laustic: It's alright, I totally understand. I think I wrote that opening and closing when I was in a rather manic mood (I write them last). I understand getting wrapped up in your own work, believe me

Disclaimer: By reading this, you give me temporary control over your mind, but no rights to Yami no Matusei.

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Hisoka set Neina's head down again, trembling at the sight of blood on his hands. It's…it's just like that time. Like Tsubaki…

The sound of claws on stone drew his attention reluctantly from the red stain. Segadalus rose shakily to his feet, a morbid grin spread across his long face. Blood still poured from the wounds in his chest and throat, so his voice gurgled and rasped as he spoke. "Well…I had hoped to kill you and watch the Dragon cry in anguish, but this works as well. Now I can eat both of you and heal myself with your power." He began walking toward them, swaying like a marionette on a single remaining string but still walking.

"Stay back!" Hisoka raised his hands as he spoke. Neina lay slightly between them, her face still turned toward him but still and emotionless. He could sense nothing from her, not even her shields, and her breathing was shallow and erratic. Blood pooled beneath her head, staining her hair a dark red.

Segadalus laughed at his gesture. "What will you do, boy? I can smell your power; it is weak and not even awakened. You are no match for me, even as wounded as I am. Your only chance just gave her life to save you."

Hisoka tensed but remained steady. Delving into his pocket, he took out an emergency sutra he had been carrying. Calling it forth, it erected a domed shield around the both of them, clear but visible.

"So you are a sutra user…just like her partner from all those years ago." Hisoka was confused by his words but didn't falter in his shield. "No matter. You're no where near his power level either. I'll smash those shields and make you watch as I eat the woman. Then I'll eat you!" Another blast of energy erupted from the demon's mouth and crashed against the shield. Hisoka grunted but pushed back as hard as he could, feeding his energy into the sutra shield.

I can't let him win!! I can't let Neina die, not here, not like this! The blast intensified and Hisoka felt the sweat pouring down his face as he poured even more power into the shield. But cracks began to appear in the shield despite this and he felt it weakening. No! Not like this! I won't lose like this!! I need to attack, dammit!

Segadalus stopped and grinned triumphantly when the shield was all but a network of cracks. But suddenly it lit up with even more power. He recoiled in shock as it divided on itself, the edges peeling away to turn sharp. The stretched and flew with purpose to stab at him, ripping him to shreds in a feeding frenzy of glowing ribbons of light. Hisoka watched, awed and transfixed as the demon's body fell back to the ground, shredded and useless to anyone now.

"H…how…?" he gurgled, before releasing his last breath. The shield turned attacker disappeared, fading away like the embers of a firecracker. Hisoka sat, numb but breathing, filling up his lungs with the night.

Did I do that? Several moments passed without an answer. He looked down, but Neina had not even moved. No one else had seen what had just happened, so had it happened?

"Hisoka!!" His head whipped up to see Tsuzuki riding Byakko over the bridge with Runa and Kelton coming up behind. The all stopped when they saw Segadalus' mangled corpse so close. "Hisoka, what the heck happened?! How—"

"Tsuzuki…"

"—did this happen?! Wasn't he already dead? He looks like someone put him through the paper shredder or something!"

"Tsuzuki…"

"I'll say!" Kelton agreed. "I've never seen Neina do something like this. Unless you count that one time…"

"Tsuzuki!!" They all started at the harsh yell that echoed around them. Finally they noticed Neina lying just before him, still and bleeding. "She…she won't wake up…"

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It had been surprising, to say the least, when Kelton had suddenly transformed into a giant anthropomorphic wolf. Right after Hisoka had drawn their attention to the wounded Neina he had invoked his transformation and gently picked her up. He stood a good eight feet tall, covered in graying black fur, his eyes still remarkably human in a canine face.

Byakko carried the rest of them as the werewolf bore the woman swiftly through the streets of London. But rather than take her to a hospital, he bounded up the side of the hotel where the three of them had been staying and jumped through Neina's still open window.

"Kelton, I'll ask about the fur later, but what the hell are you doing?! We need to take her to a hospital," Tsuzuki said as he flew in behind. He had sent Byakko back, promising to explain everything later when they had time.

"And tell them what?" he said coolly, surprising them again as his voice came out clearly from the canine muzzle. "We have no alibi, no explanation for what happened. Besides, it would just cause more trouble later."

"What?" Tsuzuki asked as he set Neina down on the bed with his jacket behind her head.

"When Neina regains enough consciousness, she'll heal her wounds. We bring in a half dead woman with a head wound, she's up and walking a few hours later. That would be a hard one to explain to the orderlies now, wouldn't it?"

Tsuzuki grimaced but nodded, knowing he was right. Hisoka peered around him, looking away from her ashen face when he couldn't take it. It's my fault...I wasn't paying attention! I said all those horrible things, and she still saved me!

"Haruna, can you stop the bleeding from her head? At this rate, it could be life threatening."

Runa stepped forward and knelt by her bedside. "I can try, but my powers aren't what they once were. Stopping the bleeding is probably all I can do." She placed her hand a hairs breath above Neina's heart and closed her eyes in concentration. Tsuzuki and Hisoka watched in wonder as a soft golden glow enveloped her for a moment before traveling down to the bedridden woman and concentrating at the back of her head.

The glow brightened for a moment before it died away. Neina remained still, not even flinching, her breathing still shallow and erratic. "I stopped the bleeding, but that's about the best I can do. The wound's still fresh and she still has internal damage. I've gotten old…" she trailed off faintly. Kelton placed his large hand-like paw around hers comfortingly.

"You stopped the bleeding. That might've been the most important step to save her." Tsuzuki nodded empathetically and Hisoka did his best to seem supportive.

She smiled at them and began to walk towards the door. "I'll get some ice and water and a clean towel for her. Kelton, you'd better stay here till the transformation wears off. Mr. Tsuzuki, Hisoka, if you could make sure she's comfortable till I get back, I'd appreciate it."

"Of course!" Tsuzuki said. She left and Kelton sat down with a sigh in a nearby chair. There was a long pause, which mostly consisted of Hisoka and Tsuzuki staring at him. "So…you're a…"

"Werewolf," Kelton grunted. "Got bit back when I met the Dark Guard. But I can control it fine, it just takes me a while to change back if I force it." He sighed and moved a strand of hair away from Neina's lips, gently without using his claws.

Hisoka observed the gesture and felt a slight tingling around the edge of his awareness. "Did you…do you love her?"

Kelton drew his hand away and stared at him in wonder. "How…? Ah, empathy! One of your mother's traits I had loved to forget." He smiled and leaned back. "If you mean as man can love a woman, once I did. But she and Hokuto were truly meant for each other. He loved her more than I ever could. And I've found another I love that way, stronger than I thought possible. That was the surprise I wanted to tell Neina that I had forgotten when…" Suddenly, he leapt up. "Dammit! I need to go get rid of that demon's corpse. It's gonna cause a big stink in the morning if I don't. I'll be right back."

Before they could object, he dove out the window and was gone. Tsuzuki sat down in the chair he vacated, not even noticing or caring about the stray fur left behind. "A witch and a werewolf…Neina has some interesting friends."

"You're one to talk. You have twelve shiki under your control," Hisoka said blandly.

"Oh, yeah," Tsuzuki laughed weakly. He watched Hisoka, who just stood by Neina's bedside, alternating brief glances between the floor, the sheets, and occasionally the woman herself. "You okay?"

The amethyst eyed man expected his friend to say yes, to not reply at all, to be indignant at his accusation that he was anything but fine. Instead he watched those pale fists clench tighter and heard a ragged breath drawn in. "It's my fault…"

"What?" He couldn't see the boy's eyes, but that voice sounded so pained. Just like when after the Queen Camellia, when…

"It's my fault. I…yelled at her. I screamed at her. I lost control and said…that I wish I'd never met her. I let my guard down, and Segadalus attacked, aiming for me…" A single tear rolled down his cheek onto the floor. "Why?! Why did she do it, after everything I said?! Why didn't she hate me back for saying what I did?! Why?! Why…"

Hisoka gasped as he felt arms encircle his shoulders. He was drawn back into the embrace, the arms sliding down around his own to trap him in the comforting feeling. Tsuzuki set his chin against the back of his crown and shushed and protests from the younger boy softly. "She loves you, Hisoka," he said quietly. The boy shivered, shaking his head. "Oh yes she does. She loves you very much. That's why she saved you. She didn't even think, she just did it. Why? Because you're her son. Even if you can't remember it, she does. She remembers her love for you, it never died or faded. I'm beginning to think it can't. She didn't want you to be hurt, not if she could prevent it."

"How do you know?" he whispered.

"She told me. Maybe in not so many words, but it's obvious if you look and listen carefully. I don't think she's said it out loud for the same reason I—" He cut himself off abruptly. "I…should stop talking now. I shouldn't talk for her, I should let her tell you this." He tightened his hold for a brief instant and smiled. "I haven't gotten to hold you like this in a while."

"Baka!" he muttered, but didn't move to break the moment.

"Ahem, am I interrupting something?" The both looked toward the door, where Runa stood holding a bowl of ice water and a rag. "If I may break up this touching scene, I would like to make sure Neina doesn't die now."

The two broke apart, Hisoka blushing beet red and Tsuzuki trying to look unaffected but reddening all the same. Runa knelt down next to her friend and gently lifted her head enough that she could pull Kelton's now ruined jacket away and slide the moistened towel underneath. "Where'd…"

"Kelton went to get rid of the demon's body," Tsuzuki supplied. She nodded and sighed.

"I had imagined this night going a little differently in my head. We realized we forgot to tell her something important last night, and we wanted to do something we promised we would do around now, so I guess I was just expecting another party. I'm happy she wasn't hurt any worse than this. I've had to stand watch over her death bed too often."

Hisoka looked away from examining the bed and turned to her. "This happened a lot?"

"Oh, yes! The Dark Guard was never a safe job. I used to curse our boss for ever letting someone as young as Neina into the Guard." She laughed softly. "But the truth is, despite her age, she was the strongest of us. She's even wearing her old uniform right now." The smile faded and she glared at nothing in particular. "She had a chip on her shoulder against another organization known as the Erasers. That's why she became so strong."

"Are they…the ones who killed her family?" Tsuzuki asked quietly.

"Yes. They are against magic intermingling with normal society in any way. Neina is what they refer to as a half-ling, one who is only part magic. And they hate her more than ever because she's stronger than most normal magicians. And she's beautiful."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"In their eyes, she is an abomination. A blight on the world. Abominations shouldn't be beautiful, and I'm quoting here from one of their psycho senior officers that she beat like a drum a long time ago," Runa grinned at the memory.

Hisoka looked at her once more. An abomination…? Like me?

"Neina once told me," Runa continued, " 'I fight for revenge, that's true. But that's not all I fight for. I fight so that others may live, so that others may smile, so that others will not cry like I have cried. And if my revenge costs my life, then I will pay it in full,' and here she grinned, for possibly the first time I've ever seen. 'But they'll have a hard time collecting it from me before I'm done with it!'" Runa laughed and rose. "That's why I know she'll be fine, even now. Unless she says it's alright, Neina will never give up her life. Not with out one hell of a fight. Unless it's for the sake of someone she loved." Runa didn't notice Hisoka's clenching fists as she walked away and laid down on the couch in the sitting room. (author note: I know didn't specify that before, but the rooms are connected via a little sitting room they share. It's an expensive hotel room.)

"I'm tired, so I'm just going to take a little nap. If she wakes up, call me." With that, she settled into the couch and was soon softly snoring.

"Tsuzuki…" he said quietly.

"Shhhhh, she didn't know, Hisoka. Neina will be fine. Try to relax," he helped his partner into the chair and rubbed between his shoulders encouragingly. "I'm going to rest, like Runa, just for a little while. Stay up and wait for Kelton to return. But try to get some sleep eventually, okay?" The blond nodded and watched Tsuzuki leave back towards their room.

Once the door was closed, Hisoka paused a few moments before scooting his chair quietly to Neina's bedside. Taking a deep breath, he gently touched Neina's hand and sent one thought as clearly as possible to her. I'm sorry.

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There was darkness everywhere. It undulated, pushing towards her and pulling back. It was like being trapped beneath beach waves on a moonless night. If she didn't get out soon, she wondered if she would be trapped. Or would she begin to dream…

Something was suddenly pulling at her, hoisting her up above the dark shadow water. It was a voice, soft and gentle, full of regret. She wanted to comfort that voice, to sooth the regret in it, so she allowed herself to be pulled up.

Neina groaned and opened one eye blearily. Her head felt like a hundred tap dancing gnomes in golf cleats had done a number in her brain. What had happened to cause that? She tried to clear the fuzzy musings of her delirious brain until she came to that final mental image of Segadalus still alive and about to attack her son.

She sat bolt upright, immediately letting out a foul string of muttered curses at the onset of vertigo and the pounding of blood rushing to her wounded head. She pressed a hand to the back of her head and grimaced at the feeling of dried blood flaking in her hair. Ugh! I need a shower. And a strong dose of aspirin.

Keeping her eyes closed against the dizziness, she brought her hand to her mouth and breathed gently. She didn't need to see the gentle green flames envelop her long fingers to know they were there. Gently she pressed them to the wound and push up. She winced once, but felt better once the wound was gone. Taking her hand, she laid it against her stomach and felt the internal bruises and ruptures healing as well.

Opening her eyes, she blinked and waited for the room to right itself. She saw that Kelton (who was back in his human form) and Runa were passed out in the sitting room, and she could feel Tsuzuki in the room beyond if she sent out a small tendril of her awareness. But where was…

A small groan caught her attention and she blinked when she realized that Hisoka was bent over in the chair next to her, resting his head in his folded arms on her bed. She was surprised, but slowly a gentle smile crossed her lips. Gingerly she stroked through his hair. It's okay, Hisoka. I heard you. I heard.

At her touch he shifted and stirred, finally opening his eyes. He blinked and looked up, meeting another pair of green orbs looking down. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." Her voice was small and croaky, and she coughed once to clear it of the congealed blood.

Hisoka was up in the blink of an eye, blushing but also looking fretful. "Neina! You're awake—"

"Shhhh, you'll wake up the others," she whispered, placing her fingers over his lips. He blushed again but sat back down.

"Neina, I…"

"You don't have to say it, Soka-chan. I heard you before. You led me out of the darkness." She squeezed his hand and smiled reassuringly.

"N…no, I should say this," he determined. "Neina, what I said before, I didn't mean it! I just…I don't want to be treated as a kid. I'm stuck like this, forever, but I don't want to be underestimated because of that. I want to be powerful enough to…to protect someone special…" He blushed again and Neina arched her eyebrows. "I want to be the one who protects sometimes, not just the one who needs protecting."

Neina nodded slowly. "I understand that better than you think. You know I was very young when I joined the Dark Guard, don't you?" He nodded. "Well, when I first got there, they didn't let me do a damn thing! Everyone thought I was too young to 'face the horrors of battle'. Feh! I basically had to recruit my own partner, too! And he still tried to protect me from almost everything, even though I would never learn if I didn't do it myself."

Now that sounds like Tsuzuki, Hisoka thought.

"But, and I do believe I've told you this before Hisoka, you are important to me." She leaned in and pressed her forehead against his, even though it made him look a tad uncomfortable. "You are my son, Hisoka. My only son. You're all I have left in the world. Don't get me wrong, Kelton and Runa are dear to me, like family, but…you're different. I want to keep you from being hurt, from feeling pain, and at the same time I want to see you grow and flourish. They are rather contradictory thoughts at this point," she laughed.

"So bear with me, please? Sometimes I'll do things that seem foolish or stupid, but I'm only trying to be a part of your life in the least troubling way. And, as we've seen tonight, sometimes that will cause a lot of trouble. It's what parents like me do."

Ever so slowly a small smile spread out on Hisoka's lips. Neina did her best not to move or speak, not to ruin this moment. But she couldn't control the smile spreading over her own face as well. "I…think I understand."

"Good. Now, what happened to Segadalus?" She backed away and looked around the room suspiciously, as if he would jump out behind one of the chairs.

"He's dead."

"What?! Who…?! How…?!"

Hisoka shifted uncomfortably. "Um, well, I think I did it."

Neina stared at him with her mouth slightly agape. "Wha…?"

"Well, after you were knocked out, I threw a shield up to protect us from him. But he started attacking and busting it down and…I don't know! I just kept thinking that I needed to attack him, that I need to bring him down, and suddenly my shield starts actually attacking him! Like it was some kind of…army of swords or something."

Neina listened in silence, thinking. When she looked him in the eyes, Hisoka blushed at the look of pride and affection she saw there. "I can see we have a lot to talk about. Well, mostly I have a lot that I still need to explain to you. But, I think that can wait until a time when we're both not so tired, hmmm?"

Hisoka nodded hesitantly. "Are you sure you don't need anything?"

"I need sleep, that's what I need! Now off with you, go sleep in your own bed or you'll get a back ache." She watched him rise and walk out towards the door.

"I love you, Hisoka," she whispered.

"Huh?" He turned, his head and she smiled.

"I said, 'see you tomorrow, Hisoka'."

"Right. Goodnight." He left and Neina laid herself back into the bed.

"He uses fuda…and changed his shield into an attack spell. He may be more likehim than I first imagined." Raising her left hand, she looked sadly at the silver band around her ring finger, next to one of her sword rings. "I wish you were here, my love. You'd know what to do about it, and do it better than I could." Turning over onto her side, she wrapped the blankets tightly around her and closed her eyes for a more peaceful sleep and to fight against the bitter loneliness she suddenly felt creeping in.

And the shadow outside her window disappeared into the night.

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"You're married?!" Neina yelled, looking between both of her friends in shock. "When, to who?"

"Well, it was about two years after you disappeared and as to who…" They leaned in to each other and smiled. "To each other!"

Neina eyes got even wider and slowly, as the concept hit her she smiled. "Oh my gods!!" She lunged and grasped them both around the neck. "Congrats! I know it's, like, almost twenty years late, but congrats!!" She laughed and released them. "Oh! This means Hokuto owes me money." Runa slapped her shoulder and they all shared a laugh.

"We also found this!" Kelton brought out what looked like a tin box. The label on the lid read 'Property of Sakuya C. Haguro, Haruna A., Hokuto Kurosaki, and Kelton Mafferie. Open if you dare!'

"No way! Our time capsule!" Neina took it in her hands and looked at it in amazement.

"Yep! We dug it up at the twenty year marker, about four years ago." Runa's gaze turned sad. "It felt wrong, without you and Hokuto there. We never opened it. And you can't either!" she said accusingly, jabbing a finger at her. "You have to wait until we get back to Japan and come and visit you, understand?"

Neina blinked for a moment, but then smiled and hugged them both again. "I understand. We'll see you then."

"Are you sure you're well enough to go?" Kelton asked. All of them stood outside the airport, our group of three with their bags and Runa and Kelton bidding them a save voyage. Hisoka and Tsuzuki were further up on the steps, letting the three old friends have a few moments together in their own world to say good-bye.

"Yes, I'm fine! Besides, their vacation time is running out and Tatsumi is almost as scary as Schroeder when in a foul mood." Runa and Kelton blanched and shuddered.

"Well, alright," Kelton said severely. "But you have to promise to call and/or write us every now and then. Twenty years is far too long to wonder what had happened."

Neina smiled, but her eyes looked saddened. "I promise, you won't have to wait that long again."

Neina hugged the time capsule close as she trotted up the stairs, turning to wave once more at her friends. Because without them, she wouldn't be who she was now. She wouldn't be where she was now. Hisoka is very important to me…but I know I'd be lost without them too. With that last thought, she turned and followed them into the airport.

As they left, Kelton and Runa both turned serious looks up to the tree next to them. "Well, she's gone now," Runa grated. "You coward! You could've faced her just now, but you decided to stay hidden."

"Calm down, Runa-koi. He has his reasons." She snorted and walked off, the arch of her back stating that she didn't want to talk right now. Kelton sighed but returned his gaze to the tree branches. "She is right, though. You have to face her sooner or later." A shadow shifted in the branches, and a gust of wind picked up. Whatever they had spoken to was now gone, as if part of the wind itself.

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Ba-bum-ba!! Who is the mystery shadow? Whew! This chapter underwent several revisions before I was done.

You know the drill. Here's where I beg you to REVIEW!! Opinions, predictions, critiques, i don't give a flying fish i just want to hear from you. So do it, and make the author happy.

Suggestions are still welcome as well.