Kitsunehime: -.- I have nothing to say at the moment, so I shall shut up and continue with the story.







To Rule the Darkness

ch. 34: Reliving the Past


"What do you think you're doing?" she demanded harshly.

Koryu started guiltily. "I . . . well . . . "

"That cabinet was off-limits," Fahleing said coldly. She stepped over the mess of porcelain in the doorway and tried to take the painting out of his hands, but he held it up too high for her to reach. "Give it back. You had no right — "

"I apologize. But, I believe I have a right to know the truth behind this portrait, seeing as I am a fellow Court member." There was an unspoken message accompanying his statement, but Fahleing was too angry to realize it.

Or was it just anger? Looking into her face, Koryu thought he could see other strong, conflicting emotions – sadness, desperation, ruefulness, and even fear, all overlaid with the struggle to contain them.

"Give it back," she demanded in a voice that struggled to stay steady.

One side of him wanted to oblige her, just so she wouldn't cry, just as she seemed on the verge of doing so. But that other side . . . That other side that craved the answer like a plant for water, would not stop until he knew.

"Please . . . " Fahleing pleaded.

"Fahleing, I ask this as a friend," he said gently.

"There are some things even friends should not know."

Koryu placed the painting down on a chair and caught her as she crumbled to the floor. "Then I don't ask as merely a friend, but as a — " he hesitated, but then continued. "As a lover." There, he said it.

The last of Fahleing's tenuous hold on her emotions vanished. Tears upon tears poured out, quickly leaving a damp spot on Koryu's shoulder.

"They were my family," she sobbed.

"Were?" he prompted.

"They're dead, all of them."

Koryu glanced quickly at the portrait. None of those depicted wore a Jewel any lighter than the Opal, even including Fahleing wearing her Birthright Green. It was a powerful family, after all. "Killed? Who would be strong enough to do that?"

"Take a guess."

" . . . . Naraku," he said finally, voice full of loathing.

"Yes."

"What happened?" Koryu asked gently.

She gripped his kimono harder, her nails digging into and piercing the fabric and pricking his skin. Her fangs bit through her own lip, drawing blood.

"He killed them," she stated flatly.

"No, let me rephrase that . . . who is who?" Koryu asked, pulling the painting over.

Fahleing sniffled, but obliged. "He's my father," she said, pointing to the Warlord Prince. "He was the reigning Warlord Prince of the Forest, part of a long line of the Forest's caretakers." She smiled fondly.

"She," Fahleing continued, seemingly reliving fond memories, and pointing to the woman in Priestess robes, "was my mother, Sayaka, a Priestess from a prominent family in Amdarh."

"And she's my elder half-sister, Himiko, daughter of my father and a youkai woman from before he met my mother."

Fahleing managed a watery smile. "And dear little Ajisai, my little half-sister. She was conceived by force from a human Warlord and my mother. My father killed him as soon as he found out."

Koryu was silent for a moment. "I'm sorry for your loss," he finally said, rather lamely.

"It still hurts; their deaths."

He laid a hand on her hair soothingly. "Can you tell me what happened afterwards?"

Fahleing's nails drew thin rivulets of blood from his shoulders; they were clenched so tightly. "I-it was a normal, sunny day . . . Th-then Naraku and his hordes swarmed in . . . i-it was h-horrible . . . a bloody massacre." She paused to take a sniffling breath. "They all died, right down to the last guest, manservant, and maid. I only survived because Himiko's body fell over me, so I was hidden and presumed dead.

"I don't know how long I stayed there, numb with horror, but I do remember stumbling around to dig graves for each and every one of them. Then I ran . . . ran to get away from the carnage; to escape the pain.

"I stumbled into a passing Queen and her entourage, who took one look at my Birthright Green Jewel and decided I would make a good asset to their Court – a chained and restrained asset.

"They 'trained' me, making me part of the Thirteenth Circle. I was little better than a pleasure slave, and was resigned to it. Resigned, until, one year, Inuyasha was sent to that Court.

"I knew him for a relative right away. I remembered him from the visits we had as children, but the Queen kept us apart. Back then, we both wore our Birthrights, but the potential was strong, and so they kept us chained, so to speak.

"He left in less than a year, but seeing him had torn the anesthetic wrappings from around my mind. For the first time in years, I thought with the clarity I had before . . . before the massacre.

"I waited, bided my time, until I was old enough to make the Offering. I came away with the Gray, and tore the Court apart. It was appallingly easy, since the darkest Jewel in there was Purple Dusk.

"I returned to the Forest, exhausted, but feeling savagely triumphant. I found the stones of the Keep sundered and burnt black by fire; a complete ruin. I had to build a shelter by myself, but I couldn't bear to have it where the old Keep once stood. I built it here, and lived. The rest, I think you know." Fahleing slowly unclenched her hands, feeling drained, but better, as if the boiling wound of her past had been lanced and cleaned.

Koryu resumed stroking her hair. "I'm sorry."

" . . . it's ok," she said, feeling herself drift off into the dark, comforting realms of slumber.

'Sleep in peace," he thought. 'You deserve it.' Leaning against the wall, he made them as comfortable as possible.


~ ~ ~ ~ ~


A few days later, Fahleing and Koryu returned to the Dark Court, five days before Sango and Miroku's wedding. Youko and Miyu couldn't attend, for they had to deal with an uprising in the village by their Forest.

Fahleing lay on her stomach on her bed, staring at the wall. With a sigh, she hugged her pillow tighter. When the door opened, she did nothing more than flick an ear towards the sound.

"What is it, Koryu?"

Closing the door, he stepped closer and sat on the edge of the bed. "Forgive me for breaching this subject again, but . . . about the deaths of your family; doesn't Inuyasha have a right to know?"

Fahleing didn't answer.

"I know their loss is still hurts like an open wound, but — "

"The pain's begun to fade now, like a healing wound." She fell silent for a moment. "Inuyasha does have a right to know – as much as Inutaishou and Rin – but I want to wait."

Koryu didn't reply, waiting for an explanation.

"I don't want to dampen their high spirits so close to the wedding."

"I see."

Fahleing smiled wanly. "Did you know, today marks the passing of exactly fifty years and one month since they died? And next week would have been Himiko's one hundredth birthday?"

" . . . I'm sorry," Koryu said, for lack of anything else, no matter how hard he wracked his brains.

Fahleing turned away. "Don't be. It wasn't your fault."

Impulsively, he leaned closer and put his arms around her. "No matter what happens, I'll be there for you. We of the Dark Court are your second family."

" . . . Thank you, Koryu. Thank you all."







My sincerest apologies in taking so long to update. School and homework has been taking up more time than I thought it would, especially with the midterms right now.

I've also taken the time to update my site, if anyone wants to take a look. The link is on my profile page.

On the other hand, today (January 21) is the last day of the Year of the Ram (or Sheep). Tomorrow is Chinese New Year, and it marks the beginning of the Year of the Monkey. Anyone born in 1992, 1980, 1968, 1956, etc.(-12), celebrate, for you are Monkeys! Yay for you! (I get to wait ten more years since I'm a snake. ~_o)

Ja!