Malice by X Crossover

Shadows of Darkness
by: Korogi Nagisa
January, 1999
Part 3

      Toby pushed open the gates leading to the castle, Mana following along behind him as obedient as ever. He raised his head only enough to acknowledge the gatekeeper before he took Toby's wooly hand and allowed the monster to lead him down the path.
      As they walked, they kept quiet and to themselves, stepping around the viscous, half-dead dogs that guarded the way. On occasion, one would growl at Mana, Toby rebounding to growl back at the dogs, watching them cower and slink back into their positions.
      "I still think this is a stupid idea," Yoshiki's voice came to Mana's ear.
      "Shh," he hissed quietly, picking his way around another demonic dog.
      A little cricket climbed out from behind the ruffled collar on Mana's blue dress, tucking itself neatly into a fold. "Where will they keep Hide?"
      "See that tower?" Mana nonchalantly raised a finger to the left tower of the approaching castle. "Directly under that structure, about 3 floors below ground level. That's where my brother's have built their dungeon."
      Another cricket climbed out from under his collar. "Sounds pleasant," Camui's voice answered. "Are you sure you can get us in there?"
      "Of course I am. My brother's need a fourth person to complete their spells. So they use me."
      Mana shooed them both under his collar as he and Toby approached the gates, watching them open on them, welcoming them home. It was incredibly dark inside, Mana lowering his head to allow Toby to lead him in until his eyes could adjust.
      When he looked up, a maid bowed before him swiftly. "Lady Mana… your brothers wish you to join them in the dungeons as soon as possible.
      Mana easily forced back a smile and bowed his head to the maid, turning from Toby without a word to head for a set of descending, stone stairs. He descended wordlessly a few floors before pausing, leaning up against a wall to adjust one of his satin slippers. "And you thought this was a stupid idea."
      The two crickets hopped off his shoulder to materialize into Yoshiki and Camui, Yoshiki quickly rearranging his garments nervously.
      Camui seemed quite disoriented as Mana steadied him on the stairs, offering stability. "Follow me into the dungeons, but don't follow me into their chambers. That's where they'll be holding Hide, and that's where they'll be performing the rituals."

      Kozi and Yu-Ki had finished their rite as Kami read over instructions on the bound tome at the altar. "Mana's late," he sighed lightly, pulling back from the book.
      "Well, then go find her," Kozi snarled, meticulously adjusting the red robes about his body. "We can't start this without her."
      Kami frowned and turned from the ritual room, grumbling to himself. "He gets more and more pushy as the decades past. I'll be glad when this is all finished."
      He began up the winding staircase quietly, taking the route that lead above to the main castle. But as he walked, he could hear voices on the stairs. He recognized one voice as Mana's, but the other two were new to him. He slowed and listened a moment.

      "Even IF you get Hide back," Camui was saying to Yoshiki, watching the wizard grumble, "how will that help us? If Hide doesn't have any energy…"
      "Quiet, mortal," the other snarled back. "I could turn you into so much swamp scum in the blink of an eye…"
      "Gentlemen…" Mana interrupted, stepping between the two. "The only people who could give Hide back his powers are my brothers. I see little to no chance of one of them being so kind, so let's not argue over the issue!"
      "Little to no chance?" Mana spun about on the stairs at the voice of Kami, nearly loosing his balance. Camui's reached out quickly and caught the man before he fell, freezing them both in place as the warlock came around the corner. "Mana, what's going on here?" he frowned, cornering Yoshiki with a glance.
      Mana's heart began to pound as he hung his head, clinging to Camui as he was helped back to his feet.
      "Answer me, Mana."
      Slowly, Mana raised his eyes to Kami, his body refusing to fend for itself. "I… "
      "Did you let that wizard in here, along with this… who is this man, anyway," he pointed an accusing finger to Camui.
      "Yes…" Mana whispered, hanging his head again.
      "Mana, you know if I tell father how you've misbehaved…"
      "What you're doing here is wrong…" Mana spoke up, almost startling at his own words.
      Kami straightened and raised an eyebrow to Mana, watching Yoshiki out of the corner of his eye. "It's not my place to judge what's right and what's wrong. Kozi and Yu-Ki have decided and therefore we must follow them. That's flat."
      "It's biased," Camui said. "Just because they say so doesn't mean you have to agree with them."
      "If I don't, they kill me."
      "If they kill you, they'll need another to complete their rituals."
      "Then they'll just find another," Kami answered quickly. "Why else do you think they need Mana? Father can't find a woman to give him another child so Kozi and Yu-Ki had Mana stolen…" he trailed off and caught himself, watching Mana wince at the words. "I… I'm sorry…"
      "So it's your fault," Mana whispered, lowering his head. "It was you who had me kidnapped."
      "No… I had nothing to do with it," Kami whispered back. "I was happy the way we were until Kozi and Yu-Ki began to dabble in higher magic."
      "Still, you're no different than the others," Yoshiki offered his insight. "Even if you don't agree with what they do, you still play along. In a sense, it makes you worse than all the rest. You cover the truth with more lies…"
      "I had no choice!" Kami snarled back.
      "You have one now!" Yoshiki straightened and looked down on the warlock.
      Kami frowned again and cocked his head to the side. "What do you mean?"
      "Help me free Hide. With he and I behind you, you'll be safe from your brothers. Powers of light are always stronger than those of darkness."
      Kami looked back at Mana, watching the figure. He reached out carefully and ran a finger over Mana's cheek. "How will I know you'll protect us?" Kami asked, directing the question to Yoshiki.
      "Us?"
      "Mana and I. She doesn't belong here, and I want to see her go back home safely."
      "You have my word. Hide and I will protect both of you once he's freed."
      Kami smiled lightly at Mana and turned to Yoshiki, producing a vial of odd, blue liquid from thin air. "Drink this. It will make you fall asleep. You must find a way quickly in your dream to free Hide's powers. You have five minutes until our ritual begins. If you can't release Hide by then, Mana and I will have to finish the ritual. Once it begins, the only way to stop it will to be to kill us all… all four of us."
      "And your father?" Camui asked.
      "What of him? His powers have long since dried up. He's just a bitter old man. Everything he touches shrivels and eventually dies. He'll pose no threat to you."
      Yoshiki took the small vial carefully, keeping an eye on Kami. "Five minutes?" The other noded… and Yoshiki drank down the contents of the vial.

      Kami led Mana back to the chambers in the castle dungeon, keeping his composure as if nothing was different. Mana seemed to regard Yu-Ki and Kozi with a darker posture than normal. He glanced to the pool that held Hide as he entered, pausing to look long enough to make sure his other brothers noticed.
      "Can we start yet?" Kozi huffed, giving Mana and Kami each an eye. "It took you long enough to find her."
      Mana walked over to the pool and bent down beside it. The pool seemed empty to him. He saw Kozi's reflection appear behind him, and Mana turned painted eyes to his brother behind him. "What's this?" he asked.
      Kozi huffed and leaned down beside Mana, resting a hand on his shoulder. "One of Yu-Ki's new annoying play things. That wizard of the Peace."
      "Really?" Mana asked, eyes glowing. "Can I see him?"
      Again Kozi huffed. "Can't this wait?"
      "We have time."
      "Very well." Kozi took of one of his red gloves, rolled up his sleeves and reached into the pool. He fished around a bit before pulling out a handful of pink hair… the wizard.
      Mana watched the wizard dry instantly as Kozi drew back, taping Mana on the shoulder. "Don't take to long, I'd like to get this over with."
      Mana turned his head to the side and watched the pink-haired wizard with a curious look. "Hi," he smiled, watching the other frown and lower his head. "What's your name?"
      "… Hide…" he whispered, wrapping his arms about his shoulders.
      Mana looked over his shoulder to make sure Kozi and Yu-Ki weren't watching and leaned in. "I'm a friend of Yoshiki's," he smiled, watching Hide's eyes turn to him and brighten. "We're going to help you. Yoshiki's trying to get your powers back now… "
      Hide watched him for a second, occasionally gazing past him to watch the Grace sons. "But… you're a Grace."
      Mana shook his head and prepared to speak…
      "Mana!", Yu-Ki's voice rang, startling Mana. "Quit playin' with him. He's mine." Mana turned from the pool to his brother. "Now, get over here and help us, child," he said, motioning her over with a flick of his wrist.
      Mana turned back to Hide, beginning to gather the blue dress under him. "Just sit quietly and don't make trouble, okay?" He got to his feet and watched Hide settle into a corner of the pit, leaning against the cold stones.

      Just outside the chamber, Camui leaned against the wall watching Yoshiki. The wizard slept on the step above him quietly. "It's all up to you now, Yoshiki."

      Kozi raised his arms above him as he stood on one of the four corners of the intricate symbol on the floor. "Powers of the North," he began…
      Mana glanced to Kami out of the corner of his eye, watching the other nod slowly. There would be no turning back now. They would either have to finish the incantation and hope for the best, or interrupt Kozi and Yu-Ki and pray those two wouldn't kill them.

      Fog… black swirling fog…
      A soft, choked white light….
      Yoshiki shook his head slowly and sat up where he found himself… chest deep in the southern swamp of the lands, surrounded on all sides by and endless quagmire of green oozing dead water. It smelled terrible, worse than anything Yoshiki had ever smelled in his life, like everything living had been decaying and rotting in this thick, slimy green water for decades.
      Quickly, he sloshed through the bog to make it to his feet, the soles of his boots sinking further into the mud at the bottom of the swamp, pulling him down to just below his knees. What in creation was he doing here?
      He couldn't remember… his mind was a complete blank, as if someone had pulled the sheets over his eyes.
      All ways looked the same: an endless bog on all sides, leading off into a dying forest. The air around him was cool, the sky dim as if night was falling over him. And all he knew was that he did NOT want to be stuck in this swamp at night.
      Every way looked as good… or bad… as the other. "Well," he told himself, trying to shoo out the horrid feeling that was welling in his chest. "Since I'm facing this way…"
      The bog tugged and pulled at him with each step he took, as if boney fingers were constantly trying to hold him fast in place. Yoshiki was determined to get out of this swamp, not really caring whether or not he was really supposed to be here or not. "Just what in creation AM I doing here!" he asked out loud, grumbling as his pant caught on something. Yoshiki bent down, feeling through the thick water with his fingers. Some tree branches or something had caught his pant leg, gripping it almost like human fingers… they were pulling at his pants. "What in the name of wonder…" Yoshiki reached into the bog and yanked stiffly at the tree branch, surprised when it came loose easily, sending him tumbling onto his rear back into the bog, splashing smelly green water everywhere. "Oh, just great… I'm getting no where and managing to wear half the bog in the process…"
      Yoshiki once again pried his body from the bog to stand to his feet.
      "Now… this wasn't here before…"
      Yoshiki stood at the base of a small set of stone steps leading up to a small stone structure that looked much like a mausoleum. It was very plain and unadorned, standing like a lonely soul in the middle of the swamp. Yoshiki cocked his head to the side as he pulled himself out of the bog and onto the steps. Well, there was no better shelter from the swamp than this.
      He gave the door a shove, surprised when it slid easily to the side as if some unseen doorman had expected his company. All was dark beyond… but Yoshiki entered anyway.
      Once inside the door, the stone slid shut behind him, blocking out the remainder of the light, plunging his vision to black. "Shit…" he cursed, twirling around to feel the wall behind him.
      No door…
      "What the…"
      Yoshiki frowned inwardly and tried the wall again.
      And he heard a sound… like a tiny drop of water falling into a pool.
      Slowly, he looked over his shoulder to see a faint light blue glow suspended in the air like a long, horizontal beam of thin light. Yoshiki stepped away from the wall, watching the blue glow grow to a long, rectangular shape before him. Curiously he stepped forward, drawing nearer. It appeared to be a large, glass box, almost like a glass coffin, filled with water.
      Closer and closer he got until his fingers could reach out and grip the edge, pulling him nearer. And he looked into the watery coffin.
      A figure slept in the water, dead most likely, swirls of long, pinkish-red hair hiding the face. Without thinking, Yoshiki reached into the water and began clearing the hair, wincing as the water was ice cold.
      There in the water-coffin lay a man with long, whispy pink hair, silent. Despite being emerged in water, the man looked to be alive: the color was in his lips and cheeks, his fingers still pink with life. Yoshiki had no idea who he was… but he was beautiful.
      Again, braving the frozen waters, Yoshiki leaned in and began to tug at the figure, managing to hoist the man into his arms. It took very little effort to lift the pink-haired figure out of their watery grave, bending to lay them out on the floor, cradling the man's head in his lap.
      He was stone cold, occasionally the pink lips quivering from the cold. Yoshiki watched him a moment, drawing in the details of the man in his lap, admiring his beauty.
      Slowly, he wiped a hand over the figure's cheeks. "Are… are you okay?" he asked, feeling a bit stupid at the question.

On to part 4