This is a long chapter and for once involving secondary characters. Enjoy. Please review if you'd like; much appreciated. Thanks.
Disclaimer: I don't own YuYuHakusho
Chapter Fifty-Three: Inside
/"Ana." The voice was soft and distant.
Ana's eyes fluttered open. The area was gray. "Hello?"
Cassandra floated down next to her. They looked at one another for a while. "Hello Ana, I don't think we've officially met."
Ana swallowed. "You're Cassandra Dubois."
"That's correct."
"My father," Ana looked down. "He's been in pain since your death."
"What a stubborn man, even now."
Ana's eyes widened. "Wait if you're here does that mean something bad's happened?"
"No, nothing's bad happen." Cassandra gave a soft smile. "I just wanted to meet you before I left this world for good." She turned and glanced up.
"You're leaving?" Ana shook her head. "You can't leave. There's so much stuff I still have to know." She reached out for the older woman.
Cassandra gazed down at the child. "I see. You are still working on releasing your powers. Reiko is slower then I remember." She nodded. "Okay, ask me your questions. If I can answer them I will."
Ana eyed her. For the most part she couldn't see how the woman in front of her was a vampire, let alone a vampire ruler; she seemed to kind for that type of lifestyle. She seemed more human. "The night you died, my father wasn't with you, but the twins were. Why? Did you know something was going to happen?"
"Hm, you should ask your father about that week."
"He won't answer my questions." Ana stated defiantly. "Besides I want to hear it from you."
"I see, very well then. Kurama had a business conference he was to attend over seas. Around the same time I caught a cold, which wasn't unusual; I always caught colds at the strangest of times. Anyway he wanted to stay but I wouldn't allow him too. He had been preparing so long for that meeting. And..." Her eyes were distant. "I knew he wouldn't be able to do anything when they came. So I argued with him to make him go, no matter how much I wanted him to stay. But if I hadn't made him go, they would have killed him too. Then no one would be left to find the children once again."
"And what about the twins, who are they? What are they suppose to do when they find out who they are?" What am I suppose to do when I find out who they are?"
Cassandra smirked. "You all ready know the twins Ana and they are beginning to know each other. As for what they are to do...well they'll know it when the task comes to them." She knelt. "My poor child, what fate has brought upon you."
"What about you? Having to lose both families, having to sacrafice yourself for what?" Ana's eyes teared up.
"So my other children suffer too." She stood and took a book from her cape. "Here." She held it out for Ana. "This is a copy of Celeste's diary. She is the one side to the coin. Adalric, her husband is the other side. Because their love was forbidden they're children were cursed."
Ana ran a hand over the bindings. "One female and one male. One side and the other." A realization began to form within her. "That's what they were talking about at one of the first meetings I went to.
"Soon Ana the path will open up to you and you will see the truth that surrounds our curse." Cassandra slowly drifted away. "But I wonder if..."
"If what?" Ana looked up but Cassandra was gone./
Aya and Ayana stood atop one of the castle towers' balconies. Chiru was playing around the edge, skipping along the top stones.
"It's getting dark." Aya said.
"They are coming, aren't they?" Chiru questioned, standing upside down. "The ones who killed mother?"
"Someone should be warned." Ayana said. "We should get brother."
Ayana turned to go, taking her sister's hand. Chiru followed closely behind.
Trent was in the library. He picked a book off the shelf and opened it to a random page. "Silver Lithium. It seems all those years you spent on protecting us from it has gone, Rayne."
"I doubt Treffen is smart enough to dare use it against us in a fight." Vincent stated darkly. "That child is asking for his death."
Trent closed the book and placed it back on the shelf. "I wish you wouldn't be so sudden with your opinions Vincent." He turned to his older brother.
Raul paused in the hall. It was rare to hear his father and uncle talk alone.
"Do my opinions bother you?"
"We need to find a way to prevent Silver Lithium ever being used again." Trent lowered his eyes.
Vincent gritted his teeth. "Your worried about that half breed girl again aren't you? She's the one that left the protection of the Makai."
"Half breed or not Vincent, she's dying." Trent said without thinking.
Raul's eyes widened. /That can't be true./
Vincent straighted up. "That's life Trent. Our kind come and go. You can't pity her and you can't protect her."
"Why can't I? I couldn't protect my children as I watched them suffer throughout the centuries. And you? Just because you couldn't protect Rayne, now your not even trying with the children."
vincent clentched his fists. "Don't you dare say I don't protect my own children. I've put up every precaution for their safety." He swallowed. "Rayne died as she lived." His voice was low. "There was no way I could ever live up to her, or ever try to. What she left behind, I can't replace for the children. Protecting their mother was my job and I failed." He glared at his brother. "So don't you dare talk to me about protection."
Raul lowered his head.
"Even we have our problems." Ancil commented behind him.
"Lord Ancil." Raul bowed.
"I came to see about the disturbance but only find brothers fighting. Typical of them." Ancil smiled some. "Its nice to see that somethings don't change."
"My father's right though, isn't he. Why protect when there is no point."
"Oh? Is that what Vincent preaches?" Ancil shrugged. "Do you remember when your sisters and brother were born?"
Raul shook his head.
"Your father is an enchanter. At each of your births, while your mother slept, he would watch over you, giving each of you a spell of protection. Rayne never knew about it, though I'm sure my sister figured it out; she would never ask Vincent about it." Ancil leaned against the wall. He sighed. "My sister was the closest one to ever resemble a Prodigy. That's why Vincent was so hard on her." He looked at his nephew. "And like you children, Angel reminds Vincent of Rayne." He pushed off the wall. "I'm going to tell you something your mother would always say 'no matter how much family fights, we are still family, and family look out for one another.'"
An imagine of Rayne came to Raul. It was of the last time he saw her. She was clad in war attire. She had walked up to him and cupped his cheek. /"Remember son, we are to help those in need. Family is family no matter the lineage." She kissed him on the forehead. "Protect your siblings. And watch over your father." She whispered."/ "She knew." He mumbled.
"Hm?" Ancil asked. "Who knew?"
"Brother. Uncle." The twins said. "The enemy are coming over the ridge."
"What? Are you sure?" Ancil asked urgently.
The twins nodded.
"They're bringing Silver Lithium." Chiru said frightenly. "They plan to take down this whole fort."
"Vincent, Trent." Ancil hurried to the conference room.
"We heard." Trent said, him and Vincent coming into the hall.
"Sound the alarms and get everyone prepared."
"On it." Trent said heading upstairs to the alarms.
Vincent flew downstairs to the war rooms.
Raul was close behind his father when Chiru stopped him.
"Brother." He said quietly, hiding behind his sisters. "What about the children?"
For a moment, Angel came to view. //"Hi." She said smiling. "I'm Angel." She followed Raul. "Lord Trent said that this is my family now too." She looked up at him with big eyes. "Does that mean I can call you brother?"
"No" He had said./
"Use the evacuation tunnels. You three will be in charge, make me proud." He said hurriedly before disappearing down the stairs.
/He watched as she left the hall. "Mother?" No it wasn't her.
She lowered her head before looking up at him to speak. "I may not belong here like you say Raul, but I'm still a part of this family." The sadness within her eyes haunted him./
/Angel. I won't let you die without my permission./
