Title: Alter Egos
Chapter: 2/?
Rating: G so far
Genre: AU fantasy
Characters: so far - Yagyuu, Niou, Yukimura, Sanada
Summary: One day, Yagyuu said to Niou, "You are going to save the world."
Previous chapters:
Here Alter Egos
Chapter 2
"What did you think you were doing!"
"I only wanted to..."
Much as he wanted to, Yagyuu tried not to listen to the voices through the thin walls, and instead looked around the house. It was small, simple, but well kept. One could even say it was decorated; Yagyuu could see personal touches here and there and, to his surprise, there were tiny pots of flowers along a windowsill, the first proper plant life he had seen ever since arriving at Rikkai.
He looked outside the window. It was still light, but already late in the afternoon. If it had not been the distraction of those strangers, he and Niou could have gone through the Gate by now. But even though he had no idea what had happened, he could not just drag Niou away from the scene. Those people, Sanada Genichirou and Yukimura Seiichi, were obviously Niou's friends and if Niou left them at the park to take care of themselves, Yagyuu would seriously doubt him being the one who hosted the soul which would save their world.
On top of that, there was something Yagyuu wanted to know, even though the knowledge might just complicate matters. Yukimura and Sanada. He had heard of those names before... and there was the water...
The Feline turned around when he heard something moving towards him, just in time to catch the towel. Niou gave him a look which he could not decipher, drying his own hair with another bit of cloth. "Thank you," said the Feline, who wiped his glasses before drying his hair and ears briefly, then pulling his hood back on. "Let's leave as soon as you have made sure your friends are okay."
Niou glanced at the closed door. Sanada's voice filtered out, a bit calmer and softer now, incomprehensible through the wall. "Those two are never okay." His gaze fell on Yagyuu, sharp as a knife. "You know who they are, don't you."
Yagyuu met the stare straight on. "I have heard of the names before."
"If you tell anyone about them, I'll-"
The door opened at that moment, cutting Niou off, but the rest of the threat did not need to be said, that tone of voice and that look in his eyes were enough for Yagyuu to understand. Whether he felt threatened was another matter.
"Niou," Yukimura emerged from the doorway wearing a simple dress shirt and trousers, with Sanada behind him. He looked serene, but tired. "You had a friend with you?" He looked at Yagyuu. "I'm sorry, we haven't met before?"
Yukimura was not going to introduce himself, but was coaxing him to give his name, Yagyuu realised. Understandable, yet so very cunning. He did not answer, and Niou spoke for him. "Don't mind him. How're you feeling?"
"Tired. And hungry." Yukimura let his eyes stay on Yagyuu even as he replied Niou's question, his stare cold and serious, before turning away. "Have you eaten? We're about to cook. But let me get you two a drink first - well, I only have water. Genichirou? Would you please get something dry for our guests to change into?"
They wanted to see his face properly. Ears flat under the hood on his head and his hands stuffed into tracksuit pockets, Yagyuu stepped away from the window, floor boards creaking despite his light steps. "Thank you, but we should get going. Niou?"
Niou shrugged, but before the two could get near the front door, Sanada was moving, taking three quick steps that were all that were needed to cross the width of the house. Yagyuu hopped back just in time to avoid being grabbed on the wrist, and then back another step to get away from the punch aimed at his stomach. Sanada reached for the tracksuit, aiming at Yagyuu's head. The Feline fended off the attacks; the head was the weakest point for any race, he would be useless if he did not know how to keep it on his shoulders. But he knew what Sanada was trying to do. They knew what he was.
"Yukimura!"
"We just want to know a bit more about your friend." Yukimura said. "Genichirou, enough."
Sanada dropped his arms down his sides but made sure he blocked the most obvious exit, the front door, with his body, his eyes not leaving Yagyuu for even a second. Yagyuu considered the situation: he could break through, but if these two Humans were who he thought they were - most likely, judging by the turn of events - breaking through may prove difficult, if not suicidal. And he needed Niou, who was unlikely to just leave with him now.
Yagyuu breathed in deeply and removed the hood on his head, shaking his hair and ears free. Now he could only negotiate. "What is it that you want?"
"I want to know who you are, why you were with one of my dearest friends and where the two of you were going."
"I cannot tell you any of that."
"Then you either stay here until we figure out a resolution, or, as they say, we'll take it outside." To Yagyuu's surprise, Yukimura went to the cooking area and turned his back on the rest of them. "We didn't mean to fight you - we only want you to be honest with us. As long as you are under my roof, you are my guest and we can talk. If you choose to leave before we reach an agreement, however..." holding two chipped mugs, Yukimura walked to Niou and Yagyuu and offered them one each, "I hear that cats don't fare very well in water?"
A tremor ran across the surface of the water in Yagyuu's mug.
He should have left the two at the park, Yagyuu realised.
They sat down at the table and Yagyuu studied the hut carefully. The furniture was different from that at Banji's house. The ones Yukimura and Sanada used were wooden, hand crafted, well-used, not much of a work of art but very sturdy. Yagyuu subtly put a hand underneath the table and tried lifting it, gauging its weight. It would work as a temporary barrier should they have to fight. It was likely Yukimura had not fully recovered from doing whatever magic he was trying to do at the park that knocked him out. Worse comes to worst, if Yagyuu bought some time and waited until they let their guard down, he could drag Niou along and run for it. He could carry Niou if he had to. Those two would not want to accidentally attack their friend.
All of this would be easier to pull off if Sanada did not station himself at the door.
Niou was at the window, potted plants on the sill pushed aside so that he could smoke. When Yukimura prepared snacks, he flicked the stub out the window and sat down at the table to Yagyuu's left, with Yukimura sitting opposite.
"I think you know who I am already, but I'll introduce myself anyway. My name is Yukimura Seiichi. I'm the son of Yukimura Katashi, former chief advisor and sorcerer to the King. Sanada Genichirou," he nodded at Sanada's direction, "son of Sanada Hideaki, former Head of Guards to the King."
It was one thing to suspect something, but another to hear the suspicion confirmed. Yagyuu glanced at both Humans and lost his words.
After a moment, Yagyuu realised he had to introduce himself. "Yagyuu Hiroshi."
"Yagyuu," Yukimura pushed the plate of snack across the table, "what are you in Rikkai for?"
Apple chips. Yagyuu let his gaze rest on the food for a while. Several sentences in and he was already losing ground. He had to turn things around. "What about you? The two of you are supposed to be dead. Why are you here in Rikkai?"
Sanada spoke up. "You are not in the position to ask any question."
Niou laughed but said nothing, opting to just listen. It looked as though he was amused by the turn of events.
Yukimura spoke, but it was not to answer the question. "You should know that there are no ordinary Humans here, and anyone who resides here who has Feline blood would be half-blooded. That is, the child of a Human and a Feline. Once discovered, the entire family are permanently expelled to Rikkai."
"Breeding between Felines and Humans is forbidden and the ultimate taboo. The law is necessary," said Yagyuu, looking from Yukimura to Niou, "with all due respect, that has always been the law, if your family chose to disregard it, they had to face the consequences."
Niou turned narrowed eyes towards the Feline, grey eyes boring into brown ones. It looked as though Niou would stand up any minute and punch Yagyuu, but tension dissolved into confusion when Niou merely smirked, leaving Yagyuu wonder if he had lost an argument before it began.
Yukimura ignored the exchange just now and continued on. "Therefore, there are no reasons for Felines to visit Rikkai unless they have been dispatched here specifically. Military squads, for example. But Yagyuu, from your appearance and the fact that you do not have Feline companions, I daresay you are not a soldier. What brought you to Rikkai?"
Lips pulled into a tight line, Yagyuu said nothing. Sanada was still at the door, it would be difficult to break through with Niou in tow. Answering the question though, could prove too dangerous, until he could ascertain the reason for these people being in Rikkai. "I will not explain myself to people I do not know, particularly those who should already be dead over two decades ago."
"That, in itself, is a good answer and I see the reason for your reaction. We must move forward, however. Niou, what did he say to you?"
Niou arched an eyebrow and sat back, his expression saying "why did you just pass it to me?". Last night Yagyuu had said over and over their task was top secret and he must not tell anyone, because it would put themselves and others in danger. The kitty was a nutcase... one which had the documentation to allow him to come to Rikkai alone. If he told Yukimura and Sanada all that stuff about saving the world, they (well, Yukimura at least) would laugh at him until the end of time.
Yukimura nibbled on a piece of apple chip and waited. When it was clear Niou did not want to speak, he looked a little sad. "This is a matter of security, you know that. Please don't make me go and ask Banji."
"Leave the old man out of this."
"I wouldn't do it unless I absolutely have to. Please tell me what's going on, Niou."
Yagyuu rolled his eyes left and right, judging the situation. This was his chance! Standing, the chair falling back behind him, he grabbed Niou on the arm and yanked him out of his seat with a speed unique to Felines. Only when the chair clattered to the floor did Sanada realise what was going on and Yagyuu was already upon him, using that momentary surprise to push the man aside to get to the door.
At the same time, he heard the sound of a horn at a distance. Within the seconds he got out the door, dragging Niou behind him, horns were being blown everywhere, and everyone was moving: Niou was trying to wring his arm free, Sanada rushing to Yukimura's side, both Humans seemingly having forgotten Yagyuu's existence within an instant. The surprise lack of a pursuit and the reactions of the Humans told Yagyuu he should stop, and he did.
Yukimura stood up, his open palms resting on the table, looking like a commander at war. "Niou, hide."
Niou was about to move, but halted mid-step. "How about you?"
"I'll do the usual and be right there after. Go now."
"Yeah, like I'd agree to that after that stunt you pulled."
"I agree. We should go together." Sanada said, his hand in mid-air, as if wanting to grasp Yukimura's arm but not quite daring to.
"You know I would not leave like that." Yukimura smiled at his companion before turning to Niou. "Go. Take Yagyuu with you; we'll speak again later."
This time, the surprise and confusion was upon Yagyuu and he was the one being dragged along. With the sound of horn cries in his ears, and people in nearby houses bursting out their doors and running away, he realised it might be better to follow Niou right now. Perhaps later on he could get away with Niou before Yukimura and Sanada showed up again.
They ran with the crowd until they reached what looked like a bomb shelter. The people were organising amongst themselves, letting the elderly, women and children enter first. Last in the queue, Niou and Yagyuu went down the steps and the entrance shut above them, shaking loose dust and sand. Both of them sneezed, hands reaching out to feel the sides of the walls to help them descend the rest of the steps safely.
Night vision was equal for Felines and the half-blooded, so soon they could see what was ahead of them even with so little light. The rest of the people were sitting down. Even though there were at least fifty people in the shelter, it was eerily silent, even the children did not make a sound. Yagyuu understood it was because they did not wish to be found, but who or what was coming after them?
Walking carefully, Niou led Yagyuu to the deeper part of the shelter, away from the rest of the people, before sitting down.
"What is going on?" This was clearly a well-established security system. There were watchers above ground and once someone saw something, they blew the horn and all the other watchers sent out the warning as well. There were men responsible for the shelters. Yukimura apparently was also part of the defense system. "Is Rikkai under attack?"
Niou answered the whispered questions with a quiet voice. "Sometimes it's military practice. Sometimes they just do it for fun."
"The... army?"
"Anyone they find becomes a target."
So the rumors were true. Yagyuu leaned back against the cold wall, his heart filled with disbelief. He must tell the King about this when he got back. "How about Yukimura?"
Niou did not reply. Chewing his lower lip, he pressed the palms of his hands on the wall behind him as if to feel for something. Yagyuu copied his companion. Later he could hear the faint sound of machines passing over them, sending vibrations down the walls. It seemed like something was indeed going on above. But, the army using Rikkai as their playground? That was not possible. The army was a proud organisation sworn to protect the King's peace. Could Niou be making this up? Was that why everyone were so wary of the Felines?
"Niou?" Opposite Yagyuu, Niou shifted himself to lay down on the cold ground. The movement startled Yagyuu, who was suddenly frightened. It was the weight of the atmosphere, being taken down to this shelter with little light, feeling the fear of all the people and learning about what may be going on above ground. "Niou, are you all right?"
"It's gonna take a while. I'm going to sleep." Curling up, facing the wall with his back to Yagyuu, Niou soon drifted off to sleep despite the situation.
Moving too to lay down on his side only because the fur on his tail was standing on end, making Yagyuu uncomfortable, the Feline stared at the young man in disbelief. How could he sleep right now? Could it be that he was so used to it he became numb? And how about Yukimura and Sanada, why did they remain above ground and what were they doing? Were they safe?
At least four hours had passed before the people started moving and Yagyuu knew someone had come to let them out. As if sensing the changes around him, Niou rolled onto his back and sat up, rubbing bleary eyes and scratching his head. The two followed the queue and by the time they saw the sky again - already nighttime - Niou was fully awake and said he had to check on his uncle, leaving Yagyuu no choice but to follow.
Banji was safe, although slightly shaken - just like his hut, now creaking at the slightest movement as if ready to fall apart any moment. Tea was offered but since they had to check on Yukimura and Sanada as well, they decided to leave quickly. Burning with curiosity, Yagyuu wanted to meet with Yukimura again and find out exactly what was happening to Rikkai, yet call of duty was always paramount and Yagyuu knew the knowledge would only complicate matters. If he brought Niou with him to the King, perhaps he could find out from Niou instead. He could even pretend not to have met the mysterious pair if that was what it took. The Yukimura and Sanada families had been gone for many years and their roles in history were always a subject of argument and fascination. If those two decided to spend their lives here in Rikkai, why should Yagyuu disrupt history?
But was there a way to get Niou to leave with him without checking on Yukimura and Sanada's safety first? "Niou, we must leave now. Talking with Yukimura would only make our journey more difficult."
Niou led the way, moving from one end of the settlement to the other. He did not seem to hear Yagyuu's words as they ran. It seemed like there had been a storm during their hiding. The ground was muddy with water and dead trees were ripped from their roots. Several huts suffered severe damages. A nearby slope had collapsed, but since none of the huts were built near it, no one should have been injured by the landslide. The more Yagyuu looked at it, the more it seemed like the people here were well-prepared for different circumstances; being expelled from their homelands did not make them give up on life.
"Niou, did you hear me? We must leave now." Yagyuu's hand reached out and grasped Niou's arm, but Niou wrung himself free, not even looking back. And Yagyuu knew it was too late, he could see Sanada in the distance, walking towards them.
"Yukimura?"
"Resting. Everything's fine. He said to invite the two of you for dinner." Sanada said, fixing Yagyuu's eyes with a distrusting stare.
There was no escaping it. Yagyuu found himself back in Yukimura's hut, sipping a glass of water whilst Niou talked with the man, who was sitting down at the table nibbling on apple chips. Sanada was making dinner. He did not look like the cooking type to Yagyuu and the Feline hoped whatever was being made, there was something he could eat. He was not going to speak up now, though. These people were not friends and he did not want to make demands.
"How're you feeling?"
"Calling up a storm requires control of the wind element, which I don't specialise in." Yukimura brushed the bluish-coloured hair away from his eyes. He looked exhausted. "And I already made rain earlier today, so there wasn't much water in the air to use, which made it more difficult. But I did it, didn't I, Genichirou?"
"Yes." It seemed like there was something else Sanada wanted to say, probably something negative, but he pressed his lips together and concentrated on his cooking instead.
"Yeah, that thing you did this morning. Don't sneak out like that again, geez, you'd get yourself sick again." Niou picked up several apple chips and shoved them in his mouth. "Poor ol' Sanada, his hair's gonna go white in no time."
"That was my mistake. I wanted to try to revive the plantlife there... just one tree, that's all I wanted, but it didn't work." The sorcerer smiled sadly. "And I heard a soldier say that since it already rained in the morning, they came in the afternoon thinking it wouldn't rain again. So I am at fault."
"They got close enough for you to hear what they were talking about?" Niou was visibly disturbed. "And you said you called a friggin storm? How many of them were there?"
"But no one was hurt."
A shadow fell over Niou and Yukimura when Sanada walked over to set food down on the table. "There was a lot of them. I don't think it was a coincidence."
At that, both Sanada and Yukimura turned to stare at Yagyuu, who was trying his best to look like he was not listening to their conversation. Dipping his head, Yagyuu pushed his glasses up with the tip of a finger. "Excuse me?"
They ignored him. "I'm glad your magic with the tree didn't work." Sanada fetched another bowl from the kitchen. "It would have been a clear 'Yukimura was here' message."
"As if they don't know I'm alive, with rain coming every time they sent the soldiers here."
"That is not the point. It could be seen as a provocation."
Yukimura ignored Sanada for the moment. "Sit down, Yagyuu. Or do I need to escort you to the table?"
Yagyuu looked at the food. There was cold salad with cooked meat. "I didn't think... thank you." He pulled a chair and sat down. Niou was already eating without waiting for the others to start. Yagyuu did the same, because keeping his mouth busy meant he did not have to talk.
"I'm not glad that my magic didn't work, Genichirou."
Sanada looked at the sorcerer and bowed his head. "I'm sorry."
Yagyuu looked up when silence fell over. What was that? Sanada obviously cared about Yukimura's safety but Yukimura guilttriped him and actually received an apology. That was certainly not the way to treat someone who cared and Sanada did not look like the type to back down just like that. Not that Yagyuu knew him at all, but he had a fierce, unyielding look on his face. What kind of a relationship was it between these two?
Sitting beside Yagyuu, Niou did not seem to have noticed anything and if he had, he was not showing it. Or may be he was simply enjoying the food too much. Sanada's cooking was rather good, Yagyuu was surprised to find, as if he had been doing this for years and years.
"I want to get back to you, Yagyuu." Yukimura said, dabbing the corners of his mouth with a make-shift napkin. "We're not your enemies, I wish to emphasise this. I have had many opportunities to harm you yet I have not done so."
Yagyuu nudged his glasses. "It could be a strategy to gain my trust."
"It could. Although I should have known about your coming, in that case. And if I had known, I would not have done what I did this morning but tried to talk to you at the first instance."
Yagyuu felt he was left with no room for argument. "You are unnaturally concerned. I have spoken to Niou's uncle who permitted Niou to leave with me, I believe that is enough and I beg your pardon, you have no right to demand answers from me."
"I do, because I care. You're a good person. It's obvious you don't want to force Niou to leave against his will. You let him come back to us instead of take him away by force. So I really do think we can talk - for Niou's best interest."
"Don't talk like I'm not right here." Niou spoke up, mild annoyance flashing across his face. "Can we move on? I'll tell you what's going on."
"I'm sorry, and thank you, but I'd like to hear it from Yagyuu's mouth."
"Something to do with my soul, apparently."
Instead of the laughter Niou was expecting, silence fell over them. On second thought, of course, Yukimura himself was a sorcerer, he would know that souls were not things to be joked about. Exchanging a glance with Sanada, Yukimura let his gaze fall on Niou once again, this time totally serious, the same way he was when they heard the horn in the afternoon. At that moment, Yagyuu realised why the pair was so concerned.
"Your other soul."
They knew.
[to be continued]