Vampire Princess Miyu Fan Fiction ❯ When Friends are True-A Vampire Miyu Saga ❯ Smells Like Fire ( Chapter 7 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Chapter Seven



Chapter Seven
Smells Like Fire

WHAT DO YOU ASK OF US?
Yoto could not see the full figures of the two high Shinma that stood before him, only their outlines; two huge masses hidden in the shadows of the Japanese Spirit Realm forest. "I know that this is a large favor to ask," he said. "But your Kanshisha is in danger. Though my comrades are presently searching for her, there are also Western Shinma in your land searching for her as well. If they find her first, they will kill her."
WE ARE AWARE OF THIS. The Voice was a deep tenor, though it still did not compare to Yoto's bass.
"If it not too much trouble, I ask that you inform your mother and any other High Shinma of this situation. The Western Shinma will not take us seriously, so we figure if you present yourselves to them it will make the message much clearer."
Silence. A second Voice, not as deep as the first, said THAT IS A LARGE FAVOR TO ASK. WE HAVE NOT BEEN TO THE HIGHER LAYERS SINCE THE SHINMA WARS. Another pause, then a sigh. VERY WELL. WE WILL ASK OUR MOTHER THIS FAVOR YOU ASK OF US, BUT THERE IS NOT GUARANTEES THAT WE CAN KEEP IT.
* * *
Golden sunlight gleamed through the windows and the paper-rice walls with the early hours of the next morning. Rich, wonderful smells tickled the little girl's nose as she woke, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Her mother was in the kitchen, bending over a stove and stirring breakfast that simmered in a stainless steel pot with a wooden spoon. The girl who her mother found in the forest last night was still asleep in the futon that she had laid out next to their own. "Good morning, Mommy." The girl said, sitting up and stretching her arms towards the ceiling.
Her mother turned around. "Shh…" she hushed her daughter. "Our guest is still sleeping."
"Oh," the little girl whispered. "Sorry." She crawled across the rumpled blankets of the futons over to where Miyu lie. She touched her face lightly. As she moved her hand way from Miyu's face, her eyelids flickered and then snapped open. The smaller girl gasped. Her eyes were the color of amber and gleaming gold, of honey and the dawn's early light. They were all these colors yet none of these colors, an absolutely beautiful color that she did not even know where to begin to describe it. Then the girl blinked her eyes and the radiant light went down and her eyes were dark brown.
"What is it honey? What's wrong?" Her mother asked.
"N-nothing. She's awake now." Miyu blinked again, turning her head from side to side to view her surroundings. The last thing she could remember was being in the forest of the Earth Realm.
"Oh, I'm so relieved!" the mother sighed. "How do you feel, young lady?"
Squeezing her eyes shut as she reached up to rub at them with her hand, she asked in a half-mumble: "Who…me? Where am I?"
"You gave us quite a scare." The woman said, returning to her cooking. "We weren't sure if you were going to make it or not. Do you need anything? Do you want me to call a doctor?"
"No, thank you. I'll be alright; I was just very tired." Miyu closed her eyes again. "I just need to rest for a while, if that's all right." She still did feel very weak for the battle the night before.
"That's perfectly fine, dear. You should still have something hot to eat. Rest and think about what you want to do." Miyu laid back again the futon pillows again.
The little girl left Miyu's side and padded across the wooden floor to the stove that her mother stood at. She tugged on her skirt. "Mommy… her eyes were…bright gold."
"That's nice, dear." Her mother said unenthusiastically, checking the contents of another pot as it boiled under the lid.
"Didn't you hear me? She has golden eyes!"
"It must have just been the light, dear. Go wash your hands."
The girl tugged at her mother's skirt harder, frustrated that she did not believe her. "No! I saw it when she opened her eyes!" She continued to persist. "It was beautiful! Then she blinked and it was gone."
A small chuckle escaped from her mother's lips. Her daughter had always been prone to have an active imagination and had always been a storyteller. "All right, I believe you. Go wash up for breakfast." She said, hoping to pacify her daughter. The girl huffed and planted her fists on her hips before turning and walking to the bathroom to do as her mother said.
Miyu could care less if the child had seen her eyes or not. There were more important things that were on her mind. Since she still felt exhausted she tried to go back to sleep but found herself tossing so much that it was impossible. She knew exactly what was bothering her. Instead she sat up on the futon, pushing the covers to her waist. Larva helped me escape… She thought sadly. Oh Larva… where are you? What happened to you? You usually come to me, no matter where I am, but I can't feel you anymore…It was true. Where she could usually feel Larva's thoughts and feelings through the link between their minds there was nothing but an empty void. She wrapped her arms around her body, hugging herself. If he was alive, then something was terribly wrong, but she could not put her finger on it. Why do I feel so anxious, Larva? A part of her wanted to cry, but the tears would not come.
* * *
"The surgery was a success. You've done well, Carlua." Pazusu sat on the end of Carlua's bed, his hand on the side of her face. The Mashujutsu had worked as he hoped it would. Miyu's blood was completely removed from Larva's body and he had accepted the break of the bond. If he was truly loyal to Miyu, than he would have refused Carlua's hand. Both were alive; Carlua's powers had overcome the black magic of the spell and the final stage of the Mashujutsu caused Larva's heart to start beating again. His chest rose and fell with silent breaths though sleep still held him deeply. "Now, rest well. I just have one more thing to do." He leaned over and kissed Carlua tenderly on the forehead, then stood up and turned to the opposite bed that Larva was laying on. "I must seal his memories away from when he was under Miyu's control." Though the bond between him and the vampire was broken, there was still the risk of Larva going back to her and letting her take his blood again. So close. They were so close to getting him back for good, and Pazusu was not about to let Miyu take him back. There would be no way in heaven or hell that Carlua would be able to perform the Mashujutsu again. "Then you'll once again be one of us, Larva!" Pazusu put his hand above Larva's forehead.
* * *
It was unlike any other feeling that Miyu had even felt in her life. It was not pain, but it was not painless at the same time. It was almost as indescribable as the feeling of the bond being formed between her and Larva's mind when she first Awoke. Larva? "Larva?" She whispered. "What is this I'm feeling?" The cold void was gone. Now it felt as if stone was blocking their link. And Miyu felt strangely… alone in her own mind. She could not stop herself from trembling. She did not cry though. For all she knew, Larva was still alive. She did not actually see him die, so there could still be a chance. But still… what could explain this feeling in her body, in her mind?
A light touch on her hand made her start, but then she realized that it was the daughter of the woman who had brought her to this house. "Your hands are cold again." She said, taking Miyu's hands into her own small ones. "Do you want me to rub them for you?"
"No, thank you." Miyu said, trying to smile a little, but it was hard to do so. "I feel fine." Not really she thought to herself. I need blood. That's probably one reason why I feel so anxious. How long had it been since she last fed? A week? That was too long.
The little girl smiled brightly. "Can't I do something for you? Just ask and I can do it!"
What should I do? Miyu asked herself. What I need is right before me. She's so pure and active… The need for blood was suddenly too strong. This had not happened since the first few years after Miyu Awoke. "I want…"
"What is it? Go ahead and tell me!"
Miyu reached a hand forward. "Your…"
"You know what? I can make great tea!" She was just within arm's reach as Miyu's need began to take over her mind…
"Miho!" Her mother called from the kitchen. The unexpected voice snapped Miyu out of the trance that she had let herself slip into and her shrank into herself with humiliation and shame. "Quit pestering her so! Let her rest! Please excuse her exuberance. She's just not used to having visitors around here too often."
"I wasn't bothering her, mommy!" Miho protested.
Mother… a new wave of sadness flooded into Miyu along with the pain of loosing Larva. This little girl did not know what she had. "It's all right. She's not a bother to me." Miyu said.
Miho took Miyu's hand again. "Come on! Breakfast is ready!" Miyu tried to smile again as she let the little girl lead her into the kitchen.
* * *
As Miyu regained her strength, it was becoming easier and easier to find her. Amy was able to track the little vampire's strong spirit until he reached a small Japanese cottage in the middle of the forest. "She's here!" He said. It sounded more like the hiss of water thrown into the flames of a fire. "How pitiful! What a poor excuse for a Shinma she is!" Amy licked his lips. "Miyu… prepare to die!" He laughed. "I'll just waltz in through the front door!"
* * *
"Don't think you'll get away from me that easily, fem-boy." Yoshi said, pushing the branches of the trees away from his face. Amy was standing in front of a quaint little Japanese-style cottage. Miyu was in there; he could hear the conversation between her and the other occupants of the home. "Thank you, Amy, for leading me to her. Now Kia's bound to show me some respect! She'll say 'Oh Yoshi, I should have never doubted you! I knew that you would be able to find Miyu first! I should have left it all up to you in the first place!' And then Tacha will join in, saying 'She's absolutely right, Yoshi! With your skills and marvelous powers and good looks we had no doubt that you could do it all on your own!' Then Ryuko will say 'That's way you're my best friend, Yoshi! I have always looked up to you! Good job!' Then maybe even Yoto will congratulate me! He may not say much, but hey, a pat on the back it enough! I wonder what Yoto would look like if he smiled, though…?" He made a quick picture in his mind of stony, serious Yoto with Yoshi's big cheesy grin on his face. Yoshi immediately began to gag and shook his head rapidly to clear the disturbing image. "No…no a pat on the back is enough for me! Anyway, I have more important thing to worry about now!" He fingered the small round pebbles in his pocket.
* * *
The process of erasing Larva's memory took long than Pazusu expected, but he had to make sure that the only thing that Larva could recall about being under Miyu's control was that he was under Miyu's control against his will. The tallow candle the burnt on a sconce mounted on the wall was melted down half of its original length, and it was not the same candle that Pazusu had lit at the beginning of the Mashujutsu. The whole spell took all night. He was exhausted, but a few more moments and it would be complete. After what seemed more like an eternity, Pazusu tied off the last of the spell weaves that form the seal in Larva's mind and removed his hand. For another few moments Pazusu stood over the bed, watching Larva. The younger man might wake up with in that time, later in the day, or perhaps not for another few days. He was unsure what the recovery time for the Mashujutsu was. And there was no doubt that Carlua would be weaker than...
Larva made a small noise in the back of his throat, turning his head slightly. Though he did not outwardly show it, Pazusu was surprised that he was waking up so quickly. Slowly Larva's eyes opened, leaving him staring at the ceiling of the cabin with an unreadable expression on his face. "Good morrow, Larva." Pazusu said, breaking the tense silence of the room that only he was feeling. It had been too long since he had last spoken to Larva.
Larva turned his head towards the voice. "Pa...zusu?" Larva sounded uncertain. It was no surprise; he was in surroundings that he had not seen for years upon years, and the last thing he could remember was being Miyu's servant. Pazusu decided he should talk first to avoid early questions until he could come up with plausible explanations. He was not about to tell Larva that he had been dead just a few hours ago.
"You're free of Miyu's control now." Pazusu said in a comforting tone, reaching forward to take Larva's chin in his hand. "The nightmare you've endured for so long is finally over! Carlua risked her life to save you from Miyu and return you to us!"
Carlua... Pazusu removed his hand as Larva looked over at his younger cousin, still asleep on the other side of the small chamber.
* * *
As the day progressed, Miyu began to feel more and more anxious to leave the home the mother and daughter had taken her into and search for Larva and the Chinese Shinma. She was also running the risk of the longer she stayed here, the more likely that a Western Shinma was to home in on her presence, and these two humans would be caught in the battle. But she also felt guilty about leaving them so suddenly. breakfast that morning had been a sort of meaty stew and bread, a little to like what her own mother used to make. It was rare for Miyu to eat any human food since she got no sustenance from it, but it tasted wonderful. After she had helped the mother clean up the breakfast dishes she was allowed access to the bath house to clean up, and then even allowed Miho to brush her hair. The little girl continually talked about how she wished she had a sister to be with her all the time, whether it be older of younger, and Miyu hoped that she was not hoping that Miyu would stay with them for a longer amount of time. Her thoughts were on Larva all that morning and where to start looking for him. She had to find him, even if it meant going to the Western Shinma's ship herself.
It was now close to none o'clock and Miyu was helping the mother fold the blankets and futons when Miho asked, "By the way, what is your name?"
Miyu smiled a little out of embarrassment, realizing that she had not told them her name at all. "Oh sorry, how very rude of me. My name is..." She was cut off by a sudden chill in the air that made the hairs of her arms and the back of her neck stand on end. A Shinma was close. Miyu tightened her jaw slightly, listening, waiting. Her powers were not fully recovered, so she could not determine from what side he was coming from...
"What's wrong?" The mother asked.
A soft crunch of a leaf under a boot made Miyu snap her head over to the side door of the main room that she, Miho and her mother were sitting in. A very slender man, almost feminine with green hair and a pretty face was standing just beyond the house. His short cloak flapped in the wind caused by the fire spell he was creating. Amy. "Western Shinma!" The word barely escaped Miyu's mouth as a huge ball of fire came roaring towards the Japanese home. Miyu sprang to her feet. "No! Don't do it!"
Just when the fire was about to hit, when the heat was overwhelming and the only thing they could see was red and orange, the ball of fire suddenly split and was redirected to two different directions, around the house, saving all its occupants. For a moment, all four were completely silent. Miho and her mother looked as if they had just had heart attacks. Miyu had to remind herself that human's were not used to looking at death in the face on a normal basis. "Wh...what?" Amy stammered. He glared at Miyu. "You, little witch! Is this your magic?" Something glittered from a near-by tree, then shot forward and hit Amy in the back of the head. He reached up to grab the back of his head that the... whatever it was... had struck him. Then another flew from the tree, then another and another. Miyu looked at one of the small objects that bounced to the porch of the house and into the room she was still standing in. Walking over to it, she picked it up and looked at it. It was a pebble; a perfectly round pebble. There was probably only a few Shinma that she knew that would throw pebbles at such a powerful opponent. Angrily, Amy whirled around and shouted to the trees, "Who dares?" Another pebble flew from the trees, bouncing off of Amy's forehead.
"I dare." Came a voice from within the thick branches of the trees. Miyu smiled when she recognized the voice, and Yoshi swung down from the trees, upside down, looking more like a very large bat than when he was just on his feet. He flipped another pebble at Amy.
"You..." the Western Shinma began again, his face coloring with anger. "You dare insult the power of the great Western Shinma."
"Like I said before, I dare, doofus." Yoshi swung down from the tree and landed on his feet. Or tried to, anyways. He more ended up falling on his backside but recollected himself quickly. He was wearing different clothing other than the heavy brown cloak than he was wearing before. He wore a red Chinese-style shirt with a high neck and no sleeve, with the body of some serpentine creature coiled around him in green and yellow patterns. He wore black slacks the cut off tightly at his ankle and a black sash tied around his waist. Wearing this other than the cloak probably meant something. He stretched his leathery wing out wind then closed them sharply, causing a heavy thump of wind. He turned and smiled that big, goofy half-smile of his and waved at Miyu. "Heya, Miyu! What's going on?"
"Nothing much." Miyu responded, stepping outside. "Expect for this bastard, of course."
"Then let me take care of him, for you!" Yoshi then looked at Amy and an unnatural seriousness covered his usually non-serious face. "Amy, it is time for us to finish our battle, a fight to the bitter end. The last one standing is the victor."
Amy snorted, giving the Chinese Shinma a petty look. "And why should I? I already know of your weak power. Why should I waste my time and energy fighting a weakling like you? I would dishonor myself if I did so!" He finished with a content smirk, as if he was proud of himself for insulting one of the legendary Chinese Shinma.
Rage temporarily flashed across Yoshi's red eyes. Miyu found that oddly chilly. Since the week and a half she had known the Chinese Shinma, Yoshi had no sign of a temper, which was absolutely nothing like his twin sister. Yoshi coughed. "Dishonor...yourself? Are you saying that I'm weak? You have not yet seen the full potential of my powers. It would be more of a dishonor to turn down such a challenge."
Amy turned his back on Yoshi. "Leave us be, Flyboy. I have more important things to take care of. Now Miyu, now is the time you..."
"Oh, mudslinging now, are we?" Yoshi said, a little louder so he was talking over Amy. "Or is it that you're just afraid?"
The Western Shinma rounded on Yoshi so suddenly that Miyu was sure that he was going to loose his balance and fall. "What...did you just say?"
"I said that you are afraid. Maybe the reason why you won't fight is because you're afraid of my true power and you know that you're going to loose." A wry, sly grin pulled at the sides of Yoshi's mouth.
"I would never be afraid of a weak beast like you!"
"Oh, look who's leaving himself open for name-calling!" Yoshi said, shrugging his shoulders. he then began to talk to rapidly that Miyu could not understand half of the words coming from his mouth. "Fraidy-cat, coward, fem-boy, I swear you could be a girl! Weakling, prissy-man, one-nut, knuckle-dragger, boot-licker, brainless, gutless, spineless, dickless, mindless, toothless, heartless, brain-dead, son of a bitch LOSER!"
"Now you die, Chinese Shinma!" Amy shrieked, hurling a fireball at Yoshi. Yoshi leapt into the air as the fireball roared under him and into the tree that he was hanging from not more than two moments ago. The three exploded into thousands of smoldering toothpicks.
"Now that's what I'm talking about!" Yoshi cheered as he landed back on the ground. But not here. Not this close to the family. "Miyu, I'll return soon! Come on, Western Shinma! Come and get me!" With that Yoshi again jumped into the air, pushed off the trunk of another tree and took flight, his twenty-foot wingspan spread wide. With a powerful downward thrust of his leathery wings, he took off deeper into the forest. Miyu should be safe, he thought. Until I get back, unless she leaves the house. What reasons what she have to leave the house? No other Western Shinma should be able to… The very air seemed to be scorched as another fireball rushed up at Yoshi through the trees. The Western Shinma was fast, much to Yoshi's surprise. Folding his wings closely to his body he dove into the forest, easily avoiding the tangle of branches from the cedars and oaks, reminding him of home. Even though the rush of the wind was loud in his ears he was still able to pinpoint Amy's exact location. Throwing open his wings to stop himself in mid-descent, he took a deep breath and blew a plume of fire from his mouth just off to his left. A scream followed shortly after, and Amy scrambled out from the burning brush. "So how was that for power, fem-boy?" Yoshi sneered as he landed on the ground.
Amy only sneered back as he flicked a smoking twig off of the plate that held the short cloak on his shoulders. "Heh. It was laughable. You may talk big, Chinese Shinma, but is all you do is talk?" He rose his hands above his head. "Now watch this! Fire Circle!" Again arrows of fire flew at Yoshi and encircled his body. "You can't move, can you? The final blow!" He was now weaving a more powerful spell than he had been using in the last two battles and threw a huge wave of fire at Yoshi. "Grenadine!"
If Yoshi had snorted, then he would have ruined his own fun. He did not want to see Amy's look of terror yet. He did not even so much as blink as the even large fireball came hurtling his way. Just as it was a few feet away Yoshi dropped his head back and sucked in the fire of the Western Shinma's spell. He looked back at Amy and sneered so hard it was nearly a snarl than before when he saw the dropped-jaw bug-eyes expression on his face. Yoshi laughed almost maniacally. "Do you see, Western Shinma? Do you know understand the power of the High Chinese Shinma? I am Prince Yoshi Tlykera, the Second-Part Heir to the Avian Throne. No one has stood up to the power of the Chinese Shinma Royalty and has lived to tell the tale." Holding his hands in front of him, a sphere of pulsing red energy formed between his palms. "Behold my power." His eyes slowly closed, and his voice seem to split so it sounded as if ten different voices with different tones were speaking at once. "O great God of our fire, lend me thy power. Behold thy glittering scales and thy glorious wing. It is thy golden claws that reach down and parch the very foundations of the earth. For thou, king of the flame and master of the blackened ashes, are my true master. Touch me with thy fiery claws and allow me to channel thy power! Dragon Claw!" He held his arms above his head and the ground about him exploded in a fiery eruption, spiraling towards the sky and forming a giant cyclone of fire. The ground beneath then shattered and charred black, and the trees about them became incinerated by the heat, which seemed to saturate the air. The sky blazed orange. Amy tried to cower back in fright, but found himself frozen in his place, as if the heat had melted his boots to the ground. The cyclone of fire was re-absorbed into Yoshi's hands. He brought then back down and launched his spell at Amy- a huge surge of fire. Amy opened his mouth as if to scream, but had no time to as he brought his hands close to his face, the best and only thing he could do to fend off the attack. He expected to by blown backwards, to feel an incredible amount of pain, to be incinerated on the spot, but nothing happened. Heat exploded around him, but he remained in his place. He was able to open his eyes, only to see that he was standing in a small, un-scorched island where the fire had parted around him. He stared back at Yoshi, who was still standing with a mask of seriousness on his face, looking back intensely. Amy collapsed.
Never before… had I ever felt that type of power… all that power, yet he did not kill me… "…Did not kill me…" he began quietly, but then raised his voice, not caring that it was quaking so. "Why did you not kill me, Chinese Shinma? You said yourself that one who faces your power never lives to tell the tale."
For another moment Yoshi stood there with the cold, stony look on his face before it broke in half with a wide, goofy grin. He held up a hand and made a peace sign with his fingers. "Psyche!" He said. "I can't kill you yet, for some reason. Believe me, if it wouldn't screw up the Japanese Shinma Realm so badly if I did, I would. For what you did to my friends and myself. Not to mention I didn't even say the right spell; I switched some of the words around. We Chinese Shinma do not let shame pass by easily. But I can not let you go cry back to your companions, so I'm afraid you're going to half to stay here for a while." Yoshi took a deep breath as if he were to blow fire at Amy again, but instead he saw what seemed to be a small flicker of light in the back of Yoshi's mouth. Then it looked as if he swallowed, but reopened his mouth wide and a small, thin line of blue light shot from Yoshi's mouth towards Amy in the space of the blink of an eye. The thin stream of light dove into Amy's shoulder. It did not hurt, more of like a light pinch, but Amy felt his mind and body freeze up as if he were dipped into fast-drying plaster. He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out as he crashed to the forest floor with no effort to catch himself. The light recoiled from Amy and back into Yoshi's mouth.
Amy felt as if he were drunk and was beat up the side of the head many, many times as he tried to look at Yoshi. "Whlllaa hellla goo guu nee?" He speech as so slurred that Yoshi had a heard time understanding him.
"I said the last one standing is would be the victor. I only drained your energy to make sure you stay in one place for a while. The bats of the Chinese Shinma are the only ones who are able to do that. You'll be fine by tomorrow. Me, on the other hand, feel great, like I just woke up from a ten hour nap." He turned to leave, but then looked over his shoulder and said coldly, "Sweet dreams, soot for brains." He left the forest clearing, leaving Amy lying on the ground, absolutely helpless, staring up at the gray sky above.
* * *
Must they insist on fighting all my battles for me? Miyu wondered as she watched Amy chase Yoshi into the deep forest. Honestly. And that Western Shinma was a fire-type too. I could have probably beaten him. She shook her head. Anyway, I have more important things to worry about now. While Yoshi distracts him I can find Larva… but first… she turned to the mother and daughter, still holding each other in a terrified huddle in the middle of the room. Miyu knew she could not leave them like that, especially for what they did for her. Miyu walked over to them and knelt before them, looking into their eyes, and they stared back with eyes filled with terror, not speaking. "Thank you for all you've done for me, but I must leave now." She said gently, and laid a palm on each of their foreheads. "Rest now. You will remember none of this." Their eyes slowly drifted shut and the slumped over. Before Miyu left them she unfolded the futons and did her best to move them over to them, which was hard considering the fact how much heavier the mother was than she. When mother and daughter was sleeping comfortably on the floor of their home, Miyu stepped out onto the porch, closed the paper-rice door, and left.
If Yoshi and Amy were still fighting, she did not want to be caught between them. They were wielding very powerful magic spells, the type that would attract curious Shinma from miles. It was best to go in the opposite direction. She had no idea where to start looking for Larva. Maybe she should try to find the other Chinese Shinma first so she would have some form of back up. The Western Shinma still wanted her head more than any escaped Shinma that she had stood up to in the past. That must times ten. She was doing her best to run, but kept stumbling over her own feet. She was still weak, and she still needed blood.
* * *
There was no mistake; that was Amy's voice, and he was in pain. Fire. There was a lot of fire. Miyu used fire. Therefore, Amy had found Miyu, had battled Miyu, and was defeated… not killed, but he was defeated. It was an insult too great to bare for the Western Shinma. Miyu was close; he could feel it. Very close. It did not take long for Spartoi to lock onto her current position and open a Transportation gate to block her path.
When he stepped out of his gate, Miyu came to a screeching halt from a dead run and looked at the big man through angry, exhausted hate-filled eyes. She did not feel like dealing with any of them right now. "Out of my way, Western Shinma." She said defiantly. "Unless you tell me where Larva is, I will destroy you!"
"Just as you destroyed Amy, hell spawn?" Miyu blinked for two reasons. One of them was the word "hell spawn"; that was a new insult. "What are you talking about? I didn't fight him, one of my Chinese Shinma friends did!"
"I won't take this, Miyu! How can you saw that when the air smells like fire? I'm sorry, Amy, that I didn't reciprocate your feelings while I could! Now I'll kill Miyu to should you how I really felt!"
"I see…" Miyu said to herself. Either this guy is really stupid or he's… just really stupid. There's no other way to put it. "So, I take it that you two guys were really close friends? Well, now…" Jumping back, Miyu sprang into a nearby leafless tree and sat on a branch a good ten feet off the ground. She giggled. "Let's see what you've got!"
* * *
On the darkened ghost ship, Larva got up and got dressed as soon as he could trust his legs not to buckle from under him. He stood on the deck of the ship, looking out to the Japanese Shinma Realm. It was not snowing now, but the soft white powder still covered the dark ground and the shattered ruins of the Torii Gate. Though he could not recall what happened before he awoke, it seemed hardly important. He narrowed his eyes.
"I've got you now, Miyu."