Curses, growls, and the sound of wood snapping; that is what could be heard as he thundered through the surrounding forest, doling out punishment to plants and trees alike. Zero Kuran, the great Pure Blood and heir apparent to the Kuran legacy, was completely and irrevocably lost. He blamed it on everything, the sky, the damned chirping birds, the unforgiving sun, even on Aria; anything and everyone but himself. In moments of clarity, he swore he heard his mother chuckle and chide him about his temper. It always seemed to get the best of him even in the best of times.
Zero knew the general area of the side of the mountain he was currently scouring and all of his previous survival training he underwent while in hiding should have come into play, but damned if this place was not a complete labyrinth. Every tree looked the same, even with the marks he had left of where he had previously been. Now, he knew he had seen that stone before, and he went left, or was it right? His head felt like exploding. He never would have been in this predicament if he hadn't gotten so angry when Aria ran away from him. His lack of maturity allowed him to pout for at least a day before he realized his aimless wandering as he did so had placed him in this predicament.
The very remembrance of Aria's retreating back made him grit his teeth. Who the hell does she think she is? Just a child's promise? They both knew that was never the case. It was an ageless vow, a promise of two souls, not two snot-nosed children. Despite their arguing and clashes, there was an underlying agreement on this matter, though she might not have known it at the time, but he thought he would have more time to convince her. That was all cut short with her sudden departure. It was amazing that she was even able to leave the premises without the fires of hell to spring up to stop her, because that's what her father would have employed to force her to stay. Yori flashed through his mind and he rethought this quickly. Since her awakening, the young lord Aidou had apparently softened and changed.
Zero scoffed. His partnership with Aria was written in stone as far as he was concerned, but she would never affect him in that way. He would never lose himself in her. Liar… Look at yourself now. Wandering around a mountainside like some common ruffian. Zero squashed that voice quickly. As its death cries seeped away into the back of his mind, he was suddenly very alert. He felt his ears twitch involuntarily. He knew that sound and a sudden burden seemed to lighten. A river! He ran headlong into the surrounding bushes, rushing his way towards the sound, caution thrown to the wind. It was coming closer, it must be a big one for the running water was no longer a trickle in his ear, but a nearly unstoppable rush of sound.
Grinning victoriously, he jumped the last set of brush like a hurdle, certain of his salvation. It was short lived. Where his feet should have landed solidly on the ground, he found… nothing. Swinging his arms and legs wildly he attempted the impossible task of backtracking. Looking down he saw the roaring river where only moments before he had sought with such zeal. It took moments for him to realize this was not a simple river, but rolling rapids. One word ran through his mind as he fell headlong into the raging water below… idiot.
Hanabusa raised his head, a light frown creasing his still-youthful face. Yori paused ahead of him, as they had moved on foot, giving their mount a much needed break.
"What's wrong?" she asked. Hanabusa shook his head, shaking off the feeling that someone was in distress nearby.
"It's nothing. Let's keep moving." Yori turned back again to picking her way through the branches covering the trail. There had been a storm recently and it made her uneasy knowing that her daughter could have been caught in it. Perhaps the small band of travelers had found shelter in the nearby village. She was anxious to get there as soon as possible. The crow had been of little help, bringing back only news of one pillaged village after another. None of this was of much comfort for two skittish parents.
It also did not help that they had both had it up to their eyeballs with one another. They loved each other from one end of the world to the other, but even this was not enough to keep them from irritating already raw nerves. Hanabusa's constant doting and mother hen attitude were taking a toll on her now and ultimately led her to have a shorter fuse. Her snippy answers and his complete obliviousness led Hanabusa to the misfortune of inquiring the time of the month for her. Much of that afternoon was spent with him trailing behind Yori picking dirt and pebbles out of his hair and ears.
"Your violence has not changed at all!" he growled at her back. "It's only gotten worse since you threw that book at me all those years ago," he grumbled quietly.
"And I'll do worse if you ever ask me that question again," she said without turning, referring to his previous blunder. Hanabusa clenched his hands tightly and bit his tongue. 'Indelicate flower,' he thought silently. 'He-woman. Manly vixen. Brutish minx.' The list went on until he had spent his irritation completely. Once he had calmed he only could smile and laugh at himself. Gods bless it, but he loved this woman. Yori sensed his mirth and looked at him questioningly and was surprised to find that he had closed the little ground between them, embracing her fully. His lips covered hers, leaving her breathless. She responded wholeheartedly, digging her hands into his mussed hair. Dirt he had missed continued to fall out and she smiled against his lips. They touched foreheads gently and grinned like two young people just exploring a new love. His arms held her so gently it made her tear up.
"What was that about?" she said.
"I needed a fix for today," he said mildly. Her eyebrows rose slightly.
"And have you gotten it?" she inquired mischievously as she pulled him closer.
"Not even close," he grumbled as the spark dimmed away and was replaced by something much more potent. It had been days, which in his mind was days too long. Only now, as he vaguely noted the thrashing she had only moments earlier given him, did he realize that she had grown stronger. All of their lovemaking had been gentle, taking it at a slower pace not because Yori insisted it, but because he was afraid to do it any other way. Now it dawned on him that he wanted to ravage her thoroughly, the way they had done it the night Aria was conceived. Just the thought of it made him shiver a little. Leaning forward he prepared to swoop down on her with complete abandon.
Snap. Scuff. Crash. Pause. Wheeze. Drip.
The lovers were interrupted much to Hanabusa's chagrin. The pits of hell would await whoever had come between him and what he had been dreaming of doing for weeks. His anger dissipated almost instantly as he took in the wet rag of a man standing not far from them. The mop of dark hair gave him the appearance of a beleaguered dog. He leaned heavily against a tree, heaving. It was Yori who reacted first, pulling away from Hanabusa quickly, their embrace forgotten.
"Zero?" Yori said unsurely. After a brief moment, she confirmed it as the young Pure Blood lifted his head to finally look at them.
"Did I interrupt something?" One would think after having been bounced around down rapids that Zero would not have so much as a thought to be smart, but then one would not truly know young Zero. He was saved from Hanabusa in the nick of time, falling into a dead faint. Yori looked at Hanabusa with a sigh before turning to aid the young man.
