Chapter eight
"I've paid my dues, time after time. I've done my sentence, but committed no crime. And bad mistakes...I've made a few. I've had my share of kicks in my face, but I've come through!"-Queen
"Daddy! Daddy! Help!"
"Suru!" Hikitsu sat up with a start, a cold sweat dribbling off his forehead. With his good eye he scanned the dark room, but there was nothing save for the fading ghosts of his dreams. Suru, running toward him. Suru, smiling up at him. Suru, tears staining his cheeks...but were they his tears or his father's?
"...I failed...god, Suru...I'm sorry"
He slid out from underneath the cotton sheets of the bed and made his way to the window. The floor was streaked with fragments of the moon's light that filtered in from the slit between the beat, aqua colored shades. He pulled those shades apart and leaned out the window enough so that he would have a good view of the gibbous moon. He refused to let himself cry, knowing it wouldn't aid him in any way, and yet the tears insisted on burning like acid in the corner of his eyes.
-Why- Suru? Hikitsu asked Genbu silently, why did you have to steal my son?
In the depths of his heart he knew the answer to why Genbu would let such an injustice exist, he just refused to accept it. Hikitsu could not be the -protector- he was meant to be to the priestess if his life was dedicated to his son. It was just his god's way of telling him "Hey, don't forget...this isn't -your- life, it's mine. You live by -my- rules and you follow my desires, not your own heart's."
He let his head drop as he gripped the stonewall of the window, his grayish brown hair draping in front of his eyes. He could rebel, he knew that, and kill himself now to just get it over with...to just be with his family, but that would be the coward's way out, not to mention it would be selfish. The priestess would need him, his protection, and his powers...without him they couldn't summon Genbu and that would just allow more pain like what he had known to go on. He couldn't die until he knew those bastards would never be allowed to cause pain again.
"Hikitsu? You okay man?"
Hikitsu turned to see Hatsui leaning against the doorframe, still wearing his damned coat as if he had slept in it. He nodded vaguely.
"You should be getting all the sleep you can."
"Call me an insomniac." Hatsui wrinkled his nose and straightened himself, taking another step into the darkened room. "I've had about all the sleep I can handle."
"I know what you mean..." Hikitsu agreed and let his eyes trail back toward the window. He let the sounds of the crickets and the rustle of the wind through the trees draw him in to the point of zoning out, and he was startled when he felt Hatsui's hand on his shoulder.
"No one expects you to be made out of stone, Hikitsu. What happened yesterday...would destroy anyone. It's only natural to feel pain and anger, bottling that up...will only kill you in the end."
Hikitsu narrowed his eyes for a moment, in spite of himself, and pulled away. "Don't tell me how I should grieve for my son, Hatsui."
Rolling his eyes, Hatsui took a step backward. "Fine, Hikitsu. I won't try to help..." He turned to walk away before turning back and adding.
"I know you lend an ear and a shoulder for anyone to cry on when they're upset...why won't you let yourself that same luxury? Why hold some fucked up double standard against yourself, because I tell you what...no one is going to be able to understand why you're there for them yet you won't let them be there for you. Are we not -good- enough, Hikitsu? Is that it? Are we not worthy to be bestowed with the opportunity to help you with your problems? Or are you just afraid of letting anyone know that strong guy act is just that. Like I said...no one expects you to be made out of stone."
With that final statement, he turned and slipped out of the room. Hikitsu let out a resigned sigh and ran his fingers through his hair; he couldn't expect Hatsui to understand...nor anyone for that matter. If Hatsui chose to be offended by that then so be it, Hikitsu didn't have the energy or desire to justify himself.
But really...what was the point of caring about people and letting them care about you? In the end it only led to suffering and separation.
Takiko wanted to hum as they started on the road that led away from the inn and the mountains and toward Secaar, which was "over yonder" according to the old man. It was hard -not- to be cheerful, despite all the disaster they'd been met with, they already had four seishi...and the way it was going the other three wouldn't be that hard to find. Then they could summon Genbu and everything would be solved...at least that was the idealized version of it.
Hatsui and Iname followed behind Hikitsu and Takiko, off in their own world of high school romance. Urumiya lagged behind a bit, silent. It was obvious something was bothering him but any time Takiko tried to ask, he insisted he was fine. Whatever it was...Takiko wished she could help him with it, Urumiya really did seem like a sweet guy. A little on the dumb side maybe, but sweet.
It was a tiny plea for help that broke into her thoughts and made Takiko stop dead in her tracks. Hikitsu must have heard it too, because his steps slowed a great deal from the hurried stride he was walking at before.
"Shh! You guys hear something?"
Their chatter died down, and Takiko looked around, straining to hear the noise again.
There it was, that tiny cry...and Takiko glanced up at Hikitsu before heading off into the thinly planted forest, toward the noise. It sounded like a child's cry in Takiko's opinion, and she was right...not too far off the road they stumbled upon a little girl curled up beside a giant willow tree, her tiny fists grinding into her eyes.
"Little girl...what's wrong?" Takiko asked, trying to make her voice sound as soothing as possible, as she knelt down in front of the child. The girl looked up and wiped her tears away with grimy little hands, her violet eyes wide and shining with fresh tears.
"M-my mommy and daddy...I can't find them..."
"What's a little girl doing out -here-? Aside from the inn...the nearest place that has people is Secaar...and that's pretty damn far for a kid who just wandered from her parents." Hatsui said skeptically, but Takiko ignored him. Was he just -trying- to be a jerk?
"What's your name, honey? We'll help you find your parents." Takiko smiled softly.
"A-...Aiji." The little girl sniffled, and clambered to her feet, her white dress stained with dirt as if she had been out in the wild for some time. Despite her messy appearance, Takiko thought she was adorable, and this was someone who rarely took a liking to kids. Aiji gripped a beat up teddy bear with stitching running up the entire length of his stomach, like the bear had been split open in some obscene surgery.
"Okay...Aiji. Where do you and your parents live?" Takiko asked her, taking her hand.
"Secaar." The little girl pouted and clutched her bear tighter.
"See?" Hatsui snorted, "I told you so."
"We're heading that way anyway. Aiji, do you want to come with us and we'll look for your parents on the way?"
She nodded mutely, and so Takiko rose to her feet.
"Wait!" The child jumped a bit, and Takiko looked down at her questioningly.
"Me and Shi are tired...can we have a piggy back ride?" Aiji pleaded, holding out the ratty looking teddy bear in front of her.
Takiko laughed and nodded, getting down on her hands and knees so that the girl could climb up onto her back and wrap her arms around her neck, the bear mashed between them. She got up again, though this time much more slowly...afraid she would accidentally knock the little girl off.
With that they turned and started off down the path. "So your name's Aiji, huh? That's a pretty name...and Shi's your bear?"
"Uh-huh..."
"Why'd you name him that?" Takiko asked, giggling.
"Because...." The little girl shrugged, and clutched Takiko tighter with one arm while she loosened her grip with the other to pull her bear up. "It means pain!"
A ripping sound caught Hikitsu's attention, and his head snapped to the right in time to see a glint of metal. He couldn't open his mouth in time to shout a warning before the knife plunged deep into Takiko's back.
"TAKIKO!!!!"
Takiko let out an ear-piercing scream and pitched forward, sending them both tumbling to the ground. By the time the seishi crowded around her, the knife was gone but the wound was deep and gushing blood stained her back and began a tiny puddle around her.
"Where's that little bitch?" Hatsui snarled angrily, pulling Takiko up and into his lap. Takiko was gasping for breath, and she reached up weakly to grab onto Hatsui's coat. Their eyes met, and her emerald eyes were wide with naked fear. Hatsui huddled her closer, pressing his hand into the wound to try and stop the blood, but it was no use.
"Don't worry priestess...it'll be all right."
Hikitsu tore his eyes away and searched the scene for the little girl, surely she couldn't have disappeared that quickly. Somehow she had…all that was left was a bit of stuffing. It struck Hikitsu as odd, but he wasn't able to think about it, because Hatsui's distraught voice brought him down to Earth and made him remember what was important.
"Hikitsu! Oh shit...she's dying!"
"I've paid my dues, time after time. I've done my sentence, but committed no crime. And bad mistakes...I've made a few. I've had my share of kicks in my face, but I've come through!"-Queen
"Daddy! Daddy! Help!"
"Suru!" Hikitsu sat up with a start, a cold sweat dribbling off his forehead. With his good eye he scanned the dark room, but there was nothing save for the fading ghosts of his dreams. Suru, running toward him. Suru, smiling up at him. Suru, tears staining his cheeks...but were they his tears or his father's?
"...I failed...god, Suru...I'm sorry"
He slid out from underneath the cotton sheets of the bed and made his way to the window. The floor was streaked with fragments of the moon's light that filtered in from the slit between the beat, aqua colored shades. He pulled those shades apart and leaned out the window enough so that he would have a good view of the gibbous moon. He refused to let himself cry, knowing it wouldn't aid him in any way, and yet the tears insisted on burning like acid in the corner of his eyes.
-Why- Suru? Hikitsu asked Genbu silently, why did you have to steal my son?
In the depths of his heart he knew the answer to why Genbu would let such an injustice exist, he just refused to accept it. Hikitsu could not be the -protector- he was meant to be to the priestess if his life was dedicated to his son. It was just his god's way of telling him "Hey, don't forget...this isn't -your- life, it's mine. You live by -my- rules and you follow my desires, not your own heart's."
He let his head drop as he gripped the stonewall of the window, his grayish brown hair draping in front of his eyes. He could rebel, he knew that, and kill himself now to just get it over with...to just be with his family, but that would be the coward's way out, not to mention it would be selfish. The priestess would need him, his protection, and his powers...without him they couldn't summon Genbu and that would just allow more pain like what he had known to go on. He couldn't die until he knew those bastards would never be allowed to cause pain again.
"Hikitsu? You okay man?"
Hikitsu turned to see Hatsui leaning against the doorframe, still wearing his damned coat as if he had slept in it. He nodded vaguely.
"You should be getting all the sleep you can."
"Call me an insomniac." Hatsui wrinkled his nose and straightened himself, taking another step into the darkened room. "I've had about all the sleep I can handle."
"I know what you mean..." Hikitsu agreed and let his eyes trail back toward the window. He let the sounds of the crickets and the rustle of the wind through the trees draw him in to the point of zoning out, and he was startled when he felt Hatsui's hand on his shoulder.
"No one expects you to be made out of stone, Hikitsu. What happened yesterday...would destroy anyone. It's only natural to feel pain and anger, bottling that up...will only kill you in the end."
Hikitsu narrowed his eyes for a moment, in spite of himself, and pulled away. "Don't tell me how I should grieve for my son, Hatsui."
Rolling his eyes, Hatsui took a step backward. "Fine, Hikitsu. I won't try to help..." He turned to walk away before turning back and adding.
"I know you lend an ear and a shoulder for anyone to cry on when they're upset...why won't you let yourself that same luxury? Why hold some fucked up double standard against yourself, because I tell you what...no one is going to be able to understand why you're there for them yet you won't let them be there for you. Are we not -good- enough, Hikitsu? Is that it? Are we not worthy to be bestowed with the opportunity to help you with your problems? Or are you just afraid of letting anyone know that strong guy act is just that. Like I said...no one expects you to be made out of stone."
With that final statement, he turned and slipped out of the room. Hikitsu let out a resigned sigh and ran his fingers through his hair; he couldn't expect Hatsui to understand...nor anyone for that matter. If Hatsui chose to be offended by that then so be it, Hikitsu didn't have the energy or desire to justify himself.
But really...what was the point of caring about people and letting them care about you? In the end it only led to suffering and separation.
Takiko wanted to hum as they started on the road that led away from the inn and the mountains and toward Secaar, which was "over yonder" according to the old man. It was hard -not- to be cheerful, despite all the disaster they'd been met with, they already had four seishi...and the way it was going the other three wouldn't be that hard to find. Then they could summon Genbu and everything would be solved...at least that was the idealized version of it.
Hatsui and Iname followed behind Hikitsu and Takiko, off in their own world of high school romance. Urumiya lagged behind a bit, silent. It was obvious something was bothering him but any time Takiko tried to ask, he insisted he was fine. Whatever it was...Takiko wished she could help him with it, Urumiya really did seem like a sweet guy. A little on the dumb side maybe, but sweet.
It was a tiny plea for help that broke into her thoughts and made Takiko stop dead in her tracks. Hikitsu must have heard it too, because his steps slowed a great deal from the hurried stride he was walking at before.
"Shh! You guys hear something?"
Their chatter died down, and Takiko looked around, straining to hear the noise again.
There it was, that tiny cry...and Takiko glanced up at Hikitsu before heading off into the thinly planted forest, toward the noise. It sounded like a child's cry in Takiko's opinion, and she was right...not too far off the road they stumbled upon a little girl curled up beside a giant willow tree, her tiny fists grinding into her eyes.
"Little girl...what's wrong?" Takiko asked, trying to make her voice sound as soothing as possible, as she knelt down in front of the child. The girl looked up and wiped her tears away with grimy little hands, her violet eyes wide and shining with fresh tears.
"M-my mommy and daddy...I can't find them..."
"What's a little girl doing out -here-? Aside from the inn...the nearest place that has people is Secaar...and that's pretty damn far for a kid who just wandered from her parents." Hatsui said skeptically, but Takiko ignored him. Was he just -trying- to be a jerk?
"What's your name, honey? We'll help you find your parents." Takiko smiled softly.
"A-...Aiji." The little girl sniffled, and clambered to her feet, her white dress stained with dirt as if she had been out in the wild for some time. Despite her messy appearance, Takiko thought she was adorable, and this was someone who rarely took a liking to kids. Aiji gripped a beat up teddy bear with stitching running up the entire length of his stomach, like the bear had been split open in some obscene surgery.
"Okay...Aiji. Where do you and your parents live?" Takiko asked her, taking her hand.
"Secaar." The little girl pouted and clutched her bear tighter.
"See?" Hatsui snorted, "I told you so."
"We're heading that way anyway. Aiji, do you want to come with us and we'll look for your parents on the way?"
She nodded mutely, and so Takiko rose to her feet.
"Wait!" The child jumped a bit, and Takiko looked down at her questioningly.
"Me and Shi are tired...can we have a piggy back ride?" Aiji pleaded, holding out the ratty looking teddy bear in front of her.
Takiko laughed and nodded, getting down on her hands and knees so that the girl could climb up onto her back and wrap her arms around her neck, the bear mashed between them. She got up again, though this time much more slowly...afraid she would accidentally knock the little girl off.
With that they turned and started off down the path. "So your name's Aiji, huh? That's a pretty name...and Shi's your bear?"
"Uh-huh..."
"Why'd you name him that?" Takiko asked, giggling.
"Because...." The little girl shrugged, and clutched Takiko tighter with one arm while she loosened her grip with the other to pull her bear up. "It means pain!"
A ripping sound caught Hikitsu's attention, and his head snapped to the right in time to see a glint of metal. He couldn't open his mouth in time to shout a warning before the knife plunged deep into Takiko's back.
"TAKIKO!!!!"
Takiko let out an ear-piercing scream and pitched forward, sending them both tumbling to the ground. By the time the seishi crowded around her, the knife was gone but the wound was deep and gushing blood stained her back and began a tiny puddle around her.
"Where's that little bitch?" Hatsui snarled angrily, pulling Takiko up and into his lap. Takiko was gasping for breath, and she reached up weakly to grab onto Hatsui's coat. Their eyes met, and her emerald eyes were wide with naked fear. Hatsui huddled her closer, pressing his hand into the wound to try and stop the blood, but it was no use.
"Don't worry priestess...it'll be all right."
Hikitsu tore his eyes away and searched the scene for the little girl, surely she couldn't have disappeared that quickly. Somehow she had…all that was left was a bit of stuffing. It struck Hikitsu as odd, but he wasn't able to think about it, because Hatsui's distraught voice brought him down to Earth and made him remember what was important.
"Hikitsu! Oh shit...she's dying!"