I'll Protect You

Chapter 4

Miyuki was terrified. If she learned anything at all from Captain Eita, it was that everything could be handled peacefully, so why could this not be solved peacefully? She sighed, why did the Drifters come anyway? Wouldn't it have been easier to NOT invade?

But Miyuki and all the Soul Reapers knew the answer to that. The Drifters were trying to save Chiyo.

That caused new thoughts to surface in her mind. Chiyo was Miyuki's best friend, one of her only friends who were normal...and now she was being executed. Did Miyuki want to save her? Chiyo WAS her best friend. But she loved Soul Kingdom. So where did her heart lie? With Chiyo and her friends? Or with the rest of Soul Kingdom?

Miyuki couldn't even figure that out.

~oOo~

Irie landed hard on the paved path. Man, this place was HUGE! And how was he supposed to know where Chiyo was? He got up and brushed off his black robes, grabbing his katana. "Geez, where are we? This place is HUGE!"

He glanced sideways at Yamato. The boy stood up, his towering build seemed uninjured. He mass of curly black hair was blowing in the wind. "Hn." He grunted.

"Ah, that's just like you to not say anything, Yamato." He glanced around. "Let's get going before anybody finds us."

Yamato nodded and followed Irie.

~oOo~

"Hanabi!" Naoki gasped. He rushed over to her. "Are you okay?"

She sat up and grimaced from the pain in her shoulder. "Don't worry about me, Naoki!" She laughed awkwardly.

"Hanabi, you aren't fooling anybody. Let me see your shoulder," Naoki tenderly touched her shoulder. He examined it for a moment. "I think it's dislocated...hang on I'll pop it back into it's socket. Ready? One...two...three."

Hanabi felt a sharp pang, which cooled down, causing her shoulder to relax again. She smiled, "Thanks, Naoki."

"It's fine," he stood up and glanced around. "So I think we should just blend in with the crowd, don't you think so?"

"Y-yeah!" She smiled, getting up and following Naoki.

"I wonder how Irie is doing..." She whispered.

~oOo~

Hirako glanced around. The black cat crept around slowly. She could only HOPE that nobody was in danger, but knowing the ditzy Hanabi, the scrawny Naoki, the slow Yamato, and the...the...the just IRIE; it was obvious that somebody being uninjured was a luxury they could not afford. She sighed, "How are we going to make it out of here in one piece? Let alone save Chiyo."

The cat continued on.

~oOo~

"Eh? I wonder..." I rough voice growled. Fujimaki grinned, his demonic, horrifying grin. "Neru...can you sense the spirit power? Who...who is the strongest? I want to fight them."

The little pink-haired Vice-Captain, who looked no older than four, give or take a few years, popped up on the Captain's shoulder. "Let's go, Fuji! That way!" She pointed in a random direction, Fuji following her.

Whoever the strongest drifter was...they could kiss life goodbye.

~oOo~

Mamoru sat at his desk doing paperwork. It didn't matter that Soul Kingdom had been invaded; the drifters were probably nothing special so Mamoru was confident the lower-ranking Soul Reapers could deal with them. But that paperwork was so tiring. He rubbed his temples. He was getting a serious migraine.

"Captain!" Tachibana called, sauntering in, clearly drunk. "You seem stressed out! Come on, have a drink with me! Sake all around! OHOHOHOHOHO!"

His eye twitched in agitation, "Tachibana...why are you getting drunk...not only in a time like this...but at WORK as well..." Mamoru growled.

"Ah, Captain," Tachibana purred. "I'm not a WORKAHOLIC like you; I'm an ALCOHOLIC! You should consider being one, too, Lil' Whitey!"

'Lil' Whitey' Mamoru's thoughts hissed. 'She called me Lil' Whitey!'

"Why you..." He snarled getting up. There was a knock on the door, and Mamoru snarled again, "GO AWAY!"

The door was opened anyway. In stepped Miyuki, her blue eyes curious, "Mou, Lil' Whitey...why'd you yell? Is something wrong?"

'Lil' Whitey...why is everyone calling me Lil' Whitey....? I'm even taller than Miyuki!'

He felt fingers poking his cheeks. None other than Miyuki was poking and grabbing his cheeks at the moment. She pinched one of his cheeks and smiled, "Lil' Whitey! You alive?"

A vein popped on his forehead as Tachibana joined, "Ooh, Miyuki! That looks fun, lemme try!"

And so he stood, more and more veins popping by the second, eyes twitching, and two girls pulling, poking, and pinching his cheeks. "Lil' Whitey! Are you still al-?"

"-WOULD YOU QUIT IT?" He snapped. "I AM TALLER THAN YOU MIYUKI! And Tachibana, I swear that if you so much as TOUCH my cheek, YOU will be dead!"

The two girls stood in silence, watching the fuming Mamoru. Tachibana was probably too drunk to comprehend that threat, and Miyuki was trying to hold back her giggles.

"Aw, Lil' Whitey, I'm still older than you!" She giggled, patting his head.

"That just makes you a saggy old hag."

"I am NOT saggy! And I'm NOT an old hag either! I'm just more mature than you."

"Aw, but Bed-Wetter-Miyu, you are SO an old hag."

"I don't wet the bed, anymore!"

"Mhmm."

I wonder how long Miyuki and I can stay like this? Will her fate rip her away from me? No, that won't happen, because I'll protect her.

I'll protect you, Miyuki.