Kyo Kusanagi / Iori Yagami
G U A R D I A N
Title: Guardian (Written summer 2001)
Author: Yuki Mizutani
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://www.geocities.com/propertyoftruth/index.html
Fanfic: King of Fighters
Genre: Drama, Tragedy, light Lemon.
Main Characters: Iori Yagami, Kyo Kusanagi, and Kimiko.
Comment: Kimiko is just some random name I picked out for her character. She is in her second year of high school and Iori and Kyo are in their last high school year. Kimiko is about 16 years old and Iori and Kyo are both 18. It was too hard finding pictures of Katze so I sort of used Iori's pictures in the fight scenes with his father. No pictures of Kyo's father. Sorry.
//...// Means thinking.
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The air was warm and the skies were filled with the sights and sounds of spring. Students busily moved from one place to another, greeting old friends who they hadn�t seen all summer. Everywhere you looked were smiling faces. A bell was heard throughout the schoolyard and all the students filed into their classrooms, one by one, down the halls. Through all the busy bodies, after they all had filled their rooms and emptied the hallways, there stood a single figure. He walked slowly with his hands deep in his pockets. The sounds of his steps echoed down the hall and penetrated the entire building. This boy, in his final year of high school, walked with an ominous glow, an essence of power and mystique. His steps rang out through the linoleum-lined halls and the cement walls, the sound bouncing back and forth as if a loose ping-pong ball had been set free with the force of a cannon. As he walked, almost floating towards his class, his mind wandered off to the events minutes before.
//Why do people bother so much with friends//
He saw his door and it was shut. He cocked his head to the side and laughed to himself.
//Locked me out. Me.//
His long, thin fingers reached out to the door and pulled to slide it open. It didn�t budge.
//eh?//
Filling with annoyance and anger, he pulled with all of his strength and the door flew open, a few splinters of wood flew through the air after the door and flew in front of the young man�s face before falling to the ground. He smiled to himself and walked in, leaving the door open and broken.
He took a seat on the far end of the room next to the wall and sat down with a thud. He turned and looked out the window, unaware of all the eyes fixed on him.
�Who are you?� A voice rang out in the young man�s direction. There was no answer. He sat there, numb to the world around him.
He thought to himself //Why am I here? Tell me father. Why//
A murmur of voices surrounded his subconscious and he ignored it as best he could. When the noise stopped, he came out of his trance slightly. He heard a noise but didn�t care to make out what it was. It came again, and again. Then suddenly he felt a poking at his side. In his dream world, he thought it was his puppy nudging him to wake up and take him for a walk.
He mumbled �Not now Puppy.�
The poking stopped and the young man looked around. Eyes fixed on him. A girl sitting next to him in a white shirt was poking him, trying to get his attention. He gave her a glance then he looked to the front of the class and saw Sensei leering at him.
�Well, from the attendance sheet, there is only one name that did not respond when I called it. I am assuming that you are....� He looked down at his roll sheet and continued. �...Yagami, Iori. Am I correct?�
The young man gave the professor a low �nn� and turned back to his window.
�MISTER YAGAMI!� The noise broke his trance and the young man whipped around and growled at the older man standing in front of the room.
�WHAT IS IT?!� A silent gasp fell over the room. The professor was shocked at his student�s insolence.
�Mister Yagami. Do you expect to be a student or a failure in this room?� The young man found these words comical and laughed a low, slightly insane laugh to himself.
�What�s so amusing Mister Yagami?� The young man gave a devilish smile to his teacher.
�Stop calling me that. My name is Iori. I expect to be addressed as such.� He paused and then smiled.
�Unless of course you�d rather call me Yagami-san then I could call you.... what IS your name anyway?� The professor could take no more of this.
�GET OUT! I�m sending you to the head master.� The young man yawned.
//At least I can get out of here//
He got up and on his way out he tossed an evil smile at his teacher and walked out the door that he had damaged minutes ago. He smiled lightly as he noticed the crushed finger marks in the frame of the wood. It was burned.
His fingers tingled as he made his way back down the long hallway, his footsteps echoed back into the classroom as the teacher began his lesson for the day.
�Welcome to your first day back to Osaka Grammar School. To day we will be going into review of last year�s subject matter. Please take out your grammar books and turn to page....�
Iori walked out of the main door and out towards the schoolyard. He ignored his professor�s order to go see the head master. The wind blew softly against his pale, perfect skin. His long, crimson hair curved around his face, framing his chiseled features in a deep red border. His hair fell just below his sharp jaw line in perfect strands and blades. His eyes were fixed on the ground. His hands were in his pockets and he felt around for a cigarette.
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�Shimatta (Dammit).� He pulled out an empty box and a lighter sitting inside it. He crushed the box and tossed it to the side. He listened to it as it rolled along the concrete in the wind, making a light sound almost like horses riding in the distance. He listened to his own foot steps, the heels of his boots thumping on the ground, grinding into the dirt, making a scratching, muffled noise of gravel shifting as his boot toe dug into each step. Getting lost in his own world, his peace was broken yet again by another set of footstep. They were fast, unsteady, and a slight breathing accompanied the sound.
//What sort of animal is this//
�Yagami san!! YAGAMI SAN!!!!!� The young man stopped and stood in his tracks. He didn�t turn around. He just stood there, calmly, thinking //I hope whoever this is has a cigarette on them//
The store was three blocks away down the street. All the shops and apartments were to the left of the school down south and the better parts of the city were to the right, up north.
Huffing and puffing, �Why did you leave, Yagami san??� The voice was cute, innocent, and out of breath. Iori stood there, rather annoyed by the question from a perfect stranger. He started walking again without turning around. He waved his right hand over his shoulder at the girl.
�Go back to class na? Don�t bother me.� He heard no other footsteps but his own for the next three blocks.
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�That�ll be 450 yen (about $4.50) please.� The young man tossed a 500-yen ($5.00) bill on the counter and walked out.
�Keep the change.�
He lit a cigarette after bashing the pack into his palm to pack the tobacco down. He exhaled with extreme pleasure as he walked down the sidewalk in the opposite direction he came. He took another taste of the cigarette and lost himself in the smoke that passed his eyes.
~HONK HONK~ �HEY WATCH WHERE YOU�RE GOING!� A car screeched to a halt as the red haired boy stepped into the crosswalk. He glared at the driver and shot death through his eyes. His smile seemed to say �Your blood tastes sweeter when you�re angry.� Iori took one last puff of his cigarette and flicked it at the windshield of the taxicab and kept walking.
//Baka (Idiot)//
He pulled out another cigarette and lit it as he walked by a flower shop. A small girl was playing with a balloon her mother had bought her. The young man paid no attention to her until he heard a giggle from her direction and then, a slight breath as she tried to catch the balloon floating just out of her reach.
//Who was that girl... that girl who made me feel... so... strange...? Do I know her? Father? Is she the reason?//
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~BBBRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIING~
The classes emptied and the schoolyard filled again with happy students eager to meet their friends and go out for a snack and then some shopping. Some went out to the shopping district to buy the newest Visual rock albums. Some went to the plaza area of town and sat at a teashop and ordered cakes with iced tea and fruit. The boys mostly ran off after where ever the prettiest girls went. They almost all headed south towards the shopping areas down the street from the school.
�First day there are lots of new girls� one boy spoke to his friend.
�Yeah. That one over there is pretty cute. Let�s follow her.�
The second friend pointed to a girl who was walking by herself. Her uniform was different from theirs. All the students wore a dark navy blue uniform with white shirts underneath and a white handkerchief in the outside breast pocket of their summer coats.
This girl, a loner, had on a white short sleeved shirt tucked into a shorter than usual navy blue skirt. Her socks were black, not white and were only pulled half way up to her knees instead of white and pulled just under the knee. She walked alone, with her books held in front of her small frame. Her head moved from side to side as she walked and looked around.
�She�s definitely new.� The first boy walked faster to catch up to her with his friend following suit.
�HEY! Slow down!!� The girl turned around confused. She looked at the two boys coming towards her. She took a step back.
�Uh.... hello.� She said hesitantly.
�Hi!� The two boys spoke in unison. �I�m Kenji and this is my friend Haru. We go to the same school.� The girl was taken back by their forward nature and didn�t know what to say so she just stared, a bit nervously.
�Well, we saw you walking alone and noticed you have a different uniform. You�re not from around here huh? Where did you transfer from?� The girl, only in her second year of high school, noticed that these two were seniors in their third and final year (in Japan there are only 3 years in high school, 3 in junior high as well). The girl finally managed to speak.
�Uh.... well, I uh.... I transferred here from the grammar school in Tokyo. You know, the one on the hill? I�m still waiting for my uniforms to be delivered. So I wore my old one.� She was uncomfortable and just wanted to be left alone.
The second boy spoke up. �That�s a rich school!! Your father must be a very powerful man if you used to go there!� His eyes wide open. The young girl had had enough.
�Yeah well, I have to get going. Ja na (later).� She started to turn and walk away but felt a hand grab onto her wrist.
�Ne chotto (Hey wait)!�
�HANASE (Let go)!!� She spun around and swung her books at the boy, hitting him on the corner of his eye. He let go.
�Bitch!�
She started to run and the boy started to go after her but was stopped.
�Oye! Let her go. We�ll see her tomorrow. She won�t be getting her uniform for another few days. She won�t be difficult to spot out.� The two boys went about their business and saw a group of girls across the street.
�Hey!!! Where are you going?!� The two boys walked quickly across the road to meet the other girls and they giggled as they walked along together to the music store where a Dir en Grey poster was displayed in the window. �New Single On Sale Now. �Ain�t Afraid To Die.�
The young girl ran until she realized that she had no idea where she was. It was getting late and she turned around and decided to head back the way she came, though she couldn�t remember how she got to this part of town. The sun was setting and the temperature started to drop.
//I wish I had my uniform. At least I�d have a jacket//
She walked and made her way back to the front of the school. It was almost sun set when she got there and she sighed to herself.
//Well, at least I got back here//
She looked around for a taxi and saw one coming down the street. She waved it down and took it home.
On her way home, they passed by a figure walking slowly on the sidewalk. His hands were stuck deep into his pockets and a lit cigarette hung from the corner of his mouth. He walked slowly along with a steady pace. All she saw was his back as the taxi passed by and what was left of the sun shined on his back so she could not see his face. He was a tall, long, slender body, gracefully passing along the street, his destination unknown to anyone. She felt a shudder come over her body and then warmth in her thighs. She blushed and touched one of her cheeks with her fingertips.
�Eh?� //Isn�t it a bit late for taxis to be running?//
The red haired man thought to himself and took the cigarette out of his mouth after taking a drag and flicking the ashes to the side. He looked up at the taxi as it drove away, concentrating on the small figure inside. The last remaining rays of sunlight shined into the back window of the taxicab. He suddenly thought about the little girl and her balloon at the flower shop.
//Whatever//
He walked to the corner and turned right as he watched the cab continue up the road towards the hills.
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Koki Kawaguchi from Australia's J-talk radio station.
�Gooooood mornin�! Thank you for tuning in to FM802, Osaka�s most popular morning news radio show! It is Tuesday, 7:02. You�d better get up or...� ~click~
A slightly tanned arm stuck out of the white blanket. A tuft of brown hair shown from under the pillow where a set of eyes, still closed, hid away from the sun. A slight grumble was heard from under the pillow and then the arm dropped, now hanging off the side of the bed. His hand caught onto a wire on its way down and it pulled the clock radio down with it. It crashed at the edge of the dresser and then onto the bamboo mat on the floor. It fell upside down and the sleep button was hit.
�...Thanks for that story. Now we move on to our local news and weather with Keiko Matsumoto. Morning Keiko.�
�YURUSAI (Shut up)!!�
He grabbed the radio by the wire and flung it across the room. It crashed in his closet and silence covered the room once again.
//kuso (shit)//
The figure�s face was still buried by the pillow and all that showed was a tuft of messy brown hair. It was long enough to cover his face. His arm slowly started to make it�s way back onto the bed and as it flung over the body hiding under the sheets, the entire form rotated and he lay on his back, the pillow still over his face.
�Why do I have to get up today? It�s sooooo EARLY!� He grumbled into his pillow. His arm came up again and grabbed the pillow and tossed it to the side towards the wall. He crashed his knuckles into the wall at the same time.
�Itetete (Ouch)!� He let out a sigh.
//This is going to be a great day// Sarcasm thick in his chest.
His eyes slowly opened to the piercing lights that came through his small window. His hair was long and covered his face in blades. His eyes once opened, showed diamonds that sparkled in the morning�s rays. He blinked a few times then sat up, ready to fall back asleep.
�KYO!! KYOOOOO!!!!!!!!! BREAKFAST!!!!!!� The young man let out a groan and turned to the side of his bed and stood up. Over come with dizziness, his vision went blank and he stumbled through his room, bumping into his desk and stepping on a shoe. He was very unorganized.
�KYO! WHERE ARE YOU?! YOU�RE GOING TO BE LATE! COME DOWN AND EAT!�
�Hai....� He grumbled to himself and he unsteadily made his way to the kitchen and plopped down in a chair at the table. He extended his left arm and used it as a pillow. His hair fell all around his face and his arm.
�GET YOUR HAIR OFF THE TABLE! YOU DIDN�T SHOWER THIS MORNING!�
�Stop yelling at me.... I�m not awake yet.� He mumbled in his half-asleep voice, never opening his eyes.
�Ne.... you�re always so hard to wake up.� A plate of food was put in front of Kyo�s sleepy face and the smell of sausage and eggs pried his eyes open.
//She�s good. Always knows what to do to wake me up//
�Thank you. Itadakimasu (something said right before you eat)� the sleepy eyed man muttered and he began to eat.
Swallowing his last bit of breakfast, he paused and looked towards the kitchen at the woman washing dishes.
�Ne, okasan (Hey mom). How come you wake me up at 7 when you know I have an alarm?� The woman just laughed.
�Because sleepyhead. You�d never get out of bed if I didn�t yell at you all the time.� The woman was kind and very warm. Her voice was soft and caring. Kyo just smiled.
�Arigatou� and he got up to get ready for class.
//I hate these fucking uniforms. So boring//
With everything done and his hair combed, the brown haired man slid on a pair of gloves that covered down just past the wrists. On the back of each, a painted sun with blades of flames showed in yellow and gold.
//At least I can add SOME sort of excitement to his COSTUME they make us wear//
He rolled up his jacket sleeves and a bit of the white dress shirt showed against his arm.
�Itekimaaaaaasu!!! (I�m leaving)� and the door slid shut behind him. Kyo walked briskly in the morning air past the other apartment buildings and small shops. He figured he had plenty of time to get to class so he stopped by a small store to buy a pack of cigarettes three blocks south from the school.
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~Ding-dong~ The bells chimed as he walked out, pulling out a cigarette (yes everyone smokes in my stories except the cute girls). He looked at his pocket watch.
�KUSO! (Shit)� It was 8:47am. He had 13 minutes to get to class that was a good mile and a half away. He darted off as fast as he could, almost knocking over a man in the street.
�AH! SUMIMASEN (Sorry)!!!�
//I�m late, I�m late, I�m late, I�m la...// �AH!!� ~CRASH~ Kyo rubbed the back of his head.
�Ite (ouch)....� He opened his eyes and saw a pair of black socks and a body being propped up by arms stuck behind it. He focused on the person in front of him and then stood up.
�Gomen ne (Sorry).� He reached down to help the person up.
//She�s cute//
�Daijobu ka (Are you alright)?� He looked at her as she brushed off her skirt and fixed her hair. Kyo was still very much out of breath.
//Damn cigarettes//
�Un. Daijobu desu (Yeah, I�m fine).� She noticed Kyo�s uniform.
�You... go to Osaka high?� Kyo nodded.
�I could tell by your uniform.� Kyo looked at the girl�s clothes that were a bit dirty from the fall.
�Where do you go? I don�t recognize your uniform.� The young girl smiled.
�I transferred here from Tokyo High. I�m still waiting for my uniform.� Kyo felt bad that her white shirt was messed up because of his carelessness so he took off his jacket and handed it to her.
�Kore (here).�
She looked down at her clothes, realizing how dirty there were, she accepted the coat shyly.
�Ah.... arigatou.�
�My name is Kyo. Kyo Kusanagi. Hagimemashite (Nice to meet you).� He bowed and smiled slightly to her.
//Kusanagi? Of Kusanagi Towers and the Kusanagi Corporate Empire?//
�Ah... hai. Watashi wa Kimiko desu. Hagimemashite (My name is Kimiko. Nice to meet you.)� She bowed her head modestly and saw the time on her watch.
�We�re late!� It had completely slipped Kyo�s mind that he had school to go to that day.
�Ah... wasureta (I forgot). Ikimasho! (Let�s go!)� Kyo grabbed Kimiko�s hand and started off. He was surprised when she kept up with his pace all the way to the school.
//She looks so cute in my jacket//
Huffing and puffing they got to the front gate of the school, still hand in hand. When Kyo realized this, he quickly let go and ran off to his class yelling behind him
�I�ll be at the gate after school! Wait for me!� And he was gone. Kimiko felt flushed and out of breathe. She stood there in the young stranger�s jacket, dazed. She slowly walked towards her class. As she sat down in her seat, the bell rang.
She turned to her left to look out the window and blocking her view was that tall, slender, very handsome young man.
//So disobedient// she thought to herself. She could only see a sliver of his face. It showed cold, hard, and evil. But that unmistakable red hair he had hung like knives in front of his burning eyes.
Sensing someone was looking at him, he turned his head just slightly, looking out of the corner of his eyes through his thin crimson wall. Kimiko looked down at her hands that were resting in her lap.
//What is it about that girl...?// He turned to look back out the window. But he felt the urge to look back again. He shook it off. Kimiko sat in her seat, staring at her fidgeting hands.
She missed the first part of class while she got lost in her thoughts. The red haired devil sat one seat next to her and behind her. He watched intently at the concentrating face of the young girl. His stomach began to burn with acid and his hands grew hot. He shook his head and distracted himself with his window.
Outside in the hall, a gloved man with brown hair walked by, whistling a happy song on his way to the washroom. Passing by the open door, Iori turned and caught the eye of the young man outside for a split second. Time stood still for that moment. Kyo recognized the eyes that contacted with his. The glint of evil was familiar to him. Iori�s thoughts now shifted from the girl to that man out in the hallway. He could still hear the faint whistling as it faded away down the corridor. Kimiko heard someone whistling. The happy tune made her think of Kyo. She hugged herself in his jacket and smiled.
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�Hey! Over here!!!� Kyo�s voice made its way to Kimiko�s ears. �What took you so long?�
Kimiko carried Kyo�s jacket over her arms carefully and handed it back to him with a bow and a smile.
�Arigatou.� The two smiled at each other briefly. Kyo spoke up.
�You want to get some tea with me? It�s the least I could do for bumping into you.� He scratched the back of his neck lowering his head and looked up at the girl from the edges of his eyes with a smile.
�I�m sorry but I have to go home. There is a lot of studying I have to get done.�
//Studying?//
�It�s the second day of the year. You have a lot of work to do already?� Kyo was confused and still sleepy. Kimiko giggled then nodded.
�Of course. You mean you don�t have any work to do?� Kyo scratched the back of his head again when he realized that he had slept through most of the day. He turned red and laughed.
�Ano...(uh....) I guess I do have some studying to do.�
//�I guess� is right// since he had no idea what was going on in his classes.
He smiled at her, as she turned right out of the gate heading north, and started off for home.
�Oye! Chotto matte yo (Hey! Wait up!)� Kimiko turned around and Kyo trotted next to her. �I�ll walk you home.�
//It�s only in the totally opposite direction of my house but who cares.//
He smiled at her and she smiled back and they walked side by side up the street. He took her books and held them for her all the way as he draped his jacket over her shoulders.
�It looks better on you anyway.� Kimiko giggled and they walked together. They didn�t exchange any words but they smiled the entire way.
Walking out of the main gates of the school, a red haired man�s body appeared. His jacket was flung over his shoulder and he brought a lighter out of his pocket with his free hand and lit the cigarette held fast between his thin, sharp lips. He inhaled greedily and exhaled through his nose. He placed the lighter back into his tight fitting pant pockets and then grabbed a small strap held by a buckle on his upper right thigh pant leg. He snapped the buckle loose and a strap fell between his legs that hung connected at the knees. He pulled his white dress shirt out from his slacks, exposing its length all the way down to the middle of his thighs. He brought his hand up to inhale the cigarette and then took it from his mouth. He stared off into the direction of Kimiko and Kyo then turned and walked the other way.
Kyo walked along whistling the tune he whistled earlier that afternoon as he walked down the hall, unknowingly past Kimiko�s room. The tune brought Kimiko out of her trance and she stared at Kyo as he trotted happily alongside her.
//That was YOU?// She smiled to herself. //It was you//
Kyo appeared to have no cares in the world. As they made their way further up the street, he wondered to himself
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//I ran into her... in the opposite direction this morning. I wonder what...//
He spoke up only to get cut off. �Hey Kimiko... I was wondering... how come...�
�We�re here! Thanks for keeping me company. I have to go.� She bowed to Kyo. �Arigatou gozaimashita (Thank you for what you did for me)� and she disappeared behind the door. Kyo just stood there still hanging in his question.
//Odd//
He turned around and started walking but realized he was lost.
//I spent so much time dazing off I didn�t pay attention to how I got here. Now what am I supposed to do?//
He started walking, listening to the sounds of where major traffic could be and he found himself back on a main street. He read the sign. �17th Street.�
//Kuso...// He was almost 5 miles from his home.
//Does she walk this much everyday?//
He looked back and noticed that he had walked right into Osaka Heights, the richest neighborhood in the city.
//Now that I think of it, she DID say she was from Tokyo High. Then why doesn�t she have someone drive her home?//
He pulled out a cigarette and started walking, not realizing that he still had her books and she still had his jacket.
It was a very strange day.
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The sun had set and the lights in the metropolitan area of Osaka had come on. Pachinko parlors and bars had their lights on, beckoning in the night owls. A flame arose in a dark alley way and left a burning red ember, floating in the darkness. A street lamp showered a film of light as if shown through honey across the building�s wall at an angle and dropped just short of the alley way. The ember shook and glowed bright and then was lowered. A figure walked out of the darkness and into the light, face hidden by a cascade of crimson and now, seemingly violet hair. The young rogue wandered the street, smoking his cigarette and searching aimlessly for something that did not existed. He tossed his cigarette butt into the gutter and walked past a strip club.
//Tsumaranai (I�m bored)// He walked in with his open palm flat on the door, opening it all the way before he entered. The smell of smoke and stale alcohol assaulted his nose. The fresh-faced young man took a seat in the back and lit another cigarette.
A young woman wearing nothing but a g-string and a small tight cloth around her chest walked up to him and asked, �What can I get for you to drink son?� Her cute tone of voice was painful to his ears. Never looking at her, he said �Biru (Beer)� and waved her away. She took offense to his gesture and retorted.
�Who the hell do you think you are you little punk?!� Her voice drew attention to the young man.
�I could have your ass kicked from here to Sunday if I wanted to!!! CHARLIE!!! Get over here and teach this guy a lesson!� A large bald headed man made his way over to the table where the red haired figure sat, smoking is cigarette calmly.
�What�s the problem Gina?�
�This.... KID ordered a beer and then waved me off like some street dog!� The larger man looked down at the smoking figure.
�Is that true? You need some lessons in how to treat a lady.� Before the large man could do anything, the younger man spoke. He blew out the smoke from his mouth.
�I don�t think a man like you could ever teach me lessons on how to treat a lady. And you ma�am are not a lady to begin with now get me my drink. I�m a paying customer.� He never looked up and he took another puff from his cigarette. He put a 10,000-yen ($100) bill on the table. �You can keep whatever�s left over. I just want my drink.
�You little SHIT! COME HERE!� The bouncer grabbed the young man by the collar and pulled him up out of his seat. Iori was surprisingly tall when he wasn�t sitting. He stood at about six feet. The red hair swung with the movement of his body being tossed around.
�Let�s get a look at your face pretty boy before I kick the shit out of it!� The man lifted the young body up to a dim light and cocked his head back so the hair fell to the sides. The bald man paused and his eyes opened wide.
�Ya... Yagami-sama. Ah.... go... gome....� Before he could finish his half-witted apology, a long, slender arm stabbed out to his neck and fingers dug into his flesh, causing the larger man to let go of Iori�s body. The red hair came back to cover the glimmering eyes and the only thing that shown through those blades of red were the perfectly white teeth, sharp like fangs, peaking through the hungry red lips, upturned at the corners. A smile slowly appeared on his face and his grin resembled that of a Cheshire cat.
�Dooooooshitaaaaa (What�s wrong)?� Iori�s voice was calm, low, and thirsty. His throat rumbled with the pressure of a thunderstorm as his grip grew tighter and he lifted the man off of the ground. His eyes started to burn bright and his mouth opened and he let out a slight laugh, growing in volume as his grip tightened and his nails broke the flesh. His laugh turned into a hysterical madness as his hand began to glow purple and the bald man hanging helplessly in the air cried out in agony as the flesh was torn by the piercing fingers and then burned by the mysterious flames.
Iori stared at the man suffering in his hold and he ripped a chunk of flesh and tendon out from his neck; blood spraying everywhere. The man dropped to the floor, and bled to death. Iori�s clothes, hair, hands, and face, were all drenched in blood. The waitress was shocked and stood motionless, paralyzed by fear and horror. Iori walked up to the woman and traced a bloody finger down the side of her face. Her eyes were opened wide, afraid to blink. Everyone in the bar had long since snuck out.
�Na.... where�s my drink?� He whispered close into her hair next to her ear. His finger traced down past her shoulders and onto the top of the cloth she wore to cover her breasts. He gently curled his fingers down into the top of the material and ripped it off with a single swipe. The woman gasped and fell back a few steps, falling onto the floor and into the puddle of blood.
Iori used the cloth to wipe the blood off of his face and hand then tossed it back at the woman on the floor in front of him practically naked.
�Keep the money. I�m not thirsty anymore.� She watched in horror as the dark figure walked serenely out the door. She heard him light another cigarette before the door shut behind him. The warm blood under her hands and rear made her shiver as she tried to get up. She looked at the corpse that lay next to her feet, blood still trickling out of the deep wound. She gasped and then fell back onto the floor fainted away.
Iori mumbled under his breath �Father. Why did you send me here? There is nothing of interest for me here.�
//I�m still bored//
He took a long inhale from his cigarette and exhaled slowly, almost orgasmic. His thoughts drifted back to that young girl in his class.
//She is the one who chased after me that day. But... why?// He walked the streets, stained in blood, disappearing into the dawn.
The next day, the strip club was closed down by orders of the Yagami Corporation.
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At the gate, Kyo and Kimiko met to exchange their belongings. Kyo had a slight cold from walking home without his jacket and Kimiko was sleepy from worry. She hadn�t been able to sleep that night because she couldn�t study due to lack of materials. Kyo apologized profusely and Kimiko just giggled. �Daijobu desu (It�s alright.)� The bell rang and they ran off to their classes with a wave good bye.
�Yagami, Iori. Yagami, Iori? Not present.� Kimiko stared out the window. Her mind wandered off to thoughts of her new friend with the funny gloves.
She saw a flash of red cross the field through the window she was peering through. It stopped, and looked up. It looked straight at her and bore into her soul through her eyes. She gasped.
//Yagami//
Outside in the hall, whistling sounds came and went.
//He�s not there...and I think I saw Kimiko. What was she looking at?// The whistling stopped and the door to the washroom shut behind him.
//Oh I hate being sick. How could I forget my jacket?// He blew his nose.
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�Hey Kenji, let�s ditch today okay? I don�t feel like going.�
Neither of them felt like going to class so they ditched and went to the arcades to play.
�Hey, you remember that girl with the uniform the first day?� Kenji asked his friend as he lost his first life in Pacman. �Damn!�
�Yeah what about her?� Haru was playing a shooting game next to his friend.
�I saw her the other day walking with some guy. He walked her all the way I think. She was wearing his jacket.� His friend laughed.
�Seems like she moves pretty quick huh?�
�Yeah. We should go talk to her today after class.� The two boys laughed and decided to head back at 4pm when study hall let out and wait for Kimiko. They didn�t even know her name yet.
Kimiko sat dazed through all of her classes.
//Yagami...//
A loud final bell broke her thoughts. She gathered her things and headed out the gates. On her way home towards Osaka Heights, she ran into the two boys who had harassed her the first day she was there. She stared at them coldly and kept walking until she was stopped.
�What do you want?!� she hissed at them.
�We just want to talk.� Kenji spoke up. �You still haven�t gotten your uniforms yet huh?� His hand came up and played with her collar. She pulled away.
�Oh come on. Don�t be shy.�
The other boy walked up to her and got so close, he made her back up into the outside wall of the school. His left hand rested on the wall over Kimiko�s head. �You want to come with us and get some drinks?�
Kimiko shook her head and tried to walk away but the other boy stopped her, pressing her back up against the wall.
�Don�t make us mad. Be fair. You�re nice to that one kid with the weirdo gloves. What�s wrong with us huh?� He lifted his finger under her chin but she turned away, earning a sharp grip on her face and she was forced to look at the boy. He brushed his face close to hers and made her whimper. She pleaded out in her mind.
//Kyo, help me//
She shut her eyes tightly as she felt the boy move in to kiss her lips and suddenly, nothing. She opened her eyes slowly and saw Haru running down the street and Kenji was down and bleeding at her feet. She was confused. She looked around and saw Iori walking away from her, cigarette in his hand. She started to run after him but was grabbed by someone. She screamed and tried desperately to get free. She swung her arms and struggled to get out of the grip.
The tall devil walking away heard her screaming and swirled around in a violent frenzy to see Kimiko being handled by another man.... but this time, it was no stranger. Iori ran as fast as he could back to Kimiko�s side.
�HANASE!!! (Let go!!) HANASE!!!!!!!!!!� Kyo grabbed her arms and held her close to his chest and hugged her. He refused to let her go. He felt strongly towards her but he didn�t know why. He felt that he had to protect her at all costs. She ended her struggling when she buried her face into the jacket and remembered the smell.
She whispered �...Kyo... don�t ever leave me alone...�
�I promise I�ll never lea....�
�LET.... HER.... GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!� Iori came charging at Kyo and in a second, he was ripped away from Kimiko and on the ground holding a bleeding nose. Iori stood protectively in front of Kimiko, chest heaving, heart pounding, fists clenched so tight his nails dug into his own palms and blood trickled out. He never looked down at her. Kimiko looked at the enraged man�s body. He almost seemed as if he was acting as a wall to block anyone who would go near her.
//Yagami... Why are you doing this?//
He shifted his head just slightly so she could get a look at his eyes, to let her know that he was there for her, but he never looked at her. He never took his eyes off of Kyo�s body.
He let out a hiss. �Saaa.... so THIS is why I was sent here.� Kimiko observed the anger raging between the two young men.
//Why are they acting this way? Who are these people?//
Kyo got up and wiped the blood from his face and smiled at Iori. �Yagami-SAMA,� he said in a mocking fashion. �Who would have known we would be sent to protect the same girl.�
~Kimiko: //Protect?//~
~Iori: //She is the one. She is the reason why I was sent here. I can feel it//~
Iori smiled at Kyo and his mouth yearned to taste the blood that drained from Kyo�s broken skin.
�Kusanagiiiii~~~.... that name.... That NAME!!!!!!!!!� His voice raged with insanity and laughter painful and frightening enough to pierce the armor of angels.
�KYOOOOO....� His voice haunting and suddenly changed.
�You.... your father.... your entire family.... no longer will you take what is RIGHTFULLY MINE! SHI-NE (Die)!!!!!!!!!�
Iori charged at Kyo with a glint of dust and fire at his heels and he smashed his body right into the others.
Kyo fell back and hit the wall, with Iori pressing up against him, almost sexually. Iori glared into Kyo�s eyes as his right hand came up and gripped his neck. He flicked his pointed tongue out and licked Kyo�s cheek and whispered something into his ear. He ground his pelvis into the other man�s and moaned loudly and mockingly. Kyo stared straight into those flaming eyes and spat into them. Iori never flinched.
�Oh Kyo... so stubborn.� Iori grinned maliciously and gripped Kyo�s neck tighter and lifted him off the ground and in a single swipe he threw him almost ten meters down the street. Kimiko screamed at the freakishly unnatural display of strength and ran to Kyo�s side.
�KIMIKO! You belong with ME!� Iori said in his seductive and bone chilling voice. �Kyo, you will never win against the Yagami.�
Kimiko remained at Kyo�s side, ignoring all of Iori�s words. The red haired man laughed and started to walk away.
�IORI! You will NEVER have her! You are NOT YAGAMI! YOU HEAR ME?! YOU ARE HASSUKU! (Explanation later on) YOUR FAMILY IS NOTHING BUT TRAITORS! TRAITORS!!!!�
A smile more devilish than usual flashed across Iori�s face as he turned and saw Kyo standing up, trying to ignore the pain that seared through his body.
�You and I are not through yet.� Kyo�s hands began to burn yellow, then orange. Kimiko stepped back and watched the two men, glowing, burning with rage, almost engulfed in flames, staring at each other with so much hatred and contempt.
Kyo�s hands roared with golden flames and Iori�s hands flickered with purple lights that danced and swirled up his arms like a tornado.
�Iori. You will never touch her. The Kusanagi will defeat you. Leave us. You don�t belong here.�
Iori cocked a smile and turned to walk away. His figure disappeared into the swirl of dust and leaves that the wind had kicked up. Kimiko looked up at Kyo, his eyes still fixed in anger at the now faded silhouette of his rival, blood still dripping from his nose and mouth. Kimiko felt shaky and suddenly fell to the ground and passed out from shock and fatigue from the sleepless night before. Kyo�s eyes quickly looked to where the thud had sounded and found his friend laying limp at his feet. The flames disappeared from his fingertips and he knelt down beside her.
�Kimiko...�
Kenji had long since come to and ran off in the direction that Haru escaped in, trying to figure out why that girl was so important but was more concerned with staying alive. The two never spoke to her again.
Kyo picked the girl�s body up in his arms and hailed a taxi. He took her home and carried her to her door. He rang the doorbell with some difficulty and waited for the door to open. ...Nobody answered.
//Odd//
He rang it again. And again, there was no answer. Kyo was puzzled. He set Kimiko down on the soft grass and looked through her bag for a key. He found one and unlocked the door. Nobody was home so he went inside and set Kimiko on the couch.
//Dammit Iori// He sat next to his friend until she woke up.
�Wh.... where am I?� She looked around and realized she was home. �How... did I get here?� Kyo looked at her and brushed the hair away from her face.
�I brought you.�
�How did you get in?� Kimiko started to sit up but Kyo gently pushed her back down. �Rest.�
�I brought you home and when nobody answered the door, I went through your bag and found your key. I hope you don�t mind.� Kimiko smiled and shook her head weakly. She coughed. �Mizu (water).�
Kyo got up and went into the kitchen to grab a glass. He heard a sound from the living room and went in to see if Kimiko had fallen while trying to stand.
The glass shattered on the marble floor. She was gone.
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~Dream sequence flashback~
A young girl walked through an open grass field. The skies were clear and blue and there was a slight breeze. The eerie feeling of pure silence made her stomach knot up and her breath grew sharp and short. She walked with nervousness in her steps, her hands flat against her sides. Through her eyes, she saw a vast canvas of green but in her mind, a dark, wet, abandoned part of a post-apocalyptic city. With every footstep onto the lush, soft soil, she heard a heavy step on wet concrete in her mind. The skies swirled and turned to red. A low laughter sounded behind her. She turned around. Nobody.
Turning back, she was suddenly throw down a hill covered with stones and broken glass. Her flesh tore apart and she landed naked at the bottom, bound with ropes all over her body. A ceiling falling apart around her gave a cold, unwelcome feel to the air. A warehouse.
�Somebody help me.�
The walls started to bleed and tears of the purest red seeped through the cracks. She heard a little girl crying but she couldn�t move to see where the noise came from. She tossed her head back and forth against the cold floor, searching for something, anything. The bleeding walls rained down to the floor, creating pools of crimson that slowly flowed towards her body, soaking her hair and skin.
With one turn of her head, she caught the site of a tall man standing in the shadows. A small stream of light that crept through a hole in the roof shined on his figure. Red hair. Purple flames appeared at his fingertips.
�Help me.� She heard laughter and a sharp, cold pain against her stomach. Her eyes closed tightly and a tear ran down her cheek.
�STOP IT! STOP IT!� She turned her head and saw a clash of blood and steel. Now in a white dress, the young girl walked through a room where on both sides, masses of people fought and screamed. She walked through the door at the end of the room. A vision flashed in her mind. A tall man with fangs was naked on top of a woman, her face hidden by darkness. His thrusting movements were violent, his voice echoed in the dark room as it slowly grew louder and faster. The woman beneath him lay still like a corpse and a tear that shown through the darkness fell from the corner of her eye. The man�s breathing grew heavy and unsteady as he came inside of her. He mumbled something under his breath as his orgasm filled the woman�s body.
The word �revenge� whispered and echoed all around her as her vision went black.
~End dream~
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//Where am I?// The room was dark and cold. A small sliver of light came through the thick drapes that covered the room, almost protecting the room from the sun�s rays. The light was dim. It was near sunset.
�Ah, you�re finally awake.�
//That voice// She heard the door close and footsteps came near her. //It can�t be// A cold hand touched her bare stomach and she shivered. She was naked.
//Tied? My hands... they�re tied// She started to struggle but felt the body being lowered onto hers, pushing her down, restraining her movements even more. She stopped her movements when she figured it would make things worse. She tried to focus on the face of the man on top of her. She saw a glint of red hair.
The hand stroked her skin, causing her to shake at the touch. A low breathing was heard and a slow exhale followed. His hand flowed over her skin and then between her thighs.
�Finally... you�re here.�
//That voice... // The hand rested between her thighs and the fingers started to move in small circles over her flesh.
�So warm. How could HE ever think you would be his after all these years?� He lowered his face down to her and took in her sweet, innocent scent. He licked her jaw line and then moved to her lips. His fingers added pressure to their hold. She called out for help but this time, nobody came.
She felt fingers working their way into her and legs spreading hers apart. She felt sick to her stomach and she couldn�t understand what it was about this man that made her feel so comfortable and yet, so disgusted.
The man began to lick her lips and then her neck. He traced his tongue down to her collarbone as his fingers moved further into the small body beneath him. �Kimiko... you are finally here.�
�WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!� The door burst open and the body of a young man stood in the frame of the doorway.
�...Mmm..... get out...� The older man hissed without turning around.
�GET OFF OF HER! This isn�t why I brought her here!� The younger man rushed into the room and tossed the older man onto the floor. The young man stood there above the other�s body staring at him with disgust in his eyes. Kimiko opened her eyes and looked at the man standing next to the bed. She was still very dazed.
//I...Iori??? // She looked down at the floor and saw an older man, same crimson hair. The man on the floor laughed and stood up, smiling at Iori as he fixed his suit. Iori looked down at Kimiko�s naked form and pulled the sheets over her. He then looked back at the older man.
�Otosan (father). Why?�
The older man just laughed. He looked at Kimiko then turned and left the room, closing the door behind him. �You do what you wish. I�m done with her.�
�Are you alright?� Iori looked at her, hiding any concern in his voice and on his face. He untied the binds around her wrists. She looked up at his face as he worked at the ties. She was still very confused and dizzy. This all felt like a dream to her. Once the ties were undone, she sat up and pulled the blankets around her, bringing her knees up to her chest. Her back was flat against the headboard.
�Where am I?�
�You�re in my home.�
�How did I get here? I last remember... I was with...� Her eyes opened wide. �KYO! WHERE�S KYO?!� She threw the blankets off and tried to stand but fell back from extreme dizziness. She held her face in her hands and sobbed. //Kyo... you said you�d never leave me alone//
Iori looked at her coldly. He walked through the darkness of the room and grabbed her clothes then tossed them on the bed. �Get dressed.� And he left.
//Kyo... where are you?// Kimiko cried until she passed out again. Her naked body lay on the bed limp and cold, shrouded in darkness. The dim light disappeared and the sun had finally set. The night welcomed her agony with open arms.
Outside in the hallway, Iori stood leaning against the closed door to the room. He tilted his head back and sighed to himself.
//Why was I sent to protect this girl? Why do I even care?// He pushed himself away from the door and walked slowly down the hall to his room. In his room, he lay flat on his back on his bed with his puppy by his side.
//You�d be better for her than me// He got an idea and got out of bed, carrying his dog with him. He headed back down the hall the way he came.
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Weeks went by and Kyo continued to go to his classes. He never saw Kimiko around nor did he see Iori.
He had passed by her home a few times and knocked on the door. Nobody ever answered. //Where are you?// He woke every morning with a burning in his chest. He hadn�t slept well since that day Kimiko disappeared. He knew Iori had her, but where?
After another day of classes, he left the gates of the school heading south but he passed all of the shops and the apartment buildings. He walked with his thoughts heavy and he made his way into a large grassy clearing where a small area of large homes sat completely surrounded by high stonewalls and a gate at the main entrance. He dug into his pockets and took out a black box and pointed it at the gate. It made no noise as it opened.
Kyo walked slowly up the gravel driveway towards the main home in the middle of the others. Cars of all kinds were parked in the front and in the garages but he preferred to walk. He took out a key and some sort of card from his pant pocket. Before unlocking the door he fiddled with some numbers on a pad on one of the walls surrounding the entranceway and then slid a card through a slot. A green light went on and a beep was heard. He unlocked the door and walked in, closing it behind him.
~Beep~ ~click~ The doors locked automatically. //This place is a fucking prison//
�Tadaima (I�m home).� He grumbled to himself, as he knew nobody was there aside from the servants.
This mansion was the home of the Kusanagi family. All the homes that surrounded this one belonged to his lineage. He was the only one there at this time. His mother had left to America with his father to settle some business with family and his father had left him with his tasks.
//I liked that shitty little apartment better// His skin shivered with the emptiness of this huge space he lived in.
//�Be a good student and study for once. We can�t have you failing all of your courses. And remember what I told you to take care of.�//
//�Yes father.�//
//�We�ll be home in a few weeks. Here are the access codes. Take care of the estate.�//
//�Yes father.�//
He made his way to the kitchen and leaned into a corner of the counter looking around at the immaculate surroundings. He sighed. Kyo had lived in Okinawa and moved to Osaka to live at the main estate. He had lived in a small cramped apartment during the first few days of the school year due to his father�s late arrival. He was the only one who had the access codes to their estate and he would not be arriving for a while so Kyo and his mother had settled in that small apartment until his father arrived. He pulled out a cigarette and walked to the backyard to light it up.
His home, clothes, family, his perfectly chiseled face, this all made him want to vomit. He sat on the stone-carved edge of the koi pond in his backyard and watched the large colorful fish swim about, oblivious to the world around them.
//All you ever think about is eating and fucking. Lucky fish// He took a drag from his cigarette and tapped the filter to drop the ashes onto the cement floor. He turned and rested his elbows on his knees and he looked down at his feet with the cigarette hanging between his fingers.
//Kimiko//
He looked up and saw his reflection in the sliding glass door. He looked at his face framed by his hair. His headband held his hair up at perfect angles to fall just right along his cheeks. His uniform fit him perfectly. He looked like a prince. He took the cigarette and brought it up to his right eye until he could feel the heat almost burn the beautiful black jewel in his skull. He wanted to be ugly, imperfect. He pulled it away, tossing it into the koi pond. One fish came up and ate the cigarette butt without hesitation. Kyo buried his face into his hands and sighed.
//Where are you Kimiko//
He looked up into his reflection again and saw the fatigue on his face. His eyes were red and rimmed with the pink flesh that showed his sadness. He thought of his father. //�And remember what I told you to take care of.�//
Kyo stood up and slowly walked back into his home and he made his way up the majestic staircase and fell onto his bed. He could hear his servants moving around the home cleaning and straightening. Gardeners outside clipped the bushes and watered the gardens right before sunset.
His room was simple compared to the rest of the house. He had a bed, a stereo, some books, and a closet barely filled with anything at all. Of course, he had that damned alarm clock sitting next to his bed. He had about three of them that lay out of his reach, all set to different times of the morning. Since his mother was gone, he had nobody to coax him out of his sleep and so before she left she set those clocks in his room and told him not to touch them unless he was getting up for class. He smiled.
He lay on his bed with his eyes closed tightly and one arm resting across his forehead.
The sun was sleepy and the bright light of day slowly settled into hues of yellow and then red as sunset spread across the sky. The reds and oranges of dusk played on top of each other like a watercolor painting. The orgy of lights played in Kyo�s head as he imagined the different slits of the sky�s masterpiece rubbing against the other, climaxing as they fade into darkness. In orgasm, all they see is black and flashes of white stars behind their eyelids and the birth of the night settles them down to rest.
He started thinking of Kimiko�s smile. How her eyes flashed with the light of the stars when she laughed. Kyo imagined her eyes shining up with the stars up in the sky that night. He thought of her hand, when he held it that first day they had met. Her skin was so soft. Her breathing was heavy as they ran to class that morning. He remembered her that day he held her close and she cried into his chest. The way her body felt against his was so warm and almost soothing. He remembered her voice.
//�Kyo... don�t ever leave me alone...�//
//�I promise I�ll never leave you.�// His eyes shut tighter and he took in a sharp breath. His stomach burned with guilt.
He fell asleep in a fury of thought that made him dizzy and he slipped off into a disturbing night filled with strange dreams of red hair and abandoned warehouses. The night passed silently and peacefully as this young man lay in turmoil surrounded by his seemingly flawless life. Morning came all too quickly.
�Goooooood mornin�! It is 7:04am and you�d better get your sorry butt outta bed because it�s just another work day!�
The body shifted on top of the blankets.
�Kuso (Shit).� He didn�t go to class that day.
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~Ring ring~ ~ring ring~ ~ring ri...~ �Hello? Uh huh.... I was not aware of that. Thank you. Good bye.�
~Click~
//Damn administrators//
Iori hung up the phone after posing as his father. He had been dropped from the school and had to re-take the exam if he wanted to get back in, not that he or his father cared. //Idiots// No doubt Kimiko had also been dropped.
He walked down the main hall of his home and opened the door to the master bedroom. His father lay there asleep on top of the covers surrounded by paperwork and an empty wine glass next to the bedpost. Iori walked beside his father and looked at his face. It looked so cold but a smile was faint across his lips, even in sleep. Iori felt sick within himself.
�Father... Father... wake up. I need to speak with you. FATHER!� He older man took in a breath and didn�t move or open his eyes.
�What is it?�
�Father, it�s Kimiko. She�s fallen ill. She has a high fever and is suffering from hallucinations. She keeps calling out for...� His father cut his sentence short.
�Kusanagi.� Iori nodded in confusion, wondering how his father could know.
�But, she keeps mentioning something about revenge. The voices of revenge whisper around her and she can�t sleep without having strange dreams.� Iori�s father opened his eyes half way and looked over slowly at his son. He got up with a push off the bed and walked out of the room without a word. He headed through the large home and made his way to Kimiko�s door. He found her asleep with the usual dried up streams of old tears on her face.
He stroked the hair away from her face the same way as Kyo did once before and looked down at her sleeping figure. He sat down on the bed next to her, Iori in the doorway watching his father closely. She began to stir and awoke with death in her eyes. Her face read with no emotions or expression. She had not been fully conscious since the day she arrived. Her mind was slipping away. Any link she had with reality was dying.
�What is it? You never come here.� She looked around for Iori and found him in the doorway. She never took her eyes off of him as the older man spoke.
�You are ill and need help. I will call a doctor to come and look at you.� He motioned to Iori to come to his side. �My son will stay with you until the doctor arrives.� He got up and left. Iori stood next to the bed, staring at his father as he walked out of the room.
�Why am I here? Why are you and Kyo fighting about this? What�s going on?� Her words flooded out with sleepiness and in incoherent slurs.
�Why do I dream of your father? Where is the warehouse? Did you see the movie that my lemonade spilled on? Who is the crying woman? I want to see the grassy field. Revenge... I can�t take it anymore! SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!!!!!�
Her voice climbed in volume then died down suddenly. Delirium clearly fogged her mind. Iori sat listening half interested, half bored.
�You promised you�d never leave me. You promised you�d.... you....� She started to cry. Iori stared with some curiosity but boredom quickly over took him. He got up and walked out of the door, leaving the poor girl to her own babblings. �You promised... YOU PROMISED ME!!!!!!!!� He shut the door behind him.
The doctor came and looked at the young girl. He came out of the room with a grim expression on his face. He looked at Iori who was standing outside leaning against the wall on one arm. He looked at the doctor silently.
�She�s very sick. She needs to be taken to a hospital.�
�What�s wrong with her? I thought it was just a fever.� Iori�s voice was apathetic. The doctor did not want to ask any questions for fear of angering the young master.
�She has advanced pneumonia and her mind is not fully intact. Without proper care, she might die or slip into a coma.� Iori�s eyes switched to attention.
�Die?� He paused. �Don�t be stupid. Nobody dies from pneumonia today. And it�s her fever that is making her words impossible to understand. Just tell me what to do and I�ll take care of it.�
The doctor told the young master that she needed proper hospital care and urged him to let him take the young woman away.
�FUCK NO! She�s staying HERE! You tell your staff to come here and tend to her health. She�s not leaving here. You get that?!� The doctor didn�t argue. Out in the hall just outside of Kimiko�s room, he called his office to request that a team be sent down to care for the young girl. Iori stood in front of the doctor as he made his phone call, once in a while, letting his eyes wander back into the room where the girl lay sleeping in the huge bed.
His father came down the hall and looked at the doctor. �Well?� Iori spoke up.
�A team is coming here to care for her. They can stay in the guest quarters on the west wing of the house so they won�t disturb you. They won�t be here longer than two weeks, until Kimiko recovers.� Iori had no idea how long it would take for the girl to recover if ever at all. The older man�s eyes floated on to the sleeping girl. Without a word he let out a breath and then walked back the way he came. Iori walked back into the room closing the door behind him and stared at Kimiko�s sleeping face.
//Kyo. Why does your father want her so badly? Why... does MY father want her so badly?//
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~Dream Sequence Flashback~
�Get away from me!� The girl ran through the halls of an old church. A figure behind her loomed in darkness as it followed her, floating above the ground. Its hands glowed with a purple flame.
In front of her, another figure appeared. Red and yellow flames burned all around him. He stood in front of her, also in darkness. She stopped and the figure behind her stopped as well. Trapped between these two monsters she screamed for help but no voice came out.
Two large winged creatures came flying into the room, screaming and screeching so loudly it pierced her ears. She dropped to her knees and covered her ears with her hands as she screamed a silent cry for salvation. The two flying creatures landed on the shoulders of the men, one on each. The girl looked up and saw the wings fall and attach to each man�s back and the creatures turned into what seemed like human beings. The two men who stood in darkness flew off crashing through the roof of the church, shining blinding light onto the two new bodies that stood on each side of the young girl. She looked at the first and saw a man�s sillouhette and that was all she could make out.
To her other side, a woman stood in clear view. She had a soft face and a warm smile. She reached her arms out to cradle the girl but before the girl could stand, she was grabbed and lifted up into the air by the two flying monsters. She stared down at the kind and smiling face, arms lifting skyward, she saw a tear fall down the woman�s face.
Claws dug into the girl�s flesh as the creatures fought against each other to gain possession of her body. She could feel her body being ripped apart and a searing pain shot through her mind as her body was torn in half.
~End dream~
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~Flashback 16 years ago~
A woman walking down the streets of Okinawa held groceries in a small bag while looking at some flowers at a street side stand. Her white kimono shined in the summer sun with the purest and richest of silks. Her face was kind and warm as she hummed a soft song to herself while picking up a single pink rose and smelled it. It was late in the afternoon and she was on her way home to cook dinner for her husband. She walked further down the street and reached a quiet part of town. People were in their homes with their families and the air was still and quiet.
The woman, in her late 20�s, walked along humming to herself and inhaling the peacefulness of the evening air. A car came down the street behind her and screeched to a halt beside her. Two men came out and grabbed her then tossed her into the back. As she fell into the car, she saw a red haired man staring coldly at her. Before she could say anything, she was blind folded and hit over the head. She passed out cold as the man in the back seat smiled at the site of her limp body in his lap. Her groceries lay on the sidewalk strewn everywhere as the car screamed down the street.
~End flashback~
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The morning Kyo didn�t go to class, he actually got out of bed before his third alarm clock went off. He dressed and headed out the door.
�I hate these damn cars.� He sat inside a silver-colored Mercedes dressed in a gray suit and black sunglasses. He started the engine and pulled out of the slot. He drove past rows of priceless automobiles and he felt sick to his stomach at the uselessness of these pieces of metal. He drove out of the parking structure into the early morning light and sped off down the gravel driveway and through the open gates.
//I have to find her. God knows what he�s done to her//
He drove up towards the high school and saw his classmates walking, talking, and smiling as they made their way to school. He stopped at a corner light and three girls looked in his direction. The windows were down so they got a good look at whom the driver was. They recognized him as a schoolmate and started pointing and giggling. One of the girls stood still and blushed. Kyo looked at them over his shades from the corners of his eyes and sighed meekly to himself.
//They never noticed me before they saw this car// He put the windows up which were tinted black and continued to look straight ahead as he pushed his sunglasses back up. The light turned green and he sped off. He could see the girls in his rear view mirror still giggling as he drove past the school and up towards Kimiko�s home.
//Stupid girls//
He drove up towards Osaka Heights and searched the neighborhood. Nobody was around. There were no cars in driveways. He rolled the windows down and drove slowly through the random streets of the area. He heard no noises coming from any of the homes. He felt doom wrap itself around his heart. He made his way to Kimiko�s home.
//Nobody�s home// He rang the door bell several times and stood on the porch for what seemed to be half an hour. He looked through the front window and saw nobody inside the lavishly decorated home. He heard no noise stirring inside.
//This is ridiculous// He tried to open the door. Not to his surprise, it was locked. He held the knob tightly and his hand grew warm. Flames danced atop his skin and then suddenly his hand burst into flames and the doorknob melted away. He kicked the door open and walked inside.
He took a deep breath in and could almost smell Kimiko�s scent. He looked around and made his way towards the kitchen. The shattered pieces of the glass from weeks before were still there.
//She lives alone in this large house. I wonder how she pays for all of this//
He looked at the couch where her body lay that day. He lost himself in his thoughts for a while. A noise came from upstairs and he shook his head to focus again. He looked up to the open hallway on the second level and he made his way up the stairs.
Walking around, exploring each room, he discovered that all the rooms were virtually empty. Behind each closed door, there was a room with nothing but a few boxes inside if anything at all. The home was dead. The air was still and the dust rested quietly on the windowsills.
He made his way through the large home until he found what he believed to be Kimiko�s room. Inside was the only bed in the house and a package on the floor next to it. Kyo walked over and knelt down and looked at the package. �Osaka Grammar School.�
//Her uniforms// He stood up and walked out of the house with the package under his arm. He closed the door behind him and melted the lock shut. He placed the package on the passenger seat with care and closed the door. He turned around and leaned against the car as he lit a cigarette and stared at the home. He smoked in deep contemplation.
//That package arrived after she disappeared. How did it get into her room?//
He tilted his head back and blew out a long trail of smoke. He closed his eyes and thought back to his dream the night before. The red hair, the empty, abandoned warehouse, the eerie feeling of lost familiarity. He thought of the emptiness of the home on the upper level and the rich decorations and fancy furniture on the lower level.
//So that�s why all the doors were closed// He opened his eyes again and sighed to himself and he turned and made his way to the driver�s side. He took one more look at the home before getting back into his car. He started the engine and looked to his side at the package. He got the car into gear and sped off down the street towards the high school.
He parked in front of the school and got out of the car. He stood staring at the entrance to the schoolyard and made his way him. By now it was late morning so nobody was there to see him. He was not in his uniform and he could see a few of the girls through the windows looking at him, wondering who was the man who owned the Mercedes. He looked through the window where he once saw Kimiko stare out of at the red haired figure in the yard. He turned his head to his left and swore he could see Iori�s eyes staring back at him. He stood unmoving for a few seconds then continued his way towards the school.
�Kyo Kusanagi of the Kusanagi family estates. I am requesting the files for an Iori Yagami please. I don�t have time for arguments.� The secretary reluctantly handed over the student�s file. Kyo opened it and tossed it back at her with frustration and walked out of the office.
//Empty// He wasn�t surprised. He figured Kimiko�s file would be the same, and so would his.
//Bastard, how did you get here before me?//
He made his way back to his car. To his disappointment, the classes had been let out for lunch. He tried to stay hidden from the crowds as he walked back to the gate but he failed. He heard a voice call his name but he ignored it, trying to avoid recognition. Girls giggled around him and he could feel their eyes being pasted on him, his suit, and his car parked outside in plain view. The voice came again, but louder and closer.
�Kyo!!! KYO!!� He stopped at the gate and his heart sped up. The girls� giggling grew louder but then hushed. Footsteps came closer to his back and he slowly turned around to meet the voice, his mouth open slightly and a whisper came out.
�...Iori.� But nobody was there.
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~Flashback continued~
�Why are you doing this?!� The woman was tossed onto the bed and her silken clothes had been torn to shreds.
�YAMETE (Stop)!�
�YURUSAI (Shut up)!� The man looming over her pinned her down and penetrated her violently with greed, lust, and hatred. She screamed in horror at each thrust and with each scream, the man�s desire increased. He thrust deeper and deeper inside of her until she became wet enough for the man to comfortably move in and out of her body. He pulled out and picked her up off of the bed only to toss her back down in the center of the mattress. She tried to get away and screamed for help but nobody came to assist her. The man grabbed her legs and pulled her back towards him face down on the mattress. He pinned her back down and pushed himself inside of her again, letting out a slight moan as he continued to move his hips up and down on top of her. He grabbed her hair and turned her head to the side. He watched her face wince in agony. He grew more aroused as he watched tears fall from her tightly shut-eyes and her mouth opened wide to let out a silent scream. She whimpered to herself.
�I want to die.� She cried harder as the man came inside of her with a deep gasp and a long, strangled moan. He collapsed on top of her back and she could feel his heart beat against her body. His breath on her skin made her burn with hatred for him and for herself. After a few minutes, he started to move and he lifted himself up and pulled out of her body. He flipped her body over and he spread her legs apart and held them in the air. She didn�t struggle anymore. She lay there with her eyes closed and her face turned to the side. The man penetrated her again and her eyes shut tightly once gain. She bit her lower lip until it started to bleed and the man bent down to lick the red stream that flowed out of the white skin.
He thrust into her with a drive other than lust and he continued to rape her throughout the night.
//Kusanagi. You take from me what you say I cannot have. So now, I take from you the one thing in this world that you love//
The woman fainted but the man continued to desecrate her body for hours. By the time she awoke, it was the next afternoon, and she was in the hospital. Her husband sat at her bedside with their two year old son in his lap. The man looked at his wife and gently stroked her hair with tears held back in his eyes. In his heart burned a flame he had tried to ignore his entire life but now, was lit and growing at a frightening speed. Thoughts of death ran rampant through his mind. He could not ignore the fire anymore.
//Yagami... asobi wa hajimaru (Yagami, the game begins).�//
The woman looked down to her son and reached for him, muttering his name weakly.
�Kyo...�
She touched his hand and then fell back asleep. She had fallen into a shock-induced coma and had not woken up for almost four months. By the time she came around, she was visibly pregnant. Five and a half months later, she gave birth to her daughter, Kimiko.
�Doctor! She�s still bleeding!� The nurses scrambled to try and stop the blood from flowing but it was no use. In the privately owned Kusanagi hospital, the mother of a legacy died by the shadow of her husband�s arch nemesis.
�Harumi? HARUMI!!!� The man grappled on to the lifeless bleeding body of his wife in the delivery room.
�Kusanagi-san! Please, get a hold of yourself! Kusanagi-san!� His daughter born of his enemy�s seed and his wife�s blood was given to him at the expense of his love. He lunged out at the doctor.
�YOU SAID SHE WOULD DIE IF SHE HAD AN ABORTION! You said she would live if we let her sleep! LOOK AT HER!! SHE�S DEAD NOW BECAUSE OF YOU AND I�M LEFT TO CARRY....� He turned and pointed to the newborn child.
�THAT! I HAVE TO CARRY THAT.... THAT THING!!!!� He spun around in a fury of confusion and hatred for the man he had never seen but was raised to hate. The legends imprinted in his memory from childhood. He fell to his knees and screamed towards the skies.
�YAGAMI!!! YOU FUCKING BASTARD! YOU TOOK MY WIFE! YOU GAVE ME YOUR CURSE!� He roared into his hands then looked up at the ceiling again.
�KUROSHITE YARU (I�m going to kill you)!� He soon after passed out on the delivery room floor. The nurses rushed around to try and save the woman that lay on the table, but they failed.
~End flashback~
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//With all the money in the world, I still couldn�t save my love. Harumi. I miss you// The man was taken out of his sadness by a tap on the shoulder.
�Anata (Honey)?� The woman looked on with concern at the expression on her husband�s face. �Doshta no (What�s wrong)?� The man looked at her and smiled.
�I�m fine. Nothing�s wrong.� He paused. �I... I need to finish up some paperwork. I�m just a bit tired that�s all. Go back to sleep.�
He looked at the clock and it said 3:17am. He walked his wife back to the bedroom of their home that they owned in New York. He lay there with her and waited for her to fall asleep. He stroked her hair and looked at her face in the pale moonlight that came through the large bay window of the room. She looked almost identical to the woman who still lived in his heart.
//Harumi//
�Anata (Honey).� The woman looked up at her husband with sleepy eyes, love and longing flooding in those dark pearls. The man looked down at his wife with an expressionless face, his mind lost in thought, but his eyes were focused on her.
�Yes?�
The woman paused and looked down at the covers. �Ano... (Uhm...)� She almost sounded afraid. The man began to worry.
�What is it?�
The woman looked up slowly at her beloved husband and touched his face with her hand. Her lips parted. �I want a child... of my own.�
The man�s eyes narrowed quickly and he embraced her tightly in his arms. �No, I won�t lose you too. I won�t allow it. You can�t leave me again.� The man paused at the realization of his mistake in words but was too confused to think clearly. �Kyo needs you. He IS your child. You are all he knows. You can�t just... just...�
The woman hushed the babbling man and held him close to her heart. She lay back down on the bed staring lovingly up towards her husband. Behind her demure face and caring eyes, a disturbing thought plagued her mind.
//You can�t leave me... again? What did he mean, �again?� He�s thinking of her// She feigned sleep only to allow her husband to return to his work.
�Good night Sayako� he whispered after kissing her forehead and disappeared into the hallway. He slid out of the room and closed the door quietly behind him. After the door was shut, the woman�s eyes opened and her heart filled with sadness.
//I will never be her. I can never be what he desires. I will never have his heart. Dear husband// She cried silently into her pillow as she listened to her husband�s footsteps fade down the hall.
He walked slowly back to his office and sat at his desk, burying his face in his hands. He took in a long, slow, deep breath. He lit a cigarette and inhaled it deep into his lungs. Two thick white streams of smoke shot out through his nose and he closed his eyes hiding the desperation flooding inside.
//Kyo, find her. Keep her safe. She is all that we have left of your mother, your real mother//
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�Yes father. Yes father. I know father.� Kyo paused. �No father, I haven�t.� He paused again, trying to change the subject. �How�s mother?�
�She�s fine. She�s not sleeping much because I stay up late.�
�You shouldn�t worry her like that. You know how much she cares about you.� The other end of the conversation fell silent. �Father?�
�Yes, I�m here.�
�Are you alright?�
�Yes, I�m fine. Just tired. Kyo, I need you to do something for me.� Kyo didn�t like the sound of his father�s voice. �I need you to take a trip up to Tokyo�s business sector. I need you to pick up a package for me and deliver it in person to a client of mine.�
�Okay.� Kyo found this order strange but wrote down the address and office number his father gave him over the phone. �Alright. I�ll do it today.� He paused again. �Father? What the man�s name?� Silence again.
�Father?�
�You�ll know when you see him. I have to go.� Another pause. �Kyo?�
�Yes father?�
�Be careful. And remember, at all costs, find her.� The connection was cut and Kyo hung up the phone. He sighed to himself and looked at the address he had written down on a small piece of paper. He picked it up and held it between his lips as he put on his coat.
//This is it// He repeated in his mind the words his father had said over 16 years ago. //Asobi wa hajimaru (The game begins)//
He walked out the door and got into the Mercedes. Driving out of the gates, he pulled a phone from his inner jacket pocket.
�Get the plane ready. I�m going to Tokyo.� He hung up and made his way to the airport.
//Iori. Will you be there when I discover my destiny? Who is this man my father has never met but hates with all of his being? Why me?//
Kyo thought of his mother.
//Take care of her father. She cares for you so much//
He drove quickly to the airport and got into the plane. They arrived in Tokyo twenty minutes later. Next to the plane sat a helicopter ready to take him to his destination.
//Father? Did you arrange all of this? What�s going on? Iori//
He got in and it was just minutes before the helicopter landed on the roof of a large business building. Kyo got out and was met by two gentlemen who led him down inside.
�We�re glad you could make it Kusanagi-sama (Master Kusanagi).�
//Kusanagi.... sama (Master)?//
He was led to the penthouse entrance and was handed a package then the two men left. Kyo turned around and looked at the package in his hand. It was no larger than his palm. He dug into his pant pocket and looked at the address given to him by his father. He laughed.
//Did you really think I�d get the wrong address? Is that why you arranged for the helicopter?// Kyo laughed to himself as he buzzed the door to be opened. He stood there for a minute until he was invited inside.
�He�s waiting for you. Please, come in.� Kyo walked behind the woman who opened the door for him. He looked around at the darkness and the richness of his surroundings. A shroud of night covered his heart and it felt... good.
�This way please.� The woman opened another door for him leading into a large office. She bowed as he entered and then left closing the doors behind him. Kyo stood there in the dark office, a light shined onto the desk in front of him; only a shoulder of a man was visible in the ray of light.
�I was sent here by my father, Kusanagi Toshimasa. I am his son Kyo. I�m here to deliver a package for him.� He bowed then stood up looking through the darkness, his vision starting to adjust. He could see a man sitting at the desk. His face was handsome but cold. His hands rested on the sides of his large leather chair, and his eyes had a shine that he had only seen once in his life, Kimiko.
�Come here.� Kyo walked towards the desk, half curious, half bored. He knew that this, whatever it was, was going to help him find Kimiko. He just wanted this all to end. He walked up to the desk and stood next to one of the chairs in front of the man.
�Have a seat.� Kyo sat in the chair furthest away from the light that came into the room. He saw the man�s face only slightly. He stared at the glimmer in his eyes.
//Those eyes... they�re so evil, and cold. Why is he smiling?// Kyo�s eyes strained to see through the film of darkness that surrounded the man�s face. //Who is this guy?// He paused in his thoughts as his eyes moved upward over the man�s face. He gasped deep inside and he felt his stomach turn.
//That hair//
�Kyo. Your father and I have a... very interesting relationship.� Kyo listened to his voice and struggled to understand what was happening. �I guess since he sent you here, your father has decided to tell you the truth about your life, about your future.�
With each word that hissed out of this man�s mouth, the dizzier Kyo grew and he felt like throwing up. The man continued after a long silence. Kyo sat there unmoving, refusing to show weakness.
�That box you hold in your hands is not for me. It�s for you.� Kyo looked down at his hands at the small black box.
�For me?� The man nodded, not that Kyo was looking at him.
�Yes. Go ahead. Open it.� Kyo looked up and saw the man�s shining fangs through the darkness. He looked back down at the box and slowly lifted the top off of the box. Inside, a small silver locket sat open, and inside, a photo of a woman smiled back at him.
�I... I don�t understand.�
�Take a closer look Kyo. Whom does she look like?� He lifted the locket out and turned it to face the dim light. At that moment, the curtains that covered the floor-to-ceiling windows flashed open and Kyo was blinded by the flood of light that assaulted his eyes. He turned and his face down and rubbed his eyes with his free hand.
�What the...?!�
�Kyoooo....�
//That voice// He looked up and tried to focus his vision on the black shadow that stood in front of the windows. All he could see was a blurry silhouette of a man walking towards him.
�Kyoooo....�
He focused as best he could on the figure and as it got closer, he could see a crown of red hair and shining evil eyes. He turned to face the man who sat behind the desk and saw who he believed to be, Iori�s father.
Kyo stared at the two men, unable to move in his seat. He held the locket loosely in his hand. Iori stood in front of Kyo. He was dressed in a long and very tight white dress shirt that hung down to his knees. The chest of the shirt was pulled open and the sleeves hung around his strong, thin arms. His pants were leather, colored dark red. Between his knees hung a long strap, connected on each side to his pants. Iori took a seat on the edge of his father�s desk.
�So this is where you�ve been hiding her. WHERE IS SHE?!� Kyo stood up and faced Iori, his fists clenched tightly and the locket dug into his skin. The man at the desk spoke up again.
�You two have been rivals even before birth. Today, Kyo, you discover the truth about why it is you and my son who will settle this ageless saga between our two families.�
Kyo was confused.
�Look at the locket again. Look hard. Who is she?� Kyo lifted the locket and he looked deep into the eyes of the woman in the photo. He looked at the pale, soft skin of her face and the shape of her nose and the way her hair fell around her cheeks. He saw his mother slightly but in her eyes, he saw Kimiko�s innocence.
�She looks.... like my mother. But, she�s not my mother. The lips are different but the smile is the same. Who is she?� Kyo looked at the man behind the desk as Iori looked on with hungry eyes deep into Kyo�s soul, starving to just taste what hides beneath the flesh.
�She IS your mother. Harumi.� Kyo�s eyes narrowed.
�My mother�s name is Sayako.� The thought of such a powerful man making such a mistake made him laugh inside. He had to struggle to hide it. Iori sensed the vibrating tension inside Kyo�s body and it made him lust even more for the supple young skin. He spoke up after inhaling Kyo�s scent.
�Your mother... is Harumi.� He paused and smiled into Kyo�s eyes, his face just two centimeters away. �Sayako.... is not your mother.... she is not your REAL mother.�
�What are you talking about?!�
�I didn�t know myself until today. That girl in the schoolyard, she is our sister.�
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Kyo stared from face to face and back to the locket. He couldn�t believe what he was hearing. The older red haired man spoke up. Kyo listened to his story with growing interest and weakening knees. Iori sensed his shaking and slid his arm around Kyo�s waist. Kyo pushed him away and stammered backwards, almost tripping over his own feet. The older man spoke slowly and seriously.
�The Yagami clan was once a part of the Kusanagi clan. But due to clan differences, the clans split off to become the Kusanagis and the Hassukus (meaning 'Eight cups of wine' according to the myth that the Orochi was defeated after it became vulnerable from drinking eight glasses of wine). Then 1800 years ago, the dreaded dragon-hydra Orochi tried to manifest itself into the world and only through the efforts of a Kusanagi hero was it able to be defeated, but not destroyed, and put to sleep. Every so often, the Orochi would stir, and a hero or group of heroes would have to go stop it. Then, 620 years or so ago, the Hassuku clan decided that it needed more power to defeat the Kusanagi flame. So it made a pact with the Orochi that in return for power, the Hassuku would aid Orochi's awakenings when it could. The deal was made and it forever tainted the bloodline of the Hassukus, who changed their clan name to �Yagami (literally meaning 'eight gods' after the eight-headed Orochi dragon).� As a physical representation of their cursed line, any and all Yagamis that can summon the old crimson flames now summon purple ones instead.�
He lifted his hand and flames appeared and danced over his skin. 
�Kusanagi (named after the Kusanagi sword that was said to have killed the Orochi dragon once). A passion burns deep inside of all your souls. Our clan has become stained and hungry for power. Our families were once the mightiest in Japan. We ruled with a fair hand and the Hassukus and Kusanagis were thought to rule side by side for centuries to come. It�s been so long it�s hard to tell what split up our mighty union, but since we left to become our own clan, the heads of our families have been at war with each other, trying to gain total control over this country, now through corporate domination instead of our more traditional rule of 1800 years ago. Through the generations, the hatred has been passed through our blood, but Masami, your father, was the first to try and end this war.�
�Shut up! SHUT UP! This isn�t real!� Flames started to appear on Kyo�s skin, dancing atop is gloves and fingertips.
�Masa has spent his entire life trying to ignore the legends. He hated us. He hated himself. But it killed him inside. The flame burned hotter everyday. Kyo. That flame is eternal. You can�t hide from it. Your father learned that lesson too late and I can tell he�s taught you to ignore the Kusanagi flame as well. You mask your hatred by ignoring the legends, pretending they aren�t true, but there is a way to avoid the never-ending war between you and the Yagami. Like your ancestors, you don�t see the reasons for this war to continue. The anger you feel for those who you will never know confuses your docile nature. The Yagami thrive on that hatred and we will fight until this war has a victor. Kyo. You can�t hide from your destiny. Unleash the wrath you�ve suffocated all these years.�
Kyo�s mind was racing.
//I always knew of our legacy with the Yagami but... I never thought... Father, you did teach me to hide from the legends. But then why send me here today? Everything he said is true. I burn inside with this cursed flame that our ancestors gave to us but I hide from it, fighting the urge to let my anger consume my soul and lash out at those who I am destined to fight but have never even met. I suppose it�s true. It�s unavoidable. I can�t hide from centuries of battles. I can�t ignore my destiny whether I want it or not. Being a Kusanagi, I have no control over my future. My life was determined 1800 years ago and now, I have no choice but to live it. I have.... no choice//
�You�re insane! You don�t know what the fu...� Kyo heard a sound behind him. He spun around quickly, anger in his eyes and the orange flames now engulfed his hands. The door was cracked open and a small face poked through, a small puppy hid behind her legs. The flames disappeared and Kyo�s eyes filled with shock.
�Kimiko.� He ran over to her, dropping the locket on the floor. He grabbed her and held her close to his chest. �I�ll never leave you again. I promise.�
The girl stirred around and tried to escape Kyo�s hold. She fell backwards onto the floor and stared up at him with unfamiliar eyes, the shine long dead and replaced with broken innocence.
�Who are you? Why did you grab me?� Kyo�s legs began to shake and he took an unsteady step backwards, bumping into Iori who had walked over to Kyo. Iori wrapped his arms around Kyo�s body and held him close in a deep embrace. Kyo was in shock and his thoughts swirled around in his mind in a blinding tornado of confusion. His legs grew weak and he almost fell but Iori held him up tightly, close to his body. He licked Kyo�s ear and breathed hot air onto his neck.
�Kyo� he whispered, kissing the young man�s skin. �You sister doesn�t recognize you. Your sister, the woman you were sent to protect and love, doesn�t know who you are.� His voice was thick with sadistic laughter. The girl looked at the two men together then looked over to the man behind the desk.
�Otosan (Father)? Who is this person?� Kimiko got up and walked past the two men with her dog following her. She ignored Kyo�s eyes that were fixed on her. She went and sat in the man�s lap and rested her head on his shoulder, the small pet lay at his feet and fell asleep. The doctors and nurses had long since left when Kimiko started walking about. Though far from her usual self, the older man though it best that she not fully recover, not yet. So he dismissed the medical team shortly after her fever broke.
//�Otosan?� If he�s her father... then... Harumi... Sayako?// Kyo could feel Iori�s body pressing against his. His hot breath tainting his skin, his tongue leaving trails burning with acid through his flesh down to the bone. Kyo�s mind was spinning too quickly for him to even catch a single thought.
�Kyo.� He pushed his pelvis in against Kyo�s body and Kyo could feel the other man�s erection. He was too weak to fight back and the arms around him held him tighter. �Kyo. How do you feel? Huh? Is all of this,� Iori pushed harder against Kyo�s body �too much for you to handle?�
This was too much for him to handle. It was too much at one time. Everything he had tried to forget, all the stories he heard as a child, everything he tried to suppress came flooding back into his mind.
�Fight back Kyo.� He pushed against him again. �You keep your anger hidden so deep inside... I want to feel that anger.�
Kyo struggled with all his strength but his mind was so fogged and he was so dizzy that he eventually passed out. On his way down, he saw Kimiko sitting on the man�s lap, sleeping on his shoulder. He fell to the floor and blinked once more to see Iori�s face in front of his. He felt their lips touch and Iori�s breath was heavy and lustful, his tongue hungry to taste and explore the inside of his mouth. Then everything went black.
�Otosan? What was that all about?� She asked blankly, almost as if hypnotized.
�Shhh. Go back to bed Kimiko. Iori! Come take your sister back to her room.� Iori lifted his eyes up to look at his father. His tongue licked his lips before he stood up and put his hand out to the girl, motioning for her to go to him. He walked behind her as they left the room. On his way out, he looked down at the resting body on the floor. He smiled with an evil grin and then he was gone.
The man left alone in the room walked over to Kyo�s body. He looked at his face and how much he resembled his father but more so his mother. He thought of Kimiko. She locked the two families together with her blood. The Kusanagi and the Orochi flame burn within her soul. He feared what would happen if she were to ever realize her past, what her father had done.
//She will know eventually//
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Neither a Kusanagi nor a Yagami have ever killed another of the other clan through any means outside of battle. It was unheard of that anyone would murder another member specifically of the opposing clan and raping a woman of either clan had grounds for death. He knew this. Masa knew this.
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As Kyo slept, he dreamt of demons flying over a church and the skies were thick with clouds that rained blood down onto the earth. He shifted in his bed, sweat dripped down his face and neck. He woke with a start.
�KIMIKO!� He sat gasping for breath, his chest heaving violently. His arms were stretched out reaching towards nothingness. He came out of his dream state and looked around at the unfamiliar surroundings.
//Yagami//
He got up and made his way the door.
//Locked//
He turned around and walked towards the windows and pulled open the curtains. He saw nothing but lush green fields and clear blue skies. It was a beautiful sunset. He saw nothing of the Tokyo business sector.
//Kore wa doko da (Where is this place)?//
He heard a noise out in the hall. It was the voice of a girl laughing and the bark of a dog came soon after.
//Kimiko//
He ran to the door and tried to open it with all of his strength.
�KIMIKO!!!� He yelled through the door, desperate for her to hear him and maybe remember but there was no response to his pleas. He sank to the floor and sat with his back against his prison gate. He didn�t know what was happening but he knew he was trapped in the Yagami estate.
At the same time, a plane touched down on the runway of the Osaka airport. A private jet parked in the middle of an open area and a man got out. His hair hung down in front of his face and hit just below his chin. His hands held on to a suitcase with fatigue, threatening to drop it. He made his way slowly down the staircase and towards a car waiting for him. The sky was getting darker as the sun was set to sleep.
�Welcome home Kusanagi sama.� He took the briefcase out of his master�s hand.
�Thank you. How�s my son?�
�We haven�t seen him for a few days.�
�So ka... (Is that so...)� He looked solemnly at the ground thinking. �Give me the keys.� His driver seemed confused but didn�t ask any questions. Masa was always kind to his servants and never asked much of them. He treated them like family and taught Kyo to do the same. The servant handed him the keys then looked up at the jet.
�Ano... if I may ask, where is your wife?�
�Sayako fell ill and couldn�t fly home with me. She will be back shortly when she is back to health.� Masa�s voice was distant and very drawn. His driver paused for a moment.
�Are you alright sir?� He asked hesitantly but was concerned for Sayako.
�Yes, I�m fine. I will send for another car to collect you. I wouldn�t want you taking a taxi home.� He called the house and requested another car be sent to pick his servant up. �I am not sure when I will return to the estate but do take care of things while I am away. And please, feel free to help yourself to anything you wish in the wine cellar.�
�Sir?�
�This is a time to celebrate.� Masa forced a smile and patted the man on the shoulder before he got into the car and drove off. His driver stood there as he watched his master drive off the runway. Half an hour later he was picked up and returned home. He wondered what his master meant by it being a time to celebrate when he seemed in such a mood.
//We celebrate tonight, the death of the suffering of the Kusanagi clan//
He picked up his phone and stared at it as he made the long drive up to Nagoya. He wanted to call his son but was hesitant to. He feared the voice that would answer. He feared more if no voice would answer. After driving for almost two hours, he dialed his son�s number and waited.
�.... Yes?� The voice was low and by the tone, he could tell the man on the other end was smiling. His voice hinted of anticipation, as if he knew this call was coming. It wasn�t Kyo�s voice. Masa�s face froze and his eyes seemed to transform into stone. He let out a deep, slow breath, and then spoke a single word.
�Hideo... Yagami Hideo. Hisashiburi desu ne (It�s been a long time hasn�t it)?�
�So desu (Yes it has).� The red haired man smiled and Masa could almost see his teeth gleaming in the thin shades of light that would peer through his office windows.
�Where is my son?� He was calm but his foot stepped harder on the gas pedal without his knowing. He was racing to find Kyo.
�I think you know where he is.� He laughed to himself. �You are on your way here now yes?�
�Yes.� Masa waited for the man�s next words of torture but there came none. He was always a calm man who could handle himself and his business with professionalism. But it was his son. He couldn�t take the silence comfortably. He was about to speak until the man on the other end spoke.
�Your daughter...� He paused. �Harumi�s daughter... is also waiting for you.�
//Kimiko//
�What have you done to her?!� The red Viper flew over the streets in speeds exceeding 120 miles per hour.
�She�s doing just fine. She met her brothers, and her father.� He could almost not hold back his laughter. His twisted dementia and psychotic humor was clear in his voice. Masa could feel the rumbling in the other man�s chest as he struggled to hold back his howls of contentment.
�Hideo. We will settle this tonight, you and I, Kyo and Iori. It ends tonight.� And he hung up. He arrived at the Nagoya city limits after driving for almost three hours. He made his way through the now empty streets of the city and up towards the countryside. He entered into a clearing and could see small dark structures through the darkness of night on top of a large hill just beyond the horizon. Rain started to fall lightly and the drops showed red through Masa�s tired eyes and the reflection off of his car from his headlights. He drove up the dirt road and his tires cried out as he halted in front of the main gates. He didn�t have to move as the gates opened for him. He could hear a slight creaking as he drove through them carefully and entered into the feared estate.
//Hideo. We meet tonight for the very first time. How will I know that it�s you? I�ve ignored this far too long. Kyo, Kimiko. I�m sorry//
He parked in front of the castle-like home and walked slowly through the rain to the front door.
�YAGAMI! I AM HERE! WE FINISH THIS BATTLE TONIGHT!� An ominous laughter came from inside and the door opened silently. Masa walked in and walked into the dark yet lavishly decorated living space of the Yagami estate. Standing in the center of the main entrance room was a small girl, a puppy, and a young man with red hair and fiery eyes.
�Welcome Kusanagi sama. Please, come this way.� Iori walked through the home and the girl followed him, occasionally looking back at the man in the wet gray suit. �Through here.� The young man walked up a flight of stairs and opened the door that sat at the top. Masa walked through and the two followed, closing the door behind them.
�Come here Kimiko. Let�s leave father to his business.� Iori and the little girl made their way off to the side and exited through a door on the other end of the room. Masa stood in the center of a large office room decorated in the style of the Renaissance era. He walked towards the fireplace and took a seat in one of the leather chairs. He pulled out a cigarette and placed it between his lips. He held on to it as he rolled it gently between his lips, wetting the filter before lighting it. His hand came up to his face and he extended his index and middle finger. Orange flames danced at his fingertips as the cigarette�s tip began to burn.
�Masami. You�re here.� The voice came from behind him. He didn�t turn around to acknowledge the other man�s entrance into the room.
�Of course I�m here. Did you think I wouldn�t come?� The other man laughed and walked slowly towards the fireplace and sat in the seat that was placed across from the other man. Masa looked at his form and his face as he came into view.
//So you are the famous Hideo Yagami//
He sat and stared at the fire roaring in the fireplace.
�I hope you don�t mind if I smoke.� The red haired man smiled at him and waved his hand in the air with a smile.
�Not at all. Could I have one off of you?� Masa pulled out his pack and handed it to Hideo. �Sankyu (Thank you).�
He lit it with the purple flames that appeared on his fingers.
They sat there silently smoking and staring at each other. Hideo smiled the entire time as Masa sat coldly without expression. When their cigarettes had finished burning, they tossed them into the fireplace. Hideo got up.
�Come and meet Harumi�s daughter.� The two men walked into the room where Iori and the girl had went into. Hideo opened the door to the side.
�After you.� Masa walked in and saw what he could never anticipate.
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Two days after Kimiko had disappeared, a thin and mysterious figure showed up at the door of her home. There was a package sitting on the doorstep with a delivery note on it stating that nobody was home to collect it when it arrived. Thin, white, delicate fingers graced over the package and picked it up. Her hands touched the doorknob and it clicked open. The figure floated up the stairs and made its way to the young girl�s room. It set the package down gently onto the floor and then disappeared. A wind blew outside causing one of the open windows to open and shut with the breeze.
That morning she was late for class, why was she in the southern area of Osaka? She had gone there against her own conscious thought. She was drawn there by the wishes of some intangible being to meet her protector. Her guardian.
//I will always watch over you... my daughter//
Sayako never recovered from her illness and mysteriously but peacefully slipped into death. Her last thoughts lingered on the faces of her husband and of the boy who she cared for as if he were her own child. She died with a faint smile and a light heart in her chest. Her soul was carried towards the heavens with care.
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Masa�s eyes filled with shock as his stomach jumped to his throat. His mouth opened and he could barely mutter out his words.
�Ha... Haru.... mi....�
�Husband... I�ve waited so long for you to return to me. Go find your daughter.� Masa could not believe what he was seeing. Everything around him spun and made him dizzy. He suddenly closed his eyes shut and faced his back to the woman. He opened his eyes, now with hatred and revenge burning deep in his soul. He faced the smiling man with the crimson hair.
�WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?! THIS ISN�T REAL! RELEASE MY SON AND GIVE ME MY DAUGHTER!� Hideo looked on in surprise at the figure floating before them.
//What...? How...? It can�t be//
He decided to ignore it but also to use it to his advantage though he was beyond shock at the sight of the woman�s figure.
�...Take a good look at her Masa. Her face. Her eyes that long only for you.�
//She has finally come to seek her revenge on me//
�STOP IT!�
�Let the fire burn. Don�t let it eat at your soul any longer. Let me FEEL the heat that has singed your heart all these years. MASAMI KUSANAGI.... DON�T LET IT FEED ON YOUR FLESH ANY LONGER!!!!!�
A roar of insane laughter escaped the man�s mouth and his hands burst into purple flames.
�COME AND FINISH WHAT OUR ANCESTORS STARTED! MIGHTY KUSANAGI! COME AND GET WHAT YOU DESIRE! THE BLOOD OF THE YAGAMI!�
�FATHER NO!� Kyo burst into the room and ran towards his father only to be held back by his own red haired nemesis. �HANASE KONO YAROU (Let me go you fucker)!!!!� The young man struggled to get free of the hold on him. He managed to reverse the hold but Kyo couldn't hold Iori for long.
Iori's body spun around in a tornado and flew up towards the ceiling, leaving a swirl of flames in the air following his movements. Kyo was thrown back against the wall, his body came down with a thud. He god up and looked at the two older men fighting each other and he ran towards his father. �FATHER DON�T!�
�You stay out of this!� Hideo hissed with a smile and thrust his right hand up through the air, sending a purple flame charging towards the boy. 
It was too fast for Kyo to dodge and it hit him and knocked him down to the ground. He fell with a heavy thud and lay there on his side.
Iori walked slowly towards Kyo. He kneeled next to him and placed a hand on the other man�s shoulder.
Kyo�s body turned with lightening speed and his hand came up to knock Iori away but Iori caught it with mid-strike and he smiled at his attacker.
�Kyo.� He smiled. �You should know... BETTER!� He tossed the man over his shoulder and Kyo landed against the wall and fell on top of a table, breaking it and crashing back to the floor. Iori smiled seductively at the boy as he walked over to the limp body.
The two men watched as their sons battled each other for reasons unknown to either of the youths. Masa looked back at his son�s beaten body as Hideo watched intently at his opponent�s face, fixed on his son. The figure of the angel had disappeared.
�Masami... Kusanagi...� His voice was taunting and evil. �Come and get me and claim what is yours.� Masa turned back slowly and stared through the blanket of red hair and into the eyes of his never before seen enemy.
�Yagami. I�ve heard legends of the Orochi flame but never did I know of the hatred it would give birth to. For centuries our families have battled one another and for what?�
�That is why this ends tonight. We will settle this war between the Yagami and the Kusanagi once and for all. Now...� His eyes lowered and a smile of a joker crept across his lips. �Come and fight me. I�ve waited long enough.�
The two men circled each other and gave themselves a distance of about fifteen feet apart. The flames that long remained hidden inside Masami�s body came alive with great strength. The heat between the two bodies was so intense that the waves from the fire could be seen emanating through the air.
�SHINE!� Iori charged at Kyo�s body standing in front of a large window. Their bodies collided, glass shattered, and their bodies fell two stories down onto the wet grass of the open field behind the mansion. The rain outside fell hard and fast in the winds the screamed out death. The night�s air was cold and biting. Winter had begun to set into the tail end of the Spring.
�Hideo. The flame that has burned inside of me has been kept a secret from my reality. Since that day you took my wife, I have kept it fresh inside my hearth, burning bright only to be released for you.� Hideo smiled and continued to circle his match.
�Your fire burns hot, but it�s not GOOD ENOUGH!� He rushed with godly speeds at the orange flames. His hands reached out to tear the flesh off of the other man�s face but they were met with equal strength. Their fingers tangled together and they stood motionless, staring into each other�s eyes with a lust for blood so thick you could hardly breathe through it. The flames that erupted from their skin seemed to battle the other, knowing that from centuries past, they could never join as one again.
�You will always be Hassuku. Yagami is a false curtain you hide behind to conceal your treachery from the Kusanagi clan!� Masa�s flames burned hotter and a large ball of light swirled between their bodies then exploded and sent Hideo flying through the air. His back hit the wall and his head soon followed and his body fell to the floor. He jumped up quickly and almost in phases, he was in Masa�s face again. He grappled him and pushed him down to the floor.
He straddled his body and the flamed burned high on his hands. 
He howled out with an earth shattering sound and began to rip at the flesh of his opponent. He shredded Masa�s suit and tore into his chest with claws then burned the flesh closed only, to be ripped open again. Masa�s legs came up and kicked the body off of his. He pushed his own legs back up into the air and pushed himself off of the ground and spun around to face the other man. Blood was pouring out of his chest and the pain was almost too much to handle. To stop the bleeding, Masa brought his own hands up to his chest and burned his own flesh. Hideo watched in ecstasy as he smelled the scent of the Kusanagi flame burning away at Kusanagi flesh.
Iori smelled the sweet scent of the burning flesh. He leered over to Kyo. The two men were bloody and dirty and dripping wet from the storm.
�I smell your father�s flesh being burned.� He hissed with a grin as he stood in the rain, water dripping down from his now solid blades of hair that hung in front of his face.
�My father will never give in to your kind.�
�Maybe your father is stronger than his SON!� Iori ran at the other boy but Kyo dodged his attacked. He spun around and grabbed Iori by the waist and tossed him backwards over his head and into the damp soil.
�My father will ALWAYS be stronger than me. But I will always be stronger than YOU!� Kyo gripped tighter onto Iori�s body and tossed him through the rain that now fell in sheets. Iori�s quick reflexes made his body spin and twist and he landed on his feet.
Without a moment�s rest he charged back towards Kyo as Kyo did the same. They collided in a violent burst of flames and the impact cut through the quiet night like a loud thunderclap that seemed to make the rain stand still for a second in time.
The two bodies were projected through the air and landed, each with a final stare at the other. The two lay on the ground limp, and lifeless.
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Kimiko wandered through the halls and made her way outside. She ran following her puppy to the back of the mansion and found her brothers laying still on the wet soil. She walked over to Iori�s body and then, to Kyo�s. Her puppy sniffed at Kyo�s body and whimpered. It looked up at the little girl then lay down next to the brown haired man. Kimiko stood in the rain in a pure white dress in the middle of that green field. Her body was clear through the white material that clung to her skin. She looked up through the window that the two men had fallen through and she saw a glimpse of a white figure standing there. Kimiko stared at and could have sworn she saw the figure cry.
//She looks... like me//
The figure disappeared and then reappeared behind Kimiko. The girl turned around unafraid and stared into the eyes of the angel. The apparition�s hand reached out and laid a phantom touch on the girl�s cheek. In Kimiko�s mind, she heard the angel�s voice.
//Tonight, an ageless battle ends. There are no victors and there are no losers. You are the last to carry on this legacy. Handle with caution the flames that burn within your soul//
Kimiko stared at the white mist as it faded away, never to be seen again. She heard it whisper in her mind as it floated away from time �Live, my daughter.�
The puppy�s sudden barking called for Kimiko�s attention and she turned to see the two bodies moving, struggling to get up. Their eyes fixed on each other�s and then, they saw Kimiko. The girl stared at her brothers and her eyes began to sparkle. Life was returned to her and her mind, fogged for so long, became clear. She blinked and looked at Kyo, and then Iori. A rush of memories came flooding into her mind and she could see what the truth really was. She felt the battle inside of her heart; the Orochi flame and the Kusanagi flame fighting the other forever inside her veins. For a moment, the young girl returned to life but as soon as it came, it was taken away. A veil of despair was cast over her soul as she realized what would be her eternal struggle. She felt the darkness return once again and the shine faded away from her eyes.
�AAAAAAAARGH!!!!!!!!!� A thick spray of blood splashed across the window on the second floor of Hideo�s office room. Kyo, Iori, and Kimiko�s thoughts met in unison.
//Father//
They all ran into the mansion and up towards the door atop the main staircase. Upon entering they saw Hideo�s body looming over the body of Kyo�s father. Hideo�s eyes were flaming with deep violet and crimson. The blood that oozed out of his lip and nose showed black and thick like mud.
In his fury and lost in his lust for victory, he did not realize that bodies that came through the door. He spun around, blind to their faces, and exploded into a flame so large it filled the room. His unmistakable laughter filled the entire home as the fire exploded and flooded out the door into the main room outside. All of the windows of the mansion lit up with a magnificent royal purple and then, nothing.
The rain began to lighten as the first rays of daylight peaked over the mountaintops. From the foot of the mountains extended a freshly watered field of lush grass with a majestic border of weeping willows and tall evergreens. In the center of the field, a dark mansion sat with a looming presence. Inside, five bodies of royal blood lay lifeless as the cool morning air put out the last flickers of the purple flame. The ageless war was finally over.
Sometimes, stories end this way. Like the last dying ember fading into ash, life can end just as suddenly and with such cruelty it is hard to understand why. The guilty and the innocent are all equal in death. But in life, who determines the outcome? As for Kimiko, the flames that battled inside of her would have killed her eventually. They would have torn her apart from the inside out. Not even the strongest Yagami or Kusanagi could live with both the Orochi and Kusanagi flames boiling in their blood. The battle has finally come to an end. What was once a mighty and peaceful clan will forever be remembered in infamy by one�s struggle for ultimate rule and the other�s struggle for peace. The Yagami estate was torn down since the fire damaged most of the mansion. The loyal servants of the Kusanagi family care for their estate to this very day. With each generation that passes, the legend of the two clans is passed along as well.
Legends never die. And nobody is immortal. And as the angel stated, there are no winners, and no losers. Though we may never know who the true king of fighters is, may they finally, rest in peace. With a tear and a very heavy heart, I bid them, farewell.
Sayonara.
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