Chapter 5-Yin and Yang
Chapter 5! Whee! This thing is fun to write.
Thanks for reading Spleef (your site rocks!) and Asher Tye for reviewing! -sigh!- I feel the love!
((~_*)) The Chibi Hime smilie!
On with chapter 5!
Disclaimer-I don't own JCA, I do own a Marvel Super Heroes mug with my name on it.
Chapter 5
It is funny how love and hate go hand in hand. One moment, you can experience the ecstasy of
love and compassion, the next be bombarded with such hate and rage that you feel your soul will
be consumed. I have noted this, now that I reflect on my life, but the first time I really
experienced the extremes of yin and yang on the same day was the day my youngest brother was
born...............
"Tso!" Rumiko-hime called me from inside her room.
I closed the book which had been on my desk and got up to ansswer her. She had been living with
us, as I have mentioned. We have all grown acustomed to her, I will miss her when she returns to
her bungalow, if she does indeed return. rumiko-hime is standing by the oor, dressed in casual
clothes, she is now bulging so much, it appears as if she would burst. She wears her smile as well
as her favorite hair clip, a dragon with set ruby eyes.
"Tso, let's go to the market and get some fresh green onions. We neeed spices too, none of the
spices here have the effect of wasabi, but I guaantee that a merchant somewhere in this city has
something like it!"
"Are you sure you should be traveling, Rumiko-hime?"
"Why are you always so formal, Tso? You can call me Rumiko, we're close family, right?"
"You are avoiding my question," I say.
"Yes, I'm alright to travel. Thank you for asking. Sometimes I wonder if there's a little human in
you somewhere,"
"........................"
"Don't worry, I'm kidding," she says.
We leave the palace and head for the marketplace, a short walk for us. The smells of the
marketplace are those of spice, leather, fish and flowers. Quite wonderful, but the people there
are sometimes strange. They either look at me with fear, hate or curiosity. Are demons really
becoming so rare in the world? When father was a child, the earth was covered with thousands
of demons, every town had several. No, only a few lands remained under demon control. Sad.
Everyone looks at Rumiko-hime with admiration, even in this unglorious state, she is the most
gorgeous woman there. Her beauty is magnified by the fact that she has never thought this
about herself. She chats quaintly with an old woman who sells spices. Then, she speaks with the
girl who sells vegetables, with the man who sells the pickled cucumbers and with another woman
who sells sweets. They all wish her and her new child well, she responds by bowing politely and
saying her thanks. Do they know that she is my father's wife? They must, many attended the
ceremony. But, many act as though they have never seen her before, does she really look that
different?
We headed back home after our shopping was completed. Rumiko-hime pulled out a few sweets
and offered me one. Iaccepted and received a small, honey flavored nut cluster. Quite good,
actually. The princess herself consumed three of these, as well as a few tree sap taffies, quite
similar to the Canadian maple candies I have seen in my later years.
We had almost made it home when I heard footsteps behind us. A man's voice shouted:
"Demon whore,"
Both Rumiko-hime and I turn around. He is a tall, muscular man that has a scar on his right
cheek. He glares with hatred at Rumiko-hime. How anyone could hate someone so kind is beyond
my comprehension. Especially if they do not know her at all. How dare he make such a judgement
about her! She is the wife of his lord! A place of high esteem! How dare he say something like
that! My eyes burn brighter than usual.
"What did you say?" I ask in a deep, enraged, but controlled voice.
"Slut!" he shouted at her, ignoring me.
"You whore! you sell yourself to a demon! So he can lay with you and you are cursed to bear his
hideous, half formed children! You betray humanity to lay beside a monster!"
"Marl isn't a monster, he's a demon," Rumiko-hime says.
I am impressed by this woman, so deep is her loyalty, that she defends the ones she loves before
herself. The man steps up to her and attempts to slap her. His hand is caught by mine, I
squeeze him-hard! The sickening crunch of bones can be heard, he screams as his hand is
destroyed. The violent side of me has been awakened, it calls for the punishment of this being.
My body wants to do something, but it cannot. I don't know what it wants and this frustrates me.
I grab the man by the neck and lift him off the ground. No man endangers a member of my
family!
"Listen to me, you bastard! She is the wife of your master and a princess! You will show her all
the respect that she deserves! Beg for her forgiveness!"
"I'll never beg for that demon bitch's forgiveness!" he growls and spits in my face. I squeeze
tighter on his neck.
"No, Tso! He's not worth it! Let's go home!" Rumiko-hime calls, her voice near tears.
I drop the man and kick him for good measure.
We race back inside the palace gate. I quickly bolt the door and turn to the shaking princess.
"Tso..could he be right?"
"What?" I ask, surprised that she would listen to a madman.
"About the baby? Could something be wrong with it, because its half human? I couldn't live with
myself if I was the cause of my child's suffering!" she is openly sobbing onto my chest now. I've
grown a few inches since she first arrive. I am barely taller than her. I tell her not to worry. I
pick her up and carry her home. She has calmed down by the time we reach the porch. A
windchime tinkles lightly. Its Bai's she bought it from the same old woman we bought the spice
from. I lay Rumiko-hime on her bed and return to my room, where I fall asleep at my desk, my
cheek caressed by moonlight.
...................................
I am awakened sevral hours later by a scream of pain that goes to my bones. My eyes shoot
open as I wait in the dark. I hear voices, Mother, Bai, the palace doctor and Lu Song? Xiao and
Po's mother? Why would she be here? Come to think of it, she was the only one other than
Mother to treat Rumiko-hime with any respect. If she's here, then......my God! Today? But,
Rumiko-hime wasn't due for another three weeks!
Bai enter my room and asks me to come into the common room with her. I loyally follow. The
door to Rumiko-hime's room is closed, but everyone's shadows are projected onto the thin rice
paper door by a lantern. Another cry makes my skin crawl. rumiko-hime's shadow betrays her
dissheveled sweaty hair that is strewn about her person. I hear deep breathing and sighs coming
from the other side of the door. I also hear several voices.
"Just rest, Lady rumiko, and push hard after you've regained yor stregnth,"
"What kind of doctor are you? She needs to get that baby's head out or it'll suffocate! Let me do
it! Lu song bellows. I see where Po got her voice.
"Madam, I'm a fine physician,"
"I'm sure you are, but you're also a man! Why don't I get a Lady Lu?"
"I,"
"Never mind, out of the way!" Lu shouts and shoves him rudely. The stunned doctor brushed
himself off. This shadow play was quite entertaining. I look over to Bai, who is seated at the
other side of the table. She's wetting washclothes. She looks horribly uncomfortable with this.
"Bai? Waht's wrong? You can tell me?"
"I don't like this. It's too weird,"
"What?"
"Having a baby,"
I understand.
"It'll be over soon," I say.
"I guess you're right," she said. She got up and slithered into Rumiko-hime's room. I am
momentarily able to see Mother and Lu's heads and Rumiko-hime's legs. The door is then closed.
Bai's shadow places a wet cloth on Rumiko-hime's head. I watch the shadow play for hours. I
drift off to sleep again.
Two hours later, A final scream awakens me again. I awaken in time to see the final act of the
shadow play. I see Rumiko-hime's shadow arched and she shakes with strain. She groans with
effort,then finally gasps and collapses. She lays there breathing heavily while the others busy
themselves with something else. I notice that the doctor was gone, probably removed by Lu. I
hear a faint squeal, nothing like crying, more of a surprise and question.
"He's a cute one!" I hear Lu say. I don't think I've ever heard her say anything nice. Bai comes
out, goes straight to her room and collapses on the bed, asleep before she hits the pillow. She
leaves the door open.
I get up and slowly walk towards the door. Mother welcomes me. I step inside. Lu busies
herself with picking up bloody clothes and discarded washclothes. Rumiko-hime has collapsed
from exhaustion and is sleeping now, a smile gracing her face. I look over to the crib that has
been brought in I peer over the side. I cannot see exactly what my new sibling looks like, for it is
wrapped up to its head in blankets. Its skin is dark grey or black, three small spikes grace its
head. The little thing sneezes and opens a pair of bright grey eyes. I am startled, I have never
seen a demon that didn't have red eyes.
"Don't worry, Tso. All human babies eyes change color, his will too,"
"Mother?"
"Tso, meet your new little brother, Hsi Wu,"
"Hsi Wu?"
"Yes, he's a darling little thing, I hope he doesn't mind that we bound up his wings with those
blankets. We can't have him catch cold,"
"Mother is Rumiko-hime alright?"
"Yes, Tso,"
"And Hsi?"
"He's just fine. You better go to sleep, tomorrow, your father is coming to visit and I want
everyone to look their best. Lu and I will take turns waching Hsi throught he night,"
"Yes, Mother,"
I take my leave, those grey eyes burned into my mind. I felt that my little brother had
recognized me. But children this young could not recognize visuals, they were practically blind,
but still. There was something about hm that seemes, not quite right for a demon, or maybe I
was just being paranoid.
End Chapter 5
Chapter 5! Whee! This thing is fun to write.
Thanks for reading Spleef (your site rocks!) and Asher Tye for reviewing! -sigh!- I feel the love!
((~_*)) The Chibi Hime smilie!
On with chapter 5!
Disclaimer-I don't own JCA, I do own a Marvel Super Heroes mug with my name on it.
Chapter 5
It is funny how love and hate go hand in hand. One moment, you can experience the ecstasy of
love and compassion, the next be bombarded with such hate and rage that you feel your soul will
be consumed. I have noted this, now that I reflect on my life, but the first time I really
experienced the extremes of yin and yang on the same day was the day my youngest brother was
born...............
"Tso!" Rumiko-hime called me from inside her room.
I closed the book which had been on my desk and got up to ansswer her. She had been living with
us, as I have mentioned. We have all grown acustomed to her, I will miss her when she returns to
her bungalow, if she does indeed return. rumiko-hime is standing by the oor, dressed in casual
clothes, she is now bulging so much, it appears as if she would burst. She wears her smile as well
as her favorite hair clip, a dragon with set ruby eyes.
"Tso, let's go to the market and get some fresh green onions. We neeed spices too, none of the
spices here have the effect of wasabi, but I guaantee that a merchant somewhere in this city has
something like it!"
"Are you sure you should be traveling, Rumiko-hime?"
"Why are you always so formal, Tso? You can call me Rumiko, we're close family, right?"
"You are avoiding my question," I say.
"Yes, I'm alright to travel. Thank you for asking. Sometimes I wonder if there's a little human in
you somewhere,"
"........................"
"Don't worry, I'm kidding," she says.
We leave the palace and head for the marketplace, a short walk for us. The smells of the
marketplace are those of spice, leather, fish and flowers. Quite wonderful, but the people there
are sometimes strange. They either look at me with fear, hate or curiosity. Are demons really
becoming so rare in the world? When father was a child, the earth was covered with thousands
of demons, every town had several. No, only a few lands remained under demon control. Sad.
Everyone looks at Rumiko-hime with admiration, even in this unglorious state, she is the most
gorgeous woman there. Her beauty is magnified by the fact that she has never thought this
about herself. She chats quaintly with an old woman who sells spices. Then, she speaks with the
girl who sells vegetables, with the man who sells the pickled cucumbers and with another woman
who sells sweets. They all wish her and her new child well, she responds by bowing politely and
saying her thanks. Do they know that she is my father's wife? They must, many attended the
ceremony. But, many act as though they have never seen her before, does she really look that
different?
We headed back home after our shopping was completed. Rumiko-hime pulled out a few sweets
and offered me one. Iaccepted and received a small, honey flavored nut cluster. Quite good,
actually. The princess herself consumed three of these, as well as a few tree sap taffies, quite
similar to the Canadian maple candies I have seen in my later years.
We had almost made it home when I heard footsteps behind us. A man's voice shouted:
"Demon whore,"
Both Rumiko-hime and I turn around. He is a tall, muscular man that has a scar on his right
cheek. He glares with hatred at Rumiko-hime. How anyone could hate someone so kind is beyond
my comprehension. Especially if they do not know her at all. How dare he make such a judgement
about her! She is the wife of his lord! A place of high esteem! How dare he say something like
that! My eyes burn brighter than usual.
"What did you say?" I ask in a deep, enraged, but controlled voice.
"Slut!" he shouted at her, ignoring me.
"You whore! you sell yourself to a demon! So he can lay with you and you are cursed to bear his
hideous, half formed children! You betray humanity to lay beside a monster!"
"Marl isn't a monster, he's a demon," Rumiko-hime says.
I am impressed by this woman, so deep is her loyalty, that she defends the ones she loves before
herself. The man steps up to her and attempts to slap her. His hand is caught by mine, I
squeeze him-hard! The sickening crunch of bones can be heard, he screams as his hand is
destroyed. The violent side of me has been awakened, it calls for the punishment of this being.
My body wants to do something, but it cannot. I don't know what it wants and this frustrates me.
I grab the man by the neck and lift him off the ground. No man endangers a member of my
family!
"Listen to me, you bastard! She is the wife of your master and a princess! You will show her all
the respect that she deserves! Beg for her forgiveness!"
"I'll never beg for that demon bitch's forgiveness!" he growls and spits in my face. I squeeze
tighter on his neck.
"No, Tso! He's not worth it! Let's go home!" Rumiko-hime calls, her voice near tears.
I drop the man and kick him for good measure.
We race back inside the palace gate. I quickly bolt the door and turn to the shaking princess.
"Tso..could he be right?"
"What?" I ask, surprised that she would listen to a madman.
"About the baby? Could something be wrong with it, because its half human? I couldn't live with
myself if I was the cause of my child's suffering!" she is openly sobbing onto my chest now. I've
grown a few inches since she first arrive. I am barely taller than her. I tell her not to worry. I
pick her up and carry her home. She has calmed down by the time we reach the porch. A
windchime tinkles lightly. Its Bai's she bought it from the same old woman we bought the spice
from. I lay Rumiko-hime on her bed and return to my room, where I fall asleep at my desk, my
cheek caressed by moonlight.
...................................
I am awakened sevral hours later by a scream of pain that goes to my bones. My eyes shoot
open as I wait in the dark. I hear voices, Mother, Bai, the palace doctor and Lu Song? Xiao and
Po's mother? Why would she be here? Come to think of it, she was the only one other than
Mother to treat Rumiko-hime with any respect. If she's here, then......my God! Today? But,
Rumiko-hime wasn't due for another three weeks!
Bai enter my room and asks me to come into the common room with her. I loyally follow. The
door to Rumiko-hime's room is closed, but everyone's shadows are projected onto the thin rice
paper door by a lantern. Another cry makes my skin crawl. rumiko-hime's shadow betrays her
dissheveled sweaty hair that is strewn about her person. I hear deep breathing and sighs coming
from the other side of the door. I also hear several voices.
"Just rest, Lady rumiko, and push hard after you've regained yor stregnth,"
"What kind of doctor are you? She needs to get that baby's head out or it'll suffocate! Let me do
it! Lu song bellows. I see where Po got her voice.
"Madam, I'm a fine physician,"
"I'm sure you are, but you're also a man! Why don't I get a Lady Lu?"
"I,"
"Never mind, out of the way!" Lu shouts and shoves him rudely. The stunned doctor brushed
himself off. This shadow play was quite entertaining. I look over to Bai, who is seated at the
other side of the table. She's wetting washclothes. She looks horribly uncomfortable with this.
"Bai? Waht's wrong? You can tell me?"
"I don't like this. It's too weird,"
"What?"
"Having a baby,"
I understand.
"It'll be over soon," I say.
"I guess you're right," she said. She got up and slithered into Rumiko-hime's room. I am
momentarily able to see Mother and Lu's heads and Rumiko-hime's legs. The door is then closed.
Bai's shadow places a wet cloth on Rumiko-hime's head. I watch the shadow play for hours. I
drift off to sleep again.
Two hours later, A final scream awakens me again. I awaken in time to see the final act of the
shadow play. I see Rumiko-hime's shadow arched and she shakes with strain. She groans with
effort,then finally gasps and collapses. She lays there breathing heavily while the others busy
themselves with something else. I notice that the doctor was gone, probably removed by Lu. I
hear a faint squeal, nothing like crying, more of a surprise and question.
"He's a cute one!" I hear Lu say. I don't think I've ever heard her say anything nice. Bai comes
out, goes straight to her room and collapses on the bed, asleep before she hits the pillow. She
leaves the door open.
I get up and slowly walk towards the door. Mother welcomes me. I step inside. Lu busies
herself with picking up bloody clothes and discarded washclothes. Rumiko-hime has collapsed
from exhaustion and is sleeping now, a smile gracing her face. I look over to the crib that has
been brought in I peer over the side. I cannot see exactly what my new sibling looks like, for it is
wrapped up to its head in blankets. Its skin is dark grey or black, three small spikes grace its
head. The little thing sneezes and opens a pair of bright grey eyes. I am startled, I have never
seen a demon that didn't have red eyes.
"Don't worry, Tso. All human babies eyes change color, his will too,"
"Mother?"
"Tso, meet your new little brother, Hsi Wu,"
"Hsi Wu?"
"Yes, he's a darling little thing, I hope he doesn't mind that we bound up his wings with those
blankets. We can't have him catch cold,"
"Mother is Rumiko-hime alright?"
"Yes, Tso,"
"And Hsi?"
"He's just fine. You better go to sleep, tomorrow, your father is coming to visit and I want
everyone to look their best. Lu and I will take turns waching Hsi throught he night,"
"Yes, Mother,"
I take my leave, those grey eyes burned into my mind. I felt that my little brother had
recognized me. But children this young could not recognize visuals, they were practically blind,
but still. There was something about hm that seemes, not quite right for a demon, or maybe I
was just being paranoid.
End Chapter 5