Disclaimer: I don't own Love Hina or many of the characters in this story. Only a couple of the characters in this story are mine.
"…" – Character talking
'…' – Character thinking
"Italics" – Supernatural voices
Chapter Seven: Darkness vs. Destiny – Choose Your Fate, Keitaro
Keitaro was having a difficult time making it to his intended destination. The lack of moonlight made the oasis darker than normal and the path to the waterfall hard to see. After a few minutes, however, he reached the edge of the pool beneath the waterfall.
"Go on, Keitaro. End your suffering now." the dark voice in his head urged.
'Well, guess that it's all for the best. I'll no longer be a burden to anyone else on this planet.' Keitaro thought as he removed the gun from his waistband and raised it up to his temple. He began to fight back the tears as he slowly pulled the trigger and listened to the sound of the gun firing.
Naru's sleep was interrupted by a loud bang off in the distance. 'What in the world was that noise?' she thought to herself as she sat up. She took a moment to scan her surroundings. Nyamo was lying next to her in the other blanket, the turtles were sleeping nearby, the campfire was beginning to burn out, and it appeared that someone had rummaged through the supply bag. The only thing missing was Keitaro. That's when she noticed the crumpled piece of paper in her hand. Naru slowly opened the paper and carefully read its contents.
Narusegawa,
By the time you read this letter, I will be gone forever. Never again will you or anyone else have to be troubled by my pathetic existence. I just wanted you to know that I'm sorry for everything. I never meant to be the cause of so much pain and suffering for you or the other girls for that matter. I loved you more than anything and it tore my heart apart today to realize how much I have hurt you. My failures, in life, in keeping my promises, trying to enter Toudai, and in being a good caretaker for you girls, have made me realize that I'm better off dead. Please live a good life from now on, and good luck at Toudai. Goodbye.
Keitaro Urashima
'What, a suicide note? Then that means ... please God, no!' Naru shot up off of the ground as panic began to set in. As the thoughts began to swirl in her head, she grabbed her blanket to protect her from the cold nighttime air and ran into the forest, hoping that her darkest fears haven't come true. 'He can't be gone! Not yet! Not before I've gotten the chance to tell him how I truly feel!' her mind repeated over and over as she stumbled through the darkness, blinded by the torrent of tears leaving her eyes.
"KEITARO!" Off in the distance, she could hear another shot go off.
"What's this? Why is he still here!"
Keitaro slowly opened his eyes to recognize that he was still standing along the shore of the pool. 'Wait, shouldn't I be dead already? What gives?' That's when he noticed that something was holding his arm, and the gun, away from his body. Then he noticed a flame shoot up nearby. And then another. And more soon followed. In a matter of seconds, a small series of flames had been created along the shore of the water, the edge of the forest, and along the rock face of the waterfall. These flames provided enough light for Keitaro to see the ominous figure that had a hold of his arm. "Derrick, is that you?"
"Yeah, it's me." the Dark Angel replied as he lifted his head up so that his face would be recognizable in the faint light.
"You sorry little bastard! How dare you interrupt me from doing this!" Keitaro screamed as he snatched his arm away from Derrick's grasp and held the gun back to his head.
"You don't want to do this Keitaro."
"What gives you the right to tell me what to do, you conniving liar!" the young man shouted back as he cocked the gun and prepared to fire again. Just before he pulled the trigger, a mysterious force pulled the gun away from Keitaro's body and pointed it in Derrick's direction just in time the gun to fire. Keitaro watched in horror as the bullet entered Derrick's chest. 'Oh God, what have I done!'
"Nothing that's going to bother me much." Derrick said as the wound began to close up.
"How is that possible? A bullet wound to the heart would kill almost anybody. What in the hell are you, Derrick?"
"Don't you know you can't kill something that's already dead, Keitaro?" Keitaro looked on in both confusion and awe. "You want to know what I am. Well it's time for me to tell you everything. I'm a Dark Angel, a soul that is in limbo trying to right the wrongs that are keeping me out of Heaven. About seven months ago, I was in the same situation that you're facing now. I felt that my life was worthless and nobody cared for me. And I'm here to prevent you from making the same mistakes I made."
"Mistake? My entire existence is a mistake!"
"That's not true, Keitaro. God never creates a soul with the intention of it being worthless. That feeling, that entire concept that you have developed, is the result of the seeds of darkness plaguing your heart."
"Huh?"
"Every difficult moment you've had since your arrival at Hinata Sou was all a test by God. A small portion of your life, and soul, was meant to be broken so that you would develop stronger spiritually. However, some demons found a way to inhabit your mind and amplified those dark feelings you suppressed. Before they left your body, they planted a dark seed in your heart to grow and finish their dark work by feeding you lies. Every suicidal thought or act of hostility toward someone you cared about, that was the darkness taking over you." the Dark Angel continued.
"That may explain some things, but not everything. Like why I failed the Tokyo U. tests for the fourth time or why none of the people I care about want me around." Keitaro said in a depressed tone.
"Well, I can help you with one of those." Derrick said as he stepped closer to Keitaro. As he got right up in Keitaro's face, he reached out and placed a hand on the young man's forehead. After a couple of seconds passed, a flood of images filled Keitaro's mind. He was now at the mercy of every intimate though of the Hinata girls. After a few seconds passed, the images subsided and Keitaro collapsed to his hands and knees.
"Those images…the girls. But that can't…" Keitaro muttered in between sobs.
"It is. Those were the deepest and most private thoughts that the girls have about you. I know you're having a hard time believing that anybody cares for you because the Devil's lies have filled your heart. Those girls care for you more than life itself, just like you do about them. And they aren't the only ones Keitaro. You have family and friends that care for you deeply, and a God that created you that desires to be with you during the times of light and darkness."
"But how can you be so sure, Derrick? Look at what's happened to you."
"I'm sharing with you the things that I refused to hang on to, which is why I've been stuck wandering in darkness. You have the blessing of getting to know these things so that you can fight the darkness and lies of the demons. I can help lead you off of the path of doom." Derrick stated as he offered a hand to Keitaro. Keitaro looked up from the ground to see this and began to raise his hand toward the Dark Angel's. Unfortunately, it never reached its destination as the darkness once again seized control of Keitaro.
"NO! I won't let this heavenly reject destroy my work!" the dark voice screamed out of Keitaro's body.
"AAAHH! Leave me alone! Get out of my body, you monster!" Keitaro shouted as he tried to maintain control of his physical being.
Derrick was caught off guard by this turn of events as he took a few steps backward. After a minute of this back and forth struggle, Keitaro's body shot straight up into the air as a wicked laugh pierced the oasis.
"My, it's been awhile. Hasn't it, my young Saiyan friend." the demon-possessed Keitaro said to the now-terrified Dark Angel. The wicked tone of that voice brought back the memories of the fateful day that placed Derrick in his living purgatory. The vicious opponent that nearly destroyed his family and friends, somehow, was back from the dark confines of Hell.
"No, it can't be! I destroyed you months ago! How can you still be alive!" Derrick shouted at his friend-turned-adversary.
"True, you destroyed my physical being when you sent me through that cursed gate, but enough of my dark energy survived to be of some use for my master. The two demons assigned to torment your friend lent me some of their energy to create the dark seed that inhabited this pathetic mortal. Now that I have a body and some of my original strength back, it's time that I begin destroying this planet one soul at a time, starting with Keitaro. But before I do that, I think its time to get a little payback."
After saying those words, the demon/Keitaro's body began to radiate with red energy and grow larger. As the muscles of the demon's host body increased, small sections of Keitaro's skin began to burn and a set of crimson wings appear on his back. In a matter of seconds, lava began to cover the possessed man's body. The lava-covered body, still hovering in mid-air, floated over to the waterfall to begin the finishing touches of his armor. Water from the falls poured over the molten rock, hardening it into a polished black armor of stone. Keitaro's inviting brown eyes were replaced by a burning red glow that shone through the eyeholes of the stone mask. As soon as the volcanic rock finished cooling off, more molten material poured out to form various designs on the armor, as well as horns, a whip-like tail, and two-foot long claws from his fingertips. As he reentered the waterfall one last time to harden the bronze additions to his armor, Derrick began to prepare for the impending battle. The young Saiyan first removed his sword from his back and threw off the black trench coat. Next came the black hat and silver chain, all of which he threw into a pile at a nearby tree. The protective covering of his sword soon made its way to the pile as Derrick walked to the shoreline of the water. Sword in hand, the Dark Angel began to power up and reached his SS2 form in no time.
"Ready to die, Dark Angel!" the demon snapped.
"I'm already dead, stupid. You just need to worry about me sending you back to hell!" Derrick responded as he charged forward and raised his sword up in the air.
"You'll have to do much better than that to beat me!" Demon-Keitaro screamed as he raised his claws up in time to block the sword slash. However, he didn't see the ball of ki energy Derrick had formed in his left hand. The wave of energy that left the Super Saiyan's hand afterward send the demon stumbling back into the rock face of the waterfall. He barely had enough time to lift his head up before the blade of Derrick's sword was slammed through his left shoulder.
"If you're going to brag about being the reincarnation of a demon that beat me senseless, at least try to whip my ass." Derrick scoffed as his foe screamed out in pain. He was so caught up inthe momentthat he didn't see his foe prepare an attack of his own.
"Crimson Claw!" the demon shouted as his fingertip blades swung outward, sending red waves of ki energy crashing into Derrick's midsection and knocking the young warrior into the air. He then removed the sword from his shoulder and tossed it to the side. Demon-Keitaro lunged forward and prepared another attack with his claws. Derrick, still stunned by the first attack, managed to throw up his left arm in defense, resulting in several deep cuts on the arm but protecting the rest of body. The demon then attempted to strike his opponent with a tail strike, but Derrick caught it just before impact.
"I think it's time to turn it up a notch!" Derrick yelled as the golden aura and electricity around him intensified. His hair began to glow and grow in length as the fiery Saiyan powered up to his third Super Saiyan form. The demon became so wrapped up in this sight that he had no time to block the crushing right hand headed for his midsection. As the dark foe doubled over in pain, Derrick sent him crashing to the ground with a clubbing blow across the head.
'That little twerp packs more of a punch than I remembered.' Demon-Keitaro thought as he picked himself up off the ground. He wasn't expecting the ferociousness of Derrick's assaults being to great, or the fact that his new host body couldn't harbor the strength he was so accustomed to the first time these two warriors fought. An aura of fear soon caught the demon's attention as he looked toward the edge of the forest. Unbeknownst to both fighters, Naru stumbled onto the two at the time the demon took control of Keitaro. She was terrified by the transformation that her beloved had underwent and at the current battle. As Demon-Keitaro and Naru made eye contact, very cruel intentions crossed the mind of the dark entity.
"Well if it isn't the conniving ice queen herself! I tried to convince that Keitaro weakling to take you out long ago, but now that he can't stop me, I guess I'll have to do it myself!" the demon shouted as he sped toward Naru. As the demon closed the distance between them at a rapid rate, he swung his claws at the terrified girl. Naru could only see her life flashing in front of her eyes as the bronze, bloodstained claws sped forward. Just before impact, however, something inside Demon-Keitaro caused him to stop the attack.
'No, I won't let you hurt her monster!'
'Impossible! He shouldn't be able to have any type of control over his body now.' The demon attempted another attack on Naru, but soon found himself flying toward the desert against his own will. Derrick drug Demon-Keitaro through the sky away from the oasis, and soon stopped and slung the beast to the desert floor below. The demon had little time to get up from the ground before the Dark Angel brought his hands to his side to charge up an attack.
"Gallet Gun!" Demon-Keitaro looked up just in time to see the wave of ki energy crash into him. As the smoke and sand began to settle from the attack, Derrick charged up another attack. A torrent of energy blasts soonrained down on the defenseless demon. As the debris settled once again, the Dark Angel noticed that his foe was no longer on the ground. 'Where is he at? That attack couldn't have destroyed him already.'
"Here I am, fool!"
Derrick whipped his head toward the direction of the voice, only to be greeted by a bone crushing blow from Demon-Keitaro's tail. The impact was strong enough to open a grizzly wound across the Saiyan's eyebrow, partially blinding him with pain and blood. Still staggering from this attack, Derrick was unprepared to stop the devastating kick to his stomach. The Dark Angel started to double over in pain, only for Demon-Keitaro to grab him by the hair and slinging him to the ground.
"Ah, just like old times." Demon-Keitaro stated as flames began to swirl around him. Derrick slowly picked himself up off the ground to see his demonic foe prepare an attack. "Hellfire Assault!" A torrent of fireballs left the body of the demon and rained down on the young Super Saiyan. After several seconds, the flames on the sandy terrain died down to reveal a sheet of glass formed by the intense heat from the attack. 'That had to hurt.' Demon-Keitaro thought to himself as he descended to the edge of the glass formation. He was so caught up in his handiwork that he failed to notice the reflection of the blue energy sphere directly above him.
"Kamehameha!" The demon soon saw the reflections of Derrick's attack, but couldn't move in time to stop the blue waves of energy from engulfing him. Waves of sand and other debris rushed outward from the point of impact as the young warrior unleashed all of his Super Saiyan fury on Demon-Keitaro. As the attack subsided, Derrick descended to the crater below. He was in obvious pain from the battle and bleeding profusely from his face and arm. To take it a step further, Derrick had used up most of his energy with the Gallet Gun and Kamehameha attacks. Falling to his knees in exhaustion, the young Saiyan draws in deep breaths while clutching his battered left arm. As he looks down in the crater, a look of absolute horror appears as his opponent flies up from the aftermath. Demon-Keitaro, with parts of his armor cracked and breaking off from Derrick's onslaught, flies toward the weary Saiyan with a newfound hatred in his eyes.
"Time to break you, Dark Angel!" the demon screams as he launches a furious assault of punches and kicks. Derrick is able to block them for a moment, but soon falls victim to the attack. The last of the demon's punches connected with so much power that it knocked Derrick back to the border of the oasis. On instinct, the young Saiyan shot up off the ground and charged back into battle, only to be greeted by the slashing claws of Demon-Keitaro. One slash managed to connect with Derrick's midsection, resulting in several gashes on his chest and stomach. The other claw sliced across the Dark Angel's leg, resulting in more deep wounds. As Derrick stumbled backward, his foe launched one last attack. Demon-Keitaro flew forward and drove his horns through the chest of the Dark Angel before he had enough time to recollect his bearings.
"No…it can't end like this." Derrick managed to whisper between coughs. After a few seconds passed, his body returned to its normal form and slid off of the demon's bronze horns, crashing to the ground.
Demon-Keitaro looked down at his bloodied and battered opponent with scorn. 'Look's like my revenge is almost complete.' he thought as he raised up his claws to deliver a death strike. Just like with Naru earlier, a sudden force takes control of the demon. This time, however, it was stronger as the demon struggled to keep the soul of his host body suppressed.
"I won't let you hurt anyone else! Derrick, if you can hear me, get up and finish this monster off! I don't care if you kill me in the process! Just stop him!" Keitaro's voice screamed out of his possessed body.
"We'll see about that, stubborn boy!" the demon yelled as he regained control of Keitaro's body. Upon doing so, he held his hand up in the direction of the oasis. Moments later, Naru and Nyamo were seen flying out of the oasis, drawn to the battlefield by his dark powers. "Apparently, you have no idea what your insolence will cause, Keitaro! You couldn't just follow orders and end your pathetic existence, so now the ones you care about will pay the price! Your two friends there are about to suffer the same fate as your Dark Angel friend!" he shouted as he prepared to launch a fireball attack at the frightened girls.
As Demon-Keitaro readied his attack, a lightning bolt flew from the clouds and knocked him to the ground, causing the attack to disappear. His grip of his dark power on Naru and Nyamo also disappeared as the girls fell to the ground and hurried back to the confines of the oasis. As the stunned monster stood up from the blast, he quickly noticed the intense volley of lightning in the clouds. A few managed to find their way to the desert floor. Suddenly, a massive bolt flew from the sky and struck the battered body of the Dark Angel.
"AAAAAAAAAAHHH!" Derrick screamed as he sat up from the ground. Within seconds, the bloodied warrior was back on his feet, staring down now terrified demon.
"Impossible! You couldn't have survived that!"
"Don't you know you can't kill that which doesn't wish to perish! You've pretty much had your way so far in this battle! But now it's time for us to pick up where we left off the first time!" After these words left Derrick's mouth, he slowly raised his hands toward the sky. As the outstretched arms of the Dark Angel made their way upward, the clouds began to part and reveal the light of the full moon hidden behind them.
'What is this guy up to?' Demon-Keitaro thought to himself. 'Wait; there was a full moon the first time I fought him. That means … oh no!' The dark warrior noticed the Saiyan's tail, which he failed to notice in battle, waving freely in the air as Derrick began to shake uncontrollably at the sight of the full moon.
The muscles on Derrick's body began to grow and his height slightly increased as he struggled to control the shaking sensation gripping his body. After a minute or so of shaking and growing, his body began to emit waves of golden energy and sparks of electricity. "Now it's time to end this!" the young Saiyan screams as a blinding sphere of energy consumes him. Demon-Keitaro shields his eyes and waves of sand fly outward from Derrick's position. After another minute or so passes, the blinding rays of energy start to subside. Demon-Keitaro opens his eyes to see his opponent's completed transformation. The Dark Angel, with brownish-red fur now covering most of the visible areas on his body, raised his head up to reveal the red and yellow eyes that were covered by the bangs of his red hair.
'Looks like my trump card worked after all. This body also has the ability to go Super Saiyan 4, too.' Derrick though to himself as he stared down Demon-Keitaro.
"No! This can't be happening!" the demon screamed in self-denial, knowing his chance for victory was slipping away.
"Come on Derrick; get rid of this monster already!" Keitaro shouted as he retook control of his body one last time. The Dark Angel watched on as the demon momentarily struggled to regain control of his host body. Demon-Keitaro was so caught up in keeping the host's soul under control that he didn't notice the speed of Derrick's oncoming attack until a fist came crashing into his stomach.
"You can't win demon." Derrick told his stunned opponent, who was now doubled over in pain. "Your dark restraints on Keitaro were broken before you took control of his body. That means that no matter what, you'll never have 100 percent control of him. He'll continue to resist your presence. As long as you're fighting a battle on two different fronts, you won't have the focus or strength to beat me."
"Then let's see!" Demon-Keitaro shouted as he spun around to deliver a strike with his tail. Derrick caught it in midair and delivered a kick to the back of the demon, causing the bronze tail to break off as his opponent fell to the ground. This only fueled the blind fury of Demon-Keitaro, who immediately stood up and launched a counterattack. "Crimson Claw!" Waves of ki energy sprung out from both claws, knocking the SS4 Dark Angel backward. The demon began to launch another of his claw attacks, but Derrick dodged them at the last second and grabbed a hold of his opponent's left wrist.
"Are those the best efforts you can put together!" Derrick yelled as he delivered a vicious kick to Demon-Keitaro's head. As his opponent began to fall forward, the fiery Saiyan snatched his arm in the other direction, ripping of the stone and bronze that covered Keitaro's hand. Demon-Keitaro didn't stay down long, however, as he immediately got up and rocked the Dark Angel with a bone crushing kick, following it up with a fierce stab with his remaining set of claws that connected with Derrick's chest. The demonic fighter laughed as he raised his arm, and Derrick's body, up into the air to watch the young Saiyan writhe in pain. This didn't last very long before Derrick forcefully removed the claw from his chest, slung Demon-Keitaro to the ground, and delivered a vicious stomp to the defenseless foe's head. The stunned foe could only stare at the Dark Angel, watching the wounds on his chest close up.
'Damn this guy! He seems more powerful than before!' The demon's thoughts were soon interrupted by a set of hands lifting him up by the horns and throwing him skyward. After traveling a good distance, Demon-Keitaro stopped his progress with a massive flap of his wings. He then noticed that Derrick had appeared right in front of him, reading a final attack.
"FINAL FLASH!"
The massive wave of ki energy was to much for Demon-Keitaro to block and it soon launched him toward the heart of the oasis, where the battle started out at. The energy wave sent the demonic warrior crashing into the giant rock structures of the oasis and his battered body soon fell toward the pool of water beneath. He never made it, however, as Derrick immediately appeared and tossed Demon-Keitaro to the shore. Needless to say, the demon looked like he'd been hit by an atomic bomb. About half of the demon's armor and his wings had been destroyed. The rest of the armor was cracked and starting to fall apart. The bloodied body of Keitaro was now visible in the moonlight. The red eyes that once burned with hatred where now filled with terror as Demon-Keitaro looked up at the Dark Angel, who now stood over him, holding his sword from earlier.
"No,this can't be happening. I'm supposed to be superior to any warrior." Demon-Keitaro managed to mutter between gasps of breath.
"You've brought all of this on yourself! You've interfered with too many lives and caused too much pain, and I won't allow it to continue anymore!" Derrickshouted as the glowing Inner Light symbol appeared on his chest. At the same time, the blade of his sword began to glow with the same white light as the symbol. Derrick brought the sword up and held the tip of its blade over the chest of Demon-Keitaro.
"This won't change anything, you know. Keitaro still has a choice to make and nothing you have done guarantees that he will make the right choice." the demon managed to whisper.
"That may be true, but let's just say that I like his chances of making the right choice without you calling the shots. Now, back to the flames of Hell with you!" With that, Derrick plunged the glowing sword into the heart of Demon-Keitaro. A massive sphere of white light consumed both warriors for several minutes. As the light died down, Derrick, who was now back in his normal form, withdrew the sword from the chest of his fallen opponent. Demon-Keitaro was no more: instead, an unconscious Keitaro laid on the ground, showing no signs of damage from the recent battle. No cuts, scars, or bloodstains were present on the young man. Even his clothes from earlier were intact. Derrick, now visibly spent from the battle, walked over to his pile of items and slowly put his hat and coat back on. He then sheathed his sword and slung it over his shoulder. The only item he didn't put back on was the chain, which he held in one hand as he walked back over to Keitaro, who was starting to regain consciousness.
"What happened?" Keitaro muttered as he slowly sat up and took in the surroundings. "Was that all a dream?"
"Afraid not, Keitaro." Derrick said, startling the young man.
"So, I guess the whole spiritual/supernatural warfare is over, huh?"
"Far from it, Keitaro. You still have a choice to make."
"A choice? What kind of choice?" Keitaro was absolutely confused.
"I want you to close your eyes and hold out both hands." Keitaro did as he was instructed. Derrick used his telekinetic abilities and pulled the handgun from earlier into his hand. He then took that gun and his cross chain and placed them into Keitaro's hand. "Alright, open your eyes."
Keitaro opened his eyes and saw the two items in his hand. "Just what is going on here!" he snapped as he quickly hopped to his feet.
"Here's the choice that will affect the rest of your life and your eternal soul. In on hand, you have the promises of the devil. An escape from the pain in your physical life, but the start of a dark road in your afterlife." Derrick said, staring at the gun. "In the other hand, you have the promises of God, a God that loved all of mankind so much he sent his own son to die so everyone could be closer to him. Life won't be easier, trust me. But there will always be someone with you during those dark times to guide you." he said while staring at the silver and ruby cross. "Now, you heard from both sides. Pick your fate, Keitaro."
As the Dark Angel turned and started to walk away, Keitaro shouted out "Hey, aren't you going to make sure I accept your option! After all, your afterlife's on the line here to!"
Derrick looked over his shoulder in response to the question. "I'm not allowed to interfere with free will. I can't make the choice for you. Forget about anything that would interfere with your decision making. Focus on what's in your mind and heart; let it be the deciding factor." After saying this, the flames he had created earlier to illuminate the area were mysteriously extinguished and a thick column of fog and smoke surrounded the Dark Angel and Keitaro. Moments later, the fog disappeared, revealing Keitaro as the only person in the clearing.
Keitaro's Decision (Kei's POV)
After the fog and smoked cleared, Derrick was nowhere in sight. The only thing I could manage to do for a minute or two was stare at the empty surroundings. My mind was in mass confusion from the events from earlier. The images of the demon infestation, losing control of my own, the painful exorcism by Derrick (trust me, a sword in the chest hurts like hell, even if you're not the intended target), and now this choice kept playing over and over again in my head. The fact that I'm not a religious person really wasn't helping the thought process any.
I took one look at the pistol from earlier. Upon looking at it, all of the bad moments of the last two and half years flashed in front of my eyes. The repeated failures of trying to get into Toudai, the daily beatings from the girls, and even the rejection by my family and friends. The wrist cutting, the only relief I had for so long from the pain, also entered my mind, as well as the demons who told me the words my tortured soul wanted to hear. Then I looked over the cross on the chain that Derrick had given me. My childhood promise (and sweetheart), first dates with Naru and Mutsumi, Valentine's Day, the now famous Hinata parties, and the other good times at Hinata Sou came to my mind. Then I also thought about the images that I was shown earlier and the mysterious stranger who risked his own soul to help me. These were two very strong cases made by the respective forces.
I tried to bring the barrel of the gun up to my head, closing my eyes tightly in the process. As I did so, the memories of the dark voices and feelings of loneliness intensified. As the gun made it halfway to its intended destination, my eyes cracked open long enough to take another look at the cross pendant. Suddenly, another vision entered my head: the vision of a bloodied man nailed to a wooden cross. I could feel the immense pain going the body of this person. Suddenly, I sensed something familiar in this pain. It was my pain, the same pain I felt during my darkest moments. Suddenly another image snapped into my head. It was her: the little girl that I madethe promise to. She was crying and begging me not to do it, to keep on living for her and everyone else. At this moment, everything Derrick had been trying to tell came together. I wasn't alone and I had a purpose to my life. What that purpose was or what other souls would be with me until the end, I didn't know yet. But my eyes were open to the truth.
'I can't, I won't let the darkness break me again!' I let out a scream of anguish as I threw the gun toward the waterfall. A second or two later, I heard the sound of it splashing into the water. Thank God that part is now over with. I still had more questions than answers, but now I knew which road I would get those answers from.
A/N - Okay, Keitaro's made his choice. What will happento him and the rest of the Hinata crowd now. Also, what will happen to our Dark Angel friend. Find out in the next chapter. Until then, please review.
- OD
