The Woman Called 663

Chapter 8 .~Her Actions.~

The rumble of a car with merry cherriment bubbling from the inside was the strangely the only car out on the street. Usually, even if it is midnight there would be a least a few out, however, not this night. Tonight, it is just them, Ayahiro, Shiroi, and Mayou. The two siblings sat in the back playing different hand games and laughing as Ayahiro made silly faces every time he won and lost. This time he laughed evilly at his victory in the game of sticks. He showed off his arms muscles and kissed them in proud joy.

"Ayahiro, you're kissing the wrong muscle." Shiroi laughed at his antics.

Ayahiro didn't stop kissing his biceps and asked, "Why it is my arm that won."

Shiroi grinned, "Nope."

Ayahiro finally stopped and looked at his sister, questioning. Shiroi pointed to his head and tapped his forehead, "The muscle that won was your pea sized brain." She flicked his forehead and laughed at his false look of pain and betrayal on his face.

"My brain is larger than a pea and besides it was my muscles because you let me win in fear of what I could do." He held up his hands like claws and prepared to strike Shiroi in the ribs.

Shiroi shrugged her shoulders, "Eh. I didn't have to try very hard to win in the first place."

"Oh it is on!" Ayahiro pounced, tickling her sides and her eruption on laughs made Mayou smile as he glanced at the back through the rearview mirror.

"Stop it. We're almost to the hotel. You can goof around all you want there."

"NOOOO! Food first!!! I'm hungry!" Ayahiro stopped his tickle attack and shifted his focus to complain to Mayou.

"No." Mayou's answer was clipped and affirmative,

"FOOD!!!!! FOOOD!!!!!" Ayahiro threw his arms and legs all over the place in his mini tantrum.

Mayou's eyes twitched in annoyance but he didn't want to go to a restaurant in case Pleoh was close by but as the hours ticked on and Ayahiro wouldn't shut up and finally gunned it to the nearest restaurant and slammed on his brakes in an near empty parking lot. He whipped his head around and glared at Ayahiro, "Happy now?" His tone was deadly causing Ayahiro to gulp and nod as quickly as possible.

"Good." Mayou got out of the car first.

He waited for Shiroi to come to his side and he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and led her inside the small roadside dinner that was surprisingly still open. Ayahiro slowly followed behind them, making sure not to annoy Mayou further. They settled themselves at an open table and was waited on a few minutes later. Mayou ordered for Shiroi and himself because as on old habit when she was blind he would do the same and order for the both of them. They all got simple little meals that would be quick to eat.

"I'll be back. I have to go to the ladies room." Shiroi stood from her chair, kissing Mayou before she went to ask where the bathroom was locates.

She quickly found a young man of twenty and he directed her with hand signals and words to where the small bathroom was. Mayou watched her till he turned the corner and looked back to the babbling Ayahiro. He was talking about the time he got bit by the neighbor's dog. Mayou sighed and rest he chin on the palm of his hand and lean against the table in complete boredom. He always did find Ayahiro to much for him and was glad to see him gone a few years after his marriage with Shiroi, despite the overwhelming sadness of the fact that he was going to war.

By the time the waiter came with the food Shiroi still wasn't back yet and it worried Mayou. He felt something churn in his stomach and he stiffly stood up and made his way to the bathroom. He knocked on the door calling for her and after the third time with no reply he turned the knob. He grew skeptical when the knob easily turned with no resistance and he slammed the door open only to be met with and empty, foggy bathroom. A radio was loudly playing the song, 'Cost of a crown'. He remember the song as one that he heard when Pleoh first showed up and even during the surgery that made him immortal.

He punched the wall next to him in complete and utter anger. He screamed Pleoh's

name at the top of his lungs, the intent to kill very present in every letter. He huffed and puffed after his little fit of anger when he felt his legs go numb and he crumbled to the floor. His mind was quickly turning hazy and he drifted between the world of wakefulness and unconsciousness.

Ayahiro who had heard the clammer came rushing to Mayou's side and as soon as he saw the white fog he covered his mouth with his shirt and quickly ran his eyes along the room, looking for the source. As soon as his eyes laid on a burning candle he rushed to it, grabbing it's trunk and tossing it in the sink and turned on the water. Immediately it stuffled out and the water smothered the smoke. Ayahiro went to Mayou's ankles and pulled him out of the bathroom.

When they were a good few feet away Ayahiro kneeled by Mayou's head and checked for a pulse. It was slow but steady and Ayahiro took a relieved breath and scurried back into the bathroom to look for Shiroi, but he could already take a guess that she wouldn't be in there and he was correct. Shiroi was nowhere to be found and Pleoh had taken her.

                                                                            .~663.~

    Her body shivered like it was cold and her mind rung with a silent pain. She grunted a peeled her eyes open. It was dark and the smell brought back unpleasant memories. She opened her mouth to speak, but it was so dry and sore that nothing came out but a small squeak.

    "I know, I know. It hurts doesn't it." A man with a cracked voice came stepped out from within the shadows.

    She glared at him and just watched as a whip came down on her face. She didn't flinch, she didn't cry out, she just glared at the man.

    "I am your Master. You show me respect." He gritted through his teeth.

    She felt a trickle of blood travel down her cheek and even though her voice was raspy her defiance was clear, "No. I have no master and even if I did you would never be one, Pleoh." She spat out his name.

    "Oh no sweet heart. I was always your Master. From the first moment, I saw you till now." He came up to her and held her chin forcefully controlling her head to look up at him.

    He had her hands and ankles chained to the wall so tightly that even as she sat on her knees she had to sit up straight or her shoulders would have popped out of their sockets. He ran his thumb across her lips and grinned seductively. He captured her lips in his and shoved against them hard, asking for entrance. She denied him and bit his lip, drawing his sickly green blood out. He pulled back in shock as he rubbed the blood away with his thumb.

    "Oh look at that. You're the first person to make me bleed."

    She looked disgusted at him and spit onto the floor.

    "You must be wondering why. You see to make a person immortal I needed to change their blood completely into one that doesn't need oxygen or nutrients to survive and when I got my results back it was green. My first test subject died but then three survived and another died. It worked only on certain people that could withstand the sudden change and I was one of the ones to survive and so was your so-called husband. Did you know that it causes immense pain, one so unbearable that even after centuries it still succumbs the subject to phantom pain." He laughed at her thrashing, wishing to get to his neck to rip his throat out like some hungry tiger.

    "How dare you! I'll kill you." Her voice gurgled in pain.

    "Now now Shiroi, I don't to kindly to threats."

    A chill started in her forehead, traveling to her frontal lobe. Her head burst with pain as her body convulsed.

    "It's going to hurt more now that you have some actual memories, but don't worry, you won't feel anything after a while. Now time for the fun part Shiroi you are mine and own your body, your mind, your heart. Give yourself to me."

    She felt the chill travel down her spin, numbing her appendages. She could feel her mind reeling back into itself and how she so wished that Mayou wouldn't have to see her like this. Like the mindless mummy, he makes her into every time he says her name. Her bright silver eyes glossed over as all voluntary movement ceased and she numbly sat, staring blankly at Pleoh. He smirked and took her lips once more and she gave no resistance when he shoved his tongue in her mouth, reveling in the taste.

    The last thing that she held her mind was a story that her mother had read to her thousands of times before. The story of the Izanagi.

                                                                                                            .~663~.

    "AHH!" Screams echoed as I thundered through the cold ice land.

   "It's coming!" Who's coming?

    "The Izanagi is coming!" Ah yes, I remember now.

    I was hunting trying to catch the first snow rabbit that I had saw this season. I was close to catching it when the smell of smoke reached my nose. I remember thinking that they're back to destroy my home. I forgot about my rabbit and instead ran on my two, short legs in the general direction of the smoke. Once I hit the tree line of the forest Tora came out transforming my body into a large, white tiger. I let her take control like I always do. She's kind enough to take the burden of protecting this ghost white land with me for these past two years.

    We are the Izanagi and we will protect this land from its invaders.

Protect what?

    "Wake up Fuyuko." A sweet whisper stirred me from my tired sleep. "Wake up my winter child. Dawn has risen and so shall you." I gently shove the fur blanket off of me and the cold rush of air immediately chill me to my bones, even though I'm used to it.

    "Good morning Tora." I mumble as I rub my tired eyes.

    "Good morning winter child. Was last night's chase too much for you?" Tora's so kind to be worrying about me.

    "No, I'm fine. It's just been awhile since they've come." I stand up placing my feet into fur slippers on the glassy, ice ground.

    "Are you hungry?" Tora came up to me.

    "Yes." I want to touch her, but she's not real.

    I can see her only because she projects an image of herself into my eyes.

    "Shall we go hunting then?"

Hunt what?

    "We shall." I walk to the front of my white fox fur bed and grab the new jacket that one of the invaders left behind at one of their camps.

    It was a deep black in comparison to my stark white hair. The inside was lined with a soft, black fur that is not from this region. I slip it on over a gray, short-sleeved shirt. It felt more like a trench coat from the way it went past my ankles.

    "Will you wear your hat and gloves today?" I looked straight at the transparent tiger.

    "No. I don't need to hide it. Nobody will see it." Tora stretched her blue wings before walking to the door.

    "Because there's nobody here on Shimogakure?" She turned her large head to face me.

    If I could touch Tora my hand would just be able to fill her cheek. She's the size of a Labrador retriever, although she's white and is a little bigger, muscle wise. If I were to stand beside her, her head would reach my chin.

    "Yes. You told me that I'm the only survivor of this country, Land of Frost."

    "That's only half correct." I followed Tora out the door pulling the zipper up on the jacket.

    Well, I guess you wouldn't really call it a door. It's more like a drape squeezed between ice stones.

    "What do you mean?" I grabbed a bucket of snow and walked back inside.

    "The people of the village Shimogakure relocated to Konohagakure during the Fourth Shinobi World War." I dumped the contents of the bucket onto the small fire.

        I heard it sizzle before going out completely, losing its battle to the freezing snow.

        "So I was left behind?" I've been here for eight years and was never told this story.

        "No, you were brought here after they left."

        "Does that mean I'm not from here?" I walked back outside to where Tora was waiting.

        "Yes."

        "Then where am I from?" I continued walking further away from our igloo.

        "I don't know." I pulled the jacket's collar closer to my cheeks.

        "How old was I?"

    "Around one. I remember that you were just beginning to learn how to walk."

    "Really?"

    "Yes. Why do you want to know?" Tora eyed me as I watched her smooth, shoulder blades move up and down.

    "No reason, it's not of importance to me. Let's go Tora."

Who am I walking besides?

    My body was lowered chest close to the ground, still on my feet. My prey three meters in front of me and luckily the wind wasn't blowing, so the snow fox couldn't smell me. I may be human, but that doesn't mean that I don't have Tora's nose, agility, speed, vision, and hearing. It does, of course, double when we transform, but then I would be too big to hide from my prey and that wouldn't be good for my stomach.

    "Be careful not to pierce its fur more than once." Tora spoke.

    She can be heard only by me when we are in human form, however, it's a different story when we transform into her ten foot tall, white tiger form. Her wingspan is five feet long and strong enough to carry her body weight plus an extra 300.

    'I know. We can use its fur to make some necessities right?' I speak with her using telepathy.

    "Exactly. Now be swift like the leopard, but as quiet as an owl." Tora had taught me everything, from speaking to walking, to even the animals that don't exist in this land.

    'Yes, Master.' I call Tora master when we are in one of my lessons.

    She has been teaching me since even before I could walk. I ready my posture to that of a leaping cat, bunching up my muscles and wait for Tora's signal.

    "Go!" She yelled, her fangs prominent as she hissed.

    I unbunch my muscles, letting them do the work for the large leap that I took. I pulled Tora's claws out and gripped the stunned fox to the ground. I held it's neck down waiting for the throat to collapse before I let go. When it did the fox struggled in the snow, creating weird snow angels. I watched as he breathed his last breath and went limp. I felt cold as I released the pressure and I knew that it wasn't because of the snow seeping through my black, faded jeans, it was something else that I have been feeling for awhile. Who cares.

What am I really killing?

    "Good job Fuyuko. No blood was spilled." Then why is it dead? "I think this might just be the best one yet." Yes, but it's still dead.

Who is telling me this?

    "Thank you, Master. Shall we take it back and skin it?" I ask picking the fox up by it's soft, bushy tail that still felt warm to my cold hands.

    "Yes, my winter child. What will you be making out of its pelt?" Tora minimized her stature to a small cat and climbed onto my shoulder.

    I still felt cold, no warmth radiated from her. "Probably a pot holder."

Why am I cold?

    "Yes, that be a wise idea. It's probably become tiring to put snow onto the hot pot handle after you cook every meal, isn't it?"

    "Yes." I continued walking back to our igloo a mile away.

    We walked in silence enjoying the birds singing. I sang with them, it always brought a smile to Tora's face and it was the only time that I felt my heart warm up, even if it only lasted a moment.

Birds? I like birds. Wait, why do I like birds? Who likes the birds again?

    I jumped over a log, well what I thought was a log. It smelt human to me. White puff floated around my feet as I landed as quietly as a moving earthworm. I spun around on the balls of my feet and inched closer to the log. I brought my now red nose to it and took a big whiff. The strong smell of human bolted up my nose making me sneeze. The force of my sneeze moved the thin layer of snow away revealing clothes.

    "Is it a human Tora?" I asked as I swiped off the rest of the snow?

    "Most likely." She answered climbing off my shoulders and returning to her original dog like size.

    I pulled the human out from the snow that piled at his feet. I easily held him on my shoulder, holding his legs firm to my flat chest letting his hanging head skim the top of the snow.

Who am I holding?

    When we got back to the igloo the human was starting to come to. I placed him on my bed and stripped him of his drenched clothes and placed him under the bear fur blankets. I started the fire with flint and one of Tora's claws. Once that was done I pulled him closer the blazing fire and watched him as he stirred in his soundless sleep.

Who am I watching?

    Tora told me he was male since he had a different body part of mine when I pointed it out after I stripped him. She wouldn't go any further than that since she said that I was too young. What does she mean by, I'm too young? She always tells me that I'm old enough to do things that an adult can.

How old am I again?

    Ugh, who cares? I took the fox outside to skin it. Although, I went back inside because I decided that it was too cold to just wear my short sleeved shirt. Tora told me to take off my jacket so I don't dirty it and I agreed.

    "You think that you can skin it without my guidance this time?" Asked Tora as she sat next to the man's head.

    "Yes. You taught me how to do it when I was five. I've had a few good years of practice." I answered as I slipped on a pink sweater.

    I found it a year ago in one of the human's camps. They may be annoying pests,

Who's annoying?

    but that doesn't mean that their stuff isn't useful and ever since then I wear it when I cut up animals. It's easy to wash, so I don't have to spend as much time to get the blood off.

    "I'll leave it to you then. I'll stay in here and watch over him for you." Tora said as she curled up into a ball on the blanket.

    "Thank you, Tora." I look at her crystal blue eyes mimicking mine before I walked outside not as cold as before.

    I grabbed my small skinning knife from its sheath that hung around my waist. I turned the fox on it's back and tied its lifeless legs to four posts, one leg tied to one post. I place the edge of the knife to its fur and pressed down just hard enough to split the skin. I made a slit from one front paw to the other and I also did so to the hind legs. I watched carefully of how the blood poured from the new cuts.

    When I was done I placed the knife at its chin and cut vertically towards me to the cut I just made before this one, careful not to jam the knife into my stomach. I felt colder, darker like I was doing something bad to an innocent animal.

Who am I really doing it to?

    Who cares? I flipped the fox over onto its stomach, concurrently peeling the pelt back. I took the knife back from where I had stabbed it into the snow and cut the head and tail portion of the skin.

    I pushed on, gently pulling, cutting, and tugging the pelt away from the muscle. Till finally with one last rip the pelt came off. I cleaned the knife with snow and a cloth till all signs of blood were gone and placed it back from where it had come from.

Where had it come from again?

    I grabbed the pelt and thoroughly cleaned it along with my bloodied hands. I went inside and placed the pelt on a hook above the fire to help it dry some and then I went back outside to the skinless fox.

    I went to the side of the igloo and opened a chest. Inside were a whole bunch of tools that I and other people that I stole from made. From inside I grabbed a green handled hatchet. I went back to the fox and chopped all four of its legs off. I gathered up the legs and placed two fingers in my mouth and made a cry like an eagle. When I was done I went back inside all the while ignoring the howls and growls of wolves from outside. I wasn't too worried about them, they knew well enough to stay away.

Who knew to stay away?

    I watched the remnants of the leg cook over the fire as I worked on making the fox pelt into a pot holder. A gentle wind whispered inside the igloo making my naked body shiver along with the waving fire. The man cuddled up to my waist stirred before opening his eyes.

    "Hello." I spoke still fixated on the pelt in my hands.

    "Um, hello." His voice sounded whispy and broken.

Who am I talking to?

-------

    It's been four weeks since that first meeting. I enjoyed his company and he seemed to enjoy mine. He wasn't at all afraid when he found out that I wasn't exactly human, but when he found out that I was eight he went hysterical. I found out that Kurogetsu, that's his name, is from the Hozuki clan that lives in Kirigakure. Sometimes while he's sleeping I find myself slipping my fingers through his silk black hair or when he's awake I stare at his pure, solar system colored eyes. He's kind, he's taught me a lot of stuff in the short time that I've known him.

    I heard him call me to dinner while I was playing in the snow. Ever since he came I felt like I could be a real kid from all the stories that he tells me about his village.

    "Do you like the snow?" Kurogetsu asks as he scoops the sloppy soup into a bowl for me.

    "Yes. It's kind of like myself." I answered as I take the warm bowl from his hands.

    I no longer flinch away from him when he touches my leaf-shaped birthmark on my right hand.

    "Why do you say that?" He scoops himself a bowl and sits down on the fur carpet next to me.

    "Because my name Fukuyo means winter child. I feel like my name foretells my life living in the winter."

My name?

    "Fukuyo is a beautiful name. Do you know who gave it to you?" His voice sounds kind.

    "No. Tora says that my family gave it to me before I was brought here."

My family?

    "Do you know your family?" When I'm next to Kurogetsu I feel warmth.

    "I don't know what a family is, so I can not know my family." I set my half-eaten bowl on the ground.

    "A family is someone you can always rely on no matter the time or place. People that even if you don't have blood relations with they will still love you." He lightens my soul with each word he speaks.

    "But I don't have anyone who loves me other than Tora."

    "Silly Fukuyo. Of course, you do."

    "What do you mean? Who loves me?" I climb onto his lap and straddle his waist.

    "I do." Kurogetsu pulls me to his chest and kisses my forehead.

    Is this a family? Who cares?

    "I do." Kurogetsu spoke.

    I don't know if he was referring to who loves me or if someone cares, but I don't mind either way because he makes me feel happy. If this is family, then I like it, it feels warm.

Warmth?

    Suddenly her eyes cleared she was met with a firm chest of a man firmly holding her. She recognized the man and the man who gave her a new family, the man who proposed to her by the ocean, the man who kissed her goodnight every time the sun set and the man who gave her warmth.

    "Mayou?" Her voice was hoarse and her mind was in a frenzied blur, "What happened?."

    The man slipped down her body and she finally got a look at her hands. Blood dripped down her fingers and coated her arms all the way past her elbow. She shifted her focus to the man on the ground with a kunai protruding from his stomach.

    "Mayou." She whispered his name as she stared at him.

    Her mind not yet clear enough to process her thoughts.

.~Ch.8.~Her Actions~.

4290 words