Wow, so many reviews since the uploading of the last chapter. Thanks for liking this fic. I (bows deeply) sincerely apologise for taking so long with this update. And extend my reassurances that I will not be terminating this fic for any reasons. (It's much too much fun to write!) I'm sorry if I alarmed anyone with the long hiatus but you know how muses are like and lets just say that a couple of mine 'ran away' so…
(K'van hits Comicx hard on the head) Get on with it!
Oops! K'van's getting impatient, so, enough talk and on with the reading!
Heirs of the Clans: Chapter 6
"Seishin-kun, show me a basic barrier." Seishirou ordered, sitting on a chair, waiting for his heir to perform onmyoujitsu.
Seishin nodded nervously and concentrated, sketching the inverted star of the Sakurazuka prior to a faint golden glow enveloping him before vanishing. The instant the glow vanished, there was a faint crackle of magic, and then a small, simple barrier sprang up in a dome around the boy.
Seishirou frowned at the incompleteness of the protective wall. "Seishin-kun, this can't do." He reached out with a hand and easily pierced through the protection. "You're not putting enough energy into it." He broke the barrier easily. "Again."
Seishin panted, the recoil from the broken spell rebounding onto him. "Yes, Uncle Seishirou."
A short while later, Seishin was about to collapse in exhaustion. Seishirou was an extremely hard taskmaster with exacting standards. He had made his nephew go through all the basics: warding, defending, attacking, summoning and even the more complicated dispelling. By the time Seishirou had deemed the 'exercise' over, Seishin felt like keeling over on the spot.
"Uncle Seishirou?" The child's voice was wavering, unsteady with fatigue.
Seishirou studied the trembling body of his nephew-turned-adopted son. "Yes, Seishin-kun?" His tone was neutral since he did not want Seishin to believe that he would stop the lesson at the boy's request. Seishin did need to improve his stamina and build reserves for onmyoujitsu use.
"Is… there anything… else… you want me to… do?" Seishin gasped, the manifested form of his dark grey falcon wavering, the colours fading out into transparency, although from what Seishirou could see of it, it was mantling its wings protectively around its master.
Seishirou smirked, pleased with Seishin's determination to appear composed although he was disappointed that his 'son' recoiled from sending out attacks. Seishin would strike, with fairly good accuracy, as it turned out, but only if he was pushed too far. "I think this will be enough for now." Seishirou let some approval leak into his voice, sensing Seishin's apprehension. It would not do to scare him off so early in his training.
Seishin bowed and stumbled out of the room once Seishirou deactivated the wards, clearly heading for his room and bed.
Seishirou sighed and exited the study, heading for the kitchen to get a drink, running into a Sumeragi who was waiting anxiously for the end of the lesson.
"How'd it go?" Subaru asked when Seishirou poured himself a mug of warm tea from the pot that he had made earlier.
"He knows the basics," Seishirou sipped at the lukewarm beverage. "But he lacks endurance, confidence and the will to attack, which is a weakness for my line of work." He knew that Subaru hated to hear him talk about what he did so casually but there was not real recourse.
The Sumeragi bit back a protest. "I'll be testing how far Seiun has gotten in her skills tomorrow," he said instead. "She says that she has had some training but when I asked her for specifics, she told me she didn't know what I meant." Subaru groaned.
Seishirou snickered. "That sounds interesting."
Subaru shook his head. "Only you would find something like that amusing."
"Of course." Seishirou stood to move behind his lover, wrapping his arms around Subaru's shoulders, his mug left forgotten on the table. "Otherwise, you'd hardly ever laugh."
"Why I ever put up with you, I have no idea." Subaru muttered as he leaned into the hug.
Seishirou chuckled. "Because you love me."
"Yes, I know." Subaru accepted a kiss from Seishirou, his voice dry. "Why I love you, that, I don't know."
Seishirou's lips twitched although he faked a hurt look. "Subaru-kun…"
Subaru waited for Seishirou to return from the last-minute contract that he had been contacted for. His lover had expressed that he wanted to sit in on Seiun's first lesson with Subaru and the Sumeragi intended to wait a little longer for Seishirou to make his appearance before he started the lesson.
"Uncle Subaru?" Seiun asked, sitting cross-legged on the floor of the study, opposite Subaru, who sat in the single, sturdy but comfortable armchair that was in the room. "How much longer till Uncle Seishirou comes back? We've been waiting ages already."
"Just a little longer, Seiun. Maybe Seishirou was a little delayed in his… work." Subaru flinched when he made what Seishirou actually did sound benign. He hated thinking about the people that Seishirou killed, never mind that his lover had restricted himself to contracts, law-breakers and the occasional rogue onmyouji. Subaru knew that Seishirou had little choice in what he did, since he had been brought up to be the Sakurazukamori. Also, he had learned to turn a blind eye to Seishirou's doings but he did not like being reminded that Seishirou's hands were so often stained with blood.
Nonetheless, he could not stop a smile from forming at Seiun's impatience and restlessness. The girl was far more like Seishirou than any Sumeragi, her mother included. Sumeragi Yuka was very much like the Lady Sumeragi: strong-willed and stubborn. Their personalities and different opinions was why the two of them could not get along.
When it became apparent that Seishirou was not likely to be able to attend the lesson, Subaru sighed and started the lesson by bringing up the room's wards to prevent any disaster that might happen from affecting the rest of the apartment. "Seiun-chan, what do you know of onmyoujitsu?"
Seiun blinked before she began listing what she knew. "How to use ofuda, summon that useless bird…" She scrunched up her face as she counted her fingers. "Di… di… Ano, Uncle Subaru? What do you call the thing you do when you stare at the fire and hope to see something?"
"You know fire divination?" Subaru asked incredulously, caught entirely off-guard. Fire divination was extremely difficult to perform, requiring complete stillness and focused purpose. It was also limited to the more skilled and experienced onmyouji, neither of which Seiun was.
Seiun scratched her head, looking sheepish. "I don't know. When I try it, it doesn't work right."
Subaru's look turned curious. "What do you mean 'doesn't work right'?" As far as he knew, divination either worked, or it did not.
"'Kaa-san said that I should see the future of someone." Seiun looked even more embarrassed now. "But I see things too far in the future." When Subaru's eyebrows knitted together, she clarified her statement. "All I get to see are dead people.
Subaru stared, unable to say anything, shocked by what the girl said. "I… see." The words were dredged from his mouth. "Why… don't we get on to the basics first?" His voice grew firmer with his waning uncertainty. "Why don't we start with a barrier?"
Seiun nodded, removing her ofuda which she kept on herself at all times – an odd habit that Subaru was pleased with. She began the motions of setting up the barrier and then paused. "Do you want the barrier to be set up with ofuda or not, Uncle Subaru?"
Subaru froze. "You know how to set up barriers without ofuda?"
Seiun nodded and promptly began chanting softly. By the ninth syllable, a faint pulsing green shield had sprung up. However, within seconds, it cracked then collapsed. With an oath that Subaru had never heard of, Seiun repeated the incantation with a scowl. Shortly after, the pale green barrier coalesced into reality and this time, the energy held together. "There!"
Subaru reached and touched the shimmering dome of energy carefully, flinching away when it threw off magical sparks, giving him a weak electrical shock. His eyes widened. "That's very good, Seiun-chan! I didn't expect you to be so good at warding!"
Seiun flushed at the comment, looking pleased. "Thank you, Uncle Subaru. But setting these up aren't what I'm best at."
"What are you best at?" Subaru asked weakly. He had not anticipated Seiun to be able to set up a working kekkai with ofuda, let alone setting one up successfully without the paper slips.
Seiun grinned. "Getting past them!" She touched her creation and made a face as it glimmered, yielding to her touch like a bubble. "Well, getting past wards that other people made."
"What do you mean?" Subaru was, to say the least, very confused. He was also very curious about what his adopted daughter said. "Yuka-san couldn't have taught you something like that! It's too advanced. You could hurt yourself badly if you failed."
Seiun looked away at the mention of her mother's name. "'Kaa-san wasn't the one who taught me that." For one instant, Subaru thought he saw tears in her eyes before the cheerful girl that he knew was back. "'Tou-san taught me."
Subaru stared at the revelation, a tiny part of his mind aware that his niece was full of surprises. Up till now, he had assumed that Seiun's father was ordinary, which would explain why his grandmother disapproved of her granddaughter's marriage. However, if Seiun's father had been the one who taught her onmyoujitsu… "Didn't he tell you how dangerous it is to break down wards?" Subaru asked, his mouth gone dry.
"Is it?" Seiun blinked, looking bewildered. "But it's really easy."
"Easy?" Subaru was unconvinced, almost stupefied by Seiun's words. He had never heard of ward-breaking being described as 'easy'. It was simple to do, if you had the power to overwhelm the ward's capacity but more often than not, it resulted in injuries.
Seiun nodded. "Like… Like… I'll show you!"
At a loss of words, Seiun took the practical approach and walked to the study door, where the wards had been set up by both her uncles. She had a feeling that it was important that Uncle Subaru knew what she could do.
"Seiun, no!" Alarmed, knowing that Seiun's powers were incapable of breaking down the wards, Subaru lunged out of his chair, too late to stop his niece as Seiun placed a hand on the sturdy wooden door.
The wards on the room flared as Seiun's energy flowed into them her free hand sketching a complicated sigil in the air, he eyes shut tightly in concentration.
Subaru watched in horror as the wards glowed, about to strike out at the one who dared to interfere with their construction. Trying to break down a ward with insufficient power usually resulted in severe injury since they were created to repel or absorb energy. This rule was doubly certain when Seishirou was involved since his work was, by far, the most dangerous form of onmyoujitsu. Subaru could only watch as the glow of the wards flickered as energy warred within, the pale blue and green shimmering as they combated Seiun's energy. Then abruptly, the glow subsided. "Seiun-chan, are you all right?"
The girl had the nerve to grin at him!
"Everything's all right, Uncle Subaru." Seiun sang out. "Uncle Seishirou's barriers gave me a bit of trouble, that's all."
Subaru's jaw dropped. The wards shimmered faintly, as they should when he examined them; a blend of emerald green and blue energies. He frowned when he spotted something else and looked closer, to catch a glimpse of a paler, green-gold thread that formed a seam in the wards. "Amazing. You… slipped through the wards…"
"It's easy!" Seiun grinned at him, exuberant in her success.
"How…?" Subaru tried to get his throat to work.
"You tell them that you're a part of them." Was Seiun's simple if unhelpful answer. Meeting the shocked and confused skepticism on her uncle's face, she added, with a touch of indignation. "It's true, they'll listen!"
Subaru shook his head, not comprehending what his niece meant. "Let me see what you've done, ok, Seiun-chan?" When she nodded, he looked closer at the thin thread of energy that fit so neatly into the powerful protections. It was fine work, Subaru admitted, now that his worry was overcome. Seiun could slip through the wards without being detected since her magic was part of them, no matter how temporary. In hindsight, Subaru could not suppress the smile on his lips as he thought of Seishirou's reaction to this situation would be. The wards the Sakurazuka had placed on this important room that were powerful enough to repel most of the Seals only gave Seiun 'a bit of trouble'.
"Why don't we move on to something else and come back to this later?" Subaru suggested once he was done studying the intriguing puzzle. The method was nothing like the ones taught in the Sumeragi household. "Let me see how you defend against something."
Seiun looked quizzically at the elder Sumeragi when Subaru stood, waiting for her to begin. "Aren't you supposed to defend yourself when I do that?"
Subaru frowned but obliged, setting up a simple barrier to fend off any mistakes that might occur. "Are you ready now?"
Seiun nodded, so Subaru let several low-powered ofuda fly. They would not injure Seiun; just deliver enough of a sting to 'tell' her that she had dropped her guard.
His jaw dropped again when Seiun, instead of setting up a barrier to deflect the ofuda, met each and every one of his paper charms with her own, letting them negate each other. Occasionally, she would slip and dodge the one or two that escaped being cancelled. "Seiun! What are you doing?"
The girl grinned at him. "A good offense is the best defense!"
:: I should have expected this:: Subaru thought to himself wryly as he tested Seiun's accuracy by tossing a few more ofuda at her. :: Knowing how much she is like Seishirou…:: "Seiun-chan, fighting back all the time won't work. Your ofuda won't last forever. You have to learn other ways to set up a defense."
Seiun paused, looking thoughtful. "I guess you're right."
Subaru sighed inwardly with relief at how easily his suggestion had been accepted. He had expected Seiun to argue with him. Thank goodness that she was logical – at times. "Why don't I start teaching you basic barriers? You can use them to block attacks without having to dodge them."
"Okay!"
Subaru moaned as Seishirou skillfully prodded a tense muscle into relaxation.
"Subaru-kun, you know better than to tense up like this." Seishirou reprimanded. "What could Seiun have done to make you this worked up?"
Subaru groaned at the reminder of what had happened several hours earlier. "She slipped though our wards as though they weren't there. I thought she killed herself when she did that. I also found out that she has utterly no defensive techniques, and uses several attacks that I've never even heard of, let alone know how to counter them."
Seishirou paused in the massage. "She got though my wards?"
Subaru let out a moan muffled by the pillow his face was buried in. "The wards let her through."
"How?" Seishirou resumed the repetitive kneading of Subaru's back, having gotten over his surprise. "I thought even you had trouble with the ones I set up. And she isn't keyed into the wards of the study."
"I think I have to bring her with me to my next job." Subaru sighed, too distracted to pay heed to what Seishirou just said as he thought of a way to teach his wayward niece.
Seishirou stroked Subaru's back gently, soothing the muscles after putting so much pressure on them. "Are you sure that's a good idea?" He asked dubiously. "She's half-trained at best and she might end up distracting you."
"No, but it's not like I have much choice." Subaru stretched, feeling better. "Seiun needs to see how I use onmyoujitsu during my jobs. I can't think of any other way for her to realise the importance of defense."
Seishirou remained silent, not suggesting the other possible ways that Seiun could be taught that. He had been acquainted with the more painful methods to teach the importance of defense since his childhood training. There really was no better way of teaching someone to put up a shield when there was a more experienced onmyouji throwing fistfuls of highly charged ofuda at you. After all, pain was the most efficient teacher.
"I only hope that she understands after." Subaru continued with another sigh. "Except, I get the feeling that it would take much more than an angry spirit to, convince her to concentrate on barriers. She sees their purpose but she just doesn't want to use them."
"And what about the wards?" Seishirou returned to the previous subject. "I don't think it's a good idea to allow a nine-year old to have free access to everything in the study. I do keep some books of dark onmyoujitsu there, you know. They're far too dangerous for the partly-trained to handle."
After the job, I'll get Seiun to show you how she does it since I'm not quite sure how she managed to part the wards. Then we can figure out how to stop her." Subaru surmised. "It's easier. Besides, I think your wards scared her a bit."
Seishirou helped Subaru to sit up. "The spells in them should have stunned anyone they did not recognize at the very least." He mused, thinking. Seishirou smirked in amusement. "Seiun-chan is full of surprises, isn't she?"
Subaru nodded, yawning.
Seishirou smiled at his lover. "We can deal with the questions tomorrow, Subaru-kun. Good night."
Subaru leaned up for a kiss. "Good night, Seishirou."
True to his word, Subaru brought his niece along on the next job he deemed safe enough for the reckless Seiun to attend, which happened to be two days later.
A spirit that had appeared in a block of apartments some time ago had recently begun to harass people. It had begun with minor nuisances like moved items and open windows but the level of malignancy was steadily increasing. At that, the landlord had contacted the Sumeragi household for aid.
Seiun looked up at the pristine building, finding it difficult to believe that a ghost lurked there. She expected most lost souls to prefer old houses or rundown apartments. "Is this the place, Uncle Subaru? It looks kind of new."
Subaru could not help but smile. "Spirits don't always find their way to places which are 'not-new', Seiun-chan. They find places they like or are bound to places where they have strong memories of." He looked at the white-washed block which had the windows and balconies edged in cream. "They normally return to places where they lived in life." When he turned to look at his niece, he was pleasantly surprised. Seiun looked interested, her lips forming an 'o' shape. "Let's go then."
Their meeting with the landlords – a tiny, wizened old woman and her middle-aged daughter – gained them curious and skeptical looks respectively. Curious when they saw Seiun and skeptical when they were told that she was his student in the occult. The younger woman gained a dirty look from Seiun when she asked Subaru the wisdom of having a 'child' with him as he faced the ghost since it would traumatize 'the young mind'. Thankfully for Subaru, Seiun did not say anything despite her sour expression. One thing was certain; both women had encountered the manifestation and were terrified of it.
The unassuming building housed a fairly unsettled spirit, Subaru surmised when they got closer and closer to the apartment where the lost soul 'occupied'. He could sense that the ambient energy currents were agitated due to the soul's presence. He withdrew his ofuda in preparation, should it become a battle. Seiun was here and Subaru did not want her to get hurt.
When Subaru pushed open the door of the apartment where the spirit inhabited, there was a terrifying angry scream that sounded more animalistic than human as the specter reacted to the Sumeragi's intrusion. Instantly, the lights in the corridor began to flicker as it drew in the energy nearby to attack Subaru.
Prepared, Subaru shielded in time, a shimmering barrier springing up around him, deflecting the blow. Another thrown ofuda set up a more powerful shield that sealed off the apartment, keeping the spirit in and Seiun out. His niece was neither experienced enough to help him nor protect herself.
Seiun hit the barrier, feeling helpless as she watched the Sumeragi shield himself from the spirit's attacks, occasionally taking a hit. :: Why isn't Uncle Subaru fighting back:: Seiun thought as she saw the battle turn in the spirit's favour. She grew angrier when she saw Subaru trying to placate the spirit with words, of which it took no heed. When a whip-like bolt of energy delivered a cut to Subaru's cheek, righteous fury took over.
Taking matters into her own hands, Seiun slid through the barrier, using only several seconds to open a seam in it. Whilst she treaded her magic through the protective wall, she sorted through the spells she knew and selected the strongest one. The instant she was through, the ofuda containing the spell was thrown at the poltergeist.
Feeling the surge of power behind him, Subaru turned to see Seiun enter the apartment. "Seiun, no!" He yelled as he saw her will a spell into life. However, since he was behind another barrier, there was nothing he could do but watch as the ofuda sailed through the air.
The spell struck its target squarely, temporarily stripping it of its energy source, angering the spirit further.
Subaru took advantage of the lull of attacks to dismiss his shield and talk to the furious but impotent soul. However, Seiun's spell had done its work too well. Not only was the spirit powerless, it personal energy had become unstable, it was now half in this world and half somewhere else and in great pain. Unable to calm it down or let it remain, Subaru has no choice but to banish it to ease its suffering.
His eyes closed as he recited the chant for forcibly sending a soul on, his heart aching as he thought of his failure to calm it. There was a flare of energy as the spell took effect, then, the apartment was quiet except for his breathing. "It's done." Sorrow filled eyes looked at Seiun. "Let's go."
Sensing something wrong, Seiun nodded and followed without protest.
Their return home was spent in silence.
Subaru unlocked the door to the apartment and entered it silently, not even noticing Seishin's cheerful look which changed into one of worry as he noted the look on the Sumeragi's face. Subaru toed off his shoes and headed straight for the bedroom, the sound of the lock sliding into place making Seiun wince.
"I did something wrong." Seiun answered Seishin's look and wordless question. With that, she chose a seat on the floor and refused to say any more, choosing a dull-looking magazine to flip through, appearing upset with herself.
Seishin looked from Seiun to the closed door and decided it was wise to stop pestering his "sister" for any more information. Picking up the phone, he began to order the night's dinner, both for something to do as well because of the knowledge that the Sumeragi would be unable to cook.
When Seishirou stepped into his apartment after a satisfying night's 'work', he was instantly aware of the signs of trouble. Seiun was eating quietly and Subaru was nowhere to be seen. "Seishin-kun, where's Subaru?"
Seishin winced as he pointed towards the closed bedroom door, bowing his head at the frown on Seishirou's face. "He's in there, Uncle Seishirou."
"Thank you." Seishirou replied distractedly as he hung his coat before heading to his bedroom. "Subaru-kun?" He rapped gently on the door. "Subaru-kun, it's me."
Subaru looked up from under the thick blanket he was currently curled under. He stood shakily before he walked to the door a little unsteadily, pausing before it as he debated whether to let Seishirou in. He did not want to let his lover know that something was wrong.
"Subaru-kun, what went wrong?" Seishirou was perfectly capable of holding a conversation with his lover with a wooden door between them if necessary. His words, however, crushed Subaru's hope of keeping him unaware of what happened.
Subaru bit his lip as he turned away from the door. His hand fell to his sides as he stood with his back to it, unwilling to answer his lover.
"Subaru-kun, tell me." Seishirou urged as he unlocked the door with a quiet spell.
Subaru was shocked when he heard the door's lock 'click!' open, then again, he should not have been surprised. He moved away from the opening door, hiding his tear-streaked face from Seishirou's sight.
Seishirou pulled Subaru into a hug the instant he saw how distressed the onmyouji was. "What went wrong?" He kept his tone soft, persuasive, wanting to soothe the Sumeragi.
Subaru looked at the closed door and then softly chanted the activation spell to raise one of the several wards on the bedroom to block any sound from leaving the room. He bit his lip as he shook his head slightly. "Nothing, Seishirou-san."
"Subaru-kun, you know you can't lie to me." Seishirou reprimanded gently, knowing it had to be serious if Subaru reverted to calling him 'Seishirou-san'.
Subaru tried to step out of the hold that Seishirou had on him. Failing, he let Seishirou pull him closer as his eyes filled with tears. "It's my fault." He said softly.
"Start at the beginning." Seishirou said quietly as he drew the Sumeragi down to sit on the bed.
Subaru found himself telling his lover everything, lulled by the gentle concern in Seishirou's voice. He hung his head when he finished. "I'm a failure as a mentor and teacher." He said softly, his tone filled with guilt.
"You're not." Seishirou tightened his hold around Subaru to reassure the Sumeragi. "Seiun is just too inexperienced to know what she should do." Seishirou was both annoyed and angry at the rash way that Seiun had acted and yet pleased with the way she had defended Subaru from what she saw as a threat. "Why don't I take care of her training from now on?"
Subaru let out a bitter laugh as he took Seishirou's words in the worst way possible. "Even you think I'm not fit to train her." He said in a defeated tone as he stood and moved away from Seishirou before his stunned lover could stop him.
"No. I'm just saying that perhaps it is best if I took over for you while you taught Seishin." Seishirou corrected himself quickly, not wanting to agitate Subaru further. "Seiun is reckless and quick-tempered so she is a handful to deal with. Also, she doesn't have the experience to gauge what is dangerous to you or not. And you are... upset."
Subaru paused for a moment. "If you wish." His quiet tone worried Seishirou as the Sumeragi slid into bed.
"I'll bring some dinner in for you." Seishirou answered, knowing that it would take more time before he could convince Subaru that he was not in the wrong.
Subaru nodded quietly, his soft voice stopping Seishirou as the assassin turned away. "Don't be too hard on Seiun, Seishirou-san… She didn't know any better."
"She knows enough to make her a menace at times." Seishirou replied lightly, leaving the room.
Subaru curled in on himself slightly, his eyes closing a little as tiredness took its toll, both from the earlier job and the stress that he had been under.
Seishirou returned shortly, bearing a tray of soup, a small dish of meat and a bowl of rice. "Here."
Subaru sat up slightly and took stock of the food. "Aren't you joining me, Seishirou-san?" He asked tentatively, wanting Seishirou's comforting presence nearby.
"I have to supervise the kids when they clean up. I'll eat then." Seishirou sat next to Subaru and held up a spoonful of soup. "Say 'ah...'"
Subaru opened his mouth obediently and took the soup before blushing slightly. "I can feed myself, Seishirou-san." He said, his embarrassment making Seishirou feel a little relieved at the show of normalcy.
Seishirou laughed. "Of course, Subaru-kun." He eyed the tray for a moment. "I want you to finish at least half of this, Subaru-kun." He said warningly. The Sumeragi had a tendency to eat very little without any reminders and Seishirou had no intention of letting Subaru go to sleep without a decent meal to replenish any energy he might have expended in the day's job.
Subaru nodded somewhat reluctantly and watched as his lover left the room to get him a mug of tea after giving him a soft kiss. Once Seishirou was gone, he began picking at his food.
Once the Sumeragi had finished most of the food - Seishirou knew that Subaru ate less when he was upset and left some leeway for that - Seishirou picked up the tray and left, already choosing words of reprimand for his errant 'daughter'.
Subaru curled up on the warm sheets, trying to go to sleep as his body demanded, doing his best to not think about what he had done to the lost soul.
Seeing how exhausted Subaru was, Seishirou had no problem reinforcing the Sumeragi's sleepiness with a mild suggestion that he sent, ensuring that Subaru would sleep peacefully when he yielded to the rest he needed badly.
Subaru drifted off into a comforting darkness, his mind succumbing to Seishirou's spell.
Seishin looked up as Seishirou exited the room, worried eyes fixing themselves on Seishirou's face.
Seishirou raised the soundproof wards around the bedroom, not wanting his lover to hear what he would say to Seiun. "Seiun, I want you in the living room, now."
Seiun looked up from her meal, resignation and guilt on her face, letting Seishirou know that she already regretted what she had done. "Yes, Uncle Seishirou." She obeyed, setting her plate aside without a word of complaint.
Seishin gulped quietly at the calm look on Seishirou's face. Wordlessly, he began to set aside some food for his "uncle" from the remaining food left, hoping that Seiun would not be punished too badly.
"Sit." Seishirou's voice was cool as he followed Seiun the comfortable living room. The tone was enough to make her wince, something Seishirou took note of with satisfaction.
Seishin placed the plates down quietly as he went to take a peek into the living room. He was worried for his "sister", knowing just how protective his uncle was of the Sumeragi Head
"You made a mistake today." Seishirou kept his voice free of inflection and watched as Seiun flinched. "As a result of that mistake, you hurt Subaru-kun. You were just there to look on. Why didn't you trust Subaru's experience in handling the spirit on his own and interfere when you were told not to?"
Seiun took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "I know I was wrong, Uncle Seishirou, but Uncle Subaru wasn't doing anything! He just let it hurt him!" She finally looked at the assassin in the eyes. "I didn't want that to happen!"
Seishin winced when he heard Seiun's words, he could not be sure if she was trying to save herself or to make things worse. He watched Seishirou cautiously, wondering how the assassin would react.
"Are you saying that you don't trust Subaru to look after himself?" Seishirou couldn't help but see the truth in Seiun's words although it was a surprise that she understood Subaru's kind nature so well. Still, he let none of that show.
"No! I..." Seiun looked at the floor, ashamed. "I just lost my temper when it hurt Uncle Subaru..."
Seishin decided that he might as well go back to clearing the table. He certainly did not want Seishirou to know that he had been eavesdropping on them.
"You upset Subaru badly." Seishirou's voice took on a stern edge as he watched Seiun sink deeper into the couch. "And you should know better than to let your anger rule you. We trusted you to keep your feelings under control."
"I know." Seiun looked truly sorry, close to tears at hurting someone she cared for but not letting them fall. Unknown to her, that action gained a bit of respect in Seishirou's mind.
Seishin finally had the table cleared to his satisfaction. Not knowing what else to do, he picked up the cloth and proceeded to polish the already clean table. Cleaning it again was much more appealing than facing his Uncle Seishirou right now.
:: Enough, Seishirou. :: The Tree's interrupted. :: She knows. ::
:: She realizes that she is a fault, for once. :: Seishirou admitted. "Seiun, I do not want any repeats of what happened today, do you understand? You should, at the very least, trust Subaru's judgment."
Seiun nodded, as though trying to make herself vanish into the sofa. If there was a big enough hole somewhere nearby, she wanted to jump down it and not come out. Ever. She had never had a scolding like this before. It hurt. And to make things worse, she knew that it was a scolding she well deserved.
:: I never thought I would see the day when she's genuinely sorry about something. :: The Tree remarked, sounding both amused and thoughtful. :: Well, I shall go now, wake me up for dinner. :: With that, the Tree vanished from Seishirou's mind.
:: You just had it. :: Seishirou retorted, hiding a smirk. "So, from now on, Seiun, I'll be taking over your lessons."
Seishin peeped in again and was just in time to hear the last words. His eyes went wide in surprise. "Then what about…" He closed his mouth with a snap when Seishirou's gaze turned to him. He had not meant to say that sentence out loud. His face colouring, he bowed repeatedly in apology. "I… I'm sorry!"
Seishirou smirked. "It's alright, Seishin-kun. I have to discuss this with you anyway. You're having lessons with Subaru-kun for the next month or so since Seiun needs to polish up her defense and I'll be taking over till then."
Seishin bowed and nodded again, wondering what kind of training he would get under the Sumeragi Head. He sneaked a peek at his "sister" and noted how upset she looked.
Seiun did not even protest the change in teachers. Once it was clear that Seishirou was done with the scolding, she stood, bowed and vanished into her shared bedroom.
Seishin continued to stand in the doorway, his eyes traveling to where Seiun had disappeared to and then back to Seishirou. Finally, he gathered enough courage to speak. "Uncle Seishirou… Will Uncle Subaru alright?"
"Subaru-kun is upset that he had to banish a lost spirit." Seishirou replied absently, his attention clearly elsewhere. "He gets sad whenever that happens."
Seishin gulped and decided to leave Seishirou alone. He bowed his thanks and left the living room, not wanting to annoy his uncle further.
Seishirou sighed and shook his head, bringing down the wards around his bedroom while he was at it. Seiun would recover soon enough. The girl was resilient and would, if she cultivated the patience, be a respectable onmyouji someday. In the meantime... Seishirou moved to the kitchen to help himself to some of the cold food left. Subaru's emotional wounds would take time to heal and it was best if he helped to speed it up.
Subaru woke from his light doze when he felt the bed shift under Seishirou's weight. "Seishirou-san…" He said somewhat sleepily, moving over slightly to give his beloved more room.
"How are you feeling now, Subaru-kun?" Seishirou asked quietly as he caressed the Sumeragi's cheek.
Subaru tensed briefly before snuggling a little against Seishirou's hand. "I'm fine, Seishirou-san." He let out a soft gasp when the assassin pulled him into a gentle hug.
"Will it be alright if you taught Seishin-kun for the next few weeks?" Seishirou asked softly, knowing that this was something Subaru needed to know.
"You'll trust me with his training?" Subaru asked, uncertain eyes coming up to meet his lover's. "I'm not sure…"
"I suspect that I terrify him too much to be an effective teacher." Seishirou said wryly. "And why shouldn't I trust you?"
Subaru merely leaned closer to Seishirou before replying "But I am a Sumeragi... Wasn't he terrified of me in the beginning as well?"
"That was in the past. I haven't seen him cringe away from you after the first two days he spent here. Besides, your teaching methods will reassure him." Seishirou comforted as he maneuvered the Sumeragi so Subaru's head lay in his lap. "Seiun-chan needs a firmer hand than Seishin does."
Subaru sighed with the knowledge of experience. "I know." He felt Seishirou's hand run through his hair and he let out a contented sound. What Seishirou was doing felt so nice…
"Rest, Subaru-kun." Seishirou soothed as he repeated the motion, easing the Sumeragi into slumber.
"Stay?" Subaru asked softly, trying to tug Seishirou down with him. "You need to rest as well." He felt more than saw his lover slide down to join him, his eyes already closed in contentment.
Seishirou nodded. "Sleep well, Subaru-kun." He wrapped his lover in a loose embrace, offering silent comfort.
Subaru slid off to sleep, soothed by his lover's presence.
-end chapter 6-
A basic difference that I forgot to discern earlier. While both are 'kekkai' that are used as protective measures against attacks or to keep people out, barriers are temporary. Wards are usually permanent until they are taken down or destroyed. Another difference is that wards can be dormant. Barriers are always active from their creation. Mind, that the difference between them is minor but I explain it like this in this story to make things less confusing.
I'm really, really sorry! (Comicx squeaks as K'van hits her head hard) I've had a busy time and very little inspiration for this chapter. (Squeals as K'van scores another hit.) Okay, I admit it! I've been feeling too lazy to do the editing too. ( Grumbles. Not my fault K'van wanted to start a new fic that took up such a lot of my time. Eep! –runs away from a broom-wielding K'van.-) I'm already thinking of a new chapter so don't worry about this fic. It isn't going to end like this.
Anyway, on to other matters: Review please!