A/N- Thanks for the reviews, Catorrina and ZAP IS ZAK! I really do appreciate them!! :D
Disclaimer- :P
Broken, bloodied, and in pain. That was the way that Miuri was feeling at the current moment. She could feel her own life essence fading, ever so slowly, from her body. Her spirit begged to be freed from her mortal body, to be let loose and safe. Miuri wanted to die more than anything in the whole world.
For three hours straight, they had tortured her, asking her questions. If she didn't answer them (which she couldn't, since she did not know the answers), they would do something awful to her, worse than the last thing but not as bad as the next.
Finally, King Lee came in and told them to stop. He told them there was no point because Miuri would be dead soon from loss of blood. And she obviously didn't know anything, as well.
So, in the end, the fifteen-year-old girl was placed gingerly atop a small futon with white sheets and soft pillows so that she could die peaceably. They even opened the window so that, as she let loose her last and dying breath, she could hear the sweet sound of the ocean. So kind of them.
Miuri was regretting coming to the past. She should have known that she would. Now Jin thought that she was alive, but captive. He would seek to save her. He would get himself killed.
Oh, and there was that little fact that Miuri herself was dying. Five minutes from now, probably, dead.
Ah, such a pity. She didn't get to finish high school. She didn't get to get her driving license. She didn't get to fall in love (Riku SO didn't count). She didn't get to go to America for college, like she had dreamed about for so long. She didn't get to grow old.
At that moment, ruining the melancholy of the moment, Kyoufu and a girl a few years younger than herself jumped in through the window.
"Holy shi-" Kyoufu began, seeing the state Miuri was in. The girl that was with him quickly covered his mouth, bring a finger to her lips, indicating that he should be quiet. Kyoufu nodded.
The girl walked over to Miuri and squatted down beside her. She then began saying in a soft voice, "Hello. My name is Hitorigami."
Hitorigami? Miuri wondered to herself. Weren't those the gods that came into the world alone? But usually they themselves have names... What's up with that??
"And I'm warning you right now, this is going to hurt," Hitorigami stated, her fox-like ears flapping slightly. "Mainly because I"m not a Goddess of Healing, but a God of Loneliness. I'm just warning you so you don't swear and shout at me like the thing did."
"Don't call me 'the thing', witch!" Kyoufu growled, louder than he needed to.
"Shut up," Hitorigami growled right back at him, but much softer. She then continued quickly but quietly, "Oh, and just to clear things up really fast, I am not a girl. And I'm not a boy, either. I have no gender, but I like to look pretty. So don't call me a her, not even while you're thinking."
Well, if that's not weird, I don't know what is.
"Now, be prepared for hurt..." Hitorigami said, tensing up but putting two fingers on both of Miuri's temples.
To say the least, yes, it did hurt. Personally, if actually given a choice afterwords, she would have rather died than go through that pain again. All of Miuri's blood seeped back into her body, all of her wounds closed up, and she was perfectly fine in the end though.
You want me to describe the pain, don't you? Well, I suppose I will...
Getting hit by a truck would feel like a pleasant walk compared to this great pain. Dying about ten times painfully in different ways and then mix all of that pain together and you might have what the pain felt like. However, it really can't be described. Miuri would have preferred to go back to the torture devices and be immortal so she can't die than go through that pain again.
Oh, yes, she screamed. I'm enjoying describing this sort of pain too much, so I'm going to stop now, yes?
"Damn, is that what happened to me?" Kyoufu asked, watching as Miuri slowly and painfully sat up. "Blood went back into my body and crap like that?"
"No," Hitorigami answered, watching Miuri and carefully helping the fallen girl up. "You're pain was more of a mental one than a physical one. You even managed to, somehow, shut off your ability to see in hopes that you wouldn't have to watch the images that you were seeing. The Cell of Hell truly lives up to its name..."
"Cell... of... Hell? Kyoufu..." Miuri said weakly, looking up at him.
For some reason, quite suddenly, she noticed the sudden change that had come about. He was much much taller, even taller than her. And, although his hair was still white, it was no longer in a ponytail and was much shorter. She noticed that his skin was noticeably whiter, almost the same color as his hair. His clothes were still all black, but they kind of looked like a dark priest's instead of a bunch of ripped cloths tied together.
Kyoufu grinned. It was the same smile, even if he was different now. Even if, instead of looking like a little kid, he now looked like he was a hawt eighteen-year-old.
"When Hitori-sama healed me, it completely healed me. It brought me back to my full demon self, no longer just a piece of what I was. Now I'm uber powerful! Bwa ha ha ha ha!" Kyoufu laughed loudly, and Hitorigami smacked him, shutting him up.
"Are you all right?" Hitorigami asked gently.
"We need to... to leave," Miuri managed out.
"Right," Hitorigami said, standing up. "Thing, you must take the Oracle. It is imperative that we get her to Amaterasu's shrine. Pick her up."
"Stupid bitch is ordering me around," Kyoufu muttered, gently scooping up Miuri. "It's okay when you do it, though, because you're all sweet about it and say please and crap like that, but for the Gods' sake, could she or it or whatever be more of a damn bit-"
"Stop... swearing," Miuri mumbled, putting a finger on his lips. Kyoufu's face turned bright red and he looked away, embarrassed.
Miuri felt really warm and safe in Kyoufu's arms... he felt very strong and nice in this form. As Kyoufu and Hitorigami jumped out of the window and onto the roof, Miuri snuggled up close to Kyoufu. She really wanted to go to sleep right now, and he felt nice.
"Someone seems to like being carried in your arms," Hitorigami said, sounding faintly amused.
"Shut up!" was the last thing Miuri heard before she fell asleep.
Miuri blinked a couple of times, quickly. She was in a small futon, in an almost bare room. The door to her room was open, and it led outside. A sweet but unrecognizable scent reached her nose as a small breeze ruffled her hair. Kyoufu was sitting against the wall, watching her.
"Awake, then?" he asked.
Miuri nodded and sat up, yawning. She was wearing an unfamiliar yukata that had flower designs all over it. The obi belt was high up, higher up than any she had worn before. She could only guess that it slightly forced on her. However, it's not like there was a big difference in size between her chest and her stomach.
Kyoufu scooted over next to her, gently touching her face and whispering just as gently, "Are you okay, Miuri?"
Quite suddenly, Miuri felt dizzy. He was warm, just as he had been before, and he still felt kind of nice. She slightly leaned into his hand, blushing.
"Yeah..." she mumbled, her heart beating quickly. "I... I'm fine."
"You're face is red, though," Kyoufu said, sounding somewhat alarmed. "Do you feel sick?"
"I really am fine," Miuri insisted.
Kyoufu nodded, and stared at her. Miuri couldn't help it; she met his eyes. While you would think that red eyes were scary, his were just... they were just pretty. Dazzling, even. If she would have had a choice, she would have stared into them all day.
Kyoufu slightly tilted his head and asked in a murmured tone, "Do you still like that Riku?"
Miuri blinked and blushed. She had not told him about the little crush that she had on Riku. How could he have possibly figured it out?
"Wh-what do you mean?" Miuri asked, turning away from him.
"Do you still like Riku?" he asked, more firmly this time. "Because you kept murmuring his name in your sleep, along with the God of Time's."
Miuri blushed. To be honest, she had been dreaming about what her life was like before Jin became the God of Time. Before Riku became evil. Before she journeyed to the past to find them. Before, even, Jin's mom died. She had been dreaming about their summer vacation.
That summer, they had done it all. The beach, Disneyland Tokyo, an arcade, sports, the pool, the movies and they even attended a party for high school kids only. It was, by far, the best summer that Miuri had ever spent with them. And it was their last.
Miuri sighed and said softly, "No, not really. His betrayal hurt me too much. I don't feel like I can like him any more."
"What about Kouin? How do you feel about him?" Kyoufu asked.
"Why are you so interested in who I like?" Miuri asked, turning back to him.
The instant that she did, Kyoufu put a hand under her chin and pulled her face up close to his. Miuri blushed, feeling his warm breath on her face. What was he doing... ?
"Try to guess why," he breathed, pulling Miuri up even closer to him.
"Ahem," a voice said from the door. There stood Hitorigami, looking faintly amused.
"Damn it," Kyoufu muttered, letting go of Miuri and standing up. "You just had to ruin the frickin' moment, didn't you, Hitorigami? It's only now that I can make a move because I'm in my full demon form! Before I was a little... welp, or whatever."
"I still believe you are a welp, Thing," Hitorigami stated, walking over to Miuri. "I would like to know how you are feeling, though. Are you all right, Oracle?"
"Oracle?" Miuri asked in confusion, trying to erase her deep blush at both the boldness of Kyoufu and the feeling of being caught doing something she shouldn't be doing.
"It is what you are, aren't you?" Hitorigami asked. "An Oracle?"
"I have no idea," Miuri answered honestly. "I just thought that I was a girl who was good at kicking."
"Hardly," Hitorigami snorted. "But I won't let you know all of the details yet. For now, we should just enjoy this nice day... and each other's company."
"I'll enjoy Miuri's company, but sure as hell not your's," Kyoufu muttered.
Miuri blushed again as Kyoufu took her hand. Why was, all of the sudden, he making a whole bunch of moves on her? He had told her to guess why... could it be that... that he liked her? That he liked her more than a friend? That he liked her like she had liked Riku?
Then again... she was feeling exceptionally happy with him close. And when he was gone, all Miuri could think about was him. She had begged to the Gods for him to be safe. Could it be that she felt the same about him? She did keep blushing around him and noticing how cool-looking he was and how sweet he was and...
Miuri felt her face turning an even deeper shade of red. What was wrong with her? She couldn't be thinking of how great he was when Jin might be in danger. When they were in the middle of a war, she was thinking about how cute he was! She couldn't do that...
"Miuri, do you know where we are?" Hitorigami asked, its large gray eyes soft.
Miuri shook her head. It hadn't really crossed her mind to ask.
"This is the Shrine of Amaterasu. It's a holy place in a small village called Kamiki Village. We are staying here so that we may be close to the dojo, and also be protected by Amaterasu. We must train and become stronger. Then... then we will search for the Key to Death." Hitorigami's voice shook slightly at the end.
"What's the Key to Death?" Miuri asked, feeling somewhat confused.
"I will explain everything later, at supper," Hitorigami said, standing up. "For now, though, I have some business to settle with a certain elder of this town."
Miuri nodded, but still felt confused. After all, she didn't know Hitorigami that well and she--it, was acting rather strange. Then again, her whole life was strange these days. And Hitorigami said that it would explain everything later. When that happened, Miuri would know.
"I suppose I ought to leave as well. Amaterasu doesn't like demons in her shrine for more than about two hours at a time before she needs some cool-off time. She's kind of a cranky little girl," Kyoufu said, standing up.
Miuri pouted slightly and said, "Fine. Leave me alone. See if I care."
"If I stay in here," he said very seriously, "I'll make love with you. I need to get out of here."
Miuri's face probably felt like it couldn't get any redder today, so she just shouted, "You're right! Get outta my room, pervert!"
Kyoufu laughed at this. "Aw, you're no fun, Miuri! Here I was thinking you might enjoy-"
"OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT!!" Miuri yelled, pushing the older boy out of her room and slamming the screen door behind him.
Miuri sat down slowly, leaning against the door as she slid downwards. She could not believe how bold Kyoufu was being. She had thought that all this time that they would remain being friends, nothing more, and that she would get back to being with Riku in the end. Quite obviously, that wasn't to be so.
Kyoufu rounded the corner that led off the shrine, a smirk on his face. It was so much fun to be able to mess with Miuri, now that he was able to.
To be truthful, he had thought that she was the most beautiful human that he had ever seen when he was told to go and bring her to join the D. A. K. L. S. As he got to know her, he found that he liked her more and more. By now, he was probably at that point that it was more than just like-like, but less than love, if that made any sense.
Her embarrassed face flashed in his mind, and he chuckled softly. Damn it, she was taking control of his head. Why did she have to be so amazing?
"Hey, excuse me!" someone shouted from behind. Kyoufu turned, a slight frown on his face.
There were two humans, one was a teenager, while the other was at that stage between teenager and a child. The teenager, who was a boy, was wearing a t-shirt and slightly ripped-up jeans. He was the one that had called out to Kyoufu.
"What?" Kyoufu asked bluntly.
"We were wondering where we were," the younger one, who was a girl, said. "Do you know?"
"Welcome, welcome to hell's abyss," Kyoufu said dryly. "A happy little village of annoying proporotions called Kamiki Village. The name's Kyoufu. And you?"
"My name's Ai," the little girl said. "And this is Ethan."
"Listen, I'm not tour guide," Kyoufu stated. "If you need some help, I'd go to the village elder-guy. His name's Mr. Apple. I can take you to him, if you'd like, but there's not much more that I can do for you right now, okay? Sorry."
"It's no problem," Ethan said.
As Kyoufu took them, somewhat grumpily, to the village elder, he thought that... well... the two of them, they were both wearing odd clothes, like Miuri did. It was possible that they were from the future, but... the likeliness was very low.
"You guys from the future?" Kyoufu asked, trying to sound casual.
Ai and Ethan glanced at each other, and Kyoufu could tell that they were unsure if they should answer a question like that to him. After all, Kyoufu didn't even look remotely human. Well, maybe slightly, but not very much.
"Why?" Ethan asked cooly.
"I have a friend from the future," Kyoufu answered, just as cooly. "So I was just wondering."
"Really? What's your friend's name?" the girl, Ai, asked curiously.
"Uh, Miuri," Kyoufu answered, a little put-off by the cuteness of the girl.
"Miuri?" Ai asked, stopping. "As in, Miuri Kimura? Reddish-brown hair and really really really sweet?"
"Her hair's starting to turn black, but yeah, that sounds like her," Kyoufu answered.
"Yyyyyyyyaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyy!!" Ai squealed, punching the air. "Miuri's here! Miuri's here! Miuri Miuri Miuri Miuri Miuri Miuri Miuri Miuri Miuri Miuri Miuri Miuri Miuri Miuri Miuri Miuri Miuri Miuri Miuri Miuri Miuri Miuri Miuri Miuri Miuri Miuri Miuri Miuri Miuri Miuri Miuri Miuri Miuri Miuri Miuri Miuri Miuri Miuri Miuri Miuri!!"
This was just a guess, but Kyoufu thought that Ai might know Miuri.
A/N- Snarflob! DOkanandkylan!~desu! Okay, so this was an important relationship building type chapter. I was actually planning on showing the torture scene for Miuri, but then I thought, "Naaahhh... that'd be mean." Soooo... yeah.
More romance. There won't be as much in the next Jin chapters. I mean, there will be confusion and embarrassment and drama, but not too much romance. lolz I ish ebil. SO, ANYWAYS, PLEASE REVIEW!! I LOVE IT WHEN YOU DO!!
