Dragon Lady

Time's Wheel

Ch.12: The Way Home

Disclaimer: Don't own 'em.

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Relecos: Demon Realm, Raven's Forest

Oh, great, just what I needed, more woods. I'm getting really sick of tramping through this stuff. Duo places his hands behind his head, whistling softly. The light underneath the canopy is dim; most of the forest floor is cast in shadow. Trees tower over head, vines connecting the branches, making it seem like the whole forest is one gigantic plant. Birdcalls echo, their voices mingling with each other, forming a conjunction of noise. Duo wipes a bead of sweat off his forehead and takes a drink from the canteen at his side, trying his best to ignore the terrible heat. Ahead of him, Hotaru holds her glaive close, trying not to get it caught in anything. Luc leads the way, his dark, obsidian sword cleaving a path through the underbrush.

I hope we don't have to try and fight here, there just isn't enough room. He raises his head and tries to peer through the canopy, squinting to try to get a better view. After a moment, he gives up and takes another sip of water. If an attack doesn't kill us, this heat will. This can't be good for us, going from one temperature extreme to another like this.

Duo stumbles back suddenly as Hotaru stops in the middle of the path. "What is it?"

"We can't go any further," Luc says in a cool monotone.

"And why not?" Duo asks, not happy about having to stop.

Luc shrugs and moves aside, sheathing his sword. "See for yourself human, we'll never make it through that."

Hotaru moves past Luc with Duo close behind. As the two reach the front, Duo curses silently under his breath. Thick vines block their path, prohibiting the entrance of anyone who has need of passage. Duo draws his sword and takes a swing at one of the vines, cutting away a single layer only to find another beneath it.

Hotaru studies their predicament from behind him. "It could take us days to cut our way out of this," she says, sounding discouraged.

Duo gives up on the vines and sheaths his sword. "So now what do we do?"

"We stay here," Luc says, as if it is the most obvious thing in the world.

"Stay here, as in spend the night?" Duo asks. "I'm not sure if I like the sound of that. Remember what that Pooka or whatever it was did to us that night? We weren't even in the demon realm then, what are we supposed to do if something comes after us in here?"

Luc removes his sword belt, taking a seat near a large tree, using its trunk to support him. "I really don't care what you do. Very few demons enjoy company and as long as I'm with you, that should be enough to keep most demons away."

"Most? What do you mean by most?"

Luc ignores him, closing his eyes and appearing to have every intention of going to sleep. "It should be dark soon anyway, you really should think about resting a bit anyway."

Hotaru looks away from the vines and turns back to Luc. "Dark already, but we left Bram at dawn and that was only a few hours ago."

"Time works differently in the demon realm. Most of the day is covered in darkness. With the exception of a few areas, the demon realm only receives four hours of daylight."

Hotaru stares at him, stunned. "But, how is that possible?"

Luc raises his head skyward and points to a small crack in the canopy. "Watch."

Duo and Hotaru look up through the trees where the sun is blazing brightly. Suddenly, a shadow moves in front of the sun blocking its light, casting a shadow upon the ground. The two humans look up at the sky in amazement.

"A moon, but how?" Hotaru whispers.

Luc gives her a feral grin and continues. "The demon world is the same world as the human one, but in a different dimension. When you looked up at the sky in the human realm, did you happen to notice the pieces of rock in the sky?"

Duo and Hotaru look at him blankly.

"Not very observant are you? Both dimensions originally had nine moons, three of which are very close to the planet. During the demon and human war, the moons were destroyed, leaving only three in the human world, allowing it to have light. The demon world however, has all nine moons, causing an almost eternal eclipse."

Luc leans back and closes his eyes, looking as if he has every intention of going to sleep. Duo looks around at the dark forest and shudders. "Are you sure that we should be resting like this? I don't know if I really want to let my guard down in here."

Luc shrugs. "Now is as good as any other time. My only suggestion to you is sleep lightly."

"Great," Duo mutters, but doesn't bother arguing, knowing that his protests would be useless. Instead, he lies down on the dirt floor, placing his backpack underneath him, using it as a pillow. After nearly a half-hour, he finally closes his eyes and falls into a light, dreamless dose.

The fingers of an icy cold wind caress her cheek and lift her black hair, giving her black locks a life of their own. Dead leaves crunch beneath her feet as Hotaru makes her way up a steep, well traveled path, trees springing up around it. The mountain's peak before her reaches to the sky, which is currently shielding the sun with a blanket of storm clouds.

Her lungs heave, struggling for breath as she tries to climb further, eventually reaching the gate to a small temple. She rests on one of the pillars, trying to catch her breath. The wind howls once and a crack of thunder echoes across the sky. A single, yet very large raindrop lands on her arm, leaving that spot wet. It is not long before another follows, and another.

The sound of wings above her causes her to look up. A large, black bird rests on top of the gate, fluttering its wings. The bird is one of the largest she has ever seen, its feathers are ruffled and out of place and its beak is somewhat crooked, giving it an evil look. It lets out a sharp caw and then focuses its attention on her, its large black eyes locking with her own dark violet ones.

What is going on?

Suddenly, pain lances through her body, causing her to double over, her hand going to her stomach. Her eyes squeeze shut instinctively as the pain ripples through her body. Tears escape through her closed eyes, running down her cheeks onto the ground.

She forces her eyes open and pears through the fuzziness. After raising her hands to her face, she resists the temptation to heave. Her hands are covered in blood, the red substance staining her hands like red paint. Her vision fades as she falls to the ground. A wetness soaks through her cloths, but she is oblivious to any of it. Her vision becomes blacker as the world fades around her. Dimly, she hears the cawing of the crow from above her.

No, it can't be! NO!

"Hotaru, wake up!" Hotaru's eyes snap open, focusing on the waking world. Around her, chaos has reared its ugly head as the blade of a sword whooshes over her head, barely missing her. Hotaru shakes her head forcefully, trying to shed the last layers of sleep. She reaches for her glaive and pulls it in front of her, moving up between Duo and Luc, who are already hacking away at the dark greenish, purple, vines that are trying to ensnare them.

One tree aims one of its tentacles at her and she barely has time to react before it is upon her. She jumps into the air, trying to force herself to move backwards as she does so. Moving her glaive in a graceful arc, she severs the tree's limb in a single blow, causing to fall uselessly to the ground. Hotaru falls back to the ground with ease, immediately taking another defensive position.

She steps back so that she is back to back with Duo. "What are these things? What happened."

"I don't know," he responds, hacking off a vine with his sword. "I was resting against the tree when it suddenly grabbed me."

Luc moves near them, his black sword moving in a blur before him. "They're Tatari Gami, curse Gods."

"Cures Gods!" Duo cries in alarm, accent on the God part.

Luc grunts, lunging for another plant. "Yes! The Tatari Gami can occupy any living host and in this case, it seems to be the trees around us."

"Great, so now what?"

A slight smile comes to Luc's face. "We fight, what do you think we do?"

Hotaru cries out as she feels the slick vine snake around her ankle, sending her to the ground. She tries to sever it with her glaive, but to no avail, she simply can not reach that far. Her fingers claw the ground trying to stop herself from being pulled away. Dirt fills the cuts in her arms and legs, causing her body to burn.

As she nears the trunk of the tree, she strikes out once more with her glaive, trying to hit as close to the roots as she is able. As soon as she strikes it, she feels its grip loosen, but instead of letting her go, she is flung through the air.

A new flood of pain washes through her body as she crashes through a net of underbrush, her small form falling head over heals down a steep bank. Suddenly, water cushions her and she inhales a deep breath of water. Hotaru waves her arms, frantically trying to get to the surface, her head finally breaking the surface only to be pulled back under again.

The current carries her down stream, how far she can not tell, her mind going in and out of consciousness. Somehow, she manages to keep hold of her glaive, even though the white water is trying to force it from her grasp. Finally, her feet touch rocky bottom and she reaches out a hand, and to her relief, finds a solid, rocky surface. She can dimly see the outline of the rock she is holding and begins to slowly make her way toward shore. Finally, she reaches the bank, and with no more energy to hold her up, promptly collapses.

The world is a fuzzy whiteness all around her, nothing above her, or below. Nothing but empty space. It's so peaceful here, so light. I could stay here; it's comfortable, and nice. Warm, safe.

"Hotaru!"

There is nothing, only peace. I could stay like this forever.

"Hotaru, wake up! Please wake up!"

Hotaru's mind catches slightly at the words. Is someone calling me? I thought that I heard my name, and it sounds so familiar. Why does it want me to wake up? Am I asleep?

"Hotaru!"

Hotaru's eyes snap open, her being coming back to the waking world. A pair of cobalt blue eyes stares down at her through the haze of sleep. Worry seeps out of them as she stares upward into their bottomless depths and is replaced with relief. She stares at the two reflecting pools for what seems like forever until Duo closes them, an extended blink.

Cold finally begins to penetrate her skin and Hotaru groans, her body beginning to shudder. Duo's arms close more tightly around her, hugging her to his chest. Hotaru opens her mouth and tries to say something, but Duo places a finger to her lips, effectively silencing her.

"Stay still," he whispers in her ear.

Hotaru feels her body being lifted off the ground, held up by a pair of powerful arms. She leans her head on Duo's chest, perfectly content to remain there for a while and allows herself to fall back into the world of dreams.

Duo's heart pounds as he races through the thick foliage of trees, his legs carrying him faster than he had ever gone before. Hotaru's limp body is dead weight in his arms, dragging him down, forcing his body to work twice as hard. He ignores the branches that are leaving scratches on his face, not caring nor knowing what path he is on or where it goes. All he is aware of his the young girl in his arms.

The first few drops of rain fall on his head as he runs, looking desperately for shelter. Ahead of him, a small light emanates from the windows of what appears to be a small cottage in the middle of nowhere. The whole house is made of white stone, a pillar of smoke rising lazily from the chimney. A stone well is a few yards away, an empty bucket setting outside. By the time he reaches the porch, the gentle drizzle has become a steady downpour.

Duo takes a set of steps in a single bound and kicks the door. "Someone help! Please!"

The sounds of footsteps can be heard from the other side of the door a few seconds later. In a matter of moments, the door to the cottage opens slightly, revealing what appears to be a small, stooped, old man. The old man is half Duo's height with white beard and hair, a pair of wire rimmed glasses perched on his crooked nose. A pair of black, beady eyes stares at the pair from underneath a set of bushy, white eyebrows. The hand that grips the door is small and gnarled, but by all appearances, still strong. Even though the man appears to be ten times Duo's age, he still carries himself with the confidence of youth. Behind the cascade of white hair, a pair of pointed ears can be seen.

The old man lifts a hand to adjust his glasses and blinks at them through the downpour outside. Upon seeing Hotaru, his eyes widen and he quickly opens the door the rest of the ways. "Come in, come in!" He ushers Duo inside and leads him to a room in the back of the cottage. Duo sets Hotaru down gently on the bed inside. The old man brushes past him and begins to check her over, feeling for her pulse and checking her breathing and heartbeat.

The old man sighs. "She should be fine, she only needs a little rest. Come."

Duo follows the old man out and takes a chair in the middle of the small, central room, glad to be able to sit down. "Thank you."

"It's nothing," replies the old man.

"The name's Duo Maxwell, who're you?"

"I'm…" The man's face goes completely blank. "I don't remember…"

Huh?

The old man places a finger to his head and begins to tap it. "Now I had it just a second ago, give me a moment… My name is… No that's not it… perhaps…no…"

Duo stares at the man, slightly confused. "Um, I don't understand, how can you forget your name?"

"Shhhh! Quiet, I almost have it!" He drops into a chair and rests his chin on his fist. Suddenly, he jumps up. "I have it! My name is Rumpelstiltskin!"

Duo stares at him in disbelief, his face clearly showing his shock. How can you forget a name like that? "Okay, Rumpelstiltskin, that is an interesting name."

The old man stares at him blankly. "Who's Rumpelstiltskin?"

"You've got to be kidding me." It's going to be a long day…or is it night?

"Damn, where is it coming from?" Luc mutters under his breath, cleaving another Tatari Gami in half. He had seen the two humans disappear beneath the brush a few moments ago and he now knew that he was fighting alone. He has felled many of the creature's limbs, bits and pieces of it lying everywhere, but he has yet to hit the core.

A strong vine wraps itself around his sword arm, preventing it from moving even an inch. He tries to pry it open, but his efforts prove futile as another limb wraps itself around his left ankle. His sword falls from his hand as the vine around his wrist tightens its hold.

Suddenly, just as the pressure is becoming unbearable, it disappears. Both vines release their captive as the core suddenly howls in rage. Without missing a beat, Luc rolls away, grabbing his sword as he does so. He stands ready; his sword ready to counter the creature's next attack, but I never comes.

The Tatari Gami roars in rage as a strange blur whirls past it, a giant cut in the bark of what Luc now knows to be the core forming. The demon tries to ensnare its tormentor, but fails and soon falls to an unidentified slayer.

Luc stares in amazement as the demon collapses, what was once a lush forest now turning to black ashes around him. Before he can blink, he is standing in a large clearing, the earth around him barren.

"Somehow, I thought that you would have handled that better Luc," says a voice from behind him.

Luc whirls around to face another demon behind him. The demon shrugs, a smile coming to his dark, boyish face. Longish black hair just barely covers pointed ears and a pair of amber eyes glow in the darkness. He is bare from the chest up, exposing a thin, but very well muscled frame. He wears plain, brown breaches, frayed at the ends, his feet bare. On his dark face, an elaborate, swirling tattoo curves over his cheek to just above his left eyebrow. A pair of gold rings decorates his ears, adding to the overall effect. However, the most prominent feature is the large pair of black wings that are attached to his back, which at full extension would be easily twice his body length.

"A Tengu," Luc mutters under his breath.

"Of course, what did you expect?" the demon answers.

Luc snorts. "Definitely not one of your kind. Your people aren't usually so helpful."

The Tengu laughs, his smile broadening, revealing a sharp pair of fangs. "Perhaps, but I have my reasons." The Tengu flick his wrist slightly and Luc's attention is drawn to the glint of metal. A pair of deadly looking katars, covered in the greenish blood of the Tatari Gami, rest skillfully in his clawed hands.

The Tengu stares at the cliff that Duo and Hotaru had fallen over earlier. "Shouldn't you go looking for your companions?" he asks wryly, as if he already knows the answer.

"They should be fine, besides, it is none of my concern, nor yours, Tengu."

"I see, so you don't really like human do you?"

Luc glares at him from across the clearing. "Why should you care, Tengu?"

"So, you do not care if they live or die?"

"Again I ask why?"

He stares at Luc for a moment, but doesn't answer the question. "Then why are you with them Luc?"

"Like you, I have my reasons. Humans are weak, but even they have a purpose. What I must do is my business, not yours Tengu, even if I don't like it."

"So, humans are weak are they? If that is so, then why did one manage to defeat you?"

This statement shocks Luc into silence and the Tengu's smile broadens. "Perhaps you should rethink your definition of weakness and what it means to be human. Hate is a terrible thing Luc," he whispers.

"Why, you…"

"Come, we must be going." The Tengu brushes past him, folding his wings around himself to allow him to pass between the thick foliage. "Now that the Tatari Gami is gone, we should be able to pass easily."

"What do you mean 'we'?" Luc asks, trying his best to control suppressed anger.

"I'm coming with you."

"Why?"

"Because I must."

"What…?"

"Oh, and by the way, my name's Alaois, so you don't have to call me Tengu. As to where we are going, we are meeting your companions at the great temple."

As Alaois disappears, Luc has no choice but to follow, muttering a string of curses the whole way.

Hotaru opens her eyes slowly, staring up at a thatched roof above her. A thin ray of moonlight filters in through a single window, casting shadows throughout the small room. Hotaru shakes her head in an attempt to clear it and swings her legs over the edge of the bed. After a few moments, she stands up and makes her way across the floor toward the door. Still slightly groggy, she opens the door to the main room.

Duo is sitting on a chair in the middle around a table, the old man who had let them in seated across from him. His head is resting on his hand, his braid draped over one shoulder. Hotaru smiles slightly. He looks frustrated.

"Duo?"

Duo glances up, coming out of his reverie. He stares at her, his face glowing with relief. Finally, he returns her smile. "Hey, how are you feeling?"

"Fine, just a little tired. So, what have you been doing?"

Duo leans back heavily into his chair and groans. "Okay, we've already established the we are somewhere in the middle of Raven's Forest and that the temple is somewhere nearby, but that's about it."

Hotaru stares at him questioningly. "How long have I been asleep."

"I'd say about three hours."

"And this is all you've gotten accomplished?"

"Geez! It's not my fault! This guy can't even remember his own name, much less where we are supposed to go!"

The old man suddenly jumps up, scaring the living daylights out of Duo in the process. "I've got it!"

Duo looks at him hopefully. "You remember where the temple is?"

The old man looks at him blankly for a moment before sitting back down. "I had it a moment ago, let's see, perhaps… Nope, can't remember for the life of me."

"You see what I mean!"

An hour later…

Duo and Hotaru sit across from each other at the table, a stack of cards between them. Duo is studying his hand carefully, while Hotaru has her hand folded downward, her chin resting on the table.

Duo glances over his shoulder toward where the old man is still sitting. "Hey! You remember yet?"

The old man stares back. "Hold on, I think…Nope, sorry."

Duo sighs and returns to the game. "And the magic eight ball says try again later." He glances once more at the hand he has. "Got any tens?"

"Nope," Hotaru says, the boredom in her voice obvious, "go fish."

Duo groans and picks up another card from the deck, adding it to his hand. "You'd better remember soon," he mutters. "I don't think I could stand losing at Go Fish one more time."

Luc stares up at the large temple with contempt. The Temple or Relecos looks out of place in the green landscape, the towering stone edifice reaching skyward to scratch the heavens. He already knew what lay within its green marble stones. The gate to the first of the keys to Heaven's Gate.

He walks over a small path that leads to a small clearing near the rear of the temple and kneels down beside a small stone there. Luc stares at it for a moment, his face almost showing the sorrow hidden by a veil of ice. His hand traces writing that once adorned the stone, worn off now by the passing of many seasons.

"Luc?"

Luc jumps up and whirls around. Hotaru is standing behind him, her glaive at her side. She walks up to stand beside him and stares down at the stone, her violet eyes focusing on the bits and pieces of weathered writing.

Luc sneers. "When did you get here?"

"Just a short while ago," she replies, smiling. "We had a small problem with getting directions."

"I can imagine."

"Not really. What is this?" Motioning toward the stone.

"It's a tombstone."

"I see that, but whose?"

"Someone who lived a long time ago. Where is that other human?"

Hotaru shrugs, dropping the previous subject. "He's with that other person out front, Alaois I believe."

"Right," Luc moves from his spot and begins making his way back to the temple, leaving Hotaru to follow behind. Hotaru stares at the tombstone a moment longer, but eventually withdraws, following Luc down the path.

"Who are you Hotaru?" he asks suddenly, the question coming out of the blue.

Hotaru glances up at him, startled. "What do you mean?"

"You can't be human. I sense a kind of darkness about you, a power not too much unlike my own, yet at the same time, you are so different. You can heal wounds with this dark power, yet at the same time, I feel as if you can do so much more with it. You look like a child, yet there are times when I think you are much older."

Hotaru glares at him, looking directly into his eyes. It takes a conscious effort on Luc's part not to quiver before those violet orbs, their gaze more powerful than he had realized. "I am who you see Luc, nothing more, nothing less."

With that, she walks away, this time leaving Luc to follow her. Luc mutters under his breath, but doesn't follow immediately, preferring to linger for just a moment longer. I guess we all have our secrets, don't we? he thinks silently. Somehow, I think the answer to my question is far more complicated than I first thought.

"Wow! This thing is huge!" Duo stares wide eyed at the gate in front of him. A pair of thick, iron doors bars the way, sealing the gate shut. The doors stretch from floor to ceiling and are about twelve feet wide.

"Yes, this is the largest of the gates," Alaois replies. "These gates haven't been opened for nearly a thousand years, perhaps longer."

Hotaru stares up at the gates, her gaze searching. "How are we supposed to open these?"

The Tengu smiles, looking over at Luc. Luc returns the stare and after a moment, retreats, knowing that a staring contest with Alaois was probably something he would lose.

Luc closes his eyes and immediately, dark power swirls around him, flowing through him like a black current. His silver hair waves wildly, stirred by the pure energy that he has gathered. With a practiced gesture, he sends the power toward the gate. Dark power fills in the gaps between several gaps in the door, forming an elaborate design that would have otherwise been invisible. The power is concentrated into a small spot in the center, which suddenly explodes into a burst of power, shattering the gate.

Luc falls to the ground exhausted, his lungs struggling for breath. He manages to stand, however, and observe his handiwork.

The room is flooded in white light, hiding the path to the first key. For a moment, the foursome only stares at the gate, and with the exception of Luc, bask in its light. Finally, Alaois moves toward the gate and steps through, his winged form disappearing into the light. Hotaru stares back at Luc, who is doubled over in pain, but decides to follow Alaois into the gate after seeing the look on Luc's face.

Duo looks toward the gate and is about to step through, but suddenly stops. He turns back to Luc, who is still struggling to stay in an upright position. Taking a risk, he walks over to the fallen demon of darkness. "Are you okay?"

Luc grunts, and Duo smiles, the response reminding him slightly of Heero. "I don't do so well with light energy," Luc says quietly.

Duo hesitates for a moment, but finally takes a deep breath and asks, "Do you need help?"

"Not from you!" Luc spits out. "I have will accept no help from your kind." Luc struggles to the gate, but eventually stumbles through.

Duo stares after him, a look of hurt on his normally cheery face. "Sorry, just thought I could help."

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Pluto: Okay, I think I almost have it! Just this one last piece and the Time Gate should be fixed.

* A loud rumpling is heard nearby and Rena and Luc run in, chased by a very angry Demos *

Rena: Demos, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up!

Pluto:* Stares up at the nearly repaired gate, wincing * Oh, no, please Kami no.

Demos: * takes a deep breath and spews fire at Luc and Rena, hitting the Time Gate as well *

Pluto: * stares at the ruins of her gate * No, and after all that work! * picks up a piece and stares at it helplessly, then turns to the other three, a look of pure outrage on her face.*

Rena: Uh, oh. I think maybe we should leave…

Pluto: * slumps helplessly to the ground, her hair falling around her shoulders. Her eyes fall on a small shock of gray in her green locks. * Oh great, I spend thousand of years guarding this gate and never once have I had a single gray hair. * sighs * Those three will have me gray in a matter of weeks if I don't finish this thing soon. * stares at the gate. * Well, looks like it's back to square one.