Thanks to: lmamc, Rinfantasy (It was a little hard to write about Yuya's feelings because I couldn't help but put myself in her shoes. =( Also, Shinrei doesn't know if Kyo and Yuya will stick around after all is said and done.), DebyMU (Glad you enjoyed Kyo and Yuya's moment. Kyo might not be a good person per se but he does take care of his own and he loves his wife. ^_^ Also, I think Yuya is the glue that holds the group together and she does a lot to balance them out. I'm still working out the sequel, I love the thought of how Kyo would react if anyone, Shinrei included, had a romantic relationship with his little girl. Thanks as always for the encouragement, you are very kind.), Guest (Thank you. I think people tend to underestimate how much children actually see and understand because at young ages, they can't convey their thoughts as clearly as older children do), magicalnana (No, Aiko isn't the type to want to kill anyone but it is good for her to learn some kind of self-defense. Might cover that in any potential sequel, still trying to decide if I'll do one), kyoandyuya (Yuya does have a rough time of things but Kyo is good to her and makes things more bearable. On Aiko/Shinrei, I'll be honest and say that I would pair the two of them off but it would have to be in a sequel. She's still too young to understand romance and he still has personality problems to overcome. I like both Shinrei and Hotaru equally but the former is definitely easier to write in a romantic capacity and I like the fact that he is so dedicated to his family even though he was terribly misled at first in the manga. I used to dislike Shinrei too but he grew on me after his fight with Kyo. I do think Hotaru's relationship with Yuya is more brotherly and the idea you had is cute, though I'd have to give serious thought to its execution because it's more likely to wind up as a modern day AU fic. On his stupidity, I think it's half mask and half genuine air-headedness, lol. Thanks, as always, for your review. I like reading your perspective even if we don't always agree on which characters we like. ;-P And I do think you should try writing. Practice makes perfect and I'm always pushing myself to improve because there are so many writers who are better than me. ^_^), Azure (I'm glad you liked the romantic bits and I'm sorry I made you cry a little. =( I always, liked both Shinrei and Hotaru and their complicated familial relationship and I look forward to writing about them eventually, sort-of, getting along. I would totally ship Aiko and Shinrei when she's older but only in a sequel and I'm super happy that you like my original character enough to see a relationship as plausible. Since Shinrei was still single at the end of the manga, I don't really feel guilty about creating an original pairing like I would with someone in a cannon relationship. I know about Fire Emblem, though I'm not a big fan of strategy RPGs, and I've seen the character you spoke about, she's pretty.)
Author's Note: The beginning might be a bit disturbing but it serves a purpose.
Kurenai Kioku
Chapter Twenty-Four
Deep Thoughts and Midnight Conversations
The screams echoed across the room as he walked from one side to the next, making notes on his clipboard. The latest batch of shamans were in the process of being "assimilated" by Hishigi's four pet monsters and he wondered how long it would take this time. The subjects his master deposited in their cages often fought back and he had seen an admirable use of shamanistic abilities as they struggled to live another day.
However, it was always the same. They were only human and their stamina was limited. Usually within a day or two after a fight had begun, there was wicked laughter, then screams, then the sound of flesh being torn and bones being slurped as the four monsters in their cage absorbed the power and abilities of their victims the old fashioned way.
Often, it was his job to note down the events that took place, to analyze how long the shamans lasted as they fought their inevitable fate, and to observe the increase in power of the creatures who always came out on top. It was a horrible assignment but he did what he always did, which was to ignore his disgust and pat himself on the back with the assurance that he would never be in the same position as those other poor souls who had outlived their usefulness.
He was unique, the most beautiful of Hishigi's subjects. He was also the strongest, the most intelligent, the most useful...really, the list went on and on and he was proud because he was so special, chosen to bear the name Number 13. People with higher numbers came and went but he was always constant - different from those who came before him and better than those who came after.
A tiny smile to played across his face as he reveled in the certainty that his place was secure and that he was well on his way to reaching the same plateau as his Mibu masters. A cut above the fodder Hishigi experimented on who were fit only to be cast aside in the end.
"How can you, Toukichirou?" a voice whispered and he debated whether or not to continue moving forward.
He wanted to ignore the voice but it was rare that any of the subjects asked him anything directly. Usually they screamed and cursed his name up until their last moments and then there was silence once more. Hence, he paused his strides and turned to look at the speaker who was on the other side of the cage but far removed from the rest. Doubtless that why the monsters currently dealing with her fellow shamans hadn't gotten to her yet.
She was a pretty enough young woman - though not as pretty as him - with sad, sunken, gray eyes and black stubble where her hair should have been. She'd been shaven so that Hishigi could open up her skull and take a look at what was inside in order to see what made her tick. Her powers were more mental, if he recalled, and he searched his encyclopedic memories for her designated number and list of abilities – he simply couldn't be bothered to remember names when numerals were so much easier and efficient.
Eventually, he associated the appropriate number with her face and asked, "How could I...what, Number 267? Be so special? So powerful?"
He fluffed his hair with the vanity that had become his trademark and continued, "Be so free while you sit there waiting to die?"
Her face didn't change but he almost thought he saw pity in those penetrating eyes – it was a common physical trait amongst those whose powers were more invasive. The people who could reach into your head and pull out your thoughts - far deeper and far more dangerous than someone with Satori - or those who could read and manipulate emotions and feelings.
In this case, she was an empath and a powerful one at that. She'd gone past the part where she could just read and project emotions and had developed her gift to the point where she could make you feel whatever she wanted. Number 267 could send you to ecstasy or inflict you with a never ending wave of imagined pain until you would willingly slit your own throat to get away. They'd had her do that someone once, actually, pushing her to torture another subject until he eventually did commit suicide.
Then there were the things that had been done to her in an effort to see if she could replicate and project the way she felt about the stimuli they applied. Pain, pleasure, and everything in between was used to extract the best performance out of her and their experimentation on her was successful and quite illuminating. Even the memory of agony could be reproduced in exact intensity and forced upon someone else at her bidding.
Unfortunately, like most shamans in her class who could manipulate the mind, her testing was the most rigorous so that she could be disposed of sooner rather than later, before she had a chance to cause real problems for Hishigi. Therefore, she was in the cage waiting her turn to fight to the death before eventually being consumed while he was roaming unfettered, waiting impatiently for her to say whatever it was she planned to say before moving on.
A pink tongue darted out to moisten her cracked lips and she finally elaborated on her statement by replying, "How can you stand there and think you are different from us? That you are anything more than an experiment for the Mibu?"
"I think so because it is so," he replied haughtily, "Unlike the rest of you, I provide a useful function to Hishigi-Sama. He said so himself, that I'm special. He's even trained me to wield a sword in addition to using my powers to the full and helping him out in the lab. No one else has that level of trust. I've gone beyond the rest of you and it can only get better."
The words came easily and he truly believed them. Yes, he had his moments of unease whenever he had to record the messier results of his master's experimentation but he was safe in the knowledge that he was respected and valued. That he had transcended the label of "monster" that had been applied to him by ignorant mankind and become a real friend to the cold "Doctor" of the Mibu clan.
He sighed and said in a milder tone, "You're just jealous that you couldn't make the grade. It's a pity really because your powers are exceptional and your voice is beautiful. If it's any comfort, I did enjoy the way you sang."
Her expression said that his small bit of praise didn't do a thing for her and he sniffed in annoyance, taking a couple of steps so he could continue on his way, when she spoke again, "You are such a fool. Raised a female by his direction, trained to be powerful by his direction, and doing Hishigi's dirty work, also by his direction - it's obvious to anyone that you were always destined to be nothing more than a tool. We used to laugh at you behind your back, hoping we would be around when you got what was coming to you."
Her words stabbed at him like searing irons and he pinched his lips together, angry because she was maligning both himself and Hishigi, who had taken him in when the rest of humankind rejected him and given him a purpose.
"Well, you won't be laughing much longer," he said spitefully after taking a moment to control himself.
The screams at the other end were gone and now there was only the shuffling movement of feet and chains against the floor as the monsters made their way towards Number 267.
"I know but I've already resigned myself to my fate," she whispered, "And I can look forward to laughing at you from Hell because someday, somehow, Hishigi is going to finish what he started with you and you will truly become the weapon he has been honing you to be this whole time. There are worse things than death and I can comfort myself with the knowledge that you are destined for betrayal."
A raspy noise came from her throat and he realized that she was laughing at him. The sounds of chains grew louder and he glanced briefly towards the door, wondering why he was sticking around talking to a woman who was essentially dead anyways.
"I won't fight them," she said once she got over her laughter and he could see madness shining in her gray gaze, "My name is Ayame Hasegawa, not Number 267, and I'll make sure you and your precious master pay for reducing me to a number. You're going to feel every bit of what they do to me and I pray to whichever Kami is listening that you feel it for the rest of your miserable life."
That rusty chuckle sounded again and he could feel her reaching out of the cage towards him, icy mental fingers caressing his brain in preparation for invading it with unimaginable pain.
He fled, dropping the clipboard and pen as he ran for the door and threw it open just as the smell of blood and death reached his nostrils. A scream sounded and then he felt it, teeth closing in on his arms and legs, fingers tearing him to pieces and pain, so much pain that followed him a good distance from that evil room because Ayame's powers weren't limited by line of sight. Once her mind touched yours, you were hers until she either set you free or she lost all consciousness.
His flight carried him further and further away until he almost ran into Hishigi and it was only his quick reflexes that saved him from making contact with the other man.
"What are you running from, Number 13?" his master asked in that cool voice and he allowed it to soothe him.
The man who had raised him and taught him everything he knew was trustworthy, reliable - an island in a sea of humanity where people cowered in fear of his power. No matter what crazy shamans with accusing eyes said to him, he didn't believe for one second that he was just a weapon. No, he was different, he was special, he was Hishigi's friend – even though the man had never admitted such out loud - not an experiment or a tool.
He opened his mouth to voice his thoughts but the words wouldn't come because he found himself afraid of the answer. He trusted the Doctor but the seeds of doubt had been planted and he didn't think he could handle any answer that wasn't a direct "no, you aren't just a weapon".
So, he simply said, "Number 267 was a bit unruly before the end."
"That type of shaman does tend to be problematic. May I assume that you left your notes behind in your haste?"
There was a slightly chiding tone to his voice and he hung his head slightly, hating to disappoint his master even a little bit. The Doctor expected perfection and he hated it when he was less than perfect.
"Yes, it seemed prudent to take my leave at the time. I'll go back and get it right away, " he replied, turning to go back the way he had come and dreading what he would see when he got there. He could still feel hands and teeth on his skin, the sensation of being eaten alive.
"Your obedience is admirable," Hishigi said and he halted, looking back at the dark man as he continued, "I actually have a project that I have been working on for quite some time. It should be ready in a few days and then I will show it to you as a reward."
He hadn't heard of any special projects and there was a moment of hesitation as he wondered what could possibly have been kept secret from him.
"Ah, I can see the questions in your gaze, Number 13, but you'll have to wait until I show you. It's something that only you can use, after all," his master said and his voice was almost pleasant.
A smile touched his lips and he nodded before going off to retrieve his notes, excited at the prospect of receiving further proof of how special he was. He was unique and wonderful. Not a tool.
Not a weapon.
*End Memory*
Akari opened his eyes, stared into the darkness of the night, and wondered for the thousandth time since leaving the Mibu clan the first time why he was still alive. Everything was quiet and still, peaceful as long as one didn't look at the ruins of the house where Muramasa had once been or remember the sight and sound of Yuya weeping as if her world had been destroyed.
How well he knew that feeling.
He sighed and sat up, staring at the remnants of the fire they had started and debating whether or not to go back to sleep.
"That Medusa Eye will see and report back to me everything that happens to and around you, Number 13. No matter how far you go, you will always be compelled to return here."
The shaman could hear that cold, emotionless voice as clearly as if the man himself were speaking right next to him and he reached out to touch his cursed hand, feeling the dips and bumps of the evil thing that lived there. His fingers curled slightly and he dug his nails into that hump, wishing he could scratch it away, tear it apart, or even amputate his own hand. He'd tried that once but the eye always knew his thoughts and intentions and he had found his arm encased in a thick layer of stone that wouldn't let him do anything to it.
He had nothing of his own. His life, his identity, and even his body didn't belong to him. The only things that were his were his friends and even those could be taken away. His existence apart from the Mibu was a dream and he knew he would wake up once he went back. Once he was facing down his own personal demon who was tall, dark, and emotionless. Hishigi's brand of evil was scary because he could commit atrocities and make them sound so rational and so logical to the point that you felt like a fool for bringing things like a conscience into the equation. Morals? Those were something that weak people who couldn't get the job done hid behind.
Whenever he thought of the person he'd been while under the Taishirou's control - living day to day in a haze of false superiority and cocooned in the belief that he was singularly important to his master as a person instead of a project – he felt nauseous. That long forgotten woman, Ayame, whose humanity and individuality he had hidden behind her assigned number was correct. He had been a fool and she probably was laughing at him from the afterlife.
Akari stood and made his way to the fire pit where they had started a blaze to provide heat and light. It had died down to embers and he picked up a piece of wood, stirring the red coals for a bit before adding it to the heap and waiting for the flames to show again. He sat back on his heels and combed his hair over his shoulder, absently wondering if it was time to trim the mane a bit to keep on top of any split ends. Depression was no excuse to let himself go.
As he stared into that warm pit, his thoughts turned to Kyo and Yuya and the warning that he had been trying to give to Kyo before they found out that his friend's child had been kidnapped and that the house that he had been raised in was burned down. He wanted to tell them that he couldn't be trusted, that Hishigi could control him through the Medusa Eye, and that Kyo might have to kill him. There were so many things that needed to be said and even more now that Aiko had been taken away.
It was vital that they get that girl back as soon as possible. He knew very well what his former master could and would do a shaman, child or not. When Yuya had asked him how he knew so much about his kind, he'd immediately pushed her away because he didn't have the courage to explain his role in Hishigi's work, what he had done in the name of experimentation.
Perhaps that was what had triggered his terrible memories. Ayame had the same powers as Aiko but in a far more developed form. While being an empath didn't top the list of the most dangerous shaman abilities, it was still very high up there and he didn't want to think of a scenario where Hishigi would get to use the girl against her parents. There were limits to how much tragedy even he could take.
Kyo was the Prince in the little fairytale that he kept going on in his head to ward off the pain of his reality and Yuya was his Princess. There was something so beautiful about seeing the two of them together that he couldn't help but want them to have a happy ending because he knew, in his heart of hearts, that he was undeserving of such happiness himself. To this day, he could still remember the way those gnashing, ripping teeth on his skin felt even though it wasn't him being killed.
"Off brooding by yourself again, Toukichirou," a deep voice said and he turned to glare at the speaker.
"Don't call me that!" he replied heatedly, "How many times do I have to tell you that my name is Akari."
He hated that name - Toukichirou Mitarai, also known as Number 13. It was a horrible, horrible title that belonged to an idiot who saw kindness and friendship where there were none. A wicked man who thought too much of himself and swept his crimes beneath a rug of indifference only to be betrayed in the end. Oh, the great, stupid, crushing irony.
The firelight played across Bon's broad face and Akari looked away, wishing he could have his solitude back as he demanded, "And what do you want, anyways?"
"For you to stop poking around the fire and get whatever's on your chest off so I can go back to sleep," the giant said.
"It's none of your business, Bon. Besides, it's something to do with Kyo and nothing to do with you."
"I figured as much since you'd never lose so much sleep over me, not that I want you to, mind you. Still, if you have something to say to him, you should just say it."
"It's...not that easy," the shaman said, deciding that it was safe to be a little honest under the cover of nighttime.
"Only because you always complicate crap," Bon said with a sigh, "I'd think you'd have figured out by now that Kyo picked you up because he felt like it. He's actually started thinking of us as friends now, courtesy of Yuya-San. It's best to be honest."
Akari thought on that for a moment and agreed silently that he was probably right. It was need-to-know information for both Kyo and his wife and he couldn't stand the thought of seeing Yuya cry again. She was such a nice person and didn't deserve what had happened to her family.
There was so much to dwell on and his large friend knew him well enough to leave him be. The two of them sat together in silence for a long while and then Bon got up and went back to bed, leaving him to work out how he would prepare Kyo for the possibility of having to fight both his friend and his own child.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Yuya woke up to darkness and the feel of Kyo's arm slung over her waist. The two of them were currently ensconced in the guest house which had, thankfully, been left alone in addition to the hot spring. After bathing a bit and soaking together for a long while, her husband had shown her to the small house and gently reminded her with hands, mouth, and body why she loved him. He asked nothing of her, simply allowed her to lay back while he made her feel beautiful and cherished and told her in so many ways that he was there and that he was strong enough for the both of them.
Under his touch, her heartbreak eased and she could finally rest, calm her mind, and plan. Their friends let them be, aside from a discrete knock from Benitora so he could let them know that the rest of the group was setting up camp by the fire pit. In the meanwhile, he held her close and she spent her time combing her fingers through his unruly hair and telling him what she wanted to do once they left. They were going to leave first thing and make their way to Aokigahara and, this time, they had no intention of stopping until they reached the gate. They weren't sure if the gate had a barrier on it like it had the previous time but they were sure that, if Kyo could get through once, he could find a way through a second time.
It didn't really take much time to plan things. They simply laid out the goals and determined the priority in which they needed to be accomplished. First and foremost was rescuing the children, then came Muramasa, then came ensuring that the Mibu could never harm them or their family and friends again. That meant that Kyo had to succeed in making it to the Crimson King this time and before that came the Four Elders and before them were the Five Stars.
There were a lot of people that her husband planned to fight but she had confidence in his ability and that of her friends. Kyo had already defeated Shinrei and was confident that he could do it again if need be.
The fact that her husband could take on someone who had once given him so much trouble was heartening and she was sure that he could come out ahead of anyone in the Five Stars. However, she wasn't sure about the Elders. Fubuki had been on a completely different level from Shinrei and she wasn't sure Kyo could take that horrible man on just yet. According to her spouse, there were still more techniques from the Mumyou Jinpuu Ryuu school that he needed to unlock and she hoped that he would reach those milestones soon. The years of struggling against the Mibu were wearing on her and she desperately wanted to have a break from it all.
After their plans were laid out, they relaxed together and she chattered on about her life apart from him and shared with him stories about Aiko and some of her adventures with Kyoshiro. It was probably pretty boring for him but he held her close and let her talk and eventually she drifted off in his embrace.
Now, as she looked around the dark room, she noted the bits of light shining through the windows from the moon outside and remembered a similar scene years ago when she was waiting for Kyo to come back from training and her only companion was Sasuke. Back then, she had moved into her husband's room and fought off horrible dreams of what would happen when Shinrei's curse ran it's course. The worst one had been on the night before Kyo came back and she remembered how alone she'd felt, how scared, and how sick she was – to the point of losing her dinner.
Now that she thought about it, she wondered if her nausea had been a sign of her pregnancy. Although most women called it Morning Sickness, she had discovered through the first half of her gestation that it could happen at any time of day and that any number of things – ranging from certain foods to even certain smells – could trigger it. It was an interesting thought and she took it a step further and pondered the possibility of being pregnant again.
Of course, she was dead set on seeing both of her children as soon as possible, but what about after that? She loved little ones and was perfectly fine with having as many as she could manage but what about Kyo? He would love his current offspring, she was sure of it, but would he welcome more? How would he feel about going through pregnancy ups and downs with her? Knowing him, he'd spend the whole time calling her fat and referring to the baby as his brat. Unconsciously, she slid her hands down and rested them on her stomach, imagining what it would be like to carry a child with Kyo in the picture this time.
"You're thinking so much I can practically hear it, woman," her husband's voice said from behind her and she gave a start, hastily moving her hands away from her stomach.
"Sorry to wake you up Kyo," she whispered back to him and sighed in contentment when he pressed a kiss to the side of her neck and lifted the arm laying across her waist so that he could stroke his fingers over her hip.
"I was already up by the time you opened your eyes," he murmured before tracing his tongue up the side of her throat until he reached the back of her ear and placed another kiss there, making her giggle a bit.
"And here I thought I was being so quiet. How did you know when I woke up?" she asked, debating between leaning back to enjoy his ministrations and conversing with him.
His breath rustled the hairs at her nape as he replied, "Most people don't wake up quietly. In your case, your heart speeds up and your breathing increases. And your ki increases slightly once your eyes open and you are aware of your surroundings. Also, no matter how still you think you're being, there are any number of small movements your body makes."
"Wow, that's...detailed," she replied, impressed with the sensitivity of his senses.
"I'd be a joke of a warrior if I wasn't always aware of my surroundings," he replied with a touch of arrogance and she rolled her eyes - some things never changed.
Deciding to tease him a bit, she asked him innocently, "So how exactly was I able to smack the back of your head that one time?"
He stiffened almost imperceptibly and she wondered if she had asked him something taboo before he replied, "Because you are my one exception."
She frowned, not quite sure what he meant but he elaborated by saying, "I trust you. It's not a matter of you being too weak to really harm me but a matter of you being Yuya."
"Oh," she didn't have a response to such a candid statement and she suspected that he wouldn't appreciate it if she tried to turn around to get a look at his face so she simply scooted closer to him and lifted a hand to entwine her fingers with the ones he was using to touch her hip.
"I think I rather like being an exception," she said after a moment, "it let's me keep you in line when you say and do stupid things from time to time."
He made an annoyed sound and she laughed softly to let him know that she didn't really plan to smack him around whenever he was being a jerk, like he'd been the last time she had to do it. Maybe only every once in a while.
She could almost hear him grumbling mentally about what an insufferable woman she was before he changed the subject and said, "Since it's obvious that you're in a chatty mood and that I'm not about to get any, what were you thinking about?"
It was her turn to tense up and she hesitated for a second before saying quietly, "Just imagining what it would be like to have you around if I ever got pregnant again."
The hand beneath hers flexed and he didn't say anything for a full minute before he replied, "Are you...pregnant again?"
There was such an uncertain note to his voice that she didn't have the heart to laugh at the absurdity of his question and instead she said gently, "It's far too soon for me to know whether I am or not. We've only been back together for a short while, Kyo."
"It only took me three days to get you knocked up last time," he replied.
She winced a bit at his poor choice of words and said, "While it's always possible, especially considering that we've been doing a phenomenal job of making up for lost time," he made a pleased sound and she made a note to deflate his ego a smidge at some point before he got even more insufferably proud of his bedroom prowess.
"I wouldn't possibly know until a month or two in," she finished.
He made an unreadable noise and she continued, "The question is, how do you feel about having more children?"
He fell silent again and she waited as patiently as she could for him to formulate his reply. She didn't realize that she was holding her breath until he answered, "I...don't mind more. I just don't know what to do with the ones we have."
She let out the air she was holding and said, "It's tiring and hard at times but enjoyable. I think you'll be able to figure it out, given enough time. And," she rotated around so that she could face him, catching just the gleam of his red eyes in the moonlight, "I think you might wind up being a better father than you think."
He let out a snort of laughter and replied, "Muramasa was the closest thing I ever had to a father and I still came out crazy. I'll teach our boy how to fight and but you'll have to show him how to find a good woman and how to treat her."
"My, my, he's only three-and-a-half. Already thinking of his future wife, are you?" she asked teasingly.
"Considering most of my closest experiences with women were inside brothels, I didn't think you would feel comfortable with the boy following in my footsteps."
"Yeah, point taken. I'll make sure I shoo Ryu away from women of negotiable virtue and see if we can't encourage him to find a nice girl to settle down with. I won't force anyone on him but I'll make sure he knows what to look for in a wife. Although your good taste came through eventually, didn't it? You picked me in the end."
He made a non-committal sound and she controlled a sudden urge to pinch him.
"And what about Aiko? What will you do with her?" she asked after a second or two.
"Lock her away to make sure nothing with a wang gets anywhere near her," he replied bluntly and she let out a snort of laughter.
"Isn't that a bit of a double standard? Ryu gets to find love while Aiko grows old and gray by herself?"
"I'm fine with that," he said and she could tell that he was serious too.
Finding his over-protectiveness towards his daughter to be positively adorable, if impractical, she decided to try another approach and said, "Let's look at it from a different angle. We'll put aside your belief that she's never supposed to get married and do the things the two of us do when we have time and bare skin on our side. If you had to choose, what sort of man would be allowed to look at her?"
Her husband mulled it over for a second before saying, "Someone who isn't like me or my idiot Shiseiten. Don't get me wrong, they're strong enough and fun to kick back and fight with but I'd rather gouge my eyes out than turn any child of mine over to people like them."
"I don't think you'll have to worry about that, Kyo," she said with amusement, "They'll all be significantly older than her by the time she's of age to get married."
"Age doesn't always factor into it, woman. Muramasa is freaking old and he had all sorts of women flirting with him when we first settled down here."
"Yes, but he had extenuating circumstances. Not every man is blessed with eternal youth and ridiculous good looks like the Mibu are. Now, come on and tell me what sort of features would make him good enough to marry your little girl."
"He'd have to be strong. Preferably good enough to last in a fight with me," she looked at him as if he were insane since the number of normal humans who could do that was limited to his Shiseiten.
"There's no point in giving her away if the man can't even come close to matching the level of protection I can give her."
"I guess that makes a sort of sense. Although, how many people of Mibu caliber are likely to come after her as an adult? And can't she learn to fight for herself?" she asked.
"She's my daughter. It's always possible that someone will target her and, regardless of how strong she is, I won't have a weakling marrying my girl."
"Fine. So he has to be strong. What else? How about his personality? If he can't be like our friends, then can you elaborate on his other necessary qualities?"
"He can't be weak-willed. And he'll need to know how to treat her. Someone who will lay down his life for her and whatever children they might have."
"So, you want a man who isn't like you – even though I think you're wonderful, in a jerk-ish sort of way. This man also needs to be both physically and mentally strong enough to fight you - of all people - which is just unreasonable if I do say so myself."
"He needs to be good-looking too," Kyo added.
Yuya rolled her eyes because she knew he was just making up extra requirements to narrow the field down even more.
"Oh yes, he absolutely must be as gorgeous as you," she agreed sarcastically before continuing, "And he should be someone who will be good to her and sacrifice himself for his family if need be. Sounds like you want some sort of paragon."
"Exactly, which is why no man will ever be good enough and why I've won this conversation."
It was such a childish conclusion to draw and she just shook her head and reached up to ruffle his hair, deciding to broach the subject at a later date, preferably when the kids were in their custody once more and old enough to even care about marriage. Whoever they picked, she was sure that with both herself and Kyo to guide them, they would wind up with perfectly acceptable mates.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
I know this was a little slow, but there won't be much time for Kyo and Yuya to have frank and open conversations about more kids and the future once they hit the Mibu lands in a chapter or two. Also, it's just fun write him as a father.
Still, I hope I didn't freak you out too much with Akari's past. They always glossed over it in the manga but he was in the thick of things during Hishigi's experiments as his assistant and you could tell that it just haunted him, poor thing. I know I used the word "special" here a lot and it was for a reason.
Anyways, hope you enjoyed and there will be more plot progress next chapter. Thanks for reading and please let me know your thoughts.