Gekko no Senshi (Moonlight Warrior)
A/N: I apologize for updating so late, life got in the way. Anyways, please enjoy this chapter, I most certainly did as I wrote it. Please REVIEW! I need to know what you think!
Chapter 23
Seeing her eyes lose their shine, hearing the thud her body made as it slammed on the ground ignited a fire inside Rikuo that had never burned before.
Kana…
I was too late…
While I was sitting, waiting, she was…
The thought of his best friend, lifeless on the ground… The Fear emanating from him was so potent the ground shook, producing a huge crater at his wake. Just the detonation of his Fear had burned and killed some of the youkai that where around. A larger group of lowlifes gathered around their menace, ready to kill. He roared in anger as he took out his sword and wiped them clean.
Back at the mansion, Kubinashi sat with Kejoro and Aotabo outside enjoying the night breeze.
"I don't know why the Young Master skipped dinner," Kejoro inquired as she poured some tea.
"Rikuo-sama said he was meeting a friend, he said it was very important," Aotabo answered.
Just then they felt the ground shake and an immense Fear blew through the winds. Kejoro dropped her tea mug and all three of them stood up.
"Waka!"
Tomoe kept staring at the pages of her unfinished homework. The thought of Inoue-sama knowing her window was open and the edge on her voice, as if she knew something was up, kept bugging her. She brushed off the thought once again when she felt the ground shake. Her youki was rattled.
"Rikuo!"
Without much deliberation, she opened the window and jumped off, turning into her youkai as she touched the ground.
When she reached the park, which took her only seconds, she saw a huge pool of blood and a much larger crater. She followed the flow to the tip of a sword and the person, err say, youkai that was holding it.
Rikuo…
She flew towards him as he kneeled in front a body. Tomoe let out a faint cry as she realized whom that body belonged to. She fell beside him, bringing her hands to her mouth.
"Oh God, Kana…"
Her mind was lost. Numbness slithered in as a welcomed friend. Some sort of guilt washed through her in the absence of words. Tomoe reached forward and touched her leg.
It feels warm…
Wait. She still feels warm…
"Rikuo!" her screech brought him back. He was so numb he didn't mutter a word. He just looked at her. The pain in his eyes was far beyond…
"Rikuo, her leg is still warm!" Tomoe was getting excited. He didn't get it. Huh?
"For God's sake, her legs are still warm!" Tomoe leaned over and examined her, touching everywhere. She let out a laugh.
"Rikuo, grab her, now! Her legs are still warm! Means that blood is still reaching her inferior extremities, which means she's doesn't have an internal hemorrhage, which means," she paused to breathe, "her wound isn't fatal… Goddammit Rikuo, grab her! We need to take her to the hospital or she really dies!"
"What! What do you mean she isn't dead! I saw them kill her… I saw…" he yelled bewildered.
"I don't give a shit what you saw! It seems that it was her liver that they were after! Even though it has a lot of blood vessels, it will heal! She still has a pulse. Oh my God, we're wasting time!" she hollered.
Without another word Rikuo grabbed Kana and flew alongside Tomoe to the nearest hospital.
Air… cold…
A beating heart…
She fluttered her eyes open, just for a second. She looked up to see the person that was holding her. That person.
Rikuo is… that person…
But they were not alone. Beside him was a beautiful, glowing creature. For a moment she felt jealous.
Who is she?
The creature spoke, "Rikuo, I can see the hospital up ahead!"
"Yes, I see it!" Rikuo answered.
"You can't go in looking like that," she pointed out.
"I know. You can't either, Tomoe…"
Tomoe?
That celestial being is… Tomoe?
Her body felt tired. Consciousness was slipping away quickly. Before she knew it, it all went black.
As Kana was rushed into the next available O.R. Rikuo sat down and called her parents; the kind of call nobody wants to make. Tomoe had rushed out to the mansion per orders of Rikuo himself to alert the others. That large display of youki must've alarmed the nearby youkai in Nurarihyon's domain.
At the mansion, Aotabo was screaming orders, the smaller youkai where running up and down, Kubinashi cursing Rihan for leaving at a time like this… clear to say it was mayhem. Nobody had news about Rihan. They knew it was Rikuo's youki that caused the uproar but no one knew what the reason behind it was. Karasu Tengu had sent his sons over to the site of the youki display.
"Nurarihyon-sama! Nurarihyon-sama!" an ogre type youkai sitting on the roof of the mansion was screaming. The Supreme Commander rushed outside.
"What is it, Honokazena!" yelled the First.
"Something is approaching the house at great speed!"
Everyone went berserk; everyone except the Sandaime and Gyuuki. They could sense who it was.
"Everybody calm down! Calm down!" Nurarihyon bellowed. "It's…"
The moment he was about to announce who it was, Tomoe flew down and touched the ground gracefully. For a second, everyone went quiet.
"Tomoe-chan! So good to see you again!" said Nurarihyon, with a wink and a smile. Tomoe had to do a double take. These Nurarihyon fellows sure know how to fascinate someone. If she didn't now better, she would've melted like butter.
"Nurarihyon-sama, I apologize for coming in unannounced like this but there has been an incident. Rikuo was to meet his friend Kana at the park. Before they met, Kana was attacked by a group of youkai, unknown from the looks of it…"
Gyuuki interrupted, "You are saying, young one, that this group of youkai attacked a human on our territory… Youkai not under our command."
"Lord Gyuuki, I cannot attest that these youkai were or not under your command. All I know is that when I got there, Rikuo had killed them. I felt the surge of his youki and I flew over… I'm here to tell you that your Young Master is with Kana at this moment at the hospital," Tomoe finished.
Nurarihyon was rubbing his chin: "A human was attacked on our territory by youkai not under my command. Even though my grandson took care of it, this means that more might be coming our way. This is war…"
His last sentence stood in midair, as if waiting for approval. Then an uproar rose from the ground up. Every youkai inside the Nura household cried in excitement. It no longer was a disorderly commotion but titillation for battle.
Combat is what youkai live and strive for, and under the command of the Nurarihyon (including his sons) it felt worth dying for. That quenched thirst, that satisfaction, could only be settled by the breaking of bones, by bloodshed…
The surge of power running through Tomoe's veins filled her inner youki with absolute thrill, stimulating every corner of her being. Her nerve endings fired up as her katana materialized in her hand. The touch of the handle made her skin throb in delight. Even though she knew this land was not her domain, she knew she had to abide by the laws of the land's Master.
"Sodaicho," Tomoe said as she knelt before Nurarihyon, who appeared to be baffled by the sudden action, "I, Tomoe Gozen, from Otaru, would like to serve under your command, sir, if it is thy wish…"
Nurarihyon stood flabbergasted at her petition. Even Lord Gyuuki, to everyone's wonder, looked taken aback by such request. The uproar suddenly dwindled and everyone stood a-waiting for their Lord's words. A faint smile appeared on Nurarihyon's face, quickly changing to a gigantic smirk.
"Tomoe-chan, my darling, you are not to serve under me, but you are to fight as an a…"
But before the Grand Lord could finish, Rikuo appeared beside a still kneeling Tomoe.
"What is going on, jiji?" asked the boy with equal bewilderment. "Tomoe-chan, why are you even kneeling? Get up."
Tomoe stood up with heed, turned towards Rikuo and said, "I asked your Grandfather to serve under his command for the upcoming battle…"
"Why? You where the one who warned us about this situation…" Rikuo answered her. Tomoe shrugged, saying:
"I figured maybe because I am in your land, I might need your permission."
Rikuo chuckled, "You don't need my permission. You're an ally."
"That's exactly what I was about to say, before the runt interrupted me," said Nurarihyon.
"Jiji," Rikuo sneered. Tomoe let out a weak chuckle.
"This only means one thing," Gyuuki said. Then turning towards the girl, "Tomoe Gozen, do you wish to fight alongside the Nura Gumi?"
"I very much do, sire," answered Tomoe with a side grin.
"Waka," Gyuuki continued towards Rikuo, "since she is of your acquaintance, she must exchange sakazuki with you."
Everyone in the crowed gasped. Rikuo smiled and turns towards Tomoe who quirked her head to the right, with a dumbfounded look on her face. "Huh?"
"The 5:5 pledge," said a confident Rikuo. "It is when we pledge loyalty to each other, means equality between you and me, more like a brother and sister kind of thing…"
Tomoe was left with an 'oh' on her lips as the sake cups where brought in. The solemnity of the act was such that Tomoe could barely keep herself put. Her heart was beating like battle drums.
The moment they interlinked their arms, a surge of blood rushed to her face, making her face look hot pink. A smirk formed on Rikuo's face making her feel worse. Please, don't let anybody else notice… She then remembered that this was an equality pledge, somewhat between siblings; her blush disappeared in a matter of seconds.
After it was done, her heart fluttered in excitement. Never had she ever done anything like this. Not only had she felt that she had gained a brother, but also a new family.
"To protect those who can't protect themselves," said Rikuo with determination. "Both ayakashi and human."
"Hai!" Tomoe beamed. For once I don't feel like a murderer, an antagonist, but now I feel more like an advocate, crusading the land to instill peace among the living and the creatures of darkness…
Just like light and day…
One can't exist without the other…
A/N: ^.^ Lurv it! Ya'll thought I was gonna kill Kana, she may not be my favorite character but I'm not that cruel. :)
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