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AN: Thank you everyone for your wondrous reviews. I hope that you keep reviewing and giving critical/useful advice. If you would like to see my responses to your reviews, please visit .
This chapter is dedicated to the first four reviewers: Anime-sensei, Kudachi-san, Cricket-chan, and Callispi-sensei.
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Through the Looking Glass-
Chapter 6: False Image
Several weeks had passed since Lord Taka had discovered and hired the Spirit Detectives for their services; and yet no attack from the Demon Army came. The days were as calm as the gentle breezes that blew through the warlord's extravagant gardens. Because of this great calm, the carrot-top human began to suspect Lord Taka's claim on a demonic war; the wiser fire apparition, however, knew the greatest calm came before the greatest storm.
Just as wise as Hiei, Taka took advantage of the peaceful times and took it upon himself to learn more about his new mercenaries. The warlord even hoped that he would become great friends with these mysterious people apparently from another world. He was, after all, to trust them with his life on the battlefield.
And so, it became Taka and Yukina's ritual (Hiei and Kazuma's manly pride made them refuse Taka's offer) to sit with one another for an hour a day and speak about various things while drinking tea. The lord and maiden would relax in the garden or a spacious sitting room and learn about one another; and this day was no different.
Yukina, wearing a navy kimono with a golden obi, sat politely on her knees with a warm teacup in her slender hands. She watched with admiration as Taka elegantly drank his own tea without falter in his movements. Although his actions were fluid and precise, Lord Taka still held a certain kindness about him. He was, in many ways, like Hiei.
'Where have I seen him before?' the ice apparition wondered in puzzlement. 'I know I have seen him somewhere, but I'm quite sure I've never met him as well.' Her lips slightly pouted. 'Or am I just confusing Taka-sama for someone else?'
Replacing his cup on the table, an eager young lord continued his inquiry. "So a few years ago, you left your homeland in search for your lost twin brother?"
Returning from her thoughts, the ice maiden nodded amiably. "Yes, and I have been searching for him ever since. The journey has been quite difficult at times, but thanks to it, I have many friends now. And I wouldn't trade them for anything in this world."
"I guess Hiei-sama and Kazuma-sama, are in ways, your brother in which you seek."
"Yes," the young woman replied, smiling. Her crimson eyes glittered and lit her pale face with a warm glow. Never in her mind had she thought that way. "Yes, I guess they are like my brothers."
"But I hope you do find your real brother one day, Yukina-sama," Taka whispered shyly, fiddling nervously with his robes. No longer was the young man a poised warlord; instead, he resembled a blushing schoolboy. "Someone as wonderfully kind as yourself should be allowed that joy the very least."
"Just as I hope that the Hanagami princess is kept safe, for your sake," Yukina responded kindly. "I would hate to see you sad for your dear friend, Taka-sama. And it would be tragic if you lost your friend as well."
"Oh, thank you for your concern," Taka mumbled, twisting his features to a faraway look.
When the lord silenced and no more words were spoken, the lovely ice maiden began to worry. She sensed confusion and turmoil beneath Taka's stern cerulean pools. "What is the matter? Is something wrong, Taka-sama?"
The young man, jumping a little, kindly waved away Yukina's concern. "Oh, I'm sorry. It is nothing, Yukina-sama. Nothing for you to be troubled about."
"But you're very troubled, Taka-sama. Why so?"
Taka sighed, "It is just--"
"Yes?"
The young warrior abruptly burst into childish tears, which somewhat if not greatly surprised Yukina. "I have been in love with Botan-hime for as long as I could remember, Yukina-sama. And years ago, when I learned that I was going to marry her, I became the happiest man on earth; but just two years back, Botan-hime wanted me to cancel our engagement because she said she would fall in love with someone else. And I just did not have it in my heart to refuse Botan-hime. So, I agreed."
"Botan-hime?" Yukina gasped, covering her mouth with a kimono-cloaked hand. Ruby eyes growling large in surprise, frantic and jumbled thoughts raced through the lady's mind. 'Is he talking about Botan-chan? Could she be the same Botan-chan?'
"Have you met her, Yukina-sama?" Taka asked curiously. "You sound quite familiar with Botan-hime."
"No, it is just--I have a friend back home who has that exact name. But then again, I guess 'Botan' is quite a popular name." A smile lit the girl's features. "After all, it is a beautiful name, and peonies are quite beautiful flowers."
"Yes, they are," the lord agreed fondly.
"Oh, Taka-sama, but you were engaged?" Yukina blushed, giving her new friend a sheepish smile. The ice maiden's usual white skin glowed with a rosy hue. "Well, I would figure just as much. A young lord such as yourself should be engaged or have flocks of women wishing to be your bride."
"Alas," Taka sighed in hopelessness, resting his head in his broad hands. "The one woman I loved in the world refused to betray me and cancelled our marriage."
Yukina pitied her friend and his woes, but she wondered why a man like him would be refused, especially if the two sovereigns had been lifelong friends. "Did she not love you as you loved her, Taka-sama?"
"No, Botan-hime loved me; and it was because of that love she did not want to hurt me," the young lord explained, a small sad smile lighting his youthful face. He gazed outside as if to remind him of something. "It was actually in this garden where she confessed her heart. She knew that someone else would enter her life, and she, without a choice, would fall in love with that other man. She did not want to betray me in that future, so she refused our marriage."
"But you were hurt," Yukina added, sympathy radiating from her eyes. She wanted to touch Lord Taka, but Yukina did not know if it was proper or if he would take to it; instead, she looked on and prayed.
Nodding his ebony head, Taka informed, "Yes, I was hurt, Yukina-sama. But I deeply respect Botan-hime for what she did and her consideration."
The lady smiled, seeing Taka was not depressed. "And now you protect her as friends, or as a brother would his sister."
"Yes, and with much honor."
"You're a very kind man, Taka-sama," Yukina grinned. "A kind man with a gentle soul." While replacing her elegant hands neatly on her lap, a horrible scar from her past days glared at Yukina through her kimono sleeves. A sudden flashback struck the ice demon's mind.
'I have a little sister about your age--'
Yukina gasped as the far-off voice echoed through her mind.
'It's wrong, what they're doing to you.'
'They're monsters, torturing you just to get rich.'
'Why don't you run away?'
'I'm going to help you escape!'
'Why am I remembering that?' the ice apparition thought, tears threatening her eyes. Placing her hands over her flushed cheeks, she inconspicuously wiped away her forming tears. Her breath quickening, the young woman fought against her raging emotions and tried to regain control. 'Why am I remembering him right now?'
"Well, I am sort of selfish as well, Yukina-sama," Taka blushed, giving the girl a sheepish grin. He scratched his chin apprehensively, somewhat embarrassed of his character fault.
Pushing back her earlier felt memories and pain, Yukina could not help but to blink in surprise. "You, Taka-sama? Selfish? How so?"
Taka laughed uneasily as he shifted his eyes away from the lady; he did not want her to see his soul. "Ah, well, it is a little embarrassing to admit, but--In exchange for canceling our wedding, Botan-hime promised me that I would meet a woman far better suited for me."
"Have you met her yet, Taka-sama?" Yukina wondered with innocent curiosity.
Reddening slightly, Lord Taka rose to his feet and made ready to continue his work. The conversation had taken an awkward turn for him, and the feudal lord was not yet ready to confess his feelings. "I--I think I am getting there, Yukina-sama."
A thudding of war drums then boomed in the background, and Taka's eyes grew wide as he recognized the rhythm that played. It was a rhythm of war.
"Yukina-sama, stay within the manor," Taka warned gravely, holding Yukina's hands in his own as if in agreement. "With the various spiritual wards that surround the manor, you shall be much safer here than anywhere else. Also, Hiei-sama and Kazuma-sama are protecting the manor; so please stay here, Yukina-sama." And with that, the warlord left the maiden's room and marched towards the battle with all of his other warriors.
"Please be safe," Yukina whispered as she watched Taka leave.
Kazuma and Hiei, positioned outside at their watch posts, were already alert to the danger. Searching all around their station atop the protecting walls, the two Detectives were trying to figure out their new situation. "What's going on now?" Kazuma demanded as various horns and drums sounded loudly.
"We're being attacked," Hiei briefly informed the human as he disappeared over the palace walls.
The human Detective promptly followed the demon one over the wall, only to be stunned at the horrific sight before him. Hordes of demons, dressed in traditional Japanese armor and armed with swords and lances, leaped and pounced upon poor defenseless humans; not even women or children were spared. The Demon Army was truly made of monsters, and they made Kazuma's blood boil.
"Hiei-sama! Kazuma-sama!" Lord Taka yelled out urgently as he joined the two warriors and many other soldiers on the battlefield. "The demons' generals are located on top of the hill yonder. My men and I are going to lead the remaining villagers to the manor for safety. Shall the two of your pursue the Demon Generals and end this bloodshed?"
'And save these innocent people?'
Nodding quickly in comprehension, Hiei disappeared from sight. A black shadow sped across the bloody field, a trail of dead demons in its wake. Kazuma followed the speedy apparition as best he could; but even that put the lad far behind. As soon as the Spirit Detectives came close to the hill, they saw two fierce figures mounted on demonically proud stallions. A blood-red sunset glowered like dying embers behind the hellish figures.
When Hiei and Kazuma caught sight of the Demon Army's commanding officers, they felt a blow to their minds. Never in their lives were they prepared for this.
"It's Sakyou!" Hiei exclaimed in surprise when he recognized the general as the same man from the Dark Tournament months before. Grim memories clouded Hiei's mind as he remembered the gory time he and the others faced while battling for their lives and the world's. The fire demon was in a murderous mood now.
"It's 'nee-san!" Kazuma gasped when he saw his older Shizuru riding proudly beside Sakyou as the second general and the Demon Army's commanding officer. The carrot-top felt a stab of betrayal, but his subconscious knew better that his sister would never willingly do something as horrible as mass murder.
"Utterly destroy them!" Shizuru yelled out authoritatively to the army below her, her executive officers repeating her orders to their underlings. The young woman looked fierce in her dark, demonic armor; her eyes were empty and cold; her sinister human aura sent prickles down people's spines. "Take no prisoners. Leave not one human alive. We must annihilate our enemies and break through these petty human defenses!"
"Not as petty as you think!" Hiei snapped harshly as he raced through the air and cut the legs of the horse below. The accursed woman reacted instantly, giving Hiei only a fraction of a second to safely twist away as Shizuru's sword mercilessly grazed his left shoulder. Strands of black and white hair fluttered away in the hot wind.
"Shizuru-sama! Are you all right?" the Sakyou look-alike questioned in worry as he dismounted his horse. The young man helped his commander onto her feet and stood in front of her protectively with his sword out. No one was going to harm his Lady Shizuru.
"Hiei, what the hell do you think you're doing? Don't kill her!" Kazuma growled in panic, finally catching up to his fellow swordsman. Although he had been far behind the fire demon, Kazuma had seen everything that had taken place; and he was obviously displeased.
"She's the leader of these demons, moron," Hiei bit back, ready to strike again. "If we stop her, we stop the mindless idiots following her."
The little brother could not bite back his growl. "So stop her, Hiei! Don't kill her, damn it!"
"Gr, human idiot!"
Right then, two mysterious strangers, covered with endless folds of black cloth, appeared out of nowhere before the Demon Army officers. Hiei and Kazuma shivered at the flux of Demon energy that came and went, the power enormous. "General, why have you not destroyed the human nuisance yet?" one of the cloaked figures demanded, standing over Shizuru.
"I was getting to it, sir," Shizuru bowed submissively, her intricately adorned helmet shadowing her darkened eyes. "Forgive me. We shall break through their defenses soon. The Kinomoto Clan soon shall no longer be a nuisance to you."
"Excellent."
"Look, Brother," the other arcane character pointed. "Those are two of the Spirit Detectives from the future."
Hiei and Kazuma involuntarily flinched. "The future?"
"So, you brought as back to the past," Hiei sniffed annoyingly, raising his katana in position. "The past within the Human World. How pathetic."
Lowering their hoods, the ex-convict apparitions arched curious brows at the fire demon's skepticism. "Pathetic you say, Hiei?"
"Puh. It is," Hiei spat, utterly annoyed. The fugitives' energies were fashioned in such a way they nagged at the back of Hiei's mind, like a headache that would not die away. "You plan to conquer the Human World in a time where demons still exist here and where humans know of and fear demons."
A demon cackled, "How mistaken you are."
"What?" the two Spirit Detectives demanded in alarm.
"Yes, we do wish to conquer the Human World, but not with brute strength and superstition alone," one of the runaways explained. The Spirit Detectives could not tell the other one apart because both of them were equally disfigured and not a bit aesthetically pleasing. "Once we acquire the Hanagami princess, all we will have to do is to utter a single word, and everything will be under our control."
"Come, General," the other unsightly demon snickered, helping Shizuru and Sakyou to their feet. "Let us retreat and attack another day." And with a wave of their hands, a portal appeared; and just as quickly, Shizuru, Sakyou, and the demon fugitives disappeared.
Kazuma had failed to rescue his sister once more.
"Damn it!"
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