Witch Hunter Robin Fan Fiction ❯ Beach, bikinis and Orbo ❯ Chapter 1

Witch Hunter Robin isn't mine, nor are any of the characters in it. I'm not entirely sure which studio/company owns it, but it doesn't matter since it isn't me.

 

As for continuity, this fic should lie between episodes maybe seven and eight, before all of the stuff about Solomon, Factory, Methuselah etc etc. Of course, I'm pretty certain it wasn't summer in between those two episodes, but it's a summer contest, so…argh. Either way, please enjoy.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Finally, we're here.” Doujima dropped her bag on the floor happily.

 

Miho Karasuma stepped around the blonde, looking around the room. She smiled in satisfaction at the amount of luxury such a modest amount of money had afforded.

 

The resort in general emphasised a traditional Japanese style, the internal doors and walls crafted from light wood and paper. A low table sat in the middle of the room surrounded by a number of kneeling cushions. There was another wall separating the room from the one next to it, a sliding door - that looked virtually identical to the wall - providing access.

 

“There's only one other room,” Karasuma said back to Haruto Sakaki as he entered.

 

He shrugged, “I know. I've known since you egged me into coming along.”

 

“You said you wanted to come,” Doujima prodded, “Amon was the one that said he wasn't a beach person.”

 

The three of them chuckled for a moment in recollection of their team mate's deadpan and immediate response to their invitation.

 

“I don't mind sleeping in this room,” Sakaki continued, before turning to look behind him, “Why are you still outside?”

 

Doujima and Karasuma both turned, smiling at the fourth person that had come along.

 

Robin took a few timid steps into the room, still blushing slightly for a reason that all of them had tried discerning on the journey to the beachside town. They each had their own theory but it tended to revolve around Robin's drastic change of dress.

 

She had traded her black dress and coat for a pair of three-quarter length shorts and a form-fitting Singlet, her buckle over leather shoes replaced by a pair of beach sandals. She clutched her suitcase with both hands, holding it front of her and looking as uneasy as when she had first arrived in Japan.

 

She's dressed just like the rest of us, Doujima wondered to herself, Why does she look so embarrassed?

 

There was a strange and misplaced silence, and Sakaki coughed softly to break it, before pumping his fist excitedly, “We're only here for a few days, so let's make the most of it!”

 

Doujima sniggered suddenly, and everyone stared blankly at her.

 

“Sorry,” she said, still smiling, “But I just had a mental image of Amon in board shorts…”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“I can't believe you brought it with you,” Doujima whispered to Karasuma as they made their way towards the beach itself.

 

Karasuma glared at Doujima.

 

“Miho, we're at a beach, on a break from hunting,” Doujima continued, a deliberately querulous tone to her voice, “Why did you bring your Orbo gun with you?”

 

Karasuma sighed, looking back ahead of her, “I like to be sure I suppose.”

 

Doujima's false frown melted, and she giggled, “You work too hard.”

 

“Too bad no one can say that about you,” Karasuma smirked.

 

“Hey! That's not fair!” Doujima yelped, giving Karasuma a playful push.

 

Robin glanced behind her and shrugged, meeting Sakaki's look of acceptance and smiling, letting her mind relax for the first time in a while. Quite aside from the bustle and squalor of the city centres, Robin readily admitted that Japan had a number of beautiful beaches. The name of this particular one had slipped her mind, but it didn't matter. It was a beach, with sand, ocean and sunshine in the opening months of summer. That was enough explanation.

 

Robin blinked, stopping for a moment to stare into the trees a short distance off the path they were walking on.

 

“What is it?” Sakaki asked. Robin had barely said a word since they had arrived, and while it was like her to be rather mouse-like, this was unusual even for her.

 

“No, it's nothing,” Robin replied, forcing her eyes away from the trees, “Let's go. It's already kind of late.”

 

Sakaki and Karasuma - who had caught up - looked at the same trees, trying to work out Robin's strange behaviour again.

 

“She's leaving us behind,” Doujima murmured with a grin.

 

“Hmm,” Sakaki grunted, until he registered properly what Doujima had said. He perked, running around Doujima and yelling for Robin to wait.

 

Karasuma shook her head and followed. She frowned once no one was paying attention. She'd left it in the room…Stupid! She decided against returning for it though. No one knew about it, except for damn Doujima, who'd looked over Karasuma's shoulder as she unpacked her essentials and seen the butt of the gun protruding from the more or less hidden pocket within the suitcase.

 

Once they had continued their journey towards the beach, the figure stepped out from behind the tree. The younger looking girl with the cinnamon blonde hair was certainly sharp, or perhaps it was some latent instinct that had partly alerted her attention to his presence. Maybe it had been coincidence. Either way, he had not been discovered. He continued walking, heading back for the resort he had seen them emerge from. So far, so good…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Wow, they really are enjoying themselves,” Robin commented.

 

“Hmm?” Karasuma looked up from her book, following Robin's gaze and smiling. “You should go out and join them.”

 

Robin arched an eyebrow, looking sidelong at Karasuma.

 

“What?”

 

“Well, I just thought that was an interesting thing to say considering that you're the one just sitting here reading a book,” Robin replied.

 

“Hmmph.” Karasuma returned her attention to her book. Robin just smiled and looked back to Sakaki and Doujima.

 

Sakaki spluttered as another wave of seawater slapped him in the face, then another. This was bad. To make matters worse, they were fairly deep in the water, deep enough that they had to tread water and it was tiring out his legs.

 

“Had enough?” Doujima jeered, pulling back her hand and getting ready to splash Sakaki again. She never realised how bad he was at water fights.

 

Sakaki responded by shaking his head violently, spraying water from his long hair. He ducked under Doujima's next splash, appearing behind her and hurling the biggest splash he could at the back of her head. She screamed, turning as quickly as her paddling would allow and trying to return a splash while she moved - which ultimately made her spin in the wrong direction. Sakaki laughed at Doujima's missed attack, moving closer for the kill. He opened his mouth to say something, but spluttered again as Doujima landed a perfect flick splash that had made an almost perfect sphere and landed in Sakaki's mouth. He coughed violently, flailing as he tried to keep his head above the water and remember how to breathe at the same time. Doujima grinned.

 

“Too easy,” she sneered, drifting closer and drawing back both hands. It was cruel to use a double handed splash on someone who was so inexperienced. She was just about to push the splash forwards when she noticed what seemed to be a grin on Sakaki's face before he disappeared underwater again.

 

Doujima cursed, a tingle running up her spine. She turned again, ready for the surprise attack that Sakaki had used before. Suddenly she felt a pair of hands wrap around her ankles, and she squealed in shock, looking down and vaguely seeing Sakaki. He let go of her left ankle, and grinned differently as he glanced at her right foot. By the time Doujima realised what he was trying to do, she had already dissolved into helpless laughter. Sakaki stroked the sole of Doujima's foot lightly, even though it was relatively hard to tickle someone while trying to remain underwater and not drown. Several times Doujima tried using her free leg to kick at Sakaki, trying to use the anger at him for knowing her weak spot, but each time another tickle denied her and she exploded with laughter again.

 

Sakaki surfaced desperately, coughing and gasping for breath. He looked over at Doujima, who had taken to floating on her back, her face flushed and her breathing deep. He watched the rising and falling of her blue-grey string bikini for a moment.

 

“I win,” he declared with a laugh.

 

“You wish,” Doujima growled, glaring at him and splashing him again. She made sure to time it just as he was breathing in.

 

“Draw,” Doujima conceded, while Sakaki frantically tried to clear his nasal passages.

 

He just nodded…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“I'll be back later,” Robin said as she stood up.

 

“Knock yourself out,” Karasuma replied without looking up.

 

Robin allowed another smile at the indifference, slipping off her sandals and stepping out of her shorts. Before leaving the room she had changed into a dark blue one-piece swimsuit, putting a short sleeved white button up shirt and a random pair of shorts from her suitcase. She left the shirt on, striding towards the water line and savouring the feeling of the sand between her toes. Robin looked around, absently noting the other people at the beach. There were not as many as she had expected, but she reminded herself again that it was kind of late.

 

She stood on the wet sand at the water's edge, the coldness of the water bracing her nerves as the waves came in an out. Robin smiled at the imagined sensation that she was being dragged out to sea due to the sand under her feet being moved by the tide. She kept walking until the water almost reached the bottom of her shirt. Again Robin smiled at the almost forgotten feeling of the cold seawater. She suddenly had an urge, and hurried back to where Karasuma sat under the rented parasol.

 

“Back so soon?” Karasuma asked, closing her finished book and putting it down.

 

Robin took off the shirt, dropping it near her shorts. “Not really,” she smiled, running her fingers through her loose hair.

 

She jogged back to the water, diving in happily, and Karasuma shook her head with a smile. It had been a very long time since Robin had been this relaxed. She lay down on her beach towel, closing her eyes and choosing a different and in her opinion far less strenuous method of enjoying the beach. Even though she had changed into a dark red two piece swimsuit, she had no intention of getting in the water, at least not today. But she found that even though she tried relaxing her mind, her thoughts continued to return to her Orbo gun. She berated herself for even considering taking it with her. Doujima was right, they were at a beach, on a break from hunting. Karasuma banished the thoughts from her mind angrily, resigning herself to enjoying the radiated warmth floating up from the sand…

 

“Hnnh…” Karasuma grunted as something jabbed into the side of her ribs. It jabbed her again, and she opened her eyes angrily, casting a fierce look up at the person responsible.

 

“Wake up, Miho,” Doujima said, “The sun's going to set soon so we're going back.”

 

Karasuma sat up groggily, rubbing her eyes, trying to discern how long she'd been asleep for, but Doujima was right, the sun was about to start setting. They were now virtually alone on the beach.

 

“What happened to Robin and Haruto?” Karasuma asked as she stood up and started to pack away her book and towel. She noticed that the parasol was now missing, so she surmised that they had gone to return it.

 

“They took the parasol back,” Doujima confirmed.

 

Karasuma stepped back into her thongs, draping the towel over her left forearm and grabbing her back in her left hand.

 

“Left anything behind?” Karasuma asked to no one in particular.

 

“You, perhaps,” Doujima giggled as she continued walking to where Robin and Sakaki waited.

 

Karasuma shrugged, and followed. Something wasn't right. She realised it was her bag, but before she had a chance to scry it properly, Doujima shouted back at her to hurry. Karasuma jogged to catch up, apologising to Robin and Sakaki as she approached.

 

Robin gasped suddenly, pointing at the sky excitedly. “Did you see it?” she asked, looking around and meeting the quizzical stares of her companions.

 

“You mean the shooting star?” Sakaki asked.

 

Robin nodded, “It's a good sign.”

 

“Depends,” Karasuma murmured.

 

“Hmm?” Robin said.

 

Karasuma smiled, “Never mind. Let's get back to the hotel. I'm hungry.”

 

“Sounds good to me,” Sakaki replied, leading the way back.

 

“It's a little early for Hoshi-Matsuri, isn't it?” Doujima said as they approached a strange stand along the side of the street.

 

“Hoshi-Matsuri?” Robin asked.

 

The others laughed when they realised Robin's lack of knowledge as to the festival. But it was certainly no surprise.

 

“Hoshi-Matsuri, basically translated to Star Festival and also called the Tanabata festival,” Doujima explained, as they continued walking towards the stall, drifting inexorably towards it, “It's celebrated on the 7th of July, so like I said it's a little early. The festival is based on an old myth about stars meeting other stars and falling in love - to be honest I've actually forgotten the legend itself. But the main point is that you write your wishes or a poem concerning a romantic future on a strip of paper like that one using the kind of ink.” They had arrived at the stall, and stopped so that Doujima could point out each item that was arrayed on the table, “The paper is then put onto a bamboo branch and hung out the front of your house so that God can see your wish. But…you're a Catholic, aren't you?”

 

“I really do love your subtlety,” Sakaki muttered, rubbing his forehead and turning around in an attempt to avoid any embarrassment.

 

“Romantic future…” Robin mused, seemingly ignoring Doujima's slightly distasteful question. Robin smiled, “Why not?”

 

The elderly man running the stall laughed heartedly, “It truly is delightful to see young ladies joining the festival these days, and yes, I realise I am a slight bit early, but it doesn't matter.” He took a length of blank paper from the box to one side of the stall, dipping a brush in the ink and holding it poised over the blank strip. “Now, what would you like to have written on the paper?”

 

Robin thought for a moment, “Umm…is it…okay if I wrote it myself?”

 

The man laughed again, “Of course it is!” He handed her the brush, and Robin took the strip of paper, laying it down in front of her and staring at it for a moment before she smiled and started jotting down what she had thought of.

 

Karasuma used the time to quickly scry her bag, trying to do it as discreetly as she possibly could. When she found nothing amiss, she opened her eyes again, meeting Doujima's concerned stare and returning with a glare. Doujima pouted, paying attention to Robin again. Karasuma cursed under her breath, stepping closer and peering over Robin's shoulder. She couldn't help but smile at the extremely meaningful and poetic couple of sentences Robin had written.

 

“Who could that be for?” Sakaki asked, reading it again and wondering at Robin's innate poetry skill. As far as he knew it didn't have to be a poem, but Robin had managed to put a wish for a romantic future into a three line poem without blatantly giving away who it could be directed to.

 

“I don't think I should tell you,” Robin smirked as she handed the strip to the old man, “That might ruin the charm.”

 

Amidst laughter, the man asked which piece of bamboo Robin wanted her poem mounted onto. She pondered, scanning the ones that hung from the bar that made the top of the stall, before pointing at one that caught her eye. Most of them were lavishly decorated with pieces of coloured paper and a variety of small ornaments.

 

“Are you sure you'd like this one?” the man asked, taking it from the hook and holding it out, “There's more that needs to go on it.”

 

“No, that's fine,” Robin smiled, “It's perfect.”

 

The man shrugged, painting a line of glue down the middle of the relatively plain piece of bamboo. It was decorated with only one small talisman on either side and a single piece of red paper hanging from the end, but it was plain without compromising style or elegance. Just like him…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“I wish I could do that,” Sakaki said mournfully.

 

Robin glanced over at him, peering over the top of her glasses, “It's not really that great,” she replied, before turning her attention back to the small hole in the dirt she had dug earlier. She blinked, and a small tendril of flame flicked from one end of the hole to the other, rolling back down to the bottom and skittering around like a string of exploding firecrackers. “I really shouldn't do this,” Robin decided, and the small flame faded. She stood up, plucking off her glasses.

 

Sakaki shrugged, and stood up as well. They sat in the large quadrangle surrounded by the resort's buildings. “Wonder when Karasuma's going to get back,” he murmured, before rubbing his chest quickly, “Jeez, it's summer, why is it so cold?”

 

“No cloud cover,” Robin replied, “Nothing to reflect the heat, so it escapes.”

 

“The stuff you know,” Sakaki smiled, turning to retreat inside, “I'm going back.”

 

“I'll stay out here for a little,” Robin replied.

 

Sakaki mumbled something as he walked away, and Robin waited until she heard the door close. She sat down again, hugged her knees close to her body and closed her eyes. She wasn't sure why, but she felt tears running down her cheeks. She didn't care…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Karasuma wrapped her jacket around herself again, smiling nonetheless at the gentle coastal breeze. From where she stood - a wooden bridge connecting the mainland to the small island that housed several nightclubs and the like - she could see where the ocean met the sky and the dots of ships in the far off distance. Well, at least if it were still day she would see that. It was well into the evening, the lampposts lined along side of the bridge alive and surrounded by a nimbus of miscellaneous flying insects. She stood between two of them, on the mainland end of the bridge.

 

The figure smiled as he stepped into the light of the lamppost behind Karasuma. She blinked sharply, turning her eyes as far to the left as they would go. If she turned around it would be too obvious. Slowly she allowed her hand to drift to the pocket of her jacket where she had slipped her Orbo gun.

 

“I'd rather not have you shoot me,” he said as he walked towards Karasuma.

 

She gasped as she recognised the voice, “Amon?” she murmured, turning. “I thought you weren't a beach person,” she smiled. He stood next to her, and her smile fade once she saw his grim face. “What is it?”

 

“You might have guessed it,” Amon replied, running his fingers through his hair and propping himself up by his elbows against the handrail. He looked weary from too many sleepless nights.

 

“A hunt?” Karasuma groaned, leaning back against the handrail as well. She arched her back so her head came close to hanging over the edge, letting the breeze catch her hair. She looked up. The stars are nice tonight, she thought to herself absently.

 

Amon nodded silently, before giving Karasuma a sidelong glance.

 

“What?” she asked, arching an eyebrow and staring at him quizzically.

 

“Why did you bring it with you?” he asked, nudging his head towards her jacket pocket.

 

Karasuma sighed, “Doujima asked me the same thing. And to be honest I really don't know.”

 

“Miho.”

 

Karasuma gasped slightly. Amon hadn't called her by her first name for…well, she'd forgotten.

 

“I hope you're not going to lecture me about how I'm on vacation,” Karasuma smirked.

 

Amon said nothing, but Karasuma noticed his eyes looking in her direction several times before turning away, as if he was deciding whether to tell her something or not.

 

“You have my attention,” Karasuma said, “So I'm assuming you had something to say.”

 

“How long has it been?” Amon asked suddenly, rising to his full height and turning to face Karasuma, “Since we last stood here together?”

 

“I don't like where this is going,” Karasuma mumbled, a strange panic spreading through her chest.

 

“I noticed the Tanabata charm hanging in the window,” Amon murmured as he moved closer, “Might as well make someone's wish come true.”

 

Before Karasuma could say that it was Robin's, Amon had her in his embrace. “It's been too long,” Amon whispered, his voice cracked by the incredible unfamiliarity of tears.

 

Despite the butterflies rampant in her stomach, Karasuma found herself wrapping her arms around Amon's chest, and she laid her ear to his heart, just like she used to. She looked up into his face as he looked down into hers, and their lips were locked in a secure kiss before either of them could think the better of it.

 

It felt as if it had lasted an eternity, and Karasuma smiled weakly as she pulled back.

 

“What is it?” Amon asked.

 

“The charm,” Karasuma replied, gazing into his eyes again, “It wasn't mine.”

 

“I know,” he whispered.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Karasuma stopped. This was bad. She pretended to rummage through her pockets for something, before turning away from the resort and heading back the way she came, hoping she could lead whoever was following her away. The last thing she needed was a stray bullet flying into the resort. She changed direction suddenly, ducking behind a large tree and pulling it from her jacket pocket.

 

She clutched her compact Orbo gun in a two handed grip, keeping it at the full extension of her arm, lowered close to her leg. Karasuma leaned around the tree, damning her human inability to see in the dark. Something rustled behind her, and she cursed as she span around, her weapon raised. A thing of shadow rushed upon her, and she fired out of reflex before she was thrown back. She hit the ground hard, and felt her weapon slide from her hands. Winded, she tried to stand, and just in time she saw the shadow lashing out at her again, rolling away from it. It had wrapped itself into a thick, whip like tongue, sending up a hail of dirt as it slapped against the ground. It retreated, and Karasuma crawled forwards for her gun. She felt something wrap around her leg, and she looked back, gasping as she saw another vine of dark nothing grabbing onto her ankle. The sound of footsteps made Karasuma look back in front of her, and she stared at the pair of leather boots as they approached. The thing around her leg uncoiled itself, and Karasuma watched as it shrank up the looming man's arm. What kind of power was this?

 

“The darkness is mine to control,” the man hissed, extending the fingers of his right hand. Karasuma watched in horror as what seemed to be black wax flowed from up his sleeve and covered his hand, stretching out beyond his fingertips until it solidified into a blade.

 

Is he using shadows? Karasuma thought to herself, If he is then that thing isn't real…

 

The witch drew back his arm, ready to stab into Karasuma's skull when he suddenly wheeled around. The characteristic whistle of an Orbo gun sounded three times, and the witch's arm flicked to meet the special bullets. Amon stood his ground, his weapon aimed at the witch's heart.

 

“Another hunter,” growled the witch.

 

“Amon! The ground!” Karasuma cried out.

 

Amon looked down at the snake of approaching shadow, firing a bullet into the ground just in front of him. As expected the craft-made shadow stopped at the patch of Orbo. Amon swore under his breath as the shadow split in two, skirting around the Orbo and speeding towards Amon. He grunted as the shadow reared up into a pair of snakelike whips, one knocking away his gun and the other throwing him backwards. The witch turned with a snarl, using his other hand and another conjured shadow to create a spike between Karasuma's hand and her fallen weapon. He retracted his previous shadow, using it to extend this one so that it began to envelope Karasuma's body.

 

“Lie still and let the darkness consume you!” the witch rumbled, and Karasuma coughed as the shadow began to constrict her chest.

 

With a roar the witch recoiled, the shadow around Karasuma dissipating. There was a flare, and the witch screamed as his coat caught fire. Robin walked towards him, a look of grim determination written across her pretty features.

 

“A light! A light to penetrate the darkness!” the witch cried, slipping out of his coat and frowning as he saw Amon approach to Robin's right, his gun again aimed and ready.

 

“I am defeated,” the witch conceded, but as Amon made to squeeze the trigger he threw up a surrounding cone of shadow.

 

“Robin!” Amon hissed.

 

She nodded, squinting and focusing her abilities towards the shield. The tendril of flame sliced clean through the shadowy barrier, and it crumbled into nothing to reveal…nothing. The witch had disappeared.

 

Amon sighed deeply, “This is why I'm not a beach person…”