Note: Thank you for all the reviews last chapter!! Arigatou! Please try to get past THIS chapter and I promise the next one won't be as boring.
~Benevolent Malice: The Thin Line Between Love and Hate~
Chapter 6: Forever Enemies…right?
"Yuu-huuuuu!"
Nakuru opened the door with a cheerful (and annoying) greeting as she invited
herself in.
"…
…" Syaoran, half-awake, rolled on his side as he attempted to ignore Nakuru—
"Yobisamasu
ne!!" Nakuru ran and jumped on Syaoran's bed, making the bed bounce up and down
crazily.
—but
ignoring her just wasn't possible, unfortunately.
Syaoran
growled and sat up, his eyes narrowed with exasperation.
"What.
Do. You. Want?" Syaoran asked, very cross with the ginger-haired annoyance.
"Well,
someone's a grouch in the morning!" Nakuru remarked, sitting on his bed
comfortably as if it were her own.
"There's
no sun outside, it's not morning yet," Syaoran pointed to the window that led
outside to a balcony, "so leave me alone." He then flopped back on the bed,
pulling the blanket over his head, and rolled on his side away from Nakuru.
"Actually,
there's no sun or moon down here. The only light we have are the infernos and
magic lighting spells," said a smooth, calm voice, "but we're able to know the
'time of the day' without the help of the celestial planets."
Syaoran
immediately shot up in bed in a sitting position, finding a certain gray-eyed
male, who leaned against the doorway with a certain damn smile.
Syaoran
instantly glared and asked, "Aren't any of you smart enough to knock before
entering, Hiiragizawa?"
Ignoring
his sarcastic question, Eriol declared with a smile, "You're late, Li-kun."
"Late?
For what?" Syaoran asked.
"Class."
Syaoran
blinked. …class?
Wearing
a loose-fitting, comfortable Chinese pantsuit that was plain black with white
frog buttons with a high Mandarin collar, Syaoran stood in the middle of a
barren, reddish-brown wasteland. There was nothing visible except a few
plateaus in sight on the seemingly endless reddish-brown earth.
He
didn't know where he was and the gravity seemed heavier, leaning down on his
shoulders. The air seemed harder to breathe as well.
"Like
this spacious area?"
Startled,
Syaoran spun around, finding Eriol behind him. He, too, was dressed in a casual
Mandarin pantsuit that was dark blue with black frog buttons, but he also wore
a long black cheongpao (a long Chinese robe) over it.
"Do
you always have to do that?" Syaoran asked irritably.
"I'll
be constantly testing you to make sure you're alert at all times." Eriol
pointed out.
"But
I can't even feel your aura..." Syaoran grumbled, half-frustrated,
half-embarrassed.
"Well,
you can't detect auras very well, but we'll work on that later," Eriol smiled,
"but since it's only the first day, I'll go easy on you and teach you something
not very strenuous."
"Oh,
please. Strenuous or not, I can take whatever you can dish up." Syaoran said
with an air of challenge.
"Yokatta,"
Eriol nodded with a smile, " I'm sure you're familiar a certain kind of weapon.
We'll start out with weapon training just for a month or so…"
Syaoran
smirked. Weapons are his specialty.
"So
what weapon do you prefer?" Eriol asked.
"The
sword."
"Aa,
I expected so," Eriol nodded, "Nice choice…good range and easy movement."
Eriol
reached into his cheongpao and pulled out a small object. He threw it to
Syaoran.
Syaoran
reflexively caught it in one hand, seeing it was a black orb with a red tassel
that could easily fit basically anywhere.
"What's
this?" Syaoran looked at the fairly small Chinese object in his hand.
"Why,
it's your weapon, of course!" Eriol answered.
"…
…" a sweatdrop rolled down Syaoran's hand, an incredulous look crossed his
face, "…is this some sort of stupid joke, Hiiragizawa?"
He
chuckled, "You see, I have a large army in my hands and I don't like them
carrying such long, heavy, or cumbersome weapons by their sides. So I simply
convert the weapon into something more smaller and convenient." Eriol replied.
"…oh,"
Syaoran gingerly held the 'weapon' before his face, holding it by the black
orb, "…how do you...open it?"
Eriol
chuckled, "You don't open it, Li-kun, you will it to form into a sword."
"Will
it?"
"Such
as you 'will' your wings to appear, you will it to transform into a
sword." Eriol said simply.
"I
get it! This is going to be so easy!" Syaoran exclaimed with a smug smile and
clenched the Chinese item in his fist
"Well…we'll
see." Eriol said with a knowing smirk.
Syaoran
concentrated his energy into the Chinese curio, however, he received no
response from it…
…five
minutes later…no response…
…ten
minutes later…no response…
…fifteen
minutes later…and STILL no damn response…
Syaoran
cursed under his breath, glaring at the curio as if it betrayed him. He found
it tempting to crush the black orb in his hand, "What is WRONG with this
thing?!"
"You
don't have the 'natural impulse' to seek its' power—that's why it is not
responding to your chi," Eriol smiled patiently, "you need…some sort of
stimulus…"
Some
sort of stimulus…? Syaoran thought, feeling a cautious shiver go through
his body when he saw a dark gleam pass through Eriol's gray eyes.
"Yes,
a...stimulus." Eriol pushed his glasses up his nose, then reached into his
cheongpao and took out a small golden trinket.
Syaoran
crossed his arms, narrowing his eyes, and demanded, "What are you planning,
Hiiragizawa?"
"I
would explain to you, but…actions speak louder than words." Eriol remarked.
Much
to Syaoran's surprise, the tiny golden trinket transformed into a golden staff
with the shape of the celestial planet, the Sun, at one end of the long rod.
Eriol's
glasses flashed as a dark smile graced his face, holding the staff that was
taller than himself, "...now...."
Syaoran
took an involuntary step back away from Eriol, feeling a sense of foreboding.
"...let's
begin the first lesson, Li-kun." Eriol finished.
Eriol
disappeared into a whirl of shadows. Syaoran's eyes flew open with surprise,
but on instinct, he shifted into a fighting stance, his eyes alert as he
searched the area of the barren wasteland with both his eyes and magical
senses…
…Syaoran
felt a subtle ting of power above him. He shot his head up, seeing Eriol
materialize through thin air above him, his black robe fluttered like a shadowy
cloak as he descended downward…
Syaoran
somersaulted sideways just as Eriol landed, slamming his staff down where
Syaoran was previously standing, missing by mere inches.
The
dust lifted high into the air and the ground cracked from the force. Syaoran
was half-crouched on the ground, looking at Eriol with utter bewilderment.
"W-what
are you doing?!" Syaoran asked angrily, staring at cracked ground, then at
Eriol's back, "Trying to kill me?!"
"Trying
to kill you? Why, of course." Eriol replied as he turned around, the dust
slightly swirling around him. He smiled at Syaoran, then disappeared again.
Hating
Eriol's elusive style of fighting, Syaoran clenched the ball and tassel with
apprehension, "Bastard!"
Feeling
his presence again, Syaoran quickly turned around, but was too late...
He
saw a glimpse of Eriol's black robe, then a sudden flash of gold. Syaoran flew
backwards as he felt Eriol's weapon connect with his stomach. He brutally
rolled and skid against the hard, coarse ground from the force of the blow.
Face
down against the unwelcoming ground, he felt his head spin uncontrollably. He
struggled to raise himself half off the ground since his whole body was stunned
with pain.
His
irregular, blurry vision saw Eriol taking slow, fluid steps toward him… Shimatta…
"Are
you under-estimating me, Li-kun?" Eriol asked, his eyes dark and his smirk
laced with amused mockery, "I use my weapon not only as a magical rod and
staff, but also a spear. Luckily for you, I used the flat end…but don't think I
will do you the favor a second time."
Syaoran
tried to regain his lost breath as quickly as possible, seeing the cat-like
General come closer…he clenched the ball and tassel tighter in his hand…it was
STILL not responding!!
"As
your Master, I will not take anything quite easily on you," Eriol was yet a few
paces away, "And if you are to die by my hand…"
"…you're
not..my master," Syaoran remarked under his breath defiantly, his eyes
narrowed, "and you'll never be..the one that kills me!"
I
hope you're right about that... Eriol thought, a smile crossed his face as
he stood before Syaoran. He shifted his staff in his hand, holding it like a
spear and pulling his arm back, his staff ready to strike Syaoran, who lay
crumpled on the ground.
Syaoran
stared at the pointy, sharp ends of the Sun on the golden staff Eriol held
steadily in his hand.
Eriol
thrust his staff forward, accurately and swiftly going toward Syaoran's head,
having the full intention to kill.
Syaoran
felt a surge of adrenaline rush from his brain and throughout his body within a
second. He leapt high into the air, his wings unfurled, giving him flight and
levitation.
Eriol's
staff deeply pierced the ground, missing its' target. He glanced up. Syaoran
rolled in the air, diving downward, headfirst. The wind seemed to whistle past
his stiffened wings.
Come
on, come on...come on! Syaoran thought as he focused all this concentration
on the Chinese curio in his hand.
His
eyes were set on the point between Eriol's eyes. That was his target.
He
fell down closer and closer, if he didn't strike soon, he probably would never
strike again...
God
damn it!! COME ON!!
Suddenly,
Syaoran felt a strange tingling in his hand that clutched the curio. A golden
whirl of wind snaked down his arm and into the Chinese object...
He
then felt something heavier, something that surged with power...Syaoran gripped
the hilt of his newly acquired weapon. He thrust the blade toward the invisible
point between Eriol's eyes.
Dodging
his aerial attack, Eriol disappeared once again. Syaoran landed on the ground,
a little awkwardly as his newly acquired sword skid against the rough earth,
slicing open the dry earth.
Looking
at the silver, elegant, yet masculine sword in his hand, he felt as if he and
the sword were one. He could still feel the tingle, as if the sword had a soft
heartbeat.
"Well
done, Li-kun," Eriol congratulated as he appeared before Syaoran, a smile
on his face, his staff gone, "I knew you'd be able to get it."
"I
was 'sort of' forced to," Syaoran snapped, glaring, "I didn't have
any other choice since you were trying to KILL ME!"
"It's
my way of teaching," Eriol pointed out, "Don't you think it's
effective?"
"Effective?
Effective?!!...you have a bad habit of over-using understatements."
Syaoran grumbled, looking at the sword again, slowly twisting his wrist to
understand the feel and weight of the sword.
"I
made it as light as possible for fluid, faster movements. But I made it out of
titanium and platinum for power," Eriol remarked, "I think it matches
your physique quite well. Do you like it?"
"You...you
made this for me?" Syaoran asked, glancing at Eriol.
"Well,
it's only proper to give my cute kohai a gift." Eriol smiled.
"...stop
calling me that." Syaoran muttered, a pinkish hue crossed his cheeks
against his efforts.
"You
mean stop calling you cute, my kawaii angel?"
"Yes!
Stop it already!"
"Why?"
"Because
I'm NOT cute!!"
"Why,
of course, you are, my kawaii kohai."
Glowing
a brighter shade, "Stop calling me—!"
"—kawaii."
Clenching
the hilt of the sword threateningly and looking at his navy-haired target,
"Don't tempt me, Hiiragizawa!!!"
"But
tempting is what I do." Eriol remarked. But seriously…that was right.
"…
…"
Syaoran
collapsed on his bed, not caring to take a bath even though his body was
tainted with sweat, dirt, and dried blood.
The
training in Heaven was most definitely strenuous, but Eriol proved that HIS
kind of training was in a way different league.
Syaoran
felt his muscles aching, sore for the countless sword drills Eriol told him to
do. His body wasn't going to listen to his mind any longer, it was too languid
from fatigue.
Oh,
Kami-sama...this is only the first day...he's really serious... Syaoran
thought. ...he's really going to push me all the way.
An
image of Eriol passed through his head…with his dark gray eyes that gleamed
with secretive ambitions and that smirk of his…
Whatever
he throws at me, I can handle anything! Syaoran thought, looking at the
Chinese curio that was actually his sword in its' false form. He clenched the
black ball in his fist. ...anything...
Or
at least he hoped he could.
Six
hours of sleep, only an hour for eating, bathing, or leisure...and seventeen
hours of training. This was Syaoran's schedule and Eriol made sure that all 24
hours were diligently and judiciously used.
And
every night Syaoran collapsed on his bed, exhausted and drained of energy.
You'd think he'd get used to the training, but the problem was that Eriol
always had something new and damned hard to teach.
Not
only did Eriol make Syaoran review over the previous work from the days before,
he also taught him new things.
Every.
Single. Damned. Day.
But
to his surprise, the time passed by quickly...
--A few more days passed--
"Iya,
iya," Eriol shook his head, "that won't do. You must strike faster,
stronger-it must come to you as if it were a natural reflex. Now, do it
again."
Looking
over his shoulder, Syaoran exasperated, "I did this same move for...what?
Three hours now!"
"Actually,
four hours. Now, as I said, do it again please." Eriol said politely,
smiling at Syaoran's impatience.
Syaoran
made a scowl, but he looked forward again, his sword ready to strike for the
hundredth...or two hundredth...time.
--Then a week passed---
"Don't
hold the hilt with such tenacity—if you do, you won't be as swift. You must
think of the hilt of the sword as a calligraphy brush..." Eriol remarked.
"A
calligraphy brush?" Syaoran scoffed.
"If
you hold a calligraphy brush too tightly, your writing will be too brash and
your grip will shake. If you hold the brush too lightly, your writing will be
too faint and your hand will slip," Eriol lectured, "now try to
control your grip to improve your speed. Let's do this again."
"The
way I hold my sword is just FINE!" Syaoran protested.
Eriol
gave him a subtle frown.
"...all
right, all right," Syaoran let out a sigh, "...explain how you hold
it again..."
Eriol
gave him a smile, "Good. Now..."
--Then two weeks--
Eriol
watched his apprentice perform the Bing Jiang Form, his movements were quick,
strong, and fluid. Syaoran and his sword worked as one, it was as if Syaoran
gave life to his sword.
He's
learning and improving so quickly... Eriol smiled. ...and soon...
Gracefully,
yet swiftly falling into a deep stance, Syaoran then struck his imaginary
opponent through the heart with an accurate, precise thrust of his sword.
...and
soon he'll learn magic...MY magic. And that's where the real fun begins.
Eriol inwardly grinned.
"How'd
I do?" Syaoran asked, wiping the sweat from his brow with his sleeve.
"Perfectly."
Eriol commended with a smile.
--Finally a month of hard-core
training paid off--
"It's
been a month, I think it's time to see what you know." Eriol declared.
Eyeing
THAT kind of smile, Syaoran glared with suspicion, "...What are you
planning, Hiiragizawa?"
...the
ground began to tremble, a sound of clanking armor echoed through the air...
Syaoran
spun around, seeing a small army of armor-clad black demons marching toward
him. Syaoran turned back to the smiling Eriol.
"Only
about seventy warriors...Let's see if you pass this little test, ne?"
Eriol said as all the demons unsheathed their swords from their false forms
simultaneously.
"…oh,
'ONLY' seventy! ...kuso yaro..." Syaoran cursed and turned back to the
awaiting army and gripped his sword in his hands, his sharp eyes searching the
black army and glinting of swords and lances.
"Feel
free to begin at anytime...I assure you, they are all ready to begin battle
with you."
…
… … … …
The
last demon warrior roared angrily and thrust its' sword at Syaoran with inhuman
speed, the sword was almost like blur...
However,
Syaoran deflected the attack and counterattacked with speed unmatched against
the demons. His sword sliced into black body, spilling the black blood.
The
demon crashed down into the ground from the force, joining the rest of the
fallen warriors.
"Well,
well, I never expected you to finish in such a quick time!" Eriol stepped
over the bodies and severed limbs of his own former warriors, "You did
very well. Much past the standards I was expecting, I have to admit."
Syaoran
set his feet on the ground near Eriol, his white wings slightly quivered as he
looked around the area...he dropped his bloodstained sword, letting it fall to
the ground with a loud clank.
His
wings disappeared as he turned to Eriol and grabbed him by the shirt roughly,
pulling him forward.
Eriol
was completely unfazed by Syaoran's sudden, forceful action, and asked calmly,
"Something the matter, Li-kun?"
"...I
never..I never killed so many before," Syaoran growled, ruefully glancing
around at the bodies and useless weapons. He turned back to Eriol,
"...why..why did you make me kill them all for no reason?!" he shot
Eriol a dark glare as his grip on his shirt tightened.
"This
was your test. I didn't make you do anything. You chose to kill them. It was
either you. Or them. To fight is to kill." Eriol replied casually.
"But
I didn't have to use my sword! I could've used a..a reversed blade!"
"Are
you going to use a reversed blade in a real battle?"
"...
..."
"Exactly.
You passed the test exceedingly well and so you clearly mastered the art of the
sword. And it's only been a month," Eriol commended, smiling, "I'll
see you tomorrow for new training."
Syaoran's
grip on Eriol's shirt loosened, his arms fell limp to his sides, his head hung
down. Why do I even bother TRYING with him?
Eriol
felt a sense of pity...it was strange how this cast-away angel could bring such
emotions out of him...
Putting
a hand on Syaoran's shoulder gently, Eriol said quietly, "Understand that
all experiences, especially killing, will only help you get stronger. Strong
enough to have a chance with the Fusion. It's for your own good, you
know."
Syaoran
looked at Eriol's hand, he then looked up at Eriol, seeing how their faces were
quite close...Syaoran froze...stuck in a solitary moment of significance...
...just
a few more inches forward and he would be able to—OKAY! That's ENOUGH
thinking!
Syaoran
instantly blushed, snapping out of his reverie and turned his back to Eriol.
Eriol was confused by Syaoran's sudden action.
Picking
up his sword and changing it back into its' false form, he soon began walking
away from the navy-haired General and muttered, "Tomorrow."
"Yes.
I'll see you tomorrow." Eriol watched Syaoran walk over the fallen
warriors, careful not to step on their lifeless bodies out of respect.
It
was clear that Syaoran felt disgusted with his own skill and talent...at
killing. And Eriol had thought that Syaoran would have enjoyed killing all
those demons...but it was just the opposite.
Eriol's
eyes darkened with contemplation. Can he possibly handle black magic? He's
still...he's still too pure...
What
if Li-kun can't handle the Fusion? What if he...hmm...
...how
odd. Why am I so worried about him? I don't have to be...he can easily be
replaced if he does happen to die... Eriol thought, a puzzled look on his
face. Then...why am I still worried about Xiao-Lang's welfare?
Wait.
'Xiao-Lang'? Did I just call Li-kun by his given name? Eriol became more
confused when a consistent fluttering lingered in his chest as it had many
times before...
Eriol
slowly put his hand on his chest where his heart was supposed to be.
But
he had no heart. He never did...
All
he had was a mind and power. A brilliant mind with knowledge as old and refined
as the finest wine. And power so great that it was indescrible.
...but
that didn't matter to him at all...
It
was that...fluttering...that aching...in his chest...
What
caused it?
Eriol's
mind wandered to the brown-haired angel...then a hypothetical 'realization'
entered his mind...
Suddenly,
Eriol laughed aloud, closing his eyes and running a hand through his hair.
...was
he losing control of himself?
Of
course not! He will not and would not lose control of the situation. Syaoran
was wrapped around his finger like a thread around a spool.
...or
is it the other way around?
Syaoran
sat down on the edge of his bed, slumped over, letting his elbows lean against
his knees. He covered his face with his hands, thinking with regret, Should
I be ashamed or proud to have killed all those warriors by myself?
Syaoran
raised his head from his hands and looked at the Chinese curio that lay on his
bed...all the training he went through...one month's worth of training with
Eriol was worth decades of training and knowledge...but...
...they
were completely different...of different beliefs, morals, and souls.
But
that wasn't the problem.
Syaoran
felt himself slipping from the beliefs and ties with Heaven and slowly
accepting the 'evil', practical beliefs of Hell. The things he learned...the
philosophies he and Eriol discussed and debated...he felt himself falling in agreement
with some philosophy Eriol offered and he also was falling...falling in...
Syaoran
flopped against the bed, stopping all thoughts, forcing his mind to go blank...
He
was Eriol's apprentice and immortal enemy.
He
and Eriol would never be anything more than that. Enemies forever.
Forever.
...but
'forever' seems like a long time....
....too
long... Syaoran thought unintentionally. His eyes flew open, surprised at
his own thought.
Syaoran
clutched his head with both hands, shutting his eyes tightly, as if to stop the
sanity from slipping for him...
WHAT
is WRONG with me? Even CONSIDERING to accept Eriol as an acquaintance is
foolish enough... But as an ally? As a friend? HIM, that sadistic, twisted man?
That's..that's blasphemous!
...but
to think of him as something more than a cohort...
That...was
unacceptable...
Author's Note:
FINALLY
done with THIS chapter...had some technical problems with my computer. ^_^; I
hope you guys found this chapter to be enjoyable! And I'm so excited to make
the NEXT CHAPTER!
Oh,
yes, I have plans for my cute lil' devil and angel for next time... I hope
you'll all wait for it ^^ I'm trying to find all flaws in it before I post it
up...but for now, PLEASE REVIEW! Domo arigatou!
~*~ Glossary ~*~
Yuu-huu: Yoo-hoo
Yobisamasu ne: Wake up
Yokatta: Glad to hear it
Iya: No