Chapter 2: Demon Encounters
Mitsu put a hand to her brow and whipped it happily, watching the puffy white clouds float across the sky. She stood in the middle of the shrine, broomstick in hand. She wore her old clothes, freshly washed by Grandma. She'd felt restless staying in the house doing nothing. When she saw Grandma head for the broom, she volunteered to do the job instead.
"Oh, no, no. You're a guest, my dear. I can handle it." Mrs. H had protested.
Mitsuyasha smiled at the comment, but took the handle in her hands. "I know. But I'm bored, and besides, I'd like to help."
And so she was, sweeping the grounds, stopping occasionally to greet a visitor or tourist. They marveled at her clothing, saying it looked very authentic. She wore a red scarf around her head, as her father had instructed, to hide her ears. No one noticed them, and the bandana was not scrutinized.
She heard footsteps coming up the stairs, two sets of them. She listened with her back turned, hearing that one stride was long and heavy, while the other was light and quick. Soon, voices reached her ears, making them twitch beneath the fabric.
"Sano! Hurry up!" This voice came from a little boy, she could tell. He seemed excited. It was probably his first time visiting a shrine.
Another voice replied, with an empty monotone, "I'm coming, Yuki." The voice was definitely male, almost her age, maybe older. She straightened up her back. She wasn't intimidated by men as some girls were. They had surrounded her all her life. Inuyasha, Kouga, Miroku, Shippo: she knew how they really where, and knowing this, she didn't feel bothered.
The footsteps grew louder and closer. She continued to sweep, even after she felt two pairs of eyes focus on her. Her back turned, she decided to leave them alone and let them look around on their own.
A whisper reached her ear, the little boy. He didn't want her to hear, but with her demon senses, she picked up his comment loud and clear.
"Sano, that girl's wearing real feudal Japan clothing! Can I talk to her?" His voice sounded so excited and eager, she couldn't help but smile at his comment. It was so innocent and energetic, kind of like a certain fox demon back home.
She pretended not to hear and continued to sweep. Presently, she felt a light tug on her sleeve. She turned to see first, a small hand, and then a little arm, connected to a little boy. He had deep blue eyes, embarrassed and shy. Once she looked at him, he dropped his hand and bowed to her.
"Hello, my name is Yuki." His dark, almost royal blue locks fell into his eyes, making him look even more childish. She gave a small laugh at his attitude towards her. She wasn't royalty!
"Please, I'm not that special. Don't bow so." She said, watching as he stood straighter and rubbed his head in embarrassment. She crouched down so she could look him in the eye. "Is this your first time visiting a shrine, Yuki?" she asked calmly.
"Yeah!" he nodded eagerly as he said this. Yup, so much like little Ko.
Mitsuyasha reached into her shirt and pulled out a sutra, a real one her great grandfather had made to ward of evil sprits and bring good dreams to the one who possessed it. She held it out to him, watching as his eyes grew wide wit excitement. He looked from the paper to her, twice.
"Is it for me?" he asked.
Mitsuyasha nodded, putting the piece of paper in his hands. "It's used to ward of evil spirits and bring happy dreams." She said, smiling as his eyes widened still more in awe.
"Does it really work?"
"Of course!" Mitsuyasha replied confidently, though she knew that her great grandfather didn't make sutras that worked.
Yuki clutched it to his chest and ran over to the one called Sano. "Sano, look at this!" he called as he ran. Mitsuyasha looked at Sano for the first time.
He stood ten feet away, his back against one of the many walls. He had his hands in the pockets of his pants. His eyes were looking at Yuki. The color of his eyes was too far away to tell, but she could see that they lit up in front of the little kid. His hair shone in the light, a rich brown color. It went down to his cheek, the locks spiked and pointed in all directions. His smile was lop-sided and broken; as he smiled then while Yuki told him of the sutra he had received. Mitsuyasha watched for a moment more, then returned to her work. The voice of Yuki faded away as they walked further from the place she was sweeping, a deep voice still ringing in her ears.
The next day, Mitsuyasha came down the stairs to find Grandma waiting for her in the hall. She smiled at the woman, a smile that was returned easily. She'd been there for some time, a week and some odd days. She'd grown used to Grandma, even Sota, a little bit. She could still hear Sota's voice as he watched her beat the top level on his old video games. "You're alright." It wasn't much, but it was progress.
Mitsuayasha noticed how her grandma seemed to want to say something. "What is it?" she asked, hoping deep in her heart that she wouldn't ask her to leave.
Mrs. H smiled again and exclaimed happily, "I've enrolled you in school!"
Mitsuyasha only stared back. She had no idea what this "school" was. What did she mean?
"Uh…" she began.
"You're going to go to school, just like Kagome…" Mrs. H said, trying to make her understand.
Mitsuyasha thought back to the picture of Kagome and her friends. "You mean wearing those uniforms?" She asked.
"Well," Mrs. H laughed, "you will have to wear the uniform, among other things…" she trailed off lightly.
Mitsuyasha thought for a moment. She'd set out to go to Kagome's world, to live there and experience what her mother had. Going to this "school" might make her understand her mother better. Plus, she liked how happy Kagome looked in the picture. Maybe she would be happy there too.
"It sounds alright to me." Mitsuyasha said, folding her arms in a final manner.
"Great!" Mrs. H exclaimed. "You start tomorrow!"
Mitsuyasha clutched her sword in her hand, preparing for the demon's next attack. He came from the left and of course she dodged easily, jumping into a nearby tree. She laughed and taunted loudly, "I'm over here, ya big oaf!"
He turned a second too late and instead met her sword. She swung it across his stomach, then his face, watching as he fell to the ground. She stood proudly, sword on her shoulder. She grinned at her handy work.
"Don't mess with Mitsuyasha!" She declared.
"Mitsuyasha…" A voice called, far away and muffled. She looked around. Another demon?
"Mitsuyasha." The voice was louder, a female voice, soft and cooing.
She opened her eyes to find her grandma staring down at her, a soft smile on her face. "Were you dreaming?" she asked.
Mitsuyasha didn't answer, but sat up groggily and looked to the window. The sun was just rising over the hills. She turned back to look at Mrs. H and found that the woman wore a white robe and matching slippers. On the desk chair laid a stack of clothes. She saw that an article was green, the same as the uniform. Then she remembered. School.
"I've made some eggs and toast if you want it." Her grandmother said, standing up to make room for Mitsuyasha.
Mitsuyasha was already heading to the shower to bathe, another thing she'd learned about while staying there. She'd bathed back home, but not nearly as much as she did here. Still, she liked feeling clean, so she took a shower whenever she could.
After showering, she put on the uniform. She stood in front of her mirror, looking at herself in the glass. The shirt was slightly large on her, the sleeves drooping down over her hands, leaving only her fingers exposed. Her skirt was down to mid-thigh, showing much of her legs. She felt naked and uncomfortable. She pulled the skirt down slightly, as well as her shirt. Once she became fed up with the outfit, she commenced brushing her hair and drying it. Once dry, she braided it, something she'd learned from Sango. As the final touch, she wrapped her head in a red bandana, tucking her dog-ears underneath.
She walked downstairs, the white socks causing her to slip on the glossed wood floor. She slid back the door and entered the kitchen. Sota sat at the table, newspaper in hand, and a cup of coffee smoking on the table beside him. He looked up briefly when she entered, but quickly looked again, this time stunned.
Mrs. H saw Mitsuyasha enter and smiled warmly, a small tear on her face. "You truly are her daughter." She whispered.
Grandma sat a plate of toast and egg down on the table. Mitsuyasha took her seat and ate the meal greedily. She was hungry in the morning! After gulping down her orange juice, she was handed her school bag. Inside were blank papers and pencils. She knew how to use them, thanks to Inuyasha, whom Kagome had taught how to read and write.
Grandma stood back and clasped her hands together at her waist. "You'll do fine." She said reassuringly.
Mitsuyasha nodded. "I'm not worried." She said.
Mrs. H led her to the doorway, an arm around her shoulders. As they walked she spoke. "The school is five miles north of the shrine. You can't miss it. It's a big white building with lots of kids around it." Mrs. H had learned that Mitsuyasha needed things explained differently, as she did now.
Mitusyasha smirked. "I got it. Piece a cake."
After being hugged and kissed good-bye, Mitsuyasha took off across the grounds and down the stairs of the shrine. She reached the bottom. Looking both ways, and seeing no people, she took her chance and jumped high into the air to land on a building near the shrine. Soon, she was jumping across roofs like rocks on a stream. In no time the school came in sight. With one last burst of speed, she jumped down from the building and landed neatly in an alley right across the street from the school.
Stepping out from the alleyway, she walked casually up to the entrance, where kids her age loitered about, talking and laughing. She walked past them, head held high. They ceased talking as she walked by, staring instead at this newcomer in their mists. She ignored their stunned silence and walked up to the double doors.
Once inside, she saw the door marked "Office." She knew from Mrs. H's advice to go there first. She had to get a schedule, a list of her classes. She didn't like things being planned without her consent, but decided to let it go. She entered the office where many women were moving about. One caught her eye and motioned her forward.
"You're the new student, correct?" Mitsuyasha nodded. "Good, here's your schedule." The woman handed her a slip of pink paper. "The first class is in ten minutes." She said, and without another word was back to her business, Mitsuyasha forgotten.
She stepped out of the office and looked at her schedule. Her first class was in room 412. She looked at the door across the hall from her. It read 403. She looked to the left and saw a similar door that read 404. She smiled. This wouldn't be too hard. She turned left down the hall, but soon found it harder than she thought. Many students stood in her way, talking and carrying on, right in the middle of the hallway. Soon, she grew angry and finally screamed out,
"Clear a path if ya know what's good for ya!"
The crowd quickly parted on either side, giving her a clear view of room 412 at the end of the hall. She walked past the gawking faces on either side of her, smirking at their fear.
A loud bell rung then, and the once clear path was obscured with bodies, each one moving in a different direction. Mitsuyasha tried to shove her way through, and found it even more difficult than she thought. Soon, the hall was deserted, and she was left alone. Five feet away room 412 waited. She sighed heavily and walked up to knock on the door.
That was another thing she'd been told. Be in class before the bell rings. She knew that being late might bring her punishment. If that teacher tried anything, though, she'd rip his head off.
She gave the door a tap with her knuckles, and then stood idly, waiting. A swish sound brought her attention back to the door as it slid aside. A short, heavy man stood in her way, a scowl on his face. He pushed up his glasses with his finger and asked sharply, "Why are you late?"
Mitsuyasha frowned. Why? Because stupid people wouldn't get out of her way, that's why! She would have been on time if not for them standing around. She held her tongue and answered calmly, "I'm new."
These two words turned his frown into a happy, smiling face. "Ah, Mitsu Higurashi. So good to have you. Please, come in and introduce yourself." He stood aside and gestured in front of himself, an invitation to enter. She walked past him, growling in her throat. He seemed way too cheerful.
She soon stood in front of twenty or so kids, each one her own age. They all looked at her, waiting for to speak. She sent them all a glare, and then spoke up. "The name's Mitsu." She went with it, deciding the "yasha" was best left out. "I live with my grandmother on the Sunset Shrine." They seemed to want to hear more. "That's all." She said swiftly.
Her teacher came forward and pointed to an empty seat near the window. "You can sit there for now, Mitsu." She gave a shrug and walked to the back, plopping down in her chair.
The teacher soon began to talk. At first, Mitsu tried to tune it out, but curiosity made her listen. The subject was History, and she found that her interests were immediately captured. She knew all the answers to the questions, mostly because she'd been there to experience most of them. She knew all of the legends and myths, astounding her teacher and her peers. By the end of the class, she felt better than ever.
The classes that followed weren't as easy as the first, but she managed. She found that math was the most difficult class. She didn't understand it at all. It was like a second language. It made her angry, so much so that she broke her pencil in half during their studying.
When lunch rolled around, Mitsu was thankful. She'd brought her own and found a nice tree near the outskirts of the school grounds. She saw that a tree limb was perfect for sitting on and once again made sure no one was watching as she hopped onto it. She began to eat, resting with her back against the trunk.
A prickling sensation came over her. She stopped eating and sat hunched, ears perked as much as they could beneath her bandana. She felt the presence nearby, the aura dark. There was no mistaking it. A demon was there, and it was heading her way.
She turned in the direction of the aura and there she was, for the demon was a she. She had black curly hair done up in pigtails. Her eyes were a light orange color, each one trained on Mitsu in her tree. Mitsu glared at the girl, wondering what her problem was. If it were a fight she wanted, a fight she'd get.
Just when she thought the demon would attack, she disappeared in the crowd of people. Mitsu looked all over, but saw no sign of where she went. She jumped down from the tree, cursing her bad luck. Would the demon attack her later?
A voice, deep and oddly familiar, reached her ears. "That was interesting."
She turned quickly and sure enough, there leaning against the tree was Sano. He was closer to her now, his hands behind his head. He looked at her, a smirk similar to her own on his face. Mitsu frowned at seeing him, but at the same time felt her heart warm.
She saw him more clearly now. He had gray eyes, cold and smooth as the edge of her sword. His skin was tan and smooth, his muscles lean underneath his shirt and pants. He too looked her up and down, but in no way wrong. It was like he didn't care if she was there or not.
She sniffed the air, testing his scent on her lips. She knew it was one of the things she'd been told not to do, but she couldn't help it. So she sniffed and found that he smelled quite nice. He had the musky scent of a man. She could feel herself being drawn to it, but held back from stepping toward him. Instead she folded her hands and said sharply, "Was it?" answering his question with another.
He chuckled softly. "You don't normally see girls jumping two stories out of a tree." His eyes held humor, a kind of sarcasm. She hated that look, but at the same time found she wanted to see him do it again. Her confusion about him angered her. She turned away from him and called over her shoulder,
"Later, Sano." She smirked, wondering if he knew she was the same girl from the shrine. She hoped she had confused him as much as he did her.
Those eyes plagued her mind all through the day until last bell. She walked down the hall and out of the double doors. Most of the kids were long gone, save for a few still lingering on the grounds. Mitsu walked down the street, deciding to take the easy way home.
A familiar presence was behind her, following her. She kept walking, not speeding up or slowing down. She turned down into an alley, knowing the stalker would follow. Sure enough a girl stepped into the alley, the same one from lunch. She had an evil grin on her face.
"You're stupid for ever coming to my school. I'm the only demon there, and it's going to stay that way." She said, her voice ugly and hissing like a snake. "Prepare to fight." She declared.
Mitsu closed her eyes and gave a low chuckle. She smirked. "You know what? I've been waitin' all day for a good fight from you." She opened her eyes and sent the girl her best stare. "Let's go."
The girl hissed loudly, flashing a thin red tongue. Mitsu stood, battle stance ready. She'd left her sword at home, so she had only her claws and her strength to rely on. She wasn't worried though.
Snake Girl made the first move, charging head on towards Mitsu. She jumped high into the air and watched as Snake Girl rammed her fist into the wall. Mitsu landed behind her, wasting no time in sending a swift kick to her back. Snake Girl flew into the wall, making a decent sized mark. She stood up from the attack, whipping some blood from her face. Mitsu stood waiting, claws flexed and sharp.
"You'll pay for that!" She yelled, charging once again.
Mitsu dodged to the left, but a sharp pain struck her on the neck. She fell to the ground, putting out a hand to stop the fall. She sat up on her knees and reached up to feel the wound. Two spots of blood were there. She turned back to see Snake Girl's fangs dripping with red liquid. Her blood.
Mitsu stood, and in a flash she had her claws trained on Snake Girl's neck. Mitsu had the girl's hands in a vise behind her back with her free hand. She pushed the claws into Snake Girl's neck, but not enough to draw blood. She heard the demon whimper softly.
Mitsu scoffed. "What a demon you are!" She gave the girl a swift punch to the gut. She lay there, barely conscious. "You're not even worth killing." Mitsu turned from the demon girl's body and walked out of the alley.
She walked for two blocks, and then when she was sure the demon hadn't followed, she slumped against the side of a building. She used her hand to push against the wound, trying to stop the blood. She sat there for some time, breathing heavily. Finally, the wound had stopped bleeding, but when she went to stand up, she grew faint and stumbled into something hard.
This something had two arms. They grabbed both of her shoulders and pushed her up so she could stand. The hands drew away. She looked at the owner of the hands and grimaced when she saw the one person she couldn't get out of her head. Sano.
He looked at her without emotion. His gaze traveled over her scratches and bruises, as well as the fang bite wound on her neck. It lingered there the most. Soon though, his eyes met her own, and they lightened slightly, but only slightly.
She looked to the side, her arms crossed as usual. "What are you doing here?" she asked uncaringly, though secretly she wanted to know.
He said nothing, but again looked at her neck. His gaze seemed to ask, "What happened?"
She grumbled to herself. What could she say? A snake in the middle of the city bit me! She would sound stupid, not to mention false. She racked her brain for a plausible answer, but could think of none. She said the first thing that came to mind,
"Ever fight a snake demon?" she asked accusingly.
Stupid, stupid, stupid!
He raised one chestnut brow. His arms too were folded, but almost in a polite way. Finally, he spoke, but Mitsu was afraid of what he might say. "You're nuts!" or "Are you kidding me?" She turned away once more, bracing for his words of disbelief.
"I've fought many demons." He said simply.
She knew she looked surprised. He, Sano, had fought demons? What did that mean? Mitsu sniffed the air, testing his scent again. No, she couldn't smell any demon. She sniffed again. No-wait…she could! It was slight, like it was hidden under a veil, but it was there. She looked at him in a new way, both with caution and slight enjoyment. She didn't expect to find another demon here! He was a demon, and not just part like her. He was a full-fledged demon.
"Surprised?" He asked, his cool voice making her growl in frustration, as well as melt like butter.
"Keh!" was all she said in return, sharply turning her neck to look away from him uninterested. Big mistake. She winced as the pain in her neck made her eyesight flicker for a moment. She reached for it as a reflex, pressing on it gently, trying to dull the pain with the warmth in her hand. The pain subsided to a dull throb, and she could once again see clearly.
She looked in front of her, expecting Sano to be long gone, but there he stood, looking at her the same way he'd done during lunch, a small smirk on his lips.
"I bet you think this is so funny. Weak little demon got bit by the mean snake--
"Half." He interrupted smoothly.
She stopped short, stepping forward to glare at him coldly. "What?" she asked angrily.
His eyes remained unemotional as he replied, "You're only a half demon."
This was it. She couldn't stand it any longer. His eyes were too cool, his posture; too confident. Plus, he called her a half demon. No one had called her that since she was little, when she was picked on. So she was mad, madder than mad. She wanted to fight him, there and then. She spread her legs and growled deep in her throat.
"That's it." She stated, flinging her long thin braid over her shoulder. "Let's fight, here and now. I want to see how strong you really are!" She shouted, ignoring the growing pain in her neck, and the bruise in her side as she spoke.
His image blurred in front of her, and suddenly, she felt a hot breath on her neck, right above her wound, sending chills down her spine. He was right behind her, his scent so close she could taste it on her tongue. She could feel his torso against her back, his legs against her own. They were so close; she immediately became warm from the contact.
His voice, soft and deep, resonated in her ear. "I want to fight you, but not now. You are injured, therefore inadequate to fight me." As he spoke, he leaned forward, inhaling her scent, smelling her hair. She wanted to turn around and slash his head off for smelling her. Hold it. Why did he smell her?
She whirled around, the question on her lips, ready to pounce, but she found that he was gone, seemingly in an instant.
The setting sun showed that it was late. Her grandmother would be worried. She sighed, remembering how his body felt against hers. So strong, and sturdy…ah! What was she doing! He was cold and cruel and emotionless as ice. He was nothing to her but another demon. Exactly.
She pulled down her skirt and brushed off the dirt from her sleeves. She reached up to smooth down her hair, but remembered the bandana was still there. Seeing that no one was around, she quickly took it off and bounded to the nearest building. The whole way home she felt the pains of her injury, and even when she walked through the front door, the wound still throbbed. She said nothing of it to Grandma. The last thing she wanted was to upset her.
That night she lay in bed, her hair unbraided, and her ears free to move about. She looked at the ceiling, but instead of seeing the white wall, she saw Sano, bright brown hair blowing in the wind, his slate gray eyes shining with amusement. He was a demon. Now that she thought about it, he had been so obvious. When she'd jumped from the tree, he'd been so reserved about it, so nonchalant, as if he'd seen it all before.
One thing she hadn't counted on was that he would be a dog demon, just like her. The sniffing proved that. He had the nose of a dog, and he had smelled her to see if she was afraid of him when he came up behind her.
She felt so confused. She hated it when he smirked at her, but wanted him to do it again. She groaned every time she saw him, but felt empty every time he left. She loved his smell, but hated his attitude. What was she to do? She had wanted a fight from him, and one way or another, she would have it. At least that much was clear to her. Turning over to face her pillow, she settled into a restless sleep.
She was sitting in a clearing, the woods reminding her of her father's forest, the God Tree just over her head. She sat beneath it, relaxing in it's shade. Suddenly, the sky grew dark, the clouds turning black. A loud rumbling shook the ground, and a huge snake burst from the trees in front of her.
It's fangs flashed and it's deadly orange eyes filled with hate. She went to charge at it, but it quickly used it's body as a vice, holding her tight in a coil of scales. She tried to break loose, but the binds of the snake only tightened.
The snake brought her up so they looked each other in the eye. Mitsu braced herself for the fangs to dig into her flesh, for her body to be devoured by this foul creature. She was finished, done.
No, the pain never came. Instead the snake began to speak rapidly in a hushed whisper, an occasional hiss to the strange words. They seemed to grow louder and faster. It was a chant, the rhythm making her head droop, her arms limp. She seemed to shrink inside herself, seeing everything from far away; the snake became surrounded by blackness, as she fell deeper into herself.
A panic seized her, a dreadful fear that she would disappear. She fought to return, make the black go away. She pushed forward, but it didn't help. Instead her head began to pound, fast and quick, each one like a thrown punch. Soon, the pounding was in her heart, and she shot up in bed, her eyes wide with fright.
She went to grab her sword around her waist and found that it wasn't there. She shivered, despite the heat of the room and the sweat that coated her body. She clutched at her head, then her neck, feeling pain in both. She looked around and saw no giant snakes. She could still feel the tight scales around her, squeezing her. It had felt so real…so real…
She took a deep breath, one that leveled all of the rest. Her heartbeat returned to normal. She looked around the room. Everything was the same. She looked at her claws, which were as they always had been. She saw, nor felt anything out of place. Warily, and with a shaken soul, she returned to sleep, and never once woke again till morning.
Mitsu reached into her locker and retrieved her math book from its confines. She held it to her hip and reached in again to grab her notebook and pen. Once she had everything, she shut the door and returned the lock, giving it a final spin before turning to walk to class. It'd been three days since her nightmare. She'd thought about it ever since.
The days that followed that nightmare were normal enough. Her neck had healed overnight, as she thought it would. Luckily Grandma never found out. The only one who knew was snake girl and Sano, neither of which she was happy with.
She sighed as she walked up the stairs. What had that dream meant? The snake obviously represented the snake demon she'd fought with, but what had that chanting meant? It was like some kind of spell…but nothing had happened. Had it all been in her head, simply made up? She couldn't be sure.
She was so deep in thought that she missed a step on the stair. Mitsu tripped and her books scattered up and down the stairway. A few students nearby tittered and snickered. She ignored them and went to pick up her books, but stopped when she heard a soft whisper in her ear.
It was a light, floating sound. Soon, it grew in strength. Mitsu looked around, wondering if anyone else heard it. No one looked affected by the noise. She turned left and right but could not spot the source of the chant.
Chant! It was the same one from her dream! She shook her head, trying to rid herself of the noise, but then a language she understood slithered into her thoughts.
"Go to the roof…"
She felt herself slipping away, the black coming around her vision, the images getting further and further away. No! She couldn't! She saw, as if from a distance, the stairs come into view. She was climbing them. She could only watch in fear as she continued her ascent. Soon she reached the top most set of stairs. She climbed them, opening the door leading out to the roof.
She saw the roof come into view as she stepped onto it.
"Go to the edge…"
No! She tried to turn away from the scene in front of her, but she couldn't move. It was like she was bound by something. She looked down and saw the snake body wound around her, the very same from her dream. She screamed, not sure if it was heard, and desperately tried to wriggle free. She looked frantically to the vision as a view of the street below swam into view. She was on the edge, her toes hanging off.
"Jump…" the voice commanded evilly, laughing slightly as it did.
She could feel the effects slipping away, the blackness leaving her vision. She saw the street below her; she could feel the roof beneath her as she stepped from its secure ground. She was already to far off to go back.
The fear froze her nerves, she put her arms in front of her, and the only thing she could think of to do. She braced for the inevitable fall. Instead, she felt two arms wrap around her middle, and with one quick tug she was flung back onto the blessed ground of the roof. She felt the arms around her, tight and strong. Manly.
She was pulled into a sitting position, her back facing the mystery person who saved her. She could feel his heartbeat in her ear, fast and rapid. She felt the muscles of his chest, tense, then relaxed. She turned her head and was met with a world of silver and steal.
Sano looked down at her, the concern barely contained in his eyes. She gave a startled cry. Everything that had happened, the spell and the dream, came rushing out of her in that moment. Not caring that it was Sano, she embraced his middle, holding onto his strong form. She cried then, letting everything go.
She knew she looked weak, but she couldn't stop. Being there, in his arms, she felt like she could just be herself. After he'd saved her just then, she felt she could trust him, if only for that moment. So she clung to him like he was all she had left. His shirt held his calming scent, and she breathed deeply.
Soon, she had cried her last tear, and simply lay in his arms, feeling the warmth flow over her in waves. A hand stroked her hair, slow and gentle. She froze. He was stroking her hair! She jerked up quickly, her breath hitched in her throat. Their eyes locked, his hand still resting on her head. She gulped once, then twice, trying to regain air to her lungs.
"Thank you…" She said finally, amazed that he could look so gentle when he wanted to. He gave her a small nod and let his hand slide down from her hair to his side. He seemed speechless, as was she. She could only look at him. He stared at her so intently, she wanted to look away, but couldn't.
She could feel her arms growing weak, her head growing light. This was no curse. She'd felt this before. She was going to black out. She tried to fight it, wanting to look at him more. She reached out a shaky hand to touch his face, his cheek feeling rough and smooth at the same time. He looked slightly surprised, and this was the last thing she saw before she went unconscious.
Mitsu woke up to an unfamiliar place. She first smelled it in the air. It was different, the scent of the room, but not unpleasant. She looked around her and saw that she was underneath a black comforter, which was on a bed. She also saw a large dresser and closet, each a dark redwood. The ceiling fan twirled slowly above her, keeping her cool but not cold. Overall, the room was neat and sophisticated, and she liked it.
She looked to the window and found that the sun had been replaced with the full glowing moon. She slipped out of the bed, padding over to the door over the lush white carpet. She found the doorknob in the dark and turned it, pushing the door aside. She saw more clearly now and found that a set of stairs was down the hall a ways. She walked swiftly, descending the stairway quickly and silently. She saw the front door to the home, and was about to slip away when she felt a hand on her shoulder.
Mitsu immediately came to a halt. She turned slowly, almost happily to meet the face of the one who had touched her.
Sano looked down at her, the moon slanting through the windows made his face look milky white and his hair a brilliant gold. His eyes were trained on her, one pair of silver orbs that she never wanted to look away from.
"Where are you going?" he asked quietly.
Mitsu gulped. Why had she wanted to leave? She looked down, trying hard to think of an explanation. She'd known from the start that she was in his house. His scent was unmistakable. She'd thought back to the scene on the roof and didn't want to face him again. But there she was, facing him. What would she say?
"I need to go to my grandmother. She'll be worried." Mitsu whispered angrily.
"I've called her. She knows where you are."
Mitsu frowned. "Call?" She questioned. This word didn't make sense to her.
He turned away and walked into the living room near the stairs. He took a seat on the couch, crossing his leg as he did so. He was facing her still. She looked at him sitting there. He looked so smart, so cunning. She must look like a worthless half demon in his eyes. She blushed sadly in embarrassment. She'd never felt so dumb.
"Sit." He ordered softly, gesturing to the chair across from him. Mitsu walked over to the chair but instead sat on the floor, cross-legged. She still wore her school uniform, but she didn't care about modesty anymore.
"Your not from here, are you Mitsu?" he asked.
She shot him a glare before answering him. "No."
He leaned back, a light smile on his face. "I thought so."
Mitsu sniffed angrily. "Well aren't you a genius!" She commented dryly.
He said nothing in return, but continued to look at her, his smile growing bigger as she spoke.
She leaned forward and hardened her stare. "What's so funny, Sano?" she asked, feeling weird speaking his name. It felt foreign, but oddly nice rolling of her tongue.
He too leaned forward, though his smile faded. "You make me smile." He stated simply, though to Mitsu it was like a hidden message. She made him…smile? What did that mean? His eyes conveyed his confusion and frustration. After revealing this fact, he leaned back against the couch once more.
She felt almost embarrassed by his comment, but tried to brush it off by focusing on something else. "You know I'm healed. The snake wound hasn't closed completely, but it's stopped bleeding."
He looked at her pointedly. "So?" he drawled.
She smiled wickedly and put her hands on the floor in front of her. "I can fight."
Something flashed in his eyes, a kind of conflict within himself. It seemed a mixture of excitement and relief. What could he be relieved about? There was so much about him that remained a mystery to her. Worse still, she wanted to find out what it was. She stood, and he too rose. They stared at each other for a moment more before he finally sent her a tiny smile and said softly, "As you wish."