The sun had disappeared into the inky blackness of the night, stars squinting through the peepholes in the sky to watch the couple making their way across the small village below. They whispered to each other, as stars do, and commented on the scene taking place below...

Hakkai comfortably held the majority of the heavy baskets that Izumi had been struggling with earlier. Under normal circumstances, her brother would have carried them for her, or one of the local men would have offered. But these were not normal circumstances. The day the minus wave hit, was the day her world turned inside out – her life as she knew it, shattered, her friends - either newly formed enemies or dead from youkai attack.

She was left alone the day her brother died – bestowing his shell to the animalistic beast that dared to call itself family. Its limiter had shattered in an instant, such had been the power of the rage that called to the beast inside her once loving brother. She had cried bitterly that day. The broken bones, facial cuts and large bruises he had bestowed upon her, leaving her a trembling wreck upon the kitchen floor as he joined the other youkai of the village, in razing it to the ground.

Izumi had only escaped due to the power of her own limiter. So ancient, and soaked in magic, that it absorbed each of his blows, making them no more painful than a regular mans', rather than a superhuman one. Still – a regular man that enraged, was enough to cause severe damage, and Izumi had barely escaped with her life. Shaking her head to erase the painful memories, she cast a quick glance from under her eyelashes to the tall brunette with the easy smile, who was happily chatting to the small white dragonet on his shoulder. She grinned, turning her face away to hide it as a bubble of laughter caught in her throat.

The ma – Hakkai – looked up at her in question, the dragon glancing at her curiously. She shook her head and continued towards the small, single storied house on the village outskirts. The brunette man followed quickly after her, mumbling something to the dragon, who cheeped in reply. A flash of light was followed by a small explosion of wind, and Izumi was knocked forward. Looking around frantically for the attacker, she found the strangest sight she had seen in all her long years.

Hakkai was seated in the driver's seat of a machine. She vaguely remembered hearing about these kinds of contraptions – automobiles, or something like that. This one was called a jake... john.... jeep! That was it. Curious, and a little bit suspicious, Izumi flicked back her waist long blonde hair behind her ears, and put her hands on her hips.

"Uh... Hakkai-san – where did THAT come from?" She queried, her senses open for signs of deception.

Hakkai laughed quietly, and put one hand behind his head, the other making an L sign as he answered, "Well... they say ignorance is bliss..." His easy smile wavered under her scrutiny, and he sighed, still smiling, but more honestly so.

"Please get in, Miss. I don't want you to have to strain yourself any more today." The youkai woman, hesitated, until he said, "Please, Izumi..." She caved, not able to resist his logic, or the soft way he said her name. Dumping her baskets in he back, she gingerly touched the door. Shaking her head at her own aversion to technology, she placed both hands on the window pane, and vaulted into the front passenger seat, settling neatly.

Hakkai's eyes widened at the woman's actions. She was... unique. Her long, golden blonde hair shone like the rising sun, casting his memory back to a certain monk. Her deep eyes called to him in a strange way, as though her soul was trying to touch his through no more that a single glance. Her agility and courage made him hold his breath – the way she stood, shaking in fear before her attackers, yet crying for him to save himself. Truly, this woman was unique.

Izumi eyed Hakkai in concern – he seemed to be lost in his own little world. "Uhh. Hakkai-san? My house is THAT way." She said loudly, pointing north. Hakkai shook his head slightly, and chuckled, embarrassed. "Oh sorry! Right! Of course it is!" Gunning the engine, he made in the direction of her home.

The journey would only have been ten minutes, but to Izumi it felt like eternity. The uncomfortable silence held between driver and passenger was agonizing. She thought maybe she would have been better off just walking alone. Looking over at his smoothly panelled face she knew she would have regretted that. Hakkai noticed her attention and grinned back. Izumi flushed pink, flustered to have been caught staring.

Arriving at the house, Izumi opened the door to the inky blackness, and sighed in relief. Home. She was home, safe and sound – thank the gods. Placing her baskets by the door, she stretched her hands above her head, arching her back to hear her joints pop from the pressure. Turning the open doorway, she called out to her dark saviour. "Hakkai-san! Please, come in – won't you join me for dinner?" Her mind stuttered at the common phrase… how long had it been since she had asked such a 'normal' question?

Hakkai smiled brightly, the white dragon back on his shoulder, the jeep now gone. She shook her head, not bothering to ask – he would probably just give her another sliding answer. Moving back into the house, she heard him murmur to the dragon as he came nearer to the door. Izumi stoked the banked fire place, adding wood so the flames licked them hungrily, creating a brooding, flickering light to play across the open room.

"Uh, miss Izumi? I'm sorry…" Izumi looked around from her seat by the hearth, and glanced at him curiously. "…I won't be able to join you, I'm afraid. My friends and I are staying in the village, and I was sent for supplies. It was, incidentally, pure luck that I cam across you. I do wish you well, but it's time I returned."

**

At the village, the local inn shook as three simultaneous sneezes rocked the foundations.

**

Izumi stood, a sad look in her eye, but her face gleaming in thanks. "Oh, of course, I completely understand. I merely wanted to thank you for your help today – I don't think I could ever repay you for what you prevented." Her head bowed as she remembered the moment she had dared to release her limiter. Quivering slightly, she raised her head, and looked up, straight into his emerald green gaze. A small gasp escaped her lips, at what she saw in those eyes – pain, fear, death, longing and despair. They swirled like pools in a forest glen, changing and dancing, deeper, she looked. Deeper. There he was – gentle, soft, calm, protective… love. He was… alone. Like her.

Izumi dropped her gaze instantly, as Hakkai quivered in shock. What had she just done to him? He felt like she had waded through his mind, discarding his sordid past until she touched his core. His dangerously tender centre. How? How had she slipped through his defences so effortlessly? Gripping her arms by the shoulders, he brought her close, feeling her flinch in his strong grasp. Heat pool in his throat as he growled softly.

"Look at me." He commanded. Izumi shook, her trembling figure only enraging him further. That a soft, weakling like her could get past his calm facade, face his inner demon, then continue… it was unheard of.

"Look at ME." He said again, his voice deeper, menacing. Izumi raised her eyes to his, tears sparkling on her eyelashes as he glared into her face. "Do you know who I was, little girl?" The blonde woman just trembled, unable to answer as his eyes changed from sparkling emeralds to hard jade. Hakkai's fingers clenched tighter, wanting to scare her, so she would never again think to disregard his demon nature so easily.

"I… was Cho Gonou."

Izumi's breath came out in small white wisps, her body felt cold, and her eyes glazed over in horror. Cho Gonou. She thought, her mind falling head over mental heels. The infamous mass murderer. The slayer of 1000 youkai. Oh…Kami…

Her body went slack in his grip as blissful darkness took over her mind...