Oh, for the love of… Talk about a crazy weekend. My apologies to all of you. Let it be said here that, no, I did not delete Sunset Horizon. It was removed from the site against my will. Now, we're back with a reupload and censored MA content, so hopefully everything should be all right.
If, for some reason, this gets deleted again and my entire account is removed, I'll get a new one under 'OCValkyrie.' Just sayin'.
All right. Though your reviews are no longer on the site, I still have them all in my e-mail, so I'll still list everyone, as per usual :) My thanks go out to RobotFish, AnimeKiwi369, FiringShootingStar, Mixer18, Star-Rose Lover, Rapis-Razuri, theforgottenpeople96, ProChampioDuelistA. K. A. Pyro, Darkangel2221, blackbird512, RunoandAkizafan, Rose-Aki, and TFRiD Queen
For anons, we have LDC, ChibiX, Fire, Seeker Heart, Korra, Katara, Mariah, name (twice!), and six guests! LDC: The 'evolution,' as you put it, should be most of the fun ;) ChibiX: Aw, thank you! That's a very flattering thing to say, Chibi. I do appreciate it :) You make a very good point with Carly calling Kalin handsome... Doesn't seem like something she would do, does it?
Fire: Yeah, Kalin's based on his Crash Town apprearance in here, so he's at least more subdued than the otehrs ^^; I'm not sure if 'nice' is the right word to use, though. Seeker Heart: Don't worry. The fight's going down... now. Korra: Thank you! Katara: I aim to please! Mariah: Thank you! I'll try to keep you on your toes! name: No problem! The stroy will be here (I hope) until you get time to read. Take your time, and school take priority!
To my ever amazing beta, RobotFish, I offer my infinite thanks. I'm still searching, but I think I might have my answer soon.
Sunset Horizon
Chapter 14 – Shallow Waters
Yusei stood at one of the desks in his home, surrounded by his friends while studying a map of the governor's residence. They didn't have any clue how to fight Sayer, but they hoped their numbers would be enough. They had no way of knowing just how strong his powers were. All the knowledge they had was that he was more than capable of fighting off one man on his own.
With luck, four would be too many for him to handle.
He doubted that fact, though. Sayer had been in town long enough—four weeks—to know that the Enforcers never gave up on each other. As much as Yusei hated to admit it, Sayer was an intelligent man. He knew that his actions had instigated a battle to be fought between them, yet he hadn't taken any action other than sending those men for Akiza. Which meant he was confident enough in his powers that he would be able to fight all four of them at once.
Yusei didn't like the odds of this, but he didn't have much of a choice. There was nothing to research, no one they could ask. Their only hope was to go in blind and get lucky. They had a plan, but it really didn't mean much. In the end, it all came down to how strong Sayer's powers were.
Sighing, he stepped away from the table and over to his bunk, throwing the curtain underneath back. Tucked away in one of the corner shelves was a pile of firearms, colored in different shades and made of varying sizes. He had a hobby in crafting them, always enjoying the task of carving the engravings and, even after he finished Stardust Dragon, still made more because it was fun. Now, he was glad he had weapons as a back-up.
The one he used before he'd completed Stardust, Junk Warrior, was outdated and not one of his better creations. He shuffled through the stack, picked up a dark greenish-brown colored one and frowned, considering it. Nah, Max Warrior was designed to fire larger shells. Not right for an indoor fight. Another, yellowish-brown one with silver highlights caught his eye, but he quickly set it back down. Quillbolt Hedgehog was one he'd made for practicing etching designs. Not a whole lot of firepower in that one.
He picked up another one, this one colored pale blue like Stardust Dragon. He'd made this one after his beloved firearm and often considered it a smaller companion to it. It had gotten the name of Stardust Xiaolong, after the name of Stardust Dragon's attendant in the stories his mother told. Perfect. It was smaller than his beloved Dragon, but not so much that it would be unusable. Plus, it was small enough that it could be tucked into his belt and open the holster for Stardust Dragon when he got it back.
He definitely planned to get his Dragon back tonight.
A knock sounded on the door, causing all four of them to pause and exchange glances. Finally, Yusei gave a nod towards Crow to open the door. It was late, so no one should be out anymore. He had no idea who would come at this hour. His friend opened the door to reveal Akiza, dressed in black trousers and long sleeve shirt. His eyebrows furrowed, surprise and mirthlessness filling him at the sight of her presence. He pulled the curtain back over his weapons and nodded towards the inside of his home, saying, "Let her in, Crow."
She walked inside and stood silently, glancing over her shoulder as Crow closed the door. Yusei crossed his arms and took a firm stance, asking, "And what brings you here this late?"
She looked unsure and wrung her hands together for a moment, considering her response. Slowly, she sighed and finally spoke, "You're going to fight Sayer, aren't you?"
He felt Jack's, Crow's, and Kalin's eyes on him as he replied, "If we are?"
"I want to go with you."
He was expecting that. "Hell, no."
She crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at him, taking a moment before saying, "Sayer deserves what's coming, and I want to be there to see it happen. I deserve that much."
Jack finally spoke, unable to stay quiet anymore. "I'm not going to watch out for you."
She turned to cast an icy glare at the foreigner. "I can take care of myself."
Yusei sighed, not finding her conviction funny at all. "Akiza, I can't let you go in there. I don't know what will happen."
Frowning, she muttered, "No, you don't. I can help. I'm not useless with a gun." As she spoke, she reached back and pulled a small pistol from behind her.
He held his hand out expectantly. "Let me see that."
She held it close to her chest. "You'll just take it so I won't be able to follow."
"Please," he said, sighing. "I've known you long enough to know that you'll do what you want, anyway. I just want to see what kind of weapon you have and know what it can do."
Reluctantly, she held it out for him, saying, "Fine."
Yusei took it from her and looked it over, opening the ammo reel and peering inside, studying the gun with a trained eye. He imagined the things he saw about the little thing were very different than what she saw. Frowning, he muttered, "This is the basic of basic for self-defense. If you're going in with the intention of killing someone, you'll need something better."
She heaved a sigh and met his eyes, crossing her arms. He had to admit, she managed to make long pants look very attractive. "I don't have another weapon."
"In which case, you'll need a new one," he said, stepping back and pulling his curtain back again. "Take your pick. I'll let you know if it's a good bet."
She walked over and glanced at the stock of weapons, brushing her hair back out of her eyes so she could see more clearly. "What are all these?"
He couldn't help the proud smile that crossed his lips. "My hobby. You know I smith, right?"
She nodded. "I did, but… This is a lot more than I imagined you'd have."
He shrugged, then paused as she started looking at the lower shelf. "Don't bother with those," he said, moving his hand to block her view of them. "Those are just dummies I made for practicing the etching. Most of them don't actually fire."
"Oh, okay," she said, reaching out to shift through the higher stack.
Nodding his approval, Yusei said, "None of these are loaded, so don't worry about them going off."
She picked up one that was tinted pink and raised an eyebrow at him, curious. "I'm half-hoping you made this for a niece or something."
He shook his head, casting a smile towards her. "Nah. Only child. That was supposed to be red, but I ran out of dye while I was smelting the metal. I call it Sonic Chick."
"Ah," she muttered, shifting to place it back on the shelf.
Jack sighed and crossed his arms, saying, "I hate to rush you lovebirds, but we have a schedule to meet."
Yusei scratched the back of his head and reached into the shelf, pulling out a red one with yellow and green vine-like tints. "Here, try this one. Is it a comfortable weight?"
She took it from him and held it in her hand, placing her fingers around the trigger to get a feel for it. "Yeah… Actually, it's almost perfect."
"Good, we'll go with that one, then. It's called Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis. Before you ask, all of these are named after the stories of the Crimson Dragon my mother would tell me."
Giving a short nod, she turned to face the rest of the room, jumping when she realized Kalin was standing right there, holding a leather holster out to her. "It might not be a perfect fit, but it's better than nothing."
She nodded and Yusei took it, kneeling down to wrap it around her waist and help her fasten it. He kept his eyes on the buckle, fixing the leather around her hips while saying, "Hey, Crow. Can you get some number five rounds?"
The teen nodded and moved over to the shelves, rustling through the small crates stored there before carrying one over. "Here you go. Number five's."
He nodded towards Crow, silently telling Akiza to give him the gun so he could load it. "Show her so she can do it on her own," he said, finishing with the belt buckle and taking a handful of bullet shells from the crate, placing them neatly inside the small pouch beside the holster.
Jack watched them get her ready and shook his head, muttering, "I'm not going to be responsible for her. She goes with you."
Crow nodded his agreement, then turned to Akiza to explain, "We're splitting up before we get inside. Me an' Jack on one team, and Yusei, Kalin, and, apparently, you on the other."
She faced Yusei again, saying, "I won't be a burden. I promise."
Jack waved and moved for the door, saying, "We're heading out now. We've got more ground to cover."
He nodded firmly and walked over to the desk to stand beside Kalin while glancing at the map. "I know. I don't know what kind of shooting practice you have, but if you don't think you can do it, just take cover and keep yourself safe. We'll handle anyone that comes. The plan is no casualties besides one, but sometimes things go astray. Understand?"
She clutched Amaryllis to her chest and dipped her chin in confirmation. "I used to practice with an old friend when I was younger. I promise I won't get in the way."
"All right," he said, turning back to the map. "Here's the plan. Keep up, 'cause we don't want to waste time with a repeat."
She nodded, turning to Kalin as he started to explain, "Yusei, you, and myself will sneak in from the west side, while Crow and Jack are going in through the underground passage…"
Closing his eyes, Yusei shut out the sound of his voice and made a silent vow. Even if he wound up dead, he would make sure Akiza survived this fight. He would gladly give his life in exchange for hers.
…
He crept through the trees outside Sayer's home, glancing over his shoulder at Kalin and Akiza following behind him. She shouldn't be here, but there wasn't much of anything he could do about it. He knew, even if he refused to let her come, she would have followed, anyway. Akiza was spirited enough that she wouldn't take orders from anyone, especially Yusei.
So he did what any man in his situation would; he made sure she had the means to protect herself and kept her close so he could take care of her. He would much rather be able to protect her than let her wander alone and risk getting hurt.
They came up to the target window, and Yusei nodded for Kalin to go first, bending down to brace his hands and give him a boost. His friend nodded and stepped into his hold, hoisting himself through the window and disappearing inside.
He nodded his head for Akiza to come closer and, when she shifted to step into his hand, he raised his hands to give her a bigger lift. Not only was she shorter than Kalin, but she was most definitely less muscled, as well. She climbed in, shifting on the sill to drop in feet first.
Yusei stood up and took a few paces back, bracing himself before running at the wall and taking a few steps up the stucco and catching the frame of the window. Flipping, he shifted to roll in headfirst and landed in a somersault before jumping to his feet. Kalin and Akiza stood by waiting for him, as he nodded in a silent way of saying, 'let's go.'
…
Jack frowned as he pulled the lever, releasing the lock inside the secret passage. The bookcase slid towards them, opening the doorway and giving them a straight walk inside. Now, to meet up with the others.
He kept Archfiend in his grip as he stepped through, glancing around for any sign of a threat. Crow moved ahead of him with his own firearm drawn, pointing it out into the hall as he made his way out into the open. They travelled together, working as a team to keep their backs covered and checking in each room they passed as they headed for the rendezvous point.
Raising his fist, he beat the back of it against a door to throw it open and glanced inside quickly for anyone hiding inside. Crow moved into the doorway across the hall to scout, so Jack shrugged lightly and stepped inside the room, peering around. Nothing but shelves and a desk.
As he turned to leave, a motion caught his attention and he turned, squinting in the dark at a shape in the shadows. He couldn't quite make it out, but raised Archfiend as a precaution, slowly moving closer.
"I wouldn't do that, if I were you."
His eyebrows rose, the odd shape in the shadows moving to step into the moonlight streaming through the windows. His eyes widened in surprise as he took in the silhouette against the light curtains. He recognized that cloak. He wasn't sure how he did, but there was no mistaking it.
It was that bloody thief!
He finally found him!
Except… that voice. Was he… a she? He raised his gun a little higher and demanded, "Who the bloody hell are you?"
A light, airy chuckle came from the thief, confirming that he was indeed a she as she crossed her arms casually. "I told you. You'll regret attacking me. You can't win."
His lip rose in contempt. Was she seriously challenging him? No one challenged Jack Atlas! He would show her not to cross him. He raised Red Dragon Archfiend to eyelevel and spat in response, "This town belongs to the Enforcers. Cross us, and you'll be the regretful one!"
She took a few more steps towards the open balcony, breathing deeply as she inhaled the night air. "You know, it's really hard to take you seriously. That silly voice of yours just makes me want to laugh!"
First, she turned her back on him. Then she insulted him. This bitch would pay. His finger squeezed around the trigger, pulling closer to her death with each millisecond. A black flash moved through the room, causing him to turn sharply. It took him a moment to register what had happened, but realized that the woman had moved, far more quickly than any human being should be able to.
She sat, perched on the railing of the balcony and released a laugh, cackling, "You should see your expression! You look almost as stupid as you sound right now!"
He started to move a little closer, but froze as he caught sight of her in the moonlight. Dark hair spilled down her back, pale skin shimmered silver in the tinted light, and a slender figure stood out underneath her black cloak. The most astonishing feature about her was her eyes. Jack found himself frozen, staring into her gaze and unable to look away.
It wasn't beauty that caught him, nor was it a look of sweet tenderness in her eyes. It definitely wasn't some underlying, invisible bond of unknown love he'd heard of. Those sorts of things only happened in storybooks. Or to men as sappy and pathetic as Yusei.
What caught him was the color. The iris was a calming color of blue or green—he couldn't be sure in the night—but instead of being surrounded in white, her eyes were colored black. Blacker than the night around them. Blacker than the crows he knew his birdbrained friend sketched. Blacker than the metal of Red Dragon Archfiend.
He couldn't stop himself from staring at the pure oddity of her eyes. Why were they colored black? What makes someone's eyes change to that color? Was she always that way?
A slow smirk crossed her lips before she muttered, "Sorry, Mr. Master of Bastards. I've got a schedule to keep. Catch you later!" she chirped, flipping easily over the railing and down to the courtyard below. He ran after her, stopping at the rail and looking down below for any indication of her destination. His eyes scoured the area, searching for her in every direction.
She was nowhere to be found.
Ugh… What a mess. I'm glad everything will be getting all fixed up. Hopefully, this is a one-time thing.
Please review!
-Valk