Dancing with the Dead
Chapter Six
A/N: Hello again. Long explanation at the bottom. Sorry this chapter is so short.
My father died a few weeks before the fifth anniversary of her death. A year after his passing, we docked in Hong Kong, my hometown, after the weeks' long journey from Japan. We docked in the night, and my men went off to the brothels, inviting me to come along. I always refused. I had no desire for other women. The only ones who stayed with me were Yue and Ruby.
We had grown up together, the three of us. Both were six years older than me, but they always saw me as their leader, and after my father passed, their captain. I found them once in Japan, when I was only six, and my father took them in as ship hands, tasked only with the job of caring for me. Both were malnourished and quiet, dirty from whatever hardships they faced before. Neither of them came with names, so I took it upon myself to do it for them. Ruby I named for her wild hair and Yue's eyes reminded me of the night's moon. As we got older, I treasured their friendship and devotion more than anything.
"Captain, Yue wants to see you," Ruby told me as she barged into my quarters. They were always like this. She pushed her way through all walls and Yue walked calmly behind her, not bothering to put in the extra work himself.
"Why doesn't he ask me instead of sending you?" I asked tiredly.
"Well, the end of the spring weather is never a good time for you. You're always in a mood." Ruby was also not one for tact.
"That's fine. Why does Yue want to see me?"
"He says he's had another vision."
Both Ruby Moon and Yue had gifts that could not be easily explained. Ruby was able to tap into the past, and Yue had flashes of what was to come. They could not control it. With Ruby, it happened upon contact with a person, and even then it was rare. With Yue, the visions came to him in dreams, harder to know if it was really a vision or a piece of a dream running free.
"I saw the girl." Yue's voice was low and ethereal, shattering the calm silence. "I thought it was a dream since I do not see the past. But the surroundings are not from this time."
"How did you see her? Hime died years ago. I saw her die!"
"It was not her…but then it was…the girl was like another fragment of Hime. A different person with the same essence, living far into the future."
"How far in the future?"
"Centuries…another thing concerns me. I saw you with her."
"Me?"
"Yes, but unlike the girl, it was the same you. The you in front of me and the one in my vision were one and the same."
"How is that possible?"
"I don't know. I tried having Ruby see the girl from my past memories of her, but she could not call upon her gift. Ruby never met Hime and has no connection to her. She cannot tell if the girl had a past life, and how you fit in them."
"I don't understand. It wasn't Hime, but some other girl, and me with her as I am now?"
"More or less. There is another thing."
"Yes?"
"The girl…her name is Ying Hua."
"My name is Li Syaoran. Thank you for having me."
After Terada-sensei pointed to the empty seat behind me, Syaoran walked with a powerful stride, not looking at anyone else but me. The memory of last night's kiss flooded my mind again, and I couldn't meet his gaze. Luckily, he didn't stare at me long. He sat down behind me, but I felt those amber orbs watch the hairs of my neck stand up. Everything about him made me so dizzy, and him being so close made me feel more awake than I'd been in weeks. Concentrating for the rest of my class time was a struggle as I longed for the warmth of his embrace and the feel of his lips on mine.
Lunch time could not have come any sooner. I all but ran outside to my winter garden tending to it as I attempted to calm my heart. Kero had become more helpful as he swatted at the weeds that were taking up space, and cleared some of the frost with his tongue.
"Is this the garden you kept mentioning?" a voice called behind me. The footsteps that I didn't hear earlier seemed to appear from the air. My skin had tiny goose bumps all over, but I tried to not let it show.
"Yes, right now, I am the only one taking care of it. The club tried to do it when I was gone, but they nearly killed it." I didn't bring up that my time gone was spent with him during our reunion in the underworld, but I felt as though he knew. The closer he got to me, the more I was aware of the warmth he gave out. For someone who was in charge of the dead, he was not cold or malicious. Though I knew he didn't give out the best first impressions, there was more to him than just being a death deity. I only wished he saw the same for me.
I just could not help shake off what I knew about him. The fact that I looked like the woman he once loved made me feel completely insecure. In truth, we didn't know each other very well, despite him claiming otherwise. We met when I was still a child, and I didn't think he was able to glean much of who I was from that time. Yet, he marked me to be his after that encounter, and so there was no other option but for me to think that he only chose me for my familiar face. I knew that I had to eventually tell him all this, but the more I wanted to, the more scared I was to know the truth. What if he agreed to my theory? What if he really chose me because I looked like his first love? I was not sure if I would be able to survive that.
"So if you take care of the garden, what does your gardening club do?" he asked, crouching down beside me as I cared for the plants. Instantly, I felt drawn into his presence. My body felt this need to melt into his. I cleared my throat, trying to appear collected.
"They take turns buying supplies, fertilizer, vote on what to plant, keep the garden clean," I began to list the responsibilities of the club, but I could not help but pay close attention to his lips. They were curved up in a smile as he looked genuinely interested in what I had to say, but I remembered their shape before they took my lips, and when he professed his love for me. Was it all a lie?
"May I ask you something?" I said after talking about my club. He nodded, almost looking offended that I asked for permission. "Is this why you asked me if you looked younger? To be at my school?"
Instantly, Syaoran smirked. "Yeah, I mean granted, I died when I was twenty-one, but I figured I could still pass for a student. No one else seems to mind."
Remembering the girls from my class who all swooned at him, I replied drily, "So it seems."
"Anyway, this is the best way to protect you during the day. After school, I will be gone for some time, and pop in here and there. I can't leave the dead unattended for too long." His eyes scanned me before he continued. "Of course, if you just married and lived with me, I would be able to protect you in the underworld, and we wouldn't be in this mess."
"No!" I stood up, suddenly less drawn to his form and angrier with it. "You cannot guilt me for being alive. You cannot make me feel bad for being here with my family and friends, just because of some Roman legend. It's bad enough I feel anxious and tired when you're not around, but I won't have you saying those kinds of things when I want to be here. I'm fifteen, and there's a lot I still want to do. I haven't really thought about it before, but I think I do. So, just stop!"
After my outburst, which I had been having more of lately, Syaoran sighed and stood up as well. "I'm sorry. I was still upset at what happened. When you were down there, after I took you away from the river, you said no so quickly to staying with me that I felt like you were rejecting me. To me, you didn't even give it a chance. And then when they took you back…I've been alone for a very long time waiting for you. I had forgotten what it was like to be alive and missed."
I could not say anything to that. It was true that he didn't take any of that into account, but to be honest, neither did I. I was so focused on him being a death deity and the girl he once loved that I didn't really process that he was once a real person like me. I knew he was alive once, and a captain and good man, but I don't think I was ever truly aware of that. Even he had a mother. Maybe even siblings. And he certainly had a father whom he watched die, along with the first love that was taken from him too soon.
"When I saw you again, I couldn't believe it. I was so used to my loneliness that I believed the day when I would finally have you by my side would never come. I no longer thought that there would be anything else but that loneliness. When you reminded me that we met before, it was like seeing the sun again after a long time shrouded in darkness. But you are loved by others aside from me. And you are young. Much younger than when I died. I'm sorry for placing such pressure on you."
My eyes widened considerably. I never expected him to apologize or acknowledge how uncomfortable I felt sometimes about the entire situation. But the more I looked at him, the more I could tell he was sincere and apologetic, even if it made him uncomfortable. Break time was over, I could tell, but there was no way I could move. I felt it would have been rather silly to note this to Syaoran, who didn't really understand things like school rules. Besides, I was not finished with our conversation.
"You really wanted me?"
"Sakura, I don't think you're aware of just how long I have been waiting for you."
I was ready to say something in response, but my locket burned, something he noticed right away. As though he were quicker than light, he stood in front of me in a battle stance, his sword present. I opened the locket, knowing that I would find it blacker than a crow's feather.
"No need to get so fussy, Captain Li," a boy's voice called out. It belonged to a third year I recognized as the captain of the boys' soccer team. He strode in with an unfamiliar smile and black eyes. "I am not one for violence."
"You aren't a deity," Syaoran spoke with his voice on edge.
"Well spotted," the not-third year responded cheekily. "I'm a Fury."
"A what?" I asked, but Syaoran gave me this look that said, I will explain later. He turned to glare at the newcomer again.
"What are the Furies doing, working for Mars?"
"It's only fair, seeing that the Fates are on your side after all. We believe the sides are more balanced this way."
"That is complete bullshit. The Fates aren't on anyone's side; they restore and keep the balance. Which is what you're supposed to be doing."
"I don't understand," I cut in, frustrated by my lack of information. "What is a Fury?"
I never received an answer as Syaoran pushed me aside and took on the beast that appeared suddenly. This was not like before. It was grotesque; human sized, but with dark limbs that seemed to release steam. It had two, large glowing red eyes and too many sharp teeth snapping at Syaoran's face. It was not bipedal since when Syaoran pulled it off him, it smiled at him, using all limbs to sit upright.
"What?" it talked, its voice very affected and strange. It sounded like those monsters from the religious themed movies my father wouldn't let me watch as a child. The beast looked like it was smirking. "She wanted to know."
The body he used was slumped to the ground. Syaoran noticed my gaze and if I didn't know any better, almost rolled his eyes. "He's just unconscious." Without warning, the beast attacked, and Syaoran quick reflexes helped us avoid it. Syaoran carried me effortlessly behind school. This did not please me.
"We have to go back."
"No." His voice was low and firm, and while I would have been appreciative of it, I still persisted.
"We have to help my sempai," I pleaded. I couldn't bear the thought of innocent people being put in danger over me. Syaoran didn't seem to agree with my urgency.
"He's fine. We're the ones being chased!" With perfect timing, the beast hurled toward us, and Syaoran leaped up in the air with me in arms. "I swear, this would be so much easier in the Underworld." We landed on the roof, the air seemingly thinner and colder than when we were on the ground.
"Can you promise me that he will be fine in the cold ground, alone, with that beast running loose?"
Syaoran stared at me deeply again, and despite my boldness and determination, I still felt hot and small under his gaze. With a surprise, he smiled, almost looking like an innocent boy rather than the intimidating deity he is known to be.
"You're unbelievable. You know that, right?" And swiftly, he gathered me and transported me to where the third year lay. He carried him as well, and we were under the outdoor underpass. After laying us down, Syaoran took out his sword and began to chant ominous words. From the sword, blue light shone out like stars. The sight was so mesmerizing; it took me awhile to realize that he was creating a barrier around the three of us.
The sempai on the ground was out cold with Kero keeping vigil at his side. Gratefully, I pat him by his ears to his content, and he mewed and strolled over to Syaoran. I took off my jacket and wrapped him in it, though I was not sure if that would do him any good. I tried blowing into his hand, and they felt warmer, but that might have been my wishful thinking. The beast was outside the barrier, clawing at it expecting it to break.
"Sakura, how long do you plan on us staying here?" He sounded pleasant, but I sensed his annoyance. Syaoran's sword was out again, and like always, he looked ready for battle.
"Until he wakes up."
"And what do you suppose we do when he sees a Fury attacking us?"
I had no answer to that. Anything we would say would still be too much for someone who was just a bystander. I bit my lip, studying the beast that was somehow still smirking while attacking the barrier.
"Can you defeat it?" I asked in a quiet voice. Syaoran back stiffened.
"The Fury, you mean?"
"Yes. You defeated one before."
"No, I defeated a copy. This Fury possessed your schoolmate. It's different. And Furies cannot be killed." He planted his blade to the ground, and unbuttoned the uniform jacket and lifted up his shirt. In spite of myself, I blushed, but I noticed a giant scar across his chest that looked as though it were just healing.
"What happened to you?" I cried, standing up immediately. Syaoran covered himself hastily and pulled his blade out. The Fury seemed to be mocking us with its demonic eyes.
"The Furies help keep the balance, but they are not as kind as the Fates. Everything has a price."
"What warranted this price?" I asked him, but I felt it in my stomach that I knew. My mind recalled the Underworld, the land that looked like night, the room he took me too…his face when I left him.
I never really considered there would be consequences to him for my departure from that world. I never imagined he would have been punished. But he was punished because of me. Syaoran oversaw the Underworld and one job is to make sure no soul leaves. Even if my death was part of a plan to awaken the deities, the rule was broken in terms of the dead. And Syaoran had to pay the price.
"I'm sorry," I told him quietly. He never replied to my apology, but there was a small curve of his lip to let me know he didn't fault me.
"In any case, Furies cannot be stopped. And the wounds they give are dangerous and painful."
"But we can't just stay here and do nothing."
"No you can't!" the Fury gleefully yelled out.
It had broken through the barrier and began to attack Syaoran. Kero returned to my side, and I tried to move sempai away. The Fury was superbly fast and grotesque, with its eyes on me. I knew that it wanted to grab me. Syaoran was doing a great job of keeping it away, but if there was no way to fight it, what were we supposed to do?
"If you want me, get me!" I yelled.
Syaoran spun around instantly, and from a quick glance at his face and fierce amber eyes, he was no pleased. He came to my side in a second, but the problem was so did the Fury. My instinct was to hold on to Syoaran and keep him close like a fish needs water. But I fought that instinct and reached for the Fury. My locket burned, and when I looked at it, it glowed simultaneously with the Fury's chest. The black light was coming from its heart. Without thinking, my hand reached for the Fury's chest. This action surprised the Fury, since I was sure he would have stopped me if he had known what would have happened.
It was like placing my hand in a bowl of hot water, but despite the burn, I could not pull away. My hand knew what it was doing before my brain did, and even though I heard a million voices surrounding me, I could not stop. I was searching for something. My hand found a solid piece inside the 'water' and grabbed on to it tightly. The piece was hotter than the water and despite wanting desperately to let go, I couldn't. Maybe if I take it out of the water, I thought to myself, so I did just that. I pulled it out of the water and reality came back to view.
The Fury made no sound when it died. It turned into petals and leaves that blew in the winter wind. The hot, solid piece I pulled out turned into a bright pink rose in my hand.
When I looked at Syaoran, I felt lost at his expression. His mouth opened and closed, seemingly wanting to speak but could not find the words. He kept shaking his head, unclear of what he saw. That would not do. I needed him to explain what happened. I needed to know why a piece of hot stone turned into a rose under my touch.
"What did I pull out from the Fury?" I asked when I found my words.
"Its…you pulled out the heart." Syaoran still looked at me with awe while I suddenly felt very ill. "Sakura, you killed a Fury."
And that was when I couldn't take it anymore and fell. The last thing I remembered wasSyaoran catching me before I hitthe ground and closed my eyes.
Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah: So, I haven't updated in awhile, so sorry. In my defense, grad school was intense, and my mom was diagnosed with cancer. Mom's alright and doing good, and I am on break from school for a month, so I finally get to breathe a little. Anyway, sorry for the long update, and thank you for the messages and for reading and following this story. I also am looking for a beta, and am thinking of one who messaged me some months back, so hopefully, future chapters will have less mistakes. Either way, Happy Holidays everyone. I spent an obscene amount of money trying to buy Xmas presents. Life is hard for an adult. Anyway, please review!