Chapter 0 (Part 2)

Chapter 0

Part 2

The young man snickered, his small laughs turning into maniacal fits as his body jerked in time with his ramblings. It was insane. Impossible.
“Kyuhaayahaahahahaa…!! Ha…ha….” He coughed, slumping against the wooden frame of the sliding doorway, a drop of spittle dribbled down from the corner of his lips to his chin and onto the floor. “I did iiiiiiieet…haha…ahaha….I…..”
The screams and shouts of panic and pain echoed through the air and the smoke of a thousand houses could be seen rising. In the distance, a low, thunderous moan could be heard.
A single child wailed as the abomination’s giant clawed hand reaped through the settlements of the Seigyoku Ichizoku’s village. In the wake of the smoke, no more wailing could be heard.
“Kichijiro!” a worn out, but nonetheless enraged voice ripped through the man’s quiet contemplation of the sight.
The elder onmyouji, staggered through the bloody remains of the mansion, coughing and slipping on the oozing redness that drenched everything the way cold rain seeps one’s body to the bone. But he fought on, driven by rage at his young apprentice.
“Heiwa-saaaan!” Kichijiro cried, laughing again and tears welling up into his eyes. “Isn’t it beautiful?! It’s beautiful, isn’t it?! Hahaha! Look at me, to be able to summon such a wonderful beast!”
He slurped on his own saliva that was overflowing as he spoke, eyes wide with hysteria.
“I am the greatest! I was born to be the head onmyouji!” he gasped, “I have done it…Nahemah is mine!”
“You fool!” the elder cried. “Take a good look…!” he said, pointing in the direction of the beast. “It is doing things of it’s own free will! You have called it out of it’s peace, it will bring nothing but pain and greif!”
“Liiieeeees!” Kichijiro cried, snarling at his grandfather. “I am the greatest onmyouji that has ever lived! I have done the impossible and brought forth the most powerful demon in the legion! Even The Creator should fear me!”
Kichijiro ran out into the open, staggering and arms flying every which way as he approached the beast.
“Kichijiro!”
“Haaaahahahahahahahahahhaa!” he grinned, holding his arms out as if to embrace the thing. “Come to me, my sweet! My lovely Saya! Saya! Saya! My Sayaka-chan!”
“Saya…?” Heiwa-san whispered, his eyes wideneing in realization. “Kichijiro! You bastard child! You used your lover to summon the thing, didn’t you?!”
“Saya…! My Saya…!” Kichijiro continued to cry, drawing the beast’s attention.
“Kichijiro! Run!” Heiwa-san warned. “That is no longer Saya! Saya is dead! Once the demon possesses a human body it uses it to fully awaken its powers!”
But Kichijiro was already deaf to the warnings despite the elder’s efforts. The demon’s massive form came closer and it groaned in rage.
“Your arrogance smells deliciousssss…!”
A small, unheard gasp and one last chill down the spine. The smell of horrid breath and the sound of thick, dripping saliva was the last thing young Kichijiro heard.
“HUWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA--!!”

---
It tasted so bad. It smelled even worse. And there was sharp, crunchy things in whatever I was chewing. It was disgusting. So disgusting. I didn’t want to eat it. I began to cry.
“Seshiru-sama!” Yaiba-nii’s voice made me open my eyes.
The taste was gone.
“Yaiii-…Yaibaaaaaa-niiii….!” I sobbed, clinging onto his shirt and holding it close.
“Hah…” he sighed, patting my head with that big hand of his. “Another nightmare? Was it the same one?”
“Mh-hm…” I said, continuing to cry.
Part of me knew I wasn’t that scared anymore. But I liked it when he was there to comfort me. So I would cry. Because…that way I knew he wouldn’t go anywhere, even if Papa and Mama gave him a mission.
“Seshiru-sama…” he said in that strong, soft voice I had gotten so used to, giant hand still petting my head. “Soft…listen, you’re not a monster.”
I smiled. “Okay.”
“Okay? Did I hear an ‘okay’?” he asked, laughing a little.
“Mh-hm!” I nodded more firmly, sniffling because my nose was starting to feel stuffy.
“Good.” His hands moved to my shoulders, and he pressed the nose of the black steel mask against mine. “Now stop eating people in your dreams! It’s what monsters do! Next time, you tell yourself that! When you see you’re a monster, imagine yourself as you are, facing that big monster and scold it!”
“I will!” I said.
Yaiba-nii always knew how to make me feel better.
“Oh…I forgot.” He said, reaching back and pulling something out of his weapons pouch.
It was a small box, wrapped perfectly in red silk cloth, folded so neat it looked like paper. Golden sakura flowers were woven into the cloth beautifully, and the cloth that was in the form of the petals had been dyed different shades of gold, pink, orange and purple. It was tied closed with an origami ribbon, shaped like a robin. The paper used was a dark blue and the robin had eyes that were made of sapphire jewels.
“ Otanjou-bi Omedetou Gozaimasu.” He said.
I gasped and hugged him, feeling his arm pull away to keep the present from getting crushed. I was strong, like Papa afterall. I made sure not to hurt him when I hugged him though. That…would have been the worst.
“Ahaha!” he laughed, placing an arm around me. “Happy fourth birthday…Seshiru-sama. You’re going to be a fine clan mistress one day…growing up so fast like this…I hope to see your wedding.”
It felt big against my back. “Don’t talk like that! Boys are icky! The only one I like is Yaiba-nii!”
He sighed and shook his head, letting go. “Come now. Seigyoku-sama and Sayuri-sama are waiting for you.”
“Oniisan—“ I began, but Yaiba-nii shook his head no.
Oniisan hadn’t come home yet. I looks down, disappointed.
“Hey now…what’s with that look?” Yaiba-nii asked. “The birthday girl shouldn’t be sad. Not today of all days. In fact, if I had it my way, you’d never cry again.”
Yaiba-nii picked me up from the bed and put me on the floor. Then, he took my hand and led me into the next room where the servants were waiting to dress me in the kimono Mama got me for today.
“Today’s yukata is imported from the Riaru Seken.” Yaiba-nii said, sounding more excited about it than I could ever. “It’s made from Thai silk and fine to the touch. I hope you like it.”
He smiled really big as I was undressed and put in the tub. I sat there in the warm, almost hot water and looking at my hands, waiting for them to turn that strange, wrinkly look against the black of the stone that the tub was carved out of. Water was poured over my head, making my hair go over my face. I loved it when it did that. It was like my own personal curtain from the world. Only brown, and not blue like the ones in my room.
Soon, it was brushed by the soft hands of one of the nice ladies who always helped me take a bath, so I could see the white flowers being put into the tub. They started to gather around, doing different things like scrubbing my back and massaging my arms and neck.
“Sayuri-sama has a special treat for you today.” Yaiba-nii said.
He was where he always was, when I was bathing: standing just next to it, leaning on the stone a little. Mama said he was there to make sure nothing bad happened to me. Yaiba-nii is always there. He’ll always be there.
“Yaiba-nii…” I asked. “Ano…is there someone Yaiba-nii likes?”
In that moment, his position faltered and he knocked over the bubble essenses into my bath. He was so funny! I laughed, pointing at him.
“I’m right! I’m right!” I cheered. “Is she pretty? Is she tall like Yaiba-nii? How old is she? She better not be over fifteen!”
“S-Seshiru-sama…you’re starting to sound like your mother…” he said, one of his pretty teal-colored eyes twitching. “Hm?” I blinked, the ladies rushing about trying to clean the mess up.
“I don’t…” he said, sighing deeply and straightening up.
The ladies were now trying to get the essence out of the tub before it flooded with bubbles.
“I apologize about that…” he said, bowing. “As to your questions….I don’t have someone I like….in….in that way.”
“Huh?” I tilted my head—a habit I always had around him. “Why not? Mama said I’m getting married when I’m sixteen. Aren’t you sixteen?”
“Well…yes.” He replied, fixing his mask. “But we’re different…I…don’t think I have time for that sort of thing…you, however, Seshiru-sama…you have to go through with it. For the sake of the clan. You’re getting married to Naoya-kun.”
“Naoya-kun…? The boy from last week, who came from the weird portal thingie?” I asked frowning, “I don’t even know him that well! Arranged marriages are outdated!”
“Not in all places.” Yaiba-nii smiled. “Besides…it is to settle a matter between our world and theirs.”
“Oh…so I’d be doing good?” I didn’t like the idea, especially since I really, really didn’t know him, so how could I say I liked him? “Didn’t Mama marry Papa because she loved him?”
“She did.” Yaiba-nii nodded, “But…one can learn to love another. Love is not an emotion, it’s a decision.”
“Hah?”
“Alright, little miss. Time to get out.” One of the ladies said, reaching a hand out to me and I took it, standing up in the tub. I was covered by a soft, plush baby blue towel and dried quickly as I walked out of the tub.
I was dressed quickly in the yukata, complete with an asagao musubi for the heko obi, which was a golden color with all kinds of flowers on it. The kimono that went with it was a light, almost white kind of blue and had little birds printed all over it on black branches. My hair was quickly tied up with a long golden pin. There were special charms on it. Papa made it for me himself, and it was really pretty.
Yaiba-nii reached over and put a flower pin in my hair, it was the one Mama had made for me, the petals were long and thin, and had all kinds of different colors blended into them, light colors like faded purple, blue, white, pink, red and tints of orange. It went well with the yukata. Yaiba-nii really knew how to pick colors.
We went outside into the courtyard to meet Mama. She was as beautiful as ever. Mama stood under the blue-sakura trees, smiling. Mama had the face of an elf. She was elegant and beautiful, with long eye-lashes and a pointed nose. Even her ears were pointed, but we all know elves didn’t exist. Papa said it was because she was special. Yeah, Mama was special. Her long black hair was never tied up—it didn’t need to be. It wasn’t in her face and messy like mine, it was nice and obedient, always flowing like a wavy waterfall behind her, like those paintings from Anich that Papa likes to buy all the time.
Her yukata was long, colored red and covered in black roses, which made her golden eyes glitter. The kyobukuro obi she had was white, and tied at the back using darari musubi. Mother’s skin was the whitest I had ever seen. Even whiter than a northern tribesman, and they lived in the snow.
“Mama!” I ran to her, smiling and hugging her, but carefully, otherwise I might ruin the yukata.
“Seshi-chan…” she picked me up and held me in her arm, like she always did. “You’re growing bigger and bigger, everyday. I wont be able to carry you for much longer.”
“Noooo!” I whined. “I love being carried by mommy!”
She took us on one of the new hukkabie, and I even got one of my own! We rode around the village, all the while; I hoped I would catch a glimpse of niichan. But he wasn’t anywhere to be found.
“Osaka-nii wa doko ka?” I asked mother as we left one of the most popular teashops in the village.
She mounted her hukkabie gracefully, her yukata flying up like a tsunami. “Your dear brother is on a long-term mission, Seshi-chan.” She replied with one of the sweetest smiles I had ever seen.
I had never seen mother smile like that. She had a strange look in her eyes. It wasn’t ad, or worried, but it was…strange. I don’t quite know how to describe it. But, there was something about it…I didn’t like.
There was nothing I never liked about Mama.
“Mama…will he be coming back soon?” I asked.
“No.” she said, brushing the hukkabie’s feathers, it in turn started walking slowly, pulling out of the resting stop at the teashop. “Not soon.”
She had that look in her eye again. “Why not, mama?”
There was a hint of silence, before she sighed and smiled at me. My hukkabie followed hers willingly—they were mother and daughter as well.
“Because with how much fun we’re going to have today, night-time will still be a long ways away.” She said.
“Aha!” I knew it, Oniisan never failed to disappoint. “So he’s coming back at night!”
Even if he never smiled. I knew he loved me. Just like Mama. Just like Papa.
The festivities were like every year. We had a big party back home at the joukaku. There were all kinds of people from everywhere. We ate all sorts of food from sushi, prata, menudo, tom yum, to things like seaweed-chicken (my personal favorite), and hot-dogs. Daddy said because I was a big girl now, I got to pick two dishes that were added to the banquet.
Papa, dressed in his best outfit (importd from the Riaru Seken), a modern tuxedo, finally stood up to call everyone’s attention. Yay! That meant it was time for me to open presents! I already had my eye on the biggest, tallest present there was, from Nobuyuki-jiisan. It was in dark blue and had a golden bow on it, and almost reaches the ceiling! I had many guesses as to what it was. Because it was so big, it might have been a new creature for me to have as a pet. But then, living things needed holes in the boxes for them to breathe. Unless it was special and was one of those that didn’t need to breathe. But then, the box never moved. So, it couldn’t be something alive. Maybe it was a giant slide! Or…a really big mountain of chocolate!
I was almost jittering in my seat; if Mama hadn’t taught me since I was younger that a lady always had to look proper I would’ve probably been doing so by now.
“Irashai, minna…” Papa said, speaking in our native tongue. “Thank you all for coming to my daughter’s fourth birthday—“
The lights went off. Papa stopped talking.
“M-mama…” I said, clinging onto her yukata sleeve.
“Shh…it’s alright, Seshi-chan.” She said soothingly, picking me up suddenly.
“Mama, where are we going?” I asked. “What about Papa? And everyone?”
“Shh…it’s going to be okay.” She told me, patting my head. “This is part of the surprise.”
“Surprise?” I asked.
There were really scary noises all of a sudden. They were loud, and then some people were screaming. Where was Papa?!
“Mama!” I cried, tugging her sleeve. “Mama, I’m scared!”
“Sayuri-sama!”
“Yaiba-nii!” I cried. “Yaiba-nii, what’s going on?! Mama, I don’t like this surprise!”
“No, no…” Mama smiled and laughed. “Papa’s just trying to scare you. Silly man.”
“Where’s Papa?!” I asked. “I wanna see Papa!”
“I’m here, I’m here.” Papa’s voice was probably the only thing that made me feel better.
We were far from the main hall where the party was going on by now. Mama and Papa were running fast, so was Yaiba-nii.
Up ahead, other ninja with masks like Yaiba-nii appeared, letting us pass and staying behind once we got past them.
“Mama, what’s happening?” I asked, a little calmer than I was before. “What about everyone…?”
I didn’t even think about the presents anymore. I just wanted the lights back on and to know everyone was alright. Why were the other ninja here and not at their own homes?
“Yaiba-nii!” I said, looking over Mama’s shoulder to make sure he was still following.
I was relieved to see he was still there, right on mama and Papa’s tail. I didn’t want to lose him.
“Yaiba-nii, stay with us okay?” I said.
He nodded quietly. His teal eyes burning with a serious flame. I was beginning to get scared again. I’d never seen Yaiba-nii’s eyes look like that before. I wanted things to go back to the way they always are. Where everyone is smiling. Mama wasn’t smiling. Papa wasn’t smiling. Yaiba-nii wasn’t smiling.
I wasn’t smiling.
“Wh-what’s…” I said, feeling my nose turn stuffy and my eyes get wet. “What’s going onnn….”
“Shh…” Mama said, smiling—but her smile was sad and she also had tears in her eyes. “Everything is going to be okay…this…is part of the surprise…”
“Seshi-chan…” Papa said, patting my head. “You’re going to be a big…strong girl for me, okay?”
“I-I will…” I nodded. “Papa’s going to see…I’ll be big and strong like Papa…”
He chuckled and smiled—but it was also a sad smile. “Of course I will. Yaiba-kun…”
Yaiba-nii nodded. “Hm.”
Mama handed me over to Yaiba-nii, and that’s when the fear really hit me.
“Mama!” I screamed. “Wait! Mama! Papa!”
Mama kept that sad smile as Yaiba-nii carried me away. Papa and Mama both stopped running, and then they waved at me.
“Happy Birthday, Seshiru.” They said.
“Papa! Mama!” I sobbed, “Papa! Mama!”
The scary noises came back; there was more screaming and more banging. Only this time, there was also the roaring of a monster. Yaiba-nii held my head close, so I couldn’t see anything. But I wouldn’t have it any other way. I was so scared. I didn’t want to see. And thoses big, strong, warm arm around me were the only comfort I had right now.
“Seshi-sama…” he whispered as I could feel my stomach drop when he leapt into the cover of the trees. “What’s with that look…?”
I continued to cry into his shoulder.
“Don’t be so sad…you’re getting a big surprise…” he continued, the tone of his voice never changing. “The birthday girl shouldn’t be sad. Not today of all days. In fact…”that’s when he smiled and loosened his grip enough to press the nose of his black steel mask, the one that he always wore, against mine. “If I had it my way, you’d never cry again.”