AN: I'm back in the states *throws confetti* I'll be writing back full
time writing within the next week!! Also, I want to thank everyone and
their ideas for names, some of which fit my idea perfectly of what I want
the little fire cat to represent. In the end I had to pick one, and I've
decided on Mistero, which means mystery, since this guy is a big mystery at
this point. And for pronunciation, its not mister-o, it's mist-air-o.
I've also got review comments at the bottom of this story, there's a lot, so I put them down there!
Disclaimer: I don't own anyone and I don't want to make any money off of my stories. I write for practice, and for the pure pleasure of reviews. And if you don't like it, try catching me at 30000 miles over the Atlantic :P
Chapter 19
~~*~~ (Third Person)
Sesshomaru, Naoko, Kaemon and Keitaro sat discussing things that men often do. Perhaps if they were in modern times, they would be discussing the latest football game, maybe even politics. As it was, they were discussing various forms of weaponry and their effectiveness. Naoko was the odd man in the group, simply sitting there quietly and listening to their conversation, not really interested in which blade could cleave a man smoother or quicker.
A cold sensation filled the room, and every man stopped speaking a moment. Naoko felt the strange sense of something wrong, very wrong. Not evil, or malign, but something was about to occur that he didn't want to see. Kaemon looked uncomfortable, Keitaro looked very worried and of course Sesshomaru was calm and poised, at least on the outside.
The door that the women had disappeared through slid open and Maeko came running in, moving to Kaemon and Naoko and grabbed an arm each, pulled them to their feet. Seeing this feat, Keitaro rose to his feet as well, for it was only in dire situations that he ever saw his sister make use of her strength.
"We need to go, good evening," she said quickly, and began dragging the men out the door, to the cries of "What's going on?" and "Where's Francesca?" You can guess who said what. Maeko simply gave a tired look and said, "Um, she's coming, she wants to talk to Keitaro, and we don't want to be here, good night." The door closed behind her as she exited and left Keitaro very confused, looking to his uncle for advise.
~~*~~ (Naoko)
"Maeko, what's going on?" I asked, struggling to break her grip. She was strong, I had never seen this side of her before.
It was only after we had reached our rooms did she close the door, and respond, her face flushed with exertion or perhaps something else.
"I was talking with Francesca, and I told her about-" she muttered under her breath, but I understood.
"You did WHAT!" I yelled, completely unintentionally, and was greeted with the pained look on her face, "Maeko, how could you?!"
"I didn't know, I thought they had, so I asked and well-" she looked away, and I took a deep breath pacing the floor. "This is perfect, you do realize that not only is Francesca upset, but once Keitaro finds out what we're thinking, we'll never live it down!" Maeko looked up at me with those deep brown eyes of hers, so full of remorse that I couldn't keep her gaze, looking away. After a moment I sighed, "So be it, may all the Gods in heaven help us then. We weren't wrong in our assumptions, and perhaps it would be better for them to know now, before things become even worse."
"Wait a second," Kaemon shouted, "You're both acting like you're right." I sighed and gave my elder brother a scathing look.
"You're being blind and dense Kaemon, anyone can see that there are ties between those two that defy anyone's touch. I suggest you keep with your habit of finding the next pretty face, and leave them to their paths. If you try to interfere with them, you will only find yourself hurt, in more ways than one."
He crossed his arms, and looked away. "You act like I'm some common piece of skirt chasing trash. As my brother, you understand me very little."
He was too stubborn for his own good sometimes, but I had to admit. I had never seen him so determined about a woman before. Normally if there seemed to be another in her life, he simply went looking for another. Why was he fighting so hard against our cousin? Was it because Francesca was like no other woman we've ever met before, or was it something else? Something even I couldn't see.
~~*~~ (Keitaro) Back in the dining hall-
"I suggest nephew, that you prepare for a firestorm, I think your sister may have told your mate more than she was prepared to hear," he said calmly and sat back down, drinking his tea. I stared at him, still very confused. The heaviness in the air and in my chest grew deeper, and it felt as if ice water now flowed through my veins. It was a horrible sensation, that grew worse and worse. And as it continued, I had the strangest feeling that it concerned me, and wasn't going to be easy.
"Wait a second-mate?" I said, feeling my skin rise up in goose bumps. Francesca was coming, I could feel that in the back of my mind, like a cold wind blowing down the corridor coming at me. My uncle watched me, nodding his head.
"You can feel it can't you?" he said quietly, in that distant cold tone he often used, "Something inside you is always aware of her presence," he added before looking towards the doors. "Speaking of her presence, here she comes."
~~*~~ (Francesca)
Everything inside me felt like it was freezing, Maeko's words echoing in my head, the small marks that I now knew were on the back of my neck burned ice cold, and all I could think was how could he have done this to me. It was worse than anything anyone had ever done to me, never in my life had I ever felt so betrayed. I stormed to the door of the dining hall, and sent the small servant tanuki who was still sitting there running, squeaking nervously. I pulled open the door. There, as if they were expecting me, were Sesshomaru and Keitaro, watching the door, and watching me. I slammed the door shut behind me.
"You, how dare you!" I yelled at him, "After everything, how could you!"
Keitaro snarled, "Me?! What did I do? You're the one who got inside my head first, this is all your fault!"
"My fault? And I suppose I marked the back of my own damn neck," I said, grabbing my hair and pulling it up off my neck. He stepped forward and glanced at the small marks that Maeko told me were there, small dots of color, like freckles. His eyes grew wide, as he stepped back.
"I did that?! I didn't mean, I mean, I didn't-" he was silenced as Sesshomaru also glanced at my neck and nodded.
"Love bites," he said with a finality to his voice.
"No kidding," I said rolling my eyes. He gave me an ice cold look that froze my sarcasm in its tracks. Then he explained.
"When a youkai, any youkai, chooses a mate, they often exchange these called love bites. This marks them as theirs. It is much like a human habit of engagement. Those marks are solid proof of intentional mates, and they will only fade after the final mark is given. But there is something else behind these marks as well, something not so common."
I stared at him, what else could it mean. It seemed pretty obvious by what he just said. Keitaro had marked me as his, something that infuriated me. I swore long ago that no one would every have that kind of hold over me, that kind of power. Even if it only mattered in the youkai world, because humans could not sense nor understand their meaning, those marks felt like a collar around my neck, binding me to a fate that I didn't choose.
'Liar' a voice whispered in my heart, startling me. 'Liar, you can't run from the truth, because of anyone, I know how you feel inside.'
'You're wrong' I screamed back, and felt the ache inside, bringing up those memories long since buried deep inside. I wouldn't, I couldn't face the chance of that kind of pain again, I just couldn't.
"These marks are very uncommon amongst most youkai, because they normally only appear under special circumstances," Sesshomaru's voice broke through my internal monologue and I looked up at him.
"The intendeds have to share something that runs deeper than affection, a bond that-" I couldn't hear anymore of this. I spun on my heels and ran from the room, feeling the firm polished floors beneath my feet. I dashed along the corridor, and with a running leap, jumped from the floor into the gardens.
'You can't run forever,' that annoying little voice in my heart nagged, and I screamed out loud in my frustration.
'Shut up, shut up, I promised myself never again and I will never allow myself to believe in,' I couldn't run anymore and fell to my knees beneath a large tree, my throat tight as the tears began to flow. All the pain and memories that I had locked deep inside began to rise to the surface, and I couldn't stop them. I knew that Kei didn't see them when we shared languages and memories, because they were shoved so far back in my mind, he couldn't have seen them. This was a small comfort, because I couldn't bear the thought that he knew of this.
~~*~~ (Keitaro)
I watched her run, and turned back to my uncle, "A bond-what kind of bond?" I asked hurriedly, feeling deep inside the need to run after her, to comfort her in this pain I could feel welling up within her.
"A bond of the spirit, a bond that lasts beyond lifetimes," he said softly, and something crossed his features then, something I never thought I would ever see in his eyes. Envy. The great lord envied us because we shared something that he didn't. I pitied him then, trapped in a loveless marriage, or rather simply trapped in any sort of marriage with that horrible creature I called my aunt.
I turned quickly and left him there, the overwhelming need to follow Francesca was the only thing driving me now. I had to find her, I had to talk to her, explain, apologize for hurting her, even though the knowledge that burned inside gave me the greatest joy because I knew that even she couldn't ignore what my uncle had just told us. Her scent was spicy and strong, even with the wind that had picked up I could smell it. As I grew closer, I felt a hand of ice wrap around my heart, pulling me to my knees in pain. I thought I was dying, when the pain grew stronger, but I realized that it wasn't my pain, but hers.
'Oh Rose,' I thought as another wave of pain hit me. Images flashed in my head, images that I knew were her memories. How could I have missed this? How hard did she hide these feelings, from the world around her, from me? Pain crippled my knees driving me into the dirt and I closed my eyes.
~~*~~(Francesca)
(Memory)
I was just 15 when I met him, and it was like an eye in the storm that was my life. It was already hard enough on me, still in the throws of puberty, and my empathy was completely out of control. I couldn't keep anything out, and even worse, I couldn't keep anything in. I had isolated myself from the world around me, desperate for a moment of peace, a quiet moment when my mind would not be filled with the feelings of others, where a child's cry wouldn't pierce me like a hot knife. I forced myself, day after day, to confront the endless array of emotions that filled the air of my school, and would come home to the anger and depression that awaited me there. My parents were never on the best accords, but the fighting was a daily occurrence, and I was used to the nightly bouts of pain, so maddening that the only way I kept my sanity was to run away into the night, to a stream that flowed through a nearby field, hidden in shadow from the world around me.
I'll never forget the day I met him, the instant I saw him. I was walking to class, my arm full of books, and soon to be late. That morning I had a rough bout, having come across a hard breakup between a couple, and the pain had forced me into the bathroom, where my body tried to rid itself of the wrongness the only way it could. It was something that was common place for me, so much so that I'm sure if anyone cared enough about me, they would have thought I was bulimic.
I turned a corner, and ran into him, in one of those comical run ins you sometimes see in movies. I hit him, he hit me, I flew backwards and landed on my rear hard. I remember that slow motion of vision, looking up. He was dressed very well, white button down shirt beneath a soft blue sweater, and brown slacks. His golden hair showed no sign of darkness, as some blonds often have. He had the deepest blue eyes I had ever seen, like two cold pools of fresh water.
I flinched instinctively, ready for annoyance, surprise, anything to hit me like a hammer, but nothing. I remember staring at him in complete surprise. I didn't feel anything from him. He smiled and offered me his hand, helping me to my feet, and even with the warm firm grip he offered, my mind remained completely void of any emotion. In fact, his presence helped dull the roar around me. I couldn't believe it, someone I couldn't read. It was like being at sea and finally being rescued.
After that I couldn't get enough of him, nor him of me it seemed. We became instant friends and within a few months, we were the closest couple in school. I went from being completely ignored to being well known and liked by my peers. Even the constant looks and curious whispers stopped. My life had finally taken a turn for the better. He was the greatest love of my life and he showed me all the wonderful things that love could bring.
We were together for 2 years, two years of peace for me. Eventually I regained a firm control on my empathy, and nothing seemed to stop me. James graduated a year ahead of me, and he looked so handsome in his cap and gown, I was so proud of him. He got a basketball scholarship to a school in Florida where I was going to join him the next year at the same school. We had even talked about after college, getting married, starting a family.
For my 18th birthday, my parents surprised me with a plane ticket to Florida to see him, after I found out he wouldn't be coming home for the winter break. I was so excited to see him again, that I flew in and decided to surprise him on Christmas Day.
I returned home the next day with a shattered heart and spirit. All I could see repeating in my mind over and over was the woman who answered his apartment door, a young blond who kindly introduced herself as James' fiancée, and asked if there was anything she could help me with. I couldn't tell her the truth, I couldn't bear to speak, I only shook my head and hurried away, painfully struck dumb.
My life became meaningless after that. I barely ate, barely slept. How I finished the last year of school I'll never understand, but I didn't care. I couldn't tell anyone what happened, but that would have involved explaining a great many things, and I didn't want to talk. I woke up every morning and cried because I went to bed the night before wishing I wouldn't wake up. I forced myself to bury the pain deep inside, to completely forget about him, forget love, and close off my heart.
(Present)
I felt arms around me, and they pulled me from my pain. I opened my eyes blearily to see Keitaro's face close, his forehead pressed to mine, tears running down his cheeks.
"Oh my Rose," he whispered hoarsely, his breath soft against my cheek, and filled with so much pain. I realized then, he had just shared everything with me, and was still sharing it. I quickly pushed him away.
"Don't touch me," I gasped, "Touch only makes it worse." I scampered backwards, ignoring the dirt and plant stains that were ruining my lovely dress. He watched me, his eyes dark amber with the pain he was feeling and I couldn't stand it, I couldn't watch him filled with so much pain that wasn't his to endure. I closed my eyes, and tried to pull back all those memories, tuck them back in the dark corner of my heart where they were buried for all these years. Suddenly he was on me again, pushing me down onto my back, his arms around me again.
"No, let it out, you can't keep hiding from it, because you'll never heal," he said, and I stared up at him in amazement. He was kneeling over me, his hands on either side of my arms, his hair falling over his face like a curtain, long enough to brush my cheeks. It gave us the illusion that we were the only two people in the world, sheltered in the barrier of his hair. I closed my eyes as through the haze of pain, I felt something else. Warmth, comfort, protection, it seeped through the coldness around my heart and began to warm me. It took me a minute to realize that these weren't my feelings, they were his. I opened my eyes and stared at him, and I saw the pain in his face had diminished, instead replaced with a warm loving smile, as he watched me.
"I don't care what it takes, but I want you to heal, I want you to get this pain out of your heart, I want you to let it out," he whispered softly. I didn't know what to say, what to do. I had lived with this bottled up inside me for so long, I didn't know how to let it out.
Kei gathered me up in his arms, pulling me to sit up, my head against his chest, his strong heartbeat in my ear, as he gently ran his hand over my hair, "Just talk," he whispered. I felt so safe, and calm, and he smelled so good, so clean. James had smelled like that once. James.
I felt the tears well up and the sharp sting of pain in my heart as I began to remember all the times we spent together, the things we shared, and with every good memory, something else came up. The whispers I had ignored, whispers of James with another girl every time he came back from a sports trip. His kiss, his touch, the image of the woman that answered the door. I whimpered softly, as his face came to my mind whispering eternal love, and all the anger and pain I kept inside exploded.
I screamed, screamed till my throat was raw, my voice muffled inside Kei's haori, as he gently continued to stroke my hair. I began to flail, I needed to get revenge, I wanted to hurt him as much as he hurt me. I began pounding against the first thing I found, which was Kei. I screamed hysterically as I beat my fists on his chest, screaming insults in every language I knew, screaming to heaven for vengeance, for the hope that he was suffering as much as I had suffered.
~~*~~ (Keitaro)
I couldn't do anything more for her, I knew this. It was a fight she had to face alone, I just gave her the open door to do it. I held her as she screamed, her voice echoing in my chest, and I closed my eyes as her pain became mine, but I endured it, I knew she needed a place to feel safe. Suddenly she pulled back and began hitting me. I knew it wasn't me though, she was inflicting the damage back on the one who had hurt her. I simply let her scream and beat her hands against me, pained because she had to relive all those sensations to heal, pained because I couldn't simply take the pain from her, and in my own selfish way, pained because I wasn't able to simply erase the pain with my presence, but something inside, a soft voice deep in my heart told me I was taking the right path. It seemed an eternity before she finally fell silent against me, her breathing labored, but much calmer.
~~*~~ (Francesca)
My body was fatigued, my heart was sore, and my throat felt swollen as I swung my last and collapsed against him, my arms circling around him as what was once my punching bag became my life preserver. I clung to him as I felt the void deep inside me swallow me up. I had lived so long with that pain deep inside, that once I had finally released it, I didn't know with what to fill the space it left behind.
His arms wrapped around me, and I curled up into him. I let him pull me into his lap, cradling me like one would a small child, as he murmured softly in my hair, words that I probably understood but didn't hear. That same warmth began to seep into my skin, and slowly began to fill that void.
'This is his love,' the voice in my heart spoke up happily, 'He really loves you Francesca, you can't ignore this. And you love him.'
'No, I can't,' I said, as that warmth began to overflow the void, as if it was trying to fill me completely.
'Stupid girl, yes you can,' it said as it laughed at me.
Kei's voice seeped into my ears, "I know you're still hurting, and I'm sorry about what my sister told you. I truly didn't know, and I wouldn't have done anything like that if I had known what I was doing, you have to believe me."
I lifted my head, and nodded, "I know Kei, and it's alright, I'm not mad about that," I said softly, feeling tired from my temper tantrum. He brushed some hair from my cheek, sending shivers down my spine.
"What do you think about what your uncle said?" I asked softly, nervous about his answer.
He took a deep breath, thinking for a moment before answering, "I don't want you to feel that I think I own you now. I don't want anything to change between us, but to be honest, I'm very happy."
"Happy?" I asked, and he smiled brightly.
"Happy because I'm here with you, and we can share something this amazing," he whispered softly as his face bowed to mine. I watched his eyes as he approached. I thought he was going to kiss me, and deep inside I felt the hunger for the touch of his lips, but instead those lips simply touched my forehead gently, sending another wave of love through me, as he stood, carrying me bridal style and began walking back to the castle. I stared at him, a feeling of disappointment washing over me, and as we walked, I had the funniest feeling that he found my feelings amusing.
AN: There you guys are, boy did I have a hard time writing out this chapter, cause I really wanted to try and explain a lot about Francesca's reservation. I hope I did it justice! See you guys next chapter!
Shekahla: I'm so very glad you enjoyed my stories, and I really hope you'll continue to read them! As for Francesca's name, I didn't pick it on 20000-names.com, Francesca is my real middle name, and Fanton is my mother's maiden name. And I am honored that you've put me on your Fav. Story list!!
Del_kaidin: Thanks for the idea, as you can see I used it, but just so you know, segreto means secret, not mystery. Mistero is mystery. So I used Mistero. My father got a big kick out of your thank you, he just found out recently about my writing and was asking me a whole bunch of questions about it, but how do you explain Through the Well to someone who doesn't know Inuyasha. Yes, sad but true, my father does not know the wonders of the Sendoku Jidai, he is thoroughly engrossed in the world of motocross though. Hehehehe. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I had a hard time with it, hence why it took me a while to get out, because I'm really trying to stick with Francesca in character, while the hopeless romantic I am is screaming for her to just throw caution to the wind and fall into his arms. LOL, sorry everyone, but she's a stubborn brat sometimes. I have to stick with the character's personality, but I'm trying to get her to come around.
Nina-Moon-Princess: Thanks again for all your ideas hun
Kittykatt: Awww you flatter me too much
Wizardess Gal: Poor Kouga- I wonder how I can make it up to you!!
Tiranth: Hehehe! I love when people cheer me on, and I'm so glad that you feel that way, I hope I can keep up the good work
pruningshears : I know, I can't believe I got three chapters done in a week, especially with limited access to a computer. Lucky for me I type so fast and my father is so nice!! As for Naoko, I think I might write a chapter or two about the two of them soon, can't give Francesca and Kei ALL the attention *grin*. But we'll see, I haven't quite figured out how to completely bring out that whole relationship. This story is getting to be SOO much longer and more involved then I originally intended but that's not always a bad thing, is it? Hehehehe, anyway. Thanks for being the one to remind me that I haven't named Kirara's new friend!!
Kay: Thank you (
I've also got review comments at the bottom of this story, there's a lot, so I put them down there!
Disclaimer: I don't own anyone and I don't want to make any money off of my stories. I write for practice, and for the pure pleasure of reviews. And if you don't like it, try catching me at 30000 miles over the Atlantic :P
Chapter 19
~~*~~ (Third Person)
Sesshomaru, Naoko, Kaemon and Keitaro sat discussing things that men often do. Perhaps if they were in modern times, they would be discussing the latest football game, maybe even politics. As it was, they were discussing various forms of weaponry and their effectiveness. Naoko was the odd man in the group, simply sitting there quietly and listening to their conversation, not really interested in which blade could cleave a man smoother or quicker.
A cold sensation filled the room, and every man stopped speaking a moment. Naoko felt the strange sense of something wrong, very wrong. Not evil, or malign, but something was about to occur that he didn't want to see. Kaemon looked uncomfortable, Keitaro looked very worried and of course Sesshomaru was calm and poised, at least on the outside.
The door that the women had disappeared through slid open and Maeko came running in, moving to Kaemon and Naoko and grabbed an arm each, pulled them to their feet. Seeing this feat, Keitaro rose to his feet as well, for it was only in dire situations that he ever saw his sister make use of her strength.
"We need to go, good evening," she said quickly, and began dragging the men out the door, to the cries of "What's going on?" and "Where's Francesca?" You can guess who said what. Maeko simply gave a tired look and said, "Um, she's coming, she wants to talk to Keitaro, and we don't want to be here, good night." The door closed behind her as she exited and left Keitaro very confused, looking to his uncle for advise.
~~*~~ (Naoko)
"Maeko, what's going on?" I asked, struggling to break her grip. She was strong, I had never seen this side of her before.
It was only after we had reached our rooms did she close the door, and respond, her face flushed with exertion or perhaps something else.
"I was talking with Francesca, and I told her about-" she muttered under her breath, but I understood.
"You did WHAT!" I yelled, completely unintentionally, and was greeted with the pained look on her face, "Maeko, how could you?!"
"I didn't know, I thought they had, so I asked and well-" she looked away, and I took a deep breath pacing the floor. "This is perfect, you do realize that not only is Francesca upset, but once Keitaro finds out what we're thinking, we'll never live it down!" Maeko looked up at me with those deep brown eyes of hers, so full of remorse that I couldn't keep her gaze, looking away. After a moment I sighed, "So be it, may all the Gods in heaven help us then. We weren't wrong in our assumptions, and perhaps it would be better for them to know now, before things become even worse."
"Wait a second," Kaemon shouted, "You're both acting like you're right." I sighed and gave my elder brother a scathing look.
"You're being blind and dense Kaemon, anyone can see that there are ties between those two that defy anyone's touch. I suggest you keep with your habit of finding the next pretty face, and leave them to their paths. If you try to interfere with them, you will only find yourself hurt, in more ways than one."
He crossed his arms, and looked away. "You act like I'm some common piece of skirt chasing trash. As my brother, you understand me very little."
He was too stubborn for his own good sometimes, but I had to admit. I had never seen him so determined about a woman before. Normally if there seemed to be another in her life, he simply went looking for another. Why was he fighting so hard against our cousin? Was it because Francesca was like no other woman we've ever met before, or was it something else? Something even I couldn't see.
~~*~~ (Keitaro) Back in the dining hall-
"I suggest nephew, that you prepare for a firestorm, I think your sister may have told your mate more than she was prepared to hear," he said calmly and sat back down, drinking his tea. I stared at him, still very confused. The heaviness in the air and in my chest grew deeper, and it felt as if ice water now flowed through my veins. It was a horrible sensation, that grew worse and worse. And as it continued, I had the strangest feeling that it concerned me, and wasn't going to be easy.
"Wait a second-mate?" I said, feeling my skin rise up in goose bumps. Francesca was coming, I could feel that in the back of my mind, like a cold wind blowing down the corridor coming at me. My uncle watched me, nodding his head.
"You can feel it can't you?" he said quietly, in that distant cold tone he often used, "Something inside you is always aware of her presence," he added before looking towards the doors. "Speaking of her presence, here she comes."
~~*~~ (Francesca)
Everything inside me felt like it was freezing, Maeko's words echoing in my head, the small marks that I now knew were on the back of my neck burned ice cold, and all I could think was how could he have done this to me. It was worse than anything anyone had ever done to me, never in my life had I ever felt so betrayed. I stormed to the door of the dining hall, and sent the small servant tanuki who was still sitting there running, squeaking nervously. I pulled open the door. There, as if they were expecting me, were Sesshomaru and Keitaro, watching the door, and watching me. I slammed the door shut behind me.
"You, how dare you!" I yelled at him, "After everything, how could you!"
Keitaro snarled, "Me?! What did I do? You're the one who got inside my head first, this is all your fault!"
"My fault? And I suppose I marked the back of my own damn neck," I said, grabbing my hair and pulling it up off my neck. He stepped forward and glanced at the small marks that Maeko told me were there, small dots of color, like freckles. His eyes grew wide, as he stepped back.
"I did that?! I didn't mean, I mean, I didn't-" he was silenced as Sesshomaru also glanced at my neck and nodded.
"Love bites," he said with a finality to his voice.
"No kidding," I said rolling my eyes. He gave me an ice cold look that froze my sarcasm in its tracks. Then he explained.
"When a youkai, any youkai, chooses a mate, they often exchange these called love bites. This marks them as theirs. It is much like a human habit of engagement. Those marks are solid proof of intentional mates, and they will only fade after the final mark is given. But there is something else behind these marks as well, something not so common."
I stared at him, what else could it mean. It seemed pretty obvious by what he just said. Keitaro had marked me as his, something that infuriated me. I swore long ago that no one would every have that kind of hold over me, that kind of power. Even if it only mattered in the youkai world, because humans could not sense nor understand their meaning, those marks felt like a collar around my neck, binding me to a fate that I didn't choose.
'Liar' a voice whispered in my heart, startling me. 'Liar, you can't run from the truth, because of anyone, I know how you feel inside.'
'You're wrong' I screamed back, and felt the ache inside, bringing up those memories long since buried deep inside. I wouldn't, I couldn't face the chance of that kind of pain again, I just couldn't.
"These marks are very uncommon amongst most youkai, because they normally only appear under special circumstances," Sesshomaru's voice broke through my internal monologue and I looked up at him.
"The intendeds have to share something that runs deeper than affection, a bond that-" I couldn't hear anymore of this. I spun on my heels and ran from the room, feeling the firm polished floors beneath my feet. I dashed along the corridor, and with a running leap, jumped from the floor into the gardens.
'You can't run forever,' that annoying little voice in my heart nagged, and I screamed out loud in my frustration.
'Shut up, shut up, I promised myself never again and I will never allow myself to believe in,' I couldn't run anymore and fell to my knees beneath a large tree, my throat tight as the tears began to flow. All the pain and memories that I had locked deep inside began to rise to the surface, and I couldn't stop them. I knew that Kei didn't see them when we shared languages and memories, because they were shoved so far back in my mind, he couldn't have seen them. This was a small comfort, because I couldn't bear the thought that he knew of this.
~~*~~ (Keitaro)
I watched her run, and turned back to my uncle, "A bond-what kind of bond?" I asked hurriedly, feeling deep inside the need to run after her, to comfort her in this pain I could feel welling up within her.
"A bond of the spirit, a bond that lasts beyond lifetimes," he said softly, and something crossed his features then, something I never thought I would ever see in his eyes. Envy. The great lord envied us because we shared something that he didn't. I pitied him then, trapped in a loveless marriage, or rather simply trapped in any sort of marriage with that horrible creature I called my aunt.
I turned quickly and left him there, the overwhelming need to follow Francesca was the only thing driving me now. I had to find her, I had to talk to her, explain, apologize for hurting her, even though the knowledge that burned inside gave me the greatest joy because I knew that even she couldn't ignore what my uncle had just told us. Her scent was spicy and strong, even with the wind that had picked up I could smell it. As I grew closer, I felt a hand of ice wrap around my heart, pulling me to my knees in pain. I thought I was dying, when the pain grew stronger, but I realized that it wasn't my pain, but hers.
'Oh Rose,' I thought as another wave of pain hit me. Images flashed in my head, images that I knew were her memories. How could I have missed this? How hard did she hide these feelings, from the world around her, from me? Pain crippled my knees driving me into the dirt and I closed my eyes.
~~*~~(Francesca)
(Memory)
I was just 15 when I met him, and it was like an eye in the storm that was my life. It was already hard enough on me, still in the throws of puberty, and my empathy was completely out of control. I couldn't keep anything out, and even worse, I couldn't keep anything in. I had isolated myself from the world around me, desperate for a moment of peace, a quiet moment when my mind would not be filled with the feelings of others, where a child's cry wouldn't pierce me like a hot knife. I forced myself, day after day, to confront the endless array of emotions that filled the air of my school, and would come home to the anger and depression that awaited me there. My parents were never on the best accords, but the fighting was a daily occurrence, and I was used to the nightly bouts of pain, so maddening that the only way I kept my sanity was to run away into the night, to a stream that flowed through a nearby field, hidden in shadow from the world around me.
I'll never forget the day I met him, the instant I saw him. I was walking to class, my arm full of books, and soon to be late. That morning I had a rough bout, having come across a hard breakup between a couple, and the pain had forced me into the bathroom, where my body tried to rid itself of the wrongness the only way it could. It was something that was common place for me, so much so that I'm sure if anyone cared enough about me, they would have thought I was bulimic.
I turned a corner, and ran into him, in one of those comical run ins you sometimes see in movies. I hit him, he hit me, I flew backwards and landed on my rear hard. I remember that slow motion of vision, looking up. He was dressed very well, white button down shirt beneath a soft blue sweater, and brown slacks. His golden hair showed no sign of darkness, as some blonds often have. He had the deepest blue eyes I had ever seen, like two cold pools of fresh water.
I flinched instinctively, ready for annoyance, surprise, anything to hit me like a hammer, but nothing. I remember staring at him in complete surprise. I didn't feel anything from him. He smiled and offered me his hand, helping me to my feet, and even with the warm firm grip he offered, my mind remained completely void of any emotion. In fact, his presence helped dull the roar around me. I couldn't believe it, someone I couldn't read. It was like being at sea and finally being rescued.
After that I couldn't get enough of him, nor him of me it seemed. We became instant friends and within a few months, we were the closest couple in school. I went from being completely ignored to being well known and liked by my peers. Even the constant looks and curious whispers stopped. My life had finally taken a turn for the better. He was the greatest love of my life and he showed me all the wonderful things that love could bring.
We were together for 2 years, two years of peace for me. Eventually I regained a firm control on my empathy, and nothing seemed to stop me. James graduated a year ahead of me, and he looked so handsome in his cap and gown, I was so proud of him. He got a basketball scholarship to a school in Florida where I was going to join him the next year at the same school. We had even talked about after college, getting married, starting a family.
For my 18th birthday, my parents surprised me with a plane ticket to Florida to see him, after I found out he wouldn't be coming home for the winter break. I was so excited to see him again, that I flew in and decided to surprise him on Christmas Day.
I returned home the next day with a shattered heart and spirit. All I could see repeating in my mind over and over was the woman who answered his apartment door, a young blond who kindly introduced herself as James' fiancée, and asked if there was anything she could help me with. I couldn't tell her the truth, I couldn't bear to speak, I only shook my head and hurried away, painfully struck dumb.
My life became meaningless after that. I barely ate, barely slept. How I finished the last year of school I'll never understand, but I didn't care. I couldn't tell anyone what happened, but that would have involved explaining a great many things, and I didn't want to talk. I woke up every morning and cried because I went to bed the night before wishing I wouldn't wake up. I forced myself to bury the pain deep inside, to completely forget about him, forget love, and close off my heart.
(Present)
I felt arms around me, and they pulled me from my pain. I opened my eyes blearily to see Keitaro's face close, his forehead pressed to mine, tears running down his cheeks.
"Oh my Rose," he whispered hoarsely, his breath soft against my cheek, and filled with so much pain. I realized then, he had just shared everything with me, and was still sharing it. I quickly pushed him away.
"Don't touch me," I gasped, "Touch only makes it worse." I scampered backwards, ignoring the dirt and plant stains that were ruining my lovely dress. He watched me, his eyes dark amber with the pain he was feeling and I couldn't stand it, I couldn't watch him filled with so much pain that wasn't his to endure. I closed my eyes, and tried to pull back all those memories, tuck them back in the dark corner of my heart where they were buried for all these years. Suddenly he was on me again, pushing me down onto my back, his arms around me again.
"No, let it out, you can't keep hiding from it, because you'll never heal," he said, and I stared up at him in amazement. He was kneeling over me, his hands on either side of my arms, his hair falling over his face like a curtain, long enough to brush my cheeks. It gave us the illusion that we were the only two people in the world, sheltered in the barrier of his hair. I closed my eyes as through the haze of pain, I felt something else. Warmth, comfort, protection, it seeped through the coldness around my heart and began to warm me. It took me a minute to realize that these weren't my feelings, they were his. I opened my eyes and stared at him, and I saw the pain in his face had diminished, instead replaced with a warm loving smile, as he watched me.
"I don't care what it takes, but I want you to heal, I want you to get this pain out of your heart, I want you to let it out," he whispered softly. I didn't know what to say, what to do. I had lived with this bottled up inside me for so long, I didn't know how to let it out.
Kei gathered me up in his arms, pulling me to sit up, my head against his chest, his strong heartbeat in my ear, as he gently ran his hand over my hair, "Just talk," he whispered. I felt so safe, and calm, and he smelled so good, so clean. James had smelled like that once. James.
I felt the tears well up and the sharp sting of pain in my heart as I began to remember all the times we spent together, the things we shared, and with every good memory, something else came up. The whispers I had ignored, whispers of James with another girl every time he came back from a sports trip. His kiss, his touch, the image of the woman that answered the door. I whimpered softly, as his face came to my mind whispering eternal love, and all the anger and pain I kept inside exploded.
I screamed, screamed till my throat was raw, my voice muffled inside Kei's haori, as he gently continued to stroke my hair. I began to flail, I needed to get revenge, I wanted to hurt him as much as he hurt me. I began pounding against the first thing I found, which was Kei. I screamed hysterically as I beat my fists on his chest, screaming insults in every language I knew, screaming to heaven for vengeance, for the hope that he was suffering as much as I had suffered.
~~*~~ (Keitaro)
I couldn't do anything more for her, I knew this. It was a fight she had to face alone, I just gave her the open door to do it. I held her as she screamed, her voice echoing in my chest, and I closed my eyes as her pain became mine, but I endured it, I knew she needed a place to feel safe. Suddenly she pulled back and began hitting me. I knew it wasn't me though, she was inflicting the damage back on the one who had hurt her. I simply let her scream and beat her hands against me, pained because she had to relive all those sensations to heal, pained because I couldn't simply take the pain from her, and in my own selfish way, pained because I wasn't able to simply erase the pain with my presence, but something inside, a soft voice deep in my heart told me I was taking the right path. It seemed an eternity before she finally fell silent against me, her breathing labored, but much calmer.
~~*~~ (Francesca)
My body was fatigued, my heart was sore, and my throat felt swollen as I swung my last and collapsed against him, my arms circling around him as what was once my punching bag became my life preserver. I clung to him as I felt the void deep inside me swallow me up. I had lived so long with that pain deep inside, that once I had finally released it, I didn't know with what to fill the space it left behind.
His arms wrapped around me, and I curled up into him. I let him pull me into his lap, cradling me like one would a small child, as he murmured softly in my hair, words that I probably understood but didn't hear. That same warmth began to seep into my skin, and slowly began to fill that void.
'This is his love,' the voice in my heart spoke up happily, 'He really loves you Francesca, you can't ignore this. And you love him.'
'No, I can't,' I said, as that warmth began to overflow the void, as if it was trying to fill me completely.
'Stupid girl, yes you can,' it said as it laughed at me.
Kei's voice seeped into my ears, "I know you're still hurting, and I'm sorry about what my sister told you. I truly didn't know, and I wouldn't have done anything like that if I had known what I was doing, you have to believe me."
I lifted my head, and nodded, "I know Kei, and it's alright, I'm not mad about that," I said softly, feeling tired from my temper tantrum. He brushed some hair from my cheek, sending shivers down my spine.
"What do you think about what your uncle said?" I asked softly, nervous about his answer.
He took a deep breath, thinking for a moment before answering, "I don't want you to feel that I think I own you now. I don't want anything to change between us, but to be honest, I'm very happy."
"Happy?" I asked, and he smiled brightly.
"Happy because I'm here with you, and we can share something this amazing," he whispered softly as his face bowed to mine. I watched his eyes as he approached. I thought he was going to kiss me, and deep inside I felt the hunger for the touch of his lips, but instead those lips simply touched my forehead gently, sending another wave of love through me, as he stood, carrying me bridal style and began walking back to the castle. I stared at him, a feeling of disappointment washing over me, and as we walked, I had the funniest feeling that he found my feelings amusing.
AN: There you guys are, boy did I have a hard time writing out this chapter, cause I really wanted to try and explain a lot about Francesca's reservation. I hope I did it justice! See you guys next chapter!
Shekahla: I'm so very glad you enjoyed my stories, and I really hope you'll continue to read them! As for Francesca's name, I didn't pick it on 20000-names.com, Francesca is my real middle name, and Fanton is my mother's maiden name. And I am honored that you've put me on your Fav. Story list!!
Del_kaidin: Thanks for the idea, as you can see I used it, but just so you know, segreto means secret, not mystery. Mistero is mystery. So I used Mistero. My father got a big kick out of your thank you, he just found out recently about my writing and was asking me a whole bunch of questions about it, but how do you explain Through the Well to someone who doesn't know Inuyasha. Yes, sad but true, my father does not know the wonders of the Sendoku Jidai, he is thoroughly engrossed in the world of motocross though. Hehehehe. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I had a hard time with it, hence why it took me a while to get out, because I'm really trying to stick with Francesca in character, while the hopeless romantic I am is screaming for her to just throw caution to the wind and fall into his arms. LOL, sorry everyone, but she's a stubborn brat sometimes. I have to stick with the character's personality, but I'm trying to get her to come around.
Nina-Moon-Princess: Thanks again for all your ideas hun
Kittykatt: Awww you flatter me too much
Wizardess Gal: Poor Kouga- I wonder how I can make it up to you!!
Tiranth: Hehehe! I love when people cheer me on, and I'm so glad that you feel that way, I hope I can keep up the good work
pruningshears : I know, I can't believe I got three chapters done in a week, especially with limited access to a computer. Lucky for me I type so fast and my father is so nice!! As for Naoko, I think I might write a chapter or two about the two of them soon, can't give Francesca and Kei ALL the attention *grin*. But we'll see, I haven't quite figured out how to completely bring out that whole relationship. This story is getting to be SOO much longer and more involved then I originally intended but that's not always a bad thing, is it? Hehehehe, anyway. Thanks for being the one to remind me that I haven't named Kirara's new friend!!
Kay: Thank you (
