Ch 47 – Last Omakes For A While… Really

V 1.0

A/N 1: Warning – disturbing imagery in this chapter, especially in the second part.

Inside Keitaro's Head (Taro, Hiro, and Yukiko)

Yukiko's POV

I was 200 human years old when I first left my father's home on the mountain.

I wandered through the trees and the snow, literally in my element. I would remain unseen, watching those that came and fought and died.

I was not impressed at first. All I saw where men that were not much more than beasts, hurting each other, taking from the weak and defenseless, destroying life on the mountain; the trees for their fires, the animals to sate their hunger. I saw men betray each other for the flimsiest of reasons, literally stab each other in the back, abandon their comrades to protect their own lives.

The worst was when those men came across the poor women that lived in the settlements on the mountain. Those encounters never ended well.

I was only conscious and free during the winter; in the autumn I would wake from my slumber and wander the mountain again throughout the cold and the snow and the wind; once spring arrived I would begin to weaken and then fall asleep again, not waking until the next autumn. I was always hoping to find something different, someone different. For the longest time I did not; even the men that were not warriors would treat each other badly, looking out only for themselves. Each encounter with them was the same, with the look of hunger, of desperation, of selfishness bright in their eyes. After a while I was all too glad to let the shinigami take them after I wrapped them with my wind and cold.

But then he came. The first I saw of him was a figure struggling along a mountain road, wearing a heavy coat that barely kept the cold away, using a spear to help keep him standing, trudging through snow that was knee high, visibly hungry and exhausted.

I had seen men push themselves beyond their limits before. But it had been because they were in battle, because they had been hunted by other men, by the children of the forest yipping and howling behind them, so there was always the feeling of terror, of desperation, of willingness to do whatever it took to survive.

But this man was different. Yes there was fear in him, but there was also determination, a resolve to keep going where almost anyone else would have given up.

When I spoke to him I could see that he recognized what I was. That was not uncommon; what was unusual was that he did not beg or plead for his life. Instead he spoke of honor and duty and meant it. He was willing to die completing a mission given to him by a man who did not respect him. So I let him pass, and then I did something that he did not understand; I kissed his cheek, giving him a minuscule portion of my power, marking him so that I could find him again should I choose, so that I could watch him from afar.

And watch him I did. I saw him deliver his message to his lord before collapsing into the mud before him. I saw him refuse rewards for his dedication to duty, taking the replacement clothing he was given with reluctance. I saw him put in charge of a group of men and treat them with respect, doing his share of the work when he was not expected to. And I saw him face his former commander, finally losing all respect for him when he saw how badly he acted and treated others, how he attempted to shirk his own duty.

It was that night when I appeared to him again. After speaking with him, I decided that I wanted to keep watching him, to see what he would do with his rewards, with his new rank and responsibilities. But it was not until I was about to leave that I made my fateful decision; when he asked for my name, I gave it to him, giving him the power to summon me to him. This was not a bond or attachment; if he tried to bind me I could still fight and free myself by killing him with my power. But it was at that moment that I decided that it was worth the risk.

After that I kept watch on him that winter. I saw as he performed his duty to his lord, as he treated everyone with respect no matter their rank or position. He was just as polite to the workers in the field as he was to the daimyo; he treated bushi as though they were members of his family. But it was not until I saw him in battle that I saw his true self.

He and his friend had been sent on a mission and had been ambushed along the way, the two of them being thrown from their horses. The friend's horse had been struck by a heavy lance and fallen atop of his leg, trapping him in place. Seeing that, the attackers rushed him with the intent of overwhelming him by sheer numbers, six to one.

I expected him to run away, to abandon his friend. I expected him to beg for his life. I expected him to die. I had seen all of the above happen to men in similar situations. Instead he dropped the spear he was carrying, drawing his sword and picking up his friend's as well. It was then that he whispered the words "Lady Yukiko, give me strength."Those words and his belief in them activated the portion of power I had marked him with.

I had seen the warriors of my family fight before; their battles lit up the night sky with lightning, flattened forests with howling winds. But this was not the gods battling oni, this was a single man fighting to protect his friend, and it was no less epic. He wielded each sword as though it was an extension of him; he moved as though he was dancing; it was as though he had eyes in the back of his head. For a brief moment in time a god strode the earth and he struck down all before him until only a single enemy remained, a pockmarked youth barely able to hold his sword without trembling.

For what seemed to be an eternity the two stared at each other, one utterly cold and ready, the other terrified and shaking. Finally he jerked his head to the side, silently telling the youth to go away. Standing frozen in fear, it was not until the word 'RUN!" was roared at him that he broke and ran into the forest, leaving only two living men on that road, one staring at the other with wide eyes.

He stayed silent as he gave his friend his sword back and dug him out from under his dead horse. He stayed silent as he loaded his injured friend onto his own horse and lead him back to the daimyo's castle, walking alongside. It was not until they were almost at the gate that he spoke, and it was only to ask him not to tell anyone what had happened, to merely say that they had been ambushed and that they had both driven the enemy off.

The friend had not been able to do so, although by no fault of his own. The pockmarked youth had told everyone what had happened on that road, and the story of a single man wielding two swords fighting off and killing a half dozen men to protect his friend spread like wildfire. It was talked about in the roadside taverns, whispered by travelers on roads, gossiped about in the pleasure houses among the working girls and their customers. It was not a week later that the friend was summoned from the healers by the daimyo and ordered to give a full account.

When he was summoned before the daimyo all he had to say for himself was that he had fought to protect his friend, that they had both performed their duty and nothing more. The daimyo disagreed of course, and told him that he wished he had a thousand such men, that with those men they could storm Hell itself and come out the other side.

When talk of a reward started he demurred, saying he was simply a scribe. The daimyo laughed aloud agreeing with him, saying he had never had such pretty calligraphy done on his official orders before. But instead of giving him a field command like he had intended, the daimyo instead gave him the additional duty of official adjutant of the Life Guard, the junior officer after the captain and lieutenant of the unit. Those two worthies had been given their posts because they were nobles for political reasons and most of the real work was done by the bushi sergeant. The daimyo said with a chuckle that this way he could still keep protecting his friend and doing his duty before dismissing them

That was not the only time my power was invoked. Since the power passed through blood, descendants could call upon my power, and through the years and centuries they had, usually in war. But in the last century my power had not been called to be used in battle, and it was not by men either. The first time this century had been by a young girl carrying her injured brother in the middle of a massive conflagration in a city. The flames had been so large and widespread that it looked as though they were standing in Hell itself. My power gave the girl the strength and speed to outrun the fires with her brother on her back, but the winds that were part of the power whipped the flames into a massive firestorm that reached into the Heavens themselves. The second time my power was called was by a young woman being physically assaulted during a bandit attack in a land across the sea. The young woman was so panicked that she took too much of my power into her too fast, damaging her emotionally.

But now I was being summoned again. I was asleep on the mountain when I heard the chanting, heard my name being called from afar. At first I could barely hear it, let alone determine where it came from. But there was a massive flare of power, as though oil had been thrown upon a bonfire, and that woke me completely. Dropping into the spirit world I was able to travel thousand of leagues in a moment, reappearing over the sea far from my mountain. It was then that I saw him.

I knew that my beloved had passed on centuries ago, fighting to protect others. I knew that he had not yet reached his final reward, as his destiny had not been completed. But it was as though he was standing before me, calling for my aid, drawing on my power that had passed on through his blood. I could see the power the turtle familiar had added to his, could hear his calls for strength to avenge his dead friend, to bring back the young girl stolen away. Most of all, he was calling for help to become as strong as need to do his duty as honor demanded.

At first I hesitated. Along with my power in his blood I could sense a demonic taint, the same taint that had taken my beloved from me. But as I floated before him and stared into his eyes, I could see that he had the will to do what needed to be done, no matter the cost.

Finally I made my decision. Diving into him in my spiritual form, I flooded his body with my power. I could sense the seals that limited his power, but I could also sense that they were also limiting how much influence the demonic taint would have on him. Increasing my power flowing through him, eventually the seals fractured, staying in place yet allowing more power through, power that pulled me deeper into him.

After a long instant in the darkness I saw a light before me, one that rapidly grew larger. I then burst out into the light, and after a moment I was able to get my bearings.

I was standing in a clearing in a forest much like that where I came from. There was a light dusting of snow over the ground, there was a campfire burning next to a small pool of water; a small tent of modern manufacture was in front of it and standing before it was a young man in gi and hakama, one that to my surprise wore the same face of my beloved, who was looking at me with wide eyes.

"Um…who are you, Miss?" The young man spoke in the modern dialect of these times.

"I am Lady Yukiko, the Snow Child of the Mountain Palace. Who would you be, and where are we?" I asked in return, looking about myself. While there were no signs of the modern world that had grown since my times, there was a feeling of raw power around me that I had only felt when I was at home with my family.

"We are in the mind of Keitaro Urashima. This is a visual representation of his mind, and I am an aspect of it. Mostly I deal with things that require learning and intelligence," the young man replied.

"Do you not have a name yourself?" I asked.

"Why would I? I am a part of Keitaro, and truth to tell there really is not anyone for me to speak to…at least anyone I would want to speak with until now." His lips quirked in a smile as he spoke. "And now a question of my own. You are the true Lady Yukiko, not just another aspect? The yuki-onna my ancestor dealt with, that has been assisting my ancestors through the years?"

"Yes, I am. When you, or at least Keitaro, summoned me to assist him in breaking his chi seals, I decided the best way to do so would be to overload them with my own power and merged my spiritual form with his physical one. That is why I here, at least until I decide to leave." Looking down at myself, I could see that I was floating a short distance above the ground and that I was wearing my white yukata. Feeling my power still flowing though me, I decided on a test. Concentrating, I slowly gained a physical form, my feet touching the ground, my body becoming solid. Once the brief moments of dizziness passed, with a wave of my hand a mirror formed floating in front of me, showing that my long white hair had become coal black with a straight fringe in front of my forehead, that my countenance had gained a faint pink tinge instead of it's normal paleness, and that my dark red eyes had gained some brown in them, making them maroon in color. My yukata had changed from a solid white to that of a medium grey with white embroidery suggesting snowflakes, and I was now wearing sandals on my feet.

"Impressive." The young man said. "Is there a reason you did that?"

"If I am to stay here to assist on your quest, I may as well make myself comfortable." Looking about, with another wave of my hand a small shrine appeared next to his tent, one that was barely large enough to sit and lay down inside. A folded futon formed inside of it, and a fabric curtain with the symbol for my name stretched across the open doorway. "Hopefully you will not mind the company."

"Of course not. I always welcome the opportunity to have a civilized conversation with someone else, something that my companion is somewhat lacking in." The smile on his face dropped off somewhat as he finished speaking.

"Companion?" I queried.

"I am an aspect of Keitaro's personality, not the entirety of it." The young man tilted his head, and looking off to the side I saw something I had missed earlier. A crude hut made of branches and trees leaves covered with snow, looking as though it was an animal den, was on the other side of the tent. A hut that now had the sounds of a low chuckle coming from it.

"You make it sound like you don't like talking to me, boy." With a rustle the hut began to shake before some of the branches parted and a figure came out in a low crouch before standing at his full height. This figure was dressed in dirty black and grey robes, standing barefoot on the ground. His long hair was black with grey streaks in it, and standing in a haphazard fashion, although two tufts stood on the top of his head, looking as though they were animal ears. His unshaven face was rough and weather beaten, with heavy brows over narrowed eyes. What looked to be a katana was thrust though the thick rope wrapped twice around him as a belt, the sheath covered in black lacquer with cracks showing red wood beneath. But what drew her attention more than even the sword were his arms. His robe had the sleeves torn away, and all around his arms were chains, wrapped around from his wrists to over his elbows. But while the chains stayed on his arms, they looked to be broken somehow, with shattered links hanging and clinking together.

"I suppose I should thank you, spirit girl. I haven't been this free in years." The ronin – and that is what he looked like, the original masterless samurai that took up banditry in feudal times – shook his arm, making the broken links jingle. "It's a real shame though, it's only because of book boy over there that I wasn't able to break free completely."

"Please, do not tell me that you have a demon in here?" I was just able to control the horror in my voice.

"No, Hiro is not a demon," the young man explained. "He is another part of Keitaro, the instinctual, the passionate, the protective. But what he does have is a taint as a result of being exposed to a demon long ago. That taint was sealed away long ago, but when you loosened the chi seals…"

"I loosened his seals as well," I finished. I looked toward the other man as he stood there smirking at me. Now that I was looking at him more closely, I could see that he looked much like the aspect I had been speaking with, although with his worn features and clothing, he looked to be an older brother.

"And it's a damn good thing you did. He's going chasing after that little girl, he's going to need every trick he has to pull that off to get her back from those bandits that got her." Hiro hawked and spat to the side.

Looking away from such vulgar behavior, I turned toward the aspect. "What exactly happened with the girl? All I know is that Keitaro called upon me to help recover the girl, that she had been taken during a bandit attack."

"It would take too long to explain." The aspect motioned toward the pool of water in front of his tent. "Through the Waters of Sight you can see for yourself what happened. Sit next to the pool and touch the water with your hand. Be careful, you will experience the memories as though they are happening to yourself."

Nodding, I lowered myself into the seiza position next to the pool. Looking down at my reflection in the water, I slowly lowered my hand…

…flash… I was a child, playing with other children but I could not make out their faces…If you promise to enter Todai and do so you will live happily ever after…

…flash…I was studying to become a scholar…I was practicing the warrior arts…I was with my family… laughing …playing…working…

…flash… My sister was being taken…!

…flash… Blows were raining down on me, the watchmen punishing me for not confessing… for taking life…for saving my sister…

…flash… I stared at the paper posted on the wall, the numbers cold and unyielding… I failed I failed I failed to keep my promise…

…flash… I was in a far off land… the heat was like nothing I have ever felt, even when I was in my father's home…The colors were blinding, the waters were sparkling and clear…I was working, studying, protecting…

…flash… Bandits! We were under attack! I must get back, I must protect my friends…

…flash… Hot blood spilling at my hands…Weapons spitting fire and thunder…The camp is on fire! Where are they, where are my friends…?

…flash… My sensei is hurt, my comrade is gravely wounded… where is the girl where is the girl where is the girl…

…flash… Crying… why is the turtle crying…? Why is the other girl crying…?

…flash…Running…my lungs are on fire…the bandit is getting away…Too far too far too far…

…flash… My body is on fire…my arms my legs my lungs my heart… the only things that do not hurt are my hands as I pummel the bandit…

…flash… make him talk… one finger breaks, two fingers break, four fingers break…he's talking… can't let him go…his face as he gets crushed under the vehicle…

…flash… the man tied to the table… he had hurt children, scores of them… drown him make him talk drown him make him talk drown him make him talk… make sure he hurts no one ever again, send him into the darkness…

…flash…my comrade is dying, the girl is on the way to Hell on Earth… I promise to get her back I promise to give her the gift of mercy I promise to get her back I promise to give her the gift of mercy I promise to get her back I promise to give her the gift of mercy…

…flash…I am chanting… I am calling… Give me strength give me power give me justice give me vengeance…

…flash… I see a figure floating before me…the figure has my face… it is judging me…find me worthy…Let me have the power to save her…! Let me have the power for vengeance…!

With a gasp I fall back, almost toppling over. Trying to catch a breath that until now had not been needed, I looked up to see the two aspects looking down at me, the first one with sorrow on his face, the other with a grim look.

"Now you see what the boy is going to do." Hiro was standing in a slouch, his hands clasped in front of him, but his eyes intent on mine.

"Yes, I have." I struggle to my feet, looking from one to the other.

"And you are still going to help?" The first aspect asked.

"Of course I am, Taro." My words caused the first aspect to cease moving.

"So you know who I am?" The aspect asked warily.

"If I did not know who you are, what makes you think that I would not help?" It saddened me that Taro did not recognize me from his original memories, but I had been waiting for centuries now to reunite with my beloved; I would wait for however long it would take.

"Good to hear you are going to help us out, spirit girl. If it was just the scholar here, we would really be up the creek." The ronin smirked at me.

Taro gave him a disdainful look. "I seem to remember keeping you from breaking free."

Hiro snorted and glared at him. "Yeah, after you blindsided me with that blasted staff of yours."

"Breaking free? Staff?" I blinked in confusion.

"When you overcharged the seals on Keitaro, for a brief moment the entirety of the seal matrix was compromised. Hiro could have shattered them completely and taken over as the primary aspect." I could feel my new physical body grow cold. "But I was able to distract him and then reinforce the seals so that there would be an increase in chi flow through while restraining the demonic taint."

"Distract him? With what?" I enquired.

"With this." Suddenly a staff appeared in Taro's hand. For a moment I thought that it was the spear from so long ago, but then I realized that it was made entirely of iron, about the same length as he was tall, half as thick as his wrist and octagonal in shape with raised knobs on the ends. "I thought it was rather ironic to bash him over the head with a tetsubo."

"You hit him with a demon's war club?!" I asked incredulously. The tetsubo was one of the most fearsome close-in weapons in feudal Japan. Capable of massive impact damage even if the target was wearing armor, it was used to smash horses legs, shatter swords, and crush heads. Users had to be extremely strong, agile and balanced in order to recover from misses with the weapon

"'If an injury has to be done to a man, it should be so severe that his vengeance need not be feared.'" Taro smiled thinly at Hiro, who scowled and looked away.

"Who would say such a thing?" It sounded like a quote from someone else, as the words were so ruthless I could not believe that Taro had thought of them.

"Niccolo Machiavelli, a Western diplomat and political theorist from about four centuries ago. His writing are much like that of Sun Tze, but more related to politics than war." The staff disappeared from his hand. "What Hiro tends to forget is that while I do not like violence, there are times it is necessary, that it should be a last resort if possible. Our resident demon here," Taro tilted his head toward Hiro, "would rather prefer to cut down what bars his way."

Hiro snorted. "It works, doesn't it?"

"Only if you do not mind living in an ocean of blood. But enough of this. Lady Yukiko, you are welcome to stay as long as you desire. I know that Keitaro is planning on making ready to use the abilities that are now unlocked. Your contributions and thoughts toward that end are gratefully accepted." Taro sat down in front of his tent with his legs crossed before him.

"Let me know when there is asskicking to do," grumbled Hiro as he turned and ducked into his hut.

"I must admit that there really is not much to do when we are not in action. I often find it easiest to simply meditate and let his thoughts flow through my mind. If you wish, you can see some more of his memories, but I must warn you, do not try and force access to what he considers secret. There are protections in place, and they tend to be rather… vigorous." Taro gave a thin smile again.

"Very well. How do I go about this?" I asked.

"Do what you did before; sit by the pool and place your fingers in the water." Seeing the look on my face, he continued. "Do not worry, I have reset the memory transfer. It will be slower, but you will not experience them as though they are happening to you. Let me know if you have any questions." Closing his eyes, Taro quickly drifted off into a meditative state, leaving me to my own thoughts. Taking his suggestion, I sat by the pool, and carefully touched the water again, and instead of the rush of memories pulling me away in a torrent of sight and sound, instead I floated away in the visions of the past.

Interstitial – Sarah POV

i was slowly floating

was i back at the stream at granpas house in the mountains floating on my back watching the clouds

i was running someone was chasing me i am in the trees why am i scared why am i not scared

i fall i try to get up there is something on my nose something smells strong and sweet and i am falling only not to the ground i am falling i am falling into the black

i am cold why am i cold i have been hot for days weeks so long i only feel cool when I am in the water deep in the green deeper in the blue

something is pulling on me pulling on my arms my legs pulling something off i am cold all over why am I cold something is touching me something cold and clammy is moving up my legs across my stomach what is touching me

loud sounds now loud smacks loud cries something is being hit something cries out after each hit someone is shouting someone is angry the angry words come between the smacks someone is moaning and crying someone is still mad why is he so angry

water water on my lips must drink so thirsty why did i not feel thirsty i drink like i was days in the desert someone is rubbing my throat and wiping my mouth more water more water oh no more no more water i am full

talking talking dont understand two voices argue not loud one wants something the other wants more argue argue argue they stop they laugh something opens my eye all i see is a blur is it a man i dont know this man who are you arent papa

something is around me something warm and scratchy i am being moved they are wrapping me tight why so tight i wont move i cant move

something is over my nose its that strong sweet smell agan i am floating i am sinking the colors are getting darker the green is becoming a deeper blue i am falling it is getting darker

i hear words i dont understand what are you saying bambina what is bambina what is duermete

a deeper blue i fall deeper deeper deeper into the black

duermete bambina duermete

A/N 2 – These are the last of the omakes for and the official end of the Thai Expedition/Pirate Raid Story Arc. The first omake of this chapter is based on an old American TV series called 'Inside Herman's Head' where the viewer got to see the interaction of the different aspects of the main character's personality. In this omake these aspects are split into the classic Freudian Trio, with Taro as the Superego, Hiro as the Id, and Yukiko taking over as the Ego, since Keitaro has disabled that aspect of his personality. Don't worry, you will get to see Kei, the original Ego aspect, later on in the story.

Because Yukiko is a spirit that grew up, as it were, in the feudal era, it affects how she sees things. For example, she refers to the pirates as bandits because that was all she was familiar with in her time and because she is more or less used to in her time on the mountain in Japan. Taro and Hiro do so because they are formal and traditional as well. Kei is the most modern of the aspects, and he is MIA for now. Also some of what Yukiko was seeing in the memories have subconscious elements to them, which is where the references to vengeance come from; even if Keitaro is not actively thinking of it, it is coloring his thoughts and decisions.

Sarah's omake was deliberately written to be disjointed since she was knocked out/drugged with chloroform when first captured by the pirates, and has more or less been kept that way. One of my betas has said that Sarah is not important to the story, but I disagree. Keitaro has made some monstrous changes in his life (in some cases literally) in order to chase after and rescue her, so I feel it necessary that we occasionally see what is happening to her.

You know, after I made my double chapter post (with lemon!) last week, I expected more than seven reviews. *sigh* Part of it may be that it was posted during the Xmas holidays and on the start of a weekend, and that there has been some problems on FFN with the stats and reviews system. I don't want to sound whiny (which I am anyway since I am bringing this up) but reviews and feedback is really the only way writers here get paid for all their work. Additionally, it builds up their enthusiasm to keep writing and to do so faster so there are more updates. So please drop a line or two about what you like about the story, or even reasonable criticism. I especially want to hear from the overseas readers, such as the Russian ones, to make sure I have the characterizations right.

Thanks to AZ MII and PCH for their mad beta skillz.

Winner of this month's Most Unusual Place Reading My Story (non-English speaking) Award is Finland. Runner up (English speaking) is New Zealand, which had one person go through all 46 chapters in one shot.

A box of See's Xmas Candy goes to whoever identifies who the pockmarked youth was that was the lone enemy survivor of the ambush of Taro Urashima and his friend, the one that spread the story of Taro fighting with two swords against six to one odds and winning (there is a good hint right there in the last sentence).

As of 0000PST 04Jan16 there have been 261k words, 737 Reviews, 655k Views, 60 C2 Listings, 1207 Favorite Listings and 1106 Story Alerts on this story. Thanks again to all my readers for making Contract Labor number one in Story Alerts and Follows (over 1000 each, the only LH story to break triple digits in each of those categories) and number four in the number of Reviews in the Love Hina category in FFN. *double thumbs up*