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!!! Oh, and I forgot something…Shinigami (the demonicorn) is FEMALE! Just so ya know. ^_~
Warnings: Ummm…pretty much the same as all, just without any make-out scenes or anything.
Chapter Five—The Crystal Caves
After five minutes of talking, the companions (now with their fifth member) left the city. Duo had said that he wasn't comfortable with them being in the City of the Dead, as they learned the real name of it, and Quatre had backed him up by saying that he felt something terrible coming. Something more frightening than Dorothy Catalonia (if that were possible) and her minions.
So they left, Duo astride his demonicorn, Shinigami, who kept at least five feet away from the others the entire time they traveled through the city. A flock of crows were always overhead and when Wufei asked about them, Duo told him to pay them no mind. They were harmless, he said.
Wufei had given the braided boy a strange look, but had concentrated on the journey ahead, mind brimming with questions to ask the beautiful creature. He found himself watching the braided boy as they moved, staring at the long chestnut hair and the soft-looking lips.
He wasn't the only one.
Heero also couldn't keep his eyes off of Duo, and if there were a law against staring, he'd have been prosecuted a dozen times already. Needless to say, both Wufei and Heero's eyes hardly left the boy riding the demonic mare.
Rats, dogs, and cats, all of them ragged and scrawny were seen pacing them, following in the shadows as they passed the crumbling buildings by. The animals made four of the boys nervous, but Duo only shrugged at them. "They're harmless too," he told his companions.
By the time they had reached the edge of the city, which was, for some reason, less decrepit than the center, it had been almost a week. The city was extremely large, and went into the distance, but they had finally reached its end. Now they were upon a forest of trees a hundred feet tall and thick with shrubbery. It reminded Wufei of his former home, and he loved it immediately.
"So, what are we looking for now?" Duo asked Heero, who stared at the forest before them with a wary eye. Behind them, the animals had stopped at the edge of the city, gleaming eyes staring from the shadows as they watched the group. None of the animals dared to leave the city, however, though Quatre and Trowa (who had been watching them the entire time) couldn't figure out why.
Heero shrugged. "I suppose we have to find the weapons we need to defeat Shindoshi," he replied. He looked at Duo, face blank. "I have no idea what to do now."
The braided boy raised an eyebrow, then began to laugh.
"It really isn't all that amusing, Duo," Wufei said, frowning. Duo snickered.
"Sure it is," he replied, going off into gales of laughter again.
Quatre sighed, rolling his eyes. He looked at Trowa. "You seem to know the most about this journey of ours, why don't YOU tell us what we should do next?"
Trowa made a face. 'Well, first of all we must begin to search for the weapons that will help us defeat Shindoshi.'
"Well, DUH," Duo muttered, having been filled in on all that was happening as his eyes scanned the forest before them, somewhat wistfully. Trowa glared at the braided boy before continuing.
'I believe, that since we are in the North, that we should search for Duo's weapons first,' he said, giving the other boy a pointed look.
"What?" the braided youth asked innocently, batting his eyes at Trowa. The taller boy rolled his eyes.
'You know this land better than anyone,' was the reply. 'Are there any old stories that speak of any magical weapons nearby?'
Duo frowned, thinking. "Well…there's one…" He trailed off, frowning.
"What's wrong?" Quatre asked, also frowning. Absently he rubbed the cloth over his heart as a slight twinge of pain and fear came from the braided boy.
"Oh, it's just…the place where the legend says the weapons supposedly is…" He paused again, sighing. "It's dangerous, and…it brings back bad memories."
"You've been there?" Wufei asked incredulously.
Duo made a face. "Well…yes. But only once, and I swore I'd never go back."
"What bad memories?" Heero asked, frowning. The distress on the other boy's face made his heart lurch, and he found himself wondering just what the hell was wrong with him. He had only met the boy, and he was feeling this way? Grow up, Heero! He berated himself. What reason would a creature like that have for liking YOU?
Duo sighed. "Just…bad memories," was the evasive reply. "Old memories. But I think that that place would probably be the first place to start looking, if you want to find a magical weapon."
"What is this place and where is it?" Wufei asked.
"It's called The Crystal Caves, and is in the very heart of the forest." Duo replied, looking slightly shaken, though he hid it well. "It's called that because it's made completely of crystal, and it's very beautiful. It's also very dangerous, though, because of the amount of magic in it. Apparently, the one who wielded the weapon before died there, and cursed the place." He shuddered. "I believe it, too." Shaking his head, the braided boy gave the others a serious look. "But that is probably what you're looking for. The weapon is called the Shi no Kama, and is supposed to be very powerful."
"Scythe of Death?" Quatre asked, wrinkling his nose. "How drab."
Duo snickered.
Trowa nodded to the braided boy. 'Very well. Lead the way.'
Duo nodded and, spurring Shinigami into a trot, moved into the forest. The other boys trailed behind, watching the area around them just in case Dorothy Catalonia decided to come back for another round.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Cold…so cold…everything is so cold, what's wrong? Where am I? What's going on?
"Solo? Cecilia? Jaxon?"
No reply. Only…silence. They aren't screaming anymore.
"Where are you guys? Come on, this isn't funny!"
Fear. Oh gods, I'm so scared…
Cold.. It was so cold…
Hissing…
Groaning…
"Solo?"
Fear. Something else is in here with me I can feel it…
Scufflings across the cold floor made of crystal, echoing throughout the caves. Heavy breathing and low moans drift to my ears. I whimper.
"Cecilia?! Jaxon!?"
Footsteps.
"Guys, this isn't funny STOP IT!"
A hand clamps around my throat, and I turn to see…
"Great Shinigami…" I hiss, my eyes growing wide.
I scream as the zombies of my friends take hold of me, strangling me as Solo leans in, fat, rotting lips pressing against mine in a kiss of death as their powerful hands squeeze…
* * * * * * * * * * *
It was three days later by the time they reached the heart of the forest and the location of The Crystal Caves. During their travel, Duo had become more and more restless, jumpy even. He often had the look of a wild animal being stalked, and both Wufei and Heero were being affected by the braided boy's mood. Duo's unease spread to the other two, which in turn led to unnerving Quatre, which led to Trowa's grouchiness. Their steeds weren't much better off, and by the time they came in sight of their destination, all of them were either needlessly frightened or aggravated, respectively.
Duo lifted a slightly shaking hand to point at the gaping mouth of the cave, where from inside a slight glow and shimmering could be seen. "There they are," he whispered, voice quiet and manner subdued. "The Crystal Caves." His eyes were clouded, fear in their violet depths.
Quatre swallowed. "Is this such a good idea?" he murmured, clutching his chest. "I don't like it. It feels…menacing…"
'We don't have much of a choice, Quatre,' Trowa replied, frowning. 'Unless we want the world to be destroyed, then we must go in and at least see if the weapon is the right one.'
The blonde sighed forlornly. Heero and Wufei only stared, hiding their own fear.
Duo pouted, but nodded. "Oh, all right…I was just kind of hoping that we wouldn't really have to go in there, you know…"
It was obvious that none of them really wanted to go into the caves. There was something menacing about the way the mouth of the cave looked…like it wanted to eat them alive, swallow them whole, suck them down into the pits of Darkness while tentacles grasped at them like powerful worms and they screamed in terror…
Creepy.
Shaking his head roughly, Duo finally choked out, "Well, commute me or execute me. I don't wanna drag this out."
Heero nodded, a smirk on his face. "Let's do this."
The five boys slid off the backs of their respective steeds and moved towards the cave, eyes narrowed and ready for danger.
* * * * * * * * * *
Two hundred years.
Two hundred damned years.
Two hundred FUCKING years for this city to go straight to the pits. Crumbling, dirty, and unfit for any living creature.
Perfect for a member of the undead armies.
Awful for any living person to come across.
Not even the animals are alive anymore. They died off long ago…they can't leave the city, because the magic in it keeps them alive…sort of.
More like zombies, really. The crows, the dogs, cats and rats, among the other…things, that wander around here at night.
That's another thing. None of us can really go out in the day; the sunlight'll burn our flesh right off.
Well…not me. I can go out during the day, I just have to cover up pretty well. I guess it's a good thing to be kind of sun-resistant. Built in sunscreen. Heh-heh. Lucky me.
Two hundred years of wandering around this damned city without another living creature to talk to. Crows don't count, and neither do the dogs or cats, though they're pretty useful to find things out quick. Nah, fifty years after I came back from the Caves, nearly everyone had died. One hundred years later and not one semi-intelligent creature remains in the land I call my home.
Plagues, and accidents.
Accidents? Hardly. It was a fucking curse.
First it started with my caretakers, and then it moved onto my friends. Every person I came in contact with died within a week, and anyone who came in contact with the infected ones died after that. Some of them turned into zombies, some of them just fell asleep and never woke up, and others…
They just changed. They…transformed. Not quite human, and not quite demon. They morphed into things more hideous than can be imagined, bodies swollen and malformed, new limbs growing out, limbs falling off, their skin feeling while their faces and heads twisted and turned grotesque…they can't go out in daylight at all. They sit in the Labyrinths all day long, groaning and moaning, gnawing on the flesh of their loved ones and any that happen to have been caught by them that day. Very few people come along to my city, after what happened.
Meals are scarce for my people, so they make the best of what they get. They even go after the animals, even though they're dead to. Both animals and…morphed humans feast on each other if one is caught off-guard. It's horrible. I can still hear the smacking of their swollen lips and the gnashing of their crooked fangs…
I cursed them…cursed them all.
It's all my fault.
Solo, Cecilia and Jaxon…
It was my idea.
They told me the Caves were cursed.
I wish I had believed them.
* * * * * * * * *
Low moaning echoed in the crystal-made caves, bouncing softly off the walls. The small waterfalls and running water of the rivers within the cave masked the sound of shuffling feet. Cloth rustling and flesh brushing against crystal was also masked, and so none of the five boys wandering in the caves heard anything suspicious, and remained unaware.
* * * * * * * * *
It was several hours later when the five boys came upon what they were searching for.
Heero had his sword out, taking no chances. Something about these caves had frightened the braided boy, and he was going to make sure nothing happened to the young boy. Eyes narrowed, Heero slowly made his way forward, at the head of the team. Wufei was right behind the young Prince, walking on his toes with his own sword out and ready to strike at anything that appeared threatening. His eyes flickered back and forth, watching and waiting for an enemy to appear. Trowa, Quatre and Duo walked together, also watching their surroundings with wary eyes. Duo was the more nervous of the three, though Trowa almost matched him with his tenseness.
Moving slowly through a short tunnel, the five boys abruptly came upon a wider area. They stepped in, and their eyes widened at what they saw.
This part of the cave was large, and perfectly round. A small moat with crystal clear water in it surrounded an altar made of crystal. Icicles hung menacingly from the ceiling, ready to fall on the heads of the unsuspecting. Upon the altar sat a large scythe, made from black volcanic crystal for the staff, while the blade was made of diamonds, sharp and unrelenting. The weapon seemed to glow of its own accord, and it astounded the boys that, although there were no holes in the ceiling, that any light at all was in the room.
"Look," Quatre whispered, pointing to the scythe. "Is that the Shi no Kama?"
Duo nodded slowly, eyes locked on the skeletons that were scattered about the small room, face pulled into a grimace. "Yes, it is," he whispered back, not once looking at the scythe. He seemed to be purposefully avoiding it. Quatre frowned.
"It's your weapon, Duo," he hissed. "You should go get it."
Duo swallowed. "Do I have to?" he whined softly, violet eyes staring at three skeletons in the corner, dressed in rotten and filthy rags that had been ripped apart. His eyes were glazed as they scanned the room, his voice piteously frightened. Quatre put a hand on his shoulder.
"If you want, I'll get it with you," the blonde whispered. "You don't have to do it alone."
Duo smiled and nodded, grateful. "Thank you, Quatre." His voice was sincere and full of gratitude. Quatre smiled and wrapped an arm around the braided boy's shoulder, ignoring the strange looks he was getting from the other boys.
"Duo and I are going to fetch his weapon really quick," the blonde told their companions. "He doesn't want to do it alone, but I doubt we're going to be in any danger so we don't need the warriors." He smirked. "You guys can see us as we go."
Heero nodded, allowing the blonde to escort the braided youth towards the altar, crossing the tiny bridge and moving towards the beautiful weapon. All the while, Quatre kept up a reassuring, soft chatter to the other boy, who smiled nervously and nodded.
They reached the altar, and just as Duo was about to take hold of the weapon's staff, a loud, wet moan echoed loudly throughout the cave. All four boys froze, three of them drawing their weapons while the other two stared around in fear.
"What was that?" Quatre hissed, eyes wide as the sound of shuffling feet came to their ears, along with groans and moans that seemed to come from every direction.
Duo's own eyes widened as he looked back towards the door they had entered through. He pointed, hand trembling violently. "Them…" he whispered. Everyone turned to where he was pointing, and their eyes widened.
Zombies, the undead, were crawling and staggering their way into the room, rotted and wet, bulging flesh being ripped off and left to slip fatly down the wall as they dragged themselves across the crystal floors, and along the walls. Their sunken eyes, dead and black as night, stared reproachfully at the braided boy as they came forth from the darkness. One of them pointed accusingly at Duo and let out a horrid moaning noise.
"Great Eurynome!!" Duo wailed, eyes wide, taking a few steps back and bumping into the altar. He shook like a leaf, and sweat dripped down his face. "Save me!"
Heero leaped in front of the zombies, sword raised. His face was a mask of rage and hatred. His muscles tensed as he was joined by Wufei and Trowa, who both had their weapons drawn, prepared to battle.
It seemed as though the zombies were after Duo, since the three boys were being ignored in favor of the braided boy, who had fallen to his knees shaking and crying. "Eurynome save me, Eurynome save me," he whispered over and over, voice trembling as he called the name of the God of Death. "Don't let them get me again, don't let them get me again…"
Quatre, having sensed the distress Duo was in, knelt down to hug the boy, watching fearfully as their friends began to try and drive the zombies away. Swords sliced off rotten limbs as more of the undead surged forth from the entrance, moaning and groaning angrily. Heero and Wufei were back to back, battling off the creatures as they slowly moved forward.
The zombies weren't really a threat, there were just so many of them that the three boys found themselves hard-pressed to keep them at bay. They were being pushed back bit by bit, and several of the creatures had gotten past them.
Moaning, the zombies began to slither their way across the small bridge, not more than fifteen feet away from Quatre and Duo. The blonde was shaking as well, though he still had enough courage to keep his head. He whispered urgently to Duo, "You need to take up your weapon! I think it can beat them!"
Duo shuddered, eyes watching in terror as the zombies contaminated the clear water with their stinking flesh, moving through it as though they were dreaming. "I—I can't, Quatre," he whispered. "It's my fault they're like this, all my fault," he hissed. "Janine, Marty, Sean…" He began naming the zombies, and Quatre watched in astonishment as each of them seemed to react to their names, slowing down to look at the braided boy. "Harris, Frank, Joan…"
Duo seemed to be in his own world as he kept on with the list of names, the crowd of the undead growing larger, as Heero, Wufei and Trowa were beaten back. The three boys stared in fear as the zombies kept moving toward Quatre and Duo, moaning, hands reaching out to grasp at them.
One of them grabbed Quatre in its wormy grip and he screamed. "Duo!!"
The braided boy snapped out of whatever world he had been in and looked at his friend, in the grasp of his former townsmen. His eyes widened, then narrowed. Struggling to his feet, he slapped away the groping hands that reached for him. His own hands closing on the staff of the scythe, Duo held it high in the air and screamed at the top of his lungs.
"Leave him alone!! I won't let you kill any more of my friends!!"
With that, the braided boy attacked the zombies. The scythe cut through air and zombie flesh with amazing speed and agility as Duo began to glow an eerie green color. His eyes blazed with fury as he darted through the throng of the undead, screaming mindlessly as he went.
The zombies, moaning loudly in fear, began to back away as the scythe itself began to glow, and lightning flashed in the small cavern. Duo shrieked as he cut through their enemy like they were gossamer, and he leveled nearly half of them in less than a minute. Charging forward, the braided boy threw himself at the zombies still battling with Heero, Wufei and Trowa. He swung his weapon fiercely, and rotten flesh flew everywhere as he moved like a ghost through the horde.
Quatre ran to Trowa the second he had been freed from the zombie's grasps, and was embraced protectively by the taller boy. The two watched as Duo ransacked the zombies, eyes and body glowing brightly as he laughed maniacally.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA!!! THE SHI NO SENSHI HAS COME FOR YOUR SOULS!!"
Heero and Wufei joined the other two boys as Duo finished off the last of the zombies, panting loudly as the rotten head rolled away, thunking lightly against the wall. Gasping for breath from exertion, Duo turned slightly to look at his friends.
Then he looked back at the zombies.
His eyes watered. "I killed them again," he whispered. Putting a hand to his head, he dropped his scythe to the floor with a clatter. His chest hitched as a sob wrenched its way from his throat. "I cursed them to be like this…I killed them once, and I…I did it again…"
Luckily, Heero moved fast and he managed to catch the braided boy before he hit the ground. His cobalt eyes wide, Heero looked down into the face of the Shi no Senshi, Heero couldn't help but feel utter sorrow for the boy in his arms. Face twisted in pain and tears rolling down his cheeks as he cried, Duo was a wreck. Obviously, he had seen more than Heero cared to imagine, and none of it was good. Whatever emotions he had pent-up inside of himself were now letting loose, and Heero wanted to do whatever he could to comfort the other boy in his pain.
Clutching onto Heero for support, Duo sobbed as he remembered the zombies in their living years, how they had laughed with him, cried with him, comforted him when he needed them, and had made his life what it was in those days. He also remembered how each and every one of them had 'died,' or rather, transformed to what they were when he killed them the second time.
"It's all my fault," Duo wailed into Heero's chest as the others surrounded them, Quatre rubbing the braided boy's back encouragingly as Wufei stroked his hair. Trowa put his hand on the other boy's shoulder in silent comfort as he shook. "It's all my fault…"
"What's your fault, Duo?" Quatre asked gently, still rubbing his back.
"THEM!" the other boy wailed. "It's my fault they're like that! It's my fault they were cursed and died and mutated and everything! They told me this place was haunted, but I didn't believe them! I wanted to see the Scythe of Death myself, to prove that the legend was true. I came here…all those years ago…and…my friends…they died in here from other zombies…and I got cursed…" He choked out the rest. "They all died…everyone I came in contact with, and then…the disease spread from me, to them, to others, until EVERYONE was gone and I was left alone…" He hiccuped. "All those years living…no, NOT living like that…they're dead…and it's all my fault…"
'How long ago was this, Duo?' Trowa asked gently. Duo shuddered.
"Over two hundred years ago…"
The others stared, shocked. "K'so," Wufei hissed, awed.
"You've been alive all this time?" Quatre whispered.
Duo shook his head. "Not alive…not…alive…" he whimpered.
Heero swallowed, eyes watering with sympathy for the boy in his arms. Now I know what he meant before…and it's no wonder he's the Soldier of Death…
He IS Death…
To be continued….
So, whaddaya think? You like, or no? Duo is kinda becoming the main character here, though I'm trying to focus on ALL of the guys…hmm…oh well. Duo rocks anyway. ^_~ Drop me a line or just review! pippin_elf@yahoo.com or horde_king@yahoo.ca
Bye!