Chapter 2: Witchcraft Indeed Exists

Akina made up a story involving dreaming and moonlight to explain what had happened to Hikaru, and the matter was laid to rest-for a while. But a few nights later, something terrible happened that had nothing to do with demons-or so they might have thought. Hikaru's parents were executed for the crime of witchcraft, leaving her alone in the world.

When Akina was told the news by her own mother, she offered to take Hikaru in for a while. Akina thought Hikaru might be less sorrowful if she did so, even though Hikaru hardly knew what was going on herself, she was so young. So it was two days after the execution, while Akina took Hikaru on a walk through the woods in the late afternoon, that the next event of the story takes place.

"Look what I found!" Hikaru grinned as she held up a daisy.

"Oh, how pretty!" Akina smiled back. "Let's try to find some more!"

They walked further into the forest, searching for more flowers, when suddenly something flit past them.

Akina stiffened. "Did you see that?"

Hikaru nodded. "What was it?"

"I don't know..."

It flit past again, this time behind them, and a sparkly, powdery substance began to rain down on them.

Akina turned pale. "I don't feel so well...I must lie down..."

"I'm dizzy..." Hikaru cried softly.

A moment later, they both fainted. Then a small figure, robed in black, approached and casts more of the glittery substance over Hikaru. After waiting a moment, he muttered something under his breath and jumped away.

It wasn't until later, as the sun was going down, that Akina stirred and moaned. Someone was shaking her.

"Akina! Wake up!"

She opened her eyes, seeing a girl about her age who looked vaguely familiar. "Who are you?" she wondered as she sat up. When she looked closely, she gasped. "Hikaru? You... you're older!"

It was true-Hikaru now looked as old as Akina! Her hair was longer, and she wore clothing more suitable to her age.

"I know," Hikaru answered. "I'm not surprised you didn't recognize me at first."

"But how did you get this way?" Akina rubbed her eyes, not quite believing what she saw.

Hikaru shook her head. "That I don't know. I woke before you, and here I was, like this."

Now Akina rubbed her head. "Maybe there is something strange about this forest..."

"Listen, Akina," said Hikaru urgently. "I can't go back to the village, not like this. So I think this is goodbye for a while."

Too shocked to speak for a moment, Akina finally asked, "Where will you go?"

Hikaru thought for a moment. "Well, I need to be somewhere that no one from the village would ever go. I think I'll go and see if our friend Mr. Minamino will take me in."

"But for how long?" asked Akina fearfully.

"I don't know. We'll see each other again, though-I'll make sure of that. You're not only my best friend, but you're also like a second mother to me, and I will never forget it."

Akina began to cry. "I...I'll miss you, Hikaru!"

"I'll miss you too!"

They embraced each other for a while, then backed away.

"Goodbye, Hikaru. And good luck!"

"Thank you. I'll get word to you as soon as I can. Don't worry, Akina, I'll be fine."

"I know," Akina answered, wiping her eyes.

Hikaru smiled and waved before turning away. "Goodbye." And she was gone.

Akina watched her go, then sadly turned to return home, thinking about what she would tell everyone to explain Hikaru's disappearance- and how she would get by without her only friend.

A few months later, Akina set out for a walk one afternoon. The route she chose passed by a small abandoned farm. However, it would seem that it was abandoned no longer, for someone was out plowing the field. Deciding to look into it later, she turned to continue on her walk. Just at that moment, the farmer spotted her and ran to catch up with her.

"Mademoiselle Sumora!" he cried out.

Akina turned and gasped in surprise. "Mr. Minamino! It's you!"

"I'm so pleased that you remember me," he said cheerfully when he reached her, and kissed her hand.

"And I'm happy to see you!" Akina smiled, and then remembered Hikaru. "There was actually something I wanted to ask you..."

"I know." He leaned close and whispered in her ear. "She's fine."

Akina breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank goodness. I haven't heard from her yet, and I was beginning to worry, you see."

"You'll hear from her soon," Shuichi reassured her. "That's actually part of the reason I'm here-it makes it easier to relay messages between you two if I can be openly seen in the village. People will be less suspicious."

"Does that mean there was another reason?" she asked curiously.

Shuichi hesitated. "Well, I also would have liked to see you again, and I didn't think you would come to visit me with everything that's been going on."

Akina blushed a bit at this statement. "I see..." After a pause, she changed the subject. "Pardon me for asking, but didn't you say you were from Japan? Your accent doesn't sound exactly French or Japanese-have you lived anywhere else?"

"Yes, before I moved here, I lived with my parents in England," he told her.

"England! What's it like there?"

"I actually found it boring after some time. That's why I moved here as soon as I was old enough to live on my own."

Akina giggled. "Boring or not, I wish I had lived in England. Then I might have met you sooner!"

Shuichi smiled slyly at this. "Are you implying something, Mademoiselle?"

"No, not at all!" Akina covered her mouth and blushed. "I-I'd better go. I must go on my walk and be home before sundown. Good day!" She rushed off, embarrassed at her remark.

Shuichi watched her go, saying to himself, "There's something about her...

Things went on this way for a few more weeks. Shuichi worked his farm, and gradually became a part of the village community, although there were still some that were suspicious of who he really was. After a time, the two of them were on a first-name basis. Akina's suitors could plainly see that he was falling in love with Akina, and were extremely jealous. But they didn't make a move just yet.

Akina would walk by his farm nearly every day, to say hello and find out how Hikaru was doing, although Shuichi never told her exactly where she was. "It might cause trouble", was what he told her. And on the days Akina did not come, Shuichi would secretly return to his mansion for the night.

One afternoon, when Akina came to visit, Shuichi was leaning on the fence outside of his simple house. She waved to him. "Shuichi!"

"Hello, Akina. I was expecting you today." He moved away from the fence and came toward her. "Look, I have something for you."

"What is it?" Akina asked, standing before him.

"This." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a jeweled hair barrette, with the jewels set in the shapes of roses.

Akina gasped in awe. "Oh, it's beautiful!"

"May I?" Shuichi asked as he held it up. Akina nodded, and he attached it to the front of her hair. "Come, see how it looks," he said then, as he led her to the edge of a pond on his property.

Akina gazed fondly on her reflection. "It's just lovely!"

"So you like it?"

"I love it!" Akina smiled gratefully. "Thank you so much! It reminds me of the roses I saw in your garden that night when we first met, even though I couldn't see them that well."

"Would you like to go and see them now?" he asked her.

"Could we?" gasped Akina joyfully.

"Of course we could. I hadn't much more work to do today anyway. Come, I'll saddle up the stallion, and we'll ride there together."

"All right!" she answered as she followed Shuichi to his small barn.

He stopped her just outside the door. "Wait outside while I get him ready." He went in, and came out shortly after, leading the horse out with him, who neighed loudly and tried to rear.

Shuichi pulled him down. "No! There's no one for you to show off for today. You'll be carrying a young lady today, so behave yourself." In a moment, the stallion calmed down, and Shuichi turned to Akina and smiled. "See? He's a very understanding animal."

"I can see that! You train him so well!" Akina said admiringly as she climbed up.

Shuichi mounted behind her. "Are you ready?"

"Yes!"

"Then off we go!" He urged the stallion into a trot. The ride was so enjoyable that it didn't seem long before they had arrived at Shuichi's true home- the castle.

Shuichi helped Akina down once they were in the courtyard. "Here we are!"

Akina looked around. "It looks so different in daylight."

"Well, of course it does-everything looks different in different lights. Now, shall we go?" he asked as he offered her his arm.

"Um, yes, of course," she hesitated before taking his arm.

They strolled around the garden for a while, looking at the rosebushes in particular, and taking in the lovely scents.

"It's so beautiful..." Akina finally said, her voice full of awe.

"Not nearly as pretty as you, though," Shuichi smiled.

Akina blushed, not knowing what to say, as Shuichi picked a white rose and handed it to her. "Here. For you."

"Th-Thank you!" She looked back up at him as she fastened it behind one ear and giggled.

"See, it goes with your barrette..."

Suddenly, Shuichi stopped walking and put a hand to his head.

Akina stopped as well, holding his arm a little tighter. "Are you all right? You don't look well."

He forced a smile. "I'm fine, it's just a small headache."

"Wouldn't you like to go inside and lie down?"

"No, no. I'll be all right," Shuichi replied, shaking his head.

"Very well, if you're sure..." But Akina still looked worried.

They walked a bit farther before Shuichi staggered and tightened his grip on Akina's arm.

"Shuichi! Are you all right?" Akina exclaimed, alarmed by the pressure on her arm.

He groaned slightly. "I...must lie down..."

Akina tried to support him with both her arms. "Here, I'll help you back to the house..."

"No, I have...to lie down...right here..." And before she knew it, Shuichi had collapsed onto her.

"Shuichi!" she gasped, gently lowering him to the ground so that his head rested in her lap. "Oh, dear- what can I do? I can't get him back inside myself, and there's no one around to call for help..." She looked down at Shuichi's face worriedly. "And... and I can't leave him here. I suppose I'll just stay here and wait for him to wake up."

Akina sat there with Shuichi's head in her lap for a few hours, until the sun began to set. Only then did he finally stir, and open his eyes.

"Oh, thank goodness," she said quietly. "How do you feel?"

"Fine, I suppose..." he answered, looking at the sun. "How long was I here?"

"A few hours, I think. I was afraid you weren't going to wake up!" Akina exclaimed.

Shuichi was astonished. "And you stayed with me all this time?"

"Of course I did! You couldn't expect me to leave you here alone!"

He could only stare at her in shock.

"What is it? Is something wrong?" Akina asked him, alarmed.

He shook his head. "It's just...I can't believe someone would actually do that for me..." Suddenly, he became overcome with emotion and hugged her close.

Akina was speechless, so neither of them said anything until Shuichi released her. "Well, I suppose I'd better get you home now."

"Are you sure you're feeling alright?" Akina did her best to help him stand up.

"Yes, I'm perfectly fine. Let's go for the horse," he assured her as he helped Akina to her feet.

"All right."

Going back to where they had tied the horse, they mounted him and rode back to the village.

Upon reaching the street where she lived, Akina said, "I can walk the rest of the way from here," as she jumped down.

"Are you sure?"

"Of course!"

"Very well." Shuichi turned the horse around. "You'll come to see me as often as ever?"

Akina nodded in answer.

"I look forward to your next visit then, and I apologize for alarming you earlier."

"That's all right, as long as you're sure there's nothing wrong." Akina told him.

Shuichi smiled. "You have no cause for worry, my dear. Well, until our next meeting!"

"Goodnight!" Akina replied happily as he raised his hand in farewell and trotted off towards his farm. Then she blushed, and said quietly to herself, "There's something so mysterious about him..."

I know everyone's probably wondering where all the demons are. Don't worry, they'll appear as we go. We've already met one or two...

Reviews are appreciated!