The thought of dying really doesn't scare me.

Then again, I am a spirit, a nearly invincible one at that. Chihiro, however, was clearly petrified. Her frame was tense and she looked back at me from the grasp of the giant lizard that held her.

Fire had now turned towards his domain. I was pushing myself to catch him, straining muscles and trying not to lose my control as he pulled further away with his prize.

Everything had gone wrong.

My whole existence had been fruitless.

I was the soul of Chihiro's sister, the younger sibling who died at birth. I had been the reason why our mom had been barren. I don't even know what I did, but one of my spirit friends told me that I was reborn as a dragon spirit to make up for whatever crime I committed in my former existence. Well, I sure don't remember, but I'd do anything to make it up to my family.

Fire's jungle-covered coast came within sight. It was a beautiful territory, part of a seemingly endless continent. The climate was that of a rain tree forest, dark and beautiful.

"Fire, you know that I'll never submit to you. Why don't you court another sun spirit? Besides, harming that human will only serve to piss me off," I warned.

"You know I won't do that. Be my mate and the girl goes free."

Chihiro had been transferred to the tail of the great serpent. She looked like she was going to be sick; the tail wrapped her tightly as it whipped east and west.

Running at him from the moment my claws felt sand, I made a faint snap at his neck the instant I landed, but concentrated on nailing him with my sharp daggers. Success! His neck moved from my reach, but I now had my right claw deeply into his left shoulder.

His cry filled the air.

I leapt off of his shoulder, pushing down to add more pain as I jumped, and twisted my head towards his still raised tail. Chihiro was being tightly squeezed, and I clamped down on Fire's tail only a foot from my beloved sister.

With his long snake-like body, Fire twisted and slammed into the back of my head with something hard. I was effectively stunned, but held on. The next few blows were some of the most painful I ever experienced in battle. Fire tore into my hide with both front claws and slammed into me with his thick skull. Then, he grabbed the back of my neck with his teeth. My instant natural reaction was to go limp, as any youngster will do when its parent lifts it by the scuff of the neck.

I was dropped to the ground before he did something that would forever brand him as a monster in any book.

He grabbed my right dragon-arm in the crook of his powerful jaws and twisted it well past the breaking point.

In a crippling amount of pain, I was incapable of any movement or real thought. Fire let me go and brought his tail towards my head, Chihiro still in its grip. She was barely hanging on. Dull eyes and hoarse breathing alerted me that Fire was suffocating her. I was having trouble breathing myself.

"Why? Why do you resist me? Now look at you, ruined! Your ugly dark red blood is everywhere! The only thing you have for your efforts is a crippled arm and a dying girl. I can't even take you for a mate anymore, you're ruined!" he roared to the now-setting sun.

It took several seconds, but I was on my three good legs. And, mine wasn't the only blood-coated hide.

Now, my survival mode took over. I was once again filled with strength; tonight was the night of the new moon, my side of the moon. He seemed to finally register everything and took a few steps backwards.

I let out a blood-curdling war cry and charged my challenger. It is the natural right for any female dragon to reject a male suitor, Fire had gone too far.

His pride refused to let him run. He met my charge with wide orbs and dilated pupils.

I was only running on three legs, but it hardly showed. The pain had stopped for the moment and the power from the moon aided me.

We clashed roughly chest-to-chest. Rising on his rear legs, he made to come over my head and tear at my neck. However, I struck his belly first. It was a bloody picture. One dragon stretched towards the sky while another had claws and teeth sunk deeply into the belly of the other. He let out a low moan.

Holding on tightly, I twisted my head enough to look at him with one eye while still holding on. He matched my sharp gaze with a dull one. Then, his lips pulled back with a mock draconic smile. An ugly laugh filled the air. Angered, I bit deeper, but he had the last laugh. His tail curled around over me and he took Chihiro in his jaws.

I dropped my grasp on his stomach and struck his exposed neck faster than I ever knew I was capable of moving. He was dead almost instantly. Chihiro let out a scream.

I slowly and carefully lowered the upper half of the corpse to the sand. After resting it, I reached up towards the head. With only one claw, I could never pry open the jaws. I was forced to hold his bottom jaw with my teeth and push the top jaw open with my left claw. As soon as that was done, I looked back at my sister.

Chihiro was an outright bloody mess. She would never survive.

"Kira," she panted.

"Shh, you're going to be alright."

"I know who you are."

I nodded, fighting not to wail.

"I'm more than happy that it will be you that will be with Kohaku. I'm just sorry Bade may never see you again."

She was struggling to hold on. Her eyes fluttered and she was trying to mumble something else.

I had never counted seconds before until that moment.

Exactly fifty-five passed until her body ceased its movements.


Author (Slightly Haunted): So, very different, huh? I'd love comments/suggestions/whatever.

A special thanks to LadyRainStarDragon for the reviews. Check out her work, it's awesome :)