Chapter Twenty-Three

Darling, I Love You

The room echoed with their chorus of shouts. Botan held a hand like a paw and made a sound much like a kitten mewing. "Come now, it won't be so bad. I'll even give the winner a prize!"

"What kind of prize could you have gotten on this island?" Yusuke demanded.

"Rayson gave it to me."

"I'm in." Yusuke said.

"Me too," Kuwabara shouted.

"Whoa, hold on. Exactly how do you play?" Ty asked.

Botan smiled eagerly. "Well it starts off with one person who picks someone from the group. Once they have selected their target they go up to them and try to get them to smile by saying, 'Darling, I love you. Won't you please just smile?' If the person laughs, they're next. If the person doesn't laugh they respond with 'Darling I love you but I just can't smile' When that happens the person who was it has to go again. The winner is the one who can go the longest through the game without smiling. You can do just about anything to get them to laugh as long as you say the phrase and that phrase only."

"Huh." A smirk slowly formed at the corners of Ty's mouth. "I like it."

"I don't know..." Katani was hesitant about the ramifications of such a game.

"So let's play! You wants to go first?"

"You should, Botan, it was your idea." Katani folded her arms. If she was going to play she was going to win.

"All right, I will." Botan brushed off her pajamas and stood. She pressed a finger to her chin as she decided whom to go for. After a moments hesitation she walked up to Kurama and sat in his lap. Kurama sat like stone. "Darling," Botan brushed a bang from his eye. Katani tried to hide her smile. It was so horribly corny that it merited mocking. "I love you." Yusuke and Kuwabara stifled their laughter. "Won't you please just smile?"

Kurama looked directly at her. "Darling, I love you but I simply cannot smile."

Botan huffed and got up to search for another target. Kurama's response helped ease Katani's blood. It's not jealousy, she thought, it is not! Botan looked around again. Her gaze settled on Ty. "Oh, Ty! My darling!" She fell at his feet with such drama that already he burst out laughing. "Ha! You're up!" She pulled him out of the couch and sat by Katani.

Ty ran a hand through his short hair. "Okay, here goes." He kneeled on the ground before Katani. His face was solemn as he took her hand in his. "My dearest darling, I will love you till the end of time. Won't you please smile for me?"

Katani had never heard Ty speak so formally. Despite locking her gaze on the adjacent wall she fell into a fit of giggles. "I don't care if I'm next, that was hilarious!" She stood, still laughing.

Ty sat down, confident in his abilities. He would win this stupid game.

Katani looked over the crowd. Kurama wasn't looking at her and Yusuke was still holding back a laugh. He would be the easiest prey. Katani flipped her hair and flashed her eyelashes seductively at him. The laughter stopped immediately as all eyes fell on her. With sauntering steps she walked over and sat beside him. Someone gasped but she didn't bother seeing whom. She would play this like a pro. Gently she ran her soft fingers up his arm till they rested on his cheek. She then grabbed his arm tightly and held it against her. "Darling..." Her voice was low and soft. "Oh, how I love you." Yusuke was becoming a deep cherry shade of red. Ty was also, but not from embarrassment. Kurama was wide eyed. Hiei and Kuwabara stared with open mouths. Botan held a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing. "Will you please, smile for me?" She rested her head on his chest. "Please?"

"I... uh..." He couldn't speak. Katani bat her eyelashes before pleading with him. With a grin he said, "I'll do anything you say at this point!"

Katani immediately let go and fell back on the couch. "Ha! You lose sucker!"

"But... hey!" He snapped back to reality. It appeared he was quite disappointed.

"What's wrong Yusuke? You look as you were day dreaming." Botan fell to the floor laughing.

"I'll show you who can play this stupid game!" He angrily stood and searched for someone. A smile lit his face as he focused on Kuwabara.

"No way, Urameshi!" He pushed him away and scooted to the wall.

"Fine, be that way. Lets see..." Hiei stood leaning against a pillar. As he saw Yusuke look at him he spoke,

"Come near me and die."

"Um... yeah." He decided to pay Katani back. Now that Botan was on the floor he took her spot on the couch. "Oh my lovely Katani, how I long to see you smile, so come on, smile for me." He reached out to touch her.

"Darling, I love you but there's no way in heck I'm going to..." She was cut off by his lips on hers. "What the he-!" She pushed him off. The sight of him falling to the floor had here laughing in seconds. "Ah, crap." It was her turn again.

"I think I like this game." Yusuke said.

"Touch her again and I'll rip the tongue from your mouth." Ty muttered.

"Okay... A little overprotective I see." Yusuke sat away from him.

Katani walked over to Hiei. "Darling, I love you." No tricks, no flirting. "Won't you please just smile?" He was about to say no before she leaned over and whispered something in his ear. Hiei broke into a grin. Everyone's mouths fell open in amazement.

"What did you say?" Kurama asked.

"Oh, nothing special." I told him that Kuwabara asked a hawk girl out and she beat him up with a plushie.

Kurama smiled. As she walked to sit Ty grabbed her by the waist and placed her in his lap. The chord in her mind that connected her to Kurama throbbed.

"You're it, Hiei." Botan pointed at him.

For a moment he looked as if he would flat out leave but Katani shot him a look so he sighed and unsheathed his sword. "Smile, damn it." He pointed the sword at Kuwabara.

Kuwabara smiled from fear.

Hiei sheathed his sword and left. "I'm done playing your stupid games."

"Good night, darling!" Katani called as he disappeared behind the door.

"All right! The master of love is in! I will make you smile for sure!" He held Botan's hand. "I love you Botan, but I love Yukina more, so won't you smile for me? Seeing as I'm the most studdly here and all."

Botan clutched her stomach. "He..." she gasped for breath, "said... he's studdly!" She laughed with all the breath in her. Katani and the others joined her. "All right, time to get serious." She kissed Yusuke on the cheek. "Smile, darling, if you love me."

He did, mainly because she tickled him. "That's cheating!" He said after she finished.

"I said you could do anything to get them to smile." She winked.

Yusuke groaned and looked around. Kurama he might be able to get. "Hey there foxy." He flashed a white smile. Kurama stared in disbelief. "Darling," he ran a hand through Kurama's fiery hair. "I love you. Won't you please just smile?"

To keep from saying the phrase again to him Kurama smiled. "My, Yusuke I will never understand your feelings. Now stop holding my hand."

"Oh... sorry."

Katani and Botan roared with laughter. Kuwabara looked as if he would be sick.

Kurama stood and sat on the couch. Strong arms lifted Katani off Ty's lap onto his own. "Darling-" his voice was soft and sweet, like a songbird. "I love you. Won't you please, smile?" He leaned in and kissed the nape of her neck.

Once again Katani's body was racked with shivers. It felt so nice, but she was not going to let him win. "Darling, I love you. But I just can't smile." She stood and winked. "Nice try, though."

Kurama feigned sadness. "Oh well, at least I still have Yusuke," He moved over to him and without even touching Yusuke the detective laughed.

Ty was growing angry and stood behind Katani, hands on her hips.

"Well it looks like Yusuke will laugh no matter what. I guess that makes..." She thought in her mind, "Kurama the winner!"

Everyone except Ty clapped for him. Katani even whistled. Botan reached under the table and pulled out a brown package. "Congrats!"

Kurama bowed and accepted.

"Now, let's go take a bath! I'm filthy." All the boys perked up. Katani felt uneasy.

"I'll take one tomorrow. I think I'll go to my room for a little while." She pulled away and fled to her bedroom. The screen door slammed shut behind her. The pit of her stomach twisted and coiled like a dragon. The way Kurama had touched her filled her with fire. The feel of his soft lips on her skin played again in her mind. She couldn't have smiled. It wasn't funny. She wanted to walk up to him and just hold him. Her body ached for his touch and voice. The gold blood seemed to come alive within her and it yearned for him. She focused on calming herself while ensuring the barriers around her mind were in tact. This was just a physical attraction. So he was hot, big deal. It didn't mean she was in love with him. At the thought of the word hot Yoko jumped through her mind. Once again she pictured his bare chest and muscular arms. Katani shook her head hard and splashed water from a basin on her face. No, she willed herself, no.

As she settled in bed a piercing pain shot through her body. On her side above the hip her wound flared. The skin around it was inflamed and the infection itself was growing worse. She bit her tongue and peeled the bandage of with a cry. Carefully she cleaned the wound and applied a clean bandage. The doctor had beds full of patients with life threatening ails. She was not going to trouble her with a simple sword slice.

Once she felt that she had taken relatively good care of the wound she flipped off the light switch. The room was plunged into darkness. She fell asleep almost instantly.

A couple rooms over the boys were preparing for a quick soak in the hot spring. Yusuke was joking around with Kuwabara as they stepped outside. The night was a cool and crisp, a sharp contrast to the warm day they had labored in. Hiei was no where to be seen, Yusuke figure he was still peeved about being made to play that game. True, it had been something to do and a nice way to get closer to the few girls they had in their company, but it had created even greater tension between certain members of the group. Kurama, who usually would have been at least smiling at him and Kuwabara, was merely sitting in the water with his eyes closed. He looked how he had looked during the Dark Tournament, Yusuke's own kidnap, and when he fought the Game Master- calculating and thoughtful.

Yusuke had seen Katani blush gold when Kurama held her but she seemed to wipe it away quickly. Though when Katani had chosen Yusuke for her target she had no trouble getting a smile out of him. Ty, unlike Kurama, looked angry. Yusuke had little doubt that he would check on her before the sun rose. Whether or not he would find her there was another matter entirely.

The next morning clouds were gathering in the sky. There were just enough to block light from the sun and give the island a weary look. Katani woke and rushed to the baths. Like a wary antelope drinking from the water hole she bathed. In seconds she was out again and dressing, while her eyes shifted back and forth for lions. Clean and dressed she walked to the kitchen. She ate an apple in silence. Thankfully no one else was up yet. She bit into the juicy fruit and thought about the night before. In her sleep she had dreamed about him again. Kurama had been calling for her, not desperately but patiently. It seemed he was trying to help her find her way. Everything around her had been dark and only after following his voice did she find her way back. Waking up she remembered the warmth on her cheeks and her heart beating fast. Was she really…? No, she pushed the thought away. It was wrong, just plain wrong.

In the boy's room Kurama sat on his bed, fully dressed, with a beautiful journal in his hands. He flipped through the pages and found the last entry. On the bottom, written in the flowing script of Gilian she had said, "I love him". A deep regret filled him upon reading that passage. She was going to tell him. As soon as she woke up she had been planning on telling him. He closed his eyes and looked away. Now more then ever he regretted not killing Tithe on the spot. But he knew what he needed to know, that she loved him. Whatever it took he would help her remember. His first thought had been to give her back the journal he had taken. However, Tithe would steal those memories as well and may go as far as destroying her book. No, better to leave it in his care and away from the ghost's all seeing eyes. For her to remember, to truly remember, she would have to do it on her own. Waiting had never been a more evil temptress.

Back in the kitchen Katani had begun cooking breakfast for everyone. Any moment now they would smell the fresh eggs and dumplings. "3…" she placed a plate a tablecloth on the table. "2…" the plates and silverware were all set. "1…" she set down the platter of food and pitcher of orange juice. "0-"

"Good mornin Katani!" Yusuke, Kuwabara, Botan, and Ty ran in a whirlwind of empty stomachs and high hopes. They were not disappointed as they sat and quickly helped themselves to the meal.

"You're not even going to say grace?" Katani asked appalled.

Yusuke stopped. "Oh all right." He folded his hands and quickly muttered, "Thanks God for the grub, amen, yea God."

Katani sighed. They were unreachable. Hiei stepped into the kitchen, looked upon the table with one raised brow, and began to head outside.

"No you don't!" Katani slid in front of him. "Come eat with us!"

"Go to hell." Hiei disappeared out the door in a flash of black.

Katani just stared at the door he had dashed out of. She really thought that she could guilt trip him into doing it. Though, Hiei was not one to be swayed by anything, much less her.

"Don't feel bad," a soft voice said. Katani jumped and her heart raced. "He's like that with everyone. Give it time. He'll come around."

"I doubt it." Katani folded her arms and glanced up at Kurama. "What's with you?" she raised a brow.

"What do you mean?"

"Your hands…" Katani noticed. "Whenever you're anxious you stand stiff with your hands in you pockets like that."

Kurama was surprised. Even now she retained her powers of observation. True, he was anxious. He had finished reading the beautiful journal she had written before losing her memory and knew he was doing what was right. Still, that did not make the wait bearable. He wanted her in his arms, by his side, no matter what. "You are as shrewd as ever, Katani."

"Come on, what's wrong?" Katani frowned. "Is it your Mom? Is she okay? Did something happen?"

"No, my Mother is fine. Don't trouble yourself."

"What are you not saying?"

"Many things,"

Katani did not feel like playing word games with a spirit fox. Instead she threw her arms in the air in surrender. Taking a place at her seat she grabbed what remained of the breakfast she had prepared. Ty sidled up next to her and slipped his and into hers.

From the corner of her eye she saw Kurama's eyes on them. Quickly she took moved her hand away. Ty raised a brow and tried again, holding her thigh this time. Katani only hoped she was imagining the fire in Kurama's eyes.

"Ty…" she whispered. "Not now."

"Oh," Ty followed Katani's eyes. Kurama took a seat at the table. "Well so what? Let him be jealous."

"No, Ty, it makes me uncomfortable."

He hesitated. Her words hurt him, but he dare not show it. Instead he kept talking. "Do you want to go out somewhere and…" his voice took on a purring tone, "play?"

"No." Katani said shortly before swallowing a fork full of light and fluffy scrambled eggs. She prided herself on being a good cook and these eggs had turned out perfectly.

"Come on," he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Just for a little while. I know you want it too. After last night's game I couldn't stop thinking about you."

Katani stood and placed her dishes in the sink. "Do your own dishes," she shouted to everyone. "I'm out." With that she walked out the door and spread her wings. The morning light warmed her face as she flew. The wind was strong and smelled of salt and sea. Near the cost a flock of greedy gulls skimmed the shore for turtles or crabs. The air was fresh and it restored Katani's vigor. She summoned her blade and began anew the battle combat Rayson had taught her. After an hour of good practice she felt assured in her strength. Maybe she was worthy of her title after all. If she worked hard enough maybe she could give Yusuke a thorough beating for all the times he called her blondie.

After a while she felt tired and longed for a drink and companionship. Remembering Botan's desire to fight she decided to find the Spirit Guide and teach her some battle tactics. Whether she could manage them in that kimono was another matter entirely.

Landing on the porch she called out. "Botan? You here?" Her voice echoed through the empty house. Stacks of dirty dishes were piled carelessly in the sink. Sighing, she walked over and filled half the sink with warm, soapy water. She grabbed a stack of dirty dishes and placed them in the sink. After a few minutes of soaking she began to scrub. They weren't going to do the dishes, who was she kidding? And she didn't want anyone else to have to pick up after them. Being a guest was one thing, but she would not be looked over like a child.

As she rinsed the clean dishes her mind began to wander. The way Ty touched her really had made her uncomfortable. But when Kurama had touched her, well she didn't want him to stop. But at the same time it felt like he was a stranger. Which, if she was to believe everyone, he wasn't. But did that make it okay? She began drying a glass with a cloth. He was an outsider. Okay, so she wasn't worried about having half breed children or anything. Actually the idea sounded quite appealing, like something out of a novel. But it was so ingrained in her mind that it seemed disgusting, wrong even. Was Rayson right when he said the fear and pain she felt was from the first Galian who had been nearly killed by a red blood? She scarcely believed in legends any more but when she was with Kurama she felt fear along with many other things she didn't understand. That frustrated her because she felt no fear around anyone else, even Hiei who could be very scary even on a good day. For a brief moment she let herself think of Kurama. "Darling, I love you," the words rang in her head. Gold blood raced to her cheeks but at the same time her body began to feel hot pain. She screamed, and the glass shattered in her hand.

Tiny pieces fell to the floor and broke into millions of shards. Gold blood dripped down with them where the larger pieces had cut her. Her whole hand was covered with cuts and the pain in her head was replaced. Tiny shards could be in her skin and they could get infected. Carefully, but quickly, she scoured the room for something, anything, to tend the wound. She had never really been good at dressing them but there was no one else around.

She remembered hearing Yusuke say that Kurama had brought a first aid kit with him. It would be like him to think of everything. Wrapping a cloth around her hand to stop the bleeding, for it was bleeding quite freely, she quickly dashed to the boy's room.

It was, of course, a disaster. Not even Botan made that much of a mess, she thought as she walked through the scattered blankets and clothes. Empty junk food wrappers and soda cans also littered the floor. No wonder Hiei always slept outside. She could tell right away which bed was Kurama's. It was the only one that had been made. A large red duffel bag sat on the edge of it and she hesitated. This would probably count as invading his privacy. Her mind automatically began looking for an excuse to provide justification, should she be caught. Well my hand is bleeding and I'm hurt. I could just say that. She figured that Kurama was the kind of guy who didn't keep porno or condoms in his bag. Or, at least, she hoped so. When she was younger she had asked one of her teachers what the internet was for. A boy in her class shouted, "For porn!" He had been instantly scolded and made to sit in the corner but the answer stuck with her. The older she grew she was thought more and more that it was the case.

But no, Kurama wasn't like that. Feeling justified, she opened the bag with her good hand. Clothes, she breathed a sigh of relief. Her hand dug to the bottom of the bag and she found something hard. It felt smooth and square so she pulled it out. She gasped as she recognized the fine scrolling print on the cover. In Gilian the words, "By the Sun, Moon, and Stars We Live. This Is Katani's life," were written. As her hand traced the smooth leather and soft spine she remembered writing in it. What in the world was he doing with her journal? Anger filled her followed by a deep curiosity. Had she written about him before? Trembling, she opened the book. Her hand was long since forgotten.

"Katani?"

She jumped and spun around. Botan stood in the doorway staring curiously at her.

"What are you doing? I heard a scream and came as fast as I could. Oh my, are you bleeding?"

Katani remembered the glass in her cuts and the reason she had come to the room. Quickly she shoved the journal under the duffel bag behind her back. "Uh, yeah," her mind scrambled with panic. "I heard Kurama had a first aide kit so I came to check."

"Oh my goodness. Here, I'll grab it. Why don't you sit down and I'll take a look." Botan came over and found the kit at the bottom of Kurama's bag. She sat on his bed beside Katani and folded back the cloth. She could not help gasping in shock. "What happened?"

"I broke a glass." Katani only half heard the question. Her mind was still focused on the journal. How she wished Botan would leave.

"Well I can see that. Hold still, there's a ton of glass in here." She began pulling the shards from her cuts.

"Can't I just run it under some water?" Katani wanted to get this over with.

"No, you'll run the risk of embedding them." Botan didn't look up from her work. "Hey, did you like my game last night? Pretty fun huh?"

Katani forced a smile and tried to concentrate on what the grim reaper was saying. "Yeah,"

"Doesn't it remind you of I Never?"

"Of what?" Katani was confused now.

Botan looked up. "You don't remember? We all played it in your attic when the storm came."

The memory was gone. Katani could feel it should have been there. The day was like a puzzle piece and chunks were missing. "No,"

"Well maybe you will soon. I bet you'll get your memory back. It's gotta still be in there somewhere. Besides, you and Kurama will be together."

Katani blushed and jerked her hand away. "What if I don't want to be with him?" She shouted. "What if I want to be with Ty or anyone else? I don't even like Kurama that much! I wish people would stop telling me what will happen when they don't even have a clue!"

Botan looked at Katani, surprised at her sudden anger. She had never heard her yell before and it didn't suite her.

Seeing the effect her outburst was having, Katani instantly simmered down. "I'm sorry, Botan, I'm just feeling a little upset."

"No kidding." Botan began picking the glass from her hand again. For the first time since Katani had met her, Botan was silent. When all the glass was gone she cleaned the wound with alcohol. Katani bit her tongue from the pain but said nothing when she noticed the peroxide right beside it. So Botan was angry with her, great. She wrapped the hand in cloth and stood to go. "Feel better."

"Botan-" too late. She was out the door. Katani's heart dropped. Any other day she would have chased after her friend and apologized for her behavior. Now, though, she wanted to read her journal. Maybe her memory would come back if she read some of the days with Kurama in them.

Pulling the book from under the duffel bag she flipped to the last written page. At the bottom she had signed her name, as she always did at the end of an entry, and at the top was the date like always. She was furious, embarrassed, and relieved all at the same time. Furious that Kurama had stolen her journal, embarrassed that he had read it, and relieved that she had it back. She read the last entry aloud to herself, a small part of her hoping hearing it would make it more real.

"Saturday July 1,

I was finally able to fly in a headwind without completely losing it. My wings keep getting stronger and I love the feel of the sky. Feer is also becoming faster both on ground and in the air. John says that if he gets any faster people will have a hard time believing he's a horse."

The ink had then changed from blue to black. She must have started writing in the morning and came back at night after the day was over.

"I'm so worried. After a calm morning I thought things would be fine. I went to visit Rising Crest but Ty was different. I had to fight him, possessed by someone who called himself a gold blood like me. I was so concerned for Ty that I had a hard time fighting him. In the end I managed to defeat him. Yusuke and Kuwabara and Hiei left with Feer. This left me alone with Ty and Yoko."
Katani gasped. Here it was. Taking a steady breath she continued.

"They were so vicious with each other. It was almost as if they were fighting over me. Harsh words would soon grow out of hand so I stepped in and stopped it as best I could. Yoko's eyes scared me. They were so cold and full of anger. It was patient anger. I could almost feel him calculating the situation, thinking three steps ahead. Then he grabbed my wrist so hard I felt like the bones would break. Too shocked to say anything, I let him. I don't know if I'll ever be able to get the image of him like that out of my mind. If he had-"

But Katani could read no more. She slammed the book shut and ran to her room, throwing it as hard as she could to her bed before running to the kitchen. She could remember part of that event now having read it. What was she thinking, even considering a man like him? Disgust threatened to bring back the breakfast she had worked so hard to prepare.

Had he deceived her all this time? Maybe he had been glad of her amnesia. It had given him a clean slate to lull her into thinking he was something he was not. The thoughts came into her mind as if sent. Within moments she was so angry with him that she wanted to strike out at something, anything, to vent her false frustration. Before getting the chance to break something she heard a knock at the door.

"Morning dear cousin. I hope I have not interrupted you." Rayson walked over to her. This morning he looked refreshed, the reconstruction feast seemed to have regenerated him.

"Not at all. In fact I was just about to ask you what I could do." Katani instantly felt better just by his presence. Maybe he would assign her something so demanding physically that she could not think of the pain she was feeling inside.

"Mithril, what happened to your hand?" he gently cradled her bandaged hand in his.

"Nothing, Rayson, I just cut it accidently."

"Please, let me heal it right away,"

"No," Katani pulled back. Rayson's eyes hardened. "Don't look at me like that! It's just that I need this as a reminder." Really she just wanted some physical pain to take away from her emotional. "Please, tell me why you're here."

Rayson studied her hard before finally giving in. "I need one of your men for a reconnaissance mission, if they will accept."

"I'm all for it, when do we leave?"

"No, out of the question."

"Why not? I can fight just as well as any of them."

"The wound on your side says otherwise and your hand does not look well either. I would heal your side wound but my magic is not so strong as to heal a battle scar. You will not go to the front lines like that. I forbid it."

"Excuse me?"

"I am your senior officer, Mithril. Despite our relationship I will not allow you to thrust yourself into danger. You will bend to the will of your superior."

Her knuckles whitened at her side. Even her cut arm formed a fist. Gold blood stained the bandage. "I will not."

"So be it. I am sorry that you chose stubbornness over the well being of your people. I am afraid I must find another to complete your intended assignment."

"What was that now?" Her ears pricked.

Rayson explained that the young children at the hospital were growing restless. He had seen the way she connected with them and came over to ask if she would spend the day with the little fledglings. "The little ones look up to you."

Katani sighed, he knew her weak spot. Little children were too adorable to be ignored. And if anything could make her forget her anger it was a pair of tiny Hawk hands hugging her. "Fine. You have to tell the others where I went." After his nod and sly smile she left. Releasing gold wings, each one the size of two men, and flew to the doctor's office.

"Remember to ask for the doctor to heal your wounds!" Rayson called after her.

Katani merely waved.

The rest of the morning she played with the children. Every once in a while she sang to them. They didn't care if she could barely hold a tune, they were mesmerized by the tales she wove. She sang old ballads from her early years like 'Raven, the Confused Hawk' and 'The Eternal Love of Red River'. The children even taught her new poems and songs which she memorized and sang back to them. The thing they loved by far was her tale of life on the big island. She shared with them everything she had seen and the journey of her return (of course this was edited to keep from scaring them) back to the island. At lunch she helped pass out piping stew and soft bread to those strong enough to eat it.

The doctor was grateful for her help. "They have been so rowdy but now they sit like stone. Thank you, Mithril, thank you."

"Please, call me Katani."

"If you go take a rest. There is a room on the second floor with a sofa and bookshelf. Read some of the new lore." After seeing the hesitance on Katani's face she added, "They'll be fine. You need to relax a bit. I'll send up some lunch in a bit, go now." She waved the girl away.

Katani sighed and climbed the steep steps and entered the western style room. The sofa was new and incredibly soft. As she lay there reading her mind grew heavy until she slipped into a dream like state.

"Sister, sister."

Katani tossed in her state of half sleep.

"Sister..."

"Tithe!" Katani dropped the book she was holding and fell off the couch. Quickly she scanned the room. A hard wood floor, large veranda, three story book shelf, tall lamp, but no Tithe. "I'm going crazy..." She thought. Rain thrummed on the roof and Katani stepped onto the veranda to cool herself. The doctor's house was the farthest to the east, in the same direction as the Phoenix area. Wounded warriors most often came from that direction. The sky was almost dark, gray clouds blocked the sun and created a dreary atmosphere. Goosebumps rose along her arms. Something didn't feel right.

"Sister?"

Katani gasped and turned. A wispy figure sat on the sofa she had just risen from. It was Tithe. Katani shook from shock. Was this truly her brother? Her knees gave way and she fell to the floor.

"Be careful Katani, you'll hurt yourself." Tithe floated beside her and placed a hand on her shoulder. The hand went through her. Katani quivered at the icy touch the ghastly figure brought. "You look so scared, sister. Please don't be afraid. It's me, your brother. They've finally let me visit you. I have been waiting for so long. There is so much we must talk about before I'm pulled back."

Katani finally found her voice. "Back? Back where?" She managed to walk in from the rain and sit against the wall.

"To them. They took me away and now they control me. My mind is still free so I shouldn't complain. They could have done far worse. I am one of the lucky ones."

"Why are you here?"

Two empty eyes focused on her. The look of the dead sent Katani into fresh spasms. "Are you not happy to see me?"

"No! I just thought once you died you couldn't come back. I thought you were resting in peace. But since you are here I want to tell you how sorry I am for not being there when you..." She choked on her own words and wiped the tears from her eyes before they came.

"You were there. The last thing I saw before They took me was your face. I knew I could find peace and I knew-" he laughed, it was such a hollow and lonely sound, "that you would find the one who killed me and do him in. I've been with you for a while. Only now I've finally been aloud to expose myself to you."

"Stay with me. I can't bear to see you go again!" she reached to embrace him but held only air. Katani held her trembling hands before her. He was nothing but a ghost. A glimmering shadow of his former self but nothing more. He still wore the clothes he had been killed in. He even had feet, though they did not touch the ground, and even the wound that had caused his death was visible.

"I'm sorry Katani. But I can't stay. I have to go back to Them."

"Who is them? Who is controlling you?" Katani yelled. She was desperate to keep a hold on her brother for as long as she could.

"The Phoenix hold my soul."

Katani shook her head. "I'll get you back! They can't take you from me again! I won't let them!"

"Calm down sis. I chose to be with them so I could look after and protect you." He said the words so calmly that this angered her all the more. How could he not be upset?

"Tithe, they are killers! They are just a bunch of sell swords bringing shame to our bloodline. How can you choose to be with them rather then be free in heaven?"

"You are in great danger." He looked seriously at her.

A flash of thunder lit the dark room. Its momentary light illuminated Tithe's smoky shadow. "From who?"

"Him. The one we forced you to forget."

"Kurama? You made me forget him? Why?"

"Because I care about you. If you have any regard for your own safety you would do well to kill him. Letting him continue to live will bring death to both you and the Hawk tribe. His hellish blood will wash out our radiant gold as if it never were. Slay him, in his sleep if you have to. We have forced you to forget so this can be done. He's been manipulating you-"

"No," Katani covered her ears.

"he's been lying to you. Being with him will only eradicate what we have tried so hard to achieve. He claims to love you, I have seen it. I even admit his feelings might have some merit but they are overcast by his hate. His forked tongue speaks only lies. He has been putting you under a spell, Katani. Why do you think every time you see that Yoko guy you tremble? What other reason besides the fact that it was he who put the spell on you. I know you've been fighting attraction towards him. That is your golden blood rebelling against the curse. Continue to fight it, sister!"

"No," her voice shook. It would have made sense after what she had read but she did not want to believe it this way. She wanted to confront him about it, to yell at him and then have him tell her she had it all wrong.

"The legend of old and pure blood is not merely a fairy tale. The Phoenix work to try and make sure the dark deed never comes to pass. If an unclean pair is made disaster will befall our people. We stay on this island to ensure that does not happen. Rayson knows, I know, the silver one knows, and you know. Deep down you know all I am saying is true. I am sorry it pains you for the false friendship he has forged with you brings you comfort. That is only his curse at work. Sister, you must come to the Phoenix! The Swift One can save you from him! We wish for peace and equal goals! The killing can stop, there is a way for the two tribes to unite, the Swift One has told me so."

Katani listened intently. Could there really be a way to stop the killing? In her mind she saw the piles of corpses of her brothers and sisters fall. Their screams haunted her dreams. She saw little Jake, so young but already being taught how to fight. "I want to end the killing. I don't want another to die." Her voice was low, as if she spoke to none but herself.

Tithe held her by the shoulders. Ghostly tendrils like smoke floated on her clothes from his presence. The chill calmed her. She began to think as he desired. "And it can. You can stop it. You, Mithril, have that power."

"What do I do?"

"Kill the silver fox. He can destroy you and wash away all we have worked for. If the last thread is cut, the two tribes can become one. But if he continues to live and you return his so called 'love' then all our brothers and sisters will perish at the human's hands. I know you do not want that. I know you cannot see how the two are connected. But, sister, I have seen all this when death made me wise. Please, for your people. Don't let more become like me, lost souls."

"But I- he is my friend. I can't kill him! I won't!" She did not want to kill again. Even if it was for the better good. The empty eyes of Gilian corpses entered her mind and she shivered hard. Her arms wrapped around herself to try and stop the shaking. Another spark of lightning and roar of thunder from outside brought her back to her dead brother by her side.

"Then you have sentenced all to death. I am truly sorry, sister. If I had not died then maybe I could have protected you from the curse. He will destroy you."

"Why? What would Kurama have to gain?"

"Everything. How much gold do you think runs through the veins of every hawk? He was the King of Thieves after all."

'I... All the times I think of him I see kindness..."

"His spell is truly strong. You read about how he hurt you in your journal did you not? He would not be the A class beast he is if he weren't truly powerful."

"He's an A class? And how did you know about that?"

"I am watching you always, sister." He smiled with no true emotion. His tone made Katani even more uncomfortable. "The reason your former memories of him were erased by Ark was to protect you. We thought his curse would be erased if the memories were. But sadly we underestimated him."

"But even if he were, I couldn't kill someone in their sleep. That is evil, besides he sleeps in a room full of people. I could never do it. And he's so strong he would sense me."

"That is why you must do it. In his sleep he can sense who approaches. If he knows it is you he will not awake. His subconscious will not react to you as a threat. Only you can kill him. Sister, think on it for a bit. I realize now just how much a hold he has on you. Do not return his feelings, for he feels nothing for you. It is your body and your blood he is after. I only hope you have not placed your trust in him and his group too much. Learn to embrace your fear. When the great battle does take place, seek the Swift One. There you will be forced to make a decision-" Tithe's ghostly grin made Katani quake. "if you have not killed him by then."

Tithe vanished in a wisp of mist. Katani's blue eyes could only stare at the spot where he had once been. She could not move, she could not speak, she could scarcely breathe. It wasn't true. It couldn't be true! Kurama would never-

Katani saw his gentle green eyes and heard his soft words. She felt his warm embrace wash away all her fear. With a tremble she recalled his lips, kissing her. The other night they had kissed so fiercely that it had been all she could do to fall asleep. Had that all been the effect of a spell? But still, if killing him would mean an end to the bloodshed, an end to the death, an end to the screams of pain and choking of blood then maybe it was worth it. One life for many, could she make that kind of sacrifice now that Tithe had been beside her. "Can I really kill him?" she thought. "Can I believe the words of my brother and murder?"

Lightning flashed across the sky. Katani continued to tremble like a child in fear and despair. Despite her efforts the pain and confusion worked its way across the thread that connected her to him. Once a bit seeped through the rest came. Pure emotion flooded the cord until she felt like an empty shell dripping on the cold floor. Her wet clothes felt cold even in the summer air. Still her eyes were fixed to the spot where Tithe had last been. No matter how hard she focused she saw nothing.

The wound on her side began to burn hungrily. It gnawed at her blood and only added to her agony. The pain was deserved, she supposed, for she would have to kill him. Was not a little discomfort payback for what she supposed was unavoidable?

The door creaked open. The kind young doctor entered lightly, the children were getting restless, she probably said before seeing her. Katani saw the doctor rush to her. She saw her lift her shirt slightly and gasp at the blood flowing from the wound. The doctor called to someone, Katani didn't hear who, and another female hawk entered. The two of them called both of her names, shook her shoulders, trying to bring her back.

"Please." Katani finally realized how worried they were becoming and stood slowly. "I'm fine."

The two hawks looked at each other. Quietly the doctor ordered the girl to bring herbs and gauze to room. The young hawk nodded and rushed out.

"I'm sorry, Doctor." Katani spoke slowly. Each word was a struggle.

"Katani, what happened to you?"

"I saw a ghost. I saw my brother. He, he asked me to do something for him." Her eyes were empty.

The doctor was guiding Katani to a small room with three empty beds. The one farthest from the door she placed Katani in. As the doctor worked on her wounds she spoke,

"I felt your anguish. Should I bring in your friends?"

"No!"

The doctor stopped. "I'm sorry, I only meant-"

"No I should apologize. You think I'm crazy don't you?" Her voice was soft and empty.

The doctor worked hastily now to try and heal the wound. She shivered when the young princess spoke. It sounded as if she were a ghost herself. "Not at all, Katani. I felt a ghost minutes before I came up to you. I have no doubt you speak the truth. You need time to sort out your thoughts. Rest here. It might interest you to know that your friends fight now. They are fighting for us."

Katani said nothing. Quietly she drank the warm tea the young girl had brought. Immediately she felt peace flow through her.

"This is the time of your trial, princess. Speak of it to few. It has come sooner then we thought."

"You know? What should I do then?"

"I know nothing of the details, only what legend prophecies. The Book of Blood tells that two will decide the fate of two feathers. Rest. You are in shock."

Katani felt warm clothes and covers cover her. As her eyes began to close she saw Tithe once more.

"You must save us." He whispered. "Please, save me. Kill the silver fox."