A/N:Another chapter full of clarifying explanations... these are about Christian... and his connection to the de'Angeles bloodline and all that amazing Magick... hence his Role to play in the final outcome. Heh heh. This is where all that de'Angeles history mumbo jumbo was coming to anyway...
Haruko has been away in China with her Mother... Her Grandparents are elderly and require much care these days. Let us all send our prayers to her and her family... her Grandfather, who lives with her family (her Father's Father) has also grown ill over the last year and requires much care. They need all of our spiritual and emotional support in these long hours. God Bless my beloved friend. You are always in my thoughts and always in my prayers. I love you dearly... and you will always be more than just my beta... you are a cherished friend. God love you, Haruko... and so do I. Tsuki-san
Glossary: Ikke=Family/Home, Masaka=Never
Chapter Twenty
The Presence
Saitou Residence
Christian's Room
3 days after the Sagara's arrived
The sound of the quiet held such a peaceful tone... so much more peaceful and tranquil than the oppressive silence that had existed within the suffocating prison of the Throne Room, and as the healing warmth of his family eased in to surround him, Christian began to feel the fragments of his shattered mind pulling back together. Cohesiveness returned to his thoughts, and once more his sleep became restful and no longer were his dreams plagued by the hideous nightmares of death and damnation at the hands of The Beast that had once been his Mother. Now he was blessed with the visions of grassy meadows filled with the brilliant colors of new Spring flowers, azure skies of the brightest blue, and the deepest greens and grays of the rolling sea... and he knew peace.
But each time he awoke from his slumber, Christian 'felt' something. At first it was elusive and played on the outer edged of his consciousness with the lightest of feathery touches, but as his strength slowly returned, so did the 'feeling' become stronger.
"Who are you?" He asked one day as his intelligent dark blue eyes slowly opened and gazed thoughtfully around the seemingly empty room, but there was no answer to his softly spoken question. Instead he was greeted by the shining rays of the midmorning sun as they streamed in through the window and cast dancing patterns upon the wooden floor. "Can feel you here... where are you?" But the room remained silent all but for the noises he made.
Days past until one particular morning he awoke to the feeling that someone was leaning over him and looking directly into his face. He also had the uncanny sensation that his hair had been being gently brushed away from his forehead in a most tender and loving gesture. But when his eyes opened, there was no one with him, and his own hands were trapped beneath the covers so it was obvious he had not been touching himself.
"Who are you?" He tried once again. "Why do you come to me and not show yourself to me?" Struggling into a sitting position, Christian earnestly surveyed his room trying to discern the shadow of any shape that might be hiding behind the scant furniture, but he could still see nothing. "Please, show yourself... I am not afraid of you, so you should not be afraid of me... I wish only to see who you are. Do we know one another, you and I?" Still the room remained achingly empty and Christian's confusion grew.
"Chri-stan?" Kuumi's voice was soft but held a note of concern as she opened his fusuma and then quietly approached the futon and knelt down next to him. "Are you all right?" She asked as her concerned blue-green eyes searched his thin tan features. "I thought I heard you talking to someone in here." Her cool hand reached out and felt his forehead checking for a fever, but found him to be a normally warm temperature.
"I fine, Kuumi-chan." A gentle smile curved his handsome mouth as he looked affectionately at the young woman who was coming to mean so very much to him. Much more than he had ever dreamed possible, and he had been toying with the idea of telling her how he felt. But Christian was not certain how she would respond, and he did not want to frighten her away, that he did not. Her presence meant a great deal to him, and the loss of that source of comfort would no doubt be a devastation he was not prepared to face.
"You are sure?" Her pretty face wrinkled with worry and her blue-green eyes locked briefly with his deep blue ones as she searched his face for any further sign of illness. It was nothing short of a miracle how quickly he had recovered in only seven days since being rescued from the Palace by his Father, his brother, his Father's Wife, his brother's life-mate, and her Father. He had been nothing but a bag of bones with skin stretched over it and a mop of filthy chestnut hair slapped on top. Kuumi had broken down into a fit of tears when they had brought him home, and no one had been able to part her from his side until she had seen to it that he was bathed clean, his wounds were dressed, and that he was safely tucked away inside a warm bed. Even then she had remained his nursemaid ever since allowing no one else to see to his needs but herself.
"Hai, Kuumi-chan. I better."
"Are you hungry?"
"Hai. Always." She giggled at his lighthearted remark and leaned down to place a light kiss on his thin cheek before jumping to her feet and walking out of the small room.
"I will be back with something for you to eat in just a few minutes, Chri-stan, so get ready."
"Hai. Kuumi-chan." As if on cue, his stomach growled loudly and Christian eyed it in annoyance while pushing himself up on the pillows so he would be in a better position to eat whatever she brought to him. "Bad manners," He chided the offending organ as it growled and groaned again. "You behave as if we had not fed you in weeks, and I know for a fact you ate only a few hours ago."
"Who are you talking to, Uncle Chri-stan?" Christian jumped slightly as the small quizzical voice caught him off guard, and he noticed a pair of dark brown eyes peering around the corner of the open fusuma and watching him quite intently.
"My belly, young one." He replied with a crooked smile realizing how foolish he must have looked to the little boy as he berated his stomach for its bad manners, and then he narrowed his eyes slightly and cocked his head to one side. "You spying on me, little Ken-san?" The owl eyed little boy ducked his head and blushed. "Come here," Christian motioned to him with his hand and the little boy slowly walked over to his futon and knelt on the floor.
"Are you going to punish me for spying, Uncle?"
"Ne. I no mad with you, little Ken-san." Christian playfully ruffled the mop of thick brown hair and smiled broadly into the surprised little face. "You find me doing baka thing... me feel... baka... you not tell Kuumi-chan, Ok?"
"I will not tell." The child nodded and immediately crawled into the center of the bed and sat cross-legged in front of the young Spaniard. His highly intelligent brown eyes locked intently with the dark blue ones and he absently scratched his head in an amazingly good imitation of his father. "I did not know you could talk your stomach," He said as a partially confused look crossed his face. "I thought maybe you were talking to the pretty lady."
"Pretty Lady?" Christian looked at the child in perplexion for a moment, and then smiled and nodded. "You mean Kuumi-chan?"
"Ne..." The boy shook his head emphatically and pointed to a corner of the room which appeared empty. "That pretty lady." Christian's head snapped to his right as he followed the child's indication and saw nothing, but as he looked back at the boy, there was no doubting that he believed he saw something.
"You see her now, Little One?"
"Hai. She's right there. Can't YOU see here, Uncle Christian?"
"Ne, I no see her." This seemed to confuse and somewhat upset the boy, and a thoughtful furrow appeared between his dark brows as he attempted to work out the disparity in his mind.
"But she is right there, Uncle. She is standing in the corner by the window... she smiles for you. She is very pretty." The boy was becoming adamant if not slightly perturbed that something he could obviously see could go unseen by someone as intelligent as his Uncle.
"What she look like, little Ken-san?" Christian leaned back into the pillows behind him and concentrated on the boys confused expression. "Does she look like your Okaasan, or Auntie Kaoru?"
"Maybe a little," He replied as he studied the empty corner intently. "She has long black hair... way down to here." Kenshin said as he pointed to his little hips. "But it is wavy, like yours... not straight like Okaa's, and she has very big blue eyes... kinda like yours too...and her skin is brown like you, and she's wearing a red dress and a white shirt instead of a kimono... but she doesn't have on any shoes." This seemed to trouble the little boy as he turned a perplexed gaze back to Christian. "Why wouldn't she be wearing any shoes, Uncle Chri-stan?"
"Mon Dios..." Christian swore as a chill of wonder raced through his body. 'Alyse...' His mind whispered in astonishment. 'She's come back to me... but why... why now, and why does her spirit feel so strange to me? Why did I not know her?' A hundred and one thought's were filtering through his mind as he struggled to understand what was happening. He had long since realized that Alyse had left him the day he had first met Kuumi, and he had thought perhaps she had done it because she thought him at home and safe at last, but then everything had gone wrong from there.
He had met and then nearly murdered his own father, been lured by and viciously abused by the apparition that had once been his mother... but during all of that upheaval hemet the one individual that he had been able to form a bond with... a bond like no other he could have ever imagined. His brother. Kenji. And in doing so, he had been able to reach inside of his soul and touch a power that he had until then chose to deny. A power he had been ashamed of... a heritage he had denied and ignored.
At that intriguing thought he began to ponder upon something... had she left him on purpose? Had she left in order that he might find his way through the darkness and finally gain some sort of an understanding of himself and WHO and WHAT he was?
Christian's brow furrowed deeply as he contemplated his own thoughts and wondered to himself, 'Is that why 'she' feels so different? Is it because I have finally accessed my energy ki and now I can sense 'her' and the power 'she' represents? The true power of the Family? The de'Angles Power?' At that moment the strangest thought occurred to him. 'I wonder... can I... could I... would she let me... Hmmmm, that would be an amazing amount of power for one person to try to control, but if Kenji and I wrapped our power together and the two of us wielded it as one... I wonder, would it be enough... to kill HER?'
"Uncle? Uncle Chri-stan?" The small boy reached out and tugged sharply on Christian's dark blue yukata and successfully gained his attention. "What are you thinking? Do YOU believe I see a pretty lady?"
"Hai. Little Kens-san, I do."
"Do you know who she is?" The large brown eyes grew wider with anticipation as the boy leaned forward intent upon not missing a single thing his Uncle said from there on out. "Is she a spirit or a ghost? Is she good or bad? Should I go find my Father and Uncle Kenshin?" Christian laughed gently as he pulled the child close to him and gave him a tight hug.
"She spirit, Little Ken-san... Good spirit... Her name, Alyse. She very old."
"Old? You mean she's been dead for a long time?" The wonderment in the young voice brought another smile to the older man's face. "But she doesn't look very old, Uncle. She looks the same age as Uncle Kenji."
"Tell me, Little one." Chri-stan laughed and hugged the child again. "We all your 'Uncles'? You have no cousin's?" The boy blushed furiously and hid his little round face against the blue fabric of Christian's yukata as the older man chuckled gently.
"Too many 'Uncle's' and 'cousin's' to remember who is who... they're all way older than me so it's easier to call them all 'Uncle' anyway."
"I know..." A strong brown hand tipped the child's head back so gentle blue eyes could look softly onto his face. "Aunt's are easier to remember, hai?" Kenshin nodded his head emphatically and his face brightened immeasurably. "I understand... know what you feel... I confused sometimes too."
"You get confused with everybody in the 'Family' too?"
"Hai. That I do." Suddenly the boys eyes filled with a new found respect and admiration for his 'Uncle/Cousin', and he snuggled closer to the warm chest beneath his cheek. It took a great deal for a grown person to admit confusion to a child, let alone the same kind of confusion, and the boy had NEVER heard any of the other adults claim they did not know the difference between who was who and what was what… although, he had his suspicions that not all of them could possibly know what was going on all of the time. They were just too proud to admit it, but not this one. Christian had readily admitted his confusion AND his affinity with the child's feelings. Those things alone elevated him to the stature of near perfection in the boys mind.
"Now I know why 'she' likes you so much, Uncle Chri-stan."
"Who, Little Kenshin? Auntie Kuumi?"
"No, no. The pretty lady."
"Why you say that?"
"Because... You are nice to people around you… and because you are a lot like me... you don't always know what to say or how to say it, just like me... but you don't get mad or irritated when I'm 'too little' or don't know what to say... and you don't seem to mind that I'm smart either, at least smarter than the others... Do you mind?" Those huge chocolate brown pools turned upward to look at Christain's face once more. "Do you mind that I'm smart and too little at the same time?"
"Ne, little one... I no care. I think you good like this. You good smart and small. Little Ken-san no change for what other's say. You good like this... always like who you are, Little Ken-san. No feel shame to be small or smarter, and no feel shame not knowing what speaking you want. No change for anybody or the world, little one... be you and be happy." The boy considered these words for several moments and then he looked up into Christian's gentle but serious face.
"Were you always happy with who you were, Uncle?" Christian was slightly taken aback by the brazen forthright question, but not completely surprised. After all, the child was no fool and he was by half at least more intelligent that the others. He would have picked up the self criticizing tone in Christian's voice easily and known it meant something important. What that was may not have been evident to his innocent mind, but it raised enough of a curiosity for him to inquire with what seemed to be the right question.
"Ne... Little Ken-san, I no like who I was for long years... I want try forget who I was and be different man... but bad things happen to me when I try forget." His arms instinctively tightened around the small boy as he thought of the things that had passed since he came to Japan. "Family most important thing, Ken-san. Family... your Ikke always most important. Ikke is Heart and Spirit... it the strength of ki inside you…" The boy watched as Christian's eyes took on a faraway look and the shine of tears began to show within their sapphire depths. "…it make you powerful warrior, it make you strong for good... give you reason to live. Never forget who Ikke is... never forget who YOU are, Little Ken-san… and never forget what blood made you... Masaka." The room became eerily quiet after Christian's small speech, and he found himself lost inside of a warm comforting feeling he had never felt before. It started around his shoulders and head and them seemed to descend downward to engulf his whole body making the palms of his hands tingle and the empty pit of his stomach feel suddenly full.
"Uncle Chri-stan?"
"Hai. Little Ken-san?"
"Is it Ok for Spirits to hug people who are alive?"
"Nani??" Christian looked down sharply and locked gazes with the alarmed looking child whose voice had suddenly risen to a frightened squeak. "What you say?"
"Can Spirits hug real people?"
"I... why ask?" He was afraid he already knew the answer to that question even before he asked it.
"Because... that pretty lady... Alyse... she's hugging us... she's crying, kissing your neck, and hugging both of us. Is-is that Ok, or are we going to die now or something? She can't steal our life away can she?" The warmth against his skin intensified and Christian could swear he felt the dampness of tears sliding down along his neck and chest. He could even sense the softness of the long wavy black hair as it draped around his shoulders and encased him and the youngster in a cocoon of love and security, and the feeling of her palm pressing against his cheek was becoming more physical as each second passed.
"Ne... we no die, little one... we fine." But deep inside of himself, Christian was not sure if this were fine. He was not sure if this were something he could understand and explain to the boy when he did not understand it himself. However, he did know one thing beyond all doubts or fears… the sensation of Alyse being wrapped around him and the child was not an evil or dark feeling, rather it was filling him with deep emotions and rising joy to the point that his breath began to quicken in his chest.
"Should I be afraid?"
"Ne... she good... remember? Alyse no hurt us. She good..." And even though he knew he spoke the truth and her presence was bringing him a spiritual joy he could not describe, something very strange was going on inside of Christian as he struggled to cope with the feel of an entity he thought he knew… but realized now, he did not, and his mind was becoming more confused by the moment. 'What is happening?' He thought as the feel of her body pressing into his back became the weight of a real woman, and he could almost hear the sounds of her happy sobs as she kissed his face. 'Why did she leave me? Where has she been all this time? Why is she crying? Why do I feel so…happy and…complete? What is she trying to tell me? The questions raged and thundered through his mind as he tried to find an answer for her being here with him, for her holding him so close when it seemed she had never once touched him before in all the years she had followed him. 'Why now? What is different? Is it… have I finally… Is she... forgiving me for my years of denial? Is she telling me she still loves me despite everything that I've done? Is she bringing me back into the…back into the 'Family'?'
'Christian...'
The voice was soft, yet firm as steel as it entered his mind and he winced at the magnitude of power he felt coming with it. The force burst and exploded through him like the light of a thousand candles, and the warmth within his body increased a hundred fold sending him into a world of deep brilliant greens, richest blues, and shimmering silvers and as he opened his eyes, Christian found himself standing in that world of greens, blues, and silver streams facing one of the most magnificent creatures he had ever beheld.
Her hair was like a shining obsidian cascade of the blackest water he could have imagined while her eyes shone brightly with the light of every star in the heavens. 'So blue,' He thought in wonder and awe. 'They are so very blue…'
The face was familiar yet foreign to him as he noticed features upon it that were reflected within his own while others belonged to her and her alone. Her skin was a pale tan as if she had been away from the warm kiss of the Sun for many years, and he could see the delicate blue veins tracing their erratic pathways just beneath the surface.
A slender almost girlish waist was made all the more noticeable by the blood red skirt of velvet she wore, and the white silk peasant blouse with its billowing sleeves seemed only to add to the grace and smallness of her, and there, just as the boy had said, were her bare feet showing beneath the ankle length material. The strangest question occurred to him then… Why did she not have on any shoes? Where were her shoes?
'Christian... my darling... my only child. I have waited for so long... so very long...
'...long? Waited? For me? Alyse... I don't understand... what... Why have you been waiting? Where did you go…Why have you come back?'
'Because it is time, my son… it is time you understood WHO you really are.'
'WHO I am? I do not understand…'Who' am I? I am no one. I am the son of a demon's whore…I am nothing.'
'Hush, Beloved and listen to me. You are The One. You are The Chosen.'
'The…The Chosen…? Chosen for what?'
'Chosen to hold and wield that which has been buried in the earth these 200 years... it is your birthright, My love. It is your heritage.'
'The Magick... Mon dios. You are talking about the Magick.'
'Si... The Magick. It rightfully belongs to you. You are the only one worthy to capture it's power and use it for what it has always been meant for...'
'Vengeance? It was always used for 'Vengeance', is that what it has been meant for… this thing called 'Vengeance'. Even 'you' used it for 'Vengeance' against The Tribunal when you struck them all down the day you died... I read what happened in your journals…I know what you did.'
'No, Christian, it was not 'Vengeance'... It was Justice. There is a fine line of difference between the two, My son... it is up to you to find that line and never cross it... as your Madre did.'
'Is that what happened to her? Did she cross the line from Justice into Vengeance? Is that was destroyed her and made her…what she is?'
'It was much more than that, My Child... One of the first laws of Magick is a witch must never use the power upon him or herself... it must never be done. If help is required, another witch MUST be called to assist. The magic cannot be wielded by oneself for oneself… no matter the reason. The results can be… disastrous.'
'Disastrous? How? What happened to my Madre'?'
'Elsbeth was always an ambitious and selfish child, caring only for herself and little for those around her… until she met your Padre'. She loved your Padre'… but he was not the kind of man she desired him to be.'
'Meaning what? What kind of man did she want? My Padre' is a great and kind man. He loves his family and has been an honorable husband. What more did she want?'
'Power… status… wealth. Elsbeth left your Padre' before he knew she was carrying his child because she knew otherwise, he would never let her leave. When she arrived home in Spain, she was already in labor and there was naught to do but try to birth the child. But she could not so she used the power of her Padre's Black Grimoire to assist her.'
'How? How could the Grimoire assist her to birth her child? That is…blasphemy beyond even what The Coven believe in.'
'Yes, it is. She used a spell found inside that is meant only for the Midwives to use, for only they can manipulate the powers and spirits of birthing. She was a novice… a foolish selfish girl, and she used the old power to call the spirit midwives to come to her aid… only, that is not who came.'
'What do you mean, 'that is not who came?'? Who came?'
'Because she was not a midwife and therefore was unknowledgeable about such things, she manipulated her powers to serve herself and it was the Black Demon's from Hell she called to her side instead of the comforting spirits of the birthing midwives.'
'Mon dios...'
'They birthed you from her body, and although you remained an innocent, Elsbeth's heart, mind, and soul were forever warped beyond rational and sane thought. She became a servant of Darkness and whore to the powers of Evil. She left you then... Abandoned you to be raised by her house servants, and you were taught to deny everything that you were meant to be... everything that flowed through your veins became evil in your eyes, and you denied US…'
'I did not know... I...'
'You were being protected, Christian, protected from a heritage that know one could teach you about... least of all your traitorous Madre.'
'Forgive me, Alyse. Forgive me. I never understood.'
'You have my forgiveness, Beloved. You have found your true family... you have found your Padre' and through his strength and love will you finally realize that your Madre's evil is not within you even though the mighty power of her de'Angels blood is.'
'What must I do? Tell me what I must do and I will do it.'
'You already know the task ahead of you, My Beloved Son... You already know.'
'Kill her... We must kill her... Kenji and I... we must kill The Bane that harbors the Spirit and Magick of... of my Madre'. We must kill her together.'
'Si... you have the right of it. Only by combining your powers together as one force will you be able to destroy The Hell Beast that is Elsbeth.'
' How? How do we do it? Our powers are opposite... they are explosive when combined. How can we stay that close for that long without destroying each other in the process?'
'Only in anger does your power become explosive against your brother and his against you. Remember back to the first day... the first time you met him... and the last time you touched his hand with yours. There was a reaction that affected those around you negatively, but neither you nor your brother was harmed in the least. Only in anger can you effect each other and cause injury. Joined together... You are half the power of the Immortal Gemini...'
'The Gemini? The Cosmic Twins?'
'Si... The power of war and peace, courage and fear, light and dark, morning and night... the center of the universe where everything meets it's opposite... it's mirror image... there do you and your brother meet, and there will be born the greatest power the stars have ever seen.'
'But... why? Why me? Why him?'
'Because, he is The Sword of Lightening and Fire... The Hand of Justice and Punishment... it is his destiny to mete out sentence and punishment upon those who have wronged the innocent and thus altered the curve of Time. He was chosen by 'The Hand of Fire' to wield it's enormous white lightening power, and he has become 'The Holy Warrior of Truth and Honor.'
'Then who am 'I'? WHAT am I?'
'You, my beloved child... you are 'The Fist of The Mother'. The Chosen One to hold within you the enormous power of 'Her' wrath and punishment against those who have sinned against the laws of the earth and the innocent… against those who have used their gifts to cause harm.'
'Never cause harm… The first law… I remember. Never cause harm or bring pain to others or it will be visited back upon you 7 fold.'
'Si… you do know some of the old ways. Then you understand why so much more strength than just you or your brother will be required to destroy 'The Hell Beast'.' She has grown powerful and nigh invincible through her evil works, and the enormous amount of Black Magick that burns within her spirit will not die easily. That is why you are also blessed with the power and strength of 'The Sword of Ice and Winter'. With this mighty and enchanted sword, you can freeze your enemy and then deliver upon them a crushing blow that will shatter bones and burst organs.'
'I... But how do I do these things? I don't know...'
'The power is yours, Christian. It always has been. You have only to reach within yourself and grasp onto it... accept it as part of you and it will flow into your heart and soul like a river of energy ready to do your bidding with only a thought. You are powerful, my son... more powerful than you can imagine. The strength of The Mother lives within you, and her power alone can make you great, but the power of The Sword you will need to fight against The Beast.'
'There is no time to learn new sword techniques, Alyse... no time...'
'You do not need to learn the technique, Christian... the knowledge is already within you.'
'Is that all there is then? Is that what I am? 'Mother's Fist'?'
'No, you are much more, my son. You are the 'The Angel Avenger' and it is by your hand that all things will once again be set to rights within the family de'Angeles, and we will once more know the grace, peace, and honor that was ours so many years ago.'
''Angel Avenger'?'
'Si, you are the one my dearly beloved brother, Estephan spoke of years ago when he laid my body to rest beneath the old willow tree. You are the Avenger who has come to lay waste to the Evil and despair that has followed our families name since those terrible days. That is why it is for you AND your brother to destroy Elsbeth. The child of the Light and the child of the Dark... unite and bring honor back to both of these once great family names.'
'Will... will I die?'
'Do you want to die?'
'I... no. I want to live... I want... I..."
'You love her?'
'Si, I love her.'
'Then, as you told the little one, you have something worth living for, no?'
'Si, I have her... and the others. My Padre, my hermano... my new Madre'... so many...'
'Si, My son... there are many around you now who would be saddened to see you die. You are not alone any longer... you do not need me any longer... you have a family to love and care for you in my place.'
'You're leaving me again... aren't you?'
'Si, you know what you need to know now, my love. I do not need to be beside you any longer. You have what you need... you have love, a home, and a family... I can leave you now and be at peace knowing you are safe.'
'I will... miss you, Alyse. I will miss you very much.'
'I know, Christian. And I will miss you. We have been together for a very long time now, and I have grown to love you dearly, My child... but I cannot stay forever. You must learn to stand alone within your own strengths now that you have finally accepted who you are... and where you came from. You do not need me to hold you up anymore.'
'My family will hold me up, no?'
'Si, you are loved... and, SHE loves you just as you love her... so, you have much to live for.'
'Kuumi? She loves me? How do you know this?'
'I may only be a spirit, Christian, but I have eyes in my head, no? Her heart belongs to you, My son. Treasure it long, for it's strength will carry you through.'
'I will. I swear it on my blood, Alyse. I will.'
"Uncle Chri-stan? Are you all right?" The small voice tugged on Christian's consciousness, but he felt like he was swimming though a thick pool of some slimy substance and he couldn't quite get to the surface. "Kuumi! Kuumi!" The little voice called out urgently and Christian felt the warmth of the small body leave him letting in a rush of cool air that brought goose flesh up on his skin.
"Nani, Kenshin? What is wrong? Are you all right?" He heard Kuumi's alarmed voice coming down the hallway as her rapid footsteps brought her closer to his room. "What's the matter?"
"It's Uncle Chri-stan..." The boy sounded as if he had been running, but it was only a few feet to the fusuma from the bed so he must be panting from excitement or... "He's fallen asleep and I can't make him wake up... we were talking about the pretty lady and he said she was good, and then she was hugging us, but he couldn't see her, and I wanted to know if dead spirits could hug real people or if we were going to die, and he said 'no' we weren't going to die that she was a good spirit, and then he just went to sleep and now he won't wake up and it's been a long time that he's been asleep too..." The child sucked in a great breath of air as he finished not having realized he had spoken the entire explanation without pausing once.
"Nani?" Kuumi looked completely confused and bewildered. "What 'pretty lady'?"
"Alyse... he said her name was Alyse. But he couldn't see her 'cause she was a spirit."
"Well, then how did you know she was there?"
"Because I could see her."
"Oh . . . And he just went to sleep . . . and won't wake up?"
"Hai." The dark brown head nodded up and down similar to a little bird and a relieved smile crossed his face as he felt he had finally gotten his message across to the older girl. "You don't think she possessed him, do you?"
Sorry, just had to stop there. Would like some reviews before I go on... Looks like things are going to be winding up in about three more chapters maybe. Anyways... Hope this clears things up for why I had all that 'Inquisition History and Alyse's Diary' through out the story. It was all leading up to here. Sorry that a few people got lost along the way. But this is where it was going all along.
How else can you have a 'Gemini' or a 'Ying-Yang' without having opposites or mirrors of the same image? I just didn't go all the way and make Christian completely evil... he just had some issues to work through... but it still remains... The Light and The Dark bound together to beat The Bane... and the showdown's gonna be goood. poof!