Chapter 33
AN: Gomen everyone for making you wait so long, but here it is, 15 pages long!! I hope you enjoy!
When we last left them:
************************* It was her, I had finally found her again, everything was finally right in the world, and my mate was back in my arms. Very slowly, I loosened my grips and looked down into her beautiful face, which was flushed red and looking up at me. Slowly, an eternity seemed to pass as she opened her lips.
"Who are you?"
*************************
~~*~~ Keitaro
My heart froze in my chest as I stared down into her completely curious and questioning eyes. She really didn't know who I was. I felt like my heart dropped to my knees as I pulled her into a tight embrace, my whole body shaking.
"You can't remember me, you can't remember us?" I whispered questioningly, and realized how still she was. I quickly released my tight grip, and saw her watching me. She wasn't afraid, rather she seemed inquisitive. I held my breath as she slowly lifted her hand and touched the side of my face, her eyes staring into mine.
"Your eyes," was all she said, before letting her hand drop, back down to her side. I remained still as she turned her head back to Mistero, and a gentle smile crossed her lips. Without another word to me, she moved from my arms and crawled over to him. He had curled up in the dirt and was licking his wounds and she wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Thank you," she said after a moment, and at first I thought she was speaking to him, till she turned to look at me again, still holding that gentle look in her face. "Thank you for saving me."
I felt my jaw drop open. She had no idea! All my dreams of finding her again, of getting our life back on track, and they were gone in an instant. There had to be something! An idea crossed my mind and I moved swiftly to her side, grabbing her hands in mine and pulling them up to my temples. I closed my eyes and squeezed them tightly, thinking with all my might.
"Um, what are you doing?" she asked and I hissed. "Read my emotions, my mind, like you did before. You can get your memories back from me!"
Her hands were light on my skin, and I knew that if I released them, she would pull them away, "What are you talking about?" she asked, a light laugh in her voice, "How can I get my memories from you?"
"Use your Empathy, I know you can," I said, opening my eyes again, begging her with everything inside me, but she just looked at me, with nothing but confusion on her face. It was hopeless, she didn't even know what her Empathy was. I stood up, and brushed off my robes, a dark depression coming over me.
"Excuse me," I spoke sullenly and trotted out into the woods to be with my dashed hopes.
~~*~~ Francesca
I gathered up the scattered smoldering logs with Mistero's help and started a new fire. Aki emerged shyly and helped me, but hadn't said a word. She carefully picked up our spilt meal with a sad sigh and spread the ruined meat out on a rock.
"Such a waste," she lamented and I stepped up behind her.
"Maybe I can wash some of the dirt away and put it back on the fire, we can salvage something, I'm sure our guest is hungry, " I said softly, glancing in the direction he had drug the carcass of the snake.
Aki froze for a moment, "What happened?" She whispered and I felt a wave of fear brush my skin. I shivered and wrapped my arms around myself, "I-What do you mean?"
"What you did before, when you were fighting? I've never seen any woman do so many strange things and you were acting like-" she looked away, "you weren't a normal person."
A normal person. The words cut into me like a knife. I gathered up some of the meat in one of the torn folds of my kimono and turned away.
"Francesca," she whispered and I could hear the guilt in her voice. I glanced over my shoulder and gave her a light smile.
"Don't worry Aki, I'm not mad. You're right. I just wish I knew why." I quickly moved away before she could say anything else.
~~*~~ Keitaro
I walked slowly back to the campsite, not really wanting to face the reality that awaited me there. To see the kind but empty look in her eyes, the complete void of emotions when it came to me, it was worse than any wound I could ever receive. It infuriated me that we had done so much, come through so much, even crossed through time for each other, and Fate would reward us with this painful trial. As hard as it was for me, I could only imagine how difficult it was for her, to be lost in a world that she doesn't remember, believing herself to be one thing, and in reality to be something completely different.
I dragged the carcass as far away from the campsite as I could, and went in search of water to bathe. I found a small pool that fed into a stream, stripped and jumped into the cool water. It helped with the anger that fevered my skin and the slime from my body, but it did nothing for the darkness in my heart. I lowered myself until the water covered my lips and closed my eyes.
I had to help her, but I didn't know how. How could I give her those memories back? How could I help her understand, and most importantly, how was I supposed to behave until then? No, that wasn't a question, I knew exactly how I was supposed to act, now try telling that to my stupid instincts, which only knew Rose as my mate, and kept reminding me of that fact. I dunked my head into the water as another fever gripped my skin, this one fueled by something other than anger. Stupid instincts!
I sat there in the water until I felt safe to come out again, till I could get my own emotions under control. I wouldn't be around her feeling like this. She had to still have her Empathy, otherwise she could have never fought the creatures in the village, so she probably had no control over it. Her instincts might be saving her from a full out emotional barrage, but being my mate, she had a closer connection to me than anyone else, and that could be trouble.
I rose from the water, and let the night wind dry me, before slipping back into my robes, and setting back to the camp. I could smell the burning wood upwind, and took my time, carefully thinking about what I could say to her. I stepped through the tree line ready to speak.
"Fra-" I froze and looked around curiously. The woman traveling with her sat tending the fire, and Mistero was curled up near her feet in his smaller form. They both looked at me in surprise. "Where is she?"
The woman turned her head back to the fire, nudging the wood with a long stick, "She went to the stream, to try and salvage some of our dinner for you." I nodded and turned. "Wait," she called after me, "There's something I need to speak to you about."
I turned on my heel again, growling slightly as my impatience to get to Rose slipped out. She seemed unphased and motioned me over. I stood beside her, arms crossed over my chest and hands tucked into the sleeves of my haori. It was a posture I had often seen my father do, when he was either thinking very seriously, or very annoyed. I was very annoyed.
"Since your mating, have you felt any different?" she asked softly. I stammered and glared at her.
"Since when is that any of your business woman?!" I yelled and she glared up at me, "Aki!" she snapped.
I blinked and she narrowed her eyes, "Don't call me woman, I have a name! Aki!" I stared down at her, my lips pressed into a tight line, "Fine, Aki, I repeat, since when is that any of your business?"
"Since I chose to follow Francesca-sama, and be her companion, it is my business," she snapped back, and I saw something in her eyes that made me smirk. She was no ordinary woman, this Aki. She had a strength and fire inside her that kept her apart from most of the women of villages I knew.
"That was your choice, it hardly means that I have to- OW! Hey!" I yelled as she reached up and grabbed a hold of my hair, pulling me down to her level. She stared at me intently, "Listen here, hanyou-san, Francesca-sama saved my life, and for that I am eternally grateful. Now I'm telling you, as someone who values her life as much as you do, that you need to answer my question, have you noticed anything different?"
I stared at her stern look, and glanced away, "No, nothing strange." I mumbled before glaring back at her, "Now why is that any of your business?"
She glanced away, releasing my hair, "Did Francesca-sama show any signs that she was different before the mark?"
"Well, she can sense those creatures, when no one else can," I began but she shook her head, "No, I mean can she do strange physical things. Like jump real high, hearing sounds that no one else can or, " she paused and whispered, "growl?" I stared at her, slowly shaking my head as she nodded, "And you haven't felt any change in your senses?"
"No, where is this-" I began, as her words sank in. Jumping high, hearing sounds, growling; it sounded too much like my style of fighting. "Oh no."
"I think the mark has given Francesca-sama some of your abilities, in addition to the normal ties that a mate has," she said softly, looking back at the fire.
"Some of my abilities," I said slowly. It was still a strange idea, and a worrying one. How much did she get?
"Before the snake attacked she was acting strangely. She kept staring out into the forest, and saying she heard something." Aki pointed to a branch, far too high for any human to reach, "She jumped to those branches, then she jumped from there to the ground without any effort and she started growling."
I closed my eyes, this wasn't something anyone told me would happen. Even my mother, she never acted like my father even when fighting the worst youkai. Then again, Francesca was no ordinary woman, she had her own powers that no one here could explain, maybe they caused a different reaction.
"I need to speak to her," I said and ran out of the clearing, following the trail of Rose.
~~*~~ Francesca
My eyes adjusted quickly to the darkness, becoming more and more second nature it seemed. I could even hear the soft trickling of the stream and I oriented myself towards it, seeing the fight's path of destruction through the forest. It lead straight to it. Mistero must have been coming for a drink when he found the snake.
I crouched on the bank, setting the package next to me and leaned over the edge, scooping water up in my hands and splashing it up on my arms. My skin seemed to sigh as the cool water hit it, washing away the youkai's blood. I bent over again, scooping more water and splashing it up into my face. It brought the hyper nature of my senses to a slow halt. I continued my cleansing ritual till the water soaked through my hair and I felt it drip down my back. I took a deep breath and reached for my package, opening the material. I was about to dip it into the water and clean the dirt from it when as stream of moonlight came through the trees above and lit my reflection in the water. I stared at myself a moment, before putting the meat aside to take a closer look.
My eyes were dark and listless, my skin pale giving me a strange look, like I wasn't quite real. I glanced down the sharp angle of my chin and saw my neck. I was curious, I hadn't seen this mark that seemed to cause so much talk, and it wasn't anything impressive. Just two small silver spots on my neck, like drops of water that didn't move. I lifted my hand to touch them, and a warm sensation shivered down my back. I smiled softly, it was a comforting sensation, as if the mark was reminding me of its presence and even its purpose.
I closed my eyes tightly, trying to remember what I looked like before but all I saw was the darkness behind my eyelids. I opened them again and saw the disappointment in my face.
As I stared into that foreign face, something began to drift to my mind. I closed my eyes and grasped at the murky vision desperately. When I opened my eyes again, I was no longer in the forest, but I was in a room facing my reflection through another medium. The girl, or young woman who sat before me was younger, with the same ruddy brown hair that I had, only hers barely brushed the tips of her shoulders, instead of her waist as mind did. We shared the same pert small nose, and small lips. She stared back at me longer and I wanted to ask her who she was, when her hand lifted and brushed a free strand behind her ear, and I felt my hand move with her. Her eyes were so sad, as she looked back at herself, at us. They were so depressingly lonely that I couldn't help feel sad as well. A young woman like that should have had a world of hope in her future, yet all she could see before her was pain and emptiness.
A soft tune filled my ears, and I realized she was listening to music, so I focused in on the song. I felt our lips curl up into a smirk, a sort of ironic smile and I wondered why. Suddenly she opened her lips and we began to sing.
~~Look at me / You may think you see / Who I really am / But you'll never know me.
Everyday /it's as if I play / A part
Now I see / If I wear a mask / I can fool the world / but I cannot fool my heart.~~
I stood, well, we stood from the seat but remained in view of the mirror. Our eyes drifted over our clothes and I noticed that she was what you could call a mouse, hiding behind a large shirt and large pants as if she wished the world to forget her existence behind the extra material.
The words echoed in my heart, it seemed that we had the same problem, this girl of my past and I as we stared into a mirror and didn't recognize the reflection shown to us. You cannot understand how truly alone you are until you are a stranger even to yourself.
As the next verse began it struck me suddenly that we were singing in a language that wasn't Japanese, and yet it was strangely familiar, very much so. I couldn't figure out why, I should remember languages right? After all, I could remember the Japanese I was speaking, why would I forget anything else I knew.
~~Who is that girl I see? / Staring straight / Back at me / When will my reflection show / Who I am inside?~~
I felt something pierce me inside, a stabbing pain that made my eyes water. It forced me to look away from the scene in front of me, and when I opened my eyes again, I was back in the forest, staring down at that bleary image reflected in the water before me. I bowed my head and covered my face in my hands as the hot tears flowed through my fingers. My lips opened as the rest of the song came to my mind. My voice shook with my tears but I sang anyway.
~~I am now / In a world / Where I have to hide in my heart / and what I believe in / But somehow / I will show the world what's inside my heart / And be loved for who I am.~~
Was this what the girl was crying for? What is it that I had to hide from everyone? Was I some sort of horrible person who had this deep dark secret that no one should ever know? Did this man know? The one who called himself my mate in my dream? Did I dare ask him if he didn't?
~~Who is that girl I see / staring straight / back at me / Why is my reflection someone I don't know?
Must I pretend that I'm someone else / for all time / When will my reflection show / who I am inside?~~
Would my memories ever come back? Would I ever really know?
~~There's a heart that must be free / to fly / That burns with a need to know / the reason why
Why must we all conceal / What we think / How we feel? / Must there be / a secret me / I'm forced to hide /
I won't pretend that I'm / someone else / for all time / When will my reflection show / who I am inside?~~
I let the song continue, sobbing through the words as they struck a deeper and deeper chord. My voice soared with the tune in my head as I poured all my heart into it, feeling it almost liberating, because it was how I felt.
I felt a blanket of warmth and protection wrap around me and I looked up. Through the blur of my tears, I looked across the stream and saw a tall figure in red standing there watching me silently.
"I talked to Aki," he whispered, his head bowed so most of his face was shadowed by his bangs, "I'm sorry that I did this to you."
I looked down at my knees, "You didn't do this to me, you can't blame yourself."
"You don't understand, " he said and I heard the rustle of fabric and lifted my head to catch his landing on my side of the stream. He fell to his knees beside me, and I'll never forget the look on his face and in his eyes as he spoke.
"You don't remember, but you were attacked because of me, because of my feelings for you. That's why you can't remember-" his voice cracked a moment and he slammed his hand into the dirt forcefully. I could tell he was doing everything he could to keep from crying. I felt an incredible gentleness come over me and I did the only thing that came to mind.
~~*~~ Keitaro
I clenched my hand around the earth between my fingers, trying to suppress the guilt induced tears that stung my eyes. I had my eyes closed, I couldn't stand to look at her, to see the anger in her face as she knew who caused her so much anguish. What I wasn't prepared for was the very soft gentle touch of her lips against mine. I opened my eyes and stared at her, unable to believe my eyes as she tilted her chin, pressing harder against me. My instincts overrode my surprise and I returned the kiss. I could hear her heartbeat speed up and I saw the flush spread out on her cheeks. I loosened my grip on the earth and wrapped my arm around her shoulders, and pulled her close as I broke the kiss. I buried my nose in her hair.
"Why?" I whispered as I felt her arms wrap around my neck.
"The first thing I remembered was a pair of beautiful golden eyes, they seemed to be looking for me, and protecting me. Your eyes." She seemed to glow in my arms and I knew she was smiling.
"I need your help. I want you to help me remember who I am and who we are" she whispered. I felt a chill run down my back and as I opened my lips she pressed her finger over them.
"Nothing stupid over you causing this," she said, staring into my eyes sternly and I could see the rekindling of her spirit there. "I have your mark, and while I can't remember, I'm sure I was very willing to receive it, knowing everything it meant. I'm sure I'm smart enough."
"Is that why you kissed me?" I whispered, almost afraid of her saying that she did so from a sense of obligation, of duty.
She leaned her head forward and touched her forehead to mine, her eyes bright, "No. I kissed you because I wanted see what it felt like. I couldn't remember." She smiled mischievously and I couldn't help but return it.
"How was it," I breathed and she flushed, "Well, I don't have any comparisons, so I'll have to let you know later."
I grinned and ran a finger gently along her temple, "I don't want you to think that you-" I began but she silenced me with a simple look.
"I told you, nothing stupid. I might not remember much, but I am a grown woman, and I can choose to kiss you or not." I smiled and cupped the side of her head in my hand, so my palm cradled her cheek. She smiled and pressed her head into my hand gently, as she closed her eyes.
"I want to remember-" her eyes shot open with surprise, and after a second her lips parted and she whispered, "Keitaro."
I blinked in confusion, and she sighed, "Oh, I thought for a minute-".
I stared at her a moment and then grinned, "My name, did you just remember my name?"
Her eyes opened wide, "I did!" She sighed, "Ah good, I thought it was just something rand-" she yelped as I grabbed her in my arms and jumped to my feet, swinging her around, much as I did the time I asked to court her.
"Keitaro!" she yelled in my ear, causing me to cringe, but I didn't care. She could yell to wake the dead and I wouldn't care. She remembered my name, without any help. It was a wonderful sign, she was remembering, there was hope, and I vowed to myself that no matter what it took, I would help her remember.
"What did you speak to Aki about?" she whispered after a moment, and I carefully set her down, looking serious.
"About what happened with the snake, she told me what you did," I said and watched her squirm uncomfortably. "I just fought it, was there something wrong with that?"
"Yes, when you're a human fighting like me, fighting like a youkai," I said, placing my hands on her shoulders, "How did you feel?"
She looked away a moment, "Like everything inside me was alive, almost extra alive. I could feel the blood pumping through my veins, the power that flowed through me, and I knew I could do it; it was never a question in my mind. If it hadn't caught me off guard, I think I could have beaten it." I tightened my grip slightly, "You have to listen to me Francesca, those aren't abilities you're born with, I don't know how this will affect your body. Sometimes they can even be too much for me, and they're a part of who I am. We don't know how this could hurt you, so promise me if there's any more fighting of the normal sort, leave it to me, and don't follow those feelings."
She looked away again, looking indecisive before nodding her head, "Alright," she whispered. She didn't look so convinced, and I gently tilted her head upwards to look at me.
"Hey, I'm only doing this for your wellbeing," I said gently and saw her nod, "I know, but-" she began before sighing.
"Tell me," I insisted and she looked up at me.
"I don't want to be weak, I feel like what happened to me was partly my fault, that I wasn't able to prevent it, and it makes me feel weak. I don't want to feel that way anymore," she said with this hard look in her eye that filled me with both pride and fear. Pride that I had such a strong and determined mate, and yet fearful of the path that her vow would take her on, and if it could possibly take her away from me.
~~*~~ Francesca
He insisted on carrying me back to the camp on his back, something he said should be familiar to both of us, seeing as how he had done it before. I had to admit, there was something about it that felt soothing, but that could have just been the close contact that we were in. His very presence made me feel like nothing could or would ever hurt me again, and I was enjoying it. At the same time, there was this overwhelming sensation of anger and annoyance that mingled with my joy; I wanted to know WHY I felt this way with him, why I felt his happiness and relief glowing off his skin like a soft light to my face.
How could feel any emotions outside myself? The more I thought about it, the more I realized that it was happening at times I didn't notice. When I was with Mistero, or the cold feeling I got in the pit of my stomach around that old woman. It happened when that horrible feeling welled up inside me as those creatures appeared and I knew without a doubt that something was wrong. Most importantly, as that voice guided me when I fought those creatures, the Sorrow, as I had stared calling them in my head, for that was all they brought and took; sorrow.
I heard voices coming from the direction of the clearing and as we came though the underbrush, I saw a group gathered around the fire. They all seemed vaguely familiar but my memory wouldn't cooperate with me this time. I continued drawing a blank as we approached and I felt Keitaro's arms loosen from my legs, releasing me. I carefully slid off his back and stood beside him, watching this group of strangers carefully.
"I thought I gave instructions for you guys to wait for us in the village!" Keitaro said, an angry tone to his voice, and the young woman seated near Aki rose to her feet, and placed her hands on her hips. I looked at her, and back at Keitaro and felt very odd at that moment.
"Oh be quiet Nii-san, you knew perfectly well that we couldn't just sit on our hands and wait for you to show up, she's just as important to us," she scolded him, then walked over to me, embracing me in a warm hug. I blinked in surprise, staring over her shoulder as she whispered, "Nee-san" near my ear. I mechanically stood there, my arms at my side, and closed my eyes as waves of worry, fear and relief shocked me inside. I wanted to push her away, get away from these waves of strong emotion, but I couldn't move.
"Francesca, this is my sister Maeko," Keitaro introduced, and Maeko released me to look at him.
"What are you doing? She knows who I am," she said, a light smile on her face before turning to look at me. I saw the smile slip from her lips as I met her eyes, my own sad and apologetic at the words I had to say.
"Um, no I don't," I whispered shamefully as her eyes widened. Keitaro stepped in and placed an arm around my shoulders gently.
"Francesca's ordeal caused her to lose her memories of us, and herself," he said softly and four pairs of eyes stared at me, causing me to feel trapped, something I did not enjoy. I felt my sprit pull away from the feelings of shock and pity, and something uncurled inside me, irritation but I held it down.
"This is Naoko and Kaemon. They are brothers, the sons of our parent's good friends Sango and Miroku." An image flashed through my mind quickly, a tall woman with long hair in a high ponytail with a very determined look on the face. I rubbed my eyes with my thumb and forefinger wearily and Keitaro's grip on my shoulder tightened, "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," I snapped, that irritation rising to the surface, and flinched as I saw the hurt reaction on his face. I moved away from his arm and made my way to the fire, leaning my back up against a nearby tree. All the warmth that I had felt earlier was gone and I was faced with the harsh reality of my situation. It felt like ice sandpaper on my skin as I stared at the flames, very much aware of the stares from everyone and the unasked questions that laced the air.
The emotional noise was becoming almost painful for me, and I wanted to do nothing but curl up away from it all. Worst of all the waves coming from Keitaro and the young man he called Kaemon. Keitaro kept watching me and while his face was impassive his body radiated nothing but worry. The other looked at me hauntingly, his emotions laced heavily with guilt and sorrow and I had a feeling inside that I didn't want to know why.
I didn't even notice the exchange between Aki and Maeko, all I saw was the two shadows that approached me swiftly and pulled me to my feet. Keitaro was on his feet as well but was given a quick look from his sister that froze his feet.
"What?" I whispered quickly as they both smiled. "Girl time" they said in unison. I was dragged off much against my will. The large white and black cat that I had seen with Mistero followed carrying something in her mouth. They led me in a different direction from the stream and I smelled the sharp minerals of the bath before I saw it.
"Come on Francesca," Aki said, "Let's get you cleaned up." They removed the remnants of the kimono that seemed miraculously decent intact and pulled me into the water. The large firecat - firecat? - dropped what I now recognized to be a cloth tied in a bundle, on the banks and curled up, vigilantly nearby. Aki pulled out a small bottle from the bundle and motioned for me to dip under the water and wet my head. I did so, and when I surfaced she poured some of the contents into my hair and began to massage my head. The sweet smell of flowers and fresh herbs filled my nose and I felt warm waves of relaxation began to radiate down my spine.
"Why are you doing this?" I asked softly as the sensations drained out all the tension and worry I had been keeping pent up.
"Because you need it, and because you have been through so much you deserve to be pampered," she smiled and I could feel her kind thoughts radiate through my body. "Besides, don't you want to look your best for Keitaro?"
I opened my mouth to speak, casing a quick glance at Maeko, who laughed.
"Oh, don't worry about me, you're his mate, and even if you weren't, my brother is grown enough to make his own decisions regarding women," she said. I blushed and so desperately wanted to duck under the water.
"I- I do," I whispered, "I don't remember anything about us, but there's something about him," I admitted.
"Well, he is very handsome," Aki said with a soft sigh to her voice, which made me spin around to face her. Maeko's glare cold over my shoulder. Aki looked at both of us, and blushed, "No no, " she said all flustered, "I didn't mean it like that! I was just making an observation!"
I looked at her very panicked face and relaxed, giving her a small smile. She sighed with relief, and I turned my back to her again, letting her continue with her massage. Maeko had come off her high tension mode, and was sitting with her back against a large boulder, a sly smile on her face.
"Oh boy, you guys have no idea. Kei is handsome enough, but he's got a stubborn streak a league long, and getting him to budge on anything is a miraculous feat. I swear, I still wish Mother had taught me that rosary spell, it could come in useful at some point. Especially when he's in his cranky moods in the morning."
"At least he doesn't snore, unlike your love," I retorted and watched the color rush to Maeko's face. It wasn't until I saw that that I realized I had remembered something else.
"You're in love with Naoko," I squealed, and watched as her face grew even redder. That brought another image to my mind of the two of them in a close embrace and I slapped my hand over my mouth. "I saw you two kissing!"
"Francesca! You said you'd keep quiet!" she yelled, and I blushed, "Gomen! I just remembered, and it was such a surprise," I said laughing at the look on her face when pressure was placed on my shoulders and I was quickly dunked under the water. I pushed to the surface to see the two of them laughing at me.
"Oh, now you're going to get it," I said, a mischievous grin on my face, and I went after them.
~~*~~ Keitaro
I wasn't going to spy on them, I kept reminding myself that as I launched myself from branch to branch, getting closer and closer to the springs. Finally I settled down on a thick branch, and listened the soft hum of their voices and the light jingle of Francesca's laughter. I curled up against the trunk, crossed my arms over my chest and settled in as Francesca's voice rose above the sounds around her.
"You're in love with Naoko!" That caught my attention and I leaned forward, my ears straining to hear more. The Aki woman was already very interested in my cousin it seemed.
"I saw you two kissing!" came another cry. I blinked curiously, when had-
"Francesca! You said you'd keep quiet!" came an all too familiar voice. I felt the hairs on my neck stand straight up. That wasn't Aki's voice, it was my sister's. My BABY sister's voice.
I growled, and took off as fast as my legs could carry me, the blood pulsing in my veins. That ecchi monk, no good hentai. He was just as bad as his father! I was going to send him to meet his maker! He dared lay a hand on my sister!
I burst through the foliage, and felt my blood burn, as I landed on the ground before him, a deep growl echoing from my chest.
"Bouzu!!" I hissed and Naoko looked up at me, and went sheet white. He scrambled to his feet and had barely had the time to grip his weapon when my hands descended on him. He spun quickly out of my grip and began running. Kaemon was on his feet.
"Naoko, what the hell did you do?!"
"I- I don't know" he called back, and I added more speed to my step, growling loudly.
"I'll be damned that you don't know, you hentai! I know all about what you did to my sister!"
~~*~~ Naoko
Never had I seen Keitaro in such a state as he was when he appeared from the treetops, and when he lifted his head and looked straight at me, my blood ran cold. I knew something was terribly wrong. He hissed a foul word and I felt the color drain from my face. I grabbed my staff and began running before I could think to ask him why he was trying to kill me.
"Naoko, what the hell did you do?!" my brother called after me, and I felt like smacking him, he could at least try and stop Keitaro.
"I- I don't know," I shouted back, my heart beating in my chest
"I'll be damned that you don't know, you hentai! I know all about what you did to my sister!"
Oh no, he knew! I fell to the ground as I felt his hands almost reach me, and watched him quickly fly over my head before I scrambled back to my feet and ran in the opposite direction.
"His sister?" Kaemon called, watching me. "What did you do to Maeko- sama?" he asked innocently.
"Nothing, I mean we kissed, but-" I called back breathlessly, as I felt those claws grab my robes and pull me down to the dirt. I stared up at my cousin, and watched the red bleed into the normally white of his eyes as he breathed down on me.
"You dared to dishonor my sister, ecchi monk!" he growled and I swallowed my fear of his claws.
"I have not dishonored her, I swear this on the holy name of Buddha Keitaro. We have only shared a kiss, and it was a kiss given with the purest intentions!"
"Keitaro, it was only a kiss," Kaemon said coming to my defense as he stood over us, "I myself have-" he was silenced by Keitaro's dark growl, "- maybe that's not a good example. But honestly Keitaro, this is Naoko we're talking about! He hasn't ever done anything dishonorable or impure in his entire life, that's why he was the likely candidate to be a monk!"
I gave my brother a dark look, and he lifted his hands, "I'm just trying to help here, I'm not the one with claws at my neck after all," he said before walking away.
"Keitaro, I swear, we wanted to tell you! Maeko was so afraid that you would react like this, and she didn't know what your parents would say, but I swear I hold your sister with the highest respect! I love her Keitaro!"
He growled again, and I tilted my chin, narrowing my eyes and looking into his, noticing the red beginning to fade away, "Do not make yourself the biggest hypocrite by being angry at me about who I love. You are faced with a great challenge for having taken a human as your mate."
He released my neck and moved away from me, and I sat up, brushing the dirt from my robes as I watched him.
"I'm asking your blessing to court your sister Keitaro. I promise to you that I will protect her with everything in my being. It is why I came on this journey to begin with, to protect her. I live for her now, I left the monastery for her. She is my true path, even my teachers told me this. Can I have your acceptance?"
Keitaro growled again, and his eyes never left mine. After a moment, he closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, they had returned to their natural golden color.
"You do not need my blessing Naoko, Maeko chooses her own path," he muttered before moving over the fire. I sat there quietly, watching him when we heard the girl's voices approaching. They stepped into the clearing and I saw Francesca-sama's face grow pale for a moment, then flush red as she looked around at Keitaro and I.
"Um, what happened?" she whispered worriedly, and I sighed. This would be a LONG night.
AN: Gomen everyone for making you wait so long, but here it is, 15 pages long!! I hope you enjoy!
When we last left them:
************************* It was her, I had finally found her again, everything was finally right in the world, and my mate was back in my arms. Very slowly, I loosened my grips and looked down into her beautiful face, which was flushed red and looking up at me. Slowly, an eternity seemed to pass as she opened her lips.
"Who are you?"
*************************
~~*~~ Keitaro
My heart froze in my chest as I stared down into her completely curious and questioning eyes. She really didn't know who I was. I felt like my heart dropped to my knees as I pulled her into a tight embrace, my whole body shaking.
"You can't remember me, you can't remember us?" I whispered questioningly, and realized how still she was. I quickly released my tight grip, and saw her watching me. She wasn't afraid, rather she seemed inquisitive. I held my breath as she slowly lifted her hand and touched the side of my face, her eyes staring into mine.
"Your eyes," was all she said, before letting her hand drop, back down to her side. I remained still as she turned her head back to Mistero, and a gentle smile crossed her lips. Without another word to me, she moved from my arms and crawled over to him. He had curled up in the dirt and was licking his wounds and she wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Thank you," she said after a moment, and at first I thought she was speaking to him, till she turned to look at me again, still holding that gentle look in her face. "Thank you for saving me."
I felt my jaw drop open. She had no idea! All my dreams of finding her again, of getting our life back on track, and they were gone in an instant. There had to be something! An idea crossed my mind and I moved swiftly to her side, grabbing her hands in mine and pulling them up to my temples. I closed my eyes and squeezed them tightly, thinking with all my might.
"Um, what are you doing?" she asked and I hissed. "Read my emotions, my mind, like you did before. You can get your memories back from me!"
Her hands were light on my skin, and I knew that if I released them, she would pull them away, "What are you talking about?" she asked, a light laugh in her voice, "How can I get my memories from you?"
"Use your Empathy, I know you can," I said, opening my eyes again, begging her with everything inside me, but she just looked at me, with nothing but confusion on her face. It was hopeless, she didn't even know what her Empathy was. I stood up, and brushed off my robes, a dark depression coming over me.
"Excuse me," I spoke sullenly and trotted out into the woods to be with my dashed hopes.
~~*~~ Francesca
I gathered up the scattered smoldering logs with Mistero's help and started a new fire. Aki emerged shyly and helped me, but hadn't said a word. She carefully picked up our spilt meal with a sad sigh and spread the ruined meat out on a rock.
"Such a waste," she lamented and I stepped up behind her.
"Maybe I can wash some of the dirt away and put it back on the fire, we can salvage something, I'm sure our guest is hungry, " I said softly, glancing in the direction he had drug the carcass of the snake.
Aki froze for a moment, "What happened?" She whispered and I felt a wave of fear brush my skin. I shivered and wrapped my arms around myself, "I-What do you mean?"
"What you did before, when you were fighting? I've never seen any woman do so many strange things and you were acting like-" she looked away, "you weren't a normal person."
A normal person. The words cut into me like a knife. I gathered up some of the meat in one of the torn folds of my kimono and turned away.
"Francesca," she whispered and I could hear the guilt in her voice. I glanced over my shoulder and gave her a light smile.
"Don't worry Aki, I'm not mad. You're right. I just wish I knew why." I quickly moved away before she could say anything else.
~~*~~ Keitaro
I walked slowly back to the campsite, not really wanting to face the reality that awaited me there. To see the kind but empty look in her eyes, the complete void of emotions when it came to me, it was worse than any wound I could ever receive. It infuriated me that we had done so much, come through so much, even crossed through time for each other, and Fate would reward us with this painful trial. As hard as it was for me, I could only imagine how difficult it was for her, to be lost in a world that she doesn't remember, believing herself to be one thing, and in reality to be something completely different.
I dragged the carcass as far away from the campsite as I could, and went in search of water to bathe. I found a small pool that fed into a stream, stripped and jumped into the cool water. It helped with the anger that fevered my skin and the slime from my body, but it did nothing for the darkness in my heart. I lowered myself until the water covered my lips and closed my eyes.
I had to help her, but I didn't know how. How could I give her those memories back? How could I help her understand, and most importantly, how was I supposed to behave until then? No, that wasn't a question, I knew exactly how I was supposed to act, now try telling that to my stupid instincts, which only knew Rose as my mate, and kept reminding me of that fact. I dunked my head into the water as another fever gripped my skin, this one fueled by something other than anger. Stupid instincts!
I sat there in the water until I felt safe to come out again, till I could get my own emotions under control. I wouldn't be around her feeling like this. She had to still have her Empathy, otherwise she could have never fought the creatures in the village, so she probably had no control over it. Her instincts might be saving her from a full out emotional barrage, but being my mate, she had a closer connection to me than anyone else, and that could be trouble.
I rose from the water, and let the night wind dry me, before slipping back into my robes, and setting back to the camp. I could smell the burning wood upwind, and took my time, carefully thinking about what I could say to her. I stepped through the tree line ready to speak.
"Fra-" I froze and looked around curiously. The woman traveling with her sat tending the fire, and Mistero was curled up near her feet in his smaller form. They both looked at me in surprise. "Where is she?"
The woman turned her head back to the fire, nudging the wood with a long stick, "She went to the stream, to try and salvage some of our dinner for you." I nodded and turned. "Wait," she called after me, "There's something I need to speak to you about."
I turned on my heel again, growling slightly as my impatience to get to Rose slipped out. She seemed unphased and motioned me over. I stood beside her, arms crossed over my chest and hands tucked into the sleeves of my haori. It was a posture I had often seen my father do, when he was either thinking very seriously, or very annoyed. I was very annoyed.
"Since your mating, have you felt any different?" she asked softly. I stammered and glared at her.
"Since when is that any of your business woman?!" I yelled and she glared up at me, "Aki!" she snapped.
I blinked and she narrowed her eyes, "Don't call me woman, I have a name! Aki!" I stared down at her, my lips pressed into a tight line, "Fine, Aki, I repeat, since when is that any of your business?"
"Since I chose to follow Francesca-sama, and be her companion, it is my business," she snapped back, and I saw something in her eyes that made me smirk. She was no ordinary woman, this Aki. She had a strength and fire inside her that kept her apart from most of the women of villages I knew.
"That was your choice, it hardly means that I have to- OW! Hey!" I yelled as she reached up and grabbed a hold of my hair, pulling me down to her level. She stared at me intently, "Listen here, hanyou-san, Francesca-sama saved my life, and for that I am eternally grateful. Now I'm telling you, as someone who values her life as much as you do, that you need to answer my question, have you noticed anything different?"
I stared at her stern look, and glanced away, "No, nothing strange." I mumbled before glaring back at her, "Now why is that any of your business?"
She glanced away, releasing my hair, "Did Francesca-sama show any signs that she was different before the mark?"
"Well, she can sense those creatures, when no one else can," I began but she shook her head, "No, I mean can she do strange physical things. Like jump real high, hearing sounds that no one else can or, " she paused and whispered, "growl?" I stared at her, slowly shaking my head as she nodded, "And you haven't felt any change in your senses?"
"No, where is this-" I began, as her words sank in. Jumping high, hearing sounds, growling; it sounded too much like my style of fighting. "Oh no."
"I think the mark has given Francesca-sama some of your abilities, in addition to the normal ties that a mate has," she said softly, looking back at the fire.
"Some of my abilities," I said slowly. It was still a strange idea, and a worrying one. How much did she get?
"Before the snake attacked she was acting strangely. She kept staring out into the forest, and saying she heard something." Aki pointed to a branch, far too high for any human to reach, "She jumped to those branches, then she jumped from there to the ground without any effort and she started growling."
I closed my eyes, this wasn't something anyone told me would happen. Even my mother, she never acted like my father even when fighting the worst youkai. Then again, Francesca was no ordinary woman, she had her own powers that no one here could explain, maybe they caused a different reaction.
"I need to speak to her," I said and ran out of the clearing, following the trail of Rose.
~~*~~ Francesca
My eyes adjusted quickly to the darkness, becoming more and more second nature it seemed. I could even hear the soft trickling of the stream and I oriented myself towards it, seeing the fight's path of destruction through the forest. It lead straight to it. Mistero must have been coming for a drink when he found the snake.
I crouched on the bank, setting the package next to me and leaned over the edge, scooping water up in my hands and splashing it up on my arms. My skin seemed to sigh as the cool water hit it, washing away the youkai's blood. I bent over again, scooping more water and splashing it up into my face. It brought the hyper nature of my senses to a slow halt. I continued my cleansing ritual till the water soaked through my hair and I felt it drip down my back. I took a deep breath and reached for my package, opening the material. I was about to dip it into the water and clean the dirt from it when as stream of moonlight came through the trees above and lit my reflection in the water. I stared at myself a moment, before putting the meat aside to take a closer look.
My eyes were dark and listless, my skin pale giving me a strange look, like I wasn't quite real. I glanced down the sharp angle of my chin and saw my neck. I was curious, I hadn't seen this mark that seemed to cause so much talk, and it wasn't anything impressive. Just two small silver spots on my neck, like drops of water that didn't move. I lifted my hand to touch them, and a warm sensation shivered down my back. I smiled softly, it was a comforting sensation, as if the mark was reminding me of its presence and even its purpose.
I closed my eyes tightly, trying to remember what I looked like before but all I saw was the darkness behind my eyelids. I opened them again and saw the disappointment in my face.
As I stared into that foreign face, something began to drift to my mind. I closed my eyes and grasped at the murky vision desperately. When I opened my eyes again, I was no longer in the forest, but I was in a room facing my reflection through another medium. The girl, or young woman who sat before me was younger, with the same ruddy brown hair that I had, only hers barely brushed the tips of her shoulders, instead of her waist as mind did. We shared the same pert small nose, and small lips. She stared back at me longer and I wanted to ask her who she was, when her hand lifted and brushed a free strand behind her ear, and I felt my hand move with her. Her eyes were so sad, as she looked back at herself, at us. They were so depressingly lonely that I couldn't help feel sad as well. A young woman like that should have had a world of hope in her future, yet all she could see before her was pain and emptiness.
A soft tune filled my ears, and I realized she was listening to music, so I focused in on the song. I felt our lips curl up into a smirk, a sort of ironic smile and I wondered why. Suddenly she opened her lips and we began to sing.
~~Look at me / You may think you see / Who I really am / But you'll never know me.
Everyday /it's as if I play / A part
Now I see / If I wear a mask / I can fool the world / but I cannot fool my heart.~~
I stood, well, we stood from the seat but remained in view of the mirror. Our eyes drifted over our clothes and I noticed that she was what you could call a mouse, hiding behind a large shirt and large pants as if she wished the world to forget her existence behind the extra material.
The words echoed in my heart, it seemed that we had the same problem, this girl of my past and I as we stared into a mirror and didn't recognize the reflection shown to us. You cannot understand how truly alone you are until you are a stranger even to yourself.
As the next verse began it struck me suddenly that we were singing in a language that wasn't Japanese, and yet it was strangely familiar, very much so. I couldn't figure out why, I should remember languages right? After all, I could remember the Japanese I was speaking, why would I forget anything else I knew.
~~Who is that girl I see? / Staring straight / Back at me / When will my reflection show / Who I am inside?~~
I felt something pierce me inside, a stabbing pain that made my eyes water. It forced me to look away from the scene in front of me, and when I opened my eyes again, I was back in the forest, staring down at that bleary image reflected in the water before me. I bowed my head and covered my face in my hands as the hot tears flowed through my fingers. My lips opened as the rest of the song came to my mind. My voice shook with my tears but I sang anyway.
~~I am now / In a world / Where I have to hide in my heart / and what I believe in / But somehow / I will show the world what's inside my heart / And be loved for who I am.~~
Was this what the girl was crying for? What is it that I had to hide from everyone? Was I some sort of horrible person who had this deep dark secret that no one should ever know? Did this man know? The one who called himself my mate in my dream? Did I dare ask him if he didn't?
~~Who is that girl I see / staring straight / back at me / Why is my reflection someone I don't know?
Must I pretend that I'm someone else / for all time / When will my reflection show / who I am inside?~~
Would my memories ever come back? Would I ever really know?
~~There's a heart that must be free / to fly / That burns with a need to know / the reason why
Why must we all conceal / What we think / How we feel? / Must there be / a secret me / I'm forced to hide /
I won't pretend that I'm / someone else / for all time / When will my reflection show / who I am inside?~~
I let the song continue, sobbing through the words as they struck a deeper and deeper chord. My voice soared with the tune in my head as I poured all my heart into it, feeling it almost liberating, because it was how I felt.
I felt a blanket of warmth and protection wrap around me and I looked up. Through the blur of my tears, I looked across the stream and saw a tall figure in red standing there watching me silently.
"I talked to Aki," he whispered, his head bowed so most of his face was shadowed by his bangs, "I'm sorry that I did this to you."
I looked down at my knees, "You didn't do this to me, you can't blame yourself."
"You don't understand, " he said and I heard the rustle of fabric and lifted my head to catch his landing on my side of the stream. He fell to his knees beside me, and I'll never forget the look on his face and in his eyes as he spoke.
"You don't remember, but you were attacked because of me, because of my feelings for you. That's why you can't remember-" his voice cracked a moment and he slammed his hand into the dirt forcefully. I could tell he was doing everything he could to keep from crying. I felt an incredible gentleness come over me and I did the only thing that came to mind.
~~*~~ Keitaro
I clenched my hand around the earth between my fingers, trying to suppress the guilt induced tears that stung my eyes. I had my eyes closed, I couldn't stand to look at her, to see the anger in her face as she knew who caused her so much anguish. What I wasn't prepared for was the very soft gentle touch of her lips against mine. I opened my eyes and stared at her, unable to believe my eyes as she tilted her chin, pressing harder against me. My instincts overrode my surprise and I returned the kiss. I could hear her heartbeat speed up and I saw the flush spread out on her cheeks. I loosened my grip on the earth and wrapped my arm around her shoulders, and pulled her close as I broke the kiss. I buried my nose in her hair.
"Why?" I whispered as I felt her arms wrap around my neck.
"The first thing I remembered was a pair of beautiful golden eyes, they seemed to be looking for me, and protecting me. Your eyes." She seemed to glow in my arms and I knew she was smiling.
"I need your help. I want you to help me remember who I am and who we are" she whispered. I felt a chill run down my back and as I opened my lips she pressed her finger over them.
"Nothing stupid over you causing this," she said, staring into my eyes sternly and I could see the rekindling of her spirit there. "I have your mark, and while I can't remember, I'm sure I was very willing to receive it, knowing everything it meant. I'm sure I'm smart enough."
"Is that why you kissed me?" I whispered, almost afraid of her saying that she did so from a sense of obligation, of duty.
She leaned her head forward and touched her forehead to mine, her eyes bright, "No. I kissed you because I wanted see what it felt like. I couldn't remember." She smiled mischievously and I couldn't help but return it.
"How was it," I breathed and she flushed, "Well, I don't have any comparisons, so I'll have to let you know later."
I grinned and ran a finger gently along her temple, "I don't want you to think that you-" I began but she silenced me with a simple look.
"I told you, nothing stupid. I might not remember much, but I am a grown woman, and I can choose to kiss you or not." I smiled and cupped the side of her head in my hand, so my palm cradled her cheek. She smiled and pressed her head into my hand gently, as she closed her eyes.
"I want to remember-" her eyes shot open with surprise, and after a second her lips parted and she whispered, "Keitaro."
I blinked in confusion, and she sighed, "Oh, I thought for a minute-".
I stared at her a moment and then grinned, "My name, did you just remember my name?"
Her eyes opened wide, "I did!" She sighed, "Ah good, I thought it was just something rand-" she yelped as I grabbed her in my arms and jumped to my feet, swinging her around, much as I did the time I asked to court her.
"Keitaro!" she yelled in my ear, causing me to cringe, but I didn't care. She could yell to wake the dead and I wouldn't care. She remembered my name, without any help. It was a wonderful sign, she was remembering, there was hope, and I vowed to myself that no matter what it took, I would help her remember.
"What did you speak to Aki about?" she whispered after a moment, and I carefully set her down, looking serious.
"About what happened with the snake, she told me what you did," I said and watched her squirm uncomfortably. "I just fought it, was there something wrong with that?"
"Yes, when you're a human fighting like me, fighting like a youkai," I said, placing my hands on her shoulders, "How did you feel?"
She looked away a moment, "Like everything inside me was alive, almost extra alive. I could feel the blood pumping through my veins, the power that flowed through me, and I knew I could do it; it was never a question in my mind. If it hadn't caught me off guard, I think I could have beaten it." I tightened my grip slightly, "You have to listen to me Francesca, those aren't abilities you're born with, I don't know how this will affect your body. Sometimes they can even be too much for me, and they're a part of who I am. We don't know how this could hurt you, so promise me if there's any more fighting of the normal sort, leave it to me, and don't follow those feelings."
She looked away again, looking indecisive before nodding her head, "Alright," she whispered. She didn't look so convinced, and I gently tilted her head upwards to look at me.
"Hey, I'm only doing this for your wellbeing," I said gently and saw her nod, "I know, but-" she began before sighing.
"Tell me," I insisted and she looked up at me.
"I don't want to be weak, I feel like what happened to me was partly my fault, that I wasn't able to prevent it, and it makes me feel weak. I don't want to feel that way anymore," she said with this hard look in her eye that filled me with both pride and fear. Pride that I had such a strong and determined mate, and yet fearful of the path that her vow would take her on, and if it could possibly take her away from me.
~~*~~ Francesca
He insisted on carrying me back to the camp on his back, something he said should be familiar to both of us, seeing as how he had done it before. I had to admit, there was something about it that felt soothing, but that could have just been the close contact that we were in. His very presence made me feel like nothing could or would ever hurt me again, and I was enjoying it. At the same time, there was this overwhelming sensation of anger and annoyance that mingled with my joy; I wanted to know WHY I felt this way with him, why I felt his happiness and relief glowing off his skin like a soft light to my face.
How could feel any emotions outside myself? The more I thought about it, the more I realized that it was happening at times I didn't notice. When I was with Mistero, or the cold feeling I got in the pit of my stomach around that old woman. It happened when that horrible feeling welled up inside me as those creatures appeared and I knew without a doubt that something was wrong. Most importantly, as that voice guided me when I fought those creatures, the Sorrow, as I had stared calling them in my head, for that was all they brought and took; sorrow.
I heard voices coming from the direction of the clearing and as we came though the underbrush, I saw a group gathered around the fire. They all seemed vaguely familiar but my memory wouldn't cooperate with me this time. I continued drawing a blank as we approached and I felt Keitaro's arms loosen from my legs, releasing me. I carefully slid off his back and stood beside him, watching this group of strangers carefully.
"I thought I gave instructions for you guys to wait for us in the village!" Keitaro said, an angry tone to his voice, and the young woman seated near Aki rose to her feet, and placed her hands on her hips. I looked at her, and back at Keitaro and felt very odd at that moment.
"Oh be quiet Nii-san, you knew perfectly well that we couldn't just sit on our hands and wait for you to show up, she's just as important to us," she scolded him, then walked over to me, embracing me in a warm hug. I blinked in surprise, staring over her shoulder as she whispered, "Nee-san" near my ear. I mechanically stood there, my arms at my side, and closed my eyes as waves of worry, fear and relief shocked me inside. I wanted to push her away, get away from these waves of strong emotion, but I couldn't move.
"Francesca, this is my sister Maeko," Keitaro introduced, and Maeko released me to look at him.
"What are you doing? She knows who I am," she said, a light smile on her face before turning to look at me. I saw the smile slip from her lips as I met her eyes, my own sad and apologetic at the words I had to say.
"Um, no I don't," I whispered shamefully as her eyes widened. Keitaro stepped in and placed an arm around my shoulders gently.
"Francesca's ordeal caused her to lose her memories of us, and herself," he said softly and four pairs of eyes stared at me, causing me to feel trapped, something I did not enjoy. I felt my sprit pull away from the feelings of shock and pity, and something uncurled inside me, irritation but I held it down.
"This is Naoko and Kaemon. They are brothers, the sons of our parent's good friends Sango and Miroku." An image flashed through my mind quickly, a tall woman with long hair in a high ponytail with a very determined look on the face. I rubbed my eyes with my thumb and forefinger wearily and Keitaro's grip on my shoulder tightened, "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," I snapped, that irritation rising to the surface, and flinched as I saw the hurt reaction on his face. I moved away from his arm and made my way to the fire, leaning my back up against a nearby tree. All the warmth that I had felt earlier was gone and I was faced with the harsh reality of my situation. It felt like ice sandpaper on my skin as I stared at the flames, very much aware of the stares from everyone and the unasked questions that laced the air.
The emotional noise was becoming almost painful for me, and I wanted to do nothing but curl up away from it all. Worst of all the waves coming from Keitaro and the young man he called Kaemon. Keitaro kept watching me and while his face was impassive his body radiated nothing but worry. The other looked at me hauntingly, his emotions laced heavily with guilt and sorrow and I had a feeling inside that I didn't want to know why.
I didn't even notice the exchange between Aki and Maeko, all I saw was the two shadows that approached me swiftly and pulled me to my feet. Keitaro was on his feet as well but was given a quick look from his sister that froze his feet.
"What?" I whispered quickly as they both smiled. "Girl time" they said in unison. I was dragged off much against my will. The large white and black cat that I had seen with Mistero followed carrying something in her mouth. They led me in a different direction from the stream and I smelled the sharp minerals of the bath before I saw it.
"Come on Francesca," Aki said, "Let's get you cleaned up." They removed the remnants of the kimono that seemed miraculously decent intact and pulled me into the water. The large firecat - firecat? - dropped what I now recognized to be a cloth tied in a bundle, on the banks and curled up, vigilantly nearby. Aki pulled out a small bottle from the bundle and motioned for me to dip under the water and wet my head. I did so, and when I surfaced she poured some of the contents into my hair and began to massage my head. The sweet smell of flowers and fresh herbs filled my nose and I felt warm waves of relaxation began to radiate down my spine.
"Why are you doing this?" I asked softly as the sensations drained out all the tension and worry I had been keeping pent up.
"Because you need it, and because you have been through so much you deserve to be pampered," she smiled and I could feel her kind thoughts radiate through my body. "Besides, don't you want to look your best for Keitaro?"
I opened my mouth to speak, casing a quick glance at Maeko, who laughed.
"Oh, don't worry about me, you're his mate, and even if you weren't, my brother is grown enough to make his own decisions regarding women," she said. I blushed and so desperately wanted to duck under the water.
"I- I do," I whispered, "I don't remember anything about us, but there's something about him," I admitted.
"Well, he is very handsome," Aki said with a soft sigh to her voice, which made me spin around to face her. Maeko's glare cold over my shoulder. Aki looked at both of us, and blushed, "No no, " she said all flustered, "I didn't mean it like that! I was just making an observation!"
I looked at her very panicked face and relaxed, giving her a small smile. She sighed with relief, and I turned my back to her again, letting her continue with her massage. Maeko had come off her high tension mode, and was sitting with her back against a large boulder, a sly smile on her face.
"Oh boy, you guys have no idea. Kei is handsome enough, but he's got a stubborn streak a league long, and getting him to budge on anything is a miraculous feat. I swear, I still wish Mother had taught me that rosary spell, it could come in useful at some point. Especially when he's in his cranky moods in the morning."
"At least he doesn't snore, unlike your love," I retorted and watched the color rush to Maeko's face. It wasn't until I saw that that I realized I had remembered something else.
"You're in love with Naoko," I squealed, and watched as her face grew even redder. That brought another image to my mind of the two of them in a close embrace and I slapped my hand over my mouth. "I saw you two kissing!"
"Francesca! You said you'd keep quiet!" she yelled, and I blushed, "Gomen! I just remembered, and it was such a surprise," I said laughing at the look on her face when pressure was placed on my shoulders and I was quickly dunked under the water. I pushed to the surface to see the two of them laughing at me.
"Oh, now you're going to get it," I said, a mischievous grin on my face, and I went after them.
~~*~~ Keitaro
I wasn't going to spy on them, I kept reminding myself that as I launched myself from branch to branch, getting closer and closer to the springs. Finally I settled down on a thick branch, and listened the soft hum of their voices and the light jingle of Francesca's laughter. I curled up against the trunk, crossed my arms over my chest and settled in as Francesca's voice rose above the sounds around her.
"You're in love with Naoko!" That caught my attention and I leaned forward, my ears straining to hear more. The Aki woman was already very interested in my cousin it seemed.
"I saw you two kissing!" came another cry. I blinked curiously, when had-
"Francesca! You said you'd keep quiet!" came an all too familiar voice. I felt the hairs on my neck stand straight up. That wasn't Aki's voice, it was my sister's. My BABY sister's voice.
I growled, and took off as fast as my legs could carry me, the blood pulsing in my veins. That ecchi monk, no good hentai. He was just as bad as his father! I was going to send him to meet his maker! He dared lay a hand on my sister!
I burst through the foliage, and felt my blood burn, as I landed on the ground before him, a deep growl echoing from my chest.
"Bouzu!!" I hissed and Naoko looked up at me, and went sheet white. He scrambled to his feet and had barely had the time to grip his weapon when my hands descended on him. He spun quickly out of my grip and began running. Kaemon was on his feet.
"Naoko, what the hell did you do?!"
"I- I don't know" he called back, and I added more speed to my step, growling loudly.
"I'll be damned that you don't know, you hentai! I know all about what you did to my sister!"
~~*~~ Naoko
Never had I seen Keitaro in such a state as he was when he appeared from the treetops, and when he lifted his head and looked straight at me, my blood ran cold. I knew something was terribly wrong. He hissed a foul word and I felt the color drain from my face. I grabbed my staff and began running before I could think to ask him why he was trying to kill me.
"Naoko, what the hell did you do?!" my brother called after me, and I felt like smacking him, he could at least try and stop Keitaro.
"I- I don't know," I shouted back, my heart beating in my chest
"I'll be damned that you don't know, you hentai! I know all about what you did to my sister!"
Oh no, he knew! I fell to the ground as I felt his hands almost reach me, and watched him quickly fly over my head before I scrambled back to my feet and ran in the opposite direction.
"His sister?" Kaemon called, watching me. "What did you do to Maeko- sama?" he asked innocently.
"Nothing, I mean we kissed, but-" I called back breathlessly, as I felt those claws grab my robes and pull me down to the dirt. I stared up at my cousin, and watched the red bleed into the normally white of his eyes as he breathed down on me.
"You dared to dishonor my sister, ecchi monk!" he growled and I swallowed my fear of his claws.
"I have not dishonored her, I swear this on the holy name of Buddha Keitaro. We have only shared a kiss, and it was a kiss given with the purest intentions!"
"Keitaro, it was only a kiss," Kaemon said coming to my defense as he stood over us, "I myself have-" he was silenced by Keitaro's dark growl, "- maybe that's not a good example. But honestly Keitaro, this is Naoko we're talking about! He hasn't ever done anything dishonorable or impure in his entire life, that's why he was the likely candidate to be a monk!"
I gave my brother a dark look, and he lifted his hands, "I'm just trying to help here, I'm not the one with claws at my neck after all," he said before walking away.
"Keitaro, I swear, we wanted to tell you! Maeko was so afraid that you would react like this, and she didn't know what your parents would say, but I swear I hold your sister with the highest respect! I love her Keitaro!"
He growled again, and I tilted my chin, narrowing my eyes and looking into his, noticing the red beginning to fade away, "Do not make yourself the biggest hypocrite by being angry at me about who I love. You are faced with a great challenge for having taken a human as your mate."
He released my neck and moved away from me, and I sat up, brushing the dirt from my robes as I watched him.
"I'm asking your blessing to court your sister Keitaro. I promise to you that I will protect her with everything in my being. It is why I came on this journey to begin with, to protect her. I live for her now, I left the monastery for her. She is my true path, even my teachers told me this. Can I have your acceptance?"
Keitaro growled again, and his eyes never left mine. After a moment, he closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, they had returned to their natural golden color.
"You do not need my blessing Naoko, Maeko chooses her own path," he muttered before moving over the fire. I sat there quietly, watching him when we heard the girl's voices approaching. They stepped into the clearing and I saw Francesca-sama's face grow pale for a moment, then flush red as she looked around at Keitaro and I.
"Um, what happened?" she whispered worriedly, and I sighed. This would be a LONG night.
