Fight The Dark

    Hikou slowly roused himself and sat up. He looked around, a little confused as to his whereabouts at first, and then he remembered what had happened a few hours ago. He felt his face burn at the memories and looked around for Kouji only to notice that he was gone.
    “He wouldn’t…” he muttered, climbing out of the bed and searching for his clothes. He was soon dressed and ran to the door. He stopped as he saw some of the bandits struggling to close the door, snow piled high, blocking the exit.
    “Arcadia,” he growled. He looked for a window only to find them in the same condition. Fear welled up within him as he thought of his friends fighting against the ice witch and he returned to Kouji’s room. He shoved the windows open and sighed, relieved that Kouji’s room was on a higher level than most. He spread his shadowy, bat-like wings and used them to glide to a tree and continued doing so until he had cleared the snow that was mounding around the bandit’s stronghold. He dropped to the ground and closed his eyes in a desperate attempt to track down Arcadia. He turned to where he felt her presence the strongest and hurried on foot towards her, recalling his wings in an effort to conceal his chi.
    He stopped as he approached a clearing and stared, disbelievingly, at what he saw. Chichiri lay in a crumpled heap on the ground, the snow around him red with his blood. Tasuki was sprawled beside him, his blood mingling with his lover’s. Kouji lay on the far side of the clearing, deep cuts across his chest clearly visible.
    “No…” he breathed, tears stinging his eyes as he took a step away from the scene. He dropped to his knees and tried to think of something, but could only stare in shock.
    “Hmph, you’re late, Hikou,” Arcadia smirked and folded her arms across her chest. “Too bad about your friends- oops, I forgot, you don’t believe in friendship, do you, Kanki?”
    “I…” he breathed, his shoulders drooping as he tried to gather his thoughts, but failed. He felt a slight ringing in his ears and shook his head. “I…”
    “You what? You want revenge? You’re pathetic, as always, Hikou. Didn’t you learn anything? You can’t win! Those who oppose the darkness die. You, however,” he purred seductively and approached him. “You are still one of us, aren’t you? You still bear the memories of the Darkness. You can return and together, we can take this-”
    “I don’t believe this,” he spat, standing up. “This isn’t real. None of it is.”
    “What?” Arcadia gasped in disbelief.
    “No, this is another of your tricks. I won’t be fooled by you again.”
    “Oh, very well,” she sighed, disappointment in her voice. “You friends aren’t dead, they’re merely lost. The one named Houjun isn’t exactly sure what my chi feels like so I’ve sent them on a wild goose chase. You, however, know me, don’t you?” she smiled, her violet-red eyes glimmering.
    “Shut up,” Hikou snapped, lobbing a water bomb at her. “I’m here to put an end to you like I tried to eight years ago.”
    “And you really believe you can?” she cooed, raising a hand and freezing the attack in mid air. “You couldn’t last time. Or the time after that. You remember what happened, don’t you?” She waved her hand and the air around them shimmered. Dark memories began to play themselves back; old pains tore at him as if their causes were happening anew. He felt the ringing sensation in his ears growing and tried to back away from the pain that seemed to be coming from everywhere at once.
    “Stop it!” he shouted at no one. He dropped his swallow into the snow and covered his ears, squeezing his eyes shut in an effort to block out the illusion, but it only seemed to make it worse. “STOP IT!”
    “Not until you submit to my power,” she smiled, gathering energy in her hand. “All you have to do is give in to me and it will stop, remember? I all you have to do is swear your loyalty to me and you’ll never feel any pain again.”
    “No…No…” he said, trying to stay on his feet. “I…I will never…give in to you…”
    “Now, Hikou,” she tsked as the energy she had gathered took the shape of a spear. “Do I have to really hurt you or will you give up.”
    Hikou slowly calmed down, his shoulders drooping, and dropped to his knees. Arcadia smiled and called back her illusion.
    “That’s better. Now come to me.”
    He slowed his breathing until his vision cleared and looked up at the demon with a smile.
    “No.” He threw a wave of water at her and retrieved his weapon. “I’ll never bow to a demon like you.”
    “No matter,” she huffed, deflecting the attack with a shield. She raised her own weapon and narrowed her eyes. “I’ll make sure your death is painful.” She released the spear and watched it float before her and divide into five similar weapons. She waved her hand and Hikou suddenly found himself surrounded by dozens of them, all hovering an equal distance from him. “Only five are real,” she stated. “But I doubt you’ll figure out which ones they are until it’s too late. It’s a pity, really,” she sighed. “I had so many plans for you.” She laughed as the weapons flew at the mage from all angles. Hikou swallowed hard and closed his eyes knowing she was right. A series of thuds rang all around him and he looked up to see a faint reddish glow.
    “Need some help, no da?”

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If you thought my cliffhangers were bad before…this one takes the cake, no da-_-
I dunno, I just kinda decided to drag it out and make you suffer an hour or so while I cheerfully watch Comedy Central do clean house a bit, no da^_^;;
Anyway, R and R etc etc.
Love, Peace, and Chibis,
~Mysia Ri