"How could you?"

Hinata had blocked the hubbub of the other occupants of the bar, her sole focus on Kanzeon. Unseen by the human eye, her whole person glowed red, her anger and grief coalescing into an automatic drawing-in of so much of her power, it was radiating off her in waves. She had forgotten where she was and no longer gave a damn as to whom she was facing.

"Stop this now. Your baby is safe." Kanzeon was wrapped in golden light, and though her eyes were watchful, her concern was for Hinata and the humans who were unaware they were witnessing a tableau of supernatural proportions. "You know I will prevail over a contest of power between us. You will only hurt yourself and harm the innocents."

The innocents, fortunately, weren't gazing with stupefaction and wondering about the crazy broads and what they were arguing about in hushed voices. Although most of them (the men especially) did find their eyes drawn back and forth to the two women (although they weren't quite sure about at least one of them), but like oil in water, their thoughts, although present, were isolated and failed to submerge in actual processing because their senses couldn't seem to register stimuli. The bounty hunter noticed the women shared a certain quality he couldn't put a finger on, but decided they were family and having one of those fights he had no business attending to. The unruly two kept clearing their heads at the absolute beauty of the lady who'd come in so dramatically. They never quite got over the dazzle though, and stayed well away. The piano-guy would've sidled closer find out if there were steamy gossip he could use in blackmail, but he had to keep up his pretences as a musician, and for once, though he had perfect pitch, he couldn't quite make out the voices he longed to hear. The old guy just sipped his drink, looked from Kanzeon to the bartender, and wondered if it was time for him to marry again.

Hinata didn't spare any glance on them now. Instead, she raised her hands towards Kanzeon, readying to strike. (This was interpreted by anyone watching as a gesture of goodwill. One of the boys wondered if he was looking at two lovers and was bitterly disappointed.) "You've taken the only innocent I care about…where have you hidden him? Where is my son?"

"I have no intention of keeping his whereabouts secret, and if I had any regrets on taking him, this irresponsible behavior of yours is certainly erasing them." Kanzeon's stern tone had the tensile strength of a whip. "Do you think I wanted to take him from you? Do you think I had no cause? Hinata, he would've died another month from now! At the rate you were going, not even acknowledging his existence, carelessly drinking, preoccupied with your demons…"

"I didn't know…!" Hinata hissed the words fiercely and her red aura rushed towards the Buddha as though intent on smothering the older woman.

"You knew!" Kanzeon's golden haze clashed with and by increments pushed back Hinata's unthinking attack. Seeing the dimming of red, Kanzeon spoke in a quieter voice. "A while ago, you just asked for your *son*. You knew before then, just as you know that he is still within this building, now."

The red aura fully dissolved around Hinata, as she dropped her left hand and her gaze in capitulation, her hair veiling her eyes. "I would never have…I never want to hurt him. I just feel so…trapped…my family was taken from me without notice, these powers and my duties were given to me without my asking…to acknowledge my child would have invited fate to take him away…and yet, it still happened. You had no right to take him… he's mine."

"Oh Hina-chan…" Kanzeon sighed. She stood up until they were once again level with each other, and tipping Hinata's chin up in an almost motherly gesture, pushed back the hair so they could see eye to eye. "I foresaw disaster, I had to interfere...only in this, I swear. I don't want you to lose him either. You have only to take him back, when the time is right. In a way, you surrendered him to someone else's keeping, because part of you knew you weren't in a fit state to take care of him."

Hinata pressed her forehead to Kanzeon's. "How will I know if it's the right time?" A whisper of uncertainty fluttered in the stilled air on which all eyes found they could no longer look at.

"You'll know…or if not, he will. Look now, he's come to you." With that, Kanzeon vanished. The barroom occupants blinked and forgot she was ever there, except for a feeling of dissatisfaction, as though they'd missed out on something wonderful.

Turning around this time to face the doorway, Hinata looked into the clear gray eyes of her sister Yukaeshi.

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"You shouldn't have come down, nee-san." Hinata was careful to look only at her sister's face. Yukaeshi might not know she was carrying two babies now.

"I had to. I was worried about you. You called to me in my sleep." The tone was absent-minded, almost as though Yukaeshi had something else on her mind and was still sorting out the proper words to express them with.

"Did I? I don't remember. Kaeshi…" Hinata couldn't bring herself to ask. Do you know? Do you feel him?

"Your son startled my daughter when he suddenly appeared in my womb." The answer came as though Yukaeshi had heard Hinata's question aloud. Not really surprising, since the older girl could read minds. Hinata had a little of the ability now, but was constantly embarrassed that she couldn't screen her thoughts as skillfully as her sister usually did. But in truth, she did want to ask…to know…

"Wh-at? He…Sana…" Hinata's tongue warbled… If someone else's baby had been placed inside of me, would I have welcomed the child? Does my sister hate me?

"Oh, they're both fine…Sana's in rousing spirits actually, she's kicking up a storm. Are *you* okay with this? Really?" Yukaeshi wondered what was going on in Hinata's mind. If my child were transferred to someone else's womb, how much would I have ached from the loss? Does my sister hate me?

"I don't know…I want what's best for him." Am I stable enough to keep him safe? I don't want to expose him to the dying, bring him to the isles of death, even before he has gained life…anymore than I already have. Perhaps I did call out to you. I would've chosen you, my sister, above everyone else who would safeguard my son.

"I don't know what he's like, your son." Perhaps I should tell her…yes, I ought to tell her this.

"What do you mean? You have the sight…you told me how Sana would grow up to have your features…her father's coloring…you know within a heartbeat her moods…" Hinata tried not to panic. What could be wrong?

"Sana and I have bonds…that was the image, those were the feelings she's projected to me…but your son…I only know him through Sana, and even she isn't shown much. He's blocking us both. You see, she told me that he says his mother should be the first to see him, to know him. No one else." Yukaeshi earnestly willed her sister to gain strength from the words. "He knows I am not his mother. But as his favorite aunt, I will gladly let him stay within me for a while…if that is your wish."

"You're his *only* aunt." Sana tried grinning at her own joke, despite the well of tears that blurred her eyes and caught in her throat. "Tell him…tell Sana to tell him I love him."

"He already knows." Yukaeshi smiled crookedly at her sister. "Sana's telling him to shut up about it already."

Hinata gave a wavering smile of her own. "Thank you…nee-san."

The two sisters hugged. Our family is okay. We'll survive this. Everything will turn out all right.

"So, are you gonna name my nephew, or will my daughter have to learn other thought-words aside from 'you' and 'boy'? I have yet to teach Sana her daddy's favorite word, 'moron'…" Yukaeshi was startled to have jokingly referred to the priest without flinching from the quick hurt. Not that she actually mentioned his name, but it was a start…

"Don't you dare! I'll call my *genius* son…" Hinata thought for a moment. "Rui. His name is Rui."