Kaiiya and Kawa

by Shadow of Athena

this story has some names u might recognise but they DO NOT belong to me!I thank my cousin 4 helping me with this story.Please read and review thanks!

By: Brooke Robinson and Janelle Erno

Introduction

Two sisters, bonded by blood. Both half-breeds: one half-demon, the other half-wolf. Kaiiya, the half-demon, has claws, sensitive smell, a hypnotic song, and a peculiar stance. There are occasions where Kaiiya transforms into a full demon, with great rage and glowing red eyes. It is a power to be feared. She is 16 years old, 5'7 in height, tan, and curvy. Her hair is red with black streaks, her eyes azure blue. Kaiiya's normal clothing of choice is a black and red halter top, a short black skirt with laced leggings, black leather high-rise boots, a spiked wristband, and a red choker necklace. Her personality is seemingly unapproachable, but on the inside she has a desire to be nice, yet has a difficult time doing so. She is also very stubborn. Kaiiya has the tendency to be rude, but it always turns out for good. Kawa, the half-wolf, has similar abilities to her younger half-sister, such as claws, a keen smell, and a hypnotic "song." Another ability she has is her terrific night vision. She is able to turn into a full wolf when provoked. Though older than her sister, she is shorter, 5'2. The 22 year old has long light brown hair and pure blue eyes. She normally sports a yellow sleeveless hoodie, dark blue leggings, and a crescent-shaped necklace, wearing no shoes. She is known to have a short temper, but is generally friendly, yet is a loner. Kawa has a sense of justice and wants to make sure that justice is being met. She loves the woods, where she spends a great deal of time singing and exploring. She is determined and just as stubborn as Kaiiya. Both Kawa and Kaiiya can retract their ears and long claws (the tail as well for Kawa) to hide their true appearance. The duo can run with great speed and uphold strength. Both come from a wealthy family, but are not lazy or spoiled. Join them, as they enter life with their powers and as they face newfound dangers.

Chapter 1:Daily Life of Sisters

"Hey, Kaiiya, can you get me a spoon while you're up?" asked Kawa.

"Whatever," muttered Kaiiya and she literally tossed Kawa a spoon.

It was a usual, partly-sunny morning at the house where the sisters Kawa and Kaiiya Kitayama resided along with their mother, Izumi. Both of their fathers had died, so all they had left was their mother. The sisters didn't know their fathers, nor did they know each other's father. Because of this and their human mother, the two believed that the other was human, and therefore must hide their true identity. Neither could reveal themselves and risk a sister being petrified and have both feel awkward about the situation.

Kawa enjoyed her cereal and every last drop of milk from the bowl. Kaiiya normally pretended not to notice and had to force herself daily from rolling her eyes at her sister's strange habits. Kaiiya's usual breakfast consisted of bacon, eggs, and toast, along with freshly squeezed orange juice. After both cleaned up after their dishes, they got ready for the day and headed outside. Many times they would do something or go somewhere together; other times, they parted ways to secretly train to become more powerful than before. Specifically, this routine took place every other day. They had spent the day together yesterday, so today, both would go their separate ways to train. Kawa would go to the woods to practice, while Kaiiya went to an empty field. They waved each other goodbye as they headed towards their typical training grounds. They would always meet up with a smile on their face, satisfied they grew stronger, and walk together back home. "Girls, you forgot to bring your lunches with you today," stated their mother as they walked in the door. "Oh, that's ok, I ate a dee-I mean, I had lunch," Kaiiya said. "And I went fishing today," replied Kawa. "Oh. Well, dinner will be done shortly," said their mother. Though they were wealthy, living in the countryside, their mother never hired help, but insisted on doing things herself. She had said something about being independent and doing things as she did when she was growing up. "So, what did you two do today?" asked their mother as she sat down with the food at the table. Kaiiya and Kawa looked up at each other, unsure of what to say. Kawa gazed at her food as she said, "I went into the woods today." Kaiiya looked down at the floor as she mumbled, "Just went exploring again." Their mother peered at them with concern, replying, "So, why is it that you always come home dirty with scratches and cuts?" The girls bit their tongues, attempting to create an alibi. Kaiiya remarked that she would get into fights; Kawa only blushed and stated that she was a klutz. Seeing where this was going, their mother let them off the hook, but mentally sighed. Each night, the girls would fall asleep in their rooms, and as they drifted off to sleep, they would wish to have known their fathers, and to be able to reveal their true selves.

The next morning, the duo consumed their breakfast, made their lunches, and spent the entire day together. Once in a while, they would go into town to see what was going on. Kawa, the more expressive of the two, gasped when they located a flyer on a pole that advertised for a carnival coming up in the next couple of months. Kaiiya frowned as she asked, "Why would they tell you about it four months beforehand?" Kawa read on, searching for more information. "It looks like they want everyone to know so that they can be prepared in advanced, because people will want to participate." Kaiiya simply put her hands on her hips, saying, "It's still stupid." The girls passed by the shops and food stands. "Looks like they're giving away free samples," said Kaiiya. Every stand that day had free samples to try, so what else could they do but try them all? They stood in front of the flower shop eventually. Kaiiya looked away. Kawa gawked, wishing someone would bring her flowers. Only Kaiiya knew that she herself had secretly wished the same; it wasn't so much the flowers as it was the one who brought them. She often hid these sort of feelings by using cynicism. However, today, she just changed the subject. "Are…are you hungry?" Kawa frowned and looked at her lunch in her hand. "After all those free samples, not really." Kaiiya had to agree. They would just have to save it for tomorrow, wherever the other went. "Oh!" Kawa exclaimed. "I just realized I need to buy something." Kaiiya looked at her quizzically. Kawa explained, "I need a few first aid kits...for…whenever we get hurt…" She feigned a smile, because the kits were for her and Kaiiya, however Kaiiya got herself injured. The kits were purchased, and the girls went home as the sun was going down. Kaiiya secretly admired the brilliant sunset, but refused to show it. Kawa said nothing as well, but the expression of awe was there. After dining with their mother, they both went to bed fairly early, so that they would be rejuvenated for the next day for training. I don't know how much longer I can keep this up, thought both Kaiiya and Kawa unknowingly at the same time.

Chapter 2: Secrets Exposed

Two weeks had passed since then. Today was the day they'd spent time together rather than apart. The location they had wandered to was Apple Tree Grove, in the countryside, where there was copious amount of apple trees and small wildlife. A brown rabbit hopped nearby, whose scent tingled the girls' noses. Both stared intensely at the rabbit, longing to capture and kill it. However, both were cautious to reveal their true selves, so they held back. Kawa snarled and paused when she realized Kaiiya was present, so she refrained. Kaiiya stared wide-eyed, hungry for rabbit, so she started to creep slowly in the grass. When she realized she wasn't alone, she quickly pretended to have lost something in the grass. "Oh, here it is!" she exclaimed, smiling and laughing nervously. Kawa squeezed her fists so she wouldn't unravel her sharp claws. Kaiiya anxiously gritted her teeth. She then looked up to see Kawa staring at her with a strange look on her face. "Do you always sit like that?" asked Kawa. "Y-yes," Kaiiya stammered," it helps me to relax, and it's comfortable." The moment Kawa looked away, she felt a slight breeze. She turned to the direction it was coming from, noticing that Kaiiya was gone. "Uh, Kaiiya?" Kawa called. "Yeah," responded Kaiiya, who was nonchalantly sitting high on a tree branch. "Uh, how did you get all the way up there that quick?" asked Kawa. Kaiiya said, "Ah, well, I've always just been really fast and pretty good at climbing." Kawa sharpened her claws on a tree, aiming to get rid of her urge to attack the rabbit. Kaiiya took notice of her tree-clawing and asked, "What in the world are you doing?" Kawa quickly put her hands behind her back, eyes wide. But before she could answer, Kaiiya was already on the ground…and sniffing the air? Kaiiya fought the extreme urge to transform into her half-demon self and to strike that tasty little rabbit. Her growling grew louder until she couldn't take it anymore. "I can't keep up with this charade!" she exclaimed in frustration. "I've kept it a secret from you for sixteen years so you wouldn't hate me, but I can't do it anymore! I am a half-demon. My father was a dog demon, but he died when Mother was pregnant. I'm sorry, but, this is the real me." She allowed her teeth to reveal fangs, for her claws to become long, and for her dog ears to rise out of her hair. Kawa was stunned beyond words. Kaiiya waited for Kawa's response. Kawa softly spoke, "I've been keeping a secret from you as well, Kaiiya. You see, I am half-wolf." Her ears, claws, and tail were revealed. It was Kaiiya's turn to be stunned. "My father died when I was just a baby. I've been keeping this secret from you for the very same reason, but it looks like we don't have to worry about that anymore, seeing as we have more in common than we thought." An awkward silence filled the air for a minute as they took in what just occurred. Kaiiya broke the silence by bursting out laughing at the irony of it all. Kawa started laughing with her. How silly it was to hide virtually the same secret for all this time! Naturally, Kaiiya showed off her skills to impress her sister, although Kawa took her turn to show Kaiiya what she can do. Both were amazed and relieved. They felt free from the burden of hiding who they truly were. From then on, they were their natural selves unless they went into town. Their mother could say nothing when she spied them donning their natural bodies. What could she say? She contemplated about them everyday but rarely spoke a word about it.

Chapter 3: Rescuing Neko

Kawa sat on her favorite large rock in the woods, where she'd always practice her singing, as well as hypnotic power on small woodland creatures. She paused for a minute to gather in the fresh air. If she belonged anywhere, it was here. In the stillness of the forest, she heard a faint sound with her sensitive ears. She opened her eyes and paid attention to that noise in the distance. She located the sound, deciding to check it out. She silently followed the noise until it was within close range. Finally, her eyes spotted where the noise was coming from. There, on the rocky hill, was a little girl, curled up in a ball, crying. When Kawa got closer, she noticed this wasn't a human girl-why, she had cat ears, whiskers, and a tail! Kawa stood up, walking cautiously towards the sobbing child. The little girl's ears twitched, signaling that she was aware that someone was in front of her. She slowly looked up, tears still in her eyes. Kawa knelt down beside her, asking, "What's wrong?" The child sniffed, still bitterly weeping as she attempted to talk, "M-my imm-mm-mmediate f-f-family d-died!" She struggled to continue as she wailed. "Our v-village got b-burnt down and they d-didn't m-make it out al-live!" Kawa was concerned for the girl, allowing her to cry until she could calm down more. All Kawa could do was to sit beside her. Kawa didn't want to open her mouth and say something worse, but she wasn't certain, so she asked anyways, "Did everyone in your family die or is there someone to take care of you?" The child had lifted her head out of her lap, but looked away. "Everyone else lives too far away." Kawa was at a loss for words, but offered to bring her back to Kawa's town. The girl agreed, because she had no other place to go. They went down a ways, but the child's stomach growled. "I'm hungry." Kawa lead the two of them to a lake. The child watched with intense interest as the half-wolf caught them some fish. As they dined, Kawa asked, "What is your name?" The girl finished chewing and swallowing her piece of fish before responding, "It's Neko." Kawa smiled. She didn't expect to hear Neko's story next.

Neko spoke softly, "I was picking flowers in a field outside the village when I thought I heard screaming coming from my village. At first, I didn't move, because I was terrified. But I had to see what was going on, so I ran as fast I could with my flowers in my hand, to the direction of my village. When I got there, flames and smoke were filling up all over the place. I was scared, so I went to find my mommy. When I got there, I was too late. I dropped the flowers that were in my hand and took off. There was no one left in the village. I didn't know what happened. I left and came up here. Maybe I should live up here. It's not like my family far away wants me. It's because I'm not fully human." Kawa said nothing for a minute, taking Neko's tragic story in. She pondered all of it, but knew the feeling of Neko's last few words. "I'm sure that last part is not true, Neko. Why wouldn't they want you? Why wouldn't they want someone who's part cat? But…I do get what you feel on that. Me and my sister have had to hide our true selves from relatives that never bother to visit or keep in touch. They know our mother married non-humans, and have shunned her and us. They don't know us. Instead they judge us because we aren't like them." Neko nodded. "No matter," Kawa continued, "we'll take you in. Either that, or we'll find you a home." Neko looked at the ground, nodding again. "Come on, let's go home," offered Kawa. She could tell Neko was apprehensive about meeting new people, and whether or not they'd accept her. As they were heading down, Kawa's ears picked up another sound. She and Neko paused. Kawa's nose detected the scent. "Don't move," she whispered to Neko. Neko obeyed, fearful of what they had come across. Kawa carefully turned around to see a huge bear. Kawa knew she could outrun the bear, but Neko was another story. Kawa waited for what the bear might do. He appeared aggressive, and the look in his eyes said he wanted to tear them apart. Kawa darted as fast as she could to Neko and climbed up one of the trees. She rested Neko on a branch, so she could go down to face the beast.

Kawa attempted to understand what was going through the bear's mind before she attacked. All she could see was anger and the intent to destroy other creatures, especially ones that had any human resemblance. He swiped a claw at her, but missed. Kawa prepared her claws to defend herself and Neko. She flipped in the air, landing on his back. He tried to throw her off, but she dug her claws into his fur more tightly. He tossed himself on his back to get her off, but she lifted him up with her strength and tossed him seven feet. She decided to play a game with him. "Here I am!" she called behind a tree. He ran over to the tree. "Oh, too slow!" she peeked out from behind a different tree. The confused bear ran to that tree. "Now I'm over here!" she grinned. The bear circled the tree. Kawa was now standing on the branch above him. She flew down, elbowing him in the side. He grabbed her with his teeth and pulled her away. She had to act fast before he killed her. She reached her arms toward his face and held tight to his neck with her claws. With that, she was able to toss him on his back. While he was down, she picked him up and threw him hard. He wasn't getting back up, as Kawa could see from the top of the tree she had just jumped on. She found Neko, carried her on her back, and took off before there was more dangerous encounters. Back at home, Kawa introduced her family to Neko. Kaiiya just stared. Their mother greeted her with a smile, "I'm Izumi. Welcome!" Her smile reassured Neko. The girl stayed at the house for a few days, until a couple decided to take her under their wings. While she stayed with Kawa's family, she helped their mother around the house, and stayed clear of Kaiiya. She looked scary and smelled like…dog! Even after moving, Neko returned everyday to Izumi to assist her. Izumi was glad for the extra help and for the company. She paid Neko, who wasn't working for the money and wasn't expecting any. When Neko had free time, she would, once in a great while, secretly watch Kawa and even Kaiiya train. She wanted to train someday as well and become as strong and powerful as those two sisters.

Chapter 4: A Man for Mom

Kaiiya and Kawa were at the kitchen table, having some tea their mother prepared for them. Kawa watched her mother looking out the window, rather distant. She wondered what it would be like to have a father around the house. The family needed stability, for sure. Kawa pulled Kaiiya away in private to discuss the issue. Kaiiya agreed, and that their mother would certainly be livelier, happier, with someone to be with. Having Neko as company for her wasn't enough-what she needed, they thought, was romantic love. Their mother rarely left the neighborhood. She only went into town when she needed to buy groceries or presents. She mainly just kept to herself, if not in her quiet house, then her beautiful garden. The girls begged their mother to come into town with them that day, because "it'll be fun!" Izumi refused at first, but found it harder to do so when she found her daughters relentless. She gave in, somewhat suspicious that they all of a sudden wanted to take her with them into town, something they almost never did. They arrived into town, grinning (not Izumi). When she wanted to check out an item at one store, the girls would see a man around her age in a different store, so they dragged her there. Their mother paid no attention to the men of the town. The girls were getting discouraged, but didn't give up. They pondered about how they should get her to look at the men her age.

As they were pondering, a man who knew the three of them greeted them from his restaurant. He softened his expression. "Hello, Izumi." She gave him a polite smile in return. "Hello, Eisuke." They made small-talk conversation, nothing major, at least to the girls. "Mo-other, come on!" they whined. "Honestly, Mother, you need to be social. You need to meet people." Izumi stopped. "Is that what this is all about? Why you're bringing me into town out of the blue?" The girls stopped pulling on her arm, feeling guilty and embarrassed. "Let me live my life," she continued, "because I'm happy with who I am, and I'm fine where I'm at." She hoped it would stop her daughters from keeping her any longer. She was wrong. "Yeah, well, we're not happy with who you are. You're always by yourself. You need someone other than Neko with you, you know. It's not good for you to be alone," Kaiiya said. Izumi stared at her daughters, seeing that they had good intentions. She sighed, "Alright, alright. I'll be flexible to dating." The girls cheered, raising their fists in the air. She had also known what they meant by "social life"-to start dating again. She made the effort to go into town everyday that week, and found some males of interest. The girls were shocked to find out that their mother was going on a date with a different guy every night for the next two weeks! They had certainly wanted to find out if the man she was with was compatible with her, so the two decided to spy on her when she was on her dates, and form opinions on them. Half of Izumi's dates took her to a fancy restaurant, one took a walk with her around town, another took her horseback riding, yet another brought her to his parents' house to meet them, and the rest took her out dancing. The girls made a list with all of the dates' names on it. They either checked a name or crossed it off. So far, all the names were crossed off.

Izumi made one final effort to walk into town alone. A man turned around to see her next to him, purchasing something. "I'm Hiroshi," he said. Izumi turned around to see who he was. "Izumi," she replied, a little startled. He was handsome, without a doubt. They spent the afternoon together, talking about family, interests, and dislikes. They had much in common, and he was certainly a charming man. Before the day was over, Izumi found herself with another date, only this time, she was doing it for herself and not for her children. She smiled an eager smile, something she hadn't done in a long time. The girls took notice of this and stared at each other in amazement. Mother had found someone she liked by herself! They spied on her date, even though he had come to their house earlier to pick Izumi up. So far, he had their approval, but they needed to know for sure if he was suitable, worthy enough for the mother. They saw that he made her laugh and smile. She was also flirting with him. They had never seen their mother like this. The girls left early, agreeing that he was indeed worthy of their mother's affections. "Say hello to a new father!" Kawa grinned. Both beamed in satisfaction as they linked arms going home. Hiroshi came around daily. Their mother was behaving differently, for the better. She wasn't moping around anymore. It had been a month and a half that they'd been together. The girls were already planning the wedding. A few nights after they started planning, they were fast asleep upstairs. It was late at night, when everyone was sleeping, when the front door quietly opened. Hiroshi was careful not to make any noise to wake everyone up. He had to take his time because of this. He tiptoed, one foot at a time, up the stairs. He very carefully opened Kawa's door, since it was the closest. He stopped tiptoeing when he noticed her ears twitching. He stopped at the foot of her bed. He slowly began raising his sword. He had to do this quick or else she'd wake up. He raise it higher, half-way above his head, when Kawa's eyes opened. She turned and sat up, gasping when she saw the shine of the sword. "Does that mean you don't like me?" she whispered. She was frightened, but was ready to defend herself from him. Luckily, she didn't have to, for her mother was standing at the door. Hiroshi turned around, not knowing what to say. As he was turned around, Kawa leaped out of bed and stole his sword. The angry mother demanded, "Why? Why are you seeking to murder my children, the most precious things to me in the world?" Kawa gritted her sharp teeth and pointed his sword towards him. "Explain yourself." At that moment Kaiiya came in, stretching. "What's going on?" she yawned. "That's just what he's about to tell us," Kawa growled. Hiroshi raised his hands up. "I was sent to destroy you both. I know about your powers. You needed to be stopped before you used your powers for evil." Kaiiya spoke up, "Wait a minute! You just used our mother to get to us!" The two girls were now angry beyond reason. Hiroshi nodded, "Yes, you're right. I did. It was the closest way to get to you." Kawa asked, "How did you know about our powers to begin with? Did Mother tell you?" Both looked at their mother for an answer. She shook her head, denying that she said anything, and never would have. The girls turned their attention to Hiroshi. He only said, "I'm sorry, Izumi. I'm leaving for good." Izumi moved so he could leave. "He didn't tell us 'sorry'," muttered Kaiiya. Kawa nodded as she destroyed the sword. Izumi turned towards her daughters, apologizing. "Why are you apologizing?" "You didn't know." Izumi looked down. Kawa said, "We're sorry, Mother, it's just that we wanted you to feel happy again. Now you're downright miserable again." Izumi looked up, giving a little smile. "Sweetie, what you both need to understand is that I don't need a man to make me happy. I do things that make me happy. Those dates were fun, but I like who I am and where I am." The girls gave up and gave her a hug. Izumi made a few acquaintances when she went into town again, but the only mane she talked to was Eisuke. She told no one, but she now questioned a man's motivation for pursuing her. She let no one know, but she sat in her garden, sighing.

Chapter 5: Family Reunion

Izumi brought the mail inside. "Looks like you two got something in the mail today," she said. The girls rushed over to the table, where their mother had laid the mail. "It's an invitation," said Kawa. They were in utter disbelief when they read who was inviting them. "Since when do they want to see us?" asked a skeptical Kaiiya. It was an invitation to an outdoor family reunion, for their human family. They had never been invited to anything by their relatives before. Kawa noticed Izumi's name was not listed. "Why aren't you invited, Mother?" Izumi paused for a moment. "Well, they shunned me for marrying non-humans, so to them, I'm not family anymore." The girls were appalled. "But it makes no sense. Why are we, the products of your non-human marriages, invited? Haven't they shunned us all this time too?" asked Kaiiya. Izumi shrugged. "Maybe they're being polite." Both looked up at her. She said, "Go ahead and go. I wouldn't want to go anyways. They're not my sort of people." They looked back at each other. They knew that what she wasn't saying was that it would be too awkward, perhaps even more for her than it would have been for the girls. The girls sighed heavily. They were to wear nice clothes at the reunion. They walked all the way. "Rich people need to get dirty. I hate being in this fancy girly dress," Kaiiya complained. "We're rich," reminded Kawa. "Yeah, well, we're different," replied Kaiiya. They were greeted by the butler at the door of their grandparents' home. He lead the two outside, where there was a bounty of food as well as people. They stuck together at first, feeling estranged. They grabbed piles of food, mainly meat, on their plates. They made small-talk with people they'd never met. "Our maid is rather lazy. She doesn't put forth the effort that she should be," said Aunt Yuzuki in a group of women. Kawa tried to use the opposite tactic. "Really? Our maid is fabulous!" although she was thinking about Neko. For a short time, they separated. Kaiiya showed off for the children. At the same time, both kept their distance: Kawa keeping her distance away from the people, and Kaiiya mentally kept herself distant from them. Kaiiya smelled something in the bushes behind them. She gazed at Kawa, who had also smelled something. They looked back at their relatives, who paid them no attention, so both swiftly moved towards the bushes. A hungry mountain lion had found its way all the way to the party. The girls released their powers and struck the lion. Though it was injured, they felt a little sympathetic for the lion who hadn't had a meal in what looked like several days. Kaiiya hesitated to give her second helping of meat away, but she could get more back at the table. When both fed the lion, it went away, limping. "To think that lion was going to attack the people!" Kawa declared. Kaiiya nodded. "These people didn't even know they were in danger." Their grandparents had called them over. "Where's your mother?" The girls looked at each other, then their grandparents. "Huh? She's at home. She wasn't invited." It was their grandparents' turn to look at each other. "What do you mean? All three of you were supposed to get invited." Grandpa realized something as he reached into his coat. He pulled out an invitation, to Izumi. "Oops." Their grandmother continued, "We are planning on having an indoor dinner party sometime. Make sure your mother comes with you. And make sure you have yourselves cleaned up." The girls looked down to see both of their dresses were dirty from warding off the lion. If only their family knew! The girls started laughing heartily.

Chapter 6: Meeting with a Stranger

Kaiiya chased after that demonic scum. He had killed far too many people in the village back there. "You won't get away with this!" shouted Kaiiya. She sprang to slice through his skin when something else got in the way-make that someone else. "Who are you and what're you doing?" demanded the half-demon. The young man furrowed his brows. "I'm bringing down this demon, what's it look like?" Kaiiya frowned. "I saw him first. You'll just be in my way. Now go!" But the young man refused to leave. "Alright, suit yourself, but don't get mad at me if you get hurt," muttered Kaiiya. She kicked the beast before jumping to scratch him up. However, she never did get to tear him apart. The next thing she knew, he's already dead. The young man had withdrawn a powerful sword and stabbed him in the heart. "What in the world is your problem?" she yelled at the man. The man glared at her. "I was slaying this demon. I already told you that." Kaiiya growled in anger. "That was my demon to slay! I told you that." The man ignored her and walked away. "Whatever," he said. Hey, that's my line, thought Kaiiya. Kaiiya followed him, wanting to know where he came from. He was tall, had silver hair, and was nicely dressed. He didn't turn around, only kept going when he talked. "Why should I bother with the likes of you? I have no business with you, so just leave." Kaiiya replied that she had a right to know where he came from. The man tried ignoring her, but decided that if he told her about himself some, she's leave him alone. He didn't stop walking. "My name is Kazume Yogami. I'm 19 years old. I'm a wanderer, and I slay evil-doers. I reside in Miso. I was given this powerful sword and it's come in handy quite often. There, now will you go away?" Kaiiya was a little surprised he revealed some information about himself. Kazume turned around, seeing that she was still behind him. He frowned. Kaiiya noticed something strange about this guy.

She looked into his blue eyes until she saw his teeth. He had fangs. He was a vampire? Kaiiya asked him about it. Kazume looked away, to his right. "I was bitten by a vampire, but I don't use these fangs. I strictly use my sword. I don't suck the blood from humans-or demons. Just animals." She realized from that statement that he was letting her know what kind of man he was, as if he cared about absorbing human blood. They were nearing her town, so she removed her ears and claws. Kazume asked why she did that. She had to explain to him that the town wasn't ready to see her in her half-demon form. She learned while talking to Kazume that he was all about justice, he was polite (for the most part, when he wanted to be), could defend himself no problem (that was obvious during the fight with the demon), and he must somewhere have another side to him. He asked where she lived. "Just on the outskirts of town. We live in the countryside." He offered to walk her home, since he was passing through that way. Kaiiya was great with directions after exploring the cities so often, so she knew Miso wasn't so far away. However, she responded, "I know where I'm going. I don't need any help getting there. I'll be fine." Kazume retorted sarcastically, "But it's such a big place! You'll get lost for sure! Please. Chivalry isn't dead." Kaiiya narrowed her eyes. "That's because you're the one that killed it." Now Kazume narrowed his eyes. He walked her home anyways. They said their goodbyes and he left. As he was fading in the distance, Kaiiya smiled. Kawa watched from her window in the house.

Chapter 7: Meeting in the Woods

Kaiiya and Kazume had been spending some time together, though most of the time they argued and were awfully sarcastic with one another. Kawa was green with envy, if not plain jealous, that Kaiiya had found herself a guy that works for her, even though she wouldn't admit it, and she acted as if she hated him. That didn't matter. She hid these feelings from the world. As the days dragged on, she became more jealous of their potential romance, though from the looks of it, they might take forever to just get along and be friends. Kawa finally got to the point where she decided to give up on men altogether. At least then, she wouldn't have to put up with them, or feel jealousy. It sounded like a pretty good idea to her. It took some time, but it wasn't so hard, seeing that she was a loner to begin with. She felt pleased knowing she was free from all that complicated love stuff. She went on with her life, in a better mood. For a full straight week she sung upbeat songs when she was alone on her favorite boulder. One day, Kawa had closed her eyes to sing a song.

Lee Yoichi, a young man with light yellow hair and green eyes, was hiking up the trail, searching for inspiration for his landscaping sketches. It was a hobby of his, to hike up trails, take in the wonders of nature that was around him, and draw a visual of what he saw. He stopped when he heard singing. He wandered off the trail to where the singing was coming from. He gazed at the maiden singing. She was a young half-wolf! He continued to watch her sing, forgetting about his landscaping mission.

Kawa opened her eyes and realized she was being watched. She saw a young man staring at her. Her eyes widened, embarrassed that he heard her sing. She also remembered her ears and tail. She took off in a hurry. The man ran after her, but she managed to lose his trail and outran him. After he gave up, he went back to the trail he was previously on, and was on his way. Kawa quietly followed him. He reached a clear area and began sketching. She watched with interest at him and his drawing, until her ears picked up a sound-a slithering sound. The man's feet were a few feet away from its hole. He didn't see the snake as he walked around. He almost stepped on it, which threatened the snake. Kawa had seen these snakes before-they were poisonous. The snake appeared to be ready to attack the man, so she, in a flash, jumped out and clawed at the snake, severely injuring it to the point of death. She didn't want to stay to have the man notice her, but it was too late. Before she could once again run off, her grabbed her wrist. Kawa was shy when she spoke to him and talked some. He introduced himself as Lee Yoichi. He informed her that: he normally dresses more formal than what he was wearing that day, he was 23, he was a vegetarian, he believed all life is ultimately connected, his favorite food was pasta, and he played the bamboo flute. She could see from their conversation that he was intelligent, spontaneous, compassionate and caring, thoughtful, modest, and humorous but knew when to be serious. His final words to her before both departed were "thank you" for saving him from the snake. Lee decided he would now venture into these particular woods often.

Chapter 8: Neko's Fear of Dogs

As a half-cat, Neko had a fear of dogs. Her fears worsened as she came across a ferocious dog demon from the tree she was climbing just outside of the village. He was the largest, most ferocious dog demon in the world. She ran as fast as she could to her adoptive parents. She knew no one in the village could stop the demon from attacking the village in any minute. She recruited help from Kaiiya and Kawa, who happened to be in town. Lee happened to be walking through town at the same time, so he went with them. "I don't think this is for you," warned Kawa. "Nonsense," Lee waved her off. "Your funeral," Kaiiya said to him as they all ran. The demon was merciless, but that just meant a fun challenge to Kaiiya and Kawa. "Are you sure about hitting a dog demon?" Kawa asked Kaiiya, since her own father was a dog demon. "Yeah, well, my pop wasn't like this mutt, so I'm taking him down!" Kawa shrugged and jumped into action with her sister. Lee ran and side-kicked the demon. Kazume showed up, seemingly out of nowhere. He slashed the demon dog with his sword, but none of his swipes dealt a fatal blow to the dog. He bit the dog, hoping to drain gallons of blood, but the dog demon shook him off. Kazume fell to the ground, rubbing his head, and grumbling, "Why don't you die, you lousy canine?" The demon was quick and strong, which caused the battle to last a long time.

Neko witnessed everything from a distance, terrified. The battle was prolonged, and she couldn't bear to watch the demon finish them off. It was then that she realized she could do something. But…he was such a big dog. That doesn't matter, her friends were down there! She had to think of something fast. She could use the fact that cats and dogs were natural enemies against him. But where to go from there? The Mystic Weeds were just off a cliff, so maybe she can use that. The weeds were strong enough to hold demons down. They were sure to die from the weeds if a predator didn't devour them. Neko burst into the scene, making sure the demon was aware of her presence. His eye caught a glimpse of her ears and tail, capturing his full attention. He snarled, preparing to chase her. She used that moment to run for her life, towards the cliff. She darted left to right constantly. He managed to have her cornered in his paws when he caught up with her. Neko was once again afraid, but remembered her friends who were brave enough to fight. She pulled out her claws and scratched him as hard as she could. It was deep enough to make him yelp in pain. She didn't have time to stare in amazement at the fact that she had abilities like her friends, or to be the one to injure the dog to the point of pain.

The other four came running, trying to come to her aid, worried that he would kill her. All they could see was a cliff, and Neko going right towards it! "Neko!" they shouted. Neko jumped off the cliff, followed by the dog demon. There was a loud thud and then nothing. The four stood there in disbelief. "Neko," Kawa said sadly. Kaiiya stood at the edge of the cliff, looking down. She gasped. "Come here, you guys!" The other three rushed over to Kaiiya. Below them on a smaller ledge, hung Neko. She was fine, and was able to use her claws to climb by herself. The bigger surprise was seeing the dog tied down by giant weeds. He couldn't move a muscle. With her new super abilities, Neko gained confidence, independence, and a desire to learn more. From that point on, she was less frantic about dogs, even though Kaiiya was still pretty scary.

Chapter 9: Yori and Ryuk

Kaiiya and Kawa wandered into the next town, hoping to find something exciting. They purchased their food from a local restaurant and ate inside. At a table opposite to them were two young males. Both kept looking back at the girls. They got up after the girls left, hoping to catch up to them. They nonchalantly trotted up beside them, saying, "Hey." The girls moved their eyes over where they were. "'Hay' is for horses," Kaiiya joked, though not smiling. "Is that how you start a conversation with people?" asked the black and blue-wearing, black-haired teen. "With people, no, with you, yes," retorted Kaiiya. He smiled, "That means you think I'm more than human!" Kaiiya and Kawa both rolled their eyes, clearly un-amused. "Ah, don't mind him, he's just an idiot," the other male butted in, "You'll have to forgive him. I am Yori, and that knuckle-brain over there is Ryuk." Kawa faced him, "I'm Kawa. This is my sister, Kaiiya." Yori had brown spiky hair and wore casual clothes, wearing mostly light orange. "Are you always this charming?" teased Kawa. "Why yes, yes I am," Yori stated proudly. Kawa and Kaiiya looked to each other and smirked. The proud Yori grinned at a job-well-done to impress the ladies. Ryuk smacked his forehead, "And you call me an idiot?" The four of them continued walking. "How about we show you around town?" Kawa turned, "How did you know we're not from here?" Yori shrugged, "We've just never seen you around before." The girls were familiar with the place, so they declined. They kept walking, nonetheless. "So…Kaiiya…" Ryuk rubbed his neck, "tell me about yourself, I mean, what do you do for fun?" Kaiiya thought for a minute. She couldn't add her demon life to her conversation; the boys thought they were humans. She couldn't give too much away. "I'm pretty active. I like to explore. I love meat. As you can see, my favorite colors are red and black. I'm 16. And I don't care what anyone says or thinks, especially about me."

"How about you, Kawa?" asked Yori. Kawa looked up, "Let's see. I like knitting socks for orphan squirrels, building bird houses for homeless birds, and I own my own weapon shop. I'm 75 years old but age hasn't caught up to me yet." She looked at Yori and smiled. "Ok, not really. I'm actually 57." Yori looked at her, chuckling, but also waiting to hear the truth. "Ok, ok. I'm 22. I like nature, am also active, and also like meat. I have one mother and one sister. Satisfied?"

"What about you?" was asked of both Yori and Ryuk. Ryuk began, "Well, I'm 17. As you can see, my favorite colors are blue and black. I like hanging out. I like food in general. I like animals most people are afraid of. And I'm awesome." Yori punched his arm. "You are not. Ahem. Well, I'm the fourth out of five children, I'm 20, I clearly like orange, and I love to read." Kawa didn't know what to say. He sounded interested and was somewhat interesting himself, but he was a bit younger than she. "Oh," was all she could say. Ryuk and Kaiiya seemed to be getting along just fine. They were alike in many ways. The talkative boys were kind enough to walk them home, even though the girls suggested that wasn't necessary.

The next morning, the girls walked out to train, but never made it to their spots that day. Ryuk and Yori were standing at the door before they could go anywhere. Not wanting to be impolite, the girls walked with them. Aw, I wanted to practice my Tail Whip today, thought Kawa as she frowned. I'll have to train extra hard next time to make up for today…that is, if these guys quit coming around, Kaiiya thought. Kazume was passing through town that day, when he saw Kaiiya and Kawa with two strange boys. He expressed surprise as he watched all of them together. Lee, who had met Kazume when they battled the dog demon, walked up beside Kazume, wondering what he was observing so intently. He squinted, getting a better look towards the direction Kazume's eyes rested. He saw what Kazume had seen, and didn't like it. "Kaiiya, I understand, since those guys are around her age, but Kawa?" Kazume replied, "It's none of our business. Let them do what they wish. They can be with whomever they want." Lee hated that he was right. The boys Kawa and Kaiiya were with went away to a nearby food stand to pay for some lunch for all of them. Lee and Kazume took that opportunity to visit the girls. "Hi, ladies. Enjoying your day?" asked Lee. Kazume kept quiet. Kawa and Kaiiya were surprised at their visitation. Startled, they nodded and said yes. Lee decided to challenge them: "I challenge you to show your true selves to these boys you're with. They don't know about you, but we do. That's not fair to them, is it? I guarantee you won't do it." He said this, knowing full-well they don't turn down a challenge. The girls narrowed their eyes. They didn't want to give him the benefit of the doubt, so they took on his challenge. Kazume went along with it. "It's really not fair. They're not seeing the real you, and they should if they plan on hanging out with you more," he teased, giving a little smile. "But you both met us in our original form, so you know who we really are," remarked Kawa. The girls weren't looking forward to scaring people, that's for sure. After lunch, the girls brought the boys out to an empty field the countryside. They looked backed to Kazume and Lee, who had followed, and were now leaning against a tree, waiting and smiling. "Um, Ryuk, Yori. We have a confession, " Kaiiya started, "you should see our true selves, the ones we've been hiding from you." As their ears, claws, and tail appeared, the boys' eyes grew large, jaws dropping. "AH!" they both exclaimed in fear. But when they saw that the girls weren't attacking them, they thought it was "cool!" Kazume and Lee frowned at their marveling of the girls. Ryuk declared, "Kaiiya, you're perfect for me!" "And you for me, Kawa," added Yori. The girls forced a half-smile. "I'm sorry, Yori, but you're too young for me!" Kawa quickly covered her mouth. Oops. "And you're too much like me, Ryuk!" said Kaiiya. Lee and Kazume snickered from the tree. The boys were slightly disappointed, but decided at that moment they needed to be heading home. "Do you want us to walk with you there?" asked Kaiiya. "No, no, we can walk by ourselves." the boys answered quickly. Before they left, they turned around. Yori grinned at Kawa, Ryuk winked at Kaiiya, who was surprised, and Kazume and Lee weren't amused, but glad they were gone. The girls turned around to the men at the tree, shrugging their shoulders. On their way to the tree, Kaiiya told Kawa, "Oh, thank goodness we got rid of them. That's why I did this challenge-to get rid of them." Kawa laughed, "Me too. You think the guys were jealous of Yori and Ryuk?" Kaiiya shrugged. "Well, sure glad that's over," said Lee. "Good riddance," said Kazume.

Chapter 10: Toshiyuki

Toshiyuki had come a long way since his youth. He remembered it all from the dark cave he resided in. As a boy, he had been homeless, stealing food daily for him and his family in order to survive. He would sometimes get caught with his sack of stolen goods. It wasn't long before he was stealing more than food-he was stealing items from unsuspecting people's houses. He had learned to be cunning so it would not be found out that it was he who was sneaking into their homes at night. As he became slightly older, he found himself an apprentice to a thief, but he quickly found out that the man was more than that-he was a murderer. Toshiyuki watched in horror the first time he saw the man murder someone. After a while, he had seen it so much, he became callous, use to seeing and cleaning up blood. He was soon challenged to murder anyone who got in his way. He hesitated at first, but he didn't know what it was like to take away a life, so he put that idea into practice. His first target was a mere child, but Toshiyuki couldn't kill her, so he instead murdered her older brother. After that, he began killing not only out of rage, but out of spite, just because he could. He murdered those who had looked down upon him, and he had done it mercilessly. His teacher had been imprisoned, but Toshiyuki sneaked past the guards to set him free. "Get out of here, kid, or else they'll arrest you," warned his teacher. "You don't want this same fate, kid. Leave. Leave now. Remember not to get caught." The guards were already coming their direction, so Toshiyuki fled the scene, never seeing his teacher again, especially not when his teacher ratted him out like the coward he was. Toshiyuki was glad he had killed that traitor. And the guards. "My family and I had to endure countless beatings, and now my parents are not here," the boy said to himself. His mind had become corrupted because of his situations and from his so-called teacher. Hatred and anger filled his heart until he thought he had found justice, but even then, he didn't stop. People don't deserve to live. They just breed, and they breed stupidity and greediness. He murdered powerful beings in order to possess these powers himself. He was forced into hiding, in his cave, where no one could locate him from this side of the mountain, but not before he had stolen a crystal ball that could see precisely what he wanted to see.

About a year ago, he had started observing two girls in particular. They were no ordinary humans, try as they may to hide it from the public. However, for some reason, he had become intrigued with them. They were beautiful, for sure, and the younger one had black hair like his mother had. Her abilities, her talents, and her looks suited him just fine. The older one was fine, but he was more interested in knowing the younger one. She seemed none the wiser about knowing his spying on her. He also desired her power. Yes, her powers were quite nice. He could use those quite nicely. He had not known this feeling before, nor would he ever again, but this half-demon was precisely the sort he wanted as his queen, to help destroy the nation. He had no interest in conquering the world. That was too much, and he didn't care about people in other countries. He wanted to see her and her abilities for himself. Now, if only he could convince her to stay with him…

Chapter 11: The Carnival

"Look, they're setting the carnival up!" exclaimed Kawa. Kaiiya appeared bored, "So what?" "So, we should go together. Hey!" Kawa's face lit up, "We should brings the boys along with us!" Kaiiya's heart raced. "Why?" she asked. "We don't need escorts or…dates." Kawa shrugged. "It'd just be a fun time with friends. It doesn't need to be a date or anything." Kaiiya wasn't too thrilled at the idea of going to the carnival, much less invite Kazume. She refused to invite him herself. Kawa sighed, expecting this to happen. "Fine, I'll invite him for you. But you owe me." Later on, Kawa walked into Miso, Kazume's town. She searched for his scent, and located him at his home. "Hi, Kazume," she started in her friendly voice, "I was wondering if you'd like to go to the carnival in our town this coming week. You don't have to go, and no one will force you, although I could, but it's just something to go to. We'll need some help patrolling the scene, and there's less likely to be any pranks or crimes with you there." Kazume replied, "But you don't need me. Both of you, especially Kaiiya, can handle yourselves. I'm sure whatever trouble is there, you two got it."

Kawa came home from Miso in the evening. Kaiiya was in a chair, reading. She looked up, expecting to hear Kawa's news. Kawa sat down in the chair next to her. "Well, he agreed to go. And he has confidence in your abilities." Kaiiya looked up from her book and at her sister. Kawa nodded. As she got up to prepare herself for bed, Kaiiya spoke up, "I talked to Lee for you. He's coming to the carnival, too." Kawa paused on the stairs, looking back down at her younger sister. Kaiiya said, "What? I figured nature boy should come along too. That's what you want." Kawa quickly replied, "I never said I wanted him to! Besides, I invited Kazume because it's what you wanted!" She continued going up the stairs, moving slightly faster than before.

Kazume, Lee, Kawa, and Kaiiya met each other at Eisuke's restaurant to go to the carnival from there. As usual, neither Kazume nor Kaiiya were talkative. But then, Lee and Kawa said little as well. At the carnival were many booths, and more lights. Kawa beamed in delight, Lee smiled, Kaiiya's expression softened, and Kazume never changed his expression. He did clutch his sword that was in his sheath. "Be on the lookout," he said seriously. "What?" asked Kaiiya, who didn't know that Kawa had told him they needed him to patrol with them at the carnival. It was just her way of getting him there. Kawa followed along. "How about you and Kaiiya go north, and Lee and I go south, and we all work our way around the perimeter?" No one objected, but Kaiiya and Lee had no idea they had to patrol. "Meet back here in two and a half hours," suggested Kawa.

Lee and Kawa walked southbound. "Do you see anyone that looks suspicious?" He still didn't know that they weren't really on duty. Kawa looked at one of the stands, one with prizes. "Over there," she pointed out. When Lee saw it, he realized what was going on. Now playing with her, he said, "Well, let's go over and keep an eye on him, shall we? He could be dangerous." He reached in his pocket for money, but Kawa had already paid the man when he looked up. She had won a medium prize, according to the plastic fish marked with "M" on it. She picked out a stuffed chimp and gave it to Lee. "Let me try," he offered with pride to impress her. His fish had an "S" for small prize. He picked out a spinning top, hoping to give it to her because he sure didn't want it, but she too declined. He just gave it to a small child that was passing by. He searched around for a game that fit his skills, and found a target game. He did pretty well his first try; he won Kawa a stuffed dolphin. They bought ice cream and lemonade to share. "Let's see the baby animals," suggested Lee. "Oo!" exclaimed Kawa. Lee half-teased, "Just don't eat them."

Kaiiya didn't really want to scout the carnival for trouble-makers, but at least she had Kazume to keep her company. They walked past the games. Kaiiya wished to play a few, since they looked kind of fun. After a while, she did see Kazume eye a target-shooting game. He stopped to play, and of course he did well. He picked out a stuffed horse, handing it to Kaiiya. "Here." Then they kept walking. Kaiiya was still shocked that he gave her something. There was his gentle side showing, after all. An hour had passed when an adolescent ran past them, stealing Kaiiya's horse. Instead of just running after him and tackling him fiercely like she normally would, she just snapped on the inside. Her rage built up, her eyes now glowing red. She growled, preparing to move at a rapid speed. A sword pointed to her. "Don't do it," Kazume warned, "I don't want to have to strike." She turned to him, snarling. He didn't want to make a scene, much less let her make a scene, but he was prepared to fight even her. In an attempt to keep her from harming the crowd around them, he pointed towards an empty dirt road, claiming that the thief went that way. Kaiiya swiftly moved about to find the thief. She found no one, definitely not the thief, on the road. Kazume ran up to her, again holding out his sword in case she tried anything. He tossed her horse, which he'd found lying in the grass. Kaiiya saw the horse and calmed down. She stood there on the road, realizing what had happened. "I was turning into a demon, wasn't I?" Kazume nodded. "But," she pressed on, "it takes a lot more than that to release my inner demon, but thankfully that wasn't the complete inner demon, just a demonstration." She picked up her horse and walked back with Kazume, feeling guilty at what had just occurred.

The four met back up in time. "Now what?" asked Lee. "We didn't see any mischief," reported Kazume. Kaiiya looked away, knowing he had excluded the incident. Kawa noticed her stuffed horse. "Kaiiya, did you play that target-shooting game?" Kaiiya shook her head. Kawa looked at Kazume, realizing he's won it for her. Lee realized Kazume and Kaiiya yet still weren't aware of the patrolling gag. He put his hand in front of his mouth as he leaned over to Kawa, "They do all the scouting work while we have fun!" Kawa giggled. A slight distance away, it was dark enough to be able to see the stars above. A bridge stood over the river, and was the best spot for star-gazing. All of them tried seeing how many stars and constellations they knew, but no one won. Somewhere back at the carnival, music played. The four watched other people dancing. Kawa watched, wishing to dance. "Good thing I'm not dancing with those humans. I'm too clumsy." Lee nodded as an indication that he listened to her. Kawa looked to the side, narrowing her eyes. He just doesn't get it. Do all guys not take a hint? she wondered. Kaiiya and Kazume also just stood there. "Dancing is for losers. You wouldn't catch me dancing out there. It's so stupid." Kazume agreed, "Yeah, no kidding." Kawa was the first to lead them, with her shoulders slumped, "Let's go." They said their goodnights as the girls walked in their door. The girls sat on Kawa's bed, discussing what had happened that evening. "You didn't have to be on your guard against anybody. It was just an excuse to have us all here," commented Kawa. "Why didn't you say anything?" Kaiiya demanded. Kawa shrugged her shoulder. "It got Kazume there, didn't it?"

Chapter 12: Waiting Out the Storm

Kaiiya was up against a cruel monster, but she enjoyed taking these losers down. In the midst of her fight, Kazume appeared. "Thanks, but I don't need your help!" she shouted from midair. He didn't care if she didn't need it-he was going to take the brute down anyways, whether she liked it or not. "Too bad," he answered. With one stab in the stomach, the beast roared in agony. Kaiiya used this to claw at his eyes, so he'd go blind. With that, Kazume withdrew his sword, taking a lunge at the heart. Kaiiya cleaned her claws off in the river, as Kazume did the same with his sword. Both were walking back home when the sky darkened with gray clouds. In no time, rain poured down heavily upon them. "We'd better find some shelter and wait the rain out," Kazume said over the rain. "I don't mind a little rain. I can just wear my cloak." With that, she lifted up the hood of her black cloak over her head for protection. Kazume insisted on finding shelter, especially when it started to thunder. "Don't be a baby, Kazume. It's just a little storm." But Kazume didn't listen, as they found shelter in a tiny abandoned wooden shack. They waited for what seemed like hours for the storm to pass. "Man, you're such a wimp. Rain is just water, and thunder is just clouds hitting each other. The lightning you might want to watch out for, but you're more likely to get killed by a demon than lightning." Kazume said nothing as he watched out the window impatiently. She kept going on about how they should just keep going, the storm doesn't last forever, come on already, Kazume, blah blah blah. Kazume turned around, "Will you just be quiet already? You're very irritating. Whenever the storm goes away, we will be on our way. So just quit your complaining. If you're going to talk, talk about something else." Kaiiya glared, "Fine. How about how irritating you are? How you say virtually nothing, how no one can ever know anything about you or what you're thinking, or how big of a jerk you really are, how you try to push people away and never try to get to know them?" Kazume now glared back. "I'm not one for words. Not everyone can be a sassy, loud-mouth psycho like you. And you're one to talk about pushing people away." Kaiiya gritted her fangs. Kazume scowled back. "You're a jerk," Kaiiya pouted, turning away. Kazume rolled his eyes and turned back to watch the weather from the window. "So, you want to know more? Fine." Kazume spoke a few minutes later. She turned around to listen. He continued, "My parents were killed by horrible people, and I was left defenseless." She stared at him, not knowing what to do or say, except "sorry." He looked back at the window. "That night changed me forever. I can't forgive those men." She scooted closer, "I'm sorry it happened to you and I'm sorry I got out of line. It just hurt me that you said that." Kazume looked over, "You try to act tough all the time, but you're not always that way." Before she knew it, he scooted even closer to her, as if he were leaning. She leaned forward, knowing that was happening. Their lips were inches away when both realized what they were doing. He pulled away, going back to his spot at the window. "Hey, the rain's letting up." They exited the shack, going back home, but awkwardness had filled the air. Whenever they battled the "bad guys" again, the two learned to work as a team, even compliment each other on a job well-done.

Chapter 13: Wolf Enlightenment

Kawa was on the trail of a squirrel, sneaking slowly behind it. The squirrel stood up, turned to the side, and saw Kawa paused. It stood still in fear. "That's right, buster, you'd better be afraid," muttered Kawa underneath her breath, smiling. The squirrel fled, with Kawa chasing after him. She continued to pursue at lightning speed until it jumping up a tree. However, she'd just caught it by its tail. She let go of her grip, smiling. She looked up the tree and waved, "Thanks for the help training!" She was sure it wasn't fun for the squirrel. She brushed the dirt off the bottom of her yellow sleeveless hoodie and thought about what method of training she should do next. When she looked up, however, there stood a wolf. She watched to see what the wolf would do, unsure of what he was thinking. Judging from the look in his eyes, it appeared he wanted her to follow. She followed him up the mountain, and there she met the wolf's pack. Once again, she didn't move, waiting to see what they were about to do. They didn't seem aggressive or agitated. The alpha female spoke up, "Welcome." Kawa stared, mouth agape. "I can see you're no ordinary wolves," she commented. "We are the main branch of the Timber clan," continued the alpha female. "We had you follow our beta wolf for a reason. We have known about your presence and your skills for quite some time now. We would like to show you the ways of the wolf, how we live. You could learn, benefit from us. It's your choice whether or not you accept our offer." Kawa eagerly agreed to stay with them. It was an honor for her to learn the ways of the wolf. "First, you must learn the ranks. The alpha wolf is the leader, the dominant one who provides and doesn't get pushed around. The beta wolf is the caretaker and disciplinarian. The omega is the least regarded, but is still a member of the pack. For you, you must learn to become an alpha." Kawa nodded. "Humans are afraid of us, thinking we are some sort of evil, so we stay away from them. By nature, we are hunters, but not of humans. We must survive on what we can. We normally feed on smaller creatures and oftentimes deer, but when food is scarce, we are forced to consume livestock from below the mountains. They kill many packs, believing we are all menaces that should be dealt with. They fear us or desire our furs. They fear what they do not know. Humans are the true enemy. Yet we attempt to maintain peace with them. Most wolf clans detach themselves from the world, which frees the mind, body, and spirit." The Timber clan alpha female aspired to help Kawa reach this point. "But what if my duty is to the world? What if it's for both wolves and humans?" The female answered, "It is possible that you are to act as mediator for both. Perhaps it is your destiny to protect wolves and humans. Your abilities are stronger than that of our own could ever be combined. You should use it for the good of all, not destruction. Promise me that." Kawa responded, "I promise." For three days, she had stayed with the clan, being taught lessons on how to better herself as a wolf. She felt accepted and respected. She was learning to become more like an alpha wolf, and it would be helpful in the long run when she applied the knowledge taught to her. After the three days were over, she waved goodbye and left for home. Before she reached the base of the mountain, she could hear the Timber clan howling. She beamed, feeling pretty happy, and howled right back at them.

Chapter 14: The Beach

"Didn't I tell you this was a good spot?" asked Kawa. She had picked the most secluded area on the beach. She wanted it to just be the four of them-her, Lee, Kaiiya, and Kazume. No one complained about being in a private area all to themselves. The sisters played Frisbee with each other, while Kazume sat on the sand, and Lee dipped his bare feet in the ocean. "I've got to hand it to you. This is the perfect relaxing day for all of us," Kaiiya complimented. Kawa stopped smiling, "Hey, don't jinx it! You never know what could happen. We get stuck fighting no matter where we go." If that were true, at least they could relax some part of the day. Approximately twenty-five minutes later, all returned to sit and feel the warmth of the sun, together. Kazume offered Kaiiya an auger shell he'd found. "What am I suppose to do with it?" asked Kaiiya. "I don't care for shells. They're lame." Kazume frowned. "What, unless they're black or red?" Kaiiya didn't budge, "That's right." Overhearing their conversation, Lee asked Kawa if she liked shells. When she replied with a yes, he handed her a swirled shell. "Thank you," she replied humbly. She sincerely liked it, but Kaiiya did have a point-what are you suppose to do with shells? They left the shells on the blankets, so they could all go down to stick their feet in the water.

Kaiiya decided that she should swim into deeper water. She dove under water, to see how far she could go without coming up for air. She was only able to go a few feet, when a large shadow came her way. She thought perhaps whatever it was wouldn't see her if she dove down deeper. Unfortunately, the figure saw her anyways, and swam faster to take a bite out of her. Of course it was a shark. Why wouldn't it be? Kaiiya wasn't afraid. She was ready to take the shark on, but she'd also remembered that sharks were just naturally curious creatures. However, this shark wanted her as its next meal, so she swam away, trying to avoid it. The shark bit her arm, causing it to bleed. The blood rose up in the water. Uh oh. More sharks will be coming around now. I have to get out of here! though Kaiiya. She couldn't hold her breath for more than two minutes, she gathered, so she'd better make this quick. She scratched at its eyes, hoping to blind it, but to no avail. She was able to only scratch around its eyes. She swiped at it with her might. That delayed the shark some, but she had to act fast. She squeezed past coral reefs, swimming through tall seaweed along the way. Without warning, her foot was caught in some seaweed. Kaiiya panicked. She was almost out of air and simply could not hold it any longer. The tangled seaweed would not come apart. She prepared to give up when Kazume appeared along side of her. He grabbed the bottom of the seaweed and sliced with his sword, setting her free. They made it to the surface just in time. Kawa tended her wounds when they made it back. Kaiiya held her bandaged arm as she watched more sharks swimming around where the one shark bit her. Kazume and Lee went to grab the blankets when Kazume pointed out, "Where's that one shell at? It's gone." Kawa had grabbed hers, but Kaiiya's was no longer on the blanket. Kaiiya shrugged. "I don't know." Kawa watched Kaiiya's fists. Both were tightened, and she could see the auger shell in her left fist, almost unnoticeable.

Chapter 15: Truth or Dare

Kaiiya, Kawa, Lee, and Kazume gathered around in a circle. For fun, they would play the classic game of Truth or Dare. They had nothing better to do anyways. "Ok, we'll start in a circle. Kaiiya, you first. Truth or dare?" Kaiiya looked around and shrugged. "I don't know. Truth?" Kawa asked her, "What are you afraid of? What do you fear?" Kaiiya didn't change her expressionless face. "Nothing. I fear absolutely nothing. I'm not afraid of anything." Lee, along with the others, was skeptical. "Anything?" he repeated. Kaiiya closed her eyes. "That's right. Anything." They all knew she was too stubborn to give a real answer, so they moved on. "Ok, Lee, truth or dare?" Lee thought for a moment. "I guess truth." "Ok, what's an embarrassing moment for you?" Lee thought again. "Well, one of them would be the time I wanted to jump over a chair, but missed, and tripped over it." The other three laughed as he blushed and smiled. "You know what?" Kawa offered, "Why don't we just make this a round of truth, then go with dares?" Kazume, preferring to dare rather than tell them something personal, objected. "Too bad. It won't be terrible. Ok, confess something to someone that you wish they'd know." Kazume definitely didn't want to play now. However, feeling the pressure, he felt he had little choice. He looked around. "Alright. Lee, we're too different. I'm sorry." Lee teased, "What? Are we dating? Does that mean you want to break up?" The girls giggled. "No, I just mean we're kind of opposite, but you are one of the few I really trust." "Aaaaw!" the girls chided, also teasing. "Ok, time for dare!" Kawa declared. "Not so fast, Kawa," Kaiiya stopped her, "you haven't done truth yet." Kawa pouted, "Rats, I almost made it." Kaiiya asked, "How about you say something about every one of us?" Kawa looked at them, thinking of what to say. "Kaiiya, you're bold, Lee, you're caring, and Kazume, you're protective."

"Ok, now can we do a round of dare?" asked Kawa. "Let's go the other way this time. Kazume, I dare you to hug Kaiiya." Both Kaiiya and Kazume stared at each other, wide-eyed. Reluctantly, he stood up over to her. Kaiiya wasn't sure how to react, but her glare at Kawa said she would kill her for this. Kaiiya stood up as well to receive the hug. He did a quick half-hug, to which Kawa remarked, "No, that's not a real hug. Give her a real hug! One that lasts five seconds." He sighed and hugged Kaiiya again. Kawa smiled. She approved of this sight. The first two seconds of the hug, Kaiiya closed her eyes, gathering in both his scent and the moment. She smiled at the same time, but let no one see it when the five seconds were over. "That's better. Now, Lee, I dare you to pretend you're a baby." Lee frowned. Nevertheless, he goo-gooed and ga-ga-ed, sucking his thumb and picking his nose. "Very…convincing. Kaiiya, I dare you to eat two handfuls of bugs. You have to shove them all in your mouth and swallow them. No bugs one at a time." Kaiiya shrugged. She found her two handfuls within minutes, consuming them for the others to see. Kaiiya spoke up next. "Kawa, I dare you to tell us all who you love!" Kawa didn't want to play anymore. "Hey! That's a truth question. Besides, everyone knows it's Mother. I'm not in love with anyone. Make me do something." Therefore, Kaiiya challenged her to shove as many berries into her mouth as she could. She complied, but she added on in between her teeth and squirted juice on her younger sister.

Chapter 16: Kaiiya's Weapon

Kaiiya was already fierce and powerful, but longed to further her skills. She needed something all her own. Perhaps she could wield a weapon like Kazume. She certainly didn't want to mimic him and own a fancy sword, but what could she use? A bow and arrow weren't really her thing. She thought of possible weapons. A spear? No, she wasn't very good at throwing one long distance. A club? No, too bulky and not enough to take a giant enemy down. A knife? Huh uh, too small. This was harder than she thought. Sai? Nah, those were like daggers. A scythe? Well, maybe. What if she carried an axe around, one with a cover? Kaiiya imagined pulling out an axe in the middle of a battle, swinging it at her enemy, causing them to instantly fall over dead. She grinned in satisfaction.

She searched for the nearest axe maker. Kawa had come along, but the two split up when Kawa decided not only to search for a weapon for Kaiiya, but for her as well. It was only fair to her. Kaiiya asked around, hoping someone would know something about a professional axe maker. Few people she asked knew of an axe maker. The blacksmith of the town was sharpening a sword. He had some axes hanging up in his little shop, but none that were quality. "Don't you have any more axes, like better ones?" Kaiiya inquired. The blacksmith shook his head. "No, I'm sorry. I don't make as many axes anymore, unless they're requested by either farmers or woodsmen. Swords are more in demand now." Kaiiya pursed her lips. "So, you're saying you don't have fine axes? Well, do you know of anyone who is an expert axe maker?" The blacksmith rubbed his chin. "Well, my old friend, Mitsu, makes axes. He was always better than anyone else when it came to that sort of thing. You can find him living on Bear Lake, which is five miles east of here." Kaiiya thanked him and was eager to be on her way. She stood on top of trees, trying to locate the lake. She didn't find it at first, but as she moved further, she did. There, residing along the lake was a small cottage, which had to be Mitsu's. Kaiiya knocked on the door, but nobody answered. She peeked in through all the windows, but found no one. She scratched her head, wondering where this Mitsu person was. She smelled someone in the air that wasn't an animal, so it had to be Mitsu. A man came closer to the house. He had evidently had just come back from fishing. "Who are you? May I help you with something?" he questioned. "Um, yeah, I was looking for an axe maker. You see, I was sent by this guy in a town five miles away, and he said a guy named Mitsu, which I'm assuming is you, was an excellent axe maker. I need an axe. So will you make me one?" The man shook his head, "No. I quit making weapons a few years ago." With that, Mitsu kept walking. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a meal to cook." Kaiiya didn't give up. "But why not? Why can't you make me an axe? Is it because I'm a half-demon? Because I am a girl? Because after a few years, you're rusty?" Mitsu turned around, "No, it's not because of those." He opened the door to go inside, intending on leaving her outside, but she wouldn't let him do that. She pushed the shutting door back open, refusing to leave without an answer. "Tell me now, mister! You don't want me to do anything rash. You'll regret it if you don't tell me. You see, I have sharp abilities, and I could very easily kill you. So what'll it be, life or death?" Mitsu turned around from the table he was preparing the fish on, clearly annoyed. "I just don't make weapons anymore, that's all there is to it. Now, go, you're bothering me." Kaiiya scowled. "I'm not going anywhere! I need a weapon of some sort!" He said nothing as he went back to his business. Knowing she wasn't going to leave, he finally stopped what he was doing and sighed. "Weapons are meant to destroy and harm…" Kaiiya cut him off, "Well, duh, they're suppose to!" Mitsu continued, "I'd been making weapons for years, selling them to any customer who was willing to pay. I had felt guilty for some time when I realized that I was just as involved in murdering someone as the one who used the weapon. However, I did nothing about it at the time, because of the money, which I needed and mostly wanted." He stopped, trying to keep his composure as he attempted to talk further, "My son was nine. He was trying to be a warrior. I assumed he wasn't going to do anything too dangerous with a katana, but he miscalculated his swing, and swinging hard, he accidentally killed himself." Mitsu formed tears in his eyes. "That's why I can't do it anymore." Kaiiya lowered her head, "Oh." She didn't want to be shooed away and leave empty-handed, but it sure looked that way. "Well, I'm not going to get an axe here, so why don't you just tell me where I can find someone who will make one for me. These bad guys won't kill themselves, you know. There's so much evil I'm trying to get rid of. I can't rid the world of every villain, but I want to take down as many as I possibly can to have less evil terrorizing the innocent." She turned to leave, and waited for a moment, but Mitsu didn't budge. She was outside the door when he came out after her. "I'll make you a special sword, but that's it. I don't want to make more." Kaiiya turned around, surprised. "You'll make me an axe? What about a belt to carry my axe and a cover to…cover my axe?" Mitsu nodded, "Deal." Kaiiya smiled, "Alright! You must be rusty after not doing it, though." Mitsu laughed, "Rusty? Not hardly. I can still make a great axe." He worked hard at creating all three for Kaiiya. The belt was fitted, the iron was smelted, and the cover was covered. "How sharp does it cut through? I need an extraordinary axe, not some wimpy dull one." Mitsu handed her the axe. "Rest assured, this is a special axe, the sharpest of all, which is why you must be careful when you use it." Kaiiya waved him off, "No sweat! Now, let's see how it does." She whacked one of the trees, cutting completely through it. Kaiiya's face lit up. She ran inside with the axe, intending to help him cut up his fish. By doing so, she not only cut the fish, but she cut through the table as well. "You broke my table?" Mitsu reacted when he saw the table in half. She offered to repair the table, but he shooed her away. At least she had a new weapon. She couldn't wait to show everybody.

Kaiiya had found Kawa by tracing her scent. Kawa had two items in her hands. In her right hand was a shakra, a circular weapon that acted as a Frisbee. It spun just like one, but it was sharp enough to cut through skin when thrown. In her other hand was a bo. "You have two weapons?" asked Kaiiya. Kawa shook her head. "The shakra is mine. The bo is for Lee, since I figured he should have some sort of weapon. A bo just seems to suit him best. Nice axe, by the way," she added. Kaiiya lifted it with pride. She sliced through a tree no problem. "Impressive," commented Kawa. "It sure is," said Kaiiya.

Chapter 17: Journey Through Town

Lee and Kazume had been invited by Kawa and Kaiiya to join them for a day in the town. Kazume thought the girls went into town an awful lot. From what he knew, it was just about every other day for them to go the same place and do the same things. Both met the girls at their house. The girls weren't really shoppers, but it gave them something to do together to the point where they made it a routine. Deep down, the girls were quite pleased to include the boys in their frequent trip to the town's shops. They tried on costumes, kimonos, and other clothing they don't normally wear. They laughed at the jewelry they put on. The boys weren't into all of those things, but they did browse around some. The knick-knack store had a few nice collectables, but nothing worth their while. They grabbed lunch at Eisuke's not too long afterwards. Lee enjoyed his pasta, Kazume dined on fried rice and bloody steak, Kawa gnawed on fish, and Kaiiya wolfed down chicken. They paid their bill and began walking around again. On the opposite side of the street, a woman was chasing after a man, frantically calling out, "Hey! He stole from me! Help me!" Immediately, the four raced after the thief. Their very presence intimidated the thief, but he tried not to show fear. He fought with them and tried to run past them, but he failed. They returned the woman's stolen items, but they also noticed he'd stolen more than her things. Kazume was the one who had a hold of the thief, so he lifted the man up, turning him upside down, so that everything he stole would fall out. Kaiiya punched the thief in the nose. "I think you broke his nose," observed Lee. This made Kaiiya smile in delight. The thief had been dropped off to the nearest local authority to be dealt with. With that, they went on their way. The rest of the time in town was uneventful. Kawa looked at the sun. "It's about time to go home for dinner with Mother. Would you like to join us? It won't be any trouble. And I know neither of you have anywhere specific to go today." Neither said a word, only followed the girls home. Izumi, of course, was delighted to have male guests over for her daughters. She served the boys extra helpings cheerfully. After dinner, the stuffed youth patted their stomachs. "I need to walk all this food off," commented Lee. "We can walk you both home," offered Kawa, "It's no problem. The sun's still up." On the way, they all stopped to admire the brilliant sunset on a grassy hill. They all used the hill to sit down to watch it. Lee picked a daisy from the grass, giving it to Kawa. She hesitantly accepted the flower, a little taken back that he had given her a flower. It's not from a shop, but it's even more special, thought Kawa. Kazume stared down at the flowers around him. He knew better than to give Kaiiya flowers. Simply having the company of each other was enough. Kazume was dropped off first at his home in Miso, for Lee's home was on the way back, and he felt he should stay with the girls until they came back to town. After dropping him off, Kaiiya commented to Kawa, "That's really lame. Picking a little flower and giving it to you?" Kawa then realized that though Kaiiya was too proud to admit it, deep inside she had wanted Kazume to offer her a "little flower."

Chapter 18: The Guys Captured

Kaiiya and Kawa had just recently returned from a trip to the mountain tops only to discover the boys had been kidnapped. What else could they do but go after them? Tracing their scents, the girls ran at top speed to the wilderness, past the hills, to a hidden cave. "They're in there, alright," said Kaiiya. Kawa warned, "Just be careful. I smell others in the cave. They have an unfriendly aura." With that, they journeyed inside the cave. They were soon welcomed by a herd of strong men. "I'm guessing these guys are minions or henchmen or something," commented Kawa. Kaiiya smiled confidently, "We can take them, no sweat." Kaiiya was correct, but they were met with more men guarding Lee and Kazume. With their claws and hypnosis, the men were also defeated. The girls set the boys free, and intended to leave the cave at that moment. However, they were met with a figure from the shadows behind them. "Who are you!" demanded Kawa. "Who cares who he is? Let's just take this guy down!" said Kaiiya. Kawa shrugged, "You do have a point." The man spoke. "I am Toshiyuki. You seem to have easily defeated my men. Impressive. Too bad you can't get past me." "Are you saying you're behind the kidnappings?" Kaiiya asked loudly. Toshiyuki nodded. "I also sent that man to your mother, to finish you off, but he failed, so he had to die." The girls couldn't believe what they were hearing. "You wanted to fight, did you not? So, let us fight," he continued. At the same time, the two girls attacked Toshiyuki full force, for they knew they had to against someone with a dangerous aura. He appeared to be a normal human being, and a handsome one at that, but he surprised them with glowing hands. He missed the girls, who laughed, but his blasts reflected right back to them from the walls. Interestingly enough, he picked up Kawa with his powers, suspending her in midair. This move startled the two, but before they knew it, he blasted Kawa backwards, so hard, far, and fast, that she was rendered unconscious. An angered Kaiiya kept battling Toshiyuki, while Lee scooped Kawa up in his arms and carried her. Kazume felt he needed to help Kaiiya battle this man, so he charged with his sword. "What is the reason for capturing our friends!" yelled Kaiiya. Toshiyuki smiled menacingly, but said nothing. His eyes returned to Kazume. He raised his hand, turning it, so that his movement would match Kazume's sword. The sword slid out of Kazume's hands, only to turn on him. He dodged the sword just in time, but Toshiyuki wouldn't be stopped. He was determined to get rid of Kazume. His eyes saw Lee in the distance with Kawa. He smiled again, turning the sword to Lee. He wanted to eliminate both boys. As the sword passed Kazume, he lunged for it, grabbing a hold of it. It took all of his strength to stop the charging sword on time, even with Lee ducked down, still holding the out-cold Kawa. Kaiiya and Kazume continued to battle Toshiyuki, who was temporarily defeated when Kaiiya's axe struck his arm. The three fled the cave, a little fatigued. They stopped to rest for a while when Kawa woke up in Lee's arms. She faintly smiled before sitting upright. Kaiiya and Kazume had both been standing the entire time, propped up against a tree. The next Kaiiya knew, Kazume had come over, hugging her. "Kazume?" she whispered. She relaxed her eyelids and embraced him back.

Chapter 19: Full-Blood Provoked

Kaiiya woke Kawa up a few mornings later, after dreaming about the battle they'd recently had with Toshiyuki. Kawa squinted from her covers. "What," she managed to speak, groggy. "We're going to fight Toshiyuki again today," Kaiiya announced. Kawa shot straight up. "What do you mean we're fighting him today?" Kaiiya leaned against the door. "Exactly what I said. We're going up for a rematch against him." Kawa stared at Kaiiya, wondering if she were serious, then smiled. "Good. I was hoping to fight against him again." On their way to the cave, where Toshiyuki's scent still was, the boys came into the scene. "What're you two doing here? It's too dangerous! Remember last time?" yelled Kaiiya. Kazume and Lee nodded. "That's exactly why we are here," said Kazume. The girls knew there was no stopping them, so they came along.

At the cave, they'd found no henchmen this time. Toshiyuki was the only one there to greet them, as if he had expected them. They attempted not to let their formidable foe know all of their secrets. Little did they know, he was well aware of all of their "tricks." He managed to repel them all at first. He turned his gaze to Kazume. How he loathed Kazume more than anyone else. Toshiyuki's aim pointed toward Lee. Before anyone else realized what would ultimately happen, Toshiyuki switched targets. Kazume had been critically injured. Kaiiya could feel her inner demon rising up within her. Kawa attempted to calm her sister down before her demon unleashed. Unfortunately, Kaiiya paid her no heed. Instead, she swiped at Kawa, knocking her to the ground. Kawa picked herself slowly off the ground, only she was now angry enough to begin her full wolf transformation. Lee tried to stop her, but Toshiyuki tied him down to prevent him. In case Kazume recovered, he tied him up, too. Toshiyuki was enjoying the girls in their unstoppable selves. "Yes," he said, "Yes! Marvelous! Now, come at me with your powers and let me see what you've got." So, they chased after the villain. Lee knew if anything was to be done, they had to act fast. He struggled to grab something out of the inside of his coat. After desperately working on reaching what he needed, he finally succeeded. With effort, he was able to play a little of his bamboo flute. Kawa turned her attention to the music. She stood where she was for a few moments, but the music had reached her. Meanwhile, Kazume secretly called his sword to him. He whispered to it; immediately afterwards, it charged at Toshiyuki, injuring him. He called his sword back to cut the rope he was tied to, and dashed to Kaiiya, hugging her from behind. From the feel of Kazume's touch and blood soaking through his shirt, her inner demon ceased, but she became weakened. He helped her to walk as she meekly protested, "No. I, I need to go back and kill that sorry jerk." For now, that wasn't going to happen, so they continued walking away. Looking up from his pain, Toshiyuki winced, growing terribly angry. Suddenly, he had an idea he thought was ingenious. He couldn't wait to execute his plan. Soon, he thought, very soon.

Chapter 20: Forced Love

There was a knock at the door one midmorning at the girls' house. Izumi answered the door, only to see a gift labeled for Kaiiya. Izumi looked around to see if she could find who left the gift, but found no one. When the gift was delivered to Kaiiya, she opened it without hesitation. Kawa wondered if it was from Kazume, but left himself anonymous. Inside was a ring and a note. Be mine, it said. Kaiiya looked up at Kawa, wondering the same idea. Then she questioned it. "Why would he give me a present? He has only given me a shell and I turned it down." "But you still kept it," pointed out Kawa. Kaiiya shrugged, "It just doesn't seem like him. Maybe it was someone else." Kawa burst out laughing. "What? Why is it so hard to believe that someone would like me?" demanded Kaiiya. Kawa tried to speak while laughing, "Because we'd have noticed someone watching you or following you." Kaiiya walked upstairs, staring at the ring. She shut the door to her room, still staring at the ring. It was pretty, for sure. It was a silver ring with a bright red diamond. She held it in her hand, pondering who had sent it. As she was thinking, she tried on her ring, but that was a terrible mistake.

Kaiiya walked down the stairs in a daze. She looked as if she were floating on air in love. "Does that mean Kazume sent you that gift after all?" Kawa asked. Kaiiya looked at her, asking, "Who's Kazume?" She continued, "He's a nobody. I love Toshiyuki." Kawa's jaw dropped all the way. "What? But…how? You hate him!" Kaiiya frowned, "Why would I hate him? He loves me and I love him! We're destined to be together!" Kawa then realized what was going on. Of course. It all made sense now. The man didn't try to hurt Kaiiya like he did to her, he acted as if he hated Kazume and was determined to get rid of him, and now the ring. "He does love you, so it seems," pointed out Kawa, "but you don't love him. He's a terrible man, you said so yourself. You're under a spell of some kind. I'm guessing it's the ring you put on. He must have used it to control your heart." Kaiiya laughed, "You're so ridiculous. I'm going to my love right now!" She leaped away. Kawa was disturbed, but she had no time for that. She had to follow Kaiiya to Toshiyuki's cave. Kazume saw them pass by, so he chased after, calling, "What's going on? You're not battling Toshiyuki again are you?" Kawa called back, "Not quite! I'll be fighting him, but Kaiiya thinks she loves him!" Kazume was startled, "What?" He ran along Kawa as she filled him in on the whole story. Kazume gritted his fangs. He looked as if he were even more determined than her to set Kaiiya free. Toshiyuki was again waiting for them in his cave, with Kaiiya at his side. He smiled his evil smile, satisfied. Kazume was angry; it was the most angry Kawa had ever seen him, even more than when he fought with Kaiiya. Kawa prepared her claws to fight; Kazume drew his sword with a firm grip. The battle ensued, but Kawa had another idea while dodging his attacks-she only needed the right timing. Kaiiya witnessed the battle calmly, not taking part in any fights. She felt nothing when she watched, that is, until she saw Kazume fighting so hard for her. Just then, her will fought Toshiyuki's spell. Kawa used that moment to stand in front of her sister. "Kaiiya, this isn't you. Fight it! You can win! You always win! Kazume is struggling, but he's fighting with all his might for you!" Kaiiya's will became stronger then. Once again, Kazume found a way to wound Toshiyuki. Kaiiya was freed from her spell. She destroyed the ring, telling him he couldn't force her to love him, for that is not real love. The trio left Toshiyuki once again.

Chapter 21: Kaiiya's Gentler Side

Neko had more recently begun to take up horseback riding. She began to ride a horse everyday through field, town, and on trails. This particular day, she wanted to ride up the trail on Chan the horse. Neko and Chan passed by Kaiiya, who was training in her little field. They had only continued a few minutes when a large bee stung Chan. Chan stood on her back two legs, knocking Neko off. Neko rolled down the bank and into the river below. She gasped for air, shrieking for help. She hadn't learned to swim, and couldn't kick properly in the water. Unfortunately for her, the waters flowed faster as she went along. "Help!" she screamed even more loudly than before.

Kaiiya's ears twitched when she heard screams. She stopped training and looked for the person in trouble. It sounded like…and smelled like…Neko! "Help!" Neko continued shouting in terror. The next she knew, the waters were becoming higher and more rough. She hit a few rocks, receiving bruises and cuts, but those didn't matter as much to her as getting out of the river alive. She began to think about her life. They do say that before death, one's life flashed before their eyes. She thought she could think about her short life, but didn't have the time or the focus when trying to stay afloat. She stopped screaming by now. Nobody heard her apparently, not even Kaiiya. Neko prepared herself for the thought of not coming back up again. She allowed herself to give up, so she could be ready for her death. It'll all be over soon…

As Neko had accepted her fate, she was pulled out of the water. She looked up to see Kaiiya hanging from a tree branch so she could reach out to her in the middle of the river. Kaiiya carried Neko in her arms as she returned to her training field. She set Neko down and gave her medical attention from her first-aid kit. Neko's arm and head had the most damage, so she bandaged both. Neko expected Kaiiya to say something rude and insensitive, like to not expect her to be rescued by her again or to not tell anyone about her doing a good deed or else she's pummel her. Kaiiya said none of those, but she cared for Neko, telling her that "accidents happen, but be more careful, will you?" Neko nodded. Kaiiya held her, found Chan, and held her reins as they went back to Neko's home. Neko was grateful to Kaiiya. If she hadn't been there, she would have died. Course, if she wasn't riding the trail that day, she wouldn't have died. But, that's all in the past; nothing could be done to change it. Neko was still surprised at all Kaiiya had done that day. It did change her perspective on her, though. She smiled weakly in thought of Kaiiya. She decided she liked Kaiiya after all.

Chapter 22: Lee's Challenge

Lee watched Kawa scarf down her food, amazed. She ate meat like crazy, rarely dining on healthy fruits or vegetables. Finally, he spoke up, "I guarantee that you can't go a week without meat." Kawa stopped drinking from her cup. "Is that a challenge?" Lee nodded. Kawa looked up in thought, then back at him, smiling. "And what do I get if I win?" Lee thought for a moment, "If you win, I will paint you a picture of anything you want. That means no cheating, and keep a food journal on whatever you eat. If I win, you have to do my laundry for a week." Kawa nodded. "Deal." So, the two shook hands in agreement. Kawa left feeling confident she could succeed; Lee left feeling confident his laundry will be done for free next week.

"Ok, day one," announced Kawa to herself. Breakfast was almost always cereal, so that meal was no big deal. She managed to avoid meat the first day, without any trouble. Then came the second day. She watched hungrily as Kaiiya ate her meaty breakfast the next morning. As that day was training day, Kawa was left alone in her training area of the woods. She trained extra hard to keep her mind off of food and meat. She at first was going to skip lunch altogether, but when she could no longer stand it, she shoved berries into her mouth. This was how it was for her at first. She continually ate a lot of berries, but expanded her options to other healthy foods. By the fourth day, Kawa wasn't sure she could truly last. She had to have some meat, pronto! She snuck downstairs in the middle of the night, eyeing that piece of veal, but stopped herself when she had raised it to her mouth. Lowering her head, she put the veal back. She was dragging the next day, desiring meat so much. "How's the meat-free diet going?" asked Lee. Kawa grinned, "It's going great! No meat!" Lee smiled, "Great. Say, when can you pick up my laundry?" Kawa frowned. "You don't think I can make it." Lee shook his head, still smiling. That alone kept her determined to keep going with her meat-free week. Kawa had brought her lunch to training, and ate a handful of berries for dessert. She then realized that these healthier foods filled her up with a different sort of energy-long-lasting energy. She wasn't half as fatigued when she was finished training as she sometimes was. Pleased with the results, she decided that once she went back to meat, she would have a lot more fruits and vegetables on her plate daily. She wasn't sure if she could give up meat for good, being a half-wolf and all, but as a human, she could. The week was soon up, and Lee reviewed her journal. She beamed proudly as he reviewed the journal. "Well, I must say, I'm impressed, especially with the part where you admitted you almost caved in, and where you had somewhat of a difficult time with going without it." Kawa took the journal back. "I'd like that painting of me, you, Kaiiya, and Kazume." Lee slowly nodded. He wasn't actually disappointed; he was proud she was able to go through with his deal. He also didn't mind painting the picture; he loved painting, after all. Kawa grinned at her prize when he was done with it. She hung it up on her wall, satisfied.

Chapter 23: Who Loves Who?

Toshiyuki grumbled over his last failed plan to make Kaiiya fall in love with him. He wondered about what his next move would be. He recalled who clung to whom in the little group of four. Kaiiya and Kazume seemed fond of each other, like Kawa and Lee were to each other. Yes, it was all coming to him now. He knew what he should do next. He would frustrate their obvious romances, and cause a division between them. He sent out two small lizards to carry out his duty. These were no ordinary lizards. With a flick of their tongues, Toshiyuki's desired results would happen.

Kazume had been slumbering soundly in his bed, when one of Toshiyuki's lizards slapped his cheek with its tongue. The next morning, he ran over to the girls' house. Kaiiya answered the door, surprised at his presence. Out of breath from running, he asked, "Where's Kawa?" Kaiiya furrowed her brows. "Kawa? Why?" Still trying to breath, he said, "I need to see her!" Kaiiya let him in, very confused. Kawa was in a chair, reading a book. He knelt down. "Kawa! At last! I've missed you terribly! I must tell you that I love you!" Both Kaiiya and Kawa were shocked. "Um…what're you talking about? You don't love me. You barely even talk to me. I think the one you really want is-" but Kazume never let Kawa finish. He kissed her hand, but she withdrew it. "Go away, you're not my type," she said to get him to leave her alone. He kept following her, much to Kaiiya's and Lee's dismay. They followed at a distance, rather upset that Kazume was behaving this way. Lee retreated to his home, where he saw a lizard. "Hello, little fellow. Wait. Lizards aren't from around here." He picked up the lizard, who wriggled and squirmed out of his hands, licking his cheek. His burst out his door. "Kaiiya!" When he met up with her, she turned around. He gave her a bear hug. "W-what?" she was really confused now. "I love you!" he proclaimed. She shoved him away in disgust. "Yuck!" She crossed her arms. "What's going on?" There was only one person she saw as responsible for this bizarre incidents. Lee doesn't actually love her, and neither does Kazume actually love Kawa. "Uh, Kaiiya, a little help here?" asked Kawa, who was cornered by Kazume, who was trying to kiss her. Kaiiya jerked him away. "Hey, what's going on here? Kaiiya, is there something going on between you and him?" asked a jealous Lee. He linked arms with her, taking her away, even though she protested, but she couldn't pry herself loose. "Well," Kazume turned to Kawa, "looks like it's just us." He smiled and held her hand. "Come, my sweet. Let us go to a restaurant and you can tell me about your day and how you've missed me terribly." Kawa didn't have much of a say, as he dragged her away into town.

After an annoying day of spending time with men they didn't love, the girls flopped in the chairs near the door as soon as they arrived home that night. "How do you put up with Lee?" asked Kaiiya. "He's too…nice." Kawa looked over at her. "Yeah, well, that's better than a crazy vampire who says very little." Kaiiya curled up in a ball and sighed. "I know Toshiyuki is behind this. Question is, how do we break this curse and what did he do to hypnotize them?" Kawa agreed, "Yeah, it makes sense. He is attracted to you and hates Kazume, so of course he'd want to divide us all and cause chaos." Kaiiya laid on her side. "Tomorrow, we strike. For now, let's just sleep tonight and regain some energy so we can kick his butt." Kawa stood up. "Hear, hear."

After a quick, hearty breakfast, the girls were quick to leave to find the dastardly Toshiyuki. Sure enough, he was in his cave. The girls took their stance, ready for action. "Toshiyuki, we know what you're up to!" shouted Kaiiya. "Good," he replied. "Then you'll know that my plan is working." Kawa asked, "How did you do this to them? And when?" He answered, "I sent two small lizards that contained special saliva on their tongues to affect their minds concerning love." Kaiiya said to him, "You are so weird. Seriously? Lizards?" Kawa blinked and cocked her head in confusion. Toshiyuki snickered, "Whatever you say, my dear." He raised his right hand to mobilize his powers. The girls crouched down to attack. "Kaiiya! I thought I'd find you here!" exclaimed Lee out of nowhere. "Kawa, you're here as well!" smiled Kazume. "Not to worry. I will protect you." Kawa growled, "We don't need protecting. We can handle ourselves. We're just trying to save you two." The boys insisted they could protect themselves, and that they were there to rescue them from the hands of the criminal. Toshiyuki could only smirk as the boys distracted them. "How about instead of arguing about who's saving who, why don't we all just fight this guy together?" suggested Kaiiya. The boys shrugged, then took their fighting stances. The girls were the first to strike, followed by the boys. The battle persisted until sunset. Each found a way to injure Toshiyuki, but he just as easily injured them. He grabbed a hold of Kaiiya by her wrists. Kawa almost freed her from his grasp, but he caught a hold of her as well. This severely angered the boys, therefore, they came at him at full-force. They struck a critical blow to him, causing him to retreat further into the darkness of the cave. He saw Kazume helping Kaiiya to stand up, as Lee did the same for Kawa. His voice called from the darkness. "Very well. It seems this plan has failed. I will no longer remain in this cave. You will have to find me." Kaiiya and Kawa turned around and ran into the darkness to find him. "I can see just as well in the dark as I can in light!" announced Kawa, more to Toshiyuki than to the others. His laugh echoed off the cave walls as they faded. "He…he disappeared," she said. They returned to the boys, feeling defeated. The boys they had returned to were now holding their heads in agony. They rushed over to them to help them, but after half a minute, their headaches ceased, and they were weakened. Kazume held his head. "W-what's going on? What happened?" Kaiiya knelt beside him. "Do you still love Kawa?" He frowned. "What are you talking about? I never loved Kawa. She's nice and all, and I respect her, but there's nothing there." Kaiiya and Kawa were both relived to hear that. "What about you, Lee? How do you feel about Kaiiya?" Lee turned. "Um…she's almost nice? She's cool and a good friend." Kawa asked, "So, there's nothing between you two?" Lee answered, "Why would there be? There never was." Again, the girls were relieved. They had the boys back. They helped the boys to talk. "Come on," said Kaiiya. "We'll take you both to Eisuke's for some food," said Kawa.

Chapter 24: The Daring Trip Into Town

Kaiiya grunted at the table. "What's the matter now?" asked Kawa, picking up their dishes. "I'm tired of having to hide who we are just because we're afraid of what people think," Kaiiya responded. "I get what you're saying, but this is different with humans. People are afraid of those who aren't exactly like them," said Kawa. "Besides, I don't know why you're complaining about it now when we've hidden ourselves all these years." Kaiiya tilted her head. "I know, but I'm just tired of hiding all the time. I want to go out natural." Kawa was reluctant, but she agreed to go about town for that one day in their natural forms.

People noticed something different about the girls and stared at them. Some gave dirty looks. A few gazed in awe at them. Children were entertained by the sight of the sisters, but their parents were quick to pull them away. Many were clearly uncomfortable with what they saw on the two. As a result, the two were becoming uncomfortable themselves. "Great idea, Kaiiya, now we'll never be accepted by them," Kawa muttered. "Look, I don't care about being popular with humans. But I do care about being hated." Kaiiya nodded with the last statement her sister said, but said virtually nothing while in town. Soon enough, people began to avoid the girls whenever they went into town. Their mere presence was so intimidating and disturbing to the people, that there were threats to have them arrested. People complained, wishing to have them banned from town. "I'm sorry," they were told, "but you cannot come back here again. You're upsetting everyone when you come around, with your ears, nails, and tails." The girls were obviously upset at the news, and tried to protest, even offered to retract their natural selves for them, but their pleas were in vain. Eisuke hated to see them treated poorly by the people, but he could do nothing. He'd already tried to convince the people that these were the same two girls that always ventured through town, but no one was convinced. They were afraid of what they didn't know. The girls retreated to their house, with their heads down and shoulders slumped. Izumi wondered what was the matter with them, and when she heard, she was enraged. Yet despite her anger, she could not change people's minds. Eisuke sighed. "I'm sorry they have to go through this. I am against all of this. I'll tell you what, though. You can stop by here anytime, and you can bring them food on the house, as much as you want." Izumi smiled sadly at him. "Thank you, Eisuke. You are so kind to us. But I will pay you. It's not right to not pay." He held up a hand. "No need. I insist, Izumi. All you need to do in return is visit me often." She nodded once, accepting his offer. "Let me know if there's anything else I can do to help you. I'd hate to see you all leave. You're all good people." Izumi faintly smiled. "Thank you. I appreciate that, Eisuke." She returned home with the news to the girls. When she was finished, she asked, "Would you like to move somewhere else?" They all thought about it. Kaiiya spoke up, "This is where we've lived all our lives. We can't just leave." Izumi left the room to the kitchen. "Well, we're just here for Mother. If it wasn't for that, we'd leave to another town, but she needs us. For now, we'll just venture into other towns when it's not our training days. At least we can pass through town either late at night or disguised in the day when we need to."

Chapter 25: Kazume and Lee's Stories

All four were gathered at a campfire one night, when Kawa asked, "You don't have to tell us, either of you, if it's too painful, but what are your histories? Like how you got to be where you are?" Lee assumed Kazume wouldn't speak up, so he did. "Well, it's a long story, and not totally painful, but it kind of was to me." Everyone looked to him, interested in what he had to say. He continued, "As you all know, I have a tenderness for animals. I lived on a farm when I was a boy. It's silly to say now, but my best friend was a rooster. I took care of him myself since he was born. Somewhere along the line, my parents decided to cook chicken for dinner-my rooster. I began to witness the brutal slaughtering of animals, and it happened continually as I grew up. It made me want to not eat meat anymore. This made my father embarrassed, because his son was in favor of rescuing animals, not eating them like every other man. We grew distant from each other. Nature was always appealing, so I wanted to keep a visual, so I started doing artwork. I also taught myself to play music, with my bamboo flute being my special instrument. My father and brother seemed to reject me most. I felt so unwelcome and unloved by them that I moved away from them and on my own to where I am now. I haven't talked to my father, my mother, or brother since, and that was a few years ago." Kawa touched his shoulder to give him comfort. He smiled at her and touched her hand, accepting her comfort. Kazume then told his story.

"I have been handy with the sword since my father taught me when I was young. He was a master swordsman, and he made them as well. I liked to take the sword with me many places and practiced all the time. One night, there were burglars that broke into our home. There were three of them. They weren't just after our possessions, they were after us. They ganged up on my father first, killing him. My mother took me and hid me in a closet. She wanted to defend me, but they quickly brought her down, too. The men looked all over for anyone else who might be around. I clutched my sword in the closet, shaking, sweating. They opened the closet to find me. They grabbed me by the shirt. My sword was still in my left hand. I almost couldn't do it, but in fear, I stabbed them one by one. I was still so scared, and crying. I found my parents dead after that. I cried over them, but I also had to get out of there. I ran right into a shadowy figure in the night. He lunged down and bit me, so that's why I am a vampire now. He left me there, and I just stood there, until I ran straight to my aunt and uncle's. I kept practicing with the sword and dealing with the events that had happened. In time, my uncle, gave me a special sword, one that contained powers. I mastered that sword in time, too. That is my story." No one could say anything about his story, but Kaiiya finally said, "I knew about only a little of the story, back when we had to take shelter in that shack waiting for the rain to stop." Kawa looked back and forth to both. "Thank you for telling your histories, guys. We appreciate it." Kazume eyed her. "I don't want sympathy." She shook her head. "No, that's not what we're after. We just wanted understanding." Nothing more was said about their pasts, but Kaiiya gave him a hug, which surprise not only him, but everyone. Kawa had an idea of her own.

Chapter 26: Izumi's Illness

When Izumi failed to come downstairs one morning, the girls wondered what was wrong. They slowly opened her door and found her still in bed. "Mother?" asked Kaiiya. Izumi didn't respond. They tiptoed closer to her bed. She turned around, squinting her eyes. Her face was pale, and she had bags under her eyes. "Mother, you're sick," stated Kawa. "Thanks for pointing out the obvious," Kaiiya replied. Izumi spoke in a hoarse voice, "Sorry, kiddos. Mommy's sick." The girls weren't sure what to think, but they were certain this was a serious matter.

They raced separately to find a cure for their mother. They each found herbs and remedies; they grabbed aprons and started concocting anecdotes. Both were concerned that she would die if they didn't act. Each gave her a small tube, so she could recover quickly. Izumi gradually swallowed both remedies, but required rest, so the girls left her alone to let the remedies take effect. They waited around anxiously all day for her. They checked on her frequently throughout the day, but she rarely moved; all she did was sleep. For the next two days, they did all household chores on their own. In between chores and worrying, they watched over their mother. They each sat on her bedside with concern, until she turned around, only to frown and shoo them away. "I still just need sleep." Kaiiya said, "But it's been two days already!" Izumi closed her eyes, saying, "Just go, girls. I will be fine. I just need to recuperate." Hesitantly, they left their mother. After they silently came downstairs, Kawa said, "I wonder what cause her to be sick. What if she got a bug from someone in town, or this is the work of Toshiyuki, or it's stress-induced, or she's sad, or she has a mysterious illness…" They tried not to think about it, but there was no beating around the bush. "All we can really do now is wait," Kawa said. And wait they did. Another two days had gone by before Izumi walked downstairs, refreshed. She walked down to see her daughters working vigorously on chores. They stopped what they were doing and gave her a hug. "You girls have been taking care of the house while I was resting?" she asked. They nodded, feeling slightly guilty that they hadn't been as helpful before, when she wasn't sick. "Has Neko come by to help you?" Both shook their heads. While it was true Neko came over to offer assistance and flowers to Izumi, they both shooed her away. "You two did a nice job of cleaning. You even thoroughly cleaned everything," she commented. "Yeah, well, just think of it as training," said Kaiiya. Izumi hugged them once again. "I'm proud of my daughters."

Chapter 27: Kawa Tries to Mend

Kawa hid her ears and tail as she ran out the door to see Lee. "Kawa?" he asked when he answered his door. "What is it?" She dragged him into another village, a place called Sakura, known famously for their cherry blossom trees. Lee realized where he was as Kawa smelled around for any place that would include his scent. Lee refused to go any further. He knew they were and what she was up to-they were on their way to his parents' home. However, Kawa, being stronger than Lee, dragged him until they reached their appointed destination. Kawa knocked; Lee tried to flee, but she caught him by his shirt collar. Lee's mother answered the door, shocked to see her son. Kawa squeezed his arm so he couldn't break free. "Lee? Lee, my son, is that you?" his mother asked. "Yes, Mrs. Yoichi, this is your son, Lee. He's one of my friends, and I felt we should visit you." Tears filled the woman's eyes. "I haven't seen or heard from you in years." Lee bowed his head. "I'm sorry, Mother, I-" but his brother had come to the door before he could explain. "Lee? What're you doing here?" Mrs. Yoichi gestured them in. "Come in and tell us everything. We've missed you." His father came in from outside, not expecting to see his son. "Lee," was all he could manage to say. "Lee was just about to tell us what he's been doing for the last few years. Why don't you join us, honey?" Mrs. Yoichi suggested. He sat down with the group, waiting to hear the story. He explained where he was living, and all the things he did in his spare time. He mentioned battling the enemy with the others, but failed to mention that the sisters were half-breeds, and that the other male member was a vampire. "Is that why you never got in contact with us?" inquired Mr. Yoichi, glaring at Kawa, knowing she was included in his outrageous adventures. Lee noticed this and frowned at his father. "Father, knock it off. Kawa hasn't done anything wrong. I'm the one who chooses to go on these adventures. I wouldn't take any of it back for the world." Mr. Yoichi didn't expect his son to be assertive towards him, but accused Lee of being disrespectful. Lee stood up. "Look, I'm sorry I came here. It was a mistake. But none of you accepted me for me unless I became the person you wanted me to be. You all looked down on me. What other choice did I have but to leave and lead my own life?" All were silent, not knowing how to answer. "That was how you felt?" asked Mrs. Yoichi. "Don't play dumb, you three. You've known how I felt then and you were still embarrassed of me. You couldn't just love me for the oddball I am." Mr. Yoichi said, "You don't think I'll ever be proud? Look what you're doing on your own. You're fighting, you have a home, and you stand by who you are no matter what everyone else thinks." Lee was stunned to hear this. "You…you're proud of me?" His father shoved his hands in his pockets. "No, I'm not entirely proud. After all, you left and never came back. It killed me to not have my son around. Ok, so it was sort of hard to get use to your way of life, but I didn't know how to deal with it then."

The conversation continued as they ate dinner. Lee had learned that his brother moved out on his own, but was visiting his parents that day. Mrs. Yoichi had gone through depression because of Lee moving all of a sudden. Mr. Yoichi was full of guilt because of how he handled his son, and regretted it every day. The family turned their attention to Kawa. "So, is this your girlfriend?" Both Kawa and Lee blushed. "No, we're just friends," Kawa and Lee said.

Chapter 28: Kaiiya's Baby

Kaiiya had just finished training when she thought she'd climb the nearest mountain as fast as she could, as extra training. On her way up, she heard a tiny "mew," thinking it was a kitten. What she saw wasn't exactly a kitten, but a lion cub. He was crying for food, but was all alone. At first, Kaiiya ignored him, thinking his family would show up, but no one showed up, even at night; plus, she didn't smell any lions nearby. She cautiously walked over to the cub, who still sat and cried. He appeared to have an injury in his front left arm. She held him at a distance, unsure of what to do with him. "Looks like I'll be taking you home with me." She bandaged the wounded cub and leaped home.

The young cub was rambunctious while at Kaiiya's house. Mother and Kawa thought he was cute, but didn't belong at their house. He was constantly hungry; when he wasn't, he was getting into stuff all over the house. It was exhausting work for Kaiiya. He made messes, ripped papers up, clawed furniture, had a few "accidents," and followed her everywhere. The first night, he was to sleep on the floor in her room, but he whined, especially since there was a storm outside. Kaiiya lifted her face out of her pillow. "Alright, get up here." He bounded on her bed, sleeping right next to her. She allowed him to sleep on her bed with her while he was there. In the mornings, she fed him from a bottle. She almost had her eggs in her fork when the cub whined again. She calmly gave him her food, which he thoroughly enjoyed. She caught him when he tripped down the stairs once, played with him, fed him plenty of food, massaged his wounded leg, and skipped out on a day of training to be with him. Normally, she would have been very agitated about not being able to train, but this cub needed her care more than she needed to train. When no one else was around, she held the cub and sang songs to him.

The cub had stayed for two weeks and five days, plenty of time for his wounds to heal. He had already been out of his bandages for a few days, but Kaiiya kept him around nevertheless. Izumi cleared her throat while the two played together. "Look, I think it's very sweet you love this cub and take care of him, but he's not a pet or your baby. You said you'd take him back once he was healed. Well, now he's healed, so take him back. He belongs in the wild with lions, not with other people." As much as Kaiiya hated to admit it, she was right. She took her time going to the mountains, singing to the cub in her arms. She didn't smell any lions in the area she found him at, but she did pick up a scent of lions a mile away. She cradled him in her arms as she slowly reached a den where the lions were. She let him down and scooted him towards the cave. "Go on ahead," she said gently. He turned back towards the cave, sensing other lions. He roared a meek roar, but it was enough to have the attention of the lions. He looked around for Kaiiya, but she was nowhere in sight. The lions came out to welcome the cub. Kaiiya stood on a branch and watched the scene before leaving. "Goodbye," she said so softly, it was almost a whisper.

Chapter 29: Kaiiya's Secret

Kawa was reading about ancient stories, when there was a knock at the door. When she opened the door, she asked, "Yes? May I help you?" There stood a young man a couple of years older than Kaiiya. He had long black hair tied back in a braid. His expression was neutral, so she wasn't sure what sort of business he was there for. "I would like to speak with Kaiiya, if she's here." Dumbfounded, Kawa called Kaiiya downstairs, never losing eye contact with this person. Somehow, he didn't look like an average human. Kaiiya hopped down the stairs. She halted when she saw the visitor. Her jaw dropped at the sight of him. What's worse was that Kazume was right behind him, for he had come by to pick her up. Panicking, Kaiiya slammed the door in the mysterious young man's face. "Kaiiya, what's going on? Who's that guy?" asked Kawa. She fled up the stairs, freaking out. Kawa followed her, refusing to leave until she heard the truth. Kaiiya lifted her face that was buried in her hands and looked at her sister. "I have a secret. You remember a few years ago, when I left for a while before returning?" Kawa nodded. "Uh huh." Kaiiya continued, "Well, I was betrothed. I kept it a secret for this long and thought it was something that wasn't going to be brought up ever again, but boy, was I wrong. My father had set it up for me right before I was even born. He desired that I would marry a demon, one with skill, honor, bravery, and loyalty. He chose Hideo when he was just a little boy, seeing his future, and decided he was for me. But I never wanted to be forced to marry someone I didn't know or love." She put her head back in her hands in shame. "Then came the day I was summoned to wed him. I was afraid, and didn't let you know or anyone else know about it. I left you a note, lying to you, that I needed to discover myself, but it was really that I was married to him. I was so miserable, I could no longer take it, so I left him. I though I had left it all behind when I left him and that miserable life, but he's come back to me. I don't think we're even officially over. We haven't had a certificate of divorce written yet." She pulled a ring from her drawer to show Kawa as proof. Kawa gasped at the sight, and was in disbelief at the entire situation. So was Kazume, who was standing at the door with Hideo. With that, Kazume threatened to harm Hideo if he didn't sign the divorce papers, setting her free from him. Hideo shushed him, then spoke to Kaiiya. "Why did you leave? Why were you miserable with me?" Kaiiya bowed her head, unable to look him in the eyes. "It wasn't the life I wanted for myself. I had to be the little wife for you, and I wasn't ready for any of that. I was living the life someone else wanted, not mine. There were so many expectations you held over me, Hideo." Hideo immediately tended to her, which irritated Kazume. "I am so sorry you felt that way. You should have spoken up." She frowned at him, "How? You told me not to speak up, since it's not a woman's place to speak her mind." Hideo blushed. "Did I say that? I'm sorry, my dear. But Kaiiya, you're still my wife. We are not allowed to be divorced, you know that full well. I've come to take you back. I vow to be a better husband to you than I was back then. I have grown considerably, and so have you. Can we please start over again?" Kaiiya looked at Hideo, then to Kazume, who was prepared to draw his sword from its sheath.

"I…I'm sorry, Hideo, but I don't love you that way. All we can ever be is friends. If you truly loved me, you'd figure what was best for me. You would divorce me if you wanted me happy." He said, "I have a confession to make, too. I am married to you, but I didn't want it for myself either. I wanted someone who wanted me in return, and I have found that someone. I have a beloved back home, but I cannot marry her because of our marriage." Kaiiya thought this was new. "Why didn't you say so before? You definitely have to divorce me now." Hideo protested, "But I can't divorce you unless you do something to break our vows, that's the law." Kaiiya thought for a moment. "What if I did something to make you want to divorce me?" Hideo raise an eyebrow. "I'm listening."

She recruited Kazume to be her "lover" in public (but not in her own town). He was to speak kind words to her, as a lover would typically do. They linked arms, smiling at each other and flirted. Kaiiya was thoroughly enjoying this plan, even though it was difficult getting Kazume to go along with it. Hideo saw the two together and pretended to be so furious that he demanded to divorce her, and found divorce papers. The two signed the papers in privacy, then Hideo left for his beloved back home. He waved. "I'll tell her you all say 'hello!'" he called back to them. "You will all be receiving invites to our wedding! Hope you can make it!" The three watched him leave in the distance. "Thank goodness that's over," said Kaiiya. "Mmhmm," agreed Kazume. Kaiiya gave Kazume eye contact as she thanked him and complimented him for his convincing role as her lover. Kazume smiled back at her. "You're welcome," he replied. They continued to link arms for a while on the way home, until both broke away from each other, embarrassed.

Chapter 30: I Hate You

Toshiyuki grumbled in his underground hideout. His last plan had failed miserably; he had to come up with something much better. He had tried to use love against them, but it only helped them. How sickening. What if he used the opposite reaction? Yes, perhaps that will work better than love. Words of hate cut much more deeply and are more memorable than love. They have a bigger affect than love. He couldn't use his lizards this time, but maybe on mosquitoes…mystical mosquitoes, that is. He sent two mosquitoes to the boys. He held onto two more, just in case he needed them later. Kazume and Lee were both bitten without warning, and the spell began to take effect on their minds and hearts. Kaiiya met up with Kazume later, only to dodge his attacks against her. "Woah! What're you doing, Kazume? Are you mad at me?" Lee came up to Kawa, gritting his teeth in anger. He grabbed her wrists tightly. "Lee? What-" Upon their encounters with each other, the boys brought the girls to a secluded area, but were all within close range of each other. Toshiyuki watched his plan unfurl from his crystal ball.

Kazume stood opposite of Kaiiya, sword drawn. "You are emotionally constipated, and act like such a jerk." Kaiiya frowned. "Oh, you're one to talk, Kazume. You don't often open up to me! Wouldn't that make you a jerk, too?" He growled. "I hate you, Kaiiya." She dropped her jaw. "You what?" He continued, "That's right, I hate you. You bring me down, not build me up. You are so immature, it's annoying." Kaiiya heard exactly what she didn't want to hear-that he hated her. "That's why," he added, "I'm going to destroy you." Kaiiya answered, "No, I don't want to fight you, Kazume." He came at her anyways.

Lee told Kawa, "You think you're this powerful being, but you're not. You're such a woman. You're emotional and think you need to talk all the time. You're so sensitive. You need guts, not the weak life you lead." Kawa blushed in anger. "Hey, I'm not all that emotional. Expressive, yes, but it's not weakness. I am strong. And for your information, you're more sensitive than I am. And I happen to know you would never say such things unless you were being controlled by Toshiyuki. He seems to be behind everything bad that happens." Lee was disgusted with her. "I hate you." Kawa took a step back in horror. "Huh?" He continued, "That's right, I hate you, Kawa. This is coming from me, not Toshiyuki." She furrowed her brows. "I refuse to believe that." However, Lee ran to attack her anyways.

Kaiiya avoided Kazume's attacks, having no desire to fight him. She blocked his attacks or else leaped out of the way. "Toshiyuki's behind this, isn't he! He just loves to ruin my life!" she declared. Kazume answered, "Just fight me, that is, if you dare." She refused to throw her fists back at him. She did grab his sword from him, but he simply called it back to him. Kazume was quick to come up behind her, trip her, and push her to the ground. She was on her knees, with her hands held behind her back by Kazume. He bared his fangs, anticipating to bite Kaiiya on the neck. Her eyes grew large, but then giving up, she shut her eyes tightly. "Go ahead, Kazume," she whispered, "I can never fight you or hate you."

Lee was quicker than Kawa thought. He leaped in the air and landed right behind her. He grabbed her by the waist and spun her around so fast, that she was thrown several yards away, rolling in dirt until her body stopped. She very slowly lifted herself off the ground. Her ears tilted back, head still down. She clawed the dirt ground. Then lifted her head up to show anger. She really didn't want to fight Lee; he was important to her, after all. However, she had to defend herself when he attacked. She had avoided hitting him, and she ended up being thrown around. She attacked him, but after punching Lee into oblivion, she realized that this is exactly what Toshiyuki wanted. He wanted to create another division between the four, only using hatred instead of love. Kawa jumped into a tree, but Lee grabbed her leg. She eventually freed herself from his tight grip and raced to the top of the tree. She located Kaiiya, who was on her knees. "Kaiiya!" she called out. "Don't let him bite you! What we need to do is find Toshiyuki! He's nearby, I can feel it!" Kaiiya didn't listen; she seemed to have given up because of Kazume. Kawa got closer. "Kaiiya, don't you see that this is what Toshiyuki wants? He wants you to give up. Don't give in."

Kaiiya threw Kazume before he could bite, apologized, and ran off with Kawa to locate Toshiyuki. They worked together to dig a tunnel underground where Toshiyuki was. Sure enough, he was there to greet them. "Hello. Enjoying this day?" Kawa growled, "I bet you are!" He smiled in satisfaction. Kaiiya sensed two insects flying around them, loaded with Toshiyuki's power. "Watch it! There's mosquitoes around here, and from the smell of it, they're the mystic kind." Toshiyuki laughed. "Do you hate me for doing all this? It's not a good idea to kill those mosquitoes. They can reverse the spell on your precious friends. However, I possess them, I control them." Both wrathful girls clenched their fists before attacking him. He just as easily knocked them backwards with his powers. Behind them stood the boys, full of fury. Kaiiya looked over to Kawa, sending her a silent message. Kawa nodded, understanding her message. They sat, pretending to be mortified by the boys' anger at them. When the mosquitoes neared the girls, both grabbed them and threw them on the boys. The insects naturally feasted upon their fleshes, which caused them to slip into unconsciousness. Toshiyuki frowned at being conned by the girls. He once again retreated elsewhere to think up another plan to destroy them. "Coward," muttered Kawa.

Kaiiya knelt down by Kazume, while Kawa crouched to Lee. Both were again conscious. "Kaiiya," Kazume said weakly, "I remember what I said to you, but I couldn't control myself. All of what I said is the opposite of how I feel. You haven't torn me down. You've built me up and have helped me since we met. You're not a jerk and un-emotional. You're fine just the way you are. And I don't hate you." Kaiiya shushed him, "No, of course not. Glad you're back, though." Lee attempted to sit up. He winced as he told Kawa, "I don't think you're over-emotional. You're balanced. And you're not weak. Actually, I believe you are unbelievably strong and you encourage me daily. Like Kazume said, I don't hate you either." Kawa smiled and helped him up. "It's ok."

Chapter 31: Jealousy is a Poison

Toshiyuki growled. None of his plans were working out in the long run. His rage burned against Kazume, the one who held Kaiiya's heart. He had to act on getting rid of him solely. He created a poison, one that would be deadly, yet kill its victims slowly, causing them to writhe in agony for two whole days until their death. He sent a bird, turning her into a woman, so she could deliver the poison as a drink. She arrived in Miso at Kazume's home. He was making swords when the woman knocked on the door. "Hello, sir!" she tweeted. "I'm going around to give everyone free samples of this drink! It gives you the energy you need to face the day with whatever life throws at you." She grinned, holding the bottle up. Kazume didn't trust her, so he had her drink some before he tried any. She stopped grinning, but in order to gain his trust, she sipped some of the poison. When he saw that nothing happened to her, he agreed to have some of it. He drank it, thanked her for the drink, then went back to work. After a few minutes, he felt dizzy, then sweaty and weak. His stomach felt awful. That's when it hit him-he had swallowed poison. Kaiiya found him curled up in a ball on the floor. "Kazume!" She laid him in his bed and brought him a cool rag to place over his head. "I've…been…poisoned…" he gasped for air. Kaiiya left him to find a cure for the poison, pronto. In a race against time, Kaiiya moved more swiftly than ever to grab remedies, any kind of remedies.

The woman Toshiyuki sent had literally crawled back to the cave on top of the mountain. "I thought…you built up an immunity for me, so I…wouldn't be…poisoned." Toshiyuki laughed. "Oh, silly me. I guess I just didn't think it was worth saving a mere bird from a fate she would meet someday-death. My mistake." She stared in horror at him. "I could have…been useful to you…" she gasped, trying to persuade him to take away the poison from her, but to no avail. She transformed back into a bird, then lay still on the ground. "She's dead," he announced to himself. "Oh well, she's served her purpose." He watched from his ball what Kaiiya was doing. He giggled. There was a special herb she needed to find, and it wasn't native to the country.

Kaiiya grabbed random herbs frantically, not knowing how much time she had left. A bird landed by her, then flew above, trying to have her follow it. Someone had brought the special herbs to the country, and the bird had located it for her. The bird helped her find all the ingredients she needed, then flew away. Toshiyuki saw this and was furious. It appeared this bird he appointed to sell the poison told another bird where to find the ingredients, before her death.

Kaiiya gave Kazume the remedy, anxious and quivering for his well-being. It appeared she had come in the nick of time, as Kazume stopped breathing heavily. She breathed a sigh of relief. "You had me so scared, Kazume." The weak Kazume turned his head, smiled, and said, "You said you weren't scared of anything." She smiled, waiting for him to recover, which he did within the next day.

Chapter 32: Hats Off to the Freaks

"Grr! Let me go!" Kawa demanded, unable to break free from the chains random freak show people had bound on her. "We'll make a bunch of money with you in our freak show!" Lee stood in the distance, then ran after the freak show to rescue Kawa. He hid himself so he wouldn't make himself known. The crew left briefly to inform their boss about their new member. Lee stepped out from behind the bushes. "I'm here to save you, Kawa," he whispered. Kawa looked back and forth from the freak show tent and Lee. "Lee, I don't need any help," she whispered. "I am perfectly capable of freeing myself. I was just waiting for the right moment." Lee looked at the tent, seeing no one coming out yet, so he whispered back, "I know, but I promise to protect you at all costs." The boss walked out of the tent with some of his whacky crew, only to see some human guarding their new money-maker. Lee stood his ground. "Let this woman go," he demanded.

The boss crossed his arms. "Or what?" he challenged. "Or…or I'll fight you. If I win, she goes free." "Um, Lee…" Kawa started to protest. Lee interrupted, "Don't worry, Kawa. As I told you, I will protect you at all costs, even if it means losing my life." One of the crew members smirked, "Wow, you're a freak too. Maybe you should join us on tour." Lee smiled, "Yes, I am a freak. But that makes me who I am, and I'm not afraid of it." The boss was displeased at this intruder who came to steal their money-maker. Lee pulled out his bo. "A stick?" the freak show boss said. Lee said nothing, but charged into action. Kawa watched everything from her chains, making no attempt to free herself, even though she could have used that moment to break free; she was interested in seeing what Lee could do. Lee was handy with that bo she'd given him months ago. The freak show boss was no match for Lee as Lee used his bo to trip, poke, and hit the boss and members who had tried to interfere. He spun the bo around, intimidating everyone involved with the show. He was swift and precise, which made it worse for Lee's opponent. The boss was bleeding, not to mention he must've have a few broken bones. Lee spun his bo so fast, that he was able to break Kawa's chains. He took her and ran back home. "Wow, I've never seen you fight!" she commented. "What? After all the fighting we've done against Toshiyuki and other enemies, even when I was under a curse to attack you, you still haven't seen it?" he asked. She shrugged a shoulder. "Well, it's kind of hard to notice when I'm busy battling the enemy myself." Later, back on the stairs at Kawa's house, the two sat. "That was impressive," Kawa said, "Thank you for saving me…even though I was just fine by myself." Lee said, "I refuse to let anything happen to you." Kawa, un-amused, punched him. "Ow! What was that for!" he shouted as he pulled himself up. She pouted, "Serves you right. Did you not hear what I've been saying? I can defend myself and you." Kawa looked down and smiled. She didn't usually need his protection, but he was offering it to her and was willing to fight for her till he died. For that, she hugged his arm.

Chapter 33: Destroying Villages

Kawa and Kaiiya walked in the forest one day, since they didn't exactly feel like going very far lately to other towns. They missed the convenience of their own town, but had been banned permanently from going back. Their anger at injustice burned inside them both, but they could no longer have a say in matters of the town. Out of nowhere, the girls heard screams coming from the east. Quickly, they hid in one of the trees to examine the scenario. What they saw angered them. Many men were in pursuit of the women of a village nearby, hoping to capture them for themselves. Kaiiya's eyes started glowing red, as Kawa crouched on all fours, growling. Without warning, both experienced a full transformation. They tore through the village, enraged at the horrible men. The girls easily terminated all the men responsible for attacking the women. The women, however, ran away in fear, believing they would be attacked, and unfortunately, they would have been correct. The girls didn't stop at destroying the men of that village. They began attacking other villages in the area, targeting everyone who got in their way. Buildings were ruined in the process because of them. Neither girls felt remorse as long as they were in full transformation.

A family ran past Kazume in his town of Miso. "What's going on?" he asked them. They stopped briefly to tell him about the monsters attacking their village and others nearby. Kazume reported this to Lee, who had just come down from the mountains. Both hurried to the direction of the beasts. They halted when they saw that the monsters attacking the villages were actually Kaiiya and Kawa. "Looks like they're not going to help us," Kazume joked. Suddenly, he noticed a metal collar on each girl's neck. "We have to get those collars off!" he called to Lee. Kazume flew to Kaiiya, hoping to give her a hug to calm her down; it usually worked, at least. He almost gave her a hug, but she had swiped him away. He had to work on getting that metal collar off. Meanwhile, Lee pulled out his bamboo flute and held it high. He played his flute, walking closer to Kawa, thinking the music would once again sedate her. Instead, she grabbed his flute in her mouth and tossed it far away. "This has Toshiyuki written all over it!" shouted Kazume to Lee. Both left the girls, trying to locate Toshiyuki as fast as possible. "How will we find him?" asked Lee as they ran. "My sword itself will guide us," answered Kazume. Indeed it did. Toshiyuki was not around for some reason, but the boys spied an odd contraption. They weren't sure of what to do, since it had to be a trap, but they bashed the thing anyways. They left in a hurry back to the village where the girls were. Their collars were gone out of sight, as the girls sat on the ground, returned to their former selves. The boys helped them up. Then, the girls stared at the scene in shock. Kawa gasped. Kaiiya's face fell. "We did this, didn't we," Kawa said lowly. The sisters looked at each other in guilt. They weren't even sure how their collars were placed on them without their knowing. To make up for the damage they've done, they rebuilt the villages, but almost all of the people from the villages they had attempted to fix sneered at them and forced them to leave. The boys comforted them the best they could, but no words could change what they had unconsciously done.

Chapter 34: The Forest of Illusions

The four friends wandered into a forest they'd never seen before, but inside the forest was dense fog. The next they knew, they were all separated from each other. Each called one another's names, but could hear no response from anyone. They were all on their own until they could find their way through the fog and back to each other.

Kaiiya thought about scoping the area from the tops of the trees, but even in the highest tree was fog. She climbed down and spotted a lake. She leaned forward to see her reflection, only to draw back. She peered into the lake again, which confirmed what she had seen in the reflection-herself as a full demon. She lifted her left arm to see if this was really her in her demon form, but all she saw was her normal self. "This must be an illusion, but what could it mean?" When she looked up, she saw someone leaning in front of a tree. The figure had given Kaiiya a smug look, before she realized that the figure was in fact her as a full demon! The demon Kaiiya was stained with blood, pleased to have had victims. How could she fight herself? She avoided all of the demon's attacks until she could figure out what to do with her. As she thought, she recognized that the one she battled was part of her deepest fear. She had to use that against this demon version of herself. In the meantime, she drew her axe, but the demon did the same. In fact, the demon copied all of her movements. At last, they just stood across from each other, waiting for one to make a move. She feigned fatigue, and rested in the grass. The confused demon stood over her, wondering if she was asleep or not. The demon raised an arm to strike, but Kaiiya swiped through the demon instead. To her surprise, her claws had no affect on the demon-it phased right through. She stood up when she realized something. "Wait a minute. I'm not afraid of myself! I know who I am. Sometime after this, I am going to receive some training, so I can control this beast that I-you-are. I took no pleasure in the murders that took place, so wipe that stupid smirk off your face, you!" Kaiiya proudly walked through her demon self, who was surprised to have no control over her. The demon disappeared, and so did the fog.

Kawa listened for any sign of her comrades, but came up short. Their scents were nowhere to be found, either. All of her friends showed up at the same time. She started running towards them, but something wasn't right. This wasn't any of their scents. She stopped in her tracks, trying to figure out what was going on. Right before her eyes, they were all brought down at once. She didn't see who it was who struck them when it happened, but a figure rose up in front of her. The figure was her with a metal collar on, much like the one Toshiyuki had placed on the girls before. Toshiyuki stepped in from behind her, grinning his usual evil grin. When she turned around, she noticed her slain friends had vanished. She turned around for an explanation, seeing Toshiyuki smite her possessed self. All that remained now were her and Toshiyuki. He sure seemed intimidating to her now. He raised his arm to blast her, but she bounded out of the way. "I'm living my worst fears," she said to herself. She hid behind a tree to think about how to avoid him. His blast hit the tree, and she braced for the tree to fall over, but it only went through. She opened her eyes to see that nothing happened. It was all just an illusion, then? She grew confident and walked out in the open. Toshiyuki frowned and vanished. The fog left with him.

Kazume found a young boy that had the appearance of him as a child, but that wasn't possible. Still, he followed the boy, hoping to get out of the fog if he followed. Instead, the boy had disappeared, but there stood the three men that murdered his parents years ago. "It can't be. How are you still alive? It isn't possible! I killed you the night you killed my parents!" Great fear overcame Kazume as he remembered his past, certain they were dead, but here they were. They charged at him, but he quickly drew his sword. He recalled killing them that night. "That's right, you are dead, but we can do this again!" He sliced through all three of the men's stomachs, but the sword had gone through them, without any blood shed. "Oh, so you aren't real. That's good, because you can't possibly still be alive after I killed all of you with my sword." With that, the men disappeared one-by-one. The little boy showed up again, this time angry. Kazume was positive this child was his younger self. The angry child had tears in his eyes. He knew all too well what the child's tears meant. "I remember this," he said aloud, "I felt this way for so longer after my parents died and I was bitten by that vampire. I felt so alone and grew bitter." The child looked up, still saying nothing. Kazume knew how to handle this illusion. He knelt to the boy's level, explaining, "You will grow up to be a swordsman like Father was. Uncle gives you a really special kind. You won't be alone, either. You will grow trust because of friends you make. You'll have three best friends that you deeply respect, and they respect you in return." The boy wasn't sure to believe him at first, but was reassured. He disappeared with a smile on his face. After he left, the fog too disappeared.

Lee carefully walked around with his bo clutched in his hands. He saw something dash in between trees. He squinted and noticed it was Kawa. "Hey, Kawa! Found you!" he smiled. However, she kept passing behind trees. When he saw she no longer moved, he checked behind the last tree her saw her hide behind. There, she was in deep pain and curled herself up, holding her stomach to keep the blood from gushing out. He didn't see anything happen, but here she was, doubled over. He came to her aid, but she would only claw him away. He was helpless as she continued to groan in agony. After much anxiety, she died. Lee was in disbelief. How could this happen? He swore he would protect her, even if she could protect herself. He bent over on his hands and knees, overcome with sadness. He held her in his arms. She felt abnormally light as a feather, almost as if he weren't even holding a real being. He then remembered where he was. As an explorer, he had memorized maps around their nation. Though he had obviously never been there, he was in the Forest of Illusions. No wonder this dead woman in his arms was so light. She was non-existent, just an image of someone's worst fears. He wondered what fears the others were facing. He looked down and smiled. This wasn't Kawa. She certainly wouldn't die that easily. He believed her sister gave her the strength she needed to carry on. He dropped the fake half-wolf and announced that she was still alive, and while she was, he could still protect her when he needed to. The dead woman vanished, but now Lee was no longer afraid. The fog lifted when it sensed his fear was gone.

The four were quick to find each other again after they faced their fears. They told their stories as they left the Forest of Illusions. Next time, they'd go around it, instead of straight through.

Chapter 35: Kaiiya Finds a Puppy Mill

That day, Kaiiya was spending her time meditating, to help settle her mind. Her ears perked to hear some annoying noise coming from the north. Annoyed, she went to find whoever was making such a racket and to tell them to be quiet. But when she got there, she was stunned at what she saw. Right in front of her was a puppy mill. Furious, she marched up to the door, demanding that the dogs be released. The man was upset with her and slammed the door in her face. She knocked on the door again, but the owner had grabbed a dagger and threatened her if she didn't leave. "You're trespassing, and you've got no business here," he said. She wasn't afraid of a little dagger, so she placed her hands on her hips and stated, "It most certainly is my business. You are endangering the lives of these dogs. They don't deserve it. Just give them some living space. If you don't, I will have to take action against you. Trust me, you don't want that." The man sneered, "You don't scare me, kid. You're nothing but a nosy punk who's asking for trouble." He obviously thought he could beat a half-demon, but to prove to him she wasn't afraid, she took his dagger away with ease.

He slammed the door in her face, so he wouldn't have to put up with her. Kaiiya decided since he wasn't going to do anything, she should. She leaped on top of the overly crowded cage to free them, but the owner came out with a bow and arrow. He shot it at her, but failed. She caught the arrow in her hand, bending it. "Excuse me," she told the dogs. She punched, kicked, and pushed the man, eventually rendering him unconscious. "Told you I'd take action," she told the out-cold man. She returned to the cage full of dogs. She released them into the yard. Many of them ran away without looking back, but some had wanted her to play with them. She couldn't resist their offer, so she played with them. She had them chase her, play hide-and-seek, fetch, and jump in a pond with her to cool off. She was happy to see them free from a terrible fate. They jumped all over her, licking her as a thanks for rescuing them and for being fun to play with. She laughed, as their licks tickled her. They were afraid of her leaving them, but as they played with each other with Kaiiya in sight, they were fine. Kaiiya took the opportunity to leap back to the puppy mill by herself. She noticed the owner was still unconscious when she came back. She shook her head and smiled. She withdrew her axe and chopped the unsightly cage to pieces. She tied the man up, using the broken metal from the cage. She continued to play with the dogs until dark. The next morning, she helped find homes for those that remained. It was tough convincing some people, but Kaiiya didn't give up until she had given every dog a new chance at happiness.

Chapter 36: Kazume's Confrontation

Kazume tossed and turned in his bed, unable to sleep. He placed his hand over his neck where the vampire had bitten him years ago. He had slain the men who killed his parents, but this vampire was still alive somewhere out there. Who knows how many victims the vampire has had. When he finally managed to doze off, all he could dream about was vampires. The next morning, Kazume was determined to confront that vampire once and for all. He set out with his sword and determination. His stern face showed he meant business. He ran into Kaiiya, who was worried about him for reasons she wasn't aware of, hence her reason for stopping by. "You mustn't come," he told her firmly, "no one is to come with me this time. It's for your own safety. I am going to confront the man that gave me these," he pointed to his fangs. He continued on his way, only to have Kaiiya following him in protest, "But, Kazume, you can't do this alone. I can help you, you know. I want to see this guy for myself." He turned around forcefully. "No! You absolutely cannot go. This is something I have to do for myself. I want to find him on my own." What he didn't say was that he didn't wish for her to be in any danger, but if he had said it, she would have pointed out that he was putting his own life on the line. He ran as she stood silently. He had gotten some distance when Kaiiya jumped in front of him out of nowhere, scaring him. "Kaiiya, leave!" he demanded. She refused to leave his side. "Just let me help you locate him. I won't get in the way. Pleeeeeease," she begged. He glared, not amused at her tactics. He sighed, knowing that no matter what, he wasn't going to be able to get rid of her.

They entered an old, abandoned castle quietly. Kaiiya smelled around for the vampire. "He's upstairs," she whispered. She led him to the right when they got upstairs. There were many doors along the main hallway, but the scent was coming from somewhere on the left. They burst open the door, but inside the large ballroom was dark. Kazume and Kaiiya cautiously stepped into the room. The vampire's scent was pretty strong, and it was coming from above. He stood on the ceiling, smiling at his visitors. "Hello there," he said. Kazume frowned, pointing his sword at him. "Come down here and face me. You're the one who gave me this curse." The vampire jumped down from above. "Oh, yes, I remember you. You were just a tiny little thing the last time I saw you. You don't like your mark, eh? Well, that's too bad. I am Tarusuke. Let me guess, you're here to take me on?" Kazume stood his ground, growling. "That's exactly right," he said. "Well then, bring it on, my boy," the vampire teased. Kazume charged with his sword targeting the vampire's heart. Tarusuke moved out of the way with ease. He then grabbed Kazume's sword from him. Kazume refused to be defeated so quickly. He flipped around the vampire to retrieve the sword. "You rely heavily on your sword, don't you?" the vampire asked, once again behind Kazume. He stole the sword, holding it up to Kazume's throat. Kaiiya tried to intervene, but Kazume told her, "Stay out of this, Kaiiya. This is my fight." She hesitantly stayed where she was, upset she couldn't help him.

"Now, where were we?" asked Tarusuke. "Oh, yes. You were going to bravely try to slay me and impress this girl, but then I showed you I am no moron, slew you instead, and turned her into a vampire." Kazume growled, "I think…not!" He slid down and avoided his own sword. The vampire tossed Kazume's sword to him. "Do your worst," he challenged. "Don't mind if I do," Kazume replied. However, he placed his sword back in its sheath. "I want to take you down with what you've cursed me with." The vampire held his arms out. "I'm wide open." Kazume wasted no time attacking him. At first, it was only chasing, but Kazume turned around to side-kick him. The vampire held his leg tight until he twisted it. Kazume reached for the Tarusuke's arm and threw him across the room, though he landed on his hands and feet. Both ran toward each other at lightning speed, punching each other in the face. Similar actions took place during the battle. It was mostly strength and agility both displayed. Kaiiya decided to shorten the battle and step in to the fight, in spite Kazume's instructions. She came up behind the vampire, slashing him in the shoulder. He frowned at what Kaiiya had done and went for her. Kazume saw this and step in front of Kaiiya. "This is between you and me. She has nothing to do with this." Kazume looked back at Kaiiya to give her a stern look, but he read what was in her mind. He nodded, then continued to fight. Kaiiya joined the battle, this time as a distraction. Kaiiya swung at him with her might and attempted to be the dominating person in the battle, so that Tarusuke could focus on her, while Kazume went with his plan. It was working according to their silent plan, but the vampire didn't shift his focus to only Kaiiya. Kazume drew his sword, but the vampire fought with Kaiiya from one hand, and stole the sword in the other hand. He threw the sword far enough where Kazume couldn't reach it right away. Fortunately, Kazume didn't have to. He continued to fight, when he smiled. "What're you smiling at?" asked the vampire. Kazume said nothing, but mentally called for his sword. The sword dropped on the ground, as a ploy, so the vampire would think it wasn't working. Tarusuke laughed at the flimsy sword. Kazume stopped smiling, only to convince him that it wasn't working at all. Suddenly, the sword was glowing, taking aim at the Tarusuke. "You'll pay for what you did," said Kazume. "And do you think killing me will fix that?" Kazume replied, "No, but you'll be prevented from turning other innocent people into vampires." That said, the sword flew into Kazume's hands as he lunged upward into the vampire's heart and throat. Tarusuke looked skyward, on his knees, gasping for air. He fell, dead. Kazume removed his sword from the body and looked at Kaiiya, who smiled. "You did it, Kazume." Kazume reached into his pocket for something. "Thank you for your help, Kaiiya." He pulled out an oval tag. The tag was black with a large red "K" marked in the middle. It was a perfect match for Kaiiya's choker. "Ka-Kazume?" she asked. "This is for me?" He nodded, handing it to her. She put it on her choker. "This looks pretty good. Thank you, Kazume." From then on, Kaiiya wore this precious gift with her choker.

Chapter 37: The Coyote Servant

The four friends were traveling, and were guests at a wealthy man's home. The man offered them a meal to strengthen them on their journey. They accepted. A young servant brought out their tea. Kawa stared at her when she noticed the servant's features. The little servant girl was part coyote. Kawa wondered about her the entire meal, until she excused herself to talk to the girl. "Excuse me," she said to the servant, "what is your name?" The half-coyote servant was surprised to have someone ask her such a question. "Um, it's Coy, miss," she said softly. She revealed very little about herself to Kawa. "Coy!" yelled her wealthy master. "Stop being so lazy and serve my guests some more!" Coy ducked her head, "I'm sorry, I've got to go." She pushed past Kawa and entered the living room. The man yelled at her, cursed at her, and doubled her workload. His verbal abuse was quite obvious. When Coy re-entered the kitchen, Kawa put her hands on her hips. "Your master is harsh!" Coy defended him, "No, no. It's not like that. I am lazy and I can't do very much." It was sad-he had convinced her that she wasn't worth anything. While the rest of her friends slept in tents in that town, Kawa sneaked into Coy's room to speak with her. Coy was afraid she'd get caught if her master knew she was awake and talking to someone. Therefore, Kawa carried her outside, though she tried to resist. Kawa informed her she just wanted to know more about her, that the information would just be between them. She explained that her family had given her up, because she was part coyote. They had rejected her, forcing her to find her own way in the world. Her master had found her in the streets. He made her his servant, but he wasn't any more kind than her own family. Kawa's heart broke at the story Coy told. She thanked Coy for telling her the story, then bound to her friends. She tapped on everyone's tents, waking them up. Kawa recruited them to help her free Coy. She pleaded with them until they complied.

Lee knocked on the door in the morning. He asked for the man if he could purchase Coy, but the man refused. "She's not for sale. She's my servant." Lee persisted, giving the man money. "With this, you could buy yourself another servant. We just want Coy." Finally, the men relented and gave them Coy. "Am I living with you?" Coy asked. No one wanted to say no to her, but they wouldn't know where to keep her. Kazume spoke, "You may stay with my aunt and uncle, if you wish. They will accept you for who you are. Then, we will escort you to a permanent home." Coy held her blue and purple kimono and spun around in joy. The four returned home with another special half-breed girl.

Chapter 38: A Day with Lee

There was a tap on Kawa's window at approximately 4:37 in the morning. She dragged her groggy self to the window, only to see Lee outside. "Lee? What're you doing here?" He smiled. "Let's spend the whole day together, starting with the sunrise." She couldn't say no to him, no matter how tired she was. She yawned as they waited for the sun to rise on a hill. How could he be so alert at this hour? When the sun finally did rise in the blue sky, it was purely stunning. After the sun had risen, Lee brought Kawa to his home and made her breakfast. After they both finished their French toast, they walked around the neighborhood. They passed by the neighborhood children, who begged Lee to play with them. He played games such as tag and ball games, then proceeded to build swings for them, with Kawa's assistance. He hung swings from tree branches for them around the block.

Not too long later, someone carried his sick pet rabbit around, searching for help. Lee assessed the rabbit from every angle, putting pressure on its stomach until it squirmed in pain. He informed the rabbit's owner to let it rest and give it plenty of fresh food; if things get worse, consult with a professional, namely a veterinarian. Kawa suggested as they moved on that he should consider becoming a vet; he loved animals and had the know-how, after all. It was time for lunch, so Kawa decided she wanted to make lunch for him at his home, and he agreed to it. Lee enjoyed her cheese and rice meal, having not seconds, but thirds. They walked far enough out to the country-side, where they lay on a large blanket, watching the clouds go by. They laughed at the bizarre images they came up with. Kawa turned her head to see Lee, and smiled. Next, she wanted to build a swing to tie to a tree branch in the woods, because she always loved swings. When it was finished, she sat, moving herself slightly with her feet. She closed her eyes in happiness. When she opened them, all she could do was smile and look up to the skies. Then, Lee held onto the ropes of the swing, behind her. He pushed her on the swing, adding to her delight. For their final meal, they ate out and shared a rich dessert. When the sun set, they came across people dancing together for an evening of fun. Lee admitted he wasn't much of a dancer, but Kawa still looked away in disappointment. Then, she saw a hand in front of her. She turned to Lee, hoping he held out a hand for a reason. He said that while he didn't want to embarrass himself, he thought they should attempt to dance. He knew it was what she wanted. So, they danced together, and it turned out he wasn't that bad of a dancer.

Chapter 39: Kazume's Control

Kaiiya knew she could always depend on her fearless partner, Kazume, when the going got tough. She also knew he wasn't as tough and humorless as he made himself out to be; she thought of that when she touched the tag hanging from her choker, the one Kazume gave to her after battling Tarusuke. However, on one night with a full moon, Kazume was no longer himself. Kaiiya had come by his home to pick him up that evening, but his doors were locked. His lights were all off, too. What was going on with him? She wondered. With her brute strength, she burst open the door. "Hello?" she called, searching for his whereabouts. She could smell him, but he was huddled in a corner, all alone in the dark. "Kazume?" He breathed heavily, then said in a shaky voice, "Go away, Kaiiya." She stepped closer to him, stretching out her hand, "But-" He shouted, "Get out of here before something happens! Now!" Kaiiya drew her hand back, concerned. Kazume continued to breathe heavy and shake in the corner. "Leave!" he begged. She didn't listen to his warnings, but instead said, "I'm not leaving you. You need me. I want to help." He held his arms tightly as he said, "You should have listened to me. Leave me for your own safety. I was trying to not be seen tonight by anyone, so it wouldn't happen to them. I can't…I can't control this tonight." Within a minute, he stopped shaking and stood with his back turned to Kaiiya. When he turned around, his eyes were blood red, fangs bared. Nevertheless, Kaiiya still stayed, wanting to help him however she could. He grinned an evil grin that resembled Toshiyuki. He took slow steps towards her as she backed away. He continued to inch forward, grabbing her neck. However, she did nothing. If he needed to feed upon flesh tonight, he should feed on hers. After all, if he bit someone, they themselves would not turn into a vampire, because he was not a true vampire. She wasn't afraid, but tears rolled down her cheeks, in sorrow for him. Kaiiya's scent triggered a reaction in Kazume when he had neared her flesh. He paused, remembering this was someone's scent. His will began to fight his body, and he shivered in a ball on the ground. She hugged him to calm him down, and it helped some, but he still struggled. "K-kaiiya…" he gasped, "It w-w-won't go aw-way unless I feast upon hum-m-mans…help…" She pulled him up, turned him around, and said, "You can't turn anyone into a vampire, but when you have this problem, don't be afraid to come to me and drink my blood." He protested, "But, Kaiiya, I can't. I need to control this like I normally can." She punched him in the shoulder. "Ow!" She placed her hands on his shoulders. "Listen, if anyone is willing to do this for you, it's me. I'm letting you, so you can resist the urge to drink other people's blood." He didn't hesitate to bite her neck when she said that, although she did feel somewhat weaker. He hung his head, ashamed, but also said, "You're not fully human, so it's not enough." Kaiiya thought for a minute about what he could do. "Well, what about the hospital or old folks? Why not feed on those who are dying already, that way you don't have to feel guilty, and are doing them a favor?" They tried out the idea, and found a nice alternative for when he couldn't control this problem of his. "What happened to make you lose control like that?" she asked. "A full moon," he answered. "They don't call it 'lunar' for nothing. 'Lunar' comes from the word 'loony,' which is when everyone goes crazy, on a full moon. Once every year, around the time I have been bitten, when there's a full moon, I cannot control myself. And the full moon will last two days, so tomorrow I will need you again, for help." "Ok."

Chapter 40: Face-to-Face With Toshiyuki

Kaiiya, Kawa, Lee, and Kazume all ran in a tunnel underground. They had to get rid of this guy as soon as possible. The girls could smell Toshiyuki, but saw no trace of him anywhere. "Come out, you coward!" shouted Kaiiya. Kawa felt the walls. "He's in the walls," she said softly to herself. "He's in the walls!" she announced to the others. Kaiiya cut through the walls with her axe, desperately trying to get to him. Kawa helped dig through the walls with her claws. Kazume kicked and punched the wall, as Lee dug with his hands. While they all dug with their great effort, Toshiyuki burst out in the open. "Ready when you are," he said. Kaiiya held her axe, Kawa held out her shakra, Lee held his bo in front of him, and Kazume drew his sword from its sheath. "My, my, you all look so serious this time. Do you plan to kill me once and for all? I doubt that'll happen. It will be the other way around. You will all die in my presence this very day." Lee frowned, "Stop being so cocky, Toshiyuki, we're not going to die today." Toshiyuki only laughed. "Whatever, insolent fools." Throughout their journeys, each learned strengths and weaknesses from each other, and built upon that knowledge for teamwork. All four surrounded the villain, ready to take action against him. Kaiiya sneezed, signaling all to attack at that moment. Toshiyuki dodged all attacks, laughing. "You cannot defeat me so easily." Kaiiya clenched her fists, jump, and punch him, all the while shouting, "Shut up!" She caused him to bleed, but he still appeared as confident as ever. Kawa quietly snuck behind him, but he saw her and attempted to squish her with his hand, for he had grown larger, but she dodged out of the way just in time. She threw her shakra at him, but missed. Kazume and Lee both took over for the time being. Kawa once again retrieved her shakra and stayed hidden, until she had her chance to remove his head from his body with her weapon. Kaiiya attempted to claw through him, but she missed. She continued to target him as the boys were similarly doing. Kaiiya quickly pulled out her axe, cutting off his leg, much to his surprise. Kawa used that moment to throw her shakra, but only cut off his left arm. He became alarmed, but still had the situation under control. He raised his right arm, moving it in small circles above both girls. He laughed, "You see? I will win in the end." The girls fell to the ground momentarily, unconscious, until…

The girls raised their bodies up, not lifting their heads. Kazume and Lee stared, knowing where this was going. They ran toward Toshiyuki to stop him, but it was too late. Kaiiya and Kawa were already transforming. "I'd long hoped to see the sisters battling one another to the death in their full transformations, and when that's over, you'll both meet your fates," said Toshiyuki. "Oh, no we won't!" exclaimed Lee, determined to not let him win. They stopped when they saw the sisters rise, backs arched to each other. "They are completely under my control, so their strong wills will not prevail," Toshiyuki added. Kaiiya was the first to attack, but Kawa leaped out of the way, into the air, and behind Kaiiya. Kaiiya turned around, throwing Kawa. Kawa got back up, swiping at Kaiiya's ankles. She succeeded, but Kaiiya, grabbed the paws that were still around her ankles, and clawed them until Kawa bled. They continued to leap, claw, bite, and kick each other.

Meanwhile, the boys were busy fighting off Toshiyuki. He evaded them, in spite of the critical injuries the girls had dealt on him. Kazume used his vampire abilities to gang up on Toshiyuki. However, he wasn't so successful, and neither was Lee. They wanted to stop the girls, but they figured that by getting rid of Toshiyuki would be the answer. Lee swung his bo as fast as he could, hoping to inflict some sort of damage, and he did smack Toshiyuki's head while Toshiyuki fought off Kazume, but it was the closest he was able to get to him.

The transformed sisters paused, catching their breaths. When they made eye contact, they smiled at each other, knowing what the other was thinking. They nodded once, then faced Toshiyuki. They attacked him, for he wasn't as strong as before. He targeted Kawa, blasting her several times. She lost a lot of blood, and was now laying in it. "Kawa!" shouted Lee. He lifted her head, but her heart rate had slowed significantly. She fell limp in his arms. "I promised myself not to let anything bad happen to you." He squeezed her body, sobbing. He wiped his eyes and stood. He had never been so furious as he was at that moment. He ran with all his might, more determined than even Kaiiya, to get rid of Toshiyuki. Kawa opened her eyes and stood on all fours, limping. She decided to ignore the pain and ran to attack. Before Toshiyuki knew it, Kazume's sword landed in his chest, Lee tripped him with the bo, Kawa bit his arm off, and Kaiiya sliced through him with her axe, all of them at the same time. He was unable to get up anymore, but his final trick was to make the walls cave in. He saw Kaiiya, whom he loved, and used the last of his powers to shift them up above ground. The walls caved in over him and killed him. His crystal ball broke the moment he died.

The group sat on the grass, realizing what had just occurred. Kaiiya held her arm in pain, as she had been injured, but at least she was no longer full demon. Kazume stared at the ground. "He's gone," he said. Kawa was not possessed, but still a full wolf, laying in the grass and still bleeding. Lee sat by her, afraid. She turned back into her former self while she lay, making it easier for her to be carried. Kazume put an arm around Kaiiya, helping her when they walked back home. "Toshiyuki saved us," she said. Kazume nodded. "He must have loved you enough to save all of us, even though he hated us, and to sacrifice his own." Lee looked at him. "What kind of a villain is he? Aren't all villains suppose to be heartless?" Kazume said, "Not necessarily. It's because of love they do the things they do. Emotions oftentimes drive a villain. He wasn't heartless enough to kill her. He may have had great powers, but he was still a human."

At home, Kawa was laid on her bed, bandaged all over. Kaiiya needed to rest in her bed as well. Lee never left Kawa's side, nor did Kazume leave Kaiiya's, until Izumi insisted they go home after over a day. She said she could "take care of things from here." They agreed only out of respect for her. Izumi tended to her daughters, talking to them while they slept. "I'm so proud of you," she'd tell them. Her children worked together to defeat a formidable foe, and succeeded, no matter what the cost.

Chapter 41: Izumi's Story

Izumi woke up to have her daughters standing over her. "I see you're awake," Kaiiya said. "I should be saying the same to you," yawned Izumi. "So, what's up?" Kaiiya and Kawa leaned in closer to their mother, frowning. "Tell us about our fathers. Please," said Kawa. "We never knew, and have every right to know." Izumi sighed. "You're right. I knew this day would come. Ok. I was a simple 'rich girl' when I met your father, Kawa. His name was Takahido, of the Lupus clan." Kawa interrupted, "Lupus? That sounds like a disease." Izumi still continued, "He was the one who made you your necklace, by the way. He had rescued me from dangerous spirits. He was kind, gentle, and caring. We fell in love, despite my parents' warnings, and married. My family had deserted me by then, but they knew about the births of both of you two. Anyways, you were just three months old when we were under attack. A powerful monster was after us, but Takahido would not allow it. However, he lost his life protecting us, along with that monster's. Me and you moved into our house, which was just a summer home back then.

After much grieving, I met your father, Kaiiya. His name was Shinobu, of the Canis clan." Kaiiya quickly added, "As in 'canine.'" Their mother didn't stop. "He was an interesting dog demon, although he had his moments. He tended to be aggressive and stubborn, but he never beat us or anything like that. Then, I lost him to demon hunters while I was pregnant with you. From then on, it was just us three. When you were young, you turned out just like your fathers. Kawa was protective of Kaiiya, even though Kaiiya was independent, and Kaiiya supported Kawa. You always made up when you fought. When you were both slightly older, you hid your demon traits from each other, not wanting the other to be afraid. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, but I thought I was trying to protect you." Kaiiya and Kawa were silent. "That's it?" Kaiiya finally asked. "In a nutshell, yeah," answered Izumi. The sisters didn't know what to say. "Oh," they finally said. They thanked her for telling them and having their best interests at heart, then gave her a hug.

Chapter 42: Going Separate Ways

Izumi handed her children mail one day. "It's a summons," said Kawa at her mail. "Mine too," said Kaiiya. They gasped as they read who summoned them. Their fathers' clans were inviting them to meet them, Kawa to the Lupus clan, and Kaiiya to the Canis clan. Without another thought, they packed for their journeys. "Where're you going, Kaiiya?" Kawa asked. Kaiiya looked down at her summons. "Uh, the Ancient Canis Temples, up in the Hiroe Mountains. Where's yours?" Kawa replied, "The Rocky Forest. It's quite a ways from here." That said, they departed. Izumi stood in the living room. "Bye," she said, for they had not said those words to her.

Kaiiya reached the Hiroe Mountains, using her senses to locate the ancient temple. When she found it, she sat, waiting for someone to arrive. She could smell the presence of someone not human. A figure formed in front of her, before others appeared. "Are you of the Canis clan?" the woman, in human form, asked. Kaiiya nodded, "Yes, I am. That must mean you are." The woman replied with a yes. "You are the daughter of my brother, Shinobu. I am Mai. My mother, father, husband, and other brother are here today. We wish for you to understand our ways and learn our history." Kaiiya nodded eagerly. "Your father was the strongest of us all. He was brave, daring, and reckless. He always accepted a challenge and always aimed at improving himself. He also tended to have a kind heart, especially when it came to your mother, Izumi. We didn't think it was wise to marry outside the demon world, but he followed his own heart…"

Kawa arrived at the Rocky Forest, smelling wolves in the middle of it. When they saw her ears and tail, they knew who she was. "Are you Kawa?" the alpha male asked. When she nodded, he continued, "We are part of your father's clan, the Lupus. I am Zulu. We have called you because we have learned of you and your abilities against foes. We wish to show you our ways." Kawa cleared her throat, "I met the Timber clan a while back. They're from around my area. They showed me the ways of the wolf." The alpha male, also her father's brother, answered, "Yet you do not know all the ways of the wolf, nor do you know of our past. Would you like to learn of it?" Kawa beamed. "Yes, please." "Your father loved adventure. He was as sly as a fox, swift as a tiger, and as gentle as a deer. He loved howling so much, that it became a nuisance to us. He was the alpha male before me. I took his place officially when he died. We come from a proud race of wolves…"

Both girls stayed with their fathers' clans for a few days, learning about their fathers, what roles they played, and family histories. They were also told about how their fathers felt about them when they came into existence. After feeling satisfied, both exited and returned home to each other, but wishing they could know the clans more.

Chapter 43: The One Called Ji

Ji, a giant demon dolphin, struggled for his life, to break free from the demon nets the fishermen had cast. It was no use. They dragged him away to be sold. Meanwhile, Kawa lay on her back with her eyes shut, yet still alert. Her ears picked up the sounds of Ji's cries. She sat up, and dashed over his way. From the distance, she could see him captive in a tank. She ran up to his tank, reading his eyes. He was terrified, confused, and upset. She stared at him sadly. She pressed against the tank. "Don't worry," she told him, "I'll make sure you're free." Her new mission required distraction from her friends, if anything. She recruited the three of them for that night, to back her up in case she was caught. They agreed, up for any mission. Little did they know, Neko and Coy followed. They had become good friends, and when they overheard the conversation, they didn't hesitate to jump right in and join them. They followed at a distance, eventually seeing Ji in the crowded tank. There were doors open, indicating their presence was known. None of them wanted to risk being seen, so when people came out, everyone fled, hoping to try again the next night. The next night, as they predicted, was heavily guarded. The four weren't going to run this time. They tiptoed past the guards and reached the tank. Kawa once again pressed against the tank, listening to what he thought. She gasped when she discovered the somber dolphin's thought. She looked up at him sadly. "Ji, no. You can't kill yourself." The other three turned to her in concern. She turned to them. "He also said there's an unseen barrier above him, so he can't use his oceanic powers." Neko and Coy had yet again followed them that night. When they saw the guards walk toward the direction of the tank, they ran up to them as means of distraction. They pretended to need help, so they could draw their attention away from their older friends at the tank.

None of the group's weapons could break the barrier. Kawa made one final attempt, to break through it herself. It was painful, but she made it, barely. She fell on Ji, who caught her. With the barrier out of the way, he swirled the surrounding water up around him, first washing the guards away, then using the water to mobilize himself back to the ocean. This time, he knew he wasn't going anywhere near shore anymore. The guards came after the four, yelling profanities at them. Kawa stood halfway up, holding her arms, her body full of electric shock due to the barrier she'd broken through. The wet guards inched closer, still yelling. When they were close enough, Kawa grabbed one man's shoulders, causing him to convulse with the electricity coming from her. She did that to any foolish guard who dared to come close to her. Coy and Neko caught up with the group; they were soaked from when Ji splashed water in their direction, when they were stalling the guard. "Coy? Neko?" asked Kaiiya. "Where'd you come from?" They held out their soaked sleeves. Neko confessed they had wanted to help, so they did. All of them surveyed the scene, and decided they should get out right then and there. The fishermen and guards could not figure out who those people were that set the demon free, and how they did it.

Chapter 44: You for a Day

Kaiiya and Kawa wanted to make an interesting fun day. They would sleep in each other's beds the night before, and wake up as the other sister-clothes, attitudes, mannerisms, and all. They would have to keep it up until the moment they woke up the morning afterwards.

Kaiiya woke up and put on Kawa's clothes. They didn't fit right, but it was only for that day. She made the bed better than what she did with her own bed, at least, she thought so. She forced a smile and bound down the stairs in a cheerful demeanor. Kawa stretched when she got out of bed and put on Kaiiya's clothes. She didn't prefer that style, but it was just for the day. She made the bed in a sloppy manner, the way Kaiiya kept it. She walked down nonchalantly, apathetic. Kaiiya ate cereal for breakfast, acting as if she enjoyed every bite. Kawa slouched in her chair, eating bacon and eggs as if she was bored with the world. Izumi blinked as she watched them, but realized they were "walking in each other's shoes." Because it was training day for them, they had to switch their training grounds. For that day, Kaiiya wielded Kawa's shakra, and Kawa wielded Kaiiya's axe. They had a difficult time with each other's weapons, but Kaiiya maintained an optimistic attitude, while Kawa grew very angry at the axe. Their training techniques did not work that well for the other. Later, they met up with each other's main male friend. They were filled in, after much confusion. Kawa met up with Kazume, while Kaiiya and Lee hung out together. It was awkward for all of them, but the girls didn't show it, as they determined to act as each other. The girls flopped over on the chairs closest to the door. "Lee is so…nice. He's just not my type, but I don't want to hurt him," Kaiiya said sweetly. Kawa rolled her eyes. "Yeah, well, that's better than Mr. Gloom. He hardly even talks. He's not my type, either." They looked at each other and burst out laughing. They slept in the other's bed, waking up as themselves. Thank goodness, they both thought. Kawa commented to Kaiiya that her room was so dark, and Kaiiya commented to her how hard it was to pull off a friendly tone. They linked arms as they walked outside, smiling. They met up with Kazume and Lee. Lee asked, "So you're Kawa today?" Kaiiya answered for her. "Yep, we're ourselves, for now and forevermore." Kazume chuckled, remembering the absurdity of the previous day. The sisters were in such a good mood that Kaiiya linked her free arm to Kazume, and Kawa linked hers to Lee. So they walked around with linked arms, happily.

Chapter 45: Going Away

Kawa and Kaiiya had each received another letter from their fathers' clans. This time, the invite was to live with them. There, they could train and get acquainted with their packs. Neither knew what to say. They wanted to go, sure, but they couldn't just leave their mother. They were reluctant, but Izumi urged them to go. She said it would be a great experience, and she will be just fine by herself, no worries. She wanted them to go for themselves. After all, they couldn't just keep themselves cooped up all the time at home. The sisters prepared for their separate journeys, caught up in bittersweet feelings as they packed their belongings. It was sad to leave, but exciting to see family again. Their packed belongings sat by the door, as they agreed to do one final task before leaving-separately telling the boys the news, which was hard for the sisters to do.

Kawa told Lee, who acted as if everything was more than ok. She gave him a hug and left him. Lee let her walk away at first, but he grabbed her arm. He said, "Don't forget me, Kawa, I mean it. I..I love you." She gasped, her eyes widened. "Why didn't you say something before? That just made this trip a thousand times harder." He blushed. "I'm sorry. I just wanted to tell you how I felt before you left." She looked up. "Don't be sorry. I love you, too." They kissed, and she gave him a final hug. He held her as long as he could, but she had to leave. She waved, trying to be cheerful for his sake, but tears already formed in her eyes. She turned and ran so he couldn't see her cry.

Kaiiya informed Kazume of the news. He tried to be happy for her, but he admitted, "I'll miss you terribly, Kaiiya. It won't be the same without you. It'll be lonely. But I understand perfectly." To Kaiiya's delight-and dismay-he kissed her. "Kazume, you-" He hugged her before she could speak anymore. She hugged him back, holding back tears. "I want to thank you for saving me out of my lonely pit of despair," he said. "You indirectly reached out to me and pulled me out. I wouldn't be where I am today if it weren't for you. I couldn't say I liked you at first, but now I can say you're the most important person to me in this world, and I will wait for you to come back someday." Kaiiya kissed him on the cheek and said, "I've felt the same way. And…I think I'm in love with you." He smiled and held her hands. "And I love you." She walked away slowly, feeling at the crossroads between joyful and depressed over what had just happened.

The girls stood at the door, trying to find the right words for each other. They hugged each other tightly, crying. "I wish you happiness, Kaiiya." "You too, Kawa." They departed from each other, their mother, and the lives they had known.

They had both stayed with their families for two years, but they couldn't stand being apart from each other any longer. Not a day went by where they didn't think of who they left. As if their brains connected, they sprang home at the same time. When they found each other, they discovered they both had been marked by their clans: Kaiiya had a circle with a "C" in the middle for the Canis clan, located on her neck, and Kawa had a crescent mark with an "L" beside it, located on her shoulder. The first place they decided to visit was the boys' homes and surprise them, but unfortunately, they found that both Kazume and Lee had moved during the time the girls were away. They had asked neighbors where they had moved to. Eventually, they found both of their addresses, but no one was at either home. Feeling defeated, the sisters returned home. "Maybe Mother has moved, too," muttered Kaiiya. Fortunately, she was wrong. Izumi welcomed them home with open arms, full of joy her daughters returned home. Izumi reported that Neko had been training, Coy moved with a coyote pack a year ago, and she was dating Eisuke. "You're dating?" they repeated. She nodded. "At first, he was only a friend, but he asked me on a date, and gave him a try. Now we're together." The sisters shrugged. "Well, awesome," was all they could say. Izumi added that her own family was talking to her now, even inviting her over every so often. They were amazed at what all they had missed while they were gone. However, they walked out the door together, upset about Lee and Kazume. As soon as they lifted their heads, there stood Lee and Kazume. Immediately, the sisters ran up to kiss the ones they loved. Lee was studying to become a veterinarian, with Kazume offering to suck the blood of a dying animal brought in. While the girls were gone, both boys decided they would propose the day the girls got back. They had taken their girls to a private spot to propose; naturally, they agreed.

Kaiiya held her little son, Mamoru in her arms as he lay fast asleep. "Mamoru Yogami loves to sleep, just like his mommy," Kawa joked. Kaiiya smiled as she looked down at her young boy. He had a head full of orange hair and would someday be an expert hunter against all kinds of evil, have heightened senses, and have some vampire ability, however had no dog ears. Kaiiya rubbed her expanded belly, wondering what gender this next baby would be. Kawa Yoichi held her baby girl Yui on her lap, and her older brother Hozumi joined her. In the future, Yui would grow to be a vegetarian, introverted, have powerful senses, possess a wolf's tail and clan mark, and would own a pet mouse. Hozumi greatly resembled Lee. He would also possessed a tail and clan mark, would someday save many lives, but like his mother, would eat meat. They pushed their young ones of the swings that Lee had made for them. They all laughed together, enjoying their families and each other.