A/N: O.T. here! I bet you all thought I had abandoned you...FRET NOT! For I am here. And I bring you a loooooooong chapter. Many thanks to Otaku no Miko who corrected the heck out of this fic. If it weren't for her this chap would have been out a few months ago only six pages shorter and much suckier. I DEDICATE THIS CHAP TO THEE OH GREAT BETA OF MINE!!! Also dedication goes to all my readers who pushed me through my writer's blockage! (Smilies all around) So sit back and enjoy the show!
(charies running around the stage)
Chichiri: Where's my fake blood no da?! Tasuki! Give it back na no da!
Tasuki: (scowls) I only took a little! Sheesh, attitude! I'm the one with zero lines remember?!
Kireitou: (pouting) Does this etheral light make me look fat? And how are people supposed to marvel at my beauty right before they die if they can't see my face? O.T. can't you install a dimmer switch on this thing?
Hyourin and Kasumi: (SWEATDROP)
Spider #1: Can we eat already?!
Spider #2: PLACES EVERYONE!!!
O.T.: AAAAAND ACTION!!!!
-Chapter 17- The Spider's Web Part II
"Long lost words whisper slowly to me
Still can't find what keeps me here
When all this time I've been so hollow inside
I know you're still there
Watching me wanting me
I can feel you pull me down
Fearing you loving you
I won't let you pull me down
Hunting you I can smell you - alive
Your heart pounding in my head…"
-Haunted, Evanescence
The air was crisp and made a faint wailing sound as a silver figure cut through it. It ran through the heart of the forest, a child of the night. Her claws occasionally shred through a fallen log. A sane part of her curbed her feral nature. The tigress snarled in frustration. She needed to hunt. The taste of blood would wash away the incessant pain. She ran the tip of her tongue against her fangs. Her eyes could see through the moonless night as if it were high noon. She was ravenous but it was a strange sort of hunger. Kasumi's insides jolted as she remembered the taste of blood she had had that morning; Tasuki's blood. So sweet…so pure… A soft eager growl escaped her throat. She desired more than just a taste. Visions of tearing out hot red mouthfuls of flesh invaded her senses, but she pushed them down. I am a monster…a voice inside her cried out as phantom memories of terrified prey suffocated her conscience. Kasumi suddenly became angered with herself.
"So what if I am?!" she snarled and instantly obliterated a tree in front of her with her claws. The splintered trunk cracked and its jagged planks and embedded themselves deep into the dark soil. "This is what I live for now…" The excitement of the hunt took control fueled by the craving for a taste of meat.
Her eyes focused on a moving target and she ran after it. It was a doe, spindly legged, and without much flesh on its bones. The kill was an incredibly easy one. Kasumi promptly sank her teeth into her fallen prey. She ate fervently within the silent night as visions of Tasuki filled her cold, feral mind. Kasumi knew she that were they to meet again, no doe would slake the thirst for his blood; nothing inside of her would be able to control the beast she had become.
V-V
Hyourin stared at the blackness around her. Chichiri was still out cold. Tasuki was gone. A terrible feeling crept into the pit of her stomach and the girl knew she was in way over her head. Her mind was racing a mile a minute drowning her in information and adrenaline. In short, the college girl was loosing it at an incredibly fast pace. Her brain screamed contradicting orders at her body. Hide… Run after them… Stay in the shadows… Tasuki! They have Tasuki, I have to go help him… Chichiri is hurt I can't leave him… Run away…
She remained unable to move in her panic. Hyourin knew it would only be a matter of time before the swarm returned. She was forced to choose one of her brain's demands. The girl knew it was risky business moving someone when they were unconscious but even more so was the idea of staying put. With trembling hands she reached for the monk and lifted him off the ground. He was a lot heavier than he looked, but Hyourin managed to pull him away from torn landscape. Her breath came out in wispy puffs as wide brown eyes constantly searched the surrounding forest. There was a faint trail left by the swarm and she followed it moved by a sense of urgency. Hold on Tasuki; I'm coming for you. Just hold on.
After some time of struggling along with the unconscious monk, the pain in her shoulders forced her to stop and take a break. She was determined not to waste the moment's rest. Being as careful as possible, she put Chichiri down and propped him up against a nearby tree trunk. Hyourin wiped her brow and sighed. With a swift carefree motion she summoned water and cleaned his wound.
"Wake up Chiri-kun," she whispered. Her attempts to remove the mask were foiled by the spell keeping it in place. "Wake up, come on, please wake up. I can't carry you all the way." She shook him lightly all the while summoning more water to sprinkle across his face. Hyourin began to worry. If he had a concussion she should have tried to awaken him sooner, or else Chichiri might never wake up at all. She couldn't lose both seishi at once, the very thought was overwhelming. I have to be the most incompetent guardian for this to happen. She placed her hand upon his forehead as her eyes began to water. Just as her thoughts had turned for the worse, the monk stirred and slowly lifted his head.
"Oh thank Suzaku," she sighed. The seishi blinked and stared at Hyourin.
"What…happened?" he asked slowly as the world stopped spinning around him. He attempted to get to his feet but ended up flopping back down. "…where's Tasuki no da?"
"Spiders attacked us. They've taken Tasuki," she told him quietly, "I couldn't stop them, I…"
Chichiri closed his eye. He felt tired. It wasn't the normal sort of weariness. There was a spell interlaced within it that robbed him of the strength to fight it. Whoever was after them wanted to prove a point, otherwise they would have been dead already. The monk half expected her to be crying. Miaka certainly would have been reduced to at least some tears. Not that the monk would blame his miko, the situation was steadily degenerating into a horrific scenario. However, one look at Hyourin's face abolished such thoughts.
Her eyes seemed to glow dangerously in the shadows of the night. For the second time, Chichiri felt himself intimidated by…something, some sort of power rising inside the girl. The power was different from the time Tasuki had needlessly hurt Kasumi. Back then it had been a harsh frost that ate at his bones and sent shudders up his spine, but now, he felt her determination and it blazed like a torch in the darkness. The seemingly unwavering strength of the girl offset his own weakened state and meekness washed over him. Yet after being the pillar of strength for the Suzaku Seven, it felt wrong to allow himself a reprieve at a time like this. He refused to permit himself to be feeble when Hyourin was more than capable of continuing.
"Maybe we can follow them," he suggested as he attempted to stand, but failed yet again. He fell back with a grunt and Hyourin caught his arm before he cracked his head against the tree behind him.
"We're not going anywhere, not until you feel better," she stated firmly.
"Daijobou no da!" he protested but Hyourin shook her head.
"I don't care. As the one who can actually walk around, I make the rules. So stay put," she ordered. The monk's face resembled that of a pouting child's, the mask amplifying his childish actions. Nevertheless, he didn't protest further. Overhead dark clouds began filtering the harvest moon.
O-O
Tasuki felt his agitated mind stabilize somewhat. Yet a single thought burned within him and tore through his heart. Kasumi is dead, she died because of me. His amber eyes were bright and feverish as unshed tears rippled his line of sight. Forgive me Kasu-chan, I'm such an idiot. Please forgive me, I never meant to hurt you. Please…don't be dead, don't let it be true. Onegai…Kireitou's mirror had placed Tasuki in a sort of trance and the bandit's eyes were half-lidded and glazed making everything indiscernible in the dark.
"Kireitou-sama's mirror spell is wearing off, Arah-sama," a reed-like voice stated.
He barely groaned when the spider dropped him unceremoniously on the hard ground. The respite was only momentary for Tasuki abruptly felt something sharp pierce his side. He thrashed violently as the arachnid removed her noxious fangs from his flesh. Something surged through his body like a frosty torrent and burned the inside of his stomach. He gasped for breath as the toxin gradually paralyzed him. A strong wave of nausea shook his insides, but the bandit's entire body had become unresponsive. Tasuki had the unpleasant inkling that, were he to retch, he'd choke to death.
"Miiiine…" the spiders' whispering breath brushed against the redhead's pallid face. His muscles twitched in response but otherwise remained motionless. With the skilled motions of a weaver Arah lifted the seishi and began winding a deceptively frail looking silk around him. Tasuki tried to scream and fight but his body refused to comply.
Shrill screeches pierced the night all around. The sounds reminded the redhead of a faint yet cracked flute as the sound flowed into his ears.
"They come…" Arah lifted the newly-made cocoon and headed purposefully towards the haunting sounds.
The enormous swarm arrived at a vast meadow scattered with boulders of every shape and size. It would have been considered beautiful were it not for the remains of previous meals littering the grassy expanse. The pale ivory bones that twinkled in the frail moonlight were fresh. Some were still speckled with blood, bearing witness against the invading nature of the arachnids upon the meadow.
"It's a pity he needs to be alive to host the spawn," came the windy remark from a spider nearby.
"Indeed, it's been so long since we've had human flesh. Last night's excursion to the village did nothing to quench my thirst."
The silky strands muffled Tasuki's weak cry as an armored appendage clamped against his throat. The offending leg was kicked away by Arah's silver spotted appendage.
"This is MY prey!" she hissed angrily and the rest shrunk back.
"Enough! There will be no fighting among you. Where issss the other?!" a grating voice demanded. From the beneath the gloom of the forest, a silhouetted rose to an impressive height. Eight milky blue eyes seemed to float in the blackness.
"Kisaki-sama, our apologies," murmured the hoard.
"Mother, we had complications," replied Arah.
The silhouette glared at her before revealing itself. A silver-haired spider loomed over the rest menacingly. She was larger than the rest of the hoard, and the armor beneath her silver hairs gave off a metallic powder blue sheen. Her legs were solid and fell upon the ground with muffled thumps. Long saber length fangs protruded from the queen spider's mouth their core filled to the brim with translucent venom. Nervous skittering filled the glade as her dominant gaze washed over the swarm.
"You were given an order by Lord Kireitou himself," Kisaki finally spat, "this failure is unacceptable."
"The girl used a storm against us; we brought what we could." A menacing silence passed between the two creatures. It was clear the silver arachnid was not pleased.
"I…shall retrieve the other," Arah stated, visibly cowed. Kisaki's glare did not loose it's edge as her daughter backed away. With a shrill cry she assembled several lower ranked youkai and vanished into the darkness. The queen spider then turned her attention to the silken bundle at her feet. She raised her two front legs and lifted the tightly wound cocoon.
"You will have the great privilege of carrying our next generation," she whispered her icy breath chilling Tasuki's very soul.
O.O
Kasumi was on the prowl once more. Blood and grime from devouring the doe streaked her face and chest offsetting her fiery blue green eyes. The wind shifted too quickly to be a natural occurrence. She grinned. Hyourin was near, and that meant Tasuki was near. Her throat constricted in excitement.
"Our paths keep crossing," she purred, "perhaps I should grace them with my presence." Her mad gaze became alight with a new frightening spark of hunger as she tore through the forest heedless of anything barring her path. As the stillness of the woods became tainted by the howls of other night creatures, the scent of blood reached her nose. It belonged to the very man she was hunting. She snarled and the thrill of the hunt became an enraged rampage. Someone had dared to harm quarry that rightfully belonged to her. I marked him! He is mine! She darted up a towering elm and leapt across the night sky. An inhuman roar was unleashed from deep within her throat and ripped savagely through the night.
It wasn't long before she spotted the glade. Molten fury overwhelmed and her claws began to pulse with a steady white glow as she darted towards the captured bandit. A deafening distinctly tiger-like roar shook the trees. The arachnids instantly turned and faced the silver fiend. Their pale compound eyes reflected dread as they recognized the familiar threat. They could sense Kasumi's power, she was a Tora; a very powerful, very pissed Tora. Several of the smaller ones scuttled back in terror, seeking refuge behind their larger counterparts, while those surrounding Kisaki inched slightly closer to their leader.
Kasumi stood before them. She uttered no threats or demands. The demoness just glared at the spider queen with eyes that were much too large to be human. The bloody streaks upon her face glistened beneath the pale light. Then without warning, she lunged and slashed at spider holding the bandit. Shreds of silk and bits of Tasuki's shirt fluttered down and the unfortunate arachnid was relieved of its life. Before the redhead could hit the ground, the tigress caught him. Throwing him over her shoulder in a less than aesthetically pleasing manner, she darted away from the hoard at an amazing speed.
Her goal was to reach the cool darkness of the surrounding forest. She would flee, and stash away her prey in a safe spot then return to wreck her vengeance. Anger still flowed through her veins, pounding within her head with every heartbeat. Tasuki's scent was thick with venom and if anything it fueled her wrath. Yet even consumed by her emotions, the bandit's closeness gave her sanity strength. She was enraged, but now there was purpose to her fury…a clarity that had not been there mere seconds ago.
"SSSTOP HER!!!" Kisaki's shrill voice echoed after the escaping pair.
The swarm mobilized as one, their spindly bodies tumbling over boulders and terrain. Several of the quicker ones managed to block off the tigress' escape, but she merely growled in aggravation and leapt over their living barrier. Her silver hair seemed to have grown past her waist and lashed out into the night as she ran. Blood veins began creeping across her eyes tinting the white expanse with red, and her hands slowly twisted and became sinuous and deformed to accommodate enlarged claws. She ran through the thick woods her gaze piercing through the darkness as if it were noon. The tigress' face was becoming more animal than human. The sway of her limbs relayed the smoothness of a jungle cat. She was liquid lightning amidst the woods.
Glowing eyes chased her, blurring into streaks of light as they scampered halfway up tree trunks in their pursuit. Suddenly, spun silk formed a thick netting, entangling itself around her legs. The cat girl hissed angrily, her now black-tinted lips curling back to reveal long deadly fangs. She turned her wide feline eyes to the group of spiders closing in behind her. Despite her efforts, the sturdy silk clung to her and immobilized her legs. She was forced to put Tasuki down in order to slash at the sticky substance.
Arah laughed airily. The sound was akin to hollow reeds grating against wind and sand. In moments, the rest of the swarm surrounded them. Kisaki wailed furiously as she spotted the younger black spider.
"You were told to bring the girl Arah!" the silver tarantula snapped at the smaller arachnid.
"I sent part of my group to get her," the scolded youkai retorted, "but I turned back when I heard the commotion." Her eight eyes flashed with something akin to contempt. "Really mother, you should keep a closer eye on your prey."
Kisaki snarled and lunged at the brash spider, but Arah did not flinch. The queen then vented her irritation upon the captured pair.
"Releassse them! I want to ssssee the the fool who dared enter my domain!"
Promptly two of the bolder creatures undid the netting. Dodging several kicks and slashes they retreated to the safety of the swarm.
"It is you who are the fool Kisaki!" Kasumi shouted, "You dared touch this man. HE IS MY KILL TO MAKE, NOT YOURS!"
Said spider narrowed her eyes. "Who are you that you ssspeak asss if you know me?"
"Come now Kisaki, a few hundred years in hibernation and your mind goes to pieces?" Kasumi spat in mock-sympathy, "How fitting. You're getting old spider queen, perchance your daughter there should take the reigns now." Her tone dripped with sarcasm and provoked the queen spider.
"SSSILENCE!" Kisaki bellowed closing the distance between herself and the tigress. "You! I know you! Kassumi, the ssself proclaimed youkai ssslayer. Yess, I remember you. The kitten who played at war…quite disssillusioned weren't you when you realized that war always comes at a price. Do you ssstill see their facesss at night kitten? You friendsss you so carelesssly led to death?"
The girl glared murderously at the mocking spider. "Don't you speak of them!" she growled. She remembered the fights now clearly. Silver blades hacked at monsters moving as one. Each blade had a face that belonged to it. Blue-green eyes looked up at her filled with trust. Kind, solemn, playful…unique people yet all of them fighting for the same goals. Kojoro's endless supply of ancient philosophy. He was always there, sturdy as an oak with words of wisdom. Tahiko's obsession over anything pointy. The diminutive metallurgist was always busy designing new weapons. She and her twin brother Kato would always test out their inventions on each other much to the chagrin of the group. Kosora and her fiery wit. The tigress was always trying to prove herself, yet as reckless as she was, Kosora never failed them. And then there was Ishi…gentle Ishi with a voice like smoothed velvet and his soft blue almost-lavender eyes that spoke louder than any voice. He refused to fight choosing instead to become their healer. They were friends, siblings, and even lovers. Yet she remembered their faces twisting as they died, some from lethal venoms and airborne toxins, others fighting off enemies that swarmed like locusts. Their cries echoed within her head. She was their leader, and she had failed them all. Cruel fate had allowed her to survive the nightmarish battles, but claimed her kin leaving her alive to endure an eternity without them.
"Painful memoriesss of time gone passst. Isss that why you are so far away from your own? Isss it that thessse humans replace your friendsss now?" As Kisaki began to circle Kasumi the tigress began to shake. "You're ssstill the sssame weak kitten. You have a lot of nerve showing your face again. But don't worry, I'm feeling generousss. Leave the boy now, and I promissse to execute you humanely…"
"And let you breed?" Kasumi snarled, "Now wouldn't that be irresponsible of me?"
"HA! Irresponsssible?!" the spider laughed, "Irresponsssible would be having a relationship with a human! Didn't whatever creature that birthed you teach you it's rude to play with your food?!"
The silver haired girl glowered and a soft growl emerged from the back of her throat. Tasuki stirred and blinked feverishly as his amber eyes glanced up at the tora youkai. Kasumi no…baka…run away…run…His eyesight fogged, but he fought it. The redhead felt a desperate uncontrollable need to see Kasumi, if only for the last time. There were so many things he wanted to tell her, so many things he wished he could take back. He couldn't die without putting things right. He refused to die without telling her…without letting her see how wrong he was…
"Kas…umi… I…" he croaked weakly and he thought he saw the girl wince. He dared let a burst of hope bubble within his heart. He had reached her. Somewhere beneath the tiger, Kasumi's heart still beat. She felt her chest constrict as she heard Tasuki's frail voice. Even after everything she had done, he still called to her. Kasumi had winced, for in that moment she had felt needles prick her heart. Yet that was the only sign of weakness she would allow herself to show, and her cold blue-green eyes burned viciously in the darkness.
"I will never leave him with you. He is mine!" she yelled vehemently at the spider.
"THEN FIGHT TIGER! FIGHT AND DIE!!!" Kisaki shrieked and bared her fangs. Venom thickly coated the ivory incisors as the large spider attacked in a blur. Kasumi dodged the attack and escaped by a hair's breadth. However she did not have much time to plan her next move, for her opponent lunged with a flick of silver legs.
In a brilliant blaze of silver light, Kasumi's scythe materialized in her hands and just barely had enough time to hold back the spider's attack. Over and over again. the burning white blade clashed against silver exoskeleton only to bounce back leaving the armor unscathed.
"Your trivial weapon cannot harm me," Kisaki laughed, "If you were any kind of a challenge you would have defeated me long ago! But even with your memoriessss returned to you, you are nothing for I am invincible!"
The swarm was closing in around them. Kasumi was out of time. The thought of fleeing crossed her mind. She could save herself as it was unlikely that the swarm would follow her, but in that moment she locked eyes with Tasuki. This was it, it was time to make amends for the past. She would save Tasuki, even if she had to die and shred every spider in the swarm. There was too much warmth in that tawny gaze for her to abandon it.
Something within her being broke and her eyes returned to the familiar bottle green hue. She was a demoness, a monster, and a warrior. But above everything else, she was Kasumi. The multiple facets within her fused in a burst of power. The arachnids fell back with frightened cries. Only Kisaki stood her ground glaring at the display of strength.
Kasumi's eyes softened but the fire remained. She nodded silently at the fallen seishi, her hair emitting a silvery-blue glow that pulsed in the moonlight. Her eyes closed locking in their cold blaze within herself.
"I won't fail you, Tasuki. Not tonight," she stated calmly and her voice reverberated around her.
The shimmer in her hair intensified to a bright glow and the radiating tresses flowed with a non-existent breeze. Her closed eyes grew larger their dark lashes becoming even more prominent. Dark tiger markings etched themselves upon her face and neck. The flowing hair then ignited in a bright blue inferno. The flames encased her body and her eyes snapped open. They were inhumanly large and menacing. Her body shifted and warped until it became a large looming figure encased within sapphire flames. The blaze then lifted and settled like a mane around her head and between her shoulder blades. Kasumi snarled baring her saber fangs. Her long tail swished menacingly revealing the large scythe at it's end.
Kisaki narrowed her main eyes as she recognized the form of the tiger youkai. It had been centuries since the silver tarantula had last fought another primordial creature, and it was no small threat. Entire swarms had been decimated by weaker specimens of the species, yet she was not as vulnerable as the rest of her swarm. The tora's blue flame was the secret to her power, and the fire was strong. Nevertheless, Kisaki would not have survived for so long without secrets of her own.
The mane of azure flames upon the tigress' spine brightened and Kasumi's voice reverberated from their center. "Kisaki, lets finish this."
"Asss you wish," the arachnid hissed and jumped upon the tigress who easily matched her in size and strength.
O.O
Hyourin and Chichiri walked in silence. After a few forced moments of rest, the monk had been able to get to his feet and remain that way. The trail they were following was still clear but it was becoming increasingly more difficult to follow. Boulders and steep slopes slowed their progress considerably. In more than one occasion Chichiri had to use a few ki blasts to open up a path amidst the debris. All those times he was faced with chides from Hyourin demanding he let her help him, but the monk remained adamant about proving he had fully recovered. Despite his reluctance to slow his pace, Hyourin was no fool. She could tell he was getting tired by the way his shoulders drooped. The college girl knew it was imperative that they find Tasuki as soon as possible. Regardless of what Chichiri thought, Hyourin viewed the entire ordeal as a test. Kuroko was testing her strength, so it would have to be she who fought the spiders. The safety of her friends was her responsibility, and hers alone. That meant she could not allow the mage to continue on his path to exhaustion.
"Can we stop and rest?" she finally asked, "I'm feeling kind of tired, we've been at it for a while."
Chichiri looked ahead at the seemingly unending path of wreckage before them and then turned to Hyourin as if trying to read her eyes. The girl twisted her neck and pretended to rub her shoulders.
"Very well, only for a little while though na no da," he sighed and took a seat upon a patch of grass.
"Thanks," she murmured as she looked at the sky. She managed to catch a fleeting glimpse at Orion before the bright stars disappeared behind a thick blanket of clouds. The jet expanse overhead now looked blank and menacing. The corner of her lips twitched in a mirthless smirk. Funny how little things like the stars glittering behind misty clouds brought out buried emotions. There once was someone who would stay with her and count them as she told him stories about the heavens. He would then sway her by declaring how brilliant and unique her words were to him. He made promises on the stars; promises he later shattered with betrayal. It was all a game. She was always a game of some sort, or a prize, or an oddity.
What am I to you Kuroko? A trophy perhaps? she inquired silently.
Hyourin didn't realize how long she had been staring at the inky clouds until Chichiri called to her.
"We should keep moving no da," he said as he used his staff as support to stand up. The motion made Hyourin notice that a bit of his mask was torn where blood had come into contact with it. Beneath the red tinged paper she saw the beginnings of a scar beginning to form. She had scarred Chichiri. It was her fault for being so careless. I didn't mean to. In the edge of her thoughts she heard Kuroko's laughter. The faint echoes saturated the woods around her and mocked her for attempting to deny the irrefutable… she had failed in her role of protector before she'd begun. The brunette closed her eyes and shuddered.
"Hyourin daijobou-ka no da?" the seishi asked worriedly.
"I'm…fine," she whispered.
"Don't worry Hyourin-chan, we'll find Tasuki no da," he gave her a comforting smile, "besides, Tasuki-kun always manages to get himself in some sort of trouble, he'll be fine na no da."
"Is that a fact? I suppose I can't say I'm surprised," Hyourin returned the grin but kept her eyes lowered lest he see the lie within her smile.
They threaded their way through the woods in silence once more, each lost within their own thoughts. Chichiri clenched and unclenched his jaw uneasily. He had assured Hyourin about Tasuki, but he himself wasn't sure about the state in which they might find the bandit. The monk was certain that the redhead was still alive since he would have sensed his death immediately had it occurred. Still, there were some things that were far worse than a quick death, pain that would drive one to madness long before expiring. If life hadn't opened his eyes to the cruelties of the world, Nakago certainly had. Torture could run deeper than a mere physical wound, and the mage had the disconcerting feeling that the creatures who had attacked them were planning on breaking both mind and body.
Weariness tugged at the blue haired seishi. He had fought it off until now, but the soreness in his limbs and nagging headache threatened to overtake him. He knew Hyourin could tell, which was why she had insisted on resting for a while. The mage couldn't decide if that was a good thing. He had always hoped to seem invincible to others, hence giving them the strength to fight on. Displaying weakness was not an option for him, not when Miaka and his friends counted on him to pull them through. Then again Hyourin was not Miaka. It had taken him some getting used to, but his mind had finally accepted that. He thought of the girl, not in terms of better or worse than the priestess of Suzaku. There was no basis for comparison between the two. One was a mortal girl lucky enough to be chosen for a celestial task, the other a woman born with the purpose of wielding power beyond human comprehension. Hyourin is unique no da.
Ironically enough, his body took the change to mean it no longer needed to supply him with his signature strength. At the moment it had left him, and not even its shadow remained. He wanted to give up, and just sleep forever. If not for Hyourin's relentless efforts to push forward, he just might have collapsed. The thick spell he sensed upon the atmosphere was not helping. Nevertheless, the girl was giving him strength, and what's more the fact that she was fully aware of it made him feel uneasy at the coolness with which she accepted the situation. Chichiri gave a quiet sigh. He didn't know how exactly how deep in trouble they were, but he had an inkling that it was far worse than anything he had in mind.
Hyourin was distracted. She felt a stream of power flowing and collecting in a single spot deep within the forest. The force felt familiar and made her think of Kasumi, only the intensity was of a much higher magnitude. As she pondered the probability of her friend being near, a bright light erupted before them. Hyourin shielded her eyes from the blinding luminosity and instinctively grabbed for her sword.
"My, you are a persistent little barb," the white radiance echoed in a misleadingly soft voice, "why is it so hard?"
"Hyourin, stay back," Chichiri pulled her behind him. His heart pounded as he perceived their enemy's power. Instantly the monk knew he didn't want Hyourin to fight the demon. Fear began to flood his senses and made the anxiety within him grow as he anticipated an attack.
"Why?" this time the question was laced with anger making the voice warped and distorted, "why is it so hard for you to die?"
The light dimmed and a loud crackle of energy replaced it's brilliance. Kireitou glared at them the diamond-shaped mirror in his left hand flickering with contained power. In his other hand a crackling sphere took shape. His eyes were half lidded in a bored stare yet their luminescent irises cut through the darkness. The hypnotic and terrible gaze was the only thing Hyourin could bring herself to focus on. She did not see the branching fluid attack until it had contacted with Chichiri's fragile barrier. Even then she had to look away to counter attack. Silver ki threaded the crimson wall just as it threatened to collapse. Then monk was forced to one knee but Hyourin reinforced the shield until the attack desisted.
"Enough games! Fight me Guardian!" Kireitou bellowed out his challenge fastening the mirror to his side and summoning a sword. Hyourin glanced solemnly at Chichiri before unsheathing her own blade.
"Hyourin no," the monk struggled to his feet and blocked her path, "it's not…"
He never finished for in that moment Kireitou made a sweeping motion with his pale hand and a harsh charge of power tossed the weakened monk aside like a rag doll. There was a dull thump as the seishi crashed into a tree with enough force to shake loose some of its blood red leaves.
"Chichiri!"
"PAY ATTENTION GUARDIAN!!!" he spat at her as he lunged brandishing his blade with inhuman expertise. She raised a barrier just in time to thwart the razor-edged assault. Her heart was pounding but she bit back her dread and raised her sword. Kireitou gave a smirk, his ever lustrous eyes glittering in cruel amusement. "Keep up little witch, or your pets die." Once again his youkai speed made it nearly impossible for Hyourin to do more than deflect the attacks. Were it not for the shield she had put up, she would have been cleaved into bits by now. Her sword strokes hit nothing but thin air.
Ruri…Gin…I need your help, she mentally called out to the forces she had merged with, but they remained silent.
"Is this all you are capable of, girl?" Kireitou's delicate features warped with barely contained anger and frustration. His most faithful servants had been lost by this mortal, yet she was not a challenge to him. "I should have taken care of you a long time ago."
Twice he struck against the silver barrier, and twice it deflected. Still, the spider prince could see beads of sweat forming in Hyourin's forehead, and he knew his attacks were getting results. The college girl clenched her jaw and focused part of her energy into the sword. Golden light bathed the notched blade only moments before it burst into flames. With a broad arc she cut through the darkness and forced Kireitou back.
"Don't underestimate me," she retorted crossly, slashing and hacking in the spider youkai's general direction. Kireitou receded from the fiery blows. He used his own blade to parry and keep the flames away. Steel eyes narrowed and with a graceful twirl he placed himself behind her. Her back was exposed. With a mighty strike, he eradicated the barrier around Hyourin. She stumbled forward, her sword driving into the damp ground. It was obvious Kireitou's blade hadn't cut into her, but the next time she would not be as lucky. Her hands fumbled to find the hilt of her sword.
"You're mine, witch brat," he smiled fiercely and raised his sword over his head.
The steel blade came down and Hyourin's hands raised to meet it. Light crackled between her fingers for a brief moment and then magnified as she set off a strong electric charge. Kireitou yowled as the blast sent him crashing against a fallen log. Hyourin retrieved her sword but remained kneeling as she tried to catch her breath. She didn't have to look at her hands to know they were bleeding. They always bled when she manually wielded such high voltage. She wiped the sweat out of her eyes and got to her feet. Her soft palms stung as dirt and sweat pressed against her opened cuts.
As was to be expected, Kireitou returned with a vengeance. This time there were no taunts, only a vicious display of violence. In all his years of existence, no mortal had been capable of striking him. He would not let the humiliation Hyourin had just put him though go unpunished. In a moment of blind rage, the youkai drove his sword towards her. Hyourin sidestepped just a moment too late. She felt the blade's caustic bite on her shoulder. The girl cried out and instinctively dropped her sword to grab at the cut. A burning sensation spread from the slash and the warm, wet feeling of flowing blood trickled down her arm.
Kireitou did not stop. He struck her with the back of his hand and sent her sprawling. Hyourin blinked away tears of pain as a coppery taste exploded in her tongue. Fear gathered in the throat like a stifled scream and she froze. Kireitou loomed over her sword in hand closing in for the kill. Behind the youkai she saw her sword. It was much too far away for her to reach. The spider prince smoothly raised his weapon ready to end it all in a single definitive strike.
OO
The ground shook as the two titans battled. The silver tarantula did not flinch, and simply shook off Kasumi's strikes. The same could not be said about the tigress. Deep gashes were splayed across her shoulders and legs spilling tiny rivulets of pale-blue and silver blood. Kisaki gave a primordial shriek and leapt upon Kasumi digging her fangs and sharp tipped appendages into the tigress' flesh. With a mighty slash of her claws, Kasumi pulled off the tarantula. The tigress felt her white hide rent as Kisaki was heaved aside. A new burst of silvery blood erupted from the tora as she and pinned the hive's queen to the damp ground. The massive tarantula thrashed wildly beneath the strong claws, but could not find the strength to free herself. As if on cue, the horde reacted as one. Their dark bodies swarmed the tigress in an attempt to force her to relinquish her captive.
Her eyes shifted from green to a steely blue, and their dark slitted pupils drowned in a sea of cobalt. She hissed at the smaller youkai and brandished her claws. With a flick of her scythed tail, she sliced several of the unfortunate creatures in halves and thirds. She was eventually driven to relinquish her prisoner, but her attention upon the silver arachnid queen was not affected. Something about the disparate strength between the swarm and their queen was bothering Kasumi. Kisaki's armor bared only tiny scratches from the feline's attacks, whereas the rest of the hive were easily disposed of without much effort. How? her rational side demanded, How is it she doesn't feel it?
"Sssso at lasssst you realize the futility of your attack," Kisaki breathed, "My armor isss impenetrable. My Lord Kireitou and I share a sssire. He isss my brother. But though I have a more inferior mother than he, we both have our father'sss ssstrength! I am of royal lineage! You cannot win thisss fight!"
"I'll end your bastard bloodline tonight!" was Kasumi's enraged answer. The flames lining her spine seemed to burn brighter as her voice echoed from within their depths. Her eyes were shadowed but her metallic irises burned in the darkness as they picked up impossible colors. A soft voice echoed within her head from long ago.
'Everyone has a weakness Kasu-chan, all you have to do is look hard enough to find it…do you know yours?' Ishi's soft-spoken phrase left a poignant feeling within her.
You are all my weakness… her own voice answered within the memory. In that moment, within the new spectrum of her eyesight she saw Kisaki's white eyes rimmed with a strange glow. It was the tarantula's only exposed bit of flesh.
Kasumi roared in defiance and disentangled herself from the lesser hive members so as to charge at the tarantula. Kisaki met her head on and the battle between the two ensued. Poisoned fangs clamped upon the tigress' outstretched paw and instantly released their toxin. But Kasumi didn't seem to feel the sting and slashed at the arachnid's main eyes with her free paw. Four platinum claws rammed into the soft and now slimy spot. Kisaki wailed in anguish and blindly lashed out at the injuring appendage.
"You've lived too long, spider," Kasumi growled, "It's time to die."
Blue flame burst out of the tiger youkai though her claws and incinerated the contents of the enormous silver head. A hideous shriek pierced the night as the tarantula wrenched free. Her fangs raked across Kasumi's paw crippling it's tendons and leaving a long trail of venom and blood. Both the tigress' paws were now virtually useless, but the tarantula would never be able to celebrate her accomplishment. She was being consumed by an inferno trapped within her unbreakable exoskeleton.
The pitch black night was broken by the fire erupting from the dying arachnid's joints. The eerie blue flames danced beneath the forest's canopy remaining in sync with Kisaki's violent thrashing and screeching. Several terrified members of the hoard were trampled by their deranged leader before the spider queen finally collapsed in a heap of tangled metallic limbs. Kasumi panted as a pool of pale blue-silver blood collected at her feet. Her eyes darted at once to the comparatively small snowy bundle that had been the cause for all this. Tasuki was out cold, and for some strange reason, she was glad he hadn't seen the carnage she had created. Brave and foolhardy as the man was, she did not want him to see what she was capable of. The once peaceful woods was now charred with glowing embers scattered amidst bits of dismembered spider limbs. The dead queen was now little more than a smoldering shell adding the odor of scorched flesh to heavy scent of blood and venom that hung upon the atmosphere. They were standing within a battlefield, all semblance of nature had been eradicated.
The surviving members of the decimated clan surrounded her in an incomplete circle. She was awaiting their attack but it never came. The entire swarm seemed too confused and affected by what had happened to move. Their queen was dead, which meant they needed a new leader to rise among them. They waited for the most ambitious of their number to challenge the one who had killed their old queen. Arah eyed the youkai which was the center of the swarm's attention. Both the tigress' paws were useless, crippled beyond repair. Add to that the fact that she had a hefty amount of venom coursing through her veins and losing blood, made Kasumi both weak and slow. Arah's eyes twinkled with barely contained mirth as she stepped forth to challenge the tigress.
"You think you have won haven't you?" the spider laughed, "You'll have to kill us all before you walk away with your precious human."
Kasumi growled and the flames wreathing her head intensified. "I have no qualms about destroying more bastard trash like you."
Arah chuckled darkly. "Then we dance, cat. We dance until you breathe your last."
oo
Hyourin saw Kireitou's blade fall. She was going to die. The spider prince would slice her in half with his venomous sword. If the blade did not kill her, then the poison it was bathed in would. Chichiri would be next, and then without her protection, Tasuki would follow. The last thing she would see would be his cold gray eyes. She was going to die.
A bright red light exploded and knocked Kireitou off his feet. The force of the blast hollowed a deep groove into the ground, its brilliance made Hyourin shut her eyes tightly. The spider prince howled in pain as he was pressed against the slope of the mountain and forced to endure the barrage. Lifting his poisoned sword he fought to deflect the attack, but the wall of power continued to bare down upon him. Finally the sword broke and turned upon its master. The broken metal impaled Kireitou, driven into him by the power of the blast. The light finally dimmed and Hyourin saw Chichiri collapse face down upon the ground.
A dark smoldering crater gaped where Kireitou had once stood. Without turning to see if the dangerous youkai had survived the violent flare, she staggered to the monk's side and gently lifted him off the ground. Her bloody hands stained his shirt a deep crimson as she searched for any sign of injury.
"Hyourin…daijobou…?" he asked softly. His breath was coming in short spasms. With the impressive attack the seishi had exerted his life force to the brink. It was a miracle he was still alive not to mention conscious.
"You idiot," she told him, "what did you think you were doing?"
Chichiri gave her a weak smile and reached out to touch her face. "Saving your life so you can keep on protecting me…" he whispered, "…I'm selfish like that no da."
"Stupid monk," she replied her voice breaking a bit, "you're no good to me dead."
A half crazed idea began to form in her mind. Perhaps there was a way to transfer her own energy into him, but first she needed her sword. As Hyourin gently laid him down upon the mossy ground her fingers brushed against a stony surface. Though her fingertips were slick with blood she could tell the stone was much too smooth to be a natural occurrence. She pulled away at the thick layer of moss, wincing as the action jarred the gash on her shoulder. As the greenery was tossed aside, Hyourin discovered what had been at one point the setting of a granite pillar. The stone column was now broken and eroded down to it's base. Nevertheless, despite its age the stone was still a crisp fiery red hue. Almost indiscernible scratches around the base formed a flame-like pattern. Recognition suddenly struck the college girl.
"We made it," she said barely above a whisper, "Chichiri, we're at the third marker."
She turned to the monk but he didn't reply. Though the mask made it impossible to tell, Chichiri's silence and steady breathing informed Hyourin that he was unconscious. The college girl sighed and tenderly brushed a few stray bangs out of his face. Her eyes softened. Perhaps it was for the best, he needed to regain his strength after all. Her fingers trailed down to his cheek, her touch leaving a faint scarlet streak upon the papery substance. Yet beneath the coarse grain of the mask, Hyourin felt the warmth of his skin permeate through.
"You've done enough for me, Chiri-kun," she told him quietly before brushing her lips against his for a moment in a brief kiss. The markings beneath her then flickered with a golden light softly at first, as if their centuries of slumber had impaired them somehow. Then the light spread outward like the wings of a great bird, engulfing both Hyourin and Chichiri in it's midst.
She pulled away from the kiss and the gilded radiance regressed. The two were in what looked like the inside of a volcano. They were standing in a pillar of stone that rose far above a lake of bubbling magma. Large spurts of the torrid liquid spattered high above the roiling surface in a futile attempt to breach the volcano's rim. Amidst the rippling atmosphere floated Sango the fire dragon.
Whereas Ruri had been sleek and serpentine, Sango's body was a collection of sharp angles and edges. Blood red scales covered her form reflecting the light in the form of a golden sheen. Her eyes were large amber pools that flickered with an inner fire. Highly stylized wings sprouted from her back creating a strange balance of delicate webbing and metallic gold spikes. Her tail was long and delicate with an arrow shaped tip. As she glided through the air she resembled a mass of gilded rubies sculpted to resemble a European dragon.
Hello Hyourin, the voice crackled all around her, I feared you wouldn't make it.
Saffron eyes stared at Chichiri curiously, And you've brought a friend… is there a specific reason for that?
"We were attacked," Hyourin blurted too stunned by Sango's dazzling appearance to say anything else.
Ah, Kireitou I presume. Yes, I thought I perceived some activity from him. But you're here now, so no harm done.
The girl blinked as she recalled the fierce battle the youkai had put her through. She had almost died…several times! If it weren't for Chichiri she would probably have been impaled by Kireitou's blade. A spark of anger ignited within Hyourin at Sango's offhand tone.
"We almost died!" she exclaimed, "If you knew he was going to attack us why didn't you bother to tell me?!"
Sango snorted and rolled her eyes. Don't be so overdramatic, it doesn't suit you. Besides, you have to understand that there are a great deal more worlds other than the one you're traveling. The Powers focus their attention on one specific realm when it is absolutely necessary, and even then only when it will not cause disruptions in the other worlds. Kuroko wants you alive, so your life was not threatened. Therefore, there is no reason for me to detract myself from more… important matters.
"That doesn't excuse it! Chichiri could have died and Tasuki… "
Sango interjected. "Could have" doesn't mean they have now does it? When you take into consideration the grand scheme of things, the loss of your companions is a small sacrifice. I believe we can take the risk. Besides, your monk friend seems to be breathing yet. And if you're concerned about the bandit, he's no longer in mortal danger.
"How…?"
He is being aided by a tora warrior, I believe she is quite capable of keeping him safe.
"Kasumi," Hyourin breathed, "but she's not stable right now. Something's wrong with her. It's like she is consumed by some violent beast."
Sango tilted her massive ruby head and gave the college girl a meaningful glance. She is and she isn't. However, Kasumi's inner turmoil is her problem. She will have to accept what she is sooner or later. Or do you honestly believe she will harm the bandit? I am not the keeper of love, but even I can sense it within your tiger friend. If anything, you better hope Tasuki doesn't do anything foolish. Kasumi runs a greater risk of being… disappointed by Tasuki, than Tasuki is of dying upon the cat's claws. And what formidable claws they are.
Hyourin stood shocked by what Sango was so offhandedly saying. True, the girl had picked up on Kasumi's attraction towards the bandit, but she had never thought it amounted to something as deep as love. 'Love' was a special word for Hyourin, and unlike some, she was not partial to throwing it around carelessly. She had several words like that, 'betrayal' was among them.
"I…really had no idea," she breathed, "I mean, I could tell she was attached but I never really thought of her as…"
Capable of falling in love? Sango finished the sentence for her and laughed, It's often those hearts who are guarded the most who give us the greatest surprises. Kasumi's heart has never been a fortress, least of all for the Suzaku bandit.
Hyourin fidgeted as she suspected that there was a veiled statement directed towards her within the talk of hearts. The dragoness' fiery eyes remained fixed on the girl.
You have come far Hyourin, but there is still much for you to learn and experience. As you are you will never be able to wield your full power without harming yourself, so my gift to you is energy. I will broaden your inner flow of power, I will expand your stamina.
The dragoness burst into gems of energy which circled Hyourin in a flurry of power. The pain in the guardian's shoulder subsided as her body absorbed Sango into her own consciousness. Unlike the other times, she endured the fusion without passing out. As the bright red and gold lights faded, Hyourin was once again in the dark forest.
"Sango, wait," she croaked through a dry throat. There were so many questions she needed to ask.
Not now Hyourin, you are in danger. Later perhaps.
"Danger? What do you mean-" Hyourin abruptly fell silent as the sound of falling gravel cut in.
Kireitou was stumbling out of the smoky hole. His face was twisted in an vicious scowl. An angry red burn rippled across his face, blemishing the once ivory smooth skin. He was shaking, but whether it was from rage or pain it was difficult to tell. Kireitou, hideously scarred as he was, no longer appeared as ominous as before. He had lost his poise and the arrogance he once radiated. He was breathing with visible difficulty as he clawed his way out of the crater. A black piece of metal, the last remnant of his blade, stuck out of his chest as a slow stream of greenish blood oozed out of the wound. His murderous eyes cut through the night and stared at Hyourin. Instinctively, the girl placed herself between the broken youkai and Chichiri, her sword drawn.
"It's over Kireitou, you've lost," she told him coolly.
"Battered, and bleeding perhaps, witch," Kireitou growled through what looked like a mouthful of blood, "but defeated by you…never!"
He grabbed at the broken blade in his flesh, and without hesitation wrenched it out of his chest. The dark liquid seeped between his fingers and dripped onto the upturned soil. The muffled sound of breaking wood rose from beneath the earth and from the pool of spider blood, three wooden figures stepped out. They were faceless and without any recognizable marks. To Hyourin they seemed like the wooden models used within her drawing classes. Their smooth limbs were glossy beneath the moonlight as they stood before Kireitou motionless.
"Chisio kairai…" the youkai rasped, "Chisio karai, satsu!" (Blood puppet, kill!)
The figures shuddered and straightened before moving towards Hyourin with jerking movements. Their joints creaked ever so slightly with each motion, but they obediently surrounded the girl. Their order was to kill, and they had no will but that which their puppet master ordained.
A/N: Aaaand so…IT ENDS!!!
DUN DUN DUN!!! Yes I know another cliffy, don't kill me! I had to cut it off! I gave you 20 pages people!!! TWENTY PAGES!!! That's like…1/5 of a doctorate! That plus every time I sent Otaku-no-Miko my work she threw it back at me with BLUE CORRECTION SCRIBBLES EVERYWHERE!!! Sheesh, I never thought my writing would be so horrific until I gave it to her. (huggles her beta) But I suppose it's worth it since my first draft did suck. How about that emotional tension between Kasumi and Tasuki? (giggles) I drove OnM crazy with ze teasing! Hehehehe… Anyways, I've been gone for so long and I apologize. I blame gaiaonline. It ate my time. I'm online most nights peeps, if you want to seek me out just go to my profile and click on my homepage. It'll take you to the FY forums I hang out in. ONTO THE REVIEWS!!!
Chichiri's Wanderer: Bwahahahahaaa!!! Chocolate sauce… (pervy thoughts) Oi! No more bad thoughts! Heheh, hope you enjoyed this chap. It wasn't exactly SOON but I got it out.
Pil-Z: (nudges you) Still alive or did the suspense finally kill ya? (sweatdrop) You know, a lot of these reviews have turned into threats. Kowaaaaaiii!!! I fear for my life! Geez it must be the whole abusing loved bishies. Yeah, I have arachnophobia myself…I don't think Hyourin would do too well with the spiders either. That's why Kasumi got them! (smile smile)
Kasumi: (screams at O.T.) YOU B----!
(nervous laughter) She'll be fine. Your threat was appreciated!
Bishieglomper: Dear, sweet, neurotic Bishieglomper! I also dedicate this chappy to you! (huggles chibi Chichiri pic) Your prodding contributed to the writing of this chap.
Inuphantom13: Woo! I be the awesomeness! (beams) Like I said before, it's not new…but it's here! …er…you do still want it right?
Antyem13: Yep, it's a very dark, very bloody place. Hence this dark bloody chapter! (bright smile) I encourage you to first find yourself a very good editor. We all started somewhere and my writing would not be nearly as good if I didn't have Otaku-no-miko bashing my work. Usually the harshest critics of your work make the best editors or 'betas' as they're also called.
Kristall: I know! I know! College got in the way and then the bloody roleplaying games in Gaia! I'll be surprised if anyone still remembers who I am. (offers cookies as appeasement)
Reviews make me update! Review! Review!!!