Episode 12 A Land Drenched in Darkness

Five Minutes Ago ~
[Just before the rain breaks out]

Shuriken sits atop a large branch jutting out of a gigantic oak tree. The branch overlooks the Sasha’s house and the lonely, silent boulevard leading out of it. Off in the distance the wall of skyscrapers and busy traffic drones in a mundane, insignificant growl.

He is leaning his back to the great trunk of the tree, peering out of the shroud of leaves and boughs hanging over and about him. A rattling breath of wind blows by, for a second appearing to unnerve him. However, Shuriken’s face remains fixed and set in a depiction of utmost calmness.

Shuriken places his hands together over his knees, keenly observing the deadly silence of the house below. His eyes rove about, as if searching for or anticipating something.

‘“When are you going to realize…as sad as it is, you can’t bring your sister back, not even if you steal the Third Phoneme.”’ Shuriken contemplates Kunai’s words for a minute, as they replay again and again in his head.

‘Lies!’ Shuriken tells himself, ‘Why would Lord Kimura deceive me? Bringing back my sister is all that I exist to do…without that purpose, I have no reason to continue living. It wouldn’t matter whether I’m alive or dead.’

‘Without her, what is my reason to exist? Kunai mentioned that it was not too late for me to change my mind…but I have made my choice. I wish to believe that there is a way…to bring her back…’

As if in a dream, a much younger version of Shuriken hops and leaps about in a wide, flat plain littered with the bright links of flowers, as if lit up with a rainbow hue of glass shards.

Off in the distance lies the gray silhouette of Ludibrium drifting in a hazed horizon. Next to Shuriken, a young girl only a couple years younger than Shuriken runs next to him, shouting and laughing playfully. A trail of flowing, long black hair riffles in the wind behind her as she runs.

Suddenly the girl stops, staring peculiarly up at the boy standing next to her. “Hey Big Bro,” she says out loud in a bright, cheery voice.

Shuriken starts, turning to her as if only just hearing her call. “Uh, yeah, what is it?”

“You seem kinda down today,” the girl replies, “Is something the matter?”

“No, nothing’s wrong,” Shuriken replies distractedly.

“I think you’re lying!” Shuriken’s sister stubbornly retorts.

Shuriken stares at her for a moment, unable to think of anything to say. Finally, he shakes his head, flashing the girl a smile. “No, nothing’s wrong, Shoge,” he answers, patting her on the head.

“Are you sure, Big Bro?” Shoge asks, rubbing the top of her head where Shuriken had tapped her.

“Yea—” Shuriken begins, before a wandering draft of wind drifts by, bringing along with it a deadly screech of pain and terror. Shuriken jumps at the noise, as he and Shoge both simultaneously turn in the same direction.

“That came from home!” Shoge cries out loud.

“Yeah…” Shuriken mutters, sounding rather shaken. “And that sounded a lot like mom…” he adds, struggling to keep his voice from bursting out in a rasp whisper.

“Come on! We have to go see what’s wrong!” Shoge cries, dashing forward recklessly in the direction in which the scream had come from.

“Wait!” Shuriken cries out loud, chasing after her.

Shoge arrives first on the scene, and gasps in mortal surprise as she sees before her a house set ablaze—her own. The hungry fire licks greedily at the planks of wood, consuming it as screams reach the outside from within.

“Mom! Dad!” Shoge cries, leaping towards the door.

Shuriken comes flying after her, trying desperately to pull her back. “No! Shoge, wait!”

All of a sudden a single Steely flies through the air, just missing the top of Shuriken’s head and instead pinning the flaming door just in front of Shuriken.

He turns around to stare face to face with a silent masked assassin, garbed in a strange black robe. From behind the assassin and out of the blaze steps a taller, darker man, a Fairfrozen held in his hands as he gazes malevolently at the flaming building before him.

“Well, well,” Lord Fyx mutters softly, “So it seems that we’ve missed two of them. Well, well…whatever shall we do with these filthy rats?”

Shuriken clenches his fists, failing to comprehend the words of this new man. He glances over his shoulder into the smoldering fire, where Shoge has leapt into in hopes of saving their parents.

“What are you doing?!” Shuriken gasps out loud, his lungs inflamed with the smoke around them, “Help me! Help me rescue my parents!”

“There is no need,” Lord Fyx growls, “for they are dead.”

“They…what?!” Shuriken gasps, staring into the cold eyes of Lord Fyx. “What do you mean? What do you mean they are dead?!”

“You don’t seem to understand,” Lord Fyx replies coldly, “They-are-dead. Your parents no longer exist in this world. But not to worry; very soon, you and your little sister will be joining them.”

“What…what happened?” Shuriken cries, still not comprehending the situation.

“You are slow,” Lord Fyx smirks, “Your parents have passed away. And I did it. I killed them. I set your house ablaze with this magnificent fire you see before you now.”

For the first time, a slight gleam of anger reveals itself in Shuriken’s dark eyes, completely changing the look of his face into one of darkness and anger. “What…?”

A loud crash suddenly sounds behind Shuriken, and he and Lord Fyx temporarily halt in their conversation as they turn to watch Shoge coughing loudly and struggling to pull herself out of the flames. Her face is completely blackened with soot, and yet she carries behind her the deformed bodies of two people.

“Kill her,” Lord Fyx’s voice sounds remotely.

At once, four Steelys penetrate the air, singing through it and cutting through the frail body of Shoge one by one, spilling blood upon the floor. Shoge falls to the floor silently, without a word, not even aware of the circumstances.

Shuriken watches with widened eyes as his dead sister’s body lies atop his parents’ disfigured faces, blood spilling from his sister’s wounds onto the ground, onto his parents, all over the place.

An imprint of crimson seemingly imprints itself into Shuriken’s vision, and for a moment, he struggles to force it out of his head. He closes his eyes, screaming out loud and holding his hands up to his face, but even with his eyes closed, the color red seems fixed in front of them.

“No…no!” Shuriken gasps, falling to his knees.

A shadow falls over Shuriken as he lies on his knees, trembling and shaking terribly. Shuriken opens his eyes and looks up, only to stare into the remorseless face of Lord Fyx. The tip of his Fairfrozen hovers just in front of him, and Shuriken draws a slow breath as he stares into its very contours.

Lord Fyx sneers down at the trembling Shuriken, seeing the look of despair in his face. “I see it…at last, you finally begin to comprehend it…you will die here, yes.”

Shuriken remains immobile, fixed to the spot where his family perished, unable to move. However, Lord Fyx merely raises his Fairfrozen, ready to strike the finishing blow.

“You’ll die in one shot!” Fyx shouts out loud. With a crash, he brings the spear swinging down through the air in a wide arc.

Shuriken braces himself for the impact, closing his eyes shut, but none comes. Finally, he opens his eyes, staring into the shocked face of Lord Fyx.

“What…what is this?” Fyx growls in a hoarse whisper. His Fairfrozen is paused just above Shuriken’s head, apparently struggling against some invisible barrier.

A dark vapor arises about Shuriken, transforming into the dark form of a small Dragon Paradox. With a swift blow, the Dragon Paradox shoots a beam of dark light towards Fyx, forcing him to step back and relinquish his hold on his Fairfrozen.

Fyx stares at the demon before him, temporarily shocked. “What…how could this be? This kid’s got a Paradox protecting him?!”

The Dragon Paradox sends another blast of dark energy towards Fyx, forcing him to shout out loud and struggle for the first time in the conflict.

“Let’s get out of here! Retreat!” Fyx cries to his soldiers, and they immediately sprint away, abandoning the scene of the crime.

Shuriken stares in awe at the tiny Dragon Paradox hovering in the air just above him. The Paradox turns and seems to give a smile to Shuriken.

Shuriken reaches out with a trembling hand, and strokes the smooth, silky fibers of the Paradox. “Y-You saved me…” he mutters, staring awestruck at the beast. “You really saved me…”

However, Shuriken soon turns back to his family, and begins sobbing uncontrollably. Finally he breaks out into a piercing wail, crying out loud for the loss of family.

All the while, the pool of his sister’s blood continues to grow, until it creates a puddle across the entire ground in which to wade it. Shuriken raises his blood-soaked hands, staring into them. “NO!” he cries, panting agonizingly.

Suddenly Shuriken’s eyes darken, and they become hollowed, showing no emotion. “That man…who was he? Who was he to kill my entire family? We never did any wrong to anybody. I must find out who he is. I must kill him!”

As Shuriken’s descent into the past ends, he leaves his hidden bower among the trees, and leaps into open air, just as the first few drops of rain begin to descend in pulsing needles from the sky.

While the rain begins to beat down faster and faster, Shuriken continues traveling, headed for the center of town. He ignores his soaked garments, disallowing them from slowing him down.

Meanwhile, Ryuu, Kunai, Ivy, and Ayame stand gathered around in front of the door of Sasha’s house. They all stand in a circle, staring at the ransom note held in Ryuu’s hands, which had been hurriedly pinned to the door with a Tobi.

Kunai stares up at Ryuu as they finish reading the letter for the fourth time. “Ryuu. Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

“Yeah,” Ryuu replies, “there’s no doubt who the culprit is…”

“So Shuriken made it all the way out here?” Ivy asks.

Ayame shakes her head. “He’s been following us.”

Next Time: Episode 13 The Shuriken of Revenge

Kunai: So…Shuriken’s finally caught up with us, has he?

Ryuu: Then he’s only gonna run into a lot of trouble facing all four of us at once. He picked the wrong fight today! Next time, we kick Shuriken’s ass!

Ivy: Is Ryuu allowed to say that in a preview?

Episode 13 The Shuriken of Revenge coming soon!