Wahoo! I got the next chapter done really fast! Hopefully this'll keep up…I was just really caught up in the story, and I wanted to write the part where…oh well you'll read it. But having off all of those days in school because of holidays sure helped, lol. Thank yew, yom kippor and rosh hasshana (is that spelled rite?) anyway, thanx to all of my wonderful and almighty reviewers. I don't think anyone picked up the clue, except maybe that one reader who said this was built on an interesting concept, which it is (sorry if im not putting your name in, but I'm just too lazy to go an look it up…-_-'''''''). So anyway, on with the story!
Disclaimer: do you really think I own Spirited Away or Card captor Sakura? No, I didn't think so.
*/ lalala /* = flashback
'lalala'-thinking
* * * with italics- Dreaming
~ ~ ~ - in Gnimaerd (either Ananda or Aiden)
"lalala"-out loud
Chapter 14: The Scelestus"All right, so we all remember the dream." Kohaku said.
The four of them were sitting outside Zeniba's house. The sun was setting, and it was soon going to be night. Chihiro could see the faint pinpoints of stars on the darkening horizon. The others had shortly joined her after waking up, and all agreed that they had had a 'group dream'. Zeniba had made no appearance yet
Syaoran said, "Okay, now you guys have to explain this necklace thing. Why didn't you tell us?"
Sakura replied, "Well we were going to, but it never really came up when we were with Zeniba. Chihiro and I were going to explain everything so Zeniba could hear it too. But then we just kept talking…" she trailed off.
"Anyway, we don't know what the necklaces are for. But I found mine right before I returned to my body. It was in the room and I just picked it up. But I guess Ananda doesn't know what it is either." Chihiro said.
Sakura added, "And I got mine from Aiden." She continued to tell them about the dream. Syaoran frowned, and Chihiro noticed a slightly jealous look in his eyes.
"So what did he mean when he said he had orders?" Haku asked.
Sakura shrugged. "I have no idea. But he said he didn't get the orders either. So even if we do meet up with Aiden, he probably won't be able to tell us about the necklaces either."
"But," Syaoran said, "He should know something that we don't."
Chihiro said, "Well we should try and find his House as soon as possible…"
Sakura mused, "Capitals…it's like there's something with the capitals."
"What are you talking about?" Chihiro asked.
"I mean, when he was talking about up there, I think he meant it like, Up There with capital letters. And he mentioned a guy…or at least…a he. But it was a capital H, I know it was." Sakura explained, with an odd look on her face.
Haku said, "I don't understand."
Chihiro said, "I think Sakura's means that when you say some words, it just feels like they have to be capitalized. Like Aburaya. You know it's spelled Aburaya, and not with a lowercase A." He nodded slowly. Chihiro said to Sakura, "But what does that have to do with anything?"
"I don't know. I …don't know."
Syaoran said, "Well is there anything else about the necklaces that are important?"
"They glow sometimes." Chihiro said.
"At really random times." Sakura added.
Haku asked, "Can you make them glow now?"
Both girls shook their heads. Syaoran said, "We should ask Zeniba. Is she up yet? Or is she still sleeping? It's already night out." He looked at the now deep blue sky. Syaoran thought about back in the human world, where you'd never see a sky so clear or so blue.
Chihiro said, "I'll go and check." She stood up and walked to the house. Sakura, Syaoran, and Kohaku sat in silence.
- - -
Chihiro stood in front of the door. She hesitated, and then knocked. She jumped when Zeniba said, "Come in, Chihiro dear."
Chihiro opened the door and went inside. She closed the door softly behind her, and looked around. Zeniba's room looked pretty much like the rest of the house; neat, homey, and with a touch of country. She said, "How did you know it was me?"
"Of course I would know, Chihiro." Zeniba was sitting in a floral armchair. There was a fireplace in here too. "And you're still wearing your hair tie, I notice."
Chihiro grinned. "I never take it off, except when I sleep and when I take a shower." She sheepishly touched it behind her head.
Zeniba nodded. Then she stood up. "I'm sorry if you wanted to talk, but I've just made a decision to visit my shrewd sister at that horribly decorated bathhouse. And I must hurry."
Chihiro opened her mouth, but Zeniba said, "Breakfast is on the table," she waved a hand, "And don't expect me back anytime soon. If you do need to leave, then don't bother to worry. All you need to do is leave a note."
Chihiro said, "Oh, but Granny---"
Zeniba gasped, "That's right! I have something to give to each of you." She hurried to a cabinet on the side of the wall and took out a bag. "In here is a gift for you four. But do not reveal to each other what is in your letter."
Chihiro frowned in puzzlement. What was Zeniba talking about? She took the bag, which wasn't very elaborate or large, for that matter. Chihiro opened her mouth again, but Zeniba gave her a hug and said, "I have a feeling I may not see you for a bit. But don't worry, for if one never leaves, one can never arrive again."
With that, Zeniba straightened up, and then she was gone. Chihiro stood staring at empty space.
~ ~ ~
Ananda was very troubled, indeed.
She sat on her balcony overlooking the terraces below in Uoyera. There was something inside of her that wanted to get out. She closed her eyes tight, and breathed deeply.
Ananda stood up suddenly and went inside. Outside, the skies were clouded. On the horizon, a heavy blanket gathered; a mix of blues, grays, deep mauves, and blacks. A few of the trees had lost their leaves, and they made a crackling sound as a cold wind brushed them over the stones. Some of the flowers were dying. And some were already dead. That day, the train had arrived late.
Ananda was sitting on the large throne like chair in the main Hall. She was meditating when Aiden called. Ananda heard the tone, and grudgingly let a chink open.
A section of air rippled, and then Aiden stepped through. "What do you want now?" she asked coldly.
He hesitated, looking slightly surprised at her tone. "Eh…I just wanted to know what you told them in the dream. About coming to my House."
She was silent. Then she said, "Well I'd like to know what those necklaces were about. He made them, didn't He?" Ananda gave him a cool stare.
Aiden frowned at her, and then closed his eyes. He scrunched his nose as if he was listening to something on a different wavelength, and then nodded to himself. "I'm sorry Ananda, but I don't know either," Aiden said at last.
Ananda burst out, "He just talked to you didn't He?" She looked up and yelled to the ceiling, "Don't shut me out!" Ananda raised a hand as if to do something, but Aiden rushed forward and grabbed her arms and pinned them to her sides. She stopped and stared insolently back.
"You can't speak to your Benefactor like that!" he shouted back. They stood like that for a moment, both flushed and defiant, a silent battle raging. Then Ananda closed her eyes with the same look that Aiden had had, and then she sighed and relaxed.
"I'll drop it." Ananda whispered. "And I told them they'd have to find their own way. It's what everyone else has to do anyway." She looked away, and there was an awkward pause. Aiden realized he was still holding her arms down and let go.
He stepped back and glanced out the main doors. He saw the clouds and the dying trees. Aiden looked back to Ananda. She was looking too. For a moment he stared into Ananda's eyes as if he was searching for something. And then Aiden stepped back the way he came.
~ ~ ~
Sakura, Syaoran, Kohaku, and Chihiro sat inside eating breakfast. Zeniba had conjured up a delicious meal, and when Chihiro had left Zeniba's room in much puzzlement, she'd been surprised to find them already digging in.
On another table lay Zeniba's bag. "Let's open it later," Kohaku had said. And that's what they had decided to do. But all were equally curious as to what kind of 'gift' they had been given.
Nobody really talked much, and Kohaku looked like he was busy thinking. Chihiro glanced in his direction, and noticed a look on his face. "What's wrong?" she asked.
He jumped and looked up. "Oh…I just feel odd. I thought I sensed something for a moment." Syaoran cocked his head for a moment and Sakura looked outside. Night had fallen, and it was extremely dark outside. She could hardly see the gate, or the trees outside. Chihiro noticed too.
"It's awfully dark outside," she said in a sort of nervous laugh, although she didn't know why she was nervous.
Suddenly Haku stood up and gave a sort of growl. "Something's coming," he said darkly. Chihiro stood too in alarm.
"What do you mean?"
Suddenly Syaoran yelled, "The window!" He pointed outside at the dark. They all looked at it immediately and gasped. Outside, the dark was seething. Chihiro thought she saw a red eye peeking in.
She asked, "What is it?"
Haku replied, "I don't know…"
The door crashed open with a bang. Chihiro and Sakura shrieked and Syaoran gasped. Haku turned into a dragon and lunged forward. But then he stopped.
From the doorway, shadows were seeping in like ink spilled on a piece of paper. Chihiro couldn't tell where the doorway had been a few moments ago, as the shadows seemed to eat up at the walls and chairs.
The dragon that was Haku decided to try and attack the shadows, and he lashed his tail out at the growing pool of dark. But the moment he touched it, the dark began to eat away at his tail. Haku snarled and transformed again. Just in time, for there were no injuries on him.
"Don't touch it!" he shouted at them.
Syaoran yelled back, "We kind of figured that one out!"
Sakura, meanwhile, was staring at the walls. All four were now covered in dark, and it was like they were standing on a patch of floor that used to be Zeniba's house.
They all turned their backs on each other and faced the shadows around them. And then, the dark stopped. The air was very still, as if everything was holding its breath.
"What now?" Chihiro whispered.
Then all at once the darkness sprang forward and enveloped them. Chihiro screamed and turned around to try and get to the others. But when she turned around there was only darkness. She yelled, "Haku! Haku! Guys! Where are you?"
Chihiro gasped and looked at her feet. They weren't there. All around her was darkness; it was like being blind, only in some arctic cold. Chihiro tried to move her hands in front of her face, or at least, she thought she was, but couldn't see anything. The dark was still for a moment. 'I'm like a pair of eyes floating in space,' Chihiro thought.
Then she felt something reach out and hit her in the stomach. Chihiro doubled over and gasped. Another arm of shadow tripped her and Chihiro fell down. It was like being beat up while blindfolded.
"Someone! Help!"
- - -
Syaoran ran around, dodging whatever it was that was trying to get at him. After the first hit, Syaoran had started running. 'I should have run into furniture, or the others by now,' he thought.
Syaoran could sense the darkness around him thinking, or at least moving. He barely was able to anticipate what next move the dark was going to make, and dodged them by only a hair. He wondered where the others were, and hoped that Sakura was all right. How was he going to beat this…thing?
Syaoran had a brainwave and took out his sword. To his surprise, he could see it. 'A sword waving around in midair. How interesting.' Syaoran thought. "Come on!" he shouted and sliced at the dark. For a moment he saw a patch of grey where his sword had hit, and then it became black again. "Right," he muttered.
- - -
Haku shouted, "Chihiro? Where are you?" He didn't know what this darkness was, or why it was there. "Who are you?" he shouted at the darkness. Not being able to see was unnerving his usually cool demeanor. And he didn't know where the others were either.
Haku didn't want to try turning into a dragon again. But maybe using a spell might help…
He gathered up energy in his fingers and blew. Globes of light flashed forward. Haku couldn't see where they ended up, but it was obvious that the attack wasn't working. 'Something else,' he thought, 'I need something else.' He looked around at the dark.
Suddenly something came flying at him and he dodged, but barely. "Whoa," he said out loud. This thing was fast…and powerful. Whatever it had done to the four of them…
Haku narrowed his eyes and then turned as he had felt the darkness rippling and moving. He could sense something coming back at him…like arrows…Haku ducked and felt something whiz by his hair. He immediately sent another spell back at where they had come from.
He squinted his eyes and thought he saw the dark lighten slightly, like a sweater that had been in the wash too many times. But then it filled up again. Haku thought wildly, 'Light! That's it…I need light to get rid of the dark. But that could take too much. I have to try though.' He sat to summon more power. And then the dark struck out. 'Damnit…trying to get enough power for light will be hard enough fighting this!'
- - -
The second the dark swallowed her up, Sakura instantly remembered the play from so long ago. What, four, five years, was it? It was just like the Dark card, only she couldn't see herself. Sakura could feel the cards, almost like they were calling out to be used. She remembered something else—something more recent.
*/"We are ready. This will not be the first test."
Sakura asked hesitantly, "Test?"
"There is much to come."/*
That had been the Wood card when she'd cured the Iris Spirit. Sakura nodded to herself, and released her staff. "What brightens the darkness?" she whispered.
- - -
Chihiro was running out of energy. The dark had been merciless on her, tripping her, and punching her. She ran to try and escape it, but it always knew where she was going. 'What is this?' she thought desperately, 'And where is everyone else?'
She suddenly thought she saw something grey up ahead. Chihiro ran to it frantically. Then it disappeared. And then she felt something strange run through her; no, through the entire shadow. It was like a wave of warmth…and it felt like…surely Chihiro wasn't imagining it…it felt like what magic might feel like. But for some reason, she just knew that it wasn't Haku's.
- - -
"LIGHT!"
- - -
Zeniba sat across the table from Yubaba. "We must put our differences aside, Yubaba," she said with a frown.
Yubaba glared back. "Well what is this sudden visit about?"
"Chihiro. Something happened to her when she was unconscious."
Yubaba raised an eyebrow. "What happened, dear sister? Pray tell."
"At the moment, what is on my mind is that she said she met a girl who called herself an oracle. And Chihiro said her name was Ananda."
Yubaba sat up straight. "Ananda? As in…a name?" She frowned in puzzlement. "But isn't that supposed to be…"
Zeniba said, "Yes, I thought that too. But I've been thinking some more about what happened."
"Could you just tell me what happened to her?" Yubaba asked with annoyance. "It might make things easier for me, you know."
Zeniba nodded, and with a deep breath began to tell Yubaba just what Chihiro had told her. She went on to explain about when they had arrived, and how Kaonashi had left, and other things relating to it. Yubaba listened with an interested look on her face. "How sure are you so sure that she wasn't dreaming?" she asked.
Zeniba replied, "You know as well as I do that that can't be any dream. Think about Kaonashi."
Yubaba clucked her tongue. "That horrible monster! He cost me so much money! Ugh! I don't know how you could stand to live with him."
Zeniba said, "Focus, Yubaba. Everything isn't about money, you know. I think there is someone else behind this."
"I can see where you are coming from," Yubaba said slowly. Both of the sisters sat in silence for a moment.
Zeniba said, "I left them with gifts before I came here. But they weren't my gifts. While I was thinking about Chihiro's story, something spoke to me. It was like something was talking on another line. But I understood completely, like I had the ability to talk or listen on that line of thought, but had never been able to before."
"What are you talking about?"
"It's hard to explain. Anyway, it wasn't exactly a voice. Sort of like I just knew that I was supposed to give the four of them these gifts, but to say they were from me. I think that's what happened to Kaonashi."
Yubaba said, "Hmmm. It's like someone is behind the curtain, working out everything that goes onstage."
"Something big is happening, Yubaba. We can't afford to let our differences keep us apart."
"And that bit about Ananda. I wish we knew some more. Do you think she is…"
"Yes, I do."
"But wasn't it supposed to be…"
"I don't know. But if we're right…we're in trouble."
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hey yall, thank you so much for all of the great reviews. Pleeeeeeeeeeeese go and review my other fic, cos I have only 3 reviews on it, and I'm really sad. But anyway, please leave a review in the designated area, and have a nice day ^.^
ooo btw, I decided to give out food at the end of each chapter!! Today, my reviewers will get Sushi! Yay! (lol yum yum yum…) if you have any requests for next time, just say the word!
silent H ^.^