Dark Star 3: Dog-Dragons and Demon Hunters
By: Gink (gink@mailexcite.com)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

   Tenkou looked skeptically at Dark Star.  "Himiko's a demon-hunter?"
   
   "Yes."
   
   "Why don't I believe you?"
   
   Dark Star sighed, "I don't know, why don't you tell me?"
   
   "Himiko's been nothing but kind to me since you decided to hospitalize me, that's why."
   
   "And you never stopped to think why instead of taking you to the hospital closest to the
Shrine they took you the seven hour journey to the only Catholic hospital in Japan, which just
happens to a be a ten minute walk from the ONLY Catholic church in Japan known for its
supernatural aura."
   
   "Why would I stop to think about that?  Give me one good reason why I *should* think of that?"

   "Some things are not about you, Tenkou."
 
   "Well, *Dark Star*, not everything is about you, either."

   "True, but this is."

   "Is this is true, and I don't think it is, maybe I don't care.  You did kill my father after
all."

   "You remember that?" Dark Star asked with obvious surprise.

   "Since I've been remembering things that occurred in the seventeenth century, I think can 
remember what happened two weeks ago, thank you very much."

   "Well, if you remember so well, you would know it was my only choice.  It was that or let 
him ravage the area."

   He watched as her eyes seemed to cloud over, and the expression on her face changed from
stubborn to completely neutral.  If there was anything going on in her head, Dark Star didn't
know where to begin to guess what it was.

  "I have to go now," was all she said before she turned and walked back towards the hospital,
her arms crossed in front of her to protect herself from the cold breeze.  Dark Star watched her
go.

~-~

  She couldn't place what was going through her head herself.  They weren't thoughts exactly,
perhaps that was why she was having problems.  Waves of emotion were bombarding her, emotions
she couldn't name or identify.

  Tenkou hugged herself tighter as the breeze picked up.  She could feel the wind through her 
body, and it was getting somewhat harder to walk.

  Of course, had she taken a moment to look about she may have realized that there was no sound
of rustling leaves or of whistling wind.  Silence screamed through the dead air, but she 
couldn't hear it.  Or the approaching footsteps behind her.

~-~

  Tenkou had disappeared from Dark Star's sight just as he felt the sudden rise in energy
around him.  It caught him off-guard, and that surprised him.  It appeared his punishment
was about to arrive.

  Dark Star knew that whenever a demon entered a Sacred Holy Place punishment would be
forthcoming.  The gods did not look lightly upon the creatures of darkness invading their
blesséd places of worship.  And Dark Star had done some of that very "invading" they looked
down upon twice in one day.  He was gonna get it.

  Usually what happened was the offended god would send an envoy of some sort, customarily one
of incredible strength *and* imagination.  Big and unmerciful.  Big and ugly.

  That's not what he got.

  The energy grew stronger, twisting and coiling about, forming what Dark Star sensed to be a 
portal.  He decided that perhaps it would be a good thing to move away from the church, as these
tiffs usually resulted in some mass destruction.  Behind the church was a large orchard of Cherry
trees.  It would have to do.

  Dark Star had only just gotten there when he felt a strange surge in the energy that was 
mounting about him.  Either the being that was arriving wasn't who he thought it was, or it
wasn't a very good spell-caster.  The rift fixed itself and a small humanoid with bright green
hair and pale green skin popped into existence before him.  Only the "pop" was five feet above
ground, resulting in Dark Star's Punisher Supreme landing flat on its face in the dirt with its
feet in the air.  The demon had to hold his laughter in at the sight.

  "Don't you know not to move when someone is casting a person-specific transportation spell?"
the green creature said angrily as it righted its self.  It didn't help this damage to its image
had been done.  Not that it would make a difference.  The creature stood about 5 feet tall, had
wild hair and enormous, childlike eyes.  Dark Star doubted it could look threatening if it tried.

  "What are you?" Dark Star asked curiously.

  "I've been sent to punish you," the strange little thing said.  "You violated the Demon/Holy
Sanctuary Act and now you must suffer the consequences."
  
  The demon would have laughed but for the dangerous look in its dark green eyes.  Dark Star was
afraid he'd misjudged this creature.  He felt a flux in the air about him, an dropped to the
ground in time to narrowly miss a very well-directed blast of white flames.  He looked up at the
critter only to see it gathering more power to throw another blast of raw energy.  Dark Star
stood and this time he was ready.

  "Shadow Wall--Protect!" he shouted in time for the white energy to crash into a shield of pure
darkness, canceling each spell out.  The green creature's eyes widened in shock.

  "Don't bother defending yourself!  You'll only prolong this," the creature cried as he prepared
a third blast.

  Dark Star snarled in response.  He rolled out of the way of the next blast, and then leapt into
the air and out of the creature's line of sight.  He leapt again, called his Shadow Sword forth
and landed behind the green thing.  He tapped it on the shoulder.

  The creature turned in time to see Dark Star's fist.  It crumpled to the ground, and blood 
poured from its nose.  Dark Star prepared to attack, but he stopped in mid-swing of his sword.

  "You aren't supposed to fight back," it whimpered.

  Dark Star prepared a second time to swing.

  "No!  Please don't hurt me!" it cried, and Dark Star would not have conceded but for the
fact that being cowering on the ground with one leg up in the air and one arm covering its head
defensively looked so pathetic and defenseless.

  "Who are you?" he asked, his sword still held up should he need to use it.  The creature stared
up at him with frightened, dark green eyes.

  "My name is Joodan.  I'm an inutatsu," he answered quickly.  He lowered his leg, but kept his
arm up and flinched whenever Dark Star moved.  
 
  The demon squinted his silver eyes at Joodan, who tried to cower further into the dirt.  Dark
Star let his sword disappear back into the darkness from whence it came, and held a hand out to
the inutatsu.  Joodan just stared at it fearfully, suspecting a trick.

  "Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you."

  The green creature held off for a moment and then took the outstretched hand.

  "Why are you being nice to me?" Joodan asked as he wiped the blood from his face.  His right
eye had started to swell.

  "Because I'd feel guilty defeating an improperly trained envoy of the gods."  The inutatsu got
a pained look in his one good eye.

  "I was never trained.  I'd have gotten you if you hadn't snuck up on me."

  "But you didn't."

  Dark Star started walking through the orchard, back towards the city.  Joodan followed him
absently nursing his bruised nose and ego.  Once they reached the edge of the trees, Dark Star
allowed his human form to take over again.

  "Where are you going?"

  "Are you still here?" Zellar asked.

  "Duh," Joodan answered, as though the answer were obvious, "you can't expect me to go back, can
you?"

  "Of course I expect you to go back."

  "Well, I can't.  Wanna know why?" the inutatsu asked eagerly.

  "Not particularly, no."

  "See, I'm supposed to be lucky," he continued, ignoring Zellar's answer, "because, you know,
dragons are supposed to be lucky.  But then one of the families I was protecting died last month
in an awful house-fire.  Very *unlucky*.  So I got my protection license revoked."

  "Protection license?" Zellar asked with a raised eyebrow.

  "Yeah.  Those gods these days, very bureaucratic.  Very frustrating.  Anyway, after I got my
license revoked I was out of work, In a manner of speaking.  Servants of the Gods are never out
of work per say, but I was out of *that* business.  So I got pushed around from job to job.  I
kept fouling everything up, though.  A few days ago that god that is known as the 'One God' or
the 'Catholic God' or something like that.  I don't know *exactly* what he's called down here, 
but up there we just call him 'Maurice'.  So Maurice's big bad punisher dude got killed a few
days ago by one of Queen Yasha's Generals and he needed a replacement.  So I got sent.  It was
clear to my superiors that I was very unlucky inutatsu, so I guess they figured send me out to do
a job I definitely didn't have the stomach for.  That way if I screw up, that means whoever I was
supposed to exact Maurice's revenge upon would probably have killed me, and they'd be rid of me.
If I didn't screw up, then yay for me and Maurice, right?" Joodan paused for a breath.  In the
sudden silence, Zellar became aware of the echo on his footsteps.

  "So I can't go back because I haven't punished you yet, and I'm obviously not dead, and if I
go back Maurice'll have my head, do you get it?"

  "Sure," Zellar answered.

  "Have you even been listening to me?" Joodan stopped, crossed his arms and waited for an 
answer.  Zellar took advantage of the silence and strained his ears and eyes, but he neither
heard anymore footsteps nor saw anyone else.  He resumed walking.

  "Sure.  You lost all your luck, lost your job because of it, and now you're a punisher for
Maurice, only you suck at this job too."

  "You have a great way with words."

  "I try."

  They rounded another corner and found themselves at the town square.  The stone angel stood in
her fountain, pouring water as she had for so many centuries now.  Zellar stood and simply
stared at her.  Joodan looked from him to the fountain and back again.

  "Come here often?"

  "Every night," Zellar replied.

  Joodan whistled.  "Boy has she got you whipped or what?"

  Zellar was about to shoot the short inutatsu an angry look when a woman's voice cut him off.

  "Hello, demon.  It's been a while."

  Both Zellar and Joodan turned simultaneously towards the new voice.  A woman in a rumpled
nurse's uniform stood six body lengths from them.  Zellar's eyes narrowed.

  "Yes it has, Himiko," he spat.

  "I won't be letting you get away this time, either."

  "I wouldn't say you let me get away last time."

  Joodan eyed the situation and noticed the smaller girl that Himiko was holding by the wrists.
He tapped Zellar on the shoulder.

  "Who's that?" he asked, pointing.

  "You would know if you'd been listening," Zellar replied, breaking eye contact with Himiko.

  "Not her.  The other girl," Joodan shook his arm while still pointing to emphasize his
discovery.  Zellar squinted to see, but could only make out a vague outline of a person.

  "I see you're resorting to taking hostages now."

  "Yes, well I thought it might help you in turning yourself over."

  "I will never turn myself over to you."

  "Pity, I'll just kill Tenkou then," she said as she pulled the girl up in front of her and 
placed a blade to her throat.  Zellar could see clearly that it was, indeed, Tenkou Stone.

  "Let her go, you don't need her."

  "I'll let her go if you turn yourself over.  I'll ensure your death is painless if you do."

  Zellar didn't know what to do.  He was not in his demon form, which meant his spell casting
ability was limited to healing spells and calling forth the Shadow Sword; he couldn't transform
now because that would render him more vulnerable than handing himself to Himiko, at least until
the transformation was complete.  But he couldn't let Tenkou get hurt.

  "Fine," he said finally.  "But let her go first."

  "Why should I?  You come here first," Himiko responded.

  "No.  You know I'm good for my word.  Let Tenkou go first."

  "Oh, all right," she rolled her eyes dramatically and let go of Tenkou.  When the girl didn't
move right away, Himiko shoved her.  "Get going, so I can have my demon."

  Tenkou ran the few steps to Zellar and wrapped her arms around him.
 
  "I'm sorry I didn't believe you," she cried softly, and then she looked up and saw Joodan.

  "What the hell is *that*?!" was her first response, and then after another moment, "oh my God!
Is he *green*?"

  "Which god is she talking about?" Joodan whispered to Zellar.

  "Maurice," Zellar replied with a faint smirk.

  "I'm still waiting, demon," Himiko snarled.

  Zellar bowed his head for a moment, and then turned back to Tenkou and hugged her.

  "I'm sorry for what I've done to you."  And with that, he turned to Himiko and walked half the
distance to her.

  "You are perfectly capable of doing it from here," he said.

  "Doing what?  What is he talking about?" Tenkou asked, worriedly.

  "I imagine the ugly nurse is going to kill him," Joodan replied.

  "It's been nice chasing you, demon," Himiko said as she began chanting inaudibly.  A ball of
yellow power gathered between her hands.

  "A real slice I tell ya," Zellar replied sarcastically, as he called the Shadow Sword forth
without Himiko noticing.

  "Have fun in Hell," she cried as she launched the ball of flames at him.  He raised his sword
to deflect the blow, but Tenkou's body slammed into him, knocking him down and out of the way.
The Shadow Sword was knocked from his hand at the same time.  The blast of flames flew above the
both of them and hit something.

  For Zellar the next 30 seconds passed in slow motion.  He rolled over in time to see the statue
at the center fountain crack.  First the pot fell from her hands, then the wings disintegrated.
Before the statue, his beloved Tenshi, crumbled into dust he was sure he saw a tear roll down her
stone cheek.

  He stared at the rubble that had been the only thing he still cherished in his cursed life.

~-~

  Joodan watched the statue crumble, and he felt the life energy that had been flowing dissipate
with it.  He turned and saw the disbelieving look in Zellar's eyes change to rage.

  "Uh oh," was all he could think of to say as he pulled Tenkou out of the line of fire.


to be continued...

~-~

Author's Notes:

1: Inutatsu: "inu"="dog", "tatsu"="dragon".  I used it 'coz I thought it sounded cooler than
'dog-dragon'.

2: Joodan means "joke".  I thought it would be an appropriate name for the character.

3: I made feeble attempts at lightening it up without taking away from the seriousness.  I don't
know if I succeeded or not.

4: I hope I didn't butcher LC's story too badly.  Even with the extension this part was rushed.
I give my apologies if it was bad.

  My thanx go out to Lady C for typing/editing this up for me.  (Which I would do myself but
for my lack of a PC)

 To Twoflower: I don't smoke, and I only get drunk in Denny's parking lots on my birthday and/or
weekends.  =^-^=

 And so ends Dark Star 3.  I hope this didn't suck.

GinkCat =^-^=
(1999-April 27-12:41 am- handwritten version)
(1999-April 27-5:10 pm- typed version [LadyC ^-^])