To Maintain Peace and Order ¦1x1 with Jikkah¦

The young girl perked when she saw Sasuke, fearthers puffing up slightly. “Sasuke-nii!” She let go of Akihime’s hand and scampered over to the Ootengu, smiling widely. “Is this where you’ve been?”
 
"Uh...yeah, sorry to just kinda ditch you like that, kiddo. How have you been? Geez, you're a mess.." Sasuke said softly. Akihime moved to sit beside Yukimura and waited patiently.
 
She sat before Sasuke, shifting nervously. “Not good... There’s a man, a bad man.” Tears came to her eyes. “He’s killing the forest, all the trees and spirits in the forest... Forcing others to bind themselves to him, he’s an Onmyoji.”
“An Onmyoji..!?” Yukimura looked shocked, what kind of Onmyoji would do such a thing?
 
Sasuke frowned and brushed her hair back gently, "Why don't you get cleaned up first and into some new clothes. Akihime?"
"Hai, please come with me, Sayuri-chan, I have the perfect tsukesage for you to wear." Akihime smiled brightly and stood, "Then we will come right back and you can tell Sasuke-san and Yukimura-sama what's going on."
 
She nodded and followed Akihime out of the room, leaving Yukimura with Sasuke.
“An Onmyoji? I only know of my Lord and Masamune-dono.. Perhaps a new Onmyoji?”
 
"Well, anyone can take up sorcery and claim to read the stars like you can, dana." Sasuke said, "It isn't uncommon for mortal men to say they can preform miracles for money. Maybe it's some drunk.."
 
“That is true... But what of Sayuri-dono’s claims of the man destroying the forest? Forcing a contract on Spirits? Humans cannot make pacts with spirits, not in the way an Onmyoji can.” Be pointed out.
 
Sasuke folded his arms and made a noise, "Yeah, you're right. Do you think it's Mitsunari?" He asked, "I mean, he shouldn't be running around just yet, I burned him up pretty good...but it's possible."
 
Yukimura shook his head. “I don’t know, we will have to ask Sayuri-dono if she has ever seen this man and what he looks like.”
 
Sasuke nodded and sat quietly while they waited for Sayuri to come back. When she did, Akihime had given her a pale blue tsukesage with a cherry blossom branch decorating the lower half; she even did Sayuri's hair.
"There, I have made her even more beautiful than before." Akihime smiled.
 
Yukimura smiled softly, motioning to the cushions for the two to sit. “Thank you, Akihime-dono.” He said softly, Sayuri taking a seat before Yukimura and Sasuke.
“Sayuri-dono, please, tell us more about this Onmyoji who is attacking your home.” She nodded and fidgeted a bit.
“He just showed up one day, destroying things, k-killing spirits...” She looked down at her lap, taking a breath before continuing. “He forced spirits to make contracts with him, the ones that refused he hurt or worse..”
 
"Did you get a good look at him? Do you remember anything about him?" Sasuke asked, "He probably realized I changed house and decided to make a mess of things. Big mistake."
 
Sayuri nodded. “He had wild hair and an eyepatch over his right eye.” She said. “He also carried a katana.”
Yukimura felt his heart jump into his throat, the man she had just described sounded exactly like Masamune.
 
"N-Ne, perhaps you were mistaken?" Akihime asked nervously, "That sounds like you're describing Masamune-sama, and he isn't an evil person."
"That we know." Sasuke added firmly. Akihime shot him a soft glare.
"Damare." She whispered.
 
Sayuri perked, eyes wide. “That’s it! That was his name!” She confirmed. “He said that he was the One Eyed Dragon!”
Yukimura was shocked, not knowing what to do with this information- it hadn’t even sunk in yet. Masamune had just been with him, he had even helped get another’s Shikigami back, why would he turn around and do such an awful thing?
 
Sasuke noticed how distressed this made Yukimura and he cleared his throat.
"Why don't we go back to the mountain and check things out. Figure out how to help." He offered.
 
The girl shook her head. “He’s still there! I can’t go back, he’s sure to be angry finding out I left without telling him!” Without telling him? Why would she have to tell him anything?
Then Sasuke noticed something on the side of her neck; the Date crest, clear as day fixed permanately on her skin until he released her- she had made a contract with him, and it was more than likely not one she consented to.
 
Sasuke's eyes widened slightly, "Yuri, you didn't..." He muttered. Akihime followed his eyes and frowned softly.
"You were very brave, little one, even if you yourself don't think so..." She said.
 
She forced a smile on her face, but it was sad and pained. “I didn’t want to, but when he started to pull out my feathers I caved in.” She said quietly.
Yukimura suddenly stood, his eyes serious and face set. “Sasuke, Akihime-dono, please accompany me back to this mountain.” He said firmly; he wouldn’t let Masamune get away with such a heinous deed.
 
"It's the same mountain you found me in." Sasuke said as he stood; but then he remembered that Yukimura may not have remembered where that was, "I'll leas the way. Yuri, you stay here."
 
“Please,” Sayuri piped up. “Don’t let him take me again.” She pleaded to Sasuke and Yukimura.
Yukimura gave a firm nod, then left the room, heading to get his spears and saddle up the horses.
 
Yukimura frowned deeply, a part of him not wanting to believe an honorable man such as Masamune would do something so dishonorable. “I do not know, but from the evidence Sayuri-dono has brought us, it appears it is Masamune-dono.”
 
Yukimura nodded and kicked his horse to get it into a gallop, heading off back to the same mountain Sasuke once called his home.
 
Back
Top Bottom