Chapter Three: Twilight and its Betrayal

I watched Yukina stare off amid the midnight heavens, unbeknownst to me in which gazed upon her. Her silver locks flew about her, as if it were beseeching her approval. Obscurity gently bathed her, the glistening eyes of heaven basking her in an eternal glow. A halo of sorts. Her delicate porcelain skin blazed amongst the heavenly orbs of light, causing her to appear as if ghost in which was fading thus away. The pallid nightdress she wore hugged her curves, becoming a pool of liquid star about her feet. Her subtle fingers grasped the unforgiving stone of the balcony in which we both now stood. It had been nearly fifty years and still she had remained unchanged. Still the sister in which was reborn as my mother. Yet I noticed Yukina grew weary, slowly decaying from within her soul.

I pressed myself hard against the stone and watched intensely. I saw the anguish in which threatened to overflow and pool within the corners of her eyes. She was in fact the one in which needed a parent not I. She had raised me alone, for our father had left some years ago with the human and the bastard child. So, he had thus given us this merciless, sorrow consumed keep in which beheld no contentment.

Were the years worth living? Gazing back thus to Yukina I saw her gazing at me. Her stone like features ruled by indifference. I couldn't decipher which emotion she wore, because in fact she bore none. She gazed at me with those mournful orbs, and I felt myself become weaker. Were we being punished?

I had grown up loathing my father and the ningen wench in which tore him away from us. For I knew if It wasn't for the ningen bitch Yukina would not be wearing the mask in which she wore now. Forcing her emotions to freeze and her heart become a barren wasteland of betrayal.

" Setsuna?" I was tore from my reverie by Yukina's neutral voice, thinking once I saw a flicker of fret shine across her decaying orbs.

" Yes Yukina." I answered in a voice in which was consumed with both thought and hatred.

" Your mind is ruled by thoughts of revenge are they not?" I gazed wide eyed and foolish before her. She was going to ridicule me for such thoughts, and I braced myself for her brutality, yet it never surfaced. " It matters not to me I'm merely curious." Her voice was so bitter, was so unnatural. No doubt time had done this to her.

" I have witnessed for slow decaying for quite some years now. Your dying in this place, why not leave it? It clearly causes you so much pain, and it seems my presence does not give you solace. If you desire for release why not just fly away?" Yukina's features did not soften, yet her golden orbs were suddenly drowning in tears. Tears in which I had caused.

" Do you truly believe it is that easy? Have you learned nothing? I do not know where father is. We can not just leave our palace, we must protect it!" Yukina's eyes then flamed their tears and gazed on to the twilight. " This is our home Setsuna. This is our prison. You see it is both because we allow it to be. It is both because we are...alone."

" No Yukina we aren't alone." She gazed thus back towards me and frowned deeper.

" That ningen you found...I thought you.."

" There isn't a reason to loath them all. Besides, I couldn't just leave her alone. I don't want her to have the small fate as us. That is all sister." With that spoken I turned to leave, my retreating form becoming devoured by darkness in which now cloaked me. I walked the darkened corridors to my chambers, feeling my hand entwine about the knob I pushed the door open with a small amount of strength. There, I must admit, was a strange sight to behold. The ebony haired ningen girl was sitting on the side of my bed, gazing off into the closed doors of my own balcony. Her reflection gazing back at her as if to tease. To mock. Upon hearing the door close she turned her eyes to me. Dark eyes, yet they beheld happiness. Never in my dreams did I believe I would witness happiness again, yet it was tainted. She jumped from the bed and hugged my legs, gazing up at me with a smile.

" Rin, is it?" I asked seeing her nod her approval. I smiled, the girl had witness the death of her parents and still pretended to be happy. Did she wish to please me? I had taken her under my wing only four weeks ago. Could this girl already be deathly loyal to me?

With the interlude with Yukina I had just had it seemed as if I were but a child, yet I knew my childhood had come and gone with a whisper. And now my life passed with sobs.

" What were you gazing at?" I asked, strangely curious. She didn't answer me. She wouldn't speak, yet I would still ask her questions. To ease her back into it, yet it had been false hope. Perhaps the girl would remain mute forever. She smiled at me, pointing to the flowers in which she had picked for me upon a desk beside my bed.

She was gazing at the garden, yet it was twilight now and no doubt hard to see.

" Would you like to go she the garden Rin?" The diminutive girl nodded her head, as I grasped her hand we both made our way to the garden. Upon entering it I could smell...my father! His scent was everywhere! So much I could have fainted. His scent was mixed with the ningen wench and..hanyou. My half sister Adrazu.

" Yukina!" I called, yet gazing behind me I saw she was already present.

" Is that all you smell Setsuna?" She asked, and it was then I smelt not just my father but other demons as well as ningens. " We may have to fight."

A/N: I so sorry for not updating for so long! I promise it will NEVER happen again! Thanks so much to people who reviewed and also thanks for not giving up on me! ^.~. I'll try and get another chapter up soon, and I promise again this will not happen again. Please forgive me!^___^