[M] Light of The Moon (1/1)

It felt nice being able to leave the academy grounds to do something other than kill demons. The moon is usually in the sky when I'm out with my team so everything looks so different with the sun still up, even though it's in the process of setting. There were people from near by villages and towns that had come to see the festival, same as us, and pretty soon the road became crowded with all kinds of people.Mina kept close to me as we walked and as she stepped over a puddle she nearly slipped and twisted her ankle had I not caught her in time. I held her close until I set her back down, and to my surpsise she insisted on clinging to my arm in case she slipped again. Part of me thouht it was only because she wanted to be closer to me but I decided not to question it and let her have her way. The other people walking by saw her trip and asked if she was okay when they noticed the small jade ear ring in the shape of a dragon that hung from her earlobe and bowed to greet her. I didn't know people from other regions knew about her and her father, but I guess they're famous in more places than one. She bowed politely in return and when they asked if she wanted to join them on their walk to the festival she squeezed my arm and motioned toward me with her head."Thank you, but I have an escort already."Their eyes met mine and suddenly their kind smiles vanished. "Is that a Half-Blood?" The elderly woman asked, her squinted eyes full of suspicion as she and the younger man glared at me. I felt my pride shrivel into the size of a bean as I felt their judging gaze on me. Mina narrows her eyes in a scolding manner and changed her attitude. "How rude of you," she scolded.The man that accompanied the elderly woman, who I assumed was his mother, stepped forward to defend her. "We've seen the damage a Half-Blood can cause. Traveling with this beast will do you no good my lady. It's best if you leave it to the wilds where it belongs." He sneered, spitting at the ground between my feet as he finished.Mina gasped and stepped forward to face the man when I pulled her back to restrain her. "How dare you! You're so quick to judge someone by what's on the surface that you're blind to what's underneath. I've never seen such ignorance in my life." She growled."Stop Mina," I urged in a hushed tone."It speaks!" The woman mutters. "You bring nothing but shame upon your family - both of you." Mina hissed angrily. I managed to pull her away before things got it of hand. Mina remained angry for the rest of the walk but just before we reached the village she stopped and whirled around to glare at me. "Why did you let them talk to you like that?" She asked angrily."I can't chastise them for what they believe is right, Mina. Just because one person's opinion is different from mine doesn't make it okay to act out violently. Besides, it's part of my training to remain neutral when I'm confronted by an angry or upset human. It helps strengthen my ablility to keep my demon blood under control." I explained carefully. "So if you were to react . . . ?""It would have little to no effect on me to get into an argument with someone but as a precaution I prefer to stay silent or walk away. My level of self control is actually very high compared to most Half-Blood's at the academy, but that doesn't mean I'm incapable of acting out on my demonic instincts.""What do you mean by 'demonic instinct'?" She asked curiously. Most of her anger had faded by now but it still lingered a bit."I'm not sure if that's appropriate," I mumbled as I rubbed the back of my head. "Perhaps your father should be the one to tell you about it.""But isn't it better to learn from the one with first hand experience?""I'm not sure . . ." I trailed off, my cheeks turning a shade of pink as I looked away.She tugs on my arm in protest. "You can tell me Haruka. It's just us here.""Fine," I groaned. "What I mean is I'm still capable of making Imprints. An Imprint is when a Half-Blood convinces a human to sacrifice their blood in order to create a forced bond between the two. When that happens the two share emotions and thoughts as if they shared the same mind. Although it can be a very beautiful and natural thing it's also extremely deadly.""How is it deadly?""If the bond was to be severed in some way it can result in the death of both the human and Half-Blood. That's why it's been made illigal for humans and Half-Blood's to be romantically involved with each other. Since an Imprint is seen as restricting to humans it was declared punishable by death to any Half-Blood that created an Imprint. Even if the human was willing," I add."What would happen to a human that was willing?" She asked, suddenly so caught up in knowing more that she never even realized we had made it into the village.I shrugged my shoulders. "The laws were extremely vague so I can't be sure. But we're here now, so you can decide what we should do first." I added, hoping to change the subject.Her smile finally appeared and I watched carfeully as she lead us through the town. She stopped at nearly every stall she came upon and insisted on eating all that she could while she was here. The village was full of unique sights and sounds, even the fragrance was paradise compared to the academy. So many things were knew to me. My senses were so high I felt like a child again, experiencing everything for the first time. The fact that I got to spend today with Mina made it all the more worth it.We sat and watched plays, listened to music and had the pleasure of engaging in a magic show. It wasn't real of course but Mina liked to believe it was, for the sake of having fun. I won't deny, his tricks were impressive, but real magic is something else. It's alive and has personality. Humans refer to real magic as a demons toy, but every Half-Blood knows it's far too beautiful to play with. And so, when that was over, we ventured further into the village to see what else they had to offer.Some time had passed and Mina had sampled all the food and games that she could find. The sun had long been set and the full moon hovered high above our heads. And although it was late it seemed like the festival was just coming to life. Performances from foreign musicians played into the night and Mina and I rested underneath an old tree that over looked part of the village. "This was so much fun, Haruka." She chimes as she rests her back against the tree. "I'm glad you came with me," she adds in a softer tone, her arm linking with mine as she let her head rest on my shoulder.I had gotten used to her abrupt skinship over the coarse of the day and no longer blushed whenever she touched me. I just smiled and offered her the rest of my arm to cling to, which she took happily. "I should be the one thanking you. I never would've been able to experience something like this had you not asked me to join you.""You make it sound like it'll never happen again," she says.Looking down at the village, where everyone is celebrating hardily and having fun, this may very well be the only chance j get of seeing something like this. Being a demon hunter requires the up-most dedication and commitment. Once my team and I graduate from the academy and become full time demon hunters I'll be too busy to do anything else. I felt a light nugde to my arm and I turned my face to look at Mina who was much closer than I expected her to be. Seeing her so close I nearly held my breath as I looked at her beautiful face. The silver rays of the moon gave her pale skin such a lovely glow she looked like a beacon in the darkness under the tree. Even her pink lips had a certain glow to them as I dropped my gaze slightly to admire them. They looked soft and plush. I wonder how nice it would feel to kiss her."You're staring again," she murmurs. RealizingI've been caught I whirl my head around, the familiar heat of embarrassment returning to my face. "Sorry. I don't mean to." I said as I dropped my gaze.She giggles softly and shakes her head. "No, it's okay. I like it when you stare," she adds."You do?" She nods and tilts her head to the side as she looks at me. "You stare because you think I'm beautiful. Right?"Where is this coming from? Swallowing hard I avoid eye contact and clear my throat. "That's right," I confessed.I could see her smile grow bigger from the corner of my eye. Her voice was like velvet as she spoke in to my ear, sending chills down my spine. "I think you're beautiful too," she whispered.I shoot my head around to look at her through unconvincing eyes. I've never considered myself beautiful - not in the slightest. But to have one of the most attractive girls I know call me such a thing sent my heart flying. I wanted to say something - to thank her at best - but nothing passed my lips. So I just flashed a smile instead, hoping my graditude would reach her.Mina returned with her own smile, but it was different than the one from before. It was warmer, more genuine. Like my reaction was one she enjoyed. Part of me was still unsure if she was doing this because she wanted to be my friend or possibly something more. I've never seen her try to get too close with anyone at the academy other than Sana and Momo, but nearly everyone there admires her in some way. Whether it's romantically or simply because she's the masters daughter everyone has their own reasons. For me it only started out as wanting to be friendly with her. I was close to Master Kyoshi so I thought if I could get close to Mina then my place as team leader would be solidified and I'd be given a team. I had no idea that it would work out the way I hoped at all, so when he made me team leader I felt obligated to become closer to Mina as a result. But over the years my friendly admiration for her has grown into something deeper than that. I wouldn't call it love, but what I feel is definitely stronger than that of a friendship. I wonder if she feels the same? Looking at her now I can understand how it's easy for anyone to develop feelings for her. She's kind, smart, beautiful and she cares about everyone. "Can I ask you something Haruka?" She chimes, bringing me back from my inner babble."Of course." I said as I scanned the village.When she hesitated to speak I grew curious and drifted my gaze toward her. Even in the darkness I could clearly see her cheeks burn bright red. "What feelings do you have for me?" She asked in a nervous tone.I paused. Did I hear her right? I thought anxiously. "My feelings?" She nods quickly, but avoids my eyes as I look at her. I swallowed hard and tried to control my pounding heart. I'm sure she could feel it as she clung to my arm and the thought of that only made me more nervous. "Do you see me only as a friend?" She adds when I fail to reply."Would it be wrong of me if I said no?" I asked, trying to hint my interest without being too obvious. Again, she blushes. Feeling brave I swallowed my anxiety and tried to calm my heart before it bursts out of my chest. "My feelings for you are more than friendly," I stated in a clear tone.Not a moment later I felt her small hand clasp my hand, her fingers seeking permission to intertwine with mine. I opened my hand our fingers locked together. The sensation was foreign to me, but it was pleasant none-the-less, and I couldn't fight the smile that formed on my lips. As if it were planned, while we looked out into the village, the sky lit up with fireworks. Colors of blue, red, purple and green luminated the black sky and the sound of applause and cheers erupted from the village as everyone watched in awe at the beautiful sight. The specticale lasted for fifteen minutes before an explosion of blue fire engulfed the sky and painted the village in a lovely blue aura. Even from this distance I could feel the subtle heat of the fire on my face. Then, as I turned to look at Mina - who hadn't taken her eyes off of me - I felt an incredible urge to lean in and kiss her. And before I even realized I was doing just that she closed her eyes and leaned into me, our lips connecting and molding perfectly. My heart was sill pounding and my head felt fuzzy. But I couldn't resist. Her lips were so soft and full the sensation made my stomach feel as if there were a thousand butterflies fluttering around at the same time.Just as the blue light from the fire faded back into darkness we pulled away from each other. She opened her eyes, her cheeks burning red, her hand clenching mine tightly. We said nothing as the kiss we shared revealed everything we kept silent from one another. Not only had I gotten a solid answer to what she feels for me, but she got hers too. We liked each other equally as much. Now all that's left was to figure out how to keep it hidden from her father and everyone else.