"The Third Soul"
Chapter 6: Let's the hunt begin...
Standards Disclaimers apply.
He was looking at her again, Tokio realized angrily.
She and Saito were in Tokio's bedroom: she was gathering some stuff for the trip and since they've been linked for only a few hours, Kamuro-sama, the First Elder of the Magami Clan, commanded them to stay together to strengthen their link even more.
Saito-san.
Tokio would have never believed that he could accept her help and all what it meant so...easily, after all it took him about 3 minutes to decide himself.
She was folding one of her favorite kimono when she felt his gaze on her, a bit... well harder. That was quite unnerving, Tokio knew they had to stay physically together for the first two days but... he was making it almost like a nightmare: his constant gaze on her that she could feel even without looking made her awkward while packaging her stuff she might need during her stay in the city...
Kyoto... Last time she went there, she was almost 7, with her brother and Tsuzuki, her brother best friend, they had stolen some money from Toya's and Tokio's grand-father, Ryu, so that they could buy some sweets...
Her thoughts drifted to this blessed times, her childhood, when her mother was still alive, when her father would laugh at his children's attics to skip lessons, when she would get anything she wanted from her grand-father by a simple pout of her rosy lips...Before him.
Why did he accept that easily, do i look so desperate to his eyes?
The idea came to her suddenly, she frowned and tried to find out: because his chief asked him to? No, Kondo-san would have left Saito-san to decide after all it was his life he was putting in danger... Because... but Tokio couldn't find any valuable reasons to her eyes.
Tokio sighed heavily and went back packaging, but the thought was still nagging her.
"What do you want to know?" his deep voice caught her by surprise and she dropped the cloth she was folding and turned around.
"What make you think i want to ask you something?"
"You've been torturing this kimono for half a hour." He stated.
"Oh!" Tokio put the cloth aside and folded her hands on her lap, avoiding looking at him straight in his eyes. Gathering her courage, she then asked:
"Why?"
"Why did i agree on this craziness?"
Tokio focused her gaze on her lap, mastered the anger that had risen when he called the problem of her life, well her life a `craziness' and managed to nod.
"Well, he went on, three women have been murdered in my streets. I, as a ShisenGumi, have the duty to stop the killer, whatever it may cost me because it's my own way to follow my justice." His voice was almost relaxed, he was just pointing out facts that were as clear as the day for him, explaining matter of life to a child.
"Faith..." she whispered as she looked up: Saito was sitting in the doorway, his katana was laying at his left, ready to be taken any moment, his back was resting against the door frame and his golden eyes had almost disappeared under his half-closed lids. A wolf, resting on a rock in the sun. The picture flashed in her mind, and she found it so true that she could only stare at Saito. Sure of himself, a belief for which he was fighting, a faith strong enough that he could give his life for it.
"How can someone give one's life to a belief? I don't understand how someone can serve a goal by dying."
"Do you believe in something?" he asked, after a short moment of silence, he went on "I do, that's why you don't understand me, but i don't understand you either. Why had you chosen me? What in me make me worth of your trust that you placed your life in my hands?"
The wind rose in the garden behind Saito, it was a warm and calm summer wind; it entered the room and turned around the girl and only her. Her hair rose lightly as eyes closed she bent her head to the left as if she was listening to the wind. Amazed, Saito watched her and when she opened her eyes, he drowned himself again in the night gaze.
"The wind told me you were the one i needed. I read the future in the wind," she explained "destiny is like red strings attached to your fingers, some bigger that others, some stronger than others but they all represent all the capable futures that can happen but some are destroyed or replaced by the choices that we make. I've seen my death between the hands of my mother's and these girls' killer in a lot of directions, but i've also seen a way to escape this deadly trap...with you. It doesn't mean that we'll win, just that i may live one more day than in a destiny told by another red string attached to my fingers."
"You can see the future?"
"Yeah, but it's not a very reliable power you know, i can't control it and there are so many possibilities that we aren't able to read them all so we have to choose and sometimes, what really happen in real life was told in a string that we decided not to read."
"So, you place your life into the hands of a complete stranger because the wind told you so?" the disbelief in his voice didn't hit, she was used to this reaction with people who didn't know anything about power.
"The wind only showed me the different futures that..."
"You're mental."
"OH! How dare you!" Outraged, Tokio jumped on her feet and glared at Saito. She was about to complete her thought about him, the world and the men in general when he cut her:
"Listen, you barely know me for a couple of hours and because the wind told you to trust me, you did! Do you know who am I? I'm a ShisenGumi Captain, one among the most feared men in Kyoto, what make you think i'm not your Muraki? Kami-sama, how can someone be so irresponsible?"
Saito asked himself if somebody faced could become redder than Tokio's in a so short time as she yelled to him:
"But i know you! I know how your mother died, i know how you mastered the sword, i know how many times you spent in the dojo practicing on your own and i know how your father..."
Saito had risen to his feet and clapped a hand on her mouth, hard.
"Don't you dare to say this aloud." He threatened her, his voice low and harsh, his face was only inches from hers and his amber eyes were glowering with an untold fury.
They stood face-to-face, inches from the other one for what seemed to Tokio hours but barely a minute passed when he let go. He breathed in sharply but didn't move, he kept on staring at her with those burning eyes.
Tokio took a step backward: his hand had come so quickly that she hadn't enough time to react and at this particular moment, she felt really vulnerable. As a butterfly touch, Saito's feelings flashed in her mind...feel like drowning in her eyes...i'm such a coward and a bastard...
Confused, she blinked several times before understanding finally hit home: he has been so angry at what she had said and at his own reaction to her words that he lost control of his mind protection. He was so close.
Get a hold on yourself! Saito yelled to himself but his mind had gone completely blank when she had started to talk about his mother...and his father... And now, he must have frightened her to death! Her skin around her mouth, where he had slapped her, was a little red and Saito wanted to kick himself, he must have hurt her too. And then, she took a step backward, Saito swallowed hard and a foolish little voice panicked and said in his mind that he was about to lose her... as if she had ever belonged to him...she, who have been loved so much that a man devoted his life to her protection, that her mother gave up her life to save her, that... And again, he lost himself again in her eyes... How on earth had he been able to do this to her? Slap her? Hit a woman? She was so close...
Saito took a step in her direction, coming closer. Now, Tokio had to look up to look in his eyes. He slowly bent his head in her direction and Tokio's breathing quickened as she was sure he could hear her heart beating so loudly in her chest. She put her hands on his forearms while he put his hands around her tiny waist.
As his mouth drew closer to hers and Tokio detached herself from her body: it was an old technique taught to the children so that they could easily analyze their own feelings and Tokio found herself willing to be kissed by that unnerving man, she was eagerly waiting for the feeling of his lips on hers and quickly, she reintegrated her own body.
Closing her eyes, she rose on her toes, offering him her lips, quietly asking him to kiss her and... the door opened revealing her Guardian, Tatsumi.
"Tokio-sama..." Tatsumi froze on his tracks as the sight before his eyes finally made sense: the Miburo, that impure, cold-hearted, bastard killer of the ShisenGumi was about to kiss her!
:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:
The sacred forest around the Domain was freed of all the birds that may have rested in the silence of the forest because of a loud and piercing scream of an outraged male.
Kamuro sighed and shook his head.
The first Elder was standing near the waterfall, it was an enchanting sight: a small waterfall that fell into a little pool, a sacred place surrounded and protected by a dense forest, it was the only place where the sun could clearly be seen in the whole forest. If somebody was there he would have seen the first Elder bent to his knees, looking deeply in the water, put his hands on his face and whispered through his hands:
"I'm so sorry, i'm so sorry... dear child, would you, please, forgive me someday?"
*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Saito and Tokio were sitting quietly near one another in the main room of the Magami main House because first it was the biggest room and second because loads of people were screaming so Kamuro-sama decided to settle this in this room, the most protected one by spells in case someone lost control on himself and attacked someone else with the power, he declared eyeing Tatsumi.
Tokio was nervously looking down, playing with her kimono: Tatsumi had sworn not to tell her brother, father or to Tsuzuki-kun what he saw in her room but still, her guardian's face was still really red from anger.
She looked up at the scene in front of her eyes: Toya wanted to walk her to the city but most of the Elders (Sakuraï, Atsuko, Watari and Ryu) and her father refused to let him go. And as expected when Toya didn't get what he wanted, he got nuts and started yelling around, Tsuzuki-kun was trying to calm him down, but Toya refused to. He kept on arguing that since he was the Magami Heir and as the older brother, he had to make sure that his little sister was well treated.
But, her father, that Toya's outburst really annoyed, pointed out it was useless since none of the Magami spell will be placed on Tokio's room because it would attract more people, after all the Magami family was a mightier one, and had a lot of enemies, not only Muraki.
Sighing, Tokio let her gaze wandered in the room: she focused on every faces in the room, willing to remember any features of their faces, to remember when it will hurt in her skin and soul... Maybe, i'll never come back again...
A hand covered hers that was still playing with the cloth:
"You'll rip it." His quiet voice was calm and deep, he must have sensed... He turned his eyes in her direction and asked, unconsciously massaging her hand with his calloused one:
"What can you tell me about Muraki's gift?"
Tokio swallowed hard and focused on the warmth of his hand playing with hers. His strong hand, rough because of the sword. She took a deep breath but her voice was slightly shaking when she began.
"He's a master of illusion, he can take anybody's look and make you see or feel whatever he wants to. The only way to avoid his trap is a strong will. That's you've got by the way, if you wish to see through the illusion then, you'll see reality. Muraki's power in one amongst the most powerful one but also dangerous one."
"Why?"
"Well, what if it's his own mind that is trapped in the illusion? What if he loses sight of where ends the truth and where begins the illusion?"
Silence followed her last statement as Saito, still playing with her hand and smothering her at the same time, thought about these new information about their prey. He let his gaze wandered on the room and it fell on Tokio's Guardian and his angry face as he obviously boiled with anger at the sight of these two, holding hands.
"Who is he?"
"Who?"
Saito jerked his chin in Tatsumi's direction, Tokio's eyes followed and fell on her Guardian. As usual, Tatsumi was dressed in black, as far as she could remember, Tokio had always seen him in black. He was standing near her father, glaring at Saito, or rather at Saito's hand covering her smaller one and a blush made its way up to her cheeks and turned her head away but doing so, her gaze fell on Kamuro-sama who was staring at them, but he was smiling. He nodded in their direction and Saito let her hand go: he, too, had seen Kamuro's smile. Saito quickly checked around but none other paid attention to him or her, busy at trying to put some sense in Toya's thick head. The First Elder took his attention back to the fight going on as Tokio said in a low voice so that only Saito could hear her all she knew about her Guardian:
"He showed up after my mother's death. I was still very weak and i could die any moment, my brother told me that Tatsumi appeared one day at the front gate, saying that his duty was about to begin. He went straight to my father's office and they talked for hours, finally, my father along with Tatsumi-san came to my room and he declared in front of the whole Magami Clan, which had been gathered on his demand, that Tatsumi-san was now the Magami Children Guardian. That's his real role, in fact."
"Protecting both of you?"
"Yes, but since Toya is really one the strongest people around, he made a pact with Tatsumi-san when he was 11. He promised to Tatsumi-san that he'd be the strongest of our whole family in every possible ways so that all that Tatsumi-san had to do was to watch over me. But, if my brother is really skilled at mastering the power and the way of the sword, he's still really bad at expressing his feeling in another way that yelling." She added with a loving smile, looking at her brother's red face.
"Unlike you..." Saito whispered.
"Huh? What did you say, i'm sorry, Saito-san, i didn't catch it..."
"Never mind. But, i think that we'd better work on some little details."
"Which are?"
"I've sent a letter back to my headquarters, in Kyoto, telling my superior what happened here. I also asked him to prepare the men to your arrival. I told him to make them believe you were my wife, so when you'll move into my room, you won't get too much remarks. Only the Captains of the First and Second Squad of the ShisenGumi know who you truly are, and why you're staying there. So, it would be more natural if you called me by my first name, Tokio."
Tokio gulped at the sound of her name in his mouth. Pretend to be his wife...Then it hit her:
"In your room?" she hissed.
"Don't worry, i'll would hardly be there, i'm supposed to protect Kyoto so i'll be in the streets most of the time, but if not me, one of the other 2 Captains would always remain at your side. But you'll have to act as if you really were my wife so you'll have to work at the restaurant."
"Honto?" Tokio's eyes were glowering with delight. First, it's been ages since she last put a foot outside and now she was allowed to act as a normal person!
"It doesn't bother you?" Saito asked, the girl seemed so happy. Was it what he had just said that made her so happy?
"Not at all! I'm be glad to!" She smiled brightly to him and turned back to the forgotten argument.
"Now, it's enough." She said, loud enough to cover her brother new speech. "I will chose who will walk me to the city, i think it's the easiest way, don't you think, Kamuro-sama?"
Tokio smiled sweetly to the others who had turned their heads in her direction.
Clever little witch. Saito thought. Now, if one of them denied her this, he will go against the first Elder wish along with hers. The smirk grew wider on his lips.
Kamuro smiled too, nodded as the others faces fell.
"Well, she kept on, my brother and my guardian will walk me to the ShinsenGumi's inn, then they will go back to the Magami Domain immediately after."
"Heck, Tokio-chan!" started the angry voices. But another one, one full of power made them all stop.
"My daughter, for once, is right." Reiji Magami watched his last child as if she was stabbing him in the heart. The man's voice was dry and bitter: he was feeling betrayed, again. "You shall obey your sister's wish, Toya, because it's her life that's in cause not the Clan's. This my daughter, is my last gift to you. I wish you good luck and you, Saito-san, good hunt."
In, the silence that followed, all watched the Head Clan rose to his feet and turned to leave the room, he opened the panel and paused, he turned his head back as if willing to add something, shook his head and walked out of the room, his shoulders dropped under the weight of his inner troubles and pain. Saito took a glance at Tokio, she was obviously hurt.
"He still doesn't like the idea, Tokio-chan, you look so much like your mother that it almost pains him physically to think you'll be in such danger because it makes him feel as if your mother was about to die, again." Watari smooth voice soothed Tokio's feelings, the girl brightened a little and nodded, but Saito could tell that she was still pained.
"For him, it's like his second woman is leaving him forever, understand him, Tokio-chan, he already lost your mother in an abrupt way, what if he loses you?" Sakuraï pointed out and Tokio nodded silently, showing that she understood her father's feelings.
"Toya-kun, why don't you and Tatsumi get yourselves ready for the walk to the city?" Kamuro said.
Toya looked up at him, as the Guardian and Saito. So, the latter thought, he wants a word with me. The Elders also left the room with the Magami Heir and the Guardian. Saito quickly turned to Tokio as he felt... nothing from her.
"I kind of froze her for a while, she knows i wish to talk to you in private, so she agreed."
"What was so important and sudden that you had to do this?"
"Hm, i guess it wasn't really subtle..."
"Not exactly." Saito softly added.
"Never mind. Saito-san, i wish to warn you about the link. It's something that Tsuzuki and i have just figured out when we've realized that you... well, Saito-san do you understand that in a soul lies one's mind, identity and of course, feelings? If you, and that's the major risk of a link, get yourself too open to each other, you will lose yourself, I mean both of you or maybe only one, but you won't be able to say when the first ends and where the seconds begins. Do you understand? It's quite hard to explain."
"But i got it."
I've already figured that out. The feelings that were buried inside of me are coming back, punching me... because of her, because she's never been raised to hide her feelings, she's open. I feel it. So unlike me. Damnit! That's her influence on my soul that brings back all those painful memories... Before, if anybody talked about my father i wouldn't care a damn, but now...
"Saito-san" Kamuro's voice interrupted his train of thoughts "you are now part of our Clan, so, if you feel that my help is required, just send a word, and i'll help. As much as i'll be able to, of course."
Saito studied the man in front of him. And bowed to him, to thank him. The Miburo then rose to his feet, put a hand on Tokio's shoulder, waking her up, held out a hand to help her to stand up and together, they left the room under Kamuro's sad look.
:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:
Saito, Tokio, Toya and Tatsumi were standing in front of the main gate, Saito passed it without noticing it while Tokio stopped and stared at it since for her it meant the end of the Elders' protection. Behind her, she felt her brother and guardian stop to allow her to compose herself, to get herself ready to battle.
Saito turned around and watched her, she looked at him and they stared at each other knowing how this first step was difficult for her and that there were no turning back after. The wind turned around her and, as a lover would, it caressed her face making her looked up at the bright blue sky above them. She felt like floating, leaving her body behind along with all her woes and foes. The moment seemed to last forever and she smiled, feeling the warmth of the sun on her face.
As fast as it came, the wind disappeared and she looked down, back on the earth, where the reality kicked in and the smile erased from itself. The wolf was still there, he was still there waiting for her to move, to take that first step, to allow him to begin his hunt. Gritting her teeth, she stepped outside the Magami Domain without any doubt resting in her heart.
Far, far away, somewhere deep within her, she felt a part of her soul sing with joy and glee as it screamed: `Come on, Tokio-chan, time to play!'
End of part 6
Gosh, that was hard, buddy! Now, see you in next part, hope you still like it and that it's not too long and too slow.
mikim
Chapter 6: Let's the hunt begin...
Standards Disclaimers apply.
He was looking at her again, Tokio realized angrily.
She and Saito were in Tokio's bedroom: she was gathering some stuff for the trip and since they've been linked for only a few hours, Kamuro-sama, the First Elder of the Magami Clan, commanded them to stay together to strengthen their link even more.
Saito-san.
Tokio would have never believed that he could accept her help and all what it meant so...easily, after all it took him about 3 minutes to decide himself.
She was folding one of her favorite kimono when she felt his gaze on her, a bit... well harder. That was quite unnerving, Tokio knew they had to stay physically together for the first two days but... he was making it almost like a nightmare: his constant gaze on her that she could feel even without looking made her awkward while packaging her stuff she might need during her stay in the city...
Kyoto... Last time she went there, she was almost 7, with her brother and Tsuzuki, her brother best friend, they had stolen some money from Toya's and Tokio's grand-father, Ryu, so that they could buy some sweets...
Her thoughts drifted to this blessed times, her childhood, when her mother was still alive, when her father would laugh at his children's attics to skip lessons, when she would get anything she wanted from her grand-father by a simple pout of her rosy lips...Before him.
Why did he accept that easily, do i look so desperate to his eyes?
The idea came to her suddenly, she frowned and tried to find out: because his chief asked him to? No, Kondo-san would have left Saito-san to decide after all it was his life he was putting in danger... Because... but Tokio couldn't find any valuable reasons to her eyes.
Tokio sighed heavily and went back packaging, but the thought was still nagging her.
"What do you want to know?" his deep voice caught her by surprise and she dropped the cloth she was folding and turned around.
"What make you think i want to ask you something?"
"You've been torturing this kimono for half a hour." He stated.
"Oh!" Tokio put the cloth aside and folded her hands on her lap, avoiding looking at him straight in his eyes. Gathering her courage, she then asked:
"Why?"
"Why did i agree on this craziness?"
Tokio focused her gaze on her lap, mastered the anger that had risen when he called the problem of her life, well her life a `craziness' and managed to nod.
"Well, he went on, three women have been murdered in my streets. I, as a ShisenGumi, have the duty to stop the killer, whatever it may cost me because it's my own way to follow my justice." His voice was almost relaxed, he was just pointing out facts that were as clear as the day for him, explaining matter of life to a child.
"Faith..." she whispered as she looked up: Saito was sitting in the doorway, his katana was laying at his left, ready to be taken any moment, his back was resting against the door frame and his golden eyes had almost disappeared under his half-closed lids. A wolf, resting on a rock in the sun. The picture flashed in her mind, and she found it so true that she could only stare at Saito. Sure of himself, a belief for which he was fighting, a faith strong enough that he could give his life for it.
"How can someone give one's life to a belief? I don't understand how someone can serve a goal by dying."
"Do you believe in something?" he asked, after a short moment of silence, he went on "I do, that's why you don't understand me, but i don't understand you either. Why had you chosen me? What in me make me worth of your trust that you placed your life in my hands?"
The wind rose in the garden behind Saito, it was a warm and calm summer wind; it entered the room and turned around the girl and only her. Her hair rose lightly as eyes closed she bent her head to the left as if she was listening to the wind. Amazed, Saito watched her and when she opened her eyes, he drowned himself again in the night gaze.
"The wind told me you were the one i needed. I read the future in the wind," she explained "destiny is like red strings attached to your fingers, some bigger that others, some stronger than others but they all represent all the capable futures that can happen but some are destroyed or replaced by the choices that we make. I've seen my death between the hands of my mother's and these girls' killer in a lot of directions, but i've also seen a way to escape this deadly trap...with you. It doesn't mean that we'll win, just that i may live one more day than in a destiny told by another red string attached to my fingers."
"You can see the future?"
"Yeah, but it's not a very reliable power you know, i can't control it and there are so many possibilities that we aren't able to read them all so we have to choose and sometimes, what really happen in real life was told in a string that we decided not to read."
"So, you place your life into the hands of a complete stranger because the wind told you so?" the disbelief in his voice didn't hit, she was used to this reaction with people who didn't know anything about power.
"The wind only showed me the different futures that..."
"You're mental."
"OH! How dare you!" Outraged, Tokio jumped on her feet and glared at Saito. She was about to complete her thought about him, the world and the men in general when he cut her:
"Listen, you barely know me for a couple of hours and because the wind told you to trust me, you did! Do you know who am I? I'm a ShisenGumi Captain, one among the most feared men in Kyoto, what make you think i'm not your Muraki? Kami-sama, how can someone be so irresponsible?"
Saito asked himself if somebody faced could become redder than Tokio's in a so short time as she yelled to him:
"But i know you! I know how your mother died, i know how you mastered the sword, i know how many times you spent in the dojo practicing on your own and i know how your father..."
Saito had risen to his feet and clapped a hand on her mouth, hard.
"Don't you dare to say this aloud." He threatened her, his voice low and harsh, his face was only inches from hers and his amber eyes were glowering with an untold fury.
They stood face-to-face, inches from the other one for what seemed to Tokio hours but barely a minute passed when he let go. He breathed in sharply but didn't move, he kept on staring at her with those burning eyes.
Tokio took a step backward: his hand had come so quickly that she hadn't enough time to react and at this particular moment, she felt really vulnerable. As a butterfly touch, Saito's feelings flashed in her mind...feel like drowning in her eyes...i'm such a coward and a bastard...
Confused, she blinked several times before understanding finally hit home: he has been so angry at what she had said and at his own reaction to her words that he lost control of his mind protection. He was so close.
Get a hold on yourself! Saito yelled to himself but his mind had gone completely blank when she had started to talk about his mother...and his father... And now, he must have frightened her to death! Her skin around her mouth, where he had slapped her, was a little red and Saito wanted to kick himself, he must have hurt her too. And then, she took a step backward, Saito swallowed hard and a foolish little voice panicked and said in his mind that he was about to lose her... as if she had ever belonged to him...she, who have been loved so much that a man devoted his life to her protection, that her mother gave up her life to save her, that... And again, he lost himself again in her eyes... How on earth had he been able to do this to her? Slap her? Hit a woman? She was so close...
Saito took a step in her direction, coming closer. Now, Tokio had to look up to look in his eyes. He slowly bent his head in her direction and Tokio's breathing quickened as she was sure he could hear her heart beating so loudly in her chest. She put her hands on his forearms while he put his hands around her tiny waist.
As his mouth drew closer to hers and Tokio detached herself from her body: it was an old technique taught to the children so that they could easily analyze their own feelings and Tokio found herself willing to be kissed by that unnerving man, she was eagerly waiting for the feeling of his lips on hers and quickly, she reintegrated her own body.
Closing her eyes, she rose on her toes, offering him her lips, quietly asking him to kiss her and... the door opened revealing her Guardian, Tatsumi.
"Tokio-sama..." Tatsumi froze on his tracks as the sight before his eyes finally made sense: the Miburo, that impure, cold-hearted, bastard killer of the ShisenGumi was about to kiss her!
:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:
The sacred forest around the Domain was freed of all the birds that may have rested in the silence of the forest because of a loud and piercing scream of an outraged male.
Kamuro sighed and shook his head.
The first Elder was standing near the waterfall, it was an enchanting sight: a small waterfall that fell into a little pool, a sacred place surrounded and protected by a dense forest, it was the only place where the sun could clearly be seen in the whole forest. If somebody was there he would have seen the first Elder bent to his knees, looking deeply in the water, put his hands on his face and whispered through his hands:
"I'm so sorry, i'm so sorry... dear child, would you, please, forgive me someday?"
*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Saito and Tokio were sitting quietly near one another in the main room of the Magami main House because first it was the biggest room and second because loads of people were screaming so Kamuro-sama decided to settle this in this room, the most protected one by spells in case someone lost control on himself and attacked someone else with the power, he declared eyeing Tatsumi.
Tokio was nervously looking down, playing with her kimono: Tatsumi had sworn not to tell her brother, father or to Tsuzuki-kun what he saw in her room but still, her guardian's face was still really red from anger.
She looked up at the scene in front of her eyes: Toya wanted to walk her to the city but most of the Elders (Sakuraï, Atsuko, Watari and Ryu) and her father refused to let him go. And as expected when Toya didn't get what he wanted, he got nuts and started yelling around, Tsuzuki-kun was trying to calm him down, but Toya refused to. He kept on arguing that since he was the Magami Heir and as the older brother, he had to make sure that his little sister was well treated.
But, her father, that Toya's outburst really annoyed, pointed out it was useless since none of the Magami spell will be placed on Tokio's room because it would attract more people, after all the Magami family was a mightier one, and had a lot of enemies, not only Muraki.
Sighing, Tokio let her gaze wandered in the room: she focused on every faces in the room, willing to remember any features of their faces, to remember when it will hurt in her skin and soul... Maybe, i'll never come back again...
A hand covered hers that was still playing with the cloth:
"You'll rip it." His quiet voice was calm and deep, he must have sensed... He turned his eyes in her direction and asked, unconsciously massaging her hand with his calloused one:
"What can you tell me about Muraki's gift?"
Tokio swallowed hard and focused on the warmth of his hand playing with hers. His strong hand, rough because of the sword. She took a deep breath but her voice was slightly shaking when she began.
"He's a master of illusion, he can take anybody's look and make you see or feel whatever he wants to. The only way to avoid his trap is a strong will. That's you've got by the way, if you wish to see through the illusion then, you'll see reality. Muraki's power in one amongst the most powerful one but also dangerous one."
"Why?"
"Well, what if it's his own mind that is trapped in the illusion? What if he loses sight of where ends the truth and where begins the illusion?"
Silence followed her last statement as Saito, still playing with her hand and smothering her at the same time, thought about these new information about their prey. He let his gaze wandered on the room and it fell on Tokio's Guardian and his angry face as he obviously boiled with anger at the sight of these two, holding hands.
"Who is he?"
"Who?"
Saito jerked his chin in Tatsumi's direction, Tokio's eyes followed and fell on her Guardian. As usual, Tatsumi was dressed in black, as far as she could remember, Tokio had always seen him in black. He was standing near her father, glaring at Saito, or rather at Saito's hand covering her smaller one and a blush made its way up to her cheeks and turned her head away but doing so, her gaze fell on Kamuro-sama who was staring at them, but he was smiling. He nodded in their direction and Saito let her hand go: he, too, had seen Kamuro's smile. Saito quickly checked around but none other paid attention to him or her, busy at trying to put some sense in Toya's thick head. The First Elder took his attention back to the fight going on as Tokio said in a low voice so that only Saito could hear her all she knew about her Guardian:
"He showed up after my mother's death. I was still very weak and i could die any moment, my brother told me that Tatsumi appeared one day at the front gate, saying that his duty was about to begin. He went straight to my father's office and they talked for hours, finally, my father along with Tatsumi-san came to my room and he declared in front of the whole Magami Clan, which had been gathered on his demand, that Tatsumi-san was now the Magami Children Guardian. That's his real role, in fact."
"Protecting both of you?"
"Yes, but since Toya is really one the strongest people around, he made a pact with Tatsumi-san when he was 11. He promised to Tatsumi-san that he'd be the strongest of our whole family in every possible ways so that all that Tatsumi-san had to do was to watch over me. But, if my brother is really skilled at mastering the power and the way of the sword, he's still really bad at expressing his feeling in another way that yelling." She added with a loving smile, looking at her brother's red face.
"Unlike you..." Saito whispered.
"Huh? What did you say, i'm sorry, Saito-san, i didn't catch it..."
"Never mind. But, i think that we'd better work on some little details."
"Which are?"
"I've sent a letter back to my headquarters, in Kyoto, telling my superior what happened here. I also asked him to prepare the men to your arrival. I told him to make them believe you were my wife, so when you'll move into my room, you won't get too much remarks. Only the Captains of the First and Second Squad of the ShisenGumi know who you truly are, and why you're staying there. So, it would be more natural if you called me by my first name, Tokio."
Tokio gulped at the sound of her name in his mouth. Pretend to be his wife...Then it hit her:
"In your room?" she hissed.
"Don't worry, i'll would hardly be there, i'm supposed to protect Kyoto so i'll be in the streets most of the time, but if not me, one of the other 2 Captains would always remain at your side. But you'll have to act as if you really were my wife so you'll have to work at the restaurant."
"Honto?" Tokio's eyes were glowering with delight. First, it's been ages since she last put a foot outside and now she was allowed to act as a normal person!
"It doesn't bother you?" Saito asked, the girl seemed so happy. Was it what he had just said that made her so happy?
"Not at all! I'm be glad to!" She smiled brightly to him and turned back to the forgotten argument.
"Now, it's enough." She said, loud enough to cover her brother new speech. "I will chose who will walk me to the city, i think it's the easiest way, don't you think, Kamuro-sama?"
Tokio smiled sweetly to the others who had turned their heads in her direction.
Clever little witch. Saito thought. Now, if one of them denied her this, he will go against the first Elder wish along with hers. The smirk grew wider on his lips.
Kamuro smiled too, nodded as the others faces fell.
"Well, she kept on, my brother and my guardian will walk me to the ShinsenGumi's inn, then they will go back to the Magami Domain immediately after."
"Heck, Tokio-chan!" started the angry voices. But another one, one full of power made them all stop.
"My daughter, for once, is right." Reiji Magami watched his last child as if she was stabbing him in the heart. The man's voice was dry and bitter: he was feeling betrayed, again. "You shall obey your sister's wish, Toya, because it's her life that's in cause not the Clan's. This my daughter, is my last gift to you. I wish you good luck and you, Saito-san, good hunt."
In, the silence that followed, all watched the Head Clan rose to his feet and turned to leave the room, he opened the panel and paused, he turned his head back as if willing to add something, shook his head and walked out of the room, his shoulders dropped under the weight of his inner troubles and pain. Saito took a glance at Tokio, she was obviously hurt.
"He still doesn't like the idea, Tokio-chan, you look so much like your mother that it almost pains him physically to think you'll be in such danger because it makes him feel as if your mother was about to die, again." Watari smooth voice soothed Tokio's feelings, the girl brightened a little and nodded, but Saito could tell that she was still pained.
"For him, it's like his second woman is leaving him forever, understand him, Tokio-chan, he already lost your mother in an abrupt way, what if he loses you?" Sakuraï pointed out and Tokio nodded silently, showing that she understood her father's feelings.
"Toya-kun, why don't you and Tatsumi get yourselves ready for the walk to the city?" Kamuro said.
Toya looked up at him, as the Guardian and Saito. So, the latter thought, he wants a word with me. The Elders also left the room with the Magami Heir and the Guardian. Saito quickly turned to Tokio as he felt... nothing from her.
"I kind of froze her for a while, she knows i wish to talk to you in private, so she agreed."
"What was so important and sudden that you had to do this?"
"Hm, i guess it wasn't really subtle..."
"Not exactly." Saito softly added.
"Never mind. Saito-san, i wish to warn you about the link. It's something that Tsuzuki and i have just figured out when we've realized that you... well, Saito-san do you understand that in a soul lies one's mind, identity and of course, feelings? If you, and that's the major risk of a link, get yourself too open to each other, you will lose yourself, I mean both of you or maybe only one, but you won't be able to say when the first ends and where the seconds begins. Do you understand? It's quite hard to explain."
"But i got it."
I've already figured that out. The feelings that were buried inside of me are coming back, punching me... because of her, because she's never been raised to hide her feelings, she's open. I feel it. So unlike me. Damnit! That's her influence on my soul that brings back all those painful memories... Before, if anybody talked about my father i wouldn't care a damn, but now...
"Saito-san" Kamuro's voice interrupted his train of thoughts "you are now part of our Clan, so, if you feel that my help is required, just send a word, and i'll help. As much as i'll be able to, of course."
Saito studied the man in front of him. And bowed to him, to thank him. The Miburo then rose to his feet, put a hand on Tokio's shoulder, waking her up, held out a hand to help her to stand up and together, they left the room under Kamuro's sad look.
:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:
Saito, Tokio, Toya and Tatsumi were standing in front of the main gate, Saito passed it without noticing it while Tokio stopped and stared at it since for her it meant the end of the Elders' protection. Behind her, she felt her brother and guardian stop to allow her to compose herself, to get herself ready to battle.
Saito turned around and watched her, she looked at him and they stared at each other knowing how this first step was difficult for her and that there were no turning back after. The wind turned around her and, as a lover would, it caressed her face making her looked up at the bright blue sky above them. She felt like floating, leaving her body behind along with all her woes and foes. The moment seemed to last forever and she smiled, feeling the warmth of the sun on her face.
As fast as it came, the wind disappeared and she looked down, back on the earth, where the reality kicked in and the smile erased from itself. The wolf was still there, he was still there waiting for her to move, to take that first step, to allow him to begin his hunt. Gritting her teeth, she stepped outside the Magami Domain without any doubt resting in her heart.
Far, far away, somewhere deep within her, she felt a part of her soul sing with joy and glee as it screamed: `Come on, Tokio-chan, time to play!'
End of part 6
Gosh, that was hard, buddy! Now, see you in next part, hope you still like it and that it's not too long and too slow.
mikim