Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Life Through a Dragon's Eyes ❯ Chapter Seven: Remember When... ( Chapter 7 )

Chapter Seven: Remember When…

 

 

 

::Kushin's POV::

 

The girl…what makes her resist like this? What could she possibly be holding onto that makes her not want to just give in and end the pain? I will find that out for myself soon enough.

 

I walk back into the dungeon a day after our last encounter. Armatage lies there completely still, staring at me with blank, almost soulless looking eyes. If anything, I can admire the resolve she has. Any other person would've given in, but not her. That at the very least tells me I have chosen the right dragon to steal fire from.

 

“No,” she states simply, as if she already knows what I'm about to say.

 

Her voice is just as weak sounding as her body must feel. Armatage is as weak and frail as an injured kitten by now. Most would think she'd have died on her own now. But I've made sure to keep her alive. If she dies I won't get what I need from her.

 

I kneel down next to her body. Armatage doesn't make a move to stop me. I can hear her ragged breathing this close.

 

“I want to know why you resist me. Will you tell me on your own?” I ask her gently, using a tone that could possibly be mistake for kindness.

 

“No…you don't….d-deserve it. Eternal…l-life…will never be y-yours,” she rasps out right before she retches more blood onto the floor.

 

“I think your lying. I believe that there is more to this then you would ever willingly reveal. I intend to find out what you're hiding for myself,” I whisper, placing a hand on her forehead.

 

Armatage tries to struggle, to get away from me, but to no avail. She doesn't want me to see her memories. That is easy enough to see. It's strikes me as being very intriguing. What is it that she doesn't want me, and probably anyone else, to know?

 

“P-please…don't,” are the last words I hear her plead to me as I slip into her memories.

 

::Flashback::

 

Author's Note: As far as I know, all flashbacks will be told from Armatage's point of view. I don't know if I'll be adding anymore, but in case I do, now you know.

 

I was born into a small family of dragons. I had a mother and father, no siblings, but I really didn't care. Then, it was a grand time to be a dragon. Our land flourished, our people happy.

 

This was true, until five years later. Though I was only a five-year-old child, I was bright. I had begun to suspect that some of my people were beginning to become ill a few months before anything had even happened. We all lived together you see, in the caves of one of the tallest mountains in Demon World.

 

Sadly, my best friend was the first to get sick. Fricai, ironically enough, even his name meant friend in our language. (This name was taken from the ancient language glossary in the back of the books Eragon and Eldest. Just so you know.) My memories of him seem very dim now, but I do remember his lovely deep red wings.

 

It had been an ordinary enough day. We had only been talking, sitting on the edge of his family's cave. All of a sudden he was clutching his stomach. I stood up to help him, but he just turned away and threw up blood. Soon after, everyone was getting sick. I got sick as well, but the effects of the disease didn't kill me. Less than six months later, I was the only one left. During this time I met Botan. Though the disease had not killed me, it did come close. Maybe I saw her because I was so very near death myself. I don't really know.

 

When I finally realized that I had no reason to stay with the dead bodies of my people. I buried every last one of them, and took off. For the next three years I thought I could drown my sorrows in the blood of others. At first I barely knew how to fight, but as time went on, I learned well.

 

I had planned on making killing my life, until that faithful day three years after the death of my people. I had traveled to a new place in Demon World, hoping to find a strong opponent. I did, and nearly lost my life. We were in the middle of our battle, on the edge of a cliff. The rumors about the place were that many portals to Human World opened up there at unknown times. I didn't believe them. Even if I had, I didn't care in the least. All that mattered was the fight. Because…during the fights I could forget about everything, and just take pleasure from the kill.

 

I hadn't paid attention like I should have. My thoughts were too immersed in the joy of the fight to think of my own whereabouts. As we neared the edge of the cliff, the demon actually used his brain and pushed me off. I would have died in any other case. But, just as I fell, a portal to Human World opened up and swallowed me.

 

For a time I think I just floated in an unknown space between Human and Demon World. I didn't even know if I was dead or alive. When I finally passed through, I fell from a high place. The shock of going through the portal clouded my mind. I did not think to just fly and save myself. I fell down hard on my back, hearing a painful cracking noise as one of the bones in my left wing broke.

 

I didn't move, I didn't scream. My mind was too clouded to do anything else but lie still. When I finally realized what had happened I sat up and tried to snap the bone back into place, but I could reach it.

 

“Do you need help?” I heard a voice say.

 

I spun around quickly only to see a human boy of what I thought was around my age. I didn't answer, only growled. After three years of being isolated except for fighting, I didn't want to trust anyone.

 

Despite my appearance and the warning that my growl had meant to be, the boy actually came closer. He didn't seem the slightest bit afraid of me.

 

“Your wing is broken. Let me help you,” he murmured as he tried to get behind me to look at it.

 

“Get away or die!” I yelled and pointed my sword at him.

 

He didn't move. There was no fear in his eyes, none at all. They only held a look of…concern.

 

“Don't be scared. I won't hurt you. My name is Sasuke Izumi, what's yours?” he asked, then he actually smiled at me.

 

I couldn't believe what my eyes and ears were trying to tell me. I was a dragon, pointing a sword at a human boy's throat, and he was introducing himself politely! It defied any logic that I knew of.

 

“Armatage,” I spoke softly, despite what my instincts told me.

 

Half of me just wanted to kill him. The other half was…tired…of being alone. Sasuke smiled as I spoke my name.

 

“Armatage, that's a nice name. I can help you with your wing if you want me to. We're learning about animals that have wings at my school and stuff. So, I think I know how to reset the bone, if you'll let me,” he said.

 

I lowered my sword slowly, disbelief could be seen clearly in my eyes. I'd never met someone like him. Not even Fricai treated me with such trust. I had not said or done anything that proved that Sasuke could trust me, but he did anyway.

 

Sasuke moved behind me and took my wing in his hands. Gently, he snapped the bone back into place. It hurt like heck. I practically roared in pain. I heard him apologize from behind me.

 

He walked back in front of me, and sat on the grass covered ground, motioning for me to do the same. Despite my better judgment, I did.

 

“What are you?” he asked plainly.

 

“A dragon,” I replied back.

 

“You sure don't look like a dragon. Dragon's are big and scaly monster things!” Sasuke said, stretching his arms out wide for emphasis on size.

 

“No we're not! That's just what you humans think we look like!”

 

“Oh, but still. It is really cool. You're a real live dragon! And you have wings, you can fly. Can you breathe fire too?” he asked along with a couple other questions. I could see the excitement in his eyes.

 

“I can breathe fire, but only a little. I don't do it often.”

 

“Why are you here? What about the other dragons? Are they here too?”

 

I stared at the ground quietly. It had been a long time since I had talked about my people. It made me feel very sad.

 

“They're…all dead,” I whispered.

 

Sasuke was quiet for a moment. He probably knew that he had said the wrong thing. He looked up again.

 

“I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get you upset or anything. Do you…need a place to stay? There's an extra room at my house for guests if you want to stay there,” he offered.

 

“No, I'm fine,” I lied.

 

Sasuke got up silently and walked away. My mind screamed at me, telling me to go after him and say that I needed a place to stay, that I was scared, tired, and alone. But my foolish pride would never let me ask someone for help.

 

For the next few days after that I searched for a portal back to Demon World, but it was all in vain. During that time I kept thinking about Sasuke's offer. I could stay with him, but at the same time I had felt like I couldn't. Then one day I came upon a school. The children within were just leaving.

 

I had changed into my more human looking form. My wing had healed after the first few hours after its breaking. Dragons always have healed quickly. I stood before the wire fence that was around the school, watching all of them. All of the kids, many looked to be around me age, were…so happy. They talked and laughed. They had fun. I felt very envious of them all for a moment, then pushed the thought aside. I turned to walk away.

 

“Tage, hey Tage, wait up!” I heard Sasuke's voice yell.

 

I turned back around only to see Sasuke running up to me. He looked happy to see me for some strange reason.

 

“It's Armatage, remember?” I told him rather rudely.

 

“Yeah I know. I just thought that'd be a cool nickname for you. Armatage, Tage, you get it?” he said with a smile.

 

“Whatever,” I mumbled as I turned to walk away.

 

“Wait a minute. I just want to talk to you okay? Please?”

 

“Why?”

 

“Just because alright,” he replied.

 

I sighed exasperatedly. It's not like I had anything better to do. I had known there was no way that I would ever find a portal to Demon World.

 

“Fine,” I said.

 

“Cool, come with me,” he said as he took me by the hand and started running to what looked to be a small park.

 

We had sat down on one of the benches there. It was shaded by a tall, strong oak tree just next to us.

 

“Tell me, what happened to all the other dragons?” he asked quietly.

 

I remained completely silent and stared at my hands. I didn't want to tell him. The memories were too painful. But at the same time I want to tell Sasuke everything. I wanted to pour out all the hatred, anger, and sadness that I had felt over the past years.

 

“I can tell you're in pain,” he said, I looked up at him, and stared into his eyes.

 

That was all it took from him. The dam that had been holding all of my emotions broke down. I began to cry. I told him everything that had happened, not leaving out any details whatsoever. When I was done he got up and walked over to my side of the bench. Sasuke put his hand on my shoulder, but didn't say a word. I had found his presence strangely comforting. I couldn't figure out why at the time, and I hadn't cared.

 

“I'm sorry,” was all he could say to me at the moment.

 

Then, I had been afraid. I ran away from him as quickly as I could. You see, it wasn't him that I was afraid of, but myself. I was afraid that…if I began to feel anything towards this boy…that I'd lose him…and I'd have to feel disappointed, sad, and…soon after…hollow.

 

Days later I met up with him again. I confessed that I hadn't been able to find a decent home for myself. I'd given up on finding a way back home to Demon World. My previous efforts had been fruitless.

 

“You can still stay with my family…if you want,” he had said.

 

I had only been able to stare at my feet awkwardly. I still hated that I had to ask for help from anyone.

 

“Please…,” was all I could manage to say, but he seemed to understand that I accepted his offer.

 

For the next five years after that I stayed with him. At first, I was only there reluctantly, but as time went on I began to need to see Sasuke more. His smile…his laugh…his kindness…they became a sort of pain killer that I had become addicted to. Anytime I was away from him, he was the only thing I could think about. Whenever I was with him, it made me forget everything about my past. Those were the…happiest…years of my entire life. I lived in Sasuke's home. Itachi seemed to get along with us fairly well. There was no reason to believe that he had some hidden hatred for us.

 

During that time, the school days became a sort of ritual for the both of us. Sasuke would go to school before I woke up. And I would wait for him outside the fence at the day's end. But on the weekends we would always do things together. Sometimes he would teach me things that he had learned at school. In return, I taught him to speak my own language fluently. People would often catch us conversing in my language. Our excuse was that it was a made up code.

 

Then it happened, the worst day of my life. We were thirteen. It was the first outing of ours that we admittedly called a “date.”

 

It had been a wonderful time. We were walking home hand in hand. Suddenly, Itachi stepped out of the shadows with a gun in his hand.

 

“Die monster,” he said menacingly as she pulled the trigger.

 

Sasuke moved to stand in front of me. I cried out as it hit him and he collapsed. When I looked up Itachi had run away. I hadn't known what to do. My knowledge of magic wasn't advanced enough to both take out the bullet and heal the wound. He had been bleeding badly.

 

I had slung him over my back. I carried him to the hospital that way. I couldn't have flown, too much attracted attention. The doctors did all they could for him, or so they said. But I had gotten him their too late. Sasuke died. I sat there quietly, his body laying there cold in the hospital bed. Silent tears ran down my face.

 

That night was the third time I met with Botan.

 

“Please…save him. Bring him…back. Please….,” I had begged her through choked sobs.

 

“I'm sorry Armatage. There isn't anything I can do,” she replied.

 

She took his soul away from me. A nurse came in. She told me I needed to leave. My body had shaken with rage. I slipped a knife out of the hidden sheath in my sleeve and slit her throat before she knew that I had moved. I left them there and ran out of the hospital, my body covered in both the nurse's and Sasuke's blood.

 

That was the day I lost all control over myself. Blood lust took over any other senses that might've made me reason with myself. For the next three years I did nothing but kill, hide, and…survive. I fought and killed anyone. It didn't matter if they were human or demon; anything to forget the death of my people. I'd do anything forget…Sasuke.

 

::End Flashback::

 

::Kushin's POV::

 

“The boy,” I said in realization as I left Armatage's memories.

 

I left the dungeon quietly, already formulating my newest plan.

 

“Soon Armatage, very soon you will give me what I want,” I whispered to myself.