A Guardian's Possession

“Kamui?” Shinbe whispered as he reached out and gently touched the swirling color on the surface of the orb.

The second his hand touched the sphere, the conflict inside stabilized for a moment… turning pure. Shinbe’s eyes slid closed as he took Kamui's essence inside him, letting it build. All of Kamui’s pure love and innocence… all his concealed malice, also the untamed power he drew from those feelings.

Kamui opened his eyes feeling someone there, but all he could see was the cage he had built around himself. Through the thick walls, he could see an amethyst aura and knew Shinbe was there. “Don’t look…” He whispered as he lowered his head, “…I don’t want you to see the truth.”

He could hear Kamui’s heartbreaking request. While the link between him and Kamui was so strong, Shinbe used his telepathic power to reach out to him through the barrier. He laid his forehead against the shield and pressed his palms on each side… making his muscles push and pull at the same time.

Sending his voice inside Kamui’s barrier, Shinbe tried to reason with him. “Kamui, let it go… you do not need to fight Hyakuhei on your own. Not like this. We will do it as brothers… together. But right now there is someone who needs us more. Kyoko needs you Kamui.”

“Kyoko? But… I am not a true brother,” Kamui cried from inside his cell. He could see his own reflection and it was disturbing as black eyes stared back at him. “I’ll never be that… regardless of how much I want it… need it. You don’t know what’s inside me trying to come out. What if I hurt her?”

Shinbe’s amethyst eyes watered in understanding. “Let it go Kamui. That knowledge has been buried and forgotten for a reason. You had a choice and you chose us. You are my brother… a guardian to Kyoko. We protect her with everything we are… even if we have to forget where we come from.”

“But… it’s a lie!” Kamui cried out then became shock still as he heard Hyakuhei’s voice taunt him from afar. ‘You belong to me… child. So does your priestess.’

Shinbe could hear Hyakuhei’s voice within the barrier and it angered him. “Do you want him to put those same chains on Kyoko that you once wore!?” Shinbe yelled, trying to make Kamui listen to reason. “Fight the memories for her sake. Bury them deep inside and never look back. You can choose your own destiny! You do not have to become him! Think of Kyoko damn it.”

“Kyoko?” A tear fell from Kamui’s cheek as he looked down and watched it shatter with its glittering color. If he was truly his father… his tears would be black as night or crimson even … not the shattering array of light he saw now. He envisioned Kyoko struggling against Hyakuhei and knew what had to be done. The only way he could ever win against such an evil was to become evil… but he would never betray his priestess that way. He loved her too much.

Shinbe took a step back from the sphere as it started to rise several feet off the ground. The blue aura surrounding it glittered like diamonds as the light within became so bright it overpowered it.

“You cannot have me or her. Once again Hyakuhei… I deny you,” Kamui whispered just as the sphere shattered.

Several miles away, Hyakuhei’s eyes flashed red in anger as he heard Kamui’s words and he answered, “You cannot conceal the truth for long boy… you and I are the same.“

Shinbe ran forward to catch Kamui as he fell. The boy was passed out cold. His amethyst eyes widened with his smile seeing the colorful glitter that fell from his translucent wings. He hugged Kamui to him knowing everything would be all right… least for now. He had somehow forgotten the darkness once again.

“Welcome back Kamui,” He grinned as the boys eyes, too many colors to count, opened to stare up at him in confusion.

*****

“I just don’t get it… why would Kyou all of a sudden decide he wants Kyoko?” Suki paced back and forth annoyed because she wasn’t out there helping to bring her friend back.

Sennin rubbed his temple as he looked at his daughter, “Suki please sit down. You are making me dizzy.” He grabbed up a stick and poked at the fire as he continued. “Kyou is a guardian… therefore Kyoko is safe with him. As for him wanting her… well if he does then it is already out of his hands.”

Suki turned to glare at Sennin. “What do you mean by that? He isn’t a child. He can control what he does!”

Sennin stared into the fire and stated, “If it is his guardian blood that has chosen her, then even Kyou has no choice.”

“What do you mean he has no choice?” Suki demanded. “It’s against everything the Guardians stand for to take that privilege from anyone, much less their priestess. Besides, if Kyou did like Kyoko all along, then why didn’t he say something before instead of stealing her away like a thief?”

Sennin smiled, “For the same reasons our friend Shinbe has kept his silence.”

Suki felt her face heat up and turned away from her father. “Why would Shinbe want to keep quiet about liking someone? He’d never had a problem speaking his mind before… or keeping his hands to himself for that matter.” She cringed.

“Perhaps the reason Shinbe has kept his silence is due to the one thing that keeps any man quiet for the one they secretly adore… fear of rejection.” He cocked an eyebrow knowing he spoke the truth.

Suki stared at her father like he’d grown a second head. “You mean Shinbe loves Kyoko… and never got up the guts to tell her?” The thought made Suki’s chest hurt and eyesight go all watery.

Suki suddenly grabbed her head, rubbing the spot where Sennin had just brained her with her own bayonet.

“Stop being daft girl,” Sennin muttered, placing the bayonet back on the floor of the hut. “Young people and their obliviousness.” He paused in thought for a moment… secretly reminiscing about his own ‘oblivious’ moments with Suki’s mother. ‘Ah, the memories.’

*****

The talisman within the dream master blazed to life as it felt Hyakuhei and Kyoko both slip within the walls of sleep. This was when he gained enough freedom to gaze into both their souls and find things they had both forgotten or never had the power to remember, the other side of their souls.

The dream demon’s black eyes opened wide as he looked into that world and brought his victims into it. Even the protective barrier around the girl was not strong enough to keep him out.

*****

Dreams were a strange enigma indeed but when you awaken within a dream, you no longer know you are still lost within your own mind… that’s just beyond strange. Kyoko came into that same haze, feeling like she was wrapped in a blanket of warmth. Resisting the urge to open her eyes, she snuggled closer.

Everything was so quiet except for the heartbeat that sounded so strong and calm pressed against her ear.

Her eyes shot open knowing she was not supposed to be sleeping with anyone. Kyoko’s startled gaze came in contact with a bare chest. She noticed the lean muscles underneath flawless skin and tendrils of long dark silky hair that lay in waves across his ribs. Her gaze curiously followed the ebony locks upward to the flawless face… Hyakuhei.

She bit her lower lip feeling a blush spread across her cheeks. What was she doing lying with him? Seeing his eyes were still closed, she quickly looked back down between them to make sure he was wearing pants. Thank god, other than his missing shirt they were both still dressed.

‘It’s just Hyakuhei… he is my guardian… right?’ She reminded herself stubbornly. Trying to remember how they got there… she drew a blank. As a matter of fact, she couldn’t remember the last thing she had done and frowned softly as she glanced back up at him.

‘That’s right… I was falling and he saved me.’ Her lips parted when her eyes locked with his, he was awake and staring quietly at her. Her hand was still pressed against his chest. She could feel the same heartbeat strong and steady that she had heard only moments before. Her attention lowered to his lips before reluctantly pulling her gaze away.

She slowly sat up, feeling his gaze follow her as she did so. Now that they were no longer touching, she wondered at the cold emptiness that rushed in to steal her warmth.

Hyakuhei watched her awaken and sensing no fear, he waited for her to rise. He craved this. He liked her conflicting scent… her purity clashing with his own evil aura. His dark eyes were drawn to the pink that now tinted her cheeks. It made him wonder what she was thinking. As he watched her take in the solitude of the cave, he could tell she did not like the confinement of its walls.

“Where are we?” Kyoko turned away from him to look at the small opening of the cave and felt a slight fear seeing the cold darkness that lay beyond it. She took a hesitant step back wishing she could still hear his heartbeat and feel the security she had woken with.

Hyakuhei rose up behind her and wrapped his arms securely around her when he felt her fear spike. “Do not worry my pet. I brought you here to keep you safe from the demons who want the guardian heart crystal.” He nuzzled her hair with his cheek. “I will always protect you and keep you… safe.” his lips hinted in a secret smile that she couldn’t see.

Kyoko closed her eyes and tilted her head to give into his soft caress as she nodded. That sounded like it was the right answer though she didn’t remember the demons that had given chase. “Oh, okay.” she whispered as she sank into his warmth.

"Kyoko, would you like to go outside? I would like to show you something." He slid his palm slowly down her arm until her small hand was within his.

Kyoko wondered why she felt so weak. ‘Yes, sunshine… That’s what she needed to clear her head.’ For some reason, she felt out of place but couldn’t put her finger on the dilemma. She only nodded to Hyakuhei, trusting him to take her out of this dark beautiful dungeon.

Hyakuhei tightened his strong arm around Kyoko pressing her to his side and rose above the stone floor. In turn, he felt her wrap her arms around him, clinging to him so she wouldn’t fall.

"I will not ever let you go Kyoko," He whispered in her ear as he touched her chin gently knowing she would not hear the double meaning within his words. Her face turned up to his and she loosened her hold. He glided out of the cave and then straight up but not too fast so he wouldn’t frighten her. He landed on the soft ground in the sunlight.

Kyoko looked around at the leaves. The forest offered speckled shade to them and everything was so bright as her emerald eyes adjusted to the light. She let go and took a step out of the circle of his arms. What was she doing here? What was she missing? She glanced at Hyakuhei still feeling a little confused. Wasn’t she looking for something she had lost?

"Kyoko, will you still help me find the fragments of the guardian heart crystal before the demons can use them to break through the portal?" He watched as her eyes lit up in understanding. He was glad she didn’t yet remember her true guardians. The spell he had on her was strong and as long as nothing prompted the memory, the enchantment wouldn’t confuse her.

Kyoko smiled. Yes, that’s what she was here for. Looking for the talisman.

"Yes Hyakuhei. The shards. I almost forgot." She closed her eyes and tried to detect any of the crystals untainted energy nearby. After a moment, her eyes opened and she pointed. "About half a mile that way Hyakuhei and its alone." She smiled glad it wasn’t inside a demon… well, not that she could tell.

She let him take her back into his strong arms as he lifted them off the ground and took them in the direction she indicated.

They found the fragment quickly and when he asked to hold it for her, she didn’t think twice about giving it to him, although something gnawed at her memory. She sighed, closing her eyes again and instantly detected another fragment… but this time it wasn’t alone. This time it was contaminated with darkness.

She reached behind her for her crossbow but her hand came up empty. She frowned wondering where she had left it as she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Kyoko, do not worry. I will keep you safe. Just tell me where it is." He knew she was looking for her weapon but that was a memory he also wanted her to forget. He knew the power behind the spirit darts and it was a power he did not want near him.

He let her show him the direction of the shard and that led him to a shadow demon that was feeding off the power of the sliver of crystal. Pushing Kyoko behind him, Hyakuhei cast a barrier around her so she would be safe while he pretended to fight the demon. It was such a splendid creature and its power was enormous now that it had the talisman within it.

It may have been a simple shadow demon once upon a time, but now… now it resembled a black dragon. It would be a shame to just kill the beast but he could not take it into his own body and savor its powers in front of Kyoko. She wouldn’t understand and it may trigger the memory that he was indeed the enemy.

Using his powers over demons, Hyakuhei made quick work of ending its life. Seeing the splinter of crystal fall, he picked it up feeling the small slice of power Kyoko had just unknowingly given to him.

The corners of his lips turned up as he looked back at Kyoko. Releasing her from the protection barrier, he once again took her in his arms. He knew he was deceiving her into being with him but suddenly he didn’t want it to be a lie. Leaning down toward her to block out the rest of the world, he lowered his lips to hers.

*****

Hyakuhei’s growl echoed as he reached out toward the darkness just as the dream ended. The haunting laugh of the dream master was the only thing that greeted him within the cave as he watched the flames from the fire turn several shades of color before the licking flames twisted into a dark shade of black to match his mood.

How dare the dream tempt him so… making him notice the loneliness.

Chapter 6 “Deadly Escape”

Kyoko awoke with a start just as the memories of what had happened came rushing back to her like a confused tidal wave. She could almost swear that she could hear the echo of Hyakuhei’s angry roar as she slipped away from the dream and it gave her cold chills. It was his scream still ringing in her ears leaving her eyes wide with shock.

The dream had found her again and somehow she knew it was waiting for her to close her eyes once more. Her fingers trailed up to softly touch her lips and something within her wondered if she fell asleep again… if the dream would start out with that same kiss. She wrapped her arms around herself, strangely missing the heat.

Wondering how long she had been sleeping, she glanced toward the window. From the height of the moon and all the stars she could see it was still the middle of the night but getting closer to dawn with every heartbeat. It was no wonder her mind was trying to make Hyakuhei her savior when her real savior was becoming so dangerous. This was all Kyou’s fault.

So much had happened in such a short amount of time that she wasn’t surprised she’d cried herself to sleep. Her mind and body wouldn’t let her sleep but only a few minutes at a time till she found a way out of this mess. It was already getting hard to decipher what was reality and what lay only within her own mind.

‘Just who the hell did Kyou think he was?’ Kyoko mentally lashed out as she rose up on her elbows. She needed to get away from this place and him as soon as possible.

Looking around for something to wear, Kyoko spotted a white silk robe lying on a low table by the large pillow. Her gaze roamed the rest of the room hoping to find something more to wear. She knew the silk of the robe wouldn’t provide her much covering and this was the north for heaven’s sake… She would freeze.

Blowing her bangs upward in disappointment, she climbed across the pillow and stood reaching for the robe. Slipping it on, she marveled at the silky softness of it against her skin. It was so light it felt as if she hadn’t put anything on. If she hadn’t been a captive here… she might have actually liked this place.

Tying the silk around her, Kyoko snuck to the window and looked out already planning her escape. The moonlight provided enough light to see by but enough darkness to maybe try to get away.

Leaning out the window, she looked down the three-story drop in denial. Seeing the deep crevices in the outer rock wall, her lips quirked in a childish smile. She knew after being with Toya for so long that she would be able to climb down. “Hopefully without falling,” she contradicted herself in a whisper.

She had to run as far away from Kyou as possible before he took something from her that she was not offering.

Kyoko sighed inwardly as she made a silent wish. ‘Toya… I need you.’ The words seemed to echo within her and somehow she felt maybe… just maybe Toya had heard her. Memories untold seeped through her mind… Toya would never let her fall. Her lips parted in wonder for a moment before she shook the feeling off as imagination.

She gripped the windowsill to steady her nerves. Straightening her shoulders and finding her courage, she decided she wasn’t holding out for a savior because even she knew Kyou was a force to reckon with. She really didn’t want Toya putting himself in that kind of danger. She also knew the longer she waited, the more of a chance Toya would try to rescue her.

Kyoko climbed up on the ledge and threw her legs over. Turning around, she slowly felt for footing in the wall. She grimaced when the stone felt like it was cutting into her bare feet, but she would go through anything just to escape.

As carefully as she could, she made her way down the side of the castle. What took only a few fleeting moments felt like hours. She spent the whole climb fearing being caught, but when her feet finally touched the ground all other thoughts fled except getting as far away as possible.

Looking up at the window, she backed away from the wall half expecting to see Kyou appear and snatch her up again. She couldn’t go through another one of his ‘punishments’ as he called it.

That thought spurred her into action. Kyoko turned and ran like Hyakuhei’s demons were after her through the surrounding maze of gardens and statues. Without stopping her headlong rush for freedom, her eyes took everything in, marveling at the surreal beauty of it even within the darkness.

Only the fear of being found by Kyou kept her going when her lungs started burning and her legs cramped. She was startled when she made it to the end of the grounds only to find a very potent barrier shimmering with a luminous blue hue. She knew it would take all her priestess powers to break through something Kyou himself had made.

Once more she looked over her shoulder at the imposing structure Kyou called home. There was no doubt in her mind he would know what she was doing if the barrier was brought down. She only needed to make an opening just big enough to let her through.

Biting her bottom lip, she reached out one shaky hand and touched the surface of the barrier to test its strength and was rewarded with a slight shock wave that passed warningly through her body. It didn’t hurt her… instead; it felt like the barrier was trying to tell her that there was unknown danger on the other side and for her to stay inside where it was safe.

She smiled in surprise realizing the shield was more for protection than to cause bodily harm… at least from the inside of the barrier. She had no doubt that if someone or something tried to get in from the outside without permission … that’s where the pain would be.

She gave pause as the dream came back to her… the barrier Hyakuhei had placed around her for protection from the dragon he had fought… it also was only to keep her safe and she had felt safe… strange that she would think so softly toward the enemy.

“I mean no harm… please,” Kyoko whispered as she again touched the barrier. To her amazement, an opening appeared and she quickly stepped through the milky-blue mist just as the shield closed behind her. It had given her exactly what she needed.

Turning around to see if the barrier had really closed behind her to erase the fact that she had escaped, Kyoko was startled to only find a desolate overgrown forest and no lush grounds or castle anywhere in site. It looked as if gloom and sadness had descended to silence all living within its tangled web of limbs.

Would Kyou know if someone breached the barrier he had placed around his home? Would some kind of alarm go off to alert him? She felt fear slither across her at the very thought of what he would do when he found her missing after warning her not to leave. Kyoko cocked a shaky eyebrow knowing she wasn’t going to be stupid enough to wait around to find out if the ice prince had a sense of humor or not.

From there, she ran as fast as she could over the unstable ground and toward the unknown. Kyoko could feel the undergrowth of the forest tearing at her robe and skin. She ignored the branches as one scraped her cheek and others caught her hair and legs as her headlong flight continued.

Her feet were screaming at her to stop as she continuously stepped on small pebbles and thorns. She could feel trickles of liquid running down her arms and legs but didn’t look to see if it was sweat or blood. If she stopped he would catch her!

Looking back over her shoulder to make sure she wasn’t being pursued, Kyoko realized in the darkness of the forest… he could have been right behind her and she would never have seen him. The thought was chilling and made her move faster.

She didn’t really know where she was, but on instinct, she stayed straight and prayed she was getting farther from the castle and from the possessive guardian that Kyou had become. Her foot caught on something stiff and the ground came up hard and fast. The impact made her disoriented for a few seconds, her breathing fast and shallow.

Staying on hands and knees, Kyoko tried to catch her breath and slow her pounding heartbeat. Her body ached and she knew there were more wounds on her knees… they stung as only skinned knees can. She listened to the sounds around her and noticed the sounds had stopped… that frightened her.

Kyoko looked down at herself and saw that the white robe she had on was glowing in the moonlight. She gritted her teeth realizing that from a distance she would look like a light in the heart of darkness.

Swiftly, with shaking hands, she discarded the shimmering white material knowing she would have no covering but also that she would have a better chance at not being detected and recaptured. Kyoko tossed the silky robe away and took off again through the darkness of the forest, praying that the reason the forest was quiet wasn’t because Kyou had followed her.

More limbs cut into her bare skin as she ran but she paid no heed. Turning her head while she was running, Kyoko looked over her shoulder feeling like something was closing in on her. She didn’t see the ledge where the ground disappeared… coming back into view several hundred feet below.

Turning her head back just in time to see herself take the fatal step, the next thing Kyoko knew, she was falling. She didn’t even scream as she fell… it would do her no good. The same feeling she had during the dream came back… she had fallen inside the dark cave but Hyakuhei had saved her.

“Hyakuhei,” she closed her eyes wishing he was there.

Then she felt it, the arm coming around her from behind. She could tell by the touch that it wasn’t Hyakuhei and she screamed in panic. Thinking it was Kyou; she clawed at the arm not noticing the shirtsleeve was the wrong color.

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