Post by Ren'ai on Sept 23, 2013 22:16:20 GMT -5
The young woman kneeled at the feet of the throne, her bowed head caused the dark curtain of hair she possessed to shield her delicate face from view as her King watched her carefully. Her father. The soft sound of quick breathing was the only thing that broke the still silence, she was nervous and moisture beaded on her brow, she knew what her father was going to ask before he even spoke. Her brother had been causing more and more destruction across her father's kingdom and she knew it was only a matter of time before her father grew tired of it. His slightly shift made her flinch but it was only to reach out and settle a hand on her shoulder, showing her she could stand, she did so, eyes finally rising to meet her father's gaze.
His dark eyes were firm but she could practically feel the distress coming from him. No one wanted to seal away their own son, and even as destructive as her brother was she knew her father still cared for him even if Fuzen really cared for no one. "You know why I asked you to come..." his tone was edged in steel but his volume was soft, almost gentle, he knew how much it would hurt her to even ask this. "Father...he's...he can be-" his hand cut her off and she bit her lip, her pale garnet eyes dancing across his face with distress. "I've given him as many chances as I can Ren'ai, he won't listen to me and it was only a matter of time before I was forced to stop him. Before I had to ask you to stop him" she winced visibly and his hand slipped from her shoulder at the slight twitch, his face creased momentarily but the look was gone as quickly as it had come and his face was once again neutral.
She could feel the pricks of tears at the corners of her eyes but she quelled the urge to cry and chewed her lip instead until it stung. "Father I can't" her answer came out almost a whimper, she knew he'd hate the weakness in her tone but he didn't show displeasure at the waver there. "Ren'ai...Ren...he's killing our people for no reason, not just a few to sate his bloodlust but hundreds for whatever reason" her father's tone had lowered and there was a slight snarl. He was disappointed in his son but more disappointed in the fact that he couldn't stop him before it had come to this, to sealing away his only son. Ren'ai sucked in a soft, shaky breath before nodded, she loved her twin but she knew he was bad but it wasn't his fault, not to her. She had taken all the good and he had been left with what was left, wasn't that the curse of twins?
"Do you understand?" while she'd been preoccupied with her thoughts her father had stood and now stood across from her, still so impossibly tall like she remembered him. His tone and his eyes were softened just for her as they always were and her eyes finally brimmed. She blinked her eyes to clear them and stepped forward pressing her head to her father's comforting figure, his hand settled on her head, long nails gentle as he brushed them through her hair once. Being sealed by her was as good as condemning one to an eternity of nothingness and darkness, it was worse than death in many respects but he could have never brought himself to kill his son and Ren'ai never would dream of trying. Not only was her twin part of her but he was incredibly strong and intelligent, it was why this was the only way.
--------------------
When Fuzen returned Ren'ai and her father were waiting for him, the male appeared at ease but Ren'ai could see the tension in him and the way his eyes narrowed on hers she knew he knew what was coming. His cheeky grin was plastered to his face and his hands were tucked lightly into his pocket, if there hadn't been blood smeared across his cheek and up his arms he would have looked completely casual. "Father, Ren what a surprise. Why the warm welcome home?" he asked, tone pleasant despite the disress on Ren'ai's face and the stern disapproval on Reigen's features. Her brother swaggered to a stop nearby, eyes sliding from one to the other, her father only had time to open his mouth before a lash of black ki flew from Fuzen's hand and cut a stinging blow against his neck. His quick reflexes had been the only thing that kept his head from rolling on the marble of the floor and his hand flew to the wound, fire blazed in his eyes as he thundered out a snarl.
"Fuzen, don't make this harder on yourself!" he snapped but the wiry male was already in motion, cackling like a maniac at his father. "Harder on me old man, I think it's only you that will find things going hard for them. So what is it that merits me such an honor of having my own father try to kill me? Afraid of a little competition or maybe your worried about your petty reputation?" he cackled but the words were spat, bitterness underlying the casual amusement. Ren'ai was already at work, her mirror in her hands and her words tumbling over one another as she brought her magic to bear in preparation. Her father only had to keep her brother busy for so long before she could properly seal him away, but Fuzen was smart and with a squeal on the tile a hard hand slammed against her cheek sending her sprawling.
Fuzen stood above her, teeth bared in a fearsome grin of pleasure as her mirror slid away and across the floor from her. She rolled to her feet her face throbbing painfully from the blow, he hadn't meant to kill her just to cause her pain and perhaps warn her to stop but she couldn't stop. Her father was closest to her mirror and she saw Fuzen snap his head towards him, hand raising as if she lash out at his bared back but Ren'ai wasn't about to let that happen. The young woman charged forward, shoulder lowered until she slammed herself squarly into his hip, the center of gravity unfortunately for him, hard enough to send him flying and rolling across the floor with a yelp of surprise more than pain. Her shoulder would bruise from the sharp bone to bone jarring but she would live and she slid to a halt, managing to land gracefully into a three point stance, her other hand already resting regretfully over her heart.
She couldn't pull out Desperation, Fuzen hadn't raised Fury against her, not yet. He recovered fast and a hot blaze slashed against her cheek, a shallow cut that wouldn't scar but that bleed profuseley, coating her white satin robes in scarlet almost instantaneously. She hissed out in pain but her retaliation wasn't needed this time, her father had that covered and her brother suddenly disappeared from view in a blaze of enveloping flames. His scream of anger and pain echoed through the halls and drove an icy dagger into her heart but just as quickly as he'd screamed he stopped and burst from the blaze, barreling at his father with open hatred on his face. She knew he'd stop at nothing, it was either watch Fuzen destroy her father or vice versa, she had no choice but to seal him.
In his anger Fuzen never noticed the mirror change hands when she whipped back their father, seemingly to flee behind his back for protection. The cool glass surface was comforting and it rippled under her fingers like a living thing, telling her it was ready for her to make it into a gateway as she had always done. Her magic was rushed as the screech and horrible bellows of battle filled the hall, her father and brother were trading terrible blows and she dared not look lest she see her father falling and forget her purpose. Reigen could handle himself, she knew he could, she only hoped that Fuzen had some sense of affection left that would stay his hand even partially.
Finally the mirror flexed inward once, it's surface was like water now...no...mercury, and she let out a short noise of triumph. She could seal him now! A loud crack echoed out and she was just in time to throw up her barrier as a marble pillar crumbled next to her, burying Reigen in the stone in a flash of crimson aura. In the moment it took her to scream for her father her brother had appeared before her and his fist to her abdomen silenced her, slumping her over his arm where he pulled her to his chest, cradling her head tenderly and stroking her hair. "Shhh, you wouldn't want to lose your father and your brother all at once now would you Renny?" he cooed softly. The mirror wavered in her trembling hands and her pale eyes fixed on the surface, her eyes were as glassy as it, she saw nothin and felt nothing for what seemed like an eternity, and only when she saw the faint hardening at the edges did she snap from her trance.
Anguish flooded through her body and she let out a sob, collapsing against her twin. "I-I'm sorry Fuzen" her voice broke with the pain she felt and she clutched his shirt with her free hand, pinning them together as tightly as she could. He only cooed soft forgiveness but he didn't understand that she was apologizing for what was to come instead of what had already been and without warning she slammed the mirror over the top of his head, her other hand marking his chest with her own blood so that the mirror would pull him inside. He stood no chance once the binding started and he shrieked curses at her as the mirror pulled him in, his hand grasping at her hair and robes. Dark strands seperated from her skull in a painful yank as the spell pulled harder and finally with a sharp rip a silken piece of her robe's sleeve tore away and vanished with his hand into the mirror.
Shaking hands caught the now hardened and unassuming glass surface and she stared down at it, tears dripping down her nose and splattering the surface. She had lost them both, her father AND her brother...because she hadn't been fast enough, her father's faith had been misplaced and it had killed him. So she thought. The creaking of stone pulled her eyes away from the glass that lay smooth and strangely unreflecting of anything and to the pile of marble where she'd assumed her father's corpse now rest. The cracks finally erupted in a cacaphony of thundering noise as the Demon King burst from the confines of what might have been his marble grave if not for his quick barrier. She met his eyes with wide, surprised ones, the mirror in her hands trembling so hard it was in danger of falling before her father made quick steps and lifted it from her grasp.
Strong familiar arms embraced her and pulled her to him where she dissolved, she would worry about his disapproval later but for now she would mourn the loss of the other piece of her and rejoice in the fact that her blunders hadn't killed her father after all.
-----
A sudden sob wracked the woman's sweating form and her body arched sharply, tumbling her from the bed she was in. Her slender form hit the wood with a loud thump and she was wrenched into conciousness, the neon glow that seeped through the curtains sent spangles of rainbows through her vision. Her tears that dampened her lashes broke the neon into a million facets and she blinked to clear her vision before doing her best to untangle herself, it took a few minutes but once she was free from the cheap, starchy sheets she slid back into bed and pulled them to her chin. Eyes drifted towards the clock, their red paler than the bright numbers that told her it was only 4 am...so early...she hadn't had that nightmare in a long time and her eyes fell closed as she sucked in a shaky breath. It was always so hard, he hadn't died but it was all the same, he was locked away forever and she had done it. Locked away a piece of herself, her other half so to speak, the yin to her yang.
A rushed sigh broke the silence and she curled to her side, tucking her body as close to itself as she could get. It was nights like these that she felt so much smaller and younger than her age implied, she hd liked almost 1500 years and still the pain crippled her so easily. Her eyes shut tightly but she knew she wouldn't be sleeping anymore, it was a fruitless effort but she couldn't bring herself to actually stand for now. A shudder racked her body and before she knew it she was biting her lip to stifle the pain and the sob that threatened to shake free. She had no time for more tears, she had a life to cope with now, freedom finally that she hadn't had in decades now sprawled before her. The human world was fresh and clean, a new place to begin and the though helped her swallow her anguish and she steeled herself agains the fading shudders.
She would have to rise to meet the day, and not as a broken woman, but a whole one. This was her chance, a chance for something new...and she wasn't going to let that go for anything.
==END==
His dark eyes were firm but she could practically feel the distress coming from him. No one wanted to seal away their own son, and even as destructive as her brother was she knew her father still cared for him even if Fuzen really cared for no one. "You know why I asked you to come..." his tone was edged in steel but his volume was soft, almost gentle, he knew how much it would hurt her to even ask this. "Father...he's...he can be-" his hand cut her off and she bit her lip, her pale garnet eyes dancing across his face with distress. "I've given him as many chances as I can Ren'ai, he won't listen to me and it was only a matter of time before I was forced to stop him. Before I had to ask you to stop him" she winced visibly and his hand slipped from her shoulder at the slight twitch, his face creased momentarily but the look was gone as quickly as it had come and his face was once again neutral.
She could feel the pricks of tears at the corners of her eyes but she quelled the urge to cry and chewed her lip instead until it stung. "Father I can't" her answer came out almost a whimper, she knew he'd hate the weakness in her tone but he didn't show displeasure at the waver there. "Ren'ai...Ren...he's killing our people for no reason, not just a few to sate his bloodlust but hundreds for whatever reason" her father's tone had lowered and there was a slight snarl. He was disappointed in his son but more disappointed in the fact that he couldn't stop him before it had come to this, to sealing away his only son. Ren'ai sucked in a soft, shaky breath before nodded, she loved her twin but she knew he was bad but it wasn't his fault, not to her. She had taken all the good and he had been left with what was left, wasn't that the curse of twins?
"Do you understand?" while she'd been preoccupied with her thoughts her father had stood and now stood across from her, still so impossibly tall like she remembered him. His tone and his eyes were softened just for her as they always were and her eyes finally brimmed. She blinked her eyes to clear them and stepped forward pressing her head to her father's comforting figure, his hand settled on her head, long nails gentle as he brushed them through her hair once. Being sealed by her was as good as condemning one to an eternity of nothingness and darkness, it was worse than death in many respects but he could have never brought himself to kill his son and Ren'ai never would dream of trying. Not only was her twin part of her but he was incredibly strong and intelligent, it was why this was the only way.
--------------------
When Fuzen returned Ren'ai and her father were waiting for him, the male appeared at ease but Ren'ai could see the tension in him and the way his eyes narrowed on hers she knew he knew what was coming. His cheeky grin was plastered to his face and his hands were tucked lightly into his pocket, if there hadn't been blood smeared across his cheek and up his arms he would have looked completely casual. "Father, Ren what a surprise. Why the warm welcome home?" he asked, tone pleasant despite the disress on Ren'ai's face and the stern disapproval on Reigen's features. Her brother swaggered to a stop nearby, eyes sliding from one to the other, her father only had time to open his mouth before a lash of black ki flew from Fuzen's hand and cut a stinging blow against his neck. His quick reflexes had been the only thing that kept his head from rolling on the marble of the floor and his hand flew to the wound, fire blazed in his eyes as he thundered out a snarl.
"Fuzen, don't make this harder on yourself!" he snapped but the wiry male was already in motion, cackling like a maniac at his father. "Harder on me old man, I think it's only you that will find things going hard for them. So what is it that merits me such an honor of having my own father try to kill me? Afraid of a little competition or maybe your worried about your petty reputation?" he cackled but the words were spat, bitterness underlying the casual amusement. Ren'ai was already at work, her mirror in her hands and her words tumbling over one another as she brought her magic to bear in preparation. Her father only had to keep her brother busy for so long before she could properly seal him away, but Fuzen was smart and with a squeal on the tile a hard hand slammed against her cheek sending her sprawling.
Fuzen stood above her, teeth bared in a fearsome grin of pleasure as her mirror slid away and across the floor from her. She rolled to her feet her face throbbing painfully from the blow, he hadn't meant to kill her just to cause her pain and perhaps warn her to stop but she couldn't stop. Her father was closest to her mirror and she saw Fuzen snap his head towards him, hand raising as if she lash out at his bared back but Ren'ai wasn't about to let that happen. The young woman charged forward, shoulder lowered until she slammed herself squarly into his hip, the center of gravity unfortunately for him, hard enough to send him flying and rolling across the floor with a yelp of surprise more than pain. Her shoulder would bruise from the sharp bone to bone jarring but she would live and she slid to a halt, managing to land gracefully into a three point stance, her other hand already resting regretfully over her heart.
She couldn't pull out Desperation, Fuzen hadn't raised Fury against her, not yet. He recovered fast and a hot blaze slashed against her cheek, a shallow cut that wouldn't scar but that bleed profuseley, coating her white satin robes in scarlet almost instantaneously. She hissed out in pain but her retaliation wasn't needed this time, her father had that covered and her brother suddenly disappeared from view in a blaze of enveloping flames. His scream of anger and pain echoed through the halls and drove an icy dagger into her heart but just as quickly as he'd screamed he stopped and burst from the blaze, barreling at his father with open hatred on his face. She knew he'd stop at nothing, it was either watch Fuzen destroy her father or vice versa, she had no choice but to seal him.
In his anger Fuzen never noticed the mirror change hands when she whipped back their father, seemingly to flee behind his back for protection. The cool glass surface was comforting and it rippled under her fingers like a living thing, telling her it was ready for her to make it into a gateway as she had always done. Her magic was rushed as the screech and horrible bellows of battle filled the hall, her father and brother were trading terrible blows and she dared not look lest she see her father falling and forget her purpose. Reigen could handle himself, she knew he could, she only hoped that Fuzen had some sense of affection left that would stay his hand even partially.
Finally the mirror flexed inward once, it's surface was like water now...no...mercury, and she let out a short noise of triumph. She could seal him now! A loud crack echoed out and she was just in time to throw up her barrier as a marble pillar crumbled next to her, burying Reigen in the stone in a flash of crimson aura. In the moment it took her to scream for her father her brother had appeared before her and his fist to her abdomen silenced her, slumping her over his arm where he pulled her to his chest, cradling her head tenderly and stroking her hair. "Shhh, you wouldn't want to lose your father and your brother all at once now would you Renny?" he cooed softly. The mirror wavered in her trembling hands and her pale eyes fixed on the surface, her eyes were as glassy as it, she saw nothin and felt nothing for what seemed like an eternity, and only when she saw the faint hardening at the edges did she snap from her trance.
Anguish flooded through her body and she let out a sob, collapsing against her twin. "I-I'm sorry Fuzen" her voice broke with the pain she felt and she clutched his shirt with her free hand, pinning them together as tightly as she could. He only cooed soft forgiveness but he didn't understand that she was apologizing for what was to come instead of what had already been and without warning she slammed the mirror over the top of his head, her other hand marking his chest with her own blood so that the mirror would pull him inside. He stood no chance once the binding started and he shrieked curses at her as the mirror pulled him in, his hand grasping at her hair and robes. Dark strands seperated from her skull in a painful yank as the spell pulled harder and finally with a sharp rip a silken piece of her robe's sleeve tore away and vanished with his hand into the mirror.
Shaking hands caught the now hardened and unassuming glass surface and she stared down at it, tears dripping down her nose and splattering the surface. She had lost them both, her father AND her brother...because she hadn't been fast enough, her father's faith had been misplaced and it had killed him. So she thought. The creaking of stone pulled her eyes away from the glass that lay smooth and strangely unreflecting of anything and to the pile of marble where she'd assumed her father's corpse now rest. The cracks finally erupted in a cacaphony of thundering noise as the Demon King burst from the confines of what might have been his marble grave if not for his quick barrier. She met his eyes with wide, surprised ones, the mirror in her hands trembling so hard it was in danger of falling before her father made quick steps and lifted it from her grasp.
Strong familiar arms embraced her and pulled her to him where she dissolved, she would worry about his disapproval later but for now she would mourn the loss of the other piece of her and rejoice in the fact that her blunders hadn't killed her father after all.
-----
A sudden sob wracked the woman's sweating form and her body arched sharply, tumbling her from the bed she was in. Her slender form hit the wood with a loud thump and she was wrenched into conciousness, the neon glow that seeped through the curtains sent spangles of rainbows through her vision. Her tears that dampened her lashes broke the neon into a million facets and she blinked to clear her vision before doing her best to untangle herself, it took a few minutes but once she was free from the cheap, starchy sheets she slid back into bed and pulled them to her chin. Eyes drifted towards the clock, their red paler than the bright numbers that told her it was only 4 am...so early...she hadn't had that nightmare in a long time and her eyes fell closed as she sucked in a shaky breath. It was always so hard, he hadn't died but it was all the same, he was locked away forever and she had done it. Locked away a piece of herself, her other half so to speak, the yin to her yang.
A rushed sigh broke the silence and she curled to her side, tucking her body as close to itself as she could get. It was nights like these that she felt so much smaller and younger than her age implied, she hd liked almost 1500 years and still the pain crippled her so easily. Her eyes shut tightly but she knew she wouldn't be sleeping anymore, it was a fruitless effort but she couldn't bring herself to actually stand for now. A shudder racked her body and before she knew it she was biting her lip to stifle the pain and the sob that threatened to shake free. She had no time for more tears, she had a life to cope with now, freedom finally that she hadn't had in decades now sprawled before her. The human world was fresh and clean, a new place to begin and the though helped her swallow her anguish and she steeled herself agains the fading shudders.
She would have to rise to meet the day, and not as a broken woman, but a whole one. This was her chance, a chance for something new...and she wasn't going to let that go for anything.
==END==
