The detective keeps her gun trained on her target. "Move it!" She growls, taking a step for it. [I don't like the look of this guy, what sort of freak walks around in a costume like that?] The boy looks straight back at her, he hasn't moved a muscle. Kaede tries again. "I'm warning you pal, this thing is loaded..." Zellar sighs. [This is going to get difficult... With the kobun around, I don't have time for this... I do NOT need to give the police another reason to be after me...] "What am I charged with?" He asks, trying to buy more time. " ... How about assault, loitering and wasting an officer's time?" "Assault? That was self defense..." "With a blade like that--?" The detective falters as her eyes search uselessly for the weapon. She pauses then says "Okay, I don't know what the hell you did with that sword, and quite frankly I don't want to know. What I do want is for you cooperate; I don't usually resort to violence, but if you don't get your hands behind you back and start walking right NOW, I might have to use this thing..." "That won't be necessary, my friend." The voice comes from the shadows. Despite its velvet tone, the detective jolts at the sound but still keeps her eyes on Zellar. "Keep back, this is police business!" She snaps. The newcomer appears to take no notice as he steps out into the light. Kaede can see him out of the corner of her eye. He is dressed in slate blue, has blond hair and walks with an air of confidence. "Oh, but I must intervene. Can you not see that this confrontation is doing more harm than good?" He says softly as he walks towards her. Kaede isn't sure why, but there's something in his voice... Something so 'right'... She feels her grip falter again and snaps back to alertness. "I'm warning you buddy..." She says, not risking a glance on him. "Unless you want to join our freak show friend over here in going to the station, I suggest you move along." "I'm afraid I can't let that happen." the newcomer says. He takes another step towards her. Kaede shifts her grip on her gun as she realizes how close he is. "I told you to MOVE--" She lashes out at him with the butt of the gun. Instantly the man's hand shoots out and catches her hand. While the detective is distracted, Zellar takes the opportunity to make a break for it... He darts into the shadows, but stops and looks back to see what is happening. The newcomer has a strong grip on the detective's hand. But she isn't moving, isn't even trying to. He whispers something to her, her eyes widen as he touches a palm to her forehead and pulls the gun out of her hand. But she still doesn't move... He steps back, an almost apologetic look in his eyes. There is a pause that seems like an eternity before the detective shudders, her eyes fill with tears and she drops the ground, hands clutched to the sides of her head. She cries out something but Zellar can't quite make out the words. The detective rolls to her knees and looks up at the newcomer as the tears stream down her face. He looks back at her. The detective manages to hold his gaze for a few moments before something causes her to scream once more a double up in pain. She scrambles frantically to her feet runs into the night. Once she has gone, the newcomer throws Kaede's gun over his shoulder and shakes his head. He looks around for a moment then says, "Okay, you come out now, Star." Zellar hesitates, he doesn't know who he's dealing with, but he wants answers. He steps into the light. "What the hell did you just do to her?" He asks, taking a better look at the newcomer. The blue clad boy looks about his age, maybe a little older. He has short gold hair with a blue streak running through it and vivid green eyes like emeralds. A black circlet rest on his forehead, mostly hidden by his fringe, and from it a gold ring hangs in the center of his forehead. He dressed in a floor length slate-blue jacket over darker blue shirt and trousers. He is also wearing a pair of blue finger-less gloves with gold rings at their edges. He smiles at Zellar then shakes his head and sighs. "Mind Spike. I hate having to use that one..." He changes the subject. "You're Dark Star, aren't you? It's just a guess, but I imagined you'd look like this..." "Who are you?" Zellar asks, taking a step back. The newcomer looks him over again and says "If you mean my title, you'll find that out soon enough... As for my name... Call me what you wish... My friends know me as Varaeir." "Varaeir?" "That's right. And seeing as I've told you mine, What is your name? It seems kinda formal to just call you Dark Star..." "..." Zellar hesitates again, trying to work out what side Varaeir is on. [He doesn't look like a Kobun, but appearances can be deceiving...] "Not gonna tell me, huh? That's okay, Zellar Kurayamino. I can cope with that." Varaeir says, smiling. Zellar blinks at him. "How did you?--" "How do I know your name?" Varaeir interrupts. He taps his forehead. "I know quite a few things. In fact, I also know your brother is getting worried about you right now... I better go. I hope we meet again before the battle, you seem like a reasonable guy Zellar. Ciao." He turns and starts off into the shadows. Zellar watches him go... Though it seems weird that he hadn't heard anything from Kurayamino... Varaeir casts one last look back at him, waves then sets off running, fading away into the shadows as if he had never been there at all ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ Dark Star Chapter XXII: Reconciliation By Katy Coope presented by ImproFanfic Dark Star started by Chandra Rooney ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ * * * "Atsuri, we haven't finished yet..." Junta said "We haven't even *started* yet, Junta. We've just been sitting here, wracking our brains with no results. I'm sick of it." Atsuri replied coldly, standing up. "But if we keep at it we'll work out something--" "You think so? Or will we just keep 'considering our options' until the other points become active and bring the whole place down around our ears?" "But they aren't active, Atsuri. And didn't we just have a conversation with Zellar about charging off without knowing the score?" Hitomi said, placing a hand on her brother's shoulder. Atsuri rolled his eyes. "For a start, I'm not 'charging off', I just want clear my head a bit. You should know as well as anyone that I've never been a team player. Besides, if the battle is going to take place here in Kuroimura, I want to know my battlefield. This place is new turf for me, I'd rather not be fighting Kobun and what ever the other sides have to throw at us on terrain I'm not even slightly familiar with." "We're not just planning combat Atsuri, there are other things to take into account and--" Junta started. "And to really plan, we want to have all the stars present, not just us three. So that means we need Zellar and Kurayamino-- Nesuni... I mean Nesuni... If I run into either of them while I'm out, I'll bring them back here, okay?" Atsuri mentally kicked himself. Nesuni would take a long time to get used to. "Don't do anything stupid, Atsuri..." "You know I wont. *I* don't do stupid things." "Atsuri..." "See you later." The Star of Vengeance strode out the door, Hardly noticing as Joodan passed him. The Inutatsu wandered into the room where the Junta and Hitomi were. "Where's he running off to?" Joodan asked gesturing over his shoulder at Atsuri. Hitomi sighed. "I don't know. He does that sometimes." "Uh-huh. Well, anyway, I have a message for you..." * * * Once Varaeir had gone, Zellar heard a familiar voice in his head... [Zellar, what the hell just happened?!] [Why, is something wrong?] [I've been trying to contact you since we got away from that detective, why didn't you answer me?] [You have? But I didn't hear anything...] [I couldn't read your thoughts either, Zel... Well, I sort of could, but it was almost like there were two of you in there, I couldn't make out a word of it...] [So that's how he knew... He must of got inside my head!..] [... Uh, Zellar, what the hell are you babbling on about?] [I'll explain later. Where are you?] [No idea. You know I can hardly remember my way around this place... It was a couple of hundred years since I last had a really good look round...] [Okay, okay. I'll meet you back at the hotel.] [Fine. Heh, I can't wait to see Atsuri's face when he finds out I'm not quite as dead as I'm meant to be...] [See you later, then.] [Sure thing, Angst-boy.] * * * Kyoku wandered the streets of Kuroimura, hardly paying any attention to his surroundings. He was bored now that all the people had gone. The problem with this whole battle thing was all this time spent doing *Nothing*... All this biding time and waiting till the other points were active was just so... so indescribably *Boring* that he could hardly bare it... [It would be so simple to just wreak this old town, to take the Stars and what ever other fools involved in the battle with it, but 'No Kyoku. We have to do it by the rules, Kyoku. If we just carry on like we always have, the Taisei may be wasted, Kyoku...' Just what in the hells am I supposed to do until then? Gyoshi is making such a big deal that we don't draw too much attention to ourselves... What good will a low profile be when I have gone insane with boredom before then?] The Kobun casually flicked a ball of red energy behind him, not even bothering to look round to see what it hit. A second formed in his palm. He tossed it towards an old shop the way a child throws a ball. It collided with the wall, scattering deep red flames that clung to the stone, eating away at it like acid... Kyoku smiled as a thought came to him. [Now *That* is an idea. I'm sure Shiko wont mind if I have a little fun...] * * * Atsuri crouched on the rooftop, looking down at the deserted streets. The heavens were bright with stars, the lack of light pollution made it easy to make out the constellations. It reminded him of how far from 'home' he was... Weird how despite the pollution, crime rate and the harsh price of living, back in the city Atsuri was in his element. That place was always buzzing with life, or death, depending on which side of town you were in... but still, there was a feeling of activity to the air that was totally missing in Kuroimura. It was strange. This little town, seemingly so peaceful and innocent, would be the site for a battle that would shape the future of more than just the planet... [Still, I shouldn't let all this stuff get to my head... I can cope with anything that gets thrown at me... I'm going to have to.] Atsuri had always known the time would come one day, but it had never really been something he thought about at length... but it was here now. His whole purpose for existing... [Because that's why I'm here, right? To fight Shiko and to protect the queen of heaven...] Everything had suddenly got so complicated, there was so much they still didn't know about... [Not that I can't deal with leaving things to chance... I've been being ad-libbing life since god knows when. But there's too much at stake here. We've already lost Kurayamino. We can't afford to lose anyone else. Hell, if Zellar is right, if Nesuni turns out to be someone other than who we think she is-- Damn it, as if we didn't have enough to deal with already! The Kobun are already active, Yasha can't be far off either and as for the other two sides... God knows It'll be like once they show up, whoever they are... Hell, with all those books Hitomi buries her head in, you'd think she could have found out something that'd actually be useful... We don't even know who the other sides are, let alone what they can do... And as for Nesuni, there has to be some logical reason for why she hasn't inherited Kurayamino's power yet... and there's this whole Father Cloud business. If Nesuni killed him, it was probably to cover up something. Which would mean she has her own agenda... Damn it, Kurayamino, you idiot! Why did you have to go and get yourself killed now??] Atsuri practically jumped out his skin when a hand tapped him on the shoulder and a familiar voice said "Guess who?" The Star of Vengeance whirled round to see his assailant. Kurayamino waved at him. And Atsuri almost fell off the roof. "Wha--?!" He stumbled and regained his balance, still choking on words. "You miss me?" Kurayamino asked, grinning. "I-- Do that again and I'll rip your limbs off." Atsuri said, the blunt statement doing nothing to conceal the happiness in his voice. "So I'll take that as a 'Yes' then." Kurayamino said. "Any particular reason why you're standing on top of a building?" Atsuri blinked. "Kurayamino, you're not meant to be alive, let alone still be a star... What's with this?" He tapped his forehead. Kurayamino brushed his hair out of his eyes. "Well, that nice. And I thought you'd be pleased to see me." He said, feigning hurt for a moment before changing his tone again. "Well, really it's a long story and not one I want to have to explain twice... Lets just say I'm not dead, and not really a Star anymore. Well, I *am*, but I'm not with the Star's side anymore..." "Wait, if you're back, where's Tenkou?..." "Down there waiting for us. Shall we go, or do you want to carry on doing your Angst-boy impressions, Atsuri-chan?" Atsuri just managed to stop himself from hitting Kurayamino for the remark. "Shut up, *Kumi-chan!*" He snapped, pushing past his brother and vaulting off the roof. He landed lightly besides Tenkou. He bowed low. "I'm glad you're back with us, my Queen..." Tenkou sighed. "Oh, not *you* as well... Why does everyone think I'm 'Queen of Heaven'? It's just my name..." "If you say so, Tenkou--" "Hey, back off! She's taken!" Kurayamino called, appearing at Tenkou's side and taking her hand. "Isn't that right, Tenkou?" Atsuri glared at him for a moment then shrugged and started off towards the hotel. Tenkou blushed and watched him leave. "Come on," she said, looking up at Kurayamino, "I'm sure the others are worried about us..." * * * Kyoku glanced around him. He could feel other demons were nearby... His sences pinpointed their location and the Kobun set off running, laughing manicly to himself as he did... ----------------------------------------------------- Authors notes Well, that's that for now, sorry it was so short/crap/weird, but I was really busy for the first half of the time in which I was tring to do this, and I'm still trying to settle in with school. (Damn GCSEs!! I hate them!). Comments/criticisms/Plushies can be sent to katy@coopefamily.demon.co.uk Flames may be sent to someone else, I don't want them. This part was written on a combination of no caffine, no sleep, no ideas, large quantities of chocolate and, as usual, a fair amout of PMS ^_^ Oh, and I was listening to 'Sin-é' and 'Del Amitri' while writing it as well, which might explain some things... A *MASSIVE* Hug, much thanks and Kurayamino Plushie to the Lovely Lady C, for prereading ^_^ 'Varaeir' is another one of my meaningless names, though is partly a corruption of 'verrai', which is French for 'will see'... though I mostly chose it coz it sounded nice ^_^ About now I would normally wish luck to who ever it was after me in the queue... but now, as you can probably see, there isn't anyone there. If anyone, and I mean ANYONE, is even contemplating signing up, please, please do. It doesn't matter if you don't think you have the skill, If I can do it, so can you. I'm on my knees here people. Please, Please don't make this the last part. Thank you, and goodnight...