Oh my god, I love you guys. I got some great new poems and whenever Lexi-chan and I get the site up, they're going up there! ^^ Thank youuuuuuuuuu! And let me post them here…first, from The Sitha's Curse, from Kelsey's comatose POV:
A shadow here
A bloodstain there
Fleeting glimpses of the past
I hear someone screaming
From the throes of death-dreaming
I feel I cannot last
A strange void within me
Wraps me and spins me
Until I am nothing more
Than that void
Encircling a shadow of a soul
A silver light rises
Piercing beams that blind my eyes
But this light is cold
And not wont of surprises
It is ice
It is death
And I feel nothing left
And from Dark-Autumn, for Kia…
A tragic past, all lies, no truth,
Has been revealed with all the proof.
The Mirror Half of Compassion
Lies deep within her soul.
Healing, forgiving, friendship boundless,
To follow the tale she's told.
The Wind Shinobi, he's her man,
This love can tell no lie.
Even when they're apart,
Their hearts together fly.
^^ I love you guys. You rock. And thanks to Kota-chan for…the…uh…the…Jin? And…the…rest. *sweatdrop* Thanks for all the birthday wishes too! And now I give you chapter 11, after a brief synopsis of the last chapter…which consisted of Netami being evil and Yusuke and Rei tranqing Shishi. Told you it was brief. ^.~
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"Here, dinner…" Kia crept after her target, moving very stealthily. "Come here…"
The small yellow chicken lifted its head, a puzzled squawk emerging from its beak as it watched the dark-haired girl tiptoe closer.
"It's…nothing…personal!" Kia suddenly lunged for the bird. "I'm just hungry!!"
With a frightened shriek, the bird took off, almost leaving its pursuer lost in its dust. But Kia was determined and sped after it.
The bird was surprisingly quick and led the girl on a very long and exhausting chase. But it finally ended, with the chicken stopping and turning to face Kia as she approached.
The brunette took a cautious step, not trusting the situation. The ground was relatively firm underneath her feet, but she still remained uneasy. "Good chicken…thing…" She stepped again, then leapt for her now-docile prey.
The bird jumped. Kia missed…and discovered, to her great dismay, that she was slowly but surely starting to sink.
"Quicksand?!" Horrified, she tried to get free, but only succeeded in making herself sink faster. Soon she was up to her waist.
The bird watched the hapless girl flounder about. If it could smirk, it would have. "Squawk."
"Oh, shut up," Kia muttered, stopping her useless struggle. "I'm sorry for trying to eat you."
Satisfied, the fowl lost interest and wandered away, pecking and scratching at the ground for edibles every-so-often. Kia watched it depart, feeling somewhat desperate. If she called for help, chances were that she'd get the wrong and unwanted kind. And she'd left Kurama back in the clearing, napping peacefully. Meikyou? No. If she was in real danger, he would have come out by now. Which meant that he knew something she didn't.
"So what else is new…"
************
Kurama stirred, brushing away some annoying bug that had chosen him for a landing spot. Something was off. He soon realized what it was. Kia was gone.
"Not again…" With a groan, the Youko got to his feet, looking around. He couldn't see her, his ears could detect no sounds, but his nose caught the girl's familiar scent, tinged with…blood?
Suddenly alert, Kurama followed her trail, almost tripping over a chicken as he did. Giving the departing beast a dirty glare, he soon came across a deeply unhappy Mirror Holder, trapped in quicksand up to her neck.
"Hiketsu!" Relieved, Kurama stepped forward. She didn't appear to be hurt…so where was the blood smell coming from? Had she cut herself?
The brunette looked up. "Kurama!"
"How did you--never mind, I'm afraid to ask…" Very carefully, the kitsune leaned over, stretching out his hand. Kia managed to free one of hers and, after a brief reach, caught it. Kurama backed up, grasping her hand with both of his. With a final hard tug and a sucking plop, the quicksand reluctantly relinquished its captive.
"Are you alright?" Kurama asked the Mirror Holder.
"Hai--" She blinked as he picked her up, walked through an opening between two tall trees and dumped her into a lake that she hadn't known was there.
After a brief pause, the girl surfaced, coughing and spluttering.
"You were all muddy," the Youko explained, wading in and lifting her up.
"Oh, wonderful. I stopped being all muddy and now I'm all wet!"
"Easily solved. I'll build a fire." He carried her to dry land, setting her down and selecting several dry pieces of wood. Once he had a good fire going, he beckoned to her. "Take off your clothes."
"What?"
"Take off your clothes."
"Are you CRAZY?!"
"Take off your clothes."
This wasn't working. "No."
"Look, Konisou--"
"Koni--what?"
"Konisou. Little Priestess."
"I'm NOT little!"
"Then stop acting like it. Take off your clothes." Seeing her defiant glare, he sighed. "Look, it's not healthy for you to stay in wet clothes. I have a blanket, since your backpack got wet too."
"And whose fault was that?" Kia grumbled, shivering.
"Are you going to take your clothes off or do I have to undress you myself?" Kurama said impatiently.
Within seconds, Kia's robes and school uniform lay discarded on the ground. Wrapped in a navy-blue blanket, she sat propped against a tree, brown eyes locked on the crackling flames. She raised an eyebrow as she noticed Kurama staring at her. "Penny for your thoughts?"
"What?"
"Why are you staring?" she clarified.
The Youko frowned. "You smell of blood…but you're not injured. I saw no cuts or scrapes on you. So why…"
Kia winced. Of course. "It's a little thing females get once every month. It means I'm healthy and not pregnant." I can't believe I'm having this conversation with HIM…
"Hmmm…" Kurama sat down beside her. "Do ALL females get it? Does it affect their behavior at such times?"
"I don't know…but usually, it makes us moody, emotional, and irritable."
He smirked. "And here I thought that was your TRUE personality."
"Okay, LOOK, you--" She was abruptly cut off as he grasped her shoulders, leaned down, and kissed her hard on the mouth. One arm snaked around her, tightening and pulling her closer to him.
Kia jerked back as if she'd been scalded, eyes wide. "Wh…wha…" She made a small attempt to remain calm. It didn't work. "What the HELL was THAT for??!!"
"I told you I'd seduce you." Kurama flicked an ear back idly. "I felt like starting now."
"Youko Kurama, I SWEAR, if you try that again, I'll make sure you'll be singing first soprano!"
"First soprano? How do they sing?"
For an answer, the girl sang a high, clear note.
The Youko stared. "I can't go that high!!"
"When I get through with you, you'll be able to go MUCH higher."
He sighed. "C'mon, Konisou. You know you want to be seduced."
"I have a boyfriend." Kia pulled away. "And HE'S the only one allowed to do ANY kind of seducing!"
"Your…boyfriend…he's a youkai, right?"
"Hai…" NOW what?
"You're unmarked. That means you're available." He grinned wickedly. "I can get you." (A/N: Lexi-chaaaan…o.o)
She hadn't heard this before. "Unmarked?"
"You didn't know?" Kurama laughed. "If the male desires the female and she agrees, he marks her neck. This means that no one else can claim her."
"Demonic hickeys." Kia rolled her eyes. "Treating females like territory…"
"So then…" The Youko reached for her again, golden eyes intense. "Stay with me and have a good time. Your boyfriend's not here…and neither is your friend. So who cares?" DEFINITELY the wrong thing to say.
Kia leapt to her feet, eyes ablaze. "I care about my friend!" She yelled hotly. "As for my boyfriend…I…I…I LOVE him!! That's right, I love him and I'm going to tell him that when I get home! And here's a lesson for you, Youko! There is a difference between love and lust, and unless you figure out the difference soon, you're going to be very lonely for the rest of your life! There's probably someone who loves you out there, but I'm not her, and I never WILL be! So figure it out." A pause. "Oh, yes. One more thing." She leaned down so that the two were eye-to-eye. Her voice was soft when she gave her departing comment. "The truly important things in life are worth going to ANY lengths to protect, because once they're gone, life doesn't matter anymore." She snatched up her backpack and her robes and stalked off.
Kurama watched her go, slightly stunned. He'd never seen her so angry before…but what she'd said had made a lot of sense.
Most Youkos sought pleasure in material and meaningless things. Jewels, mirrors…sex. Love was too much of a commitment and only caused pain. And yet here was a young hanyou who had been through pain and grief, and refused to give up her loyalties in favor of lust.
"…She reminds me of someone…and of herself, at the same time."
The Youko closed his eyes, leaning back against the solid comfort of the tree. Kia had left him alone with his thoughts and he discovered that he did indeed have a lot to think about and mull over. He didn't realize that he'd lost track of time until he reopened his eyes and discovered that night had fallen. Kia, back in her robes, was curled up by the glowing embers of the dying fire, fast asleep.
Kurama smiled, then yawned mightily. Reaching over and resettling the blanket the girl was clutching over her form, he placed his hands behind his head and drifted off with a few muttered words.
"Sweet dreams, Konisou…"
*OOC*
Well, that's that. Kia finally gave Kurama the lecture he so rightly deserved! Let's just hope he paid attention to it. ^^;; Please review, and from here on, it gets sadder! NEXT chapter!
* Kia is visited in her dreams by everybody's favorite bat-winged bishie! That's right, it's Kuronue! ^^
* Kuronue and Kia do a bit of "dream traveling"…but what the Mirror Holder sees upsets her!
* For some reason, Kia's eager to get back! What did she see? And is she too late to prevent it? The loss of someone she cares for…
Gah…chapter 12 is gonna make me cry…. At least I finished this before my birthday!
A shadow here
A bloodstain there
Fleeting glimpses of the past
I hear someone screaming
From the throes of death-dreaming
I feel I cannot last
A strange void within me
Wraps me and spins me
Until I am nothing more
Than that void
Encircling a shadow of a soul
A silver light rises
Piercing beams that blind my eyes
But this light is cold
And not wont of surprises
It is ice
It is death
And I feel nothing left
And from Dark-Autumn, for Kia…
A tragic past, all lies, no truth,
Has been revealed with all the proof.
The Mirror Half of Compassion
Lies deep within her soul.
Healing, forgiving, friendship boundless,
To follow the tale she's told.
The Wind Shinobi, he's her man,
This love can tell no lie.
Even when they're apart,
Their hearts together fly.
^^ I love you guys. You rock. And thanks to Kota-chan for…the…uh…the…Jin? And…the…rest. *sweatdrop* Thanks for all the birthday wishes too! And now I give you chapter 11, after a brief synopsis of the last chapter…which consisted of Netami being evil and Yusuke and Rei tranqing Shishi. Told you it was brief. ^.~
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"Here, dinner…" Kia crept after her target, moving very stealthily. "Come here…"
The small yellow chicken lifted its head, a puzzled squawk emerging from its beak as it watched the dark-haired girl tiptoe closer.
"It's…nothing…personal!" Kia suddenly lunged for the bird. "I'm just hungry!!"
With a frightened shriek, the bird took off, almost leaving its pursuer lost in its dust. But Kia was determined and sped after it.
The bird was surprisingly quick and led the girl on a very long and exhausting chase. But it finally ended, with the chicken stopping and turning to face Kia as she approached.
The brunette took a cautious step, not trusting the situation. The ground was relatively firm underneath her feet, but she still remained uneasy. "Good chicken…thing…" She stepped again, then leapt for her now-docile prey.
The bird jumped. Kia missed…and discovered, to her great dismay, that she was slowly but surely starting to sink.
"Quicksand?!" Horrified, she tried to get free, but only succeeded in making herself sink faster. Soon she was up to her waist.
The bird watched the hapless girl flounder about. If it could smirk, it would have. "Squawk."
"Oh, shut up," Kia muttered, stopping her useless struggle. "I'm sorry for trying to eat you."
Satisfied, the fowl lost interest and wandered away, pecking and scratching at the ground for edibles every-so-often. Kia watched it depart, feeling somewhat desperate. If she called for help, chances were that she'd get the wrong and unwanted kind. And she'd left Kurama back in the clearing, napping peacefully. Meikyou? No. If she was in real danger, he would have come out by now. Which meant that he knew something she didn't.
"So what else is new…"
************
Kurama stirred, brushing away some annoying bug that had chosen him for a landing spot. Something was off. He soon realized what it was. Kia was gone.
"Not again…" With a groan, the Youko got to his feet, looking around. He couldn't see her, his ears could detect no sounds, but his nose caught the girl's familiar scent, tinged with…blood?
Suddenly alert, Kurama followed her trail, almost tripping over a chicken as he did. Giving the departing beast a dirty glare, he soon came across a deeply unhappy Mirror Holder, trapped in quicksand up to her neck.
"Hiketsu!" Relieved, Kurama stepped forward. She didn't appear to be hurt…so where was the blood smell coming from? Had she cut herself?
The brunette looked up. "Kurama!"
"How did you--never mind, I'm afraid to ask…" Very carefully, the kitsune leaned over, stretching out his hand. Kia managed to free one of hers and, after a brief reach, caught it. Kurama backed up, grasping her hand with both of his. With a final hard tug and a sucking plop, the quicksand reluctantly relinquished its captive.
"Are you alright?" Kurama asked the Mirror Holder.
"Hai--" She blinked as he picked her up, walked through an opening between two tall trees and dumped her into a lake that she hadn't known was there.
After a brief pause, the girl surfaced, coughing and spluttering.
"You were all muddy," the Youko explained, wading in and lifting her up.
"Oh, wonderful. I stopped being all muddy and now I'm all wet!"
"Easily solved. I'll build a fire." He carried her to dry land, setting her down and selecting several dry pieces of wood. Once he had a good fire going, he beckoned to her. "Take off your clothes."
"What?"
"Take off your clothes."
"Are you CRAZY?!"
"Take off your clothes."
This wasn't working. "No."
"Look, Konisou--"
"Koni--what?"
"Konisou. Little Priestess."
"I'm NOT little!"
"Then stop acting like it. Take off your clothes." Seeing her defiant glare, he sighed. "Look, it's not healthy for you to stay in wet clothes. I have a blanket, since your backpack got wet too."
"And whose fault was that?" Kia grumbled, shivering.
"Are you going to take your clothes off or do I have to undress you myself?" Kurama said impatiently.
Within seconds, Kia's robes and school uniform lay discarded on the ground. Wrapped in a navy-blue blanket, she sat propped against a tree, brown eyes locked on the crackling flames. She raised an eyebrow as she noticed Kurama staring at her. "Penny for your thoughts?"
"What?"
"Why are you staring?" she clarified.
The Youko frowned. "You smell of blood…but you're not injured. I saw no cuts or scrapes on you. So why…"
Kia winced. Of course. "It's a little thing females get once every month. It means I'm healthy and not pregnant." I can't believe I'm having this conversation with HIM…
"Hmmm…" Kurama sat down beside her. "Do ALL females get it? Does it affect their behavior at such times?"
"I don't know…but usually, it makes us moody, emotional, and irritable."
He smirked. "And here I thought that was your TRUE personality."
"Okay, LOOK, you--" She was abruptly cut off as he grasped her shoulders, leaned down, and kissed her hard on the mouth. One arm snaked around her, tightening and pulling her closer to him.
Kia jerked back as if she'd been scalded, eyes wide. "Wh…wha…" She made a small attempt to remain calm. It didn't work. "What the HELL was THAT for??!!"
"I told you I'd seduce you." Kurama flicked an ear back idly. "I felt like starting now."
"Youko Kurama, I SWEAR, if you try that again, I'll make sure you'll be singing first soprano!"
"First soprano? How do they sing?"
For an answer, the girl sang a high, clear note.
The Youko stared. "I can't go that high!!"
"When I get through with you, you'll be able to go MUCH higher."
He sighed. "C'mon, Konisou. You know you want to be seduced."
"I have a boyfriend." Kia pulled away. "And HE'S the only one allowed to do ANY kind of seducing!"
"Your…boyfriend…he's a youkai, right?"
"Hai…" NOW what?
"You're unmarked. That means you're available." He grinned wickedly. "I can get you." (A/N: Lexi-chaaaan…o.o)
She hadn't heard this before. "Unmarked?"
"You didn't know?" Kurama laughed. "If the male desires the female and she agrees, he marks her neck. This means that no one else can claim her."
"Demonic hickeys." Kia rolled her eyes. "Treating females like territory…"
"So then…" The Youko reached for her again, golden eyes intense. "Stay with me and have a good time. Your boyfriend's not here…and neither is your friend. So who cares?" DEFINITELY the wrong thing to say.
Kia leapt to her feet, eyes ablaze. "I care about my friend!" She yelled hotly. "As for my boyfriend…I…I…I LOVE him!! That's right, I love him and I'm going to tell him that when I get home! And here's a lesson for you, Youko! There is a difference between love and lust, and unless you figure out the difference soon, you're going to be very lonely for the rest of your life! There's probably someone who loves you out there, but I'm not her, and I never WILL be! So figure it out." A pause. "Oh, yes. One more thing." She leaned down so that the two were eye-to-eye. Her voice was soft when she gave her departing comment. "The truly important things in life are worth going to ANY lengths to protect, because once they're gone, life doesn't matter anymore." She snatched up her backpack and her robes and stalked off.
Kurama watched her go, slightly stunned. He'd never seen her so angry before…but what she'd said had made a lot of sense.
Most Youkos sought pleasure in material and meaningless things. Jewels, mirrors…sex. Love was too much of a commitment and only caused pain. And yet here was a young hanyou who had been through pain and grief, and refused to give up her loyalties in favor of lust.
"…She reminds me of someone…and of herself, at the same time."
The Youko closed his eyes, leaning back against the solid comfort of the tree. Kia had left him alone with his thoughts and he discovered that he did indeed have a lot to think about and mull over. He didn't realize that he'd lost track of time until he reopened his eyes and discovered that night had fallen. Kia, back in her robes, was curled up by the glowing embers of the dying fire, fast asleep.
Kurama smiled, then yawned mightily. Reaching over and resettling the blanket the girl was clutching over her form, he placed his hands behind his head and drifted off with a few muttered words.
"Sweet dreams, Konisou…"
*OOC*
Well, that's that. Kia finally gave Kurama the lecture he so rightly deserved! Let's just hope he paid attention to it. ^^;; Please review, and from here on, it gets sadder! NEXT chapter!
* Kia is visited in her dreams by everybody's favorite bat-winged bishie! That's right, it's Kuronue! ^^
* Kuronue and Kia do a bit of "dream traveling"…but what the Mirror Holder sees upsets her!
* For some reason, Kia's eager to get back! What did she see? And is she too late to prevent it? The loss of someone she cares for…
Gah…chapter 12 is gonna make me cry…. At least I finished this before my birthday!