It's been a loooong while since I posted here..oh well…hope you'll like this chapter...^_^

Chapter Three: Death Plots Her End Plan A: The Fire

            "If I were Yuki-chan, where would I likely go?" Sakuragi Hanamichi mumbled to himself as he passed by the looming towers of the castle's gate, which was located at the center of the city. He gazed up at its enormous gates.

Finally, the tensai's head popped into conclusion. He smiled. "Of course! Our home!" [Whew! At last! The tensai's mind sprang into a genius answer! Hehehe]

            He sighed inwardly. "I do hope she went there," and hurriedly walked down the yellow asphalt leading to their little town which was just outside the outskirts of the city.

Hiyuki grunted in every step she makes, as her load gets heavier by the minute. She felt a sweat rolling down her temples as she made her way inside the forest. Enormous trees greeted her; its roots were sticking out from the ground nearly her height. Its boughs seemed to bow down at her as she quietly treaded its path.  Huge bushes and wild leaves peeks from the darkness. The tree's leaves had finally covered the sun's rays from coming through. A gust of wind blew unto her that made her heart jumped a mile.

            She closed her eyes tightly and began to chant, "don't be scared…don't be scared," just to ease herself. She continued walking. Her eyes would always grazed at her sides, watching for any signs of the so-called Angel of Death. Despite all her chanting, she would find herself wandering what the angel looked like.

            Her back shivered. She remembered the humans on earth imagined death as someone who has a long flowing black robe, a big fork on his hand and a skull for his head. His sockets were empty. No eyes. And he would smile at your face baring no teeth at all.

            Hiyuki trembled. 'But its different here,' she assured herself. 'Maybe he looked more like oniichan, with a much wider mouth laughing maniacally at you as soon as you died.' Her lips broke into a smile at the thought. 'Or maybe he would look like that old lady. With skin started to peel off, exposing the flesh inside!'

            She shook her head. "That would be gross."

            Finally, light stream down on her from above. The huge leaves and trees parted before her viewing a beautiful town ahead. Hiyuki grinned and hurriedly walked towards the little white house she called home. She only got one problem though. 'He's going to pay for this,' she mumbled as the face of her laughing brother flashed before her mind.

            Sakuragi burst the door wide open, panting. He had run all the way from the city to the forest and finally to their house. His eyes searched the place and fell on the grinning red head already waiting for him. Her eyes were blazing quite menacing.

            Hanamichi gulped.

            "At last!" she said.

            Meanwhile Sakuragi grinned back. "Well, since you're here, I have to tell the others. I'd be right back!" and without another word, he ran back to the city.

            Hiyuki blinked and realization hit her. "Ahhhhhh! That monkey!" she exclaimed. She stomped her foot on the floor. It was the tenth time her brother had done this to her and still, he escaped from her clutches with his innocent excuses.

            She sighed. 'There's no use. I can't fight this war. The battle is over,' and went back to her cooking.

            His blue eyes surveyed the land like a hawk looking for its prey. His wings waver as he soared down unto one of the little town of Shohoku. He landed just outside a little white house made of mud and bricks. (houses in Shohoku are all made up of mud or bricks because of the heat located below its land) His feet barely touching the ground. It was a rule of the angels never to set foot upon the mortal land. And if ever they did, mortals would finally get to see them. They would become visible to their eyes. In which for Rukawa's case, he did not like.

            Rukawa sniffed the air. Someone was cooking. 'Must be that girl. Well seems like this would be her last day to cook.' He took out his watch from his cape. Ten more minutes.

And he waited for another death of a mortal soul.

"Miyagi there seemed to be a smoke coming from one of the channels!" one of the watchers screamed as his fingers hastily typed. On the screen, wherein a map of the Shohoku can be seen, they saw a blinking red light. (oki this is from my wild imagination! Hehehe ^^ these channels are where the heat circulated below the land. It is Shohoku's source of energy and such. That is why their land is called the land of fire. The vents are where the fire came out from the channels into the homes of the people, for their needs)

            Miyagi Ryota, a talented and fast swordsman as well as a watcher assigned to guard the channels, went to his side. "Where is it coming from?"

            "Outside the city! On the outskirts!"

            Miyagi observed the map and groaned.

            "What is it?" his co-watcher asked.

            "Looks like its coming from Hanamichi's place! That fool! I'll go there and sent for some men. The channel might shatter and cause more damages," he muttered and went out of the room. 'If Aya-chan finds out about this…'

            "Oniichan! You know I'm not a little child anymore who couldn't even find my way home," Hiyuki grumbled as she bent down to open the vent to start the fire. Then to herself, 'Even if you are just a bit taller than me, that doesn't mean I'm still a child. If I grew a few more inches I'll show you—' and added loudly, "I also got your things back!"

            "I saw it," he replied as she heard a loud clinging noise of metal and steel being clashed together. "But I won't be needing the sword anymore."

            Before she went to the room to see what had happened, she turned the knob to lower the fire. "Be careful with it. I don't want to go to the repair shop again!" Hiyuki remarked.

            "Nyahahahaha!" Sakuragi's eyes glinted while she sighed exasperatedly. "Of course your tensai brother could never do such a thing!"

            Hiyuki stared at the ceiling. 'That's what he always said.'

Then Sakuragi stopped going through his things and began to sniff the air. "What's that smell? Like something is burning," he said.

            Her eyes widen and she runs to the kitchen, shrieking all the way, "The food! The food!"  Hanamichi trailed behind her.

            Her precious cooking was now in flames. Hiyuki turned the knob and checked for any damages in the vent and the channel. "Whew! No damages. Odd. The fire had went higher but I remember I turn it to the low—"

            Hanamichi's eyes narrowed as a cloud of smoke burst from the vent. "Hiyuki-chan! Look out!"

            Fire erupted from the vent and exploded right on her face.          

            Rukawa sighed as he witness the scene. He had seen so many deaths. He doesn't feel that fear anymore whenever he saw people dying in front of his eyes. Moreover than that, he doesn't have any feelings now. He lost them. Part of the little house was now burning. His mission has ended. All he has to do now is to wait for her soul.

            His wry blue eyes watched the fire grew bigger. Fortunately, it seems that the brother of the girl had pushed the alarm. The house was now being rained by water; half of it was destroyed from the fire. But more than that, it was completely safe.

            Rukawa saw the big brother went out of the house carrying the limp body of his sister. Then his eyes narrowed like slits. 'Wait a minute—' his eyes cannot distinguish any floating soul. It should be joining him right at this instance.

            He scowled. "She's still alive then," he muttered, vaguely believing.

There…if there's any wrong grammar, I'm truly sorry…^^ I'm too lazy to edit any of it…heheha…also pardon me for any weird ideas I had…^_^