Ronin Warriors Fan Fiction ❯ Culpability ❯ chapitre 6 ( Chapter 6 )

I'm back…This is a new chapter dedicated to all the reviewers, even if you're not many, thanks anyway. So I hope I don't lost you with Kourin's past, here we're back in the present with a little appearance of Seiji.

I just hope you'll leave me a review ^^

I forgot, I'm looking for a beta-reader, please help me!!! I don't ask you to understand French, only to be able correcting my English!!! If you're interested, propose yourself!!

Carine^^

Culpability 6

Kourin woke up with a start. His dreams were haunted by images from his past. He saw his childhood, the beginning of his training and especially when he met Anubis. He never left him alone? Why did he come back to life, to be haunted by the vivid image of his past?

He watched around him, wherever he was, he knew he wasn't at home. He also knew the samurais who had helped him weren't his brothers in arms even if they were their living portraits. However it was Anubis he had seen on the battlefield, there were no doubts.

He sighted and turned near the window to enjoy the first sunbeams of the day. The sun at least didn't change and always warmed him. He wondered if his new allies, they seemed to have the same aim that him, could explain him the situation.

***

Touma proposed himself to talk with Kourin. He hoped the blonde would understand the situation and perhaps added some answers. It was hard to the young archer, the man he would see was the same as is beloved Seiji, but it was just his ancestor.

He saw the blond was awake when he opened the door. He was looking through the windows a little lost. He was incredibly beautiful as Seiji, but the young blue haired man had to remember it wasn't his friend. That would take time...A lot of time.

He cleared his throat to announce his presence that made the blond turned over. He looked him straight in the eyes in his piercing amethyst regard. A regard as piercing as his friend, more perhaps because behind his so pale eyes you could sense his past. This regard made Touma very uncomfortable but he didn't show it.

"I see you're awake, Kourin isn't it ?" He said.

"Yes, but who are you?" Asked Kourin.

"I'm Hashiba Touma, I'm the bearer of Tenku armour."

"Hashiba? Like Hashiba Tenku?"

"It seems as you are Date Kourin and my friend Date Seiji." Answered Touma.

"How it is possible?" Kourin asked him.

Touma explained him what they had learnt this night. Kourin was the first samurai to wear the green armour. He gave his name to it when he died and his spirit stayed trapped in it. The legend they had found said he could came back if the situation needed it. It was the same thing to all his ancient comrades.

"So you don't really know why I'm here?" Asked the blonde.

"No. But with Seiji's death, your descendant, we are really weak."

"How?"

"He was the strongest of us. He was raised in order to wear your armour, and did it good." Said sadly Touma.

"Some things never change." Murmured Kourin.

Silence settled down again. Kourin was lost in his minds. His descendant's life seemed like his own life and that took back bad memories of his childhood. His childhood, why did it haunted him since his return? In order he didn't forget who he was? Or to understand what this second chance meant ?

"…clothes?"

"Sorry?" Asked Kourin who didn't listen what the young blue haired man said to him.

"I asked you if you want to take a shower and if you want other clothes?"

"Oh, yes…what is a shower?"

"Of course…I will show you. It is to wash." Said Touma while indicating the blonde to follow him.

Once in the bathroom near their bedroom, he showed him the shower. Kourin only saw a white and blue enamelled tiled cubicle but he stared when he saw water coming miraculously from something on the ceiling. Like a child he approached his hand under the water and was even more surprised to feel it was warm.

"OK, you turn this way to have more hot or cold water, and the other way to stop it…You listen to me?" Asked Touma while turning around.

When he turned, Touma witnessed a show he only dreamed of. As he was explicating the shower directions for use, Kourin began to undress. He was topless and was attacking his belt boucle. The young archer reddened until the end of his ear just thinking about what he would saw after.

But he remained as calm as he could. It wasn't Seiji, it was Kourin, but God knew he was beautiful!!! Touma's heart was beating like crazy and as he was searching suitable clothes in Seiji's wardrobe he had difficulties to form his words.

"You must have wait I go out to undress." He said.

"Why? I need to undress to wash myself." Said naturally the blonde.

"It's not the problem. It's not decent, that's all."

"If that embarrasses you so much next time I will be more attentive." Came Kourin's voice behind the water noise.

Because there will be a next time? Wondered Touma reddening even more. The archer caught a glimpse of Kourin's nude form on the shower when he deposited clothes in the washroom entry. He had difficulties controlling himself not coming with him under the water in order to put his arm around his waist and kiss his shoulders.

But he had to be reasonable, here wasn't the guy who had said him he loved him but his ancestor. More than that, Kourin didn't know the relation between Touma and Seiji, and even if he knew he was NOT the same person. Touma left the room silently, his pants had became uncomfortable because of the sight. He just had to go in the toilets and relieved himself.

***

In the washroom Kourin was appreciating the warm water that streamed on his skin. He never was a man the progress interested but he had to admit this 'shower' as the young Hashiba named it was very relaxing. He let the light sound of the water rocked him before watching his body more in details.

It wasn't his body; it was certain because his had more scars due to his many fights. It had to be Seiji's one. He looked himself in the mirror when he went out the shower and observed attentively his face. The air was a little shorter but a part this they were the same. His descendant was his living portrait.

He watched the rest and couldn't detach his eyes from his chest. Here on the heart there is a little scar that only left a white mark. It was the same as his. How could it be possible his descendant had the exactly same scar as him? Or perhaps…

"Did you mark all my descendants as you did to me, in order they belonged to you?" He asked dreamily while putting his long fingers on the mark.

//"When you watch this mark, you'll know you're mine and I'm yours."//

"If I knew at this time what this words meant…"

Kourin sighted and clothed. The clothes were strange but they suited him very well. Even if he felt ridiculous in them he knew he had to get used to this time, as he didn't know for how many time he was here. He looked back at the mirror watching himself while attaching his hair.

"Why am I here? Because of Yami or to another reason?" He asked his reflect.

To his biggest surprise when he raised his eyes near his reflect, it wasn't him he saw. It was his face, but the hair of the one in the mirror was detached. The other one was speaking but he didn't hear him. He concentrated on the stranger's lips and was very careful until words were spoken in his head.

"Touma." Said his reflection.

"What, Touma?" Answered Kourin.

"You're here to protect Touma, and only for this purpose."

"How do you know it?"

"Because it was the reason I accepted you take my place." Answered the blonde in the mirror.

"Who are you?" Asked Kourin.

"I'm Date Seiji." Answered the mirror.

Kourin was totally taken aback by this revelation. In front of him, where his reflect had to be was the image of his descendant who died some days ago. And he resuscitated because of this man. But why him? Why protect Touma?

"I'm dead to save him. I don't want the same thing arriving to him, I couldn't bear it."

"You read my minds?" Remarked Kourin.

"We are one, even if it's your spirit that is in my body." Said Seiji.

"What?"

"Your spirit resides in my body but I am able to know what you think and speak directly in your mind." Explained Seiji.

So he was in the body of a dead man whom spirit could haunt him. That would drive him crazy if this Seiji often decided to speak with him. What did he do to deserve this? He tough a second chance was according to him, but in fact it was the worst punishment he inherited.

"Don't worry. I will interfere in your esprit only if you ask. If you wonder why you, it's because you give your spirit to your armour, and with this act you accepted this sort of situation."

Seiji, before his departure, explained to Kourin the exact reasons he asked help to him. If the samurais weren't five anymore Ryo couldn't use Kikoutei and they could die. But more than that, he wanted to protect Touma. He also said him what he felt to the archer and what happened before the deadly fight in order he better understand Touma's reactions. To finish Seiji made Kourin promise to help him and never revealed they could communicate together.

Kourin had other questions after Seiji's departure. Could he be able to protect his descendant's lover when he saw all his love ones died in horrible suffering? He also had to be careful because despite why Seiji said him about their dispute, he felt that Touma was attracted by his best friend and it wasn't an option that he could confound Seiji with him.

Well, perhaps this time he could defeat Arago even if his new comrades in arms seemed weaker than his lost ones. He hoped they would listen his advises without discussing because he had no envy to die twice and he had to settle someone's hash.

To be continued…

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Carine^^