Disclaimer: Yep...I'm almost positive we've been through this...I don't own YYH or any YYH characters. The only types of profit from this story are reviews and the knowledge that I'm at least somewhat entertaining some odd number of readers...Thanks, guys.

A/N: The list of OC's grows...wow...Chapter 14...A lot of characters...And I still have more. (By the way, I'm looking for oh say...4 more OC's to add...Of the evil/sadistic/pain-inflicting types...I'm mainly looking for a few more guys...but females work just as well...even though the guys are getting far outnumbered due to the Shape-shifters of Darkness and all...lol. Any ideas/new OC's...E-mail me please.) Any-case...I own (here we go again): Kaze, Neko, Taki, Kanaria, Cuddles, Atatakaitenki, Araiaibu, Hikari, Taka, Mystic of Death, Shadow, Kasumi, the old buck, Risu, Kioti...I think that's all that have been introduced. (Don't worry, Ryn...Neko and Touya will make it up to you soon.) Perhaps we'll find out more about the elders...Enter evil witch laugh. Sorry about how long it took to update. Enjoy.

CHAPTER 14: WHAT THE COLD WIND HIDES

"Claim ya?" Jin asked after the cold male had left. Araiaibu's words and actions had revealed something for the wind master; he hadn't even scratched the surface of Kaze's past. Or her future. He was ultimately shocked; what had Kaze done do be treated that way? Back when she was younger, and perhaps even accepted in the ranks of the Shape-shifters of Darkness? What had caused them to place her - and Neko - in the Demon Slave Trade?

His thoughts were cut short as the girl responded. But it was the way she replied that scared him most. Her voice was...weaker than usual, not as cold, and even held a little regret.

"Yes, claim. He...he wants to take me and make me his. He expects me to lose my honor to him - both morally and physically. He wants me to be eliminated from the Shape-shifters of Darkness. He wants me...to give him a child. And he wants me to die, to rot in hell while he dances upon my grave. Araiaibu...wants to destroy me in every way possible."

Jin pondered a moment, letting the words sink in. Physically? Did she mean to say Araiaibu was going to take advantage of her? And give him a child? Destroy her?

"What ya mean to say, lass, is that this eejit (Irish for idiot) plans ta..." for once Jin was at a loss for words, the reality of Araiaibu's intent too serious to allow him to cheer anyone up. Not him, and certainly not Kaze.

"...He plans on doing it tonight. Aaraiaibu knows...he knows." silent tears trailed down her face, and Kaze was relieved that the darkness concealed her weakness. Her weakness which continued to grow.

"He knows what?" Jin questioned, worried. He couldn't imagine how the girl must have felt; knowing what the cold male had planned for her.

"Araiaibu knows...that my strength is failing. I always was weak...and I've only grown weaker. The elders were right; I'm nothing worth keeping. I should have let Taka kill me...death at her hands comes quick."

"...Lass, I...The elders are...wrong. The elders are wrong. Ya are somethin' worth keepin'." Jin suddenly questioned himself, wondering what on earth made him say that. Of all the things to say, why had that been his choice?

Kaze remained silent. She was both shocked and desperate. Shocked by Jin's words and desperate to find a way out of their current hell. The screams of the Slave Trade rung heavily through the choking air, cutting deep through the darkness.

Darkness. Air. The chill of death. Her only chance. But not yet; not when she was anchored so strongly.

Heavy footsteps again made their way to the place where the two wind users were bound. And again the said wind users were momentarily blinded by torchlight. But it was not Araiaibu that stood before them. Instead, much to Kaze's dismay, it was Kazenoteki (translates to either wind's enemy or enemy of the wind).

With the aid of the torch-light's flickering flames, Jin could see two things on Kaze's face; tears, which he was surprised to see, and plain, outright fear. He then glanced to the newly-arrived male.

Kazenoteki was a large male, with black eyes, pale skin and hundreds of scars. He was simply garbed in black, baggy trousers, and carried a whip in one hand. Black, shoulder-length hair was pulled back out of the way, allowing him to see as he worked.

Kaze knew all too well what Kazenoteki was there for, and what his job was. To that day she still had the reminders of the past, and that didn't always mean the scars. The worst part was that what guarded her from injury would come to play a part in her destruction. And soon.

"Well, well, look who we have here. If it isn't Kaze, the cold wind of darkness. Come back to have that armor finished?" the large male smirked, his wispy, yet cold voice chilling a part of Kaze's stomach while attacking both wind users' ears. Kaze flinched; she knew what was coming. Too bad there wasn't any real way to block the pain of knives piercing flesh and bone; or the placement of sharp metal slabs inside her torn flesh and crushed bones.

"Kaze!" Jin yelled, his blue eyes widening at what he saw. Kazenoteki had grasped the chains binding Kaze to the rock surface behind them, barely yanked the chains, and the girl now lay face-down in the dirt; shivering.

"Heh...Still shaky, huh? Don't worry - six more spikes and your armor shall be complete." Kazenoteki said, hauling Kaze to her feet with a quick jerk of the chains. Her dark hair fell in front of her face, her knees were locked, and she was shaking head to toe. Needless to say, Kaze was a wee bit nervous.

"C'mon! Move, dammit!" the large male grunted, attempting to pull the girl toward a stone slab barely illuminated by torchlight. For some reason, he couldn't drag her any further.

This was slightly interesting, Jin decided. The male had gotten her back on her feet, but now he couldn't get her any closer to the slab. It was a bit strange too - Kaze couldn't weigh that much, the male outweighed her, but she stayed standing.

'Okay...Just gotta stay here. He'll give up if he can't get me to that damn rock. I just hope the air pressure keeps pressing down the way I want it to.' Kaze thought, commanding the air to fall down upon her. Kazenoteki couldn't drag what he couldn't see or grasp - and no one could grasp the winds. Then again, winds of Demon World were quite...unruly; they slipped out of her control when she needed the control most.

Kazenoteki felt the strange force vanish, leaving Kaze alone and unprotected from his brute force. Angered that she had slowed him, he pulled the chains hard, then flung the girl to the rock slab. The chains instantly wound themselves to the rock, holding the girl as the large male approached; dagger and a boiling container of liquid metal at hand.

Think we'll leave that off there...Let your imagination run wild on that subject until next chapter. But I think I'll turn the spotlight back on...Shadow.

"Oh...Where is she? If the elders catch me out here without Hikari...I'll be worse than dead, and my unborn child as well..." Shadow muttered, pacing in the darkness near a cave. Gusts of wind blasted through the area, channeling into the cave as they always did. But these winds were not what shadow was used to. These winds were warm, like Atatakaitenki; a far cry from the colder winds of Kaze.

Shadow shuddered as the thoughts crossed her mind. Odd how one name brought back so many memories. Just one name.

She thought it strange; Kaze was even colder than the ice wielders Tora and Neko, yet even she had some warmth left. Shadow's question was how? She'd seen what had happened to Kaze at the Slave Trade; after that the cold wind shouldn't have had any emotions left except pain, dispair, fear, anger, and depression. Yet Kaze had not given up those emotions.

So why had she, Shadow of the Darkness, fallen so hard? Why had she lost her hope, happiness, joy...why? What had she done?

'Well that's simple: I fell in love, I made love, I became pregnant...But why is it the elders treat Kaze like a disobedient child? And me a respected adult? I am older, but I've broken far more rules than Kaze. Is she really as bad as they claim? A traitor, a murderer?' Shadow thought, leaning against the side of the cave and resting a light hand over her belly. Three months...three months and she would be holding the infant growing within her.

"No Shadow, Kaze is not as bad as the elders claim." Taka said, causing the other female to jump.

"Taka! What business do you have here?" Shadow asked. She knew better than to ask, but she also knew Hikari had recently been preoccupied. Perhaps the ex-miko had sent the psychic along to tell her she wouldn't be joining her that evening.

"...Listen. Kaze is neither traitor nor murderer...But her parents were." Taka replied, determined not to reveal her true intentions. She then turned to leave.

"Wait! What do you mean?" Shadow cried, seeking answers she would not receive.

"All in time, Shadow; all in time."

And with that, the psychic disappeared, leaving Shadow in the darkness once again.

"...One of these days, Taka. One of these days. You'll see; Kaze and Neko will regain their ranks." the female muttered, holding a protective arm over her swollen belly. Damn Lestawt. Damn him for being the screw-up that got her pregnant. And damn the elders and their stubborn ways.

The elders...Namanohikari (Raw light), Eiennohono'o (Eternal flame or Flame of eternity), Tsumetai (Cold as in cold to touch), Kagenochi (Blood of Shadows), and Sasayaki (Whisper). A horrid bunch really. No wonder Neko and Kaze had fled that night, so many years ago.

"Kaze had the right idea; who'd want to be married? Especially to Araiaibu? I mean, that guy is going to be the death of her." Shadow said softly, releasing a sigh at the other girl's fate.

"He very well might be, Shadow. Kaze and Jin have been captured. The cold wind's destruction begins tonight." Hikari said, stepping forward.

"Hikari! I didn't realize you were there!" the Shape-shifter of Shadows exclaimed, fearing the other female would do something unpredictable to her for voicing her secret opinions.

"Relax. I feel...sorry. No matter what Kaze has done, or her parents for that matter, she doesn't deserve what's coming to her. I'm still pissed at her; I won't forget what she's done. But what Araiaibu intends to do to her...is far worse than any crime Kaze may or may not have committed." the ex-miko replied, glancing up at the starry sky.

"So what should we do?" Shadow inquired.

"Nothing."

"Nothing?! But you just said that what Araiaibu plans to do is - "

"I know what I said, Shadow. But there is nothing we can do. This is Kaze's fate; we cannot interfere. I heard what you said, but I will not let the elders know because I agree. But there is nothing that can halt the cold wind's fate." Hikari said, turning to face the darkness again. Shadow gasped.

"Hikari, if it were you in the - UGGGHH!!!!!!!!"

Hikari spun around as she heard Shadow collapse to the ground. The other female writhed on the ground, clutching her stomach. The ex-miko stood frozen to the spot, scared and confused. What had happened? Were they under attack?

"H-hikari...Help...It's the baby..."