Disclaimer: Ermmm.... I OWN ANUBIS! NO OTHER!...... no... I don't....
**cries pitifully** I don't own him! WHAAAA!
**Himby the Hambit enters**
Himby: Squeak....
Translation: "Due to the fact that the author is currently being rushed into the ER for a serious increase in her blood sugar and dehydration from crying pitifully- mostly because she's a totally obsessed nut-case with no real life-, this disclaimer will be performed by myself, Himby the Hambit, cross between a Hamster and a Rabbit. Gray does not own anything pertaining to the Ronin Warriors. Original characters- Robyn, Lin, Katrin, Lasheen, Kaiden, and some possible future others- do belong to her. She is owned...
**Himby exits, wiggling his little hamstery tail**
Note: -* words* - means shared thoughts between the girls.
-words- mean private thoughts of a person.
Chapter 11 By: Soulful Gray
Lin carried herself down the stairs with the air of someone really wanting to do damage.
"It's been two days!" she growled out loud. "Where the hell is that stupid Birdie! She should have been here by now!"
She'd attempted getting back to the Blessed Realm but found only a bunch of gray clouds every time she thought she was getting in. She figured Robyn must know her body was ready for her, but what was taking her so long!
"It might not have worked, Lin," Katrin said at the breakfast table a few minutes later. "There was no guarantee that I would be able to get their bodies here, ya know."
Everyone else was quiet. Lin figured they were thinking of Anubis, whom they'd thought they'd never see again.
When they'd told them after getting back from the Blessed Realm, a rippled mixture of shock, excitement, and disbelief had rocked through the others. It had taken the combined urgings of Kayura and Sage to get them all to believe that it was so: Anubis was alive.
Lin sighed and picked at her eggs, frustrated. "I know, Kitty, but it's easier to just growl about Birdie being as slow as a seven-year-itch..." White Blaze started growling a bit and bounded from his spot beside Katrin's chair. They all jumped a bit and turned their heads to see what he was doing.
"I really resent that, Weasel. I'm as slow as a damned nine-year-itch! Get it straight!"
"BIRDIE!" the two girls screamed as they both vaulted from their seats to tackle her.
A Little Over One Day Earlier (Still in the BR)
Robyn started counting the stars again. She knew how many there were: beyond and actual countable number, but she liked to grid the sky a bit and try and count them all anyway.
"How long have we been in here?" Anubis asked her.
"Shit! Lost count!" She was laying on her back amidst the grass just outside the tree and she turned her head to the side to look at him. He was seated under the tree, leaning back against one of the many giant roots.
"I don't know. It seemes like we've been here for only about ten hours, but in reality, it's probably been about a day or more. Time goes slowly here."
"How long are we able to stay here?" He looked anxious, probably to get back to his body.
"I don't know. Like I said, our bodies are a moot point while we're here, but I don't know that they couldn't die and decompose without our souls in them. I think they just sort of go dormant, but I can't be for sure."
"You're not for sure on a lot of things," he stated.
Robyn sat up. "Yeah, well that's one of the only things I can be sure of."
"How will we know our bodies are safely away from Lasheen?"
"Dunno."
He glared at her. "Why does that not surprise me?"
"Because it shouldn't." She pulled up a shoot of grass and began nibbling on it, when suddenly she got a niggling at the back of her mind. It was that familiar old feeling and she grinned. "Speak of the devil..." She jumped up and skipped under the circle of the tree, giddy with excitement.
"Our bodies are in the Mortal Realm."
"How do you know?" Anubis stood.
"Because I'm reforming my link with my sisters!" she squeaked excitedly. "When I was in Lasheen's world, it was comepltely smothered, but now that my body's back in the mortal realm it physical link with them is being reestablished!" she did a little twirl of happiness and then tried to put on a serious face, but it was impossible for her to hide the twinkle of merriement in her eyes.
"Then we are leaving now?"
"Yup!" She beamed. "I'm going to give Kitty a really big huggle when we get back!" Then she yawned. "But this place is taking a lot outta me, so we'd better get going." Smiling, she held out her hand. Cautiously, Anubis took it and she pulled him out from under the safe haven of the tree's mighty branches. She turned at the last moment and glanced at the being fondly.
"Farewell, my Haven," she whispered, just barely loud enough for him to hear, and then she looked up at him. "Close your eyes."
He did and felt like he was falling.
Pain assaulted him what seemed like only moments after he'd closed his eyes. He cried out as the feeling licked at his skin and coursed through his blood, searing him from the inside out. He felt like he was back in Lasheen's clutches! He sucked in a sharp breath as he felt a hand land on his shoulder, fearing it might be Kaiden's- or even worse- Lasheen's hand touching him.
"Anubis! Shhhh. It's okay, Red. Calm down, it's just me. It's Robyn," he heard whispered above him and he snapped his green eyes open as all te air seemed to rush out of his lungs on one violent gasp.
It was her! Her gray eyes mocked him with their presence, taunting him with the sincerity and worry that clouded them. Her blond hair was falling around her face and brushing against his in graceful waves. He felt like he was choking on his breath as he tried to search for a feeling outside the pain and the shock.
"Anubis! Come on..." He could only lay back, helpless, as she gathered his upper body into her arms and began to rock him back and forth. "It's alright. Everything's alright. We're both fine. You're fine. Breathe sweety." Her voice was lilting into some strange accent, reminding him of Cye, but with a different twang. "Breathe..." She was whispering to him as she rocked, and his breathing managed to slow down to something akin to normal. He clenched his eyes shut and let out one long shuddering breath as his memory crashed down on him.
"Robyn..." He angled his head and opened his eyes, looked up at her, recognition floating around in his mind as he stared. She reached up and brushed his hair away from his face, a gentle look on her face.
"Rest up, hon. We'll be back home soon. Close your eyes." She brushed her fingers over his forehead and he nodded, unable to find his voice. But he closed his eyes again and felt himself falling into dreams.
Robyn looked down at the tortured redhead in her arms and suddenly felt tears well up in her eyes. She wished she could offer him another Blessed Realm, where he wasn't feeling the pain inflicted by Lasheen. She knew that his calm interaction with her in the Blessed Realm had been a soothing technique brought on to him by his own soul, and now that he was back in his body, that calm was no longer in place.
She glanced about and noticed that the area around them was shady, but dry. The sun was glaring down at them from a bright blue, cloudless sky, and the tree that shaded them was rather straggly looking. The grass on the ground was brown and deadish looking.
She gave a dry sound and slapped herself in the head.
Damn her own self for mentioning anything about South Africa!
A few hours later, Robyn suddenly jerked awake. She hadn't meant to fall asleep! She'd just been so tired, she hadn't been able to resist laying down and just closing her eyes. She'd meant to stay awake to watch over Anubis to make sure he would be okay.
She looked over at him and found him still pleasantly asleep. It was getting late in the evening and she reached over to tucke an errant strand of hair behind his ear. He was sleeping well, at least. His breathing was even and he didn't look pained or anything.
She glanced over him. He was decked out in a cloak- probably courtesy of Kitty- and the ratty college sweatshirt she'd thrown around his hips earlier. She'd torn the wings off her back immediately after knocking Lasheen out; that's how she'd managed to get the sweatshirt off. It was a huge shirt, especially on her, and it was tied snugly around his waist.
She glanced down at herself. She'd worn a tank top under the sweat, but in place under the tank and her jeans was a tight white leotard, no doubt also from Kitty. She picked at the sleeves as she studied him.
Who'd of thought? Anubis, alive. She gave a little snort of amusement. It was like all her obsessive fantasies come true, but she wasn't sure she liked this one. In all her fan fic writing days, she'd constantly brought Anubis back to the living, but in those days, he'd enjoyed the company of her self-based character. He hadn't been annoyed by her. She'd liked the thought of instant romance. She sighed.
"Well, tough luck, Birdie," she muttered as she placed a hand on his shoulder to wake him. They had to get going.
She stifled a cry as his hand shot out and latched onto her wrist. His eyes were widen and dark as he stared at her with defiance.
"Leave me alone!" he shouted at her angrily and with sudden burst of strength, he threw her to the side as though she were a rag doll.
"Anubis!" she yelled as she skidded onto the ground. He was struggling to his feet, his breathing labored, swaying as though a breeze could knock him down. Then he straightened, glaring at her.
"Calm down, Anubis. It's me! Robyn! The annoying blonde from the Blessed Realm!" She got to her feet and took a catious step towards him.
"Stay away!" he shouted. "Leave me alone, Lasheen!"
She gritted her teeth and walked up to him.
His stance changed and he looked as thought he feared being punished.
Instead, she reached out and smoothed his disheveled hair back from his face.
"Shhhhh," she soothed. His fear and defiance radiated from him in waves harsh enough to put a tsunami to shame. "I'm not Lasheen. I'm Robyn. Just Robyn."
Anubis felt the fear leave him as her cool hands touch his face; Lasheen's hands had always been ice-cold, but the fingers that brushed his cheeks now held some warmth, if not much. Their true warmth lay in the feeling of comfort they gave him. He closed his eyes and began slumping forward.
Robyn then realized just how much Lasheen had beaten the warrior before her, and she felt firey anger shoot up inside her. In the Blessed Realm, Anubis had been strong, but his soul would always be strong. When he was in his body, his defenses were down. It amazed her how much the body could be connected with the soul.
"Anubis, we're going home now. I only ask that you trust me for as long as this might take. After that, you can distrust me as much as you want," she whispered as she threw her arms around his middle to keep him standing. She blushed at the contact since he was nearly nude. "I'd conjur some food and water for us, but that would take too much energy. And I can't teleport us; I don't know if that would be good for you."
"Home," he managed to wheeze out as he stared down at her.
"Yes. The Ronins, Mia, White Blaze, Yulie. Even the other Warlords and Kayura." She smiled up at him. "I'll carry you on the wings of an eagle." He gray eyes were smiling as she released him and he only barely managed to remain standing as she took about ten steps back and closed her eyes.
His eyes widened as she started to change. He remembered something. Words in his head. "Transformation..." That was it! She was transforming into something! Wings of an eagle. Fascinated, he stared at her body as it grew large, changed shape. Her arms, which she'd held akimbo, started to bend at an odd angle. Her head began to grow longer, sharper. Feathers sprouted from under the thick layers of hair; the feathers were the same blondish color. She grew and grew, until she was nearly ten times his size.
When it was complete, a pair of sharp gray eyes snapped open and stared at him.
-*Get up on my back,*- she said, scooting so she was right next to him. She lowered her neck and shoulders. -*Don't be afraid.*-
Exhaustedly, Anubis managed to crawl on her great feathered back, and he was surprised to feel just how comfortable the feathers were.
-*Hold on tight.*- She didn't have to tell him twice as held onto her shoulders as tightly as possible. -*I'm not a jet, so it might be kinda slow, but we'll get there as quickly as possible. And if we crash, we'll blame it on my inexperience. I've never flown like this before.*-
He didn't know what a jet was, but it sounded fast and he closed his eyes as he felt the play of muscles under his stomach. A gust of wind whooshed past him as she spread her wings and started pumping the air around her. He felt a violent lurch and suddenly got the feeling that there was no ground below the feet of the eagle Robyn had become.
-*I don't think this is South Africa,*- she said a while later as they flew. -*But it's hotter than hell out here!*-
Robyn was following the pull of her link with her sisters. With every moment that passed she could feel the link get just a tiny bit stronger as she flew in one general direction.
Inwardly she was wondering just how long it was going to take to get back to Toyoma, Japan. Flying was way faster, and she knew that her great wings were speeding them along quite nicely. She was surprised she'd even managed to lift off the ground. She was glad the instinct to fly had sort of popped up in her after her change. Robyn felt dread well up in her; when Katrin and Lin heard of this, they'd never let her live it down that she had actually been a bird for a while. Sometimes she hated having the name "Robyn."
She'd put up a wall to keep her sisters from knowing she was back. She wanted it to be a surprise, even though she figured they'd kill her later for it. Oh well.
A long ass time, two plane incidences, and one mild concussion later, Robyn spotted the Ronin Manor. Anubis was unconcious on her back, and she hoped landing wouldn't knock him off. Nope. That would be bad.
She tipped her wings and streamed towards the ground, loving the feel of the wind rushing up and over her body. She tried to make the descent as gentle as possible and was fairly successful. She heard a pained groan behind her and flinched.
-*Sorry, Red,*- she apologized as she touched down.
"I never wish to fly again," he muttered as she let him slip off her back. They were in the backyard, and nobody had noticed them as of yet. Thankfully, she slumped down and started the change back from eagle to human. She collapsed to the ground, groaning as blood rushed back to proper places and bones set themselves right. All in all, she felt shitty as it happened.
"Amen," she intoned as she pushed to her fet a little while later. He wasn't listening though; he was unconscious again, and she groaned as she started dragging him to the door. She was so tired. She couldn't even bring up the simple power to levitate his fine ass back to the house.
Present
"I really resent that, Weasel. I'm as slow as a damned nine-year-itch! Get it straight!"
"BIRDIE!" the two girls screamed as they both vaulted from their seats to tackle her.
White Blaze was standing outside on the back deck and pushed into the house, effectively cutting off the sisters. On his back was one unconscious, redheaded ex-warlord. Chaos ensued when everybody saw him. They started rushing around like the proverbial chickens, racing to get him off White Blaze's back, get him cleaned up, get him wrapped up, and Robyn smiled faintly as she watched this from her point at the doorframe.
"Night Red," she called dryly as she finally welcomed the hugs of her sisters.
"Birdie! What took you so long!" Lin grumped.
"I conjurred you guys over two days ago!" Katrin said unhappily.
"Eh?" Robyn looked at them blankly. "I'm glad." Muttering incoherantly she started for the stairs. "Tired... sleepy..." She yawned, emitting her usual squeak. "Talk later... sleep now... No... bath... Long... Hot..." When she got to the top of the stairs, she switched her goal and went into the bathroom. Lin and Katrin understood that she was tired as hell, but they were still extremely anxious to know what happened, why she was closed off from them. And when she shut the door without another word from them, they sighed.
"Birdie'd better talk later..." Lin muttered.
"Where did Robyn go?" Kayura asked, coming up beside them.
"She's in the bathroom, preparing to use up all the hot water in the house, no doubt," Lin said dryly.
"Well, can you make sure she goes to one of the rooms upstairs?" Kayura asked sheepishly. "Your room was the nearest clean room we got him to."
"No problem," Lin said, smiling a bit.
Robyn drew her bath and stared at the water as it poured down into the huge tub. Her eyes were starting to cross, she was so tired, but her skin needed to be cleaned badly. She looked over at the shelf and counter, scanning their contents to see if there was any bubble bath... Bingo! She spooted a bottle of some of Lin's stuff sitting on the counter, probably where she'd forgotten to grab it. Reaching over, Robyn snatched it and poured in a generous bit, watching the froth take over the water. Sleepily satisfied, she stripped and lowered her weary body into the suds.
For a while she was content to just sit there like that, but then she reached over and grabbed some shampoo, wetted her hair, and set to scrubbing the locks. They'd felt horendously oily earlier. She didn't know who the bottle belonged to- probably Sage; the stuff was really nice and looked expensive. She'd pay him back somehow, but later. She thought the same of the conditioner, and the soap.
After that she lay back against the little plastic pillow and stared up at the cieling.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
She heard the bath faucet dripping and closed her eyes.
God she felt exhausted. The transfer to the Blessed Realm, plus a passenger, followed by returning to her body, added to transforming into a giant eagle and flying with aforementioned passenger nonstop back home had really taken it outta her.
She heard a knock on the door and ignored it. The door cracked open and she heard something- cloth maybe?- slide across the floor. Then she heard the door click shut again.
She took a deep breath and slid down fully into the water, wondering if she could just drown out her exhaustion.
Mia sipped her tea, watching Ryo from the corner of her eye. He was tense, as though he expected a bad guy to just suddenly appear out of nowhere.
"He brought back Anubis, Mia. Who knows what else he can do," he said suddenly, tightly. She was leaning against the counter across the room and she set down her cup and walked up to him.
"That may be so, but we don't know enough about him to form anything solid."
"We don't know who this Lasheen guy is, and we can hardly survive Kaiden's attacks. He looked down at her. "Robyn's manipulation of my surekill could help. I don't know if it hurt him any, but that's the only thing I can think of that would give us a chance against him. I should ask her if-"
"She's exhausted Ryo," Mia interrupted, smiling. "And you're on edge. I think you should wait a while to ask her for her help, at least until she's managed to get some sleep."
He looked down a bit sheepishly. "Yeah. I guess so." Glancing up at her, Ryo couldn't help the helplessness from showing in his voice. "I just donn't know what else we can do."
"We'll figure out something, Ryo." Mia gave him a smile of encouragement. "Don't we always?"
Lasheen's World (Ooooh, the prissy little It's gonna be pissed!)
A shriek of rage sounded through the halls.
Anyone within earshot would have fallen to the floor, convulsing from the inside of their heads out, form the sheer intensity and volume of the offensive sound. Of course, since the only people in the castle were Lasheen and Kaiden- and let's face it, Kaiden probably wouldn't have cared about the sound- nobody went into said convulsions, unless you, the reader, are capable of imagining such a sound and will thus fall into the spasms.
In the room Robyn had first met Lasheen, Lasheen was destroying anything in sight. First the throne was picked up and tossed at the wall. It punched a large hole through the wall while shattering, and bricks and dust flew in all different directions as contact was made.
Then came the lovely table, splintered against the floor.
The tapestries were burned with bursts of flame that shot forth from Lasheen's fingertips.
Another sickly cry tore from its lips as it moved through the room until everything was destroyed or beyond being repaired.
Lasheen stood in the rubble, pristine and shining with a pale light, scanning the destruction. Rage colored its eyes black, and visible power crackled at its fingertips.
"You're very good, Robyn," Lasheen whispered. "So good that you could use my physical weakness to your advantage. But no more. You have that same weakness, little bird. I'm going to toy with you all. You and those silly little Ronins. And Anubis... He will get his comeuppance.."
Snapping its fingers, Lasheen felt the heavy weight of the crystal ball appear in its hands. It glanced down at the sphere.
"Such a quick mind. Much like my own used to be..." It paced around the rubble.
"Kaiden is good... He could destroy them all so easily. But I don't want that. I want them all alive..." It quieted and sueednly a hole was blown through the far wall where the throne used to be. Bright sunlight streamed in and Lasheen gazed out the water that surrounded the castle. There used to be a ring of land surrounded the small moat, but Lasheen had decided to expand the water to the ends of the plane it existed in.
Just a few days before, Lasheen had almost achieved one of its ultimate goals: to have Anubis. He wasn't his father, but he was close enough. He was the perfect likeness.
But then Kaiden had had to fish out two practically lifeless bodies from the damned one-time moat! One, the body it wanted to be, and the other, the body it wanted to have! Ruined!
Not for long though. Glancing down at the crystal, Lasheen muttered something, and its black eyes flickered like the light that flickered in the ball.
Talpa had left behind a few useful artifacts, some beings that the new guardians of the Netherworld had cast out rather carelessly in their lack of need for them. Lasheen had picked them up a while back, finding them scattered between worlds and realms like bits of garbage. Lasheen decided to fix them up and give them a new boost of power. They weren't nearly as nice, compared to Kaiden's strength, but Lasheen liked to toy with its victims.
"Kaiden's good in his resistence to injury, and his attacks are incomparable... but he has no drive. No energy."
Lasheen picked at a pouch tied to its left hip and pulled something out of it. Holding it up to the sunlight, Lasheen began sprinkling it out onto the wind. It looked like pollen as it travelled out on the wind, away from the castle, to the Mortal Realm.
"Three days... they have three days of rest. And then, the fun begins."
Then Lasheen looked at the water, distaste turning its eyes from the flat black to lovely silver it normally was.
"I just need a few special things and this world will really be real. No more boring water. No ends to this world..."
***********************************************************************
Hiya! What do ya think? Are you bored with it? Do you like it? Do you hate it? I beg you for reviews and suggestions. I've got events and stuffed planned out, but I'd really like you to tell me what you think of how I'm writing it. Himby says hi! Oh and if you notice that I keep referring to Lasheen as "IT", I might accidentally put "it's" when referring to to something being in Lasheen's posessions. I don't want to constantly be putting Lasheen's this, and Lasheen's that, even though Lasheen doesn't have this or that (ooooh, that's just gross. **shudders**)
Also, in case you haven't read it on my bio page, here's a special question for y'all.
If Piccolo from DBZ had working "parts" and they got cut off, would they regenerate?
Ponder that for a while, would you?
Review? Please?
Gray
**Himby the Hambit enters**
Himby: Squeak....
Translation: "Due to the fact that the author is currently being rushed into the ER for a serious increase in her blood sugar and dehydration from crying pitifully- mostly because she's a totally obsessed nut-case with no real life-, this disclaimer will be performed by myself, Himby the Hambit, cross between a Hamster and a Rabbit. Gray does not own anything pertaining to the Ronin Warriors. Original characters- Robyn, Lin, Katrin, Lasheen, Kaiden, and some possible future others- do belong to her. She is owned...
**Himby exits, wiggling his little hamstery tail**
Note: -* words* - means shared thoughts between the girls.
-words- mean private thoughts of a person.
Chapter 11 By: Soulful Gray
Lin carried herself down the stairs with the air of someone really wanting to do damage.
"It's been two days!" she growled out loud. "Where the hell is that stupid Birdie! She should have been here by now!"
She'd attempted getting back to the Blessed Realm but found only a bunch of gray clouds every time she thought she was getting in. She figured Robyn must know her body was ready for her, but what was taking her so long!
"It might not have worked, Lin," Katrin said at the breakfast table a few minutes later. "There was no guarantee that I would be able to get their bodies here, ya know."
Everyone else was quiet. Lin figured they were thinking of Anubis, whom they'd thought they'd never see again.
When they'd told them after getting back from the Blessed Realm, a rippled mixture of shock, excitement, and disbelief had rocked through the others. It had taken the combined urgings of Kayura and Sage to get them all to believe that it was so: Anubis was alive.
Lin sighed and picked at her eggs, frustrated. "I know, Kitty, but it's easier to just growl about Birdie being as slow as a seven-year-itch..." White Blaze started growling a bit and bounded from his spot beside Katrin's chair. They all jumped a bit and turned their heads to see what he was doing.
"I really resent that, Weasel. I'm as slow as a damned nine-year-itch! Get it straight!"
"BIRDIE!" the two girls screamed as they both vaulted from their seats to tackle her.
A Little Over One Day Earlier (Still in the BR)
Robyn started counting the stars again. She knew how many there were: beyond and actual countable number, but she liked to grid the sky a bit and try and count them all anyway.
"How long have we been in here?" Anubis asked her.
"Shit! Lost count!" She was laying on her back amidst the grass just outside the tree and she turned her head to the side to look at him. He was seated under the tree, leaning back against one of the many giant roots.
"I don't know. It seemes like we've been here for only about ten hours, but in reality, it's probably been about a day or more. Time goes slowly here."
"How long are we able to stay here?" He looked anxious, probably to get back to his body.
"I don't know. Like I said, our bodies are a moot point while we're here, but I don't know that they couldn't die and decompose without our souls in them. I think they just sort of go dormant, but I can't be for sure."
"You're not for sure on a lot of things," he stated.
Robyn sat up. "Yeah, well that's one of the only things I can be sure of."
"How will we know our bodies are safely away from Lasheen?"
"Dunno."
He glared at her. "Why does that not surprise me?"
"Because it shouldn't." She pulled up a shoot of grass and began nibbling on it, when suddenly she got a niggling at the back of her mind. It was that familiar old feeling and she grinned. "Speak of the devil..." She jumped up and skipped under the circle of the tree, giddy with excitement.
"Our bodies are in the Mortal Realm."
"How do you know?" Anubis stood.
"Because I'm reforming my link with my sisters!" she squeaked excitedly. "When I was in Lasheen's world, it was comepltely smothered, but now that my body's back in the mortal realm it physical link with them is being reestablished!" she did a little twirl of happiness and then tried to put on a serious face, but it was impossible for her to hide the twinkle of merriement in her eyes.
"Then we are leaving now?"
"Yup!" She beamed. "I'm going to give Kitty a really big huggle when we get back!" Then she yawned. "But this place is taking a lot outta me, so we'd better get going." Smiling, she held out her hand. Cautiously, Anubis took it and she pulled him out from under the safe haven of the tree's mighty branches. She turned at the last moment and glanced at the being fondly.
"Farewell, my Haven," she whispered, just barely loud enough for him to hear, and then she looked up at him. "Close your eyes."
He did and felt like he was falling.
Pain assaulted him what seemed like only moments after he'd closed his eyes. He cried out as the feeling licked at his skin and coursed through his blood, searing him from the inside out. He felt like he was back in Lasheen's clutches! He sucked in a sharp breath as he felt a hand land on his shoulder, fearing it might be Kaiden's- or even worse- Lasheen's hand touching him.
"Anubis! Shhhh. It's okay, Red. Calm down, it's just me. It's Robyn," he heard whispered above him and he snapped his green eyes open as all te air seemed to rush out of his lungs on one violent gasp.
It was her! Her gray eyes mocked him with their presence, taunting him with the sincerity and worry that clouded them. Her blond hair was falling around her face and brushing against his in graceful waves. He felt like he was choking on his breath as he tried to search for a feeling outside the pain and the shock.
"Anubis! Come on..." He could only lay back, helpless, as she gathered his upper body into her arms and began to rock him back and forth. "It's alright. Everything's alright. We're both fine. You're fine. Breathe sweety." Her voice was lilting into some strange accent, reminding him of Cye, but with a different twang. "Breathe..." She was whispering to him as she rocked, and his breathing managed to slow down to something akin to normal. He clenched his eyes shut and let out one long shuddering breath as his memory crashed down on him.
"Robyn..." He angled his head and opened his eyes, looked up at her, recognition floating around in his mind as he stared. She reached up and brushed his hair away from his face, a gentle look on her face.
"Rest up, hon. We'll be back home soon. Close your eyes." She brushed her fingers over his forehead and he nodded, unable to find his voice. But he closed his eyes again and felt himself falling into dreams.
Robyn looked down at the tortured redhead in her arms and suddenly felt tears well up in her eyes. She wished she could offer him another Blessed Realm, where he wasn't feeling the pain inflicted by Lasheen. She knew that his calm interaction with her in the Blessed Realm had been a soothing technique brought on to him by his own soul, and now that he was back in his body, that calm was no longer in place.
She glanced about and noticed that the area around them was shady, but dry. The sun was glaring down at them from a bright blue, cloudless sky, and the tree that shaded them was rather straggly looking. The grass on the ground was brown and deadish looking.
She gave a dry sound and slapped herself in the head.
Damn her own self for mentioning anything about South Africa!
A few hours later, Robyn suddenly jerked awake. She hadn't meant to fall asleep! She'd just been so tired, she hadn't been able to resist laying down and just closing her eyes. She'd meant to stay awake to watch over Anubis to make sure he would be okay.
She looked over at him and found him still pleasantly asleep. It was getting late in the evening and she reached over to tucke an errant strand of hair behind his ear. He was sleeping well, at least. His breathing was even and he didn't look pained or anything.
She glanced over him. He was decked out in a cloak- probably courtesy of Kitty- and the ratty college sweatshirt she'd thrown around his hips earlier. She'd torn the wings off her back immediately after knocking Lasheen out; that's how she'd managed to get the sweatshirt off. It was a huge shirt, especially on her, and it was tied snugly around his waist.
She glanced down at herself. She'd worn a tank top under the sweat, but in place under the tank and her jeans was a tight white leotard, no doubt also from Kitty. She picked at the sleeves as she studied him.
Who'd of thought? Anubis, alive. She gave a little snort of amusement. It was like all her obsessive fantasies come true, but she wasn't sure she liked this one. In all her fan fic writing days, she'd constantly brought Anubis back to the living, but in those days, he'd enjoyed the company of her self-based character. He hadn't been annoyed by her. She'd liked the thought of instant romance. She sighed.
"Well, tough luck, Birdie," she muttered as she placed a hand on his shoulder to wake him. They had to get going.
She stifled a cry as his hand shot out and latched onto her wrist. His eyes were widen and dark as he stared at her with defiance.
"Leave me alone!" he shouted at her angrily and with sudden burst of strength, he threw her to the side as though she were a rag doll.
"Anubis!" she yelled as she skidded onto the ground. He was struggling to his feet, his breathing labored, swaying as though a breeze could knock him down. Then he straightened, glaring at her.
"Calm down, Anubis. It's me! Robyn! The annoying blonde from the Blessed Realm!" She got to her feet and took a catious step towards him.
"Stay away!" he shouted. "Leave me alone, Lasheen!"
She gritted her teeth and walked up to him.
His stance changed and he looked as thought he feared being punished.
Instead, she reached out and smoothed his disheveled hair back from his face.
"Shhhhh," she soothed. His fear and defiance radiated from him in waves harsh enough to put a tsunami to shame. "I'm not Lasheen. I'm Robyn. Just Robyn."
Anubis felt the fear leave him as her cool hands touch his face; Lasheen's hands had always been ice-cold, but the fingers that brushed his cheeks now held some warmth, if not much. Their true warmth lay in the feeling of comfort they gave him. He closed his eyes and began slumping forward.
Robyn then realized just how much Lasheen had beaten the warrior before her, and she felt firey anger shoot up inside her. In the Blessed Realm, Anubis had been strong, but his soul would always be strong. When he was in his body, his defenses were down. It amazed her how much the body could be connected with the soul.
"Anubis, we're going home now. I only ask that you trust me for as long as this might take. After that, you can distrust me as much as you want," she whispered as she threw her arms around his middle to keep him standing. She blushed at the contact since he was nearly nude. "I'd conjur some food and water for us, but that would take too much energy. And I can't teleport us; I don't know if that would be good for you."
"Home," he managed to wheeze out as he stared down at her.
"Yes. The Ronins, Mia, White Blaze, Yulie. Even the other Warlords and Kayura." She smiled up at him. "I'll carry you on the wings of an eagle." He gray eyes were smiling as she released him and he only barely managed to remain standing as she took about ten steps back and closed her eyes.
His eyes widened as she started to change. He remembered something. Words in his head. "Transformation..." That was it! She was transforming into something! Wings of an eagle. Fascinated, he stared at her body as it grew large, changed shape. Her arms, which she'd held akimbo, started to bend at an odd angle. Her head began to grow longer, sharper. Feathers sprouted from under the thick layers of hair; the feathers were the same blondish color. She grew and grew, until she was nearly ten times his size.
When it was complete, a pair of sharp gray eyes snapped open and stared at him.
-*Get up on my back,*- she said, scooting so she was right next to him. She lowered her neck and shoulders. -*Don't be afraid.*-
Exhaustedly, Anubis managed to crawl on her great feathered back, and he was surprised to feel just how comfortable the feathers were.
-*Hold on tight.*- She didn't have to tell him twice as held onto her shoulders as tightly as possible. -*I'm not a jet, so it might be kinda slow, but we'll get there as quickly as possible. And if we crash, we'll blame it on my inexperience. I've never flown like this before.*-
He didn't know what a jet was, but it sounded fast and he closed his eyes as he felt the play of muscles under his stomach. A gust of wind whooshed past him as she spread her wings and started pumping the air around her. He felt a violent lurch and suddenly got the feeling that there was no ground below the feet of the eagle Robyn had become.
-*I don't think this is South Africa,*- she said a while later as they flew. -*But it's hotter than hell out here!*-
Robyn was following the pull of her link with her sisters. With every moment that passed she could feel the link get just a tiny bit stronger as she flew in one general direction.
Inwardly she was wondering just how long it was going to take to get back to Toyoma, Japan. Flying was way faster, and she knew that her great wings were speeding them along quite nicely. She was surprised she'd even managed to lift off the ground. She was glad the instinct to fly had sort of popped up in her after her change. Robyn felt dread well up in her; when Katrin and Lin heard of this, they'd never let her live it down that she had actually been a bird for a while. Sometimes she hated having the name "Robyn."
She'd put up a wall to keep her sisters from knowing she was back. She wanted it to be a surprise, even though she figured they'd kill her later for it. Oh well.
A long ass time, two plane incidences, and one mild concussion later, Robyn spotted the Ronin Manor. Anubis was unconcious on her back, and she hoped landing wouldn't knock him off. Nope. That would be bad.
She tipped her wings and streamed towards the ground, loving the feel of the wind rushing up and over her body. She tried to make the descent as gentle as possible and was fairly successful. She heard a pained groan behind her and flinched.
-*Sorry, Red,*- she apologized as she touched down.
"I never wish to fly again," he muttered as she let him slip off her back. They were in the backyard, and nobody had noticed them as of yet. Thankfully, she slumped down and started the change back from eagle to human. She collapsed to the ground, groaning as blood rushed back to proper places and bones set themselves right. All in all, she felt shitty as it happened.
"Amen," she intoned as she pushed to her fet a little while later. He wasn't listening though; he was unconscious again, and she groaned as she started dragging him to the door. She was so tired. She couldn't even bring up the simple power to levitate his fine ass back to the house.
Present
"I really resent that, Weasel. I'm as slow as a damned nine-year-itch! Get it straight!"
"BIRDIE!" the two girls screamed as they both vaulted from their seats to tackle her.
White Blaze was standing outside on the back deck and pushed into the house, effectively cutting off the sisters. On his back was one unconscious, redheaded ex-warlord. Chaos ensued when everybody saw him. They started rushing around like the proverbial chickens, racing to get him off White Blaze's back, get him cleaned up, get him wrapped up, and Robyn smiled faintly as she watched this from her point at the doorframe.
"Night Red," she called dryly as she finally welcomed the hugs of her sisters.
"Birdie! What took you so long!" Lin grumped.
"I conjurred you guys over two days ago!" Katrin said unhappily.
"Eh?" Robyn looked at them blankly. "I'm glad." Muttering incoherantly she started for the stairs. "Tired... sleepy..." She yawned, emitting her usual squeak. "Talk later... sleep now... No... bath... Long... Hot..." When she got to the top of the stairs, she switched her goal and went into the bathroom. Lin and Katrin understood that she was tired as hell, but they were still extremely anxious to know what happened, why she was closed off from them. And when she shut the door without another word from them, they sighed.
"Birdie'd better talk later..." Lin muttered.
"Where did Robyn go?" Kayura asked, coming up beside them.
"She's in the bathroom, preparing to use up all the hot water in the house, no doubt," Lin said dryly.
"Well, can you make sure she goes to one of the rooms upstairs?" Kayura asked sheepishly. "Your room was the nearest clean room we got him to."
"No problem," Lin said, smiling a bit.
Robyn drew her bath and stared at the water as it poured down into the huge tub. Her eyes were starting to cross, she was so tired, but her skin needed to be cleaned badly. She looked over at the shelf and counter, scanning their contents to see if there was any bubble bath... Bingo! She spooted a bottle of some of Lin's stuff sitting on the counter, probably where she'd forgotten to grab it. Reaching over, Robyn snatched it and poured in a generous bit, watching the froth take over the water. Sleepily satisfied, she stripped and lowered her weary body into the suds.
For a while she was content to just sit there like that, but then she reached over and grabbed some shampoo, wetted her hair, and set to scrubbing the locks. They'd felt horendously oily earlier. She didn't know who the bottle belonged to- probably Sage; the stuff was really nice and looked expensive. She'd pay him back somehow, but later. She thought the same of the conditioner, and the soap.
After that she lay back against the little plastic pillow and stared up at the cieling.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
She heard the bath faucet dripping and closed her eyes.
God she felt exhausted. The transfer to the Blessed Realm, plus a passenger, followed by returning to her body, added to transforming into a giant eagle and flying with aforementioned passenger nonstop back home had really taken it outta her.
She heard a knock on the door and ignored it. The door cracked open and she heard something- cloth maybe?- slide across the floor. Then she heard the door click shut again.
She took a deep breath and slid down fully into the water, wondering if she could just drown out her exhaustion.
Mia sipped her tea, watching Ryo from the corner of her eye. He was tense, as though he expected a bad guy to just suddenly appear out of nowhere.
"He brought back Anubis, Mia. Who knows what else he can do," he said suddenly, tightly. She was leaning against the counter across the room and she set down her cup and walked up to him.
"That may be so, but we don't know enough about him to form anything solid."
"We don't know who this Lasheen guy is, and we can hardly survive Kaiden's attacks. He looked down at her. "Robyn's manipulation of my surekill could help. I don't know if it hurt him any, but that's the only thing I can think of that would give us a chance against him. I should ask her if-"
"She's exhausted Ryo," Mia interrupted, smiling. "And you're on edge. I think you should wait a while to ask her for her help, at least until she's managed to get some sleep."
He looked down a bit sheepishly. "Yeah. I guess so." Glancing up at her, Ryo couldn't help the helplessness from showing in his voice. "I just donn't know what else we can do."
"We'll figure out something, Ryo." Mia gave him a smile of encouragement. "Don't we always?"
Lasheen's World (Ooooh, the prissy little It's gonna be pissed!)
A shriek of rage sounded through the halls.
Anyone within earshot would have fallen to the floor, convulsing from the inside of their heads out, form the sheer intensity and volume of the offensive sound. Of course, since the only people in the castle were Lasheen and Kaiden- and let's face it, Kaiden probably wouldn't have cared about the sound- nobody went into said convulsions, unless you, the reader, are capable of imagining such a sound and will thus fall into the spasms.
In the room Robyn had first met Lasheen, Lasheen was destroying anything in sight. First the throne was picked up and tossed at the wall. It punched a large hole through the wall while shattering, and bricks and dust flew in all different directions as contact was made.
Then came the lovely table, splintered against the floor.
The tapestries were burned with bursts of flame that shot forth from Lasheen's fingertips.
Another sickly cry tore from its lips as it moved through the room until everything was destroyed or beyond being repaired.
Lasheen stood in the rubble, pristine and shining with a pale light, scanning the destruction. Rage colored its eyes black, and visible power crackled at its fingertips.
"You're very good, Robyn," Lasheen whispered. "So good that you could use my physical weakness to your advantage. But no more. You have that same weakness, little bird. I'm going to toy with you all. You and those silly little Ronins. And Anubis... He will get his comeuppance.."
Snapping its fingers, Lasheen felt the heavy weight of the crystal ball appear in its hands. It glanced down at the sphere.
"Such a quick mind. Much like my own used to be..." It paced around the rubble.
"Kaiden is good... He could destroy them all so easily. But I don't want that. I want them all alive..." It quieted and sueednly a hole was blown through the far wall where the throne used to be. Bright sunlight streamed in and Lasheen gazed out the water that surrounded the castle. There used to be a ring of land surrounded the small moat, but Lasheen had decided to expand the water to the ends of the plane it existed in.
Just a few days before, Lasheen had almost achieved one of its ultimate goals: to have Anubis. He wasn't his father, but he was close enough. He was the perfect likeness.
But then Kaiden had had to fish out two practically lifeless bodies from the damned one-time moat! One, the body it wanted to be, and the other, the body it wanted to have! Ruined!
Not for long though. Glancing down at the crystal, Lasheen muttered something, and its black eyes flickered like the light that flickered in the ball.
Talpa had left behind a few useful artifacts, some beings that the new guardians of the Netherworld had cast out rather carelessly in their lack of need for them. Lasheen had picked them up a while back, finding them scattered between worlds and realms like bits of garbage. Lasheen decided to fix them up and give them a new boost of power. They weren't nearly as nice, compared to Kaiden's strength, but Lasheen liked to toy with its victims.
"Kaiden's good in his resistence to injury, and his attacks are incomparable... but he has no drive. No energy."
Lasheen picked at a pouch tied to its left hip and pulled something out of it. Holding it up to the sunlight, Lasheen began sprinkling it out onto the wind. It looked like pollen as it travelled out on the wind, away from the castle, to the Mortal Realm.
"Three days... they have three days of rest. And then, the fun begins."
Then Lasheen looked at the water, distaste turning its eyes from the flat black to lovely silver it normally was.
"I just need a few special things and this world will really be real. No more boring water. No ends to this world..."
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Hiya! What do ya think? Are you bored with it? Do you like it? Do you hate it? I beg you for reviews and suggestions. I've got events and stuffed planned out, but I'd really like you to tell me what you think of how I'm writing it. Himby says hi! Oh and if you notice that I keep referring to Lasheen as "IT", I might accidentally put "it's" when referring to to something being in Lasheen's posessions. I don't want to constantly be putting Lasheen's this, and Lasheen's that, even though Lasheen doesn't have this or that (ooooh, that's just gross. **shudders**)
Also, in case you haven't read it on my bio page, here's a special question for y'all.
If Piccolo from DBZ had working "parts" and they got cut off, would they regenerate?
Ponder that for a while, would you?
Review? Please?
Gray