Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ 'Do You Want to Live Forever?' ❯ Inside ( Chapter 13 )

Pythagoras: was a sixth-century BC mathematician and philosopher who founded his own religious sect. His followers thought that the body was an impediment to the spiritual-life, and believed avoiding foods from animals and partaking in rituals would help them attain higher levels of knowledge. They also believed that reincarnation would eventually lead the soul to pure enlightenment where it would become purely divine and be set free into the universe.

(Disclaimer---Authors creation-this is a purely fictional storyline. There are no religious or Biblical references being made other than the premise of the Holy War in Heaven where Lucifer was cast out, and the names of the Archangels them selves. So, please no flames in reference to any religious belief or standard. I am not out to offend anyone. It is just a story and I felt it was time to explain 'where' Cel came from and just exactly 'who The Fang of Pythagoras' was.)

WARNING: LONG CHAPTER. POSSIBILITY OF TWO CHAPTERS WRITTEN IN MULTIPLE PARTS.

The Presence=The name used when speaking or referring to the Archangel collective. The presence refers to all seven Archangels as a single unit.

The Throne of Paradise=The same as the Throne of Heaven. The Throne where The One God sets and rules Heaven.

The Holy War in Heaven=The war between the Armies of Heaven and the Unclean forces of Darkness. It raged on for 10,000 years. In the end, Lucifer was cast out with his host and forbidden to ever return. His 'brother', Azuril, was placed at the gates of heaven to ward off those souls who would not repent their sins and bring forth only those who were pure enough to return to the company of The One God.

Lucifer=The eighth Archangel, the youngest member of The Presence. He fell away from his 'brothers' and became lost in the despair of outer darkness when he succumbed to his anger and jealousy. Because he was dissatisfied with his position within The Presence and his status in Heaven, Lucifer rallied an army of unclean souls about him and waged war upon the spirits of Heaven. The Holy War lasted 10,000 years, and when it ended, Lucifer was cast out of God's presence and forbidden to ever return.

Azuril=The fourth Archangel, the Angel of Repentance. He is also known as the Angel of Death. He was placed at the Gates of Heaven to be escort to the new souls, but also to ward off those souls who were still tainted with the stain of Lucifer's sin.

Chapter Twelve

Part One: The Creation of The Archangels

The Fall of Lucifer, The Eighth Archangel

In the Beginning when Time was still young and the Earth new, a being of tremendous power and wisdom was born. Rising from the flames of creation, he seized The Throne of Heaven and became the first to bring the chaos of the firmament under control. Calling him self Houou, he established his right to rule as Father to all souls thus beginning his reign over the heavens. As The Law and The Hand of Justice swept across the Universe, Houou soon realized that he could not rule alone, and he was prompted to create helpmates to assist him in maintaining the peace of his domain.

And so, he gathered to him the eight strongest , purest, and most brave souls from among those who gathered around him, and upon them bestowed special gifts. To each he gave the power and relentlessness harbored within the crashing waved of the storming sea, the farsighted vision of a soaring eagle, the prowess of the stalking lion, the cunning of the hunting wolf, and the speed of the mighty cyclone as it sweeps its devastating winds across land and water destroying all in its path. Then to each he gave a pair of magnificent wings so that they might take to skies and fly through the heavens like great birds watching and searching as they governed the acts and actions of Houou's people. The last gift to be given was a sword made of gleaming silver-white metal whose glacial surface captured the brilliance of the flaming sun turning it into a flaming symbol of the winged-warriors divine authority. He declared these eight glorious beings to be 'Archangels', and he called them 'The Presence'.

When creation was complete, Houou took The Presence to his Throne and as each Archangel knelt before him, he named them and gave them a personal designation.

To the first, he cried out in a loud voice, "You are Michael! You will be the strongest, my son, hence you shall be the Leader among your brothers and the General over my Armies. You are the protector of my Truths and the bearer of The Law. You will stand at my right hand and be the First." As Houou touched Michael's shoulder, the Archangel's flared to a brilliant gold and his wings became whiter than the stone of Throne it self. "Come, my beloved son, and stand beside me." The Great Warrior rose to his new height of eight feet and took his place on the right hand of Houou.

To the second, Houou, shouted, "You are Gabriel! You are the keeper of my strength and my progeny. You will bring Inspiration to those who know only fear and despair, and it is the essence of your spirit that will quicken the new life within a woman's womb. You will support your brother's every command and stand at his side as his second, and you will take your place on my left hand." Reaching out, Houou placed his hand upon Gabriel's shoulder and the Archangel's hair and wings shimmered in the morning mists changing into a gleaming black that glinted with blue and green and gold as the light of the sun poured down upon him. He too rose to his feet and took his place on the left hand of Houou.

To the third, Houou gave the power to heal wounds of the flesh as well as wounds of the heart and soul, and when the Archangel knelt before him, Houou named him Raphael bestowing upon him the glory of a flowing chestnut mane and wings of summer gold.

To the forth was given the power of fire and the burden of leading the souls of the dead through the gateway into Heaven. "You are the Angel Of Death, my dear Azuril." Houou spoke in a quiet and comforting voice as he knelt before the trembling Archangel and embraced him. "You above all of your brothers must learn the ways of forgiveness, compassion, and love. Yet, you must be firm and unyielding with the souls who have yet to repent of their transgressions for you must turn them away." The barest of nods greeted these difficult words, and Houou placed a loving, tender kiss upon the furrowed brow. As he did, Azuril's hair and flesh turned to white, while his face faded to a charcoal gray and his ears rose to points on the side of his head. The feathers within his magnificent wings grew white but were tinged with grays and muted blues throughout, and his gleaming sword stretched long and changed into a black, double headed scythe. The Angel of Death and Fire was prepared to take his place.

To the fiftth was given the power of Friendship. His name was made Raguel, and he was made the conscience over his brothers as Houou beseeched this gentle yet volatile soul to be the steadying force within The Presence. "Keep your brothers mindful of their purpose, my beloved son, and maintain the bonds that bind you all together lest one of you should be lost to the abyss of temptation." Wings of pale violet with hair to match bloomed upon the powerful body, and Raguel rose to take his place beside his brothers.

To the sixth Houou gave the responsibility of disciplining his brothers. Sariel was given the power to set in Judgement and exact punishment upon the Archangels within The Presence, and it was he and he alone who could decide their fate if one of them performed a misdeed. Unless the misdeed was to heinous even for his gift of judgement and fairness, and as the had of Houou touched him, Sariel was draped in cobalt blue.

To the seventh, Remiel, was bestowed the gift of Hope. He was the shining beacon of optimism and conviction that could be shown to the people whenever despair and discouragement crushed their souls. He would stand beside his brother, Gabriel, and shine like a star in the heavens and give the people something to believe in again. A flaming wash of red spilled over his wings and bled into his hair turning him into a living, breathing symbol of Eternal Hope.

To the eighth and last Archangel of The Presence, Houou bestowed the gift of Joy and renewal. He alone had the ability to bring the distraught and floundering soul the feelings of happiness and faith in a new future. Gabriel and Remiel brought hope and inspiration. Michael brought strength and truth. Raphael healed the wounds of pain and Raguel offered friendship. But it was Lucifer who brought the joy and happiness needed for the soul to grasp the other offerings and move forward with the knowledge that the future held the promise of a new and positive beginning. Without joy and renewal, the other gifts were useless, and as Houou's hands touched the bent curve of his head, Lucifers eyes were filled with the beauty of the sky even as his hair and wings became the pure shining gold of molten amber.

And so Houou sat upon his throne with Michael, Azuril, Raguel, and Sariel standing at his right hand. Gabriel, Raphael, Remiel, and Lucifer at his left hand. The Presence was complete and peace reigned in The Lands of Heaven and Earth. For five thousand years prosperity and harmony reached far and wide over the domain of Houou and there was want for nothing. Every living soul both mortal and ethereal enjoyed life to the fullest and the feelings toward Houou and The Presence were of tremendous love and respect. Happiness abounded within the Universe and Houou became known as The One God.

But unrest was brewing within the hierachy of The Presence, and then it came to pass that the youngest among them, Lucifer, began to feel his position as the protector of joy and renewal was no longer satisfactory. He believed he was capable of much more responsibility than his paltry status offered, and felt he deserved a better position of authority within the ranks of power. He believed he was just as good at leading and bearing the duties of their father as any of the others. Soon, the sins of Greed, Envy, and Coveting were festering in his heart and poisoning his soul with their unrighteous thoughts. The once purity of his angelic soul began to succumb to the darkness of anger and solitude as he pulled away from the haven of The Presence and the comforting bond of his brothers love.

"I should be First Leader and General over the Armies, not Michael." Lucifer hissed as he paced back and forth in the chilled confines of his dark room and musty room. "I should be the bringer of new life and the bearer of Inspiration, not Gabriel. Why can't Father see that I am much more suited to the duties of leadership and ushering the new souls than my brothers ever will be? Why does he continue to overlook my natural talents? Why does he continue to chose those spineless fools who know nothing about the strength and the glory of battle or the joy of choosing which soul to send into a woman's womb? Why can't he see ME?" Angry fists jabbed and punched into the cold air as the frustrated Archangel allowed his jealousy to overcome his heart filling it with a lake of burning fury that fed his body with the heat of hatred.

"You only see what you want to see, Father. You never see ME!" He screamed impotently as his clear blue eyes filled with tears and the shimmering gold of his of his magnificent wings fluttered with unbridled agitation. "You have never seen anything but what Michael and Gabriel want you to see. I am less than nothing to you." And as Lucifer dwelled more and more upon the inadequacies of his position among his brothers, an ocean of jealously and despair rose up to consume him and he became lost in the rolling waves of disillusionment. Grief surged through his tortured soul and when he could bear no more, he mind exploded with malicious rage and hatred. His thoughts, feelings, and perceptions were shattered into fragments of confusion warping his vision of reality forever.

As his soul was lost to the abyss of despair, Lucifer fell away from all who knew and loved him, and the light of the moon witnessed the transformation of his spirit as the golden light of his glorious wings and hair dimmed and became blacker than the darkest pit. Outer darkness rose and claimed the heart of the fallen Archangel filling it with ice and a loathing for all life. And what had once been pure and overflowing with love and promise now became cold and withered knowing only hate, greed, and ambitious selfishness. Lucifer, The Lord of Darkness, had been born.

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Chapter Twelve

Part Two: The Holy War in Heaven

The Rise of Pythagoras, The Ninth Archangel

The King of The Dark World, The God of Darkness

The First Pure Blood

Gathering about him an army of unclean, unfortunate souls, Lucifer rose up against The Holy Law in raging defiance and tried to steal the Throne of Paradise for his self. But he was met by the seven bloodied swords of his 'brothers' who positioned them selves between the Unclean and their One God. War raged between the light and the dark, and as the blood of the immortals stained the land, a great cry rose up from the innocent souls that lay slain at the feet of the Unclean.

"Save us, God of our Souls... Save us, Great Father... Save us, for we perish and our strength grows dim... Help us, Great Father. Help us."

And a tremendous thunderbolt flashed across the sky crashing into the ground with a terrible explosion of earth and fire. The air was filled with screams and many ran from the devastation in fear for their life that another flare of God's great power would catch them unawares. But, as the debris settled there stood but a single being. Though he was a magnificent being, he was the only one.

He stood nigh on twelve feet tall with wings, black as deaths blood, stretched up high above his head, their tips pointing toward the gleaming ball of billowing flame that was the Sun. As he opened his eyes, those same flames were leaping inside golden orbs that glared in angry judgement down upon the terrified souls surrounding him. A breastplate of silver was strapped to his chest, and the pure white mane of his hair whipped about his face in long ropes of liquid mist. The sword in his massive fist was two-thirds again as long as that of any of his 'brothers', and as he raised it into the air, it caught the reflection of the sun and became a blazing omen of justice.

"I am Pythagoras!" He cried out in a booming voice that shook the ground and made the trees tremble. "I have been sent to judge Thee for thy crimes against The One God. Ye are all sinners and must make penance for thy deeds. Let all who stand against the Kingdom of The One God be judged!" And then the giant Archangel threw back his magnificent head and let loose a battle cry that filled the air with the energy and power of War bringing new life to the Army of Heaven. "Come with me, my brothers, and let us make a victory for our Father this day!" The answering cry from the other seven exploded over the bloody battlefield and the last charge of the Holy War began.

The towering Archangel wadded into the fray of battle shouting his battle cry as his sword swung this way and that slicing and hacking a pathway through the Unclean as he moved. Souls screaming in terrified panic struggled to flee his rampage of justice, but there was little to no escaping the long armed reach as he swept their bloodied bodies out of his way. Not long into the battle, Pythagoras discovered he had another weapon to use on the scrambling cowards trying to avoid him. Grabbing them by an arm or a leg, he would haul them up to his mouth and use the long, dagger-like fangs protruding from his upper jaw to tear their heads off or rip their hearts out. It made for a gory demise, but it really did not matter to him. The Unclean were just as dead either way.

The battle raged for 1,000 years until the moment when Pythagoras stood before Lucifer his self demanding the fallen Angel to surrender or perish on the end of his blade. Seething with furious hatred, Lucifer had thrown his weapon aside and knelt in supplication before the giant who had rained ruin upon him destroying all his hopes and dreams. Pythagoras, and the seven remaining host of The Presence took Lucifer before The One God and threw him upon the steps before The Throne to await judgement and punishment.

As an Archangel, he had sworn an oath to protect 'The Kingdom of God' and preserve the sanctity of Heaven, and by declaring war upon that which he had sworn to uphold, Lucifer committed the most horrible of blasphemies. He had defied God, his self. Judgement would be harsh.

In the end, Lucifer and his remaining host were cast out of Heaven forever, and Lucifer was forbidden to ever return. In order to make sure that he did not, and to be certain no tainted soul ever passed through The Gates again, The One God placed Lucifer's brother, Azuril, to stand watch. As the fourth Archangel, and The Keeper of the Dead, Azuril would be the only one who would know which souls were tainted and which were not. He would also make certain his 'fallen brother' never tried to return home again.

When The One God called Pythagoras before him, the Great Archangel came and knelt upon the stone steps bowing his head in humble supplication and asking what was needed of him. Because of his violent nature, The One God knew it would be difficult to keep Pythagoras within the confining gates, so he gave the great warrior a choice.

Stay in Heaven and remain among his 'brothers', or choose his own fate. Pythagoras chose his own fate. He humbly requested to be sent to Hell to guard The Gates of The Dark World and keep the great evils from finding their way back into Heaven. The One God was shocked and proud beyond words. He granted Pythagoras his request, but it was not Heaven he wished for him to guard... it was Earth.

"Please, my beautiful and selfless son, take your strength and guard the path that leads to The Mother and her fragile children. It is She, and not I, who is more in need of your gifts for she has so few to protect her vulnerable lands."

"Am I to protect her alone, My Father?" Pythagoras asked as his golden eyes raised to gaze upon the loving face of The One God.

"No, My son. I will give you a mate and the means to create off-spring like yourself, and together you will all stand forth to protect The Mother. You will be the key to a new order, Pythagoras, and your children will know what it means to be in the service of the Gods. And you will teach them The Way of The Fang so that the World of Darkness will never be without a force of guardians."

"The Way of The Fang? I do not understand, My Father?"

"It will be a means to progenerate your kind without the need of a mate. When the time comes, you will know what to do. But remember this, My son, and remember it well. For upon the day that you or any of yours forget, Hell will rise up and consume your progeny completely."

"I will not forget, My Father. Tell me what I must remember."

"You must never allow, under any cause or reason, the spilling of innocent blood. All life is sacred and the living blood that flows through a body's veins carries the energy of the innocent soul. If it is taken unto the point of death for no other reason than food or sport, the being who has tasted of it will become tainted with the evil of Lucifer's own sin."

"Lucifer?"

"Envy, jealousy, greed... lasciviousness. One sin rides on the back of the other until the purity of a soul becomes black and heavy with the burden. Murder and betrayal are the greatest sins in the universe, My son. Do not allow your people to fall prey to the pathway that leads to them."

"But, My Father, I still do not understand. Why would my people want to 'taste' of innocent blood, or blood at all? Are we animals in this fragile world of The Mother's?"

"No, Pythagoras. You are not animals, you are the predators that feed on the animals. I made you what you are to fight in my War, but I did not think beyond that to what your life would be afterward. You and your kind will crave the living blood... crave the hunt, crave the taste, crave the knowledge. But you do not need it to survive, so you must learn restraint and control. You must to stop before death occurs."

So many questions, so many things to understand. Pythagoras and The One God talked far into the day about what he and his people could and could not do. What they should and should not do. Then at long last, the Archangel bowed his head low touching the stair in dutiful respect paying homage to his Father, The One God.

"I will remember all that you have taught me, My Father. I will teach it to my children and my people, and we will serve The Mother loyally as you have asked. I will not let the great evils of The Dark World pass through the gate and claim the place called 'Earth'. I promise you."

The One God stood and offered a blessing over his beloved and brave son, and then, in the blink of an eye, the air beside Pythagoras shimmered, shifted with muted colors and textures and became a woman. Her hair hung long in a flaming cascade of red and gold ropes that reached her knees, and the stark pale contrast of her skin caused the enormous round jewels of her glittering green eyes to almost jump out of her elfin face.

Chapter Twelve

Inside

Characters

Hiko Seijurou-Vampire Leader, General over all Military Forces

Aoshi Shinomori-Major-Commanding Officer over the Slayers-Designation: Stalker One

Kaoru Kamiya-Slayer, Final Level-Designation: Stalker Two

'Cel'-The One--First Leader, The Fang of Pythagoras

Mara Rostovich-Slayer, Fourth Level-Designation: Stalker Twelve

"What do you mean someone has activated the outside doors and the elevator?" Aoshi was shouting into his radio microphone as he rushed toward the complexes central security room and computer monitoring systems. "Shut down the main doors to the living quarters now...... I don't care how you do it, just shut them down! Shut them all down, dammit! Shut everything down!" 'Oh My God! What's happening?' All of his acutely attuned senses were screamed that danger was approaching, but the technical information he was getting back from his Slayers was not giving him the answers he needed to know. Something was coming, but no one could see it.

"Kaoru?" He screamed into his microphone as he dodged though a cluster of frightened clinging people. "Stalker One calling Stalker Two... respond!"

"This is Stalker Two...Yes, sir?" Her voice crackled over his earpiece and he silently thanked the Gods that she was still taking his orders.

"What have you got over there? Have you got a breech?"

"No sir. The south gates are closed tight and all of the monitors are reading clear."

"Clear?" He shouted with disbelief. "What in the hell do you mean they are clear? Every proximity warning we have placed on the island is screaming. There has to be something on your monitors, dammit! Look again!"

"Hey!" She shouted back in her customary backlash. "I'm not blind, Ok. There's nothing coming down the shaft. It's clear."

"What the fuck is going on, Stalker Two? We have enough alarms going off to signal World War Three... Now where is the attack force coming from? Where's the enemy?" Aoshi skidded to a halt as he entered the monitoring room and then threw the monitoring slayer out of this observation chair without so much as a warning. "Dammit!" He cursed in angry frustration. "I can't see a fucking thing." His nimble fingers started flying over the keyboard bringing up surveillance camera's all over the island, inside the compound hallways as well as the air access ducts. 'Where the hell are you assholes?'

"First Leader to Slayer One... Major Shinomori, respond." Hiko's strained voice barked in harsh clipped tones over the com-link causing Aoshi to jump as it grated across his jangled nerves.

"This is Slayer One, I read you First Leader. Over."

"Do you know what we are looking at yet, Major? How many are there?"

"I don't know, Sir. I... I can't seem to find any of them." Aoshi knew that sounded stupid, but the same as Kaoru, he couldn't find a damn thing on any of his monitors. The surprise invasion force that the screaming alarms told them was coming was no where to be seen. "This is sure turning into one fucked up evening." He muttered as he pulled up another grid of camera's.

"Excuse me, Major. What did you say?"

"Nothing, Sir." He replied quickly trying to cover up his lapse in communication etiquette. "I am still checking, but so far all of the surveillance data is negative. It says there is no one around and that the grounds are totally clear. I don't understand what's going on, Sir. None of this makes any sense." Sweat poured down the sides of Aoshi's lean face as he searched for the threat his instincts told him was out there but the camera's said wasn't. "I just can't believe that it was all noth..." As his eyes caught sight of something one of the camera's in the north quadrant was picking up, his voice trailed off into chilling silence, and Aoshi Shinomori's mouth dropped open as the breath in his lungs froze and he turned into a statue of stone.

'Holy Mother...' The thought choked and stumbled inside of his mind as struggled to breath but found he could not. 'Mercy... plead mercy for us, Holy Mother, for we are not ready.'

"Major? Major Shinomori? What is going on? What happened? Respond?" Anxiety filled the older mans voice as he commanded his younger subordinate to answer, but he received no response. "Stalker One...Respond please! Respond please! Stalker One... Aoshi?!" As the seconds stretched out and the silence lengthened, Hiko had to finally admit that something was wrong. Aoshi would never ignore a direct command to respond. He had to do something so he turned to the only other person he felt was strong enough to deal with the present situation.

"Stalker Two," He called into his com-link. "Kaoru... respond please."

"Stalker Two responding. What's wrong, Papa?"

"It's the Major. He stopped broadcasting mid transmission, and now I can't raise him."

"Let me see if I can, I think I'm closer to him than you are. It might be a malfunction with his antennae." Kaoru adjusted her frequency again and started calling for her commander. "Stalker One, this is Stalker Two... please respond...Major Shinomori can you hear me, Sir?" She waited several seconds and then tried again. "Stalker One can you hear me... please respond Major. Are you there, sir? Are you alright, sir? Stalker One please respond?" Was Aoshi right after all, she wondered as a feeling of deep concern for her Leader filled her chest. Had something slipped past their security nets and invaded the compound? And if so, was Aoshi injured? Worse yet, was he dead?

"Stalker One this is Stalker Two... Major?!" She shouted into her com-link as her emotions rose and overcame her rational training. "AOSHI? Damn you! If you can hear me, say something. Say something so I know you're not dead. Please... for Godsake, say something."

"Kaoru..." The voice she heard crackling over the com-link was barely a shadow of the strong-willed, brave man she knew, and something inside of her shuddered at the subdued almost frightened quality it held now. "He... he's here, Kaoru. The main elevator shaft...north side. He's coming." Aoshi gasped and a soft cry of fear and astonishment shivered over the radio link. "Oh My God... have mercy on us all...we aren't ready... we aren't ready..." Suddenly the com-link turned to static and then it faded into eerie silence. Aoshi was not broadcasting anymore.

"Kaoru?" Her father's uncertain voice crackled in her ear. "Did I hear him right?"

"Yes, Papa." Dark blue eyes rose upward to the ceiling as Kaoru removed her earpiece. "He said 'He's here. Holy Mother have mercy on our souls'."

#

He heard the heavy 'clang-bang' of the 4inch thick steel doors as they slammed shut below him sealing the living quarters off from the rest of the complex. The sense of panic and terror had increased ten-fold in the last 3-5 minutes and he could feel the clan mobilizing for battle. A half of a smirk curved the corner of his mouth. 'You can't hide from me anymore.' He thought. 'I am here, and we will be done with this once and for all. Your steel doors are not going to keep me out, and your weapons are not going to harm me. Why are you even doing this?' It was almost amusing if he were not already so angry. This was foolishness, and he was not in the mood so when the elevator doors opened, he lowered his chin, clasped his hands behind his back, and stepped with cold determination from the box.

"I'm here." He whispered sending a vibration through the steel, reinforced hallways shaking the complex like an earthquake shakes a skyscraper. Around him he could hear the frightened voices of crying terrified people and the shouts of soldiers trying to regroup for an assault, but none of it was going to help any of them. He was finished playing their games their way. Ruthless was one thing, but to be ruthless without conscience was unacceptable. It was time for an education.

His slow sure steps carried him toward the huge ten foot by eight foot steel doors and he gazed at them dispassionately as if they were no more than paper-mache'. 'All obstacles built by the foolish can be overcome with the strength of The Mother.' He thought, as he reached out with one hand and touched the cold smooth steel.

"Open." He commanded simply. "And let me pass."

#

"We're going to die!"

"We are going to be buried alive!"

"The God's have forsaken us!"

Over and over the panicked cries of the clan rose and echoed off the steel beams and panels that supported the roof and walls around them. The great shuddering quake that had rippled through the complex had sent nearly every living soul into a frenzy of terrified madness as they sought to find cover that was not available. Kaoru and Hiko both raced across the main floor into the control room and found Aoshi paralyzed in front of the monitor that was showing the view of the camera just outside of the north doors, and both froze catching their breath.

Kaoru had seen 'Cel' before, but not quite like this. This was 'Cel' in his grandest form and purest power. Blazing red-gold hair hung nearly to the ground, and swung about him like a cloud of burning flames. His golden eyes shone like glittering suns within the perfection of his face, while the daggers of his fangs snapped and gnashed his fury in hissing granduer. He looked like the Devil incarnate, or something much worse. If fear or terror had a physical form, it would have been what stood before them on the monitors screen.

"Oh simpatie." She choked as she watched him walk down the hallway toward the steel doors. "What has happened to you?"

"I could never fight him, could I?" Hiko's voice sounded just like Aoshi's had when they heard him over the com-link. "I would not stand a chance."

"No, sir." That same voice spoke again as the shuddering breath escaped the Major's broad chest. "None of us would. He would kill us all."

"But is that what he means to do?"

"No, Papa. I don't believe that."

"I hope you're right, Slayer. If you're not... we may never see another moon." The three Vampires watched 'Cel' reach his hand out toward the massive doors, and then an enormous explosion filled the complex followed by the din of screaming people and the rush of cold air. The compound had been breeched.

"We're all dead men." Hiko hung his head in defeat. "Our bones will be left to become ashes in the sun before nightfall comes."

"Trust him, Papa. You must trust him."

"I can't."