Chapter 21 - The Return: Black Devil
Rin failed to suppress a small groan as Inukimi swept through the portal of her own making. "You know, I think I would have rather had Pian curse me instead." She mumbled under her breath.
"I sincerely doubt that, little human." Inukimi flapped open her fan and closed it with a snap. "He wants you dead."
"And that is different from you in what way?" Rin argued back.
"I only want you dead some of the time." Inukimi smoothly transitioned her attention to Satsujimaro. "Is this not a pleasant surprise, Father?"
The skeleton slammed his katana back into its sheath. "Little bitch."
She pretended to be affronted, "Such language! But I accept your compliment. I see that you managed to get away from him; may I extend a full congratulations?"
Satsujimaro crossed his arms and growled a response in return.
Harika sidled up to Rin and whispered, "Who is this?"
"Sesshoumaru's mother." Rin glared. "Although you'd never know it."
Having lost interest in her male parent, Inukimi turned back to Rin. "We must be going. Now that you've broken the spell and found a way to return, you have work to do." Then she turned to glide back out through the portal, not taking a second to confirm that Rin was following.
Rin sighed, gave a quick good-bye hug to Harika and then stepped out. At the last moment, she turned around and found Satsujimaro on her heels.
"What did I tell you? I am not bringing over to this side where you can steal an innocent life-"
"You forgot this." He held out Ryuushin.
"Oh. Right." Rin accepted the sword awkwardly. "Thanks, for everything, I guess."
He stepped back and raised a hand in a ghostly wave as the portal shrunk into a tiny pinprick before disappearing.
"Are you quite finished?" Inukimi rapped her fan against the palm of her hand. "We have much to do."
"No, actually, I'm just getting started." Rin glared. "You have some explaining to do."
That raised a brow: "Do I now? Where is your gratitude, human?"
"How am I supposed to express gratitude when I don't even know what I'm allegedly grateful for?" Rin crossed her arms and winced as her new claws dug into her arms. "Why don't you tell me what I'm thankful for?"
Inukimi waved her arms in an intricate pattern to awaken another portal.
"Let me guess: all my answers lie beyond this door." Rin moved her hands to her hips.
"No. I simply refuse to continue this pointless conversation out here in freezing conditions."
Rin blinked. Freezing? That was when she felt a few powdery flakes brush her nose, melting into droplets. The overcast sky was a soft gray against the starkness of empty branches with a chilling breeze that made her shiver. If she had to guess, this was late winter - a few short weeks away from the thaw. Had she only been gone a few months?
There was little time to admire the scenery though as Inukimi flapped her fan and wafted some wind in Rin's direction. A mighty gust rushed in from behind, throwing her headfirst into the portal.
Rin crashed into the wall, sprawling on the floor. After scrambling up from her prone position, she blinked and looked around. She knew these tiles, the stone walls, the decorations. This was Inukimi's castle.
Panic set in. Did that mean that Sesshoumaru was here? Would they run into him? Rin chewed her lip. Although she said that she wanted nothing more than to accomplish her mission without being noticed, but there was a small voice in her mind that whispered, I hope I can see him.
Inukimi was standing outside of an open door, gesturing inside with a look that could only be interpreted as gentille impatience.
With a quick jog, Rin made it into the room, which appeared to be some random guest quarters by the look of it. There was a huge sigh before she turned around and put her hands on her hips.
"I think you owe me an explanation." Even in her power pose, she squirmed under the unrelenting stare of Inukimi. "I would greatly appreciate some sort of explanation. Harika-chan said I am engaged to Sesshoumaru, which presumably is your doing?"
The fan snapped open yet again. "When one such as yourself has already passed on twice, we have to get a little creative. Otherwise, you would be rotting in that tiny cave where I found you."
Rin blinked. It was unlikely she'd get any other explanation about exactly how the magic worked or precisely why Inukimi had selected that particular spell, but there were still more questions to ask.
"So you're telling me that you 'fake engaged' me to your son, so that I could go to the underworld, revive my body, and develop enough power to come back and do your bidding." Rin was incredulous as she spelled out what had transpired.
Inukimi did not respond, but smiled in her dangerously soft way.
"Why?"
She tilted her head slightly, "I wish to change the future."
Rin crossed her arms, "And why can't you change it yourself? You have power, wealth, influence. Making a few tweaks shouldn't be difficult."
"That is the curiosity with altering fate. The more one pulls on the threads, the faster the future slips through one's grasp. It is impossible to control the chaos that lies before us and the only course of action is to introduce an element of chaos, wind it as tightly as it will go and then release."
"I am your agent of that chaos."
Inukimi smiled cruelly, "Of course."
"And your father? Is he one of those agents too?"
For the first time, Inukimi's perfect smile wavered, instantly transforming into a grotesque mockery of her usual poise. "No. That beast will remain there for the rest of time. I have nothing more to do with him."
Rin swallowed any number of sarcastic quips about the inu clan being filled with psychotic monsters. Best not to instigate a fight with a very powerful and apparently, very bitter, sorceress.
After a few seconds of silence, Rin awkwardly coughed. "What exactly were you hoping I would do?"
"Come now, were you not listening? I cannot reveal my plans to you lest you ruin them."
Rin bit back another scathing remark as she resisted the urge to throw her hands up in exasperation. Instead, she held out Ryuushin.
"Can you at least tell me why you thought it was a good idea to throw this into the underworld? Last time I checked, Sesshoumaru and the others need this sword to take care of the dragons. By tossing it away, you've condemned them to death!"
"Last time I checked, Sesshoumaru was the one who asked me to dispose of it."
"Wait: why would he-" Rin started but then images of her own death flashed from her memories. The sword had flown around, pulled by an unseen force before embedding itself in her back. Then perhaps that meant-"
Inukimi continued, "You see, I designed Ryuushin with a very special feature. It can return to the hand of the wielder at any point with a simple call of will. I can imagine that after killing the twin dragons, my son wanted to avoid any future complications and therefore requested that I send the sword somewhere that no one could call it ever again."
She smirked. "I never imagined that you would actually bring it back."
"How do I destroy it?" Rin was on her feet, ignoring any prior irritation she had felt. If she did not get rid of the sword quickly, there was a strong chance that Pian would recall the blade to his side.
"That is quite simple: all you need is the flames of a daiyoukai dragon, the same ones that terrorized the land." Inukimi's smile grew. "Since they are all deceased, you can either attempt to summon one of the last two who lie dormant, which will require you to acquire more of that precious dragonkin blood from your royal friend."
Rin was already shaking her head. That route was folly; summon a dragon, use the infernal fire to destroy the sword, and then what? Kill the dragon with their hopes alone?
"The alternative is for you to contort the nature of Ryuushin, merge it with another blade that calls you its master. That would be sufficient to convince it to listen to you and you alone."
A coin that had been rolling around in Rin's mind for some time had finally dropped: "You. You made the swords?"
This took Inukimi by surprise and her eyes widened in disbelief. Was this girl not paying attention? "Yes, I believe I said that earlier. Did you honestly think that my sister or my father had the skills to create such intricate weapons?"
Rin looked down at Tenseiga, feeling a tad bit nervous. She had always assumed that Sesshoumaru's father or grandfather had created the weapons, but if Inukimi was the one, who knows what trickery was awaiting to rear its ugly head?
"You need not worry about Tenseiga. It was the first forged, during a simpler time. There is no malice in that steel." She flicked the paper of her fan thoughtfully and delivered to Rin a pointed look. "In fact, it would most likely be very receptive to merging with another sword's spirit."
Her meaning was clear: make Tenseiga and Ryuushin one blade. Rin nodded in understanding and made for the door, but paused as she reached for the ringed handle.
"Could you merge the two together?" She started, but then saw Inukimi's face. "Right, right, you can't directly interfere. Thanks for everything."
" Do you intend to leave looking like that?" Inukimi lazily gestured towards the mirror on the wall.
Rin was curious. She knew she had changed with her underworld training and the dragon's mantle, but now it was time to find how much.
In the mirror she saw a dragon demon. Honey crystals had replaced warm chocolate in her eyes, hair that was a dark umber in the sun was now a satiny black, and skin once tanned with freckles was shockingly alabaster.
With hands shaking slightly, she examined her pointed ears and incisors that were sharper than she remembered. Looking down she could see that her muscles, honed from her training, were far more firm to her touch than was possible in human anatomy.
She clenched her fists and relaxed her hands a few times. With the dragon's mantle, she truly was a demon. She looked back into the mirror. But not enough to fool her friends.
As though reading her mind, Inukimi handed her a metallic mask, similar to ones Kohaku and Sango wore. Rin accepted and placed it over her lower face. That certainly helped, but she would need additional disguise. She tried pulling her hair up as high as it would go, curling the long strands into a tight bun.
She turned her face this way and that, admiring her handiwork. With the mask and the severe hair style, she could no longer recognize herself.
"Stand up." Inukimi commanded.
Obliging, Rin looked at her in confusion as she raised a hand. Then there was a gentle tugging on Rin's armor. Looking down, she could see fibers and metal twisting to form new shapes and colors. It was one of the most unsettling things she'd ever seen, so she chose to stare at the ceiling instead.
"It is the uniform of our family's soldiers. They are crawling the countryside. Keep a low profile and you will not be noticed."
Rin peeked in the mirror. The robes were a rich navy blue, with the silver house symbol embroidered on the sleeves. There was more armor than she was used to, but it did not seem to impede her movement. Now her disguise was complete.
She moved to the door again.
"Oh, I almost forgot." Rin turned to face Inukimi once more and pointed at her forehead. "Can you remove the spell? I don't want any unwanted attention."
"You need not worry about that. It will only appear when you use your demonic energy."
"Can you please just remove it?"
"Unfortunately, no." She waved her hands in an elaborate fashion to create a rather intricate looking forehead protector. "Tie that on your head and no one will see."
Rin rolled her eyes, but accepted the cover all the same. "And the voices in my head? Will this block those?"
With one last flare of her fan, Inukimi demurely smiled. "Whatever do you mean?"
At this point Rin did in fact throw up her hands, grab both swords, and walked out, slamming the door behind her.
Inukimi stood in quiet solitude for a few minutes before walking to the window.
She watched with grim satisfaction as the little human girl walked away from the castle. There was a time when even she had the same optimism, the same enthusiasm for life. But then her father took that all away. She too had been cast into a war of which she should never have taken part, except for the fact that transportation and sword magics were too powerful not to leverage in the war with the dragons.
After she was utterly spent and had created numerous weapons, she was cast away to some country bumpkin and sent down south, away from the icy cold palaces that were her home. All the while, her sister received the highest honor of ruling the north in the lap of luxury.
Demonic energy swirled around her hands subconsciously as she recalled the fury of being discarded like a piece of commoner trash. Nails dug into the stonework as she closed her eyes to slowly bring back her equilibrium. The anger was always there, waiting to seep out. The only way to contain it was through elaborate distraction and entertainment.
She regarded Rin's retreating figure and smiled. The true amusement was only just beginning.
Rin looked back at the castle, but it had already vanished in a sudden fog. With a shoulder shrug, she set out across the wintery landscape.
The few snowflakes that had brushed her nose earlier lay on the ground, melting. By tomorrow they would be nothing more than a memory. It must be late in the winter season: still cold enough to redden the cheeks and numb the fingertips, but not quite enough to keep a dusting of snow on the ground.
She couldn't help but feel a twinge of nostalgia: in her youth, she, Kohaku, and the other village children would await the infrequent snowfall with anticipation. As soon as the white powder lazily drifted down, they would rush outside with tongues wagging, trying to catch the tiny crystals.
One time, Kagome had helped her to make something called a 'snowman' in the form of Inuyasha, but Rin thought the resemblance wasn't quite there - unless they were comparing the lump of snow to a pile of rocks.
A gurgling drew her attention and a few steps later her eyes fell upon a small stream. Now was a good a time as any to take a rest. Although Yami was providing her with a steady trickle of golden beads of life energy, straight to her heart, Rin was worried that all this moving around might be too taxing. The more she did, the more Yami had to work to counteract the draw of the underworld.
There was a nearby rock that served as a seat of sorts. "Ok Yami," she murmured out loud. "I need to find Batotsai, but I have no idea where he could be. All I can remember is that he has buggy eyes and that he travels around on the back of strange cow." She stroked the head of the kageko thoughtfully. Wandering around would do nothing but tire her out.
The burbling and bubbling of the brook caught her attention. That would do! "I can follow to where the water leads. It has to dump out into a bigger river, or a lake, or somewhere. Where there is a lot of fresh water, there are people!" Her grin was wide. It was a long shot, but it would most certainly do.
"Let's go, Yami! And Jiro." She added as an afterthought.
It would take her a few hours, but sure enough, she reached a lake. Partially frozen and clearly not strong enough to support someone's weight. As she gazed on the water, a niggling feeling twitched in the back of her mind.
"I've been here before." Vague impressions of a sunny day with blistering heat popped out of her memories. That was it! This was the lake she passed on her way to the last village during her rounds last summer. Or rather, her last summer. Up the hill she spotted the very path she had traversed on. If she followed that path, she would reach the village and possibly some answers.
Her stomach growled, causing her to giggle. At this point she'd settle for food.
She set off down the path, pleased to feel packed earth beneath her feet again. The other world had more of a gravelly feel, which was coarse and bumpy against her old shoes. Dirt was a soft luxury that was smooth and soft as a soup.
A few hours would bring her on the edge of the village she visited so long ago when she first reunited with Sesshoumaru. The likelihood of being recognized this far into the wilds was slim; the village might divulge basic details: the year, the date, if there are any major threats.
The sun hazily broke through the clouds, filtering gently, but Rin was temporarily blinded, forcing her to shield her eyes. How did Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha ever manage with such sensitive vision? Blinking a few times and several quick eyerubs helped her quickly adjust.
Eyesight restored, she looked ahead into the distance at the mountain forests and froze. Black and ash gray crisscrossed the land with a painter's broad strokes. She scanned, seeing more charred devastation. They had put down the dragons, but not soon enough.
Now she fought back impatience as she picked up the pace, practically soaring in the sky. Whatever joy she might have gained from experiencing flight from her own power was whisked away from the sinking in her gut. Was that village still there? How far had the destruction spread? When would the threat rear its ugly head again? Getting information was crucial.
That's when she spied some villagers running at full speed in the direction from which she came. Perhaps she was already too late.
Rin landed heavily in the cold, slightly damp dirt, right in front of a retreating man. He immediately raised his arms in defense.
"Don't hurt me! I'll do anything you ask!"
She turned to look over her shoulder in confusion, with her hand by Tenseiga. There was no one else around.
"Please let me go, I beg of you!" He had dropped to his knees in prayer. "If I don't leave now, then the koroi akuma will get me!"
It clicked. Of course they would be terrified of a masked demon in armor. She lowered a hand to help the gentleman up. "What is the koroi akuma?"
He accepted her gesture, but yanked his arm away as soon as he stood. "The fiend that comes in the night. He demolishes our houses. He attacks those who stand in his way. He is always searching; no one knows what he is looking for. He searches now!" Then the man joined the throng of poorly dressed villagers streaming away.
Rin frowned slightly.
That did not sound like Pian and Kan, but nothing could ever be ruled out. Apparently they had been in hiding while she was away and if Inukimi could be trusted, they were due to make a resurgence.
Taking to the sky, she leapt in giant bounds until she reached the outskirts of the village. Ducking behind an old frame, she took her dagger and edged it around the corner, to reflect the scene behind her cover:
A small child was sobbing as a figure dressed all in black lifted her up by her threadbare kimono. It shook her hard, interrupting the wails and screams. It cried out in a ragged voice filled with rage: "Where is he?"
Rin's blood ran cold. She knew that voice. Immediately she rolled out into the street and rose, drawing Tenseiga. This would not be easy to resolve without anyone getting injured.
The tell-tale steely slide of the blade withdrawing from a sheath drew the creature's attention. It whipped its masked head towards her and dropped the child, who scrambled away into the open arms of her father waiting in the ruins of another house. Both dashed into the depths of the forest.
"Who are you looking for?" Rin called out hesitantly, taking tentative steps towards the figure with Tenseiga raised.
"The one who took everything from me!" The figure rushed at her, weapon held high.
Rin was easily able to spin out of the way, which afforded her a closer look. It was no wonder that the villagers mistook this to be the koroi akuma, the black devil. Armor that was once turquoise was stained with blood, turning the pieces into a deep brown so dark it could have easily been black. Ragged loose ebony hair ran down its back and over the edges of the full face mask, made of metal, and twisted in the nasty grin of a monster.
The black devil came at her again, this time with more precision and Rin was forced to catch the blow on her sword. Fully engaged, she could see a swirling blue energy just behind the locked pair. As she suspected: this was a possession of some sort or maybe even a mutilation that had merged his essence with a vengeful demons.
"And who might that be?" She slid out of the hold and adjusted her stance. Hopefully, Tenseiga's powers would work the same as they had in the underworld. All she had to do was revert him to a time before the demonic presence appeared.
"The pale bastard that you work for!" came the reply, angrier.
Wait, what? Rin paused as the voice continued its tirade.
"I recognize those symbols on your clothes, I've seen that blue uniform before: you work for the inu clan and that monster who killed Rin and took her away from me!" He rushed at her again.
He wasn't searching for Pian and Kan? There must have been some miscommunication - either unintentional or otherwise. But she didn't have a second to spare as the black devil pulled out a second weapon, a very familiar sickle and swung both in her direction with a flurry of attacks.
She angled her sword every which way to parry all the attack, but she missed one and the curve of the sickle caught the edge of her mask, knocking it clean off into the dirt. With her full face exposed, the fighter stopped moving.
Not one to let an opportunity pass, Rin pulled up Tenseiga and swung with all her might. Revert to your proper self! Begone evil spirit! The blue flames blasted through his chest, pushing out the demonic energies and knocking the "black devil" off his feet. She watched as the fire ate away at the screaming, squirming spirit until all traces of the malevolent energy had been disbursed.
Rin grinned. Sure, purification was one way to go, but strange time-cutting magic was equally effective in vanquishing demon possessions. She slid Tenseiga back into her sheath and walked over to the prone person. The attack had loosened the ties holding the mask in place and she was very easily able to pull it away.
"Kohaku."
Just as she said his name, a roaring in her ears rose up and she blacked out.
It was not a true state of sleep because she could hear and sense everything that was happening around her - including the angry twittering of her kageko.
'Ah,' she thought. 'I must have used too much energy. Sorry, Yami.' She sent up a tiny prayer that her trick with Tenseiga had actually worked and that she wasn't lying unconscious next to a violently raving lunatic.
Hours later, she felt the energy rushing through her system and she opened her eyes. There was a katana staring down her nose.
"Who are you?" The inquiry was softer, but full of wariness.
Groaning, Rin sat up and rubbed her temple. "Does it matter who I am? You were rampaging from a demonic spirit that had latched onto your mind. I got rid of the possession for you."
She looked around for her mask, but was not able to locate it on the ground.
"If you are looking for this, I will give it back once you tell me who you are and you state your purpose." Kohaku had tied back his hair and from the looks of it, attempted to wipe down his armor somewhat, although it was still a mess. The mask dangled from his free hand.
There goes any opportunity of keeping her identity a secret. Rin sighed. At least her new changes in appearance were enough to throw her old friend, at least a little. She tried out the cover story she'd formulated on her walk down from the mountain.
"My name is Mei. I work for Inukimi-sama and I am on patrol per my captain's orders."
Kohaku's expression hardened. "Don't lie."
"What makes you so sure I am lying?" Rin was desperately stalling, trying to find a way out of this conversation in a way that would not reveal her true identity. Get in, take care of the sword, take care of those brothers, and then go back. None of her friends had to get hurt.
"First, Inukimi doesn't employ soldiers. Second, that uniform belongs to that army," he spat the word, "that Inukojo brought with her. Third, the soldiers don't patrol - they get stationed in every village and town. They're placed for 'security' and 'general safety', but all they do is terrorize the locals." He edged his katana up a little further. "Plus you look like someone I used to know - what sorcery are you working?"
She threw in the towel.
"Fine! Fine! I give up! I was going to keep this a secret, but you're so damn suspicious, Kohaku! My name is Rin, I'm seventeen years old (at least I think I am), I have been dead for a while, but I am back temporarily on a super secret mission." Rin crossed her arms. "Now can I have my mask back? I'm kind of busy."
He shook his head, the katana wavered. "Not possible." A mix of doubt and hope were rendered on his face. "You're dead."
"I believe I just said that," she rolled her eyes. "What? You need more proof?" She flashed a few of the secret hand signals they used as children, the same that he had used when she was trapped. All clear. Friend.
The katana and mask thudded in the dirt as Kohaku raced over and embraced her in a bone crushing hug. Rin could feel him shaking slightly and there hints of moisture seeping through the shoulder of her robes. She smiled softly and gently returned the hug.
He pulled away and placed his hands on her jaw, rubbing his thumbs across her cheekbones. "How can this be happening?" A few tears trickled down his face. "You...you...you died." The anguish on his face cut into Rin.
"I know, I'm sorry." She reached out to caress his hair. "I didn't listen to you."
He smiled and she could tell his expression was lightening. "You wouldn't be Rin if you listened or did what you were told."
Unfortunately, the touching reunion had to end; there was still something else to address.
She smacked him hard on the back of the head.
"Ow, what was that for?" He glared at her and backed away a few paces.
"That was for you being an idiot." She bent down to pick up her mask. For now, she tied it to her sash. "The Kohaku I knew wasn't stupid enough to get caught by a vengence demon!"
He bent down to pick up his sword and continued to glower at her. "You have no idea what we went through, what I went through. Heaven forbid I let my guard down and in that tiny window, a demon snuck in!"
"Heaven forbid indeed!" Rin snapped back. "From what I can tell, you've been spending all your time going around, intimidating villagers, destroying their homes, and possibly even murdering them when you don't get your precious revenge."
He paled. "That...that can't be true."
"Well, apparently it is! You were so caught up wallowing in your grief and your misplaced anger that the demon turned you into a killing machine. Have you seen your armor? Who knows how many people you've killed."
"Kami-sama…" he whispered and dropped to his knees. "I swore I would never kill by someone else's will again. How could I let this happen?"
Perhaps it was her time in the underworld, but Rin felt surprisingly little conflict, watching her friend being torn up with guilt. She was well acquainted with the effects of grief: it could tear down your walls and level your entire world. But that was no excuse for allowing it to get the better of him. It was unfortunate, but it was the reality of the situation. This burden was his to bear and he would bear it for the rest of his life.
After a few minutes, Rin coughed awkwardly and sat next to him. "Look, I know you'd take it back if you could, but you can't. What's done is done and even all the powers in Tenseiga cannot reverse it. But you are a good person, Kohaku, a kind person. Just try to live your life honestly, try to help others when they have need and I am sure you will find your way."
"Thanks, Rin." He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
The two remained in quiet meditation for a while, simply taking in the quiet sounds of the abandoned village and the winter wind.
Finally, Kohkau was the one to break the silence.
"So, you're obviously back. Is this…?" He gestured vaguely at her modified appearance.
"The terms and conditions of my temporary revival." She nodded. "Consider them the side effects of being allowed to return for a short while."
"Then, you have to go back?" His delicate question hung in the air.
"Yes. Once I am done with the mission, I will return to the underworld permanently."
He sighed heavily. "I should have protected you. I should have been there for you."
"You can be here for me now," she reached across and took his hand in hers. "I need help to complete the mission and I'll be honest, I was a bit scared having to do it in complete secrecy." She met his eyes. "Having a friend by my side will make it easier."
"You got it, boss." He threw her a cocked grin. "What do you need to do?"
"Well, there's this thing with this sword, something about the dragons, and those twin brothers, but I'll explain more on the way." She glanced about. "Is Kiara with you? It'll be faster if we take him."
"No can do. Kiara's with Sota." Kohaku set about checking his armor, preparing to leave. He stopped when he saw Rin's raised eyebrow. "The children are over there and they need a bit of extra protection when the rest of us are away."
Her brow rose a bit higher.
"Look, Sota is a good friend. He was there for me when I was recovering from the attack and from...losing you. I wouldn't want anything to happen to him."
"Aw, did little Kohaku-kun make a friend while I was gone?" Rin teased and reattached her own mask.
"You don't need to worry about being recognized, if that's what you're worried about. You can't really tell, except when you make certain expressions."
"Well, I am not willing to take that chance. My goal is to accomplish the mission and then go back before anyone knows I'm here. I don't want anyone to have to say good-bye again." Rin stretched a bit.
"You mean you don't want to say good-bye." Kohaku walked past her.
She couldn't reply to that.
A/N: Based on the poll, it looks like we're going to be drip-feeding the content for the rest of the story. That means shorter chapters, but I'm hoping to get them out more frequently. Thank you to everyone who posted reviews after the last chapter - each and every review fuels my motivation a bit more. ^_^
We'll get to see what everyone's been up to over the next few chapters, so stay tuned!