Set Ablaze

Disclaimer: I don’t know much about the Catholic faith. It’s simply what I needed for the story. I’m saying this now, so everyone knows right off. I’m not religious and from what I have seen of it, I’d prefer to remain spiritual. But I was raised in a religious home. Some may not believe that parents would or could force their children to take up religion but I can tell you now, there are some who do.

The songs that Blaze sings are ALL mine. Don’t even think about stealing them, they are copy written poems and hell hath no fury like me getting my lawyer.

[A/N]: This chapter is also unbeta-ed. Bare with me, I'll get the mistakes as I catch them.


‘’ and italics – thinking
Italics alone – character revelations
“” speaking

Chapter Two

[[An Explanation Was Desired]]

Crashing would have been heard had it not been for the silence barrier thrown up by the one currently ripping through the apartment. The woman seemed to cast a silver glow as she tossed another vase into his wall. With a flick of her wrist his polished desk lifted and smashed into the bathroom. The chaos caused by her actions did nothing to soothe the constant fury blistering in every cell of her body.

She screamed in pent up frustration, eyes narrowed in revulsion. The male on the bed, spread eagle gave an amused muffled laugh, mirth splattered on his face. Even tied down, wrists and ankles bound tightly to the posts of the expensive canopy bed, he looked entirely too smug for her.

His brown hair framed his handsome face, spilling over a sharp jaw line. From his position on the bed, green orbs watched her movement throughout his personally belongs, clearly unfazed by the fit of rage displayed. Stray beams of moonlight from the window cast the vile male in an angelic light.

It made her stomach roll, the bile rose in her throat.

The raven haired woman stalked over to him, crawled into the downy soft bed on her hands and knees. For a moment she appeared fragile, vulnerable – lost. At his side, she outlined his masculine features with her pointer finger almost tenderly, eyes softening.

“Why did you do this to me, Reinn?,” she whispered, even though she did not expect an answer. He mumbled into the cloth stuffed in his mouth.

They hadn’t needed a reason to destroy her. She had been a mere tool to them…all of them. Expression darkening, the woman reached back and slapped him forcefully, delighting as his head snapped to the side at the force of her blow.

“I hate you, you loathsome bastard,” the huntress growled out, fingernails lengthening. Kagome grasped his chin, yanking his head back to watch.

Staring into the eyes of a man who had comforted her – betrayed her, Lunaris-e’s lip back in a snarl exposing the teeth that had sharpened during the experiment. The woman let him see the monster he helped create as she thrust her hand into his chest and ripped out his beating heart. With a huff of disgust she threw the organ against the wall and trailed blood tainted leather across his cheek.

“I’ll make you all pay. All of you,” she vowed.

Only their deaths could satisfy the bloodlust searing through her veins. Only their blood coating her hands could calm the hurt and restore tranquility.

Sliding off the bed, the dark haired woman strolled to the balcony doors and leaned on the frame, facing away from him.

“You know, I trusted you. Of them all, I expected that you’d be the one to protect me, Reinn. I guess not, my old friend,” she chatted, tone amiable.

Silence was comfortable. It wrapped around her like a blanket, held the touches on a mother’s love.

‘Mother,’ a pained moan swirled in her head.

If they’d left her family alone…but they had to cover their tracks. Nothing, no one could be left of the experiment. There couldn’t be a Higurashi, Kagome. Memories were altered or wiped; people were murdered in cold-blood.

She reached into her pocket for a cigarette. Irritation soared in her chest as she noticed the slight tremble in her hands. Touching her finger to the tip of the cancer stick she felt the spot heat until the cigarette was lit. Her tongue darted out to taste it before pulling it between her lips, she sucked in. A shiver of delight coursed through her form as the acidic smoke sunk into her lungs, tickling tissues that could no longer become damaged by the habit.

With a sigh she turned to Reinn with a wicked smile, fangs pressed into her plump lower lip.

“I can’t change who I am…My darlings. Higurashi, Kagome doesn’t exist anymore. There is only Lunaris-e and my rage. Prepare yourselves,” Lunaris-e giggled light heartedly and flicked the cigarette on the bed.

Her eyes flared silver, at the command the bed erupted into flames, engulfing the body laying there peacefully. She swirled a single digit around causing the fires to burn faster, hotter. A few flicks of her fingers caused an intricate design across the lovely pent house wall.

Message delivered she thrust open the balcony doors. Below her, the streets were nearly abandoned. She climbed on to the railing and spread out her arms with a flourish. The sensation of falling felt wonderful. Dropping forward, the weapon muttered a floatation spell a few meters from the ground to soften the contact. Lunaris-e landed crouched, the impact caused the concrete to buckle under her weight. She tugged the collar of her jacket up, cloaking the majority of her face and strolled away from the building.

Her fingers stroked over the silver locket in her pocket – the one she’d found in Reinn’s apartment - the one that had been her mother’s.

She would have liked him to suffer eternally, but his purpose was to make an example.

‘I’m coming, Master,’ Lunaris-e grinned, teeth clenched. ‘Don’t you worry.’

Strolling along the abandoned streets she caught sight of ebony locks hurrying into the alley. Lunaris-e continued down the block until the scent caught her nose. A blissful purr rumbled in her throat at the predicament presented. She’d never be able to forget the scent of forest pine and peppermint.

His voice lowered to despicable whispers as he clutched the blonde close, kissing her full pink lips.

“Will you leave her?,” the gentle, uncertain voice rebound off the brick walls.

“Yes,” he muttered, taking capturing her lips to cover an apparent lie.

Lunaris-e stood with her back to the building outside the alley, a wicked smirk tipping the corners of her mouth.

‘Oh the webs we weave…Inuyasha,’ the experiment tapped her fingers against her forearm.
----------------------------------------------

The smell of burned flesh saturated the air inside the penthouse heavily. Sessho stepped forward pulling on gloves on his way to the bedroom. Everything seemed in order and untouched, but the bedroom was a wreck.

“You have to catch who did this!,” Inuyasha bellowed to a sputtering rookie. “This could happen to me!”

The girl flapped her hands around in front of her, trying to ward off his advance as she stepped back. “Mr. Tashio, could you PLEASE calm down?!” She peered around for an escape.

Sango side stepped Inuyasha, taking pictures at the message burned into the wall.

One down, five to go.

Sesshou quirked an eyebrow Miroku who shrugged - it clearly had his half-brother ready to have a coronary attack.

The female officer continued to back track, a fine sheen of sweat building on her brow. Inuyasha’s voice raised a notch, eyes narrowing. “What do you mean calm down? You useless wench! I could be next! I have a wife and kid to care for!”

Having heard enough from the whelp, Sesshou stepped forward, shoulders hitting forcefully as he brushed pass him. A rumble of distaste lingered in his voice as he began to speak.

“Dearest Halfling, if you would cease to hinder my investigation. Harass any other officer here and I will arrest you.,” the male bit out coldly. “Officer Miroku Kaze will be questioning you. I suggest you make your way over there…or else.”

The hint of a threat curled wickedly around the older man’s words as the two half siblings locked eyes. Biting down on a retort, Inuyasha nodded his head and turned sharply on his heel. Miroku grinned at the environmentalist and flipped open his pad, scribbling away.

The young detective didn’t seem at all bothered by the male’s loud tones and language. The woman Inuyasha had recently been verbally assaulting looked on in awe.

He eyed the rookie and shook his head. Perhaps they needed to raise the requirements for graduation, though Inuyasha was a too much to handle for some. Dismissing the woman from his thoughts the man began his search of the room.

Two hours later and nothing - absolutely nothing.

Sesshou elegantly shifted the tips of his pointer and thumb over the bridge of his nose. Even with the body removed and the room aired out, the air clung to the heavy, disturbing scent of death and charred flesh. This felt personal – as if the individual had a score to settle, but ninety percent of the crimes that involved emotion were messy. Taking in the destroyed bed and wall, he swept a critical eye over the words engraved there.

One down, five to go. A playful warning.

The vibration of his phone brought him out of his musings. He slipped the device out and snapped it open.

“Hello,” he answered, tone clipped. “Yes sir. I’ll go see the singer. Sango can go with Miroku to question Naraku. I understand.”

Hanging up the phone, he gestured to the cleaning team. “We are done.”

Sesshou walked pass them to the front door. “Miroku, Sango. Go to Miasma Industries, talk to Naraku Miasma. I’ve been told he’s there at these hours. He was with our victim last night.”

------------------------------------------------------------------

Naraku awaited the detectives patiently, chin resting on his entwined fingers. Their visit had ruined his plans; the hunting team had been dismissed in a hurry. Now, he wondered it that had been wise. The group would surely sample failure this day. The best trackers in the world, with no idea of their prey would find little to nothing. Knowing one’s target is what got them their trophy.

Panic had sprung throughout those involved with the Lunaris-e project since Reinn’s murder. “What if”s blared from nearly every member involved, except Kagura. His head of security was sure the experiment had been destroyed three years ago.

A sickly handsome smirk covered his features. Kagura’s arrogance would be the death of her one day. The clack of shoes against marble met his ears and Naraku straightened in his, a grim expression covering his amusement.

“Mr. Miasma, the detectives are here,” Kan’na’s toneless voice sounded behind his door.

Naraku turned ebony orbs to the window and called out “Come in.”

Facing them, Kan’na gestured to the door, blank jade hues boring into them. “He is ready for you,” she announced then headed back in the direction they’d recently come from.

Sango shivered a little, hands coming up to rub at her arms and shoulders.

“That woman gives me the creeps,” she stated, eyes following the girl for a bit. There was something about the stoic woman – it felt as if she had no means of expression, that something of that nature was foreign and unwelcome in her world.

Miroku nodded, “I’d have to agree my dear, Sango.”

Twisting the door knob, Miroku proceeded inside with Sango close behind. The office was bland – dim and gloomy. Bare dark gray walls, a desk and two cushy chairs accented by a black marble floor. Sango grimaced a bit at the décor. She was vaguely reminded of original definition of gothic, haunted houses, dark secrets, monsters of one’s imagination and creation.

Miroku strode up to owner’s desk. “I am Detective Kaze and this is my partner Detective Tayjia. We need to ask you a few questions about Mr. Hunter.”

Melancholy cloaked his contemplative attitude as he turned his attention to Miroku. “Of course, anything you need.”

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Revenge Is Sweeter]

Humans were such STUPID creatures. Dispicable and worthy of PAIN. Overconfident, wasteful – FILTH.

Blaze scowled tightly at the confines of her studio home. The band had taken it upon themselves to throw a party to celebrate the concert’s success. Of course, they’d done such without asking Blaze to use her home – they knew the answer would have been “Hell no”.

Righteous rage pierced her as she swallowed slow breathes. Her fingers twitched as she surveyed the damage to her usually tidy home. In the living room, undergarments hung from the ceiling fan in a variety of sizes and colors, empty drink cans and bottles littered the floor, food covered what might have been bare spots. The beige couch, which would never be the same crisp color again, was turned over on its side in the corner.

Gray hues honed in on the one table standing, near the kitchen door. Barely restraining the nonchalant stare, Blaze grimaced at the items collected on the table – used condoms.
The urge to burn the house down to the ground with those people inside hummed at the base of her skull.

The symphony of their screams of agony sang sweet songs.

Leslie quaked a little behind the singer as her hands clenched again. Steadily the manager took several steps away from the smaller woman.

“Hold it…They stained my home,” Blaze drawled, voice tight. “You may leave as soon as you take note of my orders. Dismiss those lowly bastards you call a band. Search for new ones immediately.”

Jumping to attention, the brown haired woman saluted sharply, body going rigid. “Yes Blaze! Will do! Immediately!,” she shouted out in answer while making her great escape.

Leslie smiled happily as she reached the hall, flinging open the door the manager nearly wept with joy before colliding with a slightly softer wall than usual. She fell on to her ass with a graceless grunt and groaned in disbelief.

“Nooo…not again…I promised I wouldn’t run into anymore walls. Er…But…outside the front door?,” the manager puzzled this phenomenon for a moment, eyes trailing up from the ground over a blue pant clad leg to a crotch…

‘Male crotch,’ Leslie nearly cooed at her good luck. The man’s impressive size clearly showed through the slacks though they weren’t tight.

Sesshou cleared his throat, a brow rose in question. Leslie sputtered a bit, a hand coming up to cover her mouth.

He was gorgeous!

“I am terribly sorry, sir. I wasn’t looking where I was going,” she announced, getting up from the floor and brushing off.

A noncommittal grunt sounded in the back of his throat and cast a glare in her direction.

“Clearly,” he stated. “I am Detective Sesshou Taisho. Recently we received word that Mr. Reinn Hunter saw Ms. Blaze last night.”

With a bad attitude.

Somewhat insulted by his mannerisms she gave him an indignant scowl before gawking at the male. Leslie waved her hands around wildly.

“Woah, woah, woah…That Reinn fella got booted out not even twenty minutes after he’d managed to sneak in,” the manager clarified. “What ever trouble the guy is in, Blaze knows nothing about it. She doesn’t do the type of parties he was asking for.,” nodding in a convicted fashion, Leslie mentally dismissed him as she thought of the dangers inside the house.

Sesshou laughed though his eyes remained indifferent. “It seems you don’t understand the gravity of this situation. Reinn Hunter is dead – burned to death in his own bed as of last night. I have a few questions for Ms. Blaze – if you please.”

She stopped hands falling to her sides, shocked clouded the woman’s face. “Oh my…how terrible…But-”

Blaze rounded the corner, interrupting her manager. “No, it’s alright.”

The singer strode to the door, hands resting in her back pockets. She stepped up behind Leslie and smiled lightly. “It’s fine. I will tell him all I know. After he was taken out by my guards I spent the entire night in a hotel room Leslie rented. We had a little celebration. Best Western on Broad Street. I’ve never met the man before now. Apparently he thought he’d get some quick sex and a nice woman to show around for a while.”

Stormy gray orbs clashed with hazel honey. Sesshou nodded his head even as he studied her body language acutely. A lonesome light lingered there before being brutally stashed away – hidden behind the gleam of excitement. For a second he caught a glimpse of the same thing he’d seen in his own mother’s eyes, when they’d met those many years ago.

Across the floor of his ballroom celebration, golden hazel eyes caught each other. A hint of recognition, a dash of disbelief. Shaking off his recollections, Sesshou handed her his card.

“Very well, Ms. Blaze. I’d like you to stay in town for the mean time. Please contact me if you happen across any information,” he stated taking his leave from the house.

A gasp stalled in her lungs. The intensity of his gaze was just what she needed for her next song – commanding yet unsettled, it was perfect. She searched his eyes frantically, reading all that she could until his guard snapped firmly into place. Blaze accepted the card, slipping it into her back pocket.

“I’ll do that, detective.”

The male’s bleach blonde tresses shimmered valiantly under the dying sunlight. She watched until he disappeared from view in the black mustang he’d slid into.

“Forbidden white knight…cursed, a life of unrest,” she hummed.

Pausing, she shot a displeased glare at Leslie and growled. “Fire those imbeciles, not now, but RIGHT NOW!”

-------------------------------------

She heaved a few distraught breathes, eyes dilated. Leslie frantically fanned her face with her hands in an effort to receive sufficient air.

“Where did she GO?!,” the manager bellowed in distress.

As always when it came to Blaze, the woman was uncontrollable. Once elegant knots, elegantly placed on top of her head fell free. She bustled through the doors of the studio home owned by the singer.

“Blaze! Blaze! BLAZZZZZZE!!!! I have your knew band!,” she screeched, falling to her knees.

A dramatic sob tore its way from her. “Woe is me…That I have to keep up with such an unruly woman. Woe is I! I work and I work and I work and she doesn’t even APPRECIATE ME!”

Crying ceasing suddenly, Leslie’s head shot up as realization dawned.

“What if she’s be kidnapped?!,” gasping, the woman jumped up and began to search the house in earnest. “Don’t worry Blaze! I’ll save you!”

From her place below the first floor, Lunaris-e tilted her head back to stare at the ceiling. That woman was something. Every time the singer was out of her sights for more than an hour she went through this.

Ignoring the manager’s persistent yelling and hurried foot steps, the experiment settled comfortably into the couch.

On her lap, the laptop ran numerous programs – all searching for the other five. She could have pursued them the old fashion way, but then, it wouldn’t show off all the money and effort they put into her.

A rueful smile tipped the corners of her mouth. “The bastards…,” she mumbled.

Gray hues swiftly moved over the screen, absorbing the information on the five left. They were all living, happy normal lives. Fury simmered beneath her skin, boiling – scorching, at the layer of flimsy epithelial. Inuyasha and Kikyo had even recently had a child.

A child!

Lunaris-e gritted her teeth. Unconsciously her slender hand shifted to splay across her stomach. There had once been a time when Kagome – that lost part of her had desired children. Disgust flitted over her features and her hand slipped away.

Now, it was not possible. She could not bring a child into the world if it would turn out a genetic monster, like her.

Bitterness swelled in her throat as a sour smile formed her lips. “Perhaps you’ve made one of the biggest mistakes of your like Inuyasha…Kikyo.”

The little girl was wrapped in a pink blanket. Her doe-like brown eyes peered curiously at the camera and a smile caused the babe’s cheeks to puff. Downy soft tufts of hair covered the majority of her head.

“Beautiful,” Lunaris-e reached out hesitantly for the screen. Her fingers traced over the child’s face lightly. “I want a baby,” she smiled genuinely at the picture. “Will you be my child Keade?”

Hacking into a yahoo account, she began to compose a deliberate, detailed email to Kikyo. Laughter spilled from Lunaris-e when attaching several images to the message.

Clicking on the send button, the experiment gathered her patience for the lecture she was bound to get from Leslie.

-----------------------------------------------------

Sesshou unlocked the door to his condo. Hours had passed without tapping anyone on the shoulder to inform them. Sango had actually ushered him out the office with threats of keying his mustang.

He placed the keys on the key rack and stepped into the front hall. The home had been a birthday present from his father after he’d turned eighteen - a sort of bribe that hadn’t worked.

over to the wine rack. Plucking one of his father’s latest failed bribes from the rack, he smirked lightly. The white wine was aged to perfection though not truly to his taste. But who was he not to turn one of Touga Tashio’s games against him?

A dance of wit and craft had begun the moment he decided not to follow in his father’s footsteps. The multimillionaire had been furious at first.

However, with time he began to think his eldest son’s ‘rebellious’ streak would fade and the man would ‘see the light’. In that time, Sesshou Taisho devoted himself to his studies and graduated with honors. The old man never showed at his graduation.

That didn’t bother him.

His father had always been a busy man and Sesshou had grown used to him leaving the celebrations to his staff. Honestly, he would have been thrown completely off balance if the man had showed.

But, he’d never know.

The detective cracked open the bottle and cradled the delicate glass in his palm while pouring the contents into it. Setting the bottle on the table, he walked into his living room. Tapered fingers found the cordless phone, even in the dark as he made his way to the window seat adjacent the black leather couch.

He slid onto the plush pillows, relaxing for the first time in nearly twenty four hours. Even before the first message began he knew who it was. Touga’s smooth tones assaulted Sesshou’s ear as the younger man tipped the glass to his lips draining a little of the lightly colored liquid. The older male sounded a bit irate today.

Not that it mattered.

Sesshou had long put to rest any rash, impulsive, childish desires to care for his father. Everything was a matter of business between the two of them – it always would be.

“Son, when will we put aside this immature struggle? You are an elite and should act like one. Leave running the streets and capturing criminals to people who have no other choice in life. You -”

Tilting his head back to rest on the window frame, the detective released a hallow bark of laughter. Touga was too much. He simply could not believe he’d taken to using that tactic – how low. Finding the challenge lacking on this occasion, Sesshou turned off the phone and set it aside.

“You’ll have to do better than that,” the man spoke aloud to the empty rooms – to no one in particular.

Touga could not hear the statement, but he would certainly know his response - loud and clear. Sipping the white wine leisurely he shifted hazel eyes to the city below. People scurried about, slinking into clubs, bars, and the like.

Neon light, loud crowds, easy sex, lost money, murders – that’s what night life was made of. It’s what dreams were made of for most of those people.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter two! Sorry that it took so long. I lost my desire to write for a while. -_-;;