Thanks to: general zargon (Kubira is a pain and Bikara is just creepy so I never planned to keep them past the last chapter. Since Yuya always put her foot down with Kyoshiro I didn't I should change it. ;-P), kyoandyuya (I once thought about shipping older versions of Sasuke and Antera together and I was going for cute in their fight. And yes, Bikara is dead and there are no mourners.), rage98 (Akari will show up eventually but not necessarily in this fic), Rinfantasy, J Luc Pitard (You are half-right in that Sakuya doesn't plan to leave with Kyoshiro but there's more to it. I do like Santera a lot, especially her dynamic with Akari and her melting his fake boobs was hilarious. I laughed harder than I should have on your comment about Tenryo. Goofy Kyoshiro will eventually show up but in the sequel. P.S. I love your name and the way it plays on one of my favorite starship captains), Azure Shine (Nope, Kyoshiro killed Nozomu and Mizuto put the bounty on Kyo and Yuya for his murder after which Akira killed him Also, sorry but I'm sticking to my no-lemon rule but if you want more lemon, you should definitely consider writing a fic since we really need for stories for this fandom.), abattles2 (I love Sakuya too but Yuya is just cooler and the only woman who could ever handle Kyo), magicalnana (Shinrei is not up quite yet but soon. I love that he is so honorable, he's just very misguided by his evil sensei),
Midori no Me
Chapter Forty-Eight
Optional Extras and Smiling Monsters
"The subject is holding steady for now, but its rate of deterioration is effectively double that of the previous experiments. Conclusion: failure."
The light from the tank cast otherworldly shadows against the dark walls of the lab and his ears were filled with the electric hum of equipment and the chanting of the assistants who were focusing their energies on his latest experiment. In this secluded space where science and mysticism were blended together to produce things not of this world, Hishigi looked up from his notes and stared at his creation before sighing in disappointment.
He had been so sure that the subject in the tank would result in a rare breed but it was not to be. The Elder had set out to form a warrior with enhanced endurance and the ability to heal at an accelerated rate but its metabolism had also been sped up and it had an adverse effect on the disease that all of the experiments with Mibu blood had.
The tank holding the subject would keep it in stasis but it was useless to him, just another failure in his long quest to create perfection because he had parted ways with "hope" a long time ago. Staring at the subject - a small girl with two delicately spiraled, pearlescent white horns and scales and silver hair that attached at the back of her neck to form a mane - he hovered a gloved hand over the button to abort her suspended state and allow the disease to take its course. The only thing he could say about the sickness was that it made cleaning up so much easier in cases like these where the results of his experiments were unfit to even serve as soldiers.
It was only for a moment, but he hesitated as he stared at the girl, subject #25657. Though he'd emptied himself of regret and conscience many years prior, he took no pleasure in destroying his creations. Once upon a time, he had adored children but necessity forced him to abandon that part of himself. It was better to check out from life, retreating from everything and becoming nothing more than a tool for Fubuki and the former king to use as they saw fit because he could not function if he stopped to think...to feel.
So, he chose to feel nothing as he pressed the button, releasing the girl - no, subject #25657 because viewing her as anything but a project only made things harder - from her stasis. He watched dispassionately as she slowly crumbled into sparkling dust from her feet on up and, just as the tips of her pretty horns were disappearing, he heard the door to his lab open and close.
The quiet hiss of cloth against stone reached his ears and he didn't turn to face his fellow Elder as he asked in a voice that was quiet and aloof, "What brings you here to my lab, Fubuki?"
Instead of answering his inquiry, the other man asked, "How goes your experiments?"
Unfazed by receiving a question instead of a direct answer, "The Doctor" replied, "I have just finished disposing of another failure. I am running out of genetic material to use. Although, I have tried a number of combinations we need something new to receive different results, otherwise I have reached a plateau in my testing for the most part. "
"So, you would be open to having new subjects added?"
"Of course, although they would have to be exceptional. Where is this leading Fubuki? Usually you do not ask me about my work unless you are planning something."
"You know me well, Hishigi. Yes, an opportunity to advance your work has opened up. The Demon Child has entered our lands once more."
"I am aware of it. I do not see why I would need to become involved unless the Goyosei have proven to be incapable."
"I have no fears on that front. The Demon Child's band consists of nothing more than a few ragtag humans. However, one of his companions is apparently his spouse."
Hishigi's expression did not change as he processed that bit of information. He cared nothing for matters of the heart but Fubuki would not have brought up Kyo's personal relationship unless there was something significant about the woman.
"I have heard from Shinrei that the girl who calls herself his wife is currently expecting a child. I made an inquiry about the paternity of the child from Sakuya and she has confirmed that it is indeed the progeny of Demon Eyes Kyo."
Though he was outwardly calm, the black-and-white-haired Elder felt the first stirrings of an excitement that he hadn't tasted in quite some time. The man he had once been wanted to hope and dream but the ruthless pragmatist that he'd become rose up and throttled his expectations back down to more manageable levels just as quickly.
His face remained impassive as he said, "That is interesting news."
"Indeed and so I ask you again, do you want new subjects?"
Hishigi stared at the tank in front of him and thought of the dud he'd just destroyed. Though they did not know where Kyo came from, the fact that he was a descendant of the True Mibu was not in doubt. He wondered if they could slow down the rate of failure if they had access to his flesh and blood. For years, he'd wondered if they would have made more progress if the unique genetic makeup of the Demon Child had not slipped through their fingers. In the twenty-two years since Muramasa absconded with the boy, he'd been plagued by what-ifs and now an opportunity was knocking at his door.
It would have simply been impractical to say "no."
He gave a small nod as he asked, "What is your strategy?"
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In a secluded area of the Mibu lands, there stood a small building and modest courtyard that was surrounded by high walls. The contents of the grounds were obscured from the casual observer. However, very few people would actually venture out to that part of the territory, which is why it had been chosen for it's current purpose.
The sound of laughing children as they played ball and chased each other about filled the air inside the courtyard and the master of the yard stood on the steps leading up into the small building, a smile on his tan face.
Taihaku, of the Goyosei, basked in the warmth of the sun and quietly enjoyed the scene of innocent children at play. That his charges were not human - equipped as they were with a variety of claws, wings, horns, and scales - was unimportant. Their joy was balm to a soul that had grown weary and heavy. He absently fingered the symbol for "gold" tattooed on the right side of his neck and sighed, feeling old in a way that he hadn't since the former king took him in and extended his life decades upon decades ago.
"So, this is where you've been spending your free time," a voice said behind him and he turned to look at Shinrei who was leaning against the wall and studying the children intently.
He hadn't heard the young man enter but he wasn't alarmed at his sudden appearance. It was very hard to hide things from his teammate and he knew that the water-user would have found him out eventually. If Keikoku, as dense as he was, could find this place then so could Shinrei.
Closing his eyes, he waited for the stern warrior to speak and was not disappointed when he said, "I came to find Keikoku. Is he still here?"
The large man watched as a girl with leathery wings flew out of reach of a boy with multiple horns instead of hair - sticking her tongue out at him and giggling - before he answered absently, "He's lounging up on the roof, taking a nap."
His fellow Star sighed as he said, "I should have known that idiot would be sleeping at such an important time."
Taihaku chuckled at the typical response and said, "Everyone needs to take a moment to relax sometimes. You might try it someday. I promise, the clan won't fall if you take one day off."
"I'll take that under advisement. However, today is not that day. Kyo is here and I need to find a way to slow him down for the next few hours."
The gold representative frowned and asked, "Why slow him down? I thought for sure that you would be eager to fight him again."
For some reason, Shinrei avoided his eyes as he replied, "Things have changed."
A sense of unease fell upon the older man as he took in his companion's body language. He was tense, as if expecting something unpleasant to happen and Taihaku wondered what had him so on edge.
"You don't look happy about it."
"I...have my reasons," Shinrei said.
The head of the Goyosei walked over to the young man and placed a large hand on his blue-clad shoulder, silently urging him to look at him and tell him more. There were a number of the Mibu in Shinrei's age group that he had both raised and train - many because they had lost their parents to the Death disease - and he knew that most held him in high esteem. Even Keikoku respected him in his own way, though he'd gouge his own eyes out before admitting that he listened to Taihaku on occasion.
"Something is bothering you, Shinrei. Won't you tell me what it is?"
Golden eyes, not unlike his own, flicked up to meet his steady gaze before their owner looked past him at the children once more with a pensive look on his face.
Wondering why the young man was so interested in the little ones, he released his shoulder and leaned against the wall next to him, folding his arms casually as he said, "I'm sure you are wondering why I have gathered up all of the clan's rejects and am raising them here."
Shinrei inclined his silver head slightly and replied, "The thought had crossed my mind. Why are you caring for them even though the clan has deemed them useless and they will never have a place in the village or the army?"
Taihaku smiled sadly, knowing that Shinrei's mind worked along very specific lines of logic. A lot of it was Fubuki's doing but even as a child, his subordinate had needed a reason for everything in order to make decisions. A place for everything and everything in its place was the young warrior's method of dealing with life and he couldn't fault him for being so disciplined when the clan was in such a sorry state. Unfortunately, it meant his ability to think outside of a very specific box was limited and he had no doubt that his master had cultivated that type of dependency on purpose.
"It might sound strange to you but I rescued them because I am tired of death. Life is a precious thing, Shinrei, and anyone who seeks to go into battle and take it from another ought to have more respect for it than the Mibu are currently showing."
He felt rather than saw the other man give a start and stare at him in shock. For once in their conversations, he hadn't hidden the contempt he felt for the Mibu Reconstruction Project and the massive loss of life that had resulted from it. While he acknowledged that the Mibu were on another plain from humans, he didn't necessarily agree with their elevation of themselves to the status of gods. Muramasa hadn't either, which is why he took the Demon Child and left both his clan and his exalted status as one of the Taishirou behind.
"Taihaku, it sounds as if you disapprove of the Project. Don't you want us to find a cure for the disease?"
"Of course I do, but not at the expense of so many people. Failures or not, these children do not deserve to be thrown away like so much refuse."
"If there was another way, I'm sure the Elders would have found it by now. Perhaps they could find someplace for the children instead of sending them to the forest but that doesn't mean that our cause is no less righteous than before."
Shinrei was so earnest, so sincere that Taihaku couldn't stop the pity from welling up in his chest. It was probably unwise of him to do so but he asked quietly, "Is that you speaking or is that Fubuki?"
The other man quickly rearranged his face into a neutral expression as he said, "There is nothing wrong with Fubuki's goals as long as it is to save the clan."
"I think you should re-examine the system being used to save the Mibu. I will not tell you what is right or wrong but I do believe that you need to look long and look hard and ascertain if the methods of our leaders are truly for our benefit."
"Don't say anything more Taihaku," Shinrei said, his voice low but intense with suppressed emotion, "because what you are saying is dangerously close to treason against Sendai-Sama and the Taishirou."
The Goyosei head gave him a kind smile, knowing that he should not push the other man further at this time, and said, "I would never betray the Mibu but think on this: If it should turn out that the king and the Four Elders do not have the clan's best interests at heart, then you will have to pick where your loyalties lie. I pray that it never comes to fruition but never take that possibility off of the table."
He could see the internal conflict waging war in that golden gaze before the water master closed his eyes, shutting him out as he shook his head in denial.
"It would never happen."
Taihaku did not press the issue and instead turned the conversation back to his earlier inquiry.
"You never did tell me why you want to slow Kyo and his friends down."
Shinrei's relief at the change in subject was palpable and he listened in silence as he told him what he had learned about Kyo and his impending fatherhood as well as what Fubuki had recommended and why. Taihaku strongly disliked the thought of using another man's child as leverage to get him to do what they wanted and he said as much.
"But Taihaku, my master said he will not harm the child and that it would be an incredible boon to their research for a cure. I can't think of a reason why the Elders would hurt the babe and after I defeat Kyo," the older man noted that he expressed no doubt about the outcome of the battle, "It will be better for the child to be here than left to languish amongst wayward humanity."
The man had it all figured out but there were several glaring holes in his plans - not the least of which was that Taihaku hated it and feared what sort of man it would turn his young friend into. However, there was no swaying Shinrei now that he had fixated on the child and whatever crisis of conscience he might have had over stealing a baby had already been smoothed over by his master.
"There is one person you are leaving out of this, Shinrei. I have yet to hear you mention the child's mother."
His companion blinked and shrugged as he said, "She is human. I doubt she will present a problem and I have no interest in her beyond carrying the infant. I'm sure Fubuki and Hishigi will want to determine if there is anything special about her but other than that, she is of no importance."
Taihaku inwardly cringed at the way he dismissed Kyo's wife, thinking it very foolish of him to discount a female who had both tamed the wild Demon Child and was going to be a mother. The bond between a woman and her child was one of the strongest imaginable and he didn't believe for one second that she would stop fighting them. For all that she was human - so was he, although Shinrei did not know that - he knew his own kind were capable of incredible feats when a loved one's life was on the line. Since he couldn't convey that to the other man, he decided to gather what information he could about the woman.
"Is there anything of note about Kyo's wife? Are you certain she will fall in line? Have you considered asking for their help instead of tearing a child away from it's mother?"
Shinrei looked at him as if he'd lost his mind and did not deign to answer the last question as he replied, "I don't know much about the girl save that she was raised by a traitor to the Mibu, a Nozomu Shiina, I believe. Her name is Yuya and she is quite fierce and protective of Kyo but lacks the power to back it up."
Years of discipline allowed Taihaku to hide his surprise at hearing Yuya's name - he hadn't inquired about the female traveling with Kyo before, figuring that she was a concubine or a fighter of some sort. He had never expected the girl Nozomu found and raised to wind up involved with the Mibu, least of all the infamous Demon Child. She had to be somewhere in the neighborhood of sixteen or seventeen by now.
He stared at his children and, in his mind's eye, remembered a girl with blonde hair and bright, trusting green eyes that looked upon Nozomu with complete adoration. For all that the man had made foolish decisions in his life, he would always remember fondly the look on his old friend's face when he tracked him down and Yuya popped her little head in to see who her Nii-San was talking to. She'd been so tiny but he could see how much the runaway shaman loved her even though he knew he was going to die.
'Yuya Shiina,' he thought, 'I never expected to hear that name again.'
The large man was now determined to see if there was anything he could do to help the girl who had been so precious to his dear friend. Asking Shinrei to give up on his plan to obtain the unborn child was not going to work. He might have been able to talk his companion into releasing Yuya from his curse if she weren't pregnant and if Fubuki hadn't planted in him the idea that the child might be of use in curing the clan.
Very few people loved the Mibu as much as Shinrei and desperation could make a person do and say things that would have been cruel by any other standards. He knew just how much it hurt the man to see his family dying off one by one and the hopelessness of the situation combined with his well known dislike of Kyo and everything he stood for was a sure recipe for disaster.
"I plan to send more soldiers to fight Kyo and his companions. It will slow him down and also allow me to gauge his current level of ability. According to Fubuki, he has already decided who will fight him at the first gate and has asked me to be prepared to meet Kyo if he should emerge victorious."
Taihaku thought it odd that the Elder expected his pupil to face Kyo so soon and had a bad feeling about who Fubuki would send. Shinrei and Hotaru were alright but Saishi and Chinmei ate, slept, and breathed cruelty and he wouldn't put it past them to do something terrible to Yuya just because they could.
"How long does Kyo have to reach you?"
"The girl had a run in with Saishi and Saisei who shortened the time I gave her down to twelve hours. That was about five hours ago, so she has seven left. If Kyo is strong enough to take out the Hell Gate, he should be able to make it to the first of us with time to spare. I won't halt his progress completely but I do want him to be desperate enough to agree to a bargain once I defeat him. Fubuki does not want Kyo killed and is in the process of making further plans."
The large man was well aware that it was a rare day when good things came out of Fubuki's "plans" but he held his tongue. Now was not the time to appeal to Shinrei's morals sense of morality.
"Anyways, there is still a lot to do and I need Keikoku to come with me."
"Of course," Taihaku replied and watched as Shinrei nimbly leapt onto the wall and, from there, executed a perfect somersault onto the roof.
As usual, it didn't take long for him to start fussing at his napping companion, who was adept at riling him up despite being completely oblivious in all other areas of his life. The leader of the Goyosei shook his head as he felt the roof tremble from the shots they took at each other and decided to give them a few minutes before putting a stop to it. Afterwards, he would make a few plans of his own and see if he could prevent Nozomu's precious sister and her child from falling into the clutches of the Taishirou.
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Things were tense amongst the members of Kyo's group as they advanced as quickly as they could towards the first gate. Yuya stared over Bontenmaru's shoulder at the source of the tension and sighed to herself. Even though she had sworn revenge on her brothers killer, she wasn't quite sure what to make of the man bringing up the rear. The pain of Nozomu's murder was still new enough to twist her heart every time she looked at him but she couldn't stop herself from being curious about the strange man who had owned up to it.
Kyoshiro, as she'd learned his name was, looked much younger than she would have thought now that his face wasn't hidden. His hair was dark and cut short and his clothes were actually rather plain, consisting of a simple black haori, edged in white along the opening, and dark blue hakama. His sword was unremarkable to all appearances but she didn't doubt that it was probably as extraordinary as Kyo's. He was not an ugly man - though not as handsome as her husband - but his most striking feature by far was his deep blue eyes. They were as bottomless as Kyo's own crimson irises and she had a hard time pulling her's away when their gazes happened to cross.
She knew he was dangerous but something about him made her think that his role as a killer was only one side of his persona. Though he gave the appearance of calm, she could tell that he was nervous and uncertain when he apologized to Kyo and downright shy when he admitted to being in love with Sakuya. It was such an odd contrast to the soulless assassin she saw in her memories that she actually entertained the thought of conversing with him further once they were a little less pressed for time.
They passed a small arch leading up to the massive gate, which loomed large now, and a small change in Bon's stride broke her out of her musings. She rose up and rotated herself around as much as she could to see what was going on, marveling at the huge courtyard they were in.
"Incoming, Yuya-Chan," the burly giant said and she stared in surprise at the miniature army awaiting them.
Bon quickly shifted her onto his back as the masked soldiers rushed them as one and held on as tightly as she could as her powerful friends started fighting. She could not look away from the impressive sight of them duking it out with more people in one space than she'd ever seen in her life. Benitora and Sasuke were incredible as they moved with a skill that was borderline inhuman and she could have sworn that they, along with Akira were in competition with each other.
Her eyes turned to her husband and she watched, bewitched as he cut his enemies down with lightning quick strokes and a grace that made her envious that a man could move like he did. His beautiful red eyes were alight with excitement and the lips she adored were open, alternately taunting his enemies and running his tongue over his fangs. Nowhere did he belie his human façade as much as he did when he fought his enemies and she could see the demon looking out at the world from behind that penetrating gaze.
She watched at his eyes glided over and then beyond her and hardened at whatever he saw. Forcing her eyes away, she turned as much as she dared and watched, with equal fascination, the man who had joined their group. If Kyo was fire and rage, Kyoshiro was ice and calm. Whereas her husband liked to taunt and laugh, his old enemy was cold and silent, cutting down his enemies methodically and quickly with a blank expression. It was like he had turned into someone else entirely and she shivered, having flashbacks of the way he'd calmly apologized to her while attempting to cut her open.
His sword didn't reflect much light which made it even harder for her to follow it and she wondered how he had come by such an unusually dark blade. Such thoughts were quickly lost and she continued to observe him as best she could during the melee. It felt traitorous but she thought his skill might actually have been on par with Kyo's.
The battle raged on and she wondered if the end was ever going to be in sight when there was an abrupt lull and she looked around to see bodies strewn on the ground and the rest of the soldiers retreating. She was trying to figure out what was going on when a loud crack sounded and the ground beneath their feet began to split open. Kyo and Kyoshiro leapt out of the way but Bon wasn't quite fast enough and she screamed as she fell along with the giant, Tora, and Akira.
"Sorry about this, Yuya-Chan," her guardian said before forcibly yanking her arms away from his shoulders and swinging her over to Akira. The blind man caught her and stomped on Bon's face in the process, using him as a springboard to jump towards the lip of the pit and the throwing her towards the edge of the deep trench.
She shrieked from the shock of being tossed about and screwed her eyes shut as she emerged into the air above the hole and someone else caught her mid-air, cradling her gently as he landed with a soft jolt.
It took her a second to catch her breath but she rested her head against her rescuer's chest and, opening her eyes, said, "Thank you, K..."
The words caught on her tongue and she stared wide-eyed at the man holding her. Blue eyes were full of concern as Kyoshiro asked her quietly, "Are you alright?"
Yuya was caught between fight and flight and she slowly blinked before saying, "I'm...fine."
He gave her a shy smile and was about to say something else when a blade appeared out of nowhere and dug into the side of his neck, forcing him to lift his head up.
"Get your hands off of her," came the voice of her husband and the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. He was so angry she could taste it.
"I was only trying to help and I was closer than you at the time," Kyoshiro explained gently.
"Good for you. You caught her, now put her down and get away from my woman."
A sigh of frustration rustled the hairs on the top of her head and Yuya was slowly lowered until she was vertical once more. She turned around to see Kyo still holding his sword to Kyoshiro's neck and she could see him debating within himself whether or not to take the other man's head anyway. Red eyes slid over to his wife and she shook her head slightly, discouraging him from following through with his desire. Even if she didn't trust him, she couldn't bring herself to repay Kyoshiro's help with death.
Her husband reluctantly took his sword away and sheathed it, never taking his eyes away from Kyoshiro as he circled him and stopped next to Yuya before sliding a possessive arm around her waist, jerking her close to his body as if marking his territory. She looked from her husband to the other man and was surprised to see the corner of his lip twitching as if he had observed something particularly amusing.
Kyo growled and she looked from one to the other again, trying to figure out why Kyo's anger seemed to amuse Kyoshiro.
"You really have changed," the blue-eyed man said after a while, his voice laced with equal parts awe and mirth.
"And you haven't changed enough," Kyo replied.
"Well, I'm here with you right now, aren't I? Isn't that an improvement?"
"Not really, an improvement would have been to kill you when I had the chance just now."
"Don't flatter yourself Kyo. I've progressed far beyond where I was when we last fought. I only caved because I didn't want Yuya-San to watch her husband get himself thrashed."
Yuya watched and listened to the trash talking and thought that they reminded her of siblings competing to get the last word in. It was bizarre but Kyo seemed to relax a little as they bickered and she thought she might be seeing a glimpse of how they used to be before everything went sour and Kyo lost his memories.
The two men were still trading barbs when a cheerful voice said from above, "Oh, look at this happy-happy love reunion! I was planning to float down to the bottom of the pit to see what fish I caught in my little love net and, wouldn't you know, the two biggest ones and an itty bitty cute one managed to stay on top."
In unison, they turned their gaze upwards and stared at the lanky man floating there. He was lazily smoking a pipe and cooling himself with a fan emblazoned with a smiling face. The face bore a strange resemblance to the man holding the fan and Yuya squeezed herself closer to her husband, feeling unsettled by his presence and the inability to read his eyes through the dark glasses he wore.
"Don't be afraid little mommy-to-be. Chinmei here is the eternal emissary of love and peace and I'm just thrilled to finally meet you since you were asleep last time," he clapped his hands together and produced a bouquet of flowers which he tossed into the air, smiling even wider as it came apart and showered the couple with blossoms on the way down.
"See, I can make magic happen because I'm so happy-happy. If you need me, I'm available all week long, morning to noon for parties," he winked and twirled in the air, raising his fans in a flourish.
Yuya might have been inclined to drop her guard because of his antics but the tension had yet to leave Kyo's body and she knew that it would be unwise to take her eyes off of the strange man.
"I must say, this is a cause for celebration, little cutie. The higher ups are simply tickled to hear that you are bringing a child to us."
"No one is bringing anything to you," Kyo spat, pushing Yuya behind him.
"Now now, don't be so stingy, Demon Child. There's finally another kid for the Mibu to loooove and cheeerish," he drew the words out in a sing-song voice, "won't you share the little tyke peacefully?"
Kyoshiro broke into the conversation then and, in complete contrast to Kyo, asked calmly, "What does the Mibu need the child for?"
"Oh, Kyoshiro, I hope you aren't turning into a traitor because that would do all sorts of things to mess up my vibe. Are you sure you want to play around when your princess is waiting for you back at the castle?"
He tilted his head and peeked over the tops of his glasses at Kyoshiro and Yuya took a step back at the sight of narrow eyes filled with so much malice it made her skin crawl.
"Sakuya is in service to Sendai-Sama and the Taishirou, she knows nothing of what I am doing," the other man
"Oh? The seer knows nothing? Nothing? Nothing is everything and everything is nothing but the truth will come out one way," he tilted his torso to the right until he was practically looking at them upside down, "or another," he finished as he repeated the action in the other direction.
"Ah well, love is beautiful and I want to fill the world with beauty but first I need to accomplish what Fubuki asked me to."
"Yeah, and what does that old geezer want you to do?" Kyo demanded.
"Now, that would be telling, little boy. But time is time and yours is up so have a taste of my own special blend of love and enjoy my Chiyuugi," he raised the fan and Yuya suddenly felt like all of the blood was rushing from her head to her feet.
Her knees buckled and her body bowed as if a giant hand were trying to smash her into the ground. The young woman didn't have the strength to resist as she was forced to sit on the ground, barely supporting herself upright against the intense gravity. Her lungs were on fire as she struggled to breathe against the invisible forces pinning her down and she could feel the water wyrm churning and twisting in her breast as it grew agitated.
Yuya's head felt like a lead weight as she stared at Chinmei and her blood ran cold at the genial grin he was directing, not at Kyo or Kyoshiro who were both struggling as well, but at her. Something was happening and whatever it was, it was very, very bad.
As the wyrm squeezed her heart tighter and tighter, she prayed that her baby would be safe as her body gave out and she slammed into the hard ground, unable to move as she stared into the smiling face of the scariest member the Five Stars.
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I hate Chinmei as a character but he is so much fun to write. More plotting and stuff coming up. I won't spoil it but things are just going from bad to worse (Does anyone remember how Chinmei screwed Yuya over in the manga? Yeah, it ain't good.) Shinrei is going to show up for his turn at the rodeo soon enough but Fubuki has his own set of plans (never trust an amoral man who plots the way he does). Hope you enjoyed, more to come and enjoy the extra long weekend. As always, please let me know your thoughts and/or questions.
P.S. I really love Taihaku and the fact that such a strong guy adores kids. He doesn't die immediately in this fic so, Yay! :D
