Angels and Dragons.
Hi all, sorry this took a while longer than the last few but I've had to prepare for a showing competition with my horse and have had no time. All the prep paid off though cause he won everything and came away as supreme showing champion too so I can take a breather now until the next one. Anywho, now that I've bored you to tears, on with the story!
Chapter 10:
"What's going on?" Liz shouted over the noise of the shaking ground and the howling wind that had begun since Kidd had awoken so abruptly. The three teens had made their way down the stairs avoiding falling masonry as they did so and stood in the front doorway looking out onto the street outside. Angry purple clouds gathered above the city and swirled like a raging ocean, crackles of lightening flashed across the sky and wind was picking up to dangerous levels.
"Hey guys look'it what I can do!" Patty's voice sounded from their right as she took a running leap into the air with a whoop and allowed the wind to carry her along until she grabbed one of the metal gate posts and pulled herself back to terra firma. "How cool is that?"
"Patty don't do that!" Liz screamed and ran over to her sister but found she too had to grab the gate post as well to keep herself on the ground.
"Awe but sis, it's fun!" Patty whined loudly above the wind.
"I don't care just don't do it and I still want to know what's going on?" Liz bellowed and looked pointedly at her meister.
"I'm not sure, but I think we should get back to the school and ask my father what we should do." Kidd said looking up into the sky.
"This isn't normal." Ari said.
"No kidding!" Liz snapped.
"Are you all right?" Kidd asked placing a hand on Aradia's shoulder.
"Can't you feel it?" She asked still staring as if entranced into the purple swirling clouds, "It's like an energy of pure darkness." She added too quietly for the girls to hear but Kidd heard it clearly.
"Yes I feel it," he said, "the closest I've felt to it is Asura."
"The Kishin?" She looked at him.
"Yes, but this feels like there's powerful magic involved." He said, "Girls maybe it would be safer if you transformed." He suggested as the wind grew even more powerful.
"I'm not so sure that's. . ." Aradia started but the girls had already begun transforming. Kidd reached out his hands to catch his beloved weapons but there was a yelp from both of them and their transformation stopped abruptly midway and they began to fall. Ari cast a quick spell to catch them and ensure they wouldn't be swept away in the wind. She winced at the feeling of dark energy trying to wrap itself around her spell and corrupt her, but she resisted the urge to allow it to influence her soul. ". . . good idea." She finished hoping Kidd hadn't caught the slight waver in her voice.
"Girls!" He cried rushing to their side, "Girls are you all right, what's wrong?"
"Ooh, hey Kidd. Why are there two of you?" Patty giggled looking almost drunk.
"Oh my head!" Liz groaned holding the aforementioned head.
"We have to get them to Nygus!" Kidd moved to help Liz as the bigger of the two and assuming Ari would help Patty.
"I don't think that's a good idea." the Guardian replied looking back up at the sky again.
"They need help!" He growled at her.
"I know that!" She snapped back, "But I think it would be best if we took them somewhere else."
"We can't leave!" Kidd said incredulously, "We have to help the city as well!"
"We'll come right back as soon as they're safe," She assured, "you do want them to be safe right?" She looked at him pointedly and he nodded still unsure, "Do me a favour?" He nodded agin, "I need a barrier, one that can protect me from the energy in that cloud as I cast a transportation spell. Can you do that?" Aradia looked at him pleadingly and a little unsure having not trained with him for so long. Had they continued to train together she knew he would be capable of such feats but as he hadn't.
"Give me a second." He closed his eyes and made some complicated hand movements before a barrier was erected around the group of four allowing Aradia a respite from the pull of the storm clouds. She concentrated on her own centre and pictured where she wanted to be and who she wanted to take with her and with a flash of bright light they were there.
"Lady Aradia!" A middle aged woman exclaimed and rushed to the girl's side. Kidd noticed the woman wore a plain kimono and realised she had exclaimed in Japanese and continued to speak a mile a minute in the same tongue.
"Kisa!" Aradia replied stopping the woman mid rant, "My friends need aid, please ask Nana to look after them. And I need someone to contact my uncle. I think he said he was in Berlin this week, tell him that Death City is under attack and we need every available dragon to go and help Lord Death and his people." The woman paled and bowed deeply before scurrying off and shouting again in Japanese.
"Ugh, what is she saying." Liz asked groggily, "Is that Japanese?"
"Where are we?" Patty asked.
"You're safe." Aradia replied, "I'll explain more later. Kidd we have to get back!" Just as she finished speaking three older men came rushing in and moved to help the fallen weapons and take them somewhere more comfortable than the floor. They were followed by a Japanese woman with silver grey hair tied in a tight bun wearing a black and red silk kimono with a dragon weaving gracefully around the garment.
"You return home after months, you produce patients for me to treat and you weren't even going to stay to say hello?" The old woman scolded despite the smile on her face and approached her granddaughter to pull her into a warm embrace.
"Sorry nana but. . "
"But you are needed elsewhere." she smiled, "And look at this! Our little Kiddo!" A surprised Kidd was also pulled into a hug. "It has been far too long," Ari gave her a look as the boy went beet red, "yes, yes, I know! Go, but make sure you come back or I will come looking for you this time despite what my over protective son tells me." She turned and followed after the men who had taken the girls.
"She's a little cooky but she's a gifted healer and she'll make sure they're well take care of." Ari reassured.
"We must return to Death City, our friends, our family could be in danger!" Kidd said impatiently ignoring the pull in his heart at leaving his weapons in a strange place with people he didn't know, or rather remember.
"I can't get us back the same way we came. . ." She started.
"Why not?" He asked.
"I can't pull that spell off too many times, but don't worry I have another way of getting us there quickly and without using mirrors." She waved her arm and a tear in the space in front of them appeared in which Kidd could see the courtyard of the school on the other side along with the pandemonium that came with it. Students ran in panic trying to avoid the crumbling building and help injured students at the same time. They could see Several teachers as well as Spirit and the Spartoi teams trying to organise everyone. "Yue can do something similar with her sword. Let's go!" Before Kidd could ask her to explain Ari had already jumped through the gateway.
"Kidd!" Maka cried sounding more than a little relieved. Soul stood just behind her looking a little peaky, "None of the weapons can transform without getting sick or passing out!"
"Not only that, but the whole city's crumbling!" Killik said.
"And we can't contact the Death room." Sid added jumping to his side as a very large piece of a tower nearly fell on him, "We've made the decision to evacuate the entire city starting with the school."
"Only problem is the whole city's in a panic and it's making everything a lot more difficult!" Maka said, "And without weapons there's not a lot we can do to help!"
"Where are Black Star, Tsubaki and the Dragons?" Kidd asked.
"They went to see if they could get to the Death room and help your dad." Soul said.
"Okay, Soul and Maka come with us," Kidd said, "The rest of you keep aiding the evacuation. Come on!"
"Where are Liz and Patty?" Maka asked.
"Safe." Aradia replied as they ran into the crumbling building, "Are you okay Soul?"
"I only transformed an arm," he explained, "I'm a little nauseous but cool."
"Just stick close both of you." Kidd said rounding a corner then dodging a flying body.
"Sousuke!" Ari shouted. The older teen coughed a little but got to his feet and growled in the direction he came from. A battle cry sounded and seconds later Keiichi flew in direction of his brother and landed with an oof. "Keiichi!" She raced to her cousins' side. From the shadow of the hallway walked out a large bat like creature with blood red eyes and dripping fangs.
"Woah, what is that?" Soul exclaimed.
"That is what gave us free flying lessons." Kei groaned. There was a flash of metal and the bat creature literally broke apart. "About time you joined us Yue."
"Actually it was me." Black Star came out of the shadows this time with Tsubaki and Yue close behind. "We can't get into the Death room."
"Even the Fang won't work." Yue addressed Aradia. "Care to try a merge?"
"We can try." Ari said and got up to follow Yue back the way the ninja had come from.
"A merge?" Soul asked no one in particular.
"And what's a fang?" Maka added.
"Not sure about the merge thing, but the Fang is her sword." Black Star explained sheathing his own katana that he'd 'borrowed' from a weapon storage room.
"Her sword?" Maka said trying to get a closer look at the sword Yue was holding that she'd never really given a second thought to. Although she had often wondered why she didn't have a demon weapon partner like Sousuke.
"Yeah, she didn't tell me much about it but she said it was a powerful magic sword or something." Black Star told them.
"Ready Yue?" Ari said as they sprinted toward the Death Room door a ball of energy forming in her hands and for a moment Maka blinked in shock as Aradia's powerful soul took on the shape of a witch's. She didn't say anything though and watched as Yue sped up, drawing her sword and charging at the door. At the last minute Ari threw the ball of energy at Yue who spun in the air and slice through it. The group of teens watched as the sword seemed to absorb the energy and glow an ethereal honey gold. While the rest couldn't see Maka and Kidd watched as Yue's soul crackled with that same energy and a Japanese dragon emerged from the sword and wrapped itself around the Red Dragon's soul and opened it's mouth as if roaring at Yue's target. Yue took a swipe at the door an explosion ensued and there was a small hole in it that showed Kidd's father looking at them surprised but it closed just as quick.
"Someone powerful must be sealing it from the inside." Aradia said frustrated.
"That was pretty cool Yue." Soul said impressed.
"I don't think that's the issue here." Yue said holding her sword behind her back so that the tip pointed upwards.
"Children, you must listen to me." Hestia's voce sounded in all of their heads, "Shinigami and I will be fine, but you must flee the city. You are most important now. Dragons you know where to go. Keep each other safe, Shinigami and I are trusting you. Now please go!"
"But mom." Ari said running to the door and pulling on the handle in desperation.
"You heard aunt Hes." Yue said holding her cousin's shoulder, "You know her, she wouldn't tell us to retreat unless she thought we couldn't handle what was happening."
"Yeah Ari," Keii pipped up, "Hes is always up for us kicking bad guy butt so this has got to be bad."
"And it's our job to keep you alive, so if Aunt Hes thinks we should leave then we have to listen." Sousuke said nearly losing his footing as the building shook more violently than it had since all hell had broken loose.
"They're right Aradia." Kidd said stepping forward, "Neither of us are up to full strength yet and whoever is behind this is powerful enough to not only seal the Death Room but trap my father and your mother in there. We have to leave and figure out a way to stop whoever is doing this."
"Maybe we should leave soon." Tsubaki squeaked as a part of the wall to her left nearly fell on her, but Sousuke pulled her out of the way. "Thank you." She smiled at him and he gave her a small bow.
"Wouldn't do for a beauty like you to get hurt now would it." He muttered just loud enough for her to hear and cause a dusting of pink to grace her cheeks.
"What are we waiting for?" Soul yelled shielding Maka from some debris. Without another word they all began sprinting down the hall again. Aradia ran with them but she had a nagging feeling in the back of her mind as they ran past a class room and she skidded to a stop.
"Someone's in there." She muttered quietly not noticing she was being left behind. She opened the door and walked inside. Looking around she saw that this particular classroom had suffered a lot of damage and she could see the dark swirling clouds clearly through the gaping hole in the wall that went from floor to the ceiling of the room above and half of that had collapsed into the room she stood in. "Hello?" She stepped in carefully looking around and following the soul she was sensing. "Please I want to help you, if you can answer me then please do and I'll take you with me to safety. She heard a soft hiccoughing coming from under the first row of seats. She ran down the last few steps and got down on her hands and knees to peer under the seats to find the source of the sound. There she found a brown haired little girl with ruby red eyes, dressed in a witch's outfit and a very wet face.
"I got scared and hid." She sniffled.
"It's okay," Ari smiled in what she hoped was a reassuring way, "your the witch Angela aren't you?" The little witch nodded and sniffed once again, "Come on out of there and lets get you to safety okay?" She nodded and crawled out from under the seats. Aradia could only marvel at how lucky the little witch had been considering the devastation of that part of the building. Angela screamed in fright as the rest of the ceiling began to collapse right above them, Ari grabbed her and jumped out of the way just in time only to feel the floor give way beneath her feet as well and she began to fall. She heard the fearful scream of the child in her arms and all she could do was wrap her arms tight around her and hope that her body would be enough to protect her. The pair never hit the floor and instead they were caught in the arms of Death the Kidd who looked at them worriedly.
"Are you insane! What were you thinking going off on your own like that?" Kidd asked and Aradia noticed a very unamused looking Yue beside him glaring at her as well.
"Well I sensed someone in trouble and went to help them," she explained and opened her arms a little to reveal the little witch in her arms, "I found Angela and you can probably figure out the rest." Kidd sighed in frustration and placed the guardian on her feet then indicated for her to follow them out of a side door that then led to the court yard where the others were waiting for them.
"Angela!" Tsubaki rushed forward and took the little witch, of whom she had become so fond of.
"You okay kid?" Black Star asked her receiving a stuck out tongue as a response.
"No thanks to you!" She said and hugged Tsubaki, Black Star just rolled his eyes.
"Guys we have got to get out of here!" Sousuke shouted.
"I can't cast a transport spell yet and if I open a doorway here debris would just fall through with us and hurt one of us!" Ari shouted.
"Then we leave the old fashioned way!" Black Star said taking Angela from Tsubaki and taking off at a sprint with his weapon and friends close behind. There were bodies littering the streets where debris had crushed people or the wind had thrown them against solid objects and killed them in some way or another. Kidd could feel their souls as they emerged from each of the bodies but before he could call them to himself so that he might send them on their way, the souls flew towards the school and he felt their presence devoured. It was soon after that sensation there was a pulse of immense energy and both he and Aradia winced in pain and fell to their knees.
"Kid, Ari!" Their friends shouted.
"Mom?" Ari whispered looking close to tears.
"Father." Kidd looked towards where the school had been to see nothing but rubble and a large glowing sphere almost as big as the school had been itself. A flash blinded them and the giant sphere had disappeared and a massive earth quake began demolishing the rest of Death City. It was all the small group could do to avoid the falling debris and then an entire building began to fall and some of the group screamed in fright. Ari leapt forward to the front of the group and cast one of her barriers creating a pink bubble to form around them all. She dropped to one knee in effort and Tsubaki squeaked on seeing a crack in the bubble form as another building fell on top of the first.
"Yue! I can't hold it! I'm not strong enough yet, you have to get us out of here!" Ari yelled at her cousin whose face showed a flicker of hesitation before she reached for her sword and drew on it's power once more. The blade slashed through the air and a gateway opened just as Aradia had done but Kidd was shocked to see what looked like one of the seven hells on the other side.
"We can't go there! If anything it's more dangerous than here!" He declared.
"We won't be there for long and we're dead if we stay here!" Ari assured him.
"Just go already!" Yue shouted holding her sword out as if holding the gateway open. Sousuke and Keiichi were the first to go through, then Maka and Soul leapt through followed by Black Star, Tsubaki and Angela. Kidd hesitated but wasn't about to allow his precious friends to wonder through one of the seven hells without him there to battle the demons, monsters and evil spirits that lived there. Aradia allowed her barrier to drop and she leapt through at the same moment as Yue. Yue landed with a roll and ignored her friends staring at the army of monsters, demons and evil spirits before them readying to take their prey and ran forwards. She sliced through the air once more and another gateway opened, "Move!" She bellowed and her friends and family quickly jumped through the second portal into a dark room that was cold and smelt musyt from disuse.
"Where are we?" Kidd asked.
"A Dragon clan safe house." Sousuke replied making his way over to the fireplace and beginning to build it so that he could light it and warm them all up. "Kei do us all a favour and activate the distress beacon so someone can pick us up and take us to the den."
"Will do!" Kei saluted and left for another room.
"The den?" Black Star looked at him quizzically.
"It's where we normally live." Aradia said looking a little too pale for Kidd's liking who walked over to her and steered her to a chair receiving a grateful smile in return, "We call it the Dragon's den."
"It's the safest place on earth." Yue said re-sheathing her sword and sitting down herself on the windowsill so that she could look outside and keep watch for any attackers. "Only the highest and most trusted members of the dragon clan know about it and it's whereabouts. We have a separate home that we supposedly live in that we occupy if we have school friends over or anything like that. But the den is what we really call home."
"It's sort of like the death room." Aradia continued, "It exists outside of reality in a world created by magic that's older than even the clan."
"It was entrusted to our clan centuries ago as an aid to protecting the last guardian and the last dragon soul." Sousuke said.
"I'm guessing the guardian was Lady Hestia but do you really have a dragon soul at this den?" Maka asked despite herself.
"Right now that dragon soul is right here with us." Sousuke told them looking at Yue.
"Yue's a dragon!" Black Star asked almost falling over in shock.
"No my sword is the dragon." Yue shook her head with a small smile at how clueless he could be, "The last Red Dragon is sealed within the Dragon Fang."
"Not everyone can use that sword," Sousuke continued, "but every so often someone is born that can resonate with it and harness it's immense power as if the dragon were flesh and blood once more. Yue is one of those people. That is why she is known as the Red Dragon."
"You always tell the story wrong." Kei tsked as he returned. "I got the beacon working. There should be someone here within the hour." He looked to the others gathered in the room, "You want to hear the full legend of the Red Dragon then you have to ask Nana Kyoko. She tells it the best and can tell you why the sword exists and everything." He grinned then looked at Ari and it dropped into a frown, "Ari you don't look so good."
"Huh? Oh I'm okay, I just used up a little too much of my power that's all." She said smiling for him and the others so they wouldn't worry. Kidd frowned and looked around the sparse room. It looked like they were in some sort of hut and it was so cold in the room because there was a fair amount of snow falling outside. He moved to the neighbouring room and rifled through a few of the cupboards in there and found what he was looking for. He returned with a pile of blankets, tossing them one at a time to his friends, then gently placing one around Aradia's shoulders.
"You still aren't fully recovered from what happened with Yanna," He said avoiding eye contact with anyone in the room, "you may say you're fine and I know you said your power can regenerate quicker than mine but I can tell you're still not over it so keep warm and take it easy." He then moved around the room organising things to his liking. Soul snickered at him for his both OCD and his obvious awkwardness around Aradia. Black Star grinned at him as well but the young shinigami simply ignored him. Aradia simply blushed and pulled the blanket closely around her shoulders. Sousuke managed to light the fire and they sat in silence for nearly an hour before Yue tensed.
"Four vehicles approaching." She said not taking her eyes off of the approaching cars.
"Are they Dragons?" Sousuke asked pulling out a Kunai just in case.
"Unmarked." She replied reaching for her sword, "And blacked out windows. Likely, but be ready." The other occupants of the room stood and prepared themselves. The four large cars came to a stop outside and two people got out of each. "It's okay," Yue released her sword, "It's Shinji and some of his men." Despite her words she didn't look too happy to see Shinji and Soul noticed Black Star's look darkened as well. Shinji let himself in whilst his men stayed outside in the cold.
"Shinji!" Kei said brightly, "Tell me the heating's on in those cars of yours."
"Of course my lord and I am told hot meals and warm beds have been prepared for you and your friends at the den." He bowed to Sousuke, Keiichi and Aradia but seemed to forget Yue who merely stalked through the door and trudged through the snow to the car at the back, where she got in. Black Star followed her with Tsubaki and Angela in tow. They got in in silence but not before Black Star had pushed past Shinji and bumped him roughly with his shoulder.
"What was that about?" Soul muttered in Maka's direction.
"How should I know," She replied, "he's your best friend." Maka rolled her eyes eager to get out of the cold and back to civilisation and find out what had happened to Death City and maybe even see if their friends and family were okay. Soul merely shrugged and walked after her and got into the middle car with Keiichi joining them. The remaining three got into the first car and after a short journey were driving along what looked like an elaborate driveway. Ahead of them was an old Japanese castle, but as they drew closer he felt a sensation that felt as though he had passed through a veil of water and instead of the castle was a large western style manor house. He blinked in surprise and looked to Sousuke and Aradia to see if they had noticed anything but they seemed perfectly comfortable with what had happened. Aradia seemed to notice his surprise and turned to smile at him.
"Don't worry the building you first saw is the one regular members and people outside the clan to know about." She smiled with a mischievous twinkle in her eye, "And our enemies would never think to look in the same place for the true Dragon's Den. Pretty neat huh?"
"Yes quite." He said not entirely sure about her reasoning he would rather say that enemies would think they weren't stupid enough to hide almost in plain sight. They were soon at the manor house and hurrying from the cars and out of the snow into the warmth of the very large house.
"Welcome my lords and ladies." A woman Kidd recognised from before, still in the same plain kimono bowed to them and spoke in her native tongue, "Please dinner is ready and served for you in the dining room, as soon as you are done your beds have been prepared and suitable clothing placed ready for you." She turned to Kidd, "Your friends have been well taken care of Lord Kiddo, they are resting now and I am told will be fine by morning. If any of you require any medical attention I will gladly request Lady Kyoko's assistance." She bowed again to them all and looked at them expectantly as they all looked at each other to see if anyone needed Kyko to look at them.
"I think we're all fine Kisa." Sousuke said, "And we'll show everyone where to go. You must be exhausted, why don't you go to bed."
"But my Lord!" She protested with a gasp.
"You are far too kind Lord Sousuke," Shinji said bowing to him, "after all she is a servant here whose sole purpose is to serve the children of the head Dragon."
"We don't live in the feudal era any more Shinji," Sousuke scolded, "you know father pays all of them and they are employees, not servants."
"Since when does he know the difference?" Yue growled as she passed her uncle's second in command without so much as a glance.
"I have prepared your favourite my lady." Kisa bowed more deeply to Yue then before and when she rose she gave her a loving smile which was returned with a gentle one from Yue.
"Thank you Kisa and you know to call me Yue." She replied to her and walked down the hall.
"My lady Yue, please allow me to take your sword and have it cleaned for you and placed in your room." Kisa said with another bow, "It will be far more comfortable for you." The woman ignored the snort from Shinji and was elated as Yue took her sword off and passed it to her. "It will be in your room before you are finished with dinner. Kisa bowed one last time and scurried off to get the sword cleaned for her mistress.
"Hmpf." Shinji shook his head and glowered at Yue's retreating back, "My job is done. I must return to my other duties." He said sharply and left without bowing to the Ryu children. The small group followed Yue down the hall and were please to find a large dining room set out with enough placings for all of them and foods of all kinds set out along the middle for them to help themselves to. One plate was already filled and Yue was just sitting down at it as they walked into the room. They all ate quickly, making small talk as they did, but always avoiding the topic of the days events and any friends they were worried about and before long they were all filled and the Ryu teens were showing their friends to the guest rooms, once they all had a room of their own each of them quite happily changed out of their clothes into the garments left for them and slipped into restless sleep.
Wow that was a long one. Hope you liked it, I will try to update soon but my internet connection's still dodgy and I don't have a lot of spare time so bare with me. I want to get this finished though as I want to try to go back to some of my other stories and actually finish them! Till next time! Toodles! Angel xxx.