Shaman King Fan Fiction ❯ Ivy, Shaman Runaway ❯ Brotherly Love ( Chapter 23 )

 

Brotherly Love

“Finally you get home! I've been up three hours waiting for you to get home! We have to talk…”

 

“About what Ren?” I yawned at my older brother who was insane for staying up so late just to talk to me.

 

Ren advanced on me in the dark, but I could see the faint outline of tears shimmering in the darkness. “We need to talk about your living arrangements.”

 

I raised an eyebrow at him “I'm living with Yoh and Anna…What is there to discuss?”

 

Ren's face twisted into an angry scowl. “That's exactly what I'm talking about! You have a home! I suggest you go back to it!”

 

I resisted the urge to slap him in the face for even bringing up the idea. “I'm NOT going back and living with Hao again!!”

 

Ren rolled his eyes, took me by the shoulders, and started shaking me. “You stupid girl! I don't mean home with that bastard! I mean home with us! The family that raised you: The Taos!!”

 

I starred blankly at him, not knowing what to say. “What?” I gapped stupidly.

 

(huge sigh) “Judo, I'm not stupid, despite popular belief! I know it's you! I confronted Jun about it while you were out today. I didn't say anything about it because I didn't want Ivy to be my perfect little sister! I finally accepted it as the truth when Yoh said something about you having a scar on you calf. I remember the day I gave you that scar…” Ren stopped shaking me and pulled me into a tight embrace.

 

==Flashback==

 

“Five o' clock! Everyone up!!” Ran Tao called to the other inhabitants of the Tao Compound.

 

I jumped out of bed, and into the bathroom before my annoying sisters could take it over. I quickly showered as I ignored the sound of Jun and Judo banging on the door.

 

“Ren! Other people have to use the restroom, too!” 11 year-old Jun screeched.

 

“Yeah, REN! Get out of there right now!!” 7 year-old Judo echoed.

 

“There are other bathrooms in this 333 room compound, you know!” I shouted back at my pestering sisters.

 

It was the same routine every morning: Mom yells get up, I rush to the bathroom, Jun and Judo bang on the door, I come out in a towel cursing them under my breath, they hear me and beat me up, Jun gets the bathroom that I was previously occupying, and Judo goes to another bathroom in a different part of the house.

 

Breakfast: Mom is in the dining room, sitting at the head of the table, patiently waiting for the servants to bring breakfast. Our father takes his breakfast in his upstairs lair, and Grandfather sometimes comes down to eat with the rest of us, but most of the time he eats his meals up in his room. First I come walking dignifiedly down the stairs as if taking part in a solemn procession. Judo comes rambling down the stairs, hair still wet, and giggling like a schoolgirl. I roll my eyes at her childish behavior and continue my march.

 

Judo beats me downstairs and jumps into her seat at the table to the right of Mom. “I win! Lenny, you're so slow!” She butchers my name. I hate that nickname of hers, and if anyone other than her ever referred to me as `Lenny' I would kill him or her on the spot. Unfortunately since it was Judo speaking, (`the favorite child, the gifted, blessed one!' I silently mocked) my mother, father, grandfather, and sister would emasculate me if I so much as cut off a strand of her `favorite, gifted, blessed' hair.

 

Ran smiles gently at her youngest child as I scowl at her unTaoish behavior. I take my place to the left of Judo, and start chugging the first of my three morning jugs of milk. Jun glided elegantly down the stairs and took her place to the left of Mom, across from Judo.

 

We eat in silence except for Judo blabbering incessantly about whatever comes into her head. Mom and Jun nod and say an occasional `that's nice' `ahum'. I just glare and wonder how the hell she and I are related.

 

It was the third week in February the middle month between Judo and my birthdays; I was eight and Judo was seven. My birthday was in January, and hers in March. Somehow it never occurred to us that it was impossible for our mother to have me, and then have another child two months later with no nine-month waiting period in-between.

 

We finished breakfast and began our training.

 

“Special training today. Ren vs. Judo.” Father announced. “Ren, you're using a whip, Judo you're using a Kwan Dao.” He instructed. “Go!”

 

I knew my father had chosen those specific weapons on purpose just to annoy us. I couldn't use a whip for my life, and Judo despised the Kwan Dao. I had tried to teach her to use it properly, but she was hopeless American, and used it as a throwing spear.

 

She charged at me holding the Kwan Dao like a rifle. I started swinging the whip over my head, careful not to let it touch me, for it had sharp pieces of metal in with the leather. Those pieces cut and ripped flesh to pieces if you weren't careful. We both got a few good shots in, but in the end it looked as if she was going to win…again. I was absolutely sick of losing to my `perfect' little sister, so in one last desperate attempt; I brought the whip down hard in front of her as she dashed in for another attack. She sprung out of the way, but somehow the whip became entangled on her left leg.

 

She screeched in pain as I pulled back on the whip trying to get it free. Mother and Jun rushed in to help Judo get free, but by the time they got there Judo's calf was a bloody mess. The metal pieces in the whip were caught in her blue jeans, and they pulled at the flesh. It took an hour or so just to clean her up and dig the metal out of her skin, but it wasn't enough to save her beautiful legs from scars. Some of the muscle was cut, and she of course had to get stitches, and stay off of the leg for a few weeks. She hated every millisecond that she was bedridden. She whimpered a lot, but she never did cry.

 

So that, my friends, is the reason Judo, or Ivy rather, always wears those knee-high boots. Judo always wore pants and boots to cover up her only defect. Every day that she refused to wear tennis shoes, and every summer when she went bare foot and her scar showed, I was reminded of all the unintentional pain I had caused my baby sister. The worst thing about it was, that if she didn't have that scar, she would have been the complete personification of perfection and beauty.

 

I could no longer bring myself to hate my little sister for her annoyingness or unTaoish behavior. I could only love her silly smiles and ridiculously loud laughter. Whenever I noticed a boy looking at her in a more than friendly way, I would track him down and gouge out there eyes. Whenever a hand got a little too touchy feely, I would cut it off. And if ever a pair of lips even came close to hers, I would cut them to ribbons. God forbid any man have dirty thoughts about her, for I shall see to it that he is emasculated even if I must do it personally. Oh, God help the man I ever see pining after my baby sister. She's so innocent and sweet…so flirty, though…it wasn't her fault…she just got a kick out of teasing boys. She never meant anything by it. Some may call me over protective, but when you have a sister like Judo—Ivy—you have to take extra care of her when she's around men.

 

==End Flashback==

 

I let out a small whimper “I'm sorry.”

 

He held me for a moment collecting his thoughts before he bombarded me with questions, “Why did you leave the Tao compound? What were you doing with Hao? Why didn't you say anything? What was the purpose of changing your name? Why—“

 

“—Ren, stop! Enough questions!” I shouted as I pulled away from him.

 

“Sorry.” He gave a sheepish grin as he seated himself on the couch. I sat down opposite him.

 

“Okay let's see. How shall I explain this? Well…”

 

==33Minutes Later==

 

“Oh, so Ivy Kyôyama is your real name, Anna's your sister, and Hao tricked you into becoming his fiancée. Wow…you get a lot done in five months.” Ren sat on the couch wide-eyed at my epic tale.

 

“Yep! Those are the highlights of the last five months.” I nodded as my brother sat processing all the information. “Well now that we have all of that sorted out don't tell Anna or anyone else, and I'm going to bed.” I walked over to and started to ascend the stairs.

 

But then Ren's voice stopped me mid-step. “Wait…Judo!”

 

“Call me Ivy.” I called over my shoulder.

 

“Ivy,” Ren corrected. “While you were with Hao…Did he…um…what I mean to say is did the two of you…ahem…did he, er do anything to you?” My brother sheepishly asked.

 

“GOD NO!!” I practically shrieked. “Do you think I'd let him?!”

 

“Well…no.” Ren admitted. “But as your older brother I have a right to know who's messing around with my baby sister!” Ren declared.

 

(frustrated sigh) “Oh, Ren! You're just like how Horo is with Pilika! Hopeless! I'm not a little girl, and what I do with men is none of your business.” I refrained from pouncing on my brother and ripping out his voice box.

 

“Then you're never…God! This is so awkward! Have you ever slept with a guy?” Ren looked as if he didn't want to know the answer.

 

I was about to slap him and yell NO!! At the top of my lungs, but then a thought came to me, “Ask Yoh about that. I'm sure he'll tell you all the juicy details! Hehehe!”

 

“How dare that no good, Asakura defile my innocent baby sister!” as Ren processed what my words meant I dashed up the stairs and was walking past Yoh's room. If I had lingered by his door any longer I would have heard a very interesting conversation between a certain lazy shaman and his samurai ghost.