Prologue
In times of joy, there is love and war. Peace is a rare commodity for those who seek change, though rarely does it assuage their thirst for something better; something that almost unanimously promises to be positive and grand. Some are blessed with power to carve mountains out of canyons and make diamonds out of dust. Others are forsaken; forced to sacrifice much to attain the prize that promises to be. In this, the universal constant of Succession moves the foundations of empires and the strike of the stone equally, for nothing truly valuable stands still, and life tends to thrive only in its own chaotic state of being.
Like light and life, chaos illuminates the times.
In the state of Chaos-gone, momentary stillness settles over the Earth and all is relegated to the lazy, waning moments after long battles and thrashed emotions, as if the only true moments of life were witnessed by the pains of the heart. The Earth grows still in the presence of peace and the rocks and oceans move lifelessly about their ways, grinding dust and pushing waves until the very insanity of the calm begs for a spike, a moment of extreme. No eyes wander when Pandemonium looms, yet minds fall freely upon idle thoughts when the breeze speaks vanilla and the skin breaks not in sweat, nor chills. A serene light has snuffed the darkness, its brilliance drawing back the curtain of death to restore things to the balance of gray. Like the light of existence, whose brilliance pierced the very black heart of the still Universe, Serenity's light coffered the Earth in warmth, tenderness and peace. However, even with the single flame cutting through the mantle of night, many shadows are cast in countless, sweeping directions; places where the light could not be seen.
Now merely a sprawling graveyard of buildings, streets and ruins, the once proud and bustling metropolis, formally known as Tokyo in times before the death and destruction, was still littered with relics and flashes of light that periodically lit up the crumbling buildings, their steel ribs exposed to the dusky evening air and their once proud heads drooping dangerously to the earth like great Titans that had fought an immense battle and lost. These flashes of intermittent light thrust great hands into the darkening sky, as if to grasp the starless heavens that were slowly coming out to observe. Everything in the city, from the scattered cars to the broken glass, existed now only in pastels, denied any kind of brilliance or color that had once caused the city to sparkle like a reply to the distant stars – as if insolence to shine as they would. All had turned to dust and dirt. It was the kind of scenery that frightened the familiar and warned the complacent, though rarely compounded the effect astride. Yet, the Earth was not the only one to suffer. Up in the evening sky was an immense belt of broken rock, lingering high above in rings of stones similar in shape and size, consistently rubbing against on another to bring all into line. This belt of solar tears shot streaks of burning scars into the falling darkness, momentarily filling the sky with light but soon exhausting itself and breaking into nothing. The moon was a shattered memory. It had broken upon the will of the enemy, an enemy that possessed such a power as to reduce the magnanimous consort of the Earth into the line of tumbling rocks ever-destined to die upon the atmosphere.
Tokyo, a city once born in majesty and forged with the blood of the divine, was now a tomb.
However, there were some who still called it home. These creatures ranged far and wide, from the lowest survivor of the deed to those that had caused it. A large group of creatures, easily consistent with the latter classification, marched blatantly through the barren streets, their regimented movements and sounds appearing very blasphemous to the dead streets they strode. They were once human, but now only resembled those whom that had previously been. Their skin had a grayish tint to it, making them seem ghoulish and somewhat akin to the murky dusk that was slipping quietly into night. Biological armor was dormant in the vital areas of their bodies, as if this alien growth had emerged from their own bodies to perform in a heretical capacity of protection. They were of no force for Earth now, but rather minions of the darkness that had consumed her. For now, as they were, they were as far from human as possible.
It was a tight formation and two in the front were discussing a recent battle with an unnamed foe in voices that bordered on frustration and fear that could only be induced from the fiercest resistance – the resistance of life. They were the ranking officers of the squad. They were distinctly different armor and gait defined them and the others followed in silent reverence for the things they spoke. It was obvious; they spoke of a dreaded foe. Yet, such a foe to the enemy promised a future to the dreary city.
All was silent, aside from the random chunk of mortar and metal which fell from the tortured buildings. This assumed life was progressing, marking no immediate changes to their perfectly plain world. Then, an explosion rocked the city. Far into the distance, a ball of flame rose into the air like a red flower and illuminated the grisly corpse of the city, which seemed to cry out with the rumble and whistle of the rising heat. The squad stuttered to a halt, with the officers craning their necks to see more of the bright fire. "What was that?" called the lesser of the two, a once beautiful woman now seeming sad and imprisoned in gaunt armor and a scowling complexion.
The other, ranked as the leader among these, shifted dark eyes towards the light as well and felt the heat even from this distance. He was tall and formidable, yet something of a lost kindness still resided in his eyes and he also seemed ill-fit to the part he was playing. The human in them all was only an echo now. "I don't know," said he, "but let's go check it out." In his voice, there was fear.
After a short sprint, the group arrived among the rubble and surveyed the damage with a silent sense of awe to them. The entire street was warped from the heat and even the cement had become molten. The buildings and lamp posts were wilted, if not bowing towards the center of the still sweltering street, making it seem oddly reverent that the city would call upon the foe of an enemy. Yet, the squad seemed to recognize the scene and suddenly became very disturbed, murmuring in unrest. The leader was shaky as he took a step, glaring fiercely into the shadows of the building as if hoping to see some flicker of movement or reposing shade that would give him a direction to sight the danger from. Only dying fires were present to shine in the dark, only birthing more and more shadows that moved and taunted. Cautiously, under the direction of the leader, the squad split into smaller groups and started to look around for the source of the destruction, each feeling the unrest of the other and knowing that their great and terrible foe was among them. They all knew who it was that called them. It was only a matter of time before they would peel back the curtain.
After a silent moment, one of the creatures called out loudly, snaring the attention of all, "Unigen! I found someone!" Unigen, the imposing leader of the squad, walked over to find another human like themselves, grayed and a distant memory of their former selves; or rather what charred remains there were left. He glared at the corpse and winced, knowing that his suspicion was assured. Their foe was near.
It was then the attack came down on them. The tightest group of the creatures was reluctant to part too far from one another, due to fear and assumption, but this only multiplied their causalities. Four small spheres of energy came screaming out of the dark and threw shadows into chaos, crackling and burning the night air. Arcs of electricity jumped from orb to orb until they landed in the middle of the group, sending a pulse of electricity between them all that stunned their bodies. Their combined howling caused the rest to turn just in time for the main component of the attack. A sphere that dwarfed the others followed soon after, with leashes of electricity thrown to the smaller orbs like great white arches of fire, and seemed to meld with them, sending light and energy away in a shockwave. By the time Unigen and the others got their wits about them, the group was decimated. Five were taken in the attack and Unigen's roar to scatter was heeded quickly, making the remaining creatures hide behind mounds of cooling metal and chunks of road. The night held its breath. Peace returned long enough to let them regain their posture, but it was the breed of peace that only further agitated the tides of war – the silence that only came before destruction. The second officer peeked out from behind her womb of stone and metal, her face slightly illuminated by a sword composed of glowing blue energy in her hand. She seemed very distressed and swallowed heavily, trying to gather her wits. "Unigen?" she called, her voice slightly quivering in fear. Silence was the response. The rest of her squad was stirring in the shadows and she looked around, then back to where her superior should have been. "Can you hear me?" she called again, shifting a bit as if she wanted to move from her harbor. Then her answer came with a bang. Unigen did show himself, but not by choice. His lifeless form dropped into the clearing with little remorse and soon, he became another piece of the desolate debris that littered the place. The squad stared in horror. Bicap, the new leader of the squad, could barely breathe as she heard someone stir from where Unigen had met his end.
Soon a figure strolled out casually from the shadow, stepping onto the rippled street with little concern. Standing tall and confident, he was a sight which instilled fear and loathing in the creatures, for they knew him well and the fiery eyes that stared out for them. Unbridled strands of soiled brown hair splintered slightly in the hot breeze, joining the worship of a dirty, tattered uniform. It was obvious he had not paid much attention to his appearance recently, for he was dirty, tousled and feral in his stance. The uniform had once been rather regal and possessed tinges of green here and there. A green that resembled the lighter, almost luminescent green of peat moss glowed from the color in his eyes, which seemed to pierce the darkness that had fallen with the night.
Although they could see the pleasure at jarring their patrol and destroying their captain, the overwhelming disgust and revulsion for some unknown atrocity still caused a dark, fearsome scowl to dominate his young face. "Remove a leader and the army becomes disorganized. Attack areas that mean higher losses for your enemy. Sun Tzu taught it a thousand years ago," he said blandly. Bicap was frozen in terror and stared helplessly at the figure and she was seemingly too petrified to react. While the squad couldn't seem to rely on Bicap to think straight, the figure spit in a vulgar manner and cracked his knuckles, as if waiting for a reply.
"From a purely strategic viewpoint, it all lies in the numbers. In this case, two Scion set against ten standard Megiddo soldiers would promote a textbook example of a total loss situation," said another voice suddenly. It ripped the squad's attention to the East and they found yet another figure, standing timidly with a serious cadence on his face. He was dressed the same as the first, though blue dominated his outfit and his uniform was in much better condition. As a contrast, his hair was very neatly cut and kept, though held a very vague tint of blue in it. This young man was a dire opposite to the first, for he gleaned certain gentleness that was greatly misplaced in the broken world. After speaking, he focused his eyes upon the squad, but still seemed to be speaking to his companion and not their enemies. "But I am impressed you're actually thinking this through, sempai. Perhaps you may begin thinking more during battle?" he asked with a tone of innocent sincerity. Though he differed in sight and sound from the first, being the calm and gentle to the fierce and fearsome of his companion, they were obviously of the same brand and working for the same goal. As it appeared, this goal was life.
Bicap was suddenly beside herself in anger. Her knuckles had turned white around the hilt of her weapon and her perfectly straight teeth grit tightly together, her once handsome eyes narrowing darkly at the two. The way they just went on as if her squad wasn't there was a straight line on getting her mind back. She would not entertain their banter any longer. Suddenly, she jumped out into the clearing, presenting the sword at the first figure in a threatening manner, as if remembering her duty as it applied to these two figures. "You! You Scion are to come with us, dead or alive!" she cried, only slightly feeling betrayed by the wavering tone of her voice.
The figure with the tattered green clothes, named Yamamori Kage, was fairly blatant with his indifference about it. The only movement he offered to reply was snorting arrogantly at the gesture. It was the other, Agawa Kurai, who spoke from behind her, watching the other members of the squad crawl out of the night to back their leader up. "It seems they intend to take us in, sempai. Perhaps we should consider surrender?" he cooed with a biting tone of sarcasm in his voice, though he still retained his gentle smile. Kage snorted his response once more and idly brushed another tattered piece of his uniform away from his neck, then watched it drift into the wind.
Of course, Bicap could barely contain her fury and glared wickedly at him. "Don't act so calm! Soon all of you will be dead and there will be no hope left for this burnt ball of dirt!" she cried with a more severe tone. This threat did not seem to sit well with either of the two and caused their chiding to fade almost simultaneously. With Kage starting walking towards her, Bicap's face twisted in fear and she barely stood her ground as she kept the glowing blade of her sword between them. His eyes seemed to glow in the dark as he approached, his brow tightened in annoyance. It was only until the tip of the sword was at his chest that he stopped, but still held himself fiercely and easily intimidated her.
His companion was watching it all with a blink, not at all concerned about the two who had gotten close to him. "That's the kind of thing which gets him angry. You don't wish to see him angry," Kurai warned gravely.
Bicap's teeth were clenched and sweat was glistening on her skin, for she truly feared these young men. Though she had the sword right at his chest, there was still a deep sense of dread that filled her, as if he would rip her arm from her body if she were to carelessly give him the chance. Her one hope was that she still had most of her squad and they outnumbered them. It gave her a little courage and she pressed her lips and tightened her hand around the sword hilt. She would not let them intimidate her anymore. She would win! Then her hope was slapped away. An unorthodox laughter came out of the darkness, bringing the recent past back into light, and Bicap's solid resolve was broken. A stretch of orange energy came from above onto two of her squad, instantly killing them. The abrupt attack sent panic through the squad despite the fact that could not see where the attack came from.
The last two, whom had moved into a position to Kurai, looked around quickly for some sign of who it was and forgot the reputation of these men. It was their mistake. The timid figure sighed and closed his eyes a moment, looking very passive, but with the creature to his left suddenly standing with a gaping slash across his throat, mothering a drape of dark black blood to pour out and a shocked expression on the morbid face, the illusion was only as benevolent as the light that shone on him. The second creature had enough time to stare in pure dismay before her chest burst open and she gagged to herself, covering the wound disdainfully. The figure's eyes slowly opened and all that was different was the small, innocent object in his hand, seemingly benign and shaped as only a silver disc. It was slipped under his cloak and gone once more.
Bicap's eyes were now wide, the reflection of a livid figure carved deep into her pale gray eyes. She did not dare move, for moving would reveal to her the truth that something fatal had happened to her squad and that she was now alone. Her last resort was gone and now she was helpless and doomed to die. The figure which had been the destruction of two of the last soldiers landed behind her, even closer than her calm enemy but a fair distance from the odious beast at her sword's tip. Hoshi Suteki was his name. Orange washed through his pristine uniform and a mop of blonde hair was fashionably kept messy. Grinning widely in a way that seemed to defy the gloom all around them, he ran his hand through that hair and flashed a pair of gleaming blue eyes. "It's not cool leaving me out of the fun, you guys, but I do appreciate the opportunity to make a dashing entrance! And I know you hogged most of them, didn't you, K-chan?" he quipped with a more casual voice and relaxed grammar. He was yet another stray from the standard. His imposition of gaiety made the moment almost lax, yet the brazen stare of Kage and the trembling body of Bicap struck him. He noticed that no one was looking at him anymore and that the female member of the gathering was seemingly frozen in time. With a scoff he strolled up behind Bicap, leaning a bit over her shoulder and glancing at her etched expression. Seeing the fear locked in her eyes and the fact that she had not reacted when he approached, it caused him to snicker vainly and jerk his thumb at her. "I think she checked out," he said. With a grin he looked past to the tall figure and leaned onto her shoulder, as if she were some old friend that he would candidly play with, and laughed loudly at the whole thing, calling to him, "You sure have a way with girls!" But Kage was still glaring at her with a scowl, obviously thinking about something that had some great relevance with what she said. The newest figure stopped laughing a moment and blinked, looking between the two and then backing away. He obviously knew better than to stand too close. However, Bicap was given an extension from his wrath by the final component to this foursome.
"That's enough. If you've had enough fun, get rid of it and let's get going," called a voice from the darkness. The last figure strolled casually from the night's shadows and stopped next to a melted car which had been a shield to his enemy. His uniform was red, the most tattered of all and there were deep burns on the rest of his clothing. Long brown hair was tied back behind his neck, but many were defiant and hung across his face in a display that reflected some wild, distant part of him that lay just beneath the calm, brooding surface. Most importantly, he had the darkest, most foreboding eyes that cast aimlessly upon the destruction before them; they were weighed heavily and seemed endless. This figure, once known as Kurobashi Yamito, was the reigning leader of this group.
Everyone but Kage and Bicap looked at him. The two had their own silent dialogue moving along and nothing seemed to be able to pry their eyes apart, if only for the grave energy flowing between them. Yamito observed the scene with a sort of silent regard, his dark eyes playing with fiery reflections and dim shadows, but soon walked towards them, glancing at Kage the entire time. "Just break its neck and be done with it," he said in a disinterested tone.
But Kage bore teeth. His muscular form was tight and his shoulders had become rigid at the proximity to the despised thing. There was something irking him and they all knew it, for Kage always appeared brooding and dangerous, but the current inclination was simply steaming fury, a haze they expected all too often from him. They also knew not to step in between his burning eyes and the object that caused his fury. That would be dangerous for anybody. They had to wait and let him resolve the matter behind his eyes, for not one of them cared to alter the focus of his wrathful gaze. Then, as the rage building in him was reaching the breaking point, a burst of angry air burst from his lips and it was obvious he was extremely irked, with the burst of air nearly forming itself in an audible word – a name.
With that, the other three were victim to his every whim, victim to the moment and however long it would last. Knowing what that name meant, they let their eyes stray, as if unable to look at him under such a pretext. Only Yamito watched him now and, favoring some entombed secret that brought a visible wince of guilt across his face, had a deep look about him. More than the others, he knew what it meant. It was beyond simply knowing. That story made him pale in grief and finally look away.
However, Bicap was the only one who defied this small understanding and spoke, "Even if you kill me, it'll happen. Everyone you care about is already gone, even your prince. When the Higekitai is released, the four of you will..."
There was a resounding thud that echoed in the clearing like a clap of thunder shaking distant hills. Bicap's eyes had nearly come out of her head when the punch connected, for the force of the blow was like a crashing tide against helpless shores, but now she just stood with a hunch in her shoulders, her mouth wide in absent breath and blood. Kage was cast before her like a statue and his fist was buried in her chest, facing forward with his lips pressed together and his body twisted in a way that made him seem contorted, strained. The armor that had covered Bicap's chest was shattered and a little blood was even surrounding the knuckles holding concavely in her body. Kage's eyes were nearly igniting with the hate festering in them as he stood straight and shifted those eyes to her, barely able to contain his rage behind a tight, clenching jaw. He did not say anything, but just watched her fall to her knees. The energy sword fell dead at her side. While the other three watched reluctantly, he let her suffer a bit, watching her gasping and choking as her lungs refused to refill with air and her heart sprawled recklessly within her chest. Kage was a different shade from all of them and it showed in the complete lack of mercy in his fiercely burning eyes. The suffering cooled him and he watched every motion she made, taking this small moment of time to enjoy the pain he inflicted with the hands he despised.
There was surprising resolve in her and she coughed, trying to speak again, perhaps to fling more threats or perhaps to beg for compassion. Her chance did not come. Kage scowled again and twirled in a tornado of motion, only to bring his foot back up and catch her on the chin, feeding all of his momentum into one fluid kick. The skillful kick lifted her right off the ground and she did not hit until she was fair distance away, landing with barely a bounce and slumped lifeless on the curb, like a broken doll discarded by a child. He came to a stop from the kick, his feet moving gracefully and without snare, and watched her shift lifelessly into a final position. Satisfied that this apparition would never again rise or cause misery, he snorted angrily and crossed his arms, looking to the others as if it was nothing more than a standard thing.
The other two were already watching him as well, their eyes slightly averted like a child fearful of rebuke, and there was no chance for any humor to pass between them. They already knew how he had deteriorated. It was their curse to watch it silently in fear. Yamito was thinking, his arms slightly crossed over his chest and his index finger and thumb making a cradle for his chin. Only after a moment did his thinking become voiced. "A Higekitai. This is a problem," he said, not at all aware of the other's dispositions. It took a great deal to shake him, but this prospect visibly bothered his dark eyes. Shaking off the mood set by Kage, Suteki looked a bit worried too as he scratched his hands through his hair wildly, his eyes cast down and his teeth bared by his vigorous raking of his hair.
However, Kurai felt disinclined to simply shrug off the harsh truth and voiced his concerns softly, but solidly, to Yamito. "If another Higekitai is created, we may not be able to defeat it. Without Ryu..." he began.
"We will have Ryu with us," Yamito replied quickly. It was obviously a touchy matter, for Yamito shattered the line of thought without a moment's hesitation and Kurai nodded, finding some kind of security in that idea. Yamito continued to ponder as the dawn seemed to be coming. Usually, this would have struck him as odd, since night had just fallen, but his mind was in too many places to consider the lost standard of the world. The distant sky was beginning to lighten, even though they knew it would be dark for an entire night, yet not one of them paid the slightest bit of attention to the false dawn. It was just another inconsistency to their chaotic lives.
In the end, Yamito looked to the West and sighed, serenely aware that their location would soon become dangerous and that while a squad of Megiddo soldiers was recreation, a legion would not be. Sighing a heavy sigh, he turned from the scene and started away. "Let's go back to the shrine. Anul will need to know about this," he said gravely.
"That was a short night," said a welcoming voice as they entered the worn, tired shrine that had once been a source of inspiration for thousands of wayward souls. None of the previous regency remained among the broken monuments and splintered ancient trees. The gate, once protective of all who passed under, had long been broken into its four beams, now laying scattered about the grounds. Its halls were barren and its tiled roof was falling apart, making the buildings blend perfectly with the ruined city around them. It was destroyed. A little black cat was perched on a chair and waiting for them as they returned, yet looked between them with a distinctly eager air about her. A sort of familiarity resided with her and the crescent moon on her head accented her young, feline voice, but it was only due to the fact that they had all relied on her since before they fell into this great, tragic war. When the four entered the tattered shrine, she was obviously relieved. It was Yamito she looked to for an answer and she looked very eager about it.
Yamito was the first to enter and be illuminated by soft light, which gave the reality of his youth some light. At only eighteen, this was a life that seemed fit for the older and it did weigh on him and make him look older than he should. With a sigh of fatigue, he brushed some hair from his face with his thumb and let her concerns be forgotten, mostly because the news he had to share would undoubtedly sour the cat's warming face. Instead, he looked into the main room down the hall, his lips finding the energy to part in recognition of a great, painful expression of concern. "How is he?" he asked in a voice audibly restrained.
"Without the Ginzuishou, he's only able to stay awake a little while at a time. I don't think…" Anul began, casting her feline eyes towards the room also but lacking the strength to go any further.
All of them were hushed at her voice falling away, but Yamito was the only one to hide his feelings so completely. As if their mourning was not deep enough, it was his job to present the obvious bad news to Anul. He certainly wished to delay it as much as possible, but with the alternative prospect being lost in thought, he suddenly felt eager to shift the mood. "Another Higekitai may be coming," he said abruptly. Everyone's eyes felt the significance of that and Anul looked up at Yamito with great remorse. She nearly cried when she looked into his eyes, ones that had been so alive just a short time before and that had delighted her in their complexity, beauty and depth. His role as the leader was only due to their prince, Ryu, being injured, but it was the circumstances behind that loss which struck her the most. It pained her to see it weigh on him so heavily.
When he noticed how she was looking, he cast his eyes away and winced, fully aware that she felt somewhat responsible for it. That, among all of the other things Yamito felt responsibility for, made him sunk further into the depression that had seized him recently.
Kurai had just sat down before he began to think twice as hard. Thinking was always his strong point. The others looked to him when it was the powers of the mind that were needed, and he felt that if he dedicated enough time to the problem, he could find a solution that would turn their lives around. He was also seemingly too young for this dank, dreary world and found that his dreams had no promise anymore. Yet, he somehow remained just as sharp. "What about the Legendary Scion? What if we rescued them from Megiddo?" he suggested with no small bit of hope in his voice.
At once, he knew it was a mistake. At the mere names, Kage surged with rage and simply boomed with a furious voice, "If those two shitbags ever crawl out of whatever sewer they're in, I'm gonna break them, tear them and scatter their squiggling limbs all around Shinjuku before I grind them into the puddle of shit-scum they are." The foray of curses and expletives came boundless over his tongue and his eyes had locked on Kurai for suggesting it. His feelings towards them had no pretense at all and he snarled a few more colorful ways to describe them as Kurai wiped the sweat from his neck with a nervous hand, lamenting the fact he even thought about it. It was hard to remember that they were no longer allies.
Kage was, perhaps, the only one who looked the role he was given. From his wild hair to his unholy eyes, he was born for battle, fitting right into the dirty, wretched world they lived in. However, he was also prone to the groves in him; ones that told tales of tragedy and loss. It was the tone in his voice that betrayed just how desperate he was when speaking about those two. Kurai was set to think again, mostly to avoid Kage's odious eyes, and mentally reprimanded himself for mentioning it.
Suteki was sitting at a dusty table with his head lying across his arm, his other hand being used to draw little scribbles in the dust. It was mostly Hiragana, because he really did not like Kanji that much and Katakana was a bit too angular for him. In fact, he even wrote his name in Hiragana across the dust to see how it looked, then smeared the dust and sighed, forced to write it in Katakana once more. The angular lines laughed at him, but he felt too dorky writing it the other way. Still, Suteki was already a bizarre name and he needed the security of leaving it as angles and lines. It was cooler that way. His mind traveled along its course, straying from the heavy matters at hand. He just wanted to forget what was going on for a while, like he always did. As a complete opposite to Kage, he looked as if this was the furthest life from him. His appearance still mattered to him, as did his living place and his lifestyle. Looking about the debris and rubble in the shrine, he sighed and settled his head across his arm again, trying to will everything into being just a very, very bad dream. "I want a bath," he muttered, too quiet for anyone to hear.
Once again it was Yamito who brought everything into perspective for everyone, knowingly appeasing his wilder companion and trying to build some ties between them once more. "Those two have but one fate and it lies within Kage's fist. With the Mystic Scion dead and the others against us, it comes down to us six. Until Ryu recovers, we just have to endure the task until our prince awakens to end this nightmare," he said and turned from them all, to hide the grim truth showing in his face. The truth was too hard to admit. The truth was too hollowing to think about. But his words did not seem to hit hard with them or make them react in any way; it was just another cold, hard day.
Only Anul seemed bothered by it all as she glanced from Yamito to the darkened room. She knew the truth as well. Ryu was not going to recover. They had no bright awakenings to look forward to, but rather only a gruesome fate of battling for existence until the unavoidable moment when their battles were lost. Yet, she also knew another truth, and it was a great, frightening truth. It made her stare longing at Yamito, hoping he would dare. Under her breath, she muttered her only recourse to waiting for the impossible. There was only one hope, but where it lay was somewhere almost as ominous.
"Yamito, perhaps you should consider…" she started, but was weak in her voice and naturally fell away as he replied to her in a voice that had no strength.
"No, I made a promise to Ryu-chan. I can never go there again." he whispered weakly.
The center of Tokyo was nothing but a giant grave. The place where the meteor crashed had gutted the city and left one massive teardrop on Mother Earth. It was in this meteor that the end of the planet came. The being which had used it as a vessel had turned the city into an ash pit, with a great collection of stone and crystal spirals that rose into the still night sky. With no regard for anything around it, the looming castle of jagged daggers was the only thing that did not share the same dull, dusty appearance of the fallen city, for its towers and spires were of a reflective black sheen, much like obsidian, and reflected all light that came across it. It was, in actuality, the source of the growing light that had thrown the farce of a dawn into the sky. The place was glowing. It was not a warm light like the true dawn, but a pulsing amber glow that made the meteor seem like a dimly hot coal in a pit of a smothered fire. This was the place engraved with the name Megiddo. It had caused the war, a war that had not only consumed the light of the sapphire of Sol, but soon infected the entire galaxy and beyond with its gloom, gathering the darkest of creatures at its side and smashing worlds, empires and dreams. The race of soldiers existent in this universe, a race known as Scions that were the stewards of the peace, had met the call for battle and used their powers against the invading forces. Scion from all over the galaxy had tried to help the ailing Earth and defeat this plague, but in the end, after countless had exerted their powers and fell defeated on the sands of a thousand worlds, only six remained – the last six Scion to live.
In this giant crater, at the top of the highest spire of jagged stone, was a tower and in this tower was a temple. In this temple, were the four Priests of Anubis. They were a subordinate of the dark force which had perpetuated this all, the brewing power that had declared war against everything that shined brightly. Even among their own kind, these Priests preferred to be alone, leaving the loud and raucous others to revel in their impending decimation of the paladin race they had destroyed. Standing around a small alter, they were all completely shrouded in dark hoods and cloaks, dark black seas of obscurity that hid them from the light of the palace. A prism of energy surrounded them, spraying different bands of light about the temple and setting this place apart from the dreary tones of the site, and there was no other sound but a light humming. Only after it ceased did they speak in dark, stirring voices.
"The end is near," the first said.
"Yes, it is. We have prepared for the coming. The remaining humans on this wretched planet have been taken. We can bring about the conclusion of this war," said a second, his head turning to meet the approval of the others.
"What about those last four gutter-kings? We still have to punk them," replied the third with a decidedly animate movement.
"Tch, they ain't even worth fighting. The Higekitai will grind them to dust," said the last.
"The end is near. Let's begin," echoed the first, raising his hands into the air and glowing.
Soon all four of them began to glow. The array of colors began to blend and mix, creating a supreme, ultimate color. The prism of light began to spin and merge, coupling colors and casting deep shadows across the temple in a display like that of a thousand demons dancing about a fire. However, when they all finally came together in the center of the four, unlike the true nature of light, the colors became black. The whole tower began to shake and occupants in different rooms began to stir, unaware that such an event was going to take place without their presence. The villains of the universe, in their bands and families, stared in awe up towards the highest tower, now glowing inversely to the light. Everyone knew what it was but not even the most powerful of them would attempt to stop it. This was the end. And above the tower, a looming shadow began to rise from the black, glowing globe of energy devouring the spire.
"Enough of this waiting-around shit! I know that all of you are too scared to use your power but I want those bastards to pay!" Kage barked loudly as the subjects and silence had left him to stew dangerously in himself and forced the outburst of steam. His eyes turned to Yamito and narrowed, as if he was being slapped in the face just by thinking about the truth and that all of his boils and toils were simply brush-offs of this dark, silent leader. "You have more power than anyone I've ever known, including Ryu, and you stand here waiting. With just a second of that power, you could topple the entire…"
"Stop it!" Yamito cried in a voice teeming with temptation. It cracked and wandered, mostly as the tone fell, and his head visible shivered under the eyes of his fierce companion and the deed he proposed. Soon after, he composed himself once more into the cool creature that lead them and he desperately fought to hide that fear which had broken out in his voice. "That's not how it works and you know it. Have you forgotten the last time?" he asked and felt his jaw quiver.
Kage really did not like being cut off but said no more, keeping his eyes on Yamito with no sign of backing down. He respected the power, though he would never admit it, and he could not deny what he had seen sleeping inside of the frail, reserved Yamito. It maddened him, seeing him fetter such strength. Yamito was aware of this and it spun a very complicated relationship between the two, sparking with conflict and mutual impassiveness. He stared aimlessly towards that room in the back and felt eyes boring down on him, for he did not dare expose himself to anymore of the temptation. The thing he wanted was very possible, but at the same time unthinkable. They had tried it once and the results were worse than the problem. This subject was touchy and he looked back to his most difficult companion. "I won't let what happened to Ryu happen to anyone else," he said in a breathless voice – one that faltered in heartbreak. Kage tightened his arms across his chest and settled against the wall further, muttering to himself. Suteki was now perched on the dusty table, his hands set firmly around the little cat, who nestled in on his legs for the moment in a nest of rare affection. They both watched the argument, their heads switching back and forth as opposites as the conversation progressed, one waiting for the question while the other waited for the answer.
Then the ground shook. Dust was falling from the holes in the ceiling and Suteki and Anul nearly fell off the table. "Iyaa! What's going on?" he howled out and latched onto the table tightly, his voice whining and his eyes clamped tightly closed. Anul leapt from his lap and ran into adjoining room, which was full of decrepit computers. Kurai was not far behind as he slid up to one in a battered old chair and started typing loudly into a dirty keyboard. By the time the others had gotten there, he was turned back to the door with a paled expression.
"The Higekitai," he barely uttered. It was sooner than any of them had planned and Yamito winced heavily. It was far too soon. As he tried to think of what to do, Kage was already running towards the door. Yamito whirled around and called after him, his heart racing as he feared another tragic loss to his team.
"Kage!" he cried in a desperate voice.
Kage turned at the door and lingered a moment, letting his peat green eyes meet the dark eyes of Yamito. They almost shared a moment between them, but Kage was eager to end their connection and raised his hand, a dull glow rising from the clutch of his fist. "I'm going," he said candidly. There was no room for compromise and Yamito knew any breath would be wasted in his trying. Without any regard, Kage turned and was gone out the door and into the night – into the fight. Yamito clenched his teeth and glared, berating himself for not being able to stop him, furious with himself for not forcing his decision. The others looked to him for some kind of response and he gave the only one he could, though the scales were very level.
"Go look after him. Not even Kage can face down a Higekitai alone and we need him – the gods knows we need him. Bring him back, if you can. I'll make sure no one gets to Ryu," he said with a very tense look, his voice finally sounding solid. Suteki and Kurai both nodded and then ran ahead, following Kage into a forlorn battle. Yamito took a single moment in time to sigh, closing his eyes in failure. The ground under their feet was about to come out from under them and that became just one more brick which hung from his neck. Maybe, with the dire end lingering just beyond the shadow's threshold, he would do what Kage suggested.
Just then, a figure came into the doorway. Anul was nearly broken with shock. Yamito seemed to already know and slowly opened his eyes. The figure leaning against the doorway was a beaten form, with long, blonde hair that was soiled from battle but still tied back into two ribbons down his back. Eyes that had once been so blue that the oceans had been jealous were barely open and a tired, harried expression marred the features that had once been the joy and brilliance of the world, and hanging from a necklace broken was the remnants of a crescent moon and a slot for a crystal that had long been robbed of the star that had resided within.
Ryu was finally awake. "Yamito, what's going on?" he asked in a tired voice, teetering as if his body could not bear his weight any longer.
His voice was as weak as could be expected. The events leading to this played through Yamito's mind like a reel of horrific archives and he answered in a strained voice, "Another Higekitai. You should stay in bed, Ryu-chan." Ryu did not dignify the remark and tried to stand straight, obviously intending to stay up to help his friends and hold his place as Scion of the Moon that had now been shattered. But when he faltered and fell forward, it was Yamito who caught him. "Ryu!" he cried.
For the first time in a cycle of the lost moon, Yamito showed a great deal of expression as he knelt quickly to the floor with the weak body of Ryu, holding him tightly and bearing his teeth in a forlorn expression of terror. He cradled his prince's head with great ferocity and let his eyes soften in reflection. Yamito knew that he possessed great powers. He knew that within him burned a power that defied any logical assumption of the existence of a Scion and that none other, not even his beloved prince, had the supremacy of his will. But, in spite of the will and power he possessed, he still could not stop the fact that Ryu was dying.
With the feel of him stuttering in his arms, Yamito shivered, staring with clenched teeth and wide eyes. This was his buried side, his frightened side that he could afford to show to the others. Kage brought it out now and again in shades of temper, but only Ryu brought it out in full. Anul was right next to him trying to soothe Ryu's mind but it was already finished. In the distance, massive explosions and warfare began. The others had found the Higekitai and the city was rumbling and groaning in its wake. Yet, none of that mattered to Yamito. His attention rested solely on his prince, and he hated hearing what was said next.
"Yami-chan. My dearest friend. I've failed the world; no, the universe. My Mamo-chan is dead and soon, I'll be dead. My power wasn't enough to save us," he said, his eyes first dropping in regret but then rising once more to meet him, "But, you have turned into so much more than anything I've imagined. That's why…" He trailed away as he saw the pain in Yamito's face and his strength wavered a moment. It was almost surreal what Yamito was hearing. His bottom jaw only bobbed in reserved protest, but he had not the strength to object to his prince's will. Ryu's eyes opened once more and he looked up at him, a bitter smile coming to his torn lips. "Use the Compass Rose. Have faith in what may happen. We Scion are nearly extinct and you, my beautiful Yami-chan, can't die here," he said, his voice warm with affection for the morning boy. Deep under his long hair, light was reflecting on tears forcing their way to the corners of his dark, reflective eyes. Yamito's head was dropped as teeth were clenched in disobedience, for every fiber of him resisted the idea and fought to protest. Ryu could only keep smiling for him.
With the last of his strength, he reached up and touched Yamito's cheek, finding one last moment of affection for him and caressing the skin of him that was so devoted. "You will become so much more than I. I wish I could've seen it," Ryu said weakly as his eyes closed. His fingers trailed from Yamito's chin and hit his own chest, resounding deeply through the still room and causing Yamito to jerk his eyes up at him. No more life flowed through Ryu's body and his soul was ascended, taking with it the last thread of light in the one holding him. The last witness to his greatness let him to the ground slowly and just stayed there on his knees, head bowed and his pathetic hands draped across the body of his prince, his heart broken and his form heaving in wretched, moaning breaths.
Only a brief moment of bereavement was allowed to pass before it all came back. Kage walked back into the shrine with a very angry look on his face, a face that sported bruises and cuts fresh from his flight for vengeance. He was stained with his own blood and limped slightly, his body racked with new injuries, but he still retained all of his prowess and grace, sublimely embedded in his feral appearance. The other two were right behind him and also slightly beaten though obviously victim to a rescue's charm rather than hot-headed battle.
Kage raked his fist through jamb of the door and broke its back, but it did not take away the frustration. "Tch! This Higekitai was a lot stronger than the other. But I won't lose until I get those bastards. I'm going to do it. I'm going to..." he started but soon trailed away as he noticed the company. Yamito was not alone. When his eyes fell on Ryu's empty face, Kage stopped and his expression flattened, reflecting a sort of reserved apathy that only thrived when the heart had been pierced. As deeply as he had cared for his friend, Kage only stared stoically and offered silence as his only condolence, reflecting nothing in his still, green eyes. As the others saw and reacted in vocal sorrow and grief, it was only Kage who seemed untouched by the mood settling over the barren and twisted building.
It was official. The last hope had just passed on from that place and their hearts fell silent on the moment that Tsukino Ryu died. Yamito rose to his feet and looked back towards the few remaining computers, trying to hide the grief that would destroy the last of his friends. His deep grief for the loss of Ryu made him unwilling to face them directly and he felt like less of a leader for it. However, he was now officially their leader. He would have to wait before he could let that sink in. "The Moon's Scion has died. His last wish to us was to implement the Compass Rose," he said with a great deal of effort. The others received another shock and looked to him in disbelief. The very idea brought mixed emotions about to all of them, but Kage was the first and most passionate about his objection.
"You wanna run? I ain't going nowhere until I get my hands on those shitheads!" he howled.
Hearing it put that way made Yamito angry, mostly because it was the last will of his beloved Ryu, but his retort became lost in a large quake that jarred the shrine beneath them. The building was nearly tossed off its foundation and the movement was not natural. The Higekitai was getting closer. The inside of the house came down on top of them and, for a moment, everything was still. Soon enough Kage was breaking out of the rubble and swore loudly, digging himself from the stone and wood. Kurai had been standing in the doorway, so much of it had fallen in front of him and only presented a minor obstacle. Cresting a mountain of debris, he peered down into what was left of the room and saw Yamito push himself out as well. "Is everyone okay in there? Sempai?" he called. The house was almost destroyed by the quake and hardly any of the roof still covered the room. Yamito and Kage were visible but he could not see Suteki and that made him worry. As he searched, he came across the boy crouching down over something in silent regard. "Are you okay, Suteki-kun?" he asked in relief.
"Anul didn't make it," Suteki replied and ran his hand across the small cat. She was buried in the debris as well and was not moving, marking the room as the grave for two, dear companions. Suteki looked down at the body that resembled only a shadow and smiled a weak, pathetic smile at the rest that she would now enjoy. A hot tear ran down his dirty cheek in spite of himself, leaving a trail of fleshy depth across the dust clinging to his skin, and he strove to keep himself from fully grasping the ending of his oldest friend. Just as she had been there right at the beginning with him, when he was a young boy with wide, cheerful eyes, she was also there to the end when he laid the broken table, still bearing his marks, across her grave and rose without facing the others.
Their new leader wiped some thin mud from his face and looked to the others, set in his resolve to fulfill the deathbed wish of his prince. "We're going. This was Ryu's last wish and I intend to honor it. We will live with the nightmares of this place, but we will live, according to his will," Yamito said. His face was filled once more with confidence and he made his way to the center of the room, looking to Kurai for his answer.
Kurai watched Yamito's behavior with pressed lips, then silently obeyed by following him to the center of the room. Suteki also conceded and turned away from the grave, facing them with a smile that took every bit of his strength to present. "If we're leaving, I guess now is a good time, huh? No sense hanging around this dump," he remarked and kicked random debris as he made his way to the center.
Kage remained stubbornly anchored where he had been buried and glared at the three of them as if they had betrayed him in every way possible. He was nearly shaking with anger as he watched them all casually move into their places, though for his own reasons and not that of honor. The distant movement of a huge energy was teasing him, taunting him and he felt the desire to unleash his full potential and die in the fury of battle. His was the most reserved and the fiercest objection. "Fuck that. You all think everything is over but I have three very good reasons to stay. I told you once, Yamito, that nothing will keep me from my revenge," he snarled. The others were watching him with nothing to say, but each knew that he would act this part.
Yamito knew that he would not want to leave and also knew his duty to enforce the wish. It took the combined power of all four of them to use the technique that would deliver them from the place and the idea of his friends and companions staying alive held tighter than that of pride, or even happiness. All of them knew it, but Kage was adamant in his position.
"You're desire for revenge is understandable, but it takes the combined power of four Scion to perform the Compass Rose. As easy as it would be to leave you to your madness, we need you. You may never forgive me, but at least you'll be alive. I'm not asking you to do this," Yamito started and turned away from the others, taking a few careful steps to face Kage fully and take on the only posture Kage acknowledged. The smaller youth walked right up to the brooding tower that was Kage. In response, Kage lifted his hand to accept that challenge, yet he was startled when Yamito grasped him by the wrist and stared up at him without remorse. A searing heat began to bite into Kage's skin and he tensed, yet all he could do was stare back in awe.
Yamito directly challenged him, the David standing up to Goliath. But his eyes were powerful and there was no question that he was serious. "I'm telling you," he warned and a hot, sweltering wind blew through the ruins of the shrine, "Show that there is still a part of you left and do it to save them." Yamito was referring to the two others that watched them and Kage hated him for obligating him in such a way. The voice had never caused him to look so flustered, but Yamito was doing exactly what he had to. Although every part of him yearned to stay and find his marks, Kage felt a small part him, deep inside, welling up and telling him of the lost part of his soul. He wanted the gray dust and the crumpled metal cars and the death that moved his hand. However, a part of him also cared for his friends and he wanted them to live. If Yamito was going to make him, he was unable to object. Yamito was the only person that could physically make him.
Without letting his eyes off Yamito, he tore his wrist away and climbed from the rubble, moving over to join the others. Within an instant, he considered several ways to try and challenge that threat, but every time the brewing darkness in Yamito's eyes deterred him. Ultimately, he said nothing and silently stewed on the fact that he was giving up something very important in order to save his friends.
The preparation took little time. The four faced each other and focused energy into a single point between them and gathered the last of their heart into their hands. They were using the very last of their power, yet it was enough power that the space around began to bend. The Compass Rose was a forbidden technique that very few knew how to perform. Only because Yamito had such mysterious powers that they could even attempt it, yet there was still the underlying gamble in using the technique since no one truly knew what happened when it was successful. After careful consideration over many months, they finally had nothing else to lose and would attempt it. Each of the held a small hope of what could be; Kurai hoping they would be transported somewhere else, Suteki hoping everything would be returned to normal, Kage hoping they would destroy the planet and Yamito hoping to unwind fate itself. It was all unknown, but the unknown was their only recourse.
After considerable energy was fed into the circle, the point of light began to grow. It flowered under them into beautiful and intricate designs, like the infinite beauty of lines swirling further and further within themselves until eternity was achieved. Even as a great, black mass of energy known as the Higekitai loomed over the house, the point of light pulsed and engulfed them all, removing them from the grave and leaving nothing but dust. They were pulled and stretched and burned and frozen. By this means, they were able to escape the death and fog of their planet. Their story had been finished with a cold, bitter ending. Their planet was left to decompose and die. Their galaxy twisted and faded into space. Their universe shattered. There was nothing left but a deep, black stillness.
But they went on.