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Truth of Darkness	By : KiraDouji Category: Descendents of Darkness/Yami No Matsuei > General Views: 2218 -:- 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
- 2
Chapter: One: A Butterfly's Wings

Pairing/Character/s: Sohryu, Suzaku, Byakko, Genbu, Touda, Rikugou, Taimou, Tsuzuki, Hisoka, Kurikara, Kijin and anyone I forgot.

Disclaimer:
The author holds no license of nor makes claims to any of the characters,
concepts, or story the above originated from in any way. The characters are
used without permission of the original creator for the sake of entertainment
only. No profit is gained from the writing found hereafter, nor any personal
credit taken for the character designs, personalities or concepts stemming from
the original story used. All situations below, unless otherwise stated, have no
bearing on the creator�s original work, and are solely the creation of the
author based on personal interpretation of the above mentioned works or are
parodies exempted from copyright laws. It is the responsibility of the reader
to observe all warnings before proceeding to the fiction below, as it may
contain any number of situations, themes, ideas, views, or lifestyles not
suitable for those under the age of 18 or which may be contrary or offensive to
the beliefs of some. In the event that the following is the author�s original
work, or contains an original character, the author holds the copy write and
should be contacted before either is used or distributed in any way. All
questions and comments concerning the written work or otherwise can be made
directly to the author.

Warning/s: Violence? Character death, though I don't think it really counts :/

Word
Count: ?

Summary: It can start with something as simple a the flutter of a butterfly's wings, but no one said it had to be quite so easily looked over...

Author�s Note:

My story picks up quite literally where the manga
ended abruptly two years ago. If you�ve read up to volume 11, you haven�t read
far enough to understand what�s going on. An additional 21 chapters were
published in a magazine called �Hana to Yume�
(Flowers and Dreams) that were never put into actual volumes. If you do want to read all forty chapters, I would suggest going here: http://www.theria.net/yaminomatsuei/manga/index.html . Theria has done an excellent job translating the story up to its abrupt stop.

A Butterfly's Wings

�Before the beginning of great brilliance, there must be chaos.

Before a brilliant person begins something great, they must look foolish in the crowd.�

- From The I Ching

He couldn�t
help them, and though he did not want them, he would not fight. He was a
soldier, a general, a fighter: he knew what battles were his and what battles
should never be. He knew that this battle never should have been. He also knew
it was his own fault that it happened at all. All it took was one thing, just
one thing to lose his control. But he knew there was power in them as well: a
power to draw his attention, a power to hurt him all over again, the power to
draw out his agony for eternity in his own, personal hell.

Dreams�
dreams had the power of hope.

Hope. The
emotion was like a drug. It could win you over with the fondest of emotions and
then hurl you like a rock from the tallest peak, realizing only the moment your
body makes harsh contact with the solid ground and your bones shatter into
fragments incurable by even the most powerful of creatures that you are not
possessed of such unbreakable skin. No, you are only flesh and bone, timeless
and powerful though you may be; you are hapless in the face of this warrior.
And yet� like the worst of drugs, hope brought addiction. He could not pull
himself from it any easier than he could stop his dreams. And so, when his
lowest was reached: when his mind and emotions splintered and fractured beyond his
capabilities he clung once more to hope. Not the kind that visited fleetingly
in dreams, however. No, this hope was something that had emanated� had
resonated from a very solid, very real thing. Something that had called to him,
something which he had answered to without realizing it, something that despite
his transgressions had reached out to him. Something� someone
who had breached his cyclic hell and embraced him.

It was more
than he could ever repay, nor was he ever expected to.
Yet it was something that haunted him, this debt. It was something he wished to
repay. Not so he could be free of it, but so he could enter fully into what his
proper contract should be. He leaned against a wall, sighing softly and
listening for the soft sounds of the forest around his home. The visor hummed
softly, a mix of mechanical and magical vibrations coalescing to keep his
senses shut and power walled off. His thoughts drifted.

Violet. A
beautiful color, in his opinion (not that it mattered). No more unreal or demonic
than any other color. No more damning than a wisp of air. In actuality, a hue
he craved and drank in as a parched man devoured water. Such a gorgeous color;
a color of power and compassion, the color of hate and depression and fear. All
these things he had seen in that color. Very few of which he ever wanted to see
reflected in those depths.

Violet: the
color of his master�s eyes. Eyes which were now closed to the world, hidden
behind skin and thick lashes on a face relaxed and turned up to feel the warmth
of the sun. It was a feeling he had forgotten, but felt no remorse for its loss.
It was hard to feel anything except what their bond allowed to slip past his
limiter. The visor was a curse and blessing in one: allowing him freedom from
his exile, but at the same time imprisoning him within himself. It was
something to be tolerated though, because it allowed him moments like this.
Alone, but not truly alone: calm and peace radiating from his master, silence enveloping
the grasslands of Gensoukai, challenged only by the movements of the gentle
breeze.

He didn�t
know why his master had wanted his presence, nor did he particularly care. It
was required and he willingly gave it. It went beyond owing this man something
immeasurable, no he genuinely wanted to be at his side. Perhaps it was just the
after effects of their bond, but it was nevertheless his true feeling. Long
minutes passed in silence, which neither seemed inclined to break.

�Touda��
The word was spoken so softly that the silence nearly engulfed it, but the
serpent inclined his head slightly, turning to his master to indicate he had
heard. Eyes opened, revealing the color the shikigami had desired to see since
he was summoned, but he made no comment, no shift in his position to indicate a
change. Tsuzuki seemed to decide against continuing and instead sat up, looking
out at the flatland surrounding them. He smiled faintly. ��
so peaceful here.�

�I�m sure
there are places in Meifu and on Earth that have equal properties,� Touda
replied neutrally.

Violet eyes
shifted as his master turned to regard him. �Do you like it here, Touda?�

The serpent
offered a tight smirk in response. �I enjoy my time with you, wherever that may
be.� A blush overcame Tsuzuki�s complexion and he glanced to the side, ill
prepared for the blunt response. �But I agree that this area is quite
peaceful.�

The
additional comment allowed Tsuzuki to regain his footing and a small smile
graced his lips as he looked back at his shikigami. �We haven�t spent much time
together, have we?� Touda gave the obligatory shake of his head in wordless
affirmation. �I�m sorry, Touda, I-�

�Do not
apologize, Tsuzuki. I understand.� And
he did. His master was very busy, usually running between cases or making sure
his friends were all right. When he did visit his shikigami, as he was prone to
when stressed, weary, or just plain lonely, it was always a visit spent among
the others. Even when they were all together, he was separate. It was simply
how things were. He�d show up, Suzaku would take a few swipes at him, and they
would return to ignoring him or keeping Tsuzuki a safe distance away� as if the
man who had bound him needed to be protected from him. But he understood. He
couldn�t be trusted. He would not blame Tsuzuki for the shortsightedness of
others. It seemed it had been conveyed well enough in his short reply though,
as his master gave a nod of the head with no indication of frustration or
annoyance.

�Well� I
wanted to spend some time with you now.� Touda drew his attention back to rest
singularly on the man beside him. Tsuzuki paused for a moment, something
crossing his features before a spark of tenacity shown in his eyes. Touda
wondered at what his master could possibly be steeling himself for in relation
to him, but decided it was best to stay quiet until Tsuzuki was ready to
continue. He had only a short moment to wait. �Actually, I wanted to talk. I�ve
been thinking lately� a lot of things have happened. Some things have changed�
but it doesn�t feel like everything is� right.�

Touda frowned.
Tsuzuki usually wasn�t so vague and yet he was definitely dancing around
something. He knew he could say whatever he wished to Touda and the serpent
would not mind, that he would understand. They resonated: both were of darkness.
Sometimes he wondered if Tsuzuki could even feel it at all. �Something is on
your mind. Tell me what it is,� he offered in his usual forward manner.

A hesitation, and then, �Touda, tell me what happened.�

And the
peaceful moment had ended. Just like that, the feeling of contentment was gone.
He tensed automatically, but refused to let his true reaction show through. ��
Don�t ask me about that.�

Tsuzuki
sighed and moved closer, trying to catch his shikigami�s shifting gaze. �Touda�
Touda look at me.� And he did, without hesitation. The shinigami winced
inwardly, seeing the obedience in the gesture, but did not comment. �I want to
know so I can help� it doesn�t feel right, Touda� and I hate seeing you like
this.� He extended a hand to the visor and touched it briefly.

�It is the
reason you can see me at all. You know that. You know what I was imprisoned
for, and you came for me anyway. Why does it matter now? Why do you want me to
tell you now?� Anger, pain, a myriad of other emotions all repressed, all
stowed away and forced from his mind. It was somehow harder to cope with. The
visor hummed as it worked.

�Touda, I-�

The visor
whirred. �Don�t ask me, Tsuzuki.� The visor droned.

Tsuzuki let
his hand drop and sighed, thinking. �Will you tell me someday?� His voice sounded
small, as if chastised. Likely chastising himself for
some inane reason.

A pause.
He couldn�t deny him the explanation. It was just� too hard now, too complicated.
�� I will tell you someday.�

Tsuzuki
looked up, the glint back in his eye, �Promise?�

�You have
my word as your shikigami.� The reply was immediate and Tsuzuki practically beamed
at him. Despite his reference to bonds and protocol Tsuzuki generally distanced
himself from; the promise was precisely what he needed to hear.

�I�ll hold you
to that�� and he suddenly had an armful of shinigami. �Thank you.�

That it
would all come down to this� He could feel� something since Kurikara�s release,
but what and why�? Damn this infernal
visor! The curse and the blessing was now nothing more than the former. How
was he expected to fight in such a restrained condition? He nearly laughed.
That was the point, after all: he wasn�t. Now was not the time for such things,
though, surrounded by powerful beings, energy flying everywhere, wind buffeting
them� keeping a protective eye on Tsuzuki was all he could focus on at the
moment. His attention was briefly drawn over to the words being spoken by the
supposed enemy.

�� How many
times are you going to say that, kid�?� Kurikara looked both surprised and
angry at once, turning his focus to the child that had just challenged the
mighty dragon. �I already told you: I don�t like humans! Be gone, human! This
time it won�t just be skin inflammation!�

��Why do
you tell such lies?� Touda adjusted his position as much as possible to keep an
eye on Kurikara, Kijin and Tsuzuki all at once. Even with his normal
capabilities it would be hard� now it was nearly impossible. His master was
relying on him, though, and he had never� would never lose that trust. The shinigami
squared off against Kurikara, Tsuzuki�s eyes meeting the dragon�s determinedly.
�Kurikara� the incarnation of the immovable MyouOu� Kurikara RyuOu: whose
essence is that which saves the good, destroys the wicked�Cloudless Blade.�

He paused.

�I investigated
materials on the great war, the history of this world, the origin� many, many
things�� Touda�s attention was piqued at that. So that explained the sudden
question� Pieces were falling into place� �I also asked everyone� even Sohryu.�
So, that is what was on your mind� �And
so� I finally understood; you started the war to liberate humans from the
Celestial Emperor�s � from Kami�s
control, Kurikara RyuOu�

�Wh-what?!�
Sohryu�s son squeaked. This boy really needed to be restrained. �You� are
saying that the emperor is evil?!�

Touda
closed his eyes briefly and transformed back into his human form, turning to
face Kijin, still calm. Tsuzuki had already figured out so much� how much did
he really know? �So then you truly think that the Golden Emperor is completely
�good�, Kijin?� He frowned, Sohryu, you
even blind those around you. �It isn�t necessarily true that the victor is
right and the defeated is wrong: you are a fool not to understand that.� A fool or a zealot, he added to himself.

�Touda�� He
barely registered his master�s voice, what little emotions he was allowed to
have curling in him like flames.

�The one
you believe in isn�t the Emperor, but your father. To doubt the Emperor is to
doubt your father� and so you close your eyes. Am I wrong?� It was snide, but
Kijin had no reply. Haughty laughter cut
off any further discussion. Touda turned to face its source just in time to see
a section of the army go up in flames.

�I
remembered.� Kurikara wasn�t exactly facing off with him, but he could tell the
words were for him. �You had the impudence to say the same thing before.� Kijin
stammered something in reply, but he wasn�t listening to anymore.

Touda
observed the remains of the army. �Fast� I couldn�t even perceive the slightest
ruffle in the train of your clothes. Such is a sword spirit.� Familiar footing�
the visor hummed.

�Meaningless
words,� Kurikara scoffed. �The sword was originally a tool created for
slaughter. I�ve been told many times that one�s true nature cannot be changed.�

It was
slight, but it was there: something in the dragon�s voice, in his looks, his
actions. There was so much more being fought here than just Kijin�s zealotry,
and Kurikara�s old words with Sohryu. Of course, they were just the words to
set his master off and Tsuzuki was already reacting to them, obviously
oblivious to the few things Touda could pick up. He turned, catching the last
bit of what was being said.

�� You�re
still fighting for the humans, aren�t you? That�s why you dropped your station,
turned traitor, and opposed the Emperor right? If Gensoukai doesn�t need you,
then come to the human world! We want you to lend your power for humanity�s
benefit!�

�Tedious!
I� no longer�� Bad choice of words� Touda�s
mind raced with half remembered actions and adrenaline as he tried to guess
where the sword spirit would lash out- there! �� have any compassion for
humans!�

As fast as
he could manage, the serpent darted forward, swiping at Kurikara�s leg with a
clawed hand, only to have his metal claws shatter on contact. �What?!� He spun
to face Kurikara; first priority was still Tsuzuki�s priorities.

�A worthless snake? Too bad yours
are artificial!� The sword spirit snarled and moved just as Tsuzuki�s scream to
retreat reached his ears� But there was no way he could- a flash of pain, red
and black, the cold bite of wind as he streaked through the air, a scream
ringing in his ears and a loud cracking noise.

Nothing.

Touda
unsteadily shoved his way back to consciousness, just barely managing to crack
one eye open. Untinted light glared off a rock at him, causing him to wince. Something
felt like it was beating on the inside of his head: struggling against the
walls of his mind. Little things crept through his senses: the rush of water,
the stiffness of the stone he was apparently draped across, and the general
silence of the area around him. Touda groaned and closed his eye again,
fighting the building pain in his mind. He couldn�t feel any of the auras from
before, and couldn�t even trace Tsuzuki. A wave of� something slammed into his
mind, throwing him back into darkness.

Chaos
reigned. First there had been nothing, blackness, and then feeling crept into
his mind. Movement was felt� And then there was a sudden rush of energy,
familiar energy� his energy! Emotions and power collided and flooded him
together in a stream of colors and energy. A violent miasma that left him
scrambling for control� and that was when he felt it. There was something�
someone else� here, in him, with him- He instinctively pulled back, straightening
to face the intruder. An image skittered across his confused vision: one of the
man he could never forgive.

Anger
flared. �Finally� found you�� Touda was forced to open his mouth a bit or have
his lips impaled by his own fangs. His vision swam. �This time� I will tear off
your neck, Celestial Emperor!� He lunged forward. Power lashed out at him,
trying to suppress, to push back. Touda�s grip tightened around the giving
flesh of a neck. �� You especially� I will absolutely� KILL!�

Confused violet
eyes pushed to the front of his mind. Touda almost stopped, trying to connect
the image to a memory, but another attack struck while his attention was
diverted. He nearly roared in pain and anger. Instead, his hands tightened
again, his now free emotions coursing through him, sending merciless tremors
through him. Ancient pain and depression crept back to the forefront of his
mind the longer he looked at the man struggling beneath him.

�Mercilessly
using me up to now� Forcing me to do all of the dirty work� And when I didn�t
work for you anymore�!� Touda�s voice broke as tears he hadn�t felt in ages
streamed down his face. �� you throw me away like garbage! You alone I won�t
forgive! Never!�

�To�u�da�� Pain spiked through his head, sight throwing a vision
of his master skittering across his consciousness. The pain increased, peaked,
and his senses came screaming back in a fury born of unconscious need and
instinctual fighting. �Touda� Touda!�
His master�s strained voice slammed him immediately back into reality and utter
confusion.

He swayed.
�Tsu� Tsuzuki? I-� His head pounded. �What is this�?� Why was he leaning over
Tsuzuki?

�Touda!
You�re back to normal?!� Before the serpent could even begin to comprehend what
his master was babbling about he was nearly knocked off his feet by the force
of Tsuzuki�s relieved hug. It was hard to focus on what he was saying�

�Ah... feel
like someone�s been tampering with my head� But I can�t recall anything.� He
muttered finally, as the headache slowly receded. It felt familiar, but with
the sudden onslaught of power, memories and emotions it was almost impossible
to sort through it all. More people were coming closer, and at first the
shikigami didn�t realize he had felt them: there was a rush of energy, this time
around him instead of within, and suddenly there were more people with them. He
tried to focus, but found it remarkably difficult.

�You even
got strangled by the snake?� Kurikara offered, a bit mystified by the situation
he�d entered into.

�That�s how
it appears,� Touda returned, before any more exclamations bent on increasing
his headache could be given. �Though I have no memory up until now�� That�s
right� Tsuzuki� he had� He turned back to his master suddenly. �I�m sorry�
Tsuzuki. I nearly-� Another wash of pain threatened a second blackout. �ughn��

�Touda!
Are you all right?� Tsuzuki said something else, but he couldn�t focus enough
to hear it. The world was falling into chaos again. He fought back, focusing on
Tsuzuki�s presence, pulling himself forcefully back into control. �� Still, the
control device is the reason behind that� you mistook me for the Celestial
Emperor? It messed up your memory?�

Damn my head hurts� �� There is that.� Touda finally
managed, collecting himself, grounding himself. �Someone was controlling my
body� when I unconsciously resisted, I berserked.� The feeling began to recede
at an oddly swift rate when Kurikara moved. The serpent shikigami nearly
blinked in shock.

Kurikara
abruptly turned to face Kijin, his features twisting in sudden anger. �Why
don�t you give being Kijin a rest? Even if you�ve erased your presence, I still
know. It seems that we cannot come to peace in the end, doesn�t it?� Order
returned to his mind abruptly. Touda spun around, long hair flung behind him.
Blood trickled down his face even as his body rushed to heal the gash. He could
feel it all. His emotions, his senses, his power� it was all back. �This was
what you did that time you lent Sohryu power?� Kurikara�s hands clenched, his
grip on his sword intensifying. �Such a low-! You were planning to use his
children as hostages from the very beginning! Celestial Emperor!� The world
exploded.

Even as he
yanked Tsuzuki to him, the outburst forced a startling connection. Could
Kurikara�s position truly be so close to his own? Power clashed behind him,
something he tracked easily now. He looked down. Those violet eyes were wide,
not with fear, but rather surprise and worry. Typical�

�Touda!
What are you doing?!�

�Protecting
you,� he replied curtly as the shikigami looked back at the battle behind him.
Kurikara was a blur of movement, anger-induced speed making him far more deadly
than he was before. Another presence was fast approaching. Kijin, or the
emperor through Kijin, deflected all the blows, but was being driven back by
the ferocity of his opponent. A presence was approaching, nearly upon them. ��
Sohryu? You fool-�

�Sohryu?�
Tsuzuki had moved while he was evaluating the battle, now standing at his side.

Touda
turned to fully face the fight, still keeping himself between it and Tsuzuki.
�He�s nearly here. He doesn�t know what�s going on, Tsuzuki, you�ll have to-�

A fierce
roar thundered across the sky, announcing the water dragon�s arrival a split
second before Kurikara�s anger soaked senses were launched back into painful
clarity by a brilliant blast of azure energy. Touda transformed and was between
the two combatants before anyone could move.

�Sohryu!�
Fire licked his body, reacting to the presence of the water shikigami. �Stand
down!�

Sohryu�s
eyes flared in rage. �How dare you! Out of my way, Touda, this does not concern
you!� He lurched forward.

But Touda
was faster, curling himself around the God of the East, and bending awkwardly,
sending them crashing to the ground. As he had hoped, Sohryu switched forms the
moment he was on the ground, and Touda instantly met him, blocking his path
again. Sohryu paused then, just shy of staring at him. The water dragon was
still healing, blood still evident on his clothing, strain evident on his face.
They both knew he couldn�t fight. He�d lost any opportunity he may have had
when Touda had stalled him. Now, moreover, he was face to face with an
unrestricted Touda.

�Stand
down, Sohryu.� Touda repeated evenly.

�It�s
fitting a criminal would stand up for a traitor,� Sohryu fairly snarled, his
eyes darting sideways as another clash of power signaled Kurikara�s end to the
intermission.

�Do not
blind yourself, Sohryu-!� Touda began, but was cut off immediately.

�I will not
listen to the words of a murderer when my son
is fighting my betrayer!� Sohryu rose straight, looking all the regal, powerful
god he was despite his current state. He squared off with Touda, for all the
world ready to fight.

Such
bravery may have been appreciated at another time, but, �If you value his life
at all, you will stay out of this fight, Sohryu.� Touda fairly hissed. Sohryu�s
eyes widened and then narrowed to slits at the perceived threat, he moved
forward, intent on insult or action, Touda could not guess, but was thankfully
stopped mid-intention.

�Stop it!
Both of you!� Tsuzuki moved between them. �You are on the same side here!
Although I�m not entirely sure what side that is you�re both on it, so stop arguing! It�s not helping anything!�
The shikigami exchanged harsh looks.

�Tsuzuki-�
Sohryu began.

�No.� It
was as close to an order as Tsuzuki ever gave, his amethyst eyes hard and
focused on Sohryu. The proud dragon clenched his jaw, but stepped back. Just as
quickly, though, he opened his mouth to speak again, then changed his mind and
was gone in a blur of movement. �Soh-� A loud, keening explosion sounded just
behind Tsuzuki and he flew forward, caught by Touda before he could go very
far. �What-� he began, looking up at his shikigami, his ears still ringing.

�Kijin
deflected an attack and it nearly hit us!� Touda yelled over the noise still
echoing through the land. �Sohryu saw it before I did!� He added, mentally
kicking himself for letting his attention be diverted.

Sohryu saw it � what?! Tsuzuki�s eyes widened and he
ripped out of Touda�s protective hold. �Sohryu!� The shinigami darted closer to
where they had been a moment earlier. Smoke was building from the fire now
raging through the trees, making it hard to see anything. Boulders and larger
chunks of ground were being thrown around like pebbles. Once out of his
immediate vicinity, it was nearly impossible to watch his master let alone find
him. Touda made to follow, only to be stopped by the metallic bite of a large,
heated blade. He stumbled back, having completely missed the presence
beforehand, but now recognizing it instantly.

�Suzaku,�
he growled, not at all in the mood to deal with her at the moment.

�What did
you do to him?!� The phoenix god nearly bellowed at him, making ready to lash
out again. �Where is he?!�

�Can�t any
of you have decent timing?!� The fiery serpent yelled in reply, just barely
heard above the noise. �He�s looking for that fool Sohryu who�s back somewhere
in that!� To emphasize his point, Touda gestured to the great ball of sand,
smoke and fire not five yards in front of them.

�... Then
what are you still doing here?!� Suzaku snapped in return and darted in
herself.

�Why can�t
you have any normal shikigami,
Tsuzuki?� Touda grumbled as he once more took to the air, scanning the ground
for his master�s presence. It didn�t
take long to locate the shinigami with his newly released powers, and the serpent
dove, switching forms halfway, so he could pick up all three idiots and deposit
them shortly afterward in an area just outside the range of the battle tearing
apart the landscape.

�Thank you,
Touda.� Tsuzuki offered the moment they were all standing again, or in Sohryu�s
case, leaning. Even Touda had to admit he was wary of the dragon god�s
condition.

�That was
stupid.� Touda announced needlessly to all three parties involved.

Sapphire
eyes glared at him. �Guarding Tsuzuki is our first priority.�

Much to
Tsuzuki�s relief, they shared a look and left it at that. �And just what is
going on here?� Suzaku fairly screeched ending the slight respite they had been
afforded.

�Kijin and
Kurikara are fighting,� Sohryu replied in a cold voice, eyes still trained on
Touda.

�Kurikara
and the Celestial Emperor are fighting,� Touda hissed in clarification,
returning the angered gaze.

�The
Emperor took over his body,� Tsuzuki continued before anyone could start a
fight again. His eyes were dark, and his expression serious. Something was
definitely wrong. �Kurikara figured it out when the Emperor extended himself
into Touda the moment I found him. He�s using Kijin as a hostage. The moment
Kurikara figured it out, he flew into a rage.� Sohryu�s face went absolutely
blank, save for the strain of his wounds beginning to show through.

�We
have to stop this battle.� Touda declared when no one else would speak and made
ready to take to the air again.

�Touda!� Tsuzuki made a move to stop him.

Touda
looked down, already floating a good few feet up. �Do you trust me, Tsuzuki?�

�Yes,
but-�

�Then
trust me to know what to do. I trust you will know how to react.� He lifted
higher into the air, glancing back at Tsuzuki who made no move to stop him and
then shot forward into the center of the battle.

�Tsuzuki
are you insane-�

�Suzaku,
Back him up.�

She
stared at him. �You can�t be serious! Who will protect you?�

�I
have the others, Suzaku, go help him!� Tsuzuki�s shadow flared noticeably, his
control wearing thin, not putting so much into locking up his inner powers. She
hesitated a moment longer, watching him and then nodded and flew after the
other fire shikigami.

Sohryu
instinctively pulled himself up straighter, though he had to keep a hand on
Tsuzuki to steady himself. He watched the other two hover a moment outside the
main battle, either conferring or looking for the right moment.

�Thank
you.� Sohryu glanced back at the shinigami next to him. �For earlier, I mean,
thank you.� He nodded once, and resumed his watch, eyes prying through the
smoke, senses honing in on his son lost somewhere in the chaos of war.

Tsuzuki
took a step back, glancing briefly at Sohryu to make sure he caught his
balance, before setting his hands in a familiar position. �I summon you as one
of the twelve gods. The superior blade. The ultimate shield of wind. The holy
fangs. Appear before me! Byakko!� The white tiger roared into existence,
appearing between Tsuzuki and the fight raging in front of them. He glanced
back and Sohryu nodded in greeting. Byakko eyed them both before slipping back
into his human form.

�I
was partway here already: what�s going on? Half the world feels like it�s
shaking.�

The
dragon god looked from Tsuzuki to the two fire shikigami hovering above the
chaos around them. �War.�

�So
what�s your bright idea?�

Touda
didn�t answer immediately, his eyes expertly following the battle below him.
�Can you hold Kurikara still?�

�What?�
Suzaku glanced at him out of the corner of her eye.

�Can
you hold him still?� Touda growled, turning to face her. �You need to be
absolutely sure he will stay still. It will only be a few seconds. Can.
You. Hold. Him?�

Suzaku
looked back down for a moment with a frown. �� I can.�

�Move
when I move.� The serpent looked down again, catching sight of Kijin and
tracking his movements. Kijin cannot
fight you, but I know your tricks now, Emperor� Tsuzuki� please don�t hesitate.
�Now!� He plummeted into the battle, calling his fire to him, refining it,
perfecting it within seconds. Honing it until its miniscule size burned with
such repressed strength, it would blow apart at any moment. His body contacted
Kijin�s with a hard thwack, sending them both careening to the ground. �You
always liked using me, emperor! Let�s see if you can when forced to!� Wrapping
his hand around Kijin�s head, Touda sent the miniscule fire blasting through
the other shikigami�s mind, separating body from consciousness for a split
second� all it took for the emperor to jump from one mind into another. The young
water dragon fell limply to the ground as Touda let go of him, himself slamming
into a tree without feeling it; his world had already exploded in pain.

�Get
off me!� Kurikara lashed out with a sword, throwing the phoenix god off him as
he leapt to his feet and took stock of the situation. Across the broken ground,
lying in burnt rubble lay Kijin�s body still as death.

Suzaku
was on her feet in a flash, anger and disbelief warring for control of her
expression. �That� monster! I knew we couldn�t trust him!� Her sword was out in
a flash, eyes searching for her prey. There, stumbling out of a tree. She
darted forward and stopped, falling backward as her clothing was yanked.

�Idiot!� Kurikara growled, feeling a headache coming on as
Suzaku spun to face him, getting her balance back. �He didn�t kill him, he
saved him!� Without another word, the fierce sword spirit stalked over to where
Kijin lay, picked him up none-too-gently and was gone.

Byakko
spun around mid-sentence, sensing the presence right before he appeared.
Kurikara, the feared swordsman shikigami shimmered into view, his arms no
longer wielding swords, but rather the child of his once-friend. Sohryu froze
in complete terror. His own son, battle worn and beaten� he couldn�t even grasp
the possibility of death at the moment� and being held by his betrayer� a sworn
enemy. Tsuzuki placed a calming hand gently on his shoulder and faced Kurikara.

The
other shikigami sneered at Sohryu. �The only pleasure I get from this is
knowing how badly your precious honor will suffer from this, Sohryu.� Tsuzuki
stepped forward in time to catch Kijin�s limp form as Kurikara carelessly
dropped him. The sword master smirked. �You should thank the snake for saving
his life.� And he was gone again.

Sohryu
very slowly drew in a deep, steadying breath and turned to Tsuzuki. His mind
was stumbling over itself, protocol, preference and outright shock colliding
quite confusingly. Tsuzuki gave him a warm look and very gently knelt to the
ground, carefully placing Kijin on it. Sohryu knelt with him, eyes locked on
his son. His body moved mechanically, immediately checking for signs of life
and visibly relaxing when he found them. His mind finally stilled its chaotic
scramble for normality, and he nodded gently to Tsuzuki. He would take care of
his son. There was far too much fire around, anyway: who else could provide
what was needed?

The
Dragon God of the East gently set his hands on the ground next to his son, and
drew on the reserves of his power. A soft, blue light seeped into the area
along intricate patterns of lines. It grew darker as rain clouds rolled in. The
air shimmered briefly and was filled with a gentle mist that slowly changed to
a steady rain. Water poured down on the area, cleansing and healing. Tsuzuki
turned back to the scene of the battle, nodded once to Byakko, and jogged over.

Touda
swayed and stumbled, one hand on his head, one hand out to support him.
Controlling the force of the Celestial Emperor was hard enough, doing it with
only his mind and power was near impossible. The emperor had lashed out
immediately: sensing the trap Touda had set and nearly destroying it and his
mind. Nearly. It had been a close call barely won because of Tsuzuki�s strong
support. The strength of his master flowing through him� Tsuzuki had to have
noticed by now. Yes, the shinigami was closing the distance between them. He
could barely sense it, but knew it all the same.

�That
was a dangerous move.�

The
serpent forced himself to straighten and smirked at the man in front of him.
�Almost as dangerous as your attacks.�

�None
of my attacks hurt me more than the opponent.� Kurikara countered. Touda nodded
once, sharply. �Of course, this change in circumstances affects little. I care
even less for you than Sohryu�s kid.� He raised his sword again. �And I never
finished this fight.�

Touda
nodded again and held himself tall. �Then attack.�

Tsuzuki
had paused to pick up Suzaku on his way over, the poor shikigami both mystified
and enraged at the same time. �What happened?� He called out as he started to
drag her in the direction he felt Touda.

�I
don�t know! He told me to hold Kurikara back a second, and the next thing I
know Kijin�s on the ground and Kurikara�s blathering something about how Touda
saved him!�

Tsuzuki
frowned and turned back to looking forward, Touda finally in his sights, but
now Kurikara was there too. At first it just looked like they were talking, but
then he saw the sword spirit raise his weapons.
Touda�! Kurikara looked over
his shoulder, locking eyes with Tsuzuki for a moment, seeming to gauge
something and then turned back to Touda and seemed to disappear. Tsuzuki�s eyes
widened. �Touda!�

The
swords reappeared first: one jutting through his midsection, another through
his chest. The serpent shikigami had made no move dodge, but stumbled now,
falling to his knees, making no effort to remove the swords or retaliate.

�Suzaku!�
Tsuzuki was already at full sprint. One of his shikigami� one of his friends!
Suzaku knew immediately what he wanted, and burst into the glory of her full
form, soaring easily past the shinigami and head on into Kurikara� Tsuzuki
wasn�t watching any more, his attention solely on Touda. Sohryu and Kijin already� so close� Touda, why did you--?

He
was there moments later, throwing himself to his knees so he could hold Touda
upright. �Touda! Touda look at me!� And he did, without hesitation. Tsuzuki let
out a shaky breath. �What did you do�?�

�I
trapped him.� Touda replied, his voice strained, his body shaking with the
effort of maintaining control. �Kurikara weakened him��

�You
can�t do this, Touda! Even now� It�s the Emperor;
he�ll tear you apart eventually! Even with you in this state� you don�t have
that kind of power.�

His
shikigami smirked at him. �A shikigami�s strength is his master�s power� That
is why we only serve those more powerful than us. You allow me to control him�
that man I can never forgive� Tsuzuki� What is inside me now was the always the
cause of war� You said you trust me� believe in me now. The Celestial Emperor�
must be destroyed!�

Tsuzuki
stared at his shikigami, the words sinking in slowly. He trusted Touda� of
course he did� he trusted them all. But to do such a thing�? �Is it even possible?� He shook his head
suddenly, �No, no! I can�t do something like that!�

Touda
grabbed Tsuzuki�s hand. �It is possible� because of you it is possible.
Tsuzuki, you trusted me to know how to fight� I trust you to know how to
react.�

A
screeching yell with a background of explosive power blasted into him from the
side, his quick reaction and a hastily held ofuda the only things keeping him
from being blown away by the energy. Tsuzuki turned as much as he could while
still holding Touda up, and watched as Suzaku skidded to a halt a few feet
away, one hand down to balance herself in a three point stance, the other
holding her sword. She was breathing hard, obviously pushing herself, but still
moving better than most everyone else. Kurikara was a ways back, confident
smirk still fixed on his face.

�Are
you done now, shinigami?� He called over, and floated closer. Before Tsuzuki
could reply, Touda jerked forward, and he had to change his hold, keeping the
shaking shikigami kneeling as Kurikara�s two swords flew out and back to him.
�My enemy is still inside him. Don�t think that will deter me, human!�

�How
can you�� Tsuzuki growled lowly, and then lifted his head to shout. �How can
you keep pretending you don�t care?! Why do you keep pretending none of this
matters to you? You can�t tell me you don�t feel anything! You tried to kill
Sohryu� you could have finished the job but you chose not to! You tried not to
fight Kijin� You didn�t even want to fight until you realized what the Emperor
was doing� You know Touda is helping
you and you still try to pretend it doesn�t matter what he does?! Why?!�

Shadows
leapt around Tsuzuki, creeping up from beneath him, but these weren�t just
shadows. This darkness crackled with power. Kurikara watched Tsuzuki but didn�t
reply immediately. �Do you know who your enemy is�?� he finally questioned,
voice strong but still much calmer than his previous tones.

The
splash of rain against his cheek was what eventually drew Tsuzuki out of his
darkened thoughts. It was only then he realized that the rain Sohryu had
started had never really ended. The ground was becoming softer, the fires of
battle dying slowly, hissing as they shrank. He was soaked to the bone. As were
all present. It felt cool� pleasant almost. It allowed him the control to reign
in his power, to look at the situation at hand. Did he know who the enemy here
was? He didn�t like having them� but he never seemed to have a shortage. He
glanced at Suzaku. The proud woman had her sword at ready, occasionally glancing
back at Tsuzuki, waiting. Kurikara looked less patient, but curiously seemed to
be waiting as well. How long did he have? Touda rasped beside him, leaning more
heavily on him. Not long. Blood was still pouring out of the serpent, making it
quite clear that his powers were busy elsewhere.

Tsuzuki
closed his eyes. No matter how he looked at it� only one person was to blame
for all this. Hisoka was lost� somewhere. Kurikara was freed from a prison he
had created solely for questioning something� Kijin was almost dead, even if in
his father�s care. Sohryu was near collapse in all senses of the word. Most
immediately, Touda was dying slowly beside him� waiting on him� trusting him to
make the right decision. So in the end� it inevitably came down to him. He
could do something� Touda had said it was possible because of him� but what and
how�? He needed help. The shinigami reluctantly but resolutely dug into his
power reserves. �Rikugou� Taimou� I need your help.�

And
suddenly, the two beings stood before him. Rikugou bowed slightly to Tsuzuki,
his handsome voice traveling the short distance between them easily. �How can
we help?�

Tsuzuki
looked up; his violet eyes now a hard amethyst. �I need you to Look at Touda. Find the exact point he is no longer himself.
You�ll be Taimou�s guide in this.�

The
blond haired astrologer tilted his head curiously at Tsuzuki, having already
taken in the scene around him, knowing something rather large was happening�
but what? And what did it have to do with Touda? He stared. Just as he had been
wondering where the serpent was he realized the long-haired, visor-less, and
obviously heavily-injured man Tsuzuki was holding was Touda. He opened his second pair of eyes� and then his third
extended forward at the kneeling shikigami. Traveling through a still mind was
one thing� but Touda�s mind was a mass of chaotically clashing power. It took a
moment to gather his wits before he could search for what his master was
looking for. He gasped softly, body physically straining under the mental
pressure when he found the source of Touda�s wildly chaotic mind.

��The
Emperor?� he managed with no small amount of surprise.

�Yes�
Taimou, I need you to isolate Touda from him. Don�t force him out. Keep the Emperor
there� but pull Touda together.� Tsuzuki instructed. �Use my power if you have
to.�

Taimou
nodded wordlessly and held her hands up, weaving them in an intricate pattern
that produced a string of pure darkness from her fingertips. The trails of inky
blackness wove around each other, forming patterns and runes, spells that when
they brushed Rikugou�s senses made him shudder. It was as if her magic was made
of a void: no warmth, no power, no anything. It was simply nothing, a nothing
that circled Touda and sank into him, that bound him and covered him, never
falling from its pattern. The serpent froze under its touch, eyes widening and
face paling, twisting in pain before suddenly going slack. He cracked an eye
open and rested his gaze on Tsuzuki, drawing strength from him.

Across
the field Kurikara laughed. �You think you can defeat him with a few shikigami?�

�No.�
Tsuzuki�s answer was swift and strong but still soft. �You never expected to
beat him by yourself either,� he countered, making the sword spirit falter. He
stood, Touda no longer needing his support with the two shikigami there
instead, and turned to face Kurikara. �Kurikara RyuOu� I am different from who
I was before. These twelve� are my pride. I am their strength and they are
mine. I� I know what my power is now� and, if I have to� I � will use it.�
Tsuzuki announced with the air of someone not wanting to say what he was, but
pushing himself to anyway. �And you� you knew that, didn�t you?�

Kurikara
grinned back at Tsuzuki. �Are you ready to fight now, human?� He swung his
blade up. �I won�t hold back!�

The
air around Tsuzuki crackled. Touda felt a drain in the area around him. The
cold nothing scribbling across his body numbed him, and he could feel it
closing him off. At first he had fought it, instinctually striking out against
being enclosed, but he had heard Tsuzuki�s words� he understood now. He let the
power restrict him into the farthest reaches of himself. His senses grew
dimmer, his power faded so far that he barely felt the rush of power when
Tsuzuki finally let his out� or the dramatic change in temperature when
another, strong power joined that. Growing ever fainter, he glimpsed more power
being drawn in from somewhere and his own energy draining, and then finished
his descent into darkness.
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Truth of Darkness