Nobuo had a normal job in the village, one that didn't make Fumiko worry so much, but today he stayed late to help move the shop items around and help clean up. He enjoyed his work, the people he worked with were always happy and pleasant to be around. However, he knew he'd just make Fumiko worry if he stayed too much longer, and so after he had helped a little, he grabbed his things and left quickly, moving with ease through the nearly empty streets, being more skilled about moving through crowds and large groups.
He looked down at the small wrapped item in his hand after he had walked out of the village boundaries. Inside was a hairpin he had bought earlier, intricately decorated with handcrafted patterns and adorned with a pink jade. Nobuo smiled, just thinking about how happy Fumiko would be to see the gift and wear it.
"Fumiko! I'm back!" Nobuo hopped down a few boulders and then upon the bank, breathing in the fresh air made from the waterfall. The first thing he did was visit the cave to see if she was there, after he had gotten no response. Then he popped outside, thinking that she was hiding to play some sort of game, and then he spotted her on the opposite side of the water, lying on the ground. He thought that she was only taking a rest and then went to go join her, walking on top of the water to prevent himself from getting too wet, but the closer he got to Fumiko the more he realized something was wrong. Fumiko was twisted into an uncomfortable position, and when he finally got up to her he saw the pool of blood around her head, and he fell to his knees, turning her head so to see her face. Seeing the horrible wound in her forehead, his world came crumbling around him, his heart strained and his breathing slowed as he looked at the surreal scene, not fully accepting what he was seeing. Then tears poured down his cheeks and he made a pain-filled screamed, "FUMIKO!" His words traveled far and echoed through the forest. He caressed her, holding her head gently up to his, not caring about the blood that ran down his chest and ruined his clothes, "I..I was unable to protect you...Fumiko."
Nobuo had spent several hours crying over the loss of the one he loved. When the tears had stopped, he gave her a proper burial and stayed by it for a few minutes longer, speaking to the grave as though she could hear his voice from beyond, "Fumiko, you had a good life with me, right? We were happy...so...happy..." He closed his eyes and clenched the fabric over his chest. "I promise..I won't let them get away with this. I'll make sure that every single guilty person that has made those like us miserable will pay dearly, with their lives," it wasn't like him to say that, as he had preferred negotiations and such to come to peace with people when problems arose, "I..I'll pursue them, and kill every last one, no matter how long it takes!"
He chanted, speaking forbidden words, some from his tribe and the rest he learned from the humans. A light glow surrounded him, but it burned throughout his body and he felt as if he were being stabbed a thousand times and then those areas twisting around, feeling like one living rope. He screamed out in agony as it continued for the next few minutes and finally collapsed as it finished. He breathed heavily and turned his head to look at Fumiko's grave and smiled, "I'll..I'll be able to continue for eternity. I won't rest until they all die." The curse he had placed on himself would allow him to pursue what the darkness in his heart wanted, and possibly allow him to retain his memories after death. He knew there were other consequences to using the magic, but he didn't care. He just wanted the source of their suffering, the source of other's suffering, to come to a close.
He stood up, flying faster than he had ever flown in his life. Rage, hatred, and sorrow filled his heart and all he could think about was how he would go about utterly eliminating all of the guilty tengu. It took him a while to reach his home-village, his tengu form casting a shadow like an ominous sign. Then, he dove down, slashing through tengu mercilessly, taking out only the ones who oppressed the lower classes.
Finally, a sharp pain went through his chest, and he was able to stay conscious long enough to see what it was and who had shot it: a single arrow that could only be used by the nobles, released by another from one of the other head families. But, his heart fell when he saw his own father was standing right next to the man, his hand clenched the assailants arm and clothes appearing as though he had tried to stop the other, but what pained him from looking at his father was how his father had looked at him with sorrow and anger. He wasn't sure if the look was something like worry for him, or if it was to say that he was disappointed in having Nobuo as a son. Nobuo fell to the ground, darkness swamping over all of his senses, dying in a pool of blood, "Fumiko...I'll return."
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Yuu breathed heavily, waking up in a cold sweat. He felt a dampness on his chest, and raised his hand to touch it, fearful that his dream had become reality. There was no hole, but when he pulled his hand away to look at it, it was covered in blood. At first, he was in shock, but then it hit him hard and he screamed, falling back and scrambling to his feet. Nobuo was a vengeful ghost from the past, though in disbelief how someone like Nobuo had turned into such a monster..and he wasn't going to stop until every hated tengu was dead. Yuu couldn't possibly agree to such a thing though, and so having such a balance with Nobuo would have been difficult thing.
He walked outside the room, trying to find the elders...trying to find his father..or at least the one he had in his past life. Just what was he thinking at the time of his death? Was his father aware that he was Nobuo? How did his father view about his relationship with Fumiko? So many questions that he needed answers to.
~an item brewery - updated 12/02~