Witch Hunter Robin Fan Fiction ❯ I Promise You Freedom ❯ Chapter 2 ( Chapter 2 )

I Promise You Freedom

~~~

The car sped along the road at a pace slighter faster then the speed limit allowed, but that was the last thing on Nagira's mind at the moment. All that mattered now was getting to see Inari. Eyes scanning the houses he passed, he eased up on the accelerator and eased down upon the brake, finally stopping outside a small home that looked no different from any of the others on its street.

The scrawny form of young child flew out the door and barreled down the steps, almost knocking the older man over as its arms locked around his stomach. "Nagira!" the boy exclaimed, his grinning face turned upwards to meet the other man's.

"Hey Inari, I got something for ya." Nagira reached into his pocket and yanked out the promised disk.

Eyes widening, Inari grabbed the disk and dashed back inside, past the figure of his mother, who had just appeared in the open doorway. All she caught was a flash of his overjoyed grin before he disappeared, most likely to his computer.

She smiled as the brown-haired man approached, and he returned the smile tiredly. "It's so good to see you Nagira."

"Yeah, sorry I haven't visited in the past few days…Robin."

~~~

Sakaki looked over at the shaken form of his wife, now seated across from him at the table that stood in their kitchen. "So, he reminded you of Michael?" he asked, wanting to make sure he had everything straight.

"Not just reminded me, Haruto! It was like I was seeing him all over again! This kid was an exact copy of him, right down to his hair and glasses. I almost had a heart attack…It's been so long…since we've seen them…" She trailed off and turned her blonde head to gaze out the window at the purple dusk that now streaked the sky.

Sighing with regret, Sakaki reached out and stroked her hand with his one good one. "I'm sure they're both doing fine, Yurika."

"But how can you be sure?" She turned back to her husband, and her eyes flickered down to the empty sleeve hanging from his left side. "I can't help but think about it every day, and it haunts my dreams at least once a month. It's as if…as if we're not finished yet. Like there's something greater out there, a bigger part we have to play."

The one-armed hunter did not know how to answer, so he merely shrugged. "I guess we'll have to wait and see," he mused quietly.

~~~

The clicking of computer keys sounded in the room and Robin was transported to time almost 20 years ago when that very same sound had filled the workroom at Raven's Flat. She had not been there since Michael had left for the second time, and she wondered how everyone else was doing.

"Robin!"

Nagira's loud voice brought her out of her reminiscing with a jolt. "What?" she said softly.

"I said, it looks as if that's what Inari was looking for." He jerked his head towards the room from which the typing sounds were emanating.

Robin nodded and glanced towards Inari's room, a small smile dancing around the corners of her mouth. "He's just like his father," she said, her voice wistful with memories nearly two decades gone. "He even refuses to take off Michael's old glasses…" She trailed off and Nagira smiled at her in return.

"He looks just like him, you know," the side-burned man said. "Except for his eyes; he has your eyes. But the fact that he wears those glasses only emphasizes the resemblance."

Robin nodded once more and turned pain-filled eyes back upon Amon's half-brother. "I'm reminded of that fact every moment of every day. It's hard to hide the pain from Inari, but I would rather die then let him see that. I love him more then anything, he is my whole world, but every so often, when I glance up, I think it is Michael standing there, and not my son."

Nagira made a sympathetic sound in the back of his throat and patted her arm gently. "He's a good kid."

"They're after us again," Robin replied, her voice faraway once more. "Somehow they've discovered us and Inari's powers and they're going to hunt us again."

"I know, we have to do something…and fast!"

"His powers are just like Michael's…" The blonde-haired woman did not seem to have heard the older man. Her voice still sounded as if it were trapped in the past, and her emerald eyes were fogged with a haze of remembrance. "I never even knew…"

Nagira fell silent; he knew better then to try and talk to the witch before him when she fell into one of her spells like this. It was like trying to talk to a wall. No, he took that back, even the wall would have been more responsive then a memory-trapped Robin.

"We named after his mother you know. Inara was her name…" She laughed softly. "They all look so much alike."

Sighing, Nagira got to his feet and stuck his head in the room where Inari was still typing away. "Get what you wanted, kid?"

"Yeah!" he exclaimed, turning from the glowing monitor. "It's perfect, thanks Uncle Nagira!"

The older man smiled and gave the boy a thumbs up. "Glad to be of service. Listen, you know as well as I do that the files on that disk are classified Solomon information; be careful what you do with it, and make sure you keep your mother safe." His tone grew stern as he said these words and Inari's eyes grew serious.

"Is she…not here again?" Not here was how the twelve-year-old described Robin's periods of reminiscing.

With a heavy sigh, Nagira nodded and told him, "I've got to being going home now, watch out for her and remember-"

"I know, I know," Inari said, rolling his eyes. "Stay out of sight as much as possible and don't use my powers if I can help it. Damn, you tell me this every time, Nagira!"

With a grin, the brown haired man strode over and flicked the kid on the head gently. "Watch your mouth!"

"Nyah!" Michael's son said, sticking his tongue out at the taller man.

Ruffling his hair and chuckling, Nagira said goodbye and stepped back out into the main room where Robin still sat. "I'm leaving now," he said in a careful tone, making eye contact with her, even though he knew she would not see him. "Be careful and protect Inari, okay?"

With these words he left the little house, closing the door firmly behind him and locking it with a set of spare keys, since he knew Robin wouldn't. He shook his head and sent gray-streaked brown hair flying. He didn't know what would happen if Solomon found them and Robin was lost in her mind like this.

There was only one thing he could be sure of in that worst-case scenario: the outcome would not be pleasant.

~~~

The sky above was a flat gray-blue and the clouds hung thick and low above the rolling ground. Stones dotted the hillsides among the flowers and monuments; seemingly endless rows of them stretched on before the woman's eyes. But she had found the one she was looking for, and it was the only one that mattered to her.

Sighing softly, Karasuma bent down and lay the bouquet of brightly colored spring flowers down on the warm ground. She brushed her fingertips over the worn stone and traced the familiar words that were, by now, committed to memory.

A grave.

Amon's grave.

Tears in her eyes, she stood up once more and said a silent prayer, her lips moving in time with her words. After another silent moment, she turned and fled the cemetery, not wanting to be there a moment longer.

For this was the day when, nineteen years ago, Amon had departed this life; it was the day things had started to fall apart.

~~~

Well…*evil laugh* What do you think? Some of you picked up on things here and there, but no one got the entire picture. And no one got the fact that Michael was dead! I feel so…evil… *shudders* Ok, enough of that. In all honesty, I've got this entire fic planned out; I just need to find the time to write it all! >.< Now that I've killed off two of the favorite characters, how do you all feel towards me?

I've also got a POSSIBLE third story in the makings, but I want to see what the outcome for this one is first. I'm hoping to get even more reviews on this story then on "I Cannot Offer You Freedom"! ^.^ But, in the end, it all comes down to you guys.

And so far, you've been more then wonderful.

~SanoGirl