Disclaimer: I don't own Skip Beat! Manga/Anime or any of its characters, plots, etc.
I'm very sorry for letting you for sooooo long! I was stuck. I didn't know how to proceed with the story, especially with the action scenes. These are the first intense action scene that I have ever written so far. I'm hoping it's not that bad and it will be acceptable for you. And lastly, I am still in a bit of a slump over my cousin's death and then, a week or so ago, I heard the my grandpa's sister's husband passed away too. :( He was the one who thought me how to play volleyball! Anyways, enough with the depressing stuff. I'm sorry I'm such a downer lately. Let's proceed onto the main reason why you're reading this. Here's the new chapter! I hope you ENJOY it! ^_^ oh and excuse my poor grammar, poor vocab and typos...
Recap:
"Oh, come on, Sho. I thought I was doing you a favor. You wanted to see and talk to her desperately, don't you?" A female voice said in a mockingly sweet tone.
Kyoko felt her blood ran cold and her veins turned to ice. All functions ceased as her brain processed the recognition of the female voice. As if that wasn't enough, the body the voice belonged to, stepped out behind Sho and Kyoko meet her all too familiar stone cold eyes.
And then she heard the doors closed and the train started moving...
Chapter 51
"It's been a long time, my daughter," said one Mogami- no, scratch that- Takahara Saena.
Kyoko's breath was caught in her throat and she couldn't believe her eyes-what she was seeing with her eyes. It was none other than her mother. Formerly known to her as Mogami Saena. In the flesh. Right in front of her. Talking to her, too.
"I'm really sorry, Kyoko." Sho pleaded as he saw Kyoko's reaction.
Kyoko's brain took a while for Sho's words to reach her mind. She finally broke eye contact and glanced at Sho for a second to assess his words and his state. For a moment she felt sorry for him. It must have been terrifying to have your life threatened with a gun to your head or pointed to any part of your body. But it didn't last long because when she got over the initial shock of seeing her mother for the first time since she was abandoned at the Fuwa Ryokan, all the emotions regarding her mother abandoning an innocent, helpless little baby on someone's car came surging back. White, hot and pure rage at the said woman in front of her boiled her blood that made her see red. She had to close her eyes for a few seconds and breathed deep to control herself.
Kyoko felt Kuon's hand on one of her upper arms, ready to move her by the arm to protect her when danger came. She concentrated on the warmth that his hand was giving her and that distracted her from that surging anger roaring inside her. She didn't noticed they had stopped to the next station and the doors opened and closed as she concentrated on calming down. She exhaled and opened her eyes and fixed her gaze on Sho.
"It's okay, Sho. This is perfect, even." Kyoko said to him slowly and then, smiled a cold smile of her own too. It wasn't Mio, Natsu or any other villain character she had played. It was pure Kyoko with her demons' heads just peeking over her shoulders. "I have been wanting to see her these past three weeks."
"I know." Saena replied. "My friends in very high places have been telling me."
"You've always been very smart for me to please, mother." Kyoko said mockingly and then, continued icily. "But not so smart abandoning my baby brother on someone's car in dead winter."
Saena snorted. "You just figure that out recently? I thought you'd recognize him at one glance in your boyfriend's arms."
Kyoko's eyes widened at the mention 'boyfriend' that pointed to Ren because Ren was the one who found the baby.
"What? You just figured that out?" Saena asked smugly. "Did you really think it was just a coincidence that your famous boyfriend just conveniently found a baby on the hood of his car one wintry cold night?" She said the last four words in a sing-song tone. "By the way, nice choice. Your childhood prince is one of the top musicians and now your boyfriend is the number one actor in Japan. You inherited some of my genes all along."
Kyoko growled. "I am nothing like you." Kyoko angrily spat out. "And neither does my brother."
"Who's wombed did you come out from? And who endured the pain so you could live?" Saena retorted. "You should be living for me and serving me for all I had to endure for the two of you."
Kuon nearly leaped out from behind Kyoko and strangle the woman who called herself his beloved's mother. She was a monster in his eyes. In his opinion, the woman should be locked up in hell for the rest of her life. She had no right to lay eyes on Kyoko and baby Ren. He was about to settle for second best and defend Kyoko in words but Kyoko beat him to it and from the looks of Kyoko, she could pretty much handle her mother. He was just very nervous at the gun the crazy bitch was holding in her hand.
"And who told you to have sex and get pregnant?" Kyoko shouted back. "Who's decision was it? Me and my brother certainly didn't put a gun to your head for the both of us to exist!"
"You should be grateful I didn't kill you before you even came out of me!"
"So that you can order us around for the benefit of your own good without a care of what we want? Or so we could think that we are not good enough and be abandoned by our own mother? Because that is really very smart, Saena." Kyoko finally stopped calling Saena her mother.
She felt ashamed and disgusted in thinking and saying she was her mother. How could a mother feel nothing for her children? How could a mother abandon a helpless little baby on someone's car in dead winter just like that without a backwards glance just so she could get rid of him and be with her husband? How could a mother choose money over her children? How could a mother think of her children as pawns and servants that should live to serve and please her? How could any human being do all does things?
The train stopped again and the doors opened. The two guys were standing by the door on alert if they tried to get out while Saena lowered the gun down to Sho's back again where she had pointed it on their way to train so no one outside could get a glimpse of it and report them. The doors closed again and Kuon's heart sank and he gritted in frustration because he really wanted Kyoko off that train as fast as he could.
"There is no sense for us talking about what already happened, Saena. You did it and you'll pay for it." Kyoko told her. "Once was enough and I could live with that. But I won't let you off doing it a second time. You are not some god to play with me or my brother's life. You did something wrong and you have to pay for it."
"You don't have enough substantial evidence against me." Saena replied with her cold smile and hard eyes. "And who are you to try to make me face any consequences? Just look who's the one holding the gun?"
"That's just so like you, Saena." Kyoko said in disgust. "Always thinking of everything. Very clever. Very smart." She paused. "But not all that smart... The very minute that gun you are holding goes off there will be more you will be paying for."
Kuon's hand on her arm tightened. He was terrified for her because she didn't seem to be afraid of the gun and he was very much so. He wasn't afraid of it for himself but he was terrified for her. She might get hit any second and she was provoking the psychotic woman who was holding the gun even more. He was glad she was standing up for herself and baby Ren to their mother but not while she was holding a f***ing gun.
Dark Kuon was starting to come out because he was starting to cuss and he was very much on the edge just looking at that gun while Kyoko was standing in front of him. She should have been behind him this whole time hidden from the danger of being shot at. He was praying and pleading to god, to the deity of safety or any other spirit who was listening and has the power to make them arrive faster at the next station. But unfortunately, the next station was Nagoya and it was still more than an hour away.
"With the time that I have? I could kill all of you and still have a lot of time to spare before I get off at the next stop." Saena replied cheerily.
Kyoko looked at the woman she recognized as her mother for so long and observed her. She thought of what she had done before and what her character was since she was little. Then, she realized that the woman she had looked up to and tried to please so hard before didn't do anything that doesn't benefit her.
She already knew about the police looking for her and yet she had purposely kidnapped Sho just so she could talk to me. Why does she want to see me? To kill me? Kyoko shook the thought mentally. If she wanted to, she would have already killed or silenced Sho somehow and killed me right away before we even got to the first stop.
Then, a thought suddenly occurred to her. "You wouldn't dare to do that." Kyoko began. "You made me come here for a reason. You have something you want from me and you won't kill me unless you get it."
"You think it will be that hard?" She asked rhetorically as she pointed the gun back to Sho's head again. "I'll kill your precious Sho-chan if you don't."
Kyoko's anger flared again as she witnessed yet again how cruel, unfeeling and monstrous the woman who gave her life had turned into. It was sickening to think that her blood runs in Kyoko's veins. Kyoko could not believe it. It was the last straw. Kyoko did not know that she still felt something for her mother after she had started calling her Saena. But apparently she still felt pity for the woman who was giving everything away for selfish, petty and worthless things in life such as money, especially things such as money. Money wasn't worth the life of a person, not even her mother's. Now, she felt nothing for her when she seriously threaten someone's life. She hardened her heart for her as she finally accepted that her mother has already chosen the path of her life and Kyoko must chose her's, too.
"What do you want from me?" Kyoko asked.
"See? Too easy." Saena smirked.
Kuon's nose flared at the evil bitch. If she wasn't pointing a gun to another human being even if that human being was Sho and with Kyoko in front of him, he would have made her suffer for a long, long time. Even if it was until they arrive in Kyoto, he would be satisfied to make her feel just a taste of the pain she had been giving Kyoko. But his hands were tied behind his back, metaphorically. He just had to wait until they get to Nagoya and help would come.
"Now... Tell me who adopted your brother?"
Kyoko and Kuon were startled by her question.
So, she wants baby Ren back. Kyoko and Ren thought. Very strong protective instinct rose within Kyoko like that pure white rage before. Instinct to protect her baby, the baby she had come to love as her own before she found out he was her baby brother.
Over my dead body! She screamed in her head.
But apparently, she wasn't the only one experiencing the protective instinct of a parent for his child because, out of nowhere, Kyoko saw something flew out from behind her and landed squarely at Saena's nose. Pain filled Saena's nose as the force also made her lose her balance and she fell back. Because of the pain, she unknowingly let go of the gun to cup her now broken nose.
"Get the gun." Kuon ordered Kyoko from behind.
Kuon then flew to guy behind him guarding the door. He reached him in merely five seconds as the guy's eyes widened in surprise when he suddenly saw Kuon in front of him ready to attack him. Kuon didn't give him anymore time to think and he dropped down unconscious on the floor like a sack of potatoes when Kuon was done with him.
While Kyoko on the other side ran to get the gun, Sho and the other guy who was guarding the other door were still reeling at the surprising turn of events. They stared in surprise at the now bloody Saena sprawled on the floor. Kyoko reached them and with slightly trembling hands, she took hold of the gun at Saena's feet. The other minion of Saena instantly reacted when he saw Kyoko holding the gun. He took out his own from inside his suit jacket and held Sho by the neck and pointed the gun at the singer.
"Don't move or I'll shoot him." He threatened.
Kyoko froze and the guy paled when he saw Kuon standing behind her. Kyoko on the other hand was frozen with the gun pointing at her mother still lying at her feet. Saena seemed to recover from the blow and was now slowly trying to get up while clutching her bloodied broken nose. She looked at the manga next to here, the one Kuon was reading before she arrived and used to break her nose. Finally, she sat up on the floor glaring at Kyoko and then at Kuon.
"LME sure has capable guard dogs." Saena cursed.
Kyoko glared back at her mother. "He's not LME's guard dog. He's MINE." Kyoko snarled back.
Sho and Saena were both startled at the revelation. Then, Saena schooled her expression and gave Kuon an appraising look.
"I see." Saena commented. "You really got my talent of choosing a great catch."
She glanced at her last standing minion and then nodded to Kuon's direction. The guy pointed the gun at Kuon. Protective instinct rose from within Kyoko and she turned to the guy and pointed the gun at him. But Saena kicked Kyoko's wrist and she let go of the gun. Saena caught the gun and she scrambled up to point it at Kyoko.
Kuon was busy taking the gun which was pointed at him away from the guy holding it and he missed the chance to protect Kyoko. When he was done taking the gun from the guy, Kyoko was already in front of Saena as a shield with the gun pointed to her head and the guy had the struggling Sho in a headlock. Kuon lowered the gun he had taken as if he was surrendering.
"Glad you understand perfectly." Saena commented. "Good dog."
"I don't want to be praise by a bitch." Kuon spat out. "If you weren't the woman who gave life to two of the most important people in my life, you would have still been lying there on the floor barely breathing."
"Wishful thinking because you're in a bind?"
Kuon looked at Saena with the coldest eyes Kyoko had ever seen on him. He was in full dark-Kuon-mode but somehow he wasn't out of control. He was still Kuon, the normal Kuon.
Then, he said in a voice as cold and serious as his eyes, "I can easily kill you before you can even finish the thought of killing your own daughter." He paused. "But I'm not like you. I wouldn't do that to Kyoko."
"Too bad you're not like me." She replied and then pointed the gun at Kuon.
"NO!" Kyoko shouted in protest.
"Are you afraid I'll kill your boyfriend? If you don't tell me where your brother is, I just-might..." She told Kyoko and then fired the gun. Kuon seemed to have vanished from their line of sight for a second and then reappeared in front of the gun again.
"Duck!" He commanded to Kyoko and she instinctively obeyed. He didn't give Saena time to fire again as he took hold of her arm and folded it towards her, so the gun was now pointed in front of her heart.
"No!" Kyoko shouted again. "I don't want you to kill her, Kuon!"
A second later, Kyoko heard a shot rang ear-piercingly. Saena and Kyoko's eyes widened and they looked at Saena's chest and then to where the gun was actually pointed when it fired. The thigh of Saena's minion had a blossoming red spot on his pants. He slowly let go of the red-faced Sho and crumpled down on the floor of the train.
"Be grateful your daughter is very kind." Kuon told the horrible woman. "But I'm not very kind."
Kuon gave her a blow to the solar plexus and she crumpled unconscious to the floor next to her underling who was clutching his thigh.
Kuon took all the guns and searched the guy for anymore weapons. Then, he took Kyoko in his arms and carried her back to their seat. While Sho was slightly coughing and recovering from his first headlock experience. He sat Kyoko on his lap held her closely against him with one arm while the other took out his phone and dialed the president.
"Call the police and fly down to Nagoya Station. We have Takahara Saena with us." Kuon said without preamble or greetings.
"What? How?" The president exclaimed in surprise and then, a few seconds later, asked, "Is she alive?"
"Unfortunately." Kuon replied begrudgingly.
"Kuon!" Kyoko exclaimed at his reply. She finally came out from the shock of the thought that the gun fired at her mother's heart. "She's still a human being."
"As I said to her, I'm not very kind like you..." He replied seriously. "Especially to those who try and do hurt my loved ones."
Kuon ended the called and put his phone back to his pocket not caring the shock and confusion he had caused on the other end of the call. Kyoko turned on his lap to fully face him as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Thank you." she stared into his eyes lovingly. "Thank you, my dear prince, for saving me from the evil witch." She smiled brightly as she leaned into him and pressed her lips gently to his in a sweet, gentle kiss filled with appreciation and love. "I love you."
"As long as you agree to be my princess forever, we'll call it even, my love." Kuon replied and then he took over the kiss and deepened it.
Sho, who was now standing by the two bodies crumpled to the floor clutching his still sore neck, watched the lovely scene before him. He was still recovering from being in a headlock, held at a gunpoint, almost shot and killed and now he would have to recover from a broken heart also.
For the first time in Sho's entire life, he experienced total helplessness when he was held hostage by Saena. He wanted to help Kyoko but he had no choice because Saena threatened to kill him and he partly agreed at first to talk to Kyoko. But he didn't know it would escalate so quick and put him and Kyoko in grave danger.
Now looking at the scene before him, for the first time in Sho's entire life, he experience total hopelessness because he finally realized that there was no way of getting Kyoko back ever, even as a childhood friend. For how could she ever forgive him after what he did to her today?
Sho sighed and went to sit on the seat in front of him. He closed his eyes and leaned back in relaxation in his seat. He didn't have any choice but to wait and take a rest before they get off at Nagoya Station.
I lost her... Sho thought regretfully.
I hope you liked and enjoyed it. As for me, I'm just very happy I finally finished this chapter. It was a difficult chapter to write. I felt like a blind person. I didn't know how to go about the action scenes. I searched and searched for ideas in my head but there was none. It was just blank darkness inside. Nothing's popping up. But as I think and think and kept thinking of ideas and how to take down Saena that will fit everyone's character and capabilities, this is what I came up with. I hope it wasn't too OOC! I wrote it in one chapter so I won't have any problems thinking of ideas and getting stuck again in the next chapter.
Anyways, I am forever grateful for every single one of you who continue reading my updates and for your lovely reviews, follows, favs and for liking my story enough that you continue waiting for my slow updates. I am really grateful, thankful and really do appreciate all of you. I love you all and I'll read you next update. Laterz! ^_^ God Bless you all...