Disclaimer: One day I will be the Queen of the World and own all. For now, I own the clothing I wear and the pepsi in the fridge.
Fire Chrysanthemum
ྷ ྷ ྷ ྷ ྷ ྷ ྷ ྷ ྷ ྷ ྷ ྷ ྷ ྷ ྷ ྷ ྷ ྷ ྷ ྷ ྷ ྷ ྷ ྷ ྷ ྷ ྷ ྷ ྷ ྷ ྷ ྷ ྷ ྷ ྷ ྷ ྷ ྷ ྷ
Kagome sighed and related the whole tale to Souta. Her hands fiddled with the embroidered throw blanket in her lap. Souta noticed this and knowing his sister well, he realized that she was extremely nervous.
"Mama is really sick because of her high exposure to miasa right? Well, you see, it doesn't affect me because of my priestess abilities and I'm assuming it won't affect you for the same reason. Sesshou has promised to look into it more. Anyway, the final battle ended when one of my arrows rebounded off of Kanna's mirror and hit Naraku right? And Kikyo purified his ashes so-" she was cut off by Souta who burst out angrily.
"So why is the little berk still running around in broad moonlight?" Souta asked incredulously. Kagome glanced at him, annoyed.
"Souta, there is a world like ours that most cannot see but they have influence with the governments and wield magic. Anyway, these people are wizards and witches and they created a certain magical ritual." Kagome told him matter-of-factly, "It was called Blood, Flesh and Bone. The spell was originally created by a Tom Riddle. Well, to do it, you take the blood of the enemy, the bone of the nearest kin and the flesh of a servant. I'm guessing they got Kagura or Kanna for the bone, though I do hope that Kagura or Kanna took down enough of the bastards to seriously cripple them. Plus, any freak wizard servant of Naraku's could have donated the flesh. What I wonder is who's blood they took? Blood of the enemy. The stronger the connection to the person the better. Best would be the person who killed him or took part in killing him. It could have been almost any of us.. I know Miroku and Sango died peacefully and had a small lineage created and I've seen Shippou and Sesshoumaru-" she stopped abruptly. "Inuyasha or Kikyo. Oh god. I haven't heard of them at all since the final battle..." her eyes were beginning to redden and she turned away, refusing to show any emotion to her younger brother. Souta sat there, absorbing it all, torn a bit about his sister's reactions.
"So what does this have to do with Sakura?" Souta asked impatiently. Sakura meant something to him and he was not about to let anything happen to her.
"I will watch over her and monitor her battles, making sure she is safe," Kagome said slowly, "And I will keep Naraku from her."
"Then I will too,"Souta declared. Kagome glared at him.
"You will be watching the house," Kagome warned and told him matter-of-factly. Souta glared back stubbornly and neither would break.
"Why, aneue? I have every right to protect Sakura!" Souta yelled. Kagome's face darkened and her eyes were cold blue ice.
"Because this is not your forte. You think this is all fun and games, but its not!" She emphasized the word not, spitting it out like poison. "You can't always be the super hero, Souta! Because even heroes fall." Her voice had quieted and were tinged with tiredness, "You don't always win and come out unscathed. Plus," she continued, "War.. Battle. It scars the soul. Once you kill, it can't be taken back.. Whether it be demon or human. You think you know, but do you?"
Souta stared at his sister. Her eye were tired and all sympathy, pity and mercy were gone. This Kagome was world weary and jaded.
"You fight and you fight the enemy, every time he retaliates, you do too. Harsh and harsher methods are used, torture.. Hostages. Eventually, the line between good and evil is blurred and you see yourself for what you are. You become no better than the enemy." Kagome looked Souta in the eye. The Higurashi stubborness had still not left Souta though.
"I want to protect her," Souta repeated stubbornly, his jaw clenched. "And I will." He didn't bother to look back. Flinging open the door, he stepped out into the world, the clouds grey and rain falling down heavily.
He never turned back and Kagome refused to cry. The bleak look on her face was enough.
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Souta ran for what felt like hours before he noticed where he was. The penguin park was dark and empty. Shivering from the cold, he crawled under the slide and sat there, huddled and tormented by his own thoughts.
'Sister thinks I'm no good.' Voice one echoed.
'She never said that,' Voice two argued, 'She doesn't want you to become what she has.. Face what she faced.'
'No, that's not it at all. Shuichi was lost to her. She wants to keep you around as her little brother and not Little Brother Happily with Sakura.' Voice one told him slyly.
'No way.. She wouldn't let that befall anyone if she couldn't help it. She has Sesshoumaru doesn't she?' Voice Two retorted.
'Sesshoumaru and she are more family now that all this time has passed.' Voice one told him.
"Souta? Is that you? Are you okay?" A soft feminine voice frantically asked. The person stooped to look under the slide and saw the familiar violet orbs of Tomoyou.
"Hi Tomoyou," Souta said hoarsely. He crawled out from under the slide and Tomoyou covered him with her umbrella. Souta felt a small sinking feeling of disappointment that it wasn't Sakura but swallowed it. Any friendly company was good company now.
"Why are you under there?" Tomoyou asked him curiously. Souta shrugged a bit and smiled as best as he could, given the circumstances.
"Kagome and I had a bit of a row," he explained apologetically, "And I ran out stupidly." Tomoyou clucked her tongue in sympathy. She offered her arm and smiled winningly.
"Here, let's go to my house and I'll get you fixed up," she offered and Souta gratefully accepted. They chatted about this and that. School, friends and stuff. Souta was meanwhile thinking about how nice Tomoyou was and how cool she was once you got past the feminine facade. He could see why Urahara liked her now and he warmed up easily to her. The walk was not that long and he saw himself in front of a large, luxurious marble mansion.
"Wow," he stated. Tomoyou smiled shyly and took his hand, dragging him to the door.
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Kagome was staring soullessly at the dying embers of her fireplace. A mug of steaming chamomile tea in hand. Funny, she could have sworn she had done this in the Feudal Era after Shiori, the bat hanyou she had taken in, died. Souta left. Why was it that they couldn't just settle down and live like normal people.
It wasn't that she was trying to keep Souta and Sakura apart. What she had said earlier was true but only the half of it. It was too dangerous to be emotionally attached to Naraku's targets. The pain, the absolute utter misery of losing that person hurt too much.
She snapped out of her thoughts abruptly as there was a knocking on her door. Her head snapped up and she called out, "Who is it?" While feverishly hoping it was Souta.
"Kagome?" Oh. Shippou's voice. She rose heavily, placed her tea on the table and opened the door.
"It's so cold in here," the ginger haired man muttered, "Gods, mum. Where's Souta?" Kagome fought back tears that Shippou smelled immediately. "Oh mum.. What did you do?"
"Shippou?" she asked quietly, totally disregarding his previous question, "Tell me, is it wrong to want the best for someone? Is it wrong to deny someone the right to feel the pain of loss?" Shippou sat down, cradling the sad woman in his arms.
"No mum, but if you prevent all of his mistakes now, how will he learn? It's okay, mum. Stop crying. Once, five hundred years ago, you told Rin and I that love was for the strong. What Souta needs is to love and grow up." He cradled his crying mother in his arms and he let her sob whilst he stared into the dying embers of the fireplace. Why did all of this have to come back into Kagome's life?
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Souta and Tomoyou were still in the Daidouji mansion. They were talking animatedly and eventually began arguing heatedly over DDR or Parapara. Souta disagreed that Parapara was really all that great. With DDR, you danced and moved your feet a lot and you could exercise well on it. Parapara was all arm and was really boring.
"I challenge you to a game of Parapara, then!" Tomoyou challenged him, "If it's so easy, you should have no trouble beating me." Souta, caught up in the moment, agreed immediately. They walked into Tomoyou's arcade and turned on the Parapara machine.
"Which song?" Tomoyou asked as she scrolled through the list. Souta read through the list quickly, then chose his favourite out of the list.
"Cruel Angel Thesis," Souta told her promptly. Tomoyou arched a brow at him.
"Isn't that the theme song from Evangelion?" She asked, watching as Souta faced the screen. He nodded. The song came on and Souta began following the arrows. Tomoyou watched him in awe.
zankoku na tenshi no you ni
shounen yo shinwa ni nare
aoi kaze ga ima
mune no DOA wo tataite mo
watashi dake wo tada mitsumete
hohoende'ru anata
dakedo itsuka kidzuku deshou
sono senaka ni wa
haruka mirai mezasu tame no
hane ga aru koto
zankoku na tenshi no TE-ZE
madobe kara yagate tobitatsu
hotobashiru atsui PATOSU de
omoide wo uragiru nara
kono sora wo daite kagayaku
shounen yo shinwa ni nare
zutto nemutte'ru
watashi no ai no yurikago
anata dake ga yume no shisha ni
yobareru asa ga kuru
hosoi kubisuji wo
tsukiakari ga utsushite'ru
sekai-juu no toki wo tomete
tojikometai kedo
moshimo futari aeta koto ni
imi ga aru nara
watashi wa sou jiyuu wo shiru
tame no BAIBURU
zankoku na tenshi no TE-ZE
kanashimi ga soshite hajimaru
dakishimeta inochi no katachi
sono yume ni mezameta toki
dare yori mo hikari wo hanatsu
shounen yo shinwa ni nare
hito wa ai wo tsumugi nagara
rekishi wo tsukuru
megami nante narenai mama
watashi wa ikiru
zankoku na tenshi no TE-ZE
madobe kara yagate tobitatsu
hotobashiru atsui PATOSU de
omoide wo uragiru nara
kono sora wo daite kagayaku
shounen yo shinwa ni nare
"How was that?" Souta asked triumphantly, his boyish grin making Tomoyou go weak in the knees. She smiled at him.
"Guess you proved me wrong," she said brightly, "But that was really good by the way." He smiled modestly and blushed a bit. "It's stopped raining by the way," Tomoyou noted, "If you want to go home now, you can. Want me to get you a ride?" Souta shook his head no.
"See ya at school on Monday, Tomoyou," he told her offhandedly, walking out, but not before smiling charmingly at her. She watched from her window as he left the house and sighed, hugging her pillow after he was long out of sight.
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Souta was walking home, thinking. His afternoon with Tomoyou had been pleasant and he really did have fun. He wasn't sure if he was ready to forgive Kagome just yet, but he was going to go home anyways. Walking ... walking ... walking and finally! He hesitated, then stuck his key into the lock and opened the door.
The scene he was expecting was nonexistent. Kagome lay there in a ginger haired man's arms, both fast asleep. There were tear tracks on Kagome's face. What was with his sister and redheads anyways. The red head's head whipped around and he relaxed instantly when he saw Souta. Souta looked into his piercing green eyes. This man reminded him of Kurama but with Kagome's personality traits. Souta stood transfixed as the man woke Kagome up. He told her that Souta was here and she bolted up immediately.
"Well," Souta said, avoiding Kagome's eyes, "I guess I'll leave you both alone now." He decided to take one last jab at her though, "And here I thought you fancied Tsukishiro-sempai!" He laughed as the redhead asked who Tsukishiro was.
"Souta," Kagome growled warningly. Souta winced and waited for the scolding to come. "Meet your nephew, Shippou." Souta let one look of surprise cross his face before he passed out.
"Geez mum, I think you broke the news too quickly." Was the last thing he heard before he willingly let the black take him.
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"I see you're awake now," the redhead- Shippou spoke as he awoke clutching his head.
"Are you really my nephew? The kitsune sis adopted when she was in the feudal era? You're older than me though!" Souta said this all very quickly and with wide eyes.
"Yes, well.. Five hundred years will do that," Shippou quipped dryly. "But enough of that. Sesshoumaru has sent me to live nearby to help you guys out."
"Wait a second- me and Kagome? So she's gonna let me help?" Souta asked eagerly. Shippou chuckled.
"Well, for starters, it's Kagome and I not me and Kagome and yes, I got her to consent. But," he wrinkled his nose, "You fancy the sorceress right? So who's stench is that lingering on you?"
Souta crimsoned, "A friend," he told him tartly, "And maybe I fancy her," he said, dragging out the word maybe, "So I wouldn't dream of cheating on her or anything."
"Ah, but the loophole in your sentence is the word 'cheat'. You aren't going with the lass are you?" Shippou told him matter-of-factly, "Just don't let the sorceress or anything cloud your mind. This is a serious mission and task, so don't be a-going jeopardizing it. Anyway, her scent isn't around your mouth so it means you haven't snogged her so..." he let his sentence hang. "Kagome says you can help out but to leave Naraku for her. Take out anything else that threatens." Souta nodded. "Oh," Shippou added as an afterthought, "Meet your new neighbour. Nice to meet you, Ja!" he nodded at him and waltzed out the door.
"That's seriously your son?" Souta asked Kagome, who had just come into the room. She nodded and smiled wistfully. "Kurama taught him well."
"So he's Kurama's kid too now?" Souta questioned, brow furrowed. Arghh too many loops and turns.
"He adopted Shippou too, before Kurama met me. He was there for a meeting between Reikai and Makai, and he and Shippou bonded immediately. When I saw the two together, I wondered what cards fate had for me."
Souta looked at her incredulously and she left the room. He made a mental promise to himself that he would love only Sakura and save himself a hell of a lot of drama.
Too bad Fate had drama lined up and aimed right for him.
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