Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Solo Adventures of Youko Kurama ❯ New Skills, New Home ( Chapter 3 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: kiune_hanyou 
Youko and Collette continue on.
Anime/Manga: Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Fantasy / Comedy / Adventure | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 07.12.2006 | Pages: 2 | Words: 3.3K | Visits: 211 | Status: Work In Progress
Youko and Collette continue on.
Anime/Manga: Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Fantasy / Comedy / Adventure | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 07.12.2006 | Pages: 2 | Words: 3.3K | Visits: 211 | Status: Work In Progress
The Solo Adventures of Youko Kurama
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho
Chapter 3: New Skills, New Home
What is that sound? It hurts... that sound. Dripping. The sound of dripping. The sound... it echoes... ringing through my head. Please someone... make it stop...
Grunting, Youko begins to move around, his body jerking furiously, trying to dispand the noise. 'It hurts...' squeeks from his mouth, 'make it stop.' His head drumbs with the rythm of the water splashing onto the cave grounds. Writhing his body back and forth, clenching and unclenching his tiny fists.
The sound of movement disturbs the caretaker outside. Collette stops what she does, and walks cautiously into the abandoned wolf den. The grey walls writtled with moss and water leaks from the waterfall it lays under. The ground is soft from lycan growing on the ground, shallow puddles of water reflect light deep into the den, showering the room in both light and shadow.
Collette goes over to the disarrayed child, calmly cooing the fox child back into a dreamless slumber. 'Do not hurt yourself young lord. You are still not fully recovered...' she thinks, looking at the reopened wound the childs flayling has caused. Youko's shirt has been removed, in its place, are bandage wrappes tied expertly around the upper torso of the child. The white bandages begin to pinken as puss and blood begin to emerge from the flesh.
Carefully as she can, taking care as to not wake Youko, she unties the bandages, each strip being pulled after a dab of water, to leasen the pain the blood clot will undoubtibly cause to a concious mind. After removing all the strips, Collette grabs around her waist for the hurbs she now gathered and begins mashing a few into a green sticky paste. The smell alone would gag a human, but the owl demons constant gathering and creating the salve has cause her to some what, endure the smell.
After the green leaves have been mashed, Collette places some on her palm, using her free hand, she smears the medicine onto the wound.
Youko's body flinches as Collette works the salve deep enough into the wound to keep it from infection, she knows it burn, and fans the wound with her wing. When Youko was rebandaged, Collette goes over to see another patient.
Pallet, the human girl from the village, lay unmoving on the ground opposite Youko. Being demon, Collette isn't experience with human illnesses and her demon remidies don't seem to be doing the effect it has been with Youko. Pallet has been gradually gaining a fever, her face is contorted in pain. Her deep breaths and sweat falling from her brow show the pain the child suffers. Every now and again she swallows air, despritaly using the cool air to calm her burning lungs, only to find it too hot once it reaches her body.
Collette grabs the bowl of water and cloth she has been using to keep the child cool, but that too, warms and she must refill it with fresh, cool water from the pool outside the cave. Collette doesn't know what to do. Two innocent children are suffering and she has no help in tending to them. She herself sustained injury with her fight with the bird men. Although they were not as sevier as the childrens, it did take her half the day to heal.
It has been three days since the fight with the birdmen, and if the children do not wake soon, she doesn't know if they can make it. Pallet is the most to worry on that aspect. She knows humans well enough to understand that they need constant neutrition when ill, otherwise their fragile bodies may loose the will to fight. Collette hopes nothing of the sort happens to them.
^^^
It burns. The smells. What are they? Where are they comming from?
Jolting awake, Youko sits upright, beads of sweat fall from his face, adding to the song of dripping water. Franticly looking around, he sees himself in unfamiliar territory. The smells... they reak. The smell of wolves!
Youko jumps in a panic, looking in all directions for what he believes to be an inhabited cave. Youko turns around quickly when he hears a noise, but topples over in pain when the torn flesh of his chest moves with his body and his wounds slow him down. Resting on one knee, one hand supporting his weight and the other clenching tightly to the pain on his chest, Youko looks around for the thing that caused the noise. His eyes dialate to small specks, he turns behind him, fear keeping him from running from the noise. He pants, the heat of his body tells him to run, get as far from the wolf den as possible, but the faint scent of his friends, as well as him being paralized from fright, keeps his body still.
Collette walks in to see a frantic looking Youko. He looks like a cornered animal, his body hunched over, looking over his shoulders, his ears painstakingly pulled back, his face showing a hazy fear. "Youko it is alright. You do not need to fear me." Collette tries to speak to the cowerding child.
Youko's ears twitch from the familiar hum of words eminating from the strangers mouth. Slowly but surely, Youko calms himself long enough to focus his eyesight on the intruder. Collette stands at the entrance of the cave, the setting sun looks like a sea of fire from the reflected waterfall. Collette seems to be standing in a pool of magma, her heart shapped wings outlined what Youko's over stimulated mind pictured as a being from the lowest depths of hell, chewed and spit out by the dark over lord himself.
Swallowing air, Youko slowly turns around to face Collette, his side throbbing from the pain. Collette releases her held breath, looking relieved to her young lord. "You had me worried, young Youko." Collette goes over to the frightened child, and pats his head.
The close proximity of a familiar scent, Youko can't help but feel comforted by the touch. He gains pressure on the hand resting on his head, moving his face where the hand rests on his cheek, where he rests on it, breathing in the relaxing scent of his care taker.
Youko's small hand comes to rest on Collettes wrist. Collette, then, comes to kneel infront of the shaking child. Youko's quiet wimpers draw a deep longing in Collettes heart. She draws the strong willed youth into her arms, comforting him as he shed's his silent tears, releasing the pent up emotion the world has thrown into his face. Much has happened to him, the loss of his parents, his friends death's, a fight from two powerful creatures while trying to protect his loved ones, his fight from death, it is all too much for a young soul.
Youko tightens his grip around Collette, the small hairs on his shoulder begin to stand on end. Collette worries and turns around to face what Youko sees. Directly behind her lay Pallet. The sleeping girl has started to squirm, her limbs begin to shake. Deep gasps of breath cause her to jerk her head violently side to side. Youko quickly releases Collette from his grip, rushing to his friends side. Youko grabs his aching ribs once he falls to his knees beside his friends, ignoring his pain as much as possible as he tries to awaken the flayling girl.
Grabbing both shoulders, "Pallet! Pallet!" Youko screams her name in the language she knows, he tries to shake her awake, only to be yelled at by Collette.
"Youko do not move her so harshley!" Collette too, sits by the girls side, holding her down, trying to keep her from hurting herself from her furiouse movements. Watching Collette, Youko too, grabs Palletts legs and holds her down, making sure not to hold on too tightly as to hurt her.
Pallet's body has become cool to the touch. Her face sweats and pales. Quivering lips tint purple as the deep beating of her heart pound in the ears of her friends.
Pallets body become's still. Her face calms and her breathing stops.
Youko's hands quiver, making up for the frantic movements Pallet made not minutes before. The cave turns silent as both creatures turn worried eyes on the once active girl. Youko crawls uncertainly towards Pallet, his body moving slowly and quietly over to Pallet's side. Collette watches the girls face, her hands search for a pulse of a heart beat in Pallet's neck.
Nothing.
Not even the slightest twitch. Pallet now lay upon the ground, gone. Her soul now passes to the otherworld by nightfall.
^^^
Silence surrounds the friends, Youko watches as Collette wrapps Pallet in her mothers cloths. Collette works quickly, but gently, even for the dead.
A whisper reaches Collettes ears, looking away from her work, she sees Youko cradling himself. "Is there something on your mind, young prince?" The look in Youko's eyes shows there is something on his mind, a quiet intensity fills his features and Youko fears the answer to the question plaguing his mind.
"Miss Collette- can you... Can you tell me what happened with the birds?"
Collette knew this question would arrise eventualy. She looks down at the ground, and thinks of the last that she saw of the fight between her young lord and the bird men.
"Tengu..."
Youko was surprised at the word, unsure of what it was supposed to mean. "W-what?"
"Tengu, it is what the bird men are called." She looks in Youko's direction, walking closer before sitting in the lotus position. It was some time before Collette decided to continue with her story, collecting her thoughts and trying to imagine the incident a few days before.
"After I managed to defeat my Tengu opponent by piercing him with a branch, I ran as fast as I could in your direction. My fight had extended the battle field quite abit." Taking a deep breath, Collette thinks once again, emotions of seeing the prince fallen and looking half dead leave her with a heavy heart.
A tear falls and Collette quickly wipes it away. "Forgive my weakness, now, when I had managed to reach the clearing you and young Pallet were last located, the first thing I saw was your unmoving body laying below the clawed foot of the Tengu beast." Collette clenches her fist with the memory, "He was prepared to strike you one last time, I had tried to rush to your side, hoping that there were still life in your body. My wing had kept me from being by your side in time, and I tripped.
"I had fallen, but when I looked up fearing the worst when I heard a shreeking scream, I saw that the Tengu stood motionless above you." Collette see's Youko's confusion and laughs once before she goes on.
"You were- you were below the Tengu, a literal grass blade had stabbed him in the chest. And the one holding the item was you! Although at the time I had believed you were alright, when the Tengu fell dead, so did you." Youko's eyes had dialated. Recalling what it was she said, she quickly corrects herslef.
Oh dear! I- I didn't mean that you literaly fell dead, young prince!" Youko released his held breath and closed his eyes. When he opened them, he was prepared to hear the rest.
"Well now, you were not dead, but unconcious, the leaf used to pierce the Tengu had returned to a tiny blade of grass. Although you were not awake, you were alive. I had gathered both you and Pallet, hoping the Tengu was infact dead, I had managed to find an abandoned den. Using the waterfall, I had cleaned and bandaged both of you before tending to myself. After that, you had been asleep- for three days."
Youko looks at his right hand, "Did I make the grass blade?" Side glancing Collette, he sees her nod. "Could my parents do that?"
Collette stands up and goes back over to tend to Pallet, tying the cloth with vines to keep it from comming apart. "No, I don't believe they could. But if I can recall correctly, your mothers father was able to. Perhaps you inherited the gift from your grandfather."
^^^
Youko had refused to watch as the last of his family is carried away, the silent departure of Collette as she walks out the cave, quietly calling over to Youko to follow. He follows the call without feeling. His body seems to move on its own, the sloppy walk and hunched over posture show his disarray.
Stopping just before leaving the cave, Youko turns his head to his left, there, lay his shredded shirt, wrapped in what little fabric is left are the manucodiata feathers, both ends of the feathers stem out from the once pure white color.
Youko moves with a saddness when he reaches the cloths, cradling them as he did once to his beloved friend, Manucodiata. "Youko?" The sound of his name brings him from a replayed memory, and walks along beside Collette.
^^^
Their journy was shrouded in silence, they walked by night to the human village, and arrived at the peak of dawn. The villagers waisted no time in fixing the damage the Tengu made on homes. Men, wemon, and children all help in someway, keeping themselves lively before retiring before the sun gets too high and it becomes too hot to work.
The bird shaped shadow Collette creates alarms the village, some scurry to grab their weapons as others choose to hide. The owl demon before them they take as an imidiate threat, pointing their swords, bows and various tools at Collette.
Collette stands back a distance from the humans, and allows Youko to walk towards the villagers. She stands watch as they slowly begin to recognize the youth. Youko has his head held low, and stands infront of one villager in particular. A man familiar to him, Tori, the human father to Pallet and husband to Mia, looks down at the one they called 'Kit'.
Kneeling before him, Tori places his hand on Youko's shoulder. At this, Youko stares into the humans eyes, golden eyes show sorrow, and green show curiosity. Youko speaks one word, "come," and the father looks on frightened. The villagers wonder what it is they should be expecting, they clutch their pikes and wooden spears.
Youko and Tori walk, surrounded by curious onlookers, Tori walks with his head held high. Youko walks silently. Coming to rest a few paces before Collette, Tori looks to the bundle the demoness carries. He realizes, wrapped in the shroud, his daughter lay, he looks around behind the demons, searching for his wife that had left with the children.
"I am sorry." Tori stops his searching and stares at the plumped demoness speaking to him. She extends her arms, and places the deceased child in his waiting arms. "Forgive me, I could do nothing to help her."
Tori pays no attention to Collette, but keeps his attention focused on his daughters still form. Balancing his daughter in one arm, and hesitantly coaxes the material covering her body loose from her face, Tori peers into Pallet's face, her pail features bring no question that she has passed. A tear slids down his cheak, and lands on his daughters lips. He looks up to the demoness, broken and sorrow fill his eyes as he gazes at the owl. He whispers a question ment for her, "And of my wife?"
^^^
The silence is thickening, and Youko walks off into the woods, to find a tree to rest at. He doesnt want to listen in on the conversation, he wants to forget, forget everything.
He sits with his back to a tree, cradeling his knees to his chin, staring into nothing. Although his face shows an intensity, one question remains in his mind, 'how did I survive...?' All he can remeber from the fight his his body being beaten by the Tengu, feeling his bones snap from the constant collision with the ground, the claws peircing his chest, gripping and tearing the flesh.
The last thought brings his hand to clench his chest, the pain nullifies with more pressure, and he soon falls asleep, thoughts playing in his mind.
^^^
Youko wakes from the sound of Collettes heavy footsteps walking to him. He looks up and accepts the offered hand, standing with more will, Youko slowly brushes himself off.
Collette has noticed Youko's quiet punishment on himself. "It is not your fault, young prince." Youko looks into Collettes eyes, and nodds. Smiling down at him, Collette patts his head, and the first sign of hope emits from Youko with a warm smile. "Come my prince, it is time to find you a new home."
Youko looks up, tilting his head to the side in a show of confusion. "You will see when we get there. But first, we rest tonight, our journey wil start in the morning."
Finding shelter for the night, the two adventurers rest in an old shrine, honoring the gaurdian of the forest. It was a nice sized building, a statue of a wolf sitting was placed in the middle of the shrine. Pillows line the floor, showing the great wolfs followers were frequent and in great numbers.
Collette leans against the wall, using her wings to wrap around her body to keep her warm. Youko took full advantage of the cluster of pillows and made himself a bed of cushens. Stepping on the individual cushens, Youko curls himself into a ball and sleeps, tails curled around his body, a relaxing calm flows through the friends. Wind circulates through the room from an open window, crickets lull the wake to sleep.
^^^
A/N: I AM NOT DEAD!!! I humbly appologize for my tardyness loyal readers. I bow lowly in respects to your wishes. I just have a job and that takes up my time.... although I've only been working for two months... The first month was just laziness. So... this is how I see Youko starting his plant weilding powers, although he has not mastered it. Thank you for the review, I hope I get more encouragement- BUT- beggars can't be choosers so its no big, I love to write. I hope this doesn't seem too short and I apologize for the miss spelled words, I do not own spell check, only a dictionary. Well, till next time, see ya when I see ya!! ^-^ Please review!!
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho
Chapter 3: New Skills, New Home
What is that sound? It hurts... that sound. Dripping. The sound of dripping. The sound... it echoes... ringing through my head. Please someone... make it stop...
Grunting, Youko begins to move around, his body jerking furiously, trying to dispand the noise. 'It hurts...' squeeks from his mouth, 'make it stop.' His head drumbs with the rythm of the water splashing onto the cave grounds. Writhing his body back and forth, clenching and unclenching his tiny fists.
The sound of movement disturbs the caretaker outside. Collette stops what she does, and walks cautiously into the abandoned wolf den. The grey walls writtled with moss and water leaks from the waterfall it lays under. The ground is soft from lycan growing on the ground, shallow puddles of water reflect light deep into the den, showering the room in both light and shadow.
Collette goes over to the disarrayed child, calmly cooing the fox child back into a dreamless slumber. 'Do not hurt yourself young lord. You are still not fully recovered...' she thinks, looking at the reopened wound the childs flayling has caused. Youko's shirt has been removed, in its place, are bandage wrappes tied expertly around the upper torso of the child. The white bandages begin to pinken as puss and blood begin to emerge from the flesh.
Carefully as she can, taking care as to not wake Youko, she unties the bandages, each strip being pulled after a dab of water, to leasen the pain the blood clot will undoubtibly cause to a concious mind. After removing all the strips, Collette grabs around her waist for the hurbs she now gathered and begins mashing a few into a green sticky paste. The smell alone would gag a human, but the owl demons constant gathering and creating the salve has cause her to some what, endure the smell.
After the green leaves have been mashed, Collette places some on her palm, using her free hand, she smears the medicine onto the wound.
Youko's body flinches as Collette works the salve deep enough into the wound to keep it from infection, she knows it burn, and fans the wound with her wing. When Youko was rebandaged, Collette goes over to see another patient.
Pallet, the human girl from the village, lay unmoving on the ground opposite Youko. Being demon, Collette isn't experience with human illnesses and her demon remidies don't seem to be doing the effect it has been with Youko. Pallet has been gradually gaining a fever, her face is contorted in pain. Her deep breaths and sweat falling from her brow show the pain the child suffers. Every now and again she swallows air, despritaly using the cool air to calm her burning lungs, only to find it too hot once it reaches her body.
Collette grabs the bowl of water and cloth she has been using to keep the child cool, but that too, warms and she must refill it with fresh, cool water from the pool outside the cave. Collette doesn't know what to do. Two innocent children are suffering and she has no help in tending to them. She herself sustained injury with her fight with the bird men. Although they were not as sevier as the childrens, it did take her half the day to heal.
It has been three days since the fight with the birdmen, and if the children do not wake soon, she doesn't know if they can make it. Pallet is the most to worry on that aspect. She knows humans well enough to understand that they need constant neutrition when ill, otherwise their fragile bodies may loose the will to fight. Collette hopes nothing of the sort happens to them.
^^^
It burns. The smells. What are they? Where are they comming from?
Jolting awake, Youko sits upright, beads of sweat fall from his face, adding to the song of dripping water. Franticly looking around, he sees himself in unfamiliar territory. The smells... they reak. The smell of wolves!
Youko jumps in a panic, looking in all directions for what he believes to be an inhabited cave. Youko turns around quickly when he hears a noise, but topples over in pain when the torn flesh of his chest moves with his body and his wounds slow him down. Resting on one knee, one hand supporting his weight and the other clenching tightly to the pain on his chest, Youko looks around for the thing that caused the noise. His eyes dialate to small specks, he turns behind him, fear keeping him from running from the noise. He pants, the heat of his body tells him to run, get as far from the wolf den as possible, but the faint scent of his friends, as well as him being paralized from fright, keeps his body still.
Collette walks in to see a frantic looking Youko. He looks like a cornered animal, his body hunched over, looking over his shoulders, his ears painstakingly pulled back, his face showing a hazy fear. "Youko it is alright. You do not need to fear me." Collette tries to speak to the cowerding child.
Youko's ears twitch from the familiar hum of words eminating from the strangers mouth. Slowly but surely, Youko calms himself long enough to focus his eyesight on the intruder. Collette stands at the entrance of the cave, the setting sun looks like a sea of fire from the reflected waterfall. Collette seems to be standing in a pool of magma, her heart shapped wings outlined what Youko's over stimulated mind pictured as a being from the lowest depths of hell, chewed and spit out by the dark over lord himself.
Swallowing air, Youko slowly turns around to face Collette, his side throbbing from the pain. Collette releases her held breath, looking relieved to her young lord. "You had me worried, young Youko." Collette goes over to the frightened child, and pats his head.
The close proximity of a familiar scent, Youko can't help but feel comforted by the touch. He gains pressure on the hand resting on his head, moving his face where the hand rests on his cheek, where he rests on it, breathing in the relaxing scent of his care taker.
Youko's small hand comes to rest on Collettes wrist. Collette, then, comes to kneel infront of the shaking child. Youko's quiet wimpers draw a deep longing in Collettes heart. She draws the strong willed youth into her arms, comforting him as he shed's his silent tears, releasing the pent up emotion the world has thrown into his face. Much has happened to him, the loss of his parents, his friends death's, a fight from two powerful creatures while trying to protect his loved ones, his fight from death, it is all too much for a young soul.
Youko tightens his grip around Collette, the small hairs on his shoulder begin to stand on end. Collette worries and turns around to face what Youko sees. Directly behind her lay Pallet. The sleeping girl has started to squirm, her limbs begin to shake. Deep gasps of breath cause her to jerk her head violently side to side. Youko quickly releases Collette from his grip, rushing to his friends side. Youko grabs his aching ribs once he falls to his knees beside his friends, ignoring his pain as much as possible as he tries to awaken the flayling girl.
Grabbing both shoulders, "Pallet! Pallet!" Youko screams her name in the language she knows, he tries to shake her awake, only to be yelled at by Collette.
"Youko do not move her so harshley!" Collette too, sits by the girls side, holding her down, trying to keep her from hurting herself from her furiouse movements. Watching Collette, Youko too, grabs Palletts legs and holds her down, making sure not to hold on too tightly as to hurt her.
Pallet's body has become cool to the touch. Her face sweats and pales. Quivering lips tint purple as the deep beating of her heart pound in the ears of her friends.
Pallets body become's still. Her face calms and her breathing stops.
Youko's hands quiver, making up for the frantic movements Pallet made not minutes before. The cave turns silent as both creatures turn worried eyes on the once active girl. Youko crawls uncertainly towards Pallet, his body moving slowly and quietly over to Pallet's side. Collette watches the girls face, her hands search for a pulse of a heart beat in Pallet's neck.
Nothing.
Not even the slightest twitch. Pallet now lay upon the ground, gone. Her soul now passes to the otherworld by nightfall.
^^^
Silence surrounds the friends, Youko watches as Collette wrapps Pallet in her mothers cloths. Collette works quickly, but gently, even for the dead.
A whisper reaches Collettes ears, looking away from her work, she sees Youko cradling himself. "Is there something on your mind, young prince?" The look in Youko's eyes shows there is something on his mind, a quiet intensity fills his features and Youko fears the answer to the question plaguing his mind.
"Miss Collette- can you... Can you tell me what happened with the birds?"
Collette knew this question would arrise eventualy. She looks down at the ground, and thinks of the last that she saw of the fight between her young lord and the bird men.
"Tengu..."
Youko was surprised at the word, unsure of what it was supposed to mean. "W-what?"
"Tengu, it is what the bird men are called." She looks in Youko's direction, walking closer before sitting in the lotus position. It was some time before Collette decided to continue with her story, collecting her thoughts and trying to imagine the incident a few days before.
"After I managed to defeat my Tengu opponent by piercing him with a branch, I ran as fast as I could in your direction. My fight had extended the battle field quite abit." Taking a deep breath, Collette thinks once again, emotions of seeing the prince fallen and looking half dead leave her with a heavy heart.
A tear falls and Collette quickly wipes it away. "Forgive my weakness, now, when I had managed to reach the clearing you and young Pallet were last located, the first thing I saw was your unmoving body laying below the clawed foot of the Tengu beast." Collette clenches her fist with the memory, "He was prepared to strike you one last time, I had tried to rush to your side, hoping that there were still life in your body. My wing had kept me from being by your side in time, and I tripped.
"I had fallen, but when I looked up fearing the worst when I heard a shreeking scream, I saw that the Tengu stood motionless above you." Collette see's Youko's confusion and laughs once before she goes on.
"You were- you were below the Tengu, a literal grass blade had stabbed him in the chest. And the one holding the item was you! Although at the time I had believed you were alright, when the Tengu fell dead, so did you." Youko's eyes had dialated. Recalling what it was she said, she quickly corrects herslef.
Oh dear! I- I didn't mean that you literaly fell dead, young prince!" Youko released his held breath and closed his eyes. When he opened them, he was prepared to hear the rest.
"Well now, you were not dead, but unconcious, the leaf used to pierce the Tengu had returned to a tiny blade of grass. Although you were not awake, you were alive. I had gathered both you and Pallet, hoping the Tengu was infact dead, I had managed to find an abandoned den. Using the waterfall, I had cleaned and bandaged both of you before tending to myself. After that, you had been asleep- for three days."
Youko looks at his right hand, "Did I make the grass blade?" Side glancing Collette, he sees her nod. "Could my parents do that?"
Collette stands up and goes back over to tend to Pallet, tying the cloth with vines to keep it from comming apart. "No, I don't believe they could. But if I can recall correctly, your mothers father was able to. Perhaps you inherited the gift from your grandfather."
^^^
Youko had refused to watch as the last of his family is carried away, the silent departure of Collette as she walks out the cave, quietly calling over to Youko to follow. He follows the call without feeling. His body seems to move on its own, the sloppy walk and hunched over posture show his disarray.
Stopping just before leaving the cave, Youko turns his head to his left, there, lay his shredded shirt, wrapped in what little fabric is left are the manucodiata feathers, both ends of the feathers stem out from the once pure white color.
Youko moves with a saddness when he reaches the cloths, cradling them as he did once to his beloved friend, Manucodiata. "Youko?" The sound of his name brings him from a replayed memory, and walks along beside Collette.
^^^
Their journy was shrouded in silence, they walked by night to the human village, and arrived at the peak of dawn. The villagers waisted no time in fixing the damage the Tengu made on homes. Men, wemon, and children all help in someway, keeping themselves lively before retiring before the sun gets too high and it becomes too hot to work.
The bird shaped shadow Collette creates alarms the village, some scurry to grab their weapons as others choose to hide. The owl demon before them they take as an imidiate threat, pointing their swords, bows and various tools at Collette.
Collette stands back a distance from the humans, and allows Youko to walk towards the villagers. She stands watch as they slowly begin to recognize the youth. Youko has his head held low, and stands infront of one villager in particular. A man familiar to him, Tori, the human father to Pallet and husband to Mia, looks down at the one they called 'Kit'.
Kneeling before him, Tori places his hand on Youko's shoulder. At this, Youko stares into the humans eyes, golden eyes show sorrow, and green show curiosity. Youko speaks one word, "come," and the father looks on frightened. The villagers wonder what it is they should be expecting, they clutch their pikes and wooden spears.
Youko and Tori walk, surrounded by curious onlookers, Tori walks with his head held high. Youko walks silently. Coming to rest a few paces before Collette, Tori looks to the bundle the demoness carries. He realizes, wrapped in the shroud, his daughter lay, he looks around behind the demons, searching for his wife that had left with the children.
"I am sorry." Tori stops his searching and stares at the plumped demoness speaking to him. She extends her arms, and places the deceased child in his waiting arms. "Forgive me, I could do nothing to help her."
Tori pays no attention to Collette, but keeps his attention focused on his daughters still form. Balancing his daughter in one arm, and hesitantly coaxes the material covering her body loose from her face, Tori peers into Pallet's face, her pail features bring no question that she has passed. A tear slids down his cheak, and lands on his daughters lips. He looks up to the demoness, broken and sorrow fill his eyes as he gazes at the owl. He whispers a question ment for her, "And of my wife?"
^^^
The silence is thickening, and Youko walks off into the woods, to find a tree to rest at. He doesnt want to listen in on the conversation, he wants to forget, forget everything.
He sits with his back to a tree, cradeling his knees to his chin, staring into nothing. Although his face shows an intensity, one question remains in his mind, 'how did I survive...?' All he can remeber from the fight his his body being beaten by the Tengu, feeling his bones snap from the constant collision with the ground, the claws peircing his chest, gripping and tearing the flesh.
The last thought brings his hand to clench his chest, the pain nullifies with more pressure, and he soon falls asleep, thoughts playing in his mind.
^^^
Youko wakes from the sound of Collettes heavy footsteps walking to him. He looks up and accepts the offered hand, standing with more will, Youko slowly brushes himself off.
Collette has noticed Youko's quiet punishment on himself. "It is not your fault, young prince." Youko looks into Collettes eyes, and nodds. Smiling down at him, Collette patts his head, and the first sign of hope emits from Youko with a warm smile. "Come my prince, it is time to find you a new home."
Youko looks up, tilting his head to the side in a show of confusion. "You will see when we get there. But first, we rest tonight, our journey wil start in the morning."
Finding shelter for the night, the two adventurers rest in an old shrine, honoring the gaurdian of the forest. It was a nice sized building, a statue of a wolf sitting was placed in the middle of the shrine. Pillows line the floor, showing the great wolfs followers were frequent and in great numbers.
Collette leans against the wall, using her wings to wrap around her body to keep her warm. Youko took full advantage of the cluster of pillows and made himself a bed of cushens. Stepping on the individual cushens, Youko curls himself into a ball and sleeps, tails curled around his body, a relaxing calm flows through the friends. Wind circulates through the room from an open window, crickets lull the wake to sleep.
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A/N: I AM NOT DEAD!!! I humbly appologize for my tardyness loyal readers. I bow lowly in respects to your wishes. I just have a job and that takes up my time.... although I've only been working for two months... The first month was just laziness. So... this is how I see Youko starting his plant weilding powers, although he has not mastered it. Thank you for the review, I hope I get more encouragement- BUT- beggars can't be choosers so its no big, I love to write. I hope this doesn't seem too short and I apologize for the miss spelled words, I do not own spell check, only a dictionary. Well, till next time, see ya when I see ya!! ^-^ Please review!!