::Chapter 4::

People's idle conversations and chit chatting sounded all around them. Cooks called out orders and dishes clattered somewhere off to their right ---a waitress was busily clearing a table for new comers to sit at. Ryo watched her picking up the plates and cups from the table top and then hurriedly walk them away to the brown tub sitting in the corner; balancing them the best she could in her arms, dump them in and then return to the table to wipe it off. Fingers drumming on the tabletop brought his eyes to rest upon the blond haired man seated in front of him again. A far off look held his handsome features as he idly drummed his fingers against the table top, his head cocked to the side and rested upon his other hand.

Sage was unusually quiet today for some reason. Normally he would have been smiling and even winking at some of the waitresses who worked here as they passed by him, but now he just sat mutely in his seat; eyes directed else where. This brought a frown to Ryo's face as he looked at him. He figured the whole divorce with Hannah was what had him so down and was afraid that prodding that information out might anger the blond man.

Clearing his throat now, Ryo sat his folded hands on the top of the table that they sat at and asked, "So, you want to tell me what's on your mind, Sage?"

The blond haired man sighed, brushing the irritating hair that seemed to hang over his right eye away, giving himself a brief moment of relief from it before it just fell right back into place. He leaned back against the booth he sat at, hand still drumming idly on the table top to keep his mind busy. So many things were on his mind now, too many things to tell Ryo about in just one hour. A frown now settled over his face as he stared into the cup of tea that sat before him.

His family still had yet to learn of his divorcing from his wife and he shuddered at the thought of what his grandfather would have to say about it. The old man had objected, as it was, to him marrying a gajin or foreigner as he called her. Sage could already hear the lectures and I-told-you-so that would be coming his way once wind of it got to him. His sister Yayoi would probably be the one to tell him. He could just picture the smug look on his hell bitch of a sister's face as she broke the news to their grandfather.

He hated to think about the phone call he was going to be getting from the old dragon. Sage was almost positive that he would be ordered to come back to the Date estate immediately where his grandfather would try and arrange another marriage for him; while forcing him to practice Kendo everyday and help with the duties of the dojo.His duties as the heir to the Date heritage. It only angered Sage more when he thought about what he had been expected to do, what had been drilled into him time and time again since he was a little boy.

You will one day take over the running of this dojo along with the family estate and everything that comes with it, Seiji. His grandfather's voice rang in Sage's ears now, so far away and yet as clear as if the old man were sitting right beside him. Not only that but you will be expected to have an arranged marriage that I myself will pick out the woman for. After that it is imperative that you produce at least one heir to take over the dojo for you. Do you understand this, Seiji?

Sage chuckled bitterly at the voice of his grandfather still explaining his life, basically, to him even though the old man wasn't even around him anymore. He'd escaped his grandfather's presence when he'd moved to Toyama to be with the guys and attend the same high school, but that didn't stop the old man's drilling from still haunting him. Well I at least did one of the things I was supposed to do. He now thought with a small glimmer of bitterness. I provided an heir for the Date name.

Date, Hojo, his one and only son; now also the heir to the Date estate. Purposely Sage had tried to keep both his son and daughter away from his family and especially his grandfather at all costs since the day they had been born. He knew it must have hurt his mother and father, but the man hadn't wanted to subject them, especially Hojo, to his grandfather. He'd still kept with the traditions of the Date family and taught them both Kendo, not going to the extremes of it with them like his grandfather had, but they still had been taught. Much to the dismay of Hannah, Sage thought with a wry smile.

Bringing himself from his own musings now, Sage looked up at Ryo with a somewhat whimsical smile on his face and proclaimed, "Sometimes I wish I were like you, Ryo. The only heir to my clan and didn't have to deal with family."

Ryo chuckled from over the brim of his teacup at Sage's proclamation and then sat it back down on the small saucer on the table. Clasping his hands together he sat his elbows on the tabletop and pointed the clasped hands at the now somewhat normal looking Sage. "Let me guess," he started and a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "Your family doesn't know yet, do they?"

Sage smirked as he jokingly teased, "Man, how do you do it, Ryo? Are you sure you're not a telepath like your daughter?"

"Figures," was all Ryo said in return to the man's sarcastic joking.

The blond now chuckled some himself, letting a small smile slide across his features while he stared down into the tea sitting in the cup he now idly swooshed back and forth. Silence fell over the two before Sage spoke up with, "You're not exactly the person I usually discuss this kind of stuff with."

A mumbled, "Thank, God," came from Ryo as a reply.

His reply, although Sage knew he was only kidding around, only made Sage smile more. Ryo wasn't one to talk about his problems either. He'd rather keep them bottled up inside, take care of his problem himself or in other words, skip the whole confiding-in-a-person thing. "But," he now went on, "Since Rowen couldn't join us on this little break from work, I guess I'll have to tell you my whole terrible, sob story, life history instead."

"Sage," Ryo started, the urge to keep his face neutral causing his mouth to twitch now. "I think we've all pretty much got that part down pat now. Why don't you tell me the other thing that's got you all stressed to the point of where you're ignoring the opposite sex."

Sage chuckled now, he couldn't help it. Ryo's almost vain attempt to keep a neutral face was almost too funny to look at. The blond ran a hand through his hair now, scratching slightly at the base of his neck as he replied, "Have I really been ignoring all the beautiful waitresses here?"

Ryo's face went blank as he blinked several times and then choked out, "Ah, yeah."

"Have I really?" Sage's face now took on the same look as Ryo's, pretending to be as shocked by it as he was. One of the waitresses who he usually flirted with came into view now, busily walking from table to table with a teapot; refilling cups with a smile. She came by their table now and Sage reached out, grabbing her gently by the wrist to stop her. "Tell me something, babe" he said up to her with a now anguished, pleading look upon his face and the waitress looked at him as if he had lost it. "Have I been ignoring you today? Have I not full filled my duties as the most handsome, charming flirt here?"

Ryo's almost snort laughter came from beside the waitress as she stared at Sage, blinking slightly, not sure if he were being serious or not. When it became clear to her that he was indeed waiting for an answer from her, she shook her head and said with a chuckle, "Yeah, Sage, you've been ignoring all of us today and we're so hurt by it."

A sympathetic, almost pathetic even for him, smile crossed his face now as he apologized, "I am so sorry. I will try not to ignore such beautiful women as those waiting on me today." Then he took her hand into his and caressed it before laying a soft kiss on her knuckles and asking, "Do you forgive me?"

A blush rose up on the waitress's face before it then scrunched up and she took her hand back from him, embarrassed more than anything that he had made her blush. Even though she tried, the waitress couldn't keep the smile off her face as she scolded, "Sage Date, get a life!" smacking his arm then before promptly walking away from the table with head held high in a dignified way.

Tears were now rolling down Ryo's face as he watched the blond chuckle and rub his arm where the woman had hit him, his laughter getting the better of him. "That," he said between his chuckles, "has got to be the most stupid thing I have ever seen you do, Sage." He then went to wiping away the tears from his face as he regained control of his laughter.

Sage Date only grinned back at his black haired, long time friend. He picked up his cup of tea now before saying, "I know, I amaze myself at times," then looked down into the almost empty cup and said, "Damn, I should have got a refill from her while I had her just standing here."

The blond man now turned around in his seat, searching for where she had gone to and when he had spotted her said out to her, "Hey sweetheart!" which gained the waitress's attention plus a few other women sitting at their own tables eating. The black haired waitress looked over in his direction and Sage continued, "Can I get a refill, please?" and pointed to the cup he held in his right hand in the air.

A smirk fell over the waitress's face as her free hand came up to rest on her hip. Ryo shook his dark head behind Sage, turning his face away from him now; trying his best to act as if he didn't know whom the blond haired person seated in front of him was. Sage only broke out his heart melting smile at her and the waitress caved though, shaking her head as she trudged back over to his table to refill Sage's cup.

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The front door was now in her sights, just ahead of her; hope and relief flowed through every inch of the girl now. Her breathing was short and ridged now as she banged on the door, hands, arms and whole body still shaking and trembling as she fought to keep the power crawling throughout her body at bay. Her eyes darted uneasily around her, alert to any movements from the shadows. The door opened and her heart sunk when the face of the person appeared ---it wasn't who she had wanted to see.

Amber eyes wavered over her as a sly grin slipped over his face. Knocking his shaggy forest green hair from his face, the man folded his arms over his chest and leaned against the doorframe. His eyes still silently ran over the body of the girl standing before him, taking in every inch of what he could see. Then they narrowed into a concerned expression as he noticed the slight tremble in her arms and the tears still on her face. "You ok, Lea?" he asked her.

"Is Tadin here, Adian?" she replied immediately to the man standing before her, wrapping her arms around herself with a scowl at him. Every time she came here or was anywhere around him, the demon's eyes never left her. Rylea hated the way he just sized her up with that crooked grin on his face; never saying much, if anything, to her.

The concern turned to jealousy as she ignored the fact that he was generally concerned about her and asked where 'he' was. Adian's mouth opened to reply to her, but before he could someone roughly pushed him aside and back into the building. Adian stumbled back and glared up at the back of Tadin as he went to the aid of the girl. Tadin now appeared at the door, a frown immediately covering his face at what he saw. "Lea?" he asked as he rushed to her side, hands already softly running up and down her arms to quiet the trembles running through them. His eyes flicked over her face, noting the tears and pleading, almost scared look on her face and knew what was happening without a word being said.

"It's ok, I'm here now. Everything's going to be ok," Tadin whispered to her as he brought the distraught girl into his arms and headed back inside. He stepped around Adian, the glare on his face telling him to stay away from his girl. The blond haired demon now held the girl in his arms tighter while he escorted her into the front room and away from the forest green haired demon. Adian only chuckled lightly at the glare he gained from Tadin as he pushed the door closed and then went his separate way from the other demon.

Tadin now sat Rylea down on the three section couch before dashing off to grab the afghan from the beanbag chair in the corner. Returning he wrapped it around her shoulders as he sat beside her, taking the shaking girl into his arms as he rubbed her back; trying to make her feel as safe as he could. It was the only thing he could do whenever this happened to her. Make her see that she was safe and had the will and power to overcome what her body was wanting to do. He felt her arms wrap around his chest, clinging to him as if he were her lifeline and her head buried into his chest; her ridged breaths felt warm against his skin even through the shirt he wore.

His hand smoothed her soft hair away from her face as he laid soft kisses against her temple and forehead, trying to calm her down the best he could. Her trembles and shaking lessened with time, her breathing becoming regular again against his chest. Tadin continued to caress her hair, a smile now lighting his features as he kissed her lightly. "Feel better?" he asked down at her, his arms wrapping gently around the dark haired girl who still clung to him, pulling her close against him in reassurance that she was fine.

"Yeah," came the somewhat muffled response from the girl as she sighed and snuggled closer into his embrace, content and happy to being this close to him. The crawling powers wanting to be let go quieted and were replaced with a delicious wave that ran through her body at Tadin's every touch; bringing a smile to her face.

"What happened this time?" the blond demon asked the Roninette in his arms, concern evident in his soft but deep voice. His blue eyes now rested on her face, watching for any indication that a lie was in the mitts of being lolled over in her mind ---all he found was a frown on her pretty face as her eyes moved quickly back and forth as if she were reliving the event again or thinking heavily on something. When she remained quiet, Tadin then lifted her chin up, making her eyes meet his and said softly, "Lea, you can tell me. I just want to know."

A sigh escaped Rylea's lips as her eyes once again fell to the floor while she sat up and pulled the afghan tighter around her shoulders as if to ward off some chill that only she could feel. Her body began to hum at even the thought of what she had done to those two demons that had attacked her. She may have fought them in self defense but to the extent that she took it..... There was no justification for what she had done. No, there was an excuse for it. She was a demon and that's what those demon powers surging throughout her body had wanted, had needed right then ---and Rylea would have killed them if she hadn't been able to come back to her senses right then.

Rylea's bright blue eyes narrowed at the floor at her musings. There was no excuse for what she had done. No matter how she tried to justify it or excuse it, there was no excusable reason for it. She couldn't just say that it was because she was a demon and there was nothing she could do about it. There was. Leinto had been helping her to try and gain control of those powers and use them to her advantage ---obviously they had a long way to go.

A heavy sigh came from her now as her fingers began to fiddle with the fringe on the afghan, distracting her as she said, "I was attacked again. Two demons that had been hunting me found me on the way over here. I fought them off in self defense but...." Her voice trailed off, hands clutching the blanket tightly and she swallowed hard before continuing, "I lost control again. I didn't even know I had until I found myself beating an already down guy to death. I just.... I stopped midway into punching him and blinked, confused as to what I was doing. Then the guys' bleeding, scared, pleading face looked back up at me, staring directly at me as he silently asked me to spare him. That's when it all had set in and I took off running before I ended up killing one of them."

A sympathetic, concerned expression fell over Tadin's handsome, in a dangerously sexy way, features and the usual faraway coldness melted from his steel blue eyes as he looked at the beautiful young girl seated beside him. Usually he didn't bother with using his mind reading ability to look into her mind, but now he did. Without verbally saying a word he allowed his soothing, caring words to caress her mind as he wrapped his strong arms around her small frame; lovingly brushing her wild bangs from her face so that he could see her vivid blue eyes better.

Excepting his embrace, Rylea rested her head against his shoulder with a sigh and closed her eyes, feeling at peace at that moment for the first time that day. Time itself could have stopped right then and she wouldn't have cared. A smile slid across the blond's mouth as he looked down at her, laying a soft kiss on her forehead he said, "You'll get over this, I know you will, Lea. You're strong and it's not because of the Goddess' powers. I felt that about you the day I met you in the lunchroom cafeteria before you were ever possessed by the Goddess. You're too strong willed to let this thing beat you and don't ever tell yourself differently."

A smile spread over Rylea's face as she looked up at him and replied jokingly, "Ya know, sweet talking me isn't going to get you anywhere, Tadin."

A chuckle escaped the blond haired demon at her reply. His knuckles now caressed her cheek as he retorted, "I'm being serious, Lea."

"I know," Rylea said with a huff, her features almost taking on a pouty look as she went to trailing a finger over the fabric covering his chest. She traced the outline of the muscle under his shirt even though she couldn't see it. "I don't like being serious though."

"So I know," he muttered in reply which gained him a hit to the chest in return for it. Tadin chuckled now as he rubbed his chest where the girl had hit him, a smile on his face as he said, "Do you want me to walk you home now? Wouldn't want your Dad to get upset."

"No," she said sternly and threw her legs over his lap, wrapping her arms around his chest and pulled the young demon closer to her. Rylea closed her eyes now with a small smile of contentment, resting her head once again against his shoulder. "It's not that late and he'll just think that practice ran over if it is. I don't get to see you that much and I'd like to just stay here, like this, for a little bit longer if you don't mind."

"I don't mind at all," Tadin murmured against her temple as he nuzzled the side of her face, taking in the smell of her shampoo coming from her unruly dark hair. A chuckle came from her at his actions which in turn brought a sly grin to his face as he wrapped his arm around her waist; holding her closer to him, savoring the feel of her body being close to his as his lips softly trailed over her face before meeting her own soft, full lips in a kiss. Time its self fell away at that moment as the two young demons held each other in an embrace they never wanted to end.

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Keish Rei Faun shoved her fourth piece of the large pizza they had ordered at the food court in the Toyama mall, into her mouth and then took a long gulp of the pop in the cup next to her plate. Swallowing the combination of pop and pizza in her mouth, the girl then went back to making the slice of pizza in her hand disappear. Kami's face scrunched up as she sipped on her pop, watching her best friend beside her eating or more like, devouring the pizza that sat before them on the table. Her eyes then flitted over to land on the blue haired teen seated in front of her. Rona had a look between a smirk and a frown covering her face as she held her own piece of pizza poised to go into her mouth. Kami chuckled lightly at the look on the Roninette of Strata's face before then letting her eyes drift over onto the blond haired beauty beside her.

A frown covered Kami's gentle features at the expression she found on her friend's face. Heather had this faraway, almost confused and yet hurt look on her face as she idly poked the single slice of pizza on her plate; with her head propped on her hand. The Roninette of Halo hadn't said a word since they'd all left the training area and come here for some rest and relaxation. This concerned Kami greatly. Clearing her throat she placed her cup back down on the table and asked, "You ok, Heather? I think you've been playing with the same slice of pizza for over fifteen minutes now."

Heather's head came up from where it had been propped on her hand, blinking a few times as she looked at Kami as if she had just come out of a daze. Keish, who had just now stopped eating her piece of pizza, chuckled and said, "Looks like she was day dreaming again, guys."

"Who was the guy this time?" Rona chimed in good heartedly from beside Heather.

A weak glare crossed over Heather's features at her friend's wisecrack remarks to her. Tossing her golden blond hair over her shoulder indignantly, she wiped the grease from her finger on a napkin and picked up her cup of pop. "There was no guy, I wasn't daydreaming I was thinking," she replied from over the top of the cup as she took a drink from it. Her eyes surveyed the people who walked passed them in the mall.

"Hm, well," Keish started as she chewed on one side of her mouth now. "If you weren't thinking about boys then you must have either been thinking about the divorce or what you're going to do to, Lea."

"Wow, Keish, you're pretty good," Heather sneered with a sarcastic smile on her pretty porcelain features; idly she swooshed the cup around in her hand.

Kami sighed, it was just going to be one of those days. The rift between Heather and Rylea was an on going thing that none of them were ever going to be able to stop, it was just the way the two were; the way they had always been. Rona now eyed the blond seated beside her curiously as she said, "Heather, Lea didn't know anything about the divorce and I'm sure if she had she wouldn't have done that to you. Besides, it's not like Lea's not going through a hard time right now as well."

Silence followed the blue haired teen's statement. In truth, they all were going through a hard time right now. The easy part had been getting Rylea back, now they all had to get over the fact that she was a demon and always would be. It still, in some way, didn't seem real to them. Although they would never say anything to Rylea, knowing that she was a demon made them all a little uneasy when around her. Although on the outside she was still the same Rylea they had all grown up with, on the inside she wasn't; she was no longer one person but two now. One person being there best friend and leader and the other being the demon Goddess, their enemy and biggest threat to them.

"Whatever," came Heather's bland reply finally, disrupting the silence that had once clung over the table despite the noise that clattered around them from the mall. "Lea this and Lea that and oh poor, Rylea," she mocked in a sarcastically pathetic way and clasped her hands together dramatically. "I'm sick of it. The world doesn't revolve around Rylea Sanada and what kind of depressing, life altering problems she has. She's not the only one whose world isn't perfect, ya know."

"That's cold, Heather," Rona shot from the blond's right with purple-blue eyes now narrowed at her. "Do you have any idea what she must be going through right now? How she must feel knowing what she is and what she's always going to be? I'm sorry if it sounds like I'm taking my cousin's side here, but you're little divorce problems seem to pale in comparison to my cousin's problems in my eyes, Heather."

"Yeah, well, it's not my fault that that happened to her and I feel sorry for her, I really do, I even pity her but all of us have our own major problems. Not all of us want to have to hear about her sob story time and time again. I know I sure the hell don't. I don't know why we don't just do what we all know we should do and boot her from her leader position of our group and maybe even have Leinto take her armor from her," the blond replied, eyebrows pinching into an aggravated frown at the conversation. Then as if what she had said hadn't been that big a deal, Heather took a sip off her pop and flipped her hair over her shoulder nonchantly.

Jaws dropped, food fell back onto plates and three pairs of wide, unbelieving eyes stared at the golden haired blond girl in the booth. How could Heather suggest or even say such a thing like that about someone who they had grown up with, trusted and loved like a sister? Kami was the first to speak as her almost whispering voice said, "Heather do you realize what you just said?"

"Hai," she replied, fingers twisting the bracelet on her right wrist. "The big deal with what I said being?"

"Being you're suggesting we take away an armor that rightfully belongs to Lea whether she's a half demon or not and take away her rank as leader!" Keish shouted at the Roninette of Halo from across the table, her voice ringing with rage at the very thought of doing that to her. People around them stopped their conversations or eating and looked over at the table and girls with weird, confused looks about what they were talking about.

"Please keep your voice down, Keish," Kami whispered harshly to the ash-blue haired girl beside her.

"As much as I hate to say this," Rona started in her quiet, pondering voice with brows knitted into a frown. Her deep purple-blue eyes now raised to look at her friends around the table, "Heather's idea isn't that bad when you think about it."

"Nani?!" Keish's voice rang once again in disbelief.

Even Kami now blinked in startled confusion at Rona's words as she replied, "Rona, she's your cousin, your family and even you are going to turn on her now too?"

"I'm not turning on her, Kami," Rona retorted with a glare of displeasure at her comment. "I'm just thinking. We're not totally sure, and I'm sure Lea's not either, of the full extent of her demon powers. What if she becomes a full hybrid again, I mean we're leaving out the whole Goddess possibility here, and ends up using the armor against all of us? I know she wouldn't mean to, but do you really want to take that chance?" Silence followed her words now as everyone took in the full extent of what she was saying to them; Rona now continued, "I'm not saying that we completely eliminate her as a Roninette because we can't. We need her as a part of this team and as our leader. I'm just saying that until we and her, completely come to understand what kind of powers she has now, that she shouldn't have possession of the armor."

A thoughtful silence once again claimed the table. The three girls' minds now worked to comprehend and digest what all Rona had suggested to them. Twiddling her thumbs nervously, Kami now spoke up and said, "You know, I've never even seen Lea call on her full armor. Have any of you?" Shakes of the head came from the girls around Kami and she continued, "Every time we're made call on our full armors during practice, she picks a fight with Leinto and he sends her on some other thing to do. Do you think it's possible that maybe she can't call on the armor?"

"I don't know if she can or can't," Keish now exploded into the conversation again, blue eyes blazing with rage as she spoke. "But she's still the bearer of the Wildfire armor and my leader. I don't care if she's half demon or not or even what could happen if she still has the armor, I'm not going to make her step down from anything and knowing her, she won't anyway! This is stupid! You're all turning on her just because of what she is now and I think it's pathetic and low. She's not even here to defend herself!"

"Well we can't just turn our heads or pretend that she's not a demon, Keish!" Heather now raged back at the Roninette of Hardrock, heads turned once again in their direction as the feud went on. "Face it, she's not little miss annoying bitch anymore, now she's little miss annoying bitch and I can-kill-you-if-I-wanted-to!"

"But she wouldn't do that to us! Come on, this is still Lea we're talking about here! Her family means more to her than anything and all of you know that!"

"Keish, Heather, please keep your voices down. People are staring at us," Kami tried in vain to quiet the two again.

"No, this isn't just Rylea we're talking about here, Keish," the blond retorted smugly. "This is a half demon we're talking about now. Family means nothing to them and I wouldn't put it past her to take one of us out if she got the chance!"

"What would you know, Heather?! Selfish, spoiled ass, brat, if you ask me you're the one who doesn't deserve or need the armor you have!" the ash-blue haired girl yelled back and was on her feet now, slamming the palms of her hands down on the table and glaring angrily at the blond across from her.

Heather was on her feet now too, slamming her perfectly manicured hands down on the table and glaring just as heatedly back at Keish as she shouted, "Take that back you big mouthed, rowdy, tomboy!"

"Stop!" Rona shouted, turning heads and quieting the two fighting friends. Her gaze flicked from one to the other, daring them to say another word to the other. To her relief neither said anything else.

Growling now, Keish grabbed up her book bag from beside the table, shouldered it and said, "You're all making a big mistake and I for one am not going to be a part of it. I'm standing beside Lea one hundred percent," and then stormed away from the table and into the sea of people walking through the mall.

Kami sighed at the way things had gone, feeling that the worse was yet to come. They'd all been driven apart now, fighting amongst each other instead of banding together to take care of this problem. Heather sat back down with a huff and grabbed up her cup of pop, sipping off it through the straw angrily; not saying a word to anyone. Rona put her head in her hands and sighed heavily. Was she wrong about what she had said they should do? She didn't know anymore.

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The sound of heels clicking on pavement echoed through the alleyway, disturbing the peace that had once claimed the surrounding area. A now half shadowed figure came into the light that cascaded down onto the mouth of the alleyway and half of the sidewalk surrounding it. Luscious, dark, soft curls tumbled over her slender shoulders and mid way down her back; weaves of silver, gold and red in her hair caught the light from the street lamp above her and reflected it. Delicate flowers dotted the cream colored, sleeveless tunic she wore and seemed to almost accentuate her large chest. The woman's chestnut brown eyes angrily looked down at the watch that hung on her left wrist before scowling and shouldering the small clam shell purse on her right shoulder again.

She crossed her arms haughtily over her chest now and began to tap her right foot moodily. She hated to be kept waiting, even if the person she was supposed to be meeting held a much higher rank over her, it still irked her to be kept waiting like this. Movement to her left and the rustling of a trashcan being knocked over alerted her to someone else being there with her. The woman smirked now as the person came into her line of vision; it wasn't whom she was waiting for.

A spiky haired man wearing ripped jeans and a leather, biker jacket walked up to her now with hands in his pockets. His eyes were fixed on her in a hungry, primal way as a smirk adorned his lips. With easy steps he walked up to her saying, "Hey, babe. What's a chick like you doing on this side of town this late at night?"

The woman rolled her eyes at this man who had just had to come out of the woodwork tonight just because she had to be out there. She shifted her weight on her feet and flipped her hair over her shoulder while replying coldly, "None of your business."

"Ooh," he said now as a smile replaced his smirk and he stopped next to her, being close enough to smell the flowery scent of her perfume. "Babe's got a mouth to go along with the hot body. I like my women to be sassy."

"Is that right?" she now asked pleasantly and turned a grinning face up to look at him. Her grin turned seductive as she trailed one finger lightly up and down his chest while pouring on her charm as she said, "I guess it's just my lucky night, huh?"

Immediately a happy, dazed look spread over the man's features, completely contrasting with the way he had at first presented himself. All will or rational thinking had been lost at this point as he was ensnared in her power; now only seeing the beautiful face of the woman standing in front of him. The seductive smile on the woman's face now melted into a feral grin as her prey fell into her trap. Sliding her hands up his chest she now grasped his face in her hands as her eyes turned a dark, pupil less black. The man began to scream in agony as his soul was ripped from his body and expelled through his mouth. A white, almost ghostly apparition seeped from the man's mouth and the woman inhaled it greedily.

The spiky haired man now went limp and eyes rolled back into his head. The woman let go of his face and watched with an amount of humorous satisfaction as he slumped to the ground while lightly wiping at the corner of her mouth. "Guess it was my lucky day," she said with a chuckle and shouldered her purse again.

"I take it that's what happens to the men once you're through with them, Ume?"

The woman spoken to whirled around, a frown lighting her features as she laid eyes on the person standing before her now. Gray hair streaked black in places laid over his broad, but aged shoulders and down the middle of his back. Tribal tattoos were plastered on his face but the black leather trench coat he wore hid the ones on his arms from sight. His milky white eyes stared at her, but it felt more like he was looking through her then at her. "About time you showed up, Takashi," Ume replied with a huff and once again crossed her slender arms over her large chest. "Supreme duties keep you this time?"

"Why are you dressed like that?" Takashi asked, motioning to the outfit she wore and purposely ignoring her question. She was beneath him, a simple minion and had no right to be demanding answers from a high ruling Supreme like himself.

"This?" Ume asked and looked over her outfit before saying rather haughtily, "I work, or more like pose, as a waitress at one of the restaurants Ryo frequently goes to. Figured it'd be a good way to at least meet him first."

"And you have?"

Ume nodded, "Yes, him and the hybrid."

A look of interest passed over the Supreme's face now as he said, "Really? And how did that go?"

"She didn't know what I was, but she knew that I wasn't human," the Enchantress replied and then her face lit up as she went on to say, "The girl doesn't have control of her demon side yet. When I helped her up, her powers reacted to mine and she nearly blacked out trying to keep them from gaining the upper hand on her."

"That, Enchantress, is going to help us out greatly in the time coming. I have foreseen her fall as a Roninette, but the events leading up to it are still unclear to me. Most of my vision is shrouded in darkness, but is becoming slightly more clear as time passes," the man said and then a frown clouded his features as his unseeing eyes seemed to grow distant. "I have also seen the coming of a being that could possibly hurt our plans a great deal. I feel that their presence will be coming into this world very soon."

"Who would this 'presence' be exactly?" Ume now ventured to ask.

"My sight has not told me of that yet," he answered simply, then almost as if pulling himself back from some trance he had been in, Takashi looked back at Ume with his blind eyes and said, "If she has not conquered and gained control of her demonic side then that means all she needs is a little persuasion for her to see what she was meant to become. I will need you to gain as much access to her as possible once I began the dreams. I'll need to know what is effecting her the most."

"Yeah, sure, shouldn't be a problem. The feeling I got from her father is that he's a pretty trusting person. I shouldn't have to work too much of my charm on him to be able to get what I want," the Enchantress replied with a smug smirk, her plans already beginning to unfold in her head.

"Good, I'll be expecting an update on your end in a few days," Takashi now turned in a whirl of trench coat and gray hair and began to walk back into the shadows.

"There's one more thing I think you'd like to know, Lord Takashi," Ume called out to him in a sugary sweet voice. When he stopped walking she went on to say, "Rylea is seeing that traitorous hybrid, Tadin. I caught sight of them earlier today when she'd gone to him after nearly killing two demon bounty hunters. They looked very.... Cute together, I guess you could say."

Takashi smirked at her last bit of information. Word about the brutal beatings of the two had already spread throughout the demon realm. Many had now been discouraged from tracking her down after what had happened to the last that had tried. With the mention of Tadin, another fairly powerful demon came to the Supreme's mind ---Sirous. They'd used Sirous just as the purebred had used Tadin into helping him fulfill the prophecy of the Goddess of Night. Takashi had known he wouldn't succeed in keeping the Goddess free from her prison, he'd foreseen that, but Sirous' efforts now gave them a chance to finally win over an important person on the side of good in evil's favor. A person who was more a threat to herself and the world then even she herself knew.

The Supreme high ruler continued to walk into the shadows now as he heard the clicking sounds of Ume's heels walking away behind him. The news of her dating a demon was just one more plus in his favor and just one more thing that he could use when the time came.

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A/N: Well, this took a little longer than expected to get done and out. I think that was mainly b/c I'm still hashing things out for this story and getting more ideas for it as I go along. I'm hoping this one turns out as good as I think it will. Anywho, thanks go out to LG, Rogue and MorganRay. Also, special thankies goes to LG who has been a MAJOR LY big helper to me with this story. Muchos gracias, chica! Um, another chap when the ideas come to me I guess. Don't be looking for it anytime soon.