Back to ze past

"Well he's not your 'chick'." He said grumpily. "And nothing's worth you getting hurt over." He added. "You're meant to be careful! He could have really hurt you! You know you're not only looking after yourself there."

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"Well, then its Lucky I did not allow him acess to my stomach then isn't it." Elizabeth snapped. "It was only a nose."

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"It might not have been." He said sharply. "Damn it, I don't like you getting hurt! Can't you just try and be more careful?" He pleaded.

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"Have I ever been careful?" Elizabeth asked with a small smile.

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"No, you're too damn ambitious." He agreed, a little of his anger fading from his eyes. "And stubborn."

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"And your rougish and ruggish." Elizabeth retorted playfully.

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"And ruggish isn't a compliment." He rose an eyebrow. "I'm going to go and kill him, be back in a minute." He said conversationally.

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"I'd stop you with a kiss, but I appear to be covered in my own blood." Elizabeth smirked.

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"Yeah. That needs fixing." He grimaced. "You need a bath, and new clothes. I'll have to kill him later, not leaving you alone with the..." Don't say pansy. "...him. He'd be no help if the bloody panther comes back."

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"No, but the kids would be." Elizabeth smiled softly.

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"Your logic is utterly useless." He commented. "He's drunk! It wouldn't work. And he's not human. A drunk demon. Sounds fantastic." To prevent himself from getting mad again, he offered Elizabeth a wad of damp cloth to hold to her face. "Here."

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Elizabeth held it to her nose. "Thanks. I'll go have that bath now."

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"You do that. Yell if you're gonna pass out." He added. "Bloodloss and all."

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"I'll be sure to give one last cry before the darkness takes me." Elizabeth said, standing. She walked to the bathroom and entered.

---

Shade blinked. 'Morbid, morbid." He frowned and walked into the kitchen. What was calming? Sake was calming. Elizabeth hitting him with a broom, on the other hand, was not. He went for a nice, delightfully tasty, cup of water instead. Mmhm, how he loved water.

He scowled.

Elizabeth was cleaned up in no time but sadly her clothes weren't. Blood was just too hard to get out. So in the end she gave up and decided to simply go out and buy some more.

She took some money from Shade and efused his attempts at trying to go with her.

She left the house and was soon wandering the market, looking for new clothes for herself to wear. They had some money to spare.

"So You've come back." The cloaked man said when Elizabeth found herself wandering up to him. He smiled. "I kept the necklace for you as Promised."

Elizabeth slowly took the necklace when he haded it to her.

"I'll do you a deal." The cloaked man said. "I'll give you that necklace if you promise to tell the Ninja I've heard has been wandering around that I need to see him. I'll be in the woods just by the old house."

Elizabeth nodded and took the necklace. "But/.. I must pay you-"

"I inisist." The man nodded his head at her.

"Well, thank you." Elizabeth smiled and walked off. Once out of sight she slowly put the necklace on.

---

"Sweet Little princess." The cloaked man chuckled. "So easily persuaded." And with that he was gone, his stall now showing nothing of the treasures it once did.

Raven was skulking around, kicking at the dirt. What an absolute failure. Yes, people had died, but only a few, and none of the targeted ones beause that stupid poisoner had made a trip around, telling everyone how to fix it. It had been a foolproof idea, but no! No, that perfect little family had to ruin it all again. Amaterasu had been relying on him too, and he'd screwed up. Even the head Miko was getting better, and she'd had a whole extra dose! It was ridiculous!

It was a really bad visit, to say the least.

Maybe he should have just gone all out and set the place on fire.

---

Elizabeth noticed Raven and walked up to him, new material in her arms. "Exscuse me, but there was a Trader looking for you. Said for you to meet them near the old house, the woods there."

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He nodded and thanked her quietly, turning on his heel and striding off towards said house, silently cursing his luck. He glanced around to look for the 'trader' once he got there.

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The trader appeared behind him, a small smile on his lips. "Give me one reason why I shouldn't end your life right here."

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Raven knew better than to try and dodge away. "Because it wouldn't be worth your time." He said, folding his arms. "I'm sorry. I didn't do as you said, but I will."

---

The trader removed his hood and insted of male features, they were that of a girls. Amaterasu then stood before Raven. "I've given you a chance. So I took matters into my own hands. Your way of dealing with this is too human to work."

----

"Oh, and what have you done then?" He asked, glancing at her. "With your less than human tactics?"

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"Three Artifacts have now become two. Wear one and its power drives any demon mad, imagine its effects on a human." She smiled, stepping away from him.

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"I see. but how is this going to help you, exactly?" He quizzed, leaning back against a tree. "If she is to go insane, half the point of that is that we won't actually know what she's doing."

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"No, but this holds a certain power." She was suddenly beside him, talking into his ear softly. "Those who are driven mad by this and who are killed while wearing it... They get absorbed into it. The latest victim was my dear, mad mother."

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"Great. Two mad people in the same person. I'm sorry but I can't see this ending well." He stated. "That might make things worse."

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"Thats the point my dear Raven." She said. "To create Havoc and Chaos."

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He looked to her again. "But now we're unaware of how this will happen. No matter, i suppose."

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"I knew taking you on board would be a mistake." Amaterasu sighed. "I have no need for you anymore. Go back to your tree."

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"If you didn't have a need for me, I'd already be dead." He said coldly, walking away.

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"Then what is my need for you?" Amaterasu asked.

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"You're forgetting who dragged me into this." Raven snapped. "I can do things, I'm not even me anymore! And now you're bored so I'm meaningless." He said, guesturing sharply.

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"You almost sound upset, like I just broke your heart." She smirked. "Have I hurt your feelings my dear night angel?"

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"Stop playing games with me." He shook his hair out of his face and scowled.

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"Games?" Amaterasu laughed. "This is far from a game. That, what we're doing out there, that is a game. We are mearly peices in our own game."

--

"No, we're all pieces in yours." He retorted. "And I'm starting to think I'm a pawn."

---

"What would you rather be?" Amaterasu asked. "I can make you anything you want to be..." She walked over to him.

He set his jaw. Just a moment ago she was debating killing him. He had no problems before. He just wanted to try and help her, even if that meant completely disregarding his creed, but now... "Being disposable isn't in my priorities." He said, stepping back.

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"Everybodies disposable, even I myself am... Disposable. Some things just must be done." Amaterasu said, looking up at him slowly when she dstood before him. "Nothing can live together and with every life there must be a death."

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"But not simply because you've tired of my prescence." He said. 'I'm not going to just go down like that, so you know." He warned.

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"I wouldn't dream of it." Amaterasu agreed, gently touching the back of his neck. "But you seem awflly worried about me tyring of you. Perhaps you should find yourself a nice barwench while your here."

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"No thank you." He said and shook his head. "Do you want me to do anything, or does yor first dismissal still stand?"

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"If you have any ideas I would not mind hearing them."

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"There's not much we can do now, except watch and see how this plays out, correct?" He slipped a kunai out of his sleeve and fiddled with it.

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"Correct, see even if this goes wrong. More deaths will be caused by it then your poisoning." She smirked.

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He rose an eyebrow, flipping the knife between his fingers. "Not my fault they decided to divert a stream, or that there's a poisoner here."

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"Yes, he is a bit of a hastle. Lucky for me however the one who gained the necklace, is also his wife."

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"Well, there is that." He allowed. "So he should go down pretty quickly anyway?"

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"What sort of man can kill the woman he loves?" Amaterasu asked, leaning up to whisper the last few words on ravens lips. She backed away.

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His eyes darkened. "What did I say about games?" The ninja returned the kunai to it's place and turned away. "Well I'm going to go and watch. Nothing else to do."

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"I still don't understand about this game your talking about." Amaterasu said giving him an innocent smile.

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"That's just part of it, isn't it?" He asked and walked away. "I'll be near their house, if you wanted me for anything."

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"Well, maybe I'll come to you tonight, if your not opposed." Amaterasu smiled.

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Raven glanced back for a moment "I'm not opposed." He walked away.

---

Amaterasu smiled, humans were so easy to control.

The music and cheering were loud as a large group of Mix gender made their way into the small village. After the panic and deaths caused by an unknown person poisoning the water supply.

So this band of travelling musisions and performers was a gift, a blessing in disguise. It would be nice for the village just to seetle down and enjoy some entertainment after all the worry and greif they had just had.

---

Once home, Elizabeth placed the cloth across one of her wooden chairs and knocked on Taros door. She hoped the blond man would still be in there, she needed to talk to him.

----

Taro rose his head from his hands and stared at the door for a moment. If he said nothing, she'd probably go away, but he didn't really care either way at the moment. If she wanted to point out another bunch of things he'd done wrong, she could feel free.

"Yes?" He asked the door.

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"Can I come in?" Elizabeth asked, her hand on the handle.

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Taro folded his hands in his lap. "Yes." He was still sitting on the edge of his bed, as he had been since he first left to go to his room, feace blank.

---

Elizabeth opened the door and slipped inside. She made sure to close it behind her. Looking over at her friend she felt a pang. "Taro.. Listen..." Elizabeth sat down beside him and took his hand gently in hers. "I may have been a bit harsh before. I don't want to push you away, I'd never want that. You're the greatest friend I could have ever asked for. I guess what I'm trying to say here is... You will always be welcome in this house and you will always be welcome to come to me with anything. Though after the way I behaved previously I'm not too sure you would want to..." She trailed off.

----

Yuki returned to his small house. Zetsubo had run off as soon as he had awoken, leaving Yuki standing there alone again. Thats right, he was alone. Everyone was gone... Everything he touched, everyone he loved died.
It was then when Yuki finally realized the truth that he swore never to become close to another person again. It hurt too much when they died.

----

"It was called for." The blonde said quietly. "I should have expected it. In fact, you barely touched on it." He looked over to her briefly before turning away again. "I don't know why you put up with me in all honesty. All I am is a constant threat, I even..." He broke off, raising a hand to his face. "I'm not human, Elizabeth. I'm not even one of them." He guestured to the door to indicate the demons. "I don't know why you're happy to have me around, you should have kicked me out a long time ago."

----

"Because your the only one here I trust to never leave me." Elizabeth whispered. "When I saw your wrists..." She turned his hand over and lent in, kissing the bruise. "When I saw that I was scared. You were letting someone treat you so rougly. You don't deserve that. You deserve someone who will love you and treat you like you were precios. I was scared because I knew, I knew if you contined to let Mori do this to you then the Taro I knew, the Taro I love would slip away...."

----

He laughed. "Weren't you listening? What am I? That does not deserve anything." He took back his hand and unconciously tugged his sleeves down again. "I'm fine. It's nothing you need to worry about. I'm not human."

---

"As far as I'm concered, that doesn't mean you should be treated any different." Elizabeth told him, touching his cheek.

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He shook his head, looking up, trying to keep from crying. "I just can't do it anymore." He murmured. "I do't know what to do."

---

"Ohh baby, shh, shh." Elizabeth cooed, bringing Taro into her arms. She held him against her chest and started to rock soothingly. "I will always be here for you Taro, always. You don't have to know what to do. It doesn't matter.."
-
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Taro shakily hugged Elizabeth, closing his eyes. "I'm sorry." He said in a whisper. "I'm just being stupid."

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"No, your not stupid." Elizabeth said, pulling back to hold his face in her hands. "This is not stupid."

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He smiled slightly. "Oh, I think it is." He rose his hands to gently remove hers from his face. "I might go for a walk."

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"Ok." Elizabeth nodded slowly. "I'll make your favorite for dinner tonight, hows that?" She smiled.

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Taro weakly returned the smile and stood up. "Sounds nice." He said and glanced at her quickly before wlaking from the room. He shut the front door quietly behind him.

He just had to get out for a while.

---

Elizabeth stood and walked from the room. She hoped he'd be ok, she really hoped.

As always, whenever a new town came about one of the travelling performers would find the most peaceful place he could find and just sit there.

It wasn't known by his looks, for they were quite terrorfiing. His shoulder langth black hair which covered one eye. A vail to the scar below.
His face hardly showed any emotion, ever, the only thing that made him tollerable was his music.

This man knew how to play the flute, how to play it and how to make people feel emotions. It was what he had always done, something after he had stopped fighting.

Currently, this man who wore a traditional robe and had the scar was sititng by a river, playing the flute to whatever tune came to him.

Sitting down at the base of a tree near the river, Taro brought his knees to his chest and folded his arms around them, dropping his head into his arms. He was clothed in a simply blue and white kimono, blonde hair falling neatly around his face. It was almost down to the middle of his back now.

He felt so wrong. Nobody had ever taken an interest in him, so why should he be deserving of someone that really cared? He had always liked Mori, and when they became closer friends, and he realized he loved him, he knew what it would do to their friendship to admit it.

So he hadn't.

And now Mori had taken an interest in him, he wasn't speaking to him, and he didn't even know if he could think of Mori as a friend anymore, but he had taken an interest in him all the same. And Taro still loved the old Mori. So even though this newwer Mori was rough and cold, it shouldn't matter. If he never spoke to him, never looked him in the eyes, it shouldn't matter. Right?

Not only that, but he didn't even know if he could go up to Mori and still be able to take blood.

It disgusted him, that. It was either hurt someone he loved, or be driven mad and possibly kill someone. If he wasn't in control, he could even end up killing one of the kids. He hated it. Everything he was, everything, was completely loathsome.

He didn't want to live like this.

Raising his hands to his head, he made s small noise of dismay as he realized he was crying. Again. Pathetic, absolutely pathetic. No wonder nobody liked him, if he wasn't even as tough as your average female child.

He dashed a hand over his eyes and tried to compose himself, having made himself angry with his last thought. He leant his head back against the tree and gave a soft sigh, ears catching the stunning sound of a well played flute.

He hadn't heard someone that could play that well for a long time.

---

"That necklace, that's new, isn't it?" Shade asked Elizabeth when she walked out. He had tried to talk to Taro - tried to be nicer - on his way out, but the blonde man had brushed past him and said nothing. "When did you get it?"

---

Rhun chuckled, finishing the last touches to the fort he had built in his room. Yes, it was using his sheet, and yes, it was a little hazardous, but it was HIS fort, and that was what counted. He grinned madly and set up the toy soldiors around the tent-thing.

The man found an ending to his song and let the final note hand in the air. He placed the flute in his lap as he looked out over the river.

---

"A trader gave it to me today." Elizabeth said, touching it softly.

---

"RHUN!" Evelyn shouted, throwingopen his door and running into his room. She gave a yelp as she tripped and ended up falling into his fort

"Kyah!" He panicked as her sudden appearence dragged at the corner and ended up dumping the sheet on top of them. Rhun whined in irritation and shoved the sheet back, crossing his arms. "Eve, what did you do that for?"

---

"Well, it's nice." He said, sitting down at the table and laying out the herbs he's picked up earlier, sorting them into their groups.

---

He didn't want to socialize, he really didn't, but he was curious. And that normally won him over. Taro wandered down the river a little, trying to find whoever had been playing.

The man looked up at Taro for a moment before placing his flute to his lips. He started to play again.

---

"It is nice..." Elizabeth said, running her hand down Shades chest. She kissed his neck. "You taste good."

---

"Sorry." Evelyn said, biting her lip. She bought her hand to her mouth. "I didn't mean to."

Rhun sighed dramatically and fished out his soldiors. "I'll just build it again. S'okay." He said and grinned. "What were you doing?"

---

Taro sat down a small distance from the stranger to listen, smiling slightly and looking back to the river as the man played. No wonder he hadn't heard it before, he was probably a traveller of some kind.

---

He decided that he hadn't quite understood that. "Hey Elizabeth, dear, are you feeling alright?" He asked, smirking slightly. "Maybe you should get a drink."

"Dad tried to make me drink medicine. I won though." Evelyn grinned.

---

He soon finished the new tune and placed his fluet down beside him. he looked over to taro. "Your eyes are red."

---

"Feeling fine." She said, kissing his neck again, her hand rubbing circles on his chest. "I don't need a drink."

Rhun smiled. "But you're not sick anymore! Maybe you should." He said thoutfully.

---

"I suppose they are. Funny that." He smiled slightly, touching a hand to the shadow under his blue eye. "You're good at the flute." He said, looking to the instrument. "It's beautiful."

---

Sure, he was a little more than half intruged. Of course he was, this was his wife! But it just wasn't normal for her to be so... He didn't quite know, she just wasn't acting the way she normally did. He smiled and patted her on the shoulder.

"The kids are busy." Elizabeth whispered, gently sucking on his earlobe. "Why don't you and I disapear for awhile."

---

"Its Wooden." The man said, lifting it so taro could get a better look.

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"No!" Evelyn said. "I refuse!!"

"Because I'm making medicine." He said. "Some of the other village kids aren't quite over it. I have to do this now." He said with a tone of finality.

---

He smiled. "That's well made. I used to play, never that well, though." He said, crossing his legs and folding his hands in his lap.

"Come over here." The man said,motioning Taro over.

---

Elizabeth sat down beside his work and crossed her legs. "Can you really concintrate shade?"

He nodded, looking vaguely amused. "I am sorry, but I have to do this. And yes, I can concentrate. Just watch." He said.

---

Rhun laughed. "I suppose. Medicine is yucky."

---

Taro moved closer and sat down again, tilting his head in question, smiling slightly.

"Play something." The man told him, handing Taro the flute.

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Evelyn nodded. "And this one ws really bad!"

---

Elizabeth lent forward and started to nibble on his earlobe.

"I warn you, it's been an incredibly long time." He said, accepting the instrument and turning it in his hands. It really had. Last time he'd played was when he was a jester. That was a long time. Shrugging, he took a breath, rose it to his lips and started to play.

It took him a moment to really remember how to do it, but once he had it, it all came flooding back. The song was slow and soft, and sad. He had written it one of the days he had been in the kingdom's garden. Once it was done, he lowered the instrument with a small smile. "Maybe I should make one, I hadn't realized how much I missed them." He ran his sleeve over it and then handed it back.

---

Rhun grinned and set about fixing his fort.

---

"Elizabeth, I need to do this." He said, leaning back. "Just... give me a minute at the least!"

"I want you to play it again." the man said, not accepting it. "And tis time, it needs to come from here." he touched Taros heart. "Not from here." he motioned to his head.

---

"I can't wait one minute." Elizabeth said, standing up. She kissed his ear anc neck. "I'll be in our room and should you deside to join me... Well..."

---

Evelyn tried to help.

Taro brought the flute back up and played it again, this time trying to follow the advice and just play without thinking too hard.

---

Shade's eyebrows rose. She was never like this! Not that... much. Frowning, he shook his head. It was really weird, and he was starting to wonder if some other man in the village had his eye on her and had slipped her some sort of drug.

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"Hey Eve, pass the captain." He said, pointing to the many times repaired favourite doll of his.

The man closed his eye and listened to the music. And once it was done, he opened his eye again slowly. "Music speaks for the soul."

---

Evelyn picked it up. "Get a new doll."

"No! I like this one. 'Sides, Taro-Daddy's always busy." He said, reaching for it. "But real-daddy keeps stepping on it!"

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"I suppose it does." He agreed, looking carefully at the stranger and fiddling with the flute. "I'm Taro."

"Luke." The man said. "My name is Luke."

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"Hit him with it!" evelyn exclaimed

Taro handed him the flute. "Interesting name. Sounds like it's from another country." He mused, resting his chin in the palm of his hand, looking back at the river.

---

"No! It'd break him more!" He said irritably. "Don't be silly."