Chapter 2: Traveling Strangers
All of a sudden a blast came from behind them all and the two brothers turned around. Kaoru looked at them and then ran off. Rukk turned to the running girl and shouted for her to stop but she kept running and so he ran after her. Rakoru's hand stretched to his brother as he called for Rukk to help him but he just went towards the blast. Kaoru leaped over branches and she sort of went in a zig zag on how the forest's trees grew. She looked behind her and she couldn't see anyone following her. She looked in front of her and it was getting harder to run through. Trees and all kinds of debris crowded the area and she tripped over a branch that disguised itself. She slid on her front and came to a halt. Her eyes were shut tight and she tried not to breathe in anything she shouldn't. She opened her eyes and struggled up. Her knees were all cut up and her clothes were dirty. Kaoru tempted to dust off the dirt but the stains were going to be impossible to get out.
"ARGH!" Kaoru stumped her feet on the ground and dust of dirt flew up into the air from her feet. "Where to now?" she looked around her and trees and thorns made it look impossible to get through.
She collapsed to her knees and looked into the woods where she was heading to. A twig snapped behind her where she had came from and wolves surrounded her. They didn't look like ordinary wolves either. Their eyes glowed bright red and their abilities were ten times greater than a normal wolf. More of them jumped down with a big leap in between and her eyes went wide. The leader came out and leaped right towards her and Kaoru's eyes began to water and then she shut them. Her arms went out in front of her to some what block the animal but she trembled as she did this. Rukk came jumping in and punched the leader in the head, sending the wolf flying into a tree. The other wolves backed up and bowed their heads at Rukk. Kaoru opened one eye and saw one of the brothers lending a hand to her. She took it and he helped her up. She was yanked a little too up and her body leaned against his until she backed up. She blushed and he blushed back.
"What are you?" Kaoru's hands interlocked with one another.
"Huh?" Rukk's hair on his back began to stand.
"You heard me you you...what ever creature you call your self!" Kaoru's face got close to his as she yelled. "Your ears are pointy, you have fangs, and and and you can't possibly to a human" her face was red then she tried not to laugh.
"He's a wolf demon and so am I" Rakoru came out of a tree from above and landed next to his little brother. "Thanks for helping me bro" Rakoru cracked his knuckles and then slapped Rukk on the back of the head.
"Sorry" Rukk murmured and sat down.
"Soooo...what happened here?" Rakoru asked as he stared at the wolf lying down bleeding and a dent in a tree next to it.
"Wolf demons? How can this be? It's IMPOSSIBLE! I'm living through some kind of a night mare. But why?- I have to get away. I have to go home some how" She thought to herself as she stared at them both. "Well thanks for the rescue um Rukk? I have to find my way home now. Nice chatting with you both. Catch you later" She saluted to them and started to walk away until she was held back by Rukk.
"Wait you can't just leave by yourself. You have to come with us. You'll never make it if you go out into the forest alone. Other demons will be merciless and kill you. Possibly you'll become their meal" Rukk continued to hold Kaoru's hand and his cheeks were pure red. "Miss"
"My name is Kaoru. Kaoru Himari" She smiled. "Maybe they can help me. They seem to care but I don't know how long I can trust them" She continued to think to herself with different things"So where are we going?" she asked and then they were off to the demon wolf tribe village.
Rakoru walked ahead and Rukk and Kaoru walked beside each other, tempting to come up with a conversation. Rakoru looked behind him to them ever so often and shook his head. He kept thinking on how stupid his brother can be on how to put the moves on a girl and so he just let it slide. He would get her in the end he kept that idea in his mind. They arrived at a large cave deep into the forest she had entered before. Her eyes sparkled in the sun light and her heart kept beating faster and faster, as she scanned the area. She couldn't help but get the feeling that she was here once before but in a different life time. She hit herself on the head because of these silly thoughts. Squirrels chased one another in the trees, and birds chirped sharply. Kaoru stopped and felt paralyzed, her eyes went black and her mouth dropped a little. Rukk stopped walking and stared at Kaoru puzzled and Rakoru just kept going until he heard only his foot steps. He turned around and watched Kaoru just stand there with Rukk.
"Kaoru?" Rukk went to put his hand on her shoulder but he couldn't get closer.
His hand was being rejected. Some kind of barrier was permitting him from getting any closer to her. A minute passed and Kaoru's eyes got back their shine and she looked at the boys with an unsure expression.
"What are you staring at?" Kaoru placed her hands on her hips.
"Are you alright? You didn't look so well" Rakoru asked.
"Huh? What are you talking about?" She brought her arms up and crossed them.
"Ne...never mind" Rukk mumbled and then they walked themselves up the little mountain, where the cave sat.
Horse foot steps were heard in the distance and wolves howled as they made it up the mountain. Wolf demons like Rukk and Rakoru surrounded the place. Kaoru shivered but got over the chills and just continued forward. Both genders of wolf demons were in pairs and they stared at her like she was some kind of freak. They chuckled and she bowed her head slightly, staring at the ground as they moved on. Rukk and Rakoru directed her into the cave. It was dark in some spots and different shades of gray colored the hollow home of the wolf demon tribe. Small fires were scattered in small areas and more of the members of the tribe were surrounding them. She pulled down her skirt a little and fixed her tank top strap a little. They reached the end of the cave and an old wolf demon sat in a throne like chair. She gulped and sort of hid behind Rukk. Rakoru sat right next to the chair and crossed his arms and legs. The old wolf looked up at Kaoru and gasped. His hands reached for her and his eyes sparkled with tears drowning them. Rukk's eyes widened and he bowed down to him. Kaoru stepped forward and then she was tugged towards the old wolf. She gasped and her heart skipped a beat or two. He grasped her and hugged her tight. He was all action and couldn't speak his thoughts or nothing. Rakoru stood up at the sight and walked over to his brother. Rukk had the feeling, he knew Kaoru had something that he couldn't figure out. It had to be her.
"Oh dear child! My dear child!" the old wolf rocked her back and forth in his arms.
"What is going on!" now she was freaking out a little.
"Good job Rukk and Rakoru. You've found her. You found the one who is going to save us all from Darmoru" He smiled and everyone became silent.
"WHAT!" Rakoru collapsed. "She's a human! How the hell is she going to save us all from Darmoru?" Rakoru pleaded.
"I knew she looked familiar" Rukk winked at Kaoru.
"Whoa...I'm only a fifteen year old girl who loves to go out and likes to socialize with my friends. I'm not a hero and yes I am a human so how am I suppose to help?" Kaoru placed a hand on her chest and another out to her side.
"You are Princess Kaoru Munoru. You've been taken from your home for fifteen years to save you from Darmoru's minions" the old wolf claimed.
"PRINCESS?" Kaoru bursted out. "Whoa! Stop! Rewind! ME a PRINCESS? Now that is just insane. There are no Princesses anymore and I'm definitely not a on of those people. It's impossible and this whole thing is too" Kaoru was now confused and scared.
"There is in the ancient times of the darkest ages of Japan!" the shocking words rang in Kaoru's head.
"Oh...my...lord" Kaoru murmured and then fainted.
"Kaoru!" Rukk caught her as she fell to the ground.
"Princess!" the old wolf, Dimowki, shouted and the room became loud with small talk.
"It's really her master?" Rukk held Kaoru in his arms bridle style as he stood up and looked upon her frail face.
"I'm sure of it! Can't you feel the power she holds within her mortal state? Boy you were meant to find and protect her. That's why you are here Rukk; You and your brother were sent from your tribe to help us find the one who can defeat Darmoru" he smiled meekly. "Now let her rest on the straw bed over there. She will come through soon and we will have to talk to her about her duty and such. Rukk I want you to go get something for the poor girl to eat and Rakoru go spread word throughout the tribes. Princess Kaoru has come home" the old wolf pointed to the straw bed and directed the two brothers.
"Yes master" Rukk sped off and Rakoru took his time to get where he was going.
"Can this be really happening to me? I don't understand how this could be. Me a princess? Me saving those demons from another demon? I can't even accomplish keeping my self in top condition! For god sake, I can't do this. I can't. Some one please get me out of this and give me a reality check because I really need one at the moment. MANI! MOM! HELLLLPPP! I want to go home" -Kaoru's thoughts as she slept soundly on the straw bed.
"Princess Kaoru Munoru shall rein upon her given land and save lives of both mortal and demonic creatures of the world. Our deliverer has come back and found her way to her lands that have fallen ill to the tyrant Darmoru" Dimowki took some remedy into his hand and sprinkled it all over the sleeping Kaoru.
She twitched and then she curled up to herself. Hours passed and the sleeping girl had waken but when she did, there was no one in the cave. She had opened her eyes to an empty cave and sat up in wonderment. She scratched her head, letting some pieces of straw let loose out of her hair. She stood up and walked to the opening of the cave to the outside. It was dark and the only light that lit up the whole land was the moon and the stars. She let down her hair from being in a pony tail and she shook her head till her hair settled. She looked around her and there wasn't any one in sight. Where could have they gone? She went down the little hill and traveled a little across the treeless land. She heard a familiar noise coming from in front of her and it sounded like running water. She ran around the mountain and found a small hot spring in the mist. Her eyes sparkled with delight and then she quickly became undressed and then jumped right in. Water came up from her splash and she was completely under until she brought her head to the surface. She smiled and rubbed the water from her eyes away so that she can see. The spring was hot enough for her to just bare it. Steam rose from the water and the heat made her whole body relaxed. She let her head down a little until the water was just below her nose and up. She closed her eyes and just let the water take her attention.
Meanwhile with the Wolf Demon Tribes:
"Are you certain you have found Miss Kaoru Munoru? She hasn't been seen in fifteen whole years! How come she all of a sudden just appears before us at last?" Fuji Jin, one of the Wolf Demon leaders from another tribe in the west proclaimed.
Fuji Jin was pretty old for his age as a Wolf Demon and wore a whole bunch of armor. Under neath the many armor, he wore a kimono that was white with blue stripes everywhere. He was bare foot as like every wolf was.
"She followed me" Rukk spoke up.
"Followed you? FOLLOWED YOU! That could mean that just a human followed you and her name is Kaoru. It doesn't mean a damn thing!" Fuji Jin squealed.
"Dimowki you come here today to tell us that Princess Kaoru Munoru has returned. Simply following this young boy Rukk could just mean he should be more careful in the human era and some girl decided to follow him. She's got you thinking wrong old man" Another leader from the south named Korro shook his head.
"Thanks a lot for crushing our hopes old man!" Montu from the north yelled and all three tribes began to leave.
"Well in all the seven hells! Wait just a second! No mere human can pass through the mirror in the woods. Only the chosen ones can. Rukk and Rakoru are the only demons who can surpass it and only the one who was sent away to the human world can. It only makes sense that the Princess, and her three protectors can pass through time and save us all. Now how the hell do you explain Miss Kaoru's ability to pass through time? Tell me that" Dimowki yelled and every one stopped moving.
"He's right. Kaoru Munoru, her protector from the future, my brother and me are the only ones who can pass through the mirror. Her name is Kaoru and she has passed through following me. It's only destiny that she had to follow me. Think to yourselves and try to find in your minds that maybe she could be her" Rukk stepped in front of his leader.
"Okay, but if she turns out to not the one. Your head will be in trouble" Fuji Jin and all the other leaders agreed.
"She's the real thing" with that, the almost normal looking wolves howled to the moon and Kaoru could hear them.
"Rukk can you go check on our Princess?" Dimowki asked and Rukk was off.
Rukk arrived at his lands and could smell Kaoru's scent from two different places. He scratched his head and headed towards the spring first. He peeked behind the mountain and saw Kaoru just sitting in the spring water. He moved his foot and it had broken a twig against the ground. He gasped for he feared she was going to go a wall on him but she just sat there with her eyes closed. He took in a breather but then he noticed why she didn't move an inch when he had broken that twig. Naturally if someone was spying on a woman while she was bathing, they would react very quickly when a little noise was heard. The water began to glow bright green and he fell backward. She rose and her eyes opened with no light to them. He stared at her eyes and then he jumped up to her but was repelled and Rukk landed right in the spring. She lowered down and her eyes gained their light again and then she screamed.
"PRINCESS! It's not what you think!" He pleaded but he was slapped right in the face any way.
"You hentai!What are doing in here while I'm in the nude?" She was completely under beside her head.
"I saw you in the spring and then you rose up in the air and I went to get you down but-" Rukk tried to explain but Kaoru stopped him before he could finish.
"I...I...I was FLYING?" Kaoru asked as she put on her clothes.
"Eh...you can say that" Rukk shrugged.
"This is awesome but I don't remember flying" She was expressing some happiness and frustration.
"Wait you don't remember? How weird...hmm actually if I think about it now, you didn't even realize you just stopped and was staring at nothing before. What could this mean?" Rukk sat down and then the bushes began to rustle and someone came out into the opening.
"That's because she is growing in power my dear boy. Every time she blacks out, the power level she consumes throughout time here, adds to the rest of her powers. Princess Kaoru's powers are not fully gained but within time she will be the most powerful human no one has ever seen!" Dimowki smiled at Kaoru and nodded at Rukk and then left.
"Rukk" Kaoru sighed.
"Yes?" Rukk gazed into her eyes.
"Where is the mirror that connects this era to mine?" She smiled weakly and got closer to him.
"It's northeastern from here I guess. Maybe a little more east but I'll take you right now if you want" Rukk was puzzled but didn't bother to question her.
"I'd like that" She walked in front of him and looked straight into his blue eyes and her lips glittered in the moon light.
He stared at her lips for a second and then back into her brown eyes. He gulped and placed her on his back and ran towards the mystical mirror that led to her time in Tokyo. She laid her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. She could feel his breathing from his back and his breath was heavy. She was still as he glided through the forest and he looked back at her calm face from time to time. The moon shone down on them and kept over head as always and in its background, glistened the stars, showing off their shine. It was like a show that you can see every night and see the same thing or something new. Crickets and frogs took up sound in the back ground and sometimes the wind itself joined in by making the mighty trees waver with. In matter of minutes, the two arrived at the spot where the mirror was placed. She opened her eyes slowly and saw the moon in the reflection. She smiled and it became mesmerizing until Rukk lowered down for her to get off. She did and she stepped over to the mirror and stared at herself and Rukk could be seen in the background. He watched her closely and then she turned around to him and he looked back at her. She looked confused and unsure of herself and Rukk couldn't think of anything to say to make her not confused and unsure.
"Rukk can I be - can I be alone for a while to think?" Kaoru smiled gently and her face glowed like an angel to him.
"Sh...sure. What ever you want my Princess" he smiled back and jumped in the air while performing a back flip into the woods.
"Okay then...what am I to do? I don't want to fail these demons. They are counting on some hero Princess and I can't even pass on being a good daughter, sister, and defiantly a student. How the hell am I suppose to save them if I can't even save myself. It doesn't make any sense and more like a wannabe dream. I can't stay here. I have to go back and not come here. They can manage without me and if they can for fifteen years then that wont be a problem" Kaoru said to herself and looked back for where Rukk had gone to. "Good-bye Rukk. I'm sorry I'm letting you and everyone down but if I stay I wont succeed. I just know it" She took in a deep breath and got closer and the mirror shook.
She gasped but then she reached her hand out and it went right throw. She walked further until she was completely in and then she ended back to the old shrine she had gone the morning of the whole thing. She could hear cars and all different familiar sounds she had come accustom to. She smiled and ran towards where she knew the door was. She opened it and it was dark and the city buildings glowed with its lights. Street lights lit up perfectly and cars with their high beams and such passed on by. She jumped up and down while clapping her hands and smiled brightly. She looked back at the mirror and frowned, she liked the fact she could travel back to the era of the warring states but she was also scared to go back. What would happen if the mirror wasn't here and she wasn't able to go back if she even wanted to? She walked over to the mirror and touched the rim of it and she could feel a pulse. She repeat that she wished she could make the mirror smaller and then it happened, the mirror glowed and she was sent back a little. The mirror wasn't visible because of the beaming light and then it was dark again. The mirror was some what smaller more like half what it was, but still too heavy for her to travel back to the house. She tried it again but nothing happened. She wasn't strong enough and she practically used up all the power that she conjured up.
"How am I suppose to bring this home?" She sank to her knees and let her body loose.
To be continued...