Dark Moon & Midnight Shadows
ch 4
"What are you?" Kasura asked as she and the guys quickly stood up.
"Can't you tell? I'm a gargoyle." the voice replied as she hovered in the air.
"But I thought that gargoyles were only stone statutes. You can't be real." Kasura said in
disbelief.
"Oh, but I'm very real." the gargoyle replied as she kept her eyes on Kasura. "And there's one other that wants to say hello."
A midnight black panther with emerald green eyes stalked out from the shadows. It looked around at the troopers, and then let its eyes rest upon Kasura, teeth bared as it snarled. "It's huge." Kasura thought as she looked at it wide eyed.
"It looks like my friend doesn't want you here either, gaijin." the gargoyle said with a smirk as she watched their reactions.
"Kasura, get out of here, we'll hold them off." Shu said as he and the others got into defensive positions.
"No Shu, I've never ran from a fight, and I'm not about to now, especially that since my friends are involved." Kasura replied as she finally found her voice.
"As admirable as that sounds Kasura. Shu's right, you have to get out of here. We'll catch up with you. Now go." Touma said as he and the others blocked the gargoyle's path.
"Touma," Kasura replied as she started to back away. "Be careful, you guys."
Kasura turned and started to run towards the park's entrance. The gargoyle motioned for the panther to follow. It nodded and then took off after her. "It looks like it's just me and you, troopers. This should provide to be quite entertaining." the gargoyle said with an evil grin.
"Wha? How does she know who we are?" Shin asked as he and the others were slightly taken back.
"Don't know, Shin, but at the moment were in no position to play twenty questions, if ya know what I mean." Touma replied as the gargoyle dove in for an attack, making the troopers to dive in different directions.
Just as she was about half way to the park's entrance, "what am I doing? I can't leave them behind to fight that freak of nature. I have to go back and help them." Kasura thought as she turned around and headed back to them. Just as she was running back, the panther pounced right into her path making Kasura stop short. The panther stood there, watching her, daring Kasura to make the next move.
"Ok Kasura, whatever you do, don't move or your this cat's next meal." Kasura thought to herself as she kept her eyes on the panther. Just then, a sudden gust of wind came out of nowhere making a tree branch that was above Kasura's head fall towards her. Kasura quickly looked up and saw it coming; she jumped back, avoiding getting creamed by the large tree branch.
"That was too close." Kasura said as she momentarily forgotten about the panther that was on the other side of the lying branch. "Oh kuso!"
As Kasura looked up she saw that the panther jumped over the branch and was heading straight for her. Kasura braced herself for the attack, but just then Kasura felt something rush from behind her and tackling the giant panther. The two stopped rolling and then stood and faced off with each other. She saw that the black and white tiger stayed between her and the panther. Whichever direction the panther went, the tiger went too, staying in it's face. The panther growled angrily because it knew that there was no way that the tiger would allow it to get close to Kasura. "Something must have happened to keep Tahi from getting to the gaijin." the gargoyle thought as she pulled back into the air.
"Anyone have any ideas of why she pulled away from attacking us?" Seji asked as he and the others stayed alert.
"No ideas, Seji, I just hope that Kasura is all right." Shin replied as he stole a glance towards him.
Just then the panther charged out of the trees and ran past the troopers and leaped into another set of trees and disappeared. "Looks like it's time to go. This is far from over troopers, count on it." the gargoyle said as she flew away from them.
"What do you suppose made those two run like that?" Ryo asked as he looked around at the others in confusion.
"Don't know, but I think that we better hurry and find Kasura." Shin replied as they took off towards the same direction that Kasura went.
"Kasura, where are you? Kasura!" Shu called out in concern.
"Shu!?" Kasura called back in kind of a shaky voice.
"Over there!" Shu said as he ran over in the direction of where her voice came from.
"Nice tiger, stay right where you are." Kasura said as she tried to coax the tiger to stay right where he was.
"Byauken!" Ryo called out as they finally got close enough to see the reason why Kasura's voice was so shaky when she answered Shu's call.
The huge tiger turned and then walked over to Ryo and then sat down next to him. "He's yours?" Kasura asked, as she looked towards him in slight confusion.
"Yea, his name is Byauken. It's ok Kasura, he won't hurt you." Ryo replied as he scratched the back of one of his ears. "Actually, he's tame as a kitten once you get to know him."
"Well, I suppose you're right. He did save me from that panther, so I guess he's not all bad." Kasura said as she knelt down on one knee to the tiger's level. "Thanks Byauken."
The huge tiger got up and walked over to Kasura, he looked into her eyes; he could sense
something that seemed to be deeply hidden, just waiting to come out. He then rubbed his head up and down against her. "See, he like you, otherwise he would have ripped your head off." Shu said with a smirk.
"SHU!" Touma and Seji said at the same time.
"What?" Shu asked as he shrugged his shoulders.
Kasura gave a small laugh, "ok, I get the picture." she said as Byauken backed away letting Kasura stand.
"Oh, sorry Kasura." Shu replied with a slight blush as he rubbed the back of his head.
"It's ok, Shu, this has definitely been more than what one would call an exciting night. Is it always this eventful?" Kasura asked with interest.
"You could say that." Shin replied as he gave a small smile.
"Good, I was hoping that was what you were going to say." Kasura said as she smiled back.
"We better get back, knowing Nasti, she's going to be wondering what's taking us so long." Touma said as they were starting to leave the park.
"Tahi, we better report back to Lao." Mei said as she reverted back from her gargoyle form to her human one.
"I agree, Mei, but I don't think that Lao is going to like what we have to say." Tahi replied as she switched from her panther form and into a human.
"Well, what do you have to report? Did you get rid of the gaijin?" Lao asked as they entered.
"Ah well you see, we ran into a little snag." Mei replied in a slightly nervous tone.
"Yea, and this little snag, brought with them another large, but furry snag." Tahi said as she quickly glanced at Lao.
"Let me guess, the troopers and their tiger?" Lao asked as he raised an eyebrow at them. Mei and Tahi nodded to his statement. "You bakas! What do you think would happen? Of course the troopers are going to watch out for her. Especially now, since they're friends."
Mei and Tahi shrank back as Lao started to pulsate. They knew that when he did that, Lao was beyond pissed. Then just as he was about to go critical, he stopped. Mei and Tahi gave each other a confused look and then they looked over at Lao, who was grinning like the Cheshire cat.
"Lao, you have something in that twisted mind of yours, don't you?" Mei said as a statement rather than a question.
"You could say that, I can't tell you right now. Both of you go and get some rest, because
tomorrow is going to be a very long day." Lao replied with a smirk as Mei and Tahi left.
ch 4
"What are you?" Kasura asked as she and the guys quickly stood up.
"Can't you tell? I'm a gargoyle." the voice replied as she hovered in the air.
"But I thought that gargoyles were only stone statutes. You can't be real." Kasura said in
disbelief.
"Oh, but I'm very real." the gargoyle replied as she kept her eyes on Kasura. "And there's one other that wants to say hello."
A midnight black panther with emerald green eyes stalked out from the shadows. It looked around at the troopers, and then let its eyes rest upon Kasura, teeth bared as it snarled. "It's huge." Kasura thought as she looked at it wide eyed.
"It looks like my friend doesn't want you here either, gaijin." the gargoyle said with a smirk as she watched their reactions.
"Kasura, get out of here, we'll hold them off." Shu said as he and the others got into defensive positions.
"No Shu, I've never ran from a fight, and I'm not about to now, especially that since my friends are involved." Kasura replied as she finally found her voice.
"As admirable as that sounds Kasura. Shu's right, you have to get out of here. We'll catch up with you. Now go." Touma said as he and the others blocked the gargoyle's path.
"Touma," Kasura replied as she started to back away. "Be careful, you guys."
Kasura turned and started to run towards the park's entrance. The gargoyle motioned for the panther to follow. It nodded and then took off after her. "It looks like it's just me and you, troopers. This should provide to be quite entertaining." the gargoyle said with an evil grin.
"Wha? How does she know who we are?" Shin asked as he and the others were slightly taken back.
"Don't know, Shin, but at the moment were in no position to play twenty questions, if ya know what I mean." Touma replied as the gargoyle dove in for an attack, making the troopers to dive in different directions.
Just as she was about half way to the park's entrance, "what am I doing? I can't leave them behind to fight that freak of nature. I have to go back and help them." Kasura thought as she turned around and headed back to them. Just as she was running back, the panther pounced right into her path making Kasura stop short. The panther stood there, watching her, daring Kasura to make the next move.
"Ok Kasura, whatever you do, don't move or your this cat's next meal." Kasura thought to herself as she kept her eyes on the panther. Just then, a sudden gust of wind came out of nowhere making a tree branch that was above Kasura's head fall towards her. Kasura quickly looked up and saw it coming; she jumped back, avoiding getting creamed by the large tree branch.
"That was too close." Kasura said as she momentarily forgotten about the panther that was on the other side of the lying branch. "Oh kuso!"
As Kasura looked up she saw that the panther jumped over the branch and was heading straight for her. Kasura braced herself for the attack, but just then Kasura felt something rush from behind her and tackling the giant panther. The two stopped rolling and then stood and faced off with each other. She saw that the black and white tiger stayed between her and the panther. Whichever direction the panther went, the tiger went too, staying in it's face. The panther growled angrily because it knew that there was no way that the tiger would allow it to get close to Kasura. "Something must have happened to keep Tahi from getting to the gaijin." the gargoyle thought as she pulled back into the air.
"Anyone have any ideas of why she pulled away from attacking us?" Seji asked as he and the others stayed alert.
"No ideas, Seji, I just hope that Kasura is all right." Shin replied as he stole a glance towards him.
Just then the panther charged out of the trees and ran past the troopers and leaped into another set of trees and disappeared. "Looks like it's time to go. This is far from over troopers, count on it." the gargoyle said as she flew away from them.
"What do you suppose made those two run like that?" Ryo asked as he looked around at the others in confusion.
"Don't know, but I think that we better hurry and find Kasura." Shin replied as they took off towards the same direction that Kasura went.
"Kasura, where are you? Kasura!" Shu called out in concern.
"Shu!?" Kasura called back in kind of a shaky voice.
"Over there!" Shu said as he ran over in the direction of where her voice came from.
"Nice tiger, stay right where you are." Kasura said as she tried to coax the tiger to stay right where he was.
"Byauken!" Ryo called out as they finally got close enough to see the reason why Kasura's voice was so shaky when she answered Shu's call.
The huge tiger turned and then walked over to Ryo and then sat down next to him. "He's yours?" Kasura asked, as she looked towards him in slight confusion.
"Yea, his name is Byauken. It's ok Kasura, he won't hurt you." Ryo replied as he scratched the back of one of his ears. "Actually, he's tame as a kitten once you get to know him."
"Well, I suppose you're right. He did save me from that panther, so I guess he's not all bad." Kasura said as she knelt down on one knee to the tiger's level. "Thanks Byauken."
The huge tiger got up and walked over to Kasura, he looked into her eyes; he could sense
something that seemed to be deeply hidden, just waiting to come out. He then rubbed his head up and down against her. "See, he like you, otherwise he would have ripped your head off." Shu said with a smirk.
"SHU!" Touma and Seji said at the same time.
"What?" Shu asked as he shrugged his shoulders.
Kasura gave a small laugh, "ok, I get the picture." she said as Byauken backed away letting Kasura stand.
"Oh, sorry Kasura." Shu replied with a slight blush as he rubbed the back of his head.
"It's ok, Shu, this has definitely been more than what one would call an exciting night. Is it always this eventful?" Kasura asked with interest.
"You could say that." Shin replied as he gave a small smile.
"Good, I was hoping that was what you were going to say." Kasura said as she smiled back.
"We better get back, knowing Nasti, she's going to be wondering what's taking us so long." Touma said as they were starting to leave the park.
"Tahi, we better report back to Lao." Mei said as she reverted back from her gargoyle form to her human one.
"I agree, Mei, but I don't think that Lao is going to like what we have to say." Tahi replied as she switched from her panther form and into a human.
"Well, what do you have to report? Did you get rid of the gaijin?" Lao asked as they entered.
"Ah well you see, we ran into a little snag." Mei replied in a slightly nervous tone.
"Yea, and this little snag, brought with them another large, but furry snag." Tahi said as she quickly glanced at Lao.
"Let me guess, the troopers and their tiger?" Lao asked as he raised an eyebrow at them. Mei and Tahi nodded to his statement. "You bakas! What do you think would happen? Of course the troopers are going to watch out for her. Especially now, since they're friends."
Mei and Tahi shrank back as Lao started to pulsate. They knew that when he did that, Lao was beyond pissed. Then just as he was about to go critical, he stopped. Mei and Tahi gave each other a confused look and then they looked over at Lao, who was grinning like the Cheshire cat.
"Lao, you have something in that twisted mind of yours, don't you?" Mei said as a statement rather than a question.
"You could say that, I can't tell you right now. Both of you go and get some rest, because
tomorrow is going to be a very long day." Lao replied with a smirk as Mei and Tahi left.