Athena Zandrite
In general, thanks for all the encouragement guys. I really expected to get one or two upset or at least criticizing reviews. I'm not at all upset for the pleasant surprise. With such happy readers I'm a happy writer. I hope to live up to your expectations. Enjoy!
Yuusuke's stomach growls in protest, not for the first time. He has no idea how long he's been stuck in this room but with the noisy complaints, he could guess it has been quite a few days. He makes an irritated face, becoming more grumpy the longer he goes without food.
"Ahhh I can't recover without food!" Omi complains next to him.
Yuusuke, however, can feel his spiritual power beginning to regenerate. The strength in his body quivering slightly still weak, but there, nonetheless. His posture shows this also. Spiritual power has a way of making one feel stronger despite physical negligence like lack of food. Yuusuke just sighs and stands up, crossing his arms.
They are interrupted when there is a loud bang at the door, and then some shuffled movement. Two sets of alert eyes focus on the door handle, as the boys watch they don't realize they are holding their breaths. The handle slowly turns, then swings open as though thrown back by a gust of wind.
There is a figure silhouetted in the doorframe, haloed by the light behind it. The boys squint trying to make out who or what the figure is slowly, the person steps into the room, form wavering for a moment then solidifying again. The door shuts loudly behind him and slowly their eyes adjust to the lack of light again. Yuusuke's eyes first focus on the coppery brown hair, cut short and let loose to frame the boy's face. The face itself is composed of pale skin, young but not as young as Yuusuke's, wide and deceivingly innocent blue eyes watch him from beneath a fringe of the coppery bangs. A small hoop earring hangs from the person's earlobe. "It's you." Yuusuke's voice is raspy in recognition.
Omi's eyes widen as he stands uncertainly looking at the person in frightened awe. The boys watch each other quietly, mirror images, though Omi himself is bloodied and dirty, the other is clean and confident. "Who are you?" he asks, voice catching in the back of his throat.
The copy smiles, malevolently, eyes narrowing into a leer. "For a while, I was you." Omi's voice is there for a second, coming out of his twin's mouth. In the next second it changes to an inhuman sound, the sound of age. "It served it's purpose well, allowed me to lure such a nice catch in." the eyes shift to Yuusuke then back to Omi. "It threw off your friends too."
Omi almost falls back with the force behind the voice, not fully understanding the situation. But Yuusuke puts a hand on his shoulder, stepping forward. "You may have caught me, but I won't stay caught." He looks defiant, despite his lack of reiki.
The twin's mouth twists into a sneer then he parts his lips revealing the sharpened fangs and laughs, openly amused, but the laughter is hollow and ferocious. He stops after a moment and looks at Yuusuke. "You can't bluff me, stupid human. I know how very little energy you have left, I must thank you for the meal you provided to me. I really should have just finished you off."
Yuusuke flips the creature off. "Don't think I can't still fight."
The demon is suddenly in his face, shoving him up against the wall, fingernails extended to claws around Yuusuke's neck. "I have no time for your groundless bravery boy. There are much more important things for me to use my attentions on. Your friends," the word is spat out in disgust, "are on their way. You and yours seem to have extreme luck but it won't save any of you. I'll drain your friends when they get here. Don't make me rip your throat out before that time comes." The creature leans in, letting his nails brush across the tender flesh of Yuusuke's neck, drawing a trickle of blood. The creature licks his lips and smiles. "The pretty servant of Enma wet my palate for blood. Though I doubt a human would taste quite as good. Don't think I'll let it stop me should you choose to irritate me further." The nail presses against his neck for emphasis.
Yuusuke snarls. "You killed Botan?"
The lips part again, exposing pale white teeth in a lurid smile. "I might have. The flesh of a spirit in human form... ahh that is a delicacy I must try again."
Yuusuke grits his teeth, fury flaring behind his eyes. "If you killed her, I'll have your head." the words are spoken tightly through clenched teeth.
The demon lets out a quick laugh but steps back. "You'll be able to ask your friends soon enough. They are almost here." He steps back and looks out the window, breathing in the air around him, almost as though sniffing. With a quick movement, Yuusuke is flipped around, head smashing into the wall with enough force to make him dizzy and feel the slow dribble of blood as it makes it's way down his forehead. His arms are yanked behind his back, the creature is tying his arms back with a fine golden chain of some sort. He blinks to keep the blood out of his eyes, muttering obscenities.
Omi back against the wall as the creature turns to him, blue eyes flashing as he catches sight of him. This is unlike anything Omi has experienced in his life and in his weakened state he is having trouble dealing with it. He can feel his legs shaking beneath him as the creature approaches. He is about to fight when his eyes lock into the creature's gaze and his surroundings seem to drop away. All he can see is the cool blue, endless like the sea. When he manages to tear his eyes away he finds that his hands have also been secured with the chain, the creature yanks on the end of it, directing both boys toward the door. There is no room for protest, as both are still weak and thus they follow. Omi quietly, Yuusuke amid a steady flow of insults in as many languages as he can come up with them.
The find themselves directed outside, the chain tightening around their wrists like a living binding. They are secured to a tether near the gate, and they both look up at the sound of approaching footsteps.
"Our guests have arrived." Lillith says calmly.
The party stops on the other side of the gate, looking through at Lillith and her captives. All sets of eyes observe the enemy, from both sides of the gate. Finally, Genkai steps forward, young voice strong and commanding. "Lillith, the time comes for you to accept your punishment and surrender. You have this chance to do so without a fight."
Lillith steps forward also, glaring at the pink-haired woman through the bars of the gate. "I accept no punishment from any of you. If you want me you'll have to fight."
Genkai nods as though she expected this, and for a moment there is no movement. Then suddenly she leaps up, climbing the fence with the agility of a young rock climber. Hiei is spurred into action also, in a leap he is on top of the fence, and a second his sword clashes against the nails of their adversary. The movement is quick, almost too quick to catch as Lillith and Hiei match sword to claw, Lillith has gathered enough energy that her speed matches his. In a second clash, she reaches out and snatches Hiei's blade from him, throwing it aside and gathering reiki into a fist, before punching into Hiei's gut with enough force to send him slamming backward into a tree. The tree splinters from the point he connected, knocking the wind out of him. Lillith takes this chance to turn toward Genkai who has reached the top of the fence and is preparing to jump down. She holds up her hand in Yuusuke's trademark reigun, and lets loose a blast that could level a building.
Genkai reacts quickly, her arms out in front of her carefully trying to channel the force of the shot, hold it off and lessen the impact on her own body. Unfortunately she didn't have enough time to block it completely and she is first pushed out then descends, barreling across the street and through the park in raising a cloud of dust. Her body feels the impact of boulders and plants that she pummels through, leaving her laying in a beat up clump as the next wave of attackers starts in.
Botan steps forward as Youji slices his spiritual wire through the air, locking it on the gate, and Aya jumps forward, slicing through with his sword, in a moment, pieces of metal are raining down and the gate is reduced to only a pile of metal tubing. Both rush forward, attacking the demon in Omi's form, but are stopped by a shot gun attack, reiki flies pummeling into them the only thing that keeps them from being killed is their newfound ability to shield themselves with their own energy.
Lillith stops as a card shoots past her face, drawing a line of blood that drips slowly, this time not closing up. Apparently she has used enough energy that her regeneration is greatly slowed down. Kurama rushes forward next to him, whip slicing out through the air. "Keep attacking!" He shouts the thorned whip makes a loud cracking sound as it breaks the sound barrier slicing forward and wrapping around Lillith's wrist. She glares at him and grabs the whip pulling it tight and gathering energy for another reigun as Ken lets loose a barrage of cards, some slicing through her skin, but she aims the gun and it fires, knocking Ken through the brick sidewall across the street and halfway to where Genkai lays, now trying to pull herself up.
She turns her attention to Kurama, pulling him forward, ignoring the deep gashes the thorns make on her hands. Botan stands back watching with tears streaming down her cheeks as all her friends are beaten down around her. Kurama grits his teeth and drops the whip, pulling a seed out of his hair and preparing to plant it but his hand doesn't reach the ground. Lillith's clawed hand stabs forward, catching him in the stomach and ripping through the soft flesh and muscle. He coughs blood, landing on the ground and holding his stomach in pain. Kuwabara quivers next to Botan and Yukina, he pulls out his reiken and stalks forward, waving it in front of him. "Demon, I will slay you." He says, voice gaining confidence. The demon straightens, licking blood off the clawed nails and smiling. "It is I who will slay you, foolish human."
But Kuwabara bravely runs forward, reiken blazing he swings in a wide arc toward the demon. The demon flicks her hand to remove the blood and turns to Kuwabara, her figure seems to be surrounded by darkness, blood pooling under her wounded hand, a mixture of Kurama's blood and her own. With a battle cry, Kuwabara's sword slices toward her and she smiles, reaching up and catching it in the wounded hand. Reiki surrounds the hand and the demon yanks the sword toward herself, pulling Kuwabara with it. The boy stumbles forward in surprise, but his pupils contract as she lengthens the nails on her other hand and draws them across his chest, cutting into bone then as his reiken wavers, she twists her hip, kicking up at the wounded chest and knocking him backward into the pile of broken brick and metal. Yukina gasps next to Botan letting out a frightened whimper.
Hiei stands moving slowly at first, but then gathering speed. He rushes forward, youki gathering on his arm, black fire beginning to circle around him. But Lillith knows what is coming and rushes forward to cut it off. She grabs Hiei by the face, lifting him off the ground and glowing slightly. The fire demon goes limp under her grasp as his energy flows from his own body to hers. She smiles as her wounds heal, and rei and you ki flicker at her fingertips. Kurama pushes his arms trying to get up, but the arms waver beneath him with the loss of blood, as it gushes from his stomach, and he collapses back into the puddle.
Botan and Yukina stiffen as the Youkai fixes her eyes on them. A slow smile spreads across her face and she turns to face them. Behind her Yuusuke struggles at his chains and Omi has gone chalk-white at the mass destruction that this being is capable of. "DAMMIT GET THIS FUCKING CHAIN OFF OF ME I'LL KILL YOU YOU CRAZY BITCH!" Yuusuke's voice tears through him, and he yanks forward at the chains but without any energy he can't break the chain. As thin as it is it seems to be suffused with some sort of makai charm. He kicks at the tether lividly.
As he looks up he feels dread form in the pit of his stomach. The monster is approaching Yukina and Botan with a cool confidence that she has won the war and will now distinguish the last of the stragglers.
((Ahh sweet inspiration for evil. Just read The Dark Is Rising as research for another fanfic I want to do, and it gave me all kinds of wonderfully creepy ideas for Lillith. Been so long. Ahh Will and Bran slash... such sweet fanfictions. This did feel a little rushed though. And it's shorter than I had hoped, but I felt if I spread it out any more I would be hurting the story, I actually just began typing and let it flow. X_x It felt right but a little confusing. Oh well, Next chapter will be better. I promise!))