Second chance
Scroll two
"Trapped with a strange world"
Shouka stopped at the entrance of a large room. She glanced briefly at Mika who could only give back a weak smile.
'...It hurts...' Shouka thought to herself '... I can see how much it hurts you....'
The doors slid open. The room was large, almost as big as the clearing they had passed. Far to the back, seated on a raised platform was an older woman. Her silver hair was pulled up and adorned. Her Kimono was multi layered and rich.
'Like that of a Japanese Princess..'. Mika thought to herself
The woman had a kind face and her bangs, despite the age, were very much like Shouka's.
Mika noted that she didn't have any tattoos on her face... her ears weren't pointed, she was a bit thin for a person of her age, but she had calm eyes... normal, calm eyes.
"Please enter" she said softly
Shouka turned to Mika and smiled, Mika smiled back and took a step inside. Remembering Japanese custom, she carefully knelt down and bowed her head in respect.
"Ah..." Mika started to say, but stopped herself because she wasn't sure how she would finish it. So she just sat there with her eyes down.
Shouka walked in and sat down next to her.
"Mika-chan, meet the Lady Rin, my mother" Shouka said with a smile
Mika looked up with a bit of surprise, she could see it now... a sort of resemblance, she remembered suddenly that Shouka had called Sesshoumaru her father... which meant that if Rin was her mother...
Shouka coughed polity, which caused Mika to realize she must have been staring. She blushed with embarrassment , she hadn't meant to be rude...
"It's... ah... nice to meet you" Mika said, trying not to sound flaky
"And you" Rin said quietly "they say you are a Mononoke, is this true ?"
Mika blinked "Mo-no-no-ke ?" she looked at her for a moment with a half puzzled, half surprised look on her face"...a vengeful spirit ?"
Mika frowned "I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude, but I can't take any more of this" She stood up, ignoring the flash of pain in her arm "First demons, then spirits... you people are taking this too far... I'm not a complete fool! "
Mika turned herself around and shut her eyes. "Mika wake-up... it's a dream, a stupid dream" She stood there with her eyes closed, half whispering to her self and began to shake her head as if it would knock herself back into a reality she was sure she had fallen out of "Wake-up... you fell in the well, probably hit your head WAKE-UP DAMMIT !!"
"Mika-chan..." Shouka stood up and reached out to consol Mika
Mika clenched her eyes even harder "wake-up please..." she whispered to herself
"Mika, please.." Shouka tried
Mika heard the doors slide open, but still stood there with her eyes shut
"You will be more respectful towards Rin..."
Her eyes snapped open at the sound of Sesshoumaru's voice. He stood there in the doorway, staring at her coldly.
"Sesshoumaru-sama" Rin said with a worried smile "she is scared only... I don't mind"
Sesshoumaru walked around them and sat down next to Rin, he lifted her hand and kissed it. Rin blushed as if she were a young girl.
Shouka sat down and pulled on Mika's skirt. Mika turned and sat down next to her. She turned her head to the side and kept her eyes down... she didn't want to look at him.
"Where did you come from" Sesshoumaru asked her, staring at her with his cold eyes.
"Tou-san, she came from the well-"Shouka started
"Let her answer" Sesshoumaru interrupted, not once looking away from Mika.
Mika could feel his eyes on her and she wanted to cry... "I don't understand your question" she said quietly in defiance.
He leaned forward and held out the Rosary.
"The necklace!" she said suddenly, turning towards it. She reached up and touched her neck, as if to reaffirm that it wasn't there.
"I want to know how you got this" He said "who gave it to you..."
Mika looked away again and put her hand back down into her lap
"In the storage building..." she said quietly "I found it in a box..." the whole situation was beginning to make her angry, and in her anger, she began to forget exactly how scared she was, she began to tear up... she gathered all of her courage up and forced herself to turn and meet Sesshoumaru's gaze.
He smiled slightly, he could smell her fear... and yet she did this.... Strong... she was strong.
"Listen" Mika began, trying not to sound as shaky as she felt "I bought the house, I found it on my property, if it belonged to you all you had to do was ask me for it" She could feel the sobs begin, but she kept going anyway "If it was so damned important to you, why did you store it away, you don't have to put me through all of this, all you had to do was ask !"
"Mika..." Shouka said quietly, pulling Mika's attention off Sesshoumaru.
"I-I'm sorry Shouka... but" Mika began, she reached up and with a trembly hand, wiped the tears out of her eyes
"Mika-chan..." Shouka said "what is a box?"
Mika turned to her, caught off guard by the question "what is a...?" she couldn't help it, the question was so absurd that she began to laugh.
Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes "answer her" he said
Mika stifled another fit of laughter that threatened to become tears. She looked at him "you're serious ?!"
She looked over at Shouka again, who had a partially puzzled look on her face
"You know... "Mika started to make a gesture with her hands, but the pain forced her to put her hands back in her lap "square... you put stuff in it... you know a box"
They all sat there and stared at her as if she were crazy, Mika's vision began to blur as tears sprung up, she started to feel like she had felt when she was little... when she had fallen asleep in class and everyone had thought she had passed out. She woke up and all the other kids, all the teachers were standing silently around her, just staring at her. She didn't know what to do so she had sat up and started growling like she was a little monster. But they had all stood there, staring. She had broken out into tears then too.... She felt small suddenly, in the center of blank stares, self conscious and utterly alone.
She looked at Shouka desperately "how am I supposed to explain something so ordinary...you might as well ask me to explain my shoes or my skirt... it's just what it is, a box."
Shouka could tell Mika was struggling and suddenly felt terrible for asking such a thing. She looked over at her father and realized that he was not his usual self... he seemed angry.
"This rosary belonged to my younger brother..."Sesshoumaru said calmly, as if Mika hadn't been talking at all "After he left, we sealed the well, now I'm asking you where you met him and how you came through the well"
Mika tried to picture his brother's face... younger he had said. She looked back and forth between Rin, Shouka and Sesshoumaru, she couldn't picture anyone who looked like them.
White hair.... Then it struck her. The only person she'd seen with white hair was that boy in the costume... but it couldn't be, could it...? She remembered the boy had the necklace on in the picture... he did say the necklace belonged to his brother...
Noting the expression on Mika's face, Sesshoumaru stood up and walked over to her.
"You know something..." He said "tell me."
"It's just.." Mika started
With that lightning fast movement, Sesshoumaru grabbed her by the neck and lifted her up.
"Tell me what you know !" he demanded
Mika struggled, unable to do anything except claw at his grip.
"Sesshoumaru-sama !" Rin called out
Shouka jumped up and tried to pull his grip free "Tou-san ! She'll be hurt, she's human !!" She pleaded.
Mika was too terrified to cry, she could barely breath "anata.." she managed to say
"Sesshoumaru-sama !" Rin shouted "she can't tell you anything if she's dead !"
"Tou-san ! please !!"
Finally Sesshoumaru dropped her. Rin let out a sigh of relief. Mika gasped for air...
Too real ...this was too real to be a dream.
Shouka gave her father a harsh look and reached down to help Mika up
"..never..." Mika started
"Mika-chan, please.." Shouka said as she helped her up "I apologize for father's behavior, it's just that he isn't used to other humans, he just doesn't know how to act, please forgive us"
Mika stood up, despite her fear she could only glare at Sesshoumaru. He looked back at her with a disinterested look, as if she was amusing to him. It angered her and in a fit of rage, she forgot herself.
"Don't ever touch me again..." she started with a whisper, then she lashed out, catching everyone off guard and slapped him full across the face "DON'T EVER TOUCH ME AGAIN !!!" she screamed, her face red with rage.
Before anyone could say anything, Mika turned and ran out the doorway, disappearing around the corner. Sesshoumaru stood there, his eyes had turned red...
"Tou-San ! "Shouka grabbed him "Stop it NOW !"
"Sesshoumaru-sama..." Rin said, quietly behind him "please husband...."
Sesshoumaru's eyes turned back to normal, he touched Shouka, who let out a relieved sigh.
"Only for you, my love "he said to Rin "do I let this happen..."
Tears streamed down Mika's face as she ran aimlessly through the house.
'I have to get out..' she thought desperately '..if I can get back to the well... I have to get out !'
She turned a corner and hit something hard. She cried out as she fell back and hit the floor. Standing over her was the same boy she had seen earlier. He looked down at her with a slightly surprised look on his face.
"N.. no..." she whispered, turning her body around she scrambled to get back up
"Oi" he said, reaching out to stop her
She started to panic when he grabbed her, "LET ME GO !! "she screamed, trying to pull away... he was so strong...
"Hey, calm down !" He said, just holding her, he could tell she was very scared... too scared to think straight
Mika struggled for a moment, then gave up, she was tired and in pain and he was too strong "why are you so damned strong....it's not normal..." She sobbed, collapsing to the floor "just let me go...please"
He had knelt down along with her. He eased his grip, aware that she frightened but calm enough not to run. She sat there and cried, and he just stared at her.
"You sure do cry a lot for a spirit..." he said after a minute.
Mika looked up, surprised by his statement. A flash of anger hit her again and she pulled her arm away from him. She stood up and wiped the tears out of her eyes
"...what the hell do expect.." she said angrily "I'm surrounded by crazy people in costume, picking me up by the neck, accusing me of stealing things I found on my own property... "
He smiled, a little puzzled by her statements, but happy to get her away from the crying... he can't stand seeing a girl cry...anger is better...
"Every one here is a freak ! Prancing around in costumes – tattoos on the face ?! "Mika grumbled half to him , half to herself "I mean I'm as liberal as the next person... but this is insane..."
"Spirit...."
"I mean what the hell did I do to these people ?" Mika continued to ramble
"Oi... spirit girl.."
"I'm not a god damned spirit !!" Mika yelled, her attention drawn back to the boy "why do you keep calling me that ?!"
He stood there with an amused look on his face, it only angered Mika more.
"I don't know what else to call you" He said with a partial laugh
"You could call me Mika..." She said, picking herself up
He stood up and stared at her as she dusted her skirt off, he noticed the quick wince as she moved her arm... she was in pain...
"I didn't know that was your name.. Mika" He said
"Well, you didn't bother to ask did you..." she said, turning around "now excuse me, but I have to find a way out of here..."
She started to walk away when he reached out again and grabbed her arm.
"Ah!!..." she cried out, the pain was very bad but before she could pull away from him, a flash of warmth went through her arm.
Mika stood there for a moment, surprised by the mild heat. The boy let he arm go and she realized that the pain was gone. She turned and looked at him and he gave her a partial smile.
"What..." she started "did you ?"
"Yeah..." he said "from my mother's side..." he got quiet "at least that's what I've been told..."
Mika noted that he looked sad suddenly.
"Anyway...Mika is it ?" he said "I'm Tenkai"
"Tenkai..." Mika said "Ah.. thank you ..."
"Mika-Chan !!!"
Mika turned herself around to see Shouka running up to her. She stopped quickly and threw a surprised look at Tenkai
"Oh!" Tenkai-kun !" Shouka said with a smile "You met Mika-chan already.."
"Mika" Shouka said, in an apologetic voice "I am so very sorry... Tou-san just doesn't understand how to behave.. he forgets who he is... Please don't be angry with us.."
Mika looked down, it wasn't Shouka's fault... she wanted to say that, but instead she just stood there. Shouka looked sad, but she understood....
"So it was Sesshoumaru who did that to her..." Tenkai interrupted suddenly "feh ! Doesn't surprise me-"
"Tenkai-kun !" Shouka said, giving a harsh look at him "not in front of our guest..."
Tenkai narrowed his eyes, then smiled.
"Yes... of course" He bowed "Shouka... Mika, it was nice to meet you" he tuned and disappeared around the corner
"S-Shouka" Mika started "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to "
"Please Mika-chan" Shouka smiled "you have nothing to be sorry for, you are our guest and we have treated you so very poorly, I won't let it happen again. Forgive me"
Mika smiled, Shouka was so different than her father, she couldn't see how she could be that man's daughter at all. She was too nice.
Shouka grabbed Mika's hand and started pulling her down the hall.
"You must be starved !" Shouka said, taking her around turn after turn "anything you want to eat, I'll have them make for you... we have the best cooks .."
"No... I'm not really.." Mika tried as she followed Shouka through the maze of the house.
Shouka stopped in front of a large room, Mika could smell the food from inside and suddenly she realized that she might be a bit hungry after all.
Shouka seemed like a child, giddy when she told the chefs to cook this or that. Mika smiled, she couldn't understand why Shouka insisted on adding a younger part after her name... surely Shouka was the younger one, she seemed so childlike despite her size.
Shouka led Mika back to the room she had originally come from. The food was brought to them and Shouka chatted mindlessly about the going ons of her daily life. She noticed that Mika barely touched her food, but tried to act as if she hadn't noticed.
"Mika-chan..." Shouka said at one point "please don't be scared anymore... please eat.."
Mika smiled "I've gone past scared, Shouka... I still think this is a dream... but that isn't it, I just can't eat too much anymore... "Mika stopped herself, a flash of memory came to her and she had to stop talking before she broke out into tears again.
Shouka noticed it too... the sadness in Mika's eyes and her voice... but she didn't want to pry so she quickly changed the subject "Do you want to take a bath ?"
Mika looked up "a bath? "suddenly she was mortified... she had been so wrapped up in the events, she must stink... she had always been so self conscious about things like that, obsessed was more towards the truth... when she was small her father-
"a bath would be wonderful" she said, stopping her thoughts again.
Shouka led her out past the clearing where she had first seen Tenkai and towards a large room. Inside it was like a spring. Mika was astonished, she had only seen a place like this once when she was younger, they had gone to the mountains.... It was beautiful.
As Shouka undressed, Mika was a little self conscious but she felt at ease around Shouka so she did what she hadn't done since the accident... she let someone see her body.
She was well aware that in Japan they didn't bathe until after they were clean, she wasn't used to the idea, but she couldn't see climbing into such a clean spring with a dirty body so she started to undress.
Shouka had the same purple-ish tattoo stripes all over her body. Mika stood there, staring at her, wondering if they hurt badly to have it all over the whole body. Shouka noticed and smiled.
"Shouka... I'm sorry , I don't mean to stare, but did it hurt.?" Mika asked, turning her head away
"Did what hurt ?" Shouka said
"The tattoos, did it hurt to get that many of them ?" Mika started to undress
"Tattoos? ..."Shouka looked at her for a moment with a thoughtful look on her face "Oh... no, I was born with these, like my father..."
Mika stopped, surprised "you mean, those are birth marks ?! But it's so precise , I didn't think that was possible !"
Shouka laughed and began to scrub herself. Mika finished undressing , lost in thought, she didn't notice that Shouka had stopped and was staring at her with a frown on her face.
"Mika... " Shouka said, walking over to her "how did you get those ?!" she pointed to the scars that covered her back and most of her legs
Mika frowned "....I ...I would rather not talk about it... I'm sorry, I can bathe alone if it bothers you..." she bent down to pick up her dress, but Shouka stopped her
"No again, I'm sorry, I just was surprised because you are so young to have so many scars... "Shouka smiled "I didn't mean to intrude "
Mika smiled back, she wanted to cover up again, she hadn't shown anyone her scars... but Shouka didn't really seem to care so reluctantly she began to wash, she felt more self conscious than ever, but tried to relax and just enjoy the bath. As they bathed, Shouka continued to talk aimlessly.. Mika thought it was sweet, as if Shouka was just talking to get her mind off of things. After they were done, despite everything that had happened, Mika felt refreshed and a bit tired. Shouka took her leave and left Mika alone.
Mika wanted to fall asleep.. she wanted to dream... for the first time in a while she wanted to remember her children's faces, her husband's face... she needed them now but that sleep that always promised to bring them, wouldn't come. She lay there, awake in the dark, unable to sleep.
Mika sat up. She looked around the darkened room, it really was quite large, not at all the comfortable room she had chosen a few days before.
She decided that if she couldn't sleep ,she would at least look around while everyone else was, so she quietly opened the doors to the room and peered out into the hall. There was no one and the halls were all dark. She closed her doors and began to walk down the hall. She found her way to the clearing and walked over to one of the benches. She sat down and sighed.
"Some new life..."she said to herself
Mika breathed in the night air, it had a cleanness to it that she wasn't used to. She listened to the sounds and was astonished that she didn't hear sirens or cars... she only heard crickets and the occasional frog somewhere. Mika reached into her pocket and pulled the pouch out. She took the ring from inside and turned it around in her fingers
".... anata... ""Can't sleep...?"
Mika nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of Tenkai's voice. Mika looked up to the source of his voice. Sitting in the tree directly behind her was Tenkai. He wasn't looking at her, he was staring up at the stars.
"How long have you been there?" Mika asked, startled and annoyed at the same time
Tenkai looked down "Long enough..." He leaned forward and without much effort, he jumped out of the tree and walked over to her. She moved over a bit when he sat down next to her.
"Who is 'anata' ?" he asked her
Mika looked at him, she flushed, "It's not very nice to ease-drop on people..." she said, turning her head.
Tenkai smiled, the rang of emotion was amusing to him... she could go from tears to anger in a flash... it was comical. He hadn't seen a person like this ever... every human he knew was too serious or involved in stupid things...
He looked down at the object Mika seemed to be absently turning in her fingers. He'd never seen anything like it
"What is that ?" he asked
Mika frowned and quickly stuffed the ring into the pouch. "it's ....nothing" she said quietly, a flash of her husband's face ...
Tenkai looked at her for a moment, her eyes were sad, almost like she would cry again, he said something wrong....
"Fine" he said suddenly, wanting to change the subject "you don't have to tell me..."
"Listen you..." Mika started, he was fast becoming the most annoying person she had met in along time.
Suddenly she was interrupted by a thumping sound, both Tenkai and Mika looked up to see the rosary flying through the air. Before it hit the ground, Tenkai reached out and caught it. Sesshoumaru was standing at the edge of the clearing, staring coldly at both of them. A rush of dread went through Mika, but Tenkai only glared.
"Tenkai.." Sesshoumaru said, walking closer towards them "I have business with this person, leave us."
Notes and Such-
Anything between the '' is a thought
Gomennasai... I realize I have a sort of childish way of writing, it sounds all good in my head but the moment it's out on paper (or on the computer) i can see the style... hopefully it's worth it though