Forgotten Memories Chapter Twenty-One

Chrono Crusade

Date Started: December 2nd 2005

Sora Kazuma

I awoke the next morning with a pounding headache and stiff, tired eyes. The light of an overcast morning was coating the room with its dim shine, brighter light piercing through the thing charcoal sky to illuminate patches of the land below.

Something to my right stirred and I lifted my head, recognizing that mop of glossy chocolate brown hair as my younger brother's head, curled up with his face nuzzled into my arm, those liquid gold eyes contently closed. At least I knew him…Julius was it? Such a cute young man.

I found myself absently combing through those dark strands as I slowly moved to sit further up. If he weren't such a shy and timid thing he would be quite the lady-killer, that was for sure.

It took a moment or so, but slowly those amber eyes opened and he sleepily yawned, lifting his head. "Oh…" Pale cheeks blushed as he went to sit up. "S-Sora. You're awake."

"Good morning." I smiled at him.

Wiping at his eyes, which were still slightly red from all that crying, he glanced around the room. "Where's Yugo?" He asked, looking back at me.

My cheeks started to blush at the mere thought of the handsome devil. Now that he mentioned it, he wasn't by my side when I awoke, but for some reason I knew he was nearby. I could feel him within me, and I knew that although his heart was under immense strain he was alright. Of course, the mere realization of this made me turn a nice bright shade of crimson, but I could not deny the bitter truth. "Yugo." I said softly outloud and watched the boy tilt his head to watch me curiously. I sheepishly grinned. How did this whole mental thing work again?

"Yu…Yugo…' There we go, much better. The wince of pain I got out of it was enough to tell me I had got it right.

'Y-Yes?' I got an immediate response, and I could tell by the way he reacted that he was surprised I had found the mental path so easily, just by concentrating on it for a moment.

'Where are you?' I inquired after a moment, and I could tell by the way Julius was dazing out that he must have been listening. Yugo had explained that the psychic path between the three of us was unbelievably strong.

'I'll be right with you both.' He said softly, his voice still sounding wounded. 'Orders from Father Sera and Father Remington came in this morning. We are to report to the cathedral as soon as the both of you were awake.'

"Understood. I'll go get ready then." Julius spoke up, his amber eyes becoming more and more alert, and he shook his head to clear himself from the mental conversation. "I'll be right back." He flashed me a small smile as he got up, grabbing his heavy scarlet coat off the back of the chair as he exited the room.

'You mine as well get dressed too Sora. I'll be there in a minute.'

'Uhm…' I stood up and peered around the room. Clothes, clothes, clothes… 'I don't exactly…know how…' I admitted after a moment. 'Where would they be anyway?'

'You can't do anything by yourself, can you?'

I huffed, recognizing his mock irritable tone. 'Hey you, shush it.' I said, pulling open the drawers on one of the massive mahogany drawers.

'Don't order me around woman.'

'I'll do what I want.' I said smiling to myself as I pulled out a dress and held it up to myself. The height was about right, but there was no way I was that big-chested.

"Oh, really now?"

I nearly jumped five feet in the air at the sound of that soft arrogant voice behind me. Spinning around, I stared wide-eyed up into a pair of golden eyes that seemed to be laughing arrogantly at me, his arms crossed over his chest. He had been so silent I hadn't even heard him come in, and he had been masking his psychic presence so I wouldn't realize he was sneaking up on me. "Yugo, you jerk!" I said, balling up the dress and throwing it straight in his face.

I heard a small muffled laugh behind the material as he caught it up against him and then folded it up. "Satella would probably kill you for even thinking about throwing this thing…it prolly cost more then your entire year's pay."

Satella…I knew about her from the book, but other then that, it wasn't coming up. I found my fingers entangling themselves in the strands of my messy crimson hair. "She's…the one who owns this place, right?" I asked after a moment, watching him with an apologetic expression.

Those amber eyes blinked and then it clicked…I think for a second he had forgotten that I had forgotten everything. "Uh…yeah. She used to be a rival of yours. You'll see her over at the Order Cathedral."

"O-Okay." I nodded…There things went getting awkward between us again. "I guess…I have to get dressed then. Will you help me find my clothes?"

He nodded and came over to the dresser, pulling open the bottom drawer and handing me out some royal blue and white cloth. "Here you go." He said softly. When I just blinked cluelessly at him, he sighed, and took the clothing back from me. "Alright. Don't get all girlish on me, but here-" He pulled the nightgown over my head, exposing my bare top half to him. It was hard trying not to turn three shades of red, and I felt him hesitate as his fingers brushed up against my skin. He helped me get dressed, and the entire time my heart raced in my chest. Yugo looked pained again as he stood back to admire me in m uniform. "You know. I'm used to you wearing such normal clothes, but I have to say I'm grateful to see you back in your Order uniform."

I blinked my mixmatched eyes, staring into the mirror. This was me on a daily basis. This was who I was. An exorcist for the Magdelene Order. And there standing a few feet behind me was Yugo, watching me with that warm golden gaze. He was a part of my life too, a big part of it. I might not remember anything about my life, but my body seemed to. It seemed to call for his, long for his touch, know that the feel of him within me was right.

"Yugo…" I turned, my hair swishing behind me as I looked up at him, crossing the distance to be closer to him. I leaned up and wrapped my arms around his neck, needing to feel his skin underneathe my fingertips, that silky cyan hair against my palm. "I'm sorry I'm such a bother to you. I'm sorry I can't be of any help to you."

His arms wrapped around me, pulling me ever closer. "It is hardly your fault." He murmured, his hot breath flushing the side of my neck.

"I'm glad I have you with me. I don't know what I'd ever do without you." I whispered, knowing he'd hear me, feeling my face flush up against his shoulder. I swallowed, feeling him utterly grateful for this attention. He was still broken inside. "I-I'm sorry about Jin." I whispered softly. It had been an unspoken thing since last night, and I felt him inwardly flinch from the statement.

"He is back with Rei, where he should have been centuries ago." He swallowed, his voice barely audible. "Jin…wouldn't want us to mourn for him. We will get revenge in his stead. Aion will pay for killing my brother, along with the rest of the pursuers."

I pulled back and looked up at him then, staring hard into those amber orbs. "I know it's been difficult on you the last couple of days, but don't be so depressed. You still have me with you, and I'll never leave you." I smiled. "So don't look so down…it's making me upset."

The gold eyes wavered and for a moment he looked like he was going to burst into tears. "You have no idea what that means to me, coming from you." He whispered, looking very boyish all of a sudden staring down on me like that with his long shaggy bangs shadowing his face, and something inside of me melted. He leaned down, his lips snatching mine away in a very soft but very passionate kiss. I think my heart stopped for a moment and when my eyelashes fluttered closed, I was only reassured by this heavenly feeling that this is what I knew in my heart of hearts was right.

I hadn't even realized moments had been passing and when he pulled away he smiled down on me with what I thought had to be the truest smile I had seen on his handsome face. "Now that, is a part of your past love." He said softly, his face leaning in, his forehead playfully resting against me. I was drowning in those golden eyes, I was sure.

"Uh…uhm, I don't mean to interrupt…" That familiar voice spoke up and we turned to catch Julius lingering in the doorway sort of sheepishly. "But we need to get to the Order. You all will have plenty of time to make up later, I'm sure."

"J-Julius!" I gaped at him. Apparently Yugo had had some sort of affect on the boy…if I hadn't recognized the voice as the kid's own, I would have sworn such an arrogantly playful comment had come from the devil himself.

"The child's right you know." Yugo whispered, his breath hot against my ear. "Now that you've said you'll stay with me, there's not a chance in hell I'm letting you go. We have all the time in the world." His hand leaned down and locked with mine. "But you're right kid. We have to get going if we want to make this morning's meeting."

The boy grinned. "With your driving I don't think we're going to have a problem."

The villa where we were staying was still surrounded in beauty, however the city around it seemed to be in a state of turmoil. Buildings and streets were in ruin, people were dead…as we sped through what was left of downtown San Francisco I couldn't help but let my heart go out to those people. "Brother, what happened here?" I asked him, glancing back and forth between the youth and the surroundings.

"This is all Aion's work." He said sadly. "The other evening when he performed the Ritual of Atonement…the entire city was thrown into in chaos. Several of the damage areas were destroyed by Chrono and Joshua when they fought."

Something about the whole situation wasn't sitting right in my stomach. It made me feel queasy and sick and I had to turn away from it all. "S-So, who is going to be at this meeting that I should know?" I asked, trying to get my mind off things.

"Well, there will be the higher commanders…Father Gilliam, Father Sera and Father Remington, Sister Kate and the Elder. And then Sister Mia and Sister Hirelena I suppose. Miss Satella if she has left her sister's side and no doubt Sieg will be there. And Chrono and Azmaria." He said, counting off the people in his head.

I swallowed. I was just as much lost there. Many of them I had heard of from the book, but nothing clicked on most of them. "Wait…Hirelena's that girl I met yesterday, with the long black hair."

Julius blinked and then nodded. "Y-Yeah. She was your best friend at the Order. She ended up falling in love with Joshua, and then Aion used her as a contractor to him to help contain some of the boy's powers. When the contract was broken the other night, she lost all ability to speak. There's a chance that she might be able to regain her voice if Joshua awakens…his body is still scarred by his demonic power and he might be able to use the last of it to restore her, but we're not sure yet. There's to much up in the air right now to know."

"That's horrible! She lost her voice? Because of Aion? It wasn't even her choice!" I gritted my teeth in agitation. At least from what I knew, my contract was consensual.

"That's just how Aion is. He uses people to the fullest extent he can, and when they have no more meaning to him he just throws them away. That's what he did to Miss Lena and Joshua both." He sighed. "Everyone is having problems right now. Sieg is in a state of depression over Miss Satella and Miss Fiore, Father Remington and Miss Mia aren't talking, not after what happened the other day with the Father's unexpected arrival. Father Sera and Father Gilliam are trying to help as best they can with San Francisco's restoration, but everything is moving so slowly."

"We're just about stressed to our limits." Yugo added after a minute from the front seat. "There's not much we can do at the moment, and Aion has taken off with Rosette and gone into hiding like the pathetic little coward he is. We can not make a move and even if we did, our forces are to battered to be of any real threat to Aion anyway, not while he has Chrono's contractor."

The Order was probably one of the busiest buildings in the city. A row of tents was set up out front in lines near the cathedral's entrance as if a festival was going on, though that was not the case at all. All free hands were rushing around and attending to victims, providing warm clothing, hot meals and medical attention. We had to park nearly two blocks away and walk through the chaos till we were close enough to see the cathedral entrance.

"This is incredible!" I beamed, watching as the members of the Order tended to the public, wearing the same blue and gold I was. I suddenly felt proud to be wearing this simple cerulean and white dress, now knowing what I was really a part of.

"We've been trying our best." Julius smiled, his hands stuffed in the pockets of his large scarlet cloak. I recognized the same golden emblems sewn to the crimson coat he was wearing and knew he was probably feeling the same accomplishment I was.

"Jul!"

The three of us turned to catch a small girl with long platinum hair and bright crimson eyes running toward us, a basket of clean clothing in her arms. Stopping infront of us, she nearly dropped the wicker container and the clothing with it. "Here, let me take that from you." Julius said, snatching it out of her reach and resting it up against one hip. "What are you doing out here Azmaria ? I thought you were going to head inside for the meeting as well."

"I was going to, but I feel better being out here and helping the others. We are understaffed after all." Her big scarlet eyes looked at me and she gasped. "Miss Sora! How are you feeling? Are you okay?"

"Uh…" I swallowed. "Yeah, I'm alright." I said, a little lost.

"She'll be okay. No worries there Azmaria." Yugo said, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. "Kid, why don't you stay out here and help her? If something important happens, you know we'll keep in touch."

"Sounds good." Julius nodded. "Alright Azmaria, lead the way! Where are we taking these clothes to?"

I blinked up at the demon as we walked away. "Who… was that girl? Is she Julius's love?"

The devil chuckled, turning his head to look down at me. "That was Azmaria. She's Rosette's apprentice…and I don't know about all that, but the boy does seem to fancy her quite a bit. I guess we'll just have to wait and see on that one."

The cathedral was just as crowded on the inside as it was on the outside, and there were more Order members around. Moreover they all seem to know me, or recognize me. Of course, I was walking with Yugo and with his bright eyes and long teal hair he stood out like a sore thumb. I felt everyone was watching me as we walked past and before I knew what I was doing I had edged closer to my companion, holding onto the side of his trenchcoat like a frightened little child. His arm around my shoulder tightened and I was grateful for his reassuring touch.

There was talk going on within the room we stopped at and Yugo opened the door and led me inside. It went silent and I blinked, staring at a group of people I should have known all to well…and I didn't. The feeling that they were all so familiar was weighing in my mind and it was only by Yugo's distant memories that this feeling was comforting.

The two blonde-haired men stared at me, the one with golden hair furrowing his eyebrows worriedly. "Sora…Yugo, thank you for bringing her with you. Come on you two, take seats."

We did as asked of us, and I sat down by a young woman with long pale blonde hair, her dark brown eyes watching me with worry and relief. Silently she took my hand in hers and whispered 'Thank heaven your alright.' At the touch of her fingertips images flashed through my head, pulled from Yugo's memory of Christmas, years past, and this woman and I always together, comrades in arms and friends since children. I blinked. "You're Mia." I whispered back, and I watched as she put a hand to her mouth, her eyes about ready to burst into tears. She gave a small nod of her head in response and smiled. The black-haired girl who was sitting next to her grinned and nodded enthusiastically. My friends. My best friends.

"Sora…you've regained some of your memory?" A woman on the other side of the table asked, her voice soft and shocked. I didn't recognize her, but I got the feeling I knew her nonetheless.

I felt my cheeks blush hotly. "Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt the meeting."

"She's…been accessing my own memories to learn more of her past. Her psychic link has remained strong between both Julius and myself, a scar upon the power of her contract being ripped from her before the allotted time, and she's been having lapses where a touch or a familiar sight taps her mind into mine. She's been able to regain names and familiarity of people, but nothing of an actual timeline yet, and very little of common sense has come back yet. We don't know if this will work completely, or for how long. But for now we can count it as a miracle that she knows this much." Yugo interjected quickly, explaining the situation for me.

"I…I see." The woman nodded after a moment. "Then I guess it is for the best that our decision stays as it is."

"What decision?" Yugo asked, glancing between the blonde men and the woman. "Sister Kate, has something happened?"

"We're getting off topic Sister." The first blonde said, and I blushed slightly as I looked over at him. He had such a gorgeous voice. "We can inform them of orders later." He flashed me a small smile and then continued with what he was saying. "Our first and foremost priority is finding out where Aion is currently hiding and getting Rosette back. There is a chance that they might not even be in San Francisco anymore, but we will have to wait."

"Chrono has asked to lead up a search party to scour the city." The other blonde-headed man spoke up, pausing a moment to push strands of his orange-tinted hair out of his face. "I believe it best if Sieg accompany him, along with any inside support that wants to follow him." He looked in my direction and for a minute his odd colored eyes met my gaze before brushing past me to the devil sitting at my side. "If Julius would like to follow with them, that is up to you Yugo. We will not issue combat orders to your team at this time."

I could feel a flash of hesitance radiating off him, and raw pain again. "Understood sir." He answered softly.

"The rest of our forces are needed here to help with the aid of the civilians. No one is to move on their own or act out of line." The older man with the dark hair finally spoke up. "We have been given a brief reprieve from this fight. Let's not waste it carelessly."

The first blonde man looked up, his cerulean eyes staring at a handsome redhead leaning against the wall, the man's crimson eyes staring blantantly back. "Sieg, I trust you to get word to Satella and Chrono of what has been decided here."

"No problem." He spoke up, his voice laced with agitation and seriousness as well. Ii was a little surprised…Julius had mentioned countless times in he book about how playful and goofy the sinner had been. The glimpse of him I got now was almost the exact opposite of what I had imagined.

"Now," The one addressed as Sister Kate stood up, and her golden eyes were watching me. I blinked a little bit, wondering what that was about. She was close to tears too. "I have final orders to give before this meeting is dismissed." She paused, biting at her bottom lip. The room had gotten almost unnaturely still, and both of the blondes were watching her with a sympathetic stare. I swallowed, and I could feel Yugo's immediate concern, fear knotting his stomach as well.

The woman let out a soft sigh and continued on, her voice cold and heavy. "Sora Maiko, it has come to the decision of the counsel that after the events of the other night, you are no longer able to participate in this mission. You will be returning to New York within the next couple of days, where you will be discharged from the Order."

"What!" Yugo's golden eyes widened and he slammed a hand down on the mahogany desk. "You have to be kidding me! She's done all this just to save her friends, these people, and now that's she of no further use to you, you just want to send her away? You people are no better then Aion!"

"Yugo, please." The handsome man with the golden hair spoke up, his blue eyes unbelievably calm, though they looked deeply upset. "We're trying to protect her. If she truly remembers nothing of her training within the Order, then she is of little use to the others, or to herself. We don't want to see her hurt."

"I'll protect her!" He snapped back, fangs showing in agitation. "Haven't I always!"

The man looked for a minute like he was going to break out in tears. "It's not that we don't trust in your ability, but if there is another attack, there's no absolute fact that she'll be alright. We don't want another one dead."

Yugo recoiled almost as if he had been struck in the face, though the words had been barely audible. For some reason, I couldn't take this. Everyone was so despaired, so lost in this sadness that it was enough to bring tears to my eyes. "Enough." I spoke up. "That's enough, please. I don't want to hear anymore!" I shook my head furiously. "Can't I make my own decisions? Can't I decide for myself what I want to do? All of you are so heartbroken, I don't think you're even thinking clearly!"

I stood up from my chair, tired of listening to this. I was sick of seeing such chaos and heartache wherever I went. I was in pain, so were my loved ones, and it seemed, so was the entire world. If they were going to sit in her and wallow in this darkness, in this hopelessness, then I didn't want to be a part of it.

My feet moved and I bolted for the door, throwing it open and taking off down the hall, passing by person after person, each wearing the same despaired look. Where was hope? Where was faith? Was it all gone?

It didn't matter if they had all forgotten, but I believed in it. I knew it was still there. The thought made me cry, in some twisted, almost sick way. They had forgotten the one thing I had kept all along. That somehow, we would make it through all of this.

'Sora…'

Yugo's whispered voice echoed into my mind and my feet gradually stopped. I was out in a courtyard of some kind, the hazy sky patching sunlight down to show on the cobblestone path cutting through the small garden. My tears stopped running as I walked forward and sat down on the ground in a path of light. The clouds quickly covered it up and moved off, the light playing tag with the ground, skittering across the stone, and as I watched it I felt a little better. Such a simple little thing and yet it amused me. Life would go on. This day would draw to close and a new one would begin.

"I'm so sick and tired of crying." I said softly, talking more to the air around me, and the dull patches of light shining through the thick layer of gray. "Of feeling sorry for myself. Of doing nothing. I'm not going to give up. I'm going to get stronger, and I will overcome this. I may…have lost my memories, but I did not lose everything. I still have friends and family who love me. And people who need me."

Gradually as I sat there, the patches of light became more and more evident and soon there was enough of a break in the clouds to bathe half the courtyard in warm bright light. For a moment, I felt as if maybe the sky had heard me, and agreed with my resolve. "Thanks. I'm glad someone's with me." I told the sunlight.

Resounding footsteps drew ever closer, and I turned, for a moment thinking and hoping it was Yugo. Now that I had taken some time myself to think things out. To my surprise, it was the young woman with long platinum blonde hair, stalking past, and the gorgeous guy from the meeting with short golden blonde hair. "It's Mia." I smiled, getting to my feet to greet them both and the realized something more was going on.

"Mia, will you please calm down, and just listen to me for a moment?" He pleaded, reaching out and grabbing her wrist. "We really need to talk."

"I have nothing to say to you!" She snapped, spinning around to face him and yanking free from his grasp. Her dark brown eyes were wavering with tears that threatened to spill over down his pale cheeks. "You lied to me…you've lied to me ever since I've known you! Why should I trust anything you have to say?"

"Because I'm speaking the truth!" He replied, looking just as grief-stricken as she did. "I kept what I did from you to protect you."

"You kept what you did so you wouldn't hurt me. All this time, and you were Mary of Magdalene's protector? It has been Rosette that you've been caring for and watching over for years, never me!" As she said it her words trembled, and I could see the glimmer of tears as they fell down her cheeks. I didn't fully understand what was going on here but the seen made my heartache.

"Mia, don't cry…" I whispered softly. It didn't seem right that everyone was constantly in tears.

I could tell the man was affected by her tears as well. His blue eyes were shimmering, hiding back his own tears as his long gold bangs fell into them. "In some aspect you are right. I was ordered to protect her. And at some point I even thought I was in love with her. Magdalene was such a kind person, such a beautiful girl-"

"Stop it, Ewan, I don't want to hear it!" She shook her head furiously, long strands of golddust flying over her shoulders as she turned, preparing to run again.

He reached out, grabbing her arm in one hand, and wrapping an arm around her waist. "No, you have to let me say it! You need to know." He said, his voice sounding a little desperate. "Magdalene's soulmate, the one person that she truly loved with all her heart was Chrono, and for Rosette it's the same. Even if I grew to care for her-"

"Let me go! No! I don't want to hear anymore!" She said, struggling to pull away. His hold on her tightened and his arm around her brought her closer. With one swift movement he leaned down, stealing her mouth away with his. I felt the blush rise in my face, my cheeks burning hotly at catching this deep display of affection. It made my own lips yearn for the feeling of a certain devil's and almost sheepishly bit into my bottom lip to suppress that desire before his curiosity got the better of him and he read into my mind.

Mia's brown eyes were wide, her face hinting a blush as he slowly pulled away, just enough to let out a soft sigh. "Even if I grew to care for her, there was nothing I could do. And so when Chrono stepped into her life, I had already lost. That was about the time you showed up Mia, and your support and care for me swayed by broken heart. I became your protector, not because I had been told to, but because I wanted to. And I fell in love all over again." He turned his head slightly, that deep blue gaze shifting. "I didn't tell you because I never thought…you would ever need to know. I kept it from you so that this sort of situation wouldn't happen, but I couldn't stop it anyway."

"Ewan…" Her body was shaking again, breaking down into sobs, but this time for a very different reason. He held her to him, his fingers running under the navy cloth of the habit to stroke through her long gold hair.

I smiled, deciding best to leave the two of them alone, though grateful that was a problem that had been worked out. Maybe…we weren't as bad off as I had originally thought.

The other hallway leading out of the courtyard put me out at a very different side of the building and I found myself aimlessly wandering again. Eventually the sound of chatter echoed down the corridor and I smiled, hoping I had found myself back near the entrance. Now that I was at least in someplace I had remembered, it was only a matter of time before I found someone I knew.

Walking out of the building and down into the refugee area, I walked around for a good while, just getting a grasp for what was going on. Standing there for a second, I thought I saw a flash of bright orange among the Order members. Moving closer, I smiled. It was the other blonde from the meeting, the one who looked striking similar to the man Mia had called Ewan.

He was giving orders to a few soldiers and doctors, and I hung back until the group moved off with their commands. "So, you must be the leader of all this?"

His odd copper eyes blinked, startled by my presence. "Sister Sora…"

"Yeah, that's me." I nodded. "You'll have to forgive me, but I don't know who you are. Can I ask your name?"

He smiled, a smile I had come to recognize; a very forced, painfully sincere, smile. "Sure. I'm Commander Bryant Sera of the Magdalene Order." He blinked. "I figured you would have at least one of your knights with you, Lady Sora. Where are Julius and Yugo?"

I managed a sheepish smile. "Well you see…Julius is out here somewhere, and Yugo I haven't see since I left the meeting…"

He smiled. "Well, give me a moment and I'll get a couple of men to track them down. You shouldn't be out here without some sort of protection."

"Actually…" I started quickly. "I was wondering if you had anything I could do to help out. Azmaria said this morning that you were understaffed, and I'm…" I swallowed. "I'm tired of sitting around and doing nothing."

Apparently that took him by surprise…his orange-amber eyes widened and then he just leaned over and ruffled my hair. "Yeah." He said softly, his voice sounding rough for a moment there. "Come on." A hand slipped along my shoulder and he ushered me back into the cathedral.

I was put to work folding and shipping clothes and supplies out to the medical center, with orders to stay inside the building. It was a minute task, but still, I was glad to be helping. We were given string and then order sand were set to work putting packages together to give to refugee families who were living out in the tented shelters of the city and within the order walls. Working in the sanctuary was especially calming, the passing sunlight through the stained glass every now and then made beautiful spectral colors on the floor, and the families and people wandering into the church for prayer was a comforting sight. I took back what I had said about people giving up hope entirely…they hadn't given up…it was just hard to find it in a situation like this.

'So you're in the cathedral eh?' Yugo asked a couple hours later and my heart skipped a beat at the rumble of his handsome voice.

'Yeah. Where are you?'

'Out with a scouting party looking for more survivors.'

For a minute I found it hard to breath, worry for him overwhelming my senses. Who knew where Aion was hiding in the city, and he was out there in that mess. Coming from the Villa to the Order was one thing…we took the most direct route in and we were in a moving vehicle. He was out on foot going through ruined buildings.

'Don't give yourself a heartattack. I'll be fine.' He scolded me. 'I'll be back for nightfall. Wait for me.' The last line was said with a drop of his voice, making my body shiver to the desire there. By the time I was ready to yell at him for such a comment, he had already closed of telepathic communication, and my cheeks were a very vibrant shade of red.

'Jerk.'

The sun was finally setting and I was utterly exhausted, but the sanctuary had thinned out quite a bit since earlier in the day. I was working on the last of the orders when I felt a cold breeze blow in from the open sanctuary doors, lifting my head, I got a glimpse just in time to see a man stride past me, long raven hair tied back in a ponytail at the nape of his neck. For some reason my body reacted on it's own and I stood up straight, spinning around to get a better look at him, but he was gone. I blinked, thinking I was seeing things. There was no one fitting the description in the sanctum now…someone that handsome would stand out immediately.

Moving away from the rows of pews I was standing next to, I saw a shimmer of onyx again, and then, nothing…

"Sora?"

I nearly jumped at the voice, whirling around to see Julius standing there, watching me with a bat of his amber eyes. "You alright…?"

"Yeah." I nodded. "Just thought…I saw someone…I might have known."

At the furrow of his fine brow at that, I just shrugged it off with a small smile. "Where have you been all afternoon?"

The boy couldn't contain the grin that spread over his handsome features. "Azmaria and I have been helping the public all afternoon. It's strenuous work, but it's a lot of fun too."

"Yeah, I know that feeling." I responded. "Have…you heard from Yugo?"

"You haven't?" He gave another curious bat of his eyelashes, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his heavy coat. For a minute he was the one looking concerned, and then he slipped a hand over my shoulder. "Come on. I'll drive us back. He contacted me hours ago and told me he wouldn't be back until late. I wonder why…"

That feeling that something was very wrong came back to me and I swallowed around the dry lump that was building in my throat. "Julius, you don't think something is seriously wrong, do you?"

My brother looked down on me and gave a reassuring smile. "Come on, this is Yugo we're talking about, remember? The guy doesn't know how to die. And as stubborn as he is, do you really think they'd want him? They'd prolly just kick him out of Pandaemonium again."

I managed a small laugh after a minute or two, putting together what he had said and what I knew of it, though my hand came up to wrap itself around the heavy necklace I was wearing, pressing the jagged stone to my palm with such force I felt the sharp edges pricking at my skin. Yugo wouldn't do something as stupid as die. He wouldn't leave me all alone.

When we returned to the house, I was ushered in by Julius and led up the stairs. The giant house seemed so empty…I heard most of it's recent guests had spent every waking hour at the Order headquarters, or had gone away by this point. It was sad coming back to such a quiet and lonely place.

"You can get a bath on your own, can't you?" My sibling asked, with a blink of his eyes, his dark hair hanging into his face as he looked down on me.

"A bath?" I repeated, trying to familiarize myself with the word. "Is that in the bath…room?" I questioned further.

When the boy just sighed, I downcasted my head. There I went, feeling useless again. "I'm sorry…" I told him softly.

Those pale cheeks went a vibrant shade of crimson. "H-Hey…Sora, don't be so upset! I didn't…" He ran a hand through his shoulder-length curtain of chocolate brown, wondering about how to go about this. "Come on, I'll help you out." He said, helping me into the bathroom.

He seemed to be a little hesitant as he went over to the tub and turned on the facet for the shower stall, finally looking back at me. "Get undressed. I'll give you instructions telepathically, alright?" His face was a bright shade of scarlet and I could help but smile at him.

"Okay. I think I can do that!"

He nodded and left me alone, and after a few moments, I did as I was told. The first touch of the steaming hot water caused me to jump, holding a hand up to shield my face as I was soaked by the spray. Julius's quiet laughter chimed in and I huffed, a little mad that he was amused by this.

When I got out of the bathtub, I found the bedroom abandoned as well, with word from my brother that he had things to attend and would be heading off to bed now. I couldn't blame him…the hot water had all but exhausted me, and I found the nightshift he had left by my bedside and settled down for the evening myself.

Even with as tired as I was, I couldn't get Yugo out of my mind. I couldn't tap into his presence like I had been able to earlier, and he had mad no move to contact me at all. Was he angry with me…had I done something wrong? Or was he lying dead somewhere after Aion had gotten his filthy hands on him? My heart was aching at the thought, my body yearning for his touch, needing it like air to breathe.

I found myself clutching the pendant to my chest, holding the cold metal against my skin. "Where are you Yugo…? Why haven't you come back…?"

My eyes were threatening to tear up and I bit into my bottom lip angstily. I promised I wasn't going to cry over this. I didn't need to freak out like this…my life was a mess as it was. All I could do was trust him, and pray that he was alright.

I don't know exactly when I managed to find a moment's sleep, but I know I was coming out of it when I felt the shift in the bed, the soft carress of warm hands sliding against my hip, fingertips lingering on the curves as they trailed across my stomach.

I felt my face flush, heat immediatedly taking over my cheeks, my heart thundering in my chest. My eyes blinked wide open and I stared up into the most beautiful face I had ever seen.

I was quite sure it was Yugo, though not the Yugo that I had come to know…he more resembled the one from my dreams. Those raven ears pricked amongst that shimmering mass of green-blue hair and he smiled down at me, golden eyes wavering with an expression I had not seen in them before. His wings were spread around us, glistening in the dim light as if part of the darkness themselves. This creature…this inhuman being was quite possibly the most gorgeous thing in this world.

"Sorry that I startled you…" Even his voice had changed, transforming to fit his body, the deep husky tones drifting throughout the night air. "I was hoping to wake you up in a good way."

"Y-Yugo…" I started to sit up half way, looking up at him. "You…I thought you…your powers…were sealed away…"

"The contract somehow overall strengthened me when it broke. I can stay in my true form with little stress to myself now." He explained to me softly, fingers leaving me for a minute to cup my cheek in the palm of his hand, clawed fingers scrapping gingerly across my skin. He turned his head away slightly and in the dim light I could see a trickle of dark out the side of his mouth.

Blinking, I realized that his neck and chest were the same way, marred with scrapes and wounds. I was immediatedly up at that, sitting infront of him, almost in his lap as I checked the injuries. "I knew it…Yugo, what happened?" I snapped, looking up at him. He huffed, but didn't meet my gaze. My teeth gritted at that. "You jerk." His ears pricked at that, amber eyes blinking back at me, surprised in the very least at what I had said. At least I had gotten some answer from him.

When he saw I was watching him very seriously, he just let out a soft sigh. "A group of rouge pursuers distraught over Duffau's death figured they'd entertain themselves by attacking me this afternoon. There. You feel better now that you know?"

"No. Why didn't you tell me then? I could have helped you-"

"How?" He cut me off, amber eyes ablaze as he looked down at me. He looked really angry, and before I even realized it, I had sat back a little. "You can't even point a gun anymore and besides would you want to?"

I swallowed at that, my thoughts wavering. "I still could have done something to help you! Anything…I don't know-"

"You would have gotten yourself killed." He growled, ears flicking back against his head in annoyance. "You are no longer the trained fighter you once were, and the battlefield isn't your place anymore."

"So what, I'm just supposed to let you and Julius go out there and get the living hell kicked out of you while I sit at home worrying to death! I think not!"

His ears perked at that, and suddenly the anger in his face was gone. A strong arm wrapped around me, pulling me to his strong body, cradling my head to his chest. "Sora…" His voice sounded amused, happy even, and I couldn't see why, but at least he had stopped looking at me like he hated me.

'I do not hate you. I love you, and I'm worrying about your safety.'

'The overprotective mother act does not suit you at all Yugo.' I told him playfully and the only response I got out of him was a mental 'Hmph.'

Something brushed through my long curtain of hair and I looked up to see his raven wings folded tightly around us. Amused with the beautiful feathers, I reached out, running my hands through the glossy dark pinions carefully, not wanting to put to much strain on the thin membranes. Yugo tilted his head back against the headboard, practically purring from the feeling of having such delicate and sensitive flesh massaged. It was comforting to see such a pleasing look on that handsome face, canine ears flattened back against his head in pleasure.

"Little One," He whispered, his dark sensuous voice breathing out into the night. "You have no idea what you do to me."

The words seemed to echo through my head, like I had heard them somewhere before, and I felt my face flush. His arms pulled me closer, my body becoming aware of how I was tightly pressed up against his bare chest, feeling the hard tight muscles of him flex slightly through the thin material of my nightshift. My heart was thundering in my chest as I blinked, looking up at him.

Those amber eyes were unflinching, watching me as if he was somehow going to eat me alive. "Do you still have any desire to deny me?" He spoke up softly, a very arrogant and demanding statement. "Knowing how your body and your heart respond to me, how your feelings are…would you really push me away?"

"Yugo…" I swallowed, at a loss for words. What was he implying? "Do you mean…what do you mean? I've told you I'd stay with you…that I want you with me…what-"

He snarled, and I looked up, meeting his golden gaze. It was a trap, and I knew the minute I stared into those smoldering liquid gold gaze. I would not break away. "I need you Sora." He whispered, voice so soft for a moment I thought I had just imagined it. "This is not a simple lusting desire. It's a hunger…it's an instinct to me. I would rather not take you, but I don't want you to be stupid either. I know the things you feel for me. You can't hide them."

Even with that undeniable proof staring me in the face, I found it hard to look away. My face was so red, it had to match nicely alongside my hair. "I…I don't remember…anything about you. Anything I haven't learned in the last couple of days. But…when I'm with you, everything just feels so…"

"Right." He finished for me, the word no more then a whispered breath, but it held more meaning to me then anything. "You are my soulmate, Sora Maiko, created for me. I'm the only one for you. You will never be able to escape me…not when I know you feel the same for me as I for you."

His hand swept up the thin cloth of my night gown, taloned fingers gingerly caressing the skin of my back, causing me to shudder with the way my body reacted to it, a spark of flame rising in the pleasing sensation of being touched by his hand. "Yugo…" I breathed out, my gaze still firmly locked with his.

I felt a wave of emotion flood through my mind then, and I could tell he was waiting for me to push him away. He was still immensely hurt by the events of the last few days and all he needed now was for me to reject him, for the person who mattered most to him to isolate herself.

There was a flicker of something else, and my mind gave in sharply, a jolt of pain searing through my head as more images flashed through them…it was that night again, the two of us lost in sweat, sheets and feathers, lost within one another.

My felt flushed brilliantly again. 'Why are you showing me this?'

'Because you need to know…this is how things were between us once…how close we were to one another…and I have every intention of us being this close again.' His fingers had made their way up to the back of my neck, stroking the skin underneath my long curtain of hair so gently my body was shivering in delight with his touch.

'Not tonight Yugo.' I said softly after a moment, my head starting to spin again, the pain throbbing more and more against his intrusion in my mind.

Immediately he pulled away, and my body thanked him for it. There was a ruffle of wings and I felt the form I was laying against shift, transformation in mid-process before his sealed form was the one underneath my touch, that almost-human face watching down on me with the same wanting look. "Alright then." He whispered softly, hand grasping my chin to tilt my head up, stealing my lips away in a kiss that left me breathless. 'I'll respect your wishes…this night.'

The next morning was still overcast and dreary, promising to be just another cold day. Yugo was lying next to me in the bed, snuggled up against my warm body when I awoke, and watching him sleep so soundly, almost naively, made me blush.

I got up and got dressed, now that I knew correctly how, and left our bedroom. The entire villa still seemed quiet…everyone was either still gone at the Order cathedral or still asleep. Wandering the halls still mildly lost on the layout of the mansion I kept an eye out for anything that might point me in the direction of the stairs.

Turning a corner, I thought it was only me in a half sleepy haze when I saw a figure at the other end of the hall, turning down another corridor. It could have been anyone of the maids or someone else I just hadn't had a chance to meet yet, but the second I thought about it, the form matched the one of that alluring dark-haired man I had spotted in the cathedral yesterday, which made me all the more compelled to follow him.

Dashing up the hall, I turned to find no one there…and then in a flicker of the dimlight I saw the figure at the far end of the hall turning into another hallway. "H-Hey!" I called after him, hoping he would hear me, and hoping I wouldn't be disturbing anyone else. "Wait up!"

He kept going as I chased after him and as soon as I entered the hallway, there wasn't any sign he had been there. I had no clue where I was now…this hallway was darker then the others, with no windows to the outside to let in the early morning light. There was a sudden feeling of dread that overwhelmed me as I stepped into the hallway, but I had come this far, and I couldn't simply turn around and back off now.

"What are you doing in here?"

I nearly jumped three feet in the air at the sound of that deep quiet voice, spinning around to see the redhead devil with the piercing crimson eyes standing against the wall, watching my with puzzled interest. "You're far from Yugo's watch…what are you doing in my part of the building?"

His voice was cold, and very intimidating. I swallowed under that heavy scarlet gaze. "I-I…was following a man and he led me down here. Have you seen anyone with long raven hair? About…this tall?" I had to stand on tiptoe to give an example of who I might be looking for. "He was wearing dark clothes too…dark brown, or navy blue maybe?"

I watched as those eyes of his widened with a bat of his lashes and he let out an amused laugh, fangs showing. "Well now, that's very interesting." He pushed off the wall, and walked past me. "Come with me Sora. It appears there's something your Guardian Angel wants you to see."

I was a little bit afraid of how easily his personalities changed…he looked so angry and bitter one moment, and the next it was as if there was nothing wrong in the world. I swallowed, remembering such a creature from Julius's book. "Uhm…you're Sieg, aren't you?" I asked after a moment, catching up to walk by his side.

"The one and only." He smiled, stopping in front of a certain door and undoing the latch on it with a snap of his fingers. Pushing the door op, all that I saw through the ajared entrance was pitch black. "Wait here." He demanded, heading further into the room. I don't know what I was expecting…maybe some ancient demonic chamber, or a mad laboratory or something to that nature, but when he flicked on the lights, the view that hit me was that of a casual sitting room closed in from the outside with black glass windows.

"Come in." He called. "Make yourself at home."

I cautiously entered the room, a smile lighting my features when I realized how completely normal the place was. Nothing crazy or insane here.

Sieg had walked off, somewhere in the larger room out of view from where I was standing, but I could hear the ruckus he was making somewhere within the walls. He came back several minutes later, holding a long sword incased in a black sheath. "Sorry about that…my study is a mess…" He grinned apologetically. Holding the weapon out to me, his dark maroon eyes got serious again. "Do you know what this is? Who it belonged to?"

I reached out and took the blade he was offering to me, and as soon as my fingers slid along the cold metal of the sheath and a wave of energy pulsed through my head. It was a night, this man…the man I kept seeing…he and Yugo were…

"This was Aidan's." He started after a moment. "The only piece left of him after that night. It was originally in Jin's possession and being kept at the Order, but after his death, they decided it needed to go to someone who could control it. This sword has slaughtered thousands. Its bloodlust knows no bounds. Aidan practically created a monster within this blade, and your mortal friends are afraid that if it gets into the wrong hands we might have a serious problem. Yugo, Chrono or I would be the best choice, but Chrono's already to close to the edge with all this stress of being separated from his contractor, and Yugo would rather destroy it and see everything that was ever a part of Aidan out of this world. That leaves me as its owner, but Berit might abandon me all together if I did something like that, and I rely to much on it's power through Satella's contract to throw my own sword away. So…we have a

potential demonic sword with no owner…what are we to do?"

"Why are you asking me then…?" I blinked my mixmatched eyes, a little lost on the sudden question.

He chuckled, raising a hand to point at me.

"W-What…!" The thought sunk in. "Are you crazy! If you devils are worried about this thing slipping into the wrong hands, then why in God's name are you giving it to me! I'm a human and I don't remember my entire life…I could be completely taken over by this thing in an instant."

"Hardly." He spoke up, his voice amused, though his eyes still straying on serious. "You might not remember anything of your past, but that does not mean we have all forgotten you. Aidan tried to protect you until the very end. He loved you, and he wanted you to himself. Even though he's gone now, a piece of him is still left behind. I can bet hands down that this sword would never bring itself to harm you…because we know that Aidan himself couldn't."

My cheeks flushed brightly, staring at the elaborate handle of the blade. "You think this blade belongs to me then…?" I asked softly.

"I think Aidan wants you to have it." Sieg crossed his arms. "Why else would he show himself to you, and lead you here? Just because he is gone…does not mean he is gone for good." There was a mischievous glimmer in his eye as he said that and before I could question him on it, it was gone. "Try the blade out. See what you think of it."

With great hesitance I put my hand around the handle and gently withdrew the sword from it's sheath, the soft sound of metal scraping along metal as the edges touched the metal casing. The blade itself was beautiful, made of darkened steel almost the tawny color of copper. It glimmered in the low light, almost glowing with a soft aura as it was pulled from its confines. There was a soft touch upon the back of my hand that made me feel like someone was standing behind me, helping me to steady the sword in my hands.

"Not bad." Sieg gave a nod of his hand. "How's the weight of it? Is it decently heavy?"

"No." I blinked, my eyes finally straying from the blade. "It's incredibly light. Feels like it doesn't weigh a thing."

He smiled. "I see. Well then, I guess that's decided. You should take the blade with you Sora, keep it by your side. I'm not saying that you're going to need it, but the way things are around here these days…I think its best kept with you."

I slid the blade back into the sheath, giving a small nod of my head. "I guess…Julius can teach me something of swordplay…at least then I wouldn't feel so…" 'helpless…'

"Sounds like a good idea." He mused. "Do you think you can find your way back from here, or do you need assistance?"

"I don't want to trouble you. Don't worry, I was just out for an early morning walk anyway." I told him reassuringly, though I really had no clue how to get back from here. This devil was a little odd…and something about him just kept throwing me off…

"Alright then."

Back out in the hallway, I exited his territory as quick as possible, the sword still in my hands. Staring at the blade, I gave a small sigh. Okay…I had a sword now, and no idea in the world how to use it.

Another half an hour of walking and I finally found something of familiarity, staring down a hallway I had traveled earlier. The sun was getting higher in the sky now, poking through the heavy gray to try and welcome another morning.

'Where are you and what are you doing awake at this hour?' A rather grumpy voice echoed through my mind, startling me again. What was it with devil's and the sneak-up tactic?

'I couldn't sleep anymore. So I've been up walking the villa. And…it's safe to say I'm lost.'

He gave an exasperated sigh and a very annoyed growl. 'It's safe to say you're also hopeless.'

'Go back to bed.' I snorted. 'And wake up when you decide to be in a decent mood.'

He ignored me, instead asking me where I was and what was around me. With his sleepy directions I found my way back to my room in ten minutes…which made me feel utterly pathetic.

Opening the door to our bedroom I watched as he sleepily yawned, buttoning up the front of his white shirt. He looked half unconscious…for about all of a minute, until he realized what I was holding in my hands.

Those golden eyes immediately widened and he snarled, throwing the blankets aside to sit on the side of the bed. "Where did you get that!" He demanded, glaring at me, and then the weapon in turn.

I swallowed. Sieg was right…Yugo looked absolutely furious. "Sieg gave it to me. He said it was Aidan's."

Instantly he was muttering curses, pushing back strands of his tousled cyan hair. "Give it here." He said finally, holding at his hand and waiting for me to just obey his command.

I shook my head. "No."

He blinked, surprised that I would defy him…I could tell that it shocked him in some way. "Sora, this isn't a game. Give me the damn sword. Do you have any idea what that thing is capable of!"

"You're going to destroy it Yugo, and I can't let you do that." I took a step back from him. Somehow, I just couldn't give up on this weapon. I didn't know why, but my heart ached when I thought about this dark-haired man…I couldn't even remember what his face looked like, but for some reason he was dear to me, a part of me, like Yugo was, and I just couldn't let it go. "It was Aidan's sword, and it's the only thing left of him after you killed him."

I hadn't meant for those words to hit hard, but I could feel the impact they had on him, like a blow to the face. "You don't even remember him and you'll still honestly protect him out of your heart." He growled. "It makes me sick. How you can so easily push me away and so stubbornly defend him…even now when your memories wiped clean." He got up, turning his back on me to go over to the window. "Maybe I should have been the one to die that night. It would have solved all your problems."

"What…?" I blinked, staring at his back. "Don't say that! Yugo…" My head was starting to pound, maybe it was from the verge of tears threatening to spill down my face. "Honestly why do you have to be so damn jealous all the time! You've always been this way, ever since I first met you!"

He turned to look back at me then, batting his golden eyes. "What…did you say…?" He whispered softly.

I was so lost in my emotions I hadn't even realized it. Had Yugo always been jealous of Aidan? I got the feeling he was overprotective but…these feelings…it was like I had experienced them before. Yugo was this way because I knew he was this way. Because I had remembered it.

There was relief on his face then, something I was grateful to see…all the angry had seemed to dissipate. "You memory is starting to piece itself back together again." He said softly and before I knew it, he had pulled me close, holding me to him, his arms wrapped firmly around me. "It's just like Jin said."

The door opened after a moment and we both looked up, a little startled to the intrusion. Julius stood there, his clothes half thrown on him, hair still a mess, but his golden eyes alive and alert. "We've got a serious problem." He started, not waiting for a greeting.

"What's going on kid?" Yugo asked, tuning into the kid's connection through me. The boy was trying not to panic, his body trembling his mind a chaos of events. His scatter-brainedness was causing my head to throb after the jolt of pain I had felt moments before.

"Father Remington just called us with the news…Aion and Rosette were spotted among the refugee camp this morning…and if that's not bad enough, Joshua, Lena and Fiore have all gone missing."

----

Author's Notes- Well 21 is finished! After I said it was going to be out Winter Break…. –sweatdrops- I'm running a day or so behind, oh well. Happy Holidays everyone! I hope you all had a happy new year! I've been trying like crazy to finish this chapter, but with work and all I've been dead tired. I've hardly had time to play any games or watch any anime!

Anyways, Chapter 21…yeah, Sora got a sword. Aidan's sword to be exact. I'm a sick and twisted soul, but Addy was my fave character besides Yugo, so I had to find some small piece to keep intwined into the story. And Ewan and Mia's scene…had so much fun writing it. This chapter was a little gushy on romance, that was for sure. Hope I didn't make you all gag to badly.

And Chapter 22… My little love triangle of Joshua/Hirelena/Fiore hits its climax, the secret behind Sieg's contract will be revealed and Sora's gang is sent back to New York for her discharge from the Magdalene Order! Two chapters left until the end! Until I write again!

Sora Tokumi Kazuma