Bittersweet 32

FINALLY BACK TO MY NORMAL SCHEDULE!
Bittersweet will be finished in about three or four days. I will hopefully upload the chapters every other day with Modern girl chapters when I don't. Sorry for the delay on modern girl, I've just got back to school and it's really busy so I had to squeeze even this relatively short(er than the other ones) chapter late at night. i will do it tomorrow, promise.
I am so so so sorry for the huge cliffhanger! But you'll have to wait one more chapter to see what happened to them. Love ya ~3

Tsukasa's visit to Satoshi's hadn't been very eventful; all he had done was tell him, and Naomi who was with him, exactly what Ai had told him. They accepted it with a little confusion on Satoshi's side, agreeing they would come over the next day to assist with Ai's plan of sealing away the CTG into heavenly host. Naomi said she had wanted for them to do it as soon as possible to prevent harm to her mother, who she knew was a new target after she had emotionally learnt that Seiko did indeed exist. Ume had enjoyed her time at her uncles friends house, but really wanted to see Ayumi since she had been so kind to her in the park. She wondered what she was doing now. Was she with Mr Yoshiki still? After all she had promised the little girl she would play with her, so she would get to see her again, right? Ume didn't get to know because Tsukasa dragged her back home quickly after he had had the breif conversation with Satoshi and his girlfriend.

Nevertheless, she forgot about it, just like any innocent child would after some hours. When they were home, Ume was alone again as Tsukasa had to visit Hinoe, Ayumi's sister who lived in her family home where was Ayumi had gone to live with Yoshiki instead. She had asked to go, but Ai wouldn't let her go out again for a strange reason, however Tsukasa didn't comment so the reason must of been relatively important.

It was late evening, and a hungry Ume was mooching outside the corridor of the brewery, pondering whether she should dare to go in or not. It was way past her tea time; her mother usually never forgot, but she had so much to do, and things that were on her mind she had completely let the whole thing leave her mind to make room for more things, like what on earth they were going to do tomorrow. Eventually, after shuffling on her dainty feet or awhile, she knocked quietly on the door, twitching instantly away in the fear of unknown. No answer. She tried again, this time louder like when her uncle knocked. This time Ai heard it, and the scraping of chair legs on the floorboards could be heard as Ume waited nervously outside the room. Ai looked worn out, and her face looked as if she had grown ten years older. Obviously she had been working hard and consequently was very tired.

"Ume..." She paused to yawn. "What d'ya want?"

"You sound like Uncle," she quipped. "I think you forgot about tea time."

"Uh...Food? That's right, food. Didn't Tsukasa make you something?"

"He's not back yet mummy," Ume replied nervously. "He's visiting Shinozaki, remember!"

"Yes but he shouldn't be this long," she mused, puzzled. "I'll call him." Ai turned to go back inside but Ume tugged at the hem of her mothers floaty skirt.

"But, mum, what about tea time?"

"Tsukasa will get some fish n' chips on his way back. With extra ketchup, isn't that your favourite Ume-chan?"

Ume nodded, a relaxed smile breaking out on her cherry red lips. It was true, they were, so they would be worth waiting for!
"Good. Go back to your room okay? Hopefully he won't be long!"
"Thank you..."

When Tsukasa returned a little later with a bag filled with steaming hot fish and golden chips, Ume's happiness was restored once more. What she didn't know was that that might of been the last time she would eat her favourite meal...

The next day was the day Ai had planned to seal the CTG once for all. She had spent a lot of time hauled up in her room making plans, and felt bad that she had slightly neglected her lonely daughter. She solemnly promised to herself that she would spend a lot more time with Ume, as soon as everything went back to normal. Well, nothing could go back to 'normal' now, most of them had forgotten what normal really was. Satoshi and Naomi were due at the rural spot in the forest the had planned to meet soon, and Ai, Tsukasa and Hinoe were already there. A friend of Ai's had gone over to her house to look after little Ume, since Ai really didn't want her getting involved with it, anything could happen to a vulnerable child.

"I presume your using a spiritual item to lure him to us?" Asked Hinoe softly, trying to ease the tension stuck in the air.

"Yes." came Ai's short reply. The only way was to gather victims, survivors and targets of the Crazy Torched Guy in one spot so he could make one 'attack' but they'd seal him whilst he was surrounded. She had also gathered spiritual items and Hinoe had revised a spell to help with the sealing.

"Good..."

The area they had chosen was thick forest, hidden from anywhere else just in case anything went wrong, so no one could see them. It was fairly confidential after all!
"Sis, how the hell are we going to seal the creep off?" questioned Tsukasa, a hint of doubt in his voice. Ai tutted.

"Our combined spiritual energy will be enough to fuel Shinozaki's spell, and hopefully with a bit of conviction we can seal the...beast off where it belongs, which should destroy heavenly host once and for all. Clear enough for your thick head, big brother?"

"Now where have I heard that before?"

Tsukasa tried to sound jokey but the expression just didn't come out the way he had planned it to. If anything that had made the whole situation worse. Thankfully, the soft pad of footsteps in front of them picked up their attention, only to see Satoshi and Naomi approach them, grave looks on their usually relaxed faces. After exchanging brief, unreadable glances, they joined the tense circle that had been waiting patiently for them.

"Hey." Naomi said to Ai, though she barely knew her.

"Hello Nakashima."

"Nice to see you again Tsu!" Satoshi greeted more friendly. "Got anywhere further with being a vetatarian?"

"Yes actually," he replied, not as cheerful as usual. "I'm gonna start a course next month...perhaps."

"Oh. Right.."

"Good for you Mikuni..."

"Thanks."

The silence was sickening, ringing in their sore ears even though there was no sound. The breeze blew by, scattering crispy autumn leaves of a dull burnt orange colour around their feet, making them realise just how autumnal the world was turning. After all, it was almost October; very close to Yuka's next birthday already. To Satoshi it just seemed like yesterday when he was laughing with Seiko and the others in his class in total relaxation with nothing bothering him, nothing much to lose. It was totally different now, changed by one ridiculous event that should if never happened.

"He is close," whispered Hinoe, glancing at everyone present around the circle. "Ai, I think we should place the spiritual items in the middle now."

Ai said nothing but went ahead and placed a book, a small box with a dull pattern and sprinkled a strange yellow powder on top like icing sugar on a cake. Hinoe tossed on something else and finally lit it with a match, making the whole thing glow bright purple. Satoshi and not to mention Naomi hadn't seen anything quite like it before in their lives, but knew better not to question it now. Just go with the flow, Satoshi thought to himself, you've done plenty of stuff already that you had no idea what they were in the first place.
For a few more awkward moments no one spoke, and Tsukasa and Satoshi were highly doubtful it was even going to work. How legit was this?

"It's near now..."

Suddenly huge thuds were heard very close, making Naomi jump out of her skin. Satoshi slug a protective arm over her shoulder and winces, even scared himself. The Crazy Torched Guy appeared, a good few feet taller then Tsukasa and as gorily scary looking as always, wielding a lit wooden torch in his gnarled hands. Ai straightened her back steadily and called out to it.

"Cursed descendent of the Yanagihori bloodline!" She yelled up the the menacing man.

"We have come to free you if your burden!"
Satoshi and Naomi exchanged anxious glances; free him of his burden? Was she referring to them?

"Please listen!" Pleaded Hinoe, getting his attention better then Hinoe had. "You hate being like this, don't you, controlled by the space that took your relatives!"
The CTG turned to face her, his blood shot eyes squinting at her in a curious fashion, as if he were trying to say, do go on.

"If we can send you back with our spiritual energy, you can finish off the little power left their since you can't keep sending energy back. It will be sealed off forever, you won't be controlled anymore!"

"And you'll prevent a whole lot of harm from happening!" Added Naomi, bravely but everyone could hear the hint of nervousness in her voice. The lumbering giant stared down at the five determined faces, trying his best to listen although it was notoriously hard for the curse still had a firm hold on his body. He roared in conflict, trying his best to fight it but it just took over him like a virus. He spat on the torch and it instantly set alight, shocking Naomi and annoying the others. They had been so close...right? He stomped angrily on the ground, waving about his overly large fists about, sending a treacherous ripple across the sky and air. In the process he nearly dropped his torch right on top of Tsukasa, but luckily he lunged out of the way just in time for the CTG to pick it back up again.

"Phew!" He exclaimed, rushing over to his sister. "That was close? What are you doing Ai, hurry up and seal him!"

"It's not that easy!" she retorted, shielding her eyes as the fire burnt bright on his torch.

"Shinozaki, is it time for the spell yet?"
"Uh...yeah I'll go and-"

"Mummy?"
A little blonde girl with sapphire eyes and pigtails ran in front of them, not realising the Crazy Torched guy was right behind her, burning flames right behind her...

eeek! Another Cliff hanger

re uploaded after paragraphing complaints. Sorry about that, I didn't realise that Doc Manager didn't preserve them.

mwhaha I am evil aren't i? Feel free to rant in the reviews （ｖ＾＿＾）ｖ

KAWAII FACE IS KAWAII (・ω・)ノ