CHAPTER 21: BATTLE'S END
The two combatants eventually had to move away from the other, but they kept circling, always moving quickly and striking, trying to find a weak point or opening in the other. Although Firez could hurl his sword much like a spear and create more, Hiei did not have that option, especially when the elemental looked so determined to get his hands on his katana.
The two landed and quickly took on fighting stances once more. "You should give up, there is no way you could defeat us." Firez said calmly.
"I don't like losing to anyone, especially servants." Hiei sneered.
Firez snarled something in a language Hiei could not understand and rushed him. Hiei was ready; he clashed his sword against the elementals' once more, trying to push him back. It was proving to be difficult. Firez weighted a lot more than Hiei, especially with all that armor, which made it even more difficult for Hiei to cause damage when he did manage to get through the other's guard.
The sword in Firez's grip suddenly trembled, lava poured from it, taking on a scythe like shape on both sides of it. A small twist of the sword and before Hiei could move to avoid it; his katana was flying from his grip and into the elemental's.
The fire elemental held it for nothing more than mere seconds before he cried out and let the sword drop, revealing the black whirling spikes that had appeared at the hilt. Firez stepped away from the katana as lava poured like blood from his right hand.
Hiei dashed forward and took up the blade, smirking. "It looks like my blade doesn't like you."
"It would seem so." Firez's thick voice echoed.
"Oh and look, you're injured, how sad for you."
Firez glared at Hiei's mocking tone and willed his hand to mend, but no matter how much energy he sent it, the bleeding and his armor were still the same. He snarled and charged, calling to his left arm another weapon.
On instinct Hiei dodged, it proved to be wise since when the hammer slammed into the spot he'd vacated, it ripped a hole in the ground, the energy rippling and turning stone into lava.
"How much fire do you think you can handle, little fire demon?" Firez taunted.
"Enough to kill you!" Hiei exclaimed striking before the fire elemental could react.
Yusuke staggered back, holding his right hand in his left and glaring at Raizu. 'Damn it! I can't even land a punch without getting electrocuted.' He could take a lot more than a normal human, but that didn't mean he was lightning proof!
The elemental chucked, taking a step forward. "Ready to give up?"
Yusuke scoffed. "What gave you that idea? I'm just getting warmed up." He charged forward again landing a punch on the elemental's cheek and getting electrocuted for his troubles. With a yelp he jumped back, holding his hand once more. 'Okay, I guess we try it the other way.' He pointed his forefinger at the elemental only to find him gone.
"Looking for me?" The words came from behind Yusuke and before he could turn the elemental slashed with his sword, cutting at Yusuke's back.
Yusuke expected to feel pain but all he felt was a slight tingle. He quickly turned to face his opponent placing some distance between them, wondering what exactly had happened. 'I should be dead or at the very least bleeding badly. So what…' A memory flashed in his mind of Fay giving him the small dark blue fish. 'Was that it?'
"That energy shield,' Raizu hissed. "Where did it come from?"
Yusuke smirked. 'Now this I can work with.' "Like I'm gonna tell you." The shield had activated when he'd been in serious danger, but if he could manipulate its power… Raizu charged, lightning in his wake, and Yusuke ran to meet him. 'Hope this works.'
He slammed a fist into Raizu's face, the dark blue energy rippled, blocking the lightning that would have harmed Yusuke and giving him the advantage he needed. Raizu, surprised at what had just happened, didn't react quickly enough and found himself pounded over and over by Yusuke.
"I'm ending this fight, except for Windros; they're all getting badly beaten!" Isis called on her magic about to recall her elementals when Corentin gripped her arm. "You know very well you can change the tide of this battle. Release the first seal on their power."
Isis gritted her teeth glaring up at Corentin. "Don't you think this is enough for one day?" she snapped.
Corentin shook her head. "It will never be enough until we have The Right, now do it."
Isis jerked her arm from Corentin's grip and began to write glowing symbols in the air before her. "By my decree; first seal, I release you." There was a sound like that of a bell towing and the elementals' power increased three fold.
Firez's mangled arm healed in the blink of an eye once his power was released, the lava seeping from his left side and throat closed and his armor itself turned to lava.
"Don't let a little power get to your head," Hiei warned. "I'm still going to kill you."
Firez laughed tauntingly. "We shall see." Hiei was quick and so was Firez but with the added power, Hiei found himself slammed to the ground, an involuntary cry ripping from his throat when the lava that was now Firez's armor began to burn away his skin.
*******************
Kurama had hoped his plants would have held Celis a little longer and perhaps they would have, if the seal had not been broken on the elementals' power. Celis had quickly torn plant from armor and encased Kurama in this prison.
The shield protected Kurama from the icicles that protruded from the walls of the ice prison, it still left him trapped, but hopefully not for very long. He reached into his hair, pulling out the small seed and letting it drop to the icy ground, his energy already in it.
The icicles tried once more to get through the shield around him, every time an ice blue energy broke them apart but little by little Kurama could tell it was weakening. He poured more power into the seed and it exploded into life, eating away at the ice and growing in stature.
The ice prison broke apart and as it did something slammed into Kurama, hurling him back. He quickly climbed to his feet looking for what had tried to gut him. He found it quickly enough in Celis's hand. The ball and chain, had the barrier not sprung to life, he would be bleeding to death by now, if not dead. He didn't know if he'd be so lucky next time. "As fun as this has been, fox. I must bring this battle to an end."
Kurama's eyes narrowed. "So far I've managed to avoid all your attempts to end this battle, what makes you think you will win, even with your added power?"
Inside the armor, Celis smirked. "You don't really think all we have is one seal on our power...do you."
******************
Yusuke moved away as Raizu jumped to his feet, his cracked and broken armor reconstructing itself. 'Oh crap!' They didn't need this! "Spirit gun!" the energy shot hurled forward at the same time Raizu hurled a ball of lightning at Yusuke.
The energy clashed, the resulting boom blinding everyone in the battle field momentarily. When his eyes cleared Yusuke found himself face to face with Raizu, or armor to face.
"Goodbye." Raizu slammed a glaive into Yusuke's stomach; Yusuke let the momentum take him then climbed to his knees as he stopped rolling, a hand to his stomach. The barrier was weakening, another one of those and he'd be a ghost again. 'If I'm lucky.' He thought getting to his feet.
"Spirit Gun!" He should have known that the elemental would dodge it. 'Guess I'm down to one trick.'
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Botan hadn't managed to get them back to Kuwabara; instead the wind had blasted them of the oar. Both girls screamed, but the wind had gone after Fay and Botan had been left to crash into the ground before she could call back her oar. She expected pain; instead her fall was slowed enough so that Kuwabara could catch her.
"What about Fay?" Botan asked as she was set on her feet. Her shouts answered Botan's question.
"I couldn't let you fall!" Kuwabara defended himself. "But I'll get her back now."
They both ran toward the girl struggling against the wind elemental. She kept striking at his face, but with the armor on she was doing more damage to her hand then to Windros.
"We're on our way, Fay!" Botan called. "Just hang on a little."
"I'm trying!" Fay shouted back trying to struggle from Windros's grip. "Let me go!" she protested. "I said, let me go!" she hit the elemental once more but this time her bracelet slid forward striking as well. It hurled the armored being away, tearing her from his hold.
"Ha!" she shouted triumphantly; until she realized that she was falling from high up. 'Oh…damn!' she thought as she began to fall.
"Make the bracelet slow your fall!" Botan called up at her.
"How am I supposed to do that?!" she cried out. The bracelet glowed, slowing her fall and acting like a parachute…or an umbrella. 'Great, now I feel like Mary Poppins.' Fay thought wryly. She supposed it was better than turning into a splatter on the ground.
Fay landed safely on her feet, close enough to watch Raizu's glaive slash open Yusuke's side.
"Yusuke!" she cried out and ran to him only to stop when she heard Hiei's involuntary scream, then caught sight of Kurama wrapped in an icy chain.
'No…' she thought shaking her head in denial. 'This can't be happening, they…they can't die!' "I won't let them!" she screamed. "Enough! I'll give myself up, just don't hurt-"
"Don't you dare do something stupid like that!" Yusuke's shout stopped her, bringing her attention back to him. Ignoring his bleeding side, Yusuke glared intently at her. "We're not going to lose so don't you give up on us!"
Fay shook her head. "Idiot! You're bleeding!"
Instead of answering her he grabbed Raizu by the neck and ignoring the lightning that sizzled around him, started pounding the elemental with growing strength. "It's just a stupid scratch! So don't you dare think I'm going to lose!"
Raizu lost his footing and fell to the concrete, yet Yusuke continued to pound into him, cracking his armor once again.
"Did you hear me, Fay?!" Fay blinked back tears and nodded. "Okay, but you better not get killed!" she shouted back at him. He sent her a determined grin.
"Come on, we have to keep running." Botan and Kuwabara reached her, tugging her to follow them. "Yeah, besides Hiei and Kurama can take care of themselves." The taller youth gestured their way.
Hiei had managed to rip himself away from Firez's grip and although the skin on his neck was burned, torn and bleeding he had Firez on his knees, his quickly heating blade stabbed near the elemental's heart, while Kurama's arms were wrapped by a plant that seemed to absorb Celis's attacks. As they passed by him he chanced a glance their way and smiled, as if to reassure her before turning back to his opponent.
Isis's voice reached them, repeating almost the same words, except this time it was a second seal. The sound of a bell towing twice echoed.
'I'm gonna have to take on this guy.' Kuwabara thought. 'Before he gets much stronger.'
"Okay, I'm tired of this guy, you guys keep going! I'm gonna slice him to pieces!" Kuwabara stopped and turned sword energy in hand.
"Be careful, Kuwabara!" Botan called back at the youth and kept running.
Kuwabara nodded and gulped. So far he could tell this elemental had been playing with them, as if it were some cat and mouse game, but telling by the speed and power Windros was putting into his rush, Kuwabara figured he was done playing.
Kuwabara didn't even have a chance to swing his sword; the wind hit him with the force of a rushing river, dragging him along, tearing at his clothes and skin. "Gah!" Kuwabara coughed out blood and hit the ground rolling.
The same wind came close enough to Celis and Kurama that it tore the plant to pieces and slammed Kurama away.
"Windros!" Celis snapped. "This is my battle; I will handle it my way."
Windros snorted. "No more playing, can you not tell these beings are increasing in strength?" Startling, the voice was female.
"Finish it, Celis!" Windros rushed past him, heading in Botan's direction. She came to a sudden halt when she realized the girl was kneeling next to the first she'd brought down, the tall youth and appearing to try and heal him with her power…on her own. The other girl wasn't with her. The wind sang to her, and Windros turned.
Their target was kneeling next to the disguised fox, who was slowly but surely trying to get to his feet. 'Count your luck little fox, any other would have been torn to pieces.' Come to think of it, the same could be said for the tall youth.
No matter, they would die soon anyway. Her job was to retrieve the target. Languidly, she moved forward, already her brother moved to finish the fox, once he did she would take the girl.
"Kurama!" Fay slid to her knees beside Kurama, relieved when he started moving. "I'm fine…the pain isn't too bad." He climbed to his knees and cried out, clutching his left shoulder. 'I think it may be fractured, if not broken.'
"Your shoulder!" Fay's teary gaze was on the shoulder he clutched. "Its fine,' he reassured her though he couldn't stop the pain that seeped into his voice. "Just bruised." He climbed to his feet with her help as the cold began to swirl about their feet.
"Farewell." Celis's voice reached them, his shadow towering over them. Kurama turned, already knowing he couldn't dodge the weapon, not when his body wasn't responding as it should and Fay at his side.
The decision was taken from his hands in those few seconds, as the claymore fell he was pushed away. His widening eyes caught her aquamarine gaze. She smiled a second before the claymore sword slammed into her back, the sword slicing through her chest, too close to her heart.
"Fay!" Kurama cried out, catching her as she fell. He was aware others called her name, but his attention was on her form as blood poured from the wound.
"Fay!" Ignoring the pain in his shoulder he wrapped her in his arms, his green gaze tormented. "Why? You know what Vainam told you, you cannot-" Her face began to pale, as if she'd been out in the cold for too long.
"Celis! What sword did you use?" Isis demanded.
"The Winter Claymore, I did not know she would-"
"What does that do?" Kurama asked his voice filled with icy fury. Energy was beginning to roil about it him, slowly changing, much like his appearance.
"It freezes the body from within." The words came from the wind elemental who chuckled, as if it were funny. "And since it pierced so close to her heart, she will not survive, I give her minutes, if that."
"And that's supposed to be funny!?" Kuwabara shouted, charging at the elemental. Windros turned but couldn't stop the energy sword as it sliced her form in half. There was an angered screech and a blast of wind, then the wind elemental vanished.
Raizu's form was torn into pieces by Yusuke's spirit wave, ashes was all that remained of Firez's form after Hiei released his dragon of darkness attack.
"It's your turn." Feeling panicked, Celis turned back to the speaker, only to find the being he'd been fighting had completely changed. It's all he managed to observe before a palm slammed into his chest and something wriggled within him, burning him from the inside and tearing at his form. He screamed and dissolved into a puddle of water.
Botan knelt beside Fay as the boys turned to the Magus's. 'The sword, we have to pull the sword out.' At least she hoped that would help stop whatever was going on. She took a hold of the hilt and yelped, letting go. It was so cold it was almost hot.
"They left!" Yusuke shouted in anger.
"They're cowards, that's what cowards do." Hiei said.
The battle field dropped, yet before they could appear in their world, another rose to take its place.
They paid it little heed as they turned their attention to their fallen friend. "I can't get the sword out." Botan cried. Hiei grabbed a hold of it and pulled it out, the sword shattered into icy dust that drifted in the wind as Hiei threw it away.
"Do you think that'll do it?" Botan asked. She remembered that Fay had come back from the dead once but…this thing sounded a lot worse, if that was possible, from last time. What if she didn't have enough energy? "We have to do something!" she cried out in a panic.
"Dammit! I thought we agreed you wouldn't do this again, Fay!" Yusuke shouted, pounding a fist into the ground.
"That will do her little good now, Yusuke." Youko said grimly. Blood seeped from the wound in her chest, her skin was turning icier by the moment, and her heart beat, his ears twitched, he could barely make out the sluggish sound. "We need to stop the bleeding."
"It's not like we're near a hospital, or carry a stupid kit with us!" Yusuke snapped angrily.
"I can try giving her some of my energy-" Botan suggested before Hiei cut her off.
"You've already used it to heal Kuwabara, anymore and it'll be your life energy."
"Well, we need to do something!" Botan cried out. "She's dying!"
Botan's voice seemed to wake, somewhat, the girl in his arms. Her eyes opened the slightest, looking up at Youko. She whispered something he had to strain his hearing to hear then nodded. "Yes, it's me."
"Fay?" Botan leaned over to look at her, but her eyes had closed, as if that small attempt had been all she could manage.
"Dammit! Fay wake up now!" Yusuke shouted.
Youko placed a hand to her chest; he would stop the bleeding as best he could.
"Shouting will do her little good, as your friend said." They turned to the new voice, tensing.
A woman of mid-height approached them. She had on a cream color turtle neck sweater, a long black skirt and black boots. Her long black silky hair hung loose down to her waist, and her blue/green eyes were gentle yet worried as she took them in.
On both sides of her, one step behind, walked two young women around the age of twenty-two. They were identical to each other, brown hair up in twin buns, orange eyes, and wore Chinese dresses of silver; the cold seemed to not bother them at all.
"If you're looking for a fight…" Yusuke warned. She shook her head and bowed politely. "My name is Amalthea; I am the oracle you were to meet in a few hours." The two women started forward, stopping before Youko who cradled the unconscious girl in his arms.
"Please, if you want us to save your friend, you must hand her over. We do not have long." Youko held her tightly for a few seconds before finally handing her over. "If anything happens to her…" he warned.
Amalthea nodded. "I understand."
The two women walked back the way they came, disappearing like mirages in a desert. "I know all of you have questions, but they will have to wait, please follow me." She turned and started walking, the group following.
"Are you sure you can save her?" Botan couldn't help but ask. "I mean she's gotten hurt before but this sounds…"
"Much worse, yes, in a way it is. Only because her body used a lot of stored energy last time to heal her body rather quickly. There was more to what struck her last time. Those claws held a deadly poison that her body had to work overtime to get rid of. The energy that would have helped this make it a minor wound was not present."
'Which means she made it sound like nothing.' Yusuke thought grimly. Fay was gonna get an earful once she woke up. 'And you better wake up or I'll kill you myself.' He thought hands curled tightly into fists.
As Amalthea spoke mist thickened about them then dissipated and the group found themselves standing on wooden floors. "Welcome to the event hall, it is where we were supposed to meet." Amalthea turned back to them.
"Where is Fay?" Kurama asked.
Amalthea titled her head and studied the red hair youth. 'He's changed form…' She turned and led them down a hallway, stepping aside as they reached an open doorway.
The two young women were inside, chanting in an ancient language. Between them, in a sphere of rotating runes rested Fay. The women didn't stop at their entrance but continued the chanting.
"What are they doing?" Kuwabara asked.
"It's an ancient spell of deep healing. It will heal her but I'm afraid she will not wake for little over a week." Amalthea's gaze had been on Fay, now it turned to them. "I will see to your wounds now. After that I can answer your questions; however I believe it may be better if we wait until Fay wakes to answer those related to the crest."
"That's fine." Botan said. Amalthea nodded in acknowledgement and led them to another room.
Isis stormed into the study, not bothering to knock. "Look what she made me do!" she snapped angrily at her mother.
Iva looked up from the paperwork she'd been doing and raised a slim eyebrow in question. "Perhaps you could give me a more definite explanation?"
Isis slammed her hands onto the desk. "Not only did I almost cause the death of a friend-"
"I thought Fayre was merely an acquaintance." Iva interrupted.
"Well she's been promoted to friend!" Isis snapped. "And I don't attack friends, whatever power they may have. I almost killed her! Not only that my elementals lost their forms! You know how long it takes for them to regain new ones! And they're whining at me! Whining!"
The Elementals never whined about anything, but now they were up in arms about a rematch and Windros was not happy that the female form she, for lack of better word, had picked was gone.
"Isis-' Iva began.
Isis pointed. "Don't give me that 'be reasonable' tone of voice! It won't work this time mother!" she turned to leave stopped midway and spoke. "Kurama's right: a dream that depends on the suffering of another is no dream at all." She stalked out of the room, the double doors slamming shut behind her.
Iva sighted, tapping her pen on the wooden surface. "Well, Tijana, what do you think?"
A woman with long white straight hair, pale olive eyes and dark skin coloring stepped from the shadows. She wore a white sarong dress printed with green fronds and matching sandals.
"Do not fault her; she is of her time, as we are of our own."
Iva leaned back against the backrest of her chair, her long green hair spilling over. It was striking how different she was from the one she called daughter. Her hair started out straight then turned wavy as it fell down to her knees. She had a long lithe body, pale skin coloring and forest green eyes, the only feature that tied Isis and her mother together.
Next to Iva, even Corentin could merely be called pretty, where calling the leader of the Magus beautiful was an understatement. Today, she wore a silver silk gown that slid against her skin like water.
"True, and yet she is the future, a future we need that girl's power to protect." Iva's gaze moved to the large windows that looked out to the gardens. Once upon a time, when she had been young, her mother had been the one in charge of all this.
Iva had thought that once she came into power this world would be the world her mother had dreamed off. Yet here she was, and unlike her, her daughter cared little for their ambitions'.
"It is only a matter of time until The Right falls into our hands and Isis sees our side of the argument. After all she is Magus, do not worry, all will be well." Tijana reassured her calmly.
Iva turned back to Tijana as she continued speaking. "I believe that for the moment we should take a step back, let others exhaust their forces against The Right's warriors, as young as they are, they are powerful. They will hold until we decide it is time to claim what is ours."
She stood, walking over to the window. "The other factions act slowly, believing that we will do their work for them; let them take the fall for a while. Mjrn works on a plan as we speak, one that will not fail."
Iva nodded and stood. She was done with paperwork today. "Very well, Tijana. We shall watch and wait for the time being."
Next chapter preview
"Him, she listens too."
"It must never happen again."
"I suppose so but-"
"…It's never failed for her!"