The Zodiac Spirit Guardians

What They Wouldn't Give

They disappear from sight and we just stand there, watching the empty sky in a defeated wonder.

I glare sharply at Miyazu, "How did you do it?" My question is tight in my throat but I know he hears me loud and clear, even through the hatred in my tone. Steele releases him not that he has anywhere to run now, but I'd rather him not think he's off the hook.

"You never do understand simple equations, isn't that right, Haruka?" He dares to smile, showing all his teeth in a manic grin. I fight the desire to cut it off his face and stomp all over it. "You had one job!" He bursts into laughter, "Just one! All you had to do was keep her away from Them...and look where she is n-"

Ezra strikes Miyazu in the gut with a tight fist, and grabs him by his shirt to yank his face close, "The next time you want to open your mouth, I suggest you double check the words you're about to say." A long minute passes with Ezra staring Miyazu down before he lets go of the man's clothing.

I wipe my palm over my face, secretly hoping the simple action will erase the frustration off of me. My hand lingers on my forehead and knots itself into my hair. It's time to think of a plan, not wallow in our misery. Damnit.

"Miyazu is right, we failed." Kappie's gaze remains fixed in the sky where Akira disappeared out of sight with the dragons. His arms are limp by his sides. It's not a good sign when our group's optimist is sulking.

"What are we gonna do?!" Rayce's childish voice exclaims. He flings his arms into the air and matches the absurd action with eyebrows practically pulled up to his hairline with a gaped mouth. When the sniffling starts, I don't bother trying to comfort him.

Steele takes a few steps towards the blonde boy, who has started balling, and for a brief moment I can see the disdain and annoyance manifesting in his yellow eyes. I wait on stadby just in case Steele tries to take out Rayce's vocal chords. The most unemotional man out of the group, and also the biggest in height and muscles, towers over Rayce, the smallest and shortest guardian. Rayce stops sobbing just in time for Steele to reach his arm around Rayce's back and pull him into--what I believe is--a hug. What it actually looks like is a giant suffocating a child.

I've never seen Steele touch anyone in a non-aggressive way, this is a first. Now our wall of solitude, Steele, has turned into a puddle of emotions. The next thing to go wrong is for me to start feeling compassion.

The thought contours my face into a dramatic expression of disgust. I must be the only one of us thinking rationally. I would've included Ezra, but right now his bloodthirsty eyes are trained solely on Miyazu and he is obviously coming up with a plan to murder him. Again.

I hope I never fall in love. It looks painful.

"You each have fifteen minutes to continue being children. After that, you will help me form a plan of action to save Akira. No exceptions." I make eye contact with every single set of eyes, excluding Miyazu, with a stern and narrowed expression. These people have turned me into some kind of leader, I hate it. Everything needs to go back to normal.

My feet spin me toward the other end of the meadow, away from the emotional chaos. Somehow in the next hour, my lovely brain will form a magical plan to get Akira back from some of the most powerful beings in the universe and their immortal dragons.

We certainly aren't strong enough to go at this alone. We'll need help. But we're the only other people on this planet, so that's where the road block comes in. What we need is an army, and that's just to get Akira out of their fortress. The big picture here is destroying Them, the Committee of Elementalists, and taking back Linkai to restore it.

I'm getting ahead of myself.

Thinking while sleeping is always a great idea. When I finally reach the other side of the clearing, I stretch my arms above my head and lay down onto the warm grass. I close my eyes and drift into my quiet place.