(( Dedication )) (( Julie has contacted me and so this story will now continue. Yay for Julie! ))

. : Inazuma : .

: . By Akikazu . :

. : Chapter Ten : .

"Souta!" His name rang through the room errily.

"Onee-chan?"

Kagome ran to her little brother and embraced him, but when she held him away from her to look into his eyes she was horrified.

"Kami, Souta, what happened to you?"

Blood was dripping down his face, originating from the long slash over his eyes and the shorter, jagged cut one over his left. To Kagome it was obvious that Souta would never see again.

"I knew you would come, Kagome Onee-chan."

And Souta passed out in the safe cradle of his sister's arms.

Her eye searched the room and rested on the young man standing over a freshly killed body. His hair was silvery red and his eyes were covered by a green bandana, she wondered if he was also marked as Souta now was.

"My apologies."

His words sent a shiver down her spine but she knew exactly what his cryptic words were referring to.

"Why?"

"I didn't get here on time," he held a navy blue bandana out to her. "He might want this."

"Higurashi?"

Itsuki peeked into the room and found Kagome holding her brother, a body lay on the ground nearby and he immediately went to investigate it.

"What happened?"

"I don't know, he was dead when I arrived."

"Hm… Is your brother unharmed?"

"He'll never see again."

Itsuki paused just as he was about to turn over the man and shot a sympathetic look in her direction.

"I'm sorry."

She shrugged, "it's not your fault."

After turning back to what he was doing he analyzed the features of the dead man. The corpse looked oddly familiar but he could place it and just as he felt as if he was on the verge of a breakthrough the door was slammed open again.

"Itsuki-kun?" Mana's voice called.

"The abductor is dead," Itsuki called back.

"Alright then let's leave," Kaname said.

Haruna stepped farther into the room, looking around and examining every inch of the visable from her position.

"Itsuki isn't this?"

"Yeah."

Her eyes snapped to meet his, horrified.

"But that means…"

"Probably."

Isshin glared at them both, "I don't understand a thing you're saying."

"The person whom abducted and cut Higurashi's brother was probably E.G.O." Itsuki announced.

"Cut? Is he okay, Tsukasa-kun see if you can heal him," Mana said.

"That's who he is!" Itsuki exclaimed.

"Huh?"

"He's our uncle, Haruna."

Everyone was slightly stunned at his announcement and took a couple of seconds to process the news. Tsukasa snapped out of it first and went back to checking up on Souta while Kagome hovered around them.

"I can't fully heal his eyes, he'll never see again but I can make the pain go away," Tsukasa announced.

Souta whimpered in his sleep and Kagome growled in frustration.

"Just do it!" She snapped.

The boy on the ground closed his eyes and a soft glow wrapped around him and big, feathery wings grew from his head. His clothing changed too, and he appeared just as Kagome had seen earlier from the corner of her eye.

Do you not see

This is that scum's true form

A monstrosity

He has lost the wings on his back

This boy may be more worthless than we once thought

Or he could prove to be of far more use

After the voices' commentary Kagome watched the Tsukasa more carefully. White feather floated around the room and the winged boy placed a hand over Souta's eyes. A soft glow covered both of them similar to her arrows, only the glow white instead of pink.

Knowing Souta was in safe hands she turned o the rest of the group, whom were discussing their present situation.

"So Itsuki and Haruna's uncle had disappeared a year or so ago only to return now and begin some weird, criminal activities?" Kaname questioned.

"That sums it up," Itsuki confirmed.

"But what was he doing. He cut that boy's eyes, it's so horrible," Mana said softly.

"He said he was giving me new eyes."

They turned and found a conscious Souta trying to stand with a now normal Tsukasa's help. Kagome scrambled to her brother's side and gave him a little hug.

"I'm so glad you're safe now Souta. I sorry for not being there to protect you and I'll watch out for better from now on," she babbled giving his a second tighter hug.

"What did your uncle mean about giving him new eyes? Was he going to replace them with a different set or something?" Nakaura voiced the questions.

"I know what he means," Souta whispered.

"Souta?"

Kagome's voice was soft giving him courage and assuring him that he didn't have to talk about it if he didn't want to. But Souta wanted to tell them, he wanted to help these people for some strange reason. It was like a gut feeling, or a voice speaking in his head.

"I can see, but not like I used to… You're all glowing, colored clouds…" Souta said, struggling to find the right words for what he wanted to say. "Kagome you're mixed and the guy that saved me was a cool purple color. The evil dude who did this to me was a metallic color like the guy who followed you and also like another person in this room… I think it's a girl."

"What guy that saved you? No other guy as here when I came in," Itsuki asked.

"When I came in there was a guy standing over your uncle, I know he's the once who killed him and rescued Souta. I think he was like Souta, he was wearing a bandana over his eyes. Oh," Kagome tied the blue bandana she was still holding over Souta's scared eyes. "He told me to give you this, he was very kind."

Itsuki looked as if he was going to make a comment when he spotted the soft look of admiration on her face but Isshin spoke first.

"I think your brother is seeing our auras. I get the same feelings when I look for them, the mixed feeling of yours and the metallic tang of Itsuki's and Haruna's."

A cloud form in the middle of the room swirling in its self at a dizzying rate, Kagome could soon make out the face of the man who had saved Souta in the middle of the swirling vortex.

"You are quiet correct, young Arayasiki. Souta is 'seeing' auras."

"Who are you?" Kaname demanded.

"I am Naoya Ai, currently the most powerful of my faction, the Sightless, which Souta has just joined."

"Sightless?" Kagome whispered.

Noya's face turned to her and tipped slightly as if he was bowing respectfully.

"The Sightless are called such because they cannot see. Originally we were of other factions, then someone make our eyes unusable and because the experience is very traumatic our powers try to protect us. But with us tied down and incapable as we are at that point our power tries to go out through our eyes. This doesn't work if they're destroyed, and so the powers find other ways to work and a Sightless is 'born'. In the next few days Souta will start gaining new abilities so you may want to keep him out of school for the next week or so just in case."

Kagome hugged Souta as she listened to the man words, feeling as if she had to keep in contact with him or something terrible would happen. The rest of the group was also listening attentively.

"You seem to know a lot, just how old are you?" Itsuki questioned.

"I was there at the beginning of the Aquarian Age."

"Impossible that was thousands of years ago," Isshin argued.

"You'd be amazed at what you can live through."

"Since you were there at the beginning, can you tell us anything about the 'key'?" Itsuki asked, disregarding Isshin's outburst.

"The key to the end of the Aquarian Age is before you and you'll need both her and her brother to finish what she couldn't many years ago."

"Anything else that you could tell us about this war?" Kagome asked.

"The E.G.O is hiding many things, and they have much more in common with the Erasers that anyone cares to admit. One such secret of the E.G.O. involves your family, and the supposed 'unification of the factions', this has much to do with your mother's illness. Be sure that you take caution for if the factions are not all represented at the finally battle, it will not be."

"I don't understand-"

"I must go, but in one weeks time I will return to train you, Souta."

And the cloud disappeared.

"That was so weird," Isshin commented.

And Kagome's moodiness returned.

"Don't know why I was surprised. Things are always appearing and disappearing. Floating heads have already been done too," she sighed and whispered softly, "though I've never seen it done with such a kind, beautiful man."

"Kagome…"

"I know, I know, I just can't help it."

Souta giggled, "you're so weird Onee-chan."

"Pfft, don't I know it."

Souta pouted, "you always have to have the last word don't you?"

She smirked. "But of course."

The group watched the siblings in both amusement and wonder. Was this truly the same girl who had dealt with them so coldly?

"I told you she truly cared for her brother," Mana whispered to Kaname.

He nodded, wondering how Mana knew these things about people. True anyone could see the panic in the girl when she had come to them for help but seeing her acting so loving with the boy was something entirely different.

Itsuki absently looked at his watched but returned his gaze to the siblings as if in a trance. However he soon did a double take and launched himself out of his seat.

"I'm late for work!" He shouted.

"That means I late as well," Haruna sighed.

And Itsuki left the room without saying goodbye, though Haruna waved before exiting. Kagome and Souta watched his actions with amusement but then they also prepared to leave.

"Where are you two heading off to?" Mana asked curiously.

"Hospital," Kagome replied curtly.

Souta elabortated, "we have to get a note from the doctor so I can wear the bandana at school, and we're going to visit Oka-san."

"Oh," Mana said quietly.

"Didn't that guy say something about your family?" Isshin thought out loud.

Kagome turned and met his eyes, shocking the boy because he had not expected anyone to hear him.

"We cannot learn any more about that till our mother regains consciousness," she said blandly.

"I'm sorry for your loss," Mana said knowing how it felt to lose a parent.

Kagome shrugged, "she's not dead yet, I'm sure she'll hold out."

"Kagome…" Souta's voice took on a warning tone.

"Dammit Souta! She knew what was going on. She knew she was ill too, and she didn't see fit to tell us. But I should have noticed anyways, I should have know Souta."

Souta hugged her and the pair made their way out of the room, escaping the watching eyes of the group.

"Oka-san is good at hiding things Kagome. Unless she wants us to, we won't know about whatever."

"I just hate being kept in the dark Souta."

"I know."

"I'm going to shout at her when she wakes up."

"And I won't even try to stop you."

She glared at him, "I hate it when you're condescending attitude, especially when it's directed at me."

"That's okay, I'll do it anyway."

He took of running getting a few seconds head start before she started after him.

"Souta, I'm going to hurt you!"

"I love you too," he called back.

She continued to chase after him, all the way to the hospital, muttering to herself, "I'll show him how much I- Souta!"

"Yes Kagome?"

"How can you see where you're going?"

That stopped him cold and Kagome caught up to him, standing by his side and take his hand in hers.

"I-I don't know… I just knew where to run."

Kagome squeezed her brother tightly and he made gagging noises, which she studiously ignored.

"Souta this is fabulous!"

"I'm always fabulous," he wheezed.

For once she willingly surrendered the last words, too happy to argue any future with him.

It seemed as if those abilities were coming sooner than she thought they would.

: . End Chapter . :

. : Author's Note : .

And the mystery man has been revealed!

And now I must go.

Ja ne

: . Review Responses . :

LKLTB – Everyone was surprised, I guess I've still got it. You're close but I'm not going to tell you out right.

chinadoll27 – I know, I was nearly sick when I thought of how it must feel to hae that happen to you.

Evfrosyne – lol, I love that word, huggles.

regretfully-yours-Cassy-chan – My parents get on my case when I got a C on a report card even though they always say 'we don't care what grades you get as long as you try your best'.

Chiisana-Tori-chan – When I listen to those voice I seem to end up in some or of trouble…

Go Drink Pinesol – I don't think there will be too many spoilers… But there will probably be a few of them.

Julie – It's not all your fault, I seemed to have made the experience far more tramatic than expected.

Evilmaniac – I'd hate that meomory too if it was mine.

Kitty Mew 2005 – They don't call inspiration a bitch for no reason.