#yatoriweekday5

Yaori Week Day 5: Mortality or Strength

@yatori-week-2018

Words: 3490

Notes: Had a tough time trying to figure out how to do this...Hidden by the chaos occurring in the heavens Father kidnaps Hiyori. He takes this opportunity to create a game with his son, Yato. He must find Hiyori before time runs out for her. Teaching him the difference between his immortal life and her mortal soul.  

It never accorded to either of us until now, how fragile human life was. It was so easy to take it away and someone like Yato had known this all too well. Yet he hoped this was just a terrible dream, a nightmare he would soon wake up from. He had taken so many lives in his previous life, but at this moment he wished he knew how to save one. It wasn't long ago since he met the girl that now laid in the hospital bed. He had grown quite attached to her really. The girl that risked her life to save his time and time again. His life wasn't worth saving, he thought that to himself all the time. Not if it meant that innocent people got hurt in the process. Not if it meant that Hiyori got hurt while doing it. He held tightly onto her hand as he cried out to himself. Yukine stood by the corner watching his master unravel. This war had taken what was precious to him, and he needed to find out how to get it back. The girl he had learned to care for was beginning to take her final breaths and it was all because of him.

"What are we going to do Yato?" Yukine sounded so panicked as he spoke his name.

He didn't know what it was, but at that moment he felt something snap. 

"What is there to do?"

"Yato..."

"Maybe we can find her soul...maybe I could name her, then she'll be with us forever. Nothing could ever hurt her again" he threw his head down on the side of the bed. He held onto her hand tightly, but let go once he felt a huge pain arouse on his head. He turned to look at his regalia who had just struck him, his expression full of anger.

"Are you insane! What are you saying!?"

"There's nothing we can do! How are we suppose to find her!? We have not even the slightest idea"

"You find her by trying, you moron!"

"I'm a moron, you're the one that coward at the most important time"

"That was you! I can't cut unless you use me!" Yato smacked his teeth in response. "You need to let your fears go, Yato"

"Like it's that easy..."

"I know it's not, but we have to do it for Hiyori's sake" he watched as tears streamed down Yato's face. "Knowing her, she's probably waiting for you right now. You don't want to keep her waiting, do you?"

"Yukine...when did you become so grown up?"

"One of us has to be" he jabbed back at him. Yato revealed a smile at his retort. "Come on, let's go"

"Yeah, we'll be back Hiyori" he spoke to the empty body on the hospital bed. "We'll find you, hold on and stay strong just a little longer"

        Hiyori sat in the corner of the empty room. She had no idea where she was, and she was beginning to feel light headed. How long has she been gone? Her cord hasn't begun to fade, but she didn't think it was long until it did. A small amount of panic began to take over her. There was something she should be able to do...There had to be. She wasn't going to let this defeat her, not over her dead body. She heard the door creak as it opened. The familiar face cause a shiver up her spine. The thought of this person making himself acquainted with her friends. Living a life that did not belong to him, it sickened her. He snickered and smirked at her as he lingered closer towards her. She pushed herself back by the strength of her legs. He raised his eyebrow in a form of questioning before letting out the sound of his laughter.

"I'm not going to hurt you" He assured her. "I just wanted to play a game with my dear son. Sadly that game happened to involve you in it" he put down a tray that contained food on its surface. "There's nothing wrong with it, it's safe to eat, promise..." He let out a sigh. "Of course that's only if you chose to believe me"

"What do you mean you want to play a game with Yato?" Hiyori finally spoke.

"I only wanted to see how far I could break him"

"Why would you want to see that?"

"There is so much you just don't know. Hiyori Iki"

"Yato will come looking for me"

"I'm counting on that. How long with it take him? that's part of the game. How much is he willing to risk for you?"

"I know he'll find me"

"You have that much trust in my Yabuko"

"I believe in Yato" she stared at him with burning eyes.

"Well, you only have a certain amount of time before your cord disappears. I suggest you try to have a good time while you're here" He pushed himself up to his feet. He stood at the door as he looked back at her one more time. His eyes looked at her fueled with hate before closing the door behind him.

        Hiyori didn't move from where she sat and looked out of the slide door. It was a sunny day out, sometime in the middle of spring. As she stared at the door, she motivated herself to find a way out. Tugging at the looked door it wouldn't budged at an inch. It didn't appear hard or secured at all. Taking a step back she put all her force into a kick. The door fell down with a loud bang. In a panic she froze and waited, but he never came. She could't believe how easy he had made it, that was until she reached the end of the house. As she tried to turn the corner a barrier shot a sharp pain through her body. He was playing with her, because she was also playing a part in his game.

It's been hours since Yato had began to look for her. He watched over at the horizon as the sun began to set. They had looked all over the city and he couldn't find a trace of her. He didn't understand what was coming over him, he felt lost and useless. A large feeling took over him, a feeling of defeat. His father watched from a distance at the shattered look in his sons eyes. He smiled widely as the expression fueled him. The thought of losing one single girl, it was too much for him to bare. He wanted his son to understand, to see clearly the meaning of the mortality humans lived by. The clock was ticking on Hiyori Ikis life, he was certain his son now knew that.

"How long has it been?" Yato asked Yukine as they reached the end of the city. 

"A couple of hours...and there's still no sign of her" He looked down with worry. They sat at the bus bench, he held himself together as he grasped onto it. "What if..."

"We're not going to think of that...We will find her"

        Yato looked up at the setting sun. The sky was becoming a rose color mix with a soft purple. It was a beautiful sight, but danger was growing with each passing moment. The street lights were beginning to dim on into life. Their surroundings was becoming silent. Night was brewing, he turned to look at Yukine. He was shaking as he stared down at the ground. Was it of fear or anger? the answer could have definitely been both. He stared up at the phantoms flying around. They weren't paying much attention to them, at least not yet. Then he saw it, a big one diving down from the clouds. 

"Sekki!" He called out with a loud roar. 

He jumped up as the street was destroyed from its impact. He would have believed this was a regular one, but it seemed stronger. As he began to fight, he finally saw it. The white mask sat on top of its head. Once again he was met with a huge mess. A mess he did not have any time for. As he cut through it and fought it, he watched as the sky became darker. This was taking away his time to find Hiyori. Also as the sky darken the weaker Yukine became. He didn't get mad at this, he understood that he was scared. Scared of the dark and scared of not finding Hiyori. He understood all of this because at this very moment, he was afraid of losing any more time. He landed on top of a light post and tugged onto Sekki's bandages. He felt Yukine react to this motion.

"I know you're scared right now" he commented.

"What!? I'm not scared"

"Right now is not the time to try to be acting all tough" Yukine did not respond. "Look it's fine if you are, but right now I need you to focus" He watched as the phantom looked around for them. It was bigger than usual, a tall green colored monster. "I know a phantom like this is no match for you. Think about fighting it, and don't think about anything else"

"Yato..."

"I get it, but if we take any longer than we need to, we might not make it to Hiyori" He grabbed a tight hold of the blades. "So, you ready?" he smiled as Yukine took a deep breath and smiled with assurance. "Let's go"

It took them longer than usual, but not as long as his father might have wanted it to. He reverted Yukine back to his human form and let out a deep breath. He turned to his regalia. He wasn't sure of what to do, he wasn't certain if he wanted to take him anymore. He knew this had to involve his father, there was no doubt about it. After being attacked by a mask phantom, he knew where to search now.

"I think I know where Hiyori is"

"What? Really!?" Yukine's eyes light up for the first time that whole day. "What are we waiting for then? We have to go" Yato didn't respond. "why aren't you saying anything Yato"

"I need you to understand something-" he was cut off as multiple phantoms began to attack. This was going to be along night. A night Yato had no time for.

        Hiyori watched as the sun rise in the Horizon. It's already been a day, maybe even longer than that. She had no idea how long she's been stuck in this room. Her body had began to feel heavy, it also appeared harder for her to breathe. Her cord, she was afraid to look at it, but she could only image how it looked as it faded.  The door creaked open for the first time on that morning. She was prepared for the voice that belonged to the man who had taken her. Yet was she received shocked her even more. Nora stood at the door, she glared down at her. Even so she held the tray that had her food on it. She walked towards her and put the tray down. Now crouched beside her, she let out a smile.

"You look so tired" her voice was still the same high pitched tone. It brought shivers to her. "Your eyes, their color is fading. The lids look very heavy and you have dark circles under them" she smiled. "Perhaps you should close them, maybe you're just tired...or are you afraid you might not wake up"

"He'll come for me"

"Yato seems to be a bit preoccupied right now. Even if he did find you, there is no guarantee that he'll make it in time"

"I won't close my eyes, not until I get back to my own bod-" she grabbed a hold of her throbbing head. 

"Even the living have to wither and die" she spoke so calmly about death as she shut the door.

"I'm not going to give up. I just have to hold on, until Yato finds me"

She managed to eat what little she could. She chugged down all of the water, she was so thirsty. Her body had become unbearably heavier than before. Hiyori couldn't hold herself up anymore, she laid herself down onto the hard wooden floor. It was cold to her touch, she was just as cold. Her eyes felt so dry and she could barely keep them open. It was all going to be okay, she repeated it to herself over and over. Hiyori thought back to the day before, to what got her into this mess. The words Fujisaki-no Yato's father spoke to her.

"You see what you've made my Yabuko do" His father sounded so angry as he held her down. He had his hand underneath her chin and pulled her head up. He forced her to stare at the fight happening above her. "He's gone against heaven, He's gone against me" There was so much bloodshed, so many wounded. Heaven that was once peaceful was in chaos. "All of this is your fault. He thinks because he had you he doesn't need me anymore" He pulled her up and began to drag her away. "How long does he think he can live off of a mortal? I'll show him, to trust in a mere human is insane"

With all the commotion that was happening around them, she wasn't surprised that Yato didn't notice. That as he fought with heaven, his father was long retreated from the fight. He attacked her from behind, she never saw him coming. The minute she had gone out of her body, she was taken away and locked inside this room.

       Yato stood in front of the old cabin in the woods. He held tightly onto Yukine's sword form. This was it, Hiyori had to be here, he thought to himself. There was nowhere else she could be. There was no doubt in his mind that father was behind this. He began to walk towards the door, but soon stopped. He stopped at the sound of a drop, he looked around but didn't see her anywhere. He turned back towards the door and there she now stood. Nora in her bright white glow, her eyes cunning, her stare as sharp as a knife. Her lips formed into a satisfied smile, an embodiment of a devil. 

"It seems like you finally reached your mark" she commented with a smile.

"Where is she?"

"You always were impatient Yato" he glared at her, his eyes glowed bright with anger. "That's a beautiful look in your eyes. Father would love to see that"

"I'll show him more than my glare. Tell me, Where is Hiyori!?"

She stepped aside from the doorway. "X marks the spot" Yato walked up the stairs and stopped beside her, he was ready to attack if need be. "Happy hunting"

Those were her last words as he walked into the house. Many times has he been brought to his home, force to do jobs he didn't want to do. Terrible memories resided underneath this roof. It was cold as he walked down the empty hallway. Somehow no matter how far in he walked, it seemed never ending Every room he checked was empty. There was no sign of her. He punched the wall in frustration, was he just wasting his time her. Was she not here at all? No, one thing he knew about Nora was that she never lied to him. She said he had reached his mark, and dammit he wasn't going to miss it. He stopped in front of the last door. He remembered Nora's last words as a huge black X was marked over it. He tried to open, but to no avail it was sealed shut. Was it an incantation? It couldn't be just a simple lock. He began to knock on the door. 

         Hiyori heard the pounding from the other side. With much effort she managed to crawl herself towards it. She smacked her palm against it, hurting herself in the process. She had become so weak, yet she forced herself to hold on.

"Did you hear that?" Yukine asked.

"Yeah, Hiyori are you in there?" He knocked again, but he didn't receive a response. Not a verbal one at least as the pounding kept coming from the other side. "It has to be her...I'm getting you out of there, alright" as he twirled the swords in his hand he positioned himself. "Move away from the door Hiyori!"

"There's no need for that" Yato turned at the sound of a young smooth voice. He gripped on to Yukine as his father came into view. "I think it's time anyway, I'll just open the door for you"

"What are you playing at?"

"Oh nothing, I just wanted to show you something, that's all"

"You kidnapped Hiyori"

"That I did"

"You'll pay for that" as Yato swung he stopped right before he hit his father staff that appeared in his hand.

"Here's the deal. If she's still alive and kicking, you can get out of here. If she's not, then I want you to stop acting stupid and come home to me and Mizuchi"

"What do you mean if she's still alive?"

"I wanted to show you, that you can't trust in a human to be your life line. You can't possibly be that dense. Humans are not immortal like I am" he grabbed a hold of the door "Ready?" Yato did not respond, but he opened the door anyway.

The door opened wide to show Hiyori down on the floor. She appeared to not be moving, to not be breathing at all. Yato ran passed his father and Nora, he threw his body down to the floor. He grabbed hold of her and turned her away. Her face was pale and her body was cold. Her cord also appeared to be gone. He called out to Yukine and he reverted back to normal. He also felt her body, it was now limp and she showed no sign of waking up.

"Hiyori" Yato called out. "Come on, this isn't funny, Hiyori!"

"You see it now Yato, what father is trying to show you" Nora's voice sounded joyful.

"Shut up" he cried out.

"The difference between you and her. You do everything to not lose her. Try so hard to keep her by your side. You fail to realize that she's always destine to leave you. Either by choice or in death. Mortality is just that fragile. Come back home now, father is tired of waiting"

"That's enough Mizuchi...So we made a deal, stop this rebellious act" He looked down at Yukine. "Yukine can stay too, as long as he listens"

"Yato, what are we going to do? She isn't right? Hiyori can't really be dead" Yukine pleaded as he watched Yato's eyes become darker. "Hey, Yato" 

Yato put her back down onto the floor as he rise to his feet. "Yukine..." He sounded harsh and defeated.

"Wa-wait..." the voice was soft and low. Hiyori's body finally moved. Her eyes opened slightly.

"No, there's no way" Nora commented with shock. "But how?"

"It was your mistake...to think of me as weak" Yato dropped to his knee and helped her sit up. "I just needed to close my eyes, that's all"

"But you weren't responding" Yukine added.

"Not going to lie, it was hard keeping a hold of myself"

"NO! you shouldn't still be here. I kept you long enough" His father looked like he was about to erupt. "I won't stand for this"

"A deal is a deal!" Yato yelled out. "She's fine, now let her go"

"Father..."

"No, he's right, but don't think this is over Yabuko"

            Yato picked up Hiyori, throwing her onto his shoulders. They walked out the room with Yukine guarding their backs. They looked back as they reached the main entrance. The both of them didn't hide their anger, as they watched them walk away from them. Yato warped them away as fast as he could. They landed inside of the hospital room. Hiyori patted him gently asking to let her go. As she walked towards her body, he could see the small amount of what was left of her cord. It was almost gone, barely noticeable to the naked eye. She turned back to look at them and smiled.

"I'm going to take a long nap" She commented happily. "I'm so tired" they nodded in agreement as they watched her spirit fall into her body. 

The heart monitor beat finally at a normal speed. Yato sat down on the seat beside her and grabbed a hold of her hand and squeezed.