Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ My Naga Knight ❯ Chapter 36

Touya brought his hands to his head with a heavy sigh at hearing Jin's story involving the past year he was there. “I thought the whole purpose of this was to explain to the two girls that you weren't the killer of their parents. I was unaware that you were going there to fall in love with the one girl who would love to see you dead!”

 

“I told you, I didn't have this all planned out!” Jin grumbled, lying down on his front with his tail curled up about his body. He felt miserable having to leave Neda behind. “But I am not done yet. I have to still go back there and be there when my child is born.”

 

“Jin!” Touya scolded angrily, not wanting the demon to return back for anything. “You've already caused a riot. Do you seriously want to go back and cause more trouble for yourself?”

 

“I know you're trying to look out for me, Touya, but I am sorry. I have other things that need to be done.” Jin's serpent body began to unravel slowly to reveal where he was hiding his face. “Do you think you could manage to get in contact with Kurama?”

 

Touya threw his hands up in defeat. “Why do I even bother? Everything I say to you goes through one ear and out the other!” Slithering towards one of the nearby trees sheltering them from harm, he looked about the area to make sure no human was nearby. “I can try and find him, but what do you need Kurama for?”

 

“I don't trust any human to deliver that child,” Jin admitted, as he rested against one of the nearby trees with a heavy sigh. “If they find out it is a half-breed, they will have it killed. I cannot risk that.”

 

“So you're going to drag Neda away to birth this child?” Touya couldn't help but find something wrong with Jin's plan, but he wasn't about to say anything regarding it out loud. “Alright, I will go hunt down Kurama and tell him about the situation. I just really hope you know what you're doing.”

 

 

 

 

 

Finishing her dinner for the next night, Neda walked over to the dinning room table to eat. She picked apart the chicken she had on her plate only to look about the room to find it lonely without anybody there to keep her company. Tossing a part of the chicken back down on her plate, she ran her fingers through her hair with an added sigh. Hearing a knock at her door, Neda tossed down her napkin to make it over to the front entrance to open the wooden door. “Thane…?” She wondered, a bit confused. Never would the knight ever show up without her sister. “What are you doing here?” She stood aside to let the young man through.

 

“I have just come here to warn you, Neda,” Thane began with worry, as he entered the farmhouse. “Since that uproar at the ball, everyone knows that you two were together. They are worried about that baby you are now holding inside of you.”

 

“What does that mean…?” Neda asked nervously, not liking the tone of his voice.

 

“It means that they want you to kill it when it is born,” Thane responded with a sorrowful sigh. “I am so sorry.”

 

“That's a horrible thing for them to suggest!” Neda growled, pounding her fist down on the table she was previously eating at. “You know me, Thane, and I don't like nagas as much as anybody, but I could never blame this child for what he's about to be!”

 

“If that child is born and is seen about town, people are going to kill it!” It wasn't within Thane to demand such a thing, but he worried the kind of life that the child would be born into and the hell Neda would be given for keeping it. “Look, I am only thinking of the two of you. I know it is a cruel thing to ask, but you have to do something!”

 

Neda placed her hands upon her round stomach before making it to the nearby window. “If things become too much, I know of one person who can watch over the child.” She was thinking about Kurama, knowing that he was watching over the five babies Jin had to leave behind when he was exiled from trying to watch over Neda. “He sacrificed a lot for me…and because of my hatred for their kind that I have been raised on, it is just hard to think some of them actually have a heart.”

 

“I am sure the serpent demons think the same about humans,” Thane remarked, as he sat down at the dinning room table. “I still cannot believe I was there when his wife got killed. That explains his first reaction to me so much.”

 

“Yeah, he did blame you quite a bit,” Neda said, thinking about the diary that the demon had let her read earlier. “He said it felt like you could have stopped them from killing her.”

 

“Well,” Thane began with a shrug, “I wasn't aware that your mother wanted him to watch over you. I seriously thought that they had kidnapped you and were planning on killing you.” He fidgeted a bit with the square cloth, which hung over different parts of the round table. “Like you, I didn't know much about them. I only thought they were killers.”

 

Neda twiddled with the red necklace she had unknowing made out of the demon's dried scales. “I wish I had known that as well, but my mother died before I got the chance to say even goodbye to her.” Wanting to see Jin again, Neda turned around to Thane. “Take me to Jin.”

 

“Why are you asking this of me?” Thane asked with a light, sarcastic chuckle. “I don't know where he went to.”

 

“I know in your line of duty under the king, you were all taught to track and destroy demons after that night,” Neda explained, joining Thane at the table. She grabbed some more of the chicken to feed herself a bit more. “I have no doubt you'll be able to find Jin's nest and where he is hiding. I want you to take me there.”

 

Thane was trained in that line of work, but he never used it often. He didn't want to go looking for trouble in fear of losing in a fight against one. Not many came back alive after hunting for the demons. “Alright,” Thane said with a sigh at Neda's determination. He pushed himself up from the table. “I'll be waiting outside while you finish eating. I don't want you going there hungry.”

 

“Thank you, Thane,” Neda said, as the knight left her in peace to finish her meal. Just thinking about confronting him again in demon form made her really nervous, as she picked through her food quickly.

 

 

 

 

Jin waited eagerly for Touya to return with some news regarding Kurama's whereabouts. He had no doubt that the nest probably uprooted from where they last were after that last attack on Shishi's nest. Hearing the disturbance of the bushes, Jin snapped his attention to the trees up ahead to watch as they jostled about to show something was coming his way. He was hopeful it was Touya only to find the smell of iron heavy. Hissing lowly, he backed away to hide best he could amongst the bushes and trees surrounding him.

 

Thane made his way into the woods to find Jin and Touya's nest sure enough. “Jin, I am no fool. I know you're here.” He knew the demon was somewhere nearby given the hissing he could hear almost resonating around him. “I am not here to hurt you. I want to talk to you first before dragging Neda in here.”

 

The redhead slowly pulled himself from where he was hiding in the bushes to make himself known to the knight. “I will hold you to that,” the demon mentioned nervously. He made sure to make himself look intimidating by towering over Thane on his serpent half. “What do you want to talk about?”

 

“Jeez, you are big,” Thane mentioned, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. He watched as Jin crossed his arms over his chest with his mouth twisted to the side to show he wasn't amused. “I just wanted you to know that I was sorry for what I did to your mate. I didn't mean for any of that to happen. I just thought you were going to kill Neda. I couldn't let that happen.”

 

“I had to watch their mother die in my arms several seasons ago,” Jin explained, hating to look back on that night. “We were just going in there to eat our share in food, but the father came in and startled us. He had a lantern with him, and when he dropped it, it caught the barn on fire. I tried to get them out, but I couldn't in time.” He opened his palms to think back on when Pearl was lying in his arms. “She begged me then and there to watch over her children no matter what, but they didn't trust me. So I found Lily, and you came onto the farm. Regardless, I still tried to keep my promise, and I did the best I could.”

 

Thane was quiet, as he listened to Jin's side of the story. “You even got your mate killed because of it, and you lost your children, so I heard.” He moved a bit closer to the redhead, watching as Jin's blue eyes kept upon his movements. “I am sorry for everything that has happened, Jin. During the year I got to know you, I know that you would never harm anybody unless they threatened you or the people you love.” Thane opened his hand to the wind master. “Forgive me.”

 

Jin eyed the opened hand seriously before offering a smile to the knight to accept his hand. “All demons are not bad. I wish your kind could see that.”

 

“I wish the same,” Thane said before pulling back from the handshake. “Wait right here. Neda is waiting to see you.”

 

Staying put, he watched as the knight disappeared back into the bushes and trees to reappear with Neda. He didn't hesitate to come closer to her only to watch her withdraw from him nervously. Jin frowned at her actions sorrowfully. “You still do not trust me, I see.”

 

“It isn't that I don't trust you,” Neda answered quietly between them. “I am just not used to you…I never thought that the demon I had held such anger towards would be the man I would fall in love with in a period of one year.” She nervously reached for his arm to feel of the scales on the back.

 

“Speaking of my scales,” Jin looked down at the necklace she had made out of his scales. “You do know now where you got those now, don't you?” He touched the glistening items of his that she had strung together for her necklace. “You got those from me right before I shed my skin.”

 

Neda placed her hand upon Jin's to hold it close to herself. “I guess I always had a part of you close to me.” Not able to hide back her emotions anymore, Neda moved in closer to hug the demon tightly. Her head rested upon his abdomen to hide the tears, which were about to escape from her eyes. “Everyone knows what this baby is going to be. They want me to kill it.”

 

“They don't have to do that!” Jin grumbled, holding Neda close. “They could let the child live out in the wild with other snake demons if it shows so much as being part of one!” He gently pushed Neda back, so he could look within her eyes. “I asked Touya to bring Kurama here, so he should be here any minute. You could have this baby out here in the wild. Nobody will know. I will take care of it, and I will stop by the farm as often as I can.”

 

Thane kept a lookout on the outskirts of the forest while Neda and Jin continued to talk to one another. Noticing the grazing Rose, he walked over to the mare to stroke her fur gently in attempts to keep her company. As he was doing so, he noticed something in the distance. Squinting his eyes, Thane realized that it was a group of knights heading towards him. “Oh Great Goddess,” he inhaled sharply, throwing the reins to the saddle horn before mounting on the creature to go out to meet them. On his way there, he witnessed the ice master and Kurama not too far away. “Tell Jin and Neda they have to get out of here! The knights are on their way!”

 

Kurama turned his head to find that, indeed, five or so knights were coming towards Jin and Touya's nesting site. “Dear God…” he breathed in disbelief. “Let's go!”

 

When Touya managed to make it through to where Jin and Neda were, he could hear them talking about how and where to have the child they had conceived. “You two have to get out of here!” He demanded, tossing about the branches to get to where he was supposed to go to the center of the nest. “Knights are on their way here. I have no doubt they are out demon hunting, and if they find Neda here, they will probably kill her too just for having a demon child!”

 

“What!” Jin exclaimed, as he moved from Neda to see for himself what was indeed going on beyond the woods. “What are they doing here? How did they find us!”

 

With all of the panic and stress getting to Neda, she found pain striking her body. Placing her hand on her stomach, she nearly fell to her knees. “J-Jin…? Whether you want it to or not, right now I am about to have this baby…!”

 

“I thought humans held babies for several seasons!” Touya exclaimed in wonder, knowing that Thane wouldn't be able to hold off the knights for very long.

 

“Sometimes stress and other things can cause a change in plans,” Kurama explained in demonic to the other demons. He hurried over towards the woman to keep her steady and under control. “We cannot move her. It is too risky. If the knights come while she is about to give birth, well, we have to let them come.”

 

“You're crazy!” Jin growled angrily, not wishing to think that was their only option.

 

“Esmond!” Thane exclaimed, as he finally rode up beside the knight he had known. “What are you doing way out here?” He kept the mare in a steady pace next to Esmond's armored steed.

 

“I could ask you the same thing, my friend.” The way Esmond stretched the word `friend' was seen more as an insulting term than anything to anybody within the group. “My comrades and I were tracking the stench of demon and happen to be heading in this direction.”

 

“There is nothing out here!” Thane insisted, wanting to deter Esmond from going any further into the woods. “I have already looked!” The nervous knight added.

 

Esmond halted his steed and the troops following behind him closely. He looked at Thane suspiciously. “Is there something you are hiding from us? You seem awfully jumpy tonight.” Seeing Thane open his mouth to speak, the fellow knight couldn't help but be reminded of something else. “Also, I hope you told that woman to kill the bastard growing within her stomach.” Here, he unsheathed his sword to show the blade upon the moonlight. “Because if she doesn't, the Goddess knows I will.”

 

Thane felt rage boiling within him at having to hear such an outrageous statement. “That is not for you to decide! That baby belongs to Neda, and what she decides to do with it is her own affair—not yours!”

 

“I've heard enough of your romantic dribble!” Esmond yelled angrily, putting his sword away. “If there is nothing up ahead then you would have no problem with us looking again.”

 

Just as Thane was about to demand otherwise, he felt a tremendous chill rise within the air. Looking back down towards the outskirts of the woodland area, he saw a patch of ice racing towards the knights as if it were alive. He himself wasn't sure what was going on, so he moved Rose out of the way to watch as the other knights' horses were frozen in place.

 

Esmond angrily looked down to find the source—the ice demon, Touya. The demon was looking at him, appearing rather angry that they would dare come so close to his home. “It is one of those damn creatures who has special abilities!” He yelled to the others, unsheathing his sword before dismounting his horse. “Kill that thing!”

 

With the other knights coming at him, Touya quickly moved his right hand to direct the ice to freeze the oncoming men. “You will all lose your power to fight me in my ice,” he warned them in English. Touya narrowed his eyes with a smirk upon his face. “It can suck the energy right out of your bodies.”

 

“You can't keep us incased in here forever, you beast!” Esmond yelled, throwing his sword at the demon straight on.

 

Touya knew if he released his hold on the humans, they wouldn't hesitate to attack and try to kill him. However, he had to avoid the sword coming for him. It caused Touya to move off to the side, making him lose his focus on his attack, allowing the knights to run free momentarily. Regaining his composure, after the sharp blade nearly did away with his head, the ice master managed to recapture them within his demonic ice just a few feet away from actually reaching him.

 

“Whatever is back there, demon, you cannot protect it forever,” Esmond warned, as he reached for his bow and arrows.

 

Hearing the attacks from up front put Jin and Kurama on edge. “I don't think Touya was able to keep the men in iron at bay,” Kurama pointed out to Jin in demonic before turning to the farm woman. He placed his palm upon her sweaty forehead to try and calm her a bit. “Soon she will have this baby out, but Neda will be weak.”

 

Jin looked over his shoulder, as he could hear the knights cutting through the woods just to find them. “They are headed this way…!” Gathering his thoughts, he motioned for Kurama to move. “I can handle it from here. You have the ability to hold them off without killing them.”

 

Kurama moved aside, letting Jin take over in his place. He watched as the wind demon supported Neda's head with his serpent body, allowing the rest to keep her protected. “I'll hold them off best I can. Just tell her to push every now and again. That should do the trick.” Standing just a few feet away, Kurama used his abilities to beckon the trees to intertwine their branches together to create a thick, almost unbreakable barrier for when the knights finally showed their faces.

 

Esmond wasn't amused to find another obstacle in his path. “So, there are two more of you.” Noticing Neda curled up within the coils of the other redhead, he couldn't help but smirk. “Everything I need is here in one spot, I see.” Using his sword, he began to work best he could to bring down the tree branches blocking his way best he could. “Give it up, you pitiful beast! Either way, you will all die here tonight.”

 

“You cannot slice through tough branches,” Kurama insisted in broken English, keeping his barrier up. “You be here all night.”

 

Jin growled angrily at the persistent knights wanting to take someone else from him. “And even if you do make it through Kurama's barrier, I won't hesitate to kill you. Be thankful I am showing you the generosity you never once showed me.” He eyed the men with a rising fury within him.

 

Thane hurried back through the woods with the ice master following behind him quickly. Making it back near Jin and Neda, he looked to see that the plant master had the knights all locked up with an entanglement of tree branches. “My word…” he gasped, watching the display. Another sound broke the knight's concentration on Kurama's actions—it was the sound of a baby crying. He hurried over towards Neda and Jin, knowing that the wind demon wouldn't know what to do with the umbilical cord. “Give it to me. I can cut the cord on it.”

 

Jin was hesitant, but he did as the knight asked. “Snake demon babies don't have that strange thing on them when they are born. Most are born in a shell or born without one if the shell breaks within the mother.”

 

“It is normal for human babies,” Thane said, as he used his sword to cut the cord as it was to be cut. He noticed the gender right away. “It is a boy.” He saw that the small child had very little hair at the moment, so it was hard to determine the color of it. It did have pointed ears and some scales on the back of its body to show he wouldn't fit into human society at the best of times during the warmer months.

 

Smiling in relief that his child was okay, he let Neda take the small boy back into her arms before leaning down to nuzzle against her cheek. “I never thought I would see the day where I could actually witness one of my children being born and spend my days with him,” he whispered between the three of them.

 

Neda wasn't all too worried about the child's demonic appendages at that moment. All she cared about was that moment she had with her own family. She held the child close to her body lovingly, resting her cheek upon his head. “What are we going to name him?”

 

As the two continued to converse with one another, Esmond readied a bow and aimed the arrow through the only opening he had while Kurama wasn't paying attention. He aimed the arrow directly at Neda and the baby, intent on killing them both with one shot. “Say goodbye, you traitorous wench!” He growled to himself before releasing the arrow.

 

Hearing the weapon slicing through the wind, Jin turned around to see the arrow heading towards the woman he loved and his newborn son. “NO!” He yelled angrily, getting in the way of it. His back facing the projectile, he felt the head of the arrow pierce through his upper back, causing him severe pain.

 

Neda watched in horror as the other knights followed in Esmond's steps by firing their arrows as well, causing several more to pierce through Jin's thick, demonic skin. “JIN!” She screamed in horror, watching the demon continue to take the arrows for her sake.

 

Before Thane could intervene with his shield and sword, he witnessed as Jin turned slowly around with blood trickling down the naga's mouth. The knight had never seen the demon so angry before. He was paralyzed by his own fear to make any movement.

 

Jin wasn't about to take anymore. Calling his powers, his eyes went completely white as he beckoned to a strong wind current, causing blades of grass to be so deadly that it would slice through the iron and skin of the knights that dared attack him and his family. When Kurama moved out of the way, Jin raised his hand to call down a cyclone, which engulfed the attacking knights within it to send them flying to their deaths.

 

Thane, Touya, and Kurama all watched in disbelief at the power Jin usually refrained from using unless for a specific reason. When the wind currents settled, Touya heard Jin collapse to the ground. “Jin!” Everyone exclaimed.

 

“Jin!” Neda said in worry, seeing the demon was wounded several times by the arrows now sticking out of his back. She could see the blood escaping from the wind demon's mouth, making her worried for his life. “Jin, you shouldn't have done that…” Neda expressed in tears, as she placed her palm upon his cheek.

 

The wind master smiled best he could through his labored breathes, in his painful attempt to stay alive. “I did all that I did, because I loved you. I didn't want to come all this way just to lose you,” he expressed honestly. Jin hissed in dismay, as he felt Kurama pull one of the arrows out of his back, as they had not pierced through Jin's skin. “Neda, I am still so sorry for everything.”

 

Never had Neda ever witnessed the wind master cry before, but she caught the tears of regret he was shedding within the moonlight. “Shhh,” she whispered to the wind demon, stroking his wild, red hair. “Jin, you need to stop talking. If you keep talking, you're going to lose your energy.”

 

Jin slowly closed his eyes with a shaky breath. “I love you, Neda,” he almost whispered.

 

“I love you too, Jin,” Neda replied, resting against the large wind demon. While Kurama continued to remove the arrows from the wind demon's back, Neda cried against Jin's weak form feeling that he may not make it through the night given how many times he was struck.