During the night, I woke up screaming. I sat upright, the blankets twisted around my legs and my heart racing. I felt out of breath and struggled to keep from hyperventilating. What had just happened? It wasn't a nightmare, more like the feeling that something was wrong right here, right now. I turned to wake Kisame, only to find that he wasn't there. His clothes weren't on the floor and his Akatsuki cloak wasn't on the back of his chair either. My heart dropped. Where was he? While most of my worry was about him, a small part reminded that Madara was going to kill me if we were separated. I had to find him before Madara found out. I threw some clothes on and rushed out the door, looking right and left. No one else stirred in the dimly-lit hallway.

Maybe he was doing some late night training, so I turned towards the training grounds. As I rounded the corner, I ran into someone. It was Madara, the last person I wanted to see. He grabbed me by the elbows as I started to fall back.

"It's not what you think!" I hurriedly explained. "I was looking for Kisame. I'm staying out of trouble, I swear!"

"Never mind that." He said firmly. "It's time."

"Time? Time for what?" I asked stupidly. I wasn't thinking too clearly through my panic.

"Time for the main event," he said gravely.

I went white and my legs gave out. He let me drop and walked over me. "Don't make me carry you."

"Wait please!" I called out. He stopped, looking over his shoulder. "Can't I at least say goodbye?"

"To who? You have no friends here," he said, walking on. "Everything has been prepared; the time to act is now."

I forced myself to my feet and followed him, hardening my heart so that I wouldn't collapse into tears. I had known for months that this was coming, and yet it never felt real until now. While it hurt that I wouldn't get to say good-bye to Kisame, at least we had had a chance to set the record straight between us. Now no matter what happened, win or lose, I had no regrets concerning him.

Madara showed me into a large well-lit room with white walls and no decoration except to the floor in the center of the room. Kisame stood right where I remembered him. I should have known what was going on once I knew he was missing. He looked at me curiously, still ignorant of his role to be. I looked away, the longer he didn't know, the better off he was.

There were several sealing marks on the floor; those foreign markings that would seal away my very soul, letting her take over me. I stood in the very center of the markings, facing Madara.

"Can I trust you to stay still?" He asked dryly. "Or will you need to be chained?"

I stuck out my chin defiantly. "There is no need for that."

Kisame started to look nervous. "What is she doing there? Shouldn't she be helping with the sealing?"

"No, she is the one being sealed."

Kisame's eyes widened in disbelief. "Sealed? Why? She isn't a jinchuriki."

"No, she's even more powerful," he sounded strangely satisfied as he turned to explain to Kisame. "She is the reincarnation of Izanami-no-Mikoto, the goddess of creation and death."

"But that can't be," he said slowly, looking at me in a new light. "She's a member of the royal family in Kirigakure."

"All royalty descends from the gods…or are themselves." He explained causally. "The proof is in her ability to wield Chikara. The very blade that the goddess used to kill a thousand people a day, her last threat to her beloved husband for abandoning her in the spirit world."

"You knew this?" Kisame asked me incredulously.

I shook my head. "Not until he told me, but I had heard the stories about Chikara. I just figured that was all they were."

"And now the time has come for you to use your weapon as it was intended," Madara said as he tossed his cloak aside. "And join me, your husband, in creating a new world."

Kisame looked a strange mix between horror, revulsion, and anger.

"Only historically speaking," I explained as I glared at Madara. "He is the reincarnation of Izanagi-no-Mikoto. She may love him, but I hate his guts."

Kisame looked at both of us, not really sure he believed either one of us. It certainly was a lot to take in. I smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry Kisame, but he means to seal me away and bring her out. And when he does that…well…there goes the world as we know it."

"And you're going to give up?" He was getting frustrated. "Just like that?"

I looked at him with forlorn eyes. "What can I do? He's stronger than me. This isn't a fight I can win."

"Hoshigaki, it's time." Madara said as he activated the curse, forcing Kisame into position. Both formed the necessary hand signals and called out. "Summoning: Celestial Awakening!"

The symbols on the floor glowed under my feet and I felt a sharp stabbing pain in my chest that penetrated my soul. As it dug deep, reaching my very essence, I fell to my knees. It had been one thing to watch it in a genjutsu, but to actually experience it was something else entirely. The seal that held her back shattered and I could feel my mind slipping away, my very personality diminishing in her presence. She was eagerly eating away at me, growing strong in spite of me. I could feel some of her emotions, as we were still two halves sharing the same whole. I could sense how long she had been waiting for this, her one chance to reunite with her husband. Was her love for him as strong as mine was for Kisame? I could also feel her desire to right the wrongs in the world. I knew in an instant that she would agree with Madara's ideals, but not his methods.

She was gaining ground over me, the pain was crippling now. I clawed at the ground, desperate to not scream. I couldn't bear to look at Kisame, but I could just imagine his heart break at being complicit in this sealing ceremony. I racked what was left of my mind to think of a way out of this. You'll find the answer inside you, Miko had said. But what did it mean? I was powerless against Madara, and even more so now that it was combined with Kisame's nearly limitless power. I could practically hear her laughing in triumph as I kept slipping away. Her divine strength was over-whelming. Please don't let it end like this! I had nearly faded away for good; I was desperate to cling to something.

It was then that I felt something stirring in my stomach. A presence there that I had been unaware of before. Whatever it was, it felt friendly so I clung to it…so to speak. It was strange. This presence had traces of Kisame and my chakra signals…as well as a unique one. I realized with surprise that I was pregnant. Pregnant? When did this happen? So that is what Miko meant when she lowered her gaze. She wasn't look away; she was looking at my stomach. She knew then that I was expecting. So the answer inside me wasn't something I would know. It was our child. It was my last tie to my old self.

But now Izanami-no-Mikoto had the control she craved. It was like an out-of-body experience to watch myself slowly stand up, no longer in agony. She undid my intricate loops, letting my hair fall free. She laughed, in a different voice than mine. "Oh sweet freedom!"

She was cool and collected, but slightly arrogant, confident in her power. Absolutely nothing like me.

Madara approached me, her, us? Whatever! It was too confusing to sort out. He threw off his mask, pulled me into his arms, and gave her a long passionate kiss. I nearly threw up on the inside. If she was going to be in control of my body, at least she could have changed my image. It was terrible to see my form making out with Madara. It was going to scar me for the rest of my life…however long that was.

"Oh my love," he murmured as he stroked my cheek.

"I never thought you'd find me again," she said. "I've missed you so."

"The mortals have ruined this world; it is time to start a new one." He handed her Chikara. "Will you help me?"

As she put her hand on the hilt, the sword glowed a deep blood red color. Blood-curling screams emanated from it at first before becoming deathly silent. It was the cries of her victims in the past. She took a few practice swings and smiled coolly. "Chikara is back to her old self."

"You can't get away with this!" Kisame growled. "You can't tell me that Ritsuko is gone! That can't be!"

Izanami-no-Mikoto looked down at him. "Ah yes, the secret lover. Ritsuko did love you. But she is gone." She pointed the massive blade at him. "I admire your strong heart and respect your love for her, but you mortals have made a mess of this world. I agree with my husband, it is time to start again."

No! No! She couldn't do that! I couldn't let her! Oh what could I do? I was barely here, just a flicking ember in the massive fire of her personality. Suddenly a silver fox appeared right between her and Kisame, its fur on end and snarling.

She and Madara took a step back. For the first time she looked surprised, but it was a fleeting moment. "A messenger of Inari? Why am I not surprised? He always had a soft spot for humans. I mean you no disrespect, but if you do not stand down, I will kill you as well as the mortal."

She raised her blade to strike them. The fox turned to bite Kisame's sleeve and move him out of harms way. She made a giant crater in the ground where they had been. She rounded on them, ready to attack again. Madara was content to watch, a sly smile on his face. Ever since the fox had arrived, I felt strength coming back to me. I stretched it and pushed back her spirit a little bit at a time. She kept attacking, slashing this way and that. Kisame called on his water jutsus to trap her, but she cut through every one of them. Only the silver fox scored hits, but they were nothing more than glancing blows.

I kept gathering more and more strength until finally Izanami-no-Mikoto noticed it. She grabbed at her side and gasped. "She's a stubborn one."

"You mean she's still in there?" Madara asked in surprise. "How?"

I kept expanding and pushing through until I no longer needed the baby's help. She dropped to her knee, gasping in pain. "She has a tie to this world still. Until it is removed, she will never be gone." Her hand moved to her stomach and her eyes widened in revelation. "Ritsuko is pregnant."

"WHAT?" Both Kisame and Madara screamed.

She fell back, sprawled out on the floor. Chikara clattered beside her. She was gasping for air. I had the advantage now and pushed harder. I meant no disrespect for the goddess, but I deserved the right to live.

"Izanami! You will have to kill the child!" Madara said through his teeth. "Don't let her win, if she does, you won't be able to come back in this lifetime!"

She smiled sadly at him. "You know I cannot do that. Forgive me Izanagi. I would like nothing more than to help you create our new world, but this child is not fully formed and I cannot go against creation. To do so would be to go against myself. This was meant to happen and is a sign that we must wait a little longer. Do not worry, our chance will come again. Do not forget me, my love."

At long last, she melted back into my subconscious and I emerged screaming. What a relief to hear my own voice again. But the battle wasn't over yet. Madara grabbed me by the throat and raised me up. "You little whore!" He pressed a kunai against my stomach, ready to pierce it. "I will kill you so she can be reborn, but not before I kill the baby. You took away the most precious thing to me, so I'm returning the favor."

"You do," Kisame said in a murderous tone, his eyes taking on a blood-thirsty look. "And I will rip you apart with my bare hands!"