Gatekeepers Encore
"Why do you fight?"
"I…" The answer that sprang to mind was contrived and bookish to his tongue. He couldn't identify with it, but it was all he had. "To protect the innocent…"
Really. Reiji's expression said. Shun bit the inside of his lip.
"To... protect those I care about." That sounded better. More true. People came to mind, Kaa-san, Saemi, Matsuda-san, the Baked-yam Man, the neighbours, classmates, the team, Rurippe… "I… I don't want to see them cry…"
"Jya, I don't care about any of that," Reiji shrugged. "But if you don't stop acting like a pathetic speck of a bug I shall have to crush you for the sake of my reputation."
Shun stared. Reiji flicked something at him. He fumbled and caught it to see his own face grin up at him. It was his Earth Defence Organisation licence.
"I found a piece of junk in my grave. See if you can make anything of it."
Shun searched Reiji's face for a sign, any sign that he was joking, but Reiji was leaving, the last thing he saw was a slightly creepy Reiji-smile as the elevator door closed on the blonde boy. Shun shuddered. Crushed like a bug. Junk in his grave. He's got to be kidding… right?
* * * Why isn't she surprised? She never really believed he was dead. He didn't deserve death. It would be too quick and good for him.
"It was you." She realised. "You made Ukiya come back."
"Yes." He tossed unconcernedly. He hadn't come to discuss that bug.
"What do you want from me."
"Only that I feel I should apologise." He approached casually.
Apologise? Megumi trembled. Apologise? She crossed the distance between then and met him midway with a resounding slap. "You think you can use me, dump me, humiliate me then apologise? You have the nerve! At least act sincere about it! Bakerou!" She yelled. He hand glowed angrily against his cheek. "Bastard! Jerk! Scum! You… you are a bug! A speck of a bug! Less! You… how dare you!"
He watched all this with surprise, awed by her sudden burst of temper and respecting her for it, although it was kept away from his face. She seethed. Neither the blow nor the words gave her the satisfaction she craved.
"A speck of a bug, am I."
"That's being polite." She snarled. In her fantasies, he could be her helpless captive now, prisoner to her wills and wiles. She couldn't quite understand why it isn't so yet.
"What does that make you, Kurogane?" He smirked. He had the gall to smirk! But it was genuinely funny to him. "A pathetic human who betrayed her species for a speck of a bug?"
She flushed, knowing it the truth. The ugly truth. "I am stronger now. You can't use me again."
He shrugged. "I only came to apologise."
"You could have acted sorry."
"I don't beg."
"Not to weird bugs."
The vicious hurt snagged on him. For a moment, he really did look sorry. Sorry and pained. "I… I didn't mean to call you names."
"Liar."
"It's true, I…" The moment fled. "I don't need to explain myself to you, Kurogane!"
A power stirred around them and two circles of jet-black opened, one in the other, under him, indignantly sinking him in. He was gone. Megumi stared at the spot he had vacated. She flexed her hand. The fingers still throbbed.
"It's okay." She whispered to the dark. "You can still call me Megumi. I'd like that."
Beady red eyes watched her leave from across the street, then took off on snow-white wings and landed on Reiji's shoulder. (Perhaps we should start calling him Yuji now.) It cawed mutely and pecked at his fingers.
"I know."' Reiji… Yuji, sighed. His cheek stung
* * * Ukiya-kun is back. Ruriko laid back on her bed, glad and confused. Ukiya-kun was back! She didn't think she should be quote as delighted as she was. He was only her crush since kindergarten. She got up and made a face at the hand-painted Godzilla toy on her desk. Baka!
What is she going to tell him though? About the black gate and her own guilt. The Invaders… Gyaa! It's a beautiful day out. Don't ruin it! She threw her curtains open, something she hadn't done in a long time. The window across was empty, which was just slightly disappointing, until a bum appeared hopping all around the room trying to get in his pants. She froze and cracked.
"HENTAI!!!!"
"Oi, oi, Rurippe.. ita!"
Afterwards they will have to haul everything back in her room again. What a pain. Shun stood on the pavement and laughed to himself. When was the last time that happened? He'd almost missed it.
Ruriko came out of her house and tossed her head high, refusing to acknowledge him.
"Oh, come on, Rurippe! I'm the real victim!"
"Don't call me that!!"
They were fighting again. Feye and Kaoru exchanged looks and giggled from the window. Ruriko crossed the premises hotly, leaving Shun to beg and wail behind. Mornings just weren't the same without this. Someone else was watching too. Feye was the first to notice.
"Hello," She put on her sweetest and most innocent visage, easy for such a kawaii little girl. "What interesting things do you see?"
The student looked her up, and walked away.
"How rude!" Kaoru chimed. "What a creepy kid!"
"He was spying on Ruriko-chan."
"Ikusawa-senpai?" Kaoru's expression blanked. "Why would anyone… Oh!" And darkened. "I'd forgot."
"What?"
"Ikusawa-senpai is…"
"Ne, Rurippe, there's a real hentai up there watching you." Shun observed, wondering what anyone would want with a sniveller like her.
"He's not a hentai like you." Rurippe said indignantly. "He's AEGIS." And immediately realised her slip. Opps!
"What?" Shun blinked. "Why is AEGIS watching you?"
"I…" She looked away. Damn! Why did that have to happen?
"Rurippe, what's wrong? What happened?"
"I… I'm under surveillance." She admitted reluctantly.
"Why?" He would have liked to put his arm around her. She looked so miserable!
"The Gate of genocide??"
"No! Feye-chan, you mustn't believe it! It can't have been Ikusawa-senpai!"
"Kaoru-chan…" She looked about to cry.
"Kageyama??"
"Iya, it could have been anyone, even me. We don't know for sure, that's why Shirei's put people on me, just in case." She smiled. It was very strained. "I'm glad they did this, really. It makes me feel better, knowing that someone's watching out for me…"
"What if…"
"They'll take me into custody, I suppose. Make sure I won't hurt anyone."
Shun shook his head. No! Not Rurippe! "But… but you're just a harmless sniveller! It can't be you!" If only he hadn't been such a loser and let himself get so down! Then this wouldn't have happened!
"It could be." There were dark depths to her that no-one knew. She's put a lot of thought to it. If Megumi had only found those shards of darkness, none of them would be here today. It would be Shadow's world; his and hers and Megumi's. "Because sometimes, Ukiya-kun, I do want to hurt people… like now… people like YOU!"
He really shouldn't have called her Rurippe. Now he's gonna get it, hard on the head. Only the teacher passing through saved him when Ruriko reverted at once into her model student mode and sweetly told him to be more careful.
We have a perfect word for this kind of behaviour. It's called Schizophrenic. Nowadays we treat it with pacifying drugs and lock people like her away, but that was 1971.
He'd forgotten to tell her about Kageyama.
* * * Megumi brooded. Last night was too weird. Since when did Shadow apologise for anything? Unless he wanted something from her after all. What could it be? Bah. She is stronger now, wiser. He couldn't get her so easily now. Could he?
Somehow she suspected yes. It was meeting him, stronger, wiser as she was. Something in her had wanted to believe in him. Had it been that way before? It was easier believing she had been manipulated. Kageyama Reiji could read minds, they said. She knew this wasn't true, but he still was a charismatic leader and a crafty deceiver. She also knew now that that wasn't it. She had gone to his side knowing what he was up to. Thrilled by the idea that he had needed her, but beyond that, she suspected something else, something that wanted, needed, him to need her. Not just anyone, but him. Kageyama Reiji. Some mystical connection that drew her to him. She didn't care much for his ideals. What's it to her who rules the country, or even the world? He was sometimes extreme, but that, somehow, was forgiven. She didn't really agree to his bug thesis. Most insects were okay in her books. So what was it? He was a companion. He understood the darkness in her soul. And she realised, she needed him to understand. Just him.
This is stupid. It sounded stupid. "He's just using you again." How else could this be explained? The distraction was well-timed, for her and the snake under attack. Some boys in the neighbourhood were regular bullies, taking it upon themselves to torment little animals whenever they can. Usually, Megumi would hurry away, unwilling to tangle with those young shadows of would-be oppressors. Perhaps it was her anger at Kageyama that made her stand up today. Today, she will do something about it and teach those boys a lesson.
They ran home screaming about a demon snake. What other creature could it be that could emit a green glow and suddenly grow impervious to all their sticks and stones? Megumi went down beside it. It was only a harmless little grass snake, fresh green and elegant, now scratched in places and bleeding a little. It raised its head and flicked its tongue in thanks.
"Hello. That's what you get for wandering too far from home." She scolded lightly. Grass snakes frequent the countryside, where there was plenty of shade and green to go around, not the big boisterous city. It was too noisy and far too dangerous.
It blinked wide golden eyes at her.
* * * …Hello, Megumi…
- You again. -
…Some people would sell their souls to see me…
- So what do you want with me. -
…Only to make all your dreams come true…
- I don't need your pity. You can't use me. -
…I don't want to use you. I want you to use me. You've seen what I can do…
- There is a price. -
…Something small. You won't even miss it…
- Who are you. -
…Make a wish and find out…
- This is a trick. -
…You will come to me, Gatekeeper. It is your destiny…
- What do you know about my destiny? -
…I know many things…
Megumi started to move towards him (her?), hypnotised. She stopped thinking. She reached out. The stranger smiled, chillingly, with an evil glint in his red eye. Her soul cringed, but her body remained pliant to the currents, carrying her forward, to take that hand… A green lightning struck between them suddenly, scorching her fingers. Megumi startled.
Her finger ached, the dream vivid and cold against her spine. She had fallen asleep at her desk. There was something wet on the table. She looked and found her left middle finger bleeding, slightly nicked. She had reached for the spectre with her left hand.
A green snake stared at her. Megumi drew back. How had that got in? There were no windows to her room, only the door that is connected to the shop downstairs. It blinked olive-flaked gold eyes. Where had she seen a snake like that before? It turned away and slithered up her study lamp, then went to sleep with an attitude that suggested she ought to go to bed too.
Megumi reached out hesitantly and brushed its wide brow. A soft rhythm vibrated pleasantly through her fingertip. Do snakes purr?
* * * Ruriko's dreams were restless, of black Gates and Death. She was on a hill, obscured by fog. A black double-ringed circle flared. She stumbled back. Who? What? No… On the other side of the circle stood herself, the perfect mirror, except for the eyes that glowed darkly with Gate power. The other extended her hand at the fog clears, revealing a scene of carnage. There were soldiers and civilians, men, women, children, students, AEGIS agents.
"NO!!" She screamed.
The Other gestured silently. Who else could have done it?
No!!!
The black gate flared and the corpses staggered to their feet, lurching towards them. NonononoNO!!! She couldn't even scream, as if someone had turned the volume off on her. She was alone on the hilltop. The Gate was gone. The corpses kept coming. She screamed on and on in her head.
It wasn't me! I'm sorry! I didn't do it!
Death appeared, as before, in her face. Bone-white, shrouded in a sandy cloak, sporting only a single dark eye that cried blood. It bowed. The corpses moaned. Mocking, all mocking. Her nose ran. Death vanished, leaving the corpses to jeer.
Iya!!!
They had her in their power. She couldn't wake. They wouldn't let her. She freaked. The black Gate opened. Then, it was her eyes that radiated the Gate's darkness. She was calm now. The Gate flared. Death emerged from its heart and raised its arms. The dead stilled, and led by death, went to their knees to pay her homage.
* * * Shirei had a strange new task for them. Shun stole frequent glances at Ruriko who was especially listless. Once dismissed he cornered her, "Ne, Rurippe, are you okay? You look like you didn't sleep well."
"I'm fine."
"Says the sniveller. Jya, shall we go?"
"I'm not a sniveller!" Shun fell over with a new bump.
"Megumi-chan, let's form a team!" And dragged the other girl off before anyone, especially Shun, could protest.
"Let's see, Gosunkugi lives nearby. Shall we go to his place first?… Megumi-chan, is something wrong? You've been wandering since just now."
How embarrassing! To be caught out by Ikusawa!
"It's nothing." She couldn't tell her of anything, of course. Those were her secrets, Kageyama, the blonde stranger, the dreams, the snake, the voice. "Let's go."
The sooner they got this done the better. Megumi couldn't help but feel Shirei was pulling their leg about all this. There just didn't seem any point investigating potential negative Gatekeepers when he knows something; and it definitely looks like he did! Megumi wasn't trusting like the other Gatekeepers. The man couldn't fool her. But then, she wasn't Kageyama either, with the ability to read minds.
"Che, run along. I'm not interested in school girls and men! What is your company thinking, geez!"
"Company?" Kaoru brightened. "You know about us?"
The man scratched his head. Annoying brats. She was pretty, sure, but not his type. Gojyu liked his women taller, fuller, and all round older. Kids drove him nuts.
"Of course I know. I called!"
"Terrific! This saves so much trouble! We're here to invite you to join us!!" Bancho hadn't quite got his orders right. They were to investigate, not recruit. But that's typical.
Gojyu lifted an eyebrow. "Listen, man, I respect prostitution but only as a john, 'right?" He considered Bancho and added. "I'm not that out of legs to spread." Besides, who wants to join an escort service that serves up people like Bancho?
The teenagers flushed.
"You're not a Gatekeeper?"
"Gate-keeper??" The man pointed down the hall. "You want the old man that sleeps under the stair. He's the one that watches the gates!"
Kaoru and Bancho fled the scene. How dumb was that??
"What??" Gojyu pulled his door open a second time.
"What?"
"Oh. It's you."
"I'm not welcomed here?"
"You're always welcome if you've got booze."
"What happened?"
"Some kids. Someone told them I'm the caretaker."
Hakai laughed and offered him a beer.
"You want to watch me exorcise demons?"
Genzo Sanzo was a strapping young man of twenty-odd, very blonde and unaccommodating, not at all what you expect of a Sanzo monk, especially when he pulled out his cigarette! Ruriko launched into an auto-speech on the harms of smoking and got a tap for good intentions. Sanzo didn't have much use for them. Megumi thought he might be suspicious. He carried with him an air that suggested he didn't care a lot for people and the world, pushing them into the way of "annoying and unworthy of notice".
Sanzo snickered.
"Do you have any demons with you?"
"Well, no, but…"
"Go home, kids. Study. Watch TV. I don't care."
"But…"
Megumi agreed. It the negative Gatekeeper wanted them, he or she would turn up on his own eventually. Of course, she wasn't about to tell Ruriko t o go home and study. That would diminish her chances of scoring better. "Let's go. We'll find him eventually."
"Sooner, if you'll just stay in one place." A voice complained behind them. Ruriko and Megumi whirled. Sanzo reached in his robe for his mantra. The creature was humanoid, female, bone-white, in a rich blue gi top. Black bands clasped her ankles and left wrist. A series of gold and silver bangles adorned the right. He fingers were clawed, the midnight blue of horror. She had but one eye, a left, heavily kohled and bleeding blue. Some dark hair was pulled to the right in a side ponytail. A stylistic draconian tattoo reared on the pale expense of her naked thigh, evil orange eye glinting like a jewel as she perched cross-kneed in mid-air.
"Move!" Sanzo roared and threw open his mantra. The white pages lashed around the demon and a foreign script glowed as he chanted.
"Would you like me to howl?" She cocked her head amusedly at Sanzo and touched a fingertip to the paper. Black circles revolved in her eye. The script glowed gold, orange, red, then black and the mantra slipped uselessly on the floor, a pile of paper. She snickered.
"You're… a negative Gatekeeper!"
"Intelligent, aren'tcha." The woman mocked. Ruriko paled.
Sanzo reached back in his robe and withdrew a gun. He fires. Buddha knows what a negative Gatekeeper was. In his experience, that didn't matter. Unless you're a ghost, which she wasn't, there's nothing a good ol' bullet wouldn't put a hole through. Assuming that was true, it'd have to reach the target, first. A quad-ringed circle opens and ate it. Sanzo was nonplussed but obviously shaken as he emptied the rest of the clip into its black centre. Ruriko took aim with shaking hands and found her bolts too, swallowed by a series of small black Gates, one for each arrow.
"Tsk tsk. Kids these days have no manners."
Sanzo reload. He aims. The trigger cocks. A dark power gathers around him. What…? A black Gate opens before him, flares, and suddenly, he droops, like a cut-stringed marionette. The gun clutters noisily to the floor. The girls froze, watching him go limp, head lolling to a side as though someone had sucked out his brains and stolen his soul, rock unsteadily on his feet, and slump over against a wall. A sickly sweet scent of flowery decay filled the prayer hall. In a shower of blighted kinmokusei petals, a second joined them.
Two of them!
This one was a little shorter than the first, enveloped in a black burial shroud. Wispy white locks of hair laid stark contrast and little else could be seen, although for the better, judging from the livid palette of earths and purples and greens on the glimpse of the jaw.
"Show off. You really should learn to watch your back." The voice was light and sweet, effeminate and hauntingly pleasant.
"Why? You do a great job of it."
The shrouded smiled. "That's still not a good thing. Hello, you two."
Ruriko tried to shoot again, but went far off the mark. "Who… who are you? What do you want?"
The blue demon rotated her head, almost surprised.
"You don't know?" She came up close to the girls. Her eye glittered on Megumi. "You called us."
It was all Megumi could do to quiver. She couldn't trust herself to speak. Something fluttered in her, some chord of… recognition? Kinship? She didn't know. Only that she would instinctively drop everything to go with them.
"Called… you?" Ruriko whimpered, fearing the worst.
"Don't AEGIS tell you anything?" The demonic one snapped.
"Do you know the whales' song?" Shroud lilted. "Whales sing to each other in voices only their companions can hear and understand. It is how they call to each another. Tell them where they are."
Oh god! Ruriko shuddered. Her knees gave. Megumi had become rooted to her spot. Was this the end? No… It can't end this way… It mustn't!
The sound of tires screeching on the road outside was the AEGIS bus. Shun was off and dashing straight in, followed by the others, unfazed, yet to get a good look at their to-be opponents.
"Ah, the white knight to the rescue. How gay, little princess."
"AEGIS. Still such a pain in the ass."
"Oh, you love it. Come on. Let's leave them to it."
The blue demon sighed and as suddenly as a snuffed out light, vanished. Shroud looked interestedly at Shun dashing in. "Ask your Shirei about the Gate of Genocide." Her purple lips instructed with a helpful smile.
"Rurippe! Ultra… Sen… Puu… Ki… …" Shun stumbled, swashing at thin air, then made a hole in the wall. The villains were gone.
"COWARDS!!!" Bancho hollered. "Come back here and fight me!! I, Bancho will take all of you on at once!! What have you done to Ruriko-hime!!!!"
"Ru… Rurippe?"
Ruriko blinked, and started to cry.
Author's deranged notes:
Siren Whale: Brother, Dark of My Soul
The plot thickens. *enter ominous music*
Saiyuki cameo!! Gojyu-san doesn't go much for schoolgirls. Fortunately, I only look the part. What I mean to say is, I'm an evil bitch and that turns him on *G*
Can you imagine Sanzo drooling his brain out with the blank look? Dots for eyes and a small drooling O for a mouth? I love that gun.
Meg and Reiji are just so cute! *-* Link an outstanding KxK fic by Sakura
Although, the men in GK are never gonna get laid. I mean… Gawds! They don't know how to handle their women. *shake* Nope.
On Gosunkugi, he's that creepy guy in Ranma that likes Akane? Yea. If he had a Gate power, I swear, it's gonna be something creepy and pathetically useless.
Jya, expect a two week break after this chapt. I'm working on the rest of it and I promise the next one is gonna be great and explain more of these mysteries, but exams are starting today (8th Nov, GMT + 8).