TADA! The kick-off of my Christmas Gift Fic Bonanza! Yeah, I know. I'm so awful. I finally got it done in time for Christmas! I'm pretty sure apologies don't quite suffice here, so I'm hoping that this last chapter will help… Read on, my loves!
"Hiyono?"
Hiyono didn't answer. Her conscious never even heard. It was like it was so muffled and far away. She vaguely recognized that Flynn had left the tent to find Ayumu, followed by all the disappointed people in the audience that were no longer interested. Destrier had stayed to try to comfort Hiyono, who still couldn't seem to shake herself into reality. So far, his attempts at comforting her had fallen on temporarily deaf ears.
There weren't words to explain how she felt. She was confounded, humiliated, and downright confused. She couldn't even muster up enough brain matter to blush in embarrassment.
Then that voice finally began to whisper it, to imprint it on her mind. He rejected her. He didn't want her. He didn't even care at all what she had gone through. Quickly, she shook it off like an uninvited insect. Narumi-san had to have a reason. It was more than obvious. He hated crowds. He hated showing anyone what was in his heart. The only thing he hated more than that was showing his true feelings in front of a crowd.
She still had to be there. He still needed her. He wanted to protect her, even though he probably wouldn't admit it. His voice still rang out in her mind, "Do you want me to walk you home?"
"Hiyono?"
Her eyes shot over to the bright-eyed young man still trying his best to bring a smile to her face. A spark lit up in his eyes when she looked at him, "Would you like to go on some rides, ya know, until Flynn finds Narumi?"
A slight absent smile crossed her face, "Sure."
Even after Destrier was so thoughtful to buy tickets for her to go on rides, she still couldn't seem to get herself out of this boxed daze she had fallen into. Her smile was a ghost of what it once was, but she couldn't let anyone know what she was feeling.
Destrier gave her a curious stare. Everyone that passed by them that had seen the competition either laughed at her, gave her sad glances, or began whispering to each other. Yet, she acted like she never heard any of it.
---
"You were expecting me, weren't you?"
"It's so beautiful..."
"Nighty night, Narumi-san."
---
Destrier had a terrible time trying to figure out what ride to take Hiyono on. She seemed like she needed something slow, but the only thing slower than whiplash speed was the Ferris Wheel and, knowing Hiyono, she would spend the entire ride looking for Ayumu.
He wasn't sure what else to do. Everything he looked at would either not be a good idea or it would remind her of Ayumu. That's the last thing she needed.
Finally, he sighed, "Would you like to ride the Twister?"
Hiyono glanced over at him with a dazed expression on her face, "Huh?"
"Good. I'll see you there."
Destrier repeated, a concerned look on his face, "Would ya like to ride the Twister?"
Hiyono's lips curled into an empty crooked smile, "Okay, why not?"
---
"What's the matter, Flynn?" Jack asked, halting the horse he had been leading around the small ring. Flynn stopped, out of breath from running, "Hiyono-chan...the competition..."
Jack called another stable-hand over to take the horse, then exited the ring to walk over to Flynn. Jack wrinkled his eyebrows, "What happened?"
Flynn took a couple deep breaths and continued, the distressed expression still on his face, "The competition...it was..."
Jack rolled his eyes and prompted, "It was what?! Talk to me!"
Flynn's labored breaths slowed, "Hiyono's in trouble...and so are we. We have ta...find Narumi. The competition was rigged."
---
The Twister wasn't the best idea, but it got Hiyono's mind off of a certain detective for a little while. The Zipper, Salt and Pepper Shaker, and the Orbiter probably also weren't the best idea, at least she hadn't eaten anything before that. Normally, Hiyono wouldn't have had a problem at all. She would actually have wanted to go on all of them, but there was something that threw her off her norm and set everything off balance.
It was like straight out rejection. Nothing she could do would do anything. For so long she felt that they were made to be there, for each other. It always felt so natural, like there were invisible ties connecting the both of them, as if the shoelaces of her heart were tangled up in his. However, as soon as he said those earth-shattering words, those ties were brutally severed.
Man, since when was anything in her life as clean and simple and romantic as all that? No, she had to swallow her feelings and toughen up. She couldn't deal with it anymore. She had to push him out of her life forever. She had to let him go.
"Narumi-san never tells me anything!"
"Hiyono?"
She shook her head out of her thoughts and glanced back at her young escort. He stared at her with a worried expression on his face. Hiyono put on a smile and bit her lip, then pointed, "What about the Ferris Wheel, Destrier-san?"
Destrier, confused, couldn't come up with something to say as the caramel-haired reporter dragged him off towards the Ferris Wheel.
"Since when has it been in my best interest to answer your questions?"
---
"Flynn, you're positive?"
Flynn growled impatiently, "Positive as my broken rib, Jack!"
Jack thoughtfully rubbed his temple, "That means, they're after Hiyono!"
The blond tapped his boot on the ground rapidly, "Don'tcha think I've thoughta that?!"
After a couple moments, Flynn stood abruptly from his seat on a haybale, "I'm going after them."
His companion grabbed him by the shoulder, "Are you crazy? If we don't have a plan, then we're walking blindly into a death trap."
Flynn hardened his stare, "Narumi an' Hiyono might be dyin' as we sit here twiddlin' our thumbs."
Jack sighed, "I know ya want to save them, I want to save them too, but this is ridiculous! By going out there, you're sacrificing all of us, and-"
Flynn turned, "I'm only sacrificing myself, mate. You have to focus on finding our friends."
Flynn twisted to catch eye contact with Jack one more time. They nodded, and Flynn turned and sprinted in the other direction.
---
"Narumi-san, look! Look! Isn't it amazing?"
It drove him mad. No matter what he did or started thinking about, it reminded him of her. It was awful. He couldn't quell the rolling grinding feeling in his stomach, especially when he thought of the look on her face before he walked away.
Why couldn't he stop thinking about her? It made him want to take a nap in the middle of the road or stand in front of a raging bull. He was convinced that he was nearing the point of insanity.
"Your grip is really tight, Narumi-san."
An uncomfortable shiver shot up his spine. Her voice echoed in his ears. He just wished that he couldn't remember anything she said, then maybe it wouldn't come back to haunt him. Maybe just once he could have actually not listened to her, instead of just pretending not to. Maybe then he would have had the courage to get on that plane and not turn around at the last second.
"Ticket, sir?"
He barely heard anything they were saying. He was thinking about the Blade Children again. He was hauling his bag to the luggage drop-off when it hit him. He could almost imagine Hiyono reading the note he left. He remembered every word he had written.
-I'm sorry...I've gone to finish all the Blade Children junk. You can't be involved, it's too dangerous. I'm sorry Hiyono...-
The sound of another voice suddenly rang in his ear, one that he hadn't listened to in a long time.
"I'm sorry, I've gone to pursue the mystery of the Blade Children. Please tell Madoka."
His breath hitched in his throat. For so long, he had compared himself with his brother. Finally, he had broken himself of that.
Now, he was about to do exactly what his brother had done. He was about to turn around and leave what he cared about the most and never look back. Ayumu had seen firsthand what his brother's departure had done to his sister-in-law, and yet she never gave up looking for him. Just like Hiyono would do. He was about to become his brother and leave what mattered most to him. He still didn't know why exactly his brother left. Yet, even though Ayumu had left because he was afraid for her safety, it still felt wrong.
If he went through with this, he would be exactly like the brother that he was struggling to leave behind.
He would never admit all this, but he never even got passed the luggage drop.
---
As Flynn ran, he knew that the Blade Children weren't the target here. They wanted Ayumu, and they would stop at nothing to destroy the "last hope" of the Blade Children. Truthfully, they never knew that Flynn and the others existed, and this was why exposing them would put all of his friends in trouble. Instead, there was something else he could do.
The blond sprinted through the crowd, trying to stay out of everyone's way as a plan began to develop in his head.
---
"Narumi-san? Are you alright?"
"Destrier-san? Are you okay?"
The boy glanced at her, then looked away, his eyes nervously darting around him.
Hiyono wrinkled her eyebrows, "What's--"
"C'mon, let's go get some more tickets." the stable-hand cut her off, tugging her in the direction of the ticket stand. Something was wrong. No matter what happened, he had to keep Hiyono safe. Somehow he had a feeling that whatever was going on had something to do with her.
She wished they would tell her what was going on. All she knew is that everyone started acting strange after the cooking contest.
"Ya know, this stuff doesn't even come close to your cooking, Narumi-san."
Hiyono shook her head vigorously, trying to get the image of Ayumu's deadpan look out of her head.
"At least this way you're not stealing my lunch."
His voice rang in her ears again. No matter how long she tried not to think about him, his voice kept ringing like an obnoxious doorbell in an old cave.
Destrier eyed everyone suspiciously. Suddenly, anyone could be the enemy. And Hiyono was the only one worth protecting. He glanced up at her spaced expression. The little brunet took her hand and pulled her deeper into the mass of people. She closed her eyes and clenched her fist. As they neared a lone ticket booth, it took her a few seconds to realize what the cold, round metal object pressed against her head was.
"Good night, Hiyono."
---
"I found us a place to stay, Narumi-san!"
Every single place he looked, he couldn't feel more nauseous. Whether it was the oblivious happy people everywhere or the constant nagging at the back of his brain, he couldn't tell.
He had already rejected her, why couldn't he just force himself to walk out and never look back?
"Besides, do we have a choice?"
Did he have a choice? Oh yeah. He had a choice. He chose to leave her there. Now all he had to do was never look back. He would just go home and live his normal life. But...what about everyone that knew her? A missing person's report would be written and he would be the prime suspect and he would be put in jail for what he had done if he simply told the truth. She had family. She had people that cared about her.
She had forsaken it all just to come with him.
"So why'd ya and little Hiyono-chan come alone? Her 'rents know ya got 'er in another country alone with you?"
Kanone. The whole reason he had taken her in the first place was because of Kanone. Something was definitely wrong.
---
Jack growled. This wasn't his day. Running around, danger, finding needles in haystacks and getting no prize. Nope, not his day.
---
"What are you doing out here in your pajamas in the middle of the night, stupid girl?"
Hiyono groaned. Why on earth did her head hurt so bad? Slowly opening her eyes, she could hardly see. Everything was dark and seemed to spin in circles. She felt something tying her hands behind her back, digging into her wrists.
"You awake?" a gentle voice whispered.
Hiyono suddenly acknowledged it. She was tied to something. She turned her head as far as she could towards the voice, "Destrier?"
"How are ya feeling?" he whispered.
"I'm sorry." Hiyono heard herself mutter. Destrier closed his eyes, "It's not your fault, Miss Hiyono. I should have been able to protect you. I should have seen him coming."
"Please don't blame yourself, Destrier-san." she paused and sighed, "Where are we anyway?"
The boy sighed, "We're tied to the largest batch of fireworks for the fireworks display finale."
Hiyono stared for a moment before she realized, "WHAT!? Why?! By who?!"
Destrier glowered at the ground, "Who else?"
She was silent for a moment, then gave an aggravated sigh, "Not them again. Why can't they leave anyone alone? We're not even doing anything wrong!"
"I don't know, Miss Hiyono. I just don' know." he closed his eyes.
---
"I'm watching the stars..."
Ayumu could hardly stare at the food any longer. It was bad enough he could hardly stand to look at the "pathetic excuse for a meal". Now he couldn't even bring himself to think about hunger any more. He sighed and slipped further back into the dark corner at which he had planted himself.
"Narumi-san? Why did you bring me here? Just wondering...Are you...afraid?"
Why was he still here? He couldn't bring himself to leave her like his brother had left, yet he hated her for making him feel this way. It was just too dangerous, and she could never stay out of trouble.
"Narumi-san, it's alright to be afraid sometimes. Pretending that it doesn't exist just makes it worse."
Suddenly, he felt a firm hand on his shoulder. Ayumu whipped around to find Jack leaning over and motioning for silence. Ayumu's expression turned into a glare of full-blooded irritation. He began to stand up and leave when Jack's grip on his shoulder tightened, "Look, you sad excuse for a hero, I know that all you want to do is sit here and sulk until the cows come home, but Hiyono's in trouble."
Ayumu felt his chest tighten slightly. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists.
"To be honest, I was afraid of coming out of the country like this, but I knew you'd protect me. So I'd have nothing to worry about, even if we came having no idea what we were going to do or how we were going to live. I would go into the arms of death as long as you'd come with me."
---
"Now sing."
"Be quiet. No talking. Just sing."
Hiyono sighed and stared at the ceiling of the dark trailer that they were kept in. Slowly, she began to hum a small tune. Destrier glanced back at her as best as he could, staring at her with an unreadable expression on his face.
"That weird song that I hate so much."
With that, Hiyono sighed and opened her mouth, beginning to sing softly.
"Outside the window...
Kira kira kirari
"A shooting star streaks...
Kira kira kirari
The moon glows brightly
Yura yura yurari
"Napping so peacefully
In the ocean of the stars
"Then somebody came along
And waved their special magic wand
Spreading the magic of love to all..."
A quirk of a reassuring smile appeared on Destrier's face, "That was beautiful, Hiyono."
Hiyono closed her eyes and furrowed her eyebrows. She would have to think like Narumi-san if she was going to get out of this mess.
"Destrier-san, do you have a knife?"
---
"You're here because of Hiyono. She was in danger."
Ayumu felt his lungs heaving as he ran, his legs starting to ache in pain. He growled, "You have no idea how many questions you're going to answer when this is over."
Jack shrugged, "Personally, I really don' care right now. Just keep goin'. We have ta get in contact with Destrier. We had arranged to meet him at the Ferris Wheel with Hiyono at 9:30."
Ayumu sneared, "I knew we should never have trusted any of you."
The older brunet rolled his eyes, "Look, I don' care if ya trust me or not. They may already have them by now."
"She's happiest when she's with you."
---
The young reporter gave a heavy sigh of irritation, "Any more ideas, Destrier-san? So far, nothing has worked, not even the Swiss Army Knife. I thought we were getting close with the nail file though."
Destrier sighed, "It's no use. We can't get out of here."
Hiyono frowned, glancing at all the failed tools scattered on the floor, "From what Flynn-san told me, you should have a lot more faith than that. Don't worry. We're going to be fine, I know it."
Suddenly, the door to the trailer slammed open, and two looming shadows chuckled from the doorway. The skinny one hissed, "Well, if it ain't Narumi's little plaything and the orphan stable boy."
Hiyono could almost hear the smirk in the man's voice as he continued, "Tell me, Destrier, have your parents been to any butcher shops lately? I heard the service last time was a bit...choppy."
The boy stiffened, his eyes wide as he started shaking. Destrier gave an angry roar and struggled wildly against his bindings, trying to ignore the burning wet sensation around his eyelids.
Hiyono sat there, almost frozen. Finally, the snarky Hunter addressed her, "How about you, missy? You honestly think that your little Narumi would come and save you? Don't you remember? He completely abandoned you."
Why do I let you get me into these things?! What's your problem? How could you do this? Why do you constantly get me into these messes? Why do I let you hang around all the time?"
The young girl shook her head, staring the big man in the face, "Narumi-san would never abandon me."
Both men laughed this time before the skinny one continued, trying extremely hard not to chuckle, "So sad. She still thinks he actually cares about her...Little does she know...He never needed her and he would never actually want her. That's why he left her here...to die."
"You don't honestly think I mean that, do you? What on Earth would I need a stupid airhead for?"
"Why can't you just disappear?!"
Hiyono's eyes widened. Maybe he really didn't want anything to do with her. Maybe he wouldn't come to save her. Scrambling for any thoughts or comebacks at all, she stuttered, "W-Well, y-you won't get away with this. The fair staff will find out and you'll be history."
Suddenly the other man stepped into the light. He grinned, "That is, unless the head of the fair staff is the one pullin' the strings." he chortled in a low, husky voice.
Destrier muttered in surprise, "George Lexington?!"
Hiyono's eyes grew large, "The announcer...of the..."
The big man gave a loud guffaw and snarled, "Yes...the host of the Kiss the Cook competition as well as the manager of the entire event."
Destrier wrinkled his eyebrows, "So, you're a Hunter too..."
Lexington laughed again, "Of course. Though, as ya know, I'm not interested in killin' ya Blade Children. I'm interested in destroying their only hope."
Hiyono clenched her fists, "Narumi-san..." she whispered.
"I think he's very protective of you. Hiyono, you're his support, aren't you?"
---
"You are afraid, aren't you, Narumi-san?"
Ayumu leaned over, trying to catch his breath. Jack sighed heavily, glancing at his pocketwatch and looking around nervously, "They shoulda been here by now. We'll wait ten more minutes and if they don' show up, we'll know somethin's wrong."
The young detective eyed his companion suspiciously, "So how do I know that you freaks didn't take her with the intentions of killing her yourself?"
Jack rolled his eyes, "Look, Narumi. If we had wanted to kill Hiyono we would have done so a long time ago."
Ayumu narrowed his eyes, staring at Jack's face in realization, "You're all Blade Children..."
The cowboy sighed, "Bingo, Sherlock. Flynn, Destrier and I are Blade Children. For our entire lives we've been living in secret seclusion from the Hunters, until now. They're after you, Narumi. They're convinced that all of the Blade Children's lives depend on you. That's why they're after Hiyono. But you probably already know most of that."
Ayumu ran his hands through his hair, muttering, "I'm the one that got her into this. I should never have gotten her involved. Then, maybe she would have..."
"Get a grip, Narumi! We don't even know where they are. And sitting here is not gonna do anything. We have to go after them."
"No!" Ayumu retorted. He sighed, "I gotta find her on my own. They want me. They want to get to me. If you want to stay alive, it'd be best if you stayed out of it."
Jack grabbed Ayumu by the shoulder, "No way, kid. If Hiyono's captured, then so is Destrier. He's the gentlemanly type, he would never leave her to fend for herself. And Dest is like my brother. Plus, Hiyono's my friend too."
---
"We have more hope than you could ever imagine, you pompous windbag!" the scruffy little stable-hand growled.
At once, the smaller Hunter seized the blue-eyed boy by the collar, spat in his face, and slapped him across the cheek.
"Destrier-san!"
The Hunter then let the boy fall back to the ground as Lexington gave a chuckle, "Boy, do we have plans for you." he shifted his gaze to Hiyono, "As fer the girl, you will be the center of our devious plot. Heh, we'll leave ya two alone with yer final thoughts."
With that, they left the trailer, slamming the heavy door behind them.
After a while in the dark silence, Hiyono sighed, "What do you think they're going to do to us?"
Destrier turned his head to stare at the wooden floor, dusted with ashes and smelling of smoke, "They'll probably set us out on the field and wait until it's time for the fireworks, then set us off with the final blast."
Hiyono leaned her head back on the large fireworks rocket they were attached to, "There has to be another way..."
The boy gave a slight smile, "Don't worry, Hiyono. I'm convinced that we're not going to die here."
"How?"
"Why did Narumi come back?"
"Um..."
"What do you have to do with the Hunters' plan?"
"Uh..."
"Now, whose gonna save you?"
Hiyono's stared at the floor before closing her eyes.
"Rutherford thought that this Narumi could save us. I know he's a great kid, but I also know that there ain't no human that could save us. If he really came ta save us, who would save him? And if they told me that it was you, then who's gonna save you, Hiyono-chan?"
Hiyono quirked a smile, "So he...WAS afraid. He was afraid...because of me..."
"That's probably WHY he left, Hiyono-chan. He cares for ya and he doesn't want ya to get hurt. He knows that the Hunters, among others, will come after ya in an attempt to get at him. So he prolly wanted ya as far away from himself as possible ta keep ya safe."
Her eyes darted back and forth, "Maybe...maybe Narumi-san will come for us after all..."
Destrier smiled, "There ya go, Darlin'. And...even if he doesn't...we're gonna be fine."
"So, how come the Hunters took our cell phones, but not the nail file, the pens, the scissors, or the Swiss Army Knife?" she inquired.
Her companion shrugged, "They want to instill a sense of hope in us before pittin' us into ultimate despair."
Hiyono raised her eyebrows, "Sheesh, that's dark. So, how are we going to get out of here?"
---
"Don't worry, Narumi-san. I'll be here all the way."
"Ugh, stupid girl, where are you?" the detective muttered.
Jack sighed, "Okay, so the Hunters wouldn't want to make a scene or draw attention to themselves. Their goal is probably to lure you somewhere where it would be easy to kill us all and not be noticed, using Hiyono as bait."
"So, basically we're walking into a trap set so they can kill me and destroy the Blade Children once and for all."
"Exactly."
"Now, where would be the easiest place to disguise a murder in a county fair and leave no evidence?" Ayumu's eyebrows furrowed, caught in pensive contemplation.
Suddenly, the detective's eyes widened in concern, his voice laced with some mix of anger, urgency, and no emotion at all, "When does the fireworks display start?"
Jack took a quick look at his pocket-watch, "It starts at 10:00, that's about twenty minutes, why?"
It didn't take long for Jack to realize what was going on, "The fireworks trailer at the other end of the fairgrounds, we gotta hurry."
Both males darted towards the outskirts of the fair, with Jack leading the way as they tried to maneuver through the crowd.
---
The door to the trailer slammed open as the thinner Hunter burst through with determined, heavy footsteps. All at once, he ripped Destrier away from his bindings, picked him up by the collar and threw him against the back wall.
Hiyono gave a small cry when she heard the awful thud of his body against the wall followed by the sickening crunch when he hit the ground, crashing into a pile of small rockets.
"Destrier-san? Destrier-san?! Destrier-san, answer me!"
She saw and heard no movement from her friend as the Hunter and a few other large men stepped through the trailer and started picking up the fireworks and taking them outside. Finally, a tall, muscular man came through the doors and picked up Hiyono as well as the rocket she was tied to and throwing them over his shoulder.
The little newshound kicked and struggled and bit as hard as she could, but the man only tightened his grip on her.
As they finished unloading the trailer, Lexington and the other Hunter stood there snickering as they ordered the other men to close the trailer door, "Little does the boy know that he won't wake up from that nap. The bomb in the truck is set to go off in less than fifteen minutes." the thin one laughed.
Lexington slapped his partner on the shoulder jokingly, "And with some of the fireworks still in there, folks won't know the difference when it goes off at the same time as the finale."
Lexington then turned and gave more orders to his workers, "Set up the fireworks as usual in the field and wait for further orders."
He then walked up to the trailer and gave orders to the man in the driver's seat, "Take this hunk a' junk behind the events tent, there won't be any more people there tonight."
The driver inquired, his grin almost as crooked as his rotting teeth, "Past the games, sir?"
Lexington rolled his eyes and replied sarcastically, "No, ya doofus, past the Sugarplum Fairy dumpling stand. Of course past the games!"
The driver started the engine and drove off. Hiyono could hardly hear it. Her head was spinning; she could barely tell what was going on anymore. She expected she should be used to this by now. If she lived through this, maybe Narumi would chastise her later.
---
"I wish I would never have brought her here."
"No time for regrets, Narumi. We have to find the field!"
Ayumu lowered his eyebrows, "Field? You said that the fireworks were in a trailer."
Jack growled slightly, "They were, but we only have about ten minutes left before the show starts. They would have set up all the fireworks already."
Ayumu clenched his teeth, "They're planning on sending her up on the biggest one."
"Oh...Narumi-san."
---
Flynn knew that he had to hurry. He would have to apologize later. The blonde had quickly come up with some excuse to dismiss the games announcer from the shift. Now he held the microphone in his hands. If this was going to work, he would have to act fast.
---
The driver whistled nervously as he slowly drove through the aisle. It was bad enough that trucks weren't allowed behind the event tent, but trying to maneuver in the aisle while carrying a bomb was not exactly the most peaceful job in the world. Suddenly, he heard a loud announcement from the games section, the very section that he was about to pass, "Ladies and Gentlemen, all game tents will be hosting a giveaway for the next ten minutes. If you get here within ten minutes, prizes are guaranteed."
At that moment, the driver knew that his job had just gotten a whole lot worse.
---
"Hiyono-chan, yer in real danger right now. I don' know if ya realize it, but anyone who wants to destroy the Blade Children are gonna go after their only hope, which, apparently, is Ayumu Narumi. Believe it or not, the easiest way to destroy Ayumu...is to go after you."
"Believe it or not, yer one of the only ones he cares about."
Hiyono couldn't help but stare at the grass as they secured the rocket to the ground. Maybe her Narumi wouldn't come for her after all. Maybe Flynn didn't really mean what he said. Maybe he was just trying to make her feel better. But she had to hang on, she just had to hang on for him a little bit longer.
"Hiyono."
It was then that she heard a deep chuckle. George Lexington emerged, leaning on a cane that he did not need except that he thought it would make him seem more civilized, "So, little Hiyono. I bet you still think that yer strong, handsome prince will come gallopin' in ta save you, don'tcha?"
Hiyono glared at him and didn't answer, so he continued, "Well, that's such a pity, because just as he comes ridin' in, that's when you all will be blown ta smithereens. Or ta the moon, whichever comes first."
She rolled her eyes, "So, I guess this is the part where you tell me exactly how your diabolical plan works, am I right?"
"Good girl." he snickered as he started to pace back and forth in front of her, "It's simple. I have another bomb rigged to the rocket, so if the rocket doesn't kill you, the bomb will. And don't even bother tried to untie yerself. The bomb is actually the exact thing that ties you there. The only way ta get untied is to diffuse the bomb, but you can't really do that with yer hands tied back like that, can you? So, right on time, young Narumi will arrive and try to save you, and as he tries to diffuse the bomb, it will be too late."
Hiyono pursed her lips, "How do you know he'll come try to save me?"
George Lexington let out a roar of laughter, "Ah, my dear, I find that he won't be able ta resist."
---
Flynn jumped back over the games counter before the truck even stopped. The swarm of people had created a roadblock, just as he had planned. He hoped that the rest of the games staff could keep the crowd long enough for him to accomplish his goal. He still wasn't sure what he would find, but he had to try. Pushing through the crowd, he finally reached the back of the truck. He grasped the handle anxiously, trying to unbolt the lock.
The bolt slid back slowly, making an obnoxious screech. Inside, he was dismayed to discover that a large thug sat in the back of the trailer, right next to the heap of an unconscious Destrier. The thug stood up and lumbered toward Flynn, clearly intending to fight. Flynn glanced around, eagerly trying to find something he could use to protect himself.
---
It had been a while since the Hunters had left Hiyono alone on the field. She could still hear them nearby, meaning that it wouldn't be long until it was her turn. True, she hoped Ayumu would find her, but deep inside she knew that either way she was going to die. She never told him. She never said what she really thought. She never knew if he felt anything.
Now, even if he did come to save her, then it would be entirely her fault that they both were going to die. If he didn't, then she would have to face the fact that she was meant to die there. There was so much she didn't get to do. Why did it have to be now?
"I'm sorry...I've gone to finish all the Blade Children junk. You can't be involved, it's too dangerous. I'm sorry Hiyono..."
She closed her eyes, "Narumi-san, I'm sorry...Please, don't come after me."
---
Unable to find something to use, Flynn crouched and quickly grabbed a handful of ash from the floor of the trailer. The thug, meanwhile, towered over him, ready to throw a battering ram-sized punch. Flynn haphazardly flung the handful of ash into the man's face, "Sorry!"
While the man roared and stumbled for a few seconds, Flynn rushed to the back of the trailer and picked up Destrier's limp body, throwing the boy over his shoulder as he rushed outside the trailer.
Rushing to follow, the large man stepped out of the trailer and into the mass of moving people. Flynn rushed to the games counter and set Destrier down on it, "Please take care of him until I come back." he instructed the girl behind the counter. With that, Flynn darted back to the truck and opened the driver's door. The stressed man in the driver's seat looked over just in time to see Flynn's foot coming quickly towards his face. The next thing he knew he was flying out the passenger side.
By now, the crowd had slowed and began to dissipate. Flynn gritted his teeth and laid on the horn as the people scattered. When a path had cleared, he slammed on the gas as the trailer's wheels squealed, trying to get traction.
---
"Na-Narumi-san?"
"How many more minutes?" Ayumu demanded anxiously.
"About six. Chill Narumi, we'll make it. We gotta." Jack answered, staring at his watch as they ran.
---
Flynn had never experienced something so stressful. After just missing tents and stands and people, he had finally gotten to the outskirts of the fair. He had to get farther away. Finally, he spotted a large tree a few hundred yards away. Perfect.
He bit his lip and closed his eyes for a moment, uttering a silent prayer as he hit the gas.
---
The sky roared with a burst of flames and color. Hiyono jerked slightly, watching the display in horror. The Hunters eyed it suspiciously before they shrugged. Suddenly, Hiyono heard a disturbing beeping sound.
George Lexington approached her once again and laughed, "Ah, right on time. Hear that? I thought it'd comfort ya in yer last five minutes of life."
Hiyono glanced down at her bindings. Lexington gave a low chuckle, "That's right. The timer on the bomb. Yer rocket will go off in precisely four minutes and thirty-six seconds. I hope ya wanted the free booking on the next flight to Kingdom Come."
Hiyono paled, that beeping sound ringing in her ears, drowning out the sounds of any other voice inside her.
---
"Then why did he leave me here alone?"
"Narumi-san...did you really want to keep me away?"
Hiyono heard the people whoop and cheer in excitement when the bright lights lit up the sky. She couldn't believe that this could be the end. That just didn't seem right. There had to be another way. She couldn't die now. And neither could Ayumu.
The young reporter opened her mouth and tried to sing, but the words and the tune wouldn't form to her lips.
Shpewwww....BOOM! The sound of a nearby fireworks rocket shot off. It wasn't long now.
At last, when everything had settled, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, and as another rocket went off, she screamed as loud as she possibly could.
"NARUMI-SAANN!!!"
"Stupid girl."
She gasped sharply when she felt a hand over her mouth. Suddenly, she turned to face the one who had closed his hand on her face. She knew that smell. Ayumu Narumi.
He held a finger to his lips and stared at her sternly.
His determined eyes delved through hers. He put his hand on her shoulder and tightened his grip when he felt her shaking under his grasp. When he unclasped his hand from her mouth, her lips were moving, but no sound was coming out. Of course, their moment of shock was interrupted by the obnoxious alarms of the bomb.
"I really missed you, Narumi-san."
Suddenly, Ayumu's attention turned strictly to the little device securing Hiyono. His eyebrows furrowed into 'twinkles' again as he studied the bomb.
"But I knew that Narumi-san wouldn't stay away. I knew...that he wouldn't leave me behind."
Hiyono's voice finally stuttered back into existence, "N-Narumi-san! You h-have to get out of here!" she nearly choked.
"No." he deadpanned.
"It's going to kill you too!" her voice cracked.
Ayumu suddenly looked at her with a slightly irritated yet determined expression, "I have to try!"
"Hn. How'd you know that? How'd you know that I wouldn't just take off and never come back?"
Hiyono frowned, "I won't be responsible for both our deaths! You have to save yourself!"
Suddenly, the dark-haired detective stared her in the eyes with an expression she hardly ever saw, his voice slightly raised into a concerned yet concentrated exclamation, "I didn't come all the way back here just to lose you again!"
"Because, Narumi-san is useless without me."
Once again, she saw the reason why he had taken her, why he had left, why he came back and why he came to save her at this very moment. Both could hear their breaths above the noises of the bomb. He eyed her closely, studying the every movements of her eyes. With a slight growl, he gritted his teeth and jerked his head away from her.
"N-Narumi-san?" she stared blankly, biting her lip.
"There's only a minute and fifteen seconds left. Let me focus." he huffed.
"Narumi-san, please. I need to know you'll make it alive."
At that moment, he gave her the look that demanded her to spill her guts immediately, "So what's going on?"
She sighed and began to explain, squirming under his gaze, "The rope-things they tied me with are directly attached to the bomb. The bomb is set to go off at the exact same time this fireworks rocket is supposed to launch. I think it's programmed or something, I don't know. But even if the bomb is diffused, the rocket will still go off."
Hiyono paused for a moment, until Ayumu's unwavering stoic stare spurred her to go on.
"The Hunters, led by George Lexington, the guy who-"
"I knew that guy was no good." the chocolate-haired male muttered.
Hiyono could feel his anger building as he nearly sneered in his classic emotionless deductions, "That conceited bucket of lard probably doesn't even know how to tie his shoes. He had to pick something easy that no one would know but him. Something that he had control of."
He pondered for a moment, his demeanor once again becoming pensive and silent.
"Hey. What were the time limits for each round of the competition in order?" he demanded apathetically, his voice returning to its normal irritated drone.
Hiyono sighed and bit her lip, "Um...thirty minutes, an hour, another hour, fifteen minutes. Why do you ask, Narumi-san?"
Ayumu stared at her for a few minutes in the way that she knew he had just called her stupid. Finally, she thought for a while and all the gears seemed to click into place, "The times! The only thing that Lexington could change without anyone noticing!"
"Narumi-san? What...what made you come back?"
"The code for this thing is three digits long. What is the sum of all the numbers in minutes?" he continued, as if to test her while their lives were on the line.
"165." she answered with but a moment's hesitation.
This was it. She may never get to have another chance. She never knew how close death could be.
As he began to punch buttons on the bomb's keypad, Hiyono sighed, "Narumi-san, if we die...I uh...I want you to kno-"
"Don't. I don't want to hear your stupidity right now." he cut her off abruptly.
"You said it yourself, didn't you? I'm useless without you."
She had half a mind to pout, but the sounds of the bomb were getting louder. Hiyono's golden brown eyes followed his every move. By the expression on his face, suddenly she remembered. She remembered how much faith she had in him. They had to be okay, they just had to.
10.
Ayumu struggled to dismantle the bomb, his hands beginning to work faster than she had ever seen before.
9.
The bomb dismantled with a pop. The beeping stopped, but now an eerie silence hung over as both heard the noises of fireworks exploding in the background.
8.
Ayumu tensed and stared at her, fully knowing that, as long as she was still tied to the rocket, she would...
"You keep your filthy hands off her, you pathetic creep."
7.
His expression darkened as he began to try to unwind the tangle of bindings around her.
6.
Hiyono looked at him painfully, her eyes nearly pleading with him.
His voice rose to an irritated snap, "No. Stop looking at me like that. Not after-"
5.
More shots of fireworks went off as the people at the fair cheered at the bursts of color. Ayumu never finished his sentence as he raced, trying to rip the cords from her hands and around her body.
4.
As soon as he loosened her enough to pull her out, he grabbed her wrist and yanked her from the ground, trying to drag her along as fast as he could.
3.
Hiyono could barely keep up. She felt her legs give out as she crashed to the ground. Ayumu instantly stopped, waiting for her to get up. When she struggled to get to her feet, the boy rushed to her and pulled her up, the fireworks thundering much closer than they would have liked.
2.
The reporter could almost feel her heart stop. She knew that they probably weren't far enough away and she couldn't seem to make herself go much further.
1.
BOOM!
The force of the blast knocked both teens to the ground.
After a few seconds, Hiyono finally got her breath back and panted breathlessly, wondering if she was still alive. However, from the taste of dirt in her mouth, she guessed that she was still here. Slowly she opened her eyes to find Ayumu laying flat on the dirt beside her. His chocolate hair was messy, his face and hands were covered in dirt, and his clothes were torn, but it was him. The slow, gentle rise and fall of his breathing soothed her enough to take his large hand in her small fingers.
He flinched and opened his eyes. Abruptly pulling his hand away from hers, he slowly sat up and stared at the sky as the finale of fireworks began.
Ayumu neither looked at her nor touched her nor spoke at all; he just sat there until he heard a small noise.
Hiyono gulped, trying to get rid of the knot in her throat. She then gave a sigh of relief. Her eyes traveled over herself, glaring at all the dirt and the ash and the grime and the grass stains that had manifested themselves all over her. She could hardly tell what color her legs were anymore.
Slowly, her eyes shifted to her partner, who sat silently a few feet away from her, staring into the distance with a blank expression. She swore that he was dirtier than she was. She could also see a couple smears of blood around his face, arms, and under the rip in the knee of his pants.
He put himself in danger to come for her. He put his neck on the line just to come rescue her. Again. He would never admit it, of course. He would just say something to the effect of having a guilty conscience on his way back to Japan.
Why had she not been there for him? Why did she have to be so much trouble? Why couldn't she support him like she was supposed to? Why couldn't she bring herself to smile...?
Ayumu glanced over to find Hiyono turned away from him, huddled with her head on her knees. After a moment, he heard the noise again, a sniffle, accompanied by the shake of her shoulders.
He sighed, "Hey."
When she didn't answer, he closed his eyes and hissed through his teeth, "Why are you..."
A whisper came to greet him, "I wasn't there for you. I was afraid. I was scared. I wanted Narumi-san to come for me, but I wanted him to stay away, because I didn't want him to die too. I thought that Narumi-san would not even want to come save me. I was scared that other people would get hurt. I was scared that I would hurt...Narumi-san. I was afraid that he would die...because of me."
"Shut up."
Her silence stopped as the soft sounds of tears began again.
"Don't cry." came his stern voice.
It made him nervous. All this time she was so strong. She had always been there. She had always waited for him. She even nearly let herself die for him. He was the one that was never there for her. He was the one that had left her alone, by herself, so many times. Yet, not once had he ever seen her cry like this. After all this, she was hurt and broken, and all he could do was sit there.
When she did not stop, he shifted anxiously and repeated, "I said don't cry."
With that, he grabbed her by the arm and whipped her around. Her face was red and her eyes were puffy and she still had the sad distorted expression on her face as her tears made stains down her cheeks. He couldn't stand to see her like this. He couldn't make her stop. He couldn't show her the truth.
She began sobbing softly, refusing to look at his face.
"Stop crying."
"Kiss the cook! Kiss the cook! Kiss the cook!"
He didn't know what else to do. Usually, he would just sit there and do nothing or give her what she wanted, but the honest, compassionate, weak expression on her face unraveled him piece by piece. She always had to be his strength, now she was weak. He could hardly stand it. He felt as weak as she did. This was the first time he ever saw her breaking.
Something in his chest began to burn, pumping like fire through his veins as he watched her. He couldn't watch anymore.
"You should be free to kiss whoever you want, but I'm out of here."
All of a sudden, he put his hand at the back of her neck and yanked her forward as he seized her lips in his own and the final blast of color boomed in the background. She gasped, her entire thought process completely destroyed.
This is what I wanted the whole time, Narumi-san.
Slowly, he closed his eyes, put his hand to her face and brushed his fingertips against her cheek. Finally, Hiyono's eyes slipped closed as she melted into him. She leaned forward, her lips finally brushing gently against his own.
For once in his life, he didn't care that both of them were covered in dirt and mud and sharing germs in a quite intimate fashion.
As she responded, Ayumu unconsciously pulled her closer and massaged her lips deeply, his soft, gentle yet rough kiss a living paradox in itself. She wrapped her arms around his neck and sighed into his lips, initiating one last deep motion from him before he slowly pulled away, breathing heavily as he glared into her eyes.
Hiyono just sat there, completely flabbergasted and oblivious to everything around her. Ayumu guessed that there was a great amount of vacancy in her head once again.
The young Narumi sat back on the grass and stared at the sky, once again saying nothing.
After a long time of silence, Hiyono wrapped her arms around her knees and frowned, "Do you think the guys are all right?"
"Hn." her grouch of a companion grumbled.
"Thank you for staying with me, Narumi-san."
---
"Destrier, seriously, bud, this doesn't feel right without-"Jack exhaled.
"Hullo, gents! What'd I miss?" the figure in question plopped down beside them.
"Flynn?! I saw the explosion, how did you-" The older stablehand hissed.
"Ah, my friend, that'd be a secret." Flynn chuckled.
Flynn shifted his eyes to Jack, "So, how come you ain't with Narumi?"
Jack rolled his eyes, "Well, someone had ta take care of the Hunters' goons while you and Narumi were playing noble hero of self-sacrifice and honor." he mocked jokingly.
Flynn shook his head and changed the subject, "So what'd I miss? What's all the hububb?"
Jack sighed and rubbed his temples, "Please tell me you did not just say 'hubbub'."
The eldest finally sighed and glanced over Flynn's shoulder, "Narumi and Hiyono just smooched."
"What?!"
Destrier glanced over at Flynn deviously, holding his hand and waiting, "I believe that's ten bucks."
Flynn growled, "You can't tell me that was a real bet!"
The young boy smirked as Flynn folded his arms across his chest, "Hey Chum, we don't bet, you know that!"
Destrier raised his eyebrows, "You were the one that started it."
Jack put his finger to his lips, "Shush, you. They'll hear us."
He glanced past the bushes that they were hiding behind, the leaves shuffling gently at the movement. Flynn heaved a defeated sigh, resting his arms on his knees, "I still say ya cheated."
So what'd ya think? Love? Hate?
*Flynn's actions with the explosion are purely fiction for writing purposes. Do NOT try this!*
Shoutouts:
InvisibleWords.: I hope this last chapter makes you smile too. And despite my lateness I hope you remain a loyal fan/friend. This last chapter was probably the most difficult yet the most fun, I hope you enjoy!
Little Minamino: Hehee, thankies once again. "dagum it." I like that. I sincerely hope that this last chapter keeps you on the edge of your seat! The Cheeseball always loves your reviews.
Prodigy Keyblade Wielder: YAY! I hope the end has kept you absorbed as well. Again sorry for the extreme lateness. I have pulled my supposedly last trick out of my sleeve! No need to grumble any longer! Bwahahaa! Thankies, your reviews are a blessing to me.
Beautifulsmile: NO! Don't die! I'm sorry I'm so late! Please don't die! Yes! I'm back! Thank you again for awesome reviews! I hope to hear your thoughts on the ending. ; )
El Taco: Unfortunately nothing to satisfy hunger in the last chapter. Sigh. Instead, I've stuffed bunches of action and suspense and all that annoying good stuff into this finale. Thank you for you ever loyal support and reviews. Again, Rock on! May the f(L)OR(D)ce be with you! : P
ayane04: Thank you oh so much! I'm so glad to hear my poor rendition of a cooking competition with dishes I have no clue how to make came out well! Apologies for the severely late update. I hope this is exciting enough for you! Thanks again and I hope to "hear" your reaction to the ending.
Sony89: Thanks again, hehee. Yes, the ending to the last chapter was kinda sad and disappointing, even when writing it. I just hope that this makes up for it! I look forward to your reaction.
nanamisakurachan: Thank you very much. Sorry for the late update. Sometimes, Ayumu's attitude is kinda fun to write, especially now that I've been really getting the hang of it. Though, it still can't beat the enjoyment of writing suspense, cliffhangers, and a whole lot of cheese.
kah-jeer-stin: Oh my goodness, yes, the ending to the anime was as disappointing as a donut with no filling. They tell you a bunch more in the manga volumes, but I'm not sure if that's such a good thing either. To be honest, the ending to that seems kinda disappointing too. Almost like a ripoff, it was a bit agitating. Anywho, I don't want to ruin the ending for you. Thank you so much for the reviews. Please don't die of anticipation! I'm sorry I haven't gotten back to you until now. I've been working pretty hard at trying to keep them in character and Ayumu is honestly one of the most difficult kind of characters to write. The reason I added the part about him calling her stupid is because he does that in the manga and it sorta becomes a pet name. Ayumu fully acknowledges that she's not actually stupid, it's almost a kind of show of affection he uses for her. This by no means means that calling people stupid is okay, but it's Ayumu's character, and notice how she's the only one that ever gets that treatment. ; ) Thank you again for the compliments and I'm glad I have the ability to spark some humor. God bless ya and I hope you enjoy this last chapter!
SicilianMaiden: Sici-chan, if you are able to read this, I'm sorry I haven't been able to reply to your latest chapters of 30 Kisses. I genuinely hope you're doing alright and I'm praying for you.
Other Special Thanks:
A Lonely Night Rain
angel5411313
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blackbubblez1012
Chibi-Neko-San
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And all the lurkers out there!
Once again, everyone, thank you so much for everything and I hope to hear from you soon! God bless you all and have a great Christmas! I'm praying for you!
"Stupid girl. What have you gotten us into now?"
"Be careful, Narumi. There are those out there that would rather have your noggin on a platter than to help you out. Don't trust anyone unless they mention something called the Savior Project."
"There is no way I'm working at another one of these."
"Narumi-san, are we going to die?"
"Ayumu Narumi, right? You're cuter than I thought you'd be."
"How do you really feel about her, Narumi-san?"
"Don't you get it? It's a trap! They're trying to tear you apart!"
"I honestly don't have to talk like that, do I?"
"I won't let you go. If you leave right now, you'll never come back. And I know that you know that. I can see it in your eyes…"
"NARUMI-SAN! Wake up! Please! Breathe! Do something! Don't leave me!!"
"Forever is forever, Hiyono. There is no going backwards and there are no do-overs. This is it. The question is what are you going to do with that."
Coming Soon: Ye Olde Kissing Booth.