Authors note: What's this? A chapter already, how in the heavens? Haha seriously though this chapter is rough all over. It's really hard hitting, I found writing the beginning sequence especially difficult because it's so heavy. And the end scene is REALLY rough, I mean brace yourself and hope it ends quickly kind of rough. This chapter is making me think of changing the description to horror. Yep, it is that bad. So prepare yourselves my friends as we fall face first into the darker section of this story.
Warning! This story is rated M for a reason; there are lemons abundant and graphic torture scenes.
Anyhoo here are the well deserved thankyous for my marvellous reviewers!
Koumi-Loc: Yeah he is more of a pacifist here…I don't want to give anything away but just be patient okay? The beginning of this chapter will probably annoy you a bit, but just know I have a plan in motion. Thanks for your lovely reviews and hope this doesn't disappoint!
mahwish1: Glad I made you laugh, I thought it would be funny if they bugged the rest of them a bit. After all they are the only couple in Omni and they sure love to flaunt it! I know you don't really like the bad stuff so not sure how you are going to feel about this chapter, but please do let me know what you think because I love your reviews! Thanks so much!
Neon765: That's it confirmed then that's my next book series read decided! Heaven forbid either of us sound crude…actually I think I'm far beyond crude with my writing by now lol. I'm so happy you enjoyed the last scene, I was worried people hated Calista. I mean I usually don't like OC's that much either so if people didn't take to her I wouldn't have minded but it is still nice to know she wasn't a wrong decision. This chapter is SUPER dark compared to the others, hope you enjoy all the same and can't wait to hear what you think! Thanks you are awesome!
ragamuffing: YAY you liked the small twist! I wrote that part and thought: wonder if anyone saw that coming? My OC scarred Yamato's body…that's bad, bad Calista! Lol so thrilled you enjoy my writing so much, I'm not worthy of your reviews let alone your worship! If anything I worship you guys! I tried my best and look I managed to update quickly for once, hurray! Hope you like this one too, bearing in mind how heavy it is. Thankyou thankyou thankyou!
Mission 11: Of gods and demons.
Thin streams of sunlight filtered through the gaps between the silky curtains in the lushly furnished bedroom, falling gracefully at the foot of the rumpled bed sheets. Koushirou lay awake staring at the ceiling with his hands behind his head. He could feel Mimi's peaceful breathing against his chest and subconsciously smiled, though it didn't last long as his mind turned back to the plans for today. He hadn't told her about his leaving yet because he wasn't sure what to say. He couldn't tell her the real reason behind his departure even if he wanted to. What was he supposed to say without hurting her? It really wasn't either of their faults, but she would certainly blame herself. With a deep sigh he gently pushed her off his chest and climbed off the bed. Heading to the vanity desk he plopped down on the ornate princess chair sitting in front of it. Ordinarily he would have surveyed the various stuffed animals, plastic ponies and mountains of jewellery with amusement but right now he simply didn't have it in him.
With one hand he tugged a pale pink notebook from under a particularly odd-looking cactus plushie and with the other he picked up the neon pink pen resting in a fairy statues hands. Sighing once more he began to write, trying to make up some plausible excuse for his soon to be absence. He hated doing it this way but he knew he couldn't lie to her face, not easily anyway. With another sigh he began to write, after a few minutes he scowled and angrily tore up the parchment. Several crumpled rejects later he finally placed the pen back in the delicate fairies hands and sat back to examine his work. Staring at it for over a minute he slowly nodded and placed it on the dresser. It would do.
"Whatcha doin'?" Mimi mumbled sleepily as she pushed herself up to look at him. Jumping at her sudden appearance in the vanities mirror he hastily stepped away from the desk. "Nothing, I just woke up that's all." He answered carefully.
Raising an eyebrow at his odd behaviour she shuffled into a sitting position and stretched both her arms out to him. "Come over here my genius." She cooed playfully.
Smiling a little insincerely, which she noticed, he strolled back over and sat down beside her. Draping both arms over his bare shoulders she watched him quizzically as he looked away to avoid her insightful gaze. Pursing her lips together she pouted and tugged at a strand of his hair to make his head jerk up.
He laughed nervously and scratched his cheek. "What is it?"
"That should be my question." She whispered quietly. Both his eyebrows shot up in surprise at her downcast expression. Twirling his hair between her fingers she sighed and released him, falling back onto the bed she stared up at him sadly. "You've been…distant. Like you've been hiding something from me."
Koushirou laughed bitterly and shook his head. Of course she had noticed, she could read him like a book. Reaching down he tenderly tilted her head up and leaned forward brushing her lips with his own in an almost phantom kiss.
AHEM
Pulling back he traced her bare form with the tips of his fingers; gliding softly down her chin, neck, breast and stomach before settling on the top of her hip. She lay motionless trying to read his face, trying to decipher the uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. Moving his hand further down he slipped his smooth fingers into her slowly, almost reverently. Closing her eyes she allowed his brilliant motions and warmth to momentarily wash away her unease and replace it with waves of pleasure. Her chest heaved upward and soft moans escaped her lips as she tried to remain still while he worked his magic. After a few blissful minutes he withdrew and leaned away from her to grab some protection.
She remained where she was and watched him patiently, the bubble of concern once again floating around the back of her mind and she was unable to ignore it even as she admired his lightly toned body and flawless pale skin. Usually when they made love it was a magical affair full of laughter, but this time it was different. Her desire for him wasn't diminished in the least, and the way he calmly straddled her and delicately lifted her arms above her head made her heart pound with familiar longing. When he leaned in to kiss her his tongue moved so sweetly it made her hungry for more of him. Easily granting him access she twirled her tongue around his own and savored the sensation of him caressing her naked chest.
Drawing back he moved into position, she couldn't tear her eyes away from his, they held an intensity she had never seen him reveal before. Whenever they were together he always put her interests first, never taking the initiative, this was the first time he had. And she loved it. Entering her with precision he didn't hold back, holding her lower back and tangling a hand in her honeydew locks. Fluttering kisses along her neck and chest he allowed himself to get lost in her scent. He wanted to remember this. No, he needed to remember this if he was going to be able to stay sane once he returned to the work he hated. It wasn't fair, why did he have to leave her? Why did they have to be discovered? He wanted to remain here forever. The thought of leaving her made him slow down, wanting everything to last as long as physically possible. The dream like haze of lust and love lifted slowly as both of them felt the familiar explosion of powerful heat rush through them melting their very cores. He continued kissing her body even as he finished until he was fulfilled.
WINK
Pulling back he watched the woman he loved smiling contentedly and felt his heart break. Her contented look faded to one of confusion, the surge of uncertainty now pounding not only in her stomach but also in her heart as she reached up and gently brushed his cheek. Taking her hand in his he was surprised to feel it was wet, it was only when a droplet of the salty liquid fell onto her slender neck that he realised he had been crying. Her breathing quickened in her throat as he smiled down at her, tears still rolling gradually down his beautiful face. Tears formed at the corners of her own eyes as she examined him, trying to figure out what was wrong, trying to figure out what was happening. The love they had just shared had been different from all their other encounters, it was easily the best they had ever had. It had been…beautiful. So why, why did it feel like a goodbye? Opening her mouth to speak she found she couldn't find any words. Apparently he was feeling the same way. Giving her one last kiss as sweet as honey but tinged with incredible meaning she didn't understand he slowly drifted away from her. Grabbing his robe off the floor he quietly left the room, neither of them saying another word. Their eyes met as he closed the door, hers full of doubt and questions and his mired in resignation and grief. The soft click of the closing door echoed in the empty space he left behind.
Heart hammering against her chest she began hyperventilating, the invisible hold keeping her fixed to the bed lifting with every second that passed. Leaping from the bed she practically tripped over herself running to the princess chair by the vanity to retrieve her nightgown, her fingers closed over the gossamer silk with foreign desperation, lifting it quickly she paused as a single pink sheet of paper fluttered to the ground with a strange grace. For a moment her and that single sheet had a terror filled staring match. Gathering up all her courage she retrieved the parchment with trembling hands, the paper shook as her wide eyes took in the words that shattered her world.
"To my darling Mimi,
As I sit writing this I find, for the first time in my life, that I cannot formulate any words. You gave me something I never thought was possible for me, something I didn't know I was missing until you showed me. I don't think you realise exactly what you did for me. My life has always consisted of facts and figures. Strong feelings of love baffled me and, for a time, I truly believed they were only for idiots without the ability to see sense. And then you appeared, tearing my bubble of misconceptions and arrogant assumptions apart, giving me more bliss than I could return in a hundred lifetimes. I was consumed by my own conclusions, my darkness, my hidden insecurities and attempts to distance myself from humanity. Thinking back to my old self I don't know how I survived that black pit I had moulded for myself, the inky blackness clouding my soul as well as my mind had been embedded so deeply I thought no speck of light could reach me. But you became my light, my sun in a world of darkness, someone so innocent and pure that an utter fool like me couldn't tear my eyes away. Your radiance is and always will be painfully blinding, impossibly beautiful and infinitely comforting all at the same time.
But there is something I must do, and I cannot bring you with me this time. Apologising for leaving you in this cowardly fashion is something mere written word can never accomplish. Though I can't even begin to imagine life without you I cannot escape my fate. I will eternally be wishing for your happiness.
You are the single person in existence that can be my one true sun.
With all the love I possess, your Koushirou"
Tears poured freely down her face as she read the last few lines. She was completely unprepared for the ice-cold feeling that spread throughout her entire body. One word escaped her lips in a harsh whisper as if she were trying to piece her crushed heart back together.
"Koushi…"
With the name on her lips she ran and flung her door open wide not even caring that the slim garment she wore barely hid her body from view.
"Koushi."
Louder this time, because he had to hear it, he had to come back. Running down the halls she checked his room only to find it devoid of not only her lover but of all his worldly possessions. So she continued running, traversing the vast palace halls and corridors becoming completely breathless. Her panic continued to rise as she realised he was nowhere to be found. Rounding the corner after an unknown period of time she caught a shriek in her throat. She was back at her room.
Sinking to the ground she stared lifelessly at the floor. In angry denial she pounded it with her fist and threw her head back with one last pain filled cry.
"KOUSHI!"
The screen flickered and buzzed, streams of incomprehensible words and numbers reflecting off Yolei's wide rimmed glasses as she scrolled through the mass of data. Iori watched her with peaked interest, wondering if perhaps she would teach him how to master the strange contraptions one day. Tai paced back and forth with his arms crossed, occasionally stopping to stare at the screen before sighing and returning to his useless motions. Yamato leaned against the doorframe unwilling to enter the already crowded technicians room. In his mind he was silently cursing Cheat with very colourful and inventive language.
They had kept their promise, his sister was returned safe and sound. As agreed he had handed over the usb. What he had failed to mention was how to access the data stored on the blasted thing. Yolei had been working on it for several days now, the giant cups of strong coffee littering her already cluttered desk was proof of that. Even if she cracked the code they had no guarantee Tai's mother was still being kept in the city, if she had been transferred to Shin they would not be able to rescue her. Following his best friends pacing with his eyes he practically saw the anxiety dripping off of him. The leader wasn't sleeping well and it was beginning to show.
"Eureka! Put that in your pipe and smoke it!" Yolei shouted. Spinning around in her chair with a goofy grin she jutted a finger at the screen behind her. "Not only is your ma in the city, she's in a facility right in Pata street, that place can barely count as being guarded. Hell, I usually hack their pathetic systems for practice." She threw both her hands in the air as she finished speaking and Tai eagerly gave her the double high five she had been going for.
"That's our resident computer geek for you!" He exclaimed happily. Her pleased look dissolved into one of annoyance and she angrily jabbed him in the arm. "HEY! Who are you calling a geek? I'm a beautiful, talented, irreplaceable computer genius and don't you forget it!"
"Sorry, sorry don't know how it slipped my mind." Tai replied easily while rubbing his injured arm. His smile didn't fade and he turned to leave the room. "Come on Yama, it's time to go get my mom."
"What about me?" Iori piped in causing Tai and Yamato to pause their exit. Yamato looked at him apologetically and shook his head. "Not this time. It's still too early."
Iori gave him a downcast look but said nothing. Yamato smiled knowingly and ruffled the young boy's hair before following his leader out of the room.
"What's going on?" Calista asked while walking toward them both; to her surprise Tai grabbed both her wrists and spun her around the narrow hallway with a goofy laugh. Yamato chuckled at the scene; Tai was still such a kid.
"We've found her! And she's so close we can go get her right now!" Tai yelled exuberantly. Calista's eyes widened and she clasped both his hands with a gorgeous smile. "That's wonderful." She stated with unhidden excitement. Tai stared as she intertwined her fingers with his own and began dragging him down the hall. He followed her lead with a light blush tinting his cheeks.
Sora opened the door to her room just in time to see the two run past her. Leaning out the door she watched them running down the hall with a questioning air. Turning her head she saw Yamato standing beside her with his arms crossed and a serene expression. "We found her." He stated to answer her unasked question.
Davis sat dejectedly on the floor in a sparsely decorated hall. He was brushing his thumb over the small black device Tai had given him. His thoughts kept drifting back to their conversation. Was he really on the wrong side? He wanted to be a hero, was this the wrong path? He had always followed his headstrong sisters decisions. They looked out for each other because no one else would. He trusted her, and though she constantly complained about him he liked to think she viewed him in the same light. This was the first time he had hidden something from her. It was a weird feeling.
Lifting his head he turned it toward the approaching footsteps and scowled. Ken was strutting down the hall toward him like he owned the damn place. The two didn't technically get along, mainly because Ken always acted haughty and it got under Davis's skin. However there were moments when they did see eye to eye. It was more like a rivalry they shared rather then hatred. In fact in many ways Davis viewed the arrogant prick as his…only friend. Davis scoffed in annoyance at the knowledge and stuck his foot out to block Ken's path.
Ken glanced down at him. "What is it this time?" He asked with exasperation. To him their relationship was complicated. He didn't hate the fuzzy haired idiot, but anytime he tried to speak to him normally he would brush him off. So the only way he could communicate was through the odd game they had made, full of exchanging insults and comparing achievements.
"Nuthin'…" Davis mumbled.
Ken sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. Why did the moron insist he jump through hoops before getting to the bloody point? "Alright then, move your foot."
"Fuck you."
"Cute. Move your foot before I break it."
Davis glared up at him and met his steady gaze. With obnoxiously deliberate movement he shoved his other foot into the pale boy's path. Ken growled, half-heartedly kicking the offending body part he swerved and plopped down beside his reluctant friend. "Happy?"
"I didn't ask you too, didn't realise you were in love with me." Davis scoffed.
"In this situation it would be you who has the affectionate desires for me since you made me stop. I would have been glad to continue on my way without having to deal with run of the mill assholes." Ken replied flatly.
"Shut up." Davis growled coolly. They sat like that for a good fifteen minutes, neither saying a word. Ken was about to get up and leave, Davis obstruction be damned, when the teen began to speak. "Do you…ever get the feeling that we're on the wrong side?"
Ken blanched. Whatever he had been expecting it certainly wasn't whispers of traitorous intent. Deep thoughts never came from the tanned idiot, this doubt and mistrust was his department. He took his time coming up with an appropriate response, partly because he always aired on the side of caution and partly because he was enjoying Davis's obvious annoyance as payback for earlier. Truth be told he had never truly believed the people he was working for were just. Especially since the incident with the Omni group, it had thrown him into a world of emotional torment. To obey the one he owed his life to, the one who saved him from certain death all those years ago, or to wake up and smell the death and deceit surrounding that same person. It wasn't an easy decision, and he still hadn't found an answer. He cleared his throat lightly ensuring he had the idiot's full attention and started speaking in a calm and even tone.
"Having a 'feeling' about it is a gross understatement. To say we are on the wrong side is also an odd way of putting it. I suppose in general there are the two large sides, them and us. However within those two factions there are a million little differences, for example there could be someone on our 'side' who disagrees with everything we stand for but stays here because it is the only way they know how to live." Pausing in his speech he carefully examined Davis's reaction, trying to see if the boy had picked up his heavy hint. By the teens nod of understanding he accepted that he had understood and continued. "The things that have been done in the name of our country have not always been lawful, right or fair. But that isn't to say no good has been done. I am proof of that; I would be dead now if it weren't for my benefactor. I guess what I am trying to say is there are many paths that could be taken, but each one will have sacrifices that must be made in order to achieve them. The question you and I have to ask ourselves is: what do I believe is good? What standards should I live by? And perhaps the most important of all, can I live with myself after making this choice?"
Ken's last sentence hung in the air between the two teens, both reluctant to hazard an answer. Davis sighed and rubbed either side of his head with his hands. "Agh! This stuff is way too complicated!" Jumping up from his position he stomped his foot angrily. "I don't need this kind of shit! Everything was hunky dory before I met that stu…stu…"
Ken raised an eyebrow at Davis's stuttering and was even more confused to see the tanned brunette sigh angrily with a downcast expression as he continued. "…super awesome guy with the goggles."
Ken paused, momentarily stunned by the unusual compliment for some goggle wielding man, before throwing his head back and laughing wholeheartedly. Davis blushed, utterly dumbfounded by the slim teen's strange show of normalcy and angry about it at the same time. Ken stopped laughing slowly, wiping a tear away from the corner of his eye he met Davis's angry gaze. "Couldn't help it, can't believe there is someone out there you actually can't insult with that foul mouth of yours."
"Fuck off! You didn't see him! He was awesome, like a real hero! He's saved people! He deserves to be admired!" Davis said with enthusiasm, punching the air between points.
"And yet he is on the opposing team." Ken sighed.
Davis quieted down and stopped his excessive movements. "Yeah…and there's no way he would come over to this side."
"Oh? Why not?"
Davis stared him straight in the eye. Ken was taken aback by the trust he saw in them as he spoke. "Because his name is Tai, Tai Kamiya."
Ken visibly paled, the image of a man being dragged into the chaotic fight between him and the Shinian prince by Yukio coming back to him with full force. He smiled slightly, to think he had met more than one prince that day, and that both he and Davis had been influenced into reconsidering their lives thanks to those two princes on separate occasions. Small world.
"What are you going to do?" Ken said quietly, breaking the uneasy silence.
"Right now I'm going to eat…after that who knows."
Yamato smiled genuinely at the scene before him. Tai was carefully holding his mothers' hand while asking her if she was okay. She kept shooing him off, giving him reassuring smiles and trying to get him to answer her own questions. She seemed to be completely happy and coherent, insisting she was fine, but her drawn cheekbones and thin arms gave her real state away. She was badly malnourished but thankfully didn't have any other injuries, none that were visible anyway.
He still felt uneasy about how simple it had been to get here. There was minimal resistance when they stormed the complex. The few competent guards were child's play for them. The whole scenario felt wrong, why would Yukio leave such an important hostage in a low security location? It wasn't like the bastard; it was sloppy. He was reluctant to disturb the mother son reunion but the sooner they got back to base the better.
"We need to leave." He stated kindly.
Tai was startled by his voice, his attention having been fully focused on his mother. Turning to his right hand man he smiled a little guiltily. "Yeah, you're right. Let's get out of here."
Gently, like picking up a piece of precious porcelain, he lifted his frail mother. A frown fixed onto his features at how light she was, anger bubbling within him again, a feeling that was becoming far too familiar to the easy-going leader. He nodded toward the door indicating his team should move out. Calista and Sora left the room first sensing the sudden change in the once happy atmosphere around the man they trusted with their lives. Yamato stayed where he stood, watching his best friend's internal struggle as though he had been screaming it out. He understood, this sort of thing was enough to breed hate in the purest of hearts, but he also knew that everyone depended on the great man before him. This wasn't the time or the place to crumble in the face of wrath. In complete silence he walked up to stand beside Tai and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Come on, we don't want to keep Hikari waiting."
This snapped Tai out of his downward spiralling thoughts. Offering Yamato a thankful grin he breathed deeply and regained his usual air. Yamato smiled back with relief, happy to help his friend deal with his heavy burdens.
They hadn't even fully exited the small cell when the dim lights went out. Both men immediately bristled, their heightened eyesight already adjusting to the darkness. Yamato stayed rooted to the spot, scanning the hall for any sign of Sora and Calista. They had only left one, maybe two minutes tops before them. So why weren't they out here? The two hadn't heard any sign of a struggle, there was no way Sora and Calista would run off without a word.
"Where are they?" He hissed with more desperation then he would have liked to be shown. Ice-cold panic surged from his stomach when he realised not only had Tai failed to answer, he was no longer standing beside him. That was impossible; he didn't sense or see any movement! Checking around him he found something even worse, he was no longer in the hallway. Instead he was in a room, as dark and dank as the cell only three times as big, and now he could see someone standing a few feet in front of him.
He made no move to call out to the person though. His instincts were telling him this person was not one of his team. His suspicions proved correct as the stranger hunched forward and started laughing lowly. The eerie sound unnerved him, mainly due to this whole situation, but he was careful not to let it show.
"Little cockroaches…they always come creeping and crawling into my net…like lambs to the slaughter…tell me young one…are you prepared?" The odd man, for his raspy voice betrayed his gender, wheezed.
Yamato breathed deeply. He didn't want to go along with this strange line of questioning, but he knew he needed more information in order to know what he was up against. "Who are you?" He asked, happy he had been able to speak with authority.
"Haha…do you not know? Fools…compared to the first of your kind…you are foolish and weak…tell me child…have you ever bothered to pay attention…to the tales your mother feed you as a babe…"
Yamato paused, staring hard at the man through the darkness. The man wore what appeared to be a cloak, on closer inspection he noticed the man's body was grossly out of proportion; his arms were longer and bulkier than normal and his head was oddly shaped. The man's silhouette reminded him of something inhuman; the manmade creature he had encountered and saved Tai from. But that thing had been more animal then man, certainly unable to communicate through speech. He pondered the entities words. Gradually his mind conjured a cherished memory he hadn't even been trying to access, it was like it was being drawn out of him, a memory of the time when his family was whole and everything had been right with the world.
Sitting on his mothers' lap he traced the golden lines making up the intricate robes of the elegant men and women portrayed in his favourite picture book. The book was old, the pages edges weathered by frequent use throughout the years, and it was an heirloom passed down from generation to generation of the royal line. His mother stroked his golden locks kindly and gently removed his small hand from the page in order to flick back to the beginning. Images of ages past flew by, pictures of great tribesmen who were destined to create kingdoms and bountiful lands before coming to a stop. The image here spanned both the pages; it depicted a creature more wolf than man, its large arms stretched out over the world below in a possessive gesture. Its large mouth was open revealing rows of sharp deadly teeth and its eyes were the deepest of blacks.
"Woah…" He whispered aloud as he always did when he saw the fearsome creature. His mother giggled at his childish reaction and knelt down to see the effect of her words on him. "Is he going to eat you?"
He yelped in surprise. He was so absorbed in his staring match with creature that he hadn't even noticed how close his mother had come to his face. He turned to her and scrunched his face up with a hint of uncertainty. "Nah…he's gone. You said so."
She laughed again and grabbed his nose; shaking his head lightly she smiled as she spoke. "That's right sweetie, your ancestors made sure no nasty Luce could come and gobble you up. But there's nothing to stop me!"
He squealed as she lifted him easily from her lap, the book falling to the floor as she buried her face in his stomach with various eating noises. He giggled and kicked, pushing on her head to make her stop, gleeful to be a part of the game.
"There you two are; I didn't expect my lovely queen to eat you, should I rescue you?" His father's calm entertained voice boomed toward them. She let the young boy loose upon the floor and turned to her husband. "There you are! We were about to go to sleep without you."
"Well apparently somebody didn't want to miss story time." He replied sweetly. She smiled softly as her attention was turned to the small bundle he cradled ever so carefully. Holding out her hands she received her child while Yamato hugged his father's leg. "Daddy T.K shouldn't be up! He'll get sick!" He accused with concern.
Both parents shared a look and smiled happily. His father tussled his hair affectionately and leaned down to retrieve the book. "You haven't had a brother for more than a week and you're already protecting him. I promise he won't get sick, he was lonely so he started to cry, he'll sleep soon with mommy's help."
Yamato didn't seem convinced as he tottered over to his young brother. The baby had been staring at his mother's face but on the arrival of his brother turned to him. He broke into a smile and, with a merry giggle, tugged at a stray strand of hair covering Yamato's forehead. Yamato blinked and wrinkled his nose in annoyance. "To think I was worried." He sighed grumpily.
"Alright now it's time for bed." His father announced with amusement. Yamato turned to him in shock, quickly running to the man he pointed at the book with earnest. "Not yet! T.K hasn't heard the story!"
His father looked down at him and laughed. "Guess we can't have that." Sitting on the bed beside his wife he pulled his stubborn boy up beside him and opened the book back to the page with the terrifying creature. Clearing his throat he read in a deep voice that drew Yamato's attention to the story being told.
"The world was once a cruel and disturbing place. The land, though fertile and beautiful, was plagued with beasts of harrowing natures. These beasts were known as the Luce, with their terrible claws and deadly jowls they descended upon the peaceful citizens whenever they pleased, snuffing out lives and destroying all they set their gaze upon. Of the tribes beset by these demons only two chose to defy their fates. Both leaders had lost their most precious person to the fiercest of all the Luce; the demons with the crimson gaze that pierced through all hope and faith, clouding a person's perceptions and tearing their very souls asunder. More fearsome then the clawed ones with great strength and jagged teeth that tore through flesh and bones as easily as water due to their ability to destroy a man wholly and completely with tricks and dark abilities.
The rage and sadness felt by the two tribe leaders drove them to beg the gods for power, for a way to stand up to their oppressors. The goddess Ophan gazed down on them with pity, she pled on their behalf to her husband Seraph, and he saw their cause was just but could not bestow gifts upon them without an offering. The goddess sent a messenger from the heavens to the two great leaders, informing them that the gods had heard their pleas but required them to sacrifice something precious to them.
To the messenger the leader of the Zui tribe spoke these words. "The gods must know that I have already lost my wife, what else would they take from me?"
The messenger could not reply, as his only task was to relay the message and obtain the offering. The leader of Shin spoke after a length of time, his voice calm. "If the gods are just and true then let them decide what we must give."
The messenger relayed this message to Ophan and Seraph. The two gods decided to take the memories of each man's precious one as their sacrifice. The leaders were distraught with the terms, but had to agree in order to protect their people and the precious gifts their wonders left behind. As the deed was done both men heard the goddess Ophan's dazzling words echoing in their minds, promising to grant them a single wish using her own power, they told her their wish simultaneously both sure of what they wanted.
They wished for their precious ones to be delivered from the torturous hell they had been placed in by the Luce and allowed to live among the gods.
Using the powers bestowed upon them by the gods the two tribesmen lead a campaign against the terror from the north. They liberated their people and banished the Luce to the deepest regions of hell. The land was blessed with peace and in honour of their sacrifices the land was divided between them, they both ruled as kings."
The book continued but his father closed it there. Yamato looked up at him, obviously a bit upset. He gave his son a quizzical look. "What's the matter son?"
"Ophan said she would grant a wish, but they never knew if she kept her word. And if she did, were they happy with that? Would you be happy without mommy?" He asked quietly, his chubby hand grasping his father's robes. His father watched him, surprised at the serious words coming from such a smile child, and sighed. "No I would not be happy, but sometimes there are more important things then ones individual happiness. You'll understand someday."
Yamato nodded, his head drooping sleepily. Crawling across his father's lap he flipped the pages back to the first one depicting the creature. "They said the worst ones had red eyes, why doesn't this one?"
His mother answered him as she pulled the book away. "Because they were so evil and so mysterious that the authors of this book dared not try to depict them lest they summoned them, not that you can recall a dead species with a mere image."
Yamato mumbled a response too incoherent for her to hear. He drifted off into sleep while thinking of the creatures with the crimson eyes and thanking the stars they no longer existed.
Yamato took in a choking breath, practically being knocked back by the vivid memory, tears formed at the corners of his eyes but he refused to let them fall knowing his enemy was still watching him. A raspy laugh echoed through the room reverberating around his head making him feel sick.
"Do you…understand now child?" The thing wheezed. Yamato clenched his fists to stop them from shaking. "How did you do that?" He accused, careful to keep the terror creeping into his mind out of his voice.
"Tsk…and here I thought…your small mind could comprehend…what I am and…always shall be…"
"It's impossible. They all perished long ago; you can't be here, you don't exist!"
"Perished…yes…but non-existent? There are things…that have walked the earth…even before the times of your…pathetic ancestors…things that cannot…be erased so easily…do you understand…the meaning of that tale? To be banished…is different…from being eliminated…there are ways…to revive…one such as I…and as thanks…I have agreed to keep watch…over the filthy bride of my…enemy's lineage…"
Yamato tensed, he knew now why the place had been so lax in its defences; with a creature so fearsome guarding it ordinary soldiers were useless. The darkness around him and the creature slowly lifted, as though someone had decided to shine a spotlight on the two. He grimaced at the creature, taking in its immense similarity to the image he had seen long ago, all but the eyes; the deep crimson eyes that drew him into their despairing depths. He was reminded of another being he had fought not that long ago, a mechanical monstrosity he had eliminated in order to save his leader. The thing must have been based on the ancient monster standing before him.
Smoky tendrils flowed from the creature's mouth as he laughed once again in that bone chilling way. He took a step forward and Yamato took an involuntary step back. The creature smiled, revealing rows of sickly yellow razor sharp teeth. "What…is the matter…son of Shin…where has…all that confidence…you displayed so brazenly…gone?"
Yamato trembled, pushing back his fear he managed to speak though his mouth had gone dry. "What have you done with my friends?"
"You don't…need to worry…I have already…burdened them with…their own visions…I chose to visit…you personally…because I am intrigued…" As the beast finished Yamato noticed something stirring behind the creature. It was another demon, consisting of pure darkness moulding into a vaguely human shape though twice as large as any man, with glowing red eyes matching the smaller monster before it. This creature terrified him. His heart pounded against his chest feeling like it would burst out at any minute. The Luce was moving toward him once again but he was frozen in place, eyes fixed on the demon seemingly made of shadows that stared right back. The reason that demon terrified him more than the one now mere centimetres from him was the fact that he recognizedit.
"So…you can see it…and to think…you always believed it was…the trials you endured that…created your darkness…in truth it has…always been there…the pain inflicted on you…only served to amplify it…do you…" The Luce leaned forward, he was so close Yamato could smell his rancid breath, and whispered in his ear. "Want to know what it is?"
Yamato shook his head, never tearing his gaze away from the creature, and took in a staggered breath. "No. Just get it away from me!" He whimpered, practically begging his enemy to remove the demon.
The Luce only laughed. He grasped Yamato's chin with his enormous hand, careful not to stab his face with his sharp talons, and forced the teen to look at him. "That's impossible…how could I…save you from yourself. This creature…is an embodiment…of your own hatred…it will consume you…and there…is no escape save death…"
"I don't believe you." Yamato answered after a period of silence. He was still terrified to his core, but staring into the Luces eyes revived his stubborn will to keep on living. The Luce growled and shoved him to the ground. Yamato glared up at the beast; the fire returning to his heart as he thought of his friends and, most importantly, of Sora. He moved to stand but found he couldn't, somehow pinned to the spot with his arms and legs splayed out by an unseen force. The Luce glared at him with hate. "You've…spoiled my fun…there is nothing…more delicious…then the heart…of a son of Shin…who has lost all hope…but then again…I can settle…for one filled with fear."
Yamato's eyes widened as the Luce crouched over him, his razor sharp talons easily tearing through his tough bulletproof vest and the fabric of his top. Yamato's breathing came in harsher as he struggled to get free. The Luce paused, enjoying watching his prey squirming helplessly in the presence of his powers. With the very tip of his claw he traced a small cut down Yamato's face, smiling at the thin droplet of rich red that trickled out. "There is…no escape…for those with…even slightly…corrupted hearts. They cannot break free…once I have set my eyes on them…I shall…prepare a special…pit of despair…for you once I have…devoured your heart…"
"You can't scare me, you pompous demon. Old relics like you should just stay buried in dusty books." Yamato barked, resolve rushing through him forcing the growing terror to abate. His arms pulsed with fury and, to the creature's great surprise; his right one flew up and collided with the side of the Luces jaw. The massive impact flung the creature off of him allowing him to shakily scramble to his feet.
The Luce regarded him with apparent shock. The prince should not have any power here! The Luce considered his options; he knew it would be dangerous to fight him head on. Despite his strength the Shinian royalty could be unpredictable and…troublesome. Scoffing angrily he clicked his fingers, in response to the motion a new spotlight appeared directly between the two.
Sora was standing in the new light, a light smile on her face. Her bulletproof vest was missing, but other than that she was the same as the last time he had seen her. He smiled back, relief flooding him until he realised her eyes were clouded over. "Sora…" He stated urgently. "…come over here."
She perked up at his voice but instead of heading over to him she skipped backwards lightly, her hands entwined behind her back and her lips curled up in a cheeky smirk as she came to a stop beside the Luce who cackled at Yamato's confusion. To his disgust the demon ran his palm over her face, gliding it down her body until it settled on her hip and pulled her body closer to his. She giggled and snuggled against the creatures shoulder looking completely content.
"Get away from her! What have you done?!" Yamato roared. His body screamed at him to charge the thing but he held himself back, if he made a wrong move that thing could tear her to pieces with a flick of his wrist.
"As you can…plainly see…normal humans…can be easily fooled…as we speak this…pathetic child is in…a paradise of her own making…it is a simple thing…to make you seem invisible…and make me…the spitting image of you…in her mind…"
"I won't warn you again. Let her go or I'll-" Yamato seethed, the anger bleeding off his body as the creature interrupted him.
"You'll…what? Surely you…realise that if…I can alter this child's perceptions…I can just as easily…plunge her into hell…even if you manage…to get her away from me physically…you cannot deliver…her mind…" The Luce drawled. He leaned toward her and deliberately and licked the side of her face leaving a trail of spit she didn't notice.
"DON'T TOUCH HER!" Yamato screamed. His whole body shook with the uncontrollable anger coursing through his veins. His muscles were incredibly tense, his eyes drifting between the two. He wanted to save her so badly, his fury threatening to swallow him whole, but he knew he couldn't be too hasty. He let his arms drop in a defeated gesture. "What do I have to do?"
The Luce scoffed, annoyed that the prince still gave off an arrogant aura, and raised his arm in a beckoning gesture. "That's…easy…all you need to do…is come over here…"
Yamato didn't even hesitate. He strolled forward confidently standing directly in front of the demon. "And?"
The Luce growled once again, he hadn't expected it to be so difficult to intimidate the teen. Before, when faced with his demons, he had shown such exquisite fear. Now he wasn't fazed. There had to be a way to change that. He released his hold on Sora and uttered something in a foreign tongue Yamato couldn't understand. She looked puzzled for a second, seemingly seeing Yamato for the first time, and walked over to him. She delicately removed the torn clothing from his torso with one hand, all the while looking at the Luce for confirmation. Yamato refused to watch her, instead keeping his eyes trained on the beast, because if he did he would probably lose it. He couldn't stand seeing her like this, just because she was under that beasts control didn't make the fact that she wasn't acknowledging him hurt any less.
"Yamato…this is wrong." She whispered startling him. That is until he realised she was directing her statement to the Luce behind her. The demon scowled and said more of those foreign words. She was taken aback by whatever he said. "I…I know but…this isn't right!"
The demon shoved her away from him apparently tired of her refusal to comply. Yamato's confusion slowly lifted as she brought her dagger forward, she had been holding it behind her back this whole time. He turned his wrath on the demon that was now standing before him in a seeming fit of rage. "You were going to have her hurt me?! You bastard! She would never have forgiven herself!"
"I wanted…to see your reaction…but it seems…I can no longer…give you that kind of despair…much to my disappointment…perhaps I can…break your spirit in a different way…" Toward the end of his sentence Sora buckled; clutching her chest she gaped in amazement at the blood coating her hands and fell to the floor in an undignified heap. All the blood drained from Yamato's as he watched her fall in slow motion, the rage he felt replaced by uncontrollable anguish. Not her! Not her! He has been through so much pain in his life, moments of despair so deep he thought nothing could compare, but watching her collapse had proven him wrong. This didn't just compare, it blew those previous incidents right out of the water. This was unreal.
He couldn't even hear the Luce laughing nor did he remember the creature pushing him to the ground. He kept his gaze fixed on her, willing her lifeless body to move, not caring that he was freely crying now. He reached for her though his body was once again frozen in place. Trying to bring her back, to somehow revive her with only his thoughts.
The Luce brought him back to reality by digging his teeth into the prince's shoulder. Yamato screeched in pain, partly due to the creature ripping through muscle and tissue before crunching onto the bone, partly due to the pain of losing her. The Luce drew back, greedily swallowing down the flesh he had ripped away. He forced Yamato to look at him once again, the blood from the new wound pooled around his head and soaked into his hair. "Listen well…you should focus only on me…you must pay…for the sins of the past…I have had to endure…by your line!" He hissed, harshly shaking Yamato into wakefulness. Yamato groaned, the pain now flaring violently.
This sign of acknowledgment brought a smile to the demons blood stained lips. With a cruel snicker he blew out the dark smoky tendrils from before straight into Yamato's face forcing him to breathe in. The smoke awakened all his senses, causing his nerves to be sensitive to even the lightest touch. He squeezed his eyes shut against the fiery pain and couldn't prevent the hiss of anguish escaping his lips. The creature grinned madly; his red eyes twinkled with hunger and satisfaction as he once again whispered into the struggling teen's ear. "You never had a chance…only the pure…can vanquish me…and you are far…from that…"
He plunged his claws into Yamato's stomach and earned himself another pained scream. He twisted and pulled, mincing the teen's insides and savouring the feel of the torn flesh sliding through his fingers. Yamato spluttered, deep red blood gushing from his mouth and running down his face in streams, and the same substance stretched out from where he lay coating the floor in droves. Why wasn't he dead yet? The blood loss alone should have killed him by now!
The pain pulsed through his body with every light move the Luce made. He wished for death, everything else forgotten as all he could see or feel was blinding agony. His body convulsed and shook violently from the blood loss. The demon withdrew his hand and ravenously licked the pieces of flesh and organs from his claws. "How...does it feel? This...cannot even begin...to match the pain...I have suffered..." He gushed, each word sounding more guttural than the last. Yamato coughed and writhed, unable to answer even if had wanted to. His eyes drooped and the pain began to numb. The Luce cursed hatefully in his foreign tongue and grabbed Yamato's hair to pull his head up. "No...you aren't...getting off that lightly..." He wheezed, the strange black smoke once again filling Yamato's lungs bringing him back to consciousness with a start. He gasped, his head falling back down with a thud as the unbearable agony returned full force. His mouth fell open in a wordless scream as he stared into the mocking eyes of his oppressor.
"That's...better...such beautiful shades...of blue..." The creature mocked. "But...it seems...you don't enjoy...the sight of me...that isn't...very nice...maybe I should...help you appreciate your...gifts..." With that he stooped forward and licked the side of Yamato's face, cleaning some of the blood and trailing saliva over his left eye. He brought his hand up and gently ran his finger along the teen's forehead, stopping just below his eye. With a deranged grin he dug his curved talon agonisingly slowly into that eye. Yamato screamed, nearly choking on the blood in his mouth; he felt it with such clarity, heard the disgusting sucking noise as his precious eye was plucked from its socket. The creature looked at it almost in admiration for a moment before curling its tongue around it and swallowing the item whole. Yamato whimpered, unable to keep the terror at bay, the pain was too great. His vision blurred considerably, now he could only see the hazy outline of the creature through his remaining eye.
"Delicious..." The creature mumbled. "What shall I sample next? Your lung? Perhaps...your tongue...would be better..."
Yamato gargled, the words registered despite the foggy pain ridden haze his mind was currently in. "No..." He spat out with a harsh hiss.
The Luce was surprised the teen was able to speak at all. This kind of torture had rendered many of his fellows mad by now. "No? Well if you insist...I'll save that pleasure...for second to last." He cackled and roughly lifted Yamato's arm sending another wave of misery through the prince's broken body. He splayed the teen's fingers and began slicing the delicate skin from the tips to the top of his palm. Yamato shuddered and writhed with each new tear, desperate for the torment to end. The Luce tossed the limb down when he finished; the newly exposed flesh sent an unbearable burning sensation up his arm. And to think, all these years he had believed Cain was a merciless man. He almost wished it were the mad scientist plaguing him now.
The Luce bent down and placed Yamato's uninjured forearm in his mouth. He clamped down with relish; the muscles tore and burst until the hand was hanging by a small strip of veins and thin muscle, the white of the bone shining against the sea of red below. Yamato screamed, the tortured sound echoing through the hollow space.
The creature smirked, dropping the useless limb like an unwanted chew toy. Yamato's breath came in sharp, tight bursts and his teeth chattered mercilessly. He was going into shock, but for some reason it didn't dull the pain. The Luce patted the teen's head and chuckled.
"Now...you have...a small idea...of what I went through..." The creature stated jovially. He watched the young one shudder, casually ripping out portions from his stomach and chewing them absentmindedly. He loved the look of pure anguish on the teen's once handsome face; he resembled his ancestor so closely. How he had longed for this day, all those countless years sealed in that fiery pit were preparation for this. His only regret was he couldn't put the other prince through this, too bad. At the thought of the Zuian he perked up, hearing something Yamato couldn't possibly perceive, and hissed angrily. "This...can't be...looks like...we are running...out of time..."
Yamato barely heard him, the mind numbing pain making normal thought processes impossible. The Luce snarled lowly at the dark shadow entity that had, until now, remained motionless at one side of the room. It was now a few feet from them both, sliding across the floor and running an enormous phantom hand made of blackness across the dark blood staining the floor.
"Sorry…you can't…have him…you and he both…will die today…" The Luce stated flatly, muttering in his ancient tongue stopping the entity in its tracks. It receded with a strange moaning sound that resembled a murmur of disappointment. The Luce turned his attention back to his prey as the teen's chest heaved upward in an attempt to get more air into his damaged lungs. He realised, with a tut of frustration, that the end was drawing near for the child. He plunged his talon into Yamato's chest easily splintering ribs and tearing through the flesh. A few rough tugs were all it too to break open his chest cavity exposing his still beating heart. The beast watched the erratic rhythm of the teen's life essence with a hypnotising glee. Yamato couldn't even breath anymore, the pain escalating to something beyond unbearable, if he had been able to he would have screamed but all he could do in his state was let the hot tears flow freely from his one remaining eye and hope for deliverance.
Somehow, even in his impossibly agonising state, he managed to have one clear thought. I'll be right behind you…Sora…
Authors note: Yeahhhhhh that was…ugh. I practically cried, poor Yamato. Don't worry, things aren't always as bad as they seem, or maybe they are. Eep.
