http://clampfix.fanworks.net/rgv-fix/gold9.txt </head><body><pre> Konnichiwa! It's me again. I've been listening to "Take My Breath Away" many, many times now and I'm writing this while listening to it for some inspiration. So enjoy! RG Veda "The Golden Warriors" Part 9 Written By Ashura/ChunLi Chapter 9: The Prophecy Kuyou felt a chill. Where was it coming from? She looked around. There was no way a breeze could come in. She shrugged. Outside, Ashura-ou and Taishakuten stood, facing the north. They were worried, no doubt. "I wonder if they're okay...", Ashura-ou whispered. Taishakuten turned to him and smiled gingerly. "She's got guts, they'll be okay.", he reassured Ashura-ou. Ashura-ou returned the smile. "Yeah...", he sighed. Taishakuten raised a hand, and gently stroked Ashura-ou's face. 'So soft', he thought. "Don't be so worried, I'm sure they're all right. Why do you worry?", Taishakuten whispered. Taishakuten drew Ashura-ou closer. Ashura-ou put a hand on Taishakuten's breast-plate. "I don't know... I just had a bad feeling, that's all.", he answered softly. Taishakuten pressed his lips to Ashura-ou's forehead. Ashura-ou almost stared at him, surprised. "I don't want you to worry, my dear Ashura-ou.", he said boldly. Ashura-ou nodded, turning to look at the setting sun. Yasha-ou reached his village not long after. His father came out to meet him. "Yasha-ou, where's your friend?", he asked. "She was captured by the demon of the ice castle.", Yasha-ou answered quickly. His father followed him to his horse. Yasha-ou climbed onto it. "You're going back for her?!", his father asked. "No, I need back-up! I'm going to Zenmijou!", said Yasha-ou as his horse sped away. Kuyou walked to the window and stared out to the night. She so often thought of Ashura-ou on nights like this. She was in love... in love with Ashura-ou... She sighed. She was so sad that he had married Shashi... She loved him too much. Kuyou went down to the audience hall. Ashura-ou let the wind blow his black hair away from his face. 'Why do I still feel worried about Susan?' he thought. Maybe there was something wrong? He snickered to himself. He was, he admitted silently to himself, attracted to her somewhat. As cocky as she was, he liked her even more. Her smart-alec words and her silliness often made him laugh to himself. Too bad she'd been seriously depressed lately. He didn't see her smile anymore, or her silliness. She lost her habit of annoying others and most of all, she lost her best friend. He wondered what he'd do if he lost Taishakuten... No, he knew Taishakuten was to be the one to lose him... Ashura-ou straightened as soon as he heard someone behind him. "Darling, what are you doing out here?", asked Shashi. "Nothing.", he answered, silently annoyed. "Hmph, still looking after that one woman who left with Yasha-ou?", she asked, sounding jealous. "She has a name if you haven't noticed.", he reminded. "Oh yes, she does. We could've used her powers, couldn't we?", she asked softly. He disregarded her and continued gazing. Yasha-ou drove his horse hard along the dirt road. His horse was tired, but he pressed on. Soon, Zenmi-jou appeared in front of him. When he entered the gates, he jumped off his horse as a guard took the horse's reigns. He ran into the castle. "Yasha-ou, what is it?", Tentei asked. "...Susan has been captured, sir.", he answered. "What? By whom?", he asked. "The demon of the ice castle.", Yasha-ou replied. "...Is she...", Tentei faded. "I don't know, sir.", said Yasha-ou. Ashura-ou strolled into the room elegantly. He took one look at Yasha-ou and looked shocked. He hesitated. "Yasha-ou... where's...", he didn't finish his sentence. "I do not know, Ashura-ou.", said Yasha-ou. The room was in silence for a while. "We cannot do anything, Yasha-ou.", said Taishakuten as he walked in. "What?", asked Yasha-ou. "If I hadn't known her better, she wouldn't want us to go there and save her.", Taishakuten explained. "But--", he hesitated. "Hm, Taishakuten may be right.", said Tentei. "Emperor...!", Yasha-ou argued. "There is nothing we can do for her now. I forbid you to go there by yourself, Yasha-ou.", said Tentei. Yasha-ou held back his anger. 'How could they say that?!' he thought. "...yes, Tentei...", he surrendered. Kuyou was watching from the balcony, she had heard everything. She went out into the hall. "I can't believe she did it...", Kuyou whispered. She entered the main hall. "Kuyou, can you foretell if there's any way we can help free Susan?", Tentei asked, a hint of worry in his voice. Kuyou closed her eyes and moved her staff around, silently chanting words. "There's no way we can help... we can only wait...", she foretold. Yasha-ou turned away suddenly, refusing to listen. But he knew all of Kuyou's prophecies were always right. He just couldn't bear not being able to save the one he... the one... he... loved. Later on, Kuyou bumped into Ashura-ou in the stairway hall. "Kuyou... about the prophecy... could you tell it to me again?", he asked. "...as you wish, Ashura-ou.", she said. Ashura-ou watched as she foretold his destiny. "Six stars wander and fall... they are the dark stars, that shall defy Heaven... Thou, as harbringer of a desstiny being spun... Shall foster a child thyself, as is the will of her dead kin. Thou shall go forth, along with a child; Though undecided through good and evil, she shall turn the wheel of Heaven's destiny. The gathering of the Six Stars shall cause the end of Heaven. But there is one who shall descend to the house of darkness, one who governs the orbit of the stars and guides both the dark and the Heavenly stars. That one, even my astrology cannot discern. The blaze of the red lotus thou rear'st shall burn away all evil; The Six Stars shall be opposed by all, but shall be dominated by none. And... the Six Stars will be the breach, which destroys Heaven...", she whispered. Ashura-ou sighed silently. Kuyou seemed to look away. "Thank you, Kuyou.", said Ashura-ou as he walked away. Susan seemed to be in a dream. "W-where... am I?", she asked. "Susan...", called a familiar voice. "...Mother...?", she whispered. "Susan, my dear daughter...", she said. A figure appeared as a bright light enveloped her. The light was warm and familiar. "Mother...", Susan called. The light vanished and her mother stood before her, in a spectral form. "Mother...!", she whispered. "Susan...", her mother said. "Mother, how did you...", Susan asked. "Susan, I'm a part of your mind. I will always be.", said her mother. "Mother! I want to return home!", Susan said. "...Susan... I can't do that.", she answered. "Mother... I don't understand why I'm here... does it have something to do with our family?!", Susan asked. Her mother looked away. "Hm, I guess it's time I tell you.", she said. "W-what do you mean...?", Susan asked. "Susan, you've inherited our family curse...", she answered. Susan was shocked and confused. "What do you mean?", she asked. "A very long time ago, one of our family members had their memory erased and was turned into an esper warrior. But there was a side effect and their descendants were plagued with a curse. The curse still runs until today... in your blood. Somehow, you inherited it even though through eons of interbreeding...", she explained. Susan stood in silence. "So that's why... you always told me I was different...", Susan whispered. "I couldn't tell you until now... my daughter. You, somehow, achieved a high enough potential to become an esper.", she puzzled. "Esper? What's that?", Susan asked. "An esper is a being with incredible powers, powers from the very heavens. They were once used as weapons a very long time ago.", her mother explained. "So... I'm... a weapon?", Susan hesitated. Her mother nodded. "But you are different... there have been only one person other than you who has inherited it also, by the way.", she interrupted. "Who's that?", Susan asked. Her mother looked into the darkness, a form appeared. And it was someone Susan very much recognized. It was Hiyana. "Hiyana?", Susan asked. Her mother nodded. "She and you are the only ones who have the potential of your distant ancestor. In this world, the one you are trapped in now, you and Hiyana are known as the legendary Golden Warriors.", said her mother. "I don't understand, why us?", Susan asked. "Because... you are the chosen one...", said her mother as she began to disappear. "Mother! Don't go!", said Susan. "I will always be in your mind, my daughter...", said her mother as she vanished. Susan stood, alone in the darkness. So many questions were unanswered, and so many had been answered. She only wished she had known in the first place... Aizenmuyo walked up to the ice which encased Susan, the stronger warrior. She smiled. "Talk to me...", Aizenmuyo commanded. "...Why are you doing this?", Susan asked, her lips not moving. Aizenmuyo laughed. "Because... I want what you have...", she answered. "...I don't know what you're talking about.", said Susan. "Hah, don't lie, you've no choice.", she answered. "What? What are you talking about?", Susan asked. "I can make you destroy Tenkai, and everything with it...", she threatened. "...You wouldn't. Besides, I don't have the power to.", said Susan, not believing what her mother had said. "Oh, yes I would. And you _do_ have the power to destroy... You are a _weapon_!", she replied. "...So it's true after all.", Susan whispered. Aizenmuyo giggled. "Soon now...", she said, snickering. Taishakuten stormed Zenmi-jou with his great army. He slew the Emperor's head and held it high for everyone to see. Ashura-ou appeared. "Ashura-ou.", said Taishkakuten. Ashura-ou didn't say anything, he just glared at Taishakuten. Then they jumped towards eachother, at swords end. Taishakuten broke the wall and Ashura-ou crumbled it, leaping through the hole. He landed some distance away, defense high. Taishakuten appeared a second later, the dust clearing around him like whirlwinds. Then he raised his mighty sword, and jerked it down, sending a wave of black ki at Ashura-ou. Ashura-ou blocked it with Shurato's kekkai. Taishakuten took this time to follow his attack in. He swung his sword as Ashura-ou ducked and counter-attacked. A small cut appeared on Taishakuten's cheek. 'He's good...' Taishakuten thought. Ashura-ou swung Shurato through the air, sending a bolt of lightning at Taishakuten. The force of the attack made the balcony collapse. Taishakuten landed on the ground below. He turned around, waiting for Ashura-ou to appear. But, to his surprise, Ashura-ou was behind him. When he turned around, it seemed it was all over for him. Ashura-ou struck Shurato at Taishakuten, sending a blaze of lightning at the defensless Taishakuten. Taishakuten yelled and thrust his giant sword at Ashura-ou. Ashura-ou saw the sword coming through his attack, and into his body. Taishakuten's sword burst through Ashura-ou's back. Pain shot throughout Ashura-ou's body, unbearable pain. 'This is it...' he thought. As Ashura-ou staggered forward, Taishakuten pulled his lover into his arms for one last embrace. Ashura-ou leaned to Taishakuten's ear and whispered something that shocked him. Then Ashura-ou fell to the floor, Taishakuten stood staring at what he had done. 'Good-bye... my love...' he thought... "I claim the throne of Ashura-ou.", he finally spoke. Susan felt a sharp pain in her chest. She jolted in the ice prison, unable to move. 'What was that?!' she asked herself. She had a bad feeling somehow, but what? She felt like she had been imprisoned for what seemed like hours. She thought she'd go mad, eventually. She wondered when she'd get to leave. TO BE CONTINUED.... **NEXT TIME** Kuyou's prophecy has come true, so what about the prophecy she told Susan? When will Aizenmuyo release the power of the Golden Warriors? Is there a darker secret to the story Susan's mother gave? And why does Hiyana have the powers of a Golden Warrior? Will Susan and Hiyana escape the imprisonment of the ice castle? Next time, on RG Veda: The Golden Warriors Part 10! SIGH, okay that was good I think. We're almost to the good parts. If anyone has questions, or doesn't understand something, just say so. As always, comments, questions, and suggestion or speculations are welcome! Thanks. Ashura/ChunLi ashura@future.net "Time is endless for a vampire..." -Vampire Princess Miyu </pre><p><a href="./">Back</a></p><p><a href=http://www.dreamhost.com/donate.cgi?id=216><img border=0 alt="Donate towards our web hosting bill!" src=https://secure.newdream.net/donate1.gif></a></p></body></html>