Channels (MizukixOC)

Chapter 26: Keeping Trying Again

"Master Mizuki! What are you doing? Ume needs you!" Ai yelled.

"No. No, she can't need me," Mizuki said, "She hates me."

"Didn't you see what hit you, you idiot!" AI yelled, "It was the Lucky Mallet! She's using your fears against you."

Mizuki wanted to believe it and he knew it was true, but he couldn't make himself move. Even if his mind believed it, his body was weighted with all his former helplessness.

"Snap! Out! Of! It!" Ai yelled. Mizuki slowly turned his head to her but cried out in shock when she dumped a bucket of seawater on his head.

"What was that for?" he cried, sitting up.

"I'm trying to wash your brain out with saltwater!" Ai yelled, "You are an infuriatingly weak excuse for a lover and a familiar. Lady Nanami would be disappointed and Lady Ume is counting on you. You should've seen her face. She was scared. She thinks you're second guessing your feelings for her."

"But I'm not! I love Ume!" he yelled. It slowly sunk in again. Right. He loved Ume, so why was he sitting here? He jumped up and got back on his flying snake. It was different, the way this hopelessness had felt. It was fake. He didn't even really feel it. The artificial emotions from Suzuka's spell were fading the more he thought about how fake the emotions were.

"Thank you, Ai!" he called, leaving the beach behind and going in the direction Suzuka went.

She couldn't have gone far. Mizuki took to the sky on his snake. At his high speed, he caught up to Suzuka quickly. 

"Let her go!" Mizuki yelled. When Suzuka turned her attention to him, he blinded her with waves of water. As she sputtered, she dropped Ume, which Mizuki was counting on. He ducked low to catch her and pulled her into his arms as she fell. Then he ducked down low toward the water. 

"Trust me?" he asked.

"I hate you!" Ume said. He clung to her tightly, knowing the words were false, even if they stung.

He suddenly ducked below the water, using his own power to create a globe of water around them to trap air inside and push the seawater out. He kept going deeper, holding Ume tightly to him even though it seemed like she was struggling. 

"Where are we going, idiot?" Ume muttered.

"I'm going to ask a favor of Kamehime, the Dragon Lord's wife," Mizuki said.

"Why not the Dragon Lord? Or are you not as good with gods and kings as you think you are," Ume said.

"I'm asking Kamehime because he's afraid of her."

Ume laughed. Mizuki felt sick hearing such a mocking laugh come from his Lady and love's lips.

He noticed one of the turtle's heading toward Ryugu Castle and followed alongside it. When the castle was in view, Mizuki quickly dismounted his snake and dragged a struggling Ume by the hand. He went to the throne room and immediately saw Kamehime and Ryuo, the Dragon Lord. Mizuki noticed that Ryuo was wearing the haori Kamehime had made for him.

"Mizuki, what brings you here? Is Nanami with you?" Kamehime asked.

"She's probably babysitting the fox," Ryuo muttered. Kamehime whacked his head and then smiled at Mizuki.

"Don't mind him. He's been in a mood."

"I'm here because I wanted to know if there was a way to undo a spell cast by the Lucky Mallet?" Mizuki asked.

"Only the Lucky Mallet can undo a spell it cast," Ryuo said, "How did you come to fall out of the gods' good graces?"

"I didn't. Suzuka stole the Lucky Mallet from Lord Ookuninushi," Mizuki said.