Broken Worlds 11
Power of Love
Disclaimer: I do not own Tamers.
"We've got to get to Juri!" Takato cried. "There must be a way."
"We'll get to her, Takato," Jenrya insisted.
Shuichon turned around and walked to the edge. "The pole," she whispered. "That's it! All we have to do is put our amulets in the spaces. We'll have to swim across."
"Good thinking," Ai said. "We won't have to jump."
"Hurry," Takato urged. "I don't even want to think what they're doing to Juri now."
They swam across the water and pulled themselves up on the small bit of land surrounding the pole.
"For Juri," Takato whispered and they one by one put their amulet in the space. A portal opened up in front of them, bleak and dark and vibrating with terrible cries.
"I'm afraid," Shuichon said.
"We must go," Hirokazu said, "That is why we came here." He gulped, "all right, after you, blood brother." He pushed Kenta in front of him.
"Hirokazu!" Kenta gasped.
Calling for Juri, Takato was the first one to go through the portal. The others followed, though a little reluctant. How would they get back?
They were dumped in a wasteland of a world. It was windy, cold and dark. There was a deep, strong stench of death in the air. Shuichon quickly covered her nose. The stench stung her nostrils, due to her enhanced sense of smell.
"It smells very bad here!" she coughed. "Rotting flesh everywhere!"
"I smell it too," Jenrya said, bringing his hand to his nose.
"I can't wait to get back home," Hirokazu said. "If we can."
Something appeared in font of them. It was florescent yellow with long claws and ugly face.
"What is that thing?" Kenta demanded.
"Whatever it is," Ruki said, pulling out a magic arrow, "it's dead now!" she fired the arrow and grunted when it was hit, disappearing in front of them. "I must've gotten it."
"No you didn't," Shuichon said. "I still smell it."
The monster reappeared behind Shuichon, jumped and high kicked the monster's head off. "Hidden," she said. "That's what this was. They disappear when they're hurt. I smell more nearby."
"Great," Hirokazu said, "that thing has friends."
Groups of hidden appeared in front of the demon seekers and they slashed at them with their long claws. They cornered on them but demon seekers kept fighting. More different and ugly demons came to give the demon seekers a not so warm welcome.
"We don't have time for this," Jenrya muttered after sending a sprit attack.
"Speak for yourself," Hirokazu said, "I kind of enjoy this!" He shot a great number of demons.
"Destroy what you can and let's keep moving," Takato insisted. "I'm certain Juri is in that tower!"
***
Takato was right. Juri was inside a cold, damp and tall tower. She was bound to a wall with chains and she hadn't any cards to free herself. If only she knew a spell by heart, she would be able to get out of here. But she had lost all her cards and she was nothing without them. Juri had to physically try to get out of the chains herself but it was impossible. They were too strong.
"You can't keep me here!" she shouted. "What
do you want from me?"
"Your body, of course," answered a loud voice.
"I demand that you let me go!"
"Never, Juri."
"Who are you?" she questioned. "Show yourself!"
The ceiling began pulsating. There was something inside it. Juri shivered as a membrane dropped down and opened. There was a sick, slithering sound coming from inside. A little yellow blob fell on the floor, followed by another and another. Each blob pulsated as a voice filled the room.
"I have no name," it said.
"Demons really don't have names, do they?" she demanded.
The blobs came together to form a humanoid, faceless form. It shimmered yellow and green. Juri didn't even want to think what it was made out of. It reeked of something awful. The being stepped in toward her.
"But soon I will," it growled. "I'll a part of you."
"Never." She said. "Demons possess those who have negative emotions. I never felt hate toward anyone!"
"You lie."
She gasped.
"You're not as innocent as you look, Juri," It told her. The thing reached out its inhuman arm and placed its fingers underneath her chin. She shook her head away.
"Don't touch me!"
"Do you remember when your mother died? How sad and angry you became?"
Juri forced herself not to remember. "I don't know what you're talking about."
It chuckled and mimicked her voice, "Why my mother? Why did she have to die?"
Juri spun her head to it. "You're talking in my voice."
"You were so saddened by the loss of your mother. Then your stepmother came into your life and you resented her for trying to replace your real mother."
"That's not true."
"Isn't it? Then how come you never became close to her? Is it because she wasn't a witch? That she didn't know how to use the cards?"
"Quiet!"
"You were upset that your mother never told you what she was and what you were. You had to come across that box of cards on your own, learn them yourself."
"What does that have to do with anything?" She questioned. "If only I had a card with me--you'll be no more!"
"But you don't now, do you? After you learned how to use the cards," the being went on, "you were hungry to learn more. Expand your skills beyond those cards."
"So?" she turned her head.
"But no one could teach you." The creature's neck stretched toward her. "But I can help you with that, Juri. Become one with me and I can extend your powers. You wouldn't need those pathetic cards anymore. Together, we can be invincible!"
"No!" she hissed. "I won't do it. You can't possess me. I won't let you. I never hated anything. Just because I was sad in my youth doesn't mean--"
"Oh, what about the rat deva?" the creature asked. "You became so full of hate."
"That's not true!" she cried. "I was defending myself."
"But you were angry. So angry for it killing your beloved pet, your parents and invading your village, were you not? You wanted to make that thing pay."
"Maybe…I was a little angry," she whispered. "But I did what had to be done! That is what makes our emotions important. You take our emotions and change them into something different. It's how we feel that makes us act. I never acted out of hate, never!"
"You don't know yourself very well, do you?" he asked. "You can't resist me Juri. I know too much about you. I knew that you would be perfect for me. You can give me a body."
"My body does not belong to you," Juri hissed. "My friends will come for me and you'll be gone. You just wait. They'll be here!"
"I cannot wait," it leaned toward Juri and Juri pressed her back to the wall. "Then I could give them something to see. Wouldn't they enjoy watching me and you become one?"
Juri sneered. "You're sick!"
***
Shuichon stopped. "I can hear Juri."
"Where?" Ruki asked.
"From the tower," she replied. "You were right, Takato. She's in there."
"Then that's where we're going." Takato said. "Keep fighting. I have a plan. You've got to make a path for me."
"We'll stay here then," Ryo said, "and you get Juri."
"But let me help you out a bit," Takato said. "You can catch up with me when you can." He squinted in trying to make an illusion on the monsters. They stopped fighting the demon seekers, turned and began attacking each other.
"Amazing," Ai said.
"Go Takato!" Jenrya urged.
Takato held the illusion as long as he can, running toward the tower. His concentration on the illusion and running to the tower was too much for him to once and he ended the illusion once he made it. Whatever demons were left, the demon seekers fought as Takato entered.
"Juri, I'm coming for you!" he announced.
Out of the corner of her eye, Ruki saw a creature swoop down to Ryo.
"Ryo, watch out!" she warned, shooting the creature with an arrow. She and Ro were both surprised. 'I saved him,' she thought. 'I must be getting soft.'
Ryo smiled, "Thank you."
"Thank me later," she insisted. "Let's just destroy all of these damn things so we can save Juri!" After shooting arrows at the monsters, she soon ran out. She reached her hand to her quiver, finding that the arrows were gone. "Blast! I'm out of arrows!" She threw her bow down and pulled out her sword. "Die!"
"We're almost done here," Jenrya said, amazed. "Hurry!"
Ruki twirled her sword around, plunging it into the chests of her enemies. A fire monster came upon them, starting a fire. Shuichon fought hard not to show any fear but she was reminded of the time a torch fell on her bid in her childhood. The fire spread around, separating the demon seekers from each other. Ruki was caught in the fire.
"Ruki is trapped!" Shuichon gasped.
Ruki, however, didn't show any fear. She tried to get out somehow. "Keep going!" she yelled. "Forget about me!"
Shuichon knew what she had to do. This was her one chance to face her fear, or Ruki would die. Before she came to the tower, she couldn't have fear or hate in her heart anymore.
"I'm coming, Ruki!" she cried out.
"Shuichon, no, I'll go!" Jenrya said.
"If I don't do it now," Shuichon said, "I'll always afraid of fire! I have to go get her!" She ran to the fire, jumped over the flames and grabbed Ruki's "Come on!"
Ruki looked surprised. "Shuichon, I thought you were afraid of fire."
"Let's go! You have to jump with me."
"All right."
They turned back to the flames and jumped over it together. The flames licked their feet, searing them a little but other than that, they didn't get burned too badly.
"You saved my life, Shuichon," Ruki said, amazed.
Shuichon smiled. "Well, I couldn't stay afraid of fire forever."
***
"Juri! Juri!"
"Takato," Juri whispered.
"Your friends have come for you, I see."
Takato pushed open the doors and flinched when he saw Juri. "Juri?"
"Takato!"
Takato tightened his fists. "Let Juri go!"
"I don't think so," the monster said, "I've become quite attached to her." It laughed and held her head up in its hand. Juri whimpered.
"Get your hands off of her! Don't you dare touch her!"
"How do you expect to stop me, illusionist?" it demanded. "You think you can be better for me? Once I take control of Juri's body, I will become invincible."
"I told you I won't have it," Juri muttered.
"The others are on their way," Takato said. "Your demon guards can't hold them off for long. Listen to that? Those are the screams of your demons. The demon seekers have come to put you out of our world forever!"
"You're wrong, boy," the creature said. "You cannot stop me."
Takato felt so angry. He couldn't bear to watch that thing with its hands on Juri. He wanted to rip it apart but he couldn't. He remembered what Shibumi advised.
"It is very important that when you come in contact with a demon or evil spirit, that you do not show any fear of hate."
It was easier said than done. He hated watching Juri in danger. He hated that he wasn't strong enough. Takato can't remember when he felt so full of hate.
"You hate me, don't you?" the creature asked.
"More than anything," he said. "You monster."
"Then attack me if you think you can. Go on…give me a little show."
Takato concentrated on making an illusion for the creature, but it didn't seem to affect him at all.
"Pathetic." It growled. "That all you got, weak one?"
The rest of the demon seekers came in. They looked tired and ragged, but they have made it.
"What is that?" Hirokazu demanded.
"It's…a demon of some kind," Kenta said.
"It's after Juri," Takato said.
"So that's why you took her," Ruki muttered. "You plan to possess her, don't you? Like another has possessed me. You're going to possess her instead of one of us because Juri can bring us back. You monster! Let her go."
"I could possess one of you now," he said, "she hasn't the card to save you. But I choose Juri anyway. The poor girl has had it rough and I want to be there for her every way I can."
"You…" Ruki charged the monster and stabbed him with her sword. It went through him like jelly. He didn't bleed or show any pain. "What?"
"Foolish girl. You can't stop me." He picked her up by the throat and tossed her to the floor.
"Ruki!" Ryo exclaimed. He put his arms around her and growled at the monster.
"We won't let you do this to Juri," Jenrya said. "It's our destiny to destroy you."
"Just as it is my destiny to take over Juri's body."
"You don't' know the meaning of destiny!" Juri exclaimed.
"Silence!" he turned on her. "In a moment, you won't know anything except what it is like to be a part of me." The humanoid monster fell into a blob again and oozed itself onto Juri's legs. She tried to kick it off as it inched up her body.
Takato was shaking with anger. "Leave her alone!"
"I can't stand to watch this," Hirokazu said, raising his crossbow. Kenta stopped him.
"No, Hirokazu! You could hurt Juri!"
Before the body consumed Juri whole, Takato remembered something else Shibumi said. He had to focus on his positive feelings. The demons didn't understand anything about kindness or love.
"Stop! Leave Juri alone," he cried, stepping forward. "Take me instead! Juri has no negative feelings whatsoever! She is the nicest person I know."
"Not true," it said, continuing to consume Juri. "She has felt fear and anger, even hate."
"Maybe on a few occasions," Takato said, "but I've been angry a lot of the time! Let Juri go. She's not the body you want. You want a body, then take mine!"
"Takato, what are you doing?" Jenrya asked. "don't do it. He'll destroy you!"
"Take anyone of us," Ruki said. "Just let Juri go."
"No, Takato!" Juri cried. "I don't have the card to bring you back! I've lost all my cards."
"I've been hungry for power," Takato went on. "I want to be a stronger illusionist. Take me instead. Juri is already strong enough. She doesn't need you."
"You will sacrifice yourself?" the monster asked.
"Yes."
"How noble."
"I want you to take me," Takato insisted. "I have felt so angry that I didn't know I was an illusionist. If I knew I had this power I would've practiced it more. If you take me then I can become stronger."
The blob began to slide down Juri. "Ah, you wish to volunteer yourself? Become apart of me?"
"Yes. Do it. "
"Don't do it, Takato!" Juri shouted. "Forget about me!"
"I like that," the creature said, removing itself from Juri's body. "It's done then! Give yourself to me!"
"Takato, no!" Jenrya grabbed him.
"When the time comes," Takato ordered. "I want you all to get out of here!"
"We can't just leave you here!" Ruki cried.
The chains that bound Juri to the wall let her go and she was dropped to the ground. She looked up at Takato in horror as the demon consumed him. "Takato!" she cried through her tears. "No!"
Before the jelly blob covered his entire face, Takato mouthed something to her that Juri would never forget.
"I love you."
To Be Concluded