The Shadow's Heart
Disclaimer: I do not own SkipBeat or Ashita no Ousama nor do I own any of the characters from either original story.
Chapter 21 – Tamia and Lucius
Author's note:To help you understand Chojiro's situation, imagine a funnel. When he followed Kotonami Kanae, he followed her into the wide end until it narrowed into the narrow end. He ended up locked in the narrow end. The narrow end extends out into a much larger cage. He has spent the night surrounded by the inhabitants of that larger cage.
Chojiro was curled up in a ball, shivering from cold and fear. Although he didn't know their names, Tamia and Lucius seemed intimately familiar with him… after all, they had been staring at him all night long. The brother and sister were curious creatures, and the odd man with the face-covering seemed especially interesting. Of course, they had lost interest halfway through the night because all he seemed to do was cringe in the corner, shake, and mumble to himself. Still, they kept their yellow eyes on him just in case he might do something fascinating.
There is no such thing as a completely tame Bengal tiger. Tamia and Lucius were well trained, well treated, and well cared-for. Besides, they didn't imagine that a human would make that great of a meal. They tried to be friendly to the strange man, but whenever they walked around the three sides of the cage that he had stumbled into, and whenever they tried to "talk" to him with friendly growls and toothy smiles, the man just started whimpering.
Finally, it was morning, and Tamia and Lucius sensed Master coming. They liked Master. He was always nice, and he always responded to their friendly greetings with enthusiasm. His only oddity was that he seemed to change colors and shapes all of the time. Tigers didn't understand costumes, but they had realized that the things that humans wore were something like false furs. Humans only had fur on the top of their head, and sometimes around their mouths. The other master was there too. He was a hunter, like them. They could see it in his eyes. He was always there when Master was there.
The other human, the smaller female with the long, hanging fur, was with them. They could smell her scent as well. She had been there during the day and once during the night before, but they had been disappointed because she had only stopped to visit for a minute. They also smelled three more humans.
A whistle told them that the lights would be coming on. Master had trained them to sit and wait when he whistled in that way. Master and the others walked around the outside of the warehouse-sized tiger cage. The others, including the female from before, sat down. The other master stood by the cage door, and Master stepped inside.
Yashiro, his father, and Niokina watched, stunned, as Lory whistled through his teeth and the two huge, powerful tigers moved forward and rubbed against him like kittens. The tall, distinguished looking man smiled like a little kid as he hugged and petted the his two huge friends. And then he looked over to Kotonami Kanae and nodded. She surprised the other three when she stood and walked down to the entrance. Lucius left Lory as Kanae stepped into the room. He walked gracefully over to the beautiful young lady and raised his face up toward her. Kanae slowly reached her hands out and scratched the tiger's fluffy jaws. The Yashiros watched in fear and admiration as she leaned down and kissed the beautiful, deadly beast on the nose. After another quick scratch on Lucius' jaws, and a backrub for Tamia, Kanae stepped back outside of the gate.
Sebastian stepped in now and made a whistling sound. Both tigers turned and followed the quiet man out of another gate. Only then did Takarada Lory turn to the man in the caged area in the middle of the room. "I thought that I should make the point that my little friends really like Kotonami Kanae… in case you were feeling really stupid and wanted to keep following her. If you would like to remove you mask now, we can talk. If you prefer to remain anonymous, then the police will be here to escort you out."
Chojiro rose off of the ground and yanked off his mask, feeling more confident now that the tigers were gone. "I'm going to sue you for everything you have, Takarada! By the time I'm done with you, you won't have two yen to rub together."
Lory raised an eyebrow, "Yashiro Chojiro, I presume? Let's take a look at the facts. You followed a young lady for several blocks, although you had no legitimate business with her. You committed criminal trespass by entering into a facility that is private property. You entered that facility wearing a ski mask and carrying an assault weapon, while following an eighteen year old female who you had previously assaulted. Shall I continue?"
"You can't get away with this. I'm not some poor schmuck from off the street. My family is a powerful influence in Japan!" Suddenly the lights in the sitting area flashed on to reveal Yukihito, Kenishi, and Niokina sitting by Kotonami Kanae.
Kenishi stood up, "As the head of the Yashiro's, Chojiro, I will speak plainly. You were given a chance to recover from your original mistake, embezzling company funds, by the gracious acts of Takarada Lory and Egami Yumi. Instead of making the most of that opportunity, you have spent the last few days stalking Kotonami Kanae and seeking revenge. Now I will speak for all of the family: you are a disgrace and an embarrassment, and you will be dealt with appropriately."
"Dealt with! You stupid, talentless man! You think that you can shut me out! Will you stop at nothing to protect and make things easier for that weak son of yours?"
Yashiro Yukihito stood up, walked out of the stands, and down to the floor. He unbuttoned his suit coat, took it off, and handed it to Kanae. He did the same with his tie, and he unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt. Sebastian had re-entered the room, and the silent man pushed a button, opening the door of the caged corridor where Chojiro had spent the night. Chojiro stepped out, taser in hand. Sebastian held out his hand for the weapon. Chojiro sneered at the man, and was about to say something when Lory's butler launched forward, grabbing Chojiro's wrist and bringing it behind his back in a movement so swift that Chojiro would never afterwards be able to describe it. "Okay, okay, ouch! Just take it!"
Now that the man was disarmed, Sebastian stepped away and let Chojiro step out and stretch. Yukihito stepped into the warehouse-sized cage, rolling up his second sleeve. "Cousin, this will make the second time that you've tried to do something to the woman I care about. Now, the truth of the matter is that she could probably beat you into a pulp in less than a minute… I admit that she could do the same to me. But I'm sick and tired of you trying to mess around with my woman, and my life, just because of your childish jealousy. So now you and I are going to have this out. Instead of running around behind my back like the coward you are, I'm giving you a chance to face me right here, right now."
Chojiro sneered, "Yeah, right! You and all of your friends, you mean."
Lory stepped out of the gate, followed by Sebastian. They took seats in the stands next to the others. Yukihito spoke again, "Now it is just you and me, in a great big cage. You've always dreamed about beating me up, Choji-kun, haven't you? You used to try to find ways to do things to me that wouldn't get you in trouble all of the time. You were always worried that Grandfather would find out and then you would lose his favor. Well here's your chance… or are you too much of a coward to challenge me face-to-face?"
Niokina fidgeted with worry, "Is this really okay, Takarada-san? Chojiro has a good thirty pounds on Yukihito, and he can be really mean."
Lory looked over at her and nodded, "That is true, but this is what Yashiro-san wanted. When the woman a man loves is threatened, it gives him extra strength."
Kanae flushed at the President's words. She was both worried and excited, though she hated to admit those feelings even to herself. She didn't want to see Yukihito hurt, yet something inside of her was thrilled that he was willing to fight to protect her.
Chojiro was circling as he talked, trying to spot an advantage, "I have wanted to beat you, little cousin. You were always the wimp of the family, playing chess and Go, of all things. But grandfather loved you and ignored the real man in the family. Well, good old grandfather is dead and buried, and now I'm going to…" He jumped forward to deliver a crushing blow to Yukihito's face. But the thinner man side-stepped the punch and launched a jab at Chojiro's jaw.
The jab didn't have a lot of power, and Chojiro laughed it off, confident now that his cousin would be an easy match. "I'm not going to stop until I destroy you, wimp." He kicked out at Yukihito's leg, almost missing as Yukihito dodged again. But almost wasn't enough. Chojiro's shoe grazed his cousin's shin, causing Yukihito to stumble back in pain. Chojiro barreled forward to close in on Yukihito, but instead he found himself falling as Yukihito kept his good leg extended and knelt down with the other leg, tripping the bigger man.
"Think, Yukihito!" Kanae called out, "Remember what I showed you!"
Chojiro was up again, spitting out dirt and grinning, "Some man you are, little cousin. You have to get help from a little girl just so that you can stay alive."
Yukihito smiled at that, "As I recall, that black and blue nose of yours was compliments of that little girl. Doesn't it hurt, Choji-kun? It sure is ugly. Isn't it humiliating the way she slapped you around like a little child?"
Chojiro screamed in rage, rushing forward to kill his cousin. But this time Yukihito was ready for him. He had felt silly early in the morning as Kanae had drilled him on ten strike points. There were more, of course, but she focused him on just ten. Now he drove a fist into the space between his larger cousin's upper lip and nose, while at the same time bringing his knee up into the man's left floating rib. Chojiro howled in pain as blood and saliva issued from his nose and lip, and he curled over and fell to the dirt as his body reacted to his bruised ribcage. It was the only combination move Kanae could teach him on such short notice, and it was swift and brutal.
Panting more from adrenaline than from his exertions, Yukihito stood back and waited for Chojiro to rise. The bigger man was hurting badly now. His eyes were teary from his re-broken nose, making it difficult to see, and his bruised ribs were making it difficult to breathe; but his hatred gave him strength to try again. He held out his hand, pointing up, as if to request a pause or to stop the fight as he stumbled forward.
Yashiro thought that the fight was over until Kanae screamed, "Watch him!" and his cousin lurched forward, driving his shoulder into Yukihito's chest and slamming him into the bars. Yukihito saw stars, but he had one arm up and he remembered Kanae's instructions through his fog of pain. With the ferocity of anger, he drove his elbow down into Chojiro's clavicle. There was an audible snap and the bigger man screamed in pain as he collapsed to the ground, sobbing.
Yashiro Yukihito pushed himself off of the bars. His felt dizzy, and he could feel the wet blood from where his head had struck the bars. Despite all of that, he knew that he was triumphant. He didn't hear the gate open, but in a moment Kanae was at his side, supporting him. "Mo! Yukihito; I told you not to let your guard down with that snake! Let's get you to a place where you can sit down and I'll look at that thick head of yours."
He looked at her and saw genuine concern and respect in her eyes. "You're so beautiful, Kanae."
Kanae blushed, "You probably have a concussion. Shut up and move. You're heavy."
"You are. You're so beautiful it almost hurts to look at you sometimes… you're smart… and talented… and…" Everything started going black, and from a distance he thought he could hear Kanae calling for help.
He woke in a hospital bed, with monitors attached to him that were beeping annoyingly. He turned his head too quickly, winced, and blinked his eyes to clear away the pain. Kanae's concerned voice said, "Baka! Lay still, you annoying man. I'll have you know I have more important things to do than sit here and watch over you."
Her tone, and her expression, put the lie to her words. "How bad?"
"You have a concussion. The doctor thinks you'll be okay, but they're keeping you overnight. You managed to break your cousin's nose and clavicle, and he'll be hurting every time he breathes for at least a week. Your father and Niokina took care of him. A police sergeant had a talk with him, and I suspect that he'll be leaving town once he's healed."
Yashiro picked up the hand that was resting on his chest. "I can't believe that you kissed a tiger. You are incredible, you know that?"
"Mo! No more of that, now. It was the President's idea. He thought that it would humiliate Chojiro if he spent the night in terror of those two tigers and then I went in and petted them. I was terrified at first, but they were so playful and affectionate that I finally relaxed. That is what I was doing during the day while I waited for you to arrive in Tokyo."
Yashiro didn't give her any more compliments, but he thought them. "What are you reading?"
"My script for tomorrow. I have it memorized, but I'm visualizing the scenes. I'm ashamed to say that I don't have Kyoko's gift for character creation."
"But it was you that they asked to come back. Isn't it great to have your own detective show? Everybody liked the beautiful Detective Hasekara Eriko so much that they wanted her back. By the way, did the other police officer actors get pulled in as well?"
"Yes, they did. There's also quite a few new roles. If you weren't going to be stuck here, I would invite you to the set in the morning."
"Just tell them that I'll be showing up later. I remember that one actor who seemed awful interested in you…"
"You shouldn't…"
"I'm going, Kanae. You said that they're only keeping me until the morning, right? I'll be there once I'm released." Yashiro's eyes and voice were firm.
"Mo! You can be pigheaded."
"Only where it matters. I only have a week… less now that I've lost today. I want to spend it with you."
Yumi slowed her palomino, Peter, to a trot so that she could take in the scenery that had captured her soul after Luke had brought her to visit his family home. Then, like now, it had been winter, and just like that first time there were snowcapped mountains in the distance, icy trees in the fields, steam rising off of the creek, and the wildlife everywhere. She had always thought Japan beautiful, but it couldn't compare to this.
Luke had given up so much for her. He was fast-tracking towards his first general's star and he was on the short-list for several of the choicest assignments in the Marines. But he said that he didn't care. "As soon as I saw you, Tinkerbelle, you became the only goal remaining in my life. Nothing else mattered."
Tears ran down Yumi's cold cheeks as she watched a prairie hawk glide five feet over the field, tracking on some real or imagined prey.
She had felt the same for him. She had no feelings one way or the other about American military men. Her family ran several training schools for their security-types, and she found most of them to be men of honor and valor. But she had never been personally interested in any man until she marched those stupid trouble-causers up to the gate and saw the Adonis standing there, struggling to find his words. Yumi was used to men reacting to her in that way. Her beauty and size seemed to intrigue men. She didn't mind, but she really didn't encourage them either. But as soon as Colonel Luke Swan started talking to her, she wanted him to see her. She had only intended to stay in Okinawa for two days, but she kept finding excuses to remain, and she let the tall, beautiful man drive himself crazy chasing her until she finally caught him.
Her father was furious. After her younger brother had run off to chase his dream of becoming a singer, gotten in trouble, and promptly disappeared, she was the sole remaining child to carry on the Egami tradition. She refused to back down about Luke, insisting that her father at-least meet the man she loved. Her father began the evening hostile, but gradually relented. Luke Swan was a fellow warrior, a man much like Egami Tojimaki, and that night began a bond of mutual respect and honor that lasted until her father passed away, seventeen years later. Luke had cried as much, if not more than she did, for the man who had welcomed him into the clan.
Luke was like that. He didn't have to hide his feelings or pretend to be manly. He was a man's man, a warrior, a fighter, and somebody who always seemed larger than life. They had remained at Camp Foster for much longer than they should have; which only confirmed the general's dire warnings that marrying a foreign national would end Luke's prospects for advancement. The long stay did have one benefit: Luke's youngest sister, Julie, came to visit for a while. She was strikingly beautiful, and half of the men on base were finding excuses to come to visit. But before any of them could win her heart, she met a young Japanese actor who would become her husband.
Julie had been modeling in the states, so she just kept modeling while she was in Okinawa. A production company was filming a James Bond style action film, borrowing help from Camp Foster for several scenes. Anyone who could spare the time was going out to the filming area to watch the stars at work. Hozu Shuuhei*, the star, made a parachute jump and landed right in front of the crowd. As the tall, good looking man unclipped his chute he looked up and saw Julie. He completely forgot that the cameras were rolling as he walked across the field, right up to the taped-off spectator area. The rest was history.
When Luke finally accepted that his career was over, he took his retirement, and his bride, and returned to Wyoming. Yumi didn't mind, because she loved the ranch, and she loved her man. Yumi continued to teach martial arts, and she invested every penny carefully. She had never told Luke exactly how rich the Egami's were, or that she would be the main beneficiary. Luke didn't know or care. He had his ranch and his Tinkerbelle, and that was all he needed… except that one thing was missing. They couldn't seem to have children.
When they both got checked, the doctors discovered that Luke had the first stages of testicular cancer. Because they caught it early, they were able to stop it. For the next twenty years they fulfilled their need for children by taking in troubled children and working with them. And then the cancer came back with a vengeance. Luke lasted another five years, but those had been terrible, painful, wasting years until the end was a relief.
Yumi turned Peter, named after Peter Pan, back toward the ranch and she lightly spurred her horse into a canter. I'm going to have to bring Kyoko and Kuon here sometime, She thought as she used one gloved hand to wipe wet eyes. After all, it will belong to them someday. Kyoko was becoming more like a daughter to her. She seemed so special; so kind, and talented, and wonderful. I wish that you could have met her, Luke. She's the daughter we could never have. You would have loved her. And I know that she would have loved you.
Notes: I hope that you weren't turned off by the violence. Although I believe in diplomacy first, there are times when the only language some people understand is confrontation. Yumi and Lory tried the non-violent approach. Then Lory used intimidation with his lovable, furry felines. But in the end Yashiro had to make the point clear: Don't mess with my woman. I think he got the point this time. Sorry, no Ren and Kyoko in this chapter, but there was Yashiro/Kanae fluff.
* For those who missed it in the manga, Hizuri Kuu first went by the pseudonym Hozu Shuuhei. When he decided to go to the U.S. and pursue a career in Hollywood, he returned to his true name and held a lavish funeral for his pseudonym.
I'll dedicate this chapter to Kittydemon18, since there's a lot of Takarada Lory in it. On that note, Jelly Woods wanted me to let Kittydemon18 know that she gets to pet the tigers too.