Hakuouki: Dragon Circles in Quiet Summer

Chapter 22

"Sakura..." I look up and see Mei.

"Come and sit with me." I say and she does, hanging her head down.

"I trusted you. I get that you're young but this is... How much did they teach you when you were there?" 

"I... I was scared to tell you because I thought you would make me leave... They didn't teach me about much because they wanted me to be more human. I don't know what they meant but they said that I wouldn't be human if I learned the fury way. I wanted to be human." She whispers.

"If I would've known this I could've helped you. But it's about time you accept you are a fury. It'll only get harder if you hate that fact. But... You are a human at heart. You still feel the same way we do so you are human. But when it comes to it, be thankful that you are a fury. Because you will help protect what you love. You're a fury when you need to defend what you love, you are a human when you feel that love. Do you get it? Needing blood doesn't make you a monster because everyone in the world needs it. The monster is the one who lets the human part of them go, when you hurt others because of it. Understand?"

"Yes." She whispers.

"I'll teach you how to be a fury, later. It isn't painful but it takes a lot of self control. Will you try?" She nods and I give her a hug. "Do you wanna beat up the people trying to eavesdrop? And if Heisuke's there I will punch you in the face." We both hear the sound of scrambling feet and hushed, frightened whispers making us laugh.

~~~

"Sakura, your brother is here." Saitou calls up the tree.

"No!" I whine and groan. "I don't want to get down...."

"You sound like a kid." I hear Souji and look down. He was smirking.

"Do I have to get down? Or can he just come up here?"

"No, he wanted to talk to you with all of us." I groan and roll over so I fall down. Souji catches me making me smile. "A warning would be nice."

"That's no fun." I say crawling around him so he was carrying me on his back. "Let go!" I declare. Saitou hides a smirk and just follows as Souji carries me back, bouncing me a few times making me laugh.

When we walk in Fuyu narrows his eyes. Souji sets me down and he sits next to me. I lean my back against his side. "I'm not doing anything today. Today I'm feeling vary lazy." I smile, closing my eyes.

"Please." He says making me peek an eye open.

"Really?"

"Please, I'll owe you." My eyes snap open at those words. I don't sit up but my tone changes.

"You do realize that if you promise me that, I will make sure it gets fulfilled, right? My time with criminals and gamblers have gotten me to take this seriously."

"Now I do..." I sit up straight and turn to him with a smirk.

"Tell me what you want me to do and tell me what you're willing to give me. And then I'll tell you yes or no." His eyes me skeptically.

"You seem to have a lot of experience in making deals." He says making me chuckle.

"Yes, and so I'm vary good at making them and keeping them. You guys do remember that I was the Masked Fox, right?" I ask with a raised eyebrow. They look away nervously.