"What?"

Hinoe came over and sat on the edge of Ayumi's bed turning to face her. For the past half an hour or so, Ayumi had been researching Ai Mikuni and the Shinozaki estate, desperatly trying to piece together the mystery revolving her ancestrey. This had just started as a side history prodject, but ow it was developing into something much more, an obsession. She didn't have to do this, oh no, it was via her own will, but now she had started it, she needed to finish it just like anyother prodject, from school or not. Earlier in the week, she had drawn out a rough copy of her family tree, as far as she could trace back without any research or help from Hinoe or her parents. Ayumi hadn't got that far really, just her, her parents, her grandparents and great-grandparents. Also including various distant members as well, Ayumi noticed the lack of living males in the chart, making her wonder why on earth why her father seemed to be one of the only ones that were still alive. Maybe it was a genetic thing; that was the logical situation.

Whilst Ayumi had been researching away, Hinoe had been worrying away. Although the peaceful and placid type, sometimes she couldn't help feeling concerned over somethings, especially the welfare of her sister, even though she knew it upset the tension with the spirits. She told herself it was just human nature, and although she was gifted, she was surely allowed to ask questions and feel uncertain emotions like her sister and everyone else. It was perfectly normal. However, there was one thing on her mind a lot of the time. A few years back whilst training to be a medium, she was asked to have a look at her families heratige, and prided herself in doing do. Hinoe knew a lot more about their family then Ayumi did now, and had even ventured to the paranormal Shinozaki estate once to find the ancient family tree enclosed in a scroll in a sealed off room, only accesibale by the gifted or related. Whilst looking for this, she came across several interesting files that she didn't read on site, but proved to be very important when she returned home to read them all. After uncovering the section on the 'Seji Father Curse' she cornered her mother, asking why their father was still alive. Her mother insisted she had no idea about the curse, and she had scolded Hinoe on being too obsessed with the 'so called' spirits. Hinoe spend every day after that trying to figure out why her father was still alive, since every one else in the family had died several years after the birth of the first child, also explaining why they had no siblings. One day, it just dawned on her. Looking at the copied out family tree again, she realised that her father was the one on the Shinozaki bloodline, explaining everything she had wondered about for so long. It also explained how she could have a sister! But it also made her think about her own life choices. Unlike her father, she was female, and that meant if she was to marry and have children, her husband would surely die like all the other ones in the past. That was why she needed to tell Ayumi, before she had any idea's about moving in with Yoshiki, which she thought they were probarbly planning even though they had only been together for a couple of months. Despite the fact it was only a young relationship, Hinoe couldn't help fretting about it and had decided to tell Ayumi now just in case.

"I need to tell you something about our family bloodline." she replied in her soft tone, smiling as Ayumi's eyes perked up and she put her laptop away. She seemed interested at least, and that would make it a bit eaiser.

"Sure, i've actually been researching about it a lot for a family tree prodject in history class, but not much has come up."

"Oh really?" questioned Hinoe, wondering how far she'd got with that. Obviously not far enough.

"Yeah. I found out about the Shinozaki estate, and apperently that might have a family tree somewhere..."

"Ayumi, do not go to the Shinozaki Estate, i've warned you now."

"Wha...Why?!"

"It's full of treacherous spirits and traps all around the place. In fact, some memories form Yoshie and Sachiko still lurk there, and many curious but foolish Shinozaki's and gifted people have ventured there, searching for the truth, only to never return. Trust me, it's a bad idea."

"How would you know that?" countered Ayumi with a frown, crossing her arms.

"I've been there myself. Is that enough?"

Ayumi stared at her sister with stunned eyes. Hinoe, of all people had gone to the danger of going to the Shinozaki estate?

"I suppose..."

"Now, what was I going to say. Oh yes, the curse in our family's bloodline. I haven't told you about this, and I wasn't going to until you were a bit older but it seemes your already deleving into our history."

"Go ahead and tell me, Onii-chan!"

"The males of the family are adopted into it my marrige." Hinoe explained, smiling at her sister. "Of course they did it for love. One example of this is a man called Seji, primarily Yoshie's husband and Sachiko's father. He died several years after the birth of Sachiko of unknown causes."

"Isn't that possible?"

"Listen. Every generation before this tradgedy, had the same fate. The father would always die. This was in order to keep the bloodline pure, and that all of the daughters would be gifted, like the mother before them. There have been no male heirs until..."

"..Our father." trailed of Ayumi, understanding Hinoe's words. "Then that means, our families will have the same fate?"

"I'm afraid that is most likely." replied Hinoe, with sorrowful, rounded eyes.

"That explains alot really." exclaimed Ayumi, looking wistfully at her sister. "Your much older then me, yet your not married. Why won't you marry?"

"I don't want to start a family just to keep the gifted bloodline pure, if that means the love of my life will end up dead. Even though I know it's important to keep all us daughters gifted, but is it really worth it?"

Ayumi didn't know how to reply to that. Ayumi agreed with her sister, it wasn't fair for your love to die just to keep up the gifted bloodline, but also disagreed, since wasn't it their fateful duty? There was one question on her mind though, and that was: Why had Hinoe hold her now?

"Onii-chan...Why have you told me now, and not earlier or later?"

"I thought you were to young, and I thought I was right until you met Kishinuma-kun..."

"You don't approve of our relationship?"

"No it's not that! I just don't what you to get too serious with him, especially with her curse."

"God, Hinoe, it's not like we're going to get married! Were only 17, not 27!" Ayumi retorted, her temper rising up.

"I know, I just don't want you to be thinking long term, like-"

"Oh my god, were just a couple, and maybe we've slept together, but i'm a teenager, can't i just live a NORMAL LIFE?!"

Ayumi glared at her sister, angry now. Hinoe had just seemed slightly nosey and curious, but now she wanted to stop her relationship, even though they were barely making the curse go into effect! Hinoe looked back at Ayumi with icy, concerned eyes, making Ayumi feel a little bad, but not enough for her to swallow her pride. She stood up, grabbing her jacket in the process.

"You know what, I'm going back to Yoshiki's!"

"Man, you need to dumb down at this game!" said Satoshi jokingly, pressing his thumbs hard on the controller, trying his best to beat Yoshiki's high score. The two had decided to have a break from the girl's to have a 'manly talk' and video game contest in the process. However, it wasn't going anywhere, since Yoshiki had beated Satoshi at the same race five times straight, and Satoshi was feeling rather beaten up.

"Not for you, not for anyone. Come on man, even Ayumi can get a better score then you at this simple race!" Yoshiki replied laughing at the concerntration lines across Satoshi's face. He tried hard, but he just wasn't very good at video games. "Anyway, what's this about you two kissing at the park without me there?"

Satoshi blushed, jamming his fingers on three buttons at once, making snappy sounds as they played.

"So what if we did. You've done it enough times with Ayumi, never mind just in public!"

"Haha. I didn't think you'd be man enough to do it!"

"Hey, whay d'ya mean! I'm a total badass man."

Yoshiki raised an eyebrow, turning back to the game. Satoshi certainly wasn't what you called 'Bad Ass' these days, in fact that was more like him to be honest!

"Maybe it's just a bad habbit of mine, teasing you!"

"Yeah! Talking about bad habbits, I haven't seen you smoke in ages man!"

"I've quit," admitted Yoshiki kind of proudly "I stopped ever since I met Ayumi."

"Damn you've got it bad dude..."

"I know, but i just can't resist her! From her thick hair to sprakly eyes, not to mention slight figure..."

"Her figure's nothing compared to Naomi's! I mean have you seen her-"

"Spare me the description..."

"Anyway, that doesn't matter anyway. How's Miki?"

"She's okay I guess..." sighed Yoshiki "I haven't seen her this week. What about Yuka and your parents?"

Satoshi instantly felt bad for asking Yoshiki about his parents and family. But Yoshiki didn't seem bothered, and didn't object to Satoshi talking about his family, so Satoshi went on to answer.

"Parents are fine. Yuka found out about Naomi though, and seems to have suddenly gone all weird!"

"Jealous?"

"Maybe, but she already gets all the attention from my parents! She's starting to go all body concious as well, wishing she looked like Naomi."

"Can't see why. Now Ayumi on the other hand..."

"Yuka's asking if she acts to young for her age, and it makes me feel bad when I tell her she does!"

"Chill man. She's just going through that kinda stage. How old is she now?"

"Almost 15.."

They were nearing the end of the race track, Yoshiki far in the lead. Satoshi was itching to win, and suddenly had a good idea on how to win. It wasn't exactly cheating...! Now what did Yoshiki like the most...

"Yoshiki, is that Ayumi at the door?"

Yoshiki instantly turned to look at the door, momentairly distracted away from the game. Snatching up the oppotunity, Satoshi raced ahead, wondering why Yoshiki hadn't shouted angrilly and turned back to the game yet. That's when he noticed Yoshiki had gotten off of the couch and was walking towards the door.

"Hey Ayumi," he said, opening the door, noticing she was looking rather forlorn. "Satoshi's over, but your welcome too..."

Finally, Ayumi found out WITHOUT killing a person and (re)killing a person as well as not putting herself (and Naomi) in danger. A much better way of finding out then in the canon version, don't you think? Leave a review with YOUR opinion on how Ayumi should of found out she was related/her bloodline/the curse/whatever. And hey, no one died ^o^

I'd just like to give some credit to spudly777 for suggesting I include the bloodline curse. Thanks!

see you soon guys?