Author's Note: Well here I am with another update! I'm proud of myself . I think I've had a lot of secrets going on in this story, but we're slowly coming to the dramatic conclusion, by then, everything should revealed ;). Really long title here, but anyway… Read, Review, Rejoice!
Chapter 12:
The Crow, the Golden Retriever,
and the Silver-Spoon
A near-full moon shone brightly, accompanied by the tiny sparkles of shimmering stars, watching imposingly over the small city. The city was aglow with light, artificial and otherwise, providing a restless atmosphere; however, not every corner gave-in to the radiance and not every alley was as accommodating. Within the guise of the shadows, a tall male hid away from the light, pacing back and forth in the arms of the darkness. Every so often, he would approach the light, curiously peeking his head out. With hair as black as midnight and eyes as red as blood, the night was characterized in his face as the light gleamed from his eyes.
The empty road and quiet dullness were soon disturbed by a small, black Mercedes Benz, inching its way toward the man's refuge. Its old-fashioned, gothic style and clattering wheels blended in appropriately to its surroundings. Coming to a complete stop, a young mysterious beauty revealed to be the driver of this eerie vehicle, her piercing, golden eyes staring deeply into the man. She was accompanied by another young woman who sat stern in her seat, hair blonde in color and deep-blue eyes suited to an intellectual.
The duo exited their black chariot, approaching the man with authority. "Hex-san, I presume." the driver spoke with a slight melody in her voice.
A swift chill ran through the city, brushing past the three, accentuating the stillness. The man finally allowed himself to be completely bathed in the light, stepping out of his narrow hideaway.
"I am, and you must be…"
Sliding a thin finger playfully through silky, raven hair, "Isn't it obvious? I'm the crow."
"Well?"
Shion held her throbbing head, quickly becoming more and more irritated. "What do you mean 'well'? How do you expect me to respond?" she growled at her lover.
"Well, I liked it." Hex commented, straddling a chair. "You have a real eye for detail Chikaru-san! It sounds like the opening to a… a-" Snapping his finger for emphasis, "A mystery. One of the old classics like Sherlock Holmes, with the detectives and stuff."
"You think? I was aiming for that, but I wasn't quite sure I pulled it off." Chikaru spoke modestly.
Nodding his head assuredly, "You definitely pulled it off."
"Well I'm glad I was able to get your input Mr. Hex." Chikaru smiled. She moved her hand to create a barrier between her lips and her lover, though it was pointless since she spoke in an exaggerated whisper to Hex. "You see, Shion doesn't really have much of an appreciation for this type of thing and she usually just gets all frustrated over it."
"Well how do you expect me to get when you randomly narrate strange scenes at the most awkward times!" Shion intervened with a yell, a vein visible in her forehead.
"And she eavesdrops too." The raven haired girl continued to tease her frustrated other, earning a low growl from the former Spica president.
"You need to loosen up a little Tomori-san." Hex laughed. "Sometimes you just have to go with the flow."
"Isn't it that you two are getting a little too carried away?" Shion asked, calming down slightly. "We did come here for a reason you know."
Shortly after receiving the text from Kaname, Chikaru got dressed. Shion watched curiously, constantly attempting to discourage the girl from leaving.
"How can you trust going anywhere that outlaw sends you, especially at this time of night?" she argued. "For all we know, she could be setting you up to get abducted by some of her criminal underlings."
Chikaru laughed at the accusation. "I told you before, Kaname is surprisingly playful; she wouldn't allow anything to happen to me before our 'little game' is over."
"I keep hearing about this 'game' thing, what are the two of you up to?" the blue-eyed girl asked with narrowed eyes.
"Oh, just a game to see which of us can obtain the silver-spoon first."
"There you go again." Shion sighed. "What's with this code and why can't I know?"
"Well, based on what Kaname replied after I agreed to help, a thief seemed to have accidentally swiped up the spoon and has agreed to return it. I have to meet him at a predetermined location."
The blonde hopped out of bed in a huff. "You can't go to meet some guy you've never seen before, who knows what will happen?"
"It's alright Shion, I don't think anything will hap-"
"I'm coming with you." It was more of a statement than a request, seeing as how the blonde immediately started getting dressed.
"My, my, guess I don't have a choice then." Chikaru giggled to herself.
The couple left their hotel room and made their way to the parking lot where Chikaru parked an old, classic Mercedes Benz, gifted to her by her father. They drove out to an alley, not too far from the shopping district, which Hex used from time to time as a refuge. There, a medium-sized shop that was seemingly abandoned had been transformed into a three-room vacation home by the seasoned criminal.
Hex quietly awaited their arrival, leaning in a chair, chewing on a cigarette's tip empty-mindedly. He was bored, especially now that Shizuma had dozed off for a well-needed rest. When he finally heard the patter of an engine go silent just outside of his waiting place, he immediately went to the door to receive his guests.
He had met Chikaru and Shion when he was much younger and they, along with his younger sister, were just entering middle school at their respective sister schools. He also got another chance to see them at the combined graduation ceremony, though only for a short time as he only came to show his face. A graduation ceremony for one school was long; imagine three in one!
In any case, Hex was a bit surprised to hear Chikaru suddenly start narrating but it was easy for him to be swept in her flow. Any form of entertainment was openly welcomed.
"It'll be okay even if we don't rush things." Chikaru defended nonchalantly.
"Well excuse me if I'd rather be in bed at this hour." Shion yawned. "It's been a long a day."
"Yea, I don't think it's a good idea for me to keep Kaname waiting." Hex laughed, scratching the back of his head. "C'mon, your 'silver-spoon' is in the backroom." he got up tiredly.
He moved toward a heavy, iron door, forced the rusted lock open and pushed the door through. Shion observed curiously, a little anxious to find out what this 'silver-spoon' really is.
They walked into what seemed to be a bedroom. It was poorly furnished, the only exception being an extravagant, satin-covered bed, sitting in the far corner of the room. The three approached the bed, Shion being the only one not knowing what to expect.
"I should warn you, there is some neck damage, though it's nothing serious." Hex admitted.
"Kaname did mention something about that." Chikaru said with finger placed thoughtfully on her chin. "Well, I guess it should be okay. As long as it isn't anything to worry about."
A thin sheet stretched from the tip-top of the tall bedpost, revealing only as much as a silhouette laying amongst the sheets and pillows of the luxury bed. The three stopped right to the side of the bed, Chikaru gesturing to her lover to take a seat in an available chair. Hex pulled the sheet across, revealing the identity of the silhouette as Shion's eyes grew wide. There, laying among the expensive bed sheets, was their 'silver-spoon'; or rather a silver-maned Shizuma, laying, peacefully dreaming.
The former Spica council president looked in awe as the other two only exchanged glances, clearly amused by her reaction. "Shi-… Shizuma is the silver-spoon you keep talking about?" the normally articulate girl stuttered.
"She must have been quite a handful for you to manage Mr. Hex." Chikaru playfully ignored the other girl's question.
"At first she was a bit troublesome…" the black haired man confessed. "But after awhile, we just ended up talking and then within a few minutes, she dozed right back off to sleep." Suddenly, he laughed. "She was full of energy while she was ragging on me. I left to take a quick phone call, about a minute or less, and when I came back she was out cold."
"Well, it is a stressful situation, I can see why she was so exhausted." Chikaru rested a gentle hand over Shizuma's bandages caringly, causing said girl to stir a little in her sleep. "Besides, with this injury, it's better for her to get a lot of rest."
"I'd like to get some rest, too." Shion muttered to herself.
"Don't worry love, we're leaving right now." the black haired girl assured, laying a soft kiss on the blonde's neck. She turned to Hex playfully. "If you would be so kind as to help us carry Shizuma to the car, it would be greatly appreciated."
"That goes without saying." Hex wheezed as he lifted Shizuma into his arms, careful not to wake the sleeping beauty. She mumbled something in her sleep, but thankfully, she continued her slumber.
The three walked towards Chikaru's antiquated Benz, the couple leading the way. Hex whistled in amazement as they approached the car.
"That's an SSK from 1932, isn't it?" Hex asked with the excitement of a young school boy.
"You have quite an eye, it's a classic piece of machinery." Chikaru boasted. "They use it very often in old detective movies; I've wanted one ever since I was a little girl. Thankfully, father collected antique cars."
"It suits you well Chikaru-san, you have an… interesting personality. Sort of mysterious."
The girl only chuckled in response.
Hex cautiously rested Shizuma in the backseat, allowing her to stretch out across the fine leather. Chikaru slid herself behind the wheel while Shion strapped into the passenger's seat. Hex took a step back as the young liberal started up the engine with a sputter. He smiled and waved the couple off as they pulled onto the road and slowly ebbed away into the night. After a long day, he looked forward to finally getting a good night's rest and, with a heavy yawn, returned to his hideaway.
Meanwhile, the duo made their way back to the hotel, their mission complete. Shion gave into sleep within a few minutes of their departure. As Chikaru drove along, she happened to glance Shion in the corner of her eye and smiled to herself. With one hand on the wheel, she reached over to the blonde with her free hand. She touched the girl's wide forehead, giggling slightly, and then brushed away a few stray strands from her face lovingly.
Slowly, the sleeping girl stirred and opened her eyelids slightly, allowing her blue orbs to lock onto those of gold belonging to her lover.
"Did I wake you?" Chikaru asked apologetically.
"Yea…", was the only response the disoriented girl could muster. She wiped her eyes as she fixed in her seat. "Are we almost there?" she asked in a hoarse voice.
"No love, you can go back to sleep. We're only about halfway there."
"Shizuma didn't wake up yet?"
Looking into her rear-view mirror, the raven haired girl looked over the former Etoile. "She's still sleeping back there, no need to worry."
Satisfied, Shion allowed sleep to take her once more.
After another twenty minutes of driving, they finally pulled into the hotel parking lot. Chikaru carried Shizuma on her back while Shion groggily teetered down the halls.
"Are you sure you're okay? I can help you know." Shion offered, though contradicting her claim with a yawn.
"It's alright, I'm stronger than I look." Chikaru smiled. "Besides, you're barely keeping yourself up. I'm fine."
Although she opened her mouth to argue, Shion realized that what Chikaru said was true and left the matter alone. They took an elevator up to their room. There was an extra bed that the couple would never use, so Chikaru set Shizuma down in that one.
The blonde anxiously scrambled into bed without bothering to undress. Meanwhile the raven haired girl sat in bed with her phone, informing Kaname of her successful pick-up. She crawled into bed right next to her girlfriend, kissing her forehead before wrapping her arms around her. Although she hadn't shown it, she was fighting sleep the whole time as well. She was glad to finally be able to rest for the night.
Author's Note: I know I probably confused you guys in the beginning but just to clarify, the introduction was a narration by Chikaru. Also, I know this probably doesn't make a difference but in chapter 7, I made a mistake. The cop in that chapter was Miyuki's uncle, not father, I messed up. Those of you who read One Hot Summer may remember he was also mentioned in that story. I wouldn't feel right if I didn't acknowledge that mistake -.-' . Anyway, until next chapter Selamat malam.