DISCLAIMER: I do not own any part of Angelic Layer, it is owned entirely by its creator CLAMP. As a result of this, I do not wish to be held responsible for any copyright infringements that may take place in this fanfic, as I will be using some original characters.
Chapter 4: A Nightmare of Black
Misaki sighed and Hikaru looked over to her.
"Is something wrong, Mother?" the Angel asked in a calm, soothing voice.
"Oh? No…Nothing's wrong, Hikaru. I was just thinking about Kotarou-Chan and Tamayo-Chan…" Misaki sighed again and continued to walk, emitting a slight yawn. She was walking down to the stadium, for the final fight of the Kanto Games.
"You seem depressed. You must be worried of them, Mother…"
"I am, Hikaru. I'm trying to save them! I have to save them!" Upon her face grew a look of determination. She WAS going to win this, for Kotarou's and Tamayo's sake.
Hikaru sprouted those wings again and hovered in front of Misaki's face while she was walking. "Don't worry, we won't lose!" She smiles, which makes Misaki smile.
After a while, the announcer's blaring voice came over the loudspeakers of the stadium. "THIS IS IT! It's the final battle of the Kanto Games! Who will win? Who will take all?! Let's find out, Angelic fans!!" The crowd suddenly roared.
"Now, let's get down to it! In the east corner, she's come a long way and it's only her first year! Give it up for the Miracle Rookie, Deus Misaki Suzuhara and her Angel Hikaru!!!"
Misaki beamed, she felt overjoyed as she and her Angel waved to the crowd. Even though Hikaru was waving, no one seemed to care…almost as if it was a completely natural thing. The young girl then sat on her seat of the Layer, pulling on the visor and waiting for her opponent as her chair slowly rose to give a wider field of view to the Layer.
"Don't worry, Mother, we'll win!" Hikaru spoke in a divine tone.
"Right!"
"And now, for Suzuhara's opponent! Shrouded in black, this mystery Deus has come a long way on her first year too; it's Deus Tamayo Kizaki with her own version of Hikaru!!" The crowd roared again as Tamayo slowly crept up to the chair and pulled on the visor. The chair rose up to allow her more of a view of the Layer as well.
"What! Tamayo?! Is that you???" Misaki screamed in shock and worry.
Tamayo responded with a deep chuckle. "Oh, who else would it be, Suzuhara?" It was the same voice that accompanied Hatoko's voice that dual-toned with Tamayo's.
"…What's going on? Tamayo, are you okay??"
"Never felt better, and now this is where you fall, Suzuhara Misaki!!" Tamayo chuckled.
"Not if I have anything to do with it!" Hikaru growled, and she was greeted with her own voice.
"Greetings, sister, prepare to die!!" The black-dressed Hikaru spoke and it was followed with a light giggle.
"You!! You'll pay for what you did with Mother's friend, you bastard Nightmare!!" Hikaru roared and Tamayo chuckled.
"Oh, really, now? I've heard some amazing things of you, Hikaru…but I never thought bravado was one of them!" This time, only a wraith-like whisper pressed forth from Tamayo's chest.
"You…"
"Ooh! Bitter words are being thrown about as the Deuses prepare for combat! Now…ENTER THE ANGELS!!!" The crowd suddenly went quiet.
"Angel's Wings! Please guide me and Hikaru!!!" Misaki's voice came out loud, clear and reverberated with a single echo. She lifted Hikaru up who slammed her hands together, palms facing in and she gathered up a golden light. Then the light Angel was thrown into the Layer and upon piercing the barrier, the glow faded in place of angel wings and pure white banded armor. She then touched to the ground, wings flared wide.
"Black void, please guide me and my Shining Star, Hikaru!!" Tamayo's young voice sprung forth over the Darkness' voice. The black-clothed Hikaru was then hoisted up and thrown in, in the same manner. Dark Hikaru, as she will henceforth be called, touches down onto the Layer and readies herself, looking upon her bright sister with a twisted grin.
"The Angel Descends!!" Both Deuses rang out together while their Angels touched down.
"Alright, the Angels have entered! Deuses ready…Angelic FIGHT!!"
The two Hikarus held back into a defensive posture, starting to circle each other.
"What's the matter, Sister? Too shadowy for you?" Dark Hikaru chuckled while they circled and Hikaru glared at her with anger.
"Begone from the face of this world, foul presence!! This be not your home!" Hikaru spoke in an angelic tone as the two remained at a distance.
"Mmm, a little feisty are we? I like 'em feisty!" Dark Hikaru chuckled and suddenly Hikaru ran in. Dark Hikaru blocks away three punches and manages to dodge a kick before Hikaru spun around and slashed at her with a knife of golden energy, and it fades after the attack.
"You've gotten stronger since we last saw each other, Sister!" Dark Hikaru smiles, before suddenly pouncing Hikaru to the ground. The two struggle for a moment, before Dark Hikaru presses a deep kiss to her sister and Hikaru kicked her off. The two then stand up, Dark Hikaru grinning while Hikaru glared.
"I thought I warned you never to touch me like that again, sister…"
"Oh, such spite in your voice, live a little! Have some fun and kick some ass in the mean time!" Suddenly, Dark Hikaru was in her face and they started to match each other blow for blow. A punch to the face, blocked. A kick to the side, blocked. The occasional neutron ray or blast of holy energy, dodged.
"Hahaha! I haven't played like this in ninety years!"
"Oh just shut up and get hit!!" All of a sudden, Dark Hikaru went flying and skidded on the Layer. She shook her head and rubbed her stomache for a second, before standing up.
"Ooh…now I'm pissed!" She growls and charged up a bright green glow into her hands. She then thrust them forward and let loose a vicious green beam. "Proton BLAST!" Hikaru blinked and suddenly soared up, narrowly missing the beam of protons.
"That was a cheap shot!" Hikaru roared.
"All's fair in love and war, you should know that, Sister!!" Dark Hikaru smiled and she started to float, green glows on her feet and hands as the two charge each other, punching and kicking and blasting.
"Wow! Dark Hikaru and Bright Hikaru are battling it out in the air! Which one of these goddesses will win the fight?"
Misaki glared at Tamayo while watching both players' Damage Points rise slowly but steadily. "You're not going to win, Tamayo!!" Misaki yelled out.
"On the contrary, Suzuhara, you're not going to win." That evil, daemonic voice pressed out of her throat as she chuckled.
Suddenly, Dark Hikaru was thrown to the ground and Bright Hikaru as she's known floats up higher, gathering a white glow on her hands. "Brightness of the Dreamworld, grant me your strength! Holy BARRAGE!!" Suddenly, she starts throwing hundreds of white and gold balls of energy down towards her, before a massive bolt is thrown and a large white explosion.
Dark Hikaru then slowly gets up, shaking her head. "Fine, you want to play dirty, eh?" Bright Hikaru floats to the ground and they start to punch and kick at each other again, but Dark Hikaru was showing signs of fatigue. She eventually was doubled over Bright Hikaru's foot, then Bright Hikaru jumped slightly, spinning and delivering a banded boot to the cheek, which sent the black Angel sprawling, whom she got up with a light growl.
The black copy then performed a handstand right in front of her sister, but Bright Hikaru was smarter than that, as she kicked her down when the handstand was performed. When the Dark One stood up, she was greeted by a handstand.
"Graceful Acrobat, Rolling THUNDER!" Both Deus and Angel shouted before all that's seen for a couple of seconds were Bright Hikaru's legs splitting for a moment, then a trail of white and gold energy. The attack connects successfully and a blast of angelic feathers is seen when it connects. Dark Hikaru goes flying, but she's not out yet as she skids to a halt barely before the edge of the Layer.
The black Hikaru growled as she stood up, before she let out a loud scream. This caused the cheering fans to silence completely. Dark Hikaru's arms flew out and the scream continued, she sounded as if she were in pain. Her body began to bulk and grow, a pair of wings bursting out of her back. Her muscles expanded, and overall her appearance shifted. The ears underneath the headband with the antennae faded away and adorning her head was a pair of wide cat's ears. Her face became broad and elongated and she grew a black coat of fur. Her clothes burst off of her, leaving the now cat-Angel nude. A pair of leathery black wings were on her back.
"…What's happened to you, Sister? Speak to me?! Has that devil really taken a hold of ye?" Bright Hikaru blinked as she stared up at the sixteen inch tall monster.
"I…I will NOT LOOSE!!" Dark Hikaru roars as suddenly Bright Hikaru goes flying from a massive paw strike. She screamed in pain as she got hit and grunted when she went sprawling. The Layer shook as Dark Hikaru slammed towards Bright Hikaru, the Angel barely able to get up before she's assaulted with a huge foot. That foot's left crushing down on the holy one's chest.
Dark Hikaru chuckled a massive, beastly chuckle whilst she watched her sister choke and struggle underneath her foot. Suddenly, the huge monster roared out as nothing is seen but a white flash. This caused the massive beast to let up and Hikaru slowly rose to her feet, coughing.
"Sister, what's happened to you?" She coughs, before catching her breath and Dark Hikaru just roared out. Bright Hikaru managed to dodge the strike, before latching onto her arm and hoisting herself up, delivering a swift kick to the underarm, a spin kick to the stomache, then another spin and a kick to the head before Hikaru dropped onto the Layer, readying herself. Her hands were glowing with a bright white energy as she softly chanted a spell.
This angered the beast and she suddenly rushed forward, before Hikaru rose up on her wings. "Light of Dream, grant me this victory, CATACLYSM!!!" Hikaru suddenly shouted out as the flightless monster just stared up at her. All the cat could do was stare up with her black eyes. A bright white flash before a sudden gold-ringed white explosion rocks the Layer. Dark Hikaru was instantly turned to normal, although still nude all the same. She went flying and just barely stays in the fight, eyes shut tightly before she slowly stood back up.
"Ugh…that…sucks." She groaned and both stood facing each other off. The two Angels panted as they stared at each other, before they just started to throw holy blasts of energy and rays of decaying atoms and radiation. They just kept pummeling each other, not even bothering to defend, kept pummeling each other until one falls. Which they do fall, at the same time, but Dark Hikaru hits the ground first.
"THAT'S IT! SHE'S GOING TO THE NATIONALS!!! MISAKI SUZUHARA HAS WON THE KANTO CIRCUIT!!!" The announcer screamed and the entire crowd broke free from their silence and cheered loudly. They stood up as Misaki just stared at Tamayo as the girl held her head and growled, screaming as she emitted a sticky black substance.
A deep, sinister laugh pressed forth, before suddenly Misaki fainted and the black sticky cloud wasn't seen. Hikaru's armor and wings shattered in not white and gold sparkles, but black and purple sparkles.