Kindred Spirits

The Haunting Beauty

Rin gleefully skipped behind the small imp demon called Jaken. The small imp demon tugged on the reins of a fairly large demon the two used for quick transportation. This other two headed demon,which rarely even grunted in annoyance was known as A-Un. A-Un usually remained quiet most of the time,obeying anyone who tugged on its reins. Even the young child Rin,was indeed one of its many master. But Jaken was one of them that even A-Un could barely tolerate. The small imp demon tugged on A-Un's reins in annoyance. Bidding him to pick up the pace.

The two headed demon grunted, raising its head higher than required,leaving Jaken dangling from its reins. Jaken shrieked gripping onto the reins tightly,pleading with Rin to help him get down. "Master Jaken,you have to be nice to A-Un." Rin informed the imp demon,gently rubbing the side of A-Un's neck. The demon snorted towards the shrieking imp demon before carelessly tossing Jaken into the air sending him flying into the air.

Little Rin couldn't help but to chuckle at A-Un's actions,watching as Jaken squealed his head off before landing a great distance away. Landing in the sparkling water of a river at least 100 feet from Rin. Jaken flailed about in the water,gasping for air while at the same time cursing at A-Un for doing this to him. Rin sighed,gently tugging A-Un's reins forward so that the two may retrieve Master Jaken.

Both Rin and A-Un made their way towards the river,where they were sure Jaken had landed. But the two were not alone. Kneeling down towards the crystal clear water was a woman. Rin believed that she must have been a resident from the nearby village. Rin tugged A-Un away,hiding him behind the brush of trees and bushes. Out of sight from the woman,not wanting to scare the woman.

The woman was beautiful,almost alarmingly beautiful. The woman's skin was as pale as the first winter snow. She was deathly pale,but it was simply lovely in contrast with her long flowing crimson kimono, with lovely sakura blossom patterns about it. The woman had a wonderfully slender body. She held a heart shaped face with beautiful long flowing raven hair which framed her lovely face.

A light smile formed on her pale lips as the woman's dull emerald green eyes seemed to dance across the rippling water's surface. The woman then dipped her hands into the cool water, cupping her hands together before splashing water on her face and arms. It was then that Rin realized that the beautiful woman had many cuts and bruises on her arms and face.

The woman couldnt help but to grit her teeth,as the water seeped into her newly formed wounds. But even through this pain,the woman never shed a tear. It seemed to Rin that the woman seemed used to the wounds. After washing her body free of the many blood stains the woman rose to her feet. She then ran her fingers through her long flowing raven hair before retreating to the village a short distance away.

Rin quietly stepped from her hiding place, with A-Un on her heels. After abit of struggle Jaken fished himself from the shivering water. Yelling at both A-Un and Rin for not assisting him. But little Rin was no longer paying attention to him. Her mind wandered to the strangely beautiful woman she had recently seen. An unknown force seeming to tug her towards the woman. There was just something about the woman that seemed to draw Rin to her.

"I'm going to go to the nearby village." Rin informed the imp demon who began to ring out his soaked yukata. "Good riddance." Jaken mumbled earning a headbutt from an irritated A-Un. Jaken glared towards the two headed demon before watching Rin run off from the two demons. Despite not being very fond of humans after Rim's sad past of abuse by other villagers in her village. The little girl would risk stepping into the Wolf's den if she could find the woman.

The village was filled with many tiny huts where their elderly and familes slept. The village itself was nicely populated with many young woman walking the dirt path through the village. Showing off their painted lips,and colorful kimonos off to the less fortunate. It was there that Rin spotted the beautiful woman from before,playing with the many children around her.

The children giggled happily as the little girls twirled around the beautiful woman. All the while dodging the little boys who tried to tag the girls along with the woman. The woman couldn't help but to smile warmly towards the many children. But that smile was soon shattered by the approaching women who sneered at her. "Why are you still here freak?" "No one even likes you." "You should just go die somewhere yokai." The woman spat.

The beautiful woman's gaze faltered to the ground,refusing to even speak to her verbal attackers. But that didn't stop thenyoung children from speaking out for her. "Leave Shizuka neechan alone!" "Your just jealous of her!" The children shouted towards the mean woman as the women glared. Scoffing towards the woman before them. "Ha! Jealous of that? Don't make me laugh." "What's wrong yokai? Have to have children fight your battles?" The woman teased.

Finally after many years of dealing with these women's harsh words and actions to her. Shizuka raised her head to them,speaking her mind. But these humans deserved so much more after all the pain they forced onto her. From teasing her,to throwing stones at her frail body. It was enough for a normal human to go insane. Yet,Shizuka had held her tongue until she felt the time was right to act.

Shizuka's dull emerald gaze landed on the three women before her,she straightened her posture before she spoke. "Do you three ever grow tired of listening to your own voices? It isn't necessary for you to have an opinion on everything I do. If I truly bother you so much then pretend I don't even exist. Perhaps that will ease your pain." Shizuka stated,her voice filled with unwavering determination and strength.

Something that rivaled even Rin's demon protector. The person she admired the most in this world,yet this woman came fairly close to being admired by her as well. The woman glared towards Shizuka,at a loss to her outspokeness about them. They quickly turned on their heels, leaving Shizuka along with the children. A small child was then scooped up into Shizuka's arms,she couldn't have been any older than 7. The little girl clung onto Shizuka's crimson kimono.

Shizuka smiled warmly towards the child, cradling her small form in her arms. "Shizuka neechan, why are they always mean to you?" The little girl asked as for a brief moment a pained expression appeared on Shizuka's face. But it quickly disappeared in a matter of ssconds. Her grip tightened around the child as she shook her head. "I wish I could tell you." She breathed,her emerald gaze fixed upwards towards the beautiful sky above.