The Golden Pear [YA - Featured]

♫~Notes 147~♫

Fear flooded Kagetsu's mind, freezing his body as everybody cleared the way. Somebody perhaps called him, but he couldn't step away.

Not now.

Not ever!

Prompting his body, he leaped, swaying his arms. "Heya! Heya!" he shouted, and Rocket dug his hooves into the ground.

His mane flickered like raging flames. Half of the flowers landed in the dust before he had stopped. The horse neighed, his saliva watering the ground.

"Hou! Hou!" Kagetsu kept standing, slowly closing in.

The horse shivered on his legs as if pondering if he should run or stay. Kagetsu's hands stopped a few centimeters from the widened nostrils. Rocket inhaled the familiar scent before the boy touched his muzzle.

The horse wasn't calm but didn't panic either, allowing Kagetsu to hug his neck and caress his sweat-drenched fur.

"Good boy. Good boy! It's going to be okay." Half of the words flew to Rocket and half to him. Rhythmically calming both of their ragged breathing, they could finally rest.

"Kagetsu-san!" a girl form the coffee called him. "What happened?"

"I have no idea!" he called back, taking a firm grip over the reins as Rocket tossed his head up.

"Rocket! Kagetsu-kun!" Mrs. Sato-san called, rushing as fast as she could. She needed to catch her breath since her old body couldn't keep up with her desire to rival marathon runners. "What's wrong?"

Her hands rested on his chest, sensing his heartbeat.

"No idea!" Kagetsu gave her the reins as her husband joined them. "I'll go check it out! Something bad had to happen!"

Stumbling on his shaky legs, he forced them into dashing. The crow of curious people didn't help his progress, so he had to use his elbows to move forward.

"Ri! Freya-chan!" No three steps were so long as those now. "Are you okay? What happened?"

Freya-chan twitched when the school nurse poured disinfection onto her cuts and bruises. The oldest Kamini looked like a stampede ran over him, and it did as people panicked like headless chickens.

"I don't know..." Rigaku panted, holding his hurt shoulder. It seemed he could say goodbye to the pills and checks-up in the hospital, but at this rate, he doubted it could be soon.

He continued, "We've just finished taking photos, and we chatted." He shook his head. "Then Ueno dashed past us, and then the stall exploded."

Kagetsu's eyes jumped at the wooden structure. The wood darkened, and most of the flowers were gone. Fire extinguisher stood nearby, and the foam's bubbles popped in tens as it dissipated. The stench of burned plastic and wood hit his nose that he wrinkled it.