Crescent Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Phases ❯ Beat Up and Down ( Chapter 14 )

Dedication: To all you guys!! Thanks for being patient!

Again, apologies. I don't know how long it's been since I updated, but it's definitely more than a week.

Phases

Chapter 14: Beat Up and Down

Mahiru was lying against something soft. Her eyes were wide open, but she was afraid. Afraid that it would all dissolve away, revealing the cold cell she was truly in.

For now she was back home, though most likely a dream home. The familiarity of the sheets did nothing to relax her, nor did the warm body next to her. She tensed as the body moved closer to her, and a hand slid onto her hip.

“Morning,” said a familiar voice.

It was Mitsuru's voice.

Maybe it wasn't a dream. Maybe the whole thing had been a dream and she was waking up. Slowly, she turned to face him.

Suddenly, she was hit with blinding pain. She screamed and curled into herself, digging her nails into her skin in an attempt to drive the pain away.

And, just as suddenly, she was awake.

She placed a hand over her heart as the pain evaporated.

“It wouldn't have hurt if you hadn't resisted,” said a cold voice.

“What did you do?” Mahiru panted.

“A spell,” Sebastian answered, “To help you. Ease your pain.”

“What-did-you-do?” she repeated.

“It's to make you forget.”

A loud crack echoed through the chamber. Sebastian stepped back, touching a hand to his now-red cheek.

“You…slapped me,” he said in disbelief.

“I should do worse,” she growled.

“You little… bitch!” he shouted, slapping her across her face. She fell back, hitting her head against the floor. “You're lucky I don't destroy you right now!”

She panted heavily against the stone floor. She heard the strange words and pain burned in her chest. Groaning, she rolled over, getting ready for another chance to fight back.

And suddenly, everything stopped.

Mahiru blinked and lifted her head. The pain was gone, and so was Sebastian.

And so she began to cry.

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It had been Keiko's idea: the best way to get information was to get it from the source.

Of course when hatching the brilliant idea, she hadn't expected to be used as bait.

It was one of those times that being the only human (and person with a chance of living) was a really bad thing.

“This is stupid,” she muttered just loud enough for her to hear, “Why do I have to be bait?”

Of course no one answered her. Then again, she hadn't said it loudly anyway.

She could sense more than see the figure standing in the shadows. It was a foreign figure, but at the moment that was a good thing. She kept walking as if she was completely oblivious.

And then she was frozen. She couldn't move her feet or turn her head. Pain climbed through her as she heard the strange words.

The words stopped and she sensed Akira now standing behind her. A spike of pain shot through her and Keiko fell to the ground, curling up.

New words were spoken, and now Akira was frozen. A bright blue light appeared on his forehead, and the symbol began to form.

Misoka jumped forward and slammed into the robed figure. Akira fell to the ground next to Keiko as Mitsuru grabbed the figure, pressing a claw to his neck.

“Alright,” Keiko moaned as Akira helped her up, “I am not being bait anymore.”

The man began to speak in the same odd language. In one quick motion, Mitsuru slammed him into the ground and brought him back up.

“The only reason you're not dead yet,” he hissed, “Is because we need some information.”

“I will not reveal my brothers,” the man said proudly.

The tengu slammed him into the tree and then the ground.

“Don't kill him,” Misoka said, “We need to know where Mahiru is.”

Mitsuru dropped the man and kicked him in the stomach. Misoka leaned over him, adjusting his glasses.

“It would be better for you if you told us where our friend is.”

“I cannot…”

“I could go inside his head and look at his memories,” Keiko suggested.

“Witch,” the man spat, “You deserve to die as much as they do.”

Mitsuru kicked him in the head.

“Let's start over,” Misoka said. “Tell us what you're doing here.”

“You are monsters! I shall never reveal anything!”

The kitsune pressed a finger to his temple. “We're not getting anywhere with this. You might as well kill him.”

“Wait!” the man shouted suddenly, “Don't kill me. I only do as I'm told.”

“Then you should do as we tell you,” Mitsuru growled.

Misoka held up a hand. “What exactly are you told to do?”

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