Whoo! Another chapter! Yea so… If you haven't noticed I've stopped using since they don't show up anymore! EVIL! So now instead I use the three equal signs ===
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UnBREAKable
Chapter 22
Kat left Kenshin's room, sure that he would be ok, and glided her hands over the area that she had been impaled. She shivered and wondered how she could have possibly lived through something like that. 'It was foolish of me to accept a fight. My skills are rusty and my muscles haven't had a work out like that in a long time. I suppose I was a bit too eager to start a fight but it gets harder and harder to back down from a challenge. I enjoy it too much to decline. It was still wrong to go full out on Kenshin though but he was angry that I was holding back. What happens if we fight again? Next time I might end up killing him…' Kat shook the thought from her head and entered an empty room that she usually went to just for thinking.
Dark was sitting shirtless on the wooden floor, back towards Katsura, and she paused, surprised to see him there but took the time to let her eyes glide over his features. She could see his spine, a sturdy network of knobs running up and down his back covered in a smooth layer of skin. As he worked on the things in his lap Kat could just see the outlines of his ribs shifting positions whenever he moved. He was wearing black baggy pants that looked like a cross of black vinyl and leather and she could see the usual numerous belts draped across his waist and hips.
Silky and smooth, Kat wanted nothing more to go over and stroke his untamable lilac mane. It lay draped across his shoulders with the usual few strands sticking out to the sides as if suspended by wires. His arms worked at the now visible sketch pad and she could see his muscles flex as his hands glided across the page. Curious, Kat stepped closer to see what he was drawing. Her feet glided across the wooden floor and the folds of her kimono increased as she sat down next to him.
Dark glanced over his shoulder at Kat, who had her head cocked in confusion, still unable to see what he was sketching. "Part of Daisuke still remains in my heart," Dark said. "I'm now able to sketch as well as him if not even better."
"What caught your interest enough to pause and draw?" Kat asked.
Dark nodded his head in the direction of the room across from the one they were in and Kat leaned backwards to see what was over there. Her eyes caught Rei, who was sleeping soundly, tail curled over her nose with a small bird resting on her back. "How strange," Kat commented.
"Hum," Dark agreed and went back to drawing.
Kat noticed that he appeared almost done and she yawned, watching him put the last few shadows in the correct places. "Beautiful," Kat said as she leaned her head on Dark's shoulder.
He tensed, feeling her hair slide over his skin and the silk of her kimono rub against it. He wondered if she was comfortable with her head resting directly over his shoulder blade. "I better go check on Kurama," she thought of an excuse to leave. Dark wondered why she would want to leave and his hand reflexively shot out to grab the long wing of her kimono to make her stay.
Kat wasn't expecting him do to this and he ended up tugging part of her kimono off her shoulder. Kat felt her kimono slip a bit and she looked down at Dark before giving up and kneeling next to him, attempting to fix her kimono. 'If I want to fix it, I'm going to have to retie it.' Kat sighed and pulled on her other kimono sleeve, dragging it off her shoulder, too lazy to get up and go retie the whole thing.
"Funny how it takes so long to tie but only a few seconds and wrong moves to get it to come off," Kat commented. She took the sketch book and pencil from Dark and he watched as her hands became a blur across the page, moving almost too fast for him to see. A breeze swept through the open room and Kat let the pencil fall to the floor, its tip breaking on impact. Her fingertips blended in the various marks and Kat let the sketch pad sit in her lap, the picture finished in under a minute.
"I have no fun doing anything anymore," she explained. "I can do everything thousands of times faster than I used to be so I get bored easily."
"Then why do them as fast as you can?" Dark asked as his eyes widened the slightest bit catching a glimpse of the picture.
Kat handed the pad to him and stood up, "Because I can."
He heard her feet thud lightly across the floor as she left to look for the fox demon. 'Amazing…'
Kat had sketched both of them sitting on the floor at the exact moment the wind blew through, catching their hair and clothes.
'As much as I'm impressed, I also feel sad for her. What purpose does she have in life? How is she able to go on living?'
Because she knows she will always have friends like you who care for her, love her, and cherish her more than your own lives. As soon as she looses all of her friends, then she will have no purpose in life but as long as you're there to care for her, she can go on living. Even after she's seen almost everyone she knows be murdered including herself, it's because of her friends she's able to move on.
Dark glanced at the sleeping wolf and shook his head, gazing outside at the scenery, lost in his own thoughts.
===
Kat scanned the high branches of the god tree with keen golden eyes a hundred times sharper than a hawk's.
The branches creaked under her weight but she was fast enough to move before they broke. Leaves drifted down from the disturbed branches but Kat paid no attention. Higher and higher she climbed until she reached the familiar fox demon perched on the thickest and highest branch of the tree.
"Ohayou," Kat greeted as she attempted straddling the branch.
Kurama opened an eye and regarded her with muted curiosity as Kat almost fell off the branch. 'She's over fifty years old yet she still has the mind and body of a teenager.'
"Are you still mad at me?" Kat asked as she finally found a suitable sitting position.
Kurama shifted away from her and Kat thought it was because he was going to leave. "Don't go!" she said and reached out to grab his shoulder.
"Don't touch me!" Kurama hissed as he knocked her hand away.
The folds of his clothing shifted and Kat saw the wound on his shoulder, "What?" She locked onto his robe and pulled part of it off his shoulder, "You're still hurt…"
Kurama shook her off him, "Yes I am."
"But why?" Kat asked confused. "You're a demon aren't you?"
"Yes, I am a demon but so are you and wounds don't heal as quickly depending on who made them," he explained.
"I thought you healed as fast as I did," Kat said.
"I don't. No one does," Kurama said as he glared at her from over his shoulder.
"How long will it take you to heal?" Kat asked.
"About a week for it to close up, another few for the scaring to disappear," he said.
"I could heal you," Kat offered.
"I'll be fine," he rejected the offer.
Kat began to get fed up, "Stop being so callous and come here!" She grabbed him by the waist and pushed her palm up against his chest. Slowly, she could feel him relax as her power coursed through his veins, healing everything it could before returning to Kat for her own use. "Better?" she asked.
Kurama continued to stare at her strangely. "I don't understand," he finally said. "Not one of the people you knew ever had that kind of power. Vash had a little of it and so did I but how you ever managed to catch hold and manipulate it is still confusing me to no end."
Kat touched her finger to the branch and grew a small flower there, "I don't understand it either but I don't like to make you jealous."
"I'm not jealous," Kurama said as he met her gaze.
"Why are you so irritated?" Kat dropped her eyes and fiddled with the wing of her kimono.
"I don't know, winter is coming soon and I guess it always makes me sad since the snow kills everything."
"It doesn't kill everything," Kat said as she looked up at the gray sky. It was only then did she realize that it was getting colder. "Snow makes it possible for new things to grow when spring comes. Snow is pure and it irritates me as much as it does you."
"Why is that?" Kurama asked as he hugged her.
Kat stopped shivering and noticed that it was about to snow for the first time that year, "My memories are always filled with blood stained snow. Not a single year has gone by so far where I've just been able to completely enjoy it. I've either been to busy ignoring it or unable to enjoy it. Hopefully this year will be different."
"You sound as if you're staying here," Kurama voiced his thought.
"It's nice as hell to be able to get away from the media!" Kat said as she stretched and wrapped her arms around Kurama's neck. He hugged back, wrapping his arms around her waist and burring his face into her hair.
Kat twisted around to sit in has lap and watch the first few flakes fall. "Something I don't understand," Kat thought allowed, "Is why I don't have a demon form. If I had fully awakened your powers, would I have one?"
"It is impossible to gain full use of my powers," Kurama said.
"Why?" Kat wondered.
"Humph," Kurama snorted and rested his head on her bare shoulder. "Because we haven't mated."
Kat flushed and sighed, "That makes sense." She reached up to stroke Kurama's ears.
"If you want we could…"
"No," Kat stopped him yanking on his ear. "Not unless you really want to."
Kurama leaned down and whispered into her ear, "But what if I do?"
"Katsura! KATSURA?! WHERE ARE YOU?!" Kenshin's youthful voice was muted by the falling snow. He paused at what appeared to be the forest's largest tree to take a breather. 'I would have past her already. It's taken me at least an hour to get here, thirty minutes if I'd been going at full speed. There's no way she could have gotten this far.' "KATSURA?!" 'What's the use? Why am I looking for her again?'
"Shin…?" came a familiar voice.
"Eh?" Kenshin heard his real name almost be used.
Kat glared at Kurama. He had covered her mouth before she could correct herself and she was wondering why he wasn't letting her say anything else. 'Let me go!' Kat sent telepathically.
'Why so you can go to him?' Kurama sent back.
'What's gotten into you?' Kat asked. 'You know if I wanted, I could easily overpower you.'
'Then why don't you?' he asked.
Kat elbowed him in the stomach, hitting rock hard muscle but it was enough to surprise him and make him let go. She glanced at him before sliding off the branch.
Kenshin almost fell over from pure shock as Kat dropped down in front of him, "What's the matter?" She could hear the irritated sigh from Kurama somewhere up in the tree.
"Nothing, I just wanted to know where you were," Kenshin replied.
Kat eyed him warily, "Why?"
"I wanted to watch the snow fall with someone." 'I was worried when I found you weren't home.'
'Worried? He doesn't even know me! And I almost killed him yesterday…Strange boy, didn't know he was turned on by girls who could kick his ass!' Kat picked up part of his thoughts. "Well I was kind of busy… Oh, have you seen Dark? He was acting kinda odd today," Kat said.
Kenshin bristled, "There's someone watching us…"
Kat rolled her eyes, "It's just Kurama."
"No, it's not," the fox demon said as he landed beside Kat.
She turned her attention to the end of the clearing. 'Damn! Why didn't I notice the presence before?' "Show yourself!" Kat barked to the sea of trees.
"So eager to fight," a voice said. "You are so busy fighting yourselves, you failed to notice me."
"You're a wolf demon," Kat acknowledged. 'He must be stunningly beautiful.'
"Correct you are," it said as it stepped out into the clearing.
Kat's face fell the slightest bit when she noticed that the demon was a female. It was in humanoid form, but still had a tail and dog ears, with black hair. The tail was fluffy and brown.
"My name is Mura," she announced.
"What is your business here?" Kat demanded as she stepped forward, curling her lip in disgust.
Mura smirked, "I'm here for that fox demon behind you. He's quite handsome."
"Back off," Kat hissed.
"Why is he already taken? You do smell an awful lot like him…" the demon said as she stepped closer.
Kenshin watched with an uneasy expression, he was still getting used to the fact that demons existed and this wasn't helping him.
"Well, not really…" Kat hesitated.
"Then he's up for grabs?" Mura asked as she passed Kat and stepped up to Kurama. She stood on her toes and bit his ear gently.
Kurama instantly attacked, snarling and slashing with fury. His claws managed to scrape Mura's arm and Kat smirked proudly. She stepped up to the demon and dug her own nails into Mura's arm, "Back off bitch." Then to the others, "Let's go."
Kenshin nodded and began to leave when Mura darted over to him, "Well what about this one? Not bad for a human… He reeks of human blood though; perhaps he's not fully human?"
Kenshin's eyes began to turn a deep gold, "Leave me wench."
"So cold to such a pretty lady. Please stay with me!" Mura cooed.
SHINK! Kenshin drew his sword and pressed it against Mura's neck, "I said back off!"
Kat began walking briskly towards Kenshin and Kurama followed. Kenshin resheathed his sword and began trailing after the group.
"You follow her like obedient dogs! You're treated like worthless scum! Passed around and around, and affected deeply by this pathetic human's emo-" Mura was cut off.
Kat was leaning on her right foot, arm thrust forward, hand empty of the sword there just moments ago. She smirked, "I guess I had to see blood stained snow again. It was worth it though."
Kenshin was staring approvingly at the impaled wolf demon. He hadn't even been able to register when Kat drew and thrust his sword, all he knew was that it was now sticking out of the middle of a demon. He watched as Kat waltzed over to Mura and grabbed the hilt of the sword, "You know, you never know when to quit and that really pisses me off!" Kat gave the sword a one hundred eighty degree twist before pulling it out. She watched as Mura stumbled backwards onto her knees. "Time to die!"
Kat paused as she felt something catch the sword before it hit the demon. She turned to see Kurama standing next to her holding the blade between his thumb and forefinger. "Why are you stopping me?" Kat growled.
Kurama let go of the sword and Kat stumbled forward, "You have no right to kill her."
"Keh," Kat muttered and tossed the blood covered sword at Kenshin.
The boy caught it, flicked off the blood and resheathed it.
"And what are you going to do with the wolf demon?" Kat asked Kurama. "I'm not going to let you bring her back to our home."
"Then I'll heal her elsewhere," the fox demon said.
"You'd do that for someone who insulted you?" Kat asked.
"It's surprising, you fell in love with someone who never kills yet you don't share the same ideals as him," Kurama said.
"Why do you care?!" Kat yelled at him.
"Because Kenshin was right, it's not right to ki-"
Kat flew at him, nothing more than a blur and he flinched thinking that he was about to be struck, skewered by her claws. He saw her arm extend for his neck but then it grazed by and he heard puncturing and cracking bone. Kat knocked into him and they both fell backwards on top of Mura.
"You see where not killing gets you?" Kat asked as she sat up and pulled her claws out of Mura's half transformed skull. "Kenshin suffered his entire life because he didn't kill anyone. Old enemies just kept showing up over and over again to seek revenge but he refused to kill and see where it got him? If I hadn't come, he would have gone on suffering even worse than he did when I was with him."
Kurama sat up and his face came within a hair of hers. Kat grabbed his shoulders and forced him to turn around and see the gruesome sight of the wolf demon she had just slaughtered, "You see?! If I had let her live, you'd be dead right now!"
Kurama winced at her words and wanted to look away from the slightly truly transformed wolf demon. He could see the fangs and elongated muzzle that had begun to form.
"I could never understand you Kurama," Kat muttered. "This must have been by far the stupidest thing you've done all year." Kat flicked the blood off her fingers and watched as the claws slowly disappeared, returning to normal human nails. Kat offered her hands to help Kurama up and he hesitated before taking it. Kat planted a kiss on his lips then whispered, "Don't scare me again ne?"
She turned back to Kenshin, "Ready to go?"
He nodded, still a bit shocked but able to at least get his feet to move.
===
The walk home was quiet and the tension between Kat and Kurama was extremely nerve wracking. Their feet crunched in the snow and it was taking a long time to get back to the hut.
"We should get a horse," Kenshin said.
"Why bother? They're hard to take care of and only you would need it," Kat said a bit bitterly.
"Only me?" Kenshin asked.
"It only took me ten minutes to get to the god tree," she replied. "We can still buy a horse if you want but by then you'll probably be strong and fast enough to get around better."
"Why not just summon a horse?" Kurama asked.
Kat slapped her forehead, "I keep forgetting I can do that… Ok then what horse should I get?"
"A fast one, one that's able to get us through the snow," Kenshin said.
"Then a shire it is," Kat said as she pictured the enormous horse in her mind.
In no time, she had made the magnificent animal appear out of thin air. With a small leap, Kat was able to land gently on its back. Kurama joined her with ease and they waited for Kenshin to get on.
Kat watched amused as Kenshin looked up at the horse that towered over him, "This wasn't what I had in mind…" Kat leaned over and offered her hand to pull Kenshin up. He took it and Kat hoisted him up onto the sturdy back of the black mare. She dug her heels in and tangled her fingers into its mane to keep from falling off as it raced though the forest.
Kurama sat cross-legged over the horse's flank and enjoyed the cold wind and snow that hit his face as they rode. Kenshin was having a harder time straddling the horse's back and he opted for holding on to Kat so he wouldn't fall off. Kat herself was thoroughly enjoying herself, it had always been a pleasure of hers to ride horses and this was her first time riding one in many years.
Kat's golden eyes slid over the trees as they passed by in a blur. She caught sight of something moving swiftly beside them, keeping out of sight so as not to spook the horse.
I was wondering where you were. Rei said.
'Nothing to worry about, we were just heading home.' Kat sent back.
Kurama noticed that Rei had been following them and he watched as the wolf raced by just out of sight from the horse's line of vision.
I smell blood. the wolf said.
'Nothing we couldn't handle.' Kat assured.
Doing alright? Rei asked.
'Yeah, I'm ok. What about Dark, he must be wondering where we are.'
He's waiting back at the hut. Actually Dark was the one who made me go after you. Rei laughed.
Kat smiled and directed the horse to the river. 'Tell Dark to meet us at the tree house.'
The wolf nodded not caring if Kat couldn't see the motion before disappearing.
The horse burst through the forest of trees and thundered down the bank kicking up sand and snow. Its breath rose in puffs and finally Kat stopped it just next to the tree the house was in. Kat summoned a halter and put it on the massive horse then tethered it to a limb. She jumped off followed by the two boys and they waited for Kat to take the ladder off its hook.
Three pairs of golden eyes watched as a rung of the ladder fell into the sand. "It's been weathered beyond use," Kat stated the obvious. She picked up the wooden rung and held the rope of the ladder in her other hand. The boys watched as it mended itself.
"Go on up," Kat instructed. "I'll join you in a moment."
They shrugged, not knowing or caring why they were there, and stood on the repaired ladder. Kat let go of the rope and watched as they swung out over the river. As soon as the ladder stopped swinging, they began to climb to the top and Kat could see the two men sit on the porch swing.
In a few minutes Kat could see Rei running across the sand and snow carrying Dark on her back. Before Rei could stop Dark jumped off and came running over to Kat, eyes filed with worry, "Rei told me you were in a fight."
"She shouldn't have worried you so much. I'm fine and so is everyone else. I just wanted you to join us," Kat said.
"Keh, I wasn't worried," he muttered.
Kat stepped forward and ruffled his hair, "Sure you weren't." Kat motioned for Rei to come over and Kat sat on her back, "Get on, Rei can get us up there."
Dark frowned but did as he was told. His eyes widened as Rei began to climb invisible steps up to the house. Her feet touched nothing but air yet her paws still flattened and spread as if they were walking on something. Kat slid off Rei's back when they reached the porch and she smiled at Dark's amazement at Rei's unique display of power.
She joined Rei, who was resting on the bench Kurama and Kenshin had been sitting on just a few minutes ago. She could hear them talking about various things inside the tree house. Dark looked disappointed that there wasn't any room for him on the bench.
He swiveled a chair around, and straddled it, resting his arms on its back to face her. He was happy to have at least some time to talk to her without the other men to distract her. Kat eyed him, "Something wrong?"
"You live such an interesting life," Dark commented.
"It still confuses you doesn't it?" Kat asked.
"More than you'll ever know," he laughed.
Kat overheard Kurama explaining electricity to Kenshin, who kept interrupting with various questions. "You'd be surprised. I used to be just as shocked as you once," Kat said.
"That's hard to believe."
"You get used to it if you've lived like this as long as I have," she replied. She had the faintest thought that in order to fully awaken Dark's powers she'd also have to 'mate' with him.
He sighed, "It doesn't tire you to live like this everyday?"
Kat shrugged, "Like I said, you get used to it."
"Would you mind if I stayed here with you?"
Kat smiled happily, "You didn't have to ask. You're welcome to stay as long as you like."
"Tell Rei I'm going to sit on her if she doesn't move."
Kat shrugged and shoved the sleeping wolf off the bench. Rei cracked an eye open and groaned but didn't move from the spot she had been shoved to. Dark joined Kat on the bench and rested his head on the screen behind them.
"How can you stand it?" he asked. Kat waited for him to finish. "I don't see how you can love and be loved by more than one person. It doesn't make sense how all of us could care for you that much all at the same time."
Kat sighed and kicked her feet, swinging them back and fourth, "I don't know either but it does get tiring and confusing. I don't know who to deal with it. The laws of this time say that a man can have more than one wife but I don't think it applies vice versa. It's hard on all of us, not knowing when or where to show our emotions or even how. We're too afraid of hurting someone else to let out true emotions show."
"What about you? Is there anyone you love more than the others?" Dark asked.
"I couldn't tell you even if I tried. I know this Kenshin through and through but he doesn't know me. I do feel attached to him but I don't know if it's love. As for Kurama, he's a lot like my best friend only I love him a bit more than that…"
"What about me?"
"What about you?" Kat teased.
"Have I managed to seal your heart yet?" he asked, eyes hidden by his bangs.
"You stole it the moment you stole that kiss from me," Kat smiled.
"We haven't known each other more than a week…"
Kat silenced him with a passionate kiss, "I know…" 'Rei, we're going back to the hut. Keep the others here for us ok?' The wolf sighed to show that she had heard Kat.
Dark took Kat's hand and closed his eyes.
"What are you doing?" Kat asked. She didn't get an answer but instead watched as Dark sprouted enormous ebony wings. "But I thought…"
"I only used With because growing them would have damaged Daisuke's body," Dark explained. He took her into his arms and leapt off the porch.
"I have my own wings you know," Kat stated.
"I know," Dark said and continued to carry her back to the hut. Kat laughed and rested her head against his chest.
===
It was still snowing when they reached the hut. Dark landed by the porch and set Kat down gently. They walked inside together and Kat went to make tea to warm them up. Dark stopped her, his wings slowly disappearing, and said, "I have a better idea…"
Kat was gently dragged into a side room where Dark kissed her lightly. Kat could feel him tug at her obi and it slowly came undone.
"All that time it took you to tie it only that little tug to undo it," Dark murmured.
"Hum…" Kat mumbled against his lips.
(A/N: Ok, going to let you guys think of your own lemons here… -- I don't write them too shy so sorry if you're disappointed but as I've stated, this is a PG-13 story! Any who, that was a long chapter! I'll work on the next one as soon as my hand stops hurting… O.o PLEASE REVIEW!!!)