1To Lady Demoonica Darkmoon- Ha! You got lucky last time; it'll be at least a year before I update so fast again. Although I'll try to make it less than a year before this story gets updated.

To PeaceLoveOcelot- No, being the parents of HalfBishies has very little to do with it; after all, Naruto's not a daddy. Weren't you paying attention to Adrian's theories? He's going to become uber-important from this point on, because he's a very logical guy. Make special note of anything he says on the subject of It. The shifting viewpoints was supposed to emphasize all the people affected by this, as well as make it seem just a bit creepy and weird. If you thought that scene was eerie to read, imagine what it must have been like to write! My heart was pounding so fast I was afraid it would burst! When I write, I tend to actually transport myself into the scene, like a helpless, invisible observer… Really not good for my health, but I can't help it. If you want to start reading Dean Koontz, might I recommend you start with either Mr. Murder or Odd Thomas? Mr. Murder is incredibly creepy, and I had a hard time putting it down so I could sleep; Odd Thomas is better for those with weak hearts, although it's much sadder than Mr. Murder… I'd be happy to add you in, along with your three incredibly sexi Bishies. I'm familiar with all three, and would love the eye candy. Of course, if I turn you into a victim, I'd have to pick one to be the father of your baby… This is gonna take some serious pondering… I'll try to get this one out soon, but it won't be nearly as quick as last time…

To BlackyGirl- I'm glad you liked it; it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside! And don't worry- I won't tell anyone about your grandma and Dean Koontz.


The light. The light was nearby. The wild, hurt power was, too, but it didn't seem to be blocking the light anymore. Instead, it was exuding a light of its own, one that pulsed and dimmed only to flare brightly again. The two lights mingled, pushing back the darkness that followed It everywhere.

But the fatal hurt still lurked there, endangering them all. He had to get rid of the hurt.


"I don't like this." Anya said unhappily. "How long is she going to stay in there?"

"However long it takes, I guess." Merina answered, frowning. "I think she's blocking whatever threw him into a fit. If she is, it would be best if she just moved in with him."

"I think Nuriko might object to that." Anya said in a half-hearted attempt at humor. "How's Vash?"

Merina's frown deepened, turning into a full-blown scowl, and the redhead twisted around until her back was to the thick window between her and Donn and Jason.

"I don't know." She said finally. "The doctors say he should be fine, but I'm still worried about him. He just went crazy, Anya; broke everything in the room before we got to him."

"It's gonna be okay." Anya murmured awkwardly, patting the older girl's shoulder. "Vash has the strength to get through this, and so do you. Just hold on, okay?"

Wordlessly, Merina nodded.


As soon as the sun rose, a search of the woods surrounding Sorsos was organized and put into motion. Donn and her troupe of Bishies, minus Naruto, insisted on joining the effort.

"If I follow the pain, I should be able to find them quickly." Donn insisted. "Jason will be fine for now, but we need to find these people as soon as possible. LSS-sama, you have to let me help!"

"Well… if you think it'll be okay, I guess you can come." LSS conceded uncertainly. "Do you have a fix on them?"

"West." Donn said immediately. "West and a little north."


The fire was starting to die. Bulma fed the last few logs they'd stockpiled to the greedy flame, her tear- and blood-streaked face empty of emotion and thought. She tried not to look at the bodies scattered near the edge of the campsite; she tried to pretend that last night had never happened.

She wondered if they'd still need the fire once the sun was up. She hoped they wouldn't; none of them were exactly up to gathering firewood. Not with the impressive collection of gaping wounds and broken bones they sported now.

It took a moment for the sound of snapping twigs to reach her, and a moment more for it to register. When it finally did, she was almost too tired and worn to care. She hoped – she prayed – that the shadow had come back to finish her off. She didn't want to live with the man she loved and all her friends dead. She shut her eyes and moved a bit further from the fire, waiting to feel the claws that had ripped into her stomach tear through the skin on her back.

The snapping stopped for a moment, and Bulma waited in pensive silence for something to happen.

"I think this one's still alive." A soft voice said nearby. "But it's hard to tell with this kind of energy drain. Sango, come look at him."

Almost against her will, Bulma opened her eyes. Through the flickering light of the fire, she saw people moving among the bodies, kneeling beside each one and checking it for signs of life.

"Excuse me." The same quiet voice said, and a hand touched Bulma's shoulder. "Are you all right?"

Bulma turned slowly, staring blankly at the girl behind her. She had dark hair cut well below her shoulders and large, equally dark eyes in a thin face. Those dark eyes held a curious light, one that seemed made up of pity, shame, agony, and concern.

"Are you all right?" The girl asked again, kneeling on the ground. The concern in her eyes grew, dominating and erasing the other emotions.

Bulma managed a short nod, her hand straying to her stomach. "I'm fine." She whispered, unable to look the girl in the eye.

"Good." The girl said, smiling. "We're going to take you to the city now, okay?"

Again, Bulma nodded.


"The emptiness is in her, too." Donn informed LSS quietly, watching the knot of doctors and orderlies around Bulma doing their jobs. "Only worse. I'm not sure how exactly, but Bulma's even worse off than Jason. We'll have to keep her as heavily sedated as possible, or she might kill someone."

"You're sure?" LSS asked wearily. "You're sure she's that bad?"

"Positive." Donn assured her with a grim nod. "Although I can't tell you why yet."

"Yet?"

"Call me crazy, LSS, but I think that I'm connected with this thing. I can sense it all the time, not just when it's feeding. I know when it's going to feed before it does, and where. My awareness of it increases every day. It's the only explanation I can think of."


LSS stood pensively off to one side of the hastily-erected platform in front of the West Gate. She didn't hold press conferences often; they made her nervous for some reason. But the occasion more than warranted it – it all but demanded this.

"LSS-sama, it's time." One of the technicians who'd been fiddling with the sound system told her, motioning for the woman to go.

LSS took a deep breath and took the five steps to the platform with a calm dignity she didn't in the least feel. Across the wooden expanse, Donn mounted a set of identical steps with Nuriko behind her. The small woman smiled encouragingly, and LSS could feel the waves of comfort and strength rolling off her.

"Are you ready for this?" LSS whispered when the two were close enough. She was half-afraid that the stress would prove too much for Donn, or that the dark girl would be overwhelmed by such a swarm of people.

"Yes." Donn said, her eyes bright and alert despite the way her hands shook. "I can deal."

Nuriko, dressed as inconspicuously as a Nuriko could possibly be, stood behind Donn and to her left, ready to assist Donn in any way she needed. He flashed a smile at LSS as Donn moved back, giving the Lady room to start.

"Ladies and gentlemen," She began, nodding to the crowd of reporters and TV crews clogging the square. "First, I would like to thank you for attending this conference on such short notice. Most of you should recognize me; some of you may not. For those of you that don't, my name is Lady Silver Senshi, or LSS for short. I'm one of the co-creators of the BishWorld. The fact that I am speaking to you know is an indication of catastrophic events. I use the adjective catastrophic because, to all intents and purposes, the events of the past three months have been a disaster.

"It has recently been brought to my attention that a series of seemingly unrelated deaths were all, in fact, committed by the same thing." She paused for a moment to let the excited murmur die down, then continued. "There is a glitch in the world. Not in the programming; in the world. You see, this world, like anything created by man, has grown without our direct intervention. It has evolved, developed quirks, taken on a life of its own.

"For some reason, one of these quirks has taken it upon itself to rid our little world of HalfBishies."

The gaggle of reporters jumped to its collective feet, everyone clamoring to be acknowledged.

"Please." LSS said, holding up one hand. "I promise, we will answer all of your questions to the best of our ability in a moment. But first, let me finish." After the noise had died down considerably, she continued. "Those of you who wish to release your Bishies and return to the human world are free to do so, but be aware that you might not be able to come back. If you wish to remain in the BishWorld, you may do that as well. But we must ask that you not panic. This thing is easily avoided, and we are doing all in our power to remove it as a threat to the BishWorld." She paused, and the reporters leaped at the chance to speak.

"LSS-sama, exactly how long has this been going on?"

"We don't know for sure; we only became aware of the situation in the past month. We have found cases that could apply going as far back as three months, but we really have no way of knowing."

"LSS, why are you referring to this as a 'thing'?"

"Because it is not human, nor is it a Bishie. It is something we've never encountered before."

"How do we avoid it, then?"

"That's for my friend Donn here to tell you." LSS said, motioning for Donn to join her at the podium. "She knows more about this thing than anyone else in the city."

When Donn stepped up, her eyes were huge and round, giving her a slightly panicked look, and her pale face was even paler than usual, but her voice somehowshowed none of the strain when she spoke.

"This thing is nocturnal to an extreme." She stated without waiting for a question. "It literally cannot venture out during the day. The woods are its hunting grounds, and midnight its feeding hour. You will be safest if you do not wander through the woods at night. If you find you cannot avoid the woods, build a large fire – at least half again as large as you normally would – and make sure someone is always awake to keep the fire from dying. Like all powerful things, this has a powerful weakness, and that weakness is light.

"Remember that this thing will ignore you if you don't have a HalfBishie or the mother of a HalfBishie in your group, although it is always wise to take precautions. As always, there is safety in numbers, but only within reason. Three or four trainers traveling together will be at more risk than one or two. If at all possible, it would be best to remain in a city."

"Orientation buildings will be open as camping grounds for the duration of this emergency, for those of you who can't afford hotel rooms." LSS stepped in. "No one will be brought into the BishWorld until this is taken care of, so you don't have to worry about them. Please, everyone, be careful."


"That was exhausting!" Donn exclaimed, flopping down on her bed with an expressive 'oof!'

"Press conferences usually are." LSS agreed with a half-smile. "Lucky you; you don't have to attend all of them. There's a chance we might need you once or twice down the road, but that's all."

"Bleh." Came Donn's response, and LSS laughed.


Mooo! Done with chapter twelve! Review! Review, damn your eyes! Or so help me, I'll start killing off Bishies!