lil phoenix: SO sorry about the long update. I didn't have a study hall during school, which is how I got to write so many chapters before, in the last nine weeks..> But I get my study hall back on thursday! WHOOT WHOOT! That means more updates. And I'm sorry if this chapter is rushed and short. Just lemme know if I should fix it anymore? I just really wanted to post this...

Twilight
The Love of Another

The storm had continued its restless attack on the surrounding areas throughout the entire night until the dawning sun peered over the Eastern Horizon. The damp air still clung and needed its thickness down the throats of all who would need the precious oxygen. And still resting inside of the cave, the mates laid on the ground under the single blanket, clinging to any warmth that they could. Dranzer was just over yonder gathering her own sources of warmth as the smoke rose from the small-extinguished campfire.

With his arm wrapped over her protectively, Mika's smoky gray eyes fluttered open, her eyelashes tapping daintily. Turning her head to face Kai, she couldn't help but smile, pleased that he had come over what he had done. Or at least she hoped he wasn't just leading her on. Sitting up and gently placing his arm back at his side, Mika cringed slightly as her sore hands had stiffened over the night.

Ignoring her own pain, she casually glanced around the cave to witness the phoenix guardian's slumber, and the sun inching its way into the cave. Even for the light being within the cavern, the air was still thick with the chilling dew, dropping the temperature inside drastically.

Curling up her arms tightly to her chest to conserve her own body heat, her eyes casted down upon Kai's sleeping figure. With the growing light, she got a better glimpse of his face, and her brow knitted tightly together. His skin had lost its peachy complexion and was now a soft graying color. His once rose-colored lips daunted a light blue and purplish hue, and his glossy hair was a dulling color. With a greater analysis, Mika was able to note the shaking figure below her.

Touching her lips to his cheek, she pulled back at the coolness of his skin. What had Dranzer and Beo told her before? He was a phoenix youkai…hanyou. He needed the heat of the sun or other fire source. The weather must have drained him harsher than it had herself. Tucking the blanket around him tighter, Mika sat up and did her best to maneuver Kai's head gently on her lap. She continued to stroke his hair, running her padded hands over the tresses of his matted hair.

"Dancing bears,
Painted wings
Things I almost remember
And a song someone sings
Once upon a December

Someone holds me safe and warm
Horses prance through a silver storm
Figures dancing gracefully
Across my memory..."

Mika let her voice ring softly as the words of an old lullaby her nanny would sing to her rolled off her tongue in almost an instinct form. And she could see why Nako had picked this song to sing Mika to sleep as well as others. It had a soft and flowing tone to it.

"Far away, long ago
Glowing dim as an ember,
Things my heart used to know,
Once upon a December"

Gazing down onto her love, she smiled as his body's tension from the cold was draining and he was relaxing to her touch and voice. It jerked Mika's heart, in a good way, when she could see this. Especially with the way she had seen him the previous say. She did not know who that Kai was, but she wasn't ready to meet him face to face again any time soon.

"Someone holds me safe and warm
Horses prance through a silver storm
Figures dancing gracefully
Across my memory...

Far away, long ago
Glowing dim as an ember,
Things my heart used to know,
Things it yearns to remember...

And a song someone sings
Once upon a December…"

She continued to finish out the soft song, and repeated it as well, trying to keep the content expression on Kai's face present at all times. Her voice dropped when she watched Kai's eyes shift and slowly open up to the creeping sun, now resting upon his feet. Fixing his eyes on the girl his head was cradled in, he let out a large yawn. Smirking, Mika helped him sit himself up and keep the blanket on him.

With droopy eyes Kai glanced over to Dranzer who had left the cavern, for the obvious warmth of the sun. Turning back to his mate, Kai glanced down again at her hands, not able to contain the wince that he felt with their appearance.

"It was time you woke up, sleepy," she smiled.

"I would have woke up sooner, but I don't know," stated Kai, not really knowing what to say for the first time.

"Come on… it would do you good to get some food. Let us go back to the village before Hiromi and Takao worry anymore than they probably are," suggested Mika hopefully. But the downcast of Kai's newly found focus was all up for debate on whether he would go or not. "You must not let this incident change you, Kai. You are still the same person… I told you all last night."

"That is the problem Michi, I have changed. This does change everything," he replied an angered edge in his tone. Mika bit her lip, not wanting to push him any further in his anger, in fear that was what triggered the youkai in him to be released. "See, even you have to be wary around me. Don't think I can't see your face."

"Well then you know how concerned I am about you! I just want you to be happy. And for that, you will need to go and make amends with the Dragon folk. And you must do that right now," she said firmly. Kai sighed and shook his head. "You know you're acting rather childishly."

"You wouldn't know Michi. You don't know what it is like for me right now I told you before…"

"I don't personally, but emotionally..."

"Let me enlighten you, my dear. You have this strange feeling inside of you and all your senses are skipping left and right unable to differentiate your surrounds while it is searching for heat and warmth. All the meanwhile every waking second of your life there is this little voice in the back of your head telling you to kill anything that has blood in him or her. This voice is egging you on, playing the devil's advocate and rendering situations in your mind to twist them into making you believe that what he is saying is true, that one day these people or creatures will try to hurt him."

"Kai…"

"… And then as you started to fall into this false belief that becomes basically unavoidable at one point in time, if not multiple times, you start to lose control over everything. You forget who you are, where you are, what you are, who your friends are. Friends don't exist in the voice's world. Only blood, death, and destruction."

"Kai."

"…And to top it off, there is nothing you can do to stop it because it is in your blood. You bloody father is the cause of this and he never warned you about the potentials of this voice, nor of his past of being that of a youkai, while you watched him die in battle at the hands of the Ookamikei Emperor."

"STOP IT!" shrieked Mika at the top of her lungs, catching Kai off guard and surprising in him so that his mouth shut quickly and tightly. "As you said, there is nothing you can do about it Kai. But there is one thing you can do. Live. You can figure out a way to live around this. All that voice in your head can be is a challenge for you to over come, one, which you must over come for your sake and everyone's sake!

"I am sorry your father died because of … the Emperor, but according to the stories, he died honorably. And for not telling you about this, how could you break it to your son that he maybe a hanyou because you were once one?" Kai's lips pressed together tightly as the words were sinking in. "Honestly Kai…"

"Michi…"

"Now you are going to come out of this cavern right now and follow me back all the way to the village. And you will face Dragoon and the Dragons as honorably as your father faced the Emperor," said Mika furiously at his stubbornness. Standing up she headed for the opening of the cavern and left Kai in his hole to follow her or not.

Dranzer swooped down and landed on a near by branch, glancing down at the ruffled figure of Mika, her face wrinkled in her annoyance. Cocking her head to the side, Dranzer twisted her neck around to look into the cavern to see Kai slowly standing up and exiting as well.

Mika turned around and waited for him to leave the cavern before she grabbed onto his arm and laced hers through it. Smiling, she rested her head onto his shoulder. The two started off with Dranzer landing gracefully down on Kai's opposite shoulder. Wrapping her long tail feathers around his back and over Mika's shoulder, Dranzer nipped lightly at Kai's cheek to gain his attention.

: What did you two do while I was gone:

: Nothing Dranzer. : The scarlet avian gave Kai a doubtful glance at his response, but she did not press the matter any further as she silently rode on his shoulder.

Kai was still wary about going back to the little makeshift village to face Dragoon, Hitoshi, the other Dragons, and Beo as well. But if he was Mika claimed him to be injured, he would just have to listen to his babble and physically be safe. Walking down the pathway Mika was leading him, he could feel his mind clear for once. Smiling he started to relax.

Maybe Mika was right; maybe he could get over this rather quickly and efficiently. He was the one in control anyway… wasn't he? Yeah. He was. That voice had to get through him in order to control him. Control… that's what he would do.

Control, control, control…

Kill.

Kai's eyes snapped open in a heartbeat as his face paled when the voice echoed in his head, ringing bells in his ears. Stopping in his tracks, he let go of Mika's arm and pushed her away quickly. Stumbling a few paces ahead of her before situating herself, Mika turned to question Kai, until she saw his glossy gaze of fear. Dranzer launched herself off of his shoulder, and circled around overhead.

Kill I say young Phoenix. Kill her, she has valuable blood.


: Kai, don't listen to him. Focus your mind on something else: calmly instructed Dranzer towards the panicking Prince. : Dear, stand back, back away now. You won't help him right now… not until he can control this. : Mika did as she was told and backed off resentfully from Kai and Dranzer.

Go away.

I will never leave you young Phoenix. Now kill her before the prey escapes…

: Focus Kai! Something, anything:

Don't listen to her, she knows not of what she talks about. Didn't I make you feel good?

Go away!

All that blood, all that destruction.

Leave me alone!

: Focus now my child. Focus and he will not win. :

You loved it didn't you? You want to do it again; you can't hide it from me. I am you.

Go away.

Don't you tell me what to do you little brat. I made you, I am you, I get what I want, and what I want now is-

Mika suddenly ran forward and kissed Kai rather roughly and against Dranzer's own wishes. The forcible kiss softened immediately as soon as Kai started to respond to her. Dranzer was dumbfounded as to why the voice had not attacked her by now. When Mika pulled away for just reasons of lack of oxygen, she looked up to Kai, whose eyes were still flashing between their natural crimson color and the demonic purple.

…her…

Kai's eyes stopped flashed and dimmed back to their normal crimson color. The voice had left, it was gone from Kai's foggy mind and it confused all three of them.

"What… what just…"

: Let us just be thankful children. : Mika and Kai both nodded, and Mika silently took Kai's hand and led him further on towards the village.

They did not have another episode as the trio made their way down towards the village. A few of the Dragons looked up to see the return of the two phoenixes and ookami reappear over the horizon. Two ran into Hitoshi and Takao's tents, signaling for them.

The brothers' duo peered out their tents to see the group returning to the village. Dragoon also appeared behind Takao and floated up with the two to confront Kai. Silence came between them, as Hiromi rushed over and pulled Mika from Kai's side to let the men handle themselves.

The five of them just stared at one another for what seemed like an eternity trying to read each other's minds, and not daring to be the first one to speak up. The rest of the village watched on as they stood and stared in a dead lock.