Shadows of Unclouded Doubt: Darkness of Deceit
Tasuki felt tears stinging his eyes as he looked
between Serge and Chichiri. Now he could see the stuble resemblances
between the two, but he didn't see how that helped any at the moment.
There was no denying that, this time, Tenkou had won. There was no
hope that Houjun or Chichiri would be of any help in defeating the demon
lord and he didn't see how they could possibly hope to win.
"It seems my plans have finally come full
circle," Tenkou smirked, approaching Serge menacingly. "You son is
dead and your brother is my prisoner. With both the gaurdians of
time and destiny out of the way, there will be no one left to stop me."
"That's where you're wrong, Tenkou."
Chichiri held up his dented staff, a red aura surrounding it as he conjured
up a powerful attack and threw it at the silver haired man.
"Impossible! How can you be free of
my spell?" Tenkou raged, dodging the attack only to stop and cry out in
pain as a deep cut appeared on his back from seemingly no where.
Houjun looked up, leaping back, his sword held ready for another attack.
"I realized that Chichiri was under a spell
and used the sword to free him," the teen explained, a white aura surrounding
his hand as he cast a brief healing spell. The cut on Chichiri's
arm vanished and the mage held his hand out.
"And now we'll make sure you never hurt anyone
again." A burst of red light flew forth again, barely hitting Tenkou
as he dodged again. Houjun stopped and watched the injured demon
lord's movements as he seemed unprepared to counter any of his counterparts
attacks and narrowed his eyes. He shifted one foot on the ground
and lept forward, pinning the silver haired man on the ground, his sword
at his throat.
"You're not Tenkou. Who are you?" He
growled, his face barely an inch from the older man's. Chichiri stopped
and blinked at them before quickly moving to free the others.
"Rather estute for a boy who remembers so
little about his life here." As he spoke, he raised a hand, calling several
near invisible threads to attack Houjun. Six of them passed through
him, two through each arm and two unfatally through his back. As
the silver-haired mage easily slipped out from beneath him, the threads
suspending Houjun above the ground, his appearance changed. His hair
stood stright up and was a light brown color, his eyes changing to a simialar
color and the black robes melted to become armor that left most of his
arms and legs exposed.
"I must admit, you are clever boy. Truely
worthy of being the dove of Suzaku, however," a staff appeared in his hands
and more thread formed an invicible but deadly barrier between them and
where Chichiri and the others stood. He looked down at Houjun, laughing
softly as the teen struggled to move his sword as more threads restict
his movement, cutting into his skin. "Your luck has run out."
"Think again, Yousui." Hikou dropped
out of the sky, his wings shirnking as he landed before his friend, the
threads suspending him cut by Hikou's swallow which he held firmly in his
hands.
"Ya didn't ferget that yer on Mt. Reikaku,
did ya?" Kouji asked, casually passing by Tasuki. With a quick
movement, his scythe cut through the threads in their path.
"Hmph, how could I? I've only been leading
the attack against it?"
"Wha-?" Kouji stopped dead in his tracks and
Tasuki drew his tessen.
"That's right, I am the one in charge of the
Mt. Kaou bandits who are attacking you. And tomorrow, we will attack
again and you. Will. Fall. There is no way that your band of misfits
will survive. And then we will attack Eiyo. Not that it matters,
afterall. Lord Tenkou will soon destroy everything in this world.
It might do you good to run while you can." With a final smirk, he
vanished just as Tasuki sent a wave of fire at him.
"Te-me..." Houjun groaned, pushing himself
up. He could feel his wounds beginning to heal themselves.
Hikou's arms slid under him and lifted him to his feet and he smiled.
"Arigatou, Hikou-chan!"
"I'm glad you're alright, Houjun," Serge said.
"O-otosan?" Chichiri asked, cautiosly approaching
the older man.
"Yes. I am. I have a bit more
explaining to do, don't I?"
"Wait a minute... You're my father?"
Serge nodded. "I knew that the floods
were going to strike our village. I had know since before you were
born that you would have a fight with Hikou when you were 18 and that you
would become a monk. I wanted so much to take my family with me when
I left Shouryu, but some things are ment to happen. That is because
this universe was a story being told in another world and those event as
well as the events that led up to the summoning of Suzaku. They were
all intergral parts of a story of love and hate. Life and death.
I left the village with your uncle and went to Mt. Cyan to wait for you.
I wasn't surprised that you didn't recognize me, Houjun, because your memories
are still incomplete."
"But...why? Why did you leave the villagers
to die?" Chichiri asked, more confused than angry.
"Because it had to happen. Believe me,
Chichiri, I wanted nothing more than to take you all with me, but I couldn't.
Fate wouldn't allow me."
The former monk bowed his head a bit, still not fully understanding.
"Look, this is nice an all, but we got
other problems. That ass, Yousui's gonna be back tomorrow and half
my men are injured. If they come at us full force, den we're gonna
lose." Kouji pointed out.
"Fer now, let's just go back to the base and
draw up some plans. We can talk about this more tomorrow," Tasuki
said, turning and heading back, Kouji following him.
"Well, I know one thing for sure," Hikou began,
turning to follow them. "Until this battle
is over, I think I'll stay here."
"Why?" Houjun asked, following beside him.
"Hikou-san hates Yousui," Fuji answered.
"And he wants to fight him, ne Hikou-san?"
Yama asked.
"Hai." The older man replied.
Serge looked at Chichiri a moment before approching
him, his arms encircling him. "I'll tell you the whole truth now,
if you'd like."
"Onegai, no da."
Serge nodded and closed his eyes. "You've
heard of the holy guardians, correct? When I said Fate wouldn't allow
me, I meant it. He told me that it had to happen. I left that
night with my brother, Damon, who is the current guardian of time."
"Y-you're brother is..."
Serge smiled grimly at this. "He is.
I came to earth with his help because I wanted to be your father.
I didn't care that you would some day become the Dove of Suzaku, I just
wanted to have a family and raise a son like you. I was foolish,
I suppose...to have a desire like that. But I had fallen in love
with your mother from afar. Damon could see this and offered to help
me. I couldn't return with him, however, until the ledgend of the
Dove had come to pass. Not until everything is finished here."
"Then...you're the guardian of destiny...aren't
you..." Chichiri asked, leaning back so he could look him in the face.
"You always were a bright one. You read
my aura well." He looked back with a smile before releasing the younger
man and turned back toward the bandit stonghold. "Shall we go?"
The two walked side by side in comfortable
silence until a frantic Kouji appeared breathlessly before them.
"Bad news," he gasped, looking up at surge.
"Tenkou somehow kidnapped a girl from Houjun's world....and now he's sayin'
dat his gonna leave and go rescue her..."
"But...doesn't he know that it's probably
a trap?" Serge asked. "He can't just go rushing in."
"You try an' tell 'im dat. He's pretty
pissed off 'bout it."
"Then we'll have to go with him, no da.
If he feels that strongly about it..."
"I do." Houjun approached them, Tasuki
and the twins vitually flanking him as he came to a stop before Serge.
"And they're coming with me."
Serge sighed quietly before nodding. "Then I suppose I'll
go as well. I needed to go sooner or later anyway."
"And me as well, no da. That makes six."
"Then it's agreed," Hikou stated. "Kouji
and I will stay here and fend off Mt. Kaou and Yousui."
Kouji smiled a bit before turning his attention
back to the group.
"We'll leave now, then." With that,
Serge raised a hand, a blue-ish gold light surrounding them before they
vanished, leaving Hikou and Kouji by themselves.
"We should perpare. They'll more than
likely waste no time in attacking at dawn." He turned and left, Kouji
watching after him for a moment before following.
Tenkou grinned evilly. "Everything is
going just as I planned, don't you agree, Damon?"
Damon turned his head, not able to stomach
the thought that his brother was not only knowingly walking right into
a trap, but was bring the Dove of Suzaku with him.
'Suzaku, protect your Dove. Please.
He's the only hope left.'
Chichiri looked around the dark room they had
arrived in, fists clentch and heart racing. He could sense Tenkou's
presense strongly somewhere above them and it was obvious that Houjun could
as well, the teen's eyes focused on the invisible ceiling. A flash
of light caught everyone's attention and both Chichiri and Houjun's eyes
focused on what could only be a memory jewel: the final one Houjun needed
to complete his memories. They exchanged a look, Chichiri nodding
slightly, before the teen approached it, croutching down to grasp it in
his hand. Another flash of light emmitted from the stone, no one
daring to talk much less breathe.
Suddenly, Houjun's head snapped back, a cry
torn from his lips as seering pain ripped through him, his cry echoed by
Chichiri.
"What's wrong?" Tasuki asked, trying to take
the monk's hand, only to be thrown back.
"The spell!" Serge shouted as a strong wind
began to blow through the room, pushing everyone back. "The spell
Tenkou cast...is starting to dispell!" The light grew stronger untill
it had engulfed both Chichiri and Houjun, blinding the others for a moment
before fading, plunging the room into darkness again, leaving Tasuki, Serge,
Fuji, and Yama dazed.
"They're..gone!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Has Tenkou really won? Where have Chichiri and Houjun disappeared to? Can the bandits stand up against the Mt. Kaou bandits even with Hikou's help?
Find out next time in Fushigi Akugi:
Chapter 11: Love's Lost Refrain: The True Dove's Song
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