Word Count: 4700

Chapter 35: Hey! I Know You!

"Alright, men, gather around!" I yelled. I watched as all of the demons that now made up the King's Army gathered around, and I felt someone's presence at my elbow. We hadn't seen much of each other lately, but Tiger always managed to calm me down. My four Lieutenants were standing just behind him, and we were all on some kind of raised platform. It had been a little over a week since we had come to the new palace, and the Army was finally formed. Just in time too, because the huge celebration is later tonight. Dammit.

"It is just like addressing the men of Tourin, my lady," Tiger whispered. I nodded my head at his words and cleared my throat. The demons spread out in front of me were deathly silent, and I could feel the King's and Queen's presence on their balcony (which was located above my own). I squared my shoulders and spoke so that every demon within the King's Army could hear me.

"You have all been chosen for the King's Army, and by serving our King you have sworn your loyalty to the Demon King! You will treat every member of this Army as if they were of your own blood, and your sole duty will be to do the King's bidding and protect our King from those who would harm him! As your general, I expect you to come to me with any kind of problem and together we will make this world a better place for all demonkind!"

I smiled as the Army released a mighty roar, and I felt Tiger's fingers lightly touch one of my tails. It was his way of saying that I had done a good job, and I smiled at the praise. Sergeant Tiger Moon stepped forward to appoint his two colonels, and my four lieutenants then appointed eight colonels of their own. The ten colonels would be given a place to stay in the palace since they were now high-ranking military officials, and I smiled as I looked down at the demons.

"Tonight is a very important night! Rulers, lords and ladies, and many nobles will be attending tonight's celebration in our King's honor! Our job is to keep them safe at all times! Understood?"

"Yes, my lady!" the thousands of demons yelled in unison. My ears rang a little at the deafening noise, but my smile never faltered. This was my army now…

"Lady Ray?"

"Yes, Raygorn?" I asked without turning to look at the demon behind me.

"You have visitors waiting for you in the main sitting room. What would you like for me to do?" Raygorn asked. I guess you could say that the worm demon is my personal assistant, and he somehow always knows how to find me.

"Did they give you their names?" I asked.

"No, they only wished to speak with Lady Wolf."

"Ti?" I turned to look at my oldest companion, and his yellow eyes rolled as he shook his head.

"Go, my lady, I'll keep an eye on things here." I jumped up to wrap my arms around Tiger's neck, and I felt his arms move around my waist.

"You're the best, Ti, and I mean that. After all of this has calmed down, the two of us are going to have a day to ourselves," I whispered. I quickly kissed his cheek and then ran past Raygorn back towards the castle. I slowed down as I got closer to the sitting room, and my energy was carefully masked as I quietly stopped in front of the large wooden doors. I could hear movement coming from inside, and I pressed my ear to the door.

"No, you idiot, put that down!" The voice was definitely feminine, and I shivered a little as the quiet voice washed over me. Her words might have been harsh, but I couldn't remember ever hearing a softer voice.

"Relax, it's not like I'm going to break anythi—" A loud crash came from inside, and I chose that moment to throw the doors open and step inside. An old clay vase was laying broken on the floor, and I took in the shocked appearances of the demons in front of me.

"My apologies, Lady Wolf, my brother did not mean to—"

"Don't worry about that old thing. Most of the things in this place are breakable, and I'm waiting for the day that they all cease to exist," I said and walked farther into the room. Two pairs of aqua eyes met mine, one dark and one light, and I quickly looked them over.

The female demon was fairly tall, about five-seven, with a slim and toned body. She was dressed in a pair of very baggy black pants (I think her belt is the only thing keeping them up), a dark gray tank top clung to her upper body, and her feet were completely bare. The dark clothing made her golden skin stand out more, and her black hair barely brushed her chin. Her eyes were a dark aqua color and stayed trained on mine, and she looked restless as her fingers tapped against her leg. Tattoos of eagle talons were wrapped around her wrists, and I couldn't see any weapons.

The male demon was almost her opposite. He was very tall, six-six at the least, with a leanly muscular body. He was wearing a pair of skintight black pants, and his bright red trenchcoat covered him from neck to hip and flowed in large strips around his thighs. His right sleeve was missing and revealed a completely gloved right arm, and his left hand was gloved too. His hair was bright blonde and stood straight up, and his eyes were a light aqua color. I didn't see any kind of markings on his face (the only skin visible), but I could see the guns that rested on his hips.

I knew that I had never seen the strangers before, but they still looked very familiar. It was something about their eyes…The dark pair that watched me, and the light pair that were lit up with innocence. Something wasn't quite right, but how could I know them? I had met a lot of people over the years, but surely I would remember this pair. My eyes closed as an image came to me, a vision of a woman in a tight old-fashioned black dress and a man wearing a bright red trenchcoat firing at someone in a dirt street.

"Hey! I know you!" I suddenly yelled. The man smiled, and the woman simply raised a brow.

"Wolfwood did say it might take you a moment to recognize us," she said.

"You've seen Nicholas? How is he? Where is he? Why didn't he come with you?" I asked quickly. The man laughed, and the woman shook her head.

"Wolfwood is fine. We were with him less than a week ago. He and Andie have a little business to take care of, but he wanted us to tell you that he hopes to see you again soon," the woman said.

"A little business? Is everything okay?" I asked. Our link would let me know if Nicholas was dead or close to death, but that was all.

"They are discussing things with the angels from Nirvana. Andie has not been inside Nirvana since Wolfwood's birth, and they recently learned that the both of them may be allowed inside. From my understanding, Andie's and Aleta's possessions are still inside." The woman's name finally clicked in my head, and I smiled at Faye. Her brother's name was Vash.

"That's great! I hope everything works out for them, and I want to thank both of you for coming here to tell me," I said with a wide smile.

"That is not the only reason we came," Faye whispered.

"Oh? Is there something you need help with?" I asked. Faye and Vash shared a quick look, and Faye turned back to look at me.

"Wolfwood and Andie told us that you were an honorable demon, so we thought we'd see if you needed our services for your army," Faye said.

"Perfect timing! The King's Army has already been formed, but I'm sure no one will object to two newcomers. I only have a few questions, if you don't mind."

"We don't mind."

"What kind of demons are you?" I had met with Nicholas and Andie for only one night, so I'd never had the chance to ask any questions about the friends he wanted to return to.

"My brother and I are twins, and we each take after one parent. Vash is a lightning demon like our mother, and I am an eagle demon like our father."

"Interesting. Any special powers?"

"My brother can use lightning to attack, but he prefers using his guns. I am more of a defensive demon; I can create barriers."

"Barriers, huh? That could come in handy…Could one of your barriers protect a part of this palace? Or anyone that I decide needs to be protected?"

"My barrier is strong enough to protect this entire palace. I can also make the barrier sound-proof, and auras cannot be felt beneath it."

"How old are you?"

"A little over two hundred and eighty years old."

"Something like that is very impressive for a demon your age."

"Thank you."

"So…can your brother talk?" I had seen Vash talk in Nicholas's memory, but he might have lost his ability to talk at some point since then. No, that couldn't be right…I had heard him talk before walking into the room. Was he shy then?

"He can, but I told him to let me do all the talking. He has a tendency to…talk too much sometimes," Faye said with a tight smile.

"Oh, I don't mind. I'm sure I've been around someone worse," I said with a wide smile. Vash turned to look at his sister with wide eyes, and I don't know how she ever could have denied him. Faye stared back and after a few tense moments, she nodded her head. Vash let out a loud whoop! that made me jump, and he practically took one giant skip to get right in front of me. My feet left the floor a moment later, and Vash was yelling in my ear as he spun me around.

"Wolfwood told us soo much about you! I can't believe we're finally meeting you! And you're really short! And I like your tails. Will Wolfwood get more tails like that? Hey! Faye, look! She has Wolfwood's name on her! So, can I call you Ray? And do I really have to fight? I usually just stay with Faye so nobody can hurt her. Are you the general of the whole army? Can we meet the king?"

I blinked up at Vash, who had finally sat me down, and I heard Faye sigh in the background. Vash was bent at the waist so that we were eye-to-eye, and he had some really bright eyes. They were the color of a perfect ocean, and I smiled up at him. Wow, I guess Faye wasn't kidding. He really does talk a lot.

"Hmm, let's see…It is possible for Wolfwood to gain more tails, you can call me Ray, you don't have to fight, I am the general of the whole army, and I'm sure you'll run into the king eventually." Vash smiled at me and picked me up again with a loud squeal.

"I love her, Faye! Can we keep her?"

"Put her down, you idiot! You're gonna get us both killed!" Faye yelled. I squirmed until my arms were free from Vash's grip and grabbed his shoulders. Huh, his left arm felt kinda…mechanical.

"Any friend of Nicholas's is a friend of mine. Now, I think we should—"

"Lady Ray!" Vash jumped at the sound, and he turned around so we could both see out of the open doorway. Raygorn was standing there, and I could see Enki and Koku in the background hurrying towards us. Vash and I exchanged a look, and Faye moved so that she was standing beside her brother.

"What's going on?" I asked. Enki and Koku walked into the room, Koku whispered something to Raygorn, and the door closed as the worm demon left. Enki smiled as he looked over at me, and I realized that Vash was still holding me.

"I'd like you to meet Vash and Faye, my king. They're going to be joining our army," I said.

"It's a pleasure to meet you both," Enki said.

"Quit making pleasantries!" Koku yelled and elbowed her husband.

"What's wrong?" Enki sat down in one of the chairs and wiped at his brow, and Koku sat down on the arm of it.

"Do you trust these two?" Enki asked. Well, I didn't truly know them…but Nicholas had trusted them. I didn't really know Nicholas either, but sometimes you have to go on gut instincts.

"Yes."

"Kagemusha, come forward and report to your general," Enki said. I looked around the room and stared open-mouthed as a shadow formed in front of me.

Shadow warriors were very rare, and I had never seen one. The man in front of me was definitely a shadow warrior though, because I hadn't felt his presence at all. That and no ordinary demon can form from a shadow. His long black hair was in a high ponytail, and his hair still fell to his hips. His eyes were the color of smoke and the colors were constantly swirling like real smoke. He was wearing a pair of tight black pants tucked into a pair of black boots, and his black jacket was unbuttoned to show the pale torso beneath. I could see the ancient markings that ran down his sides; the markings that told of what he was and what he was capable of. Pointed ears flicked in my direction, and his forearms were resting on the bladed part of his scythe. He had to be at least six-eight, because he was a few inches taller than Vash.

"General Raygan," he said with a bow of his head. His voice was deep and quiet; it was the sound of death.

"I didn't know there was a shadow warrior in our army," I said as I stared at the demon before me.

"It was Kurama's idea to send someone to keep an ear on things. Kagemusha is an old friend of mine and has agreed to join my army," Enki said. Huh, that sounded like Kurama. He always wanted to be one step ahead of things.

"And what have you learned?" I asked. The demon sighed and crossed his legs at the ankles so he was putting more weight on his scythe and sighed.

"It doesn't look good, general. There's a mass army of rogues just south of here. They're staying in the swamps to the west of Tourin. They're upset at the new rules our king has decreed, and they have been gathering information of their own. They know of the celebration taking place here tonight, and they know who will be in attendance. They will strike at some point during the middle of the celebration; that way they know that everyone will be here. They'll attack the east and west sides of the palace."

"The rogues, huh? I hate those things," I mumbled. I tapped Vash's shoulder, and he somehow knew to set me on my feet. I started pacing as soon as I was on the ground, and my mind was racing. Kurama was the strategist, not me. I needed Tiger! I was better at action, and he was better at planning.

"My lady!"

"Ti! How'd you know that I needed you?" I asked as he closed the doors and walked over to us. His arms went around my shoulders, and I sighed against him.

"Raygorn told me about the rogues. What will we do?" Tiger asked. His hands pushed the few stray hairs away from my face, and I shook my head.

"I don't know yet. Any ideas?" I asked.

"We could always call off the celebration," Tiger said. The rest of the room was silent as our conversation continued.

"No, we can't do that. This celebration isn't just for our King, but for all the changes taking place in this world. We need this celebration. Cancelling it now would mean that we aren't up to the task."

"Some of Demon World's strongest fighters are coming tonight, so…"

"We can't ask them to fight. We're supposed to be honoring them too, not asking them to defend us. Do you think our army can handle the rogues?"

"They're strong, my lady, but we have yet to see them in action. What if they fail and the palace is breached?" A throat cleared behind Tiger, and we both moved so that we could see who wanted our attention. Faye stepped forward, and her eyes went straight to mine.

"I believe that I may have a solution." Her soft voice washed over me, and I instantly relaxed.

"Alright, let's hear it," I said.

"We will continue as if nothing is wrong. You and Sergeant Tiger will go to the celebration as planned so as not to cause suspicion. Stay for a while, then leave to join the army. Have Kagemusha stay on the lookout for the rogues, and when they are first spotted he can come straight to me. I will use my barrier to protect the palace, and no one inside will know anything. They will not be able to hear any of the fighting or feel any auras. Our King can make sure that no one leaves the palace until your return."

All in all, it sounded like the perfect plan. She had all of her bases covered, every little detail. I couldn't find a single flaw. Having Tiger and I make an appearance would show that everything was normal, and we could slip away a little bit before halfway through the formal celebration. Kagemusha knew the most about the rogues' plan, and he was the only one who could spot them without them noticing. There was only one thing that needed to be checked.

"My King, will you stay here?"

"Here? Why?"

"I believe that Faye's plan is perfect, but I would like to test her barrier. She'll raise her barrier over the palace, and I'll give off a little energy to see if you can feel it inside. It shouldn't take long," I said.

"Yes, we'll stay," Enki said.

"I will stay with our King," Tiger said.

"As will I," Kagemusha added.

"Alright, you two, follow me," I said and turned around. I heard footsteps just behind me, so I knew that the twins were following me. We walked through the main parts of the palace and out through the door that led to the Army Grounds. My four Lieutenants were talking to the new ten colonels (who would each look after a different group), and they all turned as we approached.

"Hiya, wolfie! Who ya got dere?" Jin asked. He floated over so that he was eye-level with Vash, and the two smiled at each other.

"Jin! We haven't seen you in a while! How ya been?" Vash yelled and grabbed the wind demon. Jin seemed used to the treatment, because he just lifted Vash off the ground. I turned to look at Touya, who just shrugged in response.

"I want stories later," I said with a wide smile.

"So, what are ya doin' out here, love?" Chu asked and pulled me against him.

"And where's Uncle Ti?" Ayame danced around Chu's other side and stopped in front of me.

"One question at a time, okay? Faye and Vash are going to be joining the army, and Faye here is good at making barriers. I'm gonna test it, and I'll need to talk to you fourteen when it's over," I said and looked at the lieutenants and colonels.

"How're you gonna test it, Auntie Ray?" Rinku asked. Vash and Jin had quit catching up, and several pairs of eyes were on me now.

"Well, Faye's gonna create a barrier around the whole palace. All I'm gonna do is raise my energy a little bit," I said with a shrug. I turned to Faye and nodded my head once in her direction, and she returned the nod.

"Perhaps we should get off the platform," Touya said quietly.

"Good idea," I mumbled and jumped down. Everyone moved to stand a little bit in front of the giant platform, and I waited to see what Faye would do.

She slowly sat down on the platform with her legs crossed, and her dark aqua eyes disappeared as her eyes closed. Her hands rested on her knees, palms up. Her baggy pants moved as her energy started rising, and I took a step forward so I could see better. Her energy suddenly exploded, and a pair of beautiful wings unfolded behind her. The wings were the same color as her own tanned skin, but the feathers had an aqua tint when the sun hit them. A dark aqua aura was all around her, and her aura continued to grow as it moved towards the palace. Within moments, the entire palace was covered in the dark aqua barrier.

"She's ready now," Vash whispered.

"Alright, everyone, you might wanna step back for this one," I said with a wide smile. I waited until everyone was far enough back, and I rolled my shoulders a little to release some tension. I hadn't really sparred with anyone or done anything with my energy lately, and my power was getting restless.

I dug my heels into the ground as my energy started rising, and my hands clenched into fists. I could feel wind wrapping around my body and lifting my hair, and I smiled at the feeling. The restriction bands on my body glowed as my power increased, and I could see the white aura surrounding me now. With a laugh, I let my energy go and watched as it disappeared into the sky.

Hiei

My arms suddenly started tingling, and I turned to where Mukuro was "resting." She had decided that we could run to the King's palace for his idiotic celebration, and she had stopped not far from our destination in order to rest. The tingling in my arms spread and turned into a small hum, but it was not Mukuro's doing. She was still sitting on a rock and staring straight ahead.

"Can you feel her?"

"Feel who?" Mukuro didn't seem bothered by my sharp tone. I had made it very clear that I would rather be almost anywhere than at some fool's little party.

"Ray. That's her energy," she said and pointed. There was a streak of white disappearing into the red sky, and I crossed my arms as the humming in my body got worse.

"It's still hard to believe that a half-breed is that strong." Mukuro turned to look at me with a small smile, and I just stared back. What is she smiling at?

"Lady Ray is a good friend of Alaric and half-breed or not, she is not a demon to be crossed."

"Hn."

"Come. We wouldn't want to be late."

Ray

The white aura of my energy washed over Faye's dark aqua barrier, but my energy never touched the palace. Faye's barrier was definitely strong, so I didn't have to worry about any rogues getting through. Rogues were mindless killers and could get very strong, but they weren't stronger than me. They usually never reached anything over B-Class, so the palace would be protected. I pulled my energy back and waited for all of the white to disappear.

Faye must have sensed that I was through, because her barrier suddenly disappeared. Her wings folded and seemed to melt into her back, and a pair of dark aqua eyes were staring at me a moment later. Her black hair was a little tousled, and she slowly ran her fingers through the short locks.

"Very good. I couldn't find a single flaw. Let's go see if the others felt anything, shall we?" I asked. Faye gracefully stood up, and I turned to the others.

"Nice one, love," Chu said with a wink.

"Thank you. I'm going to take Vash and Faye back inside, but I want all of you to stay right here. I need to discuss something with the King really quick, and then I'm coming back out here to talk to all of you. Got it?"

"We will be here," Touya said. I smiled at all of them, and I walked away with Faye and Vash right behind me. We were back inside the palace within seconds, and I hurried along towards the main sitting room. Demons would be arriving shortly, since many of them would be staying overnight, so we needed to hurry and get everything sorted out.

"Wow, Ray, you're really powerful. We've heard the stories, but that was awesome! Did you feel it, Faye?" Vash asked.

"I did. Our general is very strong," Faye said.

"Not strong enough to break into your barrier," I said and smiled over at her.

"Well, that was quick." I looked at the owner of the quietly deep voice, and a pair of swirling gray eyes met mine.

"I said it wouldn't take long. So, did you feel anything?" I asked.

"Not a thing, my lady. How much energy did you release?" Tiger asked.

"Enough to give me goosebumps," Vash said with a small shiver.

"I did release a pretty good bit. I'm sure demons a few miles away felt it," I said.

"Demons a bit farther out than just a few miles felt that," Faye added.

"And we didn't feel a thing!" Enki yelled with a smile.

"So, I guess we'd better stick with the eagle's plan," Koku said.

"Does our general approve?" Enki asked.

"Definitely. As long as all parties included agree," I said and looked over at Kagemusha. He kept one hand on his scythe as he bent at the waist to bow to me, and I raised an eyebrow at the shadow warrior.

"I am yours to command, my general," he said. Damn, his voice could really get under a person's skin. For some odd reason though, I trusted him.

"Good to know. Let us know as soon as you see the rogues approaching. Inform Faye first, then come tell me. Will you be fighting with us?" I asked.

"Of course, my general. I wouldn't miss it," he said with a wide smile. Sharp fangs touched his bottom lip, and I decided then that I was glad he was on our side.

"Alright. Anymore questions?" I asked.

"Can I stay with Faye? She's unprotected when she's concentrating on her barrier, so I want to stay with her," Vash said. It was the first time I'd seen him look serious, and I nodded my head.

"Yes, you can stay with Faye to protect her. Anything else?"

"I think that's everything," Enki said. I noticed Raygorn's head in the doorway as I nodded my head, and I walked over to stand beside Tiger.

"Kagemusha, you know what to do. Raygorn, show Captains Faye and Vash to their new rooms. My King and Queen, our guests will be arriving shortly so you should start getting ready for tonight. Ti, we have to go inform our lieutenants and colonels about tonight's disturbance and then get ready ourselves," I said quickly. See? I'm much better at action or telling everyone what to do.

Kagemusha bowed one more time before completely disappearing, and Raygorn escorted a shocked Faye and Vash from the room. I guess they didn't think they'd be moved up so quickly, but Faye was going to be protecting the entire palace and keeping the royal guests from panicking. Vash was her protector, so they're both going to be captains (right below the colonels). Enki and Koku said a quick goodbye, and I smiled up at Tiger.

"Time to marshal the troops?"

"Yep, and let's pray that they make us proud."

Ending Note: Whew! And there's the end of this chapter. So, the next chapter will definitely be the Celebration Chapter. Alright, where to start…

Faye and Vash are now officially in the story! If Vash seems a little OOC, that's completely normal. I mostly just wanted to play around with his looks and guns, so his personality might get changed around a little. For a close-up of Faye, you can visit wolvesrain17's DeviantArt. If anyone has any questions about the demon twins, I'd be happy to answer them!

On to Kagemusha! I'm very unoriginal, so his name literally means "shadow warrior." He was, originally, going to be a very unimportant character. Seriously, he was only going to show up once in a blue moon whenever I remembered him. I started writing though and realized that I really like him, so he'll be around a lot! Once again, I'd be happy to answer any questions!

Oh! I hope everyone enjoyed the small "Hiei" part I threw in. I know people have been missing him, so I thought I'd give him a small part. Don't worry, he'll be in the next chapter a pretty good bit. Well, I'm gonna leave now before my Author Notes get longer than the chapter. Buh-Bye!