Chapter Five: Restart the Mission:

Chapter Five: Restart the Mission:

August 7th, 1960.

Emiko raced through a narrow dark tunnel of black nothing. She had just escaped from Hell. It took her weeks, no, it took her years to plan this out. Fifteen years to be exact. Hell was far behind her. Now, she just had to follow this path out.

She came out into a clearing and looked around. Fog as far as the eye could see. The air felt like an ice cube. Emiko took baby steps out into this open wild. Her feet found swallow, lukewarm water. A smile came onto her face.

This feels nice, she thought. Emiko treaded through the water for ten minutes. She finally spotted land. The butch demon laughed aloud. She ran all the way to the moss and collapsed upon it. Emiko breathed in the cold air.

I'll just rest here, she thought. Collect my thoughts, enjoy my freedomï¿½ She slowly drew her eyes closed and went to sleep. Five days later, Emiko awoke to a sweet face standing over her.

"Are you alright?" the woman asked. Emiko blinked at her.

--------

January 3rd, 2010.

Emiko awoke in a cold sweat. She drew in slow breaths to gather her thoughts. She felt herself trembling. It didn't add up. Why? Why is the past coming back to me? What is it trying to tell me? Does that meanï¿½ She paused when she felt a body stirring awake next to her. Emiko looked and saw Hotaru turning to her. The loli demon gave her a little smile.

"Good morning," she whispered. Emiko tried to smile as she nodded.

"Morning," she whispered back. Her girlfriend noticed her face.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"What do you mean?" Emiko asked. "I'm perfectly fine." Hotaru shook her head.

"Is something bothering you?" she asked. "Did you have a bad dream or something?" The butch demon went quiet as she looked away. I can't hide anything from her, Emiko thought. She held her girlfriend closer to her body. Hotaru looked up at her.

"Mama?" she asked. Emiko rested her chin on Hotaru's head.

"Baby," she whispered. "Let's restart the mission." Hotaru quickly looked up at her.

"Mamaï¿½" she began. Emiko held her closer to her.

"We have to," she said. "We have no choice."

"But we failed to overthrow Hell last time."

"So, we'll try it again. I've been studying what went wrong in the first uprising."

"And?"

"We can make it work this time." Emiko noticed Hotaru still frowning at her. "Aww, what's wrong?" she asked. Hotaru shook her head.

"Most of our comrades died. We lost many of our friends in the revolt."

"I know."

Hotaru sobbed as she grabbed her lover tighter. "Iï¿½ I justï¿½ I donï¿½t want you to die, Mama!" Emiko stroked her back. Aww, she thought. That's why you don't really want to do this. The butch demon kissed the loli demon on the head. Hotaru looked up at her with big eyes.

"Emiko-samaï¿½" she whispered. Her girlfriend put her finger to her lips. She gave her a little smiled as she leaned in close to her ear.

"I'm making you a promise right now," Emiko whispered. "I will do anything to make it out of this battle alive. So will you, so will Mike, and so will Kazue. Okay?" Hotaru sobbed as she nodded Emiko held onto her.

"Good girl," she whispered. Hotaru cried on her chest. Emiko looked out into the dim morning light in their room. I hope this is the right thing, she thought. Is this the right thing? Sumire-chanï¿½