Disclaimer: I do not own Inu-Yasha or Yu Yu Hakusho. I do however own the
following: Mika Tsutsumi, Toshi Tsutsumi, Sakura Tsutsumi, Ojike, yuku
yojutsusha demons, and the cross-over fanfiction series "Cross Worlds". If
desired to use any that was listed, please contact author at
mimiz3000@aol.com. Thank you.
Note: I'm SOOOO sorry if last chapter sucked. Please forgive me you guys! ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Owari Nai Yume
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Koenma: Koenma here! Last time on Cross Worlds, Miroku and Sango were killed by the demon Ojike. Not only that, but Mika believes that her husband, Toshi Tsutsumi, is alive! Why can't she see the truth? Is her love for him blinding her vision that much?
Chapter 7: The Life of a Half-Demon ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Mika carefully set herself down between Inu-Yasha and Yusuke as she stared at the fire. She closed her eyes and started to feel the rush of her whole past coming at her. Her thoughts were like a run-away train. Never ending. Finally, when she opened her eyes, she said, "It's a pretty long story..."
Of course, know one cared about that. They were itching to know what was really happening. Kurama looked at her warmly and said, "It's alright. We have the whole night. We're all ears." Mika smiled back, but it quickly faded away when she looked back into the fire. There was no sound coming from anywhere except the cackling of the fire.
Mika took a deep breath and finally opened her eyes. "You see, it started like this..."
~*Flashback*~
There were some kids playing with a brand new ball one of the village kids had gotten as a gift from their father. It was so cool and bouncy. Not only that, it was very colorful and pleasing to the eye. Every kid wanted to play with it. Especially a certain little half-demon. As she watched the village kids bounce it back and forth to each other, she approached them and said in her squeaky voice, "Can I play?"
The kids seemed willing enough. They thought, she's a kid like us. What makes it different that she's part demon? She's part human, too. The half-demon jumped up and down in excitement when they said she could play. Before one of the boys could pass it to her, an angry adult ruined their game.
"Momako! Gohan! What do you two think you're doing playing with that, that thing!" the woman pointed at the confused half-demon.
"Aw, mom! C'mon! She's not bad! Can we please play with her? Right brother?" Momako asked Gohan.
"Yeah mom! Please?" Gohan asked, too. The woman was only furious, and grabbed both of their wrists and took them away.
Momako quietly turned around and she whispered a, "Bye Mika..." as quietly as she could so her mother couldn't hear her. The rest of the kids sighed, and went away. It was Gohan's ball, so now it was gone. Some of the village kids weren't very understanding though. They blamed Mika for ruining their fun.
She looked confused. All she wanted to do was play with the other kids. She didn't mean to make the lady mad. One of the boys came up to her and kicked sand on her slippers. Mika thought it was an accident and kneeled down on one knee to wipe the sand away. She didn't like the feeling of sand in her slippers.
The boy then rudely pushed her down to the ground, and he was laughing at her. After awhile, the rest of the kids couldn't hold in their laughter, and started pointing and laughing too. She thought that when the boy pushed her down, he didn't do it on purpose also, so she started laughing along with them.
That didn't please the boy very much. Mika ended up the only one laughing in the end. When she finally stopped, she got up and shook the dust off her clothes. She smiled at the kids and said, "Does anyone wanna come play with me in the forest?" She looked wishfully at each of their faces. Her smile gradually disappeared as none of the kids volunteered. They had a different game in mind.
The boy and his friends surrounded her and started to close in on her. "Oooh....What kind of game is this?" she asked curiously. The boy behind her took off her lucky rock necklace her father got for her from Korea. "Hey!" she cried as she tried to reach for her necklace.
"This game's called Monkey in the Middle. And YOU'RE the monkey," he said rather rudely as he tossed it over to the other side.
Mika didn't like this game. For a half-demon, she wasn't exactly physically fit. She tried, and tried again to get back her rock necklace. She started to cry. She wanted it back so badly. She asked them if they could stop playing, but this time, they threw it into the pond.
Mika right away jumped into the pond and searched frantically for her necklace at the bottom of the pond. The kids around her started to crack up when she came to the surface all wet and icky from the pond gunk. But when Mika's foot got caught by some pond weed at the bottom, she couldn't stay on the surface for long. She got pulled under, and the laughs started turning to worried looks. They didn't mean for THIS to happen. Mika was drowning, yet none of them had the guts to go save her.
All of a sudden, a red flash went past them and into the pond. It quickly got out and was holding Mika in his or her arms bridal style. Mika started to cough as she opened her eyes, and woke up to look at golden ones.
"Big...brother?" she asked weakly. She was still clutching her necklace. The village kids were scared now. It was Mika's elder brother. Inu-Yasha. The group of boys that were picking on her were now shaking silly. Inu- Yasha looked dangerously at them as Mika sat up and watched.
"YOU BASTARDS! WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?! HOW DARE YOU TRY TO KILL MY SISTER!" the, what appeared to be, 7-year-old half-demon screamed. He was very protective of his sister ever since their mother and father died. He had to raise Mika all on his own. Before Inu-Yasha could strangle any of them, a rock hit him hard on the cheek. He turned around to see the parents of the kids.
"Get away from our children you dirty half-breeds! Leave this village at once!" Inu-Yasha was enraged. Why the hell do people have to be so cruel? Here were 2 orphans looking for a home, and yet this was their 8th village that week they got kicked out of. Inu-Yasha gave Mika a piggy-back ride as he charged out of the village.
~*End Flashback*~
When Mika was done telling them about THAT part of the story, they were quite engaged. They wanted to learn more and more about their life. Even to Hiei, it seemed like it wasn't fair. He almost, ALMOST, felt pity for them. (a/n: Psh.Whatever Hiei-kun).
"Things were like that for awhile," Mika said sadly. "Not only with humans, but with demons too."
~*Flashback*~
A now 10-year-old Mika was hiding inside a hallow tree crying while she was clutching some bent up flowers. She looked out to see the demons that had been chasing her still there. She knew she couldn't stay in that tree for long. She took the chance, and as fast as she could, got out of the tree and ran. Unfortunately, not fast enough that the demons didn't see.
They were a bunch of low-class cat demons. Because of the girls half DOG blood, the decided to have a little fun and kill her. One of the strings on Mika's slippers ripped, so she tripped.
'Big brother!' she thought as one of the cat demons cut her arm. She was terrified. She didn't smell her brother anywhere. When she got up again, one of the cat demons scratched her back. Mika was now wailing her head off in pain as some nearby crows flew away from the racket.
She was crying so loud, that the demon cats, were now holding there ears. "That's enough!" another one cried. This time, he grabbed Mika's neck, and was going to choke her to death. She tried to get out of his grasp, but she couldn't. She was coughing, but it was even hard for her to cough. Tears even had a hard time escaping her head. She felt dizzy from the lack of oxygen.
Right when she thought she was doomed for, she saw a claw go through the cat's chest, and he fainted on top of her. She quickly backed away, and she saw her elder brother beating the crap out of all of them. When the cats quickly recovered and got away, Inu-Yasha didn't look relieved to see Mika, but enraged.
"Idiot! I told you not to wander too far! But no! You and your stupidity! You almost got killed! I should have left you to die back there!" These words hurt Mika. She was expecting her brother to look relieved and happy.
"I-I'm s-sorry." she thought sadly. Inu-Yasha sighed and quickly grabbed her bridal style. His face was soft when he saw all the injuries she had. While he carried her back to their camp site, Inu-Yasha noticed the, what was now, stem of her flower. There was only one petal left on it.
"What's that for?" he asked kindly.
"They were for mommy's grave," Mika said a little happy that her brother noticed them. No matter what happened, Mika seemed to always think of others before herself. She was willing to risk her life just to get these flowers to their mother's grave. He kissed her gently on the forehead and smiled at her.
"Let's go get some new ones along the way. Alright?"
"K!" Mika said joyously as she smiled back at her brother.
~*End Flashback*~
"Aww!!! I never knew you could be so sweet!" Kagome said teasingly as she rubbed his ears.
"Sh-shut up!" Inu-Yasha cried blushing.
"Who ever knew big boy Inu-Yasha could be such a sweet wittle puppy," Yusuke said babyishly.
"GRR..I SAID SHUT UP!" Mika giggled as well as everyone else. While looking at how he is now, she started to have disbelieving thoughts that her brother could be like that.
"Continue with the story," Kurama said simply as the laughter died down.
"Right," Mika said, "Anyway, after a few more years, it was still like that. In human years, I'd be about 15. Big brother would have been 17. Around that time, he met the priestess. Kikyo."
The Rekai Tantei remember the others telling them about the controversy between Kikyou, Inu-Yasha, and Kagome. Kagome was now concentrating on Mika. What did she have to say about Kikyo?
~*Flashback*~
It was another day that Mika was alone again. Of course, she knew where her brother was. With Kikyo. Even though he says that it's only because of the Shikon Jewel, she knew better. She knew how her brother felt about Kikyo, and she always encouraged it. Before, Inu-Yasha would secretly go watch Kikyo when he thought Mika wasn't looking. But she knew.
When she confronted him about it, he of course denied it. After awhile, he didn't even bother. Mika could easily read through Inu-Yasha's lies. As every day passed by, Mika saw her brother less and less. She didn't want to get in the way though. Her heart fluttered at the thought that her brother was in love with a nice woman. She was even happier that Kikyo seemed to love him back. One day, she thought, she'd fine someone of her own just like her brother. Then she'd too, fall in love and live happily with him.
As she thought about this, she made random expressions trying to imagine what it's like, when her brother came back suddenly, with happiness and eagerness written all over his face. He had a big smile, showing all of his fangs. Mika couldn't help but smile back, but what was he smiling for?
"Mika! I have great news! Kikyo's letting me use the Shikon Jewel!" he announced, almost jumping up and down. Mika's jaw was hanging. The Shikon Jewel?! That was too good to be true! "Now we can be humans! Normal humans! We wouldn't be kicked out of villages anymore or anything! I can live with Kikyo and you can stay with us! We'll never have to suffer ever again!" Mika too was practically jumping as she embraced her brother. Unfortunately, they never realized that at the moment that the next day would be the last day they'd ever get to hold each other like this for the next 50 years. They never realized that that next day, would be the beginning of their TRUE nightmare.
~*End Flashback*~
Mika started to cough, and everyone instantly were startled. They were practically leaning over eagerly waiting to hear what happened that day. "Sorry about that," Mika apologized quickly as she cleared her throat.
"It's alright. Go on," Kurama said almost eagerly. Mika nodded and started the story again.
~*Flashback*~
Mika woke up to find her brother gone. She smiled to herself, knowing that she'd soon be human. To celebrate, she decided to cook for them, so she went hunting in the forest. Nearby, she saw what looked like to be a baboon.
'A monkey?' she thought curiously. She didn't want to waste time though, so she just ignored it, and jumped in a nearby tree. Little did she know, that the monkey just sighed and was relieved that she didn't follow him.
'That was close, too close,' it thought as it too, jumped away. The monkey then spotted Inu-Yasha. 'He's early.' The monkey then transformed to Kikyo, and shot his arrows toward him. "Die Inu-Yasha!" Inu-Yasha's face looked hurt and surprised. He didn't expect this. Inu-Yasha was angry that Kikyo would trick him into doing this. He then ran away toward the village to steal the Shikon Jewel.
The monkey made a satisfied grunt, and he waited patiently for Kikyo. When she showed up, he turned to Inu-Yasha and cut her shoulder. Kikyo, too, looked surprised and hurt. He stepped on her shoulder, and took the Shikon Jewel. He laughed as he ran away, and slowly transformed back to his monkey form. Before Inu-Yasha got there, the monkey dropped off the Shikon Jewel in a shrine, and just on queue, Inu-Yasha showed up. He watched in satisfaction as Inu-Yasha stole the jewel and he saw Kikyo not so far away. He jumped in a high tree, and saw how Inu-Yasha was pinned to the tree.
With a satisfied smirk, he watched as Kikyo was taken away by the villagers. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
It was evening, and Inu-Yasha didn't return yet. Dinner was getting cold, and Mika was getting worried.
'Why haven't they come back yet?' she thought. She decided to go see them herself. She got up and she ran towards the village. What she didn't realize was that Inu-Yasha's scent wasn't present. In the distance, she saw what looked like a bonfire.
'They must be celebrating! I must get back and get my cooking! Wait a minute.' She looked at her claws and felt her fangs with her tongue. 'Why am I still a half-demon?' she pondered as she walked back towards their camp. As she passed the Goshinbuku tree, she slowly turned to it and her breath caught in her throat.
'Big brother?!?' She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Her brother. Dead. On the Goshinbuku. Tears streamed down her face. "No.no.no no no no!!!" she cried as tears were now coming on full force as she ran towards his body. She got up on the base and pressed her head against his chest. She didn't hear a heart beat. He was really did. She bit her lip hard so she couldn't cry. It didn't work, so she bit harder, and one of her fangs cut her lip.
But that didn't hurt as much as the pain in her broken heart. "You jerk!!! You promised! You promised me that this day would end our nightmare!!! Why?! Why are you breaking your promise!? You were supposed to live with Kikyo! And I was supposed to find my own love! But no! You selfish jerk! Now that you're dead none of that can happen! How dare you! I hate you! I hate you!" she cried as she banged on his chest over and over again. No matter what though, she knew she couldn't wake him up. "Why! Why. Why..." she barely choked out as her whole voice was overtaken with sobs. This wasn't happening. The only family she knew of was dead. The one that always protected her. The one that was always by her side. Who took care of her. Who even raised her. Was dead. She gripped as hard as she could on Inu-Yasha's hakama, as her claws ripped through them.
"Damn you! DAMN YOU!" she kept yelling at him. She now hated Inu- Yasha. With her whole heart. He made a promise he couldn't keep.
~*End Flashback*~
Mika stopped the story when she noticed Kagome's troubled face. She knew that this part of the story would be hard for her to hear, but she had to continue.
"You see, after that, I didn't know what to do with myself. That's when I decided I should take up the martial arts. Of course, I didn't know where to start, so I kind of wandered. For about 5 years...I reached China after riding some ship. Soon afterward though, I was attacked by thieves... They wanted to rape me, but Toshi saved me from them. That's how I met him..."
~*Flashback*~
Mika didn't exactly know where to go, so for a few weeks, she stayed with Toshi and the rest of the army. At first, they didn't want a HALF- demon with them. But Mika's cooking was one of the things that made them want her to stay. After a fight or some training, they'd always go over to their campfire and practically fight just to get a spoonful of her stew. For awhile, the only thing Mika really did was cook and clean armor and weapons.
Mika didn't mind though. Because she could always be by Toshi. For 5 years, she was by Toshi. He'd always greet her the same way. Come out of his tent with a big grin on his face, looking hopeful for breakfast. Meal times were the only times she'd see Toshi. Even though she was disappointed, she didn't complain. At least she got to stay with him. One day though, she wasn't expecting what came. Before she even got the fire started, Toshi was up earlier than usual and stopped her.
"That won't be necessary. I want you to meet someone, Mika," he said kindly. Mika was kind of scared. Did he have a girlfriend? Or worse, a wife? "My sister." Those words relieved her as she gave a sigh. She smiled at him and said that she'd love to meet her.
When they were all packed up, she noticed the rest of the army wasn't coming. When she turned around though, she heard shouts of "Good luck!" from some of the men. They had big, silly grins and were waving at them. One of them even started to cry hysterically.
"He's growing up!" he joked as he just got punched lightly in the shoulder by one of the other men. Okay. Mika was confused.
"What are they talking about Toshi?" Mika asked. Toshi only smiled and just took her hand (for the first time I might add).
"I'll tell you on the way." Through their whole walk, they were still holding hands. Mika was blushing furiously, and every time Toshi looked her way, she'd look away. Toshi, of course, saw her blush. And...he seemed...happy?
"Alright Toshi. I want to know what's going on. Now!" she said annoyed. Toshi just smile at her again. "Why do you keep smiling at me?!" she cried.
"We're ALMOST there," Toshi said reassuringly. Mika sighed. She couldn't stay mad at him. She was glad that Toshi kept smiling at her, but she wanted to know WHY. In truth, it started to get annoying. Finally, they reached what looked like a dojo, and a sign that said, "Fa Dojo".
"Is this where your sister lives?" she asked as they entered the courtyard. But it was empty. It didn't look like anyone was home.
"Just wait a couple of more seconds," Toshi said as his grin gradually got bigger and bigger as they entered a beautiful garden. Mika gasped. The garden was absolutely gorgeous. There were Sakura (cherry blossom) tree's everywhere, all in full bloom. There was a stone bench and a small stone shrine. From where they were standing, there was a path that lead to a small pond with some fish in it. The rest of the backyard was blanketed with green grass and Sakura petals.
When Mika woke up from her admiration, she noticed Toshi on one knee, holding her hand. And what was that he was holding? A ring?! What's going on? Mika looked around her for other women, but she was the only one there. She was blushing furiously.
"T-Toshi," she stared but was interrupted by him.
"Mika, I know that we've only known each other for awhile. And...I know that I haven't been true to my feelings. And I don't know how YOU feel. All I know is that...I've fallen in love with you. Everyday, I always wanted to tell you. Ever since I saved you from those thieves. I wanted to tell you so badly, but I never had the guts to. But now I do. Mika. I want you to be my wife," he finished confidently.
She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Toshi was actually PROPOSING to her. This had to be a dream. She bit her tongue, and it hurt from her fang. But Toshi was still there. She was silent, and her jaw was hanging from her mouth. Toshi didn't budge though. He wanted an answer. She couldn't escape his piercing gaze. Mika found the confidence, and she quietly said, "O-o.k...."
Toshi's face lit up. Mika's face lit up. She was fighting the tears that were threatening to fall down her face. Toshi grabbed her face toward his, and they shared their first kiss. However, it was disrupted when Toshi's sister came out. Along with 5 other kids.
"CONGRATULATIONS!" they all yelled. Mika was blushing. They were watching that whole time. But she didn't mind. She was going to be married to Toshi! Her heart fluttered. Toshi had a kind of annoyed look on his face since his younger sister disrupted them, but he thanked her.
"Mika, this is my younger sister. Xianhua. (a/n: Shan-wa) And her kids." Mika was thrilled to meet them. At that time, all of Xianhua's kids jumped Toshi and they all were chasing each other as Toshi laughed his head off. Mika was sitting with Xianhua on the stone bench. They were watching Toshi and her kids run all over the place. Rolling on the grass. Wrestling each other to the ground. Mika was so happy to see her future husband so happy.
Xianhua noticed her admiring gaze and she smiled lightly. "Come with me," she simply said as she grabbed Mika's wrist. Xianhua lead Mika inside the dojo, where there were all sorts of weapons. "As you can see, I'm the master of this dojo. The "weapon dojo" of China, as they call it here." Mika gawked at all the different kind of weapons. Different shapes and sizes.
"I want my brother to have a strong wife. You do realize you're marrying a general, right?" Xianhua questioned. That was right! What use would Mika be to Toshi if the only thing she knew was to cook. She'd barely see him!
Xianhua noticed her frightened face, and said reassuringly, "Don't worry. This is where I come in. Mika, I want to train you so you can fight alongside with Toshi. Together. I know you two never see each other a lot, but if you fight together, then you'd see each other." Mika was thrilled.
"Truly? You'll teach me how to fight?" Mika asked excitedly.
"IF you promise to work hard. This won't be easy."
Mika looked outside, and saw Toshi giving one of the kids a piggy back ride. She'd do anything for him. "Yes. I'm sure."
"Well then...To start off, I want you to choose any of these 3 weapons in this dojo that appeals to you." Only three?! She didn't mean to be selfish, but there were so many weapons, she didn't know where to start. As she slowly walked around the room, she noticed two giant fans hanging on the wall. They were painted beautifully with what looked like a painting of the backyard. She took it off the wall, and Xianhua smiled.
"I knew that'd get your eye. The two giant fans. They were used by our mother. I'm sure she'd love for you to use them." While Xianhua said this, Mika was still studying the fans. She definitely wanted to learn how to use these. She put the fans together, and handed them to Xianhua.
Mika walked around the room again, and saw a sword with a simple strait blade. The shaft had an intricately carved dragon on it, and there was a Chinese medallion hanging at the end. Under it, the halberd had to the same dragon on it, but parts of the dragon had gold on it. Mika picked it up. It was incredibly light. She put it in the halberd, and handed it to Xianhua.
"Ahh...One of my favorite weapons. It's very light and easy to use, so you probably won't have a hard time figuring out how to use it," Xianhua said as she held the sword along with the twin fans.
One more weapon. Mika couldn't choose. She practically circled the whole room 5 time, but she still couldn't choose. Finally, she decided to take the naginata. The naginata was a long staff, and a sharp, curved blade at the end. It was as decorated as the other two weapons. It was actually pretty dull. But for some weird reason, when Mika held it in her hand, she felt a source of power.
Xianhua smiled as she right away started to explain how to use each of the weapons. You know, the basics. The stance, the simple attacks. Mika was a fast learner. She was fairly good with all three. She was especially good with the naginata. Xianhua then taught her how to attach the weapons to her at the same time when she was done. Xianhua then noticed that Mika wouldn't be able to hold all of her weapons at the same time with her old Japanese clothes. Mika decided that instant to take Mika shopping through the market for new equipment and clothes. On the house.
Mika was happy when Toshi said that they could go. Mika was so excited. The clothes that Xianhua and her kids wore looked like they belonged to a rich family, but Xianhua said that they were EVERYDAY middle- class clothes. She couldn't believe it. Silk was middle-class?! She couldn't believe it.
As they walked through the streets, she stared at all the shops they passed by. One of them had beautiful clips. One caught her eye. It was a beautiful comb with a flower on it. Xianhua noticed this, and right away bought it and gave it to Mika.
"W-wait a minute Xianhu-"
"It's alright. I got enough money to spare. Plus, I think it'd look really pretty on you."
"Thank you." Mika got a few more outfits and such, while Xianhua bought some clothes and a new ball for her kids. When they got back, Toshi was playing hide and seek with them. Mika was about to go talk to him, when Xianhua stopped her.
"Let's go get you dressed first." Xianhua lead Mika to her room and closed the door. What outfit should she wear? She finally settled on a sleeveless light, blue shirt with gold lining. There were flowers and random curves sewed onto it. It was the same color as the shirt, so you wouldn't be able to see it unless you were up close. The buttons were on the border of her right color bone. The buttons were surrounded by intricate borders of more curves and lines. She then added some puffy bracelets that Xianhua says you wear at the middle of your forearm. At first, they were pretty itchy, but she got used to it. Her pants were like modern capris pants, and it had the same pattern as her shirt. Her shoes matched as well with beautiful patterns. She covered her bun with a beautiful cloth that that had sapphire pieces on it. Two dark blue strings were tied around her bun, and hung peacefully toward the ground.
Now she had to put on her equipment. Xianhua bought a beautiful long pouch to keep the naginata in with a band so she can wear it. She put the naginata on her back and put the band snuggly between her breasts. Then she wore a belt for the sword and two fans. The fans had a pouch too, and she put it on each side of the naginata behind her back. Then she stuck the sword by the right side of her waist.
She took a deep breath and stood in front of a giant mirror. She closed her eyes. What if she looked horrible? Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. She slowly opened her eyes, and in her opinion, she looked nothing but horrible. Actually, she looked absolutely stunning. Her curves were more defined in these clothes then her old Japanese clothes. To top it off, she looked like a top-notch general with all the weaponry she had on. She smiled at herself. She couldn't wait to show Toshi.
When she got out of the room, Xianhua changed clothes too. It was kind of like Mika's, except without the weapons and hers was a light magenta with dark magenta lining. "Let's go!" she said cheerfully as the two linked arms.
"Toshi!" Mika called out to him. He was holding one of the kids, and when he turned around, his mouth hung open, and he dropped the kid.
"Ouch! Uncle Toshi!" But Toshi couldn't believe his eyes. His fiancé was gorgeous. He felt like the luckiest man in the world. Mika stood there smiling. That was the best day of her life.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Now. Let us celebrate our victory!" the head general threw his fist in the air as the whole army was cheering. "I'd like to congratulate our new, 1st North Generals. Toshi and Mika Tsutsumi!" Everyone around Toshi and Mika were clapping their hands and giving them slaps on the back. As the applaud died down, the head general continued. "These two single handedly defeated 5 of the 9 generals we had to face tonight. Not to mention, 16 officers and their crew. I'm very proud of these two. Let's wish them a happy life in Japan as they await their first child. Now. We drink to our heart's content!" The crowd cheered as each of the members of the army came up to them and gave them their blessings when they started their new life in Japan.
Mika was so excited. She could finally have a happy life with the man of her dreams. The only thing that was missing though, was her brother.
~*End Flashback*~
"5 GENERALS AND 16 OFFICERS?!" Kuwabara exclaimed.
"Yep," Mika said simply.
"You gotta be kidding me! That's incredible!"
"Well, it was a lot easier when I fought along side with Toshi." Toshi, Toshi, Toshi. Kurama didn't know why, but he wasn't so into the story anymore. He wasn't tired of that name, it was just that he just felt jealous every time MIKA said that name. Why would he feel that way? I mean, it WAS her husband. Mika was now smiling at the fire, and Kurama felt a little tug at the back of his mind. Even though they haven't known Mika and the others long, he just felt...DIFFERENT around them. Not just Mika, but all of them. Like they were all meant to meet each other like this. And he and Mika would be together. Wait, where'd that come from?
~*Flashback*~
"Toshi! Dinner!" Mika called her husband as he was training outside. Mika was 8 months pregnant. They were so excited. The baby would be on it's way in less than a month. As usual, they had a nice time at dinner. Talking about the baby. What they'd name her. No him. No her. No him. Well....Let's just say they didn't get very far with that, because they kept on debating on why they think or why they think it should be a boy or girl.
Their argument was disrupted when an officer came by their hut. He had his helmet off and looked sad.
"Mrs. Tsutsumi. Mr Tsutsumi," he nodded toward them.
"Hello. It's been awhile. How are you?" Mika asked her old friend.
"I'm so sorry Mr. and Mrs. But..."
"What's wrong?" Toshi asked concerned.
"We....We need you Toshi. We know we can't ask Mika because of her pregnancy, but the war with Korea. We need a general like you."
"I'm sorry, but I can't. My wife needs me," Toshi reasoned.
"I know. But sir. The head general is dead." Those words shocked the both of them. Mika had to sit down. "Please understand the situation. We need you badly. I promise, you'll be back in a month or so. In time to be there for your child's birth."
Toshi didn't know what to do. He looked at Mika for an answer. Mika only sighed. "Go. But you have to promise me you'll come back."
Toshi got up and kissed her lightly on the lips. "Don't worry. I'll be there." Her rubbed Mika's stomach, "For you and the child." Mika let him go that day. And she was heartbroken. She watched as Toshi and the office went on horseback and went toward the harbor. Before he left completely, Toshi turned around, looked at Mika with a sad face, and left.
That was the last time Mika saw Toshi.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
It had been exactly 3 years, and Toshi still didn't come back. Mika had a daughter, and named her Sakura. In two weeks, it would be Sakura's 3rd birthday. Already, Sakura could almost talk in full sentences. Sakura was the only thing Mika had, but she still kept faith that Toshi would come back.
On Sakura's birthday, Xianhua came by again, like she did every year. Xianhua, her husband, and her kids were there the week after Toshi left. The left when Mika didn't need anymore help taking care of Sakura. After that, Xianhua and her family came for Sakura's other 2 birthdays. This year, Xianhua came alone, but with a sad face. It looked like she had been crying.
Mika was worried and approached her friend, "Xianhua, what's wrong?" Xianhua didn't look her in the eye. Something was definitely wrong. Tears formed at the corner of Xianhua's eyes. She tried holding it, and didn't even blink. Eventually though, the amount of tears in her eyes couldn't hold, and the first tear hit Mika's hand. Xianhua was now crying on Mika's shoulder. Mika could knew exactly what happened. Toshi. He was....gone. He never came back. That day 3 years ago. That was the last time she saw him.
Tears were now going down Mika's cheeks as well. Sakura looked confusingly at her mother and her aunt. Sakura tugged on her shirt and said, "Mommy! Daddy come back from war?" Mika's face scrunched up. Daddy. Sakura's daddy. Sakura will never see her daddy. She will never get to meet her loving father. He was dead, and there was nothing she could do. Mika hugged Xianhua and Sakura like that for hours. Sakura eventually fell asleep in Mika's arms, but the tears wouldn't stop coming. Xianhua already stopped crying, and was there comforting Mika.
The only thing Mika had left of Toshi's was some of his possessions, and her memories of him. Thinking about all the times they had together. When they fought together in battle. When they made love. When they found out she was pregnant. Everything, the tears came hard again. Xianhua knew she couldn't do anything, and stayed to comfort her.
~*~*~*~*
It was evening, and Mika finally stopped crying. Xianhua had told her that she and Sakura could live with her in China, and Mika keenly took the offer. Mika then had de ja vu. It was just like the day her brother died. Inu-Yasha. Toshi promised to return to her and be there for their child, but he didn't. Just like Inu-Yasha, Toshi had broken a promise that he couldn't keep.
~*End Flashback*~
Mika had started to cry a little bit when she told them about her husbands death. Kagome looked like she was on the verge of tears as well. In the middle of the story, Botan had come to tell them that Sango and Miroku were fine and were currently at Spirit World. Botan was filled in on the story, and when she heard this part, she was balling.
"Sh-shut up, Botan! L-let M-Mika continue with the story," Yusuke barely got out. (a/n: Whoever knew Yusuke-kun had such a soft heart. ~.^)
Tears were now rolling down Mika's cheeks, but she still kept a straight face. They knew that this next part of the story would be hard for Mika to talk about, so they let her collect herself before she continued.
"It was not long....after I lost Toshi, I lost....Sakura."
~*Flashback*~
It was Sakura's 5th birthday, and Mika told Xianhua she'd be back with Sakura's present. Xianhua kept Sakura and the kids busy by playing with them. As usual, Xianhua's husband was training in the dojo hall. The nearby villagers around the Fa Dojo already knew Mika well and about Toshi. They never mentioned him though, fearing the sadness they would bring upon her. Many of the stores gave suggestions for a gift for Sakura's 5th birthday. Mika finally decided on a brand new shiny ball she could play with with her elder cousins. Mika was content with it, as she started walking back to the Fa Dojo. It had been 2 years since Toshi's death, and Mika still never goes on without a night of mourning for her husband.
Mika knew, however, that what's done is done. She had to concentrate in raising Sakura. All of a sudden, she smelt the scent of blood. But not just any blood. Sakura's and Xianhua's. Her husband and her kids. Mika ran as fast as she could back to the dojo. She saw a bear demon slash at one of their neighbors. That bear was covered in blood. Mika was angry, she went up to the demon bear, and slashed his head off with her fan.
The woman looked grateful, and had only a cut on her cheek. Mika quickly bent down and helped her up. "Are you alright?" she asked quickly. She was itching to check the dojo, but she had to help the poor woman first.
"Ms. Tsutusmi! I saw that bear! I'm so sorry! I tried!" Mika was confused by what the woman was saying. The woman was balling, and....she had a dagger. She tried to kill the demon. By herself...Because...
The suspense was too much. Right when Mika marched into the courtyard, her breath caught in her throat. Xianhua's husband and her kids were killed. Not only that, but maimed. Mika's hands got sweaty, and the ball slowly hit the ground with a squeek. "Kang-Ling?" Mika called out Xianhua's husband quietly. Wait a minute. Where were Sakura and Xianhua? Mika went toward the garden, and saw Xianhua.
Her head. Was cut off. She was maimed. "Xianhua!" she cried. "No!!! Please! Sakura! Sakura where are you!?" she screamed. Sakura couldn't be dead. She just couldn't.
"M-mommy..." a voice said weakly. Mika's hear jumped. She was terrified. Sakura was on the ground, surrounded by a pool of her own blood.
"Sakura!" Mika ran toward her daughter and hugged her tight. "Who was it?! Who did this horrible-"
"Mo...mmy...Welcome...home..I made you...a bracelet..." Sakura then held up a now bloody bracelet with feathers and seeds on a string.
Mika held her face. "Sakura!!! Hold still! Don't speak!"
"I've been...A good girl... Mommy. Am I...going to be... with daddy?"
"No...No. Sakura. Please. You CAN'T leave me! It's you and me forever Sakura! Just don't die!"
Sakura used the last of her energy, and smiled, "I'm so glad..." She lightly brushed Mika's cheek. "Mo..." Sakura's hand then slowly fell limply to the ground. She closed her eyes, and took her last breath.
"Sa...kura? Sa....I can't believe it! It's too...Why? Why?! Why!!" Mika cried as she held Sakura as tight as she could. Sakura couldn't leave her. She was all Mika had left. Sakura's head was now wet with tears. Mika couldn't take it. Her whole life had been hell, and right when she thought it'd be prosperous. Why? Is it true? Half-demons are never meant to be happy?
Mika however wouldn't let this go unpunished. She buried her daughter and her friends, she got up, and she had a new look. Her eyes were now full of hatred.
"If I and the people I love have to suffer, then I'll make sure everyone else will." She clutched her sword and looked outside and saw a group of men picking on an old man. She went outside, and killed them.
~*End Flashback*~
"And....I'm sorry you guys. I don't feel like talking anymore." Mika got up and left before they could say anything. She slipped off her slippers as she entered the hut. The group could only guess what happened.
"If I and the people I love have to suffer, then I'll make sure everyone else will." Those words were enough to learn what probably happened after Sakura's death.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*
Anbaransu Na Kiss o Shite: Doing Unbalanced Kissing (Yu Yu Hakusho)
Dare wo yonde iru no kieta koi no senaka Nando demo Nando demo Kimi no mado wo tataku kara
Yoru no kasokudo ni senaka osarete Ito ga kireru you ni Tada, kimi wo kimi wo tsuyoku daite 'ta
Anbaransu na Kiss wo kawashite Ai ni chikazuke yo Kimi no namida mo kanashii uso mo Boku no kokoro ni nemure
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Yusuke: Alright. Just the thought at what Mika did after Sakura's death gives me the creeps, and looks like Ojike is back, and that's exactly what he's aiming for. We finally meet Sakura, or I think we do, but she looks a lot older than when Mika said she died. What the hell's going on? Next Time!
Chapter 8: Misunderstandings and the Reawakening of Battosai
Note: I'm SOOOO sorry if last chapter sucked. Please forgive me you guys! ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Owari Nai Yume
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Koenma: Koenma here! Last time on Cross Worlds, Miroku and Sango were killed by the demon Ojike. Not only that, but Mika believes that her husband, Toshi Tsutsumi, is alive! Why can't she see the truth? Is her love for him blinding her vision that much?
Chapter 7: The Life of a Half-Demon ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Mika carefully set herself down between Inu-Yasha and Yusuke as she stared at the fire. She closed her eyes and started to feel the rush of her whole past coming at her. Her thoughts were like a run-away train. Never ending. Finally, when she opened her eyes, she said, "It's a pretty long story..."
Of course, know one cared about that. They were itching to know what was really happening. Kurama looked at her warmly and said, "It's alright. We have the whole night. We're all ears." Mika smiled back, but it quickly faded away when she looked back into the fire. There was no sound coming from anywhere except the cackling of the fire.
Mika took a deep breath and finally opened her eyes. "You see, it started like this..."
~*Flashback*~
There were some kids playing with a brand new ball one of the village kids had gotten as a gift from their father. It was so cool and bouncy. Not only that, it was very colorful and pleasing to the eye. Every kid wanted to play with it. Especially a certain little half-demon. As she watched the village kids bounce it back and forth to each other, she approached them and said in her squeaky voice, "Can I play?"
The kids seemed willing enough. They thought, she's a kid like us. What makes it different that she's part demon? She's part human, too. The half-demon jumped up and down in excitement when they said she could play. Before one of the boys could pass it to her, an angry adult ruined their game.
"Momako! Gohan! What do you two think you're doing playing with that, that thing!" the woman pointed at the confused half-demon.
"Aw, mom! C'mon! She's not bad! Can we please play with her? Right brother?" Momako asked Gohan.
"Yeah mom! Please?" Gohan asked, too. The woman was only furious, and grabbed both of their wrists and took them away.
Momako quietly turned around and she whispered a, "Bye Mika..." as quietly as she could so her mother couldn't hear her. The rest of the kids sighed, and went away. It was Gohan's ball, so now it was gone. Some of the village kids weren't very understanding though. They blamed Mika for ruining their fun.
She looked confused. All she wanted to do was play with the other kids. She didn't mean to make the lady mad. One of the boys came up to her and kicked sand on her slippers. Mika thought it was an accident and kneeled down on one knee to wipe the sand away. She didn't like the feeling of sand in her slippers.
The boy then rudely pushed her down to the ground, and he was laughing at her. After awhile, the rest of the kids couldn't hold in their laughter, and started pointing and laughing too. She thought that when the boy pushed her down, he didn't do it on purpose also, so she started laughing along with them.
That didn't please the boy very much. Mika ended up the only one laughing in the end. When she finally stopped, she got up and shook the dust off her clothes. She smiled at the kids and said, "Does anyone wanna come play with me in the forest?" She looked wishfully at each of their faces. Her smile gradually disappeared as none of the kids volunteered. They had a different game in mind.
The boy and his friends surrounded her and started to close in on her. "Oooh....What kind of game is this?" she asked curiously. The boy behind her took off her lucky rock necklace her father got for her from Korea. "Hey!" she cried as she tried to reach for her necklace.
"This game's called Monkey in the Middle. And YOU'RE the monkey," he said rather rudely as he tossed it over to the other side.
Mika didn't like this game. For a half-demon, she wasn't exactly physically fit. She tried, and tried again to get back her rock necklace. She started to cry. She wanted it back so badly. She asked them if they could stop playing, but this time, they threw it into the pond.
Mika right away jumped into the pond and searched frantically for her necklace at the bottom of the pond. The kids around her started to crack up when she came to the surface all wet and icky from the pond gunk. But when Mika's foot got caught by some pond weed at the bottom, she couldn't stay on the surface for long. She got pulled under, and the laughs started turning to worried looks. They didn't mean for THIS to happen. Mika was drowning, yet none of them had the guts to go save her.
All of a sudden, a red flash went past them and into the pond. It quickly got out and was holding Mika in his or her arms bridal style. Mika started to cough as she opened her eyes, and woke up to look at golden ones.
"Big...brother?" she asked weakly. She was still clutching her necklace. The village kids were scared now. It was Mika's elder brother. Inu-Yasha. The group of boys that were picking on her were now shaking silly. Inu- Yasha looked dangerously at them as Mika sat up and watched.
"YOU BASTARDS! WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?! HOW DARE YOU TRY TO KILL MY SISTER!" the, what appeared to be, 7-year-old half-demon screamed. He was very protective of his sister ever since their mother and father died. He had to raise Mika all on his own. Before Inu-Yasha could strangle any of them, a rock hit him hard on the cheek. He turned around to see the parents of the kids.
"Get away from our children you dirty half-breeds! Leave this village at once!" Inu-Yasha was enraged. Why the hell do people have to be so cruel? Here were 2 orphans looking for a home, and yet this was their 8th village that week they got kicked out of. Inu-Yasha gave Mika a piggy-back ride as he charged out of the village.
~*End Flashback*~
When Mika was done telling them about THAT part of the story, they were quite engaged. They wanted to learn more and more about their life. Even to Hiei, it seemed like it wasn't fair. He almost, ALMOST, felt pity for them. (a/n: Psh.Whatever Hiei-kun).
"Things were like that for awhile," Mika said sadly. "Not only with humans, but with demons too."
~*Flashback*~
A now 10-year-old Mika was hiding inside a hallow tree crying while she was clutching some bent up flowers. She looked out to see the demons that had been chasing her still there. She knew she couldn't stay in that tree for long. She took the chance, and as fast as she could, got out of the tree and ran. Unfortunately, not fast enough that the demons didn't see.
They were a bunch of low-class cat demons. Because of the girls half DOG blood, the decided to have a little fun and kill her. One of the strings on Mika's slippers ripped, so she tripped.
'Big brother!' she thought as one of the cat demons cut her arm. She was terrified. She didn't smell her brother anywhere. When she got up again, one of the cat demons scratched her back. Mika was now wailing her head off in pain as some nearby crows flew away from the racket.
She was crying so loud, that the demon cats, were now holding there ears. "That's enough!" another one cried. This time, he grabbed Mika's neck, and was going to choke her to death. She tried to get out of his grasp, but she couldn't. She was coughing, but it was even hard for her to cough. Tears even had a hard time escaping her head. She felt dizzy from the lack of oxygen.
Right when she thought she was doomed for, she saw a claw go through the cat's chest, and he fainted on top of her. She quickly backed away, and she saw her elder brother beating the crap out of all of them. When the cats quickly recovered and got away, Inu-Yasha didn't look relieved to see Mika, but enraged.
"Idiot! I told you not to wander too far! But no! You and your stupidity! You almost got killed! I should have left you to die back there!" These words hurt Mika. She was expecting her brother to look relieved and happy.
"I-I'm s-sorry." she thought sadly. Inu-Yasha sighed and quickly grabbed her bridal style. His face was soft when he saw all the injuries she had. While he carried her back to their camp site, Inu-Yasha noticed the, what was now, stem of her flower. There was only one petal left on it.
"What's that for?" he asked kindly.
"They were for mommy's grave," Mika said a little happy that her brother noticed them. No matter what happened, Mika seemed to always think of others before herself. She was willing to risk her life just to get these flowers to their mother's grave. He kissed her gently on the forehead and smiled at her.
"Let's go get some new ones along the way. Alright?"
"K!" Mika said joyously as she smiled back at her brother.
~*End Flashback*~
"Aww!!! I never knew you could be so sweet!" Kagome said teasingly as she rubbed his ears.
"Sh-shut up!" Inu-Yasha cried blushing.
"Who ever knew big boy Inu-Yasha could be such a sweet wittle puppy," Yusuke said babyishly.
"GRR..I SAID SHUT UP!" Mika giggled as well as everyone else. While looking at how he is now, she started to have disbelieving thoughts that her brother could be like that.
"Continue with the story," Kurama said simply as the laughter died down.
"Right," Mika said, "Anyway, after a few more years, it was still like that. In human years, I'd be about 15. Big brother would have been 17. Around that time, he met the priestess. Kikyo."
The Rekai Tantei remember the others telling them about the controversy between Kikyou, Inu-Yasha, and Kagome. Kagome was now concentrating on Mika. What did she have to say about Kikyo?
~*Flashback*~
It was another day that Mika was alone again. Of course, she knew where her brother was. With Kikyo. Even though he says that it's only because of the Shikon Jewel, she knew better. She knew how her brother felt about Kikyo, and she always encouraged it. Before, Inu-Yasha would secretly go watch Kikyo when he thought Mika wasn't looking. But she knew.
When she confronted him about it, he of course denied it. After awhile, he didn't even bother. Mika could easily read through Inu-Yasha's lies. As every day passed by, Mika saw her brother less and less. She didn't want to get in the way though. Her heart fluttered at the thought that her brother was in love with a nice woman. She was even happier that Kikyo seemed to love him back. One day, she thought, she'd fine someone of her own just like her brother. Then she'd too, fall in love and live happily with him.
As she thought about this, she made random expressions trying to imagine what it's like, when her brother came back suddenly, with happiness and eagerness written all over his face. He had a big smile, showing all of his fangs. Mika couldn't help but smile back, but what was he smiling for?
"Mika! I have great news! Kikyo's letting me use the Shikon Jewel!" he announced, almost jumping up and down. Mika's jaw was hanging. The Shikon Jewel?! That was too good to be true! "Now we can be humans! Normal humans! We wouldn't be kicked out of villages anymore or anything! I can live with Kikyo and you can stay with us! We'll never have to suffer ever again!" Mika too was practically jumping as she embraced her brother. Unfortunately, they never realized that at the moment that the next day would be the last day they'd ever get to hold each other like this for the next 50 years. They never realized that that next day, would be the beginning of their TRUE nightmare.
~*End Flashback*~
Mika started to cough, and everyone instantly were startled. They were practically leaning over eagerly waiting to hear what happened that day. "Sorry about that," Mika apologized quickly as she cleared her throat.
"It's alright. Go on," Kurama said almost eagerly. Mika nodded and started the story again.
~*Flashback*~
Mika woke up to find her brother gone. She smiled to herself, knowing that she'd soon be human. To celebrate, she decided to cook for them, so she went hunting in the forest. Nearby, she saw what looked like to be a baboon.
'A monkey?' she thought curiously. She didn't want to waste time though, so she just ignored it, and jumped in a nearby tree. Little did she know, that the monkey just sighed and was relieved that she didn't follow him.
'That was close, too close,' it thought as it too, jumped away. The monkey then spotted Inu-Yasha. 'He's early.' The monkey then transformed to Kikyo, and shot his arrows toward him. "Die Inu-Yasha!" Inu-Yasha's face looked hurt and surprised. He didn't expect this. Inu-Yasha was angry that Kikyo would trick him into doing this. He then ran away toward the village to steal the Shikon Jewel.
The monkey made a satisfied grunt, and he waited patiently for Kikyo. When she showed up, he turned to Inu-Yasha and cut her shoulder. Kikyo, too, looked surprised and hurt. He stepped on her shoulder, and took the Shikon Jewel. He laughed as he ran away, and slowly transformed back to his monkey form. Before Inu-Yasha got there, the monkey dropped off the Shikon Jewel in a shrine, and just on queue, Inu-Yasha showed up. He watched in satisfaction as Inu-Yasha stole the jewel and he saw Kikyo not so far away. He jumped in a high tree, and saw how Inu-Yasha was pinned to the tree.
With a satisfied smirk, he watched as Kikyo was taken away by the villagers. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
It was evening, and Inu-Yasha didn't return yet. Dinner was getting cold, and Mika was getting worried.
'Why haven't they come back yet?' she thought. She decided to go see them herself. She got up and she ran towards the village. What she didn't realize was that Inu-Yasha's scent wasn't present. In the distance, she saw what looked like a bonfire.
'They must be celebrating! I must get back and get my cooking! Wait a minute.' She looked at her claws and felt her fangs with her tongue. 'Why am I still a half-demon?' she pondered as she walked back towards their camp. As she passed the Goshinbuku tree, she slowly turned to it and her breath caught in her throat.
'Big brother?!?' She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Her brother. Dead. On the Goshinbuku. Tears streamed down her face. "No.no.no no no no!!!" she cried as tears were now coming on full force as she ran towards his body. She got up on the base and pressed her head against his chest. She didn't hear a heart beat. He was really did. She bit her lip hard so she couldn't cry. It didn't work, so she bit harder, and one of her fangs cut her lip.
But that didn't hurt as much as the pain in her broken heart. "You jerk!!! You promised! You promised me that this day would end our nightmare!!! Why?! Why are you breaking your promise!? You were supposed to live with Kikyo! And I was supposed to find my own love! But no! You selfish jerk! Now that you're dead none of that can happen! How dare you! I hate you! I hate you!" she cried as she banged on his chest over and over again. No matter what though, she knew she couldn't wake him up. "Why! Why. Why..." she barely choked out as her whole voice was overtaken with sobs. This wasn't happening. The only family she knew of was dead. The one that always protected her. The one that was always by her side. Who took care of her. Who even raised her. Was dead. She gripped as hard as she could on Inu-Yasha's hakama, as her claws ripped through them.
"Damn you! DAMN YOU!" she kept yelling at him. She now hated Inu- Yasha. With her whole heart. He made a promise he couldn't keep.
~*End Flashback*~
Mika stopped the story when she noticed Kagome's troubled face. She knew that this part of the story would be hard for her to hear, but she had to continue.
"You see, after that, I didn't know what to do with myself. That's when I decided I should take up the martial arts. Of course, I didn't know where to start, so I kind of wandered. For about 5 years...I reached China after riding some ship. Soon afterward though, I was attacked by thieves... They wanted to rape me, but Toshi saved me from them. That's how I met him..."
~*Flashback*~
Mika didn't exactly know where to go, so for a few weeks, she stayed with Toshi and the rest of the army. At first, they didn't want a HALF- demon with them. But Mika's cooking was one of the things that made them want her to stay. After a fight or some training, they'd always go over to their campfire and practically fight just to get a spoonful of her stew. For awhile, the only thing Mika really did was cook and clean armor and weapons.
Mika didn't mind though. Because she could always be by Toshi. For 5 years, she was by Toshi. He'd always greet her the same way. Come out of his tent with a big grin on his face, looking hopeful for breakfast. Meal times were the only times she'd see Toshi. Even though she was disappointed, she didn't complain. At least she got to stay with him. One day though, she wasn't expecting what came. Before she even got the fire started, Toshi was up earlier than usual and stopped her.
"That won't be necessary. I want you to meet someone, Mika," he said kindly. Mika was kind of scared. Did he have a girlfriend? Or worse, a wife? "My sister." Those words relieved her as she gave a sigh. She smiled at him and said that she'd love to meet her.
When they were all packed up, she noticed the rest of the army wasn't coming. When she turned around though, she heard shouts of "Good luck!" from some of the men. They had big, silly grins and were waving at them. One of them even started to cry hysterically.
"He's growing up!" he joked as he just got punched lightly in the shoulder by one of the other men. Okay. Mika was confused.
"What are they talking about Toshi?" Mika asked. Toshi only smiled and just took her hand (for the first time I might add).
"I'll tell you on the way." Through their whole walk, they were still holding hands. Mika was blushing furiously, and every time Toshi looked her way, she'd look away. Toshi, of course, saw her blush. And...he seemed...happy?
"Alright Toshi. I want to know what's going on. Now!" she said annoyed. Toshi just smile at her again. "Why do you keep smiling at me?!" she cried.
"We're ALMOST there," Toshi said reassuringly. Mika sighed. She couldn't stay mad at him. She was glad that Toshi kept smiling at her, but she wanted to know WHY. In truth, it started to get annoying. Finally, they reached what looked like a dojo, and a sign that said, "Fa Dojo".
"Is this where your sister lives?" she asked as they entered the courtyard. But it was empty. It didn't look like anyone was home.
"Just wait a couple of more seconds," Toshi said as his grin gradually got bigger and bigger as they entered a beautiful garden. Mika gasped. The garden was absolutely gorgeous. There were Sakura (cherry blossom) tree's everywhere, all in full bloom. There was a stone bench and a small stone shrine. From where they were standing, there was a path that lead to a small pond with some fish in it. The rest of the backyard was blanketed with green grass and Sakura petals.
When Mika woke up from her admiration, she noticed Toshi on one knee, holding her hand. And what was that he was holding? A ring?! What's going on? Mika looked around her for other women, but she was the only one there. She was blushing furiously.
"T-Toshi," she stared but was interrupted by him.
"Mika, I know that we've only known each other for awhile. And...I know that I haven't been true to my feelings. And I don't know how YOU feel. All I know is that...I've fallen in love with you. Everyday, I always wanted to tell you. Ever since I saved you from those thieves. I wanted to tell you so badly, but I never had the guts to. But now I do. Mika. I want you to be my wife," he finished confidently.
She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Toshi was actually PROPOSING to her. This had to be a dream. She bit her tongue, and it hurt from her fang. But Toshi was still there. She was silent, and her jaw was hanging from her mouth. Toshi didn't budge though. He wanted an answer. She couldn't escape his piercing gaze. Mika found the confidence, and she quietly said, "O-o.k...."
Toshi's face lit up. Mika's face lit up. She was fighting the tears that were threatening to fall down her face. Toshi grabbed her face toward his, and they shared their first kiss. However, it was disrupted when Toshi's sister came out. Along with 5 other kids.
"CONGRATULATIONS!" they all yelled. Mika was blushing. They were watching that whole time. But she didn't mind. She was going to be married to Toshi! Her heart fluttered. Toshi had a kind of annoyed look on his face since his younger sister disrupted them, but he thanked her.
"Mika, this is my younger sister. Xianhua. (a/n: Shan-wa) And her kids." Mika was thrilled to meet them. At that time, all of Xianhua's kids jumped Toshi and they all were chasing each other as Toshi laughed his head off. Mika was sitting with Xianhua on the stone bench. They were watching Toshi and her kids run all over the place. Rolling on the grass. Wrestling each other to the ground. Mika was so happy to see her future husband so happy.
Xianhua noticed her admiring gaze and she smiled lightly. "Come with me," she simply said as she grabbed Mika's wrist. Xianhua lead Mika inside the dojo, where there were all sorts of weapons. "As you can see, I'm the master of this dojo. The "weapon dojo" of China, as they call it here." Mika gawked at all the different kind of weapons. Different shapes and sizes.
"I want my brother to have a strong wife. You do realize you're marrying a general, right?" Xianhua questioned. That was right! What use would Mika be to Toshi if the only thing she knew was to cook. She'd barely see him!
Xianhua noticed her frightened face, and said reassuringly, "Don't worry. This is where I come in. Mika, I want to train you so you can fight alongside with Toshi. Together. I know you two never see each other a lot, but if you fight together, then you'd see each other." Mika was thrilled.
"Truly? You'll teach me how to fight?" Mika asked excitedly.
"IF you promise to work hard. This won't be easy."
Mika looked outside, and saw Toshi giving one of the kids a piggy back ride. She'd do anything for him. "Yes. I'm sure."
"Well then...To start off, I want you to choose any of these 3 weapons in this dojo that appeals to you." Only three?! She didn't mean to be selfish, but there were so many weapons, she didn't know where to start. As she slowly walked around the room, she noticed two giant fans hanging on the wall. They were painted beautifully with what looked like a painting of the backyard. She took it off the wall, and Xianhua smiled.
"I knew that'd get your eye. The two giant fans. They were used by our mother. I'm sure she'd love for you to use them." While Xianhua said this, Mika was still studying the fans. She definitely wanted to learn how to use these. She put the fans together, and handed them to Xianhua.
Mika walked around the room again, and saw a sword with a simple strait blade. The shaft had an intricately carved dragon on it, and there was a Chinese medallion hanging at the end. Under it, the halberd had to the same dragon on it, but parts of the dragon had gold on it. Mika picked it up. It was incredibly light. She put it in the halberd, and handed it to Xianhua.
"Ahh...One of my favorite weapons. It's very light and easy to use, so you probably won't have a hard time figuring out how to use it," Xianhua said as she held the sword along with the twin fans.
One more weapon. Mika couldn't choose. She practically circled the whole room 5 time, but she still couldn't choose. Finally, she decided to take the naginata. The naginata was a long staff, and a sharp, curved blade at the end. It was as decorated as the other two weapons. It was actually pretty dull. But for some weird reason, when Mika held it in her hand, she felt a source of power.
Xianhua smiled as she right away started to explain how to use each of the weapons. You know, the basics. The stance, the simple attacks. Mika was a fast learner. She was fairly good with all three. She was especially good with the naginata. Xianhua then taught her how to attach the weapons to her at the same time when she was done. Xianhua then noticed that Mika wouldn't be able to hold all of her weapons at the same time with her old Japanese clothes. Mika decided that instant to take Mika shopping through the market for new equipment and clothes. On the house.
Mika was happy when Toshi said that they could go. Mika was so excited. The clothes that Xianhua and her kids wore looked like they belonged to a rich family, but Xianhua said that they were EVERYDAY middle- class clothes. She couldn't believe it. Silk was middle-class?! She couldn't believe it.
As they walked through the streets, she stared at all the shops they passed by. One of them had beautiful clips. One caught her eye. It was a beautiful comb with a flower on it. Xianhua noticed this, and right away bought it and gave it to Mika.
"W-wait a minute Xianhu-"
"It's alright. I got enough money to spare. Plus, I think it'd look really pretty on you."
"Thank you." Mika got a few more outfits and such, while Xianhua bought some clothes and a new ball for her kids. When they got back, Toshi was playing hide and seek with them. Mika was about to go talk to him, when Xianhua stopped her.
"Let's go get you dressed first." Xianhua lead Mika to her room and closed the door. What outfit should she wear? She finally settled on a sleeveless light, blue shirt with gold lining. There were flowers and random curves sewed onto it. It was the same color as the shirt, so you wouldn't be able to see it unless you were up close. The buttons were on the border of her right color bone. The buttons were surrounded by intricate borders of more curves and lines. She then added some puffy bracelets that Xianhua says you wear at the middle of your forearm. At first, they were pretty itchy, but she got used to it. Her pants were like modern capris pants, and it had the same pattern as her shirt. Her shoes matched as well with beautiful patterns. She covered her bun with a beautiful cloth that that had sapphire pieces on it. Two dark blue strings were tied around her bun, and hung peacefully toward the ground.
Now she had to put on her equipment. Xianhua bought a beautiful long pouch to keep the naginata in with a band so she can wear it. She put the naginata on her back and put the band snuggly between her breasts. Then she wore a belt for the sword and two fans. The fans had a pouch too, and she put it on each side of the naginata behind her back. Then she stuck the sword by the right side of her waist.
She took a deep breath and stood in front of a giant mirror. She closed her eyes. What if she looked horrible? Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. She slowly opened her eyes, and in her opinion, she looked nothing but horrible. Actually, she looked absolutely stunning. Her curves were more defined in these clothes then her old Japanese clothes. To top it off, she looked like a top-notch general with all the weaponry she had on. She smiled at herself. She couldn't wait to show Toshi.
When she got out of the room, Xianhua changed clothes too. It was kind of like Mika's, except without the weapons and hers was a light magenta with dark magenta lining. "Let's go!" she said cheerfully as the two linked arms.
"Toshi!" Mika called out to him. He was holding one of the kids, and when he turned around, his mouth hung open, and he dropped the kid.
"Ouch! Uncle Toshi!" But Toshi couldn't believe his eyes. His fiancé was gorgeous. He felt like the luckiest man in the world. Mika stood there smiling. That was the best day of her life.
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"Now. Let us celebrate our victory!" the head general threw his fist in the air as the whole army was cheering. "I'd like to congratulate our new, 1st North Generals. Toshi and Mika Tsutsumi!" Everyone around Toshi and Mika were clapping their hands and giving them slaps on the back. As the applaud died down, the head general continued. "These two single handedly defeated 5 of the 9 generals we had to face tonight. Not to mention, 16 officers and their crew. I'm very proud of these two. Let's wish them a happy life in Japan as they await their first child. Now. We drink to our heart's content!" The crowd cheered as each of the members of the army came up to them and gave them their blessings when they started their new life in Japan.
Mika was so excited. She could finally have a happy life with the man of her dreams. The only thing that was missing though, was her brother.
~*End Flashback*~
"5 GENERALS AND 16 OFFICERS?!" Kuwabara exclaimed.
"Yep," Mika said simply.
"You gotta be kidding me! That's incredible!"
"Well, it was a lot easier when I fought along side with Toshi." Toshi, Toshi, Toshi. Kurama didn't know why, but he wasn't so into the story anymore. He wasn't tired of that name, it was just that he just felt jealous every time MIKA said that name. Why would he feel that way? I mean, it WAS her husband. Mika was now smiling at the fire, and Kurama felt a little tug at the back of his mind. Even though they haven't known Mika and the others long, he just felt...DIFFERENT around them. Not just Mika, but all of them. Like they were all meant to meet each other like this. And he and Mika would be together. Wait, where'd that come from?
~*Flashback*~
"Toshi! Dinner!" Mika called her husband as he was training outside. Mika was 8 months pregnant. They were so excited. The baby would be on it's way in less than a month. As usual, they had a nice time at dinner. Talking about the baby. What they'd name her. No him. No her. No him. Well....Let's just say they didn't get very far with that, because they kept on debating on why they think or why they think it should be a boy or girl.
Their argument was disrupted when an officer came by their hut. He had his helmet off and looked sad.
"Mrs. Tsutsumi. Mr Tsutsumi," he nodded toward them.
"Hello. It's been awhile. How are you?" Mika asked her old friend.
"I'm so sorry Mr. and Mrs. But..."
"What's wrong?" Toshi asked concerned.
"We....We need you Toshi. We know we can't ask Mika because of her pregnancy, but the war with Korea. We need a general like you."
"I'm sorry, but I can't. My wife needs me," Toshi reasoned.
"I know. But sir. The head general is dead." Those words shocked the both of them. Mika had to sit down. "Please understand the situation. We need you badly. I promise, you'll be back in a month or so. In time to be there for your child's birth."
Toshi didn't know what to do. He looked at Mika for an answer. Mika only sighed. "Go. But you have to promise me you'll come back."
Toshi got up and kissed her lightly on the lips. "Don't worry. I'll be there." Her rubbed Mika's stomach, "For you and the child." Mika let him go that day. And she was heartbroken. She watched as Toshi and the office went on horseback and went toward the harbor. Before he left completely, Toshi turned around, looked at Mika with a sad face, and left.
That was the last time Mika saw Toshi.
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It had been exactly 3 years, and Toshi still didn't come back. Mika had a daughter, and named her Sakura. In two weeks, it would be Sakura's 3rd birthday. Already, Sakura could almost talk in full sentences. Sakura was the only thing Mika had, but she still kept faith that Toshi would come back.
On Sakura's birthday, Xianhua came by again, like she did every year. Xianhua, her husband, and her kids were there the week after Toshi left. The left when Mika didn't need anymore help taking care of Sakura. After that, Xianhua and her family came for Sakura's other 2 birthdays. This year, Xianhua came alone, but with a sad face. It looked like she had been crying.
Mika was worried and approached her friend, "Xianhua, what's wrong?" Xianhua didn't look her in the eye. Something was definitely wrong. Tears formed at the corner of Xianhua's eyes. She tried holding it, and didn't even blink. Eventually though, the amount of tears in her eyes couldn't hold, and the first tear hit Mika's hand. Xianhua was now crying on Mika's shoulder. Mika could knew exactly what happened. Toshi. He was....gone. He never came back. That day 3 years ago. That was the last time she saw him.
Tears were now going down Mika's cheeks as well. Sakura looked confusingly at her mother and her aunt. Sakura tugged on her shirt and said, "Mommy! Daddy come back from war?" Mika's face scrunched up. Daddy. Sakura's daddy. Sakura will never see her daddy. She will never get to meet her loving father. He was dead, and there was nothing she could do. Mika hugged Xianhua and Sakura like that for hours. Sakura eventually fell asleep in Mika's arms, but the tears wouldn't stop coming. Xianhua already stopped crying, and was there comforting Mika.
The only thing Mika had left of Toshi's was some of his possessions, and her memories of him. Thinking about all the times they had together. When they fought together in battle. When they made love. When they found out she was pregnant. Everything, the tears came hard again. Xianhua knew she couldn't do anything, and stayed to comfort her.
~*~*~*~*
It was evening, and Mika finally stopped crying. Xianhua had told her that she and Sakura could live with her in China, and Mika keenly took the offer. Mika then had de ja vu. It was just like the day her brother died. Inu-Yasha. Toshi promised to return to her and be there for their child, but he didn't. Just like Inu-Yasha, Toshi had broken a promise that he couldn't keep.
~*End Flashback*~
Mika had started to cry a little bit when she told them about her husbands death. Kagome looked like she was on the verge of tears as well. In the middle of the story, Botan had come to tell them that Sango and Miroku were fine and were currently at Spirit World. Botan was filled in on the story, and when she heard this part, she was balling.
"Sh-shut up, Botan! L-let M-Mika continue with the story," Yusuke barely got out. (a/n: Whoever knew Yusuke-kun had such a soft heart. ~.^)
Tears were now rolling down Mika's cheeks, but she still kept a straight face. They knew that this next part of the story would be hard for Mika to talk about, so they let her collect herself before she continued.
"It was not long....after I lost Toshi, I lost....Sakura."
~*Flashback*~
It was Sakura's 5th birthday, and Mika told Xianhua she'd be back with Sakura's present. Xianhua kept Sakura and the kids busy by playing with them. As usual, Xianhua's husband was training in the dojo hall. The nearby villagers around the Fa Dojo already knew Mika well and about Toshi. They never mentioned him though, fearing the sadness they would bring upon her. Many of the stores gave suggestions for a gift for Sakura's 5th birthday. Mika finally decided on a brand new shiny ball she could play with with her elder cousins. Mika was content with it, as she started walking back to the Fa Dojo. It had been 2 years since Toshi's death, and Mika still never goes on without a night of mourning for her husband.
Mika knew, however, that what's done is done. She had to concentrate in raising Sakura. All of a sudden, she smelt the scent of blood. But not just any blood. Sakura's and Xianhua's. Her husband and her kids. Mika ran as fast as she could back to the dojo. She saw a bear demon slash at one of their neighbors. That bear was covered in blood. Mika was angry, she went up to the demon bear, and slashed his head off with her fan.
The woman looked grateful, and had only a cut on her cheek. Mika quickly bent down and helped her up. "Are you alright?" she asked quickly. She was itching to check the dojo, but she had to help the poor woman first.
"Ms. Tsutusmi! I saw that bear! I'm so sorry! I tried!" Mika was confused by what the woman was saying. The woman was balling, and....she had a dagger. She tried to kill the demon. By herself...Because...
The suspense was too much. Right when Mika marched into the courtyard, her breath caught in her throat. Xianhua's husband and her kids were killed. Not only that, but maimed. Mika's hands got sweaty, and the ball slowly hit the ground with a squeek. "Kang-Ling?" Mika called out Xianhua's husband quietly. Wait a minute. Where were Sakura and Xianhua? Mika went toward the garden, and saw Xianhua.
Her head. Was cut off. She was maimed. "Xianhua!" she cried. "No!!! Please! Sakura! Sakura where are you!?" she screamed. Sakura couldn't be dead. She just couldn't.
"M-mommy..." a voice said weakly. Mika's hear jumped. She was terrified. Sakura was on the ground, surrounded by a pool of her own blood.
"Sakura!" Mika ran toward her daughter and hugged her tight. "Who was it?! Who did this horrible-"
"Mo...mmy...Welcome...home..I made you...a bracelet..." Sakura then held up a now bloody bracelet with feathers and seeds on a string.
Mika held her face. "Sakura!!! Hold still! Don't speak!"
"I've been...A good girl... Mommy. Am I...going to be... with daddy?"
"No...No. Sakura. Please. You CAN'T leave me! It's you and me forever Sakura! Just don't die!"
Sakura used the last of her energy, and smiled, "I'm so glad..." She lightly brushed Mika's cheek. "Mo..." Sakura's hand then slowly fell limply to the ground. She closed her eyes, and took her last breath.
"Sa...kura? Sa....I can't believe it! It's too...Why? Why?! Why!!" Mika cried as she held Sakura as tight as she could. Sakura couldn't leave her. She was all Mika had left. Sakura's head was now wet with tears. Mika couldn't take it. Her whole life had been hell, and right when she thought it'd be prosperous. Why? Is it true? Half-demons are never meant to be happy?
Mika however wouldn't let this go unpunished. She buried her daughter and her friends, she got up, and she had a new look. Her eyes were now full of hatred.
"If I and the people I love have to suffer, then I'll make sure everyone else will." She clutched her sword and looked outside and saw a group of men picking on an old man. She went outside, and killed them.
~*End Flashback*~
"And....I'm sorry you guys. I don't feel like talking anymore." Mika got up and left before they could say anything. She slipped off her slippers as she entered the hut. The group could only guess what happened.
"If I and the people I love have to suffer, then I'll make sure everyone else will." Those words were enough to learn what probably happened after Sakura's death.
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Anbaransu Na Kiss o Shite: Doing Unbalanced Kissing (Yu Yu Hakusho)
Dare wo yonde iru no kieta koi no senaka Nando demo Nando demo Kimi no mado wo tataku kara
Yoru no kasokudo ni senaka osarete Ito ga kireru you ni Tada, kimi wo kimi wo tsuyoku daite 'ta
Anbaransu na Kiss wo kawashite Ai ni chikazuke yo Kimi no namida mo kanashii uso mo Boku no kokoro ni nemure
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Yusuke: Alright. Just the thought at what Mika did after Sakura's death gives me the creeps, and looks like Ojike is back, and that's exactly what he's aiming for. We finally meet Sakura, or I think we do, but she looks a lot older than when Mika said she died. What the hell's going on? Next Time!
Chapter 8: Misunderstandings and the Reawakening of Battosai