Chapter 14: More Than Ghost
Towa and Moroha brought Jade up to speed on everything that had happened before they had arrived in wolf demon territory.
From slaying demons that controlled the bones of the dead at the redbone palace and then finding Yuki at the Kindo estate to fighting the powerful Gemini demons that commanded flames. The five of them had faced many demons together over their short travels but that didn't scare Jade off. Not at all.
It was actually the opposite hearing those stories made Jade hope that he would be able to put his strength to the test. He wanted to become someone strong enough that would be worthy of inheriting his father's legacy and to do that he'd need to get much stronger than he was now.
The demons that Towa and Moroha excitedly boasted about defeating didn't sound like easy challenges either all of them except for Yuki, who Jade suspected also had much more battle experience than he did had been slaying demons for years.
Jade immediately knew that he had better stay sharp with the 5 of them because falling behind could get him killed if he wasn't careful.
Moroha and Towa continued to boast about their many adventures together while Yuki walked silently beside Moroha. Hisui and Setsuna walked a few steps ahead of them but just close enough for Setsuna to hear and correct every over-dramatized memory that either girl might be playing up. Much to both of their dismay which made Hisui smile and Yuki try to hold back from laughing.
The group took a break to eat lunch after passing by a chicken farmer along the way who was walking to sell eggs and chicken in a village in the opposite direction of where they were heading.
The group had bought a few eggs and a chicken from the man before stopping not too soon after to take a break to eat.
This is where Jade's trip with the five of them started to take a turn.
Moroha started a campfire once they found a nice and shady spot to take a break at and she started to cook for her friends. It had been a long time since they had fresh eggs to use during their travels.
The 6 of them all spread out under the shade making themselves comfortable and talking idly while Moroha prepared the food for them. Towa helped her with the meal prep and Jade watched Moroha cook with a suspicious expression on his face as she started making something that he had never seen before while everyone else just chatted away.
Jade looked from Yuki who was talking to Moroha and Towa as they cooked. Then to Setsuna who was so at ease that she started to rest her eyes as she sat under the shade with Kilala in her lap and then to Hisui who was now joining into the conversation and made both girls and Yuki laugh.
But Jade didn't hear a thing that Hisui said. He just continued to watch Moroha cook as what she was making got stranger and stranger until he couldn't take it anymore.
"You're really mixing that egg crap with the meat? What if it spoils it?" Jade asked Moroha.
Everyone could see what Moroha was doing.
How she was mixing the food in a way that she shouldn't but no one was saying anything. Towa was right next to her and she just continued to hand her everything that she asked for as she cooked.
Something needed to be done. Jade thought to himself. There was just no way that food was meant to mix like that.
"It's called Omurice, it's tasty, you'll like it." Moroha reassured him, shrugging him off as she continued cooking.
"No way, not with all that crap mixed into it." Jade said skeptically.
"You're all trying to trick me aren't you? Because I just joined you." Jade accused.
"You caught us." Towa placed her hands up with a mischievous grin. "And if you don't eat all of what you're given then your travels with us will end today. We all did it when we were new, now it's your turn."
"She's right, this is how we initiate everyone into our group. Just ask Yuki." Moroha added smoothly.
"Is this true!?" Jade asked Yuki who had been sitting silently for a few moments now.
Yuki started to pet Kilala as she crawled into his lap as Towa and Moroha both gave him expectant looks and Yuki knew that he had no choice but to go along with them.
"It's true." Yuki agreed and now both Towa and Moroha were smirking like thieves at Jade just as Moroha finished the Omurice.
"I tried to warn you about coming with us." Hisui told Jade while Setsuna silently opened her eyes to watch this play out.
"You can't seriously mean this." Jade pleaded and Moroha handed him the first portion of Omurice. It didn't smell half bad but it just looked so odd compared to what he was used to.
Jade looked up from his food and at all of them one last time in disbelief.
"Come on, it won't kill you." Moroha said while rolling her eyes.
Even when Yuna wasn't around people still questioned her cooking. Moroha wasn't going to let Jade off easy.
"Just try it already. Stop acting like a scared puppy." Towa teased and Moroha chuckled small at her joke.
"You always start with the dog jokes. I'm not afraid to try this odd looking food." Jade lied before taking a deep breath and taking a small bite of the Omurice, chewing it fast and then pausing as all eyes were on him.
He looked at them all with surprise before taking another bite, this time chewing slower and actually tasting it better this time before swallowing the food.
He couldn't help but feel embarrassed now because it was actually good. Really good.
"It's not too bad." Jade said low and unable to make eye contact with anyone.
Towa, Moroha ms Hisui laughed at his reaction. While both Yuki and Setsuna smiled along.
"Welcome to the team my friend. Moroha can be a little sensitive when it comes to her cooking so it's always best to keep quiet if you want her to continue to let you eat whenever she cooks." Hisui half joked.
"You all have no shame pranking me like that." Jade huffed.
"Moroha cooks a lot of food that doesn't look normal but it all tastes good. I've been where you are before. Just give it a try next time before commenting. I used to think that it all looked strange too." Yuki said.
"Come on, you left yourself wide open, you didn't have to believe us." Moroha smiled at Jade as the rest of the them now started to get their own portions of the omaurice and began to eat as well.
"Why wouldn't I believe it with the way you all were acting?" Jade asked.
"I wouldn't have believed it." Setsuna said as she took a bite of her food.
"You're different Setsu, your nerves are ice cold." Towa smiled.
"Heads up Jade, don't ever bother trying to prank Setsuna. She never falls for anything." Towa added and Jade just ate more of his omurice.
"You'll like what the real initiation is a lot better." Hisui told Jade.
"And what's that?"
"Ghost stories!" Moroha exclaimed with a smile. "Some nights we all tell our best ghost stories and then vote on which one is the best. Yuki likes telling stories."
"It's not the most boring thing in the world." Yuki said nonchalantly trying to hide how much he actually enjoyed it when they did that and Moroha smiled at him.
"I take that back, we totally have to force him to participate." She joked.
"So we're headed to the next rendezvous location that Yuki knows of that this Rain demon might be hiding out at? Is Rain our only goal?" Jade asked.
"Yes as you know we originally were just out to get Yuki back but we can't just leave Rain alone or he'll target us again and who knows who else he'll hurt. If other demons show up in the meantime we just deal with them." Hisui said.
"I see, so there will be plenty of opportunities for me to get stronger along the way." Jade said.
"I guess you could say that." Hisui told him.
"Do we travel into the night?" Jade asked.
"Not usually." Towa said.
"If we keep heading the direction that we've been going, we'll pass a hot spring. We should set up camp there for the night." Jade said.
"There's a hot spring nearby?" Moroha asked excitedly.
"Yes, a few of us wolves like to go there from time to time since it's so close."
"I wouldn't mind setting up camp near the hot spring." Setsuna added.
The six of them finished eating the omurice and Jade had even mustered the courage to ask Moroha for seconds before they started moving again.
They reached the hot springs sometime after the sun had set and the boys let the girls go first while they sat at camp and waited their turn.
XXXX
Setsuna couldn't remember the last time that she had been to a hot spring. The hot spring was lit with a deep orange cooler as the sun had not fully set yet causing the water to glow a pretty golden color as the girls took a dip in the hot spring.
The water of the hot springs was clean and clear and the hot water felt good on Setsuna's skin as she sank down into the hot spring and let her body get used to the water.
She was surprised that Towa and Moroha hadn't splashed into the water like they typically would have but she wasn't complaining. She just figured that the two of them were more concerned with relaxing this time around over splashing around. They probably just as happy as she was that they could get a moment of peace and quiet after everything that had happened over the last few days.
The three of them were now sitting relaxed in the hot springs as the mist rose from the water around them and cleared their lungs. Setsuna allowed herself to simply just enjoy the peace and quiet of the hot spring while she could before her sister broke the silence.
"I wonder how Kohaku is managing without us." Towa said.
Before they left Setsuna and Hisui would regularly run errands for him as well as teach lessons to other demon slayers. Especially new recruits.
The four of them also used to take on reports that had to do with more of the stronger demons as well. The slayers guild depended on the four of them for many things before they left. Kohaku no doubtably was missing them all about now.
"I'm sure that he's handling everything fine. Hisui said that he got Kohaku's blessing to go before he left." Moroha reassured her cousins.
"The new recruits are going to be lazy by the time I get back. It will be more work than usual once we return." Setsuna sighed.
"Oh they're for sure going to be in for a shock when you come back Setsu." Moroha laughed.
"That's for sure." Towa agreed. She also felt bad for the poor slayer recruits that Setsuna would teach the moment that they all got back to the village.
"Have you thought about what you're going to tell your parents when we get back?" Towa asked Moroha.
"I'll worry about that bridge once I get there." Moroha said nonchalantly, completely uninterested in talking about that right now.
"Aunt Kagome is going to kill you for leaving home while they were gone. You should probably consider what you're going to say sooner rather than later." Setsuna stated.
"Yeah I don't think that uncle will be very happy either." Towa said.
Moroha sighed and she sank deeper into the hot springs in response and slumped her shoulders into the water.
Hot springs were supposed to be relaxing and talking about this was anything but that. She sat up enough to be able to speak with her chin just barely peeking out of the water.
"I know that I should think about what I'm going to say to them but I had to do it. Yuki would have died if I didn't leave. I wouldn't change a single thing even if it gets me in trouble." Moroha said.
"We're not saying that you should regret what you did, you should just put some more thought into considering what you're going to tell them because sooner or later this is all going to come to an end and after Rain's been dealt with it will be time for us to go home." Towa told her cousin seriously.
"I know, I know. Let's not talk about this anymore. I think that we should figure out what we're going to say to our fathers first anyway so that they won't try to kill Yuki." Moroha said.
"Well let's just tell them the truth. He's not all that bad." Towa shrugged.
"You think dad will just accept that? Towa we need to be more convincing than he's not all that bad." Setsuna said.
"Well I'm listening, what do you suggest?" Towa asked her sister.
"Maybe after we kill Rain we can just explain how Rain was the mastermind behind all of this and not Yuki I don't know." Setsuna said.
"Father doesn't really seem like the forgiving type." Towa said honestly.
"That's what I'm worried about. If either of our fathers still insist on killing Yuki then what? You two didn't hear the way that my father talked about him the night that they left the village. They were really serious about this." Moroha said.
"They won't insist, we'll make sure of that." Towa reassured her cousin and they all sat in silence for a long moment.
"When the two of you were hit by that dream gazing spell you saw through each other's memories right?" Setsuna asked hesitantly.
"Don't remind me." Towa sighed while bringing her palm to her face.
Setsuna started down into the water contemplating what she was thinking before speaking again.
"I hate to ask this. But just what did you all see? I'm the only one who wasn't hit and I can't help but feel like I'm missing something that I shouldn't."
"This is about Hisui isn't it?" Towa said.
"He's keeping something from me and I can tell that it's about us. The two of us don't keep many secrets from each other so I can tell when he's being guarded. And when I asked him about it I could tell that he didn't want to tell me. I want to give him his privacy but I just can't help but feel anxious when it feels like he's shutting me out."
"You really have no idea huh?" Towa asked with kind eyes.
"Well to be fair it's not obvious." Moroha said.
"That's what makes this all so frustrating." Setsuna said.
"I can tell you about Hisui's dream but it changes nothing if he won't talk to you about it himself. Are you sure that you don't want to try asking him again?" Towa said.
"Was it really that bad?" Setsuna asked.
"To him I think so. It just seems like this has been weighing on him for a while." Moroha said honestly.
"But he needs to talk about it. It's ridiculous really. I know that you love him and he knows that you do yet he still feels insecure. This is why I want nothing to do with those types of relationships. I'm sure that if you really want to know he'll tell you. I don't know if I want to meddle between the two of you like this." Towa said honestly and Setsuna let out a long sigh as she considered what she wanted.
"Don't bother telling me. I'll ask him again tonight. Thanks for the insight."
"Of course, you're my sister. If you really wanted to know that badly I would have told you." Towa said.
"I know, let's just get back to relaxing." Setsuna said and soon the last of the sun set and stars began to appear as the moon rose into the sky.
XXXX
The moon was out now and the boys were sitting around the campfire waiting for the girls to return from the hot spring and of course they were taking their time as they bathed first.
Hisui already figured that it would be a while before the girls were finished. So he had just taken a seat leaning back against a tree while he waited patiently for them to be done.
Yuki wasn't much of a talker and Hisui didn't know Jade well enough yet so it had been mostly silent aside from Jade asking the occasional question until a not so bright idea crossed Jade's mind.
Jade whispered low to Hisui and Yuki after he was sure that the girls were still taking their time in the hot spring.
"Are we really not going to take even one peep while they're bathing?" Jade asked.
"Hisui you offered that they go first for a reason didn't you? You wanted to go peep too. I can't be the only one with eyes here. Just imagine how the three of them must look in the mist of the hot springs underneath the moonlight. If we're careful they'll never know." Jade said.
Yuki hadn't really considered it at first but then the thought made his cheeks turn pink. He had laid down with women before but the sight of them never made him feel the way that he felt now at only thoughts.
"It's not a good idea to spy on girls that could easily kill you if they found out. And if you look at Setsuna I'm going to kill you." Hisui said swiftly, shutting down Jade's idea and interrupting Yuki's thoughts.
Yuki then recalled his past confrontations with both Moroha and Towa, especially his encounter with Towa by the lake when she had stabbed him multiple times.
"Though the sight would have been pleasant. I think that I agree with Hisui. I've been on the receiving side of both Towa and Moroha's wrath and I'd rather not find out what it'd be like to anger Setsuna. You should avoid any real conflict with the girls at all costs if you can Jade." Yuki said.
"Two of those girls are as close to me as my own sisters. I would never let you peep at them. Plus those girls would smell you coming as soon as you got close enough anyway. I'm really saving your life here Jade." Hisui said.
"Okay, okay. But what if I promised to not look at Setsuna, I'll close my eyes if I even think that I might see her." Jade pleaded.
"Do you want me to kill right now?" Hisui threatened eerily.
Yuki smiled. "I've never seen you actually get mad before. But I suppose that's only natural when you and Setsuna share that kind of relationship. I wouldn't want someone else looking at my woman either."
"It's not just that. You can't just look at a person without their consent. That's wrong, If they had wanted you to see, we wouldn't be bathing separately." Hisui said.
"That's easy for you to say. You and Setsuna will probably be sneaking off to the hot spring alone later tonight anyway. Of course you don't care about shutting us down." Jade accused and Hisui's face turned red while Yuki laughed.
"Oh Moroha and Towa would never let him hear the end of that one if they found out." Yuki laughed.
"Setsuna and I are going to be married one day. We won't be doing anything of the sort until then." Hisui said fast.
"Really?" Yuki asked him, surprised. "I'm surprised the two of you haven't already laid together with how close you are. If you're going to be married anyway why's it matter?"
"It matters because it shows that I care about her reputation and doing the right thing, especially when it comes to her. That and if her father ever found out that we'd done something beforehand I'd be dead for sure. I haven't even asked for his blessing yet."
"You're asking Setsuna's father for his blessing? Isn't he that powerful demon that saved Towa in her dream?" Jade asked.
"That's the guy." Hisui said.
"And you want to marry his daughter? Best of luck my friend. I hope that you live to enjoy a wedding day after that." Jade told him.
"How thoughtful of you." Hisui rolled his eyes.
"Now aren't you glad that Hisui stopped you from peeping at Sesshomaru's daughters. Imagine what would have happened had they told on you." Yuki said.
"Peeping on Sesshomaru's daughter's? Well I didn't smell any of you near so you must have hid well." Towa said as the girls had just came back.
"Really you three that's not cool." Moroha scolded. "I'm not letting any of you eat what I cook for the rest of our travels."
"We did not peep at you." Yuki said.
"It's true we were discussing keeping watch so that no wonders could potentially disturb your bath." Hisui lied.
"Thanks but no thanks, if anyone wants to lose their head we can easily handle it." Towa said and the girls traded places with the boys who now went to enjoy the hot spring.
"I guess you were right, Hisui but I still would have preferred the sight of Setsuna in the steamy mist over you." Jade teased once they were all in the hot spring and Hisui held Jade's head under the water with insane strength that made Jade question if he was human or not while Yuki laughed.
Jade wouldn't be joking about Setsuna again anytime soon.
Once the boys were finished in the hot spring it was finally time for the 5 of them to initiate Jade into their group with ghost stories.
Jade didn't have close friends back home so this was his first time doing this. Moroha decided to go first, telling a scary story about a ghostly mansion that was haunted by trapped spirits.
Spirits that had all been murdered by a monstrous lord and were now trapped to roam about the ghostly manner until they could be exercised.
Hisui followed second, telling a story about a false water god that his father had once told him about. Then Yuki told his story about demons that lurked in caves before Setsuna and Towa both told ghost stories about snake demons.
"See they can be about anything." Moroha told Jade and he did his best to make up a story as well.
It wasn't very good and the story made everyone laugh more than scare them but Jade didn't really care and neither did any of them. They just enjoyed Jade's story until the end and Yuki ended up telling the best story yet again that night.
It was colder than usual that night and the teens were all setting up to go to sleep. The fire was burning fine in the middle of their camp and it was getting late as Moroha kept yawning, she was always the first to get sleepy.
Moroha laid down close to the fire with Yuki and Towa on each side of her both a good friendly distance away and Jade laid down on the other side of Yuki.
Before Hisui could lay down Setsuna grabbed his hand and announced that the two of them were going to get more fire wood before going to sleep. And to Hisui's surprise Moroha and Towa didn't do any of their usual teasing at this.
Jade looked at him with a knowing look on his face and he couldn't have been more wrong, Hisui had thought. What Jade had in mind was the complete opposite to what Hisui was actually thinking.
The stars were shining bright above them as they walked through the forest. Setsuna led the way and the moment that Hisui tried picking up wood she would stop him and say that they needed to be farther out first. That was when he knew that she wanted to talk and he had a pretty strong feeling that he knew what she wanted to know and he was dreading every moment of this.
Once they got far enough from the others where Setsuna was sure that no one would overhear them she turned to him with a stern look on her face. She was more serious about this than he had initially thought. Hisui realized.
He had no choice now but to tell her the truth.
"The other night you told me that if I asked you, you'd tell me what you were keeping from me. So what is it? The thing that's haunting your mind about us."
Hisui sighed. "I knew you'd remember."
"I wasn't that drunk." She said while crossing her arms.
"You most definitely were." He smiled as he remembered that night, which made her smile small too.
She got closer to him, wrapping her arms around him and looking straight into his eyes as she did so. He returned her embrace.
"Just tell me already. I promise that whatever it is won't change us. It doesn't have to if we don't want it to. We can work through what bothers you together just like we do with the things that weigh heavy on my mind." She told him softly under the stars as they held each other in the moonlight and he sighed as he moved his head closer to hers. Pressing his forehead against hers and closing his eyes while she only watched him as he did so patiently waiting for him to tell her the truth.
He opened his eyes before removing his forehead from hers and telling her what he had promised.
"Sometimes I feel like if I can't keep up with you you'll leave me if I'm too weak." Hisui said honestly.
"There have been a number of times that I've needed you to save me in the past. Times that had you not been there I could have ended up dead. I sometimes worry that one day you'll get tired of having to save your human lover over and over again and one day feel burdened by me. So I've been trying my best to be someone that you can depend on." Hisui told her.
The look of shock that overtook Setsuna's face was immediate.
Just how could he think that? Where had he even gotten such an idea from. She pondered.
Did someone else put this thought into his head? She wondered.
If they did, they're dead.
"Is that what your dream was about?" She asked.
Hisui nodded. "I recalled the time that we exercised demon spirits on a job with my uncle and you saved me from getting my head sliced off. I should have been more vigilant but I wasn't and because of that you needed to save me due to my shortcomings. I couldn't help but feel like a hindrance to you"
Setsuna held his face in her hands forcing him to look at her because at some point during their conversation his eyes had wandered away.
Her violet eyes stared at him in all seriousness as she spoke.
"Hisui, you could never become one of my burdens. Think of all of the times that your planning and quick thinking have gotten us out of trouble and saved all of us in the past, not just me." She said honestly her eyes never once leaving his as she spoke and he placed his hand over hers on his cheek. She went on.
"Without you I may have died as well multiple times. You don't need to try and become anything more than you already are. You're already enough as it is. You always have been more than enough for me and that's not going to change just because you occasionally need me to have your back. I love you just the way you are." She told him.
"I just feel like you get the shorter end of the stick with me sometimes, especially as of lately." He said as he tried to look down but she didn't let him.
"I'm glad that you told me about this, for as long as I can remember I've always felt that I needed to be the bravest soldier when it comes to how I feel. I felt that way with mom and with Towa and especially with father but you taught me that it's okay to lay down my defenses when I need to. That it's not bad to lean on someone. If it's not bad for me then why would it be bad for you? You could even drop your weapons and cower in a fight completely and I'd still love you. To me our relationship has always been someplace safe. Our love isn't dictated off of give and take and your turn and my turn it's just us and how the two of us feel so please don't ever think that I'd ever consider you a burden again." Setsuna said, so true and honest.
Her words calmed his heart and quieted his long worries. He hadn't even realized that he needed her to tell him that until she did and it made him question why he had felt so nervous about telling her this in the first place. She didn't look at him like he was overreacting or thinking too much. She just listened to him and told him the truth and she was right they both brought different things to their relationship but what mattered most is how the two of them worked together and how they felt about each other.
"I understand Setsuna, I guess that I just felt that you deserved better than what I can give you but I understand now that what we have together is more than just what can be offered." He said and she moved her hands from his face to his hands. Now that he was not trying to look away from her.
"Much more, Hisui, the way that I love you will never change."
"I understand because I feel the same. These feelings that I could never put into words because no words that I know could ever really do what you make me feel justice. They all feel too small whenever I think about you." He said his words made her face feel warm as his dark eyes stared into hers and the need to be closer made her heart beat faster.
Setsuna was the first to lean in and press her lips to his. Getting the both of them completely lost as their lips brushed across each other. She looped her arms around his neck and Hisui ran his hands up her sides in a gentle caress.
He loved kissing her and touching her and holding her whenever she would let him but at some point these fleeting touches and heavy kisses began to leave the both of them desiring more when it came to their secret moments.
Setsuna's fingers threaded through Hisui's hair as she felt his tongue skillfully enter her mouth after licking her bottom lip and a light blush dusted her cheeks as she let out a soft gasp and he couldn't help but open his eyes slightly to see her so lost to his touch that she couldn't keep her hands in just his hair anymore. She kept pulling him closer as if he would vanish if she let go.
The sight of her like this was doing nothing to keep his head level as he looked at her through half lidded eyes. They broke a moment later so that they could catch their breath and Hisui danced kisses across her cheeks and down her neck.
Setsuna leaned into his touch as he did so trying her best to remain level as well.
"Well now that I've told you what I was keeping." He whispered as he kissed up her neck and close to her ear. "What is it that you said about being curious the other night?" He teased in a deep whisper that tickled the skin next to her ear and Setsuna looked at him flustered.
"I was out of my mind. I don't remember what you're talking about." Setsuna lied as Hisui kissed her neck again right underneath her ear which made her blush more. He pulled away after one last kiss and the ghost of his warmth left her wanting more.
"You're always so cute." He smiled. "I won't press you about it this time but when you want to talk about it let me know and if you want we can explore those curiosities of yours." He said in a low voice that made her breath hitch and he wasn't even touching her anymore.
"Hisui I—." Setsuna started but couldn't finish what she wanted to say as she found herself suddenly unable to move and 4 monks dressed in black and gold robes ran at them fast from the forest.
Hisui immediately took up a defensive position.
Immediately taking note that Setsuna didn't move an inch. Neither of them had their weapons either as they had only meant to talk for a little while.
Something was wrong. He thought.
"Setsuna are you okay? I'm sensing a strange spiritual aura." Hisui asked, concerned as he placed himself between her and the monks.
Setsuna's knees gave out from under her a moment later and now she was even finding it difficult to breathe.
Hisui looked at her terrified, leaning down beside her as soon as she fell almost completely disregarding the monks as he tried to help her up but it was just too difficult for her.
"I…I'm fine." She said weakly. But he could tell that she was lying.
"Be gone, demon!" One of the monks yelled as he got close to the two of them and tried to slam his staff down hard onto Setsuna. Hisui moved quickly, blocking the staff with his forearm before taking a hold of the staff with his other hand and pulling the staff successfully flipping the monk to the other side of them and snatching it from his hands the monk hit the ground hard as he did so.
"Are you mad boy?! We've come to save you from the clutches of those demons. You no longer have to answer to their vile requests." One of the monks spat in disgust.
Blue Sparks flew around Setsuna as she tried to stand again and she fell back to the ground.
"Setsuna!" Hisui turned to her.
"Don't worry about me." She breathed.
"We've got her immobilized, we need to strike fast. I don't know how long I can hold her like this, the only monk who had not come bearing a staff said.
The monk who seemed to be in control of what was happening to Setsuna had red beads wrapped around his hands and was standing still. Whatever spell he was doing it looked to be taxing on him to keep up so he moved very little.
"Let her go this instant." Hisui said menacingly.
"We can't do that, she's been working with the demon Onigumo and as such deserves nothing less than death. Step aside boy, we won't be able to guarantee your safety otherwise." A monk threatened Hisui.
"If you don't stop whatever spell you're using on Setsuna then by the time I'm finished with you you'll be convinced that I'm a demon too." Hisui threatened to death ears.
"Purify that demon if the boy gets hurt then so be it."
Two of the monks now rose their staffs to attack.
Hisui let them come to him so that he could protect Setsuna. If he ventured too far away from her she could be in trouble if he didn't fight carefully.
He had to handle this strategically.
The monk closest to Hisui ran at the two of them sloppily and Hisui used the staff in his hands to hit the weaker monk dead in the center of his face denting in his nose and knocking him out in the process before swinging the staff over to the more polished fighter between the two monks and easily over powering him as their staffs met and then kicking the second monk so hard that he fell to the ground before Hisui knocked him out as well quickly knocking him out with the swing of his staff to the monks head.
Hisui had evened the numbers so fast, now the last two monks looked at him in horror as neither of them was armed.
"What should we do master kono? We didn't expect to encounter such a fighter?" The monk that had attacked Hisui first asked worriedly
"Let Setsuna go." Hisui said darkly.
"You are human, why are you fighting so hard for such an unnatural being? That woman is a demon. Any promises that she's made to you are all false. Please no longer allow yourself to be deceived by such a vile creature."
After hearing that Hisui was done talking to them. He rushed the last two monks, easily subduing the first guy that he had stolen the staff from by simply knocking him hard in the head and the man passed out.
Hisui then went straight for the leader of the group. The one holding the beads and in response the man angrily dropped his beades that were holding Setsuna in place in order to try to fight Hisui back to no avail.
Hisui was just too fast for him, especially with the man being unarmed. He was on the ground moments later but still stared Hisui down with a fierce expression on his face. Hisui stared back at him just as harsh.
"People like you disgust me. You think that you know right from wrong just because you have spiritual powers. The world isn't so black and white." Hisui said.
"May there be mercy on your soul." The monk spat and Hisui moved to slam his staff down hard on the man's head.
"Hisui." Setsuna placed her hand on his shoulder stopping him in his tracks. "It's alright. I'm fine."
"No it's not." He said short.
He was anything but level headed right now. Setsuna thought. And he was being more brutal than he typically would be when fighting humans.
"Hey calm down, we need to think about the others." Setsuna said.
"Ha! Kono laughed. They're all dead by now Saito would have it all done by now for sure. You had better run away if you want your demon love to live. Saito's powers are much greater than my own." Kono spat.
"We have to go now!" Setsuna said again.
XXXX
The weather was colder than it usually was but Towa, Jade and Yuki all looked to be handling the cold in stride. Setsuna and Hisui were still off alone and none of the teens planned to wait up for them to get back before starting to get some sleep.
Towa and Jade had fallen asleep almost as soon as they had laid down seemingly unbothered by the weather.
While Moroha on the other hand was not able to fall asleep so easily her red cape was draped over her like a blanket and she kept shuffling about in her space that was not too far from Yuki to hear her every move as she tried to get comfortable.
His eyes popped open and he stared up at the stars as he listened to her continue to annoyingly shuffling about.
"You know, it's hard to sleep with you shuffling like that so close to me." Yuki said from his spot across from her.
Her head turned to meet his flame lit eyes and she paused before speaking.
"I can't help it. The only other night that it was cold like this Kilala stayed big so Towa and I could lay next to her to keep warm but Kilala's already sleeping and Towa is out cold. It's hard to get comfortable when the weather is like this."
"Is that all? You're just cold? Why don't you just get closer to the flames?"
"I'll smell like ash in the morning if I'm too close to the fire." Moroha sighed at times like this she wished that she could go sleep in her warm room back home again.
She turned her back to Yuki hoping that maybe she'd be more comfortable if she faced her back towards where the breeze of the wind was coming from.
Yuki sat up slow only looking forward for a brief moment hesitating for a long time while Moroha still shivered, before moving close to her and taking her by surprise as he did so.
Moroha's cheeks flushed pink when she felt the absence of the wind hitting her back and Yuki's arm go around her in its place.
She turned in Yuki's arms facing him now and his red eyes gazed down at her.
"Is this okay?" He asked.
He wasn't doing this because he wanted to. This was just to keep her warm. Yuki told himself in his head.
She did feel warmer now with Yuki right next to her. He was completely blocking the wind from hitting her.
"Aren't you cold now that the breeze is hitting you?" She asked, still in shock at his actions.
"Did you hear me shuffling around at all? I'm comfortable." Yuki said and since he didn't seem to be bothered by this she was able to relax as well.
Moroha smiled in response after he said that before snuggling closer to his chest.
Her sudden surprise at his actions had faded and she melted into his embrace. This was way more comfortable than freezing alone.
The two of them were friends now so why couldn't they sleep close to one another? She had thought that but she knew.
Being held by Yuki felt different than laying next to Towa or Setsuna. The mild scent of pines filled her lungs and his body felt so warm next to hers.
This really wasn't half bad.
"I'm a lot less cold now. Thank you."
"Just so you'll stop that shuffling. I would have never gotten to sleep if you had kept that up." He said but to be honest now it was going to be even harder for him to get any sleep.
"Was it that bad?" She asked and he could hear the smile in her voice.
"The constant pause and start of your shuffling every 5 minutes was preventing me from even trying to fall asleep." Yuki added.
"Well then I guess you'll sleep better now too. Is this uncomfortable? Me being this close to you while you sleep?" She asked.
"No." Yuki blushed.
Towa sat up fast and abruptly before Moroha could say anything else which Startled both of her and Yuki with Towa's sudden movement.
"Something's coming." Towa said, suddenly springing up quick and reaching for her weapon before feeling her heart pulse which made her pause before she was rendered immobile and fell down to her knees.
Yuki went stiff next to Moroha and Jade had even been brought out of his slumber by the sudden presence as he mumbled angrily.
Moroha immediately sensed a strong spiritual aura but it felt unnatural.
Jade, Yuki, and Towa were all stuck with some kind of force that made the three of them unable to move and Yuki recognized immediately who the root of this problem had to be.
"We're being attacked by a group of monks. They won't hurt you." Yuki could barely breathe the words to Moroha and now her nose was finally picking up a scent. They were surrounded but not by demons.
"What do you mean they won't hurt me?" She whispered as she thought about how to best move.
"They despise demons but you are a priestess." Yuki choked out in barely a whisper.
Moroha's expression shifted as Yuki spoke. She needed to stop whatever was happening to her friends.
A hooded monk came into view right behind Yuki, the first one to step out of the woods.
"Onigumo tonight is the night that you and your band of demons die." The hooded monk threatened ominously. He was striding directly to where Yuki and Moroha were laying.
6 monks fell from the trees now too, all surrounding them. They were all dressed the same and were holding staffs and weapons that were traditionally used to purify.
Moroha quickly stood, instantly realizing that she really was the only one who was still able to move freely as no one else could even manage to sit up. She grabbed her sword and was ready to protect her friends all to the surprise of the monks who scrambled to try to use another spell to subdue her immediately. Two of them threw special paper spells that Moroha cut right through and right in half with no consequence.
One of the papers even landed on her arm but she only pulled it off as it had no effect on her.
The hooded monk who Moroha could also tell was wearing a mask now, recognized her as a priestess right away.
"A Priestess using a demon weapon and then fighting to protect demons how peculiar. Whatever this demon has said to you. It's a lie he's nothing more than scum who needs to be eradicated at all cost." The monk stated bitterly.
"Let go of my friends now." Moroha demanded pointing her sword at the man whose face she could now see as he took off his mask. He looked at her with cold emotionless eyes.
"We weren't doing anything but passing through. Demon or not we haven't done anyone any harm." Moroha added.
"A priestess who coverts with demons will be eternally doomed. It would seem that Onigumo has bewitched you and you're in dire need of our help. Allow us to purify him and those other demons and we'll escort you to a temple to receive repentance and reform."
"I'd rather croke dead than go anywhere with you. Leave us alone or I'll have no choice but to hurt all of you." Moroha said.
Saito laughed. "You seem to be overestimating your abilities girl. Men purify the demons." Saito ordered.
The monks moved swiftly with their beads and staffs casting another sacred spell.
Moroha quickly put her sword away and grabbed her bow. A demon weapon won't work well against a strong spiritual attack and she had barely been able to evade the next attack that came her way as it came so fast right after she grabbed her bow.
Moroha held her ground only moving to protect whoever was in danger first as the monks tried to attack her immobile friends. Fighting them off from attacking Yuki first and then Towa.
Moroha rushed fast at one of the monks as they attacked, breaking their formation but just as soon another tried to attack Jade to which Moroha barely made it in time to keep him safe.
"You asshole release this seal and fight me for real!" Jade called.
Moroha did her best to fight off the monks but it was hard to cover 3 people who couldn't move an inch.
"Saito, this is between you and me, don't involve the others!" Yuki yelled.
"All you demons disgust me. This involves any of you vile beats that I can see." Saito spat angrily.
A ray of spiritual power flashed before Yuki this time and Moroha used her bow to knock back the attack.
She had never felt such strong power from anyone other than her sister or mother before and this did make her nervous but she knew she could handle it. Her brows drew down.
She had beaten back more than half of the monks and they were all on one side of the fire while she was right between them and her friends now.
More waves of spiritual light flared towards her friends and Moroha did her best to counter.
This was bad, really bad if any of that hits one of them. Moroha's concerned thoughts raced while Saito only smiled.
"Impressive." Saito said with genuine disbelief at what he was seeing before returning to his same stone face expression as before. "But, that won't be enough, girl. Men purify them all at once!"
Moroha took a deep breath. It was all up to her. She wasn't good at making spiritual barriers Yuna had always been better at harnessing her spiritual powers in this way but her friends needed her to do this and she was not going to let them down. She focused as best she could and she used her spiritual powers to create a barrier of spiritual energy and then push it out. And it actually worked knocking back all of the monks and destroying whatever spell they had in place that made her friends unable to move.
Now Towa and the others were moving freely and ready to fight too.
Moroha fell to her knees.
"You idiot, you know using that much spiritual power leaves you weak." Towa scolded as she crouched down by her cousin's side.
"It worked didn't it." Moroha smiled. "you're free."
"You.. you stupid girl! What have you just done?! If that demon continues to roam free countless will die!" Saito scream angrily, referring to Yuki.
"Do you really want all of that blood on your hands?" Saito asked.
"Whoever he was back then isn't who he is now. We wouldn't allow Yuki to live on how he was before if that were the case." Moroha told Saito.
"Tch, you've been bewitched little girl, nothing that you say holds any weight to these old ears."
"You say that you hate demons but here you are. Saito the merciless. I killed you but now you're here. Is this not the work of some kind of demon sorcery at play? Nothing undead can be made possible from natural arts alone." Yuki said.
"How I was revived is of no concern to such a vile being as yourself. I've been resurrected for only one reason. To stop you once and for all! After that I will finally be able to rest." Saito said.
Saito ran at Yuki and slammed his staff hard at him so fast that Yuki barely had the time to move aside to avoid his attack. Yuki quickly drew his weapon countering Saito's next blow with his twin blades.
Yuki noticed that he wasn't at full strength yet and he knew that using his barrier would be risky as it might tire him out but he was still able to fight Saito this much.
The other monks started to move about now too. Coming for Jade and Towa who guarded Moroha while she regained her strength.
"Something's wrong I still can't move like I normally would." Towa said in the midst of the chaos.
The monks smiled. "You won't be escaping demon, master Saito has warded off the area so the likes of you will not get away.
"Even that girl can't save you now."
Towa put her sword in its sheath and knocked both of the monks who spoke hard on the head, knocking them out.
The fight with Yuki was getting close as Saito attacked him relentlessly until he finally managed to hit him with paper traps that instantly shocked his whole body. Saito moved fast but not fast enough before Moroha could get in his way again.
"Leave here, all of your friends can't fight anymore, it's over!" Moroha yelled at him.
Saito was the last monk standing.
"Not until he and every demon here dies." Saito said darkly. "My backup is on the way. You all won't stand a chance when another monk with strong power's comes to my side. You'll wish that you fought smarter girl."
"Are you all okay!?" Hisui called from behind them. We were attacked by some crazed monks. We think there might be more."
Moroha had started to peel off the paper spells on Yuki and Saito now finally looked as though he had lost as he looked around and saw that most of his conrads had fallen.
"Fine Onigumo. You may be able to live another day but mark my words this isn't the end." Saito said and the monks that were conscious all picked up their unconscious comrades if they could and left.
"Are we really going to just let them go like that?" Jade asked.
"That guy, he's not alive he smells like dirt and bones but the others with him are alive and normal. Who knows what Saito might do to the living monks if they find out and turn hostile towards him." Moroha said.
"He fought as if nothing else mattered other than killing Yuki even as his men dwindled down." Towa added.
"What was all that about Yuki?" Moroha asked and Yuki looked down. He didn't want his friends to know those things that he had done before they had met. Those monstrous things that might make them turn on him but when a ghost comes back to life you have no choice in the matter.
"Saito the merciless had a reputation for his extreme prejudice and ruthlessness when it comes to dealing with demons. Saito is a former disciple of the late Master Ungai who taught him everything that he knows. Rain and I had set up a false request for him to respond to while we we're trying to lay low and ambushed him. Killing him and more than half of his men that day but it looks like he's come back as a clay corpse somehow."
"Damn, you really have done some not so honorable things in the past huh." Jade remarked surprised.
"I thought that it was kill or be killed. Rain always thought that old man would eventually come for us anyway so we took him out first before he could find out about us but Saito the merciless was a hero to all who were troubled by demons. More are worse off without him and that's unfortunately my fault." Yuki said honestly.
"Listen Yuki what you did was awful but we're not going to let Saito kill you. Both Sesshomaru and Inuyasha have taken the lives of people who didn't deserve it in the past and they still deserve to live. You regret your actions and you're not that person anymore so we've got your back even now." Hisui said.
"He's right, the 6 of us are a team no matter how ugly your past actions were." Towa said.
"I murdered Saito in cold blood. He's after all of us now because of me and what I did. None of you would ever do some of the things that I've done even Jade who was raised as a wolf demon would never cause the bloodshed that I have. Why would you still stand by me even after knowing all this?" Yuki asked in disbelief.
"Because we're friends." Moroha said.
"Back home we're all brothers and sisters in the pack. I wouldn't act the way that you have in the past but my father has done some things that he's not too proud of too and he's the best person that I know. Like Moroha said, we're friends aren't we?"
"Fine then, if you all won't be bothered by my continued company. I would very much like to stay with you." Yuki said low. He hadn't expected to be allowed to stay.
"You don't need to ask, You're good with us so stop talking about it. I'm getting tired of all this talk of the past." Setsuna said.
"I think we're all tired after that fight." Moroha said as she stretched her arms.
"We need to discuss how to best handle an attack like that again since only Moroha and I were able to do anything." Hisui said.
"You must not have been fighting that hard if you've still got the energy to be concerned with that. "Moroha said.
"Someone's got to keep our well being in mind. Especially after an attack like that." Hisui said.
"Well they know they're no match for us when we're together like this so we can all rest easy at least tonight." Setsuna said.
"Come on Hisui, come get some sleep." She added.
"Fine but we seriously need to talk strategy in the morning." Hisui said.
"Yeah, yeah we hear you." Towa said before pulling Moroha's arm towards her.
"You can sleep next to me if you're cold." Towa said.
Memories of Yuki next to her flashed across Moroha's mind and she coughed. "Thank you." Was all that she said.
Somehow they were all able to fall asleep that night and the monks never came back.
Nothing happened the following morning either and they were able to continue their travels as if nothing happened that night.
The monks no doubtably were planning on how to come back and finish what they stated and Hisui was going to make sure that they were ready.
"Moroha!" The teens all heard a familiar voice call out behind them.
Moroha froze in her tracks as the others turned.
"What the hell are you doing out here?" Inuyasha's voice hit their ears.
Her nose twitched for a moment and then she gasped.
Moroha turned around fast with a smile on her face.
"You really scared me for a minute." She said with a laugh before rushing towards Inuyasha and tackling him with a huge hug and the illusion fell.
"Uncle Shippo!" She said and a tall fox demon with long auburn hair stood before Moroha.
Towa and Setsuna had also quickly made their way towards him.
"I knew it was you." Setsuna said.
"You're too good at faking Uncle's voice, you almost had me." Towa laughed now hugging Shippo as well.
"I couldn't come say hi without scaring you just a little bit. You're all a long way from home aren't you?" Shippo said.
"Come on Uncle, why are you worried about that? We're strong enough to be on our own." Towa said.
"Hello Uncle." Hisui said now as he walked towards them. Unlike his parents who never fell for Shippo's illusions. Hisui was always fooled by his transformations, especially when his voices matched.
"Do you know this guy? Jade asked Yuki. "He doesn't look very strong."
"Not a clue." Yuki said.
A.N:
I apologize for such a long wait between chapters. I became more busy with school than I originally thought that I would be but now I should be back to doing weekly updates again at least for a few weeks. This chapter was inspired by Inuyasha episode 162, forever with lord Sesshomaru and I imagined the monks in this chapter pretty much being an extension of what we saw in that episode. The next chapter is titled Then And Now and is inspired by Inuyasha episodes 94 - 95 if anyone would like to watch those episodes before next week. Next chapter will be up next Saturday. Also if anyone would like to read the companion story that I made about Setsuna and Hisui that is completed now as well and is titled Say That We'll Be Together. Thank you for reading.