Darkness Within

Disclaimer: No listed characters in this chapter are mine. They belong to their owners and creators. Please, don't sue me. i have no money.

Warning: Jeez, you ain't learned yet? Okay, fine, once more. This is a lemon. There is sex. With me so far? Do not read if you are underage or if viewing sexual material is illegal in your area. Yes, this means you.

As Moteuchi Yota and Kanzaki Urumi were preparing for their confrontation with Gekkashu, on the other side of Honshu, Urashima Haruka was preparing for her own confrontation. It took her nearly four hours by express train to get here, but here she was.

Before her sprawled a modest Aomori townhouse, located in the heart of the residential part of the city. Haruka took a deep breath and pushed past the gate, not bothering to announce her presence.

The path led her around the house itself, down a stone walkway proceeding beyond a large window looking out from the sitting room. Humble flower gardens lined her way, making the journey somewhat more pleasant.

In time, Haruka reached the front door. With a shaking hand, she reached out to rap on the panel. The resulting sound had a hollow, echoing quality that made Haruka shiver.

Footsteps approached. A woman, aged beyond her years, opened the door.

“Hello, Nao,” Haruka greeted coldly. “I’d like to talk about Keitaro.”


Urashima Nao clenched her teeth together. With a cold glare, she gazed at the woman sitting across the table from her, sipping tea. Nao wished she’d put rat poison in the kettle.

“Why did you come here, Haruka?” she asked with as much venom as she could put into her voice. “It’s not like you to come here to make a social call. Especially not after you told my husband to run off with that little bitch.”

She watched as Haruka’s face contorted. “I told Oniichan to get the both of you into counseling. Then I advised him to divorce you and take Kei-chan with him. Not run off with Tomoko.”

“But he did it anyway,” Nao spat. “And I blame you!”

Haruka visibly restrained herself from saying something to that. Nao almost wished she would; she wanted oh-so-much for Haruka to give her a reason to throw the other woman out of her house. Instead, Haruka’s face took on the quality of one looking far back into the past.

“Remember back in high school,” she began, speaking in hushed tones, “back when you and me fought over Tatsuya, and then Seta? We hated each other so much, trying to take what we both wanted, but we still stayed friends. If the subject of those boys didn’t come up, no one could tell we were anything but best friends. I still remember the slumber party we had. You know, the one where you got be to take a puff on my first cigarette?” Haruka wanly smiled. “I still haven’t quit.

“We were close for a long time, Nao. And then you became my sister, and I couldn’t have been happier. My brother and my best friend both found someone they loved, and I got a new sister out of it.

“And now my nephew is in trouble. He’s dying inside, Nao. Please, Nao. Please, just tell me why he ran to me crying nearly every day. Tell me why Oniichan felt he had to leave you and abandon his son.”

Nao watched the other woman hang her head, eyes shut against tears. Disbelief welled up in her; the stoic Haruka, who stared down high school punks twice her size, was losing the fight against her own tears. Unable to look anymore, Nao shifted her gaze to the garden outside. Strange, those flowers: the only children she really considered her own.

Nao sucked in a breath. Slowly, she let it whistle back out through her teeth, creating a long, whispering tone. “You already know Shinji isn’t Keitaro’s father. I told you that long ago. And you didn’t believe me until you saw the shikagami as well.

“It was late at night when I met Keitaro’s father. On the way back from old Yamaguchi’s market... He’s dead now, did you know? Old Yamaguchi up and died, three years ago. Son-in-law took over the place, changed the hours so the place closes by nine. Says he doesn’t like working nights.

“Yeah, I said goodbye to Yamaguchi that night and went on my way home. Saw a weird guy in a costume up ahead of me. He gave me the creeps, but I refused to let it get to me. I was thinking of what you would do in the same situation. And I knew you wouldn’t bat an eyelash pass some crazy on an abandoned street in the dead of night. So I just kept on walking, refused to even admit I knew the weirdo was there.

“Just as soon as I got beyond him was when it happened. I don’t even know for sure what happened exactly. But it seemed like he was just upon, me. Like there was a million of him, and they were all... all of them were ready. They all were... shaming me. Shaming me in every fucking way it’s possible.

“The next morning I woke up in bed. I laughed, thinking was all just a horrible nightmare, like I’d watched a bit too much anime before having some over-ripe sushi. But when I saw my shredded clothes, all I could do was stare at the hamper, dead inside. That’s how Shinji found me, staring at the hamper. We filed the police report and tried to get on with our lives.

“That’s when I found out I was pregnant. And I prayed and prayed and prayed that Shinji was the father, because if he wasn’t...”

Noa took a long, deep breath. “And of course, you know strange things started happening during my pregnancy. It started with a dream. I saw that man who...that man, leading a worship service, his hands brought to his brow in prayer. Only they weren’t hands. And he took his not-hands, and held up a child, and baptized in the Christian way, but with blood and not water. He spoke words that filled me with horror, and the child transformed into a man, strong of body. And the man’s face were features of myself and Shinji.

“And I woke up screaming.

“The noises and the laughter didn’t start until later, when Keitaro was almost to term. We’d hear piping laughter coming from the corners of the rooms, or the sounds of someone moving around in the house. Shinji even got a gun, through a friend with Yakuza ties. He stormed down one night, threw on all the lights, and threatened an empty room. When he brought in a priest, that very night, at dinner, Shinji was struck by SOMETHING. He was knocked to the floor, and a horrible stench, like rotten eggs, filled the room.

“One night I woke up to the sound of whispers in the room. Without moving a muscle, I peered out into the room for an hour, maybe two, trying with all my might to find out who was in our room and where they were. But no one was there, Haruka. No one was there.”

Nao choked back the constriction in her throat. “And then that little monster was born. And when he was, something was torn up inside me. I could never have children with the man I loved. I knew then, when the first thing that little monster did was tear out my womb, that Shinji wasn’t the father. The father wasn’t even human.

“The noises got worse after Keitaro was born. I’d hear him giggling in the middle of the night. When I went up to see, the whole house would turn cold, and a horrible stench would fill the air. I would get to the nursery, and there would be some black thing hanging over the crib. And Keitaro would just be looking up at it, laughing, as though this abomination was some doting uncle.

“You saw one of those, remember?” Nao didn’t have to see Haruka’s nod. “Back when I started cracking up, you took in Keitaro. That’s the night you saw the shikagami that haunted the little monster. And I remember clearly how you sent him back to me after only one night.

“I’m actually thankful for the White Lady. She’s the one who stopped it all, put the little monster in his place. Just this skeletal woman in a white kimono, who floated down the hallway one night. No big deal, not when one has given birth to a demon. Next thing I know, Keitaro’s squalling his lungs out.

“Damned if I know why I even went to check on the little monster, but I did. There she was, in all her pale glory, forcing a screaming Keitaro to suckle at her breast. That’s when I figured it out, you see: nip any evil in the bud, and force the milk of humanity down his throat. That was the only way to keep the evil at bay. That’s when the abominations stopped coming, and that’s when I took a heavier hand with keeping the little monster on a chain.”

“Heavy-handed?” spat Haruka. “Nao, you beat him black and blue!”

“And the bruises were gone by morning. Have you ever seen anything recover that fast?”

“That doesn’t excuse you from beating a child.”

“Just how the hell else do you expect to instill some control over a monster like him? Like father, like son.”

Haruka shot up from her chair. “So that gives you the right to make every second of Kei-chan’s childhood a living hell. You have no fucking idea how hard he tried to please you! He could be the next Mother Theresa, find a cure for cancer, and be canonized by the Catholic Church and you wouldn’t care. You’d just beat him again for being a ‘little monster.’”

“Shut up, you meddling bitch,” Nao snarled, her own anger bubbling up. “I didn’t ask you to come here, and I sure as hell don’t have to be insulted in my own home.”

“How do we stop it, Nao? There has to be a way for Keitaro to keep control of whatever this is.”

“Control it? Control it? Seal him in a concrete bunker with no women! Beat the living shit out of him every time he does something wrong! Kill the little fucker!”

Nao saw but couldn’t react as Haruka’s hand lashed out. Her face stung, the force of the slap enough to well water into her eyes. But she didn’t wait even a moment before giving as good as she got. With a sharp crack, her own palm connected with Haruka’s face, sending the other woman whirling.

Both women stood there, each doing their damnest to kill the other with a glare.

“Get out,” Nao commanded evenly. Haruka said not a word as she complied, stepping into her shoes and leaving through the front door. Nao watched her as the other woman walked around the house to the gate.

Now that everything in the house was quiet, she could have sworn she heard piping laughter echoing from the corner of the room.


Urumi sat under the water spray, staring at the floor with unblinking eyes. She had to force herself not to turn around. There was a certainty in her mind that some awful beast loomed over her shoulder, ready to devour her like the wolf in the fairy tales. Four repeated checks behind had done nothing to banish this conviction.

She shouldn’t have looked out that window. The things out there... Urumi shivered. Fruit of the Knowledge of Good and Evil indeed.

“‘Things fall apart,’” she quoted. “‘Things fall apart.’”

“Urumi?”

At the sound of her name, the girl shot up straight. “What do you need, Yota?” she asked, calming her panicked heart.

The boy’s voice came back through the screen, uncertain. “You’ve been in there for a long time. Are you all right?”

“I’m fine,” Urumi noted for the first time the chill in the water falling over her. “I’ll be out in a second, okay?”

Urumi shut off the water. Small tracers of liquid snaked their way down the tile. Watching the roiling motion, the girl shivered. She wrapped herself in a towel, letting the fabric soak up the water.

Her clothes awaited her in the changing room. Just the set of clothes she’d worn earlier today. No trip back home to pick up any more. No talking to Mother. No call from Mother, wondering where she was. Urumi growled. With a savage motion, the door swung open, and the genius girl stepped out into the hallway.

She stomped down the hall, and barreled her way around a bobbled glass partition. The main room greeted her. Sitting stock still on a couch was Yota, his eyes glued to her nude form.

“u-urumi?” he squeaked.

Not another word. She didn’t let him say another word, not before she was across the room.

Her arms wrapped tight around her paramour, clutching him with more strength than she thought her small frame possessed. Urumi’s lungs swelled, rubbing her breasts pleasantly against the fabric of his shirt. A scent came to her nose: that of the sweet shampoo Yota used, the fading aroma of his cologne, and the smell of his own flesh. Urumi sat there, breathing deeply and slowly, reveling in the sensations she felt.

His hands linked themselves behind her back. She shivered as his muscles flexed. A comforting warmth flowed from him, soaking into her flesh. Something warm and wet spilled out of her eye.

“Urumi?”

The girl buried her head into the crook of his neck, like the old myth about the ostrich. “No words, please. Just let me talk. It was so cold, Yota. Looking out that window. It was like looking at some nightmare made real.

“‘Nightmare made real.’ I used to laugh at that kind of phrase. And I don’t think I ever will again. Used to think I knew it all, but now... One stupid window. One stupid window and I run crying.” Her arms gripped tighter. He squeezed back in response.

Another deep breath brought more of that wonderful scent. He was so warm. Urumi could already feel the cold of the day dissipating. His chest rose and fell, reminding her again and again that he was there. His head nestled closer to hers, further surrounding her. The moment stretched on, with just the slow drumming of his heart to mark the passage of time.

But the moment passed, and she pulled back from him. Looking up, she met Yota’s worried gaze. At his concern, the corners of her mouth twitched up into a smile. Urumi hadn’t even known people like him existed.

“Cut it out,” she said, wondering why her cheeks were trying to heat. “I’m fine now. Really. So you don’t have to worry.”

“‘Don’t have to worry’?” growled Yota. Urumi froze. That tone of voice wasn’t like him at all.

“Even if I haven’t known you all that long, I know you’re hardly the person to scare easy. Whatever it was you saw, it had you running scared.” Yota deflated, shoulders slumping and head drooping. “I can’t help but worry, Urumi. Something bad is happening. Something really bad.”

His shoulders began to quake. Afraid he might break down too, Urumi reached out. Her hands guided his face, forcing him to look at her. Tears bordered his eyes, threatening to spill down.

She shook her head at him. “Where on earth were you when I was younger? I wouldn’t have had all those friendless years.”

“Friendless?”

Urumi nodded. “Not many kids wanted to hang out with the IQ 200 genius.”

Yota goggled. “Two hundred?”

“Enough,” she mock-groused, “I’ve been trying to maneuver something out of you, and you keep managing to get me off track.”

With that, Urumi fell back to the floor, pulling Yota on top of her. His face screamed fear, even as his eyes roamed. Urumi let him stand in indecision for a moment, enjoying the display of warring emotions. Then she gripped his shirt and pulled him down to meet her lips.

He was hesitant. Just like their first time, he was unsure of himself. That was fine, really, as she felt confident enough for the both of them. She reached up and clutched at his hair, pulling him deeper into the kiss. The world disappeared. All that mattered was the taste of his breath. Urumi clasped at the hem of his shirt. Yota was forced to break the kiss, but wasted no time in restarting it.

The shirt gone, their was nothing separating his flesh from hers. Yota’s gentle weight flattened out her breasts. Urumi smiled as their breathing alternated in sink, their chests and stomachs pressed flush together. Yota raised up on his elbows, which had the double effect of holding her closer and easing her breaths. Not that Urumi was any less enthused; she grasped her arms so tight around him it was a wonder he still got air.

Speaking of which...

Their long kiss ended. But Yota didn’t seem satisfied, peppering her face and neck with kiss after kiss instead. Her paramour beyond all reason, Urumi herself reached for the latch on his pants. More than a little awkward, as she had to reach between their bellies, but it came away finally. She drew Yota’s pants down as best she could with only her thighs and calves.

The instant he was free he tried to enter her. After two failed attempts, he plunged deep inside Urumi. The girl let out a groan that became a laugh. Hot gasps blew across her face as he pierced her over and over. Froth-over dripped down, wetting the floor under Urumi’s seat.

Yota’s thrusts forced her across the floor. Bit by bit, wood grain scratched against her back. Leading to the eventual...

...*thump*

“Ow!” Urumi yelped, shocked out of her pleasure by the sting. Yota immediately stopped, glazed eyes refocusing on her.

“I’m sorry! Are you alright? I’m so sorry,” Urumi’s lover gushed, worry obvious in his eyes.

Seeing Yota was going to continue in this vein for a while, Urumi waved him down. “It’s fine, it’s fine. It didn’t hurt that bad.”

They sat on their knees for a while, looking at each other. Urumi shifted back and forth. Her clit burned, aching for attention. Yota’s penis was an angry red, making the girl wonder if he was suffering from the same thing. But the uncomfortable look in his eyes told her that he wouldn’t be starting anything for a while.

Urumi was just going to make another move for him when the doorbell rang. Cursing roundly, she grabbed one of Yota’s shirts and threw it over her head. She stormed to the door, every intention of giving some salesman a piece of her mind.

She tore open the door and glared at who she found. A conservative-seeming, dark haired girl stared at Urumi. Not surprising. Yota’s shirt was just long enough to cover up her delta, but a strong wind and Urumi would give the whole neighborhood a thrill.

“What do you want?” asked Urumi as grumpily as she could.

The other girl jerked out over her shock. “I, I’m sorry, I think... I’ve got the wrong...”

“Moemi?” came a voice behind Urumi.

The dark-haired girl’s eyes widened. Urumi looked over her shoulder to see Yota staring at the girl.

The strange girl, Moemi, mouthed the next words without thinking about them. “Yota? You, and her, and you were... I’m sorry!” Moemi turned and ran away.

Urumi watched Yota the entire time. He looked like he wanted to chase after her. But his shoulders slumped in a resigned way.

His eyes met hers. He smiled weakly. “I guess you hate me now.” That one simple sentence and he managed to sound like a man condemned.

“You had a thing for her, didn’t you?” Urumi asked.

He nodded, that same sad smile on his face. “Yeah.”At his admission, Urumi felt a fire ignite deep inside her. Cold resentment surrounded her. But Yota continued on, eyes closed, smiling all the while. “But I guess that’s over now, isn’t it? I’m sorry I did this to you, I just...” He let himself trail off.

Urumi felt all the anger from just a moment ago vanish. It was replaced by a kind of sympathy for his situation.

“Damn you for making me feel this way,” she groused at him. Yota cringed. Urumi laid a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Come on, you can tell me all about it in the bath.”

Yota opened his eyes. A look of wonderment, confusion, and even relief was evident.


**************
Author's Note: i really wanted this chapter to be longer. But i got to looking, and saw that it'd been close to nine months since my last update. Yikes! Anyway, churned this out and posted it for your reading pleasure. Enjoy.
*you will review, you will review, you will review*