Mizuko Sui scrunched herself up beneath the underbrush, trying her best to conceal her body from the sight of her attackers. For a while, the woods were dead silent. Slowly, the four year old pulled her beaten body into a kneeling position and peeked out through the bush that had become her sanctuary. The dreary, desolate forest remained silent in the darkness. She'd never even seen such wooden giants up close like this before. But now she understood why it was forbidden.

She choked back a whimper and slowly crept out into the open. Her right leg throbbed painfully with each step she took, and the rusty copper smell of the blood running down her arm was becoming more obvious. They would find her for sure. There was no warning, only a sudden growl, before she felt the crooked, sharp talons graze her back. She screamed in pain and crumbled to the ground. The demon towered over her, almost as tall as the trees around them. 

Mizuko stared up at the monster with wide terror filled eyes. Her whole body was trembling violently, and nothing could make her stand up and run. The realization that she was going to die left her paralyzed. The beast roared again and Mizuko instinctively closed her eyes, bracing herself for death. 

Nothing happened; and an agonized roar echoed throughout the forest. Mizuko covered her ears against the painful screeching. As it ended, her silver-blue eyes opened hesitantly, and then widened as it fell to the ground: dead. Her hands fell limply to her sides, and she scampered backwards away from the corpse. She wanted to scream, but no noise would come out. All she could do was whimper fearfully and tremble. 

"Are you alright?" a voice asked. Her terrified eyes searched the area for the owner. 

"W-Who's there...?" she called out, praying that no one would answer. Something brushed against her arm, and then a hand shot over her mouth before she could think to scream. 

"Don't worry! I'm not going to hurt you." the voice said. Mizuko turned and saw a young boy about the same age as her kneeling beside her. The darkness obscured his form, except for his eyes. They were a shocking pure gold. She couldn't help but stare at them, mesmerized. After a moment, he removed his hand. 

Mizuko continued to stare at him. "You're...you're a...demon..." she said quietly. The boy nodded slowly and then looked at her still bleeding arm. Mizuko moved away, worried that this boy was like the other demon. 

Or worse. 

 "I'm not going to hurt you." he said again. Mizuko moved back further, unsure if he was really worth trusting. He reached out slowly until his hand was directly above the wound. He was completly still for only a moment before he drew back. Mizuko stared at her now uninjured arm, and then at the boy. Before she could say anything, they both jumped as gunshots broke through the silent night air. He jerked away from her, slowly creeping back towards the safety of the trees; he looked afraid. 

"Mizuko?! Mizuko!!" 

She glanced over her shoulder at the sound of the other Slayers, and then looked back at the boy. He was already gone. Her eyes lingered on the trees where he'd once been as her mother emerged from the darkness and fell to her knees beside her, hugging her tightly. 

"Mizuko!" she sobbed, repeating her daughter's name over and over like a chant. She couldn't focus on anything else. Slowly more people joined them in the clearing, including her father and a young blacked haired boy. 

Mizuko's eyes went straight to the boy. "Seichi..." she mumbled.

"Mizuko, are you alright?! What were you thinking?! You could've been killed!" Seichi scolded angrily. She scowled at her friend's tone. Her mother looked up and noticed the lingering blood on Mizuko's arm. Seichi saw it too. "You're bleeding..." he said, looking horrified. 

"Don't worry, I'm fine. It's just a little cut." Mizuko replied. This was partially the truth. It HAD been a cut a few minutes ago. 

Seichi sighed and took her hand as the Slayers began to leave the clearing. Mizuko clung to him tightly as they walked, the events solidifying in her mind as they made their way back towards the city. She looked back at the woods as they faded away behind them and for a brief moment, she thought she saw a pair of golden eyes looking at her from between two trees. But when she looked back, there was nothing there. 

Guess I imagined it...she thought sadly, as she followed her friend thought the iron security gates and back into Tokyo.