It had been his dream. Ever since he'd come back to himself. At first he couldn't remember anything about it. He awoke in the arms of a lovely purple-haired girl with pigtails who took him to the hospital, for he had been injured badly. But slowly they all came back to haunt him, the memories of his evil sister. He never could have known that by killing her he had set her spirit free to do it's dirty work. He could still feel her possessing him as though it had happened only a day ago. He remembered the evil presence growing in his mind and the fear he felt as it took control of his body. Then came all the destruction, blood-shed, death, and finally his release.
These memories were more than he could bare. He couldn't even begin to count the times he'd asked himself why it had to happen to him. He knew that he had been born the only living being able to unlock the secrets of the anchient Tabula of the Thousand Beasts. And as such he had been threatened and manipulated before, but possessed? It was too much for him, and still there was the question: why? Why had he been born the only living person able to unleash such terrible, unbridled powers? He hated it. He hated himself. But most of all he hated the thing that had taken possession of his body and used it for evil.
He felt so much guilt over the matter that he questioned who he was, what he was, and why he was alive. The questions nagged at him in the back of his mind untill he could stand it no longer. He searched everywhere for his answers, traveling the world and stopping at every library he could find. Hours and hours of endless research all gone to waste. He had all but given up... and then he heard about the tournament in the Zoanthrope Kingdom. Not just the tournament, but the rumors of the inhumane experiments being done.
If only I can get my hands on the research! his mind cried. This was his one chance to finally find the answers he had been searching so hard for. He told himself he would do anything it took to get those answers. Killing, stealing, it made no difference to him. As far as he was concerned he was already a ruined man. It had been he who released the power of the Tabula. He who had killed again and again, all in a mad quest for power. True, it had not been his will or his desire, but it had been done by his own hands. He was hated and feared by many, but mostly he was misunderstood.
He journeyed deep into the building, passing countless doors. He was searching for something, although he wasn't sure exactly what. He had never been inside a lab before, having inherited his Zoanthropes abilities through birth. He wasn't sure which turns and bends would lead him to the main lab, where he could find his answers. Still he went on, passing through the building untill he came to a large set of double doors. He sensed that something important waited on the other side. So he snuck in, only to be discovered and confronted.
A young man stood stood in front of him, right in between him and his path to the research. The first thing that he noticed was that, oddly enough, the young man had the same color of hair as he did. Although it was a different length and style. They also both had blue eyes, but there the similarity ended. The first was tall, thin and pale. His icy blue eyes colder than the pain in his heart. The second was a little shorter and more muscular, dressed in a black and yellow outfit. His skin was a darker tanned color and his blue eyes had a more mellow tint of green. He is quite beautiful, the first man thought.
"Who are you?" the young man asked. "What are you doing here?"
"I am Xion." the elder declared. "I am here for the results of the experiments, hand them over!"
"No!" the other declared. "Too many lives have already been sacrificed over these experiments! I cannot allow you to take them!" Xion strolled casually over to the young man, curiously studying the angry look on his cute face and the curves of muscle under his clothes. He could not help but think that young man was hardly a threat, although his Zoanthrope sense screamed out in warning.
"May I have your name, or simply the pleasure of defeating you?"
"My name is Cronos." He answered, both his face and body visibly tensing in preparation for the battle ahead. "You will never defeat me!" Xion laughed at the statement and punched him quickly in the stomach. The first few blows struck, but Cronos blocked the rest. By the time Xion was done he was ready to strike. He kicked the man up into the air and then slammed him back into the ground.
"Not bad." Xion admitted. "But I can tell that you don't fight very often."
"That's because I usually have my bodyguard..." Cronos replied, glancing about the room and wondering where Ganesha had gone to anyway. He knew that many people were after the results of the experiments, perhaps his bodyguard was busy fighting other people off as well. I am the prince of the Zoanthrope Kingdom! The last heir to the throne! Is not my life more important than these insane experiments? He already knew his answer. The experiments were more important than his life to King Orion, and Ganesha would obey his orders.
"A bodyguard?" Xion repeated. "Why would you need a..." Suddenly he remembered hearing of the Zoanthrope prince, the only heir to the throne. If I could find him he would surely be worth his weight in gold, maybe even worth all the results of the experiments... Of course! And the young man's name did sound familiar, almost as though he'd heard it before. "What did you say your name was?"
"Cronos."
"You are the Zoanthrope prince!" Xion cried, kicking him to the ground. What luck! This is perfect! I'll simply kidnap him and hold him for ransome untill I get what I want. That old fool King Orion would do anything to keep his heir alive! Unfortunately Xion was so busy thinking that he failed to notice that Cronos was moving untill his feet hit him in the face as he got back up. Cronos stood over him, wondering what to do.
I'm not going to be able to defeat this man unless I use at least one of my beast forms. He decided right away that he would save his phoenix form as a last resort. He hated changing into it because as powerfull as it was, he had little control over himself when he used it. He didn't really want to kill this man, he simply wanted to get him out of the lab. But if I change into a penguin he will laugh at me, they always do! I hate it! However he had little choice otherwise. Oh well, while he's laughing I can peck at his knees. As Xion picked himself up from the ground Cronos changed, and then Xion glanced down at him.
"This is what my Zoanthrope sense was warning me about?" Cronos glared at him and waddled up to peck at his knees. "A puny penguin!?! Ahahahah- ow! Ouch!" The hard, pointed beak sliced through his clothing and skin, knocking on the bones of his knees. He cried out in pain as the animal continued down his legs, finally pecking through his shoes and into his feet. "Arrrgh! Pathetic little penguin! I will stomp on you!" Then he morphed into his Unborn form, the power of his transformation sending the penguin flying backwards. He ran over and slashed at it with his razor-sharp appendages, tearing long, gaping gashes into the helpless little bird.
Cronos cried out in pain and lost control of himself. Instinctively he summoned all the energy inside of him and morphed again, sending his attacker flying away. Xion crashed right into a wall. He started picking himself back up immediately and turned to gape in wonder at the figure before him. A great bird stood over him, strong and powerful, covered in golden feathers and trimmed in flames. So this is what my Zoanthrope sense warned me about, Xion realized.
The phoenix flew into the air, and the Unborn was puzzled as to what he could do about it. The bird swooped down and struck him, then flew back up into the sky before he could hit back. He moved around the room, but was unable to dodge the blows. He tried to attack, but the powerful dives broke through his attack. Then the phoenix grabbed him and flew into the air, pummeling him with a mid-air attack. The he lifted his wings and a sheet of flame burst out and burned his outer shell and into his skin as he fell to the ground, losing his beast form.
He painfully picked himself from the ground and glared up at the phoenix swooping down to finish him off. This can't be happening, I almost had him! One more good kick, just one... I shredded him as a penguin, he can't have much power left. Xion waited untill the last possible moment and dodged the blow, sending his most powerful kick into the middle of it's gut. The mighty phoenix finally fell, and then lost it's form as the pretty prince re-appeared. Xion grabbed him by the hair and lifted his face off the ground. That was close, he thought, sighing in relief. Finally I will have my answers. I will kidnap this boy, and hold him untill I get everything I want. Maybe by the time it's over he'll start to like me...
"Do you really think more of these cruel experiments will help?" Xion glanced behind him at the voice, and recognized the face. Black bangs fell over the sides of his head, his circular glasses framing his eyes. His long hair was tied back in a lose ponytail and he wore a Matrial Arts outfit not unlike the one he'd worn the last time Xion saw him. Jin Long. Xion raised his arm towards the man and a razor-sharp appendage stuck out, the pointed tip aimed at his neck. Long stepped up to the tip, untill it brushed against the skin of his throat. "Who's to stop you from ridding the entire world of Zoanthropes?"
You think you are going to stop me? Xion wondered, sticking the point deeper into his throat. The truth was that the man already had stopped him, little more than a year ago. He had thoroughly defeated him in battle, and it was plain to see that he would do so again if necessary. Xion withdrew, folding the blade back into his arm. He would not fight this man again, he already knew he would lose. He dropped Cronos and got up to leave, but then stopped for a moment.
"You don't understand. I must solve this mystery."
"You are not alone in your quest, Xion."
"Really?" What does he mean by that? I know there are others seeking the answers... is he trying to say that he's one of them?
"Practise compassion, Xion." Xion stood there considering for a moment. Compassion? Perhaps he is right... He started walking away from the man, towards the back door. Afterall, when he defeated me he also saved me from my evil sister's spirit. He walked out of the door, thinking he would find his way around to the way he'd come in. Not only did he break her possession of me, but he took her spirit into his own body... He walked down the hall, turning towards the way he'd come in. Why did he do that? He looked back at the room.
I never did thank him... I probably should. But he couldn't imagine himself thanking the man. I have no idea what I'd say. He walked a little further towards the exit. But to leave without saying anything seems wrong... he turned back again. Maybe I should... He walked quickly back to the room, only to find it completely empty. What? Where did they go? I didn't even hear any noise. Did the prince get up? No, he was too wounded... maybe Long carried him off to a hospital? Although I'm sure they have doctors in this building somewhere...
"Long?" No answer. He walked into the room and tried again. "Long!? No, didn't think so..." He walked through the other door, wondering how far they could have gone. He walked down the empty hallway in front of him, heading straight for another set of double doors up ahead. He opened them to find another room, but still nothing. He left the room and turned down the hallway, stopping at the next door, nothing again. He walked down the the next double door and pulled it open, finally finding what he searched for.
A few men dressed in lab coats scattered the room. Doctors and Scientists, he assumed. Long stood in the middle of it, gazing up into the face of the Zoanthrope prince. The latter was naked, completely exposed, floating around in some kind of containment tube. Xion walked up next to Long, staring up at Cronos. The pale green light of the water was the only lighting in the room. It seemed to emanate from underneath the young prince's body, casting it's eerie glow across their faces. Even over that pale and sickly light, he still looks beautiful. Xion thought, studying the finely tones muscles, lying under sensuous dark skin.
"He is lovely, isn't he? Are you sure you won't let me take him home?" Long turned towards him with a look that could only be described as a mixture of shock, disgust, and utmost disaproval. "Why did you put him in there anyway?"
"I?" he demanded, becoming flustered. "If you are suggesting that I, personally, stripped him of his clothing and stuck him up in that overgrown test tube then y-... you are completely mistaken! I simply turned him over to the care of the head physician!"
"Oh yes..." Xion chuckled at his embarassment. "I think I remember hearing something about you and that manly woman. The daughter of Alan Gado, what's-her-name?"
"Her name is Shina, and she's not manly. However, that is an old rumor. We are no longer... together... anymore."
"Oh? What happened? Did you get into a fight?"
"I'm not going to discuss it with the likes of you!"
"Fine then, suit yourself." He turned back to the containment tube, and Long turned away. He stared up at Cronos in a daze, glancing down over his adorable facial features, noting the strong collar bones underneath his neck. He could not help but admire the strong, firm muscles of his pecks and his washboard abs. Then his gaze went further down his lower abdomen and on. Mmm, so gorgeous... I could gaze at him forever. I think the beauty of his body has set me on fire.
"You know Xion, I've been thinking lately that there's got to be some way to perform experiments on Zoanthropes without causing them pain."
"Hm? Did you say something?" Xion mumbled, Long turned to look at him.
"I can see you are preoccupied." he answered in disgust. "Let me see if I can get your attention. I speak of the great Zoanthrope mystery, Xion. The one you told me just a moment ago that you must solve."
"Hm... you have a bit more of my attention now." Xion replied, eyes still glued to the young prince's body. "What is it?"
"What if there was a way to perform experiments on Zoanthropes without causing them pain and suffering, Xion? Please, humor me and think on this for a moment. What if we could do it without all the controversy and secrecy needed for the illegal experiments? And then once we have our answers... can you even guess at the outcome? The grand implications? I know that humans are afraid of the power of Zoanthropes, but what they are also afraid of, is what they don't understand. What if we could make them understand, Xion? It could mean not only answers for ourselves, but perhaps a better future, for both Humans and Zoanthropes."
"Pah! I have no use for such idealistic and sentimental dribble."
"What!?!"
"I care nothing for the cares of the world! All I want... is my answers. However, if you are suggesting that we work together in an effort to find them... I would do anything to solve this mystery."
"I see..." Long studied his face for a moment. "Well, your motives are certainly less than honorable, but I will take all the help I can get." Xion finally turned away from the young Zoanthrope prince to look into Long's face.
"So... what exactly are you purposing then? Give me the specifics."
"First, research." he answered. "I have heard that you excell at it. We are to search for information relating to experiments on Zoanthropes. Our objective will be to discover whether specific types of experiments can be done on Zoanthropes without causing harm to the subjects. Are you in, Xion?"
"Admittedly I do excell at research. I have searched far and wide to the answers about Zoanthropes, but never for information on the actual research it's self." Xion considered the matter for a moment. Will it be yet another waste of my precious time, or...? "Hm... it sounds like a challenge. I'm in, Long."
"Good." he smiled. "We'll start off in the public library then. Do you know where it is located?"
"I have been there before."
"I will meet you there tomorrow, how does around 3pm sound?"
"Fine with me." Xion replied. Long nodded and turned towards the door. "Uh... wait..."
"Yes?"
"I want to ask you something."
"What is it?"
"When you... defeated me over a year ago... You took into your body the evil spirit that was possessing me. Why did you do that?"
"Well... it would have tried to possess you again, would it not?"
"Yes, most certainly."
"And if it suceeded in doing so it would have used the powers of the tabula to kill all Zoanthropes and consolidate their powers into the tabula."
"Of course."
"And once that was sucessful it would use those powers to wreak havoc on the remaining humans, possibly destorying their civilization and enslaving their entire race."
"That was it's plan."
"All I was really trying to do was save one little girl."
"Oh really? How is one little girl so important?"
"Her name is Lanfa," Long explained, "she is the daughter of Master. He took me in when no one else would and taught me how to overcome my fears and use the Martial Arts once more. His great wisdom guided me to make many imporvements in my life. He was like a father to me, his daughter like a sister. When the sign appeared on her body I knew it would destroy her. I could not stand idly by and watch as she died."
"It would have killed you too, you know. Eventually it would have claimed all the lives of the ones on whom it appeared."
"All the more reason to fight." Xion studied the determined expression on the other's face. Where does one get such courage? he thought.
"Weren't you afraid?" Xion asked, Long shook his head. "You had weakened me enough, you did not have to take the evil spirit into your body."
"Now, you know that is a lie." the other replied. "Even as beaten as you were, you were still alive. She could have used someone else to protect the tabula untill you recovered, after all there were many other powerful bodies there to choose from. What do you think would've happened if her spirit had taken Alan or Shina Gado? Yugo or Kenji Ohgami? Alice or Uriko..."
"What if it had possessed you?" Xion interrupted, "But it didn't possess you, did it? And now I now the spirit is gone, for I cannot sense it's presence inside you. But how could you resist it's power?" Long smiled.
"It required a great deal of strength, of course."
"You cannot fight her spirit! I fought and killed her! And yet she was still there in my mind..." he could still remember how it felt. Even after more than a year he could remember how it felt as her dark spirit crept around in his body, twisting and confusing his mind.
"Ah, but I am not speaking of physical strength my friend. It is inner strength that is required to oppose such evils."
"And you have such strength?" Xion scoffed, perhaps in jealousy.
"It was not aquired easilly. A heavy price comes with such a gift."
"Oh, and what price is that?"
"Pain... and suffering... beyond your wildest imagination."
"Beyond my imagination!?! Ha! Do you have any idea what it is like to watch helplessly as your own hands move to commit such terrible acts..."
"Do not insult me." Long interrupted. "Or perhaps... you have not heard of me?"
"What?"
"I was an assassin once."
"An assassin, you?"
"I was the top assassin for Tylon. Not only did my hands perform such acts as yours Xion, but they did so willingly... and to so many more people." Xion stared at him in shock.
"But what...? How could...? And why...?"
"It is unimportant." he replied, shaking his head. "Anyway..." he glanced up at a clock hanging from the wall to one side. "I'm afraid I must be off now, I have business to attend to."
"I see..." Xion replied. He decided that he didn't blame Long for not wanting to talk too much about his dark past.
"Thank you for your help, Xion." he said, turning and walking towards the door.
"Oh, don't thank me." he objected. "I'm only doing this for my own selfish reasons, rememer?" Long chuckled at the remark, and walked through the doorway, closing the door quietly behind him. Xion stared back up at Cronos, wondering why he was in that tube and how long he was going to stay in there. As much as he loved looking at the young man's body, he also wanted get to know him better. He turned towards the nearest man in a lab coat. "Excuse me Sir, but why is he in there?"
"The prince? Well, he got beaten up pretty badly today... from the looks of it so did you."
"Oh, I forgot." He looked down at his torn and singed outfit, realizing for the first time how ragged he looked.
"So we put him back in here to heal, the liquid has a part of his DNA in it. It bonds back with his body and speeds the healing process quite a bit. It can heal many wounds that would otherwise take days or weeks to mend. Of course, it only works if his skin is exposed to it."
"Ah, I see..." he glanced back up at the lovely young prince. "And how long will he be in there before he is fully healed?"
"Uh... let me check on him." the man replied, leaning over a piece of equpiment covered with buttons and displays. "It wasn't so bad this time. I would give him a couple more minutes. Once he wakes up we take him out of course."
"And how does he breathe in there? I don't see any tubes stuffed up his nose."
"The liquid is mostly oxygen." the man explained. "You breathe it in just like air, and once it comes in contact with the heat of your body the liquid becomes gass. And once you breath it out, it becomes liquid again. You can't even tell he's breathing unless you carefully watch the gentle rise and fall of his chest. Anyway, it's one of the latest technologies here."
"How strange." Xion commented. "And what about the errie glowing light? Does that also serve some purpose?"
"Nothing special." the other replied. "But it lights things up so we can keep an eye on him, just in case something were to go wrong. And it heats up the liqiud a bit so that it's at a comfortable temperature and he doesn't shiver. Although on the downside it does waste some of the oxygen, you see all the bubbles rising from the bottom? The heat of the light is doing that."
"So... you think he'll wake up any minute now?"
"Yes, but if you're waiting around to meet him, he is the prince you know. I don't really think King Orion would approve..."
"I simply want to apologize for giving him that beating."
"What? You did that?"
"We got into a little scuffle."
"I see..." the man mumbled, turning back to his work. "Well, it is none of my business, but don't let Ganesha catch you in here staring at the prince like that. King Orion is very overprotective of his only heir you know."
"Yes, I have heard." The man proceeded with his work and Xion turned back towards Cronos. There was nothing better to do, and certainly nothing more beautiful to look at in the darkened laboratory while he was waiting for his prince to wake up. Ah, yes. My sweet prince. That will be my little name for you. Will you like it I wonder? Or will it simple annoy you to be reminded of your high social status? Xion didn't see why it should bother him, after all he was a perfect prince. Gracefull, charming, elegant, handsome, soft-spoken and yet eloquent... and courageous as well... The perfect example of what every prince should be. Almost as though he knew he was being thought about Cronos stirred within the liquid of the containment tube.
"Ooo! I think he's waking up!" Xion shouted to the doctors. The same man from before walked over to take a look as the prince's light blue-green eyes opened.
"Ah yes, good." the man said. He walked over to the side and pressed a button, immediatedly the liquid started draining from the tube. Cronos glanced about at his surroundings for a moment, in a way that told Xion that he was accustomed to this sort of treatment. Then he noticed Xion standing in front of him and a shocked look struck his face. Once the liquid was all drained from the tube the doctor grabbed a towel and walked up to it. He opened an invisible door in the glass and handed Cronos a towel as he stepped out. Cronos wrapped the towel around himself protectively and glared at Xion.
"Doctor Svenson, what's he doing here?" he whispered.
"I'm not sure, but he has been staring at you for quite awhile."
"Eep!" Cronos's eyes grew wide and he made a nervous gulping noise and almost swallowed his adam's apple.
"He said he wanted to apologize to you."
"I don't know which is worse..." Cronos complained, regaining his composure. "...having to deal with him as an enemy or an admirer. Where is Ganesha?"
"I honestly don't know, your Royal Highness. Perhaps he is in battle somewhere?"
"Probably in battle with the rats in the pantry." Cronos scoffed, ridiculing his bodyguard's seemingly unsatiable hunger. He walked right up to Xion and looked him in the eye. "What are you doing here?"
"I came to apologize, just as the good doctor said."
"Why?"
"Well... let's just say that an aquaintance of mine has shown me a less dramatic way of finding what it is I seek."
"So... you will no longer be a threat to me, or to this lab?"
"Not at all. And I do feel awful about what happened between us."
"It was a close battle." Cronos agreed. "In a way... I'm glad you won it."
"Now why would you say that? You certainly must have been hurt."
"But I am fine now. And if you hadn't knocked me out with that kick... I might have killed you."
"Why would you do that?"
"I have no control of myself while in that form." the prince admitted, shaking his head. "I destroy things. I never should have changed into it, but... I couldn't help it."
"There, there now Cronos." Dr. Svenson consoled him, walking over to pat him on the back. "Besides, practise make perfect, you know?"
"Curse practise." he replied. "If only I could rid myself of that form."
"And just be a penguin?" the doctor asked.
"I can do well enough with my penguin form..." he turned to glare at Xion. "even though some think it is pathetic."
"Well, it's hard not to say something like that while your beak is piercing my flesh." Xion defended, chuckling. "I really think it's very cute."
"Cute!?!" Cronos protested. "There, you see what I have to put up with Dr. Svenson? People either laugh at me or they think I'm cute! Of course, I guess I can't expect anyone to be afraid of a penguin..."
"Ah, but they ought to be." Xion stated. "Especially as well as you use that lovely pecker of yours."
"Wha...?" Cronos blushed, his mouth agape. "Are you trying to...?"
"Your Royal Highness, might I suggest you put your clothes on now?" the doctor asked.
"Yes... Yes, of course Dr. Svenson, you are right." He turned away from Xion and hurried back towards the containment tube. The doctor followed him and took his clothes out of a little cubicle by it's side.
"There's a bathroom just down the hall." the doctor whispered into the prince's ear as he handed him his clothes. "You can change in there if you want." Cronos nodded and accepted the clothes.
"Dr. Svenson, would you please call for Ganesha? Go and find him and remind that oaf that he's supposed to be guarding my life!" The doctor nodded and walked out the back while Cronos walked up to Xion. "I want you gone, understand? My bodyguard will be here soon and he won't tolerate your presence."
"Aw, what a shame. Have I scared you, my sweet prince?"
"You've scared me from the moment you walked in here, looking thin and pale as a ghost! Don't you have something better to do than patronize royalty?"
"Untill we meet again, your Royal Highness." Xion replied, smiling and giving the prince a little bow before he turned and walked out the door.
"Pervert." Cronos mumbled once he was gone.