Chapter 18
A/N: xxxHolic cross over in this chapter… I'm sorry for not updating any earlier but I've got a serious case of writer's block, so thanks to anyone who is still interested in this story… hugs and cookies to all who has ever supported me! I'll do my best!
"Yuko san, you look like you're doing well." I greet the owner of a mystic shop, who is currently reclined on a chair.
"Ahh, Shibuya san what brings you here today?" She asks sweetly, taking a sip out of her sake bottle.
"I have a favour you need to re-pay." I answer, ignoring her delaying tactics.
"Oh, that." She sets the bottle down with a soft clink. "I see you're here alone?"
"Only I could enter."
"I see…" She sits up in her chair, observing me with cold unflinching eyes.
"And what might be your request?" She asks slyly.
"You know what my request will be."
"A good point, but it's better to confirm what needs to be done than to botch it up due to a break down in communication."
"I need the seal Yuko san. After this your favour owed to me is nullified."
"The nasty thing I'd granted a wish to is now your problem?" She asks me raising a fine eyebrow. She sighs, "And I thought something good would have come out of the agreement, seems like I'm losing my touch with character judgment."
"The seal Yuko san."
"Let me ask you – if I were to clean up this mess, what are you willing to pay?" I stare back at her. I know what she wants to do and I'm not falling for it.
"Nothing. All I've asked for is the seal Yuko san. Nothing more nothing less." She sighs dejectedly and sinks back into her chair.
"Marudashi, Morodashi bring me the seal in the store room." Turning back to me she says subtly, "Negotiation always went better with people like my dear Watanuki." She smiles a sly smile and reaches out to pick up the item brought in by her helpers. She unwraps it and re-wraps it after checking its contents.
"Be sure to return it to me when you're done with it." She hands me the seal and instantly turns her personality one hundred and eighty degrees around.
"Now! Time for more sake! Watanuki!" I bow to her.
"Good day to you Yuko san."
"Won't you join us for some food?" She asks me.
"I have something important to do, I'm afraid I'll pass this time." She swigs the rest of her sake down.
"Oh well, your loss! Marudashi, Morodashi please see Shibuya san out."
"Hai!!" The blue and pinked haired twins escort me to the door, not able to go any further.
"Have a good day!" They chorus together. I push the door open and walk out, shutting it behind me softly. I can see Lin waiting patiently outside the grounds until I walk out onto the street.
"I've got the seal, lets do this as soon as we can." I pull open the passenger seat door and slide in shutting it with a loud slam. Lin follows shortly starting up the van.
"We'll start the sealing process tonight. Get everyone to prepare for tonight." I stare out the windows not absorbing in anything, "We'll end this tonight." I murmur resolutely.
---
Out in the open, the cold air whips and swirls around us, never settling. Lin is in his final stages of preparation and Bou san is on edge, the weather not doing anything for his tense nerves. Ayako is surprisingly calm as she stands still in her ceremonial gown, Masako is as usual. But tonight there is an edgy atmosphere surrounding us. Should this fail we won't be able to do anything about the demon and the other repercussions – even I don't know what will happen… Everyone knows the very high possibility of our failure but there isn't much of any choice. Lin breaks me out of my reprieve with a slight nod of his head.
"We're starting, be where you need to be and stay prepared." I step back and observe everyone and as I had instructed them they moved to their respective places.
---
It is strange; how at some points in time one can overreact at small things and under react over issues of importance. It is perhaps a measure of how serious something is. It is under the pale moonlight of this icy-cold night that this is observed.
The cold air picks up it's frantic swirling, cutting into the exposed skin of anyone out on such a night. To the gathered group of five this was just the herald of the beginning – the be all or end all.
A sharp piercing wail slices through the wind's constant howling, changing into a menacing laugh. The concentration of all five people never changed; all five concentrating on their task. The tallest – a man with black hair long enough to cover a side of his face stood roughly in the middle, a small object on the table before; him no bigger than his palm was glowing a faint shade of purple. A quick flow of incantations leaves his lips but not a sound reaches the ears of his partners. Human ears need not hear that incantation – it will only reach those from an unearthly realm.
The screaming of the wind is joined by a more aggressive howl, almost as if the wind were hissing words spill out from the wailing of the wind 'you'll… never get me… you are a hundred years too young to even try.'
The object on the table glows a darker hue of purple and a continuous streams of incantations leaves the man's lips but not a sound is uttered.
A bright flash explodes in front of the man, as the red headed female positioned just behind him expels a malicious force from distracting the man. He doesn't even blink an eye. Several other successive flashes follow the first flash of light as each person surrounding the man keep dispelling the malicious forces directed at him.
"Is it almost done Lin?" The youngest of the group asks him. He was standing outside of the circle of people away from any threat of danger. Straining his voice he answers,
"Almost." Continuing the seal he mouths soundless words. A brilliant shade of purple expands quickly from the centre of the seal engulfing everyone in the circle before receding just as quickly. The winds stills and the whole world is silent - so silent it becomes deafening.
Lin calmly re-wraps the seal and everything comes back to life. The winds continue blowing as if nothing happened and the faint sounds of insect and animal life can he heard.
Lin hands the small package to the youngest of the group,
"Pass it onto Yuko san and give her my regards." He packs up the table quickly and efficiently, not one movement was wasted.
"Good job everyone. This should be over now." He grips the small package tightly in his hands. "I'm going to Yuko san's place now." He doesn't wait for any kind of acknowledgment but heads off the moment he says that.
"Naru – " Lin begins but he is already gone.
---
I knock impatiently on the door and this time Yuko san opens the door herself.
"Why, what brings you here at this time Shibuya san?" She asks silkily, opening the door wider to invite me in.
"Take it. It's sealed." I thrust my hand out and drop the offending object that felt heavy in my palm in her outstretched ones. She unwraps the object and inspects it.
"It's been sealed well." She states pointing out the obvious. Lin is a very through person.
"Lin sends his regards." With that I turn my heel and walk out onto the street.
A/N: I hate this chapter. This was hell to write… still I hope you enjoyed it… to some level of enjoyment… (sigh) anyways, yeah I know this is short for I think it'll be better to keep the tension constant in the one chapter and have the anti-climax in the next one. Thankyou to everyone who has reviewed/read or just supported me in any way, thank you everyone! You guys are the reason why I decided to do this up! i'll do my best in the next one!