Morning Star

"Wait," she stammered. "You see her too?" She looked at Luka and back at Ikumi. "So it's not just me? I'm not going crazy?" Saki looked like she was on the verge of hysterics. "Oh wow, this can't be happening." She brought two fingers to her temples massaging them.

--

Amaya looked up, spotting Saki and Luka. "Saki," she called. Ikumi and Kai twisted their heads to see them. "Saki?" Ikumi whispered, a smile tugging at her lips. Her heart, though still, warmed as she took in the sight of her daughter.
Kai's face dropped as he probed Saki's mind. " She's destressed. She wasn't ready to see you Ikumi and now, well she still thinks she's a little crazy." He looked up at the couple once more.
"Luka, in answer to your question, which Saki has so helpfully replayed for me, yes, yes she is dead." Kai smiled, slightly frustrated about having to go through Saki, since he was having a little difficulty with Luka's mind.

"You're not crazy Saki. Nothing's impossible okay? Just remember that and you won't lose your mind. No matter how weird things get." Luka took her hand again, pressing his lips to her temple and walked her over to them. "I gathered as much. I can't hear a heartbeat." He told Kai. "And I would appreciate it if you stayed out of my head. There's stuff in there I don't want you to see and blocking you out is starting to make my head hurt."

"I'm not making any promises," he smirked. Kai settled himself, still aware of Saki's distress.
"You can't be here," Saki muttered lightly, knowing Ikumi would hear her. "And just why not?!" Ikumi snapped, unable to bear her own child hating her. "You can be heard, I can be seen and I can be touched so why can I not be here?" She exhaled heavily as Amaya put a reassuring hand on her arm.
"Mother it's okay. She just needs to calm down and then talk with you. I'm pretty sure she'll come round." Her voice was a whisper but Saki heard it. "No! She isn't our mother, not anymore. You know that people change when they die. You've heard the bedtime stories. It's not supposed to be real and you know it Amaya. I can't believe that this," she gestured to Ikumi, "is my mother. My mother is dead and buried and isn't coming back." Saki was sobbing gently, her rant over. Kai just sat back and smiled while Ikumi allowed one creamy tear fall from her eye. "You see? She can't even cry properly. It's a messed up colour!" Saki crumpled on the floor, her tears falling freely.

"Keep getting into my head and I may just get into yours." Luka snapped. "And not by reading it either. I'm giving you a fair warning Kai. Stay out of my head." Taking seat next to Saki, he draped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close whispering reassuring words to her. He knew he wouldn't be able to comfort her completely but he could give her what he could.

Kai pushed his nose into the air, looking like a spoilt child. Amaya looked at him with an are-you-serious kind of look. He raised his hands and shrugged, laying back against the ground. The fire, which was close by to his surprise, danced in his periphery and warmed his face.
Saki sat a few feet from the rest and cuddled closely into Luka. "I'm sorry you had to see that," she muttered, her voice muffled. Tears still ran down her cheeks and she took her arm to her eyes, wiping them away.
Amaya sat, an arm wrapped around Ikumi; comforting her. She stared at Saki, frustrated that she had no justified reason to dismiss Ikumi's presence. Ikumi hushed her, drawing her face away from Saki. "It's okay. Kai's right, she wasn't ready to see me."
Saki snapped her head up and looked straight at Ikumi, who had her face turned away. She shook her head and looked slowly at Luka. "Thank you for everything." She gestured to the way he cuddled her and the way he tried to make her feel better. "Who would have guessed some kitty cat would have such a huge effect on me," she said her tone playful.

"Well you've seen me in worse states, so don't apologise." He murmured into her hair. "Well hopefully this kitty will have an effect like that on you for ages. Can't lose you to anyone can I?!" He laughed. "Especially Kai. Though I may just give him a dose of what's on my mind..."

"No, no you can't. You're stuck with me, unfortunately," she smiled, a slight laugh escaping past her lips. "I'd love to see how he would react to that!" Her mood had picked up, and she felt as if an invisible bubble has formed around her and Luka. It made her smile, happy to be even remotely alone with him.

"How unfortunate." He teased. With a smirk, he let certain thoughts slide through his mind, watching Kai carefully for any sign of reaction, unsure if he was still trying to work Luka's mind. "Just keep watching..." He told her.

Saki fixed her eyes on Kai, waiting for the unknown.
Kai, having layed back, bolted upright his eyes trained on Luka. "What the hell was that?" Kai had only caught a glimpse of Luka's mind but it was impossible to decipher anything from it. He stood and walked over to them, watching Luka carefully.
"What did he see?" Saki's voice was a whisper, eager to know what Luka had done before Kai reached within earshot.

"I just showed him what he wanted to see...mainly you...in little clothing." He giggled, hiding his face to stop Saki slapping him. Peeking his eyes over his arms, he threw Kai a grin. "Why did you like it?" He asked Kai, raising a brow, letting the barrier ebb away slightly so he could see the picture more clearly.

Saki punched him in the arm. "I'd much rather you didn't feed his fantasies." She shot a quick wink at Kai, knowing he'd heard.
"I-," he muttered, reading deeper into Luka's head. He couldn't stop himself. Urging himself to break away, he moved to Saki's mind, regretting it the instance he did. Saki smiled wryly at him, forcing herself to remember every detail of her moments with Luka, even the slightest touch. "Stop," he moaned, hurt the dominant emotion.
"Revenge is such a bitch, don't you think?" Saki leant her head to the side, looking like a lost puppy. She glanced quickly at Luka, suppressing a laugh.

"Told you to stay out of my mind." Luka laughed. "So cut yourself off and I'll stop thinking about it." The smug grin tainting his words as he laced his fingers together, mind going further and further into the gutter.

Kai snapped his eyes away from Saki, signalling the end of the mind reading. "I hope you're happy," he spat at Saki. She simply nodded and replied. "How can I not be? I've got all I need right here." She embraced Luka as she spoke and smiled.
Kai stalked away and Saki was left looking into the orange orbs that belonged to her sister. Amaya's face showed mild fury. "When did you get so bitchy?" She muttered. Saki stared at her in disbelief. "He tried to kill me. Why shouldn't I be a bitch towards him?"

Luka sat in silence for a moment, running his eyes over Ayama.
"You...like him don't you?" He asked quietly, staring at his feet almost asking the question to himself, knowing that the attempt would be in vain. With a sigh, he looked her in the face. "Don't lie Ayama. It's so obvious it's almost painful."

"Excuse me? I find that rude and what does it matter if I do?" She glared at Luka, confused as to where the new found anger had come from. She usually liked Luka but his invasion to her personal life flared her emotion.
"So that's why you're defending him?" Saki sighed, burying her hands to her face, dragging them slowly away. "Amaya, he's not someone you want to get mixed up with. I should know." She glanced sideways at Luka apologetically.

"It doesn't matter to me if you do. Just helps keep things in perspective. I'm hardly about to tell you it's a bad idea because you wouldn't listen regardless, after all when you like someone you don't listen to other critique, who would?" He told her, brushing the unfamiliar glare off. "I trust your judgement so do as you see fit."

"See? At least someone understands." She looked away, her expression hard. "I'm not telling you what to do, just stating the fact that he's not some one you need in your life." Amaya glanced at Saki and huffed.
"I'm tired. I'll see you later." She stood and walked away, entering her own tent. "Well that went well." Saki's tone was highly sarcastic.
"I can't believe you Saki. You used to be such a nice little girl. Now you spend your life insulting people, including myself." Just to prove Ikumi right Saki retaliated. "You're hardly a person. You're dead remember. Oh and you can't dictate to me because that stopped when you were murdered. To think, all that's left of you is a charred corpse and a spirit. You make me sick now! Thinking you can just waltz right back into our lives when you've been dead for thirteen years of our lives. I don't think I can call you my mother anymore Ikumi. In my mind, you're dead and I plan on keeping it that." Saki rose from the floor and stalked away, holding her sides. Ikumi stared after her, her mouth open slightly.
She switched her gaze to Luka.

"Gomen." Luka mumbled tilting his head forwards to her. "She didn't mean it like that. It's been a stressful day, anyone would flip out. I would offer to talk her round but I think this is something she has to deal with herself." He moved himself so he was sat on his knees, leaning back against his heels. "So please don't take it personally, I know that means nothing, but try to keep a third person look on this. It'll make it a bit easier." He told her, running his fingers through his hair absentmindedly.

"Thank you Luka but I don't think she's about to come back from this any time soon. I'm still Ikumi, mother of two and a vampyre. Saki wasn't ready to ever see me again. I guess if someone had mentioned me to her before she'd layed eyes on me then it wouldn't be so bad but there isn't much anyone can do now." Standing, she looked down carefully at Luka. 'Look after her, won't you? My girls are all I've got." Ikumi slowly walked away, beginning to fade into a true spirit.

--

Kai slipped into Amaya's tent and looked at the girl, who had jumped. "Only me?" He smiled, though his eyes were blank. "Saki's right you know. You can't think of me like that. I'm not good for you and you're too young." He glanced around the room, his eyes touching everywhere apart from Amaya.

Luka nodded gently, twining his fingers together and clmapinghis lips shut to stop himself shouting after her to come back. He knew it would elad to nowhere good and she would come back in her own time. But it didn't stop the wave of unfamiliar annoyance that he felt towards Saki. Holding back a hiss, he stood, stalking off towards the woods, gripping one of the horses reigns as he walked forcing the beast to walk after him. Reaching the dge of the camp, he swung himself up, settling onto the horses back. A ride might calm him down.

Saki sat in her tent, listening to the quiet thud of Luka's feet as he walked away. She sighed and bent to pick up the sheets she had taken from storage earlier. She threw the first sheet over her bed, acting as bed sheets and then took a duvet cover to go over her thin, but warm, quilt. Her pillow was next to be wrapped in white and she laid on her bed, having completed dressing it.
“What am I to do with myself?” She muttered quietly to herself, running the whole day through her head.

--

“The least you could do is look at me.” Her voice was thick with anger and annoyance. When he refused to look at her she got up and grabbed him underneath the chin. Forcing him to look at her, she smiled. “Better.”
“You aren’t changing your mind about me any time soon, are you?” The girl shook her head and Kai gave an exasperated sigh. “Fine, but when you get hurt expect me to say I told you so.” He looked hard into her eyes, expecting her to change her mind. It was all to no avail.
“I really don’t care. I’m sure Saki will say exactly the same as you and she’ll get the same reaction.”

Luka drew to a halt outside the smouldering village, the horse shuffling nervously to avoid the glowing embers which were still dotted around the place. Slipping off the horses back, he looped the reigns around a slanted post padding through quietly. It was eerie, wind whistling through the cracks of the houses that would soon be forgotten. "Stupid thoughts really." He mumbled to himself brushing away most of the ash that had floated into his hair.

Ikumi appeared in beside Luka. "This place reminds me of my home, or what used to be my home." Her eyes were sad but she smiled all the same.

--

Saki rose from her bed and picked up the remaining sheets. As much as she was annoyed at Amaya, she figured it would be a nice gesture.

--

"Is that really any way to speak about your sister?" He tutted and shook his head.
"Well, she's hardly said anything nice to me, so why not get my own back?" She crossed her arms and sat on her bed. Kai put a finger to his lips, looking like he was thinking.
"Point taken Amaya but wouldn't you rather be the bigger woman and resolve the issue?" Kai looked hard at the girl, probing her mind. Kind of I guess. He smiled. Now he'd know if she was lying.

"It's a shame really. I don't remember much of my home. I would give anything to know but Koda doesn't like talking about it and I won't ask that of her." He sighed, settling on the still warm ground. "Tell me, do you...see others? Do people just hang around or what?"He pulled in his knees, resting his head on them. "I don't understand why she's so quick to shun you when I would give anything to switch places."

"Don't be so quick though. She may have had a mother for three years but she doesn't remember any of that. Saki has lived without parental guidance for virtually her whole life. All she knew of me was that I was the one that gave birth to her. Apart from that, she doesn't know me at all. We never got the chance to bond." She twisted a strand of hair around her finger, surveying the dessicated village.
"Oh and the other question. I'm not quite sure what you mean by hang around?" Ikumi thought she had an idea but she wasn't prepared to express in case she were wrong.

--

Saki ducked underneath the opening of Amaya's tent, becoming tense when she saw how close Amaya and Kai were. She said nothing on the subject and held out the bed sheets.
"I thought maybe you'd like some clean ones?" Saki dropped the sheets on Amaya's bed and the girl looked up at her, surprised.
"Um, thank you?" She exchanged glances with Kai.
"I told you to be the bigger woman, but she beat you to it I'm afraid." Saki looked at Kai, confused. "I was telling Amaya here that she should be the bigger person and resolve the issue between the two of you, or at least make the first move. Since you got there before hand it looks like all we need now is to ride it out." He listened closely to Saki's thoughts.
She could feel him inside her head. I still don't like you being this close to my sister. Kai's expression became apologetic.
"I know, and I apologise for this but I can't change her mind anymore than you can." Amaya looked around, having missed the first part of the conversation. She could guess what it was though.
"None of you can change my mind. I wouldn't try to stop you getting close to Luka, or anyone else for that matter so I don't see why this is such a big deal."
Saki gave an exasperated sigh. "I'm not going to go into this. It's my job, as the older sister to look out for you and sort things out when they go wrong. I'm not going to give myself a situation to resolve over Kai. He really isn't worth it," she glanced at Kai, "no offense."