-Ring-Doh: Part 26-

Ruriko stared over at Ren, a small smile playing across her lips. Kyoko was gone, taken away by Reino it was just as he had said. Reino wouldn't let him harm her. Wouldn't let anything harm her if he could help it. She had a hard time keeping down the laughter, as she turned away leaning against the edge of the wall, her eyes widen slightly as she stared upwards at the Spider-Woman before slowly shuddering. Her image was more of a shadow on the wall, clearly no power, no way for her to take action again anyone. Helpless, but then in many ways so she was unless one of the two Gods gave her a blessing. 'Tlaloc only gives that ability to his Priests and Maidens, his blessed ones.' There was the possibility that Chaac may give her that power, that ability, that blessing.

"Now they will hate him too..." the Spider-Woman said looking outwards.

Ruriko didn't want Ren hated but she did want him, he was the only one who came close to him, the man who should have married her. Yet, he had chosen that woman it was clearly only because of her looks. She lowered her eyes, as she stared down at her toes slightly, 'A blonde goddess, with green eyes...' her turned to once more peak at Ren as he stood there, clearly unsure what to do as the youngest of Uesugi family was holding the maid back. His hand on her wrist as she was jabbing her finger into Ren's chest. "This time though, this one, he likes my type right?"

"Who knows." Ruriko turned to look at her, "I'm not the one with the extra boost in knowledge." She sneered as she crawled away.

Ruriko closed her eyes, she couldn't deal with being rejected this time, and this time. More so by someone who was raised as nothing more than a maid, a servant, she had come from a noble house, a noble family, she had always dreamt of marrying him and yet he never saw her as anything more than a little sister, it was disgusting. The pain and hurt began to burn inside of her and she jumped slightly as she felt a hand on her shoulders. Hands that were far to warm, for her taste. Her eyes turned slightly as she looked who had touched her, not many could and she felt a sickness in the pit of her stomach when it was one of the actual living Priests who held her shoulders.

Dasuku stared outwards towards the three figures, "Reino isn't very happy with him at the moment." He said simply before dropping his hands off her shoulder as she backed away from him. His black mess of hair covering his eyes but she knew he was watching her from the corner of her eye, "Seems you are about to make your choice, Ruriko or perhaps you already have."

"Yes... no, I mean.." she covered her hands over her mouth. Ruriko had deep down, already made her choice hadn't she? She didn't want to be alone anymore, and that man. Ren looked so much like him. It was like the world was given her a second chance, a second chance to be with someone truly handsome and he was kind and clearly smart. Why else would he had been sent here? She could have her happily ever after, they would get married and she would be the envy of everyone. She closed her eyes tightly. Her parents would praise her, for catching someone so wonderful, someone so powerful in the world of business and trade. 'I'll be a Queen.'

Dasuku ran a hand through his hair for a moment making it seem messier than before but his dark brown eyes seemed almost sad for her. Ruriko sound herself moving further back from him, she knew what he was going to say before he even opened his mouth, "It's not him. It's not Kuu." Ruriko balled her hands into fists.

"I know that!" she didn't mean to yell as she buried her hands into her face. Her body wanting to shed tears that wouldn't cry, "I know..." she whispered softly, "I know... I can never have him now. It's been years... far too many years. You can't turn back time, I died. I took my own life, I know that I know that!"

"You were in despair, they convinced you... she convinced you." Ruriko lifted her head from her hands, while her face showed the clear distress no tears fell. The dead weren't living. "And yet you desire to convince him to die for you." He shook his head looking away from her, "He won't though."

"What does she have that I don't?"

"Besides being alive?" He said looking towards her and her face contorted into a sneer he held up his hands in defense "Touchy subject." His eyes darted once more towards Ren before another deep sigh escaped him, "Most likely nothing much I guess. Her blood isn't what is pulling him to her if she is at all pulling him."

Ruriko's eyes turned towards him with wide surprise. 'There wasn't much difference between them, yes she thought that too. Other than she was a far better choice, with her he wouldn't grow old, he wouldn't get sick and he would be happy with her. She would make sure of it, and with the God's blessing, perhaps they could become like those other Priests, able to mingle and move within the living world. It would be perfect, 'But would he allow it?'

'Yes' she felt a small shudder wash over her as if hands ran down her arms, 'You can win his heart, you can make him love you more than her. Make him join you and I will assure you get your wish desire to live among the humans here once more. Ageless and powerful.'

"No." Ruriko's eyes opened as she stared at the Priest before her, his eyes narrowed. "You would just become like the others. Ruriko you can't force people to love you, you can hope, dream, wish upon all the gods, goddesses and stars in the world. Yet, at the end of the day..." his eyes darted towards something behind her, "You can't force them." Ruriko eyes darted behind her looking to see what he saw but not seeing anything before turning back to look at him, "You still have time to change sides, join us Ruriko" he held out his hand out towards her.

Ruriko stared at his hand before closing her eyes, "But you said there wasn't much of a difference between us."

"I don't see one, no. What you are forgetting is, I'm not him. His heart, his soul, his mind they are all his own. Not mine." He sighed heavily. "Don't be fooled by them... you know what your future will hold if you can't pay the price."

Ruriko's eyes turned from him, "What does it matter, what choice, what side I make? I'll be alone but at least... I have a chance with them right?"

"Peace, you can have peace of mind, peace of heart, peace of soul." She laughed as she ran a hand through her hair.

"Who cares about that?! I'll be alone!" she screamed the last part out at him, before feeling arms wrap around her, "I have chosen, I have chosen. I refuse to be alone. I refuse to give up Ren Tsuruga. He will be mine. He will love only me." Her smile becomes distorted as she leaned back against the man with the lion mask, "You will give me what I want right?"

"I will give you the power you need to take what you want. I will grant your wish if you fulfill your end of the bargain, if you fail you will become one of my children of the night. Powerful..."

"... but mad" Dasuku muttered "and even that power will fade in time. Even the dead can be killed and destroyed."

The man in the lion-mask eyes burned into his own and Dasuku smiled bitterly, "Mortal man... and thus unable to be swayed." He tsked under his breath, "This one belongs to me now." He laughed under that mask and the two faded into nothing.

Kanae couldn't believe what she had seen, the way silver-haired High Priest appeared out of thin air, it was far too unnatural even for her. The way his head dropped, the way he kissed her forehead with all the care and gentleness in the world. How she fell forward, every part of her was telling her to run towards him, to stop as he picked her up and cradle her in his arms. His eyes settled on her for a moment before she found herself shuddering at the violet eyes seemed to freeze her in spot, his eyes turned from her and she was sure it was being directed at others but still she could not find her feet to rush towards him until lightning and thunder rolled across the sky causing her to jump and just like when he appeared, he had vanished only this time he had taken Kyoko with him.

The moment he was gone she was running and she didn't care what she looked like. All she knew was Ren had done something, that man had done something so bad to upset Kyoko. 'That damn priest didn't even bother to stop time!' Jumping with ease onto the platform she glared at the man before her, she noticed his eyes narrow, a dark aura seemed to wrap around him but her own aura was like ice. "What did you do?" she was trying to keep her voice down.

"Nothing." His voice seemed to sound pained "Who was that?"

Her eyes widen as she stared at him and her hands twitched she was going to strangle this man in front of her, to damn hell if he might be the one for Kyoko. He clearly wasn't worthy of her. "Don't change the subject" she growled under her breath whatever she was going to do, Hiou's hand on her wrist, the slight squeeze caused her to from moving forward but they were already close enough. "You did something to upset her." With each production of the word she jabbed him in the chest, she made sure it was in the same spot each and every single time. No matter how he shifted himself she hit each spot and she didn't care why he wasn't acting out and stopping her. Part of her wanted to believe he understood he had done something wrong, but she was sure it was likely the aura of Hiou behind her who was putting Ren's own dark aura and even her own to shame that kept him from laying a hand on her to stop her.

Ren sighed stepping back enough that she could no longer reach him, or at least not without slipping out of Hiou's grasp and while it would be easy she knew he was silently given her strength and control over her emotions at the moment. "I was just asking her questions... about... nothing all that important." She knew there was more to it than what he was saying, something he wasn't telling them and wasn't planning to do so.

"Did you not see the look on her face?" Hiou asked softly, his voice, however, held a strength that reminded Kanae of his Grandfather and command he had over things. "Whatever you were talking about, was upsetting her." His eyes darted away some looking off into the distance, "Enough that she called out to them."

Ren, "Called out to them? She didn't say a word."

Hiou sighed as if he was dealing with a small child, "Her blood calls to them. No, it's more correct to say, her blood calls the High Priest Reino. Yet, I've never seen..." his eyes shifted towards the skies slightly before he fell silent again.

"He didn't even hide it this time Hiou, instead he just looked at me and I couldn't move. I..." she shook her head and turned back towards Ren, "What did you do? What did you say to upset her? Why was he so mad?" She said motioning with her free hand up towards the skies.

Hiou eyes narrowed as he turned towards Ren, "What did he say to you?"

Ren closed his eyes taken a deep breath, "He just said I wasn't very nice."

Again there was something else there she knew it, something he wasn't saying. "What aren't you telling us?"

Ren moved passed her and jumped off the platform, "It's private. Now, we should likely head out there right?" He said slipping on his shoes as Kanae threw her hand up in the air, turning towards Hiou.

Hiou eyes were more directed off towards the skies for the longest time before shaking his head. Kanae watched him, fear washing over her face she knew she wasn't going to like what he said next and she wasn't mistaken in it, "It's different, it's all too different." His fingers trailed down to her own and held her hand before leaning against her side some. She wrapped her other arm around him before lowering her head against him.

"What do you mean it's different?" Ren had finished putting on his shoes and Hiou slowly pulled away from Kanae another squeeze of their hands before he released her hand.

"You are a moron." Kanae couldn't help but hiss as she pinched the bridge of her nose, "Even I who don't know fully what's going on, knows that priest has never shown his face. He simply stops time and takes her, then when the time finally catches back up and we go after her, he leaves her somewhere on her family lands nice and easy to find. She doesn't even remember those moments." She left out the fact that no one knew even what he was doing with her, all she could be sure about was her purity but that was more because Lady Fuwa always forced her to be checked as if she might be a loose woman of all things.

Hiou, "He might not have any plans of returning her now..." Which went against everything Hiou had told her. They ran tests. Yet no one, no one had ever caused him to break the illusion that the person might just be insane, that they might be insane. Whatever it was, whatever had changed, Ren had done it. The question really became was it good or bad that he broke the pattern.

Ren, "Now what do we do?" Hiou's eyes turned towards Ren for a moment before he gave a slight shrug of his shoulders. "What would you do then?"

"Talk to my Grandfather." He said simply. Ren nodded his head and stood up.

Ren, "Then let's go."

At least Kanae could get behind his words this time if anyone could get him to spill what he was hiding it would be Lord Kotetsu. She wrapped her arms around herself closing her eyes tight, sending a prayer up to their God that Reino wouldn't attempt to keep her, to make her one of them.

A/N: Thank you for taking the time to review, and I'm glad that people have been enjoying the story so far. That said, Ruriko's choice has been officially stated to both sides now. See you next week!