Lucky Souls
Chapter 2: Why He Left…
Several weeks earlier…
"Dad!"
He heard it, but at the same time, he didn't. He had physically heard his daughter address him, but mentally, it was nothing but background noise, another tweet from the many birds present outside his window, the rustle of the great oak tree that loomed over their tiny shack of a house, the crackle of their fire pit, currently roasting a morning meal.
"Dad! Hello? Anybody home?"
Turning to his daughter, the tired looking man shook his head, awaking himself from his conscious dream and finally focusing in on her. She was dressed messily, like he, a shirt one size too many placed upon her fragile frame, and pants much baggier than needed. A bag tied to her back, filled with academy supplies no doubt, the young girl was on her way to the foundation of academics after all. Her hair, as deep blue as the ocean, tumbling down her back like a waterfall, it fit her perfectly, and only one word came to the man's mind, beautiful.
"Good morning, Konata!" The tired man greeted, although his daughter noticed, there wasn't even the slightest bit of sincerity in it, he probably didn't even realize where she was going. Staring at her father for a moment, Konata managed a sigh, forcing her stoic expression into a tight grin and placing her hands at rest behind her head.
"Well, I'm off to meet Kagami and Tsukasa. I'll see you later, alright?" Konata asked the man with grin, her teeth bearing as she did so. "Oh, and don't worry, I'll bring back that 'book' you wanted from the library, I know you've been waiting to get your hands on it!" Konata explained, waving a finger in the air and finally getting a rile out of the old man.
Standing up excitedly, the tired father forgot whatever it was he was thinking about that had made him so distant, and instead, gave his daughter a large hug, throwing her back and forth. "Oh, my dear sweet child! Always worrying about your father! When I'm old and grey, I know I can count on you to care of me!" He cheered, rubbing his daughter's hair like she was a dog, and pushing her out the door with a laugh. "Now get! And hurry back with the book! Love you lots! Bye!" He screeched with equal enthusiasm, his daughter finally letting off a real laugh for the first time that morning. She had made her father smile, and she could tell, it was a genuine, and while it might not cure whatever was currently ailing his mind, she knew it was a step in the right direction.
Watching his daughter leave in the distance, the weary man let out an even wearier sigh, rubbing the back of his head and returning into his home. He walked to the window in a trance, and began staring into it like a void. He saw his town, the place he called home. It was run down, poor looking to the noble eye. The small shack's of houses were old, crumbling, windows hanging by hinges, smashed, lawns wild and untamed, and the people who lived in them were just the same.
It was humble village, filled with humble people, living out their humble lives in peace. They didn't need riches, they didn't extravagant clothing, mansions for houses, expensive food, they didn't any of it. It was a village of people willing to do everything to just get by, and they would help one another along the way. It was the type of town, where your neighbors are not only your friends, or acquaintances, they were your family.
The golden rays of morning seeped onto the quaint little town, casting its light against the sides of buildings, through the leaves on trees, and on the faces of its people, and while it might seem shabby to some, to this old man, it was a beautiful sight.
"She'd probably like it." The old man sounded to no one in particular, rubbing his hand over his dusty, cracked kitchen window, and glancing outside at the great oak tree that had made a home in their lawn. He studied the product of nature, massive and untamed, it's roots shooting up from the ground and spreading across the lawn, it's bark, decayed and torn from it's body, and it's leaves, a dull shade of crispy brown.
The tree had once been beautiful, the man remembered, so many years ago. He continued to stare at it like it was a memory, a memory of something special, and before he knew it, he was a young man again, laying below the tree's majesty, resting his head gently against it, taking an afternoon nap.
He remembered he would often take naps there, away from the many eyes of the townspeople, away from the noise, the hustle and bustle. He could be at peace here, he could clear his mind. Only one thing ever made it better, the only thing he ever allowed into his peace, under his tree.
"Sojiro!" The voice would call out, and his eyes fluttering open gently, he would behold her. She was beautiful, her hair as deep blue as his daughters, cascading down her back and beyond. Her eyes were a deep emerald, and they shown beautifully, the light of the sun glinting off them, making them glow. Her petite form, ever so gently covered by a dress as white as snow. Her beauty could not be put into words; she made him feel so human, so lowly. When she was around it wasn't reality, it was a dream, a dream where only she and himself existed.
Blinking his eyes hard, Sojiro gently placed a wrinkled palm to his face, rubbing it tenderly with a chuckle. He knew he would never go back to the dream, he knew he couldn't, because every time he did, it would only remind him of how much he missed her.
Heaving a great sigh, Sojiro sat himself down at the table, tapping on its wooden surface with his fingers for just a moment, when suddenly he noticed something outside his dirty window. It was a woman he thought at first, he could tell by the slender frame, the delicate features, but that isn't what stuck him so deeply. The hair was wild and untamed, a deep shade of blue. He noticed she was crumpled to the ground, in a miserable and depressive state, and above her, several men, kicking at her.
Now, he wasn't a brave man, and he certainly wasn't one to meddle in others affairs, but something about this made him feel sick to his stomach, and he couldn't contain himself. He stood up post haste, marching through his small kitchen and pushing open the front door harshly, marching down his lawn with daggers in his eyes.
"Hey! What do you think you're doing!" Sojiro yelled, throwing his arms into the air as he approached the hoodlums, the young men turning to him with smirks, one of them pointing down at the heap of the woman on the ground.
"We were just having a little talk with the lady here, gramps, why don't you get outta here? Real quick like, yeah?" One of the brutish thugs confidently stated, pushing his chest outwards with a grin, earning slight snickers from his friends.
Glancing between the three men, Sojiro surveyed them. They were poor, possibly more so than he, and they were probably roughing up the girl for money. Sojiro wasn't good at fighting with his body, but his mind was sharper than he let on, and reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a small bag, and jingled it over his head.
"Look, take this; just leave her alone, alright?" The old man carefully noted, jingling it once more so the thugs knew what it was. The supposed 'leader' of the shady looking men only cracked his knuckles, taking a step towards the older man with fire in his eyes.
"And what's to stop me from doing to you what I did to her, old man? I could just take both of your money, y'know!" The thug cheered, him and his cohorts stepping over the woman on the ground and closing in on Sojiro.
Sojiro weighed his odds, they weren't good was all he could come up with, and taking a step back, he shut his eyes tightly, and prepared himself for a beating. However, any pain he expected never came, and opening his eyes, he saw the young men glancing in another direction, towards the town square.
"Ah! It's the knights, forget it boys! Another day, old man…" The thug brutishly claimed, running off into the darkness of a nearby alley with his gang, retreating post haste as the knights marched ever closer.
Sojiro was in no mood to tell the smug knights what had happened, they wouldn't care anyway, so he decided to make his own hasty retreat. Lifting the woman onto his back, he carefully made his way back inside of his home, to safety, and carrying her his bed, he gently set her down, surveying the damage.
She had a few scrapes and bruises he noted, but nothing serious, nothing that wouldn't heal in a day or two. She was a young woman, probably in her mid to late twenties, and she was extremely beautiful. It was right then that Sojiro had once again adopted his familiar demeanor, and not so gracefully, he pinched the girl's exposed and tender thigh, only to be met by a slap most fierce, causing him to stumble back in surprise.
"Hey you pervert! What do you think you're doing!" The girl barked, the hood gracefully placed over her head being shed with the quick movement. Sojiro could only gasp in surprise at what he saw. She was a spitting image of his love, but with some subtle differences. Her hair was a darker shade of blue, and it was tied into a braided ponytail. Her cheeks were round and rosy, and looked as soft and delicate as the rest of her, and upon her face, a beauty mark. Her eyes, however, Sojiro noticed, were different. The irises were a cloudy white, like fog on a window. The old man waved a hand in front of her face, but she did not react, she was blind, he saw this now.
"Uh…are you still there?" The girl asked quietly, reaching her hand outwards in an attempt to find the person that had saved her. Reaching over as far as she could manage, her hand eventually came to rest on something. It was wrinkly, she thought, and sort of rough. She ran her hand over it gently, squeezing everything she came across, until she finally clamped her fist down on something, it was a nose, she could tell.
"Ow!" Sojiro yelped, pulling his head back and grabbing at his face, staring at the girl with wonder in his eyes.
"Oh! Uh…sorry, heh. So, are you the one that saved me?" The girl asked turning her head in the direction she thought the man might be in, but Sojiro noted it was the wrong one.
"Uh, well, sort of." Sojiro chuckled lightly, sitting himself on the bedside next to the girl. "Are you alright? They didn't hurt you too bad I take it?" Sojiro asked concernedly, once again surveying the girls form to make sure he had not missed something. He couldn't help his mind from turning dirty again, and with a giggle to himself, he allowed a grin full of teeth, knowing full well she couldn't see it. "Maybe you should let me examine you for further injury! Maybe take a bath, wash those troubles away!" Sojiro cheered, rubbing his hands together mischievously, only to be met once more with a slap.
"Are you blind or not!" Sojiro moaned, considering himself unlucky that the girl had managed to strike him dead on twice in a row, which was quite the accomplishment for one without sight.
The girl was quiet for a moment, a finger to her chin, she looked like she was thinking about it, Sojiro noted. Why would she think about whether she was blind or not? Something was off, this girl was odd, that was the only word the old man could use to describe her, and it wasn't just because she reminded him of someone quite dear.
"I guess I am." The girl nonchalantly said with a shrug, earning a slap to the forehead from the man she was conversing with.
Standing up from the bed, Sojiro rubbed his eyes just to make sure she was real, and that he wasn't just getting senile in his old age, and to his surprise, she remained there. He let a smile slip onto his face, and like before, it was a genuine one, he was happy, really and truly happy, but he couldn't explain why.
"So, hey, let me go get you some water or something, alright?" Sojiro tried to say as casually as possible, even though he was quickly becoming nervous around the girl. Turning to leave, the old man decided one more glance couldn't hurt, and glancing at her, the dirty thoughts from his mind were suddenly wiped away, replaced with a single word that stuck in his mind as the suns rays casted upon this strange girl.
"Beautiful…"
Under the guise of darkness still present from the ever rising sun, one can commit many acts that would otherwise be impossible without its protection. This is what Kagami was told by her friend, Konata, in an attempt to reassure her that everything would be alright, and they would go in, get out, without anyone noticing.
The way to the academy was supposed to be normal one, as per every day routine, but this morning promised to be anything but normal. The eccentric bluenette came to the twins that morning with the promise of adventure, intrigue and danger, and that it could be all theirs, if they were to skip their academics for the day, and join her on her little quest.
While the older twin had flat out refused at first, she found that with ample begging from her short companion, she couldn't deny her, but she forbade her sister from missing school, and sent her on her way. She decided to trust her friend, that their adventure would be one worth missing one day of academy for.
"What the hell was I thinking?" Kagami groaned to herself, mumbling under her breath as she now found that she was crawling on all fours across the muddy ground like some sort of animal. She glanced ahead at her companion, who was doing the same, as they quietly and not-so stealthily made their way out of the town gate, past the ever present guards stationed by it.
"So, where exactly are you leading me anyway? Don't tell me we skipped school to roll around in the dirt!" Kagami hushed as much as she could, even though tinges of anger were still quite evident in her voice.
"Now, now Kagamin, that would be telling! Besides, getting there is half the adventure!" Konata cheered, jumping up from her crawling position in one swift motion and tossing her hands into the air like a small child who had gotten a new toy.
Jumping up quickly as well, Kagami pressed her hands over the bluenette's mouth, pushing her against the cold stone wall they were currently crawling beside, her eyes shifting around to make sure nobody had heard the girl. Letting off a sigh, Kagami suddenly felt something. Something warm and wet sliding over her closed palms, and tearing her hands from the girls face, Konata's pink muscle was poking and prodding from her lips.
"Konata! That's gross! There was mud on there!" Kagami yelled, now completely forgetting that they needed to be quiet herself, grinding her hand across her shirt in a futile attempt to remove all of the sticky ooze now present on it.
Allowing herself a giggle, Konata leaned up against the stone wall with a grin and a raise of an eyebrow. "So, you're only concerned about that? If it was clean, you'd want me to lick you?" Konata asked suggestively, only to be met with a fist planted hard on the tip of her head, causing her to stumble to the ground in pain.
"Shut up. And Konata, seriously, we're breaking the law here! One, we're skipping school! Me! I can't believe this! And two, this is illegal! You know we're not supposed to go outside of town without an escort!" Kagami hushed once more, her eyes continually switching back and forth to make sure nobody saw them. If they did, they'd be in deep for sure. Kagami recalled the last time her friend had convinced her to do something such as this, and it ended poorly. Glancing back to her friend, Kagami noticed she was missing, and had just continued walking ahead despite her protests.
"Ugh…" Kagami groaned out, not following her friend not because she wanted to, but because if she didn't, the bluenette would likely get into even more mischief than if she wasn't present.
Stealthily making their way towards a small graveyard just outside of town, Kagami soaked in her surroundings. They were familiar, but also new. She had noticed the area present outside of town many times before, but she had never actually looked at it before. It was somewhat peaceful, the small stone hedges sticking from the ground were cracked, and covered in moss, decayed with age, but it was a beautiful age, Kagami had noted.
The area was filled with flowers, some wild and nature-produced, and others placed by family members of the deceased. There was nothing else of note, except the single oak tree that shaded the graveyard at its center, blanketing the small area in its shade.
Walking through the area, the two girls finally came to a stop at a tomb directly at the foot of the great tree, with Kagami raising an eyebrow at what exactly she was supposed to see that apparently Konata saw just fine, because as the tsundere held a grumbling expression, her friend held one of pure joy.
Konata placed her hands triumphantly on her sides, presenting the small stone mural to her friend with a grin. Surveying it, Kagami saw that it was somewhat like a tombstone in the ground, but with a door handle on it, likely leading down to a family tomb containing many different bodies from different generations, all likely equally rotting and smelly; Kagami couldn't even contain herself at how unexcited she was.
"This, my dear Kagamin, is the shrine of the damned!" Konata cackled, her voice practically dripping with as much false-terror as possible, hunching her back and clawing her hands to complete the effect. "They say many years ago, a young girl went down inside, in search of her lost puppy dog who had ran into this very cemetery! But…she was never heard from again!" Konata oozed once more, throwing her hands into the air and laughing manically.
Staring at her friend in disbelief, Kagami could only shake her head and turn to leave. "I don't believe you convinced me to skip school for this." Kagami mumbled to herself. "I lost my perfect track record, so you could drag me along on some ghost hunt. Just fantastic!" Kagami moaned once more, rubbing her temple in despair at her friend's stupidity.
Grabbing her before she could leave, Konata dropped to her knees, and what little dignity she had, she shed right then. "Please, Kagami? Please?" Konata practically begged, shaking her friends arm as viciously as she could.
Seeing her friend in such a state, Kagami could do nothing but blush; she looked like a cute little child, begging her parent for a sweet, or a new toy. Finally cracking under the pressure, Kagami tore her arm from the bluenette, placing it on her hip with a growl. "Alright, alright! Just…make it fast." Kagami grinned; she couldn't help herself when it came to her overbearing friend. She would go to lengths that many others would considering foolish for her, she would do practically anything, be it inside or outside of the law, wrong or right, moral or immoral, as long as it put a smile on Konata's face.
"Huzzah!" Konata cheered, releasing her friends arm and jumping into the air, ending by crashing into Kagami's chest, snuggling her cheek against the girl's bosom with little to no embarrassment. "Thanks, Kagamin!" Konata cheered once more, shaking Kagami back and forth with her fierce hug.
"I-I…uh…w-w-well…j-just open it already!" Kagami growled, pushing the girl off roughly, only earning a laugh from her friend. She knew Kagami didn't mean any of the mean stuff she did or said, she was really a sweet girl, and while sometimes Konata would take advantage of the kindness her friend so readily showed towards her, she did it knowing full well she'd pay Kagami back somehow.
Turning her attention to the tombstone, Konata bent down to it, running her hand over the cool object, feelings her fingers get slightly slicked with morning dew. Reaching for the handle, Konata tugged slightly, at first it didn't budge, but with several more tries of force, it conceived, suddenly flying open and causing the girl to stumble backwards and crash onto her bottom.
"Got it!" Konata giggled, standing up and brushing herself off, glancing down into the darkness present in the tomb. The only thing she could clearly see were the stairs leading further downward, beyond that, nothing, complete and utter darkness. Examining it for a moment, Konata carefully placed a foot on the first step, just to make sure it was safe, and glancing back at her tsundere, Konata hatched an idea.
"Agh! The ghost! It's got me!" Konata yelped, mock-falling to the ground and pretending to be sucked down the staircase, throwing her hands into the air and flailing them every which way.
"Konata!" Kagami screeched, reaching down to grab onto her friend but noticing that there was no tug from the opposite side, and that she was the only one pulling, not to mention, the bluenette was laughing shamelessly. "I…I can't believe you! Grow up!" Kagami angrily spouted, dropping her friend onto the cold ground and crossing her arms impatiently.
Finally recovering from her giggle fit, Konata stood up and wiped the dampness of hard laughter from her eyes, turning around towards the tomb and throwing a hand into the air triumphantly. "Okay, okay, serious time! Onward!" She cheered, marching downwards into the darkness, followed quickly her tsundere, who was caught off guard by how readily she descended into the unknown.
"W-Wait for me!" Kagami called out, running down into the darkness after her friend, fearing for the brash girl's safety.
Finally reaching the bottom of the staircase, the two girls glanced around; the room wasn't pitched black like they thought it might be. What was presented before them was a hallway, dimly lit with torches, their blood red flames crackling quietly in the darkness. Konata glanced at them, and wondered who kept them lit, she never noticed or not if there was a grave keeper, so she couldn't know who was mending and tending to the area.
"Creepy." Konata casually noted, beginning to walk down the dank hallway, water droplets from the surface finding their way through the cracks of the ceiling, dripping onto the ground with light plops.
"You're telling me." Kagami noted just as casually, but there was more caution to her voice than the bluenette's.
Reaching the end of the hallway, the girls came to a rounded room, with a single door at the end of it. Looking around the circular area, Konata found it was dimly lit with torches like the first, but the entire area, walls, floor and ceiling, were covered in a shiny, glossy material.
Running up to the only door with a laugh, Konata surveyed it, dusty and old looking, like everything else present in the tomb. "So, what's behind door number one?" Konata joked, poking at the entrance with her thumb.
"I'd like to say I don't really wanna know…but I have to admit, you've got me interested, open it." Kagami grinned; she was actually having fun, as ashamed as she was to admit it. She loved this sort of stuff, ghost stories, legends, the creepy and deranged, she had a certain soft spot for things such as this, and it was made all the better when she experienced it with Konata.
"Right." Konata said as she turned back towards the door, and slowly, so painfully slowly, she reached out to the handle, now deciding to put on the finishing touches with a gulp, she wanted to make this as over dramatic as possible, and when she heard a groan from her friend, she knew she had done it justice.
Pushing the door open, Konata poked her head inside, followed by Kagami's head above hers, the two girls peaking into the darkness placed before them. Letting out a nervous laugh, Konata glanced upwards at her friend, her face twisted into a nervous smile.
"Brains before beauty." Konata said with a chuckle, earning another light groan from her friend, who although at first wasn't afraid, found she her neck now slicked in cold sweat.
"Alright, alright, just move." Kagami grumbled, pushing past her tiny companion and taking the first step into the room, which she now noticed was a lot darker than she had first anticipated. The only light in the room was that illuminated by the crack of the door, and taking several steps into the darkness, Kagami turned back to make sure her friend was still there, she was, and the tsundere noticed she was a lot closer than she was before.
"Yeesh, makes ya feel like a ghost really could live here, huh? Ready to attack anyone who enters her cursed home…" Konata shakily said, a light giggle present after her statement. Kagami wasn't one to believe in ghosts and ghouls, but there certainly could be a wild animal that made its home down here, a wolf maybe, ready to attack any intruders who entered its home.
Glancing behind her, Kagami felt her cheeks flare slightly as her friend continued to move closer to her, the proximity between them being mere centimeters, probably less Kagami thought. "I-If anything like that h-happened…" Kagami stuttered slightly, losing her composure around her dear friend in a mere instant, her tough exterior melting away and revealing a much more gentle side. "I'd protect you." Kagami confidently said, not actively sweating in fear, but out of nervousness as she made the comment.
"Aw, my brave knight!" The bluenette cooed, finally ending the distance between them hanging onto her friends arm affectionately, only to be pushed off roughly in response.
"I'm not your knight!" Kagami moaned as they continued further into the darkness, finally the last of the light from the open doorway was gone, and they were standing in the pit of the blackness, their shadows illuminating and becoming more obscure as they furthered their distance from the door. "I take it back, I'd just let the monsters eat you." She said with a chuckle of her own, earning a groan from her friend.
"But Kagamin!" Was all the girl could manage before she was cut off, suddenly and sharply, by a booming, low-pitched moan from somewhere in the darkness that was ever present all around them, that seemed to be closing in on them.
"Ahh!" A yelp of surprise from the lilac-haired girl, she practically jumped a foot in the air, and her arms were instantly wrapped around her shorter companion without a second thought, and thinking about it, Kagami figured she probably wasn't displaying her status as Konata's brave knight very well.
Glancing into the blackness, the girls waited for a moment, all was silent, dead silent. They waited for something, anything, to make itself known, to reassure them that it was just their heads playing tricks on them, that it was just a kick of a stone, or the plop of a water droplet.
However, the moan sounded once more, just as unnerving and frightening as before, but this time, something came along with it. A red dot, glowing in the darkness, a single floating dot, hovering about six feet off the ground, floating gently back and forth, drawing ever near.
"U-Uh, K-Konata! What is that thing!" Kagami nearly screamed as she pulled Konata backwards with her, the two stumbling over one another's feet in fear.
"The ghost! It's gotta be the ghost!" Konata said equally frightened, but she also couldn't hide the slightest tinge of excitement in her voice. The 'ghost' as she called it moaned once more, and its shivering voice sent chills down the girls' spines, placing them in a paralyzing fear, one they couldn't break before it was too late.
A wretched, snarled hand suddenly appeared from the darkness, brown and decayed, a strip of flesh hanging from a bone, and that was all the girls needed to see before they turned tail towards the door.
"Run! Run! Run!" Kagami suddenly screeched as loud as she could, her voice splitting her own ear drums at the sheer volume of it, and grabbing onto her friends hand roughly, she yanked her towards the door, running as fast as she could, trying to put as much distance between herself and the thing in the darkness as much as possible.
Making their way back to the staircase, the girls stopped for a moment, glancing down the darkened halls to see if it was still on their trail, and much to their dismay, and not surprisingly to both girls, it was, the dark decrepit shadow of a monster was slowly shuffling it's way through the hall, it's form faintly illuminated by the dim glow of the roaring torches.
Pulling onto the bluenette's hand once more, Kagami pulled the two of them up the stairs, running as fast as they could, pushing their thumpers to the absolute limit as they emerged from the tomb, running out into the safety of daylight, surely it wouldn't follow them any further, that's how it worked in the stories, Kagami had remembered, that the monsters could never follow you into the light, it was their weakness, their mortal enemy.
Stopping for a moment, the girls could do nothing but scream once more, as the monster finally crawled out of the tomb, and into the daylight, it's full form finally being revealed to them.
It could have passed for man, in a time not so long ago, but what stood before them, was no man. It was skinny, almost like a skeleton, but a thin layer of flesh still clung to its protruding bones, and its skin was torn and ripped, revealing the muscle and sinew placed within its body. Its hands were shaped into claws, almost like the talons of a bird, and its face covered by a mask, carved into a square, and tied to the back of its head by a loose rope. Out of the single eyehole present on the mask, a blood red eye soaked through, pupil-less and shining like a ruby.
"W-What the hell is this thing?" Kagami whispered to her friend, only receiving a shake of the head in response and a slight gulp, although unlike before, this gulp was genuine.
"No idea. Doesn't look human..." Konata noted rather obviously, earning a nervous and slightly hysterical chuckle from her tsundere.
"You think! Let's get out of here!" Kagami yelled, once again grabbing onto her friends hand and attempting to run, but this time, the demon would have none of it.
A loud screech suddenly poured from the demon's very being, it sent shock waves along the ground, and tore the flowers from the dirt, knocked over headstones and sent the two girls flying, only to come crashing down hard onto the ground on top of one another, grumbling in pain.
"Ugh…what the…?" Konata mumbled to herself, her slightly blurry vision suddenly focusing in on the demon, which was now a lot closer than she had recalled. "Move!" Konata yelled, rolling off of her tsundere and pulling the girl to her feet, the demon now wildly waving its arms in the air in a fit of otherworldly insanity, its razor-sharp claws bared and ready to strike at any moment.
The demon swung its claws at the girls, missing by a splint of a hair, and causing it to stumble to the ground and crash to the dirt most ungracefully, befitting a monster such as it.
"Oh god!" Kagami muttered shakily, attempting to run with her friend but finding that her ankle suddenly surged out in pain, sending spurts of it throughout her body and causing her to collapse to the ground, Konata being brought down with her, as she was the one who was pulling her along.
Turning back towards her friend, Konata noticed what was wrong, her friend's ankle had a large gash present on it, a small trail of blood slowly trickling its way downward towards her heel, and the bluenette felt powerless, would this demon kill them here? Surely it seemed that way, but she couldn't just give up, she couldn't just let the person more dear to her than anything get killed by some monster, she wouldn't allow it.
Reaching under Kagami's thighs, she placed one hand under them, and the other on the lilac-haired girls back, and summoning the strength of two, the miniscule girl heaved upwards, bringing her tsundere with her, cradled in her arms. She had no idea where this sudden bought of strength stemmed from, but she didn't have long to dwell on it, as the demon slowly stood up once more, ready for a second strike.
Taking several steps, Konata knee's buckled, she just wasn't physically strong enough for this feet, it took all of her might just to lift her friend off the ground, but she couldn't manage walking, and with her arm muscles tearing one by one, she felt them give way, and her friend collapse into the dirt below her, followed by herself, exhausted from even attempting the feat.
Her head switching in an instant, Konata saw the demon draw closer, shuffle towards them at a snail's pace, she thought it might be mocking them, like it was delaying the chase on purpose out of some disgusting pleasure it derived from watching its prey squirm. Konata stared into its single ever present eye, and saw her own reflection present in it as the demon now stood over them, ready to finish what it had started. Konata was sure she would watch herself and Kagami die mirrored in its eye, but no such thing came.
Instead, a whistle through the air, and a light gust past her shoulders, blowing her hair upwards slightly, and causing her eyes to widen in disbelief. An arrow now made its home present in the demon's torso, penetrated into its abdomen, several lines of black, oozing juices squirting from the wound. The arrow was followed by another, this one, directly through the demons head, piercing through the skull, and sending it tumbling backwards, falling to the dust with a thud.
Glancing at one another for a moment, the two girls turned to see their saviors, and to their disbelief, it was a small band of knights, the knights that so readily and ever vigilantly protected their humble town from any and all dangers. At their front, their captain, a bow in her hand, freshly drawn and released.
The girl had short, turquoise hair, a light red in her cheeks, and glasses bridged across her face. She was clad in full armor, the bulkiness of the suit fitted around her petite form, covering it completely. A triumphant grin on her face, slightly cocky looking, but well deserved. Slowly wobbling to her feet, the bluenette let a smile rip onto her face, and before she knew it she had busted out in laughter, and running towards the captain of the knights, she wrapped her arms around the girl fiercely, rubbing her cheek against the cold surface of the suit.
"Yui!" Konata cheered, continuing her display of affection and embarrassing the head guard in front of her peers, but she didn't mind, her kin was safe, and that was all that mattered to the brave knight. Releasing herself from the binding hug, Yui leaned down slightly, placing a finger on her cousin's chin gently.
"Are you two alright?" Yui asked kindly, which both girls noted was odd, considering the circumstances; they expected a little yelling, maybe an insult at their stupidity for even attempting something such as this, but only concern shown in the captain's eyes.
Standing up as well, Kagami suddenly tumbled to the ground once more, cursing that she had forgotten about her foot so quickly, and tenderly rubbing a hand over it to alleviate some of the pain. Turning back at the slight whimpers, Konata knelt down next to her friend, examining the wound present, the cut was deep, and would require medical attention, but it was nothing serious.
"Yeah, I am. But, Kagami…" Konata noted, and with that, Yui instantly raised a hand to the air, and with the motion, several knights swiftly moved past their captain, scooping the injured girl up into their arms gently, cradling her like an infant.
Approaching his captain, one of the knights leaned in closely to her ear, making sure the bluenette was out of reach. "Ma'am, this one was injured by the Dregling; we need to make sure she isn't tainted." He whispered, glumly eyeing the girl in his arms, who was slowly growing ever more exhausted. Kagami couldn't explain it, but her head stung, it felt like somebody was hammering nails into it, then yanking them out. She sleepily glanced over at her friend, who she noticed was unharmed, which was better than she could say for herself.
"Konata, you okay?" She whispered, only receiving a happy nod from her friend, who quickly ran over and seized the cradled girls hand in her own.
"Fine, you?" She asked hopefully, but earned no response, as she watched her friend slip into a deep sleep, she felt her heart stop on queue. "Kagami!" She shouted, shaking her friend for a moment before being stopped post haste by the knight who was holding the girl.
"Be calm, young one. Your friend is just exhausted." The knight reassured, although he had his doubts. Those who were attacked by Dreglings rarely survived, and those who did, were usually tainted by said attack, and would become a Dregling themselves before long.
Resigning her fits of worry, the bluenette nodded complacently, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly at her inappropriate display of emotion in front of the brave knights that defended her. Turning her attention back to her cousin, Konata grabbed onto her hand as the captain directed her knights, leading them back to the village.
There was a silence that hung in the air, Konata knew she and Kagami would receive punishment for what they had done, and she felt awful about it. She had dragged her friend out here; she had put in her danger, for her own selfish little adventure. Konata wasn't one to usually feel guilty for her crazy antics, or even regret them in the slightest, but now, she could feel nothing but guilt and regret weighing down on her tiny shoulders.
"What you did was foolish." Yui suddenly sounded, breaking the young girl from her trance, but she could not retort, she had nothing to say back. What she did was foolish, and it could have ended in not only her life, but Kagami's. Another light silence filled the air, and Konata felt the hand she held grow tighter around her own, and a cold, armor-clad thumb gently rub over it. "But I'm glad you're okay." Yui whispered, turning to her young cousin with a tender smile, which the blunette returned in kind.
The rest of the walk back to the village was silent, except a few comments from one of the knights to Konata, telling her that her friend would be brought to the local infirmary and treated post haste, which the girl could only feel relieved at, and reluctantly, she allowed her friend to be taken away from her, she knew she needed her rest, especially after what had happened.
Guided back to her house by her cousin, the two entered the house quietly, with the captain ready to explain to her cousin's father just what mischief his daughter had gotten herself into, and what punishment should be dished out in return. At first Yui thought of not even telling the old man, he had enough to worry about without knowing his daughter had almost been killed, but he needed to know so it wouldn't happen again.
Knocking her armor-clad fist onto the man's bedroom door, a head suddenly poked out, and a wry smile present on the man's face. "Yui! And dear! You're home!" The old man nearly shouted, he sounded happy, Konata noted, or at least, a lot happier than he had sounded earlier that day.
Stepping out of his room, Sojiro closed the door behind him, a smile present on his face as he looked back and forth between the two girls, but noticing neither of them held a smile themselves. "Uh, is everything alright?" Sojiro asked quietly, only earning a sigh from the weary captain.
"Maybe we should talk over here." Yui resolved, moving the conversation into a wider space so she could better express just what a serious matter this was, and that his daughter should be punished with something befitting the matter.
Explaining the situation, Sojiro listened oddly seriously, nodding his head at every warning the knight made, and everything that should be done to prevent another situation such as this arise. After the discussion, Sojiro had a serious expression on his face as he turned to his daughter, he looked ready to yell, ready to go all out on her, and she braced for it. However, before he even opened his mouth, Konata noticed a slight smile on his face, and a wink of his eye, and she smiled at it.
"Young lady, I'm very disappointed, very much so! How could you do this to your poor old father? I don't think my heart can take it!" Sojiro complained, gushing his performance as much as he could in front of the knight, he wanted to make it look genuine, and his schpeal continued for several minutes, the mock-yelling and reprimanding seeming to put the captain of the knights at ease. Konata even added to the performance herself, pushing her lip out and giving it a little quiver or two, and pair of big old puppy dog eyes.
"Good. See that she is properly punished. Good night to you both!" Yui ended rather bubbly, her serious demeanor melting away in an instant as she left the house.
Turning to one another, father and daughter shared a smile, and began snickering to themselves and nudging one another, they had done well. Sojiro couldn't get angry at his daughter, not for anything. He might be disappointed, or saddened, but he couldn't be actively mad at her, he wouldn't allow himself to do this, not for anything. Reaching his hand downwards and placing it on his daughter's shoulder, he suddenly became serious, his warm smile melting into a frown.
"Are you sure you're alright, honey?" Sojiro concernedly questioned earning a happy nod from his daughter, to which he resigned his sadness and stood up with a smile.
"Good! Because I'm busy, very busy! We have a guest tonight, dear!" The old man cheered, throwing his arms into the air with a hoot, showing just how excited his was both inside and out.
Raising a brow, Konata watched as her father ran back and forth, his personality constantly switching between worry and excitement, laughing and weeping, he was making bipolar people look tame. "Guest?" Konata asked with her brow still raised, to which her father only laughed triumphantly once more.
"Yes! A guest! And a beautiful woman at that!" Sojiro announced, taking his daughters hand in his own and leading her to the bedroom where the woman he had 'rescued' currently rested, practically bashing the door down in his child-like excitement. Marching towards the bed side, Sojiro released his daughter, throwing his hands open wide and presenting the woman as though she were a recently won trophy.
"This my dear, is she!" Sojiro exclaimed, and at the announcement, the blinded girl turned her head suddenly, a smile present on her face as she faced the two.
"Oh, hello Sojiro. Do we have a guest?" The blinded girl asked, earning a hearty laugh of a response from the old man.
"Indeed we do, my dear! My sweet, loving daughter!" Sojiro proudly proclaimed, grabbing onto the blind girls hand and his daughters and forcing the two into a handshake with one another. "Go on! Meet! Greet!" He insisted, noticing the wariness the two girls seemed to hold at that moment.
"Nice to meet you." Konata said cheerily, but the girl offered no response, she simply glanced in the direction of the girl. Konata thought that her eyes were looking right through her, tearing through her completely, the maidens gaze felt heavy, like it carried some weight, like it placed something over her.
"Hm. Did you enjoy my pet?" The girl whispered silently, enough only for the daughter to hear, the father remained oblivious to the strange girl's words.
"W-What?" Konata said instantly, her eyes shooting open as widely as human possible. What was the girl talking about? Pet? There's no way she could've meant…
Tearing her eyes away from the blinded girl, Konata took a step back nervously. Something about this strange girl made her stomach churn, her head felt numb and thumped like a drum suddenly, but the pain was alleviated as fast as it had come, and shaking her head gently, the bluenette mumbled confusedly to herself.
Glancing between the two girls, the old father broke the silence with a laugh, placing his hands gently over his daughter's shoulders and pushing her out of the room. "Please forgive my daughter, she's had an exciting day you see, and is pretty tired. Right, dear?" Sojiro said with a wink, and Konata caught on, heaving a sigh and letting a smile drift into her face.
"Yeah dad, exhausted!" She proclaimed, even topping it off with a slight yawn and rub of her eyes. Knowing her father wanted privacy, Konata made her way out of the room, taking one last glance at the mysterious girl, who was still staring directly at her, through her, with those dead, foggy eyes.
They never left her sight, like a haunted painting on the wall, and they drilled the bluenette to her core. She almost wanted to ask the girl just what her problem was, why she was staring like she had two heads or something, but she decided to leave her father and the strange woman alone. One last thought entered her mind as she closed the door, that she could sworn she had seen the woman somewhere before. She was familiar somehow, but she couldn't recall how or why, and shrugging it off, the girl resigned herself of such thoughts, and decided she had earned a well deserved sleep.
She couldn't seem shake the thought however, it was imprinted in her mind, the blind girl's eyes, staring at her, always staring, silently and coldly.
Konata awoke early the next morning, more awake than usual. She didn't get much sleep, and her joints and bones ached still from the previous day. The blinding sun of the morning mercilessly assaulted the girls' tender eyes, and shadowing her face, she obscured the fiery orb from her vision, standing up with a stretch and a yawn, ready to begin the day anew.
Walking out of her room, the girl made her way down the hall, and to the kitchen, expecting her father to be there preparing some morning meal, or chatting with their 'guest', but he was nowhere to be seen. Checking several rooms, Konata raised a brow, where would her father be at such an hour? The sun had barely risen, and nothing would be open currently, not to mention, it was odd her father would even be up and about outside of the house, he was pretty indoors person.
At last, she came upon her father's room, opening the door gently, and peering inside, her feet creaking on the slightly old floorboards. "Dad?" She whispered, but there was no response, and allowing herself entry, she took several steps inside.
Her father was nowhere to be seen, not to mention their 'guest' was missing as well, and the beds were freshly made, as if nobody had slept in them in some time. Glancing around the room Konata noticed something off about it, it was caked in dust. Not only did it appear someone had not slept in this room for a night or two, it looked like the room hadn't been used in years.
Walking to the window, the bluenette glanced outside looking around the house to see if her father was in the yard, or the neighbors, and as far as she could tell, he was not.
"Dad!" Konata yelled out once more, her voice echoing in the empty house, the silence being so absolute that it rang in her ears splendidly. Where was he, she thought, he wasn't the type to just up and leave without a note, or at least saying something to his daughter. He was a forgetful and somewhat naïve man in his old age, but he wasn't the type of gallivant around with strange women and disappear from the house, something was off.
"Dad! Hello?" The girl called once more, and nothing. She heard only herself, and while she knew it was probably nothing, and that he would be back before she knew it, she couldn't shirk the inkling feeling in her chest, the feeling that had stapled itself into her mind ever since she had gazed into the dead, foggy eyes of that woman.
She sat in silence for a moment, and rubbing her chin gently, she shrugged it off, her dad was fine, wherever he was, he'd probably be back by dinner time at the latest. Right?
Author's Note: Oh boy, chapter 2 was really hard for me, probably because I hadn't intended for any flashbacks so early in the story, especially after the cliffhanger at the end of chapter 1. Now, first thing that came to your mind, the chapter is supposed to be about why Sojiro left in the first place, but it doesn't really say, does it? Well, I'll explain eventually don't worry. You might feel these events seemed somewhat unimportant to the events currently taking place in the story, but trust me, they are relevant in their own ways. Consecutive chapters will be much easier to write, because now that the elements of foreshadow are set, they can conspicuously pop up again in the story at later times, and I can worry about just moving on with the tale.