Well, wasn't that fun? Here is the next chapter! Thanks to Achillea who always reviews me. And thanks to Sekushi-san and wintersnowfalls who reviewed me also! Thanks for the support!
: x :
Neji had no idea what just happened. One second he was peacefully meditating on a mossy log and the next he was narrowly escaping the attacks of a huge black thing. He jumped to one side avoiding the thrashing tail. What is this? He thought to himself as he leapt into a tree. The black tail disappeared from sight.
Another appeared not too far from him but it chased him not.
Orochimaru stood amidst all the havoc smiling. This girl was a special one. Orochimaru looked into Aki's eyes.
What's happening to me? Aki wondered to herself as she did things that she wasn't willing. Pain started blossoming in her body from the minute Orochimaru triggered her unknown seals. The pain began at her shoulder and lower back spreading quickly.
Aki blinked. Her eyes changed continuously from red to white. She struggled to control the power that erupted out of her. The black chakra still came though and destroyed anything it came in contact with.
Neji started running towards the black tails' ends. He had a gut feeling that something was wrong, very wrong. A tugging feeling came to his mind every time Aki tried to control the dark power that threatened to invade her mind. She had to draw some power from her twin brother but nothing worked.
Aki, the real Aki, grabbed her temples and fell to her knees, grinding her teeth. The power was successfully raiding Aki's mind. Aki stopped struggling instantly. Her black chakra tails grew stiff and stopped moving as she finally was controlled by the awesome power of the ten tailed beast of legend. Aki's soul lay buried deep in the crevices of her heart and was now helpless. Aki's soul watched through her own eyes as the ten tailed monster fought against her will.
Aki's soulless body proceeded to attack Setsuna first. The ten tailed Biju was able to control all the elements now. Time, wind, water, earth, fire, light, dark, metal, wood and death were all mastered now. The Ten Tails summoned the forces of time, freezing Setsuna and stopping her abilities to move. Then it summoned the ability of fire and earth together creating comets/ shooting stars that sped away from Aki's hand faster than light. Setsuna crumpled to the floor in a matter of seconds.
Orochimaru grinned broadly, "Sasuke, my student, absorb its chakra."
The Uchiha crept behind Aki aiming to touch her forehead and absorb that might black chakra that destroyed his surroundings. Aki and the Biju sensed him first. The Biju used a combination of water and light to create a spark. The spark missed Sasuke entirely because the person creeping toward to soulless shell was merely a shadow clone. Aki, and the Biju, were taken by surprise as a flaming rope slithered its way around her neck.
Aki's real soul took the opportunity to fight the Biju and her eyes blinked its normal color. "P-Please Sasuke! Don't!" Sasuke didn't hesitate, which was a good thing because Aki turned evil again. The Aki stared at Sasuke using her mind's thoughts to poison him. Sasuke backed away, clutching his head and screaming. Aki slid up and went into the fighting stance again.
Neji ran into the clearing. Aki felt his mind join hers and she suddenly felt relieved and happy. The Demon Aki whirled around and fixed her gaze upon her twin brother.
"Aki!" Neji called obliviously, "Are you alright? Where are the others?" Neji glanced around. His gaze first lingered on Setsuna's motionless body and then to Sasuke screaming in pain and then to Aki standing in between the two smirking. "What's going on!" A maniacal laughter came from behind him.
"Hi, Neji, remember me?" Orochimaru bonked Neji on the side of the head. He laughed to himself while Neji was getting up, furious.
"Orochimaru? Why are you here?" Neji wiped his mouth though there was nothing there.
"I was just traveling peacefully down the road when I heard these two talking." He said innocently yet bitterly. He motioned towards Aki who was now clutching her stomach as she fought off the demon inside. When Neji was there it seemed the demon had less power over Aki, and that she had more of a chance.
"Bakeru." Neji glared at Orochimaru. Not knowing what to do, he went into his gentle fist stance.
"Oh?" Orochimaru raised an eye brow.
Aki looked up at the two, her eyes flickering from red to white. Her lip was bloody from biting on it with her now sharp teeth. Nii-sa-an…Aki called out to her brother in a faint voice. He heard obviously and glanced back at his fallen sister. Aki saw him turn around and dropped her head, shaking it violently.
Orochimaru smiled. Making the hand signs of Monkey, the Dragon he focused his soul to be extracted from his body.
Neji heard a thump from behind me. Spinning around he saw Orochimaru falling to the ground. For a second he wondered what it was but then a searing pain overcame his mind and he felt himself being pushed roughly to the side. And yet, in his physical form… he had not moved an inch. Neji, or so you may thing, lifted his hands and looked at them. Smirking to himself he looked with his new eyes. Everything seemed a tad bit lower but other than that, it was perfect. He glanced quickly at his body and walked over to it. How foolish he looked lying there in the mud face down. He chuckled.
Aki heard her brother laughing and managed to look up a bit. A new power came into her, as if her brother just got more powerful, she did also. She put a knee up, resting her arm on it. Then the other, and shakily she managed to get up. Getting up alone was a clear challenge for her. Already she panted as if she had just finished a mission. Ignoring the pain inside of her she took a step forward.
Neji, the real one, heard Aki coming. Stay away! He tried yelling out, but the words collapsed in his throat. There was another presence in his mind. Almost immediately he knew it was Orochimaru. Why else would anyone take over his body? Everything pointed to the snake. The unsuspected fall, the sudden push… everything… Neji saw normally through his own eyes, but something else controlled them. He felt his gaze switch from that snake's body to his sister. She had stopped to get a breath because the Biju monster was coming back. Orochimaru, get out. No one answered.
Aki seethed. Something was wrong. It wasn't her brother's presence in that mind. Her brother wasn't there. It was like a house occupied by a stranger. Her brother's body rushed toward her nailing her on the stomach. She felt nothing for the first few moments but then something pulsed and she found herself on her hands and knees coughing terribly. Aki saw her brother's feet before her. She flew backwards as the sandaled foot kicked her on the head. She felt the world spinning and for a second she saw something. He looked like someone she knew. He had long black hair and wore a black and white kimono. His face was gentle but worrisome. Aki wondered who it was. She hardly felt her body hit the ground painfully. Aki got up slowly, painlessly as she stared at the apparition. It looked like it was about to cry. An open palm broke through the apparition and Aki felt it hit her somewhere close to the heart. She fell awkwardly to the ground coughing up blood. Aki once again saw her brother's feet in front of her. She wondered vaguely if he was going to kick her again. She knew this wasn't her brother.
"Aa-ki!" Aki looked up, still coughing. Neji was holding his temples and struggled with himself, "Get a-away! Oro-ohchi-mah-ru – he's cuh-nn-trollin-ng me!" Aki felt a hard hit on her back. She found herself face down on the ground, her face being pushed into the mud. "Heh. Your brother is a tough one, little Hyuuga." There was a slight pressure on her head as the foot on it pushed it more in the mud. Neji's hand gripped Aki's arm and flung her a few meters. She hit the ground trembling. She tried to get up several times only to fall back onto the ground. After what seemed like forever, she fell to the ground, motionless. The fraud Neji smiled. He carefully folded his hands in the release position. "Kai!"
Orochimaru's soul flew back to its original body. Neji's body slumped quietly to the ground. Orochimaru wiped some blood from his lip. These two will be wonderful allies. He thought to himself as he bent to pick up the boy twin. A sudden cawing sound reached his ears and before he could turn around a large white bird flew into him. The bird was majestic. There was almost no other word that could describe it. It was pure white with long flowing tails that were connected to the ground. Its perfect rounded, sharp beak cawed angrily at Orochimaru and its large wings beat the air. A large gushing sound was followed by a violent torrent of air. Orochimaru was blown backwards into a large boulder. The bird screeched and flew at him, talons stretched outwards. Orochimaru rolled sideways and performed a hand sign. The bird flew at him again, this time making contact. The Orochimaru it hit blew up in a cloud of smoke that temporarily blinded the beast. The bird hissed and thrashed its four white tails caught fire. The fire was unnatural and it burned black and blue instead of the usual red and orange. The tails trashed about and the bird's long elegant neck suddenly pulled back and came back as fast as a sling shot. A dark beam shot out of its mouth enveloping Orochimaru in its substance. Orochimaru's eyes widened as the substance gulped him up. And then he, and his apprentice, disappeared along with all the damage. The giant bird shrunk swiftly into a body.
Neji found himself recognizing the person. It wasn't his sister, or his guy friends. Who was it? The person still had wings when he saw him or her last, but they too gradually shrunk in towards the body. Neji breathed out, how interesting. And then he saw no more.
Setsuna fell to her knees, oblivious to the fact that she had just defeated Orochimaru. She gasped for breath gripping the gravel between her fingers. She looked at Neji and then at Aki. How am I supposed to get them back?
"Setsuna! Oi! Setsuna!" Her name was being called out over and over by someone. She looked towards the voice and saw two guys running towards her, it was Kevin and Ryou. They reached her in a matter of seconds and then began to ask questions. "Hey! Setsuna, what happened?" Ryou looked around at the chaotic field.
"Oh good, you guy's are back." Setsuna smiled weakly, "I was wondering how to get them bac…" Her word was cut short when she suddenly fell forward in a heap.
"Ah! Setsuna-san!" Kevin rushed forward.
"I'm fine just tired." Setsuna got up slowly and sat, cross-legged, "My legs can't carry me. Forgive me for this." She closed her eyes and started glowing faintly. Her wings sprouted from her back again.
"WHOA!" Ryou exclaimed.
Setsuna giggled quietly to herself, "It's easier this way. You guys don't have to carry me. Take the twins." She jerked her heads in the direction of Aki and Neji.
Ryou and Kevin nodded in approval. Ryou bent to piggy-back Neji while Kevin did the same for Aki.
What's this? Aki stepped out of the room she was in. Her foot landed lightly in a lake full of water. Slowly, ripples crawled from her feet, expanding by the second. A light sound, like that of a drop of water, came to her ears. Aki turned around.
A scene of darkness condemned her to fear. Everywhere, things were burning. There was screaming and crying. Aki's eyes widened. It's that vision again. Aki stepped closer. She saw the circle of people again. Each person, except for the tenth one, screamed in utter agony. Aki covered her ears, but the sound penetrated her hands and sent chills down her spine. They were screams of pain and fear mixed into one. It gave you the feeling like that minute before you get the test you didn't study for back; or when you're about to jump from a high place, with no harness. It was the feeling in your stomach that lurches like butterflies in your stomach. Aki pressed harder on her ears, snapping her eyes shut. The people screamed louder as she did this. Aki took another step back.
Something rough grabbed her ankle and pulled her into the depths of the lake before she could even whimper. She did not know what it was, all she knew was: it was evil. The rough thing pulled her deeper and deeper into the water. Aki's lungs screamed for air, yet she could not give it to them. Aki's lungs couldn't hold any longer she breathed out; a large bubble escaped her mouth and danced into the water. She breathed out – and didn't breathe in.
Aki opened her eyes. Something brown was in front of them. She couldn't tell what it was. It was brown and fuzzy and made her sneeze.
"Wha!" Aki jumped.
"Whoa there. Calm down, Hyuuga." Kevin turned his head around half way, "You've been out for a while according to Setsuna. How are you doing?" Aki was now on the ground wondering what was happening.
"Other than a really bad headache, I'm fine… I just don't seem to remember anything much…" Aki smiled sheepishly. Kevin extended a hand, and Aki took it.
"Can you walk? Or do I need to give you a ride?"
"I can walk thanks…" Aki summoned wind and she floated in the air.
"Cheat! That's not walking!"
Sticking out her tongue Aki searched for her brother. He was still unconscious, riding on Ryou's back. Aki laughed out loud and used wind to aid Ryou in carrying her brother. Ryou noticed the difference and smiled with relief at Aki. She smiled back.
She closed her eyes and tried to remember her dream. She knew that it was something bad and it was something like déjà vu. Aki raked her mind of any information.
"Oi! Setsuna! Are you tired up there? I could give you a lift if you like."
"I'm fine! Thanks though!" Setsuna was flying about 50 km in the air and somehow they still heard each other.
Aki…Aki broke out of her daze.
A sudden sound made Kevin turn around.
"Yeouch!" Aki rubbed her head painfully. She wasn't on her wind cloud anymore but on the ground. She was smiling but Kevin could tell that something was wrong, "Shoot! That really hurt." Aki suddenly floated back into the air and grinned even harder.
Kevin laughed, "Wow. You're a klutz."
"Sorry." Aki smiled again, her hair in a mess.
"For what?" A quiet voice asked. Aki and Kevin looked toward it.
Aki's eyes brightened, "Ne-san!" (A/N: Is it Ne-san or Nii-san? And what's the honorific for sister?) She floated merrily toward him. She then slapped him on the back of the head, "You slept in you loser!" He slowly slid off Ryou's back.
"I don't really remember…" Neji was suddenly overcome with the events of the past. "Snake. Where's that snake?"
Setsuna landed gracefully behind them, "If you mean Orochimuru… the monster inside of me sent him away."
Crappy end for the chapter huh? I dunno what else to do... Maybe I should just stop writing this story. No one is reading except for Achillea anyway... WAhh.. so sad : (...