Relations

Koji took the lead to the bedroom, laying Sayaka down on her stomach and carefully positioning her so her wounds weren't touching anything. 

He turned to Kuraishi, giving back his jacket. "Thanks." 

"You're welcome," Kuraishi said. "Now, I hate to be a stickler for rules, but we don't let strangers into our safehouses. We're overdue on some introductions. I know you're Koji Kusumoto, but your friends are…?" 

"Sayaka Nozawa," Koji said, gesturing to her. "She's bound to us by a blood oath, but otherwise unaffiliated."

"And I'm Miyori Ogimura," Miyori put in. 

"Miyori-chan is also only barely affiliated," Koji said. "She's here with me due to personal stakes in the mission." 

"They'd better be high stakes, if they're worth bringing a child into a fae skirmish." 

Koji gave Kuraishi a narrow look. "Someone was supposed to create a diversion." 

Kuraishi shrugged. "Even then." 

"My friend was kidnapped," Miyori said. "We're trying to find him." 

"And you're sure it's related?" Kuraishi asked. "People disappear all the time."

"I was there when they took him," Miyori said. "And they've also been after him for a while. Noa-kun explained a little bit about it to me—" 

"Wait," the woman said suddenly. "Your friend is named Noa...?" 

Miyori glanced Koji's way, but he didn't stop her. "Noa Takasu, yes. The Shijos have actually been after him for a while, but we didn't realize—" 

"No." The woman pressed her hands to her mouth, mumbling. "No, they can't have taken him...how did he even get involved? He was supposed to be..." 

Kuraishi grumbled something that sounded like a curse. "We're overdue on introductions too, it seems. Sumiko's family name is also Takasu. She's Noa-kun's mother." 

Miyori blinked, then stared. She wouldn't have considered it, but now that she looked again, she could just about see the resemblance—the nose, the jaw. Her eyes were a slightly different shape, but her fine-boned build was similar. 

"Like attracts like," Kuraishi muttered. "Guess it's not so much of a coincidence we ended up here after all. But if you're Noa's friend, how come you two didn't recognize each other?"

"We weren't friends at first," Miyori said. "Just classmates." 

She explained as best she could, stumbling over which details, aware that there wasn't much time. When she got to Sayaka's involvement, Miyori left it to Koji to explain. 

"She has less reason to be here than Miyori-chan does, all things considered," Koji said heavily. "She knew me when we were younger, and she knows you by reputation." He nodded towards Sumiko. "That, and evidence piling up in city hall, was enough to convince her to get involved…for all the good it's done her." 

Miyori looked at Sayaka. "Will she...be all right? She hasn't even woken up…." 

"Sleep heals," Kuraishi said. "And besides that, she had a really close call. She might not wake up for a while, but that isn't necessarily a bad sign." 

"She doesn't have any family waiting for her back home," Koji said. He pressed the back of his hand to her forehead, gently tugging her hair straight. "Nobody to look after her, either. If we took her to a hospital it would raise too many questions…I'll have to ask gramps if we can keep her safe until she recovers." 

Kuraishi shrugged. "Well, I wouldn't recommend moving her more than necessary for at least a few more hours. Bed's free as long as you need it—though there's magic on this place that won't let you enter or leave freely. I'll need to—" 

"Hold on." Koji held up a hand. "Did you feel that?" 

"Feel what?" Miyori looked at Sumiko, but she just looked puzzled. 

But when she turned to Kuraishi, he was staring down at the floor. "That…doesn't seem good."

Koji stalked over to the window and pushed it open. "Listen," he said. 

Miyori listened…and, very distantly, thought she could make out a familiar rumble.

Then the sounds became a lot less distant. The trees on the other side of the street began to shiver. The building began to creak in odd spots, and Miyori could hear knocking as though something unmoored was tapping against the wall. 

Above it all rose a high, eerie wail—emergency sirens, from a few different places at once. 

"Something's wrong," Sumiko said. "Something's…really wrong, isn't it?" 

"It's the Garden," Koji said. "It has to be. The question is, is it just here, or…." 

Miyori edged towards the window, looking out. She gasped. "Look!" 

On the edge of the horizon, the tallest buildings seemed to vibrate, then begin to tilt. Miyori thought she could see tendrils of…something…rising in the distance. Some sort of haze that distorted everything it touched. 

"It's everywhere," Sumiko said. "Ryosuke, I think we're going to need to move up our timeline." 

Ryosuke sighed. "I don't like this." 

"It's our—it's Noa," Sumiko said. "If the Garden wasn't acting up, I might agree to waiting, but if he's involved in whatever's going on down there…he's not safe." 

Kuraishi folded his arms. "Are you really okay with getting me involved with him? You won't regret it?" 

"It's not worth the risk of waiting anymore. Maybe it hasn't been for a while." She shook her head. "Do what you have to. Whatever you have to. Just get my son back safe." 

Ryosuke stretched. "Understood. Remember, you're the one who asked me to break our agreement." 

Sumiko shook her head with a resigned smile. "It was only going to last a few more years anyway, and Noa's safety is more important. No matter what happens, I won't hold it against you."

Kuraishi, for just a moment, looked relieved. "All right. And I'm guessing you're coming with me." 

"I at least want to be nearby—" 

Miyori stepped forward. "I want to come, too." 

Everyone in the room turned to stare at her. 

"Noa-kun is my friend," she said. "And"—she shrank down, blood flaking off on the carpet—"I'm useful in a tight place. Literally." 

"Also, you're a small target," Ryosuke said after a pause. "But at the same time, you can't take a hit, and you're underage—and I bet your contract holder isn't coming with us." 

Miyori turned to look at Koji, still sitting protectively at Sayaka's side. She swallowed.

"It's okay," she said. "You should stay with Sayaka-san. I promise I'll stay out of the way of anything dangerous." 

Koji shook his head. "I can't stop you." 

Miyori turned back to Kuraishi. "Please let me come." 

Kuraishi huffed. "I'm not in the business of looking out for other people's kids. If Sumiko's okay with it, as Noa's mother, I'll allow it." 

Sumiko and Miyori gave each other a searching glance. 

Miyori wet her lips. "Noa would do the same for me," she said. 

Sumiko sighed, closing her eyes. "We really shouldn't bring you with us…but we don't have time to argue, and at least this way you won't do anything reckless on your own. Stay close to me, and stay back from anything the fae are doing. People like us run from fights. Do you understand?"

Miyori promised that she did. 

"Great," Kuraishi said. "Koji-kun, I'm closing the wards behind us, so stay here with Sayaka-san until I come back. You two, with me. We're taking the quick way back into town."