Hunting Darkness

Chapter 1

Yuma finishes packing his things when Cathy calls, "Guys! Come on!"

I sigh. I have already asked Cathy and Yuma if they wanted to stay, but of course they answered with a defiant "no."

"Yuma," I call. "You two do not have to go with us. Since we have located him, you do not need to be in this anymore." I already know the answer, but I must try again.

Yuma stops moving his belongings and looks at me. "Astral, how many times are you going to ask? I've already said that I'm going with you, and that's final!"

I sigh again. "Very well." I go inside the Emperor's Key, where the other seven await.

"So, what did they say?" 20 asks.

"They refuse to leave this to us," I respond.

5, the Psychic Spirit, sighs. "If they don't, 12's Key Owner might die again," she complains. "I don't think he can give his life again." She buries her face in her hands.

"It's fine," 11, the Healer Spirit, comforts her. "Now that there are eight of us, there won't be a problem. I doubt the situation will come up again." He smiles.

"Yes, 5," I agree. "You mustn't worry so. Besides, I knew what I was doing when I picked you seven."

"Yeah, Aster- Err, I mean 5," 9, her older sister and Time-Keeper, stutters, remembering that she cannot say her sister's real name in front of the others. "12 always has a plan."

"You merely assume, 9. I did not have a plan when Black Mist appeared, nor did I have one when he told me his secret."

To those of you who cannot remember, Black Mist is our target, the one we must either send back or destroy, and his secret to me was that we are brothers. I do not know if this is true, and I hope not, but I also feel that it is true. If not, then why do we look almost alike? Why do we sound almost alike?

"12?" 5 shakes me awake from my daze. "Are you feeling alright?"

I look at her small, childish face. She is still in her Early Years and has yet to mature. I smile.

"Yes, I am fine. You mustn't worry," I assure her, not wanting to worry her and 9.

5 brightens. "Good! I don't want our leader to be sick again." Her full-green eyes shine with relief.

"That was only temporary, and it will not happen again." As I say this, my hand runs over what used to be the black wound. It is a habit I have gotten from the times that it has been there, from my clavicle to the bottom of my ribcage. It is now just a simple scar left behind, though it has retained its black color, but I can still hear the words Black Mist said when he gave it to me:

"This is a reminder that we met..."

"Hey, 12," 23 calls from his perch on one of the gears. "Got a plan to catch the guy? I know you can think of one in seconds flat with that brain of yours."

I smile ruefully. "I regret to say that I do not. If I did, then Black Mist would be able to pick up on it, and then where would we be?"

"He's right," says 17, who is an actual Number Spirit. He closes his dragon-like eyes, his purple/blue tail limp. One of his six-armed wings comes up, and one of the three clawed fingers taps his head. "We can read minds, right? Well, our target is no different. We can't have an official plan because he will sense it. It's just common sense."

"Guess we're just gonna have to wing it," says 10, the layed-back one a Mage Spirit.

" 'Wing it' ?" I ask, not sure what the meaning of that phrase is.