Thank you all for you interest in "Tao and the Art of Love," it's been very rewarding seeing how many people actually like this story. I also want to say that this update was done a bit quickly because I found a small but manageable gap in time for me to push ahead with this project so I hit it like an angry god and did the best I could. Thank you to everyone who reads and even more gracious thanks to those who read and review. Please, do review because it keeps me chugging along on this project in such a timely manner.
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Disclaimer: I own nothing
Chapter 7: Heal
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~REBEL 7: START~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Is he really here?"
"Yes, he just went over to visit the village elder right now."
"Oh wow! He's come back, he's come back!"
Kagimaru groaned in pain, his throat sounding as if he had a whole family of frogs living in his larynx, "Uh...hello?" "What? Kagimaru!" Suddenly he could feel a soft human hand press against his forehead, the cool touch feeling good as he croaked out, "who's there..." "It's Dr. Litchi, Kagimaru," the kind doctor spoke in a soft voice, "You came back to the village beat up and on the edge of exhaustion." Slowly Kagimaru gradually opened his eyes, the light burning his gaze for a slight second before he could refocus, his sight quickly coming to terms with the brightness of the room. "I was?" Kagimaru spoke, his hoarse voice being followed by his own instinctual cough in and attempt to clear his throat. "Yes, you looked like you had been through a very harsh battle," Litchi said with concern before her tone turned into a motherly chastising, "you were covered with all sorts of wounds and I was certain that you would be asleep longer than just a day and a half."
Kagimaru chuckled quietly, a tired smile on his mouth as he spoke, "I guess I should be thankful for my unnatural vitality...what about Tao?" Glancing at Litchi through his unfocused eyes he could see her calmly smile, a bit of a playful tone seeping into her voice as she spoke, "Tao is alright. She lost a fair amount of blood but the wound was closed by some sort of acid or searing heat source so she had enough to survive until I could get her condition stable. She's recovering in the next room over." Kagimaru's interest was peaked as he asked, "Is she awake?" Litchi nodded with a sigh, "Yes unfortunately..." Kagimaru blinked in confusion, "Unfortunately?"
"LET TAO GO!"
The unmistakable sound of Tao's voice burst through the conjoined wall, Kagimaru chuckling quietly while Litchi sighed in exasperation, "we've had to keep at least three members of the Kaka clan in the room with her to keep her from sneaking or fighting her way out." Kagimaru laughed quietly, his voice soft in contrast to his normal volume, "ah that's Tao alright. She's probably starving for some meat buns about now." Looking to Litchi, Kagimaru caught the voluptuous woman's sly smirk, a very unnatural look from the doctor which worried him just a bit. "I don't think that's what Tao wants to leave for," Litchi giggled, a knowing glint in her eyes which left Kagimaru with even more questions. "What could Tao-" Kagimaru began but he was interrupted by another scream from the next room over, "TAO WANTS TO SEE HEART GUY RIGHT MEOW!"
Kagimaru's instant reaction was a bright crimson flush that washed across his cheeks with surprising speed, a nervous smile only serving to brighten the blush as his heart began to swell. It didn't even seem to register when the next room over began to shake and shiver, the sounds of screams and crashing objects echoed through the wall. It was at this point that Litchi politely excused herself from the room; her dainty fingers plucking her Manten staff from her hair as she softly stepped from the room. Seconds later a loud smack broke out followed by a sharp yowl, a pained whimper followed by a few indistinct voices. A bit curious over the happenings Kagimaru slowly righted himself in the bed, getting a feel for the limits of his strength as he prepared his first attempt to stand.
His thoughts and actions were interrupted with a loud slam, the door to his room being thrown open with ridiculous force by a single massive paw. Standing in the doorway was Tao, her crimson eyes frantically searching the room while a painful bump burnt on the top of her thick skull. The moment her eyes landed on Kagimaru her previously frowning turned completely upside down, her usual enthusiastic grin returning as she took a deep breath. "Heart Guy!" Tao shouted in joy as she raced for the bed, her legs preparing for a wild and untamed pounce on the still injured young man. Kagimaru winced and covered his face, hoping to shield himself from the incoming pain the best he could.
With a few seconds of zero contact Kagimaru opened his eyes, refocusing on Tao and her seemingly suspended flight in the air. Tao reached valiantly for Kagimaru, her arms stretched out to him with undeniable effort. However her suspended nature prevented any movement and she did all she could do, sulk and cross her arms across her chest. "Now Tao," Litchi said as she walked into the room, her levitating Manten Staff hovering Tao just inches above the ground, "you have to be careful with Kagimaru, he is still very hurt." Tao continued her pout, not looking at Litchi but said in a whiney tone, "Fine...I guess nya." As Tao's feet touched the floor she was instantly at Kagimaru's side, her bright grin wild and free as she placed a paw on top of his hand, "it's good to see you're okay Heart Guy!" Kagimaru smiled softly at Tao and her antics, "and I'm happy to see you are doing well too."
Tao nodded enthusiastically, backing a bit away from the bed and unabashedly pulling up the bottom of her coat. Kagimaru almost turned away out of embarrassment but when he noticed the bandages wrapping around Tao's thigh to just below her knee he couldn't stop staring, "Tao! How did that happen?" Tao shrugged as she let the coat drop down again, her bright smile so wide she closed her eyes to accommodate it all, "Tao doesn't know but Booby Lady says that if Heart Guy hadn't sealed up whatever it was so well, Tao would be kitty litter nya!" Kagimaru couldn't help chuckling at Tao's choice of wording, her expression for passing on being too funny for him to resist. However, worry soon returned to him and he looked to Litchi, his eyes questioning the validity of Tao's statement. Litchi nodded solemnly, walking forward until she was shoulder to should with Tao, "There is something we need to discuss as well." "Aw..." Tao said in a whining meow, "I just got to see Heart Guy, nya! Can't I listen too?"
Litchi was just about to deny Tao's request before Kagimaru smiled, his hand reaching out and gently touching Tao's paw, "Tao, it won't be long okay?" Tao turned to Kagimaru in surprise, her eyes looking down and finding his large atop her own huge paw. The mere feel of his hand on her own sent warmth spreading from her heart, heat rising and invading her shadowed cheeks swiftly. Tao looked up into Kagimaru's eyes, his brilliant blue eyes sending shivers down her spine and along her puffed out tail. "O-Okay Heart Guy! Tao will be back soon nya!" With those words Tao literally skipped out of the room, her smile threatening to split her face in half as she exited.
Kagimaru gave Tao one last smile before he turned to face Litchi, "So what did you need to talk about doctor?" Litchi leveled her gaze to Kagimaru, her voice and expression serious as she spoke, "When you came back to the village many of the villagers said you leapt up through the hole that you and Tao created despite being at least a half a mile below the surface. They also said that they saw some sort of green energy leaking from your body right up until you lost consciousness." Kagimaru's gaze slowly broke away from Litchi's, instead turning to look at his hands as she continued, "I was also able to examine the scar on your back. It appears that it has closed even further than the last time I saw you...about a full half inch if I calculate correctly."
As Kagimaru lay there in his silence Litchi stared at him, her gaze showing her determination for the truth and her promise to pierce any lie that Kagimaru could possibly fabricate. Kagimaru took only a few glances at the doctor but instantly understood the look, so with a soft sigh he turned his head away from Litchi and instead focused his gaze on his hands in his lap. "I really don't know what happened," Kagimaru began softly, "After Tao and I had fallen down the hole we were separated for quite some time. Then when I arrived at Tao's location I found that...something was eating her."
Kagimaru didn't notice Litchi jump slightly, her focus on his becoming even more intense as he continued, "It was black and blob like...and just when I was about to attack it vanished through some portal. It sent a bunch of insects at me one after another and...I was getting more and more frantic to get Tao out of whatever that thing was." As Kagimaru paused Litchi's knees shook, fear welling up in her eyes as Kagimaru continued, "I don't know when it happened but this weird green energy started pouring out of me and I was getting faster and stronger. I remember I found the thing had become invisible or something and then...I pinned it to a wall and killed it to save Tao."
A loud clatter shook Kagimaru from his ravine, his eyes darting from his hands to Litchi. For her part the doctor was obviously effected, her body having to be propped against a desk while her Manten Rod lay on the ground. One hand covered her face in shock while she looked down to the floor, a quiet and frantic whispering echoing from her lips. "Doctor Litchi?" Kagimaru asked in confusion, worry tinting his tone as he looked at the distraught woman, "are you al-" Kagimaru was never able to finish his statement due to Litchi bolting from the room, her form vanishing out the door in seconds. Kagimaru was beyond confused, his body acting on it's own as he swung his feet over the edge of the bed with all the speed he could muster. Despite his frantic attempt this action was rendered slow and clumsy, Kagimaru's wounds preventing him from doing much more than a slow shuffle over the edge of his bed. With a bit more maneuvering Kagimaru placed both of his feet on the floor, the entirety of his weight hitting his wobbling legs as he shakily pushed himself up from the bed. As would be expected Kagimaru instantly collapsed, his body falling in a weakened heap but his eyes never leaving the spot where Litchi had fled only moments ago.
"Hey Heart Guy I saw Booby Lady running and...Heart Guy!" sounded a frantic voice, Tao's recognizable shout filled with surprise and worry as she rushed over to his side, "Are you alright, what were you thinking, nya?" As Tao helped Kagimaru back into his bed Kagimaru struggled for all of his weak worth with Tao, "Litchi, I said something to Doctor Litchi and she ran out! I have to go catch her!" Tao bared her teeth in a silent snarl as she roughly shoved Kagimaru back onto the bed, her two massive paws planting his shoulders to the mattress with a quiet growl, "Heat Guy will stay right here and tell Tao what happened right meow!" Seeing Tao's fierce determination Kagimaru gave up on his struggle, instead focusing on retelling Tao the tale of what happened below the plates of Kagatsuchi.
At the end of his tale Tao was practically bouncing on the tips of her toes, her bright and vivacious smile exploding across her lips seconds before she grasped Kagimaru in a massive hug, "Heart Guy killed the Black Squiggly just to save Tao? That is so awesome, nya! Heart Guy is the best!" Kagimaru's cheeks tinted red instantly, his heart picking up pace as Tao began to purr in delight. Yet, despite the pleased feelings Kagimaru couldn't bring a smile to his own face, instead he continued to hold a concerned look as he wrapped his arms around Tao. There was silence between the two for a while; Tao's purring the only sound that resonated in the room. "What's wrong Heart Guy?" Tao asked softly, her tone becoming gentle with a slight bit of concern, "Heart Guy's hugs are never this sad, nya."
Kagimaru sighed as he released Tao, the young Kaka reluctant but understanding as she let go of Kagimaru, "I told this to Dr. Litchi and she ran out for some reason." Tao tilted her head in confusion, silent as Kagimaru continued, "I don't know what I said...she looked very upset." Suddenly Tao's paw shot into the air, her voice exclaiming in triumphant tones, "Tao knows! Booby lady always asked Tao not to kill Black Squiggly, she wanted to do something to it I think, nya!" Tao placed her paw to her chin thoughtfully, "Tao never mew why though." Kagimaru's curiosity was evident as he spoke, "So I hurt Litchi by telling her I killed it?" Tao shrugged, a helpful smile breaking the dark of her hood, "Tao doesn't know but Tao will find out for Heart Guy! Give Tao a little bit and she'll bring Booby Lady so Heart Guy can ask her!"
Before Tao could leave, even before Kagimaru could stop her, the door of the room opened to a deep voice and a very unfamiliar figure, "Hey, what's all the ruckus in here?" Kagimaru was the first the turn to the door, his eyes coming upon a creature he had never seen before. To him, it appeared to be a cat that had stood up and began to walk on its hind legs. It's body was wrapped up in a yellow coat that held striking similarities to Tao's jacket while across it's back was a sword almost as large as the being itself. "Cat Person!" Tao enthusiastically called, leaping over to the small yellow creature with a bright grin and purr, "long time no see Cat Person!" Tao bent down sharply, her head at the same level as the Cat Person, its single visible curved almost shut in a smile, "Good to see you too kid." The Cat reached up and gently scratched behind Tao's ear, its massive paw making short work of Tao and resulting in the innocent Kaka curled up at its feet and purring quite loudly. As the Cat laughed in amusement it turned its eyes upward, facing the final occupant in the room, Kagimaru.
Seeing the interaction between the Cat and Tao, Kagimaru was smiling brightly, the amusement of the scene brightening his day significantly. However, it was only seconds before he found himself on the end of a leveled glare, the Cat's pupil sharpening to a slit while its mouth frowned in anger, "So I see you finally skipped to another body, eh?" Kagimaru blinked in confusion, his expression a sheer blank slate as the Cat continued, "I thought I was gonna meet the kid's friend that the elder has talked all kinds of good about but here I find a snake in the grass." The Cat slowly approached the bed, its paw reaching behind its back and gripping the handle of his sword, "Mighty fine opportunity I find myself with here I have to say. Let's see how many chunks I can get this body into before you go jumping around again." Kagimaru's heart rate exploded, his eyes opening wide as the swords steel caught the sharp glare of sun.
"No."
Before either could register movement Tao was between the Cat and Kagimaru, her arms outstretched far to her sides in a completely covering protective maneuver. The Cat paused in its approach, "Get out of the way kid, you're just gonna get hurt." Tao frowned deeply, her muscles tensing as she gave her single word reply, "No." The Cats voice grew agitated as it spoke next, "Kid don't you know what that is?" Tao's head turned until she caught Kagimaru's azure gaze out of the corner of her eye, a slight smile forming on her lips as she turned back to the Cat. Her head nodded sharply as she spoke with a grin, "Tao knows who that is, it's Heart Guy and if Cat Person wants to play mean with Heart Guy," the hollow shunk of metal announced Tao's claws as they sprang from their sheathes, "Tao will just have to play mean with Cat Person."
Tao's crimson eyes bore into the Cat's own stare, a small flash from the deep crimson orbs giving the Cat enough of a shock to cause him to be taken aback. Yet, in seconds the Cat let loose a bright smile, its paw sliding the sword back into the sheath as he chuckled, "Ah kid, you never stop amazing this old man." Tao's claws instantly retracted and she bounced happily in place, turning to Kagimaru with her infectious smile already in place. Kagimaru did his best to return the smile, only able to get about half strength before a massive yellow paw was thrust into his face, "How do yah do kid? What's yer name?" Kagimaru blinked in confusion but accepted the clawless paw tentatively, "Kagimaru." The Cat vigorously shook Kagimaru's hand before pulling back with a calm grin, "Nice to meet yah Kagimaru, the name's Jubei."
"J-Jubei? Six heroes Jubei?" Kagimaru said in obvious surprise, sheer astonishment being the only true feeling at being able to meet one of the six heroes. Jubei nodded and crossed his arms over his chest, his expression held in a perfect calm as he spoke, "Yep, that's me. Look, sorry about the whole attacking business. I guess I've got you mixed up with someone else if yah know what I mean." "Y-yeah..." Kagimaru said with obvious apprehension, his nerves already shot and the stress from the combined daily events getting to his injured body. "I hear from the elder that you've been doin some good for this village," Jubei said with a small smile as Kagimaru nodded mutely. "I just wanted to thank yah, not many people up there in the sun like this little village and it's a darn shame," Jubei said with a sigh as he crossed his sleeved arms, "but no accountin for taste or intelligence I suppose."
Suddenly Jubei's mouth split into a smirk as his single eye gave Kagimaru a knowing look, "So boy, I've been hearing that not only have you been doin some good for this village but I also hear you've been treaten a certain young thing to plenty of good times." Kagimaru could only blush a deep crimson to Jubei's comment, the older cat's smirk growing to a magnitude that matched Tao's playful grins. For her part Tao's eyes narrowed a bit, her mind racing quickly as she thought, 'who else is Heart Guy playing with? Could it be Booby Lady? Fukaka? If he's been playing with someone other than Tao...Tao is gonna kill him.'
With each thought Tao's temper came to rise...Fukaka and Kagimaru curled up in the sun together...Booby lady and Kagimaru hugging each other tight and smiling brightly...it made Tao's blood boil. Tao's ears lay back against her skull and her tail puffed out to its maximum, her agitation being broadcast quite loudly to the only other occupants in the room. "Tao?" Kagimaru ventured, his voice concerned at Tao's sudden change in demeanor.
With her name being called Tao snapped around to face the voice, her narrow gaze finding Kagimaru as her agitated voice growled out, "What?" Kagimaru blinked in surprise, Tao had never spoke to him with such anger before and it caused a well of worry to spring up in his gut, "are you okay?" Tao quickly crossed her arms in a huff, turning away from Kagimaru sharply, "Tao is fine, Heart Guy looks like he's fine too so Tao is going to get something to eat, nya." Kagimaru, for the second time in the day, attempted to stand as he spoke, "Hold on Tao, let me come with."
Before he could even begin to stand Kagimaru found himself pushed down onto the cot by a single paw, Jubei's arm pressing him back down as he spoke, "I wouldn't be doin something like that kid. I think that little lady's just a might angry at yah." Kagimaru blinked, "What? What could I have done?" Jubei shrugged and released Kagimaru, "I don't rightly know but this gives me a pretty nice opportunity now doesn't it?" Jubei focused his eyes on Kagimaru, his tone turning deadly serious as he spoke, "I don't know what it is about you kid but you feel like someone I know who I tried to kill quite some time ago. You have the same kind of aura around you, I can't quite put my finger on it but all I can say is, be careful. I might know the village elder enough to trust her word but other folks won't give you that kind of chance or trust tah prove who you are." Kagimaru could only nod in understanding, his brain nearly going haywire knowing that there was a chance he was being targeted.
"Well kid," Jubei said with a smirk, "sorry for scarin yah but I thought you might need tah know. I'll be headin out but before I go I have one thing tah tell yah." Kagimaru waited as Jubei grinned in an amused style, "You better treat that little lady right you understand? She's very special to this village and should something happen to her, I'm pretty certain something would happen to you too." Jubei gave Kagimaru a wink before he turned, leaving the frightened and confused man laying alone in his hospital room...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Spatial Rend~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It started with a rattle, the shivering of a ghostly white among the omnipotent darkness of the deepest trenches of Kagatsuchi. The hollow echo shattered the thick silence, a bleak landscape rousing to the uneven tune of rattled bone. The source of this rattle was a white ghost like mask, a simple covering of ivory white which had once masked an amorphous blob of ink black. Slowly, the rattling began to echo with increasing speed across the cavernous underground, the metal columns offering acoustic vibrations as the silence shattering shaking reached an eerie crescendo.
With a sudden snap of invisible line the mask hovered, its pale visage suspended upon a transparent string, simply hanging in a disturbing silent sway. Gradually shadows began to rouse from the rubble of the underground, thick swaths of ravenesque darkness slithering from their hiding places and toward the hovering effigy. In moments the mask was once more suspended upon its intended body, the writhing and amorphous mass that was known as Arakune. The creature slowly stretched it's body, testing it's boundaries as it was once more born into the world. Yet, despite the sudden revival of his once destroyed corporeal form Arakune's body appeared a bit smaller than its previous incarnation, the raven cloak of insects and nightmare shrinking into a child sized blob of jagged edges and shattered speech.
"Dam...poi...disr...mol...ture...dam...damn damn damn damn!" Arakune began to bob its amorphous head, an erratic rhythm that sent the ghostly white mask to flail amongst the inky black. The beast continued to flail in the silence of the underground, its scratched and haggard voice shouting out into space, "How...et...po...efeat...im...ust...vour...gre...poi...pois...poison!" With what seemed to be great effort Arakune began to slink along the ground, its body reaching, wanting to strive toward the bright chartreuse gleam that hung on the edge of it colored vision. It could feel the man that had depraved it of its meal, the monster who bled that vile green poison...
With a sudden crash Arakune's concentration was shattered, its body cluttering to the ground in a mass of writhing black skin and body. In its rush to turn around Arakune formed a sudden twister of shadowed nothingness, its pale masked face sensing the deep bloody crimson that seemed to dwarf any presence he had felt before. To many the darkness of the underground would have concealed the intruder, their light based sight vanishing within a few feet of the underground darkness. Arakune however could see it perfectly, its formless eyes staring at the atrocious and vile blood red man who ever so calmly approached...someone the monster recognized...a striking form that shadowed its broken memories.
All at once the beast began to shiver, it's black skin shifting in thousands of innumerable ways as it's impossible core pulled away from the intruder, "You...you...you you you you you!" The person slowly began to approach the creature, solid steps drawing a towering figure towards the ragged and weakened beast, "So...this is what you finally became." Arakune snarled at the person, a thick cloud of sickly purple attempting to shield it from the encroaching man, each solid step seeming to thunder in the monsters mind. "A failure like so many others," the person nodded solemnly as he drew ever closer, "but data none the less."
Arakune could feel the vile energy the man produced, the putrid feeling that caused even Arakune to become nauseous with disgust. It was smarter to run, far easier to conjure a teleportation circle and vanish without a trace. Yet, with a burst of realization the memories returned, memories of research gone awry, of architects of incomparable power, of the deadly sin they had unleashed, it was all too much. With a sudden lurch Arakune leapt for the man, it's instincts to fight and devour guiding its slow and weakened actions. However, just seconds before the monster met the man with opened maw a massive shadow appeared in the distance, a large crimson claw grasping from the shifting midnight and clamping its barbed grip around the monsters face. The beast writhed and twitched in the metal clutch, a horrid screech howling from the beast's very soul.
"Come Ignis," the man spoke, his calm voice holding an authority and strength that caused the formless monster to shake at its very core, "I have plans and they must not be interrupted." With that the man vanished, stepping once more into the amorphous metal structures below Kagatsuchi; the metal claw holding the screaming creature following without pause.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~END~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Heh, heh, heh, and the world turns even darker. Thank you for reading and please, do review. Have a good one now!