Aizawa cautiously kicked a foreleg, scuffing up the dirt of the road. There was no doubt about it: four legs, hooves, and a heavily muscled body that felt like it could run forever. He was a horse.
<i>Impossible</i>!
He didn't have time to marvel at this bizarre change or panic, however, because his instincts took over when he smelled the familiar scent of the sea mixed with the sweet spray of lavender on the wind.
The man had no idea he was being pursued until he heard the thunderous hoof eats behind him. He turned around and saw a glossy black stallion racing towards him, snorting with rage. The beast's eyes were glowing like coals, red and oddly human enough to clearly express his rage.
"Noooo!" He yelled in fear and turned his horse about, digging his knees in to hold on for dear life as his poor mare galloped forward. The basket-like cage snapped off the pack and broke open, spilling a plump little seal onto the road. It was somewhat of a shock to see her like that, but all that mattered to him was that she was okay. Aizawa paused to nicker and rub his cheek on her fur for a minute, sighing with relief that she didn't appear harmed.
But the man on the horse still needed to be taken care of, and though he'd stopped for a brief moment, nothing - <i>nothing</i> could outrun a pooka. He soon slammed into the other horse, dislodging him and transferring him to his back. Aizawa screamed again, in triumph this time, and ran directly for the crag overlooking the sea.
Elly pulled her coat down and watched as the man tried to jerk free, but once on a pooka's back a person could only be released if the fairy horse <i>wanted</i> them gone. Aizawa decided that the best place for the evil man was over the edge of the cliff. He bucked him off violently, leaving him to dash to pieces on the rocks below.
He then trotted back, whuffing with satisfaction. By the time he reached the road he was human again, and he waved when he saw Hizashi was standing there beside Elly.
"What on earth are you doing here?"
"I'm afraid I wasn't always that open with you, mate." He grinned at him. "I'm fae, too. Caught up easily with you both, but you had to be the one to rescue her. I was just here for backup." He lifted the packs and saddle off the trembling animal, who was staring at Aizawa with wild eyes. "Here, now," he turned to the unfettered horse and clapped a hand sharply on one flank. "Be free! You deserve it, too."
They watched as the mare sprinted off joyously through the fields, whinnying with glee.
"Did you have to kill him?" Elly sounded uncertain.
Aizawa's jaw clenched as he thought of the fate she would have met if he hadn't rescued her. "Yes."
"It's better, in the long run," Hizashi agreed surprisingly. She frowned at him and he pointed to the saddlebags. "This man was catching - and killing -- all sorts of our kind to steal their treasures and magical items. He's even got several bounties on his head for human murders."
"Oh." She thought about it, then nodded. "Good."
Before anyone could say anything else, Aizawa fell on his knees before her, hanging his head in shame. "There's great regret on me," he mourned softly. "I couldn't believe you loved me and I chased you away."
"Did you realize how you felt before or after your transformation?"
"Oh, way before!" Hizashi butted in again, sticking his head up from where he was digging through the bags. He unscrewed the top of a jar with a loud grunt and what looked like a cloud of tiny fireflies flew off into the sky. "He ran after you while he still thought he was human. I was afraid his lungs were going to burst from running before he finally transformed!"
"This is all so much," she groaned, shaking her head.
"I know, but nothing else matters to me right now but <i>you</i>," Aizasa told her. "Come home to me," he pleaded softly. When he looked up she saw his eyes were bloodshot and raw from weeping. She silently held out the little white pelt and he immediately took it and held it to his heart.
Elly smiled tearfully. "Let's go," she whispered.
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