Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Sacrifice ❯ Like Falling Leaves ( Chapter 18 )

Sacrifice

By: Melissa Norvell

Chapter 18: Like Falling Leaves

"What?" Keiji asked his head turning quickly towards the legends in question and surprise. "You can't be serious."

"No, this sword requires a specific sacrifice when drawn. Think of it as a type of katana," Hiroshima explained.

"Katana?" Ko looked for someone to clear up the comparison.

"The katanas have a rule," Azmy educated them. "You must never unsheathe it unless you intend to draw blood."

"The Crimson Sword requires a blood sacrifice. If you beat Ceres, I'll sacrifice my own blood, but if you chose to stay back, then the Crimson will take blood from each of you," the angel knew of the consequences if the sword did not get the sacrifice required, so his bet with the band would ensure that either way the will of the sword was fulfilled. After all, the last thing they needed was another problem at this moment in time.

"But the Crimson already took my blood when I saved Keiji-kun," Fife smiled innocently, attempting to get out of the sacrifice. However, Hiroshima would have no part of that.

"Nice try, Fife."

"Crud," the male pouted, "oh, and Hiroshima?"

The angel turned his attention back on his form.

"That blade, does it absorb blood?" He asked.

"Huh?" Hiroshima was not quite sure of how or where Fife had come up with that deduction but at the same time feeling a little apprehensive that he did. Someone who noticed a detail like that always made the legend a little uneasy. He felt threatened with such a keen eye.

"I noticed when you stabbed me," Fife pointed out. "Right before I passed out, it looked like the sword blade absorbed my blood, or was I simply hallucinating?"

"No, you're right," Hiroshima replied. Someone with that type of attention to detail was worth keeping a close eye on. He'd have to remember this for future reference when dealing with Fife. "The Crimson Blade is a vampuric sword which absorbs the blood of those that it's slain and if you have any magical abilities…It knows them now too," the angel gazed at Fife with steely cold eyes, as if he were exchanging a silent word with the feminine one.

This made Fife feel a little nervous. It felt as if Hiroshima were staring into his soul, and he could almost feel his blood run cold at the mere thought of the angel knowing something private about him that he'd not exposed to anyone else. Through all of the tension and pressure he felt, he managed to pull off his perpetually happy smile. "Well that should come in handy, shouldn't it?"

"Yes, it's a great weapon to have," the legend continued to stare him down, knowing fully that Fife was hiding something from everyone else. Not only did he know he was hiding something, but he now knew exactly what it was and the Crimson was the one that revealed all of Fife's secrets and brought them to light.

"Well, what are you going to do?" Ceres yelled from across the battlefield, "Because I really don't have all day. I've got things to do. I really don't care who I kill or enslave, any of you will do. You'll make such cute slaves."

Keiji's features were those of malice as tension seeped from his form. His eyes were locked onto the female across the battlefield. Her arrogance was far more than that of Hiroshima. He could at least deal with Hiroshima's cocky comments and sarcastic nature, but this woman was just plain irritating to him.

"What will we do, Keiji?" Undine looked to the boy and hoped that he possessed an answer of some kind.

"Good question," Ko's sights also turned to the green-haired drummer.

"Why are you asking me?" Keiji's tone was a little irritated. The fact that the girls had just put peer pressure on him didn't help any either.

"Because you're such a good leader," Fife added to the pressure.

"Looks like they appointed you as their leader, kid," Hiroshima smirked at the drummer.

Keiji glared at the legend for a few moments before something metallic and shiny blocked his view. It was a familiar dagger, the same one that he had given Fife earlier.

"I can fight with this," Fife offered Keiji some assistance.

"Stay back," the drummer commanded, producing a look of shock from Fife.

"He can't do that! We've all got to fight!" Ko wasn't about to become some sacrifice for Hiroshima's Vampire sword.

"Let's go," Azmy was ready to fight. If she must then she must and there was no time to argue about it.

"I agree with Azmy," Undine affirmed. "I want to fight her now."

"Fine, we'll all fight…even Fife," Keiji sounded defeated as well as irritated. He still wanted to protect the feminine one, and he didn't want anyone taking on injuries for him but the legend did warn him of what would happen if they didn't all fight. Keiji wouldn't have been shocked at that moment in time, if the arrogant angel killed him after battle for not enforcing group effort.

"Thank you, Keiji-kun," Fife beamed happily. "Now, I'll show you how well I can do on my own. Then I won't be a burden to you anymore."

"Man, I'm so gonna die," Chcihiri whined.

"You'd be correct on that theory," Ceres brought her left arm to her right side, bending it and clenching her fist, as if she were holding something. "Seismic Wave!" She called out, flinging her left arm around to its respective side and opening her hand releasing a powerful burst of wind that made rocks topple and trees bend backwards. The winds let out their haunting howls and sent everyone on the battlefield sailing back like paper airplanes except Keiji, Fife, Undine, Hiroshima and Tsurugi.

"That was easy," painted red lips smiled in victory, but it was short-lived as she could see the form of a small, lean boy running at her in full speed.

"Water Guardian's Fury!" Undine's voice could be heard as a gigantic wave appeared behind her, the dry land magically turning to sea. The crest of the wave had been the height of a three story house and it was headed right for the sensual woman.

"Hm?" Ceres turned, getting a good look at the wave.

'How in the world does she know how to do that?' Ko pondered from her position on the ground a good distance away. Her body ached from the impact so she decided to take a small recovery while the others fought in her place.

"Hey, Ko?" Chichiri questioned from beside of the singer. He too had been thrown back by the wave.

"What?" The white-haired girl turned her head to face the blonde.

"What do we do? I mean, there's no way we can just physically fight her. She'd kill us."

"We don't have weapons like Keiji, Fife and Undine."

"We can't cast spells like Undine either."

XI.

Fife slashed at Ceres multiple times, trying to get her in the face with his weapon to make a direct blow. He was fast and came at her so constantly that she could barely avoid his blade. The seductive woman was impressed by his speed and mercilessness in battle. Lust-filled thoughts swarmed through her mind as a smile crossed her face.

"You're a good warrior. You'll make a nice slave," she told him casually.

"Sorry, I don't like women," Fife smiled happily, as if the whole fight was amusing to him.

Ceres however, was outraged. No man had ever turned her down and she wasn't about to give up because he wasn't interested. She had other ways to make him fall for her. "You dare mock me? Fria!" The black-haired woman shouted, flinging her left arm to the opposite side of her body as a cold burst of wind hit the feminine boy, knocking him away from her.

"Fife!" Keiji shouted to his comrade from a short distance away as he saw the navy-haired boy's body fly up into the air.

Fife landed on his back with a thud. He could feel the dull pain from the impact the sharp pain from rocks slashing his back. He held one arm outstretched straight from his body as he clenched the dagger in his hand. His eyes were clenched shut, not knowing what to expect and bracing himself for any further impact. Slowly opening his eyes after a few moments, he could clearly see that he still had possession of the dagger and it had not been knocked out of his hand from the force of his impact.

"I still have it!" He chimed, but it was short-lived as a hand with painted red fingernails slapped it from his grasp. The dagger went bouncing across the ground to his right. The clinking of the blade could be heard as it finally stopped, planting itself in the dirt. "Now I don't! Huh?" Fife blinked, feeling breath on his face and smelling sweat and expensive perfume. Navy blue eyes burnt into red ones and he could feel long, silky, jet black hair falling all around him. He smiled at the woman. "I wouldn't do that," he sing-songed playfully.

"Why not?" Ceres was caught a little off guard by his response. It was definitely not the one that she was expecting to hear from him.

Suddenly, she could feel a foot being jarred against her stomach as her form was sent flying into the air. She let out a shriek before her breath was beaten out of her. Fife put his hands on either side of his head, curling his legs backwards and rolling into the kneeling position. "That's why," he replied in his perpetually happy tone.

"Why you little!" Ceres fumed, standing erect. "I'll beat you into submission! Dark Beam!" She threatened, pointing her scythe at the feminine one, a single beam of dark energy formed into a ball at the end of it, then shot a laser-like projection at him.

"Look out!" Undine called, rushing in front of him and holding her hands out in the same 'stop' motion that she had before. "Barrier!" She called out as a shield of water was place between them and the beam. As the dark beam raced towards the barrier, it collided causing electrical currents to race through it, little bits of lightening present throughout it before it fizzled out.

"Thank you, Undine," Fife stood, giving his friend a small smile.

"You're welcome. Happy to assist," Undine replied.

Fife could suddenly feel something wrap around his neck. It was cold and rope-like and had managed to get around his neck about three times. His hands, out of reflexes, went to his neck, grasping the object. It felt cold to the touch and it seemed to be pulling his form backwards slightly. Then with a jerk, he could feel his form being flung back by force. He handed on his back and looking up could see that it was a whip of sorts and Ceres was holding it with a dark smile.

"Fife!" He could hear the joint reaction from Keiji, Undine, Ko, Chirchiri and Azmy.

XI.

He couldn't do it. Tsurugi could not watch this go on any longer. If he didn't do something, then Fife would surely be turned into one of the wicked woman's slaves.

Until this point, he was able to hold himself back but he was no longer able to do so, for the sake of the others. The dark angel lunged forward, but his wrist was grabbed tightly by Hiroshima. His form jolted forward a bit. His blonde shaggy hair was flying up around his face and his blue eyes widening before he turned to see his companion.

"Tsurugi," Hiroshima told him sternly, but not coldly. A bit of endearment seemed to seep out whenever he was talking to his boyfriend. "Let it be."

"But Hiro-kun!" The other angel protested.

"Don't interfere. It may seem heartless of us not to help, but we have to know that they can hold their own. As angels-good or bad we do not have the capabilities that they do."

"You mean the ability to alter fate?" Tsurugi turned fully to face him, his arm now limp to his side and Hiroshima's grip a little lose.

"Yes, their fates are written before them. You and I know what lies ahead but whether or not it's changed is up to them, so let's try to be a little more optimistic about this."

"But what if they can't alter their fates so soon…" Tsurugi replied, worry crossing his features. Even if he didn't know the children, he didn't want to see them dead. "I mean, this must be what Vespa was talking about.-"

He was cut off by Hiroshima. "Vespa did this for a reason. Isn't that what you told me?"

Tsurugi looked down. "I guess you're right."

"You've never stopped being kind…Even when you fell from heaven," Hiroshima's voice strangely gentle in tone, yet it still managed to hold a certain chill about it.

"Loving you was a sin, wasn't it?" The dark angel asked, smiling a sorrowful smile.

"What?" Hiroshima blinked in response.

"I loved you…and because I was homosexual and I had sinned, my wings turned black and I was not allowed back into heaven."

"Why are you saying this now?" Hiroshima couldn't help but feel a little guilty when Tsurugi has phrased things like that. The legend knew he had changed the once-good angel and by doing this, caused him great sadness. His voice took on sympathy and a little sadness of its own as he spoke. "It's my fault that a lot of things happened. I brought about the destruction of your innocence. I made it impossible for you to obtain your goal of getting back into heaven."

The angel's hand trailed up Tsurugi's arm and touched one of the chains on his wings, holding it was if it were breakable glass as flecks of dry blood flaked off in his palm. "I put these chains on you, because you loved something as evil as I."

"No…" Tsurugi gave an understanding look to the spiky-haired man. "Those were my choices. I want to taint myself for you. I thought that maybe if I wasn't so pure that you'd like me better."

"Tsurugi, I-"Hiroshima was about to speak when a loud, gagging yell was produced, causing his attention to snap back to Ceres and Fife.

Keiji charged at the woman, who held Fife out from her by the neck. He rushed in with the dagger, trying to cut the beam but as soon as the blade made contact with the dark energy, electrical currents were sent through his body, shocking him and causing him to call out in pain.

"K…Keiji…Please…" Fife barely got out, his hands clenching the whip tightly as he closed one eye, struggling against it and fighting for air.

"No! You're not dying!" The drummer shouted strongly as Fife coughed, a small amount of blood flying from his lips.

Thinking quickly, Ko grabbed one of the fallen leaves from the vines that had attacked them only moments earlier and flung it at Ceres like a disc of sorts. The leaf was heavy and at the very least it would cause her to break the spell she had over Fife. Ceres held out her hand and the giant leaf burnt up before it could touch her.

"Fool," Ceres spat, grabbing the black whip and bringing the feminine one close to her face. She seductively ran her tongue down Fife's soft cheek. It was a slow and chilling process to Fife, who dreaded every moment of it. "Really? You don't like women?" The red-clad female purred in his ear.

"N-No…I'm…g…"

"Gorgeous," She moved her head in close to him once more, licking the boy's lips. Fife clenched his mouth shut, so she couldn't have the option of sticking her tongue in his mouth to violate him completely. He could feel the moist member attempt to force its way in, but he was powerless to stop it. The lack of oxygen to his body put him in a position where his arms did not have the power to move.

"Fife…" Keiji barely got the word out. He'd never felt so powerless to stop what was going on around him. It seemed that nothing could defeat Ceres. Hiroshima and Tsurugi weren't going to help him and there was no use even asking them. The drummer felt badly, almost as if something inside of him were dying and his mind was frenzied, trying to think of as many possibilities that he could before something further happened to Fife.

It was like torture of the worst kind. He felt so many things, sorrow, hurt, rage and paranoia.

"I can teach you to like women," Ceres purred with a smile and look of lust within her eyes.

"It doesn't matter," the feminine one replied in defeat, his voice miserable and quiet.

"Let him go you old hag!" Chichiri charged at her with his fists drawn. If Keiji wasn't going to stop her, then he was! He wasn't about to let her have her way with poor Fife. After all, Fife had been through enough and he didn't need her help to depress him any more then what he was.

"Chichiri! Don't!" Ko shouted to him. She knew that it was no use. They had lost the battle.

"Fria!" Ceres called out once again, as the same burst of cold air threw the blonde back.

"Let him go!" Ko shouted at her.

This only encouraged her to violate Fife further as she wrapped one arm around his lower back, pushing his hips into hers and placed the other on the side of his face, forcing their faces to be extremely close together.

"And let a perfect opportunity get away? No…" Ceres' warm breath caressed Fife's cheek. "I want to feel him against me," the dominant female hugged the sad boy closer, their bodies touching in an intimate way. "And kiss those sweet lips," she leaned down to claim her victory as a single crystalline tear ran down Fife's face.

Tsurugi watched, worried about what would happen next, but powerless to help. Hiroshima closed his eyes, but still kept a hold on Tsurugi. He knew how the angel was. He could bolt off at any time and he wasn't about to give him that freedom.

"You…" Keiji said lowly, his fists clenching and form trembling with anger. His rage was beginning to blind him, and he could no longer think with any type of reasoning. "YOU SLUTTY BITCH!" The drummer shouted at the top of his linger, wild rage coursed throughout his form as he leapt forward with incredible speed for a human, punching Ceres across the face with such force that her head went to the side, spit and blood flying from her mouth as she skidded back, colliding with a fallen vine a good distance away.

Fife's limp form fell, tears streaming up his face. When the sunlight caught them, they took on the form of round prisms, reflecting his sadness in an array of colors. Keiji held the feminine boy close to him, panting heavily.

'Well, what do you know? He does care about Fife, at least a little.' Hiroshima thought to himself, smirking with satisfaction.

"Thank God," Tsurugi sighed in relief, putting a hand to his chest. This whole situation had given him a close call.

Below him, Keiji could hear a slight chuckle coming from Fife.

He had almost been raped! What the hell was so funny at a time like this?

"What's so funny?" The green-haired male was annoyed and yet a little uneasy. Fife always laughed at the most inappropriate times. At times it was annoying and others it was creepy.

This would be one of those creepy times.

"How ironic that I'm in this predicament again. You, holding me like this," Fife replied with a smile, although the mood of his current situation made him come off as a little deranged. His mouth was juxtaposed to his tears.

"If you weren't crying so much, I'd say you were creeping me out," Keiji responded.

A feminine hand reach up, grasping the edge of a rock as Ceres pulled herself out of the rubble she'd been engulfed in. She was dirty, her clothes were tattered and so far, she'd proven to be nothing but a failure in her attempts to get Hiroshima back. "How dare you strike me like that!" She yelled out of anger. She'd never been hit in the face by anyone, let alone a little snot-nosed brat like him.

"Don't molest my friend and I wouldn't have to hit you," Keiji shot back.

"You'll all become my slaves!"

XI.

"Check it out!" Chichiri smiled, holding what appeared to be a large, wooden hammer in his hand.

"Where did you find that?" Ko asked.

"On the ground," Chichiri replied simply as Ko fell in the background.

"You mean we could have just snatched it from some dead body?" She felt very stupid at the moment.

"What will they need it for?" The blonde reasoned.

"You've got a point," Ko grabbed a fallen bastard sword on the ground and getting into a battle stance. "Time to get down to business."

"Die!" Ceres yelled, flying forward with incredible speed with her hand drawn back, black electrical currents shooting out from it. "Black Lightening Blade!" She shouted, headed straight for Keiji and Fife.

Thinking quickly, Fife threw his dagger as if her were throwing a simple dart through the air. The small weapon shot out from Keiji's direction, causing him to look puzzled because he had not thrown a weapon. A small amount of blood leaked out of a wound made in Cere's right shoulder. Red eyes widened in shock at the fact that she'd been hit not only with a physical blow, but with a weapon as well.

"Aqua Serpent!" Undine summoned up a large, snake-like tunnel of water came lurching up from the ground, fluidly dancing around the girl as it steamed along the ground, colliding with the already injured Ceres.

"Fools!" The black-haired woman shouted, sending her electrical currents through the water. The black lightening engulfed the Aqua Serpent, sending amplified currents up its length and into Undine, shocking her and causing a small pained noise.

"Undine!" Everyone except Hiroshima called out in dismay as the girl took on the dark energy.

'A true error on my part,' her thoughts berated her as her body jolted with the currents, numbing her senses.

"We've got to free Undine," Ko looked to Chichiri for help, but he had other plans.

"Screw that! I'm going straight for the source!" He boldly and blindly ran straight for Ceres with his weapon drawn.

"You idiot!" Ko shouted after him. "You can't just charge blindly into battle!"

"They're going to lose," Tsurugi watched from the side lines.

"As predicted," Hiroshima knew that there was no way fate could have been altered this time.

"I'm so tired of this," Ceres finally spoke, irritated beyond al belief at everyone's self-righteous behavior. "Dark Winds!" She called out, summoning up a huge windstorm that knocked Chirhiri's form back, followed by Azmy, Ko, Keiji and Fife. Undine fell to the ground, unconscious.

Fable watched from a distance, taking in the events and pondering to herself about the situation at hand as her dark purple hair danced in the ferocious winds and beat against her face. Her golden rings clanking together.

"I'm out of here," the sensual woman said in irritation as she raised her hand and a giant white feather, crisp as the snow appeared beneath her red heels and floated up into the air as she road off from the battle. Her black hair waving behind her as she looked back to the group on the ground who was all staring back at her.

"We will meet again," she swore.

"Shit!" Hiroshima put his arms around his face, struggling to see as he was pounded with sand, small rocks and other debris. He struggled to keep his balance. He didn't want to fall with the rest of his allies as Undine's body sailed past him, her black dress fluttering in the winds and her ponytail trailing behind her as she headed straight for Tsurugi, who caught her without even having to worry about falling. His feathers danced around him and his chains jingled as they swayed back and forth, beating against his wings from the tenacity of the winds.

"There!" The dark angel held the unconscious girl close to him.

"Your chains make it hard to knock you off of your feet," Hiroshima noticed that he was set pretty well in the ground.

"Yes."

"Now for a parting attack," Ceres said to no one but herself from a great distance away. She was so small in the sky that she looked like a mere speck in the air. A devious smirk crossed her lips and she pointed her scythe towards the group. "Selece!" She shouted as a large, golden beam was shot at the unsuspecting group.

Everyone was soon bathed in a golden glow. There was a commotion as they looked around helplessly.

"Cheap shot." Hiroshima remarked as everyone screamed.

"Oh no," Fable pointed her staff towards them in a hurry, attempting to cut her attack off. "Valor of Protection!" She commanded as a green glow was emitted from her staff, but it was soon engulfed by the Selece attack. "I'm too late," she cursed in dismay as the attack ripped up the earth with a blinding golden light. All that could be seen were a few large rocks, flying into the air. A large golden dome had expanded over the cast and after twenty minutes, it had disappeared.

Fable watched in dismay as the battlefield was uncovered before her.

What she saw was ghastly.

Hiroshima stood in front of everyone, his hands locked together in prayer. The ground around him was littered with his allies bodies. Ko was lying a few feet away from him on her side. Chichiri was laid out backwards with his hammer in hand. Tsurugi was lying on his back, the farthest away with Undine draped across him.

Keiji and Fife was behind Hiroshima and to the right a bit. They were unconscious and didn't move, their bodies still clinging to each other. Fife's hand was loosely holding Keiji's and their faces were close together.

Glass-blue eyes looked behind his form at his allies bodies, which showed no signs of life.

To Be Continued…