Heeyyyy, Guys... Shadow here once again... YES I'M ALIVE! :D
...
*feels like a failure*
Omigosh, I'm sorry for taking forever when I promised myself I wouldn't, but I was in SUCH A SLUMP. My Writer's Block wasn't just a Writer's Block!
It was a Freaking WALL.
And once I got over that... an army of Ninjas came to attack me so I wouldn't reach my muse... NINJAS...
But seriously, I'm sorry for taking long. Had a lot of school related things to deal with and what not. I'm... kind of a nerd so my grades really matter to me. ^^; I have to keep it an A!
Besides that, fight scenes are not my favorite... I'm trying to keep suspense going here... I really need to learn how to write fight scenes... there ARE going to be A LOT here... Either way... Please enjoy. :)
"Italicized talk w/quotes" is Midori
'Italicized w/only one quote' is Aoko
Aoko had never enjoyed fighting. Though she naturally had a short temper, fighting was still her least favorite thing. But as a DoAlm, her purpose Was to fight. There was nothing she could do if she had to.
But now, as she stood across from Jamila, she wondered if fighting was even worth it.
Compared to the Hunter Fight, Aoko saw no chance of winning, much less survival.
They were going to lose.
"Well then… Let's Begin."
And Jamila lunged. Before Aoko knew it, Midori had stood in front of her, and blocked the attack. She held her Yari with both hands, and pushing back Jamila's weapon as the Leech tried to force it down to break Midori's grip. They were temporarily locked in a stalemate.
"What The Hell Are You Doing, Aoko? Snap Out Of It!" Midori yelled, she didn't move her eyes from the enemy.
Aoko started, sense returning. She glanced over at the unconscious Kiyoshi, then glanced back at Kaito. What was she there for? Her grip tightened on her Yari. There was only one reason of course. How could she have forgotten so easily?
"HAAAAA!" Aoko lunged, going after the Shadow Woman. Jamila, however, would not be taken down easily. Sensing the attack, she quickly pushed Midori aside and dodged it.
"Heh. Now you're acting like you…" Midori gave Aoko a small smile. Aoko merely shrugged. Both had their eyes set on there opponent.
Jamila stared at them emotionlessly. A second passed; she grinned. Aoko and Midori tensed, breaking their gaze from the Shadow Woman to see her Shadow Mana squirm quickly across the floor near them. A bit of the Mana curled around Aoko's ankle. She gave a small yelp.
"Aoko!"
Forcing it off with her own Mana, Aoko and Midori jumped away to safety. They were separated, right across the room from each other. Aoko winced, glancing down at her newly acquired wound. A small red circle wrapped around her exposed ankle. The woman's Mana had broken through Aoko's Shadow boots.
And her clothes were made of a bit of her own Shadow Mana so having something break through it without any trouble…
The boot slowly regenerated.
Midori attacked, pushing herself off the wooden pole of the ceiling. Her Yari was wrapped in Mana, the blade doubly sharp. Aoko rushed toward them, getting ready to deliver her blow.
Jamila side-stepped Midori's attack, watching with mild amusement as Midori's weapon hit the floor. The Shadow DoAlm grit her teeth angrily. Aoko was next, swinging her Yari across to swipe at Jamila's exposed head. With a grin, however, the Shadow Woman quickly disappeared before Aoko's very eyes.
Aoko was momentarily shocked, but she soon focused on Jamila's Aura. An ominous Shadow wriggled beneath her. Jamila had gone 2D! And the woman shot out from behind Aoko, a smirk on her face.
"Missed me again…" Jamila jabbed her weapon forward. Aoko felt Jamila move, but Aoko herself wasn't fast enough to dodge. Midori was soon by her side, pulling her out of the way. Aoko was pushed back as Midori dropped to the floor and swept her leg under Jamila's feet, successfully knocking the woman down.
Jamila hissed angrily as she hit the floor. Midori and Aoko acted quickly, both suddenly standing over her and shoving their Yaris down Jamila's back.
The small sense of relief that had begun to wash over them was crushed as they noticed that there was no one beneath their weapons. Aoko gave a exasperated shout, Jamila's Mana taking over the entire Clock Tower. The light that was once entering the room dimmed considerably, almost to the point that the room was pitch black.
"Mi-chan! Look Out!" Aoko yelled, ducking as sharp finger blades whizzed past above her head. Midori countered the blades, feeling pleased as they ricocheted off the Mana Shield her Yari produced.
But the feeling didn't last long. Her eyes widened. Dozens of Dumplings infested the room. Most of them strong ones.
Jamila leaned against the pole Kaito was held captive on. She tapped her foot to the clock's beat, a smug grin on her face.
"What's wrong? Shadow got your tongue?"
The Dumplings surrounded the girls. Midori and Aoko were now back-to-back. Midori gulped, adjusting and readjusting her grip on her weapon. Aoko risked a glare at the woman.
"So It Was You That Sent That Dumpling After Us!" Aoko growled, recalling the one Dumpling that had attacked them when Kiyoshi was with them. She cast a glance over where the boy lay. From where she stood, she could make out his unnaturally pale form. He was shivering.
"Ah. You are a smart one." Jamila mock praised her. "Yes, that was me. But understand I only wished to test you… Calling more Shadows is nothing once you have the right bait."
Kiyoshi cried out. His eyes shot open but he soon shut them tightly as a ripple of pain shot through him. Tears prickled at his eyes.
"Kiyo-Kiyo!" Midori firmly grasped her Yari. She glared furiously at Jamila. "B****! I Won't Forgive You!"
Midori slashed at the air, going along horizontally. And the Dumplings before her were cut in two as her the blade from her Mana severed them. Aoko did the same. And the Dumplings shrill cries filled the air. No longer allowing her fear take over her, Midori rushed head on towards Jamila, miraculously taking out all Dumplings that got in her way.
Aoko jumped high in the air, doing a front flip and went over the Dumplings. She jabbed and swung her Yari at the ones dumb enough to attack her. She landed silently, and quickly took off to Kiyoshi's direction. Aoko sent a wave of her Mana Blade back before she reached the boy.
"Kiyo-chan? Kiyo-chan!" Aoko cradled him in her arms. She shook him gently. "Kiyoshi!"
After a while, Kiyoshi slowly cracked open an eye just in time to see Aoko put a barrier around them. The boy cringed as another wave of pain took over him. Though it was not as painful as the last. He stared at the stranger holding him before something clicked.
"A… Ao-Nee…chan…?"
Aoko looked down at him in relief. At least he wasn't dead. But she soon became serious, her eyes analyzing everything Human eyes couldn't see. His Aura was being sucked away… His Soul was being taken for Jamila's own power. She had used Kiyoshi as means to call the Dumplings!
"Kiyo-chan! Don't worry! We're going to get you out of this!" Aoko held him closer. She grunted as her barrier obtained a small crack by the Dumplings just outside of it.
Midori had somehow managed to get to Jamila, much to the woman's surprise. Midori attacked time and time again, only to have Jamila dodge or block every attack thrown at her.
Swing. Dodge. Lunge. Dodge. Another Swing. Block.
By then, Midori was panting. She could feel the beads of sweat drip down her neck.
"You two are nothing… I can't believe Kei-sama was worried about you." Jamila smirked wickedly. Midori froze, her breath coming up short.
"K-Kei…?"
"What? Are you deaf as you are weak?" The Shadow Woman questioned arrogantly. "Jeez… Kei-sama will be very disappointed in you, girl."
Midori's fury returned 10 fold. Her Yari flared up, a dark light illuminating it. Strange Dark Purple symbols littered the shaft of her weapon.
"Don't Ever Say His Name!" Midori cried, attacking once more. And she started with a series of swings. Though they didn't hit Jamila, it did force her back and back and back...
"F***ing $#%&!" Aoko panted. She was backed up against the wall in a crouched position. With one hand, she held Kiyoshi. And in the other, her Yari was raised slashing at the enemy whoever got too close. Her shield was failing her.
Her weapon was starting to become heavy. It was usually so light, but now, it felt like a ton of lead. Her Mana had suddenly depleted into near nothingness in a second. She didn't know how, nor did she know why. All Aoko knew was that if she lost her grip on her weapon, it was over.
"M-Mi…" She sluggishly slashed at another enemy. "Midori! H… Help!"
An unusually strong Dumpling broke through. With a loud crack, Aoko's barrier collapsed. The crash followed by the scream finally broke through Midori's conscious.
Locked in another stale mate with Jamila, Midori snapped her eyes over to Aoko. She looked on in horror as Aoko slumped over Kiyoshi protectively. Her Yari was still in hand. Aoko had promptly defeated the Shadow, but...
The DoAlm coughed up blood, a finger blade sticking out of her abdomen.
Midori could feel her heart beating rapidly against her chest. She broke the stale mate and dropped to her knees. Using all her strength, Midori finally plunged her Yari into Jamila's chest and flung her backward, away from Kaito and far away from the direction Aoko was.
"AOKO!"
Jamila landed with a loud THUD upside down against a pole. The pole creaked and cracked greatly. She glared at Midori, watching as the Shadow Girl rushed to her partner's aid.
"N…ee-ch… an? Nee-chan..?" Kiyoshi felt a drop of liquid drip onto his cheek. Blood. Aoko's blood. The boy's eyes widened, and he forced himself up. Still in Aoko's arms, he could clearly see the dreaded projectile piercing through her. More blood.
"N-Nee-chan? Ao… Aoko-Nee!" Kiyoshi grabbed the object, but instantly let go with a hiss. His hands were burnt red.
A shadow lunged at him, a high-pitched roar erupting from it's throat. Kiyoshi shut his eyes, expecting for his life to end there. Memories of people flashed before his eyes: his father, his younger siblings… his once warm mother…
A shriek took the place of the roar as the Dumpling was killed. Kiyoshi opened his eyes to see Aoko, her weapon still raised. The bandana around her eyes had slipped to down to her neck. He was filled with relief and was about to call her name again. But he noticed her eyes were void of everything…. She was unconscious.
"Aoko-Nee! Wake Up!" Kiyoshi cried, reaching for the blade still stuck in her. He ignored the blistering heat burning at his hands. In fact, it was actually becoming colder. Soon, the feeling in his hands was slipping away. But he continued to pull at the blade lodged into Aoko.
The grip Aoko had had on the Yari loosened, finally slipping. Her defense was down. The Dumplings all attacked at once.
Kiyoshi paid them no mind. Even if they were going to die, the least he could do was remove the hideous thing out of Aoko.
Someone stood in front of them, taking out the oncoming enemies.
"Goddammit! How The Hell Did I EVER Find These Cute?" Midori roared, sending a giant Mana Blade toward them. When she deemed it safe, she looked over at Aoko in worry. "Aoko!"
"I… I can't!" Kiyoshi felt the tears stream down his face. "I can't get it out of you, Nee-chan!"
He looked back at Midori. Aoko was clearly reflected in the Shadowy face. Maybe this was her spirit sent to save him, Kiyoshi thought.
Midori allowed herself a shaky laugh. She wrapped her hands around Kiyoshi, and, together, they pulled out the Blade from Aoko. "Silly… Humans can't touch this stuff…"
Aoko wheezed then coughed up some more blood as she returned to the world of the conscious. Her tired eyes traveled to Midori.
"Wh… When did… f-fighting… become s-so… hard…?" She chuckled but that sent her into a fit of coughs. Her audience winced. Midori could feel a lump in her throat and reached out toward Aoko, placing a hand on her shoulder.
And the symbols on Midori's Yari flashed, suddenly scurrying down across the floor, returning all the Shadow Mana in the room to its former appearance as it passed over to it. It slipped over to Aoko's Yari, momentarily flashing over it. And Midori's weapon flashed again with the same symbols, before both disappeared altogether.
Aoko blinked. The color returned to her pale face. She shifted, gesturing to Kiyoshi to get off her. Aoko practically sprung to her feet, picking up her Yari as she did so. Midori and Kiyoshi stared at her in utter shock as Aoko began to curse loudly.
"What The $%&! This is F***ing #$!*?$#! $#%674*#!#! OWWW!" Aoko held the gaping wound with one of her hands.
Kiyoshi latched himself on Aoko. He hugged her tightly, burying his face against her chest. The pain he was feeling as the Shadow Woman took his soul was nothing compared to almost losing a loved one. And then the thought of how painful it would be if that loved one Was lost… "Nee-chan! Thank Goodness! I Though That You-! You Were Hurt, A-And-!"
Aoko smiled gently. She wrapped her arms around Kiyoshi. "Daijoubu. I'm Alright. It was nothing."
"L-Like Hell It Was Nothing!" Midori snapped, her eyes wide in shock. "You were DYING For Crying Out Loud!"
Aoko blinked, thinking it over. "I guess that's true… But the 'Hunter' Injuries were worse though…. Hmm… that's weird…" She tilted her head to the side, a big Question Mark hovering over her. Midori twitched.
"God! You Act Like This Is Normal!"
"Human Standards: No, it's not normal. DoAlm Standards: Eh, I think it's not that weird." Aoko shrugged. It was a bit unnerving that she wasn't unnerved of her total calm. A Soothing Calm...
"I-I guess… But Still!" Midori sputtered.
Kiyoshi watched the two in curiosity. The fact that there were two Aokos didn't bother him as much as the fact that he didn't understand what they were talking about. He couldn't stand not knowing.
He suddenly doubled over as another wave of pain came over him.
"A-Ah..." Kiyoshi's vision grew dim as a familiar cold energy ran through his veins. His even breathing soon became ragged, shallow gasps for air when his chest constricted. Aoko crying out his name was drowned out by the drumming sound of his heart in his ears.
"Dammit, What the Hell?" Midori dropped down to her knees by Aoko who caught Kiyoshi in her arms when he collapsed. The Inspector's daughter didn't glance at her partner.
Her mind was racing. Kiyoshi shouldn't be losing so much life that quickly. Anger could be detected in the invading Shadow Mana inside Kiyoshi. Midori finished Jamila off, though! Her Mana should have disappeared! Jamila should be-
Aoko's heart skipped a beat. Her eyes widened. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Midori stiffen automatically, mirroring Aoko's look of horror as the same pressure they had felt at WacDonald's manifested.
"Annoying Pests." Came a menacing hiss.
With a small turn of her head, Aoko took in the sight of a furious Jamila. The Shadow Woman, holding a hand over the newly-made hole in her chest, stood beside the pole Kaito was held.
Before a sound could escape Aoko's throat, before a word could be formed on her lips, Jamila struck a fist against the pole. The Mana enveloping Kaito quivered erratically.
The magician flinched, twisting and turning in pain, still unconscious.
"I was going to let you two live, but now," Jamila's eyes darkened in anger, "I don't feel as merciful!"
With a single swoop of her hand, Jamila sent an air full of crackling Mana. Aoko shielded Kiyoshi while Midori braced herself beside them as the Mana struck through the room.
The feeling was almost like static as small cuts appeared here and there on Aoko's hands, face, all over her body. Midori and Kiyoshi suffered the same.
Jamila was using Kiyoshi and HER BEST FRIEND as Power Sources. The woman was crazy! Aoko tried to voice her anger, but could not.
The air around them soon stilled. But there was no time to even breathe as Jamila appeared beside them, swinging her Yari with an unexpected quickness and wrenching Midori aside. In the same second, she pointed the weapon at Aoko and drove it forward with every intent to kill. Midori attempted to scramble to her feet.
Time slowed.
It was funny how in the movies, things seemed to go slower at the most crucial of times. The time when one must think and act. It was slow yet fast, almost as if Aoko lost her focus on the entire situation, time would "resume it's normal pace," and it would be over.
But what could she do? Aoko was cradling Kiyoshi in her arms making the Yari unavailable for use. She could use a type of defensive or countering Shadow Mana, but her defense wouldn't be good enough in time and a counter-attack put a great risk of harmful backlash she wouldn't be prepared for. There was no way. Unless there was a way to hold Jamila in place. If there was somehow a way...
And time returned to normal.
I SO SORRY! TT_TT
I FAIL DON'T I?
This chapter could have been soooooo much longer... but the Wall and Ninjas I was taking about... they did it...
Though I really hope I didn't let you guys down... It shouldn't take long to finish the next chapter... just so you know, I'm pretty much on a roll here... I just wanted to end the chapter here and now so you guys would know I'm alive...
Again, sorry for failing... (-_-;)
MIDORI: They hate it. They totally hate it... *is pessimistic*
ME: D:
AOKO: Don't say that, Midori! That's Rude! *turns to Shadow* It wasn't bad, Shadow-chan.
ME: It was ATROCIOUS... It was everything it shouldn't have been!
AOKO: Don't say that... I really like that whole Time-slowing thing...
ME: ... yeah... me too... I just hope it's enough to make the entire thing good... *sadness*
AOKO: Mi-chan, you're going to have to do that thing. Shadow-chan needs comforting...
MIDORI: *depressing cloud over her head* ... Review please... Gosho Aoyama owns what he owns... I'm the creation of Shadow herself.. There... Happy?
ME: ... A little..
Oh, Thanks Alkyone for kinda getting me out of the whole slump. ^^
We need to chat more! Vacation's starting tomorrow! So maybe we can! :D
Btw, me and her are working on a fic together called The Return of Phantom Lady! Go check it out! It's in the crossover section, under MK and DC~! ;D That's it for now! I'm writing too much ^^;
(PS: Sorry, Butterfly-chan for making you wait soooo long!)