Nokoru's secret
By Jared
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Disclaimer: The following characters belong to CLAMP and are borrowed for this fanfic.
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Nokoru bit his lip and tried to stifle his cry of pain. As the pain shot through his entire body, a menacing voice asked, "Are you going to give it to me?"
Nokoru cringed as the pain intensified. He writhed in pain, the pain so great that he could not trust himself to speak. The light from the man's fingers paused, giving him a chance to catch his breath before replying. At the same time, the circlets of light around Nokoru's wrists and ankles that kept him suspended in mid-air vanished, causing him to land on the ground with a thud.
"..I…I…" gasped Nokoru.
"Well?"
"…would…"
"Yes?" the man urged.
"NEVER GIVE IT TO YOU!" Nokoru shouted out, bracing himself for the pain he knew he would have to endure for his answer.
The man's face was a manifestation of utter evil and anger. Then, as suddenly as it had appeared, all traces of emotion drained from his face. In a tone void of emotion, Tereka said, "We'll continue tomorrow. "Turning slightly towards the door, Tereka barked "Dyon!"
Instantly, the huge stout wooden door was thrown open and light filtered into the dimly lit cell where Nokoru was kept captive. A young man stepped through the doorway. He was small, no more than a metre and a half.
"You called, Sir?" His tone was respectful.
"We're done for the day," replied Tereka. "Make sure he's…comfortable."
"Very well, sir." Dyon responded. Tereka spun on his heel and marched out of the cell, leaving Dyon alone with Nokoru.
"Well now, sir," Dyon said in mock courtesy. "Let's get you comfortable now, shall we?" He added with irony heavy in his voice, his greenish-black eyes glittering evilly…
* * * * *
"Well now, we'll meet again later…at meal time. Enjoy yourself, sir." Dyon aimed a kick at the motionless body on the ground, straining his ears for the muffled moan.
The door clicked shut and the rattling of keys could be heard. Silence resumed in the now darkened cell.
Nokoru's inert body lay sprawled on the cold, hard floor of the cell. His wrists and ankles hurt where the coarse rope bit painfully into them, his face telling the tale of the brutal blows that had rained upon him after he had been bound. A dirty rag had been forcefully stuffed into his mouth to serve as a gag, and his mouth felt horribly dry. A strip of cloth had been drawn over his eyes before being pulled tightly into a knot at the back of his head. Every muscle, every bone was screaming in pain.
Suoh, where are you? Nokoru cried out mentally, tears forming in his eyes before exhaustion overwhelmed him and took him into the merciful dark.
* * * * *
"It can't be… He ought to have agreed by now. It's impossible that he can hold out much longer. There has to be a way to 'persuade' him to give in…. Wait, that's it! The boys…They're the key…"
Tereka's frustration changed into exhilaration as he began to hatch his plot.
* * * * *
"Takamura-senpai…has there been any news?" Akira asked timidly as he handed Suoh Takamura a cup of steaming tea.
Suoh shook his head. There were dark circles beneath his eyes, and his usually stern face was worn with a mixture of frustration and despair. Kaichou, where are you? It's all my fault. I should never have left you alone. Guilt overcame him as he remembered how Nokoru had disappeared.
* * * * *
"Suoh, are you hungry?" Nokoru asked innocently from behind the tower of paperwork.
"No Kaichou, it's not lunchtime, and we are not taking a break until you finish all that paperwork."
"But Suoh, it's such a nice day out. And it's nearly time for lunch…"Nokoru protested, the plea clear in his voice.
"Kaichou, you just had breakfast. And there's still three hours to lunch!"
Nokoru thought for a while. "I'll just go for a walk, and …"
"You'll do no such thing. Please concentrate Kaichou. You can finish it before lunch and have the rest of the day off."Nokoru's plea was clear in his eyes. Suoh sighed. He glanced at his watch.
Nokoru hid the smile that was tugging at his mouth behind his fan. "Come on, Suoh. We'll just go visit Akira for a while. He must be feeling very miserable. In bed, all alone…"
"Let's go then," Suoh realised that Nokoru was not going to get any work done unless he consented. "But only for a while, Kaichou."
* * * * *
The men had gathered in a circle around Nokoru. There's far too many of them! Suoh realised how delicate their situation was. But there was no way he was going to show his feelings to either Nokoru or those men. Suoh pushed Nokoru behind him and prepared for battle.
"If you won't come peacefully, then you leave us with no choice." The men brandished their guns.
Suddenly, Nokoru moved out from behind Suoh. "No!" he said. "I'll come with you. Put those guns away."
The men made no move to do so, continuing to eye both boys with carefully.
Suoh, on the other hand, moved swiftly once again such that he was in front of Nokoru. "Kaichou…" he began.
"No, I'll not have you hurt because of me."
Meanwhile, one of the men pulled an object out of his jacket and threw it on the ground. Smoke enveloped both boys.When the smoke cleared, both boys were on the ground, unconscious. The men picked Nokoru up and carried him with them, leaving Suoh on the ground.
* * * * *
The ringing telephone brought Suoh back to the present. He watched as Akira answered the telephone, and a flash of alarm coursed through his face as he saw the smile of his normally cheerful friend fade and colour drained from his cheeks. * * * * *
"Are you sure this is the place Ijyuin?" Suoh asked.
"Hai senpai. The man said 42 Treswall Street. This is Treswall Street, isn't it?" Akira confirmed.
"I just hope this isn't a trap. But for Kaichou's sake, I guess we don't have a choice. Come on, let's go." With that, the two entered the seemingly empty building. * * * * *
"I'm so glad you could join my party" a voice sneered.
"Where is Kaichou?" Suoh asked boldly, while keeping his eyes shielded from the bright light trained on the both of them.
"You'll see him soon enough. When I'm sure you're both not up to any tricks." With that, a huge crate like cage descended upon them, imprisoning them effectively.
Tereka smiled as he pressed a button on the remote control that he cradled in the palm of his hand. That'll be enough to knock them out for a couple of hours, until we're ready, he thought with a smile.
* * * * *
The door swung open. Footsteps approached the helpless captive. A rough hand reached down and heaved the boy into a sitting position by the yanking hard on the blond hair.
Nokoru grimaced, but managed not to let out a moan. He felt the gag being torn off his mouth roughly, and some bread being stuffed roughly into his mouth. He choked a little, and was aware of water being poured carelessly into his mouth. The liquid dribbled down his chin and he spluttered.
"You'd better eat and drink while you still have the chance." A quiet voice hissed in his ear.
Nokoru shuddered a little at that warning, but made no retort. Dyon, angered by his lack of response, blurted out "Well, you'd soon be having company. I hope enjoy themselves as much as you do. Boy, they sure keep weird stuff on them. Shuriken, of all things."
Nokoru stiffened slightly. Shuriken? No, not Suoh and Akira.
"And the three CLAMP Campus detectives together. My, what an honour." continued Dyon, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I wonder how they are doing. Hmm, with luck, they ought to have a few broken bones by now." Dyon baited.
The anticipated reaction came. "I hope you haven't done anything to them. Let them go. They have nothing to do with this. You won't stand to gain by keeping them here."
A cruel smile tugged at the corners of Dyon's mouth. This is just what I expected. Now I can have an excuse to try out my new cattle prod. Aloud he said, "You are in no position to make demands like that. Why you insolent creature. I'll show you." He aimed a kick at Nokoru, who tried to dodge. The ropes held fast and he was unable to move more than an inch in either direction. Smiling cruelly, Dyon reached out and turned the knob of the cattle prod, applying it directly to Nokoru's bare arm.
The cry echoed through the cell…
* * * * *
"Dyon!" chided Tereka. "Imonoyama-san is here as a guest. At least, he will be if he agrees to my request. I presume the 'persuasion' attempt failed. No matter. I have with me my new trump cards. They are just down the hallway. Come, let's go over and say hello, shall we?"
* * * * * Nokoru tried to walk down the hallway. But he had been tied up for so long that his legs were numb and could not walk unaided. He was only half-conscious and was barely aware of the journey down the hallway. The two men supporting him had to half-drag him along.
Suddenly, he felt himself being thrown roughly on the floor. Then, he heard a familiar voice talking to him.
"Kaichou! Are you all right? Kaichou!"
"Suoh?" he managed to mutter, and lifted his head a couple of inches above the floor. Suoh and Akira were chained to the wall, but otherwise looked in good health.
"Now, give me what I want or your friends will have to suffer for your obstinacy."
"Kaichou, don't listen to him. I rather die than be a pawn to hurt you."
"Takamura-senpai is right. Kaichou, whatever he wants, don't agree to it."
"Silence!" thundered Tereka. "You'll pay for that, the both of you." Turning to Nokoru, he said, "I'll ignore that if you just would pledge yourself to me. Well?"
Seeing the look on Nokoru's face, he said, "there's no room for an agreement I see. Well, then there's no point sparing those two." He raised his hand and sent bolts of lightning out towards both Suoh and Akira.
"No!" Nokoru yelled. "Powers of the great elements, I beseech thee, empower me. Thine power born of light, mighty phoenix ignite!" he chanted. Instantly, a golden light enveloped Nokoru, taking the glowing form of the majestic mythological bird. The wings were huge, the wingspan so large that it seemed to fill the entire room. The bolts of lightning disappeared along with the light that came along with the bird, as though they had been nothing more than a hologram.
"Kaichou…" Nokoru turned and saw that both Suoh and Akira were speechless.
"Excellent! Now that you have used your power before the assigned time, you will be punished severely by the board. Join us, and we and those of the dark will help you fight against the board. There is no turning back for you. Join us."
"I pledged myself to the light. Never will I cross over to the dark. Even if I get punished, I would rather accept punishment than join you!" Nokoru retorted.
"Then I suppose you leave me with no choice. We'll just need to defeat you and absorb all your powers. Now that you've broken the rules the board has set, you're no longer one of the guardians of Zayon. Your protective barrier has been broken, and you're now more vulnerable to our powers than before! "
Nokoru raised his head. The large bird seemed to have swallowed him up in the brilliant light. In a way, Nokoru was the bird. He stayed suspended in mid-air, in the very middle of the large bird, whose head nearly touched the ceiling. The bird threw its majestic head back and let loose a loud screech. The light around Nokoru grew brighter as the bird stretched its wings to their fullest, preparing for battle.
"I summon thee, guardian of the darkest night. Bring forth the power of eternal night!" Tereka screamed, as a huge serpent began to take form around him. Just as Nokoru and the phoenix had combined to become one entity, the serpent had merged with Tereka. Tereka, in some mysterious way, had bonded with the serpent to become a part of the serpent itself.
Suoh and Akira watched on helplessly as the serpent launched its attack on the phoenix. The powerful coils wrapped itself around its large prey, first tying up one wing with its strong coils before attempting to ensnare the other. The bird let out a screech of pain. It opened its powerful beak and a ball of light gathered. It shot the light at the dark serpent.
The serpent writhed in pain as the light touched its scaly skin. It relaxed its hold on the huge bird. With tremendous effort, the bird wrenched itself free from the serpent, dodging another attempt of the serpent to coil around its vulnerable throat. Where the coils had squeezed, the feathers were covered with a silvery liquid, which dripped on the hard concrete floor of the cell. The serpent put out its forked tongue, and eagerly ran its tongue over the liquid.
It's blood! Suoh realised. Kaichou must be hurt. I've got to help him somehow… He began to struggle against the chains that held him immobile. Darn these things, he thought.
Suddenly, he heard Akira gasp. He turned his attention back to the battle, and realised that once more, the serpent had managed to twine itself around one of the legs of the phoenix, and this time, reared its ugly head back before revealing sharp poisonous fangs.
Frantically, the phoenix lowered its head, attempting to loosen its grip on its leg once more. However, the fangs sunk deep into the leg. The phoenix let out a cry of pain before falling onto the ground.
As soon as they touched the ground, the phoenix disappeared. Nokoru lay there, unconscious. Tereka transformed back to himself. "Now," he said, licking his lips eagerly, "I shall have all the power you possess."
"No, leave him alone." Suoh shouted, struggling frantically against his bonds. "Leave him alone."
Tereka ignored him. He reached out and gripped Nokoru's shoulder roughly. The serpent had appeared again, and once more the bright light appeared. This time, however, the light surrounded Tereka. "At last, it's mine. This power… Mine at last." He laughed hysterically.
Suddenly, he let out a yell. "What's happening? What's going on? This can't be…" his voice began to fade. Suoh watched in amazement as Tereka began to fade away and the light began to return to Nokoru, taking form once again as the phoenix.
"No…." he cried, his voice fading away along with the rest of him.
"They're fading away…" Suoh heard Akira's voice express the amazement he felt as they watched their guards fade away along with Tereka. The cell disappeared, and all that was left of the room was the discoloured walls and depilated roof. He felt the chains around his limbs slacken, and noticed that like everything else, they too were fading away. He landed on the ground with hardly a sound, hearing Akira land quietly beside him. Instantaneously, they both rushed to Nokoru's side.
"Kaichou, wake up…Kaichou…Kaichou…" Both boys tried without avail to rouse Nokoru. Suoh reached down and felt for a pulse. To his immense relief, a steady pulse throbbed under his fingers. "Let's get out of here." He said as he heaved the limp Nokoru over his shoulder and moved swiftly over to the door, flung it open and proceeded back in the direction of CLAMP school.
* * * * *
"Suoh, Akira…you're…fine." Nokoru said hesitantly as he tried to sit up. He winced a little as the action made the pain course through his body.
"Kaichou, you should rest." Suoh chided as he reached forward to arrange the pillows behind Nokoru to allow him to sit more comfortably.
Nokoru looked at the two opposite him and said, "I'm sorry. I never should have hidden it from the both of you. I guess you hate me for that." He looked away.
"Kaichou, don't be silly. It doesn't matter to us whether or not you're different. You're you. The one that I have chosen to protect, the one that I will follow, always." Suoh said gently.
Akira nodded in agreement.
"Um…Kaichou…"Akira asked timidly.
"What is it Akira?"
"What happened exactly?"
"Ijyuin…" Suoh chided.
Nokoru waved a hand dismissively. "I'm one of the guardians of light. Basically, it means that I've been selected to help maintain the balance between good and evil. When Tereka tried to absorb my powers from me, he could not control them. It turned against him and sucked his power and life force from him instead. Without a host, the phoenix cannot survive. So it returned to me. "
"If Tereka had successfully absorbed all your powers, would the reverse have happened? Would you have vanished?" Suoh pressed.
Nokoru avoided the question. "Akira, what's wrong? You look like you have a lot on your mind."
"Um… Kaichou…Can I ask another question?"
"What is it?"
"Can I have one of your feathers?"
"Well, I'm not really supposed to change in front of others, or let them know about the phoenix…but yeah, I guess. Why?"
"Well…"Akira blushed. "I was just thinking…It glows in the dark…and …. I was wondering… if I can use it to… to… "
"Yes?" prompted Nokoru.
"To… stick on the ceiling as a light." Akira concluded, his face flaming red.
Nokoru flicked his fan open and hid his smile behind it. Suoh turned away and suddenly began coughing.
"Here Akira." Nokoru handed a glowing plume to Akira. "Do you need one too Suoh?" he asked innocently, masking his smile.
"Well Kaichou… I have to say, though a feather would be nice, I have a little favour to ask from you. I'm sure you can manage it easily."
"What is it?"
"Do I take that as a yes?"
"Oh, all right. I'll agree to it. What is it that you want?"
"Finish your paperwork!"
By Jared
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Disclaimer: The following characters belong to CLAMP and are borrowed for this fanfic.
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Nokoru bit his lip and tried to stifle his cry of pain. As the pain shot through his entire body, a menacing voice asked, "Are you going to give it to me?"
Nokoru cringed as the pain intensified. He writhed in pain, the pain so great that he could not trust himself to speak. The light from the man's fingers paused, giving him a chance to catch his breath before replying. At the same time, the circlets of light around Nokoru's wrists and ankles that kept him suspended in mid-air vanished, causing him to land on the ground with a thud.
"..I…I…" gasped Nokoru.
"Well?"
"…would…"
"Yes?" the man urged.
"NEVER GIVE IT TO YOU!" Nokoru shouted out, bracing himself for the pain he knew he would have to endure for his answer.
The man's face was a manifestation of utter evil and anger. Then, as suddenly as it had appeared, all traces of emotion drained from his face. In a tone void of emotion, Tereka said, "We'll continue tomorrow. "Turning slightly towards the door, Tereka barked "Dyon!"
Instantly, the huge stout wooden door was thrown open and light filtered into the dimly lit cell where Nokoru was kept captive. A young man stepped through the doorway. He was small, no more than a metre and a half.
"You called, Sir?" His tone was respectful.
"We're done for the day," replied Tereka. "Make sure he's…comfortable."
"Very well, sir." Dyon responded. Tereka spun on his heel and marched out of the cell, leaving Dyon alone with Nokoru.
"Well now, sir," Dyon said in mock courtesy. "Let's get you comfortable now, shall we?" He added with irony heavy in his voice, his greenish-black eyes glittering evilly…
* * * * *
"Well now, we'll meet again later…at meal time. Enjoy yourself, sir." Dyon aimed a kick at the motionless body on the ground, straining his ears for the muffled moan.
The door clicked shut and the rattling of keys could be heard. Silence resumed in the now darkened cell.
Nokoru's inert body lay sprawled on the cold, hard floor of the cell. His wrists and ankles hurt where the coarse rope bit painfully into them, his face telling the tale of the brutal blows that had rained upon him after he had been bound. A dirty rag had been forcefully stuffed into his mouth to serve as a gag, and his mouth felt horribly dry. A strip of cloth had been drawn over his eyes before being pulled tightly into a knot at the back of his head. Every muscle, every bone was screaming in pain.
Suoh, where are you? Nokoru cried out mentally, tears forming in his eyes before exhaustion overwhelmed him and took him into the merciful dark.
* * * * *
"It can't be… He ought to have agreed by now. It's impossible that he can hold out much longer. There has to be a way to 'persuade' him to give in…. Wait, that's it! The boys…They're the key…"
Tereka's frustration changed into exhilaration as he began to hatch his plot.
* * * * *
"Takamura-senpai…has there been any news?" Akira asked timidly as he handed Suoh Takamura a cup of steaming tea.
Suoh shook his head. There were dark circles beneath his eyes, and his usually stern face was worn with a mixture of frustration and despair. Kaichou, where are you? It's all my fault. I should never have left you alone. Guilt overcame him as he remembered how Nokoru had disappeared.
* * * * *
"Suoh, are you hungry?" Nokoru asked innocently from behind the tower of paperwork.
"No Kaichou, it's not lunchtime, and we are not taking a break until you finish all that paperwork."
"But Suoh, it's such a nice day out. And it's nearly time for lunch…"Nokoru protested, the plea clear in his voice.
"Kaichou, you just had breakfast. And there's still three hours to lunch!"
Nokoru thought for a while. "I'll just go for a walk, and …"
"You'll do no such thing. Please concentrate Kaichou. You can finish it before lunch and have the rest of the day off."Nokoru's plea was clear in his eyes. Suoh sighed. He glanced at his watch.
Nokoru hid the smile that was tugging at his mouth behind his fan. "Come on, Suoh. We'll just go visit Akira for a while. He must be feeling very miserable. In bed, all alone…"
"Let's go then," Suoh realised that Nokoru was not going to get any work done unless he consented. "But only for a while, Kaichou."
* * * * *
The men had gathered in a circle around Nokoru. There's far too many of them! Suoh realised how delicate their situation was. But there was no way he was going to show his feelings to either Nokoru or those men. Suoh pushed Nokoru behind him and prepared for battle.
"If you won't come peacefully, then you leave us with no choice." The men brandished their guns.
Suddenly, Nokoru moved out from behind Suoh. "No!" he said. "I'll come with you. Put those guns away."
The men made no move to do so, continuing to eye both boys with carefully.
Suoh, on the other hand, moved swiftly once again such that he was in front of Nokoru. "Kaichou…" he began.
"No, I'll not have you hurt because of me."
Meanwhile, one of the men pulled an object out of his jacket and threw it on the ground. Smoke enveloped both boys.When the smoke cleared, both boys were on the ground, unconscious. The men picked Nokoru up and carried him with them, leaving Suoh on the ground.
* * * * *
The ringing telephone brought Suoh back to the present. He watched as Akira answered the telephone, and a flash of alarm coursed through his face as he saw the smile of his normally cheerful friend fade and colour drained from his cheeks. * * * * *
"Are you sure this is the place Ijyuin?" Suoh asked.
"Hai senpai. The man said 42 Treswall Street. This is Treswall Street, isn't it?" Akira confirmed.
"I just hope this isn't a trap. But for Kaichou's sake, I guess we don't have a choice. Come on, let's go." With that, the two entered the seemingly empty building. * * * * *
"I'm so glad you could join my party" a voice sneered.
"Where is Kaichou?" Suoh asked boldly, while keeping his eyes shielded from the bright light trained on the both of them.
"You'll see him soon enough. When I'm sure you're both not up to any tricks." With that, a huge crate like cage descended upon them, imprisoning them effectively.
Tereka smiled as he pressed a button on the remote control that he cradled in the palm of his hand. That'll be enough to knock them out for a couple of hours, until we're ready, he thought with a smile.
* * * * *
The door swung open. Footsteps approached the helpless captive. A rough hand reached down and heaved the boy into a sitting position by the yanking hard on the blond hair.
Nokoru grimaced, but managed not to let out a moan. He felt the gag being torn off his mouth roughly, and some bread being stuffed roughly into his mouth. He choked a little, and was aware of water being poured carelessly into his mouth. The liquid dribbled down his chin and he spluttered.
"You'd better eat and drink while you still have the chance." A quiet voice hissed in his ear.
Nokoru shuddered a little at that warning, but made no retort. Dyon, angered by his lack of response, blurted out "Well, you'd soon be having company. I hope enjoy themselves as much as you do. Boy, they sure keep weird stuff on them. Shuriken, of all things."
Nokoru stiffened slightly. Shuriken? No, not Suoh and Akira.
"And the three CLAMP Campus detectives together. My, what an honour." continued Dyon, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I wonder how they are doing. Hmm, with luck, they ought to have a few broken bones by now." Dyon baited.
The anticipated reaction came. "I hope you haven't done anything to them. Let them go. They have nothing to do with this. You won't stand to gain by keeping them here."
A cruel smile tugged at the corners of Dyon's mouth. This is just what I expected. Now I can have an excuse to try out my new cattle prod. Aloud he said, "You are in no position to make demands like that. Why you insolent creature. I'll show you." He aimed a kick at Nokoru, who tried to dodge. The ropes held fast and he was unable to move more than an inch in either direction. Smiling cruelly, Dyon reached out and turned the knob of the cattle prod, applying it directly to Nokoru's bare arm.
The cry echoed through the cell…
* * * * *
"Dyon!" chided Tereka. "Imonoyama-san is here as a guest. At least, he will be if he agrees to my request. I presume the 'persuasion' attempt failed. No matter. I have with me my new trump cards. They are just down the hallway. Come, let's go over and say hello, shall we?"
* * * * * Nokoru tried to walk down the hallway. But he had been tied up for so long that his legs were numb and could not walk unaided. He was only half-conscious and was barely aware of the journey down the hallway. The two men supporting him had to half-drag him along.
Suddenly, he felt himself being thrown roughly on the floor. Then, he heard a familiar voice talking to him.
"Kaichou! Are you all right? Kaichou!"
"Suoh?" he managed to mutter, and lifted his head a couple of inches above the floor. Suoh and Akira were chained to the wall, but otherwise looked in good health.
"Now, give me what I want or your friends will have to suffer for your obstinacy."
"Kaichou, don't listen to him. I rather die than be a pawn to hurt you."
"Takamura-senpai is right. Kaichou, whatever he wants, don't agree to it."
"Silence!" thundered Tereka. "You'll pay for that, the both of you." Turning to Nokoru, he said, "I'll ignore that if you just would pledge yourself to me. Well?"
Seeing the look on Nokoru's face, he said, "there's no room for an agreement I see. Well, then there's no point sparing those two." He raised his hand and sent bolts of lightning out towards both Suoh and Akira.
"No!" Nokoru yelled. "Powers of the great elements, I beseech thee, empower me. Thine power born of light, mighty phoenix ignite!" he chanted. Instantly, a golden light enveloped Nokoru, taking the glowing form of the majestic mythological bird. The wings were huge, the wingspan so large that it seemed to fill the entire room. The bolts of lightning disappeared along with the light that came along with the bird, as though they had been nothing more than a hologram.
"Kaichou…" Nokoru turned and saw that both Suoh and Akira were speechless.
"Excellent! Now that you have used your power before the assigned time, you will be punished severely by the board. Join us, and we and those of the dark will help you fight against the board. There is no turning back for you. Join us."
"I pledged myself to the light. Never will I cross over to the dark. Even if I get punished, I would rather accept punishment than join you!" Nokoru retorted.
"Then I suppose you leave me with no choice. We'll just need to defeat you and absorb all your powers. Now that you've broken the rules the board has set, you're no longer one of the guardians of Zayon. Your protective barrier has been broken, and you're now more vulnerable to our powers than before! "
Nokoru raised his head. The large bird seemed to have swallowed him up in the brilliant light. In a way, Nokoru was the bird. He stayed suspended in mid-air, in the very middle of the large bird, whose head nearly touched the ceiling. The bird threw its majestic head back and let loose a loud screech. The light around Nokoru grew brighter as the bird stretched its wings to their fullest, preparing for battle.
"I summon thee, guardian of the darkest night. Bring forth the power of eternal night!" Tereka screamed, as a huge serpent began to take form around him. Just as Nokoru and the phoenix had combined to become one entity, the serpent had merged with Tereka. Tereka, in some mysterious way, had bonded with the serpent to become a part of the serpent itself.
Suoh and Akira watched on helplessly as the serpent launched its attack on the phoenix. The powerful coils wrapped itself around its large prey, first tying up one wing with its strong coils before attempting to ensnare the other. The bird let out a screech of pain. It opened its powerful beak and a ball of light gathered. It shot the light at the dark serpent.
The serpent writhed in pain as the light touched its scaly skin. It relaxed its hold on the huge bird. With tremendous effort, the bird wrenched itself free from the serpent, dodging another attempt of the serpent to coil around its vulnerable throat. Where the coils had squeezed, the feathers were covered with a silvery liquid, which dripped on the hard concrete floor of the cell. The serpent put out its forked tongue, and eagerly ran its tongue over the liquid.
It's blood! Suoh realised. Kaichou must be hurt. I've got to help him somehow… He began to struggle against the chains that held him immobile. Darn these things, he thought.
Suddenly, he heard Akira gasp. He turned his attention back to the battle, and realised that once more, the serpent had managed to twine itself around one of the legs of the phoenix, and this time, reared its ugly head back before revealing sharp poisonous fangs.
Frantically, the phoenix lowered its head, attempting to loosen its grip on its leg once more. However, the fangs sunk deep into the leg. The phoenix let out a cry of pain before falling onto the ground.
As soon as they touched the ground, the phoenix disappeared. Nokoru lay there, unconscious. Tereka transformed back to himself. "Now," he said, licking his lips eagerly, "I shall have all the power you possess."
"No, leave him alone." Suoh shouted, struggling frantically against his bonds. "Leave him alone."
Tereka ignored him. He reached out and gripped Nokoru's shoulder roughly. The serpent had appeared again, and once more the bright light appeared. This time, however, the light surrounded Tereka. "At last, it's mine. This power… Mine at last." He laughed hysterically.
Suddenly, he let out a yell. "What's happening? What's going on? This can't be…" his voice began to fade. Suoh watched in amazement as Tereka began to fade away and the light began to return to Nokoru, taking form once again as the phoenix.
"No…." he cried, his voice fading away along with the rest of him.
"They're fading away…" Suoh heard Akira's voice express the amazement he felt as they watched their guards fade away along with Tereka. The cell disappeared, and all that was left of the room was the discoloured walls and depilated roof. He felt the chains around his limbs slacken, and noticed that like everything else, they too were fading away. He landed on the ground with hardly a sound, hearing Akira land quietly beside him. Instantaneously, they both rushed to Nokoru's side.
"Kaichou, wake up…Kaichou…Kaichou…" Both boys tried without avail to rouse Nokoru. Suoh reached down and felt for a pulse. To his immense relief, a steady pulse throbbed under his fingers. "Let's get out of here." He said as he heaved the limp Nokoru over his shoulder and moved swiftly over to the door, flung it open and proceeded back in the direction of CLAMP school.
* * * * *
"Suoh, Akira…you're…fine." Nokoru said hesitantly as he tried to sit up. He winced a little as the action made the pain course through his body.
"Kaichou, you should rest." Suoh chided as he reached forward to arrange the pillows behind Nokoru to allow him to sit more comfortably.
Nokoru looked at the two opposite him and said, "I'm sorry. I never should have hidden it from the both of you. I guess you hate me for that." He looked away.
"Kaichou, don't be silly. It doesn't matter to us whether or not you're different. You're you. The one that I have chosen to protect, the one that I will follow, always." Suoh said gently.
Akira nodded in agreement.
"Um…Kaichou…"Akira asked timidly.
"What is it Akira?"
"What happened exactly?"
"Ijyuin…" Suoh chided.
Nokoru waved a hand dismissively. "I'm one of the guardians of light. Basically, it means that I've been selected to help maintain the balance between good and evil. When Tereka tried to absorb my powers from me, he could not control them. It turned against him and sucked his power and life force from him instead. Without a host, the phoenix cannot survive. So it returned to me. "
"If Tereka had successfully absorbed all your powers, would the reverse have happened? Would you have vanished?" Suoh pressed.
Nokoru avoided the question. "Akira, what's wrong? You look like you have a lot on your mind."
"Um… Kaichou…Can I ask another question?"
"What is it?"
"Can I have one of your feathers?"
"Well, I'm not really supposed to change in front of others, or let them know about the phoenix…but yeah, I guess. Why?"
"Well…"Akira blushed. "I was just thinking…It glows in the dark…and …. I was wondering… if I can use it to… to… "
"Yes?" prompted Nokoru.
"To… stick on the ceiling as a light." Akira concluded, his face flaming red.
Nokoru flicked his fan open and hid his smile behind it. Suoh turned away and suddenly began coughing.
"Here Akira." Nokoru handed a glowing plume to Akira. "Do you need one too Suoh?" he asked innocently, masking his smile.
"Well Kaichou… I have to say, though a feather would be nice, I have a little favour to ask from you. I'm sure you can manage it easily."
"What is it?"
"Do I take that as a yes?"
"Oh, all right. I'll agree to it. What is it that you want?"
"Finish your paperwork!"