Never in the history of Hayato, nay, the world, could someone have had worse luck than he did. Or so did Takashi feel. After Father, the angel, his cousin, Aiko, and Izo returned from the woods, both set of parents holed themselves up in the library for over an hour, discussing what should be done with him. He was stuck waiting with the demon twins in the hallway. They stood patiently while he paced in nervous energy back and forth, up and down the hallway.
"Will you quit pacing and grumbling," Hikari snapped at him. "It's not helping any."
Takashi kept walking. "Maybe not you," he grumbled at her. He looked at her and then away, cringing. That might be his wife one day, but the very idea. Flat faced, too young, childish. Then putting him under her protection out of pity. He did not need her pity, sentiment, or any protection from her.
"You-" she started. Her brother cleared her throat. She hummed, not finishing whatever she wanted to say.
Lucky for the lot of them, the two sets of parents emerged from the library, where Takashi had been hoping for some set of good news in the aftermath of this awful day. What he got was not good, not good at all. His parents were going to go aboard immediately to seek out a dark crone that could break the blood bond treaty between both fathers. They would go as a guise of being an international trip to allies and exploration in the like. Takashi, as part of his punishment for accidentally shooting the angel, was that he was stay in Alaric until his parents returned in country. He was to stay and train with Hiei. That would be the guise of it anyway, without the punishment part being shared publicly.
He was unsure which part he hated worse. Being exiled as punishment or the fact that he had no clue how long it would last. Once his parents left, he swore to himself he would not leave his room until they returned.
Unfortunately, Hiei was not about to let that happen the very next morning. Hiei was quick to come into the bedroom a quarter the size of the one in the king's castle, and drag him out in only his pajamas. It was infuriating to experiences. Hours and hours of mainly being chased around the woods, being unable to fend Hiei off with a bow and arrow. Then, when Takashi's energy ran down, only his hands and feet to try to fight against an expert swordsman with a vengeful attitude. A sword to the neck and being told 'dead' so many times in one day was infuriating.
Takashi got fed up with it. Yelling and insults helped him none. He made a break for it to get to the castle. This was done, and he would end it on his own terms. Yet Hiei kept up his pursuit. He was in sight of the castle, but Hiei had him now. He turned and leaned against a nearby tree, feigning giving up.
That was when he felt a sharp grip enclose on his right wrist. He gasped in pain. "I'm 'dead' again. Let go," his hissed down at the demonic cousin before him.
"You're wrong," Hiei replied, "I haven't 'killed' you yet. You're alive. Fight."
Takashi fell to his knees, wishing he would just let him go and end the day's misery.
"Give up and you deserve to die a real death," Hiei spoke down to him. "Haven't you another pathetic trick up your sleeve. A feint, more empty threats, arrows, attempts to hide, something else useless."
Hiei twisted his grip, tightening it as he did so. Takashi loosed a whimper involuntarily. He just wanted to be free.
Hiei was still staring down at him with red eyes blazing. "You're giving up that easily? Are you sure you're the son of the king?"
A twist in pain as Hiei adjusted his grip and squeezed harder on Takashi's wrist. He felt as if it was about to break. Takashi yanked as hard as he could in desperation to free himself from Hiei's grip. All for nothing. Hiei did not even move.
"Enough!" the angel's voice called out.
Hiei's grip loosened only slightly, but Takashi was still firm in his grasp. Both of them looked up over at the angel. She was standing there with their infant son secured to her front, and a basket that must have held food in her hand. Takashi heard his stomach growl loudly just at the thought of food.
"I thought we agreed you wouldn't interfere," Hiei commented.
"So long as you don't kill or maim him, yes," the angel answered. "But you can't starve him." Takashi noted she looked exhausted, near dead on her feet.
The tension between the two of them was so frigid, Takashi felt a shiver go down his spine. The angel had told them all the prophecies the Great Hawk Spirit had given her. That they must get rid of the wolf demon pack that was running a muck in Alaric. That she must forgive Hiei for signing the blood bond treaty. While they had fulfilled the first one, Takashi had sense of foreboding that told him that the forgiveness was not quite all dulled out yet, even if she said it was.
Hiei shook his hand, releasing Takashi's wrist. Takashi brought his wrist to his chest, rubbing it with his uninjured hand. "I thought I had your protection," he complained to the angel.
"Training you doesn't fall under her protection," Hiei informed him, sheathing his sword. "Your father made that clear." Hiei stepped away from him walking towards the angel. She stiffened as he approached, staring straight ahead. His brushed against her free hand. "Take the bed tonight," he told her softly. She shook her head. Hiei left them alone, returning himself to the castle.
"Come," the angel called over to him. "Sit on the steps with me," she requested.
She herself walked over to the steps of the castle without another word. She sat down, basket beside her. She set out a blanket from the basket, an array of food, and a jug of tea. She had a plate set out, but stopped when Kaze fussed on her front. Gracefully she pulled the infant from her front, sitting him in her lap. He reached for a bit of food nearby, but she pulled him back when he reached for food he was far too young to munch on.
"You're not quite ready for that yet," she teased, pulling him over to her lap.
There was a bit of cut up apple on one of the plates. She allowed him to reach that plate and take a slice from it. She tipped him back into her lap to lean against her chest. He nibbled at the apple contentedly.
Takashi approached the pair of them, sitting down at the other side of the blanket from the angel. She looked up at him, nodding down at the food for him to eat.
He was quick to grab the plate she left out, pile food onto it, and scarf it down. He sighed, glad to be fed after such a long day. "Thank you," he sighed out.
Kaze reached for more to eat. Nanashi allowed him to reach for a roll on one of the plates. She took it from him for one second, making him whine. She tore a chunk of it off for him, passing it to him.
"When I was pregnant, with both him and the twins, all I wanted to eat was bread and apples," she said. She ran a gently hand through his tuffed up black hair.
Takashi looked back and forth between the angel and Kaze in between bites. "He looks like you," he finally said.
"He's my son," she said back. "Second... living son."
Kaze reached at her hand holding the remaining parts of the roll. She tore another chunk out of it for him. He snagged it up greedily, mowing down on it.
The angel kept speaking. "He was never expected or planned or anything like that. Glad he came about though." She looked hesitant, checking on Kaze for a moment. "He's not our third child... I miscarried around the time Hikari and Izo were toddlers. I tried to keep him, but after months of trying everything possible, I didn't." A hushed silence fell over them. "Asa thought I wouldn't be able to have another child after that one burned through me. I should have never been able to have Kaze... he was a miracle... but I can't imagine never having him, even if I shouldn't have... if that makes any sense." She swallowed thickly, a haunted look in her eyes.
Kaze reached over for more bread. She passed another chunk too him.
Takashi studied the angel. She looked forlorn. "My mother was like that. When my sister died when I was young," he blurted out. He remembered it all, but barely. She had always been frail. "She got sick so suddenly, that not even my mother's blessing her to live worked." He clammed up, suddenly worried how much he had just revealed about Mother. No one was supposed to know Mother could bless or curse someone. Luckily the angel passed another piece of roll to Kaze at that moment. "I didn't really understand what was happening. I do recall touching her and seeing she wouldn't survive the illness that took her."
The angel shifted, handing the remaining chunk of roll down to Kaze. He ate from it happily, oblivious to the conversation going on around him. "I'm sorry," she mumbled. "Um, what do yo mean by you touching her...?"
Mother's ability was to be kept secret, as it was not his to share. Yet his was fair game, Mother said that was his right. Only those he was certain he could trust. He could trust the angel. "When I touch someone, I can see a brief glimpse of their future. Only once though, as far as I know. Hard to put in context though."
Kaze leaned his head back against the angel's chest. "Does what you see cause a change in the future?"
"I don't think so. Mother told me not to use it unless necessary," he explained. "I could do it for you. See a glimpse of your future if you wanted me to. And tell you what it is, too."
The angel looked at him, a cautious and weary look in his eyes. "It won't change anything? The future?" she asked carefully.
"No. Mother said it was a watered down version of what Father can do. I'm a rare kind of elf with dual abilities, like my Father. A bit of wind, and a bit of a mental ability." He conjured up a mini whirlwind in his palm. It was strain to do even that though as he had depleted his energy earlier in the day with fighting Hiei. At least it was returning quickly. He'd likely need plenty more of it tomorrow. "But I can't seem to be able to conjure wings like you or do much more of anything else beyond bow and arrows..." He sat his plate down, having eaten his fill.
Kaze was leaning on her chest now, dozing. Carefully, she held her hand out to him. "Show me," she requested in a hushed whisper.
Takashi reached over to her, taking her hand in both of his, but stopped. "Are you sure?" he asked to clarify. Mother always told him to always ask more than once first, act second.
She nodded. He took her hand tentatively in his two hands. Her hand felt warm in his. He closed his eyes. In a flash, he saw an image of her, reclining on a bed. Her hair was gray, but so were her eyes. They were clouded over. She was reaching up to her wind dragon on her neck. It was not much, but it was something. He opened his eyes and let her hand go. "Do you want to know?" he asked her solemnly. She nodded. "You were...very old with gray hair... I think near blind... with cloudy eyes... you were reaching up to your wind dragon on your neck..."
"That's it?" she asked looking disappointed.
"I don't see much, my angel. "Only a glimpse is all."
"Thank you," she hummed.
Kaze shifted in his seat in the angel's lap. "He's quite tired, isn't he?" Takashi asked. He nodded down towards Kaze. "Wouldn't it be better if we go in?" he suggested. "You and him would be more comfortable." Up close, she looked like she could fall asleep at any moment.
The angel nodded, scooping up her son. He whined at her, as she tried to put him back her front. He kicked and fussed at that. She sighed at that. She kept him in her arms then as she started cleaning up what was left of the food.
"Have you eaten yet, my angel?" Takashi asked her.
"Oh, I ate earlier," she explained. "Before I found out you hadn't," she added shortly.
She kept trying to clean, but it was difficult with Kaze fussing in her arm. Takashi took over, cleaning up most of it for her. He did wonder why a servant was not out here to do it for her.
"You're still mad at him?" he asked vaguely.
She stood up, holding Kaze up on her hip. It meant he would have to carry the basket, making himself groan. There had to be a servant around somewhere. Maybe he could pass it off once they were in a castle to a servant to take it.
She pursed her lips. "I've forgiven him and he's still here. Just like the Great Hawk Spirit told me," she grumbled.
Takashi was unsure what that meant, but he did feel a sense of unease walking behind her into the castle.
Takashi thought over the last two days of his life, not liking how any of it was going.