Chapter 7 _Too Slow_

Chapter 7 "Too Slow"

Kyoko had been a little freaked when she opened her eyes and found Kyou standing above her, watching her with haunted eyes. The only words he’d spoken were, "We need to train." Then he took her by the arm and pulled her off the bed without hurting her, but with enough force to let her know he was boss for now.

Kyoko frowned at him once they reached the hall. "Are you always so heavy handed?" She pulled on her arm and stumbled when he instantly let go. Kyoko’s eyes shot to his, and she felt her temper spark. That was, until he turned from closing her door to opening his. She just stared at him.

Kyou saw her sudden stop, and without any noticeable emotion what so ever, he taunted, "What? Are you frightened?"

Kyoko straightened her back, marching past him and into his living room.

Satisfied, Kyou closed the door then passed her up, saying, "Follow," as he stepped into another room.

Kyoko's eyes narrowed. She cocked her head to one side, sending her hair flying, and adding to it by making a face. "Follow," she said in the weirdest voice that she could muster, then straightened up, feeling better. She followed him, the word 'jerk' vibrating through her mind.

She stepped into the next room behind him, and realized it was his bedroom. She again stopped and quirked an eyebrow at him, but he wasn’t paying her any attention. He walked to the far wall, and touching a certain spot, the wall glowed.

A door opened and then he turned. His face was unreadable for a moment, but inwardly he was smirking at her.

"A short cut to the gym." He offered as an explanation.

Kyoko walked past him, wondering how he did it. Without making it obvious, everything he said seemed to make her feel like he was ordering her around. She didn’t take orders very well, unless she wanted to. She stopped, facing a wall, then felt the floor shift, 'an elevator?' She looked at him, thinking to herself, 'spoilt much?'

Kyou's face seemed to take on an iciness as he looked down at her, and she knew he’d heard her thoughts. Looking straight up at him she thought angrily, ‘You are not to enter my mind without my permission.’ She squinted her eyes at him, letting him feel the door to her mind slam shut in his face.

Kyou's expression never faltered, but his words did show surprise and a speck of respect, "Well done."

The door in front of them opened up, and they stepped out into the huge ground floor dojo. Kyoko looked around and noticed they were the only ones in sight and turned to him, not knowing what to expect.

"You have trained some since your loss of memory?" Kyou questioned her as she followed him to a table against a wall full of shelves. Taking a target from the table, he handed her a crossbow with no arrows, knowing her power would create small dart-like spirit arrows.

"I can hit my target," she said, raising her chin.

"It’s not, if you can hit IT," he said disapprovingly, "it’s the strength of the power within the darts you create." He walked away from her to lay the target up against the far wall.

Kyoko's fingers twitched, thinking how funny it would be to hit him in the butt with a spirit arrow. The mental picture of the icy guardian having a physical representation of that stick up his ass was almost too good to pass up. Oh the sins of temptation…

"That would not be a good idea," his voice trailed back to her.

"Stop that!" Kyoko shouted, ‘I can think and picture whatever the hell I want to.’ She thought childishly, then mentally closed the door again as Kyou made his way back to her and the table. She raised the crossbow and took aim at the target across the room, but Kyou's hand caught her arm to stall her. He raised his hand and placed a shield around the room.

"This is so your power level will not be felt beyond this room," he released her arm and stood unyieldingly beside her, his face like solid stone.

Kyoko sighed, and then concentrated, notching the crossbow and pulling back the string without much effort. She felt the emptiness turn into a spirit arrow, and it took her by surprise because she had somehow accomplished it so quickly. She released the dart-like power, and it hit only a couple inches from the target. Then with a smile, she turned to Kyou. Her smile suddenly vanished.

Kyou was not pleased, "Not only was the spirit dart weak, you did not hit your target." When he saw Kyoko raise the crossbow again to try one more time, he took it from her, "Now for fighting without a weapon.”

Kyoko glared at him, thinking, 'Yeah, at the moment, I do kind of feel like whipping your ass.' She stood up, not even bothering with a fighting stance while Kyou stood about ten feet in front of her.

Kyou stood there unmoving, waiting, but not for long, realizing she was waiting on him to make the first move. He actually raised an eyebrow, 'her mistake.'

One second Kyoko was watching him for movement, the next her vision blurred. She was drug backwards and slammed into a hard chest, knocking her breath from her. She went limp for a second, until she felt his breath at her ear.

"Too slow," his voice was almost seductive, sending that ripple of goose bumps over her skin once more.

Kyoko jerked away from him, wondering if he was going to use under-handed tricks the whole time. "Fine, now that we have that out of the way, let’s try again," Kyoko walked over to him and placed her hands in front of him. Concentrating quickly, a small ball of blue spirit flames appeared in her hand. She thrust it at him, only to have it die out as soon as it hit him.

Kyoko furrowed her brow in confusion, "Damn, that should have at least hurt a little." Her eyes rose to look into his shining golden ones. He was laughing at her without a smile. She put her hands up again to try harder.

Kyou gently reached out and placed his hands over hers. The small blue fire died out quickly. "You cannot hurt me, Kyoko," his voice was soft. "Even if the memory is gone, your power remembers and will not allow you to hurt me,” he stilled as he searched her eyes for understanding.

Kyoko was drowning within his golden stare. "My powers won’t let me hurt you? Why?" As she asked the question, he removed his hand. The ice shield he wore instantly falling back into place as he took a step back. Kyoko reached out and took a hold of his arm before he could turn away, "Don’t do that. You’re hiding from me. Why?"

Kyou looked down at the tiny hand holding his arm. He could break it with a finger she was so fragile, but he would not. He looked away from the hand holding him, and removed the barrier shield from the room.

"You are dismissed," he wouldn’t even look at her as he headed for the elevator. "Class is over," Kyou stated firmly.

Kyoko stood there in the dojo long after he was gone, wondering what it was that made him like he was. How close had they been in the past? It made her almost sad not to know… not to remember. Her attention turned back to the wall of martial arts tools. Seeing a wooden stick among them, she picked it over the heavy steal weapons lining the shelves. Crossing to the middle of the dojo, she began the same workout she’d done at home countless times.

Kyou stood where she could not see him and watched her. He began to feel her power rise, and again he placed the shield around the room. He did not want the enemy to know of her power or how strong it truly was.

The only reason he had tried to test her, was to prove to her that she could not use her power against him. He knew that no matter how hard she tried to block him out of her mind, she could not do so completely because the power within her would not allow it.

He had created a link to her mind over a thousand years ago, and the link had not disappeared. He could read her every thought without even looking at her. It was not a power he had planned on acquiring. It was a strange power he only hoped he could handle. It was taking all his control not to show human feelings, when that was exactly what he was feeling. Even after over a thousand years of solitude.

Kyou knew he was in danger of this little girl tearing down his shrine placed walls… he already felt the frost around his heart trying to melt.

***** Hyakuhei leaned against a tree within sight of the glass dojo doors watching the priestess as she trained with Kyou. He gave a deadly tilt to his lips as he watched his brother’s child toy with the priestess who haunted his dreams along with his nightmares. He wondered if it was fate… being in love with the enemy.

His mind drifted back into the past… not the past of a thousand years but far beyond that, to when he’d killed his only brother, Tadamichi. Kyou had taken his father's place, becoming lord of the demon realm and leader of the guardians who protected the crystal and the maiden shrine.

Hyakuhei was supposed to of been next in line to hold that title, but why would he protect a time paradox that had taken the only thing he had ever wanted away from him? He could feel the old anger and hatred build within him at the very thought.

After protecting the maiden shrine and the crystal for so long, he had only asked for one thing and it had been denied him. His gaze roamed the face and hair of the priestess as she stood there on the other side of the glass. She was the descendant of that same maiden… an almost exact replica of her. His hot gaze lowered the entire length of her body as memories flooded him.

He watched her reach out for Kyou as he turned and walked away from her. No, she was not the same priestess… just a copy. This priestess did not love him. Somewhere down the line… the one whom the gods had fated him to love… had become his enemy.

Seeing that Kyoko was now alone, his dark eyes softened as once again he imagined she and the priestess of generations past were one in the same. In his vision, the priestess he had claimed became one with Kyoko's person... making him hunger for the love she’d once shown him… love that had been cruelly ripped from him.

***** Several hours later, Kyoko was still in the dojo standing with her arms folded in front of her, broadening her senses, seeing how far she could feel with them. Kyoko sensed someone coming… a guardian, and she concentrated on it. Not moving until a familiar voice came from behind her, she smiled. She’d guessed it right.

"Kotaro, good morning," she opened her eyes, enjoying the breeze caressing her face that always accompanied his arrival.

Kotaro nodded, flashing a handsome smile, "That was very good, you detected that it was me." he came closer, lowering his face to her, "You should be able to detect the one who has chosen you as his mate." He smirked, and then backed up, asking seriously, "Would you like a partner to practice with?"

Kyoko blushed after he mentioned ‘mate.’ With a more serious look to match his, she nodded, taking a couple steps back, "I know you’re fast, so I cannot beat you with speed."

Kotaro’s ice blue eyes locked with hers, “You are a priestess. You do not need speed, Kyoko.” His gaze darkened attractively, “I can smell your power.” He inhaled as if to savor the flavor of it.

Kyoko knew what he was going to do the second he disappeared, feeling him when she couldn’t see him. She grabbed the arm coming at her and propelled him past her. Kotaro skidded to a stop not far away, and in a blur he was back, only for Kyoko to lower herself.

Without using much force, she used his own momentum to sling him again to the other side of her, leaving an almost nonexistent blue trail of power, which disappeared almost as fast as it happened. This shocked her when she noticed it, and Kotaro used her distraction to his advantage. Within the blink of an eye, she was in his arms.

"Gotcha," He smiled charmingly.

Kyoko was stunned at how fast he’d done that, but changed the topic quickly. She detached herself from his arms. "Kotaro, did you see anything… like a blue mist a minute ago?" She questioned him, wondering if only she could see it.

Kotaro nodded, "Just barely, but I did see something." He smiled at her happiness, but he knew more than she did about what was going on. “It’s good that you’re becoming aware of your own powers.” Taking her by the shoulders, he became serious again. "Kyoko, it’s still way too weak. I caught you. What if there had been five of me? Where would you be now?"

Kyoko's smile almost faded, but then it came right back. "Well, I guess that’s where we make a great team, right?" she gasped as she was pulled right back into the arms she had just gotten out of, and squeezed tightly.

Kotaro kissed her on the forehead, then released her again, taking a couple steps back. "Shall we continue?" he asked with charm.

Kyoko couldn’t help the small giggle that left her when she watched him bow slightly before disappearing again.

***** Hyakuhei narrowed his eyes on Kotaro… his nephew. The boy had the speed that was outmatched by any of the other guardians. His gaze turned a shade darker knowing Kotaro was in fact in love with the priestess… had always been. It showed in every move he made and every look he gave.

A low growl started in his chest as he watched what was supposed to be a sparring match turn into what looked more like a lover's tango. He felt his eyes bleed crimson as once again Kotaro caught Kyoko within his tight embrace.

***** Toya jerked awake when a strange feeling crept across him. He’d been dreaming. For some reason, the images from the dream he couldn’t shake. He couldn’t tell what kind of demonic being was trying to devour Kyoko into its body, but Kyoko was screaming.

As hard as he had tried, he couldn’t see the face of the villain, only the arms holding her and the tears in her eyes as she strained away from it. Even after waking up, his heart was still beating a mile a minute. Toya shook his head but the image still wouldn’t leave. It wasn’t a dream, it was a memory.

He quickly focused and looked around him, noting that he was on the floor in his room as if he’d been dumped right inside his door. A long stream of curses could be heard out in the hallway, where Kyou stood.

Kyou stared intently at Toya's door where he had placed the barrier spell. He knew that once his angry brother calmed down enough to think about it, he would be able to remove the barrier ward without problem. So, he decided to leave him to his own devices. He walked away suppressing a smirk while Toya's curses rang in the hallway.

Toya again reached for the doorknob, only to feel the painful shock on contact. He glared at the warded door then slowly smiled as the twin daggers slid from his wrist. Holding one in each fisted hand, he crossed the shining blades in front of him. His eyes turned a shimmering silver hue as he focused his attention back on the barrier blocking his door.

The twin daggers pulsed to life, glowing fluorescent blue. With one single strike, the barrier was gone and Toya shot out into the hallway. "Damn it, Kyou," he growled not seeing his intended target.

Standing in the hallway, Toya closed his eyes and inhaled, searching for her scent. The muscles in his jaw clinched in retaliation. 'No, Kyoko is not here.’ He opened his eyes and raced down the stairs, not stopping until he was standing in the doorway of the dojo. Once he had her within his sight, only then did his heartbeat begin to slow.

"What the hell are they doing?" Toya wondered as he watched Shinbe, Suki and Kotaro. All three circled Kyoko in slow movements, as though waiting to attack her. He could sense all four auras heightened with power and had to still his own movements. The desire to protect her shot through him with stunning force.

Toya’s breath stopped and his golden eyes widened, anticipating what he was sure was about to happen, and it finally came to pass. One slight movement from Kyoko, the barest twitching of a leg muscle was the silent green flag everyone had been waiting for. Even in mock battle… someone had to win.

Shinbe came at Kyoko with incredible speed, lifting his staff and aiming for the back of her head. Kyoko, feeling the immediate difference in the air, turned toward Shinbe just in time and ducked to avoid the blow, lifting her knee and slamming him in the stomach in retaliation. Shinbe stepped back a couple steps in surprise, feeling the sensation of nausea that usually accompanied a hit to the stomach.

Kyoko took a step toward him with intentions of pressing her attack while he was immobilized but Suki appeared in front of her, blocking any assault Kyoko wished to place; her bayonet pointed at Kyoko.

Squaring off against a suddenly overprotective Suki, Kyoko eyed the dangerous looking bladed weapon and stood still for a moment, her mind working overtime trying to figure out Suki’s weaknesses. Out of the corner of her vision she saw Kotaro just standing there watching them with his arms crossed over his chest and grinning from ear to ear. For some reason the idea of that grin infuriated Kyoko. What did he have to look so confident about?

Suki took the frustrated expression on Kyoko’s face as her chance, thinking her auburn haired friend was distracted. Suki was surprised when Kyoko moved slightly to the side and grabbed the bayonet, pressing her weight down and throwing Suki off balance. Suki had such a tight grip on it that she was actually catapulted over Kyoko and landed hard on the dojo floor, the breath knocked from her lungs.

Meanwhile, Shinbe had recovered and came at Kyoko again, this time the staff twirling through his fingers and reminding Kyoko of one of those baton-twirling girls at the head of a parade. This was Shinbe though, the farthest thing from a parade girl and, despite his appearance, Kyoko knew he could be deadly with that staff.

Mentally she swallowed and gripped Suki’s bayonet in her hand… Suki had released her hold on it when she was tossed to the floor. Kyoko didn’t know much about staff fighting but was positive she was about to get a crash course.

Thinking quickly, Kyoko drove the point of the bayonet in the floor and placed the bottom of her shoe against the flat of the blade, breaking it off. She could hear a gasp from Suki’s direction but paid no attention. She only hoped this would hurt Shinbe more than herself.

Holding the weapon in a defensive pose, she waited for Shinbe to get closer. Abruptly, Shinbe stopped twirling the staff and swung. Kyoko lifted the staff to block, wincing at the impact that shot up her arms and across her shoulders. The shock made her take a couple of quick steps back, allowing Shinbe to press his assault.

He swept the staff low, his objective to trip Kyoko and put her in a rather defenseless position on the floor. His amethyst eyes glowed with a wild light as the blue highlights in his dark hair shifted with his movements.

Kyoko jumped high to avoid the sweep and swung the bayonet, feeling awkward as she did so.

Shinbe blocked the attack, smirking at the force Kyoko used behind it. He could tell Kyoko was uncomfortable with the weapon and used this to his advantage. With one precise hit, his staff broke the bayonet in half, leaving Kyoko with a piece of the staff in each hand. Again he heard the echo of Suki’s gasp, as her weapon became timber for their next bonfire.

Thinking he’d won, Shinbe lifted his staff to strike and bring this to a close. Much to his shock, Kyoko lifted the pieces in her hands and crossed them in a classic swordsman defense, blocking him.

Kyoko was acting purely on the human instinct to survive. Her movements became a blur and she kicked him in the exact same place as before. Shinbe loosened the grip on his staff and Kyoko struck with one of the bayonet halves, sweeping his feet out from under him.

He landed just as hard as Suki had only moments before and lay there trying to catch his breath. He swung his hair out of his face as he looked up. A sick sense of accomplishment softened his features knowing he had taught her well.

From the doorway Toya whistled softly, mildly impressed with Kyoko’s growing skills. He couldn’t help but find himself entranced by how gracefully she moved. For some reason his eyes were glued to her legs in those black stretch pants. Seeing Shinbe’s eyes travel the same area of her body he growled silently.

Frowning, Toya shook his head slightly and continued to watch. He couldn’t help but notice Kotaro hadn’t attacked yet and wondered what his rival was up to.

Kyoko glanced over at Kotaro, sensing his power rise. The sound of shoes hitting the dojo floor on the other side brought her out of her musings and she turned just in time to get a foot in her ribs. The broken bayonet fell from her hands and she knew she was going to have a bruise tomorrow. Kyoko was winded but stood her ground, trying to block Suki’s attack and getting in a couple hits of her own.

It was then that Kotaro moved. He vanished and reappeared behind Kyoko, slamming her back against his chest and holding her there.

Suki came at her again and Kyoko struck with the only thing she had left. Once again she used her feet. Using Kotaro’s body as leverage, she bent her knees against her chest and used both feet to hit Suki in the chest, pushing her away with all her strength. Again Suki found herself on her back on the floor, groaning in pain.

Kotaro, not expecting the move, was shoved back with the force of Kyoko’s kick to Suki. It toppled him over with Kyoko still in his arms. Kyoko gasped when she felt the impact and struggled to free herself from Kotaro’s hold. She froze when he laughed softly in her ear. Craning her neck, she saw him looking at her with a victorious grin.

“See what you’ve done to me?” he asked. “I’ve fallen hard for you and I refuse to get up.”

Kyoko rolled her eyes and closed them, groaning at his lame line. “Kotaro, Shinbe could come up with better lines brain dead and hooked up to life support.”

“My legacy is in ruins,” Shinbe moaned and rolled over on his side, curling up into a ball as he did so.

Suki laughed softly from her place on the floor, though she was sitting up now.

Kotaro rose with Kyoko still in his grasp, her arms pinned to her sides. He couldn’t help but let his smile grow as Kyoko continued to struggle.

Kyoko looked over her shoulder at Kotaro, "Ah… Kotaro, you can let me go now. I give,” she smiled.

“What do I get for releasing you?” Kotaro asked in all seriousness.

Suki’s jaw dropped at Kotaro’s forwardness and Shinbe merely grinned.

Kyoko’s cheeks turned an attractive shade of pink as she stood there with her back pressed intimately against Kotaro’s hard chest.

“Give me a kiss and I’ll let you go,” Kotaro whispered in her ear.

Kyoko’s face went up in flames when the mental picture of Kotaro kissing her jumped to the front of her mind full force. What made it worse was when Kotaro became someone else for a moment then the vision disappeared as fast as it came… leaving her breathless and more than a little confused.

Toya's hackles rose when he saw Kyoko blush and he could just imagine what Kotaro had said to her. "Just what the hell are you doing to Kyoko?" he tried to suppress the growl coming from the back of his throat, but failed miserably.

Kyoko looked up at Toya and giggled halfheartedly knowing Kotaro would have probably gotten his kiss just so she could bite the hell out of him for not letting her go in the first place. When her emerald eyes made contact with Toya’s silver ones, she was surprised by the anger visible in them, taking note of the gold tint starting to blend with the beautiful shade.

"Toya, they are just helping me with my self-defense training,” Kyoko explained. “You wouldn’t want some demon to swallow me whole, would you?" she smiled, trying for a joke.

Toya's steps faltered when her words struck him, 'demon… swallow her?' The dream came back to haunt him, and he didn’t like the feeling that came with it. He tried to ignore the sweat that broke out across his brow and the fear that needled its way up his spine as the image lingered a little too long. It all angered him in a way he couldn’t handle so he shifted his mood and retaliated.

Crossing his arms over his chest, Toya turned his glare on Kotaro who had yet to let go of Kyoko. “It’s not a demon trying to swallow you whole… just a punk with no manners.” He took a threatening step closer and added dangerously, “Though I can arrange to have him swallowed whole if he doesn’t let go.”

Kotaro arched an eyebrow but kept his anger in check at his insult. “They’d probably find me a lot sweeter than you butthead. I’d taste like chocolate and you’d probably taste like crap… literally. In short, you wouldn’t even be worth a demon’s time…” he gazed down at Kyoko, “…or anyone else’s time for that matter.”

Toya’s growl startled Kyoko enough to where she nervously asked again for her release.

Kotaro chuckled then leaned forward to give a quick kiss on her turned cheek, and reluctantly released her. “We are even…” His eyes sparkled, “…for now.”

“Shut the hell up!” Toya yelled at him.

“If I didn’t know better Toya, I would think you were attracted to our lovely Kyoko,” Shinbe stated.

Toya looked at Shinbe like he’d grown a second head. “Like hell. Who would want such a fragile human like her?” he lied nearly choking on his own words.

Shinbe stroked his chin. “Oh, I could name one or two my friend. Personally, I would love for the opportunity to see her in my arms, calling my name to the heavens above.”

Suki whacked him hard on the back of the head, sending him forward. He would have fallen on his face had he not halfway regained his balance. Instead, he stumbled right into Kyoko, his face buried in the valley between her breasts.

Kyoko cried out in shock and embarrassment when Shinbe suddenly wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close, sighing contentedly.

“Uh… um…” she stuttered not knowing what to say.

Suki didn’t say a word as she grabbed a handful of his hair and yanked him backwards.

Deciding not to watch Shinbe’s punishment, Kyoko turned her back to them only to once again find herself face to face with Kotaro.

"I’ve got to go for a while anyway. There is something I need to do, Kyoko." Kotaro gave her a prince like bow. "But I’ll be happy to train with you again later, if you will let me." His blue eyes twinkled with the thought. He loved to catch her because every time he did… he was able to fulfill his most secret desire and pull her body close to his… just as it should be. Although, he hoped soon she would be able to evade his capture.

"She doesn’t need your help to train," Toya watched Kotaro leave, trying to suppress the growl that threatened to be heard. He really didn’t like the idea of her training with Kotaro. Deciding to ignore it for now he turned and approached Kyoko.

"How’s the hangover?" Toya smirked at her, watching her cheeks return to their normal color.

Kyoko looked at him in confusion. "That was this morning Toya. It’s almost night time now."

Toya frowned thinking within his own mind, 'Damn… how long did Kyou knock me out for?' Gritting his teeth he asked, "So, you’ve been practicing all day?"

Kyoko nodded, "Yeah, it started out with just me and Kyou. But then he left and Kotaro came, then Shinbe and Suki came a little while ago.” She cocked an eyebrow at him asking, “Where have you been all day?"

"Ah, I had things to do," he inwardly seethed, 'damn Kyou.’ Shaking off the rest of his annoyance, he stepped in front of her. "But I’m here now. Are you too tired to give it a try with me?" his eyes were a bit softer than before and had changed back to the purest of gold.

Suki grabbed Shinbe's arm, "Why don’t we quit for the day, Shinbe? I need to go take a shower anyway." She started pulling him toward the door wanting to give Kyoko and Toya some time alone. She could tell Toya had feelings for Kyoko by the look in his eyes. She gave Kyoko a secret smile as she pulled Shinbe away from them.

Shinbe's eyes lit up, and he looked at Suki longingly, "May I join you in the shower this time?"

Kyoko jumped when she heard a WHACK seeing Shinbe with a harsh-looking handprint on his face and a smile that went with it. She cracked up then whispered, "Oh Shinbe." She watched him follow Suki to the door in a happy daze. "See you guys in the morning," she whispered to herself.

She waited until they were out of sight before turning her attention back to Toya. She nodded, "Ready." Her eyes watched every move he made.