The Secrets that Last
By Luna Tiarra
Ch. 17
-Konichiwa minna-chan! Keep reviewing for me and the final chapters are not far away! ^_^
Usagi frowned slightly as the bickering seishi were silenced. Not long after their departure, Nuriko had taken the silence as an opportunity to commented on Tasuki's fear of water. The break in silence had drawn comments from all. Tasuki was left to defend himself with all the extensive vocabulary he could muster and his bristling response was a superb source of amusement among the other seishi. Touji was practically falling off his horse laughing! Of course that had only further aggravated the fiery seishi and his exaggerated responses were a comical sight to behold. The laughter broke the haunting, wary atmosphere and the group engaged in small talk from then on until they found themselves arguing over who was the most talented negotiator. It was a futile attempt to distinguish superiority among them. Usagi couldn't help her amused smile from peeking through.
The bickering was instantly halted as they came upon the first Kutou town. The silence was deafening. The seishi stood in shock, pale and unbelieving as they stared at the remnants of the small village. Smoke rose from the charred houses and the stench of death hung heavy in the air. Crimson stains were scattered throughout their line of vision and Miaka had to look away. She felt her stomach churning with the odor and sight of disfigured corpses and bloodied limbs. The area was lacking in any form of life. The seishi stared at the ground in silence. The area looked as though a battle had been fought…as if the villagers had perhaps attempted for a brief instance to hold back their attackers. There were no survivors.
Usagi's viewed the scene with dead, emotionless eyes. She had seen many things far more gruesome and unsettling than what lay before them now. But it still drew a small bit of pained sympathy from her tired mind. They only stood for a moment before the sound began. A deep cackling filled the stale air.
The seishi, Miaka, and Touji searched wildly for the source of the sound. A shadowy figure began to appear before them and Usagi growled deep within her throat. Tension pricked at the seishi's necks and Miaka broke into a cold sweat.
"Chaos!" she yelled, addressing him. "How dare you harm innocent people in your quest for domination!"
Her outburst sparked a slight fear in the hearts of her companions but it quickly dimmed and vanished as they bravely stepped forward, preparing for anything.
The hissing reply was filled with venomous spite. "Little princess, little girl, you have come to me at last."
"You hurt innocent people." Usagi ignored the statement. "I shall never forgive you."
Chaos' sour laughter came out as a raspy giggle. "They have strong will, these Kutou people. They never realized that I was feeding off their energy until the very end. It was no fault of mine that they chose not to join me. They should have come to me willingly rather than dieing of their own ignorance."
"You are so evil." Usagi seethed. The hatred lacing her voice surprised the seishi and they looked at her in stunned awareness. Usagi's icy glare proved that the Usagi they were so close and accustomed to was far away at the moment.
"How dare you do this to draw me out!" she glared at Chaos with fierce silver rimmed eyes.
The man's face began to appear as the shadows fell away from his lean frame. The group gasped softly at the face that was revealed. The man was tall and well fitted and his tanned complexion and silky black hair were a winning combination. But the thing that caught them off guard was his eyes. Anything they had been preparing themselves for was nothing in comparison to what they saw in those two pools of sinister blue. He had deep sapphire eyes, pooling with disturbing emotion. They were desolate and empty, but at the same time they were so full of hate and anger. Fury that flamed at them behind hardly concealed barriers of ice.
Usagi bit her lip. She looked away. "Nande?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.
Chaos smiled sadistically at her. "Why what little princess?"
"Why do you have to take his appearance?" she asked softly. "He didn't do anything to you. Why must you keep him here and not allow him to rest in peace?" her voice was steadily rising as she spoke.
The seishi were confused. At the mention of a male counterpart, several members of the group had figuratively tensed and sparks of jealousy added to the negative atmosphere.
Chaos cackled evilly. "Is it not obvious?" he snorted. "In this form you are weak to look upon me. You can't stand the image of your prince turning against you again."
"You are not Mamoru." Usagi growled, a new strength seeming to take hold of her. She narrowed her eyes. "Minna-chan!" she called.
They all watched her for some kind of signal. They didn't have to wait long.
"Jupiter! Thunder! Dragon!" Usagi commanded in a calm, controlled shout.
Chaos grunted as Usagi sent a soaring lightening dragon at him and it wrapped around him, holding him in its electric chamber.
Chichiri, seeing that Usagi had begun, decided to add his own powers. He fired a flaming eagle at the angry man. It hit Chaos head on and the immobile dark lord glared at Usagi as his shield was broken.
"He's in his human form!" Usagi announced, flinging several attacks at the dark man. "It's his weakest form! Get him now!"
Chichiri and the others nodded and summoned their magical attacks, directing them all toward the man still being held captive by Usagi's dragon.
Chaos growled. "Damn. I shouldn't have so carelessly dropped my guard." He summoned his energy.
Attacks showered his weakening form, but Chaos continued to struggle hard against his binds. He growled as he squinted at the woman leader.
Usagi gazed at him with no compassion; her eyes were dead and empty, little more than dull windows to a nonexistent world of emotions. He had seen those eyes before. Once long ago. Or had that been his host's memory? Pressing against the back of his twisted mind, Mamoru's memories were a constant annoyance to him. The man was still fighting for release. He just wouldn't leave Chaos alone and he was sincerely regretting his choice in host. The only real reason he had kept this host's body was because of its effect on the princess. He growled. She seemed stoic now, emotionless. This body was of no use to him now!
He screamed in pain and fury and the electric dragon short circuited. The group backed away in a sudden burst of fear. Chaos stood bent slightly and panting. His body was torn and bloodied, burned and charred where the dragon had licked his flesh. He growled, peering at them all from behind drenched black bangs.
"You will regret this." He whispered raggedly, his voice a husky hiss.
Usagi smirked slightly before wiping the expression from her face.
"We'll be ready for you." She spat acidly.
The seishi watched in stunned amazement as Chaos disappeared. They turned to Usagi.
"Why did you just let him go?"
"We could have defeated him!"
"Why didn't you stop him?"
Usagi closed her eyes and smiled patiently until the frustration dimmed to weary.
She opened them.
"Minna-chan, we must fight with dignity. Our opponent was in his weakest form just moments ago. That body was from my old dimension. Chaos must not have found a host in this world yet so until he does he is very weak. In his gaseous state he is nearly invincible though."
"So why didn't we just kill him?" Tamahome grumbled.
Usagi smiled charismatically. "Ne, he wasn't ready for us. He thought he had an advantage in that form that he did not. After realizing his error he found that it was better to retreat. When we next meet there shall be no mercy." She smiled and turned slightly to Chiriko.
"Riko-chan, why don't we work on a plan now that we've all met him?"
Chiriko nodded. "Alright Usagi-chan." He and the others had learned not to question Usagi's judgment no matter how odd it may seem at times.
They all decided that the haunting atmosphere of the wrecked town was a bad place to rest and they camped in the forest for the night. Chiriko, Usagi, and the others at certain points began to work on a course of action.
In the end they all agreed that they should save their energy and strength for when Chaos was in his weakest form and Usagi explained that the youma they'd been fighting were going to be present as well.
"You all are responsible for defeating the youma, I will take care of Chaos myself." She said calmly. They all nodded.
"If I need your assistance I'll ask for it." She added, silencing any arguments.
"Miaka-chan," Usagi spoke after a moment. "We will be entering the town of Shiko tomorrow, how about I lend you some of my garments so you don't have to wear that?" she smiled.
Miaka blushed and nodded. "I would be very grateful for anything you'd like to offer." She said softly. She was currently dressed in a warrior's garb. She wore a red kimono-like outfit that barely came to her thighs with gold-lined slits going even farther up. It was tight and lined with gold. Her odangos were up in red bows. The outfit looked like a shorter version of the Devil Hunter outfit with the gold sign for Suzako in the circles on the front and back. (Ever seen Devil Hunter Yohko?) Her right leg had been wrapped from the ankle to where the slit ended with fighter ribbon and she wore red slippers. Her right leg had a gold band with Suzako in the center curving around it. Usagi wore the same uniform except in white and with silver lining. Her symbol was the sign for Serenity and her odangos were held in silver ribbons. They were definitely not fit to go into a town.
The two girls disappeared into Usagi's tent while the men remained to laugh and talk about the girls outfits. They kept laughing until the girls returned.
To be continued…
-So tell me what you think! I know this isn't very long but the main thing for this chapter was introducing Chaos so hey! R&R peeps!!
By Luna Tiarra
Ch. 17
-Konichiwa minna-chan! Keep reviewing for me and the final chapters are not far away! ^_^
Usagi frowned slightly as the bickering seishi were silenced. Not long after their departure, Nuriko had taken the silence as an opportunity to commented on Tasuki's fear of water. The break in silence had drawn comments from all. Tasuki was left to defend himself with all the extensive vocabulary he could muster and his bristling response was a superb source of amusement among the other seishi. Touji was practically falling off his horse laughing! Of course that had only further aggravated the fiery seishi and his exaggerated responses were a comical sight to behold. The laughter broke the haunting, wary atmosphere and the group engaged in small talk from then on until they found themselves arguing over who was the most talented negotiator. It was a futile attempt to distinguish superiority among them. Usagi couldn't help her amused smile from peeking through.
The bickering was instantly halted as they came upon the first Kutou town. The silence was deafening. The seishi stood in shock, pale and unbelieving as they stared at the remnants of the small village. Smoke rose from the charred houses and the stench of death hung heavy in the air. Crimson stains were scattered throughout their line of vision and Miaka had to look away. She felt her stomach churning with the odor and sight of disfigured corpses and bloodied limbs. The area was lacking in any form of life. The seishi stared at the ground in silence. The area looked as though a battle had been fought…as if the villagers had perhaps attempted for a brief instance to hold back their attackers. There were no survivors.
Usagi's viewed the scene with dead, emotionless eyes. She had seen many things far more gruesome and unsettling than what lay before them now. But it still drew a small bit of pained sympathy from her tired mind. They only stood for a moment before the sound began. A deep cackling filled the stale air.
The seishi, Miaka, and Touji searched wildly for the source of the sound. A shadowy figure began to appear before them and Usagi growled deep within her throat. Tension pricked at the seishi's necks and Miaka broke into a cold sweat.
"Chaos!" she yelled, addressing him. "How dare you harm innocent people in your quest for domination!"
Her outburst sparked a slight fear in the hearts of her companions but it quickly dimmed and vanished as they bravely stepped forward, preparing for anything.
The hissing reply was filled with venomous spite. "Little princess, little girl, you have come to me at last."
"You hurt innocent people." Usagi ignored the statement. "I shall never forgive you."
Chaos' sour laughter came out as a raspy giggle. "They have strong will, these Kutou people. They never realized that I was feeding off their energy until the very end. It was no fault of mine that they chose not to join me. They should have come to me willingly rather than dieing of their own ignorance."
"You are so evil." Usagi seethed. The hatred lacing her voice surprised the seishi and they looked at her in stunned awareness. Usagi's icy glare proved that the Usagi they were so close and accustomed to was far away at the moment.
"How dare you do this to draw me out!" she glared at Chaos with fierce silver rimmed eyes.
The man's face began to appear as the shadows fell away from his lean frame. The group gasped softly at the face that was revealed. The man was tall and well fitted and his tanned complexion and silky black hair were a winning combination. But the thing that caught them off guard was his eyes. Anything they had been preparing themselves for was nothing in comparison to what they saw in those two pools of sinister blue. He had deep sapphire eyes, pooling with disturbing emotion. They were desolate and empty, but at the same time they were so full of hate and anger. Fury that flamed at them behind hardly concealed barriers of ice.
Usagi bit her lip. She looked away. "Nande?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.
Chaos smiled sadistically at her. "Why what little princess?"
"Why do you have to take his appearance?" she asked softly. "He didn't do anything to you. Why must you keep him here and not allow him to rest in peace?" her voice was steadily rising as she spoke.
The seishi were confused. At the mention of a male counterpart, several members of the group had figuratively tensed and sparks of jealousy added to the negative atmosphere.
Chaos cackled evilly. "Is it not obvious?" he snorted. "In this form you are weak to look upon me. You can't stand the image of your prince turning against you again."
"You are not Mamoru." Usagi growled, a new strength seeming to take hold of her. She narrowed her eyes. "Minna-chan!" she called.
They all watched her for some kind of signal. They didn't have to wait long.
"Jupiter! Thunder! Dragon!" Usagi commanded in a calm, controlled shout.
Chaos grunted as Usagi sent a soaring lightening dragon at him and it wrapped around him, holding him in its electric chamber.
Chichiri, seeing that Usagi had begun, decided to add his own powers. He fired a flaming eagle at the angry man. It hit Chaos head on and the immobile dark lord glared at Usagi as his shield was broken.
"He's in his human form!" Usagi announced, flinging several attacks at the dark man. "It's his weakest form! Get him now!"
Chichiri and the others nodded and summoned their magical attacks, directing them all toward the man still being held captive by Usagi's dragon.
Chaos growled. "Damn. I shouldn't have so carelessly dropped my guard." He summoned his energy.
Attacks showered his weakening form, but Chaos continued to struggle hard against his binds. He growled as he squinted at the woman leader.
Usagi gazed at him with no compassion; her eyes were dead and empty, little more than dull windows to a nonexistent world of emotions. He had seen those eyes before. Once long ago. Or had that been his host's memory? Pressing against the back of his twisted mind, Mamoru's memories were a constant annoyance to him. The man was still fighting for release. He just wouldn't leave Chaos alone and he was sincerely regretting his choice in host. The only real reason he had kept this host's body was because of its effect on the princess. He growled. She seemed stoic now, emotionless. This body was of no use to him now!
He screamed in pain and fury and the electric dragon short circuited. The group backed away in a sudden burst of fear. Chaos stood bent slightly and panting. His body was torn and bloodied, burned and charred where the dragon had licked his flesh. He growled, peering at them all from behind drenched black bangs.
"You will regret this." He whispered raggedly, his voice a husky hiss.
Usagi smirked slightly before wiping the expression from her face.
"We'll be ready for you." She spat acidly.
The seishi watched in stunned amazement as Chaos disappeared. They turned to Usagi.
"Why did you just let him go?"
"We could have defeated him!"
"Why didn't you stop him?"
Usagi closed her eyes and smiled patiently until the frustration dimmed to weary.
She opened them.
"Minna-chan, we must fight with dignity. Our opponent was in his weakest form just moments ago. That body was from my old dimension. Chaos must not have found a host in this world yet so until he does he is very weak. In his gaseous state he is nearly invincible though."
"So why didn't we just kill him?" Tamahome grumbled.
Usagi smiled charismatically. "Ne, he wasn't ready for us. He thought he had an advantage in that form that he did not. After realizing his error he found that it was better to retreat. When we next meet there shall be no mercy." She smiled and turned slightly to Chiriko.
"Riko-chan, why don't we work on a plan now that we've all met him?"
Chiriko nodded. "Alright Usagi-chan." He and the others had learned not to question Usagi's judgment no matter how odd it may seem at times.
They all decided that the haunting atmosphere of the wrecked town was a bad place to rest and they camped in the forest for the night. Chiriko, Usagi, and the others at certain points began to work on a course of action.
In the end they all agreed that they should save their energy and strength for when Chaos was in his weakest form and Usagi explained that the youma they'd been fighting were going to be present as well.
"You all are responsible for defeating the youma, I will take care of Chaos myself." She said calmly. They all nodded.
"If I need your assistance I'll ask for it." She added, silencing any arguments.
"Miaka-chan," Usagi spoke after a moment. "We will be entering the town of Shiko tomorrow, how about I lend you some of my garments so you don't have to wear that?" she smiled.
Miaka blushed and nodded. "I would be very grateful for anything you'd like to offer." She said softly. She was currently dressed in a warrior's garb. She wore a red kimono-like outfit that barely came to her thighs with gold-lined slits going even farther up. It was tight and lined with gold. Her odangos were up in red bows. The outfit looked like a shorter version of the Devil Hunter outfit with the gold sign for Suzako in the circles on the front and back. (Ever seen Devil Hunter Yohko?) Her right leg had been wrapped from the ankle to where the slit ended with fighter ribbon and she wore red slippers. Her right leg had a gold band with Suzako in the center curving around it. Usagi wore the same uniform except in white and with silver lining. Her symbol was the sign for Serenity and her odangos were held in silver ribbons. They were definitely not fit to go into a town.
The two girls disappeared into Usagi's tent while the men remained to laugh and talk about the girls outfits. They kept laughing until the girls returned.
To be continued…
-So tell me what you think! I know this isn't very long but the main thing for this chapter was introducing Chaos so hey! R&R peeps!!