REWARD:

If you or someone you know has seen the rest of this story, please contact your local authorities so it can be reunited with it's proper owners. I know I wrote this in the summer of 2003 in a college ruled spiral.. but I don't know what was really going on… I'm sure it's similar to attonement but with a different past driving the story….

"He's afraid of interference." Naaza replied bitterly.

"Hold out until Spring and I can get you fourty five thousand." He turned in surprise to her offer.

"You know you'll be held to your word…"

"They'll come willingly, I might not get them all but.." In 500 years he had never been so surprised.

"Rei," He paused. "How?" She thought about her idea as she watched the dark leaves sway. "Why don't you return to the Dynasty?"

"No.. I was actually requesting that this be my last collection." Naaza led her to Ryo who looked up concernedly at their approach. Naaza bowed politely to his former enemy before leaving but was only partially returned the respect.

"Rei..? You …?" He couldn't think of any words. "What just happened?"

She hadn't raised her eyes from the cobblestone path since they'd continued walking. "I believe I've just doomed mankind."

"There's another war starting?" At his remark images cascaded through her mind. Images of Ryo confessing his love earlier, of the dinner Shin had made for them to celebrate her birthday; the day Touma told her of Shin and Ryo's mutual attraction at archery practice; that night when she charged herself with their happiness despite the past scars she had helped put on them. Images of the day she taught Shu to Indian wrestle in the same room Seiji was meditating.

"Perhaps. Good night Ryo." He grasped her arm before she disappeared into the room.

"You can stay at the house, we have an extra bed.."

"I need to be alone." She slipped from his reach into the lounge where she'd spend the night on a couch.

"If you ever need a place…" He headed home with more weighing on his mind than his 2 summer classes.

"Can she take 76 lashes?"

"Of course, she's taken more."

"and those weren't asked for."

"Burning pages… I think she asked for it."

"Sshhh!"

She hadn't heard any of the dialogues from the crowd watching her receive her punishment from Anubis' whip as she hung from an iron frame by her wrists.

"Hey Shin, what's going on?" Seiji sat next to him on the concrete bench in the plaza.

"I haven't seen Rei today."

"Shin… she's a hobo." Shu leaned back to hang by his knees from a branch above the two. "She's probably out foraging or something." Shin shot him a glare.

"I'm sure she's fine." Seiji's blonde hair couldn't conceal his concern for both her and Shin. "Let's go eat."

"Sounds like a plan!" Shu jumped down.

"I'm not hungry, if you see her tell her I'd like to know she's okay." Seiji and Shu exchanged glances.

"Dude, she's smart, what could've happened?"

"She works for the Dynasty." He retained his depressed composure while his friends stared in shock.

"How do you know?" Seiji forced Shin to catch his eye. (note: this is a joke )

"Ryo said that they-"

"Guys!" Ryo ran down a sidewalk towards them. "You're not going to believe this." The 3 stood around Ryo as he read a letter that came that morning on brown paper sealed with wax. "Troopers: Your presence is urgently requested at the Dynasty Castle within three days. A gate will await you between the hours of 10pm and midnight at the first bridge in campus park. –Rajura"

"Wow that's beautiful handwriting." Considering the implications of the letter Seiji's remark was due relief.

"Shin," Ryo put a hand on his shoulder. "That means she's still fine." Shin looked away and the summer locusts fell silent.

Rei woke in a familiar place. A sublevel containment room ( yes, another joke) she had spent so many of her Dynasty days occupying. "Uugn.." Yet knowing where she was didn't change the fact that she had just taken 76 lashes and the rodents were lapping up the blood that oozed from her wounds; not that she really noticed in her paralyzed state.

Damien had explained to her that each of the masho would have their way with her (in that PG kind of way) over three nights then he took control of her until she died. She occupied her mind by wishing she had the strength to find the tools to hang herself.

Her clothes were already tattered and the rotten foods impaired the rat's teeth. She hoped some sympathetic fool would lace her gruel with strychnine to put the rats out of their misery ( like she had the capacity to get to the food first, hah!) , but no such meal came. "Hey, you think Ryo's asked Shin out?"

She answered herself, "It hasn't been long…"

"So maybe?"

"Yeah, maybe." That part of her hoped not.

"Who do you think is next?"

"I'd say Naaza."

"Oh, why?"

"He's less original."

"So..?"

"Rajura takes more time to plan."

"Ohh.. You hungry?"

"No, you?" She didn't think she was schizo, but she was good company. (really crappy joke that you smiled at anyways)

"Nope..Um, what'll Rajura do us?"

"More than Naaza. I'll have to die by then."

"But the guys.."

"They'll understand."

The early afternoon sun shot through the leaves onto the four boys as they walked to lunch. They couldn't leave that night but they would the next. Once they found Touma and informed him of the situation they agreed on a plan.

None of them could eat dinner that night and they retired early, more to sulk than sleep.

Naaza had decided to do what he always did: touch her wounds with poisons specially prepared and with a fresh pine scent. (laugh damnit!) This time there was no iron rack; she was still too weak to resist and the formulas enhanced that. After a few hours of vomiting, hallucinations and headaches, she wasn't coherent enough to realize there were demons in her skin and that the floor was quicksand. Day two of the rest of her life.

"Hey, you up?" She hoped herself had awoken also.

"Of course not, Ahou.."

"Oh, sorry." She whispered now.