Chapter Four- Shi no Senshi (Soldier of Death)
Written by Azreal (aka Blight)
pippin_elf@yahoo.com
or
horde_king@yahoo.ca
http://www.geocities.com/horde_king/index.html - This has my creepier stories on it. Weird shit.
OR
http://www.geocities.com/dominus_pestilence/lordpestilence1.html - I got my drawings on this site!
Disclaimer: You know the drill. Blah, blah, blah, they aren't mine BLAH!!!
Warnings: Pretty much the same as the others, except that there are no make- out scenes in this one. Finally, Duo makes an appearance! I have been getting a lot of reviews saying they want to see Duo.well, HERE YOU GUYS GO!!! THE SHI NO SENSHI IS HERE!!! WHAHAHAHA!
Oh, and I kinda made a creature up.you'll see it when it comes. I think you'll like it. ^_~
Chapter Four- Shi no Senshi (Soldier of Death)
It was four weeks later as Heero, Wufei, Trowa and Quatre were heading North, all atop their own steeds. Wufei had called Shenlong, a speckled gray mare with a hot temper, to him not long after the four had discussed their next move. They were headed to find the fourth member of their group, whoever he or she might be. They had long before left the forest Wufei had called home for several years, much to the youth's sadness. For a few hours he had stared behind them, watching unhappily as his home drew further away from them, though soon he looked forward, concentrating on their journey.
They had now come upon a great city before them that stretched for miles and miles, made of stone and iron. Paved streets that were now crumbling wound like snakes through the tall buildings that were also falling apart. Mould grew on the towers, sprouted in the cracks of the sidewalk, and the ground (what could be seen of it through the thick fog) was covered in filth. It was obvious to them all that the city had been falling apart long before the Seal of Shindoshi had been broken, and it looked as though Shindoshi himself had not yet been there. Though had they not known otherwise, they would have thought he had, the place was so defunct.
Wrinkling his nose, Wufei snorted at the scene before him, the hoofs of their steeds clopping across the broken pavement. "What a disgusting place," he sneered as a rat ran across their path, staring at them for a long moment before the fat rodent vanished into the shadows. Quatre shuddered, putting a hand beneath his nose against the smell of decay that wafted from the buildings and the alleyways.
"How could anyone let their home be so.so."
'Nasty?' Trowa offered.
"Yes, nasty," Quatre agreed. Heero's face was pulled into a frown.
"It is just like my city," he murmured. Shaking his head against the memory, the young Prince looked at his companions. "Do you suppose the Shi no Senshi is here?" he asked of Trowa. The taller boy shrugged.
'I really don't know,' he replied. 'But it is a possibility, judging from the look of this place.'
"What do you mean?" Quatre asked, raising an eyebrow.
'The Soldier of Death would most certainly be thought to be found in a place as this.' Quatre winced, making a face at the crumbling, shadowy buildings and the fog that floated around their mount's feet.
"Ew." He grumbled. "Soldier of Death indeed."
Wufei snorted a chuckle and the other two smirked. Abruptly, Wing pulled up short, snorting in fear. Shenlong, Heavyarms and Sandrock did the same, neighing in fear and discomfort. The four boys all stiffened.
Something was near. They could feel it.
Something evil.
Slowly, Heero slid off of Wing's back as the Pegasus stamped fearfully. Patting the creature on the neck, the young Prince stepped away from his mount, followed closely by Wufei and Trowa. Quatre remained astride Sandrock, hand clutching at his chest, eyes wide.
"I.I can.it's so."
Trowa gave the smaller boy a look.
"Evil."
The eyebrows of the other three boys rose, then drew down as their eyes narrowed. They scanned their surroundings warily, not sure what would be popping out at them from the shadows, but wanting to be ready for it anyway. Heero and Wufei drew their swords as Trowa pulled a dagger from his belt. Quatre sat on his horse, gasping in fear as his eyes flickered left and right, like a wild animal being stalked.
The sound of tiny, scuttling feet caught everyone's attention and they jumped in surprise as about twelve large, obese rats with beady black eyes ran beneath their feet.
Quatre squealed as Sandrock reared, neighing loudly. Grabbing the reins of his stallion, Quatre barely managed to prevent the small horse from running off as he kept a tight hold on Sandrock. The small horse whinnied nervously, ears pinned back as Quatre patted his neck, trying to calm him down. Several crows went flying by overhead, cawing raucously. Wufei growled in his throat, eyeing the large, black birds warily as they perched on the edge of a crumbling building just across from them. The birds watched them, their gaze steady and unwavering.
"I don't like this one little bit," Wufei mumbled.
"Neither do I," Heero agreed, his voice lowering to a whisper.
Trowa took in a sharp breath, eyes wide as they flicked around. 'Whatever it is, it's getting closer,' he announced.
"How do you know?" Quatre asked, still sitting on Sandrock.
'The way the air moves, how it smells, and the direction the animals are taking,' he replied, nodding in the direction the rats had gone and where several of the birds had also flown. 'Did you see the rats and crows? They ran that way, all of them. It stands to reason that something is coming that they want to get away from.'
"Maybe we should follow their example and run away too," Quatre meekly replied. Wufei made a face.
"Only weaklings run from a battle," he growled, watching the shadows.
"Only weaklings fight when they have no chance of winning!" A feminine announced loudly from behind them, as a great roar erupted and everyone was attacked.
Heero, Wufei and Trowa fell beneath a pile of slick, coal-black, and powerful bodies. Large, clawed hands pummeled them as they tried to block the blows.
Wufei screamed in rage as his sword was knocked from his grasp, but managed to roll from underneath his assailant and away. He leaped to his feet and took a fighting stance, as three jet-black, shriveled-looking creatures with lean muscles sneered at him, flexing their claws. He growled. "Come and get it then, you weak onnas!" he shouted. The beasts attacked.
Nearby, Heero and Trowa stood back-to-back, sword and dagger raised defensively as similar creatures to the ones that were attacking Wufei swarmed on them. The two boys grunted and screamed, knocking away the beasts as best they could, slashing at them and kicking out to prevent the terrible claws from reaching their tender flesh. Heero's eyes blazed with fury and Trowa's face was pulled into a grim, determined mask. Barely managing to keep the demons at bay, the two didn't have time to think about their comrades.
They just fought, as a very large crow flew away from the scene on silent wings.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
The crow came to land on a windowsill atop a great tower that looked to be several hundred years old. Shattered glass windows revealed an equally dirty interior, with broken wooden flooring and dust everywhere. The ceiling was open in several places as it had crumbled and fallen in. Rats scurried in the corners and bats hung in the shadows where the roof was still intact. More crows sat on all things they could; a great, decrepit old organ in the corner, an altar covered in black velvet cloth that was rotting away and had several candles on it, rotting chairs and tables, and anything else they could, including windows.
The crow cawed gently, then louder when there was no answer. It ruffled its feathers in annoyance, and cawed a third time Bats screeched back at it, and it snapped harmlessly at them. It looked around, feathers raised as there was still no answer.
It was about to caw again when the sound of footsteps on hardwood floors came it its ears. The crow squawked happily as a black-cloaked figure appeared from the shadows, eyes flashing green in the darkness. It raised a hand toward the crow, and it flapped its wings, crossing the distance between them and landing on the figure's outstretched hand. It began to squawk at the shadowed one quickly, telling it all that it had seen.
The cloaked one nodded, and stroked the bird's head. "Thank you, Hammel," the figure whispered in a young, male voice. "You have been quite helpful." The eyes within the hood narrowed and sparked with anger as it stepped toward the window, letting the crow fly off. The figure gazed at the city below him, eyes staring at where a fight seemed to be occurring. He sniffed, and his eyebrows went up in surprise.
He could smell life. He hadn't caught the scent of life in many, many years.it had been so long since he had smelled one who hadn't been resurrected that he almost didn't recognize it. Closing his eyes for a moment, he drifted in remembrance of his life before the city was thrashed and destroyed by an army of the West.
A loud, derisive snort caught his attention, and he turned to see a very large figure in the shadows, eyes glowing a bright green as it stared. He smiled and nodded as he approached the large creature, climbing on its back.
"Let's go and see who's crashed our party," he hissed. The creature let out a piercing scream that echoed throughout the entire city as it hurled itself through the already shattered window and into the night sky.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Enough of this!"
The beasts froze in their attack, as did the three battling teens. Everyone turned to see a tall, blonde girl about their age with ice-blue eyes and forked eyebrows standing behind them. She was dressed as slinky as she could get while still looking like a warrior. A long, jagged-edged sword was held loosely but firmly in her hand, and she was smirking evilly.
The sword tip was at Quatre's throat, where three demons held his arms tight and kept him from running away. The blonde had a frightened look on his face, and he squirmed uncomfortably in the monster's grips, whimpering in fear. "Trowa." His eyes sought out that of the taller boy's, displaying terror.
Trowa snarled and tried to make for the blonde, but the beasts leaped in front of him and he was forced to stop. Immediately, Heero was at his side, and moments later, Wufei joined them, all three of the boys shooting daggers with their eyes at the blonde girl before them who was laughing gaily at them.
"Who the hell are you?" Heero demanded, muscles tense as he tried to think of a way to save Quatre.
"Oh, me?" the girl asked mockingly. "You don't know who I am?"
"Of course not, onna!" Wufei roared. "How are we supposed to know when we've never seen you before?"
The girl feigned surprise. "Well, my dear Wufei," she purred, and the boy's eyebrows rose, "I know your name."
As Wufei sputtered, Trowa stepped forward, eyes glowering. 'What do you want with us?' he demanded.
The girl smirked. "To kill you, of course." The eyes of all three boys widened as she motioned to the demons holding Quatre, and they moved to snap his body to pieces.
"NO!" Heero roared, throwing himself toward the boy as he began to cry out in fear.
Abruptly, a very large and angry crow dropped on the demon's heads, shrieking loudly. Its wings flapped and beat at them as its claws raked at their thick, scaly flesh. The beasts screeched in fear and surprise, letting go of Quatre to swat at the crow that was attacking them. It flew out of their reach quickly, cawing at them.
The blonde fell to his knees, scrambling forward, where he was grabbed up by the long-haired girl. She sneered into his face as she yanked his head back, causing him to cry out. The three boys watching snarled, as the girl turned to them.
"What sort of trick was that?" she demanded. "Sending birds to attack my soldiers? How pathetic!" As Heero, Wufei and Trowa pondered that, the girl hissed. "You wanted to know who I am? Fine! I will tell you before you die. My name is Dorothy Catalonia." Her eyes narrowed.
"And you will all die. Starting with him!" She made to twist her captive's neck when a piercing shriek tore through the air, startling them all.
A swarm of crows zoomed in on the small group, cawing and screaming as rats of all sizes scuttled beneath their feet, squeaking in rage. Shaggy-haired dogs of a very large size and all of which seemed to be starving came running from the alleys, followed by underweight, equally ragged cats of all sizes, though all of them had one thing in common-anger in their eyes. The animals cawed and squeaked and growled and hissed respectively as they snapped at the feet and bodies of the beasts, causing the creatures to shriek in pain and terror as they were beset by the underfed animals. Black blood dripped across the ground, disappearing into the cracks in the sidewalk as one by one, each beast fell.
Dorothy stared, as did the other teens, as the beasts all ran off, howling in pain and fear as many of the ragged animals chased them, snapping at their heels. The blonde girl's eyes narrowed. "You weak, pathetic fools!" she screamed after the beasts, still holding onto Quatre. She growled at the boys who had started to move toward her. "One wrong move and the kid gets it!" she warned.
Suddenly, a low growling sound came from behind her. She turned to see several very large dogs and about six or seven cats all watching her, growling and hissing. Their ears were laid flat and their fur bristled, muscles stiff as they began to advance on the girl. Dorothy hissed back at them.
"If you want this boy to live, you will stay back," she whispered evilly. The animals stopped, and she laughed.
"If YOU want to live, lady, then let him go," a low voice spoke from the shadows in a threatening tone. Everyone turned to see a shadowed figure sitting on top of a very large.
"Oh, my gods." Wufei hissed.
It was a demonicorn.
A unicorn of the demons, with a very large horn and bat-like wings that spread far and wide, at least thirty feet. It was a pale creature with a shaggy, unkempt body and elongated ears at least a foot long. Its legs were thin yet powerful, hoofs cloven and sharp, with a tail that dragged in the dirt and a mane that fell to its chest. Two glowing green eyes stared at them from beneath the forelock that slipped down to the creature's slim muzzle, and its heavy, slightly furred wings folded back, cupping the rider in their shadow. It looked more like a deer than a horse, with its long neck and sleek form, but it definitely was not.
It snarled at Dorothy.
The rider spoke again. "Lady, if you know what's best for you, you will release him and get out of my city." His eyes narrowed. "Right now."
Dorothy swallowed, warily watching the demonicorn. Yet still, she had enough guts to glare at the rider. "No."
The rider stiffened. "What did you say?" he asked in a dangerous tone. The demonicorn growled low in its throat and took a menacing step towards her. Dorothy gulped as the rider's eyes also began to glow, and a green light surrounded both steed and rider. Forks of green lightning lashed out from the two, slapping Dorothy yet passing Quatre by, knocking the girl to the ground.
Quatre bolted for Trowa, who wrapped the boy up in his protective embrace, as they now all watched the demonicorn and its strange rider. Heero and Wufei stood in front of the other two, protecting them as best they could.
Dorothy choked, coughing up blood as she struggled to her feet. Her eyes widened when she saw her own blood, then narrowed again. She turned to glare at the strange rider. "You." she hissed, blood dribbling down her chin. "You hurt me!"
The rider snorted. "Well, DUH!"
The blonde's mouth dropped open. "How dare you!" She was about to leap to her feet to teach the upstart a lesson when a silky voice purred in her ear. She stopped, and listened.
"My dear Dorothy, your time there is up.'
1 'What? Why? I know I can beat them, just give me a-'
"It isn't that, my dear. Shindoshi comes, and you must not be there when he arrives."
'But-'
"No buts Dorothy! You must return to me, or at least get out of and as far from that city as you can. It is not safe for you, and I will need you to kill them later.'
Dorothy bowed her head. 'Yes, Master.' She opened her eyes and glared at the four boys and the odd rider before her, a sneer on her lips. "Well, boys, it's time for me to go," she growled, standing up and brushing the dirt off her clothes. She smirked. "Duty calls, or rather, the Master does." She glared at Heero and the other three. "I'll see you four later. And then you will die." Then she turned her glare on the rider, who glared back at her. "This is not finished."
"Obviously," the other stated sarcastically. Dorothy sneered, then vanished into the shadows.
The demonicorn growled again and turned its head to stare at the four boys. The rider did the same, then slowly slid off the creature's back. He patted its neck, and walked towards Heero, Trowa, Wufei and Quatre. The winged creature followed closely at his heels as the animals who had attacked Dorothy followed the demonicorn as a safe distance. Wherever the steed's hoofs landed, the ground turned black and decayed, and the fog that had surrounded them before was thicker around the bat-winged horse.
The rider stopped five feet away from the four teens, seeming to watch them curiously. After a few long minutes of scrutiny, the rider spoke. "What are you doing here?" he demanded. "Don't you know that the living aren't supposed to be in the City of the Dead? You're liable to get yourselves killed!" There was the hint of humour in his voice, but the rider didn't seem to be joking. Heero swallowed.
"We were on a journey, and came upon your city completely by accident," he said, something inside telling him to give the utmost respect to the strange rider with the demonicorn at his heels. First impressions were always good, he figured. "I apologize if we have violated anything-" The rider interrupted.
"You haven't broken any rules, except maybe the ones for your sanity," he snorted. "You can come and go in here as you please, it's just not a very good idea. There are a lot of things in here that would be after your blood, because they haven't had it in so long." The eyes, which had turned from glowing green to a deep violet, clouded over. "There hasn't been anything alive here for at least two hundred years."
Quatre pulled away from Trowa and took a step toward the rider, aquamarine eyes boring into the violet depths of the other's. "But what about you?" the blonde whispered. "Why did you save me? And why do you live here?"
The rider shrugged. "What about me? Nothing about me. I saved you because I didn't think you deserved to die. And technically, I don't live here." He chuckled. "I don't live here at all."
The other four were silent for a moment, trying to puzzle out what the strange rider was saying, but failing. Finally, Wufei spoke.
"Why don't you show us you face?" he demanded, shivering slightly. "I do not like speaking to a creature that has no face." The rider laughed lightly.
"Oh, you get used to that sort of thing if you're around long enough," he said, once again puzzling the other four. But, complying with Wufei's wish, he dropped the hood and let them see him.
Their jaws dropped.
He was beautiful.
Two large, expressive violet eyes peered out from beneath chestnut-gold bangs, and a long braid that fell to his waist hung over his shoulder. Milky white skin seemed to blend with the pale robe that had red and black embroidery on it in a strange design that none of the boys recognized. A pair of ebony black, tight pants and a crimson red silk shirt lay beneath the robe, and the braid was tied back by a red silk ribbon. His smile seemed to light up their dreary surroundings, as he stuck out his hand.
"Greetings, strangers!" he said. He shook Heero's hand roughly, violet eyes boring into cobalt blue as Heero stood, completely stunned by the vision before him.
"Uhhh."
The boy raised an eyebrow. "Doesn't talk much?" he asked the others. Quatre giggled, Trowa rolled his eyes and Wufei stared jealously at the braided boy. The boy frowned as Wufei, eyes flashing. "Something wrong?" he asked, voice soft.
Wufei gulped, eyes widening. "N-No."
The boy's smile returned, quick as a flash as he winked knowingly at Wufei. "Alright." The other boy blinked, but a shaky smile returned to his own features as he watched the demonicorn moving toward their own steeds. Shenlong snorted and moved to intercept the strange creature's move toward Wing. Wufei swallowed.
"I'm Quatre, that's Heero, Trowa, and Wufei," the blonde boy was telling the braided rider, who watched them all carefully for a few moments. He grinned.
"What brings y'all here?" he asked, putting his hands on his hips. His smile didn't falter as Heero, having gotten over his initial shock at having another gorgeous guy meet up with them, explained their journey and all that came with it, as far as he knew.
Meanwhile, the demonicorn was getting acquainted with Shenlong, Wing, Heavyarms and Sandrock. The unicorn and the Pegasus seemed to be the most at ease with the creature, seeing as how they were all immortal and had one thing in common: magic. Sandrock and Shenlong seemed more wary of the horse- like creature, though the little red stallion was pleased to be meeting something new. The five steeds were sniffing at each other, though none of them quite touched the demonicorn, only brushed their muzzles right over his shaggy skin.
"Umm.what's your.uh.demonicorn's name?" Quatre asked, watching as the five horses (respectively) seemed to converse, the bat-winged, pale creature standing tall over Sandrock and Shenlong, though not as heavy as Heavyarms or as tall as Wing.
The boy grinned. "Oh, that's Shinigami," he said, almost casually. Everyone's heads snapped around to stare at him as a grin crossed his features and his eyes glinted knowingly. "I am afraid I haven't properly introduced myself," he continued.
Stepping forward, he gave them all a snappy salute.
"Hey! I'm Duo Maxwell," he said, smiling as his eyes flickered an eerie green in the darkness, as the meager light made him seem to glow in a frighteningly ethereal way. "I am the Shi no Senshi." He smirked, causing the other four boys to flinch slightly.
"Damn, it's good to be Death."
To be continued.
So.how was it? How do you like Duo's horse, Shinigami? Cool, eh? Yes, I KNOW that Duo's gundam is black and that's what color his horse should be, but it's NOT because I am changing it! It will all make sense later, so to find out you'll have to bear with my slowness and keep reading! Oh, and sorry for anyone out there who wasn't aware this was a yaoi fic. Whoops.heh- heh. Mail me at: pippin_elf@yahoo.com or horde_king@yahoo.ca.
Written by Azreal (aka Blight)
pippin_elf@yahoo.com
or
horde_king@yahoo.ca
http://www.geocities.com/horde_king/index.html - This has my creepier stories on it. Weird shit.
OR
http://www.geocities.com/dominus_pestilence/lordpestilence1.html - I got my drawings on this site!
Disclaimer: You know the drill. Blah, blah, blah, they aren't mine BLAH!!!
Warnings: Pretty much the same as the others, except that there are no make- out scenes in this one. Finally, Duo makes an appearance! I have been getting a lot of reviews saying they want to see Duo.well, HERE YOU GUYS GO!!! THE SHI NO SENSHI IS HERE!!! WHAHAHAHA!
Oh, and I kinda made a creature up.you'll see it when it comes. I think you'll like it. ^_~
Chapter Four- Shi no Senshi (Soldier of Death)
It was four weeks later as Heero, Wufei, Trowa and Quatre were heading North, all atop their own steeds. Wufei had called Shenlong, a speckled gray mare with a hot temper, to him not long after the four had discussed their next move. They were headed to find the fourth member of their group, whoever he or she might be. They had long before left the forest Wufei had called home for several years, much to the youth's sadness. For a few hours he had stared behind them, watching unhappily as his home drew further away from them, though soon he looked forward, concentrating on their journey.
They had now come upon a great city before them that stretched for miles and miles, made of stone and iron. Paved streets that were now crumbling wound like snakes through the tall buildings that were also falling apart. Mould grew on the towers, sprouted in the cracks of the sidewalk, and the ground (what could be seen of it through the thick fog) was covered in filth. It was obvious to them all that the city had been falling apart long before the Seal of Shindoshi had been broken, and it looked as though Shindoshi himself had not yet been there. Though had they not known otherwise, they would have thought he had, the place was so defunct.
Wrinkling his nose, Wufei snorted at the scene before him, the hoofs of their steeds clopping across the broken pavement. "What a disgusting place," he sneered as a rat ran across their path, staring at them for a long moment before the fat rodent vanished into the shadows. Quatre shuddered, putting a hand beneath his nose against the smell of decay that wafted from the buildings and the alleyways.
"How could anyone let their home be so.so."
'Nasty?' Trowa offered.
"Yes, nasty," Quatre agreed. Heero's face was pulled into a frown.
"It is just like my city," he murmured. Shaking his head against the memory, the young Prince looked at his companions. "Do you suppose the Shi no Senshi is here?" he asked of Trowa. The taller boy shrugged.
'I really don't know,' he replied. 'But it is a possibility, judging from the look of this place.'
"What do you mean?" Quatre asked, raising an eyebrow.
'The Soldier of Death would most certainly be thought to be found in a place as this.' Quatre winced, making a face at the crumbling, shadowy buildings and the fog that floated around their mount's feet.
"Ew." He grumbled. "Soldier of Death indeed."
Wufei snorted a chuckle and the other two smirked. Abruptly, Wing pulled up short, snorting in fear. Shenlong, Heavyarms and Sandrock did the same, neighing in fear and discomfort. The four boys all stiffened.
Something was near. They could feel it.
Something evil.
Slowly, Heero slid off of Wing's back as the Pegasus stamped fearfully. Patting the creature on the neck, the young Prince stepped away from his mount, followed closely by Wufei and Trowa. Quatre remained astride Sandrock, hand clutching at his chest, eyes wide.
"I.I can.it's so."
Trowa gave the smaller boy a look.
"Evil."
The eyebrows of the other three boys rose, then drew down as their eyes narrowed. They scanned their surroundings warily, not sure what would be popping out at them from the shadows, but wanting to be ready for it anyway. Heero and Wufei drew their swords as Trowa pulled a dagger from his belt. Quatre sat on his horse, gasping in fear as his eyes flickered left and right, like a wild animal being stalked.
The sound of tiny, scuttling feet caught everyone's attention and they jumped in surprise as about twelve large, obese rats with beady black eyes ran beneath their feet.
Quatre squealed as Sandrock reared, neighing loudly. Grabbing the reins of his stallion, Quatre barely managed to prevent the small horse from running off as he kept a tight hold on Sandrock. The small horse whinnied nervously, ears pinned back as Quatre patted his neck, trying to calm him down. Several crows went flying by overhead, cawing raucously. Wufei growled in his throat, eyeing the large, black birds warily as they perched on the edge of a crumbling building just across from them. The birds watched them, their gaze steady and unwavering.
"I don't like this one little bit," Wufei mumbled.
"Neither do I," Heero agreed, his voice lowering to a whisper.
Trowa took in a sharp breath, eyes wide as they flicked around. 'Whatever it is, it's getting closer,' he announced.
"How do you know?" Quatre asked, still sitting on Sandrock.
'The way the air moves, how it smells, and the direction the animals are taking,' he replied, nodding in the direction the rats had gone and where several of the birds had also flown. 'Did you see the rats and crows? They ran that way, all of them. It stands to reason that something is coming that they want to get away from.'
"Maybe we should follow their example and run away too," Quatre meekly replied. Wufei made a face.
"Only weaklings run from a battle," he growled, watching the shadows.
"Only weaklings fight when they have no chance of winning!" A feminine announced loudly from behind them, as a great roar erupted and everyone was attacked.
Heero, Wufei and Trowa fell beneath a pile of slick, coal-black, and powerful bodies. Large, clawed hands pummeled them as they tried to block the blows.
Wufei screamed in rage as his sword was knocked from his grasp, but managed to roll from underneath his assailant and away. He leaped to his feet and took a fighting stance, as three jet-black, shriveled-looking creatures with lean muscles sneered at him, flexing their claws. He growled. "Come and get it then, you weak onnas!" he shouted. The beasts attacked.
Nearby, Heero and Trowa stood back-to-back, sword and dagger raised defensively as similar creatures to the ones that were attacking Wufei swarmed on them. The two boys grunted and screamed, knocking away the beasts as best they could, slashing at them and kicking out to prevent the terrible claws from reaching their tender flesh. Heero's eyes blazed with fury and Trowa's face was pulled into a grim, determined mask. Barely managing to keep the demons at bay, the two didn't have time to think about their comrades.
They just fought, as a very large crow flew away from the scene on silent wings.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
The crow came to land on a windowsill atop a great tower that looked to be several hundred years old. Shattered glass windows revealed an equally dirty interior, with broken wooden flooring and dust everywhere. The ceiling was open in several places as it had crumbled and fallen in. Rats scurried in the corners and bats hung in the shadows where the roof was still intact. More crows sat on all things they could; a great, decrepit old organ in the corner, an altar covered in black velvet cloth that was rotting away and had several candles on it, rotting chairs and tables, and anything else they could, including windows.
The crow cawed gently, then louder when there was no answer. It ruffled its feathers in annoyance, and cawed a third time Bats screeched back at it, and it snapped harmlessly at them. It looked around, feathers raised as there was still no answer.
It was about to caw again when the sound of footsteps on hardwood floors came it its ears. The crow squawked happily as a black-cloaked figure appeared from the shadows, eyes flashing green in the darkness. It raised a hand toward the crow, and it flapped its wings, crossing the distance between them and landing on the figure's outstretched hand. It began to squawk at the shadowed one quickly, telling it all that it had seen.
The cloaked one nodded, and stroked the bird's head. "Thank you, Hammel," the figure whispered in a young, male voice. "You have been quite helpful." The eyes within the hood narrowed and sparked with anger as it stepped toward the window, letting the crow fly off. The figure gazed at the city below him, eyes staring at where a fight seemed to be occurring. He sniffed, and his eyebrows went up in surprise.
He could smell life. He hadn't caught the scent of life in many, many years.it had been so long since he had smelled one who hadn't been resurrected that he almost didn't recognize it. Closing his eyes for a moment, he drifted in remembrance of his life before the city was thrashed and destroyed by an army of the West.
A loud, derisive snort caught his attention, and he turned to see a very large figure in the shadows, eyes glowing a bright green as it stared. He smiled and nodded as he approached the large creature, climbing on its back.
"Let's go and see who's crashed our party," he hissed. The creature let out a piercing scream that echoed throughout the entire city as it hurled itself through the already shattered window and into the night sky.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Enough of this!"
The beasts froze in their attack, as did the three battling teens. Everyone turned to see a tall, blonde girl about their age with ice-blue eyes and forked eyebrows standing behind them. She was dressed as slinky as she could get while still looking like a warrior. A long, jagged-edged sword was held loosely but firmly in her hand, and she was smirking evilly.
The sword tip was at Quatre's throat, where three demons held his arms tight and kept him from running away. The blonde had a frightened look on his face, and he squirmed uncomfortably in the monster's grips, whimpering in fear. "Trowa." His eyes sought out that of the taller boy's, displaying terror.
Trowa snarled and tried to make for the blonde, but the beasts leaped in front of him and he was forced to stop. Immediately, Heero was at his side, and moments later, Wufei joined them, all three of the boys shooting daggers with their eyes at the blonde girl before them who was laughing gaily at them.
"Who the hell are you?" Heero demanded, muscles tense as he tried to think of a way to save Quatre.
"Oh, me?" the girl asked mockingly. "You don't know who I am?"
"Of course not, onna!" Wufei roared. "How are we supposed to know when we've never seen you before?"
The girl feigned surprise. "Well, my dear Wufei," she purred, and the boy's eyebrows rose, "I know your name."
As Wufei sputtered, Trowa stepped forward, eyes glowering. 'What do you want with us?' he demanded.
The girl smirked. "To kill you, of course." The eyes of all three boys widened as she motioned to the demons holding Quatre, and they moved to snap his body to pieces.
"NO!" Heero roared, throwing himself toward the boy as he began to cry out in fear.
Abruptly, a very large and angry crow dropped on the demon's heads, shrieking loudly. Its wings flapped and beat at them as its claws raked at their thick, scaly flesh. The beasts screeched in fear and surprise, letting go of Quatre to swat at the crow that was attacking them. It flew out of their reach quickly, cawing at them.
The blonde fell to his knees, scrambling forward, where he was grabbed up by the long-haired girl. She sneered into his face as she yanked his head back, causing him to cry out. The three boys watching snarled, as the girl turned to them.
"What sort of trick was that?" she demanded. "Sending birds to attack my soldiers? How pathetic!" As Heero, Wufei and Trowa pondered that, the girl hissed. "You wanted to know who I am? Fine! I will tell you before you die. My name is Dorothy Catalonia." Her eyes narrowed.
"And you will all die. Starting with him!" She made to twist her captive's neck when a piercing shriek tore through the air, startling them all.
A swarm of crows zoomed in on the small group, cawing and screaming as rats of all sizes scuttled beneath their feet, squeaking in rage. Shaggy-haired dogs of a very large size and all of which seemed to be starving came running from the alleys, followed by underweight, equally ragged cats of all sizes, though all of them had one thing in common-anger in their eyes. The animals cawed and squeaked and growled and hissed respectively as they snapped at the feet and bodies of the beasts, causing the creatures to shriek in pain and terror as they were beset by the underfed animals. Black blood dripped across the ground, disappearing into the cracks in the sidewalk as one by one, each beast fell.
Dorothy stared, as did the other teens, as the beasts all ran off, howling in pain and fear as many of the ragged animals chased them, snapping at their heels. The blonde girl's eyes narrowed. "You weak, pathetic fools!" she screamed after the beasts, still holding onto Quatre. She growled at the boys who had started to move toward her. "One wrong move and the kid gets it!" she warned.
Suddenly, a low growling sound came from behind her. She turned to see several very large dogs and about six or seven cats all watching her, growling and hissing. Their ears were laid flat and their fur bristled, muscles stiff as they began to advance on the girl. Dorothy hissed back at them.
"If you want this boy to live, you will stay back," she whispered evilly. The animals stopped, and she laughed.
"If YOU want to live, lady, then let him go," a low voice spoke from the shadows in a threatening tone. Everyone turned to see a shadowed figure sitting on top of a very large.
"Oh, my gods." Wufei hissed.
It was a demonicorn.
A unicorn of the demons, with a very large horn and bat-like wings that spread far and wide, at least thirty feet. It was a pale creature with a shaggy, unkempt body and elongated ears at least a foot long. Its legs were thin yet powerful, hoofs cloven and sharp, with a tail that dragged in the dirt and a mane that fell to its chest. Two glowing green eyes stared at them from beneath the forelock that slipped down to the creature's slim muzzle, and its heavy, slightly furred wings folded back, cupping the rider in their shadow. It looked more like a deer than a horse, with its long neck and sleek form, but it definitely was not.
It snarled at Dorothy.
The rider spoke again. "Lady, if you know what's best for you, you will release him and get out of my city." His eyes narrowed. "Right now."
Dorothy swallowed, warily watching the demonicorn. Yet still, she had enough guts to glare at the rider. "No."
The rider stiffened. "What did you say?" he asked in a dangerous tone. The demonicorn growled low in its throat and took a menacing step towards her. Dorothy gulped as the rider's eyes also began to glow, and a green light surrounded both steed and rider. Forks of green lightning lashed out from the two, slapping Dorothy yet passing Quatre by, knocking the girl to the ground.
Quatre bolted for Trowa, who wrapped the boy up in his protective embrace, as they now all watched the demonicorn and its strange rider. Heero and Wufei stood in front of the other two, protecting them as best they could.
Dorothy choked, coughing up blood as she struggled to her feet. Her eyes widened when she saw her own blood, then narrowed again. She turned to glare at the strange rider. "You." she hissed, blood dribbling down her chin. "You hurt me!"
The rider snorted. "Well, DUH!"
The blonde's mouth dropped open. "How dare you!" She was about to leap to her feet to teach the upstart a lesson when a silky voice purred in her ear. She stopped, and listened.
"My dear Dorothy, your time there is up.'
1 'What? Why? I know I can beat them, just give me a-'
"It isn't that, my dear. Shindoshi comes, and you must not be there when he arrives."
'But-'
"No buts Dorothy! You must return to me, or at least get out of and as far from that city as you can. It is not safe for you, and I will need you to kill them later.'
Dorothy bowed her head. 'Yes, Master.' She opened her eyes and glared at the four boys and the odd rider before her, a sneer on her lips. "Well, boys, it's time for me to go," she growled, standing up and brushing the dirt off her clothes. She smirked. "Duty calls, or rather, the Master does." She glared at Heero and the other three. "I'll see you four later. And then you will die." Then she turned her glare on the rider, who glared back at her. "This is not finished."
"Obviously," the other stated sarcastically. Dorothy sneered, then vanished into the shadows.
The demonicorn growled again and turned its head to stare at the four boys. The rider did the same, then slowly slid off the creature's back. He patted its neck, and walked towards Heero, Trowa, Wufei and Quatre. The winged creature followed closely at his heels as the animals who had attacked Dorothy followed the demonicorn as a safe distance. Wherever the steed's hoofs landed, the ground turned black and decayed, and the fog that had surrounded them before was thicker around the bat-winged horse.
The rider stopped five feet away from the four teens, seeming to watch them curiously. After a few long minutes of scrutiny, the rider spoke. "What are you doing here?" he demanded. "Don't you know that the living aren't supposed to be in the City of the Dead? You're liable to get yourselves killed!" There was the hint of humour in his voice, but the rider didn't seem to be joking. Heero swallowed.
"We were on a journey, and came upon your city completely by accident," he said, something inside telling him to give the utmost respect to the strange rider with the demonicorn at his heels. First impressions were always good, he figured. "I apologize if we have violated anything-" The rider interrupted.
"You haven't broken any rules, except maybe the ones for your sanity," he snorted. "You can come and go in here as you please, it's just not a very good idea. There are a lot of things in here that would be after your blood, because they haven't had it in so long." The eyes, which had turned from glowing green to a deep violet, clouded over. "There hasn't been anything alive here for at least two hundred years."
Quatre pulled away from Trowa and took a step toward the rider, aquamarine eyes boring into the violet depths of the other's. "But what about you?" the blonde whispered. "Why did you save me? And why do you live here?"
The rider shrugged. "What about me? Nothing about me. I saved you because I didn't think you deserved to die. And technically, I don't live here." He chuckled. "I don't live here at all."
The other four were silent for a moment, trying to puzzle out what the strange rider was saying, but failing. Finally, Wufei spoke.
"Why don't you show us you face?" he demanded, shivering slightly. "I do not like speaking to a creature that has no face." The rider laughed lightly.
"Oh, you get used to that sort of thing if you're around long enough," he said, once again puzzling the other four. But, complying with Wufei's wish, he dropped the hood and let them see him.
Their jaws dropped.
He was beautiful.
Two large, expressive violet eyes peered out from beneath chestnut-gold bangs, and a long braid that fell to his waist hung over his shoulder. Milky white skin seemed to blend with the pale robe that had red and black embroidery on it in a strange design that none of the boys recognized. A pair of ebony black, tight pants and a crimson red silk shirt lay beneath the robe, and the braid was tied back by a red silk ribbon. His smile seemed to light up their dreary surroundings, as he stuck out his hand.
"Greetings, strangers!" he said. He shook Heero's hand roughly, violet eyes boring into cobalt blue as Heero stood, completely stunned by the vision before him.
"Uhhh."
The boy raised an eyebrow. "Doesn't talk much?" he asked the others. Quatre giggled, Trowa rolled his eyes and Wufei stared jealously at the braided boy. The boy frowned as Wufei, eyes flashing. "Something wrong?" he asked, voice soft.
Wufei gulped, eyes widening. "N-No."
The boy's smile returned, quick as a flash as he winked knowingly at Wufei. "Alright." The other boy blinked, but a shaky smile returned to his own features as he watched the demonicorn moving toward their own steeds. Shenlong snorted and moved to intercept the strange creature's move toward Wing. Wufei swallowed.
"I'm Quatre, that's Heero, Trowa, and Wufei," the blonde boy was telling the braided rider, who watched them all carefully for a few moments. He grinned.
"What brings y'all here?" he asked, putting his hands on his hips. His smile didn't falter as Heero, having gotten over his initial shock at having another gorgeous guy meet up with them, explained their journey and all that came with it, as far as he knew.
Meanwhile, the demonicorn was getting acquainted with Shenlong, Wing, Heavyarms and Sandrock. The unicorn and the Pegasus seemed to be the most at ease with the creature, seeing as how they were all immortal and had one thing in common: magic. Sandrock and Shenlong seemed more wary of the horse- like creature, though the little red stallion was pleased to be meeting something new. The five steeds were sniffing at each other, though none of them quite touched the demonicorn, only brushed their muzzles right over his shaggy skin.
"Umm.what's your.uh.demonicorn's name?" Quatre asked, watching as the five horses (respectively) seemed to converse, the bat-winged, pale creature standing tall over Sandrock and Shenlong, though not as heavy as Heavyarms or as tall as Wing.
The boy grinned. "Oh, that's Shinigami," he said, almost casually. Everyone's heads snapped around to stare at him as a grin crossed his features and his eyes glinted knowingly. "I am afraid I haven't properly introduced myself," he continued.
Stepping forward, he gave them all a snappy salute.
"Hey! I'm Duo Maxwell," he said, smiling as his eyes flickered an eerie green in the darkness, as the meager light made him seem to glow in a frighteningly ethereal way. "I am the Shi no Senshi." He smirked, causing the other four boys to flinch slightly.
"Damn, it's good to be Death."
To be continued.
So.how was it? How do you like Duo's horse, Shinigami? Cool, eh? Yes, I KNOW that Duo's gundam is black and that's what color his horse should be, but it's NOT because I am changing it! It will all make sense later, so to find out you'll have to bear with my slowness and keep reading! Oh, and sorry for anyone out there who wasn't aware this was a yaoi fic. Whoops.heh- heh. Mail me at: pippin_elf@yahoo.com or horde_king@yahoo.ca.