Hello my amazing readers! Did you miss me! I AM SOOOO SORRY FOR THE DELAY! My anxiety has come back and I was afraid to do anything that might give me a full on attack.(So I basically didn't do much O_O) Luckily its gotten much better. So for anyone suffering through anxiety or panic attacks, I know what its like so feel free to PM me if you need someone to talk too. I'm more than willing to listen. (Even if its to just say hi, I'm all ears!) Anyways, to all the amazing people that reviewed, favorited, or followed this story and have been patiently( or not patiently) waiting, A BIG THANK YOU! You guys are awesome! Now, onto the new chapter! By the way, I HATE fight scenes so apologize if they suck, but luckily its short. Also the whole thing with the talismans, they work a little differently in this story, so if you think I'm crazy and wrong about them, that's why.

WARNING: MalexMale

Rating: T (Blood/or gore and minor swearing.)

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters used. All characters used belong to their respective companies and owners. HumanNomi belongs to the awesome artist NotNights on Deviantart. The Norisu nine belong to the equally as awesome Chihuahua rocks here on Fanfiction. Nomi's middle name also belongs to Chihuahua rocks as well. If you guys can, check out her stories, they inspired me to write this one! Once again I own nothing, except the OC's that are used.

Bold- Japanese speech

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Ch. 7: Into the Fire

"They're already in the dojo." He heard Akiyoshi state, body tense. Not waiting another second, Nomi charged out of the room. Sprinting down the hall, Nomi hoisted himself over the rail and dropped to the lowest level. Landing in a crouch, he paused hearing the sound of his Samurai guards engaged in the fight. Their weapons resonating through the building.

"Luckily there seems to be only one of them." Akiyoshi stated, landing right by his side. Looking up he noticed Randy making his was down through the stairs and halls. He heard Akiyoshi sigh in exasperation. "I told him to stay in the room."

"As if he would listen." Nomi stated. He wore a small smirk before turning back to the hallway leading to the open area used for training. "Take the left side, I'll take the right." With a quick nod, both moved towards the shadows. Creeping quietly Nomi quickly hid behind a pillar, out of sight from whoever was fighting. He heard a sudden smack against the floor.

"Well, you guys definitely caught me by surprise, but I expected more from you. You're not a strong as you look." Nomi heard the intruder say. Peeking out, he saw his samurai guards laid out on the floor. Each one defeated. The intruder's back was facing Nomi, but he still felt like he could see the stranger smirking in satisfaction.

The intruder bent down to inspect the fallen guard and Nomi took that chance and jumped out. It only took a second for Nomi to have his sword pointed to the back of the intruders' neck.

"Yes well, it's mostly because they rarely train with outsiders." Nomi said. Whatever the intruder was doing was immediately halted as Nomi felt him tense. Form what Nomi could see he had sandy blonde hair that spread out wildly on his scalp. He seemed to be wearing a red sweater with blue jeans. His red and white sneakers barely making a sound. Ever so slowly the boy turned to face Nomi with his hands raised. From his appearance, Nomi figured he didn't look much older than Randy. When he saw Nomi's glare, he smiled nervously.

"Sorry about that. I just got tired of waiting for the Ninja to wake up that I just decided to come on in and get him myself." He chuckled nervously. "For a second I thought you were him," his eyes turned cold, and Nomi tensed. "but I guess not." The boy swiftly moved to the left before charging at Nomi' right. Using his right hand he grabbed Nomi's hand while his left made to strike him in the face. Coming to his senses, Nomi quickly ducked back. Using the fact that his right hand was still in the intruders grasped, he brought his left leg over the boys head and pulled him down. With Nomi's weight the boy toppled over and they both fell. "That was dangerous! I ended up landing on your sword!" Nomi heard him complain.

Both tried to get back up but the intruder was faster. Before he could make another move, Akiyoshi stepped in. Using his scarf, he pinned the other boys' hands to his side, unable to move. The boy stared shockingly at him. "Wait there's more of you? Then which one of you is the Ninja?"

"That would be me!" Randy called out before emerging from the hallway running towards them.

"Ninja!" Nomi heard the intruder speak with such fondness it scared him. He looked so happy to see Randy it was creepy. Just to be safe Nomi stuck out a hand in front of Randy as he got closer.

"Don't get too close, we have no idea who this person is." Nomi told him.

"Why, you caught him didn't you. He can't be that much of a threat now." Randy looked down at the individual who was sitting on the ground. Tied up using Akiyoshi's scarf. The intruder was still smiling at Randy.

"Now that the Ninja's here, I promise I won't go anywhere, so could you please loosen your scarf. It's getting harder to breathe." He asked Akiyoshi.

"No, but if you answer some questions first, maybe I will consider it." Akiyoshi said. The boy just pouted in return.

"Ninja, they're being mean to me, make them stop!" He whined to Randy. Nomi glared before raising his sword back to the boys neck. Usually, he wasn't so quick to lose his temper, but there was just something about this person that was quickly getting on his nerves.

The boy's eyes landed on the sword and Nomi was very satisfied when he tried to lean away from it in fear. Looking at Nomi he started chuckling nervously again. He was quickly starting to hate his laugh.

"Enough, who are you and what are you doing here." Nomi demanded. He saw Akiyoshi tighten the scarf to show the boy that he better answer.

"Sorry, I don't feel like answering to you. I'd rather talk to the Ninja." His eyes moved to Randy, smirking in a terrifying way. This boy was an exceptional fighter from the looks of it, but his presence. It gave off such a chilling feeling that put Akiyoshi and Nomi on edge. It wasn't a deadly presence per say, but more like it was telling you to stay alert or you'll regret it.

"Okay, then I'll ask." Randy spoke, obviously sensing something was making Nomi mad. Nomi wanted to object but they wanted to know where he came from. He hated to admit it, but he seemed to cooperate more with Randy. Nomi nodded in approval before Randy asked his question. "Who are you?"

"I'm so glad you asked." The boy suddenly spoke with such a chilling voice that scared all three. This feeling was so familiar to him but he didn't know why. Wait. He did know. It's the same feeling he had when he faced the Kitsune. A spy for Akuma? Nomi thought. Ever so slightly, he moved closer to Randy. "I'm Akira's apprentice." The chill in his voice was gone, replaced by cheer and a smile.

Nomi couldn't see his own face, but he was pretty sure it looked similar to Randy's and Akiyoshi's. Completely dumbfounded.

"What?" Randy asked again, a little unsure now.

The boy was more than eager to reply again. "My name is Shinobu and I'm Akira's apprentice." When it didn't seem like it was getting through to them, he elaborated a bit more. "You know, her apprentice that she sent to look around the area where you guys were attacked. After that I went to see some people about the talisman I found." He was smiling calmly now. Constantly looking from Randy to him, trying to see if they registered anything he said.

Coming to his sense, Nomi lowered his sword. "You're not suppose to be back until tonight." He said a little skeptically. He nodded to Akiyoshi in a silent approval to let the newly dubbed Shinobu go. With the scarf gone, he stretched out his limbs before slowly standing up with a content sigh. Suddenly he charged past Nomi heading straight for Randy. It happened so fast that Nomi couldn't stop him. Shinobu halted a little too close in Randy's personal space before picking him up.

"NINJA! It's such a pleasure to final meet you! I'm such a big fan of your work!" He spoke as he spun Randy around at a rate that would have left anyone dizzy. All the while praising the Ninja and everything he did. Both Senior Ninjas were left watching in confusion at the complete fluctuation of Shinobu's personality. One second he was a sharp fighter that gave off a professional presence and the next he was a complete fanboy. Finally, after what seemed like minutes, Randy was put down gently. He swayed a bit, but Shinobu managed to keep him steady. What happened next had Nomi horrified, but he didn't know why.

Just when Nomi was about to get Shinobu's attention he saw him grab Randy's face and lift it upwards. It was as if time was slowing down as Nomi watched both of their lips slowly connect to one another. When their lips met everyone froze. They stood still for a couple of seconds before Nomi's body moved. He honestly doesn't recall if his body has ever moved that fast before in his life. Ripping the both of them apart, he stood in between them, Randy firmly placed protectively behind him.

"W-WHAT WAS THAT FOR!" Both Nomi and Randy spoke at the same time. Their cheeks red from embarrassment.

Shinobu didn't look the least bit sorry. In fact he looked like a kicked puppy. "What do you mean? I thought that was how *westerners greeted each other." He mentioned nonchalantly. "You didn't have to get so jealous, I was going to greet you next." He spoke to Nomi. He felt the heat in his cheeks grow worse.

"That is NOT how we greet each other! It's usually just a peck on the cheek, but not on the lips." Randy spoke back, secretly happy that he was safely behind Nomi. Although he was a little mortified that his first kiss was with this weirdo.

"Exactly, there was no reason for you to do that." Nomi added in. Shinobu's pout was starting to get on his nerves.

He placed his hands on his hips and turned to look at everyone. "You sure that's not how they greet each other." He asked one more time.

"NO!" Randy and Nomi responded in unison; a little more annoyed now.

"Kissing on the lips is usually reserved for lovers." Akiyoshi responded more calmly than the other two. Trying to get the point across before the two blushing ninja's could get any worse. He raised an eyebrow at Nomi and Randy, wondering what that was all about. Neither seemed to notice as their eyes were still fixated on Shinobu. Wary in case he made another move.

He suddenly started laughing. "Oh! I'm sorry. I honestly thought that was how you greeted each other." He turned to Nomi. "My bad, I didn't mean to make you jealous." Nomi felt the heat in his cheeks get worse as he stuttered a reply. The attention now focused on him.

"Wha- No! I wasn't jealous. It was just- I didn't-…..I just thought you were making him uncomfortable, s-so I stepped in." By now he felt his face was as red as his hair and right then, he want to sink into the ground and disappear. Where was an attack when you need it? Why did he even bother to step in? It wasn't like he was jealous! He wasn't! His body just moved on its own before he could think. He didn't even bother to look at Randy or Akiyoshi. He did not want to know what expressions they wore.

Shinobu stared at him with a frown. His eyes roamed over the both of them, until he slowly started smirking. "You sure, you seem really protective of the Ninja." Out of the corner of his eye he saw Akiyoshi turn away. Years of experience told Nomi that he was laughing at him. "You can be honest with me. I don't mind it. Love is Love no matter who it's with." He tried to seem supportive.

Enough, Nomi was getting very annoyed. He didn't need someone questioning him on something so stupid in the first place. "For the last time, we are not together! It's my job as the Nomicon to keep him safe! With the fate of the world at stake the last thing I need right now is for him to get hurt again. So excuse me if I'm a little overprotective." He almost shouted. He felt Randy tense and he immediately regretted the words the second they came out his mouth. Mentally analyzing them, he didn't think he had said anything bad per say, but from the looks Shinobu and Akiyoshi had as they looked from him to Randy, he must have been wrong.

An awkward silence fell over the four. Taking pity on them Shinobu spoke up first. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you so angry." They were meant as comfort, but honestly they just made Nomi feel worse. "I got back early so I went looking for you guys. After an hour of just watching the ninja in his hypnotic state I decided to come get you myself. I wanted to tell you I found some information on the talisman that might give us some answers."

Nomi sighed. "That's good. What did you find?" He asked.

"I was hoping we can discuss this with my master since she has some input as well." Shinobu stated.

"You're right, we should head back." Nomi spoke to Randy. Randy gave a small smile and moved to stand by Shinobu.

"So how do we leave this pla-" Shinobu's words morphed to screams as he and Randy were booted out of the nomicon.

"Keep searching in the archives to see if you find anything." Nomi asked Akiyoshi. He was expecting a reply back but he instead he got one of Akiyoshi's famous looks. Nomi pouted. "What?"

Akiyoshi shrugged. "Nothing, I'll keep searching." The look didn't disappear.

"You clearly want to say something."

"No, I promise you I have nothing to say." Akiyoshi said calmly. Nomi sighed.

"Alright then, I'll be back soon." Tendrils began forming from the air, enveloping Nomi. Slowly, he felt himself disconnect with the nomicon.

"Wait, there is one thing though." Akiyoshi said. Nomi swore he saw the smirk right through the fabric of Akiyoshi's mask. "I think I finally understand what your brother meant when he said the village girls would never have a chance with you." Before Nomi could speak, he was gone. With only the blush of his cheeks and the sound of Akiyoshi's laughter to follow him out.


"I see you've already met my apprentice." Akira spoke, placing tea and cookies in front of the three other occupants.

"Yes, he made quite the impression on us." Nomi deadpanned while gladly accepting the tea.

"From what I can assume by your tone, I apologize for whatever he did." Akira spoke, settling down with Nomi to her left and Shinobu to her right. Shinobu looked offended.

"It wasn't that bad. Besides, foreigners do the same in *manga and *anime. Well, at least from what I've seen." Shinobu tried to defend himself. Akira smacked him in the head.

"Shut up, you should stop obsessing over that kind of stuff. It's a nice hobby to have but it shouldn't be taken so seriously." Akira reprimanded. Staring at the two bickering, Nomi had this strange sense of déjà vu. He's pretty sure he's had this conversation with Randy before.

Next to him, Nomi saw Randy's eyes light up. "You like anime? What are you reading or watching right now?" He asked eagerly while reaching for a cookie.

"Right now I just finished watching Boku no Hero Academia and I've just started-" Shinobu was cut off by Akira.

"Enough. You can discuss this later, right now we have more important stuff to talk about."

Nomi nodded. "She's right. That stuff can wait." Both masters shared a look at their apprentices' distractive nature. A slight smile coming to their faces.

"Shinobu, tell us what you found out." Akira turned to him. Opening up his bag, he pulled out a small see-through plastic bag. Placing it on the table, he passed it over to Nomi and Randy.

Inside the bag was just a regular talisman. Or so it looked like. It looked very old. Its color darkening with age and its edges burnt, symbolizing that the talisman has served its purpose. "Well, it all started when we sensed this talisman go off. We didn't know what it was, so my master sent me to investigate. On the way there, I saw the newsfeed where someone was recording your fight with the Kitsune. By the time I got to the area where you fought, the Kitsune were gone. While there wasn't anyone there, I sensed a strong spiritual presence. Looking further I found this on one of the trees. So while I reported what I found, my master went looking for you guys, since, you know, there was blood on the ground, which meant that you probably needed help." Shinobu said gesturing to Randy' form.

"So, we were saved by a piece of paper?" Randy asked taking a bit of his cookie. Whatever flavor it was, it was pretty good.

"No, not exactly. How do I explain this?" Shinobu mumbled to himself before smiling. "Talismans are used for exorcising or imprisoning spirits, demons, and other supernatural creatures. They're made with the energy called Mana, which is the supernatural or spiritual force that resides within our souls." Shinobu pointed to his chest. He paused to make sure Randy understood. "When someone makes a talisman for whatever purpose, a small piece of their spiritual essence is transferred into the object. That's why when you go to psychics or certain stores, they give you charms that are for whatever you need help with." Shinobu explained.

Randy seemed to be understanding, so Shinobu continued. "The talisman that I found contained a very powerful spiritual essence." He finished off.

Nomi spoke up. "So you're saying, that whoever made this talisman was someone powerful?"

Akira answered instead. "Yes, from how you described what happened. It is safe to assume that. The question we have to ask, is where it came from."

"That's why I was gone so long. You see, the fact that this talisman was able to protect you from a supernatural creature as powerful as a Kitsune means that its creator was powerful. Right now, Japan hasn't had anyone that strong in over fifty years. So it's a complete mystery of where and who it came from." Shinobu explained.

"You see here?" Shinobu pointed to the marking on the talisman. In the Norisu estate Nomi had seen many talismans crafted by his sister. While he never used one himself, he could tell the marking on the one they were observing now were very strange. "As time goes by, the patterns on talismans have changed with the ages. I went through the whole network of magic and spiritual users and none knew anything about its' markings. The last person I spoke to about these markings was a professor that studies the design of talismans. He told me that there aren't even pictures or records that have this pattern. The professor had to take me to an underground archival system where there was only one drawing of a style similar to this one. He could only assume that it was from the same era, which happened to be over 1,000 years ago."

Nomi frowned. "That doesn't make sense."

"So the person that saved us was really old and powerful?" Randy asked. He looked like he had gotten lost in the explanation.

"It's possible." Nomi answered. "Talismans can last hundreds of years if it was created by someone powerful. The talisman itself looks pretty old, but it's been preserved by the magic it had inside it so we can't really tell how old it is." Nomi answered looking thoughtfully.

"That's true, but the most unusual thing about it, was what it did." Akira spoke up. Nomi thought about what Akira had said. Thinking back, he didn't think it was unusual that the talisman stopped the Kitsune. Wait. It's for who it stopped them for that was strange.

"What's so unusual?" Randy asked.

"Talismans usually work right away, but it wasn't until you were about to die that it reacted." Nomi responded. He was very proud of the fact the he kept his voice steady when he recalled Randy's near brush with death.

"That and the fact that I've been to that park a couple of times and I've never sense energy like that before." Shinobu spoke.

"Not necessarily. The talisman could have been lying dormant for a while. If its primary purpose was protection, then it would only need to work if its user was in danger or its intended purpose had begun." Akira said. Both Nomi and Shinobu turned to look at Randy, clearly lost in thought. Apprehensively he stared at the both of them.

"Wait, do you guys think I did it?" Randy asked in disbelief.

"No, but we still don't know why it worked for you." Nomi responded with a sigh. Instead of answers they were getting more questions. At this rate they would never find out a possible solution to stop Akumu. They needed to come up with something fast.

Randy heard the frustration in Nomi's voice and felt a little useless that he couldn't give him more answers. He looked down at his bitter tea. The cup was still warm and it felt nice against his palm. With the lights on above them, he saw his reflection through the liquid. The conversation continued on about the talismans possible origins, but there was something bothering him. Thinking back to his dreams, he didn't see anything that related to a talisman. Maybe the pattern meant something? He paused for a second to think further. It wasn't a bad idea to ask.

He held out his hand for the talisman, which was now being held by Akira. Nomi and Shinobu exchanging possible theories, but stopped to hear what Randy had to say. "Hey, can I see that for a minute." He asked politely. Once she passed it, Randy felt this weird feeling pass through his body. Held firmly in his hand he saw it begin to glow and everything around him began to fade to black.


"Great, not again." Randy said a little fearful. Looking around, he found himself standing in the middle of a burning forest. The fire roaring and spreading with such ferocity that it terrified him. One second he was sitting with the others and now he was here. The flames rapidly coming closer. Looking around he found only one possible way to get out of the fire. Using his good hand, he tried to cover his nose and mouth from the smoke. His eyes were starting to burn and he could feel the heat getting worse. He took the only possible path and heard shouting coming from farther in the direction he was headed.

Following the sound, he heard someone getting closer, but he couldn't see who. The flames were too bright and the smoke left the area too suffocating.

"Who's there?" He called out. Maneuvering his way around the flames, he almost got singed by embers that seemed to gravitate towards him. Jumping to the left, he cursed loudly. Looking at his hand, he saw it start to turn red. The pain becoming very real. "This is suppose to be a dream right? What the hell? It shouldn't hurt this bad in a dream." He spoke to himself. Taking another look around, his fear was starting to get worse. What was the purpose of him being in a burning forest? Finding an opening amongst the flames, he jumped out as fast as he could.

That didn't go so well.

Someone else had the same idea and they crashed into each other with a yelp. They both fell rather harshly to the ground. The person he crashed into was desperately gasping for air.

"Mommy!" Randy jumped at the sound. Looking at who he crashed into, his mind was reeling at who the woman reminded him of. She was carrying a small child that looked no older than 5. The poor boy was looking at Randy as if he was going to kill him. There were tears in his eyes as his mother finally turned to look at Randy, and he gasped.

"Michie?" He asked unsurely. She looked different this time. Instead of her snow white hair it was a light brown color, but still just as long. This time though, her hair wasn't in her face. Looking at him, he could clearly see her fearful and desperate red eyes that seemed to reflect the flames around them. She was covered in dirt and her feet were bare; bleeding from shallow cuts. Her usual Kimono was ripped and covered in dirt, much like the rest of her body. Three bells were strapped to her side. The strangest thing was that not one made a sound. Almost like they were broken. Randy's stomach twisted. The child held firmly and protectively in her arms matched her in appearance. They both looked horrible.

"There's the witch!" Someone from behind them shouted, followed by more shouting from others. They didn't sound happy.

"Mommy, they found us." The boy spoke before gasping through his tears.

Mother?

Then that must mean, that's Michies' son. Randy thought on the idea, figuring it wasn't too unbelievable. They had the same hair and eyes after all. Michie desperately tried to get up. Noticing her struggle Randy helped her.

"What's going on." He asked. She didn't reply, instead choosing to grab onto Randy's hand and pull him along.

"We have to run! They're coming for us!" Her voice sounded so defeated. As they ran (more like jogged with Michies' slow pace and the difficulty, awkward way they were holding hands) the shouting from behind them was getting closer. The flames were licking their clothes around them, but that didn't seem to phase Michie in the slightest. Following her blindly, Randy felt more and more confused.

"Why are we running? Who are those people?" He tried to ask without coughing. A seemingly impossible thing to do right now because of the smoke around them. He had no idea where Michie was taking him, but honestly, he was a little afraid of what might happened if they stopped.

"The villagers want to kill us! They want to hurt us!" The little boy answered him. Randy could barely hear him with the fire crackling and the villagers shouting. This was complete chaos. Why would the villagers be after her?

Wait.

Nomi said that her village was burned by the Sorcerer. Looking around, he wondered if this was the fire the journal spoke about.

He felt a jolt in his arm, and he pulled to avoid letting Michie fall. Luckily he was able to get Michie back on balance but she stumbled onto the ground again. Getting her upright, he realized that she was coughing a lot worse that he was. Her child had a cloth covering his mouth, but Michie had nothing to help her, and who knew who long she'd been running like this.

"Mommy, are you okay." He son asked. She couldn't respond, and by now she was leaning heavily on Randy. Seeing her gasping made Randy feel horrible. Quickly, he untied the cloth he was using as a sling and passed it over to Michie's son.

"Tie this over her mouth." He said, ignoring the sudden pain that coursed through his arm. The little boy complied while he threw her right hand over his shoulder. Supporting her weight on his bad shoulder, he was basically dragging them along. It was probably only a couple of minutes, but to him it felt like hours. It was just so hard to breathe in this smoke and it was too hot! It was getting harder to see too. My god, Randy never though it would ever become difficult to breathe and walk at the same time.

Dammit, this really sucks!

"They're going to kill us!" The boy sobbed, watching the villagers slowly get closer, their shouting getting more violent. The boy desperately looked to Randy, trying to find some sort of comfort from this horrible mess. Looking at him, Randy felt his heart drop. He could only imagine how terrified the boy was.

Against his exhaustion and pain, Randy gave a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, you and your mom are going to be fine." He spoke confidently.

"But they're getting closer." He looked back.

"So, let them get closer. We'll just go farther." Randy replied determinedly. He hated to admit it, but he was getting tired. He looked down at Michie, who had been quiet this whole time.

"How do you know we'll get away?" The boy asked hesitantly. Randy thought for a second, mentally debating what he was going to say.

It didn't matter.

"I know because I'm The Ninja. It's my job to keep you safe." He replied with a smile. Though honestly, he didn't believe he was doing a very good job of that now. Things were not okay, but there was no need to tell the boy that. He was desperately clinging to his mothers' neck with shaking hands. Yeah, he didn't need to voice his doubts.

Luckily, the boys eyes lite up in hope and a bit of awe. "You're a ninja? Really?" He asked. Coughing Randy tried to look at ease.

"Yup! I may not look it…but I'm definitely….a ninja." Randy rasped out. His limbs were killing him. He wasn't sure how much more he could take of this. The boy looked skeptical but Randy hoped he believed him.

"So we'll be okay?" The boy asked. There was a slight pause in Randy's step but he quickly started moving again. Those words, Randy was sure he heard them before.

There was no hesitation. "Yes." It didn't matter how hard this got, the look on the boy's face reminded him of someone. Someone who was desperately crying and worried for his own life and his mothers, just like the boy now. Someone who spoke those very same words and just wanted to be told that it will be okay; but he didn't get those words of comfort.

Randy wasn't going to make the same mistake. "Yup, we'll be just fine."

"He's right." Michie suddenly spoke up. Sounding much better than before. "We'll be okay." She spoke again. Hearing her voice made Randy feel a little better. Maybe it was because she was an actual adult, or maybe it was something else, but Randy felt calmer the more she spoke. "Wait, turn here." She gestured to her left. There was barely any fire in that direction, Randy felt relief flood him. Maybe there was a way out.

Following her directions, they made it into an opening that had yet to be touched by fire. The relief Randy felt when no hot air burned him was amazing. He felt Michie pull her arm away to hold her child firmly. She started walking and before Randy could help, she shook her head. She didn't go far though. Stopping by a tree, she kneeled down and pulled her sons arms from her neck.

"Sweetie, the Ninja and I have to go now." She spoke sadly. The boy suddenly jumped and Randy had to stop himself from protesting as well. That was a weird feeling.

"No! What about me?" The boy asked. Michie placed her hands on his shoulders.

"You have to hide here. We have to go so that the villagers can't find you." Her voice was cracking and Randy felt horrible. If only he had the mask! Dammit, if only he could do something!

"Why can't we hide together?" Her son asked on the verge of a complete breakdown.

Michie shook her head. "I can't. I have to lead them away from you. Not just the villagers, but from the *Akuma too. That's why you have to stay here and hide inside this tree." Her son looked behind him where a small opening was visible. It was small, but the boy might fit through.

"No! I don't want you to leave me." He wrapped his arms around her torso. "What's going to happen to you?" He sobbed.

Michie just patted his head and smiled. "Don't worry about me. You heard the Ninja, he said he'll keep me safe. That's why you have to hide, so we can lead everything away from you. So please Sora, hide." She desperately asked. By now her hands were shaking.

Randy's gut twisted. Not even sure if it was possible to protect Sora's mother. He was sure Michie knew she was never coming back, but for the sake of her son, she had to lie. At this point Randy felt disconnected with them. Almost like he wasn't really there anymore; that he was just watching the scene unfold.

"Do you promise you'll come back?" Sora asked.

"I promise." Michie spoke, "but if I don't, I want you to wait till sunrise and head towards the village south from here. You remember which way is south right?" Michie asked. Her son nodded. "Good, now quickly, get inside." Obeying his mother Randy watched as both of them hugged each other, probably for the last time. Neither wanting to let go, but having no choice but to.

"I love you Mother." Sora spoke one last time, holding on to his mothers hand.

Squeezing back, Michie smiled. "I love you too, sweetie." Letting go she stood up. Reaching into her sleeve she pulled out a piece of paper and placed it onto the tree.

It was a talisman.

The same one that Shinobu found in the forest.

"So Michie did place it in the forest. Then that means that I'm…." Randy slowly put the pieces together on where he was. Did he seriously go back in time?

"That was the last time I saw my son." Michie spoke to him. Suddenly the scenery changed. The burning night was replaced with the same white empty space where he spoke to her last time. "No, that was the last time I saw him when I was alive." She corrected herself. Along with the scenery, her appearance changed back to its white and ghostly form. She didn't face Randy, instead choosing to rest her forehead on the tree.

"Did he…die?" Randy asked. His voice was soft and fearful. He really hoped the boy had survived.

Michie sank to the ground. "No, he lived."

There was silence.

"He lived but you didn't." Randy stated.

Michie sat up straight. "Yes. The villagers caught me and then…" She stopped talking. She must have been scared. To recall your death to a stranger must have been hard for her. He was sure she didn't want to relive that, but why show him?

Coming closer Randy sat down next to her. He placed a hand on her shoulder in support. "And then what?"

"I don't remember. The rest and most important parts of my memories are scattered inside two of my bells. The last one contains my soul. I'm just a memory she lost. A fragment of the last remaining thing she owned that still exist not counting my bells. When you touched the talisman, I was able to communicate with you outside of the dream world. I wanted to show you that I was just like you. I was human once too." She spoke. "I've desperately tried to warn you."

"Warn us about Akumu, right?" Randy asked, seating himself crossed legged next to her.

"Yes. For the longest time, I've watched Akumu's prison grow weaker and weaker by the day." She wrapped her arms around herself. "I was afraid that no one would be able to hear me. That everyone would suffer at his hands when he awoke. That there would be nothing." She finally turned to Randy, a smile coming to her face. "Then you came and I knew that if anyone could stop Akumu, it was you."

"Why do you think that?" He asked unsurely.

"Your first night here." She explained. "I sensed great power from you." She placed a hand over his chest where his heart was. His heart beat increased with the sudden contact, but he didn't flinch away. She wasn't cold like what he expected a ghost to feel like. It was more like a warm heat that relaxed him. "Even though you've experienced great sadness, your heart is still pure. The purer the heart, the stronger my bells will become when you use them to stop Akumu." She explained, unlatching the three bells from her side and holding them gently on her lap. They were small, but still bigger than most bells. They were a golden brown with red and white rope at the top that connected all three. She gently shook them and suddenly a soft but loud sound traveled across the area. Randy had to admit, the sound was soothing. All the tension in his body disappeared and he was very tempted to close his eyes as she created the same sound again.

When it stopped, Randy actually felt a lot better. "With these, you can stop Akumu. This time, you can destroy him for good." Michie said.

Shaking his head he frowned. "I'm sorry, but you're going to have to explain this again. How am I suppose to use your bells to stop a very mean and dangerous demon.? Not to mention he has two really strong butt-kicking Kitsune that I'm pretty sure want me dead. Thanks for the save by the way, but yeah. I'm not so sure about those bells…..or me for that matter." He admitted. He was The Ninja, a protector, and while he told Nomi that they would win, in all honesty he wasn't sure he could do it. It was just getting to be too much for him and he had to admit, he was scared.

Really scared. If he lost then what he saw that first night in Japan was going to become a reality. He tried to wrap his arms around himself. Right now he felt terrified, and he hated that. If he blew this chance to save the world, then that's it. There's no escaping and trying again next time.

Michie just smiled. "My talisman was created to protect my child, who was pure of heart. The fact that it worked for you means that there is hope. I have faith in you Ninja." She looked up at the tree. Its Sakura petals flowing down around them. "Once you find my bells, all will be clear. That, I promise you."

Randy wanted to protest more, but he couldn't. Everything was fading away and all he could see was black. He blinked one more time and found himself back in the room with Nomi and the others.

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Hope you enjoyed! I imagine that Nomi's older sister was a Taoist, is that weird?

Westerners Kiss- It's the idea that when westerners greet each other, its a kiss on the lips. (Its not real, and I doubt any Japanese people do this.) I've actually seen this gag in a lot of manga and anime and I just wanted to do a scene like that too for fun. So I hope no one takes any offense it.

Anime- (this definition varies to many, but this is what I believe.) Anime is 2D animated shows that come from Japan. The art style can give the impression to people that don't know what it is, to assume that its cartoons(I don't like to call it that) and only for children, but anime has shows that appeal to all different ages that range from children to adults. (In the words of Dean Winchester, "Its an art form!")

Manga- Japanese term for graphic novels and comic books. Its read from right to left instead of left to right like most American comics. Like anime, it appeals to all different ages that range from children to adults.