Fan Fiction ❯ Stars ❯ Picklement ( Chapter 4 )

Picklement

~*~

That damned screeching noise wouldn't stop; Kiyoshi was on the verge of killing all of them birds outside. Since when were birds out of tune? He burst through the front door, grabbed a handful of rocks, and began to chuck them at the birds until they all flew away.

Before he turned around he heard someone jump from the roof behind him. Naturally he took it as a threat and turned around with his arm out ready to slam whoever the intruder was across the face. Nobody with that sort of stealth could've been good news.

His arm was blocked by whoever was standing behind him. Blocked so easily! Almost in disbelief he turned to face Michi. She looked at him like he was insane.

"Perhaps you should make sure I'm a bad guy before you strike?" She shrugged her shoulders and turned to walk into the house.

"How'd you do that? You blocked me with your arm! Your arm shouldn't have been able to handle that!" He followed her into the house looking dumbfounded at his arm. She turned to face him again and giggled at the look on his face.

"You shouldn't walk around looking like that ya know." She held out the arm she blocked his with. Her skin was red... not even a bruise tainted her arm.

"Yea, yea, whatever." He rolled his eyes and walked by her to go to the bedroom. He had left his weapons in there the night before and felt vulnerable without them. He looked at Michi's futon and noticed it didn't look like it had been slept in; the covers hadn't been pulled down even though they were a little ruffled.

"Did you sleep on the roof?"

Michi winked at him before walking to the kitchen.

"I guess that means yes."

~*~

Kimi ran down the shrine steps. Where had that loud bang come from? She jumped into the trees and skipped from branch to branch looking to see if the shrine grew a back door. No one ever mentioned another way into the building and she never saw one when she used to water the plants around the building.

She jumped to a lower branch behind the building and looked carefully. The dirt had been moved... and whaddya know, there was a door back there! She walked over to it silently; not a single twig snapped.

As she was getting closer she heard a sudden yell coming from wherever the door led. Without hesitation she pulled back one of the doors and jumped down. It slammed shut behind her.

"Who's down here?" she called.

She grabbed her manrikigusari* and spun one end in her hand as she looked around, waiting for her eyes to get used to the darkness.

"He's at your left." Some voice said across the room.

"And who the hell are you?"

"What business of that is yours, kill that thing and go away!"

"Thing?" at that moment she felt something large breathing on her, indeed from her left.

She swung the end spike of her weapon towards the left, and it made contact with something. Whatever that something was, it wasn't happy about it. The thing had claws, and Kimi learned the painful way.

She was facing left, `looking' at the frame of the thing before her. It wasn't small. It lashed out at her with its right hand and she held the spikes of her weapon in both hands and used the chain in-between as a defense shield.

But his left claw swiped her against the top of her chest, missing her throat by an inch. She jumped back and ducked down, then launched her weapon once again at the monster. She had thrown the weapon upwards hoping to hit him in the throat or face.

Apparently she aimed well because in mid-growl, the monster went ridged and fell backwards. Once his large body hit the ground a cloud of dust and dirt filled the room. Kimi pulled the spike from the thing and looked over to where she had heard the voice earlier.

"Who the hell are you?" She spun the spike next to her as it gained speed it made a whistling noise. "I'm serious, answer me."

~*~

This is exactly what he needed at this moment; some chick who thought she was some sort of warrior. He rolled his eyes, not that she could see him, and ignored her question. He faced his still trapped hand. It didn't hurt as much anymore; probably thanks to the nice gash that thing had left on his left shoulder.

He was sure it was infected or something; that thing wasn't clean. Kiyoshi shuddered at the thought. He heard that girl walk closer and the whistle from her weapon kept getting a little higher in pitch.

"Would you knock it off? That pathetic excuse for a weapon is giving me a migraine."

He heard the whistling stop and felt a quick swoosh of air. His head was tugged towards the door violently and he gritted his teeth.

Was someone in the heavens trying to plague him with bad luck?

"Get that damned spike out of my hair and get the hell out of here, I already have enough problems."

He was now a little concerned, did she mean to grab his hair with the spike and pin him to the door? Or had she missed? Of course had you asked him if he was even the slightly nervous, he would've glared at you and denied it up, down, and around.

"Ugh I missed."

Nanashi swallowed that lump in his throat, which he blamed on the dirt that fowl beast had stirred up. Maybe she had meant to hit that hairy thing he touched a few moments ago? Doubtful since she didn't know it even existed.

"Look girl, you're really starting to piss-" The spike was yanked by the chain and fell from his hair. He heard the whistle as it spun again and thought over the facts quickly.

Me...

Stuck...

Girl...

Obvi ously PMSing...

Survival rate at this point...

Slim to nil...

Nanashi sighed. "Alright alright, calm down. My name is Nanashi and I'm currently stuck in this here door."

The whistling stopped and he heard her walk closer. Preparing for the worst Nanashi put his hand back on the hilt of his sword.

~*~

"So that's my plan, Nori." Michi finished by patting him on the head.

"You cant just go out there on your own to kill some person... You don't even know if it's a man or woman, let alone what sort of power it posses!!"

Kiyoshi just looked at her. "Come on, that makes no sense! You can't just go out looking for someone you don't even know. You don't know anything! Name, sex, age... that's a little tough."

"I know I know, but I'll figure out something ok, I have to do this."

"I'll go with you then."

The girl looked over to the elder boy with an eyebrow raised.

"I don't think so."

"Why not?!"

"'Cause this is my problem, not yours."

Kiyoshi rolled his eyes. "I'm going, and you can't stop me."

"Whatever. I'm going out for a bit. I'll be back later."

Michi left the house and went into the market. She bought a new outfit and then a few things she would need on her journey; like a canteen and a good bag that was sturdy but wouldn't get in the way. She bought a lot of other things, but too many to bother naming.

When she returned to the house the boys were playing some game in the main room. She walked by while looking at her new clothes.

"I'm gonna change, so don't walk in." She slid the door shut and immediately stripped from her dirty burnt dress.

~*~

Kimi stood next to the boy. She didn't know why his fist was in the door. Probably `cause he was trying to break it down. Maybe he couldn't reach the other doors when that thing came in so he tried to get out this way.

She wrapped her hand around the wrist that was caught in the door, and then used one of the spikes of her manrikigusari to break the wood around his hand. She took a step back to let the boy free himself.

"All better?"

The boy said nothing. Kimi just rolled her eyes. She turned and walked back to the doors; she pushed up on one as she walked up the stairs. Finally she made it outside and began to walk into the trees.

The loud crunches behind her told her Nanashi was following her outside.

"What were you doing down there?"

"I was tryin' to get into this shrine thing."

The boy stomped off towards the front door; he'd bust them down somehow. Kimi followed him to the door and realized he had meant to break the thing down. He rolled up his sleeves and jumped up to kick it.

"Don't!" Kimi shouted as she threw her weapon at the boy. It wrapped around his foot, stopping the kick, but not causing him to fall. He put his foot down and she pulled the chain loose.

Kimi walked in front of him blocking his path to the door.

"What's your business with this place?"

A sinister smirk was planted on Nanashi's face, and it made Kimi a little nervous. Maybe she shouldn't mess with him? He moved from the steps so fast he was practically a blur. Then Kimi felt someone grab her from behind.

Nanashi grabbed the girl by her hair, then grabbed the hand holding her weapon. She was defenseless now. He turned her to face the door and approached it slowly.

"Open the door."

Kimi didn't move or say anything.

"I won't repeat myself, do it or I snap your neck."

He tugged on her crimson hair for effect. Still she didn't move. He slowly turned her head to the side, and she winced as it started to become painful.

"Open it bitch; do you really want to die out here like this? Just because you were being stubborn?"

Kimi eyed the handle and gave into defeat. She grabbed it and yanked the door open. Nanashi pushed her inside and let the door close behind him. Once in the center of the shrine room he pushed the girl to her knees and yanked the weapon from her hands.

"Now, to be sure you stay here to let me out..."

He grabbed the back of her neck and using the right amount of pressure knocked the girl out easily. He laid her gently on the floor and walked on.

"Now, it has to be around here somewhere... it wasn't at Masuyo's home."

~*~

Michi had packed her bag, sharpened her pudao and her new shurikens, and made sure her canteen was full. She had everything set to start the journey the next day.

She stepped into the main room and immediately all eyes were on her. She had bought a brush in the market earlier and had combed out that rats nest on her head, then pulled it up into a nice ponytail.

The shorter strands of hair that didn't reach or became loose quickly fell around her face. Her new outfit complimented her curves but was very suitable for fighting. The bottoms were capris of a light blue colour and a simple flower design on them. The top was long and hung down to her mid thighs. The shirt was a darker blue than the capris but not too much.

Kiyoshi blinked several times to be sure he was seeing what he thought he was seeing. Michi looked wonderful, all cleaned and primped. She sure did clean up well. She looked innocent and intimidating all at the same time.

The three kids ate dinner together, forgetting their troubles and just enjoying the moment. Michi knew this would be the last time she would see Nori for a while. She would miss the boy, and she was pretty sure he'd miss her.

Once dinner was over they all said their goodnights and went to their rooms. Michi sat on her futon and stared out of the window until she was sure everyone had fallen asleep. Silently she threw the bag over her shoulder, put her jacket on, and grabbed her pudao.

She walked to the window, stabbed the ground with her weapon and climbed out. Sliding the pudao into the holder on her back she made her way past her old burned home and into the trees.

She didn't look back at the village and hoped that one day she would be able to return.

~*~

Kiyoshi went to his room then straight to his window. With ease he climbed onto the roof, then stared at the constellations in the everlasting sky. The moon was bright this night and set a nice welcoming glow in the sky and across the sleeping village.

He wondered just how Michi had planned on finding this unknown assassin. Did she know more than she let on? Probably not, she had no reason to hide anything from her friends.

He sat there for a good thirty minutes, then he heard one of the doors or windows open. Kiyoshi didn't move knowing whoever it was would be in view in only a moment; he'd just wait. Then he saw Michi walking from the house all set up as if going on a journey.

Leaving early?

He jumped from the roof and followed her silently. As he passed the yard where he saved Michi, he noticed his cloak was still balled up on the ground where he last left it. He grabbed it and put it on happily. He had figured it was taken by one of the villagers.

Kiyoshi followed Michi into the trees, the moon's glow made it easy for him to keep track of her. But the deeper they got the darker it became.

~*~

Manrikigusari* A chain with two spike like things on each end. I decided to have Kimi wield two different ones of these. One long chain and one short chain.

~*~

wow 4 chapters in what 2-3 days? That like a record for me o.o Plus! These chapters are `longish' so it's like a double whammy.

I just scared the crap outta myself with a 6" clown >.> omg Clowns are the scariest things ever >.<

-Edited/Proofread as always by Ansem ^.~