Twelve Lords

by Max Jager

  Dropping his head as he sat his spear down, Senri let out a long sigh. He promised his father that he would be the man of the family and do everything that he could or had to do to make sure that he protected Yokiyo. He didn't tell her not to let her have friends. Or be happy. Just protect her. Going around the wall he sat down next to his crying little sister. "I am sorry Yokiyo. I didn't mean to hurt you. I just worry about you. You are all I have left in the world right now and I just want to make sure you are safe. If something happened to you today I would have been in a rage like a mad man."

  Rubbing her eyes as she sat up and looked over at her brother, Yokiyo was trying to stop the tears. "I know. But I can be safe and still have friends brother."

  "I know you can Yokiyo." Senri reached over and pulled her into a hug as he sighed. "I tell you what. Next time I will go with you. How does that sound?"

  Gasping with a smile, Yokiyo threw her arms around his neck she giggled. "That sounds wonderful! Thank you brother!"

  Sitting in her spot as she got the food started, Sada smiled. The more time goes by, the more she can sense it. In their personalities, and power. They were going to change the world. Looking up as they came back and sat by the fire and Yokiyo talked about all the things she did with Izumi and Itachi, she let her eyes half close as she watched them. 'Whether it is for the better or the worst I don't know yet. Though I would be willing to bet it is for the better. They will prove their metal one way or another. And knowing how headstrong they both are it would be sooner rather than later.'

  Making of a Lady Chapter 54

  The sound of an arrow as it whistled through the air to find its target in the back of a bat demon that tried to fly away. Another mission with rude and crude demons under her belt. Just one of many things that now ten year old Yokiyo was often called off to do with Izumi and Itachi. Looking up at the tree tops Yokiyo let out a long sigh. She had to wonder where her brother was at right now on his mission.

  Being sent out of the village on missions a lot, it just became habbit that Senri was sent out most of the time alone, sometimes Itachi would go with him but not often. The last five years, Yokiyo was able to move on and heal from what happened. She has made friends and is happy. But she watched as her brother never did. He seemed obsessed with nothing but getting stronger and stronger. And lately he seemed to be distancing himself further and further from not only those that tried to make friends with him, but even her.

  "Hello Earth to Yokiyo. Are you okay?"

  Shaking her head as she looked over at Izumi as she came up next to her Yokiyo half smiled and nodded. "I am. I was just thinking about Senri again. He is so distant anymore. I am starting to worry about him."

  Moving to walk next to Yokiyo on the other side Itachi smiled down at her as he winked. "He took on a rather big role very early in life Yokiyo. At ten years old suddenly being in charge of looking after and protecting his little sister is something big. I am sure he will be fine you just have to give him some time."

  Glaring up at him, Yokiyo crossed her arms at him. She has done that for the last five years. "What do you think I have been doing Itachi? The day I met the two of you is when he started to push me away some. It has gotten worse and worse every day since then. I don't know what to do to help him heal like the two of you and Sada have helped me to heal."

  Looping her arm through her best friends, Izumi giggled as they headed home. "If you are that worried about him, and what is going through his head when you are both home again just ask him. I am sure that he will tell you. You may not like the answer but at least you will know."

  Nodding Yokiyo laughed as well. "You are right. I will ask him soon as we are both home the same time again."

  X

  Blinking as she walked in her home, Yokiyo looked over to see Senri once again cleaning his spear in the same corner that he has sat in since the day they started to live there. With a smile she walked toward him. "Well welcome home brother. You got home faster than me this time."

  "Yep." Senri looked up at his sister with a heavy heart. He hated what he was doing to her, but he had to do what he had to do and he wasn't going to drag her along with him to do it. "Did you do good?"

  With a giggle Yokiyo stopped before him and crossed her arms. "You know I did. With me, Izumi and Itachi they didn't stand a chance." She then reached down and grabbed his hand and started to pull on it. "Come on brother and lets go for a walk. We haven't done that in forever. Let's go."

  Giving her an odd look, not expecting that, Senri blinked his eyes. "Where to?"

  Pulling harder on his arm, Yokiyo half glared down at him. "Nowhere just walking. Come walk with me Senri."

  Dropping his head with a sigh, Senri pulled his hand free from his sister and stood up, following her out of the house. She wasn't quite ready to be on her own yet. Not yet. It would be a few more years before he would do what he was going to do. Yokiyo had to be able to stand toe to toe with him in a sparring session and care for herself before he left. And he also had to picture her crying eyes when she woke up and found his note and not have second thoughts about it before he could leave.

  Leading the way out of the village, Yokiyo sighed as she slowed and made him slow as well. "Well. What is wrong with you Senri. And don't lie to me about it."

  Jerking down to see her serious attitude looking back up at him, Senri blinked his eyes as he stopped. He figured she would pick up on it but not be so blunt about it. "What are you talking about Yokiyo?"

  Her half glare a full glare now, she turned to face him with crossed arms. "Come on brother. I see what is going on here even though everyone says that I am wrong. I know how you feel and you don't have to close yourself off from everyone cause of it. Especially not me."

  Closing his eyes as he dropped his head and looked away from her. "Look Yokiyo it's complicated."

  "Ha!" When his startled eyes jerked back around at her only to look away again she growled to herself. "Come on Senri then just try me. Our life is one big complication anyway. Has been for five years!"

  Turning his back on her, Senri looked up at the sky. Refusing to look at his sister. "You just said you know why. I am not meaning to distance myself from you or push you away. I just have to get strong enough to find and end Shinra."

  Her eyes nearly bulging out of her head Yokiyo looked at him in shock. She knew he hadn't healed like she had, but really thought that revenge was behind him now! "Why are you still on that Senri!? You know that Mama and Papa would be scolding you for that right now. You are the only one who is out for revenge like this."

  "I have to Yokiyo!" Dropping his head so he was looking at the ground, Senri clenched his fists. "You remember that day. Mama and Father. Then when that demon attacked you and Kiyoshi just flew right over and didn't even look down. To him I am sure that if he let the demon kill us that we would be two less humans to burden the world and generations of future humans that would not be born. That leaves only me to do it. I will find her and end her on my own."

  Even more tears streaming out of her eyes, Yokiyo reached out and pushed her brother as hard as she could in his chest. Her flashing, glaring eyes meeting his emotionless ones. "Really Senri! You would rather focus on that and not even try to do anything else? I already feel like I am losing my brother the same way and to the same demon we lost our parents. You yourself even said that you aren't as strong as father and she was able to kill him. All you are going to succeed in doing is getting yourself killed! For nothing!"

  Hardening his eyes as Yokiyo turned back to him, Senri glared as he stood his ground. "You know Yokiyo I get it that you have been able to move on and be happy in life after what happened. And that you have a better outlook on the demon world than I do. For that I am forever thankful. But this is what I have resolved to do five years ago. I am not going to change my mind for anything or anyone. Not even for you little sister."

  Dropping her head as even more hurt tears rushed from her eyes, Yokiyo was shaking as she hugged her
self. Squeezing her eyes as tightly shut as she could. "So that's it then. You really don't care. You don't care that you are going to truly leave me alone in this world and get yourself killed?"

  Reaching out to hug her, Senri sighed as she jerked away from him. This was for the best after all. "I will not die Yokiyo. I promise. I don't know when I am going to leave but I am one day. I have to do this."

  Lodging a sob in her throat, Yokiyo covered her mouth with a hand. She was losing him and didn't know how to stop it! She tried being extra nice, he just acted like she was being weird. She tried just telling him he wasn't going to do it, he ignored her like she wasn't there. Now being angry and hurt isn't helping either!

  Not even looking up at him she reached out and pushed him again then turned and raced away from him, her sobs escaping as she ran home. She just didn't know what to do! 'Senri you fool! You are a big fool!'

  X

  Stopping in the hut, late that night, Senri looked down at his now sleeping little sister. Her hair was still wet where she sobbed herself to sleep. Letting a single tear fall from one of his eyes he took a deep breath. He really wasn't ready to leave yet. But he knew after tonight that staying longer would only hurt her worse than she is right now. Giving her false hope that he is going to give it up.

  He did wish that he had been able to move on like she did. Have the more optimistic outlook on life and the demons that she had. He watched as she even made friends with a half eagle demon last year that was here with her human mother and demon father. He didn't agree with it. But he wasn't going to force how he felt on his sister. She was going to be her own person. It wasn't a bad thing that she had this mind set, it was a good one. He did wish that he had gotten it too, but did figure that it was better that she had it rather than him.

  Reaching down he laid a scroll where he tried once more to explain that it was something he just had to do next to her bed, he then reached out and brushed some bangs from her eyes. 'I am truly sorry for this Yokiyo. It is bad enough that I feel like this toward other demons and am fueled on by revenge. You don't need to be. You are a miko as pure as Mama was and you need to stay that way. Live life the way you want to and live it to the fullest little sister. I will be back as soon as I can.'

  Turning he left the hug and then hardened his eyes to find Itachi standing there looking at him. Fisting his hands he took a deep breath. "Itachi. Are you going to try and stop me?"

  With his arms crossed Itachi smiled as he shook his head side to side. "Of course not Senri. We all, Izumi, Yokiyo and myself knew you were going to do this one day. Not this soon but that you would. Izumi and I share your ideals on demons remember."

  "Yeah I remember." Senri then turned back to the house and sighed as regret flickered in his eyes for just one moment. "Just don't force that on Yokiyo. Let her be who she wants to be alright."

  "We won't. Did you tell you were leaving?"

  Turning back to his friend Senri shook his head side to side as he crossed his arms and sighed. "I did not tell her. There is a scroll where I tell her. That is the best that I can do right now. I can't look her in the eye and tell her I am leaving. After the fight we had today and the tears she cried over me. I wouldn't be able to walk away from that. I nearly decided against doing it at all seeing her that upset tonight."

  Blinking, then smiling Itachi laughed. "So what was it that didn't let you?"

  Looking up at the night sky Senri let a mix of rage and pain fly through his dark blue eyes. "Remembering the sight of my parents when we found them. Pierced together like they were nothing. That is a picture that I just can't get out of my head Itachi. Every time I close my eyes." Opening his eyes he met Itachi's black eyes with a stern glare. "You will do me a favor while I am gone?"

  Smiling as he nodded, Itachi watched as Senri walked so that he was standing right next to him. "Anything you want my friend."

  "Look after my sister."

  Turning his black eyes to the hut where Yokiyo slept, Itachi laughed. "I can do that and you didn't have to ask. She has been like a sister to Izumi and myself since the day we met her. We will look after her." He then turned stern eyes to him and reached out touching his shoulder, pulling glaring eyes back to him as well. "Just don't stay gone long Senri. No more than you have too."

  "Right."

  X

  Once out of the village Senri stopped on a bluff and looked back, seeing the smoke from the homes in it. With a deep sigh he stood there for a moment. His heart screaming at him to race back to his sister's side. But his pride screamed at him to turn his head and not look back till Shinra was dead.

  Turning his eyes up to the sky he smiled as the wind blew past him. "Mama. Father. I know that you are not happy with me right now. But this is something that I have to do and I am sure you know why. Kiyoshi is a bastard and wouldn't have done anything. But I will be fine. Just stay with Yokiyo and look after her. Protect her best as you can until I can get back to her."

  Gasping as two shooting stars flew across the sky he took a deep breath and held his head high as he walked on away from the village and his sister. "I promise I won't fail in this and I will come back to Yokiyo. You will see. Everyone will see. I will do this. I can do this."

  Making of a Lady Chapter 55

  Six years have passed since the day that Yokiyo woke up to find the scroll by her bed and her brother gone. Now sixteen years old, she had a small home big enough for just her, all to herself. But the last six years have changed her since the day her brother vanished out of her life. The very last memory she had with him was their fight and her screaming at him and pushing him. That night he left her a note and slipped out into the night without a word to anyone about it.

  That was when she started to change. She went from being a care free and loving child, to not trusting so easy anymore. Putting as much distance between herself and everyone around her with the exception of three. Sada, Izumi and Itachi. In the last eleven years they were the only ones who stuck around and hadn't let her alone in some way. Her parents were murdered, her brother left her.

  And now at the age of sixteen she was a fully trained miko. The strongest miko around the area. Even being compared to her grandmother who was the strongest of her generation anywhere. But at the moment she was at a crossroads as far as where to go with her life from here. Sada has offered her the title of Village Miko if she wanted to stay. Part of her really wanted to do that. She would be following in her mother's footsteps. Sixteen and becoming Village Miko. Just like her mother. However part of her wanted to leave and track down her brother and drag him back.

  A glance up at the sky with a sigh, Yokiyo then closed her eyes as she let her shoulders slump and her head fall back some. "I really just don't know what to do anymore."

  "How about you stop thinking about what to do for a while and come hunting with me instead."

  Looking down with a half-smile at Izumi, Yokiyo laughed as she crossed her arms. "Really? We went hunting yesterday. And shocked your mother with how much meat we brought home. Enough to give every house in the village some."

  Crossing her arms as she laughed, Izumi winked up at her best friend. "Then we won't go hunting. Come on all you do anymore is just sit on your roof and think about stuff ever since Sada said you could be Village Miko if you wanted it."

  Moving to sit on the edge of her house Yokiyo sighed as she dropped her head. "Thinking about that and my brother. I want to do it, and be like Mama was. But I want to go and beat the hell out of Senri and make him come back and force him to stay too. I don't know which one to do."

  Jumping up and grabbing the roof, Izumi flipped up on top of it and sat down next to Yokiyo with a smile. "Well I can tell you something that Mother and Father told me and Itachi not too long ago. It might help you pick what you want to do."

  Rolling her eyes with a half glare, Yokiyo looked at her friend. "Really? What is that then?"

  With a laugh Izumi winked at her as she smiled brightly. "Well starting next week you
are looking at the wife of the next Headmaster of the village. Papa knew that even though no one in this village would object to it, other villages would be butts about it if he named me headmaster like he really wanted too. And since Itachi and I are married now, he is the next best thing. He goes through the ceremony next week. I for one would love to have my best friend in the world stay here in the village with me forever and be my Village Miko. The three of us protecting this place nothing would ever happen!"

  Yokiyo was elated when her two friends got married. And again with this news. Leaning over she hugged Izumi as she laughed. "That does add more of an incentive to do that. But I just really don't know what to do yet. I need to think so I am going to take a walk. I promise I will come back. Either way and let you know what I decide. I just need to figure that out." She then slipped from the roof and walked off.