Soul Within a Soul.

 

Miyu broke through the trees, panting slightly. Larva followed her at a close difference. She was comforted by his nearness, for as she had seen Larva talking to that Shinma, what emotion had she felt? Jealousy? For Larva was her Larva and……… but that was a silly thought. She shook the idea from her mind. No Shinma was trying to steal Larva. That was just a childish notion she had come up with from the blue.

 

She slashed another bush aside and stopped, staring at the sight before her. It was a tree, a normal tree at that but with a few irregularities. For a start, few trees had a small sleeping Shinma girl nestled in its branches twitching now and again, and it was simply unknown for a tree to have a silver ward spiralling round its branches. Miyu stepped forwards and braced herself. She began to run flat out towards the ward. Her thoughts as she ran were, no feeble Shinma magic is going to stop me! And the barrier came to meet her……… and repelled her with the force a pansy feels when it has just been stepped on, by an elephant. Miyu flew backwards through the air and Larva leapt forwards and caught her easily in his pale arms. She gratefully righted herself and faced the barrier again. She felt a hand on her arm.

 

“Miyu,” Larva said. “This shield only affects Japanese Shinma. Let me lure the Shinma within into the open.”

 

“No,” Miyu snapped faster than she had intended. That would be a last resort. “It may repel me but let’s see if it can hold against my flame!” She extended her hand and an angry red flame flickered into life. It spiralled towards the barrier with more strength than Miyu knew she possessed. She watched it engulf the entire tree and smiled smugly to herself. Guardian: one, Shinma: zero. She looked up and again and gawped. The fire hadn’t even grazed the shield and she cursed silently to herself.

 

“You’re boned,” Shiina stated leaping onto her shoulder. “Looks like those stones give all Japanese elements a hard time as well.”

 

Miyu growled and tried another tactic. “Western Shinma!” she shouted. “I know my voice reaches you.”

 

At first there was no response, but then the twitching subsided and the Western Shinma arose from her resting place.

 

“Who disturbs me?” she said drowsily. As her red eyes focussed she scowled. “You persistent fool! Why do you never cease to hunt me?”

 

“Because it is my job to return Shinma, ALL Shinma, to the darkness.” Another flame appeared in Miyu’s palm. She knew it was an empty threat but it was worth a try.

 

“Oh,” the Shinma floated from her tree and landed by the trunk still within the ward’s boundaries. “A challenge? Very well. These weak Japanese Shinma bore me so it would be good to have a proper fight once in a while.”

 

“Do not speak of this as though it is play,” Miyu warned. “Or the fight will be over faster than you think.”

 

“A threat?” the Shinma laughed raising her hand and snapping her fingers. The ward vanished. “This will indeed be an interesting fight. Come on, guardian. Show me your true potential.”

 

“Let me know the name of the Shinma I am about to send,” Miyu shouted preparing to fight.

 

“I am,” the Shinma began as two gold daggers materialised in each hand, “Rikki!”

 

She didn’t even wait for a response as Rikki dived down, both daggers flashing, and ripped through the air at where Miyu had been standing. She stood there no longer. Miyu hovered in the air and cast a fireball at the Shinma, which Rikki dodged with ease. She paused in the air and then extended one hand and snapped her fingers. An Opal appeared and Rikki hurled it forwards with an angry force. The Opal sliced through the air, gathering speed. Miyu held her arms up to her face, expecting to feel the white hot pain as the ward pummelled her skin but it never came. She looked up to see Larva before her, the Opal in one hand. He crushed the Opal and instantly there was the unmistakeable sound of wailing sobs and then silver tears trickled down between Larva’s closed fingers.

 

“Stop!” Rikki shouted and her entire body was suddenly rigid, then she twisted in pain in midair as the tears that flowed from Larva’s hand flew towards her, piercing her flesh. “Please stop this pain!” Rikki cried again and Miyu could see tears streaming down her cheeks. Rikki’s fists clenched and unclenched. Massive sobs shook her entire body. “Mother,” she cried in a weak voice. “No, don’t die! Don’t sacrifice yourself for me. Mother! I’ll never forgive you for being weak.” More tears splashed on the ground as the memories washed over Rikki, one by one. As the sobbing subsided Rikki looked up and her red eyes flared. “I’ll kill you!” she screamed bloody murder, her eyes focussed on someone behind Miyu. She lurched forwards, daggers raking the air and was caught by Larva.

 

“Miyu,” Larva said softly as the Shinma writhed under his grip. “This Shinma is possessed.”

 

“Possessed?” Miyu asked. “Can that be possible?” She paused for a moment. “She has let her guard down. I can send her easily without fuss right now, possessed or not. I see it as sending two Shinma at once.” She raised her hand and was careful to direct her fire at the Occidental Shinma and not hit her protector holding Rikki down. The fire engulfed Rikki and there was a sound of a tormented scream but as the flames cleared Rikki was still undoubtedly there but now with a few burn marks. “What?” Miyu shouted. “She is immune to my flame?” She knelt by Rikki’s now unconscious form and she fingers sought a pendant round the Shinma’s neck. It was a piece of redwood with an inscription carved into its surface.

 

My daughter. May this always protect you. Be strong.

 

Miyu turned the pendant over and spied a large rune on the back.

 

“I see,” she murmured. “A fire ward. How irritating.” She was about to snap the pendant from Rikki’s neck when a burst of energy sent Miyu flying backwards.

 

“Miyu!” Larva flew forwards and caught her. Miyu slowly got to her feet and inspected her stinging hands. Still no mark. She scowled at the pendant and turned to her protector. She had smelt the stagnant stench of an immortal being and now understood.

 

“Larva, that pendant has a Shinma inside it but I can’t coax it out.” She knew she had no choice. “Could you try?”

 

Her servant nodded wordlessly and his clawed hands hooked round the pendant and pulled sharply. The string snapped and suddenly there was a great ‘whoosh’ and silver tears spilt from the severed ends and soaked into Rikki. Her eyes flicked open and her body contorted in horror as mentally she relived every memory she had sealed away in her Opals. She sat up, slipping from Larva’s grasp and screamed, “Mother!”

 

The pendant shattered in Larva’s grasp and Rikki fell limp. From the splinters of redwood a silver outline of a woman rose. It was no longer wispy like a puff of smoke but solid and menacing. The red eyes of the Shinma, Jai-Ki fixed themselves on Miyu and a cold voice echoed about the clearing.

 

“The guardian pays me a visit. How considerate. Consider this your last!”

 

“You are the Shinma. You manipulate your own kind,” Miyu snarled. “You sicken me.”

 

“Ha!” Jai-Ki laughed mirthlessly. “Poor, poor Rikki. Not a welcomed Shinma. Too strong with a power no one understood. She made the other Shinma flee and only her mother protected and loved her. It was a shame when the Shinma united and together they killed her mother and tried to kill Rikki but she was too strong. So they shipped her away in a boat with one other Western Shinma known to be on board, destined for Japan. They left her here at the mercy of the guardian and little did they realise that all of little Rikki’s strength came from me, from the pendant she always believed her mother had given her.” The Shinma laughed again and Miyu felt herself clench her fists in anger. Manipulative Shinma!

 

“I will not allow you to cause anymore damage!” Miyu shouted and an ark of flames whipped the air. Jai-Ki leapt aside still laughing with amused delight as the vampire princess tried again and again to send her.

 

“Ha! You are too slow, little vampire child,” she sneered as she sprung away from another tongue of fire. Her laughter suddenly subsided. “But now I am tired of playing. Time to finish you off!”

 

She, as Rikki had done, held out her hand and an Opal appeared in her palm, except this Opal reeked of power. Miyu felt a knot of fear in her gut as she remembered the searing pain and she could not help but take a step back.

 

“That’s right, little vampire,” Jai-Ki mocked. “Run, run, run. My Opals are full of power. I do not need to pour my sorrows into them to increase them to maximum power.” Her point was almost emphasised as the Opal gave off a spark of electricity.

 

Miyu could feel herself trembling but she still raised her hand in a last attempt to send the Shinma. The flame appeared and she sent it in a large spiral that usually caught her victims in its path and sent them crying to the darkness.

 

“Back to the darkness, Shinma!” the words barely escaped her lips. Jai-Ki watched the coming flames with calmness and sidestepped them. Miyu was terrified but would not satisfy the Shinma by taking another step back.

 

“My little Miyu,” Jai-Ki was saying but her words sounded distant. “It is time for you to return to the darkness.” She slowly bought the Opal up to her lips and blew gently. It sent the little silver orb spinning towards Miyu at a frightening speed. Miyu had no time to leap away and she knew in those seconds that if the little Opals had caused her that much pain, this hyper-Opal would be pure agony. She looked up and almost cried out.

 

Larva had yet again saved her from the Opal’s mercy but this time he had paid the price. She could see his pale hands shaking as the raw energy surged through his body. She could see a fine trickle of blood dripping from in between his fingers. If Larva was in pain it was nothing compared to Jai-Ki. She was rigid, mouthing soundlessly and Miyu noticed her form becoming more transparent by the second. It was then she realised that these Opals, no matter how strong the Shinma, in order to be powerful they took a little of your soul in return.

 

With his last source of energy, Larva slowly crushed the Opal under his fingers and transparent tears leaked out of the Opal, mingling with his blood. Jai-Ki howled and fell to her knees. Larva touched Miyu’s hand and she knew what she had to do. She stepped forwards, the flame ignited in her hand.

 

“Now you know,” Miyu said, advancing. “Now you know what it is like to have your soul ripped away from you. You have caused enough damage, Jai-Ki.” Miyu sent the flame flying forwards, engulfing Jai-Ki, the flames licking her body like glowing tongues. “Into the darkness, Shinma.” The form of Jai-Ki let out one departing cry before vanishing into the flames.

 

Miyu sighed and then turned to Larva who was still kneeling on the ground his hand falling limply at his side. She flew to his side and held his hand, licking up the spilt blood but it just kept flowing. She tore a strip from her kimono but the blood was still flowing freely.

 

“It won’t stop,” Miyu said hopelessly and pressed her hand against Larva’s, only to find her fingers smeared in his blood. Larva drew her close with his spare arm and she silently wept. Her protector had sacrificed himself to protect her and now he was likely to die of blood loss.

 

“Miyu.” Miyu looked up, alarmed. It was Rikki who had spoken in a weak voice. She saw the Shinma raise herself onto her feet and stagger over. Miyu’s flame ignited in her palm threateningly but Rikki raised her hands above her head in a sign of peace. “Miyu, I have little strength left. The tears of Jai-Ki’s Opal have mingled with Larva’s blood and they are considered a form of poison. They will slowly kill him.” At these words Miyu clutched at Larva tightly as though afraid he might suddenly slip away. “There is,” Rikki continued and move a little closer, “one cure.” She gently took Larva’s hand and removed the cloth from Miyu’s kimono wrapped round the palm. She placed her own hand over the wound and then paused to look up directly at Miyu. “My magic dwindles, in fact I believe this will be my last spell before my magic gives out. So I have a proposition. I will heal Larva and you will send me to the darkness.” Miyu raised her eyebrows.

 

“I was going to send you anyway,” she said truthfully and to her surprise, Rikki smiled and nodded, returning her focus to the job at hand.

 

She closed her eyes and began to mutter. Miyu saw thin beads of light, which she then recognised as tears flowing from Larva’s wound instead of blood. Miyu could see this was draining Rikki’s strength quickly as for a moment she was worried that the Shinma would not be able to finish the spell before her magic extinguished. But then Rikki’s voice became final as she drew the spell to a close. The tears had drained away and then there was a flicker and the wound had sealed itself. Rikki removed her hand with a sigh and Larva flexed his fingers.

 

“Larva?” Miyu whispered quietly. Larva turned and he had removed his mask. Underneath was a caring expression. She threw her arms round him and he held her close. Miyu savoured the moment but then looked up to see Rikki standing silently in the background. She rose from Larva’s arms and faced the Occidental Shinma. “Rikki,” she said. “We have made a deal.” Her flame flickered to life.

 

“Miyu,” Rikki said and her voice was distant. “My mother was killed by Western Shinma trying to save me. When I am sent, will I see her?”

 

“No,” Miyu replied gravely. “She was murdered, not sent. Your mother is dead. I’m sorry, Rikki.”

 

Rikki bowed her head in acceptance and didn’t even cry out as the flame engulfed her. Miyu watched as her spirit was transported to the darkness and she felt a hand on her shoulder. She placed her own hand over it lovingly and then mentioned something that had been on her mind.

 

“Larva, why do you think Rikki used her last ounce of strength to save you?” She heard a small laugh from behind and turned to face her servant.

 

“When we met on the boat I told you I was surprised to see her reading western literature. She was actually reading from the pictures and I taught her the basics of reading. Rikki had been mistreated as a Shinma all her life and I believe that was the first act of kindness she’d experienced since her mother had died. She was grateful and I suppose she decided that she couldn’t leave me to die. It was her way of saying thanks.” Miyu nodded in acknowledgement to this answer. It kind of made sense. She felt Shiina land on her shoulder.

 

“Late for the battle?” Miyu asked mildly.

 

“You were doing fine on your own,” Shiina replied defensively. “Well, another day, another Shinma. With all those Opals gone we can go back to rounding up those Shinma.”

 

“Yes,” Miyu agreed. “But first I have one bit of unfinished business.”

 

*   *   *

 

Aya lay in bed. The room was dark and her cheek stung from where her mother had slapped her. She had dropped a glass by accident and had paid dearly. The words ‘Your mama isn’t nice to you’ kept reverberating inside her head. The more Aya thought about the truer they became. She could hear her mother shouting from the kitchen as her father returned home late from the pub, drunk beyond his senses. Aya nestled further down into her blankets and tried to fight back tears.

 

“Aya.” Aya sat up and looked about blindly in the darkness. Where had the voice come from? It had been soft and soothing but it frightened her as well. She groped about on her bedside table and her hands found the stone the funny girl in the park had given her. Instantly she felt the sadness drain away, but not quite. Her fingers then found the lamp and she clicked it on.

 

A girl sat on the end of her bed. Aya gasped. It was the other girl that had arrived after the strange one had left. Aya pulled the covers round her in fear and eyed the girl through tearstained eyes.

 

“Aya,” Miyu reached out a hand but Aya backed away. “Aya, you’re so sad.”

 

“What do you want?” Aya squeaked. An angry shout came from the kitchen and there was the sound of smashing glass. A tear welled up in her eye but she wiped it away.

 

“I want to make you happy,” said Miyu as the girl tried to stem her tears. “Would you like to be happy forever and ever? I can do that.”

 

“I,” Aya began but the thoughts where overwhelming her. She instinctively reached out for the stone but Miyu caught her hand.

 

“Aya, that stone won’t make it better. Here,” she softly bought Aya into a hug and exposed her neck. Miyu lowered her head and Aya’s warm blood trickled down her throat. She could feel the little girl grow limp in her arms. “Goodnight, Aya.”

 

Miyu rose and Larva was by her side. She smiled at him and they both vanished from the dimly lit bedroom.

 

 

THE END

That’s all folks! I hope you like my first Miyu fanfic. Please review it so I can see whether I am a failure or I should strive to write more. I will be writing another fanfic……… as soon as I can think of one! ^_^