffing of Dark, as he finally makes it to where Akira is. Dark collapses, totally worn out and his tongue sticking out of his mouth. The young woman finally calms down and looks teary eyed up at Akira's. She is about three inches shorter than he is.
"Thank you…"
"No problem. You should thank my pet, though. Hehehe…"
"Your… pet?"
"Yeah. He's over there."
Akira motions with his head towards Dark, who is still gasping for breath.
"You are a very unusual young man…"
"Heh, thanks."
"Why don't you… come to my place? I'm scared to go by myself now…"
"Well…"
"What—what's wrong?"
"Ah, nothing. Don't worry about it. Okay, we can."
"Thank you…"
Akira releases the woman. She is still sniffing, but not as badly as she was earlier.
"By the way, what is your name? I'm very grateful to you for saving my life."
"My name… It's Akira. What's yours?"
The young woman giggles.
"Yours sounds a little like mine! Mine's is Yukina."
"Akira, Yukina… Hey, you're right."
Akira chuckles to himself.
"Let's go. It's freezing out here!"
"Yeah, it is… Where do you live?"
"Just a few blocks down."
"You were that close to your home?"
"I know; that's what I was thinking. I could have died just several blocks away from my house!"
"Well, let's not wait then…"
The young woman named Yukina leads the way towards her house. As the two reach the end of the alley, they reach the exhausted Dark. Akira picks him up in both hands and starts stroking his back, trying to help his small friend catch his breath. Yukina smiles and continues to lead the way towards her house, with Akira slowly tailing behind.
NOCTURNE"Her voice was ever soft, gentle, and low, an excellent thing in a woman." –King Lear
