InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Hidden Past, Hidden Self ❯ Encounter Sesshomaru ( Chapter 22 )

I do not own any of the InuYasha characters in this fanfic. But I do own the main character and her soon to be boyfriend; the other made up ones belong to my friends. Steph owns Mika and Nakura, Nicky owns Michi and Ori, and Danielle owns Yuki.

Last time on Hidden Past Hidden Self:

The argument continued back and forth like that as Setsuna stood opposite the hanyou's. “Hey, am I gonna help train or just stand here and watch you argue?” Neither of the dogs answered as they were too busy arguing with each other and it was just starting to heat up. Kane's sword was sheathed again, but she had her claws outstretched and her brother was cracking his knuckles. So, he gave up and walked over to where the girls were sitting. “Anything good over here?”

 

“No…” All three answered in exasperated tones.

 

“Oh, um is there anything to do?”

 

“What's the matter cat, bored?” Mika looked over at him.

 

“Duh, those two are too busy arguing again to train.” Setsuna sat beside Yuki.

 

“You know what would help her finish her training? Getting some real experience by leaving here and going on an adventure.” Yuki said matter-of-factly.

 

Mika sat up straight. “Yuki, that's it!”

***

“That's not what I meant and you know it!” Yuki transformed into her battle black and blue striped body suit; it was so tight on her that it looked to be a second skin. “Besides, the `training' you do with her is nothing by arguing!”

 

“We do not argue all the time!”

 

“You do too!”

 

“Not!”

 

“TOO!!” Butterflies swirled around in a vortex of gleaming white and purple; the sight was truly beautiful, yet deadly at the same time. “Get some reason through that damnably thick skull of yours!”

***

Yuki walked up to the barrier and put her hand on it. She studied it carefully, as if communicating with it to see what troubled it. “There is no other way…it all depends on the extent of her power's damage.”

 

Something wasn't agreeing with InuYasha though. “If these are her powers, why are they going to hurt her?”

 

“If she wasn't encased in my barrier, her awakening wouldn't have ended up like this. You see,” She turned to the group. “It contains her powers and it's too small of a space to hold so much strength. It's bouncing off the walls, causing it to break. When it shatters…” Yuki was interrupted by an uproar of what sounded like splintering glass. She turned just in time to see beams of brilliant light burst from the cracks on her barricade. “Get away from here, quickly!” She ran over to the foliage with the rest of the group. But it was Setsuna who rushed in the opposite direction, towards Kane's barrier.

 

“That baka! He's rushing to his own death!” InuYasha shielded his eyes from the dazzling illumination.

 

“Setsuna, get back here!” Yuki yelled. “You'll be killed…!”

***

“It's called Kizukaseru and only a few select demi-demons receive it.”

 

Yuki nodded. “I've heard of this phenomenon before, I just never thought I'd witness it.”

 

“Kizukaseru? Awakening?” Michi felt confused.

 

“Yes, only a chosen few demi-demons are given this at birth, it just remains dormant until the proper time. It's not passed down or inherited through ceremonies, it's given to only a select few partial demons. They could have evil intentions, be pure of heart, or be somewhere in between.” Setsuna sat up again. “Why certain demi-demons are bestowed it is a mystery, all I know is that it has to do with how the demon and human bloods are mixed…

***

“Sesshomaru! Put her down!” Kane again tried to approach him, but Setsuna kept his arm out.

 

“Nng!” Mika held his hand that grasped her neck, trying desperately to release herself before she lost consciousness. `Kane, don't try anything stupid!' She pleaded in her head.

 

The butterfly sensation was growing in her stomach again. “Sesshomaru, what do you want now?! I thought you had learned your lesson the last time you had shown up!” Kane ground out between clenched teeth. “I'm the one you want, so put her down!”

 

He smirked, but retained his grip on her neck. “Give me your powers now or all of your friends here will suffer the fate you most certainly deserve.”

 

“You want what?!” Kane asked as her eyes widened.

 

“Very well, they'll pay for your stupidity.” His poison talons on his hand activated and a green glow blazed from his nails as he dug them into Mika's neck.

***

 

Chapter 22: Encounter Sesshomaru

 

“Let go of her you bastard!” Kane unsheathed Teretsu and it transformed as it always did in her hands. This time, Sesshomaru wasn't surprised by or afraid of its metamorphosis. In fact, he almost half expected his younger half-sister to use it against him.

 

“Kane, don't do anything stupid! He means to kill us all!” Michi warned, hand on her rosary.

 

“I need to save Mika, she's my friend and I won't let my older half-brother kill her!” Kane charged forward with Teretsu out in front of her.

 

As if that was his cue, he dropped Mika and drew Tokijin from his waist band. When she was close enough, Kane swung her blade at the enemy. He jumped at the last second, and then counterattacked by slashing Tokijin down upon her. She defended herself from the deadly blow by using Teretsu as a shield, holding it up by the blunt side of the blade with her palm. It was useless as Tokijin's pressure knocked the hilt from her hand, sending it, untransformed, into the air and sticking itself in the dirt. Not paying heed to Sesshomaru, she turned to run for her precious sword, but he wasn't about to let her get it again. He careened so fast that he was almost unseen right into her intended path to stop her. She skidded to a halt.

 

“Do not think that you will get this sword of yours back so easily. There is no way for you to beat me.” He held out Tokijin, pointing the tip directly at her throat. “My goal will be accomplished; you will die and I will gain the power that you have awakened.”

 

Kane winced. `He wants my Kizukaseru?! But why, he's already full demon isn't he?!' “Aren't you powerful enough? I thought you just wanted to kill me because I'm a girl.”

 

Sesshomaru didn't seem fazed. “Girl, I am already the most powerful demon. I do not need your power to get what I want, and I see fit that you do not deserve it.” He slashed Tokijin at her, but she dodged the blow. Still, the sword's pressure sent her flying back with cuts all over her body and her kimono in tatters.

 

“Kane-Sakura, get out of there!” Setsuna yelled.

 

She ignored him. “And so that's why I must die? Then why take my powers?”

 

“If left out in the open, another demon could easily become my equal and I can not allow that.” He charged forward again, this time Kane couldn't move. She was cut right across the chest. Flying back, she landed on her back, blood seeping onto her kimono.

 

She groaned as she sat up. The knives delved deep in her laceration as she moved. “Don't think I'll die so easily. I have no intent on any demon, full or half or whatever, taking my powers. This power is mine and nobody has the right to tell me to die and let them have it!”

 

His eyes narrowed and he stepped forward again. But as he did, flames erupted in between them, creating a barrier. The heat caused him to step back in hesitation. A flash of white hair swept Kane away from the inferno and put her beside Mika, who lay on the ground with poison coursing through her veins. Michi and Yuki were trying to suck the venom out of her neck with reeds, but wasn't working.

 

“Kane, stay here with the others. I'll fight for you!” Setsuna said, his eyes no longer their beautiful emerald that she loved.

 

“I'm fine; let me go defeat that bastard with my own bare hands!” Kane stood, but Setsuna pushed her down with his hands on her shoulders.

 

“Stay here or…” A whip of golden light slashed through the trees and into Setsuna's back. He was sent reeling into the next tree which was felled on impact.

 

“Setsuna…No, SETSUNA!!” The butterfly sensation intensified at her scream, and then became painful again. `No, not again! I might kill Sesshomaru, but I could also kill my friends!' Kane doubled over, trying to restrain the power of her Kizukaseru, Sora no Daiyamondo. Then some logic inside of her said, `Don't hold back you baka! Concentrate and aim it at your opponent!' She opened her eyes, ignoring her pain and the ache in her belly as her Kizukaseru begged to free. She faced Sesshomaru head on.

 

At first, the power swirled around her slowly, creating a mild vortex. But as she concentrated more on the intense pain in her gut, the current gained strength. “Sesshomaru, do you want to see how this power works? I don't think you really have a choice in the matter since you're going to die from it anyway!” She let loose her attack; ribbon upon ribbon of glowing white power that swirled and intertwined with each other. It hit him dead on, or so it appeared to. As the remainder of her attack was set free, she saw for a brief second him encased in a bubble of his own majestic power. It shrank and disappeared, leaving no trace of Sesshomaru's existence. “Damn it! He got away again!”

 

“Kane-Sakura, where are you?” A masculine voice called out from a distance.

 

“InuYasha…” Kane whispered her brother's name, the shock of her injury finally setting in. She turned to Mika, whose neck was still oozing blood. Her face was peaceful, as if she were merely sleeping…or dead. “Mika?” Kane approached the others and sat beside Mika. “Can you hear me?”

 

Michi sobbed into Ori's arms as he held her head to his chest. “We couldn't revive her!” She gasped out as Ori hugged her tighter.

 

“Love, you tried your hardest, nothing could be done to save her.” Ori whispered and stroked her hair.

 

Tears threatened to spill over in Kane's eyes. `This is all my fault. My Kizukaseru is the reason behind all of this bloodshed and Mika's death.'

 

“She is not dead.” A deep voice said behind Kane. She whirled around to see the tall, slender silhouette of Nakura. “The poison has been extracted, correct?” He asked with a tinge of worry in his voice.

 

Michi and Yuki nodded solemnly. He looked to Kane, then reached out with one hand to touch her wound. She winced in momentary pain, but it disappeared along with the laceration. “H-how did…?”

 

I control the plants, including medicinal herbs. When mixed together and used through me, your wound healed instantly.” He looked down at Mika, who looked deathly pale in complexion. “Poison is no different.” He picked her up and cradled her delicate form.

 

“You shouldn't move her; you'll spread the poison!” Michi pleaded.

 

“You and Yuki have removed most of it, I'll take it…” As if responding to Nakura's rumble of his voice in his chest and his gentle touch, Mika stirred and slowly batted her eyes open.

 

Tears sprang into Kane's eyes. “Mika, you're alive. Thank Kami.”

 

She smirked her usual smile and said, “You think I'd die from a little of your brother's poison?”

 

The group laughed lightly as InuYasha popped out of the forest and into the clearing Kane had created. “Holy shit, what happened?” He saw the road of diamonds and Kane's bloodied and slashed kimono, along with Nakura holding a weakened Mika.

 

Kane drew near him carefully, ready to explain everything, when she heard a groan come from behind the whole group. Fear and panic clutched her heart; she stopped her approach and turned towards the sound. Setsuna was just coming to, and he leaned against the trunk of the tree he's snapped, slowly opening his cloudy eyes.

 

“Kane, tell me what happened right now.” Kane turned back to her brother, not sure if she should tell him anymore. She stared at him as her ears picked up Setsuna's protests to his pain. “Tell me, who attacked you?!” She looked down at her feet, trying to decipher who was more important at the time. “Kane-Sakura, I need to know who almost killed you! Stop hiding it and tell me!” InuYasha shook her shoulders, demanding an answer.

 

“A demon.” She answered.

 

“Which one?”

 

`Do I give away Sesshomaru or not? True, we both hate him, but he's our brother.' Kane struggled with herself, and she said slowly, “It was Sessho…”

 

“Sesshomaru?! Why did that bastard attack you?!”

 

She regretted saying it now. `I shouldn't have said anything. Now he's going to lecture me on this and that about safety.' Her eyes narrowed. “InuYasha, it's not all that important.”

 

“Not important?! He could've killed you! Now what was his motive?!” InuYasha demanded.

 

“He…he wanted to steal my Kizukaseru.” Setsuna had finally gotten up and was watching the scene unfold before his eyes. She looked over at him and smiled, glad to see he wasn't too badly injured.

 

“Hey, look at me and not that three-fourths cat when you're…”

 

“Shizuka ni! Don't call him a three-fourths cat, he didn't do anything!”

 

“And why not, you don't love him do you?”

 

Kane's face reddened. “That is none of your damn business InuYasha! I thought I'd let you know that I defeated Sesshomaru with Sora no Daiyamondo after Setsuna rescued me and then almost died protecting me!”

 

“Some job of protecting you he did. From now on, I'm never letting you out of my sight! I'll protect you from these demons that are after your Kizukaseru.”

 

Before she even knew what she was doing, Kane's hand flew back, palm open and facing InuYasha, and slapped his left cheek. “You bastard! I know you care about me because I'm your younger sister, but I'm almost seventeen; almost ready to go out on my own! I need to be able to fight without you; I need to be able to get experience, but you don't let me!”

 

His gaze grew cold as ice. And everybody knew better than to get in between this sibling argument, they could tell that this one was more serious than the last ones. “So, you think I'm some bastard that doesn't let you do anything? Get this through your thick skull, you're not ready to do that kind of stuff yet!”

 

“And how would you know?! You've never even seen me battle before!” Kane yelled, getting in his face. “Every time I've battled, you were gone and I was with my friends!”

 

“If you're so confident about your ability, leave! Go with your friends and see how long it takes before you come crawling back with your tail between your legs!”

 

“That won't happen! Besides, I don't even have a tail to begin with!” Kane turned to her friends. “We're leaving, let's get out of here before he explodes.” Kane made the gesture of `follow me' with her left hand and grabbed Setsuna with her right.

 

“Cat-boy, you're not going with `em!” InuYasha grabbed his other arm to hold him back.

 

“Oh no, he's coming with whether or not you like it!” Kane tugged on him to get him to move with her.

 

Setsuna stood in between, moving back and forth with their tugs, trying patiently to let the two siblings settle the argument. But when they kept quarrelling, he couldn't take it anymore. “Argh! That's enough!” He turned to face InuYasha. “She's an excellent fighter and can well defend herself, and you've failed to see that!”

 

“Then let her go by herself with all her friends. No men to…”

 

“I can't do that. I made a promise to Kane that I would protect her.”

 

InuYasha took a step back, surprised by what he'd said, but his surprise turned into anger and rage. “She doesn't look so well protected to me; her kimono is crimson with her blood!”

 

“I would never go back on my promises damn it! I kept her safe until she decided to go and battle Sesshomaru on her own; that's how she got hurt. Then I almost died saving her again, and you say I didn't keep my promise?!”

 

“If it had been me keeping her from danger, she wouldn't have a scratch on her!”

 

Their faces were only inches from each other and Kane had to stop the argument before it turned into an all out battle. “Guys, that's enough!”

 

“Stay out of this Kane-Sakura!” Kane fell to the ground, her command still working right as rain.

 

“Bastard, you hurt her!” Setsuna knelt by her smoldering body, rubbing her back in comfort.

 

InuYasha's anger reached a boiling point at last and he snapped. “Keep your filthy hands away from her!” Unsheathing Tetsusaiga, he prepared to bring it down on the helpless, unguarded boy.

 

“SIT!!” Kane yelled; he fell.

 

He growled into the ground angrily. By the time he could at least bring his head off of the ground, Kane was sitting up, Setsuna's protective embrace around her shoulders. “Why are you protecting that cat?!” InuYasha's eyes narrowed in suspicion. “The only reason I could see you protecting him is because he knocked you up!”

 

Insulted, she'd been offended to the ultimate level by her own brother. “Do you think I'm some kind of whore who'd just give myself up instantly?” Tears stung at the back of her eyes and threatened to spill over. “News flash buddy, Trowa's a prime example of the fact that I'm not ready to do that kind of thing!” Kane stood.

 

“So you say, but if you're not in love with that cat or pregnant with his whelp, tell me why you defend him!” He lifted himself off the ground to face her.

 

She couldn't take it anymore; her hands balled into tight fists and her nails cut into her palms. The salty tears spilled over and the pain in her gut returned. “I recommend you take that back before I unleash my Kizukaseru on you.”

 

Michi and Yuki knew they had to stop this. They ran as fast as they could, reaching their destination in seconds. Using their bodies as a barrier between the siblings, they stopped the argument before things turned serious. “That's enough. If he wants us to leave, we'll leave.” Michi looked back at Kane as she shivered and trembled.

 

Shock and exhaustion finally set in and Kane collapsed into Setsuna's arms. He caught her and pulled her in to his chest. “Is this any way to treat your younger sister? She's still getting used to her Kizukaseru and trying to defend her self from all these new foes and all you can do is accuse her of getting into my pants! If all you're going to do is insult her, then don't interfere in her life anymore!” That said, he turned on his heel and walked away. The rest of the group followed suit, ignoring the hanyou.

 

“Aw shit.” He said once their silhouettes had disappeared.

 

***

 

A decision had been made; they, all of them including the guys, were going to the future. After the argument with her brother, Kane needed to go somewhere where she wouldn't see or smell him for a long time. The only place she knew he enjoyed the least was the future, unless he was with Kagome, but she was going to stay with InuYasha to try and talk to him about the foolishness of this argument.

 

Knowing the circumstances, and the relationships between Ori and Michi and Kane and Setsuna, everything was well thought out. The guys were going to rent a four bedroom apartment in Tokyo, so were the girls. But there was a catch; they were in separate buildings, a mile apart.

 

Even though Kane was going to be seventeen soon, she'd never imagined living on her own already. She was also very grateful that Kagome's family was doing this for them, not to mention they'd all be attending the nearby high school in the same grade, costing them a major sum of money. They honestly didn't mind since Sota was still pretty young and Kagome was now out of school, but later on they wanted every one of the `teens' to get a job of their own to support themselves.

 

Kane was lying on her bed two nights after the argument, staring at the ceiling when she heard a knock on the front door. “I got it!” Mika yelled, running for the door. Kane sighed, listening to her greet the pizza delivery guy and pay him in exchange for the pizzas they had ordered.

 

“Kane, the guys will be here soon to eat, wanna join?” Yuki popped in after Mika had rushed by in a hurry. Michi was chasing her, trying her hardest to get at the pizzas. A loud THUD! and then a giant CRASH! told Kane that she had failed, miserably.

 

Kane had pretty much remained secluded for the past couple days recovering from the argument and she still wasn't ready to come out and have fun. “Can you just bring a slice in for me? I'm not in the mood to face anyone yet.” `Especially Setsuna…'

 

Yuki frowned, but understood. “Mika, put those down! You'll spill every…” Her voice faded as she walked away. In the distance, the other two whined.

 

“The only reason I could see you protecting him is because he knocked you up!” Still circled Kane's thoughts. “Who the hell does he think I am anyway?!” She asked the ceiling. It didn't answer back and she felt as though it might've.

 

Someone pounded on the door again. This time Michi answered it. As she walked by, Kane saw the giant welt on her head from getting hit by something earlier. “Hey guys, come on in! The pizzas just…” Ori stepped in and literally swept her off her feet. Mika made an inaudible remark, but the red-faced monk taught her a lesson and blew her whistle loud and long. Once she stopped, a gigantic BOOSH vibrated off the walls. Kane's ears twitched in anticipation for more sounds. Nakura's subtle footsteps almost surpassed her hearing; it was only when he stopped in the doorway to Kane's room that she knew he had finally come in. He lingered there for only a moment, eying his prize, Mika. “What're you looking at?” She asked rudely from the floor. He blinked, then shrugged his shoulders that were hidden by a plain white tee-shirt.

 

Kane's breath caught in her throat when she saw Setsuna step into her doorway. He wore tight blue jeans that accented his muscular thighs with a loose tank top, making his already broad shoulders seem even more inclusive. His hair was still up as usual, but it seemed more done up, like he had combed it into place. Kane on the other hand wore only her blue sweats and a tube top that literally begged to be thrown away. Her hair was greasy from not being washed that day and uncombed. She decided that before Setsuna looked her way, she must get to that door and lock it tight. She sat up and bolted for the door.

 

But fate had other plans. Kane's frilly pink underwear from the day before caught her left foot and slid on the laminated flooring. She skidded out of her room and into the hall that Setsuna was standing in. She smacked into an unsuspecting Neko demon causing him to fall back into the wall behind him. He caught Kane in his arms, only to hit his head on the wall.

 

“Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry!” Kane stood as Setsuna rubbed his head gently. “Are you okay?”

 

She helped him stand. “I'll be fine; you okay?” He smiled as he held up her underwear for her to take.

 

Snatching the undergarment before the entire group of guys saw, she replied with a bright cherry on her cheeks. “Fine, just fine.” She backed away slowly and then stepped into the confines of her room. “Again, I'm sorry about smashing into you. Later?” She started to close the door.

 

“Matte!” He put his hand on the door to keep it open. “Don't worry, I'm not hurt.” He laughed a little.

 

“I never intended to come out tonight.” Kane wrapped her arms around her self. “I don't look…”

 

“Who cares what you look like? I sure as hell don't.” He smiled again, but when she didn't return the smile, he opened the door, stepped in and then closed it behind him. “I have a feeling that how you look isn't the real reason you don't want to come out. Wanna tell me what's wrong?”

 

Kane flopped onto the bed, her bosom facing the ceiling. “I'm still upset over that argument.” She sighed, closing her eyes in thought.

 

“He didn't mean any of those words. He couldn't support his argument, so he made something up.” Setsuna crossed his arms and leaned against the wardrobe in her room.

 

Even though she still felt lousy, his words had comforted her in a way that she couldn't comprehend. Laughing slightly, she asked, “You really think so?”

 

“He's like any other brother. He doesn't want any man to touch or fall…” He paused and started to cough in a fake manner.

 

“I guess you're right, but he didn't have to say I slept with you.”

 

“He did go past the boundaries there. But if you…if you had, would you have denied it?” The question flew from his mouth before he could stop himself. He covered his mouth.

 

Kane blushed as she sat up to look at him. “Umm…” Thinking over her answer, she smiled when the answer popped up. “No, I wouldn't have. But we didn't, now did we?”

 

“Y-yeah.”

 

“Listen, I'd love to join you guys, but I don't feel much like having fun tonight.” She looked away. “No offense, but…”

 

“Hey, you're still upset. I can deal.” He shrugged off his disappointment. Grabbing the door handle, he turned and said, “See you later.” He closed the door without waiting for a response.

 

After he left, Kane cranked up her boom box with a loud rock and roll CD, trying desperately to ignore the nagging feeling in her gut that she should join the rest of them. Yuki stopped by and dropped off a piece of deluxe pizza for her, but it was left untouched. The night went by slowly, and once things had died down, she fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

***

“No way, he did not just ditch you like that!” A girl yelled at her friend in the chorus room.

 

Kane-Sakura quietly sat at her assigned seat and read a book from Advanced English class, The Great Gatsby. On the first day of school, she'd already received a good amount of homework from her Advanced Algebra class, Chemistry, and Japanese Literature. With Advanced English, her second language, she was going to be more than busy that night. `You want ditched? Try getting raped by your own fiancé and then being told her loves some other bitch.' Kane was not having a good day.

 

“Why the long face?” A girl who sat beside Kane asked.

 

“Oh nothing. Me and my brother got into an argument a while back, that's all.”

 

“About what?”

 

`This girl's persistent.' “A guy I know.” She responded.

 

The girl gasped. “A protective big brother. What did he say?”

 

“He accused me of getting…” The man Kane had told the girl about suddenly walked into the room. She stopped mid-sentence.

 

“Hideik, you're late.” The new chorus teacher said angrily.

 

“Sorry, I had a hard time getting away from this group of girls.” He had his hand behind his head. “They had me surrounded.” The other hand was in his front pocket, making him look calm and cool in his school uniform.

 

“Don't let it happen again.” The teacher tapped on his stand. Soon, the entire chorus stood, ready to warm up. But no sooner had the body breathed did his office phone ring in a shrill pitch. He ran to get it and the entire choir sat down and started to converse again.

 

The girl turned back to Kane. Dreamily, she sighed and said, “Isn't Hideik Setsuna the cutest? Every girl here in school thinks he's a total hottie.”

 

Kane felt a pang of jealousy run down her spine, but she smiled. “Actually, that's the guy my brother hates. He thinks he did something improper.”

 

“You and him are…?” Her eyes widened in disbelief, but saddened at the fact that he might be taken.

 

Kane shook her head. “No, he and I are just really good friends.” She lied.

 

The girl gasped. “Oh look! He's heading this way!”

 

As she spoke, Setsuna came closer to them. Staring at him, Kane licked her lips, but her tongue was dry. `He always gets a reaction out of me.' Kane sighed in frustration. `I wonder if he's getting the same kind of reaction.'

 

He was, only it was ten times worse. `Is it just me, or are my pants a little too tight now? She always does this to me, and right now it's worse than ever before!'

 

“Back to your seat Hideik!” The teacher yelled out from his office as he returned to class. The bass section laughed at him as he returned to his seat.

 

Kane sighed in relief. “You know, I think our old music teacher was better.” She whispered to the other girl.

 

“I think you may be right.” She giggled. “I guess you could also say he was a sight for sore eyes.” Her attention turned to singing as did Kane's.

 

`At least Setsuna is the only one of my friends that's in this class. If Mika and Michi had joined, I'd never hear the end of it.' Kane glanced over at Setsuna and the bass section as they sang. `Or maybe that was their true intention, to get us alone together in chorus!' She blushed furiously.

 

“Sugimoto, will you please ignore Hideik and continue warm-ups?!” The teacher had stopped the class to yell at the hanyou.

 

“Gomen…” Her blush deepened, embarrassment setting in as the class snickered. `As if this day couldn't have gotten any worse…' She thought as warm-ups continued.

***

That night, Kane had more than enough homework to keep her mind off of Setsuna, but sure enough, he'd come over to help Yuki study science. Not only was that her weak point, it was also Kane's. She had her own separate tutor; unfortunately, it was Mika.

 

“Name the first thirty elements on the periodic table of elements.” Mika was quizzing Kane on chemistry basics. She herself was in anatomy, a whole two steps ahead of the game. Her career of choice? An obstetrician. The same career field as Nakura.

 

“Hydrogen, helium, lithium, beryllium, carbon, ni…”

 

“Wrong again. You missed boron.” She tossed Kane her periodic table. “Study some more.” She slid down the length of the wall next to the door to sit. “You're gonna fail if you don't learn those elements.”

 

Kane banged her head on her desk. “Give me a break, I'm under a lot of stress you know!”

 

“As if I'm not? I'm in anatomy this year and it's not as easy as it had first seemed. We're going to study everything about the human body. Everything!”

 

“I've got homework in three other subjects! And in Advanced English, we've already started reading a book! And it's one of the hardest books in America, The Great Gatsby!”

 

“Shut up and study already! It's getting late!” Mika yawned loudly.

 

Kane glanced at her bedside clock; it read 1:10am. “You know, I'm tired, so I think I'll call it a night. Besides, you look tired too.”

 

She stretched and stood up again. “Guess you're right about something.” She leaned back against the wall. “Want me to go get Setsuna so he can cuddle up with you tonight?”

 

“HEEL!” Mika was pulled to the ground by her bracelet. A big bang reverberated throughout the apartment. To make matters worse, just as she was sitting back up, the door flew open, hitting her right in the face. The intruder, Setsuna of course. Her arm twitched with great speed as she groaned in pain and agitation.

 

“I heard the loud noise come from in here; are you okay?” He rushed over to Kane and knelt by her. His hands rested on her lower thighs and his eyes met hers in an intense stare.

 

The door creaked slightly; Mika held her bruised nose, a glazed look coming from her slit eyes. “I'll leave you two be. I'm going to attend to my broken nose.” She withdrew from the room, leaving the two demi-demons by themselves.

 

“That was just Mika hitting the floor after saying something improper. Anyway, it's kinda late; don't you think you should be getting home?” Kane blushed as she looked at him. He had changed out of his school uniform while Kane was still clad in hers. Now he wore carpenter jeans with a white t-shirt with a red Nike symbol in front. The shirt was tight on his muscular arms and fit his abs to a tee.

 

“Actually, the rest of your friends said I could stay the night since it's way past curfew. You don't mind, do you?” His smiled sent shivers up Kane's spine and sent sheering heat into her core.

 

Licking her dry lips, she said, “Sure, that's fine.” Her voice was thick and husky and she had to clear it to get it back to normal.

 

“Then would you mind if I slept in your room?”

 

“Nani?!” Kane almost flew out of her chair.

 

He put his hands up in defense. “No, not in that way! I sleep on the floor, you sleep on the bed! I won't touch you!”

 

“Can't you take the couch?!” Kane complained.

 

“Yuki fell asleep on it studying. Don't even mention using her bedroom.” He crossed his arms, standing straight.

 

Kane huffed. “Fine, you can sleep in here. But no funny business!” She warned as she walked into her bathroom with p.j's in hand. “I'll be right out; make yourself at home.”

 

He nodded as she closed the door. Once he couldn't see her, Setsuna exhaled breath he hadn't known to be holding in a giant whoosh. `Man, just touching her lightly and looking into her golden orbs arouses me.' He looked down between his thighs at the slight bulge in his pants. `How is it everyday gets worse? It gets more and more difficult to control this…this feeling. Well, at least she hasn't noticed.'

 

When Kane reemerged from the bathroom, brushing her long raven hair, Setsuna was standing by the window, leaning against the sill and gazing out into the night sky. “You know, it still amazes me.” He sounded as though he were talking to himself.

 

“What does?” Gently placing the brush on her nightstand, Kane walked over to the Neko.

 

“All of this technology you have here. I mean fires that turn on with the flip of a switch, cooking utensils, places indoors to take a crap…”

 

“Setsuna, knock it off!” Kane smacked him lightly on the shoulder, angered that he's ruined a possible romantic moment and enlightenment. “Don't tell me you're more interested in bathrooms than in me!” She put her hands on her hips, transferring her weight to the left foot to make one hip higher than the other.

 

“No, of course not. You're far more interesting.” He opened the window and breathed in some of the crisp night air. “That's what I like about you. You seem innocent at one moment, and then you're a fire ball of energy and wrath the next. Hell, you've even surprised me with your skills at fighting.” He shook his head, almost as if he was in disbelief.

 

Blinking off the confusion, Kane stood right beside him. “You're mysterious too. One second you're cocky, the next caring and compassionate.”

 

He smiled, “You've changed my life in ways I never thought possible. Everything you do seems to affect me.”

 

“It's the same with you. Trowa never really showed me compassion, nor did he say that I changed his life.” Kane looked away from the street lamps and into Setsuna's eyes. “Thanks for being there for me.”

 

“Hey, no problem. It's a pleasure to be with you.” He brought his face close to hers. “You mean the world to me.” That said, he closed the gap a little more. Kane moved in further and closed her eyes when their lips met in a placid kiss.

 

`He tastes of ripe strawberries, hand picked and kissed with the sun.' Kane decided. He ended it quickly to reign in his desire, but it had lasted long enough that both were craving for more. They looked into each other's eyes for a minute in silence before Kane looked away and blushed. “Umm…it's late and we, uh, have school tomorrow.” She faked a yawn and a stretch, even though that kiss had woken her up to the point where it felt as though she no longer needed sleep. “I'm really tired.” She walked over to her bed and rolled back the covers.

 

“Yeah, I'm tired too.” He stretched and groaned as his aching arousal rubbed against his pants.

 

Kane threw him a blanket and a pillow from her drawer and covered herself in her own. “Good night.” She rolled onto her side and clicked her light off. With the window still open, she could hear the cars going by on the street below and the breeze ruffle the curtains.

 

Setsuna sat up, watching her sleep for a while. `It can't be just her that's been recently arousing me. There's something else, something I can't just put my finger on.' He stood, restless and stared out at the stars again. A waxing half moon graced the sky and was shining with splendor in the deep black sky. `A full moon will come again soon, and Kane will be human again. Why am I looking forward to that so much?' Setsuna shivered as a creepy feeling made its way down his spine. `Maybe I'm imagining things.' His gaze returned to Kane as she slept so peacefully, mouth slightly open and ears drooped, unguarded. He sighed when she sighed in her sleep. `Sleep well, Kane-Sakura.'

 

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~

 

 

Sora no Daiyamondo: Heavenly Diamonds

 

Kizukaseru: Awakening