Chapter 2

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Sakura continued to drink her sake on the dojo porch while staring up at the night sky. Dinner had ended a while back, so Ranashi was nowhere to be seen (probably in bed) and Atsuka was in her library. Sakura, as always after dinner, sat on the dojo porch, drank her sake, and then went to bed.

Sakura never told anyone, but she always felt at peace living in Japan. Her dojo was right on the edge of a thick forest away from anyone else, therefore they didn't have any neighbors. But it was just close enough to town and the market that they could simply walk there. Sakura had also liked this area because they had no distractions from anyone nor were they bothered very much, so that meant better training. But they were forcing them out of their home.

A soft hand on Sakura's shoulder then brought her back to reality. She looked up to see Kiyomi.

“May I sit down with you?” she asked. Sakura stared at her daughter for a moment but then nodded. Kiyomi smiled softly and sat down next to her mother. There was an awkward silence between the two. Neither of them seemed to want to talk for the same reason, the reason of their departure; until Kiyomi broke it.

“Hey mom…?” Kiyomi asked barely above a whisper. Sakura turned her head to Kiyomi who had her head down, shadowing her eyes.

“Yes Kiyomi…” she replied.

“Do you think they will allow us to live here? A couple of demons living in Japan?” she asked, finally bringing her head up but not looking at her. Sakura was taken back that Kiyomi would ask her such a question.

But it was true; they were demons, each and every one of them. Sakura was an Ice demon with Ice powers and could control the weather, Kiyomi, being only a hanyou, half demon; had lighting and electric powers. Ranashi was the only demon of the dead and played the part of the grim reaper and kept two small booklets; one with names of the living and one with who she would pick up for the dead. And Atsuka was a fire demon and could control magic very easily.

That was why they had lived for so long. They were always treated differently. Not just about what they were, but what they looked like. All of them could easily fool anyone that they were normal humans; if it weren't for the claws, fangs, and pointy ears they had. How they sometimes wished they could be normal humans, they longed to be like every one else; not mocked, laughed at, or even yelled at.

Sakura was probably the only one who didn't care what other people thought about her. She had somehow built an ice barrier around her heart, locking herself from the outside world. Nobody would understand what she had gone through, nor did they know what it was. And no one was planning on finding out either.

Sakura thought about what Kiyomi had said, letting the words sink in before she spoke. She opened her mouth to speak but no words seemed to come out. Her throat had closed up and her mouth was as dry as paper. She swallowed slowly and tried again.

“Yes Kiyomi, I think they will allow us to stay,” she said with the small smile she rarely showed. Kiyomi's eyes lit up as she looked up at the sky with a huge smile on her face. She then bolted up and started racing for her room.

“Arigato Kaa-san! Thank you mother!” she yelled behind her before she disappeared around the corner.

Sakura's smile faded as she looked up at the sky. Truthfully, she did not know if they would allow them to stay there. The Government Officials were never ones to be very kind when it came to these kinds of things. They had mailed Sakura, or the “Yamasaki house-hold owner” as they had stated; to come to the Government Officials building to “discuss” about whether or not Sakura and her friends were able to live in Japan as the letter had said.

But Sakura didn't trust them. In truth, they were afraid of them, afraid that they were more powerful than them and they could take over. So exiling them from Japan was their “well thought-out plan” to get rid of them. ‘Well…we'll see' thought Sakura with a smirk. ‘We'll see.'

~*~*~*~

Sakura stood in front of the Government Officials' building with the same cold expression on her face. This would be her first time here, and certainly not her last. All the shudders on the building were painted a dark-green color and no light could be seen from the windows. The building itself was colored a white-gray and the roof was the same style, curved at the tips and straight towards the top; like a Japanese palace and was painted black. The Government building had a dark feeling to it and obviously they did not like visitors. Sakura scowled. ‘As I predicted…' she thought.

The door started to open as Sakura waited. A skinny man appeared out of the doorway. He turned and smiled at Sakura and bowed. Sakura simply nodded in return.

“It seems that you are here to compromise with my master, correct?” he stated. Sakura glared at him for a moment before answering.

“Yes. And I suppose that I won't be speaking with him outside, correct?” she mocked, arching an eyebrow. The man's smile disappeared as he let out a nervous chuckle. The man quickly got out of the way and signaled for her to come in. Sakura narrowed her eyes at him before walking inside.

If the outside area of the building was meant to keep people out, then they certainly did it well. The walls on the inside looked like they were almost made of gold, while beautifully painted-on cherry blossom petals lined up and down the hallways. The paper making up the doors felt like silk and a warm glow filled the building. ‘Well, I wasn't expecting something like this' thought Sakura as she continued to walk down the hallway, looking around at the hallways.

Sakura glanced every now and then at the man leading her. She noticed that he was trembling and looking at everything but never looked behind him at her. Good. He must be afraid of her. A wicked grin spread across Sakura's face. ‘I think I'll have some fun while I'm here' she thought.

“So…” Sakura began, letting the word roll of her tongue. “What is it like working for the Government?” Sakura could see the man tense up at her words.

“Um, well, I never really see anything that others are doing around here. I'm just an adviser for my master, Mister Ohana. He does almost everything,” the man replied, still not looking at her. Sakura waited a moment before she spoke.

“So you're just his little ‘go-getter'?” she asked somewhat surprised. She noticed that his shoulders slackened from their earlier tense state from her surprised tone and he sighed heavily but he still kept his distance.

“I guess you can put it that way. I rarely get any respect from the others and I don't know many people because I rarely go outside. I feel like I'm at the bottom of the food chain and it seems that I'm just something to laugh at,” he said. Sakura did feel like him a little, but still, he was a pathetic ningen, human. Sakura then noticed something that she at first didn't. He was always comparing himself to “others.” He said he never really did and he never went outside and didn't know that many people. Then who were the “others” he was referring to?

Sakura abruptly stopped when the man stopped by a grey door in the middle of the hallway.

“This is where you and Mister Ohana will meet,” he said as he opened the door for her. Sakura nodded and started walking for the doorway. She then stopped halfway and looked at the man.

“By the way, I didn't catch your name…” she stated. The man seemed to know the question coming up and laughed.

“Of course you want to know my name! But I don't want to give away my real name for being afraid of getting caught, so we can give each other fake names. I'll call you….Hikari,” he laughed. Sakura nodded.

“And in return, I'll call you Hiroshi,” she said with a small smile. The man now called Hiroshi nodded and Sakura, or “Hikari”, walked into the room as he closed the door behind her.

The room was indeed, very small. Paintings of dragons and samurais hung on the faded grey walls and two miniature cabinets stood next to the only window on the other side of the small room. The light from the window was covered by a grey white sheet, making everything in the room seem to glow the same. Sakura looked down at her hand and it was the same color as the room.

Sakura made herself comfortable on a small pillow in front of a low table in the center of the room and set her sword carefully next to her and quietly waited. Sakura closed her eyes to try to listen for anyone coming to the room. The room she sat in was strangely silent, probably sound proof. The only sound that Sakura could hear (thanks to her demon hearing) was the quiet sound of the wind from outside blowing on the fabric of the window. The quiet brushing sound like a pen sliding on paper.

But there was something else. Sakura closed her eyes tighter and listened more closely. The sound was faint but she could hear it. It sounded like…echoes and screeching together. The words were all slurred in the wind with words that Sakura could not place. The screeching was random.

The sound then started to get louder and seemed to come into the room in the form of fog and mist blowing softly in the wind. The words continued to repeat themselves and slowly curled around Sakura. They wrapped around her hands and wrists and weaved in and out of her fingers and danced across her shoulders. They walked up the side of the walls and crawled into the cracks of the door. The screeching slashed in her ears and the echoes, like a ghost, disappeared and then reappeared in their existence. The screeching sound Sakura found out sounded like a girl that she could not place either. Who was she? Then both echoing and screeching started saying over and over again “Sakura…”

Another faint sound could then be heard. It was…a heart beat? It was slow, and went on a certain rhythm. But where was it coming from? Sakura had a difficult time trying to find it when so many voices were surrounding her all at once. The sound was getting louder and it was to the right, in the direction of the door. Where was it? Outside? But then another heart beat started towards the window; and it was coming closer. The heart beat was fast and out of control. The whispers and screeching started to get louder as the fast heart beat grew closer. It was then right outside of the window. It seemed to reach out and…

“Are you in there Sakura-san?” a deep voice asked outside of the door. Sakura's eyes snapped open. She slowly turned her head to face the door. Sakura then realized that she had a firm grip on her sword and she was panting slightly. She then let go of her sword and looked around the room. So the heart beat from the door was Mister Ohana but….who was at the window? Sakura closed her eyes but the room was silent again. She swallowed slowly and answered:

“Hai, yes.”

The door slowly opened to reveal three men. The one in the middle Sakura guessed was Mister Ohana. He seemed to be a middle-aged man and had long black hair in a low ponytail. As Sakura had also guessed before she left to come here, he was wearing a beautifully decorated hamaka and gi, a traditional Japanese shirt and pants. The dark black beard on his face was framing his deep scowl which made him even more unpleasant to look at. ‘Obviously the clothes are to cover up his ugliness' thought Sakura as she mentally snickered but put on her usual cold stare.

“I suppose you're here to discuss the matter at hand, Sakura-san?” he asked gruffly. The two shorter men sat in the corners behind Mister Ohana. Sakura glared at the man but kept her manners up.

“Correct. And what is this about my family, myself, and my friends leaving Japan?” she spit the word “leaving” out of her mouth as if it was venom. She could hear the low growl come from Mister Ohana's throat and he glared at her.

“Obviously you are unaware of what is going on in Japan, Sakura-san,” he said.

“I am perfectly aware of what is occurring Mister Ohana, but that is not of a good reason to send my daughter, my friends, and myself out,” Sakura said. Mister Ohana took a small scroll from one of the men and spread it out on the table. The scroll had many peoples' names written on it as well as where they lived and many other personal information.

“Do you know how many deaths have increased ever since The Yami has attacked?” he asked. Sakura shook her head but she already knew the answer for Ranashi always complained of how many people she would have to pick up.

“A total of one-hundred thirty every year. On one attack, they had killed over fifty police officers in only two hours,” Mister Ohana said.

“Yes, that is true. The Yami are elite fighting demons that have many killing sprees. But that does not mean that we will turn around and do the same,” Sakura stated. Mister Ohana's rage continued to rise.

“And so is the reason why we would like for you to leave Japan. These attacks have caused panic among trade routes, causing them to lessen and our resources to slacken; workers in the markers are closing some of their shops and worry among the people is spreading the word to other areas. We are all worried of some connection between you and The Yami. How do we know that you aren't working for them?” he said. Sakura seemed unfazed.

“I assure you Mister Ohana that we would never work for such a foul excuse for demons. Japan is our home and we have no reasons to destroy it,” she said.

“'Tis not the building and structures I am most worried about!” yelled Mister Ohana. “The only thing that The Yami and all demons are concerned with is the end of human race! And I for one shall not allow it!”

“Not all demons are like them Mister Ohana, we could easily hunt them down for you and that could easily solve your problems,” Sakura said, staying calm.

“Iie! No! I shall not allow demons to solve the matters of the police. We can handle it on our own,” Mister Ohana answered.

“Then why are you miserably failing to stop them?” Sakura asked.

“We shall solve this on...our...own!”

“Please Mister Ohana, if there is some other way–“

“There is no other way Sakura-san, we shall resolve this issue later,” Mister Ohana said. He then abruptly stood up and walked out of the door rather rudely. The other two men seemed nervous as they quickly walked out of the room like whipped dogs.

Sakura sighed. ‘Why do I have a bad feeling that I will come here often?' Sakura thought. Sakura slowly stood up and carefully placed her sword in her sash again. Sakura then eyed the window across the room before walking out the door.

When Sakura walked out, people were running up and down the hallways with papers in their hands and rushing in and out of rooms. They were mostly women, probably secretaries, in beautifully decorated kimonos and their hair up in elaborate designs. ‘I'm happy I arrived early' thought Sakura as she tried to find her way out in the sea of people.

~*~*~

After several failed attempts, Sakura had finally found her way out of the Government Officials' building. The sun was already starting to set as Sakura walked home. The wind softly brushed against Sakura's skin and her hair swayed as she walked down the long path that would lead her at the end of the market.

What Mister Ohana had said earlier was true. Some of the most popular shops had been closing down, and most of them were Sakura's favorites. It was also true that some of the trade routes were starting to lessen. This caused some of the supplies in the market lessened as well as word of the great empire of Japan had almost vanished as well. It was all caused by The Yami. Sakura hated to hear that name ring through her ears none the less speak it. They were a secret force of demons that would attack anything at random places, as long as it was a human. The Government and the police had tried to stop them for six years now but were failing.

They had said it themselves, The Yami, that they despised the human race (as most demons did) and their mission in life was to kill every last one, staring with Japan and to make a new race full of demons. But Sakura and the others didn't hate them that much. It was the humans that built their homes and grew the crops they ate and killed the meat that they ate as well. But they still didn't like humans. Humans were weak, useless, a waste of space to demons. Rarely had demons come to like humans.

‘And yet…' thought Sakura as she continued to walk down the path. And yet…no. Sakura shook her head before the bad memories of her life came flooding back. She had always locked her memories deep in the back of her mind, banishing them away into darkness. But every once in awhile, her memories would slowly creep up and show themselves.

Sakura finally entered at the end of the market where all the cheaper booths were held. Children ran up and down the street and old men and women lived on in their booths hoping that someone with a kind heart would come and buy something from them. The houses were very old as well. The roofs had small holes in them and very few of them had doors and the wood was barely holding up as well.

A little red ball bumped against Sakura's foot causing her to look down. She knelt down and gently picked the ball up in her hand. A little boy ran up to Sakura and she looked up. The boy had messy brown hair and was slightly plump but seemed nice.

“Hey lady, could we haves our ball back?” he asked. Sakura noticed two more small boys behind him smiling as well. Sakura chuckled.

“Of course…” she said kindly. She handed the red ball to the boy and his smile grew.

“Thanks. Gee Miss, you're awfully pretty,” he said. The two boys behind him nodded in agreement. Sakura chuckled again.

“Why thank you,” she replied. Sakura was about to say something else when a woman ran up to the small boy.

“Yugi! I've been looking for you. Don't run off like that!' she said. The woman then noticed Sakura and blushed in embarrassment. “I'm sorry if my son bothered you ma'am.” Sakura shook her head.

“No, its alright. You have a very good son Miss,” she said. The woman thanked her. She was about to say something else when her eyes widened and she then glared at her. Sakura looked at her questionably. She then knew why.

“Come on Yugi. Let's go, we'll have no devils ruining our family luck,” she spat. The woman must have seen her pointy ears or the way her eyes looked and knew that Sakura was a demon. The woman grabbed her son's hand and pulled him away from Sakura. The other two boys followed.

Sakura looked around her to see that the surrounding people were backing away from her and glaring at her or frightened of her. She closed her eyes and sighed. This happened most of the time whenever she came into the market. But Sakura continued walking through the market, ignoring the cold glares she was receiving.

Truly, Sakura did feel somewhat hurt whenever she was treated like this. It was sometimes difficult going anywhere and not feeling like a monster, for she felt like one at times. No one really knew though for she never showed it. Just treated it like another memory of hers and locked it away.

But she did hope that one day she would be treated like a normal person. The only way she felt welcomed was at her home. The only place where others were like her and treated her fairly. The only place she felt safe.

Sakura stopped when she came to a small pathway leading to a huge dojo on the edge of a forest, away from everything else. She was home.

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Ch 3: coming soon!
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