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Her heart’s beating increased as she walked further, getting closer to her destination with every step. If her sources were right, then here in the middle of the forest was where she would find him. He was difficult to find. No one had known for sure where he was and so she had spent quite some time chasing clues and locations, only to find he had left already.
But now she was fairly certain she would find him here. It had been so long since they last saw each other. She wondered if he would have changed much. She had. Not so much in looks, she had only gotten older. But she had changed much in attitude, having spent many years trying to deal with her past and getting stronger. She searched and finally found herself.
Finally an open spot in the forest came into view. It was a beautiful place, with a small waterfall and lake near the cabin. Large trees surrounded it. Birds were singing and insects chirping. For a moment Tokito closed her eyes and took in all the sounds and the scent of fresh air. The wind blew through her long blond hair. A smile appeared upon her face. It was so peaceful here.
Suddenly the air around her became freezing cold. She had expected this to happen, but she had not known when. Tokito opened her eyes. She saw how the area around her had become frozen. Her heart skipped a beat. He was here. He truly was here. At last she had found him.
When the doors of the cabin slowly opened Tokito found she held her breath.
Little by little ‘he’ stepped from the shadows into the sunlight. He had not changed much either. Still dressed in the hakama he was known for, his hair, his two swords… Even his eyes were still closed. He had grown up. He had become a man.
All she could do was stare at him. She wasn’t even aware of it she whispered his name. “Akira-san…”
The two-headed dragon walked further away from his cabin, coming closer to her. She didn’t move and waited patiently until he reached her. There were only a few inches between. A smirk was on his face. The same smirk he had shown her during their fight when he held her chin with his thumb and index finger.
She still remembered what he had said to her then. ‘No matter how shocked you are, even your cute face would go to ruins if you express it like that.’
He was the first to discover her first secret. His eyes were open then, thanks to his transformation which made him see further than ever before. They were not closed and blind like they were now. How she longed to see those eyes again.
Akira’s heart skipped a beat as he sensed her presence so close in front of him. “ Tokito-san…”
After all these years they finally stood across each other once more. He could not explain how he felt about being near her again. The memory of their last meeting was still fresh, as if it happened only yesterday. Their fight had been amazing, explosive and lethal. They had both given their all for as far as they knew. Something between them made their emotionless shells crack. They were the same. He remembered how broken Tokito was when she found out about the truth concerning herself. How much had he wanted to take her small, injured form into his arms and comfort her, tell her that she was not nothing. But it had not been the right time. She had to find out for herself. As did he.
Now here she was. She had changed, become stronger. As did he.
She had come to him, as he told her to do after their last battle. ‘If you’re so anguished in your defeat, come to me some day with everything you’ve got.’
The smirk remained on his face. “I sensed you were coming.”
Tokito nodded silently. Her bottom lip trembled. “Yes. I’ve come as you told me to do.”
“Good.” Akira grasped the hilts of his twin swords and pulled them gracefully out of their sheaths. “Are you ready?”
She straightened herself and unsheathed her own two swords. “ Yes. I will give you everything.”
~ ****~
The battle commenced. Tokito and Akira were fighting in a battle between the two of them once more. They were fighting as Tokito and Akira. Not as a member of the Shiseiten, not as a member of the Taishirou. Now they were just themselves. Icecold and stern expressions were on both of their faces. It was just like their old battle, except that they were older, stronger and more experienced than before.
Tokito felt herself growing weaker. She mentally cursed herself and struggled to keep herself upright. It took a lot of her willpower. She didn’t want him to see her true state.
But she forgot that the man she was fighting had an inner sight that could see more than any other human being. Akira stopped his attack and lowered his swords.
Tokito leaned on hers. She shook her head and screamed. “Don’t stop!! Keep fighting!! You have seen nothing yet!! I’m strong, I can take it!!”
Even though Akira thought otherwise, he did continue the fight. “Then you will have it.”
He showed her attacks she was already familiar with and some new ones. It seemed she was even more determined than before. She could kick his butt even worse now. He smirked as they showed each other every tree in the forest.
They fought endlessly until their bodies were broken. Yet their spirits were still strong and knew not of giving up. Clothing was torn to shreds. Both Akira and Tokito were down on their knees. They were breathing heavily, eyes wide open. Their swords were resting at either side of them, dripping with their blood.
Several minutes passed in which both did nothing but stare at each other and catch their breath.
A smirk appeared on Akira’s exhausted face. “That was a good fight.”
Tokito smiled. “Yes.” She coughed a few times and lowered her head. With one of her hands she wiped the blood on her mouth away. The next moment she gasped for breath and passed out.
“Tokito-san!!”
Akira sensed something was very wrong. He had sensed the same thing during the battle. With all the strength that he had left the young samurai dragged himself to Tokito’s side. He knelt down next to her and turned her over to take her into his arms.
“Tokito-san!” He shook her gently, trying to get a response from her.
She was unconscious. Carefully he touched her face and found a great amount of liquid at the corners of her mouth. He tasted a little bit of it. It was blood.
Something was very wrong. None of his attacks could have done this to her. He had sensed her weakness of body already during the battle. Akira held Tokito’s unconscious form close against his body. He gathered his strength and lifted her. Then he carried her into his cabin.
“Dear God,” he prayed silently. “Let her be alright.”
While he placed her onto his bed and helped her out of her clothes, Akira thought about what was wrong with Tokito. He had seen this before and Shihoudo had told him about it. Muramasa and his sister Hikito had it too: the Shi no Yami, the Mibu disease. And Tokito was their niece and daughter. It was clear to him then that Tokito was also afflicted with it.
Gently Akira ran his hands through Tokito’s blond hair. He wrapped her into his sleeping yukata, after he cleaned and bandaged her wounds. Then he took to tending his own injuries and lowered his haori. Just when he was washing his hands he sensed her stirring. Swiftly he turned around to see that she was trying to sit upright.
Akira pushed her back, gently but firmly. “You need to rest, Tokito-san.”
“I’m fine,” she bit at him. “I can handle wounds from battle.”
“I know you are strong.” His voice was soft and gentle. There was no trace of coldness like he would have sometimes. He knew how she felt. It was somewhat similar to how he felt when he was told that he had reached his limit. Except that she was dealing with something that would kill her.
Tokito’s bottom lip trembled. She turned away from Akira and stared at the floor. “You know?” she asked distantly.
“Yes,” he answered. Short but simple.
“I didn’t want you to know!” She cried. Tears ran down her cheeks. “ I had to prove to you that I was strong and worthy. Now you know I’m weak, that I’m still nothing!”
Akira shook his head. He turned her towards him. Tokito’s mouth was opened, but no sound emerged from her throat. Especially now she saw that Akira was slowly opening his eyes. All she could do was stare at him. He looked at her intently. “No, you are strong, Tokito-san. You didn’t let this disease stop you from getting stronger and fight me.”
Tokito still had tears running down her face. She placed her hands on his shoulders. “But this disease will kill me. It killed my mother and it killed my uncle.”
He gently wiped her tears away. “You will not have to endure this disease and face death alone. By God, I swear that I will stand by you.”
She looked into his eyes and and knew he meant it. A smile appeared upon her face again. Then she finally did something she had wanted to do for a long time. She threw herself into Akira’s arms and held onto him for dear life.
Akira sighed contently and held Tokito close against his chest. Finally he had reached his other goal. He could face a new future with Tokito at his side, for as long as she was meant to be by his side. Whatever was in store for him and her, he would take care of her and protect her.
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Shi no Yamai - Chapter 1
Shi no Yamai
by Lhunuial
Profile • Send Private Msg • Artwork • Writing
Libraries: Action, Alternate Universe, One Shots, Romance, Samurai Deeper Kyo
Published on Aug 10, 2007 12:31 am / 1 Chapter(s) / 0 Review(s)
Updated on Aug 10, 2007 12:31 am
Tokito meets up with Akira to fulfull a promise made long ago.
Chapters
Chapter 1
Chapter 1
Author: Lhunuial/Risque/Akai-no-Akuma
Fandom: Samurai Deeper Kyo
Characters: Akira, Tokito
Pairing: Akira x Tokito
Genre: Drama, angst, romance
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Many years after her battle with Akira, Tokito comes to Akira for a re-match. But she bears another horrible secret. AU.
Disclaimer: Samurai Deeper Kyo, all characters, places, and related terms are the sole property of Akimine Kamijyo. No profit is made from this story, written and posted with the utmost respect for Kamijyo and his work, and no infringement is intended.
