Anything
Chapter Eleven: When Darkness Falls
Cause heaven ain't close in a place like this
I said heaven ain't close in a place like this
Bring it back down, bring it back down tonight
Never thought I'd let a rumor ruin my moonlight
Well somebody told me
You had a boyfriend
Who looked like a girlfriend
That I had in February of last year
It's not confidential
I've got potential
A rushin', a rushin' around
-Somebody Told Me Killers
This time around the endless hallways of Phoenix temple was much easier to navigate through. Conway dictated Sheridan's directions quickly and efficiently. Sesshomaru kept a long stride that he normally used at home for intimidation. His pace was swift even for the athletic males following behind him. Palus and Ingosus had stayed behind to keep an eye on the ship, but Sheridan and Insula followed behind him.
As more time passed Sesshomaru's pace was almost rushed and when he turned a corner and Sheridan fell a bit behind a sharp jolt of pain stabbed through his heart and mind. The taiyoukai paused in his step, carefully looking around for the cause when Conway's pained voice filtered through his mind. 'Sesshomaru slow down, I'm your soul if we're separated by only a few feet then its like we're being torn in two,' he cried.
It actually took a moment for Sesshomaru to recover and even his stoic façade couldn't stop him from clenching the cloth over his heart. It was such a painful separation. When he started moving again he asked, 'why does it hurt us so badly and yet Kagome and Sheridan can separate by a large span?'
Conway gave a half chuckle as he answered, 'Kagome is open with her thoughts leaving her spirit free, while Sheridan is a spirit of the bird and has practiced sense birth to separate. Sense you don't share your soul freely at all we can barely move apart at all.'
Storing the information away for later, Sesshomaru continued on at a slower pace. It seemed like ages but finally, finally, they reached a huge metal plated door with two large locks bolting it to the wall.
"Through there Sesshomaru," Sheridan commented as he helped Conway jump to the floor. In a flash of energy Conway was back to his larger size, fangs bared. "We can't follow any further I'm afraid, when we fight the upper novo it will be on our own ready terms," Sheridan remarked before turning and walking off.
Well out of ear shot of anyone Insula turned to Sheridan with a raised brow and asked, "What was that about, you never give up a chance to mess with Phoenix?"
Sheridan laughed, shaking his head, "I know, but I felt we would only get in his way. I think Sesshomaru needs to save Kai himself." Insula's mouth made a small O before he smirked and followed after his friend.
Phoenix could count on one hand the amount of humans that had lived after fifteen minutes of the separation process. For some reason it was horribly difficult to find a person with a free spirit and even the rare spirit of the birds could only survive for so long.
Kagome had been in the tank for thirty minutes.
Licen's wing tips and paws were pure black and a stripe of black was starting at her nose and working down her back. It took an entire hour for the separation to be complete and Kagome, curled in a tight fetal position, looked near dead with her blue tipped fingers and cadaverous complexion, but the instruments running the system were picking out stronger life signs from both of them then Phoenix ever expected.
A hiss from the wall to the right brought phoenix from his musings. "Yes," he snapped, irritated at being interrupted.
The man slinked in, keeping his back hunched and head bowed. He was dressed in a guard uniform that consisted of thin armor plates on his chest, arms, and shins along with a thin maroon tunic with the phoenix symbol on it. His unusual looks identified him instantly as a novo. His hair was wild around his head and in the center from the crown of his head to his mind back his hair stuck straight up like an angry dog's scruff. The hair was sandy brown with darker brown splotches scattered about until the ends darkened to black. His fingers curved into sharp claws and long saber fangs peeked under his sickening grin.
The man cackled darkly before answering," Humans in the temple, milord, humans."
Phoenix smirked before dismissing the guard with a wave of his hand. He had expected guest eventually. It would a surprise if Sheridan didn't send Sesshomaru his way. "So it looks like your knight will be here soon," he commented, smirking as he looked at the tube.
It was hard to tell if Kagome heard him or not but her arms tightened around her before loosening a dropping like vines below her.
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Sesshomaru heard the human's footsteps fad off and listened for any other sounds before drawing up the poison in his claws. They shined green the split second before he lashed out at the locks. The metal sizzled and for a second it seemed like nothing was happening and then thick globs of metal fell to the floor. Sesshomaru didn't wait for it to melt all the way through before lashing out five more times. After the fifth time he pulled his sword from his waist and waited. It only took a second before the massive door fell inwards with a clamor.
Sesshomaru moved forward in a flash, nothing more then a silver blur, his senses stretched to find any life in the room but he was pulled short when he felt nothing. Kagome and Licens floated motionlessly in front of him in large devices he had never seen before. He hesitated to move to them, stretching his senses as powerfully as he could to sense something. Physically and mental he knew there was nothing more, but a more inert sense told him to be wary.
'Look out!' Conway screamed just in time.
Sesshomaru came face to face with what looked to him like a phoenix demon. The man struck down on him with a sickle. The metal collided with a spark before the two fighters jumped away.
"A pleasure to meet your acquaintance," Phoenix greeted with a smirk.
Sesshomaru resisted the urge to snarl as he leapt forward and in the instant before he struck the man, disappeared in a shimmer.
His eyes widened before he swung around moving his sickle to catch the blade just before it remove his head. "Fast," Phoenix commented as he twisted his sickle, making Sesshomaru back off or lose his weapon.
The demon sprang back before propelling himself forward again. His eyes glared red before he shimmered away again.
This time phoenix was ready. He backed up throwing his sickle up. The blades met and sparked. With a wink the area between the fighters lit aflame.
Sesshomaru backed up in surprise and wariness. The fire was brilliant red and moved unnaturally. The flames twitched before coming after him. He sliced through the fire, watching as it split in two before it came back together and attacked him at a quicker speed. He brought a small layer of youki up to his skin, expecting the fire to hit, waiting for it. But then Conway was there, snapping and engulfing the flames.
Sesshomaru felt pain, up his arms down his throat, like millions of needles. "Conway," he cried out in his mind and body, but Phoenix was there again slashing out with his weapon. He slashed sideways, a hard move to block. The blade seemed to stretch further then he had measured before and the sharp point slid easily between his lower ribs. It slipped in easily, meeting no resistance before Sesshomaru jumped back.
There was more pain, a pressure on his chest. He snarled.
No more, the demon was out now. Fur sprung along his body, his bones reshaped. Amber orbs bled, and Phoenix felt fear. Conway was there again warmth now healing the wounds from inside, a voice in his mind closer than ever. Together as one the dogs conquered.
When Sesshomaru came back to himself Phoenix was gone and the disgusting taste of his rotten blood was still on his tongue. The novo had fled, but that didn't matter any more. Kagome was there and she was looking worse. Conway was already banging up against the glass of the container with all his might.
Sesshomaru stood with a vague wince. His wounds were healed somehow but there was stiffness over his body he was unaccustomed to. That, however, didn't stop him. With the same precision he had used on the door he struck out with the acid of his clan. The glass hissed and burned but this time it did not melt like the metal. Sesshomaru slashed five more times but still only small scorch marks were left. He growled as he moved forward and struck the glass with his fist. It was solid and even his powerful knuckles cracked under the strain.
He pulled his fist back and opened so he could press his fingers to the glass. It was cold under his palm and Kagome was so close. He could no longer see how he ever confused the beautiful woman in front of him for a man. Her shoulder length hair had come away from its tie and fell around her like a curtain of ebony silk. Her skin was sickly pale but he knew how soft it would feel under his touch. Her lips were full and the delicate curves of her body were only ones a woman could possess. Truthfully, he had only ever known her as a flat-chested girl, so when he saw her again he should have recognized her; his best friend.
Conway was still clawing at the container until, in a fit of frustration; he jumped up and pounded at the glass. His scrambling paws passed over a metal piece extending from the tube and with a hiss and a whirl of electricity the goop Kagome was covered it was slowly drained out. Sesshomaru stepped back, not sure what the devices were doing, but luckily the goop lowered Kagome gently to the bottom before the glass disappeared down a opening in the floor, beside her Licens was also released.
Conway and Sesshomaru moved together, Sesshomaru scooping Kagome up while Conway moved to like Licens clean. They were both freezing cold and Sesshomaru had to remove his inner kimono to wrap Kagome up in it. He rubbed her arms and legs to clean the mess off and warm her up with the friction.
Conway curled around Licens and whimpered softly as he licked her small body. Her pure white coat had turned almost completely black with white left on the first layer of her wings, her chest, and a few splatters over her back. Kagome too had black smudges in the centers of her palms and the bottoms of her soles.
"We need to leave now," Sesshomaru called as he stood. He didn't want to stay in this dammed place any longer. Conway picked up Licens by the scruff of her neck and followed after Sesshomaru. They both felt deep in their bones that Kagome and lichens would not wake until they were gone from Phoenix Temple. This time Sesshomaru did not walk, he ran through the halls following his nose to were he had began sensing an ever rising collection of magic.
Deep in the heart of the temple was a chamber only Lord Phoenix had access to. No one knew of its contents except for the other main lords. It was a room that collected the raw magic produced when a animus was separated from its human partner. Normally the energy produced was not a significant amount because the pair died too quickly, but with certain individuals that lasted for longer then fifteen minutes they produced enough energy to levitate each of the pyramids in the air for many years. That day when Kagome was separated almost completely from her soul the generator in the center of the pyramid began producing so much energy that the lights began periodically exploding from the center outward.
Sesshomaru noticed the build up and followed it relentlessly. He met no resistance on his way to the center until he actually reached the room. The magic was tangible there. Reaching out like thick vines and dark mists. Sesshomaru clawed at the metal door, ripping at tearing at the metal but never calling on his poison; adding youki to the pure magic could cause a disastrous explosion. Conway worked frantically beside him and together they managed to tear a large hole in the door. Sesshomaru leapt inside without hesitation, leaving behind a trail of blood and torn skin from his heavily damaged claws.
The raw magic encircled him and for a moment even the great demon Sesshomaru felt fear as it pricked his skin and tore into his flesh. It was more powerful than any of the magic he had ever felt, but then warmth reached out and touched him. It was familiar and comforting and it brought heat back to the cold body in his arms. "Bring us home Kagome," he whispered to the power, and as darkness blanketed his body and mind, he felt a stirring in his arms.
888
"I want to go outside the city?"
Palus blinked as he turned to Sheridan. It was unusual for the man to ask for anything, especially anything personal. It had been determined a long time ago that the precious electro hover car would only be used for the good of man. Sheridan also had no real seniority in the rebel faction. He was no more than a teenager and most certainly the youngest of them all, but among them he had fought and won more battles against the novo then anyone else. He had no fear in the face of death and his animus, Aleron, was a necessity to many of their operations. So when Sheridan asked such a selfish question, there was no argument when Palus headed for the outer walls.
The only way out of the city was with one of the trucks. They flew right over the perimeter walls without any problems and landed about a hundred yards away. Sheridan jumped out and with a bow of gratitude said," Thank you for helping me, I'll find my way home."
They were all tempted to stop him but Ingosus spoke up, " Alright friend, may your soul fly free."
Sheridan smirked," and may your soul travel through the purest forests." Without turning back he walked on through the barren snowy lands before him. The truck whirred to life behind him, but he didn't watch it.
Somewhere outside the walls of the great city lived a group of people the humans feared and the Novo left alone. There were many wild rumors about them, but among the rebels all called Sheridan a member of one of the wild clans. No one knew if it was really true, but it gave the young man an alien aura.
Sheridan traveled straight and true. Occasionally Aleron would call sharply above him and he would look up with a smile, but other than that not much occurred. When the great city was no longer visible on the horizon something else arose in front of him. At first it was only a blur of red, but soon it solidified into a small colony of red tents.
Sheridan offered a true smile as he cupped his hands around his mouth and let lose a sound so similar to a falcon's hunting screech that Aleron answered him back on impulse.
There was a moment of silence before the chilling howl of wolves rose in the air. "Little Feather," a voice called as someone ran from the tents. Many others exited their tents, but gave the duo a bit of space.
"Hey Big Puppy," Sheridan teased as he embraced his old friend. The teenager looked curiously like a mixture between a novo and a human. He had unnatural silver hair with black tips and was dressed in soft red fur.
"It's unusual for you to visit us, what's the matter my friend?" the man asked as he pulled back and held Sheridan at arms length to get a good look at him.
Sheridan smiled softly as he reached out and ran his finger tips over the sharp elfin points of his friend's ear before brushing over his silky hair and the dark maroon stripes over his pale skin. "I was feeling horribly nostalgic," he answered as he rested his hand on the teal crescent moon on his best friend's forehead.
888
Phoenix walked lazily down one of the long hallways of the temples. It was almost pitch black but his eyes shined red in the darkness as they took in any remaining light. Over all he was in a very good mood and the slight skip in his step showed it. He grinned as he reached the middle of the temple. There was a faint, unnatural glow pouring from the tattered remains of one of his thickest steel doors.
"Hmm, that must have hurt," he commented as he kneeled down and looked at the torn metal. He could feel heat radiating off of it from the magic and the shear friction of being torn apart. "Now this could be interesting," he practically purred as he pulled a plastic container from his robe. He popped the top open and pulled out a long white swab with a cotton puff on one ending. Down on the bottom of the door he ran the swab carefully of the many red droplets along the floor before placing the swab back in his pocket.
"Milord," a voice called from behind.
Phoenix stood with a swish of his camp and his grin revealed the sharp points of his teeth. "Yes," he hissed, eyes glittering with a maniac gleam.
The woman that had called to him bowed lowly, her long hair sweeping against the floor before she spoke, "Milord Dragon sent a message from the dark temple requesting your presence. He says he receive a message from the home planet."
Phoenix walked uncomfortably close to her to the point that her entire body went ridged, but at the last second he leaned down and picked something of the ground. He held a small piece of some sharp cloudy white material with a droplet of blood at the tip. His grin widened as he pulled another plastic container from his robes and dropped the piece inside. "So Earth has finally decided to see what this old colony is up too," he remarked as he put the container away. "Did Dragon say who contacted us?" he asked, walking by her.
The woman seemed too hesitated before answering," I believe the name was Inutashio."
There when times when I love writing way to much. Hate me yet. I'll give you a cookie if you can guess what kind of animal novo the servant guy was. Oh and sorry about the song but it seemed offly appropriate.
I know a bunch of people say I've been switch to fast between worlds, but don't worry, everything will come full circle. And someone said something about having a plan when I writer. Trust me, if I ever had a plan about my writing it would never be nearly as interesting.
Next Chapter: Sesshomaru and Kagome return to Japan, but why is it Kai that returns home with Sesshomaru.