EDIT: [I'm sorry I don't have the second chappie up yet! Please feel free to beat me like a Pinata or however you spell that, throw snowballs, smack me with bricks! TT.TT I hate how I can never do this **** right! D':.....Okay done venting.....still vent your anger too, it's not good to keep that stuff inside TT.TT ]
*Phoenix Down* There ya go Cef ^_^
Coldman, you get a thousand points of awesomeness for using the “O rly” stare >
….and it’s just a tiny thing, but did you miss-spell the Scouts’ names on purpose….? ^_^;
Bring on the leveling up! I’ve raise many pokemon to level 100! ‘Tis nothing for me >
AHAHAHaaaaa…..
Okay, here’s the real chapter 31
And that little snipit I gave earlier got totally re-written so…….Yeah >>; And as soon as I’m done with the second chappie, I’ll smack that right up…..I did not plan on the fight getting this drawn out >>;
And before I totally go all sentimental – thanks guys for an awesome year here at my wittle story…..I wonder how long it’ll take me to finish this…..It’s been two years! >>; But at least the first arc is done…has been done….. and now the traveling from world to world should conclude in less amount of time – and I’ve probably just jinxed myself for another year DX
Don’t be fooled by the name of the chappie, there is much *itch slapping going on :3 Also I added some attacks to the fighters, I hope I stayed true enough to their roots…..
Disclaimer:….C is for Cursing!
Disclaimer:….V is for violence!
Disclaimer:….L is for looooooooooooooooooooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn-gah!
Ch. 31
Prelude to Affection
Car-runitwau Star: Konohagakure Village
“Many of us crucify ourselves between two thieves - regret for the past and fear of the future” ~ Fulton Oursler
Inbetwixt Realm
Isetzue slipped out of her red and white portal into an Inbetwixt realm before a plain white door; two voices were rising in escalation behind it, “Ooohf, now is not the time for this, do they even
know there’s a Death General on the
loose?”
“You’ve left me no choice Avera. I will not allow you to destroy yourself for this one
Master” –
*Did they even feel that shift in the Lifestream from Eros?*
“Then you’ll
have to break me in half!” –
*Wait* -
“What?!” Isetzue heard a fleshy thump – she burst open the door – “Brother–!” and stopped,
“Eh –?!”….
Sephiroth was sitting, cross armed, quite annoyed, upon Avera who was struggling in a kitty-pout under him……..
“Do you see what I have to resort to Isetzue? What a handful the little step-brother is.”
Isetzue leaned herself on the doorway, “Big brother……” –
“You’re so mean,
eh, Sephiroth,” Avera pouted under his weight, “You ate an extra cow for this didn’t you?”
The older sibling was well above retaliating when being called a “pig” (indirectly or otherwise), but his leg agitated him, so he shifted –
skkreeck –
“OOF” –
Isetzue’s hands went to her hips, “Big brother!”
“He can breathe,” said Sephiroth nonchalantly settling; Avera mimicked himself to flattened road kill –
“My stomach hurts” –
“You’re fine.”
“Are you purposely sitting hard on me? Either that or your butt is emitting its own Graviga* attack” –
Isetzue snickered –
“You’ve redefined the term ‘hard a**’” Avera finished–
Sephiroth laid his head back, “I consider myself in pretty good health, so if a stone *** shows a sign of strength, then feel my wrath as part of your punishment for trying to sneak away to Konohagakure Village.”
“Ah, so y’all do know about what’s going on there then,” said Isetzue with her temper about to burst, “We miss judged the gestation period for those things,” she added grabbing her twin swords out of the air, “If one has been
released! Come on we’ve got to stop that thing!”
“I agree,” said Avera, and Sephiroth hopped on him – “ACK” –
“I don’t think so,” said Sephiroth, “This General was released early from the gestation period.”
“How can you tell? Were you finally able to decipher the Lady’s research?”
“What Shonen was able to steal for us at least –“
[Okay imagine Little Slugger nearly sliced up into ribbons on the floor handing Sephiroth a bunch of torn and burned papers, “Here you go you ***** ** * ***** ******* ****** *** ***** ******* ***** - ]
“ – a complete Death General is something along the lines of an extremely powerful Emotionless. The heart is removed and converted into a shadow heart, then placed back within the being with an absolute Influence* of its creator, the soul is also removed, split into only the harsh and brutal natures of the person, then bound back to the body with Dark Magic to give it life. That is the basic stage of forming a Death General known as “Cutting”. The second is the “Awakening” which boosts the General’s strength by some sort of ritual concerning having the Lady place some of her own blood into the General, in other words, cementing a part of her aura into them. The final stage is ‘Regeneration’ where all the pieces of the person’s life are sown seamlessly back together, and whatever wounds, or sickness the person has suffered from are healed. The healing is a very important process since that signifies the body is ‘complete’ or in this case complete as a Death General – ”
Isetzue bit her upper lip, “If Sora and his group meet up with that thing” –
“It is not complete,” said Sephiroth, “This General was brought back from the dead using South Light’s abilities to re-string a life together so it would have trouble with healing with a decomposed body, it would take even more work to repair it, and as such this Death General still has its death wound showing, not to mention it’s a bleeding mess.”
Avera bent what he could of his chest up, “Incomplete or not, it’s sucking up bits of the Lifestream trying to become alive – it’s growing stronger” –
“Why is it you get so strung up over this Master?” said Sephiroth –
“Brother!” –
“It’s nowhere near its full potential.”
“And neither is Sora,” said Avera.
“Then this should make for an interesting match would it not? Who will grow the fastest to kill the other first?”
Isetzue gripped her blades, “They’re already engaging then, are they? You’re using Sora to find out how to kill those things” –
“Dear Isetzue, it’s just a circumstance of chance, I’d gladly go slay the creature myself, but if I leave, Avera will disappear, and not to mention, and if you go, you’ll do more harm than good since no doubt the Lady is watching this fight, which presents quite a few more problems in itself, and will sick both Nefero and South Light on you to keep her little experiment running; so we’re all stuck here. Besides, this is hardly a match at all since Sora has Er” –
“No he doesn’t,” said Isetzue….
Sephiroth’s wing gave a twitch. “Is that right?” –
Avera gripped the bed sheets –
“After I dropped Riku off at his new location, I picked up a very subtle shift in the intentions of Eros through the Lifestream” – Isetzue looked straight into her brother’s eyes, his piercing green to her striking blue – “Eros had left overseeing Sora.”
There was a minute of silence between the winged group before Sephiroth finally spoke, “So then, Sora is totally on his own then; that is excellent.”
“We have to help him! I’m just as strong as you” –
“We have helped him enough,” said Sephiroth in a more firm tone, his intentions clear; Isetzue backed down reluctantly, her blades drooping to touch the ground with a light clink. “I’m tired of that Master putting this little one in danger (Sephiroth placed his hand on Avera’s head messing up his hair) and I will not let any such harm come to you.”
“Lorenia may be able to help him,” said Avera to Isetzue in a reassuring tone through his mangled bangs.
“I doubt that,” said Sephiroth shrugging off the name, “That magic I performed for you to let the old Master’s souls stay in this realm does not bind them to anyone but of their own accord. Looks like she’s pulling an Eros and is not tagging along by Sora’s shoulder anymore either,” he looked to Avera, “I meant to tell you later when you were better, but circumstances being as they are; she has gone to someone else’s side who needs her more, perhaps for the time being at least.” Avera’s heart began to pound. “Was your motive behind opening up the Other Side for them the same as Yahena’s? For the former Masters to posses the replacements and act as shields?”
Avera gave a soft smile at Sephiroth, “How dare you accuse me of that” –
“Brother,” said Isetzue, “Can Sora and his party win against the Death General?”
Sephiroth waited for Avera, who still gripped the bed sheets in silence, to give his response…. and Avera spoke, “Lorenia, was never one to leave anyone’s side who could not defend themselves.”…..
“Well then,” said Sephiroth, “She must have faith in Sora.”
Avera let his head drop a notch in defeat. Sephiroth raised his hand and curved his knuckles: a black glass orb appeared in mid air: it revealed in the center of its dark belly the scene upon Konohagakure Village.
“It is time for that Master to prove his worth.”
………
Konohagakure Village
Sora and his group kept their stances as solid as stone. The only movement about them was their breaths materializing in the cold and the swirling ice wind toying with their hair and clothes (the Light Cloak on Sora danced like a proud mane), likewise, the Death General before them was as still, but without a trace of breath from under its mask.
Ah, just a moment more….
“A, Death General?” Sora wasn’t a hundred percent sure, but there was a feeling of something lightly pulling him to the General, as if he was suddenly connected to it by thin strings…..His heart began to race, his sense* flickered, and in that split second – Sora’s chest felt like it would collapse from the aura of the General –
“Shonen if you have any info on how to kill this thing, now would be the time to spit it up,” said Genkai, “It’s getting stronger by sucking the life out of the area” -
Sora felt light headed – the snow and wind was getting worse –
“Sorry Grandma, but not even the pretty winged group knows how to beat these things –,” Shonen gripped his bat, a twisted smile crossed his face, his irises turned gold, and his leg twitched to relieve the tension trembling within him, “****, I haven’t felt an aura like this since, I saw the Lady with my own eyes. That was the only time I ever felt like, I was going to die.” *But of course I can’t….* Shonen gripped his bat till his knuckles turned white – he suddenly saw the shine of a thin thread in the wind –*Huh?* -
I’ve got you.
Kakashi placed his hand over the part of his headband that covered his eye, “Be cautious on using energy,” said Kakashi, “Our bodies need to stay warm to keep our focus; no doubt he’s using it as a tactic to throw us off – ”
“What about your Sharingan*?” asked Genkai quickly; the fuse for the fight was lit – these moments would be crucial –
“I’ll use it differently” –
Sora began to tremble dreadfully from the cold, “Sh-sh-sha-shar-ing-g-g-g-g – ?”
WACK – Shonen Bat knocked Sora, “Get a grip on yourself! Use an internal Fire* to keep your mind focused!”
“I-I-In-t-t-t-tern-n-n-nal – ?”
Shonen Bat rammed his hand over Sora’s chest
(“Oof”) and hissed,
“Firo*!” – Sora immediately felt his core burst with heat “Honestly,
don’t you know any defensive magic?”–
“Plenty!” Sora shot back –
“Then utilize every bit of it,” said Kakashi,
“The Cloak will work naturally with you Sora, it’s meant for your kind –!”
“Wait, what?” *Why did their voices suddenly sound so far away…?*
The aura of the General cracked – a red light was slipping out –
“Shonen, you and Kakashi will disable him,” said Genkai, “Despite the fact he’s gathering strength, there’s a poor ripple in his aura right at that wound in his chest” –
“I can’t believe the General is using a tactic such as that,” said Isetzue tensely,
“How can it” –
“I’m disappointed in Shonen,” said Sephiorth, “The Lady’s blood truly runs through that thing’s veins. It can’t split souls, but the General now, is playing the part of those three accompanying Sora,” Isetzue looked to her brother wide-eyed, “In other words, they are all possessed.” Sephiroth side glanced Avera who grasped his cloth-like whispy white shirt over his heart –
Sora felt the tug again –
“And no matter what,” added Kakashi, “Don’t fall into the gaze of his mirrors” –
*The urge to attack,* thought Sora, *Why aren’t we attacking?! I can feel that thing’s aura without even trying – it’s getting stronger!* – The snow and wind gave a harsh blast into Sora’s face, and the internal Fire* Shonen Bat had placed within him gave a pulse to ward off the snow, but why, why wasn’t the others reacting? They didn’t defend themselves at all – “(*Gasp*)!” Sora saw in a crease of the uprising wind – their eyes were cloudy! –*Ah, what’s going on?!*
Feel that?
*Feel what?* Did that voice come from the Cloak…?Sora’s eyes went out of focus and honed into what wasn’t seen on the field – the aura of the General was sucking away at them – suppressing them! And for he, himself, the General’s aura was wrapped around him like a hand – (*Don’t you know any defensive magic?!*) The Cloak gave a good flick in the wind – the General’s aura retreated a bit – *The General,
the General is buying itself time!* - (*”The Cloak will work naturally with you Sora, it’s meant for your kind –!”*) *Was, was Kakashi telling me to attack?!* The Cloak gave a quick flutter in Sora’s peripheral vision – *Yes – I’m the only one that
can attack – !*
A memory of Lorenia bubbled up – a method on how to use the Cloak –
*That’s perfect!* -
Sora, in a swing of his wrist, wrapped the Cloak around his Keyblade and stabbed into the ground –
“Release!*” A flash of light filled the area trapped by the mortal barrier – “Ah, ow, that’s bright– ooh, pretty dots,” Sora wavered – Kakashi clasped his hands together–
–
“Shinzui Cancel*!”
WHOOOOOHHH – the wind and snow stopped in a dying breathless gasp; the aura of the General retreated back to its host.
Sora wobbled upright – WACK –
“Took you long enough!” Shonen Bat yelled, “Kakashi should have kept that damn Cloak!”
WACK –
“It wouldn’t have had the same effect,” said Kakashi, “Genkai?”
“I’m all here” –
“You all tasted disgusting,” came the hollow voice of the General – the wound in the General’s middle was healed –
“You ****ing vampire! I’ll beat every drop you stole out!” yelled Shonen Bat and speed forward with a kick of his skates –
Sora felt a spike of murderous intent from the General –
“Shonen!” –
Haku raised his free arm up straight to the side, and in the flick of his wrist, single handedly began to perform hand seals,
“Stop him!”
Sora pointed his Keyblade (still wrapped in the Cloak) at Haku, “Wake the Night*!” BOOSH! An abnormally strong beam blasted from Sora’s Keyblade, knocking him all the way back into icy mortal barrier – it shot past Shonen Bat knocking him off course – and Haku deflected the powerful beam with a tiny ice mirror manifested in his free hand straight into Shonen Bat’s chest –
“Augh!” –
“Shonen – !”
Genkai made her move appearing behind the General as it regained its balance from the strong attack,
“Let me take back some of our energy you stole” – her hands just made contact with Haku’s back before he was bolstered out the way with an ice pillar shooting him up
–“Think you’re getting away?” Genkai flattened her hands and pulled them back, creating a large bolt between her and the General,
“Spirit Reflection Blast – Wave Fraction*!” – the bolt threw itself at the General – and again in that hiccup of a second – it put up its tiny ice mirror in the palm of his hand to deflect the energy bolt right back at Genkai – the bolt’s root still connected to Haku –
Sora tore himself out of the sharp ice crater he knocked himself into,
“Genkai!”
Genkai simultaneously strengthened her posture and caught the bolt in the mirroring palms of her hands absorbing it completely – the General looked a bit taken back by the manner of its posture in mid-air as the bolt left it – and in a ripple of her guise, Genkai’s body was transformed into a younger state, as if she went back in time to the age of twenty, “Yuck, as if you taste any better,” her younger form commented –
Sora blinked, as did Shonen Bat who finally regained himself, “Wow, the old hag duped it” – and the onslaught wasn’t over yet, Kakashi anticipated the outcome of the quick duel and sprang his well-timed trap for where the General would land –
“Ninpou summon! Earth Tracking Fang no Jutsu!” – Dogs of every breed and size leapt out of the ground, their fangs wide and welcoming to their landing prey –
“Gotcha b****!” smiled Shonen Bat – he had shifted in his shadows – quickly appearing over the General winding up for the bat as the jaws of the dogs were just clipping its feet – and for the kill – Genkai shot her powered up Spirit Shotgun*, Kakashi chucked shurikens laced with Fira* and Sora fired yet again another –
“Wake the Night*!”
BOOM!
The General’s location erupted a flash of smoke and ice –
“Did we get him?!” yelled Sora –
“No,” replied Genkai, “His aura is still there, it didn’t even waver, but –
crap –!”
The smoke and ice dust cleared, and there standing in a straight posture was Haku – holding a limp Shonen Bat by the throat in front of him
…“Little Slugger!” Sora yelled – Shonen dropped his bat to the ground, his back smoking; he was out cold…his aura, shrinking –
“The General caught him with his aura and used him as a shield,” Genkai growled –
“Filthy creature” –
Also, Kakashi’s dogs didn’t taste Haku, but an ice plate with spikes underneath that had manifested beneath him, and crushed the dogs flat –
“That ice he’s able to instantly make,” said Kakashi, his stance tightening, “It’s not ice, but his chakra solidified” –
“That thing completely outmaneuvered them from the start…” breathed Isetzue, “They can’t…..they can’t beat it…”
Sephiroth watched silently, and Avera’s hands began to tremble – his heart pounding – “Calm down,” said Sephiroth, “Or we won’t watch anymore.”
Behind the cover of Shonen Bat’s body, Haku finished his seals, “Special Jutsu –
Demonic Ice Mirrors*” – around and above Haku, shinned in an incomplete dome of long rectangular ice mirrors – Kakashi cursed – then fell to his knees –
“Kakashi!”
*Glint* Sora and Genkai in a calm of the fight finally noticed upon them, all over them (Kakashi and poor Shonen Bat too), were speckles of malevolent ice.
The General lowered Shonen Bat’s body down a little and turned his head to his conscious audience. “Two of you still stand,” said the General in a hollow voice, “Old woman, because you have taken some of my energy, you have postponed my ice particle effects, and Young Master, you were spared because you have a Light Cloak, but you,” the General looked to Kakashi, “Didn’t you say yourself that you needed to conserve energy against me?”
“That was you speaking through them with your forked tongue!” yelled Isetzue at the little black orb –
Sora’s group was silent to the General.
Kakashi re-stabilized his balance, and opened up Memory Link* to the group, *Those ice mirrors accelerate his speed to the point of teleportation, they’re his greatest technique and trap (Kakashi’s balance wavered a bit) We, have to defeat this jutsu* –
“Not to mention we can’t even make a move on his *** unless we sacrifice Shonen* added Genkai –
*NO!* Sora screamed –
“My absorption of energy was not proportionate,” the General continued, “The jounin and this child were the first to deflect me, and thus my primary target, and now that the old woman has shown her true colors” –
“You’re fight is with me!” yelled Sora, “Come after me!”
The General looked in Sora’s direction – WACK – the Death General’s head was knocked violently to the right with part of his mask breaking off – Shonen Bat had regained consciousness!
“Don’t you dare lay a hand on
my Master!” Shonen Bat yelled skidding away free of the General with his bat in hand; the General stood back up as if he was barely brushed……It’s hand gave a twitch –
…….“A brave move for someone who’s so weak, your aura betrays you,” it replied –
“Oh shut uuuuuuuuuuuwww–ACK–!” Shonen Bat’s legs almost darted out from under him–his rollerblades lost traction from the ground and his footing became as scattered as ants running for their lives – he almost fell face forward and saw his reflection on the ground! –
“Ice?!” – he clawed at the ground to stop –
Kksh,crshk-shkkrshk – Sora, Genkai, and Kakashi were alarmed of the entire field icing over –
“He’s making the barrier itself into a giant Ice Mirror*!” yelled Kakashi –
“My ice…..” said the General in a sinister tone, “Is no longer the simple concoction of my bloodline as it was when I was alive.” The clear patches around the mortal barrier all at once iced over. “It is the ice of my Void.”
“Brother,
brother, they are all going to die, please! Please – we have to help them!” Isetzue begged –
“I’m finished preparing this tomb; there is no escape now.” The General clasped his hands in the seal of the tiger – everyone sprang for the defense – “Special Jutsu-
Swarming Ice Needles*” – seemingly thousands of glowing ice needles shot from the iced over mortal barrier to skewer them all –!
*I’m gonna be a pin cushion –!*
Another memory of Lorenia bubbled up – Sora whipped his Keyblade around – the Cloak following like a beautiful ribbon,
“Protect*!” A pulse like the sound of a heartbeat sent most of the needles’ trajectory off course of their killing aim, some dropping out of the sky, clinking to the ground like metal rain while the other missed their mark, helped along with the agile dodging of Genkai and Kakashi (he slid to his knees as the little ice bits continued to suck energy away bit by bit); Shonen Bat was still sliding from his dodge, and then felt a prick – a needle
buried itself in the back of his neck –
*What – ?!* Shonen Bat’s body froze into a limp standing posture skidding to a halt right before the Death General – he was almost eye level with the eye slits of the mask, black, thin holes like a sucking void glaring back and Shonen Bat’s subconscious choked up a memory of
her eyes – the paralysis didn’t even let a chill up his spine; the General then slipped like water into the ice –
“He’s disappeared!” yelled Genkai – Sora looked to where her attention was and all that was there was a standing, paralyzed Shonen Bat –
*My, body can’t move!* thought Shonen Bat trying with everything he had to twitch – a strange sensation was quickly rising up from his feet – ! *What,
my throat* –
“BELOW!” Genkai yelled –
A monstrous shadow was rising fast towards them from under the ice –
BOOSH – huge pikes of ice stabbed up through the ground for Sora, Genkai, and Kakashi –
The three escaped injury and aimed in the air for what little ground was actually left free of ice – Genkai being forced to kick off the iced barrier – the ice where she stepped rippled –
clench – and a frozen hand shot out and grabbed Genkai’s ankle yanking her back towards the barrier! –
Sora and Kakashi landed –
“Genkai!” – Haku’s reflection had her –
“Bastard” – Genkai grabbed the frozen hand with both of hers as she was halfway sucked into the ice –
“Spirit Reflection Blast*!” BOOM – Genkai was blasted free as chunks and bits of ice fell off the mortal barrier, and landed first on her feet then skidded to her knees back to Kakashi and Sora on a patch of ground free of ice – “Damn,” she commented, “I barely tapped into his energy for that attack.”
“Where’s Shonen?” asked Kakashi – They spotted him still in place on the ice –
“Get off the ice!,” Sora screamed to Little Slugger, but he didn’t so much as blink! –
“Turn shadow! Get away!” – No response –
“Frozen Mirror Image*” came a hollow soft voice – and two large rectangular ice mirrors solidified – one completing itself from the frozen ground beneath Shonen Bat and the other materializing from the wind above him –
“Break*” The mirrors cracked – and likewise, Shonen Bat’s body cracked as well –
“No”–
Sora gasped,
“Sh-Shonen” –
“Shonen!” Isetzue screamed – Avera’s hand went over his mouth; Sephiroth showed no emot–
CRASH! The mirrors collided into one another – crushing Shonen Bat into a black mess in-between them!
“LITTLE SLUGGER!” –
The mirrors broke into a million glittery pieces, and all that was left of Shonen Bat, were splotches of black liquid passing for his gruesome remains –
Sora couldn’t believe what he just saw, his hand went to his chest and felt the warmth from his core leave as Shonen Bat’s magic disappeared from him….Just like how he felt Tumble-Stop heart and soul fade away….Sora couldn’t grieve or even think straight, the cold ate him up, everything was too cold –
“You –!” and Sora started to exercise Fire*, flames licking his blade and Cloak (which didn’t burn)–
“If you’re thinking about using your Fire* magic to take melt my Ice*, it won’t work,” came the hollow voice –
“Says you!” Sora yelled and his flames grew bigger –
“Save it!” ordered Kakashi, “Now’s not the time for careless acts” –
“Careless?” Sora choked as his eyes burned –
“A wise message from the Jounin,” said Haku, “At least before that boy’s flame was extinguished, he managed to get some sort of revenge on me for threatening his Master….That, that I can, commend.” Haku’s image rippled up from the middle of the field, his mask falling completely off as he straightened himself.
Sora choked back his tears and tried to hold them in his throat – but then his throat felt like it would burst – revealed from underneath that mask, was such a gentle face….Haku was male, but his features were so gentle they betrayed him to be feminine, a look reminiscent of Avera….(Yes Haku’s face was now pale as the dead, but it was still gentle looking, and oh, there’s a bit of blood running down his mouth). Sora blinked, such a gentle face was behind this attack –*No, no it’s not that person anymore – whatever he was,
he just killed Little Slugger, he’s a monster!*
“I know what you all must be thinking, especially you Young Master as I chip away your party piece by piece” said Haku….”You must all realize fighting against me is of no use. If you wish, I will spare all of your lives for the one thing I have been seeking to obtain from this fight.”
*His demeanor, it’s changed,* Kakashi thought…*Is this a feint, or is….the real Haku in there somehow….?*
*His soul is shifting* Genkai broadcasted to the group through Memory Link* -
“I’d rather die than give you anything!” Sora yelled –
“I’d rather you not, as it is you I want,” said Haku, and that sent a terrible shock (but not surprisingly) up Kakashi and Genkai’s spine (also the winged group watching too, Avera and Isetzue at least; Sephiroth’s eyes narrowed). “I’d rather you come with me alive rather than dead, someone wishes to meet you in private.”
“The Lady, right?”
“No. I cannot reveal my Master’s identity.”
“If not the Lady then who?” said Sora aggressively.
“As I said before, I cannot reveal that information,” said Haku.
“Hhmph, as if I’m gonna believe anything you say.”
“Do not resist me Sora, I cannot guarantee you’ll come out alive.”
*You still have Eros, remember that,* came Genkai’s voice through Memory Link*, *Eros won’t let you* -
“The Beast of Yahena….is one of your defenses, is it not?”
“Yeah” –
“Sora!”
“Then it is my regret to inform you Master that Eros does not look after you anymore.”.......
“As if we’d believe you…” Genkai hissed.
“Are you willing to take that chance?” the General asked, and just like that, the one safety net opened up into a pitfall – it turned its empty nature to Sora, “I have eliminated all your defenses Master. Will you come with me quietly? Or do I have to spill more blood before you?”
Isetzue had slipped down to her knees and grasped Sephiroth around his legs, “Please brother…
Please!” she cried, her tears running off his attire, “Don’t let them die…”
Sephiroth placed his hands on Isetzue’s sides and slowly raised her up to her head, “If I help him Izzy,” he said slowly, “I’ll be risking your life and Avera’s as well. If you’re asking me to chose between someone I barely know and my own flesh and blood, what do you think my response will be?”
The ice mirrors Haku had summoned, on the whim of his hand, scattered about the field.
Kakashi relaxed his stance a little as an ice mirror placed itself above nearby, Sora looking like he wanted to swat them all….
The Jounin gave a deep inhale. “If I remember, one of those ear splitting lectures about the Laws,” he said out loud calling all attention to himself, as if he was trying to recall a feeble memory among friends in a restaurant, “Everything, has its limits, no matter what the case.”
The streak of blood coming down the corner of Haku’s mouth began to drip off….
“You’re right Haku. I can say, that I’m pretty much nearing the end of my road if we keep going about like this in your presence, despite that, I’m going to decline your request, things are not going to happen so simply, they never do. I’m not going to back down, and I promise you my colleagues here feel the same with all they have gone through. I can feel they’re pretty upset they have to go through yet another trial so harsh when we’re just trying to do our job. Not to mention you took Shonen Bat away from us.” Genkai and Sora reasserted their stances. Kakashi, pushed himself back up to his feet; his posture loose but firm. “You don’t have anything to lose anymore, so you can fight as loose or as tight as you want, but we’re fighting for our lives and those dear to us.”
“Dear to you…?” Haku repeated in a stale far away voice…
“For me, I still have my village, and my students, and of them a very loud shinobi who made me promise I’d bring him back a souvenir from ‘Out There.’”
Haku’s mouth gave a little twitch…“Na,ru,to,” his mouth slipped….He raised clasped hands over where his wound used to be –
Genkai and Sora’s eyes widened, *A bloodspot?!*
Kakashi got into his stance, “I don’t think you want anyone touching you there again,” he said, “Do you?” an electoral spark began to dance around his hand –
SKKKKKSSHHHHHHH –
“Sephiroth!”
“Change it back brother!” yelled Isetzue looking at the frizzled orb –
“It was getting a bit too drawn out for my taste, and Avera is getting much too excited from the fight, (Avera is still clutching his chest) so in order to protect his health, let’s watch something much more submissive.”
And now for something, completely different….Tee hee. No seriously, like, go get a cookie or something and then comeback…..Pie preferably. Dark Devil Chocolate Cake is the best
Bebop Ship
Yugi gave a deep sigh on his bed.
…..*You should look out of the window Yugi,* said Pharaoh, *This system looks beautiful, it seems to be in wonderful health.*
“No thank-you.”
[Strike One]……
……*Are you hungry? You still have a lot of food on your plate, it’s probably cold by now, but you can warm it up* -
“No thank-you.”
[Strike Two]………
Pharaoh pursed his lips began to search their room for something that would perk Yugi up, but, everything was laced with an emotional scar from their home-world. The room was such a perfect replicate that, Yugi had fallen asleep earlier, woken up, began to walk out of his room, and called, “Hey Grandpa, what would you like for brea….” and there to greet him was a metal hallway and a 4-foot
Houndoom who barked, “RRUFF!” causing Yugi to turn several shades of white and run right back into his room, and into his present sulking state.
Pharaoh eyes finally wandered over to their deck of Duel Monsters cards, and next to it the photo frame that held Yugi’s friends and family….
[Strike Three]
Pharaoh took a deep breath and sat his transparent self down next to Yugi who now had his head underneath a pillow…..*Yugi, please speak. Tell me what’s wrong.*
“Our connection says more than I ever can, you already know what’s wrong with me.”
Tumble-Stop’s death didn’t help….
*It helps if you talk about these things out loud,* said Pharaoh, *It’s not good to bottle up these kinds of things inside…You’ll, get sick….”
Yugi pushed himself up, “No I won’t…I won’t because….she….she promised me I wouldn’t get sick…” His head drooped, and tear fell down his cheek. A sad smile came over his face, (*Sniff*) “You’d think after two years of crying I’d have run out of tears at some point, but, they keep coming……(*sniff*) and now, now when it seems that there can be some hope for the point of living – ”
*Yugi* -
“I can only take a step a back!”
*I don’t think fighting against a seventy-story Two-Face, escaping a merging world, standing up against the
Riders, and living through a
Key Brawl is a step back, a hassle though, but certainly not a step back.*
It wasn’t Pharaoh that said that…and his eyes grew as wide as his partner’s looking past him –
*So you been sad for two years; that must be some sort of record for not getting water logged right? Although I dunno if that’s a record you wanna keep.* Yugi looked behind him, there sitting so close to him on the bed was….*Remember that day I took you to Tokieo Town and we played in the WareHouse all day?* Both he and Pharaoh looked up into her light, clean green – transparent eyes…*You set a record for every game we played.* Lorenia smiled that warm smile that just made every worry fade away.
She was just as the both of them remembered during the last winter holidays she was alive, a green band tied back her long bright blonde hair and she was wearing that simple white blouse and laced pink skirt with her small boots that just rose above her ankles.
Yugi numbly held out his hand to her, and she placed her hand softly through his, her ghostly fingers intermingling through Yugi’s physical ones; her spirit was so warm, it was like touching someone’s heart…
Yugi’s throat wouldn’t work, but his eyes did, and Pharaoh was just as speechless as his partner.
*What’s the matter with you both? Cat got your tongue? I wouldn’t think you of all people Pharaoh would be surprised to see someone in my state.*
Pharaoh felt Yugi getting, happy, all Lorenia had to do was keep talking to reach her long lost little helper…*I haven’t seen you guys in so long, what’s up?*
*L-Lorenia,* Pharaoh tried to start, [Please Note that this is Inner thought, within Inner thought on Pharaoh’s part] -> (*She hasn’t changed not one bit, of course, (*smile*) it’s really her, and she still…has that much-too-blunt-but-I-don’t-mean-to hurt-you type of talk that sneaks up from her from time to time….and Yugi’s room is a bit minefield of sorts…….*)
[Attempts to make small talk follows]
*You know Yugi, you should update that picture frame* -
(*Oh no!*)
Yugi’s eyes (as if they weren’t already dripping) whelped up in big thick tears – [5 seconds to total Emotion] –
*I-I mean to add in all the new friends you’ve made! You’ve sure made a lot!*
[Emotion halted]
*Oh hey! Your ol’ Duel Monsters deck! Have you found anyone besides Pharaoh to play with you yet? You know to shake it up a bit?*
(*No Lorenia, that’s another mine!*)
“No…no I haven’t…” Yugi squeaked……
[3 seconds to total Emotion]
*Ah, ah, well, I’m sure you will soon! Really soon! There are so many people here – I’m sure one of them will be willing to learn!*
[Emotion halted]
*And boy look at your room!*
(*NOOO LORENIA!*)
*From what you described to me, it’s just like any second your friends and family are gonna come through that door!* -
“WAAAAHHHHH!”
[Boom. Emotion Detonation Complete]
*Oh no – no! Yugi don’t cry! I didn’t mean it that way! Please, please don’t cry! It’s okay!...Ohhhoohh….* Lorenia looked to Pharaoh, *After all this time you’ve never once managed to trip his wires, I said before, and I’ll say it again Pharaoh, I admire your respect.*
*There’s nothing to admire, I’d never do anything to upset Yugi so far,* replied Pharaoh cross armed.
Now Lorenia began to whelp up in tears -
*No Lorenia, I-I didn’t mean it like* -
*It’s not like I did it on purpose, I love him like a little brother, and I had to leave him behind, and – WAAAHHHHHH!*
“WAAAHHHHH!”
*WAHHHHHHH!*
“You never told me you loved me like a brother!”
*Only because I knew then you’d tell me you loved me like a sister, and I’d start crying in front of you, and Masters are supposed to be strong willed, and* -
“I do love you like a sister! I do! I do! I do! I could never replace the brother you lost, but I love you as if you were my sister none-the-less!”
*And I know you never had a sister, and I could never replace the family you lost, but I still love you like a brother too!*
“WAAAHHHHHHHHH!”
*WAAAHHHHHHHHH!*
WAAAHHHHHHHHHH!
*That’s right, the both of you, let it out, let it all out,* said Pharaoh in an absolute defeated tone.
“Oh this is too funny,” said Sephiroth nonchalantly looking through the black orb watching the scene on Bebop, “Sora’s going to die because the both of them needed a Cry Party.”
“(*Sniff….sniff*)” –
“Oh no Avera!” said Isetzue, “Don’t you start too! Aww, it’s okay, it’s okay, come ‘ear…”
Sephiroth looked to Isetzue who cradled Avera, and hugged him like a lost child out of the rain; her wing like a protective extra limb giving shade over him.
Sephiroth then looked back to the orb and changed it to overlook Sora who just took a needle clipping his shoulder – Avera grabbed his….. (*Sigh*), *Siblings are such trouble.*
END CHAP
Okay…..I forgot I had a book to read, so I gotta focus on that for my final on the 16th >>; Sorry, but I hope this chappie was a good experience…..Despite what went down with Shonen Bat……Too soon? I really liked him too….
(*sprints away evilly*)
The second part of the fight should be up next week
and then after that the holiday chappie soon after…Really soon….ZOMG how many days is it till Christmas?! >o<
Peace and Cloverfield!