Consumed By Darkness

By KyouXKagura

Chapter Ten

Kagura turned towards her husband and he noticed there was something wrong, he asked what it was and held her close as she explained everything that she had heard through their daughter's door. Kyou looked towards the window and it was stormy night. He was still angry and jealous about Haru and Kagura's relationship but his daughter needed him.
"We have to go help." He told her and Kagura nodded as she brushed her hair out of her eyes whilst in his arms. "I know I couldn't bare it if something was to happen to Mayura." Kagura followed his look to the window and then nodded. He then placed a kiss on Kagura's forehead and hoped they would catch up with them at the Maehara Flower Shop in time. It wasn't that far away and if Kaori and Atlas had already left then by the time they were half way, they would probably already be inside the shop.

She looked down to the pavement and noticed the water on the side of the road.
"We're half way there, Kaori-san, don't worry." Kaori looked towards the male.
"Worried, who's worried, I'm just… fine." Yet seeing the shop in the distance made Kaori go cold and shudder. Atlas took her hand to reassure her and they started to go. Atlas now knew who he loved and loving Mayura gave him an authority to protect Kaori as if she were his sister as well. Kaori understood but she did still love Atlas as well. Atlas saw the shop come closer and closer and his connection with Mayura grew stronger and stronger and he heard her cries. She cried for him… she was fading though and that was also something he felt.

When they had arrived to the shop instantly Kaori ran in and he had to run after her to grab her around the wrist and say that they had to be careful:
"There could be anything in there, we can't get hurt not now… not after what's happened to Mayura." He told her and nodded as she then sincerely apologised for not thinking. "It doesn't matter." They looked around the spacious shop, many different flowers around, but definitely no roses on sale, they had to get down the basement… though it was when Kaori screamed that he turned around to see something sliver up her leg much like snake but it was obviously thorn like and the thorns were piercing into Kaori's legs as it threw her up into the air and threw her around like a flag or a… kite.

Atlas didn't know how he was going to save Kaori but he had to look around, well this wasn't a greenhouse so they're wasn't going to be any axes to cut down this beanstalk so what was he going to do other than use these… there was a pair of scissors on the desk, they wouldn't do much but they'd help for a start. He grabbed them and started to use the blades and use it much like a knife there was a hissing nose and soon the floorboards started to crack. Soon Atlas saw what exactly was grabbing Kaori, a giant flower with long yellow and green petals, this thorn like beanstalk was coming out of the centre which around it were… lips? The beanstalk was its tongue? This was soon confirmed as another cut caused green acid blood to spurt out, it caught his arm, although he winced in pain he had cut Kaori free and she grabbed some weed-killer and opened the bottle, and then she followed Atlas's words.

"My baby!" Kitsume cried as she looked through the portal as Kaori and Atlas murdered her flower child. "They killed my baby." Yarome just rolled his eyes as they looked towards Freda with eyes wanting to know what to do next.
"Calm yourself, Kitsume." Freda replied. "Send up something worse, something small, and something that will move fast." She said and Kitsume nodded as she formed a small mouse made of poison ivy with beady little eyes of dark green and it opened its mouth to show some sort of poison gas. It was at that time that it raced up to try and kill Kaori and Atlas.

Kaori saw the mouse first and screamed, she hated mice. Atlas noticed what it's made of.
"Don't touch it, Kaori; it's made of poison ivy." She shrieked even more but that was when the door opened and Kagura and Kyou had arrived. Don't know how she managed it but Kagura had found a brush and threw it at Atlas who started to hit the mouse with it…
"You deal with that thing, we'll find Mayura." Kyo spat as he and his wife headed down the stairs to the basement and heard some cackling from someone who they recognised but looked different:
"Mayura?" Kagura asked.
"Not exactly." Kitsume replied to Kagura showing something of a familiar glint in her eyes towards the old boar of the zodiac.
"Kitsume, is that you?" Kagura was shocked to see her. So she knew this evil witch?
"Hello Kagura-san, long times no see huh?" Kitsume laughed.
"You know her, Kagura?" Kyou asked shocked. He saw Yarome but no, he didn't know him and neither did Kagura.

Kaori yelled she utterly hated mice and this one wouldn't let up. She had to help her mother and father find Mayura and she had to get rid of this vermin but she had to most of all make sure Atlas wouldn't get hurt anymore. His burn looked serious already and it made her think it was her fault.
"I got it." She hadn't even noticed Atlas squash the mouse into the wall and smashed it with the hard edge of the broom before it could get away. She smiled but then remembered Mayura.

"She's part of the Sohma family Kyou, or well was part of the Sohma family. She was cursed two generations before us… she was the year of the tiger." She explained to her husband. "She died though… and she definitely wasn't that young." It was then that Kitsume said something about when you die you return to your prime which was what she was when she was nineteen and still cursed.
"How did she die?" Kyou asked his wife but Kagura replied with one word:
"Akito."