The Legend of Shiranui
(Kurama Love Story)
Chapter. 7
Tsukuyomi's Reappearance, & Tei's Anguish
~`*? .P.O.V. *`~
I awoke to the feeling of strong energy nearby. 'This energy, it's somehow familiar.' I thought, rising from my bed. Suddenly, a loud scream pierced the midnight air, immediately stirring a deep fear in me. 'Help me!' came a familiar voice, as it rang in my head. 'Wait, Iknow that voice! But, it can't be! She supposed to bedead!' I thought, alarm rising deep within, as I immediately ran towards where the sound had come from. Suddenly, I caught a familiar scent in the air, and it was then that I knew. 'Thatscent! I knew it! This scent can only belong to one person, and oneperson, alone...My little sister! Hang in there, little one, I'm on my way, and I won't let anything happen to you, I won't let anything do you harm, I swear it!' I thought once more, running all the faster to reach her.
~`*Canine Warrior Chu's .P.O.V.*`~
Not long after we had put the exhausted, and now, fragile, and unconscious Ammy to bed, everyone could do nothing, but, wait, and hope that, with time, she would awaken once more. Later that night, an unfamiliar scent caught my attention in the det of night. I growled slightly, approaching the front door quietly, and carefully. Suddenly, I felt a presence beside me, and turned to see Tei standing beside me, peering at the door with his one, good eye, seeming to peer through it. "Tei-!" "Shhh. He's a wolf just like Ammy, but, grey in color, and his Kami markings are blue..." Tei trailed off. "Tei, there's something you're not telling me. What else have you recodnized about ths guy?" I asked, a-bit confused. "His scent smells faintly of Ammy's as well. I have the strangest feeling that he may be somehow of relation to her." He answered, his voice suddenly grim. "Well, there's only one way to find out. Let's go." I replied. "Yeah." Tei answered, as we quickly, but, silently slipped through the front door, only to come face-to-face with the grey wolf that Tei had described. "Who the hell are you?" I asked, baring my teeth, ready to fight. Suddenly, the grey wolf turned-tail, and ran, taking off up the hill to the stone shrine pedestal. "After him!" Tei shouted, as we chased after the grey wolf, not letting him escape our sights.
~`*? .P.O.V.*`~
'That's it, just keep following me you two.' I thought, as I continued to run up the hill, towards the stone pedestal where my little sister's scent had vanished, and meshed with a different scent. 'These guys carry the same scent that her's meshed with, they must be her caretakers. Well, it's nice to know that at least,someone's been taking care of her.' I thought, as I finally came to a hault at the top of the hill, the two dogs stopping not long after. 'They're swift!' I thought, as I looked each of them in the eye.
~`*Canine Warrior Chu's .P.O.V.*`~
The grey wolf finally came to a hault at the top of the hill, stopping just in front of the stone shrine pedestal. 'We've been had. He led us here, but, why?' I thought, confusion taking it's hold on me. "Alright, start talkin', no more games! Who the hell are you?" I asked, demanding an answer. The grey wolf was silent. "Answer us!" Tei yelled, crouching low, and baring his sharp teeth, he was prepared to fight. "Oh, please, there's no need for that." The grey wolf suddenly answered, lying down, the moonlight peering through the trees, and bathing him in it's light. "I'll ask you again. Who are you? Last time!" I snapped, baring my teeth. "I'm not afraid of either of you. I'm not here to fight you, I'm a friend. My name isTsukuyomi." The grey wolf, Tsukuyomi, stated, finally answering our question. "Why are you here?" Tei asked, sitting down, he seemed to be calming down. 'If Tei's not worried, then, we've nothing to be afraid of. I wonder if he knows this guy somehow...?' I thought, curiousity getting the better of me. "I'm here, because, I could sense an incredibly strong aura coming from this exact spot earlier during the night, and I heard a scream that woke me from a dead sleep. So, I came to investigate. Furthermore, I caught a familiar scent, and knew almost immediately who it was." Tsukuyomi answered. "I knew it. Your scent, and your being here confirm my suspicions...You're Ammy's older brother, Tsukuyomi, god of the moon." Tei replied, his voice eerily calm as he said this. Tsukuyomi's blue eyes suddenly became very sharp and steely, almost as if he were shocked that Tei knew that. "How do you know that? How do you know who I am? How do you know mylittle sister?" Tsukuyomi asked, he seemed alarmed. "Relax, boy, I've no intention of harming you, I wouldn't dream of it. Little do you know, I've known both you, and your sister since the both of your were very small. I knew your mother...Sakura, goddess of Earth, and Wisdom. Your father was Renja, god of the Sun, before your sister. Tragically, though, your father was killed in battle with the nine-tailed demon fox, Roa-!" Tei answered. "How do you know all of this?" Tsukuyomi asked. "Yeah, Tei, how do you know all of this?" I asked, curious, myself. "I know all this, because, I was there when your father was killed. I fought beside him, protecting your mother when she was pregnant with the two of you. I lost my right eye, but,...Your father...Lost his life...Protecting your mother, and two of you. Before he took his dying breath, his dying wish was for me to take your mother, and his two, precious, unborn pups as far away from the area as possible, and see to it that you all got there safely. With tears in her eyes, and a heavy heart beating in her chest, your mother kissed her beloved goodbye one last time, and fled with you two within her. Shortly following your father's death, your mother brokenheartedly gave birth to the two of you. I was present for your birth, and the two of you were so small, precious, and beautiful." Tei finished, a tear streaking down his solid face. In all my years of being around Tei, I had never known him to shed tears, but, this time, it was different, and it was evident that reflecting upon his past, and the loss he suffered, caused him a great deal of pain. I felt sorry for him, but, at the same time, I knew all to well how he was feeling, for, I had lost a close friend back in my youth as well, and that was pain that was worse than death, itself. "Following your birth, your mother had asked me to help her raise the two of you, but, not long after, your mother became very ill...She passed away just two months after the death of your father...She died of a broken heart, and the long hours of depression, and not eating was what finally did her in..." Tei trailed off, his voice beginning to crack. "Tsukuyomi, please, try to understand, after losing both your father, and your mother, I realized that I just couldn't raise the two of you on my own, so, I had to make the decision to let the Celestials raise you both. It was never easy having to give the both of you up, I loved you both dearly, as if you were my own. I never saw the two of you again after that. However, I heard of your exploits those many years ago, and I was so proud of you both. But, the day finally came when one of you died, and that one was your little sister, Amaterasu. After hearing of the loss of your precious sister, I lost it, now, I had lost not only your father, and your mother, but, Amaterasu as well. I was a failure as both a friend, and as your guardian, and for that, I amtruly sorry, I should have been there for you both more. What's more, is that you, Tsukuyomi, had disapeared, never to be seen again after your sister died. It was then, that I had feared the worst had befallen you, as well, and it broke my heart. I loved you both so dearly, and now, the two of you were gone. How I missed your smiling, happy, precious faces. But, among all this sadness, I found a glimmer of hope. I had heard the people speaking of gods returning from the dead hundreds years after their deaths, but, only when the world, and everyone in it needed their help, and was in dire danger. So, I waited for you...I waited for you both...107,long,hard years, I waited, and I have never forgotten what happened all those years ago." Tei managed to finish. I couldn't believe it! I was in shock, justhearing Tei's history, all of it! Hearing that he had been alive for107 years, waiting for the two children he loved so much to come back to him! But, how was thispossible? I justhad to ask! I had to know! "Tei, how is it possible that you've been alive all these years? I thought you were mortal, just like the rest of us!" I half-asked, shock setting in. "Renja, and I made a blood pact, and in that blood pact, we stated that if one of us died, the other would live on through the blood of the other. Your father being a god, Tsukuyomi, is what has enabled me to dwell on this Earth for 107 years." Tei finally finished, yet, another tear streaming down his face. "Tsukuyomi, I'm so sorry, for everything. I'm sorry. I should have been there for you both more. I could have saved your father...And your mother...I-!" Tei began to weep softly, his heart finally seeming to break. "Tei, please. The tears you shed show me how much you cared for both my father, my mother, my liitle sister, and myself. Please, don't despair, dear Tei, Amaterasu, and I are here now, and we're not leaving you anytime soon." Tsukuyomi replied, shifting into his human form, and wrapping his arms around the now broken Tei. "It's alright, Tei...It's alright." Tsukuyomi whispered, Tei sobbing quietly in his arms. It was at that point that I walked to the cliff's edge, and gazed heavenward, as I remembered what had once happened to me. Behind the wall of sadness, and regret that I put up, familiar feelings of guilt began ripping my heart in two. 'Oh, Tei...I feel your pain...Perhaps, more than you realize...' I thought, as I let the tears just stream down my face. 'I'm sorry...Hyabusa...'