Ch. 31
I can safely say that my jump from the Empire State Building was as thrilling as I thought it would be. The rest of the city disagreed with me, but quite frankly, I don't give a damn about what THEY think!
~
For an instant, Rin felt herself suspended in midair. For just a moment, she and her brother hung weightless in midair, surrounded by the sparkling lights of New York City. For that one second in time, Rin could see no angry faces, hear no angry voices, and felt nothing except the spring night and her little brother settled comfortably on her back. But in less than a heartbeat, she and James were falling, plummeting like an ill-fated stone toward the unforgiving cement streets below.
Unlike a stone, however, Rin had no intention of shattering upon hitting the ground.
Wind rushed through Rin's ears and hair as she raced downward. The lights of the surrounding buildings became a blur and though the half-demon was used to dives from even greater heights, throwing herself off the highest building in the world with no fear only leant to the exhilaration as she fell. She could feel James's arms clutching her neck and the shrieks and cries from the rapidly approaching crowd below could have rivaled the Rhino's thunder. But nothing mattered to the half-demon except the sheer and utter thrill of the speed at which she and her brother were falling.
THIS IS AMAZING!
Hai, and now for the best part!
Rin waited until she and James had made it at least halfway down the Empire State Building before extending her arms. She narrowed her eyes, a wicked grin working its way over her face. She had to make sure she didn't actually cause harm to the crowd below, but she wanted to make sure she was close enough to give them a good scare.
NOW!
With a powerful snap, Rin's massive black wings emerged from under her arms. Immediately, the leathery membranes caught the wind currents and though she was barely five feet above the crowd, the half-demon executed a neat spin in midair before giving her wings a powerful flap and sending her and James back into the sky once more.
"OH MY GOD!"
"WHAT THE HELL?"
"SHE CAN FLY?"
Other similar shouts reached Rin's ears as she paused to hover in midair. Though several feet above the assembled crowd, Rin could see the utter disbelief on the faces of those gazing up at her. The half-demon was also certain she caught the sound of a few bodies hitting the ground in a dead faint and more than a few whispered prayers and pleas for forgiveness or mercy, but mostly, the crowd could only stare in open-mouthed awe at the sight of Rin in flight. That would have been enough, but to Rin's ears, no sound was sweeter than James's delighted laughter.
"You did it, Rin! You sure showed them!"
"We showed them, James-chan! Now, let's make sure they don't forget it!"
With a sweep of her wings, Rin dove toward the crowd again. This time, even more people dropped to the ground, covering their heads with terrified yelps and cries. Rin merely flew over their heads, flapping her wings hard enough to cause a few gusts of wind before ignoring them and flying higher once more. James laughed again, holding tightly to his sister's shoulders and raising his head to feel the speed of the half-demon's flight. Spreading her wings, Rin allowed herself to glide high above the buildings before throwing her head back and letting loose another high-pitched cry.
"EEEEEEEEE!"
"EEEEEEEEEE" came the reply. And on the heels of that,
"Do you see them?"
"Are they alright?"
"YES! I see them! Look!"
"Oh thank Heavens!"
"Are your cousins here, Rin?" James peered over his sister's head to glance up at the sky.
"Hai and so is the rest of our family. They're by the peach; let's go."
"Yes!"
Fast though she was by land, there was nothing that could keep pace with a Kurosaki in the air. It was, but the work of a few seconds for Rin to return to the scene of the peach and sure enough, the massive fruit was still seated on its flatbread truck and nearly glowing. While the victims of Rin's wrath had long-since been taken to the hospital (or for all Rin knew, the morgue), the half-demon could still smell the lingering scent of blood on the pavement, but it was mixed with the smell of soapy water. To the half-demon's surprise, most of the people surrounding the peach were still there, but then, it was likely all of them would have wanted to witness the aftermath of Rin's attack on Spiker and Sponge.
Idiots were probably hoping to see me hauled back here in chains or in a cage. Huh, as if I'd let such a thing happen to me! Oh, but if it's a show they want, then a show they shall have. Somehow, I doubt they're going to enjoy it as much as I will!
Yes, Rin was quite looking forward to this!
Angling her wings, Rin barreled toward the peach and the figures standing closest to it. The searchlights had been turned off, but between the lights spilling from apartment windows and the neon signs up and down the street, it might have well been the middle of the day rather than nearing midnight. Indeed, given the crowd of people that remained gathered around the peach, anyone would have been forgiven for thinking night had long since passed. But day or night wouldn't have mattered to Rin at that moment. All she could focus on were the welcoming shouts of her kin as she flew closer to the ground. However, the half-demon did note the police force huddled on their knees in a group against the peach and the utter terror on every face in the crowd.
Or rather, the utter terror on every adult face. Most of the children still gathered around the peach looked more awe-struck than frightened and as they caught sight of Rin and James flying to join them, they pointed and shouted excitedly. Many even waved and James made sure to wave back and Rin took the time to fly in a large swooping circle over the biggest group of children, eliciting squeals of delight from the young ones as they jumped and shouted with glee.
"Hah! You show 'em, Rin!" Centipede called, waving at the siblings as Rin brought the siblings back around. The half-demon flared her wings and touched her feet upon the ground while allowing James to slide from her back. Rin barely had times to wrap her wings around her body before both she and her little brother were enfolded in the tight embrace of six very relived humanized bugs.
"Oh thank goodness you're safe!"
"Are you alright? We were so worried!"
"We're okay."
"Of course we are." Rin tried to resist the urge to duck away from the numerous ear rubs. "What'd you think?"
"When you fell, we thought... oh I don't even want to think about it!"
"That was hardly the first time I've been hit by lightning, you know."
"Don't even joke about that!"
"Who's joking? It's true!"
"Why am I not surprised, Rin-girl?"
"James, dear, are you hurt? What happened?"
"Rin protected me from the lightning," James managed to say, his words somewhat hindered by the many arms squeezing him. "But she got hurt. Her wings only just healed now."
"She has wings." One of the police officers- his face white as a sheet- babbled. "Oh God, she has bat wings!"
"SILENCE! We did not give you permission to speak!"
Rin pulled away from her family's embrace- not without some difficulty- and turned to address the source of the snarl. A satisfied smile revealed her sharp fangs as she bowed at the two figures stepping closer to her.
"Kenta nii-san. Sosuke nii-san. It is good to see you."
"And you as well, Rin-chan." Kenta and Sosuke returned their younger cousin's bow before reaching out to clasp arms with each other. The young males, each half a head taller than Rin, smiled at her as they looked Rin up and down.
"We came as soon as we could, little cousin" Sosuke said. "We expected trouble but not this."
"Humph," Kenta snorted, eyeing the crowd of city officials and civilians with disdain. "Father was already furious. I can't imagine what he's going to say when he hears what transpired tonight."
"What did transpire tonight, exactly?" Mr. Grasshopper asked. "When Kenta and Sosuke brought us here, there was complete pandemonium and you two were missing."
"She attacked us!" The hapless Officer Hanson yelped, pointing an accusatory finger at Rin.
"No, she saved me from Spiker and Sponge!" James protested, still tightly locked in Miss Spider's embrace. "They attacked us with axes!"
"THEY DID WHAT?"
"SPIKER AND SPONGE TRIED TO...?" Mrs. Ladybug's face was nearly drained of color.
"AND WHAT DID YOU IDIOTS DO ABOUT IT?" Centipede yelled furiously at the frightened group fo police officers.
"Nothing about that. Plenty against James and I!"
"We tried to help you!" Chief Michael Beatcom, who had been kneeling at the front of the group of officers, rose to his feet in an attempt to reclaim some semblance of control.
"You call what you did help?" Rin snarled, causing the man to take a step back. "All I remember is you listening to two deranged women and threatening a member of the Kurosaki family!"
"Did he now?" Sosuke asked, turning a calm glance in the Chief's direction. "My, that will not bode well for you, Chief."
"You're a Kurosaki?" Chief Beatcom's face went white as he stared at Rin.
"Chief, are you telling me you didn't even bother to verify who these children were?" Mr. Grasshopper asked furiously.
"They did not," Rin said with a sneer. "Though they had ample opportunity."
"Is this true?" Kenta asked with a growl.
"Well I-I... I didn't know the girl was a member of your family! She didn't tell me!"
"Only because you didn't let her!" James replied.
"What?"
"Hai, I tried to explain who we were several times, but no one seemed to want to listen and just cut me off. We were supposed to go straight to the police station to tell our story, but that's when Spiker and Sponge showed up and the Chief here decided he would rather listen to them than to James and I."
"Those women had documents proving they were your guardians!" one of the other officers cried.
"You mean this?" Kenta drew forth a soggy piece of parchment out of the pocket of his hakama. "A single page, too water-logged to be legible- counts as an official document- does it?" The bat demon's lips drew back in a sardonic smile, exposing his sharp and deadly fangs. "My, you are a fool."
"Geez, New York's finest, huh?" Centipede had buried his face in several of his hands. "What else did you idiots do to our kids?"
"They tried to take me away from Rin," James said softly.
"They did WHAT?" Kenta rounded on the police officers with a furious roar, his golden eyes narrowing to slits. "You dare to even consider such a thing, saitei?"
"And don't think the rest of you have any moral high ground," Sosuke added, looking over the assembled crowd of New Yorkers. "I would stake my wings on the fact that most of you just stood by and watched."
"A bet you would win, Sosuke nii-san."
Any protests the crowd might have risen died upon their lips, though Rin noted with amusement the condemning looks on the children's faces as they looked up at their parents. The bugs, meanwhile, had turned their attention back to their younger child.
"Tell us what happened, James."
"Look, we-"
"Thank you, Chief, but we'd like to hear our son tell us." Mr. Grasshopper's tone and expression brooked no argument. "Go ahead, my boy," he added in a much gentler tone as he turned back to James.
The little boy needed no further urging and immediately began relaying everything that had happened to him and his sister since the family had been separated. Rin listened, but she was more interested in the reactions of the crowd of people as well as her cousins. Thankfully, most of the crowd had the good sense to stay quiet, but the half-demon did note a few people try and protest James's words. Thankfully, a snarl and a glimpse of her claws was all that was needed to dissuade them. Good; she was enjoying their discomfort.
"... and the fishermen in Montauk did send a message over, but the police officer who took it didn't believe them."
"Hold there, James-chan." Sosuke held up a clawed hand. "You mean to say that the city had prior warning of your arrival?"
"Yes."
"Then your argument of not knowing who Rin and James were falls a bit flat, does it not?" Sosuke raised an eyebrow at Chief Beatcom.
"Actually, it was him." Rin nodded toward Officer Hanson, who was cowering against the side of the peach. "Apparently, the kuso yaro did not think it necessary to inform his superior that a member of the Kurosaki family would soon be arriving in their oh-so-humble city."
"I DIDN'T! I-"
"Yes you did!" Everyone turned to see that the little girl with glasses and braids had wormed her way to the front of the crowd again. "You said you took a message from a fisherman."
"Yeah! And you didn't tell the chief!" the boy called Adam piped up.
"He didn't do his job!" another boy yelled.
"Yeah, they even said it was from Montauk and the Chief was surprised 'cause he didn't think they knew about Montauk! Most people not from New York don't." These words, spoken by a girl clutching a rag doll, were met with murmured agreements from the rest of the gathered city children.
"Looks like the kids here got you dead to right, officer." Centipede said with a grin.
"Indeed," Sosuke agreed. "And clearly the children of New York City have a strong sense of honesty."
"Something they clearly did not get from their parents," Kenta snarled. The bat demon marched over to the crowd of police and seized Officer Hanson by the front of his uniform. Officer Hanson yelped as Kenta's claws tore through his heavy shirt and into his skin, but he was helpless in the demon's grip as he was dragged away from the group. Chief Beatcom started to protest, but was knocked back to his knees by a cuff from one of Kenta's wings.
"So, human, what else have you failed to report?"
"NOTHING! NOTHING, I SWEAR!"
"We shall see. But Father's orders on the matter were very clear. And you, policeman-" Kenta chuckled and dragged the claws of his free hand across Officer Hanson's face, leaving thin red marks "-you will be first. After you tell my brother and I everything you know, of course."
"PLEASE! DON'T LET THEM HURT ME! I-"
"Unfortunately, I believe the law is quite clear in this regard, is it not, Rin?" Miss Spider asked smoothly.
"Hai. Those who break yokai law face yokai justice. And that law is applied worldwide, not just in England. Isn't it, Chief?" Rin aimed a smug smile in Chief Beatcom's direction. Still on his knees, Chief Beatcom's face fell as he lowered his head and nodded.
"Perhaps, though, Master Kenta, it would be prudent to wait on your father's judgment regarding the failure of the the city officials tonight?" Mr. Grasshopper asked, his glance fleeting back and forth between the young bat demon and the now-sobbing police officer caught in Kenta's clawed grip.
"Naturally," Sosuke answered. "Father should be here with the rest of the Kurosaki bat demons within a day or two; his only order was that we remain here as your guards until he arrived to deal with the situation personally."
"Oh, but that wasn't his only order, little brother." Kenta's fanged smile was barely an inch from Officer's Hanson's tear-streaked face. "Otou-san was very clear on what was to happen to people like this."
"Wait, no! I'll talk! I'll tell you everything! I'll tell you anything!"
"Indeed you will!" Kenta's massive wings unfurled from his back. "And once you've given us everything of value, we will return you to your brethren."
Giving his wings a powerful flap, Kenta shot into the city sky, Officer Hanson still dangling from his grip. Sosuke watched his brother's departure with unsurprised eyes before turning back to Rin.
"Father has reserved rooms for us all at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel. As it is late, we should retire there."
"Yes, yes we should," Miss Spider agreed, clearly eager to get away from the crowd.
"You poor things must be dead on your feet." Mrs. Ladybug wrapped her arms around James. "And it's long past the time you should be asleep, James."
"Past the time most children should be sleeping," Mr. Grasshopper said. "But it has been quite the journey for us all and it's clearly not yet over."
"Of course it's not!" Earthworm groaned. "We've just barely landed in New York and our children barely escaped being harmed and the police were no help and-"
"-and we have the aid of the Kurosaki family, as I said." Rin tapped her foot close to Earthworm's tail and he pulled it back, away from the half-demon's reach.
"Indeed you do. Now, then, Chief Beatcom, could you actually put your authority to use for once and provide us transportation to the hotel?" Sosuke asked. "Rin-chan and I can fly, but the rest of our family will need a more adequate means of travel."
"Think you two are definitely related," Centipede muttered to Mr. Grasshopper under his breath as Chief Beatcom shakily rose to his feet and began gesturing to various people in the crowd.
"And thank Heavens for that," the elder insect whispered back. "We might still be lost in the skies yet were it not for Rin's two cousins."
"So that's what happened, was it?" Rin asked as the family moved closer to each other while they waited on news of their transport.
"Were you all alright?" James asked softly, looking up at each of his guardians. "Rin and I were worried something had happened to you, too."
"Aww, Rin, I'm touched."
"I'll let you feel the touch of my claws if you-"
"Rin! Honestly."
The half-demon growled as Centipede squeezed her shoulder, but made no other protest. "What did happen while we were separated?"
"Well..."
************************************************************************************************************************************
The Rhino was gone, but the sky was still thick with ominous thunderclouds. The wind and rain were only just dying down as the seagulls struggled to stay aloft. The silk strings around their necks were pulled taught as the bugs clung to them in desperation, knowing that to fall would mean death.
A fate that their two dear children might have already suffered.
"Do you see anything?"
"Through this? Nothing!"
"Earthworm, do you hear anything?"
"Only the wind and the ocean below."
"C'mon, Earthworm, the city was right below us! How can you not hear it?"
"The city was right below us," Miss Spider reminded him. "But it is not below us now."
"Indeed. There's no telling how far off course we are." Mr. Grasshopper was doing his best to clean his rain-splattered monocle, but even that small action was made difficult by the tapering rain and still-strong wind.
"Then perhaps the peach fell into the ocean!" Mrs. Ladybug called, Glowworm hovering beside her.
"Let's hope so; at least that will mean it's merely drifting along somewhere below us."
"But the kids..." Centipede clutched the silk strings tightly. "You saw what happened to 'em. Rin got hit by a full-on lightning bolt. I know the girl's tough, but what about Jimmy?"
"I think Rin took the brunt of the blow in order to shield James."
"But they still fell right into the peach from a great height, didn't they?" Earthworm asked. "They would have hit the floor of the pit and then..."
"Don't, Earthworm!" Mrs. Ladybug's voice was quavering and not from the wind. "Please."
"We must hope for the best," Miss Spider agreed. "But first, we must find them."
But even as the wind died down and the rain stopped, no sign of land could be spotted. If anything, the seagulls seemed more intent on avoiding any contact with people as they flat-out refused to be tugged in any other direction except for the one they were headed in. Which, the bugs feared, was likely further away from New York City every moment.
"C'mon, fellas, turn around!" Centipede yanked on his strings for the umpteenth time. "Don't make me try and take a bite outta you again."
"Oh yes, because that worked so well the first time!" Earthworm retorted.
"Hey! If I gotta snap one of their necks like Rin said-"
"That would likely end with you unable to stay aloft!" Mr. Grasshopper was also trying unsuccessfully to convince the seagulls to perform an about-face. "And right now, we need all the help we can get."
"Perhaps we can be of assistance."
Two dark shapes, the sound of their wings muffled by the clouds, glided into view. They circled the travelers, causing the seagulls to shriek and flap their wings in terror. The two shapes surrounded the group, forcing the gulls to glide about in a small circle in midair. The six travelers hung onto the slowly rotating strings as the clouds parted, allowing moonlight to spill over the newcomers.
Two young men, identical to a fault, were hovering in midair. From their backs, huge black bat wings flapped leisurely, allowing them to remain airborne with little effort. Though their clothing was like something out of a history book on Feudal Japan, there was no mistaking the boys' fawn hair and golden eyes as belonging to anything other except the Kurosaki demon family.
"Well, you must be Kenta and Sosuke," Mr. Grasshopper said after a moment. "Rin told us about you."
"And we have heard a most interesting story about you," one of the bat demons replied, baring his fangs in what was hopefully a welcoming smile. "But where is our cousin?"
"We got separated from her and James some time ago. They're still with the peach, but it..."
"It fell outta the sky and Rin got hit by lightning."
"A most unpleasant experience," the second demon, who had something strapped to his back, replied. "Where exactly did this peach of yours fall?"
"Close to New York City. We're hoping it fell into the water because otherwise-"
"Hai, I understand. But it takes more than a fall to kill a Kurosaki."
"Perhaps, but what of a six-year-old human boy?"
"Knowing Rin, she was likely shielding her brother from any harm, was she not?" the first of the twins asked.
"Actually, yes, she was. Rin folded James in in her wings before the lightning hit her," Miss Spider reminded everyone.
"Then James-chan should be fine. Frightened, yes, but otherwise unhurt. And I'm sure you know by now how quickly we yokai can recover from minor injuries."
"If you call gettin' hit by lighting minor, than yeah." Centipede jerked the strings he was hanging from, causing the seagulls to squawk angrily. "But we'd rather check on the kids ourselves, if ya don't mind?"
"Not at all. Kenta nii-san, shall we?"
"Hai. Let us help you."
Before any of the bugs could blink, the two demons seized a handful of silk strings each and gave their wings a mighty flap. The seagulls yelled and squawked like mad as they were dragged backwards through the sky with the bugs still dangling below them.
"AHHH! How fast are you planning on flying?"
"As fast as we can with you in tow. I presume you wish to get to New York as quickly as possible, don't you?" Kenta asked.
"Well some of us aren't used to this speed!"
"Fear not; you'll adjust!" Sosuke called back.
"Ugh, you can tell they're related to Rin!" Earthworm moaned as he wound himself tightly around his strings.
"How far from the city are we?" Mr. Grasshopper called over the rushing wind.
"A fair distance. That wind must have carried you away from the shore faster than you realized."
"Then we are quite lucky you arrived when you did," Mrs. Ladybug said, clutching her hat and purse. "I just hope we're not too late and the children are safe."
"Humph, if the City of New York is foolish enough to cross a Kurosaki, then it is not Rin and James's safety you should fear for."
"Especially once Father arrives."
"Wait, what?" Earthworm glanced up in the direction of Kenta and Sosuke's voices, his face a mask of horror. "Your father is on his way?"
"Hai. Lord Takashi Kurosaki; perhaps you've heard of him?" Kenta flashed his fangs in a vicious grin at the group.
"Not to mention the main force of the Kurosaki bat demon warriors," Sosuke added. "Father plans on making an example out of those who harmed Rin and James; those who reside in New York should take care they do not make the same mistake."
"Even if they do not, the people of New York will bear witness to the might of the Kurosaki family."
A flash of light on the horizon captured the group's attention. Seconds later, the glowing skyscrapers rose into view like crystal trees against the pitch black sky.
"Thank goodness, we're nearly there!"
"Yeah, but I didn't see the peach on our way back!"
"It's in the city; I can smell it."
"That's not all I can smell."
Kenta raised his head a bit higher and sniffed. He growled, trading a grim look with his brother. Before any of the bugs could ask for clarification, the bat demon opened his mouth and gave vent to a piercing shriek.
"EEEEEEEEEEEE!"
"Hey, keep that up and we'll be deafer'n Glowworm!"
"Centipede!"
"Eh, did you say something, dear?" Glowworm, seemingly unbothered by the speedy flight, turned to peer at Centipede through her glasses.
"Wait! What was that? An echo?" Earthworm stiffened as the faint sound danced upon the air.
"No, that's Rin. She's further in city, but-"
"Kenta, look!" Sosuke pointed downward where a large crowd of people was gathered around what looked like an enormous golden ball perched upon the flat bed of a truck.
"That's the peach! But why aren't Rin and James there?"
"I'm not sure, but I'm guessing they didn't leave by choice." Kenta screeched again and this time, the people below looked up in shock. A second screech, this one clearer, answered Kenta and the bat demon grinned.
"Good. Rin should join us shortly. But I think we should introduce ourselves to the people of this fine city, don't you, little brother?"
"Hai, older brother."
"What are you going to do? What are- AHHHHHH!"
The six bugs had little choice, but to cling to the silk strings with all their might as the bat demons shot downward like arrows from a bow. Kenta pulled ahead of the group and landed hard upon the pavement, wings flared and teeth and claws bared.
"BE SILENT AND STILL! I AM KENTA KUROSAKI, SON OF LORD TAKASHI KUROSAKI! THOSE WHO DO NOT OBEY ME WILL DIE!"
Terrified screams filled the air and Chief Beatcom was already reaching for his gun, but at the sight of Kenta, he immediately froze.
"Oh, God, the kids weren't lyin'." The Chief's eyes went wide as he beheld not just Sosuke, but the six bugs, who touched down upon solid ground with audible sighs of relief.
"Hey! You callin' our kids liars?" Centipede snapped.
"Where are Rin and James?"
"Fear not; they're coming." Sosuke looked upward. "Ahh, I sense them now."
"What?"
"What's he talking about?"
"What's going on? Why are there demons here?"
"I SAID BE SILENT!" Kenta snarled, glaring at the chief and his men as they, one by one, dropped to their knees in surrender. "NONE OF YOU ARE TO MOVE UNTIL MY BROTHER AND I GIVE THE ORDER!"
"Oh God, we're in trouble," one of the officers moaned. "We never should have listened to those old hags."
"You what?"
"Spiker and Sponge were here?"
"Oh, if they did anything to our kids, I'm gonna-"
"You can ask them yourself." Sosuke smiled as a familiar form soared into view. "Here they come now."
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"...and that's when you two came flyin' in."
"So, guess you got to fly like a bat demon after all."
"Never again," Earthworm shuddered. "Never."
"Oh, is that a challenge?"
"NO!"
"Alright, Rin dear, that's quite enough of that," Mrs. Ladybug said with a sigh. "How you still have the energy, I have no idea."
"I caught a quick nap at the top of the Empire State Building."
"Well, you're both going to have a proper sleep tonight and that's that."
"Hey, yeah, we'll be sleepin' in the lap of luxury tonight."
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, though," Mr. Grasshopper advised. "After all, we're guests of the Kurosaki family, so we mustn't-"
"Actually, you're part of the Kurosaki family now," Sosuke clarified. "Father's words."
"I take it Minoru delivered the message in a timely fashion?" Rin asked.
"Hai. The tanuki reached us only the day prior." Sosuke paused, his eyes filling with sorrow. "It was... the first we heard about... Miranda oba-san."
"Hai," Rin replied softly. "I had a feeling it was." Beside her, James reached out and gently grasped his sister's clawed hand as the six bugs traded knowing looks.
"Kenta and I left right away and flew non-stop to get to you and James-chan."
"Then you and your brother must be tired as well," Miss Spider said. "I am hoping you will also rest well tonight."
Sosuke smiled and gave a small bow. "I am grateful for your concern. And yes, my brother and I are looking forward to a good rest. Though speaking of Kenta nii-san, I should probably assist him. And we're in luck; it seems that the police chief has managed to accomplish something."
Sure enough, the crowd was being pushed back by the police officers as Chief Beatcom guided a shiny black car, longer and sleeker than those parked on the street, over to where Rin and her family stood.
"All set; the driver'll take you right to the hotel."
"Hey, this is what I'm talkin' about."
"Yeah, but I dunno what we're gonna do about your peach there." Chief Beatcom gestured at the massive fruit with his baton.
"Why don't we just share it with everyone?" James asked. At the little boy's words, the crowd perked up and began whispering to each other in excitement and gesturing toward the massive fruit.
"I think that is a wonderful idea," Miss Spider said, pulling James close to her once more.
"Indeed. Goodness knows it won't keep forever anyway," Mr. Grasshopper agreed, reaching down to tousle James's hair.
"And hey, you guys should get the final say," Centipede added. "If it wasn't for you two, that peach wouldn't be here."
"And neither would we," Mrs. Ladybug said, smiling at he siblings. "So yes, if you want to share the peach with the city, I certainly have no issue with it."
"Rin?" James looked up at his sister, squeezing her hand once more. "What do you think?"
The half-demon smiled down at her little brother. "I think it's a wonderful idea, James-chan. Just like all of your ideas."
"Can we really eat some of the peach?" a boy roughly James's age asked eagerly. Indeed in his excitement, he wasn't even worried about approaching Rin or Sosuke.
"Go ahead," James answered. "Everyone can."
A massive cheer exploded up from the crowd as people swarmed toward the peach. Laughter rang out through the streets as people raced to grab handfuls of the succulent fruit and expressions of delight filled every face as the giant peach's incredible taste filled their mouths. Meanwhile, people still in their apartments vanished into their homes and remerged with bags of confetti and started throwing it down on the crowd below, turning what was once a grey city street into a pastel-covered wonderland.
Rin shook her head as pieces of paper floated down around their ears. "Ugh, I hate this stuff."
"Oh come now, Rin, you and James made their night," Mrs. Ladybug chided gently. "Doesn't it make you happy to see them so happy?"
"Actually, I was happier making them faint when I jumped off the Empire State Building."
"Rin!"
"You did make about fifteen people faint, Rin-chan," Sosuke said with an amused smile. "I could hear them hit the pavement from here."
"Only fifteen?" Rin crossed her arms and scowled. "I was hoping for at least twenty."
"Isuzu Kurosaki! Honestly!" Mrs. Ladybug shook her head as Centipede burst out laughing.
"Guess you'll have to try again, Rin-girl."
"Oh I intend to!"
"Alright, that's enough for one night." Mr. Grasshopper gestured for the family to follow him. "With the crowd engaged, we can be off with no further distractions. It's late and we all need to get some rest."
"Are you coming, Rin?"
"I'll meet you there. I'd rather fly."
"I'll find Kenta and bring him to the hotel as well. Once we've finished with Officer Hanson, of course."
"What exactly are you going do to him?" Chief Beatcom, who had been standing by, asked nervously.
"Oh, you'll find out soon enough. Consider it a prelude to what your fate will be when Father arrives." In the blink of an eye, Sosuke was airborne and soaring through the sky.
"My fate? What's he mean?" Chief Beatcom looked over at Rin, cringing back from her golden-eyed glare.
"I think you know exactly what Sosuke means, Chief."
"Look, I'm really sorry. For everything that happened here and for not listening to you earlier. I was just... this sort of thing don't happen every day, y'know. Can you blame me for not bein' on top of my game?"
"Hai."
"Oh, come on! I'll vouch for you in front of the whole city, if that's what you want. I'll shout from the rooftops that you were only defendin' your brother. Please... just... help me."
Be kind in victory.
Rin glanced up as a piece of confetti, as pink and soft as a sakura blossom, brushed by her pointed ear. Holding out her hand, the half-demon watched the small speck come to rest in the center of her clawed hand.
"Tell me, Chief Beatcom, are Spiker and Sponge still alive?"
"What? Uh... yeah, I think so. They're pretty messed up, but the docs at the hospital think they'll pull through."
"Hmmmm." Rin stared at the confetti for a moment, then blew softly on it to send it spinning into the air once more. "I will speak to my uncle on your behalf, Chief Beatcom. But I can only do so much; at the end of the day, it is my uncle who will decide your fate and that of Spiker and Sponge, not me. Do you understand?"
"Yeah." Chief Beatcom was staring at the half-demon in both disbelief and gratitude. "Yeah, I gotcha. Thank you."
"Humph." Rin spread her wings, but couldn't resist one last remark.
"All the same, Chief, if I were you, I'd get my affairs in order. Lord Takashi is not known for showing mercy to those who cross the Kurosaki family."
Rin swept into the air, pieces of confetti falling from her hair and clothes as she shot upwards. Circling around, the half-demon paused to view the scene below her in all its lighthearted glory.
Enjoy it while it lasts, humans. I doubt you'll have much to celebrate when my uncle arrives.
But, all in good time.
With a sweep of her wings, Rin flew away from the happy scene and off into the night to where her family was waiting for her.
~
And so our journey ended. But believe me, our story was far from over.