The Second Story

Sophie approached Shoji, keeping but a few paces from him. He was still soaking wet, which disturbed her slightly. She hadn't noticed back in the room. His face was serious, which probably meant something serious was about to be said or done.

The first three words caused an ache to appear in her chest, and her expression dropped even more. But it was hard to believe there were worse things out there especially after living with them her whole entire life, and then having to move to Japan.

Although...his next few words caught her attention, and she looked eye and eye with Shoji, finding herself now concerned with their guest. Her instincts were correct, but she had never imagined it to be this bad. Her fingers wrapped around the blanket, pulling them tighter to her body.

"Shoji...I'll be fine...but" Her voice hesitated, "Do you really have the ability to manipulate memories?" She asked, feeling a sting in her throat, no longer able to look Shoji in the eyes. She didn't want to doubt him, but part of her warned her. For she wouldn't even know herself.

She asked him so bluntly Shoji didn't know how to respond. At first he jerked away from her and put his hands on the floor. Then he moved them back to show he wasn't going to just leave her. But, he couldn't hide the stunned expression that rose his brows.

"I..." Shoji started. "Yes, but at a price."

Mami could be heard again pacing back to the corner of the estate, she slammed her door shut angrily and could be heard screaming into a pillow with frustration.

"There are some things I erase, for instance..." Shoji decided that folding his hands in his lap was the best option. If Sophie was scared of memory malfunction, he didn't want to put her at ill ease. "When Madoka lost her arm, I took out the day entirely. She was crying, and there was so much pain. It's better she didn't remember, even if she doesn't understand why her arm is gone."

Shoji's eyes looked to the ground. Would it be better to blurt it all at once? Or would Sophie run, afraid Shoji had tampered with her memories, and added sequences that never occurred.

"Nao stutters sometimes because of me." Shoji added. "There was such a terrible memory he had, but when I tried to fix it he told me not to. It fragmented his mind, and reset his speech. It's not like I go around replacing memories and enchanting or wooing people as often as I can. It's hard to do, because I have to live through the memory first, or I have to create it first."

Shoji flexed his fingers. Anything to ease his mind.

"It's not set in stone really, and the whole process is just a mess." Shoji threw up his hands, furious with himself for not telling Sophie about anything he could do. "I would never even think of changing a thing about you. Memories, or anything..."

Shoji couldn't lift his eyes. He was too ashamed of his ability. Too ashamed of his family.

"I'm sorry for taking your time." Shoji rose up from his knees and sighed. "Look at you, making an important head bow down in shame. Humans are amazing."

Sophie looked up long enough to see his surprised reaction to her question. His response did indeed meant he had kept secrets from her, but she wondered how much. Speaking about Madoka, it took her a minute to realize that the last time Sophie had spoken to her, she almost acted like she had never had an arm at all.

The part that relieved her was when he told her that he had never changed anything in her mind. It made her feel rather cross towards Megumi, although she would never show it. It just seemed weird that Shoji's cousin would try to kill her. Already she had a bad reputation with his family, and she hadn't even met his father yet.

As soon as he stood, she too did the same. She reached out, grabbing his arm, and walked forward into his arms, before hugging him. Her cheek grew moist with his wet kimono, but she gave no mind.

"Shoji, I trust you...and even if you hadn't told me, things would still be okay...I..well love you and it doesn't matter at all, okay?" She said, flushed at her sudden statement but somehow it felt right. She hugged him tighter almost afraid of him pushing her away.

"Even if you did clean a memory or two of mine, it must have been for the best...just like Nao or Madoka.." She said, looking up at him with a serious expression, still a bit pink at the cheeks. She looked into his red eyes longingly.

"Can you hear yourself?" Shoji teased. "You just said you love a powerful demon. Many women would kill you for being so close."

Shoji leaned over and pressed his lips to her damp hair.

"Or so I've been told. Yuji tends to exaggerate."

He sat and played with the tangled bits of her hair. Every few minutes he'd shift so he could stare at her face, still full of youth and with a wild spirit flared through her eyes.

I some ways Shoji had to keep reminding himself that being attracted to a young, sixteen year old girl, was not wrong. Considering he was twenty one by human standards. If he thought about keeping her all to himself on a cold night, a stern warning issued from his mind.

Sophie is the Senka. However beneficial it may be for him to marry her quickly, it wasn't his choice. Spiriting her away would be dangerous, perhaps lethal. 'I love you' wouldn't cut it in the torturous nights her body changes, and all he could do was calm her for being human.

If she were to fall asleep right here, he would give her any memory, any dream, she wanted. Just to keep her from remembering she told a demon she loved him.

A smirk played at her face at his statement, of course it sounded ridiculous to find herself in love with a demon. Hell, she hadn't even heard of a tengu before..they just seemed like angels..

After all the years of her parents scolding her for talking of spirits, and here she was embracing what had troubled her. The scar on her back from being harassed was plenty proof of that fact.

"You know, you are as much of a fool...I bet the only reason you stole me away was because I am the Senka...oh wait..." She looked at him coyly, "I believe it was" She told him with a laugh, "Just think of it this way, it could have been that kitsune prince...Eiji was his name?" She said with a sad emotion playing at her eyes.

For some reason, being kidnapped by a kitsune seemed quite dangerous, and if not for the last fight she would probably be a slave of some sort...or dead.

Shoji scowled, why did she even bring up the dogs?

"If the dogs had you, you would be dead. We all want you, so be flattered while it lasts." Shoji still scowled.

Dogs. He had not seen them for a month. The Kitsune freaks were up to something, Shoji just wasn't sure what.

"Now come on, I can't sleep in here tonight. I have to entertain my favorite cousin." Shoji rolled his eyes with heavy sarcasm. He had yelled the last part just loud enough for Mami to hear from across the hall.

"Is she your only cousin? If not I cannot WAIT to meet them all, you bastard." Mami swore loudly.

"Respect your master!" Shoji yelled jokingly.

"Oh, so sorry, Master of all related bastard like things Master." Mami chuckled darkly.

"Dinner is in the dining hall." Shoji hugged Sophie close and exited her room without another sound.

Obviously, the subject of the Kitsune Clan disturbed him causing quick regret at bringing the subject up. Last time they had met, he had attempted to seduce her into guilt, but she knew better.

Her expression turned to dread when he announced that he wouldn't sleep in her room, and that he would have to entertain Megumi whom had tried tricking her. It made her feel envious that Shoji would be spending better time with her. Envy was a sin, but after confessing her love struck soul, she wished Shoji a better reaction. It was if he was disgusted she could love him. Or he just rejected her.

As he and Mami shouted at each other she made her way to the closet, full of clothes due to Mami and Madoka. The clothes went from cute kimonos to current American style clothing. She was spoiled...especially being a...hime...or whatever someone tried to call her once. The only thing she changed was the top, finding it indecent to walk to dinner with a tank top on. She took a green and gold kimono top, and draped it over her shoulders and through her arms. She tied a sash around the middle, but the bottom portion flared out as she walked. (If you need an explanation, skype me)

As for her hair, she pulled the entire length, and tugged it into a bun which then she took two decorated sticks, and stuck them in at opposite angles. Hair fell loosely behind her ears in small layers. Now that the hair was away from her face, the angles of her rosy cheeks, and the color of her eyes stood out. Of course the young girl hardly noticed this, but she always remembered her mother commenting on how nice it was up.

In the dining room, she saw that everyone had sat down, Shoji at the head of the table, and two empty seats on either side of him. The one on the right was usually reserved for herself, and the other Akihito, but was now empty. Megumi had yet to appear, so Sophie sat down, watching Shoji anxiously.

(You get to play your favorite character while I read now!)

Every member of the house had an eerily fake smile that crept over their face as the door opened behind Shoji at the head of the table. Megumi was still Maruyama blood, and had to be treated as royalty when she visited. It showed on her face just how much she was enjoying the privilege of getting away with any little thing. Yuji was the only person whose smile was authentic enough, but it was only because he had a first row pan out of Megumi's busty chest.

The two seats next to Shoji weren't filled until Sophie sat down next to him, and Akihito filed in on her other side. Following Akihito were Mami, Nao, Katsu, and the silent Hisoka. In the other row, past the empty space, Yuji gaped an Megumi, Ryo and Ryuu piled down next to him, and Ren helped Madoka balance herself at the very end of the table.

"Yuji, if you don't stop staring, I'm going to take all of your smut." Mami hissed across the table. Her hissings didn't phase the pervert.

"Oh?" Megumi pulled at the edges of the bath robe she still had draped over her shoulder. The white fabric slipped over the shoulder that stretched towards Yuji, it revealed much more of her bare skin than anyone found to be comfortable. She couldn't even sit properly without showing off her inner thighs to her admirer. "I didn't think anyone would stare, oh Yuji."

"Yeah?" Yuji asked, blissfully unaware of anything.

"Save the smut Ryo!" Ryuu hissed. Together, the brothers pulled off their friend and slapped him on each side of his face. Dinner went on, everyone ignored the three.

Megumi hummed. Her gaze drifted across the rooms, the first course of dinner (Nao hadn't left the kitchens after she'd walked in the door), but it was obvious to any eye what she really wanted to see. Sophie.

"So, Sophie." Megumi started to ask. "Did you ask him yet?"

Sophie kept her eyes down upon her lap. Her fingers rubbed at the soft silky material of the kimono distractingly. She wished to not worry about the previous conflict, and let everything go. But as Megumi entered, she looked up with a smile hoping she didn't seem too off key.

But of course, it seemed that even Yuji had noticed the display of skin shown off by Megumi. It didn't take until Megumi spoke to her that she took notice of the chest that nearly fell out of her kimono. Absently, she sneaked a peek at Shoji before answering.

"Of course, and my faith in him does not waiver" She answered, choosing her words carefully. The discussion with Shoji hadn't fulfilled her every expectation, but it assured her that doubting him would be worse than a slap to the face to him and the rest of the tengu at this estate. Especially after how many risked their lives for her.

"But enough about me.." She said, not nearly excited about having her name be at the top of the discussion seeing how she was the guest, "I must ask how your trip went arriving here?" Sophie questioned, trying to be as hospitable as she could. Never being a hostess of sorts before, she felt conscience about her every word.

No one, excluding Shoji, Sophie, and Megumi, understood the conversation between the two house guests. Nao, glad for the focus on someone else, started to amicably converse with Mami about cooking. Ren and his younger twin siblings talked about their family. Yuji's eyes had been forced shut after the brothers 'accidentally' spilled hot tea on his face.

"Faith huh..." Megumi frowned. She enjoyed watching Sophie squirm as she tried to sound polite in front of her.

Shoji crossed his arms over his chest, the cup of tea he'd long been nursing in his hand was now empty. It gave Mami and Nao the excuse to get up and leave.

That's two down. Shoji thought, curious about what excuses the rest of the table would make later on.

"My trip?" Megumi mocked a surprised expression at the kind gesture. "Oh it started off just fine. My two escorts got lost in the mountains on the way down."

"You don't need escorts, Megumi." Shoji scoffed. "You'd be better off just admitting you purposefully left them behind."

"And if I did?" Megumi asked, but received no answer. "In any case. This town is awful. There's Kitsune territory on the other side of this mountain! I thought I was going to die just passing through. After all, I was auntie's favorite niece."

Megumi shed fake tears. It threw Shoji over the edge with fury, but he knew better than to give her the satisfaction of his threats.

"Ah. Is that a wolf I hear now?" Old Katsu held a cupped hand to his ear. He nodded once, twice, and then stood. "I'd better go take care of that."

"Yeah, there is." Ren agreed seriously. He gave a stern look to his younger siblings, Madoka and Hisoka. "I want you to hide out in your room in case of an attack."

"Yes, sir!" Madoka saluted him with her only arm. Hisoka only nodded his head before he was led away by his twin sister.

Four more, that was fast. Shoji thought.

"Interesting he would try to attack our new friends." Megumi thought to herself out loud. She finally folded her legs under her butt and sat a bit more formally than before. Yuji gaped at her anyway.

"What are you talking about?" Shoji spat. Akihito looked nervous.

"I'm here for the Senka." Megumi announced. "Grandpapa wants to form an alliance."

"Liar, you just want her blood, too." Shoji argued defensively.

"No, I'm actually here officially." Megumi said calmly, the first time since she'd got here. She pulled her robes into proper places. Yuji couldn't stare at her chest. "It was just convenient timing is all, that auntie died today. There have been plenty of attacks recently on our clan and Grandpapa offered an alliance. Peace, for an amount of the Senka's blood."

Akihito panicked. "Megumi, stop it."

"Sophie, come on." Megumi said. "You can play with my cousin some other time."

Sophie became overwhelmed with how quick the room managed to clear. Most of the reasons were quite ridiculous but she blamed none of them, she actually preferred it although perhaps at a different time. It was almost as if they were abandoning her to Megumi's wrath.

Senka...The term caused her to snap back to attention. An alliance? It didn't seem like Shoji's cousin wanted her for just her blood, but as a human it would be hard to tell especially finding herself new to the subject.

Sure her blood could cure injuries, but how much blood were they talking about? It almost sounded like she would become a blood slave. The thought caused her stomach to tie into knots. Anxiety consumed her, it would be beneficial to Shoji's kind to provide her service even more when it meant an alliance.

Sophie took a glance towards Shoji, but then to Megumi.

"An alliance? Is your family conflicted with Shoji's?" She asked, with a hint of anxiety marking her voice.

"Not between the tengu, god no." Shoji explained quickly to the ignorant Sophie. "You don't have to worry about us red eyed demons."

"Between us," Megumi paused for dramatic effect. "And those lovely little dogs."

"I haven't been working." Shoji further explained to Sophie, to which Akihito held his head in his hands.

"I meant to tell you, Master Shoji." Akihito groaned and apologized several times to Shoji.

"Yeah, I'm only hear to tell the Head of all Tengu." Megumi said sarcastically. "Grandpapa just doesn't want to make problems. He would've come, but his age won't allow it. However, I think he's going to go through with it."

"You said he doesn't want to make problems." Shoji asked, irritated.

"He doesn't." Megumi said. "He knows you only want to benefit the clan. So..."

Megumi reached across the table and pulled up Sophie's chin.

"You're coming with me." She cackled and jumped over the low rising table to throw Sophie over her shoulder.

Of course it wasn't between the tengu. Sophie bit her lip knowing that she should have known better. Sophie lifted the tea cup on the table to her lips, taking a well needed drink to fill the void of her silence.

But within her silence and the others talking, in a split second her eyes were drawn up to Megumi's whose eyes were filled with spite, and something else she couldn't identify. In a matter of seconds she was thrown over Megumi's shoulders. Sophie dropped the tea cup, watching as it cracked into tons of tiny pieces.

Big deer eyes looked to Shoji desperately, but before she could reach out they were out of the building. The rain from earlier was a light drizzle, and the ground was full of puddles.

"Let go of me!" She cried out loudly, pounding against the back of Megumi. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears.

"Shoji!" She shouted hoping her voice would carry. There was no idea of where Megumi was going, and she wanted to find a way of letting Shoji know where she was. Megumi was fast.

"What the hell?" Ryo and Ryuu said in unison.

Megumi burst out of the house in a hurry. Akihito was the only one with a mind to pull Shoji off of his butt and onto his feet.

Although Akihito had run out first, Shoji was faster. He flew ahead, his red eyes ablaze with fury. The dark wings that jut out of his back carried him, too slow, down the mountain.

"Sophie?!" Shoji screamed. On all sides his voice bounced back to him. To the east something else whispered back with his own echo.

"Shoji!" Sophie's voice was just a rebound, a faint muffled whisper to the human ear.


Megumi panted. She was fast, but not strong enough to carry Sophie on her back. It ached from the short sprint.

"Quit squirming!" Megumi screeched. Her black head of hair flew wildly around her face, outlining her tight angry lips and sharp red eyes. She stared, uncaring, before she slapped Sophie with the back of her hand. Long talons of nails scratched her cheek, blood trickled slowly down her face.

"Oh?" Megumi smiled, pleased with the blood. She traced her finger over the wound. "Let's see just how this works."

She stuck her finger in her mouth and instantly her face lit up. Sophie fell off of her shoulder.

"Maybe I should just keep you for myself."

The continuous bobbing of Megumi's body as they ran sickened Sophie. Her fists pounded against Megumi's back as she racked her nails against the clothing she wore. But soon she was thrown back over her shoulder and onto the ground which wasn't nearly as painful as the sharp claws that dug into her face with a long noise. The force knocked her over, and her palms dug into the rocks.

Soon she could feel the blood running down her cheek which must have pleased Megumi as she scooped her finger against the blood and was brought to her lips as Megumi's eyes lit up in delight.

Sophie quickly stood up despite the aches in the majority of her limbs and took off stumbling down away from Megumi and in between two trees. Her eyes darted side to side as she looked for somewhere to hide.

"Shoji!" she cried out, but almost instantly regretting it knowing that Megumi was right on her back. She didn't know what the effect her blood had on her, but it would most likely give her more demonic strength than before.

Carelessly, she wiped her hand against her cheek, and looking at her arm sleeve noticing the thing three lines of blood. It wouldn't help with her bleeding, so she kept her palm against her cheek as she meandered through the tree line wishing for a miracle.

Rin pattered down relentlessly into the woods. Shoji was alone as he stopped in a clearing, he watched as the rain fell onto the ground. Echoing, unending, useless.

"Sophie." Shoji breathed a sigh of relief, as he saw her burst through the clearing and on into the woods again. Megumi was immediately behind. Anger swelled up inside his chest as he raced after th pair. Like an ugly wolf hunting down the innocent prey, Shoji played the hunter and Megumi the ugly wolf.

"You'll never be fast enough Shoji!" Megumi yelled from ahead.

It was true, she was closer to Sohpie every second. Shoji didnt have strength to push on or sprint any faster, his muscles wouldnt allow it. The trees blurred together, though, the ground was a mossy blanket.

"Touch her and I will kill you!" Shojii screamed menacingly, he barred an ugly set of fangs.

"Then i guess i'll take her from you. " Megumi giggled as she ran. "Better that no one ever taste is blood but me."

"Sophie!" Shoji screamed, he stretched his hand out to grab his hateful cousin, when the unthinkable happened.

All of it happened in slow motion. Shoji couldnt forget. Megumi's talon-like grasp clawed a gash into Sophie's back. The girls stopped moving dead in front of Shoji. The fury he felt rose from the pit of his stomach and escaped all at once.

He took his own talons and impaled Megumi in the back, and for a moment everything stopped. There the three were. Sophie fell to the ground, Megumi grabbed at the hole in her chest, and Shoji. He panted heavily and withdrew his hand.

There was no remorse for what he'd done, just a long list of problems waiting ahead.