Hi all! Many apologies for putting this story on indefinite hold. I've been having some serious writer's block and coupled with major work-related assignments and duties, it has not been easy thinking about the story. Okay, so I've been paying more attention to my other big Inuyasha fic 'Entwined Destinies' but even that has been temporarily shelved until I can free up some time. Looks like I'll start my long walks to get the creative juices flowing once more. But until then, I'll continue to post periodically what I have completed, so hang in there!
Bern.
(June 2004)
Thank you to:
Melrose Stormhaven, Larania Drake, Aeris, Gene Weiss, Kenneth and Sara. Thank you so much for supporting this fic. I've certainly had to bring myself back to it after such a long absence. Hopefully it'll not disappoint.
Seven p.m.
The members of Weiss glared with ill-concealed hatred as they eyed their nemesis. Schwarz, on the other hand, appeared bored at the stand off yet remained alert for any possible provocation. To an innocent bystander, the two groups looked like arcade game characters lined in opposing rows ready to do battle. It was almost amusing. At that moment, the door to the shrine clicked open and Seki stepped out to greet the two groups. He took in the almost palpable tension in the air and wondered at the whims of Fate in choosing these two groups for Guardians.
"Good evening, gentlemen," he smiled in greeting. "If you could follow me, I will take you to see the Prophetess. She is keen on meeting you personally."
Stepping back, Seki allowed room for them to enter. For a moment, neither side moved. Finally, Crawford took the first step and walked into the building. Schuldig raised an eyebrow in surprise at his action, but followed. Nagi entered after him but Farfarello lingered outside, eyeing the tense members of Weiss. Ran's eye flicked over at Seki and caught the message within the clear emerald depths. Farfarello would not attack any of them while he was there. And Ran believed him.
"Yoji, Omi, Ken," he called out to them. "Enter the building, I'll take up the rear."
Ken looked ready to protest but Yoji gently shoved the stocky brunette along while shaking his head for silence. Omi lingered for a moment longer, his fingers itching to grasp a dart from his hidden arsenal. Ran's warning glare soon sent him scooting in after the other two. A final glance at the Irishman and Ran strode into the building. He heard the soft padding of footsteps but refrained from looking behind. Entering through a doorway, he found the others either lounging on the comfortable sofas and chairs or leaning against the wooden walls.
There was something about the place that calmed all of them. As they waited for the Prophetess to arrive, the tension between the two groups unconsciously lessened. Ran found himself sitting beside Crawford but it did not bother him as much as he thought it should. Omi and Ken seemed to have struck up a conversation with the teenage telekinetic and even Farfarello seemed to have mellowed. His knife had returned to its sheath and he had found a corner of a wall to lean his wiry frame against.
Yoji seemed unconcerned when Schuldig dropped himself into a chair opposite him and both of them merely glanced at each other calmly. For the German, his curiosity was muted and he felt no urge to pick the brains of the Weiss group. Even his feelings of revenge at Balinese's treatment of him the night before seemed unimportant somehow. For the two groups, the excitement was not so much about each other but that of the reason they were here. And it was this reason alone that a strange truce had formed between the two otherwise deadly enemies.
Momoe-san smiled as she looked into the mirror's depths. It showed her the group of men who were in the living room and the unusual reluctance they exhibited in wanting to provoke one another. That was good, as it made the matter of explaining the situation to them a lot easier. The room they were in was infused with the aura of countless Guardians who had met there throughout the ages. It carried the essence of their unity and the sense of purpose that was their calling. And despite both Weiss and Schwarz being the newest group of Guardians, their respective souls had instinctively responded accordingly to the spiritual calling of the place.
"Nanami," Momoe-san called to the girl who was helping Aya with her bandage. "Could you bring some refreshments for our guests when you've finished helping Aya-chan? Thank you, dear."
A minute later, Nanami disappeared out the door to attend to Momoe-san's request. Aya remained perched on the stool she sat on, nervously tugging the edge of her dark tunic. Momoe-san's promise of designing the Hunter's new outfit had been fulfilled. Aya could not help but admire the work but at the same time felt a little embarrassed at having to show it off to the men who were to be her Guardians. Licking her lips in nervous expectation, she waited for Momoe-san to lead her into the room.
"Aya-chan, you shouldn't worry about meeting them. They all know of you in some way, so relax and allow them to 'feel' your aura. If you're too nervous, it'll distract them," Momoe-san said as she reached out to grasp the younger girl's hand.
"I can't help it, Momoe-san. I mean, after last night… Even I wouldn't have a good impression of myself. How could I expect them to?" Aya muttered disconsolately.
"Whatever it may be you will still have to face them. At this point in time, they need you as much as you need them in handling this situation. Besides, after the way you handled yourself in that fight with that powerful pyrokinetic, I believe they hold you in much higher regard than you otherwise believe. Think about it Aya-chan, if they had no faith in you, would they have even cared about your welfare? That young telekinetic did his best to help you, surely the least you could do is thank him?" Momoe-san prodded the nervous girl.
"But the rest of them didn't help me, even Nii-san," Aya mumbled.
"They knew on an instinctive level that it was your fight, not theirs. Don't forget that they had been dealing with several of those demons by themselves with little idea on how to defeat them. They were either injured or exhausted. Also, they have an unfortunate past that is now the biggest stumbling block to their unity. And the only way to remove it is if you were to go out there and show them who you are. Hiding away and thinking that you can handle everything by yourself is a guarantee to getting yourself killed. Nanami, Seki and I can only help so much, but we are not your Guardians - they are. And you need them to succeed. So be the Hunter and face your destiny together with them by your side."
Aya looked up into the wrinkled face that held a steely look within the eyes and felt the courage stir within her heart. Smiling at the old lady, Aya nodded her head in agreement and stood up to follow the Prophetess out of the room and towards her soon-to-be Guardians.
Tokyo University
Evening
"Phew! I thought that old geezer was never gonna let us go! I mean, how much pointless drivel about ancient superstitions can one go on about?" Kouya Makoto grumbled as she swung her backpack over shoulder.
"I'm just glad that it's over," Sakura replied with a grin. "Now, all we have to do is hand in a dissertation on how superstitions have an impact on the cultural history of our society."
Makoto groaned loudly. "You just had to mention that, didn't you? Just as I was getting in the mood of enjoying the short weekend."
Sakura laughed and swatted her friend on the arm. "You party too much, Makoto-chan. I'm surprised how you manage to get your work done in between the latest rave and boyfriend."
"That's where you come in," Makoto smirked in reply. "How else would all those tedious assignments get done?"
"You're incorrigible," Sakura scolded playfully as they exited the building. Walking through the tree-lined avenue of the grounds, they soon parted ways. Waving their goodbyes, Sakura soon found herself walking towards the rented apartment she shared with two other university students.
The crisp autumn air of the velvety night sky was a refreshing change from the dry, recycled air of the lecture hall. Stretching her arms wide, she took a deep breath of the leaf-scented air. A light breeze caught hold of her hair and sent it fluttering about her face. Closing her eyes in momentary bliss, she failed the see a figure following her. The man's unusual dress caught the attention of several passers-by but they did no more than glance before looking away quickly. Everything about him warned of danger.
Huo Long was bored with his duty of shadowing the girl but the Baron had made it clear that it was important. Tomoe Sakura played a big role in the Summoning and she was not to come to any harm. Simply put, Huo Long found himself with the mind-numbing job of babysitting. She had not even noticed him in spite of his unique clothing. Huo Long had a few uncomfortable moments when he was eyed rather hungrily by several bolder women who passed him by.
He watched her silently, his heightened senses reading her ki. At this moment, it was calm and he relaxed in its soothing aura. He was not an empath per se, but given his natural psychic ability and highly skilled martial arts training, it was now a natural extension of it. Sakura struck him as someone who had once faced death and is now experiencing life once more. He knew that she had hosted the Great Demon before in the place of the Hunter. It was fortunate that the Guardians had stepped in to rescue her.
Thinking about this only brought thoughts of the Baron and his intentions to mind. Huo Long served him as repayment for saving his life and for his subsequent training. He swore loyalty and thus would continue to fulfil that obligation until one of their deaths. It was an oath that he was now starting to question. He had heard of this Demon and that the power it held could destroy the world. While humanity in general was lacking in his ideas of honour, respect and self-discipline, Huo Long did not feel that it justified such a cruel fate. In a way, he hoped that such a destructive course would be averted, but then again, it would pit him against the Hunter.
The Hunter had been a disappointment. However, he had to concede the fact that she had managed to hold her own against him. The few blows that hit him still hurt and he bore the bruises stoically, even a little proudly. On the other hand, he believed that he might have fractured a couple of her ribs in the final blow. Secretly he was pleased that he had been stopped from using his flame, it had not been a fair fight since the beginning. The Hunter was still lacking in experience. No doubt, after her defeat, she would be working hard to improve her skills even more. When the next fight took place, he could expect to earn a much harder victory – if she did not defeat him first. The thought almost brought a smile to his lips.
Sakura felt a little uncertain as she approached her apartment block. There was a niggling feeling of being watched but when she turned around, there were only a few passers-by hurrying on their way. After her earlier ordeal with the body organ thieves and later with Schwarz, she had begun to develop an internal radar for such things. Briefly, she wondered if she should drop by the flower shop where Aya lived but then decided against it. She had promised Ran that she would look out for his sister and the last thing she ought to do was to invite trouble for the both of them.
Thankfully, the bright lights of the lobby pushed her worried thoughts aside. Quickly letting herself in with the coded key-card, Sakura headed for the elevator. The feeling was now gone and for that she was glad. But what could have prompted the fear? If it had been Schwarz, what would they want with her? She had very little knowledge of them and Weiss was dead. If they wanted revenge, Sakura knew that they would have simply come up to kidnap or even kill her. Schwarz was anything but shy in their activities. So who could it be then? That secret group Estet? She knew that the Three Elders had been killed by Weiss, so what use was she to them? How can you be blackmailed by someone if that someone was already dead?
Her thoughts were starting to whirl around in her head. If anything, Sakura was sure that if and when the person would reveal himself, she would have no one there to protect her. The thought sent a deep chill of fear through her heart.
"I wish you were here, Ran…"
Author's Notes: Hmm, a short chapter. It is meant more as a filler to the coming ones in which things are revealed and other interesting stuff. Yeah, this is a cheat chapter of sorts – I wanted to introduce Momoe-san's pad, Aya-chan's indecision, and a further character exploration of Huo Long and Sakura. It seems that I'm starting to characterise Huo Long as your typical anime villain with a heart. lol I'm starting to get very fond of him, especially after the preliminary sketches of him were done by Xrystal. Thanks for making him come 'alive'!
Sakura's character is still underdeveloped. She has matured a little but I've yet to give her much 'airtime' as it were. But she does have a big role to play and all I hope is that I don't put her in the 'damsel-in-distress' role too much. The story is still playing itself out so I hope you keep on reading. And as always, please leave me a review! I'm always keen to read what you've got to say! Till the next chapter, ja mata ne!