Just the Two of Us
Chapter Nine: Birth of a Vengeful Heart
Kurama awoke with the sound of their door being banged open. Amu and Ryo run towards them at launched to the bed, waking Botan as well.
"Kurama!" Amu shouted, and grabbed the front of his robe as if trying to wake him up though it's clear that he's already awake. "You have to hurry!"
"What's the matter Amu?" Botan instantly asked.
Amu fell silent, and Ryo explained for him, "Master Yue is dead!"
It was the couple's turn to shout. "What?!"
Amu refused to say anything, but has turned to Botan, who hugged him protectively in return.
"He's dead!" Ryo repeated, and Kurama could now see the shock and fear in both of his brothers' eyes. "You have to hurry Kurama! Yomi's enemies have attacked Master Yue's home. With another group I never saw before! And now all the fighters are in the field, the patrol demons and the ones you called elites!" He let out a deep breath, tired of speaking so fast.
Kurama stood up, and looked at Botan. "I have to go there and leave them with you," he said and motioned to the twins.
"Be careful… I'll make sure they won't go outside until you return."
He nodded and turned to leave.
"Hey Kurama," Ryo tried to get his brother's attention, despite that Kurama has started to leave. "Don't do anything stupid out there."
"I won't."
"And be back soon!" Ryo continued.
"I will!" he shouted his last reply, for he's already at the front door.
"And if they're too much, just go right back here than die there and I swear I won't call you a coward!" Ryo shouted back, though doubtful that Kurama would hear.
They had won the fight.
But something, something's just not right.
Kurama is thinking about the other group Ryo was talking about.
All of the fighters they fought against tonight are from Hideki's troop. Where is that other group?
He looked around and saw that the patrolmen looked confused too, and it seems that they have all just realized that the battle may not be over yet—or it may have started elsewhere while they were busy.
He felt the sudden urgency to return to their house.
They did not waste any more time.
In a few seconds, the battlefield was cleared of fighters— only the fallen members of Hideki's pack can be seen.
It took him one look at the gates of their property to know that something bad has happened. It had been kicked open, and the flowers on the pathway stomped on.
At the garden, he saw the bloodied bodies of his parents. He rushed to them, feeling their pulse, and felt as if he had lost all the oxygen in his body when he realized that both of them were gone.
It was clear to him now what had happened—Hideki distracted them in fight, and while they were busy, attacked the weaker members of their village.
He felt like something had kicked him in his stomach. His steps towards the house were quick but heavy.
Ryo… Amu… Botan!
He saw her on the floor, strewn about like a broken rag doll. She was still alive. She looked at him, not really seeing clearly, for her bangs damp on her forehead. He had to look away when he saw that she had a stab on her flat stomach. The pool of blood on her legs, he knew what means. They have lost their child, too.
Beside her is Amu and Ryo, and Kurama needn't glance a second time to know that they are gone, too. Both had stabs on their chest and just thinking of the pain they must have suffered made him feel like his heart was shredded into pieces.
"I tried to save them," Botan whispered, "but…" tears fell from her eyes, and she let out a whimper. Kurama run towards her, trying to be gentle when he cradled her.
"Shh… It's not your fault…"
"I'm sorry… Kurama… I think we lost our baby…" She choked back a sob, and with weak resistance she surrendered to oblivion.
Despite his shock, Kurama had the sense to rush to the kitchen for anything that could heal her.
Quickly, he started to clean her wound.
He wasn't finished yet when he felt a hand on his shoulders, stopping him.
It was Koenma.
The prince kneeled beside them and placed both hands on top of her wound. Kurama watched quietly as he healed her.
Even when Koenma stopped, Kurama couldn't start to speak. He was in too much pain to speak.
"The bleeding has stopped…" Koenma started, "but it will take a while before it is fully healed. Even my powers cannot heal instantly a wound that had caused a spirit's death…" he continued gently, knowing that Kurama understands what he meant.
Their child has just died and a part of them died with it. It is something that is beyond anybody's control.
Both did not speak for a long time. Koenma stood and backed out for a while, allowing Kurama to cradle Botan, who is still unconscious.
After a while, Kurama stood up, carrying her.
Koenma was surprised when he gave her to him… "Kurama?"
Standing still, with his hands forming a fist on his side, straining not to touch her or take her back, Kurama refused to meet his eyes.
"Take her back with you."
It was a command, but it felt weak and shaky at the same time.
Koenma didn't know how to protest. He knew that Kurama didn't want her away, but seeing how much Kurama strained to gain control… He nodded. "What will I tell her when she wakes up?" he asked weakly.
His bangs casting a shadow on his eyes, keeping him from seeing his pain, Kurama answered, "Tell herthat it is better that we part.... Makai is too dangerous for someone as precious as her. It is time for her to return to the place where she's safe. If not… there might be a day when even her life will be taken away…" He gritted his teeth, trying to keep himself sane. "Tell her to forget about me."
Koenma shook his head. "That's absurd. You know that she loves you and would die just to be with you—" he winced, realizing that he used the wrong words.
"That's right." Kurama said. "She'll die for me if it comes to that… and I will not wait for that to happen. I failed her. All this wouldn't have happened if I stayed."
"No! Don't blame yourself for—"
"I have failed her. Don't try to make it easier for me by refusing to accept that when I know that it's the truth." Kurama warned. "You didn't see the look in her eyes when she told me that our child… and Ryo and Amu died. I don't ever want to see that pain in her eyes again. She loved them as her own brothers! She embraced this world without hesitation, for me… and this is what we brought her. Losing our child… that is more than we can bear. So take her back… before we cause her more pain. This world does not deserve her."
He refused to agree.
"Please." And finally, Kurama looked at him.
Koenma stared wide-eyed at Kurama. The way Kurama uttered the word was cold and without emotion, his stance more deviant that weak. His eyes were blank but Koenma knew that it was just a façade.
And he realized that whatever he'll say now will not help them a bit. He is the prince of Reikai, but his position helped them none. There are many things he cannot control… and his friends' heartbreak is one of those.
The only help he could give now is take Botan back and keep her safe.
The demons were devastated to return to a ruined village. They may have won the fight at the battlefield, but in the end they suffered a greater loss. All of the fighters' families were killed—as Kurama could see it, only Botan survived the attack, but when Koenma took her back to Reikai, it is the same as losing her forever.
Mournful of the lives lost, including the death of their great leader Yue, they decided to turn to their new young leader for help.
"Master Yomi would know how we are going to rebuild our village even if there's only a few of us left," one of the demons said. They started to walk quietly towards the forest, where they last saw Yomi.
Finally, they saw him and the elite warriors talking. Kurama's sensitive ears picked up what they were talking about before anyone else did.
"Quiet," Kurama stopped everyone from moving forward and revealing themselves to the group.
"Why?" one asked.
"They're talking about us… what they plan to do with us," he whispered. That made the group fall silent.
"What to do with them?" Yomi sneered. "I don't know about them. I don't need any of those weaklings to follow me around. They'll be more of a liability than anything. We are going to go far places and build a greater village."
There were angry hisses, but none of them made any sound loud enough to reveal their presence. From where they are Kurama could see Yomi leaving with his precious team.
He followed the small group with eyes full of hatred.
It's so easy for him to give up on this village. While we gave up everything to fight for him, he did not even bother thinking of our loss.
"Looks like it's just us left," an elder demon said when the others could not figure out where to go from there. "I guess the only thing we can do now is to form our own group and find a way to rebuild?"
Lost, the other demons merely shrugged or nodded or stared.
Kurama did not bother answering. His mind is far, far away.
She opened her eyes slowly. The first thing she saw was the worried face of a woman, which immediately brightened up when she saw her awake.
"Botan," the woman called. Her voice was soothing. She may be a few years older than her. Her blonde hair was neatly kept in a high bun, and with her red kimono it gives her a regal look.
In her hazy mind, Botan tried to remember where she had seen this woman, and who she was. She blinked, frowned, and suddenly sat up. She looked around. She can't tell exactly where she was, but this for sure is far from Makai.
"Who are you?" she asked the woman. "And where are we?"
"I am Nisa. We're here in the Ferrygirl Headquarters."
"Oh. Right," she said. She has never been inside the headquarters before—it was on the far most tower and she never had a reason to visit it, but she could now see the similarity. The furniture in the room was similar to the Reikai Palace.
"Wait!" she shouted, suddenly remembering what had just happened in Makai. "Why am I here? Where's Kurama? How did I—"
"Sshh," Nisa tried to calm her down. She did, after a while, but it was mostly because the wound on her stomach is far too painful for her to move. "You were sent here by Koenma-sama. After your wound fully heals, you will start to train to as a ferry girl."
"No, I can't do that. I can't stay here, I have to go back! I cannot leave Kurama, not after what happened—"
"Listen," Nisa put a hand on her arms, and only then did Botan realize that she had been starting to leave, and that the woman now had a stern look on her face. "You do know that Koenma-sama has gone great lengths to give you what you want, don't you?"
Botan had no choice but to nod.
"He let you go even when you gave him trouble during your first job. And now that you're back, he had to cover for you once more. He probably didn't tell you but Enma-daioh never found out about your marriage with that demon… and I suppose that the prince was just matchmaking. He asked me to keep quiet about this—we will have to pretend that you never escaped the basement and that we had freed you in return to giving service as a ferrygirl. You see, Koenma-sama had to clear a lot of records that he will be in trouble for if he was caught, all because of you…"
Botan was surprised at this, but did not say anything. She had only realized now how much Koenma had to do for her. And Nisa wasn't finished with her litany yet.
"Now, I have pledged to him to keep it all a secret and I intend to do as I promised. But I'm telling you right now, if you do anything stupid around here, I won't help cover for you anymore. As head of this headquarters I may be held responsible for what my personnel do, but as much as I pity you, I will not let you give me any trouble. You understand?"
Meekly, Botan nodded. She looked down; trying to stop her tears, but it was truly hard to do. Not after everything that had happened. The pain in her stomach was literally a painful reminder of her loss.
Nisa looked away, and without saying anything she headed to the door. She has not yet closed it when Botan started to sob.
She may have given her a stern litany earlier, but deep in her she just wanted the girl to stay out of trouble. She could only guess how hard it is, what she's going through. Her sobs were heartbreaking to hear. She knew she had to leave and give the young lady some privacy.
The new ferrygirl… She had all the reason to grieve.
She had lost their child even before he had the chance to be born… and lost the family who accepted her as their own—to a tragedy she still cannot believe that happened. And now, she was separated from her love at a time that they needed each other most.
She had lost everything.
To be continued. Thank you for reading…