Hello! Here I am, on Turkey Day, writing this fic. Woot. You didn't get to really see it in PFF, but here you'll REALLY be able to see what a DEUSCHE-BAG Anubo is. Oh, he's such a deusche… Anywho… Here we go!

P.S. "deusche" is pronounced "doosh".

Dark and Light

Chapter 5

Revealed

My mind quivered. Anubo! Get out of my head! I screamed as I mentally tried to escape the impalpable prison that he had formed for me. I sensed humor and he laughed at my futile efforts.

Do you honestly believe that I will leave simply because you demand me to? I thought you were smarter than that. Again I felt my memories and past emotions flood through me as he looked through them carelessly. He delved into my most secret thoughts, innermost desires. I had might as well been stripped naked as he ripped through my mind mercilessly. He seemed amused by the death of my parents, though I didn't know why.

Then, a sound from behind. Anubo turned my head and we saw that it was a concerned Buganti slowly coming towards us. "Kaiyou?" he asked cautiously, "Are you all right? I heard you screaming…" At his brother's appearance, Anubo's disdain swelled through me and I had to remind myself that the hatred was not my own.

Anubo then drew up my mannerisms and obliged to them, lest Buganti suspect anything. He smiled amiably and began slowly, "Sorry about that. I had a really bad headache…" he reached up to the back of my head with my hand, "…I didn't know I was screaming."

Buganti seemed a little worried, but he let it go. I began screaming as loud as I could in my mind for the Ground Lord to look at the arm that was behind my back; the one branded with the strange tattoo. But of course, he couldn't hear me. I felt a mental pound from Anubo to quiet down.

Damn dog, shut up, he commanded, his voice saturated in venom. You're distracting me.

He stood us up and wiped the dust off my legs -which was what I would have done had I been myself. The entire time we were standing there in front of Buganti, I prayed for him to make a mistake, for him to slip and then Buganti would know. But he never faltered. He had read me like a book and acted accordingly.

The Ground Lord smiled, relieved. "I'm happy you're okay. But Yasille's still rambling about a demon out here; it was all I could do to keep her inside." He began to turn towards the cave and added, "Are you sure that she never fails in these 'visions' of hers?"

I reveled in Anubo's indecision. It was either say what I would say -which was yes, she was always right- and risk exposure, or act out of character and still risk exposure. However, he came out of it like an expert. "For as long as I can remember, they have been. But…" he ran a hand through my hair, "…I'm really starting to worry about her... and myself. If this doesn't stop soon, I don't know what I'm going to do. I can't stay away from her forever."

Apparently, Anubo passed the test and Buganti's face relaxed. "Well, maybe it's just a spell," he replied soothingly. My hopes fell; he really thought he was talking to me. "It'll probably pass soon enough. Just stay in the Void as long as you can." He smiled and Anubo returned it, though with a little difficulty.

"Hopefully," the demon replied, "it won't be for very long." Buganti bade goodnight and resumed walking to his cave. When the Ground Lord was out of sight, Anubo stretched my limbs and heaved a happy sigh of relief.

Well Mongrel, he began in a satisfactory tone, it seems I have passed the first test. Buganti doesn't suspect a thing. Of course, your sister will be another matter.

Pray she doesn't come within firing range, I snarled, because she WILL attack. And you should know by now that her firepower is nothing to be trifled with. I suppose you were already in my mind the other day, when she attacked me?

I felt a twinge of fear from Anubo, but it was immediately replaced by cockiness. You're not as stupid as I thought. Yes, it was my aura she saw. But my inept brother believes I have not infested you just yet, and he will protect us from her.

For the moment, I replied with a sliver of confidence. You can't fool him forever.

Anubo's laugh resonated in my mind, as if we were in a large, empty room. Oh really? And what makes you so confident?

A mental eyebrow quirked. And what makes you?

Anubo's hate filled me again, but this time it was for both Buganti and myself. No matter. Buganti is a trusting fool. I'm genuinely surprised that he has lived this long. But of course, with his power, it's not too astounding, is it? Besides, by the time my bastard of a brother finds out who I am, I will have repossessed my spear and I can carry on with business.

…"Business?" I asked carefully, though half of me did not want to know the answer.

Scores of pictures -of blood, carcasses, dead faces of both human and pokemon- filled me. I smelt the blood in my nose, felt the spray of the crimson liquid on my face as a spear drove into bodies. I heard screams -thousands and thousands of screams- caterwauling, piercing my head like the weapon that ran them through. If I had control of my hands, they would have flown up to my ears to dull the shrieks. After a few moments, the images, smells and sounds stopped and Anubo said with a malicious smile, Yes. Business.

………………………………

Days passed into weeks. Weeks into months. It was a full four months before Buganti began to suspect me, and by that time, I had more or less accepted my plight. Any attempt to regain control of my body would result in mental agony from the images of the innocent lives taken by the demon in me, and those portraits of murder were more than enough to shut me back up. I knew, that because of my Dark element, Anubo had a greater hold on me than any other kind of pokemon. So unless Yasille purified me (which would not only result in Anubo's death, but in my own) or Buganti recognized his brother, there was nothing I could do but sit and watch.

Anubo was very pleased with my reluctant retreat, as it now guaranteed he would have unquestioned free reign, and took full advantage of it. He confined me in an even smaller mental prison, and enjoyed harassing me for any memories, thoughts or dreams I might have had, even those I didn't know I had. However, even though he had my powers to wield at every whim, the Dark pokemon sensed there was something wrong and they did not listen to him. They wouldn't even come near us. I took it for a small, minor victory on my part.

The thing that had led Buganti to be suspicious was this fact. He had seen it and questioned us about it, and when Anubo couldn't come up with a suitable answer, Buganti stored it in his head for later. I could tell that he was onto Anubo, even though the demon didn't want to admit it.

The truth came out one day in the middle of summer. Anubo was in Buganti's lair, admiring his old spear. He tested its weight in our hands, and gazed at it with admiration. I was sickened by it.

Anubo felt my disgust and laughed quietly. You do not know how to appreciate a weapon, do you, Mongrel?

You mean that stick with a blade? I asked in reply. That bloody thing is not something to be appreciated. It's better off roasting in a fire.

Since he was in such a good mood, he let the insult to his weapon roll off. This spear let me become more powerful than you can imagine. Before my brother interfered, I was a god. I could slaughter anything I chose. With a single word, entire villages were destroyed. Whole armies obliterated. If I had my body now, I could destroy my brother very easily.

The question in my mind had been bothering me for a while. Why do you hate him so much?

I expected a sarcastic reply, or even more of the images of entrails and carcasses as a reply, but he simply said, Not now, Mongrel. My brother comes.

He turned and I saw Buganti coming up the tunnel from the city, a cautious look in his human eye. He saw the spear in our hands and then met our eyes with his. "What are you doing?" The Ground Lord stopped at the entryway, picking up his own weapon, a double-bladed, two-handed pole staff. I felt Anubo's resolve; he was going to reveal himself.

"Buganti," Anubo began amiably, "have you not looked at this weapon up close?" He held up the spear to eye level, where I could now make out small, delicately carved designs of circles, diamonds and other insignias. Buganti did not take his eyes from us, however. Anubo paid no attention to this. "It's really a beautiful thing."

The Ground Lord's gaze narrowed. "Nothing could more of an abomination than that spear."

The demon clicked our tongue softly in admonishment. "Now now, no need to get hateful."

I saw Buganti's eyes move to the now exposed tattoo, then back up to our face. Hate filled him, and he gripped the pole staff like a javelin. "How long have you been here?" he asked softly.

Anubo merely smiled smugly as he continued to examine his beloved spear. "About four months. You should have listened to your little filly. She's smarter than you know."

At that moment, Buganti's pole staff flew through the air. It would have hit us, except that Anubo dodged it easily with a slight movement of our head. Anubo drew my face up with a sinister smile. "Check your anger, dear brother. It would be most unfortunate if either of us got hurt. Oh, and look…" Anubo retracted the pole staff from the wall where it had stuck. "You're unarmed."

Buganti flinched and then glanced around the room for anything he could use as a weapon. Anubo advanced slowly, raising the pole staff to throw. I began to panic -my only way free of the demon was the person about to be killed! Buganti was forced to the wall and his brother raised my arm to kill the Ground Lord in one fell blow. "Good bye, dear brother," Anubo said quietly.

As he was about to plunge the pole staff's blade into Buganti, I broke free of my mental prison and halted every muscle in my body. To this day, I still don't know how I managed it, but for a split second, Anubo and I were wide open for an attack. The Ground Lord saw this opportunity, and then kicked us in the stomach, sending us flying into the other wall. We landed on the floor and Anubo slashed at my mind furiously as he forced us back up. DAMN DOG! he yelled. I HAD HIM! I HAD HIM! I painfully crawled back into my little space and watched as Buganti retrieved his pole staff. He took an offensive position, and Anubo smiled.

"Your friend may have saved you from one moment of peril," he began softly as he took an ancient stance himself, "but he cannot do it forever. I'm afraid, brother, that you will have to fight on your own for once."

Buganti snarled. "Then come."

We clashed -a piercing note of wood on wood- and the battle began. I couldn't keep up with Anubo's movements, or of Buganti's, but I could see blades flashing in the dimming light from the hole above, of mere glances of a face, then a dull pain as Buganti sliced our left shoulder. We parted, and I could feel Anubo's disdain as we looked at the wound. A nice blood flow had already begun, and the once muffled pain had transformed into stinging, throbbing pain. However, Anubo threw the ache away as if it was trash, and I couldn't feel it any longer. We turned back to Buganti, who said, "You seem to be losing your touch, brother."

We snarled, and then replied, "Quite the opposite. Different bodies take getting used to."

As we were about to clash again, a flash of light sped from the tunnel and hit us in the side, forcing us to collide into the wall. At the sight of an angry, transformed Yasille, Anubo cursed and struggled to get back up. He slowly backed up to the entrance to the other tunnel of Buganti's lair, the one that led to the outside, and began to transform.

Yasille began to shine like a sun, and her eyes shone a brilliant blue. She was about to release an attack. -You are not going to escape, demon!- she growled, -My mother taught me very well in the lessons of demon slaying; and you are about to learn of them!- She opened her mouth, where was a mini-sun, and released it upon us.

Of course, by the time it reached us, we were already in the Void, safe from Yasille and her powers.

With his spear gently in our jaws, the demon's joy and hate washed over me in a giant wave. That blasted sister of yours almost killed us! he snarled. But at least you have this wonderful ability to reach this "Void." One of the few redeeming qualities of this body.

Then why don't you leave it? I questioned irritably. Why did you possess me in the first place? Why not Buganti?

Greed, sadistic elation and malice emanated from the demon. If you knew him at all, you'd know he is the type of being who would rather suffer than have others suffer for him. And because I have possessed you instead of him, how do you think he feels? Wretched, correct? Which is exactly how I want him to feel. One of his newfound friends possessed by his mad brother simply because he was aquatinted with him. How sad.

Anger and injustice welled up inside of me. So all of this is to simply piss Buganti off? I'm nothing but a pawn?

A laugh, and then, Of course. What did you think you were?

I sighed and then replied, I thought that this would be of something more than sibling RIVALRY. If I had control of my legs, I would have begun to pace. I thought that you weren't so simple-minded. You create this immense scheme just to "get back" at your brother. How pathetic.

Anubo didn't really appreciate my comments, and he pelted me with the images again. How dare you, Mutt! he screamed, You should mind your manners when in the presence of your superiors.

At his last statement, we jumped out of the Void and into a grassy field. It was now night, and the surrounding scents and sights were completely foreign. In the distance, there was a lone, misty mountain. Where were we?

I felt my canine face smile, and we began walking slowly to a dimly lit village that was nestled in a small gap in the foothills. We transformed back to my human form, which was now cloaked in a black, velvety robe. Anubo then raised our left arm, exposing the brand, and muttered words I couldn't decipher. A moment later, a black, red-eyed horse-like dragon rose from the ground, bathed in crimson light as it ascended. Spines went down the length of its neck and back, and a mane of ebony hair joined them. Its feet were clawed on the front paws, hoofed on the back. Its deep-socketed eyes had no pupils; its mouth was full of lethal teeth. The steed-like tail flicked anxiously back and forth. It snorted as we approached it and allowed Anubo to pet it.

What IS that? I asked mostly to myself, but Anubo took the liberty of answering me.

This, Mongrel, he began, is Delchri. She is my faithful steed, a demon born of dragons and evil sprites. She helped me tremendously before my brother found my book, and she will do so again. She, along with my spear, was a personal gift from my masters.

I gazed at the demon horse and shuddered. And we were going to ride this monstrosity…? My answer was Anubo mounting the creature with ease, setting his spear into an attacking position. I looked to the village and began to panic. We were going to attack that village!

Stop this! I cried helplessly, Those villagers have nothing to do with this! Leave them be!

Anubo shrugged off my pleas like unwanted bugs and kicked Delchri to get her moving. We rode towards the village like the Reaper himself, without tire or second thought, and the demon's elation grew. His mind was now numb with bloodlust, and as we came upon the sleepy village, I could do naught but watch.

His first victim, a small, black-haired boy, was trampled by Delchri. An elderly woman followed, stabbed in the side by the spear. Next was a middle-aged man, who had been bitten in the neck by the demon horse. His neck made a sickening snap as he fell from her jaws. And as the village became showered with the blood of its inhabitants, I searched for some way out of my dilemma. Some way to get the blasted demon out of my mind. But there wasn't one. There wasn't one…

As Anubo skewered a young girl in her teens, he asked, What's this? Aren't you enjoying the show? He plunged his spear into what I suspected to be the young girl's father in the back, who was bending over her to pick her up. Had I the means, I would have thrown up. But I didn't want to humor him and reply.

At my silence, he merely shrugged and got on with his rampage. With my hands, he killed more people in five minutes than I had ever killed in my whole life. He killed without thought or hesitation. It was second nature to him. By the time he had killed all in the village but one, blood was smeared onto my arms, legs and face. Even Delchri had her share of blood dripping from her agape jaws.

As we approached the last survivor, we dismounted Delchri, who went to feed on the corpses, and cornered the middle-aged man against a building. He was about forty, somewhat pudgy, with fading brunette hair framing his face, and looked no more than a common villager. His lower lip began quivering, and he put a hand in front of his face.

"P-P-Please," he blubbered, "I… I didn't do anything wrong! I… I'll do whatever you want!"

Anubo's cruel smile -which was now mine- formed as he crouched down to eye level with the man. "Anything?" asked the demon. Our reply was the man's vigorous nodding, and the demon's smile widened.

"Then, do this: There will be a man, about my height with short, brown hair passing by here in a few days, more than likely accompanied by a young, blonde-headed woman. If the man responds to 'Buganti' then tell him this: he has more chance of dueling a Lightling and succeeding than winning against me. Tell him that once we meet again, not only will I devour this poor bastard's soul, but his, and I will torture him, mutilate him, and then serve him for dinner to my horse. You got all that?"

The man nodded with great enthusiasm, and Anubo stood straight again. "Good," the demon stated. He called for Delchri and we were off, leaving the poor man confused and afraid beyond what his metal capacity would allow. I tried not to pay attention to the level of Anubo's happiness, but the overwhelming amount of it was a little hard to disregard. I prayed that somehow, we would be able to destroy this demon of Hell, though the longer I spent with him, the lesser I thought it would happen.

How were we going to get out of this mess?

……………………………

Delchri- pronounced Dell-cry

Sorry if that was corny. Or too graphic. I tried.

Poor Kaiyou. I feel sorry for him. Ain't Anubo a deusche-bag?

Hope you have a happy turkey day!