Alone

Chapter Eighteen: Torn up Inside

“This is quite wonderful. I had imagined restarting your training at a lower level, but this will do. Having you restrain two full-fledged demons is truly a test of strength on your part,” Yuuki praised her, wonder filling her voice. Ayame simply smiled momentarily and then turned her gaze back to Raiden and Tsubasa.

She waited for them to begin speaking as Katsu sat down beside her on the fallen tree. “Really, you want them to speak to each other with an audience?” asked Katsu with a smirk. He was clearly entertained.

“Well, why not? I see no reason we all shouldn’t understand what has happened in the past. Besides, they may unknowingly have a clue as to Diachi's whereabouts.” She smiled, pleased with herself.

“You know, my love, I could direct you in the way we should take to him.” He offered.

She pulled her gaze away from Raiden, to look at Katsu, curious. “What?! How can you do that? I thought you said you were completely human?”

“I am human, but even some humans have inhuman powers. You of all people should know this to be all too true.” He chuckled lightly.

“Okay, but why didn’t you say so sooner?”

“You never asked,” he said simply, as though this were her fault. “I think it would be better for those to speak before setting out. Wouldn’t want someone to end up dead in the night.” He chuckled, trying to make light of the situation.

“Agreed, mostly.” She nodded.

They all sat waiting for father and son to talk things out. “Well father, do you have any explanation as to why you never came for us?”

“I should have told you in the beginning what had happened. When those bandits attacked our home and you and your brother took off, we let you two think we were dead. I know it doesn’t make sense, but you knew of your mother’s ability to tell the future, right?” Raiden nodded. “Good, that will make this a little easier to explain to you. She had a vision the night before the bandits attacked and saw if we destroyed them to keep our family together we would risk all of Japan. In order to escape the risk of such destruction, we let them come and split our family. Please understand me when I say it was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. The worst of it came when Master Tadashi came and took your mother away too. I don’t know how he knew about her powers, but he did.”

Katsu spoke up, interrupting them. “I realize this is a father-son chat, but if I may, I might just have an answer to that very question. You wondered how he knew of your wife’s ability and the location of both your home and where you both escaped to. The answer you see is unfortunately simple. I’m a tracker. More easily put, I can find anyone or anything with only a single strand of information. And before you ask, no, I’m not a demon. I’m not initially sure what I am. I suppose you can put me somewhere in the same category as Ayame here,” he motioned to her.

“While I am speaking with both of you, I would like to apologize for my actions. As Raiden and Ayame could see clearly upon first meeting me, I was not the most moral of people. I do not wish that to be an excuse for my actions though.” Ayame looked up at him confused. And as though he could read her thoughts, he answered her unspoken question. “Yes, that is how I found you in the woods and managed to save you. I suppose you have figured out this ability allows me to move quickly and quietly when need be.” She simply nodded, not knowing how else to respond.

Both Raiden and Tsubasa stared at him for a moment, speechless. “It would seem that answers many of my questions since I had thought we had hidden our family well, allowing ourselves to look poor and barely surviving.” He looked back to Raiden to continue on with his story. “Your mother and I traveled together for a long while searching for you boys, trying our best to somehow keep an eye on you two without disturbing what had to happen. In the end, your mother was also taken. I continued looking for you two. I knew it was what she would have wanted. When I couldn’t track either of you down, I ran into your cousin Akira. This was many years later. She told me where you were. There was a catch to this knowledge. I wasn’t allowed to see you. She had a job to do and I would only get in the way. So I continued to wander looking for your little brother. But before I could put my heart at ease with knowing where he was, Akira again found me. This time, though, was different. She told me what was happening to Ayame, the Chosen One. I had to leave my search and come live here, in wait.” He looked at Raiden apologetically. “You know the rest of the story really. I trained her and then we took down Master Tadashi.”

Raiden stood there without a word to say to his father, who was trying so hard to re-tie the bond that had been broken. He let go of his sword. “I don’t know what you want me to say.” He tried to pull away from the vines, but Ayame made sure they held firm.

“I don’t want you to say anything. I want you to tell me what’s in your heart, not something planned out by me.” Ayame's vines slowly released him, sinking back into the ground.

“I want to forgive you, but I don’t know if I can. I can never forgive myself for what I’ve done to Ayame.” He looked over at her. His eyes were deep emerald with gloom, nearly to tears.

“How about we do this? When the day comes that you can forgive yourself, you can forgive me as well.” He went over to Raiden and put his hand on his head. “What do you think?”

“I don’t know when that will be.”

“Good, because I like surprises.” He smiled, chuckling a little at his own joke. Raiden faintly smiled with his father. “Now that this is all figured out, we can get ready to find Diachi.” His smile grew wider. “Katsu, did I hear you right when you said you could track anyone?” He asked, attempting to change the subject.

“Yes, and while you two were having a family moment, I began my first process of finding your son,” he announced, pridefully.

“Really, that’s wonderful. Where are we headed?”

“If I’m right, and I always am, we are headed toward Mount Fuji.”

“That’s at least a week’s journey away. Are you sure he’s not somewhere here in Nara?” He looked hopeful, with his desire to find his other son as quickly as possible.

Katsu shook his head. “Believe me, if he was nearby I would be able to tell his location more accurately, but he’s not. Instead, all I can say is he is near Mount Fuji. Whether he is actually by the mountain or not, I won’t know until we get closer.”

“I see,” Tsubasa replied. His heart was saddened by the long wait he would have to endure.

“Thank you.” Raiden walked over and put out his hand toward her. She took it gratefully. “I think we should begin getting ready so we can leave as soon as possible.” Ayame could feel something in Raiden changing, but she couldn’t tell if it was for the better or worse. For now, she hoped for the better, so she didn’t worry too much over what might be a small ordeal or simply all in her head.

* * *

Katsu had gone back to the mansion with Ayame and Raiden close at his heels. All the things they would want to take on a journey had been buried when the mansion collapsed. She watched for a few moments as Katsu and Raiden began to move the rubble around. Then she turned and walked toward what used to be her room, or so she hoped was where it had been. She gathered her strength and started to concentrate, pulling her powers together to help move the remainder of the mansion's pieces away. Breathing in deeply and exhaling a few times, vines suddenly emerged from the ground pulling rubble away and clearing the area. Once she had moved enough from the general area, she sat down to rest before continuing on with her search.

Digging through what she deemed used to be her room, she came across only a few things still intact from the collapse. The outfit Raiden had bought her had been ripped to shreds, but everything else was minimally damaged. She looked around, trying to figure out what to use as a bag to put everything into when Raiden spoke from behind her. “I have a bag if you want to put your things in with mine?” He held out the sack for her to take.

“I’d like that,” she said as she looked up at him, noticing his eyes had hints of violet. “Is everything alright?” she questioned, not sure why he was looking at her in such a manner.

“Better than alright. I’m sorry I haven’t treated you very well since everything ended. You saved me in so many ways, yet I haven’t shown you how thankful I am.” He knelt down beside her, setting the bag down in front of her.

“I may have saved you, but you have also saved me.” She looked over at him feeling a warmth wash over her.

“How can you love someone like me? I still can’t understand.”

“Love isn’t something that always makes sense.” She laughed quietly, trying to lighten the tension. Her words to him sounded true, but to her, they held a bitter taste. He simply smiled back and started to lean in closer to her. Before she could process what he was thinking, her body reacted on its own. She pushed herself up on her toes and kissed him.

“Come on, love birds, we have little time to get everything together here.” Katsu’s voice came from behind them. His tone sounded strained.

A little embarrassed, Ayame pulled away and began to put her things in the bag with Raiden’s. He watched as she slowly packed a few more items. All, of course, were slightly damaged and in need of some repair. She went to lift the bag, but Raiden took it from her and threw it over his shoulder. He stood up, smiling down at her as he put out his hand for her to take hold of. He helped her up from the rubble, but wouldn’t let go of her hand. She gave in and let him hold her hand as they walked back.

He led her through the woods, holding tightly to her hand as though she was going to vanish at any moment. She followed willingly. Suddenly, he stopped, watching as Katsu disappeared toward the house. He turned to her, wrapping his arms around her, and pulling her close to him. “How did I get someone like you?” he whispered gratefully to her.

She looked up at him, his eyes turning violet. “You loved me first.” She repositioned her arms around his neck, and pushing up on her tiptoes, kissed him gently. He kissed her back without hesitation. She could feel him smiling as he did. Everything felt right about this moment, but a voice in the back of her mind whispered the doubts she had about her own emotions. She didn’t want to pull away from him for fear of breaking him and sending him back to the man he once was. She had a feeling of almost being trapped in a cage, almost.

He pulled away slightly. “I’m sorry I ruined your life. If I hadn’t murdered your family you would still be with them.”

Her heart skipped a beat at the memory of them. She took a deep breath before replying to him. “It’s alright. If you hadn’t, Master Tadashi would have sent someone else. Besides, you did give me a new family.” She smiled sweetly up at him. Hidden behind her words was a hint of uncertainty, her heart felt as though it was being torn in two. Quickly she shoved her uncertainties down into the depths of her heart.

Her words left him speechless. “We should go now.” She laughed lightly. He nodded and they continued to walk back to Tsubasa’s house.

They arrived at the house and found Tsubasa standing on the steps waiting for them. “Katsu and Yuuki are inside packing. We are hoping to leave tomorrow at daybreak.” His expression told them there was more he wanted to say.

“What’s really going on?” Raiden questioned. His face tense.

He slumped down onto the steps before answering. “I’m worried about bringing you both along.”

“Why?” Ayame piped up.

“Because going after Daichi may be dangerous, and I don’t want to put you two in danger, not again.” Ayame could see there was something more he wanted to say but tried to hide his words.

“What aren’t you telling us?” Ayame questioned further.

Tsubasa took a deep breath. “I’m worried since he is located around Mt. Fuji, which gives the possibility he isn’t on the right side anymore.”

“That can’t be the only reason,” Raiden responded with a worried expression.

“It’s where demons come together all over, but not the kind with which we normally associate. If he is around that area, then he most likely won’t be willing to leave easily.” The thought of his son being a part of a world he was trying to destroy, pained him greatly. Tsubasa had the goal of trying to create a more peaceful world for both humans and demons. Although it was a long process, he truly believed he could do something. He was just in search of someone to pull the demons together under one rule.

Ayame and Raiden looked at each other for a moment before replying to Tsubasa. “Father, we can handle whatever awaits us there.” He put his hand onto Ayame’s shoulder, smiling faintly down at her as he finished speaking.

“Are you sure?” his father questioned. By his expression, Ayame could tell he wanted nothing more than to keep his son and her safe. “I don’t want you two to be harmed,” he continued, without giving either of them the chance to respond to his question.

“Please, Tsubasa, try to understand why we are both ready to do whatever it takes to get Daichi back. We’ve both lost our families once and want to make sure it never happens again.”

She could tell he was starting to give in to what she and Raiden wanted to do most. “I suppose I could use the extra eyes out there.” He stood up and went inside, leaving Ayame and Raiden out by the steps, alone.