Author's Note: Fwoo, one more chapter done. It's a bit shorter than usual, but it has some pretty critical parts to it. Good news guys, in a way. As you guessed, I'm winding down from writing off the manga, but, needless to say, that won't be the end of the show, because we still have a whole second part to complete! Seriously, though, if I was not so far along as I am, then I would so go back and re-write this sucker. The beginning chapters are HORRIBLE, I don't know how you guys got through them! Yuck… Hopefully this next part will go quicker than part one, as I have a LOT of it planned out, and I don't have to cater to anything else. Anyway, part one's in its home stretch, so it will be just one or two more chapters after this, then the real fun begins! Hang in there!
Chapter Twenty-Eight
A Heart of Stone
For what seemed like an eternity, the two men only stared at each other, weighing up one another with their eyes and in their minds without a word spoken between them. The only thing that seemed to be moving was the forest around them, making the leaves of the trees dances and tossing thin tendrils of fine hair before Larva's blood-red eyes, but it did nothing to the man whom he had once called father, who remained as unchanging as stone. Although he fought to keep his composure as cool and collected as the other man, on the inside, Larva was itching as if he had fallen into a patch of poison ivy, a painful tingle that enticed him to say something, like scratching at the itch with his own sharp claws; anything to break that nerve-wreaking silence, but he was unsure of what to say. It was perfectly clear to him that Pazusu was not pleased to see him. He had as good as betrayed him as well as Carlua when he returned to Miyu, and he felt a little guilty on the inside, knowing what they went through for all the best intentions…
But, on the flip side, Larva knew that what he did was the right thing for him to do, and nothing in the whole of existence was going to make him change his mind. He nearly breathed a sigh of relief when, at long last, Pazusu spoke first.
"It seems as if the Dark Exorcism has failed you, Larva." It came as no surprise that that would have been the first thing that Pazusu wanted to talk about. "The whole procedure was just a waste of time, at the end…" But judging by the clench of his jaw, Larva knew his master did not believe his own words.
Larva, on the other hand, was in no mood to talk of that situation; they could have this discussion when (or if) they survived Caial. He had come to Pazusu for one reason, and time was running short. There was no telling how the others were holding out on the other end, but from the tense feeling in the air, it would not be for much longer. "Pazusu, what is the Quarl's weakness… How do we defeat Caial? If you know, then please, you must tell me!"
He could already tell that his attempt was futile, even at the brink of near-pleading, and all hopes of ending his encounter quickly were soon dismissed when a cold and almost cruel smile made its way to Pazusu's lips.
"No way."
All possibilities of polite negotiations ended right then and there, and Larva hardened his features to match Pazusu's. This was going to turn out to be much more difficult than he had planned, and from the way that the other man held himself, Larva could guess that Pazusu was going to make sure that it did not end easily. Larva's betrayal to his family was an insult too great to bear, and for that, he had to meet certain punishments. But he was not a child anymore, and for the first time in his life, he realized that he would have to take the full blow of Pazusu's wrath as a man.
"As long as you and Miyu are together," Pazusu continued. "I am your enemy."
He had no time for this. "But the things that happened between you and Caial… You're the only one who knows…"
"Don't go so easy on yourself, Larva!" Pazusu's harsh words cut off the younger man before he even had the chance to ask the question. "If you really want to know, than the answer won't come easily. You can ask me again after you have defeated me. And I expect that sort of determination from you!"
Larva could not help the expression of surprise that flashed across his face when the full meaning of Pazusu's demand became clear to him, and he was unsure if he had been expecting that sort of consequence or not. He knew that getting the answer would not have been easy… but for the cost that his master was asking of him…
That is true… but even if it did come down to fighting Pazusu, would I even be able to defeat him? He remembered back to a time when he was younger, just a child, and making a feeble attempt at trying to perform one of the spells that he had heard Pazusu reciting earlier that day. The words were long and complex, but just by speaking them a strange sensation had come over him that made his tongue feel thick and clouded his mind, and as the spell wore on, started to make his chest ache. He had been too young then to understand the full severity of a mispronounced or missed word, and had it not been for Pazusu showing up before the spell was complete, who knows what the consequences would have been.
Me defeating… my Master…
Pazusu had not been upset about Larva making an attempt to mimic the spell, but he had a way of saying things that got right to the point with clear enough meaning for even the youngest of pupils to understand.
"That's no good." Pazusu had said in the tone of voice that he used when his pupils usually did something wrong in their lessons, and Larva's chanting stopped immediately at the sound of his master's voice. "It's about being free from the spell, and making your heart into nothing."
"Master Pazusu…" Larva was speechless at the older man's wisdom, but nonetheless understood the words that would have been a riddle to anyone else. "Making my heart…into nothing…"
Seeing that his foster son understood his meaning perfectly, Pazusu offered a warm, almost fatherly smile. "That's right…"
But it wasn't right…because it was a spell that I had no desire to be released from…
The long-forgotten memories were shattered like glass when sharp words reached Larva's ears, and he felt a certain degree of shock wash over him when he realized that they were the words of an attack spell. "No!" But it was too late, and he had acted too slowly. Larva felt as if an invisible wave of water had crashed over him, nearly knocking him off of his feet as all light was removed from the area and he was surrounded in complete darkness. Then there was something else; a heavy bass thudded in his eyes, making his whole being vibrated for one split second, as all sound was drawn out from the area and locked away within the confinements of the spell.
"That was my mistake!"
Now he was in the worse situation possible. It was as dark as night, and silence enveloped him, as well fitting as a glove. The only sound that could be heard was the terrible thudding rhythm that was his own heartbeat. Larva knew of this spell. The darkness left the opponent completely defenseless, and the silence made him too afraid to move, afraid that any sound would draw their attacker to them. Little did they know that there was one sound that they could not stop or silence, and that was the beating of their heart. The only way to gain the upper hand in this battle was through suicide, and since Larva had no intention on taking that way out, he was completely at Lord Pazusu's mercy.
Something shot out at Larva to his right; something small and quick, but it did not mean that it was any less deadly. It missed his temple by mere inches, cutting away a few strands of hair more neatly than any pair of scissors, just before another razor-sharp attack bit into his left arm. It was impossible to tell where they were coming from. "Ugh…" Larva grunted as another nearly clipped him. "Where is he?" Long ago, Pazusu had taught him a lesson on what to do if he was ever stuck in a situation like this, one that he could remember only vaguely. Clear your mind…and trace the residue of the spell back to its maker. Stronger spells were easier to work with, so Larva carefully but quickly read the weaves back to their source, which was almost right on top of him.
"I taught you this lesson, Larva, to set you free!"
Larva turned around full to face the man who had spoke those words only to meet an attack spell instead at full-force.
* * *
Lightning cracked, thunder snarled down at them and hurricane-force winds snapped trees in half like so many toothpicks as Caial continued to bend the elements around her, attacking the tiring group of Shinma with everything she had. Her cruel laughter drowned out everything else, filling Miyu's ears until they burned. "Well, well! Have you had enough of fire, yet? Next we have this for you!"
The fire died in an instant, only to be replaced a hairs breath later with a blinding flash that made spots dance before their eyes. Miyu blinked hard before throwing herself out of the way of the newest strains of attacks, a bolt of plasma striking the ground inches away from where she had been. This was horrible; they were not even fighting back anymore! The whole of their attention and energy was devoted to avoiding the witch's attacks, and that energy supply was limited and fast becoming exhausted.
Yui shrieked as a bolt struck a boulder just behind her, breaking it into pebbles, and Ryuko barely somersaulted out of the way of an attack before he had to dodge another that struck down a second after he landed. "Ranka!" Ichirou howled somewhere on the battlefield, leaping into the air just as a plasma bolt shattered the earth underneath him. "If it keeps going like this then our realm's going to be ruined! Why don't we fall back and wait for the reinforcements to come?"
"We can't do that!" Ranka shouted back, diverting a bolt away from her with a round of finely woven koto strings. "We have to settle this here and now!" Besides, I believe that if we had reinforcements to come, they would be hear by now, but they made it clear that they would choose death over aiding those who they once called "foe"…
Alas, but pride is the father of all sins.
"We have to stick this out…" Ranka continued, biting her delicate bottom lip. "Otherwise… otherwise we cannot show our faces to Aoi!"
Ichirou growled. "Whatever!" He cried out in frustration, conjuring a fire spell in his hands that he used to knock away several of the next oncoming attacks. "I get it already! But that monster just doesn't know when to quit!"
Cait Sith's mocking laugher rose with his mother's as he joined her in attacking the Shinma that stood opposed to them. "This is fun, isn't it, Mama? Make them dance some more!"
The witch smiled in that awful manner as she considered her son's words. "I wonder, how long should I let them run and hide?" Miyu glared up at her after she avoided being hit by another ball of plasma. Her, the vampire sentinel, run and hide? The very idea was absurd and an insult to everything she stood for.
"Are you okay, Yui?" Miyu shouted back to her littler sister, who was currently picking herself up off the ground.
"Yes, but I don't have a chance to fight back! They're too fast!"
"I know…" Miyu growled, baring her fangs. "This old bat can keep this up forever!"
"That may be so…" Miyu and Yui looked up to see Yoshi perched on top of a shattered boulder just above them. "But if I'm going down, then I'm going to make sure I take a piece of them out with me! What do you girls say, are you willing to give it all for your country?"
"Damn straight I am!" Miyu shouted back at him, redirecting her attention back to the battle, sighing heavily and wiping the sweat from her brow as her thoughts drifted back towards Larva. A sort of sinking feeling came over her as she realized that he had been gone for a really long time.
Larva…where are you when we need you?
* * *
Something was wrong. Carlua could feel it in the very air. She may not have known the forests of Japan nearly half as well as its inhabitants, but she knew that the path back to the Fifth Layer from where she and Pazusu had been residing at was a straight and short one. Now she had been wandering for a good half hour, and nothing was feeling the least bit familiar to her. The last thing she wanted to think about was that she was lost, but now it was looking inevitable.
The forest seemed to be pressing down around her on all sides, making her feel as if she had somehow wandered into a cage, making it hard for her to think, to breath. She paused for a moment, after hesitating to do so, to take a deep breath so she would keep from panicking too easily. Unfortunately, the attempt of doing so was fast becoming in vain.
She wanted to call out for help, wishing desperately that someone would hear her voice, anyone, who would be able to direct her out of this unholy place and to where she was supposed to be going. Or, better yet, back into the arms of Lord Pazusu. The very notion of her leaving his side was not one that had settled well with her, and more than once she was itching to just turn around and head back to him.
Oh, for crying out loud girl, just do it! I'm sure that he'll understand once you explain yourself. Besides, what's so horrible that he has to deal with that I can't see? Feeling a bit more confident, Carlua drew herself high and turned on her heel to head back the way she had come – it would not be very difficult, as she had just walked straight forward the entire time – and a strangled gasp became lodged in her throat.
The way that she had traveled down…was completely gone. Not that there was much of a path to begin with, but dense brush and tall, towering trees were now inhibiting her from going back the way she came, blocking her rout of escape completely. They had not been there before, she was sure of it! But, how could they have grown so quickly, literally within the space of only a few moments? The thought dawned on her almost immediately as the pieces fell into place, and she wondered why she had not seen it earlier.
She had not been wandering aimlessly, nor had she been off-course. Instead, Carlua had blundered right into a trap, and it was painfully obvious that there was no way out.
Struggling with every ounce of her being not to panic, Carlua made an effort to keep her mind clear, to try to think of some way to escape, but all attempts at maintaining her cool seemed to evaporate when a thin, cold laugh drifted through the dead-silent air to her.
"Poor little dove, so lost and alone…" A reedy voice crooned at her from somewhere high in the trees. Carlua looked frantically for the source of the voice, her blonde hair whipping across her face and blue eyes wide and wild. "So much like the little fawn that has strayed from its mother…innocent… naïve… and so, so helpless. It's almost a shame that I must kill one so sweet, and yet it is that innocence that makes the killing so fine… I thirst to hear your screams, to see your blood spill upon the ground… Now, embrace me, my little dove!"
Something dark and quick darted among the tree branches, so fast that Carlua had to rely on her magical senses rather than her eyes to keep track of it. It was not Shinma, nor was it a Quarl. That meant that there was only one other option; it was from the same Clan that Miyu's vampire cousin was from, the Shi. It was foolish in the sense that it had given her warning that it was there and was preparing an attack, which had given Carlua enough time to brew up a potentially large magical spell even through her fear, and as the creature dove at her, Carlua released the energy-based spell upon her attacker with all the strength and will she possessed.
It missed.
The spell bypassed the creature entirely as it rebounded off another tree and came flying straight at her, its massive jaws extended wide to take off her head in one clean snap. Feeling utterly bewildered and completely out of ideas, Carlua could do nothing more than close her eyes, raise her arms to her face, and scream.
However, the finishing blow never came. Instead the only thing that Carlua heard was a good, solid thunk and the muffled cries of pain of the creature. Cracking one blue eye open, she gasped at the site of the creature, not more than a foot away from her, hellish eyes bulged and rolling, with a large gray and rather furry fist shoved into its mouth and halfway down its throat.
"Attacking one by complete ambush – and, a child to say the least – is about the lowest that anyone can stoop to, Shinma or no."
Carlua's heart leapt into her throat as she recognized the deep bass voice from behind her, as well as above her. She turned around and craned her neck upwards to see none other than the giant of the Chinese Shinma standing over her, his fist rammed down her attacker's windpipe and leaving it completely at their mercy. And, surprisingly enough, he was almost smiling, but it was the shadow of a ghost's grin. "Now then, if you're quite finished, then you'll have to deal with me now."
A sudden chill washed over Carlua's body and spirit as the temperature plummeted, making her breath steam in the air as Yoto began to step forward, forcing the Shi-demon backwards as it continued to gag on a mouthful of fist. Its coloration began to change, as well. From its dark steely hue it began to pale, turn white around the mouth, and…it was beginning to frost over? Carlua understood now. He was feeding his powers into the creature from his hold on it, weakening it with every proceeding step, until Yoto had it against the trunk of a tree. Without even bothering to draw his arm back, the Chinese Shinma slammed the creature against it and it shattered like a porcelain doll.
Yoto sighed heavily as he shook his hand, flexing his fingers a bit. That creature had semi-hurt him when it tried to bite back to make him withdraw, but it did not hurt for long after it broke all its teeth off on its fist. Still, that was one less opponent that they had to worry about, he just hoped that Shiki did not send more out behind that one to do his bidding. He had to get back to his friends before…
Something slammed into him from behind, clinging to him tightly and nearly taking him by surprise. The adrenaline left over from the last mini-battle enticed him to lash back at the thing that had attacked him, until he saw exactly what it was that had hit him, and his eyes nearly bugged from their sockets.
Carlua turned out to be thing that had thrown itself against him, her arms wrapped around his waist and her face buried against him. For a moment, neither of them spoke; Carlua was still too shaken up from the event that had just taken place, and Yoto had been rendered speechless from the sight of one of their former enemies clinging to him as if he were a lifeline. Finally, after several moments of stunned and awkward silence, it was Carlua that spoke first.
"I was scared…so scared…"
Logical thought slowly came back to Yoto and his expression softened, although he was still rather unsure of what to do, or even to say back, until he felt something warm spreading through his shirt, and he realized almost instantly that they were tears. Slowly, and maybe a little cautiously, Yoto reached up with one massive hand to gently pat Carlua's soft blonde hair, trying to comfort her to the best of his knowledge. It had never really been something that he was exactly good at. "Well…I couldn't let them kill you now, could I? It was the least I could do." He felt the Western Shinma nod slightly and pull back, wiping the errand tears from her eyes. For some reason, it was incredibly hard to look up to him, and not because he was so much taller than she was. It was because the next words she uttered were those that she had never dreamed that she would be saying to a Chinese Shinma.
"…Thank you."
It was barely a whisper, but Yoto heard it, as clear as crystal and just as delicate. He would have offered a smile back – or, tried to, at least – until he remembered their current situation and how short on time they actually were.
"Come on, we got to get out of here, those creeps can come back any moment. First, I'll take you back to your Master. You'll be safest with him there."
Carlua nodded, not saying anything else, knowing that the Chinese Shinma was more than right. She just hoped that Lord Pazusu was still in one piece.
* * *
Something warm and wet trickled down the side of his face, but he barely noticed it through the demi-shock that he was in at that moment. The blow was strong enough to hurt him seriously, so why was he still standing and not in any sort of pain at all? Fighting to steady his breaths and slow his pounding heart, Larva looked at the situation rationally before he understood. Pazusu was not trying to seriously injure him, not like that time before. He was simply trying to teach Larva a lesson, as well as punishing him for betraying his Clan and, more importantly, his family. He would not be killed, but it did not mean that Pazusu was not going to be rather bruised and sore by the time his former Master was finished with him.
Larva… Pazusu's voice seemed to surround him, as well as echoing within the younger Shinma's mind. You will never be able to defeat me like that! Larva ground his teeth as if in retaliation to Pazusu's mockery, reaching up with his hand to wipe away the wet warmth on his face, which was beginning to burn like a paper cut did. What it was that he saw on the back of his hand, however, made him pause, and everything else went unnoticed.
A dark red smudge was smeared across the deathly white skin of his hand; blood that had seeped out from the wound that Pazusu's attack had cut across his face. But it was the manner of the smear of blood that made him stop and consider. It was like…the last time…
Blood…like that time before… A dark image flashed across Larva's mind, one that he would rather have forgotten, and had been trying to the last few days. Blood as black as night covering the ground, flowing like a waterfall, and a pair of shattered, heartbroken and tear-filled golden eyes… A desperate voice calling for him… When blood was last time on this hand… Miyu's gushing blood…when she nearly disappeared from this world!
Miyu…
A new, otherworldly light blazed in Larva's eyes as he picked himself up slowly from the ground, giving Pazusu such a look that it would have sent a rapid wolf running for cover with its tail between its legs.
That's right…Miyu…
"I have to protect Miyu!"
The darkness of the spell began to waver and weaken as, one by one, red-hot ghost flames strung to life all around Larva's form, which was standing taller and stronger before his master than he ever had before. A new light was blazing in his already blood-red eyes, a confidence and power that he had always possessed before, but had kept it hidden away from the eyes of his superiors most of his life. Not anymore… This is what I want to do with my life. And I'll be damned if anyone else tells me otherwise. Larva opened his soul to the power that surrounded his body, welcoming its protective warmth into his very being, burning along his veins and filling him with a strength that he had never known to exist before.
If the sight had surprised Pazusu, then he did not let it show. Still, the mere aura of this power would have been enough to make any lesser sorcerer collapse beneath its weight. He was almost sweating, and not from the heat created by the flames. What…is this? Not wanting to take any chances, Pazusu gathered his strength and unleashed another powerful energy-based spell, hurtling it straight at Larva with the same force and power as the spell that had caused his downfall not more than a few days ago. The spell struck true, but was completely destroyed, blown apart by the fire spell that was protecting Larva from any such harm. Larva did not so much as blink as the spell struck at him. The flames continued to dance around Larva's form, seeming to taunt and mock Pazusu, driving the failure of the Mashujutsu into him like a knife. "I see… so Miyu's blood gives you this much power…"
Larva dismissed the vampire fire with a wave of his hand, knowing that a battle of magical strength would get them no where, being only a waist of time and energy. "It's time to fight, Pazusu! It's time to end this!" The blood-red claws gleamed in the deep forest light, as deadly as any sword that he might have been holding.
"Come on, then!" Pazusu shouted back, rising to the challenge.
What happened next occurred so fast that any human who might have been watching would have missed the whole thing completely. Even Larva, when he reflected back on the conflict, could barely recall exactly what took place at that instant. He and Pazusu were charging each other, well aware that only one of them was going to come out of this on both feet. There was then a loud crack, a burst of light, and then…
Silence.
The world held still all around them, as if the very forest were holding its breath, waiting to see the true outcome of the battle. Leaves danced down from the trees above and a light breeze appeared once again, as if in a tentative manner, playing with the delicate strands of Larva's fine hair, but for the time being, those were the only things that dared to move. For what seemed like another eternity, neither Larva nor Pazusu as so much blinked, unsure of the full damage that they might have inflicted on each other; they simply waited for the other to speak first.
At long last, a small, almost sad smile appeared on Pazusu's lips. "Well done, Larva."
Whatever it was that Larva had expect Pazusu to say, it certainly was not along the lines of any sort of compliment. Larva staggered in spirit, his knees weakening and nearly giving out under him as he breathed his Master's name, as if he were almost denying what had just happened. He knew what sort of blow this was to Pazusu's pride, regardless of how proud he was that his foster son was finally, after all these years, worthy enough to defeat him in battle.
Then a small, almost inaudible sound reached Larva's ears that made his blood run cold. A weak cough, then the sound of feet stumbling upon the earth, and when he turned, he saw, to his horror, a trickle of blood running out of the corner of Pazusu's mouth as the older man fell, slowly, to the ground. A gasp caught in Larva's throat, and he knew nothing more in the world other than bolting as fast as he could to his Master's side.
Blood poured to the ground in great splashes, thick and red, as Larva caught Pazusu's falling form and clutched him tightly to his own. Pazusu was clutching at his chest with one hand, which was no doubt the source of all the blood. Indeed, Larva saw with a small sense of panic, there was a large hole in his foster father's chest, bleeding heavily with all his body's lifeblood. If Pazusu was in pain, then he did not let it show in his face; only his voice was strained and weak, his very energy flowing out of him with his blood. "You…have grown strong, Larva…"
Larva was in no mood for talking about such trifle manners. He could not have possibly caused those wounds…could he? He had meant to strike Pazusu with just enough force to know the wind from his lungs, but never something like this! Unless… "Pazusu! Those wounds…"
"They did not come from this battle."
"No…they didn't…" It was as Larva had expected. He might not have given Pazusu those wounds, but if he had had them before…then when Larva had struck him, it had been forceful enough to break them wide open. "You were already…badly wounded…"
Pazusu gave a weak laugh. "Either way, I would have never survived. You have given me relief from a slow death." An utmost look of horror and shock glazed over Larva's red eyes, obviously not wanting to believe what it was that he had just told the younger man, so before Larva could say anything in retaliation Pazusu grabbed his arm, forcing him to pay attention to what he had to say. "Larva… take this from me…" Slowly, he released Larva's arm and placed his hand against his own chest. Gritting his teeth, Pazusu trust his hand into the hole in his chest, blood gushing along his arm and making it all the more worse as Larva looked on, totally speechless. And from within the wound, Pazusu extracted something about the size of his fist, solid and covered with blood, extending towards Larva for him to take.
"What…is it?" Larva almost dared not to speak; he felt like he was going to be sick.
"I risked my life…and sealed this away within my body… It's a shard of the Quarl statue. Therefore, the resurrected Quarl Queen will never have a complete body without this piece. Understand, Larva?" Gently grasping Larva's hand, Pazusu placed the stone within it, closing his fingers around it surface, which was hot from the blood that covered it. Larva barely felt the weight pressing into his palm, nor was he able to see it well. The tears in his eyes were obscuring it from his view.
"Pazusu…what have I…done?"
Again, Pazusu managed a weak laugh, touched by his foster son's raw emotion that was showing that moment. After all that they had done to each other throughout the course of the last few days, and he was still crying before he was even dead. "Don't worry! It's better to live by the path you believe in…"
Larva did not say anything back this time. The tears were flowing freely now, and all he found himself being able to do was embrace the man he called "father" for as long as he could remember. He barely heard Carlua's voice calling out from behind them.
Carlua crashed to her knees beside Pazusu's dying form, tears already flowing from her eyes as she sank to the ground, half embracing and being embraced at the same time. "Lord Pazusu, those wounds… I knew that you weren't properly healed! Who did this to you?"
"..I did." Was Larva's short, curt reply as he stood, wiping the remaining tears from his face. "I…I'm sorry, Carlua."
Something huge sank to its knees besides them, tearing off pieces of its blue cape to make make-shift bandages to tie around Pazusu's chest. "He doesn't have much time, but we'll give him as long as he can hold out." Yoto said in a grave voice, not taking his eyes off the dying man. "Get back to the battle, the others need your help. We'll take it from here. Go, Western Shinma!" The last part was a growled order, snapping Larva out of his shock.
With a nod, Larva pulled his hood up and turned to return back to the battle, his eyes glowing like hellfire. At first, the only reason he had to battle the Quarls was to keep themselves and the Japanese Shinma Realm from being destroyed.
But now, it was personal.
------
To Be Continued…
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Author's Note: Wow, once I actually sat down to write this, it took me the whole of a week. Now why can't I do that more often and sooner? Ranka was wrong, pride isn't the father of sins. Procrastination is.
