Disclaimer: Fine! I admit it! I don't own Edger Allan Poe. I don't own The Raven but a really wish I did. Nor do I own Seinfeld, for those of you who know what I stole. As for that song sung by Zane in the last chapter...that was miiine!! You can't have it! Read my lips...go to hell, coppers. Thank you.
Story Thus Far: Well things have spiced up a bit for Touya and Jin. Karasu has finally made his appearance and injured the Ice Master badly. Shizuru has gone sadistic bitch on Cloud and there was that weird singing guy in the coffee shop...what the hell?
And I must make this perfectly clear:
"blah" : speaking
=blah= : Onishin (demon speak; I only use this if one of the parties present does not speak Onishin, like a human, if they're all demons and their all in the Makai with no human about assume that their speaking Onishin)
-blah- : thinking
-"blah"- : telepathic speaking (mind to mind)
Enjoy Chapter 5!
. . .
Serenity Now...
. . .
Someone had once told Cloud something. Not just something as in coffee house chit-chat, but really told him something. It was back when he'd been forced to occupy the human world, hiding and skulking from his pursuers and hoping to bury his past in the dust clouds left by hotfooting it thousands of miles away from the Makai.
It had been a weird encounter. One of the surreal moments you have trouble thinking back on clearly. He couldn't have told you who it was, or why he'd felt this affinity for them, but he did. Period. (Detail and curiosity proceed to give him dirty looks) Nope. Nothing. Not even gender. The speaker was an 'it' in Cloud's mind.
Anyway, back to the point. This person had said something Cloud had taken to heart like the gospel truth. Something the verilee had clenched his hand around like a drowning man to a life line and never let go of.
"Kid...Remember something. Killing is never good. Never, but unfortunately it seems to be necessary. But necessity and frivolousness are two very different things." The enigmatic speaker had stopped to do something. Stir something, fold something, who knew?
"Don't confuse the two. When you kill you should feel it every time but only for a moment. You can't afford to let guilt of necessity drag you down or slow your trigger fingers. But when you pull the trigger and feel nothing as a life ends..." Cloud distinctly remembered the insidious flare of hell-freezing gravity to the speaker's next words. The dark angel had literally shivered under the weight of that glare, the sudden ominous aura that radiated from the nameless orator.
"Then God help you, hot-shot. God help you, because there is no coming back from that. Life is precious. Never end it frivolously because once you do finding your morality again will be near impossible. I don't think you want to lose that..." A quirk of an eyebrow. "Do you?"
The dark angel rubbed his face with an aggravated sigh, slender fingers massaging his temples to release the pressure point building behind his crimson eyes. The thunderous rumble of lightening overhead alerted the immortal to the boiling Makai fire-storm brewing over the city. He didn't care. He liked firestorms with their dragon-flame explosions, raining tongues of fire all over the sky and dazzling the eyes, leaving him blinded for a moment before the afterimage of a firework eruption played behind his eyelids for hours afterward.
The wind picked up, roaring like a great beast, swiping insubstantial claws through Cloud's unruly blond hair, dragging it into his brooding scarlet eyes. Like a nest of snakes his gold-dusted hair danced on his head in the gales of pre-tempest breezes, waving crazily atop his scalp. His slitted red eyes bore intensely into nothing. His legs drawn up to his chest, arms folded haphazardly over his knees with his gently pointed chin resting lightly on top.
-Never forget how to feel. Never forget the significance of death.
That, like the image of Shizuru, had followed him forever from the Ningenkai. He knew. He knew that he had to care. He could not let himself fall into that apathetic state of mind in which the lives of others reduced to so many candle flames in an ocean of light. All meaningless. He would snuff four thousand and still there would be so many more out there blinding him that he wouldn't bat an eye.
Ever since he'd crawled out of those mountain forests he'd promised himself he'd never lose himself again. He'd been a puppet once, a pathetic marionette to Karasu's twisted wiles. Never again. Never again. But unfortunately old roles mold to your body like a glove. In just a few hours Cloud had been drawn back into the familiar position, eagle spread, the puppet strings fastened to his wrists all over again.
Clenching his hands until the worn leather groaned, the verilee pressed his knotted fingers against the centre of his forehead. The well known ache of frustration building in his skull, threatening to either burst his skull or throw an tantrum of massive proportions in his brain, thereby, breaking things, possibly important things in his poor psyche.
Puppet again. Just a cats-paw and another pawn to be placed on this perpetual chess board.
A game he was fast growing sick of.
. . .
"They're not responding," Alaster said grimly after checking and rechecking Shizuru's com-link mirror.
Alaster turned to her with a sober expression on his angelic face. His tail was lashing nervously back and forth, his anxiety showing in the way he nearly swallowed the lemon-drop on his tongue several times. He paced the room restlessly as if the movement in his legs would prompt functions in his brain stem. Shizuru had awoken early this morning to the muffled vibrations of her com-mirror under her back. A quick check revealed a message had been left but the static had been too horrible to decipher the distorted message. The only thing they could tell for sure was the identity of the speaker in the scattered moments of clarity where a low, calming male voice had uttered the words 'knows' 'Jin' and 'before'.
Touya.
Shizuru closed her tawny eyes and sank back against the window sill, one boot braced against the opposite side of the frame while her other hung down to brush the floor inside. Her spine fell back against the hard barrier as she turned her face down. She ran delicate but callused fingers through her tussled golden-brown tresses. She paused a moment, head bent over, hands entangled in her shorn gold and russet mix hair. A deafening boom of the awe-striking, but relatively harmless fire-storm out side sent an incredible bloom of light and flames to explode and illuminate the skies outside. For a moment Shizuru's nubile body was out lined in brilliant gold and red before it faded into a near pitch-darkness.
"We proceed as planned," Shizuru said flatly, voice cold and unnaturally calm. "We go to the rendezvous point and wait. Give it a bit. If they don't show we do it ourselves."
Alaster swallowed, uncertain if he dared to ask his next question, fearing for the wellbeing of his person. He liked having his tail attached to his butt and he feared the first thing Shizuru would do in her current state would be biting his tail off as just retribution for being such a pain in his ass. He didn't doubt her capability of it. She'd been bound and tied by the wrists during one of her more dangerous infiltration missions and still managed to control her captors. By pinning one of them on to ground and threatening to gnaw his ear off if they didn't untie her she cleanly turned the tables and cleared the path for her fellow teammates to accomplish their objective.
Not only that, but Shizuru tended to get freaky obsessive over doing Karasu in. She'd backhanded Alaster (not hard or anything) for suggesting she take a break from it and go visit the others. She'd gotten a horrible look in her eyes and laughed 'What others?' before storming away for the day. She apologized profusely when she'd retuned later that night, but it did nothing to cloud Alaster's new perspective on his adopted sister. She could be volatile at times and that could be dangerous on a mission like this.
Quite dangerous.
Alaster battled with his own sense of self preservation and finally forced himself into asking the question.
"What about Cloud?" he ventured, knowing the verilee's reaction to this news would probably be less than favorable. Hadn't it been him who suggested that trackers to find Karasu was pure folly worthy of idiot children? The half-fox youkai cringed, waiting for the snappish reply or angry snarl to be launched at him. However, the boy was surprised as the human girl merely shook her head and straightened up. Sighing she lounged in the sill with a lazy gesture of his hand.
"No. Don't tell him anything. As far as he knows everything is going off without a hitch."
Alaster crossed the floor as light rained from the scarlet skies to fill the city with trails of glittering gold dust. Her gaze was upon something outside, watching the roof of the building about a block away. The half-kitsune cocked his head and squinted at the roof top. Another burst of light from overhead clarified what the darkness had hidden.
Seated upon the roof top was the familiar darkly clad figure of their newly recruited shadowkai. His face seemed upturned to the skies, entranced by the dancing fall of fire and light. Wreathed in the brilliant radiance of the firestorm he seemed to be surrounded with an aura of fire. The wind threw his too-big trench coat around his lithe body like a living shadow.
Alaster looked at her. "You used to say he was an incredible person."
"I was naive," she replied calmly. Alaster watched her lift a hand before her eyes, outstretched toward Cloud's solitary form. The glitter of fire made her mocha cream eyes burn from inside out as her palm eclipsed the dark angel. "He's nothing."
She clenched her hand tight, giving her eyes the illusion of crushing the fair-haired warrior in her grip. Alaster watched the burning in her eyes with a quiet sadness. She lowered her hand, unfurling her fingers from their knotted fist as she watched the dark angel rise and leap lightly from the rooftop and into the vacant streets.
"He's nothing."
Alaster said nothing. Nothing out loud anyway. He did, after all, value his tail, but inwardly he felt the pull at his heart strings as he silently asked himself (and Shizuru) the question.
-If he's nothing...then why does his suffering bring that light into your eyes, Sis?-
. . .
Koenma was trembling from head to foot. His entire body quaked with exhaustion that threatened to take his legs right out from underneath him. His pale skin was coated with sweat, beading on his forehead and trickling from his face into his bright honey-hued eyes. His hand shook so terribly Koenma was terrified his father's cruel attention would be drawn to the movement. The prince was loath to show weakness before his father, but he could no more stop his body's reactions than he could command the sun to stop rising every morning.
-"Konema"- The boom voice assaulted the young ruler's mind a dull razor, ripping through his thoughts and obliterating the mental barriers he'd worked hours to build. The dizzying affects of the mental violation nearly caused the brunette's knees to buckle under. Only by sheer force of will was he able to remain standing through Enma's interrogation. Squaring his shoulders, he lifted his head slightly, trying to hide his pain with a mask of pride.
"Yes, father?" asked the deity calmly.
The cavernous voice slammed through his brain like a rusty nail driven through his skull. Koenma's world reeled under the strain of maintaining mental contact with his sire for so long. The stress of telepathy for such an extended time was more than the demi-god to take. His psychic abilities were phenomenal (not quite like Hiei's) but while simple speaking through the mind was child's play, preventing a much more powerful being from ripping your mind open like an eggshell was a shade more difficult.
Koenma wasn't afraid to admit he was near his breaking point.
-"Why do you use such shielded words with me, my son? Can you not speak openly with your own father?"-
-You mean let you dip your greedy fingers into my brain and pick out where Botan's gone. Yeah, sure thing, Pops.- thought Koenma sarcastically to himself.
-"I'm simply strengthening my shields. I'd like my thoughts to myself, father."-
Truth was he'd be damned before he willingly allowed his father to see his mind. He'd done that for far too long as a child and Enma had used that knowledge to spread trouble throughout the Makai without Koenma's knowledge. The young prince wasn't about to let that happen again. For the sake of the Reikai Tantei and its former members he would never let that happen.
However Koenma greatly feared the privacy of such thoughts wouldn't be his for long. Enma was persistent in his mental assaults. Every thought he sent was laced with destructive telepathic energy that ravaged his son's mind, steadily, painfully stripping away his psychic walls of protection. With every new layer ripped brutally away Koenma suffered a more intimate rape of his mind, feeling his very being was being taken from him. The pain sent involuntary tremors up and down his slender body, making him nauseous.
-"If one didn't know better they'd say you had something to hide, Koenma. Do you agree with this sentiment?"- Enma inquired in a dark, gravely voice that grated away at the Prince's shields like sandpaper.
Koenma struggled to maintain his focus, to keep his barrier in place. He didn't think he could stand having someone else in his head after all this time. He'd finally come back to himself, found his own thoughts. He didn't want anyone, especially a sadistic bastard like Enma crawling through his brain, father or not. But he felt...so...weak. Much more strain would break him; damage his psyche with possibly un-healable wounds.
-"Of course not. I'm coming to age. I find my new found independence most satisfying if you don't mind."-
-"I rather DO mind Koenma. It's becoming most vexing to me,"- Enma retorted, anger adding agonizing razors to his mental intrusions. The Rekai Prince clenched his hands, head arching back as he screamed silently, forcing his mind to withstand the probing attempts to enter his inner most thoughts. As his defenses frayed, Koenma was numbly aware of his surface thoughts, slipping through, scattered mental words slipping through even the under-thoughts that he did not direct to his father were starting to leak out.
He sensed his sire's self satisfaction as he reached out to feel out the stray feelings. Frantic Koenma did the first thing he could think of to hide his real emotions. Closing his eyes he quickly chanted a mantra he'd once learned for calming the mind. A trick he'd asked of Genkai.
-Can't let...him...no...clear my head. Clear. Nothing. Genkai's temple, quiet, gentle calming. Nothing. Nothing. Clear my head-
-"What is this gibberish in your head!? Muttering the name of some long dead human wench. Are you attempting to empty your thoughts? Why are you being so stubborn, Koenma!?"- The higher deity sounded furious, his attempt foiled and producing no results to finding the lost Grim Reaper.
-"I...I want my thoughts to myself. If you'll pardon me father I have work to attend. Yoko seems to have cause more trouble. I bid you farewell"-
-" KOENMA!"- The mental roar blasted through the last of the boy's mental shields and Koenma screamed as he was struck down through the telepathic connection. His arms flew up to block some unseen presence bit it did little good to stop the devastating blow to his psyche. His body buckled under the strain of the greater deity's mind against his own and sent him crashing to the floor, head striking the ground hard as his abused body slid to the ground.
The younger deity screamed in agony as acidic pain spread through his mind, immobilizing him on the ground while his feeble barriers were ripped from him. As if last defenses fell away he felt the mind of another overpower his mentality and body. Koenma's yell for help went unheard as he knew it would. After all his father only spoke with him while he was locked securely in his bed chambers where no one could hear him cry out if the mental strain was too much for him. Koenma thrashed on the floor, clawing at the marble floors and writhing pathetically under the telepathic intrusions of his own father.
The teenager coiled and curled into a fetal position on the floor, one trembling arm reaching vainly for the door, pleading silently that someone would hear. He felt mental claws sink into his brain and disable his body's nervous system. Instantly the boy sagged on the ground, falling into weak convulsions golden orbs being drained of all awareness trapping him in his own head.
-"You can hide nothing from me, son. Now where is Botan?"-
-"I – I don't know!"-
-"You're lying. She's fled to that half-breed Lord of the Third Realm at your own suggestion. I've very disappointed in you Koenma."-
-"Don't hurt her! She's done nothing!"- Koemma pleaded, quickly switching tactics. -"By the time you find her she'll be in Yuusuke's – AAAHHH!!!!"- The teenaged deity broke off screaming as cold mental claws scored deep hits through his mind, tearing through his being in a manner that sent the boy into a fit of sobbing. Tears poured down his contorted face as he shivered on the floor.
-"That creature is not worthy to be mentioned in such a casual manner Koenma. He is a borderline rebel and is a threat to us."-
-" T-to you."- Koenma bit back, all façade of respect or loyalty falling away. What did it matter? He could see it all anyway. Might as well enjoy being open. –"Not m-my fault you're an asshole, daddy-dearest."-
-"Look how they've contaminated you my son. You used to be a child of respect, growing into a true leader. Now you're a sniveling brat unwilling to show your father proper due."-
-"I'll give you proper due you bastard! Go and -,"-
Perhaps it was for the best that Enma decided he'd heard enough of his son's foul mouth. With a casual thrust of his mind Enma pierced into the deepest part of Koenma's mind and eradicated the teenager's only remaining mental defenses. Koenma's entire body bucked and thrashed in reaction to the violation. His deepest thoughts, emotions and memories were surgically extracted from his mind, ripped from his psyche like some kind of sick prize. The tearing, shredding of his own spirit was all Koenma could comprehend. Tears of ultimate betrayal and shame burst from his great golden eyes, pouring down his pale face and splashing on the tiles.
-"This information...how did you discover this?! Clever boy, you've been playing the double agent all this time.-" Enma laughed into his child's fraying mind. –"However there is much here we could use. I hope you don't mind if I share your intellect with a few of my associates. This won't hurt for long."-
As if having his very soul bared wasn't a desecration on the deepest level, Koenma felt his father calling to someone. With in moments there were other voices.
Voices, strangers in his head.
The Reikai Prince screamed in horror as multiple minds entered his own; probing, seeking and going through his memories like they were casual articles in a magazine. He felt their amusement at his true self. He wasn't a fighter at heart; he was irresponsible, spoiled, and childish even. Not just that as a coward he risked the lives of his friends frivolously, pathetic in comparison to some of the Reikai Tantai. Demons, cutthroats and street-rats all possessed more character. How could he be of Reikai heritage?
Shame and pain brought tears to the teenager's eyes, making the beautiful deity clench his teeth to keep from sobbing in humiliation. Worse than being exposed to completely to these strangers, Enma, his own father, tyrant or not, did nothing to lighten the blow. He stood aside, watching as these other beings freely took from his own flesh and blood. The raping mental eyes explored every corner of Koenma's mind, taking apart every memory, every thought, laughing shamelessly at what they found entertaining. They weren't gentle about it, when a feeble barrier got in their way they tore through it, drawing screams from the Reikai Prince.
He wasn't sure if he shouted for help. He didn't remember if he begged. He knew he fought, resisted but like the child he was compared to his father he was easily overcome. Pinned to the ground by some great weight on his mind and body the striking, young prince was violated on the most intimate level and then cast aside. The strangers in mind withdrew from him and left him alone in his decimated thoughts.
-"The child knew much,"- remarked one of the voices softly. It was gentle, sultry and female. She sounded most displeased. –"He's managed to leak everything to that Urameshi creature. We are fortunate he never got the opportunity to exploit that last pocket of information he found."-
-"Enma. I'm shocked. You allowed the boy this much freedom? Think of the damage he could have done if we had not discovered it. All my fun would have been ruined,"- chuckled a dark, velvety voice. Male, his voice lightly sing-song and insane. –"Clever brat. With a bit of reteaching he'd be a good successor...or he'd make an attractive front-man."-
-"Ooh!! He's pretty! Can I have him?!"- asked a girlish voice eagerly. The tone of her speech wasn't particularly youthful, but she spoke immature and childishly playful. The other minds were somewhat irritated by her. –"Oh please! PLEASE!!"-
-"Shuttup! You've taken enough from him to satisfy your sadistic needs. Now if you've slaked your thirst for pain. I have things to attend to," snapped the female voice. –"The one I seek is most slippery indeed. He'd simply vanished from this world and the next. I cannot pause in my searching. Farewell and thank you for the most amusing and enlightening distraction, Enma. Your son is quite intelligent. Much longer and he'll be dangerous."-
-"Thanks why we broke him, Eldia, my dear,"- laughed the velvety male voice in a somewhat neurotic manner. –"And I just think the little princeling would make a wonderful toy for Miss. Jenny here."-
-"YAY!! See! See! He likes me!"- Jenny squealed frantically eager to prove her point and get what she wanted.
-"All of you! Get out of here! I didn't bring you here to chat! Koenma is my trouble."- thundered Enma's voice, silencing the chatting of the others three. (Jenny mostly) The trio seemed to stifle themselves, waiting for their next instructions with sober quite. -"I'll deal with him. Get out of my sight you three. I have expectations and they'd best be met for all of your sakes."-
Then everything stopped.
Enma was gone, Eldia, Jenny and the mysterious male voice were all gone leaving the Reikai King's only son in a trembling wreck on his bedchamber floor. No one working the Headquarters that day had an inkling of what had taken place. The ogres were exasperated as the young ruler's paper work piled up, frustrated with the flighty Koenma's lack of responsibility. Sometimes they really wondered if that boy really had what it took to be a king.
. . .
"Touya? Touya?"
The Ice Master moaned, a strange, injured sound coming from the usually untouchable youkai. Touya lifted a hand to cover his eyes, gritting back another groan. A gentle hand touched his shoulder and rocked him to and fro in an attempt to wake him. Urg...didn't he realize Touya was already awake? Irritated Touya opened his mouth to speak but all that emerged was a sharp hacking cough.
The demon jerked up, hands flying to his lips to cover his mouth as the chest racking explosions rattle his body. Touya's slender shoulders convulsed with every new wave, leaving the shinobi breathless and gasping. Jin, brilliant blue eyes concerned, handed Touya a canteen of water but the ice demon refused it with a quick shake of his head. Instead he produced a small pile of snow and crammed it in his mouth. It melted on his tongue and trickled down his throat slowly and soothingly relieving the soreness.
Touya's head spun.
Everything blurred and wavered as he levered himself to his hands and knees. Why did his body ache like this? He felt as if he'd been pounded from all sides by Jin's Tornado Fist technique, leaving him kitten weak and hurting. He was disgusted to find his body trembling with the mere effort of kneeling there. His cloudy azure eyes slowly began to clear and the strange roaring in his ears faded to a mild pounding. He realized with some trepidation the rumbling had been the beating of his own heart.
"Touya? Are yu' alright there, mate?" Jin sidled around to clasp his partner on the shoulder and peer up into his abnormally pale face.
His expression was unfocused and distant as if he were not quite all there. But then again Touya often assumed that expression when feeling abnormally unsociable. The semi-drugged look was a great turn off from conversation and Touya seemed to have a masterful hold on it.
Jin, frowning realized that Touya's skin was warm to the touch. That was unusual. Ice demons by nature were cool to the touch, not unpleasant to come in contact with, but while the flesh of other creature slowly warmed to the touch, an ice demon's did not. Touya's skin however was quite warm and he was drenched in a hot sweat, beads of the glistening liquid trickling down the handsome demon's pale face.
"Yu' gave me a scare there. Yu' started twitchin' an sayin' stuff in yur sleep," Jin chuckled teasingly. "Kinda weird and pretty actually. You didnah tell meh ye knew any songs loike tha'. Twas all noice an junk. "
Touya's gaze instantly snapped to focus as he pinned Jin with his twin sapphire eyes. The wind demon took full force of the stare and shifted nervously, bright blue eyes skittering back and forth as if hoping the demon happened to direct the glare to someone behind him. Minna, however was standing to Touya's left, humming happily to herself. The ice demon was obviously looking at him and the look on his face was chilling. Jin had never been on the receiving end of that particular look and it rather frightened the young Wind Master at he was having it aimed at him now.
Touya gave that kind of look to few and mostly people who received it ended up dead or severely wounded.
"What did I say?" he demanded coolly, voice even if not somewhat raw. "Do you remember what I said?"
Jin blinked, startled by the strange question. He'd been expecting some kind of retribution. Not an inquiry. Why did it matter what kind of half-wit rambling he'd been saying? Touya should know that blood-loss sometimes caused hallucinations. Jin knew for a fact that Touya was particularly sensitive to dreams when wounded. After being his traveling parent and friend for centuries he recognized Touya's reactions to battle injuries inside out. When he lost blood Touya often spoke in his sleep. What was so different about this time?
"Erm...well..." Jin faltered a moment. "I guessed yu' were singin'. Yu' were talkin' bout a lass named Lenore. Old sweet'art, Toy?"
"Did I say anything else?" Touya snapped, ignoring the wind demon's jibe. Jin, well used to Touya's blunt manner, thought this was a bit hostile even for him. Usually he would at least sigh good-naturedly at his comrade's antics but Jin guessed he was just really paranoid about something he might have said.
Scratching his head, the spit-fire Wind Master shrugged slightly. "Umm...Nowt really. I was more worried 'bout keepin' watch. Speakin' o' which, I think we ought t' get outta here. Karasu'll be comin' back. I'm sure."
"Yeah..." Touya said indistinctly. "Right."
Jin frowned at his best friend and knelt closer to the ice demon. Something was wrong. Something was off about the cast of his eyes; a strange watery blue unbecoming of the ice demon. Jin had been around Touya long enough to know Touya had a very limited range of expressions. When out of battle his face rarely changed from his mask of bored detachment. Jin had seen Touya enraged, in pain, amused, laughing, (VERY rarely) scared, confident, annoyed, whatever, but he knew Touya and he'd never seen this expression before.
That placid shade of blue in his eyes. It wasn't right. Touya was defensive at all times guarded and prepared for anything. He'd opened up very few times in his lifetime, that moment with Minna last night being one of them. His eyes were either a hard, chilling indigo of battle focus, a cold, indifferent azure for casual expression and that rare pastel cerulean of open kindness. Jin had always marveled at the ice demon's oddly tell-tale eyes for one who was so closed. (Perhaps his eyes were the very reason he was so defensive?)
That watery blue...it was wrong.
"I guess we should get going," Touya said, massaging his obviously aching head. "We...have to meet Shizuru today."
Jin bit his lip, gently so his fang didn't pierce the flesh and hooked his hands behind his neck. With a small whoosh Jin was floating cross-legged in the air, thoughtfully looking up at the trees. Stay? To meet Shizuru? But Karasu knew they were here. Their cover was blown. Meeting with Shizuru would only lead Karasu to his pursuers, right? Jin was somewhat perplexed. Did Touya seriously not think of that or was he seeing something Jin wasn't.
"Eh...Touya?"
"Hm?" The Ice Master winced and stood to his feet, face becoming unreadable once again. He stretched languorously, arching his back letting his spine crack in the quiet of the forest. Minna was watching him with a very engrossed expression, big black eyes fixed upon the ice demon as he moved. She shifted to the left...then to the right, always watching.
"Do you think that's a good idea?" Jin remarked, flipping about to face his comrade. His fire red hair hung down from his head as he peered at Touya from his position floating wrong side up in the air. "Won't tha' jus' lead Karasu to his 'unters? She's gonna want the elemn' o' surprise righ'?"
Touya looked vaguely startled for a moment, face becoming disturbingly blank. Jin slowly righted himself, keeping his eyes on his partner who had gone very still.
"Toy?"
"No...you're right. You're right. That was stupid of me. Of course we can't meet her..." Touya muttered. He seemed unusually disturbed. His brow was furrowed like he was confused and upset all at once. "Of course we can't meet her...it's obvious..."
"Too-uuya?" Jin drawled, poking his friend in the shoulder. The ice demon blinked up at him, expression clearly saying 'huh?' Jin settled back on the ground beside the other demon and folded his arms over his knees. "Are yu' alright. You're actin' really spooked."
"I – guess I am," Touya said avidly, once again startling Jin. Touya never blurted his feelings, especially emotions that could perceived as weakness. Fear is one of those emotions and he'd just admitted to it. Umm...the little red flag in Jin's head told him that was not good.
"Jin...I really don't think I'm up for anything right now. I'm not thinking clearly," the smaller demon said, wrapping his arms around his knees and staring straight ahead. Jin stared at his companion with wide eyes. Touya? Not thinking clearly? Of course! That was why he was so spooked. Touya missing something so obvious must have panicked the ice demon. He knew he was out of sorts and willing to warn Jin of it.
"Dun get all twitchy'r nothin'. Yur nah feelin' righ' tha's all. You'll be back in action afore yu kin shake 'alf a stick to three!" Jin said enthusiastically. Then a frown crossed his face and he drifted in a mutter. "Or...was that 'alf a shake and count three sticks..."
"Jin?" Touya said slowly. He was staring intently at something behind the Wind Master. Minna glanced behind Jin. Blinked, then looked back at Touya with a side-eyed and excited expression.
"Huh. Can't seem t' remember. Tha's od't. Hmm..." the red-head rambled on, scratching his head. "I'm sure it'll be comin' back. Hang on a quickie I gotta think."
Minna, ignoring Jin, inched close to Touya. The ice demon's narrow chest rose and fell rapidly against his legs. He panted with difficultly and hugged his knees tighter to his body. Fresh beads of sweat trickled down his face, dripping from his skin. His breathing quickened, breath shortening as he struggled for air, fighting to breath like the air was thinning around him. He shook his head quickly, dashing sweat from his eyes.
Jin didn't see it as he rattled cheerfully on about something else, long having forgotten his original thought and gone off on a new tangent. Minna crouched beside the gasping ice demon just as he rocked forward on one hand, soft coughs bursting from his mouth. Still his eyes were trained on something behind Jin.
Minna leaned close and whispered in his ear. "What do you see?"
Touya coughed hard enough to capture Jin's undivided attention, cutting off his rapid flow of words. His shivered uncontrollably and stared through his friend, eyes haunted.
"Raven..." he gasped, breathing with difficulty he levered himself to his feet and hugged himself, shuddering in pain. "Raven. Behind you, Jin."
"Eh?" The wind demon turned to stare.
But was met by silence and an especially threatening swirl of leaves that did not much warrant the kind of terror stricken look on Touya's face. Unnerved, Jin turned to face his friend. The ice demon was fixated on the empty air, obviously convinced there was some type of black bird perched upon the roots of the Blood Oaks. With a sick feeling in his gut Jin shook his head.
"I dun see anythin'. There's nothin' there, Touya."
The smaller youkai glanced at Jin like he was crazy, not realizing the twisted irony in it. "What? No. It's right behind you," he insisted, stepping too the side and moving toward the envisioned creature. He gestured to it, looking at Jin with confusion. "See? It's right there."
"Did it say somethin'!?" Minna squealed suddenly, breaking the awkward Jin had been left to create, shock stripping him of any possible reply. The two grown youkai glanced at the little girl. She giggled and twirled on her nimble feet, dancing to and fro in playful joy. "Did it say somethin'?" she repeated.
Jin, terror slowing his reactions, turned to look at his partner, fear riddling every nerve.
Touya frowned as if offended by such a childish question and for a moment Jin felt a flicker of hope. Hope that the old Touya was still here and that all this was just a bad fluke. That his friend would shake off his sudden madness and laugh it off as blood-loss. Something, anything that didn't mean what Jin was fast concluding.
Then...
"Of course it said something," he told her, shaking his head. He folded his arms over his chest, tipping his head to look perplexedly at the little girl. "It was plain as day. Didn't you hear? It' said 'Nevermo-"
Touya stopped himself by slapping a hand over his mouth and sucking in a horrified gasp. Jin's face had drain of all color and he stood looking at his friend with an expression of utmost terror and panic. Minna laughed wildly and suddenly Jin was repulsed by the sound, shivering as she giggled and danced. Touya's face had gone blank and all thought voided from his eyes.
He let his legs buckle and fell down, knees hitting the turf hard as his other trembling hand moved up to cover the lower half of his face. Sealing his traitorous lips he clenched his eyes shut, obviously forcing himself to come to grips with the horrific connotation of what he'd just said and done. He coughed again, suddenly, his shoulders shaking and that too was damning. The ice demon finally dropped his hands and lifted his pale blue gaze to Jin's own indigo stare.
"I...I have it too," he rasped. "I don't know how...It's only passed through blood, but someone must have had it and..." He lowered his eyes and stared at his quaking hands. "The disease is passed through blood...Karasu must have killed someone with the disease and it was on his claws."
Jin, fighting the most sickening sense of dread, choked up his next words with difficulty. "How kin yu be sure?"
Touya shook his head, closing his eyes and keeping them closed as he sank back on his heels. "I'm coughing, I have fever, now I'm imagining dark birds next-,"
"Is the screaming," Minna cut in soberly. The two shinobi looked up at her, silent. The girl's face had become emotionless, her inky black eyes staring fixated into the forest where Touya had insisted a black raven had sat. All trace of laughter or joy had vanished, replaced by horrified matter-of-fact-ness. She looked at Touya with a haunted gaze. "The screaming...and then the-,"
"Death, "Touya finished for her. He'd lifted his hand and clenched it over his chest. His ribs expanded and contracted painfully, urging him to cough. Even now he felt his thoughts slowing, struggling. He could hardly speak. He had to finish this. "Jin. The illness is passed through blood. The symptoms are cough, fever, delusions of ravens, dark winged beings, tapping sounds, anything like that. Eyes! Violet eyes! Remember that one. The words 'nevermore' are common and a sure sign. Unidentified poetry concerning a raven or a girl name 'Lenore'. Then violent behavior and comatose state in regard to weaker demons."
Jin knew what Touya was doing. He was telling him everything he knew so Jin could go warm others...Because the logical ice demon didn't think he'd be able to do it himself.
"Toy...You kin foight it. Yur stronger than all th' others. They moight 'ave turned into vegetables bu' you won't!" Jin cried, refusing to believe that this was it. He could not accept it. This was NOT how all this was going to end. "Yur not gonna die! Yur not gonna be loike th' others!"
"No," Touya whispered. He opened his eyes and lifted his pale gaze to lock on Jin. The chilling look was enough to make Jin clench his hands and tense up. "No I'm not. I'm too strong, you're right. The stronger demons might not go into a coma."
"Good! Then we kin find a way t'-,"
"No. You're not listening. I won't go into a coma," Touya said softly. His gaze pierced Jin. "I'll become part of the nightmare. I'll kill and attack others. I'll spread the disease and I'm too strong to just die, Jin." He stared up at his partner. "This is what Karasu meant. He wanted me to infect you too. He wants us both to spread this disease. He's the one who's doing this! He has to be!"
Jin shook his head. A painful knot had being drawing tighter and tighter in the back of his throat and it threatened to choke his words. His hands were shaking as bad if not worse than Touya's.
Touya forced himself up, standing painfully to his feet. His slender frame swayed like paper marionette a in the breeze, weak enough to snap at any moment. Jin felt sick to his stomach seeing his friend that vulnerable.
"We can't let him win. We have to stop it here," Touya whispered. "You have to get to Yuusuke's Realm and tell him about this. He has the connections to get something done."
"A-aye. I kin do tha'," Jin rasped, voice weak.
Touya stepped back from his friend, a sad light in his eyes that made Jin's skin crawl. He gestured to Minna and the girl dashed to Jin's side, waiting. She looked sad too. The ice demon looked at Jin with a more familiar, cold look of detachment. He dropped his hands to his sides and spread his arms slightly. Jin felt that familiar thrust of terror that ripped through his chest.
"You have to kill me," Touya said. His face was so cold, so damn familiar that Jin could not deny that it was really Touya, not the disease speaking. He was thinking clearly and Jin hated him for it. "You have to. I'm too strong. I'll infect hundreds. I won't let that happen. Kill me."
"N-no!" he gasped, then stronger. "NO! I can't be doin' tha' to yu! No! I can't do it!" Jin shouted, clenching hands in his hair and doubling over. He fell into a crouch, knees drawn up around his head, fists tight against his head. This did not compute. Clockwork, undeniable logic refuted this picture.
The sun rises and falls, gravity means down, Touya does not cough so hard he falls to his knees, two plus two is four, five comes after four, Touya did NOT give Jin the look that a dying fighter does, spring comes after winter, the earth revolves around the sun, Touya doesn't ask his best friend to kill him!
"No," he whispered. The pain wouldn't allow him to do it. He could not, even if he tried, throw one of his new, deadly techniques at Touya with the intent to kill. He'd done what few demons dared and made a friend, a real comrade who knew him through and through, who'd stick by him until the bitter end and trusted in him with his life. For a youkai, that was down right crazy. Jin liked being crazy. It was a good life and he refused to let it end like this.
"I can't Touya. Honest t' th' fate o' heaven an' hell I can't," Jin rasped, face still turned to the ground. "I'm nowt strong enough. I can't kill yu without kill mehself! Please dun ask meh to."
He buried his face in his hands and fought not to lose all sense of mind to the tumult of emotions running rampant through him. Too long to remember he'd been Touya's comrade. Training with the shinobi, going to the Dark Tournament, leaving their lives as assassin of the shadows, attending the Makai Tournament, plunging through the wild life of in the Makai as partners, meeting Shizuru and starting this whole nightmare. Touya knew everything about him down to his eating habits and fighting technique while Jin had more of Touya in his palm than any other living creature could claim to know. They worked as one, they thought together, they'd were closer than family. How could Touya ask him to? It would be like killing part of himself.
He couldn't do it.
"I won't," Touya whispered. Minna whimpered and tugged on Jin's arm, pleading to be picked up. The demon obliged, scooping her into his arms and turning to his friend. His eyes betrayed his fears and pain. Touya, kicking all his morals in a closet and smiled a genuine smirk of encouragement at his startled partner. "Just promise me you'll get to Yuusuke."
He couldn't speak. He just nodded.
"Good...Because we're not alone," Touya murmured. The trees suddenly shuddered violently to the left. Touya spun, electric blue eyes locking on the movement. Instantly his right arm was coated in a razor sharp blade of ice, his left hand filled with a brilliant green orb of energy. Suddenly the giant ash tree to the left exploded. No. It didn't JUST explode it was incinerated on the spot. Touya's eyes widened.
-There wasn't even an energy flare. He didn't even have to try! That was nothing!-
The horrifying realization was enough to make Touya's stomach clench and his entire body to break out in a sweat. The highly sensitive ice demon felt the familiar presence, the dark shadow aura hovering just beyond the cover of the trees. Both shinobi started as hundreds of crows erupted from the canopy to spiral into the dark sky, shrieking and screaming. They swarmed overhead, circling, waiting for death to begin.
Jin had leapt back into the air and was preparing to start his Tornado Fist technique but Touya cut him off.
"No! Jin! GO! Get to the Third Realm! Warn them!"
"What!?"
"You have to tell them!!"
"NO! I won't be leavin yu!"
Touya's eyes flashed angrily. "You're the fastest flyer alive. They need to know or everything we've worked for will come down around us! I can't go with you! I'm infected! You have to warn them. You have to get word to her! Make sure she doesn't come here!"
Jin was torn. Touya's fighting abilities were incredible but he was still considered in training; most powerful ice demon alive or not, he still had not reached his full potential. Besides that he was sick, weak and mot as logical as he could be. He whole battle style rested upon his clear thinking and the sickness clouded his thoughts. Jin knew Touya was right. Logically he knew this was a best thing to do. However, the Wind Master's conscience was screaming.
This thing, this opponent watching from the trees was just waiting for it. Jin knew Touya would die fighting for his life and maybe his sanity. Jin felt he would puke. He just couldn't make himself abandon Touya alone with that thing. Frustrated and anxious Jin shook his head fiercely and threw out an arm.
"He's waiting fer it, Touya! He be wantin' meh t' leave yu alone!!" he shouted, pleading with his friend's logical side. "He'll kill yu! Touya you can't-,"
"JIN!!"
The Wind Master shuttup. Touya watched him silently, twin blue eyes locked on his friend. Another explosion took out several trees this time. A boulder the size of a small house turned to dust a hundred feet away. Child's play. Something flickered in his gaze, a silent command and a promise.
"Go."
Jin wavered, screaming inside, he knew he didn't have time to waste here. He couldn't take Touya. He had to warn Yuusuke. He had to stop Shizuru. He had to go. He knew he should go, but he couldn't just...he couldn't ... it wasn't right.
"Go. Please."
The wind demon gave a painful yell and wheeled around to shoot away toward the Third Realm. The agonized expression on his face made Touya hurt for his comrade. He knew that Jin would blame himself for this. There was nothing he could have done, but the wind elf would surely tear into his own spirit to punish himself for letting Touya face Karasu alone. No. Touya had already accepted this was the only way. Jin needed to get there as fast as possible and he couldn't possibly save him too. He'd infect the red-head or kill him at worst. Touya wouldn't allow that to happen.
No. This was the way it had to be.
"How courageous. Letting your ally run away and staying all by yourself to play. Oh, want bravado," applauded a velvety dark voice from the forest around him. Touya crouched low, body coiled, tensed for the attack he knew was coming. His senses were set to their max, attuned to the spirit world like no other demon but an S-class could accomplish. His fighting techniques might not be up to par, but his spirit awareness was incredible. That's why he'd been sent after all.
"I'd heard the rumors but didn't believe until I saw it for myself," Touya remarked evenly, blue eyes sweeping the clearing around him. "You're still as twisted as you were a century ago. Pathetic who some demons never change. But enough of that. What have you been doing all the way out here in the slums? Binding your time?"
Touya hissed sharply as something zipped past his left cheek, slitting his skin open and causing crimson blood to well up. There was a faint trickle of amused laughter from the trees. He knew it hadn't been anything more than a projectile, but still, a casual threat.
"So many questions. So cool and collected. You remind me of someone I'd like to kill, Ice Master."
"So pleased you think so..." Touya began breathlessly. His world spun. The energy required to form his ice blade had caught up with him. Destabilized and shaky, Touya fell to his knees, clutching his head and gasping for air. The action caused his throat to burn and he coughed hard, knowing Karasu enjoyed every moment of his weakness.
"Nasty cough you have there," remarked the crow lightly, laughter in his voice. "I dare say you picked up some type of virus? Would you like me to make it all go away?"
Touya forced down his coughing and clapped a hand over his mouth, shuddering. There was a screech of throaty cawing in his ears, the broken shrieks of black birds and a horrible groaning moan of 'Nevermore'. He bit back a cry pf pain, swaying dangerously on his knees as the screaming voices of winged birds filled his head. The sound ripped through his head like broken glass. He clutched his head in agony and fell hard on his side. Karasu's distorted, laughter swirled through the muggy tangle of thoughts and visions in his head.
Through his pain, Touya struggled to lever himself up on one elbow, refusing to recall his ice blade, still encasing his arm. A wave of hot pain swept through him. The Ice Master gasped collapsing on his back and moaning in torment. His body shivered violently, sweat beading on his brow as he struggled not to forget his purpose.
-Kill Karasu and die trying.-
The canopy transformed before his eyes. The red of the Blood Oaks giave way to thousands of dark feathers and glittering lavender eyes. The boughs of the trees filled as ravens plunged through the leaves to perch upon the branches, all staring down into his own gaze. The creatures, all scraggly, thin and ominous the creatures hovered over him, filling his mind like they did the canopy. He couldn't stop himself as ragged words slipped from his tongue, unfamiliar, undeniable words. He couldn't stop them.
He had to keep his objective.
"Prophet," Touya breathed, voice soft, almost inaudible. "Thing of evil – prophet still if bird or devil! Whether Tempter sent-" He gasped and writhed in pain. "Or whether tempest...tossed thee here ashore-,"
-Kill Karasu. Die trying.-
The ice demon screamed raggedly and rolled onto his stomach, gasping the next line of the damning requiem. "Desolate, yet all undaunted, on this desert land...enchanted. On this home by...Horror haunted – tell me truly, I implore." He shuddered as a spasm of pain racked his body, cold and burning heat searing him. His voice was coarse but he still spoke the next verse.
"Is there balm in Gilead? – tell me – tell me, I implore."
-Kill Karasu...Die trying.-
"Quoth...the...Raven-,"
Touya coughed hard, curling into a painful curl as all the thousands of spectral avian watchers rasped their line. Speaking as one, horrible voice that tore into Touya's sanity. "Nevermore."
Touya, lying drained of all resistance, shivering and helpless proved far too tempting for Karasu to pass up. Despite his twisted amusement in the ice demon's torment, his urge to do some kind of damage to the ice apparition was too great. Touya's spirit sense told him precisely when the demon lunged at him from the canopy, shadow falling over him like a giant bird of prey. The shinobi instantly forced his mind and body to react as one and flipped onto his back. Suddenly he was face to face with a set of brilliant lavender eyes.
Clawed hands slammed into the ground on either side of Touya's head. An expansive black jacket blocked out the cloudy sunlight and Touya bit back a shout, suddenly trapped underneath his attacker, diminutive body over shadowed by the dark raven hued figure.
Touya's breath came hard, fast, but his attacker didn't move. Insane violet eyes locked on Touya's for a horrifying moment, piercing the younger demon like a dagger. Then, lazily, his gaze traveled down to his own midriff where Touya's right arm had thrust his ice blade straight through his belly. Slowly rivulets of dark blood seeped down the edges of the ice, dribbling down. The violet eyes swept back up to Touya's icy expression.
"Well done little Ice Master. You've managed to prick me. Now..."
He leaned forward, bringing his masked face inches from the startled ninja's, sliding his body closer and furthering impaling himself on the frigid blade, the abrasion of ribs, muscle and sinew causing sickening friction against the sword. Touya was paralyzed as his attacker leered into his face, claws scraping the dirt on either side of his head to mere gravel. He slowly brought one clawed hand around to touch the bloody flower blooming across his dark jacket and lifted the scarlet covered hand.
Touya watching eyes wide in horrified fascination as the blood burned on the tips of his talon-like nails. The demon smiled evilly, long raven hued tresses falling about his face to frame gleaming amethyst eyes. He lowered the bloody hand slowly to come to rest against Touya's lips, gingerly hushing the ice demon's sudden gasp. The beautiful, horrible quest demon smiled sadistically into his victim's stunned azure eyes.
"Once you've stabbed me...just what were you planning to do?" Karasu inquired.
Touya, oddly enough, found the answer simple. He was infected, he couldn't kill Karasu. There was only one thing left to do.
"Die," he murmured.
He quickly summoned a blade of ice to his free hand, but instead of turning it on Karasu, the ice demon flipped it around and plunged the icy dagger at his own chest. Touya never saw exactly how he did it but somehow Karasu's long, powerful fingers were wrapped around his own, gripping his hand over the blade and stopping it short just a breath over the ninja's heart. Touya's defiant azure eyed burned into Karasu's and he struggled fiercely to finish the blade's path through his torso. Karasu only continued to smile insanely down at him; his hand over Touya's was firm but gentle like that of a parent restraining a child.
He shook his head, midnight dark tresses slipping down to frame his pale face as Touya writhed and struggled beneath him. His other arm was still covered in ice and rammed deep into Karasu's belly, trapping it. Karasu was holding his other hand and the quest demon had slipped his free hand out to gently wipe the blood from Touya's pale cheek. The ice demon gave a breathy cry of frustration as he failed to free his hand from Karasu's. Fear, lodged deep in his soul as the screaming of ravens filled his mind. All his other thoughts were slipping away from him like sand through his fingers.
Touya screamed, but it was muffled by Karasu as the demon covered the smaller youkai's mouth with a gentle hand. The ice demon cried out in pain as the deafening cawing, shrieking of the demonic birds scraped away at his sanity. Touya thrashed, bucking and twisting in vain attempts to free himself from Karasu's warped hold of protection. Karasu shushed the agonized youkai as he gasped raggedly, struggles growing weaker.
"Shh," he hissed comfortingly as Touya gave a subdued scream of despair, stifled by the palm of his hand. The ebon-haired youkai smiled benevolently as Touya's ethereal azure eyes widened pleadingly, a moan of denial slipping through his fingers.
"Don't worry. "Karasu forcefully dragged the infected youkai's arm up and pinned it over his head. "It'll all be over soon. Relax. The ravens are like nepenthe. The pain will fade, just hush, Touya."
The ice demon gave a moan of torment as Karasu spoke. His fingers tightened on the ice dagger, clenching the weapon like a lifeline for a full three minutes. The violet-eyed quest demon just waited. His hand over Touya was gentle, seeking to calm the ice demon. His thumb stroked the shinobi's curled fingers, gingerly beguiling them to release the dagger. He needed to stop focusing on living and accept his new fate. Pain would only focus Touya's thoughts so he held off...at least for now. He needed the ice demon to relax and let the disease seep in.
Touya whimpered as Karasu finally loosed his death grip on the blade and cast it aside. There. Now that all distractions were gone he could concentrate on dying. The dark-haired quest demon quickly entwined his fingers through Touya's, pressing his palm into Touya's freezing hand. The ice demon instantly tried to pull his hand free but failed, fingers trapped in Karasu's deadly hold. He screamed again, thrashing in mental agony.
"Shh. Relax. Just go to sleep and make it easy on yourself," Karasu advised softly. Touya stared up at him, eyes growing darker. He clenched them shut and tried to force his mind away. Karasu only smiled. "That's right. Close your eyes and sleep. Maybe you'll dream of living. Just relax."
Serenity now...
$%$%$%$%$%$
Insanity later...
$%$%$%$%$%$
Author's Note: Hmm...don't really have much to say. I may have written too much in the Jin and Touya section but it was important...tell me if there was anything I could have cut out. Sometimes I tend to ramble. However, I think I'll be focusing more on Cloud Shizuru and Alaster now. Read review. Tell me what to improve.