Imminent

Yura stared hard at the angelic figure, her dark eyes glaring fierce at the pale blue of the other. She didn't understand. Everything that existed here seemed to be the polar opposite of this very being. It moved gracefully and spoke eloquently, not in the harsh rasps that the deformed creatures below spoke in.

"Forgive my bluntness," It started. "But why are you here?"

"I came to save him."

It looked to the man in the corner, his back supported solely by the white wall behind him. "He's gone dear. There is nothing you can do." It rested a hand on her shoulder, the long pale fingers barely touching, yet she felt the weight of being pushed.

"Who are you?" She said turning to get it's hand off of her. "What do you want with Hiten?"

It smiled in a gentile manner, gliding back a step or two. "My name is Ichiro. I need Hiten you see. I am not as well as I might appear." It sat in a clear white chair nearly invisible in the matching room. "I am deemed so it would be to live off of sorrows."

"Sorrows?" Yura questioned moving slightly closer.

"Yes, horrid business really. You see it's my job to flush out the pain and exploit it." A slight laugh escaped Ichiro as he rested back. "Not that I enjoy it, I just find it funny."

"Funny. Taking advantage of people's emotions is funny."

"I suggest you guard your tongue woman lest ye cast the first stone. We all manipulate people and their feelings in some way." He cast his eyes to Hiten and smirked. "I'm sure even in your days together you played with each other's heart strings. Hmm?"

"Not like this." She said defiantly drawing her sword. "I'll kill you if I have to but so help me he's coming with me."

Ichiro laughed standing from his seat. "You wish to perish with him? I can arrange that." With one swift wave of his hand he sent Yura slamming hard into the wall.

Groaning with pain she staggered to her feet ready to strike him. Her heart pounded as she readied herself for battle. Sword drawn she waited. Waited for a fight that never began as Ichiro merely stood smirking occasionally pacing a bit and humming some strange tune. But, he made no more to come at her again.

"What are you doing?" She questioned following him with cautious eyes.

"Fighting is silly. By the time one of us wins Hiten will be long gone. What say you to a bargain?"

"Bargain?"

He laughed softly and walked to where Hiten lay. Kneeling in front of him he raised his head to look at him. "He is quite handsome I suppose." Ichiro said. "A fine specimen if I ever saw one. But tormented. Tell me young Yura, of all the fellows one could have why would one want the lad who is so troubled?"

"I…" Her brow furrowed as she looked to the ground her heart racing as her mind searched for an answer. "I love him."

"Love is an easy out." Ichiro said standing to face her. "Love cannot stall the sea anymore than it can slow time. It's a shallow response based solely on ones wishes." He gestured his hand quickly sealing off the stairwell that brought her here. "Provide me an honest answer or be silent and serve your purpose."

"I gave you the only answer I can."

"Not exactly." He moved closer pausing to look closely at her sword. "It's a lovely blade dear, but it will do you no good." Grasping the sharp metal he pulled it from her hands holding it in his own. The blood moved slowly down and over the hilt dripping lightly on the white floor. "You can't even hold your own weapon, what makes you think you can keep a man."

Swallowing hard she stared him down. Her dark eyes rushing from his to her sword now glazed with blood. She wanted to strike him, to kill him. But there seemed to be something strange going on, something she wanted to understand before anything rash was done. Posturing herself she extended her hand. "I'd like it back now please."

He smirked and dropped the sword to the ground seeming to revel in the sound of the singing metal. "I told you it will do you no more good than your declaration of love." Swiftly he moved around behind her placing his hands on her shoulders. Turning her body to look at Hiten he whispered in her ear, "He's dieing Yura. Feel it, his life is fading fast. Even if you save him now his life is limited. Even though he is a demon he will not live nearly as long as most."

"Why?" She asked her voice shaky as she realized Ichiro was doing something. She could not move, nor look away.

"His father owed me a debt, I have merely come to collect. For centuries the thunder clan has been in my debt, hoping that each new generation will find a way to defeat me and thus end the bond. Each time someone comes to negotiate for another's life. It was Kojiro and Juro. It was Keiji and Hana. It was ancestor after ancestor fighting to save one another and leading at least one of them to death. Since Hiten's father and mother are both gone, he is remitter of their debt. His duty as first blood."

"You have been corrupting him." She said pulling herself away from him. "You have been the one. The one who has been driving him to insanity!"

"I have to, without scorn and pain my power is useless. Lucky for me, most beings in this world choose to ignore all but the pain and anger in their lives."

"You said there is a bargain?" Yura said crouching low to Hiten's side. "You said there is a way."

Ichiro paused his eyes looking off into the distance. "Yes, but it is not so easy Yura. I have been orchestrating such affairs since the dawn of time. You cannot renege on this debt should you strike a deal with me."

She smiled and let a tear slide from her eye as she leaned her head on Hiten's shoulder. Softly she whispered an apology to Hiten and stood before Ichiro. "If I offer you our single first born child. Our one and only first born, will you spare him and stop this."

"A first born child for a first born child." Ichiro said quizzically. "You'd risk your own child for him. It will not stop the debt you know. I will always return and then someone will come to bargain for your child and so on and so on."

"How do you stop?" She said stepping forward. "Can you be stopped?"

"I cannot be. I have yet to make a bargain I cannot win." Ichiro clasped his hands together tightly muttering a few words. "There is always a loophole my dear. I pity your children." Moving his hands apart he produced a golden scroll adorned with back words.

"A contract?" She questioned.

"Yes a contract, lest we have no record of this transaction." He handed her a silver quill and held the document out for her to sign.

Her eyes fixed she rested her hand on his stomach and signed her name quickly to the scroll. Expressionless she sighed as she hoped she'd done the right thing. She had damned her future child. But there was no other way. She could feel his power from the moment she entered the room and she doubted the angelic figure before her was Ichiro's true form.

"You're only buying time you know." He said tucking the scroll away. "Keeping Hiten alive and living happily ever after wont last forever. Soon I will come and there will be nothing you can do."

"There's always a loophole Ichiro." Yura said going to Hiten again. "I will defeat you and there is nothing you can do. Before this deal is made good I will be able to smile because I have done what you said could not be."

Smiling Ichiro rested back onto the white chair and lowered his eyes. "Do not tempt fate Yura. Although we denizens of the eternal darkness do have rules we go by, do not think we are above breaking them." With one smooth gesture the room faded and the castle of the thunder demons returned in its place. Hiten was lying on a futon in the main room and all was seemingly as it should be. Gasping Yura pressed her hands to the stone walls and gazed out the tall windows. They were indeed back at Hiten's home. "Remember Yura." Ichiro's voice resounded. "First born child is mine."

Eyes lowered Yura turned to look at Hiten. His life force indeed felt strong, as it should be. His brow no longer uneven from mental torment he opened his eyes yawning. Looking around him he seemed confused as though he wasn't sure where he was. "Yura," He said smiling softly. "You're here."

"Yes Hiten I'm here." She knelt by him holding his hand as she smoothed his hair back.

"You're not leaving."

"No. I'm here to be with you."

"I…I don't. I don't remember what was real and what was in my head." He said propping up on his elbows. "It fades in and out like…something."

"Insanity?" Yura said softly.

"Almost. Am I all right? Did I hurt you any?"

"No Hiten. Not you."

"We, we made love?"

"Yes."

"I'm glad." He said pulling her into an embrace. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean all those words so long ago. I don't know what came over me. I loved you then Yura, as I love you now. Can you forgive me?"

Crying softly she held him tightly. "I already have."

"Then you'll stay? Stay here with me? Be my wife?"

"I will." As she held him she looked to the doorway. There leaning against the wall was the child she saw before. Smiling he held up two fingers and then faded into the air. Confused Yura wondered if he knew that she had failed.