Hey guys! I got some really good feedback from you for last chapter, I know I kind of threw Satoshi in there at the last minute, and I apologize for that. There have also been some mentions as to where Kaido is. Don't worry guys! Aki wasn't the only one behind gathering the Sages! Hold your balls!
Also, I'd like to take this opportunity to apologize for my surprise hiatus I took. Life got extremely hectic and busy, but some good came out of it and I got some rewards for my work, so at least it wasn't in vain. I'm back now, so stay tuned!
Now, enjoy the chapter!
Bloodied and Bruised, Bloodlust is Roused
Aki looked around the table. She scanned each person at the table that resided in Yusei's home, out of guilt and worry. To her immediate left was Jeff. He was much more pale than usual, his eyes wide and empty. He was holding Hino, although he didn't seem to know it. Hino was the next down the line; still mourning Xerxes. It seemed like that was all Hino knew at the moment – Xerxes was dead.
Next to her was Takeshi. The look on his face reminded Aki of when she had first seen him in that emergency room; shock, fear and lonesome. Every once in a while, Takeshi would look over at Jeff and Hino, something similar to envy would birth from his eyes and he'd pull away.
At the other end of the table was Shinamori; wounded and winded. He didn't seem to be planning on saying anything for the rest of the day – or the rest of the week for that matter. Around the next corner of the table was a very serious Setsuka who watched the emotionally wrecked Sages across from her. It wasn't exactly pity that resided in her eyes – empathy more so – Aki couldn't be sure. All that she could see clearly was a maternal temper in the icy woman's features. 'Strange…'
Ryuusei was the last. He was affected by the events of that day – sure – but it didn't seem to really hit him at all. That or he was simply that stoic in stature. Aki rested a hand over her son's, giving him a reassuring expression.
"Fuck no."
Everyone looked up to see Hino staring at Aki's hand, eyes blood-shot with what was presumably pent up anger.
"Excuse me?" Aki asked, shocked.
Hino straightened up and met Aki's eyes with her own reddened pair, "You don't get to play the worry wart with a level head. You don't get to comfort your son. You still have your son – your loved one. Don't sit there and try to pretend this affects you like it does us. It doesn't and it never will. Fuck you."
Even Takeshi had come out of his glazed state after hearing Hino's uncharacteristic words. Nothing happened for a solid 20 minutes as everyone just stared at the outspoken girl, shock engraving their faces.
Aki eventually stood and left. 'Obviously I'm not welcome…'
The door behind her swung shut, a loud bang sounding from it. As she continued to walk away, she heard the door bang again, and turned to see why. Shinamori was behind her. The man stopped once his eyes met with hers.
"We need to figure this out."
Aki placed a hand on her hip out of habit, "Really? You think so?"
Shinamori rolled his eyes, "Look, obviously we didn't plan this out properly before. We need a new game plan and what better time to start working it out than the present?"
Aki huffed, "People died today. Not just one person; people."
"I know. They'll expect us to take a few days to mourn. We can't waste this time we have. If we act now, we'll be able to strike when they're weak," Shinamori offered, a few hand gestures thrown in for good measure.
Aki's jaw hung, "Waste? You think mourning is a waste of time?"
Shinamori sighed, "Obviously not - in general. Right now it is a waste. Look, I can call Kaido-"
"Kaido. Yes, of course, Kaido! I'm so stupid! Get him over here!"
Shinamori whipped out his cell phone and called the historian/know-it-all. Shinamori explained the situation over the phone and within minutes the teacher was there.
"The Spirit Shrine," Kaido announced as he handed Aki a book. The book was open to a page with a historic-looking drawing of a large, thin monument with a large boulder in front of it. On the boulder was an engraved circle with eight sections marked off inside of it plus a smaller circle in the middle. The middle circle held the symbol of the Spirit Child, and each marked off section held the symbols of every other Sage in the group.
"This is where the Sages lived – the original Sages," Aki said as she looked over the drawing.
Kaido nodded, "It's near the edge of the city. People think it was some kind of cultist temple where people were sacrificed to the devil. It's been abandoned. If we go there, the Sages will be at an advantage should the Soul Pieces attack again."
Aki frowned, "So what? We just sit there and wait for them to attack us?"
Kaido nodded, "Shinamori can continue training them there. The Shrine would provide the appropriate atmosphere to re-focus them for the time being."
Aki scanned the page, noticing certain symbols that she had memorized from prior research, but there was something else there that she didn't recognize. It looked like a portal of some sort, and caused her to knit her brow together, "Is this a portal?"
Kaido looked to the image and nodded, "Yes, but that's for another time. Let's just get through this first."
Aki nodded, "Shinamori, get them ready to go," she instructed as she closed the book, a determined look firing up in her eyes, "We've got work to do."
/
"This," Aki introduced as she pointed to an extremely dirty and eroded, gold building, "Is your new home."
"What?" Jeff hissed out.
Shinamori and Kaido stepped forward to join Aki. Kaido continued explaining, "This is the Spirit Shrine."
"I don't think now is the time for Buddhist Yoga professor," Hino gave half-heartedly.
"No smart-ass comments, please and thanks," Shinamori harped.
Kaido nodded in thanks to Shinamori and continued, "It's the home of the original Sages. We feel that this is the appropriate place for you all to stay and train."
Takeshi looked up from the spot on the ground he had been staring at, "Train? You want us to keep training?"
Aki gave a fierce look, "Yes, unless you want to end up like the others."
"Gladly," Hino gave breathily.
A silence ensued as everyone regarded the girl with varied expressions, each laced with pity. Setsuka stepped forward towards the Shrine and began walking up the steps. Everyone's eyes turned to her, she could feel the heat of their stares on her back as she slowed to a stop and turned to look at them all. Her eyes turned on Ryuusei, a look of expectancy present in the gaze. Ryuusei started to walk up the steps towards Setsuka and stopped behind her.
"Let's go," Ryuusei gave softly as he went to take Setsuka's hand, but thought better of it and pulled back.
"Alright then," Aki waved to the rest of them and began ascending the steps to the entrance of the new home.
The building held a large main room that consisted of a large dining table, a mated section for training, a small area lit by the sun meant for prayer, a natural water fountain, and 12 doors lined along the walls each with their own coloured symbol that matched the Sage's symbols.
"Where are you three going to sleep?" Ryuusei asked Aki, Shinamori and Kaido.
"The mated area should do," Aki answered.
"But-"
"We've seen worse," Aki cut off, "We'll be fine."
Ryuusei nodded and walked off towards the room with his respective symbol on it. The door had no knob, so he pushed on it to try and open it. The door didn't budge. Confused, Ryuusei looked around and caught Setsuka opening her door by showing her mark. Ryuusei rolled up his sleeve and did the same as his icy counterpart, and the door began sliding open.
He entered to find a small bed with a light looking, green blanket draped over it and a small matching pillow. There was also an armoire with no doors on it that held a few robes. They were silk and cotton, green and brown decorated with gold, detailed designs. Ryuusei stroked an emerald green robe with his two fingers, admiring the garbs of his predecessor. As he gave another stroke, a shock of energy went through his body, and he was suddenly enveloped in darkness.
"Well that's not good."
/
"FUCK!"
Grace was not happy at the moment, and she didn't hesitate in showing her fury. A good portion of the auditorium of the school had been blown up in chunks, leaving grayed, smoking circles in randomized spots around the room. The dark leader looked at her sorry excuse for a crew; Sigi covered in burns, Zebel unconscious, Vanitas frozen over, and Stephanie gripping her side in pain while gasping for breath.
"You're all pathetic! We should have defeated them easily! Now they have time to regain strength and train. You disgust me!" The girl called with a booming force, not her own.
Stephanie cringed at the harsh words, looking at Zebel with pity.
"Is it love? Kaemon? Do you love that precious Hoshi?" Grace taunted the only other conscious Soul piece at the moment.
"Fuck off Chiyo," Stephanie bit as she went to pick up Zebel.
"What do you think you're doing?"
Stephanie gave a malicious smirk, "Going someplace quiet and peaceful where I don't have to listen to you for once." Stephanie nudged Sigi's napping form, "Yuuwa, come on."
Sigi awoke and groggily followed Stephanie out of the auditorium. Grace watched as she was left standing there, looking like an idiot, left with the most disappointing, useless Soul Piece.
"UGH!"
/
Ryuusei found himself in some sort of shadow-like realm. He could barely see anything except a few dark purple waves here and there. As he attempted to walk around the area, a bright spotlight hit him, nearly blinding him.
"Hello?"
A female figure was lit up by another spotlight in front of him. Once his eyes focused, he recognized who it was, "Kheika?"
The female figure nodded. Ryuusei reached out a hand to touch her, but the light vanished and she disappeared. He stumbled a bit as another light with another girl appeared; a bright blonde dressed in black.
"Cleotra?"
Again, another nod. He raised his hand towards her, but she put her own hand up to halt him. The Sark Sage brought a finger to her lips, a sign of silence, then her light went out and she disappeared as well.
"What's going on?" Ryuusei hollered into the darkness.
Another light went up behind him. He turned to discover a blue haired 13 year old girl dressed in the most conservative, white gown that completely covered her neck, arms, hands, legs and feet. She looked like an angel in the yellow beam.
"Xerxes…"
The young girl remained unmoving and just stared back at the young man in response. He was about to reach out to her, but thought better of the action.
"Where are we? What's going on?"
Xerxes said nothing, she just smiled in response, causing her light to cast her in endless shadow once again.
Ryuusei raked his wine coloured fringe with his fingers and let out a frustrated sigh. As he did, a silver beam of light appeared directly in front of him, illuminating a dark haired girl dressed in a purple gown with sliver glittering all along her form. She looked to the young man and smiled.
"Ryuusei, you're so brave. I'm glad to have fought alongside you, and to fight with you for many more battles to come. It's an honor to call you my comrade. But now, I must ask you for a favor," the enchanting girl began, her eyes glittering in the silver beam.
Ryuusei slowly nodded, still looking at everything with a film of bewilderment over his eyes, "Anything you want, Alexianna."
The girl's smile grew, increasing her hex of ethereal beauty, "It's a simple thing to ask of someone, I suppose. All I ask is that no matter what happens, no matter what heartache comes your way, fight on. Never stop fighting."
Ryuusei gave a slightly perplexed look, but nodded in agreement nonetheless.
Alexianna nodded with a smile as the other three girls were re-illuminated, all three appearing as gorgeous goddesses, sending Ryuusei into a world of perplexity.
"We'll see each other soon, I promise," Xerxes assured.
"I'll be back," Kheika gave with a fierce determination.
"I will use my second chance wisely, rest assured," Cleotra vowed, a lacing of regret tinting her words.
"We'll all be with you once again," Alexianna finalized.
The spotlight on Ryuusei grew more and more intense until everything turned to white. Ryuusei felt as if he was falling backwards into a never-ending pit of nothingness. Just when he thought he was dead, he hit something – something soft – and opened his eyes to find a gold and dusty ceiling above him. He sat up in the small, green bed and looked around to find everything normal.
"What just-?"
Ryuusei shook his head and plopped back on the bed, "That was… weird."
END
Kind of awkward to leave it off there, but at least I got this out! Plus my 'o' key is being really weird, so I got to check that out. Please review! Don't kill me!