I think I wrote the name of this chapter first, thinking I'd get that far in this chapter, and then when I wrote it and went back to check the title, I saw that it was impossible to make it to that part of the story yet. So I have to change the title…If you're reading this and the title makes perfect sense to you, then I already fixed it. Heh heh.
Yeah, well besides that, I think that's it. If ya'll were expecting romance in this thing, don't get your hopes up. This is just the beginning of a very long series. I don't even know how many pieces I'm cutting it up into, but it's not going to be some quick read, got that? After all, Youko's story must end in death and only death. That is how the story goes, and to stay true to the story line, people must die. Love does not endure through death as well as memories do. And thus any lovey dovey stuff is reserved for later. Not too much later don't you worry, some of it will be in this story, just you wait. Maybe the last chapter or two of this story. Wait never mind, Tsuchi don't appear in the last chapter of this story. See, I already wrote the last chapter, just not the two chapters between this and that one. Actually, I wrote chapter 8,and then it died so yeah…
With the Sunset Goes My Love: Chapter 7
When it Rains, it Pours
Normal
Tsuchi left the house for work knowing full well that she might never see Youko again. She had left the mirror in plain sight on purpose after all. If he wanted to leave, he was free to go. A silent consent.
Of course, Tsuchi held in her heart a hope that Youko would choose to stay, if only because he was still mourning Kuronue's death. He needed someone to take care of him, someone to comfort him. But that was his choice.
Tsuchi sighed as she leaned against the doorway between her flower shop and the greenhouse behind it. She smiled slightly. The junipers were in full bloom and many other flowers had begun to show their colors. Youko would love to see this place. Maybe she'd bring him here someday.
NarratorThree days passed and Youko remained. Tsuchi didn't tell Youko of her dream and Youko never told her exactly what happened. Like last time, Youko spent his days in that little back room, often times staring out the window.
Most of the time it was raining, and there wasn't much to see. It was April after all.
The Tsi Forest was visible from this vantage point and he found himself thinking about Kuronue many times. Once he got so frustrated, he took the precious mirror and threw it out said window. He never saw where it landed.
As for Tsuchi, she continued to take care of Youko when she was home and worried about him when not. She still had her flower shop to tend to but her mind was not always on her job.
NormalOne day when Tsuchi was walking home early. She decided to take a detour along the Tsi Forest. To her surprise, the golden framed mirror she had pried from Youko's hands the day she found him came flying out the window of her apartment and landed in her hands. She looked at it for a second before glancing up at the window from which it came and saw no one.
NarratorMost of the time, when Tsuchi got home, she would find Youko sitting there in bed, staring off into space. Distant look on his face and sorrow saturating the room with its heavy weight.
It was at these times she wished she could do something more to help, but she knew from experience that such attempts might not be returned in kind. He would probably push her away and get all the more worked up. So she said nothing, asked nothing of him, simply took care of him.
Tsuchi KusabanaI got home to find Youko staring out the window from where he sat in bed. Again. There was nothing I could do. I knew what his response to prying would be, so I just left him alone.
But that didn't mean I wouldn't stand there and watch him. He was too deep in thought to notice, or perhaps too morose to care.
"Why did you save me?" he asked, ending the depressing silence.
"I didn't. All I did was bring you in."
He snapped. "Why even that! You've never told me WHY!"
His outburst didn't surprise me at all. There was a time when I would have done the same. "'Why' is a question that ought not be asked. It's never been kind to the soul, discovering the answer, or worse, not finding the answer at all. Do you really want to die so badly?" I hoped the answer was 'no.' After all, Kuronue wouldn't appreciate the alternative.
Youko gave pause. "I should have tried to save him, instead of just fleeing like a coward. At least I would have died trying. That would have been better."
"Dying is only a problem for those left behind.(1)" I was considering a more direct approach, but decided to give the talking it out one last try. I really needed him to get over it, at least enough so that he'd stop moping around. We are demons after all, and he's just acting plain human. "People live and people die, some fight and other cry.(2) He wanted you to live, not follow him to his grave."
"What do you know! You weren't there! I might have helped him!" Again with the yelling about my not understanding.
"You're wrong, " I said quietly. "I was there. Maybe not physically, but I saw what happened, I tasted the blood in the air, I smelled the fear, but most of all, I heard his words. Don't forsake his last wish."
Youko merely glared at me. I expect I twitched somewhat as I decided that perhaps loosing my temper wasn't such a bad idea.
Youko Kurama"You know what? Die for all I care! Go ahead! Just don't do it here!"
Her words left me in shock. I'd never heard her yell before. Not once, not even the night Kuronue found me had she raised her voice. Always thought she was so calm and cool, had I upset her so much?
Regardless, I resolved to leave if that was what she wanted. Waiting until all grew quiet in the little apartment, I slipped out of bed and attempted to sneak out.
Like so many times before, Tsuchi's door was ajar, and I stopped and peered into the room, half expecting her to stop me. She was sitting up in her bed, like she often was on the nights when I attempted my escapes.
Tsuchi Kusabana
I knew he was there, just standing in my doorway. I knew he expected me to stop him. Not this time, not this way. It was his choice, and I had no right to stop him. Kami, he wasn't even wounded.
I just kind of stared at the wall. I refused to turn my head. I refused to acknowledge his presence, I refused to acknowledge his leaving, and maybe I was also refusing him reassurance that this was the right choice. I refused to look into those golden eyes of his and give myself a chance to find that I couldn't let him go. But most of all, I refused to be weak.
And so, after a moment of awkward silence, he left. He walked down my hall and through my door; out into the cold. Out of my life.
A lone tear rolled down my face. It wasn't as if I had loved him, it wasn't as if he meant anything to me, but perhaps he reminded me of my mother and all the others I had lost over the years. She had been weak, she had depended on father like ningens do to water, and I had loved her. But love is such a fragile thing, meant to last, but it never does.
I wiped the tear away angrily and glared at the sheets. When I stopped glaring I do not know, but when I did, I did it with a heavy sigh as I closed my eyes. I leaned my head back and reopened them to my star studded ceiling.
A strange enchantment it was. In some way, shape, or form, my dear friend Kasumi was able to use it to send me short messages. Right now, it said, "Good riddance." The corner of my mouth curved upwards at the reminder of the serious Guardian Priestess. She really wasn't all that serious after you got to know her. Quite the opposite actually. Being the last of her blood it was her duty to be solemn, but when no one was looking, she made up for it all with her random craziness; part of the reason the temple she resided in was called the Tsuriai Bonsatsu, the Balanced Temple. Her laughter was the most beautiful sound ever to grace the halls of that secluded temple that confined her.
With the promise to go visit her soon safely embedded in my heart, I fell back onto my bed and soon found I had drifted into the land of dreams.
Youko KuramaIt was raining. Well, it was more like a light April shower, but never the less, it dampened my mood. I couldn't shake the feeling that I shouldn't have left. Perhaps I was feeling guilty, just leaving her like that.
Suddenly I had a change of heart. I stopped in my tracks. I considered going back, and then remembered why I had left in the first place. She had yelled at me, practically threw me out. She told me to leave.
So she was mad at me. She was never mad at me; always been so understanding. I must have been a burden for her then, I was such a dead-weight that she got tired of taking care of me. I was eating her food after all, and it wasn't like I was helping any.
Snap out of it Youko, you're a demon for Kami's sake! King of Thieves at that. You have no reason to be guilty. Stop acting like a soft Ningen.
Determined to bother Tsuchi no more, I continued on my way, traveling westward. I was following the sun. It really hadn't been long since it had set. The days were getting longer as spring had begun and the vegetation on the outskirts of town was proof enough of that.
Spring, a time of new beginnings. Perhaps it would be a new beginning for me, hopefully a good one, even without Kuronue at my side. Yes, I would become the greatest lone thief ever known to the Makai! Not just the best thief, but the most famous, notorious, feared, and sliest one as well!
With this new goal, I set out, and left behind that town and that woman who was a link to my past. I had thought forever, but I was wrong again.
Whoa, talk about a goal. Way too many characteristics right there. Youko needs to calm down. Right, so they're separated again. That's the way it goes. They will be reunited soon. However, you must know me by now, I'm not one to make reunions easy. Happiness must always come at a price. The first price were a few wounds, both of body and of pride. The second was Kuronue's life. What will the price be this time? You'll see soon enough.
Oh, and remember how I mentioned a priestess in the Kompai Valley teaching Tsuchi a few spells? And how Kasumi is the name of that demon Kuronue and Youko were going to steal from at the Tsuriai Bonsatsu? Well, they are one and the same, and you will find more references to her as we continue my A Conspiracy of Great Proportions series.
Sorry, would have updated sooner if not for my waiting for my regular reviews to actually review! I would have had it up Saturday if not for my wanting to give them more time. Eh, I guess as long as Dark reviewed I should really care.
Glossary-
/Sweat drop/ I was in a rush when I posted chapter 6. So as I was leaving I realized I didn't mention the following quotes in the glossary. (I had been rereading what I had) and apparently I put the quotes in the wrong glossary. They don't even show up in chapter 6! Oh well, here they are again. If they aren't in chapter 6 anymore, then I fixed it already.
1) "Dieing is only a problem for those left behind." A quote, forgot who said it. Not one of my friends.
2) "People live and people die, some fight and others cry." A quote form an old friend on mine's signiture. His name is Kent.
Ningen- human
Responses-Hieiloving101- Nice sayings. I'm sorry to hear about your uncle. My grandmother died two years ago. I know that doesn't seem like much since the time difference, but her death was at a major bad time for me. I don't think I would have minded so much if she'd died any other time, but I was already in a major dark mood and it only served to make me feel my world was caving in. Thank you and if you thought the last chapter was thought provoking, I suppose this one is more so. Although it's a different perspective than what we would take because, after all, they are demons. A little less heart was required. I really appreciate your reviewing…personally, I think I write badly. I could have done better.
RoseFire-Shadow666- Lol, I'm updating, I'm updating. Except this is my last prewritten chapter thanks to my evil floppies. /glares at floppies/ the rest were eaten and I have to retype them. Please forgive the slow output after this one. Even if I don't update this one until later than you wished. I'm waiting for my other ever faithful reviews to realize they can sign on again.
Kitsune Kit- My apologies on the length of my chapters, but like I've said so many times, I can't seem to help it. There're just good places to stop. It's not like this segment of my series is very long in the first place. Only 10 chapters. I haven't written chapter 9 yet and chapter 8 I have to retype. Maybe if I feel like it I'll throw in all this useless pointless junk about what Tsuchi and Youko are doing in chapter 9 and it just might be longer. Gomen ne (So Sorry)if it doesn't work.
darknesspirals- As you know, I got chapter 8 to you, and I got it back, safely uploaded into the site too just in case. Chapter 9 is a reluctant issue. It can go so many ways and it would drastically change how you view Tsuchi that I wish I could talk to you real time. Sign up for Yahoo Messenger. That I can still use. (Yeah, I just remembered I had it like five minutes ago) Yep, so sign up for YM and maybe I can talk to you for real for once. I'm going to do my Chinese homework now. (you know I write the responses when I get them and now is Friday)
Reviews appreciated, not required. But shout outs are fun, so leave something worth responding to, something random, and feel good.