Demoness: Puts a line on the wall number 1,200,001

Sesshoumaru: walks into the room and shakes his head I know I'm going to regret asking this, but what are you doing?

Demoness: grins at her handy work Just adding another mark to my 'How many times I've been called a bitch' wall, but people always get it wrong and say I'm 'a bitch' but I'm THE bitch!

Sesshoumaru: Since it seems that she has gone into her own little proud world, I guess it is up to myself to bring you the next chapter. pulls out preapproved speech She wanted to say, that to make up for the long break in bewteen chapters, she made this chapter extra long (14pgs). She thanks her beta reader HellsAngelOfDeath for the excellent editing job. She also wanted to apologise for her laps in sanity before and that she is now 'some-what mentally stable.' looks at Demoness who has an evil grin on her face Though I would have to disagree with that. I do not feel like reading the rest of this so here is the chapter...

Disclaimer: soaks piece of paper with disclaimer on it in water removing the ink Opps...I don't think I was supposed to do that...

Chapter Four: To Claim Another

Chitenshi removed her hands from her face and let them fall to rest in her lap. Slow deep breaths calmed her erratic heart, returning it to a steady rhythm. Possible solutions and courses of action, varying in degree, raced through her mind. Slowly following the web of thoughts back to their origins, she settled on a plan.

Opening her eyes, determination shinning in their emerald depths, she picked herself up and crossed back to the chest she had fled from minutes ago. Chitenshi leaned down and lifted the thick book from inside and placed it on the floor in front of her.
Releasing the gold clasp on the side, the book opened and the black parchment pages turned to the desired page without Chitenshi ever laying a hand on it. The blazing gold ink floated above the pages, illuminating the words to the reader. She read over the spell quickly and let out a small sigh.

Glancing at the staircase, Chitenshi spoke her thoughts out loud. "I know you guys were looking forward to a fun night, but I'm afraid bedtime is going to come early tonight." She smiled wryly at the thought. "They would never go to bed this early. It's barely eight o'clock."

Focusing on the words in front of her she closed her eyes and gently placed two fingers in the center of her forehead. Reciting the incantation, a warm golden glow surrounded her and intensified.

"Sleep be with you
Peaceful sleep, Restful sleep
Let your mind be eased
Let your body be calmed
Wings of darkness,
Let the sight of night and dream
Be clear, be quiet,
Let your troubles drift away and let you dream
Until the dawning of the sun…"

With the ending word the aura of gold pulsed and then flashed away from her form, filling the house in its unseen light.
While uncertainty and determination raged against each other upstairs, the pointless bickering had ceased downstairs and now the girls were laughing and discussing various things that had happened in school
.
"Then after Nichole got the perm, she decided she didn't like it and tried to wash it out. Now it looks like a rat made its home out of her hair. How could a person be so stupid in the first place?" All the girls gave a laugh at the story from Haily, who one way or another, found out about every piece of gossip and scandal in Immaculata High School.

After the girls had calmed down from their last bout of stories, Julie happened to look around the room and noticed that they were short a person. "Do you know where Chitenshi went?"

Kay and Haily both gave puzzled looks. "We don't even remember her leaving. She must be up in her room." The unseen magic wrapped itself around the girls unnoticed, but the effects were soon felt. "But I think I'm going to turn in early tonight. I'm really tired all of a sudden," Kay finished as she got up and pushed the chair under the table.

"I think I'll join you," Julie said sleepily as she followed her friend out of the kitchen, with Haily not far behind.
Chitenshi had just gotten down the spiral staircase when she heard the yawns of her friends carry down the hallway. She hid the smile threatening to appear on her face as she watched her three barely awake friends trod into the room looking like the would collapse at any second.

Chitenshi acted liker her normal self and asked the pointless question, to her anyway. "Well, what did you guys decide on for tonight?" The three girls didn't even acknowledge her presence as they collapsed on their various sleeping locations.
"We decided we're going to bed so leave us the fuck alone," Haily muttered, her voice barely audible through the pillow her face was currently occupying. Chitenshi stifled a giggle at her choice of words and went to the door.

"That's fine by me Miss 'leave me the fuck alone so I can sleep'. I'm not tired yet, so I'll be up for a while. See you later sunshine." Sarcasm practically dipped off the last statement, which earned Chitenshi the middle finger from Haily. She took that as her cue to leave and she closed the door behind her and waited for the full force of the spell she had cast to take effect.

She didn't have to wait long, for after a minute, she sensed the slowing of heartbeats and the evening of breathing signaling that, for all points and purposes, they were dead to the world. Chitenshi silently said good night to her friends and made her way though the large house to the sliding glass doors in the back that opened onto a wooden deck.
Gazing at the moonlight washing over the wood, Chitenshi calmed herself with a single breath, effortlessly sliding the door to the side and stepped out into her waiting fate, unaware of the stirrings upstairs.

A cloak of fog surrounded Haily's mind as she blearily opened her eyes to the darkness of the room. Ancient Magic and energy bombarded her senses, making her scrunch her face in displeasure. Sitting up in the bed she cursed herself because of her lack of attention. "Damn it! I should have known what was happening and stopped it before it put us to sleep, but what worries me the most is why my senses didn't pick up on it in the first place." Haily managed to climb out of the tangle of sheets and blankets she found herself in and located one of Chitenshi's dressers. She quickly stripped off her uniform and pulled on a pair of flare jeans and a long-sleeved pink shirt, while making a mental note to return them to Chitenshi.

Her hands suddenly stopped in their ministrations when she thought about Chitenshi. Taking stock of the room, Haily only noticed the sleeping forms of Kay and Julie. Worried for her friend, she quickly put on a pair of white sneakers and grabbed a hair tie before racing out of the room.

Running down the stairs she whipped her hair into a ponytail while thinking of where to start looking for Chitenshi. She made her way through the living room, the dining room, the kitchen and finally came to the den. Haily was becoming frustrated at the lack of results from her search and increased her pace, jumping down the two steps that separated the two rooms. She stopped short in shock when her eyes focused on the person outside in the moonlight.

Chitenshi let the waves of light cast by the moon wash over her form, pushing energy into her body. Steeling her body in preparation, Chitenshi waited for her transformation. Searing pain shot down her spine, sending power crashing throughout her mind, halting all thought. She threw her head back in silent agony as two slits on either side of her back sparked a vibrant red, eliciting a pair of black wings to release themselves from their prison.

The wings stretch towards the darken sky, then slowly encased Chitenshi in their safety, shadowing her from the night. A red aura clung to the gleaming black feathers, twisting and flaring as if performing its own mysterious dance. A dance made to hypnotize all those who dared to not avert their gazes.

Haily watched in silent horror as she witnessed the awe inspiring sight before her. Thoughts and feelings surged through her body, forcing her to become rooted to the spot. Fear, anger, and worry were only some of the emotions that flowed within her, but the strongest was the feeling of betrayal. 'When? Why? How? How can she be a demon? There is no possible way. I would have noticed before. I should have noticed before, but why didn't she tell me. Why would she hide from me?'

Haily walked slowly towards the doorway trying to decide on what to do. There were too many questions that only the person in front of her could answer. About to step out, she was forced back by the aura around the black encasing that flashed to a blinding degree. When the light receded, Haily tentatively looked into the night and was struck speechless.

The black wings peeled away from her body coming to fold neatly on her back revealing her true self to a world that hated and feared her. Her skin still held its perfect ivory tone, but there was now an underlying glow that gave off a sense of power. The deadly skill possessed by each hand was now added upon by the perfectly formed claws that would envy most blades. Her hair hung in waves cascading down to the small of her back, between her midnight black wings, now red at the tips.

Chitenshi brushed a piece of hair behind her ear revealing perfectly pointed ears, but this action also revealed markings that none had seen in over five hundred years. Each cheek held two thin, triangular black stripes and her forehead was now adorned by the same symbol imprinted on the book, a red crescent moon that opened to her right, bordered by a black wing on the left and right. With everything combined, Chitenshi was the essence of pure deadly beauty.

She smiled showing a set of fangs as she stretched out her body, enjoying the feeling of having the binding spell gone. She was almost giddy with delight as she spoke. "I should definitely do this more often, even without the full moon. It has been far too long since that spell was removed." Her wings flapped a bit, then settled once again. "A long flight is the first thing I want to do, but first, grabbing a dagger would be wise, just incase I run into some trouble."

Not wanting to just call a dagger to her, Chitenshi decided to physically get it and check on her friends. Chitenshi walked back in through the sliding door, but felt a presence near her. Recognizing the signature aura, she gave a greeting without thought and proceeded on her way. "Hey Haily."

Chitenshi stopped dead upon hearing what she had said and slowly turned around to gaze into the eyes of her friend that had just been witness to everything. Her face went passive, showing nothing while she worked on a plan to remove herself from the situation. Finding no such solution, she stood her ground staring at the girl, waiting to see who would be the first to make a move. After minuets of silence Chitenshi gave a mental sigh and conceded that she would have to be the one to start things. Giving strength to her voice she started the conversation. "Haily, I-"

Haily had been staring at this new person in front of her, looking over every detail. Her markings were familiar, but she couldn't recall where she had seen them before. Minutes passed with only the sound of the old grandfather clock ticking away the night. Haily was pulled from her scrutinizing by the sound of her name, but she cut it off with one single word. "Why?"

Chitenshi was a bit startled at the questioning word, but she knew what the rest of the question would have been. "You want to know why I never told you what I am, right?"

Haily slowly nodded in response bringing her gaze to meet the emerald eyes of Chitenshi. "Haily, do you know what type of demon I am?"

"You are familiar to me, but I cannot remember why," responded Haily, each word gaining more confidence.

Chitenshi smirked at her friend. "You never were one for remembering things. The reason why you know of my kind is because of those stories that you have been told since you were born. Stories of a terrible race of demons with unlimited power that they say would have ruled the world had your ancestors not eradicated them over five hundred years ago."

Haily's eyes widened as Chitenshi spoke. The stories that she spoke of filtered back into the foreground of her memory returning the lost information. "You ... you're a b-blood demon," she cried out and backed away.

"More like a Blood Demoness, if you please, and why are you backing away from me?" Chitenshi started walking towards Haily with a mocking smile. "I'm not going to hurt you, so stop acting like a scared child."

Haily stopped immediately at the accusation. "I am not a scared child, thank you very much. I'm fucking eighteen for God's sake. I'm older than you by a little less than a month!"

Chitenshi was about to answer back when the Haily's attire caught her eye. "I see you decided to go shopping in my drawers. I should never leave you a lone in my room without proper supervision."

"Hey, it's not my fault my bags were still in my car. What did you expect me to do? Walk out to the car naked and give your whole neighborhood a show?" Haily was now less than a foot from Chitenshi.

Chitenshi tapped her chin in thought. "If I remember correctly, you were wearing your uniform when you buried yourself under the comforter on my bed and told me to fuck off."

Haily glared up at her friend as she poked her chest emphasizing her point, though things were going down hill fast for Haily in this argument. "I can't stand wearing that ugly thing any longer than I have to. I was too tired to take it off when I walked into your-" Haily stopped short, realization dawning on her. "It was you who made us so tired! You must have cast a spell on us." Though Haily had figured out one part of the puzzle that was her friend, she still looked a bit puzzled for a second. "And when did I tell you to fuck off?"

Chitenshi was glad to see the person she knew return to her normal self. As she began speaking, she gave Haily a signature grin. "Very good, I'm amazed that you were able to figure that out all by yourself. It certainly took you long enough." Ignoring the glare she was receiving, Chitenshi continued. "And like I said before, you told me to fuck off after you claimed my bed as your own. Though, after that you flipped me the finger, adding to the effect in true Haily form."

Both girls gave up on words and laughed at the odd circumstances, but their good mood was cut short by a sudden explosion from outside that rocked the foundation of the house. Chitenshi raced outside, followed closely by Haily, only to stop short when they saw flames and smoke coming from a large crater in the backyard. Nothing was normal about the flames that filled the depression in the ground; they seemed to have their own aura, as if they were a living being. Chitenshi studied them from the steps of the deck, but could find no possible reason as to why they were there. Getting frustrated at viewing the charred yard from where she stood, she gave in and did the only thing left to do.

"Haily I want you to stay here. I'm going to see if I can find out what happened," Chitenshi said coldly. Haily was about to argue back, but the tone of her voice left little room for negotiation. Instead, she watched her friend spread her wings and take off flying over to smoldering part of her yard.

Chitenshi felt the soothing rush of the wind blowing through her hair, but the effect it had on her was short lived. As she neared the crater, a strange aura hit her full force causing a halt in her actions. The flames intensified, as if preparing for something, or someone, turning an inky black highlighted with purple. She didn't know what was going on, and constantly looked around in search of any possible attack, but stopped when she saw a shadow rise from the smoke.

The smoke filled the night air, displacing the oxygen, making it hard to breathe, but the figure moved at a slow and deliberate pace through it, not even phased by the poisonous fumes that surrounded it. Chitenshi followed the shadow's movements, but as she watched, it disappeared, leaving no clue as to where it went. Staying calm, she quickly looked around, hoping to find some trace of where it had gone. A flash of its aura was all that alerted Chitenshi of the direction which it was coming from, but it was enough for her to move out of the way. Or so she thought.

Chitenshi was struck from behind and was flung into the concrete foundation of the house. She impacted back first, causing a sickening crack to reverberate throughout the surrounding yard and woods. White hot pain spread through her back, causing her to cry out. She knew something was broken, but didn't know what, only finding out what when she tried to shift her wings out from under her. Pain stabbed her back, pulsating from the now shattered main bone of her right wing.

Chitenshi tore off the bottom of her shirt and tied it around the wing, trying to gain a small amount of stabilization. She couldn't figure out how she was hit. 'I was sure I was out of its way, but it still managed to strike me. It was almost like it changed direction in mid air.' She shifted onto her hands and knees and then felt a hand grab her arm and help her off the ground. She looked unpleasantly surprised at who had helped her.

"I thought I told you to stay on the deck. Haily, you're an element demoness; you have no place being out here. If that thing threw me aside like that, then you have no chance fighting it with or without me," she whispered fiercely to her friend still watching for the shadow.

"Hey, I can fight just as well as you." Chitenshi gave her an unconvinced look. "Alright, maybe not as good as you can, but I still know how to defend myself. Anyways, it's always better to have two against one, right?"

A malicious laugh rang in their ears, irritating their senses. The sound wrapped around them, creating the illusion that the voice was everywhere. "It does not matter how many of you there are; you will not succeed. My dear Chitenshi, I have waited many long years for the chance to claim you as my own. Tonight I will enslave your knowledge and power to rule over all, but most importantly I will claim your body as mine. You will be nothing, but an empty shell when I am through with you."

The cold laughter returned and grated on Chitenshi. Her jaw clenched while the claws on her hands begged to tear something apart. Being a possession, her body being used as a toy, and her mind being broken were the things she had fought against her whole life, and she wouldn't submit, even if it killed her. "I don't care who the hell you are, you bastard! I would rather die, than become your slave. Quit hiding like the coward you are and face me with honor. Or is honor a quality that is foreign to you," she yelled into the smoke clouded yard.

"As you wish," the voice whispered in an eerie tone. The breeze that had been blowing though the trees picked up intensity at the words. The gale force winds whipped at their skin, sending dried branches and leaves scrapping over their bodies. As quickly as the maelstrom had started, it ceased.

Both girls collected themselves and looked around at the now clear yard. The smoke had been carried off and the fires put out, but the most startling discovery was the person standing less than twenty feet in front of them.

Dangerous orange eyes flashed in the light from the moon, standing in stark contrast against the unnaturally white skin. His face held no markings except for a sadistic grin that was captured on his lips. Snow white hair fell down to his shoulders, in striking contrast to the navy blue and black robes he wore. Both of his arms were wrapped in bands of cloth that floated and danced with a life of their own. Each detail of his being showed a person that should not be trifled with; a person with which death resided.

Chitenshi studied the person in front of her, looking over every detail for a weakness that would lead to his down fall. His aura was nothing like a demon's, yet not like a human's either. The aura around him reeked of death, pain, and tortured souls. Chitenshi cringed as she felt the last thing. 'I know what he is now. The only person that could have the tortured souls of the dead surround him would be a necromancer. A being who would kill opponents just to control their souls, so they could and would never rest.'

Chitenshi stared into the vibrant eyes of her opponent, letting her voice carry on the wind. "Necromancer, who are you and what is your purpose in trying to accomplish the futile task of claiming me?"

He took a few steps towards them, his appearance flickering; then morphing into another. Both girls gasped in recognition at the man who was now walking towards them. Haily was the first to find her voice since seeing with disbelieving eyes. "He ... it's Travis," she said in horror.

He gave a fake look of hurt at her statement before changing back. "What, are you unhappy to see me Haily or should I say Inochiki?" At the look of shock on her face, he smirked and continued, "Yes, I know the name given to you at birth. As well as every detail of your life that has led to this point in time. I would dare say that I even know you better than you yourself do."

All Haily could do was look at him not wanting to believe what he said was true. 'How could he know that? No one has ever known that name!'

Chitenshi kept her face passive as she watched her friend out of the corner of her eye, then shifted her gaze back to necromancer before her. 'If he knows that much about her, I can only guess how much he knows about my life.' She was left with one question though. "Who are you really," she asked, her gaze not leaving his.

Though he did love to toy with his victims, these words were boring him. 'The spark is there. Now only to ignite the flame.' He withdrew a staff that was behind his back and held it at his side with his right hand. The weapon was unique in its design. Both ends were made of metal blades that glinted every time he changed the position of the staff, but the middle was the core of its power. A dark purple orb was encased in a lattice work of metal, allowing only parts of it to be seen and was held in place by and eight inch shaft on either side that connected it to the rest.

"My true name is Nanashi. I only used the disguise of the dimwitted Travis to get close to you. I am truly surprised that you didn't figure me out sooner my dear Chitenshi, but what can I expect from a person that couldn't even protect her own mother," he said with a sneer.

Though Chitenshi looked calm on the outside, anger boiled inside, like a volcano about to erupt. "You have no right to talk about my mother, necromancer. No fucking right," she seethed at him.

Her head jerked up and the sound of glass breaking was heard in the surrounding area. Two black streaks raced through the night to their master. Chitenshi held her hands up and deftly caught the twin blades, pulling them from their sheaths in one fluid motion. Her eyes never left his as she lowered herself into a fighting position.

Nanashi twirled his staff in front of him, wearing a taunting smile. "Yes it was such a pity that she had to die, but it was her own fault that she took in a cursed child. She couldn't have known that the child would cause her death," he said with amusement in his voice. "Such a shame."

Chitenshi gave up on words and attacked her opponent, aiming for his heart. She executed her strikes perfectly, but he managed to block all of them. Both defenses were strong and it would take a great deal of effort to break either one. She studied his moves, looking for the perfect opportunity and at last it came.

After the last block, he had left himself wide open with his staff above his head. Chitenshi swung the sword in her left hand aiming for his shoulder and managed to cut him, leaving a trail of blood. He retaliated by tripping her foot with his weapon, faltering her balance. He took his time and made sure he hit her square in the damaged wing and then placed a swift kick to her ribs, sending her staggering back.

Haily stood on the side, ready to lend her assistance in the fight. She saw Chitenshi slice a gash on his shoulder, but was surprised when he managed to strike her in the blink of an eye. 'He's fast and he's not even a demon. Guess it's time to help out.' Haily closed her eyes and released her binging spell in a bright purple flash. The brown leaked from her hair revealing pure golden strands. Her nails lengthened and hardened into points, while her ears changed to resemble those of an elf. Beauty of an undying light surrounded her, sending hope into the hearts of those who would look upon her.

Haily stepped in between Nanashi and Chitenshi, her amethyst eyes glowed as the weather took a dramatic turn. Lightening streaked across the sky as thunder sounded throughout the area giving off an ominous warning. She looked at him with undying contempt. "I believe you said you wanted my friend to submit to you in everyway. How foolish could you be? I would die before I see you lay one hand on her," she yelled at him as drops of rain started to fall.

Nanashi laughed at the brashness of the girl. "It would seem that you don't know who you're dealing with. I always get what I want." The orb in his staff started to pulse as he spoke, sending waves of cold through his target.

Beams of light streamed from the weapon casting a purple hue on Haily. Time seemed to slow down in a matter of seconds for Chitenshi. She knew what was happening and struggled to reach her friend in time. She had seen too many people taken in her life to allow another to die when she could stop it. She flapped her wings, ignoring the pain, giving herself an extra boost of speed.

The energy from the staff built to a crescendo, then released itself, hurtling straight at the frozen form of Haily. It twisted in the air, igniting the surrounding brush. Chitenshi rammed into the side of her friend knocking her to ground, making her watch as Chitenshi took the full force of the blast. Haily looked on in horror as her friend's body twisted and writhed with pain.

Chitenshi couldn't focus on anything but the pain. The energy seeped into her skin, scalding the inside of her body with a molten heat, making her blood look for an escape. A scream of agony ripped from her throat as she collapsed to her knees. Blood flowed freely from her mouth, mixing with the thin lines of blood falling from her eyes. Defenseless and immobilized by the pain she was at the mercy of Nanashi.

He stood by and watched her sacrifice herself for her friend with a satisfied look on his face. He reveled in her scream as it replaced the silence of the night; soaked in the sight of her on her knees. 'She's fallen into my trap and now all I have to do is collect my prize.'

Nanashi strode over to her prone from and roughly grasped her jaw in his hand, forcing her look at him with pain filled eyes. He bent down close to her ear and whispered, "This position is most familiar to you, isn't it, Chitenshi. Wasn't this how your mother looked before you killed her? How fitting for you to die the same way she did."

She struggled at his words and he tangled his hands in her hair, yanking her head back. He roughly pressed his mouth to hers and forced her mouth open, shoving his tongue inside.

She pushed at his chest in a desperate attempt to get him off of her. With her strength leaving her, her efforts became less and less until she did the only thing left. She brought her hand up to rest on his cheek as she deepened the kiss. His grip on her hair lessoned at her submission, allowing her to move her head more freely. She suddenly stopped the kiss, her eyes flashing open to look at his closed ones. In one fluid move, she dug her claws into the side of his face and sliced through the flesh leaving four perfect gashes. Chitenshi push off his body and scrambled away from him, gasping for air.

Nanashi looked startled at the action. He brought his hand up to the left side of his face, then pulled it away to look at the blood that now covered the appendage. The puzzlement that clouded his features was swiftly replaced by rage as he looked at the crouched position of Chitenshi. He straightened his posture and made a move to attack, but was forced back by a lightning bolt striking the ground inches from him.
"Hey Nanashi, how about you play with me now?"

He glared at Haily and changed his direction, aiming at her only to be stopped by another bolt of lightning.
Haily gave a sly grin at his disadvantage. 'He's not going to get near me or her if I have anything to say about it. I only had to wait for the right conditions.'

Indeed the right conditions were in play. The sky had clouded over and the rain pelted the ground, forming small streams in the uneven terrain. The thunder had increased to a deafening level, while blue lightening marred the calm night sky. Haily wanted revenge for what he had done and was determined to get it using any means necessary. 'I'm going to enjoy this.'

Nanashi gauged the girl from his position, looking for possible weaknesses. She was well protected by using the weather to shield her, but he noticed a slight discrepancy in her calculations. There was a break in her defenses and he knew just how to penetrate it. He held his weapon in a striking position and attacked her left side. As he expected a lightning bolt was thrown from the heavens to block him; that's when he took his chance.

Switching directions in the blink of an eye Nanashi reached her right side and struck her lower ribcage with the face of his staff, breaking three of her ribs. She coughed up blood instantly as shards of the broken bones punctured her lungs. Each breath she took made it harder to breathe as more blood choked her airway, slowing her movements.

Haily staggered forward trying to maintain her balance, but was forced to the rain soaked ground after receiving a blow from behind. She painfully rolled onto her back and found Nanashi lurking over her like a wild animal hunting its prey. The orange in his eyes flared with each burst of lightening, showing he was a predator looking for a meal and Haily was it. He ran a hand over her body, memorizing each curve by touch. As his face moved to meet hers, his hand became bolder, lifting her shirt and running over the taut muscles in her abdomen.

He leaned down close to her face, gazing into the amethyst depths of her eyes with untamed lust and desire.
"Are you having fun yet, you sick bastard," she said glaring at him with loathing.

Nanashi smiled at the question and answered, "This is going to be most pleasurable. For me, at least." He grabbed her breast, emphasizing his statement.

Haily spit the saliva and blood that had collected in her mouth at his face, earning a hard slap from him. He raised his hand back to slap her again, causing Haily to close her eyes, but the blow never came. She tentatively looked up and saw a dark red aura around his hand. It slowly grew brighter as it engulfed his whole body, immobilizing him. Haily was glad that something had stopped him, but was equally confused at what was controlling him.

"YOU WILL NOT LAY ANOTHER HAND ON HER!"

Haily's head snapped to the side to see Chitenshi standing with a deadly poise that radiate hatred and a coldness that was unending. Haily began to call out to her friend, but immediately quieted when she looked into eyes that were no longer an emerald green, but unwavering silver. 'Oh shit! This is not good! Somehow she's tapped into the other half of her mind, releasing this being that does not think about sparing the lives of others. She only values the art of killing...' Haily struggled free of the weight of Nanashi and scrambled away from both of them.

Chitenshi stood tall and proud over the bound Nanashi. Her lips held a small smile of satisfaction. She had caught her prey and now she was ready to play with her new toy. "I remember you saying that I would submit to you in everyway. From the looks of it, you are the one who is going to beg me for mercy."

With a flick of her wrist, she sent him crashing through a nearby tree, enjoying her domination. Quickly pulling his body from the rubble, she sent him to the other side of the yard, breaking the double chain link fence bordering the area. She laughed as he was thrown anywhere and everywhere with little consideration. Letting her defenses down without knowing, Chitenshi opened her self up to an attack that she never sensed.

A silent attack soared thought the air, cutting through the senses of the others. A crystal blue dagger, cut the very air itself, looking like pure, untainted ice. Aiming at Chitenshi's back, the object embedded itself in her spine making her let out a blood curdling scream. Blood flowed freely from the wound, but something else also escaped her body. Tiny crystals ran down her back, falling into the wet grass, each shining a pure blue color.

Chitenshi's pain fogged mind couldn't comprehend what was happening. Her vision swam from the loss of blood and energy, threatening to take her to unconsciousness' inky depths. Her ears were bombarded by cruel laughter that echoed off her soul. She could see the auras of the dead floating around her, being controlled by the necromancer. She was losing this battle quickly and unless she did something fast, he would claim her. 'I have barely any strength left to keep breathing and no power to control him anymore. Why she would choose to remain in this body is beyond my understanding, but one day she will see that and relinquish control. Until then, I have to keep her alive at all costs.'

She looked up into the rain and let it wash over her body, trying to draw strength for one final stand. She lowered her gaze to Nanashi who had managed to get to his feet. He was preparing to attack and she smirked at his actions. 'Too little, too late,' she thought as a white glow surrounded her. Her eyes closed as the light grew brighter, attempting to blind the souls of all who would look at her. Her aura waved and danced about her body, flaring and twisting as if was listening to music that none could hear. All the light given by the moon was absorbed into the aura, continuing to make it increased.

Suddenly everything stopped around her as her eyes flew open. Her lips formed a malicious grin as she looked at Nanashi. "Good bye necromancer," she whispered before the aura lashed out in a circle, blanketing the area in white.

Haily felt the wave hit her like a blast of artic air, chilling her to the bone. The enormity of the power that was passing through her, made her head spin. As fast as it had reached her, the light was gone leaving her dazed. She groaned shaking her head trying to clear her vision. Haily looked around the yard and saw the destruction, but she couldn't find Nanashi. "Finally that fucking asshole got the point. Too bad he only had to lose his life to do so." She continued her scan of the area and froze when she saw a figure lying on the ground feet away from her. "Chitenshi..."

Ignoring the protesting of her ribs, she ran over to her friend and dropped down beside her, hoping to see some life still left in her friend. Chitenshi lay on her side, her body was broken and hanging on by only a thread. Her injuries had continued to pile up, making it hard for her body to and heal the multiple wounds. Haily brushed Chitenshi's hair away from her face, wanting to see the true person that had protected her and saved her life.

Her face was untouched except for a thin line of blood coming from the corner of her mouth, but the thing that worried Haily were the two lines of blood seeping from her eyes. 'How can she be bleeding from her eyes?' She gently wiped away some of the blood and smelled the salt mixed in it. 'Tears? She's crying blood?' Haily was shocked to say the least. She had been told about her race, but only the superficial details. Now she wished that her ancestors had kept documentation of the blood demons.

Looking over the rest of her injuries she grimaced at the severity of them. From Nanashi's attack, the flesh around her wrists had been scorched black with burns, as if being shackled with molten bonds. She could see traces of more burns on her back, which made her remember the dagger.

She gently turned her friend onto her stomach, and looked at the injury to her back. The weapon was buried to the hilt and Haily didn't dare to remove it, not wanting to inflict further damage. She was about to turn her friend back to her side, but stopped when something caught her eye that was hidden by the tank top she wore. Carefully cutting the fabric with her claws, she now saw that the object was a black tattoo of the Kanji symbol for 'time.'

Not thinking about what could happen she traced the symbol with a lithe finger, soon regretting the action as a red aura started to climb up her arm. She tried to get away, but she found herself rooted to the spot, forced to watch the slow growth of the red light. The ground underneath them disappeared, making both figures fall into the depth of darkness and into a place they never thought they would see.

As the sun began to rise on a new day, a small band of soldiers marched through the forest retuning from protecting the borders. All looked extremely happy to be on their way home and the group had a relaxed atmosphere about it. The two leaders, a male and a female, were riding on horseback in front of the group, conversing with each other, when a scout appeared to their left, looking unsettled. "General, I think you should come take look at this," he said glancing over his shoulder from the area where he came from.

The male looked at the female beside him, giving unspoken orders, which she relayed to the soldiers. Half of the group stopped to rest on the side of the trail, while the other half went with both generals to protect them in case of an ambush. They followed the scout into a nearby, seemingly normal looking clearing where they stopped. The male general was about to reprimand the scout for deterring them from their original path, when he saw what had unsettled the soldier.

Lying in the middle of the clearing were two figures, that upon closer inspection revealed to be two demonesses. Both generals dismounted their horses and carefully approached, wary of the unconscious pair. "Hakunetsu, do you think it's safe to be doing this? It could be a trap," the female general said to the other as the approached the unconscious women.

The male general, identified as Hakunetsu, brushed a stray strand of light blue hair behind a pointed ear and looked around the space. "I can't smell or sense any other humans or demons near here, so it is safe Shirin."
He knelt down by the one with red hair and looked over her form, stopping at the knife in her back. His anger grew within, recognizing the dagger as one that assassins from the southern lands usually carried. "We have to get them back to the castle immediately. They've both been attacked by the Southern Lands, and in that case, they are allies of ours and can give us information. Shirin, have the men create stretchers, and carry them," he commanded.

He stayed by the demoness' side while Shirin quickly set about the task and soon had the orders carried out. Hakunetsu was amazed that she was still alive. 'Even for a demon, her injuries should have killed her by now.' He carefully lifted her into his arms and placed her on the makeshift stretcher and repeated the action with the one with golden hair.

After the girls were settled, they packed up the objects that had been found with them. A sword still in its sheath had been found by the element demoness and twin katanas unsheathed were lying a few feet away from the other. When one of the soldiers tried to pick them up, they glowed and acted on their own accord, sheathing themselves and hiding away in the chest that sat on the edge of the clearing.

Hakunetsu and Shirin laughed at the fright clearly seen on their soldier's faces and started to move the group out with their two newly acquired members. Hakunetsu let a sly smile grace his face when a thought carried itself through his mind. 'I can tell that these two are going to cause unforeseen problems, but at least it will be interesting.' With that he steered his horse to the front of the group and continued on to their destination.

Demoness: There ya go! Finally finished! Hoped you like it, though I imagine I've left you thoroughly puzzled.

Sesshoumaru: When do you not? Either with your mental instability or your twisted mind that likes to play games with others.

Demoness: I know. I lead a complicated life.