The bedraggled but triumphant group made its way across the river to get as far away as possible from the village where that terrible event had occurred. Nothing was said but Hizashi and Elly both had weary but contented looks on their faces. She was happy to let him carry her for as long as he wanted, and it appeared he was not letting go of her anytime soon.
No one followed them.
They marched across a grassy field as dusk fell and Aizawa finally stopped, staring up at the darkening sky.
"I need to make camp for the night."
"Yeah."
"You're free now," he said as he flattened some grass and started to make a circle for his fire. "What will you do?"
"I'm gonna take Elly home with me. The weather demons live in a town where it's very isolated from people. I think we both need that for awhile. And our child needs to be born safe."
She poked her head up from his chest and regarded the human curiously. "What will <i>you</i> do?"
"I may go back to the places I brought demons to before this. See if I can find out more facts. If they deserve the condemnation they received."
Hizashi raised his eyebrows. "Really? I wasn't imagining you'd ever... um. Here." He reached into the green cloth around his waist and brought out a small leather case, flat like a wallet. "We want you to have this."
Elly purred softly. "It's got a lock of both of our hair. Burn a single one of either one of us in your time of need. We'll come." Hizashi grinned and hugged her enthusiastically against his side.
Aizawa opened the case and stared at the gold and purple swatches for a long time. They didn't need to do this. A quick glance told him they knew that, too. He sighed. "Thank you." It was strange thanking demons but this was why he needed time to learn more, and grow. He hadn't known they were kind. Or that they loved.
Aizawa squatted down by the beginnings of his fire and watched as Hizashi launched himself and his mate into the air with a burst of lightning. Higher and higher the two flew until they looked like a shooting star arcing towards the mountains far in the distance.
He wondered if he would ever burn the hairs and see them again.
He wondered if humans could ever learn to live with demons, and vice versa.
He wondered how the <i>hell</i> he was going to start a fire by himself. Hizashi had always used a spark of electricity to set it ablaze.
"Ah, well." He stared morosely down at the pile of twigs and dry grass and got out his flint and steel. This was going to take a long while, but he supposed that was all right. He didn't have any distractions now anyway.
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