Winter: Hello and welcome to the next revised chapter of Lioness. I know I've been bad on updating but aw hell, I'm sorry.

So just to get things moving, the disclaimer still stands the same.

Chapter Twenty-Three: Nightmare:

"This will be the last time you ever interfere with my plans again," muttered a woman leaning over Flash's unconscious body.

The woman stood at the height of 5'4", the figure of her body gave off an estimate that she weight about 136 pounds. Her sloppy black hair was pulled back into a bun that didn't seem to do much; too many hairs found their way out of the gold band and back into her face.

"You obviously have no idea how long I've been waiting for this to happen," she went on walking over to an old stone table standing in the middle of the run down courtyard they were in.

As she walked swiftly to the table her black robe trimmed in gold and her white beaded dress brushed against the grass.

Flash started to groan and slowly lift her head. Once she was fully conscious she was aware of her surroundings, she immanently tried jumping up to attack the woman but was held back down by the shackles that her wrists were locked in up against the stonewall of the courtyard.

"Oh goodie, you're awake."

"Let me go you bitch!" Flash shouted at her.

The woman grabbed something off of the table and took long angry strides towards her prisoner. "I've had enough of you."

With those words said, the woman raised her arm to show that she was holding a long jagged ritual knife.

Flash watched helpless as the knife went plunging down into her heart. Wide eyed she gasped for breath as she could feel her soul slowly slip out of her. Down, down, down her soul went screaming for help and revenge into a dark abyss.

---

Gasping for air Flash shot upward holding the left side of her chest. Panting heavily she gasped for air trying to blink the sweat out of her eyes. After realizing her surroundings she was able to calm down somewhat.

Everyone was still asleep on the cave floor and the sun was in the middle of rising. She shuffled backwards enabling herself to lean against the cave wall. Oh how her chest throbbed. Never had she ever had a dream like that.

Sure she had the never lasting remembering things that Lioness could no longer remember, but never something so intense.

Why were her dreams stronger now?

Could it have something to do with being in Makai?

But this had to do with her, not Lioness, why?

Why…. was she going to be sick?

Quickly Flash jumped up as best as she could but only stumbled since she was so weak. As fast as she could she ran out of the cave and into the bushes. Dropping to her hands and knees she felt her stomach turn and she had no choice but to open her mouth and let go.

Once her body was done rejecting whatever was left in her stomach she wiped the corners of her mouth with the back of her hand. Flash's face cringed, if there was anything she hated the most was vomiting. The only good part was that her chest didn't ache as much.

She moved back and balanced on her heels in order for her to gather some leaves and sticks to place over the bile. Once she was finished she slowly got up and turned around.

Only when she turned around she bumped into someone. Looking up she saw Capoon staring down into her eyes,

"Are you sick?" he asked concerned.

"No I'm fine…. just a…. forget it," answered Flash softly brushing past him.

Capoon grabbed her arm. "Care to talk about it?" He helped up a leather canteen. "Drink some water."

Flash took the canteen and popped off the lid. Slowly she put it to her lips and let the water fall into her mouth. First she rinsed her mouth out and then took a sip of the water and handed it back to Capoon.

He shook his head, white hair falling in front of his dark eyes. "Keep it, I don't need it."

"Uh thanks."

"So what happened?" he asked following her back to the cave.

"Nothing, just a bad dream."

When they got back to the cave everyone was still asleep. Flash sighed and started waking everyone up.

"Rise and shine morons, we have a long day ahead of us."

Slowly one by one everyone began to wake up. Once they were fully awake they got up and stretched out his or her backs from the hard rock floor that had to sleep on.

"Ah, my back hurts," said Yusuke as he attempted to crack it.

"There's nothing you can really do but walk it off," said Kurama sympathetically, knowing his pain.

Flash was digging through her bag for some Pop Tarts to pass out to everyone. Once everyone was awake and fed they started off on their journey with the Kiahrie trotting ahead of them.

The group didn't stop for lunch but munched on some fruit as they walked. The Kiahrie had strolled off into the woods most likely to look for something to eat.

As everyone talked amongst each other, Flash remained quite thinking about the nightmare she had had and what it could mean. She was knocked out of her thoughts when Yusuke noticed that she hadn't chimed in to call anyone an idiot.

He stepped back to walk beside her. In order to get her attention he gently elbowed her arm. Flash looked up at him to see his questioning face. She nodded to tell him she was fine.

After two more hours of walking they had come to the end of the mountain range. Everyone gathered on a cliff that was facing north. Flash's eyes rolled to the back of her head. Once Lioness's eyes were focused she started to look around in Flash's bag.

"Success!' she said as she pulled out a pair of binoculars.

She dropped the bag and walked to the edge of the cliff putting the binoculars up to her eyes.

Everyone watched her with interest.

"Aha!" she said with the binoculars. "Do you guys see those smoke clouds?"

Everyone squinted. "Barely." stated Hiei.

"That's where the Red Fox Tribe is," said Lioness passing the binoculars off.

"That has to be about another day or two of walking," said Capoon them to Kurama.

"Don't forget the climb down," added Autumn look over the edge of the cliff.

Hinote groaned. "We're going to be in Makai forever!"

"Stop complaining," growled Lioness. "All we have to do is get the crystal to Kira and then she'll be well and then you will be able to go back to Ningenkai."

"I don't think you should be getting your hopes up."

Everyone turned around to see where the voice had come from. But before they could see a face, everything went dark.

End Chapter:

Winter: Again, sorry for the wait. But now that I have my own notebook and I finally graduated high school and it is summer, hopefully updates will be more likely to happen.

Please review.