Chapter II: The Deadly Deals
Ugh, this is typical. Just when you think you're finally allowed some happiness, some contentment, your insane, evil brother goes and wrecks it all. ...Okay, maybe it's not typical, exactly, but...
And to make matters worse, the other day, I went and agreed to go along with one of Kazama's plans, for the purposes of making sure nothing would happen to Shion.
Shion. The one and only friend I had, the one person who cared about me in the whole, entire world, made evil by stupid, stupid JIN.
...Eww. Jin. I hate him. Poor Shion always talked about how she hated all the 'evil forces', and now, thanks to him, she's one of them.
But anyway! Before I go on forever and ever, I gotta go. Can't say what I've gotta do, though... Be killed if I did, so... yeah.
But seriously, this has to get fixed soon, or... we'll all be doomed.
(Manaka's POV)
Day one as one of the Zaibatsu's slaves. How fun. Well, I won't be a 'slave', but everyone else is - all the little dudes who only work for Kazama because they fear him. I don't. I actually pity him! I mean, he's got some good in him, some far-off remnant of a heart, but I'm thinking, if we don't do something soon... that'll be looong gone. ...We're all cheery here. Bask in the glow.
Anyway, Jin had called me into his office, to discuss... "some stuff". Very informative, Jin...
I reached the heavily guarded door to Kazama's office, sighing; I had the feeling that this was gonna be a loooong meeting.
I entered the room to see that no-one else was there. Just me and my crazy brother. Thanks a bunch, life!
"Manaka. I'm glad you came." Well, of course I came. If I didn't, my brains would be on a local wall, jerk-off. Obviously, I kept that thought quiet.
"So what did you want to see me for? Informative though it was, there's a few ways 'some stuff' could be interpreted." Boo-yah, much?
Jin glared at me for a moment, causing me to have to desperately hold back laughter.
"Sorry," I said, barely keeping my amusement back.
"I have a matter of great importance to discuss with you. That's your cue to stop laughing, by the way."
"Fine, fine. What's the matter?"
"First of all, Manaka. Have you ever met a woman called Zafina?"
"Uh... Za-who now?" I asked, immediately wishing I could've handled that more professionally.
Jin just stared at me.
"Zafina," he repeated, with more emphasis than last time.
After a little thinking, I remembered who this Zafina was, though she was commonly referred to as 'that chick with the prophecies' by me.
"Oh, yeah, that chick with the prophecies?" ... That was just beautiful, wasn't it.
"...Yes. That works," Jin said.
"Have you heard her latest prophecy, about the demon in Egypt?"
"...Hmm... No. But I'd be willing to bet that it had something to do with a demon in Egypt."
Jin just sighed and went on.
"Well, first of all, Manaka. As you well know, Shion has gone evil, yes?"
"Well, yeah..." I sighed. I really missed her...
"As it goes, Shion has somehow gained a certain gene, one that exclusively runs in our veins..."
I gaped and blinked in shock. "You don't mean... the Devil Gene?"
Jin nodded.
"...But how?"
"I had her put in cryogenic sleep so that experiments could be run on her, and- will you stop glaring at me like that while I explain? But yes, while she was in this sleep, she somehow underwent a transformation."
Jin clicked up a file on his computer before turning the screen to face me. I didn't wanna look, but I had to - in front of me was a slightly blurry, but very real, picture of my former best friend in Devil form. But one question still played on my mind... how?
"I have a few questions to ask, but I'll ask one I haven't already asked first - what has that Zafina girl got to do with all this?"
"Zafina's prophecy declares that when two 'evil stars' clash, a demonic beast will awaken from under this temple..." Jin clicked up another picture, this time of a massive temple in the middle of a desert.
"...team up with his minion - that's Shion - and destroy all existence."
"You WHAT?" I exclaimed. Shion? Destroy all existence? No, no, no. That chick's gotta be worng... surely...
"Um..." I tried my best to keep it together, but I was sure I was gonna break sooner rather than later. "How did she get the gene?"
"We have no idea. My scientists say that nothing and no-one could have got in or out of that tank, so we're absolutely lost."
I sat trying to absorb this information, but it wouldn't sink in. It was like a surreal nightmare, but no matter how hard I tried, there was no waking up.
"Also," Jin continued, "the prophecy states that three "shining stars of light" shall come against the beast, and states that two of the people involved in the battle shall fall."
"Lemme guess - the shining stars of light are gonna fall."
"It doesn't say, just that two involved shall die."
I was so shocked, frightened to the core, you could say. I knew that Shion was evil now, but I didn't want to see her hurt. I was still deeply worried about her, but... there wasn't anything else to be done, now...
"Manaka, as my employee, I need you to do something."
"...What?" I asked. As if I didn't already know...
"Find the so-called "Devil" Shion. You must destroy it before the thing under the temple awakens, to halt, or at the very least stall, it's awakening. You must."
My brain wanted to just say yes and go, recognising that my former friend wasn't the same person now, evil beyond repair, but my mouth and my stupid, stupid heart just kept going, believing we could save her.
"No! I will not destroy someone I hold so dear. Not for you and not for anyone. She's been better to me than you ever were, than you ever could be. I won't do it!"
"Yes, you will. You are under my employ and you will do as I say, or you will face the consequences."
"Fine, jeez!" I shouted almost immediately, knowing exactly what Jin's brand of 'consequences' were, knowing they were far from nice. I got up and left, knowing in my head that this was right. And as for my heart...
Just remind me never to believe my heart.
(Normal POV)
Manaka silently walked along the desolate streets, under the cover of nightfall. She had a strange feeling - one she couldn't shake off, or put her finger on.
She remembered her and Jin's earlier conversation at the Zaibatsu.
This prophecy must be wrong. Shion wouldn't hurt a soul - she's against everyone else who does! The air seemed to grow colder as another thought came into her mind.
Or, at least... she used to be.
Just then, a blue laser came from the sky, aimed straight at Manaka's head. She narrowly escaped it, and turned her head upwards to see her attacker - and when she did, she automatically wished she didn't.
"Sh-Shion?"
The creature formerly known as Shion smirked, remaining silent.
"Shion. You have to fight the evil within you! It'll be hard, but I know you can do it, I know it!"
The creature just continued to stare at Manaka from the sky, still smirking.
("Shion isn't here anymore,") the creature spoke directly into Manaka's mind via telepathy. ("She is long gone.") It's voice sounded demonic, inhuman, but still slightly like Shion's did.
("I am Devil Shion, born of the devil and the one in my head.")
Maybe she's just gone a bit cuckoo from the Devil Gene. I mean, the one in her head? Has she got schizophrenia or something? Manaka's train of thought was interrupted by another laser, this time, one that actually hit her.
"Aaaagh!" she cried in pain.
"You big, freaky mean thingy..."
Devil Shion rolled her...it's...eyes at Manaka, before descending to the ground.
"Oweee... Listen up, Shion. I know you're really there. Somewhere. I know you're just lost in the devil's darkness, but you can be free of this evil force that's controlling you."
("You understand so little,") Devil Shion spoke in Manaka's mind again, before sending her flying with a swift kick to the chest.
("I am the evil force.")
"Hey, now, I don't wanna fight!" Manaka exclaimed. "Fightin's boring! You know, when it's as spectacularly one-sided as this and all... I just wanna talk to you!"
("Talk, then we fight.")
"Uh... I guess we all have to compromise!" Manaka said, before mentally hitting herself.
You're gonna die here thanks to that remark, ya know that?
"Anyway... I have a few questions for you. Not too many, though."
Devil Shion nodded her head, signalling for Manaka to go on.
"Well... who's this person in your head? How did you get the devil gene? Are you working for someone? If so, who? Why've you gone all evil? Do you wanna kill everyone? And... ehhh..." Manaka stopped there, looking at the way her ex-best friend was looking at her - a mixture of confusion and wish to kill the person in front of her.
"Mayyybe I should ask 'em one at a time, then," Manaka smiled nervously. "So, question one: the Devil Gene. How'd you get that?"
Devil Shion smiled, a lot more genuinely than before. Manaka hated that; all it did was remind her of the person that this creature no longer was.
("Evil people had me captive, with no means of escape. My master saved me by blessing me with this power.")
"Excellent! Not at all confusing..." Manaka muttered the last part. "Anyway," she went on. "Your master. Who's that?"
Devil Shion paused for a moment, still staring ahead at Manaka.
("Someone who is tiring of your talking. As am I,") she eventually said.
"But-"
("I was not sent here to talk,") Devil Shion cut her off. ("I was sent here to destroy anyone who intended to get in our way.")
Manaka blinked, tensing up, preparing for the worst.
("It's... strange, though.")
"Hm?"
("There's something inside me that almost doesn't want to hurt you. It's almost like... like I know you.")
Manaka smiled sadly. She could have told the creature that they did know each other, and she wanted to, but...
It's not like it would mean anything. Not now.
"Maybe in another life," she said, that sad smile still on her face.
Devil Shion twisted her lips, as if in thought.
("Go,") she eventually spoke.
"...What?"
("Leave, now. I won't harm you this time, but the next time... I can't promise you'll be so lucky.")
Manaka couldn't help but smile.
"Thanks, much," she said.
Devil Shion never said another word, she just flew away. Manaka smiled, like nothing would stop her. She knew that Shion was still in there somewhere.
But, that just made her think. If her orders were to destroy that thing, that meant that she truly did have to kill someone she cared about. At least before, she could pretend that it was just a big, evil monster (as it still, technically was), but now...
There's no way I can do it.
She just kept going, one place in mind.
"Excuse me! Can we help you?"
"Well, seeing as how I'm knocking on Jin's door, I'm kinda trying to see, oh, I dunno, Jin?"
"Come in," came Jin's voice from the other side of the door.
Manaka stuck her tongue out at the door guard and entered.
"Hello, Manaka," Jin greeted.
"Hey..." Manaka said, flashing a thin smile at her brother.
"I'm here to talk to you, ya know, about the whole thingy thing."
Jin raised an eyebrow. "Oh, no, not the thingy thing..." he said flatly.
"The thing you asked me to do. The devil girl thing." Manaka clarified.
"What about it?"
"Well... in short, I'm not doing it."
Jin blinked. "Excuse me?"
"I don't want to fight her. If it were any other monster thing, I'd fight the thing. But this... This is a totally different issue. I mean, if we kill her, it's not like there's any way to get her back after that. So..." Manaka trailed off.
"So, what?" Jin asked.
"So, if you're that determined to have her dead, then I'm gonna have to quit. I mean, it's not like I have any real reason to stay, because I was only staying to make sure you didn't kill her before, and now she's not in your captivity, I can just go."
Jin sighed. "That girl really is important to you, isn't she..."
"You're too right, she is. She's been good to me, and she didn't have to be, so I think I at least owe her this."
Jin appeared to be in thought. Manaka let her eyes wander around, before she caught sight of a clock which read 1:00 am.
"I gotta go," Manaka said, turning to face the door. "You can let me know what you've got to say tomorrow."
"Goodbye, then," Jin said, which was answered by a wave over the shoulder.
On the other side of the door, Manaka sighed. If she quit working at the Zaibatsu, there was a chance they were going to be after her, too, knowing what Jin was like. And even if they weren't after her, that meant she had to work alone to stop... protect... well, do whatever it was she wanted to do with Shion.
I have one hell of a battle ahead of me...
She continued on her way.
A/N: Hi again =) Hoped you liked chappie 2! I know that was a quick update, but... yeah. Chapter 3 won't be so quick though - still working on it. (Still to start it, actually... nice job, eh?)
Oh, and if you're thinking that Manaka's POV part seemed a little... childish, maybe, or confusing... That's just kinda how she is XD
Once again, I'd love to hear what you all thought. I always welcome concrit too, coz' I'm always looking for ways to improve my writing.
But, with all that out of the way, nothing left to say except thanks a lot for reading chapter 2! :3
