Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Inuyasha
Chapter Eleven: The Heart Of The One Wood
"Why are we travelling down this completely open and blatantly obvious path again? Mitako asked as she trailed lazily behind Kentamaru, Canis dutifully holding her hand and leading her forward.
"I already told you." Kenta reprimanded irritably. He ran a hand over his face and closed his eyes with a sigh.
"Well tell me again." she implored, "I just want to make sure it makes sense."
"It makes perfect sense." Kenta all but growled at her.
"Well just tell me again."
Kenta rolled his eyes. She just did not give up and her persistency in nagging him was driving him crazy. She didnt believe any of his decisions or plans would work. Seemed to think he was all brawn and no brain.
"If we travel the main path it's faster than if we try and zig-zag through the forest and hope they lose track of us." Kenta explained slowly for what seemed like the millionth time. He spoke clearly and used little words, the same way he did when he explained things to Canis.
"That just makes it easier and faster for them to tail us, does it not?" she said, pointing out an obvious flaw in the plan.
"This road is very well traveled. The humans who travel on it will mask our scent and hopefully slow them down and confuse them." he explained with a slight shake of his head. He waited for her argument which was sure to come. It never did.
Surprised, he cast a look over his shoulder. She turned her head away quickly as he caught her eye and she chewed her lower lip thoughtfully. Kenta stopped walking and continued to stare her down, determined to catch her eye again.
"What?" she demanded as they caught up to him and he fell in step beside her.
"Admit it," he prompted sternly, a smirk starting at the corner of his mouth.
"Admit what?" she snapped irritably, her tone and slight blush giving it away that she already knew exactly what he wanted.
"Say I'm right." he ordered, looking down at her, his smirk growing. She turned her head away forcefully.
"And why would I do that?" she retorted.
"Because you know it's true,"
"How are you going to prove it?" she demanded cleverly after a pause. "How can you possibly prove that this will slow them down?"
"Prove it wont!" he shot back smugly. She looked up at him to find him smirking down at her arrogantly. She bit her lip and didnt speak. He laughed softly and looked ahead.
"A simple 'You're right Kenta, it is a very well thought out strategy' will suffice." he told her after a moment.
"Oh I'll admit it Kenta, it is a very well thought out stategy," she said obligingly, a smile forming on her face that he did not trust at all. Kenta grinned down at her triumphantly. "But we still can't be sure if it'll work." she finished smugly, a self satisfied smirk on her face at having won yet another pointless argument.
Kenta's face darkened and he opened his mouth to speak when he thought better of it. He stormed ahead without a word, leaving the other two confused hanyous in his wake.
"What's wrong with him?" Mitako asked, turning to Canis at her side.
"Beats me. He's always moody. He doesn't like to lose." Canis informed her as he gave a great big yawn. Apparently the dealings between the two older hanyous were of little consequence to him. He began humming a tune under his breath as he walked, bouncing slightly with every step.
She smiled at the boy next to her before she stared at his older brother's back in confusion. They continued along the main path, hoping against hope that the scents of the other travelers would mask theirs and throw off Kashiro and his gang of youkai.
It was an awkward silence as they trudged on. Canis had neglected Mitako to bound around the trees on the side of the path. Kenta had not spoken a word to either of them and she had been spending the last hour trying to figure out why.
Her mind was so wrapped around the sudden change in her companions mood that she failed to notice him stop and crashed right into his back. She rubbed her nose and made to step around him.
"What the hell Kenta?!" she swore at him as she looked up at him. His face was hard and stern, golden eyes ablaze. She peered around the road cautiously, wondering what it was that had gotten to him now.
"What is it?' she asked urgently in a hushed tone.
Kenta said nothing, but a second later he grabbed her off the road and leapt back into the trees. He ducked low in the bushes, his arms tight around her, holding her to him as he crouched in the bushes, one hand sealed over her mouth.
"Canis. Arrows, tree. Now." he gave simple orders in a low voice. His mouth was right near her ear so she could him. No doubt Canis could with his canine ears, as the five year old scrambled up a nearby tree to comply with the softly uttered orders.
"A nearby village has a blockade on the road," Kenta explained in a whisper in her ear. As he spoke, a group of men passed by, talking loudly. She couldnt make out their words but Kenta seemed to be able to. "They wont let anyone pass."
Mitako managed to pull his hand from her mouth. "So we go around." she suggested. Kenta shook his head.
"No...something isnt right," he told her, his tone expressing his legitimate worry. "I have a better idea..." he told her, as he let her go and leapt into the high branches of the trees above them. She stood up and glared into the leaves, unable to see either of the brothers.
"What the hell Kenta!" she said as loudly as she could manage in a whisper.
"There's more to this than meets the eye. Go find out what the trouble is." she heard his voice from somewhere above.
"Why cant you guys?" she demanded angrily, stomping her foot in the dirt.
"Because you look like a human! And humans like humans and dont like youkai right now! Go out there and act like a damsel in distress." Kenta barked at her from the trees.
"Please Mitako..." Canis begged and she had to wonder if he did it on his own or if his brother had forced him into it, knowing she would not be able to say no to him. She rolled her eyes.
"You boys owe me!" she hissed as she stomped out onto the path.
Kenta watched her from where they say in the branches. "Good job Canis," he patted his younger brother on the head from where he sat next to him. Canis beamed with pride. From where the boys sat they could see her out on the path clearly.
"What are you waiting for?" he barked impatiently when she didnt move. Her back was to him and he couldnt make out what she was doing.
"Give me a minute." she hughed him, turning around a moment later.
"What the..." Canis exclaimed before Kenta damn near knocked him out of the tree. He reached over and quickly slammed his hand over his brothers face, muffling his voice and covering his eyes.
"What are you doing!?" Kenta hissed from the trees as he struggled to keep his hand over his brothers innocent eyes. He was eternally grateful that she couldnt see him, as he was positive his face was as red as the pants he wore.
"What do you mean?" she asked innocently, hands on her hips. She had opened up her kimono and was showing off a surprising amount of clevage. He rhands on her hips only served to accenuate it even more and Kenta flushed deeper. She was smiling proudly, as if she knew his reaction even though she couldnt see him.
"Look at you!" he stammered bashfully, "You cant go up there looking like that! Any decent man would scold you...or worse!" he managed to say. For some strange reason his eyes were drawn to the exposed flesh when he hadnt even given it a second look or thought before.
"Oh god Kenta you are so naive!" she laughed as she turned down the path. "Watch and learn little puppy."
Kenta quickly let go of Canis. "You." he demanded. "Get on my back and keep your eyes shut."
"Aww Kenta..."
"DO IT!" Kenta barked and Canis huffed but did as he was told.
Kenta darted through the trees, silent as a ghost until he came upon the villagers and their blockade.
"Kenta..." Canis whined sudddenly, his hands tightening on his brothers shoulders. "DO you feel that?"
"Dark energy..." Kenta whispered back. He peered onto the road. The path they had been travelling on was completely over grown with dark, unnatural vines. Not much of a blockade was needed. Nothing was getting through those vines.
"Excuse me gentlemen," Mitako greeted the men, in a sweet vulnerable tone Kenta wouldnt have thought she was capable of.
The four village men who made up the blockade all had similar reactions to Mitako as Kenta had. They did not react in indignation as he had imagined. Quite the opposite. They practically fell over themselves to be the first to approach her.
"Milady! Why is such a beautiful girl like yourself travelling alone?" one of the men cried. They all stepped forward to greet her.
"The woods are dangerous at this time!" another explained.
"Yes. The demons are gathering for war. The forest is no place for a young lady!"
"Those nasty demons cursed our guardian forest spirit and made the road impassable!"
Each man launched into his own explanation and story and Mitako took the oppurtunity to look over her shoulder and wink.
Kenta shook his head, feeling dizzy. Was that some sort of attack or power she retained from her youkai blood? She knocked the breath from his lungs with a single look...
"Milady...we cannot call ourselves men if we allow you to travel alone!" they insisted.
"I am not alone. I just got separated from my companions." she told them cheerfully. "I'll just go back and tell them the road is blocked. Thank you!" she said hastily and turned to leave.
"No!" they stopped her. "It is our duty as guards to protect the people on this road!"
"Yes! There are demons everywhere in these woods!"
"No doubt listening to our words and waiting for you to go off on your own!"
Canis snickered into Kenta's shoulder at this. Kenta couldnt help but smirk at the irony of that simple statement as well.
Mitako managed to keep her face in the midst of these overprotective baffoons, but Kenta knew she had to be losing it inside.
"No really. I will be fine. I am sure they are just back down the road. I dont want to burden you nice gentlemen." she told them, backing away slowly.
"We would lose our honor as men if we let you set out by yourself again. Two of us will accompany you." the apparent leader of the pack insisted.
Kenta chuckled under his breath as he watched her grow more and more desperate.
"Milady the guardian of this forest has turned on us and become angry.You will wait here until your companions arrive." they told her, tones leaving no room for debate.
Kenta's smirk was wiped from his face.
"Guardian?" he whispered to Canis.
"Isn't papa the guardian of these woods?" Canis asked.
"Yeah...this is our woods." Kenta whispered. "Inuyasha's forest..."
"But Papa wouldn't turn on the people... and he's all the way back home." canis protested his voice rising. Kenta clapped a hand over his mouth.
"That means there's an impostor." Kenta growled. He regarded the men down there. He sensed nothing wrong with them. They were merely protecting the path and doing their job.
Mitako stood infront of them smugly, hands on her hips.
"My companions are on their way and they won't be happy about you keeping me here against my will." She told them hotly.
"Listen girl," one man said losing him patience with her. "If we have to keep you here by force to protect you we will." the others nodded their agreement.
Kenta saw Mitako's eyes flash as she reached for the strong of needles on her arm.
"Canis give me an arrow quick." Kenta said urgently, an idea forming in his head. He snatched the arrow Canis held out to him and quickly scratched something on the shaft of it. He handed it back to his brother.
"Shoot this down to her." He ordered.
"Eyes open or closed?"
"OPEN! Don't hit her baka!" Kenta crouched his head and flattened his ears as Canis crawled a little higher up his back to fire the arrow. It flew straight and true, landing right next to Mitako's feet. The villagers all became startled.
"Ambush!"
"We're under attack!" they shouted in hysteria as they huddled together, brandishing their weapons of choice; the mighty pitchfork.
As the men scrambled around her, Mitako reached down with a roll of her eyes and picked up the arrow. Her bright eyes grew wide as she read the message scratched on the arrow. She whirled around to face where she estimated them to be hiding in the trees.
"What the hell do you mean wait here?" she yelled furiously.
The only response was another arrow to shoot out at her, but this one she managed to snatch right out of the air. The village men were still too busy searching for the 'danger' to notice this.
"No I will not be safe here with these clowns!" she yelled at the trees defiantly after reading the message on the second arrow. She snapped both of them and threw the pieces at her feet. She crossed her arms over her chest, so that he wouldnt notice her hands were shaking. Something was wrong with her, she wasnt used to this feeling at all. All she knew was that the thought of them leaving her...alone...if only for a little bit...
Terrified her.
Another arrow shot at her feet. She bit her lip and bent down to pick it up and read it.
"Trust me..." she read slowly to herself and it all clicked into place. Was that what had been wrong with him earlier? She'd criticized his plan, hadn't trusted it...and that made her a hypocrite in his eyes. All those times she'd berated him about not trusting her...and she wasnt trusting in him either.
'No wonder we fight constantly...' she realized. She took the arrow in her hand and sat down sulkily in the middle of the path. "FINE!" she allowed loudly with a roll of her eyes.
If he could try and trust her when she'd done nothing to deserve it...she could do the same.
And besides...she could not live with that ass thinking she was a hypocrite.
Kenta raced through the tree branches with Canis on his back. Even though it was a beautiful day, the forest was dark as night and eerily silent to boot. Dark energy pulsated from all around. Any and all wildlife in the area had long since fled.
"Kenta this is spooky," Canis whined over his shoulder.
"Dont be such a baby," Kenta scolded as he dropped down from a branch and slowed his gait to a walk. There was a dark clearing up ahead with a great deal of energy radiating from it. "And would you stop poking my shoulder?" he added in a growl under his breath.
"I'm not poking you- AHH!" Canis yelped as he was wrenched from Kenta's back.
"What?" Kenta wheeled around to see vines retreating deeper into the woods, dragging Canis along with them. "I dont think so!" he snarled viciously as he dashed after the vines.
"Iron REEVER!" he cried as he slashed at the vines with his right hand, his left locking around his brothers wrist and pulling him free as the vines were tornto pieces by his attack.
He leapt back fron the vines and quickly scanned the area.
"Kenta behind you!" Canis cried as he leapt out of the way and onto a nearby tree, digging his claws into the trunk and hanging there.
Kenta whirled around and cut down another large vine, that was aiming to wrap around him and crush him. More came at him from all sides and he struggled to fight them all off. As he fought, valiantly spinning and slashing he glanced over at Canis.
Canis was crouched up the trunk of a tree, one hang dug in to hold him there as he fought off the vines crawling up the tree at him with the other.
"You all right little buddy?" Kenta called to him a slight smirk on his face. It was good to finally see Canis defending himself instead of whining and crying and hiding away behind someone.
"They're not trying to hurt us!" Canis called back as he slashed at a vine wrapping around his ankle.
"What do you mean? Of course they are!" Kenta retorted as he ripped a vine from around his neck. "They're trying to wrap around you so they can squeeze your puny little brains out!"
"But they didnt squeeze me before!" Canis called as he kicked his leg, a vine was slowly dragging him down the trunk. "They're trying to take us to that clearing!" he said, his young voice full of hope.
"Dont be so naïve Canis!" Kenta growled as the vines seemed to grow more and more desperate in their fight. "They'll drag you into that clearing and finish you off there!"
"I dont even know what that means!" Canis said as the vine on his ankle refused to be kicked off and tugged him further down the tree.
"It means you're a baka!" Kenta said as he slashed viciously at the vins. "Dont you dare stop fighting you hear me?!"
"I'm not stopping...they're just winning!" Canis called desperately as the vines finally succeeded in yanking him from the tree.
"CANIS!" Kenta cried out as he turned to try and get to his brother. A large vine took this oppurtunity as he lowered his defenses and struck him in the side of the head, knocking him to the ground.
The dark vines wasted no time in wrapping around his ankles and hoisting him into the air. He could feel the blood trickling down his face from where he'd been struck. Upside down the only thing he could make out through the darkness was...
"CANIS!" he could see his brother hanging upside down as well, off in the distance.
Just then the vines hurled them both toward the dark clearing. Kenta tucked himself into a ball, so he could get to Canis. He reached out and snatched the boy out of the air, his arms wrapping around him, protecting him. He landed hard on his side, sheltering Canis from the brunt of the impact. He rolled slightly and got to his feet, in a low crouch, like a cornered animal. He kept Canis below him, lording over him to protect him, keeping his hands free to defend...or attack.
Kenta looked up precariously. The vines were completely overhead as well; completely locking them in the small clearing. His chest rumbled in outrage.
"Still think they arent trying to hurt us?" he growled down at Canis, who was crouched low underneath his brother, not cowering but preparing to run or dodge.
"No...they're definitely going to kill us." Canis said agreebaly as he looked up.
"Not if I can help it." Kenta murmured under his breath confidently. He wrapped his arms around Canis loosely, bringing his hands together.
Canis's eyes widened as he watched his brother's hands and he retreated closer to his brother's stomach. "What are you going to do?" he asked in an urgent whisper.
"I'm going to get us out of here." Kenta said. There was a flash of light and the distinct sound of a seal coming undone as he dropped his silver rings into his brothers waiting hand. "Give me your bow." Kenta demanded as he stood up slowly. The deadly vines reacted to his movement, stilling themelves in preparation to strike.
Holding the bow in his right hand he reached for an arrow from his brother's quiver. The moment he touched the arrow it lit up and glowed pink, his power flowing through it. He notched it carefully, aiming straight up for the ceiling of vines, pulling back as far as he could without snapping the wood and string.
"This is MY forest!" he roared as he let loose the purifying arrow. The light lit up the clearing as it tore through the vines overhead, causing a chain reaction that purified all the surrounding vines.
It exploded as it hit the ceiling created by the vines, raining down on the brothers like fireworks. Kenta crouched over Canis once again, protecting him from the harmful sparks.
He looked up after a moment to see only one vine remaining. It was larger than the rest had been. It quickly started to retreat deeper into the forest. Kenta hopped to his feet once again.
"Not so fast! Come on Canis!"
Together they chased after the vine, following it further and further, gaining ever so slowly until...
"Gotcha!" Kenta's glowing left hand finally caught hold of it. The moment he touched it the rest of it lit up, like a fuse, burning away to the vines initial source. The light lit up the forest, burning away the dark energy until it all fizzled out.
The brother's chased after it, following the light until it led them to its source. A giant tree that had even more of the deadly purple vines crawling and writhing on it, thriving off of it. As it was...the tree was withering...dying.
"Kenta...they're killing it." Canis whimpered sadly. Kenta nodded.
"All the hostility and tension from the war...it's manifested and is feeding off this tree." Kenta realized and explained softly.
'Sons of Inuyasha...' a voice emanated from all around them, causing the boys to draw closer together, back to back.
"Kenta..." Canis whimpered fearfully.
"Hush..." Kenta ordered in a whisper. The voice seemed to be coming from all around, he couldnt pinpoint its direct source.
'Help me...' it pleaded again and Kenta was positive this time that the voice was only in his head.
"Kenta it's a spirit!" Canis cried out suddenly, pointing at the giant tree. Kenta squinted at the trunk of the tree. There did indeed seem to be a faint light emanating from inside the tree. It was without a doubt a forest spirit, one that was slowly being poisoned by all the negative auras around it.
"Is that what you are?" Kenta spoke tentatively to the tree.
'...yes' the answer came in their minds, though weaker this time. 'This dark aura poisons me...please hurry before it consumes me completely!'
Kenta nodded solemnly and stepped forward. All he had to do was place his hand on the trunk of the tree to save the spirit within.
Of course, with his movement the vines all stilled. Kentamaru smirked.
"Not going to make this easy are you?" he sighed, letting his head fall. He looked down at his glowing claws and clenched his fist. He moved a fraction of an inch. The vines all bristled and he heard the sound of them cutting through the air as they sprang towards him, aiming to kill this time.
His head snapped up as they lashed toward him, his eyes blazing like wildfire, though his features were perfectly calm.
"Sacrosanct!" he shouted as he raised his left hand, flicking his claws up and out.
Such a minute movement, but the light that blazed from his claws was tremendous. Kenta himself had to turn his head and shut his eyes from it, though still light permeated his eyelids.
When it receeded he turned back, stepping forward cautiously. Majority of the vines low lay as dust before him, but some still remained, merely stunned or paralyzed. "I guess no ones heard the news yet." Kenta said calmly. "There's not going to be any war..."
"So everyone can get out of my father's forest." he ordered, placing his left palm on the trunk of the tree. Kenta had never before used his spiritual energy for something other than fighting. This new feeling, using his left hand to purify and heal the tree, was entirely new and physically draining. His knees buckled as the tree sapped his energy, leaving him virtually breathless. He dropped to his knees, his forehead resting on the bark of the tree.
He was barely aware of Canis at his side, one of his small hands feeling his cheek and then grabbing his left hand, forcing the silver rings back into place on his thumb and index finger. Then Canis latched onto his brother's left arm, hugging him and trying to support and lift him at the same time.
'Arise Kentamaru,' the voice of the forest spirit said in his head. Kenta could only roll his head back and forth against the tree in protest.
"How do you know my name?" he groaned into the bark, unable to even open his eyes. His spiritual energy was drained and it left him feeling weaker than he had ever felt in his entire life. He had never given enough credit to the power his mother had given him. Without it, it felt like he was nothing.
'This whole forest knows who you are, Kentamru, eldest son of the hanyou Inuyasha and the miko Kagome." the forest spirit responded. 'And you as well, young Master Canis.' Oddly enough, the spirits ethreal voice was soothing in Kenta's weary head. It seemed to be bringing back the strength and spiritual energy that he had lost in healing the tree.
'Though you hide who you are from those who would seek to hard you, these woods themselves recognize your presence.'
Kenta was still breathing hard but was slowly starting to feel normal again. "Dont tell anyone we're here...in the forest...please..." He begged between breaths. He could have sworn he felt the tree under his forehead tremble as the spirit inside it chuckled.
'I wouldnt dream of betraying the future guardian of these woods.' the spirit promised. 'You saved me, at great expense to your own health it would seem. I owe you much thanks Lord Kentamaru.'
Kenta finally felt ready to stand and using the tree as support he pulled himself up to his full height proudly. "You dont own me anything," Kenta said to the spirit, flexing his left hand which felt oddly lighter than normal. "Its what I was born to do."
'Do not fret child. You are destined to do far greater things than to merely guard these woods. That is my job.'
Kenta nodded and smiled slightly. "What is your name spirit?"
"I am Kazuki...'One Wood'...I am the very essence of this forest; all life in and around it is connected to me.'
"Kazuki...could you...help us?" Kentamaru inquired hesitantly. "We are being pursued by a group of youkai..."
'You wish for me to slow them down? Impede their progress...correct?' the spirit guessed.
Kenta nodded. "If it is not too much to ask."
Kazuki was silent for a moment, then "Yes. I can sense the ones of which you speak and feel their malicious intent growing closer. They seek to harm you...and a girl..."
"I cant let that happen!" Kenta barked suddenly.
'I promise I will do my utmost to hinder them Lord Kentamaru...Master Canis.' Kazuki promised them. 'But your enemies draw near. I believe it is time for you to be on your way.'
Kenta nodded and backed away from the giant tree, the spirit of his father's forest.
'Goodluck on your journey, sons of Inuyasha!' Kazuki's voice sent them off, rejuvenating them like some sort of spell, giving them back their strength. It was as he walked away that Kenta realized why Kazuki's voice had that effect on him.
This was their forest, their home. They thrived in it, had grown up in it, knew everything about it. They were in their element so long as they stayed in these woods. It gave them an advantage, made them stronger.
"Thank you Kazuki," Kentamaru turned and bowed to the tree before departing. "For everything..." he added solemnly.
She was sitting in the middle of the road, arms and legs crossed, glowering at the backs of the village men. Two of them were peering warily downthe newly opened path, while the other two kept their pitchforks pointed at her. The road had opened up suddenly a half hour ago and the men were still trying to figure out if it was a trap or not.
"Dont think that just because this road has opened up, that it means you can just leave." one of them barked at her, the quaver in his voice betraying his bravado. "You're with us until your friends come and get you."
She rolled her brilliant green-blue eyes. "Let's hope, for your sake, that they come soon." She told them with a wry grin. The sun would be setting soon.
The two men watching her exchanged glances. "Is that a threat?"
"No. Its a warning." she said icily. She had long since fixed her clothing. Her appeal to them had faded quickly when they discovered her sour attitude and malicious temper.
"Listen missy..." one of them started, losing what patience he had. He jabbed his pitchfork in the air around her in a pathetic attempt to scare her.
There was a just of wind and it snapped, a blur of black and red filling the mans line of vision.
"Is this how your going to repay the person who saved your guardian spirit and fixed your precious road?" Kenta inquired, his golden eyes ablaze with amusement. "By harassing my companion?"
The men all turned to gape at him now, as Canis leapt down from the trees as well to stand beside his brother.
"Demons!" they shouted, scrambling backwards in unison.
"Dont act so surprised now." Kenta laughed at them, his fangs showing clearly. "You've been staring one in the face all day."
"KENTA!" she hollered at him from where she still sat on the road. Kenta shot her a smirk over his shoulder that silenced her completely as he offered her his hand to help her to her feet.
"Come on," Kenta continued laughing at the villagers. "A pain in the ass as big as her couldnt possibly be completely human." he told them as she grabbed his hand and he pulled her up from the dirt road.
There was a shock, as he felt youki suddenly pulse from her and his hand tightened on hers. He stepped in front of her, instinctively; protectively, to shield her from their view as she changed.
He knew the change was complete when she scratched his hand that was still gripping hers with her newly acquired claws. He quickly drew it back, bringing his injured and bleeding hand to his mouth.
"Not necessary," he growled from behind his hand.
"You telling them what I am was not necessary," she shot back, stepping next to him, a gentle hand on Canis's head. She reached up and pulled her hair free from her ponytail, her blue hanyou ears twitching as the hairs fell unbound around them.
The four villagers now took a wary step toward the trio of hanyous. Kentamaru stepped forward to challenge them.
"Like I said." he growled softly, dropping his hand from his mouth. "Is this how your going to repay the one who fixed your road and healed your forest spirit?"
The men looked quickly at eachother before lowering their weapons and relaxing their stances slightly.
"Forgive us," one said with a bow of his head. "In these times, it is rare to come across a kind young demon like yourself."
"That may be right," Kenta agreed grimly. "But more will be travelling this road. And they will not show you the same courtesy we have." he warned. "Get out of the forest and guard your homes if you know what is good for you."
The med nodded and with darkness closing in on the forest, in the presence of three demons, they were not too keen to stick around and make idle conversation with anyone. They off down the way that had first come.
When they had disappeared from view, Kenta turned to Mitako.
"How was your day?" he inquired with a smirk as she glared at him.
"Ass!" she swore, aiming a punch for his shoulder. Kenta leaned back and rolled his shoulder, effortlessly dodging her fist. He chuckled under his breath.
"I'm surprised you didnt try and follow us." he admonished as she continued to glare at him. She turned her nose up and away from him hotly.
"Oh please," she scoffed, then looked back at him through her long eyelashes. "I knew you'd come back for me..." she informed him with a delicate smile.
Kenta gawked at her for a moment, wondering why his cheeks were burning when she said that. He quickly got a hold of himself and put on a smug smirk. "Did you? Even I didnt know if I was going to come back for you or not."
'Well no." she admitted but her smile only grew. "But I knew he would come back for me!" she picked up Canis in a tight hug, who stuck his tongue out at Kenta over her shoulder.
"Keh."
"But I hoped you would..."
Kenta looked at her, wondering if he had correctly heard that softly uttered phrase. She looked away quickly and whispered something to Canis, who immediately delved into his version of the days events.
"It was so cool! There were all these vines! And we were upside down, and Kenta shot an arrow and it explded like- !!!" Canis explained rapidfire; making explosives sounds and gestures, spittle flying all over Mitako. She didnt seem to care or even notice, just merely smiling and nodding at Canis's epic tale.
"I hate to interrupt," Kenta said with a smile that completely said otherwise. "But a horde of pissed off youkai are trying to kill us still..."
"And someone wasted a whole day of walking." she retorted, looking at him accusingly.
"Thats right." Kenta admitted as Canis hopped from Mitako's arms to Kenta's shoulders and slid down onto his back. "So you know what that means dont you?" Mitako quirked an eyebrow at him.
"Double time." he grinned at her.
"Try to keep up," he laughed as she started to swear and he took off down the path without her. She rolled her eyes... a reluctant smile forming on her face and tore off after them.
A very long chapter. Still working on some character development but have no fear the plot will thicken and it will thicken FAST. On another note, sorry for the long wait. I worked on a novel the rest of the summer, of which I have 11 pages to show for all my months of hard labour.
Coupled with school, hockey, boy, friends, family and whatever else life decides to throw at me (and its been throwing alot lately) makes me one very busy Deceptress.
Rest Assured That I Will Not Abandon This Story.
Five Alive or Fruitopia?
Deceptress