The alley was covered in trash, disturbed only by the winds that came through. Nothing lived here, or rather, nothing dared too. An evil presence resided here. Sardonyx kicked an empty box out of his way as he walked through the filth. He knew where to go… all he had to do was follow the power. There was only one door in the back alley, and that was where he was going. Sardonyx didn't even have to knock. The door opened for him. Standing inside was a pale, slender woman. She wore a low-cut black dress that fit her curves perfectly. She wore many gold and silver chains about her neck, waist, and wrists. Her hair was a dark black, and her eyes, a deep burgundy.
"Well. I didn't quite expect you to come alone." The woman snapped.
"Forgive me, mother." Sardonyx bowed slightly. "But the other were wounded, and they are resting. Sapphire is looking after them."
"That fruitcake?" she seemed surprised. "No matter. Enter. I'm interested to know why you've failed me twice now." She sneered. Sardonyx stepped inside his mothers home. The house was stuffy and dark, the way his family liked things. The drab curtains hung down, blocking most of the light from the windows. The furnishings were sparse and shabby. "Sit down, Sardonyx." His mother ordered. Sardonyx complied obediently. "Well? What happened? Out with it!"
I'm sorry. I had not expected her to be prepared for us to attack. She wounded me greatly with a fire demons sword. I was of no use to anyone after I had… er… captured her." Sardonyx looked away from his mother's glare.
"That's no excuse for you're failure."
"Her friends followed. The human boy and the two demons. There was also another human with them." His mother stormed over to him and struck him across the face.
"You're telling me you lost to some human boys and their traitorous demon dogs? You're pathetic." She turned away.
"We would have won… But the girl… Seraph… She's strong. Stronger then any of us expected. But she was wounded, thanks to Sapphire. Otherwise, I don't think any of us would have lived." Sardonyx prepared himself to be struck again.
"What?!" His mother cried. I didn't raise you five to be a bunch of weak losers! How dare you say such a thing! You mean to tell me a wench like her almost beat you all!?" She struck Sardonyx again. "I can't believe how worthless you all have become. I should kill you myself."
"She called on the Goddess of the Eternal Dark." His mother froze. She stared at her son blankly. Sardonyx was ready for fair beating now.
"She… what?" Her hands started to shake. "Impossible… How could she? You must be mistaken." She glared at Sardonyx.
"No mother. That was what she did. The power… had she been at full strength, we would have died. But… I don't think that she knows what she can do… If… of we train hard enough, it won't matter how strong she becomes! If she can't use it then…"
"Very well."
"What?" Sardonyx couldn't believe it.
"Do it. Train… and don't fail me again! If you do… it will be the last time." She turned away from Sardonyx. "Now get out of here, and don't show your face around here again until that girl is dead!" Sardonyx stood quickly and left. "She can't… That girl must not live… if she does… then I… I…"
"What? What do you mean, you're leaving?" Kuwabara was looking at Saiko in surprise. "You haven't even recovered from your injuries yet." Saiko continued to stuff her things into her bags. "What are you going to do if you leave? Get yourself killed? You can't!"
"Kuwabara!" Saiko snapped. "Stop… just… stop. I… I can't stand… how weak I am. It's like… I'm not the same person I used to be. Something happened to me when I was fighting with Sardonyx, that I just can't explain. I just… I just need to get out of here and find something."
"Find something?" Saiko zipped up her bags. "What could you possibly be looking for? Where would you find it? Is it something you lost?" Saiko smiled faintly.
"Something like that. I just have to go, and I can't let anyone stop me." She picked her bags up and threw them over her shoulders. She cringed a little as pain shot through her from the wound.
"Saiko!?"
"Kuwabara, stay away from me." She warned as she felt him step closer to help her. "I want you to do me a favor… Please?" She looked at him pleadingly.
"Uh… sure… I guess."
"Tell Yuske that I expect him to be stronger next time. He has a promise to keep. And… Tell Hiei that he had better master the moves I've taught him… or else." She smiled as she started walking past Kuwabara. "And you take care of everyone. I want you to make sure they do what I've asked."
"Of course… But what should I tell Kurama?" Saiko stopped. She looked like she might have started to cry, but instead she looked at Kuwabara with a fiery resolve.
"Tell him it's not his fault. … and that it's like he said, he can't force me too… but that's what I've chosen."
"Huh? I don't understand."
"You don't have to, Kuwabara. You don't have to. The important thing is that he does. He'll know what I mean." And she left. Kuwabara could only stand there and watch.
"Aw man! They're going to kill me for letting her go like that!" Kuwabara left Saiko's room to think about ways that he might be able to tell everyone with out them getting angry. But, Kuwabara didn't have much time to think about it. He ran into Hiei as he was coming to check on Saiko. "Uh… hey there." Kuwabara tries to act natural. Hiei looks at him oddly.
"What happened to you this morning?" Kuwabara stared at him. "I'll never understand you humans." Hiei tried to step past Kuwabara, but Kuwabara blocked his path.
"Where are you going?"
"Why should you care?" Hiei snapped. "Boton asked me to check on Saiko's wounds while she and Yuske are with Koenma to try and dig up more information."
"Oh… umm… Saiko's not in her room." Hiei looked at Kuwabara in surprise.
"She's what? That's impossible."
"Well. I didn't quite expect you to come alone." The woman snapped.
"Forgive me, mother." Sardonyx bowed slightly. "But the other were wounded, and they are resting. Sapphire is looking after them."
"That fruitcake?" she seemed surprised. "No matter. Enter. I'm interested to know why you've failed me twice now." She sneered. Sardonyx stepped inside his mothers home. The house was stuffy and dark, the way his family liked things. The drab curtains hung down, blocking most of the light from the windows. The furnishings were sparse and shabby. "Sit down, Sardonyx." His mother ordered. Sardonyx complied obediently. "Well? What happened? Out with it!"
I'm sorry. I had not expected her to be prepared for us to attack. She wounded me greatly with a fire demons sword. I was of no use to anyone after I had… er… captured her." Sardonyx looked away from his mother's glare.
"That's no excuse for you're failure."
"Her friends followed. The human boy and the two demons. There was also another human with them." His mother stormed over to him and struck him across the face.
"You're telling me you lost to some human boys and their traitorous demon dogs? You're pathetic." She turned away.
"We would have won… But the girl… Seraph… She's strong. Stronger then any of us expected. But she was wounded, thanks to Sapphire. Otherwise, I don't think any of us would have lived." Sardonyx prepared himself to be struck again.
"What?!" His mother cried. I didn't raise you five to be a bunch of weak losers! How dare you say such a thing! You mean to tell me a wench like her almost beat you all!?" She struck Sardonyx again. "I can't believe how worthless you all have become. I should kill you myself."
"She called on the Goddess of the Eternal Dark." His mother froze. She stared at her son blankly. Sardonyx was ready for fair beating now.
"She… what?" Her hands started to shake. "Impossible… How could she? You must be mistaken." She glared at Sardonyx.
"No mother. That was what she did. The power… had she been at full strength, we would have died. But… I don't think that she knows what she can do… If… of we train hard enough, it won't matter how strong she becomes! If she can't use it then…"
"Very well."
"What?" Sardonyx couldn't believe it.
"Do it. Train… and don't fail me again! If you do… it will be the last time." She turned away from Sardonyx. "Now get out of here, and don't show your face around here again until that girl is dead!" Sardonyx stood quickly and left. "She can't… That girl must not live… if she does… then I… I…"
"What? What do you mean, you're leaving?" Kuwabara was looking at Saiko in surprise. "You haven't even recovered from your injuries yet." Saiko continued to stuff her things into her bags. "What are you going to do if you leave? Get yourself killed? You can't!"
"Kuwabara!" Saiko snapped. "Stop… just… stop. I… I can't stand… how weak I am. It's like… I'm not the same person I used to be. Something happened to me when I was fighting with Sardonyx, that I just can't explain. I just… I just need to get out of here and find something."
"Find something?" Saiko zipped up her bags. "What could you possibly be looking for? Where would you find it? Is it something you lost?" Saiko smiled faintly.
"Something like that. I just have to go, and I can't let anyone stop me." She picked her bags up and threw them over her shoulders. She cringed a little as pain shot through her from the wound.
"Saiko!?"
"Kuwabara, stay away from me." She warned as she felt him step closer to help her. "I want you to do me a favor… Please?" She looked at him pleadingly.
"Uh… sure… I guess."
"Tell Yuske that I expect him to be stronger next time. He has a promise to keep. And… Tell Hiei that he had better master the moves I've taught him… or else." She smiled as she started walking past Kuwabara. "And you take care of everyone. I want you to make sure they do what I've asked."
"Of course… But what should I tell Kurama?" Saiko stopped. She looked like she might have started to cry, but instead she looked at Kuwabara with a fiery resolve.
"Tell him it's not his fault. … and that it's like he said, he can't force me too… but that's what I've chosen."
"Huh? I don't understand."
"You don't have to, Kuwabara. You don't have to. The important thing is that he does. He'll know what I mean." And she left. Kuwabara could only stand there and watch.
"Aw man! They're going to kill me for letting her go like that!" Kuwabara left Saiko's room to think about ways that he might be able to tell everyone with out them getting angry. But, Kuwabara didn't have much time to think about it. He ran into Hiei as he was coming to check on Saiko. "Uh… hey there." Kuwabara tries to act natural. Hiei looks at him oddly.
"What happened to you this morning?" Kuwabara stared at him. "I'll never understand you humans." Hiei tried to step past Kuwabara, but Kuwabara blocked his path.
"Where are you going?"
"Why should you care?" Hiei snapped. "Boton asked me to check on Saiko's wounds while she and Yuske are with Koenma to try and dig up more information."
"Oh… umm… Saiko's not in her room." Hiei looked at Kuwabara in surprise.
"She's what? That's impossible."