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Pawn	By : Macx Category: Descendents of Darkness/Yami No Matsuei > General Views: 2478 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Descendants of Darkness (Yami no Matsuei), nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 1-Pawn
- 2-part 2
- 3-part 3
- 4-part 4
- 5-part 5
- 6-part 6
- 7-part 7
- 8-part 8
- 9-part 9
- 10-part 10
- 11-part 11
- 12-part 12
- 13-part 13
- 14-part 14
- 1
- 2
- 3
"Terazuma opened a gate here," Watari explained and stabbed at a point
on his map.
It was a rough sketch that consisted of five spheres. Each looked a
bit more elliptic than spherical, but that didn't matter. What mattered
was the science behind it. Watari had never been a great artist, but he
was a genius in his special fields.
"He used the Key, as usual, and initiated the jump. What should have
happened as that he left Meifu," Watari circled one of the spheres with
a finger, then drew a straight line to another sphere, "and ended up in
GensouKai. He has done it dozens of times and the artificial wormhole,
combined with the shikigami he carries, are a safe way to travel."
"It didn't happen," Tatsumi added.
"No. Kagankokushunkei appeared in GensouKai, but Terazuma didn't. They
separated for reasons unknown and while the shikigami followed his instinct
to return to his home realm, Terazuma was left afloat. Here."
Another general circling of the spheres.
"The closest realm I could find that was near Meifu at the time and
that might have interfered with the transfer is here."
The finger landed on a crude ellipse.
"Hell."
Tatsumi froze. "What?!" he exclaimed.
Watari's face was serious, showed no trace of humor. "Heaven was too
far away, as was the world of the living. There is only Hell."
Tsuzuki, who had listened silently, his face as uncharacteristically
serious as Watari's, moved forward, gazing at the drawing.
"You sure?" he asked quietly.
"No. I can only be sure if someone goes there and asks."
Tatsumi paled. "Are you mad?! We can't go into Hell!"
"But Terazuma might be there!"
"We can't go there!" the Shadow Master repeated.
"No, we can't," Tsuzuki interrupted the next reply, which had Watari
gaping.
"Tsuzuki..."
"But I know someone who can," he added with a fine smile.
"Huh?"
"I know someone who could help find him in Hell if we have a way inside.
I have to ask him, but I think he would say yes."
Tatsumi opened his mouth, then closed it again. Finally he just shook
his head. "Do I want to know where you know such a person from?"
That got him a bright Tsuzuki-style smile. "Nope!"
Tatsumi rounded on Watari and gave his lover a sharp look. "Which brings
me to the question, how do you know how to open a gate into Hell?" he demanded.

Watari fiddled with a pen. "Uhm. It came up throughout an experiment,"
he answered lamely.
"It came up? A doorway into the middle of Hell?!"
"Not into the middle, really..."
"Watari!"
The blond ducked a little. "Well, maybe I was a bit over-excited and
got carried away."
A soft hooting came from one of the lab shelves and 003 gave her friend
a dubious look, a look that was mirrored by Tatsumi.
"Wherever it came from, it can help!" Watari added quickly, a smile
accompanying the words. "Seii... please... Terazuma is most likely in Hell
and we can get him back!"
"Not we. Definitely not you," Tatsumi muttered and looked at Tsuzuki
again. "Do I want to know who this person is you have in mind?"
Tsuzuki shook his head. "Nope. It's better if you don't. Like I said,
I need to ask him first. But if he says yes, we can go, right?"
The Shadow Master rubbed his aching head. "I know it'll get me into
deep trouble, but yes, you can go. I'll deny knowledge of this madness
as long as I can."
Watari smiled brightly and was suddenly in front of the slightly taller
man, giving him a chaste kiss. "That's my Seii. Thanks."
Tatsumi cleared his throat, but the next move was also taken from him
by his lover as Watari stole a real kiss that ended in flushed cheeks and
arms around each other's waists. Tsuzuki only smiled, always happy when
his friends were.
"So, when are you going to ask that person?" Tatsumi asked.
"Right away." Tsuzuki hesitated.
"Can I come along?" Watari wanted to know eagerly. "We have to move
fast and I can bring my equipment with me."
There was a strange, guarded expression on Tsuzuki's face, then he nodded.
Watari smiled more and started to gather his things. As they left the lab
and Tatsumi walked back to his office, Tsuzuki turned to Watari.
"I need to call someone else," he said.
"Oh?"
"Uhm, Rikugo."
"Why?"
"I think it's best if he's there, too," Tsuzuki answered vaguely.
Watari frowned a little but only shrugged. "Sure. Okay. Whatever."
Tsuzuki nodded and concentrated on the bond to contact Touda. There
was no sense in a Summoning since that would have Rikugo here in battle
form, and there was no need for that.
::Touda, I need a favor...::
° ° °
Sohryu was in his private chambers, unable to decide whether to shake
from fury or from fear. No one dared to approach him, no one had disturbed
him since he had come here. He looked far from his regal self and while
he had managed a dozen crisis of the same dimensions in the past, lately
too much had happened in too short a time.
Terazuma was in Hell. At least they suspected he was. And if he was...
Hell didn't tolerate intruders. Since no one had found any trace of
Hajime, he was either still there or had been thrown out and was lying
somewhere, injured or worse.

The very image made his stomach turn and he closed his eyes, willing
his body to listen to his commands.
He was the representative of the Emperor. He couldn't break down.
The door opened without anyone knocking and Sohryu whirled around, aura
flaring with rage at the audacity of whoever was visiting. Cool, golden
eyes met fiery blue-gray ones and Sohryu felt himself deflate at the presence
of his oldest friend.
"Tsuzuki contacted me," Touda reported calmly. "It seems that Watari
has found a way to breach the realms and send someone into Hell to look
for Terazuma."
Sohryu blinked. "What? Tsuzuki...?"
"No, not our master You can believe me that I wouldn't let him go. It
seems he knows someone who can."
The dragon frowned, but Touda didn't elaborate. The serpent's eyes swept
the room.
"You done holing up in here?"
Sohryu shot him a dark look, but Touda was completely unfazed.
"We still have another problem on our hands, Sohryu. Kagankokushunkei."
"What about him?"
"He hasn't eaten since he came here, he isn't moving, and while he looks
like a depressed cat, I doubt he is. Something's wrong."
"Which would be? Aside from missing his master?"
"He was violently torn apart from Terazuma," Touda reminded him. "It
must have left traces. Someone should examine him."
Sohryu nodded tiredly. "Have Kochin or Taimo do it."
Touda's brows dipped at the dismissive tone of voice. "And you are going
to mourn and sulk here for the next few hours?" he challenged.
Sohryu growled. "I can do what I want, Touda," he snapped.
"No, you can't! You are our commander, Sohryu, in case you have forgotten.
You represent the Emperor in a time of constant change. I know this is
personal and believe me, I feel with you!" Touda explained forcefully.
"I would be the same if it had been Byakko � and it was him too often lately!
And because of what happened we need you out there, not in here pining
over your lover!"
The dragon eyes flared and the aura sparked. Touda didn't budge.
"He isn't dead yet!" he added viciously, like a last strike.
Sohryu flinched. Touda just turned on his heels and stalked out of the
room.
Silence descended.
After a while, Sohryu smiled humorlessly.
"No one would dare talk to me like you do, Touda," he whispered into
the empty room. "Thank you."
He left the private chamber, ready to meet whatever came head-on.
° ° °
Tsuzuki walked into the Palace of Candles, immediately aware of the
presence coming closer, of the familiar aura of the master of this place.
The Count was wearing his mask, just like expected, rendering him invisible
except for the white gloved hands and the half mask.
"Tsuzuki," he was greeted warmly. "What a pleasant surprise." Then he
turned his attention to the two men accompanying him. "Watari... Rikugo..."
If he was surprised by the presence of the shikigami, he didn't say
it.
"Count," he answered formally, then glanced at Watari whose mystified
expression hadn't changed ever since the appearance of Rikugo and their
trip to this remote place. "I'm here on official business. Can we talk?
Privately?"
He could almost imagine the frown that was hidden behind the shield
the mask created and the Count nodded. "Of course. Follow me."
They entered one of the many rooms, the one room that was more or less
the main study of the Count, and the master of the Palace turned to them,
fingers interlaced.
"How may I be of service?"
Tsuzuki inhaled deeply, then began to explain what had happened, how
Terazuma had been lost in transfer and only the lion had arrived, how Watari
had finally found out which realm had been closest to his trajectory and
the moment he mentioned Hell, Tsuzuki knew that the Count realized where
this was leading.
"You can open a gateway into Hell?" he asked, the mask turning to Watari.
The scientist nodded, smiling a little. "One of my more successful experiments,
but we can't go through without an invitation of the Lord of Hell, which
we won't get. Only a demon can enter his home realm."
"That's why we're here," Tsuzuki added carefully.
The Count was silent, then turned abruptly and looked out the window.
"Do you know what you're asking, Tsuzuki?" he asked quietly.
"Yes, completely, but it's our only chance. Will you help?"
There was another lengthy silence as the masked man stared into the
landscaped garden, the wide expanse of the maze and the adjoining forest.
His hands were clasped behind his back.
"Do you trust him?" he finally asked.
"Yes. Watari can keep a secret."
The blond nodded. "Sure can."
"Even from Tatsumi?"
Watari flushed. "I'm not spilling my guts to him whenever we meet! Only
because I know something doesn't mean he does so, too!"
The Count turned and his invisible eyes bore into the younger man. "I
have to trust you on this, Watari Yutaka, because it's the only way we
can help Terazuma � if he is in Hell."
"You can," Watari said seriously, then he shot Tsuzuki a quizzical look.
"Me and Rikugo know already," was the soft answer.
"Know what?"
The Count reached for his mask and Tsuzuki glanced at his friend. Watari's
eyes widened and his mouth opened, but before he could react the mask was
off and he was looking at the man underneath it. Red eyes in a handsome,
young face met golden ones. Black hair fell in a tousled style, and the
slightly pointed ears reminded of Terazuma's signs of shikigami possession.
Dressed in his usual formal wear, the Count didn't look like many imagined
him to be. Tsuzuki had known the truth for a while now, and he had kept
the secret.
003 hooted softly. She had been absolutely silent ever since they had
entered the palace, sitting on her friend's shoulder, almost hiding in
the wild curls of blond hair. Now her huge eyes were even larger, fixed
on the visible form of the Count.
Watari's mouth snapped shut and he tried to comprehend what he was seeing.
The aura only Tsuzuki had ever perceived as so close to his own was now
flaring fully, identifying the Count as what he truly was.
003 bristled slightly, but she remained where she was.
"You... you're....?"
Ryu smiled a little, not moving from where he stood. "I'm a demon, Watari.
At least more or less. It's a long story and let's say I started out human
and ended up this way."
"But... you're working for Enma Daiou!"
"Yes. He and the Lord of Hell came to an agreement. It was a deal where
I wasn't asked and I'm serving my time... well, eternity, here."
Watari was reeling.
"Ryu's the only one who can make the step, who can go into Hell and
see if Terazuma actually ended up there," Tsuzuki explained.
"You'll do it?" Rikugo asked, speaking up for the very first time.
Ryu nodded. "I'm your and his only chance, right?" A weak smile played
over the smooth features. "Tell me Enma knows about this?"
Tsuzuki grimaced. "We're on our own."
A soft groan. "Great. Then again, what more can he do to me?"
Rikugo stepped over to the slender man and cupped his cheek. "This is
voluntary, Ryu. No one's forcing you to do anything. If you say no, we'll
find a different way."
He swallowed. "But there isn't one, right? This is your only idea..."
Red eyes met Watari's and the scientist nodded reluctantly. "I'll do it,"
Ryu whispered. "Just... open the doorway."
Rikugo leaned down and brushed his lips over his lover's and Tsuzuki
saw Watari's shock deepen.
"They're...?"
He nodded. "Yep."
"Oh." Watari was trying to cope with all the news and finally visibly
composed himself. One of his trade-mark grins spread over his face. "Well,
then! Let's get to work!"
Tsuzuki chuckled. Watari began to set up his laptop and typed away,
chewing on his lower lip as he did so, fingers flying over the keys. Tsuzuki
glanced over where Rikugo was still with Ryu, talking softly, now and then
touching the demon. He smiled softly at the sight, proud of how far they
had come, how much had changed for the better.
He was quite aware of the fact that Ryu was far from healed. He was
a very damaged soul, but Rikugo's continued presence was a healing force.
It might take decades or centuries for Ryu to be the man he had once been,
but Tsuzuki knew he would do everything to help him.
°
It took Watari barely fifteen minutes to set everything up. It looked
easy in a way, like a child's game, but it was a serious matter and Watari's
expression was a mirror of his inner tension. He was about to create an
artificial wormhole from the Palace into Hell, sending Ryu through, and
nothing about it could be taken lightly.
"Ready?" he asked the Count, who looked as tense as the scientist himself.
Ryu smiled humorlessly. "Not really, no, but let's do it."
Watari nodded and put in the correct sequence.

tbc...
- 1
- 2
- 3
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