Back to ze past

"Stop and what?" Amaterasu asked, turning around. her eyes were filled with tears and her voice were broken. "Listen to you. I should have known this was goignto happen, you leaving me. I could feel it ever since we got back together... Your heart was never with me."

"I did love you" He said softly, trying to conceal the hurt in his voice. "I did. Even if this is the way it is, how could you wish something like that on me?" He asked, not really expecting an answer. "Look, I tried, I can't help how these things go." He said.

"How long did it go on?" Amaterasu asked. "How long were yo with him... behind- behind my back."

Sadaharu let his eyes rest on hers and forced himself to answer. "That day, when he helped me stop taking the drugs." He said quietly. "But we decided it couldn't happen." He rose his hand to his hair. "I never set out to hurt you."

"But you have." Amaterasu said. "And right now, I want you to pay."

Sadaharu made a shrugging guesture with his arms. "Go on. Have your way." He said and shook his head, not looking away. "You curse me with misery, what else could you do?"

"Make sure that happends." Amaterasu hissed. "I could curse Yuki with eternal slumber, or that everyone you ever loved would die. How would you like that. Get close to someone, to love someone and for them to betray you."

"You would never curse your own brother" He said, voice taking on a firm tone as he fell to his last resort. "Amaterasu, take off that ring. Can't you see what's it has done to you? Isn't what you have already done enough?" He asked levelly. "If you must hurt someone, leave Yuki out of this."

"Can't hurt your lover can you?" Amaterasu spat, holding her hand. "Oh wait, you did that."

"Ama!" He cried, exasperated. "You've had your fun with this, I'm sorry! I'm sorry, just stop all of this foolishness before you do something you'll regret!"

"Goodbye." Amatrerasu turned around and started to walk.

Sadaharu watched her go, knuckles whitening. What had he done? Driven her from the village, betrayed her trust. He turned away and forced his heavy feet to walk back the Yuko's hut. He knew it was bound to happen. Hell, he put it off longer than nessecay, that's what he got for leaving it be. Closing the door behind him, he bowed his head and moved to slump in the chair beside Yuki's bed. Tears welled in his eyes, which he furiously brushed away. He brought this on himself, no reason to feel sorry for himself too.

This entire everything was so, very wrong. And what about the things she had said earlier? A curse? She couldn't curse people, that he knew of. Maybe it was just a scare factor, to make him keep away from Yuki. But the artefacts. He buried his face in his hands. I just don't know what to think anymore.

Amaterasu wrapped her arms around herself as she walked into the trees. Sadaharu... He was... She hated him and she would make sure he suffered. She would do it.

Mori was sitting at the table, grumbling with one hand to his throbbing head, trying to tune out the esctatic child as he prodded at his food. "...and then when Taro-daddy tried to take me inside I threw mud at him! Then we had a mud fight!" Rhun said, bouncing on his seat as he dobbed Taro in to Elizabeth. "And that's why I'm covered in mud!" He proclaimed, grinning at his mother.

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The next morning, Sadaharu woke with a start, eyes snapping open. He glanced first at Yuki and sighed when he was exactly the same as any other morning; any other time he'd looked at him. He ran a hand through his hair and stood up, realizing that the thing that woke him was the person in the doorway. Taro smiled. "Morning. I'll watch him for a while if you needed a break". He offered and tossed Sadaharu an apple. The hanyou's tense features softened and he nodded. "Thanks." Sadaharu walked outside and stretched, trying to shake off the mass of unpleasant feelings that last night had left him with.

Amaterasu would have come back. He could try and talk to her, make this less of a disaster. He headed over to the hut that Elizabeth and her children lived in. He knocked on the door and grimaced. What if Amaterasu hadn't spoken to her? No matter, she might be in here and it was worth a try.

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Raven was sitting outside the door of the old woman's hut, leaning against the wall and watching as the village awoke. The older occupants of the village anyway, quite a few of the children had been up early, playing games with the mush like snow that quickly melted into the dirt. The weather had taken a sharp turn and was cooling rapidly - near constant rain and cloud cover turning the grass and flora lush green.

Raven sighed and rested his head back against the wooden hut.

Kaoru eventually retreated back to the house
and decided that he should see if Naoki was alright
he figured that he should step into his fathering role for once

Elizabeth picked up Rhun and placed him on her hip. "I can see that." She smiled and began to dab at the boys face. "Did Taro-Daddy get as much mud in his face too?"

Then there was a knock at the door and Elizabeth moved to open it.

The wetnurse, a young girl of about 20 winters whose name was Hotaru, bounced the child as he fed. Her own children were snuggling at home with her sister, their father having died in a war one year ago. She had taken on the job as a wetnurse to feed them ever since.

Kaoru knocked on the door softly then pushed it open
"Hey, how is he?" he asked sheepishly

"He's feeding." Hotaru said, looking up to the master of the house. She gently took Naoki from her breast. "You need to pay more attention to him."

Sadaharu smiled at Elizabeth when she opened the door. "Hey... just wondering if Amaterasu stopped by last night... or this morning." He half winced.

Elizabeth placed Rhun onto the floor. "She did to grab some potatos. After then that nothing, wasn't she staying at your hut?"

Kaoru ducked his head
"I'm sorry, I guess i haven't been a father for him these last weeks.
I'll do my best from now on. Thank you for helping us. I don't know how we would have made it without you."

Hotaru Hummed and placed Naoki in his fathers arms. "I know how it is, too lose a loved one and have a child. I had three."

Kaoru nodded, holding Naoki tightly
"I am sorry for your loss, Hotaru."

"I meant after that." Sadaharu sighed. "I... We had an argument, and-" He shook his head, looking truly worried. "I can't find her anywhere."