Emily Johnson

Riley-8th

11-1-05

Something to protect

I'm The most feared youkai in all the land, with eyes, golden like a sun on a cool spring morning, a heart as cold as ice on a pond in winter, hair long, silky, & smooth, like a horses main after it's been brushed to a sheen, and power, imence power, beyond belief.

You'd think, a person like me had no weakness, and, if I did, I'd hide it, and never show it; but it won't let me. I call it my ward, my property, but deep down, it's my weakness, my Rin. And, the funny thing is, she's everything I despise most: Happy, loud, loving, caring, and most of all-human.

Yes, human. No self respecting youkai would have anything as...dirty as a human, as a weakness...but, then, why do I?

Why do I keep her? She serves no perpous, other than slight amusement, after a long, and, surprisingly HARD battle with my stupid honyu-half brother, for the sword that SHOULD be mine, and, irritation with her non-stop jabbering about-nothing,But how can I forget seeing her?

Seeing her chocolate eyes, stare at nothing, filled with fear and sadness? Seeing her long, coal-black hair in a frenzy all around her. The stale tears that streaked her cheeks (oh, how I hate the smell of tears from her, to this day) And, the blood, oh, the deep, fire red blood that encased her, announcing to the world:she's already dead.

I could have walked away-I didn't. I could have eaten her-but I didn't, I could have buried her, and sent her peacefully to the land of the dead-but I didn't. Why did this...CHILD, of no more that 7 human years, have such an affect on me? Was this...this...FEELING I kept having, was it sadness? Is this the way humans feel, when mourning? This, being my first encounter with human emotions, through me off guard.

Looking at her little mouse body, I started to become ENRAGED with furry. I wanted to MAULE who ever did this! I wanted to Chase them down, using my powerful youkai nose to sniff them out, and destroy them.

As my eyes turned bloodshot red, and my true youkai form started to take over me, my fathers sword

started to throb. I was a useless sword, the Tensaiga. It could not kill, or heal, however, it saved my life from one of my brothers attack, for, I'm sure, if it wasn't there, I would have died. And, this is the first time it showed any trace of life. 'No,' I thought, as I felt the throbbing get worse and worse 'it can't be...' I stared blankly at the dead little girl, visiouse thoughts came back to my head-so did the throbbing sword.

Without a second thought, I sliced at the girl, with the throbbing Tensaiga. At first, I thought I made it worse. I bent down to inspect the damage I may have caused this little human, and her eyes came open. She smiled a wide, shining grin, although, beaten, and cut, she smiled. I had to force back a grin too.

I now vow to protect my ward-my daughter, and make sure no harm will come to her. That also, makes her my weak point. My enemies always know how to get to her, and I come to protect her. I often think, how different me and my brother are to one another, but, we really, even though, I hate to admit it, aren't too different: we each have something to protect.

I see her, curled in my tail, and I whisper to her: "You're my thing- my thing to protect."