You In My Nightmare: Things Fall Apart

The smell of blood was thick in the air as Fawks walked down the hall to Sessho-maru’s study. So it really had turned out this way after all.

He pushed open the door at her approach, his robes soaked through with blood. Their eyes met but his expression was unreadable.

“Have someone clean this up…” he said as he passed her. Fawks didn’t even flinch as she gazed into the bloody room. The walls were splattered with garish red, pieces of Itnasha lay here and there, dripping noisily from the ceiling. Fawks had known this would happen, Itnasha knew it too.

She had begged him not to go to the palace, to let her try to talk some sense into Sessho-maru if that was even possible. But Itnasha had merely smiled, kissed her and told her he loved her. He said goodbye to Tensei, swinging her into his arms as he always did, as if he would be back in a matter of hours.

She was growing sick of people loving her. Sick of them not being able to live without her, sick that Itnasha decided to die if he couldn’t have her.

“…did he even fight back?” she asked.

Sessho-maru paused, “No, he did not”

“…he didn’t mark me, you know. I didn’t let him…”

“I know, if he had…I would have made him suffer more” he growled out disappearing down the hallway.

Tensei was despondent as she sat in her room, staring unseeingly into the opposite wall.

“Your…friends came by again today…” Fawks began. She didn’t reply, it had only been a week since Itnasha’s funeral. Fawks had told her he died while protecting their lord, only the private guard knew the truth.

Sessho-maru had flown into a rage and tore Itnasha to shreds, though they still didn’t know why. Fawks sighed sadly, turning away. Ginzo and Mamezou awaited her in the front room.

Ginzo was very tall and broad with scars all over his face. His eyes were predatory, slitted like a cat’s. Despite his gruesome appearance he was a good soldier and cared deeply for Tensei and her parents. Mamezou was a sprightly youth with dark hair and his sister’s silver eyes.

“You’re sure Sessho-maru won’t need you?”

“He’s dismissed us for the time being” Ginzo nodded, “I wish you’d let one of us come with you, my lady…”

Fawks shook her head, “It would look suspicious…I don’t want anyone to know where I’m going and I don’t want Ten to be alone…”

Ginzo looked away, blushing slightly. If he was being honest with himself, he had been jealous when his lordship had given her to Itnasha. Fawks was strong and capable but also beautiful and so distinctly feminine. With Itnasha’s death, he’d been hoping to be next to woo her. But now was definitely not the time for that.

“Be careful, Fawks-san” Mamezou said.

She smiled, ruffling his hair, “I’ll be fine, just take care of my girl”

The boy nodded shyly, he also loved her in his own way. Fawks had taken the time to train him while others had thought him hopeless and now he was part of Lord Sessho-maru’s private guard. Even when he’d treated her coldly for having been Sessho-maru’s lover while his sister was engaged to him, she had treated him as if they were family. He had been more then willing to return the favor, adoring Tensei as if she were his own sister.

“I’ll be back soon…thanks for this…” she smiled softly, closing the door behind her.

“…poor Fawks-san…” Mamezou sighed.

“I still can’t help but wonder what made Sessho-maru-sama snap like that…” Ginzo began.

“Shh…!” Ten-chan’s in the next room! She might hear you!” Mamezou hissed.

“It’s not like she’d know what I was talking about…” Ginzo grumbled.

Mamezou knocked on her door, “Ten-chan? It’s me and Gin, we wanted to see how you were doing…”

When there was no reply, he pushed open the door. The room sat horribly empty.

“Tensei?!”

“What the…where’d she go?!” Ginzo barked.

“I dunno but we’d better find her…! Fawks-san will have our heads for this!”