When Shadows Rise
Chapter 20
Aki bowed his head and panted. He had been fighting hard, trying to escape the circle of light. Five years of being in the Shadow had made him strong and stubborn. Year of giving in to his base drives and desires, of burying his doubts and revulsion at his master's methods made him a fighter. The ghost kept flooding him with Light, chipping away at the certainly he had been living with. As they were stripped away memories flowed back, memories of things he did not want to remember. First those things that he had done as the General of Shadows. The creatures he had tortured and killed under orders. As they flowered away memories of those humans he had subverted to the darkness flashed past his inner eye. It had been easy finding those to fill the ranks of the Shadow army. The were mostly disaffected teens and adults who enjoyed to having boundaries.
As those memories burned away the ghost brought back more current memories. Those dealing with what he had done to his once sensei. The beating he gave her, while nothing like what Pain had delivered was bad. He had hurt her, taken his frustration out on her defenseless body. When she had forgiven him it had both confused and shaken him. Kaneda had always said that the Zlight was unforgiving but Suteko's words had added to his inner doubts.
Taking a deep breath Aki lay back on the dirt and sighed. "All right, I can see your point ghost."
Ichuru smiled, shaking his head. "It is not the seeing but the understand you need boy."
Aki winced both inward and outwardly. "Yeah, I do old man. But once one gives an oath to darkness…"
"It means less than you think boy. An oath to a lie is a lie." The ghost nodded. "Yes, you will end up punished for breaking your word but your soul will be clean. And better yet you will stop the Darkness from taking more than your sensei. If you let Kaneda win you doom everyone."
Aki stared up at the sun through te leaves above his head. It seemed odd to see the clean, clear light now after spending so many years in shadow. The ghost had managed to keep him in Light for a full night and day. "I don't care…"
"Yes, boy you do." The ghost's voice grew softer, gentler. "Little Suteko managed to touch your hidden heart and you no longer want your Master to get his hands on her yet again."
One part of aki did admit just that, had admitted that fully when she had been recaptured and given to Pain as a toy. But to be fully truthful another part wanted to claim her as his own prize. The old crush he had as a boy still lingered, making a part of him desire the lovely warrior. He had felt a strong pang of jealousy when Jaeoh had touched her. "Kaneda wants more than her body old man." He sat up and curled an arm about one leg. "With Suteko he will be able to control the Guardian and open the Gate."
:"That might be true but then your role is to protect her."
Aki snorted. "Protect the Light Bearer? You think she would let me near her? After all I have done to her?"
The Ghost smiled wider as the doubt crept into Aki's voice. The hook had been set. He let out a trickle of energy, letting it flow out of the shield. The boy was ready, he might not yet be a soldier for Light but he would no longer support the Shadow against his former sensei. "The Princess is very forgiving, given a chance." The ghost didn't know for sure bu he had been watching her since his death. The girl reminded him of his own long lost sister.
"But do you really think you can trust me?" Aki pushed his way back to his feet, wearily.
The shield dropped completely then, suddenly enough that Aki shuddered as the shadows refilled the clearing. The ghost faded from view. "That is a question only you can answer boy. But think this. You have a chance to make up for your errors. Take it."
Aki stood for a long time as the minor shadows started to gather. He could feel them chittering questions at him. These minor shadows were like dogs, little intelligence but a lot of loyalty. These creature were neither good nor bad and had been attracted to him from the beginning. It could be that was simply because he rarely struck out at them. Heavy in thought he entered the cave. It was time to return. The question was would he do as the ghost asked or follow his Master's demands.
Reappearing inside his own quarters he headed into the bath. The internal battled had left him feeling unclean. A long bath later, one where he sent away his usual attendants, left him physically relaxed but still mentally troubled. The moment when he pulled up a flash of Light had more than startled him. It had felt good and natural and it shouldn't have. Settling on his bed after clearing his room of shadow servants he snapped his fingers and once again a small flash of white light formed between his fingers. Quickly he doused the Light and threw an arm over his eyes. "What did you do to me old man." he whispered.
***
"See Ocean, the Shadow can be a wonderful place," cooed a raven haired lovely. Ever since he had brought Suteko to Kaneda's throne room various women had been very interested in the former Kouhei. The soul searching disquiet after Seiya's death had been eased by willing women and missions that involved him spending time on the water. It was odd that the Shadow realm had a large body of water but the waves called to him like no other.
Running a hand down his current lovely companion's back he sighed. "Yes, Kimi, you are right." He turned to restart their activities when she placed a fingertip on his lips.
"The Master would like you to do another little thing for him Ocean."
Steve ground his teeth and then nodded. "What do I have to do this time?"
Kimi smiled and pressed closer. "Nothing difficult sweet one. He just need you to stick to Aki's side."
"The General?" Steve brow furrowed. "Why?"
Kimi traced her long lacquered nail down his chest. "The Master has concerns about how his General is reacting. He has not been acting for the benefit of Shadow since the Light Bearer returned." She started nibbling on his chin. "He is looking to replace him." As she teased the former Kouhei, she incinuated tendrils of shadow int ohis heart and mind. "He has been impressed with your actions since joining us. If you do this you culd be a real power here."
"Why would I want power? I have the waves/" He protested but only weakly. He had found being in control was as much of a rush as a 20 foot curl off Maui.
"Because then I would be yours exclusively Ocean. To do what ever you wish."
Steve smiled and nodded as visions filled his mind. The woman in his bed would be worth spending time in the soon to be former Shadow General's presence. "You are right Kimi-chan. It is time that Aki realized his in not longer the Master's favorite." He lay back and let the siren ply her skills on him.
***
When the black sun rose in the Shadow kingdom, Steve stepped from his chambers. The Kouhei unifrom was gone finally, replaced by a sleek black tunic and pants. His once smoky crystal had become jet black. It was now mounted on a chain, it glittered on his chest.
He swiftly moved through the halls toward Aki's chambers. Kimi's source told him that the General had only just returned to the shadow realm after being missing for over 24 hours. Steve had a good idea that he had been in Tokyo. What he was doing there is what he planned to find out.
While Steve had been growing darker over the past month, he could see a change in Aki. The general had been passing off the more loathsome errands to him along with no longer summoning his harem.
The women gossiped to Steve about how his rooms were getting uncomfortable, like the Shaodw was being pushed out. And that he had called them less and less as time passed. He still let his temper out but not as often.
Steve nodded to the Reaper that guarded Aki's chambers. The creature bowed to hm respectfully. it's tomblike voice filled the hall. "The General returned an hour ago Luetenaint." THE creature made even the most hardened warrior quake. Steven stiffened his spine.
"What has be been up to?"
"The General was in the private bath." It paused obviously in distain for those who needed to bathe. :He sent the females away."
"Interesting/" Steve knocked on the door and without waiting for a response stepped inside.
"Who dares?" Aki sat up, then rolled his eyes and lay back, one knee bent. "What do you want Stevie?"
Steve walked voer and looked down at his so called leader. The man had definatley changed. The lazy seeming form was tensed under his robes, like he expected something. "Kaneda sent me to find out where you have been.:
Aki snorted, resting his arm back over his aching eyes. "I was at the Cave, per his orders."
"Funny that it took you so long to check on an empty cave." Steve curled his fingers behind his back. He had learned a new trick in the past week and he wanted to see if Aki noticed. He formed a weapon, a shadow whip like the one favored by the General. Aki seemed oblivious as he answered.
"The Master's message was delivered like he requested and the clearing is free,' he paused almost too brief ot notice, "of Light traps."
"Do yo really think the Light puppies will fall for a straight up trick?" Steve coiled the whip behind him.
:It isn't our place to tell Kaneda what to plan. We just carry out his orders. Aki snarled. He was very tired of Steve, of Kaneda's foolish plans and of Shadow in general. "I had a little trouble clearing the remains of the old cave guardian." Aki thought fast. He needed something to get the former Kouhei out of his hari. "Your former leader took acceptation to my appearance." That was close to the truth, or as close as he planned on letting the traitor know. "He delayed me for a bit/"
"A bit huh? The master expected you back in an hour at most. You were gone much longer."
Aki hissed, whipping up off his bed. "You dare question me traitor? I should send you back to Kaneda with your ass in your hand!" Aki pulled his own anger driven power about him, letting it leak from his eyes. He crackled with energy but even in the dim light it could be seen to be a gray instead of his traditional black. He was loosing his grip on the darkness and the power he should have had was starting to bleed through.
"You don't seem so powerful to me, General," Steve sneered and then swung his hand out from behind his back and the shadow whip licked out. It caught Aki across his face. With a bellow of mixed pain and rage, Aki formed a dagger of energy and lunged at Steve, who backpedaled and switched his weapon to the one he used on Minerva.
A bedroom is not the best place for a hand to hand battle but they did not care. Slashed and cuts opened on both men's skin. Aki had skill and anger on his side and a more flexible weapon but Steve had new found confidence and a more deadly one. The odd shape, hooked and tore, taking a chunk out of Aki's bicep as Steve dodged his dagger. As Steve pulled the weapon free Aki's hand spasemned and he dropped his blade. It fell to the floor with a clatter and a hiss, flickering between shadow black and Light white.
Aki grimaced nad tried to pull power into his number right hand. When it didn't work he hissed, letting go of his arm and then pulled power into his blood covered left. To both his and Steve's surprise a ball of dirty white filled his palm, flickering there.
"Reaper Come!" Steve cried out in triumph. "The General has betrayed our Master!"
Without thinking, Aki threw the energy at the approaching Reaper, then sprinted through the door toward the bath. There was a hidden gateway there and if he could reach it he could teleport away. He was but two steps away when the Reaper's long bladed arms caught him across the back. With a cry he crashed to the ground. His blodd flowed, soaking the fine robe that covered him.
Steve laughed as the man who brought him in to the Shadow tried to stand. "You should have never come back General. You let that bitch taint you." He gasped as energy passed into him from Aki's blood when he wrapped his hand around the damaged arm and yanked him up. With the blood Aki's shadow powers flowed out of him and into the new General of the Shadow army. "Kaneda will love this!" He dragged Aki back into the other room and out.
Aki struggled to pull himself away from Steve. The pain in his back was intense. He could feel his Shadow given strength flowing away with his blood. He hissed as Steve dug fingers into the wound. The extra pain helped him to think, to feel shame for all that he had allowed to happen his Sensei.
He grimaced and yanked as hard as his battled honed muscles would let him and crashed away from Steve. He ran, dashing from hall to hall. As the first disciple of Kaneda he knew these halls better than any other. Dodging and dashing past startled denizens, he stayed ahead of his followers.
The blood loss was weakening him but he wasn't gong ot allow Steve drag him in front of the Shadow Master. If he was doomed now for a reason he didn't quite understand, he was going to make it back to the real world and feel the sun on his face once more.
The Shadow castle was a massive building, and Aki knew it all. For a day and night he managed to avoid Steve and the Reapers but he couldn't get into any of the gate rooms. He winced as he ducked into one of the smaller rooms near the outside wall. He managed to bandage his arm roughly but the wound across his back was stealing his strength. There was no way for him to bandage it and no one he could trust in the Shadow realm. He leaned against the door and shivered wearily. The shadow taint was slowly poisoning the wounds and making him feverish. He had not understood how simple shadow could cause a wound to fester till now.
He had to get free of this realm if he was going to live but the chances were getting slimmer by the minute. He had too many enemies here. In his years here he admitted that at times he was a cruel master, but he knew he would not have survived as the naïve boy he was when Kaneda first appeared.
Closing his eyes for a moment he slipped into a shallow daze. The power he had pulled up before wasn't his usual dark black, it was muddy, like his mind was. Being hunted, wound and sick gave him a new respect for the Starknight.
"I'm sorry, Suteko-sensei," he whispered as he felt himself sliding down the wall. Hissing as his back pulled, he let his head hand and tried to keep from collapsing but everything grew black.
He awoke with a start, drenched from the bucket of water tossed in his face. "There, now former General, tell me just what you were doing in the Cave clearing for so many hours." Kaneda hissed in his face.
Aki shook his head to clear the water from his eyes and winced. "I told Steve, I cleaned out the clearing of any Light remnants. That and the false Prince took acception."
"That may be the truth but I think not, Aki. I think you went and joined the other side." The cloaked form stepped back and gestured. Steve stepped forward with the glittering dagger that Aki had dropped. "Where did you get this weapon? Only one of the Light can call one of these forth boy and you are my General!"
Aki's eyes widened. When he had called forth the blade it was supposed to be formed from his Shadow given power not from the Light. "I have no idea where that came from Master. It can't be my dagger."
"This is what you used to fight me. And you are showing signs of Shadow sickness. You are no longer a part of Shadow." Steve grinned. This was too good. The man was doomed now.
Kaneda hissed at the glittering knife. "Destroy it Steven. It is an abomination in my sight."
Steve sent the blade into the deep shadow pool in the center of the room and then turned back to watch as the Shadow master flowed forward. The anger at the betrayal of his chosen second was clear in the stance of the form. Kaneda reached back and produced a dagger and started to peel the robes and skin from his once strongest ally.
****
For the hours between dawn and the coming sunset the Shadow Master and his new general continued to try to pry answers out of Aki that he didn't have. By the ordained time Aki was a bloody mess to match his former sensei and they were not satisfied. "Get him down Steven. We will just have to bring him along. Dear Suteko will surrender willingly when she sees we have her mole."
Steve wasn't so sure about that but he did what he was told. He knew Aki was hiding things but he also knew there had not been time for the former general to tell Suteko anything. He believed his tale of the former guardian trapping him in the glade. It actually made a lot of sense.
To be continued