And, we're back again!! Multiple chapters up at a time!! WHOO!! ^_^ Please enjoy, for I have slaved over these just for your pleasure. . Or something to that effect…
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Firesprite crept along as silent as a shadow on the grass, easily evading the lazy perimeter guards who were supposed to stop any intruders from entering the camp without even trying that hard. The prisoners, who were supposed to be guarded by four separate sentries at different intervals around their ring, were left unguarded for once due to some drill or other. The Guardian knew that if she hadn't heard from a random fellow walking by that it was tonight she never would've found a way to get them free and into the portal safely.
Slipping into the tent that Annie shared with the other women, she quickly woke the young woman and gave her enough lock picks to go around the group. Annie was so happy to see her that she almost forgot about her arm and almost bent it back again as a result. But after a quick touch of the Guardian's healing powers and a hug to reassure the young woman everything was going to be ok, she was ready to carry out her part of the plan.
Annie quickly woke the other women in the tent, keeping them silent with a few hissed warnings as she worked the locks with the little shafts of metal until they finally came free. Leaving them there to wait until the Guardian's signal came through, she slipped a few in her shirt and wandered out with an odd smile on her face.
Going over to Kenjou, who wasn't quite asleep yet, she lay in front of him and woke him with a quick tap on the nose. Covering his mouth with her fingers, she reached under her shirt and drew out the lock picks slowly. Their eyes met, and he understood perfectly in an instant what had happened.
"She's here," she whispered in his ear, flicking back her hair with one hand that also happened to released one of the bits of metal in Seta's direction at the same moment. He stretched in his 'sleep' and grabbed it out of the air, sitting up a few moments later and sitting with his back to them and his legs crossed so he could work the lock without being too noticeable.
"So I figured," he replied, touching her bandaged arm gently, which she'd been using as if it weren't hurt at all. "And…?"
"She said she will clear the path," she replied slowly. "We'll know when that is, and when comes to run."
"For the portal?"
"Yes, all of us."
"Alright…" He bit his lip, then kissed her cheek quickly as she was getting up slowly. "For luck."
She growled at him. "More like for your Death…" But could do no more as she slipped back into the tent. Z and Seta now sat back to back, Seta's chain unlocked but left in place for the sake of appearances and Z working on his while the two talked quietly. That wasn't so strange, given that almost always one of the guys was awake out of habit to make sure no one came and harassed 'their' women during the night.
Kenjou lay there with his knees up to his chest, wiggling the lock with the lock pick she'd left in his hands. What would the signal be, and how would they know? He hoped their Aunt knew what she was doing, their lives depended on it.
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Firesprite placed the last of her explosives in place, an evil grin flitting across her face. She may be the Guardian of the Living, but that didn't mean she couldn't 'remove from existence' those who endangered her friends. They weren't conventional 'human' bombs, things of sulfur or nitric acid or whatever that would blow up with the use of a switch. These were her homemade bombs, and were bond to do more damage than those little packs ever could.
"And now for the finishing touch…" Firesprite leapt upon into one of the trees, right in middle of the prisoner's circle and the portal which had been rather heavily guarded. Planting her little beauties there had been a bit of a problem, but she'd managed and things would be better because of it.
She stood, drawing her sword as she allowed her full abilities to show through in a full transformation of her being. Taking a deep breath, she threw back her head and let out a banshee scream that woke the entire camp. "PREPARE TO DIE!!"
Just as she jumped in the air a twenty-foot wide track between the portal and the prisoners was engulfed in flames, everything destroyed in an instant with a deafening roar…
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Kenjou had long since given up the pretense that he was asleep, bidding the other two to get their rest while he stood beside their dying fire. Time seemed to stand still, when for once in his life all he wanted it to do was hurry up and be over with. What if something happened to Firesprite? What should they do then, attempt to escape on their own? Take their chances and run for it? And how would they know, they didn't have a way to talk with her or anything…
"AAAAAIIIIIIRGHHHHHHEAAAAAAAHH!!" He turned quickly to see massive flames leaping high above everything else, an entire swath of the camp between them and the portal (including all the initial guards) gone in an instant. The flames died as quickly as they'd came, but two more such explosions went off as Kenjou ran towards the tent and met Annie there holding Kit and one of the other two carrying Kat.
"You think that's the signal?"
"What else could it be?!"
"Then let's go!"
Seta lead the race for the portal, the older woman Kino and the beautiful one Mitsumo right behind him and Annie and Z bringing up the end. Kenjou covered their backs as best he could, making sure they weren't followed or anyone noticed they were gone during the mayhem Firesprite was causing behind them. Everyone but Annie and Z were through when he got there, watching as they threw the little girl through before Z dove it and Annie charged through as well grabbing Kenjou's hand at the last minute to make sure he came too.
For Kenjou, time seemed to slow down as he felt her hand clasp his own. In the distance, he saw Firesprite soaring towards them, and the look in her eyes, it hit him like a ton of bricks. {She's not coming back…} a voice in her head cried in realization.
She looked back at him as he felt himself being pulled through the portal, a slight smile on her face. "Take care of them!" he heard her yell. "Especially Annie, she's just like me in some regards but without the part-monster thing. I'm counting on you, Kenjou!!"
"NO!!" he screamed, trying to fight his way back out as he was pulled completely through the portal to the other side. "NO, FIRESPRITE!! LILIANNE!!! NOOO!!!"
Firesprite ignored his cries, pulling out a dagger the moment the portal was closed behind him and took out a bloody cloth she'd snatched earlier. Cutting her own palm, she mixed the two together and wrote a single character with it on the stone in the two bloods.
Satisfied, she turned and pulled out her sword again to face the swarms of soldiers who'd gathered behind her. "Come on boys," she jeered lightly, beckoning with a jerk of her head as the first rank began it's charge. "I'm waiting…"
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Zephyr packed restlessly as he had since dawn, refusing to eat, drink, or even rest as he walked the same circle time and time again around the camp fire a little ways behind those were sitting waiting for their breakfast.
"Zeph," said Holly, standing in front of him suddenly as she placed a hand on either side of his face. "Please, will you settle down? Or at least eat something, Genki's made your favorite…"
"I can't," he said abruptly, shouldering past her roughly to resume his endless walk.
She regained her balance and looked at him sadly. "But Zephyr…?"
"I just can't," he sighed, stopping for a moment to flick his ears slightly. "It's just…I can't. I'm sorry…."
"Zephyr, you're going to wear your paws to nothing and your nerves to the edge of snapping completely," said Meg, stopping him with her arm as he came by her seat again. "What would Lilianne say if she saw you like this?"
"The younger would say I'm being a grumpy grand-dog," murmured Zephyr, pausing for a moment. "The elder, a young pup who's lost his nerves."
"See?" Meg smiled. "Now come on, Zeph, there's a spot right next to me that's open, and-"
"No," cut in Zephyr, resuming his walk after a moment's hesitation. "I'm not being rude, really, I just can't…"
He was interrupted by a rumble underground, everything around them shivering for a moment before stopping just ask quickly as it had come.
"Hey, what's going-"
"The portal!!!" Everyone ran to the gigantic boulder as its face began to shimmer violently, those who had weapons grabbing them and those who didn't hiding behind those who did. An older fellow burst out suddenly, followed by two young women with one bearing a young girl. But that's not really what caught everyone's attention, for right after that a girl came flying through to land on her back, only to be joined a few moments later by Z who had done a belly flop beside her.
Annie's head appeared a few moments later, the rest of her following as well as Kenjou's back as he was forced out of the portal by her moment and the shutting of it on the other side. "NO!!" he screamed, letting go and throwing himself against it as if to go back through it again. Beating it with his fits he began to scream, "NO, you can't, you just CAN'T!! FIRESPRITE!!" Tears falling down his face, the young man fell to his knees from complete and total exhaustion, the last thing he remembered before he passed entirely being Annie's face over his as she called his name from afar…
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"You awake, Kenjou?" came a gentle voice, one he knew he'd heard before, but not in a long while since. "Keni boy…?"
"…mom?" He opened his eyes, seeing her leaning over him and sponging his face gently. "What…? Where am I? How did you-"
"It's ok, darling, you're home," she whispered, tears forming in her eyes as she planted a kiss on his forehead.
"Mom…" he rolled his eyes teasingly, sitting up slowly to put his arms around her. The memories flooded back, making him sober up for a moment before putting on a good face for his mother. "I'm fine, see? How are the others?"
"Annie and Z are quite happily reinstalled with their family," said Meg instantly with a smile. "And fit to burst with the news that Holly's going to have her sixth child…"
Kenjou sat up straighter. "Another one?! Don't they have enough already, I mean you can only get so much free labor out of them. How could you possibly want six kids at one time…??"
"It's not always a matter of wanting as it is what fate wants for you," replied Meg with a grin. "And someday, I hope you'll have that many children and make me a happy grandparent, son."
"Yeah, yeah…what about the others?"
"Oh, you mean Seta and Kino?" asked Meg, nodding her head slowly. "Genki's given Seta, Kino, and the three girls enough supplies to get them to the next town and whatever coins he had on himself as well. Apparently they've had enough of the Spirit Realms, and while they wish us the best luck protecting the world they wish to leave as soon as possible."
"Understandable," said Kenjou with a slow nod. "Had I been forced to stay there as long as some of them did I'd probably choose the same thing."
"Yes, well…"
"Hello," said someone outside the doorway right then, stopping whatever it was Meg was going to tell her son. "Can I come in, Meg?"
"Hai, Annie," replied the older woman, rising slowly with a wink to her son. "Kenjou, Annie hasn't stopped asking about you since you got back. Did anything happen while you were there that you might want to tell me about?"
"Absolutely not," he replied with a sigh. "That girl is so infuriating sometimes, why can't she be more like her mom??"
"Why can't you be more like your Uncle?" Annie shot back. She bowed respectfully to Meg with a faint blush on her cheeks. "Hello, Meg-sama. Mum wanted to know if you could help her with some healing brew of hers?"
"If you'll stay here with Kenjou for me for awhile, yes," replied Meg, rising to her feet and leaving the two of them before either had a chance to reply.
"Eh…hello," said Kenjou, giving her a slight grin as she sat herself beside his mat. They were inside one of the huts Genki had built, and Meg shared it with her son and siblings during the night hours. "So, how long was I out for?"
"Four days," replied Annie with a frown. "You…uh…had m-…us, I mean, worried there for awhile. Especially the way you just collapsed…your mom though you were dead."
"What would you say to that?" asked Kenjou out of the blue, crossing his legs to sit tailor-style across from her.
"What do you mean?" replied Annie, feeling rather confused as well as a little nervous as he gave her a sly grin.
"I mean, what would you think if I had died?"
"Oh…" Annie paused, seeing the hopeful look in his eyes as she immediately turned on the defensive. "Hey!! Don't start thinking I'd go depressive or anything. Even if I did happen to be sad, it would be because there'd be no one else around other than Z to smack upside the head and I'd probably be more glad that there was one less baka to bother me anymore!"
"Hm, sure," said Kenjou with a superior look on his face. He held his hands to his chest, a dazed look taking over his eyes. "You'd probably wilt away entirely and end up wasting your life away pining over my deceased body. Crying day after day beside my grave…"
Annie interrupted his speech with a sharp rap on the head. "Idiot…"
"Ouch!!"
"I was going to ask you what you were yelling about as we left the Spirit Realms," said Annie indifferently as she rose to her feet in a single, fluid motion. "But if you're going to keep on daydreaming about some poor girl pining over your dead body, perhaps it would be better if I left."
"No, wait!" said Kenjou quickly, catching hold of her wrist. "I probably need to thank you for something…"
Annie turned slowly. "For what?"
"Eh…" Kenjou scratched the back of his head, looking up at her nervously. "If you hadn't taken my hand and pulled me after you, I probably wouldn't have left at all…" His face fell as he remembered the look in the Guardian's eyes. "Firesprite…she never planned to come back with us, I think. And after we left, she did something to the portal so we couldn't come back either but I'm guessing the other creatures can't come here either. Her last words to me as you pulled be after you were to take care of you guys and that she was counting on me…" He felt his face flush as he omitted the one part, but didn't feel like taking a one-way ticket to outer space right then and left it at that.
"Counting on you for what?" mused Annie, sitting back down slowly as she rested her chin on the hand that he hadn't grabbed on to.
He shrugged. "I don't know." He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. "Perhaps to help protect someone…"
"AHHH!!!" Both young people were bowled over by a gray streak that whizzed into the hut, chased by another young woman waving a pot over her head. The two whirled around the room a few times then ran back out, leaving Annie and Kenjou lying there to stare at the ceiling in befuddlement.
"…I'm feeling rather trampled, how about you?"
"Yeah, I'd say so."
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Firesprite and her whirling blade were not at all to be messed with. Wave after wave of foot soldiers from the camp trying to prove their worth broke upon her uselessly and were scattered like chaff in the wind. Her wings fully extended, horns extending from her forehead, and her eyes glowing a brilliant red her gaze froze warriors on their tracts and made even the most brave trembled in fear.
She was Firesprite, Guardian of the Living, and someone had made the mistake of making her very, very mad.
Next came the fighting beasts and lesser demons, in fewer numbers but with greater power and she was pressed slightly to beat them back from the portal. Not that it mattered, it was sealed permanently for the time being, but she intended to take quite a few of these lovely fellows down before she even considered allowing herself to be captured. Escape was not an option, she had to do everything in her power to neutralize the portal as long as she could, and the closer she was to it the easier it would be.
The higher ones replaced the lesser demons, and only after she'd either beaten back or killed those did the one she was looking for come forwards.
"Keitaro," she said steadily, looking at him calmly though she was breathing heavily and had shallow wounds inflicted in many places across her body. They bled freely, for she couldn't afford to heal herself when the majority of it had been used to seal the portal and now she would need what was left to keep herself alive. "I thought I smelled your foul stench the moment I entered the camp…"
"Ah, my ever wonderful counterpart," said Keitaro with a nod in her direction. "So tell me, how does it feel to know you're about to die?"
"I could ask you the same question," replied Firesprite with a devious grin. "Do you recognize this?" She tossed a scrap of cloth at him, saturated in a dull black substance.
Keitaro raised his brows in surprise, fingering a set of teeth marks on his wrist that hadn't been there before. "That's what I used to mop up my blood when that little savage bit me while I was trying to question her…" His eyes flew to the seal, taking it in slowly. "Very clever, Firesprite, I commend your quick thinking as well as your courage for doing such a thing. Now I can't kill you without killing myself, and only both our deaths will break the seal. Still, I believe you have made one miscalculation…"
He brought his hands together, chanting a few words before blasting her with a solid beam of power. The Guardian didn't even try to fight it, merely shielding herself as she acknowledged the fact that it was over for now.
"It's left you too weak to even protect yourself," admonished Keitaro with a grin as he walked to her side and hit her over the head with the flat of his blade. Hauling up her limp body, he triumphantly threw her over his shoulder and took her to the giant tree stump where the chains where. Putting the chains on her himself, she was left to lie in the place where the prisoners had once stayed in their place. With his power as a safeguard on each of the locks, and one of his collars around her neck, she wouldn't be going anywhere or doing anything without his permission for sometime.
"I hope you enjoy your new home," he gloated victoriously. "But don't get too comfortable. The new Destroyer of All shall want to have something done to punish you for such an act after he realizes we've captured you. Especially after closing off his portal, he shall not be happy with you in the least."
"I doubt he'd be happy to see me regardless," murmured Firesprite as she succumbed to the growing darkness around her. Keitaro just laughed, staring down at his prize as the maniacal bursts of victory rolled over the camp evilly.
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Ok, there's your chapter eight. I know it's only half as long as the one before, but it is a chapter and you should be happy to be getting more than one at a time!! ^_^
Please review, I do enjoy getting comments from you guys… *sniff* And it makes me feel so loved… ^_~ Comments or suggestions almost always appreciated.
~Crosseyedbutterfly~