Special thanks go out to Whimsie Firefly and chibi suzaku kitsune for adding my fic to your favorites. I feel so grateful! I may be a bit new to fanfic writing, and I know I'm a little slow, but your encouragement means so much. I hope you will see this story out to the end (assuming I finish it). I am confident that your questions will be answered. Enjoy!
The Season of the Witch
By Angel Maxwell
Chapter 2: Ambush
Rain drizzled down the train's window glass in thick, lazy rivulets obscuring the landscape that passed quickly by outside. Midori was nervous, fidgeting in her seat and twirling a strand of her short black hair around her little finger. It was more than just the weather that had the adolescent uneasy. In her entire life, she had only visited the family home in Kyoto twice. The first time had been after her great-grandmother died, and the second was when Subaru had awkwardly explained to her the birds and the bees. Considering that the only forces strong enough to compel a visit to Kyoto were death and sex, Midori had good reason to be suspicious.
The girl tried to distract herself with other thoughts. She wondered what Maki and the rest of the Aoki family were doing on their vacation at the beach this week. She also contemplated for a while what the new school year would be like with Mr. Munou as her teacher. The handsome educator was someone who, had she not been so anxious about this trip, Midori could spend a long time daydreaming about. But no matter how hard she tried to suppress her fears they always seemed to win out.
If her father had any ulterior motives he wasn't showing them. In the seat across from Midori was Subaru, slumped over fast asleep. A tattered copy of The Return of the King dangled from his lovely limp hand, threatening to fall. Still, he seemed graceful, almost angelic in his slumber. As Midori watched him, the sleeping onmyouji's eyes scrunched up a bit and his lip curled slightly up.
"Mrrr…" he mumbled, causing his daughter to jump up in her seat. "Naw… if th'baby izuh girl… I thin' M'dori z'uh good name… an' id was 'iz fav'rite color…"
"Whose favorite color?" the curious girl blurted out, even though she knew the sleeping man couldn't answer. His semi-coherent muttering lead Midori to the conclusion that in his dream Subaru was speaking to her mother. She was too interested now and she couldn't help but wake him. "Dad! Dad, wake up!"
"What?" Subaru asked sitting bolt upright. "Something wrong, 'Dori?" He rubbed his eyes groggily and Midori suddenly felt rather guilty for disrupting his sleep.
"You… were talking in your sleep is all," she answered nervously. "I'm sorry I woke you up. It's just…" She paused to think of the best way to ask about the contents of his dream. "You were talking to someone… and you told them that if the baby is a girl you think Midori is a good name… that it was someone's favorite color…"
Subaru was still shaking the last bits of sleep off of him and was not adequately awake to put much depth into his answers. "Did I really say that?" He asked. "I don't remember what I was dreaming about. I don't usually talk in my sleep, though…"
"My mother!" Midori interjected. "Your dream… It must have been about my mother. And the baby you were talking about… that was me, wasn't it?" Subaru was dumbfounded but the girl added one last question. "Who was he? The one whose favorite color is green?"
Although he really couldn't remember his dream, the girl's father did know the answer to her question. However, when he opened his mouth all that came out was an awkward croak. Midori's gaze was intense, her eyes like beads of amber flickering with curiosity. Subaru suddenly found that his tongue felt twice its normal size in his mouth.
"Well…" he finally managed to spit out. But as he spoke the train car started to shake violently and the lights flickered off and on. The train was braking quickly; so quickly, in fact, that the change in momentum forced the diminutive thirteen-year old out of her seat and propelled her face-forward and underneath Subaru's seat. By the time he helped her up and dusted her off the train had come to complete stop and the lights had gone permanently out.
"What just happened?" Midori asked, rubbing a sizeable bump on her head. The subject of sleep talking was now very much abandoned. Looking around as her eyes adjusted to the darkness she observed something disturbing. "W-Where is everyone? The train car… it was full. But now all the seats are empty. Everyone… everyone but us… they all just disappeared. Dad, what's going on?"
"I'm not sure," Subaru answered cautiously. "But I'm going to find out. Just stay where you are, Midori."
"But Dad…" she pleaded softly, only to be cut off.
"Just stay put!" he stated in his firmest possible voice, silencing his girl's objections. The train's abrupt stop had caught Midori by surprise and it baffled her that all but two passengers on a train seemed to have vanished into thin air, but it wasn't until she saw the look in her father's eyes that she felt truly frightened. She was scared because, for the first time she could remember, he looked scared.
Trembling, the young lady sank back into her seat and nervously watched as her father walked solemnly down the aisle and towards the train exit.
The train had stopped about as far from civilization as possible. Looking around at the drenched landscape, Subaru saw a rolling countryside with the hazy purple silhouettes of mountains in the not-too-far distance. The whole scene was obscured by the steady drizzle of rain that had permeated the entire day.
The hairs on the back of the onmyouji's neck stood up. Someone else was here; it had to be. Even though Subaru could not actually see anyone nearby, he knew that if this person could make a train full of people disappear he or she would certainly be able to disguise himself.
"Come out!" he barked. "Whoever you are, show yourself! Show yourself now and I won't hurt you!" He walked forward several steps on the soft, waterlogged soil. If anything violent was to take place he wanted to be a safe distance from the train, where his daughter was waiting. He quietly observed his surroundings for any signs of a response to his call.
He sensed movement. Several yards straight ahead of where Subaru was standing, a figure emerged from the mist. The interloper was a tall, dark-haired man dressed from head to toe in unsettlingly familiar attire. The black suit, thin tie, and dark sunglasses he wore looked identical to the outfit once donned by Seishirou Sakurazuka. The only difference was that this man also sported a white armband, with a logo Subaru couldn't make out.
"Who… who are you?" the baffled medium stuttered as the man drew closer. "Why are you dressed…"
"Why am I dressed like the Sakurazukamori?" the stranger retorted slyly. His voice was low and gravelly. "It's the standard uniform for our organization. My name is Tetsuo Ishida, lead operative for The Resurrectors." Now that the man was within a few feet, Subaru could see that the emblem of his armband was a cherry blossom with a black R in its center.
"Resurrectors?" he replied to the man's cryptic self-introduction.
"I wouldn't expect you to be familiar with us," Mr. Ishida continued. "But that's not what's important. What's important is that we have at last found you… Subaru Sumeragi…"
"You know my name," he intoned as calmly as he could.
"Oh, I know much more than that," Tetsuo Ishida said pulling his sunglasses down on his nose to reveal two intact brown eyes. His similarity to Seishirou was apparently confined to his wardrobe. "You see, we've been studying you for the past fourteen years… and trying to ascertain your exact whereabouts. You're quite elusive, Mr. Sumeragi."
"Get to the point!" Subaru growled. "What do you want with me?"
"Patience, patience my dear Mr. Sumeragi," came the baleful reply. "Just come with me. I'll give you all the answers you seek."
Subaru's blood was beginning to boil. He was ordinarily a very calm and gentle man, but he had very little tolerance for such indirectness, particularly from a complete stranger. One thing was for sure; Subaru had no intention of going anywhere with his uncanny stalker. This he made sure to inform the man verbally.
"I think I'll stay right where I am, thank you very much. And if you wont tell me what your interest in me is… Well then I suggest you leave now and never enter my sights again." There was a pause in the onmyouji's forthright speech. "I will, however, require you to bring back all the people from the train before you go… Mr. Ishida…"
The man in the black suit threw back his head and let out a wicked cackle. "There were no people, you fool!" he laughed.
Subaru gritted his teeth. "You mean…"
"That's right," Ishida sighed. "All an illusion… just part of the master plan to lure you into The Ressurector's web like a fly. I'm a bit disappointed really… I truly expected the leader of all onmyouji in Japan would be a bit more perceptive."
By now, the thirteenth head of the Sumeragi Clan had had more than enough. In truth, Subaru never enjoyed resorting to violence. But it seemed like the only option left to rid himself of this man who he saw more as a nuisance than serious threat.
With fingers delicately positioned, he began to speak the soft incantations known only to those learned in his ancient art. A shimmering pentacle of energy issued forth from his hands and grew in size as it zeroed in on his opponent.
Ishida leapt in the air, acrobatically dodging the attack and landed several feet to the side of his original position. With a smirk, the brown-haired fiend snapped his fingers and, out of the thick moist air, emerged a man and a woman in identical uniform as his on either side of him.
"Takashi, Ritsuko… attack him!" he ordered them. The newcomers didn't hesitate for a second. The man named Takashi, who was a bit larger than Mr. Ishida, pulled a long menacing whip out of the pocket of his black jacket. Ritsuko, a wiry young woman with a long blonde ponytail, reached for a holster on her ankle and retrieved what looked like a small handgun. With weapons in tow, the two agents lunged at a stunned Subaru.
Takashi grunted as he violently unfurled his whip in the direction of the onmyouji. Luckily, Subaru's quick reflexes aided him in dodging backwards. He wasn't quite quick enough, however, and the very end of the leather weapon managed to lash his cheek resulting in a long, thin cut.
With his left hand, Subaru gingerly touched the bleeding wound on his face. At the same time, his right hand glided into his pocket and pulled out a small stack of paper spells that he always kept with him. His hand-eye coordination was as accurate as ever but his opponents were quite agile. Takashi dodged and Tetsuo was nowhere to be found, but he scored a direct hit on the woman.
"Dammit!" she swore, dropping her gun and clutching her afflicted leg. "Kill 'im, Takashi!"
"No!" a voice of protest rang out. It was Mr. Ishida, who had reappeared on the scene just as quickly as he had vanished. "Sumeragi MUST be taken ALIVE!"
The whip-wielding lackey was already on the prowl again. Enraged over his partner's incapacitation, he swung his weapon with astonishing ferocity. The black leather chord lashed around Subaru's lower leg and, with a hefty pull, felled the medium.
Dazed, he lifted his head and spit mud. He was caked in it. He tried to get up but his leg was still thoroughly entangled in Takashi's whip. Looming over him appeared the shadowy form of Mr. Ishida. The operative snapped his fingers three times in rapid succession and three more pairs of black-suited henchmen materialized and surrounded the bewildered Subaru.
The medium's stomach lurched. He was outnumbered and completely encircled, and now he felt the sudden twinge of panic. The leader of the Ressurectors could sense the helplessness in the fallen man's eyes and spoke slowly and calmly.
"So, Mr. Sumeragi… Do you think, now, that you might reconsider my offer?"
Subaru's grimy lips parted, but before he could respond something small and white darted across his field of vision and stuck to Ishida's shoulder… a paper spell.
"You stay away from my Dad!" a shrill young voice permeated the ring of henchmen.
"Midori!" Subaru gasped as an icy claw seized his chest. Suddenly his worst fear was being realized and all he could do is lay in the mud and watch, terrified.
The troupe of villains was equally taken aback. There was a young girl within their circle, staring them down with burning eyes and tightly clenched fists. For a brief moment everyone remained motionless and the sound of the rain came back. While the crowd remained dumbfounded, Midori dashed to her muddy father's side.
"Midori," he stammered. "I told you to stay in the train… Why? Why did you disobey me?"
"Dad," she whimpered, cradling his head in her lap. "I dunno… I just… I just felt like something was wrong… like you were in trouble… And I was right! Dad, what's going on? What did these guys do to you?"
Twin trickles spilled from the girl's pretty hazel eyes and, although he didn't realize it, Subaru was crying too. As the two Sumeragis clung to each other, the mysterious folks in black suits whispered, contemplating their next course of action.
"A kid?" Ritsuko questioned, wrinkling her nose. "Boss, you said Sumeragi was alone."
"I thought he would be," their disgruntled leader barked. "Dammit! I forgot about the kid! But it doesn't matter… just carry out the plan!"
"What about the girl?" another agent asked.
"Kill her!" Ishida hissed out loud without the slightest trace of compassion.
Hearing this, Subaru's heart, which had been pounding out of his chest, nearly stopped. Midori stood up, wide-eyed and trembling. All around them bloodthirsty eyes were fixed upon the girl, intent on murder.
"Run, Midori!" the father urged frantically. But the teenager wouldn't budge. She was either paralyzed with fear or consciously choosing to stay put.
"I won't leave you, Dad!" she cried. "I-I'm going to protect you… no matter what!"
"Midori!" he pleaded, with increasing fear and desperation. "Don't worry… I won't let them take me… JUST RUN! Save yourself, 'Dori!" With much uncertainty, the girl obeyed her father and tore away from the group. Her small size made it possible for her to escape between two of the suits but they were instantly on her tail.
As the deadly mob hunted his daughter, Subaru went to work frantically untying the whip around his leg.
Oh God, he thought to himself, his heart pulsing like a jackhammer. Please let her be okay! Just let her outrun them long enough for me to get free! Long enough for me to save her! If anything happens to Midori… I wont be able to live! Just let her escape!
He felt a small victory as he undid the last loop, freeing his leg, and he sprung to his feet with renewed vigor.
"I'm coming, Midori!" he roared as he charged forward as if on wings.
Midori had been doing a surprisingly good job of dodging her attackers, especially considering her clumsy reputation. But she was running out of stamina, there was rain in her eyes, and she was terrified. Subaru was only a few yards away from his daughter when it happened. She ducked to avoid a knife being swung at her head then turned on heel and ran in the opposite direction, inadvertently running right into Mr. Ishida. Subaru threw an attack, but it was too late. He saw it in slow motion as Tetsuo pulled a long metal object from his jacket and brought it down full-force on his daughter's head.
"Midoriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!" the anguished father screamed as his child fell to the ground like a lead weight. This couldn't be happening.
With the girl out of the way, the seemingly tireless Ressurectors turned their attention back to their intended target, but in a much calmer fashion. Ritsuko, who limped slightly from her injury, finally fired her weapon at Subaru, who was rushing towards Midori. It was a direct hit to the back of his neck. The grieving man ignored the sting and the red-plumed dart stuck in his flesh and kept running. But the poison acted fast, first afflicting his legs and causing him to stumble mere feet from the limp form of his daughter.
"M-Midori," he stuttered weakly, nearly blinded by tears. But no response came. She was face down in the soggy earth and a red stain was spreading around her head. Even as the numbness spread up through his limbs, Subaru reached out to her. His fingertips barely grazed her hair, which was wet and matted with rain and blood. The last thing he heard before falling into black unconscious was the cruel voice of Tetsuo Ishida.
"Haul Sumeragi away… Just leave the girl's body… There are wild dogs in this area… they'll dispose of it for us…"
to be continued…