Fushigi Yuugi 1. Prologue

Thank you all for being so supportive of the first version of Awoken. It was thanks to the reviews and comments I received that inspired me to re-vamp and re-write. So, to you, I present a new Awoken; the first in what I am calling my Dark Angel Chronicles.

Thank you again.

* * *

**Prologue**

Forest green eyes sent a piercing stare out of the darkness of the cowl. "Will you heed that which I say?"

There came no response from the dancing shadows opposite the cloaked figure.

"Very well. But remember: you must help them to live. It may take more courage to suffer than to die, but they have suffered enough."

"We will hear you." The voice had no location and wrapped around the crunched figure like a blanket, enveloping her in smooth tones.

Soft voice lilting, the hunched person began to recite. "The gods have quarreled

Since the beginning of time

Over power and position

Opposition's sublime.

One has always sought control

Far beyond his rank

His power reaches far and wide

Into magics dark and dank.

To continue his line

His children were born

One for the night

One for the morn.

Solei and Selene

The sun and the moon

Were his vessels of power

Controlled by a tune.

Then they awoke

And got out of hand

Caelestis killed them

To retain his command.

The girls were reborn

To bring about his demise

And under other names

They were forced to live lies.

One was a Protector

The other, a Guide

Their mission was impossible

And they vanished inside.

Another vessel

Of power appeared

The Daughter of the God

A child to be feared.

Together the three

Could topple the god

Yet they were unable

As he had the Rod.

They found the Watcher

The observer of all

The only one

That could foresee the pall.

With her came

The elusive Queen

As ready to fight

As she had ever been.

Games are played

By only one

Most are successful

Once they are done.

The collection of few

Must fight together

If they hope to replace

Caelestis forever.

Such success cannot come

Without a small price

The life of a twin

Comes at the toss of a dice.

For she is the one

Who is forced to play games

And yet gets mixed up

Within the maze of names.

Every time

The group succeeds

The god reappears

To fulfill his needs.

It's an endless circle

Of death to partake

And then once more

The three will awake." Green eyes twinkled, then all went dark.

* * *

Please review and tell me what you think. 

MidnightShade


	2. Beginnings

And, I give you the first chapter, dedicated to FangedBandit19, Midnightsoul and I'moncloud9. Thank you.

* * *

**Chapter One: Beginnings**

She stalked through the halls, shoving her books into her locker before grabbing a smooth wooden case and slamming the metal door. With a groan she realized that there was a couple making out on the locker next to hers.

"Get a room." She started to turn away, but the male face caught her eye. "Jamie?" Great. Just what she did NOT need right then. To find her boyfriend with his tongue down her worst enemy's throat after the most aggravating Spanish lesson ever was more than she could handle.

"What?" The reply sounded drunk.

"What are you doing with Christine?"

The busty blonde smiled and gave Jamie a quick squeeze. "See ya later big boy." she murmured in his ear before sauntering off.

"Nothing…" His voice trailed off as Solei advanced, a predatory gleam in her eyes. "Really!"

"The REAL explanation, James." He cowered. "NOW!"

He seemed to remember that he had a spine and straightened up, trying to imitate her calm fury. "She offered me something that you couldn't." he sneered. "I decided to take her up on it."

"So you're just in it for the opportunity to get into her pants." Solei determined smoothly, eyes glinting dangerous silver.

"Yes." His eyes went wide. "I mean no. Honest. I –"

Her palm connected loudly with his cheek and he whimpered in pain. "Just leave me alone, Sinclair." Solei hissed. "We. Are. Over." She then turned calmly on her heel and strode down the corridor, taking her seat in Art just before the bell.

* * *

"Solei, what are you DOING?"

The yell jolted her out of her workout and she smoothly walked over to the manikin that bore her glaive in its now decimated chest cavity. With a rip she removed it and wiped the snow-white blade clean of splinters. "What was that?"

"I asked what you are doing." came the retort.

"What I WAS doing, Amber, and I was venting my frustrations." The brunette's gazed followed Solei's visible war-path through the training grounds.

"Whoa." Amber was impressed; over three-quarters of the manikins were missing limbs or heads or both, and a number more had the deep crevasse in the chest that marked where the glaive had been imbedded. "What happened?"

"James and Christine." Solei flung the glaive again, grinning viciously as it landed in the centre of the furthest manikin's head.

"What?" Amber had not seen the commotion and has missed the news that had traveled like wildfire through the gossip chains.

"I found him with her. I broke up with him."

"Broke up with him?" Amber was more amazed than surprised. "But you've been going out with him since freshman year! Just seeing him with Christine doesn't mean that-"

"Does being forced to watch them make out on the locker next to mine count as a reason?" Solei's voice was veritably coated with sarcasm.

"Yeah…" Amber tried to understand. "Did he explain himself?"

Solei cleared her throat. "Yes. And I quote: 'She offered me something that you couldn't' end quote."

"Can I smack him?"

"Too late. I already did."

"Can I smack him again?"

"Get in line."

"Please?"

Solei studied Amber's open face for a moment before giving a feral grin. "You can help me clean up the mess if you want to help."

"Oh no. Your mess, you clean it."

"And here I thought you wanted to be helpful…oh well."

Amber heaved a sigh. "Fine. But I expect repayment."

S olei's smirk widened. "I'll make you immune to my revenge."

"Uh oh."

* * *

At the will of Seiryu he knelt, awaiting more orders from his lord.

"The Prophecy of the Goddess comes again, my son."

"Prophecy, my lord?"

"They must be bent to our will. The Daughter of the God and the Goddess Protector. Bring them to me."

"As you command."

"The one to find you will help you. Do not refuse out of pride. Now, go with one you trust and return with the girls and with haste, Nakago."

"It shall be as you say."

* * *

"WHAT?"

"Tasuki, Nuriko. The women are powerful and must be brought here to complete their purposes. If not our world will perish."

"But two WOMEN! Ya want us ta go inta another world, and find couple o' WOMEN!" Suzaku waited, Tasuki wasn't through quite yet. "Another thing, Suzaku, ya said ya had an important task. WHAT IS SO DAMN IMPORTANT THAT YA DRAG US OUTA BED FOR IT, EH? THEY'RE FUCKING WOMEN!"

"They are the keys to the Prophecy of the Goddess. The Daughter of the God and the Goddess Protector. You MUST find them, my sons, before the warriors of Seiryu do. They cannot fall to the hands of evil if they are to purify our world."

"Fine."

"Be well, and go in haste my sons."

* * *

Please review and tell me what you think.

Midnight Shade


	3. Meetings

Thanks for the overwhelming support. Here's more since you enjoyed the first SO much…

* * *

**Chapter Two: Meetings**

Tasuki made a note to tell Suzaku to work on where his portals dumped them. Carefully he tried to pick himself up, but slid on the wooden cylinders beneath him that clattered loudly as he rolled down the pile. He felt something whiz past his face and land solidly in the wood next to him. Reflexively, he started to jump up, but another knife flew and landed in his sleeve, imbedding itself deeply in the fallen tree that was at the base of the pile.

"What ever shall we do with you?" The question was purely rhetorical, and Tasuki fidgeted, trying to free his sleeve from the knife. Something rustled in the bushes off to his right and another knife went flying past him into the brush followed by a quickly, high-pitched yelp that he identified as Nuriko's.

"If you've hurt him…" he snarled menacingly.

He heard a sarcastic chuckle and was surprised to see a young woman leaning up against one of the surrounding trees. "I wasn't aiming to hurt him. If I have, it is because he tried to dodge the wrong way. Now," She fingered another knife idly. "I don't believe you answered my question."

"Give us a place to stay?" he asked.

She arched an eyebrow. "Why would I do that?"

"Cause he's cute, 'Lei."

The corners of Solei's mouth twitched at the look on Tasuki's face, and she sighed. "Very well, Amber. But he is your responsibility. You'll need to feed him and walk him and see that he does his business in the bathroom."

"I can keep him!"

"Yes."

"Wait, wuz this?" Tasuki looked startled and very unsettled.

" 'Lei is giving you a place to stay."

Nuriko came through the bushes, knife in hand, and Solei moved smoothly in front of Amber. "Who are you?" she asked. 'And are you male or female?' she added as a sarcastic thought.

"Nuriko."

'Ah, male them.' she confirmed. 'Hopefully he'll act like it…' "I will offer you each a place to stay, but I must ask you why you are here." It had not escaped her notice that they were comic characters.

"We are performers." Nuriko said after a moment's hesitation.

"We got lost in the woods here." Tasuki tried to gesture around, but his sleeve stayed in one place. Solei sighed and walked over to him, plucking the knife out of the log.

"I'm Solei, this is Amber." She waved an arm behind her to indicate the energetic brunette. "Follow me please." She led them around the training grounds, conscious of their quizzical glances, and slid open one of the paper screens of the temple she called home.

"You live in a temple?" Tasuki asked.

"With my grandfather." She continued walking and showed them to a simple bedroom with two beds and a window. "The bathroom is down the hall, last door on your right." Nuriko and Tasuki nodded, pretending to understand what she was talking about.

"Thank you." Nuriko said.

Solei nodded her head in recognition of their thanks. "Dinner is in an hour, Amber will come and get you when it is ready. Or I'll yell."

* * *

"You realize that they are comic characters?"

Amber nodded. "Duh? Who do you think introduced you to Fushigi Yugi? But, how did they get here? And why are they here?"

Solei shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine." Inwardly she knew that something was up. "I'm going to go finish cleaning and grab my knives from the woodpile."

"Can I stay for dinner?" Amber asked.

"Girl, you're slated to stay the whole weekend."

"Right. Forgot about that…"

* * *

She threw the last of the ruined manikins onto the pile, wincing as a splinter lodged itself in her palm. Skirting the outer edge of the wood, she found her knives and re-sheathed one, using the other to pick at the splinter. As she began to walk back to the temple, she became aware of footsteps behind her. She stopped, and the footsteps stopped.

Lifting her chin, she raised her voice slightly. "Show yourselves." There was a pause, but two figures stepped out of the concealing brush. With great effort she controlled her face. Nakago and Amiboshi. 'This should be fun.' she thought sarcastically.

"Who are you?"

"Travelers." came the response. "We're looking for shelter and heard that there was a temple nearby that would take us in."

"You heard correctly, have you names?"

Her eyes went first to the shorter of the two blondes. "I'm Amiboshi, that is Nakago." Obediently, her eyes went to the more imposing figure and her eyes remained locked with his.

"A pleasure." she murmured, then louder: "I am one of the caretakers of the temple, if you would follow me, I'll lead you there."

"And your name?" Nakago's voice was deep and silky, and a small shiver ran up her spine.

"Solei." She led them to the far end of the temple, trying to place them as far away from Tasuki and Nuriko as she could. "Here is your room. I would offer you separate quarters, but we have other visitors as well." They nodded and entered the simple room. "Dinner will be in a little while; I'll have Amber come and get you."

* * *

"Guess what?"

"What, 'Lei?"

"Nakago and Amiboshi are here."

"You're joking."

"No."

"How are we going to keep them from killing each other?"

"We won't. We'll have to trust that their 'gentlemanly instincts' will prevent them from doing anything stupid around us."

"Won't that be fun."

"Look, I've gotta make dinner. I'll let you know when to go get them."

"Wait, all of them?"

"Yes. Get Nakago and Amiboshi first and direct them to the kitchen. Then you can lead Tasuki and Nuriko. That SHOULD minimize unsupervised contact…"

"I'll do that. Get cooking 'Lei."

"Shut up, Amber."

* * *

Nuriko fiddled with the knife he had pulled out of his hair. The white blade gleamed under his scrutiny and he idly ran the blade across his palm. A trail of blood followed the tip. He and Tasuki had conversed for a bit, but neither had any idea of how to go about completing the task set to them. At least there was no sign of the Seiryu warriors.

A knock on the door interrupted their thoughts and Nuriko fumbled with a ribbon he had found, trying to bandage his hand.

"Dinner's ready." It was the brunette…

'Amber' his mind supplied.

"Well?" She was waiting in the doorway, glancing at them over her shoulder. "Are you coming?" They rose and walked down the hallways, booted feet making no noise on the rosewood floors. Upon entering the kitchen, they were assaulted with the rich smells of cooking sauces and vegetables.

"Sit down, please. Dinner will be finished in a moment." Solei spotted Nuriko trying to bandage his hand and called him over. "How did you do this?" Inwardly she knew it was from her knife, but she waited as she coated the thin wound in antiseptic and began to wrap it.

"I slipped and tried to catch myself on the edge of the bureau. It caught my hand."

Solei made a clucking noise that could have been interpreted as sympathetic and sent him back to the table, pulling the pans off of the stove and setting them on the table.

"Where are-" Nakago and Amiboshi walked in, cutting off the rest of her question. "Pull up a chair." she finished. Subtly she gestured for Amber to begin serving herself, hoping that it would help dispel tension and also that it would show the 'guests' what to do with the food.

"Do you four know each other?" she asked, mindful of the glares being sent across the table.

"Yes." Tasuki growled.

"Oh." Solei tried to sound surprised and made a silent prayer that nothing would go wrong during dinner.

* * *

Around midnight Amber and Solei slipped out of their respective rooms and met out in the training field.

"That could have gone worse." Amber said softly.

"It also could have gone better. Though, I don't think I'll ever forget the look on Tasuki's face when he tried the eggplant."

Amber cracked a smile. "Me neither. I just wish…" A rustle in the bushes prompted her to seek light and, after some concentration, a small fireball hovered over her palm, casting just enough light to see by. "Who's there?" she asked. There was no response.

"Amber, go back inside."

"But 'Lei…"

"Go, Amber." Silently, Solei hoped that Amber would obey and was gratified when she did. The rustles continued and she turned to face them.

* * *

As per norm, tell me what you think.

Please? Anything?

MS


	4. Midnight

Here. More.

MS

* * *

**Chapter Three: Midnight**

Nakago lay awake thinking. 'The one to find you will help you.' The phrase kept replaying in his mind and he knew that it referred to Solei. She was and enigma of sorts. It seemed that she, like the other girl Amber, wore her heart on her sleeve, but something in her eyes was different. They had been silver when he had first seen her, but something had been dissimilar at dinner. She had been more relaxed then, and when she had caught his eye, her eyes had been lavender. He shook his head. If she knew something, he would have to coax it out of her. A smile formed on his face. It would not be that difficult.

A flicker of chi hit his senses and he sat upright. The signal remained steady – definitely not one of the Suzaku warriors. Soundlessly he rose and slid out the door, intent on finding the source of the strange chi.

* * *

"Come out." The bushes shifted more and Solei waited. A tall, dark figure formed, and she scowled. "What the hell are you doing here, Sinclair?" she bit out.

"Baby, I'm sorry. Christine's a bitch, I didn't mean for that, she just came onto me…"

Solei slapped him. "Somehow I don't think that was a simple mistake. Look, Sinclair. We're through."

"I won't take no for an answer." He backed her up to a tree and started fumbling with the zipper of her training vest. She managed to shove him backwards into another tree.

"Go home, Jamie. Go back to you lover Christine." He fled. Following him with her eyes, she waited until he was out of sight before letting loose her sobs.

* * *

Nuriko paced irritably, unable to sleep. Thinking that he would just follow his footsteps, he left the room and wandered outside into the warm darkness.

"Go back to your lover Christine." The voice was harsh, but he knew it was Solei. He started to leave, not wanting to intrude, but the sound of quiet sobbing called him back to her. Walking softly so as to not disturb her, he followed the crying, stopping when he saw the huddled shape on a bench. Quickly, he sat down next to her, completely ignoring the beautiful view of a moonlit pond, all of his attention focused on the young woman before him.

"What's wrong?"

"Go away Nuriko." It was all she could do to keep her voice from breaking.

"What happened?"

She turned into him and started crying anew, her arms clinging around his waist. Awkwardly he curled his arms around her and rubbed her back, murmuring nonsense in her ear as he rocked her back and forth. After a few minutes that felt like hours, her crying slowed and her thin form stopped shaking. Nuriko carefully detangled himself from her arms and laid her down to rest on the bench, hoping that she would be alright before retracing his footsteps to his room.

* * *

He heard murmurs of conversation and crept closer, keeping to the shadows.

"What the hell are you doing here, Sinclair?"

"Baby, I'm sorry. Christine's a bitch, I didn't mean for that, she just came onto me…" Nakago raised an eyebrow. The boy was lying and he smirked as Solei slapped him.

"Somehow I don't think that was a simple mistake. Look, Sinclair. We're through."

"I won't take no for an answer." Nakago watched as the boy fumbled with her top and shook his head. Insolent fool had no idea of tact, subtlety or common sense. A firm shove from Solei sent him reeling back into the forest.

"Go home, Jamie. Go back to you lover Christine." she spat. Sliding to his right as the boy raced past him, Nakago waited to see what else would happen. He heard her begin to cry and he saw Nuriko follow her as she walked slowly to a small wooden bench.

"What's wrong?"

"Go away Nuriko." He smirked, she was strong.

"What happened?" Trust a Suzaku warrior not to recognize a dismissal when he heard one. Rather than telling him to leave, Nakago was startled to see her turn into him and resume crying. He sat down to wait, watching for anything else that he could exploit. Eventually Nuriko left, leaving Solei alone on the bench.

"Fool." he murmured. Even at his most aloof, he would never leave a girl, let alone a beautiful one, alone on a bench at night. He moved over to her and removed his cloak, placing it over her shoulders as he might a blanket. He had multiple thoughts of what he should be doing with her, and where they should be at this time of night, but he quickly shut them away behind the solid barrier behind which he kept all of his emotions. They could wait until the other plans had been completed.

* * *

At the crack of dawn, Solei lifted her head, acutely aware that she was not alone on the bench. As she carefully sat up, a cloak fell from her shoulders and she stared at it in recognition.

"Nakago's." she said softly.

"Indeed."

'Well' she thought. 'That confirms that you aren't alone.'

"Thank you for the use of your cloak." Carefully she handed it back to him, ignoring the shiver that ran through her at his touch.

"You're welcome." He kept his voice low, smirking slightly as he realized its effect on her.

"What has you awake so early?"

Rather than explain that he had seen her weakness the night before and had remained to watch over her, he decided on a simpler answer. "I like to watch the sunrise."

She gave him a slightly quizzical look, but nodded. "Same." After a moment's hesitation she continued. "My mother used to tell me that the colours in the sunrise came from people's emotions."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. The more colours in the sunrise, the happier the people were." He gave a noncommittal grunt that, from him, sounded elegant. "She also used to say that my sunrise would be black and white." There was a harsh edge to her voice. "She would say now that it would be red for anger and shame."

Nakago was stunned that she would be this open with him, but realized that the sleep was not quite out of her tones and actions. "Why were you not happy?"

She gave a short, hollow laugh. "Even the setting sun that sinks like it was caught on fire is alone/ Unable to embrace the earth or the seas" He raised an eyebrow at her cryptic answer, but she just shook her head and gave a bright smile. "Thank you for watching over me."

Slightly unnerved by her sudden personality change, his hand shot out and stopped her from walking away. "Just who are you?"

"No one important." A vein of poisonous silver wormed through her eyes.

"Now why don't I believe that, Girl?"

"Because you are a naturally distrusting person?" The quirk of her lips clued him into her joke at his expense, but he did not release her wrist.

"Why do you seem familiar?"

"Lots of blondes run around here. I wouldn't be surprised if you ran into one of them." Her smile was tight and he knew she was nervous.

"Your eyes-"

"- I got from my mother." She broke free of his grip and gave another dazzling smile. "Now, I suggest you come in. You don't want me to have to whistle for you when breakfast is ready." Without another word she turned on her heel and all but fled from the pond, leaving Nakago with a bemused smirk and the smell of lavender.

* * *

An ear-splitting whistle woke him up, just as he was about to see the beautiful princess in his dream.

"Damn it!" he yelled. He was suddenly assaulted by a flying pillow.

"Shut up, Tasuki." Nuriko's groggy voice said from the other side of the room.

"What the hell was that whistle?" Nuriko was already up and heading out the door.

He turned in the doorway. "Breakfast." he said simply.

"Oh, right. Breakfast. Where are we again?" Tasuki asked as he hopped into his pants.

"A temple, you idiot."

"I knew that."

"Right."

Another whistle broke off their conversation, though not as loud as the first, followed by a loud cry of: "BREAKFAST!" from Amber. Tasuki and Nuriko exchanged glances before heading out the door.

* * *

Deciding that mass cooking was easiest on a grill, Solei quickly began to make pancakes, setting the table while the first batch began to cook.

"AMBER!" The shout was just loud enough to rouse the sleeping girl and notify her that breakfast was coming. A minute later, a tousled, but dressed, Amber came waltzing into the kitchen.

"You yelled?"

"Yeah, would you set the table?" As an answer Amber began setting out the plates and knives. As she flipped the pancakes she pursed her lips and let loose an ear-splitting whistle to summon the remaining people in the temple. With grumbles they began to file in, Suzaku warrior bickering as they pulled up a pair of chairs. With a smooth gesture, Amiboshi pulled the chair out from under Tasuki and fought to smother his laughs as the fiery red-head fell to the floor. Moments later Amber was holding her sides in laughter, having calmly reenacted the trick on Amiboshi.

"Sorry." The grin on her face betrayed her sincerity.

"Here Amber, You can have the first batch."

"All of it, 'Lei?"

"No, part of it goes to Grandfather." A short old man waddled into the kitchen and took the plate that the blond offered him, grunting his thanks and shuffling off through the other door. She grinned at the looks on people's faces. "That was Grandfather. It's also just about as talkative as he ever gets."

"Right..." Tasuki watched carefully as Amber prepared her pancakes, and was startled when three of the golden circles landed on his plate.

"Delivery." Solei called out in a sing-song voice, flicking another three onto Nakago's plate as well. They were soon trying to eat the strange foods, and Amber bit her lip as she watched Tasuki drown his in syrup.

After everyone had eaten, Solei finished off the last of the batter, eating all of the remaining pancakes and laughing as she saw their startled expressions. "Honestly," she said, "You should see me when I'm hungry. Then I eat around twelve." Amber started to sneak out the door. "Amber, where are you going?" the question dripped with false malice.

"Outtopracticeonthemanikinsyoudecimatedyesterday."

The hand on her shoulder froze her in place. "You, my friend, get to do the dishes."

"WHAT?"

"Tough luck. I did dinner and I cooked. You know the rules."

With a groan Amber walked over to the sink and began washing the plates, pointedly ignoring Solei and muttering under her breath. "Stupid Angel, always getting out of work…"

"I heard that." Solei's voice carried a warning and Amber returned her attention to the dishes with a sigh.

* * *

She guided the men out of the kitchen and began striding towards the working field.

"What was Amber talkin' 'bout in one breath?" Tasuki asked.

"We have a training field here at the temple, my Grandfather used to use it, now it is pretty much just Amber and I."

"That where ya got so good with knives?"

"I'm not that good, Tasuki."

"You have a place where we would be able to practice weapons?"

Solei nodded to Nakago's soft question. "Of course. I also have blades if you want – to borrow only."

"Of course, but I have my own blade."

Solei raised an eyebrow, impressed even through she knew of his sword. "Nice. Not many people around here carry blades on them. I'll show you to the field if you would like." Nakago nodded his consent and all four men followed her as she resumed walking.

* * *

After finishing the dishes, Amber made her way to the training field, expecting to find only Solei. However, she was not surprised to see the warriors at work as well. She saw Nakago and Solei bow to each other and unsheathe their swords, bringing the tips up to a ready position. Amiboshi, who was sitting off to the side fiddling with a flute, called out a beginning and Amber's eyes went wide as she watched her friend begin to fight.

'She'll get mauled!' she thought. "STOP!" she yelled. They simply continued to fight, completely ignoring her. She drew her own pair of swords and cringed as the blades collided and the shock waves from the power of their blows shivered down her arms. "DESIST!" she repeated. Calmly, each of the fighters flicked a blade out of Amber's hands and continued, ignoring the interruption. They were evenly matched, strike for strike, parry for parry, and eventually Amiboshi called a draw. The motion of their blades stopped immediately and they again bowed. The situation was repeated over and over, only pausing briefly when Solei's grandfather called her in for assistance and she returned with lunch. Conversation was strained and they continued training, falling into an easy rhythm as they day began to close. Finishing another fight with Nakago, Solei shot a glance at Amber and her eyes went wide as she felt the strip of lightning blaze past her and hit her friend with a scream.

* * *

Please give me feedback. Thank you.

MS


	5. Demons

And more!

MS

* * *

**Chapter Four: Demons**

"AMBER!" She tried to kneel as close to the white flame as she could and grimaced as the heat crackled, forcing her curls to frizz out of their constraints. The lightning vanished a moment later and Solei clapped her hands softly, nodding slightly as thunder boomed a moment later.

"Amber? Are you alright?" A slight groan told her that her energetic friend was not at full health. "Tasuki." Solei's tones were clipped and business-like. "Take her back to the temple to the room three down from the kitchen." He hesitated. "NOW!" He hastened to obey.

"What WAS that?" Nuriko asked.

"A fantastical anomaly pertaining to the obscure and unusual meteorological conditions."

"What?"

"Freaky weather." Solei explained herself flippantly, grinning lightly until a shiver ran through her senses. "Oh, shit." At the astonished looks of the men she almost grinned anew. "What, don't think a girl can swear?"

"Why were you swearing?" Nuriko asked.

"The Girl felt it, but not you?" Nakago scoffed. "And you call yourself a warrior."

"What?"

"Chi, Nuriko. And in frantic amounts." Solei explained.

"Tasuki."

"No." Solei corrected, taking off at a run for the temple, glaive clasped in her hand. "Amber."

* * *

The demon had appeared in front of them, his six-inch fangs dripping some un-godly substance probably akin to blood. Amber froze. There was something familiar about the demon that she could not quite place, and frankly did not want to. It grinned, then began to speak. The harsh grunts and grows it produced were even more hideous than its body.

It took note of their confused faces and changed his speech. "Where is the one known as Kamai?" Amber's eyes went wide, and her lips began moving silently, her mind not fully comprehending.

Tasuki by this time had stood and was standing protectively before her motionless body. "Go away ya foul beastie!" he yelled, brandishing his tessen. Amber seemed to wake up at his voice, and her chi flared around them protectively. The creature growled something as equally incomprehensible as the first string, but there was no mistaking his intentions as he smiled suggestively at Amber. The demon started lumbering towards them and brushed against her barrier, raking it with serrated claws until it faltered and fell. Tasuki glared.

"REKKA SHINNEN!" flames sprouted forth from his tessen and struck the demon square in his chest. "Yeah!" Tasuki cried, punching a fist into the air. A grumble came from the other side of the smoke screen, and Tasuki and Amber's eyes went wide as the demon reappeared. He swatted Tasuki away impatiently, as one might a fly, and swept Amber up in one oversized claw. She summoned her chi, but it was quickly squashed by the brute force of the demon's claws digging into her sides.

"Can't leave you out of my sight for a minute, can I, Amber?" Solei's knuckles were white on the shaft of her glaive. Amber fell limp in the claw and Solei acted on instinct, racing towards the demon in a foolish attempt to do anything. In desperation she flung her glaive, hoping that her practice would pay off. Dark blue blood on her face confirmed that something worked, and a dull thud nearby told her that she had successfully lopped off the enemy's arm. However, she had also lost her glaive.

'Stupid, 'Lei!' she berated inwardly. 'ALWAYS have a spare weapon!'

The demon's harsh voice burst into her thoughts. "WHERE IS KAMAI?" A flare of silver blinded them as they attempted to gather their wits. When they could see again, a very angry, glowing angel with wings as dark as night was facing the demon, a glaive with a blade as white as snow in her hands. Amber opened her eyes and saw the figure, gasping as she caught a glimpse of the woman's scar-covered back as she swept her hair aside. Blue-black hair whipped around the woman's face in an unfelt wind, and Amber was amazed when she saw that the girl's eyes were pure, liquid silver.

When the dark angel spoke, her voice was cold, and yet contained more anger than the loudest shout. "You called, Underling?" a shiver ran up Amber's spine at the voice.

"You are summoned by the one of the rulers of the Underworld."

"For what purpose?" Before the demon could answer, Amiboshi began to play his flute softly, the pitch too high to hear and Amber crumple in pain. Unable to answer, the demon grabbed Kamai and vanished, leaving behind only traces of smoke.

* * *

"Welcome, Child mine."

"Hades." Kamai bowed low, her forehead touching the floor before the god signaled her to rise.

"You wonder why you are summoned."

"Yes, Uncle." She tried to hide her relief that it was not Caelestis who called upon her.

"Solei, be not bitter, the time comes closer."

"I know, but what must be done must be done. It is why the warriors are here, isn't it."

Hades nodded. "They must be there. The Daughter of the Goddess does not have your confidence."

"Nor does she have my curse, Uncle."

"And for that we should be thankful."

"What, that only I bear the burden?"

"Kamai, that is not true."

Solei forced a smile. "Granted. However, I have not seen HER in years," she held up a hand to prevent her uncle's interruption, "and while I have no doubt that she will show up when she is needed, it still does not forgive her for leaving me to His devices."

Hades sighed. "Very well. Be strong, Solei, Kamai, Sobrina."

She gave him a smile and let him send her away, wings gone.

* * *

Nuriko carefully removed Amber's shirt, blushing as he pulled off the blood-soaked fabric. Depositing the scrap of material in a bin that appeared to have other rubbish, he ran his eyes over her wounds, trying to assess the damage as the other three stared holes in his back.

"Tasuki…" Amber whispered.

"What is it?" he asked, gripping her hand tightly between his.

"Where's my shirt?" Amber rolled onto her stomach and began to snore. Tasuki blushed and released her hand.

"You are pathetic." Nakago walked over to her and placed his hands over her wound, summoning his own chi. A blue glow quickly infused her skin and the punctures began to close. When finished, he stepped back from her, glancing idly around the room. Amiboshi was nowhere to be found.

* * *

Solei opened her eyes to see fathomless black staring back at her and quickly snapped them shut. 'UNCLE!' she roared mentally. 'WHY HERE?' she got no response and a cold hand took hers, guiding her towards a stiff-backed chair. "Why am I here?"

A harsh male voice answered. "Because I called you."

Her eyes snapped open, angry. "You have no right to call me, Wyvern."

He leered at her, his eyes roaming over her now naked body freely. "Oh I have every right." He answered. "You belong to me."

"Oh, come off it, Wyvern. You know better."

Another voice answered after her. "Technically you DO belong to him, Kamai." She rolled her eyes to look at her uncle.

Wyvern spoke before she could give him a smart retort. "My lord, anything I can do for you-"

Her uncle cut him off. "Go." Wyvern left. Her uncle released the immobilizer on his niece and tossed a dress at her. "Put that on." She sighed, but quickly complied. She stared in disgust at the black dress: the plunging neckline, the low, gaping back and the high leg slits.

'At least it's a covering; unlike some of the stuff he's given me in the past three years.' She thought. "I repeat. Why am I here?"

Her uncle chucked a little, and then answered. "I have some things I need to tell you."

"Uncle, we just spoke."

"Be nice…"

"Fine. What?"

"You are, as you know, the Goddess Protector. Guardian to the Daughter of the God. What you don't know is that her father is the Demon God, making her half demon."

Solei raised an eyebrow. "Amber? Daughter of the Demon God? I never knew. I guess it makes sense though…" Events clicked into place in Solei's mind and she nodded again.

"Both of you play and important part in an ancient prophecy of another world."

"What world?"

"The universe of the four gods, Suzaku, Seiryu, Genbu and Byakko."

"Which is where the warriors come in again."

"You both play a major role in one of their prophecies. You two are supposedly going to bridge the gap between Seiryu and Suzaku."

"Okay. Now, what was this earlier about me belonging to Wyvern?"

Her uncle coughed uncomfortably. "Umm…he…I…umm…Bye!"

Black light engulfed her, and she began to disappear. "I'll get you for this, uncle. Just so long as you know." Then she disappeared.

* * *

Please REVIEW! PLEASE!

MS


	6. Mysteries

LA! TADA! MORE! WHEE!

MS

* * *

**Chapter Five: Mysteries**

A flash of black light distracted Nakago from is search for Amiboshi. A figure in a long black dress that clung tightly to her every curve, exaggerating them seductively, emerged from the light, muttering curses. Then she saw Amber.

"Shit. Is she alright?" There was an uncomfortable edge to her voice.

"Fine." Nakago responded tersely.

"Good." Solei collapsed from relief and exhaustion.

Amber's eyelids fluttered open at the thud. "Kamai?"

Solei grinned weakly. "Surprise?"

"Nakago?"

"Yes?"

"Would you please take her to her room? It is two down from yours. She needs rest." He scooped up the crumpled girl and walked out the door, staunchly ignoring Nuriko's glares.

Amber looked down at herself and flushed. "May I have a shirt please? My room is just down the hall…" she was silenced by a piece of white linen. Quickly she slid it on, inhaling the unique scent. "Thank you. Now…" she looked down at herself, then at Tasuki. He looked at himself, realizing that he had just tossed her his shirt. Amber looked away blushing, burrowing further into the shirt she had just realized was his. He helped her back to her room, delicately closing the door and pondering the flare of chi that had come from her. He walked across the hall to the room he shared with Nuriko and walked right into his friend.

"Sorry, Nuriko." He muttered, then walked through the door to the room. Nuriko stared after his buddy for awhile; curious as to why he was acting so strange. He shrugged Tasuki's politeness off as a one-time thing, then lay down himself and fell into a restless sleep plagued with nightmares.

* * *

Kamai popped out of the portal, still muttering obscenities at her uncle when she spotted Amber bleeding on the couch. "Shit. Is she alright?" She padded over quickly, ignoring the amazed looks on the male faces as she moved.

"Fine."

Solei shivered at the voice. "Good." 'It should be a sin to have a voice like that.' she thought.

"Kamai?" Solei glanced over at her friend, trying a grin; Amber's eyes fell and she knew it had been weak.

"Surprise?" Her vision began to cloud and she felt strong arms lift her and she burrowed closer, relishing in the warmth she found. She felt herself being set down, but as she let her eyes flutter open, she saw a scene that was decidedly not her own room.

"Hello, love."

"Piss off. You are not wanted."

Wyvern's leer widened. "On the contrary, I think I am." He leaned in to kiss her and she spit in his face, grinning at his grimace. "That you will pay for."

"How?"

Black lightning crackled at his fingertips and he smirked as her eyes went wide. "I have my ways."

"Bastard! You're leaching his power!"

"Of course." he answered modestly. "And you are going to help me overthrow both of them."

"Not by choice." She closed her eyes and tried to focus on any outside influence and when she opened them, was relieved to find ice blue staring back at her with an expression that could almost have passed as concerned.

* * *

Nakago carefully set Solei down on the bed before glancing around at the room to find a cloth to wipe off the blood. The walls were deep blues, the colour of the ocean at night, and the ceiling was the colour of the night sky, constellations painstakingly painted on perfectly. Silver-blue curtains hung in gauzy columns framing the windows, and a small waterfall splashed gently in the corner. He allowed himself to smile inwardly; it was so peaceful, unlike she would be when he was through. He pulled over a chair from the desk on the opposing wall and sat, watching her again as he began to sponge the blood off her back gently.

She began to talk in her sleep as he finished. "Piss off. You are not wanted." He arched an eyebrow at her words, but realized that she was speaking to something he could not see.

'Curious.' He noted, turning his full attention to the one-sided conversation.

"How?" She was mocking someone, sarcastic laughter in her voice. "Bastard! You're leaching his power!"

'From sarcasm to fury…'

"Not by choice." He had leaned closer during her soliloquy and was momentarily set back by the sight of silver eyes turning lavender staring at him.

"Welcome back." he murmured.

"Thanks." she retorted sharply. "Although, I don't think I went anywhere." She paused. "Did I say much?"

"Nothing intelligible." Nakago lied smoothly.

"Right…" she hesitated to take his word, but decided that, if he had heard, none of it would make sense. 'Yet…' her traitorous mind added.

"Till then love…" The voice was disembodied and Solei shuddered as phantom fingers brushed across her cheek.

"What was that?" he asked coolly.

"Nothing." she answered.

'That was too fast.' His mind noted, 'lie.' "Really?"

"Honest."

He studied her for a moment and an idea blossomed in his mind. "Very well then. Good night, Kamai." She looked up sharply at the name, and his lips brushed hers teasingly. Smooth steps guided him out the door. She touched her fingers to her lips.

"He just…I…oh my…" A silly grin spread across her face. "He called me Kamai…"

* * *

Nakago closed the door behind him softly, grinning as he overheard her comments.

"He just…I…oh my…" he smirked. "He called me Kamai…" it widened slowly.

'She is so naïve.' He thought to himself as he entered the drab room she had generously provided. 'I would have expected more from the Goddess Protector.'

* * *

Amiboshi opened his eyes, only to see that he was back in the shrine.

"Why am I here?"

A deep, unfamiliar voice answered. "You know too much." A dark imposing figure stood before him, power and majesty draped around him like a cloak.

Coal black eyes gazed at him, and he fidgeted nervously. "Who are you?"

"I am Hades, Lord of the Underworld." He thundered. "You have been released from your celestial duty. No longer shall you go to that world from which you just returned."

Amiboshi tried to contain his anger. "But Amber…"

"Ahh yes, the Daughter of the God. Shakaku will be fine."

"You mean…"

"Yes."

"Why was she affected by my song of demon sleep? Is she a…" he trailed off.

The underworld lord looked amused. "If you do not know, I will not tell you."

"But Nakago should know, so we can find the Goddess Protector and then bring them here."

The god looked at him, annoyed. "Your part in this has finished, Musician." The god raised his hand in farewell to Amiboshi and disappeared in a brilliant flash of black light.

* * *

Yeah… Root Beer high…Extra energy… WHEEEE!

REVIEW PLEASE!

MS


	7. Days

Silver Pain, Thank you SOOO much for the reviews, they are much appreciated. One, I have never been that great a speller, and two, they remind me that I have more of the story ready to be read. So, these next few in sequence are for you. Also, I apologize for the unorganized Chapter Five, I forgot to load in the breaks as are in the other chapters. That is my fault and it should now be fixed. In answer to your question, Solei is Kamai, and she only has the two names. Sobrina is Spanish for 'niece'. Enjoy! MS

* * *

**Chapter Six: Days**

Amber inhaled the smell of crisp linen, smiling to herself as she opened her eyes. It was real. Tasuki was there, in the temple. A silly smile lit her face and she squealed into the pillow. Laughter sounded from the doorway and Amber spun, her cheeks burning.

"Breakfast." It was all Solei could do to spit out the word through her sniggering.

"Shut up, 'Lei."

"You are too much fun to tease." she choked out, closing the door behind her as she went to gather the rest of her guests.

"NURIKO, TASUKI! BREAKFAST!" She pounded on their door a few times for good measure and then continued down the hall to Nakago and Amiboshi.

"NAKAGO, AMIBOSHI!"

"You yelled?" Solei spun around, her face eyes level with Nakago's collarbones.

She tilted her face up to meet his eyes. "Breakfast is ready."

"Thank you." He offered his arm to escort her back to the kitchen and she accepted, mystified.

* * *

"Tasuki, how are we going to do this? We have no idea where they are. Suzaku ordered us to find the two girls, but the only two we have met have been Solei and Amber."

"Maybe they're the two were lookin' for."

Nuriko pursed his lips. "Maybe, but what if they're not? But then again, they have chi…"

"Does everyone here have chi?"

"I don't know, Tasuki. We can ask them."

"Later. Dinner is soon."

* * *

'I know she is the Goddess Protector. That means that Amber is the Daughter of the God. But why are they so important? They have chi, but nothing extraordinary.' Nakago mulled over the possibilities, his sword flicking against Solei's in a smooth rhythm.

"You're leaving your ribs open." he corrected idly, swatting her side lightly with his blade. She took the critique and the punishment and continued, carefully blocking as he had shown her the day before.

'Perhaps it has something to do with the other name that was given to Solei. Kamai…' The name sounded oddly familiar. 'I will ask her. Her face is expressive enough to give me a clue even if her words do not…'

* * *

Solei mulled over Amiboshi's disappearance. She had felt her uncle, but that could have meant any number of things. With a shake of her head she returned to the Spanish assignment she had been given.

"Stupid substitute…" she muttered. "Not knowing the difference between the imperfect and the preterit…"

"Girl."

She tuned away from her homework to stare up at Nakago. "Yes?"

"I have a question."

"Fire away."

Carefully studying her face he asked: "Who is Kamai?" To his surprise the only things he saw in her eyes or on her face were slight sadness and amusement.

"Kamai is a nickname of sorts. My father gave it to me after my mother died. Said it was my fault so I would bear the reminder. From that day on I was always Kamai to him."

"I apologize for making you relive that."

She shook her head. "It matters not. I am used to it, but I don't allow many to call me by it anymore. It reminds me of her, just like it was supposed to…" The sadness was dominant in her eyes; Nakago left her alone to her thoughts.

'Not that that is the only reason.' She added silently to his retreating back. 'After all, an Angel of Death must have a name befitting her station in Hell…'

* * *

"Uh, Amber?"

"Yeah, Tasuki?"

"Does everybody here have chi?"

"What do you mean?" 'Pretend like you don't know what he is talking about.' she ordered herself silently.

"You make fireballs and shields; does everybody here have tha' power?"

"Well, I'm the only one I know of with fire…"

"What 'bout other abilities?"

"Like?"

"Super-strength or weather or…yeah…" He scratched the back of his head nervously.

Amber shrugged. "Not that I know of. Solei can pull some cool stuff, but that might just be years of practice."

"Thanks."

"No prob."

* * *

Walking down the hall, Solei paused in the laundry room, dropping off her sweaty leotard and tights and grabbing a clean robe out of a neat pile, sending the rest cascading to the floor. With a sigh, she picked them up and restacked them. Pulling bobby-pins out of her bun as she left the small room she thought she heard a door slide open and closed behind her. She paused, but heard nothing. A short walk later and she was at the bathroom across the hall from her room. Hairs lifting on the back of her neck she started to step out of the bathrobe, but a quick glance in the mirror made her grab for it as it dropped to the floor.

"**PERVERT!**"

* * *

The sounds of Tasuki's snores rumbling loudly throughout the room woke Nuriko up. It was late, but he had no desire to sleep more. He got up, and brushed out his long violet hair. As he tied off his braid, he heard footsteps padding lightly outside his door and opened it to see who it was. He caught a glimpse of a navy-blue robe and blond hair before the person disappeared around a corner. He shook his head, and then followed, curious as to where the person was going. Quickly he lost his way in the maze of hallways. He opened the nearest door and saw Solei in the process of disrobing and stepping into the waiting shower. Nuriko slipped out the door swiftly, but as he closed the door he heard her shout.

"**PERVERT!**" He cringed as he wove back through the halls, promising to make it up to her later.

* * *

Solei was swearing fluently as she stepped out of the shower fifteen minutes later. After toweling her hair dry to the best of her ability, she realized that she had forgotten to grab fresh clothes out of the laundry room.

"Great. Just Great" she muttered to herself. More curses spilled from her as she curled back into the robe, wrapping it tightly around her. She opened the door a crack and saw that the hall was empty. She raced out of the bathroom and into her room; her face turning red as she recalled seeing Nuriko clad only in his boxers.

'What would Liz say?' she asked herself silently, trying to conjure the image of her Mexican friend who had recently moved back to her homeland.

The dark-skinned girl appeared in her mind. "Damn, but he has nice abs!" Solei started laughing as her brain recalled Liz's sure-fire answer to everything. She slid down her wall.

"Gods, they're hot…" she trailed off quietly. She closed her eyes and rested her head against the wall. She saw Nakago's face, a slight smile twitching at the corners of his mouth and his eyes twinkling the colour of the summer sky in hidden mirth at some action only he understood. A small sigh escaped her lips and she got dressed, an oversized button-up shirt and a pair of beat-up jeans, comfort above style, as always. Gathering the robe up off of the floor, she hung it up, waiting until her face returned to its normal colour before exiting the room.

With determined steps, she walked out into the training yard, needing to stretch out again after a dance class. A flash of silver caught her eye, and she side-stepped quickly, reaching to her side for a blade that was not there.

"Hello, Girl."

"Nakago." She inclined her head politely. "I did not mean to interrupt your training."

"You did not." He walked back over to the other side of the field and continued. Solei watched him for a minute, then began her stretches to the rhythm of his sword. Sinking to the floor, she let a smile spread across her face as she pressed her chest to the ground between her legs, eyes still following Nakago's motion.

"SOLEI!" With a groan she stood up, brushing off the seat of her pants.

"Yes, Grandfather?"

The old man glared as she neared his post at the door. "WHEN"S DINNER?"

"In an hour. Please, Grandfather, have some patience."

"FINE!"

She winced at his volume and shook her head, grinning as he shuffled away into the temple. Her brain reminded her that she needed to do a run-through of her dance, and she began to flow through the steps.

* * *

Please review! 

MS


	8. Morning

More Chapters for you! Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter Seven: Morning**

Solei shook her head in amusement, then retracted her ears quickly as she heard footsteps approaching.

She knew who it was without turning from her ingredients, and she tried to keep her voice level as she gave the morning greeting. "Good morning, Nuriko." He had been trying to surprise her, but now that plan was out the window, gone once she had called him by name without turning and in a perfectly flat voice.

He decided after a moment's deliberation to continue with his plan. "Morning, Kamai." She stiffened as he spoke, her knife pausing for an instant before resuming its rhythmic chopping.

'He has no right to call me that.' She thought to herself. 'It's too…too…' she fumbled for the right word. 'Too…intimate!' She poured the egg mixture for Amber's omelet into the waiting pan and spread it around expertly.

He shifted uncomfortably in the silence. "Look, about earlier…"

She stopped him, her eyes not moving from the pan. "Forgotten."

He tried again. "I just wanted to say,"

She cut him off before he finished, intent upon stopping the scene from progressing into an intimate moment, knowing that interruptions were common in her kitchen. "Forgiven." Relief etched itself across his face, and he smiled freely, awkwardness forgotten.

He came closer. "Anything I can help you with, Kamai?" His use of her name irked her, but she made no comment on it.

"Set the table for five and tell me what you want on your omelet."

He thought as he gathered the plates, then spoke. "Whatever you want to put on it."

She slid Amber's breakfast onto the top plate that Nuriko held before speaking. "Leave the other plates here, take Amber's to the table, there's place-cards with names for where things go. And, please, be serious, Nuriko. What do you want on your omelet? I don't know you that well." She was slightly agitated at him and poured another egg mix.

'Ahh, but I want to know you better' he thought while he responded. "Only what you deem worthy."

She rounded on him, still annoyed at his use of her other name. "Would you stop being so damn cryptic!" she exclaimed. "I'm trying to make you breakfast!" She waited, holding his gaze with smoldering silver eyes. He looked away first.

"Sorry. Ham, cheese and tomato."

She took a deep breath to calm herself, then turned to gather the ingredients. "I shouldn't have yelled, Nuriko. Sorry, but you have to give me a straight answer when it comes to food. Yes, I'll take my chef's due, but you need to help me out until I get to know your tastes better." She took another plate from the stack and slipped his omelet onto his plate.

"Here." she said, asking Amber what Tasuki and Nakago wanted on their omelets.

"Cheese and onion."

Solei whipped around at the voice, spatula in hand. "Nakago!" He smiled slightly. "You startled me."

"Evidently."

"Why are you able to call me by name as I approach but not him?"

"Because I, unlike you, have spent years training how to walk silently." Solei stifled a smile and flipped the omelet onto the plate, repeating her question with a smile.

* * *

Amber crept into Tasuki's room quietly, bucket of ice water poised and ready. She grinned, grimacing slightly at his snores.

'3, 2, 1…' She launched the bucket of water at his peacefully sleeping form and raced out the door, hiding behind the door-jam as he began to curse in four languages. Her eyes went wide and she began taking mental notes as he progressed beyond the outer ranges of her vocabulary.

She heard Solei's voice from down the hall. "How did you wake him up?"

Amber grinned again. "The old fashioned way. With a bucket of water." She heard her friend's gentle laughter before a pair of strong arms grabbed her from behind.

"What the-" she started to ask, but one of the hands covered her mouth.

A low voice whispered in her ear. "What did you have in that bucket, Amber?" She relaxed as she heard Tasuki's voice, but realized all too quickly that he was only wearing his pants.

"Water." She mumbled innocently into his hand.

"Oh. Don't do it again."

She nodded, and his hand dropped. "What do you want on your omelet?"

* * *

He was in the castle again, walking up a long, spiral staircase towards a single oak door. He opened the door and saw a figure in a long red dress facing the window away from him. This was the princess. Who was she? She started to turn around, her dress rustling and her face came into view. Just as he was focusing in on who she was, a violent explosion of cold rushed over him. Waking him up and ruining the ending to his dream yet again. He caught sight of Amber as she disappeared around behind the door, yelling curses at his vicious awakening. He toweled off, still cursing, and crept up behind Amber.

"What the-" She started to talk, but he folded her into his arms, covering her mouth with a hand.

"What did you have in that bucket, Amber?" He felt her relax in his arms, then stiffen slightly against him.

Her lips moved sensuously against his palm as she answered. "Water." He barely deciphered the word through his hand.

"Oh. Don't do it again."

She nodded, her hair brushing against his bare chest. He released his hold on her and she turned to face him, her eyes strangely blank. "What do you want on your omelet?"

"Cheese, ham, whatever."

"Righte-o." Amber went skipping down the hall into the kitchen. Grabbing a shirt from the dresser, Tasuki followed.

"So, what does he want on his omelet?"

"Cheese, ham, whatever." Amber repeated dutifully.

"Fresh out of whatever, sorry."

"Oh well."

* * *

Kamai awoke restless, her mind replaying the previous month, her heart still in denial. She rose in a single fluid motion, amazed that her body did not protest after all of the dance she had been doing. She stared down at herself and her eyes narrowed at the sight of her temple-issue nightshirt. She slid out of it quickly and put on her vest and pants, pulling her hair up into a ponytail to keep it out of her face as she trained. Grabbing her knifes as she pulled on her boots, Kamai slipped out the door, the soft leather on her feet treading silently on the polished rosewood floors. She ran lightly through the corridors, carefully opening the screens to the outside. The sun had not yet begun to rise as she crossed the dew-coated grass. She removed her knives and hung them in a sling on a tree-branch. She unsheathed her long sword, catching the sun's first rays on its snowy blade. She heard another sword being drawn, and she turned to face Nakago, her blade flicking up in salute. He repeated the gesture, and then stepped into a ready position. Solei grinned inwardly and brought her own sword up. No sooner had she done this, then he attacked, his blade flying, and she parried it easily, having improved by training with him. As the sun rose, they fought. Each attack a bit faster, a touch more complex, both trying to see how good the other was. Just as the sun was finishing its ascent, Solei tripped, her usually perfect footing failing her. She lost her sword as Nakago flicked it out of her hand; she swept him as she fell, intent upon continuing the fight despite her lack of a weapon. He fell on top of her, his sword at her throat.

He smirked, his sword unmoving. "I believe, Girl that I win."

Solei was caught between a furious blush and a laugh, but decided against both, returning his smirk with an identical one. "I would beg to differ." He raised an eyebrow. Kamai's smirk widened and her eyes flicked to her right hand, which held a knife to his chest.

Nakago's face returned to its usual mask. "They're watching. Let's give them something to watch." Only when he spoke did she realize how close they were, and that it wasn't the wind ticking her ear, it was his breath. His lips brushed the sensitive flesh behind her ear and she shivered at his touch. He found a particularly tender spot behind her earlobe and she tried vainly to stifle a slight whimper. His kisses trailed lightly down her jaw to her lips and once more she was surprised by the gentleness of his caress, as he even touched her. Carefully he parted her lips with his tongue, obtaining entrance into her mouth. It was a lover's caress, soft and gentle. She melted as he continued in his sensual assault on her mouth. A thought briefly flickered through her mind about how many girls had felt the same, but quenched it almost as quickly. She shifted oh-so slightly beneath him, needing air. Nakago, sensing that the need for a show was over and that things were progressing in a slightly awkward direction, expertly tapered off the kiss and rose, flicking his sword as if to rid it of blood. Kamai also stood, head swimming, and unconsciously repeated the same gesture with her own sword, automatically using a warrior's training. Nakago ran his thumb almost affectionately over her temptingly kiss-swollen lips, then bowed to her mockingly, winking to her as he had to the spy.

"A draw, Nakago?" she asked, her lavender eyes dancing as she curtsied in return.

"Perhaps."

She fought to keep her face straight. "Perhaps, indeed." She went to retrieve her knives from the tree, and when she returned, he was gone, like a wraith disappearing in the night. She let the smile break loose and walked back down the hill towards her grandfather's shrine, he had taken both kisses from her, she had not given them, but they had FELT real, not phony. But then again, he was well known to manipulate people in whatever way it took to achieve his goal. She shook the morbid thought out of her mind and continued on her trek. Not to her...

* * *

Jaime went back to the shrine, intent upon apologizing to Solei; he knew she often trained on the hill in the mornings, so he went to watch. When he arrived, he saw her bow to a blond guy, then cross swords in preparation. He watched each blow, each parry, wondering if the guy could even come close to her skill. As he observed the mock-battle, the swords increased in speed, and both fighters upped their speed. Suddenly, he saw Solei drop to the ground, and he stifled a cry. A pair of ice blue eyes belonging to Solei's opponent caught his gaze and winked. As he watched, the two kissed passionately, and he stalked away, a tight smile on his face. A bouquet of white lilacs and white tiger-lilies fell to the ground, her favorite flowers not given in apology.

* * *

Please, PLEASE review!

MS


	9. Darkness

Yeah, I know, another one. Please read, enjoy and review!

* * *

**Chapter Eight: Darkness**

"Amber?" Solei walked through the halls. "AM-ber!" There was no response. "AMBER!" Stepping across the threshold of the room that had become Amber's, the hairs on the back of Solei's neck began to rise. A glint of black in the corner made her face contort into a sneer. "I should have known." A few steps brought her over to the piece of carved onyx. A loop and three trailing lines, a single vertical line intersecting the three. The symbol of evil. "Caelestis."

"Who?"

"My father." she answered without thinking.

"Your father?"

As the words hit her ears she flinched. "Yes."

Nuriko picked up on the exchange. "Didn't you say he was dead?"

"I said he left. Distinct difference."

Tasuki came skidding into the room. "Where's Amber?"

"Not here." Solei retorted.

"What's that?" He stepped over to the symbol and before Solei could stop him, he touched it and vanished in a flash of black light.

"Shit."

"Where are you going?" Nuriko asked.

"To get the dress." she answered through gritted teeth.

He looked at her in confusion. "The dress?"

"Yes the dress. You saw me in it one night over a month ago."

Realization dawned in Nuriko's eyes. "You looked good in it."

She paused in her stride and turned towards him, the exasperated smile on her face quickly faded to annoyance as she spoke. "I hate that dress."

"Oh…" Nuriko trailed into silence as she stalked away, unsure of what to say in response. She came back towards him a few minutes later, her hair loose and flowing over her shoulders in slightly damp curls, wearing the dress and carrying a drawstring pack that he presumed held her other clothes.

He looked at her in confusion. "Why are you wearing it if you hate it?" he asked. She set the pack down and turned her back towards him as she began rummaging through her pack.

"I'm wearing it because I need to talk to my father, and that requires formal attire. Let's just leave it at that." She pulled a double-bladed glaive out of the bag, immune to his stunned expression. She studied the blade, never looking away from its polished surface. "Coming with, Nakago, Nuriko?" she asked.

"Yes." Nakago's voice behind him made Nuriko jump sky-high before answering.

"Sure."

"Then please put these on." She tossed each of them an outfit out of the bag. They disappeared for a few minutes and when they returned they were garbed in dark clothing that would allow them to blend in with the inhabitants of this other world. She handed Nakago his sword and a whip, also from the bag, waiting until he had slid the sword through his sash to ask Nuriko what he preferred as a weapon. He pulled a pair of bracers from a bag in his room and put them on. He nodded when he was ready.

Solei spoke quickly, eager to conclude the meeting with her father. "Nakago, put your hand on my shoulder, Nuriko, on my other shoulder." They complied equally as fast.

"Why are we-"

She cut Nuriko off before he could ask. He would understand soon enough. "Silence. I need to concentrate." She began to sing softly as she twirled her glaive, her voice echoing impossibly through the hall. Nuriko's eyes widened in surprise as her blade caught on air and ripped a portal into another world. She walked through slowly and Nuriko and Nakago followed, careful to keep in contact with her. When they emerged they saw a dark world, and they understood her request to put on the black clothes. Everyone was dressed in black, and coloured sashes were tied around their waists. Nuriko looked at Solei and noticed a long, unsheathed sword hanging from a pure white sash. He looked at his own waist, not remembering if he wore one. He did not.

"Why am I not wearing a sash?" he asked.

"Because when you wear a sash, you must have a weapon to put in it. It's a warning that you carry at least one visible blade, and, depending on the colour, many hidden ones. You don't even carry a hidden one. Don't worry. A white sash is something well respected."

Another question came barreling out of his mouth before he could stop it. "Why are white sashes respected?"

She grinned. "It means I'm trained in the ways of this world, and there is no limit to how many blades I carry." He gave her a very confused look. She continued. "It also means I'm part of the GUILD."

Nuriko nodded. "Right. The guild. What's the guild?"

She sighed. "Not the guild, Nuriko, the GUILD. It…" she paused, trying to come up with the right words. "It means I'm not to be trifled with. You can remove your hands from my shoulders, gentlemen. Follow me and don't stray from the path. Don't ask why, Nuriko. The inhabitants here already doubt you." They followed her in stony silence. A pair of ebony doors rose up in front of them, and she raised her hands to it, her glaive tucked back in the now invisible pack she had handed to Nuriko.

"Enuma Elish." She whispered, and the doors opened before her.

"What does-"

Nakago answered Nuriko's question before he finished it. "When above."

Solei shot them a glare. "Silence. When before my father pretend you aren't there. If you even think about speaking, he will probably kill you, and then Suzaku and Seiryu will both be mad at me. It's bad enough already." Nuriko bit back his question and nodded in understanding. She turned back to the front, and strode confidently down the darkened corridor. Another set of identical ebony doors stood before them when she stopped.

A slightly stooped person walked over, his eyes void and empty. "Who are you, and why are you here?" he asked. Kamai seemed to ripple before them, and as they watched she began to change. Her ears lengthened and tapered to points, her hair grew down to her hips and turned a darker black than the doors. An expression of extreme pain crossed her features unseen by Nakago and Nuriko as dark feathered wings erupted from her back, dripping blood on the snowy marble. The page's eyes widened in fear, and he ran away as fast as his uneven legs could carry him. The doors swung open unbidden. Slowly, Kamai walked forward, pain now concealed expertly through many years of practice. Halfway down the carpet towards a throne hidden in shadows, she stopped, dropping to a knee and placing her right hand over her heart. Nakago and Nuriko followed suit instantly.

"**RISE**." The god's voice echoed throughout the chamber. "**WHO APROACHES ME UNANNOUNCED?**"

Kamai rose once he finished speaking and answered. "I am the thirteenth Dark Angel."

"**KAMAI**." She waited; he had more to say. "**MY CHILD. WHO COMES WITH YOU? WHY ARE YOU HERE?**"

"The Seiryu Seishi Nakago stands to my right, on my left stands Suzaku Seishi Nuriko." They bowed in turn and the god raised an eyebrow, intending to inquire as to her relationship with them later. She continued. "I am forced to formally request the release of Chi Shakaku from her human form. She is in danger and I cannot do my duty properly at this point unless she knows who she truly is. Let her have control once more, majesty." The god seemed taken aback by her request.

"**WHERE IS CHI SHAKAKU? SHE MUST BE WITHIN MY RANGE IF I AM TO COMMIT TO HER RELEASE**."

Solei licked her lips, and then continued on. "Shakaku is currently in the land of the four gods, a land well within your borders, my lord."

"**WHAT IS SO PRESSING, ANGEL OF MINE**?"

"I am…" She paused, embarrassed, "…blocked, from that realm. The cosmic powers do not want me to recreate the apocalypse that I made on Hian. I am, confined, highness."

"**VERY WELL. IN WHICH OF THE FOUR REALMS IS SHE?**"

Kamai closed her eyes in concentration, locating her friend. "Kutou, my lord." The god looked at Nakago in understanding.

"**THEN THE TIME OF PROPHECY IS PAST. THE TIME OF ACTION ARRISES. LET THE TRUE FORM OF CHI SHAKAKU, DAUGHTER OF THE DEMON GOD AND THE GIRL OTHERWISE KNOWN AS AMBER, BE RELEASED TO HER CONTROL**." He stared at Kamai, his flaming red eyes boring into her own. "**AND MAY THE GODDESS PROTECTOR BE FREE TO ONCE MORE ROAM THE REALMS.**"

A small smile spread across her lips, and her eyes closed in sudden happiness. "Thank you, majesty." She whispered. "Thank you."

"**SEISHI, RETURN TO THE REALM SHE CARRIED YOU FROM. I WOULD SPEAK WITH MY THIRTEENTH ANGEL FOR A TIME**." The men bowed and disappeared in a flash of light.

Kamai looked slightly startled. "About what did you wish to speak, my lord?" The shadow dispersed from around the throne, and the echoes vanished from the room.

"You, daughter, and the two men who came with you. What are they like, Nakago and Nuriko?"

Anger flitted through her eyes. "Father…" her voice trailed off menacingly.

He laughed. "Your anger doesn't frighten me, child. I gave it to you. Now, tell me, which holds your favor?"

"Father, please, neither. Nakago is so mysterious and cold, and Nuriko is so open and honest and gentle. I have no say in the matter anyways. It is preordained and I cannot change it. Even if I DID prefer one over the other, it wouldn't matter."

The god grinned. "Proof that you care more for one of them. Which?" She focused on the ground, nails digging into her palms as she tried not to attack.

When she spoke, it was in an almost inaudible whisper. "Both." she said. "Now please, consider your fatherly duties done and let me leave."

He nodded, understanding her pain. "See Nakago about your back, he can heal your wounds." Her brows furrowed; his statement seemed to hold more than a fatherly concern for her health, and she vanished in a flash of silver light back towards Earth.

* * *

Review. Please.

MS


	10. Ache

More Still! MS

* * *

**Chapter Nine: Ache**

Tasuki woke up in extreme pain. He remembered Amber not being there, a black symbol and a lot of dark light.

'And nothing except a helluva lota trees now.' he added. He sat up, his muscles protesting the movement as he made his way slowly to a nearby stream. He splashed some water on his face, shivering as the cold liquid came in contact with his face, reminding him of his previous rude awakening.

His inner-self chided him. '_It wasn't THAT rude. Besides, admit it. You enjoyed it. Especially AFTER she woke you up, you know, that whole sequence where ya had her in your arms and then couldav, but didn't, kiss her? That bit.'_

He growled. 'I did not. Havin' water thrown on ya is not da best way ta wake up ya know. An I didn't want to kiss her. I don like girls.'

He could feel his inner-self laughing hysterically._ 'Don't'_ laughter, '_like girls! Right. That's why you gave her your shirt AND let her keep it.'_

'I gave it to her for modesty reasons.'

_'Whose? Hers or yours?'_

'Not funny.'

'_Yes it is. Face it. I'm right and you aren't. So there.'_ Tasuki muttered something about girls not being quite that bad, but it was quickly stifled as he fell back asleep in the glen.

* * *

Amber landed in a jumble of limbs on a wooden floor, her body screaming with promises of apple-sized bruises yet to come. She groaned and sat up, her head in her hands. Her eyes fluttered open and she saw Amiboshi's concerned face only inches from her own. She fell backwards with a startled yelp, its tones rising as already injured parts of her body came in contact with the unyielding floor yet again. Amiboshi helped her up, carefully avoiding her shoulders, knowing that they would be coated in bruises and not wanting to hurt her.

"Amber?" he asked, his voice full of amazement.

She leaned on the wall for support. "What? Where am I? Why is everything swimming?"

He smiled. "You're in Kutou, in the palace. Here, if you sit down, everything will stop swimming."

She sat down on a rickety chair behind her. "How'd I get here?" she asked, rocking back and forth in the chair. Amiboshi heard the chair begin to creak dangerously, and he caught her as the chair collapsed beneath her. She curled up against him, still waiting for Amiboshi's answer.

"I don't know." He said truthfully.

She opened one eye and looked at him. "You don't know?" she asked.

"No. One moment I was here, the next, you had landed on the floor."

She closed her eyes and relaxed, letting the wall support her. "Oh. Right. What happened to you? You disappeared after the demon, then all goes black for awhile…What happened?" She stared at him expectantly, waiting for his response.

"Well," he started, "after the demon was banished, I remember being sent back here and meeting this really powerful guy all in black and he told me that my part was over. That I had outgrown my usefulness, but I would still be allowed to live. I've been here ever since."

"Oh…" her voice was quieter and he walked over to her, lifting her chin with his fingers and gazing closely into her eyes.

"Are you all right?" he asked softly, his voice taking on a frighteningly husky undertone.

"Fine." She said in a falsely ecstatic voice that blew him backwards slightly. "Really."

He tipped his head at her. "Are you sure?"

She nodded brightly. "Yes!" She smiled, the smile not quiet reaching her eyes. "I'm, positive!" He looked at her closely, scrutinizing every little detail, placing them in his mind for the rest of eternity.

"Go to sleep."

"But I'm fine."

"Sleep."

* * *

After finding that he could move again, he saw the same dark flash that had brought him and presumably Amber to the lands shinning not too far away. He scrambled to his feet and started loping towards it, allowing his muscles to warm up before pushing them to run. He saw the Kutou palace ahead of him and his eyes narrowed, thinking of all of the horrible events that had happened here. His inner-self began to list them all before Tasuki shut him up with a few well-chosen words. Scrambling through the underbrush and hoping like a crazy maniac that none of the Seiryu warriors were around, he crept closer and closer to the foreboding shrine from which the blue light had previously emitted. He heard a crash and moved closer still to the no-longer glowing shrine. He walked boldly through the door a few minutes later and found Amber and Amiboshi locked in the middle of a tight embrace in the far corner.

"What the Hell!" he yelled loudly. "Get away from her!" He sprinted over to the corner and dragged Amiboshi away from Amber.

Amber stood shakily. "Tasuki…" she whispered softly. "Something's funny…not quite right…" She collapsed against the wall again, this time in a dead faint.

Tasuki knocked Amiboshi senseless, and then went quickly to her side. "Yes? What's not right?" The other warriors would have been amazed at his gentle touch.

Amber stood up again, leaning heavily on Tasuki's shoulder. "My head…and tailbone…and teeth…" He held her up by her waist and stood her back so he could look at her. Under his watchful gaze, a pair of white fuzzy ears erupted from her head and an equally fluffy tail from her rear. His eyes widened, and she seemed to wake up fully.

"What?" she asked, completely awake. "You're looking at me like I've sprouted ears and a tail!"

"And fangs." he added.

"And fangs." she repeated unconsciously. "Wait a minute…WHAT! You're saying I have ears, fangs and a TAIL!" definitely fully awake.

Tasuki nodded. "Fluffy, ears and tail."

"COOL! I HAVE EARS, FANGS, AND A TAIL! I HAVE GOT TO TELL SOLEI!" An image of Solei appeared in front of them.

"Tell me what, Amber?" she asked, rubbing her head as if in pain. "I can hear you yell across the worlds."

"I HAVE EARS, FANGS, AND A TAIL!"

Solei nodded. "Good, father kept up his end of the bargain." Amber tipped her head sideways, a confused look on her face. Solei sighed, and a shinning glaive blade ripped a hole in the dimensions near them. "Come on through. I'll explain it to you and the guys all at once. Quickly." Amber and Tasuki stepped through the portal, and watched as she expertly pinched the sides together again, destroying her portal before Amiboshi could follow them. Amber tucked her hair behind her ears, using the motion to mask her feeling for the cat-like appendages that had been there a minute earlier; they were gone. Solei stood in front of the four others as they seated themselves comfortably on the couches. The warriors felt a ripple of chi race past them as Kamai soundproofed the room. She turned back to the already seated four, taking a seat herself in the overstuffed, high backed armchair behind her. She sighed and took a deep breath before starting. "It all began with a set of twins."

* * *

A portal opened in front of Nakago suddenly and Solei stumbled out, blood pooling in small puddles on the ground as she closed it tightly behind her. Nuriko had gone for a moment of quiet reflection, and she and Nakago were alone in the foyer. She shuffled forward, trying not to collapse.

"Oww…" Her quiet declaration of pain struck him as odd, he having sensed that her pride was as dominating as his own. She dropped silently, painfully, to her knees, dark-feathered wings curling protectively in front of her. "Why the hell does it have to happen every time?" she asked herself, not realizing that Nakago was there. He looked closely at her back, recalling the long scars that had run parallel down her back, and noticed that her wings had sprouted out of them, the other scars that covered her back being much thinner, softer lines.

"Does what have to happen every time?" She started to stand and spin quickly to see who spoke, but fell to her knees again, her sudden motion too much for her aching and bloodied back.

"This." She answered softly, not looking up from the floor. "The blood, the pain, the me-" she stopped herself, but the damage was done.

Nakago elegantly dropped to her level. "The memories?" he asked, his voice not betraying his inward curiosity.

She nodded, biting her lip to keep from crying out in pain. "They have always come. It used to be just in my dreams, but now my dreams are real, like… The pain is real, the blood is real, and the memories that I have tried to repress for so long, are real."

Nakago found himself wondering if her memories were anything like his own. "What sort of memories."

Her answer was curt and clipped, and she spoke through clenched teeth to try and hide the anguish she felt. "Painful ones." She slowly stood, using a nearby wall to support herself. Nakago waited patiently, knowing that she would not be able to stand for long. She took a careful step then gasped in the agony the small movement provoked, falling once more to the ground. A strong arm slowed her rapid drop, and lowered her gently to the ground.

"You don't say." His voice was mocking, and Kamai wanted dearly to whack him solidly upside the head, but knew she was weaker than a kitten and unable to even lift her arm anymore. Nakago felt her sag against his arm, her slight body relying on his strength to remain off the ground.

Her voice was weak when she responded. "But I do." She smiled slightly and her wings folded tight against her back, blocking it from view. "Oh, but I do." It occurred to Nakago a moment later that he could heal her, and he gently unfolded her wings ignoring the slight yelp the motion provoked from the slim girl in his arms. He laid his hand softly against her back and was surprised when the wings retracted into her back, leaving only the long, deep, bleeding scars. He traced the network of lighter lines that ran across her back, purposefully avoiding the bleeding ones, not noticing, or not caring about, the reaction that she had to his long elegant fingers moving sinuously over her back. Eyes snapping open as he began exploring the maze of scars in the delicate flesh that crisscrossed her back, Solei swallowed a moan as his hands flitted across the sensitive skin. He finally followed the long scars from shoulder blades to the base of her ribcage, healing her with his chi as he drew the lines down her back. He set her onto her knees once he had healed her, standing up and looking down at her as though his actions had been commonplace.

When he spoke, his gaze seemed fixed on something far in the distance that could not be seen quite right. "Pain is only what we make of it, Girl. It is all an illusion." He spun to face her fully as she stood on shaky legs, his inner-self amazed that she could stand alone and applauding her effort, wanting to catch her in his arms and spin her around in a surprising bout of happiness that was quickly quenched, and yet, not noticing the strained expression only in her eyes; her face was as blank as Nakago's own.

She nodded, noting what he said. "Yet it is pain that reminds us that we are human, and not gods."

"Why should we not be gods?" He caught her stare and returned it with his own, and she plunged through into their icy depths, lost in the cold, harsh blue. His words struck her a moment later, and she looked away sharply.

"Why should we be?" she asked, her voice barley audible.

He lifted her chin and gazed into her eyes. "Why not?" Defiance flashed through her eyes momentarily, then she pulled away from him and started walking slowly out of the room. Nakago blocked her exit. "What aren't you telling me?" he demanded. She looked at him, her eyes silver and full of sadness, and shook her head no before she resumed walking towards Nakago and the door. He stopped her at arm's length and waited.

She sighed and looked at the ground when she spoke. "Ever wonder who the Goddess Protector is?" He waited in silence, already knowing, and Solei answered her own question, eyes blazing in fury. "I am. Ever wonder why I'm called the Goddess Protector?" more silence met her fury. "I'm the child of a god, and the protector of a goddess. I AM a goddess. Or rather, I WAS a goddess. Then my sister and I met a prophet and well…" she trailed off into silence and Nakago lifted her chin gently. She did not flinch at his touch, or try to pull away. She just stood there and kept eye contact as tears streamed down her face, pride long since forgotten as she wept. His hands slid up to cup her cheeks, and his thumbs softly wiped the tears from her face.

"Painful memories?" he asked quietly, trying to gain her confidence, and she did not respond. An uncomfortable moment passed as they stood there, then something clicked in Solei's mind.

'Bother with destiny and fate.' She thought, 'They've destroyed my life enough.' She moved in towards Nakago and kissed him somewhat hesitantly; throwing her hands around his neck and standing up on her tiptoes so she did not have to tilt her head as far back. Nakago stood stock-still and she began to draw away, her hopes falling with each unresponsive moment she stood there. His hands never left her face, and she stepped out of his grip, blushing uncontrollably.

'Well, NOW I feel stupid.' she thought. Her voice was soft when she spoke, her back towards Nakago. "Sorry, I…"

"Painful memories?" he restarted the conversation, ignoring her stuttering

"Yes. Painful." The response to his question came accompanied with a slight smile that he did not see.

"Such as?"

She hesitated badly. "My sister. My father. My uncle." Her voice wavered and she felt the tears coming on. 'I won't cry again.' She told herself. 'Not in front of him, not again. I've made enough of a fool of myself for one day. Maybe destiny knew what she was doing…'

Amber's voice interrupted the tense moment, faint, distant and excited. "…I have got to tell Solei!…"

Solei carefully sent a portion of herself to wherever Amber was. "Tell me what, Amber?" She asked, rubbing her temples, trying to think coherently after being such a complete and total idiot. "I can hear you yell across the worlds." She asked Nakago to get Nuriko; she needed to explain something to all of them at once. He turned and walked away on cat's-feet as she sent herself almost fully to where Amber was, using Nakago as an anchor to her current realm.

Amber's response came fairly quickly. "I HAVE EARS, FANGS, AND A TAIL!" Solei nodded, relieved, and was surprised when she saw Amiboshi lying in a state of semi-consciousness.

"Good, father kept up his end of the bargain." Amber tipped her head sideways, a confused look on her face. Solei shook her head and ripped a hole in dimensions near Amber and Tasuki. "Come on through. I'll explain it to you and the guys all at once. Quickly." They stepped through and she pinched the hole closed behind them, motioning for them to take seats next to Nakago and Nuriko who had already arrived without her noticing them. She sat down herself, and only Nakago noticed that she deliberately kept her back from touching the seat back. She sighed softly, then spoke. "It all began with a set of twins."

* * *

Nuriko found himself in a heap on the ground suddenly while Nakago had landed standing. He stood up, trying to keep the embarrassment from colouring his cheeks, and brushed off the black clothing, telling Nakago that he was going to go and think about what had just happened. As he walked he noticed that Nakago had headed in the opposite direction.

'The further the better.' He thought. 'Why does she even let him stay?' he asked himself, then the answer dawned on him. 'Cause it's a temple and she has to. Duh.' He arrived at his door and walked in, his mind spinning with everything that had happened in the last few days.

'Just who is she?' he wondered.

A small voice in the back of his head answered. _'An enigma. Don't try to figure HER out. It won't work.'_

He nodded at the wisdom of his inner self. 'Yeah, but I can't help but wonder how she got the wings.'

'_Don't ask her.'_

'Why not?'

'_If you had wings that seemingly spontaneously popped out of your back, would you enjoy people asking you about them?'_

'Good point. Maybe she'll come out of her shell…' he let his thoughts trail off and he picked up the knife again. She obviously knew how to use it; otherwise she would have either pierced his body, or sliced his hair on that first day. Instead, the angle was just right so that not a single one of his hairs had been chopped. He pulled his braid in front of him and looked at it.

'It's time.' he thought. He handled the knife carefully, his long-since healed hand a testament to its sharpness. He ran it quickly through his hair, and no resistance met it as it came free on the other side. His braid hung limp in his hand and he just looked at it, amazed, as he sat at the desk. A sharp rap came at his door and he heard Nakago's voice through the wood.

"The Girl would speak with us." Nuriko started to say he'd be there in a minute, but when he opened the door, Nakago was already halfway down the hallway. He raced after Nakago, keeping pace once he caught up, amazed at how light his head seemed. He and Nakago entered the parlor, and a moment later Tasuki and Amber stepped through a slice in the air. Solei sat down carefully after soundproofing the room and sighed slightly as she began to speak.

"It all began with a set of twins."

* * *

Review please! 


	11. Past

Wow, thanks for the reviews once again. They are appreciated. Sorry about the Amiboshi-beat-up, but for Amber's sake it was necessary. My apologies. Please enjoy the ensuing chapters!

And, of course, if possible, please review.

MidnightShade

* * *

**Chapter Ten: Past**

They all looked at her like she was crazy. She closed her eyes and began to speak and as if she was remembering the actual event, not just the story.

Before she could speak, Nakago interrupted. "We already know how the gods became enemies. Explain how you know us and exactly who you are."

"I was getting to that." She too a deep breath. "Their names were Solei and Selene…The sun and the moon. Their father was a god and they believed that his rule was just. But it was not so. Caelestis, their father, was the God of All Things Evil, of ruin and destruction. His brother, the god of death, took the girls in after they were cursed by their father."

"Cursed? With what?" Nuriko asked.

"The Rod."

"The what?" Tasuki was confused.

"The Rod. It is-was, a kind of wand he used to channel his power. It controlled the minds of any who were forced to look into it.

Thirteen girls were forced to stare into the orb at the top of the Rod and they were called the Angels of Death. Each Angel had the power to destroy the world if she so chose. Selene had escaped the curse, but Solei did not."

"Which is why you have wings." Nuriko finished.

Solei started to protest out of habit, but words faded, and she nodded. "Exactly. My sister and I both broke free of the Rod, and now we seek to complete the prophecy that was laid upon us."

"What does the prophecy say?"

"That I will not answer, Tasuki. Maybe it you need to know."

"So YOU are the Daughter of the God?" Nuriko asked.

Solei quirked an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

"It's something else…um…" Her stare made him more than a little uncomfortable. "How did you know that we are seishi of Suzaku and Seiryu?"

Rather than flustering her, Nuriko's question made her smile. "I am able to traverse the different realms, and I oft visited yours. I know Suzaku and Seiryu quite well, and through them, I know you." She started to slump against the chair, but stiffened quickly, pain flashing momentarily through her eyes.

Nakago turned expectantly towards Amber. "And you?" he asked. Amber opened her mouth to speak, but no words formed.

Solei spoke once more. "She does not yet know the extent of who she really is. I only know pieces, and I am only able to tell you fragments of that knowledge."

"Why?" Nuriko's honest question brought a tight smile to Solei's lips.

"The gods only allow me to say so much, Nuriko. Amber isn't like me. In the sense of age, she truly is eighteen. However, as you have see, she also has certain…" Solei paused, trying to decide how to word it. "Oddities that are proof of her three-quarters heritage."

"Say wha?" Amber was trying to decipher her friend's cryptic wording.

Nakago's voice smoothly interceded. "You're three-quarter's demon." Tasuki and Nuriko jumped as if poked with hot irons.

"Really?" Amber asked.

Solei answered frankly. "Yeah. Your mother was a half-demon, your father, a full demon." Surprise and astonishment were clear on their faces, but Nakago showed no signs of amazement as the other two did; he already knew. Carefully, she removed the sound barrier on the room and began to stand. Wobbling for only a moment, she walked to the door and opened it, pausing at the threshold.

"Dinner," she said smoothly, "is at seven." Nuriko followed her out of the room.

* * *

After Nuriko and Solei had left, Amber looked carefully at Nakago. As if feeling her gaze, he caught her stare and raised an eyebrow at her. She blushed and turned away muttering to herself. Tasuki's ears caught what she was saying. 

"I don't know what Solei sees in that egotistical jerk…" He looked at her sharply, thinking that she spoke of Nuriko until she continued her muttering. "Nakago can be such a bastard at times, not to mention a total perv…" she rolled her eyes, then rose. Tasuki rose with her and offered his arm. Amber looked at him like he was crazy but accepted the outstretched limb.

She rose up on her tiptoes and halted him once they had left the parlor. "Follow me to the gardens, there's something I want to show you." She released his arm and walked ahead, expecting him to follow, which he did fairly quickly, wondering what she wished to show him. He heard a door open, and turned, curious.

Amber, noticing that he wasn't following, spun to look at him and her eyes went wide as something she saw. "Aw, shit." Her swearing was soft and she grabbed Tasuki's arm and began to race towards the door.

"Amber?" She stopped, perfectly still, in mid-stride.

Pasting a smile on her face she turned and looked Solei's grandfather in the face. "Hello, grandfather."

He peered at her from behind square spectacles perched on the tip of his nose. "Who is this man? Where're ya takin' him?" his eyebrows danced up and down suggestively and Amber promptly turned eight different shades of red. Tasuki grinned, his fangs poking out. Grandfather stopped laughing and regarded him seriously, looking him up and down slowly. Something seemed to click in his mind, and his old, wise eyes glittered with angry flame.

"Whaz up with you?" Tasuki asked, unconcerned with the fury building in the tiny old man.

"Out." Amber looked at her adopted grandfather, concerned. She saw an old man pointing towards the nearest exit, his hand shaking with rage. She grabbed Tasuki's hand and ran out the door into the gardens, leaving the old man.

* * *

Solei let Nuriko lead her outside into the clearing where they had met, concern in his eyes as she stumbled to a halt. 

"One minute, Nuriko. I need to grab something." She slipped into the forest out of his view and returned a moment later, a knife tucked hidden in her sash, leaves tangled in her hair. As she leaned casually on a tree, he voiced his worries.

"Solei, are you all right?"

She looked at him and smiled. "Fine. Why?"

He fidgeted slightly. "In the parlor, you had pain in your eyes."

She was slightly taken aback by his comment but recovered, hiding her shock. "It's like having a nightmare and waking up to find that it was real." She shuddered, ignoring her aching back.

"Anything I can do to help?"

She looked to him and grinned. "Just be who you really are, don't play any games." 'Like I do' she added ruefully to herself. He nodded, wondering if she had noticed that he had cut his hair. He walked up to her and kissed her gently. Her hands slid up around his neck and her fingers danced through his newly shortened hair as she pulled back a moment later. She smiled, still playing with his hair. "Why'd you cut it?" she asked softly.

"I decided it was time to stop playing games." He kissed her lightly then stepped back, catching one of her hands as it fell from around his neck.

Giggling slightly as he bowed over her hand, she smiled anew. "Good for you."

Nuriko kissed her hand and led her out of the clearing, bowing again as she walked in the opposite direction. "Till dinner, lady fair."

Solei managed to keep a straight face as she answered. "Till then, gallant knight. Till then." 'If only. If only…'

* * *

Nakago waited until the others had left to meditate. His mind ranged free, and he contacted Seiryu, asking how he was to transport the Goddess Protector and the Daughter of the God to Kutou. 

Seiryu's voice came to him swiftly. 'The old man will help you. He likes not the Suzaku stars; they carry a tainted flame in his eyes. Gain his trust and only with his assistance will you be able to succeed.' Nakago bowed his head in compliance, inwardly cursing that another pathetic weakling had to be involved. He walked out into the hallway, and caught sight of Tasuki grinning at a wrinkled old figure in priest robes.

Nakago melted into the shadows as he moved closer, catching what the old man said as he pointed towards the door. "Out." He watched as Amber and Tasuki raced out the door into the waning afternoon. He stepped out of the shadows as the old man turned away from the younger pair. Wire-rimmed eyes of steel looked up and met blue, softening to a tarnished gunmetal grey. His brows furrowed as he tried to place the tall blond before him. "I know you…" A smirk tugged at the edges of Nakago's mouth as he walked further into the light. Realization dawned in the old man's eyes, and he smiled knowingly. "Nakago. I should have known. Of all the possible warriors for her. Who else?"

Nakago answered swiftly. "Nuriko."

The old man gnashed his teeth at the mention of a Suzaku warrior, but made no comment upon it. "You know who the girls are?" Nakago kept eye contact. "Good. I am Kamai's 'grandfather'." Nakago raised an eyebrow at the ancient figure before him, waiting for new information. "Meaning that I have no relation to her whatsoever."

"Then who are you?"

Wrinkles appeared in the corners of his eyes as the elder smiled. "You were never one to beat around the bush, were you?" Nakago did not answer. "I am Makenki Kamoku, Seiryu's advisor and messenger."

Kamai walked into the hall from outside, leaves in her curly ponytail. "Like Tai-isukun?" she asked, picking the offending greenery from her hair.

The old man glared at her. "Not so much as a 'Hello Grandfather' or a 'How are you Grandfather?' some way to treat the only family you've got left…" he continued muttering as Solei rolled her eyes.

"Hello Grandfather, how are you?" she asked, exasperation evident as she shifted her weight to her opposite foot, exposing one long, slender leg from the high slit in her dress.

"Fine. Now, enough questions, you know I don't like them. Yes. I am similar to the old bat, but I am far superior in intellect and power." Solei raised her eyebrows, but did not comment.

Her Grandfather made eye contact with Nakago who was standing behind her and spoke into his mind softly. 'When I nod, grab her and step backwards, I'll have a portal ready. I'll send Amber through myself. Again.'

He took Nakago's silence for acceptance and prepared the portal while he talked to Solei. "Don't look at me like that. It's disrespectful."

Solei smiled and shook her head. "What ever you say, Grandfather." He nodded his head, and a pair of strong arms encircled her as she was moved backwards. She started to struggle, but heard Nakago's voice deep and low in her ear, melting her resistance as she realized that it was he who held her close.

"Let it happen." He whispered, then she fell into a sea of blue light.

* * *

LA! More coming 

Please review!

MS


	12. Dance

And more story for your time.

* * *

**Chapter Eleven: Dance**

Tasuki stopped Amber's sprint once they were out of the old man's earshot.

"Is he your Grandfather?"

She shook her head. "No, he's Solei's. I'm like an adopted granddaughter."

"Oh. He's a bit…" he tried to come up with an un-insulting way to express his feelings.

"Odd?" Amber supplied.

"Ya…" he trailed off, unable to say anything more. He scratched his head as he spoke. "What didja want ta show me?" She smiled and grabbed his hand, feeling like a little girl pulling her parents towards a cotton candy maker. She made him sit on an old wicker bench over looking a cliff as she sat beside him.

"This." She whispered softly, resting her head on his shoulder. "The sunset. I've traveled everywhere, but this is the most beautiful." Tasuki looked at her, taking in her profile as she stared at the setting sun, reveling in the red-orange light that was oh-so similar to the colour of Tasuki's hair. A small corner of his mind was yelling at him to get the whole talking bit over with and just kiss her already, but he blocked it away, focusing on the sunset to wipe out all thoughts of Amber. The attempt failed miserably as she settled her head more comfortably on his shoulder, snuggling closer.

He decided to finish the conversation properly as she re-gripped his hand. "Nah. You're far prettier than this bit o' light. It don't shine half as bight as ya'll do."

She looked up at him in surprise, her brain trying to digest the words hidden in his thickened southern drawl. "What did you just say?" Inwardly he cursed his soft side.

He turned to face her, the sun glittering in his hair, making it look as though it were made of fire. "Nothin', just that you're lots prettier than the sunset." Amber blushed deeply, refocusing herself on the sunset in front of her.

"What makes you say that?" she asked, stealing a glace at him out of the corner of her eye.

"Truth." He answered simply. Darkness began to fall, and Amber stood, trying to hide her embarrassment at his softly spoken words. She began to walk back to the temple, but Tasuki held her hand fast.

"Leme go." she said, tugging on her hand. Tasuki's grip wasn't letting up, and she felt stupid as she kept pulling against it.

"No." He pulled her close to him and spun her around so her back was flush against his chest. "Last time I let go of you Amiboshi took advantage of your confusion." His voice had a possessive growl to it, and Amber noted two things as he paused. One, he STILL wasn't wearing a shirt; not that she _minded_, it was just slightly disconcerting; and two, his mouth was very close to the sensitive skin of her neck. Tasuki's voice brought her out of her trance. "I'm not going to make that mistake twice." She started to shift away, but he wrapped his arms around her, preventing her escape.

Suddenly she heard a sound in the bushes. "Tasuki..." She licked her lips as the sound grew closer and was easily identified as someone, or something, moving through the underbrush.

"Yes?" He nuzzled the hollow of her neck, nipping lightly at the flesh with his fangs.

"Do you…" She trailed off as she saw a luminous pair of red eyes in the bushes. The thing growled low, and Tasuki pulled Amber behind him.

"Run." he said, giving her a push. "Flee."

She started to obey, but a wall of chi surrounded her, cutting short her run. "Tasuki…." Her voice held a frantic note.

He grumbled something about annoying evil things disrupting a good mood, then spoke louder, directing his voice to the thing in the bushes. "Who are ya? Show yourself ya coward!" His tessen appeared in one of his outstretched hands and he was grateful for its comfortable weight. A deep chuckle emitted from the dark forest, and a huge demon stepped into the half-light. A ray of moonlight fell upon Amber, and her ears and tail erupted from her as she failed to move out of fear.

The demon's eyes glinted, and he spoke, his voice echoing across the underlying cliffs. "I am the demon god. I have come to claim my daughter."

* * *

Solei awoke, the world blurring as she tried to sit up. 

A gentle hand stopped her rising and a slightly familiar voice cautioned her. "Careful, you've been out for a few hours. Take it slow." She lay back again and slowly opened her eyes, allowing them to adjust to the light streaming in through an eastern window. A kind face floated before her, and she shifted away in surprise.

"Amiboshi?" She asked softly.

The blond shook his head. "Suboshi."

Realization dawned on her. "Sorry, I thought that…sorry." She apologized softly, her voice trailing off as she looked around the room. It was simple, but had obviously been decorated to a single person's tastes, much as she had adapted her own room back at the temple.

Suboshi's voice broke through her thoughts. "What's your name?" he asked.

"Kyoueino Solei." she said, still looking around the large room. Suboshi nodded to her in acknowledgement, and he helped her stand on shaky legs. Once she could stand on her own, he led her over to the closet.

"There should be some kimonos in here that fit you, Solei. I'll be in the next room if you need help." He left swiftly and Solei chuckled at his embarrassment. She opened the door and looked through the kimonos. A lavender one with silver lilies curling around one arm was hidden in the corner, and she pulled it out of the closet, marveling at its beauty. She quickly slipped out of the dress that her uncle had given her and put on the kimono, transferring her white-bladed knife into one of the pockets of the flimsy silver under-dress. She curled her hair up into an elegant twist, stray curls framing her face. She looked out the window and was pleasantly surprised to find white lilies growing beneath it. She plucked one and arranged it in her hair. No sooner had she finished than the door opened. She whirled at the sound of the door opening and smiled when she saw Nakago.

"Come with me." He turned and walked off, and Solei hurried after him. She was soon lost in the maze of hallways.

'And I thought my grandfather's temple was a maze, this place is HUGE!' she thought as she followed Nakago through a door to the adjoining temple of Seiryu. He stopped her as she approached the altar.

"Wait." Solei halted obediently, curious as to the need for the pause. Nakago knelt before the altar and began a prayer. A single moment after the final syllable crossed his lips, the blue dragon appeared.

"Nakago. Have you brought the Goddess Protector and the Daughter of the God?"

"The Goddess Protector stands behind me; the Daughter of the God is…detained." he answered smoothly.

"The Goddess Protector is needed first; the lack of the Daughter of the God is acceptable for now." Seiryu looked at Solei who was trying to decide if she should run like the wind away from the shrine, or just stand there. The later won out of a lack of time to actually make the decision. "Solei?" The god asked, humor gracing his tones.

She smiled lightly. "The one and only, Lord Seiryu." Seiryu beckoned to her and she moved forward as though another being controlled her motions. Solei forced herself to calm down, but she kept hearing Wyvern's voice in her head, telling her that she was his, and he would come for her. Again Seiryu called her forward, and again she had no control over her limbs. She felt like a giant puppet, manipulated by the gods for centuries to complete a single task that still remained unknown.

"Solei, to complete your task you must do one, simple thing."

Her mouth moved without consulting her brain. "What must I do?"

Seiryu almost smiled, the expression on his face containing enough hints of a scheming evil genius for it to be counted as more of a smirk. "The Dance of the Angel of Death."

Solei's inner self was screaming 'NO!' with all its might, but it went unheeded as the puppeteer moved her mouth and prompted her words. "When must I dance this, my lord?"

A new voice issued from behind Solei, and her heart sank as she assigned the proper face to the voice. "As soon as possible, love." Wyvern's voice filled her ears and the puppeteer bobbed her head up and down. "Clear the floor, she needs room." He kissed her hand and smiled evilly as her eyes turned strangely vacant and empty like her voice. He gently removed the lavender outer kimono to reveal a simple, silk dress of the purest silver. Solei slid to the floor into the starting pose, and the sound of three ghostly flutes filled the room as her hand fluttered, beginning the dance that was to wake the being that would single-handedly destroy the world.

* * *

Nakago looked through the door to his room and found, much to his surprise, that Solei had found the lilies that grew beneath his window. He stood there a moment, staring at her through the thin wall, before he slid open the door. She spun at the sound and smiled at him, brightening the room with her happiness. He had to admit that she did look beautiful in the lavender kimono, but the thought stayed firmly behind his barriers. 

"Come with me." he managed to say, and walked away from her, amazed at how well she seemed to fit with temple life here in Kutou. She asked no questions and did what she was told.

'To an extent.' he reminded himself. He heard her following him and simply kept walking, sure that she was trailing him to the shrine. His mind swam with ideas of what Seiryu needed her and Amber for, but he calmed his mind as he opened the door to the shrine.

"Wait." he said, and walked up to the altar, beginning his prayer to Seiryu. His god appeared before him, and he automatically bowed an inch deeper as the god spoke.

"Nakago. Have you brought the Goddess Protector and the Daughter of the God?"

He knew that Seiryu did not tolerate failure, just as he did not, so he twisted the truth to fit his needs. "The Goddess Protector stands behind me; the Daughter of the God is…detained." he answered.

"The Goddess Protector is needed first; the lack of the Daughter of the God is acceptable for now." The god replied. He turned his cerulean gaze to the girl. "Solei?" He asked, amused to find her within Kutou's borders after the first almost apocalypse.

She grinned. "The one and only, Lord Seiryu." The god summoned her forward, and to Nakago's eye the steps were slightly jerky and unbalanced, like an inexpertly run puppet. Again Seiryu beckoned to her, and again she moved forward on halting steps. A small corner of Nakago's mind knew that what was coming wasn't going to be healthy.

"Solei, to complete your task you must do one, simple thing."

She turned her gaze briefly to Nakago before answering, and when she spoke her voice was empty and hollow. "What must I do, my lord?" She asked. Seiryu smirked evilly, and the small corner of Nakago's mind was yelling at him to get Solei out. He locked it away behind his barrier and shut out its cries. His first loyalty was to his god.

"The Dance of the Angel of Death." A chain reaction went off in Nakago's mind, and Nakago looked sharply at his god. The Dance of the Angel of Death brought the creature that was to destroy everything.

"When must I dance this, my lord?" He heard Solei's empty voice ask. Nakago's senses twitched and he knew the man had entered before he spoke.

"As soon as possible, love." The voice wasn't familiar, but Solei's reaction told him that this was the man who had made her cry that night after the fight with the demon.

'Wyvern.' His memory told him. Solei's head bobbed up and down disjointedly and Wyvern spoke again.

"Clear the floor, she needs room." Wyvern reached over and kissed Solei's hand, smiling wickedly as he removed the outer kimono she had been wearing. The flimsy silver dress he revealed clung in all the right places and left very little to the imagination. Nakago stepped back automatically, giving her room as the others had. She sank slowly to the floor, and as he listened three nonexistent flutes began a ghostly melody. He watched her as she began to dance, her hand fluttering like a leaf caught in the surf, and waited for the end to come.

* * *

Amber's eyes grew wide. Her view of the demon was distorted because of the wall of chi, but she could still hear everything that was said. 

'My father? I'm screwed. REALLY screwed.' She thought as she watched her father move towards Tasuki, a predatory gleam in his eyes.

"Seishi of Fire, MOVE!" The order was blunt and obvious, but Tasuki stood firm. The god grinned. "If you want to doom yourself Seishi stay, by all means stay." Amber chewed her lip as Tasuki growled something incomprehensible. Her father laughed, shaking his head. "Pathetic. However, if it is a battle you wish, then a battle you will get." He snarled at the Suzaku warrior and vicious claws erupted from his hands.

Tasuki brought his tessen up and the battle was to begin when Amber's voice broke their concentration. "OH MY GOD!" she yelled. Tasuki and her father looked at her with very comical, very confused faces. "My father is playing twenty questions with a prospective boyfriend!" Her words echoed slightly.

"What did you say?" The demonic voice dripped with malice.

"Nothing…" She clasped her hands behind her back. 'Where's Solei when you need her?' she asked mentally. 'SOLEI!'

To her surprise she got a groggy answer in return. 'Wait…repeat that please?'

' 'Lei?'

'Tell me later. I'll create a rip, hopefully, and you need to get Nuriko and Tasuki and yourself through it. Clear?'

'Crystal.'

'Good. Ciao.'

Amber refocused on the battle before her. When she opened her eyes she was surprised to see that the wall of chi was gone and that Tasuki was being beat into a pulp by her father. She decided to summon Nuriko first, and then BOTH of them could help Tasuki.

'Besides,' she reasoned, 'my voice should give them pause.'

She took a deep breath, and then shouted. "NURIKO!" She caught sight of the familiar purple hair much sooner than she expected, and gestured to him frantically. A glimmering rip appeared in the air beside her, and she beckoned frantically to Nuriko as she tried to haul Tasuki towards the portal while her father prepared his most deadly attack. Nuriko raced up and picked up Tasuki without breaking his stride. Amber, caught up in the frantic pace, jumped after them into the portal, praying that her father did not destroy the temple. The three landed in a heap on the other side, Tasuki and Nuriko underneath a sprawled Amber. Amber stood and helped Nuriko stand Tasuki back on his feet.

"Where to now?"

Nuriko glanced around. "I know this forest. We can get to a nearby hut before sundown."

"Thata way ho!" Amber started off in a random direction, but Nuriko managed to grab the back of her shirt and spin her around.

"THAT way."

"I knew that. I swear."

* * *

Solei was dancing. She had no idea of where she was, or why she was dancing. All that existed was the dance. She felt eyes upon her, but they were indistinct, and she could not discern any details, only the dance existed. Suddenly something yelled in her mind and she became aware of the floor that was nearing. She landed as the dance ordered, but cut a step as she danced, changing it and ruining the awakening. Kamai caught the end of something being yelled into her mind and focused on it, recognizing the voice as Amber's. 

She only acknowledged the emphasis behind the shout before she spoke mentally to her friend, letting the dance take care of itself, steps imprinted into her muscles. 'Wait…repeat that please?'

Amber's voice came back quickly. ' 'Lei?'

Kamai nodded to herself and almost tripped as she refocused on the conversation, but caught it before her audience noticed. She slipped into Amber's mind and looked at the world through her eyes. She saw Tasuki being beat up by the Demon God.

'_Amber's father."_ Her mind told her.

'Tell me later. I'll create a rip, hopefully, and you need to get Nuriko and Tasuki and yourself through it. Clear?' she responded after a moment, trying to analyze the situation.

'Crystal.' Amber said.

'Good. Ciao.' Solei closed the contact and through the dance created a portal into a realm, hoping it like mad that it was to Konan. Taking a deep breath, she opened her eyes and let the dagger she had concealed beneath her dress fly. She heard a male grunt, and spun in the direction of it, hoping that her knife had flown to the right target.

* * *

Nakago watched her dance intently, hoping that something would go wrong. His gaze was rewarded with a simple little two-step as she came out of the landing of her leap instead of a waltz. He kept his pleasure from showing and he knew, as she continued to dance, that the summoning would fail. Suddenly, she whirled and threw a white-bladed knife at her small audience. Nakago slipped out of its path, allowing it to head straight and true. Wyvern grunted as it entered his cranium and he slid to the floor dead. Solei turned to face them and relief lit her face as she realized she had hit Wyvern. Seiryu wasn't as happy. His aura spread and became furious. 

Solei, feeling the power radiating from the god could only manage one word. "Shit."

The god had more to say. **"KAMAI! DARK ANGEL, DO YOU DENY YOUR BIRTHRIGHT?"**

Kamai was quick to answer, her body shifting to fit the names Seiryu had given her. "I do not deny it, Seiryu. No, I embrace my birthright. I simply choose not to use it as a weapon of total annihilation."

**"WHY, THEN, HAVE YOU ALWAYS STOPPED THE DANCE BEFORE YOU COME TO TRUE POWER?"**

Kamai's voice was ashamed when she answered. "Not every time." she whispered. Even Seiryu looked surprised.

**"NOT EVERY TIME? OF WHICH TIME DO YOU SPEAK, POTECTOR?"** Seiryu's words were like thunder in her ears and she focused on the floor.

"Hian." Nakago had to strain to hear her voice and recognized the word. The conversation in the godly realm came to his mind and he recalled Kamai saying that she had been confined to a certain world so she did not recreate the apocalypse that had occurred on Hian.

Seiryu laughed. **"THEN WHY? YOU REMEMBER THE POWER, ACCEPT IT."**

She shook her head. "No."

**"THEN IT IS MY DUTY TO PUNISH YOU, SOLEI."** As he said 'Solei' she shifted back to human, and collapsed on all fours before Seiryu, the pain from her wings retracting to much to bear. The god turned his attention to Nakago. **"DO YOU HAVE YOUR WHIP?"** Nakago nodded. **"THEN DRAW IT. I MUST PUNISH HER THROUGH YOU. THE GODS DO NOT ALLOW ME TO DO SO MYSELF."** Nakago drew his whip and allowed Seiryu into his mind. His eyes met Solei's just before the god took control and was struck by the emotion they conveyed: pain, sorrow, failure, and betrayal. Then Seiryu took over, and Nakago was only dimly aware of the girl in front of him as Seiryu cocked his wrist and flicked the whip. Time and time again the whip struck her back, but not once did the slender figure on the floor cry out. Finally the god stopped and drifted out of Nakago, returning to the realm of the gods. Solei tried to stand, but darkness claimed her and she hit the floor, only remembering the look on Nakago's face as he'd whipped her. Pure hatred.

* * *

Please review! 

MS


	13. Reluctance

**Chapter Twelve: Reluctance**

She picked herself up off of the floor, limbs screaming. Letting herself flop back to the ground, she crawled painfully over to Wyvern's body and pulled the knife out of his skull, watching with a grim smile as his body disintegrated into ash. She continued crawling to the doorframe and used the stiff wall to haul herself back onto her feet.

'Glaive. Need glaive.' she thought, weaving through the halls. Occasionally she heard voices, but they always passed by her shadowed hideaway. Her glaive stood in a far corner and she grasped it gratefully, using it to hold herself up. A piece of clean paper and an ink-brush sat on the table to her left and she sat down, Nakago's face running through her mind. She shuddered at the image and began to write.

"I'm sorry that I was such an imbecile back at the temple. I thought at first something might be there, but I was wrong. I apologize for my stupidity regarding my actions, and wish only to inform you that you will no longer see me, since it is evident you do not want to. Once more want to apologize and I will not take up anymore of your time. I will do my duty as I must.

Sincerely,

Kyoueino Solei

Goddess Protector." She let it dry and folded it neatly, smoothing the crease with her thumbnail. She printed his name on the outside and left it sitting there. After a moment's hesitation she left the lily and a sky-blue pouch emblazoned with a sun next to it.

"Nothing goes with me but memories." she whispered. "Nothing but memories."

* * *

When Nakago woke up he found himself alone in the temple. Wyvern's body had disappeared leaving only a blood stain and the white-bladed knife that Solei had thrown during her dance. He cursed himself for falling asleep and not awakening when the girl had, but such could not be changed. 

A voice came from the shadows, mocking him. "Regret, General? Lack of perception, allowing her to wake before you? You must be losing your touch." The figure stepped out of the shadows and Nakago failed to recognize him, hiding his lack of knowledge.

"No regret, only a sense of failure to my god." he said.

The god laughed. "Liar."

"If you say so."

The god threw back his cloak. "I am Hades, Lord of the Underworld." Nakago bowed his head respectfully. "Do not toy with her, General." The god cautioned him. Nakago raised an eyebrow in question. "Last time someone destroyed her heart, she destroyed the world and the gods with a single glance. The evil within her is kept at bay only through a tight reign that the Goddess Protector places on her feelings. She can only hold it like that for a few centuries by herself before all hell breaks loose. Literally. Do not play games with her heart, General." With that Hades disappeared and left Nakago to figure out the god's relationship to Solei.

After a moment it struck him. "Her mystery uncle." he said softly.

"Whose uncle, Nakago?" A sultry female voice asked from the shadows.

"No one's, Soi." he responded, suppressing the urge to groan in annoyance. She stood behind his shoulder, massaging his back by slipping her fingers under his armor.

"Let me relieve your tension." she purred. He slipped out of her grasp and began walking down the hallway.

"I have other things to be doing, Soi. Play with someone else." He smirked at the amazed look he knew was on her face and prepared himself to be attacked from behind by his former lover. None came. He pushed it out of his mind and walked back to his room. Once there he found three things sitting on his desk: a card, a pouch, and the lily that had been in Solei's hair. He picked up the card.

"Nakago." the front read in old, spidery script. He opened it and found more of the same script. He read it aloud to no one, and could hear her saying the words under his own voice.

"I'm sorry that I was such an imbecile back at the temple. I thought at first something might be there, but I was wrong. I apologize for my stupidity regarding my actions, and wish only to inform you that you will no longer see me, since it is evident you do not want to. Once more want to apologize and I will not take up anymore of your time. I will do my duty as I must.

Sincerely,

Kyoueino Solei

Goddess Protector."

* * *

Nuriko set Tasuki down as they found an abandoned cabin just as darkness fell. 

"In here," he called Amber as he stepped into the space. She was quick to follow, becoming serious as she entered.

"Nuriko, is he going to be alright?"

"He's come back from worse."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"Really?"

"Truly."

"Honestly?"

"Yes."

"So he'll be alright."

"There is no reason for him not to be."

"But-"

A glimmering rip appeared in the air beside him, and Kamai stepped out, clutching the remains of a silver silk dress around her form. "Amber, kindly shut up. Tasuki will recover." She gave a weak grin at the astonishment on Amber's face. "Hi. Good to see you." She held up a hand to stop the questioning that she knew was coming. "I'll explain everything once I've found some more substantial clothing." Nuriko found a cloak hanging on a peg in a corner and quickly tossed it over her shoulders. She glanced up weakly. "Thanks."

He smiled. "Something you forgot to tell us earlier?" he asked.

Solei nodded. "It's time to stop playing games."

* * *

Solei pulled the cloak closer around her shoulders and sat down, shivering a little. Nuriko put his arm around her and pulled her closer to him. She smiled slightly and motioned for Amber to sit down. 

Once she had, Solei began to speak, her voice trembling slightly. "I remember why we're wanted here. I remember why you two," she nodded to Amber and Nuriko, "are important, and I remember what must be done to stop him." Amber waited, then motioned for her to continue.

"I'm wanted so that I can destroy anything that hinders them in their quest for domination, and Amber is wanted to," she started to say one thing but changed it at the last minute, "appease the Demon God." Again she fell silent.

Amber shattered the quiet. "EEEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWW!" She screamed, making everyone but the snoring Tasuki jump. She turned to Solei, disgusted. "APPEASE?" she yelled. Solei nodded. "HOW CAN WE STOP THIS?" she demanded.

Solei sighed. "The same way that Caelestis has always been stopped." she said.

"Which is, how?" Amber asked. Solei just held Amber's gaze with her own for a few minutes, and Amber shook her head.

"No. NO!"

Solei smiled grimly. "It's how I always have stopped him, Chi. It's the only way."

Nuriko stopped her. "How?"

"You don't want to know. And if you did know, you wouldn't let me."

Nuriko held her closer. "Now I'm even less likely to let you go."

"Fine." she whispered. "I go to his lair in the godly realm, take any one of my knives, spill my own blood in a circle of protection around the two of us, dance the second half of a dance that, if done in full, creates a being who destroys the world without a second glance, and so, having released the more ruthless half of the Angel of Death, let her kill him, or try to, weakening him enough for the next bit to work, then dance the first half and destroy everything inside the circle of my blood, which protects the rest of the world from the Angel of Death." she finished.

"After getting out of the circle yourself, right?" Nuriko asked. Kamai shook her head no. "You die? How do you know this then?"

Solei licked her lips. "My memories of the previous times that I have done this came back after I danced part of the dance I mentioned earlier."

Liz held up her hands. "Wait one minute. You danced part of the dance that destroys the world to regain your memories?"

Solei shook her head. "No, I was forced to dance it, and I almost lost-no-I did loose control during it. I forgot who I was; I forgot everything except the dance."

"How did you get out of it?"

"Amber yelled my name." she said simply. "It brought me back to reality." A sudden thud made them all jump.

Nuriko looked slowly behind the couch and sighed with relief. "It was only Tasuki falling off the bed. He'll be fine."

Tasuki's shirtless form plodded around the couch slowly. "What're ya talkin' 'bout man? That hurt." He grumbled, rubbing his head where it had hit the floor.

"Well DUH!" Solei started laughing when she saw the confused looks on Tasuki and Nuriko's faces. "Incidentally, Amber, since Liz isn't here I'm going to have to fill in for her." Amber's eyes went wide and she started gesturing frantically for Solei to stop. She only grinned wickedly. "He has nice abs, doesn't he, Amber." Already knowing that Solei was referring to Tasuki's abs, Amber winced, remembering the joke that had followed her around as she read the comics.

Tasuki shook his head to clear it then sat down next to Amber. "Where are we, Nuriko?" he asked, trying to get his bearings.

"A day's travel from the palace." Nuriko answered.

Solei was studying Tasuki intently and her words were soft. "Tasuki, are you alright?" she asked.

"Course I am!" he said. "Do I look alright?" He spread his arms wide for inspection and winced.

"No." Amber answered, and walked behind him, carefully probing his back for injuries. She prodded a rib and he hissed sharply. Amber looked to Solei.

"Amber, I don't think I can." she said softly, knowing she was too exhausted to heal Tasuki.

"Damn."

Solei's eyes flared silver. "Someone will heal him soon."

A thud on the door made them wary, and Nuriko got up to answer it. "Hello?" he asked. A small, cloaked figure walked through the door at his invitation. "Who are you?" Nuriko asked.

Solei looked at the figure and shook her head. "No. How is it-? No, it can't be…" The person reached up and removed her cowl.

She lifted her chin so they could get a good look at her. "It is. My name is Kyoueino Selene." Amber looked between the two, noticing that they were practically identical save their eyes. "I'm her twin sister."

* * *

I fear that an intro will only continue to become more repetitive, so I shall henceforth refrain. Kindly continue to read the above text and inform me of your reactions thereupon I shall seek to reply in a timely fashion with more chapters to which you may comment. 

In simple speak: Read and Review and I'll give more chapters.

Thanx

MS


	14. History

**Chapter Thirteen: History**

Nakago cursed quietly after reading Solei's note, his hand clenching around the paper. Glancing down, he saw the wrinkles and smoothed it out carefully, setting it back on the desk. He went back to the shrine and slipped through a secret door into a hidden library. He walked down one row, pausing once or twice to check a title. He pulled the last book on the shelf into his hands. He started flipping through the pages, searching. He found what he was looking for and read it swiftly.

"The Dance of the Angel of Death does not summon the Angel, but instead releases the Angel from within. Only two hold this inner Angel of Death. The sun and the moon both have the power of apocalypse, and have used it before. When danced half and half, the second half, then the first, it enables the dancer to have the ruthless slaughter power of the Angel before gaining the form and mindset of the Angel. To contain the destructive power, the holder of the Angel must spill a circle of blood around the area she wants destroyed. Once released, the Angel cannot send her power outside of this circle and it will rebound and kill her.

"It is said that the Angel is reborn as a test for mortals and gods alike to see if they can withstand the temptation, or accept the responsibility." Nakago shut the book with a snap. The "sun" was Solei, she could dance it, and it would work. The "moon" was probably a relative, but that was of no consequence. He walked back to the main shrine after replacing the book on its shelf. A dark glitter caught his eye, and he walked over to it. He found the symbol of the god of evil, Caelestis, and as he looked at it closer, it reminded him more and more of the god he had seen with Solei. A loop and three trailing lines, a single vertical line intersecting the three. The one who had called her his daughter. Nakago cracked the symbol in half, and walked away. Once back in his room he found something else within his own bookshelf. It was a slim book, but looked as though it contained much more than its binding could hold. He pulled it out and read the title.

"Angel" He opened it and was surprised to find a photograph of two young women laughing together.

"Solei." he whispered, tracing his finger over one of the faces. He turned the page and found perfect, spidery script identifying the two identical girls in the previous picture.

"Solei and Selene, age 15" it read. He looked at the next page. The script continued, but it told the story of two girls, starting at birth, who were forever doomed to kill their father to save the world, time after time. The book seemed to lengthen as he read, and each new part of the book was a new lifetime for the sun and moon, as they were called. He came to the last part, knowing what would be there. It cut off just before it told which of the two girls killed the god this time, but instead of just ending there, it had one more page. Written in the centre of that page were a few words.

"May you teach them to live."

* * *

Solei rushed up to Selene, ignoring the pain shooting up her back as she crushed her sister in a hug. Her sister, however was quick to notice the blood that seeped through the cloak.

"Solei, what have you done now?" she asked, moving Solei into the adjoining room so she had some privacy before Selene stripped her of her cloak. Solei just grimaced as her sister's hands played over her back, healing the wounds from Nakago's whip. Selene shook her head. "Tell me everything. From the moment they arrived in that AWFUL place you were confined to till now. EVERY detail. NOW." Solei complied quickly, blushing slightly as she described the sword fight with Nakago. She began to describe the dance, and Selene's eyes grew wild.

"They had you do WHAT!" she asked.

"The dance." Selene growled and motioned for her twin to continue. A few moments later Solei finished the argument with Seiryu and she chocked back tears as she explained the wounds on her back.

Selene's eyes narrowed. "Was it him, or Seiryu?"

Solei paused. "I'm not sure. They're so similar, I don't know. There was no hesitation, no pause, no fight. Just strike after strike."

Selene nodded. "What did your note say exactly?"

Solei closed her eyes and began to recite. "I'm sorry that I was such an imbecile back at the temple. I thought at first something might be there, but I was wrong. I apologize for my stupidity regarding my actions, and wish only to inform you that you will no longer see me, since it is evident you do not want to. Once more want to apologize and I will not take up anymore of your time. I will do my duty as I must.

Sincerely,

Kyoueino Solei

Goddess Protector."

Selene stared at her, mouth hanging open in amazement. "You IDIOT!"

Solei looked sharply at her sister. "What do you mean, Selene?"

Selene sighed. "You're in LOVE WITH HIM! It's OBVIOUS! The way you blush when you speak about him, and the true extent of pain that's in your eyes."

"I always have pain in my eyes. It is my curse."

Selene rolled her eyes. "So do I, Solei. I can see the betrayal in your eyes. The flicks of his wrist to send the whip into your back means more than you believe."

Solei collapsed into quiet tears. "Maybe I do love him, and maybe it does mean more than I want it to, but you didn't see the look of pure venom and hatred he had in HIS eyes. I've been played for a fool." she choked out. Selene reached through her shadow and pulled a pair of black pants and a simple white blouse out of the shadow pocket, handing them wordlessly to her sister. Solei took them with a grateful smile and quickly exchanged them with the scraps of silk that had once been a dress.

"GET BACK HERE YOU!" Solei and Selene were instantly out of the side room, glaives in hand. They found Amber chasing after Tasuki, the tips of her hair slightly singed. They relaxed, leaning on their staffs as Amber got more and more pissed at the object of her affection and, currently, fury. Selene felt Amber's chi level rise, and she and Solei cringed as they heard a VERY loud SMASH. When they looked over at Amber and Tasuki, they found a very confused Amber with a giant mallet in hand, one end flaming happily, and a flattened Tasuki who looked more than slightly burnt.

Amber looked at the mallet in her hand, stunned. "How did I do that?" she asked.

Solei motioned for Selene to explain. "You got angry. Your chi flared up and created the weapon. If you poke the button on the end it shrinks into a ballpoint pen."

Solei nodded then added her own explanation. "So every time that you get angry, it will appear. Unless you already have it."

"Is he alright?" Selene asked with a smile.

Amber's eyes went wide. "Shit! I forgot about that!"

Selene laughed. "Never mind, Amber. He's fine. I healed him as I came in." Solei cast a critical eye over the wincing flame seishi and started to comment, but a warning bell went off in her mind, and she shut her mouth before she said anything. Amber, noticing the pause began to hound her friend to find out what she might have said. Solei remained firm in her decision, and folded her legs under her. Amber, however, was merciless and Solei gave in, finally muttering the phrase in Spanish. Selene stared at what she said, then collapsed in laughter. Amber turned eight very distinct shades of red before her face settled to the colour of a sun-dried tomato. She was sputtering curses, and that only made Selene and Solei laugh harder. Tasuki stood up, brushing ashes off of his shoulders.

"Wa's so funny?" he asked, glaring at Amber.

Selene held her hands up and shook her head. "I'm not saying." Solei finally managed to stop laughing. Quickly she walked over to her sister and reached into Selene's shadow, rummaging around for a moment before giving a triumphant cry. Something white flew towards Tasuki and landed on his head. He pulled it off his head and stared at it for a moment.

Selene sighed. "It's a shirt, Tasuki. She was suggesting that you put some clothes on before you burn down the house. Or before we all drown in Amber's drool." Amber lifted her head up defiantly and looked away from Tasuki, a faint blush colouring her cheeks. He did not comment and pulled on the shirt that Solei had tossed at him.

"Right. Thanks."

* * *

"May you teach them to live." The words rang clear in his mind as he returned the book to the shelf. Carefully fingering the white-bladed knife that Solei had left behind, Nakago thought about her. When they had first met, her eyes had caught his attention. As she spoke to Amiboshi, her eyes were a smoky lavender, but when her gaze had shifted to him, they had flashed silver for just a moment. Now he knew what the silver meant, but the reason still confused him. Why would her dark half react to him? Her uncle's words flashed through his mind.

"Do not play games with her heart, General." Nakago wondered where the game had ended and true feeling had begun.

'_She'll never trust you.'_ His inner self said quietly. '_Not after you whipped her like that.'_

'I wasn't the one whipping her. That was Seiryu.' he responded, knowing it was a feeble defense at best.

'_You could have fought against him. You could have refused. You could have helped her.'_ Nakago did not answer.

He heard a quiet rapping on his door. "Yes?" the door opened and Suboshi's youthful face popped through.

"Nakago, Solei left this in the adjoining room. I thought you might know what it is." Suboshi handed him the blue velvet pouch with a gold sunburst on the front. Suboshi left the room, sliding the door shut behind him. Nakago gently lifted the tiny mirror out if it's pouch. He had heard of the Mirror of Ray, and knew of its ability to find anything. He ran a thumb over its fogged surface, willing Solei to appear. An image came swiftly to the mirror, signifying that she was nearby. As he watched through the mirror Nuriko put his arm around her and she relaxed into his embrace. Nakago replace the mirror in its pouch. It had all been a game.

* * *

Solei had explored the small hut, and was surprised to find a large number of cots stacked in the back corner of a closet. She set some of them out and was lounging on one of them when another knock at the door jolted her out of her peaceful relaxation.

"Now who?" Nuriko wondered.

Tasuki turned to Amber, whose face had returned to its normal colour. "Do ya have a twin sista as well?" She shook her head in response. The door opened.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" a gruff voice asked.

Nuriko recognized the voice immediately. "MITSUKAKE!" he cried brightly. Solei and Selene got slightly frantic and very guilty looks on their faces and tried to escape into the shadows before Mitsukake saw them.

"I know you two."

They froze. "Hello Mitsukake-sensei." they chorused.

"Well…?"

They exchanged glances and stared at the ground. "We're REALLY sorry about…yeah…" Solei muttered softly.

"We didn't mean to…it just happened." Selene finished. Mitsukake sighed and waited. Solei and Selene grinned and tackled him. Nuriko and Tasuki stared in amazement as the three began to train, blows flying faster than the eye could see. Nuriko grabbed the nearest person, who was one of the twins, he did not know which, and tried to pull apart the fight. Next thing he knew he was flying through the air over her shoulder, heading towards the ground at a very rapid rate. A tree caught him, and he landed with a slight thump. The fight stopped as suddenly as it had begun, and Mitsukake was giving the girls pointers on their grips for throws. Solei, or Selene, he still could not tell the difference, laughed brightly at Nuriko and Tasuki's confusion.

Solei walked over and helped Nuriko stand, still laughing. "We needed that. Thank you Mitsukake-sensei."

He nodded and led them back inside. "Why are you here?" he asked, casting a questioning glance at Amber.

"We left…unfinished business here." Selene whispered.

"It cries to be finished." Solei added.

"It is time?" Mitsukake asked.

"There will be-"

A smash cut her off, and she turned to see Amber signing v for victory as she stood over her smashed victim. "YEAH!" Amber cried. They all started laughing at the sight of Tasuki smashed into the floor. Tasuki picked himself up, grumbling something about pesky demons. Unfortunately for him, Amber heard and took the opportunity to make him into a pancake again. Solei knew that the sequence would continue for awhile, so she sat down with Mitsukake on a cot and began pressing him about what had happened, cringing every once and a while as a sudden smash interrupted the flow of conversation.

* * *

Caelestis smiled as he sat on his throne, listening to every word his younger daughter said.

"So she plans to kill me. Her own father. I'll just have to kill her and her pesky sister once and for all." He glanced into the shadows, silver eyes flashing. "Zephyr." A tall, lanky demon stepped out of the shadows. "Tell your master the Demon God I require your services."

The god appeared before him. "Just tell me." he said.

Caelestis nodded in consent. "My daughters plot against me."

The Demon God raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Really. I seek to destroy them once and for all."

Now the Demon God nodded. "I will assist you. Just make sure that Shunhi'a Chi is not hurt. I crave a new mate, and she has my blood running through her veins." Caelestis gave him a questioning look. "It makes them sweeter." the demon explained. Caelestis slit a line down his palm, blood dripping on the white marble below. The demon god did the same.

Pressing their palms together they spoke in unison. "To partnership."

* * *

Here's where I leave you for this sequence. Please tell me what you think. Comments of any kind are appreciated. (Even if they only pertain to the three-headed llama that lives underwater in the Gulf of Mexico whose sole occupation is to annoy me into cursing it in non-existent languages). Basically, please review.

Thanx

MS


	15. Separation

**Chapter Fourteen: Separation**

All had quieted down back in Mitsukake's hut and Solei twitched awake as her sister walked near. Selene motioned for her to come outside, and she did, both of them moving as silent as a shadow. Solei swung up into a tree and waited for her sister to speak.

"You have to leave." Selene said, her voice barely above a whisper. Solei's ears lengthened and tapered, turning to better catcher her sister's soft spoken words.

"Why?" Solei asked, her voice just as quiet.

"He knows."

Solei did not need her sister to tell her that it was their father she spoke of. "How will my leaving help?" she asked, concern for the others accenting her hushed question.

"He won't expect you to kill him if he thinks I'm you."

Solei understood what Selene was asking. "A shift?" Selene nodded, her eyes turning lavender. Solei sighed and her eyes went blue as she relaxed. "Very well. Once they understand, tell Nuriko I'm sorry." Solei slipped out of the tree and landed on cat's feet. "I'll try and hold it. Even if you don't, he won't be sure."

Selene nodded. "You're going to see Nakago." she said.

Solei tossed a grin over her shoulder. "Farewell, Solei."

Selene brushed a single glistening tear from her eyes. "Farewell, Selene."

Selene watched her sister walk into the forest and sighed, envious that her sister had found someone to love, despite the thought that it might be unrequited. Mitsukake walked out behind her and she spun sharply, startled at his sudden appearance.

"Selene, why did you tell her to go?"

She turned back to the forest. "She needed to go to Nakago." she answered simply.

Mitsukake nodded. "What will Nuriko do?" he asked, his eyes on the stars.

Selene shook her head. "I don't know. He needs to live, for all of this to work, but…"

Mitsukake put an arm around her shoulder and held her tight. "He'll understand. Besides, someone else is meant for him."

Selene looked up at Mitsukake slightly confused. "Who?" she asked, her voice still soft, not wanting to awaken the others.

"The Watcher."

Tears clouded Selene's eyes. "She's dead." she whispered, droplets running silently down her face.

Mitsukake gently wiped her tears away. "She's alive. I healed her myself." Selene looked at him in astonishment. "But I could not heal her broken heart."

Selene nodded, her voice hushed. "A broken heart takes time to heal. Some it makes bitter, others find another love, but lack the trust."

Mitsukake turned her to face him, his hands resting on her shoulders. "Do you trust me?" he asked softly.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

He repeated his question. "Do you trust me?" She dropped her switch, allowing her eyes to return to their normal colour, and met his chocolate gaze with one of the softest blue.

"Yes." she said without hesitation. He leaned down and pressed the gentlest of kisses upon her lips. He broke away a moment later, and saw something bright twinkling in Selene's eyes.

She moved forward and hugged him, burying her head in his chest. "I love you." She murmured into his shirt.

He stroked her hair and was content with her slight presence. "I love you too."

* * *

Raya glanced around the clearing, trying to decide if it was safe to stay there for the night, her paranoid nature taking precedence. Eventually she determined that it would be alright for the time, but she would have to leave at dawn.

'Like I would have stayed longer.' she thought ruefully. Using her staff for leverage, she bounded up into a tree, carefully tucking it between her legs and under an arm before falling into a restless sleep. Voices awoke her just before dawn, and she slid silently closer to the trunk.

"Why do we have to leave so early?" she heard a female voice whine. She cringed at the tone, but was intrigued by the group of people that passed beneath her hiding place. A tall man with dark brown hair pointing straight up towards her had his arm around a lithe blond who clearly knew how to use the glaive she carried.

"Wha was at for?" The male voice startled her, and she found herself identifying the flame-haired guy as the owner of the voice. He was tall, and currently rubbing his head in mock pain. A brunette 'harrumphed' and kept walking past the flame boy, giving Raya the impression that the two liked each other, but had yet to come to terms with their feelings. She shook her head sadly.

"Bakas." she muttered almost silently to herself. Last in line walked someone with purple hair that looked newly shorn in the back. He had a disheartened look on his face, and appeared to be very sad about something. She could tell that he was a guy, but he seemed to hold himself with a feminine grace that made her almost envious. Raya had the sudden urge to try to comfort him, but kept a firm grip on the tree.

'Get a grip on yourself, girl!' she told herself. 'You can't let that happen again. Besides,' she added, trying to be rational and calm once more, 'he is down there. You are up here.' He lifted his eyes as if he had heard her comment, and they met hers for a brief instant. Immediately, Raya left her branch, darting through the trees at top speed. She heard no pursuit, and paused once she was a safe distance away.

"What's wrong with you, Raya?" she questioned aloud. "First you want to comfort the guy, then he sees you. You must be loosing your touch." She shook her head. "Why do I feel like I know them?" she asked herself quietly. "Why do I feel drawn to him?"

* * *

All while they were leaving the clearing, Nuriko felt eyes upon him, watching carefully. He glanced up through the trees and saw a girl with dark red hair and clear green eyes staring at him. Her eyes went wide, then she fled, jumping through the trees with silent grace. He shook it off as just an illusion, his mind trying to forget. Solei went to Nakago. A voice in his head kept telling him that it was a lie, but he knew better. She had always watched the general with a different gleam in her eye. Reflecting, he found himself thinking of her as a sister.

_'It hurts, doesn't it?'_

He gave his inner self a half-smile. 'She could have said good bye.'

He could feel his subconscious disagreeing. _'She wouldn't have left. You wouldn't have let her leave.'_ Nuriko knew his inner self was once again right about Solei, but he still didn't like it. He watched Amber and Tasuki fight for awhile, laughing at their childish antics. The thought of a child reminded him of the face he had seen in the trees, and Nuriko called it into detail. Her face was round and clear, her eyes the most expressive shade of emerald green he had ever seen. There had been a flash of something, when he caught her gaze, recognition? No. He shook his head to clear it. Tasuki noticed that Nuriko was lagging behind, and yelled at him to hurry up. Nuriko smiled and increases the speed and length of his stride, easily catching up with the others. Selene took one look at his face, and immediately fell into step with him, gesturing for Mitsukake to keep going.

"Nuriko," He was surprised by her voice, and turned to face her, neither of them breaking their stride, "Just let it go."

He looked at her confused, but soon realized that she was talking about Solei. "She spoke of game playing. That it was time to stop. I did, but she didn't. She kept right on playing." Much to his amazement he saw her smile.

"What she meant when she said that it was time to stop playing games was that she wanted you to stop pretending to be someone you weren't. She knew that she would still play them, but that's her nature."

"Her nature?"

"Her duty. It is written, so it must be done."

* * *

Solei walked through the forest, relishing the calming wind that blew through the trees. Keeping a sharp eye, she detected a movement in the branches above her, and barely had enough time to dodge before a demon pounced. She couldn't see his face because of the lack of light cast by the moon, but she was willing to bet that he meant her no good. Solei summoned her glaive and stepped into a ready position, placing the staff and its attached eighteen inches of curved snow-white star metal between her and the demon. Much to her surprise, she heard her opponent chuckle, and her eyes went wide as she recognized the voice. Solei bounced backwards, heading towards a nearby clearing, trying to get more space to move her long weapon. The demon didn't try to stop her; instead it followed docilely, like a tame dog. She stood in the middle of the clearing, and the demon stepped into the moonlight. Solei swallowed a mouthful of bile, her voice quavering.

"I killed you…"

Wyvern stepped completely out of the shadows. "No love, you only thought you did. Your father and the demon god had other plans."

"Really? Like what?" Solei tried in vain to eliminate the waver from her voice.

"Come with me, and I'll tell you." He held out his hand to her, clearly expecting her to fall for his trick. She snorted in laughter, fear forgotten.

"Like I would go with you." She brought her glaive up. "What do you say I kill you properly?"

Wyvern bowed, mocking her as he drew his own weapon. Solei blanched, colour draining from her face as she saw the whip - a cat-o-nine-tails. "Begin when ready, love." She relaxed her shoulders and started to summon her chi. A flare of red struck her from above and she dropped to her knees, glaive clattering out of her hands and out of her reach.

Wyvern chuckled. "Do you really think that I would let you do that, love? I'm not stupid." Solei muttered something that sounded suspiciously like "Yes you are" but propped herself up, using one hand on her knee to support herself as she stood. Wyvern sent his whip flying at her, and she raised her other arm and winced as the tails coiled around her forearm. She reached out and grabbed the single strand from which they all emitted and yanked, pulling the whip out of Wyvern's grasp.

"I still retain all of my old knowledge, you fool." Wyvern saw a pair of silver eyes staring at him determinedly as Solei unwrapped the fingers of the whip from around her arm.

"What knowledge love?"

Solei smirked, a cold gleam in her eyes. "Kamai's. We're one person, Wyvern. Right now, I'm Kamai. Solei's to nice to torture you like I will."

His eyes went wide. "But, you can only be Kamai as a Dark Angel, right?" Kamai's smirk widened.

"I said no such thing." She cracked the whip loudly, and three welts appeared on Wyvern's cheek. To her surprise he crumpled; her face became an icy mask, and she fired the whip again; nine parallel lines started bleeding on his back as he screamed in pain. "That's for my sister." she whispered. The whip cracked again. "Those are for the Watcher." Wyvern's yells faded to whimpers, and she cocked the whip one last time, delivering the blow with all her strength. "And this is for the true Angel of Death; may you meet her in the deepest pits of hell." Wyvern was silent. Kamai coiled the whip and hung it at her hip, picking up her glaive, and walked over to the unmoving form of her enemy. "Letu immundus creatura." With a swing of her glaive Wyvern's head went rolling, a twisted smile on his dead lips. Kamai wrinkled her nose in disgust and walked away, demon blood dripping down the snowy blade of her glaive, creating a design of criss-crossing vines that meant only death.

* * *

Yep! I'm Back! Sry this took me forever to get out… I really should have sent it sooner. My apologies. Thank you all for your reviews!

MS


	16. Watcher

**Chapter Fifteen: Watcher**

Raya followed the group for three days, and when they entered the city, she continued smoothly, sliding in and among the salesmen unnoticed with practiced ease. She saw the group of five enter the palace, and instantly started to try and figure out how she could get inside. She watched a vendor enter with his wares, and followed, pretending to be the man's daughter. When no one detected her, she slipped away to a nearby garden filled with trees in full bloom. Much to her surprise, she found the man with the purple hair speaking to someone she could only guess was the emperor. Under her watchful gaze, the two spoke, and she edged closer to hear their words.

"You say that they fulfill a prophecy?" The emperor's words were quiet, but Raya had sharpened her ears to the point of perfection to hear their voices.

The purple haired man nodded. "Both of them. There is a third, she's one of the twins, she left…" His voice trailed off.

The emperor decided not to press the matter. "What are their names again, Nuriko?"

Realization dawned in Raya's mind. 'So that's his name' she thought. 'Nuriko.' She looked at him closer, examining him as best she could without giving away her position. 'It suits him.' She started listening again as Nuriko listed the names of his female companions.

"The twin's name is Selene, and she's deadly efficient, according to Mitsukake." The emperor motioned for him to continue, committing the names to memory. "There's Amber, she likes Tasuki from what I can tell, and she has a giant mallet…" Nuriko shook his head, feeling almost sorry for Tasuki's constant beatings from a girl that he denied liking. He couldn't deny liking her, after all, he never blocked her strikes. The emperor nodded. He started to walk away, but as Raya shifted, his eyes caught the after-motion of the foliage.

Nuriko looked at him in confusion as he stopped suddenly. "Hotohori, why'd you stop?" Raya shifted even further into the shadows, but stepped on a branch, causing it to snap loudly. She winced and held her breath, hoping that they hadn't heard.

Hotohori's eyes searched the trees and shrubs. "Who's there?" Nuriko looked in the same direction, and saw a pair of emerald eyes staring at him again.

He shifted to stand nearer to the brush than Hotohori, and called out to Raya. "Come out. You're the person I saw that morning, right? Who are you?" Raya crouched even further into the darkening foliage. Nuriko sighed. "Do I have to fish you out?" he asked, exasperation creeping into his voice. She didn't move, and he rolled his eyes.

He turned to Hotohori. "One moment please." He walked quickly into the shrubs, and before Raya could move away, his hand clamped firmly on hers, and try as she might, she could not escape his vice-like grip. Nuriko drug her out of the bushes and set her in front of him, his hand never letting go of her wrist. "Our eavesdropper." he announced triumphantly.

Raya automatically turned and glared. "I wasn't eavesdropping." she spit out.

Hotohori looked amused as she tried to free herself from Nuriko's hand. "Then what were you doing?"

Her struggles faded away as she answered. "I was watching."

"Aren't they the same thing?" Nuriko asked.

"NO!" Raya was beyond offended and her green eyes flared darkly in anger. "Eavesdropping implies not only an evil intent but also that the act is committed by someone evil. Watching is simply observing to find out more information on something that interests you…" her fury died away as she finished and Hotohori smiled knowingly.

"Why are you just a watcher then?" Nuriko asked, still trying to puzzle out what her words meant exactly.

A soft feminine voice interrupted. "She isn't just A watcher, she is THE Watcher." Nuriko and Hotohori spun around, Nuriko dragging Raya around with him.

"And you are?" Hotohori stood straighter as he asked.

The woman laughed gently. "I'm Selene; the Guide." She gestured towards the trapped Raya. "She is the Watcher, a member of the Prophecy of the Goddess. Like myself."

Raya wrenched her hand out of Nuriko's grip while he wasn't focused on her, and she raced over to Selene. "Is it really you?" she asked, reaching a hand out to gently brush Selene's pale face. Selene laughed again and squeezed the smaller woman in a hug. "Where were you?"

Selene cringed. "I should have expected that."

Raya stood back and crossed her arms across her chest, most of her weight on her right leg as she sent an expectant look to Selene. "Uh huh. You should have." She shifted her weight onto her other leg. "Spill. Now."

"Later?" Selene tried. Raya glared. "Right." The Guide licked her lips, and took a deep breath before beginning. "I took you to Mitsukake after the fight, and it looked like it would be too much for you." Her voice was quiet, and Nuriko and Hotohori had to strain to hear it. "I left; I couldn't stand burying you. I started on my quest to find Solei, and that lasted up until a day or two ago, but I searched for that year." Selene raised her lavender eyes from the ground, and the three listeners could see the shame that ran through their normally emotionless depths.

Raya enveloped her teacher and friend in a tight hug and started rocking back and forth, soothing away the tears that were falling softly on Raya's shoulder. "Mitsukake healed me fine, and now we're both back on our feet and we can properly complete the Prophecy thingy."

Selene abruptly stepped out of Raya's embrace and gave Nuriko an almost apologetic look. "Solei." She licked her lips and started again. "My twin is teetering between completing the Prophecy and destroying it."

Nuriko's eyes went wide. "What?" he asked faintly.

"Later." she answered. "I'll only explain once."

Raya grinned. "If at all."

Selene returned the impish smile with one of her own that was equally devious. "Indeed." A shout came from the palace, and Selene's smile turned genuine. "Now you can meet Amber." The brunette raced out of the door, mallet raised high above her head as she chased Tasuki out the door.

"That is Amber." Amber jerked her head in greetings while charging him. Mitsukake strolled casually out the door and over to the group, and Tasuki managed to escape from Amber's fury, glancing around furtively as if she was going to attack him at any time.

"VICTORY WILL BE MINE!" The two women grimaced as Amber pulled out her mallet and began swinging it wildly in an attempt to hit Tasuki.

"Cover your ears." Everyone but Hotohori followed Selene's advice instantly.

"Why?" A loud SMASH answered Hotohori's question, and he nodded in understanding, brushing dust out of his long hair.

Mitsukake glanced around. "Where are they?"

Selene grinned. "I've put them in separate bubbles." The last of the dust cleared and they could see that Selene had indeed trapped both the Daughter of the God and the Flame Seishi in their own individual chi cases.

A flare of red erupted from Amber, but the barrier held strong. Her mouth started moving, but no sounds could be heard from the angry demi-goddess. All eyes turned to Selene for an explanation.

She shrugged her shoulders. "I knew she would curse, and some of the words she is using are particularly nasty, so I just decided to make it sound proof."

"The obvious choice." Nuriko added.

Selene grinned and pointed to the approaching spheres of chi. "They really are well suited."

Amber glared as Selene released her, but turned away, seeming to notice Raya for the first time. "Who are you?" she asked.

"I'm Raya, the Watcher."

"Right."

Raya sighed. "Selene will vouch for me."

Amber looked to the Guide for confirmation, glaring at Raya out of the corner of her eye. "The Watcher?"

"Yes."

"Okay." She turned back to Raya with a smile. "I'm Amber. Nice to meet you." Raya nodded, unsure of what to say after Amber's sudden mood swing.

Selene gave a small smirk and turned to Raya. "In order to stop the unnecessary continuation of unkind aggravation between the two I'll have to sacrifice my brother's teddy bear so that it can lay an egg in the mystic lands of the banjo. If the teddy bear doesn't lay a egg, I must find the crazy hermit who prophesizes and kill him, burning his kidney as a gift to the all powerful gods of the spleen, taking great care that the blood does not drip onto the mystic two-stringed guitar flower known only as Billy-bob." She paused to take a breath before continuing. "But Chinese midgets were born in the Year of the Purple Bullfrog, so the two-stringed guitar flower will be named Jeremiah and have six strings. Due to the increase in quartz, the windmills will fall with a single poke of Don Quixote's lance and he will be victorious as his horse, Rockinante, rides off into the sunset to gather more of the Ladyflower that will force the teddy bear to give birth." She finished, panting heavily, and looked to the others for a response.

Raya grinned. "But what about Shakespeare?" Selene quirked an eyebrow. "He too was born in the Year of the Purple Bullfrog, so he is doomed to be within the windmills as Rockinante and Don Quixote nock them over. The increased weight of the windmill will cause an imbalance across the Earth, and it will force the land to sink under the waves, thus creating the legend of Atlantis and paving the way for prehistoric man to walk across the watery deserts of Africa."

Mitsukake groaned. "Now they won't stop."

"Why not?" Hotohori asked.

"They won't be outdone by the other. It's a competition."

"Oh."

In the background they could hear Selene responding to Raya's challenge. "But if the lands sink beneath the waves, the flames of hell will be displaced, and forced above ground, trapping the three-footed mongoose in Antarctica where it will begin its plans of world domination."

Raya countered quickly. "Unless of course, the pink-beaked pelican intervenes and introduces the clawed snake, thus killing the mongoose and starting their own reign of terror that will spread according to the laws of the backwards paperclip I found in Amber's pocket…"

Amber put her head in her hands. "It's going to be a long night."

* * *

So, what do you think of Raya? And of the prophecy fight? Of anything? Please review and let me know. 

MS


	17. Queen

**Chapter Sixteen: Queen**

Solei walked determinedly through the forest, brushing away branches that occasionally threatened to smack her face and catch in her blond curls. Patiently she continued on her way, yet she knew that once more something followed her. A blinding flare of orange light interspersed with flashes of purple polka-dots lit up the air in front of her and Solei raised her glaive, preparing for the worst. A creature emerged from the light, and Solei was forced to step back from the portal. A glob of wet, disgusting something hit her face as the light faded away, and she wiped it off slowly, trying to get every drop of the spit that had landed on her. Only when she had herself sufficiently clean did she chance a better look at the creature.

"A llama?" she asked, trying to determine if she was dreaming.

An unintelligible string of a language followed, and it took Solei a moment to realize that it was coming from the llama. It had a significant twang to it that Solei determined to be from the Bronx in New York.

"Sorry about that." Solei glanced up to see the llama's rider speaking. "His name is Bob. He speaks Swahili."

She looked at him, confused. "Swahili? Do you speak Swahili?"

The rider looked taken aback. "No. But Bob does."

"Oh…Who are you?"

"It depends. Who are you?" The rider appeared to be completely serious, and Solei answered without hesitation.

"I am Kyoueino Solei, the Thirteenth Dark Angel Kamai, Daughter of Caelestis, Destroyer of Worlds, and the Goddess Protector."

He smiled widely and waved, teetering slightly on his llama. "Hi. I'm Ryndacko."

"Where are you from?" she asked, trying to determine if he was a friend or foe.

"I am from the land of the One-Named-People." he said grandly. "From far to the up."

She gave him a look saying that he should be in a nuthouse. "Why are you here?"

"I was sent by the god Thaddeus" he paused. "Ted for short; to turn straw into gold." His thick, dark brown brows furrowed together. "Or gold into straw. I don't remember which."

Solei barely resisted smacking her forehead with her free hand. "The god Thaddeus?" she questioned, certain he was being sarcastic.  
"Yes. The god Thaddeus. Ted for short." His deep brown eyes caught hers. "He is the god of hedgehogs, blueberries, and waffle irons."

"Uh huh." Solei was unconvinced. "What do you want?"

"I have come for all steak."

"What?"

The knight blinked twice, and then grinned and waved. "Aloha." The sky flared again in the same eye-smarting colours, and Ryndacko was gone.

"What an odd man." Solei stared at the spot he had vanished from, and was temporarily blinded when a flash of lavender-white announced the opening of another portal. A tall, auburn haired woman on a beautiful pure white steed stood in the place of the rickety knight.

"Are you okay?" she asked, starting to dismount from the horse.

Solei waved her back up. "Fine. Who are you?" 'The Queen has arrived.' her mind answered.

"My name is Nicole." She glanced around and her eyes fell on the spot where Solei had flicked the llama's spit. "Did you by any chance see a tall man in armor riding a black llama?"

"Does the llama speak Swahili with a Bronx accent?"

Nicole nodded. "That's the one."

Solei grinned. "He left just a moment ago."

A frustrated expression came over Nicole's face and she concentrated for a moment. "Thank you." she said as she disappeared in another flash of light. "Bye!"

Solei waved. "Bye." she responded to the empty space. She shook her head. "Focus, Solei. You have a god to kill." A hardened look entered her eyes, and she resumed her determined walk into the forest.

* * *

Amber glanced around. "Does anyone have a pair of earmuffs?" she looked slightly desperate to block out the prophetic babblings of Raya and Selene.

Heads shook a disappointing no around the garden. "Damn." she muttered. A burst of tie-dyed light blinded all of them, and when the spots disappeared from their vision, they didn't believe what they saw. A tall man in rag-tag armor was on all fours, and a pitch black llama sat primly on his back. The llama dismounted, and the knight stood up.

"Aloha." He smiled goofily and waved, looking slightly down at everyone from his height of 6'3".

Raya turned to face him as he spoke. "BEHOLD!" she thundered. "THE BEARER OF THE BRONZE PICKLE!" Something flashed in the knight's eyes, and he dropped back to his knees, feverishly digging. The dirt flew everywhere, forcing all of the warriors to cover their eyes.

They heard a soft 'thump' and an even softer voice. "Ryndacko, cut it out." The dirt stopped flying immediately.

"Why did you do that?" Selene asked quickly.

Ryndacko poked his head out of the hole. "Do what?"

"Dig a hole?"

"What hole?"

Selene growled. "The hole you're standing in."

Ryndacko looked down. "This isn't a hole."

"Then what is it?"

He stood thoughtful for a moment. "It's a negative hill." he answered a moment later.

"A negative hill?"

Ryndacko climbed out of his creation, futilely trying to brush dust off of his armor. "Aloha." he answered.

"What kind of answer is that?" Amber emerged from behind Tasuki, who looked less than pleased at having been used as a protector from dust and dirt.

The woman interrupted, answering for the goofy knight. "It's a typical Ryndacko answer."

"Who are you?" Hotohori's regal tones overrode any other speech.

The woman smiled. "I'm Nicole Kamoku." She glanced over to the knight who still smile slightly and smacked his arm to get his attention.

He waved. "Aloha. I'm Ryndacko."

"Where are you two from?" Nuriko asked.

"I'm from…" Nicole paused. "Somewhere other than here." Ryndacko was less than inclined to answer as he was studying his negative hill, so Nicole continued. "Ryndacko is from the land of the One-Named-People."

The knight looked up from the hole. "From far to the up." he added.

"Nicole?" Raya had inched away from Nuriko as the two had introduced themselves, and now focused intently on the woman. "Is that you?"

Nicole looked over to Raya. "Raya!" She raced over to the quiet watcher and enveloped her in a tight hug, leaving everyone confused except for Selene.

Nuriko shook his head. "Did I miss something?"

"No." Selene answered. She turned to the pair of girls. "Would you like to explain?"

Raya stepped out of Nicole's arms. "We're sisters." she said simply. "Separated for…"

Nicole cut in. "A long while."

Nods went around, and Amber jumped even further forward. "HI!" she said, extending a hand to Ryndacko.

He took it and pumped it up and down extravagantly. Nicole laid a gentle hand on his bicep and he stopped immediately, snaking his arm around her waist.

Nicole faced the group. "Who are all of the rest of you?"

Selene rolled her eyes and began. "I'm Selene."

Mitsukake walked forward and set one of his hands on Selene's slender shoulder. "I'm Mitsukake."

"My name is Nuriko." He nodded his head to the new pair, and glanced sidelong at Raya, trying to be discrete. His glance went largely unnoticed, but Selene saw and got a matchmaking glint in her eyes.

"HENTAI!"

Everyone slapped their hands to their ears except Ryndacko who seemed unaffected by the shout.

"That's Amber." Selene explained. A loud SMASH punctuated her words, and she didn't even blink in astonishment. "And the pancake is Tasuki." Tasuki weakly waved a flat hand and Amber flailed her whole arm in greeting, her smile bright.

Amber walked over after flattening Tasuki a second time for good measure. "Why are you guys here."

Ryndacko answered before Nicole. "I was sent by the god Thaddeus, Ted for short, to turn straw into gold." Nicole sighed. "Or gold into straw. I don't remember which."

"I was summoned, same as the rest of you."

"We were summoned?" Amber looked startled. "Why?"

Selene cringed. "You were summoned because you are essential to the Prophecy of the Goddess." she said. "Amber, you're the Daughter of the God, I am the Guide, Raya is the Watcher, and Nicole-"

"Is the Queen." Nicole finished her tone turning just sharp enough to discourage questions.

"What exactly is this prophecy about?" Amber asked.

Selene glanced to Hotohori. "Is there a place more secluded than this garden?" she paused. "This could take awhile."

Hotohori nodded. "I'll have the servants prepare a room, it should be ready when we get there." He summoned a servant and gave them very detailed instructions, waiting until the boy had raced off to face the group. "We'll take the scenic route through the gardens." They nodded, and he slowly rose, leading the group through the elaborately twisting paths of the Imperial Gardens.

* * *

How does Ryndacko strike you? What do you think of him? And of Nicole? And of the llama?

Llama

Llama

Duck

Review please

MS


	18. Prophecy

**Chapter Seventeen: Prophecy**

_A wrought iron gate stands between him and the fight. A lithe blond is engaged in battle with an ancient monster, and he can do nothing. He heaves on the metal, but it doesn't give an inch. A sense of urgency fills him, and he knows that he needs to be inside the doors if the woman is to succeed. The monster lashes out with stinging tentacles and although the blond dodges, she is still hit. He waits in vain for the woman to move, but she remains motionless. The demon moves in for the kill, but a voice stops time._

_"You have a choice:" the voice says softly. "You can turn your back on her and walk away unscathed and unchanged. The prophecy will be unaffected by your choice. "_

_"Or?" he prompts, his voice quiet. "Or?"_

_The voice finishes. "Or you can weaken yourself to help her, and take the risk of one or both of you dying anyways." He glances at the charred ground, taking the destruction that has been released upon the fields once green and rich with crops._

_"What happens outside the gates with each choice?" he asks. "What are the consequences?"_

_"They are unknowns." comes the reply. "You will have to wait and see."_

_He nods, his cool gaze fixated on the blond whose life lies in his hands. "She lives."_

Nakago awoke from his dream, the sense of desperation from the images still lying with him. He reflected and knew that the mysterious blond was Solei.

'Why send me such a dream?" he asked himself, knowing that his decision in the dream meant more than just her life. 'Why show me her possible death?'

_'Because the dream-spirits know you CARE, dimwit boy!'_

Nakago growled at his inner voice. 'I do not care. She is a trifle to me, only another task.'

_'Then why are you even bothering to argue with me about it?'_ the voice asked smugly. _'Why do you deny it?'_

He just ignored the voice and turned his attention to the Mirror of Ray that lay safely in its pouch. He pulled it open and hesitated before running his fingers across the clouded surface, thinking of Solei as he did so. A flash of white light faded away from the mirror and he saw Solei standing alone in a small grotto in a forest not far from the border of Kutou. She shook her head and continued towards the apex of the four lands, her head held high and her glaive a crusty red from dried blood. He watched her walk away, thinking about the dream and about everything that had been said.

"I thought at first something might be there, but I was wrong. I apologize for my stupidity regarding my actions, and wish only to inform you that you will no longer see me, since it is evident you do not want to." She had left with those words. They echoed in his mind, making him reflect even more.

"Do not toy with her, General." the god of the underworld had said. "Do not play games with her heart." Games. That was what it all came down to. Was it all a game? She was no longer with Nuriko… He shook his head.

'All of this time with no opponent is making me weak.' he thought. He took a glance at his bookshelf before he left. The book entitled "Angel" was gone.

* * *

They all gathered in the large room, seated around the table in alternating pairs; boy girl, boy girl. Selene sat at the foot of the table, looking straight at Hotohori.

"The prophecy has existed for centuries, and every time either my sister or I have taken it upon ourselves to complete it."

He nodded gravely. "What is this prophecy?"

She took a deep breath. "Would you care to hear it in rhyme?" nods came from all around the table. "As you would, Raya, please oblige." With a nod, the red-head closed her eyes and drifted away to the first time she had spoken the Prophecy, the first time she had known what lay in store for her and the others who now hung on her every word.

"The gods have quarreled

Since the beginning of time

Over power and position

Opposition's sublime.

One has always sought control

Far beyond his rank

His power reaches far and wide

Into magics dark and dank.

To continue his line

His children were born

One for the night

One for the morn.

Solei and Selene

The sun and the moon

Were his vessels of power

Controlled by a tune.

Then they awoke

And got out of hand

Caelestis killed them

To retain his command.

The girls were reborn

To bring about his demise

And under other names

They were forced to live lies.

One was a Protector

The other, a Guide

Their mission was impossible

And they vanished inside.

Another vessel

Of power appeared

The Daughter of the God

A child to be feared.

Together the three

Could topple the god

Yet they were unable

As he had the Rod.

They found the Watcher

The observer of all

The only one

That could foresee the pall.

With her came

The elusive Queen

As ready to fight

As she had ever been.

Games are played

By only one

Most are successful

Once they are done.

The collection of few

Must fight together

If they hope to replace

Caelestis forever.

Such success cannot come

Without a small price

The life of a twin

Comes at the toss of a dice.

For she is the one

Who is forced to play games

And yet gets mixed up

Within the maze of names.

Every time

The group succeeds

The god reappears

To fulfill his needs.

It's an endless circle

Of death to partake

And then once more

The three will awake." She finished the prophecy and looked around to see the reactions of the gathered crew. Amber looked slightly taken aback, and Selene was contemplating something deeply, glancing at Hotohori as she thought. Nicole was unfazed, having heard the words before.

"So essentially we're only here to provide strength to Solei as she fights against Caelestis." Amber summarized.

"What's this Rod the prophecy mentions?" Hotohori asked.

"The Rod is a wand of sorts that controls our father's hoards and minions." Selene trailed her fingers across the tabletop, following the wood-grain. "The tone it emits used to control Solei and I as well."

"What about me?" Amber asked, seeming disappointed at her lack of mention.

"You are needed to keep the partnership separated."

"What?" Amber didn't understand Selene's slightly cryptic response.

Nicole clarified. "You get to keep the Demon God busy so he can't lend his strength to Caelestis."

"NASTY!" Everyone cringed at the volume of her voice.

"Please tone it down, Amber." Hotohori requested. "There are others in the palace."

She smiled guiltily. "Sorry bout that. But it's still nasty."

"It's not meant like that, Amber." Nicole tried to pacify the distraught girl.

Selene cleared her throat. "Not necessarily…"

"Meaning?"

"Meaning that you might be pushed into an uncomfortable situation, Amber." Selene looked as distraught as her eyes would allow. Tasuki shifted slightly in his seat to Amber's left, but remained silent. All of the girls noticed him and smiled slightly. The other guys were stumped.

"Where do I come into this?" Ryndacko asked seriously.

Nicole answered. "You are here to help me."

"Of course. And for you I shall turn gold into straw." Nicole laughed and relaxed against him.

"And the rest of us guys?" Tasuki asked. "Are we just supposed to hang around while the girls do all the work?" his face clearly said that this was not a good idea. "Girls couldn't pull it off." Four heads snapped towards him, flames building in their eyes as their fury took different channels. Amber was first to act, and the loud smack echoed throughout the room.

"I would prefer that you refrain from breaking chairs, Amber."

She grinned sheepishly at Hotohori. "Sorry…"

"GIRLS COULDN'T PULL IT OFF!" Raya's face was flushed, her entire body tense and ready to kill.

Tasuki seemed to recognize the error of his ways, yet his pride forced him to continue. "Well, ya'll failed the first time ya tried."

A flurry of knives pinned him to the ground where he still lay after Amber's attack. "You know nothing of the first try, Flame boy." He tried to move, but the daggers held firm. Selene glared and he stopped struggling. "Shall we show him what the girls can do?" she asked, looking around the table for approval. Even the guys nodded in consent.

"Gather round, ladies." Selene motioned for the others to join her, grinning malevolently down at her pinned captive. Four spiteful gazes intensified as they gathered around him. A loud clank interrupted the advancing females.

"Ryndacko…" Nicole's voice held a hint of warning.

"Aloha." He hadn't moved.

"What was that noise?" Raya's voice wavered slightly as she glanced around. Nothing was out of place.

Selene closed her eyes and recalled her knives from Tasuki's garments, releasing him from his confinement. "Who comes within this place uninvited?" Her tones were cold, and no weakness was to be found.

"I am Zephyr, child of the Demon God." Came the hissing reply.

Amber gripped her mallet tighter. "And I assume you're here to take me to him." She no longer had any questions.

"The partnership requires it."

Amber growled. "Tell my father he requires something else."

Zephyr was curious, but didn't move from his place in the shadows. "And what is that, little sister?"

"Castration."

* * *

Okay, that's all for now. I'll leave you here with this last word. Heh. Sry, but it's just my style. 

Llama.

Please review

MS


End file.

Fushigi Yuugi, Romance