Author's Note: Holy crap, I've actually reached a chapter 50!? WOW! Sometimes, it's hard to keep up with so many characters... But don't worry, it's not straineous, I forget some of them are there sometimes. Like Persona...

Arc II - Chp. 14 ; 50 - Blood

The wind blew, the moon lit up the night sky above as Masazumi and Tenzou stood infront of the group. Masazumi down a signframe. "These are all that could make it, huh?"

Margot nodded. "Judge. Kenji, Nenji, Genji, and Hassan have no combat abilities. Shirojiro and Heidi have their hands full with negotiations.

Malga wrapped her arms around one of Margot's own. "Toori and Kimi are coming with us for support, but Horizon has been sleeping a lot lately. I thought it'd be best not to wake her up."

Masazumi nodded and looked at the group of people present. Neito, Adele, Makiko, Kiyonari, Noriki, Margot, Malga, Toori, Tomo, and Kimi were present and ready to go. Masazumi turned to Tenzou. "Where are Naomasa, Persona, and Suzu?"

"Well, Seijun." Toori cheerfully said. "Naomasa is still very busy with repairs on her Suzaku, and Persona could give off our position."

"And little Bell..." Kimi started. "The poor girl can't see. I wouldn't want to drag her into such a dangerous situation as this."

"Judge." Masazumi pulled up another signframe holding the location of the doppleganger which was being tracked with one of Kuina's special charms. "Everybody, we are going to be trespassing onto English territory. So... we must be stealthy, all of us to our best extent. Tenzou will be leading us."

The others gave various signs of approval.

"Alright, let's go."

Tenzou nodded his head and began leading the way.

"Do you know where to go, Tenzou?" Neito asked.

"Jud..." Tenzou replied. "Masazumi and I discussed about it on the way here."

"Oi, Tenzou." Toori said. "Don't go into such extremes of "being sneaky"... okay?"

"I won't, Chancellor. We'll stick to the shadows. According to Kuina's tracker charm, Lathos and hopefully Neshinbara are in an abonded complex in a populated area, somewhere on the level 1 province of New England. It is located several kilometers from Oxford Academy, but is well within the docks Musashi is using..."

"Being level one, it is heavily restricted to us. Not even some of England's own citizens are allowed up there, so we can not afford to get caught..." Masazumi said.

The group nodded.

The group of students and their one teacher approached the docking ramps on the Takeo. Toori looked over the railing and gulped. Noriki walked past him.

"What's up, Toori?"

"Just thinking how long it would be to SPLAT if you fell off..."

Tomo walked by them. "Just try not to do anything stupid, Toori..."

"Idiot..." Noriki said. Toori laughed it off. Masazumi continued to walk down the slightly steep slope.

"Dang, I had no idea Musashi was this tall off the ground." Masazumi trailed the ship's side down all the way to the pitch back darkness several kilometers down.

"Actually..." Malga stated, walking past her. "Half of all that is under the darkness." Masazumi's face blanked out from surprise. She shook her head and continued down the ramp and into English territory.

The moon shined brightly on the British streets. Tenzou, with the others, were shimmying against a wall into the shadows. Noriki had a dull look on his face, as well as the others, Masazumi's being questionable. Then, Tenzou put up his hand signalling them to freeze. They stopped. Tenzou peered around the corner. A street shining with the moonlight was not to be crossed carelessly.

Tenzou sped across it with extreme speed. He slapped himself against a wall with shadows shielding his existance from the world, looked both ways, then motioned for the others to come forward. Noriki shook his head in annoyance and sped along with the others to Tenzou, then they too hid in the shadows.

The ninja nodded and ducked in the ground, crouching and moving forward in silence. Masazumi had a dragged look on her face.

"Don't you think we are taing this too literal?"

"No." Tenzou said. "We are trying to ensure we are not spotted. Right now, we are trespassing and if we are caught, it could ruin any kind of negotiations we might have with this nation."

"But still..." Noriki said.

"We'll burn all of our energy before we even fight if we keep this up." Kiyonari protested.

"We've been at this for hours!" Toori complained loudly.

"Quiet, you fool!" Tenzou whispered. "Do you want all of England on top of us?"

"That depends, is it sexual?"

"Go die..." Masazumi told him.

"Hahaha... Seijun..." Toori waved it off.

Tenzou shook his head. "Fine, you guys win. We'll go about this more casually, but if I say get down, or hint to it or anything, you hide." The group nodded and Tenzou continued forth through the shadows and dark spaces.

Masazumi pulled up a signframe with the tracker. The dot was moving fast their direction. At once, she began to panic. "Everyone-"

"Get down." Tenzou said.

The students and Makiko dropped to deep into the shadows on their bellies. Tomo blew her hair out of her eyes as the doppleganger sped past them in the air. It landed and jumped again, still in Masazumi's form.

"She's headed for Musashi again..."

Toori stood up. "Whoa... I'll warn the captain." Toori pulled up a signframe.

"Judge, let's keep going." Tenzou continued to lead the group to a building.

Tomo looked forward. "Is that it?" She pointed at a slightly rundown English building, it had the structure of some old apartments in London, but it was obvious no one had lived in it for quite a while.

"Yes. Back in the day..." Masazumi answered, "the English built two story houses close together for structural and compact reasons. According to Kuina's charm, this is the building the doppleganger stayed in."

The group silently ran to it and they stepped up the four stone steps leading to the front door. Noriki grabbed Toori, putting a finger to his mouth with the words "Shut up". Toori only smiled and put his hands up in defense. Noriki released him. Masazumi placed her gloved hand quietly on the knob and turned it. It was locked. She sighed disappointingly and turned to the others.

"Can anyone pick a lock?"

The group looked around, finding no "yes" or "I can". But then Kiyonari politely moved Kimi, Tenzou, then Masazumi out of the way. The large dragon grasped the knob and turned it, breaking the lock with what looked like to be some strain. Masazumi then came forward as Kiyonari moved aside for her and silently pushed open the door.

A dark hallway with a dim yellow light shining from another room to the right was in front of them. Masazumi walked in, followed by Neito, then Kiyonari.

"Neito..." Masazumi whispered. "Up front." Neito nodded and silently maneuvered past the politician. Masazumi and the knight reached the area of light and peered around the doorway. Their eyes opened wide.

In an animal cage, Neshinbara was lying against a wall, bloody, beaten, and battered beyond anything they had seen before. Neito examined his body. His eyes were closed, one of them darker. Blood ran down the side of his head and trails out of his mouth. His body was bruised as thick red stained his clothes and the blankets under him. A sword rested in his shoulder and his chest was unmoving.

The others peered around and were equally shocked. How could someone do this to him? Neito ran inside to the cage, masazumi and the others walking in behind her. Masazumi stopped and turned to her left to see a clumsily laid pile of blood stained rags were thrown against a corner with another door to its right, light shining from under it. she looked back at her friends, who surrounded the exposed sides of the cage. She silently walked to the them.

"Guys, we need to be quiet."

"Look, it's Neshinbara..." Neito said. Masazumi could hear the hoarseness in her voice, it sounded almost like she was going to break. "He's... he's hurt."

Masazumi looked back at the beaten boy in the cage. The sight of his injuries made her sick.

"He had to go through whatever they did to him, and I'm sure he gave up hope after the second day..." Neito looked down. "He had to be like this for five days..."

Noriki was grunting, struggling to pull open the door. "Damn it..." He pulled even more, his veins were coming to his arms and his face was turning red. Kiyonari stepped beside him and helped trying to pull open the rusty door. The lock began to break. Both of them pulled even harder, but the lock still held strong. Toori ran to them and grabbed the door as well, then pulled and finally, the lock snapped!

Neito gasped and ran in, Tomo and Masazumi following in. Tenzou crouched on top of a dresser stand in the shadows, watching them. Noriki ran in and told Neito to take hold of his back.

Neito nodded and placed a hand behind Neshinbara and felt a thick goo all over her hand. She began to remove it to see what it was.

"No, Neito..." Noriki quietly objected, taking hold of the sword. "Hold him up." Neito solemnly nodded and firmly held Neshinbara up. Noriki, with a grunt, pulled out the sword. Blood coated the silver blade as it slid out of Neshinbara's body. Carefully, Noriki pulled it out all the way and fresh blood came slowly gushing out. Neito lowered him down onto her lap, feeling he was still warm.

"He's still alive!" Neito said to herself with clear shock. Noriki threw the sword down in disgust. Neito hoisted Neshinbara up onto herself, red thick liquid was now swabbing her clothing. She laid his head on her shoulder and rubbed his hair, lightly mixing her fingers into his bloody damp hair, singing softly. Masazumi only stood watching them. She knew Neshinbara was in trouble, but now he was finally with them. After five hard days, they finally found him.

Tenzou watched silently, he was not happy to see the boy in the condition he was in. Neito lied her head slightly on Neshinbara's, smiling and shushing softly. Masazumi looked down to the blankets to see blood coating them. Her eyes shook at the sight.

"Neito?"

"Hmm?" Neito said, still massaging the boy's head.

"Look, beneath you..."

"I know..." Neito pulled him closer. "Neshinbara is still alive, but barely. I'm allowing my body to connect to his..."

Noriki glanced at them. "For what?"

Neito closed her eyes. "To let him rest... Argent Loups like myself specialize with human beings. I am allowing my body to transfer ether waves. My heart will move his... My heart beats will be his heart beats, my energy will be his..." Masazumi blinked in awe. "My body will allow his to finally rest and relax. I'll pump his blood and keep him alive like this."

Masazumi looked down. "I... I had no idea you could do that, Neito..." Masazumi looked down at Neshinbara's right hand. The curse crackled violently from it, bruised and bloody. "We need to get him out of here."

"Judge..." Tenzou nodded, getting down to the floor. "We have to get him to a medical center on Musashi."

"But," Toori said. "Musashi is hours away. In his condition, Neshinbara won't make it."

"We have to try..." Masazumi said, turning her head to Neito. "Do you think you can carry him?"

"No." Neito shook her head. "But he'll need me if he's to make this trip."

"I have an idea." Kiyonari stepped to Neito and they all watched him. He stood behind her and hoisted both the knight and the unconcious boy up into his arms.

Neito realigned Neshinbara to cuddle on her body, more blood trailing onto her. "This isn't troublesome for you, is it, Kiyonari?"

I've had worse loads, trust me." the half dragon said. Neito smiled and leaned Neshinbara's under her chin. "Judge..."

Kiyonari looked up at Masazumi. "Let's get out of here." Masazumi nodded and the others walked silently out into the hallway. Masazumi peered at the door and squinted.

Who ever you are... If Neshinbara was not in need of urgent medical attention, I'd deal with you myself... She scoffed and walked out.

Tenzou sprinted out and stopped, looking upon the British streets, silver moon light brightening the way. He looked around, then motioned for the rest to come. He quickly shot down the steps and itno the shadows. Masazumi, Kimi, and Tomo came out, followed by Toori and Kiyonari, who was moving at a slower, but steady pace. Tenzou calmly and slowly lead the way to Musashi. Masazumi was praying no body would see them.

"Neito, how's Neshinbara doing?"

"He's lost a lot of blood... And he's barely breathing, but he's holding on."

Masazumi turned forward. We have to move faster than this... Masazumi could not stop worrying until she got a message. She turned and pulled up a devine transmission. It was Sakai.

"Masazumi, the doppleganger escaped. It is going back, be ready!"

"Judge. Okay, everybody, let's move fast and stay in the shadows."

"Judge."

Kiyonari started to move faster. Neito could feel he was beginning to strain, then she looked down at Neshinbara. His face had not changed. She could feel all of the warm fluids leaking onto her, the fresh food. She quivered at the thought of tasting blood. Humans were such a delicious delicacy, at least that's what she remembered her mother saying. Then she remembered his condition. I need to remember I don't eat humans...

Masazumi pulled up an interface with the tracker, it showed the doppleganger was approaching them fast.

"Everybody, down!"

Tenzou, Toori, Kimi, Adele, Noriki, Makiko, and herself dived to the ground. Malga got against a wall and Margot ducked behind some stairs. Kiyonari stepped as deep into the shadows as he could, holding Neito close. The doppleganger landed in the road, in Masazumi's form. Masazumi furrowed her eyes at the creature as it jumped off. She then turned to the others. "Okay, let's go..."