Author's Note: And here we are once again with the next installment of Into the Night. Chapter Four – The Angel is a very vital chapter to the story, as it explains a lot about why Ghost tried to find the trio, who else is hunting them down, and who exactly Ghost is. I hope you like. Enjoy!
Into The Night
Chapter Four: The Angel
With Scarlette's death came the sound of an approaching army.
Things were looking bleak. I couldn't stand against the army alone.
My strength had nearly left me. I was running out of time…
…and then it took over.
When I awoke, I awoke to the remains of a devastated city.
The army, or what was left of it, lay in burning mounds on the streets.
I knew that it was She who did it.
The power that's lived in me for so many years…
…the power to create, to change, and to destroy…
…the power of the Angel gene.
"Asuka..."
...hmm?
"Asuka..."
...who's calling me?
"Wake up, Asuka."
After what seemed like days of sleep, Asuka heard someone's voice calling to her. Her limbs were numb, and her eyelids were heavy, but she awoke, nonetheless. What greeted her was an odd sight. She seemed to be dressed in a plain white robe that fell to her feet. She stood, and looked around. She was in what looked like a white void. She was standing on nothing. She was breathing nothing. All around her was emptiness, just white as far as you could see. Draped over her head was a clear veil that shimmered slightly as it fell across her hair. After looking around for a bit, she heard a soft humming, and two figures appeared beside her. They, too, were dressed in plain white robes, and veils fell across their faces. As they appeared, they looked around as well, bewildered. One of the figures, a young woman, met her eyes.
"…Asuka?"
Asuka recognized her voice as soon as she heard it.
"Ling?"
Ling nodded, and Asuka turned to the other figure, a man.
"Jin?"
He nodded as well, before asking the obvious question.
"Where are we?"
A voice came out of nowhere to answer him.
"I believe I can answer that for you."
A gray mist seeped into the void, and materialized into a figure wearing a similar white robe, but with golden trim. The figure was hooded, but long white hair fell out of the hood and onto the figure's chest. Two white-feathered wings were folded neatly behind his shoulders. The figure stepped forward, speaking in a strange voice that sounded like a mix of Ghost's and that of a woman's.
"Welcome to my domain."
Asuka spoke up.
"Ghost? Is that you?"
The figure laughed quietly, before replying.
"Not quite. You see, I am not the one you call Ghost. I am the one who resides within him. My name is Aura."
There was an uneasy silence for the next few minutes as the three thought about what "residing within him" meant. Aura took off his/her/it's hood and the group saw that it was Ghost's face, but with longer, white hair and a white blindfold over his eyes.
"You need not be afraid. I have no intention of harming any of you. But, as your bodies are rather indisposed at the moment, I took the opportunity to speak to you three in your minds while your bodies are being mended. Think of it as a shared dream, if you will."
There was yet another uneasy silence as the three thought over what was being said. Before anyone could say anything, Aura continued.
"You will have many questions. Hopefully I will be able to answer some of them."
Jin was first.
"Who are you?"
"I am the manifestation of the Angel gene that resides in Ghost's body. Every once and a while he calls on me for help, and I take control of his body, unlocking his other side. He gets white wings, his eyes glow, and he is imbued with mastery over light and power unimaginable. That is how you three got out of that last situation. Now, you three are lying asleep in Ghost's underground hideout, while Ghost is busily trying to bring you three back to health. While he's working on you three, I decided to talk to your minds and answer the many questions you undoubtedly have."
Asuka spoke up next.
"Who was that woman who attacked us? And who was she working for?"
"That would be easier to answer if I start from the beginning. In the beginning, there was the Mother. The Mother bore the five Ancients, gods and goddesses of extraordinary power. Humanity was born, and the Ancients were given the task of looking after them. The five Ancients went to war with the Darkness, the embodiment of all evil and His followers. After several millennia of war, the Ancients sealed away the Darkness into Oblivion, and his followers that were left on Earth were scattered, and went into hiding."
Asuka gestured with her hands, and Aura paused.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on a second. This is all very hard to believe. But, let's just say you're telling the truth. Where do we come in?"
"The Ancients wrote that if the followers of the Darkness were ever to release him again, then the world would be engulfed in another millennia-long war. This cannot be allowed to happen. So, the Ancients produced the Angel gene and implanted it in a certain bloodline of humanity. The Angel gene contains all the power and knowledge of the Ancients. So, if the Darkness were ever to rise again, the power of the Ancients could be called back upon to seal away this menace once more."
Ling cut in, stopping Aura short.
"Let me try to get this straight. Ghost is from the bloodline that inherited the Angel gene. I get that part. So why us? Why did he look for us, out of all people?"
"The Ancients knew that the heir of the Angel gene could not fight the Darkness alone. He would need three individuals to aid him in his task. These three individuals would need three specific traits: One to be pure of heart, the other pure of mind, and the last, pure of soul. You are those three, even if you cannot see it."
Jin spoke this time, looking up at Aura.
"I don't understand. What makes us so special?"
Aura smiled, and turned to Asuka.
"You, Asuka Kazama, inherited a special ability from your aunt, Jun Kazama. Your mere touch is able to reverse the effects of the Devil gene. Ghost found out about your special ability, and knew that it set you apart from your peers. He saw in you that you were pure of heart."
Aura then turned to Ling.
"You, Ling Xiaoyu, have shown great devotion to those you love. In everything you do, your motivation is simple: If I do this, then someone I love might be happy. Or, if I don't do this, then someone I love might be sad. This caring nature brought you to Ghost's attention and he saw that you were pure of mind."
Jin was silent for a moment, his fist clenched. He looked up, and spoke.
"That leaves me, then. I have in me a Devil. How can that possibly make me pure of soul?"
Aura laughed quietly, smiling broadly and turning to Jin.
"On the contrary, Jin. You have fought the Devil within you. You have struggled against its grasp. This constant struggle has made you strong. Ghost was able to see this. Only one like you would be able to stand against the Devil gene for so long and yet live. He saw that you were pure of soul. Now, however, my time is up. It is time for you three to awaken. Ghost will explain everything else you need to know shortly. The time has come for you three to return to the real world, and become who you were born to be."
With a smile and a flash of light, she was gone.
Author's Note: I hope you didn't think that was too complicated. Anyway, thanks for reading. Drop a review if you like. The next chapter will be coming soon.
