Chapter 5
Emerald eyes stared into crimson-colored ones-one pair saddened.
The boy was almost afraid to ask what happened.
Lyserg Diethyl had been left behind again for yet another mission-well... it was an unfinished mission, but, still; he had been left behind again. Merely because he wasn't strong enough to finish off this certain shaman on his own.
But that didn't matter now-something was clearly wrong with Jeanne and the others, and, no one would speak up.
Currently, he was in Jeanne's room-she had invited him in there; although Marco was certainly against it. No matter how close he was to the young boy; there would be no way he could trust anyone-and that included Lyserg-with someone such a Jeanne.
It wasn't the fact that she was merely their holy maiden; the pure, untouched leader of there group, but, it was that he was also his adoptive daughter as well. No one knew this-the news hadn't bothered to be revealed to anyone yet.
"Jeanne-sama..." Lyserg bit his bottom lip, standing before her. "What happened? Everyone seems so depressed... I..." His voice trailed off; looking at her in a begging manner.
For a moment, she said nothing-her eyes were closed. For the second time in Jeanne's life; she... had lost a loved one. This, of course, had been devastating to the entire group.
The X-Laws were like family to her; and, now two of them were dead. "...Two of our fellow members have died." Despite some shakiness in her voice, it was still serene, calm.
His eyes widened. "...What?" His voice shook. Lyserg could hardly believe it. This group; the powerful, unstoppable X-Law group...? Two of their members killed...?
No one would have ever thought this would happen.
Lyserg's eyes softened as he sat down next to her; placing a comforting hand on her shoulder slowly, softly. Even if she was their holy maiden, she was still a little girl, too-one that wasn't ready to face death.
For a girl that was only eight... she couldn't have been ready for any of her family to die.
"Lyserg..." She began, biting back her tears. "Thank you." She smiled slightly at him. "And... I'm sorry. I should've have stopped him-"
"It wasn't your fault." He hesitantly patted her shoulder soothingly, trying to stop her from crying; praying that Marco wouldn't catch them like this. He would kill Lyserg. "Who did this...?"
She tried to remain calm; hesitant to answer for a moment. "One of the Asakura's." She starred at him in a bit of a serene manner.
"Asakura Hao." She stood, her eyes hardening slightly; resolve was coming to her. Of course, she had thought about this long enough. It was only right for them to correct what injustice was in the world, right? It was the reason for the existence of their group, anyways.
"Action will be taken for their sins." Her eyes flared with determination.
"If it's the last thing I do, the twins will be eliminated." She paused; contemplating once more. Hao's spirit was power, much more than they had imagined it would be... in fact, they hadn't even know his power had been awoken.
They would have to find a way to stop him, first.
"...As soon as we find a weakness for Asakura Hao's spirit, we'll make our next move."
Lyserg paused. She wasn't going to go back into the iron maiden, was she...?
"J-Jeanne-sama...?"
She continued walking. "Yes, Lyserg?"
"...You're not going into the iron maiden already, are you?" She shouldn't be stressing her body anymore than she had been already.
Jeanne closed her eyes. "Yes." She wanted to avenge their deaths. "Although sacrifice is sometimes necessary..." She frowned deeply. "They were killed unjustly." She turned to face him. "We will avenge their deaths. For now, we can only prepare."
The boy paused; his heart fell at that. "Y-Yes, Jeanne-sama..."
-
Ren breathed deeply as he fought to catch his breath, his Oversoul dissipating. The fight with HoroHoro had just finished their Shaman Fight-their spirits now at their side once more.
He smiled slightly. It had been so long since he had fought anyone else; all he had done for years is train. It was a refreshing feeling-he could finally bring his anger out in another way besides training.
...And it was a way of him knowing that he wasn't alone.
He sighed, smirking at the Ainu. Although he had fought hard, Ren had won. "Not bad, Ainu-baka." Yes, HoroHoro had developed a nickname as well. From the few times they had talked to one another, they... felt like they knew each other well.
It might have been instinct between the two or, as Ren's sister would have said:
It was destiny.
HoroHoro twitched at that comment. "Baka!" He snorted, pointing an accusing finger at the Chinese boy. "You might have one, but, you only won by a hair!" The tiny spirit beside him nodded quickly in agreement; shaking her tiny fist in the same nature as HoroHoro was. "Next time, you won't be so lucky!"
His smirk only widened. "Is that another challenge?"
The blue-haired boy was about to nod quickly, but, stopped when he heard his stomach grumble. "...After I get some food in my stomach." He patted the said body part.
Ren could only shake his head, biting back his laughter in response.
-
Ren cooked calmly as HoroHoro watched him-cupping his cheeks; his elbows on the counter.
He had agreed to cook for the two of them; although HoroHoro had knew how to cook for his sister before, the Chinese shaman refused to let anyone go through and cook in his kitchen. Everything was in its proper place, and, he didn't need it to get messed up by a complete stranger.
The silence between them was an awkward one.
"...You seem happier." Ren was referring to how HoroHoro was acting earlier.
The Ainu shaman frowned at that. Did he need to bring that up now? His sister's death had left his mind for the moment; letting him enjoy himself for the first time since that week.
He might seem happier, but, inwardly, his heart still felt like it had been twisted in too.
Part of his life was gone; like it had just vanished.
"Because I didn't want to think about it." He muttered under his breath.
Ren sighed at that. "Think about it now." His voice was stern as he sat to set the table. "It'll only come back and hit you harder later."
The Ainu frowned. A change of subject would be good right about now...
"What did you cook?" He sat at the table, grinning widely. Food was definitely the thing to cheer him up right about now. He hadn't eaten all day, so, he was starving. Why didn't Ren eat until now, anyways...? How could he go that long without food?
His glance lifted to stare at Ren as he got up again.
...No wonder he looks so anorexic. He snorted inwardly.
But, really-that still didn't give him an explanation of why Ren had those... those... womanly hips.
...Actually, Ren didn't look half-bad for a guy; just give him a dress, and he'd make a perfect girl.
HoroHoro flushed lightly at the thought, shaking his head quickly inwardly.
He's a guy! Just because he looks like a girl doesn't mean anything!
He took the plate that Ren handed him; frowning once more.
The more he thought about Ren, the more anxious it made him feels-he certainly had mixed feelings about the boy. As much as he disliked his attitude, he couldn't hate him, either.
If it wasn't for Ren... HoroHoro might have been dead; joining his sister in the afterlife.
He saddened at the thought.
No, he would go on; not for him.
But, for her.
...And Ren as well.
He owed him at least that.
-
Lyserg stood outside of Jeanne's room-contemplating on what he had been told earlier.
...Two of his only friends were dead.
He clenched his fists at this thought. Out of the entire shaman they had gone after; nothing like this had happened. What could have suddenly made Hao so powerful that he could kill their comrades...?
We should be stronger than this. He thought with a bitter frown touching his features. The government's responsibility should be to make sure we survive through there requests...
That's right; every X-Law member owned the rights to one of the archangels-heavenly-looking spirits with a lot of power; some of which that could even be compared to God-class spirits.
He cupped his cheeks, his eyes sad. But... I haven't gotten any power yet, either. I'm still weak.
He weakly smiled at Morphine, his primary spirit, as she flew around his head in concern. "I'm alright, Morphine." He reassured her quickly. "You don't have to worry about me..." His eyes saddened once more. Really-he shouldn't be thinking about getting another spirit! Not when he still had the fairy-like spirit on his side. She was a gift from his father-a dear friend, as well. He should have more faith in her to bring him power.
"I would say otherwise."
Lyserg looked up at that, not being able to suppress the smile that appeared on his features again. "What do you mean, Marco-san?"
Marco looked down at the boy, frowning. Really, how many times had he asked Lyserg to drop the respect...? They were together-and not just as friends-now. It wouldn't make any sense for Lyserg to keep using 'san' in his name...
"You're not a very good liar, Lyserg."
The other laughed quietly at that, smiling when he felt too hands wrap around him in a comforting embrace. "I... know... but..."
"She told you, didn't she...? They're dead."
"I-I know." The tears came again. How many times had he told himself not to cry...? Or, at least not in front of Marco or Jeanne, anyways. "But..."
A sigh. "I know." Marco said quietly, looking down at him; pulling Lyserg closer; whom sighed contently in response.
There was silence after that; Lyserg enjoying being in Marco's arms again. This was what he needed-to be held; to be loved by someone.
It was like being held in the arms of an angel.
He smiled slightly at that; remembering how exactly he came to join the X-Laws.
-
Lyserg Diethyl looked around the city nervously. Where was the bar, anyways? He had said that it would be nearby...
...But he was still new to Japan. He had no idea where he was going; or where he would end up.
All he knew was that he was supposed to meet the strange man he had met only yesterday at the local bar; late at night. According to him, they would need to talk in private, and, the only area they could do that in was in the said place.
Now, one would wonder why this boy-Lyserg Diethyl had put trust in a complete stranger, wouldn't they?
It had been simple, really. The only thing he had to do was mention his parents, and, he was just about ready to do anything to find out more about the blonde-haired man.
Marco, he had called himself-had specifically said that Lyserg would be able to achieve revenge if he followed him.
How he knew all that, remains a mystery to him. It was the reason why it was so important that he talk to the man. He could have been the answer to his entire problem.
But he was also taking a risk; it could be the start of new problems as well.
He took in a breath.
That was a risk he'd just have to take. If it was for his parents, he'd do anything for them.
He paused when he realized where he was.
'Is... This it...?' He ran a hand through his soft, emerald-colored hair and sighed.
How did he expect him to get in...? Lyserg was only fourteen-although most would mistake him for being younger-he was way under the age when he could get into a place like this.
"I see that you made it."
Lyserg blinked, turning around-only to find himself face-to-face with who he had come to meet.
He nearly jumped. What the man trying to give him a heart attack?
The man smiled slightly at that. "Come one." He gestured to the nearby building. "Everyone's waiting for you."
"Ok-wait, what?" What did he mean by 'everyone'?
"The rest of the group."
...Ok. That certainly didn't help...
However, he followed anyways. This was for the sake of his parents, after all.
"Lyserg." Marco turned to glance at him. "I understand that you're an orphan, correct?"
His eyes hardened at that; his fists clenching. "Yes, sir." Did he have to bring that up? It was depressing.
The man was silent after that-contemplating.
"...Do you realize that shamans were the one's who set this fire on your home?" That's right; Lyserg's parents had died in a fire.
"I-I know." He looked down. "What does that have to do with anything...?" He stopped walking. He didn't exactly enjoy talking about the deaths of others; and, what did shamans have to do with the conversations? He was a shaman himself-trying to become stronger in order to find whomever killed his parents and killing them; avenging their deaths.
Marco smirked a little at that, stepping into the bar. "Do you realize what this group could help you do?"
He slowly nodded. "You did, sir, but..." Marco hadn't answered his questions.
Marco turned, staring at him in a serious manner. "Join us." He said calmly. "And we'll avenge your parents." He paused, deciding to try to explain this in a better manner. "We can find who killed your parents." The blonde-haired man extended a hand. "We must kill these sinners together."
Lyserg bit his lower lip. Join their group...? He didn't even know anything about it in the first place. How should he know what they were planning? How could he even know if this would be the right thing to do...?
He didn't know these people, or what exactly the organization was for; he only knew one thing:
If this was the key to getting what he wanted; to become stronger-he'd have to take this chance now. He might not have another one like this.
More importantly; is this what his father would want him to do...?
'He wanted me to be happy.' Lyserg sighed. 'If I know who killed him-if I can put these criminals to justice, I'll be happy.'
Lyserg had no other choice.
He reached up, taking the stranger's hand into his own.
To be continued.
Author's notes:
Umm... this chapter was a bit hard for me to write... seeing as I had just recently dealt with death myself... I'm sorry that it took me so long to update...
For those looking for the HaoYoh parts of this chapter-go read Seito's Still Waiting one-shot. :) That's the part that took place here. I'm not going to post the one-shot into this fiction, because that might be repetitive to those who've read that story before.
As for the HoroHoroxRen part-no, I didn't think I should do the fight. The fight was pretty pointless in the plot; and I think I did a lot for those two in this chapter.
Meh... not so happy with this fic so far. :) Maybe when I redeem the X-Laws a bit more, it'll be better.
I'll be concentrating a bit more on HoroHoroxRen for the next few chapters; rather than HaoxYoh. But, don't worry! I'll have one chapter just for those two to make up for that. XD
So glad you all enjoy this though! Thank you for reading!
And on a random note:sings to Asterisk: Bleach is so awesome. :fangirls:
Replies to reviews:
AzaleeYes! ph33r Bason! lol! XD He's always been one of my favorites... he acts more like a mother than a warrior.
And thank you for reviewing my fanfictions so much. :3 And I saw on your list you like HaoHoro? That couple's fun. X3 Mostly because of the fire and ice factor... and their completely different personalities. o.o
I think I'll try writing it someday... if it's not too OOC. o.O Then again, it takes some bad fics to get the hang of a pairing sometimes...
And, would you have any messenging service I can add you under? It'd be really nice to talk to you... :)
Lady Elbereth Tealrose: lol! XD Hao is a girly little man, but, that's why he loved him. :D Besides the fact that he's got an awesome outfit and hair that would make anyone jealous. o.O
To your 'flame': j00 SUCK YOU STUPID REVIEWER!ONEONE! YOU WRITE HAO/YOH YOURSELF IF IT'S SO HORRIBLE. XO
That was fun. XD Don't worry... it's enough that you enjoyed the fic. :3
the moon at twilight: The older they are, the more smexier they get, muahahah...
MarcoxLys is very good. No one can actually see that that pairing can redeem Marco. Poor guy... he's so unloved...
As for HoroHoroxRen; I'm not the best at writing that pairing, so, please be patient with me. :3
Ugh. I know. I don't proofread at all. Mostly because I already know what I've written, and, I'm too lazy to go back and check everything. I'm trying to make it a habit to proofread my writing, though-just to prevent stupid mistakes.
Jen-Tao07, wingweaver22, SonnyGoten: So glad you liked this!
Seito: Hehehehehe. :D Really happy you like this. :) Remember to just tell me if you want anything changed at all. XO I don't mind going back and editing things.
Yay! Fluff! It's good for the soul... I love writing HaoYoh fluff... :sigh:
MarcoLys isn't a bad pairing; it's cute. :3 Many people wouldn't agree with me, though, those two characters aren't very loved in this fandom.
As for you not having access to episodes... if you have DSL and AIM, I can send the original Japanese fan subbed version to you.
And... uh... I have a lot of ideas for the HaoYoh part of this fiction that you might not want. Please IM me at Yoh Luvs Oranges or e-mail me so I can tell you what I mean; or if you just don't care, please tell me in a review. XD
Kagome-reincarnation: I'm really flattered you like this, but... would you mind telling me why you think it's creepy? I don't mind getting CC on my fics, but, I would like explanations behind those.
Chibi Atariel Tsukai: It says in the summary it's HaoYoh. :3 lol! Yay! HaoYoh has consumed someone else's soul... muahaha. (I laugh too much. XD)
Hellfire Phoenix: Hao is ten and Yoh is five. :3 That's one reason why I plan on making them older in a few chapters. They can't do much if they're that young... I wouldn't want to make two children molest each other. o.O That'd be weird and... wrong.
Keeper of Yoh: Oh yay:3 Nothing can beat fluff, right? Except for... smut. But that's just me. I live for smut. X3 Actually... I live for both. o.O But you write fluff so much better than me. XO I should stick with smut...
Do you still want me to call you:D
tati1: Studying really stinks. :sighs: I don't study... it tends to fry my brain...
Glad you think it's cute. :3 I'm so happy people like this!
Anonymoose: XD Would you call this a 'guilty pleasure'? Ahahaha... I actually like it and thinks it's a bit funny, too, and I'm torturing my favorite characters. o.O :has a sick twisted sense of humor:
As for your question-it was Seito's idea. In my opinion, it certainly helps to make the fiction more original. There hasn't been a HaoYoh fiction written yet when they aren't twins, but, still related.
No, I don't think it'd affect the fanfiction if they were the same age. Hao and Yoh actually might be closer in way if they were twins-seeing as twins seem to share the same emotions and same dreams... not to mention that twins seem to be like best friends most of the time when they're little. :3
