I am having serious trouble keeping this story alive. I just can't seem to get in the writing mood. So sorry for the long wait but my lifes been hectic with two family deaths and christmas coming up! I need help people! If you want this story to stay alive please review! I dont care if its flames or not! Anything seems how thats all im going on. I wanted to at least get this chapter out before Christmas. So let's just hope I can get out of this funk!
This chapter is dedicated to Vampy! More action and a longer chappy! BONUS!
DISCLAIMER!: I am pretty sure I don't own Kekkaishi
Enjoy the chappy and DON'T FORGET! REVIEW!
You know when people talk about dying, they see a long deserted tunnel with a blazing light at the end? Those people are so wrong! What Yoshimori saw was completely different. There was no tunnel, only the gaping jaws of six nasty snakes, but he'd take the tunnel any day. There was no light, only the harsh orb in the sky. And he was definitely not alone. The damned ayakashi and his serpent minions was there. And Tokine...
Time seemed to stop as Yoshimori's mind processed what was happening. Tokine hung suspended in the air in front of him, her body a shield. Yoshimori watched helplessly as the fangs ripped into her skin, her uniform shredded by all of the razor sharp teeth. While Tokine got the most of it three heads latched onto him, the poison he could already feel coursing from the wounds. His shoulder wound seemed to flare anew in welcome of the new pain. A terrifying yell sounded in the night, filled with hate, pain, and loss, and Yoshimori realized the horrible scream came from him as Tokine fell to the ground.
Tears blurred his eyes as he limped to where she fell, a pool of blood filling under her. His hand shakily touched her cheek, brushing the length of her jaw, caressing her neck, and sliding down her arm until he reached her wrist. He patiently waited to feel her faint heartbeat. It stuttered once the poison touched it, but continued it's steady, but faint, rythme.
Yoshimori lurched to his feet once he decided she was in no immediate danger and faced the ayakashi. He glared at the doomed monster, black eyes glinting with all the hate and murder in the world.
"You will pay, ayakashi!" Yoshimori spat and shifted into his stance, all signs of wounds and pain gone, only his steady determination. The ayakashi bursted into laughter.
"You think you can now kill me? I have been killing for almost fifty years and kekkaishi have faced me thinking I would be easy prey, but oh I showed them!" It's laughter was cruel as it's evil red eyes fell on him. "There is no way you will kill me and survive. Even if I do die tonight, so will you and that girl!" The ayakashi jerked it's head at Tokine's still body a few feet away. "You must have realized my snake bites have venom in them too! The venom in both of you will kill you! That girl may have a chance because she only has my snake poison in her, which can be cured, but you," the ayakashi shook it's head, grinning, "You have my snake venom and my poison from my bite. You will not survive long enough to see the brink of dawn!" The ayakashi roared with laughter but was cut off by a kekkai appearing around it's muzzle.
"Then I guess I have a time limit to kill you in." Yoshimori said quietly, his eyes shadowed by his hair. "Metsu." The kekkai shattered and the ayakashi roared in anger and pain. The ayakashi rubbed it's nose and reared those damned snakes and attacked. Yoshimori jumped out of range of the snakes but they kept coming. "Ketsu!" A kekkai appeared and shattered around one head, making the snake headless, but not for long. The head regenerated, but with another this time. Yoshimori clenched his teeth and two more kekkais appeared around the two heads and quickly shattered, but this time, four heads appeared, the ayakshi smirking as he watched. Now there were eight in all. Yoshimori made a kekkai above the ayakashi which he used to get a view, while the ayakashi slowly looked up and the snakes striked again, but Yoshimori had found out how to take out the snakes. On the ayakashi's rear end where the tails connected was a little ayakashi fused with the bigger one. It stared up at him with fear and hate in his eyes. Yoshimori calmly made a kekkai around the mini ayakashi, and with a poof, the ayakashi vanished. The bigger roared in fury and pain and took a swipe at Yoshimori who ducked and made kekkais around the joints in the monster's foreleg, pinning it in midair.
"Damn you, little kekkaishi!" It roared, struggling against the kekkais. With it's free paw, it swiped across his chest, claws splayed, Yoshimori being forced to stumble back. He pressed his hand to the one of his many wounds, assessing the damage. Deciding it wasn't deep, with one hand still firmly against his chest, Yoshimori stood tall and braced himself for what was to come, the wind teasing and pulling at his hair.
"Ketsu! Ketsu. Ketsu, Ketsu!" Yoshimori shouted as he ran around the ayakashi who, due to his humongous form, sluggishly tried to follow his nimble form, but found he couldn't move again, due to the kekkais surrounding his paws, but were positioned around all the joints. The monster threw back it's head, swearing in it's own language and roaring it's horrible anger towards the sky. "You'll pay for this, you stupid little kekkaishi! I am invincible!"
With the ayakashi pinned for a moment, Yoshimori turned to Tokine, checking her wrist once again. He swore. Her heartbeat was getting slower and fainter by the minute. He could already feel his own body slowing down and getting weaker. He'd meant to surround the ayakashi also with a kekkai but found he couldn't. He had to finish this quickly, for the sake of Tokine's life as well as his. But he had no idea how to fully kill the ayakashi.
Shuddering with pain, he stood slowly, and walked towards the still swearing ayakashi. Just then his mind pictured Tokine.
Now listen to me! The only way to win this fight is to try to find it's weak spot!" she shouted at him, her eyes determined. He glared at her, still rubbing his head as the wind pushed her braid.
Yoshimori's eyes widened when the realization came to him. The most simplest thing. The heart! The heart is the weakest point! He berated himself for overseeing the stupid idea, mentally kicking himself. Surely this was the only way?
His steps more firm with determination, eyes set, shoulders straight, and head no longer lowered in pain but held defiantly high, Yoshimori was at his height of power, his aura so densed you could see the pure light blue enclosed around his figure, eyes glowing with the hint of it. His hands no longer shook, his legs no longer protesting, he could barely feel the wounds themselves, but he could feel the black poison, almost picture it. Like the ayakashi's aura, it was merciless, his own aura trying to battle it, but this was a physical thing that it could not win against. The only set back.
He'd never cared much about the thought of dying. In fact, it had felt like a fact of life, seems how his was swimming in danger all the time. It had been just a matter of time. He knew he was probably going to die after this tonight, but he wouldn't allow himself until he knew Tokine was safe.
His feet stopped him a foot away from the still shrieking ayakashi, who'd managed to break some of the kekkais, but not nearly enough to free itself. His feet automatically shifted into his stance, his arm at the ready.
"Damn you kekkaishi! I refuse to lose to you! I won't! Your accursed kekkais may have become stronger, but I will still break free and kill you!" "Shut up." Yoshimori said quietly, the ayakashi finally noticing his aura. It's eyes flickered with fear and anger. "What are you doing, little kekkaishi?" Yoshimori lowered his head just enough for his hair to shadow his face, but the shadows couldn't withhold the brilliant blue in his eyes that was so bright the ayakashi couldn't look at them. So quietly that the monster had to strain it's ears to hear, Yoshimori said, "Zekkai."
A flash appeared and Yoshi's aura flared out, creating a blue orb encasing his body. Ever since the time in kokuboro when he'd manifested this incredible and unique zekkai, he'd felt the power flowing in him. Unlike last time however, it was now more controlled and he didn't pass out.
The ayakashi's eyes widened with realization and it's struggles took on a sense of urgency. "Damn you!" It howled like a prayer, over and over. "It's over, ayakashi!" Yoshimori said. "No! I'll take you down with me, little kekkaishi!" Yoshimori didn't doubt it as his view flickered yellow and black as he flew through the ayakashi, a huge hole appearing in it's chest where it's cold heart had been. The ayakashi, now free, turned on it's heels, facing Yoshimori. It gave him a half smirk half grimace as it said it's last words, "See you in hell, kekkashi." And it's body crumbled and vanished on the wind.
The zekkai disappeared and his wounds welcomed back each other as he shakily rose to his feet. He turned slightly to see Tokine raise her head, her body faced away from him. "Yoshi.." She said slowly.
"Over here." He called and watched as she turned her head to look at him. Her eyes widened at the sight. His robes were sliced away around his chest, showing her the bloody, jagged lined running across, his robe was gone around one shoulder, showing the bite from earlier, and there were punctures of rows of teeth matching hers all over his body, not to mention he was covered in dirt and mud. His eyes were sagging with exaustion as he gazed at her now. She shakily climbed to her feet, her body swaying as the poison settled in her.
Yoshimori had meant to dash over to her when he saw her sway but his feet hadn't moved, except for one tiny pained step. He gave a rueful laugh at this. He felt the acid knawing at his shoulder, felt the venom in his snake bites course through his veins, felt the poison at every part of his body. He didn't have long, this he knew.
Tokine quickly walked up to him, worry written clearly in her eyes. He gave a disgusted snort that she was still worried about him when she herself was in bad condition. "Yoshimori... what happened?"
He gave a shrug indifferently. "Same as always, one nasty ayakashi." There was no need to tell her he only had a few hours left before he was stone cold.
At the mention of the ayakashi, she looked around. "Where'd it go? Run away?"
He snorted and glared at her, though his eyes ruined it. "Of course not! I killed it!"
She glared back at him but it immediatly disappeared when he took a staggering step forward, eyes widened in suprise, as his knees buckled and his eyes rolled to the back of his head. "Yoshimori!" Tokine screamed and grabbed his arm before he could hit the ground, a groan tearing deep from his throat for she had grabbed his injured shoulder. She carefully laid him on the ground and quickly checked his wrist for a pulse, her body tensing when she barely felt it. "Yoshimori! Yoshimori! Yoshi!" Tokine shouted as she unsucessfully tried to wake him, his blank face almost seeming to taunt her as he remained unconscious. She shook his uninjured shoulder as she called his name over and over. "Yoshimori! Answer me!" She sobbed and buried her head into the crook of his uninjured arm, crying.