-1Four Garou stood in the doorway, three of them wore their war form or wolf form but it was the one in front that got his attention the most. He stood there in human form wearing nothing more then black jeans and a black fishnet top that seemed to fit with his black spiky hair, but unlike any of the Black Spirals he had seen so far his body was perfect, no scars, no sort of marks or mutations what so ever. A sinister grin settled on his lips as it looked over the copy-nin.
The Dancer in human form shook with laughter "hehe so you're the Copy-nin en? Hehe the shinobi who happens to be a Garou eh?"
Kakashi's eyes narrowed on the Dancer, his naturally dark one starting to turn gold, "Get out of my way!" he snarled, "I'm taking Sakura and going, and ill kill anyone who gets in my way."
The Dancer's cackle filled the room, "Yeah! Yeah! Fuck yeah! That's what I wanted to hear!" he laughed manically "I know all about you Kakashi! Your suppose to be the tuff shit on this block eh?
"You must be Zakmive then?"
"Hehe hell ya! And you killed my little pet bloodsucker, ill have to pay you back for that!"
The wind was nocked clean out of him as Zakmive elbowed him in the stomach, he had moved so fast that Kakashi had not been able to see him, even with the Sharingan. He gasped when his back slammed into the wall followed by the unmistakable crack of bones breaking as he took another blow this time to the chest. Kakashi knew he would have to change shape and try to get his body to heal some but at this point if he changed his wounds would drive him into frenzy, and if he frenzied he could well end up hurting Sakura.
Zakmive grabbed the copy-nin by his hair and jerked him forwards, razing his knee and slamming it into the shinobis gut earning a muffled grunt of pain from him, with another stern tug from the Black Spiral pulled Kakashi eye to eye with him. The copy-nin's red and gold eyes glared at the Dancer with so much hate it made a shudder run down the dark Garou's spine, his muscles bulged and rippled with barley controlled fury.
Kakashi could feel Zakmive's body tremble with mocking laughter, "Common man, show me your true form! Rage! Let it out! I know you want too," he grabbed Kakashi's wrist as he tried to claw him, "Stop playing man! Just Rage! It feels so damn good! Don't you enjoy it? The fire in your heart! The feeling of your prey's blood was over you, trickling down every part or your body! Its sweet taste in your mouth! It gives you a high no mix of drugs and sex could top!" the crazed yelps and howls of the Dancer's pack resonated off the walls as they enjoyed the show Zakmive was giving them.
"I will not let you goad me into a frenzy!" Kakashi spat at the Dancer holding him by his hair and wrist.
"Hehe Hell ya man! Still got some fight left in you eh? Your just like your old man!" his head snapped to the side as the copy-nin clawed him across his face with his unrestrained hand, Zakmive just grinned at him with a crazed glimmer in his eyes as he licked up a drop of blood that had trickled down to his mouth, "Do that again," he chuckled, "It feels good!"
Kakashi managed to push himself away from the Dancer. The copy-nin knew that he had lost a bit of control on his form seeing as now it was starting to lose some resemblance to a normal human, his muscles had bulged beyond what was normal for his lean form, nails had grown into dark claws and his hair had grown longer and more wild. His body had started healing, no longer did he breath in pain or limp on his leg. Zakmive brushed his fingers over the claw wound Kakashi had given him, he did not wince at any pain as he brutally poked at the gash with another dark chuckle the rubbed the blood over his face, licking at his hand and around his mouth in a hungry manna.
He turned his face to the side, showing Kakashi that the wound had completely healed, "Is that all you have man?"
The harsh sound of the chirping of birds filled the room along with the cold light of the charging Chidori in Kakashi's clawed hand, the three Black Spirals at the door snarled and backed away a step or two whilst Zakmive stood there, a board expression on his face.
"Get out of my way!" the copy-nin howled as he rushed in, the sound of what could only be described as a hawk's cry rang in the air as the attack landed.
Kakashi had his arm through the Dancer's chest, just left of his heart. Zakmive's face remained unchanging even as a small trail of blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
"Flashy," he chocked out as his body shook again with more mocking laughter, "But you will have to do better then that."
Kakashi felt his arm being squeezed. By Mother Gaia, he was healing! The Dancer slammed an object into his chest, pushing the copy-nin free as well. The object that was trusted at Kakashi feel to the ground with a small thud, it was a small waxen seal that had the sign of the full moon etched on it, the silver-haired Garou froze as a shudder racked his body violently followed by the familiar feeling of bones snapping and reforming, he had lost control of his body as it started to shift into his lupus form, he snarled and snapped his jaws at Zakmive as he mocked him. The other Dancers had started to move in now, stalking him like he was a wounded pray animal and laughing like Haynes.
Zakmive rubbed his now healed chest, "Think your self lucky man, hell if it was not for my big brother we would of already skinned ya by now," Kakashi seemed to make a sound between a roar and a bark witch made the Black Spiral's mouth twitch into a grim smile, "hehe not like yourself down on four legs eh? Too bad you basted." he then proceeded to kick him in the jaw.
Kakashi could taste that metallic tang in his mouth, the taste of his own blood, how the Dancer had managed to force him into his wolf form he did not know but he guessed it had something to do with that wax seal. But far, far worse then this was the fact that he could feel a large amount of silver nearby, his eyes flicked to Sakura as he tried to think of a way to get her and make a retreat. The pick-haired medic had been drifting in and out of it for the past few minuets now.
Zakmive crouched in front of him and waved his forearm in front of the copy-nin, "Common man, don't you want to take a bite? I know you would like nothing better now then to taste my blood."
Kakashi snarled again, unable to word what he wanted to say in any human-speech, the three tomoe spinning wildly in his Sharingan but unable to do anything. His barley controlled Rage was blocking out his chakra using any sort of jutsu now was all but imposable; he was trapped in his wolf form, surrounded and on the edge of berserker frenzy.
Zakmive let his right hand grow the long jagged claws that would normally adorn the Garou's war form and then dragged them across his chest leaving small trails of blood in there wake. The way he moved his hand, the way he moaned as they cut his flesh, it was like the sick basted was trying to make it all seductive, slowly he sucked the blood from his claws one by one, licking his lips like he was savouring every drop.
"Want a taste?" he waved his hand in front of Kakashi, suddenly the dark Garou was on his back, trying to keep the copy-nin's snapping jaws at bay, "Woo Hoo! Now that's what I talking about!" he cackled, "Ok boys lets get him all gift wrapped up, brother will be pissed if he does not get his fun."
Kakashi felt himself be pulled back onto his hind legs as a muzzle made of pure silver was pulled onto his face. The Lunar metal burned like it was white-hot, his first taste of silver seemed far bitterer then he would have ever imagined it. The metal's hot bite struck again this time on his legs as the Dancer's wrapped him in lengths of heavy silver chain, the glee filled hollers and howls of the Wyrm born Garou merged into one crazed filled victory cry as he was held up by the scruff of his neck like he was nothing more then a trophy. Kakashi bit back a howl of his own, not wanting to give the Black Spiral Dancer's anymore sick pleaser, but his agony could be clearly seen as his body thrashed in its burning prison.
His jaws opened wide making the burning on his face more intense, it felt like he should be screaming, howling, his throat burned for release. But no sound past his lips. Then all went quite save for the beating of his heart that echoed solemnly in his head, he felt his limp body being dropped to the floor, the impact seemed numbed. His body had snapped, he was beaten, bound with silver and forced into his lupine form; by rights he should of frenzied but trapped as he is there was no outlet for his Rage. Starring blindingly as the pack of dark Garou casually walked out the room he closed his eyes and let the darkness wash over him.
--
Flap
Flap
What is that?
Flap
Wings?
Flap
A Bird?
Flap
Where am I? W-Why is it so dark?
Flap Tink
Kakashi lazily opened his eyes, feeling like he was having the worst hangover of his life. Slowly his eyes adjusted to the hazy blackness of Kami-knows-where, he focused his eyes onto the end of the accursed muzzle to see and black and white bird perched on the silver mesh. It pecked at the shiny metal at its feet like it was hoping to brake a piece off and take it away to a nest somewhere, it stopped for a moment to ruffle its feathers in what seemed to be frustration before regarding the Luna metal with its glassy black eyes.
"If you undo the clasp at the back of my head ill let you have it." Kakashi told the strange little Magpie.
The bird turned itself towards the trapped werewolf, turning its head this way and that as it blinked at him with something deep in those oily black eyes of its. It puffed up its thick coat of coal and snow before crowing at him and returning to pecking at the metal that burned the shinobi, Kakashi watched it as it tried to break the metal. What could a magpie spirit be doing here? And how did it get here?
But more importantly, where was here?
"Magpie," the wolf snorted, "are we in the Umbra? What is going on here?"
The bird-spirit looked up at the copy-nin, again twisting its head this way and that like it had all time in the world to form a reply, "Umbra?"the Magpie's voice echoed in the Garou's head, "Body no, mind yes."
Kakashi frowned "So, this is a dream?"
"Dream, dream, yes, yes." it squawked with a ruffle of feathers.
"So, why are you here?" Kakashi shook his head as Magpie started to peck at the metal again, "or do spirits suffer from boredom as well?"
The bird-spirit flapped its wings to keep itself steady, "Kakashi not nice,"it cried, "Magpie come long way at Stormcrow's request, many bad spirits try and kill Magpie, not nice, not nice."
Kakashi's eyes widened slightly at the mention of Stormcrow, he was the avatar of Grandfather Thunder who is the tribal spirit of the Shadow Lords, one of the most powerful spirits known to the Garou, if his actions had got interest from Thunder..
"Stormcrow apologises for not coming himself," the spirit chirped with another ruffling of feathers, "he thinks my gifts would help more." it the started to look around, like the darkness was of more interest then the shinobi was.
"But I have done nothing to earn your gifts."
Magpie turned its attention back to the Shadow Lord, hopping up the muzzle closer to Kakashi's face and leaned forwards, its black beak only an inch away from his eye. Like before it twisted its head this ways and that, like it was regarding something of interest. Kakashi could just imagine the bird-spirit plucking out his one golden eye as payment. There was a twinkle in its dark eyes as it puffed up its chest and let out a cry, with a giant beat of its wings it took flight.
"My talons are yours, take what you will." it cried as it flew off into the darkness.
--
Searing, agonising pain.
It was the first thing to welcome Kakashi to the wakening world.
Biting back against the pain he squinted his right eye open. Only a handful of low burning candles lit the room, the door closed and most likely locked and barred. He tried to look around without moving his body for every small movement was hell, he laid still trying to block out the pain so he turned to smell to tell him what his eyes could not, blood, burning wick, melted wax and salt.
The salt from tiers.
"Sakura," his voice was cracked, throat bone dry, "are you ok? Sakura?" he shifted about, ignoring the pain as he tried to turn and look at her.
"I'm sorry sensei," she sobbed, "It's my fault that your in this mess."
"Don't say that, if anything its mine, they wanted me so they went through you to do it." his body screamed as he forced himself to stand, legs trembling he could not rise to his full height, "Sakura-chan, look at me," blinking away a few unfailing tears she looked up, with the dim candle light she hoped that she would not able to see him clearly, but she was wrong, "lessen Sakura, this is a war to be fought by us shape shifters but I dragged you into this." he staged for a moment, the pain increasing by the second.
"B-But I was not able…" she trailed off at the end.
"Don't say stuff like that," he growled, trying to remember not to say anything in wolf-speech, "there will be things you can't do but you have to work around it and not dwell on them, trust me Sakura-chan, you are strong and we will get out of this." he then settled himself back down.
A small smile creped its way into her lips as she looked at him, "Thank you Kakashi-sensei, you know you started to sound a bit like Naruto at the end there."
"Dattebayo," the wolf grinned, "and stop calling me sensei."
Sakura was about to open her mouth to say something but a chorus of howls echoed around them, a harsh wakeup call to the situation they where in. Kakashi let out a low growl, to Sakura a howl was just a howl but to the copy-nin, to someone who could understand the howl it was much more.
"What are they?" Sakura asked, "they look like Garou but they are so twisted."
"There not Garou, well not anymore," he sighed, "they are death, death of innocents, death of hope, of love," he closed his eyes, "long ago before even Konoha was born, even before the 1st was born, there was a tribe known as the White Howlers, they where strong and full of pride but it was that pride that led to there downfall, for there right of passage for new werewolves they danced the black spiral."
"The black spiral?"
"You have heard of the circles of hell? It was there pride that took them there, every time they ventured into its depths they where mocking the Wyrm so really it was no surprise at what happened in the end.
"What happened?"
The silver-grey wolf remained silent.
"Tell me Kakashi-kun what happened?"
"The Wyrm swallowed every last White Howler up, then spat them back out, nothing more then twisted shadows of what they ones where, they where reformed into The Black Spiral Dancer's."
"So true, and many more dance the spiral day by day." the thick voice of Zakmive rolled into the room like some kind of dreaded fog.
Kakashi snarled at him, the Black Spiral had blood smeared all around his mouth and over his chest showing that he had been in some kind of feeding frenzy, a small deer head rested in his grasp, still worm and still dripping fresh blood.
"Here," he throw the head at Kakashi, the body part coming to rest near the wolf. The smell of the pray animal was intoxicating, the copy-nin would of liked nothing more at that moment to eat every last scrap of flesh from the thing, but that was what the Dancer wanted.
"No need to look at me like that man I'm only here to talk" he walked up to Kakashi and crouched down by him and shook his head, "why do you fight? I mean tell me? The world is dieing around you and don't deny it! I can feel it as well, so if you can feel it and I can feel it how can you deny that its not the case?" he stood up and racked his hand through his oily black hair, "hell maybe this world wants to be dead. Did you ever think of that? Maybe the loss of balance, for which mankind is more then a little to blame, is something that just can't be fixed no matter how hard you try. No matter how much blood drips from your claws?"
Kakashi did not say anything, in wolf or human speech. But glared at him with his red and gold eyes.
"There is only one way to fix what's broken; tear it all down and rebuild it from the foundation up. What you call rape and destruction of Gaia, I call a mercy killing in an effort to recreate that what has been lost. How can you call yourself a champion of the Mother when she is nothing more then an unkempt mockery of what she was in days past?"
"There are always other ways to fix, to heal," Kakashi barked, "you are nothing more then an infection, one that I will cure myself!"
The Dancers dark laugh rumbled, "You should rejoice in that we offer and strive to achieve. You should praise the passing sickness and the renewal of the universe through the purification of the cold fire of oblivion. Instead you waste your time fighting against the terminal cancer that has no cure, prolonging the inevitable."
"Has all hope really died in you!" the copy-nin snarled, his Rage burning inside, "are you blind to what the Wyrm is doing?"
Zakmive kicked the deer head at him, splattering blood over the right side of his face, "The Wyrm is doing what it has always done!" he yelled, "it is attempting to maintain balance through any means necessary. The only way to cure this affliction, this disease of imbalance, is to cauterize it completely," the Dancer then turned to leave, stopping briefly as he got to the door, "all we seek to do is light the pyres that will purify the universe into renewal, now is that wrong? Balance through destruction is still balance is it not?"
With his words ringing in the ears on the Gaian Garou, Zakmive slammed the door shut, the force casein some of the candles to blow out.
