A Locked Heaven Ch. 2

So, apparently there is a 14 hour time difference between Japan and Texas? I tried to keep a little more accurate to that in this chapter haha. Again, I'm so sorry about this taking forever, but it will totally be worth it all. I really want to thank every last one of you for staying with this (and me) for the last two years. I know the updates have been slow, but I love this story so much that I won't stop until the end! Thank you guys :)

Amane groaned tiredly as she flopped onto her bed once again. This country was a mad house! People left and right swarmed streets with horrible attitudes and flesh spilling over all out of their clothing and- ugh, the accents... It drove her nuts trying to comprehend what little english she understood, only to have herself confused to no end on what they were all saying. To top it off, she's pretty sure a majority of them were blind- she neither male nor 'yellow' as they called her. More like a tanned peach if anything, she would guess.

Needlessly, she thought of Hikari the whole day in town. When trying to get directions to a barber, she had gotten horribly lost down a shady street, crammed with worn down homes, gaudy looking trucks, and at least four different police vehicles. Amane wanted to run, but she was afraid the men in the area would think her up to no good- and she'd heard all about Texas' gun laws. They are necessary for survival as far as it's residents are concerned. On the ever-stretching, broiling walk back to the hotel, she received a message from Shouta telling her about the (lack of) progress in finding those boys from the other week. She sighed, and put the phone away without responding. She then looked at her reflection on the blank black screen of her phone- at least her hair was manageably messy again.

When she walked into the lobby at about ten in the morning, Amane finally felt some peace. It was practically barren, the only other lingering soul was an older man with his newspaper and dog by his side, panting away the horridly burning morning. She made a resolve to fetch star Bright LOTS of water for their afternoon training.

Brrrrrriiiiiiinnnnng

Oh God.

Brrrrrriiiiiiiinnnng

What could it be now?...

BRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNG

The screaming phone seemed to get louder the longer she ignored it. She knew it wasn't her phone- she kept it on vibrate, otherwise she knew it would end up against a wall somewhere. Begrudgingly, she got back up and answered the hotel's phone. Before she could even greet the other end, a prerecorded message came on announcing that the racers needed to report to the lobby as quickly as possibly. For Spanish, press 2. For Other, press pound. Amane rolled her eyes, put her sneakers back on, and grimaces all the down. Her barren paradise now only ten minutes later became a hell of Texan aristocrats and their boy-toy jockeys, all suited up and playing such pretty masks with one another. With another roll of her eyes, Amane passed by them all, looking for somewhere to sit, for someone she knew, a visible exit that wouldn't be blocked off. Since when were so many people racing at this thing? When she found none, she took refuge in the lounge bar, ordering a glass of the cheapest whiskey. When in Rome...

As she took one of the few remaining sits up front, she heard a swift crack and immediate screaming and gasps. Two of the horse jockeys were now all out brawling on the floor of the lobby. The bluenette hung her head in disbelief, taking a small swig of the liquor. I'd rather be the Carthaginians than the Roman.

"Tch. Fighting before the race? Idiots. Their only making the competition that much easier for us. Wouldn't you say, my dear rival?"

Amane swirled around in her stool- Miyo! The one possible friend she could've hoped to see here. "Miyo-sama, what're you doing here? I thought you were staying at the plantation mansion with all of the other non-residents?"

"What? And deal with all of those 'high class' swine? All they do is gossip to each other and me the most ridiculous questions. Not that I can understand much of it better than you can. Isn't that why you're here at the hotel?"

Amane nodded, remembering the problems she had last year. She took another gulp from her glass and Miyo raised an eyebrow. "Uh... I don't think you're quite old enough yet. Just because they won't card you Amane-"

"Hey... I mean..."

"Amane." Miyo's serious, mother voice came through, and Amane cowered a little, despite herself. "Does Hikari know?"

"No... but.. wait, we're not... I mean, like yeah she's-"

"Living with you, dating you, turning you into a love-struck fool. We all know, it's no big secret between the racers at the Central Track, but it's only between the racers. She's still in school though, so why you're taking all these risks with her is beyond me. How long have you been drinking?"

"Since I met Kaname-chan as a freshman at Spica."

"Hmm... she always did seem like the devilish one of the two of you. Regardless, you didn't answer me. Does Hikari know?"

"No. It's not a problem or anything, I haven't touched a sip of it since last summer started. Then I met Hikari, and things got so crazy..." her face distorted, now reliving those haunted memories of so many nights worried sick over Hikari, her poor angel, and the night she found her broken, bleeding, quivering body under Jack's menacing stature. Reading a lot on her face and understanding that this was not a place for someone like Amane to be right before a race, Miyo spoke up, still in her same strict tone.

"Despite it being a bit early, at least you're not an alcoholic, then. That's a good thing. If you ever get there, I WILL kick your ass, Ootori. That girl needs better than that; she needs someone strong and unbreakable." Amane started to protest, but Miyo continued."Hey now, all things considered, I'd say your doing pretty damn good so far."

There was a short silence between them. Amane sighed. "I'm nineteen, to be twenty almost as soon as we get back to Japan. Hikari's sixteen, and won't be seventeen for a while. This could be bad."

"Don't think of it like that. Nobody other than us know, right?" Miyo's words lost their impacted, however, so instead she put her hand to the Rider's shoulder. "Cheer up. When we get back, I'll take you out for Saki bombs on your birthday. Hikari can come too, but you've gotta promise me you'll tell her."

She half smiled, scratching the back of her neck, remembering Hikari's friends Yaya and Tsubomi. They didn't seem anything like the kind of people who would let it out though.. "Thanks Miyo. I'm more of a whiskey only person, but I'll take you up on it."

"Good. So, you'll tell her?"

Amane nodded nervously. It would be a miracle if Hikari wouldn't lose her shit and go stay with Yaya afterwards. Countless times she would wince and flinch seeing beer cans in the streets, broken bottles laying around the park. The bluenette knew what it reminded her of, and now Amane was torn to shreds about it all. Why did she come in here? Why would she let herself order something? Did she really not think of the consequences? She told herself again she obviously didn't have a problem- this was the first she'd even thought about a drink since she met Hikari.

A loud call from the lobby broke them from their thoughts. Miyo offered her hand to help up Amane, to which she politely refused, chuckling, "It's my first glass, I'm not plastered."

They both laughed, and walked out together. A funny looking man in a suit too big for his small, rotund frame was standing on a makeshift platform in the far end of the lobby. He was shouting into a microphone about presumably sportsmanship and community, but for all the Japanese women could understand, he could've been talking about what he at for lunch. His accent was so thick, it didn't even sound like he was speaking english. A good fifteen minutes went by of Miyo and Amane staring half-dumb at him, and looking around the lobby aimlessly. When people suddenly began to dispurse, talking loudly in their cliquish groups, they came back to reality themselves, parted for the time being, and went back to their respective rooms. She decided to text Hikari then, just to say hello, despite it being almost midnight over there. She thought about the long talk they'd probably have ahead.

Her phone buzzed suddenly in the near silence. Hikari picked up her phone and happily read and responded to Amane. She'd been dreadfully bored since she got home from school, wondering when her sweet Rider would have the time to talk to her before she'd have to retire for the night. After filing out what seemed like countless job applications- most of which would go unanswered by the companies in question- she'd gotten lost watching a pair of birds flutter around outside by the tree next to their bedroom window. Their bedroom... Their home... When she took it in that the reality was that they lived together, were a family together, Hikari became so elated with an un-replicable happiness. Her first crush, her first love, her greatest idol and now her first real protector, had opened her home and her heart to her. What more could any human being ask for in love? To Hikari, her nightmare was over; she lived in a practical paradise with Amane around. It was when she was gone that she had her lows, but there was always Yaya and Tsubomi to keep her head up. Renewed her all of her love flowing through her blood and mind, she sent a gushing hello back Amane, filled with hearts and smiley faces, asking her how she was doing, if she and Star Bright were getting enough water, how much she missed her. Right before she sent it though, as an after thought, she took out the part of her missing her, only so she wouldn't get distracted from the race. Hikari knew she needed all her focus right now to be exact. Still smiling and gushing with happiness, it sent, and she looked out the window again. The birds were nuzzled together on a branch, probably to keep each other warm in the evening breeze. To think it was early morning in America, and deep into the night home in Japan, was a mind blowing concept. She suddenly envied the birds of their closeness. Should they ever be separated, they still had their wings to go find one another again. Of course, she knew Amane would probably try teaching Star Bright to swim across the entire ocean if Hikari needed her here.

She sighed happily and waited for her lover's response.

She looked at her phone again to see a message from Hikari, blushing madly in the elevator, and grateful no one else was in here with her, for fear they might misinterpret the text. She was in the middle of replying to her numerous questions when the elevator stopped on her floor. She eventually got to the end, and stopped herself. Should I tell her now? It would be more honorable... no, that's something how have to call someone about... or maybe I should wait until we're in person? No, it'll take too long, I'll just text her once I get to my-

She stopped dead.

...Room.

Ever so slightly, the door to her hotel room was just slivered open, and the light was on. Was it another competitor looking for dirt? OR a crazy fan-girl that somehow followed her here? She was still, not even breathing. How did ANYBODY get in there without a key? It locked automatically when it was shut. Taking a deep breath, and slowly inching to the entranceway, she closed her eyes, sighed once, and pounced into the room, fists at the ready. She nearly socked the intruder in the ear just before she realized who- and what trouble they brought with them- was standing before her!

It grew later and later, and later yet into the early morning when Hikari finally decided to retire to bed. She was more worried than anything about Amane. She had taken a shower to distract herself, but still couldn't shake the feeling that something just wasn't only got the one message from her about an hour ago, and she feared that some unforeseen unpleasantness had surrounded her. About what though? She told me that all the paperwork and registration was finished. She just had to keep busy until Friday... I wonder if she's just getting to know the other competition?

"I'm being so irrational about this, Amane-sempai can handle anything. She's the strongest person I've ever known! Besides, it's only been an hour." Hikari told herself. It just must feel longer, because it's so much later here...She convinced herself of it long enough to get her under the covers, but it nagged at the back of her head that she'd only heard from her once, and briefly. She waited, watching the time pass from the dim light of her phone. 1:00 a.m. ... 2:00 a.m. ... 2:30 ... 2:35... 2:36 ...

"Ootori. You know, I've wanted to meet you in person for many years now. I never expected this to be your hospitality."

Amane took a step back, careful not to show any signs of fear or weakness. Finally, she'd gotten too far too fast in the world, and now she'd come across the one family, the one member of that family, she'd come to dread even reading about in newspapers.

"Hanazono Shizuma, I guess we were destined to meet eventually," she spoke carefully to the silver-haired shark, locking her earthen brown eyes to an unnaturally seductive, frightening emerald pair of claws. "May I ask what the honor is for?"

"Amane-kun, you can cut the act you know. Even your steel-strong poker face can't hide the fact that you're very, very afraid to be in this room with me. I'm not here for blackmail, rather, just to fix a bit of a mishap." she didn't waste a word for her point. The Hanazono's were scary in their ability to cut you to the bone in a few words. Under that solid green gaze, even Amane knew she was shaking ever so slightly inside. It was because those eyes knew secrets; every last one of them. That family knew every cover-up, scandal, and flaw anyone had ever had. How? No one asked. No one wanted to- those were the ones that ended up without a career and without a penny left to their names.

"Hanazono-sama, I don't know what-"

"Shizuma will do just fine. Isn't that what you tell your kouhai?" Amane stood frozen and fear now crept into her face. Shizuma laughed, "I didn't say I didn't have blackmail, just that I wasn't here for it. Even the secrets in your small Rider's club easily come across my ears. Oh, the things I could tell you about Miyo. But, that's not the reason for me being here. I came firstly to apologize; secondly, to offer retribution. You work at at stable in some community park, for a Mr. Shouta. Some time ago four young, brainless college boys came in and tore the place up, and you followed it with a police report, correct?"

Still wide-eyed, and cautious, she responded slowly. "Yes. They were never found."

"There was a reason for that."

The Rider paled. "What... Did you do."

The beautiful demon smiled. "Funny, I don't recall thee last time someone had the balls to question me. I think I'm going to like you."

Right then, Amane didn't feel like she even had a spine. But, she was silent, and let Shizuma continue. "There was a ring leader I presume? Dumber than the other three, more charismatic to them, and no doubt the biggest pain in the ass?" The Rider nodded. "That particular moron was my younger brother."

Still silent, Amane carefully watched Shizuma's every move now. She may have said she was here to fix things, but that held no weight considering how little she honestly knew about this fearsome woman. She half expected there to be a gun stashed away somewhere on her sultry body, probably hidden beneath the black blouse that formed against her so well. "The police had a particularly hard job finding him because the Hanazono's are not ones to be found. We work the other way around. However, this doesn't mean we all don't have some sense of morality. You, at the core, are a much more valiant human being than I normally come across. For that reason, I not only want to work with you, but I will continue digging deeper. Just to prove it to myself that you are really the Prince your people say you are. We are very much alike Amane, we are very driven for our passions."

Whatever could possibly be Shizuma's passions, Amane was terrified to know.

"The truth of the matter is, you have a scandal. One nearly identical to mine, except my reputation won't crumble if people knew. This girl lives with you, but she is underage. She ran away from home to be with her Prince Charming. But I digress, I said I wouldn't use blackmail."

Amane had to keep a conscious effort not to laugh ballistically from disbelief? Ran away from home? Even the scariest if the Hanazono's don't know everything, I guess.

"So, how do my love life and your brother come in contact together?" She asked brazenly.

"Simply, so you'll understand how generous I'm being. Someday, he will be the head of our family corporation. Someday, he will fail, and I will be at the helm. Not like I could care much for it anyway, I'd much rather spend my years enjoying the connections being a Hanazono has than terrifying other people with them. Anyway, I'm waiting for then to be his big disgrace; not now. His friends, unfortunately, must be covered by this umbrella, lest one of them grows a loose jaw. So, I'm going to offer you a quarter of a million yen for you to call off any of the searches for them, and another hundred for care of the horses. Deal?'

Amane stood shocked. That was a hell of a lot more money than she'd ever THOUGHT about, never mind having on her. But she was extremely bothered by it. This was hush money- this was supposed to fix the trauma that the poor creatures went through every day. She didn't know for sure if any kind of therapy or treatment would get them back to normal. "Shizuma, what your brother and his friends did was not only stupid and selfish, but traumatic, probably unrepairable. They won't eat regularly, and they're afraid of the training field. Do you know how hard it was explaining that to their owners? Those aren't actually our horses, we look after them, we train them and feed them, but realistically, Shouta's paid for it all. He lowers their rates if they let him rent out the horses for lessons. I don't necessarily agree with all of his methods, but hell, they need the exercise. Now I... they won't let me take care of them. I've never seen them so afraid, even of me. The absentee's that come around don't recognize their own horses. Paying me off couldn't possibly fix them, not completely."

Shizuma didn't miss a beat. "What about Hikari-chan? Wouldn't she want you to take any help you could get for them?"

Amane dropped another shade, and now almost looked ghostly. "You know her name?"

"Did you really think I wouldn't? I know the story, I know all the names."

They stood silent, almost like a stalemate, if it weren't for the fact Amane knew very well how high up Shizuma was holding her by, and if she squirmed the wrong way, she and Hikari both could very easily be dropped down the mountain below. She would not let herself look away however. As frightened as she truly was, she would not show it, not a shred of it. Evaluating the cost of saying no, she decided on a vague yes. " You only want me to drop the search?"

"And keep very, very quiet, unless I tell you otherwise." Shizuma's hard, uncrackable face stared deep into Amane, searching for any weakness or uncertainty. "Do we have a deal Amane?"

The bluenette paused a moment, thinking again of Hikari, then nodded, holding her hand out to shake on it. When Shizuma returned the gesture, the wolf smiled. "You definitely will be seeing me around again. I want to understand you better. You aren't driven for the same things everyone else in your position is, and your passion makes you willing to fight. You don't indulge on any kind of vice except for the occasional drink, but you manage to handle the stress of being a well-adored public figure. You aren't anything like the celebrities of today's age Ootori."

Amane could've fainted. She would have to go through this again? What if it was at home? What if it was with Hikari next? She tried not to let her voice waver. "I see It truly is a disappointment we've met so late; I would've loved to see first hand what kind of lover you are, in addition to all of the other fantastic things about you." She was now walking to the door, and Amane noticed a certain swing in her hips- probably refined over the years to complete her image of the perfect succubus. She turned around at the door, and finished with a wink. "Send the Konohana girl my regards- and a job well done"

Then, she fainted.

Catching her totally by surprise, Hikari's phone buzzed loudly in the silence of the early morning. 2:37 a.m. She took no comfort in the message either- instead she grew all the more worried.

They found the guys from the other week. Got the reward money, and then some. Don't talk to anyone except Yaya for the next few days. We need to talk.

Startled, and wide awake, Hikari sat straight up as she replied.

Amane, what's going on? Are you okay? I was really worried, what happened? Are you hurt?

As it sent, she instantly grew more paranoid. What if the next text she would get would take just as long to get to her? Should she just call Amane? Was she in a lot of trouble?

Sweetheart, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have worried you. It must be so late over there; it's about noon here. I'm still not used to the time changes though.

It bothered her that Amane evaded her questions so easily.

Please sempai, tell me what's going on. Is it something I did?

No! Hikari, it's not you! I promise. Things are just very hectic. You know how Americans can be. I just want you to be safe.

The lies tasted like acid as Amane wrote them. She deleted the last two sentences, refusing to drop to that level. What could she say if Hikari asked again though? This really wasn't a conversation she should be having long distance, much less over texts.

Hikari sighed, suddenly way too tired to stay up any longer. She was just finally relieved that Amane wasn't hurt, however bothered by her vagueness. She decided to write it off as pre-race nerves.

Alright love. You promise you're okay?

Yes, dear. I promise. There's nothing I can't take on for you.

Hikari blushed and beamed in the night, remembering the fuzziness and warmth that the very thought of Amane had brought her early. How amazing Amane really was never failed to completely swoon the younger blonde. She giggled softly as she responded.

Oh sempai You're wonderful! Would you mind it if I fell asleep though? I'm kind of exhausted...

Not at all, angels need their sleep too, you know.

They were both blushing and smiling now, completely forgetting their past worries. They exchanged a soft pair of I Love You's and Good Nights, before Hikari ultimately passed out. Amane was then left to her thoughts for the rest of the afternoon- not something she enjoyed for long. Almost instantly she was reminded of the frightening encounter she'd had with Shizuma, that wild, unreadable wolf. Fear slowly crept up through her chest, and she sunk her face between her strong, calloused hands. She thought of every which way possible to calm herself down, or even forget about it. Every end she found was the same. She decided she would go back down to the bar.

Sorry Miyo. I might be a little too lush right now.