Sorcerer Hunters Fan Fiction ❯ Starting Over ❯ Chapter 14
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: Lemony Chocolate 
Anime/Manga: Sorcerer Hunters Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Adventure / Angst / Psychological / Romance / Sci-fi | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 06.04.2003 | Pages: 2 | Words: 3.2K | Visits: 437 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: Sorcerer Hunters Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Adventure / Angst / Psychological / Romance / Sci-fi | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 06.04.2003 | Pages: 2 | Words: 3.2K | Visits: 437 | Status: Work In Progress
Chapter 14
Carrot kept a watchful eye on the gently rippling vapors. Whirling around with an angry glare as he felt Marron start to take a step forward, warning him back. He took a deep breath, turned and greeted the five forming bodies.
First he bowed to the Dark Grey column. "General Hakaishin, Master of Chaos and Destruction." Receiving a slight inclination of Hakaishin's head, he turned to the next column.
He bowed to the White column with black streamers racing down the body. "Yaksha, the Righteous, Prince of Swords." He received bow in return before he turned to the others and greeting them in succession; to the Gold, he greeted K'rlman, the Shielder, Lord Protector; to the Orange, he greeted Koolin the Whip, Lady of the East; and to the Red, he greeted Kurin, the Weaver, Mistress of the Loom. All bowed deeply in return.
"So, boy, that was how you figured it out. I didn't think that they could talk to you." The other humans in the room jumped upon hearing Hakaishin speak.
Carrot smirked. "They couldn't but I found a way to communicate with them. They told me all about you. THEY told me the truth," Carrot informed him with unnatural viciousness.
Hakaishin laughed. "The truth?! The truth?! You don't even know half of the truth. Did they tell you that you can't survive with all five of us within you? Our combined essences are too much for your fragile body to contain. You're going to die, boy, and I'll still win."
The humans gasped in horror and turned their eyes beseechingly to the four floating columns.
Hakaishin laughed. "I think I'll find another body to live in. Yours is becoming a bit to crowded and worn for me. Perhaps your little pretty-pretty." He leapt at Marron who flinched back. A scream of intolerable pain suddenly slashed through the room. Hakaishin fell to his knees as a searing pain raged through him.
The humans looked at the writhing figure with shock as Hakaishin lost his body and reformed into mist. Slowly their eyes lifted to Carrot. The four others entities never removed their gaze from the writhing figure of Hakaishin. Carrot's eyes and face were almost inhumanly cold and Hakaishin suddenly understood.
"What have you done, boy?!" he roared, making everyone else jump in the room.
"I've bound you to me to make sure that you never escape. When I die, I'm taking you with me," Carrot said with a grim look of determination on his young face.
"Why?" Hakaishin nearly wailed out.
And Yaksha answered, his voice a quiet sigh, "Because you have threatened to destroy this world. He has only cared for three people in life and you've threatened to kill them." He gestured to the two Misu sisters and Marron who gave Carrot a disbelieving, wondering look of gratitude. His face flushed with embarrassment from Yaksha's words. He had really hoped that this wouldn't come up. "Now he has even more of a reason to see you die. This is his family to protect, and he will not allow you to harm them."
Hakaishin snarled. He couldn't understand the love and loyalty the boy had showed to his brother and those females.
He laughed. "Very well, I'll bide my time. In a few years, I'll be able to break these bonds you have put on me and I'll find a new host," he warned.
K'rlman stepped forward, surrounding Carrot, and silently lent his strength to the shaking boy. The others drifted up beside him, giving their silent support as well.
Hakaishin snarled. He knew he had to get free. The boy was even affecting him with his human madness, his love for others, and his protective fury for the pretty-pretty.
Marron saw an almost quivering tension run through his niisan.
Carrot lifted his head. "You have two months," he stated baldly and silence spread around the room. The rest tried to grasp the implications in Carrot's words. He shifted his gaze apologetically to Mille, before looking away.
Mille gasped, his eyes wide with the sudden realization. Oh shit, he thought, Marron's going to go absolutely insane.
"What have you done, boy?" Hakaishin roared out, as his body reformed, wings appearing on his back as his hands clenched into taloned fists.
"Niisan, what have you done?" Marron breathed.
"What needed to be done," Carrot said, lifting his head proudly, his eyes hard, refusing their pity. His eyes softened upon observing the horrified faces of his family. He searched each beloved face, storing up memories.
"With Carrot's permission, we have been slowly, systematically breaking down his body. He knew, we knew, that it would be only a matter of time before Hakaishin was able to break the bonds that chained him to Carrot. So he came up with another plan, a better plan to make sure that Hakaishin never escaped to infect anyone else on this world," Koolin stated quietly, her essence shifting, forming a body.
"It was the only way that Carrot could be sure that Hakaishin would stopped....forever," said Kurin. Her body formed and blazing red streaks wrapped around her to pool at her feet. All the men's eyes glazed with lust at the sight of her lush body. Marron only narrowed his eyes, remaining unmoved. His concern for his brother outweighing his lust.
"After endless arguments, we finally agreed. However, we held off the final stage, hoping that Hakaishin would agree to abide our rules before we took the final step," Yaksha said, black streaks wrapping around his body. They pooled at his feet and wrapped around Carrot protectively. Marron narrowed his eyes at that, nearly snarling A feeling of hot rage raced through him. He wanted to tear the creature away and pull HIS niisan to him to protect.
"You are willing to die for them? For this world that has treated you so horribly?" Hakaishin whispered, trying to understand.
"Yes," Carrot replied succinctly.
Hakaishin shook his head and attempting to wrap his mind around the concept of love and loyalty. Duty he could understand, but this feeling that kept welling up inside him only served to further his confusion.
Carrot's eyes softened slightly as he felt the confusion in the weirdly beautiful alien.
"While only a handful of people have hurt me, shamed me, there are more people on this planet who have not hurt me. They deserve the chance to live out their lives, to grow and to know love. I don't have the right to take all that away from them. While I may have been willing to risk Marron's life and Tira and Chocolate's, I wasn't willing to risk the lives of over a billion people. I've seen what you've done to world after world. I was not about to let you do this to my world. If it cost me my life, I was willing to give that up." Carrot ended his speech quietly, a burning intensity in his eyes. Silently he willed the other to understand.
Slowly Hakaishin nodded his head. He had underestimated the boy and now he was paying the price. A feeling of grudging respect filled him for how well the boy had turned the tables on him.
"So what do we do now?" he asked. "If I give my word, are you willing to entrust the boy to me? We cannot all share him. We will eventually kill him with our combined presence," he said quietly, knowing that he would do whatever it took to live.
The beings exchanged a glance. They knew that they could not risk leaving Carrot to battle on alone with Hakaishin.
"We have discussed this matter among us. It was agreed that, if you abided by our rules, we would stop the destruction of Carrot's body, but we still cannot trust you. So we will not leave. However, by stopping the destructive breakdown of his body, he will have an additional ten years of life before his body begins to decay on its own, and this time we will be unable to stop it," this time K'rlman acted as the spokesperson for them as Carrot nodded his agreement.
The humans exchanged appalled looks. Ten years! That was nothing! They didn't want Carrot to die; they wanted him around forever. Grim resolve hardened their faces.
Marron opened his mouth to speak, but Chocolate beat him to the question, "What if you were in another's body? This way, you'll still be able to keep an eye on Hakaishin and Carrot won't have to die."
"What do you propose?" asked Kurin, curious.
This time Marron spoke, beating Tira to the punch. "Perhaps one of you could enter me," he stated quietly. The rest of the family echoed his soft words. Each volunteered to be host to the alien beings.
The four Guardians and Hakaishin looked at each other in amazement. * These humans were amazing,* they thought to each other, shaking their heads. * Especially the ones he calls family. They're so unpredictable. They are willing to risk their lives for the boy just as he is equally willing to risk his life for them.*
"No!" Carrot shouted out, aghast and furious at what his family had proposed. He was willing to risk his life for them, but he wasn't willing to have them risk their lives for him!
Hakaishin looked on in amused wonder as Carrot's anger rolled through the room. He glanced at the Guardians and felt their amusement towards Carrot's behavior, as well. The boy was willing to risk his life, but was unwilling to accept others risking their lives for him. Remarkable!
Carrot whirled around, his eyes narrowing. "And you can all stop laughing at me! They are NOT, I repeat NOT, going to be doing this," he yelled.
"Son," Stella spoke softly, yet vehemently, "Did you think you had the monopoly on sacrificing your life to protect us? Haven't you realized that we would do anything, and I mean anything, to protect you and keep you safe? We love you and want you around for as long as possible. If allowing these beings to reside within us will allow us to hold on to you longer, then it is indeed a very small price to pay."
Carrot's gaze lowered. Tears prickled in his eyes at the fierce love he could feel coming from his family. He glanced at the Guardians and a silent communication took place between them all. Carrot stepped back in silent acquiescence.
"General Hakaishin do you vow, on your honor, to abide by the rules we set forth: never to do harm to the humans unless in defense of life; to become a guardian to this world and to the human Carrot Glace; lending your strength to the boy to sustain him in times of need; to work with him, giving your life over to his?" Yaksha intoned the solemn ritual words. The Guardians knew that Hakaishin would die before he broke his vow. His honor was the only thing he valued and, once sworn, nothing would be able to break this vow. The three other Guardians tensed and waited for him to either reject or accept the Guardianship.
Hakaishin looked at the shaking boy and at the ones the boy called family, and, for the first time in his long life, he wanted to be a part of something. He knew that he would not be able to change his nature. He enjoyed causing chaos and destruction too much, but he wanted to experience the feelings of being loved and needed instead of the fear and loathing that he usually encountered.
Looking back at the Guardians and at the closeness they shared, he wanted to be a part of that also, not to be alone anymore, and nodding his head, he made his decision adding a caveat to his vow.
"I do so swear this: Never to do harm to the humans unless in defense of life; to become a guardian to this world and to the human Carrot Glace; lending my strength to Carrot Glace to sustain him in times of need; to work with him, giving my life over to his, IN THIS WORLD AND BEYOND," he solemnly swore. The looks of awe his fellow Guardians wore proved immensely enjoyable. He knew that what he had vowed went beyond the traditional terms of Guardianship. He had no intention of letting his prize go. He had a feeling that, wherever the boy went, danger was sure to be close behind and he wanted to be there for that.
Carrot whirled around, shock on his face at hearing and feeling the intensity behind the words. He knew that the last phrase wasn't a normal within such binding contracts.
"In this world and beyond," Yaksha slowly agreed, wondering at Hakaishin's unusual phrasing. He knew that he wasn't going to get an answer from the stubborn fool. He cast a glance at his fellow Guardians and saw his confusion reflected on their faces. He sighed. They felt as lost as he did.
The humans looked at one another, feeling a strange gravity in the room, and wondered what was wrong.
Hakaishin went and stood by his human, spreading his wings slightly. He wondered if the other humans were serious about the merging. Carrot cast him a suspicious look, which he returned with a smirk.
Yaksha looked at the humans standing tensely together. "You are sure about this decision," he asked them and, receiving their nods of assent, he continued, "There are only four of us and ten of you. We will have to match our essences to only four of you to ensure a proper merging, thus avoiding as much pain as possible."
They looked at each other and nodded. Marron frowned in puzzlement. "Why do you need to match up your essences with us? All five of you were within Carrot; why do you have to match up with us?" The others nodded in similar bafflement.
"Because Carrot's essence matches up with us all," Yaksha answered, observing at the confusion on their faces. He tried to explain:
"Essentially, I am a fighter, a warrior if you will. Carrot is, to all extents and purposes, a warrior, a fighter. He does not give up nor does he surrender to despair. He will keep fighting long after everyone is dead around him.
"Kurin is the weaver, a seeker of truth and knowledge. She is the one who connects the threads of ideas and events to present a unified whole. She uses this knowledge to protect or to kill. Carrot does the same with your computer: connecting ideas and information to seek and destroy, or if he wills, to protect and serve.
"Koolin is another fighter. She is capable of mastering intense levels pain or, equally, to give it. In our world, her primary weapon was a whip. Carrot, for reasons you all know, is capable of withstanding a great deal of pain without letting it break him.
"And, finally, K'rlman the Shielder, the ultimate protector. With his strength of will, his strength of body, he is at the foreground of all battles. He shields us all with his strength, his body, his will as Carrot does the same for you all." Yaksha finished his long speech as they drifted closer.
"However, since there are only four of us, we wish to match as closely as possible to avoid hurting any of you. If we cannot match almost perfectly, it will cause intolerable pain to the hosting body." By now the four were in touching distance of the humans. Their bodies began to glow. A rippling light slowly trailed across the humans as the Guardians sought their match.
Yaksha's light slowly caressed Marron's face and enveloped his body. They both gasped upon feeling the rightness of being together and MERGED!
K'rlman's light had briefly touched Marron before being butted away by Yaksha's light. It moved across Gateau's rigidly trembling body, slowly passing over him. It stopped abruptly and, coming back, covered his body in a shimmering ripple of light. Again the two felt rightness.
The others observed the looks of ecstasy on Marron's and Gateau faces and warily watched the light play over them.
Koolin's light played over the Misu's sisters. Gently it swept back and forth before retreating and swiftly enveloping Kurin's light. The two twisted and wound about each other, merging together and coming apart. Then the two ribbons of light shot into Tira and Chocolate as they cried out in pleasurable pain. Writhing in the grasp of the light, Koolin to Tira and Kurin to Chocolate, they cried out again. Pleasure mixed with pain as they panted hoarsely before dropping to the ground. Looking up, Tira's eyes flashed a vivid pink before returning their normal limpid green behind her glasses.
Gateau extended hands to each girl, pulling them to their feet, as Marron rushed over to Carrot. He yanked him into his arms and glared at the amused Hakaishin. Carrot sputtered in protest at the way Marron pulled him behind his body.
"Marron, stop it! You know he's not going to hurt me, so just chill, okay," Carrot said, running his hand through his hair, more confident and stable now that everyone knew the truth about him.
"Be at ease, child," Hakaishin said quietly to Marron, "The boy is correct, I will not hurt him. I cannot hurt him."
Marron simply narrowed his eyes as his lips tightened, feeling Yaksha agree. Carrot kept tugging at him, trying to get him to free him.
"I know but I still don't like it," he growled.
Everyone watched with a mixture of amusement and concern the futile struggles of Carrot to get away and the way Marron was eyeing Hakaishin. They hoped that he wouldn't do anything foolish.
Carrot rolled his eyes. "Overprotective much?! HELLOOOO! I've been handling him for nine years. I think it's safe to assume that I can handle him for a few more minutes."
"Alright, what now?" he asked, finally freeing himself from Marron's protective embrace.
"Nothing happens now," Hakaishin informed him. "I'll heal you of the damage we've caused and then I think you should all get some rest. You have a lot to take in and I would suggest that you be flat on your backs before the full merging is completed." With a smirk of amusement, Hakaishin returned mist, enveloped Carrot and sank into him.
"Yeah, he's right," Carrot said a little worriedly, feeling Marron stagger slightly against him. He wrapped his arm around Marron's waist and guided him out the door. A glance back saw Gateau and Tira leaning against each other, while Mille supported Chocolate.
Reaching their room, he managed to get Marron's long body into the bed and under the covers. He didn't bother to undress him or himself before climbing in and wrapping himself around Marron. The suddenly weary body in his arms slumped in unconsciousness. He watched him with sudden fear in his heart before Hakaishin reassured him that everything was okay. Pulling Marron slightly closer, he yawned and allowed sleep to take him.
Carrot kept a watchful eye on the gently rippling vapors. Whirling around with an angry glare as he felt Marron start to take a step forward, warning him back. He took a deep breath, turned and greeted the five forming bodies.
First he bowed to the Dark Grey column. "General Hakaishin, Master of Chaos and Destruction." Receiving a slight inclination of Hakaishin's head, he turned to the next column.
He bowed to the White column with black streamers racing down the body. "Yaksha, the Righteous, Prince of Swords." He received bow in return before he turned to the others and greeting them in succession; to the Gold, he greeted K'rlman, the Shielder, Lord Protector; to the Orange, he greeted Koolin the Whip, Lady of the East; and to the Red, he greeted Kurin, the Weaver, Mistress of the Loom. All bowed deeply in return.
"So, boy, that was how you figured it out. I didn't think that they could talk to you." The other humans in the room jumped upon hearing Hakaishin speak.
Carrot smirked. "They couldn't but I found a way to communicate with them. They told me all about you. THEY told me the truth," Carrot informed him with unnatural viciousness.
Hakaishin laughed. "The truth?! The truth?! You don't even know half of the truth. Did they tell you that you can't survive with all five of us within you? Our combined essences are too much for your fragile body to contain. You're going to die, boy, and I'll still win."
The humans gasped in horror and turned their eyes beseechingly to the four floating columns.
Hakaishin laughed. "I think I'll find another body to live in. Yours is becoming a bit to crowded and worn for me. Perhaps your little pretty-pretty." He leapt at Marron who flinched back. A scream of intolerable pain suddenly slashed through the room. Hakaishin fell to his knees as a searing pain raged through him.
The humans looked at the writhing figure with shock as Hakaishin lost his body and reformed into mist. Slowly their eyes lifted to Carrot. The four others entities never removed their gaze from the writhing figure of Hakaishin. Carrot's eyes and face were almost inhumanly cold and Hakaishin suddenly understood.
"What have you done, boy?!" he roared, making everyone else jump in the room.
"I've bound you to me to make sure that you never escape. When I die, I'm taking you with me," Carrot said with a grim look of determination on his young face.
"Why?" Hakaishin nearly wailed out.
And Yaksha answered, his voice a quiet sigh, "Because you have threatened to destroy this world. He has only cared for three people in life and you've threatened to kill them." He gestured to the two Misu sisters and Marron who gave Carrot a disbelieving, wondering look of gratitude. His face flushed with embarrassment from Yaksha's words. He had really hoped that this wouldn't come up. "Now he has even more of a reason to see you die. This is his family to protect, and he will not allow you to harm them."
Hakaishin snarled. He couldn't understand the love and loyalty the boy had showed to his brother and those females.
He laughed. "Very well, I'll bide my time. In a few years, I'll be able to break these bonds you have put on me and I'll find a new host," he warned.
K'rlman stepped forward, surrounding Carrot, and silently lent his strength to the shaking boy. The others drifted up beside him, giving their silent support as well.
Hakaishin snarled. He knew he had to get free. The boy was even affecting him with his human madness, his love for others, and his protective fury for the pretty-pretty.
Marron saw an almost quivering tension run through his niisan.
Carrot lifted his head. "You have two months," he stated baldly and silence spread around the room. The rest tried to grasp the implications in Carrot's words. He shifted his gaze apologetically to Mille, before looking away.
Mille gasped, his eyes wide with the sudden realization. Oh shit, he thought, Marron's going to go absolutely insane.
"What have you done, boy?" Hakaishin roared out, as his body reformed, wings appearing on his back as his hands clenched into taloned fists.
"Niisan, what have you done?" Marron breathed.
"What needed to be done," Carrot said, lifting his head proudly, his eyes hard, refusing their pity. His eyes softened upon observing the horrified faces of his family. He searched each beloved face, storing up memories.
"With Carrot's permission, we have been slowly, systematically breaking down his body. He knew, we knew, that it would be only a matter of time before Hakaishin was able to break the bonds that chained him to Carrot. So he came up with another plan, a better plan to make sure that Hakaishin never escaped to infect anyone else on this world," Koolin stated quietly, her essence shifting, forming a body.
"It was the only way that Carrot could be sure that Hakaishin would stopped....forever," said Kurin. Her body formed and blazing red streaks wrapped around her to pool at her feet. All the men's eyes glazed with lust at the sight of her lush body. Marron only narrowed his eyes, remaining unmoved. His concern for his brother outweighing his lust.
"After endless arguments, we finally agreed. However, we held off the final stage, hoping that Hakaishin would agree to abide our rules before we took the final step," Yaksha said, black streaks wrapping around his body. They pooled at his feet and wrapped around Carrot protectively. Marron narrowed his eyes at that, nearly snarling A feeling of hot rage raced through him. He wanted to tear the creature away and pull HIS niisan to him to protect.
"You are willing to die for them? For this world that has treated you so horribly?" Hakaishin whispered, trying to understand.
"Yes," Carrot replied succinctly.
Hakaishin shook his head and attempting to wrap his mind around the concept of love and loyalty. Duty he could understand, but this feeling that kept welling up inside him only served to further his confusion.
Carrot's eyes softened slightly as he felt the confusion in the weirdly beautiful alien.
"While only a handful of people have hurt me, shamed me, there are more people on this planet who have not hurt me. They deserve the chance to live out their lives, to grow and to know love. I don't have the right to take all that away from them. While I may have been willing to risk Marron's life and Tira and Chocolate's, I wasn't willing to risk the lives of over a billion people. I've seen what you've done to world after world. I was not about to let you do this to my world. If it cost me my life, I was willing to give that up." Carrot ended his speech quietly, a burning intensity in his eyes. Silently he willed the other to understand.
Slowly Hakaishin nodded his head. He had underestimated the boy and now he was paying the price. A feeling of grudging respect filled him for how well the boy had turned the tables on him.
"So what do we do now?" he asked. "If I give my word, are you willing to entrust the boy to me? We cannot all share him. We will eventually kill him with our combined presence," he said quietly, knowing that he would do whatever it took to live.
The beings exchanged a glance. They knew that they could not risk leaving Carrot to battle on alone with Hakaishin.
"We have discussed this matter among us. It was agreed that, if you abided by our rules, we would stop the destruction of Carrot's body, but we still cannot trust you. So we will not leave. However, by stopping the destructive breakdown of his body, he will have an additional ten years of life before his body begins to decay on its own, and this time we will be unable to stop it," this time K'rlman acted as the spokesperson for them as Carrot nodded his agreement.
The humans exchanged appalled looks. Ten years! That was nothing! They didn't want Carrot to die; they wanted him around forever. Grim resolve hardened their faces.
Marron opened his mouth to speak, but Chocolate beat him to the question, "What if you were in another's body? This way, you'll still be able to keep an eye on Hakaishin and Carrot won't have to die."
"What do you propose?" asked Kurin, curious.
This time Marron spoke, beating Tira to the punch. "Perhaps one of you could enter me," he stated quietly. The rest of the family echoed his soft words. Each volunteered to be host to the alien beings.
The four Guardians and Hakaishin looked at each other in amazement. * These humans were amazing,* they thought to each other, shaking their heads. * Especially the ones he calls family. They're so unpredictable. They are willing to risk their lives for the boy just as he is equally willing to risk his life for them.*
"No!" Carrot shouted out, aghast and furious at what his family had proposed. He was willing to risk his life for them, but he wasn't willing to have them risk their lives for him!
Hakaishin looked on in amused wonder as Carrot's anger rolled through the room. He glanced at the Guardians and felt their amusement towards Carrot's behavior, as well. The boy was willing to risk his life, but was unwilling to accept others risking their lives for him. Remarkable!
Carrot whirled around, his eyes narrowing. "And you can all stop laughing at me! They are NOT, I repeat NOT, going to be doing this," he yelled.
"Son," Stella spoke softly, yet vehemently, "Did you think you had the monopoly on sacrificing your life to protect us? Haven't you realized that we would do anything, and I mean anything, to protect you and keep you safe? We love you and want you around for as long as possible. If allowing these beings to reside within us will allow us to hold on to you longer, then it is indeed a very small price to pay."
Carrot's gaze lowered. Tears prickled in his eyes at the fierce love he could feel coming from his family. He glanced at the Guardians and a silent communication took place between them all. Carrot stepped back in silent acquiescence.
"General Hakaishin do you vow, on your honor, to abide by the rules we set forth: never to do harm to the humans unless in defense of life; to become a guardian to this world and to the human Carrot Glace; lending your strength to the boy to sustain him in times of need; to work with him, giving your life over to his?" Yaksha intoned the solemn ritual words. The Guardians knew that Hakaishin would die before he broke his vow. His honor was the only thing he valued and, once sworn, nothing would be able to break this vow. The three other Guardians tensed and waited for him to either reject or accept the Guardianship.
Hakaishin looked at the shaking boy and at the ones the boy called family, and, for the first time in his long life, he wanted to be a part of something. He knew that he would not be able to change his nature. He enjoyed causing chaos and destruction too much, but he wanted to experience the feelings of being loved and needed instead of the fear and loathing that he usually encountered.
Looking back at the Guardians and at the closeness they shared, he wanted to be a part of that also, not to be alone anymore, and nodding his head, he made his decision adding a caveat to his vow.
"I do so swear this: Never to do harm to the humans unless in defense of life; to become a guardian to this world and to the human Carrot Glace; lending my strength to Carrot Glace to sustain him in times of need; to work with him, giving my life over to his, IN THIS WORLD AND BEYOND," he solemnly swore. The looks of awe his fellow Guardians wore proved immensely enjoyable. He knew that what he had vowed went beyond the traditional terms of Guardianship. He had no intention of letting his prize go. He had a feeling that, wherever the boy went, danger was sure to be close behind and he wanted to be there for that.
Carrot whirled around, shock on his face at hearing and feeling the intensity behind the words. He knew that the last phrase wasn't a normal within such binding contracts.
"In this world and beyond," Yaksha slowly agreed, wondering at Hakaishin's unusual phrasing. He knew that he wasn't going to get an answer from the stubborn fool. He cast a glance at his fellow Guardians and saw his confusion reflected on their faces. He sighed. They felt as lost as he did.
The humans looked at one another, feeling a strange gravity in the room, and wondered what was wrong.
Hakaishin went and stood by his human, spreading his wings slightly. He wondered if the other humans were serious about the merging. Carrot cast him a suspicious look, which he returned with a smirk.
Yaksha looked at the humans standing tensely together. "You are sure about this decision," he asked them and, receiving their nods of assent, he continued, "There are only four of us and ten of you. We will have to match our essences to only four of you to ensure a proper merging, thus avoiding as much pain as possible."
They looked at each other and nodded. Marron frowned in puzzlement. "Why do you need to match up your essences with us? All five of you were within Carrot; why do you have to match up with us?" The others nodded in similar bafflement.
"Because Carrot's essence matches up with us all," Yaksha answered, observing at the confusion on their faces. He tried to explain:
"Essentially, I am a fighter, a warrior if you will. Carrot is, to all extents and purposes, a warrior, a fighter. He does not give up nor does he surrender to despair. He will keep fighting long after everyone is dead around him.
"Kurin is the weaver, a seeker of truth and knowledge. She is the one who connects the threads of ideas and events to present a unified whole. She uses this knowledge to protect or to kill. Carrot does the same with your computer: connecting ideas and information to seek and destroy, or if he wills, to protect and serve.
"Koolin is another fighter. She is capable of mastering intense levels pain or, equally, to give it. In our world, her primary weapon was a whip. Carrot, for reasons you all know, is capable of withstanding a great deal of pain without letting it break him.
"And, finally, K'rlman the Shielder, the ultimate protector. With his strength of will, his strength of body, he is at the foreground of all battles. He shields us all with his strength, his body, his will as Carrot does the same for you all." Yaksha finished his long speech as they drifted closer.
"However, since there are only four of us, we wish to match as closely as possible to avoid hurting any of you. If we cannot match almost perfectly, it will cause intolerable pain to the hosting body." By now the four were in touching distance of the humans. Their bodies began to glow. A rippling light slowly trailed across the humans as the Guardians sought their match.
Yaksha's light slowly caressed Marron's face and enveloped his body. They both gasped upon feeling the rightness of being together and MERGED!
K'rlman's light had briefly touched Marron before being butted away by Yaksha's light. It moved across Gateau's rigidly trembling body, slowly passing over him. It stopped abruptly and, coming back, covered his body in a shimmering ripple of light. Again the two felt rightness.
The others observed the looks of ecstasy on Marron's and Gateau faces and warily watched the light play over them.
Koolin's light played over the Misu's sisters. Gently it swept back and forth before retreating and swiftly enveloping Kurin's light. The two twisted and wound about each other, merging together and coming apart. Then the two ribbons of light shot into Tira and Chocolate as they cried out in pleasurable pain. Writhing in the grasp of the light, Koolin to Tira and Kurin to Chocolate, they cried out again. Pleasure mixed with pain as they panted hoarsely before dropping to the ground. Looking up, Tira's eyes flashed a vivid pink before returning their normal limpid green behind her glasses.
Gateau extended hands to each girl, pulling them to their feet, as Marron rushed over to Carrot. He yanked him into his arms and glared at the amused Hakaishin. Carrot sputtered in protest at the way Marron pulled him behind his body.
"Marron, stop it! You know he's not going to hurt me, so just chill, okay," Carrot said, running his hand through his hair, more confident and stable now that everyone knew the truth about him.
"Be at ease, child," Hakaishin said quietly to Marron, "The boy is correct, I will not hurt him. I cannot hurt him."
Marron simply narrowed his eyes as his lips tightened, feeling Yaksha agree. Carrot kept tugging at him, trying to get him to free him.
"I know but I still don't like it," he growled.
Everyone watched with a mixture of amusement and concern the futile struggles of Carrot to get away and the way Marron was eyeing Hakaishin. They hoped that he wouldn't do anything foolish.
Carrot rolled his eyes. "Overprotective much?! HELLOOOO! I've been handling him for nine years. I think it's safe to assume that I can handle him for a few more minutes."
"Alright, what now?" he asked, finally freeing himself from Marron's protective embrace.
"Nothing happens now," Hakaishin informed him. "I'll heal you of the damage we've caused and then I think you should all get some rest. You have a lot to take in and I would suggest that you be flat on your backs before the full merging is completed." With a smirk of amusement, Hakaishin returned mist, enveloped Carrot and sank into him.
"Yeah, he's right," Carrot said a little worriedly, feeling Marron stagger slightly against him. He wrapped his arm around Marron's waist and guided him out the door. A glance back saw Gateau and Tira leaning against each other, while Mille supported Chocolate.
Reaching their room, he managed to get Marron's long body into the bed and under the covers. He didn't bother to undress him or himself before climbing in and wrapping himself around Marron. The suddenly weary body in his arms slumped in unconsciousness. He watched him with sudden fear in his heart before Hakaishin reassured him that everything was okay. Pulling Marron slightly closer, he yawned and allowed sleep to take him.