Unforeseen Circumstance
Recollection
(Day 16)
By: Little Ucchan
His head was spinning. He didn't have a grasp on what was happening around him, so he lay there on his bed till he did, staring at the ceiling. What? Sage's eyes went wide, bolting up with a start. His room. He was in his room? But how was that possible? Last he remembered, he was at Kanaji. Right?
Maybe I'm dreaming. Rising from his bed, Sage walked around his room, surprised that he had the strength to do so. He moved his arms up and down, finding that the weight of his injuries and fatigue didn't hinder him at all. Taking a step back, surveying the empty floor before him, he decided to put it to the test.
Raising his arms, Sage did a handspring, rotating his body 180 degrees before back flipping and landing on the other side of his room. The entire maneuver was carried out flawlessly.
"Well that just proves it." He unconsciously ran a hand through his hair. He must be dreaming if he could pull that off, all things considered.
Sage let out a sigh, crossing his arms in front of his chest. This was most certainly strange. Not only was there a change in setting, but he seemed to be in control of his every action. This is just bizarre. He walked over to his wall mirror, not really knowing what to do, and checked out his reflection. What was the point of having him dream he was at home and in his room?
He slowly unfolded his arms, letting them fall numbly to his sides, his lips parting in shock. The young silver-haired man on the other side of the mirror mimicked his every move.
"Ta… Takeru?"
He reached out a hand, unbelieving as the man did the same, fingertips touching behind a wall of glass. Then the image was gone. Like a ripple of water, it faded, and Sage was left staring at his own reflection.
He took an unconscious step back as the world around him faded into darkness. The air shifted. Forming. Merging together to recreate a now lost world. A fleeting memory of someone else's past. The scene unfolded before him, like a motion picture. A boy of thirteen was sparring with his instructor, an older man in his late twenties. Swords clashed, then broke apart as the combatants circled around each other in the center of the training room. Princess Celine was standing at the entrance with her father, King Fenir of Aethos.
Clang! Swords met again. But this time, Takeru was thrown back, tumbling out of the combat ring.
"Come on! Get up!!" the instructor yelled when his apprentice was taking too long to rise to his feet. "By the gods, I didn't even hit you!!"
"Grivo."
The man turned to his liege, who was looking at him sternly. "Your Majesty, this is a training ground. We don't curb our language, even for the sake of Her Highness' delicate ears."
Something stirred out of the corner of his eye, and Grivo turned to see Takeru back in the ring, sword ready. A grizzly smile came to the man's lips. "Ready for more?"
"Father?" King Fenir looked down to see his daughter watching the fight intently, worried eyes always focused on the silver-haired youth. "Why does Sir Bales treat him so harsh during their training?"
"He's only trying to shape him into a fine warrior, Celine."
"Yes, but… Takeru doesn't get the same training as the other apprentices. In fact, his is longer and more intense compared to the rest. Why is that?" She looked up at him when he did not answer. "Father?"
A loud bang followed by a strangled cry echoed through the hall, Takeru crashing against the far wall before sliding down to the floor. Celine let out a startled gasp, eyes wide. "Takeru!!" She then rounded on Grivo, who was casually leaning against the hilt of his sword, undisturbed. "Honestly, Sir Bales! You're too rough on him!!"
"Come now, Princess. He's not really hurt. Are ya kid?" He glanced over at Takeru, who was starting to stir from his brief moment of unconsciousness.
Celine was starting to fume, appalled at the soldier's uncaring manner when a large hand came to rest on her shoulder. Gently, King Fenir steered his daughter away from the training hall. "Come, Celine. Let's leave them to finish their training."
"But father!" she started to protest, but was cut off by a soft smile.
"Don't worry about young Takeru." King Fenir assured her, casting a short glance down the hall. "Believe it or not, Grivo has a soft spot for the boy. He won't let any real harm come to him."
Unknown to the pair, Grivo had heard that last part, snorting in distaste. He turned to his trainee, who was once again standing before him, battle ready. Well… almost.
"You're wasting your time," he snapped, though not as rough as he had intended.
Takeru diverted his gaze away from the now empty doorway, remnants of a wistful look still present in his eyes as he faced his mentor. Grivo slung his broad sword over his shoulder, the metal coming against his armor with a loud clang. "Princess-warrior matches only happen in fairy tales. You should stop torturing yourself."
"I know." Grivo raised an eyebrow, waiting for the boy to continue. "But I want to protect her, regardless. To me, she's worth it."
Mentor and pupil remained silent for an indefinable moment, the latter lost in his own thoughts. After a moment, Grivo turned away and frowned. But it was the kind of frown a person gave in resignation to the power of naïve hope. The dreams of the youth.
"You're a stubborn idiot who's blind beyond belief," he barked, startling Takeru with the quick insult. However, the edge was gone from his next sentence. "But at least you put your heart into it."
He suddenly grinned that cocky grin of his, swinging his sword over his head and holding it out in front of him. Takeru's optimism must have been contagious, for Grivo's words were firm, yet bright. "Alright, kid. I'll do it. I'll make you a warrior worthy of protecting your princess."
***
Sage opened his eyes, finding himself lying in bed yet again. But what met his ears was the constant humming of machinery. The air was stale, combined with an odd mix of medication and sterilized plastic. And the ceiling was higher than his room. Where was he? What happened at the battle?
Dread sunk in like a sudden weight on his chest, recalling the last thing he remembered before passing out.
"I won't let you hurt him, demon. So you'd better just kill me now."
He forced himself up, looking around him in a wild about way. Laura! What had happened to Laura??
He turned to his left, lips quietly parting in disbelief. There she was, seated in a chair with Sammy wrapped in her arms, both sleeping soundly by his bedside. From what he could tell in the dark, she had changed her clothes, now in a sleeveless blouse and jeans with a blanket draped over her and her sister. He could make out a few bruises on her arms and a cut across the side of her forehead that was now covered by a band-aid. But those injuries didn't matter. She was alive.
Sage didn't know he was holding his breath, or that he had sighed in relief upon seeing her safe. But he must have made some kind of noise, for someone moved on his opposite side.
"They've been there all night." Ryo informed him as Sage settled back into his bed, tension gone. "Sammy's been asleep for a while, but Laura dozed off only a few minutes ago."
"What time is it?"
"4:30."
"In the morning?"
Ryo nodded, the brilliance of his blue eyes bobbing up and down in the darkness. "You're in Kou Seika Medical Hospital. You've been unconscious for almost twelve hours now." He smiled reassuringly when he saw the look of concern in his friend's eyes. "But you'll be fine. The doctors took care of everything."
"They weren't the only ones."
His smile softened, half amused that Sage had noticed. "You know I wouldn't leave you alone like that."
"I know." He nodded once to Ryo, eyes sincere with gratitude. "Thanks. I don't know if I would have pulled through if you weren't there."
Ryo scoffed, shaking his head. "You're one tough bastard, Sage. I don't think you would have keeled over that easily."
He chuckled slightly. He had to agree with him on that.
A comfortable silence fell over them, Sage staring off into space and Ryo watching his friend's expression with mild interest. Neither had any clear or decisive thoughts lingering in their minds. It was kind of nice, for a change.
"Your father came by." Meaning that his family was there. Sage glanced at Ryo through the darkness of his room, looking at him imploringly. He took the hint, saving Sage the effort of asking. "They took it alright. We told them that a gang of thugs was threatening a classmate and we had jumped in. Satsuki and your mother were extremely worried. Yayoi was silent most of the time and your grandfather was keeping an eye on your mother to make sure she was alright. He and your father were carrying on quiet conversation throughout their stay." He paused for a moment. Ryo had left out what his father's reaction was, and Sage knew this.
"He was upset wasn't he?" Ryo nodded.
Sage closed his eyes, letting his head sink deeper into his pillow, tired of holding himself up to look at Ryo while talking. "Don't worry," he spoke, knowing already what was on his leader's mind. "I'll deal with it."
He nodded again, continuing with his update. Sage was content on just listening. That is, until he got to the part about Kanaji.
Ryo had already risen from his seat, gently pushing Sage back down onto his bed. "Don't get so tense," he reprimanded sternly, seeing the blonde's clenched jaw and tightened fist. "You've just barely recovered, and any more pressure on your body now could wear your down."
"I'm already worn," he said in resignation. "…How many?"
He hesitated in speaking, not knowing if Sage was ready to hear this.
"Ryo…"
"107."
Ryo looked up to see his expression, but Sage had already turned away from him at that point, the number overwhelming. "Almost everyone who was in the apartment at the time had died. 22 of them were firefighters. But—" He was determined to throw in some good news. "—All the other resident buildings were cleared out before the fire came close. So, in a way, damage was kept to a minimum considering how big the fire was…"
He stopped, wishing that Sage would say something to acknowledge his words. He was tempted to try and catch a glimpse of his face, but thought it to be inappropriate. With a sigh, Ryo threw himself back into his chair, craning his neck back over the headrest. He cast his fingers through his hair and left them there, staring up at the ceiling. "…We've got one bitch for an enemy, ne…?"
"We've always had a bitch for an enemy."
He wasn't expecting the dry retort, the suddenness making him laugh. He didn't notice Sage's quiet smirk. "So what's going to happen later?" he asked once Ryo had settled himself.
"You mean with the guys?" he wanted to clarify. "We're gonna talk. She's agreed to it, obviously."
"So they know already."
A nod. "They're fine," Ryo added, knowing his next question. "They got the armors back. Though… Well, there's something about that we need to talk about. We might have a few problems with Strata, Torrent, and Hardrock."
Sage had a hunch as to what he was referring to. "We'll discuss it as a group. Rowen's already aware of it?"
"Yeah. He has a theory, but wanted to wait till after school today." Ryo's lips twitched into a half-smile. "Maybe now we won't be so clueless about everything."
Sage glanced back at Laura, still sound asleep in the armchair. "…Maybe."
Ryo followed his gaze, a question brewing inside of his mind. "Are you okay with all of this?"
"Wasn't I the first one to accept it?" came the fluent counter.
"Yeah. Which surprised me. …I didn't think you would."
"Maybe you don't know me as well as you think you do," Sage joked, then changed his tone, the room growing still. "We may have our differences… But on the battlefield, things change. It's serious. And there's no room for distraction."
He grinned suddenly, a thought coming to mind. "I guess you guys are both more mature than you're letting on."
Sage promptly stuck his tongue out.
***
It was past eleven in the morning when Mrs. Date and Satsuki came to visit Sage. The woman was delighted to hear that her son was doing so well and would be released the next day. Satsuki was even more ecstatic, she and Sammy keeping the young patient company while Mrs. Date conversed with Nurse Ishida. Ryo and Laura were off to the side, idly watching until the head nurse had left and Sage's mother came to talk with them.
"Ryo, I can't thank you enough for getting Sage here so fast," Mrs. Date bowed to the youth, the praise succeeding in adding a tinge of color to his cheeks.
"Oh, it was nothing," Ryo tried to shake off his sudden uneasiness. "He would have done the same for me."
"He's lucky to have a good friend like you," she nodded to Ryo, then to Laura. "Both of you. Though I'm sad to hear what happened to your apartment last night, Laura."
"It's alright. But thank you for your concern," she bowed slightly.
Mrs. Date smiled, though the look in her eyes signified concern for the young lady's predicament. "Do you have relatives you can stay with? You and your sister had stayed at the hospital all night."
Laura lowered her head. "Well, I had moved out here with Sammy less than a month ago. And the rest of my family's in China."
"You're both alone in Japan?" A soft nod. "Well then you could stay with us."
Ryo's eyes widened in shock. Laura's head had snapped up. "What??" both teens echoed.
Mrs. Date's smile only grew wider. "You could stay with us," she repeated cheerfully. "The guest room should be large enough for the two of you. And I'm sure it'd be a great help since you won't have to worry about finding housing so soon."
"But I…"
"She can't."
Both Laura and Mrs. Date turned to stare at Ryo. "Uh… well what I mean to say is…"
"I wouldn't want to burden you with our stay," Laura interjected, recalling how Ryo got when placed under pressure. "It'd be too much for me to ask." Not to mention she didn't know how she'd handle seeing Sage more than she already did. Oh yeah, they're on good terms now but… I'd completely lose it.
"Nonsense!" Mrs. Date laughed, as if her being a bother was the most absurd thing she's heard. "Two more people wouldn't be a problem. We'd be happy to have you." Why couldn't they be mean people?
"…I don't know." Great! That means yes. Laura immediately wanted to slap herself for sounding so unsure.
Mrs. Date smiled gently, placing her hand on the girl's shoulder before passing into her son's room. "Think about it, okay?"
***
"Don't tell me you're actually thinking about it??" Laura remained silent.
Ryo ran a hand through his hair, starting to pace in the hallway. "This is a bad idea."
"I know," she agreed. "But every option I come up with seems like a bad idea."
"You can stay with me."
"I thought about that."
"And?"
She sighed. "We'd be susceptible to more attacks, considering that your house is on the outskirts of the city."
"So what are you saying? That you need to be around a lot of people?" Her unwillingness to answer made him frown. "You're putting more lives in danger."
"Wherever I go, I'll be putting lives in danger," Laura countered. "It can't be helped. But at least with a large crowd, I can mask my aura better. The only reason they found me out yesterday was because my energy was spent since our duel. And I got sick soon afterwards, so I didn't have any of my normal defenses up. But once I fully recover they won't be able to find me so easily."
"And when will that be?" Ryo demanded. "You're still an easy target until then. Anyone you're with will be at risk."
"That's why I wanted to find my own apartment," Laura cried, giving him a meaningful look.
Ryo crossed his arms in front of his chest. "You're still not well and you want to stay by yourself? What did I just tell you?" Obviously, they had this conversation before.
"You want me to stay with one of you guys until my powers are restored."
Ryo nodded, though truth be told, he really wasn't comfortable with her staying by herself anymore, at full power or not. Not that he'd confess that just yet. He didn't think Laura would take too kindly to his concerns. "But staying with you would force us into more battles."
"No it won't," he interjected. "It doesn't matter if you're in the city or the forest. You still can't mask your aura. It's better if we're in a secluded area so that few people will actually get drawn into our fights."
"That's where you're wrong, Ryo," she shook her head. "Think about it. Out of all the incidents that got the media's attention, did any of them attribute it to demons?"
"…What's your point?"
"My point is that, regardless of their destructive power, they don't want to be discovered," she explained. "I've dealt with them more times than you have, and it's only been recently that our battles involved civilians. Other times, they've attacked me alone, and the worst that's happened is property damage.
"If I stay with you, it's like you're inviting them to attack. And they'll do it."
Ryo kept his mouth shut, forcing down a sigh, though he knew when he was beat. "Okay. If that's the case, then it'd be better if you stayed with Cye or Rowen."
"…I would."
She 'would.' Ryo frowned. Meaning that she's not. "But?"
Instead of answering, Laura turned towards Sage's room. Ryo had followed her gaze through the window, noticing that Satsuki looked quite put out about something. Most likely something her brother had said, for the blonde had a bit of a smirk on his face. Sammy was clinging to the edge of Sage's bed, constantly jumping up and down to reassert her presence among the grown-ups, and Mrs. Date was laughing at the scene despite her better judgment.
"They remind me…"
He turned to her, catching a flicker of emotion flash beneath her eyes before it vanished completely. "Do you want to get something to eat?"
Ryo smiled gently to hide the sadness hidden in his expression. "No it's alright." She's not ready to tell me. "You go ahead."
He watched Laura walk away, the glass doors swinging shut before he averted his gaze.
"They remind her…"
"Remind who of what?"
Ryo gave a start, turning to the door where Satsuki was staring at him questionably. He waved his hand to dismiss the topic. "It's nothing. Just thinking out loud." He then paused for a moment, looking over the younger teen. "Satsuki… Can I ask you a favor?"
"Sure!" She tilted her head to the side inquiringly. "What's up?"
"Laura just went down to the cafeteria to eat lunch. Do you mind keeping her company?"
"You're not going to eat?"
"Naw."
She smiled. "Sure, Ryo. I'll keep her company for you."
"Thanks."
"Nee-chan! Nee-chan!" At that moment, Sammy ran out of the room, jumping up and down. "Where are you going?? Can I come too?"
"Yeah! You wanna eat Sammy?"
"Yeah! Yeah!!" she bounced in excitement.
"What's all the noise about?" Mrs. Date popped her head out the door.
"Mom. Sammy and I are going to get some food."
"Well, in that case, I'll come as well," the older woman smiled. "We haven't eaten lunch yet, have we?"
"Hooray!!"
"Sammy! Wait up!!"
"Slow down. The both of you!"
Ryo chuckled to himself, watching the trio make their way down the hall.
"They remind me…" He knew what she had wanted to say.
Maybe her staying with Sage won't be such a bad idea.
***
"Are you insane?!" Ryo visibly winced. For someone supposedly at less than half strength, Sage can sure yell.
The blonde was looking very cross at the moment, arms folded harshly over his chest as he continued to glare at Ryo from his bed. "You want Laura to stay at my house?"
"Well… that's the gist of it. Yeah."
When a hospital patient moves from looking cross to menacing, then there's a problem. "You're lucky that I can't get out of this bed or you'd be six feet under right now."
Ryo resisted the urge to sigh in frustration. He knew this was going to be a difficult task from the beginning, but he didn't think Sage would be this impossible! "Weren't you the first one to agree to all of this?"
"To fight demons," Sage corrected. "I said I'd help her fight. I didn't say anything about living with her."
"It's only temporary!"
"I'd lose my sanity before then!"
"C'mon Sage," he decided to try a different approach. "I wouldn't have considered it if I didn't think it was necessary."
A golden eyebrow arched suspiciously. "Necessary?"
Ryo nodded. "She'd be an open target if she were to either get a new apartment or stay with me. Rowen and Cye's armors aren't completely reliable at the moment. And as much as I'd love her to stay with Kento, his family's lifestyle is too hectic to house two more people for an indefinite amount of time."
"If we're dealing with power, you think that I'd be in any better shape to protect her?"
"If you have the energy to argue with me now, then you'll do just fine come tomorrow," Ryo countered, soundly ending that dispute. "Besides, your mother asked her already."
That had certainly quelled some of the fire stirring in his soul. "…What did she say?"
"She didn't answer her yet."
Sage stayed quiet, lost in thought. Laura wanted to stay at his house? He had to admit that their views of each other had changed, but yesterday's fight also showed that many things have not. Besides, as much as he was willing to help out at all costs, this was not something he was prepared to do. As a warrior, I knew I had to make sacrifices, but not in this way! This is an invasion of privacy!!
"Have you ever considered that she might actually want to stay with you?"
"To torture me."
Ryo rolled his eyes. "Don't be so narrow minded."
"Narrow minded?" Sage scowled. "I'm speaking straight from experience! Sure, during battles we'll be fine, but the rest of my normal life is going to be a living hell with her around me all the time!"
"Oh yes. I only live and breathe to find ways to make your life miserable." Laura was leaning her back against the open door, having had come back from the cafeteria just in time to hear that last comment from Sage. "You know, you've really got an ego problem if you think I'd actually waste my waking hours on you."
Sage narrowed his eyes. "What was that, tomboy?"
"You heard me, baka."
And thus, the staring contest had begun.
Ryo brought a hand to his head. Just when he thought he had a little headway, this had to happen. Now would be the perfect time for a demon attack, he thought wryly. At least they get along better when someone's trying to kill them.
"Can the tension in this room get any thicker?"
Ryo blinked, surprised to see Rowen, Kento, and Cye standing in the doorway. "Geez," Kento tsked, giving Laura a mock disapproving look. "Let you walk in two seconds before us and this place is already a war zone. How do you do it?"
"Hidden talent," Laura smirked.
"I'll say." Rowen walked over to the chair by Sage's bedside, trying to get comfortable in the stiff woodwork. "I see you're doing better."
He nodded, sporting the same questioning look that Ryo had. "What are you doing here?"
"What?" Kento pretended to look hurt. "You're not happy to see us?"
Sage rolled his eyes. "You know what I mean."
"Doctor's appointment," Cye volunteered, quite cheerfully. "We left school early."
Ryo looked at each of them disbelievingly. "I hope you didn't all say you were leaving for doctor's appointments."
"No way! We're not that stupid!!"
Cye nodded. "Kento got a call from his mom to pick up his siblings from school. And Rowen's supposed to go with his dad to a science lecture at Tokyo U."
Laura shook her head in amusement. "You guys are bad."
"Not as bad as you, missy," Kento cried. "You aren't expected back at school for the rest of the week!"
"At least my excuse has some truth to it."
"Okay, okay," Rowen called them to attention. "Enough bantering. We didn't just ditch school for kicks, ya know." He met Laura's eyes, then Sage's, and finally Ryo's. "Are we ready to get down to business?"
"Wait!!"
"Kento, where are you going?" Cye asked, stopping the boy in mid-run.
He innocently pointed down the hall. "Food. This is going to take a while, right?" The brunette nodded in resignation, waving his hand to signal for him to go. With a giant grin, Kento bolted out the door.
"…Right." Rowen cleared his throat. "While Kento goes and raids the vending machine, I say we—"
"Don't start without me!" came the distant cry from down the hall. Rowen threw up his hands in exasperation.
***
"Are we all settled now?" asked a rather irritated Rowen fifteen minutes later. Kento muffled a reply from where he sat on the floor, happily munching on a burger. Various responses came from the rest of the group who had decided, during Kento's absence, to get some food themselves, it being close to lunchtime. Nurse Rhana had brought lunch for Sage, and although she had already eaten, Laura had gone with Ryo and Cye to the cafeteria, coming back with a drink in hand. Rowen was the only one who didn't get anything to eat, still visibly ticked.
"I take it there'll be no more interruptions, then?" He turned to glare at Kento.
"What?" He swallowed the food he was chewing, downing half of his soda. "Don't look at me."
"Let's just start, Rowen," Cye urged, feeling the boy's patience slowly ebbing away. He knew the young genius didn't get much sleep, Sage's condition an added weight to his concerns about their meeting today. So many questions, so many loose ends he wanted to tie up that it took him a moment before one predominant issue rose to the forefront of his mind.
He nodded once, then rose from his seat, preferring the expansion of the room to the confining nature of his chair. "Laura, there's something I really want to clear up first before we get into the heart of the matter. Exactly who are you?"
Her eyebrow rose slightly, surprised as he began to elaborate. "Now that we know you and Lady Sierra are the same, there's been a few discrepancies in what you've told us before. I just want to know which are true, and which are lies."
Laura smirked. "You never cease to amaze me, Rowen." She set her drink down by the windowsill, leaning more comfortably against the wall. "Well, I hope you all understand why I had to mislead you like I did. But ironically… I haven't lied to you."
Rowen blinked. And so did the rest of the guys. Something didn't add up. "What?" Kento cried, voicing everyone's bewilderment.
"Everything I've said as the demon hunter, Sierra, and as myself are all true," Laura repeated more clearly. "Sure, I might have withheld some vital information here and there but—"
"Now hold on!" Kento cried.
"What about Friday?" Ryo demanded.
"I wasn't lying then," Laura simply replied. "The three arts of my clan, the techniques of ittou youjutsu, the legend of Sierra Kajuro… those were all true. If anyone was lying that day, it was you two." She cast quick looks at both Ryo and Rowen.
"It was his idea."
"Shut up, Ryo."
"I get it." All eyes turned to Sage. "You were always telling the truth. Except that whenever you spoke, you made sure it was from the right perspective. As Sierra, you spoke in a way to give the impression that you've always been a lone demon hunter. As Laura, any information you gave us, you made it sound like handed down information from your clan."
"In other words," Cye quietly spoke from where he sat next to Kento. "You were acting."
Laura nodded. "It's easier to conjure up a performance when you're working with information you already know by heart. It's the first thing we're taught at my clan: to separate you personal life from your work. And failure to do so can be deadly. Yesterday, Ryo, Sage, and I were almost killed because the demons found out where I lived."
"What about now?" Kento asked in concern. "Can they find you here?"
"Not quite."
"Not quite?" Ryo echoed. "You mean they can?"
Laura held up her hand to prevent any more questions from being asked. "I'll get into that later. But for right now, rest assure, they can't find me. Not unless there are demons walking around on this floor."
"Alright, then lets move on." Rowen slowly paced back and forth, working to phrase his next question.
"He looks like a lawyer when he does that," Cye commented quietly into Kento's ear.
"More like a criminal interrogator if you ask me."
"Shh," Ryo hushed them from where he stood besides the duo.
"…Did you choose Sierra as your alias for any reason?"
"Eh?" Laura was surprised that Sage had asked her something. Rowen was still busy sorting through all the questions in his head to fully notice. "Well…" She leaned her head back against the wall, gazing up at the ceiling with a sort of wistful look in her eyes. "Sort of."
"Being such a popular ancestral figure, my being called by her name wouldn't directly link me back to my past identity, or anyone in my clan for that matter, since Sierra was a lone hunter who never re-established contact with us," she explained. "Besides, the title was fitting for my situation." And I was hoping to find someone… with that name.
Sage wasn't sure if he wanted to be the one to ask, but he'd been meaning to for some time. Every move Laura seemed to make was somehow deeply rooted with memories of the past. It seemed to be the only thing driving her forward.
"Laura?"
She averted her gaze from the ceiling, meeting his eyes. "Yes?"
"What happened… four years ago?"
"…You want me to tell you my whole history?"
"Well, it brought you to where you are today, didn't it?"
A sad, yet gentle smile came to her lips. "Yes, it did."
Silence washed over the room. Nothing heavy. Just a contemplative silence as Laura thought back to before she had left for China. Long before Fate decided to lay a manipulative hand in her life. The silence continued for a good five minutes before she began her story.
***
"I guess you could say, everything started when I was six. Well actually, I should tell you a little bit more about my life first.
"In my clan, there's two main family lines instead of one: Kinoku and Kajuro. Kajuro is Sierra's family line, but the dominant family was mine. Descendants of the Kajuro bloodline seemed to like taking the back seat. They let my family deal with structure, rules, the overall health and stability of the community, and the like while they concentrated more on fighting and the training process, although both families were equally capable of doing the other's job.
"My father was the head of the clan. Though many would consider the elder members to be in charge, my father was nonetheless a leader in his own right, commanding the respect and cooperation of everyone he met. He was… a great man. The kind that… you'd give your life for, because he'd readily give his for you."
She had stopped shortly, words trailing off to a soft whisper. Cye saw how she was wringing her hands together. Her father… His eyes saddened at the thought of his own, the one he lost so long ago. Yet he couldn't find any comforting words to say. She continued on.
"Being his only child, the daughter of such a prestigious man, there were a lot of expectations placed on me at an early age. I started training as a demon hunter under my father's tutelage almost as soon as I could run. Heh. Normally we don't start teaching children until they're five or six. I had already been on my first hunt by then. I've been on at least six group hunts till I got into one hell of an accident when I was six. Then my mother didn't want me going out demon hunting till I wa 25, though her wish never fell through." A humorous smile came to her lips. "She gave my father quite a scolding for letting me go out with him in the first place. He never heard the end of it.
"My daily routine was pretty mundane during my early years. My father trained me in ninjutsu and swordplay. My mother taught me utsubotsu and how to focus my spirit energy. I went to class in the afternoon. Yes, there were classes, Kento," she added upon seeing that horrified look on the boy's face. "I didn't attend a regular school, so everything I've learned, I learned from my clan. After that, I was free to do what I wanted. I normally brushed up on some of my classes or trained some more with my mother. My father would usually be busy in the afternoon. If I weren't doing that, I'd be with Naru.
A fond tone had entered her voice when she spoke his name. A tone someone would use when speaking of a lover, or someone close to that. "He's seven years older than me, and a close family friend. Naru Kajuro. Of course he'd be close to my family.
"He's known me since I was born. Which was ironic because he became my mentor in ittou youjutsu. You see, with this fighting style, we never really had masters or official classes. It was one-on-one training because that was the only way the art could really be taught and learned. What would happen is that an apprentice, once they've mastered the basics and are now learning techniques, would take on an apprentice themselves, usually a child. While they're still learning the final attacks of the art, they're teaching what they already know to their junior apprentice.
"Naru… well he started training me when I was five. I was rather young to be an apprentice and him to be a mentor. But he was born under the Kajuro name. So the early years of his childhood were very similar to mine. I guess we always imagined ourselves as parts of the same kindred spirit, how alike our lives had become.
"He was an exceptional fighter. The child prodigy of the clan. That's why my father chose him to study under him. You have to understand that my father was already a master of the art, the only current master, in fact. It's actually rare for there to be a master of ittou youjutsu. The final move is extremely hard to carry out. And he could do it without a fault. He had already finished teaching his apprentice and didn't need to take on another. But he chose Naru. And Naru chose me.
"I was completely thrilled at the prospect of learning under him, mainly because I saw it as another opportunity to just spend time with him. I guess you can get like this if you live in a large, close-knit clan. Everyone's family. But me and Naru were exceptionally close, almost like brother and sister. I remembered that, whenever I was alone, the other clan members would ask about him. Stuff like 'oh, you're not with Naru today, Kino-chan?' or 'Naru's in the training hall, if you're looking for him.' It was that kind of relationship.
"And that was my life up to one point. Everything started moving during a demon hunt in the back woods. I was six.
"Now normally, our services are 'requested' by an outside caller. It's usually someone in a nearby village. Sometimes our line of work takes us to the city, but mainly it was local. This one time, we weren't called on. Actually, my mother had sensed a group of demons, eleven or twelve, lurking around the area. She was one of the more powerful spiritual exorcists of the clan and could track down demons in her sleep. She had spotted them on the south end of our village, and our best slayers were immediately assembled. I wasn't supposed to go at first. Maybe it would have been better if I didn't. But I was a persistent little brat and my father allowed me to come against my mother's wishes. It was that maternal instinct. She knew something was going to happen. But I didn't.
"During the battle, there was this one demon that managed to slip away. I had seen it, and instead of alerting my father, I followed it myself. Bad move. It was a trap, and I had no one with me to bail me out." Laura laughed suddenly. A sort of sardonic sound as she continued, shaking her head. "When you're young, I guess it's instinctive to block out traumatic experiences and wipe them from your memory. Either that's what happened or I had actually fainted, because I don't remember anything afterwards. And the next time I woke up… six months had passed.
"I had fallen into a coma, tottering between life and death for half a year and didn't even know. It felt like I had slept through the morning and had just woken up. I had no sense of time at all. And I was so confused. When I first saw my father, I wanted to hide my face from him. I knew that I had disappointed him with my carelessness. But he just hugged me, the strongest hug I've ever felt him give me, and said 'don't worry, Kino-chan. We'll get them next time.' Of course there wasn't a next time. I thought it was only going to be my mother who would be against me hunting demons. But the whole clan seemed to be in agreement. I knew at first it was because I was still recovering from that ordeal six months ago and that I needed more training. But when I was good enough, they still wouldn't let me go. I asked my father about it, but he only smiled and patted me on the head."
Laura reached inside her blouse for the rune she wore around her neck. She gazed at it, almost in a daze before closing her fist. "Before I go on, I should tell you how I got this. I don't know exactly when, but it came to me while I was unconscious. I'm not sure how accurate this is because I've only heard what others have told me, but this rune was found around my neck one day. It was a few days after the incident, and in everyone's eyes, I was as good as dead. As much as they didn't want to, the Elders were already talking about the burial with my father. Funerals in my clan followed a certain setup, so it was imperative to start planning as soon as possible, so as not to delay the deceased's passing to the other world. But something happened. My mother believed that the rune was a godsend, for I started to show small signs of life after its appearance. The rune had saved me, but no one knew where it came from or how I got it. I wasn't even aware of its presence till I woke up.
"But I didn't think much of it at the time. I was seven then, and everything had fallen back to normal. That's all I wanted…"
She released her rune, letting it fall in front of her chest, dangling helplessly. Like how she felt at that moment. Laura lowered her head, her long chocolate bangs falling in front of her face. She knew she was no longer just telling them what events lead up to her circumstance now. As much as she just wanted to say it with no emotion, like it was of little significance to her, she found herself purging her soul to these boys that she'd only known for a few weeks. Yet it felt like immeasurable years to her. Years… How long has it been, since I've really told someone about this?
"Laura…" Ryo took a step forward. "If you don't—"
She held up her hand. "Please, Ryo. Don't say anything or I'll lose my nerve." Laura forced out a laugh, casting her bangs away with a flick of the head. "As you might have guessed, everything didn't go back to normal. It seemed like it. I still trained with Naru, went to classes, studied with my mother… It was such a good act that, even though I noticed the changes, I convinced myself that everything was the same. What a lie I had led myself to believe.
"The changes were subtle. First it was the slight increase in training. Everyone's training, not just my own. Mine actually doubled, and my father had decided to bend the rules and help teach me himself. Again, I didn't mind. I thought it was just my father's concern for my well being, and I was actually glad that he and Naru were training me seriously. I didn't want to disappoint either of them again. I didn't play outside anymore. My classes and training sessions took up most of my time, so I didn't notice that the other clan members were training more than normal. It was such a gradual increase that anyone would have missed it if they weren't watching out for it. I obviously wasn't looking. But I did notice the increase in meetings with the Elders.
"Now how did I notice this? I never knew when the meetings were held before. But it didn't just include my father and a few choice individuals anymore. Naru went as well. But he wouldn't tell me what the meetings were about. I thought he was just playing with me, but when he repeatedly refused to tell me, I got angry. And suspicious. Naru never kept secrets from me.
"A lot more members were paying attention to me. Again, I thought it was because of my near-death experience, and the fact that I was my father's child and he'd been bragging about me lately with my progress in my training. My mother, too, was spending more time with me. She was the main figurehead for the women of our clan, and had a lot of duties to attend to, including training young girls in how to manage their own energy. But she took time to talk with me more. To teach me special tricks and secret techniques of utsubotsu. She even gave me my own book on exorcism spells, rituals, and spiritual barriers. I was completely ecstatic about it. Yet I felt something was wrong.
"Then the demons started to appear.
"Demon sightings around the region were few and far between at first. But the fact that they were traveling in large groups had alarmed the Elders. More hunts were starting to be organized, and my father was out slaying demons almost twice a week on a regular basis. But this time it was different. This time, some of our fellow slayers didn't come back.
"There was at least one death every two months, and injuries began to be commonplace. As a result, training intensified. The meetings increased. More members attended. The entire clan was on alert. But in everyone's opinion, we were still a force to be reckoned with. A few deaths weren't going to lower our morale. Our determination to fight would not deteriorate. In fact, it rose to an unbelievable level during those days, and our pride as demon slayers soared. At the time, we had seven Kagemushas in our clan, including my father. And the increase success of our missions brought reassurance to all of our members. We had nothing to worry about. If anything, the increase demon activity had stimulated our community. I've never seen us any more alive than then.
"It was during this time that my sister was born. I was close to ten. You could say that Sammy's birth was a nice break for my family. My father stayed home more often. And I had taken a break from my training to help my mother around the house. Actually, I just wanted to spend more time with my baby sister. I was fascinated by her, by the very thought that I had a younger sibling. Up till then, I had been the baby, possibly of the whole clan, if you saw how much they watched out for me. Now I had a chance to take care of someone else. It was an entirely new experience that I had relished in for as long as I could.
"I was happy, then.
"But I guess there's some cosmic law out there in the universe that no one bothered to tell me about, clearly stating that you can't be happy with your life for a long period of time or some shit like that because it was all taken away from me one night." Her words had turned to bitter resentment, thick and hoarse with a foreboding air. "It was July 14. I didn't think it was possible for things to go downhill so fast.
"A mission had just been completed and our warriors were just returning to the village. At the time that they were passing through the gates, my mother had an inclination that something was amiss with one of our slayers, Sasuke. However, she didn't say anything to my father and kept it to herself. I wish she had said something, or that I had told my father about it. Just alert someone, so maybe, that night wouldn't have turned out the way it did.
"Something was wrong with Sasuke. But it wasn't made known until he had unlocked the gates, letting the demons enter our village. Then the fighting began."
No one in the hospital room had moved until that point, completely engrossed in Laura's tale, not wanting to interrupt her flow of words. Like she said, she would have lost her nerve. But Kento had leaned forward, seemingly to draw Laura's attention to him, for there was something he wanted to ask.
"But wasn't Sasuke one of your own warriors?" he questioned, wanting to know the reason behind his betrayal. "Why would he do that?"
Laura sighed, but not due to the boy's interruption. "He was dead, when he came back to us that morning."
"…What?"
Laura cringed, her back slumping against the wall. "Sasuke died during the hunt, but no one knew of it because he was quite a distance away from the rest of the group when it happened." Her face scrunched up, being able to taste it in her mouth. That foul taste of disgust. "The demon… once it killed him, it… wore his skin as his own and posed as Sasuke among the other hunters."
The silence that followed was one of utter revulsion as the images that accompanied such a description soon struck each of the Ronin warriors. Kento immediately opened another can of soda and drank its contents greedily, trying to wash down his sense of nausea, Sage following suit not too long after. Ryo, who was only done with half of his food, decided that he didn't want to finish lunch and Cye tried hard not to lose his. Rowen, who hadn't eaten anything yet, was very grateful he had decided against it.
"You're kidding me," he cried, completely appalled. "Wore his skin?"
Laura shifted uncomfortably. "I'd rather not get into the details of how that's done."
'Get into the details'…? Rowen's eyes widened. She knows how the demons do that?? Meaning that, at age ten, she knew exactly how Sasuke died. His expression softened in compassion. To have that done to a friend…
"I'm sorry."
Laura looked across the room at Rowen, bemused. "What do you have to be sorry for?"
"Well…" His lips twitched into a half-smirk that wasn't in the least bit cheerful. "I guess you're right. Saying we sympathize would be hollow words, in the face of what you've been through." And she's not even done telling us her story yet. He cursed. Damn those demons!!
"I guess I don't take comforting words that well," she said after a moment's silence. "After all, it's all I've heard."
"But that doesn't mean that they don't mean it!" Kento cried, getting up. "Laura!!"
She turned away from his pleading stare, eyes quiet and distant. "…I guess I'm so used to hearing it that it hardly means anything to me now."
Ryo frowned to himself, remembering how she had responded to Mrs. Date's concern about her apartment that morning. Her reply was lacking real emotion, like it's been dulled from overuse. But what could he do or say about that?
"I don't think we should be getting into this discussion right now," Sage intervened, looking a bit tired with the conversation. "You can get into this later if you want, but I think what's most important right now is what happened in the past that lead up to our current situation with the demons."
Hospitalized or not, Kento was about ready to pop him one when Laura laughed outright, almost losing her balance in her mirth. "So sorry," she wiped the tears from her eyes, regaining her composure. "I guess Mr. Ice Heart over there doesn't like talking about intangible things like emotions."
Sage abruptly turned away at the teasing remark, crossing his arms over his chest. Laura giggled again, highly amused. Watching the exchange, Cye smiled to himself at the girl's quick reaction. Looks like Sage isn't the only one who doesn't like talking about it.
"Now where was I?" She took a moment to regain her bearings. "Right. The battle… That entire night is forever burned into my memory.
"As you may have guessed, there were no survivors. The attack was so sudden. We never thought that a demon could have snuck in among us. Actually, the plausibility of it was close to zero. As hunters, we could single out a demonic aura among a crowd of people. But the Sasuke imposter was using a very strong masking spell. One that I know it could not have made on its own. Someone else had a hand in it."
"You mean the demons that are after you now," Rowen asked for clarification.
"The ones that have been after me since the rune appeared," Laura corrected. "I didn't know that they wanted it though. I thought it was because of my clan's reputation as demon hunters. I know a lot of demons had it in for us. And now they had their opportunity to seek revenge. Though they'd see for themselves that, even though our fates were sealed that night, we would not die quietly.
"I think that, even though the entire clan lost their lives, we took down almost all of the demons that took part in the invasion. It was the few, stronger demons present that took out our best slayers. If they weren't there, we would not have lost.
"You could imagine how much I wanted to fight at that point. I've been confined to the village for three years by then. And now, with the battle so close, the Elders couldn't really say no to me." She chuckled, shaking her head. "Man, was I wrong. You know what they did? The Elders? They had a small group organized for the sole purpose of getting me as far away from the village as possible. Can you believe it? Me, the daughter of Hojiro and Reisa Kinoku, retreat from battle. It was absurd."
The bitterness was back, stronger than ever. It was fueled by rage, and redemption unrequited. "I… hated them for doing that. They had already made the decision that, as long as I lived, the rest of the clan was expendable. Even my mother and father." Her knuckles were turning white, shaking with unbridled anger. "Heh. They were already dead before I found out. Lucky bastards. I would have killed them if I still had the chance to. For making that decision without ever telling me. For forsaking my mother and father, my friends and family. For lying, and keeping the truth away from me. The truth that had murdered my clan.
"I would have killed them in a heartbeat."
The fire was lit, her heartbeat pounding, resonating against her ears. How much she hated them… Just the thought of them made her want to break something. And it appeared as if Laura was going to lash out at any moment if it weren't for Ryo, who took that moment to reach out and place a strong hand on her shoulder, squeezing it firmly to reassert their presence. It was enough to bring her back to her senses.
She sighed, wrapping her arms around herself, giving the impression of a vulnerable girl uncharacteristic to the Laura the others were familiar with. "However, I didn't know anything at the time it happened. It wasn't till a year later that the 'shit hit the fan' so to speak, and I found out everything behind what had transpired that night. But this is how it went:
"I was with my mother. Fire was burning around us, the entire village lit ablaze with hell's fury. We were heading for the northern side, as of yet unscathed by battle. I knew already that she was planning to escape with me, though I didn't understand why. My mother lived by the warrior's code. She wouldn't have turned her back on the enemy.
"But we didn't get as far at the northern border. Some demons had cut us off from the northeast, about six or seven in number. It was nothing my mother couldn't handle. She told me to get inside one of the houses, knowing that there was a trap door inside that we could easily use to escape around the back. I did as I was told, bolting into the house and opening the trap door underneath the wooden planks. But before I jumped down, I glanced outside to check on my mother. She used a variation of a popular banishing spell, her favorite move, and slew the demons easily. 'I shouldn't worry about her.' That's what I thought. She was almost on par with my father in combat, after all.
Her voice was fading. They all knew what she was going to say next. "Then a demon came out of nowhere. Approached her backside and…" Laura bit back on her bottom lip, shutting her eyes tight. "And… and it…"
"Ryo."
The boy stepped away from her, withdrawing his arms, which were about to embrace the shaken girl standing right next to him. He turned to Cye, who had called his name, and saw the sad, yet firm look in his eyes. You can't… He shook his head. Not yet.
His eyes became remorseful, but he didn't move to comfort her a second time.
Laura, who had not noticed the exchange, forcefully continued on. She had to say it outright and come to terms with it. Her beautiful mother… Her loving, beautiful mother…
"It thrust its hand through my mother's back… I—I knew she'd die then."
She immediately took in breath, the life being zapped out of her with those words and that horrid memory. "I ran right after I saw her fall. Not to kill the demon that had murdered my mother. I ran away. I don't know why. Maybe it was my way of escaping from the reality that had just slapped me in the face. I had gone through the trap door and ran north. I didn't have any thoughts in my mind. Not of my father or mother. Or Naru and the rest of the clan. I just wanted to run. And I crashed right smack into Arashi.
"Arashi was Naru's older brother by five years. He and his fiancé, Mirielle, were waiting at the northern gate, for me and my mother. They were on the team that was to escort me out of the country. Mirielle immediately knew that something was wrong when I came alone. But before she could question me about it, Naru appeared with Sammy in his arms. Arashi seemed upset about it, and that confused me for some time. But now I know that my sister wasn't supposed to come with us. I'm grateful that Naru had decided to disobey orders and take her with us. But it was disheartening to know that even Arashi, who was about to get married and start a family of his own, would opt to leave a 6-month-old baby behind.
"Naru gave Sammy over to Mirielle, still arguing with his brother about taking the child when my father appeared. The blood of demons he'd slain covered his ninja gi, but he had yet to have a single scratch on him. He had stopped the argument cold, demanding why they hadn't left yet when I couldn't take it anymore. 'Father! Mother's dead!' I screamed. 'They've killed her! Father…!' It didn't hit me full force until then, when I saw him, knowing what he didn't. That he'd never see his wife again. I had finally snapped. I was crying so hard I couldn't hear anything at all."
Against all odds, she managed to smile. "I was really a spoiled brat, throwing a temper tantrum at the most inappropriate time. But God bless my father. He knelt down right in front of me, his expression all soft and caring, and wiped the tears from my eyes, patting me on the head like he always did. 'Now don't cry, Kino-chan,' he said, 'I know you're stronger than that.' I nodded to him. His words were soothing to me, and the way he didn't show his pain made me swallow my own. I'll never forget the words he spoke to me. 'Become strong, Kino-chan. And don't worry. I won't leave your mother.'
"And that's the last thing he ever said to me."
Laura had to stop for a moment, bringing her arm up to wipe away the moistness in her eyes. "He… he hugged me tight, the exact hug he gave me when I had finally woken up from my coma, and turned around. He walked right back into the village, where the demons were waiting for him. There were so many, and I could no longer see any other slayers fighting in the distance. That's when I realized that there was no one left. Just my father. He drew his katana and wakizashi from his belt and walked forward into battle without ever turning back. He was going to take them all out on his own.
"My father… He was too good, you know. He didn't know when to quit.
"I ran after him, once I realized what he was going to do. But Naru stopped me. He grabbed my arm and tried to pull me away. But I was downright hysterical at that point. Naru… Haha. He had to lift me off my feet before I'd move. And even then, I was kicking and screaming." She laughed. "I was surprised to find out later that I had scratched up his arm pretty good. The scars didn't go away for a solid month. I guess I wasn't aware of what I was doing at the time. I just needed to be with my father. But Naru managed to pull me away. And we left my father, alone, to defend his honor, and my life."
She sniffed, furiously wiping away the tears. She wouldn't break down. She was strong, after all. And proud to have been the daughter of one Hojiro Kinoku.
"To make a long story short, we escaped on a river boat down the mountain and left Japan. Only Naru, Sammy, and I had gone. Arashi and Mirielle had stayed, most likely to seek revenge. Later, I got word that they had died, but were able to take a few demons with them." A fond tone had entered her voice. "Typical demon hunter's pride.
"The three of us met up with my Aunt Krysta at the docks of Hong Kong. She's my mother's elder sister, my only true blood relative still alive. She had fallen in love with a man in our sister clan, and had decided to leave the life of a hunter behind, though she kept in constant touch with us. The clan in China, Xiang-Quon, was more laid back and practical compared to us. They were a loosely tied group, spread out along the coastal border of the country. Still, they kept up tradition, martial arts training being mandatory for every member, but only up to a certain point. Going beyond that was an option, but I don't think anyone stops learning after mastering the fundamentals. But this clan was more comfortable being medical practitioners, pharmacists, shop merchants, and the like. This is where I learned my clinical skills, among other things.
"Life was uneventful for one full year. I think I was still trying to adjust, but Aunt Krysta and her family made it as easy for me as possible. It was almost the same, amazingly enough, and the house was so busy that I never really had a lot of time to think to myself about what had happened. Then Naru left suddenly one night. No one knew where he could have gone, and he didn't come back for two weeks. Plenty of time for my anger to reach a boiling point.
"I confronted him outright. He wasn't even able to set foot inside the house before I flew off the handle. I demanded to know where he had gone and why he found it necessary to go sneaking about the way that he did. I had every right to be angry, considering our history together. Besides, I had heard rumors that he had gone back to the village. I was hurt that he'd leave without me, and that he still thought it necessary to keep secrets from me. He was still closed-mouthed about it, refusing to talk. So I challenged him."
"You challenged him?" Rowen's eyebrow rose in disbelief. "As in, a fight??" She nodded.
"Hmph." Sage crossed his arms, shaking his head in what appeared to be amusement. "Why does that sound just like you?"
Ryo grinned, turning to her. "Even at eleven, huh?"
Laura rubbed the back of her head with a bit of embarrassment. "I was mad at the time. Plus, there was no other way I could get a confession out of him. Pride meant a lot to our clan. And we don't back away from direct challenges, especially from one of our own. I had managed to keep up my training for the better part of that year, so I was confident of my skills in battle. Still, I should have lost. Apprentices don't beat their mentors, especially when it happened to be an eleven-year-old girl facing off against an eighteen-year-old boy. It was technically impossible."
"But you won?" Kento asked.
"Yup," Laura nodded, tilting her head back up to the ceiling. "I really don't know how… No wait. I do." She then looked at Sage, who looked back at her, bemused.
"What?"
"Do you remember our fight on Saturday?"
Sage blinked. "Which one?"
Three sets of eyebrows rose simultaneously. Ryo had turned to Cye and Kento, but they too showed signs of having no clue as to what they were talking about. Rowen lowered his chin into his palm. That's right. They don't know about that. It was kinda funny how he somehow managed to know everything before the rest of the group did.
"The one at the dojo," Laura carried on, an explanation on what they were talking about not forthcoming. She certainly wasn't going to speak more than she had to when she wasn't the only one involved. "Now that I think back on it, you were using your armor's power during our last bout, weren't you?"
Sage suddenly found interest in the hem design of his blanket. He wasn't about to confirm that with a verbal response.
Laura grinned. "Don't worry about it," she told him, lifting up her rune between her fingertips. "I was cheating too. Though, to be honest, I really was trying hard not to."
"Same here," Sage confessed. "But what does that have to do with your fight with Naru?"
"Well, that fight was the first time I drew power from the rune. Up till that point, I didn't know how. Or that there was so much raw energy being kept inside of it. I guess, during that particular fight, I had lost all reserve and tapped into its power by mistake.
"Naru was really surprised when I knocked him down. He was a good foot taller than me too!" Her eyes danced with humor. "I remembered the shocked look on his face when I used the hiraishin on him and it came out as the attack you're currently familiar with. That technique was never meant to pack so much power."
"Wait a minute!" Ryo cried, giving everyone a start. "You mean to tell me that the move you used on me Saturday originally wasn't supposed to be like that??"
"No. I tweaked it a little," she admitted. "I've altered all of the ittou youjutsu techniques to suit my specific needs. You see, I have so much energy at my disposal now because of the rune that I upgraded most of the attacks from what they were originally," she explained, then added as an afterthought, "It's kinda funny that I managed to make ittou youjutsu more deadly considering that I really wasn't supposed to learn the art. As a kid, I lacked the amount of spiritual energy needed to become a master."
"I find that hard to believe," Rowen commented.
"Yes, well, that's now," Laura pointed out. "And I'm still having problems. I mean, I'm completely fine with the sword, but my spell casting abilities are still a bit shaky."
Sage arched an eyebrow upon hearing this, a sudden thought coming to mind. "Just how shaky, Laura?"
Uh oh. I shouldn't have said that. She inched a little closer to Ryo, trying to hide from the blonde's increasing cold stare. "Um… 50/50."
"50/50?!" Laura jumped. "You mean that there was a strong possibility that the trap spell you used yesterday actually wouldn't have worked?!?!" Oh, he was about ready to strangle this girl.
"Hey, but it turned out alright, didn't it?" she replied, looking a bit nervous. "I mean, that's what matters, right?"
Kento was shaking his head back and forth, tired of always being left out of the good parts of the conversation. "You guys have got to stop making inside references."
"Well, well. I see you're having a party without me," Satsuki cried from the door, crossing her arms over her chest. Mrs. Date and Sammy came up behind her a moment later.
"Sage, your sister and I are going to leave soon," she informed him, sharing a warm smile with the rest of the group as her greeting. "Your father and grandfather should be stopping by later today."
"Alright, Okaasan."
Sammy pouted, looking up at Mrs. Date with sad eyes. "You're leaving already?"
"Sammy, they have to get back home. You shouldn't hold them up," Laura scolded.
Mrs. Date smiled, kneeling down in front of the small child, who started to brood. "You want to come spend the afternoon with us at the dojo, Sammy?"
She nearly screamed in excitement. "Really?!" She immediately turned to her sister. "Can I?? Oneesan, can I??"
Laura sighed, not being too fond of the idea but knowing she'd end up saying 'yes' anyway. "If Mrs. Date doesn't mind watching you."
"It'd be no trouble at all," she returned brightly, getting up.
"YAY!!!"
"Sammy, don't cause them any trouble, okay?"
Sammy ran over to where Laura's duffel bag was, pulling out her own pink, miniature backpack and slipping it over her shoulder. "I won't, Oneesan!" she cheered, then grabbed her sister's hand. "C'mon! Walk out with us, okay?"
Laura was about to protest, but then saw the earnest look in her younger sister's eyes. She hadn't been spending enough time with her as of late, and they both knew that. With a sigh, she nodded. "Alright." She then turned to the other guys. "Be right back, okay?"
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
^^;; You know, every time I write my note out to all you readers, I feel very… cautious that I'd be struck by some blunt, heavy object. Anyway, I know it's been a while. At least I warned you about it. This chapter ended rather abruptly, especially since the last one-third of the conversation and the core reason of the Kinoku clan massacre has yet to be revealed. All upcoming attractions of the next chapter. ^^;; Hope all this talk didn't bore you. Tell me what you honestly thought about Laura's story/monologue. I was kinda iffy about that.
My next update will most likely be in the middle of May. At least I'll be seriously working on it then. Graduation preparation is what will take up my time, plus my animation video, if anyone wanted to know how my life's going. But pretty much, my life is on track. I want to thank all of you who emailed me with your support when I was away on my mental vacation. ^_^ I really appreciate it, and I'll be sending you guys a thank you email sometime in the future. I apologize if I wasn't able to reply to your emails or reviews.
Thanks again, minna!!