Kurayami no hoshi: Tenshi Densetsu By: Chandra Rooney ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ It continues... "Bless me, Father, for I have sinned," the boy said. "How long since your last confession, my child?" Father Xavier Cloud asked. "I suppose nearly 50 years," the boy replied after a long pause. Father Xavier smiles slightly. "Yes, sometimes it seems that way, doesn't it? But there's no need for such exagerations. Now, let's be honest with each other. How long since your last confession, my son?" "I apologize, Father. It's actually been closer to 60." Xavier sighs. He decided to forget about it. "All right, my son. Go on." "Where should I start?" "The beginning is always a good place. Don't worry, my son, nothing is ever as bad as you think. God loves all his children, and forgives them their sins." "I think I’ve fallen in love, Father, with a girl named Tenkou Stone-" "That's hardly what I would call a sin, my son." "-And then I left her for dead." "I do believe I asked you to stop exargerating." "They...the police think I kidnapped her father, but I didn't. I killed him. Or rather I killed the demonic being that he became." Xavier wiped at his sweating brow. "Are you quite serious, son? Lying to a priest is blashphomey." "You are Father Xavier Cloud, aren't you?" The boy demanded suddenly. "My name is not import-" "You have a tailsman in your possession, don't you? It's half of a black, five-pointed star. It was passed down to you from your grandfather, who was also a priest of this church He gave it to you after he told you the legend about the Angel in the Town Square's fountain." "How do you know this?" "Because this is how it's been since the times of the first Father Cloud. It's how we agreed it would be," he paused. "And when your grandfather gave you the star, he told you someday someone may come to you for your help. You will ask no questions for you will get no answers till he chooses to give them to you. You will know him by the star." Xavier looks up. The other half of the star is hanging on a chain dangling from the boy's hand. "Dear God...where did you get that?" Xavier asks. He's really sweating now. "It belongs to me." Xavier looks down at his hands. "I...was told about the Star. But I never...never thought it was true." He pauses. "That means that the legend really is true?" There is no answer. He looks back up, and sees that the boy is gone. ~-~ Tenkou Stone sat up in her hospital bed. She stared out the window, and tried not to fall asleep. Because everytime she did the dreams would come. Nurse Himiko said no one had ever reported seeing the boy Tenkou had known as "Zellar" again. But Tenkou knew that was a lie. She saw him every time she closed her eyes. Everytime she fell asleep she dreamed about him. And if what the dreams told her was true, then he'd been around for a very long time. And he if didn't want to be seen; he wouldn't be seen. It was that simple. ~-~ The Square was busy this afternoon. It probably wasn't the wisest thing for him to be here. But Zellar had never missed his daily visit to Tenshi, and he wasn't about to start. So what if the police thought he was a terrorist and a murderer? Beside him, a safe distance from the fountain, a young painted had an easel set up. He was sketching the fountain's outline. Zellar walked over to him. "Lovely, isn't she?" he asked. The young man looked up. "The fountain? She's a work of art!" "I'm Zel," Zellar said. "It's nice to see someone else who's so taken by her." "I'm Vincent," the painter replied. "Are you a painter, Zel?" "I'm too many things to remember," Zellar whispered quietly. Vincent ignored this. "You don't happen to know the name of the sculptor, do you? I've searched everywhere, but there's no record I can find." The question caught him off guard. "I-no. I'm sorry, I'm afraid I don't." Vincent shrugged. "No matter." He added a final brush-stroke. "There. Voila!" Zellar leaned forward to inspect the painting. "Amazing. She...almost seems to be alive again." "Again?" Vincent asked. "Hrm." He nodded. "Haven't you heard the legend?" "No, I didn't realize there was one." Zellar paused. "A long time ago, as the legend goes, there was two young lovers. Only their love was forbidden because the girl was one of the town's Guardian Sprites-" "And the boy?" Vincent asked, intrigued. "The resident dreamer." Zellar replied calmly. "But, the world needs more dreamers, doesn't it?" He didn't wait for Vincent to answer. "The story goes that the boy proposed to the girl in this very square one night. Sitting on the edge of that fountain." "How very romantic," Vincent offered. "Hrm, yes. This town needed Guardian Sprites because very close to it was a gateway to the Netherworld. Unknown to the two lovers, Yasha, the Demon Queen, had plans for the boy. But for more sinister reasons." Zellar paused, and swallowed. "The boy was born during a certain celestrial alignment that would make it possible for him to be used to harness a very evil power. Yasha had learned of this, and made it her goal to gain control of this power through the boy. So the night that he proposed to the girl, Yasha took advantage of the situation and caught them both off guard. "She infused the boy with the power, and also placed a spell on him making him think she was the one he truly loved." "But why do that?" "That way she could control him, and through him, the power. Then Yasha turned the girl to stone." He gestured to the angel on the fountain. "And she remains there to this day." "And the boy?" Vincent asked. "No one knows." "Amazing...I've talked to so many people about the fountain, and no one ever mentioned this to me!" "People don't believe in it. And those that do, won't talk about it." ~-~ Tenkou looked up as Nurse Himiko came into the room. "Feeling better, dear?" the nurse asked. "I guess," she replied. "Would you like to talk a walk today?" Nurse Himiko opened the curtains letting light into the hospital room. "I know a lovely chapeal just a few blocks from here. Perhaps you would like to light a candle for your father?" Tenkou shrugged. "I guess." "Lovely." The nurse smiled. "Just let me find you something to wear." ~-~ "Father Cloud," Nurse Himiko was saying to Tenkou, "is a truly wonderful man. I never met anyone with so sound a faith as him. Maybe you should talk to him about your father, he’s a very good listener." "Yeah, maybe," Tenkou replied. The last thing she wanted to do was talk to some old man who would tell her about how God loved her and was watching over her father as they spoke. She’d never been a religious person. Her mother had be fairly devout, but she’d died shortly after Tenkou had been born. Her father had never had the patience for God. He’d once told her that he’d worry about all that when he was dead and standing at those Pearly Gates. But despite her cynicism, Tenkou was impressed by the beauty of the church. It had intricate moldings and coloums, beautiful stain glass windows of angels, paintings and sculptures galore. Before the most impressive sculpture which was of the Virgin Mother holding the infant Christ, were several candles in colored glass holders. A donation box sat beside some lighting sticks. A few candles were glowing softly. The pews were polished wood, the floors beautiful plush rugs over wood panels. An alter with a white satin cloth was at the center of the back of the church. A crucifix hung on the wall behind it. She shuddered when she looked up at the sculptor of the man nailed to a cross. "Father Cloud?" Nurse Himiko called. "Are you here Father?" A tall man with gray hair, and faded brown eyes came out from the back wearing a Priest’s outfit. "Himiko," he smiled. "It’s good to see you again." The nurse smiled and gestured to Tenkou. "This is Tenkou Stone." Father Cloud paled, and looked like he’d seen a ghost. "Did you say, Tenkou Stone?" Oh great, she thought. He knows who I am. But then anyone who watches the news would know. "It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Stone," Father Cloud forced a smile. "What brings you here?" "Nurse Himiko here thought I might like to talk to you." "She did?" He swallowed. "Go and take confession," Himiko urged Tenkou. "I’ll wait out here for you. When you’re done, we’ll light a candle for your father’s safe return." Tenkou blinked, then shrugged. What the heck. Father Cloud seemed to gain control of himself. "Just over there, my dear. I’ll be in after you in a moment." ~-~ Zellar abandoned Vincient at his hotel and returned to the Church. Or rather he stood on the steps outside of it. It was here I waited for Professor Stone, he thought. Funny, that seems like ages ago. Did he dare return inside this Holy Place? "I’m already going to pay for my visit this morning," he muttered. "Might as well make it worth it. I’m not through with that priest." He sighed, cursing once more this life he had never asked for, and entered through the solid, heavy doors. Despite the passage of centuries the place remained somewhat unchanged. A blessing or a curse depending on how you looked at it. Much like his own situation. We were going to get married here, he thought sadly. Father Cloud was going to perform the ceramony. He was so proud. The man had been the one to baptise me; he was more a father to me than my own. Probably why he didn’t kill me on sight after I returned here, Zellar mused quietly. Of his long and dark life there had been few people that had blessed him with true light. And more and more that had used false light to trick him. Voices up ahead drew him from his broodings of the past and back into the present. He quickly ducked into a confessional, not wanting to be seen. Here he could safetly wait out these other patrons until it was safe to seek out the priest without distrubances. "That poor girl," he reconized the voice of Father Cloud. "She’s the one that lost her father nearly two weeks ago, isn’t she?" The girl? Tenkou Stone? Why would the elderly clergyman be talking about her? "Yes, and they still haven’t found the one responisble for the destruction of the Ryuujin Shrine." Zellar’s heart almost ceased beating. It wasn’t the fact that this person was talking about him. No, it was the voice. Could it be possible that it belonged to who he thought it might? "Terrible, terrible things. This used to be such a safe, quiet town." Father Cloud paused. "Is there anything I can do for the girl, Himiko?" "Father Cloud," her voice shrank to a whisper. Zellar had to strain to hear the next few words. "I believe she is not safe at Saint Mary’s. I would like to bring her here. You would allow her to stay here till we can arrange transporation for her back to Tokyo?" He strained to hear the priest’s answer, but the door to the other section of the confessional opened then closed, and now someone sitting on the other side of the screen. ~-~ Tenkou looked at the screen separating her from the priest on the other side. She felt like an idiot, but it was best to get this over with. "Um, I’ve never really done this before," she began, after clearing her throat. "And to tell you the truth, I’m not sure why I’m even here." She sat back, and waited for the priest to say something enlightening. "Tenkou," the voice was soft. But the tone was filled with sorrow. As if the mention of her name brought great pain to the speaker. It was not the voice of Father Cloud. "How do you know my name?" she snapped, wondering who this other priest was. "I thought this thing were supposed to be anomomus." "Are you all right? You were hurt too badly at the Shrine were you?" the speaker continued softly, concerned. "I tried to see you, but the security at the hospital made it impossible to get near your room." Slowly she found herself able to put a name to a face. "Oh Jesus," she gasped. "It’s you!" She stood, edging towards the door, but he slid the screen back, and thrust his hand through locking a grip on her, and holding her there. "No, wait. Just for a moment. We need to talk." "Why should I listen to you?" she snapped, trying to squirm free of his grip. "I know what you are! Let me go, you...demon!" The word seemed to hurt him. He shut his eyes, and drew back a little. "Tenkou, please. You deserve an explanation. Allow me to at least give you that much." Memories of dreams stirred in her, but she forced them down. It might be interesting to hear what he had to say. And she did deserve an explanation. "All right," she tugged her hand free, and sat back down. "I’m listening." "Not here," he told her softly, but she could still hear the strain in his voice. "Not now." "Then when and where?" "Tonight outside this church. On the steps. Midnight." He paused. "Listen to me, this church is a Holy Place. Inside it you are safe. Nothing demonic may enter it without harm befalling them. "Take this, wear it. It’s a sign to all the creatures of darkness that you are under my protection. It will keep them away from you when you’re not on Holy Ground." She looked up to see half of what looked like a black star pendant dangling on a chain through the open screen. She eyed it skeptically. "Please, Tenkou, take it!" he urged. She reconized the paniced look in his eyes as the same one he had in the Shrine that day. "I’ll explain it all tonight! But right now I’m out of time!" "What?" she asked, as she took the star from him. "What do you mean?" "Tonight on the steps at midnight." He hissed. "And Himiko is not your friend! Don’t trust her, Tenkou!" She looked up from the chain in her palm to the screen to demand to know what he was talking about only to find he’d vanished. ~-~ Midnight. Pure darkness and soft starlight are guarded by the night’s ruler; the moon. Up in her palace of space, resting in a throne of clouds she overlooks her kingdom. The boy with the silver eyes was an old friend of the moon. Lean and tall, dressed in a black shirt and pants he blends easily into the shadows her beams create. His snow white skin collects the starlight, almost glowing. In the center of his forehead, the black, five- pointed star marks the kinship he shares with darkness. Sharp, pointed demon’s ears poke out from his hair. He waits. He doesn’t know if she will come, but he’ll wait all night. There’s not really anything else for him to do. Tenkou Stone appears from the doors of the church. In her left hand, a wooden cross; in her right hand, a vial of Holy water. This amuses him. She’s come prepared...in her eyes. Little does she know that neither of those traditional demon-weapons are effective against him. "You came," he says. She sees him and starts. But smoothly she recovers. She remains at the top of the stairs, and he remains at the bottom. "You asked me too," she replies. "That didn’t mean you would." "I want my explanation." He looks up. "Where would you like me to start?" "A name would be nice." He shrugs. "Any name you’d like to call me will do. I have no need for one. At first I clung to the name that the human I’d been possessed. But I’ve long since learned that isn’t who I am anymore." "Zellar Kurayamino." Tenkou says. "Your name was Zellar Kurayamino. You were born in 1597, and you died in 1616. You were just a few months shy of your nineteenth birthday." "Hai," he nods. "Zellar Kurayamino died on December 21st, 1616. In the Square in the center of this town. I was born the instant he died." "They call you many things," she continues. "Kurayamino Hoshi usually. Sometimes ‘The One Who Walks With Darkness’, and other times they just call you ‘Death’." "Hai. You...you know a lot about me." "I pick up things from the dreams, or maybe it’d be better to call them nightmares, that I have everytime I close my eyes." "Dreams? You...dream of the past? Of my past?" "It would seem so." He comes closer to her. "You know of the things I’m capable of, and yet you still came to meet me." "I want answers. You offered them." "I can’t tell you anything you don’t already know." "Why did you tell me I couldn’t trust Nurse Himiko?" "Because she’s a demon-hunter. She wants to use you to find me." That's as far as I got... :(