Rekki twisted her scarf between her fingers. All in all,
Tenkou had taken the half-assed explanation that there was no
'Valentine' rather well. Or rather, she seemed to accept that it
was a code for 'Yamato' easily enough. It just went to show that
little white lies never hurt anyone. She cleared her throat. So,
which cleaners was your dress at again?" Rekki asked Tenkou.
"We'll have to swing by before we go to my place."
"The one on fifth," Tenkou said, brightly. "I really
appreciate you helping me get ready, Rekki."
"Hey, it's no problem," Rekki told her. "This Gala is a big
thing."
"I can't wait," Tenkou replied, putting her notebook in her
backpack. "I've never been asked to anything like this before."
She reached for her textbook. "Any hints you can give me?"
Rekki watched from the corner of her eye as Kirya's head
turned sharply in their direction. Jane continued to prattle on
about something until she was silenced with a hand wave. Rekki
looked back at Tenkou. All right, they had their attention. It
was now or never. "It seems so intimidating, doesn't it?" Rekki
asked, smiling sweetly.
Tenkou nodded. "Are you certain he asked specifically for
me?"
"Yes, he said he'd accept no less than the best." She
paused. "And you know how he is, once he gets an idea in his
head--"
"Who are you talking about?" Kirya demanded, gripping the
table before them and leaning in close. "Who exactly is taking
a-- plain little thing like you to the Gala?"
"Oh, I don't think you'd know him," Rekki replied, tossing
her hair. "He's part of a different circle than your parents."
"Try me," Kirya hissed, narrowing her eyes. "Who's this
fellow's father?"
"He's not really anyone important," Tenkou said, quietly.
"His father is, um, Vincent-- something?" she looked at Rekki.
"Vincent Estrelas?" Kirya squeaked.
"Yes, that's it!" Tenkou nodded. "Do you know him?"
"You're escorting _his_ son?" Kirya paused, and then
laughed. "So you're the one they found when I refused." She slid
back smiling. "Yes, yes, I can just see it-- you and his son
would be a perfect match. No one wants either of you around."
She turned and began making her way back down the steps.
"Stop by our table, Kirya," Tenkou called, sweetly. "Matthew
said he'll save you a seat."
Kirya nearly tripped. Tenkou gave Rekki a smile. "We'd
better go if we want to get to the cleaners before it closes," she
told her friend.
Rekki grinned. "You know, I think you've been spending too
much time with me."
*
Darkness: Songs
Five: Forethought
by: Chandra Rooney
darkness@cloak-and-dagger.co.uk
*
Revised: June 2001
August 2001
*
Vincent found Dawn Star in his office staring out the window
onto the spacious grounds of the Morningstar Foundation. Vincent
cleared his throat, shutting the door behind him. "Father?" he
asked, hesitantly. "I-- wished to speak to you about tonight."
"Are you having second thoughts, Daylight?" Dawn Star asked,
not removing his eyes from the window. "Can it be that you've
fooled yourself into believing you care for the mistake?"
"N-n-no, Father," Vincent assured him. "I will do whatever
you require of me. It is a son's duty to aid his father's
dreams."
"Hikaru made a fool of you," Dawn Star continued. "Stole
what you desired most." He paused. "Do you know what I have been
contemplating, my son?"
"No, Father."
"I have been wondering how much easier this all would be if
you had slain Yamato when he was a child-- as I ordered you to."
"Had Hihane not hidden him away on Earth--"
"Yes, yes." Dawn Star waved his hand. "Tonight is a night
of promises, my son," he continued. "It is the night which
decides the next path." He paused. "How I wish Lady Avalon
herself could be at our gathering tonight."
"Why, Father?"
Dawn Star snorted. "Why do you ask such stupid questions,
Daylight?" Vincent hung his head. "Isn't it obvious? I'd like
nothing more than for her to be present at the moment I prove her
wrong." He smiled. "Tonight will be the beginning. Tonight we
take back control of the future."
*
Tenkou stepped out of the cleaners and stopped at the edge
of the sidewalk. "Rekki, there's somme guy sitting on the hood of
your jeep."
"What?" Rekki asked, shielding her eyes. Tenkou raised her
hand on pointed to the blond figure seated on the red jeep. Rekki
frowned. "What the hell?" she muttered. Eyes narrowing, she held
out her arm. "Tenkou, stay here, I'll be right back."
Tenkou watched as Rekki crossed the parking lot and stopped
in front of her vehicle. Hands on her hips, she began talking to
the boy. Tenkou watched for moment, seeing that Rekki just seemed
to be getting angrier and angrier. What was going on? She began
walking closer, trying to appear nonchalant. Rekki had a temper,
and it would be just like her to start something with this kid
over nothing. As Tenkou got closer, she saw the boy was dressed
in a pair of soft blue trousers and a cream colored shirt.
"I don't care who sent you," Rekki was saying, hotly, "get
the hell off my car."
"Look, would you just listen to what I have to say?" the boy
asked. His mulberry eyes were narrowed in frustration.
Karu? Tenkou looked from Rekki to the boy. What was going
on?
"No, you listen to me you, little bastard," Rekki swore,
reaching for him.
"Stop yelling at me, Requiem." The boy was off the hood in
an instant and beside her on the ground. He had his hands on her
shoulders, his mouth near her ear. He whispered something that
Tenkou couldn't make out and Rekki let out a little gasp.
Rekki's eyes were wide and startled, and Tenkou saw that her
friend was actually shaking. "Rekki!" Tenkou cried, dropping her
calm act and running the rest of the way to the car. "Let go of
her!" She grabbed the arm of the boy. "Karu, let her go!"
"She's the one holding me," he protested, trying to shake
Tenkou off.
"Let her go!"
"Why don't you all calm down and stop yelling at each other
in the middle of the parking lot?" Tenkou turned to see Yamato
standing with his arms folded, staring at them.
"Where did you--" Tenkou began.
"What's going on?" he demanded, cutting her off.
"It's nothing, Yamato," Rekki said, quietly as she wiped at
her eyes.
Yamato gently slid past Tenkou. "It's something," he said
to Rekki. "You wouldn't be crying over nothing."
"I'm not crying," Rekki snapped. "I have something in my
eye."
"Get in the jeep," he told her.
"Yamato?" Rekki looked up. "Didn't you hear me? It's
nothing--"
"Get in the jeep, Requiem."
"Requiem?" Tenkou repeated.
"You too, Tenkou," Yamato said, opening the door. Rekki was
climbing into the back seat. Tenkou sat next to her feeling
bewildered.
"Yamato," she said, as he moved to push the seat back, "You
are going to tell me what's going on, right?"
"Yes," he nodded. "But not here."
"You look upset," the mulberry-eyed boy remarked.
"You blew Requiem's cover, Hikaru," Yamato replied.
"I had reasons to," Hikaru told him.
"I'm sure you did. Get in the jeep."
Hikaru did as told. Yamato sat in the driver's seat.
"Keys, Requiem." Rekki dug in her purse and handed him the keys.
"I'll take you home," he said, starting the jeep.
"What are you doing here?" Tenkou asked again.
"Prometheus told me what was about to happen," he replied,
simply.
"Who's Prometheus?"
"Prometheus Avalon," Rekki said, quietly.
"Yeah, okay," Tenkou sighed, "but who is that?"
*
"You know what surprises me most about this Lady Avalon?"
Alan Stone asked Binah, as he reached for a pen.
"What?" Binah asked, turning her face away from the window
of her study.
"She's so very forward, there's no flowery language or
complicated metaphors. The passages are simple, yet cleverly
refrain from giving too much information at the same time." He
paused. "I don't think I've ever read anything like it."
"Yes, Lady Avalon was the most talented prophet the Northern
Phoenix ever produced. Quite possibly the greatest prophet ever."
Binah paused. "It's said that she was spared the fires of
Judgement because the gods were taken with her."
"Like a Helen of Troy," Stone muttered.
"Very much. Her beauty and fierce pride caused the downfall
of her order. You see, there were two Temples dedicated to
Judgement within the Northern City. Lady Avalon was the head of
the smaller one. It is said Lady Avalon refused to wed the high
priest of the main Temple of Judgement. In retaliation, the head
priest imprisoned her and her fellow priestesses of the smaller
temple and told them that they could join him or be put to death."
She paused. "Lady Avalon refused to join, saying the head priest
served his own purposes and not those of the universe. He
sentenced her for execution, saying it was she who sought to
undermine the gods."
"What a disgraceful way to die," Stone said, softly.
"She did not die." Binah's hand closed over the armrests of
her chair. "Two young thieves freed her and her mother from the
dungeon before the execution could take place. The priest had his
people search the city, but Lady Avalon was never found."
Stone whistled. "I'm impressed Binah," he remarked. "You
tell it as though you were there to see it, instead of simply
reading accounts of it in dead languages."
Binah leaned back in the chair, an odd look on her face.
"There are days that I almost believe I was."
Stone chuckled. "Well, yes, I suppose after immersing
yourself in it you might." Binah didn't comment. Clearing his
throat, Stone looked down at his watched. "Binah, I'm afraid I
have to go."
"Oh, of course," she replied. "I didn't realize it was so
late. Will you be returning for the Gala, Alan?"
He nodded. "Yes, of course. It's an important event for
the Foundation."
"Yes," Binah replied, turning back to the window. "I
suppose it is."
*
"Is anyone going to tell me what's going on?" Tenkou asked,
again, as Yamato pulled into the underground parking. She looked
around. "Rekki, you never mentioned you lived in the same
building as Yamato."
" 'She' probably didn't mention a lot of things, Sunshine,"
Hikaru said, quietly.
"Don't make the situation worse," Yamato said, equally
muted.
"Prometheus is waiting up there, isn't he?" Hikaru asked.
Yamato nodded. "I thought he hated large gatherings."
"He said he wouldn't want to miss this one," Yamato replied.
"That's certainly doesn't put my mind at ease," Rekki said,
from the back seat. She opened the car door and got out. "I'll
be home. Take Tenkou with you, if you don't mind. I need some
time alone."
"You want me to walk you up?" Yamato asked.
Rekki shook her head. "No, I'll be okay." She paused at
the lift and looked back. "Thank you."
Yamato smiled at her waiting until the lift doors had closed
between them. Then he turned back to Hikaru and Tenkou, puffing
out his cheeks and pushing his hair back from his face. "That
bastard," he muttered. "What kind of monster does something like
this?"
"Dawn Star taught his boy all he knows," Hikaru remarked,
folding his arms. "So Daylight rules with fear and intimidation,
just like his father. Ask Prometheus, he can tell you dozens of
stories about the campaign against the less powerful temples of
the Northern City."
"I don't want to hear stories," Yamato said. "I want to do
something."
"What do you intend to do?"
"I don't know." Yamato rubbed his eyes with the heels of
his palms. "I just don't know."
"Hello, is anyone listening to me?" Tenkou asked. She was
beginning to doubt anyone would ever bother to answer her.
The scent of cinnamon tickled her nostrils. Hikaru was
digging around in his pockets. He pulled out his mulberry-tinted
glasses and slipped them off before turning to her. "We're
listening," he replied.
"Then why isn't anyone answering me?" she asked him.
"What's going on? What happened to Rekki?"
"We were talking," Hikaru replied. "Requiem's father has
been murdered, and he's rightly upset about it."
Tenkou swallowed. "Why didn't she tell me?"
"That's something you have to ask her," Yamato replied. He
retrieved Tenkou's dress from the jeep. "What do we do now?" he
asked Hikaru.
"We go party," Hikaru replied, dully as he leaned against
the side of the jeep. "If we don't, they'll know something is up,
and it won't take Dawn Star long to figure out who."
Yamato nodded. After a moment, he rubbed the back of his
neck. "Say, Hikaru--"
"_Now_ is the right time?" Hikaru asked, raising an eyebrow.
"That's not what I was going to ask," Yamato told him. "I
wanted to know if you had any idea what is going to happen tonight
that would be enough to bring Lady Avalon back out of retirement."
"Is that what he told you?" Hikaru asked. Yamato nodded.
"Threads and Flames," Hikaru muttered. "Come along, kids," he
waved them towards the lift.
"Damnit, would someone answer me?" Tenkou exclaimed. "What
is going on?"
"We're going to talk to Prometheus," Yamato replied. "We'll
sit down and I'll try to answer your questions once we get to my
flat." He paused. "Don't worry, Prometheus is in a good mood
today."
"I wouldn't worry, Sunshine," Hikaru called from the open
lift as he held the doors open for them. "Prometheus has wanted
to meet Tenkou for sometime. He'll be extra fluffy for her
benefit."
"I really wish someone would tell me what's going on,"
Tenkou told Yamato, quietly.
"I'm not too sure myself," he admitted. "But if it's
brought Prometheus with it, then it's got to be something huge."
*
Tenkou was uncertain of what to expect as Yamato opened the
door to his flat. Hikaru bounded in ahead of them, but Yamato
didn't say anything. Tenkou watched the two of them, wondering
how they knew each other. Hikaru seemed to treat Yamato with a
sort of genuine endearment, but it seemed vaguely parental-- and
not romantic-- in origin. Yamato took it all in stride, but the
slight edge to his voice suggested he had something else on his
mind.
"So this Prometheus is a friend of yours?" Tenkou asked,
hesitantly, as she stepped inside the apartment.
"He's like family," Yamato replied. "But it's been a good
long time since I saw him last."
"Prometheus-jiichan!" Hikaru exclaimed happily from the
living room.
"What have I told you about calling me that?" The man at
the window asked, in a heavily accented voice. British from the
sound of it.
But 'British' was not the word Tenkou would have used to
describe him. The man's eyes were a golden color and set in an
elegantly featured face with prominent cheekbones. A black line
ran from his hairline near his ear along the bone accentuating it.
A shorter line crossed the long mark. The mark between his dark
red eyebrows was a black spiral with a small black cross above and
below. Tuscan red hair fell all around his face and spiked up on
the top. It was longer than Hikaru's but not by much. The man
was dressed in a long deep green vest, open at the waist to reveal
his white shirt and brown trousers. Tenkou regarded the golden
bands around his neck and the long golden links of chain wound
loosely about his waist. At one end of the chain, a hematite
cross dangled, glinting in the fading early evening sunshine.
Without a word he stepped forward and took her chin in his
hand raising her eyes to his own. "You look like your mother," he
remarked, softly. "That's good. Your father, bless his confused
and troubled soul, is not much to look at-- even for a human."
"Ah, no one can make a first impression like Prometheus
Avalon," Hikaru laughed. "You're a racist bastard, Prometheus-
jiichan."
Prometheus let go of Tenkou and stepped back, flourishing
one arm out to the side and tucking the other to his chest as he
bowed. "Thank you, magomusuko," he replied, after straightening.
"I was worried I was losing my touch."
" 'Magomusuko' ?" Tenkou repeated, blinking.
"It means 'grandson'," Yamato translated.
"Is he your grandfather?" Tenkou asked Hikaru, looking from
the one deceptively young man to the other.
"The closest to one that I've got," Hikaru replied, smiling.
"Tenkou Stone, this is Prometheus Avalon. A Seer of considerable
power and complicated fellow with many secrets."
"None of which I give you permission to share," Prometheus
replied. Tenkou held out her hand, unsure of what else to do.
Prometheus brought it to his lips, the faint smell of maybe ginger
or cloves -- it was something warm and exotic-- coming from his
skin. "A pleasure, Miss Stone," he told her. He indicated
Hikaru. "And, since I'm quite certain he hasn't bothered, allow
me. Miss Stone, Hikaru Hihane. A thief of renowned skill, among
other things."
Hikaru gave Prometheus a very dirty look. "Spoil my fun."
"If I don't get to be mysterious and cryptic, no one does,"
Prometheus replied, smiling. He looked back at Tenkou. "And of
course you're well acquainted with our dear Yamato."
Yamato humored them by lifting his hand in a wave. "What
brings you here, Prometheus?" he asked.
"A great deal of the people I hate the most are all gathered
in one convenient location." Prometheus grinned, a slightly
disturbing expression that made his eyes gleam. "I'm also here to
ensure that the next Judgement is passed. Preferably tonight at
the Gala."
"I suspected as much," Yamato muttered. "So it's Tiferet's
turn now?"
"Find yourself a diagram of the Tree of Life, Yamato,"
Hikaru remarked. "You might be interested in what you see."
"Not to mention better prepared," Prometheus added. "The
Sefirot. Consider it."
"Tiferet is the branch of beauty and compassion," Tenkou
said, softly. She blinked. "I knew it sounded familiar. And--
Hod and Netzah," she looked at Yamato. "They're branches too.
The ones before Tiferet."
"Smart girl," Hikaru remarked, sounding impressed.
"She'd have to be," Prometheus told him. "He likes the
smart ones." If Prometheus noted Yamato shooting him a dirty
look, he didn't show any response to it.
"I need to sit down," Tenkou said, easing into a chair.
"I--" She broke off. "Someone should go talk to Rekki."
Yamato knelt by her chair. "Tenkou," he began, softly.
"Are you all right?"
"I was going to ask you how you know Karu-- Hikaru," Tenkou
continued, a sort of glazed look coming over her eyes. "He came to
my house, you know--" Her eyes started to tear, so she pushed on.
"And Matthew-- Matthew said something about him at the coffee
shop, didn't he?"
Yamato reached forward, brushing at the tear trailing down
her cheek. "Tenkou," he repeated, just as gently.
"Oh God, she's my best friend," Tenkou whispered. "And she
didn't say anything to me--"
"Let's give them some privacy," Hikaru said, gently. He
started for the door. "We'll look in on Requiem."
"Thank you," Yamato said, lifting his eyes from Tenkou.
Hikaru gave him a little half smile, and Prometheus followed
him out the door.
*
"Might we pause and have a chat?" Prometheus asked, as he
closed the door to Yamato's flat.
Hikaru made a face. "A chat about what?" he asked.
"I thought we might sort a few things out and become
explicitly clear about what's going to happen tonight," Prometheus
continued. "How much has your father and uncle told you about
tonight?"
"The Hihane family are not the most adept at dates," Hikaru
replied, carefully. "Everything is an approximation with us.
You're the one who becomes cross if things happen a second earlier
or later than you said they would."
"Approximations are no way to run a universe," Prometheus
muttered. "It's a very inefficient system."
Hikaru shrugged. "It's the only one we've got."
Prometheus scowled at him. "Yamato is on his own," he
replied. "Do I make myself clear, Hikaru?"
"I trust him to take care of himself," Hikaru replied.
"Besides, it's not me who steps in to give him a hand."
"That's a 'no' I see. I was not suggesting that you would
be helping him. I'm telling you that he's on his own tonight."
Hikaru understood that time. "It's time then?" he asked,
quietly. Prometheus nodded. Hikaru was quiet for a moment, then
he smiled. "Well, then I suppose we ought to go check on Requiem.
I remember how I felt when my mother died-- and that was from
natural causes." He stopped and looked thoughtful. "I suppose I
was probably closer to my mother than he's been to his father
lately, but still.... He must be pretty devastated."
"I don't believe we should tell Yamato what we know,"
Prometheus said. "He must not be aware that anything different is
happening. It could influence his decisions."
Hikaru lost his smile. "I don't lie to people."
"Not lying," Prometheus corrected. "Withholding
information. I _know_ you do that."
Hikaru stopped and turned around. "You know, Prometheus, I
don't expect you to fully understand my feelings on this matter--
but as far as I'm concerned, we should be preparing Yamato as best
we can. This is something he should know."
"I understand you're worried about the possibility that he
may not survive," Prometheus replied, calmly. "But he needs to
learn what he is capable of." He paused. "Hikaru, death doesn't
sit well with you or your father. But everything depends on
Yamato acting of his own volition."
"Sometimes I really don't like you very much," Hikaru
muttered, stomping off for the lift. "I'm going to talk to
Requiem. I don't really care if you come or not."
Prometheus smirked. "There's too much of his father in that
one," he remarked, then added as an afterthought. "And, perhaps,
too much of himself in his son."
*
Dawn Star strode purposefully through the Morningstar
Foundation's collection. He was deep within the separate section,
where only the ones he deemed trustworthy were allowed to step.
No one was trustworthy enough for this particular search and
retrieval he was undertaking.
The room lay at the very end of a long and seemingly
forgotten hallway. It was locked behind a door that only he knew
the spell to open. The rarest and most valuable items of his
collection lay within that room-- and they were threatening to
once again dwindle in number.
Opening the door and stepping inside, Dawn Star let his cold
gaze sweep across the room. There, in that empty spot, had rested
the sword called the Runic Blade-- said to have been given to the
first priestess of Twilight by the spirit itself. Gone now, it
had been reclaimed many, many years ago by Twilight's own hand.
Dawn Star stepped past it to the next empty spot. This was where
the pentablades had rested; the weapons of Judgement-- blades that
cut down Gods and cleaved through civilizations. Also reclaimed.
One might wonder why he would continue to keep a place for them,
but Dawn Star thought it obvious. He remained optimistic that one
day he would have his precious relics back-- a day in the not so
distant future if all went well tonight.
Gone also was the Mirror of Truth, as it had been stolen
from the care of Daylight nearly four hundred years ago. That had
been the last time Dawn Star trusted his son with anything
important. After all, the fool's carelessness had not only cost
Dawn Star the Mirror, but had also allowed the encounter between
that thief and Amaterasu that led to Yamato's accused birth. The
mirror had been a vitally important treasure.
The Chains of Fate had never really been a part of his
collection, having been placed in the care of the priestesses of
Judgement with the pentablades. Dawn Star had seen them, though,
and had kept a space for them. For when he wrenched them from
around the waist of that blasted Prometheus Avalon and took his
life with his own symbols. He knew he could do it. As soon as
the opportunity presented itself, he'd use Fortune's Key to unlock
the chains of Fate. His fingers caressed the smooth vertical
pendant. It was a smaller white piece set in the top corner of
the main purple piece. To anyone else it would probably look like
some sort of misplaced modern art piece, but that was the beauty
of Fortune-- always hiding where no one expected it to be.
Yet this treasure was not the one he sought. No, the one
that would serve its purpose tonight was the most hidden and
arguably the most precious. Even more deceptive than Fortune's
Key, this piece looked to be nothing more than a crystal orb.
The only thing remarkable about it was the way it seemed to hold a
light of its own deep within the centre of the orb-- like a marble
with a piece of twisted glass encased within. Dawn Star lifted
the orb from its resting place feeling its warmth against his
skin. Holding it he could smell faint traces of vanilla and
cinnamon-- a warm and comforting scent. The light flickered in
time with the steady rhythm of the pulse coming from the orb.
Dawn Star gently placed Fortune's Key in his pocket, and
then he turned and left his treasure hold.
*
"It's just hard," Tenkou repeated, sniffling. "I mean, just
when I finally start to get a grip on what's happened-- something
else happens. Something bigger. Doesn't it ever stop for just a
moment so that we can all catch our breath?"
"Only the moments between death and resurrection," Yamato
remarked, oddly. "It's why so many just burn out. It takes a
certain strength to keep the fire alive. Of course, it's much
easier when you have no choice."
They were sitting on the coach; Tenkou had been coaxed to
move there after Hikaru and Prometheus had left. Yamato had his
arm around her shoulders, and she was leaning against his chest.
It was a peaceful and comforting position, although it had the
downside of making it so she couldn't see his face.
"I used to have a normal life," she said, suddenly. "You
know. It's not like I didn't complain about it or wish that it
was more exciting or different somehow, but I could handle it.
Things didn't always make sense, but most of the time it was all
okay." She paused. "I don't feel that way anymore. Ever since I
met you, my life's been turned upside down. I don't know what's
going on anymore. Nothing makes sense."
Yamato said nothing. He kept staring straight ahead at the
wall.
"Yamato?" Tenkou slipped out from under his arm and moved
back on the couch. "Are you listening?"
He blinked. "Yes," he replied. He puffed out his cheeks
and pushed his hair back from his face. "I'm listening."
"Everything just happens so fast," Tenkou continued, playing
with the hem of her shirt. "I don't think I can live like this.
I need time to accept things-- to process them." She was silent
for a moment. "I don't think I can do this Gala thing for you.
I'm just not ready. I'm sorry."
Yamato blinked. "Tenkou, I never asked you to go to the
Gala," he said, carefully. "I was only going to go because you
were going to."
"But your family is here," Tenkou protested. "It's like
this big thing. Everyone keeps whispering about tonight being
really important."
Yamato stood up and walked over to where he'd slung her dry-
cleaning bag. "Hey, one of the only reasons I was going to go was
because somebody wouldn't shut up about how good you looked in
your new dress."
"Yamato?" Tenkou blinked, staring up at him. "But don't you
_have_ to be there?"
He shrugged. "My reasons for going don't require me to be
at the Gala for the entire night," he told her. "I'll go later."
He smiled. "We'll do something you want to do instead."
Tenkou wasn't sure how to react to that. Maybe he hadn't
understood what she was trying to say. It wasn't just the Gala--
it was the whole life that seemed to come with being around him.
His world was so much more dangerous and fast-paced than her own
was. But-- maybe he knew that. He was trying to make her feel
better after all, wasn't he?
"I mean, we couldn't really talk very freely at the Gala,"
Yamato continued. "And one of the reasons I like being around you
so much is that I feel like I can talk freely to you. There
aren't many hu--people like that in my life."
Tenkou felt herself blush a little. "I like talking to you,
too, Yamato," she told him. "It's just that--" she broke off at
the sound of a knock on the door.
"That was fast," Yamato muttered. He carefully slipped out
from beneath her and made his way across the room.
"Hey." Tenkou heard the melodious male voice say as Yamato
opened the door.
"Hey, Requiem," Yamato replied.
"So," Requiem continued, "on a scale of one to ten, how much
trouble am I in?" he asked. He sounded rough. His voice was
strained and almost scratchy. Tenkou betted it was from crying.
She got up from the couch and walked up behind Yamato.
Requiem stood on the other side of the door, his skin
looking pale and chalky. His golden eyes were rimmed with red.
He looked-- broken, nothing like the vibrant pyromaniac that had
saved her from Tiferet's men.
"I'm very upset with you, Rekki," Tenkou told him, and then
awkwardly hugged him. "But I think now isn't a good time to yell
at you."
"Thank you," he mumbled. "I appreciate it."
Tenkou stepped back. "But I'm hurt," she told him. "Very,
very hurt. You lied to me, Rekki. You were my best friend and
you lied to me. I probably won't be able to fully trust you for a
very long time."
Requiem nodded, his purple hair swishing. "I'm sorry."
Tenkou believed him. "They're not back yet?" Requiem asked,
stepping past her and looking around.
"They said they'd gone to check on you," Tenkou told him.
Requiem eased down into the chair. "Oh yeah." He paused.
"Somebody said something about getting ready or something. I
can't honestly say I was paying a lot of attention to either of
them."
"I'm sorry," Tenkou said quietly, "about your father."
Requiem looked up at her. "Yeah, well, it was bound to
happen. He's been held prisoner in the Western Kingdom for the
past fifty years." He looked down at his hands. "But Lord Dace
of the South was supposed to be negotiating his release. It was
one of the conditions of the treaty papers he was going to sign
tonight."
"Then someone has to ensure that Lord Dace is told of this
deceit by the Stars," Yamato said. He had that tone to his voice
again. Tenkou looked up to see his violet-blue eyes were somber
and lacking any of the cheerfulness he'd shown her before.
Requiem shook his head. "I don't know if it will help. You
know that Dace-- well, not just him-- all of the Southern Kingdom
wants peace and security. Their culture is dying. They've got
little choice but to except the aid of the Western Kingdom. No
other Kingdom has the resources to offer. Nobody likes it, but
there isn't a choice."
"Dawn Star's not going to stop there," Yamato warned him.
"He won't be happy until he controls all of the Vaults-- and then
Earth's the next to fall."
"Look, I know that," Requiem said, testily. "Why don't you
go tell them? They're the ones that seem to have the memory
problems."
"Go and talk to Dace." Yamato gave him a cold look. "Or
would you rather that your father's death is in vain?"
Requiem backed down. "I-- I didn't look at it that way."
Yamato looked satisfied. He blinked; his eyes lightened and
his icy expression melted. "Oh, Hell, that reminds me," he
muttered. "Look," he rubbed the back of his neck. "There's
something that I need to go ask Hikaru about. Before we go-- or
don't go." He shook his head, as if to clear it. "Before he
goes." He looked from Tenkou to Requiem. "I feel bad about
leaving you two, honest I do, but it's rather important. I've
left it off for too long, anyway."
Requiem gave him a careful look, then he just nodded. "Go
on then, Yamato, get out of here," he replied, waving his friend
off. "I'm sure we can find some way to get by without you." He
rolled his eyes and leaned back in the chair.
Tenkou nodded. "We'll be okay," she told Yamato. "We'll
find something to talk about."
"I'll be right back," Yamato assured them, slipping out of
the door.
"So what's was that about?" Tenkou asked, gesturing to the
closing door. "I mean, he's usually moody, but lately it's been
just too much." She shook her head. "Sometimes I swear it's like
he's got multiple personalities or something." She sat down on
the couch. "Any idea what he's off to ask Hikaru about?"
"I have no idea." Requiem told her. "When it involves
Yamato and Hihane I know better than to ask." He gave her a funny
look. "Now when you say it's like he's got multiple
personalities, what exactly do you mean?"
Tenkou shrugged. "I don't know how to make it any clearer,"
she told him. "One moment he's fine, then next it's like he's
somebody else, then he's himself again." She smiled weakly. "I
dunno. So your father is from this Southern Kingdom?"
Requiem nodded. "Born and raised," he replied. "Southern
Vaults of Heavens-- home of the Songs and all others who don't
belong anywhere else."
"Is that where Hikaru is from?" Tenkou asked.
Requiem blinked, sitting up and looking at her. "Well," he
began, scratching his head, "that's a hard one. See, Dace-- he's
the sort of King of the South-- adopted Hihane, keeps him on as
one of his _many_ children. But Hihane is not a Southerner. His
father was a Northerner."
"That's funny," Tenkou remarked, "because I thought his
father was Twilight."
Requiem stared at her open-mouthed. "How did you know
that?" he asked. "I mean, it's not completely unknown, but who
told you? I know Yamato has no clue. He's frighteningly
oblivious to stuff like that all things considered."
"Hikaru has his father's eyes," Tenkou informed him.
"They're the same color. What do you mean 'all things
considered'?"
Requiem ignored her question. "How do you know what color
Twilight's eyes are?"
She gave him a funny look. "I've seen Twilight," she
replied. "I had a-- dream or maybe it was vision. Anyway. It
was something and he was in it. So was his friend, although I
didn't really see him too clearly. I just heard him."
"His friend?" Requiem repeated.
"You know-- The guy with the really dark violet eyes," she
replied. "What's his name? Judgement?"
Requiem's mouth fell open. "Are you a Candidate?" he asked,
finally.
"One of those willingly possessed people?" She shook her
head. "No, I think I'd know if I was. Besides, I'm human. Why
would you think I was a Candidate?"
"Because, well," Requiem scrunched up his face. "Well, _no
one_ ever gets to see Twilight or Judgement. You can 'hear' them,
but you never get a visual. Candidates are the only ones I know
of that have ever seen their faces. I mean, aside from someone
like Hihane or Prometheus--" He stopped. "You must be mistaken.
Maybe you had the dream after Yamato told you what they looked
like."
"Yamato never told me," she assured him. "How would he
know?"
"Well, he's a Judgement Candidate, after all."
Tenkou blinked. "You know," she began, "that explains a
lot."
*
Yamato hurried out of the lift to Requiem's flat. Knocking
softly on the door, he was greeted with a 'come in'. Hikaru was
sitting backwards on a chair, his arms resting on its back.
"Hey," he said, "stay a while. You can assist Prometheus with
your keen fashion sense."
"It only takes a few seconds to say 'dress in all black',"
Yamato replied.
"Then stay and assist with your appreciation of the female
form," Hikaru suggested, smiling slightly.
"This would be the surprise," Yamato guessed.
"It's a very lovely surprise."
"You worry when me when you smile like that."
Hikaru's grin widened. "Prometheus, show Yamato the
surprise!"
"This isn't really why I came," Yamato began.
"I know," Hikaru replied. "But I really think you ought to
see this."
"Can it wait?" Yamato asked.
Hikaru sighed. "All right. Business first fun later, I
suppose." He gestured for Yamato to sit down on the end of the
bed. "You've got my attention. What is it?"
Yamato sat, looking awkward. "I tried to think of how to
put it," he began. "But I'm at a loss."
"Try the direct approach," Hikaru suggested. "I'll thank
you for it ahead of time."
"It sounds stupid." He paused, then took a deep breath.
"But I've wanted to ask for sometime and I--"
"Just ask the bloody question!" Prometheus called from
inside the bathroom.
Yamato winced. "Okay, okay," he said, raising his hands.
"I'm asking." He reached up and rubbed the back of his neck.
"Hikaru, are-- are you my father?"
"Of course I am," Hikaru replied. "Wanna see the surprise
now?"
Yamato blinked. "That's it?"
Hikaru sighed. "Yamato, we've both known-- or you've at
least suspected for _quite_ some time." He puffed out his cheeks
and pushed his hair back from his face with both hands.
"Yes, but now I don't not-know it anymore," Yamato
explained. "It changes a few things."
"One thing to say, another to be," Hikaru sighed again.
"Your mother forbade me from telling you. She felt if anyone knew
it would get you killed."
"Which it is going to." Hikaru and Yamato looked up to see
the bathroom door was open. The beautiful black-haired woman's
light purple eyes were fixed on Yamato's face. "Tonight you find
out what you're made of Yamato."
"Well, it finally happened, Prometheus," Hikaru remarked.
"You've become your mother."
"I'd rather be my mother than your father," Prometheus
retorted.
"Yes, but you're odd that way sometimes."
"Prometheus?" Yamato looked from his father to the woman.
"That's Prometheus?"
The woman rolled her eyes. "I'd forgotten how cute they are
when they don't know everything," she muttered. "Yes, it's
Prometheus, Yamato. Now, if one of you blokes could be kind
enough to clasp the band for me--" she turned around. "I can let
you go back to your touching family moment."
Yamato reached for the small golden clasp at the top of the
dress. The dress hung low, exposing lovely shoulders and
collarbones. It hugged Prometheus' slender form, emphasizing her
small waist and the curves of her hips and legs.
"Well, go on and ask," Prometheus told Yamato. Her voice
was less rough sounding, more polished and smooth-- and nearly an
octave higher.
"Is it an illusion?" Yamato asked.
"No, it's very real." Prometheus tugged at the top of the
dress. "Hikaru, it's been too bloody long since I was in one of
these things, is this straight?"
"I've never been in a dress," Hikaru replied. Prometheus
gave him an unimpressed look. Hikaru sighed. "It's a little too
high, a bit twisted to the right, and you have no sense of humor."
"Too high?" Prometheus repeated. "I'm supposed to be a
priestess. Let me retain some of my modesty."
"Dad says you never struck him as the modest type."
"Hmph," Prometheus snorted. "Not the gentlemanly sort of
remark I'd expect from Mattaeo. Yamato, slide your hands down
under the dress and tug it a little to the left."
Yamato turned bright red. "You want me to do what?" he
repeated.
"You're the one who wanted to know if they were real,"
Prometheus reminded him.
"I can take you at your word," Yamato assured her. "I don't
need to find out for myself."
"Oh relax," Prometheus told Yamato. "It's not like I have
anything you haven't touched before." Yamato felt the blood rush
to his face again. Prometheus laughed a little as she fixed the
dress. "Relax, Yamato, I mean it. I'm just playing with you."
"Uh huh," Yamato managed.
"Perfect," Hikaru replied, giving the thumbs up.
"I find it hard to believe Requiem never asked you to do
something similar for him," Prometheus remarked to Yamato.
Yamato occupied himself with trying to get his face to
return to its normal color. "Requiem was never inclined to wear
an evening gown," he told Prometheus.
"We'll have to see if we can fix that," was the reply.
"Don't the two of you think you should get ready?"
"I was going to go like this," Hikaru replied, easing his
chin down onto his arm. He looked up at Prometheus through his
fringe.
Prometheus looked at Hikaru's creme shirt and blue trousers.
"Throw a jacket on overtop," he suggested.
"Can I wear my long one?"
Prometheus sighed. "If you feel you must." She looked back
at Yamato. "What about you?"
"I'm not sure if I'm going," Yamato replied.
Prometheus pursed her lips. "Do you honestly believe that
I'm going to allow you to miss one of the critical opportunities
of your life, Yamato?"
"Tenkou and Requiem don't want to go," Yamato explained.
"Well, neither do I," Hikaru replied. "But I know better
than to try and get out of it." He sighed.
"Yes, little Karu doesn't want to be grounded," Prometheus
replied with a chuckle.
"I'm four hundred and nineteen years old," Hikaru muttered.
"It's disgraceful."
Yamato looked at him. "Hikaru, you're only sixteen years
older than I am?" he asked.
"You're not going to call me 'Dad'?" Hikaru asked.
Yamato blinked. "Maybe," he replied. "Let me get used to
the idea first."
Prometheus cleared her throat. "Yamato," she began, "I'm
afraid you don't have much of a choice in the matter. Your--" she
looked at Hikaru quickly. "What exactly have you told him?"
"Not what you're about to," Hikaru replied.
"What is he--she--" Yamato broke off, looking flustered.
"What are you about to tell me?"
Prometheus waved her hand. "Forget it." She turned back to
Yamato. "Tiferet," she reminded Yamato. "Judgement has to be
passed."
"I know. It's just that I don't want to lose Tenkou,"
Yamato explained. "She's important to me."
"We're not going to let anything happen to her," Hikaru
assured him.
"I'm not worried about something happening to her," Yamato
replied. "I'm worried that she can't handle this and is going to
walk away."
Hikaru bit his lip. "She does seem rather shaky."
Prometheus patted Yamato's shoulder. "Tenkou's stronger
than she thinks. She just needs you to help her see that. You
should have more faith, Yamato."
"You didn't see the look on her face," Yamato said, quietly.
"Of course I did. She doesn't believe in herself,"
Prometheus replied. "But that only makes it all the more
important that you do."
"I really wish you two would tell me what's going to happen
tonight," he remarked, looking from Hikaru to Prometheus. "You
can't really mean to just send me in with no idea what I'm face."
"How much warning were you given for Yasha?"
Yamato looked away. "I wasn't alone then," he said,
quietly.
Prometheus scowled. "He told you."
Yamato looked back at her. "Of course he told me," he
replied. "He also told me to wanted to tell me himself, so he
told you not to say anything to me."
"I didn't know the two of you were so close." Prometheus
looked displeased.
"Maybe too close," Yamato said, quietly. He shook his head.
"Either way, I'll be at the Gala to play my part. We made a
bargain, and I intend to keep my end of it."
*
Daylight surveyed the room. It looked ready, and the guests
would start arriving soon. Tiferet was talking to Gevura in the
corner, with his little human flunky close by. Daylight frowned.
He couldn't quite bring himself to pretend he liked that Matthew
Tyler. Something was off about the child-- his heart wasn't
totally devoted to them yet and that worried Daylight. He knew
that if things went sour with the child, Dawn Star would find some
way to blame the matter on him.
Binah was conversing with the archaeologist near the
entrance. Daylight watched the man, displeasure clear on his
face. He disliked the professor, even more so than Matthew Tyler.
The man was a fool-- the only blessing in his life was that he'd
charmed someone who had once been important into throwing her life
away for him. The woman had probably been going senile anyway.
They'd brought Alan Stone into the fold, hoping that his late wife
had revealed something of importance to him-- only to discover the
man had convinced himself it had all been deathbed ramblings
created by painkillers. Binah's favor was the only thing that
prevented Daylight from having the blithering idiot removed from
his sight-- permanently. His father seemed content to keep Stone
around for now, if it did little more good than quell Binah's
restless nature. Perhaps Dawn felt that Tenkou Stone would be
brought under their power through his father, but Daylight doubted
it.
The Sefirot's plan to set someone between Yamato and Tenkou
was failing miserably, as Daylight could have easily told them it
would. Yamato had that accursed Hihane blood in him-- Daylight
had seen the way females looked at Yamato, they didn't forget him
easily. The failure served the Sefirot right for placing a dimwit
like Tiferet in charge.
His father had some plan tonight, Daylight knew, some rabbit
to pull from his hat. Something he felt would twist fate and turn
the odds to their favor. Dawn wouldn't engage in battle-- he
never did. It was too risky. After all, a new conduit could
always been found for the Sefirot, but he was a little more
valuable and not so easily replaced.
Daylight hungered for the power his father so easily handed
over to those buffoons who sat around him at his table. Those
'Sefirot' he hand-picked himself. Daylight had begged his father,
numerous times, to allow him to be part of the inner circle that
ran the Morningstar Foundation. Each time he was refused. It
wasn't fair! He'd made no greater mistakes than the Sefirot--
after all, their miscalculations had already cost four of their
lives.
No, Dawn had said that Daylight's task of ensuring that the
Southern Lord Dace signed the treaty papers was far more
important. Daylight took another look around, noting that
everything seemed in order.
"Sir," a well-dressed guard said, approaching him and
saluting. "No sign of Hihane, anywhere."
"And the girl?" Daylight asked.
"Negative, sir," the guard reported. "No sign of her or
Yamato."
"Keep me posted," Daylight told him. "I want to be informed
the moment that any one of them sets foot on the Foundation
grounds." He paused. "And find out where my FlameSong is. I
worry when he disappears."
"Yes, sir." The guard saluted and walked off.
Daylight looked back at the hall. The tables had pristine
black silk cloths adoring them, the heavens mapped out in a design
of small silver stars across them. The centrepieces of fragrant
white lilies adorned each table. The silken draperies had been
placed to create the most aesthetically pleasing surroundings, as
they tumbled and weaved between the Grecian columns. The
orchestra was set up; the waiters all ready with their gleaming
trays soon to be filled with black crystal glasses of bubbling
champagne. It looked perfect.
Another guard approached. Daylight knew this one was
appointed to his father. It was the new leader of the personal
patrol-- the last one had become quite useless as a result of
whatever Hihane had done to him. He was locked within one of the
cells below the Foundation, curled in a ball and whimpering about
his mother.
"Sir," the guard said. "Your father wishes you to come to
his office."
Oh ho? Daylight raised his eyebrow. Now, wasn't that
something? Perhaps, his father had decided to actually let him be
a part of the evening's activities. "Very well," he told the
guard. Turning on his heel, he left the glitter of the hall for
the shadows of the hallways.
*
Yamato opened the door to hear Requiem asking Tenkou, "What
do you mean it explains a lot?"
"Haven't you noticed how his eyes change color sometimes?"
Tenkou asked. "I thought I was just imagining it, but if he's a
Candidate person then I guess it makes sense. I mean the turn the
same color as Judgement's."
Requiem shook his head. "Well, yeah," he began, "but you
shouldn't notice things like that."
"Why not?" Tenkou asked. "They're really obvious." She
paused. "Are you afraid of Judgement? I noticed that you looked
a little scared of Yamato earlier-- and that you didn't call him
'Yamato'."
"Of course I'm afraid of Judgement," Requiem told her,
shocked. "He's _Judgement_." He paused. "I still find it hard
to believe that you've seen his face."
"I haven't. I just saw his eyes and his outline. He was in
the shadows in my dream. I only really got to see Twilight." She
paused, then continued. "Another thing, they called each other
different names when they were talking to each other."
"I don't believe this," Requiem muttered, running his hands
through his hair. "Not only do you get to have a personal chat
with Twilight-- but they were casual enough to drop the whole act
with you right there. I mean, even Yamato calls them 'Twilight'
and 'Judgement'."
"Speaking of Yamato," Tenkou looked over at the door.
Yamato shot Requiem a dark look. "You talk too much when
you're depressed."
"Yeah, well you've become a little too much like the Sacred
Flame lately," Requiem snapped. "You ought to drop the stupid
mysterious act and tell your girlfriend a few things."
"I tell her plenty of things. Just not the ones that could
get her killed," Yamato folded his arms.
"Don't give me that Hihane attitude," Requiem snapped. "You
tell her everything but what's important."
"It's okay," Tenkou told Requiem. "He doesn't want to
overwhelm me."
"Are you overwhelmed?" Requiem asked, shortly.
"Past it," Tenkou shrugged. "Now, I'm just curious how much
more the universe can throw at me."
"There's always more," Requiem warned her. "Don't challenge
the universe. Twilight and Judgement will take you up on it."
"I suppose they would." Tenkou looked back at Yamato. "Did
you get your answer?" He nodded. "So should I go put on my dress
in the other room so you and Rekki can yell at each other?"
"I don't yell," Requiem told her. "I light things on fire."
"I thought you didn't want to go to the Gala," Yamato said
to Tenkou.
She sighed. "The truth is that my dad's going to be there.
I wasn't sure if it was such a good idea for him to see the two of
us there together." She looked down at her hands.
"Did he tell you that you couldn't go with Yamato?" Requiem
asked, curious.
"No." She bit her lip. "He forbade me to ever see Zellar
again."
"Not a problem," Requiem replied, snorting. "Because you're
going with Yamato."
Yamato sighed. "Tenkou's father and I met in Japan," he
told Requiem. "It was how I met Tenkou. Her father knows me as
'Zellar'." He paused. "Someone at the Foundation probably tipped
him off."
"Yeah," Tenkou nodded. "He said that it wasn't a good idea
to get involved with your kind."
"My kind?" Yamato repeated. "Whoever he's been talking to
has a big mouth. Unless he came to the conclusions on his own.
You did."
"How did you do that, anyway?" Requiem asked her.
"It was pretty obvious," Tenkou replied.
"Funny, you're the first to that I know of," Requiem
shrugged. "Ah, well. Maybe you've got a bit of Sight or
something."
"Your father didn't find it odd that I was alive?" Yamato
asked.
"That's the other strange thing," Tenkou replied, "he
mentioned it in a really offhand sort of way-- as if it was beside
the point."
"Very peculiar," Yamato muttered, frowning.
There was a moment of silence, and then Requiem stood.
"Well, I'm going to get ready to go," he announced. "Judgement
was right, you know," he explained at their looks. "I owe it to
my father to go and inform Dace of what's happened. I mean, it
might not change anything-- but I can't let the Southern Lord sign
a treaty with someone who's murdering his people." He paused and
looked at Yamato. "And I can't let you walk into whatever this is
alone. You've had to fight enough battles alone." He stood and
looked at Tenkou. "But no one expects you to come, Tenkou. We
all know about the danger you'd be in. It's probably best if you
stay here."
Tenkou took a deep breath and stood. "You know, Yasha
wanted to kill me, too. Tiferet just has different reasons for
doing it." She looked over at the dress draped across the back of
the chair. "We came through that. We'll just have to hope we can
do it again. Besides, there's a lot more of us this time, isn't
there?"
Yamato looked at the two of them. Then he smiled and
nodded. As she picked up her dress and went into the other room
to change, he reflected that Requiem was right. He did neglect to
tell her the important things.
*
Daylight entered his father's study to find Amaterasu
sitting in one of the chairs with a guard on either side of her.
Dawn Star leaned against his desk, a crystalline orb in his hands
and a smile on his face.
"Daylight," he said, cheerfully. "I learned that your wife
was feeling a little reluctant to join us tonight, so I took the
liberty of ensuring her presence was guaranteed."
"I had no idea he was going to do this, Amaterasu," Daylight
told the Eastern Princess. "But I am pleased to see you all the
same. You look as lovely as ever."
"Save your breath," Amaterasu replied, coldly.
Daylight hung his head. "Can you not even feign affection
for me?" he asked, sadly.
"You sold Yamato to this monster for a little bit of
fatherly affection," she snapped. "You've nothing left to bargain
for mine with."
"Hold your tongue, woman," Dawn Star snapped. "You're as
infuriating as your father."
"Only because he won't give in to you," Amaterasu retorted.
Dawn Star slapped her. "I said hold your tongue," he
snarled. "I'll be glad to be rid of you tonight."
Daylight blinked. "What do you mean, Father?" he asked.
"Tonight you will make the public announcement of how this
little whore gave herself to the enemy of our Kingdom-- and how
she kept the knowledge of who was her son's father a secret from
you." He sneered at Amaterasu. "We'll see how much loved the
princess remains once our people learn of her traitorous heart."
"You wish me to publicly disgrace my wife?" Daylight asked.
"For what gain?"
"She is no longer your wife," Dawn Star replied. "After the
announcement I will be so shocked that I will have no choice but
to dissolve the marriage. She'll be put to death as the tramp she
is-- along with her son."
Shock rolled over Daylight. He stared at his father unable
to speak. Dawn Star simply smiled, a cold chilling expression.
"Did I not promise you that I would wipe clean your mistakes, my
son?" he asked Daylight. "You should know I always keep my word."
*
8.13 pm 1.16.01
11.16 pm 6.27.01
12.15 am 7.8.01
12.09 am 8.20.01
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