Winds of Thyme
By Sakura Takanouchi
~*~ Winds of Thyme Chapter Ten: The long way home ~*~
Disclaimer: Blah Blah... Don't own anything... yakk yakk.... I wish I did... whisper whisper... moo moo, quack quack, llama llama, squirrel. And that is my disclaimer... In case you couldn't tell by the word Disclaimer at the beginning of this paragraph...
The rest of the dance went wonderfully. Sakura danced with Kurama during almost every slow song, and on the fast ones, he either watched or joined. But not that often.
When the big clock in the gym struck midnight, everyone groaned. The DJ stopped playing, and the lights turned back on. Everyone began to pack up his or her things and leave. Sakura and Kurama walked back towards all of their friends to say goodbye.
"Ja, Kirameki-chan! Ja, Yuzuriha-chan!" Sakura waved happily as she and Kurama exited the building to walk home. Well, actually, Kurama was going to walk Sakura home.
"Did you have fun?" Sakura asked as they walked slowly away from the school.
"Yes, I did," he replied, putting his arm around her shoulder as they walked. She didn't seem to mind. After that, they didn't really talk. They just walked to Sakura's home together, enjoying each other's company. That was, until they got to the park.
~*~ At the park (Really?) ~*~
They kept walking slowly, admiring the scenery of the park. On the right side of the park was a small forest, used for hiking. But they continued trough the main path. They were so content that they didn't realize the people that were stalking them.
"Stop right there, punks!" A voice called, directed at Kurama and Sakura. Kurama stopped, but positioned himself in front of Sakura, as if to protect her.
"Run, I'll keep them from getting to you. Your apartment isn't far away," Kurama said. Sakura shook her head.
"I don't want you to get hurt," She insisted, and took up a fighting stance. Kurama looked concerned, and then smiled a bit. He could still remember when Sakura had fought Hiei. She wasn't bad.
"Oh? So you're both gonna stay?" The voice called again. Then, street gang style guys walked from behind trees and buildings. They were surrounded.
Then, someone else walked out of the ring that had been surrounding the two of them. He was wearing a black cloak, but had spiky brown hair and a voice that they recognized.
"Akitaka Takeru, If it's you, I'm gonna kick your puny little tail," Sakura said threateningly. Kurama smiled again. Her ability to make threats was a lot like another demon he knew. The guy removed the hood over his face. He then laughed maniacally when they realized he was Akitaka Takeru.
"I didn't know you were a gang leader," Kurama said. His voice was dangerously soft.
"And I didn't know this fling of yours would grow this much. For that, you must die," He said, beckoning the gang members to advance closer.
Sakura then remembered the Halloween party, when Takeru was dared to kiss Sakura. "You liked me? You know, this gang thing isn't really a point in your favor," Sakura said. Takeru laughed.
"I'm not trying to kill you," he said, advancing closer to Sakura to keep her from running away. "I want to kill your friend here," he motioned to Kurama. Instantly, seven punks surrounded him and five surrounded Sakura. Sakura was trapped, and she knew it. She also didn't dare use her dagger around Kurama.
Kurama glared at the punks angrily. He also knew that Sakura wouldn't use her dagger around him. "Sakura!" He yelled, and took off running down the street. The punks followed him, of course. When he was sure that no one could see him, he took out his signature rose.
"What's this? You're gonna fight us with a flower?" One of the punks said. They all started laughing at that.
Kurama frowned. "No, I'm going to fight you with this." He then turned his rose into a rose whip, slashing it at his enemies. They groaned and fell to the ground. Kurama sighed. He dragged them off of the main roads so they wouldn't disturb anyone but the cops, and walked back into the forest for camouflage. He wanted to see how Sakura would fight.
Sakura was pinned against the wall by two very strong punks. Takeru smiled. "Not very much without your boyfriend, huh?" He asked, leaning closer to her as if to kiss her. She spit into his face.
That just made Sakura struggle harder against the punks preventing her escape. "What did you do to him?" She asked angrily.
"Oh, nothing of great importance," Takeru smiled at Sakura. Except this wasn't a warm, friendly smile. It was cold and triumphant. "We merely took his life."
Sakura erupted in tears. "You bastard!" She screamed at him "How could you do that?" She sobbed. The tears wouldn't stop. And the worst part about it was that Kurama was watching. He felt a tear fall down his own cheek. He couldn't do anything about her misery. He had to wait and see how she dealt with them.
Takeru was still smiling. He bent down to be at Sakura's eye level. (Sakura- short. Takeru-tall. And Sakura's head was bent down, anyway.)
"Why are you crying?" He asked. "Now that he is dead, you can be with me," he said evilly.
This made Sakura angry. "Why am I crying?" She said. "Do you want me to tell you why I am crying?" She then bent down so she could touch her boots. Surprisingly, the punks let her do this. She took her daggers in her hands. "You killed my best friend!" She yelled as she stood up, and in the process of doing that she cut off the punks' arm that was touching her. They fell to the floor in pain.
Takeru grinned. "They were nothing," He said with a wave of his hand. "I have a proposition to make," He said.
"Congratulations," Sakura said sarcastically, as she glared at Takeru. She still had the daggers in her hands, and she took a fighting stance so she'd be prepared when Takeru attacked. The other punks were behind Takeru, grinning stupidly.
"I'll let you choose whether to accept this deal or not... But if you lose the fight, you have to promise something. You have to forget all about that loser and come with me."
Sakura spit on the ground in distaste. "And if I win?" She asked.
Takeru laughed. "Then you are free to mourn his death and continue your life. But that will not happen." He took a fighting stance. "For now we fight."
They both charged, Takeru with his fists and Sakura with her daggers. Kurama watched all this with concern and yet anticipation.
Takeru and Sakura kept exchanging blows at one another, but they never landed. They seemed to be equally matched in skill. But they kept on fighting. Neither of them would give up. Then, Sakura saw a spot on Takeru's left side that he had left unguarded. She sliced with a dagger, but Takeru spun and knocked her off balance, then punching her so she flew back several feet. Kurama frowned. There was distinct spirit energy in that punch.
Sakura lay where she fell. Takeru smiled. "I do believe you are weaker than I anticipated," He said, "If just one blow could take you down. He approached her without caution at all. Then, she burst upward with amazing speed.
"Omae o Korosu!!!" She yelled, and sliced at him with her daggers. She sliced his shirt and his skin, and he started to bleed.
"So you are tough. But now your daggers are rusted by blood, and cannot penetrate my skin any longer," He said, taking off his shirt, since it was covered in blood and torn by battle.
"I'm just getting warmed up. I never back down, and when I don't, I kick some serious tail," Sakura said cockily. She had more strength at the moment, and both of them knew it.
Takeru smiled evilly as they charged again. Sakura went just to the right of him, and Takeru stopped in confusion. Sakura was running to his shirt! She used it to wipe the blood off of her daggers, and when she was done, she faced Takeru. "You were saying?" She asked.
Takeru charged, knocking her off-balance. One of the daggers flew out of her (left) hand, and he caught it. "Yes, what was I saying?" He said. The battle then became hand-to-hand combat, with the daggers instead of swords. They kept fighting this way for at least five minutes. Then, Takeru stepped back and started to chant. But Sakura saw this as her golden opportunity.
She rushed forward with her dagger just as Takeru finished with his chant. Hie eyes turned red, and he yelled, "Rapier!" Then, the dagger became thinner, but as it was getting thin, it was getting longer. The dagger had become a rapier.
Sakura didn't realize this until it was too late. The rapier pierced her right shoulder, and in doing this, the rapier fell out of her hand. Kurama stood up to help her, but then stopped. She would be ok from that. It wasn't fatal, but it would make her stop the fight.
Takeru knew this well. "It seems you have lost," He said, positioning the rapier against her head as she sank to the ground while leaning against the wall. "You will forget about him and come with me," he spoke again. It was then that both he and Kurama noticed that Sakura was crying.
"I hope those are tears of joy, for if they're not, I will kill you now-" He said in anger. "You promised to forget about him!" Takeru shouted.
"Kill me then!" Sakura said, still crying. "I will never forget, and I'd rather die then live with you and without him." This stunned him, and made him drop his rapier. "You... you really do love him," Takeru said in shock. Sakura didn't answer him, and instead, she kept on crying.
Takeru quickly collected himself. "Maybe I would persuade you if I got out of this puny human body first," he said. Kurama leaned forward. So Takeru wasn't human! He just hoped he wouldn't kill Sakura. 'He probably even knows that I'm not dead,' he thought.
Takeru's body burst open to reveal a demon that Sakura recognized. He had red hair and marks on his face. "Rando..." Sakura whispered.
"Yes, it's me, Rando," he said. "And you're coming with me.
"Why?" Sakura asked. It was clear to all of them that she was in pain, and hadn't even started to recover from the rapier wound.
"Hm... I see why you are suspicious," Rando answered. "Normally I detest humans, but you are an exception. I saw you fight before you came here, to this city. I wanted you then, and I want you now."
"That doesn't answer my question," Sakura said.
Rando smiled. "You fight like a demon, you talk like a demon, and you look like a demon. I am old for my kind, and that darned Reikai will catch me again someday. For that, I need an heir. And to have an heir, I need you," he said.
Sakura had an odd mental picture forming in her head. (Miroku) "I'm not exactly sure how to take this," She said, "But even if he is dead, I will not give up on Kurama." Rando sneered. "Then I must teach you to give up," he said.
Sakura was wounded, but she still hadn't used her spirit energy yet. She had used it to heal herself quietly while she was lying down, but she was still wounded. Her body glowed purple, and as Rando charged with the dagger, she tripped him, took the dagger and plunged it into his back.
"Die," Sakura said as she held the dagger in place. Rando yelled and cursed at the pain, but eventually he was quiet. Sakura smiled, but then another tear fell down her cheek.
Kurama got up. Now he could go to her, and it was obvious she needed his help.
"Enma... if you can hear me... ... please send him back... I need him..." Sakura whispered as she stumbled over the ground. Her wound was opening again, and nobody was around, since it was around two-thirty in the morning.
"Well, little lady, you look like you need some assistance," Kurama said in a fake western accent. Sakura's ears perked up when she heard it.
"S...Shuiichi?" She asked. A tall figure then came into view. It was indeed Kurama, and he was leaning against the wall of a building and smiling at her.
He held out his arms and she ran into them. "They... They told me that they killed you," She said, crying, and Kurama held her.
"It's alright, They didn't kill me, I'm fine, and I'm not going anywhere," he reassured her as she cried. These were tears of joy. Then, he noticed something.
"Sakura, you're bleeding all over me," Kurama said as they both realized that she was hurt and needed help. Then, Sakura's eyes shut and she fainted in his arms. He smiled at her. The wound was unexplainable, so they could not go to any hospital. He would have to take her back to his apartment and heal her with his plants. He picked her up and started to walk to his apartment. He knew his kaasan would be asleep right now, and she wouldn't mind having Sakura there. He kissed her forehead as she slept. "You did very well," he murmured.
But what he didn't know was that Hiei was looking at them with a slight smile. 'Maybe it's time I talked to her,' he thought as he watched Kurama walk towards his apartment.
~A/N~
Long chapter, minna! But It was worth it. I can't believe how strange my dreams are. I also am not sure if this chapter fits the rating of this fic. There won't be that many more action scenes, But I may change my mind further into the fic. But you'll get over it, ne? Review and Reply onegai! More in store on Winds of Thyme!
Sakura Takanouchi
By Sakura Takanouchi
~*~ Winds of Thyme Chapter Ten: The long way home ~*~
Disclaimer: Blah Blah... Don't own anything... yakk yakk.... I wish I did... whisper whisper... moo moo, quack quack, llama llama, squirrel. And that is my disclaimer... In case you couldn't tell by the word Disclaimer at the beginning of this paragraph...
The rest of the dance went wonderfully. Sakura danced with Kurama during almost every slow song, and on the fast ones, he either watched or joined. But not that often.
When the big clock in the gym struck midnight, everyone groaned. The DJ stopped playing, and the lights turned back on. Everyone began to pack up his or her things and leave. Sakura and Kurama walked back towards all of their friends to say goodbye.
"Ja, Kirameki-chan! Ja, Yuzuriha-chan!" Sakura waved happily as she and Kurama exited the building to walk home. Well, actually, Kurama was going to walk Sakura home.
"Did you have fun?" Sakura asked as they walked slowly away from the school.
"Yes, I did," he replied, putting his arm around her shoulder as they walked. She didn't seem to mind. After that, they didn't really talk. They just walked to Sakura's home together, enjoying each other's company. That was, until they got to the park.
~*~ At the park (Really?) ~*~
They kept walking slowly, admiring the scenery of the park. On the right side of the park was a small forest, used for hiking. But they continued trough the main path. They were so content that they didn't realize the people that were stalking them.
"Stop right there, punks!" A voice called, directed at Kurama and Sakura. Kurama stopped, but positioned himself in front of Sakura, as if to protect her.
"Run, I'll keep them from getting to you. Your apartment isn't far away," Kurama said. Sakura shook her head.
"I don't want you to get hurt," She insisted, and took up a fighting stance. Kurama looked concerned, and then smiled a bit. He could still remember when Sakura had fought Hiei. She wasn't bad.
"Oh? So you're both gonna stay?" The voice called again. Then, street gang style guys walked from behind trees and buildings. They were surrounded.
Then, someone else walked out of the ring that had been surrounding the two of them. He was wearing a black cloak, but had spiky brown hair and a voice that they recognized.
"Akitaka Takeru, If it's you, I'm gonna kick your puny little tail," Sakura said threateningly. Kurama smiled again. Her ability to make threats was a lot like another demon he knew. The guy removed the hood over his face. He then laughed maniacally when they realized he was Akitaka Takeru.
"I didn't know you were a gang leader," Kurama said. His voice was dangerously soft.
"And I didn't know this fling of yours would grow this much. For that, you must die," He said, beckoning the gang members to advance closer.
Sakura then remembered the Halloween party, when Takeru was dared to kiss Sakura. "You liked me? You know, this gang thing isn't really a point in your favor," Sakura said. Takeru laughed.
"I'm not trying to kill you," he said, advancing closer to Sakura to keep her from running away. "I want to kill your friend here," he motioned to Kurama. Instantly, seven punks surrounded him and five surrounded Sakura. Sakura was trapped, and she knew it. She also didn't dare use her dagger around Kurama.
Kurama glared at the punks angrily. He also knew that Sakura wouldn't use her dagger around him. "Sakura!" He yelled, and took off running down the street. The punks followed him, of course. When he was sure that no one could see him, he took out his signature rose.
"What's this? You're gonna fight us with a flower?" One of the punks said. They all started laughing at that.
Kurama frowned. "No, I'm going to fight you with this." He then turned his rose into a rose whip, slashing it at his enemies. They groaned and fell to the ground. Kurama sighed. He dragged them off of the main roads so they wouldn't disturb anyone but the cops, and walked back into the forest for camouflage. He wanted to see how Sakura would fight.
Sakura was pinned against the wall by two very strong punks. Takeru smiled. "Not very much without your boyfriend, huh?" He asked, leaning closer to her as if to kiss her. She spit into his face.
That just made Sakura struggle harder against the punks preventing her escape. "What did you do to him?" She asked angrily.
"Oh, nothing of great importance," Takeru smiled at Sakura. Except this wasn't a warm, friendly smile. It was cold and triumphant. "We merely took his life."
Sakura erupted in tears. "You bastard!" She screamed at him "How could you do that?" She sobbed. The tears wouldn't stop. And the worst part about it was that Kurama was watching. He felt a tear fall down his own cheek. He couldn't do anything about her misery. He had to wait and see how she dealt with them.
Takeru was still smiling. He bent down to be at Sakura's eye level. (Sakura- short. Takeru-tall. And Sakura's head was bent down, anyway.)
"Why are you crying?" He asked. "Now that he is dead, you can be with me," he said evilly.
This made Sakura angry. "Why am I crying?" She said. "Do you want me to tell you why I am crying?" She then bent down so she could touch her boots. Surprisingly, the punks let her do this. She took her daggers in her hands. "You killed my best friend!" She yelled as she stood up, and in the process of doing that she cut off the punks' arm that was touching her. They fell to the floor in pain.
Takeru grinned. "They were nothing," He said with a wave of his hand. "I have a proposition to make," He said.
"Congratulations," Sakura said sarcastically, as she glared at Takeru. She still had the daggers in her hands, and she took a fighting stance so she'd be prepared when Takeru attacked. The other punks were behind Takeru, grinning stupidly.
"I'll let you choose whether to accept this deal or not... But if you lose the fight, you have to promise something. You have to forget all about that loser and come with me."
Sakura spit on the ground in distaste. "And if I win?" She asked.
Takeru laughed. "Then you are free to mourn his death and continue your life. But that will not happen." He took a fighting stance. "For now we fight."
They both charged, Takeru with his fists and Sakura with her daggers. Kurama watched all this with concern and yet anticipation.
Takeru and Sakura kept exchanging blows at one another, but they never landed. They seemed to be equally matched in skill. But they kept on fighting. Neither of them would give up. Then, Sakura saw a spot on Takeru's left side that he had left unguarded. She sliced with a dagger, but Takeru spun and knocked her off balance, then punching her so she flew back several feet. Kurama frowned. There was distinct spirit energy in that punch.
Sakura lay where she fell. Takeru smiled. "I do believe you are weaker than I anticipated," He said, "If just one blow could take you down. He approached her without caution at all. Then, she burst upward with amazing speed.
"Omae o Korosu!!!" She yelled, and sliced at him with her daggers. She sliced his shirt and his skin, and he started to bleed.
"So you are tough. But now your daggers are rusted by blood, and cannot penetrate my skin any longer," He said, taking off his shirt, since it was covered in blood and torn by battle.
"I'm just getting warmed up. I never back down, and when I don't, I kick some serious tail," Sakura said cockily. She had more strength at the moment, and both of them knew it.
Takeru smiled evilly as they charged again. Sakura went just to the right of him, and Takeru stopped in confusion. Sakura was running to his shirt! She used it to wipe the blood off of her daggers, and when she was done, she faced Takeru. "You were saying?" She asked.
Takeru charged, knocking her off-balance. One of the daggers flew out of her (left) hand, and he caught it. "Yes, what was I saying?" He said. The battle then became hand-to-hand combat, with the daggers instead of swords. They kept fighting this way for at least five minutes. Then, Takeru stepped back and started to chant. But Sakura saw this as her golden opportunity.
She rushed forward with her dagger just as Takeru finished with his chant. Hie eyes turned red, and he yelled, "Rapier!" Then, the dagger became thinner, but as it was getting thin, it was getting longer. The dagger had become a rapier.
Sakura didn't realize this until it was too late. The rapier pierced her right shoulder, and in doing this, the rapier fell out of her hand. Kurama stood up to help her, but then stopped. She would be ok from that. It wasn't fatal, but it would make her stop the fight.
Takeru knew this well. "It seems you have lost," He said, positioning the rapier against her head as she sank to the ground while leaning against the wall. "You will forget about him and come with me," he spoke again. It was then that both he and Kurama noticed that Sakura was crying.
"I hope those are tears of joy, for if they're not, I will kill you now-" He said in anger. "You promised to forget about him!" Takeru shouted.
"Kill me then!" Sakura said, still crying. "I will never forget, and I'd rather die then live with you and without him." This stunned him, and made him drop his rapier. "You... you really do love him," Takeru said in shock. Sakura didn't answer him, and instead, she kept on crying.
Takeru quickly collected himself. "Maybe I would persuade you if I got out of this puny human body first," he said. Kurama leaned forward. So Takeru wasn't human! He just hoped he wouldn't kill Sakura. 'He probably even knows that I'm not dead,' he thought.
Takeru's body burst open to reveal a demon that Sakura recognized. He had red hair and marks on his face. "Rando..." Sakura whispered.
"Yes, it's me, Rando," he said. "And you're coming with me.
"Why?" Sakura asked. It was clear to all of them that she was in pain, and hadn't even started to recover from the rapier wound.
"Hm... I see why you are suspicious," Rando answered. "Normally I detest humans, but you are an exception. I saw you fight before you came here, to this city. I wanted you then, and I want you now."
"That doesn't answer my question," Sakura said.
Rando smiled. "You fight like a demon, you talk like a demon, and you look like a demon. I am old for my kind, and that darned Reikai will catch me again someday. For that, I need an heir. And to have an heir, I need you," he said.
Sakura had an odd mental picture forming in her head. (Miroku) "I'm not exactly sure how to take this," She said, "But even if he is dead, I will not give up on Kurama." Rando sneered. "Then I must teach you to give up," he said.
Sakura was wounded, but she still hadn't used her spirit energy yet. She had used it to heal herself quietly while she was lying down, but she was still wounded. Her body glowed purple, and as Rando charged with the dagger, she tripped him, took the dagger and plunged it into his back.
"Die," Sakura said as she held the dagger in place. Rando yelled and cursed at the pain, but eventually he was quiet. Sakura smiled, but then another tear fell down her cheek.
Kurama got up. Now he could go to her, and it was obvious she needed his help.
"Enma... if you can hear me... ... please send him back... I need him..." Sakura whispered as she stumbled over the ground. Her wound was opening again, and nobody was around, since it was around two-thirty in the morning.
"Well, little lady, you look like you need some assistance," Kurama said in a fake western accent. Sakura's ears perked up when she heard it.
"S...Shuiichi?" She asked. A tall figure then came into view. It was indeed Kurama, and he was leaning against the wall of a building and smiling at her.
He held out his arms and she ran into them. "They... They told me that they killed you," She said, crying, and Kurama held her.
"It's alright, They didn't kill me, I'm fine, and I'm not going anywhere," he reassured her as she cried. These were tears of joy. Then, he noticed something.
"Sakura, you're bleeding all over me," Kurama said as they both realized that she was hurt and needed help. Then, Sakura's eyes shut and she fainted in his arms. He smiled at her. The wound was unexplainable, so they could not go to any hospital. He would have to take her back to his apartment and heal her with his plants. He picked her up and started to walk to his apartment. He knew his kaasan would be asleep right now, and she wouldn't mind having Sakura there. He kissed her forehead as she slept. "You did very well," he murmured.
But what he didn't know was that Hiei was looking at them with a slight smile. 'Maybe it's time I talked to her,' he thought as he watched Kurama walk towards his apartment.
~A/N~
Long chapter, minna! But It was worth it. I can't believe how strange my dreams are. I also am not sure if this chapter fits the rating of this fic. There won't be that many more action scenes, But I may change my mind further into the fic. But you'll get over it, ne? Review and Reply onegai! More in store on Winds of Thyme!
Sakura Takanouchi