Disclaimer- in case anyone has forgotten, I do not own "Dead or Alive". The wonderful people at Team Ninja make it.
Note- Hey kiddies! I've just gotten back from outta town, so sorry for the long wait. Personally, I like this chapter. The images came clearly and it was very easy to write, (at three in the morning...) The Demon's Church is a level in DOA2: Hardcore, I always like playing there... It seems to have this warm glow about it...
You know... I used to be a huge Ein/Ayane fan when I first started playing DOA... Then I found out that they were half brother/sister... (Bleh!) But, while playing tag battle, I saw the beauty of Hayabusa/Ayane...
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Chapter 12:
Night had come quickly, as if it knew of the dark deed that would be done on this night. Heavy clouds crowded in the sky and the wind gave a shrill cry as it tossed the treetops into a wild dance. Yes, a perfect backdrop for what she had planned...
The Demon's Church... Ayane remembered it from the last tournament. The locals didn't dare go near it. They still feared the tengu, the same tengu Hayabusa had destroyed, declaring him the victor of the tournament.
She had wanted to kill it... wanted to take its title and be feared as the tengu was. But, because of her failure to defeat Kasumi, she had to drop out of the tournament.
Now she stood outside the chain fence that outlined the churches courtyard. The courtyard itself was in ruin; stained glass lay shattered from days long past, the walls crumbled into fractions of what they once were...
The purple scarf around her neck joined in the winds dance as she climbed over the fence, throwing her leg over and landing on the ground with absent- minded grace. She had searched the outside perimeter for Kasumi and decided that she must be hiding inside.
After she had left Hayabusa's store she returned home and suited up in her purple gi. She planned each step she would take to kill Kasumi, eliminating any room for error. Kasumi would be here alone... No witnesses to be had. Tonight had to be the night... If she didn't kill her tonight then...
Ayane absentmindedly patted the ninjato strapped at her waist.
Kasumi's going to be a new sheath for this blade... and if not her... then I will...
The great church loomed before her as she walked through its courtyard. A shadow in the stained glass appeared then disappeared. Ayane ran for the doors and threw them open looking for the stairs.
Damn it! If Kasumi had seen her she would try to run...
As soon as she spotted the stairs she began to climb them with unthinkable speed. The room that greeted was the same she had fought that American woman in during the last tournament, large windows on each wall and a somewhat damaged roof... But instead of the blonde woman there stood Kasumi with her back to Ayane.
Kasumi was dressed in a gi identical to Ayane's, only hers was red, but when she turned around she was smiling. It wasn't the usual sickening smile, it was an eerie smile...
"Why the hell are you smiling?"
She didn't get a response only a small chuckle and Kasumi flipping her hair. Ayane took a step towards her but she didn't move, only looked at her with interested eyes and that damn smile plastered to her face.
"You know what? Smile all you want... It won't stop me from..."
In mid-sentence Kasumi lunged at her with inhuman speed, lashing out with her hands as if they were claws. The attacked had surprised Ayane, but it didn't surprise her enough to stop her foot from crashing into Kasumi's side. The kick sent her sliding across the marble floor, but she was back on her feet in no time...
...and... She was still smiling...
From behind the smile came laughter, a laughter composed of pure insanity that rang through the entire church... Had Kasumi finally lost it? Ayane didn't have time to think about it, Kasumi rushed her again, but this time she successfully landed a blow that sent Ayane into a wall.
From her new vantage point on the floor, Ayane stared at the newly insane Kasumi...
What the hell?! She just attacked me from out of nowhere! Why hasn't she tried to talk her way out of it or even try to run away? Has she really gone mad?
Ayane got to her feet only to have Kasumi rush her again with another barrage of attacks. One by one Ayane dodged each blow, taking note of how each were thrown. Her moves were messy and they lacked the grace that came so naturally to the Kasumi bitch...
Ayane waited for a chance to counter, grabbing Kasumi's arm and throwing her into the far wall. She looked just like Kasumi on the outside, but everything else seemed off...
I'm missing something important... my instincts are yelling at me that something's wrong...
For no reason she could think of, Hayate popped into her head. He was sitting beside her in the garden... telling her about...
Shit... What the hell was he saying?
Kasumi had gotten back up and was coming at her again, this time her moves were coming faster and seemed to have more power behind them. Ayane's arms were starting to hurt from having to block so much, but she needed to figure out what Hayate could've been saying...
Damn you, Hayate... Of all times to be useful...
Kasumi caught her in thought with a kick that sent her flying to the other end of the room, impacting hard with the wall. Ayane slid from the wall to the floor as Kasumi was upon her in seconds, thrashing her as a beast would a helpless animal.
She had to get up; being on the floor was a real disadvantage. Ayane tried to roll to the side to get away but she was just kicked back to her original helpless position.
Damn it! Every time I move away she just kicks me back! I'm not a fucking soccer ball, god damn it!
Not being able to flee Ayane brought up her arms to protect her face. The blows were coming harder and her head was starting to feel dizzy. The thought of Hayate came back to her...
It was night; they were both sitting on the veranda outside of Hayate's room. Hayate had just come home, or to what he considered home, a few days after the tournaments end. Everyone on the estate rejoiced that night and at the end of the festivities they had both gone to watch the fireflies float about in the garden.
It's all a bit fuzzy, and I'm glad that it is. It was agonizing... I was in some sort of lab, it looked like something right out of a sci fi movie, and they took samples and ran tests, extremely painful tests... I can't remember how, but I escaped.... I wonder how long I had been running....
She was listening to every detail, giving each word her full attention. She wanted to laugh at herself for how much she had adored Hayate...
I woke up in a strange forest I didn't know... I was badly injured and probably would've died had it not been for a girl that found me...
Both her and her father treated my wounds and helped me to live again... but then again, what kind of life was I living if I didn't know of my true existence in this world...
But Hayate, what were they doing to you?
Hayate looked over the garden and sighed,
They cloned me...
Clone...
The word repeated itself over and over again with each blow Kasumi threw... No, not Kasumi... This had to be...
Ayane planted her foot in "Kasumi's" gut and pushed outwards, getting just enough space to roll away from her and stand up. It was hard though, she had taken a lot of hits and now her body ached like hell while the person in front of her didn't show any sign of getting tired.
"That's fine... just fine..." Ayane mumbled to herself as she un-sheathed the ninjato at her waist. There was just one last piece of evidence she needed before she decided if this was the real Kasumi or not...
"Kasumi" followed Ayane's movements and drew her own weapon on her back. They just watched each other before lunging with their blades.
Sparks flew as the blades connected and began to dance with their users attacks, each slice and parry being extremely dangerous to whoever gave enough ground for the other to take the offense.
Ayane wasn't sure how long they played this game of juggling between offense and defense but in the next instance they held each other in a game of skill. Both their blades were locked together and now the only deciding factor would be who would move first... and Ayane wasn't going to let this chance pass by...
Dropping down to one knee, Ayane scraped her blade downwards along her opponents, freeing her from the blades hold. The sound of metal scraping on metal echoed through the churches high ceiling as Ayane completed her slash with an upward thrust to Kasumi's side.
Moments went by in silence... Silence that was broken by the sound of Kasumi's ninjato hitting the floor. Ayane rolled out of hitting range and stood up to look at where she had cut her.
The red fabric of Kasumi's gi fell, torn, from her arm to her waist. It was there on the exposed flesh that Ayane would find the proof she needed... and she did...
"No scar..." She said to herself, "There's no scar from the kunai I wounded Kasumi with..."
This isn't Kasumi... Is it a clone... Had Kasumi been cloned like Hayate was?
The imposter began her insane laughter again, ripping away the torn patch of fabric from her side.
"Quit your damn laughing... Just who are you?"
The Kasumi imposter brought her laughter down to a giggle and started to toy with her ponytail.
"Who... am I?"
God... even its voice sounds like Kasumi's... Man this is creepy...
"Am I not... Kasumi?" It tilted its head, contemplating Ayane, "Am I not your sister... Ayane-chan?"
Her words sent the coldest of shivers down Ayane's spine. How long had it been since someone had called her that? How did this piece of shit Kasumi imposter know her name? Ayane shook it off and started towards the Kasumi want-to-be.
"Half-sister, bitch...and no, you're not... But since you're here instead of the real Kasumi, you'll have to do..."
I will kill Kasumi, but for now... I'll just have to settle for this fake...
Now that she knew that this wasn't Kasumi, this would just be another battle... Just the same thing she went through in her life... Just another opponent to defeat...
To bad this opponent fought just like Kasumi... if somewhat crazy, it was still Kasumi's style...
Damn it... It should be Kasumi I'm fighting this instant... but no... I get this wanna-be... O.K. Ayane, just think about it as training for the real battle with Kasumi... Damn, isn't that something Hayate or Hayabusa would say? ...Pricks...
Ayane sheathed her ninjato as she ran at the clone before her. She didn't need a weapon to beat this waste of science...
Their fight went the same as it had with their blades, a steady exchange of blows and a struggle for offense over defense... Only Ayane was starting to tire out and the clone still showed endless energy... How was she suppose to kill this thing if it kept getting up after she knocked it down...
That night with Hayate came back to her again...
Hayate ran a hand through his hair, I know because I had to fight my clone... Do you know what it feels like to fight yourself? To actually sit there and kill something that's exactly like you?
How the hell should I know how that feels? Ayane snorted
Hayate laughed and leaned back on his arms. You're right, what was I thinking? But seriously, that damn thing just wouldn't die...
So... how did you kill it then?
Well, I'm not quite sure... You see, I was fighting it in one of the labs. It had just gotten done pounding the shit out of me when I kicked it back into some chemicals... The damn thing caught fire and I took that chance to run... Good thing I did, too, because in the next instant the place blew up!
It was just blown to bits?
Basically... If I had my sword I probably could've just chopped it up... As long as they're not in one piece I think they'll die...
Thanks Hayate...
Ayane countered yet another blow and threw the clone into the wall behind her.
Man... I don't think I could last in another "ninjato showdown"; I've wasted too much energy... She'd chop me up in seconds...
'It was just blown to bits?' echoed through her skull.
Ayane mentally groaned.
Damn it... this is going to suck... But I'll have to if it's the only way... Geez, do I even have enough energy for it?
Once again the clone jumped up and lunged for her, Ayane readied a kick and sent the clone into the furthest wall that she could.
Please don't get up just yet...
Ayane set her feet apart and made her hands form the necessary patterns... Her eyes grew dark as she began to chant the ancient text Genra had made her memorize in her training... It was a Hajinmon spell, the very first she learned, and it had only one purpose... To destroy Kasumi...
The Kasumi clone was starting to get up, Ayane had almost completed the chant, and she could feel the power flowing to her hands... The clone stared at her with wide eyes, as if it knew what was coming...
Quickly it sprang into action and ran at Ayane, but it was too late... Ayane was finishing her chant and the clone was too far away to do anything about it...
Ayane aimed and braced herself as she pulled the mental trigger that released the pent up energy into one full blown blast just as the clone was about to strike her. It received the full blast, nothing spared, no energy wasted... The clone was blown back across the room and right through the stained glass window in one beautiful moment...
Ayane stood, still in her firing position, and took deep breaths.
Just breath... Take it easy and breath...
It was a powerful blast, but it also took a great deal of energy to do... Once she was able to move she shook the feeling back into her arms and walked over to the window that the clone had crashed through. Down in the courtyard Ayane could see the twisted remains of the piece of shit, Kasumi clone.
Ha! Let's see you walk away from that...
But, while looking down, she spotted something, or should she say, someone else and it wasn't Kasumi either... It was Hayabusa...