My excessive use of 'san'; try to remember that Seiji would have extremely polite children and therefore them saying Anubis-san, etc would be normal for them.
Yuki stood just inside the balcony doors, arms crossed over her chest watching unnoticed by those on the grass below her. One month after the death of her beloved parents her brother was finally regaining some semblance of the happy teenager he had been prior to that devastating experience. He was laughing openly once again and the sad look that nearly broke her heart each time she saw it seemed to appear less and less often.
Ryo-ojisan was right. She admonished grudgingly as she watched Hiko and Shiro Sanada practice their kempo diligently under the critical eye of… she growled… Shuten doji. Her eyes drifted to the hated man standing below with Hiko and Shiro, her teeth grinding and jaw clenching as she watched the boys turn their worshipful eyes on him, as if he were some kind of super hero.
As much as she hated to admit it, Shuten doji's presence seemed to be just what her brother needed. She personally didn't understand what her brother could find to talk about with such a stoic and stuffy pain in the ass, however Hiko seemed to enjoy having him around and Yuki would not deny her brother Shuten's company no matter what her feelings.
Stepping out onto the sunlit balcony, feeling the warmth through her sweater even as the light autumn breeze brushed its chilly fingers messing her hair and caressing her skin and making her smile. She used to enjoy the fall, it meant that soon the snow would come and with that lots of celebrating and visiting her father's family home in the mountains. Now the fall only served to remind her of all that she had lost, her smile faded as the sadness filled her once again but she was learning to play this game well. Closing her eyes she forced the sadness away, burying it deep in her heart where no one would see her weakness, opening her eyes again only after the emotion was locked away and it was as if the sadness never was.
She continued to watch unnoticed the progress of the two boys below and smiled when Hiko performed a leg sweep and dumped an unsuspecting Shiro onto his backside. Laughter drifted up and she turned her eyes on the man who stood nearby, narrowing her eyes curiously on Shuten doji she wondered why his laughter was so quiet and hesitant. She wouldn't have called it forced; it was more like the laughter of someone, who was not used to doing so, as if… he didn't know how to laugh.
Why was that? She wondered her head tipping curiously as she contemplated the man below. Despite what she thought of him, he was still rather pleasant to look at she noticed, not for the first time. That red hair alone was enough to make her want to run her fingers through it; straight as her own it draped over his shoulders like China silk and when the sun hit it, as it did now, it blazed like fire. His face was almost regal in its sharpness and eyes the color of the sea were set off by the depth of the knowledge they held, as if he knew more than he should, as if… he had seen a great many things in his youth. Added to all of this the power that emanated from him made Shuten doji one attractive package.
Too bad he's such an arrogant ass. She thought silently still holding onto her grudge and as if she had spoken aloud and he had heard her he turned and looked straight into her eyes. The laughter quickly faded from his eyes to be replaced with an emotion that she could not name but seemed to burn with intensity and Yuki had to force herself not to be intimidated, not to look away.
"Oneesan!"
"Yuki-neesan!"
Both of the boys cried simultaneously and she broke away from Shuten's intense gaze to smile at them and return their enthusiastic waves. She listened to them chat for a few moments and then reminded them that they were keeping their sensei waiting and that it wasn't polite. Her eyes drifted back to Shuten doji who smiled and gave a slight nod. She remained staring at him for a few moments longer, then nodded in return and walked back inside the house wondering why the hell she hadn't just delivered her usual scathing glance that let him know she thought more of the bottom of her shoes than him.
Because he has helped Hiko more than you could ever thank him for. She reprimanded herself, feeling slightly guilty over her rude behavior. Che… I don't care what he's done or how good-looking he is, I still don't like him.
Yuki stomped off to her bedroom and changed into her shorts and tee shirt, not bothering with etiquette since she would be practicing by herself she made her way back down stairs and to her father's dojo. Removing one of the bokken from the wall she began her warm up routine, then ran through the moves that her father had taught her since infancy. Increasing her pace as thoughts of him began to intrude, pushing herself as she pushed thoughts of him, the absence of him, from her head. From her heart. With Sayuri here she would not have had the chance to think of anything except her opponent, nearly as good as she, Sayuri had also learned the art of kendo from her father. He'd been a good teacher, infinitely patient and kind; it was this that made Yuki excel, the burning desire to please her father who was simply pleased that she was… that she was, just that, nothing more. Yuki could feel the painful ache in her chest following fast on the heels of her thoughts, if she didn't reel them in soon she would lose control, she tried to focus on the movements she knew so well. When she failed to perform one of the most basic of moves without fault she stopped and started again, only to repeat the same mistake. Continually she tried to complete the maneuver and continually she failed, growing increasingly frustrated with each attempt until she felt like she were going to cry, which she responded to in a manner that had become all too familiar to her… anger. When her last attempt failed to produce the results she wanted she clutched her bokken in a death like grip and struck the floor, screaming her frustration to the empty air. She could not move, could only stand still, her chest heaving from her efforts, to perform perfectly and control her aching emotions had taken a great deal of effort and even then she had not done both.
"Kuso." She berated herself while panting. "What's wrong with me?"
"You try too hard child." The sound of Shuten doji's voice made her turn sharply to the door, surprised that she hadn't detected him earlier. "In everything…"
"What the hell do you know about it?" She asked, her eyes narrowed on him suspiciously wondering how long he'd been standing there, smiling disconcertingly at her.
The smile quickly disappeared at her harsh tone and rude question, he stared for a moment then shrugged his shoulder and turned to leave. Her anger dissipated as she stared at his retreating back, it was soon replaced by an overwhelming sense of shame at her behavior. Her parents would never have wanted her to behave in such a manner, especially after what he'd done for Hiko. Sighing deeply she dropped her bokken and went after him.
"Shuten doji-San!" She noticed his back stiffening before he turned around, she continued down the short hallway and stopped in front of him. "Gomen nasai, I… I should never have spoken to you like that; after all you've done… for Hiko. I… I'm sorry."
He was silent for so long that Yuki thought he was going to ignore her and continue walking away, either way she was obligated to wait for his decision, she owed him the apology but that did not mean he had to accept it.
"You do not owe me anything for Toyohiko, I enjoy teaching him." Shuten finally spoke.
She supposed she didn't deserve any more of a response than what she got after the way she had treated him, well, in this instance anyhow. Suddenly weary, Yuki offered a small bow while whispering 'thank you, just the same', to which he bowed and then walked away. She remained where she was until he disappeared into the main part of the house and then went back to the dojo to clear away any evidence that someone had been there.
Knowing that Sayuri was still out shopping with her mother Yuki opted for a walk through her mother's garden. The cold struck her immediately and she hissed against the chill running through her sweat soaked tee shirt, this chill was soon replaced by another… the absence of her mother from the garden. Just as the dojo sang sorrowfully for her father so did every tree, every pebble of this garden sing for her mother; begging for her return, just as she did, begging for a smile, just as she did, begging for a single word. Just as she did.
Yuki was too weary to stop her train of thought, or maybe not weary enough she decided and set off for a run, each step taking her closer and closer to the point of exhaustion. She ran along the perimeter of the forest, staying in the open areas, her legs carrying her along quickly, steadily until she neared the area where her parents were buried, where there stood a lone figure, with blue hair.
Touma-ojisan, what is he doing out here? She wondered, her run slowing to barely more than a walk and then stopping all together as she realized it was not Touma but Anubis, which she thought to be even more out of the ordinary. She resumed her running until she reached his side, her steps alone should have gained his attention but he remained unaffected even by her heavy breathing. Only willing to remain silent beside him for so long Yuki's patience was fast wearing thin and just as she was about to blast him for ignoring her, he spoke…
"Have you come to be with your mother and father?" He asked her quietly.
"No!" She answered wishing to dispel any idea that he might have that she would kill herself over her parent's death.
"I can leave if you wish to visit with them in private." He finally turned and met her eyes, like Shuten doji's there was a vastness in their depths.
"No. No thank you." She answered more calm this time and slightly embarrassed at misunderstanding him. "I only came up here because I saw you here."
He raised an eyebrow at her then turned back to the granite markers in front of him.
"Who is this third one?" He asked pointing. "It looks as though it's been here quite some time."
"That one belongs to a small boy who saved my mother's life during the war." She answered quietly remembering her mother and father talking about Jun. "She and Otousan tried to find his parents after the war but they were never able to find anything."
"They must have perished during the war as well." Anubis answered quietly
"I don't know how Okaasan remained so… compassionate and warm after living through such an inhumane war." She spoke absently as she kept her eyes trained on Jun's headstone, very purposely avoiding looking at her mother and fathers.
"Your mother's capacity to love others is… was, remarkable." Anubis commented oddly wistful. "Nasuti was remarkable."
"And my father, Anubis-san?" She asked quietly needing to hear something, anything about him, meeting his eyes as he turned to look at her sharply. "What of him?"
Silence resumed and Yuki soon noticed a softening in his eyes as he continued to meet her pleading look.
"Your father… without question he and your mother belonged together." Anubis' quiet voice spoke as if he were reminiscing. "He had the purest of souls, nothing ugly to cloud his judgment or abilities. His only weakness was loving your mother beyond measure…"
Yuki stared as he grew silent and his eyes seemed to grow sad as he lifted his hand to his face and traced over the scar that ran from his brow to below his eye. She wondered what he was thinking about and was contemplating asking him when she thought better of it, opting instead to leave him to his quiet contemplation.
"Thank you, Anubis-san." She spoke and smiled with sincerity, wondering at the odd look he gave her when she did so and could not help asking him. "What is it?"
"You look a great deal like your father." He answered her after several minutes of silent observation, she nodded in agreement. "Your smile however, you inherited from your mother."
Embarrassed she looked away and he was silent again for several minutes.
"I suspect that underneath all that armor." His voice light and teasing. "You are probably more like your mother than you let on."
"I don't think Shuten doji would agree with you." She matched his tone.
"Feh… Shuten is an ass… he speaks when he should not and never says the right thing when he does." Anubis' sourly spoken analogy made her snicker. "Old habits are difficult to break I suppose, even for him."
Yuki shivered as the cool autumn breeze cut through her still damp tee shirt, the warmth that her jog had provided her was now gone. Her teeth chattering she looked back in the direction of the house before turning to face Anubis again.
"Would you like to come back to the house?" She asked.
He smiled and shook his head.
"No, but thank you." He spoke softly. "I think I'll stay here and visit a little longer."
She nodded, then bowed slightly before turning away and running back the same route she had come, leaving Anubis to stare after her until she was out of sight then he turned back to the three ominous stones, unnaturally upright in the earth.
Leave it to you two to produce such a child. He thought silently and could almost see their smiles reflecting his own.
It wasn't long before Yuki had the chance to see Anubis again, as well as Shuten doji, Naaza, her uncles and their children. In fact as it turned out they soon became near permanent fixtures, her uncles and the others seemed to have a great deal to talk about. Training in the dojo resumed making her father's absence even more pronounced than before, Yuki did as she believed he would have wished however, listening to Ryo, Touma and even Shuten doji's instructions. She had even invited Anubis into the dojo to spar with her and help her with techniques once she had discovered that, like her father, he too wielded a sword very well.
In the three weeks that followed the dojo became her only solace, often sneaking off to train relentlessly in the middle of the night, working through her overwrought emotions until she was simply too exhausted to think anymore. It seemed that as of late every shortcoming, every weakness and every flaw in her character was displayed and exploited for everyone to see. As much as she tried to avoid Shuten, to reveal nothing but stoic silence and politeness around him, he somehow managed, without ever uttering a word to show her at her worse to everyone.
Her continued lateness in rising each morning was noted with direct exposure when she had slept in and he had insisted breakfast be held for her. No one was allowed to so much as nibble one bite of their food until she managed to present herself at the table, it happened only twice and she had felt so guilty that she had dutifully shown up at the same time as everyone else. Her appearance often left a great deal to be desired and that too was duly noted, bloodshot eyes, hair in disarray and hastily donned, crumpled clothing but she had made sure no one was kept waiting. Not long after, her foul mouth and hot-headed temper was also revealed to its greatest disadvantage, once Shin had gotten a taste of the awful meals Touma had subjected them to he had taken over the planning of the meals, often cooking them himself. However, he was not always available to cook and so they each took turns.
She and Hiko were stuck making tempura one night for the entire household and it was bad enough that they all learned she couldn't cook but to make matters worse, she'd grown increasingly frustrated at her continued mistakes, not cooking it enough or cooking it far too much. She blew up when everyone laughed at her ineptitude when Hiko didn't have any problems with it and then she let loose a stream of curse words that could easily offend even the worst of truck drivers when she burnt her hand on the wok. Catching Shuten's raised eyebrows and discerning frown at every turn, every mistake, and every show of her unrefined character.
And now here she was, sparring with her little brother while Shuten and Anubis, as well as Touma, Sayuri and Shiro all lined against the walls, watching, waiting for her to make a mistake, to show her faults, to laugh at her once more. She watched through her mask, sizing up her brother, noticing the small changes in him since he'd turned fifteen months ago. He was getting taller and stronger, soon there would be nothing left of her little brother, a young man will have replaced him, she turned toward Ryo when he asked if they were ready, waiting for his hand to drop, her eyes shifted over to Shuten briefly, noticed the determination in his eyes. The determination to see her fail, to exploit her shortcomings even in this. Never! In this she had no faults, in this she was perfect and she would show everyone… Ryo's hand dropped and she wasted little time, tagging Hiko time after time, dodging his attempts to hit her. She heard Shuten's voice above the battle 'Concentrate Toyohiko, you are better than this.'
She did not know why it grated on her already overwrought nerves to hear him cheer her brother on when there was no compliment, no praise, nothing for her. Exhausted and beaten down she allowed anger to surge through her, anger that found an outlet in her unprotected younger brother who was coming at her, weapon raised over his right shoulder to strike. She waited patiently, eyes narrowing and a small smile appearing on her mouth, she would show them all. Shifting her left leg back to give her better striking power; she drove her bokken straight into his chest, sending him flying back and landing on his rear, gasping and clutching at the point where she struck him.
"Shiroto da! Get up!" She shouted at him, her voice growing quieter with each word but still loud and abrasive enough for everyone to hear. "Our father would've never made a mistake like that at fifteen… and you would have never made a mistake like that if he were still alive."
"Yuki!" Ryo shouted angrily and she turned to look at him sharply. The look in his eyes was enough to remind her of the boundaries she had overstepped; he was angry and disappointed.
She gasped as the realization hit her, eyes widening as she scanned the faces of the others, her uncles and those who were her friends. Even Sayuri's eyes were narrowed in disapproval as she met them and Yuki could not help but feel shame as she looked back at her brother.
"Hiko… Hiko-kun… I'm so sorry." She pleaded with him, shaking her head.
"'S okay Oneesan." He made light of her comments as he slowly climbed to his feet.
She continued to shake her head, knowing that it was not okay, that what she'd said and done was completely un-called for, disrespectful and hurtful.
"No… no, I should never have said those things." She stepped back as he moved closer. "I had no right to talk to you…"
Yuki's eyes met Shuten doji's over the top of her brother's head, they were filled with what she could only recognize as disappointing sadness and that was unbearable. Hatred, anger and disdain she could take from him, from anyone, but this… this bordered on pity and that she could not take, not from anyone but especially not from him.
'Please forgive me 'niichan." She whispered, lowering her eyes to her brothers and then down to the bokken she only then remembered that she was still holding. Her father's bokken… fearing her actions might have tainted it somehow she dropped it. "I'm so very sorry… Please forgive me."
Hiko watched his older sister's wide-eyed gaze drift down to the bokken she still held in her right hand and was startled when she dropped it as if it had burned her. She backed up, toward the garden all the while still muttering her apologies and he merely followed, his hand out wanting, begging her not to leave.
"Oneesan." He pleaded following her. "It's okay… Please, don't leave."
She merely shook her head and continued backing away from him.
"I'll try harder Oneesan." He continued pleading with her. "Please… just don't leave."
This only seemed to spur her on as she slid open the shoji door, turned and ran through their mother's garden and beyond, disappearing into the woods, the chill of the cold afternoon following behind her. Hiko started to head out after her when the light touch of a strong hand rest on his shoulder.
"Let her be Toyohiko." Shuten's voice halted him in his steps. "She will not take comfort from anyone in this."
Hiko wished he could be angry at what his sister had said to him, however, the truth is, she was right. As unjust and hurtful and as much as he knew that she did not really mean them, she was not far from the truth. His father would never have made such a mistake at ten, let alone at fifteen and he would never have made such a mistake if his father were still alive.
He'd been such a baby since his parent's death, crying and requiring so much attention from everyone that he knew; he should be ashamed of himself. He'd just been so frightened when they'd first died, frightened that soon Yuki would be gone, as well as Ryo-ojisan and Touma-ojisan and also Sayuri-san. He could not bear thinking of anything bad happening to her, to any of them… still he should have shouldered more of the grief, more of the burden of his mother and father leaving them. It had been far too easy to let Yuki do it, to let her hold him when he cried in the night, losing sleep because he could not find sleep or comfort without her. To let her accept all of the condolences offered by those who also mourned their parents, sheltering him against any unwanted attention, sympathetic or otherwise. To let her take on the role of protector, growing harder to keep him safe from anything that would disturb his oversensitive disposition. Each time she'd taken the brunt of Shuten's contemptuous looks for showing up late, or the scornful rolling of his eyes as she cursed out loud and even just now. When she had hit him with that bokken and sent him sprawling onto the floor then shouted at him, belittled him in front of others only to bring the derision on herself. He had deserved it all… it was his nightmares, his tears that kept her up all night. He cowered behind her when business that he did not want to face arose and the hard, outer shell that she revealed to the world behind her piercing eyes and foul mouth was merely in retaliation to the pain. She wanted to be strong for him, so that he wouldn't have to, so that he wouldn't feel the pain that she felt, so that she could spare him some of that which she knew was there.
I'm so very sorry Oneesan. His thoughts silently repeating the words she had only a moment ago said to him. Please forgive me.
"They seem so troubled." A masculine voice drifted throughout the vast emptiness of that which had no boundaries. "Do you think we could talk to them, just once?"
"We really should not interfere." Came the sympathetic reply of the woman who stood with him, her arms wrapped comfortingly around his waist, her cheek against his shoulder as she too watched with troubled eyes.
"I'm worried about them." His brow drawing together as his frown deepened.
"It's natural for you to worry about them, you're their father." She chuckled and he turned to look at her, eyes narrowing at the gleam in her eye. "You warrior types… I swear, all tough and mean on the outside but inside, you're as soft as marshmallow."
He smiled and kissed her, not denying a word of it.
"There is one person I can ask to help them through this." She suggested lightly watching his smile disappear, as he knew exactly whom she was referring to. "I've been wanting to ask him about this gift of our son's anyhow."
"That arrogant ass?" He scoffed. "I would prefer that he not get involved any more with our children than he already has."
"Are you the one who's been planting those words in our daughter's head?" She asked him, incredulous, glaring at him as he tried to hide a smile.
"She doesn't need my help in that arena." He no longer tried to hide his humor, she continued to glare at him and he turned back to the view of his children. "I'll admit, he has helped our son a great deal. He seems to be rather hard on her though, are you certain what you told me is true?"
"Very certain." She answered without hesitation then added with a smile. "Even if that arrogant ass doesn't realize it yet."
Clear laughter rang out, filling the vast emptiness with its pure sound, raising the heads of others, making them smile at the sound of something they had long forgotten, something they only just then, remembered. Things had certainly gotten interesting since those two had come.
Shuten had no trouble finding sleep once he lay back on the soft futon that had become his bed for the last two months or so. He could never get the time flow right when he was in the Ningenkai; it played tricks on him in a way that he found unnerving. The Youjukai had no sense of time; it passed so slowly in relation to this place. Remarkably enough he found that he was dreaming, remarkable in the sense that it happened so seldom in the four-hundred plus years that he'd been alive and remarkable also in that he was conscious of it while it was happening.
It was odd to be standing in such stark whiteness, no discernible horizon, no up or down, just empty whiteness. He could hear his name being called and tried to get a fix on where it was coming from, when he thought he had it he would turn only to be confronted by more vast whiteness. He was startled when he heard the voice clearly behind him, not simply because it was such close proximity but because of who he believed the voice belonged to. Turning he was surprised to find Nasuti standing, serene and beautiful, smiling up at him. Her appearance was not what he knew it to be at the time of her death, rather it was the way she had looked when she'd still been in the Youjukai, forever young and beautiful; her hair was long and hung loose around her shoulders, her face was still unmarked by the small lines of time.
"My lady." He whispered in wonder, his hand lifting to brush his fingers lightly across her cheek. "Am I still dreaming?"
"Of course you are Shuten." Her soft musical voice drifting around him, her smile warming him. "How else could you see or hear me?"
Shuten smiled, ran his fingers through her hair briefly before tucking it behind her ear and lowering his hand. He noticed the landscape behind her had changed, there seemed to be a structure of some kind, a house maybe, he could not be sure. He turned his attention back to the woman in front of him.
"What is this place?" He asked quietly. "Why have you brought me here?"
"For me, this place is home." She explained, reminding him that she was indeed gone from the existence that he knew. "I brought you here to talk."
"Ahh." He nodded, eyeing her suspiciously.
"I would like to thank you for all that you have done for Hiko. You have helped him a great deal Shuten."
He waited silently for her to continue.
"Tell me, what is the gift that you have given him, the one he keeps with him?"
"How?" He whispered in disbelief, his eyes growing wide in surprise as he watched her lips curve up in a knowing smile.
"Hiko still talks to us nearly everyday Shuten." She explained as if indulging a small child. "We can still hear him and see him, you being of the Youjukai should realize the possibility of this."
Shuten nodded, clearly seeing that it was indeed possible, had he not watched her, had he not listened to her and when she had stopped talking to him, had he not watched her children, listened to her children.
"Something meant to be his, nothing more." He told her, reverting to his vague explanations that he'd learned from so many years in Arago's service.
He was startled and winced in pain as she reached up and painfully yanked on his hair, making him suddenly very sorry that he had tried to pull something so beneath him on her.
"Don't you try that crap on me Shuten doji!" She spoke through clenched teeth, yanking again at the lock of hair held firmly in her death grip. "I know it's not Korin, all the other yori have been bestowed, now you tell me… what have you given my son?"
My son… the words rang through his head, signaling with crystal clarity that she was indeed another person than the one he once knew. A mother of two children not his and the wife of someone other than himself. He had seen her many times with her family through the portal between their worlds, he knew of all of this; still it was strange to have her before him, her voice whispering the words… my son. Not painful, simply… strange.
"I am sorry. She released his hair and waited for him to continue. "As you say, it is not Korin; your husband has probably told you on whom that has been bestowed."
She merely nodded her head once in acknowledgment then waited again for him to continue. He sighed heavily and did as she requested.
"There is another armor that has yet to be bestowed and it is this that I have given to Toyohiko." He was wary of telling her and was certain she could sense it, hear it in his voice. "It has chosen him to bear it."
"An undiscovered yori?" She whispered in wonder. "How can this be Shuten?"
"Not undiscovered my lady." He paused trying to think of how he could say what he knew she would not want to hear, then decided that being straight forward was best with her. "It is Nin."
"Nin? Endurance?" Her brows coming together in a frown then lifting as her eyes widened in surprise, pressing her fingers to her mouth as she gasped. "Rajura's?"
"Hai." He nodded and she was silent for several minutes, he watched the gamut of emotions chase across her face, worry being the most prominent.
"Shuten." She clasped his hands in her own. "You must promise me something."
"Anything." He smiled at her, his fingers closing around her own. "All you need do is ask."
"Please, watch over him." Fear and desperation rang clearly in her voice. "Please Shuten."
"My lady." He pulled her against him, his arms wrapping firmly about her in a comforting embrace; one hand stroked her hair. "Do not upset yourself so, Toyohiko is a strong young man whose innocent ideals will not easily be corrupted."
He felt the slow nod of her head under his chin and smiled at her as she pulled back and looked up at him.
"I worry less about Yuki." She offered and Shuten tried to keep his lip from curling in irritation at the mere mention of her daughter. "Most people only see her as some sort of fragile beauty but she also possesses great strength and honor."
"Toyohiko's sister is…" He sighed as he tried to think of something nice to say about her daughter. "uh… very protective."
"That was rather grudging praise." She teased and he smiled, realizing that she knew full well what her daughter was like and most likely what she'd been subjecting him to.
"She has one of the foulest mouths and worse tempers I've ever encountered." He admitted with irritation. "She's a… a brat. She and her brother are like night and day!"
"She takes after her father." Nasuti placed all blame of her daughter's flaws on her husband and Shuten could not help but smile at her humor.
"She is surprisingly beautiful, considering she looks so much like her father." Shuten conceded a small token of praise for Nasuti's sake. He lifted his hand to brush her cheek with his fingers once again, letting them drift into her hair once more, all except her hair, Konoyuki's hair was exactly like this and he could almost believe he was touching hers as he touched her mother's. What the hell? He was mixing things up, no wonder he rarely dreamed they never made any sense. Shaking his head Shuten tried to get back to the subject. "I am certain your husband must be wondering where you are, ne?"
"No." She laughed.
"No?" He raised his eyebrows, not believing that to be true for a moment.
"You don't think he would send me unaccompanied do you?" She turned and lifted her hand, palm up in indication behind her. Shuten squinted at the doorway in the horizon, he could see a small speck but could not tell what it was and suddenly, so quick that it startled Shuten, Korin no Seiji was there, not five feet behind his wife.
"Shuten." The other man greeted quietly, nodding his head slightly, not moving any closer.
Shuten smiled wickedly, his eyes narrowing as his fingers still held a lock of Nasuti's hair, the other man had noted it with displeasure but made no move to say or do anything about it.
Surprising. Thought Shuten, deciding he wanted to torment the former Trooper; he lifted the silken strands of hair intent on brushing them against his cheek only to have them suddenly gone from his grasp. Shuten lifted his head to see Korin no Seiji standing next to his wife, the lock of hair now in his own hand.
"Lurking in the shadows? Eavesdropping? Don't you trust your wife?" Shuten jibed at his former enemy. "That is not a good basis for marriage Korin."
"I trust my wife implicitly." He interjected smoothly. "It's you I do not trust."
"You two, I swear!" Nasuti scolded them, pulling her hair from her husband's grasp and tucking it behind her ear, shaking her head. "Barbarians!"
They both lowered their eyes, grinning sheepishly. Shuten noticed how Nasuti smiled knowingly at her husband before placing her hand in his. Such a simple gesture yet it was filled with such intimacy that Shuten had the odd sense of feeling like a voyeur.
"Come Nasuti." Seiji pulled at his wife's hand, leading her away. Shuten could only watch as they moved toward the house on the horizon. Everything was quickly turning white again and Shuten could barely make out their silhouette in the whiteness.
"Remember your promise Shuten." Nasuti's clear voice rang out in the emptiness, followed quickly by that of her husband's 'and remember what you said about our daughter.'
Their stark whiteness faded, as did the sound of their voices, only to be replaced by a new sound, quieter although no less compelling than Nasuti's voice had been. He recognized the sound, it was something he'd grown used to and it lulled him out of the dream world into that of the waking. Sitting up, Shuten concentrated and confirmed that what he heard was crying, the sobbing of the young boy down the hall, a young boy who's parents had been taken from him, stolen away by death, leaving him to fight with grief alone.
He lay and listened to Toyohiko's sobs, feeling that he should do something for him but knowing that just as it always did, the sobbing would subside. Toyohiko would move beyond his tears, he would cry for a while and then drift off to sleep, just as he did every night that Shuten lay awake to listen to him. Tonight was different however, his sister's harsh words had affected him deeply, he'd been withdrawn for the rest of the day and the fact that she did not return had only served to upset him further.
"Selfish girl!" Shuten muttered as he flung back the blanket covering him and left the comfort of his bed to make his way down the hall. He was almost to the boy's bedroom door when he caught sight of Konoyuki standing on the stairs, the cries of her brother also catching her ears. He thought she was going to ignore her brother and continue down the stairs when she stepped back onto the platform and made her way to her brothers room, slipping inside without noticing Shuten's presence nearby. Not trusting her completely after her outburst earlier Shuten moved to stand next to the open shoji and listened.
Exhausted, hungry and shivering from the cold Yuki climbed the stairs to her bedroom. Winter had indeed set in and she was now feeling the effects of being improperly dressed for it, having dashed out of the dojo and into the woods where she sat and berated herself repeatedly for hurting the one person she most wanted to avoid getting hurt. Her anger at herself had served to keep her warm for a time, even after the sun had set and after that meditation had provided her the means to ignore the cold. As the night progressed however, even those lessons she'd learned from her father could not hold back the chill that seeped through her inadequate hakama and she had made her way, slowly, back to the house.
Thankfully it was dark and quiet, everyone having gone to his or her beds long ago. She had no wish to face anyone after what she had done; she had no wish to see the disdain in their eyes even though she knew she deserved it.
Sliding back the shoji door to her room Yuki stepped in and without bothering to turn on the lights headed straight for the bath. Turning on the water in her shower and allowing it to warm while she stripped the mud stained clothing from her weary body and dropped them into the laundry bin. The warm spray felt scalding against her chilled skin when she first stood underneath, it soon turned soothing as she let it run over her and wash all of the grime and tension from her, sending it swirling down the drain with the water that carried it.
Later she sat on the corner of her bed, dressed in sweatpants and shirt she ran a comb through her chestnut tresses she smiled, thanking whatever gods had control over such things that she had inherited her mother's hair. She'd always taken a certain pride in that small vanity. She remembered as a child how she would smile proudly when people mentioned it, how her father would tease that he could not tell them apart because their hair was the same color and length. She remembered how she had cried when a year or so after Hiko was born her mother had cut her long tresses to just below her chin. She had hated her infant brother, her four-year old rationality concluding that it was entirely his fault that their mother had to cut her hair. She had seen in her father's eyes that he wanted to cry as well when she cut it, remembering Touma-ojisan and Sakura-obasan sitting at the kitchen table with her parents, she'd been sitting nearby folding paper when Touma-ojisan's voice began teasing her mother…
"…It looks as though Ryo's katana managed to get all of your hair this time Nasuti." Touma and her mother laughed, Sakura chuckled but her father had remained silent. Yuki had looked up, her father's silence tangible within the room and she had seen that his eyes held no humor that his lips merely curled up at the corners in that smile that he displayed merely out of politeness. Her eyes shifted and watched her mother grow concerned at her father's silence, leaned closer to him, her hand had covered his and she had whispered to him 'that was a long time ago Seiji.'
Yuki had climbed to her feet and moved closer to the table, watching with eyes that were mesmerized by what was happening between her parents. Her father's smile did not change as he nodded in agreement with her mother.
"A long time ago, yes." He spoke softly. "Still, it's not a day I care to be reminded of."
What had happened on that day? Had Ryo cut her hair and her father been mad at him, just as she was mad at Hiko? Yuki had never seen her father look this way and it was unnerving to think of him as… vulnerable? Yuki had wrapped her small arms around his thigh and held him, she felt his hand on her back, his lips on her hair before he unwound her arms and lifted her in his lap, their eyes meeting as he held her.
"Konoyuki, dooshite?" He asked her what was wrong.
"Don't cry, Otousan." She had pat his cheek with her small hand, her eyes so like his own never wavering. "When you miss Okaasan's hair you can look at mine. It's the same, ne Otousan?"
She remembered her father's searching gaze boring into hers for several silent moments before his hands at her back pulled her against his warm chest, his lips had brushed her hair once more.
"It is indeed the same." He'd whispered in her ear. "Arigato, Konoyuki-chan."
Yuki's strokes with the comb slowed and then stilled and she closed her eyes against the burning of tears, swallowing hard to remove the lump in her throat. I'm so weak. She thought as the overwhelming pain began to constrict her chest and she took slow, deep breaths to try to relieve the feeling, to move past it. Opening her eyes she caught sight of herself in the mirror through the doorway to her bathroom, her weakness was evident and this served to make her angry. If it was evident to her, it was evident to others and that was something she would not show. She flung the comb at her reflection; it hit its target then bounced off the glass surface to land on the tile floor. She hastily pulled her hair back and fastened it high on her head with the band she had in her lap. Suddenly full of energy that needed to be burned off before she could get any sleep, Yuki climbed to her feet and headed out the door, sliding it shut behind her as quietly as she could she stepped toward the stairs once more only to stop. A familiar sound catching her attention she turned back, her eyes settled on her brother's bedroom door near her own.
She thought of ignoring his quiet cries for the first time, too ashamed to face him and worried that after today, he may not wish for her to comfort him. Biting her lip she made to continue walking down the steps and turned back before taking even one. Opening the door with hesitation she peered inside and could see Hiko's slight frame curled into a protective ball on his bed, his hands fisted and pressed against his eyes as he cried. Her uneasiness forgotten she stepped into his room and made her way to his side, she hated seeing him like this although she'd grown used to it over the months since her parents died. Every day he put on a brave front for everyone, no longer crying at the mention of his parent's names or a reminder of their absence but here, each night she would find him like this.
"Hiko-kun." Yuki called his name softly as she sat on the edge of his bed, reaching out she stroked his golden hair back from his face. "Hiko-kun."
"Okaasan?" Came his broken whisper through his tears as he turned to face her.
"No Hiko." She told him sadly, brushing back his hair again to reveal his sorrowful eyes gazing up at her. "It's Yuki."
He stared up at her in confusion for several minutes then; as sleep subsided recognition soon filtered into his eyes.
"Oneesan." He whispered and she felt a stab in her heart at the wariness that appeared in his eyes. "You came back."
"I'm sorry 'niichan." She apologized quietly. "I'm sorry for saying those things to you, I'm sorry for running out on you. I'm not a very good sister, am I?"
"I could not ask for a better sister." He sat up and leaned his head on her shoulder and she wrapped her arms around him and lay back. "I've been such a baby, you have shouldered everything for me… but I'm done being a baby, I'm going to be strong from now on."
"'Niichan…" She sighed. "You're already stronger than you realize and… I never thought you were a baby."
"How can you say that Oneesan?" He asked incredulous. "Every night since… since… every night you come in here and stay until I stop crying. I know you're not getting any sleep. Any time that something unpleasant arises, any time there's an intrusion on my happiness, my peace of mind I hide behind you. I know you're not mean, I know you're not hateful but I say nothing when I hear the whispers of others accusing you of it while praising me for my fortitude at bearing such a tragedy so well."
"'Niichan." She interjected. "Let them think and say what they want, I only care that you are not hurt."
"I care!" Hiko surprised her by raising his voice further than it had ever gone before; still it was hardly loud enough to wake the house. He mumbled an apology before continuing. "You watch, I'll become stronger even than Otousan, even than Ryo-ojisan and Shuten doji-san."
"Please." She scoffed at being compared to Shuten doji. "I'm stronger than that as… uh, than him."
"Honto ka?" Hiko turned in her embrace to look up at her face. "He's pretty strong."
"Feh." She dismissed his comment with a sneer.
Hiko stared at her silently for several moments then a slow smile appeared on his face.
"You don't like Shuten doji-san very much." He stated.
"It doesn't matter if I like him or not 'niichan." She tried to be neutral knowing how her brother felt about the man who grated on her nerves so. "You like him, that's all I care about."
"I know." He yawned and settled his head back against her shoulder. "I feel like a traitor though."
"Don't." She assured him. "I would never think you are a traitor because of it."
"Okaasan told me that there's always one thing that you can find to like about someone." He yawned several times before finishing and Yuki knew he was half asleep already.
"Okaasan could find something to like about a rabid dog." Yuki interjected sarcastically.
"Can you find one thing to like about Shuten doji-san?" Hiko nearly begged his sister.
"hmmm…" She gave it serious thought, anything to please her brother; a picture of Shuten doji came to mind and she knew, there was one thing that she could not deny she liked. "His hair. He has the most beautiful hair I've ever seen."
"I like Sayuri-san's hair." He mumbled sleepily.
"You like everything about Sayuri." She teased lightly.
She felt the negative shake of his head against her arm and looked down at him surprised.
"She cooks like Touma-ojisan." He yawned, his eyes opening to look up at her. "It's terrible."
"You'd better not tell her that." Yuki laughed and he cracked a sleepy but knowing smile at her.
"I wont." He promised. "Naaza-san and Anubis-san told me, Shiro and Shuten doji-san never to tell a girl we don't like her cooking. Especially if we like the girl."
"I think that's probably good advice." She chuckled again.
"Shuten doji-san didn't tell you he didn't like your cooking." Hiko remarked absently. "He must like you."
"Hiko…" She warned.
"Your cooking is pretty bad." He whispered.
"Grrrrr… oyasumi, Hiko!" She growled.
"Oyasumi nasai, Oneesan." He was asleep in moments.
Japanese words
Shiroto da - Amateur!
Oyasumi nasai - goodnight
Honto ka? - Really?