Be my beloved enemy
All cats are grey at night
Kinmen Islands, China
It was 2A.M. and the bar was almost empty, there were only three people left, drowning their sorrows in alcohol. Taro's unshaved face was covered in dirt, his eyes were unfocused.
"keep them coming" he shouted.
The bartender refilled the jar with beer, since the corbel only had old empty dusty-covered alcohol bottles. Taro had had too many drinks yet they were not enough for him to fall down or lose consciousness and forget what he had seen.
He stared down at the golden liquour and his mind flew back to one of the latest talks he had had with Shinosuke's granpa.
He had looked troubled, his wrinkled eyes brimmed and he scrunched them together afraid unshed tears would show on them.
"I'd always believed that we can change this. If we cannot transmit to our children that we believe this. All is doomed. All hope is gone"
He just stared at him in awe urging him on.
"People like Tendo like rules. Your dad always said that if there was something that it is not just, your responsibility is to break it"
Taro nodded slowly.
"You know the story of how The tendos and Saotomes.." He drawled.
Taro's face cringed.
"So he was a ... He was just a martial artist and so he was the other and then there was greed...Bastards" he spoke making snipplets that hardly made no sense
Then it all became blurry again, Taro downed half the beer down and rummanged inside his pockets, taking something neatly folded out of them.
'Murdered. He had been murdered'
Revenge, that's all he could think of, sweet revenge.
His eyes sting, they were red, he had had barely no sleep at all. His gaze rested upon the golden drink yet again and the words danced in his head not for the first time since he had known of Shinosuke's granmpa murder.
"Promisse me you'll protect her" he had pleaded once with him "you owe me this much boy" he had said, and his eyes danced with the candle
"I will" his voice strained he was really tired
"I never intented to take that death oath you offered, yet I need to, to save her." His voice quivered, it had been difficult for Taro to see the old man so toubled.
His mind focused once more and he found himself sitting at the bar. He gulped down some more beer and stared at the folded letter. His fingers trembled and he sighed; Sorrow was overrated;it made you crumble down, made your lungs constrict and burn, your eyes sting, your head hurt, made you want to puke your guts out ...
Yet here he was... Face bowed down she sat gazing at the fading mocking shadow that kept dissapearing and popping while the letter opened before his glazed eyes. He could barely make out the words on it, yet his eyes set upon two unaware of it.
'Marry her' they commanded and his drunken bitter smile broaden. He would do anything to keep her safe after all he owed the old man his life.
"I promisse" and the words echoed in his head. Tomorrow Akane would be in China and he would forever protect her.
8888
He hailed a cab. Slits of rain crashed into the windows, running little marathons as the car sped up onto the highway. Clouds had just but layered the sky tainting it black. The taxi driver had just turned the air con on in a vain attemp to clear the steam out of the front window.
The taxi came to a halt and the door opened to reveal Ukyo.
"ok lets get this show on the road" She said stepping into the cab.
"Is that a way to greet your fiancé?" Shinosuke pouted uncharactelistically.
She smiled at him and her lips brushed briefly against his.
"Taro just called seems there is more to 'Et vull' than what we know, granpa let it slip once when they were training in China but that is not all granpa told him that night.."
"colour me intrigued"
"Ukyo, love, Akane is engaged to Taro" Shinosuke's voice was barely audible.
"Why doesn't that surprise me?" She snapped.
"There is a way to break the spell but after observing my sister I fear it may be too late"
"So, this,sending her off... It's your last resource?"
"I fear so" shinosuke admitted.
Ukyo's hand squizzed his trying to reassure him.
"It's all we have"
Yet as the car drove into the streets of Nerima and her hand held onto Shinosuke's a small shiver ran through her.
'Something terrible had happened and maybe this time noone would be able to save Akane'.
A.N: thanks for being so patient