Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Blood of the Gods: Part One- When the Sun Sets ❯ Memories Unforgotten ( Chapter 2 )

Memories Unforgotten

 

In a centuries old black pine forest close to the Yu Mountains, smoke could be seen slowly wafting up from the trees in the early morning lights. Once closer, two feminine voices could be heard speaking so softly, it was as if they didn't want to be heard. A young woman by the name of Moriko Kusakabe dropped down out of a nearby pine tree, her waist length new moon black hair flying around a bit before she landed easily on the ground. She looked to be around nineteen summers of age. A dirty earth green traveler's dress wrapped comfortably around her body and appeared to have been cut short so that it stopped just above her knees. She wore no type of sandal or boot, but dirt stained white cotton cloth covered he entire foot all the way up to just below her knees on both legs. Moriko is around average height, her form slim from travel, but not overly so. Her skin was tanned from travel and it melded well with her strange eyes. Though, her most drastic features were that she had no ears on the side of her head, but carried coal black panther-like ears on the top of her head and a panther-like tail of the same coal color hung behind her, it's tip twitching back and forth as if it's trying to work out any stitches it may of gotten while sleeping. And her eyes; her eyes were feral looking yellow; the kind of color that you would see watching you from the darkness of the forest. Some more subtle strange features were that she had sharp dainty claws that adorned each of her slender fingers and fangs that were small enough to fit comfortably in her mouth and yet, just long enough to be visible over he bottom lip.

Her younger sister of only fifteen summers bore all of the strange features as Moriko while her normal features were slightly different. Her sibling was Aki Kusakabe. Aki had mid-back length dark brown hair. The same tanned skin, only her eyes were more of a green then a yellow like her elder sister's eyes are. She wore the same traveler's dress, only hers was a just a dirt covered dark blue and the cotton cloth that wrapped her feet stopped about half way between her knees and her ankles.

They used to be normal, but after many events leading to where they are now; in this dark forest that keeps them out of reach and safe from most men. With their greatest fears being if they will be found or caught or even if they can find a way to survive until tomorrow. They were normal. Now, if you took the time to ask either sister, they would say they are cursed.

At the moment, Aki was sitting back on her hunches tending a small fire with a broken off stick from one of the many surrounding pine trees. Moriko froze on the spot and allowed her ears to swivel, looking for any rustle of leaves, the snap of a twig; anything that might signal that something was nearby. Only the sounds of birds flying somewhere in the distance. Once she was sure that there were no threats in the immediate area, she joined her sister on the ground. Aki already had a hen roasting on a stick over the fire. After they had polished off all the meat, they left the bones on the ground and Aki buried the fire. Moriko stood and waited for her sibling while looking around one last time. They both ruffled their hair to hide their abnormal ears and wrapped their tails around their waists to make them look like belts. They even let their sleeves fall all the way down to hide their clawed hands. Once they were sure those features were hidden, they began their travels for the day.

No one said a word for hours as they made their way through the forest. Moriko and Aki are woken from their daydreams as their sensitive ears pick up some rustling in the trees above them. Aki rolled her eyes dramatically. “Hear that?” Moriko sighed, “Yeah. Here we go.” They stood there and waited for the bandits they knew were there to appear. Sure enough, moments later, six middle-aged men leapt clumsily down from the branches. They wore assorted old armors and carried rusted swords and small knives. A man who wore the nicest looking armor stepped forward with a crooked smile that showed his yellow teeth. “Money girls, if you please.” “No. Come on Aki.” Moriko grabbed her sister's wrist, her claws unnoticed, and began to walk away. The man who spoke grabbed a hold of the back of Aki's dress. Moriko stopped. “You wanna let her go.” Her voice was drenched in malice. The bandit gave her a cocky grin. “And what if I don't? You gonna do somethin' girl?” There was a silence before a low, fiercely protective growl rose into the air. The bandit instantly released Aki's dress. “The hell?” Moriko pushed Aki behind her. “You gonna try somethin'?” Moriko held up her claws for them to see and flexed them threateningly. “Yeah. You wanna try and stop me, please, go right ahead.” She smirked evilly at them, revealing blood stained fangs. Her eyes had narrowed to where the black of her eyes was barley visible and her ears lay back into her hair. Most of the bandits ran off into the tree line while the rest took a few steps back. “You're a monster.” She laughed at him, her eyes dancing with threats of death. “Perhaps, but I prefer to be called unique.” Moriko made like she was going to step forward, but as soon as she moved, all of the remaining men ran away into the tree line like the others. She stretched and turned around to see her sister laughing like a small child. “That was great!” She stopped to giggle a few more times. “Gods! That was hilarious. We should do that more often.” “Yes Aki. I love it when armed men try to rob us.” Aki rolled her eyes at her sister's sarcasm. “You're no fun.” “I know. Now come on before I get a cramp from standing here for so long.” They continued down the worn trail they were following, floating off into their daydreams once again.

Aki looked over at her sister, “Hey.” “Yeah?” Aki began to fidget with the long sleeves of her traveler's dress. “Why do we hide who we are?” Moriko sighed. “Because when we hide our animalistic features, we look normal.” “But, why look normal?” “If we look normal, we don't have to worry about villagers chasing us, or trying to kill us or-“”Alright. I get it already.” I'm just saying; I love a fight as much as the next person, just not all the time. It's safer to pretend that we're pathetic. You know what'll happen if those soldiers find us.” “Yeah…” “But, they won't look twice at us if they think that we're normal.” Silence. “Aki?” “I hate them.” “What?” “The soldiers. I hate them.” “I know.” After a few moments, they were off in their own little worlds and daydreaming again. Both watching as the scenery slowly walked by.

The sun was beginning to fall from the sky and into the hills in the far off distance. They perched themselves on some large boulders at the bank of the river they had been following for most of the day. “Moriko. Do you remember when we used to go to that little stream by the village and we would watch the sunset everyday?” “Yeah…Oh! Do you remember that time Kozue followed us?” Yeah, and we pushed him into the river.” There was a long silence as they pondered their memories. “I miss them Moriko.” “I know. I miss them too. But remember, they would have wanted us to keep on living.” “How do you know?” “I just know Aki. Besides, what would we have done by staying? All that remains of the village is a gravesite.” Aki sighed. They watched the last lights of the sun bounce over the top of the slowly moving river. Aki jumped to a more flat rock and lay on her stomach, soaking up the heat from the stone. Moriko yawed tiredly, her feline fangs glinting in the fading light of the setting sun. Soon, the sun fell from the sky and a pale quarter moon took its place. The soft light making their half closed eyes glow wildly in the dark. Soon enough, Moriko noticed the sounds of her sister's breathing had evened out; she was asleep. She looked over at her sister's shadowed form, stretched out like a spoiled house cat on that rock; her hair waving lazily in the night wind. I wonder if I look that peaceful when I sleep… But seeing her sister laying there, seemingly lifeless brought back the vivid memories of that day.

 

A fifteen summer old Moriko came running through the bushes, leaves and other various things stuck in her hair as it whipped through the breeze. “Can't catch me Aki!” An eleven summer old Aki came jumping through the brush and made a vain attempt to catch her elder sister by the arm. “Can so! Just watch me!” They were running in what looked like small circles in this clearing, a small stream swimming over the land nearby. Out of nowhere, Moriko abruptly stopped causing Aki to run into her back. “Got you!” No response. “Sister?” Still not answer. “Sister? Answer me!” Moriko's nose flared to life as if trying to pick up something faint in the air. The trees. The wind. Something's wrong. Aki was going into a panic. “What's wrong?” “Something's happening. Come on.” Moriko took off into the forest with Aki right behind her. “What's going on Moriko?” “I smell burning.” Aki opened her mouth to say something more but the sight that they came across made the words catch in her throat. There, just a small distance away was the burnt, dead body of one of the other tribe's children. “Is that-“”It's Yasu.” “I-I…” “She's dead Aki.” “She-can't…” “She's dead sister.” Aki took a shaky breath in an attempt to calm herself. “What's going on Moriko?” “I don't know. Come on. We should keep moving.” They bowed their heads in respect to their fallen tribe's sister before running slowly toward their village. But, just through the next few trees and brush, they found someone else dead on the ground, blood stains growing rapidly on their back; Aki's eyes widened in horror while she felt her sibling go ridged beside her. After a moment, Moriko's eyes widened in recognition. That's Yukio, Sora's father. A small sound came from the body. Aki grabbed hold of Moriko's left arm. “What is that?” They stared at it for a moment longer before an arm pushed out from under the body. On the arm there were two twisted silver bands. “Oh gods! It's Sora!” Aki gasped quietly. They ran over to the body and Moriko hesitated a moment at touching a dead body before pushing over Yukio so Aki could help Sora off of the ground. “Sora! Are you all right?” Sora was trembling slightly. “I'm ok.” They looked worriedly at the younger girl. “What's happening?” “The village…fire…soldiers are setting the village on fire! They were shooting arrows at anyone they could find. Father grabbed me and ran into the forest.” Her eyes closed and she took a deep breath. “He said that it was too late for mother…she was inside of our hut when they set it on fire.” Moriko's and Aki's ears drooped at this. “He was hit with the arrows many times as he ran. He said that he'd protect me from them. That when we got into the forest, they wouldn't be able to get to us and that we'd be safe.” Sora looked sadly over at the man on the ground, his long brown hair splayed all over the now bloody grass around him, his pale brown eyes clouded over in death and half closed, staring up at the sky blankly. “He's gone isn't he?” “I'm sorry Sora.” They wrapped their arms around the young girl as she sobbed for the loss on her parents. “Come on Sora. Come with us.” She nodded quietly. Sora trailed behind the sisters as they continued on their swift pace back to the village. They passed body after body and it seemed that the closer they got to the village, the more bodies of their fellow tribe's men covered the ground over the now blood stained grass. Once they broke through the tree line that closes off their small village from the rest of the world; what they saw in that place was nothing short of a massacre.

Almost all of the grass huts were now smoldering piles on the ground; dead and still burning bodies were scattered all around them. Moriko heard a choked sob come from her younger sister. There were still a few surviving tribe's men trying desperately to make it into the trees, but the arrows that were being fired by the soldiers at the far end of the village seemed endless. The scent of blood and death was thick in the air. Moriko though that she was going to end up dying of the horrid smells, but she, and the others with her, stood there like they were frozen. Rooted to that spot with no hopes of ever moving again. Until one of those raining arrows found Sora. She screamed out in pain, the arrow piercing deeply into her chest, startling Aki and Moriko from their paralyzed state of shock. “Sora!” More arrows followed the first and Sora fell back, onto the ground with a sick thud. Moriko and Aki knelt next to her and each attempted to pull the arrows from her body, but in their shocked state, all of their strength had left them. Blood began to pool around them like liquid rubies, soaking their legs and tails. Aki looked up to Sora's pained face. “Sora…” She was gone. Aki started to cry. Heavy tears slowly trailing down her cheeks. Moriko took a deep breath before turning angrily to Aki. “Damn it! We don't have time for this Aki!” She grabbed her sister's sleeve and heaved her off the ground as she stood up herself. More arrows fell from the sky like a plague as they ran back into the shelter of the trees. Moriko released her sister's sleeves and they sped through the underbrush with the crunch of fallen pine needles under their feet. They didn't look back; they just kept running blindly through the deepening forest, Sora's blood flying off their legs and tails as they ran, falling off in droplets behind them.

Before to long, all the trees melted into one green and brown blur as they ran by, fear still shown fiercely in their eyes. After what felt like days, they stopped, to exhausted to move any further. Moriko stopped panting long enough to sniff the air. She had no idea where they were, but she knew that they were at least safe for the time being. Aki looked blankly up into the sky before she fell slowly to her knees and began to sob brokenly, tears pouring freely down her face. Moriko walked slowly over to where her sister sat, slumped in the grass, and gathered her smaller body into her arms. Her tired body protested to the movement but she had to comfort her sister at a time like this. She walked slowly over to the base of a large tree and slid to the ground with a heavy thump. Aki was sitting between her legs, her back resting against Moriko's chest and her head on her right shoulder; Moriko's arms wrapped around Aki for comfort. Not long after Moriko sat, had Aki cried herself into a dreamless sleep, occasionally whimpering out of emotional pain. It wasn't until after she was sure that Aki was asleep, did Moriko let tears fall down her face. She looked up at the sky and could just make out the crescent moon through the dense foliage of the trees. There was no sound coming from the forest. No night birds, no hoof beats or the sounds of wolves or a panther stalking through the forest; not even the sound of a fox out in the brush. It was as if the forest knew. Moriko relaxed for the first time in what felt like ages and listened to the steady beating of her sister's heart until the sound lulled her into sleep.

 

Moriko gazed sadly at the water as she watched her memories play behind her half lidded yellow eyes. Aki woke from her light slumber to find the scent of inner turmoil and unshed tears swimming heavily in the air around them. She looked over to see her elder sister in what looked like a trance, just staring into the shifting waters of the river as if it held all the answers. Her eyes were glazed over with an emotion that Aki couldn't quite place. “Sister?” “Yeah?” “Are you ok?” “Yeah, I'm alright. Just reminiscing about-“”When it happened huh?” Moriko sighed sadly, “Yeah.” There was a short silence as they both just kind of, stared off into space. “I miss them all to sister.” “I know.” “Even though we were so different from the rest of the village and after most of the grown tribe's men hated us for what we did after our mother was exiled… they were still our family. And all of the other children never hated us for what we did.” “Hua once told me that she and Itsu were jealous. Akio pulled your tail.” Aki began to giggle quietly as Moriko scowled playfully at her. “Don't laugh about it! I wanted to kill him for that.” “Sister, you chased him practically non-stop for quite a while after he did.” Moriko crossed her arms over her chest. “Well, he deserved it.” “Yeah, I guess he did.” “Exactly.” They sat and reminisced quietly for a while longer. But after so long they both had to lie down and soon fell into a light sleep.

Just before dawn, Moriko woke to the sounds of some people talking just on the other side of the trees to her right. She walked over the grass and into the trees tying to make as little noise as possible. She stopped to listen just before the break in the trees that hid the men on the other side. The smells of smoke, meat and men were heavy in the air. What could a bunch of men be doing this far into the trees? They must be lost or something. Moriko allowed her ears to swivel in their direction to listen to what was being said in hopes of finding out why they are here. The first voice to reach her ears was gruff, “Where do you think they are?” “If I knew, do you really think we'd still be out here?” “No. Guess not…” “How do we know if they're even round' here?” “Cause I saw footprints.” “You mean on the path?” “On the path and in the forest.” Moriko began to walk back. These people and what they were all the way out here looking for really isn't any of her business anyway. The sun was just beginning to peak over the mountains as she made her way back to where she left a sleeping Aki, not really paying any attention to how much noise she was making along the way. After she broke through the trees, she walked across the soft grass and then leapt from rock to rock until she found the one she had been sleeping on earlier and proceeded to snooze until Aki awoke. After a few moments however, she stepped into a light sleep.