Chapter Four: All My Breath
If I ever forgot you, I wouldn't be able to live with myself.
Every minute we were together.
Every moment we were apart.
My memories of you stain my mind.
And when I try to erase our past I'm left in the darkness.
--An ordinary day is how it started out to be. With clear skies everyone went on like they did everyday. Then, the peacefulness was torn by the loud sound of gunshots. Soon, the sidewalk was covered in blood. But, the blood that was attended was not the blood that was shed. And breath was taken away before breath was given. These facts turned everything dark as tears dropped on the corpse that was getting colder. There was a kiss on the cheek that continued to lose its color. He could feel the life slipping away from her.--
Whoa. Was that a dream? Defiantly not, it was a nightmare. But, there was so much blood to be an ordinary nightmare. And it felt as if it were all real, something I've been through before.
"Are you all right?"
It's just Hiei. He startled me. I guess he has the right to worry. I just woke up suddenly and I'm drenched in sweat. My breathing is heavy and I'm shivering. Who wouldn't worry? Wait, why is he awake? How long has he been sitting in that chair in the corner of the room?
"I'm fine. Why are you awake?"
"I couldn't sleep."
I wonder why. Did he have a nightmare, as well? I wish he would tell me these things. Then again, I never tell him anything either. A relationship through secrecy will never last. I hope they were wrong. It hurts too much to lose another.
"What do you want to do?"
He looks like he's in deep thought. Hiei's always looked like that, but in reality, he doesn't always think everything through. His tough disposition makes up for his lack of common sense. (EGF: Uh…Dia? Have you ever noticed that all your sons lack common sense. Maybe that's saying something.)
"They bloom today. Let's go see them."
Of course. Today the cherry blossoms bloom. I don't understand why he is so obsessed with them. Maybe, it has something to do with his past. In that case, I won't ask. It's none of my business.
"Sure." I smile when I answer him. It makes Hiei blush when I smile at him.
Now, here we are. In the city you have to go to a botanical garden in order to witness the cherry blossoms. I prefer the ones in the wild.
We both enjoy coming here and are good acquaintances with the people that work here. He enjoys plants and gardens as much as I do. I wish he were the only one. I wish Hiei was the only one I ever wanted to be with.
But instead, Hiei plays a more important role. He will tell my future. It's either third times a charm, or three strikes and I'm out. If things work out I will achieve everlasting happiness. If they go bad then love was not meant for me.
I remember my first strike. I don't know why I ever loved him, but it happened. Then his stupidity and reliance on that damned pendant cost him his life. We had just realized our feelings for each other far surpassed friendship, and then all that had to happen.
It was like every other time we went on a job to steal something valuable. Each time we stole another item we were risking our lives, but this time something went terribly wrong. We had been discovered and they were after us. We were so close, it seemed like we were going to make it, until I heard his scream of agony. I turned back and he was injured. I wanted to help him, but he told me to keep going or I would die too.
He told me to go ahead. Kuronue, he had…he had sacrificed his life to see me live on. And I listened to him. Though his face pleaded for my survival I still feel like I abandoned him. I feel like I could have saved him. The wounds never really healed.
"Yoko. Don't space out on me."
He looks so serious right now. I can't tell what he's thinking. Hiei may have the power of telepathy, but I surely do not.
Temporarily I will separate myself from Hiei. It's the only way to resist my current urge to kiss him. I hate doing things like that in public. It makes me feel like everyone's watching, so it can get embarrassing. I believe Hiei's the same way.
As I walk to one end I take the time to admire all the plants I see. Manipulating my spirit energy using plants makes me build a certain connection with them.
Now, they're turning on the sprinklers. That's just fine with me. Even though, it reminds me of when I first met her.
It was raining that day. I had been traveling for days without food or water. I was nearly beaten to a pulp before being able to destroy an army of demons and their master. The cold rains were, as it seemed, going to be my executioner.
My body temperature began to rise and the blood was still dripping from my wounds. My vision was becoming blurry. That's when I recognized the dark blue umbrella in contrast with the gray sky. There was a girl there, but I only caught a slight glimpse of her worried face before I blacked out.
I remember waking up and hearing someone hum. That's when I decided to open my eyes. The first thing I saw was a ceiling. I sat up and realized how much pain I was in. I was covered in bandages.
"Are you feeling okay? I don't want you to strain yourself," a sweet voice spoke to me from the doorway. I turned to look. I slightly recognized her as the girl I saw in the rain. She was holding a tray that had a little bowl of soup on it.
"Who are you and why did you help me?"
She smiled, revealing the ivory white fangs that stood out against her dark skin. She was a demon. Her hair was black with red streaks, but with the invention of hair dye that wasn't too unusual. Her violet eyes were so soft you could've swore she was a human.
"My name is Sayomi Hatsutori. My reasons are of no importance."
Sayomi, the name sounded so good, especially with the sound of her soothing and seductive voice. I noticed a certain grace about her while she walked over and set the tray on the table next to me.
"You know nothing about me. You don't even know my name."
"That is where you're wrong, Mr. Yoko Kurama. You were probably out trying to save the world, resulting in your near death," I saw the playful smirk form at the corners of her mouth, "I know more than you think."
"You've obviously done your homework. So, Ms. Hatsutori, who are you?"
"Actually, the question you really want to ask is what am I."
I sat there in silence. She was good, but who was she?
"Are you a demon?"
She sat down in a chair that was in the room. The same chair Hiei was sitting in. She smiled again.
"Honestly, you're only half right."
"A hanyou? How were you able to mask your power so well?"
"Great people can do extraordinary things."
She stood up to leave the room. Before leaving she looked at me with kind eyes. She was so mysterious, yet it was hard to tell.
I laughed. "You confuse me."
"Then, don't think anymore. Lay down and eat."
Once she left she began humming like she was before. Her voice was so relaxing and beautiful, like an angel's.
I've just realized where I am. My walk down memory lane caused me to space out. I think Hiei tried to take advantage of that. I can sense him behind me.
"Hiei."
"Hm?" He was defiantly surprised.
"Do you wanna go now?"
"Sure."
After leaving the botanical gardens we ended up at a cliff. There's really not much to do in this town. So, of course we end up here.
Hiei looks troubled, like he has something heavy on his mind. It could be a painful memory. I want to know what he's thinking about.
"You okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine."
A song started to play in the background. It made me think of her again, a mixture of happiness and sadness. A mystery of what the next note would be because there is no distinct pattern at all. Ironic, I swear this was the song Sayomi would hum.
She would sit in that garden that would soon be inherited to me and hum that song. That garden was her life. She put all her love in those plants.
Some days I would help her in the garden. I remember every discussion we would have. One day she began to say unusual things while we were in the garden.
"I think…when I die, if I die, I would like to be cremated. I think my ashes would be more useful than my rotting corpse. Either way I could be used as fertilizer."
"Why would you want to do that? And, what brought that up?"
"Why not? If I'm gone my body is obviously no use to me."
"You're strange. Why are you deciding to tell me this?"
"Because…" she stretched up to my ear to whisper in it, "you always take care of me."
"Of course."
She kissed my cheek like an innocent little girl. Afterwards I grabbed her wrists and pulled her close to me. She smiled when I looked into her eyes. Before long my lips were pressed against her soft, think lips. I wanted time to freeze at that point while we were so close to each other.
I sat there and paused. Now that I think about it, could she have been trying to send me a message?
As I come back to reality I look over at Hiei. The wind was blowing through his hair, making him seem like an icon of tranquility, but I can see the pain hidden his eyes. It breaks my heart to see him so sad.
I walk over to him and kneel behind him. Then I wrap my arms around his small body. He seems to be sinking into my embrace.
"Yoko, let's go home."
I nodded and got up. Then I realized, he said "home". Does he really feel at home? This place, here with me, is that really his home? Our home?
When we got to the house I checked the messages. There were two messages. One from Takiyo and one from Jakotsu, I expected no different.
I walk out to the garden. Hiei's probably in there. He's always in the garden. Just like her, always in that garden that was given to me not too long ago. My gift before she left this world. I remember that day so clearly.
We were walking, just because it was a beautiful day. Then this maniac attacked me out of no where. He was going on about how I stole a family heirloom and killed much of his family some hundred years ago.
I wasn't paying attention to him until he pulled out a gun. That is when I panicked. I could see the anger and vengefulness in his eyes.
He shot the gun. I thought I was a goner, especially when I heard the bullets hit flesh. Blood sprayed on my face, but it wasn't mine.
"Sayomi!" I screamed when I saw her body falling to the ground. I caught her before her corpse hit the concrete.
She gave me a weak smile and touched my cheek. She then closed her eyes. I could hear her breathing slowing and becoming fainter.
"Someone call an ambulance!"
Next thing I remember I was sitting in the waiting room at the hospital. I had seen the doctor coming towards me.
"Are you Yoko Kurama?"
"Yes."
"I have some bad news. Sayomi Hatsutori died a half an hour ago."
I looked down at the ground. I could feel tears forming in my eyes.
"What about…?"
"I'm afraid I have more bad news. We weren't able to save your son either."
I couldn't help it after that. The tears ran down my face as I punched a whole in the wall in a twist of despair and rage. Then their murderer was brave enough to approach me.
"Look, I'm sorry."
I attacked him by slamming him against the wall by his neck. I could tell he couldn't breath.
"The love of my life and my son are dead! I think this goes beyond simple apologies!"
"You're right. I deserve to die, so just kill me."
I could tell that I wasn't being deceived. I really wanted to, but for some reason I could not. It was because of her influence in my heart.
"No. If there in anything that Sayomi taught me it's that killing is not the answer."
I let him go. He looked surprised, as if I had revealed that I was someone else. I walked out the room with my head down.
It didn't happen too long ago and the mere thought of that memory makes my heart throb in pain.
In the garden I saw Hiei sitting on a bench. I lay down on that bench with my head on his lap. In this position I can see the tomato plant perfectly.
I started to fall asleep as Hiei combed through my hair with his pale, warm hands. I took and kissed his hand. Then I pulled him closer to me to satisfy my longing for his lips. While my lips were in connection with his I wished time could stop. I knew better, but it was my dream to be with Hiei forever. It was my dream.
Heh heh. Sorry it took soooo long to update this. I was caught up in band stuff and just never had the time. Then the season ended and I would've finished and did finish, but I had other priorities. Notice my sudden jump in number for stories authored. I have time now, so I'm updating. I also wanted to look over it to see if there was anything I wanted to change. I changed my mind because I'm lazy. Well, review if you have any comments, suggestions, or flames. If you don't review I'll USE MY BLACK MAGIC TO CURSE YOU TO AN ETERNITY OF SUFFERING. Lol review!
Oh and thank you KoorimeKitsune (I think that is your name) for pointing out the spelling errors in my author note. . I had also realized a confusing element in my story, I hope I fixed it. O.O