~*~There is a reason why I'm writing and updating like mad. You'll find out later though. Until then… REVIEW DAMN IT!! I'm okay…~*~

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He felt a great weight on him as he slowly opened his eyes. Groaning, he found out why. "Would you get off of me child?" The girl smiled and climbed off of his stomach, but stayed right by him with this weird grin on her face. That grin of hers both annoyed and worried him. "What?"

The girl shook her head, but kept smiling. Raising an eyebrow at her, he sat up and stared at her with eyes that could make any demon confess to anything. The girl looked back at him… and soon cracked.

"Well, it's just after last night I think you answered my question."

His eyes went wide as he recalled last night. After a brief moment, they narrowed as he focused on the creature smiling at him. Before he could say anything though, Naomi walked into the room. "Good morning you two. Sóra, I hope you didn't bother Kurama while he slept, did you?" The girl shook her head and ran into the kitchen for breakfast, leaving the two older people alone.

The miko turned to the demon on her couch. "Let me guess. She sat on top of your stomach while you were asleep?" He just nodded as she smiled. "Yeah, she's been doing that ever since she was little."

"She's still little."

"Okay, since she was smaller. It only means she likes you."

He groaned as he picked himself off the couch. "Suddenly I wish she liked me a whole lot less." Naomi just smiled and headed into the kitchen to make sure Sóra didn't destroy anything, er I mean, to make breakfast.

After eating and cleaning the entire kitchen, thanks to a certain little girl, Naomi took Sóra back outside to let loose her energy where there wasn't anything breakable. Before running off, Sóra handed a piece of paper to the miko, then ran towards the forest area. "Sóra, stay where I can see you."

He watched as she opened the folded piece of paper. For some reason, a blush formed on her cheeks and she folded it back up again. He walked over to her with a curious look on his face. "Something wrong?"

She smiled and handed him the paper. "Something tells me a certain little girl wasn't asleep last night."

Confused, he took the paper and opened it. It was a drawing of the two of them as they were last night when he pulled her to him… for warmth. He felt some heat on his face and handed it back to the young miko.

"Quite the artist, isn't she?" She smiled, shaking her head. "I think she approves of you. She hasn't drawn any other besides those close to her. I guess you should feel honored."

"Why do you know so much about her?"

"I've known her all of her life. She's my cousin."

Oh, that shocked him greatly. "You are related to that… child?"

To his surprise, Naomi laughed. "Guilty as charged. She comes here every so often to give me updates on Seiryo."

"Who is that?"

Naomi looked away from him, sadness apparent in her eyes. "My little brother."

This confused him greatly. "I thought you said your family was killed."

"Well, my parents were killed. My brother was too young to remember. Remember I told you a demon saved me from harm? I had my little brother with me. He was just a baby. I couldn't take care of him, so my aunt offered to take him. I was fine here though, so now and then, they would all come by. Lately, there has been no time, so Sóra comes."

"Why does Seiryo not visit?"

"He's grown up with Sóra as his sister."

Shaking his head, he questioned her. "I don't understand."

Sighing, she sat down on the back steps, watching Sóra play. "He was just a baby when it happened. That was seven years ago. I was fifteen, barely able to keep the shrine, let alone raise my younger brother. So my aunt took him in. I thought it would be easier if he thought she was his mother and Sóra was his sister. That way he didn't have to remember the past and not feel as if he was pushed away. I did it so he could have a normal life."

He sat down beside her, in awe of what she had said. 'She sacrifices so much for the greater good of others. Yet it never seems enough to them.' Looking over at her, something had to be questioned. "But what about you? Do you not feel like you are missing something?"

She shrugged. "It's better for him."

"Does he not deserve to know the truth?"

Turning her head back to the child, her eyes seemed focused. She slowly got up and waked over to the forest area. "Sóra! I told you not to go too deep in there. Why don't you got get your paints and go out to the hill with me?"

The young girl smiled and ran inside the house, quickly grabbed her things, and ran back out to meet the miko to head out to the hill. Naomi turned to him. "Would you like to join us? I have to find some more herbs while she paints, but you could come to relax."

He knew the subject of her brother was closed, not to be talked about again. Sighing, he got up and followed them. 'There might be demons around. They will need some protection.'

The walk to the hill was too quiet, an uncomfortable silence. Sóra set up her things after getting comfortable and began her task as Naomi went to a close by tree line to look for any herbs. After thinking for a bit, he jumped up and proceeded to sit in a tree. 'I will be able to watch over them this way. Plus it adds the element of surprise to any enemies.'

He could see Sóra content with her painting, amazed at the fact someone so young had such artistic skills. He could tell painting was her strong suit, but the pencil drawing was excellent as well. Just remembering the picture caused a smile to form on his lips. He was grateful at that moment he was high in the trees so Naomi couldn't question him.

Speaking of Naomi, he looked to see her going deeper into the forest, looking for a specific herb. Silently, he followed from the safety of the trees, to make sure she would be okay, but he stopped when he heard a certain annoying young voice call to him.

"Kurama?" Rolling his eyes, he went back to see what Sóra needed. He jumped down near her then looked down at her. "What is it?"

"I was just wondering what you thought of it?" She pointed to her painting. He was very impressed by her skills, but just nodded.

"It is very good. When did you learn to do this?"

"Well, mom said I wasn't allowed to do any more painting or drawing because a man doesn't want a skilled wife. I don't get to do this stuff until she leaves or when I come here. Naomi-sama and Seiryo are the only ones that let me do this stuff. In fact, Naomi-sama allows me to keep all my things here and actually encourages me to keep up my passion."

His eyes went a bit wide as he nodded. 'So she allows the girl to express herself against her mother's wishes. Very impressive.'

The girl smiled at him and went back to her painting. Taking the silent hint, he went back into the trees. 'Naomi has not come back yet.' Taking another look back to make sure Sóra was okay, he quickly went into the forest, looking for the young miko. 'She had to have found herbs by now.'

After a few minutes of searching, he heard a soft sound. Not quite sure what it was, he followed it and came across the one he had been seeking. He found her collapsed onto the ground, her head bowed and face cupped with her hands. Listening carefully, he could hear her crying softly, perhaps so no one would hear her.

For some reason, he felt his heart break for her. He did not like seeing her in this position of despair. He quickly jumped down from the tree he was in and walked over to her, kneeling beside her and placing a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him, tear stains on her face. With a slight pause, she then buried her face into his chest and cried her eyes out. Stiff at first, he relaxed and put his arms around her, allowing the young woman to cry until she had no more tears left.

They sat that way, silent except for the miko's tears, for awhile, until Naomi pulled back slightly, but not enough so he had to let her go. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have-"

"No. There is no need to apologize." He kept his arms around her and was a bit surprised when she rested her head against his chest. He did not want to push her and ask why she was in such great pain. 'It would only bring more tears.'

"It was seven years ago today." He looked down at her with some confusion. She continued. "We were on our way back from the village. My mother was carrying Seiryo while I was on my father's back, a piggy back ride. Suddenly, my father stopped and put me on the ground slowly. My mother had a look of panic on her face as well as she handed my brother to me. They both told me to run as fast as I could back to the shrine and put the sealing scrolls around the house. I didn't understand, but I eventually started to head off. I heard my mother cry out and I made the mistake of looking back. My mother was on the ground, blood pouting out of her lifeless body. My father was fighting back against one demon, when a taller, eviler looking one came out of the shadows. He slowly walked up to my father, said something to him I could not hear, then place a hand on his shoulder. As soon as he took his hand away, my father started crying out in such horrible pain and fell to the ground. His body started to twitch around until the skin turned to ash. My father was killed in front of my eyes. I held my brother closer to me and ran when that demon looked my way. I could hear him coming closer to me, but soon felt arms around me, quickly pushing me into a new direction. It was so quick if you had blinked, you would not have seen it. I could not feel the ground beneath me as I saw the scenery around me whiz by. Eventually, we stopped and I saw who had saved my life. It was a female demon. Of what kind, I do not know. She knelt down beside me. She told me how sorry she was for my loss but I was to survive until I was stronger. She made it sound like I had this great feat to accomplish. We waited a long time before going home. I put my brother in his cradle and hurried to collect my parents' bodies. The demon assisted me with burying them. She stayed with me and Seiryo until she thought we would be alright. I do remember before I was taken by her the smaller demon calling the taller one Natas. That has been my only clue. I do not know who this demon is or why he had decided to take them from me. I did not want Seiryo to grow up with no family, so I asked my aunt to take care of him and tell him he was theirs until the day of my death, if I should leave before him. She insisted on letting him think I was their cousin, so I would see him now and then. It grew too painful, for he was growing up looking so much like my father. Now, only Sóra comes and just tells me how he is. They all know the truth but him. It's for his own protection. I decided to carry the pain myself, sparing him from it. I know I'm doing the right thing, but it just hurts. I am never to see him grow up, never to hear him call me sister. I can not go to my mother for guidance or her wisdom. I can not go to my father for strength. It has all been taken away and this day reminds me of it. Every year I break down on this day. It hurts so much."

Her tears had begun to flow again towards the middle of her story, but poured out by the end. He just continued to hold her close, silently hoping to take away her pain. She had gone through so much all alone. He didn't want her to continue to live through that. All he could do for now was hold her in his arms and let her cry. 'I'll make you pay for this Natas. I swear it.'

~*~I figure that's a good place to stop it. Don't want to ruin the moment. Anyway, now you know her story basically. Oh, just letting you know, all those people who leave me long reviews, totally love em! They just make me so very happy that you like this so much. Well, I have the next chapter written already, so I might post that in a few. We shall see. Ja ne!~*~