InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Understandings ❯ Friends come and friends go ( Chapter 6 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: KennaS 
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Fantasy / Drama / Action / Romance | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 07.15.2004 | Updated On: 09.04.2005 | Pages: 2 | Words: 2.8K | Visits: 582 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Fantasy / Drama / Action / Romance | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 07.15.2004 | Updated On: 09.04.2005 | Pages: 2 | Words: 2.8K | Visits: 582 | Status: Completed
Chapter 6
Friends Come and Friends Go
There was a shift in the energy; he could feel the electricity in the air even this far away from the Palace. Some one he never wanted to see again had just come to Earth for a visit. Stark's mood sunk to a new low as Geoff, his friend from Alden, had just made his presence known. Stark paced furiously around the room. “Of all the....How can he just show....Who the hell does he think he is?! That bastard! He's going to ruin everything.”
He stalked to his desk and threw himself in the plush leather chair, fuming. This wasn't supposed to happen. He wasn't supposed to be here. Why now, he was SO close.
There was a faint hum from the desk comforting him and drawing him into a quiet cocoon of silence and comfort. The hum slipped into his head and wrapped itself around his mind, taking all control.
“There, that's better. Stupid humans can't trust them to anything with out flying off the handle at the slightest detour from plan.” Focusing its attention on the current situation at hand, “How lovely, now we can have a reunion. We never did get to say goodbye properly, did we Geoff?”
R 20;Hey Stark, wait up!” A voice called from behind.
Turning to stop for the voice that he recognized as his best friend Geoff, Stark waited patiently, noting the spark of excitement in the oncoming demons eyes.
Geoff and he had been friends since Stark had moved to the Castle City Compounds or CCC for short. He had been touring the Compounds when some palace guards started picking on him.....
“He y human, what do you think you're doing here? This ain't no place for the likes of you. Think you're gonna come in and taint our women with your inferior blood?” The first guard sneered
“Heh , any woman here would rip that kid apart for even looking at her! Aren't you supposed to be back in the servants entrance anyway?” the second poking him in the chest with a spear.
“I don't want any trouble, “Stark said, holding his hands in the air. “I just came to explore the Compound. I moved here for business a few days ago and wanted to get to know the city a bit, that's all. I'm sorry if I stepped on anyone's toes” Noting with chagrin that those two demons had elected not to wear shoes on their huge feet.
“Hey, you being a smart ass? That ain't to smart for a smart ass.” the first said, moving behind Stark.
“You humans think you can just go where you please, its scum like you that drove us her in the first place. WE could be on Earth right now, but NO, we were the better species and left because it made you humans `uncomfortable' to have us around and didn't want to try and get along. So we all get shipped to this place, where we won't be seen by the likes of you. Now, how do you think that makes us feel?” the second asked, poking his spear a bit harder into Starks chest, coming dangerously close to impaling this human the longer he was forced to look at him.
“You know,” the first one said, looking at the second with a look of pure hatred spreading across his face. ”I don't like the way this little human's makin' me feel. I think we should just kill him now and be done with this icky feeling he given me”
“Hey guys, how's it going?” A handsome young demon asked from behind guard one, hands in his pockets, looking casual as nothing was happening at all.
The two demons immediately snapped to attention and saluted the higher ranking lad, looking a bit flustered at being caught harassing the human population.
The new comer had a friendly, gentile face, kind eyes, and an easy stance that just oozed aristocracy. He was truly, a kind soul. How he demanded respect from these soldiers so easily, Stark had no idea, but was going to find out.
“Uh...it's going great...SIR!” Number One said nervously, knowing full well that it was illegal to harass humans in Alden. The penalty was death and the guard wasn't too happy about getting caught by this man.
Stark looked over to the new comer, only to find him looking back. “Alls well then....I'm sorry, what is your name?”
“Stark, sir”
“Ah, Stark, then everything is well with you then” he asked again.
“Yes, Sir, these gentlemen were just trying to give me suggestions on activities a human new comer could do to entertain himself in this city, but alas, they could think of nothing a human would be interested in doing in the end.” Stark said, a bit more sarcastically than he had meant to.
A low growl rose from the throat of the second guard and was quieted immediately by a glance from the new comer. “Is there something you wish to say to this...Stark, Jengo?”
“Perhaps he thought of some activity more suited to humans for me to do?” Stark nudged the situation a little further.
The guard wisely held his tongue, not being too fond of the thought of it being cut out of his mouth.
He was going to like this Stark fellow.” I may have something to interest a human. Come with me.” He turned and started walking toward the palace, leaving two fuming guards behind.
“I'm sorry Sir, but I didn't catch your name.”
“Oh, so sorry it's Geoff. I'm the assistant to the king's advisor....”
Stark had never seen the man so excited in all the years they had been friends. What could possibly be so exciting to this normally controlled and suave man?
Stark had always been jealous about the way Geoff had gotten all the girls, human and non. Geoff had excelled as the assistant and was brilliant as the apprentice.
Just at that moment, Geoff had caught up. “Gregory has retired as advisor, I'm up! I'm the new advisor!”
“New Advisor? What happened to make Gregory retire? I thought he was still young.”
“He is, but after so long, the King wants fresh people in office. Gregory has been Advisor for...this will have been his 1500th year. The king just decided he had enough and sent for him. He didn't take the news too well; until he realized that he could go on a vacation now!” Geoff felt bad for Greg, but he had served the longest out of the Advisors so far. One day, the people would decided the King was done being king and then they would elect a new one. But so far, the people were fond of their king and showed no signs of electing another for a few thousand more.
“So, were not going to be seeing much of each other anymore are we?” Stark asked, with a slight frown on his face.
“Well, it's not like I'm going to fall of the face of Alden! Ill just be spending a lot more time with the king is all.”
“Sometimes, I wish I could work at the palace, other than a servant. You're so lucky to have been born a demon and not a stupid human” Thinking back to his first time in the city again. His face was so sad and crestfallen that Geoff didn't know what to say, so he left Stark to be alone with his thoughts, which turned out to be a mistake.
He's leaving me behind! What the hell am I gonna do now?' Those two guards had never forgotten the punishment they had gotten when Geoff had relayed message that humans weren't receiving the best treatment. He wouldn't survive long, that's for sure.
Walking, not knowing or caring where he was going, his feet moved on their own. As if being called, summoned, controlled. He had no recollection of going to the library, walking through the doors, meandering his way through the maze of shelves and then finally ending up in a long abandoned corner of the library. He didn't know when he had picked up the dusty book or when he had opened it, but when the trance finally wore off, he was looking at a spell to turn humans to demons. He stood and stared at the spell for hours, long beyond closing time. He stood through the night and well into the next morning, staring at the spell till he had every sentence, every word, every letter, every stroke of the pen memorized. He picked the book up and weakly walked out the doors with it. Never even stopping at the front desk to check it out.
Walking back to the palace room that Geoff had acquired for him, he never took his eyes from the charcoal colored binding of the book. It had no name, no decorations nothing on the out side that even gave a hint as to what treasure lay inside the cover. No gold lettering, nothing. But still, the book shone with a pearl grey light that made the eyes of the holder sparkle with the same fascinating light.
It took years of planning and setting things in motion, but in the end, it would be worth it. He would be a demon and be immortal. No one would pick on him, the women wouldn't reject him, and maybe one day, he could even be king. Perhaps the king part was pushing it too far, but he didn't care. He was going to be a demon and there wasn't anything or anyone that was going to stop him.
At first, he balked at the idea of killing people to obtain what he needed, but he continued to research it and discovered that there was a way he could whittle the lives lost down to three. What were three little insignificant lives lost to immortality? Not much, that's for sure. One day, he would be king and nothing was going to stop him now.
Little did Stark realize the beautiful book had taken complete control over his life. He ceases to come to dinner anymore, opting to eat in his quarters. He never spoke to anyone, and when he did go out, it was only to get more ingredience for another spell he was practicing on.
Stark had become some thing that worried Geoff. He didn't like to see his friend in that condition, so went to check on him after he hadn't seen him in almost three weeks. Before he could knock on the door, a page was stopping him.
“Sir, “the little demon gasped, out of breath, “The King requires you. Lady Olivia was just found dead at the manor.”
Geoff followed the page back to the king, never knowing that Stark was watching from the shadows, a small smile of satisfaction from knowing Olivia's death had been for his gain. After all, one must be willing to sacrifice themselves for the betterment of society, right?
A few months later, when Lord Payton was found dead, Geoff had become suspicious. Two deaths since Stark had undergone his “transformation” was too weird for him. He needed to know what was going on.
He knocked on Starks door, and when no one answered, he kicked in the door. The stench was unbearable. Herbs and potions left to boil over into each other didn't make a pleasing aroma.
Geoff walked over to open the window, and just as he was about to walk away, a faint glimmer caught his eye. There was a book on the desk, trying its hardest; it seemed, to be inconspicuous. Had it not been using its powers to conceal the soul that just floated into the room, he never would have noticed it.
Walking slowly over to it, he saw the spell for soul stealing. Shaking he turned around to see Stark standing in the door way.
“You can't have possibly thought you could get away with this! What are you thinking, stealing people's souls? YOU CAN'T!”
“I can and I did, and there's nothing you can do to stop me.” Stark turned and fled the room, running down the hall before Geoff could do anything but gape after him. Smiling as he turned down another hall and hid in an alcove, he waited till Geoff and the guards had passed before he back tracked to pick up the book and the souls.
He ran out of the room, just as the King had arrived. “Oh, hello Stark, what's all the commotion about?”
“I'm not sure your majesty, Geoff just went crazy on this poor kid and started chasing him through the halls.” Bowing to the King, “I'm sorry sir, but I'm late for another appointment.”
The King dismissed him and turned to the hall when he caught a faint glimmer from Stark just as he was headed out the door. About to follow him, he heard Geoff call out after him. “Your majesty, Stark is the killer! Stop him!” But by then, it was too late. Stark had disappeared into a crowd and was never again seen in Alden.
The book slowly released its grip on Starks mind enough to let thoughts of Kagome in. She was the key to the rest of the story. He needed three powerful souls to bring the spell together and she was the third. It's a shame he had to kill her. She was a beauty beyond anything he had ever seen. Stark had almost felt sorry for the little girl at the funeral of both her parents. Call it something close to regret, but he wanted to be there when they put the parents in the ground. Looking around, he caught his first glimpse of Kagome. She was so lovely; he had second thoughts about taking her life. A sharp pain shot through his head, and that was the last thing he remembered. He found himself here, on Earth the next time he snapped out of it.
Walking back to the window, he froze. There was a stronger aura than the first. One that made him sway on his feet, one that belonged to the King. Starks face paled and the book took over again. It was having to do that more and more often now it seemed.
“Calm down you idiot. If you panic now, they're sure to discover us.” It was useless though. Stark didn't have a strong enough mind for both he and the book to be in control, so couldn't hear. It's a shame; the book wasted some of his best insults on a catatonic imbecile.
It walked Stark back to the desk, pausing to admire itself laying there, Beautiful charcoal cover with bright gold writing starting to appear. Closing Starks eyes, running his fingers over the raised lettering of the words Book of Souls just beginning to show its self.
“Not too much longer now, Stark, till I can have complete control of your body and you'll be none the wiser. When the letters come, you will go. Stupid human, you think immortality is going to be SO wonderful, but how wonderful will it be in the prison of your own mind?”
Bone chilling laughter echoed down the ally.
Friends Come and Friends Go
There was a shift in the energy; he could feel the electricity in the air even this far away from the Palace. Some one he never wanted to see again had just come to Earth for a visit. Stark's mood sunk to a new low as Geoff, his friend from Alden, had just made his presence known. Stark paced furiously around the room. “Of all the....How can he just show....Who the hell does he think he is?! That bastard! He's going to ruin everything.”
He stalked to his desk and threw himself in the plush leather chair, fuming. This wasn't supposed to happen. He wasn't supposed to be here. Why now, he was SO close.
There was a faint hum from the desk comforting him and drawing him into a quiet cocoon of silence and comfort. The hum slipped into his head and wrapped itself around his mind, taking all control.
“There, that's better. Stupid humans can't trust them to anything with out flying off the handle at the slightest detour from plan.” Focusing its attention on the current situation at hand, “How lovely, now we can have a reunion. We never did get to say goodbye properly, did we Geoff?”
R 20;Hey Stark, wait up!” A voice called from behind.
Turning to stop for the voice that he recognized as his best friend Geoff, Stark waited patiently, noting the spark of excitement in the oncoming demons eyes.
Geoff and he had been friends since Stark had moved to the Castle City Compounds or CCC for short. He had been touring the Compounds when some palace guards started picking on him.....
“He y human, what do you think you're doing here? This ain't no place for the likes of you. Think you're gonna come in and taint our women with your inferior blood?” The first guard sneered
“Heh , any woman here would rip that kid apart for even looking at her! Aren't you supposed to be back in the servants entrance anyway?” the second poking him in the chest with a spear.
“I don't want any trouble, “Stark said, holding his hands in the air. “I just came to explore the Compound. I moved here for business a few days ago and wanted to get to know the city a bit, that's all. I'm sorry if I stepped on anyone's toes” Noting with chagrin that those two demons had elected not to wear shoes on their huge feet.
“Hey, you being a smart ass? That ain't to smart for a smart ass.” the first said, moving behind Stark.
“You humans think you can just go where you please, its scum like you that drove us her in the first place. WE could be on Earth right now, but NO, we were the better species and left because it made you humans `uncomfortable' to have us around and didn't want to try and get along. So we all get shipped to this place, where we won't be seen by the likes of you. Now, how do you think that makes us feel?” the second asked, poking his spear a bit harder into Starks chest, coming dangerously close to impaling this human the longer he was forced to look at him.
“You know,” the first one said, looking at the second with a look of pure hatred spreading across his face. ”I don't like the way this little human's makin' me feel. I think we should just kill him now and be done with this icky feeling he given me”
“Hey guys, how's it going?” A handsome young demon asked from behind guard one, hands in his pockets, looking casual as nothing was happening at all.
The two demons immediately snapped to attention and saluted the higher ranking lad, looking a bit flustered at being caught harassing the human population.
The new comer had a friendly, gentile face, kind eyes, and an easy stance that just oozed aristocracy. He was truly, a kind soul. How he demanded respect from these soldiers so easily, Stark had no idea, but was going to find out.
“Uh...it's going great...SIR!” Number One said nervously, knowing full well that it was illegal to harass humans in Alden. The penalty was death and the guard wasn't too happy about getting caught by this man.
Stark looked over to the new comer, only to find him looking back. “Alls well then....I'm sorry, what is your name?”
“Stark, sir”
“Ah, Stark, then everything is well with you then” he asked again.
“Yes, Sir, these gentlemen were just trying to give me suggestions on activities a human new comer could do to entertain himself in this city, but alas, they could think of nothing a human would be interested in doing in the end.” Stark said, a bit more sarcastically than he had meant to.
A low growl rose from the throat of the second guard and was quieted immediately by a glance from the new comer. “Is there something you wish to say to this...Stark, Jengo?”
“Perhaps he thought of some activity more suited to humans for me to do?” Stark nudged the situation a little further.
The guard wisely held his tongue, not being too fond of the thought of it being cut out of his mouth.
He was going to like this Stark fellow.” I may have something to interest a human. Come with me.” He turned and started walking toward the palace, leaving two fuming guards behind.
“I'm sorry Sir, but I didn't catch your name.”
“Oh, so sorry it's Geoff. I'm the assistant to the king's advisor....”
Stark had never seen the man so excited in all the years they had been friends. What could possibly be so exciting to this normally controlled and suave man?
Stark had always been jealous about the way Geoff had gotten all the girls, human and non. Geoff had excelled as the assistant and was brilliant as the apprentice.
Just at that moment, Geoff had caught up. “Gregory has retired as advisor, I'm up! I'm the new advisor!”
“New Advisor? What happened to make Gregory retire? I thought he was still young.”
“He is, but after so long, the King wants fresh people in office. Gregory has been Advisor for...this will have been his 1500th year. The king just decided he had enough and sent for him. He didn't take the news too well; until he realized that he could go on a vacation now!” Geoff felt bad for Greg, but he had served the longest out of the Advisors so far. One day, the people would decided the King was done being king and then they would elect a new one. But so far, the people were fond of their king and showed no signs of electing another for a few thousand more.
“So, were not going to be seeing much of each other anymore are we?” Stark asked, with a slight frown on his face.
“Well, it's not like I'm going to fall of the face of Alden! Ill just be spending a lot more time with the king is all.”
“Sometimes, I wish I could work at the palace, other than a servant. You're so lucky to have been born a demon and not a stupid human” Thinking back to his first time in the city again. His face was so sad and crestfallen that Geoff didn't know what to say, so he left Stark to be alone with his thoughts, which turned out to be a mistake.
He's leaving me behind! What the hell am I gonna do now?' Those two guards had never forgotten the punishment they had gotten when Geoff had relayed message that humans weren't receiving the best treatment. He wouldn't survive long, that's for sure.
Walking, not knowing or caring where he was going, his feet moved on their own. As if being called, summoned, controlled. He had no recollection of going to the library, walking through the doors, meandering his way through the maze of shelves and then finally ending up in a long abandoned corner of the library. He didn't know when he had picked up the dusty book or when he had opened it, but when the trance finally wore off, he was looking at a spell to turn humans to demons. He stood and stared at the spell for hours, long beyond closing time. He stood through the night and well into the next morning, staring at the spell till he had every sentence, every word, every letter, every stroke of the pen memorized. He picked the book up and weakly walked out the doors with it. Never even stopping at the front desk to check it out.
Walking back to the palace room that Geoff had acquired for him, he never took his eyes from the charcoal colored binding of the book. It had no name, no decorations nothing on the out side that even gave a hint as to what treasure lay inside the cover. No gold lettering, nothing. But still, the book shone with a pearl grey light that made the eyes of the holder sparkle with the same fascinating light.
It took years of planning and setting things in motion, but in the end, it would be worth it. He would be a demon and be immortal. No one would pick on him, the women wouldn't reject him, and maybe one day, he could even be king. Perhaps the king part was pushing it too far, but he didn't care. He was going to be a demon and there wasn't anything or anyone that was going to stop him.
At first, he balked at the idea of killing people to obtain what he needed, but he continued to research it and discovered that there was a way he could whittle the lives lost down to three. What were three little insignificant lives lost to immortality? Not much, that's for sure. One day, he would be king and nothing was going to stop him now.
Little did Stark realize the beautiful book had taken complete control over his life. He ceases to come to dinner anymore, opting to eat in his quarters. He never spoke to anyone, and when he did go out, it was only to get more ingredience for another spell he was practicing on.
Stark had become some thing that worried Geoff. He didn't like to see his friend in that condition, so went to check on him after he hadn't seen him in almost three weeks. Before he could knock on the door, a page was stopping him.
“Sir, “the little demon gasped, out of breath, “The King requires you. Lady Olivia was just found dead at the manor.”
Geoff followed the page back to the king, never knowing that Stark was watching from the shadows, a small smile of satisfaction from knowing Olivia's death had been for his gain. After all, one must be willing to sacrifice themselves for the betterment of society, right?
A few months later, when Lord Payton was found dead, Geoff had become suspicious. Two deaths since Stark had undergone his “transformation” was too weird for him. He needed to know what was going on.
He knocked on Starks door, and when no one answered, he kicked in the door. The stench was unbearable. Herbs and potions left to boil over into each other didn't make a pleasing aroma.
Geoff walked over to open the window, and just as he was about to walk away, a faint glimmer caught his eye. There was a book on the desk, trying its hardest; it seemed, to be inconspicuous. Had it not been using its powers to conceal the soul that just floated into the room, he never would have noticed it.
Walking slowly over to it, he saw the spell for soul stealing. Shaking he turned around to see Stark standing in the door way.
“You can't have possibly thought you could get away with this! What are you thinking, stealing people's souls? YOU CAN'T!”
“I can and I did, and there's nothing you can do to stop me.” Stark turned and fled the room, running down the hall before Geoff could do anything but gape after him. Smiling as he turned down another hall and hid in an alcove, he waited till Geoff and the guards had passed before he back tracked to pick up the book and the souls.
He ran out of the room, just as the King had arrived. “Oh, hello Stark, what's all the commotion about?”
“I'm not sure your majesty, Geoff just went crazy on this poor kid and started chasing him through the halls.” Bowing to the King, “I'm sorry sir, but I'm late for another appointment.”
The King dismissed him and turned to the hall when he caught a faint glimmer from Stark just as he was headed out the door. About to follow him, he heard Geoff call out after him. “Your majesty, Stark is the killer! Stop him!” But by then, it was too late. Stark had disappeared into a crowd and was never again seen in Alden.
The book slowly released its grip on Starks mind enough to let thoughts of Kagome in. She was the key to the rest of the story. He needed three powerful souls to bring the spell together and she was the third. It's a shame he had to kill her. She was a beauty beyond anything he had ever seen. Stark had almost felt sorry for the little girl at the funeral of both her parents. Call it something close to regret, but he wanted to be there when they put the parents in the ground. Looking around, he caught his first glimpse of Kagome. She was so lovely; he had second thoughts about taking her life. A sharp pain shot through his head, and that was the last thing he remembered. He found himself here, on Earth the next time he snapped out of it.
Walking back to the window, he froze. There was a stronger aura than the first. One that made him sway on his feet, one that belonged to the King. Starks face paled and the book took over again. It was having to do that more and more often now it seemed.
“Calm down you idiot. If you panic now, they're sure to discover us.” It was useless though. Stark didn't have a strong enough mind for both he and the book to be in control, so couldn't hear. It's a shame; the book wasted some of his best insults on a catatonic imbecile.
It walked Stark back to the desk, pausing to admire itself laying there, Beautiful charcoal cover with bright gold writing starting to appear. Closing Starks eyes, running his fingers over the raised lettering of the words Book of Souls just beginning to show its self.
“Not too much longer now, Stark, till I can have complete control of your body and you'll be none the wiser. When the letters come, you will go. Stupid human, you think immortality is going to be SO wonderful, but how wonderful will it be in the prison of your own mind?”
Bone chilling laughter echoed down the ally.