Chapter 12

"Oh my god…"

The girls watched in horror, as they all saw their dear friend burning alive and she was no longer recognizable.

Her face was burned badly, large portions of her skin were charred black and the bits that weren't, well it wouldn't be long till the rest of her skin was burned. Her once beautiful hair was shriveled up and most of it had fallen, and there was smoke coming off her like a chimney, and seeing that it took maybe two, close to three hours to find them was only safe to assume it was going to be bad.

-"Marinel hang on!"- Momomi ran ahead, -"Don't just stand there! Get your asses moving! We need to find something to block the sun!"- she shouted and it actually snapped everyone out of it and began to search for something.

Chikaru and Shion went around to see if they could remove the chains, Shion reached for the chain that was in front of Marinel… big mistake, her hand was only on it for a split second and it was scorching hot. Shion pulled her hand away in pain, looked at it and a blister was already starting to form.

Chikaru was behind the block and saw that a metal spike was holding the chain together in between its links, -"Shion over here!"-

Shion rushed over and saw it, they lightly tapped it to see if it was hot but the back side was only warm so the two grabbed it and began to pull but it would not budge but they kept trying anyway.

Nagisa had gone over to Tamao and began to find a way to free her.

-"Don't worry about me Nagisa! Just help her!"-

Nagisa complied and helped the search for something to cover the sun.

Shizuma looked around, there was almost nothing or at least till she looked behind a couple of trees, -"Over here!"- She rushed over as did Momomi and the two saw an old sign that seemed to be dumped, and judging by all the dirt and leaves on it, it must have been there for a long time but the important part was that it was large enough to cast a shadow.

Shizuma, Nagisa, Yaya and Momomi grabbed it and rushed over to Marinel, placing it in front of her and casted a shadow, though Marinel was still in excruciating pain any further harm from the sun was at least over.

Once it was in place, Yaya went on over to help Nagisa free Tamao from her own restraints. The chains holding Tamao were no joke, the two struggled to even begin to loosen them but eventually those chains gave way no doubt whoever tied her figured they didn't need that much effort.

Tamao quickly ran over to Marinel, -"Evy…"- tears were streaming down her face, her girlfriend was no longer recognizable, her entire face was burned to a crisp and the only thing that told Tamao that she was even alive was the wheezing as she tried to breathe.

Marinel couldn't even open her eyes even if she wanted too, she couldn't say anything all she could do was breathe as difficult as it was.

Tamao rushed over to Chikaru and Shion to help them with the chain as did Yaya and Nagisa.

-"Is it almost out?"- Shizuma asked in regard to the chain.

-"It won't budge!"- Yaya shouted back as she pulled with all her might.

Chikaru stopped, wiped the sweat off her brow, -"Okay, lets all try pulling together. We're all just pulling, but maybe if we try in synch then maybe we can budge it."-

-"Yeah lets try it!"- Shion got a better grip, everyone else got a better grip.

-"Okay ready? One, two, three!"- They all began to pull at the same time.

Shizuma and Momomi would help but they knew this was too heavy for one person and dropping it would spell bad news for Marinel.

The chain would just not budge and it began to frustrate everyone. Shizuma and Momomi knew they had to try with them, and after some thought they leaned the sign down and placed it on top of the block and it was still able to cast a shadow for Marinel.

They rushed over to the back and gripped the chain, they all began to pull.

Nothing.

They pulled again.

Still wouldn't move.

-"We can't leave her here!"- Tamao cried out.

-"Don't worry, we're not going too." Yaya replied to comfort the heartbroken Tamao.

-"Wait, maybe my limo may have some tools we can use."- Shizuma didn't even wait for their reply, she ran out of there in a flash to her limo.

The girls all waited patiently, Tamao gently held Marinel's hand but there was no response from Marinel, only her ragged breaths filling the noise. While other girls actually got a better look at Marinel, and they were completely horrified at the damage inflicted on her.

A few minutes passed them by as they waited for Shizuma.

-"Hey, once we get her out. How are we going to get her out of the sun, doesn't seem like its going down any time soon."- Shion asked as Chikaru tended to the huge blister on Shion's hand.

-"That's a good question."- Momomi looked around, -"We'll get to it when we do."- She walked down the hill and saw Shizuma running back with a crowbar in one hand and what looks like a blanket in the other, -"You think of everything don't you."- she gave a half smile.

Shizuma ran back to where the chain was being held, -"Here, this has to work!"- She set the crowbar, and all her friends grabbed the bar while others got the chain and began to pull it away.

After three pulls, the metal wedge that was holding the chain began to nudge and that little feeling was enough for the girls to get anxious because now they knew they could free her. It moved ever so slowly but it was moving and coming out.

Half way there and the girls got more anxious to get this thing out.

Then finally, the wedge came out and Marinel dropped to the floor.

-"Evy!"- Tamao ran to her.

-"Hold on!"- Momomi shouted to her and grabbed her hand, -"Let's find a place to move her."-

The girls looked around, and decided to move her more into trees where it was shielded by their shade.

But before that they had to remove the chain that was still fused with her flesh and it didn't take much effort to pull it off but the disgusting sound of flesh being peeled away was enough to make the girls gag along with the smell of burned flesh but for Tamao, it was like her senses were shut off and all she cared about was Marinel.

Once that was over they moved her to the shaded area within the trees and there was no response from Marinel throughout the whole thing.

-"Oh my god look at her…"- Momomi clenched her fist, saying she was angry was putting it lightly and same could be said for Shizuma.

Nagisa however had to move away, she was absolutely disgusted seeing how Marinel was, and she hated herself for it but she had a weak stomach to things like that.

-"We shouldn't stay here, whoever did this could come back."- Chikaru finally broke the short silence.

-"I don't think they will."-

-"What makes you so sure?"-

-"Because the people that put us here were vampires themselves,"- Tamao answered, -"And its daylight out, so they would not be coming back."- Tamao then looked at the girls, an idea came to her head, -"Does anyone have anything sharp?"-

Shion immediately reached into her pocket and pulled out a small pocket knife, getting a few stares from her friends, -"What? I'd like to have something to peel fruit. Just biting into it feels weird."- She handed it Tamao.

Tamao flipped out the blade and brought it to her palm, she hesitated for a moment to mentally prepare herself for what she was about to do.

-"Tamao what are you doing?"-

That's when she sliced her palm, and her blood began to flow.

She looked at Marinel, and with her other hand she gently opened her mouth and hovered her bleeding hand to allow her blood to drip.

It didn't take long for Marinel to know what was going on, and whose blood it was so she turned her head, refusing it, -"Evy, don't fight me, this will make you feel better."- She gently directed her head to Tamao's blood once more.

After a couple of minutes, Tamao felt slightly woozy and that's when Shizuma grabbed the knife, -"Rest a little Tamao-san."- Without hesitation Shizuma sliced into her own palm and held it over Marinel's mouth, watching as she drank her blood.

Momomi reached for the knife and she too sliced her palm with no fear and allowed Shizuma to rest after a while.

They all began to see something incredible, her skin was beginning to heal, most of the scorched portions of her skin either fell off to make way for her new skin while the parts that were red healed. Her skin was slowly returning to normal.

Chikaru saw that this was helping and grabbed the blade and mimicked what the girls did before her and cut her palm.

Her burned, shriveled hair was regaining its smoothness and its shine, she re-grew the hair that was missing and her beautiful hair was back to normal.

Shion and Nagisa also cut their hands, though Nagisa needed someone to do it for her then she turned away as Marinel drank from both their hands.

Her face was back to normal, her skin was flawless once again as her hair, and every bit of her that was harmed was completely healed, they were still amazed how fast her body healed, it was like nothing happened to her in the first place.

Tamao sighed in relief, and lifted her slightly to hold her. After they all wrapped their hands up, they wondered what they would do next.

Marinel however was still out, but she was breathing normally again so that was something.

-"We need to go."-

-"How are we going to do that?"- Nagisa asked.

-"Shizuma already has that covered, don't you."- Momomi looked at her seeing her nod her head.

-"Get her on my back, then we cover her with the blanket I brought and we go back to the dorms."- The girls did just that, and covered her then they all retreated back to the limo.

They all made their way back to the dorms while Tamao watched over Marinel.

They climbed the steps to the dorms, Shizuma made sure to go up as smoothly as she could as she had no idea if Marinel was still in pain or not.

The whole way up was too silent but then again, no one really had anything to say after what they all saw today. The main doors came into view and the girls all went through and up the stairs to Marinel's room. Chikaru removed the blanket off Marinel to avoid any stares, and it was no longer needed in the safety of the dorms.

Once inside Marinel's room, Shizuma gently lowered her on the bed as Tamao moved her and made her more comfortable.

-"So what exactly happened?"- Yaya asked.

-"We were kidnapped. Some other people that hate Evy, they wanted to hurt both of us."-

-"But why?"- Momomi followed up.

-"Because of what she is, they kept saying half-bloods like her shouldn't live."-

-"Are you fucking serious!"- Momomi raised her voice only for Chikaru to hush as to not wake Marinel, -"What the fuck is wrong with them!"-

Shizuma sat by the bed, as did the girls as they watched over Marinel and they didn't even care if she was a vampire or not, they loved her and was an amazing friend to them.

Time slipped by them and the girls retreated back to their rooms to rest after having 'donated' blood for Marinel, all except Tamao who stayed behind and managed to change Marinel into more comfortable clothing and disposed of her burned ones.

She laid on her side, gently caressing Marinel's face, and before long she fell asleep next to her, never letting go of her loving hold on her.

Hours later…

Tamao slowly opened her eyes, the dull pain on her hand still lingering reminding her that what happened to her today was real. She looked in front of her seeing that Marinel was still asleep and deep down Tamao had been hoping she was awake but after her ordeal she knew that would not be so, then again she had no idea what vampires or rather half-bloods go through after something like this.

Part of her did not want to go to school, she needed to stay and make sure that Marinel would be fine and that no one else would come and try to harm her. So she did just that, after showering and getting comfortable she retrieved a laptop and began to watch anything while she stayed by Marinel's side.

One day later…

Tamao sat by the chair, worried over Marinel as she hadn't opened her eyes since yesterday and it was starting to be torture.

Tamao just wanted to hear her call her 'love' or 'sugar' like she usually did, she wanted to hear those words so badly now and she never guessed she'd miss it this much, in fact she always loved it and hearing her voice with that slight accent that she could never place where it was from, she'd have to ask her later.

But now, she could only watch her sleep and there was no doubt in her mind that while Marinel's body looked healed, she was still recovering. The good side about that was that she was no longer in pain.

Tamao leaned in closer, -"Come back to me Eve."- she parted Marinel's black hair away from her forehead and kissed her.

KNOCK KNOCK

Tamao watched as the door opened, it was none other then Chikaru.

-"How's she doing?"- she asked.

-"Still the same from yesterday."-

Chikaru sat by the bed and looked her over, then looked at Tamao, -"Come with us Tamao-chan, you can use a little fresh air,"- She smiled, -"I know you want to stay and look her over, but you haven't eaten at all since we got you two back."-

-"I don't want too."- she turned her gaze back to Marinel.

-"Now now Tamao-chan,"- she grabbed her hand and gently pulled her away.

-"Don't worry Tamao-chan! I'll stay and look after her."- Nagisa made her way inside the room.

-"Me too."- Yaya walked in as well while Shizuma and Momomi followed behind her.

-"See, nothing to worry about Tamao-chan."- Chikaru smiled at her once more and finally gave in and followed Chikaru out of the room while Nagisa and Yaya looked her over.

Shizuma, Momomi, Chikaru all led Tamao to the food court in the dorms where Shion was waiting for them.

While they sat there with food in front of them, it did not take Tamao's mind off her girlfriend; she was still worried sick and wondered if she'd ever open her eyes again.

She could only wait, and hope.