Forbidden Love
Eps. XXIII
By the time the three got there, they were shocked at the horror in front of them. Dozen upon dozen of crystal beasts chewing on the flesh of the people that attended the party, which come down to everyone that belonged to the High Council, and leading them was a giant ruby beast about to blast Reito and his new wife to hell with its crystal. Giving the dire situation, Mai used what Mikoto had taught her and formed a perfect force-field around the young couple just in time to deflect the sharp crystal that shot out of the giant beast's mouth.
Snarling at the unexpected shield, the giant beast turned to face the newcomers and ignored Reito and Fumi completely. "Come and get me!" Nao shouted leaping into the air as her armor appeared. "Grrr…" the beast leaped up after her. "Now Tohkiha, now!" Nao shouted to Mai to use the weapon since this is the only way to pierce that crystal heart of the beast. "Kikukawa-sensei, please take them to safety. Nagi-san, please take care of the beasts!" Mai called to the other two. "Right," both replied in unison. Yukino quickly helped the wounded couple traveling at the speed of the wind away from the battle, while Nagi blasted the beasts with his dark spheres.
With sword in hand, Mai knelt down and touched the ground with her left hand causing eruption from the marbled floor to raised up taking her to a new height. Leaving the blood behind her, the place looked like a blood bath if one to stood there one could see that the blood was up to one's ankle. If leaving Mikoto the way she is, surely she will wreck havoc to the world by unleashing more of her crystal beasts as she has completely lost her sanity. Seeing the glowing crystal within the giant crystal beast, Mai tuck away her emotions and took a step pushing the sword through the beast until the tip of the onyx blade touched the crystal and absorbed it. Letting out a thunderous cry, the beast dropped like a ton of bricks crashing down onto the bloody ground below as all of its minions crumbled and disappear.
The crystallization slowly wore off as Nao landed gracefully rushing over to the now half-crystallized Mikoto, scooping her up together with the teen they left the place in a hurry as Nagi enjoyably blown the whole place sky high. "Let's take her back," Nagi said opening a portal for the girls to enter and entered it they did with him right behind them. It was a satisfying feeling, revenge, but at the cost of his niece's life, though they both knew of the outcome and had agreed upon it. Nagi couldn't help but still feeling a little regret about his decision to stabbed Mikoto with the crystal in order to save her life at that moment.
"I'm sorry," Yukino said as soon as they were far away from the crime scene. "What's happening to her?" Reito asked even though he was almost killed by Mikoto just minutes ago. "Your father and grandfather, killed many innocent people and killed her mother in front of her. She was just getting her revenge, but unfortunately that you happened to be there. But you two will never remember this night, all that you will remember is there's a horrible fire and everyone were killed in the fire because you two left early. I'm sorry that things had to be this way," Yukino said as a small dust cloud rose up around the couple and soon they fell asleep without having the chance to asked her what she was talking about. It was a unique skill that she inherited from her parents, the ability to erase and replaced memories to people unfortunate enough to witness such horrific things.
"Huh…" everyone shuddered like they just come out of a strange state-like dream. All in the backyard of Minagi Jijirou's home, in front of them were Mai holding Mikoto in her arms as the crystals slowly disappeared returning her body to a normal state. Nao and Yukino said nothing as they stood there behind the teen and her teacher, Nagi and Jijirou sat quietly on the porch observing.
Shusuke was about to attack a lifeless looking Mikoto, when his wife raised her hand and stopped him from doing so. Their daughter said nothing, looking at no one but her beloved teacher and gently brushing away a few strand of hair out of the way of her sleeping face. The air was gloomy as the crickets chirped quietly in the night's sky, not a single word were exchanged as Natsuki looked confusingly at everyone trying to find an answer to the scene in front of her but no one spoke.
"I love you…" Mai whispered as she took Mikoto's right hand and brushed it against her cheek. "Mm… I love you too…" Mikoto said in an almost inaudible voice. "I'm…"she coughed as blood come rushing out of the corner of her mouth. "I'm sorry for promising you that… we'll walk the blood path together…" she paused coughing yet again. "…but I really… didn't want you to see the ugly side of vengeance…" Mikoto managed to finish her words smiling faintly at the teen. "I know…" Mai said as tears flow freely down her beautiful face.
"Nao…" Mikoto spoke softly while reaching out her left hand. "I'm here, I'm here for ya." Nao said as she quickly got down opposite from Mai and took her friend's shaky hand. "You… have been doing an awfully good job…" the feral coughed again. "Just shut up, save it until you're better." Nao said noticing her friend's shirt turned red from the wound to the chest by the sword that Mai had used earlier. "Mm… I just want to let you know that from now on… you're a Guardian… just… just like Natsuki…" Mikoto grinned but her eyes looked glazed. "I don't care… I just want you to live, remember we promised to go to Hawaii on our next vacation. So don't you fucking die on me, dammit." Nao said in a shaky tone holding back the tears. "Mm!" Mikoto smiled at her friend.
"Yu-Yukino," Mikoto said, it seemed that she's trying to say her farewell to each of her friend. "E-even though you tried to kill me a few times, I still think you're a very sweet person and Haruka is very lucky to have you…" Mikoto chuckled lightly knowing that Yukino would blush even though she can't see it. "Shiho and Haruka, ple-please look after them… especially Nao…" "H-hey!" Nao raised her voice in protest and everyone couldn't help but giggled.
"Natsuki, Shi-chan… forgives me…" Mikoto said straining herself from coughing up more blood. "All is forgiven, Mikoto-han…" Shizuru said knowing that her grandmother didn't attend the post-wedding party, and her cousin was apologizing for killing her step-grandfather. "You idiot, we could've take them on together. If we were there, you wouldn't be suffering right now." Natsuki huffed. "We're just stubborn, runs in the family…" Mikoto laughed lightly as Natsuki growled under her breath. "Anyway, I think…" Mikoto paused. "I'm just… going to… sleep…" her hand loosens its grip on Mai's hand as her eyes closed, the crickets suddenly stopped chirping and everything was dead silent again.
"Mikoto…?" Mai called gently shaken the feral girl in her arm and received no response. Fear overrode her as she let go of the hand and grabbed Mikoto's shoulders trying to shook her awake, "Mikoto, wake up…" She put her hand on her lover's neck, and there was no pulse as the skin started to cool down. "No… no, this can't be… This can't be!!!!" Mai cried facing upward at the night sky. She was losing the person she loved, the one person she defied her parents to be with. Maybe this was the punishment she got for breaking the taboo, for falling in love with her teacher. Mai kept on crying and crying, while hugging onto Mikoto's body tightly rocking back and forth like a madwoman of sort.
"Mai, she's dead. Let it go," her father spoke as he reached out to pull his daughter away from the corpse. "NO! Get away from us!!!" Mai shouted as she looked at her father anger in her eyes and voice. Upon her outburst, something frightening happened as a circle of flame ignited around the young couple separating them from everyone else. The flames grew higher and higher until it joined together into a half-sphere creating a barrier of fire hidden the couple from the others' eyes.
Nao tried to took down the barrier, but at the lick of the flame her armor melted. Even Nagi's power proved to be useless against it, and so Jijirou shed his human form and spread out his demonic wings and ashen skin. Burning his flesh, he broke through the barrier and with a tab of his claw Mai was once again fell asleep. Taking Mai's right hand, he cut her palm using the tip of his sharp claw. Cutting Mikoto's left palm in the same manner, Jijirou clasped their hands together forming a contract that will bind the two of them together for all eternity.