Part 4
"Codi, Codi, your mother has given birth!" yelled the orange cat demon bursting into the tent.
"You don't need to yell Riko, my ears are better than yours." snapped the black-haired cat demon.
"Aren't you going to go?"
"Where? To see the intruder? No thanks."
"She's your sister, Codi," the orange cat said accusingly.
"ITS a selfish intruder!" Codi corrected.
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"You called me mother?" asked Codi. "CODI!" exclaimed his mother. She quickly gave him a hug, he was taller than her so it was difficult.
"Oh, I can't believe you're going to be 13 tomorrow!!!" He was surprised, she normally didn't just talk unless...
"... 4 years since your graduation!! You are so skilled! I feel so blessed..."
"What do you want?" he interrupted.
"Baby-sit your little sister, I have some where to be."
"What!?! Hell No!" Codi shouted.
"Yes!" she insisted, "You can pitch in! Anyway, it might not be so bad for you to spend some alone time with your sister." She walked over the the crib, "Bye-bye Honey. Your big brother is going to stay with you, okay?"
"But..." he protested. "No, buts," she said, and walked out of the tent.
"Great," he complained, "Nasty selfish brat!" He couldn't stand being alone with it! Anger fill him and push him over the edge. When he was sure everyone was gone, he got low to the ground and started to creep up to the crib. When he got below it, he slowly began to stand up, with his thumbs together and fingers spread apart, as if he were prepared to strangle something. Codi stood up, but when his eyes fell onto the baby cat demon sleeping placidly in her crib, his hands froze. The sleepy child stirred, rubbed her eyes, and opened them so he was staring into their deep, brown abyss. Codi stood there, he couldn't move, he couldn't say anything, he was hypnotized by the mere child lying in front of him. Why, he asked himself, why couldn't he do it? He surely didn't love this creature, let alone like it. Just then, two small arms freed themselves from under the blankets and reached up to him. The large, brown eyes begging him to pick her up. Codi was nervous, what evil trick was this little mastermind playing? He used caution as he reached down to the awaiting arms and lifted the small creature. It amazed him how small it was. He could have stepped on it and have it be deadly to the tiny cat demon. He felt tiny fingers run through his black hair, investigating. Codi felt something come over him. A calm, placid sort of feeling that replaced the anger. It was something he had heard of before, something called brotherly-affection. It was so radically different from the jealousy formed before. He realized just how stupidly prejudice he was. He had seen other siblings fight and hate each other, but he didn't. Maybe it was because the small demon couldn't feel anger or resentment at him so he didn't. Maybe it was because it was so trusting of him, even though he had planned to kill it. Whatever the reason, he begin to speak to it, "Hey, I'm sorry if I've been an awful big brother up until now, but whatever the case, I promise you this, from now on I will always protect you up until the day I die. I swear it, I will always be there for you,... Sister." And while he was making his promises he began to rock the baby gently. The baby, who for the first time, he considered his sister.
"Wow Keri-san, it worked," exclaimed a surprised orange cat demon from the place he was concealed. "Didn't I tell you it would," responded Codi's mother.
"How did you do it," the orange cat asked.
"With those eyes, that girl can melt any heart, no matter how resistant."
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"Codi, you still stuck with that girl?" yelled a tan cat from across the moor. The shy, brown cat demon clung even tighter to Codi's leg. She was his shadow and followed him everwhere unless tied down. She couldn't follow him while he it was his turn to hunt for the clan, of course. But she tried. She was always seen with her brother. They had a deep, special bond. She was often shy around others, but she trusted Codi to speak for her. They made up for each others short comings and could always find solace in each other. "She's no burden," Codi yelled back, "She's adorable, and getting stuck with me only ruins her image."
"That's not true big brother," she whispered tugging his pants and staring up at him. He looked down and stared back lovingly, he stared into her eyes. One could loose themselves in those eyes. "C'mere," he said scooping her up and placing her on his shoulders. She giggled quietly, "Don't you think I'm getting a little to big for this?"
"Nah," he said, "You're only three."
"Four," she corrected.
"Not just yet," he told her, "Maybe in a couple of days."
"Maybe? It's tomorrow!" she giggled again, "And you can't decide when someone's birthday is big brother."
"Oh yes I can," he teased, "I can make the sun rise and fall, and I can easily stop peoples' birthdays from coming."
"No you can't!" she argued.
"How do you know?"
"Because... Because I do," she said defiantly.
"What... kind... of... answer... is... that!?!?!" he grunted tickling her. Codi smiled, how he loved her.
"I wanna go for a run, brother," she told him.
"You do? Okay, hold on tight." With that he took off sprinting with his sister on his back, squealing with glee. When he stopped, he put her down. "You're the fastest big brother," she praised.
"No, I'm not."
"Yes, you are," she insisted, "I see all your races and you win everyone."
"I'll bet you're faster, especially when some is trying to TICKLE YOU!"
"Ahahahaha," she shrieked, and ran away with Codi in pursuit. It was getting dark when Codi said, "Its getting late, honey. Why don't you go to bed." She pouted, but consented, and they went back to their tent.
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A sharp cry woke Codi in the middle of the night. He sat straight up in his bed and noticed his sister cowering in a dark corner. "C'mere," he commanded jumping out of bed. She flew desperately into his outstretched arms. The sounds of chaos from outside unnerved him. He scooped up his sister grabbed his sword and ran out of the tent. What he saw next was unbelievable. Everyone in their clan who could fight was lined-up, poised for action, in front of a wall of fire. Suddenly, a beast erupted from the flames, spitting fire in all directions. Codi could see they were fighting a losing battle. Their mother ran over to them, "Codi," she instructed, "Take you sister and flee to the forest. Go before someone sees you." He nodded, "Mama," she protested and reach for her from the safety of Codi's arms. "Go on, baby, Codi will take good care of you. I have to stay, but I promise to see you again," and with what she knew to be her last words to her daughter she reached around her neck and took off a shiny, silver bell on a black, silk ribbon and tied it around her daughter's neck. "Keep that safe for me, honey and go with Codi!" Rein nodded regretfully, as Codi sprinted flat out into the forest and dissappeared with her safely in his arms. The village of the cat demon was destroyed, along with everyone in it, except for two survivors that hid themselves carefully in the confines of the forest. The little girl never saw her mother again.
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2 Years Later:
"Big brother, big brother! It's almost my birthday!" she shouted sprinting out from behind a tree. Codi looked up from the fire he was building, feigning surprise, "Is it?!?! I hardly noticed!"
"Don't tell me you forgot my birthday!"
"No of course not!... Well, maybe a little..." She ran over a pulled at his shirt and began to mercilessly pound him with her little fist. "I'm joking, I'm joking," Codi laughed, "Here," he said pulling out a shiny black kimono that was much to big. "YAY!!!" she shrieked with glee, "It's sooo pretty! Where did you find it! How'd you get it!" Codi shrugged ruffling her hair, "I'd go to the ends of the Earth and back for you."
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"How does it look big brother? Does it look good? Show me!" It was late and Codi's sister was trying on her birthday present, a shiny, black kimono. "I looks great! Fabulous!," admired Codi.
"Lemme see it!" she begged. Codi drew his sword and stood it up so she could admire herself in its reflective surface. "Its soo pretty!" she exclaimed, "I love it! Thank you, big brother!" She wrapped her arm around his waist. "Big brother, will you tell me the story?"
"Which one?"
"The one about your sword!"
"This, is called the Mirror Sword, its been passed down our family for generations, and one day, you'll learn how to use it."
"Really?"
"Of course, I mean, with this sword and that kimono, you'll be the most beautiful cat on the planet!"
-----
Codi's sister emerged from behind the trees, arms full of firewood. Horror struck her. In the middle of a clearing, was her brother, fending off a stream of fire coming from a beast, half hidden behind a row of scorched trees. "Run!" he yelled, and she obeyed, running as fast as her small legs would carry her, tears of fear streaming from her eyes. She ran, dodging falling flames and embers as she went. She quickly spotted refuge in a tree, and squeezed into the hole in the surface. She curled up and tried to stop the tears. Her heart pounded in her chest, and she heard the forest shake with steps from a large creature. She tried to muffle her noise, clamping her hands so hard over her mouth it hurt. She heard the steps fade into the distance, but didn't calm down. She remained in her small space for what seemed like hours before emerging. She slowly climb down to a horrible site. The forest was scorched and burnt except for a few small patches. Tears still running down her face, she ran back to the place she had last seen her brother, but found nothing but blackened earth. Her tears quickened and her sobs shook her to the point where she was immobilized. Eventually, she was able to sit up, carefully surveying the agonizing scene around her. All that was left of her brother was a pitch black circle burnt onto the forest floor and a sword, covered in soot. She walked over to the sword and whipped some of the soot of. She struggled to drag a large, gleaming, white rock to the center of the scorched circle. Before leaving, she untied her necklace and placed it under the rock, and then left, walking into an unknown future.
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Sitting in the same tree she had cried in so many years ago, Rein sat pouring tears again, on this, the day of the anniversary of the death of her clan and beloved brother. She had left the others tonight because she couldn't hold herself together. She needed to be alone and didn't want the others to see this. It felt so... so weak! She had broken her promise to herself, she couldn't stand alone anymore, not after encountering such kind people. If Lord Sesshomaru thought she was weak, she would be left behind again and separated from yet another of her families. Just then, her ears picked up the sound of someone moving about in the forest, three someones. Then she heard Rin's voice yell her name. Rein tried to stifle her sobs. She heard it again, closer this time. Rin attempted to summon her three more times, each time sounded a little closer. Still attempting to quiet herself, Rein was startled when a head of black hair appeared in front of the opening to her hiding place. It spoke, "Here she is! I found her!" She heard the other bodies begin to move toward that spot and without any thought or sense she push Rin aside and began to run. Rein's tears almost blinded her as she ran. Her pursuers made haste to catch her. One quickly passed the others and left them behind. Without realizing it, she entered a darker part of the forest, where the trees were as black as soot. Rein ran, her pursuer slowly catching up. She did not know why she ran from them, only that she wanted to get away. She was lost in her memories, oblivious to Sesshomaru who was chasing after her.
Sesshomaru didn't know why he followed her, why he cared if she left. Whether it was her assets or something entirely different, he knew that if he lost her, he'd regret it. Far ahead of him, he barely heard the beating of her feet against the ground. He was mostly relying on his sense of smell to keep him on the right track. Cat! he thought.
Rein was still running as if hell was at her feet. She tore blindly through the blackened forest without really paying attention to where she was going. The trees parted for a small clearing, and, grateful for the absence of obstacles, she quickened her pace. Suddenly, she went flying. Rein had tripped over a white rock; her momentum sending her flying. Subconsciously, she recognized the place, and convulsions went through her body. She sobbed, helpless and immobile, staring at the place where the force of her foot had flipped the rock over. Underneath, dirtied from the ground, was a small, sliver bell on a black, silk ribbon.
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