A.N. Well I hope you are enjoying my story. I am sorry it took so long to update. This may turn into a monthly one. I am writing two fanfiction stories and 1 fictionpress story. Right now things have been busy with mandatory overtime at work and helping family members at home. And of course reading lots of fan fiction.

I have been told that my language skills need improvement. This is not news to me, I do try. I am sorry. I have serious difficulties really proofreading something if it is not on paper. I need a printer and a red pen to really proofread. Even then I end up with something called comma splices. (Whatever they are.) If there is anybody who would like to proof read my chapters before I post please let me know.

Oh, and in regard to the spelling of the characters names I am taking it directly from the translations on the DVD's and in the DVD covers. Lacking any other form of reference material this will have to do for now. They did say that they wanted the spellings to be a little different than what you would expect because they are on another world in one of the special features. Oh well Sorry I actually worked hard to get the spellings off of the DVD's

Oh please does anybody know what Kaname's brothers first name is? If I cannot find out what his name is; I will have to create one of my own! This would be very bad. I am not good with Japanese names. He would probably end up Sean or Duncan or something. Help!

Chapter 3

Kaname Takasato stood staring at his painting of the Twelve Kingdoms. Try as he might he could remember nothing of the time he was spirited away. He remembered nothing except for brief flashes of memory and nightmares that seemed to fade as soon as he awoke. Why can't I remember? He thought to himself. Suddenly he thought of the young girl with dark hair who kept coming to visit him. The one his brother liked so much. She kept telling him he should try to forget that world and live in this one. She remembered that world; he was sure of it.

Setting his paintbrush down he went downstairs to look for his brother. Finding him in front of the fridge drinking milk out of the carton Kaname asked, "I need to find that girl Yuka Sugimoto. Do you know where I can find her?"

His brother choked on the milk he had been drinking and visibly paled. "W...Why do you want to see her? Are you mad at her or something?" Fear and hostility ringing in his voice.

Kaname blinked then sighed. "No, I only want to ask her a few questions."

Reluctantly picking up the phone, he dialed Yuka's number. He had been wanting to get up the nerve to call her. Now he had an excuse. The only problem was he did not want to put her in danger from his brothers' curse. As the phone started ringing he couldn't help hoping she would not be home.

The cloud of smoke was the first indication that something was wrong. Youko and Rakushun had made it to his mothers home in record time. Arriving as the last light of the sun painted the clouds in reds, golds and violets. Rakushun could smell it in the distance. There was only one place that it could be coming from...his mother's home.

The house was engulfed in flames and had been for sometime. Rakushun cried out at the same time Youko asked her shirei if anybody was inside.

"No one is within the building." Hankyo stated confidently.

"Hankyo says no one is inside." Youko tried to comfort her friend.

"Then...where is she?"

"We'll find her. I promise." Then, turning back to the invisible youma still flying at her side she commanded them. "Hankyo, Hyouki we have to find Rakushuns' mother quickly!" Instantly Hankyo sprang forth from the shadows and raced ahead of the tired kiijuu Youko and Rakushun were riding. Youko blinked. "Hyouki...why aren't you going to look too? I asked both of you."

"Forgive me, Kei Taiho commanded that one of us were to be by your side for the entire time you are out of the palace. He doesn't like the plan and is concerned for your safety."

Keiki! That bacca! Youko balled her hand into a fist. This is the way he gets the last word in when I don't listen to him. Youko sighed. She couldn't stay mad at him. It was his way of making sure she was safe. It was just the way he did it secretly, behind her back, that really irked her.

The village was badly damaged from the storm. Absently Allen wondered why everyone was so concerned about him when they obviously had more pressing issues at hand. The mob drew in around him shouting things he did not understand. He did not know why but it was apparent that they did not like him. The way they were waiving their pitchforks he knew he did not want to stick around. At the same time being a Knight of Astoria meant he couldn't just slash his way through. It wouldn't be honorable and he didn't want to hurt these people.

Backing up Allen crouched down low. Just as the first villager swung at him with a rake he leapt up high over their heads spinning in midair to land on his feet. Instantly he ran from the village and disappeared into the forest. He was having a very bad day.

Shouryu made it back to the camp without anybody noticing he had slipped away. Absently he wondered why he had felt so irritated that Youko had apparently changed the plan. The original plan gave him a few more days to get the information they were needing before she joined him. That wasn't such a big deal En knew that he could get that stuffed chicken, Kouyou, to talk turkey. Kouyou loved to hint around about it. It wouldn't take much to get him to spill the beans. The fact that she was early didn't bother him at all. I was looking forward to Youko joining me. I couldn't wait to get to know her outside of the conventions of the palace.

It was that she had brought Rakushun with her. Why did she have to bring him? Shouryu stopped walking shocked at this thought. He didn't mind Rakushun. He seemed a good friend to Youko and she needed all of the true friends she could gather around her. Shaking his head, he continued walking.

He knows her so well. He knew her before she became the queen. He had been her traveling companion and her first true friend she had met in this world. Why is this bothering me? Maybe it is just that I was looking forward to having some alone time with her to get to know her better.

She is so young and beautiful. She has changed so much from the frightened girl who assumed the Throne of Kei. She is so different from any woman I have ever met! He smiled at this thought. Hmmm. Apparently, I like Youko. I must like her a lot. After all these years for me to start acting like a fool over a girl is something new and different. Shouryu almost started laughing out loud as he decided that he liked feeling like that. I was getting so cynical of everything. But Youko, she sees everything through the eyes of youth. That is one of the things I love about her. En blinked at this thought. "Oh man I have got it bad!" En laughed. Now I am even talking to myself.

Yuka smiled at the two young men before her she was very curious as to why Kaname wanted to see her. He was so withdrawn, and she was glad he had come to see her. She was glad that they had both come to see her she had been waiting for Takasato San to make a move. She couldn't help but be a little disappointed it was his younger brother who had gotten him to finally call her.

Kaname broke the silence first. "You used to come and tell me you thought I should try to forget about that world."

"Yes, I thought you were like me. You always seem so sad and withdrawn. I used to be a lot like that. I thought I didn't belong in this world. So I withdrew into my own one. After I was spirited away, I realized that I do belong here. I learned that the world we live in is what we make of it. I thought that if you let go of that other world you could come to like this one more. After I was visited by one of your Shirei I realized that you are not like me. Then I was curious to find out more about you."

Kaname furrowed his eyes. Shirei? "The fact that you said I should try to forget about that other world means that you do remember it. I need to. Please talk to me about it. What are you talking about saying my shirei came to visit you? What is a shirei?"

"You don't know?" Yuka asked incredulously. Her brow furrowed. She was certain it was a shirei it acted just like Youkos'. "But, shirei don't take action without orders. At least, I didn't think they did."

"Excuse me; what are shirei?" Kaname's brother asked.

Yuka blinked. This was going to be a long story.

A.N. continued. Yes I cannot seem to shut up. I was trying to respond to all reviews but I recently heard that by doing so you can end up in trouble with if you do. So I am sorry I do not want my account deleted. Please still review and let me know what you like and don't like. I really appreciate it.