Author's Notes: See chapter one for disclaimer and explanation.
Love, Life, and Death By Annie-chan Chapter Twenty-One: AbductionShôryû Village.
It was night, and all respectful people were in bed. It was not too terribly late, but most people in the streets at this time were people you wouldn't want to encounter in the darkness. But, there were less of the dregs of society out tonight as usual, for it was raining fairly hard.
A figure appeared at the edge of town, apparently heedless of the rain. It was shrouded in darkness, the moon and the stars blocked out by the rain clouds. The figure was that of a tall man, but something about him was awry. Not only did he seem to ignore the rain entirely, but, if one looked, two transparent wing-like shapes issued from his spine. Or, was it his shoulder blades? You couldn't tell in the darkness and rain. You could barely tell they were even there.
The being walked resolutely through the streets, as if it knew exactly where it was going. It hadn't gone far, when it stopped in front of a house, staring at the front door. It stood there for many minutes, not moving a muscle. The rain fell relentlessly, soaking the being thoroughly. It still didn't seem to mind. But, then again, it didn't seem to be getting wet, either. The hair and clothes were not weighed down. Indeed, they looked as if the weather was dry, but the raindrops were clearly landing on the being, as they were landing on everything else. Or, were they?
If one stood watching the being from the house it was staring at, they would discern two eyes, glowing with a distinct, yet faint, golden light. The eyes were slightly narrowed, as if in thought. The being's hands were folded into its sleeves, making it look a little defensive. The face, besides the eyes, was completely hidden by the rain and darkness, but one got the impression it had a thoughtful expression. Or, maybe a bit of a perpetual scowl.
If anyone had been indeed watching, they immediately thought themselves either ill or mad when they witnessed they being's next action. The being suddenly dissolved into a small rush of water, and entered the house under the door. The water began forming again into a humanoid shape as it entered. When finished, the being stood in the middle of the front room, as dry as if it had just walked in out of the sun. The floor was dry as well, leaving no trace of its method of entrance.
The being stood still for a moment, surveying the room. It wasn't terribly interested, but it felt like looking. The room was dim, of course, but the being could tell it was fairly cozy. It wasn't the most impressive house in the village, but the owners of this house were pretty well off.
The being eventually turned its gaze toward a hallway leading off from the front room. It was the first two doors in that hallway that drew its attention. One door held no immediate interest for the being at the moment. It meant to pay a visit to the occupants of that room, but not right now. The other room held the being's current targets. It strode over to that door and silently opened it. Inside, it could see two small children, sleeping soundly. It walked to the bedside of the larger one, the girl. She looked just like her father. Looking over to the other child, the boy, the being saw a strong resemblance to the mother.
The being moved away a bit from the girl's bed, so it was equidistant from both children. It held its arms out almost horizontal, murmuring the words of a spell. It needed to be quiet. The being wanted the occupants of the next room to stay sleeping for a few minutes more, and there was certainly no need to rouse the entire village with one of its more spectacular methods of capturing prey.
The two children were gently lifted off their beds and encased in bubbles of substance that glowed the faintest blue. They did not awaken just yet. However, when the bubbles carrying them followed the being out the door, the movement and the perpetual chill inside the bubbles woke them, and they immediately began crying, scared of this new, confusing experience.
Shut up, or I'll drown you both! the being snapped mentally. It had a deep hatred for these children, due to the identity of their father, and it had half a mind to kill them right here and now. It refrained, however, and its threat was enough to make the children cease crying. They continued to whimper, but that was of no concern. The being entered the second room.
There she was. The being's eyes softened at the sight of her, love so potent it hurt welling up. It walked slowly over to the bedside, but stopped and looked down and to the side. At its feet was a baby basket holding a little girl, perhaps a few weeks old. The being gritted its teeth, hatred coursing through it. Yes, it hated even this innocent baby. She was the latest addition into the household, the latest defilement bestowed upon the mother by the accursed father, and most likely not the last. The being felt unimaginable fury that, for eight years, the object of its affections had been used by its worst enemy in that way. The being bent down and picked up the sleeping child, actively having to restrain itself from squeezing the life out of her.
The baby started squirming as the being's cold hands lifted her from her cradle. After a few seconds, she woke up fully and began crying. The little girl's cries woke a small white cat that was sleeping on the bed before they woke the mother. The cat jumped up, its fur raised at the intruder, and hissed. When the being didn't retreat, the cat began pawing at the woman's face, meowing. The woman, already waking up, opened her eyes.
"Mm, what is it, Tama?" the woman sleepily inquired, sitting up and rubbing at her eyes. "Oh, don't get so upset over Hana crying. I'll take care of—!" She suddenly broke off when a startled gasp. She saw the intruder holding her youngest daughter, and was immediately afraid. "Dare da?!" she shakily demanded.
The being put the baby back in the cradle and turned toward the woman. "Really, Kôran? Is that how you greet old friends?" There was no malice in its voice, only amusement at Kôran's reaction to it.
"Nani…?" Kôran asked, clutching the blankets to her, blocking the being from seeing her nightclothes.
"Don't you know who I am?" the being asked, stepping closer. There was a hint of disappointment in its voice now.
Kôran stared at the being standing at her bedside. That voice…that stance…she had seen them many times before. The silhouette was a bit different, but…
"Hikô…kimi desu ka?"
"Hai," Hikô replied.
Kôran seemed stretched between two reactions. The sparkle in her eyes held elation at seeing her old friend again, as well as fear at being visited by someone long since dead. After a struggle, she chose the latter reaction.
"Dô shite…why are you here?!" she whispered, her voice trembling. "You…you're dead!"
"Yes and no," Hikô replied. "My mortal body died in the waters. What you see before you is not my ghost, but a more powerful body identical to my first, harboring enormous power. Power enough to defeat that fool who claims to love you."
"Nani?!" Kôran cried. "Hôjun?! No! Don't hurt him!" Something in Hikô's voice made it plain to her that he was very capable of matching, if not besting, Hôjun in an all-out fight.
"I'm afraid I have to," Hikô answered, venom on his tongue. "I have to make that bastard pay. He not only took from me the one person I hold dear, but my life as well. I have to make him pay dearly for the sins he's committed against me! He took from me all that is dear to me, so I will take from him all that is dear to him!"
Kôran's eyes widened. All that is dear to Hôjun…oh, Suzaku! The children! She jumped up out of bed, and as soon as her feet hit the floor, she leapt toward Hana's cradle. She had the intention of grabbing it and running to Tori and Seiryoku's room. If they couldn't run, they should at least be all together in one spot.
She was stopped abruptly when a strong arm wrapped tightly around her waist and kept her from going forward. She struggled, trying to break Hikô's hold on her, gripping the fabric of his sleeves tightly as she tried to shove him away. Her inferior strength gave way, and she felt herself pushed back down onto the bed. Her grip on his clothes was tight enough, that she pulled him down on top of her as she fell.
"Iya da!" she cried, his superior weight pinning her firmly to the bed. Ideas of rape and murder stole frantically through her head. "Hanase!" Even her cries were hampered as she felt a cold hand close over her mouth. Even so, Tori and Seiryoku were screaming for their mother outside the door. Tama-neko, having recovered from the shock of them both falling back on the bed, leapt up to Hikô's face, hissing and spitting, and tried to claw out his eyes. Hikô cursed and grabbed the cat with his free hand, flinging it across the room into a wall. It connected with a lout thunk.
"Now," Hikô said, turning back to Kôran, his hand still over her mouth, "I'm taking you and your children with me. I could have just killed the brats as soon as I came here, but I won't. Not until I kill Hôjun himself. The more bait I have, the sooner my prey will come to me."
Kôran was trembling violently. This had to be a nightmare! She realized with a sinking feeling that all of this was real as he yanked her into a standing position beside the bed, hurting her arm as he did so. Still holding onto her, he bent down to Hana again and picked the baby up one-handed, snagging the front of her clothes and picking her up that way. If her clothes ripped, she would be dashed against the floor.
Hikô handed her roughly to Kôran. "Take your child." He then led Kôran, who held the baby tightly against her chest, out into the hallway. She gasped when she saw her other two children, suspended in the air and sobbing.
"No!" she cried again, pulling against his grasp on her arm. "Take me, if you must! But, not my children! They've done nothing!"
"Nothing, ne?" Hikô repeated scornfully. "They are of the Ri family. That alone is enough to do away with them!" He looked directly into her eyes, his voice a little quieter as he continued. "They and their father are the last of the Ris. I won't rest until they all lay cold. The only reason I haven't killed these three yet is to lure the father to me."
"Demo," Kôran said, her voice pleading, "I am a Ri, as well! Why not want me dead, as well?"
"You are a Ri by name only, not by blood," Hikô replied. "The sole reason you bear that name is that the last surviving son took you to wife. All the others of that family are dead, leaving me only your husband and children to do away with."
Kôran was in tears. "Hikô, what happened to you?! You were never like this before!"
"Times change," he said, sounding bitter. "People change."
"Hikô…" Kôran murmured through her tears. "Why do you hate Hôjun so much? Why must you take this revenge on not only him, but his children as well?"
"That bastard betrayed me," Hikô hissed through clenched teeth. "He took you from me, my one true love. Not only that, but he had the audacity to take my life, even when I had given up my pursuit of you! He paid no heed to me as I pleaded for my life! He let the river take me without a second thought!" He let go of Kôran's arm, his head bowed, his fists clenched. He was shaking. "He let me dangle for a few minutes. I thought he had changed his mind, that he didn't want me to die, that he was going to pull me up. But…he wrenched his hand away…he let me die!"
Kôran was free to run if she wanted to, but she didn't. She couldn't just leave Tori and Seiryoku here with Hikô. Plus, she felt sudden pity for the once-human before her. She laid a hand on his arm. "Hikô…that's not—"
He jerked away from her as soon as he felt her touch, as if it burned. "Don't try to defend him! It will only make it hurt more to know how he's deceived you!" In the darkness, Kôran could see tears making their way down his face. "I love you, Kôran!" he continued. "I won't stop until you're free of him! Until you are mine! I can't live anymore without you beside me!"
Oh, Suzaku, Kôran thought, dismayed. He's still obsessed with me! She began to back away, clutching Hana to her. "Hikô…"
His hand suddenly shot out and grabbed hold of her arm again, squeezing hard enough as to almost make her cry out. She couldn't stop him as he pulled her forward into a tight embrace. Hana, squished between them, started crying. He cursed under his breath, grabbed the baby out of Kôran's arms, and threw her into Tori's bubble, suspending the two sisters together. Kôran couldn't speak as he crushed her to his chest, his tears falling into her hair.
"Oh, gods, I love you so much!" he murmured into her long, loose hair, stroking it lovingly. "I'll never let you go again!"
Kôran merely stood there, not returning the embrace. Tears of her own slid down her cheeks. Extreme sorrow and regret was washing through her, and she couldn't help but cry. Suzaku! Why did it have to turn out this way?!
She barely noticed as she, Hikô, and the two bubbles containing the children dissolved into water, which exploded outwards, teleporting them to his lair. The house was left dry as a bone, no sign of a Water Demon having been there. She opened her eyes a minute later, and gasped when she realized they were in a huge, damp cave. "Hikô…? Koko wa doko da?"
"This is my home," Hikô replied letting go of her. "It's been my home for the past eight years. It's not so bad, once you get used to it. It didn't take me long, being a Water Demon."
"Demon?!" she cried, staring wide-eyed at him. "You're a—"
"Damare!" he suddenly snapped. "It was a necessary transformation!" He wasn't happy about her shock over it. He grabbed her arm, leading her over to a large shelf of rock, cut off from the rest of the cave floor. There was no water under their feet here. The two bubbles followed and set themselves gently (more or less) on the shelf, popping. Tori, holding Hana, and Seiryoku ran over to their mother and clung to her legs.
"You'll have to wait here," Hikô said. "With a little luck, I should be able to lure Hôjun here by this time tomorrow."
Hikô's purpose suddenly returned to Kôran's thoughts. He meant to kill her husband and children, and to take possession of her. Her fear returned as well. Hikô had turned and was walking away, and she went after him. "Hikô! Come ba—" As soon as she was about to step off the shelf, she found herself frozen in place, unable to move forward. All she could do was move backward back onto the shelf. Hikô turned around.
"I've put a ward there," he explained. "Only my master and I can go through it. No one else can get on or off that shelf of rock."
"Very good, Hikô," a deep voice sounded from across the cave.
Hikô spun around, clearly startled. Kôran's eyes widened as she saw a strange-looking man materialize on the other side of the cave. He wasn't that far away, and she could see his slit eyes glowing with an orangey-silver light. He was very tall, dressed all in black, and his silver hair was impossibly long, just brushing the shallow water that covered most of the cave floor. Kôran felt a distinct feeling of dread, and backed away to the stone cave wall behind her, her children following. She took Hana from Tori and held her protectively to her breasts.
"Tenkô-sama!" Hikô exclaimed, clearly surprised at his master's sudden entrance. He bowed in respect. "I didn't expect you at the moment!"
Tenkô disappeared and reappeared in front of his servant, placing his hand on Hikô's head. It was a gesture of acceptance of Hikô's fealty, as well as a signal to straighten back up. He looked up toward Kôran, stepping up onto the shelf and coming closer. Kôran was cowering back in a corner, her terrified children behind her, her baby still clutched to her chest. Her face was turned away, and she refused to look at the Demon God nearing her. Words couldn't describe the fear she felt at the presence of such utter evil. All she could think of was Hôjun. Hikô apparently got his power from this monster, and he planned to use it to kill Hôjun and the children. She couldn't help but wonder if Hikô's master would have a part in it, as well. She shuddered to think of what they would do to her loved ones.
He knelt down next to her, taking her chin in his hand and forcing her to look at him. His orange eyes burned into her, their gaze so intense she was sure he was reading her soul. Tears started down her cheeks again; she couldn't look into his eyes long, but she had no choice. She was trembling violently.
A chilling smile crossed Tenkô's angular face. "You really are a beautiful creature," he whispered to her, his silky smooth voice dripping with deadly power. "Now I see why Hikô desires you so much. I'd take you for myself, if I hadn't already promised you to him. I have too much honor to break my promises."
"You have no honor at all, you monster!" Kôran hissed, though she didn't know what gave her the courage to do so.
Tenkô's smile disappeared. "You're a spirited wench, aren't you?" he questioned, and slapped her sharply across the face before she could respond. The force of the blow made her gasp, and he felt a twinge of anger from Hikô. He knew very well Hikô hadn't the power or the guts to challenge him, so he ignored his servant's reaction. He stood back up. "I'd advise you to not speak to me like that ever again." With that, he disappeared out of the cave.
Hikô looked like he wanted to say something, but shut his mouth before any words came out. He turned around and disappeared in a splash, leaving Kôran and her children alone.
Kôran gathered her three children to her, holding them tightly, crying silently. Suzaku! she prayed. Save my husband and children! Onegai!
To be continued…Author's Notes: This chapter turned out longer than I expected. I also originally intended to include two other segments, which will now constitute chapter twenty-two. Oh, well. No harm done. Anyway, I don't know if chapter twenty-two will be out soon or not. It may take a while for three reasons. First, I have school, and second, I just got a job (at Suncoast Video, my fave store for getting anime! =D). No telling what kind of time I will or won't have for writing. Third, I'm still waiting for the last few Fushigi Yûgi mangas I need to arrive from Japan. I want to write the confrontation between Hôjun and Hikô (at least the parts that stay true to Watase-sama's original) while I'm looking at the manga, so I can get it accurate. I don't know when they'll arrive—I'm hoping it's soon—so it may be a few weeks. So, be patient. Please leave a review! I didn't get any feedback between June and chapter twenty, and I don't want to get none again! Let me know what you think in a review or at mangareader@hotmail.com, onegai shimasu!