A/N: Hello once again, Audience!

So, I apologize ahead of time for the shortness of today's chapter, as well as the lack of recap for the last chapter, but I wanted to at least get SOMETHING posted, and posted relatively on time, today.

I am currently nursing a very sick little kitten that my mom just got a couple of weeks ago. He had a bad reaction to his first set of shots last weekend and after spending all day today at the vet, I've been waking him up every hour from sleeping on my lap to force-feed him some food since he isn't eating or drinking on his own.

As far as we know, he has a virus whose name I can't remember (not pan luc) that proves fatal in all cases of kittens that get it and it's only a matter of time.

Symbols Guide:

* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei
3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for Toriko/Shikiyoku and Youko/Kurama
~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authors/characters.

As a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts.
Unless it's used in a sentence like this, which merely indicates emphasis.
[Anything written in italics inside square brackets is Youko speaking to Shuichi/Kurama inside their mind and is private conversation, unable to be picked up by telepathy.]
{Anything written in italics inside curly brackets is inner dialogue by Shuichi/Kurama to Youko, and is also private conversation, unable to be picked up by telepathy.}
"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."

The only exception to that last rule is for the Shiba Inu dog, Nabu. All of his "spoken" dialogue will be in italics and quotations, but is communicated through body language or dog-like noises, so unless a character is able to translate those they are unlikely to pick up on what he is saying any more than the average person might understand his general moods like aggression (bared teeth, ears back) or excitement (wagging tail).
The above rule also applies to Akari's old friend Isamu when he is in his dog-form.

Hiei's ears listened to the next room for a minute longer before his attention turned elsewhere- exactly where, he wasn't even sure. His ears tuned in to the sound of the rain steadily falling outside, and his eyes took to staring forward at the dark, blank screen of the television that wasn't on.

His chin dipped a little lower against his hand and his eyes slid closed about halfway, still staring forward, but not seeing the screen for its worth.

He became aware of movement, from the cat nearby he realized. His eyelids came open and his gaze turned to stare at the tense feline. At first, he dismissed it and turned his eyes forward.

But after a few moments, he made a small sound of dissatisfaction.

Dammit.

Hiei reached for the cat again with a silent sense of apology being sent in the cat's direction, and he slid a hand beneath Kitoushi's body before pulling the cat over to himself, pausing in hesitation as he hadn't thought this far, and then simply acted.

With both hands carefully guiding the long, slender body of the cat, he stretched Kitoushi over his own shoulders, giving a small huff as his hands slid away from the furball to allow him to get comfortable as he so pleased. *

One of Kitoushi's eyes came open at Hiei's message before he felt himself lifted from the couch, and once Hiei had the cat over his shoulders, there was really little else Kit wanted to do besides collapse.

Well, that and start purring profusely.

Shikiyoku sat with her fingers curled around the edge of the counter, leaning forward a little and just sort of staring at the floor.

Taka kept glancing over at her on occasion, but mostly kept at his task. 3

Hiei felt his lips twitch just a little when Kitoushi's purr began to reverberate against his shoulders, but otherwise he gave no reaction to the cat's presence. He propped his elbow on the armrest again, rested his chin on his hand, crossed one leg over the other, and quickly became comfortable right where he was.

Before he knew it, his eyelids were halfway closed and he was staring at the television again, fighting the urge to let his eyelids slide close and let his mind give into sleep. *

Given the rain outside, Youko didn't so much as set a foot on the First Layer until he was certain he stood in Shikiyoku's home, and he unfolded himself from inbetween to enter the main room, standing a few feet from the front door.

Hiei on the couch with...Kit. Taka in the kitchen.

Youko moved for the kitchen gracefully, "Hey bird, have you seen-"

Taka didn't appear to take much notice of the fox entering the kitchen, but if he had bothered to look up, he would have caught Youko staring blatantly at Shikiyoku, his head tilting a little.

{That's...new.}

[I can't even feel her presence, it's like she's-]

{Otento.}

Kurama didn't even have to growl the demon's name for Youko's lip to curl.

[She looks so serious.]

{I would be too.}

[...I feel weird about calling her seductress.]

{You probably shouldn't.}

Before Youko had a chance to say anything else, Shikiyoku was looking up at him with large, solemn eyes and distracted him from anything he had planned to do.

When she held her arms out to him, Youko moved immediately and picked her up, feeling as if with one wrong move he might break her as she leaned into him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

He wanted to ask her what was wrong, because clearly something was bothering her, but he stayed silent for another second until she leaned back again and looked into his eyes.

"You know, humans have this candy type they refer to as 'fun-sized.'"

Shikiyoku's face did not so much as falter, "I am not fun-sized."

Taka sent a curious expression Youko's direction, "What's...'fun-sized?'"

Youko had Shikiyoku sitting on one arm and he lifted the other, spreading his fingers to indicate the size, "Means it's this big."

Taka scoffed and turned back to his work, "What's fun about less candy?" 3

Hiei was fully aware of the fox's appearance, but he didn't so much as move from his spot, didn't even bother glancing at the fox in greeting. He instead put all of his effort into being comfortable, but not sleeping. To listening to his surroundings, ranging from the rain and occasional thunder outside to the conversation that brewed in the next room, to the purring of the cat on his shoulders.

He wasn't even aware his eyelids had slid closed until he opened them to glance to the side.

Even then, his eyelids slid closed again and he found himself leaning further back into the couch, very mindful of the cat, if anything.

Perhaps a small nap wouldn't hurt. I'll wake when I smell food. *

Youko stood still in the middle of the kitchen, he and Shikiyoku staring at one another and his tail swishing behind him.

"You look so serious. Was she like this as a kid, cuz?"

"I wouldn't know." From his place around Hiei's shoulders, Kitoushi opened a single eye, but it quickly fell closed again as he continued, "I think her first Champion is the one who raised her. I do know her kind don't have powers at a young age. She said that much at least."

"Understandable." Youko studied her face again and Shikiyoku reached out and grabbed a fistful of his hand, tugging it as her frown deepened.

"I don't like foxes." She informed him.

"Well-"

Taka laughed and Youko shot him a glare.

"-it's a good thing I'm not strictly a fox."

"I assume that's why she reverted." Kitoushi told him, continuing, "Or that bastard Otento discovered how to do it himself. It wouldn't particularly surprise me."

Shikiyoku's tug grew stronger and Youko gave into her pull with amusement as she lowered his head until she finally let go of his hair and grabbed for his ear.

"Yes, you are."

"Tch-" Youko flicked his ear free of her grasp, turning his head a little so she couldn't immediately get a hold of it again.

She did, however, lean into him again and wrap her arms about his neck.

"You can put me down now."

Youko gave her a little smile and obliged, and Shikiyoku wandered off into the other room, heading up the stairs.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku stood just shy of the window in one of the extra bedrooms, staring out at the rain as it pelted against the glass, feeling as if she could hear each drop as it landed. One hand was clutching at the pendant that still hung around her neck, though it fell down almost to her stomach now instead of sitting at her chest.

She had found the bracelet Douji made her had slipped off of her wrist, but Taka had earlier assured her he placed it on the desk in her own bedroom.

And in her reflection in the window, she could see that Youko's flower was smaller now, more suited to her size. She didn't have the strength to wonder at it.

She reached up to scratch at the edge of her lip absently, thinking how appropriately melancholy the storm was outside.

As she turned away, she heard something from the room and she stopped, eyes darting around.

There it was again.

She turned as if maybe it came from outside, but the third time she looked up, and as if from a great distance a shape wheeled in from the air above her, making the strange call again, something that tugged at her aching heart and left her standing there staring.

As the shape dove towards her, it was like a grey mist in the air that slowly started to form a more coherent shape and then began circling her.

It was...a small dragon. Looking ghostly and forlorn until it landed on her shoulder and turned its eyes to her, folding its wings to its back and letting its tail hang down her front.

She could feel no weight as she stared at it, blinking for a moment until it opened its jaws and called again.

"...Ryou?" Her heart jumped a little as the dragon bent over and nuzzled at her cheek, and Shikiyoku was suddenly looking around her.

Her voice on the air sounded wobbly and distant, and the room around her was fuzzy, like it was only half-there.

Ryou lifted from her shoulder and circled her again, moving off across the hallway into her bedroom and leaving a trailing mist behind him that disappeared.

Entranced, Shikiyoku followed after him, moving through the closed door.

Her core immediately shook and she let out a strangled sort of noise as her hand flew up to her mouth, eyes stinging with tears.

What was left of Otento still lay on the ground in this inbetween place, the blood appearing to have stained the entire bedroom in some form or another, either with splatters or the pools that had grown in size.

I'm sorry.

Ryou made another sad sound as he slowly circled the room and then flew out the window.

It hurts.

Her other hand clutched at her heart and it was all she could do to stare.

As her eyes flickered from one piece of the demon to the next, she started to notice that the blood on the ground was...moving.

She followed the flow from the pools to the window Otento had crawled in from, and the one out of which Ryou had just disappeared, seeing that neither the blood nor the dragon seemed to not care about the wall, moving beyond it as if it was not even there.

Shikiyoku stepped closer, not caring whether she avoided the red liquid, her eyes watching the tiny rivers moving silently away as she walked up to the window and looked out.

The blood kept moving further out and even though on the First Layer there were trees and houses and buildings, it was as if she could see through them all into the middle of the city, but there were no people.

As her vision kept lifting, her eyes grew wide.

There was a giant hole, as if Kuwabara himself had sliced through the dimensions just above the main street in the center of town, but this one was a mile high. And pouring from it in countless numbers...were the dead. Or...were demons who should have been dead.

She recognized a few of the faces at the front of their line, faces that she had at one time seduced, demons that had been killed after, but there were scores more she did not know running, filling the street like a giant wave and rushing down to follow the road...to follow the blood.

Shikiyoku tore her eyes from the sight and found that she had landed back in her room, and that the rain had cleared, the sun shining through clouds that were quickly dissipating in number, and that the blood on the floor was no longer visible.

Without hesitation she turned and snatched up her bloody tanktop, grabbing the pants she had let fall by the bedside, and ran for the door.

~!**!~

It had taken about thirty minutes for Taka to finish and set the food out and he made everyone serve themselves as he prepared a plate for Shikiyoku after eating a plate himself.

By the time the smells of the meal penetrated into the living room, Kitoushi clambered off of Hiei and shifted forms as he made for the kitchen.

Once everyone else appeared to have what they needed, Taka picked up the plate for Shikiyoku and moved out into the living room and, not seeing her, headed for the stairs only to have her practically slam into him as she came tearing out of her room and down the stairs like a bat out of hell.

She skidded to a stop just short of him breathing heavily and he looked surprised at her with her bundle of clothing in her arms and her wide-eyed look of near terror.

"We've-" She heaved a breath, "Got a problem." 3

Hiei hadn't meant to, but he'd fallen asleep right where he'd sat, chin on the knuckles of his hand and one knee crossed over the other. It was a dreamless, dark sleep that had taken over his whole being, making his shoulders slump and his lips part just a little to release small puffs of air here and there.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, he'd been aware of the smell of food, and the sound of people gathering in the kitchen. He'd even been aware of Kitoushi leaving him, but it hadn't stirred the fire demon for even a moment.

What did stir him, however, was the odd sense of wrongness in the air. Something he couldn't pinpoint until his eyelids came open and he glanced towards the stairs, Shikiyoku saying words he didn't catch.

He turned his head forward again, eyes coming closed once more as he began to fall close to the sleep realm again. Though, he didn't really reach it. Instead, he stayed in an in-between state, half aware of his surroundings, half not.

~!**!~

A finger traced the mark along her jaw, her back touching the wall again. For the third time today. Akari threw a hand up and batted Takeo away, turning a dark glare to the much taller demon. He only brought his hand up again, his index digit resuming where she'd batted it away. "You know, I rather like this scent on you. The scent of blood."

Akari released a defiant sound through her nostrils.

"It makes it so much easier to hide your presence. I hardly have to send the drink with the maids anymore. But, I figured you'd noticed that." His finger reversed directions, tracing again up her jawline and pausing under her left ear. His expression seemed to… soften, but that wasn't exactly how she would have said it. "Tell me, would you rather the drink, or the daily… training?"

She didn't dignify him with an answer.

"Such defiance in those eyes. Where did you suddenly find the energy?" His head tilted to the side as he brought his earth-colored gaze up to her own hazel one. "It certainly wasn't the body of the other dog. You've ignored it since he was killed." He blinked once. "It's a shame, really. He was here to save you, and you merely stepped over his corpse as if he were nothing but trash on the side of the road."

She still didn't reply.

"You didn't know that story?" He pulled away, though maintained the little space between them, toe to toe. "Hm. I thought I'd told you."

"It wouldn't change anything."

There was a pause before the demon gave a delighted laugh. "There's that gruff voice! The first words spoken in weeks, and they're dripping with the same venom in that glare. I absolutely adore it."

She worked her jaw around, biting the edges of her tongue to keep from saying something that would likely lead to… well, just about anything shy of actual death. She did, however, manage to create herself a bubble of space by striking at his chest, forcing him a step back.

And where she'd hit him, her own chest stung. She fought the flinch.

"Your temper has returned full blaze, I see. Along with your forgetful memory." His lips turned up in a crooked sneer. "Have you forgotten that we're bound?"

"Not in the least."

"Then you… enjoy harming yourself?" When she didn't answer, he sighed long-sufferingly. "I remember the first time you actually landed a near-fatal blow. The look on your face when you felt the effects too was priceless, might I add." He paused, his eyes turning to a nearby camera in the corner as if he'd been signaled to do so. He turned back to her. "Have you figured out why you can't reach your energy yet? Why you can still see, hear, move, and smell like a demon, but you cannot attack like one? With energy, I mean."

Akari's eyes narrowed at the edges. "I may be young, but I'm not stupid. Not entirely, anyway."

He went on as if she hadn't spoken. "That's because when you drink your morning drink, you take in a bit of my blood. Remember that smell you hated the first day? That was my doing. My idea. It keeps you off of Spirit World's radar, and thus, in here. It puts up a wall between yourself and your energy, and allows me the ability to use it as I see fit. Which, coincidentally, means we are also bound at the soul."

He made a small sound of amusement.

"So if I die, so too will you. Hence, the pain of your own attacks."

Akari blinked once, expression bored. She'd already known that.

"And since I have taken in none of you life essence, I am not bound to you. My life does not depend on yours."

"Is there a reason for this lesson?"

He hummed in thought, a hand stroking at his chin. "Just to remind you of your own limitations, and my obvious lack of such."

Ass.

"I know, I try."

Tch.

"Now, little warrior dog, which would you prefer: another go in duel, or a feast with the king?"

Akari's brows raised. "Excuse you?"

"Dinner with Yomi, or more training with yours truly?" When her lips stayed sealed, he shook his head. "Time's wasting, little one."

King, or beating? Dinner, or exhaustion?

"Tick, tock."

….

She shifted, moving away from the wall and pulling her fists up to her face. "I think I'll skip dinner. The sooner I get by that stupid veil, the sooner I'm released."

"Good girl." *

~!**!~

Taka raised an eyebrow at her, "Problem?"

He made as if to hand her the plate in his hand and she shook her head, obviously still out of breath.

Youko wandered out of the kitchen, Kitoushi not far behind.

Shikiyoku looked to Youko first and she pointed to the East, through part of the kitchen, which the fox obliged her by glancing in that direction, though there was little to see that he had not just experienced.

He looked back and gave her a stare, chewing at the food he'd just forked into his mouth from the plate he held.

"Through the layers." She managed to tell him, wondering if her weakness came from yesterday's encounter or the one she'd had just now with Ryou.

Youko's eyebrows lifted as if to say 'ah,' and when he turned his head again, he mostly disappeared from her sight as he folded himself inbetween, becoming mostly insubstantial and his form wavering in and out of view.

The fox immediately stepped out from the layers, swallowing his food in a hurry, his mouth open and his expression unsure as he looked back at her.

"A. Problem?" He held up a finger from around the fork in his hand, "I believe. That constitutes. As more than. A single problem."

"What. Is going on." Taka demanded.

Shikiyoku let out an exasperated huff, grabbed Taka's hand and dragged him towards the front door, throwing it open and jerking him outside behind her, pointing East, to her right.

When she let go of Taka's hand, he didn't seem to notice, transfixed on the giant rift that had opened maybe five miles from her home as he walked down the sidewalk to the street with her close behind, gaping further when he saw the rush of demons heading in their direction.

His face took on the same air as Youko's had and he pursed his lips together.

By this time the others had gathered around him, Kitoushi stretching his arms calmly above his head which garnered a look from Taka that the cat returned as if bored.

"I don't know about you," He lowered his arms and moved his head back and forth over his shoulders, "But it's been awhile since I've gotten to spread my wings." Kitoushi started off at a jog towards the on-coming swarm.

Taka's expression grew slightly irritated, his pointed ears flicking as he started after Kit, wings appearing behind him.

"I suppose I could use a good excuse to stretch my legs, eh?" Taka retorted.

Kitoushi grinned wickedly at him and shifted forms in mid-run, his sleek, furry back nearly at the height of Taka's chest.

"And what exactly is the plan here?" Youko wanted to know, joining them.

Taka cracked his knuckles, "Kill things."

"Drive them back." Kitoushi replied evenly, nodding his large head to the rift.

"How?" Youko interjected

"By force." Taka provided with a smile.

"You're so subtle." 3

Again, Hiei's eyelids slid open to view the room, noting the terse exchange between the demons before his hand covered his eyes, rubbing at them in irritation. Why hadn't he just stayed upstairs and gone undisturbed? Why hadn't he just stayed on the bed and slept peacefully?

When he opened his eyes again, the room was dead silent, not a single being inside.

Better.

…

No it's not.

To wake himself, Hiei turned inward and pulled his energy, making it run through his body faster and faster until his eyes came open again and he was between the layers, moving with concise, very measured steps, Jagan locked on Shikiyoku as he stepped outside.

It took only a mere second for him to come up beside her just outside the house, his red eyes turning up to regard…

"What the hell…. is that?"

His hand held his katana within the time it took him to voice the question, eyes watching the demons making a run for the…

For the…

What the hell? *

"Your guess is as good as mine." Shikiyoku shrugged, "But..." She was at a loss for words, remembering the faces she recognized, the faces that were long dead. "Whatever it is, it's definitely coming this way."

~!**!~

"Should we keep a body count?" Kitoushi glanced at Taka.

"You really think you're going to get more of them than me?"

"Of course."

"Cheeky." Youko observed as Taka lifted into the air and Kitoushi's size grew until he outdistanced Youko in only a couple of strides and dove into the midst of the demons, now standing taller at stomach than any of those around him.

Youko scoffed as he called two vine whips into his hand and lowered himself as he ran, noting the ground to his right start to heave as if in a wave moving to crash with the one in front of them and glancing up only for a moment to see Taka's hands glowing as the bird made a beeline for the approaching demons.

Show-offs. 3

Hiei dashed forward, leaving Shikiyoku behind and running headlong towards the chaos he'd woken up to join. Chaos he didn't know how had started. Chaos he knew- likely the others too- absolutely nothing about. With his speed and the help of his delayed appearance to the scene, he found it very easy to dive into a group of the creatures and begin moving, spinning from foot to foot and throwing his sword through one demon after another, not even pausing mid-step when one would break from the form and make a lash at him.

And with the help of his Jagan, he was easily able to predict the moves of the demons around him, easily able to see a new threat moving in from the crowd and cut it down before it had a chance to strike.

They wouldn't even be worthy of the dragon. *

~!**!~

He felt as if they were forgetting something, but...

It was hard from his vantage point to not get excited as Taka manipulated the very earth these demons were walking on.

There were so many.

This is going to be way too much fun.

As he entombed, squished really, more demons under another wave of earth, he spotted a trio appearing from what he could only assume were the other layers and as he focused in on them he realized he recognized one-no, two-of them: Kafu the bartender and Horu the guild leader.

The three only paused for a moment, likely assessing the situation, before Taka watched Horu draw his three swords, twirling the short ones in one hand as he brandished the longer in his left, and Kafu charging after him, the incandescent hands behind his head shooting forward as he dashed into the fray, six or eight demons in his way being lifted into the air and torn to pieces.

As for the third...well, Taka saw him draw his sword, and then the demon disappeared from his sight for a second until he spotted large circles of demons falling in an advancing pattern that seemed to be working its way to the middle.

Taka had to blink a couple of times before his vision caught up, and even then he could only barely track the movements of this other demon who seemed to barely move and take down countless demons in his wake.

OH. Duh. Uryo.

Taka didn't know of another demon with speed like that.

With one swipe of a giant paw, Taka would watch as Kitoushi toppled twenty of his own aggressors, turning and leaping and pouncing through others even as Taka murmured a trigger word and formed earthen spears around himself and shot the spell down towards the relentless attackers.

Another dot of movement caught Taka's eyes and he slapped one hand against his forehead.

You.

It wasn't hard to zero into the small shape dashing forward and Taka snorted and shook his head, starting to wheel about in a turn, though he was in no hurry and in truth felt amusement.

As he dove, spiraling downwards, the figure shifted forms as the very first of the front of the wave met her and quickly fell, strands of yellowish-black energy shooting from her body.

Luckily for her, there weren't any to follow for she dropped to a knee, bent over and coughing up blood as Taka landed in front of her.

"You're not a fighter, you know." He had his hands on his hips.

Shikiyoku wiped the back of her hand across her lips and looked up at him, eyes black and narrowed with annoyance.

Taka frowned at the deep, craggy, heart-shaped scar that was outlined over half her lips, a few other swirls he found oddly familiar etched up her cheek and down under her jaw.

When she stood up and made as if to pass him, he put out an arm.

"I. Don't think so, sweetheart." He stopped her in place and she gave him that same look of annoyance, making to duck under his arm.

He half-meant to let her stay in that form, but as his arm brushed up against the front of her, he could almost feel her heart falter and as she stumbled he scooped her up and lifted into the air again, holding her close against his body as she tried to struggle.

Weakly, he would have added.

Without further hesitation he promptly kissed her and ended up with bright green eyes glaring back at him as he laughed and pulled away, taking them higher into the air.

"Put me down, Taka." She demanded, tiny voice matching her small, child-like body.

"No."

Her eyes gleamed as she reached inwards to access her power, finding that the black sphere surrounding her core gave easily to her aggressive wrenching of it and suddenly her shape morphed as she grew larger in his arms.

"Put. Me. Down."

While she may have felt relief in that moment at having met no resistance from Otento's energy-block, her irritation at being kept from the fight overtook said relief.

"No!" He grinned.

She looked away from him and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Hmph."

"Oh, don't be like that, sweetheart." It was much easier to call her that when she was bigger.

He frowned at her clothing though, at the hole over her heart and the bloody mess of the tank top and dark pants she wore.

After a second she looked back at him, eyes shimmering.

"Put me down, Taka."

"Nope!" He replied cheerily, looking away.

"Taka." She purred at him. "Put me down."

He sighed, "Fine." And made no move to do any such thing. 3

~!**!~

Hiei became aware of the newcomers, but only after one of them moved by him, taking with him the demons he'd very much been meaning to kill. His eyes shot in the direction the demon had gone, narrowing for a moment as his Jagan locked on the demon

Uryo.

Hiei made a sound and turned back to what he'd been doing, finding demons crawling over one another, running at him in mobs. Swarms.

I've warmed up enough.

Hiei's fingers flexed around the hilt of his sword, and in the next moment, flames were moving around him as he spun, stepped around demons, the inferno growing and growing around him until he had a good twenty-foot radius clear about him of any demon moving at him.

The spark in Hiei's eyes was one that he'd long since saved for another, whose death he himself didn't get to deliver.

This will have to do.

All of his previous anger, no- rage- boiled, lighting his eyes into a fire that rivaled the flames about him, his teeth gnashing together as he pictured the same face over and over coming at him.

Faces that became unrecognizable within mere seconds of his eyes landing on them.

It was going to have to do.

This is going to have to do.

He made his way towards… whatever that thing was, where the creatures originated, avoiding the others as much as possible, his inferno following in his stead and leaving a stream of angry flames.

Flames that came alive and soon began moving of their own accord, taking anything they wished because here, they were allowed to destroy everything in sight. No human would be harmed, and the Jagan knew of which presences to stay clear of.

The Jagan glowed angrily, burning away the cloth at his forehead as he neared the riff, the tear in the layers he supposed, and he dropped his blade mid-stride, hand flexing and moving up, palm towards the newest swarm of demons- creatures, whatever- that dared to come through.

And if he yelled for the dragon's appearance, he wasn't consciously aware of it. *

~!**!~

"I'm sorry, but you're not fighting."

"Well, that's too bad because I already started."

"Sweetheart, I'm not about to let you switch again."

"Let me, Taka?" Shikiyoku's eyes narrowed at him.

He grinned, "I may or may not have intentionally let you do it so I could steal a kiss."

Shikiyoku let out a heavy sigh.

"But seriously, you need to not do that again." He frowned as Shikiyoku turned a more questioning gaze onto him. "Your core...it...I could feel it giving out."

"Mm." Shikiyoku didn't reply.

Taka shifted his hold on her a little as he swept out a hand and called another wave of earth to envelop another score of the advancing demons and he glanced at the rift.

There didn't appear to be any sign of them slowing in how quickly they poured out. And neither did there appear to be a way to close the dang thing.

Not that Taka particularly minded at that moment.

"Well that's intere-" Taka did a double take, not because of the flames of darkness he could see pouring from the fire apparition, but because his keen eyesight spotted the markings-

Those markings...

...godsdammitall.

Taka let out an irritated sigh from between his teeth, lowering his and Shikiyoku's height in the air.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Shikiyoku couldn't help the smug smile on her face, "Because it was more fun seeing you make an idiot of yourself."

"Naturally. Why am I not surprised on that front."

She stuck her tongue out at him and he raised an eyebrow, his agitation still apparent.

"You want to lose that tongue?"

It disappeared and she narrowed her eyes at him.

Taka had drawn closer to the mass of demons, and only realized as he hovered in place that there was a certain point at which the demons were very specifically avoiding.

Setting his eyesight on the circle flowing around something or another and narrowing in on it, Taka's head tilted.

"You know him?" He jerked his nose in the direction he looked, "Because he seems to be pretty taken with you."

Shikiyoku turned and scanned the area Taka indicated, her eyes widened just as Taka remembered exactly who had a purple gaze and platinum-blonde hair.

"Oh shi-"

As Taka's free hand glowed, a coffin of earth beginning to form around the purple-eyed demon and a dark pulse of black energy shot for him. Taka spun away in an attempt to maneuver out of its path, but the attack followed him and struck, disappearing into his core and locking away his energy before the earth had actually closed around the attacking demon.

Taka stopped in mid-air and shook his head, sending a shiver down the rest of his body.

The blonde seemed to be surprised that Taka didn't just fall out of the sky and, feeling impetuous, Taka turned and stuck his tongue out at him.

"You aiming to lose that tongue?" Shikiyoku asked wryly, noticing that whatever twisted reanimation of Otento this was, his surprise was quickly turning to anger.

"I don't think I've ever been more thankful to have been a cast-out from my clan."

"I didn't think you ever were thankful for that." Shikiyoku noted as Taka took off again, heading in the direction of the park.

"What, you mean being born of the earth in a tribe devoted entirely to the wind? No, I've never wished any different ever." Taka's sarcasm was not missed.

He flapped his wings and turned, thankful for the first time that his wings and his flight capabilities were not powered directly by his energy as they were for the rest of his clan. These wings had been painstakingly hand-crafted by him long ago, and imbued with their own self-sustaining power that was separate from his own, though they were just as attached to him as any other bird or demon born with wings.

"Taka, where are you going?" Shikiyoku ignored him, curiously watching the landscape changing.

"To put you down." He grinned.

She huffed, "Taka!" 3

~!**!~

The dragon roared to life, rearing its head and making a streamline forward even as Hiei continued moving, reaching for the last push of energy that would complete the dragon that gave another roar into the wind. He turned and moved a different direction, allowing the dragon to swallow creature after creature, swirling around and around the riff as the fire demon went the opposite direction, not even bothering to grab for his sword.

He could create much more damage without it anyway. It left both hands free to do as they could, to throw fire this way and that, to direct the flames that continued to whir by, taking countless with it.

Hiei made a circle around the other fighters, eyes suddenly going to the sky when he picked up Shikiyoku's voice. He searched for a brief moment before finding the retreating bird.

What the hell does he think he's doing?

Surely the demon wasn't so dumb?

…

He turned his eyes away from the skies, searching for the reason the bird had taken off. Because there had to be a reason, otherwise he'd hover in the air and attack as he had been, Shikiyoku safely in his grasp.

He became distracted again as the dragon released another roar and he became aware of more demons coming at him, to which he quickly did away with bu more swirling, white-hot flames. His eyes darted to the side as he passed a rock formation, presumably made by the bird, and he continued moving.

Only to freeze in place.

He slowly turned around, fingers twitching as his eyes searched for what he'd thought he'd seen.

And he wasn't disappointed.

With all of the speed he had, Hiei made another round, hand dipping to the ground to retrieve his sword as he passed, flames erupting to engulf it in the same blackish-purple color of the dragon.

The dragon that suddenly reared its head to look at him, before streamlining through the crowd to follow, just missing a few of the 'friendlies' as it left chars in its wake.

You're mine this time.

And if he'd been enraged before, this was a whole new level of such an emotion as he approached the rock from behind, the Jagan locked and searching for whatever attack might be thrown his way. *

~!**!~

"Taka!"

"What? You told me to put you down." Taka gently let Shikiyoku onto the ground, only to have her growl at him as he flapped his wings in preparation to take-off again.

He had flown them to the middle of the nearby park, close enough that the sounds of battle were vivid on the air, but there were no others in immediate sight.

"And if I so much as see your pretty little face trying to get out of here, I'll sic Youko on you and make him put you in a viney-prison, you here?" He threatened her, waggling a finger and then pointing to the sky. "I'm watching you."

"Augh!" Shikiyoku shouted at him as he lifted into the air, crossing her arms over her chest and tapping a foot into the ground, staring up after him.

She watched for a few minutes as he rose into the air and positioned himself in such a way that he might with his hawk-like vision keep an eye on her where she stood.

Distracted by thoughts of how she might join the fight anyway, Shikiyoku took no notice of the demon who approached until she heard her name being called.

"I-ro."

Shikiyoku's blood froze in her veins at the voice that separated the word into two syllables and she found she couldn't move, fear overtaking her so completely that it was only with a great deal of effort that she lowered her head back down to spy the source of her horror.

There was energy slowly building up from the feet of this demon from Shikiyoku's nightmares, and even though she knew what would come of such a display, she found herself unable to move, unable to convince her feet to run.

"Who do you love?"

The swirl of power was moving faster now as Shikiyoku's mouth opened, and the energy shot up his body to his throat as his lips parted and a shriek of energy shot through the air towards her. 3

Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star