As soon as Takabi got to his car, he spotted Nana in the backseat with the little girl.
Her face was a bit pale, and her injuries seemed very fresh. Nana stopped most of the severe bleeding under her shirt and arm, but if she didn't get medical attention soon she may not last.
He quickly got in and started the engine before peeling off down the road. In his rearview mirror, he could see the woman's yellow eyes glowing at them from the trees, before she chose not to pursue, at least not now.
"Nana, keep an eye out behind us. I don't know what that woman was, but she certainly wasn't normal."
She nodded, eyes glancing between the back windshield and the girl. "That thing was a Huntress."
She took a rag out from the bag in the backseat. Nana tucked it in there in case one of them got hurt while they were out. Muttering quiet words of magic, the rag was instantly soaked with water, and she dabbed it against the girl's forehead. "Huntress, or Hunters in general, were usually created to track down targets of interest. Priests and priestesses were on that list, along with some important and higher up Angels and Demons."
"Demons too?" His grip on the wheel tightened. He pressed his foot harder against the gas pedal, slowly increasing the car's speed. "So she isn't evil?"
"Never said that," Nana replied, eyeing the girl up and down. "They're definitely not friendly. Artificially made as a crossbreed, they have the best traits of tracking type animals. They work only for the sake of hunting something worthy." She took a deep breath, raising the girl's head to place it on her lap. "What makes this girl so special?"
Takabi pondered the idea for a moment. When he became a target, it was because of who he was, and what he held inside. The God Gem, as well as being a Fallen Angel. He was a prime target for anyone who wanted to get their hands on the mystical item. Until now, he never thought about who and why.
"Think she can be like us? Nonhuman I mean," He suggested.
"I considered that, judging by her hair and eyes. Blue is possible for hair if she dyed it, but I don't know any humans with eyes the shade of blue she has."
Takabi nodded, and that was the end of the conversation.
Ideas roamed in the two's head, but nothing came to mind as to why she was a target. Maybe she was just being hunted to be hunted. It's not impossible to think.
Around an hour later, Takabi pulled up in front of Nana's home.
A cozy two story home, painted red outside. The upstairs windows were open, allowing the scent of pinewood to flow into the air. The lights were on in the living room and kitchen, and two shapes could be seen through the curtains.
Stopping out front, he cut the engine and stepped out first, opening the door so he could carry the girl. Nana's feet touched the grass, and she scurried to the front door of her home, reaching for her keys in her bag.
"I have some first aid in the house," She said as Takabi walked up the steps of the porch, the girl hunched over on his back. Some of her blood oozed through her clothes, staining his shirt. "Let's hurry."
The door swung open before Nana could place the keys in the lock.
A man, freshly shaven face with brown eyes and blue hair, peered down at the two. He was rather tall, around seven feet in height, and had lean muscle to his body. His face was very welcoming, relaxed, yet his voice was stern. "It's late, Young Lady."
"Sorry, Dad. We got side tracked." She pointed to the girl on Takabi's back.
Nana's father blinked, but stepped inside and let the pair inside. "Mary, grab the first aid," He yelled up the steps as Takabi placed the girl down on the couch.
Footsteps echoed upstairs, and a woman in a pink silk, somewhat see through nightgown sped down the stairs. She looked tired, but had a young face. Being only 4' 11", She looked like she could be Nana's younger sister. The only indication that it was her mother was the appearance of a golden wedding ring around her ring finger.
Mary knelt next to the girl, Nana and Takabi moving out of her way. "What happened? Who is this?"
"No idea. She just came up to us from the woods." Takabi looked at Nana's father. "She was being followed by a Huntress apparently. Are there any actually still around," He asked him.
"Not to my knowledge." He touched his chin, closing his eyes and thinking hard.
Takabi looked around the living room, pictures of a young Nana and him placed on the walls and in glass cases. All white living room, minus the beige couches and golden silk curtains over the windows. Stairs that extended up to the second floor of the house, and the kitchen further inside. The entire part of the house looked like one giant room, as there were no walls or ceilings that separated the first and second floors outside of the kitchen.
"Michael, find me some gauze please." Mary instructed, and the man nodded and moved into the bathroom in the kitchen.
The girl slowly stirred and opened her blue eyes. She scanned the room, her gaze falling on the three still standing over her. Instinctively, she jumped up, ignoring the pain in her body and threw her hand forward. A small wave of water slapped Takabi's cheek, yet he looked more shocked than in pain.
The water splashed on the rug, having appeared out of thin air, and the girl dropped and sat on the arm of the couch.
She was afraid. It was obvious. Despite the fear, she just kept looking at Takabi for help. "Don't let them hurt me!"
"Easy," Mary cooed, raising her hands slowly. "We're not going to hurt you. My name is Mary Kaze."
"I don't care about your name! You look like a witch!"
Takabi smirked and suppressed a laugh at Mary's shocked face. "How rude!"
"Mom, chill," Nana said, touching her shoulder. "Can you tell us your name?"
She shook her head, eyes once again falling on Takabi. "I'll only talk to him. He's a good person."
"Me," Takabi asked, pointing to himself. "How do you know that?"
"Doesn't everyone know about your fight with Erodon," Michael asked as he came back into the living room with a box of gauze in his grip. He handed the box to Mary, and kept speaking. "It's not surprising some kids would look up to you like a superhero."
"Yeah, the old man gets it! Sort of.." She shook her head. "But, I want him because I know he wouldn't hurt me."
"Okay, so tell me your name," He asked, walking towards her and kneeling on the wet part of the rug. "And how are you able to control water like that?"
She pursed her lips, looking at the others, but he smiled warmly.
"Don't worry about them. They don't bite. If it helps, pretend it's just me and you right now." His words were gentle, reassuring.
Nodding, she took a deep breath and said, "My name is Aqua."
"Okay, Aqua. Do you remember why that woman was chasing you?"
She took a deep breath, squeezing her knees before speaking quietly. "At first I thought she was like the bad man who attacked me. They were big, old and smelly. One of their dogs bit me too, so the dogs were bad. I don't remember too much of what happened to them, but I do remember when that lady was chasing me. And I think I know why…" She locked eyes with him, and smiled back. "I'm like you."
"Like me," He repeated, looking at the others then back. "Like me how? A Fallen Angel?"
"What's that," She asked, craning her head. His shoulders visibly deflated but he understood the response. He didn't even know what that was until a short while ago. "Never mind. What do you mean you're like me?"
"It's fuzzy.. But sometimes I have dreams. Dreams about a big blue rock. It talks to me sometimes, and tells me it'll keep me safe if I let it. I don't know why, but I really trust it and… Why do you look so scared?"
Takabi hadn't realized his facial expression changed until he looked at Nana.
Her parents shared an uneasy look and stood. "I think… We should talk about this later. Aqua, Dear, would you like a nice meal and bath?"
"You have food? Do you have chicken nuggets?!" She asked excitedly and Mary nodded, holding her hand out.
All hesitation left as Aqua took her hand and the two moved into the kitchen.
Michael looked at his daughter and Takabi, speaking quietly. "We'll watch her for the night. Go to the Bunker, make sure you tell this to Shink and get a small party going to comb the area. We'll figure out what to do and double check if she actually has a God Gem."
"Got it." Nana moved towards the door, Takabi following close.
Michael tapped his shoulder and said quietly to him, "If she is like you, be wary. It could very well mean that Huntress can come after you too."
"I figured as much. Life is never easy, is it?"
Michael looked at Nana's back then returned his gaze. "If you're with my daughter, life was never easy for you to begin with."
Takabi laughed at his words, bowing in a goodbye before leaving them home. Something inside him began to stir the more he thought about the girl's words, even more when he thought about the possibility of another gem being so close by.