Welcome to Gaia! ::

"God you're amazing." Yuki blinked in disbelief. "I never realized there were so many different races other than our own in this universe... Thank you for the privilege." she bowed deeply, "And I will keep both Aoki and Kazuhiko away as long as I can."
In truth, it was possible they would have to kill Aoki if things got much worse...

Kaguyo smiled slightly. "Ah, arigatou..." she murmured, removing the old bandages and sticking the patches on, "Tell Watari he needs to make these into a hat sometime... That won't stick like gum in the hair." she added, just ripping it to pieces and adding them where it hurt most. "Thanks again."
But she still couldn't sleep.
How the hell could she, with the Muse's words echoing in her head like that?

Kazuhiko bit his lip, thinking. "Uh-uh." he shook his head, "But that's because something's blocking out all the energy on the third floor."
That was where the balcony-patio was, and in fact, where Morrigan was. It was the restaurant area, oddly enough.
"We better hurry..."

"You should know it never works like that." Morrigan furrowed her eyebrows, finishing her beer and standing up. "I mean, if she feels the need is dire enough, yes... but more often than not, I welcome her into me." she crossed her arms, "Like back....back home... I was too overwhelmed, and I asked for her strength. That's how all those demons died so quickly..." she had a ghost of a smile, "In seconds, Ava... If she was angry enough to do that, imagine what she'll do to Konton...! Especially when my desire, my rage, my blood lust are all added to the mix... Between my powers, but mostly hers, we'll kill him Ava. By the end of this week, you mark my words... We'll be drinking under entirely different circumstances."

~ ~ ~

"If Konton hadn't killed my kind, there'd be a lot of us flying around Tarnbsei even now." Aoikage spoke bitterly before glancing back to Yuki. "There's... there's something familiar about you..." he whispered, turning again and watching the woman carefully.
The daemon winced, the pull on his soul strengthening.
"Where are we going?" he asked, quickly changing the subject. "Lock me away somewhere. Somewhere ki proof... or with a ki cuff... and I need some sort of lockable bands to put around my torso to keep my wings in. Something I can't get off. I realize I won't be able to move my arms but... otherwise, I'll take flight. If I run now..." he shook his head. "If I run, thing will get worse."

"You're making her crazy." Ainsu spoke in a sing-song voice.
No, it wasn't Ainsu...
Aled frowned, sitting down after inspecting Ainsu's bleeding hands. "You're not helping matters yourself." he replied honestly.

Avaon smirked, "I'd like that." he replied before blinking in surprise.
Po-ar was standing in the doorway, Kazuhiko with him.
"Morrigan... get away from Avaon. Now." the Ouji spoke sternly.

~ ~ ~

Yuki blinked. "Ehh? Familiar? Perhaps you remember me from when you were young?" she shrugged, "I really don't know. But I do know we have plenty of ki cuffs and something that'll prevent your wings from breaking out again. Also, we have ki and even magic-proof cells here. Apparently it became standard after the rabble Po-ar and his family started bringing back." she adjusted her glasses. "Now, how will we manage food for you...? Should I leave some jerky or something?" she blinked a few more times. "And you know apparently there's a law here called unlawful imprisonment so I'm gonna need you to sign a few forms..."

~ ~ ~

Shaking his head, Aoikage laughed softly. "I don't need food very often." he spoke, obviously amused. "And I can't read or write so... yeah... that's going to be a little hard to sign anything."
The daemon's neck twitched slightly and he rolled his head until there was a soft pop.
"It's getting worse..."

Avaon shook his head, "Kazuhiko, what are you talking about? Po-ar, I..."
"Urusai." Po-ar spoke coldly, a ball of ki forming in his hand.
He was clearly exhausted... yet determined.
"Who are you. Why are you in Avaon's body?" his cat-like gaze flickered to Morrigan. "I just talked to your brother, Mor-chan... he's dead."

~ ~ ~

Sighing, Aled looked into the fire. "You know, Ainsu... I thought you might finally make her happy."
"Yeah well, can't do that like this now, can I?" the man replied.
It wasn't the Muse... but the change that came and went was unnerving at best.
It was getting hard for the Ou to tell who was who.
"If you win?" Aled asked before looking at him. "Will you go back to her? To that life?"
Sighing, Ainsu closed his eyes. "I want to... for all the world I want to. If I can't be by her, Aled..."
"I know..." he replied with a smirk. "Trust me I know." the man sighed for a moment. "I need to get back to Shiori. Once my son gets his a** back here so we can get you somewhere more secure... I think I'll take Shiori to the ocean here on Earth. She'd like that."
Laughing softly, Ainsu nodded. "If I win, Aled... I'm stealing Kaguyo away for a year and we're hiding so far away that NO ONE will find us."
"Long honeymoon?"
"Very long."
In truth, Ainsu hadn't given up. He knew his chances of winning might be slim... but he wanted to try for Kaguyo.
Even if he didn't want her to know he was trying.

~ ~ ~

"Their prison wouldn't last an hour." Aoikage corrected, taking the papers from her. He withdrew his rapier a bit, sliced the tip of his finger, and then bled on the document.
"There. Better than spit." he smirked jokingly before handing them back.

Aoikage looked around.
It wasn't much... there was a bed at least.
He turned, bowing to the woman slightly. "Arigatou, Yuki-san. Don't forget something to keep my wings in, please. I don't want to tear this place to shreds."
Of course, the daemon was glad that his ki was shorted out.

~ ~ ~

But Avaon shook his head, "Honestly, Morrigan... I really don't know what he's talking about. How can I be dead and be here?"
"Because you're not Avaon." Po-ar said quickly. "Who are you? Tell me!"
"I'm Avaon!" the man shouted.
The frightening thing was... he actually believed it.

The daemon watched Yuki closely.
His wings tried to escape from the band, but they were held fast. Plus, with the odd shape, he at least could use his arms.
"It's perfect." Aoikage replied with a slight smile. "At least now you won't have to try and patch holes in the ceiling." the man joked.

~ ~ ~

"But I am Avaon!" the man stubbornly replied.
For a moment, Po-ar didn't move. Then, it was if he were gone.
Of course that was impossible... but to the fae... it would appear so now that the Tarnb-jin Ouji was behind him. "Who. Are. You?"
Closing his eyes, Avaon shook his head. "I woke up in the Otherworld. All I know is what I know from this body... I'm Avaon. And yet..."
"Yet you're not." Po-ar finished for him, the ki blast dangerously close to the small of the man's back. "Who are you really?"
Avaon sighed. "I suppose you wouldn't believe me if I said I had no clue?"

Aoikage turned a shade paler. "I... I don't know." he replied, obviously unnerved by her question. "You just seem familiar... and I want to know why."
The daemon shrugged slightly, sitting down on the cell bed.
"Plus, you're not giving me this aura that makes me want to watch my back. That's always a plus when dealing with people." he smiled softly. "And you're interested in me... for a scientific purpose but still."

~ ~ ~

But Po-ar never moved, "If he's not Avaon... and not Konton..." the Tarnb-jin Ouji whispered. "Who is he?"
"All I know is what I said. I woke up in that field and all I remember is what this body remembers... I don't know how I got IN this body and I sure as hell don't remember dying."
Sighing, Po-ar shook his head. "If you're a soul put into a corpse, then you're dead. Konton can do that... move souls. We just have to figure out where you belong."
At least 'Avaon' didn't seem like a threat.

Startled, Po-ar jumped and started to follow after Morrigan. "MOR-CHAN!" he sighed, glaring at Avaon, "Follow her, damn it. Don't ask, just do it!"
Nodding, Avaon took off at a run after Morrigan. Po-ar was close behind, though he shouted quickly one thing to his son, "Make sure Kaguyo and Ainsu are alright, Kazu-kun!"
If Morrigan had a bad feeling...
They all needed to be in the same place.

~ ~ ~

The daemon's gaze never left Yuki. "Arigatou..." he spoke softly, before bowing. "To be honest, you're the first Tarnb-jin that hasn't wanted to cut me open and pull my wings off."
Kazuhiko didn't want to... but he wasn't only Tarnb-jin either.
"If I remember... I'll let you know, Yuki-san. In the meantime, well... it is late so perhaps you should persuade Watari-san to get some rest?" the young man asked seriously. "Something's coming... I don't know what or how or when... but I feel it. And I also feel that soon, rest won't be an easy thing to come by anymore."
After she closed the door, the daemon sighed and leaned his head back against the wall.
'Why is she so damn familiar?'

~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~

Sighing, Aled's cat-like gaze fixed itself on the flames. "I don't think this battle will ever end." he whispered, confiding that fear in Ainsu.
Sure, the Muse would know... they were merged in such a way that keeping something from the other was impossible now.
But did it really matter?
"It will end." Ainsu replied softly, his expression thoughtful. "One way or another. Either we'll kill Konton and his minions... or he'll manage to kill us all. Either way, well... someone has to win."
Laughing darkly, Aled shook his head, "Unless we destroyed each other in the process. It's been done, you know... entire civilizations wiped out... side by side... in the flames of war."
"Tarnb-jin have been flourishing on Tarnbsei for millennia, Aled." the playwright smiled. "I doubt a demon can bring everything down."
"He's done a damn good job of it so far." Turning, Aled smiled. "But we fight on. And speaking of fighting, I'm going to check on Shiori before Kaguyo and I get into a fight. I think she's frustrated with me."
Ainsu raised one eyebrow at this. "About?"
"What else? You."
Before the playwright could express his confusion or even begin to ask a question, a tiny pink elephant flew into the room.
There was a flash, a small portal could be seen within the pink tinted light, and then Aled was gone and the tiny elephant swiveled around to trumpet at Ainsu.

Blinking to try and clear his eyes of the bright flash, Aled looked around.
"Back at Capsule Corp, I see." the man whispered before heading down one of the side halls.
He was obviously quite lost, and a passing lab assistant was able to direct him to where the residential area would be. Shiori had been brought to Earth to keep her safe... especially now that Tarnbsei was, for all outward appearances, lost to them.
Still, it did Aled good to know that she could rest up and relax a bit, even if everything else was turning out to be rather hellish.
Every door that the Tarnb-jin Ou tried however, seemed to be locked or occupied. It was night, the dead of night actually, and apparently many of the people on twenty-four hour call were asleep within their given rooms.
"Long day?"
Turning, Aled spotted Trunks standing not far away outside of a room.
"You're up late." Aled spoke, coming to stand beside the man, an obvious question in his expression.
Trunks shrugged, glancing to the door to he and his wife's room. "Ashuri's asleep. Thankfully. It's a full moon tonight, after all. My mother gave us something to knock her out... wouldn't want her waking up and looking out the window."
"That's true." the Ou replied, looking down the hall. "You wouldn't happen to know where Shiori-san's room is... would you?"
Nodding, the young man pointed down the hall, "Last door on the left. Tell me something though, Aled-san... With everyone here, I can't help but wonder if Tarnbsei is lost?"
"I don't know." Aled whispered before smirking. "At the moment, it appears so. But tides always change, Trunks-san. Oyasumi." bowing, the Tarnb-jin Ou continued down the hall.
After a few moments, Trunks turned and went back into his room.

It didn't take long for Aled to get to Shiori's room... and even less time to open the door.
Oddly enough, it wasn't locked.
"Shiroi-san?" Aled called out, the room pitch black.
He flipped a light switch...
Nothing...
Worried, the Ou stepped further into the room, closing the door behind him.
"Shiori?!"
His boots crunched glass beneath them. Heart racing, Aled tried to peer into the darkness. However....
"It's unnaturally dark, isn't it?"
That voice...
That cold, heartless voice that seemed to seep from the shadows and cover everything in despair, wafted through the room.
"Don't scream... god knows she tried to scream. I'd rather not rip your throat out too... Aled-sama."
From the darkness emerged Konton. The demon's wings expanded to fill the room, effectively blocking Aled's line of sight to anything BUT the demon himself.
Backing up a bit, Aled allowed his ki to begin forming a shield around his body.
It was less to protect himself, and more to simply light his surroundings.
"Where is she?" the Ou demanded. "How did you even get in here?!"
Putting one clawed finger to his lips, Konton made a 'shush'ing sound. "Don't want to wake the entire building now, do we? Shiori's dead... hadn't you noticed?" he held up his clawed hand, deep crimson dripping from the digits. "She screamed... I had to tear her throat out. Now she's dead. Simple as that."
"Kisama..."
But before Aled could even start to charge at the demon, every fiber of his being screaming for a fight, Konton's shadow covered him and the Ou stopped, standing stock still.
"Now... I came here to talk with you... not to kill you, Aled-sama." the demon spoke before his wings folded back, revealing the scene of carnage behind him.
Shiori wasn't even recognizable. There were... pieces... scattered everywhere. Blood staining the carpets and furniture, even the walls and ceiling.
Aled thought for a split second, that he was going to be sick as the stench of copper flowed over him.
"What have you done?" he whispered, horrified at the display before him.
Every organ, shredded and discarded from the woman's corpse... bones, muscles, flesh... bile and blood mixed into a disgusting arouma of death and decay. Her rib cage appeared to have exploded outward, bits of shrapnel-like bone embedded into the sofa.
"You're pale." Konton teased, now behind Aled and prodding the man to step forward.
As much as he was revolted by the scene... Aled found he couldn't help but go toward what remained of Shiori's body... at least what remained somewhat in tact.
The woman had no eyes... no nose, no ears, no tongue... tufts of hair that had been pulled or burnt away floated around her detached head, pillowing it like a cloud.
Konton moved behind Aled, reaching out and putting his clawed hands on the man's shoulders to stop him in his tracks.
"I want something..." the demon whispered seductively, his claws, claws that bit like steel knives, digging in just enough to keep Aled there. "And I want you to give it to me..."
Shaking his head, the Tarnb-jin Ou couldn't remove his eyes from the scene. "Or you'll kill me too?" he asked softly.
Laughing, the demon smirked. "No... give me what I want... and I'll give you the girl's soul. It's tasty, no doubt but... well... what's one soul among allies, hmm?"
"I'm not your ally." Aled replied, his voice remaining soft, almost detached as he continued to stare at the gore before him. "I never was you're..."
"But you were." Konton whispered. "You were and you sacrificed that allegiance for this woman. For both women... I couldn't let her stay alive now... And I can't let the other one live as well..."
Turning quickly, blood pouring from his shoulders at the sudden movement, fierce cat-like eyes glared at the demon. "Don't you dare touch Kaguyo. What... what you've done, I..."
"Then give me the Muse." Konton whispered. "Distract Kaguyo long enough to give me what I want. Distract them all, Aled... give me the Muse... and then come to me." he smiled darkly, the look on Aled's face priceless. "I still have need of you... and it would be such a pity..." the demon's claws raked through Aled's short hair. Hair that grew suddenly, returning to it's original length before the Ou's fight with Aoki. "Such a pity to have to kill you too, you know..."
Aled shook his head, "I won't betray my son again, Konton. I might've been easy to ensnare possessed but now..."
"Now, your kingdom is in ruins and I'm about to kill every living soul on Tarnbsei." Konton reminded him. "Bring me the Muse, come back to my side... and I will spare the population of the planet, reinstate you as Ou, and even bring Shiori back to sit at your side." the demon smiled softly, a strange expression for one so evil. "You have lost your wings, Aled-sama... it is time you fly again."
Not knowing if the demon spoke figuratively or not, for what seemed like an eternity, Aled stood there.
He turned once more, looking down at the corpse of the woman whom he loved.
Shiori had accepted the true him, not the possessed madman... she had proven herself loyal and caring... and now...
He had wanted to spend his life with Shiori... had planned on asking for the woman's hand in marriage.
He loved her...
And now...
Aled came to kneel behind her head, gently picking the woman's skull up into his hands and lovingly running his fingers across the blood soaked skin.
Closing his eyes, the Ou of Tarnbsei nodded, "I'll do it. You have my word, Konton. You will have the Muse once again. I don't want those who should remain innocent... to be involved in this battle any longer."
Laughing darkly, Konton disappeared into the night.
Outside, thunder boomed and lighting split the sky, lighting up the horrific scene within the destroyed bedroom.
Outside... it began to rain...




~ ~ ~

(((OOC: Song used was the first verse and first chorus of "Towa no Rasen". It's a Lockon Stratos image song from "Kidou Senshi Gundam 00", and is performed by Miki Shinichirou.)))

Ainsu frowned, "Kazuhiko... you can't be..." he watched the boy closely, obviously confused. "How? When? I thought Earth was safe!"
Needless to say, it wasn't the Muse who was sitting in front of the young half Tarnb-jin. Ainsu was there, though the Muse was listening closely.
"What happened? Is anyone... anyone else hurt?"

~ ~ ~

Medical personnel were flooding the corridors, trying to help and make sure that the situation was contained.
Of course, even Watari took notice of this.
Making perfectly sure that Aoki wasn't going anywhere... he had all remaining personnel follow him toward the residental area.
Left alone... Aoki was such a wonderful target...
And yet...
"I can't kill you." came a dark voice from near Aoki's head.
Standing there, Konton placed his clawed hands on either side of the man's head, palms on the table-like bed.
"I can't kill you, but I can make sure you do as I've commanded."
Konton forced open Aoki's mouth, pouring in another vial.
This one would keep the man awake for a year unless a cure was found.
Smirking, Konton looked down at the man, waiting for him to wake.

~ ~ ~

Watari dashed down the hall, labcoat trailing him as he skidded around a corner and came to a rather cramped corridor.
"Set up a perimeter. I want to make sure nothing comes in or goes out without us knowing." the scientist spoke to a few of the personnel.
They left to do his request.
"Po-ar, what... happened?" Watari's voice failed when he got his first whiff of the smell of blood.
For his part, the Tarnb-jin Ouji was kneeling beside Morrigan, his arms around the woman and trying to soothe her shock.
But it was obvious that he himself was in shock as well.
"It's Shiori..." Po-ar whispered.
Dread flowed through Watari and he pushed past the Ouji. He took in the scene, filed it away in his mind, and then looked around for the one person he knew didn't need to be there.
Yuki.
Watari moved quickly, putting himself between the scene and the woman. Kneeling, Watari tried to fill her vision with only he himself.
"Yuki-chan... Yuki-chan, look at me." the scientist spoke, carefully placing his hands on the woman's shoulders. "Yuki-chan."

It was about that same time that Kaguyo appeared.
Aled felt her arms around him, felt her lips brush his hair... but he didn't FEEL her.
Try as he might, Aled couldn't tear his mind, his eyes, any of his senses really, away from the scene or from the remains of Shiori's body.
'He killed her because of me...' was the single thought that went through his mind over and over again.