|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Nileregwen DoUrden Captain
|
 Posted: Sun Aug 23, 2009 11:05 pm
Laughing, Watari sighed. "Alright... normal bathroom. One of these days, I'm going to convince you to relax. I haven't had a day off in eleven years... I'm looking forward to some down time." he replied, smiling at the woman while drawing in the bathrooms.
~ ~ ~
The Muse smiled darkly, "Kaguyo... surely you have more strength than that..." he whispered, his voice shadowed and seductive.
His arms moved down to support the woman at her elbows... and suddenly there was an entirely new power flowing through her arms.
More power than she could almost contain...
The Muse was siphoning his ki, Aled's ki, into Kaguyo's body.
The transfer would have surprised her, he was sure, but it would keep the woman on her feet... and keep her power strong.
Strong enough to kill anything she wished to kill... if she had true conviction.
"Kill them..." The Muse whispered softly. "Kill them and you can stay here forever, Kaguyo. There will be no one to take you back..."
~ ~ ~
"Perhaps..." Konton hissed softly, stretching his arms lazily over his horned head. "But then again, Aoki... I expected you to remain loyal. It was your test... and you obviously failed it. Yes, you've brought the brat back to me but I hardly have need of him now that Aled carries the Muse. Kaguyo, or you Aoki, can kill him for all I care. If he doesn't arrive in one piece... there's no loss. He was a pretty face with a dark secret... now he's simply a pretty face. So..." his gaze focused on Aoki, and even though he didn't mean for it to happen, fear was simply clouding up the entire throne room. "What else can you do for my plans, hmm?"
Konton could suddenly hear the rumblings of the tornado and he laughed, a vicious sound.
The demon stood from his throne, coming to look out the window and standing just feet from Aoikage.
Just feet...
The demon's attention was on the weather... on the battle... nothing more...
There was a brief flash of red, and suddenly demon blood was pooling to the ground around their feet. A thin rapier ran from the back of the base of Konton's neck, the handle just barely visible at the demon's stomach. Black blood and bile flowed freely, covering everything in it's path.
Konton...
Aoki...
And even... the wielder of the rapier...
Aoikage.
There was a sudden ear piercing screech that nearly drove the daemon to his knees. Suddenly, Aoikage was on the other side of the room, embedded in an outline dent in the stone wall.
A mild concussion, which he did have, was the least of the daemon's problems. Konton's blood continued to flow, but the demon didn't seem to have weakened in the slightest.
"You little fool!"
Aoikage couldn't help but cry out he was ripped from the wall and his wings forcefully exposed from his body.
Dark claws took in handfuls of black feathers, and began to tear them from the daemon's wings painfully. Konton was literally pinning the daemon down with his clawed feet... and the rapier still remained in the wound that Aoikage had inflicted.
"Take those cuffs." Konton hissed, glaring at Aoki as he kept Aoikage pinned down.
Not only was the demon shredding the young man's precious wings, but the black blood and bile was burning into Aoikage's skin like acid.
Aoki would need to get the stuff off soon before it reacted the same to him though... he was but a clone.
"I'm not stopping Kaguyo because she belongs to the Muse but you, Aoki, will bring Ainsu here so I can gut the b*****d before his father." Konton's gaze gleamed. "Won't that be a fun reunion."
He pulled again, handfuls of feathers ripping from their host.
Aoikage couldn't help but scream.
~ ~ ~
Ainsu could hardly see through the weather. He dove down, trying to lose Aoki amongst the buildings and shattered hulls of civilization in the city.
But clone after clone drove him back. He fought, a ki blast trying to open a path here, one to simply distract there.
But without warning, Ainsu was surrounded. The former playwright was a fast flyer, but clones were a different matter entirely.
Not to mention he was rather horrid with mid-air battles...
Seeing no other option, Ainsu flared his ki brilliantly and tucked in, making himself into as small a target for the clones as possible.
When the smoke from Aoki's attack cleared, Ainsu was still standing... or hovering... but he was bruised and bleeding from numerous cuts.
His defense had protected any vital organs... but he was obviously losing this battle.
The moment he could move, Ainsu dove down again, disappearing into the city sewers.
There... Kaguyo's attacks couldn't hurt him and, just maybe... he could evade Aoki long enough to heal.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Aug 23, 2009 11:42 pm
Aoki dove in after Ainsu, but clearly the fight was off from the panicked look on his face.
"Palace, NOW!" he insisted, grabbing the man's arm and flying towards the fortified structure, "He's killing your father!!!"
Konton had called his bluff, and he had faltered.
It was odd, really----Aoki wasn't entirely sure what he was doing, but it felt right.
At least fifty of his clones circled the two, most lunging forward and tackling Konton off Aoikage.
Two others materialized and began to help him, wiping off as much blood as possible.
In the meantime, the other Aokis were firing blast after blast of ki and glass shards, clones spontaneously shattering to try and increase the blood flow. Another clone had latched onto the rapier behind the demon, attempting to drive it further through while wiggling it around. The more internal injury, the better.
He didn't really know what was going through his or any of his clones' heads while he was doing this....
In fact, it was as if he was absolutely compelled to do it. He couldn't think of any other action to take; this was the first thing he had done of his own will in over a decade.
It felt right.
But finally, the last nail in the coffin was when two clones snapped the cuffs around Konton's wrists....
And someone else appeared to help with the slaughter.
"I told you I would kill you!" Kazuhiko growled, glowing brilliantly, "I want my family back!"
Unsheathing an old, Celtic sword, the child took his part in attacking the demon, while a clone of his went to work healing Aoikage.
"You gave me the perfect time to visit." he smiled warmly at the man, dousing his wounds with holy waters from the Otherworldy springs, "I'll get you out of here, alright?"
Kaguyo was surprised by this new source of energy; she wasn't sure whether or not it was helping or hurting her, however.
It was like plugging in a 40 watt bulb where a 60 or higher watt should've been instead. She was dangerously close to burning herself out.
She had never known Aled's spirit to be so strong... well, she had a faint inkling, but clearly she had grossly underestimated him. Even when they'd been together, she had never truly seen him use the full extent of his power...
The mere realization humbled her, almost scared her. He could've killed her with barely the flick of his wrist, and there wouldn't have been a single trace she had ever existed at all. He could've, but he didn't, she reminded herself firmly---even when he was mad. Aled had the strength to protect her, and even outright kill the Muse should he decide to fight back...
He could do what Ainsu couldn't.
But once the two disappeared, she let everything collapse. Between her distraction and literally going all out on the two, she couldn't keep it going any longer. While the blizzards remained, they were much less intense; clearly, they were no longer her doing, just the result of the current weather conditions.
The tornado faded as quickly as it came.
She fell to her knees, unable to even speak through trying to catch her breath. Her thoughts, on the otherhand, spoke something far different.
**I failed...!** she winced, trying to stand up, **They're on their way... I can't let that happen again... F#ck... F#ck, f#ck, f#ck...!**
She looked up at the Muse, unsure of how to take his interest in her attempted assassinations. "Let me see Aled." she whispered, begging, "I'm too weak... They... they're going to take me back... I can't even fight them....!"
Yuki smiled. "Then make them nice." she agreed suddenly, sticking out her tongue. "I can relax, jerk!"
But she wasn't being mean, although part of her seriously wondered if that was the impression he had of her.
|
|
|
|
|
|
JojoMonkeyPandemonium Vice Captain
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Nileregwen DoUrden Captain
|
Posted: Mon Aug 24, 2009 12:19 am
Watari smiled softly, "Name ONE time you've relaxed lately." he spoke, watching Yuki with amused interest.
~ ~ ~
He could sense the chaos.
Everything was crumbling.
Konton's agony, Kaguyo's frustration, and the sheer triumph of Kazuhiko.
The Muse knew what was happening... and he knew his death would probably come soon.
He had the strength to fight them all but... If Konton had been destroyed so easily...
"Kaguyo..." the Muse whispered, carefully helping the woman to sit. "I'm sorry."
Suddenly, the Muse was gone and Aled was kneeling before her, carefully holding onto the woman's hands.
"Oh, Kaguyo... you're not going back. Ainsu can't possibly get this far."
If only the Tarnb-jin Ou had known what the Muse knew...
~ ~ ~
The scream that shook the very foundations of the palace was so harsh, so high pitched and gut wrenching, that many of the guards that remained either fainted or collapsed to their knees and vomited.
It was a sound that churned so much pain and rage, so much unbridled fear, that those left standing could barely do that.
Konton's black leathery wings exploded outward, knocking back countless Aoki clones and allowing him to back himself toward the window.
Cuffs were hardly a concern to the demon, since he didn't use ki and his powers were of a different make than those of a Tarnb-jin... but it did serve to increase his fury.
Fear and acidic blood and bile were dripping from every pore and wound on the demon, and Konton's body was having a hard time keeping up. He shielded himself with those wings, the thick leather becoming scratched and marred as Aoki after Aoki pummeled him with ki and glass.
The clone who had grasped Aoikage's rapier was shatter by a fierce strike of the demon's blade-like tail. He pulled the sword from his body, hurling it like a javelin to embed dangerously close to Aoikage's heart.
That wound stopped the daemon from his own struggles, for fear of accidentally killing himself by jarring the blade.
But the demon's dark eyes rested on Kazuhiko as the boy finally showed himself. "You disgusting half-breed." Konton hissed, blood dripping from his mouth. "I'll show you a hell worse than anything your parents have suffered!"
Suddenly, the room was plunged into a tangible darkness, pitch black and slimy to the touch. Konton was moving through the mass, making not a ripple nor a sound.
It was his element, his domain...
And a boy wasn't about to destroy him.
Even Kazuhiko's brilliant glow did little but light the disgusting stuff a few inches in front of the boy's face.
As for Aoikage... each healing touch from Kazuhiko sent ripples of agony through the daemon.
"TOMERU!" he screamed, his wings twitching in jerks and spasms that made one wonder why they didn't simply break like bones.
Red blood mixed with black flowed from Aoikage's wounds, and it was the black blood that was keeping Kazuhiko's healing from truly doing it's job.
Aoikage had been merged with Konton's ilk for too long...
"YOU'RE MAKING IT WORSE! TOMERU!" Aoikage screeched again, shoving Kazuhiko away violently as he tried to curl away from the chaos and destruction.
He pulled the rapier from his own chest, using his power to light it brilliantly red.
But it did little to protect him in Konton's cloud...
~ ~ ~
Surprised, Ainsu held onto Aoki's wrist, adding his own ki to their momentum and spearing them faster toward the palace. "What's happening?" he asked quickly, confused as to why they had abandoned the 'fight' plan. "Aoki, what..."
But then he felt it...
His empathy exploded in such a harsh manner that Ainsu slammed into the side of the sewer, his body gasping for breath as the wave of Konton's rage and agony flowed over him.
He could feel the raw and unbridled furry and pain of the demon... and the torment of the daemon.
Of his father...
He felt Kazuhiko's bright joy, Kaguyo's fear, Aled's confusion....
And Aoki's own inner triumph.
"What happened?" he asked, too dazed to move for the moment, but perfectly content to allow Aoki to pull him along.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Aug 24, 2009 12:38 am
Kaguyo slid to the floor, eyes widening. "Aled...!" she embraced the man tightly, clinging to him for dear life, "I pray you're right. I just got you back... I'm not losing you. I was wrong to just leave you, leave the planet... I should have stayed. I should have been loyal." she wept.
She was frightened, and with good reason. Even Aled knew she usually could've bear-hugged him tighter than she was; the poor woman was exhausted again.
"I love you." she nuzzled him, shivering softly, "Please, Aled... don't let them take me. They're killing Konton..." she whispered, terrified, "Don't you feel it...??"
The Aokis all began to ignite their ki; Kazuhiko did the same.
Slowly, the blackness began to burn.
"I brought along a friend this time." Kazuhiko whispered, smirking, "You haven't met him yet, but let's just say you f#cked with the wrong planet."
His eyes were taking on a familiar glow, one that Konton would've recognized all too well. Brilliant, sky-blue swirls began to snake over the child's skin...
The child who was quickly becoming a grown man.
Antlers began to erupt from the top of his head, hair growing long and silvery...
"Meet the the King of the Land." Kazuhiko's voice chorused---he wasn't the only one present within the body. "We are the great Hunters... Konton, meet Cernunnos. You will know him better as Death."
And with that, the boy released pulse after pulse of holy energy, doing everything in his (limited) power to kill the b*****d. He could only channel the god for so long, after all...
He wasn't as used to it as his mother, and even she couldn't hold the Goddess for very long.
His other clone, in the meantime, didn't touch Aoikage. He did protect him, however.
"Just hold tight." he whispered, eyes glowing and tattooed like his other self---just minus the horns. "He'll be dead soon, I promise."
Aoki rushed from the sewers and into the dungeons, dragging Ainsu so violently he didn't even touch the ground.
"Aoikage attacked Konton, so I decided to help, and now Kazuhiko's there, and he's looking really f#cking weird, but everything's black, can't see him... He's here, but can't see him, darkness. The kid's like the sun... a bonfire... he's just burning everything away. It's like going to the temples at dawn." he whispered. "That's the same feeling you get... Can you feel it? I don't know what he's doing, but it's working. We gotta find Kaguyo, we gotta kill Konton, we gotta save your father. He's hurt. Kazuhiko can't heal him. You gotta help."
Into the hallways....
"Are you ready?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
JojoMonkeyPandemonium Vice Captain
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Nileregwen DoUrden Captain
|
Posted: Mon Aug 24, 2009 1:09 am
Ainsu looked at Aoki for a long moment.
When he finally spoke, it was a few seconds after the man had finished explaining.
"When I go in there," Ainsu said softly, the symbol on his forehead beginning to shine brightly. "Keep Kazuhiko back. Trust me."
He could feel Konton's plans, could feel how the darkness was meant to disorient and absorb.
He had to find Konton immediately and stop the darkness.
Otherwise...
Well, Kazuhiko's powers might completely be absorbed by the demon himself.
~ ~ ~
There was only silence in the darkness.
Konton could hear Kazuhiko's threats, could feel Aoikage's muscles trembling in terror as he tried to remain calm, could sense the various Aoki clones as they tried to find him, to find something to attack.
But the demon was impossible to find... even with the fires that Kazuhiko was lighting.
Kazuhiko's power however, was keeping Konton from leaving the room. He had intended to dive out the window, but for some reason... the boy's power was pulling him in, pulling the demon toward him.
Konton was doing everything in his power to remain away from Kazuhiko, while still keeping out of the light.
Until Ainsu appeared...
The darkness disappeared completely, the room lighting up like the very sun itself.
Ainsu stood in the doorway, his blue eyes trained on the demon.
Konton seemed to be so heavily injured that he couldn't even move his wings, the large leathery skin and bone hanging limp around him, acting as nothing more than a bit of shielding now.
"You were responsible for my life." Ainsu spoke coldly, walking forward.
He snatched the rapier away from Aoikage, tossing it to his other hand. "I'll be responsible for your death."
Hissing, Konton backed toward the window again, trying to escape.
But even he knew it was no use.
The light from Ainsu's skin touched the demon, and Konton screamed. He brought everything and everyone to their knees.
Except Ainsu.
The rapier now glowed golden, no longer red, and Ainsu drove it straight into the demon's chest cavity.
Clawed hands scratched at the former playwright, but Konton's very fingers and claws were burned clean from his body.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Konton screamed in fear, actual fear...
But Ainsu simply smiled. "Yes." he whispered, shoving the rapier up to it's hilt. "How does it feel, Konton? You're dying, and you know it. For the first time in eternity..." Ainsu spoke darkly, his gaze locked with the fearful eyes of the demon. "You're afraid. Do you see what was born from your deciet?"
"How?" Konton hissed, blood flowing in buckets from his mouth. "You never..."
"My mother." Ainsu replied as Konton's wings burst into flame. "Her gift to you for what you made my father do. I appreciate life... but not in that sense."
Konton was literally screaming nonstop now as the golden glow bit through his skin, destroying his skin and muscles... seeping into his bones.
Meanwhile, Aoikage was wracked with an entirely new pain.
As Konton died... so did the essence with his own body.
He was transforming, and while Aoikage's appearance didn't change... his blood was becoming simply daemon.
The young man would soon no longer be part demon...
~ ~ ~
"Shhhh..." Aled whispered, gently holding Kaguyo against him. "I won't let them take you from me. Even if they kill the demon, I..."
The man blinked.
"I would never let them have you." he continued, forcing Kaguyo's chin up and kissing the woman deeply.
He was trying to distract her.
Only... he wasn't exactly Aled anymore...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Aug 24, 2009 1:19 am
Kazuhiko was relieved.
He released the god immediately---trying to maintain that sort of hold on a deity belonging to a planet as far away as Earth was damn near impossible.
But he had done his job all the same. He hadn't delivered the killing blow... but he had kept Konton there long enough for Ainsu to arrive.
He was grateful the man had arrived when he did. Even with the god, he had been deeply worried.
"Hahaha..." he beamed, "Susan, you and I are alike now." he smirked---it was odd hearing him as an adult still using the nickname. "Otousan's gonna kill me.... I totally claim his head, and I'm going to free all the souls he ate. He absorbs them... they're more like batteries than food." he whispered, watching the demon intently like a cat. "I'm going to rip them back out of him right before he dies. Is that ok with you?"
His other self still took very good care of Aoikage. "Just relax." he soothed, "Deep breaths. Stay with me. Keep focused."
Kaguyo began to kiss back, except...
Except...
Her brow furrowed as she pulled away, looking at Aled. The way he kissed her was off, somehow...
Was familiar...
"Aled...?" she whispered, trying to keep up enough energy just to sense him, "Al..--no...." her eyes widened, "You're not Aled. I thought... I thought you said you'd let me see him!"
|
|
|
|
|
|
JojoMonkeyPandemonium Vice Captain
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Nileregwen DoUrden Captain
|
Posted: Mon Aug 24, 2009 1:42 am
"And I did..." The Muse whispered, holding Kaguyo to him. "I let you see him... and now you're going to do something for me, Kaguyo dear..."
He was rough, but gentle... suddenly pushing the woman down to the rug beneath him.
"I'm going to die soon." he spoke carefully, his gaze locked on Kaguyo's own eyes. "No amount of power can keep me from being destroyed... Konton died easily, Kaguyo... so very easily... Let me have a little fun, hmm?"
He claimed Kaguyo's lips, blinking suddenly and soon ending the kiss.
"Kaguyo... Kaguyo, I'm sorry, he's... Kaguyo run... please run!"
It was Aled, having gained control for a moment.
He didn't want to do what the Muse had in mind... not like this...
~ ~ ~
Shoved against the wall, Konton was becoming an incoherent mess of screeches and hisses.
He was practically dead, the end of his life being nothing more than a fizzling body that was bubbling beneath Ainsu's glow.
"If you're going to do anything Kazuhiko, do it now." The former playwright spoke, his glow dimming enough to allow the boy close. "He's nothing but a pile of bones and melted flesh now."
The end of a nightmare...
But Ainsu's eyes were scanning the room.
He had to find Kaguyo.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Aug 24, 2009 1:49 am
Kazuhiko nodded, walking over to Konton. "Shouldn't take but a second... Ava did me a favor."
His sword was a very special one indeed. As he plunged it into the remaining mess of Konton's body, it began to absorb every soul the demon had ever eaten.
All, except for one...
"I'm purging your soul." the boy spoke to the demon with a smile. "Which means, you're going to be absolutely destroyed by holiness. Have fun with that... a demon's equivilant to hell."
Kaguyo didn't hesitate. She scrambled out from under him as quickly as she could; she didn't know how much of a fight she could put up once the Muse resumed control.
"I love you Aled. Thank you." she whispered, before diving for the door.
There was only one thing that threw her into a state of panic...
The door was ********!" she hissed, throwing herself against the door, "F#ck, f#ck, F#CK!"
She didn't have the key... this being Aled's room...
"Aled, the key!" she turned around, holding out her hands, "QUICK!"
|
|
|
|
|
|
JojoMonkeyPandemonium Vice Captain
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Nileregwen DoUrden Captain
|
Posted: Mon Aug 24, 2009 1:58 am
Quickly, Aled stood, heading toward the door.
He was going to blow it off it's hinges.
But instead, the man blinked and shoved Kaguyo against the door. He pinned her there, kissing the woman fiercely before beginning to quickly untie her kimono.
~ ~ ~
"You'll... regret..." Konton hissed, barely able to speak. "Death..."
There was another ungodly scream, and then the entire mass burst into black flames.
Within moments... Konton was completely gone.
Ainsu's glow disappeared, but the symbol on his forehead remained. "Aoikage, where..."
But it soon became obvious that asking the daemon a question was impossible...
Aoikage was completely unconscious for the moment, and unresponsive to anything.
"Well, I'm sure that hurt..." Ainsu whispered before his gaze fell on Aoki. "Where is Aled and Kaguyo? Did Konton tell you before we arrived?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Aug 24, 2009 2:26 am
Aoki was just standing in shock, staring at the scorchmarks where Konton had been. "We.... he's dead...." he shook his head, "We killed him. We actually killed him. He's dead. He's dead?!!" he shook his head more violently, "What... what the...."
He just started laughing, blinking in disbelief. "How....---Wait. Right..." he tried to get on task, "I can't sense her around here, can you?"
A valid point. Kaguyo had used up so much energy trying to kill them that even Kazuhiko had trouble figuring out where she was.
"He did say she was the Muse's now." the boy answered, still in his older form, "I overheard that before I came... but... I haven't seen her around. The Muse has most of this place blocked out from my sight..."
He shook his head, slowly standing up. "Perhaps we should split up and call for her...? Do we know if she's even conscious after all that??"
Another valid point. Kaguyo wasn't known for her ability to stay awake after something like that...
Kaguyo tried to push him off her, tried to scream, anything; to her chagrin, Aled---no, the Muse---made sure she was silenced. She could hardly even catch her breath the way he was kissing her, was nowhere near his strength...
She started to gather up her ki (or what laughable little she had left) to try and blast him off her, only for the sphere to spark and fizzle out against his chest. Her eyes widened in shock.
The pitiful excuse she called an attack wasn't even an eighth of a weaker fighter's. She was practically human at this point...
She was helpless.
She kicked and struggled as much as she could, but it was obvious to both she was wasting her time. Just the tiniest lift from him and she was off the ground, unable to use the floor for leverage; just the slightest of strength left her unable to even kick or punch anymore. Aled had easily at least 50 lbs of muscle on her, if not more, and almost a foot and a half in height...
Add a particularly determined Muse, and it was a recipe for bad news all around.
|
|
|
|
|
|
JojoMonkeyPandemonium Vice Captain
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Nileregwen DoUrden Captain
|
Posted: Mon Aug 24, 2009 4:23 pm
For a moment, Ainsu said nothing.
"Kaguyo's here. I can't sense her emotions... not anymore... which probably means that the Muse is using Aled's power to interfere." the former playwright sighed his gaze falling on Aoki.
And in that second, there was a glint in Ainsu's eyes, that was perhaps more frightening than even Konton...
"Aoki, send your clones out to check for her. I'm going to Aled's bedroom. Kazuhiko, I want you to stay with Aoikage. I want one of your clones to head to Watari's lab and find the controls for the barrier. Enact the barrier. We'll have thirty minutes to get into one of the palace ships and head back to earth after erecting the barrier."
Quickly, Ainsu turned from the small group and headed down a side hall.
~ ~ ~
(((OOC: I can't remember if Hapushi's dead or still alive... Cause if she's alive, then she'll need to be nabbed before they put up the barrier...)))
~ ~ ~
"Stop fighting me." the Muse spoke darkly, his grasp on Kaguyo almost painfully tight.
It hadn't taken him long to undress the woman, and now that he was pretty much undressed himself...
The Muse abandoned the door for the rug once more, pinning Kaguyo beneath him.
"Stop fighting... and I'll let Aled do this instead of me." he hissed softly before claiming the woman's lips once more.
In truth, the Muse didn't care if Kaguyo agreed or not. He was going to take her... and whether it was he himself or Aled hardly mattered.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2009 3:18 am
Kaguyo shivered, but there was one truth she came to understand. There was no escaping this.... All her efforts were futile.
Besides, even if she had wanted to fight more, how could she? Twenty minutes prior, it would have been much more of a fair fight... but now....
"Alright." she whispered quietly, clearly defeated, "Alright..."
Aoki did as he was told, about twenty of him splitting from his original image. "Consider it done." they all answered at once, each disappearing through every door and window possible. They began scouring the Palace in its entirety for survivors as well.
Kazuhiko on the otherhand was a bit more worried. "Barrier?" he asked, blinking, "Wh....what...? What does it look like? How will I know what it is?" he interrogated him, a clone trailing behind, "What controls do I hit? What happens if we're stuck here after 30 minutes? Are we even sure any of the ships actually work?"
Many, many valid questions....
"We're bringing Ojiisan back too, aren't we?"
(Pretty sure she's back on Earth already from her last injuries.)
|
|
|
|
|
|
JojoMonkeyPandemonium Vice Captain
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Nileregwen DoUrden Captain
|
Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2009 6:47 pm
The Muse smirked darkly. "I knew you'd see it my way." he whispered.
The being blinked... and once again Aled was in control.
Somewhat.
"Kaguyo... I'm sorry..." he whispered, his touch tender and caring.
But that didn't stop his body.
"He used my power to filter to you... I can't fight him as I am now..."
It was true. The Muse himself hadn't lost a single ounce of strength. Aled had, and quite a bit of it at that.
~ ~ ~
Ainsu answered questions as they walked. "The button should be green, a green light above it. The controls are..." he thought for a split second. "There's a closet, third door on the right. The entire closet is the machine. Push the green button, and the countdown begins. The countdown can't be stopped. The ships should be fine, at least the ones in the Palace hangar itself but... once the countdown reaches zero, Tarnbsei will be isolated inside the barrier. Any of Konton's minions that break through his portals will be destroyed by the barrier. From what I understand, the barrier will completely isolate Tarnbsei. It will protect this world's inhabitants from any of Konton's denizens. Those already on the planet, will remain... but their powers should, in theory, grow weaker."
However, the former playwright suddenly stopped. He at Kazuhiko, at the boy's grown form, and shook his head. "Your ojiisan gets one chance, Kazuhiko. If Aled refuses to come, if the Muse clings to his existence... I will kill him to get Kaguyo back."
'You loved him once...' came the sudden thought.
But the symbol on Ainsu's head continued to glow, and that was the resolve he needed.
"It's time to end this madness."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2009 7:20 pm
Kazuhiko frowned. "Don't kill him." he warned Ainsu---but it wasn't a threat. "You do, and you risk Chiaki never existing, baka. Handle this thing... with..."
He had a weird ghost of a smile on his face, holding up his hands and wiggling his fingers. "... Kid gloves." he winked, before turning around. "Oh, and by the way, some of the stairwells are out.... After all the attacks this place has been through, I'm surprised the ceiling and more hasn't crashed down on us. Overall message: Be careful. Call me if you need anything."
He turned around, starting down the hallway. "Alright, let's see.... Since he didn't see the lab yet, good thing...." he flew quickly, distracted by the flames and damage here and there. He tried to put most of it out imitating Kaguyo's ice tricks. They were more complicated than he understood, much different than cloning himself. He'd have to practice.
Alright, since the lab was clear, he'd have to find the closet. He had to push buttons. Which buttons? Green ones. Look out for green buttons. And the ships. Had to get a ship. Why not teleport? He could teleport everyone, Ojiisan and Aoikage included. It would be perfect.
Green buttons.
"God I gotta stay on task..." he half-muttered, half-whined to himself, "F#ck multitasking..."
Kaguyo was blushing horribly; the awkwardness of the situation was hard for her to stay stoic through.
Naturally, it would've been one thing if it had been Aled and only Aled, but the Muse...
Well, suffice to say she could see him lurking in the back of the Ou's eyes. She felt tricked.
"They're going to take me, aren't they...?" she whispered, "He said he was going to die... You have to fight him, Aled. I'm taking you with me. We're going to kill him once and for all, we're going back together or not at all. I love you, Aled... I'm sorry... I'm so sorry for everything I've put you through... Please, forgive me, Al-kun, onegai... Just don't give up. Keep fighting him! His strength is yours, take it back!"
It was conflicting to her---on one hand, she knew that this could very well be the last moments she had with Aled for the rest of her life. On the other hand, she still wanted to fight the Muse, still wanted Aled to fight with her.
They made a great team when something threatened them. Nothing was more imposing than the two of them when they were angry; Aled's rages could be of epic proportions. Kaguyo was hardly any different... just less reasonable.
And moody.
"Aishiteru, Aled-chan..." she kissed him deeply, closing her eyes for only a moment, "Do what Ainsu never could. Kill him. Take back everything he ever took from all of us..."
|
|
|
|
|
|
JojoMonkeyPandemonium Vice Captain
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Nileregwen DoUrden Captain
|
Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2009 7:32 pm
Ainsu didn't say anything after Kazuhiko disappeared down the hall.
How could he?
What was he going to say?
The symbol's glow dimmed, but Ainsu pushed on, his walk turning into a full out sprint through the halls.
His destination was Aled's room.
If they were anywhere in the palace... it was there.
They had to be...
~ ~ ~
"He's frightened... for the first time in his pathetic life." Aled whispered, quickly pushing himself to stand and re-dress.
In truth, Aled wanted Kaguyo badly, wanted her with him forever. But he knew that what the Muse had just forced him to do, that that sort of betrayal, would be impossible to live with if the Muse wasn't forced from his body.
And soon.
"Can you stand?" Aled whispered, carefully picking Kaguyo up in his arms, discarded kimono and all.
Ainsu was coming...
He could feel the man just down the hall.
"Aishiteru, Aled-chan..." she kissed him deeply, closing her eyes for only a moment, "Do what Ainsu never could. Kill him. Take back everything he ever took from all of us..."
But the Tarnb-jin Ou couldn't deny that kiss. He clasped Kaguyo to him, using every ounce of strength left to him to keep her there.
"I'll kill him. I swear it, Kaguyo..." Aled whispered darkly.
That was when he first felt it.
A gust whipped through the room, air tinged with anger and bitter grief, slicing into his very soul. Everything brightened for a split second, and then a near deafening pop exploded through the chamber.
The shockwave sent Aled slamming into the side of his bed, Kaguyo, unclothed, landing next to him.
"I'm not here to save you." Ainsu spoke from the doorway, the symbol on his forehead glowing fiercely once more. "Kaguyo is returning with me... and I'm ending this. All of it. Once and for ******** all."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
