Yume Den
By Aaron Ray
Stage I
Touma sat in the corner of a book-filled room with shelves reaching up towards a glass ceiling. Touma had a denim jacket between beneath him, separating him from the bare and aged floor. He'd been staring at the same page for quite some time, not actually reading it, rather he was just sitting there thinking. Touma looked up from the book in his hand, taking in the unearthly silence in the room, peering up at the stars through the glass ceiling, they appeared strangely dulled against the sky. The room seemed exceptionally elongated as he looked across it towards the single, plain, wooden door.
A single sound began to waver into the room from behind the breech between the door and the floor. Simply explained as a metallic in nature, the sound, though quiet, became all consuming. Sounding akin to a supernatural blending of a metallic table or chair being dragged across the floor, toned down by both the sound of snipping scissors and that of a razor drug across a metal bar. This single sound drove all coherent thoughts from Touma's mind. Try as he could to ignore the sound, it continued to wantonly pierce the silence, becoming more than he could bear.
At once the sound stopped, the room returning to his deafening, sickly silence. Noiselessly, Touma rose to his feet. Taking his jacket over one shoulder by his right hand, he reached for the simple door-
"Not yet," a voice told him.
Stage II
"What," Touma asked aloud, opening his eyes to the solid ceiling above him.
"I said wake up, it's almost noon," Natsui told him through the door, apparently short on patience.
Touma rubbed his eyes for a moment, already most of the dream slipping from his mind, except for the strange metallic noise. Touma shook his head as if trying to shake away the thought. He then went to his closet and slipped on a pair of blue jeans and a navy blue turtleneck. As Touma stepped out of the bedroom he wince, the sharp contrast of the darkened room to the brightness of the sunlit hallway assaulting his every sense.
Shuu stood against the wall next to his door, "Natsui didn't have time for lunch, so here's your sugar fix," Shuu kidded as he handed Touma a box of sticky buns.
"Thanks," Touma put an arm around his friend in gratitude, taking the box with the other. Touma then proceeded to shock and devour the helpless breakfast pastries en masse.
"Shin went off to Naruto Straits, Seiji is planning to go back to Akidoshi Plateau, and I'll be going soon to, I feel Kaos leading me to empower myself, I think even Ryo's planning a stop at the volcano, so you'll have the house to yourself for a little while."
"No, I think I'll be gone too. I've got something I think Kaos wants me to do too."
"Oh?"
"To shoot the cloud."
"Huh?"
Touma gave a sigh that sounded like a chuckle, "Something Kaos told me, and I understand it now, so I'll be off too." Touma looked over to the stairway, "So what's Natsui so busy with?"
"She's looking up other Youja generals, I mean Saranbou, Gougasha, Kenbukyou, Garyuuda, Touryuuki, Kokuyoen, it'd kind of be nice to know what's up next, ya' know?"
Touma nodded, "Yes, I guess it would give us an advantage."
"As whoever it was once said, 'know thy enemy'."
Touma couldn't yet but chuckle at Shuu for that one; he put one hand over his stomach as he stood rolling with laughter.
Shuu smiled and let Touma have a moment to laugh before he headed for the stairs and made sure Touma was following…
Stage III
Touma came up behind Natsui in her study as she sat at her desk typing away at the computer. She looked a little worn, as if she hadn't slept in a couple of days. Her hair was stringy and sweat-soaked from a sudden spring heat wave. Piles of paper lay sprawled in seemingly random piles. Touma smirked to keep himself from laughing at the ensuing chaos.
"I see you smirking behind me, what do you want," Natsui asked.
Touma was at a lost for how she'd seem him until he caught a glimpse of himself in the computer screen. "Was just wondering what you've might have found so far."
"Including the ones we've already met, seven Masho besides the other four part of Arago's armor."
"So three new ones?"
"Aw, two, my research includes Kenbukyou so far. I'm certain there are at least 3 others I haven't identified yet, this passage here makes reference to two other Masho that it doesn't identify, but they're in this battle with this Masho I found a name for, when all the rest of Arago's forces were preparing for an attack on this world. And here…" Natsui paused, suddenly reached for a pile of printed papers on the other side of the desk and quickly flipped through them. "Here, okay, I've got three new named Masho, and two that I haven't found a name for."
"Okay, shoot."
"You want to hear the names?"
"I want to hear about them."
Natsui paused, "Not much of my research is that far yet, I have names, a few significant accomplishments, failures on two of them…"
"So you're saying you don't know what they can do?"
"You want to look though this stuff, you go ahead- I haven't slept in almost five days, My notes are here," she motioned to the paper-strewn desk, "Have at it."
Touma gave a blank look as he tried to figure out how he managed to piss of Natsui, as Natsui slammed the door behind her he turned to the door and gave a confused expression to the shut doorway. By the time Touma have so much as gotten through the door out of the study, Natsui was in her room, and when he approached her door to knock, the loud sounds of sleep told him to try again later…
Touma ran his finger through his hair as he took a deep sigh. The sun was starting to set, and the night wasn't getting any cooler. Touma had finally sorted his way through Natsui's extensive notes and translations and was starting to make some headway.
By the time Natsui came back in after a long nap, Touma's head was planted into a stack of papers. Natsui gave a quiet chuckle, she walked over to Touma and set a hand on his shoulder, "You find anything," she kidded.
"Just a little bit more on one of the Masho, I found a passage detailing an attack on the last of Kaos' descendants," Touma stopped and gave a particularly loud yawn and stretch.
Natsui set a box of Pocky in front of Touma, "Sugar then sleep, I want to look over what you found, and see if I can find some more on any of the other Masho's abilities."
"Thank you," he said with a comedic gratitude.
Taking the Pocky with a warm smile, Touma ducked past Natsui for his room.
"The house is empty still, except for you and Ryo. Shuu, Shin, and Seiji are out training still, they didn't say how long they'd been gone."
"I probably should do the same soon, tomorrow probably."
"Well, Good night, and let me know if you do decide to go tomorrow."
"Good night Natsui, hope the research goes well."
Touma opened the bedroom door; it felt strange without the sounds of someone else asleep when he came in. Touma dumped the now empty box of Pocky in the trash bin and laid down on his bed…
Stage IV
Touma stood looking over the field of a brutal slaughter. Bloodies were flung, slashed up, in all directions. Every step he took stirred blood on the ground beneath him, echoes of the dying wails drifted on the slow breeze, along with that same metal sound…
"Yume?"
Touma suddenly realized he had to be in a dream, with the realization came a sudden awareness, the stirring of his waking conscious in his slumbering subconscious. One of the bodies on the ground stirred with his last breath and clutched onto his leg. Touma backed away wide eyed and turned to the sound of people running in the distance. Two adults running, clutching a little girl by the hands between them. A sudden movement of something silver pulled his glance to an armored figure dropping a body like a soggy sack.
As the silver-armored figure drew nearer to the two adults, the man stopped and turned to face the armored figure, the woman pushed the little girl along, "Run, my little Kayura, and don't stop…"
The man caught the silver-armored man by the wrist in his charge and took him over his head, and spun him back, away from himself and the woman, standing beside the man. The Silver-armored figure, obviously a Masho, based on the situation, worked back to his feet. On each armored hand he had claws stemming outward, soaked in blood. The man pulled out a golden sword, though from the moment he held it out from him, it was obvious he was not as skilled with it as he was by hand.
This time when the Masho attacked the man, he dodged his claws and raked the blade across the Masho's abdomen, cutting into him. Filled with rage the Masho jabbed both sets of claws into the man's back, screaming obscenities. With each following stab, the man lost his remaining strength, collapsing into the ground in a pool of his own blood.
The woman glared at the Masho, refusing to scream, she dived down and grabbed the sword as the Masho came at her, spinning around and piercing the Masho's breastplate as his claws pierced her. Touma saw the life drain away from the woman's eyes as the Masho tried to stand up. Falling to his knees, he looked at the blade piercing him. With what must have been the last of his strength, he through off the helmet to the armor, and with that motion bashed it. Touma expected to see a human figure, or at least a humanoid shape, but what he saw had no physical form, more like the mist rising from the fallen foot soldiers he'd seen so many times, but more. A black shape, perhaps a shadow in the mist, but a figure nonetheless, rose from where the armor was. The Yoroi of the armor fell to the feet of a more familiar Masho, Shuten, looking years younger.
"Hirei, Arago sent me to finish what you could not, he banishes you for your failure, return to the dreams of little children whence you came," he mocked.
The world spun as he unwillingly followed Shuten, and his capture of the little girl, "Lady Kayura, Arago will certainly have plans for you, the last descendant of Kaos."
The little girl, Kayura, cried at both the fact she was captured, and that she was now the last of her family…
Stage V
Kayura and Shuten were gone, Touma stood alone on the field of dead bodies. As he turned he saw a familiar door, and suddenly he was back in the same room, with a glass skylight, and a room filled to the brim with books. This time the room didn't seem to stretch as he reached for the wooden door. As he turned the doorknob and pulled open the door, his ears filled with the screech of metal.
Now Touma stood in a room, with no light, except the slivers of a strange night outside a blocked off window. The room was almost Spartan, expect for a few stands, one holding a suit of armor from a much earlier era, the other, the Yoroi he'd seen the silver-armored Masho banish. Touma caught movement in his peripheral vision, moving towards the Yoroi. Touma quickly grabbed it before anything else could.
Touma suddenly felt weighted, everything felt infinitely more real. Touma looked around, and moved towards the door. He listened for any sounds on the other side of the door. Hearing nothing, he slid it open and moved into the Hallway. The placed looked like Arago's castle, but this was not part of the castle familiar to him.
Touma peered down a dark hallway, looking in each direction he saw no one. He quietly stepped out of the room, and crept down the hallway. In the shadows of the darkness, everything appeared larger and more threatening, the tiniest spider towered, and the most harmless serpent menaced.
"Oni's room, spiders and serpents, oh my," he kidded to calm his nerves. The idea that this was no longer just a dream seemed obvious the moment he touched the silver Yoroi. Knowing what was around him, he silently called his armor, whispering the call, "Busso Tenku."
After taking one step, metal on wood, Touma frowned and hoped the re-sounding noise wasn't nearly as loud as he imagined it. He banished the armor as quietly as he called it and hoped he would have the time to call it if he got in a fight. He pulled his denim jacket tighter against his body as he suddenly realized how cold it was.
Touma turned quickly as he heard the sound of a struggle, at first he moved away from it, until he heard the gasps and shrill shrieks of a girl in fear. Temporarily forgetting where he was, he ran into action, bursting through a shut door.
He launched himself into the room to see a lady about two or three years younger than him under her sheets, thrashing about as if something were attacking her. Figuring it for a mere nightmare at first, he moves closer, suddenly seeing a slash in her arm form from nowhere, he moves much quicker to jolt her from her terror. Shaking her awake, she bolts herself upright. She looks in all directions and sees only Touma, who she pulls away from, clutching her bleeding arm. Her dark hair slick with sweat, and her eyes full of confusion, she looks directly into Touma's eyes.
"Who are you," she demands, mustering her best attempt at a commanding voice in this state.
"Hashiba Touma, I came in because you sounded like you were in trouble."
"I- I've had this nightmare before, including this scratch."
"A Masho in a silver armor?"
"How- how could you know."
"Are you Lady Kayura?"
"Yes," she nods, "But how do you know so much."
"Hirei's been in mine dreams recently too. I think he wants this," Touma holds up the silver Yoroi.
"I know a place where Hirei can never find it, then let him haunt somebody else's dreams," she says a little more confidently now.
Touma nods, "I doubt such a simple thing will be enough, but something is far better than nothing, lead the way."
Kayura steps behind a fold-up curtain and changes from the sleeveless gown she had been sleeping in, into a kimono, stepping out from the curtain, she leads Touma down the hallway, after a few moments of silence she speaks to him, "I have not seen you before, are you new here?"
Not sure how to reply, he simple goes with his instinct, "I've only been here once before."
"Obviously more interested in breaking the silence then his answer, she asks more questions, "How long have you know Arago-sama?"
"Since a little after I found my armor, I suppose."
"How many battles have you been in?"
"Several."
"Did you win them?"
"More or less."
"It's here," she motions to a gate that looks like a miniature of the ones leading to the Ningenkai. "This gateway leads to an abyss that no one can navigate, not even Badamon." Touma reaches into his jacket pocket and retrieves the silver Yoroi as Kayura opens the gateway.
The moment Kayura pries open the gateway, a familiar metallic sound pierces the silence of the night, deafening Kayura and Touma. The Yoroi slips from Touma's hands and rolls closer to the gateway. A clawed, inhuman, wispy shadow hand reaches for the Yoroi. The hand transforms into the Silver Masho.
"Hirei," Touma states.
Kayura stands frozen, recalling this same monster and the night she first, and last, saw him… Hirei plunges his right claws towards her, Touma dives and pushes her out of Hirei's attack.
"BUSSO TENKU!"
Stage VI
Hirei laughs, "You thought you could hide the Yoroi of the Yume Masho in the abyss of human dreams, how perfect, it almost makes me want to spare you in gratitude, but I want to finish what I started so long ago. I will show Arago I'm not to be tossed by the wayside, by completing my task, and destroying his trophy of the Kaos clan, and destroy a Trooper in the process. Arago will HAVE to realize my power then."
"Slight problem with that plan Hirei," Touma proclaims, "You have to beat me first."
Kayura takes a pair of sharpened Jitte from within her Kimono, and in a flourish of Sakura petals transforms as well, her hair now bound, and her sleek figure more clear, "And I'm not the same little girl you terrified so many ages ago."
Hirei turned his glance from Touma towards Kayura, "We- shall- SEE!"
He lunged at Kayura, claws outreached, Touma pulled back an arrow, but before he could release, Kayura parried Hirei's claws with her Jitte, and drove a knee hard into his abdomen. He groaned in pain as he disentangled himself, pulling away. Touma stepped up behind Hirei, and put the tip of his golden arrow beneath Hirei's helmet, placing it against the back of his neck.
"You think that makes you the winner?"
"I think it would be rather inconvenient for you if your head came off."
Touma and Kayura suddenly and instinctively ran their hands to their ears as a sharp metal piercing explosion of noise overtook them. Hirei lunged away from Touma, raking his right arm and piercing his armor. Touma held his Hankyu in his injured arm and clutched his wound with the other. Kayura raised her Jitte in defense.
"Where did he go?"
"I don't know!"
"He must still be around here somewhere."
Touma and Kayura each looked around for him. The metallic sound Touma now associated solely with him rang through the Youjakai air. Touma turns towards Kayura, spotting Hirei he raises his Hankyu, and takes the shot. The golden arrow whizzes by her and strikes Hirei beneath the ribs. Hirei growls as he rips the arrow out with a spray of blood. Kayura turns to see him as well and jabs both Jitte into him. Hirei shrieks a metallic ring as he pulls away.
"ShinKuHa!"
Hirei dives, moving away from the wake of energy pouring towards him. Hirei screams as one of his arms is seared off. He holds his shoulder with the other hand. Hirei looks towards Touma, taking his hand off his wounded shoulder he removes his mask, the shadows beneath the armor forming an inhuman face. Touma freezes on the spot, entranced and intimidated by the superhuman rage portrayed by near-human traits.
Suddenly the face-like features twist from rage to pain as Kayura rams both Jitte into his back. His screams stop suddenly as he banished the armor to its Yoroi once more. A shadow swirls around the armor. Touma lunges forward to grab the Yoroi once more. Touma takes the Yoroi and slams it into the ground with all his might, shattering glass in all directions. The metallic shriek of pain and terror fills air as Hirei protests in his natural form.
"Be gone shadow of evil, you have NO POWER IN THIS WORLD! Ran Sei Zan! "
Kayura attacks the shadow with her Jitte, banishing it back into the abyss of dreams. Touma banishes his armor while Kayura returns to her earlier state in her Kimono. In the moment of victory, Touma and Kayura embrace, turning towards the gate, leading to the abyss of dreams.
"Kayura," Touma pauses, "For me this is just a dream."
"No, it's not, this is real."
"Hirei, he took me from my dream and put me here, my real body is in the human world."
"Then- your armor, your one of the nine, or rather, one of the five."
"I am."
"Then, take me with you, back to the Ningenkai."
"I can't."
"Then in case you remember this dream, and in case Arago-sama makes me forget, as he has so many things before-"
Kayura reaches up and grabs Touma by the neck, pulling him to her and kissing him. Time passes uncertainly for a moment, somewhere between a few seconds and a few days pass, tightly embraced. When they part lips, they also pull away from each other.
"Thank you."
"For what?"
Kayura just smiled. Touma smiled back, then backed into the gateway, his dream self shot back towards his body, and with the rising sun, Touma sat upright.
Stage VII
"What are you doing up so early," Natsui asked as Touma came into Natsui's study.
"You wouldn't believe me. Either way, I'm just letting you know, I'm going to pack up my stuff, then I'll be off like the others."
"Okay."
Days Later…
'Not too long ago my mother told me we are all connected together by the sky in the world, and Kaos told me to shoot the cloud. Now I understand. I have to better my control of my element, I have to defeat Arago- we- have to defeat Arago. So people like Lady Kayura can be what they want to be, instead of what they have to be…'
Touma closes his eyes and summons his armor. He looks to the sky and focuses, lifting himself into the air. He takes his Hankyu and aims an arrow to the sky. Floating above water, and beneath clouds, he unleashes the shot, parting the clouds and looking into the sunlit sky.
His concentration is suddenly pierced by a girl's laughter. A storm suddenly blows Wisteria petals all around, a blast of power strikes him and he loses consciousness…