Floramorada - Addicting? Ouuu, that's a new description. I like it ^__^
Black Rose - We should be getting at least one Weapon Name... Next
Chapter! Celebration time!
Kennan - I'm glad you like Katar. I wasn't sure if he'd be well
accepted; it a bit hard to work him into Blackened Sunrise, while
keeping with the personality he has in my novel.
Masrchild - No need to be ashamed of being hyper. Just look at Black
Rose. *grins* Harry with a snake would be very cool (I am obsessed with
snakes ^__^) and he may pick one up somewhere along the way, but right
now the snakes in the fic are Nagini and Rilos. Never mind the fact
that Rilos is a stuffed animal...
Do I really have to write the disclaimer for the thirty-fourth time?
---
Blackened Sunrise
Chapter Thirty-Five : New Years
The Itch
---
Ron Weasley stared at the canopy of his bed, biting his lip. It was New
Years Eve, and in the next thirty minutes, it would be January First.
But he couldn't think about that.
All that was going though his mind was what Harry, Hermione, Ginny and
Malfoy had told him over a week earlier. About Harry and the Living
Weapons, about the Balance, and about what was to come.
"Good... evil... There are no such things. They are creations of man's
mind. They are the children of Order, brought to categorize and file
the Entropy that is all. I am a creature of Chaos, and fight for the
freedom of Entropy. I am neither good, nor evil. I am above good and
evil. I am above Order. I am above all. I am Chaos.""
"Do you understand that, Ron?" Ginny had asked, tilting her head to one
side, "Do you understand what we're asking you?"
He had shook his head, and the others sighed, exasperated. Harry had
dropped a hand on his shoulder, and Ron had found himself staring into
psychotic emerald eyes. Harry had offered a faint smirk, "You better
figure it out by New Years Day, Ron."
But he hadn't. He was still confused. This was going against everything
he'd ever learned. And he had only half an hour to make a decision.
Sweet Merlin! Why did this have to be so infuriating?
---
Katar stared at the lake that was between him and the castle that
housed one of his brethren, and three in training. His lips quirked as
he rolled his shoulders, "New Years... a time of new beginnings..."
With a mental command, the fiery cloak that had been draped around his
shoulders pulled back, flaring around him, extending and attaching to
the horns that protruded from his shoulders. He spread his arm, the
very tips of his cloak seemingly melting into his skin, before he
launched himself into the air, and began his glide towards the castle.
Physically speaking, it should not have been even possible. However,
the Power had a tendency to be capable of pulling off the unbelievable.
Katar was close. Katar would finally be truly free.
---
The Great Hall was empty. Or, at least, a massive glamour had been cast
to make it appear to be so. The small group of students that had
remained for the holidays were having a party in one of the classrooms,
as there was no reason to hold one in the large Great Hall.
Which meant it was free to be used by a small group of five.
Weapon sat, perfectly motionless in the center of the circle, Sirius
seated directly East, Virginia directly South, and Draco directly North
of him. Hermione was sitting on top of the staff table at the front of
the room, wondering what, exactly was about to happen. Both Harry and
Weapon had confirmed that the ceremony would have to take place at
exactly midnight, to ensure that everyone was busy, that no one would
come until it was too late. There was only ten minutes to go, and they
were still missing someone to sit in the West.
Weapon had refused her entrance into the circle. She was there to
observe, there to record the elevation of three Weapons-In-Training, to
Living Weapon. It was to be a momentous occasion, she knew. And she
knew Weapon was proud of them, even if his emotions would not reach his
face. The three who had been training had gotten next to no sleep--
only sleeping during mealtime-- over the weeks since they had pulled
Ron to one side and told him what was happening. The memory of it
flickered in her mind, and she took hold of it.
She could still feel the chill of the December air, still feel the
biting wind that had caused Sirius to slip from the shadows and erect a
shield to prevent them from feeling the effects of nature. Ron had
watched his sister retrieve her weapons, watched as Draco swiped blood
from his katar and the Stallion Blades, carefully hiding both on his
person, and drawing his robes back around his body. Harry's chilling
eyes had finally turned to Ron.
She'd felt him shiver under the hand she'd placed on his shoulder.
Seeing Weapon face-to-face for the first time was always a shock to the
system. Then Weapon had spoken in that monotonous voice, cutting off
all of Ron's protests before three words made their way out of his
mouth.
Ron's questions had been obvious, and Harry's answers simple:
Have you gone Dark? No.
Why is Malfoy here? He is my student.
Why is Ginny here? She is my student.
And Sirius? Fixing his attempts to train.
What are you training them in? Fighting.
Why? For the Balance.
What's the Balance? The New World.
Are you insane? Quite.
There had been more to it than that-- but they were only lucky that Ron
was so tired, and hadn't been able to make very much of a scene.
Hermione had guided him to bed, then hovered around him for the rest of
the night. When she had classes, Sirius would be there, both training
in using the Power, and keeping an eye out on him. If he ever looked
like he was about to tell a teacher, they stopped him.
They wanted him to make this choice without influence from any of the
teachers, who would all defer to Dumbledore and do whatever he asked
them too.
Her mind snapped back to the present, when the doors slid open and Ron
skittered into the Great Hall. He opened his mouth, about to say
something, but shut up when Hermione waved him over to her side, almost
frantically. He was careful not to get to close to the apparently
meditating people on the floor, climbing up onto the table beside
Granger.
"What's going on?"
"Weapon is going to run them through the Challenge."
"The Challenge?" he gave her a confused look, "What's the Challenge?"
"It's when someone who has training in what they call 'The Power', goes
through a psychological examination of some sort. Once done, they will
have full access to The Power, and will be granted their Weapon Name,"
she cupped her chin with one hand, "Harry said that it only takes a few
seconds, although those in the Challenge can spend what feels like up
to twenty years in their own mind."
"What's a 'Weapon Name'?" he wondered, still looking on the silent,
unmoving circle in some confusion. Hermione was about to open her mouth
and respond, when the Great Hall's doors opened once more. And this
time to admit someone none of them recognized.
Blood red hair, that fell shaggily around his head to his shoulders,
ruby eyes that literally glowed with the power, darkly tanned skin
contrasting with the brilliant orange of the sheet of flame that
wrapped around his body, and skittered across the floor leaving burn
trails. He had a thick red horn extending a good foot from each
shoulder.
He looked upon the circle, then settled himself into the seat of the
West, closing his eyes and joining the circle of The Power that would
send the other three directions into the Challenge.
And then the clock struck midnight, and the two full-fledged weapons
struck out with their connections to the Power. The three Weapons-to-be
collapsed to the floor with a sickening crack, and Ron shouted his
sister's name.
The girl beside him grabbed his shoulders, preventing him from even
leaving the table, before she whispered a locking charm to keep the
doors of the hall closed, no matter what happened.
Once the Challenge was completed, she would cast the very last counter
runes, and free Harry from his professor-created prison. The Weapons
would be given free reign to do what they wanted. She was counting on
her help having proven that she was, indeed, to be trusted. That she
would be able to remain friends with them, even after the creation of
their much vaunted Balance.
---
Lucius Malfoy jerked violently, gasping as he found the discreet
connection he'd created upon his son's birth being shattered by some
higher power. Anything less than Lord Voldemort's own level of power
would be unable to sever the link that had been cast by Lucius and
backed by Riddle himself. Draco was born to be a death eater, and that
connection had been subtly used to control his son enough for the boy
to think that it was his own will that caused him to obey his father's
master.
Lord Voldemort watched, mirthless, as Lucius spasmed, already knowing
what had happened. He had kept the information of Draco having
undergone the training to be a Living Weapon from the boy's father, in
the hopes that Draco would replace his own, now dead, Second Generation
Weapon. He'd been using her as a battery, to boost his own strength,
and had accidentally drained her completely dry.
Now, Draco was undergoing the Challenge. It was likely those others at
the school who had been undergoing Weapon's training would also be
taking the Challenge.
Thank whoever helped Dark Lords that Harry Potter hadn't been chosen to
be one of the Living Weapons.
Obviously, Riddle had no idea that Harry was already one of them.
---
Harry stood with Weapon on his left, and the Living Weapon Katar on his
right, in the mental space provided by the Power, where they would meet
the three who were preforming the Challenge. The green eyed youth
finally turned to the unknown, while Weapon continued to stare out into
the mental blackness for sight of his students.
"Who are you?"
The red-eyed red-haired one tilted his head to look down on the smaller
youth. If it weren't for those far to brilliant green eyes, Katar would
have thought this boy was a mere human. If it weren't for the fact that
it was obvious Weapon and the boy were the same being, he wouldn't have
bothered answering him. But this fact he knew, and crossed his arms,
staring down at him, "I am Katar."
"The Missing Weapon," Harry mused with some surprise. All the Living
Weapons knew of Katar. He'd been created nearly two decades earlier,
and had spent the first seven years in the employment of one of the
First Generation Weapons. However, when that Weapon was killed, Katar
had been transferred to another First Generation-- and never made it.
He had just... vanished.
Katar raised a red eyebrow, "The 'Missing' Weapon? Is that what they
call me?"
"Yes," the younger Weapon let his lips twitch with a smirk, "No one
knew where you were."
"Cornelius Fudge... retrieved me from the wreak twelve years ago."
Harry gave a bark of laughter, "I feel sorry for you, having to deal
with that bumbling idiot for so long."
He nodded slowly, then looked towards Weapon, "Why are their two of
you?"
Harry shrugged, "Because there are. We thought that it was 'cause I
first accessed the Power when I was a year old."
Katar's eyes widened, his mouth going dry. But... that should be
impossible! No child younger than six could possibly have enough
negative experience to be able to access the Power. Determination set
his features, "Harry. Weapon. I--"
"Sirius approaches," Weapon interrupted Katar, raised a claw-tipped
hand to point at the shadow in coming from East of their current
position. Harry and Katar grinned-- Harry's no little bit psychotic,
and Katar's no small amount malicious-- as they awaited the new
Weapon's appearance.
Neither could wait until they could learn his Weapon Name.
---
End Chapter
Yeah, I'm mean, cutting it off right there ^_____^
Black Rose - We should be getting at least one Weapon Name... Next
Chapter! Celebration time!
Kennan - I'm glad you like Katar. I wasn't sure if he'd be well
accepted; it a bit hard to work him into Blackened Sunrise, while
keeping with the personality he has in my novel.
Masrchild - No need to be ashamed of being hyper. Just look at Black
Rose. *grins* Harry with a snake would be very cool (I am obsessed with
snakes ^__^) and he may pick one up somewhere along the way, but right
now the snakes in the fic are Nagini and Rilos. Never mind the fact
that Rilos is a stuffed animal...
Do I really have to write the disclaimer for the thirty-fourth time?
---
Blackened Sunrise
Chapter Thirty-Five : New Years
The Itch
---
Ron Weasley stared at the canopy of his bed, biting his lip. It was New
Years Eve, and in the next thirty minutes, it would be January First.
But he couldn't think about that.
All that was going though his mind was what Harry, Hermione, Ginny and
Malfoy had told him over a week earlier. About Harry and the Living
Weapons, about the Balance, and about what was to come.
"Good... evil... There are no such things. They are creations of man's
mind. They are the children of Order, brought to categorize and file
the Entropy that is all. I am a creature of Chaos, and fight for the
freedom of Entropy. I am neither good, nor evil. I am above good and
evil. I am above Order. I am above all. I am Chaos.""
"Do you understand that, Ron?" Ginny had asked, tilting her head to one
side, "Do you understand what we're asking you?"
He had shook his head, and the others sighed, exasperated. Harry had
dropped a hand on his shoulder, and Ron had found himself staring into
psychotic emerald eyes. Harry had offered a faint smirk, "You better
figure it out by New Years Day, Ron."
But he hadn't. He was still confused. This was going against everything
he'd ever learned. And he had only half an hour to make a decision.
Sweet Merlin! Why did this have to be so infuriating?
---
Katar stared at the lake that was between him and the castle that
housed one of his brethren, and three in training. His lips quirked as
he rolled his shoulders, "New Years... a time of new beginnings..."
With a mental command, the fiery cloak that had been draped around his
shoulders pulled back, flaring around him, extending and attaching to
the horns that protruded from his shoulders. He spread his arm, the
very tips of his cloak seemingly melting into his skin, before he
launched himself into the air, and began his glide towards the castle.
Physically speaking, it should not have been even possible. However,
the Power had a tendency to be capable of pulling off the unbelievable.
Katar was close. Katar would finally be truly free.
---
The Great Hall was empty. Or, at least, a massive glamour had been cast
to make it appear to be so. The small group of students that had
remained for the holidays were having a party in one of the classrooms,
as there was no reason to hold one in the large Great Hall.
Which meant it was free to be used by a small group of five.
Weapon sat, perfectly motionless in the center of the circle, Sirius
seated directly East, Virginia directly South, and Draco directly North
of him. Hermione was sitting on top of the staff table at the front of
the room, wondering what, exactly was about to happen. Both Harry and
Weapon had confirmed that the ceremony would have to take place at
exactly midnight, to ensure that everyone was busy, that no one would
come until it was too late. There was only ten minutes to go, and they
were still missing someone to sit in the West.
Weapon had refused her entrance into the circle. She was there to
observe, there to record the elevation of three Weapons-In-Training, to
Living Weapon. It was to be a momentous occasion, she knew. And she
knew Weapon was proud of them, even if his emotions would not reach his
face. The three who had been training had gotten next to no sleep--
only sleeping during mealtime-- over the weeks since they had pulled
Ron to one side and told him what was happening. The memory of it
flickered in her mind, and she took hold of it.
She could still feel the chill of the December air, still feel the
biting wind that had caused Sirius to slip from the shadows and erect a
shield to prevent them from feeling the effects of nature. Ron had
watched his sister retrieve her weapons, watched as Draco swiped blood
from his katar and the Stallion Blades, carefully hiding both on his
person, and drawing his robes back around his body. Harry's chilling
eyes had finally turned to Ron.
She'd felt him shiver under the hand she'd placed on his shoulder.
Seeing Weapon face-to-face for the first time was always a shock to the
system. Then Weapon had spoken in that monotonous voice, cutting off
all of Ron's protests before three words made their way out of his
mouth.
Ron's questions had been obvious, and Harry's answers simple:
Have you gone Dark? No.
Why is Malfoy here? He is my student.
Why is Ginny here? She is my student.
And Sirius? Fixing his attempts to train.
What are you training them in? Fighting.
Why? For the Balance.
What's the Balance? The New World.
Are you insane? Quite.
There had been more to it than that-- but they were only lucky that Ron
was so tired, and hadn't been able to make very much of a scene.
Hermione had guided him to bed, then hovered around him for the rest of
the night. When she had classes, Sirius would be there, both training
in using the Power, and keeping an eye out on him. If he ever looked
like he was about to tell a teacher, they stopped him.
They wanted him to make this choice without influence from any of the
teachers, who would all defer to Dumbledore and do whatever he asked
them too.
Her mind snapped back to the present, when the doors slid open and Ron
skittered into the Great Hall. He opened his mouth, about to say
something, but shut up when Hermione waved him over to her side, almost
frantically. He was careful not to get to close to the apparently
meditating people on the floor, climbing up onto the table beside
Granger.
"What's going on?"
"Weapon is going to run them through the Challenge."
"The Challenge?" he gave her a confused look, "What's the Challenge?"
"It's when someone who has training in what they call 'The Power', goes
through a psychological examination of some sort. Once done, they will
have full access to The Power, and will be granted their Weapon Name,"
she cupped her chin with one hand, "Harry said that it only takes a few
seconds, although those in the Challenge can spend what feels like up
to twenty years in their own mind."
"What's a 'Weapon Name'?" he wondered, still looking on the silent,
unmoving circle in some confusion. Hermione was about to open her mouth
and respond, when the Great Hall's doors opened once more. And this
time to admit someone none of them recognized.
Blood red hair, that fell shaggily around his head to his shoulders,
ruby eyes that literally glowed with the power, darkly tanned skin
contrasting with the brilliant orange of the sheet of flame that
wrapped around his body, and skittered across the floor leaving burn
trails. He had a thick red horn extending a good foot from each
shoulder.
He looked upon the circle, then settled himself into the seat of the
West, closing his eyes and joining the circle of The Power that would
send the other three directions into the Challenge.
And then the clock struck midnight, and the two full-fledged weapons
struck out with their connections to the Power. The three Weapons-to-be
collapsed to the floor with a sickening crack, and Ron shouted his
sister's name.
The girl beside him grabbed his shoulders, preventing him from even
leaving the table, before she whispered a locking charm to keep the
doors of the hall closed, no matter what happened.
Once the Challenge was completed, she would cast the very last counter
runes, and free Harry from his professor-created prison. The Weapons
would be given free reign to do what they wanted. She was counting on
her help having proven that she was, indeed, to be trusted. That she
would be able to remain friends with them, even after the creation of
their much vaunted Balance.
---
Lucius Malfoy jerked violently, gasping as he found the discreet
connection he'd created upon his son's birth being shattered by some
higher power. Anything less than Lord Voldemort's own level of power
would be unable to sever the link that had been cast by Lucius and
backed by Riddle himself. Draco was born to be a death eater, and that
connection had been subtly used to control his son enough for the boy
to think that it was his own will that caused him to obey his father's
master.
Lord Voldemort watched, mirthless, as Lucius spasmed, already knowing
what had happened. He had kept the information of Draco having
undergone the training to be a Living Weapon from the boy's father, in
the hopes that Draco would replace his own, now dead, Second Generation
Weapon. He'd been using her as a battery, to boost his own strength,
and had accidentally drained her completely dry.
Now, Draco was undergoing the Challenge. It was likely those others at
the school who had been undergoing Weapon's training would also be
taking the Challenge.
Thank whoever helped Dark Lords that Harry Potter hadn't been chosen to
be one of the Living Weapons.
Obviously, Riddle had no idea that Harry was already one of them.
---
Harry stood with Weapon on his left, and the Living Weapon Katar on his
right, in the mental space provided by the Power, where they would meet
the three who were preforming the Challenge. The green eyed youth
finally turned to the unknown, while Weapon continued to stare out into
the mental blackness for sight of his students.
"Who are you?"
The red-eyed red-haired one tilted his head to look down on the smaller
youth. If it weren't for those far to brilliant green eyes, Katar would
have thought this boy was a mere human. If it weren't for the fact that
it was obvious Weapon and the boy were the same being, he wouldn't have
bothered answering him. But this fact he knew, and crossed his arms,
staring down at him, "I am Katar."
"The Missing Weapon," Harry mused with some surprise. All the Living
Weapons knew of Katar. He'd been created nearly two decades earlier,
and had spent the first seven years in the employment of one of the
First Generation Weapons. However, when that Weapon was killed, Katar
had been transferred to another First Generation-- and never made it.
He had just... vanished.
Katar raised a red eyebrow, "The 'Missing' Weapon? Is that what they
call me?"
"Yes," the younger Weapon let his lips twitch with a smirk, "No one
knew where you were."
"Cornelius Fudge... retrieved me from the wreak twelve years ago."
Harry gave a bark of laughter, "I feel sorry for you, having to deal
with that bumbling idiot for so long."
He nodded slowly, then looked towards Weapon, "Why are their two of
you?"
Harry shrugged, "Because there are. We thought that it was 'cause I
first accessed the Power when I was a year old."
Katar's eyes widened, his mouth going dry. But... that should be
impossible! No child younger than six could possibly have enough
negative experience to be able to access the Power. Determination set
his features, "Harry. Weapon. I--"
"Sirius approaches," Weapon interrupted Katar, raised a claw-tipped
hand to point at the shadow in coming from East of their current
position. Harry and Katar grinned-- Harry's no little bit psychotic,
and Katar's no small amount malicious-- as they awaited the new
Weapon's appearance.
Neither could wait until they could learn his Weapon Name.
---
End Chapter
Yeah, I'm mean, cutting it off right there ^_____^