Chapter 9

I threw my front door opened and clung to Ichigo's Shihakusho tighter around me. Ichigo stepped in behind me and closed the door.

"Haruka? Are you still here?" I called.

"Just me and Kyouhei!" Takashi replied and I tensed up as thoughts of dad flew into my mind.

"Takashi!" I cried and raced into the kitchen before clutching the red headed man.

"Seika, what's wrong? What happened?!" He questioned and pried me off of him before checking my face and body. "Is this blood?"

"Hey, what's up?" Kyouhei peeked over the corner and saw the situation before his eyes flashed green and was lifting Ichigo up by his neck. "Who the hell are you? What did you do to her?"

"Put him down, Kyouhei! He didn't do anything!" I screamed and elbowed his gut before he dropped Ichigo. I made sure Ichigo was alright before looking at him. "Can you tell them, Ichigo? I need a bath. I don't like the smell of my own blood."

"Your own blood?"

"Start now, Soul Reaper." Takashi ordered menacingly as I raced up the stairs and bashed straight into the bathroom, stripping out of everything.

I turned off the hot water and stood there, my back getting the full brunt of the freezing cold water. The bright sunlight shone through the window as I dried myself and wrapped my green towel around my body before folding up Ichigo's Shihakusho top and walked down the stairs.

Kyouhei was right in Ichigo's face when I entered the living room. Takashi was sitting quietly to one side while Kyouhei interrogated Ichigo.

"I should tear out your spine and use it for a skipping rope after what happened to my sister!" He snapped as I sighed and casually walked up beside him and handed Ichigo his top.

"Cool off, Kyouhei. Did you tell them?" I asked and sat down on the arm of the recliner that Ichigo was sitting in. I made sure my towel was on securely.

"Your brother wouldn't let me get a word in edgewise," Ichigo muttered.

"Where's Daijiro and Haruka?"

"Well, Haruka was still here when we got back and then Daijiro came back and took off with Haruka to check the other side of town. We haven't been able to find dad." Takashi informed and I resisted the urge to cry.

"That's because dad's dead. For good." I said and looked down.

"What?!" Kyouhei yelled and grabbed my wet shoulders, terrifying me by his grip.

"Kyouhei, stop it, you're frightening her!" Takashi yelled and threw Kyouhei across the room. "Pull yourself together before I tear you apart!"

"But you heard what she just said!"

"But that doesn't mean you have to scare more information out of her!" Takashi snarled and then turned back to me before kneeling in front of me. "Tell me what happened, Seika."

"He's back, Takashi. The Dark Prince is back and he wants me," I explained and Takashi tensed.

"That's impossible. He was exiled for life by the four ancestors."

"Takashi, he gave me the Hikoku mark while I was asleep! Dad left Ichigo's house because they both felt his spiritual energy. Dad realised that it was coming from the house and that I was there so he left Ichigo's straight away. Then when he faced him, Kane tortured him to tell him more about me and killed him after Kane thought he was useless."

"But you don't have the mark now because you should be dead but you're in your original form right now." Kyouhei pointed out.

"A friend was able to remove the mark and the toxin. But it was Kane!"

"How do you know it was him?" Takashi asked and I gently moved to kneel in front of him before grabbing his hands.

"His eyes. The books didn't lie when they explained that you would see the pain and destruction in his eyes. In those few moments of staring into them, I had almost lost all hope," I smiled but it felt so weak.

"There's something else, isn't there?"

"You've read more of the books based on our legends. Do you know one about him claiming a bride?"

Kyouhei stared at me with a horrified look and Takashi's grip tightened before I heard the front door open and close.

"Anyone in here?" The calm voice of Daijiro comforted me. That meant that Haruka was alright as well.

"Living room!" Kyouhei called and the two other brothers walked in.

"We weren't able to find him," Haruka informed and Kyouhei took them back into the kitchen to tell them what happened.

"Focus, brother. What. Is. The legend." I said slowly and Takashi cleared his throat.

"It's not a legend, but a prophecy. From what I can remember, Kane needed the heart of a Darksider that was the exact opposite of him but with equal amount of spiritual energy. I guess by being the opposite also meant the opposite sex. I'd always thought it meant the Altered form but I was wrong." Takashi said.

"What does he need the heart for?"

"If he became stronger, he would be able to warp time and space to his liking. In order for that amount of spiritual energy, he needed the heart of another Darksider with the exact same amount of spiritual energy. Any stronger and he would cave in from the pressure and any less and he would be weakened just from absorbing the power, leaving him vulnerable for quite some time."

"So he intends to rip her heart from her chest and eat it or something?" Ichigo asked.

"When I say he needs a heart, I mean he needs someone the complete opposite of him to create complete harmony with his spiritual energy. When that happens, he'll be able to use the power of the other Darksider like his own."

"What would happen then?"

"He'll be able to destroy and create anything. Like a god."

"That's all well and true but what does he need to be in harmony with?" I said.

"A harmony between good and evil, light and darkness, cruelty and kindness. You really are the opposite of such a corrupted soul like him."

My three brothers walked in and I stood up as Haruka dragged me into a warm embrace.

"I'm so glad you're still alive. I don't know what we would do without you," Haruka sniffed and kissed my hair. He held me for a few more moments before we separated as Takashi stood.

"Did you see mum?" I asked and Daijiro nodded.

"She's safe. In fact, she's coming home." Daijiro explained.

"What do we tell her? She'll be torn to pieces."

"We tell her the truth. Then we find Kane." Takashi explained and I grabbed his hand.

"No, Takashi. We wait for him. We need to stay together."

"Seika's right. We have to wait for him to attack but we can't separate." Daijiro said and Takashi looked at me.

"Please, listen to me, brother. I need you to stay with me." I whimpered and his dark eyes softened.

"Of course," he said quietly and I smiled before turning to Ichigo.

"I need you to carry on with your duties like nothing has happened. You can go home if you want now because I thoroughly doubt that Kane would attack you since he's after me."

"I want to stay. Just a little longer, at least." Ichigo explained and I went to say something but I knew I couldn't change his mind.

"Fine. But at least go back into your body."

"What? Oh, yeah. Right."

"I'll go get dressed," I informed and walked upstairs as mum walked through the door. Thoughts of how she would react flittered through my mind and I stopped halfway up the stairs. "Haruka, get Ichigo to come up! Mum's back!" I called. Mum didn't seem to have heard me.

I waited for Ichigo to appear in my vision (finally in his body) before I walked into my room and waited to close the door when Ichigo came in. He examined all my photos on my corkboard and overlooked my desk. The typical things a teenage girl would have.

"Did you want me for something?" Ichigo asked and I looked at him.

"I didn't think you'd want to see my mum crash and burn. To tell you the truth, I didn't want to see it either. Turn around," I ordered and he turned his back on me before I dropped the towel and rummaged through my closet.

"I guess you're right."

I slipped into a pair of faded blue skinny jeans and a white and purple striped tank top. I then walked over to Ichigo and turned him around.

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

"What for?" He asked gently.

"For dragging you into this. I have no right to include you in this and it's my fault that you could get hurt."

"You didn't drag me into this. I got myself into this."

"I need you to go home and look after your family in case Kane decides to have a little visit. Don't worry about me, Ichigo. My brothers will take good care of me." I smiled.

I opened the window and he climbed down to the ground outside as someone knocked on my door; it was Haruka. He opened the door and walked in quietly before sitting on my bed.

"We're going to bring out the futons and crash in the living room. Mum's packing up and then staying at her sister's for a bit, as well." He informed and I smiled.

"That's a good plan. Just wait here," I said and walked into the bathroom to grab my necklace. I wandered back into my room and caught Haruka looking over my photos.

"I see you have my photos up as well."

"Yeah. God, it's so dark in here." I exclaimed and pulled open my curtains so the sunlight could fill up my room. "That's better."

I walked over to my cupboard and grabbed out my grey hoodie before threading a black belt through my jeans. Haruka was quiet as he watched me tie my long hair up into a ponytail and zipped up the hoodie to just underneath my bust when he finally spoke, his fingers twirling around the necklace I had given him when I was younger; a small pearl wrapped in a silver swirling metal that hung off a silver chain in the shape of a snake.

"What do you think we should do? I mean, this guy is after you." Haruka informed as I clasped Takashi's necklace around my neck.

"Pray." I said quietly.