Okay, warning, major out of character Nakago. I had a momentary lapse in KEEPING THE CHARACTER IN HIS PERSONALITY so, yeah... you'll understand. Part of the reason is that it's my longest blurbult with Nakago, and it's just slightly difficult. Especially when I'm attempting the whole Solei/Nakago romance thing. Oh, in case you were wondering, the pairings go like this: Solei/Nakago (duh), Amber/Tasuki (hopefully you guys all saw that...) Raya/Nuriko (weird, yes, but hey, she's a prophet, she can do whatever she bloody well wants. Raya: uh-huh. Don't forget it M.S.) Liz Beth/Hotohori (aren't they cute...) and Nicole/Ryndacko. Yeah. That should be about it. Enjoy!

M.S. (or MidnightShade)

P.S. Thanks for reviews are at the end of the chapter...

Solei began walking through the Cave, knowing that she could let nothing distract her if she wanted to make it to the other side. Phantoms of friends came and want, brushing past her, laughing together, trying to get a reaction as they played their ghostly games. An image of Jaime appeared before her, seeming solid.

"I didn't mean to." He was trying to explain his actions with Christine. "She came on to me, I couldn't help it..." She brushed past him, tears building in her eyes at his betrayal.

'You broke up with me, you jerk.' she said to herself, knowing that speaking aloud would bind her to the Cave. 'Of course you meant to. Just because I wouldn't let you have my body...' she pushed her mind away from thoughts of Jaime and pressed forward, determined to get through the Cave successfully. Nuriko stood in front of her next, his braid dangling from one elegant hand.

"I did this for you, Solei." His ghostly eyes bored into hers. "It's time to stop playing games." She reached out towards him, but jerked her fingers back before they touched him.

'I'm sorry, Nuriko.' She gazed at the face. 'Raya can help you. She'll be better for you. I'd only hurt you more than I already have...' She broke away from his hold and forced herself to continue, tears beginning to fall. 'You're right...I should stop playing games...' Her outstretched fingers hit one of the walls and she returned to the middle of the Cave. She saw a glimmer of light before her and knew that the end was near. A final image faded into existence before her. Glancing up through her tears, Solei saw cobalt blue eyes staring into hers. The phantom's broad shoulders blocked the exit and Solei bit the inside of her lip, confidence gone in the face of the man who held the key to her powers unknowingly.

"Hello Solei." Her knees went weak and a shiver ran up her spine. A greeting almost escaped her lips, but she bit it back at the last moment, focusing all of her energies on remaining silent as was required.

'Hello Nakago.' His phantom hands reached out to her and brushed her cheek, image blending into flesh.

"Why do you torment me?" His voice was soft, but his question held so much command.

'I'm not doing anything!' she shouted mentally. 'It's not my fault!' One of his ghostly arms stretched around her waist and drew her close.

"Do you know what you do to me?" His voice was a deep purr that almost sent Solei to her knees. It was just as well that he rendered her speechless.

"I should just keep you here, with me." His breath ruffled her hair and his words broke the trance. She stepped out of his arms quickly.

'I have to go.' she thought sadly. 'I can't stay.' she paused. 'I want to stay. With you.' She stepped into the light on the other side of the Cave and stood before the wrought iron gates of the realm of her father.

"Goodbye." she whispered sadly. "Goodbye."

Des opened the door to the room she and Amber shared. With a quiet 'eep' she shut it, a vision of Amber in Tasuki's arms burned in her mind. She turned to Chichiri.

"On second thought, I don't need to get anything."

"What's in there now, no da?"

She tipped her head. "You didn't see?"

He shook his head. "No, I didn't, no da. What?"

"Tasuki ...Amber...yeah..." She blushed crimson and fell into step with the taller monk. "So... What are the gardens like?" she asked.

"They're...well...they're big no da."

"Well, I would have guessed as much, but what's in them?"

Chichiri thought for a moment. "There's a nice pond, no da."

"Can you swim in it?" Des asked curiously.

"No, no da. It's for fishing, no da."

"Oh." Des said, a slightly abashed look on her face. "Do you fish?"

"Yes, no da."

"COOL!" she yelled, a smile lighting her face. "Can we fish?"

"I guess so, no da."

"Well then." Des marched onwards, ignoring Chichiri as he took a turn to get his fishing pole. "Let's go!"

'You know she means more to you than a tool in Seiryu's greater purpose.'

Nakago suppressed an annoyed growl. 'Why are you still trying to convince me of something that is entirely untrue?'

'Like I said earlier,' the voice replied. 'Why are you bothering to reply if I'm wrong?'

'Because you are in my head and I can't get rid of you.' Came the steady reply.

'You could always just agree with me and get it over with.' The voice retorted. 'It'll happen eventually.'

'It will never happen.'

His mind was silent for a moment as the voice contemplated a decent response. 'So you're predicting that Solei will fail.'

'She will succeed.' As he thought it he knew it would be true.

'She WILL come to see you after she succeeds. IF she succeeds.'

'She WILL succeed.' Nakago ignored the rest of the phrase.

The voice let out a frustrated yell within the barriers of his mind. 'WOULD YOU STOP BEING SO THICK HEADED AND GET THE FACT THAT YOU'RE IN LOVE WITH HER ALREADY!?!?!?!?' Nakago did not respond and continued walking through the gardens of the temple. He pulled a small sky blue pouch out of his pocket and eased out the Mirror of Ray. For a moment he stared at his own reflection, then he ran his thumb over the surface, willing it to show him Solei. She appeared before him, all signs of the mirror gone, staring at him.

"Hello Solei." he said softly, his fingers reaching out and brushing her cheek. She shuddered, but her lips remained together. "Why do you torment me?" he asked, reaching out an embracing her with one arm. He pulled her flush against him, yet he could not feel her presence; only her ghost was with him. "Do you know what you do to me?" he did not know what she did to him; it was different than with all other women. True he did not really know her, and true he had not known her for very long, but she could hold her own against him in a fight and she could meet his gaze without flinching. "I should just keep you here, with me." He did not know what made him speak, but she pulled out of his arms and walked away, offering only a regretful look before disappearing and showing only his confused reflection in the mirror.

'You care for her. Admit it already.' The voice whispered. 'You're worried she might not return.'

Nakago returned the mirror to its pouch. 'It was a tactic to get her here. All part of the plan.' As he thought it he knew it was not true.

'I'm supposed to believe that falling in love with Solei was all part of your master plan? Try again, Nakago.'

'I'm not in love with her.' He received only a patient, waiting silence. He found himself wishing that he was wrong, that his inner self was correct, but he wasn't going to admit it. He closed off all thoughts of the blond-haired angel and moved deeper into the gardens. His mind continued in its wanderings and he didn't stop it. It came to rest upon Solei's opposite, Amber. The girl was always full of energy while Solei was much more reserved. Amber's words haunted him, running through his mind.

"I don't know what Solei sees in that egotistical jerk..." She had thought he wasn't listening, but his ears were sharper and fine-tuned by time. Nakago knew that Nuriko wasn't the 'jerk,' which left him. Why did that make him happier?

'Because you LOVE HER!DUH!'

Nakago shook his head. 'No. Love is a weakness I would prefer to avoid.'

His inner self rolled his eyes. 'What does it take to get this through your thick skull?! The girl loves you, you love her. ACCEPT IT!!'

Nakago shook his head. 'Why did she go to Nuriko? Why did she write the note?'

His mental self did not falter. 'You denied her. She took a risk and paid dearly for it. You've been playing game with her heart, and she can't live with a broken one.'

Nakago once more refused to respond to his inner voice and tried to relax as his feet found an overgrown path. His feet lead him to a fountain overgrown with dark green ivy. The statue above the fountain bowl was uncovered, and he was amazed to see a perfect likeness of Solei carved into the black and white marble. Anguish shone in the white marble eyes, and jet black wings curled around the figure, as if trying to comfort her. A crystal tear glistened at the corner of her marble eye, and her dress was covered in a sparking layer of silver dew. He found himself wishing it was truly her, not just a statute, and brushed her cold stone face with his fingertips.

"Why is it never really you?" he asked softly. "Why is it always a picture or a statue or an image?" He sank to a black marble bench a few feet away from the statue. "What did I ever do to deserve this?"

"You have suffered much, General, but so has she."

Nakago looked up to see Solei's uncle staring down at him, a reproachful look on his face. "Then why? I am no longer what she wishes. She has made that much clear..." The letter ran through his mind and he blocked it away swiftly. Hades, the god who stood before him, watched for a rare moment as emotions ran unchecked across his face. Sadness mostly, but flashes of anger and annoyance as well.

"Do not blame yourself, General, you were taught to obey your god." Hades paused before continuing. "She was taught the same-"

Nakago cut him off. "Then why does she go to kill him?"

Hades sighed. "Caelestis was the one she spoke of who saved her from the streets and tortured her. Obedience was literally beat into her. Rebelling to save the world from her fate is the only thing she can do."

"This has happened before." It was not a question.

"Yes. There is a prophecy that the sisters follow."

"Prophecy?" he was back to his controlled voice and his harsh, emotionless mask was back in place.

"I'll give you the condensed version:

To continue his line

His children were born

One for the night

One for the morn.

Solei and Selene

The sun and the moon

Were his vessels of power

Controlled by a tune.

Then they awoke

And got out of hand

Caelestis killed them

To retain his command.

The girls were reborn

To bring about his demise

And under other names

They were forced to live lies.

One was a Protector

The other, a Guide

Their mission was impossible

And they vanished inside." Hades paused to regain where he was and to find the next relevant section.

"Games are played

By all but one

Most are successful

Once they are done.

The collection of few

Must fight together

If they hope to replace

Caelestis forever.

Such success cannot come

Without a small price

The life of a twin

Comes at the toss of a dice.

For she is the one

Who tries not to play games

And yet gets mixed up

Within the maze of names.

Every time

The group succeeds

The god reappears

To fulfill his needs.

It's an endless circle

Of death to partake

And then once more

The three will awake." Hades tried to read Nakago's face, but it was blank of everything but thought. "I skipped the information about the other members of the prophecy." Nakago nodded to indicate that he had heard. "I must away." A flash of black signified his disappearance and Nakago resumed his study of the statue.

"The life of a twin..."

His mental self gave a somber reply. 'Please don't be Solei...'

Alright, here go the thanks:

Midnightsoul: Sorry about the lack of action here and in other chapters, be informed that it WILL BE in the next chapter. If it's not my own characters are likely to turn on me... Thank you 4 your continued reading and support, and for the reminders about the action!

FangedBandit19: I'moncloud9 is throwing things because in the prophecy Des is referred to as an annoyance. She took it personally. It was not meant as such. As you can tell, I have not stopped the story, but I do still want reviews! Please don't stop. Thanks.

ZzZzZzZ: Thank you for the review, you're the only one outside of the three who did review. (I know Midnightsoul did not directly, but it took a roundabout route.) Thank you for your review and I hope you keep reading. Keep reviewing!

FangedBandit19: um... I'm not quite sure what that has to do with the story, but I appreciate the Shakespeare. Goodness knows I love Shakespearean plays and such. Thanks 4 the review (despite it's slightly meaningless message) and keep it up!

PLEASE, TO ALL, KEEP REVIEWING! AND TO THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE, THANK YOU!! gives hugs and plushies of favorite FY characters to all reviewers THANK YOU AGAIN!!

MidnightShade