|
|
This piece will contain some or all of the following: yaoi, violence, harsh language, torture, blood. This piece is intended only for mature audiences. This disclaimer applies to every posted part/chapter to"Awaken the Dawn"
All characters within are fictitious: Similarities
to persons living or dead is purely coincidental.
Awaken The Dawn: Prologue
- Enter Darkness
by Korogi
The youko smirked as he sat cradled
like a small child in the bow of a great tree, the dying rays of the Yomatsu
sunlight spilling into a rainbow concoction onto his silver hair.
The rising night was spilling cool, fresh air into the dense forest around
him, swirling light gusts of chilling wind up to caress his cheeks and
neck. It was another one of those nights: relatively quiet, void
of the usual threats of uncooperative spirits and demons who refused to
cross to their destined eternities. Things were quiet. Not
necessarily TOO quiet, but the forest was relatively inactive, considering
that night time was coming on and the
nocturnal fauna of Yomatsu Hara-Sakai was about
to begin their hunts.
Lately, reports from Yo-mawari had
come back with very little activity in the Hades Path, as if either someone
had been doing the WatchMan's job for him, or the dead were just being
bizarrely cooperative. Either way, Yo-mawari hadn't seemed concerned
nor overly troubled by the inactivity. Gave him more time to spend
with his new family and friends.
Yomatsu was perhaps the most bizarre
of all the worlds the youko had ever seen. The lush land consisted
only of a vast forest, running perpendicular between Reikai, the Ningenkai
and Makai, the flora and fauna seemingly unaware that they lived at a 90
degree angle to what Youko Kurama had come to know as the worlds that consisted
of his view of 'Reality'. But however green and beautiful,
still, Yomatsu Hara-Sakai couldn't compare to the Ningenkai - to that city
the humans had named Tokyo, especially in the months that brought fall,
or the cherry blossom season.
He smiled slightly, thinking pictures
of the velvety petals that fluttered about the parks and tantalized his
nose, flowing softly on the wind. He would take long walks with Hiei
through the mid-town parks, always so ecstatic when his love would get
the velvety petals stuck in his black, rough hair, grumbling and cursing
as he tried to pull them out. He would crumble each one separately
in his small hand, punishing them for all their relatives to see, punishing
them for daring to touch his person without permission. But it only
made Hiei even madder, getting the light, airy fragrant all over his hands
and through his clothing...
Kurama sighed heavily and laced
his hands behind his head, leaning back on the trunk of the Yomatsu tree
to turn his face to the dying sun.
"You're bored, ne?" a deep, teasing
voice floated to his large, pink ears, causing them to twitch and turn
up to the source of the noise involuntarily. The voice was not unlike
his own youko voice now lost under the softer alto of Minamino Shuuichi's
treble. Instead, it held that deep, menacing tone that all youko
males held, rattling through the airs as gracefully as any bird could.
Above Kurama on a similar bow, sat
another youko, built exactly as the twin below him, meticulously polishing
the menacing blade of a long, slender katana that had come to be the figure's
trademark. The youko turned golden eyes down to his twin without
rustling the silver head from it's reclined position against the tree trunk.
"You're bored, Kurama-kun."
"Am not!" Youko Kurama protested
quickly, smiling as he settled more down into the bow of the tree.
"I was just thinking, that's all."
"But you're bored!" the other chuckled,
twisting the polished katana through the air to catch the rays of deep
red light, sending them dancing.
Kurama turned and stuck his tongue
out, reaching up quickly to snatch at one of his twin's leg, watching with
an eager mischievous gleam as Yo-mawari nearly lost his balance, steadying
his weight with his free hand. "I am NOT bored, 'Wari-kun!"
"Liar-liar!" Yo-mawari sang, tucking
the katana into its scabbard that sat on a nearby limb. "Admit it!
You'd rather be at home with Hiei and Kiroshu... heh, or you'd rather be..."
"Kyoudai-kun," Kurama warned, shaking
a slender finger at him. "To change the subject, when are you and
Hana-chan planning on getting together for the holidays?"
"Holidays?" Yo-mawari startled
from his present line of thought and jerked erect, eyes wide. Was
it Christmas already?! Couldn't be... it was.. uh, March? NO!
September! Yo-mawari shrugged internally and turned to dangled his legs
over his branch, looking down to his brother, cocking his head to the side.
"What holidays?"
"Caught you, didn't I!! Heh
heh, the Harvest Festival! Are you planning on bringing Hana-chan to the
Ningenkai for it? I heard Yusuke plans on throwing one of those drinking
parties of his. You coming?"
Yo-mawari hopped to the ground in
a gentle, fluid motion, hiding the growing blush from his face under the
mountains of silver hair. He floated like a gentle leaf, catching
small air currents with his outstretched hands to flutter gently down to
the forest floor. But Kurama jumped down right after him, nearly landing
on top of the youko, forcing him to stumble backwards a bit to compensate
for the sudden presence. The sparkling gleam in Kurama's eye caught
the blush, sparking that mischievous quirk back into the golden depths
of Kurama's eyes. It almost scared Yo-mawari until he could put his
mind back on track, recognizing the teasing session that was soon to follow.
They seemed to always start with Kuraihana lately!
"You want me to bring Kuraihana
to the Ningenkai!?" Yo-mawari nearly squeaked in his deep, youko
voice, quickly regaining his composure to look Kurama straight in the face.
Kurama shoved his twin lightly in
the chest, closing the distance when Yo-mawari took a step back.
His very presence seemed to shift the forest around them, advancing forward
as the youko moved "Yes, bring her to the Ningenkai. She just
be at either our place or Yusuke's for the party. Or are you worried
about something else?" he snickered playfully, cocking a listening ear
towards his twin.
Yo-mawari stumbled for words, instead
choosing to shove Kurama back, harder this time, enough to send him stumbling
backwards with no hope of catching his balance easily. And
as chance would happen, the stumble too Kurama backwards to trip over a
fallen branch, sending him toppling to his rear in the grass.
The WatchMan towered over his twin
now, a menacing gleam coming back to his eyes as he looked down to him,
feeling the slight hesitation Kurama was giving off. He laughed lowly,
snickering through his throat as he winked. "Me? Worried about something?"
Yo-mawari rounded around the branch, keeping a thin eye on his brother.
"Hai," Kurama laughed, laying back
in the grass. His long, slender body arched like a stretching cat
as he pulled his muscles, lacing hiss hands behind his head to search out
objects in the starless, Yomatsu sky. "I think you're worried about
making a random fool out of yourself in front of Hana-chan!"
"NANI! Do you mind repeating
that!"
Kurama laughed and rolled up to
the balls of his feet, crouching on the ground like a cat ready to pounce.
"I think you're worried that you'll embarrass yourself!"
"Kurama!" Yo-mawari growled
pounced, tackling Kurama flat, the two rolling over a few times in the
cool grass. Leaves and grass flew, each trying to get the advantage
over the other, rolling and yelling through the grass.
Kurama managed to land on top, pinning
the twin youko to the ground underneath him, a few strands of grass curling
up to pull on oneof the locks of silver hair to anchor Yo-mawari firmly
to the ground. Kurama laughed, tossing his head back, only to be tackled
straight off out of no where, Yo-mawari flipping to grab his brother in
a headlock, chomping down on one of the soft pink ears.
Kurama let out a yelp, elbowing
lightly behind him as Yo-mawari's long limbs wound tighter around his neck
and shoulders, grabbing him into a headlock. "Take it back!"
Yo-mawari laughed, rubbing his knuckles over Kurama's head, ruffling the
youko's fine hair. "Take it back!!" he laughed again, chomping down
on his ear and tugging, growling like a dog fighting over a rag.
He tugged and pulled, only to the limits he knew wouldn't harm his brother,
expertly balancing and correcting when the twin would try to flip or find
an escape route.
"No way," Kurama growled back, laughing,
reaching up to grab one of the arms. "You are! You're afraid
you'll embarrass yourself right in front of Hana-chan. Admit it!!"
Yo-mawari snarled and forced Kurama
to his stomach in the cool grass, teeth still locked around his brother's
ear. "Take it back!" he growled through a mouthful of fur.
"Take... it.. BACK!"
Kurama opened his mouth to counter...
the sound being suddenly cut off when Yo-mawari's hand slapped over it
firmly and commanding, the sharp teeth that once encompassed his tender
ear loosening to fade away. The playful mood was replaced quickly
with a sudden feeling of dread rising up in his brother's presence, bringing
Kurama quickly down to his predatorial instincts. : Kurama... did
you hear that? : the mental whisper came quietly, Yo-mawari sliding off
his brothers back to nestle
down in the ground beside him.
Kurama glanced out of the corner
of his eye to Yo-mawari, watching the figure sink further into the grass,
the both of them managing to blend amazingly well in the lush greed.
:I didn't hear anything, kyoudai-kun,: he whispered back through his mind.
:You know this stuff better than I do:
The two laid nestled in the grass
for a few seconds, each scanning around with their respective senses to
the forest around them. Ki played through their minds and souls from
all around them; from the enormous burst of flora, from the living-treewalkers
that blended in the forest, from the yosei that fluttered about throughout
the tree-tops. Any number of youkai could have been hiding in the
woods, lying in wait, camouflaging their ki through the surrounding backdrop
until the time presented itself to leap and take their prey.
Every little spark was taken into
consideration as Yo-mawari scanned, slithering a hand through the grass
to grasp his brother's hand. It wasn't so much as the touch that
made Kurama flinch, but the sudden mental communication that burst open
in a bright blaze of flowing feelings. IT was something Yo-mawari
had done only one short instance before so Kurama could hear Hiei mentally
scolding the tiny shurikens that had shredded his favorite table pillow.
Together now, Kurama and Yo-mawari
could more easily sort through the jumble that was all around them, Kurama
feeling the call that Yo-mawari sent to the ever-present shuriken, asking
them to retrieve the katana he had left in the tree.
For the first time ever, Kurama
felt what his brother could constantly sense from his surroundings, could
hear the six individual voices of the shuriken's glimmer through and into
his mind, voicing their individual affirmatives. It was like being
in the middle of a packed room, everything echoing and resounding through
his mind, growing in intensity sparked by the ki of the organisms surrounding.
Kurama tightened his grip around
Yo-mawari's hand, shifting over closer as the katana landed silently before
them the new flow of senses intriguing him. :Kyoudai-kun, I don't
feel anything!: he whined through his mind, only being confronted with
millions of tiny ki sparks from his surroundings - every blade of grass,
every leaf of the trees. :Well, not nothing... just... nothing I can pin-point.:
:Neither do I, but something's definitely
not right here. I'm going to send them through the forest, see if
they can find anything.: Yo-mawari's voice came back, low and calm, stalking
in it's own way.
:Them?: Kurama thought to himself,
forgetting the physical link now relayed every thought between the two
no matter what. It had been more of a rhetorical question or comment,
Kurama never expecting an answer until six thin trails began to work through
the grass before them, splitting off into six different paths into the
forest towering around the youko's. The shurikens.
All at once, Kurama felt and heard
the six voices returning to his mind, images and bursts of ki filtering
through his brother and into his mind, a more than overwhelming feeling
swamping his brain and drowning voluntary reactions. It panicked
him, Kurama tried to focus on his surroundings and what had sparked his
brother's sudden reaction, the jumble of information slurring into a whirling
field that started to overcome his vision. Kurama felt suddenly nauseous,
closing his eyes as he gripped his brother's hand tighter, not able to
let go nor process the information to the point where it didn't incapacitate
him.
:Are you okay, Kurama-kun? :
:Just give me a minute. I
don't see how you can process this all at once, 'Wari-kun.:
:Practice. 200 years of practice.
If you want, I can break the... :
They both felt it at the same time,
a rough and powerful ki, boarderlining high S-class, hovered silently,
almost invisibly among a heavy grouping of the larger Yomatsu trees.
The little shuriken voice that happened upon the monster began a garble
of information that rang over the others. Kurama struggled
to keep up with it; 12 feet tall... red eyes... jumble jumble jumble
jumblejumblejumble...
Kurama jerked his hand back from
Yo-mawari's grip just before he thought he would throw up, burying his
nose down into his hands and the grass, his face starting to grow hot.
It was like a quick case of the flu, totally encompassing his body when
the information had began flowing in, tensing muscles, setting off reactions
throughout his body he thought would surely black him out.
He heard Yo-mawari shift beside
him, reaching over to rub a soothing hand over his back as the youko pulled
his knees up under his body, crouching down by Kurama. :Stay here...
:
:No, I'll be fine. I'm coming
too: Kurama plucked a few blades of grass, tucking some into his hair,
sending another few wrapping around his wrist into a long, pointed living
dagger. :In a minute... just give me a minute:
Yo-mawari nodded, carefully helping
him to his feet, taking up the katana into his strong hands. For
a handful of heart beats, Yo-mawari just sat balanced in his crouched position,
letting Kurama grip his shoulder to shift into a more comfortable position
as the nausea began to subside. :Kurama-kun. Do you know where
the ki is? Can you pick it out yet?:
:No... : Kurama groaned, raising
a hand to push disobedient silver strands from his hot face.
:Here, let me help,: Yo-mawari whispered
mentally, taking his brother's hand and opening back the link. The
jumble that the shurikens hand been speaking had been ordered silent, the
lingering command just fading as Kurama's mind became once again aware
of his surroundings. He could feel the ki now, standing out from
around the other sensations of the forest, sparked like a spotlight had
been thrown to shine upon it.
:Over there: Kurama pointed, finding
his footing again, the nauseating feeling flowing from his stomach and
throat to leave his
senses back where they belonged.
Yo-mawari nodded, releasing his
hand only to have Kurama reach and grip back.
:What is that thing?: Kurama sent
a hushed thought, shifting on his feet, testing his limbs to make sure
he still functioned correctly.
:Probably another demon that refuses
to cross over. Though this one is stronger than most others that travel
Yomatsu, I couldn't imagine what could have been powerful enough to kill
it.:
:Can we handle this, or should we
request the tantei to be called in?:
:I've handled things by myself for
300 years, Kurama... :
:But you're not alone anymore. Remember:
Youko Yo-mawari turned the thin
golden eyes over to Kurama, locking sight wordlessly - thoughtlessly -
for a few seconds, reading the expression more than Kurama's mind.
:Fine. We check it out and go from there. Deal?: Yo-mawari
huffed, ringing the call for the shuriken to return through both
their minds before he pulled away from Kurama's hand, adjusting his grip
on the katana. One by one, the little paths through the grass furrowed
back and evolved into the dark shuriken-youkai that hopped to sit obediently
on Yo-mawari's shoulder.
Silently, without another word,
Yo-mawari inched forward in the direction from where the ki was now fully
emanating, absolutely huge and menacing. It had to be full S-class,
no doubt about it, hovering dangerously close to the higher levels of the
spectrum. It was a huge mass of living bulk, tucked neatly between
two enormous trees, nearly shielding the effects of the monster's ki with
their own.
Behind him, Youko Kurama was quietly
following, not a single sound escaping around him, eyes and ears fully
tuned to the trees that hid the monster he had felt. His heart began
to quicken in his chest, the dull thump rising to an audible pounding throughout
his mind and the surrounding area. It had been so long since he stalked
something more powerful that he was.
Yo-mawari jerked to a halt suddenly
before him, almost instantly his mental voice ringing back, panicked and
strung with an undescribable fear. :It's there, Kurama... oh gods,
and it's huge!:
Kurama slithered up to poke his
chin over Yo-mawari's shoulder as they huddled next to a tree, out of sight.
They looked forward to a small gathering of broad, old oaks where the last
dying fingers of sunlight illuminated what looked like a lump of deep blue
rock.
No, not rock! Living flesh!
It was all living flesh! It moved and shifted with large, inaudible breaths,
sagging out one of the tree trunks, occasionally sending a sharp splitting
sound as the tree would give and crack under the pressure. From the
way the huge, 12-foot tall monster sat with it's back to the youko's,
they could see a spiky-mohawk of deep grey hair running down it's spine
to form into bony spikes on a large tail. It looked like it could
have past for one of the regular oni beasts that frequented the Makai,
but this was just different, oddly.
The skin was deep blue, occasional
patterns of brilliant yellow-orange flicking to the surface of the skin
as if the monster was trying to camouflage itself in the sunlight.
It's form was akin to that of a very fat cat's, though severely mal-formed.
A thick, spiked tail and muscular haunches were all that was in view to
them, spanning at least 7 feet across.
It moved, shifted.
The two youko's ducked further behind
the tree, just awing at the sheer bulk of the animal as it began to shift,
turning about 90 degrees to face directly into the west, watching the
sun's flares finally die off for the night. It had the look of a
cat ; a small, pink nose sat incredibly out of place on the frowning, wrinkled
skin of the face. There whiskers would have been, three pointed and
barbed spikes sat directly under two large, glowing red eyes, flashing
in and out of brilliance. It seemed to be talking to itself, small,
blue lips moving on the face perhaps in an archaic incantation of sorts.
A single red eye shifted... looked
directly over to the youko's.
:Wari-kun, we can NOT handle this!:
:Yeah, I'm beginning to agree with
you, kyoudai-kun.:
The eye blinked once, the entire
head of the massive beast slowly and maliciously turning to glare them
both down. The mouth opened, showing a jawline full of many white,
sharpened teeth, the lumbering animal beginning to speak. "You...
youkos," it growled deeply, shaking the forest around Kurama and Yo-mawari
with it's very voice, knocking leafs from the trees and birds from their
posts. "Youko's are only native to Makai. Why are you here?"
Neither spoke, instead choosing
to use the safety of the tree as Yo-mawari began to call up the Yomatsu
portal that would dump them into the Ningenkai if needs be.
"Silent ones?" the voice boomed
again, almost smiling. "Perhaps, you may help Homonsha, ne?
I seek the one known as Yomatsu noYakei... the WatchMan of these lands.
Kare wa doko desu ka."
Yo-mawari felt his heart fall to
his feet as Kurama's hand moved to tightly grip his shoulder. The
monster at picked his name out though he didn't utter it. There were
few youkai who knew the title "Yomatsu no Yakei", given only to the WatchMan
of the lands and not to be spoken by anyone else :Kyoudai-kun!!"
Kurama panicked slightly, shaking Yo-mawari's shoulders. :Let's get
out of here NOW!:
:H... hai?:
The creature whom had referred to
himself as Homonsha frowned and brought his enormous body around to face
them, snapping an oak branch off as though it was a twig. "I seek
the one known as Yo-mawari-yakei."
"Uh.. why?" Yo-mawari answered,
feeling the portal open directly behind them, a quick escape incase the
creature proved to be a threat.
"My business is only with the Night-WatchMan,
not with you, youko. Begone. I use your kind as toothpicks,
you know."
"Excuse me please," Kurama began.
"We can relay a message to this WatchMan that you're in search of.
What shall we tell them that you want?"
"Just a simple request: his head.
Tell this Yakei... this WatchMan that I am here to replace him."
"Replace him?" Yo-mawari asked,
more to himself.
"Hai!" the creature boomed, rising to
his feline-like feet and stretching. "Yomatsu and the Hades Path
are mine now by birthright as being the only living heir to Dai-Warugi."
"Nani! Warugi never had any
heirs!" Yo-mawari blurted out. "Yomatsu belongs to the WatchMan now,
not Warugi's family. He was defeated and..."
"How come you to know so much about
my uncle, little youko?" the creature snarled, taking a bounding step forward.
The red eyes scanned the two youko's as they began to step back to the
hidden portal. "Temae wa... I sense you hold the powers of Yomatsu...
come now, who are you, little one?"
"I'm a Minamino!" Yo-mawari
announced proudly, motioning Kurama to step back to the portal. "Always
have been one, always will be one!"
"A what? That's not a youko
name, pest. You lie. Come, who are you!" The cat-like
monster pushed between two more trees, a sudden spark growing to the red
eyes. A sudden spark that sent a twisted, gnarled grin over his face.
"You're him! YOU'RE the WatchMan! I've found you!"
"'Wari-kun come on!!" Kurama yelled,
grabbing on tightly to his brother's shoulder, jerking back roughly on
the white cotton. The creature lunged at that very moment, moving
with incredible speed and agility for the bulky mass that it was, barreling
through the forest like a runaway freight train, busting through trees
as he went. " 'WARI-KUN!!"
Yo-mawari was half taken by fright
at the charging beast, staring with wide golden eyes at it closed at a
sickening pace, crashing through the last 20 yards or so. Behind
him, Kurama took matters into his own hands, using both mental and physical
strength to pull the youko into the portal behind him. Yo-mawari's
eyes widened, watching the creature, as if in slow motion, slide to a halt
and raise a clawed paw into the air...
"For gods sake, snap out of it!"
Kurama yelled, grabbing fistfuls of his brother's hair and literally dragging
him into the portal...
... the claws swung and met with
warm flesh and blood...
