Rider: (still on Ginryuu) Konichiwa Minna-san. Finally had a day off, so you get a morning update rather than an evening update. Just want to take a moment to address some questions and comments that were tossed my way and I forgot about last we met. To HinaGuy749, pairings aren't yet fully decided, so stick around and you'll see what develops. After all, if I told you right at the beginning you wouldn't read now would you?

To Jack B. Quick, I understand what you mean about the difference between this tale and that of Healing Hearts. As for the fight scene, something happened that hasn't been revealed yet, that's why it was confusing. I know that sounds like an excuse, but I promise it will make sense later.

Truth be told, I'm writing this because of the request of a friend, so the ideas are harder to come by, because its really not an idea I came up with myself. Once I get the ground work settled in a bit more maybe I'll be able to get into it more. At least that's what I hope…(pauses as Ginryuu cries out a warning) What do you mean we're being followed? Who'd be stupid enough to tail a guy on a dragon? (glances back and grimaces) Oh, well as a stupid question…

Wraiths: Damn it Rider! Get back here! How dare you leave me back there! You %(%)(&%&!

Rider: (blinks at Wraiths choice of words) Well that was uncalled for. (Glances down at the Mecha-tama that wraiths is riding on) Where'd  you get that?

Wraiths: I traded ten cases of bananas to Kaolla for it. So where are we headed anyway?

Rider: To pick up a friend. (grins) Just try to keep up. (Pats Ginryuu on the neck, who speeds up in response)

Wraiths: Oh that's mature…(glances at readers) Enjoy the story everyone. (focuses on rider again, and hits the turbo boost) You want to race! Fine!

---

In Search Of Her Place

Chapter Three: Illusions

Motoko looked around her new surroundings in confusion. She had no memory of how she came to be in this place. Nor did she remember how she came to be in the company of two new companions.

The man wore pitch-black robes that matched his hair and eyes. His skin was rough and scaled, like that of a reptile rather than normal skin. He held in hi left hand a plain straight dagger. "Light becomes darkness."

The woman wore robes of pure white, her hair a silver as the moonlight as where her eyes. Her skin gave off a golden glow. In her right hand was a matching dagger. "Darkness becomes light."

Motoko moved forward. "Ano…"

The man began to walk towards the woman. "Night becomes day."

"Day becomes night." The woman began to move forward to the man.

Motoko watched as the two people ignored him. "Sumimasen…"

"No longer is there true black." Stated the man as he cut his right arm.

The woman cut her left arm. "No longer is there true white."

Motoko began to walk towards the two bleeding individuals. "What the hell is going on here?"

The woman and man pressed their wounds together. "Now there is only gray."

Motoko shielded her eyes as the two people were engulfed in gray haze and disappeared and was replaced with a blinding white light. "Now what?" She held up her hand and saw a completely different sight. Something hovered in the air before her, but it's wings kept its identity hidden.

"You should not be here." Announced the voice. "Go back from whence you came."

"Wait! Tell me what just happened!" Motoko demanded as white light enveloped her.

---

Kanako saw Motoko's body, and suddenly couldn't move. She could smell the coppery metallic scent of Motoko's blood. She could hear the scrapes of the ribs hidden within her flesh. These stimuli were affecting her in a manner in which she could never have expected. They made her hungry, and right now, Motoko looked incredibly appetizing.

"Yes…" Whispered the voice in her head. "Eat your fill. Make yourself strong." Kanako's eyes began to take on a light pink glow. Her incisors lengthened a bit longer, and Kanako licked her lips in anticipation.

The young woman shook her head violently, which seemed to clear the abnormalities that affected her a moment ago. "What the hell was that all about?" She wondered silently. "It'll have to wait, Motoko needs our attention right now." She rushed over to her brother's side. "What can I do?"

Keitaro shook his head. "She's not breathing, and I can't feel a pulse anymore either." He searched franticly for a way to save his friend. "Damn it! The ambulance won't arrive in time to make any difference!"

"The Hinata Inn! Please hurry!" Naru was on her cell phone with emergency rescue. "Yes, that's right! We need an ambulance!"

Kaolla looked on worriedly as Keitaro and Kanako tried to find something to help Motoko. For all her inventions, she had nothing that could help them now. She could not even access her magic, as there was no red moon to transform her. She was helpless, her friend was dieing and there was nothing she could do.

Kitsune held Shinobu and Sarah as the two younger girls cried. The fox woman looked back and forth between the scene before her and the image of Ice smoking. "Damn you! If you don't…" She thought to herself.

Keitaro could feel tears on his face. "Damn it Motoko! Don't die on us!"

Without warning Motoko's body began to glow silver-white. Color returned to her skin and breath entered her body once again. Slowly, her brown eyes began to open, and then she blinked in surprise while looking around. "Guys? What's going on?"

Keitaro stared at the samurai woman. "You're ok? You're ok!" He embraced her tightly, and promptly found his head in the roofing tiles.

Motoko breathed heavily. "Honestly, I fall asleep for a moment and I awake to find this pervert trying to molest me!"

Naru dropped the phone to the roof and also embraced Motoko.

Motoko stared in wonder as everyone gathered, except Ice who had turned back to the watch the shoreline and Kanako who was tending to Keitaro, hugged her. "Ok, this is really creepy now." She gently pushed the others off, except Kaolla who refused to let go. "Could someone tell me what's going on here please?"

Shinobu looked up at the taller woman. "You mean you don't remember anything?

---

Kanako watched him from afar. The others had all gone down to the living room to discuss what had happened on the roof, but Keitaro had remained topside. Kanako moved closer to him. "Are you ok?"

Keitaro nodded. "Yeah, just got a little shook up is all." He turned to his sister. "How about you? You seemed to shock out for a moment too back there."

Kanako nodded. "Yeah, I guess the blood got to me for a moment." She paused as she watched her brother. "I've never seen you like that before, crying I mean."

Keitaro looked at her confused. "What do you mean? I've cried many different times."

"But never like that." Kanako pointed out. "You were really afraid that Motoko was going to die." She paused again. "Does she mean that much to you?"

Keitaro looked at Kanako still confused. "Well, yes I suppose. I told you earlier, I care about everyone here."

Kanako couldn't help but brighten a little bit at his words. "I see." She and Keitaro turned and began to head down stairs as they heard Naru screaming at someone in anger. "I think something will need to be done about Ice. We have no proof, but it is obvious that he's the one who hurt Motoko."

Keitaro nodded. "But what can we do? Like you said, there's no proof, and to be honest I don't think it would mater if we had any."

Kanako shook her head. "I don't understand."

"Ice somehow defeated Motoko with no trouble at all." Keitaro explained. "I don't see how we could really confront someone like that without putting ourselves in harms way. And I won't see anyone else get hurt. I'll talk to him tonight."

Kanako nodded and smiled weakly. Even in this kind of situation, Keitaro hated to see anyone risk being hurt. She slowly walked down the steps. "So, what do we do besides that?" She quickened her pace as she heard something shatter below them. When she got there they couldn't help but laugh lightly at the sight.

Ice was lying on the couch, and Lillith was sitting on his back. The woman looked around nervously as Kanako and Keitaro entered the room. "I'm so sorry about the mirror, I didn't mean to break it. But Ice was being so mean to everyone I couldn't help but take a stand."

Keitaro stared at the scene before him, especially the big, red, handprint on Ice's cheek. He scratched his head in wonder. "Well, I guess we found a way to keep Ice in line." He thought to himself. He turned to Lillith. "Don't worry about the mirror, we can replace it tomorrow."

Shinobu walked into the room. "Everyone dinner is ready." She let herself out again as the others began to file out into the dinning room.

Naru looked around the table. "Where's the asshole?"

Motoko sighed. "Must you keep calling him that?"

Naru slammed her fist on the table. "Yes! He nearly killed you Motoko! How can you be so calm about that?!"

"Yeah. How come you get angry if Keitaro touches your chest?" Sarah pointed out. "But this new busts you up and you don't care? That doesn't make sense."

Motoko shook her head. "You keep saying that he nearly killed me, but there are no bruises on my body. I'm not even sore anywhere. I can't believe that I was a hurt as badly as you say." She picked up her chopsticks and began to eat. "I probably just overdid my training again and passed out."

Kitsune raised an eyebrow to this comment. "Sure you did. You passed out and fell with enough force to puncture your lungs and heart with your ribs. Even you can't believe something like that."

Motoko shook her head. "There's no evidence I sustained such wounds…"

"We know what we saw." Kanako stated matter-of-factly, causing the others to quiet. "You were so close to death that onii-chan cried for you. Don't think for a moment that you were not seriously hurt."

Motoko paused in mid-bite. "Keitaro cried? Over me?"

Kaolla, who had finished her meal at this point, suddenly pulled a large scanner type machine from under the table and began to scan Motoko. "What I want to know is why Motoko went all glowy."

Motoko snatched the machine away from the blonde foreigner. "I didn't go all glowy, because nothing happened!"

"Fine then."

The other's turned as Lillith spoke.

Lillith continued to eat her meal and shrugged. "She says nothing happened so why press the point? Nothing you say will convince her otherwise. What's important is that she's unharmed and seemingly unaffected. So why continue the argument?"

The other's nodded reluctantly and continued with their meals.

Shinobu got up from her seat and prepared a tray.

"Shinobu-chan? Where are you going?" Asked Keitaro.

Shinobu looked up towards Ice's room, albeit nervously. "Well, we are an inn right? And Ice is a guest, so I suppose we should send his meal to his room if he's not going to join us down here."

Keitaro nodded. "I guess, but I'll take the tray up."

Shinobu nodded and handed him the tray.

Keitaro headed up the stairs with the tray in hand. Delivering the tray to Ice wasn't the real reason he was going up. He just didn't want to risk putting Shinobu in the path of this person. "And this will give me a chance to talk with him privately." Thought Keitaro. He knocked at the door and waited until he heard a reply before entering his room.

Ice was kneeling facing the far wall, his back to Keitaro. "You've come to kick me out I assume?"

Keitaro set the tray down with an audible clack. "Actually, I came to bring you a dinner tray." His eyes narrowed and he crossed his arms across his chest. "However, the other idea had crossed my mind. Think I should?"

Ice didn't move. "Do what you think is necessary, but be aware that even if you force me to leave this place, I will remain close by."

"Is that a threat?" Keitaro questioned.

"No, merely a statement of intent." Ice replied. "You must do what you feel is right."

Keitaro paused and tried to figure out this man's angle. He was near impossible to read, but he didn't feel threatening right now. The idea struck Keitaro as odd. Ice had demonstrated once already he could be a threat to the girls, so why did Keitaro suddenly have this feeling he could trust him? If he threatened any of the girls again, especially…Keitaro shook the thought from his mind. He wouldn't allow it to get that far again. "You can stay, but if you try something like that again, being thrown out will be the least of your worries."

Ice smiled slightly. "I see. Is that a threat?"

Keitaro nodded. "You bet your ass it is. We clear?"

Ice stood and turned to face the landlord. "Crystal." He walked Keitaro to the door of his room. "For what it's worth," Ice began as he closed the door. "It won't happen again."

Keitaro turned and saw a large amber crystal on the table just past where Ice had sat a moment ago. He gasped just as the door clicked shut.

---

Kanako sat before her mirror brushing out her hair. She turned as she heard something padding at the windowsill. She rose and opened the window to allow entry to a small black cat. Kanako smiled and picked the feline up. "And where have you been all day Kuro-chan? You missed a very exciting day."

"Really? Please tell me about it." The cat jumped from Kanako's arms and curled up atop the cover of the futon that lay at the center of the room.

Kanako sat and began to brush her hair again. "Well, we got our first guests today, though they do seem a little strange."

"Then they should fit right in here. Don't you think? Meow." Kuro replied.

Kanako giggled at the cat. "I suppose." She turned and faced the mirror again. "But, then something strange, even for this place happened. Someone died, and then came back to life."

The little cat picked his head up. "Really?" He asked, seeming somewhat nervous.

Kanako missed the inflection that the cat used and continued on. "Yes, but that wasn't the strangest part." She laid her hairbrush down and stared into the mirror. "I could smell the blood Kuro. Not just the bit that spilled out onto the roof either, I could smell the blood that was still in her body."

"That can't be right…" Kuro began.

"I know." Kanako cut in. "But I could, and I could hear bones scraping together. And then I started to get hungry."

Kuro swallowed hard. "Hungry?"

Kanako nodded. "When I saw Motoko laying there hurt, I started to get hungry. You know? Like when you haven't eaten in a really long time? It just hit me with out warning. Suddenly Motoko just looked like a big steak waiting just for me."

Kuro walked up and jumped on to Kanako's table near the mirror. "Ano, you didn't bite her, did you?"

Kanako stared at the tiny creature. "Of course not!" She lowered her voice. "But I think a part of me wanted to."

The little cat began to pace back and forth. "Let me see your eyes."

"Huh? Why?"

"Just do it!" The cat yelled.

"Ok, just calm down." Kanako leaned forward and allow Kuro to see whatever he was looking for.

Kuro sat back and sighed. "Good, no more seals have fallen."

"Seals?" Kanako stared at Kuro again. "What are you talking about?"

Kuro sweat dropped. "Nothing! Nothing at all!"

Kanako picked Kuro up by the scruff of his neck and held him at eye level. "Why do I get the distinct feeling that you're hiding something from me?"

Kuro struggled to get free of his mistresses grip. "I'm not hiding anything, I swear! Now please let me go. This really hurts."

Kanako dropped the feline and watched as he dashed back to the relative safety of the futon a few feet away. "If I find you that you're hiding something, you're going to be a very unhappy cat."

"I get the picture already!" Kuro shot back as he pawed at his neck. "So anything else happen today I should know about?"

"Well, we were trying to figure out what to do about Ice after the whole incident on the roof, but luckily Lillith seemed to put him in his place. So we shouldn't have to worry about him anymore." She stopped as she saw Kuro's eyes go wide with fear, and his fur seemed to turn white. "You ok?"

The cat leapt up and practically fastened himself to Kanako's face. "The new tenants…"

"Guests." Kanako corrected.

"Whatever." Kuro continued. "Did you just say their names were Ice and Lillith?"

"Yeah. So…" Kanako didn't get the chance to finish as Kuro dashed to the closet.

"No time to explain!" Kuro began trying to gather items from Kanako's closet into a suitcase. "Just pack a bag! We need to get you out of here now!"

Kanako walked to the closet and picked up the little cat again. "What are you talking about? We only just go back here, and you want to go off again?" She placed the cat down on the futon. "And right after onii-chan has come back? You can leave if you want, but I'm staying right here." Kanako lay down on her futon and began to pull the covers up over her. "Good night."

Kuro began to jump on the woman's prone form. "You don't understand! You're in terrible danger, you must run!" He ran up and nipped at Kanako's ear, trying to pull her from the room.

Kanako swatted him away. "Cut it out! What's your problem furball?

Kuro hopped to his feet. "You must leave this place before it's too late!" He stopped as the mirror caught his attention. "Oh no…"

Kanako turned to see what Kuro was staring at. "What in the world?" She rose from her futon to inspect the mirror. It continued to ripple as she neared the reflective surface. "Kuro? Why is it doing thi…"

Without warning or provocation a stony, gray, hand thrust out from the mirror and closed about Kanako's throat.

---

Wraiths: Gyahhh! You did it again! Kanako-sama is in danger! (Leaps at rider to strangle him)

Rider: (smacks the attack away)

Wraiths: (begins to fall off mecha-tama) Oh shit! I'm going to die!

Rider: (sweat drops) We're only four feet off the ground, baka. (shakes his head as wraiths lands with a thud, and turns to Ginryuu) You better wait here, she doesn't know we're coming and she might freak if she sees a dragon. (waits as Ginryuu nods and then walks off) Come on idiot.

Wraiths: I'm going to kill you one of these days.

Rider: Yeah yeah, do the closing and lets go.

Wraiths: Oh fun, I get to close! (clears throat and uses his best announcer voice) Stay tuned ladies and gentlemen for the next installment of In Search Of Her Place! As always all comment, questions, and criticisms are greatly accepted. So please tell us what you think! And please join us again soon!

Rider: (shakes his head) You are such a freak. (turns to readers) Till the next all, live safe and be well.