Used to You
Chapter One- The Pet
(I do not own Samurai Deeper Kyo but I do own Shumira. Enjoy!)
Hotaru stopped suddenly, his blank face looking up in thought. Benitora and Akira stopped, "Hotaru, what is it?" "Yeah, man, why are you stopping?" Hotaru looked at them, "I feel like there's someone I need to save." Benitora blinked, "Huh? Who?" He shrugged, "I don't remember." Akira sighed, "Whatever, let's just hurry!" Benitora nodded and they ran on, Hotaru frowned…maybe it was nothing.
/
A girl with long black hair sat on a porch, over looking most of the land of Mibu. She wore a comfortable kimono, white and red in color. In the middle of her chest was the kanji for soul in black lettering, set right above her breasts. She sighed and closed her eyes, humming a small tune. "Hey, Shumira." She turned her head, "Yuan…you haven't visited in a while." A man with white hair stood there, leaning against the wall. He wore red and white also, his shirt sleeveless and his shorts cutting off in the middle of his shins. He grinned and stuck out his tongue, showing the soul kanji there. "I've been busy, plus I've been playing with Keikoku." Shumira blinked, "Keikoku? He's here?" She stood but Yuan shook his head, "Nah, he betrayed the Mibu. Which means he's a goner, I'm going to kill him myself." She frowned sadly, "Oh…"
Yuan chuckled, "Tell you what, I'll let you see him again…though he probably won't remember you." She blinked and smiled, "Really?" "Sure, it couldn't hurt." She ran forward and hugged him; he didn't return it, keeping his hands in his pockets. "Thank you, Yuan." "Yeah, yeah." He took her shoulders and stepped back, looking at her kanji. "Let's see what souls you have for me…" He wrapped an arm around her waist and yanked her close, sticking out his tongue. He licked the kanji on her chest and she winced, gripping his shirt with her hands. He pulled back, grinning. "Later." Shumira blinked, "W-Wait! What about Keikoku?" He turned and walked away, raising a hand in farewell. "I'll talk to Hishigi, 'kay?" She sighed, "Okay."
Fubuki pet his black cat, staring at Yuan blankly. "So, you still have that girl?" Yuan grinned, shrugging. "Of course, you never said I couldn't. Besides, she's useful." Fubuki had fluffy hair and handsome, almost feminine features. He was the leader of the Four Elders. "She is an outsider, Yuan-Shisho." "So, you get to keep a pet but I can't?" The cat meowed, proving Yuan's point. Fubuki pet it softly and stood, "She can see Keikoku." He turned on his heel, "Kay, later Fubuki!" The leader stared after him, face blank.
"Shumira!" She turned, "Yuan! So, can I?" He nodded, "Yep, but don't get too sentimental now." She grinned, "Thank you. This made me very happy." He shrugged, "Well, if my pet isn't happy, I'm not happy." Shumira forced a smile then, she knew what she was to them. But, on the other hand, she knew what would've happened if Yuan hadn't found her useful. She blinked when Yuan poked her face, "Hey, you're frowning." She smiled, "Sorry, I was thinking of the past. Silly me." "Don't look so glum, Shumira." He motioned for her to follow and put his hands in his pockets, "Now, let's go see Keikoku."
/
"Ah-choo!" Hotaru sneezed violently, rubbing his nose. Benitora look back at him, "That's the fifth time you've sneezed, maybe you're getting sick Hotaru-han." Hotaru shook his head, "I don't feel sick." He blinked and looked up, seeing a whirligig. His eyes widened and he stopped, looking around. Akira and Benitora stopped too, looking up at it. "What's that mean?" Akira looked at the ex-Mibu, "Hotaru?" "Yun Yun." Benitora blinked, "Yun Yun? Like a panda or something?" Hotaru shook his head, looking around still. Then he heard Yuan's voice behind his ear, "Keikoku…" He spun around, seeing no one. Akira looked at him, "What is it, Hotaru? Who's out there?" His voice again, he even felt Yuan leaning against him, back to back…hidden from the other two. "Sorry, I didn't come here to play. There's someone who wants to see you." Then he was gone, he turned again and saw a woman around his age with long black hair…the same kanji for soul on her chest. Akira and Benitora pulled out their weapons, seeing her as the enemy. She smiled, "Keikoku…" "My name is Hotaru now, not Keikoku."
She blinked and nodded, "Hotaru then, Yuan said you wouldn't remember me. I'll reintroduce myself, I'm Shumira." Hotaru stared at her, "Mimi?" Her face lit up, "Yes! You do remember!" He shrugged, "Barely, you stayed with Yun Yun too." She nodded, "Yes." Shumira walked forward and hugged him, "I've missed you…Hotaru." He looked down at her, not moving. Benitora lowered his weapon, grinning. "So, Hotaru-han has a girlfriend? She's a babe!" She blushed, pulling back. "N-No, I'm not…!" Benitora chuckled, "Sure, sure." Shumira looked back at Hotaru, "I don't have a lot of time, I just wanted to see how you're doing…not that you left the Mibu. Are you with Kyo again?" He nodded, "Yeah." Benitora grinned, "You should join us Shumira-han." She blinked, "W-What?" "We could use another women around, one as kind as you…unlike Akari-han, Yuya-han, and Okuni-han." She shook her head, "No, I will stay with Yuan. I owe him my life." Hotaru blinked, saying nothing. Shumira smiled up at Hotaru, "You're different now. You have something to fight for." "Mimi…" She chuckled, "I'll miss you, Hotaru. Really, I will. Just don't forget about me, okay? I worked too hard to get you to talk to me when you stayed with Yuan!" She took his hand and gripped it, watching the whirligig get closer to the floor. She hugged him again and he put a hand on her back lightly, closing his eyes. The whirligig hit the floor and she said, "Goodbye Hotaru, until we meet again." He felt her pulled from his grasp and he opened his eyes, seeing that she was gone. He spun around, seeing only his friends. "Mimi…"
/
Yuan chuckled, setting her down. "How sad, you two acted like two lovers kept apart by an evil warlord." She smiled grimly, "I'm sorry, I was glad to see him. He looks different…older…" "Weaker." Yuan said, sitting down beside her. "He's being an idiot. He should've stayed with the Mibu, then he wouldn't have to die." Shumira nodded, looking down. Yuan grinned, leaning back on his hands. "I'm surprised you didn't try to go with them, not that I would've let you…" She shook her head, "No, I won't go with Hotaru if it means I have to leave you." "Oh, you mean Keikoku." Yuan said absentmindedly, Shumira nodded. "Since I'm a Shaman the Mibu should have killed me after the experiments. But you found me useful, you gave me a purpose." Yuan chuckled, "You're just lucky, when you were an ordinary Shaman you had power over people souls. Afterward you were able to collect the souls of the dead and keep them alive in your body. Your 'purpose' happened by accident. Not that I'm complaining." She smiled at him, saying nothing. "Buuuuut, Hishigi still has problems with it. Though I don't know why."
He laid down, "That man is hard to read, even for me." She looked back at him, smiling warmly. She looked at the red bandanna over his eyes, wondering if he ever removed it…though he didn't need to, his mind eye could see through anything. Yuan spun a whirligig in between his fingers, sometimes letting it fly and spin through the air. She looked away from him, her eyes taking in the beauty of the Mibu lands once again. Shumira blinked and saw that Yuan had moved, faster than she could see. His legs were on either side of her and he sat behind her, arms resting on top of his knees. She looked back at him, eyes a little wide…no matter how much she got used to him he always surprised her. He grinned, "Y'know, I bet your soul would taste divine…the soul of souls." She looked down at the floor, silent. "Even though I found it, I won't eat it. Why condemn my pet to a living hell?" He reached into his pocket and pulled out a mirror, holding it out so she could look into it. "For now I'll leave it alone, as long as you behave like you always do." The mirror began to glow and she winced, crying out in pain. He licked the mirror and she shivered violently, her back arching. He put it back into his pocket and she drew a ragged breath, clutching her chest. "Oh, I almost forgot. Your soul can't return to your body until all the others are gone from it's place." He grinned, tracing the kanji on her chest. "But even if your soul ever returns to you, you're bound to me forever." She closed her eyes, "I…w-wouldn't leave, Yuan." She rasped out, willing her voice to work. "I know, you lean on me so much. I don't think you could ever stand alone like I can, that is true strength." She hesitated, eyes cast downward. "I can stand alone, just not here." She said finally, careful not to look at him. "Being a Shaman…you're forced to be alone, people hate and fear you. I don't need anyone, but…it's nice to be useful to you. That in itself makes me happy." She looked at him and smiled, "That's why I will never join Hotaru." Yuan stared at her for a moment then stuck out his tongue, smiling.
She didn't pull away from him but looked out at the Mibu lands again, unsmiling. Yuan smirked, putting his chin on her shoulder…resting it there. "Come on, you know that I know you would've gone with him if I wasn't watching. I saw it cross your mind, you can't hide that from me." She lowered her gaze, saying nothing. "Just admit it, Shumira. You care for Keikoku, there's nothing I can't see." She closed her eyes, letting out a small sigh. "I know." Yuan traced her kanji again, chuckling. "You'll never see Keikoku again, you belong to me." She turned to him, sitting on her knees. She leaned her forehead on his shoulder, "I will not lie, it did cross my mind…part of me wanted to go with him. I didn't go because you were watching, but also because I owe you my life. I care for Keikoku but my fate is bound here, surely you see all of that too." His smile faded and he leaned away from her, leaning back on his hands. "Yeah, I just like messing with you…" She smiled and shook her head, "Same old Yuan." He grinned, "Of course, unlike Keikoku I don't change much." Shumira stood and went out onto the porch, resting a hand on a wooden post. Yuan was suddenly sitting on the railway, which was thick and wooden like the post, smiling. "So, you think you love Keikoku?" She thought for a moment, "No, I don't think so. Maybe you'd know more than I would on that. I do know that the two men I care about don't really need me, but that's fine. I only need you."
He grinned wickedly, taking a strand of her hair between his fingers and putting it to his lips…inhaling the scent. "Heh…such a dependent person you are, Shumira." She looked away, "I know you hate that, it's why you don't visit often." "You only need me because you life is not totally worthless to me. If the Mibu experiments didn't turn out the way they did then you would be dead." The wind whipped at his white, spikey hair. "You know it doesn't matter to me when or where you die." She smiled at him, her fingers brushing his. He dropped her hair and pulled away his hand, "I know, Yuan." He pulled her close then, grinning. "So many souls, so little time." She blinked then winced when the kanji's touched, "Yuan…" He chuckled against her flesh, giving her goose bumps. "Hmmm, I'm tempted to take more than a soul. But I don't think I will-tonight anyway. Later." His warmth left her and he was gone; she sighed heavily and clutched her kimono together, hiding the kanji. She shook her head, it would be dark soon. She turned and went back inside, sitting down. She blinked and saw a whirligig twirl in and land beside her; she picked it up and smiled, looking up at the darkening sky. "Same old Yuan."
/
She opened her eyes and sat up, looking around sharply. She guessed it was past midnight; she stood slowly and looked out at the balcony, feeling something different. When you dealt with Yuan, your senses tended to be heightened to a new sensitivity level. She walked out and jumped when she heard a meow, turning to see a black cat sitting on the banister. She smiled, relaxing. "Hello there, what are you doing here?" She stroked him softly, hearing him purr. "Where'd you come from, huh?" She heard a clink of metal and she froze, turning to see a blade swinging towards her…aimed for her neck. She shut her eyes, "Yuan!"
But the blade didn't cut, and she heard Yuan's voice. "Come one, Fubuki. You wouldn't cut through your own furball, would you?" She opened her eyes, seeing Yuan in front of her. He held the cat by the scruff of the neck, holding it up to meet Fubuki's blade…which had stopped before injuring the animal. It meowed cutely, twisting in Yuan's grip. "You stand against me, Yuan? You cross the line." "No, you are. I told you not to harm my pet. Besides, unlike this little beast here, she has a use." He jiggled the cat a little, "I wouldn't want to put him back where he belongs. Come after her again and this little fella won't have a soul you can resurrect again." He tossed the cat and Fubuki caught him, "You walk a fine line, Yuan. One that could get you into trouble." Yuan stuck out his tongue, "Yeah, yeah." Fubuki left then, floating off into the sky. Yuan turned to her, " You cause nothin' but trouble…" She sighed, "I'm sorry, Yuan. You had to stand against your leader." Yuan stuffed his hands into his pockets, "Eh, it'll pass. Besides, it's fun to push buttons sometimes. Makes things interesting."
She looked back the way Fubuki had flown off, a worried look on her face. Yuan was behind her then, dropping an arm across her shoulders and hugging her to him. "On second thought, maybe I will take more than the soul. Causing trouble always gets me in the mood." She closed her eyes, a slight shiver creeping up her spin. He chuckled, tracing Shumira's kanji and walking back into the room…pulling her with him. He struck out his tongue, "Perfect."
Hey, thanks for reading! I actually wrote this story out on paper, and while it isn't completed, this will motivate me to do so. Samurai Deeper Kyo is actually my favorite manga ever...besides Deadman Wonderland. Hehe, who knows? Maybe that'll be my next story! Reviews, please!
~BP