Charms
Yes! There's still plenty to come! Sorry for those of you who don't like long stories. But if you decide to quit here, wouldn't you regret not knowing the end?
Chapter 45
//The orb had special conditions.// Kurama considered this as time skipped forward at Kohaku's will. The red head felt a drop of sweat touch his brow. //It mentioned a human. Only a human should use it. More precisely a highly spiritual human. Why would the orb demand such conditions unless there were some kind of side effects to other users? I thought that entering this world of memories was the extent of those side effects but...was I wrong?//
Time began again. The place...seemed to be an apparently normal room in the Hazama house, probably. Kohaku was sitting in the center of the room, seiza style. His eyes were closed as he waited for something. Kurama was surprised by his knowledge. The conclusion that Kohaku was waiting for something could be supposed, but the fox demon knew better. He felt anxious and a bit confused. There were no shackles on the demon's feet, but he was firmly anchored to this spot for some reason. Kohaku didn't know what to expect.
It was this moment that Kurama accepted that he was feeling some kind of sympathy with the white haired demon. This understanding folded his anxiety over and twisted into a knot that decided to root itself in the pit of his stomach.
//Is it just a side effect? Or could something else be happening? Is it okay for me to witness Kohaku's history? Or by so doing, could I endanger the balance that Kohaku and Daiki have sustained for ten years? Aside from that, a lot has happened but has time passed for our bodies? When I withdrew into myself and met with youko Kurama, it seemed that barely a few seconds of real time had passed. Is it the same here? Even if it is, how can I be sure?// Red bangs covered the fox's expression. Dispite his wanting to continue, there were far too many risks involved.
"Sh," Kurama hesitated. //Perhaps I've seen enough. Perhaps Kohaku will forgive me if I choose not to continue. After all, Kohaku did forfit his life so that Daiki could continue on...without him. Yes. My priority should be Daiki.// The fox demon tightened his fists and spoke again. "Show me Daiki the night he encountered Rinroga, the ancient cherry blossom tree."
The orb obeyed, thrusting Kurama forward at lightening speeds. The colors and sensations seemed to be more vivid now as they rushed past him. He had to close his green eyes to avoid becoming dizzy. Unfortunately his nausea that had cropped up from his disorientation was not quentched by something so simple. The fox demon found that the sensation of comings and goings was not limited to his vision. He seemed to feel it with his body like the wafting touch of smoke. The red head touched his belly as if cradling a wound. //Is this...because of the sympathy?//
Before Kurama had a chance to think about it, the world came into focus. That forest. The fox demon tried to steady himself as new feelings prevaded his psyche. //No. This isn't right. I was sympathizing with Kohaku wasn't I?// Fear, despiration, but more than anything anguish. //Daiki should be the only one here unless...// The red head snapped his head up, scanning for the strawberry blond. //Unless Kohaku's not asleep within Daiki as the hunter told me.//
//"I'm sorry. I'm sorry!"// He jumped, jerking his green gaze back and forth, looking for the source of these foreign thoughts. //"It's my fault!!"//
"Daiki." The fox tried to look for him, but there were so many trees. The tremendous amount of overwhelming undergrowth and fallen trees that obscured his vision, it could be no other forest, but that of Rinroga. "Daiki!"
Kurama heard a sound and saw the movement of brush. He took after it like a shot, physically unhindered by the thick forest. Moving though material objects in this world of memories was like passing through air, but not this time. It was like passing through a dense fog, as if feeling traces of the smoke hanging onto the tiniest hairs on your skin.
The red head was confident he was running at top speed and yet he was having a hard time finding the strawberry blond. The farther they ran the closer they were getting to the cherry tree. Kurama acctually found himself curious as to what the tree looked like before the fire reduced him to a pillor of ash.
//"I can't go back."// the despirate thoughts hadn't stopped. Daiki must be suffering greatly. //"Mama, Daddy...Kohaku. I can't ever go back!...Aya-nessan."//
"Daiki." Kurama knew it didn't make a difference, calling like this, but Daiki's heart was crying out with such pain, he had to respond somehow. //Aya was Fuuyuki's wife, but Daiki seemed to be close. His parents and his friends, he's had to bury so many at such a young age. The letter mentioned Aya died when Miku was five or six years old that would have made Daiki...//
Finally, the heavy underbrush gave way to a large clearing. The red head stopped on a dime when he saw the stawberry blond boy. //Eleven.// The preteen was just standing there, staring with awe and wonder. Green eyes could easily see why. The ground was covered with a silky carpet of pink. It seemed that the sky above them was raining down those fragrent flower petals. A canopy of blossoms strung along large banches over head, allowed needle thin columns of moon light to filter through.
"Wh-Where am I?" the stawberry blond made a minimal effort to wipe the tears from his face with his torn sleeve. He had little scratches on his face and hands and little tears all over his clothes. A gentle wind blew skattering the patterns of patchwork moon light.
@Who are you@
A strange voice that was slightly familiar seemed to hang in the air. //No.//
@Yes@
Little faces appeared from the flower field, popping up like children playing games.
@Who are you@ @Tell us who you are@ @Who are you@
"Daiki, Get out of here!" Kurama shouted then bit his lip. This...no matter what happens he can't effect a memory. Perhaps it's not so urgent a situation as it seems. After all Kurama encountered them when they were starving and deprived of the blood that gave their bodies color. Daiki seeing them like this, they are bright colored and seemed almost harmless.
"D-Daiki." The little boy was confused, but not overly frightened. Maybe knowing Kohaku has desensitized him. "I'm Daiki." he stepped back a little when one of them rushed near. Daiki's reaction made the creature hesitate. The thing's dark oriface, where a mouth would be on any other face, seemed to smile as it came closer, more slowly this time.
@Daiki@ @Daiki@ @Daiki@ @I like that name@ @That's a cute name@ @Yes very nice@ @It fits@
"Who are you?" The boy tried wiping his face again. The tears were gone but a little smudge of mud darkened his cheek.
@We don't really have names@ @Yeah just him@ @Yeah so we kind of all use his name@ @Just tell him the name already@ @Geez your pushy@ @Don't push me@ @Just tell him the name@ @Okay@ @No I'll do it@ @If you want@ @No I want to@ @I don't care just say it already@ @Rinroga@ @Yeah that's it@ @Really? I forgot@ @We haven't used it in a while that's true@
Daiki started laughing at them, even Kurama had to agree they were quite comical. They all stopped and stared for a moment then one of them came even closer and touched Daiki's hand. The blue eyed boy gasped, not expecting it.
@Wanna play?@ @Yeah play@ @What's play@ @I think he's been around to long@ @Yeah fall off the branch already@ @I'll do what I want@ @yeah and make the rest of us suffer@ @Here Here@
"I'm sorry, I don't really feel like playing." the boy frowned deeply.
@He doesn't wanna play@ @What does he want to do@ @Somebody ask him what he wants to do@ @I'll ask@ @No I wanna ask@ @Well, somebody ask him!@
"I'm a little tired." the blue eyed preteen admitted.
@Ooh, take a nap!@ @Good idea@ @Yes I like that too@ @Yes we'll all sleep@ @For how long?@ @Why does that matter@ @I just wanna know@ @Why afraid you'll miss something@ @Well...@ @Let's just sleep@ @Good idea@ @Yeah, come on Daiki@ One of them took his hand and led him to the base of the tree. All the others followed. @Is that what his name is? I thought it was Rinroga@ @That's the master you block head@ @Oh right@
"It's okay? I mean, your parents won't get made at you will they?" even voicing his concerns didn't stop him from relaxing on the fluffy mattress of flower petals.
@Did he say parents?@ @Yeah@ @I think I heard of them's once@ @Sure, it's a city in France@ @that's Paris@ @What's France?@ @Everybody shut up! How's he supposed to sleep if everybody's@
Suddenly, snore erruped from the preteen and all of the tiny monsters looked in amazement. @I guess that answers that question@ @Is he growling at us?@ @That's what they do when they sleep@ @I know he's sleeping is he growling though@ @Yes@ @They growl when they sleep@ @None of that matters@ @We just have to make sure he's comfortable, then the master will absorb him easier@ @Yeah, I'm tired too@ @You can't get tired@ @I can't?@ @Well, I guess so@ @No more talking@ They all cirled around him and made a pretty pink blanket out of a heap of cherry blossom petals.
Green eyes watched to boy carefully. Kurama knew the strawberry blond would survive this, but how? The petals began to shift after a few moments and an errie dirt covered tenticle like root rose up. //Daiki!// Then another and another. They slowly slipped over the preteen's body like snakes. The process was so slow and steady the sleeping child didn't even notice. //Something has to happen. Someone has to stop this. Who is it?//
Kurama looked around, but saw no one. Daiki probably ran away from home so there should be someone looking for him, but it could take hours, even days to find him through such a dense forest. What happens to Daiki during all that? A strange root that looked clean and white popped out of the ground and slipped over the boy's shoulder and into his shirt through one of the tears. A yellow light began to show under the surface. //The...the mark.//
Suddenly, a red light flashed from that same spot and the white root was shattered. //What was that?// Just then a tiny animal burst out of the foliage and raced through the clearing. With a single rending claw the roots that bound the child were cut and writhing.
"H-Hoyo-chan." Kurama was surprised. //The hunter must have been watching over him for years. Aside from that what was that flash of...Wait a minute The moon shape. Did his seal try to protect him, was it successful?// Either way, learning the truth of this incident to the end was enough. Time to get down to buisness.
"Show me Daiki, sixteen years old in Ringoga's forest."
Yes! There's still plenty to come! Sorry for those of you who don't like long stories. But if you decide to quit here, wouldn't you regret not knowing the end?
Chapter 45
//The orb had special conditions.// Kurama considered this as time skipped forward at Kohaku's will. The red head felt a drop of sweat touch his brow. //It mentioned a human. Only a human should use it. More precisely a highly spiritual human. Why would the orb demand such conditions unless there were some kind of side effects to other users? I thought that entering this world of memories was the extent of those side effects but...was I wrong?//
Time began again. The place...seemed to be an apparently normal room in the Hazama house, probably. Kohaku was sitting in the center of the room, seiza style. His eyes were closed as he waited for something. Kurama was surprised by his knowledge. The conclusion that Kohaku was waiting for something could be supposed, but the fox demon knew better. He felt anxious and a bit confused. There were no shackles on the demon's feet, but he was firmly anchored to this spot for some reason. Kohaku didn't know what to expect.
It was this moment that Kurama accepted that he was feeling some kind of sympathy with the white haired demon. This understanding folded his anxiety over and twisted into a knot that decided to root itself in the pit of his stomach.
//Is it just a side effect? Or could something else be happening? Is it okay for me to witness Kohaku's history? Or by so doing, could I endanger the balance that Kohaku and Daiki have sustained for ten years? Aside from that, a lot has happened but has time passed for our bodies? When I withdrew into myself and met with youko Kurama, it seemed that barely a few seconds of real time had passed. Is it the same here? Even if it is, how can I be sure?// Red bangs covered the fox's expression. Dispite his wanting to continue, there were far too many risks involved.
"Sh," Kurama hesitated. //Perhaps I've seen enough. Perhaps Kohaku will forgive me if I choose not to continue. After all, Kohaku did forfit his life so that Daiki could continue on...without him. Yes. My priority should be Daiki.// The fox demon tightened his fists and spoke again. "Show me Daiki the night he encountered Rinroga, the ancient cherry blossom tree."
The orb obeyed, thrusting Kurama forward at lightening speeds. The colors and sensations seemed to be more vivid now as they rushed past him. He had to close his green eyes to avoid becoming dizzy. Unfortunately his nausea that had cropped up from his disorientation was not quentched by something so simple. The fox demon found that the sensation of comings and goings was not limited to his vision. He seemed to feel it with his body like the wafting touch of smoke. The red head touched his belly as if cradling a wound. //Is this...because of the sympathy?//
Before Kurama had a chance to think about it, the world came into focus. That forest. The fox demon tried to steady himself as new feelings prevaded his psyche. //No. This isn't right. I was sympathizing with Kohaku wasn't I?// Fear, despiration, but more than anything anguish. //Daiki should be the only one here unless...// The red head snapped his head up, scanning for the strawberry blond. //Unless Kohaku's not asleep within Daiki as the hunter told me.//
//"I'm sorry. I'm sorry!"// He jumped, jerking his green gaze back and forth, looking for the source of these foreign thoughts. //"It's my fault!!"//
"Daiki." The fox tried to look for him, but there were so many trees. The tremendous amount of overwhelming undergrowth and fallen trees that obscured his vision, it could be no other forest, but that of Rinroga. "Daiki!"
Kurama heard a sound and saw the movement of brush. He took after it like a shot, physically unhindered by the thick forest. Moving though material objects in this world of memories was like passing through air, but not this time. It was like passing through a dense fog, as if feeling traces of the smoke hanging onto the tiniest hairs on your skin.
The red head was confident he was running at top speed and yet he was having a hard time finding the strawberry blond. The farther they ran the closer they were getting to the cherry tree. Kurama acctually found himself curious as to what the tree looked like before the fire reduced him to a pillor of ash.
//"I can't go back."// the despirate thoughts hadn't stopped. Daiki must be suffering greatly. //"Mama, Daddy...Kohaku. I can't ever go back!...Aya-nessan."//
"Daiki." Kurama knew it didn't make a difference, calling like this, but Daiki's heart was crying out with such pain, he had to respond somehow. //Aya was Fuuyuki's wife, but Daiki seemed to be close. His parents and his friends, he's had to bury so many at such a young age. The letter mentioned Aya died when Miku was five or six years old that would have made Daiki...//
Finally, the heavy underbrush gave way to a large clearing. The red head stopped on a dime when he saw the stawberry blond boy. //Eleven.// The preteen was just standing there, staring with awe and wonder. Green eyes could easily see why. The ground was covered with a silky carpet of pink. It seemed that the sky above them was raining down those fragrent flower petals. A canopy of blossoms strung along large banches over head, allowed needle thin columns of moon light to filter through.
"Wh-Where am I?" the stawberry blond made a minimal effort to wipe the tears from his face with his torn sleeve. He had little scratches on his face and hands and little tears all over his clothes. A gentle wind blew skattering the patterns of patchwork moon light.
@Who are you@
A strange voice that was slightly familiar seemed to hang in the air. //No.//
@Yes@
Little faces appeared from the flower field, popping up like children playing games.
@Who are you@ @Tell us who you are@ @Who are you@
"Daiki, Get out of here!" Kurama shouted then bit his lip. This...no matter what happens he can't effect a memory. Perhaps it's not so urgent a situation as it seems. After all Kurama encountered them when they were starving and deprived of the blood that gave their bodies color. Daiki seeing them like this, they are bright colored and seemed almost harmless.
"D-Daiki." The little boy was confused, but not overly frightened. Maybe knowing Kohaku has desensitized him. "I'm Daiki." he stepped back a little when one of them rushed near. Daiki's reaction made the creature hesitate. The thing's dark oriface, where a mouth would be on any other face, seemed to smile as it came closer, more slowly this time.
@Daiki@ @Daiki@ @Daiki@ @I like that name@ @That's a cute name@ @Yes very nice@ @It fits@
"Who are you?" The boy tried wiping his face again. The tears were gone but a little smudge of mud darkened his cheek.
@We don't really have names@ @Yeah just him@ @Yeah so we kind of all use his name@ @Just tell him the name already@ @Geez your pushy@ @Don't push me@ @Just tell him the name@ @Okay@ @No I'll do it@ @If you want@ @No I want to@ @I don't care just say it already@ @Rinroga@ @Yeah that's it@ @Really? I forgot@ @We haven't used it in a while that's true@
Daiki started laughing at them, even Kurama had to agree they were quite comical. They all stopped and stared for a moment then one of them came even closer and touched Daiki's hand. The blue eyed boy gasped, not expecting it.
@Wanna play?@ @Yeah play@ @What's play@ @I think he's been around to long@ @Yeah fall off the branch already@ @I'll do what I want@ @yeah and make the rest of us suffer@ @Here Here@
"I'm sorry, I don't really feel like playing." the boy frowned deeply.
@He doesn't wanna play@ @What does he want to do@ @Somebody ask him what he wants to do@ @I'll ask@ @No I wanna ask@ @Well, somebody ask him!@
"I'm a little tired." the blue eyed preteen admitted.
@Ooh, take a nap!@ @Good idea@ @Yes I like that too@ @Yes we'll all sleep@ @For how long?@ @Why does that matter@ @I just wanna know@ @Why afraid you'll miss something@ @Well...@ @Let's just sleep@ @Good idea@ @Yeah, come on Daiki@ One of them took his hand and led him to the base of the tree. All the others followed. @Is that what his name is? I thought it was Rinroga@ @That's the master you block head@ @Oh right@
"It's okay? I mean, your parents won't get made at you will they?" even voicing his concerns didn't stop him from relaxing on the fluffy mattress of flower petals.
@Did he say parents?@ @Yeah@ @I think I heard of them's once@ @Sure, it's a city in France@ @that's Paris@ @What's France?@ @Everybody shut up! How's he supposed to sleep if everybody's@
Suddenly, snore erruped from the preteen and all of the tiny monsters looked in amazement. @I guess that answers that question@ @Is he growling at us?@ @That's what they do when they sleep@ @I know he's sleeping is he growling though@ @Yes@ @They growl when they sleep@ @None of that matters@ @We just have to make sure he's comfortable, then the master will absorb him easier@ @Yeah, I'm tired too@ @You can't get tired@ @I can't?@ @Well, I guess so@ @No more talking@ They all cirled around him and made a pretty pink blanket out of a heap of cherry blossom petals.
Green eyes watched to boy carefully. Kurama knew the strawberry blond would survive this, but how? The petals began to shift after a few moments and an errie dirt covered tenticle like root rose up. //Daiki!// Then another and another. They slowly slipped over the preteen's body like snakes. The process was so slow and steady the sleeping child didn't even notice. //Something has to happen. Someone has to stop this. Who is it?//
Kurama looked around, but saw no one. Daiki probably ran away from home so there should be someone looking for him, but it could take hours, even days to find him through such a dense forest. What happens to Daiki during all that? A strange root that looked clean and white popped out of the ground and slipped over the boy's shoulder and into his shirt through one of the tears. A yellow light began to show under the surface. //The...the mark.//
Suddenly, a red light flashed from that same spot and the white root was shattered. //What was that?// Just then a tiny animal burst out of the foliage and raced through the clearing. With a single rending claw the roots that bound the child were cut and writhing.
"H-Hoyo-chan." Kurama was surprised. //The hunter must have been watching over him for years. Aside from that what was that flash of...Wait a minute The moon shape. Did his seal try to protect him, was it successful?// Either way, learning the truth of this incident to the end was enough. Time to get down to buisness.
"Show me Daiki, sixteen years old in Ringoga's forest."