I want to run away
Never say goodbye
I want to know the truth
Instead of wondering why
I want to know the answers
No more lies
I want to shut the door
And open up my mind
--Likin Park, Runaway
To live a life without love is to never live. I fear I will never live, for I will never love. Not again.
--Senshi's Tenshi, Only Fools Fall in Love
Hey! Likin Park rules, ya'll!!! I will take quotes from you if you review and request me to put them up, but if they're from a song, I need the artist, okay? I might or might not put them up depending on how good the quote is. If I get two good ones then I will put both of them up. But I also want to say that I don't mean that you're quote is bad if I don't it up... I chose the quote for this chapter because it related to the last chapter. Now, I have to say that the last chapter was very, very long. I hope this one is shorter!
*I don't believe in disclaimers.
Chapter 17: Fairies, Fire sprites, and Vampires- Oh, my!
Mamoru's black hair was whipped in his face by the non-existent wind. Shinu eyed the man in a hatful manner, then a smile spread across his face as he began to laugh. His laugh was wicked and betrayed the tenseness in the air.
"Why do you laugh? Stop that nonsense!" Mamoru screamed in fury. They were ten or more feet away from each other, standing on opposite sides of the two-story balcony.
"But it makes me laugh when I think of the stories you have filled her mind with. You? The prince of Earth?! It makes me want to vomit almost. And you fill her head with stories of yourself?" He clasped his palms firmly at his sides. "You leave me out of the whole story? You lead her on to believe that her mother is NOT a murderer? You make me sick."
"If you love her so much, then why did you let her go? You talk of loving her but she is in the arms of neither you nor me at this very instant! What love can you possibly possess?" Mamoru's face twisted in a malicious and spiteful way at his own cleverness.
"I possess a love so strong for her that I am willing to let her chose. I can't make her love me, and won't make her love me. It was your wife who placed that accursed spell on her. Now she has no memory of me, just the lies that you told her." Shinu lowered his eyes to the wood he stood upon and his hair rushed forth to cover his eyes, leaving his pointed ears vacant.
"You know that she doesn't love you, which she never has. You just can't make yourself face the fact that she doesn't belong to you anymore. You're scared. Like that little child you were once: the little pointy-eared dragon child that everyone was afraid of, the little dragon child that left death in its path, the last thing on Earth with blood of dragons coursing through your veins."
Shinu dug his nails into his palms. Then he remembered. "You're insane, I don't care if she loves me or not because all I want her to do in life is be happy. I know the knowledge I have burdened her with tonight has only made her sad, but she will be happier knowing the truth. But you, on the other hand," he paused with a crafty smile, "You can't handle the fact that Queen Serenity can't be reborn. Because of her last moments alive, she can't be reborn. So what are you trying to accomplish by lying to Usagi?"
"If you must know," Mamoru began, "I will use her body to bring back my queen," his smile grew more malevolent. "I will kill Usagi's soul and let Serenity's take its place. And judging by the look on your face...I don't think you'll be happy."
"You will accomplish nothing of the sort. I shall kill you like I did your dear murderer." Shinu said with a growing growl in his voice. Mamoru took a step backwards towards the railing and grabbed it. The growl that was burning its way through Shinu's throat was a warning. And Mamoru, knowing this growl from his experience with dragons, could not help but remember Hono'o. (AN: Hono'o= blaze)
"And you insist that you will die like Hono'o?! You insist that I kill the last remnants of dragon blood that stand upon this Earth?" Mamoru inquired. The more upset a dragon gets, the weaker it becomes. Shinu recognized this tactic.
"I will not let you kill me like you did my father." Shinu said with a smirk so wily that Mamoru began to shake.
"But I killed your father as easy as a fly," he bluffed, "Do you think that you would be a match?"
"Ha! You're joking, right?! I am much stronger than my father ever was, so said my mother. And you snuck up on my father while he was in human form and got the first blow. You got him by surprise, and from what I've heard, you almost died because he beat you up so terribly bad in the two times that he hit you, you coward." Shinu countered. He never knew his father... but Mamoru was the last person with the gift of the slayers in his blood. Shinu would be happy to kill Mamoru in balance for all the dragons that he killed just like his father.
"Ah, yes. But your father should've been on his guard all the time, being the last full-blooded dragon. And he was supposed to be the strongest of them all when they still lived. But back to the point, I WILL kill you."
"Be it a battle to the end." Shinu said. His smile was so wicked that it shocked Mamoru like a lightning bolt from the blue. Shinu laughed so evilly that it sent chills down Mamoru's back.
"Why do you look so relieved? I shall kill you." Mamoru exploded in a rage.
"It is a matter of blood!" Shinu said behind his evil laughs. "Whoever wins, wins for their race! If I win, then I shall pass on the blood of the dragons. If you win then you shall pass on the blood of the slayers!" Shinu looked at the rising sun. It was an unusual color of red. It was a sign of sure victory.
"When I kill you then I shall honor my race and the queen!" Mamoru alleged in wrath.
"But your precious queen put a spell on me." Shinu said casually. He thought back to the scene he had not shown Usagi.
~*~*~*~*~*~
"Go my darling and loyalty to her. You five shall live happily on Earth. I will find you again one day, trust me."
The Shinu in his memories watched the five orbs hover through the doorframe then shine brightly and disappear. He walked over to the bed and laid his warm body next to his wife and child's. They were so cold. Maybe if he warmed their hearts that were penetrated by the dagger, maybe if he could make them warm... maybe they would wake up.
He looked at the flames on the distant wall. He would stay here and burn to death holding his family. His soul would then become the orb that his wife's did. That is what separates the mortals from the immortal. Dragons, lunarians, imps, pixies, goblins... there were so few of these sighted now a days. They moved underground after the great slaughter of the plague. The world blamed the plague on the immortals and killed all that could be found.
The people who had never witnessed the splendor of the immortals blamed it on their own people! Blamed it on their own mortal friends! Blamed it on those that were different, the Jews. The way the mortal mind works is such a mystery to the immortals. The humans today think that the immortals are fable and tale told to scare the youth. Yet, as they tell these stories, the immortals scramble beneath their feet, planning their next adventure to the surface world.
Shinu began to think what it would be like to meet with his wife and make a new child. The one in which he had in his arms was so young that its soul could not be reborn, for the soul develops over the years. A silent tear rolled down his skin, and then an abrupt scream of anger disturbed the sound of music and crackles the flames produced as they danced. Shinu shot out of the bed and stood as the crow flies.
"You think you could get rid of me so easily?!" Screamed a voice so painfully familiar that he dared not to look.
"Your soul will be sent elsewhere when your blood runs out of your body to filth the floor more than it deserves. Your last moments alive have betrayed the immortals." He said. He forced himself to look at the spot where the mangled Queen stood. She wasn't standing, but clinging to the doorframe. Her legs lay outside the castle and on the ground still.
"I will cause you pain if it's the last thing I do!" She screamed. She was weak and dieing. Her voice held mental and physical pain. It was gruesome and pathetic to see her there.
"You have already passed a blade through my still bleeding hand and killed my family! And your long ago husband killed my father. My mother died of plague! How else can you cause me pain?!" He screamed, loosing his patience.
"I curse you," she said.
"You are too weak to place a pathetic Lunarian curse on me. And I will die and rejoin my wife in the underground quarters of the Earth when I die. My wife forgot that our child will wander the boundaries between life and death. You have punished our innocent child to an eternity of wandering!" Shinu cried bitterly.
"I see it causes you pain to think of them." She pushed on.
"It is of no concern to you. You don't know how much I weep over their deaths." He said in such a sour tone that she cringed.
"Then I curse you to this: You shall live an eternity to think of the deaths of your two females. You cannot kill yourself nor can anyone else kill you, not even the elements. Your wife shall not know or remember you and you will never find my daughter or her loyalty because the world has grown so vast that it will be impossible." She smiled and began to laugh at his astonished face.
~*~Somewhere in space, the orbs stopped in their light-speed tracks. They each split into two different orbs. One of each headed toward the center of the Earth, while the copies turned and headed another way, parallel to the Earth's surface. They would hover there for the next hundreds of years while Shinu would continue to search in vain. The souls that waited in the undergrounds wouldn't wake until Shinu's had joined them.~*~
Then anger grew inside him, yet he did not know if her words would come true. "Do not laugh at me for now that you are doomed to never wander the undergrounds, I laugh that you will never see your precious slayer again!" He shouted.
"Do you not get it?" She howled, "My slayer is of a special immortal breed! He was bred to think, act, and react faster than anyone known to the universe! He will figure out how to bring me back to him."
"There will be no way to bring you back!" He shrieked. Despite his words... she died laughing.
~*~*~*~*~*~
"My queen put a spell on you, did she?" Said Mamoru's voice, which brought him back to the present.
"Yes, she said that nothing could kill me and that I shall live for an eternity to grieve for my beloved." Shinu gave a sly smile as he saw Mamoru shift nervously against the railing.
"You and me. We're going to duke it out. Now." Mamoru commanded.
"As you wish. I will do anything I can to make this your most painful death yet."
They both leapt to the roof of the house and began to stare each other down and gather energy. This would be an even larger battle than that of against chaos.
"You move first. I'll let you have a free shot." Shinu said after five minutes time.
"Whatever you'd like." Mamoru said as he held his hands in a fighting stance. Shinu stood tall and held his chest out. It was a part of the plan to judge how strong Mamoru was.
Mamoru began to run forward and he plunged his fist towards Shinu's chest. He didn't even phase Shinu's stance.
"I thought you would be a bit stronger than this!" He said disbelievingly.
"Just making sure I didn't hurt you too much." Mamoru said with a betraying smile.
They jumped apart and began to run at each other with their arms at the ready. They clashed together with fists plunged into their faces and legs to the highest points possible. Shinu lifted his leg and with a powerful swipe brought it to Mamoru's face, in which Mamoru was lunged into twirls in the air until he landed with a crunch on the roof that knocked the breath from his lungs.
Shinu ran up to him and his black leather glinted in the still rising sun's light. He stood over Mamoru and brought his elbow back and began to aim for his chest, but Mamoru rolled over and narrowly missed his elbow. Shinu aimed for his face again and Mamoru rolled over and heard the crunch of shingles that said his elbow went through the roof.
Mamoru swung himself up and tripped Shinu and brought his leg back and connected with Shinu's stomach. Shinu gasped a small bit and then sat up before his leg could connect again. Shinu grabbed his leg and twisted it and Mamoru fell and rolled off the two-story roof and landed as best he could on his injured leg. Shinu jumped down in pursuit.
Mamoru began to run towards the park. Shinu caught up with him and brought his fist to Mamoru's stomach. Mamoru cringed at the strength of the punch but kept on running. Shinu increased his pace and stood in front of Mamoru's path. Mamoru twirled his cape and sent Shinu into a small confusion. Then he erupted from it and brought his fist up and forced it under Shinu's chin.
"Bastard." Shinu mumbled.
"I think that's my line." Mamoru countered upon hearing the whisper.
Shinu brought his leg up and kicked Mamoru on his back. Shinu walked up to him and raised his head to the sun. His nose began to get longer and his fingers were stretching their way to becoming pointy.
"Oh, no you don't!" Mamoru cried as he stood up. Shinu was taken by surprise and stepped backwards. Mamoru held his hand and lifted it up to use his first attack he ever used in Tuxedo Mask form. He shouted something Shinu did not have time to hear.
He towered over Shinu' body. He had blown his head off, literally. Tuxedo Mask shook his head.
"I want to know what curse it was that my queen placed over you. You are dead before my eyes, I know nothing of curses!" He looked at the sun; it would not be too much longer before the cars started coming. "I guess I'll leave you here for some little kid to find. I'm off then!" He said laughing as he turned. But he almost immediately stopped.
In the shadow of the street lamp, it seemed to be that something was trying to stand and things were flying towards a body. Mamoru turned around and saw Shinu stand fully up, his head was there again and a last small drop of blood flew to his cheek and was absorbed. Mamoru took a step back and began to stutter words of no understanding in his horror.
He began to run as fast as he could towards the park. Shinu pursued him.
"You don't believe in curses, eh?" He cried after him.
Mamoru erupted into the park trees. He could hear this chant behind him: One, two, I'm coming for you. Three, four, let blood poor. Five, six, hear the triggers click. Seven, eight, clean your slate. Nine, ten, you won't live.
Fear mounted in Mamoru's throat. It was the song that all the slayers feared. He had heard from the last slayers that he ever talked to that this was the song that every dragon would sing before they killed a slayer. No one knew how the dragons made the song fill one's head with music. But when the song was sung, it sent everyone who was in earshot into a mass confusion. It was the wording of the song that made it more like a spell. Few ever heard the song and lived, and whenever the song was heard, a dead slayer could be found nearby.
Mamoru stopped running. Ami, Raye, Minako, and Makoto were doing their morning jog. He was saved! But he could still hear the song behind him.
"Help me!" He shouted, emerging from the trees. The girls looked at him in confusion. Only seconds later, Shinu emerged from the trees. He saw them and then he let out a great smile.
"Girls it's been so long! I can't believe that this happened!" His face was turning red and he looked like he was ready to cry, but not a tear was shed. Shinu surveyed them, in the couple of moments that he had. They were all wearing gray sports bras. Minako's shorts were yellow, Makoto's were green, Raye's were red, and Ami's were blue. They had a considerable amount of skin showing.
"For some reason, the name 'Shinu' just popped in my head." Minako whispered into their ears.
"Me too." They all agreed.
"Yes, that's my name. Since the curse was only aimed at Usagi, you can remember me! Now, it's like amnesia, so your memory should come back if I say something familiar..." He was so thrilled that he found them. The curse said that he would never find them all, and here they were. He couldn't keep his energy contained.
"What do you mean sir? We don't know you." Ami said with a sweet smile of politeness.
"If I say 'Dragon', what does that make you think?" He said excitedly. Mamoru began to sneak up from the trees, hoping that he was forgotten in this burst of Shinu's happiness.
They all paused but Raye answered, being the most spiritual in the group. "It makes me think of things I've never seen before."
"Good! Good! Now, I want you to focus on the image in your head and think. I've known you all too well Raye. What do you see?"
"I see a dead baby." She said sadly.
"Good, good. Now, can you see the moon palace?"
"Wait a minute!" Makoto interrupted. "How in the world could you possibly say anything about the moon?" She nudged Raye, who in turn nudged Ami, who nudged Minako. They all got Makoto's meaning.
"Well, I should also know you are the sailors, and I am in dire need of help." He said in a rush. "I was chasing after Mamoru, I assume you know him?"
"Yes, we know him." Ami said.
"He has filled your heads with lies. I want you to focus on the images that are unfamiliar to you. You might catch a glimpse of him-"
"Are you trying to say he's bad?" Minako interrupted.
"Yes! He is everything but good!" Shinu pressed on.
"Why do we need to believe you? We don't even know you!" Makoto inquired.
Neither the girls nor Shinu noticed that Mamoru was sneaking up behind him. Mamoru, when he got close enough, lifted his fist and brought it on Shinu's back. Shinu cringed and turned to face him. Mamoru smiled weakly then punched Shinu's gut. All happiness that Shinu was experiencing was gone now.
"Mamoru, stop that!" Ami screamed in a high pitch.
"Die, you bastard, DIE!" Mamoru yelled.
Shinu pushed Mamoru down and then stretched his neck towards the canopy of the trees. His nose, once again, began to lengthen, and his fingers became longer. But Mamoru grabbed his leg and pulled him down and Shinu gave a loud and almost panther-like roar.
"What in the world?!" Minako and Raye screamed.
"Help me!" Mamoru ordered. The girls didn't know what anything to do but stand there. They watched in horror as Mamoru blasted Shinu's arm off. Then the girls screamed and ran backwards a little ways as his arm reformed.
Ami got her hand held scout computer out and began to analyze Shinu. Her computer could only read 50% of the DNA. The other half was unknown.
"What in the moon's name-?" Ami whispered with a hand reaching to corver her mouth.
"What?" Makoto urged.
"It says that 50 percent of his blood is Lunarian."
"Is what?!" All three said together.
"One of his parents are from the moon kingdom." Ami whispered so lightly in a frightened voice that it might have been a thought.
"Girls! We've got to help him!" Raye ordered.
"But we're talking about Mamoru, Raye! We can't just go and kill the prince!" Minako countered hotly.
"Listen! I'm getting a vibe from him! And it's close to the one I sensed at Usagi's boot camp! But this one is a greater good. We've got to trust him!" Raye cried at them in anger.
"Well..." Ami began wordlessly.
"I say we do it." Makoto agreed.
"I'm in." Minako almost yelled excitedly.
"Fine. Computer, analyze that second half of his blood. Go all the way back to the 1400's if you have to." Ami demanded immediately.
"Searching," the computer said in its robotic voice, "searching, searching, searching-DNA match found-DNA matches that of 1600's. DNA matches dragon." it bleeped a couple of times and then continued. "DNA matches mythical creature sample claimed to be found by a mad man. Mad man was put in asylum in the year A.C.125. Exactly three years, four months, six weeks, two days, twelve hours, nine minutes, and fifty-six seconds ago. Mythical creature DNA believed to have been faked to take fame-"
Ami snapped the computer's lid shut. "There is no way that that man is half of a dragon."
"That computer is so damn exact!" Minako stated and ignored Ami's comment. "Fifty-six seconds, nine minutes, ten hours-"
"Twelve hours." Ami corrected despite her anger at this unproven knowledge.
"Listen! Did you NOT hear that roar when Mamoru grabbed his leg?!" Makoto questioned disbelievingly. "I'm going to go kick some ass and if y'all want to stay on the side lines that's fine-"
"I'm in." they all said gravely.
As they turned, they watched the onslaught of the two men. They were both badly injured and Shinu seemed to be inflicting the most damage.
"Command the immortals to give you strength in the name of your planet." Shinu ordered from across the park. They ignored it and shouted the same phrase they had been taught, nothing happened. "Command the immortals to give you strength in the name of your planet!" He urged more sternly.
They looked at each other and then they shouted together with red cheeks:
"In the name of Mercury-"
"In the name of Venus-"
"In the name of Mars-"
"In the name of Jupiter-"
"We command the immortals to give us strength!"
They stood and waited for something to happen. They began to feel the earth tremble beneath their feet; something started to grab their ankles as the rising sun began to disappear. They found themselves seeing again in the darkness of a damp, earthy, fire-lit place.
"Where are we?" Minako asked rubbing her head.
"You are in the immortal realm. Or limbo, if you prefer." Answered a sweet but unfamiliar voice from the shadows.
Minako scrambled backwards and grabbed hold of Raye's arm. Raye grasped her back while Ami came to join. Makaoto stood up, unafraid.
"Why are we here?" She asked sternly but with a rude and warning edge.
"Shinu has sent you, has he not?" Soothed the voice.
"Yes, but why are we here, in this place?" She asked with a little more edge.
"You are here for the long awaited choosing."
"Choosing?" Makoto pondered while the others gathered their courage.
"Yes, members of our kind will choose to give their powers to you." The sweet voice added a sorrowful note to the word 'give.'
"But what does this have to do with us?"
"Hush child, before we decide to refuse you." She said in threat and loss of patience. She stepped forward and let the fires mounted on the wall light her face. She had long golden hair which was bound by a strip of leather very loosely and eyes the color of the sky. She looked only a year or two older than them. Her pupils gave a twitch as they adjusted to the light. Her skin was tan, despite the supposed years she had spent down here. The fire reflected in her peach lips, she was a truly splendid figure. She took a step forward and ran a finger along Makoto's cheek, and Makoto let her do this.
She wore a silky white bathing-suit looking armor that clung around her chest. Makoto could tell this was armor because it had the classic sound of metal when her fingernails scraped or bumped into her side. She had a sword tied with sashes to her back and the classical sandals that laced all the way up her calves. A real silk drape hung around her waist and a large necklace of metal laced to the armor, crawled up her collar bone, and tied around her neck, holding the armor in its place. She turned her head and looked around Makoto to the others.
"Stand before you are sent back to our respectable's aid without our help." She said in a harsh note. They stood obediently, but stood together. The woman walked to the edge of the shadows. "I chose the one that came forth first, they one with brown hair and emerald eyes." She announced.
"You chose slowly but wisely, Utsukushii." Said a male voice, "I hope you will help her well?"
"Yes, Lord Hono'o, of course." Utsukushii answered in a greatly reassuring voice. (AN: Utsukushii= Beautiful.)
"Tell yours to step aside now. Explain the situation to all of them and tell them not to worry, and send forth the three others." Hono'o said.
"Yes sir."
"Alright, what is your name, the one with the emerald eyes?" She asked looking with piercing blue eyes that appeared like they were carved from the sky. They gave a flash and then she gave her name involuntarily.
"Makoto."
"Now, I shall ask you to step away from these others Makoto. Just for a quick moment." She added at the sight of her unwilling face. Makoto stepped from them and stood next to the dark shadows. She tried to get a glimpse into the darkness but saw nothing.
"I suppose all of you are wondering why you are here?" She asked kindly, now that her choosing was over. They all nodded their heads slightly. "Shinu, with whom you have met just now on the surface, was doomed to live upon the surface by the filthy Lunarian Queen. I am ashamed to say that she was ever one of us. But now Shinu pays for her arrogance and we have tried many times to save him. He lives life with no purpose and he longs for a love he has once lost. He has sent you to help him. You will each be chosen by a different breed of immortals and you will serve out their purpose and yours. An evil has been dwelling on the surface and as we are unable to do anything to prevent this from down here, we need your aid. We have collected the strongest immortals here, in this single room. I am a vampire," Makoto cast a quick glance at her teeth and found this to be true, "and Makoto will inherit my powers, she will become a vampire and also be a scout and she will work with this new found power to save the universe. I hope you are ready." She finished.
She stepped to the side next to Makoto, and settled there while Makoto gave her nervous glances. A man stepped out of the shadows.
"Now it is my turn," He said with a smile. His hair was orange and his eyes held a burning in them, as they were red. His skin was very dark, like a well treated tan. He studied the three remaining girls. "I am a fire sprite." His eyes kept drifting to Raye's chest. This caught her attention and she folded her arms in an angry gesture.
"I would appreciate it if you wouldn't look at me so hungrily!" She said in a tone that said she was also flattered.
"I must see something quickly. May I Lord Hono'o?" He asked, still eyeing her shirt. Raye took a moment to examine him. He wore a brown armor. It looked like two pieces of leather were tied to each other with him in between. His pants were long and they were made of the same material, tied in the same way. A flap of the material hung down in the front and back, she guessed due to modesty. And then his burning hair was held out of his face with a cloth that was tied in the back of his head, yet, hair still fell to cover small pieces of his forehead; his hair looked like it was on fire. A piece of red and shining cloth was tied around his waist and his pants legs flared out for the boots he was wearing. Raye felt attracted to the young man.
"Yes, Proceed." Said the same voice that had answered to Utsukushii.
The fire sprite walked up to Raye and in one swift movement his hand was in her gray sports bra and on her left breast, her face was redder than it had ever been before. She was clueless on what to do, so were the others. She looked at the fire sprite's face and found that his eyes were still focused on hers. He removed his hand and she covered herself as best as she could, utterly disgruntled. Without breaking eye contact, the fire sprite turned his head the slightest bit.
"This one has an ability I have never seen before. Look at the rib that rests in front of her heart, under her breast. It is a very strong force of telling the future. She has a gift that is given to few. I want her."
"Very well," finalized the voice, "but at least introduce yourself after that rude movement of your hands."
"My name is Kurai, and I am a fire sprite, as I have already informed you. I'm sorry for my intrusion of your personal space, but I had to feel if you had the special gift... please forgive my rudeness." (AN: Kurai= Dark)
"That's okay, just don't let it happen again! If it does then I'll beat you down with a broom."
Kurai gave a weak smile then put a hand across her shoulder and led her to stand next to Makoto and Utsukushii.
"Go forth and chose one of the last two, Sens?." Said Lord Hono'o. He was staying in the shadows. (AN: Sens?=War)
"As you wish," said a new voice. Another man stepped forward and postured himself as the crow flies. He had giant wings of a clear material, they were patterned with many colors and swirling shapes. With the elaborate designs it was almost impossible to see how the wings were so transparent. He wore a silken material with two wholes cut out for the four wings he possessed. his pants looked like they were denim, yet they looked so much softer. His skin was the palest of the three they had seen. His hair was black and sloppy but cut to perfection. He had a calm appearance that made his long face seem like a cloud. A black leather belt held his calm appearance together with the effect of strictness. His eyes were like leaves in their lushness, they were the color of jade and his eyes looked almost sad, yet they held pride.
"I am Sens?, if you have not guessed. I am a fairy. May I ask your name?" He said, looking at the blue haired girl.
"Ami," she said in an almost whisper.
"Ami," he said as if to test the name on his tongue, "such a simple name. You catch my eye. There is a presence of calm around you... may I ask you to calculate something for me?"
"Yes sir, but why?." She said in a tone to assure herself this would be easy.
"Being a fairy is all about calculations; you will find this out later, if you pass my test." He soothed in such a calm voice that she was disappointed when he stopped talking.
"I love to work out problems, I'm very good at calculations."
"Okay then: thirty-two divided by four times the square root of two hundred and sixty-five minus seventy-three plus five hundred and twelve minus negative four hundred and seven times negative 3 to the third power." His smile became tricky, as he figured she would give up quickly and give in. But he was wrong.
"Twenty-three thousand, two hundred seventy-four." She answered with a smug smile. He stared at her for a long while then he turned to the shadows.
"I will take this one." He said as he grabbed her hand and led her next to Raye and Kurai.
"Now, I have waited for this moment." Said the voice in the shadows. Minako assumed that this was the last person in the shadows. Minako began to tremble, she was the only one standing there and she was fearful that this man would not like her. He had no choice but her. She had never been the last person picked on the team, and she didn't like being the last here.
The figure stuck a foot out of the shadows. Then he stepped fully out. He was a tall man; at least he was taller than any one there. He held his hands behind him and he stood with a straight back. He wore tight leather armor over his chest in the color of black. His muscles flexed with every finger that moved and his stomach muscles were so strong that they were visible through the leather. His pants were also black leather and a single flap was on the front of his pants. When he turned to look at the shadows, Minako could see his tight butt and his perfectly carved thighs. His hair was brown and stuck straight up into the air, as if held by gel, but no gel was apparent. His ears were pointed like the small glimpse she had gotten of Shinu's. His eyes were his most stunning feature, they were brilliant hazel.
"Minako, I don't want you to feel bad that you got picked last. I am very pleased to have you as my partner, and you should know that if I had gone first, I would have picked you first. It is a special bond that each of these pairs in this room shares. If you were left for me, then it is fate that has led you to be picked last, and as my partner, you shall be the best in my standards."
"Yes sir." She answered weakly.
"And don't be afraid of me."
"Yes sir," she paused for a second then continued, "May I ask what you are?"
Utsukushii stepped forward in defense, "Do not let her offend you with such a petty question, my lord."
"Step down, my partner has a right to ask what questions she wants. She is a surface dweller and has no idea of the undergrounds." He said in a voice that meant he was not offended by anything except for that small intrusion.
"I didn't mean anything by it sir, I just meant that he's a fairy, he's a fire sprite, she's a vampire...what are you?"
"Such a simple question to answer, I am a dragon. I used to be the strongest dragon in the universe, but my son has surpassed me. And now I need your help to aid him where I cannot."
"What's his name? Where is he?" She asked in innocent wonder.
"His name is Shinu. He is frozen in time right now on the surface. By the time we will have finished with you all, you will be able to fight a worse evil that is on its way.
"I have a question, Sens?," Ami began, "I don't have wings, so how am I going to become a fairy?"
"We must exchange DNA in the easiest way there is." Sens? answered.
"How is that?" Ami asked in a confused tone.
Hono'o overheard the little conversation and answered for Sens?. "We must have a great feast, get drunken on wine, and all have sex! How else could you possibly think.?!" He said in a hilarious tone as if this were the most obvious thing in the world.
"What?!" They all screamed together.
"Well, Shinu's mother sure didn't mind, she said that being a dragon was the best thing in her life that ever happened, besides meeting me." Hono'o assured them.
"Then how is Shinu a half Lunarian?!" Ami demanded.
"His mother was! After being with me, she was basically a half-breed herself!" Hono'o said with a laugh.
"HOW IS THIS GOING TO WORK WITH ME AND HER?!" Makoto demanded.
"You must be hallucinating," Utsukushii said, "Another vampire will do that for me, I'm just training you." She finished hotly.
"But-" Ami began but was interrupted by Kurai.
"It doesn't matter your all virgins or not! It is time to end the fun and save the world. I will not let my life be taken because four little girls wouldn't do something naughty."
"Little?" Raye, Minako, and Makoto said in a foreboding voice.
"Call this little!" Raye and Minako said as they grabbed Hono'o and Kurai's leather armor and threw them against the wall with a huge kiss. When they pulled back, Hono'o and Kurai were so dazed that they almost lost their balance.
"Call that little." She said with a smirk.
"Girls! Girls, all it takes is a willing mortal, a willing immortal, and a kiss! No sex involved." Utsukushii said with a hardy laugh.
"You're a fire sprite now." Kurai said with a smile down a Raye.
"I wish you could see your pointed ears." Hono'o said pleased. Minako reached cautious fingers to the tips of her ears, they were pointed alright. Her eyes widened and her heart raced, she opened her mouth but nothing came out.
~*~*~*~*~*
Alright! I'm done with this chapter! More coming soon...if I get ten reviews! Yep I'm back to that again! :P But I'm going to end my book here if I don't get ten reviews! Please, please, PLEASE review!
Never say goodbye
I want to know the truth
Instead of wondering why
I want to know the answers
No more lies
I want to shut the door
And open up my mind
--Likin Park, Runaway
To live a life without love is to never live. I fear I will never live, for I will never love. Not again.
--Senshi's Tenshi, Only Fools Fall in Love
Hey! Likin Park rules, ya'll!!! I will take quotes from you if you review and request me to put them up, but if they're from a song, I need the artist, okay? I might or might not put them up depending on how good the quote is. If I get two good ones then I will put both of them up. But I also want to say that I don't mean that you're quote is bad if I don't it up... I chose the quote for this chapter because it related to the last chapter. Now, I have to say that the last chapter was very, very long. I hope this one is shorter!
*I don't believe in disclaimers.
Chapter 17: Fairies, Fire sprites, and Vampires- Oh, my!
Mamoru's black hair was whipped in his face by the non-existent wind. Shinu eyed the man in a hatful manner, then a smile spread across his face as he began to laugh. His laugh was wicked and betrayed the tenseness in the air.
"Why do you laugh? Stop that nonsense!" Mamoru screamed in fury. They were ten or more feet away from each other, standing on opposite sides of the two-story balcony.
"But it makes me laugh when I think of the stories you have filled her mind with. You? The prince of Earth?! It makes me want to vomit almost. And you fill her head with stories of yourself?" He clasped his palms firmly at his sides. "You leave me out of the whole story? You lead her on to believe that her mother is NOT a murderer? You make me sick."
"If you love her so much, then why did you let her go? You talk of loving her but she is in the arms of neither you nor me at this very instant! What love can you possibly possess?" Mamoru's face twisted in a malicious and spiteful way at his own cleverness.
"I possess a love so strong for her that I am willing to let her chose. I can't make her love me, and won't make her love me. It was your wife who placed that accursed spell on her. Now she has no memory of me, just the lies that you told her." Shinu lowered his eyes to the wood he stood upon and his hair rushed forth to cover his eyes, leaving his pointed ears vacant.
"You know that she doesn't love you, which she never has. You just can't make yourself face the fact that she doesn't belong to you anymore. You're scared. Like that little child you were once: the little pointy-eared dragon child that everyone was afraid of, the little dragon child that left death in its path, the last thing on Earth with blood of dragons coursing through your veins."
Shinu dug his nails into his palms. Then he remembered. "You're insane, I don't care if she loves me or not because all I want her to do in life is be happy. I know the knowledge I have burdened her with tonight has only made her sad, but she will be happier knowing the truth. But you, on the other hand," he paused with a crafty smile, "You can't handle the fact that Queen Serenity can't be reborn. Because of her last moments alive, she can't be reborn. So what are you trying to accomplish by lying to Usagi?"
"If you must know," Mamoru began, "I will use her body to bring back my queen," his smile grew more malevolent. "I will kill Usagi's soul and let Serenity's take its place. And judging by the look on your face...I don't think you'll be happy."
"You will accomplish nothing of the sort. I shall kill you like I did your dear murderer." Shinu said with a growing growl in his voice. Mamoru took a step backwards towards the railing and grabbed it. The growl that was burning its way through Shinu's throat was a warning. And Mamoru, knowing this growl from his experience with dragons, could not help but remember Hono'o. (AN: Hono'o= blaze)
"And you insist that you will die like Hono'o?! You insist that I kill the last remnants of dragon blood that stand upon this Earth?" Mamoru inquired. The more upset a dragon gets, the weaker it becomes. Shinu recognized this tactic.
"I will not let you kill me like you did my father." Shinu said with a smirk so wily that Mamoru began to shake.
"But I killed your father as easy as a fly," he bluffed, "Do you think that you would be a match?"
"Ha! You're joking, right?! I am much stronger than my father ever was, so said my mother. And you snuck up on my father while he was in human form and got the first blow. You got him by surprise, and from what I've heard, you almost died because he beat you up so terribly bad in the two times that he hit you, you coward." Shinu countered. He never knew his father... but Mamoru was the last person with the gift of the slayers in his blood. Shinu would be happy to kill Mamoru in balance for all the dragons that he killed just like his father.
"Ah, yes. But your father should've been on his guard all the time, being the last full-blooded dragon. And he was supposed to be the strongest of them all when they still lived. But back to the point, I WILL kill you."
"Be it a battle to the end." Shinu said. His smile was so wicked that it shocked Mamoru like a lightning bolt from the blue. Shinu laughed so evilly that it sent chills down Mamoru's back.
"Why do you look so relieved? I shall kill you." Mamoru exploded in a rage.
"It is a matter of blood!" Shinu said behind his evil laughs. "Whoever wins, wins for their race! If I win, then I shall pass on the blood of the dragons. If you win then you shall pass on the blood of the slayers!" Shinu looked at the rising sun. It was an unusual color of red. It was a sign of sure victory.
"When I kill you then I shall honor my race and the queen!" Mamoru alleged in wrath.
"But your precious queen put a spell on me." Shinu said casually. He thought back to the scene he had not shown Usagi.
~*~*~*~*~*~
"Go my darling and loyalty to her. You five shall live happily on Earth. I will find you again one day, trust me."
The Shinu in his memories watched the five orbs hover through the doorframe then shine brightly and disappear. He walked over to the bed and laid his warm body next to his wife and child's. They were so cold. Maybe if he warmed their hearts that were penetrated by the dagger, maybe if he could make them warm... maybe they would wake up.
He looked at the flames on the distant wall. He would stay here and burn to death holding his family. His soul would then become the orb that his wife's did. That is what separates the mortals from the immortal. Dragons, lunarians, imps, pixies, goblins... there were so few of these sighted now a days. They moved underground after the great slaughter of the plague. The world blamed the plague on the immortals and killed all that could be found.
The people who had never witnessed the splendor of the immortals blamed it on their own people! Blamed it on their own mortal friends! Blamed it on those that were different, the Jews. The way the mortal mind works is such a mystery to the immortals. The humans today think that the immortals are fable and tale told to scare the youth. Yet, as they tell these stories, the immortals scramble beneath their feet, planning their next adventure to the surface world.
Shinu began to think what it would be like to meet with his wife and make a new child. The one in which he had in his arms was so young that its soul could not be reborn, for the soul develops over the years. A silent tear rolled down his skin, and then an abrupt scream of anger disturbed the sound of music and crackles the flames produced as they danced. Shinu shot out of the bed and stood as the crow flies.
"You think you could get rid of me so easily?!" Screamed a voice so painfully familiar that he dared not to look.
"Your soul will be sent elsewhere when your blood runs out of your body to filth the floor more than it deserves. Your last moments alive have betrayed the immortals." He said. He forced himself to look at the spot where the mangled Queen stood. She wasn't standing, but clinging to the doorframe. Her legs lay outside the castle and on the ground still.
"I will cause you pain if it's the last thing I do!" She screamed. She was weak and dieing. Her voice held mental and physical pain. It was gruesome and pathetic to see her there.
"You have already passed a blade through my still bleeding hand and killed my family! And your long ago husband killed my father. My mother died of plague! How else can you cause me pain?!" He screamed, loosing his patience.
"I curse you," she said.
"You are too weak to place a pathetic Lunarian curse on me. And I will die and rejoin my wife in the underground quarters of the Earth when I die. My wife forgot that our child will wander the boundaries between life and death. You have punished our innocent child to an eternity of wandering!" Shinu cried bitterly.
"I see it causes you pain to think of them." She pushed on.
"It is of no concern to you. You don't know how much I weep over their deaths." He said in such a sour tone that she cringed.
"Then I curse you to this: You shall live an eternity to think of the deaths of your two females. You cannot kill yourself nor can anyone else kill you, not even the elements. Your wife shall not know or remember you and you will never find my daughter or her loyalty because the world has grown so vast that it will be impossible." She smiled and began to laugh at his astonished face.
~*~Somewhere in space, the orbs stopped in their light-speed tracks. They each split into two different orbs. One of each headed toward the center of the Earth, while the copies turned and headed another way, parallel to the Earth's surface. They would hover there for the next hundreds of years while Shinu would continue to search in vain. The souls that waited in the undergrounds wouldn't wake until Shinu's had joined them.~*~
Then anger grew inside him, yet he did not know if her words would come true. "Do not laugh at me for now that you are doomed to never wander the undergrounds, I laugh that you will never see your precious slayer again!" He shouted.
"Do you not get it?" She howled, "My slayer is of a special immortal breed! He was bred to think, act, and react faster than anyone known to the universe! He will figure out how to bring me back to him."
"There will be no way to bring you back!" He shrieked. Despite his words... she died laughing.
~*~*~*~*~*~
"My queen put a spell on you, did she?" Said Mamoru's voice, which brought him back to the present.
"Yes, she said that nothing could kill me and that I shall live for an eternity to grieve for my beloved." Shinu gave a sly smile as he saw Mamoru shift nervously against the railing.
"You and me. We're going to duke it out. Now." Mamoru commanded.
"As you wish. I will do anything I can to make this your most painful death yet."
They both leapt to the roof of the house and began to stare each other down and gather energy. This would be an even larger battle than that of against chaos.
"You move first. I'll let you have a free shot." Shinu said after five minutes time.
"Whatever you'd like." Mamoru said as he held his hands in a fighting stance. Shinu stood tall and held his chest out. It was a part of the plan to judge how strong Mamoru was.
Mamoru began to run forward and he plunged his fist towards Shinu's chest. He didn't even phase Shinu's stance.
"I thought you would be a bit stronger than this!" He said disbelievingly.
"Just making sure I didn't hurt you too much." Mamoru said with a betraying smile.
They jumped apart and began to run at each other with their arms at the ready. They clashed together with fists plunged into their faces and legs to the highest points possible. Shinu lifted his leg and with a powerful swipe brought it to Mamoru's face, in which Mamoru was lunged into twirls in the air until he landed with a crunch on the roof that knocked the breath from his lungs.
Shinu ran up to him and his black leather glinted in the still rising sun's light. He stood over Mamoru and brought his elbow back and began to aim for his chest, but Mamoru rolled over and narrowly missed his elbow. Shinu aimed for his face again and Mamoru rolled over and heard the crunch of shingles that said his elbow went through the roof.
Mamoru swung himself up and tripped Shinu and brought his leg back and connected with Shinu's stomach. Shinu gasped a small bit and then sat up before his leg could connect again. Shinu grabbed his leg and twisted it and Mamoru fell and rolled off the two-story roof and landed as best he could on his injured leg. Shinu jumped down in pursuit.
Mamoru began to run towards the park. Shinu caught up with him and brought his fist to Mamoru's stomach. Mamoru cringed at the strength of the punch but kept on running. Shinu increased his pace and stood in front of Mamoru's path. Mamoru twirled his cape and sent Shinu into a small confusion. Then he erupted from it and brought his fist up and forced it under Shinu's chin.
"Bastard." Shinu mumbled.
"I think that's my line." Mamoru countered upon hearing the whisper.
Shinu brought his leg up and kicked Mamoru on his back. Shinu walked up to him and raised his head to the sun. His nose began to get longer and his fingers were stretching their way to becoming pointy.
"Oh, no you don't!" Mamoru cried as he stood up. Shinu was taken by surprise and stepped backwards. Mamoru held his hand and lifted it up to use his first attack he ever used in Tuxedo Mask form. He shouted something Shinu did not have time to hear.
He towered over Shinu' body. He had blown his head off, literally. Tuxedo Mask shook his head.
"I want to know what curse it was that my queen placed over you. You are dead before my eyes, I know nothing of curses!" He looked at the sun; it would not be too much longer before the cars started coming. "I guess I'll leave you here for some little kid to find. I'm off then!" He said laughing as he turned. But he almost immediately stopped.
In the shadow of the street lamp, it seemed to be that something was trying to stand and things were flying towards a body. Mamoru turned around and saw Shinu stand fully up, his head was there again and a last small drop of blood flew to his cheek and was absorbed. Mamoru took a step back and began to stutter words of no understanding in his horror.
He began to run as fast as he could towards the park. Shinu pursued him.
"You don't believe in curses, eh?" He cried after him.
Mamoru erupted into the park trees. He could hear this chant behind him: One, two, I'm coming for you. Three, four, let blood poor. Five, six, hear the triggers click. Seven, eight, clean your slate. Nine, ten, you won't live.
Fear mounted in Mamoru's throat. It was the song that all the slayers feared. He had heard from the last slayers that he ever talked to that this was the song that every dragon would sing before they killed a slayer. No one knew how the dragons made the song fill one's head with music. But when the song was sung, it sent everyone who was in earshot into a mass confusion. It was the wording of the song that made it more like a spell. Few ever heard the song and lived, and whenever the song was heard, a dead slayer could be found nearby.
Mamoru stopped running. Ami, Raye, Minako, and Makoto were doing their morning jog. He was saved! But he could still hear the song behind him.
"Help me!" He shouted, emerging from the trees. The girls looked at him in confusion. Only seconds later, Shinu emerged from the trees. He saw them and then he let out a great smile.
"Girls it's been so long! I can't believe that this happened!" His face was turning red and he looked like he was ready to cry, but not a tear was shed. Shinu surveyed them, in the couple of moments that he had. They were all wearing gray sports bras. Minako's shorts were yellow, Makoto's were green, Raye's were red, and Ami's were blue. They had a considerable amount of skin showing.
"For some reason, the name 'Shinu' just popped in my head." Minako whispered into their ears.
"Me too." They all agreed.
"Yes, that's my name. Since the curse was only aimed at Usagi, you can remember me! Now, it's like amnesia, so your memory should come back if I say something familiar..." He was so thrilled that he found them. The curse said that he would never find them all, and here they were. He couldn't keep his energy contained.
"What do you mean sir? We don't know you." Ami said with a sweet smile of politeness.
"If I say 'Dragon', what does that make you think?" He said excitedly. Mamoru began to sneak up from the trees, hoping that he was forgotten in this burst of Shinu's happiness.
They all paused but Raye answered, being the most spiritual in the group. "It makes me think of things I've never seen before."
"Good! Good! Now, I want you to focus on the image in your head and think. I've known you all too well Raye. What do you see?"
"I see a dead baby." She said sadly.
"Good, good. Now, can you see the moon palace?"
"Wait a minute!" Makoto interrupted. "How in the world could you possibly say anything about the moon?" She nudged Raye, who in turn nudged Ami, who nudged Minako. They all got Makoto's meaning.
"Well, I should also know you are the sailors, and I am in dire need of help." He said in a rush. "I was chasing after Mamoru, I assume you know him?"
"Yes, we know him." Ami said.
"He has filled your heads with lies. I want you to focus on the images that are unfamiliar to you. You might catch a glimpse of him-"
"Are you trying to say he's bad?" Minako interrupted.
"Yes! He is everything but good!" Shinu pressed on.
"Why do we need to believe you? We don't even know you!" Makoto inquired.
Neither the girls nor Shinu noticed that Mamoru was sneaking up behind him. Mamoru, when he got close enough, lifted his fist and brought it on Shinu's back. Shinu cringed and turned to face him. Mamoru smiled weakly then punched Shinu's gut. All happiness that Shinu was experiencing was gone now.
"Mamoru, stop that!" Ami screamed in a high pitch.
"Die, you bastard, DIE!" Mamoru yelled.
Shinu pushed Mamoru down and then stretched his neck towards the canopy of the trees. His nose, once again, began to lengthen, and his fingers became longer. But Mamoru grabbed his leg and pulled him down and Shinu gave a loud and almost panther-like roar.
"What in the world?!" Minako and Raye screamed.
"Help me!" Mamoru ordered. The girls didn't know what anything to do but stand there. They watched in horror as Mamoru blasted Shinu's arm off. Then the girls screamed and ran backwards a little ways as his arm reformed.
Ami got her hand held scout computer out and began to analyze Shinu. Her computer could only read 50% of the DNA. The other half was unknown.
"What in the moon's name-?" Ami whispered with a hand reaching to corver her mouth.
"What?" Makoto urged.
"It says that 50 percent of his blood is Lunarian."
"Is what?!" All three said together.
"One of his parents are from the moon kingdom." Ami whispered so lightly in a frightened voice that it might have been a thought.
"Girls! We've got to help him!" Raye ordered.
"But we're talking about Mamoru, Raye! We can't just go and kill the prince!" Minako countered hotly.
"Listen! I'm getting a vibe from him! And it's close to the one I sensed at Usagi's boot camp! But this one is a greater good. We've got to trust him!" Raye cried at them in anger.
"Well..." Ami began wordlessly.
"I say we do it." Makoto agreed.
"I'm in." Minako almost yelled excitedly.
"Fine. Computer, analyze that second half of his blood. Go all the way back to the 1400's if you have to." Ami demanded immediately.
"Searching," the computer said in its robotic voice, "searching, searching, searching-DNA match found-DNA matches that of 1600's. DNA matches dragon." it bleeped a couple of times and then continued. "DNA matches mythical creature sample claimed to be found by a mad man. Mad man was put in asylum in the year A.C.125. Exactly three years, four months, six weeks, two days, twelve hours, nine minutes, and fifty-six seconds ago. Mythical creature DNA believed to have been faked to take fame-"
Ami snapped the computer's lid shut. "There is no way that that man is half of a dragon."
"That computer is so damn exact!" Minako stated and ignored Ami's comment. "Fifty-six seconds, nine minutes, ten hours-"
"Twelve hours." Ami corrected despite her anger at this unproven knowledge.
"Listen! Did you NOT hear that roar when Mamoru grabbed his leg?!" Makoto questioned disbelievingly. "I'm going to go kick some ass and if y'all want to stay on the side lines that's fine-"
"I'm in." they all said gravely.
As they turned, they watched the onslaught of the two men. They were both badly injured and Shinu seemed to be inflicting the most damage.
"Command the immortals to give you strength in the name of your planet." Shinu ordered from across the park. They ignored it and shouted the same phrase they had been taught, nothing happened. "Command the immortals to give you strength in the name of your planet!" He urged more sternly.
They looked at each other and then they shouted together with red cheeks:
"In the name of Mercury-"
"In the name of Venus-"
"In the name of Mars-"
"In the name of Jupiter-"
"We command the immortals to give us strength!"
They stood and waited for something to happen. They began to feel the earth tremble beneath their feet; something started to grab their ankles as the rising sun began to disappear. They found themselves seeing again in the darkness of a damp, earthy, fire-lit place.
"Where are we?" Minako asked rubbing her head.
"You are in the immortal realm. Or limbo, if you prefer." Answered a sweet but unfamiliar voice from the shadows.
Minako scrambled backwards and grabbed hold of Raye's arm. Raye grasped her back while Ami came to join. Makaoto stood up, unafraid.
"Why are we here?" She asked sternly but with a rude and warning edge.
"Shinu has sent you, has he not?" Soothed the voice.
"Yes, but why are we here, in this place?" She asked with a little more edge.
"You are here for the long awaited choosing."
"Choosing?" Makoto pondered while the others gathered their courage.
"Yes, members of our kind will choose to give their powers to you." The sweet voice added a sorrowful note to the word 'give.'
"But what does this have to do with us?"
"Hush child, before we decide to refuse you." She said in threat and loss of patience. She stepped forward and let the fires mounted on the wall light her face. She had long golden hair which was bound by a strip of leather very loosely and eyes the color of the sky. She looked only a year or two older than them. Her pupils gave a twitch as they adjusted to the light. Her skin was tan, despite the supposed years she had spent down here. The fire reflected in her peach lips, she was a truly splendid figure. She took a step forward and ran a finger along Makoto's cheek, and Makoto let her do this.
She wore a silky white bathing-suit looking armor that clung around her chest. Makoto could tell this was armor because it had the classic sound of metal when her fingernails scraped or bumped into her side. She had a sword tied with sashes to her back and the classical sandals that laced all the way up her calves. A real silk drape hung around her waist and a large necklace of metal laced to the armor, crawled up her collar bone, and tied around her neck, holding the armor in its place. She turned her head and looked around Makoto to the others.
"Stand before you are sent back to our respectable's aid without our help." She said in a harsh note. They stood obediently, but stood together. The woman walked to the edge of the shadows. "I chose the one that came forth first, they one with brown hair and emerald eyes." She announced.
"You chose slowly but wisely, Utsukushii." Said a male voice, "I hope you will help her well?"
"Yes, Lord Hono'o, of course." Utsukushii answered in a greatly reassuring voice. (AN: Utsukushii= Beautiful.)
"Tell yours to step aside now. Explain the situation to all of them and tell them not to worry, and send forth the three others." Hono'o said.
"Yes sir."
"Alright, what is your name, the one with the emerald eyes?" She asked looking with piercing blue eyes that appeared like they were carved from the sky. They gave a flash and then she gave her name involuntarily.
"Makoto."
"Now, I shall ask you to step away from these others Makoto. Just for a quick moment." She added at the sight of her unwilling face. Makoto stepped from them and stood next to the dark shadows. She tried to get a glimpse into the darkness but saw nothing.
"I suppose all of you are wondering why you are here?" She asked kindly, now that her choosing was over. They all nodded their heads slightly. "Shinu, with whom you have met just now on the surface, was doomed to live upon the surface by the filthy Lunarian Queen. I am ashamed to say that she was ever one of us. But now Shinu pays for her arrogance and we have tried many times to save him. He lives life with no purpose and he longs for a love he has once lost. He has sent you to help him. You will each be chosen by a different breed of immortals and you will serve out their purpose and yours. An evil has been dwelling on the surface and as we are unable to do anything to prevent this from down here, we need your aid. We have collected the strongest immortals here, in this single room. I am a vampire," Makoto cast a quick glance at her teeth and found this to be true, "and Makoto will inherit my powers, she will become a vampire and also be a scout and she will work with this new found power to save the universe. I hope you are ready." She finished.
She stepped to the side next to Makoto, and settled there while Makoto gave her nervous glances. A man stepped out of the shadows.
"Now it is my turn," He said with a smile. His hair was orange and his eyes held a burning in them, as they were red. His skin was very dark, like a well treated tan. He studied the three remaining girls. "I am a fire sprite." His eyes kept drifting to Raye's chest. This caught her attention and she folded her arms in an angry gesture.
"I would appreciate it if you wouldn't look at me so hungrily!" She said in a tone that said she was also flattered.
"I must see something quickly. May I Lord Hono'o?" He asked, still eyeing her shirt. Raye took a moment to examine him. He wore a brown armor. It looked like two pieces of leather were tied to each other with him in between. His pants were long and they were made of the same material, tied in the same way. A flap of the material hung down in the front and back, she guessed due to modesty. And then his burning hair was held out of his face with a cloth that was tied in the back of his head, yet, hair still fell to cover small pieces of his forehead; his hair looked like it was on fire. A piece of red and shining cloth was tied around his waist and his pants legs flared out for the boots he was wearing. Raye felt attracted to the young man.
"Yes, Proceed." Said the same voice that had answered to Utsukushii.
The fire sprite walked up to Raye and in one swift movement his hand was in her gray sports bra and on her left breast, her face was redder than it had ever been before. She was clueless on what to do, so were the others. She looked at the fire sprite's face and found that his eyes were still focused on hers. He removed his hand and she covered herself as best as she could, utterly disgruntled. Without breaking eye contact, the fire sprite turned his head the slightest bit.
"This one has an ability I have never seen before. Look at the rib that rests in front of her heart, under her breast. It is a very strong force of telling the future. She has a gift that is given to few. I want her."
"Very well," finalized the voice, "but at least introduce yourself after that rude movement of your hands."
"My name is Kurai, and I am a fire sprite, as I have already informed you. I'm sorry for my intrusion of your personal space, but I had to feel if you had the special gift... please forgive my rudeness." (AN: Kurai= Dark)
"That's okay, just don't let it happen again! If it does then I'll beat you down with a broom."
Kurai gave a weak smile then put a hand across her shoulder and led her to stand next to Makoto and Utsukushii.
"Go forth and chose one of the last two, Sens?." Said Lord Hono'o. He was staying in the shadows. (AN: Sens?=War)
"As you wish," said a new voice. Another man stepped forward and postured himself as the crow flies. He had giant wings of a clear material, they were patterned with many colors and swirling shapes. With the elaborate designs it was almost impossible to see how the wings were so transparent. He wore a silken material with two wholes cut out for the four wings he possessed. his pants looked like they were denim, yet they looked so much softer. His skin was the palest of the three they had seen. His hair was black and sloppy but cut to perfection. He had a calm appearance that made his long face seem like a cloud. A black leather belt held his calm appearance together with the effect of strictness. His eyes were like leaves in their lushness, they were the color of jade and his eyes looked almost sad, yet they held pride.
"I am Sens?, if you have not guessed. I am a fairy. May I ask your name?" He said, looking at the blue haired girl.
"Ami," she said in an almost whisper.
"Ami," he said as if to test the name on his tongue, "such a simple name. You catch my eye. There is a presence of calm around you... may I ask you to calculate something for me?"
"Yes sir, but why?." She said in a tone to assure herself this would be easy.
"Being a fairy is all about calculations; you will find this out later, if you pass my test." He soothed in such a calm voice that she was disappointed when he stopped talking.
"I love to work out problems, I'm very good at calculations."
"Okay then: thirty-two divided by four times the square root of two hundred and sixty-five minus seventy-three plus five hundred and twelve minus negative four hundred and seven times negative 3 to the third power." His smile became tricky, as he figured she would give up quickly and give in. But he was wrong.
"Twenty-three thousand, two hundred seventy-four." She answered with a smug smile. He stared at her for a long while then he turned to the shadows.
"I will take this one." He said as he grabbed her hand and led her next to Raye and Kurai.
"Now, I have waited for this moment." Said the voice in the shadows. Minako assumed that this was the last person in the shadows. Minako began to tremble, she was the only one standing there and she was fearful that this man would not like her. He had no choice but her. She had never been the last person picked on the team, and she didn't like being the last here.
The figure stuck a foot out of the shadows. Then he stepped fully out. He was a tall man; at least he was taller than any one there. He held his hands behind him and he stood with a straight back. He wore tight leather armor over his chest in the color of black. His muscles flexed with every finger that moved and his stomach muscles were so strong that they were visible through the leather. His pants were also black leather and a single flap was on the front of his pants. When he turned to look at the shadows, Minako could see his tight butt and his perfectly carved thighs. His hair was brown and stuck straight up into the air, as if held by gel, but no gel was apparent. His ears were pointed like the small glimpse she had gotten of Shinu's. His eyes were his most stunning feature, they were brilliant hazel.
"Minako, I don't want you to feel bad that you got picked last. I am very pleased to have you as my partner, and you should know that if I had gone first, I would have picked you first. It is a special bond that each of these pairs in this room shares. If you were left for me, then it is fate that has led you to be picked last, and as my partner, you shall be the best in my standards."
"Yes sir." She answered weakly.
"And don't be afraid of me."
"Yes sir," she paused for a second then continued, "May I ask what you are?"
Utsukushii stepped forward in defense, "Do not let her offend you with such a petty question, my lord."
"Step down, my partner has a right to ask what questions she wants. She is a surface dweller and has no idea of the undergrounds." He said in a voice that meant he was not offended by anything except for that small intrusion.
"I didn't mean anything by it sir, I just meant that he's a fairy, he's a fire sprite, she's a vampire...what are you?"
"Such a simple question to answer, I am a dragon. I used to be the strongest dragon in the universe, but my son has surpassed me. And now I need your help to aid him where I cannot."
"What's his name? Where is he?" She asked in innocent wonder.
"His name is Shinu. He is frozen in time right now on the surface. By the time we will have finished with you all, you will be able to fight a worse evil that is on its way.
"I have a question, Sens?," Ami began, "I don't have wings, so how am I going to become a fairy?"
"We must exchange DNA in the easiest way there is." Sens? answered.
"How is that?" Ami asked in a confused tone.
Hono'o overheard the little conversation and answered for Sens?. "We must have a great feast, get drunken on wine, and all have sex! How else could you possibly think.?!" He said in a hilarious tone as if this were the most obvious thing in the world.
"What?!" They all screamed together.
"Well, Shinu's mother sure didn't mind, she said that being a dragon was the best thing in her life that ever happened, besides meeting me." Hono'o assured them.
"Then how is Shinu a half Lunarian?!" Ami demanded.
"His mother was! After being with me, she was basically a half-breed herself!" Hono'o said with a laugh.
"HOW IS THIS GOING TO WORK WITH ME AND HER?!" Makoto demanded.
"You must be hallucinating," Utsukushii said, "Another vampire will do that for me, I'm just training you." She finished hotly.
"But-" Ami began but was interrupted by Kurai.
"It doesn't matter your all virgins or not! It is time to end the fun and save the world. I will not let my life be taken because four little girls wouldn't do something naughty."
"Little?" Raye, Minako, and Makoto said in a foreboding voice.
"Call this little!" Raye and Minako said as they grabbed Hono'o and Kurai's leather armor and threw them against the wall with a huge kiss. When they pulled back, Hono'o and Kurai were so dazed that they almost lost their balance.
"Call that little." She said with a smirk.
"Girls! Girls, all it takes is a willing mortal, a willing immortal, and a kiss! No sex involved." Utsukushii said with a hardy laugh.
"You're a fire sprite now." Kurai said with a smile down a Raye.
"I wish you could see your pointed ears." Hono'o said pleased. Minako reached cautious fingers to the tips of her ears, they were pointed alright. Her eyes widened and her heart raced, she opened her mouth but nothing came out.
~*~*~*~*~*
Alright! I'm done with this chapter! More coming soon...if I get ten reviews! Yep I'm back to that again! :P But I'm going to end my book here if I don't get ten reviews! Please, please, PLEASE review!