Prologue

Ren smiled in contemplation as Akito's body fell to Shigure's mercy, as she watched her daughter being taken by perverted writer. Akito tipped her head back as Shigure kissed his way up to her ear and threaded his fingers through her hand as he gently pressed further, eliciting a soft groan from her as he did. The tie of the suit that she had worn that day lay discarded at Shigure's feet, the top was underneath her back and the pants in a heap a few feet away. Akito's hands were reaching slowly up to cup Shigure's face as she smiled as him in a way she hadn't for years.

Through the small crack in the door, Ren's dark eyes watched in sheer enjoyment as her mind concocted devious plots for this latest transgression. She watched the maids flit around with their eyes resting on her for only a few seconds, knowing it was best not to confront her. As the two through the doorway were close to the end she left soundlessly to confront Kureno about it, to inform Akito's favorite pet what she had seen and perhaps to do something that would anger her precious daughter. Ren laughed at the thought of what she could do and sped up her pace until her hands gripped Kureno's shoulders as he went down the hall.

"Hello birdie," Ren cooed as Kureno stopped in surprise.

"Ren-san." Kureno acknowledged, his coat slung over his arm reminiscent of a waiter as he shrugged her off to face her.

"Busy?"

"Not particularly." Kureno responded, he slid open the panel door to his room and entered without another word to Ren. The woman was upon him in a matter of seconds, grasping his wrists and standing an arms length away to admire her daughter's conquest.

"I haven't said hello in ages!" Ren informed him, her smile widening.

"I do have to go to Akito-san." Kureno countered his eyes narrowing in suspicion as the woman's eyes lit up in delight.

"Of course." Ren said with a nod but she did not release him, "That wont be possible, as she is with Shigure."

"I am allowed to see her when it pleases me to do so." Kureno said with a sharp intake of breath.

"Yes… well. I'm afraid she's in a bit of a personal situation with him now." Ren whispered, "Much like the two of you were recently."

The look that crossed Kureno's face was somewhere between surprise and shock as Ren nodded solemnly to him and went to sit comfortably on the former Rooster's futon. Kureno knew she was telling the truth when the pleased glimmer in her eyes increased at his response, he loosened his tie and dropped it to the floor.

"Is that so?" Kureno asked lightly in an effort to seem unaffected by this.

"She practically took control herself." Ren added, smiling wickedly at his back.

"You came to tell me this in the hopes I would become jealous. Did you not?" Kureno responded as he sat beside her in the effort to remain cold towards the subject.

Ren curled her fingers around his forearm gently and squeezed as she nodded, Kureno sighed and looked at her finally.

"Make her jealous of you." Ren suggested, her body language suggesting just that and Kureno sighed again, the woman covered her face with her free hand, "She would do the same to you!"

"I know." Kureno snapped, he looked away from her and closed his eyes.

Ren was close now, too close but Kureno did nothing to prevent her. A small part of him longed to refuse her advances, knowing full well that she was bad news, however the rest of him cried out for revenge against Akito for her mistake. A bigger part of him that would not be refused and he turned back to the older woman with vengeance in his stare and gave an imperceptible nod to her. Ren laughed and took him by the collar to kiss him, a kiss that signified her conquest and she fell back with the former Rooster atop her.

In the hours that passed during Akito's deep sleep Shigure had left and Kureno had returned to her side, with a scent other than his own, a scent the woke the head of the family in a hurry. Akito stared in confusion at the guilty eyes that lay before him upon her former juunishi's face, the scent was obvious but Akito's mind did not register Ren's perfume and searched for another possibility. When no other appeared Akito's jaw dropped and she stared in deeper confusion at Kureno.

"I'm sorry." Kureno whispered, his voice barely above nothingness. He sat a few feet away, a safe distance he had judged it, and of course he was wrong to underestimate the reach of his lover's arm.

Akito narrowed her eyes at Kureno and pulled the discarded kimono closer around her shoulders with a shiver, a shiver that was her consciousness rejecting what instinct said was true. Kureno let his shoulders droop and rose to close the door and tear curious eyes away from what he knew would happen here.

"You slept with her?" Akito cried, disbelievingly.

Kureno froze, he hadn't expected the question so soon, but he remained quiet.

"Answer me!" Akito shouted, she had already thrust her arms into the kimono and was tying it closed as she rose from her futon.

"I slept with Ren-san." Kureno admitted lowly, his knuckles turned white as he closed the door with an iron grip.

"Bastard!" Akito screeched, her voice cracking softly. She lifted the ceramic teapot from the tray and hurled it at him angrily.

The teapot connected with a crunch to the back of Kureno's head as he stayed stationary to the blow, shards of clay clinked down the former Rooster's back and blood started to trickle almost immediately. Outside the room were frantic footsteps that resounded down the hallway, past Ren who smiled at the crash, and the maid burst through the open doors onto the lawn that separated the distance between the house and the one Hatori used.

"I'm sorry." Kureno whispered as he started to turn away from the door but found that it hurt too much to move his head. Akito's rage would not be sated until something stopped her from a rampage, apparently an apology was not it and she sent the entire tea tray sailing across the room.

"Why?" Akito shouted, she kicked the wooden tray away from Kureno's feet and grabbed his shirt, "Why damn it?"

"Because you slept with Shigure!" Kureno cried his eyes becoming clouded as he did. Slowly he lifted a hand to his forehead and glanced shakily at Akito.

"Kureno?" Akito asked her grip loosening and she stepped back to give him some room, "Are you okay?"

"I don't… think so…" Kureno whispered as he slid a finger experimentally to the spot on the back of his head were a piece of clay had lodged itself into his skin. When he withdrew his hand it was covered in red liquid, which the former zodiac didn't quite register as blood, Akito on the other hand gasped at the amount that had flown out. It was a surprise that Kureno was still awake at all, that vaguely crossed Akito's mind as the sound of pounding feet came down the hall.

Kureno reached back again and tested the clay, wincing at it and then swaying slightly, Akito covered her mouth and collapsed to her knees.

"Don't… pull it out!" Akito pleaded, but someone she couldn't bring herself to rise again.

Kureno nodded and then promptly collapsed and Akito screamed to punctuate it, the door slammed open and Hatori almost tripped over the bleeding Kureno in an effort to enter the room. Ren was leaning against the wall several feet away from the door with a smile on her face.

"You!" Akito hissed, she rose to attack her mother but Hatori's hand stopped her, she merely bit her lip and glared, "You bitch!"

"You did it." Ren pointed out, her thin pale finger extending in a slight motion to Kureno's body on the floor.

"I hate you!" Akito shouted, she could feel Hatori's arm locked around her and carry her further into the room and the door closed as a maid did the favor of removing Ren from Akito's sight.

"What happened?" Hatori queried as he lifted the blanket from the askew futon and laid it over Kureno.

"You have to help him!" Akito cried her fingers curling around Hatori's wrist.

"I am having the maid call an ambulance," Hatori responded, "That is the most I can do at this point… he may die you know."

"He can't!" Akito pleaded as tears ran down her face, "I didn't… I didn't mean to…"

A siren pierced the silence, things went a little hazy as Hatori lifted the hysterical girl from the floor and carried her to an adjoining room to let the medics do their job. Akito wailed incoherently that Kureno couldn't possibly die before finally Hatori had to cover her mouth and shush her softly. Although she quieted, Akito did not sleep that night. Her body was sore from the events of the day and something stirred inside her that made her cling tighter to Hatori and cry silently in his arms.