Sweet Possession
* * *
Part II
* * *
Here's the second part to this series, and thanks to everyone who reviewed the last part. Anyway, warning time! I do not own Digimon, nor do I own any of the characters...sigh. In addition, the comic from which I got my inspiration for this fic
Daisuke: Didn't you steal the whole plot?
Marduk: Shut up. I do not own "Sluggy Freelance" (and, admittedly, I like it perfectly fine where it is now). Also, the Omni-Taser Supreme© is solely not mine, and I do not take the credit for thinking it up (although I do like to think I'm clever enough to have come up with it. but the point is, I didn't). Frankly, I'm only hoping that no one sues me. I'm not worth suing, really! Anyway, this story is dark and yaoi-ish, and contains violence and weird dark magic, so close-minded and weak-hearted, stay away!
* * *
"Daisuke, what are you playing with?" Miyako asked of the brunette. Daisuke looked up, and pulled a huge gun from his trench coat. Hikari instinctively curled up on the couch, and Miyako growled at him.
"It's a laser cannon," he explained. "It's my opinion that you can never be too prepared in the weaponary category-especially when a vindictive ex-boyfriend is at large."
"You're kidding!" Hikari, who had only ever identified her species as 'fallen angel', responded. "He's a person; you wouldn't shoot him with a laser cannon, would you?"
"Honestly, I'd shoot an ex-boyfriend if he tried anything," Miyako added cynically.
"But you don't have any," Hikari pointed out. "All you've got is me."
"Which sometimes is not the bargain it seems to be."
"Miya!"
"Besides, if my ex-boyfriend decides to try something, I've got my Omni-Taser Supreme©." He pulled out an elaborate contraption of wires, generators, and a trigger. It looked vaguely unpleasant, and Hikari drew back from it. Taichi walked in, and smiled at the three people there.
"What's going on? Daisuke make a new gadget?"
"Yes!" Daisuke raised the Omni-Taser Supreme©, grinning. "My defense against anything that could befall me-demons, vampires, or even futuristic terminators set on changing the course of the future!" Taichi grabbed it, and smiled at it.
"Cool!" The two women on the couch rolled their eyes, and Hikari took the moment to pose a question.
"You know, Daisuke, I've sort of wondered..." She trailed off for a moment. Mimi took the opportunity to pop in from the kitchen.
"She wants to know why you broke up with Ken. He was crazy about you, you know." Daisuke dropped his head, and he muttered something.
"Pardon? I didn't quite get that," Miyako said sweetly.
"I said it was sort of mutual," Ken muttered.
"I'm sure; you know what else? I'm actually Jimmy Carter!" Daisuke frowned.
"It's my business. I don't have to tell you anything."
"Okay, Mr. Carter!" Mimi said brightly, and vanished into the kitchen again. Miyako frowned, and pulled a switchblade knife from her pocket. Thoughtfully opening it, she looked up at Daisuke.
"Well, now I'm curious, so how about you share before I decide to 'interrogate' you?"
"I-well, I wasn't ready to enter a committed relationship," Daisuke explained, "And Ken wanted more out of the relationship than I could-"
"Fear of commitment. I understand. Inability to perform, or, possibly, performance anxiety. Good show." Miyako grinned, and returned the blade to her many pockets. Daisuke carefully returned his weaponary to his trench coat, frowning. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, and Taichi hurried to answer it.
"Hi! Nice to see you, Ken." Ken entered the main room to find Hikari and Miyako sniggering on the couch. Daisuke himself had fled to the kitchen with Mimi. Ken pulled a slightly younger woman in after him.
"Hi, Taichi. This is Rosa, my girlfriend." Taichi nodded, and Miyako and Hikari introduced themselves to the pretty, Latin American woman. Rosa nodded to all of them. She looked over Taichi, and a faint sense of-anger? flashed over her face.
"Hi, all of you, but I've got to go. Hey, babe, I'll catch you later." She gave the bluenette a forceful kiss, and swept out the door elegantly. The room was silent for a moment.
"Is it just me, or does she rub me the wrong way?" Taichi asked.
"Good; I was hoping my urge to rip out her eyeballs wasn't just jealousy." Daisuke stepped out of the kitchen, frowning.
"Did she call you 'babe'?" Miyako asked, sniggering. "You never seemed the 'babe' type." She quietly chuckled at him. Ken smiled, trying to ignore them.
"Well, she's a nice girl. A bit aggressive, but..."
"I don't know; she worries me." Ken frowned.
"Well, I'm dating her, so it's not your place to judge."
* * *
//The Prophet then spoke of One who was known as the Breaker of Wind. But we knew that the Words were not changed easily from one Tongue to Another. It was not a Windbreaker, but a Storm Breaker. And when the Storm of the Soul Collector arises, only One who knows the Use of the most Holy Book holds a Candle's Chance to defeating the Vowelless One.//
"Well, that makes a hell of a lot of sense," Iori complained. He dropped the books, and glared at the wall. If only he had some indication of what was supposed to happen, where it would happen, and how it would happen, and then there was the prospect of finding the Book...
"I need maps. I have to find this location within the next week."
"Ah," Iori heard the check-out woman, one of the few people there who called him Iori, reply. "Trying to find a friend?"
"Sure." Iori heard that accented voice again. There was a voice of desparation in her voice that marked something bigger than she let on. Perhaps...she knew something important. He stood up, and managed to stop behind the woman.
"May I help, Miss?" She whirled on him, startled.
"I-I, no, it's nothing." She stepped back from the desk, frowning. "I just have some people I have to find, and it's-" She swore, and dropped a pile of papers. Bending down to retrieve them, Iori caught sight of a picture. Of Daisuke.
"Oh! I know him; I could introduce you to him. Or do you know him already?" The woman, blank-eyed, stepped away from Iori.
"I-well, I-oh god, look at the time, I've got to go. Bye!" She vanished in a whirl of papers and cloth, and Iori watched her flight.
"Odd girl."
* * *
"Ken? Ken? What's going on here?" Osamu found himself entranced by the candles, various implements of destruction, and-pentagrams? arranged in the apartment.
"Oh, hi, 'Niichan," Ken said brightly. "I was setting up for a semi-major spell. Please don't touch anything; the stars won't be in alignment for another couple of days."
"So why is it arranged now?"
"I never liked to start something and then realize I had forgotten something important. I would especially like that you just left the blood in the refrigerator alone."
"Blood?! Ken, listen, I've been very supportive about this whole...evil magic thing, but I'm drawing the line at blood in the apartment."
"Would you rather it on the counter?" Ken retorted. There was a few moments of silence.
"Okay. But just this once."
* * *
Taichi, trying to focus on a new book (he enjoyed his time away from his roommates well), glanced up, startled, when the thin Rosa appeared in the doorway.
"Um, hello?" he inquired. "What are you doing here?" Rosa smiled, and peered around.
"I'm looking for Daisuke. See him around?" Taichi shook his head.
"Sorry. You know, Rosa, I really don't think you're quite the sort of person who should be dating-" He choked as the barrel of a shotgun faced his nose.
"Are you implying something, Buttercup?" Taichi, never one to think clearly when staring down a gun, raised his hands peacably.
"Sorry! Gods, please don't kill me!" Rosa swung the gun down, and smiled at him.
"Hey, it's all right. How about you tell me where Daisuke is?"
"I think he's over at Ishida Yamato's house; it's a few dooors down...we're all trying to deal with Ken's recent interest in the occult, and they're his closest friends." Rosa's head snapped up.
"Occult? As in...magic?" Taichi nodded.
"Voodoo dolls and the like. His brother knows more, but-" Rosa was gone, and Taichi heard the screeching of rubber on pavement. He hurried to the phone, and dialed quickly. "Hey, Daisuke? Rosa tried to kill me, and she's heading over to Ken's with a shotgun. Something big's going down, and Ken's in danger!"
* * *
"What is it?" the red-haired man asked from the darkness. The brown-haired woman bowed to him.
"The monitors sensed a flare of-of octo-plasm, and...I thought you should know." The man frowned.
"Is it time already? Six years, has it been?" She nodded.
"Five since you found me." The man sighed.
"Then we must prepare. Before it is over, millions will die-unless we act now."
* * *
Her fingers were around his throat, choking off air, draining his energy. He scrabbled, fighting off her tightening fingers.
"Why-?" he gasped out, struggling for his next breath.
"You cannot-will not, survive!" the woman snarled, digging her nails into Ken's neck. Faintly, he heard an electric crackling, and suddenly, the pressure fell away. Ken, breathing hard, turned to see Daisuke holding his Omni-Taser Supreme© triumphantly over the twitching, unconscious form of Rosa.
"Come on, we're getting you out of here," he declared, and dragged Ken out of the apartment. Ken opened his mouth, but then realized that right now, Daisuke was paying attention to *him*. And in the apartment, candles flickered, and a large, leather-bound tome restlessly sat on a coffee table.
* * *
Rosa sat up, and snatched the "Liber" from its resting place. She snarled, and stormed from the apartment, shivering as she crossed the threshold. Something wanted to keep the book there, something that was fighting to get near Ken. And she knew exactly what it was.
"We're going to get you to a bonfire, dear," he whispered to the book.
* * *
The car turned into the parking garage of Daisuke's complex. Daisuke got out, and opened the passenger-side door.
"Come on, Ken-ch-kun, get out. I'm going to sit down and talk to you about that girlfriend of yours."
"Daisuke, listen, we have to go back there!" Ken insisted. Suddenly, Taichi and Yamato burst from the building, and cautiously approached Ken.
"Taichi told me that you were in trouble; are you all right, Ken?" Ken turned to Yamato, and nodded.
"But I have to go back there! I was performing a spell, and if I don't finish it, terrible things will befall the world!"
"Um, what happens if you *do* finish it?" Daisuke asked. Ken turned shyly to him.
"Um...terrible things will befall *you*."
"Ken, I think we should have a little chat with you about this whole magic thing," Daisuke stated. Yamato raised his hand.
"Okay, I'll stay here and keep an eye on things; you guys try and handle things at Ken's apartment." The three men nodded, and dased for the car.
* * *
"Hey, honey, is the brunette around?" Yamato turned to face Rosa, and his fingers twitched.
"What are you doing here?! I ought to-"
"Hey, Hey, hey! Cut the emotional shit!" Rosa responded. "I'm just doing my job, ma'am." Yamato growled.
"I have long hair. Deal with it." Rosa smirked.
"Anyway, my job here is done. Now that I've got the 'Liber Urbis Diabolorum', Rikim can't do anything."
"Rikim?" Rosa stared at him, shocked.
"You don't know? I thought-but...we assume you'd know about her..." She bowed her head. "It's a long story."
"I've got time."
* * *
"Where'd the book go?" Taichi looked around the apartment curiously.
"It doesn't matter," Ken muttered. "I can just wing this last part. It isn't that hard." Taichi turned to Daisuke.
"So, how do you feel about this whole cursing thing?" Daisuke sighed.
"Well, at least the spell won't rebound on the rest of the world." Taichi nodded.
"Daisuke, I've been wondering...Rosa seemed at first looking for you, and then after I told her about Ken's magic, him. I think she knows more than she lets on. It makes me wonder...could she be some sort of secret agent?"
"Or a terminator, sent to change the present to save the future?"
"And do you think Ken's magic will do that?"
"You think my magic will destroy the world?" Ken asked from his place amon the pentagrams and candles. "Honestly...I'm not going to destroy the future...
**THAT'S MY JOB** He turned to them, smiling, and in an instant, his skin split away, as if the form was simply a costume. Bulbous skin, glowing eyes, and a vicious smile marked the new Ken. **HONESTLY, YOU MORTALS ARE SO FOOLISH,** he commented. **YOU NEVER SEEM TO GET THE TRUTH UNTIL IT LOOKS YOU STRAIGHT IN THE EYE, SO TO SPEAK. WELL, IT LOOKS LIKE THIS PARTY'S JUST STARTING. COME HERE, DAISUKE. I WANT TO DEVOUR YOUR HEART AND DESTROY YOUR #SOUL#.** Daisuke looked at Taichi, then back at the new Ken.
"You used to date that?" Taichi asked him.
"He has a really great personality," Daisuke explained. Suddenly, they both realized their situation, turned, and fled the apartment. Ken's mouth turned up in a hungry smile.
**RUN ALL YOU WANT, BOYS. YOU CAN'T HIDE...**
* * *
"All we know is that the demon suddenly appeared in your world, and she fought with Target 1: Motomiya Daisuke. After the battle, she was immensely more powerful, and within a few months, the Earth fell to her. After 25 years of rule, she had nearly succeeded in destroying humanity. Our small rebel group represented the last humans alive. When she began an assault on us, Izumi-hakase revealed his crowning achievment: a time machine. It was my mission to kill Daisuke before he could fight the demon." Rosa sighed.
"But then you realized that Ken's use of magic linked him to the demon," Yamato pointed out. Rosa nodded.
"I tried to keep him from completing a spell which I believe will free the demon Rikim," Rosa responded sadly. "But all I got was the 'Liber'." She held it out. Yamato took it from the woman's hands, and opened it. He began to read aloud.
"Through the Use of this Book, One may summon a powerful Demon to do his Bidding. The Demon, after fulfilling the Caster's Wish, will then be set free." He looked at Rosa.
"This is bad news."
* * *
/*~You have shown great folly, H'Kari. Because of your choices, we are exiling you.~
"No!" She glared hopelessly at the Council. The /Angeni/ stared back at her impassively.
~Until you learn to live as a human, you will live among them. The first Man you meet will become your companion, your benefactor.~ H'Kari felt herself then spinning into darkness, clutching the only item she was allowed to keep-her book.*/
"Why?" she asked of the darkness in her room. "Why the nightmares now? Is something...?" She stood up, and hurried to her dresser, and removed a book bound in thin, flexible leaves. She reached her hand over it, and gasped in shock. "Oh, Dai-kun, you do not understand what you are doing," she muttered. She returned the book to the dresser, and left to see who was home. No one. They all had left on some strange errand. Nothing was helping her efforts. She sighed.
* * *
**HELLO? IS THERE ANYONE HOME?** Demon-Ken inspected every surface in the apartment. **DAI-CHAN? ARE YOU WAITING FOR ME? I HAVE A WONDERFUL GIFT FOR YOU...** Suddenly, he turned as a figure leapt at him from the shadows.
"Take that, foul demon!" Miyako's quick pass with a switchblade took a chunk out of the possessed man's arm. Ken-demon chuckled. His arm swelled, and the skin sealed itself.
**FOOL! I AM IMMORTAL, AND HAVE THE POWER TO RECONSTRUCT MY BODY! BUT IF YOU WANT TO FIGHT, PREPARE TO DIE.** He raised one hand, and a lance of energy lanced out at the purple-haired woman. She considered how Taichi would react when he returned, but it really was a moot point. The demon was more important right now.
"Is that the best you could do? Gods, my 90-year-old aunt has better aim than that, and she's blind!" Miyako retorted. Ken-demon smiled, and opened his mouth to reply. But no noise came out. Miyako stared at him oddly. "what are you doing?"
* * *
Iori stopped, catching sight of the writhing brunette. She clutched her ears, screaming at the people around her.
"Damnit! Can't you hear it?! It's horrible! Horrible!" Iori carefully approached her.
"What is it? What do you hear?" She looked up at him, and the warm eyes smiled at his. He felt comfort spread into his limbs.
"Humans can't hear it," she replied noncommitally. "Only animals, spirits, and angels can hear it. And only spirits can respond to it." Iori frowned at her.
"What do you mean?" Her answer was short, yet cryptic.
"The Spiral-Born."
* * *
The world of spirits was filled with the unholy noise, and all spirits tried to flee it. For with the noise came the terrifying work of the Soul Collector: the Spirals. Strange contraptions of black metal whirred through the air of the metaphysical world, sometimes latching upon a shade, who would then vanish. There were not that many Spirals, really, compared to the number of dead, and the long-dead, such as Hammurabai and Tut, were safe, but it was impious, a profaning of the world of the dead. But those left behind could only watch it.
* * *
"We have to find Ken, and use the 'Liber Urbis Diabolorum' to expel the demon from his body!" Daisuke snapped at Yamato and Taichi. And all of them, including a reluctant Rosa, agreed. The rescue party, driving in a mini-van, scoured the streets of Odaiba, searching for the lost soul.
* * *
"We are gathered here to mourn the passing of Noriko Sakai," the man murmured to the crowd. But he spoke no further. The crowd was shocked to silence when a voice drifted from the coffin.
"Daiiii-chhhaaaaaan."
* * *
"Doctor, we're losing her!"
"Clear!"
"No! Come on, please, please be alive..." The continuous tone filled the room, and the doctors fell silent. But then the patient sat up, wearily yet inexorably.
"Dai-chan..."
* * *
"I'd say that these head wounds were inflicted after death; he breathed in a lot of smoke earlier." The coroner, examining the removed heart, glanced up at the noise. He dropped his scalpel, and sat, trembling. The corpse approached him, and grabbed his shirt.
"Dai-chan...?" He shook his head, violently, and watched the zombie shuffle out.
* * *
**GO, MY CHILDREN! SEARCH ALL OF JAPAN IF YOU MUST, BUT FIND DAI-CHAN FOR ME! I #WILL# PAY THE PRICE, AND I SHALL EARN MY FREEDOM. SOON...**
* * *
"Okay, we have to find Ken, and then...the book says we must first cause the demon pain. How do you do that?" Taichi glanced at Daisuke speculatively.
"Listen, Tai-kun, first we have to find the demon. Then we can worry about details." Then he froze. "Tai...is it just me, or is there a horde of zombies on the street?" The road was indeed crawling with corpses, all crying out a single word.
"DAI-CHAAAAN."
"They're looking for me," Daisuke whispered. "How can we avoid them?" Suddenly, Taichi snapped his fingers.
"I've got it! Let's imagine Ken is trying to fight off the demon. He'd try to find someone who'd be unlikely to be near you and who has the knowledge to help him out."
"But who do we know who could help him?"
"Iori."
* * *
*I have to find Iori; he can help me get away!* Ken battered at the cell walls, fighting to escape his mental prison.
**SORRY, KEN. I'VE DECIDED THE ONLY WAY TO LURE DAISUKE TO YOU IS THREATEN THOSE HE CARES ABOUT. BUT A NUMBER OF THOSE ARE TOGETHER, TRYING TO FIND YOU. IT'S AGGRAVATING...BUT THEN I REALIZED SOMETHING. HE HAS ONE PERSON CLOSE TO HIM WHO IS NOT AWARE OF THE CURRENT PREDICAMENT.** Ken saw his body, led by the demon, call a cab. **CENTRAL ODAIBA, PLEASE. THE WACB RADIO STATION** Then the demon addressed Ken himself. **I HOPE YOU'LL ENJOY THIS...** Ken felt his stomach lurch as he remembered who worked at WACB.
*Jun...*
* * *
End part 2! Yes, I'm evil. I really hope you like it, and as for you who wanted to know background of Ken and Daisuke, I think the extent of it was in this story. Sorry. Maybe I'll talk more about it later, but that's unlikely. And as for Hikari, you'll probably get a little more info about her in the future. But for now, please tell me how you liked (or disliked) it.
* * *
Part II
* * *
Here's the second part to this series, and thanks to everyone who reviewed the last part. Anyway, warning time! I do not own Digimon, nor do I own any of the characters...sigh. In addition, the comic from which I got my inspiration for this fic
Daisuke: Didn't you steal the whole plot?
Marduk: Shut up. I do not own "Sluggy Freelance" (and, admittedly, I like it perfectly fine where it is now). Also, the Omni-Taser Supreme© is solely not mine, and I do not take the credit for thinking it up (although I do like to think I'm clever enough to have come up with it. but the point is, I didn't). Frankly, I'm only hoping that no one sues me. I'm not worth suing, really! Anyway, this story is dark and yaoi-ish, and contains violence and weird dark magic, so close-minded and weak-hearted, stay away!
* * *
"Daisuke, what are you playing with?" Miyako asked of the brunette. Daisuke looked up, and pulled a huge gun from his trench coat. Hikari instinctively curled up on the couch, and Miyako growled at him.
"It's a laser cannon," he explained. "It's my opinion that you can never be too prepared in the weaponary category-especially when a vindictive ex-boyfriend is at large."
"You're kidding!" Hikari, who had only ever identified her species as 'fallen angel', responded. "He's a person; you wouldn't shoot him with a laser cannon, would you?"
"Honestly, I'd shoot an ex-boyfriend if he tried anything," Miyako added cynically.
"But you don't have any," Hikari pointed out. "All you've got is me."
"Which sometimes is not the bargain it seems to be."
"Miya!"
"Besides, if my ex-boyfriend decides to try something, I've got my Omni-Taser Supreme©." He pulled out an elaborate contraption of wires, generators, and a trigger. It looked vaguely unpleasant, and Hikari drew back from it. Taichi walked in, and smiled at the three people there.
"What's going on? Daisuke make a new gadget?"
"Yes!" Daisuke raised the Omni-Taser Supreme©, grinning. "My defense against anything that could befall me-demons, vampires, or even futuristic terminators set on changing the course of the future!" Taichi grabbed it, and smiled at it.
"Cool!" The two women on the couch rolled their eyes, and Hikari took the moment to pose a question.
"You know, Daisuke, I've sort of wondered..." She trailed off for a moment. Mimi took the opportunity to pop in from the kitchen.
"She wants to know why you broke up with Ken. He was crazy about you, you know." Daisuke dropped his head, and he muttered something.
"Pardon? I didn't quite get that," Miyako said sweetly.
"I said it was sort of mutual," Ken muttered.
"I'm sure; you know what else? I'm actually Jimmy Carter!" Daisuke frowned.
"It's my business. I don't have to tell you anything."
"Okay, Mr. Carter!" Mimi said brightly, and vanished into the kitchen again. Miyako frowned, and pulled a switchblade knife from her pocket. Thoughtfully opening it, she looked up at Daisuke.
"Well, now I'm curious, so how about you share before I decide to 'interrogate' you?"
"I-well, I wasn't ready to enter a committed relationship," Daisuke explained, "And Ken wanted more out of the relationship than I could-"
"Fear of commitment. I understand. Inability to perform, or, possibly, performance anxiety. Good show." Miyako grinned, and returned the blade to her many pockets. Daisuke carefully returned his weaponary to his trench coat, frowning. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, and Taichi hurried to answer it.
"Hi! Nice to see you, Ken." Ken entered the main room to find Hikari and Miyako sniggering on the couch. Daisuke himself had fled to the kitchen with Mimi. Ken pulled a slightly younger woman in after him.
"Hi, Taichi. This is Rosa, my girlfriend." Taichi nodded, and Miyako and Hikari introduced themselves to the pretty, Latin American woman. Rosa nodded to all of them. She looked over Taichi, and a faint sense of-anger? flashed over her face.
"Hi, all of you, but I've got to go. Hey, babe, I'll catch you later." She gave the bluenette a forceful kiss, and swept out the door elegantly. The room was silent for a moment.
"Is it just me, or does she rub me the wrong way?" Taichi asked.
"Good; I was hoping my urge to rip out her eyeballs wasn't just jealousy." Daisuke stepped out of the kitchen, frowning.
"Did she call you 'babe'?" Miyako asked, sniggering. "You never seemed the 'babe' type." She quietly chuckled at him. Ken smiled, trying to ignore them.
"Well, she's a nice girl. A bit aggressive, but..."
"I don't know; she worries me." Ken frowned.
"Well, I'm dating her, so it's not your place to judge."
* * *
//The Prophet then spoke of One who was known as the Breaker of Wind. But we knew that the Words were not changed easily from one Tongue to Another. It was not a Windbreaker, but a Storm Breaker. And when the Storm of the Soul Collector arises, only One who knows the Use of the most Holy Book holds a Candle's Chance to defeating the Vowelless One.//
"Well, that makes a hell of a lot of sense," Iori complained. He dropped the books, and glared at the wall. If only he had some indication of what was supposed to happen, where it would happen, and how it would happen, and then there was the prospect of finding the Book...
"I need maps. I have to find this location within the next week."
"Ah," Iori heard the check-out woman, one of the few people there who called him Iori, reply. "Trying to find a friend?"
"Sure." Iori heard that accented voice again. There was a voice of desparation in her voice that marked something bigger than she let on. Perhaps...she knew something important. He stood up, and managed to stop behind the woman.
"May I help, Miss?" She whirled on him, startled.
"I-I, no, it's nothing." She stepped back from the desk, frowning. "I just have some people I have to find, and it's-" She swore, and dropped a pile of papers. Bending down to retrieve them, Iori caught sight of a picture. Of Daisuke.
"Oh! I know him; I could introduce you to him. Or do you know him already?" The woman, blank-eyed, stepped away from Iori.
"I-well, I-oh god, look at the time, I've got to go. Bye!" She vanished in a whirl of papers and cloth, and Iori watched her flight.
"Odd girl."
* * *
"Ken? Ken? What's going on here?" Osamu found himself entranced by the candles, various implements of destruction, and-pentagrams? arranged in the apartment.
"Oh, hi, 'Niichan," Ken said brightly. "I was setting up for a semi-major spell. Please don't touch anything; the stars won't be in alignment for another couple of days."
"So why is it arranged now?"
"I never liked to start something and then realize I had forgotten something important. I would especially like that you just left the blood in the refrigerator alone."
"Blood?! Ken, listen, I've been very supportive about this whole...evil magic thing, but I'm drawing the line at blood in the apartment."
"Would you rather it on the counter?" Ken retorted. There was a few moments of silence.
"Okay. But just this once."
* * *
Taichi, trying to focus on a new book (he enjoyed his time away from his roommates well), glanced up, startled, when the thin Rosa appeared in the doorway.
"Um, hello?" he inquired. "What are you doing here?" Rosa smiled, and peered around.
"I'm looking for Daisuke. See him around?" Taichi shook his head.
"Sorry. You know, Rosa, I really don't think you're quite the sort of person who should be dating-" He choked as the barrel of a shotgun faced his nose.
"Are you implying something, Buttercup?" Taichi, never one to think clearly when staring down a gun, raised his hands peacably.
"Sorry! Gods, please don't kill me!" Rosa swung the gun down, and smiled at him.
"Hey, it's all right. How about you tell me where Daisuke is?"
"I think he's over at Ishida Yamato's house; it's a few dooors down...we're all trying to deal with Ken's recent interest in the occult, and they're his closest friends." Rosa's head snapped up.
"Occult? As in...magic?" Taichi nodded.
"Voodoo dolls and the like. His brother knows more, but-" Rosa was gone, and Taichi heard the screeching of rubber on pavement. He hurried to the phone, and dialed quickly. "Hey, Daisuke? Rosa tried to kill me, and she's heading over to Ken's with a shotgun. Something big's going down, and Ken's in danger!"
* * *
"What is it?" the red-haired man asked from the darkness. The brown-haired woman bowed to him.
"The monitors sensed a flare of-of octo-plasm, and...I thought you should know." The man frowned.
"Is it time already? Six years, has it been?" She nodded.
"Five since you found me." The man sighed.
"Then we must prepare. Before it is over, millions will die-unless we act now."
* * *
Her fingers were around his throat, choking off air, draining his energy. He scrabbled, fighting off her tightening fingers.
"Why-?" he gasped out, struggling for his next breath.
"You cannot-will not, survive!" the woman snarled, digging her nails into Ken's neck. Faintly, he heard an electric crackling, and suddenly, the pressure fell away. Ken, breathing hard, turned to see Daisuke holding his Omni-Taser Supreme© triumphantly over the twitching, unconscious form of Rosa.
"Come on, we're getting you out of here," he declared, and dragged Ken out of the apartment. Ken opened his mouth, but then realized that right now, Daisuke was paying attention to *him*. And in the apartment, candles flickered, and a large, leather-bound tome restlessly sat on a coffee table.
* * *
Rosa sat up, and snatched the "Liber" from its resting place. She snarled, and stormed from the apartment, shivering as she crossed the threshold. Something wanted to keep the book there, something that was fighting to get near Ken. And she knew exactly what it was.
"We're going to get you to a bonfire, dear," he whispered to the book.
* * *
The car turned into the parking garage of Daisuke's complex. Daisuke got out, and opened the passenger-side door.
"Come on, Ken-ch-kun, get out. I'm going to sit down and talk to you about that girlfriend of yours."
"Daisuke, listen, we have to go back there!" Ken insisted. Suddenly, Taichi and Yamato burst from the building, and cautiously approached Ken.
"Taichi told me that you were in trouble; are you all right, Ken?" Ken turned to Yamato, and nodded.
"But I have to go back there! I was performing a spell, and if I don't finish it, terrible things will befall the world!"
"Um, what happens if you *do* finish it?" Daisuke asked. Ken turned shyly to him.
"Um...terrible things will befall *you*."
"Ken, I think we should have a little chat with you about this whole magic thing," Daisuke stated. Yamato raised his hand.
"Okay, I'll stay here and keep an eye on things; you guys try and handle things at Ken's apartment." The three men nodded, and dased for the car.
* * *
"Hey, honey, is the brunette around?" Yamato turned to face Rosa, and his fingers twitched.
"What are you doing here?! I ought to-"
"Hey, Hey, hey! Cut the emotional shit!" Rosa responded. "I'm just doing my job, ma'am." Yamato growled.
"I have long hair. Deal with it." Rosa smirked.
"Anyway, my job here is done. Now that I've got the 'Liber Urbis Diabolorum', Rikim can't do anything."
"Rikim?" Rosa stared at him, shocked.
"You don't know? I thought-but...we assume you'd know about her..." She bowed her head. "It's a long story."
"I've got time."
* * *
"Where'd the book go?" Taichi looked around the apartment curiously.
"It doesn't matter," Ken muttered. "I can just wing this last part. It isn't that hard." Taichi turned to Daisuke.
"So, how do you feel about this whole cursing thing?" Daisuke sighed.
"Well, at least the spell won't rebound on the rest of the world." Taichi nodded.
"Daisuke, I've been wondering...Rosa seemed at first looking for you, and then after I told her about Ken's magic, him. I think she knows more than she lets on. It makes me wonder...could she be some sort of secret agent?"
"Or a terminator, sent to change the present to save the future?"
"And do you think Ken's magic will do that?"
"You think my magic will destroy the world?" Ken asked from his place amon the pentagrams and candles. "Honestly...I'm not going to destroy the future...
**THAT'S MY JOB** He turned to them, smiling, and in an instant, his skin split away, as if the form was simply a costume. Bulbous skin, glowing eyes, and a vicious smile marked the new Ken. **HONESTLY, YOU MORTALS ARE SO FOOLISH,** he commented. **YOU NEVER SEEM TO GET THE TRUTH UNTIL IT LOOKS YOU STRAIGHT IN THE EYE, SO TO SPEAK. WELL, IT LOOKS LIKE THIS PARTY'S JUST STARTING. COME HERE, DAISUKE. I WANT TO DEVOUR YOUR HEART AND DESTROY YOUR #SOUL#.** Daisuke looked at Taichi, then back at the new Ken.
"You used to date that?" Taichi asked him.
"He has a really great personality," Daisuke explained. Suddenly, they both realized their situation, turned, and fled the apartment. Ken's mouth turned up in a hungry smile.
**RUN ALL YOU WANT, BOYS. YOU CAN'T HIDE...**
* * *
"All we know is that the demon suddenly appeared in your world, and she fought with Target 1: Motomiya Daisuke. After the battle, she was immensely more powerful, and within a few months, the Earth fell to her. After 25 years of rule, she had nearly succeeded in destroying humanity. Our small rebel group represented the last humans alive. When she began an assault on us, Izumi-hakase revealed his crowning achievment: a time machine. It was my mission to kill Daisuke before he could fight the demon." Rosa sighed.
"But then you realized that Ken's use of magic linked him to the demon," Yamato pointed out. Rosa nodded.
"I tried to keep him from completing a spell which I believe will free the demon Rikim," Rosa responded sadly. "But all I got was the 'Liber'." She held it out. Yamato took it from the woman's hands, and opened it. He began to read aloud.
"Through the Use of this Book, One may summon a powerful Demon to do his Bidding. The Demon, after fulfilling the Caster's Wish, will then be set free." He looked at Rosa.
"This is bad news."
* * *
/*~You have shown great folly, H'Kari. Because of your choices, we are exiling you.~
"No!" She glared hopelessly at the Council. The /Angeni/ stared back at her impassively.
~Until you learn to live as a human, you will live among them. The first Man you meet will become your companion, your benefactor.~ H'Kari felt herself then spinning into darkness, clutching the only item she was allowed to keep-her book.*/
"Why?" she asked of the darkness in her room. "Why the nightmares now? Is something...?" She stood up, and hurried to her dresser, and removed a book bound in thin, flexible leaves. She reached her hand over it, and gasped in shock. "Oh, Dai-kun, you do not understand what you are doing," she muttered. She returned the book to the dresser, and left to see who was home. No one. They all had left on some strange errand. Nothing was helping her efforts. She sighed.
* * *
**HELLO? IS THERE ANYONE HOME?** Demon-Ken inspected every surface in the apartment. **DAI-CHAN? ARE YOU WAITING FOR ME? I HAVE A WONDERFUL GIFT FOR YOU...** Suddenly, he turned as a figure leapt at him from the shadows.
"Take that, foul demon!" Miyako's quick pass with a switchblade took a chunk out of the possessed man's arm. Ken-demon chuckled. His arm swelled, and the skin sealed itself.
**FOOL! I AM IMMORTAL, AND HAVE THE POWER TO RECONSTRUCT MY BODY! BUT IF YOU WANT TO FIGHT, PREPARE TO DIE.** He raised one hand, and a lance of energy lanced out at the purple-haired woman. She considered how Taichi would react when he returned, but it really was a moot point. The demon was more important right now.
"Is that the best you could do? Gods, my 90-year-old aunt has better aim than that, and she's blind!" Miyako retorted. Ken-demon smiled, and opened his mouth to reply. But no noise came out. Miyako stared at him oddly. "what are you doing?"
* * *
Iori stopped, catching sight of the writhing brunette. She clutched her ears, screaming at the people around her.
"Damnit! Can't you hear it?! It's horrible! Horrible!" Iori carefully approached her.
"What is it? What do you hear?" She looked up at him, and the warm eyes smiled at his. He felt comfort spread into his limbs.
"Humans can't hear it," she replied noncommitally. "Only animals, spirits, and angels can hear it. And only spirits can respond to it." Iori frowned at her.
"What do you mean?" Her answer was short, yet cryptic.
"The Spiral-Born."
* * *
The world of spirits was filled with the unholy noise, and all spirits tried to flee it. For with the noise came the terrifying work of the Soul Collector: the Spirals. Strange contraptions of black metal whirred through the air of the metaphysical world, sometimes latching upon a shade, who would then vanish. There were not that many Spirals, really, compared to the number of dead, and the long-dead, such as Hammurabai and Tut, were safe, but it was impious, a profaning of the world of the dead. But those left behind could only watch it.
* * *
"We have to find Ken, and use the 'Liber Urbis Diabolorum' to expel the demon from his body!" Daisuke snapped at Yamato and Taichi. And all of them, including a reluctant Rosa, agreed. The rescue party, driving in a mini-van, scoured the streets of Odaiba, searching for the lost soul.
* * *
"We are gathered here to mourn the passing of Noriko Sakai," the man murmured to the crowd. But he spoke no further. The crowd was shocked to silence when a voice drifted from the coffin.
"Daiiii-chhhaaaaaan."
* * *
"Doctor, we're losing her!"
"Clear!"
"No! Come on, please, please be alive..." The continuous tone filled the room, and the doctors fell silent. But then the patient sat up, wearily yet inexorably.
"Dai-chan..."
* * *
"I'd say that these head wounds were inflicted after death; he breathed in a lot of smoke earlier." The coroner, examining the removed heart, glanced up at the noise. He dropped his scalpel, and sat, trembling. The corpse approached him, and grabbed his shirt.
"Dai-chan...?" He shook his head, violently, and watched the zombie shuffle out.
* * *
**GO, MY CHILDREN! SEARCH ALL OF JAPAN IF YOU MUST, BUT FIND DAI-CHAN FOR ME! I #WILL# PAY THE PRICE, AND I SHALL EARN MY FREEDOM. SOON...**
* * *
"Okay, we have to find Ken, and then...the book says we must first cause the demon pain. How do you do that?" Taichi glanced at Daisuke speculatively.
"Listen, Tai-kun, first we have to find the demon. Then we can worry about details." Then he froze. "Tai...is it just me, or is there a horde of zombies on the street?" The road was indeed crawling with corpses, all crying out a single word.
"DAI-CHAAAAN."
"They're looking for me," Daisuke whispered. "How can we avoid them?" Suddenly, Taichi snapped his fingers.
"I've got it! Let's imagine Ken is trying to fight off the demon. He'd try to find someone who'd be unlikely to be near you and who has the knowledge to help him out."
"But who do we know who could help him?"
"Iori."
* * *
*I have to find Iori; he can help me get away!* Ken battered at the cell walls, fighting to escape his mental prison.
**SORRY, KEN. I'VE DECIDED THE ONLY WAY TO LURE DAISUKE TO YOU IS THREATEN THOSE HE CARES ABOUT. BUT A NUMBER OF THOSE ARE TOGETHER, TRYING TO FIND YOU. IT'S AGGRAVATING...BUT THEN I REALIZED SOMETHING. HE HAS ONE PERSON CLOSE TO HIM WHO IS NOT AWARE OF THE CURRENT PREDICAMENT.** Ken saw his body, led by the demon, call a cab. **CENTRAL ODAIBA, PLEASE. THE WACB RADIO STATION** Then the demon addressed Ken himself. **I HOPE YOU'LL ENJOY THIS...** Ken felt his stomach lurch as he remembered who worked at WACB.
*Jun...*
* * *
End part 2! Yes, I'm evil. I really hope you like it, and as for you who wanted to know background of Ken and Daisuke, I think the extent of it was in this story. Sorry. Maybe I'll talk more about it later, but that's unlikely. And as for Hikari, you'll probably get a little more info about her in the future. But for now, please tell me how you liked (or disliked) it.