Chapter 4: Under the Stars

Takabi and Nana lay on picnic blanket, the night sky littered with an array of stairs. From where they were, they could see multiple formations, the main one being the Big Dipper. They hadn't spoken, nor looked at each other, but kept their fingers tangled together and smiled.

Calm and peaceful.

The feeling was something Takabi had come to love about Nana. She put him at complete peace, and their relationship had grown much stronger due to that. She had utter faith in him in everything he did, and vice versa.

A comet shot across the sky, and Nana pointed at it. "See that one?"

"Yup," He said, glancing at her. Her hair was tied in a ponytail, and she was wearing a frilly dress with black flats. "What's your obsession with stars anyway?"

"I just like to think maybe it's someone's way of asking for help." She said, sitting up and hugging her legs. "Mom used to tell me shooting stars had different meanings for us. If one shot across the sky, it meant someone was asking for help somewhere in the universe."

Takabi sat up next, raising a knee to rest his arm on. "Well? Is that true?"

"Maybe. I was a dumb kid though, so I couldn't say for sure. This realm is a pretty big place." She laughed a little, looking at him. "Everything was so simple back then. I remember wanting to eat nothing but peanut butter and jelly all day."

"While I do love those," He began, "That sounds more like a hell to me now." Takabi fell silent for a moment, Nana raised an eyebrow at him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Everything okay," She asked. "You seemed a bit distracted tonight."

He shook his head at first, trying to assure her it was nothing. Nana was no fool. She read into him way too well, and asked again, a bit more sternly. "What's the matter?"

He didn't speak at first, but Takabi sighed and opened his mouth. "Carlos. I'm a little worried about him. When we went to see Anna earlier, something was bugging him. It might've been nothing, but I can't stop wondering what if."

"What if what?" She asked, then gasped. "You think he's suicidal?!"

"Please no. I can't deal with that idea. Dude is like a brother to me, so if something happened to him, I'd probably lose it." He admitted. His hand touched his chest. "It might be the fact that he could feel like he doesn't know me anymore. Since it all came out, we haven't talked much, if at all. Just afraid we may drift apart."

Nana watched him, before crawling around behind him and starting to rub his shoulders, speaking softly into his ear. "Well… As long as Anna doesn't hate you, then there's always a bridge between you and him that won't break, right? Don't stress it, Boo, just give him some time."

Takabi smiled warmly, "I guess you're right."

Movement caught their ears from the left. Takabi looked first, spotting a young girl strolling towards them. Her eyes were half open, blood coating her face and hair, torn and wet clothes hanging together by a thread. The two stood, shocked to see someone like her in the woods like that.

Her eyes found Takabi's, and she smiled weakly. "I… found you…" She said in a weak, raspy voice before she fell face first into the dirt. Nana rushed over to the girl, sliding and kneeling next to her.

"Hey! Hey are you okay!"

Takabi ran over, but not because of the girl. He wasn't sure at first, but he picked up something else that had followed her there. When Nana began moving, so did the thing that followed.

He leapt into the air, throwing his fist forward and striking something unseen to the naked eye. It howled, tackling him to the dirt. What felt like teeth bit deep into his shoulder and began gnawing at the meat in his arm.

Nana called him worriedly, but he hushed her in response and suppressed a pain groan.

"Take the kid to the car! Go!" He yelled louder.

Hesitant at first, Nana nodded and picked the girl up on her back, rushing off in the opposite direction of the pair. The invisible creature snapped its head back, yellow eyes glowing brightly. Takabi straightened his hand, and jammed his fingers through the creature's chest.

The cloak wore off, revealing two ample breasts in his face.

Caught off guard at first, the woman revealed her bloody fangs, wolfen tail hitting against his leg as her ears twitched.

"Okay, what the hell." He muttered, kicking her off and into a tree. Jumping to his feet as his shoulder began to heal, the wolf woman looked at him, savoring the taste of his blood on her tongue.

"Oh… You as well… The hunt becomes more and more interesting. Make note of this boy, those gems of yours will be ours! For the Foundation! For our Lord!"

Takabi slumped his shoulders. "Lady. You've got some serious problems." He said in a monotone voice. The wolf howled into the night, before dashing off into the trees.

Takabi looked towards the direction Nana went in. He wanted to chase the wolf, but there were too many questions and variables to figure out first. He broke into a jog, groaning that the date was cut short and he had to pick up the pieces of a puzzle he was sure he wasn't going to like.