Chapter 12
Title: The festival.
Witten by: Shaun Witt
Ryu was heading for the door when Mai came down wearing a kimono with a blue and purple backgorund with a flower pattern on it.
"Ryu where are you going to?" Mai asked.
"I'm walking over to the priestess school. Did you want to come?" Ryu asked.
"Ok." Mai replied.
"My lord?" Maechen called out.
"Yes Maechen?" Ryu asked.
"Will you be going to the festival tonight that the village is holding for you?" he asked.
"Only if Mai will go with me." Ryu replied looking over at her.
"Very good." Maechen answered.
"You want me to go with you?" Mai asked.
"Of courseI do." Ryu answered.
"OK." Mai replied.
Mai fallowed Ryu out the door. Ryu walked along a dirt path that ran through a group of houses. along the way people were saying things like hello, glad your back and who is your lady friend? Some of the kids from the village would run around him and Mai trying to get his attenion and when they did he give them a little scare or he perform a little trick with his fox magic.
Ryu and Mai made it to the priestess school. They were gretted by the head master there.
"Welcome home Lord Ryu. Who might this be?" She asked.
"This is Mai and she is a very close and dear friend to me." Ryu answered her.
"What brings you to the school?" she asked.
"Wanted to know how your girls are doing with there training." he answered.
"Very well. I must also say that Kagome seem to be rather skilled." she began, "But she somehow broke one of the bows i had given her."
"Is my mother's last bow still in the shrine?" Ryu asked.
"Yes. "She answeered but then asked, "Should i retrieve it for you?"
"Please do. I'm goign to speak with Kagome so meet up with us when you got it." Ryu replied.
The priestess went off to the shrine which housed the sacred bow. Ryu and Mai walked through the school to the class room where Kagome was.
"Excause me butI like to speak to Kagome please." Ryu said poking his head into the room.
"Miss Kagome you are excaused." The teacher said.
Kagome got up and went outside. "Something you wanted?"
"I heard you broke one of the bows you were given." Ryu said.
"I'm not sure what happend. It just broke on me." Kagome replied.
Ryu saaw the preistess coming downt eh ahll with the bow. "That won't happen again since i am giving you something."
"Here is the bow you requestedI retrieve." the priestess siad.
"What is that?" Kagome asked.
"This is the bowI made for my mother on the days i was human. It is made out of sacred wood. It is a very strong bow and can stand up to alot of punishment. But my mom never had a chance to use it beofre she died, so it has been sitting in her shrine all of these years." Ryu said as he handed it over to her.
"That's right. Your mom was a human who married your father and then founded this school." Kagome said.
"Correct. Glad to see you are keeping up in your studies." Ryu said. "Take good care of that bow and it will take care of you."
"Ok. See you at the festival tonight." Kagome said. "Are you going to Mai?"
"Ryu is taking me." Mai said.
Kagome said bye to them and went back to class. Ryu and Mai went back to his house to get something to eat.
Mai and Ryu left the priestess school and walked back towards his house. They were about half way there when a young lady ran up to them.
"Lord Ryu hae you seen Kilala anywhere? I haven't seen her around my place for a couple of days now andI am very worried." she siad.
"Ryu who is this?" Mai asked grabbing his arm and holding it.
"This is Sango. She is the teacher at the Demon slayer school." Ryu answerd.
he looked at Sango and said, "I thinkI saw Kilala last night going into my shed."
"Did she look ok?" Sango asked.
"She was caring a fish and seemed to be a little tired. You may be surprised at what you will find." Ryu replied.
"I don't understand." Sango said.
"Just go and look for yourself." Ryu said. "If there is a problem with her using my shed for shelter you can come tell me later."
Ryu and Mai walked in the front door of his house while Sango walked around back. All of a sudden they heard her scream.
"What going on?" Mai asked confused.
"I say just found a litter of fire cats in my shed."
"Kittens? Think i can go look?" Mai asked.
"Go on ahead. If Sango needs any help then offer her yours." Ryu said heading upstairs to his room.
Ryu went upstairs and to a office area. he sat down at the desk, picked up a book and began to read. The book was a record of things his father had accumulated during his life.
"Something troubling you my lord?" Maechen asked as he walked in.
"Where are the records on my father's sword kept?" Ryu asked.
"You talk of the Kitsune blade, correct?" Maechen asked and Ryu nodded. "Those records are kept in the vault. ShallI retrive them?"
"No that is ok. I'll get them later." Ryu said.
Maechen excaused himself and left. Ryu continued to read the record book. But the sword kept invading his toughts.He decided to just get up and go down to the vault. When he reached the first floor though he was stopped by Kagome who had wanted to talk with him.
"Ryu can we talk?" Kagome asked holding the bow he had given her in her left hand.
"How is the bow working for you?" Ryu asked.
"Very well. It is so light and very accurate. But i still do not understand why you gave it to me." Kagome answered.
"I feel that you will get more use out of it then anyone. Was there something else?" Ryu asked.
"There is one other thingI wanted to know." Kagome said.
"What is that?" Ryu asked.
"Do you really let some of the demons in this valley attack the girls at the priestess school?" Kagome asked.
"Yes. But it is not what you think. The school does this to teach the girls how to repel and/or create a barrier with their bows. We never allow anyone to get harmed." Ryu said.
"That is good to know. Thanks for telling me this." Kagome said turning around to leave.
"Kagome, Kilala had some kittens and they are out back in my shed. Your more then welcome to go see them. You will find Sango and Mai out there with them." Ryu said.
Kagome turned around and went out the back door and Ryu continued his walk to the vault. When he reached the basement and before hims tood the doors to the vault. He walked over to the doors and unlocked them. The door slowly swung open until a large thud could be heard when the doors stopped.
Ryu moved through the doorway and into the vault. He walked over to a filing system that was set up to easily find the records one was looking for. After looking through it, he walked over to a large wooden trunk that was kept locked. Using a key haning from a hook on one of the shelves he unlocked the trunk.
Ryu looked inside and found a leather scroll case. Taking it out he walked over to a table sitting in the middle of the room and opend it. Inside where the records on the sword that was once his father's.
As he began looking through the diffrent section for what he watned to know a small slip of paper fell out from between the pages. Ryu picked it up. It was a note which his sister had written for him incase something happend to her.
Dear Ryu,
Ryu if you are reading this letter then i am no longer here in this world. I am sure the reason why you are looking through these scrolls are cause you found out about the second power of the sword. The first power is an energy wave capable of striking down many demons with a single blow.
But the second one is able to use the Demons own energy against him. You see father grew concerned for your Mother's well being and made this sword to protect her. He had went to a demon named Totosai and had him make it.
Totosai said he had modled it after another sword he had made, Named the Tetsaga. He understood the reasons behind Fathers feeling for your mother and that is why he did this for him.
Father had hoped to give the sword to you when you were ready to handle it but you had ran away before he could. On his death bed he gave me the sword and made me promise to give it to you and tell you all about it whenI had found you.
I would have loved to personaly hand this sword to you but i could not. I can only hope you use this sword to protect people.
One more thing little brother. Never forget that i loved you and never forget those in this valley who look up to you for protection and hope.
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Tears came to Ryu's as he finished the letter. He did not know how muched his siter had loved him until today. She always seemed very tough on him adn now he knew why. She wanted him to be well prepared for what life had in store for him.
Ryu carefuly rolled up the scroll, placed it back it the lether case and placed it back into the trunk. He walked out of the vault and closed the doors. He then walked back upstiars to find Maechen serving dinner.
"Ryu are you okay? Your eyes look red." Mai asked.
"I'm ok. A bit of dust got in them whileI was downstairs." RYu said sittign down to eat.
"Are we still going to the festival tonight." Mai asked.
"Of course."Ryu said.
"Good to know. I had picked out this very pretty KimonoI wanted to wear tonight." Mai said.
"What does it look like?" he asked.
"You'll just have to wait till tonight." She said and then stuck her tounge out.
"Lady Mai that is know way for a lady to act." Maechen stated.
"Maechen please do not start lecturing her on manners. Let her have some fun if she likes." Ryu said.
"Yeah what he said." Mai said smiling back at him.
Maechen thought to himself, "Well turn about is fair play." and he stuck his tounge back out at her and headed for the kitchen.
It was after sunset and everyone was gathering in the middle of the village. Several people had brought food and treats for everyone to enjoy. Ryu was waiting for Mai to show while he was talking with a few people.
"Here she comes Ryu." Kagome said pointing behind him.
Ryu turned around to see Mai wearing a dark purple kimono with a pattern of Lilly flowers on it. He slowly walked up towards her and took her hand and said, You look very lovely in that dress.
Mai was blushing and replied, "Thank you."
Everyone had fun that night. there was dancing, games to play, food to eat, and some entertainment. Everyone was happy to see Ryu home again. Sevral people came up to him during the night saying that his father would be proud of the lady he was choosing as his mate.
Ryu stood in the middle of the croud of people and spoke up. "EveryoneI have an announcement to make. Lord Sesshoumaru has placed me in charge of this areas Underground. But this is not the only thingI have to say."
He grabed Mai's hand and pulled her close to him, "This young ladies name is Mai and i have fallen in love with her. Please treat her with respect."
After everyone started cheering Mai and Ryu walked off alone together. Mai asked him, "Is what you said true?"
"Every last word of it. I love you deeply. Until i met you i had closed my heart off to everyone. You could say it was your kindness and sweet personality that finally allowed me to open up like this." Ryu responded.
"I love you, Kit" She said as she lend in adn kissed his lips.
The kiss went on for a few moment before they replised people were watching. Mai smiled and pulled Ryu into the people of a group who were dancing. They seem to spred out and a small area in the middle opened up for them to dance alone in.
This was the started of something wonderful for the two of them. Mai and Ryu would share much more time together.
To be continued...
