Blue Seed Fan Fiction ❯ I Will Follow ❯ I Will Follow ( Chapter 1 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]
~*A/N: Kibo, the violet-haired vixen here with a one-shot. Sorry, not continuing this one. Just a random plot bunny that bounced on my head late one night, or early one morning depending on your personal view. Is 3:30 am late or early? Hmm... While I ponder that, go, read. Enjoy!*~

DISCLAIMER: *checks pockets* Nope, don't own it.

I Will Follow

He sat in "his" tree branch, a few feet from the window. The window was slightly cracked, hushed musical tones reaching his ears. He fought to keep his eyes open. 'How late is she going to stay up?' he thought, irritated. As if in answer to his silent question, the soft sounds of music halted, the light filtering out the window going out soon after. 'Finally,' he thought, adjusting to a more comfortable position and crossing his arms over his chest before resting his chin on his chest and closing his eyes.

He was aroused from his near-sleep by the silent click of a closing door. He looked down to see the front porch light on, a shadowy figure walking from the door. The figure was dressed in baggy khaki pants, sneakers, and a black hooded sweatshirt. The hood was pulled up, casting most of the face in shadow, only a pale tip of a nose showing. The figure was almost sexless, if it hadn't been for the unmistakable slope to the chest. A slight breeze reached his perch, bringing with it the scent of jasmine and sakura blossoms. 'It's her,' he thought absently, silently pulling himself into a crouch on the branch.

He waited until she had passed almost out of sight, turning left on the sidewalk, before springing from his perch to a tree in the next yard. Luckily, the sound of the breeze playing with the leaves hid the sounds of his movements. 'It's only a few hours until dawn, what is she doing going for a walk at this time? Where's she going?' he asked himself, following her a distance so she wouldn't detect his prescence.
He continued to question her destination, as she turned north. As he followed, the sounds of traffic neared. 'She's heading towards town,' he silently observed. He watched as she halted at the corner, crossing the street during a lull in traffic. Reassuring himself that she was far enough away, he leapt over the street as a truck sped by beneath him, windows open, loud music pouring out.

He knew that as they neared town, it would be more difficult to hide in trees, and he would have to take to the buildings' roofs to follow. 'What's she thinking, walking this late. She could be attacked! Stupid girl...' he mentally shrugged; he would protect her. He preferred it this way, eventhough he knew he could have just jumped down and walked with her. If she was unaware of his prescence, however, he would be better able to protect her. If he let himself get drawn into a conversation as they walked, let his attention waver for one second, then kami only knows what could happen. He didn't sense any danger, but one can never be too careful.

Caught up in his musings, he readied to make his next leap. He paused, realizing there were no more trees to provide his cover. 'It'll just have to be the roof, then,' he decided, looking up, and reaching the roof in one smooth leap. He quietly strolled along the edge, looking down and to the right at the girl adjusting her hood. Small leaps were all that were required to cross between the buildings roofs, and after rounding the corner, he was pleased to see that the buildings were side-by-side, with no difference in height. He strolled along, keeping pace with the figure on the sidewalk three stories below.

He looked forward to see the end of the line of buildings, and was relieved to see she was heading north, back out of town. When he reached the last building, he waited until she was a half-block ahead of him before leaping into the nearest tree. She had crossed the street, maybe ten yards from the lakefront. He silently cursed, there were less trees nearer the lake.

A few blocks later, he stumbled landing on a tree, causing a loose branch to fall to the ground below. Normally, the noise wouldn't even be noticeable, but in the thick silence of the night, it crashed. He stared at her, not even breathing, as she turned her head in his direction, never halting her steady steps. He finally exhaled after she turned back to look at the sidewalk ahead of her. Observing her closely, he finally noticed the tension in her body. 'As if she's ready for battle. Almost as if she's looking for a fight...' he shook his head, realizing she had almost left his field of vision. He leapt as she rounded another corner, following the sidewalk that traced the lake's perimeter.

A few blocks later, he was tempted to jump down in front of her, and demand an explanation for her late-night excursion. He pushed that thought away, realizing that not only would he scare her and probably get slapped for the attempt, but that she would be very angry to know that he had been following her this long without saying anything. So he resolved to follow wherever she led.

The sidewalk she followed led away from the lake slightly, putting houses between herself and the water. She walked past the residential area, crossing a bridge and following the curve of the sidewalk back towards town. He cursed, waiting for a car to pass to distract her. When it finally came, he took to the air, seeming to fly as he landed on a tall apartment building. He walked along the edge of the roof, twenty yards from the sidewalk she followed. 'If she glances up and to the right now, I'm busted,' he thought, almost urging her to. But her eyes remained on the sidewalk in front of her, unaware of the eyes that followed her every step.

She crossed a parking lot filled with cars, large lights strapped to the roofs. As he was pondering how he would cross the large open area, he almost lost his footing in the tree he had landed in. The branch hung over the water, and bent slightly under his weight. When the branch tapped the water, he roused a flock of ducks that had previously been sleeping soundly, gently floating on the water. She turned her head towards the quacking, and he prayed she didn't notice him among the branches. As light hit her face, he saw a smile grace her features, before she turned her head back forward and adjusted her hood.

Before he knew it, they were on a familiar street, heading back the way they had come. He picked his way through the trees, finally reaching "his" tree branch once again. He crouched, looking down as she entered the silent house, the door shutting just as quietly as when she had exited it. The porch light went out. A few minutes later, light once again filtered through the window a few feet away from his perch. He heard the rustling sounds of clothing, then the light went out again. The faint creaking of bed springs reached his ears, and then a sigh. He settled down on the branch, again making himself comfortable.

His ears perked when he heard his name whispered, followed by "Thank you." He sighed, 'So she did know. Don't worry. I'll always protect you. Wherever you lead, I will follow.' He sighed, looking at the rapidly lightening sky. A few birds were already rousing, heralding the morning with their song. Resigned to no sleep again tonight, he turned his face to the rising sun. "I will follow..." he whispered.

~*A/N: Sooo... good? Bad? Indifferent? Well, let me know. I originally thought of this as an Inu-Yasha fanfic, but realized it was also applicable to Blue Seed, so I wrote it minus the character's names. So I'm posting it as both. Deal with it. Now review. Onegai? Ja ne!*~