Disclaimer: I don't own Raphael. I'm just a biter. But I do own Chi! Hah! And Xiao! And another character that's gonna be in this fic. The two characters Juno and Onyx... belong to my sister.

Chapter 2: In the grip of nightmares

Setting: Time has progressed three years, and Chi and Raphael still live together in their giant scary house. O.O

The small four-walled room was cloaked in an ebony shroud, all except for one light. The mercilessly garish crimson hue that bore into Chi's silver-gray optics. Something wasn't right... her eyes scanned the contents of her room, to see if anything was out of place. Before long her eyes drifted to her window, the wintry air ruffling the curtains paling in comparison to the deathly cold that her room was already. Her window was open, though she always locked it. Again she scanned her room, stopping at the figure that stood against her door.

"Raphael?" Her voice was barely a whisper, and even that was forced from her throat.

"I think you know who this is Hakujou-Baka." The figure spat. "I'm here for what is rightfully mine, and that would be you." Xiao stepped forward, her gorgeous features contorted into a mask of fury, the light of Chi clock casting a red glow and deep shadows on that hideous mask.

She reached down, her hand clasping Chi's shoulders and shaking her violently "WAKE YOUR ASS UP!"

"CHI!!! FOR GOD'S SAKE! I've been trying to wake you up for ten minutes! It's almost eleven!" Raphael rasped exasperatedly, shaking her again.

Chi, shocked from her dream, flew upward, her head crashing into Raphael's, his body flying backward and landing with an audible thud. "WHAT?!?!?!" apparently unaware of the collision, she swung her legs over the edge of her bed the sheets falling off of her naked body as she strode to the door. "Thanks for the wake-up call asshole, I'm going to shower"

Hoisting himself up, he strode after her, eyes scanning up and down her body.

Boiling hot rivulets of water ran over Chi's body as she scrubbed at her flesh, trying desperately to rid herself of the vestiges of last nights dream. No matter how hard she scrubbed at her flesh, the remnants hung in her memory, like jagged shards of glasses, embedded deeply into her conscious self.

"You are mine..." The words echoed in the small room, and Chi knew they belonged to no physical being in the lavatory. They were only in her head. She could still feel Xiao's hands on her body, smell the coppery scent of her breath, see the fury on her face.

It's time to go see Juno... she thought. The priestess, whom had been her friend for longer than either truly knew, had been helping her through the earth-shattering nightmares that plagued her.

Stepping out of the shower and wrapping a towel around herself, she strode from the bathroom, her feet slapping noisily against the weathered hardwood floor of the upstairs hallway, a trail of frozen footprints following her to her room.

"Chi!" Juno threw open the door to her home, and embraced her best friend. "What is the occasion?"

"Time for a session, then I need to go out and wack a few people." Chi grunted, allowing Juno to lead her into the palatial home.

"ChiIkari! You are an instrument of Him our God. Must you... "wack" people for a living? You could be helping them instead, you know." She grunted, blowing a loose strand of hair away from her face.

"Hey. God made me the way She made me... who am I to deny Her what she wants me to do? Plus... the monetary earnings sooth my troubled karma, if you catch me." Chi giggled, placing herself into a seat, and accepting a steaming cup of tea.

"Great... What's SHE doing here? Did Raphael finally get tired of her?" Onyx strode into the room, placing himself in the seat farthest from Chi.

"Fuck you kindly, Onyx, but I'm here to be consulted about some things." She hissed, taking a swig of the steaming liquid, her tongue and throat numbing as the searing liquid passed over them.

Chi slowly unfolded the events of the night before Juno, her eyes downcast in a look of shame.

"That sounds very interesting. Did you ever stop to think that maybe her soul is reaching out to yours from her prison?" Juno's brow knit thoughtfully, chewing on her lower lip.

A jolt of fear shot through Chi, as she pictured the eye... The eye in the glass, frozen completely, and bolted into the safe behind the picture. Her favorite picture. "Do... do you think she could escape?"

"No... you've pretty much screwed any chance of escape for her. But... but what if maybe your guys's souls have bonded? Both of you shared a very traumatic experience with each other. As a matter of fact, she is still dealing with that experience. I would be pretty pissed if I were in her shoes." Shrugging helplessly, Juno's head cocked slightly as she smiled. "Now instead of "wacking", how about we go sort through some files? I've got to keep these lists of incoming souls fresh."

"No... fricken... way... Plus, I think I'm going to go check on the prison... you know... ease those nagging suspicions I have, that she's lurking barely out of reach in my household." Embracing her friend, and nodding coldly to Onyx, Chi strode out of the door.

"That girl has problems." Onyx growled.

Oh... be nice, Onyx" Juno ruffled his hair playfully and strode to her office. "I really need to get some paper work done."

Les Irises... the intricate designs and thickly applied paint stood vibrantly out from the rest of the dull gray paint that covered the walls. Violet, blue, and white swirls of color, blending together to form gorgeous blooms on emerald stems. It was art. The very definition of art, infact. Staring into the painting, Chi felt her fears and concerns melt away... no doubt into the swirling depths of one of the delicate flowers. Everything was fine... quite fine, infact. Xiao was safely away, and the house was calm.

Then how come she felt as though there were dark clouds on the horizon, looming close enough to feel, but not close enough to unleash the storm that would destroy her sanity further? She searched her mind, but could pull up no reason to account for the uneasiness. Well, forget it. Today she would set aside her concerns. Today she would set aside her job, and simply enjoy life with Raphael. She would enjoy life for the first time in three years.