Differnt Forms - pt.8
****
Author's note: NOT to piss anyone off... but... this takes place in Kenshou's past. O.o; A dip into her personality, and her first kiss to boot. ^-^
The truth about her mother, father, and brothers.
****
"Do you know where to go back to? Do you know how? Will you be all right by yourself?"
~*~
Kenshou's hair was ruffled as her eldest brother layed a hand upon her head. She smiled and looked up at him, a sketchpad clutched to her chest like a lifeline. "Elder brother!" she chirped, "Look what I drew!" She opened the pink covered notebook, flipping to an amazingly drawn pheonix, her artwork always better than something a normal 10 year old could do. The wings of the birds were sketched with amazing details, some feathers colored in with a scarlet pencil. Fire swirled around the creature- a part of its essence.
"Wow Ken! This is amazing! What is it?" Shin asked, observing the picture.
"Oh oh! See? It's Suzaku, the southern pheonix god! Isn't he pretty?"
"Ah! Very pretty!" Kenshou grinned and wrapped her arms around her brother's legs. Shin leaned over and picked her up, pretending to choke as she held on tightly to his neck.
"Oh! Shin! Guess what!"
"What!?" he asked, allowing her to swing over onto his back, so that she was sitting on his shoulders. 10 years old, and she still acted like a little kid.
"Mother is gonna take me out for ice cream after she takes me to the race track!" she announced, resting her chin against her brother's head. She liked the way his beaver-soft red hair cushioned her as they walked. Shin was heading up the stairs, moving with extra bounce in his step. The large gap between their ages was nothing, he was already 20 and in college, a good 6 feet tall, and a slight build to his muscles.
Shin smiled. "Really now?" he asked innocently.
"Uhn!"
"Lucky you!"
"Shin?"
"Yes?"
"I love you!"
"You know I love you too."
"This is always a welcome site!"
Both siblings looked up and saw their mother, Naraku smiling at them at the top of the stairs. She looked like an older version of her only daughter, only her hair was black instead of bright orange-red. No one in the family could explain where the red hair came from, and only the eldest and the youngest had that specific shade. "Hi mother, you're looking well today," Shin said, giving her a once over, while putting Kenshou on the ground.
"Of course I am," she replied in her soft tone, "I promised Ken I'd take her out today!"
She clammered onto to her mother, showing her the picture she had drawn. "Ma? Am I gonna be able to drive today?"
"Drive!? Dear, not until you're 14!" their mother scolded, before bending over into a hacking cough. A look of fear streaked across Kenshou's face, and she stood frozen to her spot. Shin grabbed his sister, holding her close, an arm crossed across her eyes.
"M-ma...? M-MA!?" She cried, trying to wrench out of her brother's grip.
Shin watched as Naraku straightened up, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "Ken," she said, "I'm just fine! Just a little cold!"
His grip loosened, and Kenshou jumped free, running into her mother's arms. Naraku held her tight, caressing the long orange-red hair. "It's alright Ken, don't worry, it's not like I'm dying." She looked at her eldest son carefully, her amber eyes tearing over. Shin pursed his lips together, and added, in a happy tone, "Don't be so touchy and sensitive Ken!"
Naraku whispered something in her daughter's ear, pointing at Shin. Kenshou nodded a few times before turning around and chirping, "Do you want to go racing and eating ice cream with us?"
His right eyebrow slid upwards and he echoed, "Racing and eating ice cream?"
"Huh?"
"It's 'Would you like to join mother and I, for a day of racing and ice cream?' alright Ken?"
"What are you talkin' about?"
Naraku sighed, followed seconds later by Shin, who shared the exact same sigh. For a brief moment, as they both raised their right hands to their foreheads, they trully looked like mother and son- the two people that cared for Kenshou more than anything else in the world... and the young girl always returned the love.
~*~
The soft beeping the respirator and machines were the only sounds in the hospital room. Kenshou looked through the glass at her mother laying still and pale in the bed. She never knew that all those coughs were because of tuberculosis, until that one day- two days ago- when she fell down coughing, blood slipping through the cracks of her hand... and then... she collapsed. When Shin entered the room moments later, the look that crossed his face was one of fright, anger.. and self-loathing. He reached out to grab her, but it was too late.
~MOTHER!!!~
Her cry... it was loud enough to wake up the dead, and it seemed to summon the rest of the family into the kitchen. Her father, Yabun, ran into the room, dropping to his knees almost instantly. Her other brothers, Nigai- 11 years old- and Soen- 17- arrived moments later. Shin held Kenshou close, cringing as she clawed at his back, screamed into his chest. He couldn't help his mother without putting himself at risk of disease... and for that moment he felt that his training was useless.
The ambulance didn't seem to arrive fast enough, the paramedics didn't seem to act fast enough... and Kenshou had lost her voice. She sat, still and quiet, as Soen was known for doing. Nigai poked at her, teasing her, making fun of her silence... she knocked out one of his teeth for that. Soen was just as quiet, he always was, but he didn't have any reaction to the situation. Shin knew his younger brothers were just as clueless as Kenshou, but neither shared the same bond. All they did was sit and wait in that emergency room. The doctors spoke to her father, words too big to really comprehend. Shin "translated" it for her.
~She's suffering from acute tuberculosis. They didn't know it would become so severe. It's alright Kenshou, she'll survive. Mother's a fighter, like you.~
Right now, her face was pressed against the glass. She had already missed a day of school, one more wouldn't hurt, right? Her mouth moved up and down numbly, no words able to come out. Naraku wasn't allowed guests, only doctors and nurses could check up on her. Her brothers had gone to school, Shin for food. He was cutting class, something he hasn't dared to do in years.
"Ken? You alright?"
She sat down on the hard hospital chair, and nodded. She didn't cry, she never cried, never in her entire life. Instead she stared at her hands. Shin sat down next to her, offering a hamburger, but she didn't take it. Seconds later he was holding out a heavy black spiral notebook. She looked at him, her eyes wondering. He smiled and said, "It's a drawing notebook- for you of course- and pencils too." With that he revealed a package of pencils, pens and other art supplies. "Draw mother something pretty when she gets better."
Kenshou took these things into her hands, still unable to talk. "You know," Shin continued, "if you get hungry, I have food here. How about some rice crackers?"
The scratch-scratch of pencil on paper was his answer. He watched as she drew a fan, or at least a design for one. Shin kept this in mind.
Hours passed, and Kenshou had fallen asleep against Shin's arm. During that time, Nigai and Soen came to pay their respects, before leaving once more. Nigai obviously was holding a grudge, his mouth still hurt from that lost tooth, and with all the stuff going on, he wasn't able to put it back. Soen... was himself. Yuban arrived at around 5:00, three hours eariler than his usual return time from work. The frantic look on his face, the slightly messed clothes, they were all signs that he was trully worried about his wife.
"Shin, has the doctor checked up on her yet?"
"Every hour, on the hour."
"How's it going?"
"Kenshou still doesn't have a voice, and they say that mother could be released from ICU in a week."
Yabun sat down on a chair, his head in his hands. His legs were shaking, an obvious twitch of worry. Kenshou grumbled, and shifted slightly, her mouth slightly open. Shin moved, and cushioned her head against his jacket, allowing her to lie down on the set of chairs. She opened her eyes slightly, and watched as a doctor arrived and delivered news of the current situation. For some strange reason she found that she couldn't hear, nor understand what they were saying. She just lay and watched.
~*~
Kenshou entered the classroom cautiously, her notebook clutched to her chest. She took her seat in the back of the classroom, knowing that her teacher would be late to arrive today- her father was having a talk with him. She felt a hand land on her shoulder softly.
"Kenshou?"
She looked up, and saw Kouji. He wasn't smiling, instead he looked rather worried. She blinked.
"I heard what happened, I'm really sorry."
She stared at him.
"I know ya can't talk 'n all... so I just wanna make ya feel better."
She continued staring at him.
Kouji wrapped his arms around his friend. "It's gonna be a'ight, ya hear?"
She hugged him back.
"C'mon now, ya got that big brother of yours to watch out for ya! It ain't gonna be so bad! Besides, he's prolly been givin' you tons of gifts!"
Kenshou smiled.
Kouji jumped backwards as the teacher entered the classroom. He scrambled to his seat on the other side of the room, bowing awkwardly as he ran. The professor nodded towards Kenshou, and started the class. She sat still in the back of the room, drawing on her notebook. She surprised her self, drawing the image of a warrior that looked a little bit like herself. She smiled and poked at the picture with her pencil.
"Miss Hino, are you alright back there?" the teacher asked, looking over his shoulder.
She looked up and nodded.
Lunch came quickly, and she decided to sit and stay in the classroom. Kouji also sat behind, offering her some of his lunch.
"Kenshou!"
"Kenshou, are you alright?"
The two looked over and saw a group of girls gathering in at the entrance. They were all clumped together, obviously worried about the silence in Kenshou. They swarmed around her, asking questions. She covered her head with her hands, shaking. Kouji pushed through them, screaming, "Get away from her you inconsiderate brats! Can't you see she's sufferin'?"
"Hey! You're not even her real friend! We know about girl problems!"
"It's not a gi--"
"Oh shut up Kouji! Kenshou, are you alright?"
"Don't listen to that Kouji, he just thinks you're his friend. Only in his wildest dreams, right?"
"Oh yeah!"
Kouji backed up against the far side of the room. Kenshou looked up at her "friends" and closed her notebook silently. She stood up and walked over to him, glaring the entire time at the girls. The girls looked back and forth at each other, silently communicating. Finally, one of them stepped foreward. "Kenshou, you're our leader! We're a posse! You're not supposed to abandon us! What are we going to do then?"
Kenshou stared at them.
The girls seemed exchanged glances with one another, before nodding and walking away. A silent hum of apologies streamed past her as they left the classroom. Kenshou fell into a seat, obviously shaking. Kouji sat down behind her, slightly worried that something like this would happen to a 10 year old- it wasn't fair. And, even though he tried, there was no way he could really trully sympathize.
Shin was standing outside of the school when the bell rang and a weary Kenshou left the building. She caught sight of her brother and ran to him, only to find that he was pale and staring at the ground. She tugged on his sleeve, silently asking him what was wrong. He too her hand and said, "We're going to the hospital to see mother, alright?"
She tugged on his arm again, silently asking, "Is she all better?"
"She wants to see you, that's all you need to know."
The car ride was quiet, and Kenshou spent the time drawing. For the first time, she found her hand possessed by something else, and before she knew it she was drawing two men in a loving embrace, one of them a warrior she had designed after herself. She dropped the pencil, staring at the picture. It warmed her heart and she smiled. Shin dragged her into the hospital, a blank smile on her face. They walked slowly, until they encountered the rest of the family. They were all sitting quiet and still. Yabun looked up and held his arms out towards his daughter. Kenshou climbed into his lap, bitting down on his arm. Her abnormally sharp canines broke the skin.
"Kenshou," he murmured, "mother is... We're... going to take her off the respirator. If she survives that proves her strength, if not..."
The doctor approached them, he was young and had a kind look on his face. He opened the door to the ICU and allowed Yabun to enter with him. The rest watched through the glass window, as the machines slowly shut down. Kenshou had her hands pressed against the glass. Suddenly the doctor made a motion for them to all enter. As the family crowded around Naraku, he stood off to the side.
Kenshou fell onto her mother sobbing, but still unable to speak. Suddenly she felt a hand land on her head. "Ken..."
She looked up. Her mother was caressing her head slowly, her voice nothing more than a grated whisper. "I love you," she whispered softly, "you are my dearest daughter... I never wanted to leave you... but... this will be easier for me."
There was silence, and Naraku continued stroking her daughter's head, her chest moving up and down in a uneven beat. Kenshou kept her face pressed against her mother's stomach, feeling each breath slow and grow weaker. She felt warm, and protected as the breathing stopped, and the hand stopped moving. For a brief moment she felt engulfed by feathers, assuring her that all was well... an angels embrace perhaps?
~*~
During the next couple of months, Kenshou remained mute, and people decided that she was in a state of permanent shock, especially since she didn't cry at her mother's funeral. They watched as the girl began to transform, first her long lucious locks of red hair were cut off with a knife, leaving it jagged and in disarray. Gradually she became more withdrawn, with only one friend to keep her company. She spent long nights in the basement- Shin's room- with only one lamp for company. When her eldest brother would come home, she'd emerge and they'd go to the race track together, just as she had done with her mother.
Then... he dropped the bombshell.
"Kenshou, can I talk to you for a moment."
She looked up from from the large sheet she was painting. She was starting to make decorative fans in the basement. She nodded, and watched as Shin sat down on his bed. "Ken... please don't freak out when I tell you this... but... I'm going to America. I was given the opportunity, they're offering me a full scholarship to UCLA... I can go to grad school there and pursue my career in medicine..."
Kenshou looked away.
"Ken?"
"Go away, I don't care."
Shin was taken aback. She spoke... and her voice was rusted from so many months of disuse. "K-k-ken?"
"You're no better than mother. She left us... now you're leaving us... no! Now you're leaving me!"
"Left...?"
"She's never coming back! She just left, just like that!"
"Ken, what are you saying?"
She turned around, Shin almost expected tears but there was nothing more than dull eyes staring straight through him and into the wall. "I should have known," she croaked, "you and mother were always so much alike, I should have known that you were going to leave me too!"
"Ken! I'm not really leaving! I'm just going to sch--"
"LEAVE!" she barked, and turned away, bending once more over the notebook. She scratched at the paper angerily, and found that the figure she was drawing was slowly turning to an angry SD warrior and his SD pal. "FUCK!!!" she cried, and threw the paper against the wall. It seemed to hit the wall and explode into ashes on contact. Kenshou blinked and rubbed her eyes. She shuddered involutarily and shrank into herself.
The following week reported news of an earthquake, and Shin was sent off as a a volunteer to help with the victims. Kenshou didn't care, she figured it was better he was gone.
Kouji was sitting his desk looking rather shaken up. "Kouji?" she asked, approaching him.
"Ken... dammit... my cousin, he lives down there in Tokyo... I just heard he lost his best friend in the earthquake... and his fiancee, she's going to jail."
"Jail?"
"Yeah, that's because some 'witnesses' claimed that she tried to murder her. She wouldn't do that! My cousin told me so! He told me she's the kindest, nicest, most gentle girl in the whole world!" Kouji exclaimed, pounding his fists against the desk.
Kenshou raised an eyebrow. "So, why doesn't he testify?"
"Because... he has 10 witnesses to back up the fact that it's all his fault, and he's convincing the people to withdraw their charges... and place them on him. He loves her THAT much!"
"You're kidding."
"Nope..." Kouji slammed his head against the desk.
Kenshou reached out and touched his head. She was about to console him, when the teacher walked into the classroom, and she had to scramble to her desk on the other side of the room. She caught Kouji's eye every once and a while, communicating silently. She felt a great sense of pity for her friend, but at the same time... she had this strange sense of loathing.
~*~
"Well, this is it... it's your room now... I promise I'll write, everyday! I'll call too..."
Ken stayed bent over her notebook.
Shin slung the bookbag over his back. "I'll miss you, but... if you don't want to see me off, I'll understand," he said slowly, and started up the stairs.
Ken's pencil slowed down, and gradually came to a stop. She dropped it lightly onto the desk, looking down at the picture of the four oriental gods. Suddenly she jumped to her feet and cried, "SHIN!!" She ran to the window and cried again, "SHIN!"
Her eldest brother stopped, inches from entering the car. Ken stuck her hand out the window, and waved a finger, before running outside and knocking him onto the ground. "You promise you'll call?" she asked, looking at him hopefully.
"I promise!"
"And write?"
"Promise!"
"And send gifts?"
"Cross my heart, and hope to die!"
She smiled and allowed herself to be picked up into his arms once more, and carried into the car. The entire ride to the airport was a nonstop one-sided conversation. Nigai, who was sitting next to Kenshou, starting poking her. "Shut up already, will you?" he grunted.
"STOP or I'm knockin' one of your teeth out AGAIN!"
Nigai scowled and turned away. Kenshou laughed and clung to her elder brother's arm like a lifeline, as they started towards the departure area. She kept her arms latched around him, until they reached the security checkpoint. Shin tried desperately to pry her off, making the gaurd laugh.
"Ken, you got to let go!" he said, quietly, kneeling down.
"I--I don't want you to go!"
"Stop changing your mind like this! You gotta decide what you want from me! Do you want me to stay, or go? Which?"
Kenshou looked away, and after a moment of silence, she dropped her arms to her side. "I want you to go... but you gotta promise to stay in touch!"
Shin placed a hand over his heart. "I swear on my life!" he exclaimed with a smile. With that he bid a more formal farewell to his father and brothers. Kenshou watched as he grew smaller and smaller, as he started towards the gates, on his way to start a new life. She looked up at the sky, as the headed towards their car, hoping to catch sight of his flight, not realizing it wasn't going to take off for another half hour.
Her father wrapped an arm around her shoulder. It was no where near as warm and comforting as her brother, or mother's touch. She sighed heavily, though, and rested her head against his side. "Father?"
"Yes?"
"You won't leave me, right?"
He looked down at her, unsure of how to respond.
"You don't think.. everyone I love is going to leave me, do you?" she asked, half sleepily, as she struggled into the front seat.
"No, never. They'd never leave you."
~*~
Kenshou sat in the darkness of her basement, hiding beneath the covers like a 10 year old. She clutched the fabric of her pajama pants tightly. "Liar," she hissed, "you've all lied to me... first mother... then Shin... now you... Chishiki... all the people I love are leaving me."
~*~
Author's note: Sorry... sorry... I didn't really do much to smooth over any rough edges from the last 7 chapters did I... sorry about that... but please review or else I won't continue this. So, if you're reading this please review... it'd be nice to know what people thought of this chapter... as depressing as it was. Also, I'm afraid the ending isn't as fantastic as I hoped, but I tried, ya know? I know... how about the 65th reviewer gets to request a story from me? Yeah, okay... so I'm not a fantastic writer, but it's worth a try, right?
****
Author's note: NOT to piss anyone off... but... this takes place in Kenshou's past. O.o; A dip into her personality, and her first kiss to boot. ^-^
The truth about her mother, father, and brothers.
****
"Do you know where to go back to? Do you know how? Will you be all right by yourself?"
~*~
Kenshou's hair was ruffled as her eldest brother layed a hand upon her head. She smiled and looked up at him, a sketchpad clutched to her chest like a lifeline. "Elder brother!" she chirped, "Look what I drew!" She opened the pink covered notebook, flipping to an amazingly drawn pheonix, her artwork always better than something a normal 10 year old could do. The wings of the birds were sketched with amazing details, some feathers colored in with a scarlet pencil. Fire swirled around the creature- a part of its essence.
"Wow Ken! This is amazing! What is it?" Shin asked, observing the picture.
"Oh oh! See? It's Suzaku, the southern pheonix god! Isn't he pretty?"
"Ah! Very pretty!" Kenshou grinned and wrapped her arms around her brother's legs. Shin leaned over and picked her up, pretending to choke as she held on tightly to his neck.
"Oh! Shin! Guess what!"
"What!?" he asked, allowing her to swing over onto his back, so that she was sitting on his shoulders. 10 years old, and she still acted like a little kid.
"Mother is gonna take me out for ice cream after she takes me to the race track!" she announced, resting her chin against her brother's head. She liked the way his beaver-soft red hair cushioned her as they walked. Shin was heading up the stairs, moving with extra bounce in his step. The large gap between their ages was nothing, he was already 20 and in college, a good 6 feet tall, and a slight build to his muscles.
Shin smiled. "Really now?" he asked innocently.
"Uhn!"
"Lucky you!"
"Shin?"
"Yes?"
"I love you!"
"You know I love you too."
"This is always a welcome site!"
Both siblings looked up and saw their mother, Naraku smiling at them at the top of the stairs. She looked like an older version of her only daughter, only her hair was black instead of bright orange-red. No one in the family could explain where the red hair came from, and only the eldest and the youngest had that specific shade. "Hi mother, you're looking well today," Shin said, giving her a once over, while putting Kenshou on the ground.
"Of course I am," she replied in her soft tone, "I promised Ken I'd take her out today!"
She clammered onto to her mother, showing her the picture she had drawn. "Ma? Am I gonna be able to drive today?"
"Drive!? Dear, not until you're 14!" their mother scolded, before bending over into a hacking cough. A look of fear streaked across Kenshou's face, and she stood frozen to her spot. Shin grabbed his sister, holding her close, an arm crossed across her eyes.
"M-ma...? M-MA!?" She cried, trying to wrench out of her brother's grip.
Shin watched as Naraku straightened up, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "Ken," she said, "I'm just fine! Just a little cold!"
His grip loosened, and Kenshou jumped free, running into her mother's arms. Naraku held her tight, caressing the long orange-red hair. "It's alright Ken, don't worry, it's not like I'm dying." She looked at her eldest son carefully, her amber eyes tearing over. Shin pursed his lips together, and added, in a happy tone, "Don't be so touchy and sensitive Ken!"
Naraku whispered something in her daughter's ear, pointing at Shin. Kenshou nodded a few times before turning around and chirping, "Do you want to go racing and eating ice cream with us?"
His right eyebrow slid upwards and he echoed, "Racing and eating ice cream?"
"Huh?"
"It's 'Would you like to join mother and I, for a day of racing and ice cream?' alright Ken?"
"What are you talkin' about?"
Naraku sighed, followed seconds later by Shin, who shared the exact same sigh. For a brief moment, as they both raised their right hands to their foreheads, they trully looked like mother and son- the two people that cared for Kenshou more than anything else in the world... and the young girl always returned the love.
~*~
The soft beeping the respirator and machines were the only sounds in the hospital room. Kenshou looked through the glass at her mother laying still and pale in the bed. She never knew that all those coughs were because of tuberculosis, until that one day- two days ago- when she fell down coughing, blood slipping through the cracks of her hand... and then... she collapsed. When Shin entered the room moments later, the look that crossed his face was one of fright, anger.. and self-loathing. He reached out to grab her, but it was too late.
~MOTHER!!!~
Her cry... it was loud enough to wake up the dead, and it seemed to summon the rest of the family into the kitchen. Her father, Yabun, ran into the room, dropping to his knees almost instantly. Her other brothers, Nigai- 11 years old- and Soen- 17- arrived moments later. Shin held Kenshou close, cringing as she clawed at his back, screamed into his chest. He couldn't help his mother without putting himself at risk of disease... and for that moment he felt that his training was useless.
The ambulance didn't seem to arrive fast enough, the paramedics didn't seem to act fast enough... and Kenshou had lost her voice. She sat, still and quiet, as Soen was known for doing. Nigai poked at her, teasing her, making fun of her silence... she knocked out one of his teeth for that. Soen was just as quiet, he always was, but he didn't have any reaction to the situation. Shin knew his younger brothers were just as clueless as Kenshou, but neither shared the same bond. All they did was sit and wait in that emergency room. The doctors spoke to her father, words too big to really comprehend. Shin "translated" it for her.
~She's suffering from acute tuberculosis. They didn't know it would become so severe. It's alright Kenshou, she'll survive. Mother's a fighter, like you.~
Right now, her face was pressed against the glass. She had already missed a day of school, one more wouldn't hurt, right? Her mouth moved up and down numbly, no words able to come out. Naraku wasn't allowed guests, only doctors and nurses could check up on her. Her brothers had gone to school, Shin for food. He was cutting class, something he hasn't dared to do in years.
"Ken? You alright?"
She sat down on the hard hospital chair, and nodded. She didn't cry, she never cried, never in her entire life. Instead she stared at her hands. Shin sat down next to her, offering a hamburger, but she didn't take it. Seconds later he was holding out a heavy black spiral notebook. She looked at him, her eyes wondering. He smiled and said, "It's a drawing notebook- for you of course- and pencils too." With that he revealed a package of pencils, pens and other art supplies. "Draw mother something pretty when she gets better."
Kenshou took these things into her hands, still unable to talk. "You know," Shin continued, "if you get hungry, I have food here. How about some rice crackers?"
The scratch-scratch of pencil on paper was his answer. He watched as she drew a fan, or at least a design for one. Shin kept this in mind.
Hours passed, and Kenshou had fallen asleep against Shin's arm. During that time, Nigai and Soen came to pay their respects, before leaving once more. Nigai obviously was holding a grudge, his mouth still hurt from that lost tooth, and with all the stuff going on, he wasn't able to put it back. Soen... was himself. Yuban arrived at around 5:00, three hours eariler than his usual return time from work. The frantic look on his face, the slightly messed clothes, they were all signs that he was trully worried about his wife.
"Shin, has the doctor checked up on her yet?"
"Every hour, on the hour."
"How's it going?"
"Kenshou still doesn't have a voice, and they say that mother could be released from ICU in a week."
Yabun sat down on a chair, his head in his hands. His legs were shaking, an obvious twitch of worry. Kenshou grumbled, and shifted slightly, her mouth slightly open. Shin moved, and cushioned her head against his jacket, allowing her to lie down on the set of chairs. She opened her eyes slightly, and watched as a doctor arrived and delivered news of the current situation. For some strange reason she found that she couldn't hear, nor understand what they were saying. She just lay and watched.
~*~
Kenshou entered the classroom cautiously, her notebook clutched to her chest. She took her seat in the back of the classroom, knowing that her teacher would be late to arrive today- her father was having a talk with him. She felt a hand land on her shoulder softly.
"Kenshou?"
She looked up, and saw Kouji. He wasn't smiling, instead he looked rather worried. She blinked.
"I heard what happened, I'm really sorry."
She stared at him.
"I know ya can't talk 'n all... so I just wanna make ya feel better."
She continued staring at him.
Kouji wrapped his arms around his friend. "It's gonna be a'ight, ya hear?"
She hugged him back.
"C'mon now, ya got that big brother of yours to watch out for ya! It ain't gonna be so bad! Besides, he's prolly been givin' you tons of gifts!"
Kenshou smiled.
Kouji jumped backwards as the teacher entered the classroom. He scrambled to his seat on the other side of the room, bowing awkwardly as he ran. The professor nodded towards Kenshou, and started the class. She sat still in the back of the room, drawing on her notebook. She surprised her self, drawing the image of a warrior that looked a little bit like herself. She smiled and poked at the picture with her pencil.
"Miss Hino, are you alright back there?" the teacher asked, looking over his shoulder.
She looked up and nodded.
Lunch came quickly, and she decided to sit and stay in the classroom. Kouji also sat behind, offering her some of his lunch.
"Kenshou!"
"Kenshou, are you alright?"
The two looked over and saw a group of girls gathering in at the entrance. They were all clumped together, obviously worried about the silence in Kenshou. They swarmed around her, asking questions. She covered her head with her hands, shaking. Kouji pushed through them, screaming, "Get away from her you inconsiderate brats! Can't you see she's sufferin'?"
"Hey! You're not even her real friend! We know about girl problems!"
"It's not a gi--"
"Oh shut up Kouji! Kenshou, are you alright?"
"Don't listen to that Kouji, he just thinks you're his friend. Only in his wildest dreams, right?"
"Oh yeah!"
Kouji backed up against the far side of the room. Kenshou looked up at her "friends" and closed her notebook silently. She stood up and walked over to him, glaring the entire time at the girls. The girls looked back and forth at each other, silently communicating. Finally, one of them stepped foreward. "Kenshou, you're our leader! We're a posse! You're not supposed to abandon us! What are we going to do then?"
Kenshou stared at them.
The girls seemed exchanged glances with one another, before nodding and walking away. A silent hum of apologies streamed past her as they left the classroom. Kenshou fell into a seat, obviously shaking. Kouji sat down behind her, slightly worried that something like this would happen to a 10 year old- it wasn't fair. And, even though he tried, there was no way he could really trully sympathize.
Shin was standing outside of the school when the bell rang and a weary Kenshou left the building. She caught sight of her brother and ran to him, only to find that he was pale and staring at the ground. She tugged on his sleeve, silently asking him what was wrong. He too her hand and said, "We're going to the hospital to see mother, alright?"
She tugged on his arm again, silently asking, "Is she all better?"
"She wants to see you, that's all you need to know."
The car ride was quiet, and Kenshou spent the time drawing. For the first time, she found her hand possessed by something else, and before she knew it she was drawing two men in a loving embrace, one of them a warrior she had designed after herself. She dropped the pencil, staring at the picture. It warmed her heart and she smiled. Shin dragged her into the hospital, a blank smile on her face. They walked slowly, until they encountered the rest of the family. They were all sitting quiet and still. Yabun looked up and held his arms out towards his daughter. Kenshou climbed into his lap, bitting down on his arm. Her abnormally sharp canines broke the skin.
"Kenshou," he murmured, "mother is... We're... going to take her off the respirator. If she survives that proves her strength, if not..."
The doctor approached them, he was young and had a kind look on his face. He opened the door to the ICU and allowed Yabun to enter with him. The rest watched through the glass window, as the machines slowly shut down. Kenshou had her hands pressed against the glass. Suddenly the doctor made a motion for them to all enter. As the family crowded around Naraku, he stood off to the side.
Kenshou fell onto her mother sobbing, but still unable to speak. Suddenly she felt a hand land on her head. "Ken..."
She looked up. Her mother was caressing her head slowly, her voice nothing more than a grated whisper. "I love you," she whispered softly, "you are my dearest daughter... I never wanted to leave you... but... this will be easier for me."
There was silence, and Naraku continued stroking her daughter's head, her chest moving up and down in a uneven beat. Kenshou kept her face pressed against her mother's stomach, feeling each breath slow and grow weaker. She felt warm, and protected as the breathing stopped, and the hand stopped moving. For a brief moment she felt engulfed by feathers, assuring her that all was well... an angels embrace perhaps?
~*~
During the next couple of months, Kenshou remained mute, and people decided that she was in a state of permanent shock, especially since she didn't cry at her mother's funeral. They watched as the girl began to transform, first her long lucious locks of red hair were cut off with a knife, leaving it jagged and in disarray. Gradually she became more withdrawn, with only one friend to keep her company. She spent long nights in the basement- Shin's room- with only one lamp for company. When her eldest brother would come home, she'd emerge and they'd go to the race track together, just as she had done with her mother.
Then... he dropped the bombshell.
"Kenshou, can I talk to you for a moment."
She looked up from from the large sheet she was painting. She was starting to make decorative fans in the basement. She nodded, and watched as Shin sat down on his bed. "Ken... please don't freak out when I tell you this... but... I'm going to America. I was given the opportunity, they're offering me a full scholarship to UCLA... I can go to grad school there and pursue my career in medicine..."
Kenshou looked away.
"Ken?"
"Go away, I don't care."
Shin was taken aback. She spoke... and her voice was rusted from so many months of disuse. "K-k-ken?"
"You're no better than mother. She left us... now you're leaving us... no! Now you're leaving me!"
"Left...?"
"She's never coming back! She just left, just like that!"
"Ken, what are you saying?"
She turned around, Shin almost expected tears but there was nothing more than dull eyes staring straight through him and into the wall. "I should have known," she croaked, "you and mother were always so much alike, I should have known that you were going to leave me too!"
"Ken! I'm not really leaving! I'm just going to sch--"
"LEAVE!" she barked, and turned away, bending once more over the notebook. She scratched at the paper angerily, and found that the figure she was drawing was slowly turning to an angry SD warrior and his SD pal. "FUCK!!!" she cried, and threw the paper against the wall. It seemed to hit the wall and explode into ashes on contact. Kenshou blinked and rubbed her eyes. She shuddered involutarily and shrank into herself.
The following week reported news of an earthquake, and Shin was sent off as a a volunteer to help with the victims. Kenshou didn't care, she figured it was better he was gone.
Kouji was sitting his desk looking rather shaken up. "Kouji?" she asked, approaching him.
"Ken... dammit... my cousin, he lives down there in Tokyo... I just heard he lost his best friend in the earthquake... and his fiancee, she's going to jail."
"Jail?"
"Yeah, that's because some 'witnesses' claimed that she tried to murder her. She wouldn't do that! My cousin told me so! He told me she's the kindest, nicest, most gentle girl in the whole world!" Kouji exclaimed, pounding his fists against the desk.
Kenshou raised an eyebrow. "So, why doesn't he testify?"
"Because... he has 10 witnesses to back up the fact that it's all his fault, and he's convincing the people to withdraw their charges... and place them on him. He loves her THAT much!"
"You're kidding."
"Nope..." Kouji slammed his head against the desk.
Kenshou reached out and touched his head. She was about to console him, when the teacher walked into the classroom, and she had to scramble to her desk on the other side of the room. She caught Kouji's eye every once and a while, communicating silently. She felt a great sense of pity for her friend, but at the same time... she had this strange sense of loathing.
~*~
"Well, this is it... it's your room now... I promise I'll write, everyday! I'll call too..."
Ken stayed bent over her notebook.
Shin slung the bookbag over his back. "I'll miss you, but... if you don't want to see me off, I'll understand," he said slowly, and started up the stairs.
Ken's pencil slowed down, and gradually came to a stop. She dropped it lightly onto the desk, looking down at the picture of the four oriental gods. Suddenly she jumped to her feet and cried, "SHIN!!" She ran to the window and cried again, "SHIN!"
Her eldest brother stopped, inches from entering the car. Ken stuck her hand out the window, and waved a finger, before running outside and knocking him onto the ground. "You promise you'll call?" she asked, looking at him hopefully.
"I promise!"
"And write?"
"Promise!"
"And send gifts?"
"Cross my heart, and hope to die!"
She smiled and allowed herself to be picked up into his arms once more, and carried into the car. The entire ride to the airport was a nonstop one-sided conversation. Nigai, who was sitting next to Kenshou, starting poking her. "Shut up already, will you?" he grunted.
"STOP or I'm knockin' one of your teeth out AGAIN!"
Nigai scowled and turned away. Kenshou laughed and clung to her elder brother's arm like a lifeline, as they started towards the departure area. She kept her arms latched around him, until they reached the security checkpoint. Shin tried desperately to pry her off, making the gaurd laugh.
"Ken, you got to let go!" he said, quietly, kneeling down.
"I--I don't want you to go!"
"Stop changing your mind like this! You gotta decide what you want from me! Do you want me to stay, or go? Which?"
Kenshou looked away, and after a moment of silence, she dropped her arms to her side. "I want you to go... but you gotta promise to stay in touch!"
Shin placed a hand over his heart. "I swear on my life!" he exclaimed with a smile. With that he bid a more formal farewell to his father and brothers. Kenshou watched as he grew smaller and smaller, as he started towards the gates, on his way to start a new life. She looked up at the sky, as the headed towards their car, hoping to catch sight of his flight, not realizing it wasn't going to take off for another half hour.
Her father wrapped an arm around her shoulder. It was no where near as warm and comforting as her brother, or mother's touch. She sighed heavily, though, and rested her head against his side. "Father?"
"Yes?"
"You won't leave me, right?"
He looked down at her, unsure of how to respond.
"You don't think.. everyone I love is going to leave me, do you?" she asked, half sleepily, as she struggled into the front seat.
"No, never. They'd never leave you."
~*~
Kenshou sat in the darkness of her basement, hiding beneath the covers like a 10 year old. She clutched the fabric of her pajama pants tightly. "Liar," she hissed, "you've all lied to me... first mother... then Shin... now you... Chishiki... all the people I love are leaving me."
~*~
Author's note: Sorry... sorry... I didn't really do much to smooth over any rough edges from the last 7 chapters did I... sorry about that... but please review or else I won't continue this. So, if you're reading this please review... it'd be nice to know what people thought of this chapter... as depressing as it was. Also, I'm afraid the ending isn't as fantastic as I hoped, but I tried, ya know? I know... how about the 65th reviewer gets to request a story from me? Yeah, okay... so I'm not a fantastic writer, but it's worth a try, right?