I'm sorry it took so long. I'd explain, but it's rather personal, sorry. I think I'm in a better place now, so hopefully I'll start racking them out, but no guarantees. I have this awful creative writing professor who makes me want to stop writing, but I'll try to make sure she doesn't beat me down too hard.
Disclaimer: Don't own much. More detail in earlier chapters. Look at them.
1) As most already know, in the Chapter Black saga, the ogre's name is revealed to be Jorge (no, it isn't spelled "George").
The Dawn of Darkness
Chapter 5:
Revelations Part One-
The Calm Before the Storm
The cells were dank and harsh in the dark confines of Reikai prison. There was minimal light coming from the small windows that scarcely adorned the walls, but they didn't offer any hope of freedom. Looking through would only show a drop longer than even the greatest skyscrapers in Tokyo.
And it was there that a certain blue ogre who always was around Koenma led a shackled prisoner to his cell. Earlier that day, the demon was caught sneaking around Genkai's temple. Hiei caught him, telling Koenma that he was from the same clan as the ones who attacked Selene and Atari earlier.
The ogre went a ways before locking up the demon in a cell, then going back towards the entrance.
"I've seen you here a lot lately."
He was startled before looking to his right inside a cell, seeing a man looking no older than 20, but since he's a demon, the truth was that he was much older. He had long, black hair in a loose ponytail, cold, grey eyes, and sharp, angular features.
"Oh, Ronin, you surprised me." the ogre replied, relieved, while walking closer to his cell.
"Sorry, Jorge(1), I'm just curious about what's going on." Ronin replied kindly before letting his eyes wander to the barred window that overlooked the outside world.
Ronin was a strange inmate.
Jorge knew what he was in there for. Apparently, his lifestyle had been quite colorful for many years. He was a thief, and a ruthless one at that. He didn't care who was hurt along the way, as long as he got his prize. Then, he all of a sudden fell off the map, and stayed off for about fifty years. To get even more confusing, out of nowhere, he came and turned himself in, saying that he felt it was time to pay for his crimes. Since he brought himself in, the original death sentence was released, and instead he was to serve a lifetime in prison.
Ronin was a very strange inmate.
He was always in solitary confinement, as he tended to get into fights otherwise, but it appeared to be what he wanted. He rarely spoke to any of the guards or other inmates when he had the chance. Most of the time he would merely look sad into the distance, and Jorge couldn't help but wonder if Ronin turned himself in to experience his own personal living hell, but the question remained, what exactly did he do to deserve his fate? Jorge had asked in the past, but he never was given a response.
Even with all the oddities, though, Ronin was a very good listener, and for the neglected ogre, he was often a good confidante.
"There has been a lot of activity lately in Makai," Jorge spoke, relieving Ronin from his curiosities, at least as well as Jorge could do so. "For some reason, these two (presumably demon) girls are gaining a lot of attention from a couple groups. One group is demon, but the other, well, I'm not sure what group she's from."
"Another dimension is getting involved?" Ronin asked, surprised.
"I didn't know that you knew about that..." Jorge said, pondering how he would know about alternate dimensions, since most demons didn't.
"Yes, I had some experience. Anyway, why do they care about a couple of demon girls?"
"We don't know, but the woman seems very serious..."
With Ronin's scrunched eyebrows, he gave the impression of being confused, but nodded his head anyway.
It seemed that the conversation was over, and Jorge was about to leave, when he once again heard Ronin speak.
"Out of curiosity, how old are they?"
"You mean the girls?"
"Yes."
"Well, we can't know for sure, but we think around 16."
Ronin gave a sad smile, looking to the outdoors without another word.
Selene was correct about her sleeping habits. The moment she came back from training with Hiei, she collapsed on the couch, and not too long after, fell asleep. And that happened day after day, but the training didn't go as planned, at least, not with Selene.
According to Genkai and Hiei, Atari's demon energy was increasing in strength, and that soon she would likely break the bonds that were keeping her demon side at bay. Although when the demon side came out, it would likely be very dangerous to those around Atari, it was great news. It meant that she was progressing, and that it would be that much sooner until Atari could begin to control her powers, as well as gain back her memories.
Unfortunately, Selene was not so lucky. She hadn't improved at all, despite anything and everything Hiei put her through, and she was getting more and more discouraged. She learned that Genkai had said that she thought she sensed some inner power in Selene, but the girl could tell that the old teacher was starting to reevaluate her previous conclusion. It wasn't just her demon strength, either. Selene was having a lot of trouble keeping up with the martial arts Hiei was teaching as well. And "having trouble," of course means, "she only learned two or three things of the dozens of techniques Hiei taught."
Any normal martial artist wouldn't think that to be anything strange. Depending on the technique, it can take years to perfect. Still, Selene was supposed to already have learned those techniques before her memory was erased, so this was supposed to just be review. It was shown with Atari, as she learned with little effort.
To sum up, Selene was feeling quite useless, unsure, and generally unhappy about herself. She was supposed to enter into this new world (or, old world from a different life) and be able to do things perfectly right away, but unfortunately, she found out she couldn't.
As she mulled over her worries in her head, she walked down the hall that led to the main room, which Selene was pretty sure was the "living room" of sorts. She was about to turn the corner to where she heard voices, until she heard her name being mentioned in the collage of hushed voices that weren't whispers, but obviously weren't really meant to be overheard. Selene, not wanting to gain attention to herself, stayed against the wall to hear what they had to say about her.
She heard Koenma sigh before speaking, "We're really just not sure what we're going to do with her. To be honest, she's mostly just slowing Atari down."
Selene hugged herself and looked down to the ground, disheartened. Though she already had figured she was hurting her friend's progress, it was different when she actually heard it from someone else.
The ever-calculating Kurama added, "There is a chance that Selene is just a normal human Atari used to get to Spirit World."
"I thought of that," Koenma agreed, "and it's starting to become more and more of a probability. If that were the case, we'd likely have to return her to her adopted parents.
Selene shut her eyes tightly and held a firm grip on her forearms. She had purposely not seen her parents when she found out about everything. She was angry that they kept this secret from her, and when Atari and Selene had to go back to get some of their things, she made sure they weren't home when she went. Though Koenma disagreed with her decision, it wasn't his place to make her see them, so he complied with her wishes. Now it seemed she would have to face them soon, as she seemed to have no purpose at Genkai's.
As Selene contemplated what would happen to her next, Kuwabara spoke up in an accusing voice. "Or it could just be that Hiei is a crappy teacher."
Although still hidden behind the wall, Selene could practically see Hiei's seething glare.
Even though she didn't believe Kuwabara's words, she felt her self loosen up a bit and a ghost of a smile appeared on her face. Whether or not she agreed with him didn't matter. She had someone sticking up for her down there, maybe even someone she could consider a friend. Although she thought it strange that something so small could give her some peace, she didn't stress over it. It was best to just enjoy the comfort.
Still, the lack of response of his comment made their thoughts fairly clear. She was sure that they didn't agree. That was true even more for Hiei, who decided to snap back, saying, "I'm a fine teacher, fool. Atari is doing well, it's just Selene who is a weak student. We should just wipe her memory again and send her back to her human parents."
With a shut of her eyes, Selene made sure to bite back her sobs.
Selene was sitting on Genkai's couch watching stupid infomercials. It was late and she couldn't sleep after hearing the conversation. Not that she was that good at sleeping at night anyway...
As she brought up her feet onto the couch, vainly trying to burrow her head into her legs, she sighed. She just couldn't believe that her life was going to go back to before. She was going to go home and lose all memory of this place and be told Atari "moved away" or something. She was once again going to be confused and alone. But, maybe that was just the way it was supposed to be.
"Hey."
Selene jumped about a foot in the air as she looked behind her to see Kuwabara standing there, a bit shocked at her frantic response.
He scratched the back of his head and laughed uneasily. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you."
"Oh," she replied, her voice more calm, "That's okay. I was just thinking."
"You okay?" he asked, concerned.
"Oh, yeah. Just couldn't sleep," she paused before adding quickly, "I don't sleep well at night."
It seemed her rush actually gave her away, as he gave a disbelieving look.
"I might not be as smart as Kurama," Kuwabara said looking at the TV, "but I do have pretty good hunches, and right now my hunch says you're lying. So, I've got to make sure, is everything really alright?"
Selene darted her eyes away from the boy and looked at the ground.
"You know," he continued, "you can talk to me, if you want."
Selene bit her lip before nodding. She wasn't sure he saw, but when he looked at her she figured he did.
She sighed before simply saying, "I heard your guys' conversation about me."
Kuwabara looked a bit taken aback.
Without letting Kuwabara respond, she continued, "I know that you guys want to send me back to my adopted family with a wiped memory." She paused. "Thanks for sticking up for me, by the way."
Kuwabara scratched the back of his head, looking a bit sheepish. "It wasn't a problem," he said, though his voice held a bit of sadness. "You know, I don't agree with this."
Selene smiled. "Thanks." They sat in silence before she continued. "I just find it scary that I won't remember any of this. I felt so out-of-place where I lived and when I thought I might actually find a place here, it turns out this place is just as bad as the last. I don't fit in here, and I'm starting to believe that I won't fit in anywhere." Tears were about to flow, but Selene was past the place of not caring. "If I leave, I'll forget everything I've seen, and know that there are things out there, and maybe somewhere I'd be able to find where I belonged, but if I stay, I'll only be a burden to everyone. So," she sobbed out, "what am I supposed to do?"
Kuwabara looked at her sadly. "Well, first you're going to have to let me give you a hug."
She gave out a little half-laugh, half-cry before crawling into his outstretched arms.
"Then," he continued, "you're going to have to figure out that even if you're sent home, I won't let them take away any memories, and the first chance I get, I'll go visit you in America."
Selene grasped him tighter before letting go and returning to sitting next to him. "Yukina is so lucky."
She noticed that it took no time before Kuwabara got a goofy grin on his face.
"You are going to make her so happy and you'll be the perfect husband and father."
"I'm not sure the others would agree with you."
"Then don't listen to them. You're probably the best guy I've ever met. Any girl would be lucky to have you as their husband."
"Thank you," Kuwabara stated, head down, looking at his hands.
"Hey, I'm just pointing out the obvious." They smiled at each other as she rose up. "I guess I'm going to try going to bed again. Who knows, maybe tomorrow will be different."
"Maybe," Kuwabara responded softly.
Although neither person really believed their hopes, at the moment it didn't matter. For just this short time, they stayed in their dreams. Kuwabara would get married to Yukina and they'd live happily ever after. Selene would become the strongest creature to ever live and finally find her place in the world(s). And Hiei would finally get what's coming to him.
For just this moment, everything was possible.
But there is a problem with moments. They always end.
Selene smiled out towards the beautiful meadow. She was sitting on a porch swing that belonged to a house she had never seen before. Even so, she felt completely at home. It was like when you went on a trip somewhere you had never been before, but you could swear it felt so familiar. Like something in-
"A dream," Selene finished, figuring it out. She was dreaming.
Suddenly, she felt hands on her shoulders. "That's right, Selene. It is Selene now isn't it?" asked a melodic feminine voice.
Selene was startled, and looking behind her she saw a woman that looked so familiar. She had brown hair and blue eyes, like Selene, but the woman was much more beautiful. She was tall and slender with pale skin and contrasting ruby-red lips. If Selene would have thought for a moment, a strange woman touching her would have made her uneasy, but at the moment all she could do was marvel at the beauty of her. It took the girl a moment before she even realized she was asked a question.
"Yeah..." After a moment she started to tense. "Do I know you?"
The woman hummed for a moment as she seemed to be in thought. "Well, I used to see you often when you were a child, but it's been a long time since then. You were lost and in need guidance, just as you are now. My name is Twilièt."
"I'm not lost."
She laughed airily. "You are confused about your place in the world, it's difficult to be more lost then that."
"I guess, but what are you going to do to help me?"
She smiled and sat next to Selene on the swing. "I'm not sure yet. Why don't you tell me all about what's going on, and perhaps we will discover the answers."
And with that, Selene went into a full explanation of everything. From not finding her powers, to not wanting to talk to her adopted parents. She didn't leave a single thing out.
At the end, Twilièt looked at her quite sadly as she held her hands. "You know, this might all be part of your destiny. Sometimes powers aren't meant to be awoken."
"Do you know how I can get my powers?"
Twilièt was silent as she looked away from Selene.
"You do, don't you!"
"Yes, but if you do this, there is no going back, and I promise you, this will not make your life any easier."
"It doesn't matter. Even if it's hard, I want - no I need - to find out who or what I really am."
"What if the price is death?"
Selene's heart raced a bit. She really didn't want to die. "I- I don't know, but I think I would still do it."
"Alright, Selene, but not this sleep. It's about time you wake up for training. When you go back to sleep, I will wait for you here."
"Selene, what do you see?"
"Um... You're looking at me with a glare."
Without missing a beat, Hiei moved on. "Atari, what do you see?"
Hiei decided to blindfold the two girls and figure out how much they could sense in their surroundings. Apparently, Selene's answer wasn't sufficient, though she was sure that she guessed correctly.
"I see you standing a little to my left, and I can see your third eye through your bandanna."
Selene flinched a bit at that. The only time she had really seen his Jagan eye was when he saved her in the woods near her house. It was the same day she ran to Atari's house in panic. Thinking of the Jagan made her think of what else she saw: the head of the demon who attacked Selene disconnected from the rest of his body. It was the first death Selene could remember seeing, and it had to be a decapitation. She knew Hiei was just protecting her, but whenever she thought about what he did, she had to swallow the bile that threatened to come. So, she tried not to think about it and concentrate on Atari's description.
"I'm not sure, but I think you actually are glaring."
"Knew it," Selene smugly interrupted.
Apparently Hiei was at the very least accustomed to her outbursts, as he boredly ignored her to continue speaking with Atari. "What about your surroundings. What else do you see?"
"Um... I see a bird in a tree to my right, and a chipmunk in the tree behind me. To my left is a very annoyed Selene."
"How could you guess?" Selene interjected.
Everyone still ignored her.
"Um, a little bit away I sense something really weird. It's like... like a non-energy. I don't know how to describe it. What is it, Hiei?"
Hiei didn't respond, so Selene took off her bandana to look around. She had to admit she was very curious about this "non-energy" life form.
When her eyes adjusted to the light, Selene saw Hiei on alert, hand on his katana and Jagan bared, seeming to ingest all of its surroundings.
"Wait," Selene interjected, successfully destroying the silence, "did Atari just sense something you didn't before, Hiei?"
"Silence!" he hissed in response, not saying another word.
Having at least the smallest care to keep her life, she decided to shut it.
Selene never saw it happen, but after a few moments, Hiei's katana left his sheath and flew through the air. He disappeared while Atari and Selene ran in the direction he threw his sword. It didn't take too long until they found him in front of another man, Hiei's sword in the stranger's right shoulder. Despite the situation, the man just laughed.
This peaked Hiei's annoyance, and he let out a burst of fire.
Jorge once again found himself escorting a prisoner, and was more than just a little uneasy, as this was the scout that Hiei captured. Even in the dank cells he elegantly walked with his head held high. Jorge wasn't sure if he would try something to escape, and the ogre knew he wasn't any match for the graceful warrior.
Before too long, they were in front of the new inmate's cell.
"Sorry, Ronin," Jorge spoke apologetically.
Ronin looked up to see the two. He gave a single nod to show that he understood. After years of solitude, Ronin was going to have a cellmate.
"Did you just call that man 'Ronin,' animal?" the scout scathingly asked.
"Uh, yeah," Jorge responded with hesitation.
A malicious grin came onto the scout's face.
As Jorge left, Ronin tried to ignore the new arrival, but unfortunately for him, the other man seemed less inclined to stay in silence.
"So, you must be him," the stranger stated, amused.
"You'll have to be a little more specific," Ronin dryly responded, gazing out the window from his cot.
"Don't act so bemused. If we knew you were still alive, our master might have broken you free."
"Silare?"
"Of course."
"Why are you even away from your dimension?"
"To kill Evendiel, of course."
With that, Ronin's eyes shot to the man.
"You remember her, right? You told us she was dead. Once my lady finds out you're here, I'm sure she'll make you pay for that lie."
Ronin's hands scrunched into fists as he stared hard at the scout as a sneer came to his previously stoic face.
"So, why are you here?" the man continued, "Are you hiding because once Silare found out where you were you'd be dead?"
With a snarl, Ronin jumped across the cell and pinned him to the wall, one hand clasping his neck. Due to the height difference of the very short Ronin to the incredibly tall creature, the latter had to kneel, but despite the situation, he laughed.
"You do realize I need a lot less air than a human, or even you?" he asked smugly. "And this is all you can do with those talismans on the door."
Ronin sneered before shooting out the hand not attached to the other's throat towards the back wall. It began to tremble, and the wards on the door disintegrated. With a loud explosion of energy, a hole punctured through the wall.
It was then that the other man began to fear, but it was too late. Ronin threw him out the window, far away from anything that he could grab onto. Still, Spirit World did not hesitate to set off their sirens, and in no time Ronin heard rushed footsteps from the other side of the door.
He reached the edge of the cell, and jumped down, and when it looked like he was going to plummet to his death like his ex-cellmate, a black void formed around his hand, which he stuck into the wall. It did not stop him, as he was falling quite quickly by then, but it slowed him down until it came to a stop not far above the ground. He jumped down the rest of the way, and ran off, away from the castle.
Okay, so last time I asked for reviews, and although I only got one, I'm very happy to have received it. Thank you Dawnstar48. You're very sweet. Anyway, I'm sorry to disappoint. As said, something personal has been going on, but I hope you won't be disappointed next chapter, that is, if you're still reading.
Until next time,
LectaElf