| What of Jin and Touya? | |||
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CHAPTER SIX: Past and Present, Combined As the digital clock flashed three A.M. in bright red, cloud-cover prevented moonlight from reaching the ground. A heavy mist added, creeping over mountains, plains and swamps. Yet despite the lack of light and warmth, Kasumi saw them coming. Oh yes, his sight wasn't what it once had been. But the old demon definately made no mistake identifying these trespassers. He also knew better than to try and run them off. For them to be traveling under such conditions, their goal must've been an impressive amount of urgent and lasting importance. White hair billowing about him, Kasumi turned on his heel and made towards the door, deciding to greet his unexpected guests. After all, it had been nearly 279 years since he'd seen these particular demons. Of course, that didn't stop him from hoping that they would turn and head up a different path and leave him alone until he died. It wasn't often you met a Shape-shifter of Darkness. And most, once you did, you prayed you'd never see them again. "In fact, if it weren't for Neko, I never would've dared to approach Kaze again." Kasumi thought, reflecting on his first encounter with the Dark Shape-shifter of the Winds. Each individual Shape-shifter of Darkness had their own element of which they controlled, and Kaze was the shape-shifter that wielded winds. Had Kasumi known that back then, 30 years ago, he probably would've thought twice about trying to do what he had. FLASHBACK: His weary legs ached as he forced himself up the steep incline of the mountain, and sweat poured off his sun-burnt head into his eyes with painful discomfort. But he had to keep climbing. Had to, or else find himself at the mercy of the Demon Slave Trade. Apparently, the Slave Trade had had a massive amount of successful breakouts, and needed to replenish its wavering numbers. And he was their newest target. Lucky him. The rocky slope on which he was clambering up was extremely rough and sharp, and Kasumi soon found his palms bleeding, staining the rock face with red hand prints. He was nearing the top of a flat area on the mountain's northern side, exhausted, when he heard rocks shifting above him. At eye-level, the demon found himself looking directly at silver, six-inch-long talons. Glancing up, eyes wide and heart pounding, he saw her. Kasumi stared, amazed. He'd heard tales of winged demons, but he'd never laid eyes upon one. Kaze wore the same black outfit, the usual grim line that happened to be her mouth, and a well-known cold, icy glare. And at that point in time, wings and tail as well. Rather large, silvery wings, and a long, flexible, whip-like tail which was armed with a spine-chilling, seven-inch-long point made for battle, to be precise. That point was obviously rigid and sturdy. As well as lethal. So frightened and stunned at the sight of the girl, he couldn't even think to move away as she grasped him roughly by the shoulders, spread those massive silver wings, and bounded off the flat area he'd tried so laboriously to reach. Kasumi gasped in fear as they dropped down, almost rubbing against the sharp-edged, sloping side as Kaze flew low. The trees were too dense here, and there was no way she could get through. Not with that wing-span. Despite his fear, Kasumi noticed, the girl had a wing-span of seventeen feet. If he thought that her wings were large, he thought she must have had to fight the devil to get them. Scars and tears in both wings made it doubtlessly apparent that she'd lived some time in some wicked place, and he couldn't help but feel that that place had been the Demon Slave Trade. What other place could stand to destroy such beautiful feathers? As soon as the trees gave way to a clearing, Kaze changed direction abruptly, rising swiftly into warmer air and cloudless blue sky. Even though he was still unsure of the girl's intentions, Kasumi allowed himself to be mesmerized by the breath-taking view, gazing dreamily into the endless realm of a sky demon. He'd always been stuck with the ground, being unable to swim and physically everything a demon of the sky shouldn't and couldn't be: heavy, wingless, and not very agile. When the male was finally set (or rather dropped) on the ground, he found himself before a frozen waterfall. What made it curious was that it was summer, and ice shouldn't have been anywhere near the region. Things only became stranger as a sudden hailstorm appeared, showering the ground with bits of ice. A few cut Kasumi, and he flinched. The hailstorm soon gave way to warm summer sun again, and before Kasumi stood a younger Neko, hair braided neatly and fuzzy, blue cat ears upon her head twitching. Within an hour he was walking beside the two, Kaze in the back, looking down at the ground, and Neko beside him. They were leading him to town, where he could hide and get a job. Sure, that was more than what they needed to do for him, but he still needed one more thing... "Neko," he'd said, " would you come with me for a moment? I wish to speak with you before we part." How easy it had seemed, as the girl obeyed, following a step or two behind him. When they reached the other side of the building, he made a bold and foolish move: he kissed her. It wasn't a soft kiss on the cheek, no. It was a full-lipped kiss and hard attempts to make her return it. She had nowhere to go, her back against the wall. But not without a struggle. Neko was young, but she wasn't weak. Or defenseless. Before Kasumi knew what had happened, the girl had wounded him in the stomach with an icicle. He knew she didn't care for him, they'd only just met. Yet he was trying to make her return his desire for even a moment. Instead, Kasumi was met by a very pissed off Kaze, glaring at him as though he'd killed her pet or family or....something valuable. When next Kasumi woke, he was badly injured and half dead. According to onlookers, Kaze had almost succeeded in killing him. However, an assassinating archer had pierced her wing joints with arrows, and in a fury she'd went to attack him. Besides the loss of a lot of his blood, (and the wound Neko gave him) Kasumi also had to endure 3,000 stitches in his back, a broken arm, shattered ribcage, multiple bruises, twelve gashes that would become scars and a mental fear of the girl. And any winds that blew cold in the shadows of the midnight's darkness: just like the shape-shifter. END FLASHBACK Kasumi's attention quickly turned to the approaching figures. Now that they were closer, he could tell there were six. His mind raced swiftly, calculating the data. The arrival of two shinobi masters, two ex-ninjas, Kaze's mishap at the river, and now six figures striding darkly into his life, even if only for a moment? It suddenly all fell into place: the prophecy was happening. And when it did, there would be one less wind user in the world. And that was what he was waiting for. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ "Touya, we need three scoops of strawberry in a cone, please." Neko called, typing the order in at the front counter. Touya stood in the back, getting the ice cream. "Why the hell did I agree to this? Working in a human ice cream shop? And how is it ice? It's an oxymoron! Something cannot be ice and cream....It just doesn't work that way...." the ice master mumbled, wondering how on earth he got talked into it. 'Duh, she used the friggin puppy eyes on me....' Touya recalled, sighing as he did. He couldn't resist the puppy eyes. Not if Jin did it, and certainly not if Neko did it. He had to face it: he was going soft. Just like the ice cream cone dripping in his hand. Even if he was the ice master, he still had some heat in him. "Damn." he cursed, using his powers to reform the melted treat. He then handed it to a little girl with brown pigtails, who smiled and said "Thank you, Mr. Ice cream man." Touya watched, slightly dumbfounded, as she raced off. "Awww, that was cute." Neko giggled, wrapping her arms about him. Touya grinned like the demon he was and pulled her into a gentle kiss. (OOC) _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Taki woke late in the afternoon, and strolled into the living room. Kaze lay on the couch, asleep by the looks of it, while Jin was nowhere to be seen. She was noticing just how quiet it was; dead quiet. Yet it was bright as hell and there should have been sounds from the forest dwellers. That's when she heard it: a sound she'd heard a few nights ago before Kanaria and she got into the house and even now made her heart race; scratching. Loud, frightening scratching. It was so odd, and so out of place, it sent shivers cascading in freezing jolts of wickedly icy abandon slithering down her spine and into her numbing joints. Her eyes widened, and her breathing became restricted. 'It's like trying to breathe in ice water.' she thought, panic-stricken at the feeling. Within another few seconds, her knees gave and she fell forward. She hit the floor numb, and thought she was going crazy. Since right in front of her she thought she saw something that shouldn't have been there; something that would make going insane a pleasure. Before her eyes clouded, her heart skipped. She'd just seen something that could make one's blood run cold without touching anything; death. Kaze heard it. Heard the all too familiar sound of it; the scratching. Awakening, she sat up, eyes wide in terror. With trembling hands she covered her ears instinctively, knowing what would happen if she didn't. And not a moment too soon. At the same instant that she covered her ears, a black figure appeared in the room casting a shadow over the immobile Shape-shifter. Cloaked in black rags, an old, known face showed itself to the injured girl, and she regretted looking into those dark, cold eyes. They held no pity, no life, no anything. Nothing. Except deep, piercing black that would make a crow envious, then kill it with a cold glare one might say would give one an instant heart attack. (A lot like a chili cheese dog topped with everything but the kitchen sink.) Tight, white lips maximized the thin, pointed fangs sticking out from the corners of his mouth, and pointed ears rested on a perfectly masculine face. (Okay, Harry Potter fans can kind of picture Snape with fangs and pointy ears....Dunno how else to describe this guy.) Raven-black hair flowed against the figure's back, trailing over the slim, pale shoulders to the slim, skeletal waist. A ribcage (similar to Kaze's) which threatened to burst through the skin caught the injured girl's intensely focused gaze, and black tattoos of dragons lay etched into the milk-white skin. Such a frail figure, one might think. But Kaze knew better. Oh, heavens, she knew better. P.S. here's a picture of a Celtic cross with the Celtic pattern. I thought some people(or person) might like to know what it looked like....(The reason I say person is because only one person has reviewed.....I suck.....*shrugs* oh well....it's something to do...) Celtic cross (I'm kinda obsessed with Irish/Gaelic/Celtic stuff....whichever you wanna go by...) |
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