TITLE: TOUCH OF FAITH by: nekozuki1776
DRAMA/SUPERNATURAL/ROMANCE
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Samurai Deeper Kyo anime, manga or any of its characters. Kamijyo Akimine is the true legal and spiritual owner.
CHAPTER 4 RATING: PG -13 Violence and strong language
Touch of Faith
Chapter 4: Enter the Catalyst
This has got to be a dream.
Life had been fairly accommodating for Yuya this week despite the incident at the restaurant several days ago. She was acclimating to her classes, the part-time job was going well and the private investigator she had hired was following up on a possible lead. It was only fitting for Murphy's Law to abruptly disturb her peaceful week.
The disturbance came charging in her direction in the form of someone who had been frequenting her thoughts over the last few days.
That arrogant, incorrigible figure of a man whose light blue eyes continued to bore into her soul to the depths she could only imagine. The figure who now sat on the concrete ground looking dazed from the unexpected collision.
It was with these conflicting emotions she pleaded in a mantra-like state.
Please let this be a dream.
-o-o-o-
He thought he was dreaming.
The last action he recounted before dizziness set in was slamming into an obstacle after rounding the corner for his final lap of his morning run. And then he saw it. A brilliant pair of jade coalescing with spins of gold.
A blanket of warmth overwhelmed him as he became mesmerized by the emerald pools. He unconsciously reached out to the golden strands and felt a sense of contentment.
He sluggishly remembered walking under guidance towards an ethereal voice; away from the piercing light into a cooler, less obtrusive surrounding. The series of slow and deliberate moves were followed by a gentle assistance to the comforting surface of a couch. His mind became muddled with a million thoughts and focused on one as he fell into a peaceful slumber.
-o-o-o-
"I think he's waking up."
A clinical tone responded to a concerned one, "Let me see to him."
Akira shot up with a start, which he later looked back on as not the most logical move on his part. The owner of the clinical voice quickly supported his body back down to the prone position. His body severely ached in addition to his head feeling like it was filled with cotton.
"Take it easy," a voice said reassuringly. "You're in a safe place. How are you feeling?"
He looked around to what looked like a living room of a home and responded defensively to the stranger, "What… Where am I? Who are you?"
A soothing voice coaxed him in a knowing manner, "My name is Mahiro Muramasa. I'm a doctor at Touhoku Hospital." She stopped and presented him with her ID to confirm her statement.
"About an hour ago, you took a fall in front of our apartment building. You are currently in our home. I was going to call an ambulance but my sister informed me that you didn't take a serious fall nor did you hit your head so I made a quick assessment on the premises. You weren't suffering from any serious injuries so I brought you here."
She paused for a moment to allow the information to sink in before continuing.
"My preliminary check-up shows that you only sustained some cuts, scrapes, and bruises from your fall." She pointed to his arm. "My sister went ahead and bandaged your arms."
"You weren't unconscious, just sleeping quite soundly. I personally think you are suffering from exhaustion more than anything. But just to be on the safe side, I would like for you to come to the hospital for some tests to make sure you didn't sustain any internal injuries."
Allowing his guard to lower a notch, Akira spoke up, "I appreciate your help but is it necessary for me have to have these tests performed today?"
"I think it would be wise to do so. I want to make sure that this is a standard case of sleep deprivation and nothing else. In fact, I recommend that you take the day off from work to get yourself some much needed rest. I have to leave soon for work so you can come to the hospital with me. I'll personally administer the tests so you won't be held up any longer than necessary. I can also place a call to your employer to excuse you from work today."
Akira sat in disguised surprise at the doctor's generous offer. He couldn't think of any reason why she would go out of her way like this, yet, her sincere aura indicated that she was genuinely concerned and held no ulterior motives. He wasn't accustomed to this type of random kindness and frankly didn't know how to handle it.
He carefully thought through his next course of action and at last relented.
"Alright, if that is what you think is best. Thank you Dr. Muramasa. But a call to my place of work will not be necessary. I will take care of that."
She smiled. "Sounds good. Feel free to call me Mahiro though, ok?" She smiled and turned around to speak to the figure behind her. "Hey sis, would you mind taking care of things here while I clean up and get ready for work?"
A soft voice responded to the doctor, "Ok."
The sound of the timid voice hit him. The fuzzy world in his delayed state of mind suddenly became very clear. Expressive green eyes. Blond tendrils falling lightly from her loosened ponytail.
Yuya Shiina.
Shit. He wasn't dreaming.
The nervous looking figure approached him as closely as she would allow. "How are you feeling?"
"I've had better days but I am feeling better than before." He unconsciously rubbed his bandaged forearms not knowing what else to do.
"I hope the bandages aren't too tight."
Akira looked up in realization. "You treated my wounds."
She fidgeted under his scrutiny. "Just the cuts and scrapes on your arms." Suddenly feeling insecure of her handiwork, Yuya blurted out, "Don't worry, I've done this many times helping Mahi out with her volunteer work at the shelter."
Akira inspected the bandages wrapped securely around his arms. "I didn't mean… I meant… Thank you."
The piercing sound of the whistling tea kettle blessedly interrupted the awkward dialogue.
"Uhm, excuse me. I'm going to prepare some tea. I'll be right back."
She stumbled hurriedly out of the room before he could reply.
Akira released the breath he didn't realize he was holding and rubbed his temple trying to stave off the headache that threatened to turn into a migraine. Of all people, why did he have to run into her? He wasn't a believer of karma but incidents like these had him wondering if he should be taking a second look.
He would never admit to it but he was dreading and hoping for another encounter with her. His actions towards her that evening had been niggling at his mind much more than it should have and he had a hard time deciphering the reasons for what he did.
A conversation with Hotaru several nights ago forced Akira to revisit the incident over and over in his mind. It frustrated him that his roommate was able to point out his wrongs more succinctly than he could.
-FLASHBACK-
"So you announced to pay for the costs of the damage in front of her and everyone else at your fancy, corporate dinner outing?"
A nod.
"And knowing you of course, I'm sure you did so in such a warm and compassionate manner that won the hearts of millions including the lady in question."
"…" An annoyed grunt.
"Why didn't you just offer her a tin can filled with gold coins labeled 'charity case' in an auditorium filled with your clientele?"
Unaffected by his roommate's flair for the dramatic, Akira responded with unsurprising glibness, "And your point is?"
"Hn. For a genius, you sure are a dolt."
Stiffness laced his tone. "Excuse me?"
"I know you intentionally distance yourself from others for your own reasons but this is a new record, even for you."
"It's not as if she was free of fault. And I don't think it was a bad thing to help out and save us from all the hassle."
"That's not the point Akira. While I see your need to practice the take-names-and-kick-ass methods in the professional world, I never knew you to be intentionally condescending towards a person outside your corporate hunting field. And even by chance you truly did want to spare her from the financial burden, there are more appropriate ways you could have gone about it and you know it."
"This is coming from a person who set fire to a designer coat some persistent fan girl tried to give you."
"Touché. But we're not talking about my lack of social grace right now."
"So I'm not overflowing with human kindness. I can live with that. And anyway, I'll never see her again so why should I care?"
"There's something else going on here, Akira. I can't place my finger on it but I know you sense it."
"No there isn't."
"Then why do you sound so unconvinced?"
"…"
-END FLASHBACK-
Damn his luck for letting himself get distracted and running into her. Damn his luck for nearly falling unconscious in front of her apartment complex.
Damn Hotaru for his insight.
He knew his behavior that night was not his proudest of moments. He was normally distant but never intentionally hurtful. But somehow, her presence knocked the equilibrium out of his normally subdued life. He couldn't comprehend the immediate effect she had on him and he responded to this disturbance with the only way he knew how: with robotic efficiency topped off with a more than usual chilly demeanor.
He set aside the social deficiency analysis and decided that he needed to clear the air before any further conversation took place. The tension between them was stifling. He wasn't the only one feeling uncomfortable.
A soft patter of the footsteps across the hardwood floor interrupted his thoughts. Seemingly more composed, Yuya returned carrying a tray of tea cups along with a plateful of muffins and a bowl of sliced apples, bananas and peeled oranges.
"I hope you like orange pekoe. It's not caffeinated and I find it more soothing than most teas. Here are some fruits and muffins just in case you're hungry."
Akira observed in fascination the cornucopia set before him as he sipped his tea. The citrus aroma mixed with the bittersweet taste was soothing to his stressed system. He ignored the edibles as he strategically wondered how to embark on the unspoken topic.
Before he could say anything, Yuya spoke out, "I don't know if you remember me, but I met you the other night at Riccardo's.
He instinctively responded with a neutral expression and tone, "Yes I do. It was an interesting meeting if I do recall."
The need to reclaim her shred of dignity from the memorable event momentarily dominated her concern for the injured party. Yuya couldn't help but to retort sarcastically, "Yes, and your generous bout of altruism brought it to even more interesting heights."
Akira took a marked pause, breathed deeply, and looked directly into her eyes. "Miss Shiina."
Caught once again, like a deer in front of headlights, she set aside her curiosity of how he knew her name and squeaked out a response, "Y-Yes?"
"I realize that my action that evening at the restaurant was rude and uncalled for. In my need to settle the situation expediently and to prevent my client from picking up the responsibility of paying, my words and my tone insinuated things that I had never meant. I apologize for any discomfort or embarrassment I might have caused you. It was never my intention to do so."
Taken aback by his sudden apology, all Yuya could do was to momentarily stare at the figure before her. As formalized as it sounded, she couldn't help but note the sincerity in his tone and offered up her olive branch, "That's ok. I think I might have overreacted a bit too. I hope I didn't ruin your dinner meeting."
"The dinner was delayed by only fifteen minutes and the rest of the evening went smoothly."
Not knowing what else to say to the settled matter, Yuya opted to relax with a more disarming topic, "I don't think I caught your name."
Sighing inwardly in relief at the conclusion of his awkward apology, he answered, "Akira Mura."
"How did you know my name Mura-san?"
Cursing silently at his previous knee jerk reaction in calling out a name he was supposed to not know, he managed a smooth reply, "President Sanada, the man who I believe assisted you, mentioned your name on a few occasions." It was true. The persistent president had brought her name up much more than a few occasions and had not helped in his efforts to drive her out of his mind.
Not knowing what to say to his statement, Yuya simply replied, "Oh. Well ok then. Please feel free to call me Yuya."
Infinitely relieved with her willingness to focus on another topic, he nodded, "And likewise Yuya-san, please call me Akira."
Yuya had a feeling that he did not frequently offer friendly gestures such as this. She couldn't help but to make use of his goodwill. She looked to Akira for the first time with a sense of comfort and smiled, "Thank you, Akira-san."
Akira ignored the quickening of his pulse in hearing his name being spoken out loud. He looked away from the captivating expression that once again touched his soul. He closed his eyes and rubbed his temple in combined pain and exhilaration at the emotions overwhelming his senses.
Mistaking this gesture as a sudden relapse of an earlier occurrence, Yuya rushed up to him without thinking.
And tripped.
Immediately following her foot catching at the leg of the coffee table, she toppled head first, her body angling towards the couch. Or more specifically, angling towards the figure who was sitting on the said couch.
Akira quickly stood up in front of her to support her from falling. Under normal circumstances, he would have easily been able to do so without any problems, but due to his discombobulated state, his legs unexpectedly gave out and caused his knees to buckle.
In his last desperate attempt to catch her from falling completely on him, he repositioned his weakened legs against the couch with little success. He then tried to pry her away from his falling body but failed to do so as Yuya unconsciously clung on to him. He instinctively wrapped his arms to shield her and expectantly fell onto the mass of pillows and cushions.
The simultaneous cries of "oh no" and "oof" faded away to dead silence as Akira found himself in a position that was nothing short of awkward… and intense. His breath came out sharply as her face pressed firmly into the crook of his neck, forcing soft lips to touch his skin. The puffs of hot air she breathed into the sensitive juncture above his collar bone was almost unbearable. Warm fingertips still grasping at his shirt pressed firmly against his chest. The stimulus felt like a rush of cold air in midst of a lit match searing into his skin. An intoxicating fragrance of fresh citrus emanated from her breathing space into his.
It was all Akira could do to keep himself from outwardly reacting to the overwhelming senses. He spoke in a calm tone laced with slight frustration, "Are you alright?"
The world stood still for another two seconds until Yuya came out of her frozen state and she realized how her body was now flush against his.
She managed to gasp out, "Y-Yes. I'm ok. I'm sorry!"
He was now aware of the warmth emanating from her body, or maybe his, he could no longer tell the difference. He felt his breath quicken and knew he had reached a limit. "That's alright Yuya-san, but it might be best for you to get off of me..."
"Oh!" Pink hue dusted her cheeks as she pushed off the back cushion and stepped away. She quickly formed a polite distance from him and attempted to regain some modicum of dignity.
"I am really, really sorry about this Akira-san! You must think I'm so clumsy!"
Trying to cover up his own embarrassment, he smiled lightly and attempted a lighthearted comment, "Well I have to say, every meeting with you has involved some sort of collision or another."
The light dusting was now a full blown blush on her entire face. "I-I know, I know! My brother always said I was never the graceful sort." She stopped suddenly, as if balking at her own words. Then realization of a more urgent matter instigated the change of subject. She looked at him anxiously and voiced her concern. "Enough about me, are you ok? I didn't hurt you, did I?" She looked frantic, nervous and embarrassed at the same time.
He offered her a cavalier wave of the hand and shook his head in the negative. "Nothing seems broken. No harm done." He allowed a slight smile of reassurance and seated himself back on the couch.
Yuya sat down on a chair opposite the couch, stared at her feet, and nervously sipped her tea.
Akira picked up an orange wedge and consumed it in contemplative silence.
-o-o-o-
A mysterious figure smoking a cigarette sat on the only chair located in the sparsely furnished room. The room resembled a dungeon with stone walls and floor and only tiny windows located high right below the ceiling.
The smoke he exhaled made a wispy trail in the dank environment, further clouding his enigmatic presence. A young soldier kneeled before the sitting figure as if genuflecting before the king. The "king" held a lackadaisical demeanor, wearing a playful expression that belied the boiling anger rising within him.
And he was feeling anything but playful.
All his previous euphoria was now tarnished by the incompetent act of the soldier who looked blissfully ignorant of the tragedy that was about to befall upon him.
The formidable man addressed the lowered figure in a disturbingly neutral tone, "So you have returned, Kappa."
"Yes my Lord."
He smiled wickedly, coaxing his minion on like a serpent easing an apple on an unsuspecting subject. "And what of it? Tell me what I need to know."
"My Lord, she had no unusual activity last night and nothing unusual this morning. She just went on her usual morning jog. She has a boring and predictable routine." The soldier managed a slight snort of amusement at his own remark.
The mirth failed to penetrate the other. "…Tell me more of her jogging routine."
"In accordance with her usual schedule, Friday is her jogging day so I followed through her customary route and left when she neared home. That was all sir."
Thin dark eyes narrowed to slits as he glared. "What do you mean you left when she neared home? Is that all you have to say?"
The kneeling figure quivered in fear as his lord began to let loose a small taste of his incensed aura. "My Lord, she always jogs alone and she did not come in contact with anyone. And since she was following her normal route, I thought it was safe so I left as she was heading back towards her apartment complex. There was nothing more to observe so I decided to head back as soon as possible to prepare for my report."
"So not only did you fail to see your job to the end, you also abandoned your reconnaissance post before the next shift arrived to relieve you?"
The recipient of the unsatisfactory report continued his speech, the grin on his lips twisting further into a wiry sneer, "You are a member of an the elite Goyousei force. That means you follow all orders to the precise degree as it is given to you. In my organization, there is no room for thinking outside the parameters. There will be no deciding to do as you please, do you understand me?"
His voice had risen another few levels by then as he proceeded to grasp the quaking soldier by the neck with one hand and pulled him up effortlessly off the ground. He continued to glare without missing a beat. The soldier gasped, searching for a correct reply but was interrupted by the impatient man.
"Do you know the power awoke this morning?"
The soldier visibly paled. "N-no, sir, I didn't realize-"
"She made contact with the catalyst and you missed it. All of it."
"S-sir, I apologize. I'm sorry. This will never happen-"
"You're right it won't happen again. I won't tolerate further disobedience from you. If you can't follow one simple order, you are no longer of any use to me." The man tightened his hold on the neck, ignoring the choking gasps of the victim who still attempted to struggle out his apologies.
The terrible fury hidden behind the thin comical veneer was released in a painfully drawn out manner as his killing chi started swirling in the already stifling air and began sucking out his life. It brought a chill down the victim's spine as he flailed helplessly, no longer thinking of speaking but just struggling for air. It took only another few seconds before the soldier's head felt as if it was going to burst in pain and his world transfused to black.
He let the lifeless body fall limply to the ground with a dull thud.
The man sat down once more and lit another cigarette. He sucked in a satisfying lungful; allowing his chi to level into the sublime and spoke to the figure in the shadow, "Must I do everything around here?"
"Sir?"
"It's rogue conduct like this that can bring the whole organization at risk and I have zero tolerance for this kind of behavior. I thought you had picked able minded soldiers. After all, I was satisfied with my direct assessment of Alpha's performance earlier this week."
"You… were following Alpha during his reconnaissance, sir?"
"Part of the purpose was to observe the ability of the soldiers but my foremost priority was see the girl again. Just because I know how to delegate tasks doesn't mean I can't practice a little micro management. Or did you have a problem with my method of quality control?"
She managed to reveal only a slight timidity in her tone, "No sir. How you run the organization as well as what you do with your time is your business my Lord."
Murky tension threatened to fill the air once again for what seemed like an eternity. She stood dead still, wondering if today would indeed be her last.
"Get a new soldier to fill the slot."
"Yes sir."
"This time, someone competent who knows how to follow orders. Reiterate the importance of this mission to each and every one of the soldiers. You will also personally be responsible for taking over the reconnaissance task until you find a proper replacement. Do not fail me again, Indara." He waved his hand casually towards the still body and added, "And clean this up."
His trademark grin, bordering on the sadistically comical, crossed his features as he thought of another idea, "Or better yet, transport it to the lab as a contribution for the research."
The elegant figure with long black hair stepped out of the shadows to act on his orders, "Yes Lord Chinmei."
Chinmei inhaled a lungful of the satisfying cigarette after the room was cleared of any evidence of his explosive anger. He mused in solitude as he allowed the smoke to calm the residual bloodlust in his chi.
After four agonizing years, the dormant power is alive once again. We missed the awakening, but no matter. The catalyst will hit again.
A low chuckle escaped his lips. And he smiled. A hungry, maniacal smile a predator would make in anticipation before capturing his prey.
He was going to enjoy the hunt.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-
A/N (01/31/05) – The mystery figure spying on Yuya at the end of Chapter One is at last revealed! In the manga, Chinmei has these, thin, maniacal eyes hidden behind dark glasses that are simply, deliciously evil.
Answers to some questions:
Q: Kyo is the detective. Really?
A: Really. There were several candidates in mind (including Kyoshiro and Migeira) but I went with the classic demon eyes. Kyo's unique methods in acquiring justice as well as his vicious with a quiet power characteristic made him my prime choice to be the detective.
Q: What version of SDK mangas do you read?
A: I've been following the Japanese version which is currently up to Volume 30 in the tankoubun (printed volumes of the manga) series. Although I have a moderate command of the language, I am far from being fluent. So I read with the help of my trusty Japanese-English dictionary and a kanji character manual.
Q: How often do you update your story?
A: It varies. Ideally, every 3 weeks. I would like to stick to a more regimented schedule but life has been quite demanding as of late. (Work, school and other events). I also write other stories which keep me busy as well. I do appreciate those of you that have continued to follow Touch of Faith.
Q: Enough about the silly writer, tell me what else is going to happen.
A: My pleasure. More Akira x Yuya moments coming up as they get to know each other. Chinmei will be making further appearances and other members within his group will be introduced. Five people make up the key leadership within the Goyousei. Indara is one of them. TRIVIA: There is a villainous character from the manga who I will be adapting as another member of the five in this story. Can you guess who? And more Yukimura coming up next chapter.
Thank you for reading.
Special thanks to those that took the time to review: yami1, The Narrator, Angie-san, Ayumi Omoide, sassy-kun, Alyson Metallium, Starian Princess, Shiseiten Hikari, Triste1, shadowcat15, and majin-dina.