To whoever was the first to read my fanfic, this is dedicated to you. Hope you and anyone else that stumbles across this enjoys!
CHAPTER THREE
Mahiru's head is still spinning from the slap to her face when she is tossed into the back seat of the car. She lands face first on the seat and has to pull her legs in quick before Hokuto closes the door on them.
"Shiraishi?" a familiar voice says near her head. Mahiru struggles to sit upright, difficult what with her hands restrained behind her back, and realizes that she is not alone in the back of the car. Keiko Himura sits next to her, clutching a small wooden box in her lap and staring at Mahiru in disbelief. "Hokuto, what have you done?" she whispers.
"Ah, so you do know the girl," Hokuto says as he slips behind the wheel. Mutsura sits in the passenger seat to the left still clutching his nose. "How long have you known she was one of the beasts?"
Himura ignores the question. "Hokuto, you can't just kidnap her! When Shiraishi doesn't go home tonight her aunt will call the police. It'll only be a matter of time until they figure out where she is."
"Her kidnapping is justified, the police will see that. She is a monster. Besides, by the time those idiot detectives catch up to us she will already have helped us capture the other demons and they will all be dead."
Mahiru's eyes widen and she yells a muffled no.
Then her eyes widen even more for another reason. She begins to recognize a strong power beside her, pulling her, and she can see a bright light even with her eyes closed. Mahiru turns towards Himura and looks at the wooden box again. Sure enough, the box emanates a glow that only Mahiru can see, the glow of a Teardrop of the Moon. Hokuto notices this as he starts the car and his eyes narrow in curiosity.
Before they go anywhere, something large lands on the roof of the car causing the roof to cave in above Hokuto's and Mutsura's heads. The two crouch down to the floor and scramble to get the doors open but they are jammed shut. There is an awful noise as the metal above Mahiru is ripped away and then there he is.
Mitsuru.
Everything stops for one moment amidst the chaos, one very precious moment, where, despite Himura's frightened scream and Hokuto's cry of rage, Mahiru hears one word escape Mitsuru's lips.
He whispers, "Mahiru…."
Tears spring to her eyes.
The moment ends when Mahiru feels Himura put something round and hard in her hands. She can feel the warmth of the object's power. The teardrop….
"Take it," Himura whispers in her ear. "Give it back to the people it belongs to." Mahiru looks back at her, into Himura's eyes. They hold a vision of guilt, pain, and sorrow. Mahiru had been right. Himura wants this stupid war that causes only suffering and bloodshed to end just as badly as she does.
"Keiko!" Hokuto yells, having seen what Himura has done. He reaches back to them, trying to grab the teardrop and Mahiru.
"Go! Now!" Himura grabs Hokuto and holds him back. Mahiru shakes her head, wanting Himura to come with them. "Forget about me. I am fully capable of taking care of myself. Now just get out of here!"
Mitsuru then lifts Mahiru up into his arms. Instantly, she feels safe, safer than she ever would have if they were someone else's arms. He calls to the wind to lift them as far away from Dawn's Venus as possible.
As they ascend, he cradles Mahiru in one arm and uses his free hand to rip away the duct tape binding her hands and mouth. Mahiru wraps her arms around Mitsuru's neck, pressing her body as close to his as possible. Mitsuru feels her trembling in his arms and he holds her tighter, more tightly than he ever has before.
"Mitsuru…," she says in a whimper, her voice as light as the wind. All of the fear and tears she had been holding back to keep from panicking came rushing at her all at once. She buried her head against his neck and let them come.
Mitsuru didn't know what to do when Mahiru started crying. Normally, it would have made him mad. Normally, a string of profanities would have flowed from his mouth for her to stop before she made his clothes drenched. Yet he couldn't make himself say it. He couldn't summon his anger at her. He couldn't summon his hate.
A part of him didn't want to hate her anymore.
Mitsuru would never willingly admit aloud if something scared him, but…this had scared him, seeing her almost get kidnapped. He couldn't understand it. Why should I care if anything happens to her? Heck, I wanted to kill her myself not too long ago. But now…
Mitsuru looks down at the small figure clutching to his tengu form.
Now I don't want to let her go….
