~Chapter Thirty-Three: Trouble Only Grows~

Negative's Point of View

The Wednesday morning after Yomi and her friends began official training, I had been sleeping in my room. I didn't realize I had slipped into a vision of the future until I found myself seeing through Kairi's eyes.

I felt that Kairi was panicked and sick to her stomach. Her eyes darted around the surrounding area. They landed on the boy that had caused uproar in the castle not too long ago, Justuo. He was fighting Lightning, which caught me by surprise, but Kairi didn't hesitate to run forward, and tackle Justuo, surprising me even more.

Lightning, bruised and a little battered, quickly recovered, and stood, ready to fight Justuo. Justuo shoved Kairi off of him, and she rolled across the ground like a rag doll from the force of the blow. She felt no pain at this point.

"Justuo!" Kairi screamed at him. It didn't get through. Justuo and Lightning began building Darkness. Before Kairi could jump in, a giant wolf jumped from within Lightning, tackling Justuo off of him.

Lightning's wounds had begun to bleed fluently. Darkness formed an aura around him as he stalked forward. His face showed a twisted smirk courtesy of the wretched black magic. The large wolf was thrown from Justuo, and fire began to erupt around the two of them.

Kairi had to block several detonations flying towards her before they exploded with a tidal wave of energy that knocked Kairi down. The heat of it hadn't bothered her much, and she silently thanked her ability to control fire to give her a slight heat resistance.

When some of Justuo's fire had faded, it revealed Lightning breathing heavily as he savagely lay on the ground, hissing; an automatic reaction for a Vampire. Kairi finally regained herself, jumped up, and ran to stand in between the two boys.

"Kairi, what the hell are you doing?" Justuo asked as if he had finally noticed her.

"Stop hurting him!" Kairi's eyes were watered and desperate as they peered into Justuo's. She held her arms out as if to block Justuo from Lightning. The vision flickered, and swiveled before slowly fading away.

I sat upright in my bed, panting a little. Nausea had the room spinning, and I had to lean back down to let it calm. After a long time of breathing deeply, my mind began to automatically think of possibilities that could explain my most recent vision.

Kairi had stuck up for Lightning? Why in the name of Lord Ash would she stick up for an enemy? And stand against her sensei? Maybe she was attached to the Vampire. I found myself doubting the thought automatically.

Kairi was smarter than that.

But what else could there be?

The answers to my problems lie in wait, and I knew if anyone knew about Kairi's love life it would be love herself.

High noon was upon us as I walked down the corridor that led to the dining hall. My lovely Kiyomi would probably be in there, eating with Kairi, Yoru, and Lady Kiyo. And the good Lord only knows where Mizu and Yami would be; they were always everywhere.

As I entered the dining hall, my eyes scanned the crowds that sat at the stone benches and wooden tables that were clothed with Lord Ash's tradition blue and silver colors. On special occasions, one long table would replace the several smaller tables that usually decorated the dining hall. At the head of the room, there was one long wooden table where Ash's inner circle ate.

After finally finding Kairi's now short pink hair, I walked towards them. I noticed Yomi wasn't there as soon as Kairi looked up and smiled at my approach. "She isn't here, Negative." Her voice sounded apologetic; a huge paradox to the last time I'd heard her, in my vision.

"Hmm," I said, thoughtfully. "Where can I find Yomi, then?"

"She's in the Gardens, like she always is," Yoru answered before Kairi could. I chuckled. Of course she was. She always was.

"Thank you both. I'll be on my way then," I said, walking the way I had come. While walking silently to the outside grounds where the Gardens were, I couldn't stop thinking of how strange my vision was. The more possibilities that came to mind, the stranger I thought the vision was.

Outside, the snow that had made everything slicken and icy was glistening in the soft sunlight. The snow had been removed and melted from the sidewalks by fire users, giving me a clear walkway of the Gardens. In the midst of my busy thoughts, I hoped Yomi had stayed on the path of the sidewalk.

By the time I had found Kiyomi, my mind was racing. She saw me and came to my side immediately. Her smile warmed my heart as she said her greeting, "Hey Negative."

"Hello, dear," I replied, stroking her cheek gently. They both turned light pink as I continued. "Yomi, I have to ask you about something serious."

"Sure, what's wrong?" Yomi's voice had changed to a worried tone. "Are you okay?"

"No, no, I'm fine, love. I just had a vision of the future, and I needed to ask you about it," I said quickly to relieve her worry. Her expression relaxed a little bit, but still showed worry.

"Sure, go ahead," Yomi replied.

"I had a vision of Kairi, Lightning, and Justuo," I said.

Yomi went still, and looked down for a split second before she said, "What was it about?" Her tone was innocently curious, but there was something just beneath her curiosity. I wondered about it as I told her of the vision. When I had finished, she looked a bit paler than she was before, and her mouth hung agape.

"Kairi stood up for Lightning?" Yomi squeaked in what I thought was disbelief. I nodded grimly. "Well that's ridiculous. Why in the worlds would Kairi stand up for her enemy?" She laughed a little, sounding awkward.

"Do you know anything about it?" I asked. She shook her head, looking a little sick. Worry replaced my curiosity.

"Are you okay, Yomi?" I asked, stepping closer. She stumbled back a little, as if surprised that I had moved close to her. "Yomi?"

Her eyes widened, and she quickly said, "No, no, I'm fine. I'm just not feeling so well…" She looked down before her eyes met mine again. "I'm going to go inside. I'm getting really cold."

"Alright, I'll go with you," I offered.

"No, it's fine," Yomi said. "I'll be fine. No need to worry about me."

I watched her retreat the way I had come, and began to think I had said something wrong. Was she really okay? Did I say something wrong? Exasperated, I sighed and began to walk inside, too.

Yomi's Point of View

I had to find Kairi, right now! Guilt twisted my stomach from having to act so dumb with Negative and lie to him. I winced at the thought of hurting his feelings if he ever found out about the lie, which, he probably would.

I quickly ran for the dining hall, hoping to catch Yoru and Kairi before they went back to Guardian Training. Thank God, I got there just as they were standing up to leave. "Kairi!" I said, as soon as I was in her earshot.

She looked up surprised, and then smiled as I ran closer. I guess she realized I didn't have good news and became more worried. "What's wrong?" she asked, immediately.

"Negative had a vision of you and Lightning," I whispered almost inaudible in her ear. Kairi's eyes widened in surprise before her features turned to panic.

"Oh no. What did he see?" she hissed. Yoru and Kiyo looked between us curiously.

"I'll fill you in on everything in a little while," Kairi told them both, taking my wrist and pulling me through the dining hall.

"Alright, I'm going to be training with Rufus!" Yoru called after us. Kairi rounded the corner and went straight for our rooms. I followed her willingly and pulled the door behind us.

As soon as we were safe in her room, she turned to me, panicked. "He had a vision of me and Lightning? What happened in it, Yomi?"

I gave her a quick summary of everything Negative had told me. Kairi's face had paled, and I saw that she was shaking.

"What are we going to do?" she squeaked.

"I don't know! We can't lie to Negative forever! He'll find out! And plus, it isn't right for me to lie to Negative…" I said.

"And not only that, but he'll tell Lord Ash about me and Lightning!" Kairi cried in frustration. She fell onto her bed, and screamed into a pillow. I sat beside her, wishing I didn't have to lie to anyone, period. Why did Kairi have to come to me with Lightning?

I sighed in frustration just as Kiyo, Mizu, and Yami came into the room. I half expected Kiyo to demand what was going on, but she said something that threw me off, and made my stomach clench.

"Guys, Lightning has been reported missing!" Kiyo said, excitedly. Kairi sat straight up, looking a bit pink in the face from her scream.

"What?" we asked in unison, both thinking the same thing; they had overheard our conversation about Lightning and were confronting us about it.

"Ash just got news from his friends on the inside that Lightning has been missing since last weekend! Elliot's at a disadvantage!" Kiyo squealed in joy. I glanced to Mizu and Yami who were both smiling and picking about how excited Kiyo was.

"That's great!" I said, forcing myself to sound excited. Kairi's uneasiness flowed through our open connection, but she made herself smile.

"Good," Kairi said, standing and walking to Kiyo's side. She hugged her and pulled back. And then, to top everything off, Justuo walked through the door.

"Why the heck are you here?" I muttered as Kairi and Kiyo's voices over powered mine. I hoped he had heard me despite them talking over me. Hee, hee, sensitive hearing was the best.

"Hey guys," Justuo said, hugging them both. He threw Kairi an apologetic glance before continuing. "What's new?"

"Lightning is missing!" Kiyo said, jumping up in joy. I was surprised that she was so happy that Lightning was missing. I glanced at Kairi who looked like she was about to be sick.

"Well, Kairi and I are going on a walk. We'll see you guys later," I said, grabbing Kairi's arm. She waved her good-byes to Justuo, Kiyo, and Yami and Mizu as they talked about Lightning's disappearance. Before Justuo could question why Kairi was leaving, we left the room quickly, and headed towards the Inner Training Grounds.

"What are we doing?" Kairi asked, sounding miserable.

"Going to see Yoru," I said simply. "She deserves to know, too." We found her with Rufus, stretching her muscles. When we arrived, Rufus didn't question why we had to 'borrow' Yoru for a little while.

I really loved Rufus; he was so understanding and nice and just plain awesome! We explained to Yoru about the vision and Lightning disappearing. She listened in silence until we finally finished. She stood thoughtfully for several seconds.

"It sounds like Kairi is going to go find him," Yoru finally said. Kairi opened her mouth to protest, but soon found that what Yoru said was true; I felt that she really did want to find him through our connection. She was worried and she missed him. It was strange how much our mind connection allowed me to know about Kairi.

"Sounds like a plan to me," Kairi said smiling. I was unsure about this. What if her leaving to find Lightning was the cause of all this? Shouldn't we avoid making the future come true?

"Are you sure it's a good idea?" I asked, uneasily. I shifted uncomfortably on my feet and found that I was nervous that everything would go downhill. Kairi and Yoru glanced at me.

"Why not? I need to go see why he left in the first place," Kairi said. I looked down, still not liking this.

"I'm sure everything will work out, Yomi. It usually does," Yoru said, touching my shoulder gently. I gave her a half smile and hugged her.

"Thanks, Yoru. Again, you always know just what to say," I said, feeling emotional.

"If I'm gone for more than two hours, come find me," Kairi said before joining the hug and pulling away before we did.

"Will do, Guardian," Yoru said, teasingly. Kairi shook her head, unable to hide her smile. She turned to leave the Inner Training Grounds and was gone in only seconds.

Kiyo's Point of View

"Justuo, I'm glad you came by," I said. And I really meant it. After Justuo had walked in on Ash and me making out, I felt awkward about Justuo having to see it. We hadn't even seen each other since then. Mizu and Yami sat to my right on Kairi's bed while Justuo stayed standing.

"Really?" he asked, teasingly. "I can't imagine why."

"I can. You're a good friend. And another thing…," I began.

"What is it?" Justuo asked, looking curious.

"I wanted to say that I'm sorry you had to see what you saw," I finally managed to say. An awkward silence filled the room.

"Well…that's awkward," Mizu whispered loud enough for everyone to hear. I rolled my eyes and smiled at her.

"State the obvious."

"I did!" she said, laughing. Yami shook her head, and put a hand on her shoulder.

"So, Lightning's gone missing?" Justuo asked, changing the subject immediately. I went with it. I didn't want to make him uncomfortable.

"Yea!" I said exuberantly. Disdain filled me at the mere thought of that stupid leech. He had almost killed my Guardian, several times! And that was completely unacceptable! No one hurts my Shugo Kairi.

"Why do you loathe him so much?" Justuo asked. Because they already knew, Mizu and Yami broke into a little conversation of their own.

"He's hurt Kairi a lot. He almost sucked her dry!" I practically growled. Justuo nodded slowly before putting a hand on my shoulder obviously aware that I was very sensitive to the subject of Kairi's safety and the stupid Vampire that had almost killed her.

"I'm sorry. Is there anything I can do?" Justuo asked gently.

"You can kill him," I muttered. Justuo let a cocky grin form around his lips.

"I can try," he said as the grin became a smirk. Excitement filled me once again.

"Would you really?" I asked, hopefully.

"Sure. And besides, if I get rid of Lightning for you, maybe it'll help me get on Ash's good side," Justuo said, tauntingly. My smile grew bigger.

"Yea! It's a double win!" I said. Then worry began to gnaw at my stomach. "Wait, you have to be careful."

Justuo waved his hand dismissively. "No way! It'll be fun. The little bloodsucker won't stand a chance."

I sighed, and finally agreed "Fine. But do be careful. For me?" I asked, teasingly.

"For you," Justuo said rolling his eyes in defeat then smiling. "See you, babe."

"Bye!" Mizu and Yami called after him as he left out of Kairi's door.

Kairi's Point of View

I'd had to ask Lord Ash for permission to go out before our Training Break was over. I told him I only wanted to go into town, maybe a little farther than that to get some fresh air and alone time between Kuroyasha, Ryokua, and me (technically, it wasn't a lie...) He'd told me it was fine, and that he understood the wanting to get out of the castle; he understood the trapped feeling of the castle walls.

Kuroyasha and I trudged through the snow. I thanked myself for dressing warmly today as the cold winter's wind whipped around us briskly. The snow wasn't too deep here, and I found that relaxing. If I did have to fight Justuo off of Lightning, at least the snow wouldn't swallow me.

Ryokua swooped down from up high above the tree tops of the surrounding area. He landed on my outstretched arm, and ruffled his feathers a little to warm up.

Nothing new, Lady Kairi. I haven't seen Lightning yet, but I did feel a presence not far from here, Ryokua thought in my mind.

Can you lead us, then? Kuroyasha asked. Ryokua squawked softly before answering.

Of course. It's not far; right near the wall of the castle. Ryokua took flight, and Kuroyasha followed after with me on her back. As she ran and the cold air blew through our hair, I, too, felt the presence Ryokua felt.

But I knew the presence wasn't Lightning's. His was gentle, calm, and understanding towards me. This presence I felt was wild, free-willed, and fiery.

Fiery. That should have been my first clue.

Upon arriving at the Northern-most part of East Wall of the castle where the trees and grass usually met the town, I saw fire. That definitely threw me off; fire in the middle of snow?

Ryokua flew down from the skies, and landed on my shoulder.

Your sensei is ahead. I don't see any sign of Lightning, Ryokua thought to me. Kuroyasha mentally growled in frustration. The fire faded away to reveal Justuo running through the snow. He seemed to be on a destined path, and I found myself drawn to follow him.

Follow sensei! I shouted in my head to both of them. Kuroyasha followed after him and Ryokua took to the skies again. Silence was thick in the air except for the quiet swish of the snow as Justuo and Kuroyasha ran through it. Hopefully, Justuo wouldn't notice us. We were about twenty to thirty yards behind him; he wouldn't notice us, right?

We entered a forested area, losing sight of Ryokua's dark black-blue feathered body. In the forest, the wind was colder because of the shade the trees provided. Justuo ran for a long time without getting tired, and I marveled at his stamina. It had been far too long since I'd seen my sensei in action.

With precise and sudden agility, he jumped through an opening in the trees, and came out into a large grove. Stop! I thought automatically to Kuroyasha as Justuo froze in place. Kuroyasha hunkered down, and slid to a stop in the soft, shallow snow; the trees' canopies had blocked a lot of the snow from falling to the floor of the forest.

Justuo stood still, sniffing the air around him. A smirk formed on his lips and he spoke. "Hello, old friend."

Out of the shadows of the trees near us, Lightning stepped into view, almost making me gasp aloud and blow our cover. He stepped forward, and I saw a dangerous precision to his measured movements.

"Justuo," Lightning said, nodding. His voice lacked emotion, and seemed as cold as the air around him. "Why do you seek me?"

"I have a little mission to get rid of your existence, but first, I must ask something of you," Justuo paused to let a sadistic smile coat his lips. "Why have you run away from home?"

Lightning's eyes flashed red and stayed tainted by the color. "The same reason you ran away, Justuo! Why did you run away? Were you racked with guilt about killing your friend Razor? Could you not face the fact that you're nothing but a monster, Justuo?" Lightning sneered.

What the hell was going on! Confusion covered my mind in dangerous hazy clouds. Who was Razor? And what the hell was Lightning talking about? And how the hell did they know each other?

Kuroyasha mentally growled at the dangerous sparks that surrounded the air around Justuo. A sick feeling twisted my stomach when I felt that they were both using Darkness. I hated Darkness. Ryokua, come to me, I thought. I felt him form in my hand before Justuo replied.

This time, there was a hysterical edge to his tone. "When I went to Elliot, I left the people that really loved me and fought for me behind! I realized that my true friends, my true family were all left behind and that I was truly alone! But you're so damn weak and tainted with Darkness that you wouldn't be able to understand such a feeling." Justuo's voice was angry, hysterical, and screamed danger!

Lightning darted forward, Fangira forming in his hand. I didn't think; I only acted. I threw myself off of Kuroyasha's back, and darted into the snowy open grove. Neither of them noticed me.

Justuo drew forth Demilay, and was defending himself from Lightning's onslaught of attacks. They were so fast it was hard for me to keep up. Both of them were reveling in Darkness, making it hard for me to stand to be so close.

"Stop!" I shouted at them, running forward. They both didn't seem to notice me in there quick jabs and swings. I threw Ryokua as hard as I could, sending him as far as I could, knowing it would do more damage that way than if I were to actually swing at them.

It flew right in between them and slipped right past Justuo and Lightning, sticking into the ground not far from them. Kuroyasha was the next to be summoned, and she came quickly as Ryokua returned to my mind.

"What the hell is going on?" I shouted in anger. When no one turned to look at me, I began to notice them each collecting small cuts and gashes as the battle continued. Justuo kicked Lightning down onto the ground.

Enough was enough. I ran forward in a panic, and tackled Justuo to the ground as well. We hit it with a quick grunt from both of us, giving Lightning enough time to recover.

Justuo lashed wildly, throwing me across the cold wet ground. I fell limp in the freezing snow. I screamed, "Justuo!" He didn't even turn to acknowledge the call. Damn it…the Darkness was getting almost unbearable by this point.

Before I could jump up, Fangira erupted from Lightning's hand, tackling Justuo away from him. I gasped in surprise when they hit the ground. My body was numb from the cold, and, stumbling, I quickly stood.

Lightning's wounds were bleeding heavily. The Darkness he was controlling made an aura around him as he stalked forward, ready to end my sensei. A twisted smirk played on his lips. Fangira was thrown from Justuo and skidded across the ground not too far away from me.

Fire swarmed the area in detonations and flames, licking every inch Justuo told it to. Several flew towards me, and I had to block them before they exploded. The heat wave sent me flying backwards, warming my cold body. I thanked my ability to control fire and the fact that it gave me a resistance to heat or I would be fried.

When the flurries of dancing flames finally faded a little, I saw that Lightning was on the ground, breathing shallow wild breaths. With each breath came a hiss. The sight set me in motion, and I found myself running towards them. I jumped in between them, my arms spread open wide as I faced Justuo.

"Kairi, what the hell are you doing here?" he asked. I wanted to slap him! He was just now noticing me? My eyes watered in anger, frustration, and worry.

"Stop hurting him!" The desperation was so thick in my voice; I found it hard to believe that it was mine. Justuo's sword was still clutched in his hand.

"Why?" he asked, sounding irritated, but the Darkness was slowly fading from them both. Lightning spoke up.

"Kairi," he managed to hiss. Justuo looked down at him in disgust.

"Don't say my kohai's name, filth," Justuo growled. "Kohai" meant "student."

"Stop!" I yelled. Justuo looked back to me, and seemed astonished. Lightning heaved in pain. My poor Lightning…Blood was even seeping from his mouth. My stomach churned painfully at the sight.

Too much…too much to take…

My head spun, and I found myself running through the cold snow. Footsteps followed, and I tried to run faster, only slipping on the snow below me. "Kairi, would you explain to me what the hell's going on?" Justuo asked, catching my hand, and jerking us to a stop.

I jerked my hand away from him, and turned on Justuo. I lunged forward, lashing out wildly at him. "I hate you!" I shouted hysterically. He caught my hands in his quickly, pulling me forward and unbalancing me. I struggled in his grip desperately.

"Kairi…calm down…" he soothed, sounding more like him. I twisted my body around so I could kick him, or bite him or cause him pain in some way.

"You…I hate you so much!" I screamed thrashing wildly. Looking back on the scene now, it was almost like we had switched positions. He shoved me down to the ground despite the cold snow, and got on top of my back, pinning me down. I shouted and screamed.

"Kairi! Calm down! Tell me what I did!" Justuo said, trying to yell over my shouts. My shouts turned into hysterical sobs, as I kept thrashing against his hold, though I knew it was useless, especially when I was in such a state.

"You…Lightning…" I cried. I finally stopped fighting and let my body rack with sobs. I began to feel the pain of him holding my hands behind my back and the cold frostbite on my body.

After awhile, he finally released my hands. They fell to the snow by my sides. Tears, snow, water and dirt from the ground coated my face. Justuo rose from the ground, and crouched beside my crying figure.

"What about Lightning, Kairi?" Justuo asked slowly, very gently. He seemed to be acting like I was a fragile broken thing on the ground and I would snap in an instant and attack him again.

"You hurt Lightning…" I panted, trying to not sob. "Justuo…you hurt him so badly…"

"He's your enemy, isn't he?" Justuo asked, gently. He reached towards me. I punched at him, hitting his arm.

"Don't touch me!" I shouted, and struggled away from him. I stood and was soon pinned again. This time, I blasted fire towards him. He gasped, and jumped backwards. The flames had no effect except for surprise.

I took off running, needing to get away from him, to get away from everything. I hadn't gotten very far before I was tackled to the ground, again. "Let go!" I shrieked, struggling as hard as I could against him.

"Kairi! Stop this, god Dammit! Calm down, and tell me what I did wrong!" Justuo shouted at me. My weak form slumped once again, this time staying that way for a long time and crying. He didn't get up this time, only waiting for me to calm down.

"What's wrong, kohai?"

"You hurt Lightning…Justuo…he could die…" I sobbed. I knew I wasn't supposed to say anything about this, and that I was supposed to only confide in Yomi and Yoru about Lightning, but he was the only one there and it just bubbled from my mouth before I could stop it.

"Yes, Kairi, I hurt him because he's your enemy. Kiyo told me to," Justuo said gently. He took each of my wrists in his hands and separated them. He rolled me onto my back, my wrists still being bound by his strong hands for a few hesitant seconds before he slowly rose as if he was afraid I'd run again. He obviously didn't trust me much. My tears stopped streaming, leaving a wet, sticky face with my hair clinging to it.

"You're in love with him," he said after a long time. Surprise twisted through me as I watched him. His eyes only showed truth, and nothing else. He gave a sad smile.

"I know what it feels like to be in love," Justuo said. He glanced away from me for several moments before he held his hand out to me. I took it and he pulled me up. Seeing the surprise still painted on my face, Justuo said, "You're still very easy to read, Kairi."

I nodded, and realized I was shivering. Despite that, I wanted answers and he was going to give them to me.

Lightning's Point of View

The pain in my body became more apparent as I struggled to try and stand up and go to My Kairi. Whether I was angry with her or not, I needed her as she needed me. Seeing Justuo today had brought back sick memories of the past, and I had really let the Darkness inside me be tampered with.

Justuo used to work for Elliot, alongside me, Midnight, Even (who was now dead, thanks to Justuo…), Trace, Razor, and Raven. He and I learned Darkness from Trace, Raven, and Razor, Raven's now deceased brother. I had watched us both turn into monsters because of the Darkness. And Trace had been a cruel, heartless bastard to Justuo. He gave me leeway with me being a Vampire, but Feavii and Vampires don't like each other much.

Justuo found out that Elliot was only using him as a tool, and in a blind rage, killed Razor, one of his actual close friends. He then tried to fight Elliot himself. It was futile. After struggling against the immortal being, he was tossed to the ground like a limp doll. And his friends saved him in time to get him to safety before he died. I envied him for his freedom.

"Lightning!" A loud, yet familiar voice interrupted my thoughts. I collapsed on the cold ground again, and saw Kairi's friends, Kiyomi and Eienyoru emerging from the woods and entering the grove.

"Oh shoot!" Kiyomi squeaked. "You're hurt real bad!"

"I have to get to Kairi," I said, automatically. I tried to lift myself off the ground with my arms. Fangira had finally regained himself and came running to my side. He nudged me gently, worried.

"Kairi's just fine," Kiyomi said, kneeling down beside me. I was reluctant to have her so close. "You need some help?"

Her statement was phrased as a question, and I hesitated before answering. "I need Kairi," I said avoiding her question.

"Well you can't help Kairi by sitting here, bleeding to death," Kiyomi said. She pulled out a dagger and Fangira growled. "Easy, I'm trying to help." She lifted her arms, defenseless.

"Fangira, enough," I finally said, quietly. The weakness of blood loss was too much to take. Kiyomi held her hand up and I weakly gave her my arm, not really sure what to expect. I was more than a little surprised when she slashed her blade across my arm deeply.

I didn't flinch, but Fangira growled. "Calm down," I said. He heaved and circled restlessly. Slowly, I felt myself gain strength. My wounds began to close, and seal, filling me with warmth and comfort. Before I knew it, I was completely healed.

"There," Kiyomi said standing and allowing her dagger to fade away. I looked at my arms and clenched my fists in awe. I was healed.

"Thank you…," was all I could manage to say. Fangira licked my cheek, and nudged me. I stood, wobbling a little, and using Fangira for a support. Then I turned in the direction Kairi and Justuo had ran to.

Kiyomi and Eienyoru followed me as I ran forward. When I found Kairi, her skin was raw from the cold frost bite, and her clothing was soaked from snow. She was shivering, and Justuo was talking to her solemnly. I ran forward. Kairi's attention fell on me, and her eyes widened.

"Lightning!" she shouted. Her voice was my light in my darkest night. She ran forward, despite her shaking legs. Justuo's gaze followed her, guarded. Kairi threw herself into my arms, and I caught her easily. Her scent comforted me, and I held her tightly.

"I'm sorry, Kairi," I murmured. "You shouldn't have to see me that way." Kairi sniffled from the cold before looking up into my eyes with her pretty blue ones.

"You're okay, Lightning…" she breathed. Her face sank into my chest, and I pressed my lips to the top of her head. Justuo's gaze watched our exchange. Kiyomi and Eienyoru came to stop near us. His eyes landed on them, and I saw that he was frustrated.

"Does every one fucking know about this?" Justuo snapped, waving his hand at Kairi in my arms. She cringed at the harshness of his voice. My eyes narrowed at him.

"No, and they won't be finding out," I said, icily. Justuo's eyebrow rose in amusement.

"Or what, leech? Are you going to suck me dry like you almost did to Kairi?" Justuo's voice was hard as stone, and I had to grind my teeth to not allow my fangs to slip out. Kairi pulled back, and looked at Justuo.

"Stop it!" Kairi snapped. "Both of you leave each other alone, and stop!" Kairi's voice quivered with tears. What had Justuo done to her while I was gone?

"Kairi, we really have to go…," Kiyomi whispered. She looked back at them before turning back to me.

"I'm sorry Justuo hurt you. But you have to go home, Lightning," Kairi whispered. My chest wrenched, and I found myself holding Kairi to my heart even tighter. I didn't want to leave her and go back to the castle that condemned me for eternity.

"The marriage was moved up…" I breathed feeling sick to my stomach. Kairi's face faltered. "Go home. I'll find you soon enough and we'll talk. About everything, my love."

"Kairi…," Kiyomi prompted uncomfortably. Justuo went to Eienyoru's side, and waited for Kairi and me to part. With one last kiss to her forehead, I stepped back. Fangira and Kuroyasha nodded to one another before crossing paths and going to each of our sides.

"Bye," Kairi said.

"Good-bye, love," I murmured before turning and getting on Fangira's back. Before I could change my mind, I told Fangira to get me to Elliot's castle, where I'm sure punishment was waiting for me.

Kairi's Point of View

Begging was a sign of weakness. It was one of the few things Justuo had taught me in the Human World when he used to train me there. And yet, here I was, begging him to not tell my darkest secret. He probably was definitely looking down on me now.

"You've been keeping all of this from Kiyo this entire time?" Justuo asked hotly. He was definitely angry. "And now you expect me to keep it a secret?"

"Justuo, please! I'll tell her, but I need to be the one to tell her!" I begged as the lions neared the castle wall again. Justuo was quiet for a long time. He and I were riding on Kuroyasha and Shiroyasha carried Yomi and Yoru.

For a long time, I thought he wasn't going to answer, and I quickly began to formulate a new way to try and persuade him. He finally answered before I could say my new thoughts. "You have to promise me you will tell her, Kairi. And I fucking mean it," he said, still sounding angry.

"I will! But I will myself and it has to be at the right time," I said, trying to concentrate on what was ahead of us instead of the sickening guilt in my gut.

"I'll keep my mouth shut," Justuo said reluctantly. I smiled to myself in relief even though the smile made me want to cry instead of feel joyous. "I'm trusting you, Kairi. Don't make me regret it."

"I won't, Justuo-sensei," I replied.

Coming through the east gate of the castle and into the Gardens, Justuo said, "I'll cover for you guys. Just get to the Training Courtyard. Then I'll come and join you in a bit."

"Thank you, sensei," I said as Kuroyasha faded back into me and we landed on the ground.

"Sure, sure," Justuo muttered before walking away. Yoru and I exchanged glances before Yomi said something.

"Isn't he just peachy? He needs to get some looser tights or something. Or maybe it's just the glitter up his butt." Her joke lightened the mood and made us laugh as we made our way to the Guardian Training Courtyard.

13