DISCLAIMER: You all know the drill. It's not mine, they aren't either, but the monster is. Sure hope it stays in the story and doesn't come visiting--- I don't have enough room in my house! (But Tora can drop by anytime.) On with the show! (And, by the way--- thanks to everyone who waited for this.... sorry to try your patience, but I figured that I had best wait out the trouble ff.net was having before I posted.)
Chapter 5: Shadowplay
By Ysabet
***Falling again.....***
Stepping into the brightness was like walking off of a cliff; as Asako felt herself tumble over the edge, it occurred to her briefly that she seemed to be falling a *lot* lately. Perhaps she should worry?
But at least this time she wasn't alone; as gravity took her and she tilted forward into flight she could feel Ushio's hand in hers (she wished she could see him--- she couldn't see anything but cold emptiness). He was with her, and they were going back.
***Falling softly through silver-white blankness, like stones drifting downwards through freezing water..... falling.....***
She felt his fingers clutch hers convulsively. For an endless moment they soared, weightless as kites; then-----
WHAMMMM!!!
*OWW!!!" Asako cried out, grabbing at her temples; somebody had just hit her in the *head*-----
No; she was..... lying on a floor, on something lumpy..... and her hand hurt; it was cold. Ohhhh..... Carefully Asako lifted her head. She was lying on top of Ushio, who was staring up directly into her face, slit-pupiled eyes wincing in pain. He tugged one arm loose from the strands of juzu with a multiple-snap of breaking strings; beads shot in all directions. Struggling against his bindings, the Spearbearer dumped Asako unceremoniously to the floor as something struck hard against the wall a few feet away with a resounding "Thud!!"
As she scrambled to her feet, she wondered muzzily how long they had been gone---- surely it had been for *some* time, but the battle seemed to still be going on----- Asako climbed clumsily to her feet, still nursing a hand burning with cold; she staggered upright, moving towards the door. As she stepped forward, a strange warmth about her ankles distracted her for a moment; but without looking she continued on until she could peek around the edge of the door.
Complete chaos: Red mist, hungry mouths and burning eyes--- Tora, roaring like a freight train and burning with his own brand of electrical disaster--- and Shigure, picking himself up from the ground to her left (*oh,* a small, calm voice said inside her brain; *he made the thud.*) The noise was terrible; Tora's continual rumbling growl made an oddly deep counterpoint to the high, shrilling whine and chatter of teeth from the Donshoku's many mouths. As she watched, frozen, it darted several tentacles of semi-solid fog towards Shigure, who cried out something incomprehensible and arcane in response, holding up several ofuda before his face. They *blazed,* their characters glowing briefly at the monster's advance; it hissed angrily and retreated, swinging around towards Tora again.
All this was illuminated by the lights shining above and behind Asako, the normal electrical lighting of the Aotsuki Shrine and Ushio's home; the battle looked faintly unreal in the bright flood of illumination, lights shining through windblown raindrops almost like something from a dream.....
But then--- "CRACK-A-BOOOOOOOMMMM!!!!!"
Now it looked more like something from a nightmare; everything had gone dark, shot through with a rain of sparks and the eerie glow and whiplash-sound of Tora's lightning. Apparently the powerlines overhead could only stand so much..... In the darkness the bakemono laughed, his silver eyes reflecting the sparks as he prepared to launch another strike-----
Asako huddled at the edge of the doorway, the dim glow of the shrine's candles at her back the only illumination left. Behind her she heard a strangled cry and a scorching crackle; God, now what?
Ushio was---- WHAT was he doing? He was struggling against.... something hot and bright that wreathed him with blue fire, springing up from a neon-brilliant line at floor level--- oh, those things Shigure-san had set up! As she reached a hand towards him he snarled "NO!! Asako, don't--- I don't know what this is--- don't be stupid!" His slit-pupiled eyes flashed cobalt with pain and anger in the blue radiance; her own snapped back at him as, stung, she began to retort and to reach forward anyway-----
"CRASH!!!" She wheeled about as the wall behind her shattered with a sound like ripping silk; the candles went out in a heartbeat. Tora's huge form skidded on the wooden floor as shards of wall rained around the room in the blue-lit darkness; Asako cried out, fending off debris as she sank to a crouch at Ushio's feet. The Spearbearer strained against the crackling web of energy, trying desperately to cross; thin lines of force spiderwebbed his body as he fought against the barrier, sparks burning against his skin---
Tora reared up on his hindlegs like a bear, screaming his own defiance against the thick crimson haze that was beginning to flow past the wrecked wall into the shrine. The Donshoku *glowed* in the darkness, a scarlet horror of red-lit eyes and mouths. It wreathed about the bakemono, enveloping him; Tora threw back his head and howled, a brilliance of lightning writhing in electrical trails around his body to shatter the redness. Shrieking in a dozen voices, the creature drew back, swirled in the air--- and rushed past him straight towards Asako.
..... who had no time at all to do anything but throw her arms across her face and wait for death.
She was dimly aware of a scream above and behind her, and of something thudding *HARD* into the floor in front of her--- In terror, Asako closed her eyes-----
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----- and opened them, blinking; the alarm was going off..... she was going to be late for school!
No, that wasn't right; this was Saturday, and she had to get up. She had things to do today..... The early sunlight streamed in through her window, sleeking her skin with warmth; Asako stretched, smiling to herself as anticipation washed over her. Today was going to be good, the best of days--- she wasn't sure why or how, but she knew it was.....
Something wonderful was waiting for her downstairs.
As she swung her legs over the side of her bed, the frown faded a little; she had been--- dreaming? Having a nightmare? Something about red fog, and eyes, and bloody tears..... The girl shook her head slightly, as if to shake the tatters and rags of her dream from her mind. Forget that; today would be good..... wonderful. She had to go downstairs.
And then she was dressed and moving for the door; funny, she didn't remember dressing, but there were the familiar jeans and t-shirt..... Never mind. Asako grimaced at her own forgetfulness and slipped out into the hallway, closing her bedroom door behind her. Doors..... you should always close doors, so nothing could get in, or out..... She frowned again; where had *that* thought come from?
Now she was at the stairs, starting down. The girl could hear her parent's voices drifting up from below, mixed with the sounds of clattering plates and sizzling food; the odors made her mouth water. And today..... today she didn't have to work! Instead she was going.....
Asako stopped on the stairs, considering; *where* was she going? Who would help her parents run the restaurant if she was off having a good time? And she WAS going to have a good time; something.....
Something wonderful was waiting for her downstairs.
Right. A few more steps, then she slowed, halted; she could see him now, sitting at the counter eating (he was always eating--- bottomless pit...). His short dark hair was brushed back, a little neater than usual (but was it short? For some reason, she had a momentary flash of long, long strands) and she could see the muscles of his shoulders moving under his tanktop as he shifted forward to take another bite; his skin was smooth and tanned..... He hadn't heard her footsteps yet, but in a moment he would turn around-----
Something was waiting for her downstairs.
Asako stopped.
Something was wrong. For a moment a fragment of her dream flashed across her vision: a terrible face, weeping terrible red tears..... red..... terrible eyes, teeth----- blood in a bowl, sharp fragment of glass, pain-----
But he was turning around now, looking over his shoulder with those dark eyes of his (dark? cobalt and violet, slit-pupiled like a cat's...), smiling at her with that crooked smile. Asako took a few more steps..... That was right, that was it--- they were going somewhere, she and Ushio----- and he wasn't calling her an idiot like usual, wasn't teasing her; and her parents were just standing there, smiling at them.....
..... waiting for her downstairs.....
She took another step, then another. He was standing now, still smiling. As she reached the landing he stepped forward, his hand outstretched for hers (but she had *held* his hand, hadn't she? He had blushed---).
Asako moved forward slowly. Today was going to be a good day, a *perfect* day----- he was-----
----- waiting for her-----
*waiting* for her-----
(flash of Ushio-kun's face, a single tear running down his cheek; and she had kissed him, had kissed him in the darkness of her dream, his long black hair falling around his angular face like a curtain..... so afraid for him..... lightning, silver eyes, claws and a red, red haze..... a fall through whiteness, his sharp-nailed hand clutched tight)
----- as the hand reached out to take hers, she staggered back and shrieked "NOOOOOOO------"
-----and the world shattered like a fragile glass mirror-----
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Shigure had barely managed to get himself out of the way before Tora's backwards rush into the wall of the shrine; as he splashed and slid on the puddled ground, some small and analytical part of his mind noted clinically that the repairs on the building were going to be *expensive* this time.
He wiped sodden gray hair from his eyes; what was he thinking about THAT for? Shock..... The battle wasn't going as planned (but then, what did?); they had to come up with a plan. At least the Donshoku couldn't leave, couldn't go hunting for other prey if it won.
If they all fell.
Where was it now------ A scream? Hand of Buddha, it was in there with---
Ragged lightning arced from the damaged shrine; a roll of Tora's own dreadful thunder echoed off the far walls. Breathing hard, Shigure pulled several more dorje from the breast of his robe even as he splashed across the yard, fearing the worst.....
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"THWACK!!! THWACK THUD!!!"
The sounds of something impacting close by brought Asako back to herself, huddled there on the cold wooden floor; something striking so near by that she could feel splinters flying and snagging themselves on her jacket-sleeve.
Shaking and disoriented with the aftermath of her dream (had it been a dream?), she opened her eyes to a strobing pattern of light and darkness; her vision could make no sense of what she saw. Brilliance fought it out with blackness, lightning crackling all around her as if she crouched in the center of a thunderstorm..... And the sounds! Deafening, shrill--- that was the Donshoku; it screamed horribly against the low, continual rumble of thunder and the crackle of lightning that pounded in her ears. Asako crossed her arms over her face in terror as if to ward off a blow..... Like that would help. Like *anything* would help if the Donshoku got to her---- but-----
----- it HAD gotten to her----- where---
Something was..... over her, around her in the darkness; something solid. She reached out tentatively and touched tattered fabric, rough and scorched-feeling; the scent of burnt cloth filled her nostrils. It moved; it was alive?
Legs. Somebody was standing over her in the dark; somebody was snarling, shouting something furious and violent just over her head; deep growling drowned out the words.....
It was all too much. She scuttled backwards on all fours like a crab, passing something on either side that registered as *hot*, very hot; the whatevers-they-were glowed faintly red in the darkness, and Asako smelled burned wood and metal. Never mind. Too much going on, too much to stand..... She bumped into something behind her; the flashes of lightning were just enough to show that it was the main altar of the shrine. Shivering, the girl crouched there, arms wrapped around her knees.
Forcing herself to ignore the shouts, the roars, the lights, Asako clenched her fists and closed her eyes tightly. She needed a moment, just a moment of calm, an eye in the storm; she needed to understand what was going on. Calm, calm---- she wasn't a weak person, she wasn't the sort to hide in a corner, she needed to be strong for herself and for the others----- she was Asako, she was ASAKO and she could *handle* this-----
A minute, perhaps two; that was all she could allow herself. The fight wouldn't stop just because some stupid girl needed a break. No more than 10 feet away she could hear Ushio yelling his defiance as he kept the Donshoku at bay; Shigure was shouting something out there in the yard, Tora was snarling and raising his own very personal sort of hell all over the place, and that THING was still screaming above and over everything. No more time to rest. She opened her eyes.
ENOUGH. She had had ENOUGH. Time to join the fight. She needed a weapon.....
Sparks rained across the room as a stray crackle of electricity grounded itself near Asako on the far wall; she could feel the hairs on the back of her neck quiver and move with static..... but who cared about that? She saw something else: some of the smashed wood at the front of the shrine had caught fire from sparks, lightning, whatever----- and the tendrils of red mist were *avoiding* the flames!
Fire. It didn't like *fire!*
What did she have that would burn? Even as she thought, Asako's hands were pulling her jacket from her body and whirling it towards the few remaining candles and lamps whose flames shivered behind her on the main altar..... The material caught, flared, began burning fitfully in her hands as she staggered to her feet.
Ushio was still slashing at the thing with the Spear; it avoided his swipes and cuts adroitly, sharp-toothed mouths hissing in fury and hunger. With a shout, Asako swept her burning jacket up towards the weapon's point: "USHIO!! USE THIS!!!"
The sharp silver blade swept through the flaming cloth without a check, snagging the garment from the air; the Spearbearer swung it in a wide arc across the reaching billows of scarlet--- and Asako heard an entirely satisfying sound:
A scream, torn from a dozen inhuman throats. The monster retreated from the flames, withdrawing from the shrine as Ushio snarled in triumph and swept the flames forward again and again. The stink of burning nylon hung heavy in the air.
But the jacket would only last for a few moments. Wiping sweat and tears from her face (when had she cried? when had she had *time?*), Asako caught the Spearbearer's arm; "WHAT?!?" he snapped against the chattering and hissing of the creature that was slowly retreating through the ruined door.
"We need time--- we can't just keep throwing stuff at that thing----- " Asako craned her head to see what was happening beyond the doorway; she could just catch a glimpse of Tora's huge form behind the Donshoku's mists, his striped face lit by the continual blue and golden crackle of sparks that arced from clawed hand to clawed hand. Following her glance, Ushio grinned a sharp-toothed grin and threw back his head, shouting: "TORRRRRA!! We need a fire--- can you make one?!? We need FIRE!!!"
The shout had its results. They both shielded their eyes as a jagged blast of blue-white power struck an almond tree near the entrance to the half-ruined shrine; it *exploded*, throwing burning splinters in all directions. The stump burned furiously, sizzling in the rain; even better, the remains of the tree crashed down in a tangle of blazing branches right in the middle of the yard. In a rush of screaming, open mouths and widened eyes the Donshoku retreated to mass against the far walls, recoiling as it approached the ofuda attached there. It hovered, withdrawing into a thickened cloud, seemingly indecisive. And THAT was what they needed, that moment.......
Grabbing Asako's hand, Ushio pelted forward across the scarred wooden floor; she stumbled a little, but desperation spurred her on. Shigure was just outside, his robes soaked and blackened with soot; Tora crouched just beyond him, a growling silver-eyed outline in the darkness. Panting, Shigure flattened himself back against the wall as they passed, then followed; his sandled feet splashed and slid as they crossed the muddy yard.
It was so DARK. Always before there had been lights around, from the house or the shrine. Asako had never really thought about how *isolated* the Aotsuki property was from the city----- it was only a matter of a few blocks, really, but it might as well have been miles. The streetlights were off in the distance, providing no help at all as the two humans and the Spearbearer ducked through the shadows, running for cover. Even the stars were no help; the dense cloud cover hid them all.
But lights would make them easier to find, she supposed grimly. As she slid to a halt behind the Spearbearer, she silently thanked Whoever was listening for the darkness.
It took Asako a few moments to realize just where they were heading--- Ushio seemed to have a goal in mind; they slid cautiously along one wall of a building, stopping to allow him to peer around a corner. The coast was clear; the Donshoku was nowhere in sight.....
Nor was Tora. Where WAS he?
Everything had grown so silent, eerily so; above the rabbit-pattering of her heart Asako could hear the dripping of the rain, the wind in the trees, could smell smoke and wet earth and the cold, fresh scent of rain. In the distance, very faintly, she thought she could hear something else--- a faint, deep mutter; a growling tangle of sounds that might be words...... Tora? The sound died away; silence again.
Whatever..... they needed a safe place to think in, a safe moment to plan in. And apparently Ushio had decided on the old shrine as a haven. As the three fugitives crept around the corner and slipped into the darkness of the entrance, Asako reflected rather wryly on their destination; the old building was seeing rather more activity tonight than it had probably seen in the last century.
Behind her, Shigure staggered slightly; his wounded leg was giving him trouble. Silently Asako offered her hand; the priest gratefully rested some of his weight on her shoulder as he stopped just inside of the entrance, kneeling carefully down on the cold stone floor. He slipped something from out of a pocket deep in his robes; watching him from the shadows, Ushio snorted briefly as he recognized the waterproof felt-tip marker from his own art supplies. In a few intricate, precise strokes, Shigure marked the stones with something that looked rather like the designs on the ofuda that he and Asako had prepared earlier (only a few hours ago, thought the girl; it felt like a lifetime--- it felt like *two.*) He drew a deep breath and stood, favoring his leg, then limped with his younger companions into the darkness of the old shrine.
As they passed beyond all but the last traces of light, Asako tightened her grip on Ushio's hand; she couldn't see a thing. She could feel him turn towards her--- and she bit off an exclamation as his eyes shone back at her in the darkness, glimmering green-blue-purple, catlike. She swallowed; she was NOT afraid of him, she wasn't..... no matter how strange his eyes were in the dark. Apparently *he* could see where they were going; that would have to be enough. Shigure kept a good grip on her shoulder as they moved, and she could tell that his leg was hurting him badly. Maybe they could bandage it up when they stopped----
----- But then all thoughts of first-aid were driven out of Asako's head as she ran into Ushio's back; he had frozen in his tracks, swinging the Spear around so that he held it at guard, point low and ready. There was something there in the darkness, something breathing..... something alive.
"About *time* you got here, Brat," growled the bakemono softly where he crouched in the darkened corner, silver eyes glowing.
"We need to end this. And we had best come up with a way to do so *quickly,* or WE will be the ones that end....."
**********************************************
Outside in the darkness and rain, scarlet death hissed its anger through a dozen mouths, and began to hunt again-----
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YSABET'S NOTES: Heh heh heh. Cliff-hanger time again! Chill out; I promise the next chapter will be here quickly! Now..... put that gun down and step back....... Ysabet
Chapter 5: Shadowplay
By Ysabet
***Falling again.....***
Stepping into the brightness was like walking off of a cliff; as Asako felt herself tumble over the edge, it occurred to her briefly that she seemed to be falling a *lot* lately. Perhaps she should worry?
But at least this time she wasn't alone; as gravity took her and she tilted forward into flight she could feel Ushio's hand in hers (she wished she could see him--- she couldn't see anything but cold emptiness). He was with her, and they were going back.
***Falling softly through silver-white blankness, like stones drifting downwards through freezing water..... falling.....***
She felt his fingers clutch hers convulsively. For an endless moment they soared, weightless as kites; then-----
WHAMMMM!!!
*OWW!!!" Asako cried out, grabbing at her temples; somebody had just hit her in the *head*-----
No; she was..... lying on a floor, on something lumpy..... and her hand hurt; it was cold. Ohhhh..... Carefully Asako lifted her head. She was lying on top of Ushio, who was staring up directly into her face, slit-pupiled eyes wincing in pain. He tugged one arm loose from the strands of juzu with a multiple-snap of breaking strings; beads shot in all directions. Struggling against his bindings, the Spearbearer dumped Asako unceremoniously to the floor as something struck hard against the wall a few feet away with a resounding "Thud!!"
As she scrambled to her feet, she wondered muzzily how long they had been gone---- surely it had been for *some* time, but the battle seemed to still be going on----- Asako climbed clumsily to her feet, still nursing a hand burning with cold; she staggered upright, moving towards the door. As she stepped forward, a strange warmth about her ankles distracted her for a moment; but without looking she continued on until she could peek around the edge of the door.
Complete chaos: Red mist, hungry mouths and burning eyes--- Tora, roaring like a freight train and burning with his own brand of electrical disaster--- and Shigure, picking himself up from the ground to her left (*oh,* a small, calm voice said inside her brain; *he made the thud.*) The noise was terrible; Tora's continual rumbling growl made an oddly deep counterpoint to the high, shrilling whine and chatter of teeth from the Donshoku's many mouths. As she watched, frozen, it darted several tentacles of semi-solid fog towards Shigure, who cried out something incomprehensible and arcane in response, holding up several ofuda before his face. They *blazed,* their characters glowing briefly at the monster's advance; it hissed angrily and retreated, swinging around towards Tora again.
All this was illuminated by the lights shining above and behind Asako, the normal electrical lighting of the Aotsuki Shrine and Ushio's home; the battle looked faintly unreal in the bright flood of illumination, lights shining through windblown raindrops almost like something from a dream.....
But then--- "CRACK-A-BOOOOOOOMMMM!!!!!"
Now it looked more like something from a nightmare; everything had gone dark, shot through with a rain of sparks and the eerie glow and whiplash-sound of Tora's lightning. Apparently the powerlines overhead could only stand so much..... In the darkness the bakemono laughed, his silver eyes reflecting the sparks as he prepared to launch another strike-----
Asako huddled at the edge of the doorway, the dim glow of the shrine's candles at her back the only illumination left. Behind her she heard a strangled cry and a scorching crackle; God, now what?
Ushio was---- WHAT was he doing? He was struggling against.... something hot and bright that wreathed him with blue fire, springing up from a neon-brilliant line at floor level--- oh, those things Shigure-san had set up! As she reached a hand towards him he snarled "NO!! Asako, don't--- I don't know what this is--- don't be stupid!" His slit-pupiled eyes flashed cobalt with pain and anger in the blue radiance; her own snapped back at him as, stung, she began to retort and to reach forward anyway-----
"CRASH!!!" She wheeled about as the wall behind her shattered with a sound like ripping silk; the candles went out in a heartbeat. Tora's huge form skidded on the wooden floor as shards of wall rained around the room in the blue-lit darkness; Asako cried out, fending off debris as she sank to a crouch at Ushio's feet. The Spearbearer strained against the crackling web of energy, trying desperately to cross; thin lines of force spiderwebbed his body as he fought against the barrier, sparks burning against his skin---
Tora reared up on his hindlegs like a bear, screaming his own defiance against the thick crimson haze that was beginning to flow past the wrecked wall into the shrine. The Donshoku *glowed* in the darkness, a scarlet horror of red-lit eyes and mouths. It wreathed about the bakemono, enveloping him; Tora threw back his head and howled, a brilliance of lightning writhing in electrical trails around his body to shatter the redness. Shrieking in a dozen voices, the creature drew back, swirled in the air--- and rushed past him straight towards Asako.
..... who had no time at all to do anything but throw her arms across her face and wait for death.
She was dimly aware of a scream above and behind her, and of something thudding *HARD* into the floor in front of her--- In terror, Asako closed her eyes-----
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----- and opened them, blinking; the alarm was going off..... she was going to be late for school!
No, that wasn't right; this was Saturday, and she had to get up. She had things to do today..... The early sunlight streamed in through her window, sleeking her skin with warmth; Asako stretched, smiling to herself as anticipation washed over her. Today was going to be good, the best of days--- she wasn't sure why or how, but she knew it was.....
Something wonderful was waiting for her downstairs.
As she swung her legs over the side of her bed, the frown faded a little; she had been--- dreaming? Having a nightmare? Something about red fog, and eyes, and bloody tears..... The girl shook her head slightly, as if to shake the tatters and rags of her dream from her mind. Forget that; today would be good..... wonderful. She had to go downstairs.
And then she was dressed and moving for the door; funny, she didn't remember dressing, but there were the familiar jeans and t-shirt..... Never mind. Asako grimaced at her own forgetfulness and slipped out into the hallway, closing her bedroom door behind her. Doors..... you should always close doors, so nothing could get in, or out..... She frowned again; where had *that* thought come from?
Now she was at the stairs, starting down. The girl could hear her parent's voices drifting up from below, mixed with the sounds of clattering plates and sizzling food; the odors made her mouth water. And today..... today she didn't have to work! Instead she was going.....
Asako stopped on the stairs, considering; *where* was she going? Who would help her parents run the restaurant if she was off having a good time? And she WAS going to have a good time; something.....
Something wonderful was waiting for her downstairs.
Right. A few more steps, then she slowed, halted; she could see him now, sitting at the counter eating (he was always eating--- bottomless pit...). His short dark hair was brushed back, a little neater than usual (but was it short? For some reason, she had a momentary flash of long, long strands) and she could see the muscles of his shoulders moving under his tanktop as he shifted forward to take another bite; his skin was smooth and tanned..... He hadn't heard her footsteps yet, but in a moment he would turn around-----
Something was waiting for her downstairs.
Asako stopped.
Something was wrong. For a moment a fragment of her dream flashed across her vision: a terrible face, weeping terrible red tears..... red..... terrible eyes, teeth----- blood in a bowl, sharp fragment of glass, pain-----
But he was turning around now, looking over his shoulder with those dark eyes of his (dark? cobalt and violet, slit-pupiled like a cat's...), smiling at her with that crooked smile. Asako took a few more steps..... That was right, that was it--- they were going somewhere, she and Ushio----- and he wasn't calling her an idiot like usual, wasn't teasing her; and her parents were just standing there, smiling at them.....
..... waiting for her downstairs.....
She took another step, then another. He was standing now, still smiling. As she reached the landing he stepped forward, his hand outstretched for hers (but she had *held* his hand, hadn't she? He had blushed---).
Asako moved forward slowly. Today was going to be a good day, a *perfect* day----- he was-----
----- waiting for her-----
*waiting* for her-----
(flash of Ushio-kun's face, a single tear running down his cheek; and she had kissed him, had kissed him in the darkness of her dream, his long black hair falling around his angular face like a curtain..... so afraid for him..... lightning, silver eyes, claws and a red, red haze..... a fall through whiteness, his sharp-nailed hand clutched tight)
----- as the hand reached out to take hers, she staggered back and shrieked "NOOOOOOO------"
-----and the world shattered like a fragile glass mirror-----
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Shigure had barely managed to get himself out of the way before Tora's backwards rush into the wall of the shrine; as he splashed and slid on the puddled ground, some small and analytical part of his mind noted clinically that the repairs on the building were going to be *expensive* this time.
He wiped sodden gray hair from his eyes; what was he thinking about THAT for? Shock..... The battle wasn't going as planned (but then, what did?); they had to come up with a plan. At least the Donshoku couldn't leave, couldn't go hunting for other prey if it won.
If they all fell.
Where was it now------ A scream? Hand of Buddha, it was in there with---
Ragged lightning arced from the damaged shrine; a roll of Tora's own dreadful thunder echoed off the far walls. Breathing hard, Shigure pulled several more dorje from the breast of his robe even as he splashed across the yard, fearing the worst.....
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"THWACK!!! THWACK THUD!!!"
The sounds of something impacting close by brought Asako back to herself, huddled there on the cold wooden floor; something striking so near by that she could feel splinters flying and snagging themselves on her jacket-sleeve.
Shaking and disoriented with the aftermath of her dream (had it been a dream?), she opened her eyes to a strobing pattern of light and darkness; her vision could make no sense of what she saw. Brilliance fought it out with blackness, lightning crackling all around her as if she crouched in the center of a thunderstorm..... And the sounds! Deafening, shrill--- that was the Donshoku; it screamed horribly against the low, continual rumble of thunder and the crackle of lightning that pounded in her ears. Asako crossed her arms over her face in terror as if to ward off a blow..... Like that would help. Like *anything* would help if the Donshoku got to her---- but-----
----- it HAD gotten to her----- where---
Something was..... over her, around her in the darkness; something solid. She reached out tentatively and touched tattered fabric, rough and scorched-feeling; the scent of burnt cloth filled her nostrils. It moved; it was alive?
Legs. Somebody was standing over her in the dark; somebody was snarling, shouting something furious and violent just over her head; deep growling drowned out the words.....
It was all too much. She scuttled backwards on all fours like a crab, passing something on either side that registered as *hot*, very hot; the whatevers-they-were glowed faintly red in the darkness, and Asako smelled burned wood and metal. Never mind. Too much going on, too much to stand..... She bumped into something behind her; the flashes of lightning were just enough to show that it was the main altar of the shrine. Shivering, the girl crouched there, arms wrapped around her knees.
Forcing herself to ignore the shouts, the roars, the lights, Asako clenched her fists and closed her eyes tightly. She needed a moment, just a moment of calm, an eye in the storm; she needed to understand what was going on. Calm, calm---- she wasn't a weak person, she wasn't the sort to hide in a corner, she needed to be strong for herself and for the others----- she was Asako, she was ASAKO and she could *handle* this-----
A minute, perhaps two; that was all she could allow herself. The fight wouldn't stop just because some stupid girl needed a break. No more than 10 feet away she could hear Ushio yelling his defiance as he kept the Donshoku at bay; Shigure was shouting something out there in the yard, Tora was snarling and raising his own very personal sort of hell all over the place, and that THING was still screaming above and over everything. No more time to rest. She opened her eyes.
ENOUGH. She had had ENOUGH. Time to join the fight. She needed a weapon.....
Sparks rained across the room as a stray crackle of electricity grounded itself near Asako on the far wall; she could feel the hairs on the back of her neck quiver and move with static..... but who cared about that? She saw something else: some of the smashed wood at the front of the shrine had caught fire from sparks, lightning, whatever----- and the tendrils of red mist were *avoiding* the flames!
Fire. It didn't like *fire!*
What did she have that would burn? Even as she thought, Asako's hands were pulling her jacket from her body and whirling it towards the few remaining candles and lamps whose flames shivered behind her on the main altar..... The material caught, flared, began burning fitfully in her hands as she staggered to her feet.
Ushio was still slashing at the thing with the Spear; it avoided his swipes and cuts adroitly, sharp-toothed mouths hissing in fury and hunger. With a shout, Asako swept her burning jacket up towards the weapon's point: "USHIO!! USE THIS!!!"
The sharp silver blade swept through the flaming cloth without a check, snagging the garment from the air; the Spearbearer swung it in a wide arc across the reaching billows of scarlet--- and Asako heard an entirely satisfying sound:
A scream, torn from a dozen inhuman throats. The monster retreated from the flames, withdrawing from the shrine as Ushio snarled in triumph and swept the flames forward again and again. The stink of burning nylon hung heavy in the air.
But the jacket would only last for a few moments. Wiping sweat and tears from her face (when had she cried? when had she had *time?*), Asako caught the Spearbearer's arm; "WHAT?!?" he snapped against the chattering and hissing of the creature that was slowly retreating through the ruined door.
"We need time--- we can't just keep throwing stuff at that thing----- " Asako craned her head to see what was happening beyond the doorway; she could just catch a glimpse of Tora's huge form behind the Donshoku's mists, his striped face lit by the continual blue and golden crackle of sparks that arced from clawed hand to clawed hand. Following her glance, Ushio grinned a sharp-toothed grin and threw back his head, shouting: "TORRRRRA!! We need a fire--- can you make one?!? We need FIRE!!!"
The shout had its results. They both shielded their eyes as a jagged blast of blue-white power struck an almond tree near the entrance to the half-ruined shrine; it *exploded*, throwing burning splinters in all directions. The stump burned furiously, sizzling in the rain; even better, the remains of the tree crashed down in a tangle of blazing branches right in the middle of the yard. In a rush of screaming, open mouths and widened eyes the Donshoku retreated to mass against the far walls, recoiling as it approached the ofuda attached there. It hovered, withdrawing into a thickened cloud, seemingly indecisive. And THAT was what they needed, that moment.......
Grabbing Asako's hand, Ushio pelted forward across the scarred wooden floor; she stumbled a little, but desperation spurred her on. Shigure was just outside, his robes soaked and blackened with soot; Tora crouched just beyond him, a growling silver-eyed outline in the darkness. Panting, Shigure flattened himself back against the wall as they passed, then followed; his sandled feet splashed and slid as they crossed the muddy yard.
It was so DARK. Always before there had been lights around, from the house or the shrine. Asako had never really thought about how *isolated* the Aotsuki property was from the city----- it was only a matter of a few blocks, really, but it might as well have been miles. The streetlights were off in the distance, providing no help at all as the two humans and the Spearbearer ducked through the shadows, running for cover. Even the stars were no help; the dense cloud cover hid them all.
But lights would make them easier to find, she supposed grimly. As she slid to a halt behind the Spearbearer, she silently thanked Whoever was listening for the darkness.
It took Asako a few moments to realize just where they were heading--- Ushio seemed to have a goal in mind; they slid cautiously along one wall of a building, stopping to allow him to peer around a corner. The coast was clear; the Donshoku was nowhere in sight.....
Nor was Tora. Where WAS he?
Everything had grown so silent, eerily so; above the rabbit-pattering of her heart Asako could hear the dripping of the rain, the wind in the trees, could smell smoke and wet earth and the cold, fresh scent of rain. In the distance, very faintly, she thought she could hear something else--- a faint, deep mutter; a growling tangle of sounds that might be words...... Tora? The sound died away; silence again.
Whatever..... they needed a safe place to think in, a safe moment to plan in. And apparently Ushio had decided on the old shrine as a haven. As the three fugitives crept around the corner and slipped into the darkness of the entrance, Asako reflected rather wryly on their destination; the old building was seeing rather more activity tonight than it had probably seen in the last century.
Behind her, Shigure staggered slightly; his wounded leg was giving him trouble. Silently Asako offered her hand; the priest gratefully rested some of his weight on her shoulder as he stopped just inside of the entrance, kneeling carefully down on the cold stone floor. He slipped something from out of a pocket deep in his robes; watching him from the shadows, Ushio snorted briefly as he recognized the waterproof felt-tip marker from his own art supplies. In a few intricate, precise strokes, Shigure marked the stones with something that looked rather like the designs on the ofuda that he and Asako had prepared earlier (only a few hours ago, thought the girl; it felt like a lifetime--- it felt like *two.*) He drew a deep breath and stood, favoring his leg, then limped with his younger companions into the darkness of the old shrine.
As they passed beyond all but the last traces of light, Asako tightened her grip on Ushio's hand; she couldn't see a thing. She could feel him turn towards her--- and she bit off an exclamation as his eyes shone back at her in the darkness, glimmering green-blue-purple, catlike. She swallowed; she was NOT afraid of him, she wasn't..... no matter how strange his eyes were in the dark. Apparently *he* could see where they were going; that would have to be enough. Shigure kept a good grip on her shoulder as they moved, and she could tell that his leg was hurting him badly. Maybe they could bandage it up when they stopped----
----- But then all thoughts of first-aid were driven out of Asako's head as she ran into Ushio's back; he had frozen in his tracks, swinging the Spear around so that he held it at guard, point low and ready. There was something there in the darkness, something breathing..... something alive.
"About *time* you got here, Brat," growled the bakemono softly where he crouched in the darkened corner, silver eyes glowing.
"We need to end this. And we had best come up with a way to do so *quickly,* or WE will be the ones that end....."
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Outside in the darkness and rain, scarlet death hissed its anger through a dozen mouths, and began to hunt again-----
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YSABET'S NOTES: Heh heh heh. Cliff-hanger time again! Chill out; I promise the next chapter will be here quickly! Now..... put that gun down and step back....... Ysabet
