A/n- This has to be the quickest update in the history of my writing this fanfic! Anyway... Enjoy! There's only 1 more chapter left, guys!
Chapter 18: Power Unleashed
"Oh, darling! You look positively ravishing!" Kashi commented rather excitedly. He scanned Avari's attire up and down.
She was clad in a deep teal kimono, embellished with tiny, embroidered orange flowers. The outfit was completed with an elaborately tied obi of light tangerine and sea-foam green striped fabric. It looked great, except for the added accessory of handcuffs. They had at least been nice enough to remove the balls and chains from her ankles.
"You don't look half bad yourself, Kashi," Avari stated. She had grown to like Kashi, since he was the only nice one in the bunch. He didn't seem the slightest bit evil. So then, why was he hanging around with her brother? She would have asked, but it didn't feel right. She suspected that they were very friendly towards each other.
She looked at his outfit and she had to admit, he really didn't look that bad. He wore a dark purple, button-down shirt with a black sports jacket, black pants with alternating pin-stripes of purple and green and his signature beret. Although, instead of a plain black one, he wore a flashy green beret ths time. Kashi really had a unique sense of style, but he did know how to coordinate colors.
"We had better get you down to the observatory, dear," Kashi said, finally. He took her by the arm and led her down the long, dim hallway. "It's too bad Yamiko has to kill you. I would have loved having a friend like you, sweets."
"Me, too," Avari said back quietly. She knew that she was a dead girl walking. Yamiko had his grasp on her and she couldn't do anything about it. She had tried several other times to use her spirit energy and break the chains, but it had failed each time. Like everything else, it was hopeless.
Once they had entered the observatory, Avari noticed all of the changes. The room was very dim, light only coming from the scattered candles and the full moon that shone through the glass ceiling. The moon's meek radiance reflected off of the weaponry hanging from the walls, causing them to give off a bone-chilling sheen. It also reflected off of the different colored potion bottles, making a rainbow of colors show on the wall. An eerie chill went down her spine.
On the platform that Avari had been restricted to the day before, was now a large cauldron. A fire was lit underneath of the large vat as steam rose from it. Were they going to make some sort of poison or potion during the ceremony? Or were they going to boil her and eat her like cannibals? Gross.
Kashi escorted Avari up onto the platform, positioning her next to the cast iron pot. Yep, they were going to cook her. What a way to go! In the afterlife, if someone asked how she died, she could say, "I was boiled in a pot and eaten by my brother!" Once again, gross!
"It was nice knowing you," Kashi said to her, quite sadly. "You were like the little sister I never had." He pulled her into a hug. She would have hugged him back, if it hadn't have been for the chains on her wrists.
"Same here, Kashi," Avari replied quietly, knowing that she was accepting her fate. Yamiko was going to kill her soon... But, why didn't she feel more scared? It was strange.
The monstrous double doors opened and in walked Yamiko, followed by a ban of forty or so minions. They were all clad in black robes. Avari could see their beady, red eyes staring back at her. That was another spine-chilling detail...
"Oh, Yami-kun!" Kashi replied excitedly, walking down the platform's stairs toward Yamiko. "You look amazing!"
Once again, Yamiko looked like a 15th century prince. He wore a light blue tunic this time with gray pants and a silvery, satin cape. The same black boots were on his feet, as they matched with any one of his outfits. Avari wanted to scream, "Learn to dress in the 21st century's fashions!" However, she didn't want to insult Kashi, for he was too nice.
"And you look... the same, Rem," Kashi continued, looking disappointed. But, he was right. Rem was wearing the same old dark blue cloak with teal edging and deep teal jumpsuit Avari had always seen him in. "You should mix it up a little now and then, Rem."
He took the words right out of Avari's mouth. Although, men normally tend not to care much for their looks, unless they're gay or conceited, he could have tried a little harder. Maybe change the colors of the clothing at the least! On the other hand, Kashi and Yamiko's infatuation with looks and clothing was understandable... to a certain extent.
Rem simply shrugged off the comment and took his place next to the cauldron on the platform. The minions took their places as well, some guarding the closed doors and others surrounding the platform.
"Let's get this whole shindig started then," Yamiko said, walked up onto the platform as well. He pointed to two of his minions. "Watch her every move."
The two minions proceeded to get on the platform and stood on either side of Avari. They strongly grasped her wrists with their scaly, clawed fingers. More chills went down her spine.
Kashi took a seat in a chair in the far corner. Avari guessed his job was done and that he was free to observe. If only he were nice enough to betray Yamiko and help her escape!
"So, what do we need to add to the potion?" Yamiko asked Rem, who was apparently the potions expert. Rem walked over to a pedestal that held a gargantuan book, and skimmed the page.
"Now that the water is boiling, we need to add the bone of an ancestor," Rem replied.
Yamiko reached into his pocket and retrieved a bone. It looked very dirty and still had some connective tissue on it. Avari cringed at the sight.
"I personally dug this out of your mother's grave," he sneered, looking at Avari with his penetrating blue eyes. He dropped the bone into the pot and watched as it produced orange smoke.
"You heartless bastard!" she exclaimed angrily, struggling against the minions' hold on her. How could he be so cruel as to disturb the dead? So much for "Rest in Peace." She felt anger rushing through her blood. How she wanted to strangle him...
"Feather of a vulture," Rem said, dropping a large, brownish feather into the cauldron. "Nearly had my eye pecked out getting this one." Green smoke rose from the boiling pot now.
"What next?" Yamiko questioned, gazing intently on the potion.
"Eye of newt," Rem answered, adding a rather peculiar looking object. It changed the smoke to a shade of pearly pink.
"Doesn't every potion call for that?" Yamiko said.
"Yes, it's one of the most basic ingredients in the art of potion brewing," Rem replied, as-a-matter-of-factly. He truly was a potion chemist genius. He knew his stuff. "Now, all we need is the blood of a virgin and the heirloom."
"I will take care of it from here," Yamiko said, gazing over at Avari again. She saw the evil glint in his eyes. He had been waiting for this moment for so long.
He reached into the pocket of his gray pants and pulled out a knife. It had an intricately decorated handle with many blue gems. The blade gleamed as the different lights reflected off of it.
Avari felt her heart sink and a pit form in her stomach. This was it. He was really going to kill her. She didn't know if he was going to slit her neck, her wrists or just plain mercilessly stab her. She felt herself begin to shake in fear as the demonic minions led her towards Yamiko and positioned her right in front of the cauldron.
Yamiko grabbed her right hand and turned it over so that her wrist was upward. He was about to press the blade into her skin and allow the blood to fall into the vat, but a loud commotion could be heard outside of the doors.
"This had better be the right room, you idiot!" a voice on the other side of the doors shouted. Avari knew that voice...
"I know it's the right one! My sixth sense hasn't failed me yet!" another voice called out in response. She knew that voice, too. It was huskier and deeper than the other one.
Suddenly, the double doors were swung open. The image before Avari left her stunned, but elated.
There, in the doorway, stood Kuwabara, Yusuke, Genkai, Hiei and Kurama. All of the minions that had been guarding the door were lying on the floor behind them, in pain.
At that moment, Avari's hope returned. Her friends were here to save her! She was going to live and Yamiko was going to get what he deserved! Everything was going to be okay.
"I see that your fan club came to watch the show," Yamiko said, observing the different characters before him.
"Sir, I suggest that you release the young female from your grasp to spare yourself some excruciating pain," Kurama warned, his emerald eyes darkening menacingly.
Avari felt very secure after he said these words. She hardly knew the guy, yet he seemed very protective of her. It was pretty cool. She would have considered him very attractive, but she wasn't sure which way he swayed. He looked too pretty... Maybe she could hook him up with Kashi... (Terribly sorry, Kurama fans! I couldn't help myself!)
"What does exshrooshiationing mean?" Kuwabara asked Hiei quietly. He scratched his head dumbly.
"Shut it, you oaf," Hiei said grumpily.
"Don't waste your brain cells," Genkai offered.
"I'm afraid I can't do that," Yamiko said, answering to Kurama. He pressed the blade against the hyperventilating Avari's wrist, preparing to dig it in deeper. "Minions, grab the intruders and don't let go, or you'll lose your head!"
Quick as lightning bolts flash in the sky, four or five minions each raced over and held down each of Avari's friends. They quickly clamped chains onto each of them and stood guard, still grasping each of them by the wrists.
It was now that Yamiko decided to make him move. He pushed the blade into Avari's pale skin. She let out an ear-piercing scream that echoed throughout the room and made Yusuke want to cry.
The Spirit Detective had come all of this way to save his friend. Whether she considered him to be her friend or not, he didn't care. She was in danger and he had come to her rescue, but now, his hopes were crushed. She was in pain and he couldn't do anything to help her, despite how hard he was trying. They all might as well have been dead at that point.
They all watched as the blood ran down Avari's arm, dripping into the cast iron cauldron. She fell to her knees, clutching her wrist as her face scrunched up from the pain.
Yamiko didn't seem to care about her anymore. He watched as the smoke rising from the pot changed to a purple, the color he had been wanting to see this whole time. He dug into his pocket once more and brought out the artifact that had started this whole mess. The locket.
He carefully held the precious gem by the chain that it hang from and lowered it into the pot. After allowing for the gem to be fully submerged in the steaming liquid, he lifted it back out. He held it there, expecting something to happen.
Whole minutes went by. Everyone held their breath, waiting for something to appear out of oblivion. Would a genie come out and grant Yamiko three wishes? Or was the locket not even magical after all?
Yamiko let a few obscene words seep from his mouth. He threw the locket to the ground in frustration. Why wasn't it working! It was the right locket. He had examined it thoroughly. He had Rem make the potion, who was an expert at those things. He didn't understand what had gone wrong...
Unannounced and almost unnoticed, the locket began to give off a slight glimmer of airy amethyst. The light began to grow brighter and brighter. It soon came to the point where it lit the entire room, making everything a light shade of lavender. Everyone was frozen like a deer in headlights. All they could do was watch in awe.
The radiance of the purple gem grew even more luminous. It seemed to engulf the room in a violet haven. It shone so brightly that everyone had to cover their eyes at this point, for fear that if they looked at it for too long, they would surely go blind.
Avari squinted and looked through the slits in between her fingers at the glowing gem. She could faintly see misty figures rises out of the locket. They looked quite mystic and mysterious, but what the heck were they?
-To Be Continued-
A/n- Sorry about the cliffy! Read the LAST installment of The Power Locked Within to find out what is coming out of the locket and how everything wraps up. Will Yamiko gain the power to take over the world? And if they survive the situation, could Yusuke want to get back together with Avari? Check it out next time!
ALERT! ALERT! There is only ONE MORE CHAPTER LEFT! I should be posting the GRAND FINALE of the series sometime tomorrow or the next day. So, please review guys! Just for old times sake!