Sorry about the wait, I just recently posted my new fic, which has taken quite some time to sort out. There is also the fact that my life is in complete upheaval right now, which also means that there is the possibility that both fic updates will be a tad delayed. Sorry but there's definitely no helping that. This time it's sanity that comes before updates.

Anyway, here's the next chappie, it took a while to do but I hope that it's ok. Also, I'd like to thank my wonderful reviewers, it's so flattering to have someone compare my stuff to pro writing (blushes and grins like an idiot). Thanks Koraq!

Okay, shutting up now, enjoy!

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

"Suki," he smiled half-heartedly as he spoke her name aloud.

Sitting down on the abandoned log he sighed feeling defeated; slouching slightly he rested his elbows on his knees.

"We were 'The Three,' or at least that's what we called ourselves. We were young and thought it sounded good at the time." His lips quirked, "little did we know."

"This was our base," he swept a vague hand over the area. "We used it for training and play, and all that fun stuff kids do. Akage, being the Prince, wanted to be a strong leader like his father. Gods he worshiped him back then."

Ori's gaze wasn't on her any longer, he was staring unseeing, vision clouded by the fog of memory. He didn't take any notice when Kagome sat beside him, and continued to listen quietly.

"I was to be his right hand man in everything. It was just the two of us at that time, maybe if Suki showed up a little sooner all the trouble we got ourselves into wouldn't have been so severe," he chuckled to himself. "But unfortunately as fate would have it she showed up with the remainder of her tribe after a devastating battle with the gecko youkai. Most of her tribe consisted of females and the males who couldn't participate in battle. Her father had died in the battle, which left her and her mother. Rumiko was devastated but Suki never cried over her father's death." There was a hint of something in the way he said the last sentence, like there was a secret hidden behind it.

"Akage and I were supposed to befriend the younger ones and help their transition go as smoothly as possible. Their ruler died so it took a bit of getting used to a new one. Suki adjusted pretty quickly, I guess because she didn't really care. She was so set on becoming stronger to avenge her father that it wouldn't have mattered if her new leader was a fish."

"We caught her spying on us one day while we were training. Having witnessed how devastating the after affects of battle could be we wanted to become the best and ensure that our tribe didn't suffer the same fate."

"She was a bit younger than us, and being cocky males we laughed when she said she wanted to train as well. I mean of course we laughed, not only was she younger, there was also the fact that she was a girl, and scrawny one at that."

"Well, she soon showed us that even though she was a scrawny little girl she wasn't weak." His words had grown softer and held a hint of pride.

"After that we became inseparable, 'The Three'. For the first little while Suki was all about training and getting stronger, but soon after we all began to lose our war mentality and returned to being kids. Humh," he smiled, one fang poking out over the ridge of his lip. "She proved to be quite the little troublemaker, she got us into as much trouble as I did. Now that I think about it there were very few times where we weren't in trouble."

He looked over to Kagome then, his eye's having taken on some of their former shine. It was short lived though as his smile faded with his next thought, and he looked away again.

"As we got older Suki started to become quite the vixen. With all the trouble we'd gotten into she'd proved herself a hundred times over, but it wasn't just me and Akage who noticed."

Akage's mother and father thought it was befitting that Suki become Akage's mate. She was loyal, determined, and dependable. True she was not one of the higher-ranking youkai but it was blatantly obvious that she was important to the Prince, which was a major plus.

Although Akage's parent's marriage had been arranged, Mitzubishi and Nomuna had fallen in love during their courting. Nomuna had no intention of forcing her son into an unwanted marriage, and it was clear that given more time Akage and Suki would fall in love on their own. There couldn't have been a better match; she was a very promising Queen even at the age of fourteen.

"They were right of course. That same year, things started changing. Akage would watch her when she wasn't looking, and he blushed a whole lot more around her then he used to. Suki didn't seem to notice for the first little while, but hell, even I could tell his feelings for her had changed." He shook his head causing a few pieces of hair to fall from their binding, obstructing Kagome's view of his eyes. A sad smile tugged at the corner of his lips in remembrance.

"I think she finally clued in when, one day, out of the blue, Akage kissed her."

"Suki and I were talking about...something," he gave a small shrug. 'I don't know if he doesn't remember or just doesn't want to talk about it.' Kagome silently debated.

"When all of a sudden I see Akage coming over with this look in his eyes, the one he gets when training, like all there is is his determination to succeed, and nothing else." His hand gave the slightest twitch, like he was restraining himself from clenching his hand in to a fist. "Suki turned around to see what I was looking at, and by that time Akage was right beside her. So she turned and Akage put one hand behind her neck and the other behind her back and kissed her right then and there. Right in front of me," he added more to himself. He straightened up and cocked his head to the side to talk to her face to face.

With feigned joviality he forced a chuckle. "He must have been spying on his parents to learn a move like that. It even had the same effect from what I gather the King and Queen were quite the passionate couple." His façade dropped completely, and Kagome was a bit worried at his complete change in countenance.

"Lord Mitzubishi was devastated when Nomuna died. He really changed a lot after that. He became cold and distant to Akage, spending more time with the warriors then with his own son." He quickly turned back to her.

"Don't get me wrong, Akage was heartbroken too, everyone was. Queen Nomuna was a truly great leader. But since Mitzubishi was finding some kind of solace in distracting himself with his duties, Akage had no one but the two of us." Spreading his hands apart he lowered his gaze down to them in what looked like regret.

"After the death of the Queen, Suki and Akage became closer, and everyone was so happy with the progress in their relationship, and the fact that one of the Queen's last wishes seemed to be following through."

"I feel bad for them, they didn't get much time alone after it spread through the tribe that they were together, and that she was Akage's intended; the Queen to be." He gave a rueful grunt.

"We were only fifteen for Kami sake, and Suki was fourteen, there was just too much going on, too much pressure. I mean even I was being hounded, so we would come out here to get away from it all. Unfortunately," he frowned, "we soon discovered that what we thought was our secret place wasn't so secret. That's when we started going into the neighboring lands, and hiding out in the forests." He 'humhp'ed again then continued on.

"Shortly after though, it was just Suki and Akage who would sneak off, I would stay behind and distract those from following them. They deserved their private moments." He stated and a much sadder note lilt his words. Then he sighed and dropped his head to rest his hands.

"And that's how it happened." His voice was muffled and Kagome had to strain to her his next words.

"She went ahead of him because we were being watched so closely, and we didn't want to make it too obvious that day. His father was in a bad mood." He said as though that explained everything.

"Suki had gone off to their designated meeting spot to wait for Akage. That was the last time I ever saw her alive. The last time I ever saw the mischievous little grin she would give you over her shoulder whenever she was going off to do something that could get her in trouble." His voice faltered, and this time his hands did clench with no restraint.

"The next time I saw her was when Akage came staggering in with Suki in his arms. I was being scolded by the King." He was off in his own little world of pain and loss again, reliving the death of one of his best friends.

"Her face was so pale, and she looked so small wrapped up in Akage's haori. I didn't even realize it was her until Akage laid her out before his father, and the smell of her blood hit me. She had bruises, and gashes all over her; she must have put up a good fight.

"Everyone was so stunned that no one knew what to do, but when I came to my senses and ran over to them Akage almost slit me open. That's when I saw that he was injured too. His lips were swollen, and he had long gashes all over that were obviously from a sword, and claws."

"Akage snatched her back up when I came over, and his haori fell open, and I could see her neck...there was - there was almost n-nothing left to it. I...it was all b...bitten, and shredded, I-I couldn't believe it was still attached." He audibly swallowed passed the lump that seemed to have lodged in his throat and hurried on, like the floodgates had been opened and couldn't be closed.

"She was covered in blood, and when Akage moved again her arm dropped out of her cover. It was a full of cuts and bruises but by her shoulder was five punctures..." he growled deep in the back of his throat.

"That's their signature, or his at least," he all but spat. "The ones he leaves alive or doesn't have enough time to finish depriving of their flesh and blood. They all have those puncture wounds. Masimo..." the name was dripping with venom, and Ori was back to growling in remembrance, his jyaki flaring.

Kagome was shocked by what was just revealed to her. A cold chill crawled down her spine, and her flesh prickled as she shuddered at the somewhat familiar description, unconsciously rubbing her own healed wounds. Not to mention the strange feeling she got when Ori really started growling.

Ori's growling stopped suddenly as he picked up on her unease and he mentally cursed himself for letting his mouth run away with him. Still off from reliving such a painful experience he had unwittingly dug up, he put on a brave face for her.

'She didn't need to know all that about Suki. Shit! And she's already encountered Masimo for herself, you just have to keep brining up the past don't you. Look at all the good it does you.' He reached over and tried to comfort her but she shied away, then blushed at her rudeness.

"Sorry, I'm...it's just, well, I don't really remember what happened to me but the wounds you spoke of, I have them and the mention of that name makes my skin crawl," she shivered just at the thought of him. He offered a small smile.

"I should be the one apologizing for letting my mouth run away with me. I swear it would probably do me, and others, a lot of good if I just kept it shut most of the time."

She was glad that his earlier self was resurfacing, and that he was trying to lighten the mood, but there were still a few things she still need to find out. She looked down at her hands feeling guilty for bringing up the obviously painful subject again.

"So Masimo murdered Suki but spared Akage. I don't understand." She asked feeling, not for the first time, very childish. Ori's lips set in a grim line, and his brows drew together, his eyes looking as though they had turned black with hate.

"They spared him because they thought it would be amusing to leave him to suffer with the knowledge that he couldn't save her. It was all a game to them!" his voice had risen considerably, and he had to take a moment to compose himself.

"I asked Akage what happened sometime after but he didn't come out and say it at first, it took him a few days before he told me. He said he was on his way to meet her when he smelled her blood."

He had frantically searched for her and in his panicked state failed to take note of the unfamiliar demons' scents. When he did find her, she was huddled in a small cave formed by the roots of a tree beaten and bloody. Before he could help her, he was attacked by Masimo, and with her cover blown Batabaka pulled Suki out of hiding and forced her to watch the fight. It didn't last long. Akage was left in the same state as Suki, and subjected to the same show, only this time he got to watch Masimo try to violate his future mate, and then rip her neck open when she fought against him. He was then treated to the special feature where Masimo turned to him and smiled before he leaned down and started biting chunks out of her neck. He smiled, face dripping with her blood and gore, and told the helpless young prince that his woman was delicious, that it was too bad he would never get a chance to taste her the way he had, because he was too weak to save her.

The look on Ori's face as he recounted what his friend had told him, was that of sick horror and hate.

"They toyed with them, made them watch the other be beaten, and then they made him watch while that sick bastard killed her and started eating her." His voice had begun to tremble with grief.

"Then they left him there with her dead body laughing, laughing because they'd murdered his future mate in front of him; laughing because he couldn't stop them; laughing because she died in fear. They just kept laughing!"

"Gods she was so beautiful and full of life, and they just - they just ended it like it wa...was meaningless," he finished miserably. His breath hitched, and his head sank back into his hands, while his back shook with silent sobs.

Kagome was stunned, not just because she had learned of the gruesome death of the fox girl named Suki, and the horror Akage had been witness to, but also because Ori was crying. Full realization dawned on her. He stilled and sat up straight, turned away from her and wiped the remaining moisture from his eyes with the heels of his palms. When he finally faced her again his cheeks were tinged pink not due to crying.

"Uh," he said nervously. "Midori, I uh, I haven't talked about that for a while. I don't usually do, um, that, and..." she stopped him.

"Hey. Don't worry, I wont say anything." Her voice was soft, and reassuring. His cheeks had turned a few shades darker.

"Uh, thanks." He looked down and turned again, this time to gather up what was left of his dignity. 'Kami, I can't believe I just cried! I haven't shed a tear since Suki's death, and here I am crying like a baby in front of a human girl that I hardly know! Fuck this is embarrassing!' he inwardly groaned.

He made to speak when Kagome beat him to it with something quite unexpected.

"You were in love with her." It wasn't a question; it was a sad statement accompanied by a sad look.

It was Ori's turn to be stunned yet again by the girls' questions.

"Yes," he wasn't really aware that he said anything until it was out of his mouth.

"Did Akage know?"

"No."

"Did Suki know what you felt for her?"

"No."

"How long?"

"From the first moment she brought me to the ground, and put her foot on my chest, and glared down at me with her arms crossed." A sad smile flicked across his lips.

"It must have been hard for you to be in love with her and not be able to do anything about it," she said quietly, an unknown hurt clutching at her chest.

Ori took note of how sad she looked, and when their eyes met he swore he could see something in their depths that his own eyes mirrored.

"But Suki and Akage were happy, even if it was short lived, and that's all I ever wanted for them. To be happy."

They both gave each other a slight understanding smile.

Kagome didn't know how, but knew that they had made a connection on some level, and she was glad.

Ori took a deep breath. "Now, enough of all this depressing stuff. Come on and lets get something to eat." She agreed, and they made their way back in a companionable silence, both lost in their own thoughts.

Weh-hell, how about that, Mr. Doubting Mustafa?

Does anyone know what I'm talking about? It's a quote from "Aladdin." It may not be accurate, the 'doubting Mustafa' part, but that's what I thought its said. Actually, I haven't watched it for a while so the whole thing could be wrong...anyway.

Did you like? It's been such a long time since I got into this story I hope it wasn't a disappointment. Finally it's starting to move along. I was really stuck there with how I was going to explain Suki. She wasn't even going to be Akage's woman, it was really a toss up between making the one who died at the hands of Masimo Akage's mother, sister, brother, or girlfriend. I tossed all the other ones because if it was family then Mitzubishi would have been out looking too, so girlfriend it was! Oh, his mom just died, she wasn't murdered (if anyone was wondering).

Okie dokie, that's enough out of me, I'm bushed, and I hear my futon calling my name. I bet if you listen you'll be able to hear it too...(crickets)

Maybe I'm the only one after all. Hmmm...

Well hoped you liked and I'll definitely try to get the next chapter of my other fic up soon. I'm going to try to rotate my updates: one from this fic, one from the other. See where I'm going with this?

Anyway, if you've got any questions don't hesitate to ask em'!