This is the exciting near-boss/dungeon part of the fanfiction where I imagine Giving Kushinada a Ride playing in the background. Check it out, because it really goes with this chapter!
The world was growing darker and darker as the group made their way to the north. All the animals were scurrying to hide from the ominous force, all except the wolves, who followed Amaterasu and offered her a ride*. Ame and Kid raced ahead of the others, Kid on his skateboard, as the others dispersed and tried to pursue the cave from the other side.
"They'll do it at midnight," Ame said, drawing the sun in the sky. "I'll keep the sun as high as I can until we get into the cave; then it'll be a matter of time. Kid, if Arachne comes back she could kill us."
"I won't let it happen," Kid said. "But we need to do more this time. We need to defeat Arachne once and for all—no setbacks this time."
"You're brave today," Ame noted.
"It's my job as a grim reaper," Kid replied with a smile. "Anyway, I can barely just hold my weapons. We need to get in and get out, got it?"
"Right," Ame nodded. "It looks like the others are coming around the other side okay. We need to get to the top of the cave and meet them there."
Epic Battle of the Gods 2! The Revival of an Old Enemy?
They all regrouped at the top of the volcano, but it was completely covered with hardened rock. There was a blizzard brewing as well.
"Why aren't any of the witches here yet?" Maka asked, looking around in the snow blizzard. The collection of students was sitting in a circle around Jacqueline, who was in her weapon form, waiting for the rest to meet them.
"It seems awfully quiet out there," Soul agreed. Maka looked at the blade of her weapon.
"I can't see much either," she said.
"It seems we all made it," Ame called, suddenly appearing on the top of the mountain with the others. "We need to be moving soon. The snowstorm is too strong, so I can't control the sun anymore."
"We couldn't find a way into the volcano," Kim reported.
"At least you'll get to see what an Inochigami can do," Ame said, stepping towards the hardened rock and drawing a cherry bomb. Even after the pretty explosion, the mountain remained solid.
"No time to make yourself look cute, Ame," Kid chided. "Come on, you're better than that. Ame, quit spacing out; I'm talking to you."
"Kid, look," Ame pointed. Her attack had made a small crack in the floor, allowing them to see directly into the cave. Kid looked to where Ame was pointing and gasped.
At the bottom of the cave… was Kid! He was human, and none of his injuries had healed at all. He looked more miserable and sick than he was when they had found him in the cell.
"That's… impossible."
"This is the right place," Ame insisted. "Come on; we have to find a different way in now. I saw a cave somewhere below on our way up."
As they traveled, they noticed that none of the witches had shown up yet. They realized a moment later that they had spoken too soon. An explosion by the side of the mountain made them all flinch. Rocks and snow began raining down in odd places. The ground began to give out under their feet and they began to run down the pathway as fast as they could. The cave was just ahead.
"Kid, jump," Ame commanded. "I'll make sure the others are safe."
Kid did as he was told, leaping to the safety of the cave with inhuman speed. He looked back to see Ame stab her Seven Strike into the ground, causing the others to be cut off and plunge into the darkness beneath them.
"Ame! No!" Kid shouted, running back out towards her. "What did you do?!"
"Kid, we're fine!" Maka called back up. Kid looked down into the abyss doubtfully. "There's a cave down here. We're going in. We'll meet you guys in the center!"
"Got it," Kid, Ame, Liz, Patti, Nagi, and Rin shouted from where they were on top of the cliff.
"How do I keep getting stuck with you?" Kid asked. Ame grinned back at him and they both turned around.
"This is it," Ame said.
"Yeah," Kid agreed.
"The cave of the Twin Demons."
"Yeah," Kid nodded.
"We've come a long way, haven't we?" Liz asked.
"Yeah," Patti agreed.
"But it's not over yet," Rin growled.
"Scared?" Nagi asked, inching closer to Liz.
"A bit," she admitted. "But it's okay. You're here, right?"
"What is this place?" Blackstar asked as they entered the small cave.
"It looks like a dungeon of some kind," Kim replied.
"We're underneath the cave of the Twin Demons Letchku and Netchku," Maka replied.
"And how do you know that?" Ox asked obstinately.
"Because a god told me about it," Maka snapped back.
"Can't argue with god," Blackstar agreed.
"Ame told me that long ago, the gods created a sacrifice out of pieces of each other so they could be equal opposites."
"She compared it to a yin-yang, didn't she?" Soul asked. Maka was surprised he had paid attention, but Ame's history lessons weren't that boring with all the illustrations she had included.
"Yes," Maka nodded. "The white shard in the black side must be what's awakened in Kid to make him become like this."
"Wait," Kim cautioned. "If there's a white shard in Kid, then isn't there a black shard in Ame?"
"Don't you think it could be here too?" Kim continued. The others suddenly felt very nervous. If the embodiment of innocence had a dark side, then what would happen if they ran into her here? Who knows what she would do?
"There they are," Ame said, gazing at the two statues on either side of the entrance to the cave. One of the statues was a humanoid figure with bird wings; the other was a human with wolf features. "The twin demons Letchku and Netchku. There was a legend they tried to become identical but it only resulted in chaos."
"I know where they're coming from," Kid said. He looked into the cave. There were two paths they could take. "Which way should we—"
He was cut off by another rockslide. There was suddenly a wall in between the two trios.
"Kid!" Ame shouted, attacking the wall and slashing at it with her tail and sword.
"Ame, it's no use," Kid snapped. "Just quit it."
"I guess we're travelling on our own, then," Ame said, sheathing Seven Strike on her back and walking in the opposite direction.
"What happened?" Liz asked, holding her sister close.
"Forget about it," Kid said quietly, going down his own path. "Come on, you two. We don't have a lot of time."
Deep within the center of the volcano, two figures were. It was Kid's human body. He was weak, but he was still breathing. He was laying in Ame's lap. Ame, as merely a fragment of the benevolent god Amaterasu, didn't have any ears or tail. She was merely human. She stroked Kid's hair, listening to the sound of his steady breathing.
"Nennen Korori yo,
Okorori yo.
Boya wa yoi ko da,
Nenne shina.
Boya no onoro wa,
Doko e itta?
Ano yama koete,
Sato e itta.
Sato no miyage ni,
Nani morotta?
Denden taiko ni,
Sho no fue."
*And there's the Giving Kushi a Ride reference :D
You know, just because I'm updating fast doesn't mean you can't review on any chapter you want. I like hearing what people like in my stories :)