UPDATE (2/13/2016): Additional edits and corrections

AUTHOR'S NOTE: To clarify...

The name "kami" has come to mean in modern myths and media, even in Japan, a term more synonymous with "god". However, historically, it's an umbrella term that can apply to any spirit. It's still used when referring to gods, hence Hachiro calling himself the "Yuki no Kami" in the last chapter, but I'm using it in more of the secondary sense. Hence, when Jiro is said to be a "kami", that means he's a spirit as opposed to a yokai.

Jiro wasn't sure how long he sat in that crevasse. At first, the heat boiling up from below only weakened him more and progressively made both him sweat and the ice above him melt, causing him to slip down a bit more. Yet when the entire area was enclosed in an icy shell, and the exterior of that wrapped in a horrendous blizzard, it didn't take long at all for every last bit of molten rock and magma to cool. By the time he finally fell, it was no longer a pit leading into a magma tunnel, but a series of chasms leading into an icy cave. In spite of how hard he landed, enough to do even more injury, he showed little in the way of pain. He was back in his element.

And being in his element, once more surrounded by cold and frost, began to aid in reviving him. His senses started to flow back, like someone very slowly awakening from sleep and, at first, mistaking real sensations for those from dreams. And while there was certainly a great deal of physical pain in those sensations, both from trauma as well as burns and cuts, it was a "deeper" pain that was far worse.

In his semi-conscious state, he began to think of the brief visions he had seen. He remembered snippets here and there… Things that he had recognized without recognizing… Things about all that had transpired… How that ball of fire in the sky had been intimidating but was far more terrifying to him than to the others…and how it did more than just scare him. It angered him. The Frozen Heart…that mysterious jewel…how it looked so familiar…how he swore he had seen it before with its icy light…in the palm of his hand… But most of all, that face Eiko made…seeming more familiar than anything…more distinct… Not only as her in her natural look but when she was "de-powered"…when she was in pain…

That last look began to drive not only pain but terror into him. In his current state, he writhed in his unconsciousness even as he began to become more alert, slowly more aware of where he was. As he started to come to, the pain grew too unbearable; the fear too much. Like a child fighting to wake up from a nightmare, he didn't want to see the rest. He tried to get himself to wake up…to make the vision fade into blackness and mist…to reenter the waking world and quickly forget the whole thing…to spare that pain…

Yet somehow, in his semi-aware state, he realized this…and when he did, his hand subconsciously tightened into a fist as his jaws locked.

No…don't run from it…

In spite of the situation, in spite of his pain and fear, he tried to think about it. It made things even worse, naturally. The fear flared inside him. He began to quiver. He felt tears mounting in his eyes. He told himself to let it go…to forget it…to let it fade into oblivion…

His other fist tightened.

No…I won't…I won't! I don't care how painful it is! I don't care how sad it is! I have to know! I have to remember! This might be my only chance! I'm in pain…I'm terrified…but that pain and fear let my friends down!

It let Eiko down…it let all of this happen to her…

She's…

He paused, and then made his thoughts firm.

…She's the most important woman in the world to me. She's worth all of my pain and fear. I won't let anything hold me back to hurt her again…

I want to know…

He was trembling all over now, and tears rolling down his cheeks, but he held none the less. He focused on what he had seen so far and kept focusing.

And finally, at last, it began to come back to him.

The countryside was a waste. Far less settled than the modern day. Far more trees. Far less developed land. More fields still strewn with rocks and weeds. More mountains that had never been quarried. And yet it was impossible to appreciate any of the natural beauty of the place, because all was dry and barren. The grass had already shriveled up and died, leaving only parched ground, cracked and dry. The trees had long since withered. Some were brittle. Some were actually smoldering, as if they'd burst into flame. All were dead. The creeks, ponds, lakes, and everything else was totally dried up. Animals lay dead and rotting, although some were already down to bleached bones.

There were no kingdoms here. This was when no one built a home or shrine taller than one level. Before there was much in the way of sophisticated architecture. Back during the years...ages, even...prior to the shoguns when Japan couldn't even be imagined to be a single nation, but rather whatever group of men controlled whatever region. However, there were still some simpler dwellings made from whatever building materials the primitive people could manage. These were dry and nearly to the point of burning themselves now. Some of them were even blackened. The people inside were either dead or dying from the horrendous, unending sun and heat.

And above it all, ten times the size of the orb that had appeared over the mountain, was a massive flaming sphere. It truly did look like it had supplanted the sun, for none could look around the flames and heat to see what was beyond.

Yet through it all, a flaming object…like some sort of winged creature…seemed to encircle it.

Far below, back on the ground, on the dusty remains of a once vibrant mountain, within a shrine made of logs and stone, which helped keep it at least a little cooler than the exterior, there was a lone young woman kneeling before a vestibule to the gods far in the back. She had stripped most of her clothes off except for undergarments, yet she continuously sweat buckets. She was on her knees with her head to the ground, and did not move but continued to silently pray as she had for the past ten days. She rose only for three reasons: to light fresh candles on the vestibule, to change the incense, or to get a precious drink of water from a nearby stone jug.

Abruptly, she shifted, raising her head. She was panting and dizzy, but her face was also quite unmistakable.

It was the face of Eiko as she appeared now.

She turned to the jug, grasped it with a trembling hand, and held it high over her head and over her mouth. Yet her rationing was at an end. The last few drops of water, three in all, landed on her tongue and barely cooled it. Nevertheless, she put the jug down and returned to her prayers at once. Even as despair and fear sunk into her eyes, she forced them closed and continued. It seemed she was prepared to do so until her final breath.

Suddenly, she felt a sharp, cold chill blow through the interior of the shrine. Considering the unending heat that they were being subjected to, it immediately made her lift her head, realizing something had changed. The icy wind would have normally been painful, but it was the first coolness she had felt in days… It was more than welcome and refreshing. A moment later, a voice accompanied it.

"So…planning on praying until you fall down dead, I guess?"

She immediately turned…and saw Jiro leaning against one of the stone walls. He was different now. He was still the same face, and he was still young-looking, but he was smoother, cockier, and didn't have the "care" that he had now. He seemed more sly and mischievous; definitely not as gentle or concerned about her, or anyone else, as he was now. But he had his bo staff, leaning over one shoulder. His arms were crossed as he looked to the woman.

She didn't get off of her knees, but an eagerness and hope was in her eyes. "Did the gods send you?"

"Yup." Jiro casually answered. "I'm their 'spokesman', as it were. A little ol' frost kami. Seemed to be appropriate given the situation. So what can we do for you?"

"Stop Shitakarahi!" The woman instantly begged. "Put an end to this horrible heat! Please!"

Jiro, however, merely chuckled. "What…and ruin this endless summer you wanted so badly? You lazy humans got exactly what you wanted. You were willing to turn your back on the gods in exchange for no more winter and no more night. Just one endless growing season. Now that you have everything you asked for, you want it gone?" He snickered. "Wow…you're fickle."

The woman was unperturbed as she put her head to the ground. "It was a foolish wish and I admit we were all wrong to ever ask for such a thing… But please…help us now! I've prayed to the gods unceasingly for ten days! I've kept the candles burning and kept offering incense! We're sorry! But if you don't come to our aid-"

"No-no-no-no-no…" Jiro cut off, leaning off of the stone wall and pointing the end of his bo staff at the woman, making her look up in alarm. "You are sorry, hime-chan. And you weren't even the one who wished for this sun. You tried to warn your people, remember? They, on the other hand, seem to be perfectly content to die in their pride without admitting their fault…"

"Then stop it for me!"

Jiro merely shook his head. "No can do. The ones I represent say you should have tried a bit harder to stop them in the first place. You knew exactly what they were asking for, and yet you let them go forth anyway. You're the representative of your people. You need to show more responsibility than that, hime-chan."

The sound of fire breaking out outside suddenly issued. It was so loud, and caused such dry crackling, that the woman cringed at the sound. Nevertheless, she swallowed and continued to beg.

"You're right…I am responsible for these people. Which means their sin should rest upon me. And here I am, groveling and weeping, on their behalf, for the gods to please put an end to this. If not for our sake then for the world! Look! The land is ruined! There's no more water! No more food! No more plants! Every last animal is dying! There soon won't be anything but a burned cinder left of this land!"

Jiro's smile ebbed a bit. "And if you get a reprieve from all of this, you humans will go right back to craving the easy path within a generation. That's your nature. All you care about is getting power as quickly and easily as you can without thought to consequences, or the process it takes to get that power and be responsible with it. Your people were foolish enough to side with this monster. How long will it be before another demon comes by and offers them another deal that they jump at?"

Still, the queen wouldn't give up as her head touched the ground again. Tears began to flow from her eyes once more.

"I'll do anything…absolutely anything…for them to put an end to this curse. Lay the blame of each individual man, woman, and child upon me. Let me suffer for eternity in this place. Demand anything of me or my ancestors. Just…please…please put a stop to this…"

Hearing these words, said between choked sobs, seeing the proud woman mortifying herself completely before him, made Jiro lose some of his cockiness. He had little love or care for humans. He thought they were so petty and warlike. So prone to letting their emotions control them. So quick to look for easy ways out. Yet seeing this mortal woman here…it actually made his own expression uncomfortable…

Words were spoken to him…words only he could hear. The only sign in the real world that they had been spoken at all was the frost kami looking to the sky momentarily. He stared for a few moments at it, even though all he could physically see was a rock ceiling, and then he looked back down to the woman.

A moment later, he reached inside his robe and emerged with an object glowing with an icy blue light.

The Frozen Heart.

The air in the chamber immediately got colder. It went from pleasantly cool to ice cold; enough to make the woman shiver. That, in turn, made her look up as she exhaled a blast of misty breath.

"What…what is that?"

"The last remains of the god of winter." Jiro answered; his voice a lot lower and calmer than before. "And with it lies both the instrument of your salvation…and the price you will pay for it."

The woman trembled a bit on hearing that, swallowing, but then leaned up more. "What does it entail?"

He walked forward, holding it out to her.

"Take it in your hand. Hold it to your chest. The spirit of the former god of winter will then flow into you."

She blinked. "And…I'll become an avatar?"

"No, more than that. You'll become something rather 'unique'. But in the most basic terms…the spirit will merge with your own, forming one new spirit. You will, in turn, become the god of winter yourself."

The queen's eyes widened, clearly shocked at hearing that.

"But you won't be like the normal gods. Much of the former god's power became one with nature itself, which is why winter comes and goes without him. But always you'll have command over it. Nevertheless, because you are both a human soul as well as a god's soul, you will retain a mortal body but have all of the powers of a god. There's no other way you would be granted this power. You must remain weak and frail so that you never become corrupted by your own strength. Now…you'll gain many of the advantages of being a god. You won't need food or sleep. You'll be immune to illness. And you'll be totally immune to cold, no matter how bad it becomes. But there will be 'tradeoffs'.

"Since you willingly accept the punishment of your people, your soul will now be immortal. Even if your body dies, you will be reborn again and again forever. You will never enter the rest of the afterlife. And you will continuously be punished as a result, as well."

This made the queen blink. "…Punished? Punished how?"

"I'm afraid I don't know that. They aren't telling me."

"But I'll have the power to stop Shitakarahi?"

He gave a nod. "Yup."

The woman didn't even hesitate. She held out her hand. "Give it to me! Hurry!"

Jiro, however, pulled it back slightly. "Oh, I wouldn't be so hasty about that, hime-chan. Do you know what it means to be an immoral soul with a mortal 'everything else'? How much torment that will end up being for you?"

"I don't care!" The woman shot back. "If it stops that demon, if it saves who's still alive of my people, then it doesn't matter!"

The frost kami hesitated a bit more. He looked on at her for a little longer, but then finally snorted and shook his head. "Quite a noble one, you are…" He said before holding the Frozen Heart forward.

Immediately, the queen seized it, and then held it close to her chest, wrapping her arms around it and pressing it in as if to hurry up and make it transfer faster. And soon, lines of glowing, icy-blue light began to trace out of her chest to the rest of her. As they spread, she stiffened and spasmed. Her teeth grit, clearly uncomfortable, and she began to tremble all over from the feeling of cold running into her veins. Yet the heart wasn't "absorbed". It merely drained its power into her; causing her skin to pale and her hair to turn white-blond…

Far over the baked, dying country, encircling the great flaming sphere…indeed, actually one with it…was a different figure. It was hard to say what it was; only that it was nightmarish and horrible. It appeared to be some twisted synthesis of creatures, all of which were fearsome and deadly. Its body had traits of a ravenous tiger and dragon, and its appendages were those of some sort of bird and rat. The result was something malformed and ugly. Its entire body seemed to either be a thin skin covering raw magma, or made of magma itself. The eyes glowed as bright as sunbeams itself. It seemed, at least at first, to be nothing more than a fierce monster, mindlessly circling the orb in the sky of its own creation.

That was before a voice cried out to it.

"Shitakarahi!"

The eyes flared, the teeth barred, and it looked down.

The one mortal who never bowed down to it even before was there, and she seemed…different. Not just physically. It appeared there was some sort of power to her now. Although he could make out nothing, something about this creature was strangely loathsome to him…

Nevertheless, he snarled as he swept around and began to descend. He didn't go all the way to the ground, but rather hovered in between heaven and earth and glared down at her.

"I don't care for the lack of dignity in your tone, mortal. After all…you are in the presence of your god."

"I will ask you one final time to remove that sun and begone." The woman coldly retorted, and Shitakarahi could almost swear he saw a light in her eyes…one that actually made him feel strangely uncomfortable. As close as he was, she should have been roasting away in his heat. Why wasn't she?

At any rate, he snarled at her. "I don't listen to meaningless human authorities. I don't listen to anyone anymore. Your people have given me all the power I need. You're nothing to me. You can burn along with the rest of this world as I make it into a flaming hell worthy of my greatness. After all, I have no need of your sickening praise and adoration like so many of those gods you abandoned. At this point, you're only annoying maggots to me. Go find yourself a place to burn to death in, woman."

The woman didn't answer. Instead she aimed both of her hands skyward. The demon snarled. Whatever did she think she was going to do to him? Especially now? What sort of power did she think she had?

He found out the answer a moment later as, to his surprise, the wind around her began to circle. When it did, it abruptly turned cooler; so cold that it actually made flakes of snow appear in the air. The red coal eyes blazed again, before the monster hissed in anger. Cold…loathesome, wretched cold… But how? Hadn't he eliminated all of it? How was this woman doing it? Was she some sort of mage?

But before he could think any more, the woman's body illuminated in icy blue light. To the sound of cosmic ringing and chiming in the air, a massive beam of what looked like "cold energy" erupted from her palms, actually pushing her back into the ground, and sailing right for Shitakarahi. The demon sneered as he saw the beam thunder for him…but didn't move at all. A moment later, it slammed into him with a rather harsh and thunderous impact…

And did nothing.

He merely put up his hands and held the beam at bay. He was only the smallest bit tensed. By comparison, the woman was tightening her muscles, clenching her teeth, and putting a great deal into it…and doing nothing.

He growled. "This is the power behind your meager threat, you little wretch? Did you think just simply striking me with cold was going to do anything more than irritate me?"

The woman, looking up through the beam, as blinding and strong as it was, couldn't help but realize that he was speaking the truth. He wasn't even buckling. For all the power she put out, he still held. So she grit her teeth and forced herself to go harder. Sweat now began to roll down her brow as the beam grew in intensity and size.

The arms of the demon buckled a bit, and he went back possibly a centimeter, and then no more.

"Trying to make things even worse on yourself, I see…little nothing…" He sneered.

The woman didn't answer. Closing her eyes she pushed more. No one could see it, but she began to tap fully into the power inside of her; the power that she recently received that she thought was without limit, that it would be disastrous to pour all forth, she now forced out. Suddenly the beam doubled in size, and began to spread ice crystals in its wake as it froze the very air. Shitakarahi, who until now had been gritting his teeth slightly, suddenly went more wide-eyed than before as fresh coldness slammed into him, forcing him back, albeit slowly, and into the air. Now, he began to hiss and groan, showing real pain. His body started to quiver as he had to put out more strength and now felt the terrible cold sapping away at the vigor in his limbs. He was pushed higher and higher…

…but also closer to his demonic sun. And as he neared, the sun flared and sent more heat into him, enough to envelop his body in a flaming aura. Growling again he let his arms fall and relax as flames and heat enveloped him, effortlessly pushing the beam away from the queen. By now, she was buckling for everything she was worth. Her legs and arms were starting to give out. Yet to her horror, she hadn't even wounded Shitakarahi.

"You…you have the power of a kami inside you, don't you?" He shouted down. "No, a god! But it means nothing! Your mortal body can't possible control that much power! And for daring to make me feel pain, I'll burn each and every one of your people into nothingness myself!"

Hearing this, the woman's eyes filled with dread. She knew the monster meant it. And right now, he wasn't even struggling. Her beam was only making him hold his ground and keep the aura about him, generating endless power from that flaming sun. And as soon as she dropped it he'd kill her and then destroy what was left of her people…

The woman realized that…and her face turned from terror to determination. She took in two deep breaths, preparing herself, and then one more. On the third and final she closed her eyes and put even more force into the blast; tripling its current size and making it instantly coat the area around her for ten miles in ice.

Shitakarahi's fury gave way to shock. Seeing that beam headed for him, he quickly spun his arms down, meaning to generate more heat, meaning to beat it back with a counter of his own…but it was too late. Before he could bring out his power, the beam smashed into him, and this time sent him flying backward into his own sun.

"No…! Damn…you…!"

The woman didn't answer. She didn't even look. She poured out more and more of herself; not only her energy but her very spirit and soul into the attack…and so she slammed Shitakarahi back further and further until at last he was forced into his own flaming sun, the beam plunging him into it.

Yet rather than recharge him, as the queen used more power the demonic sun literally began to shrivel up, like a fire suddenly robbed of air. The surface rapidly cooled as it condensed and collapsed, shrinking back in on itself. As she fell to her knees and continued to force power forth, the red sky faded, clouds and darkness replaced it, and snow began to fall as the orb shrank and shrank until it was less than the size of half a human…before it suddenly warped and twisted in on itself, like a deflating bag of air. Slowly it twisted and turned, forming a new shape…

As the beam finally died down, its generator's arms falling as she fell to all fours, the heat was gone. The country was coated with ice, and now snow began to rapidly fall from the discharge of power. But something else fell with it.

A statue looking like it had been carved, or shaped, out of molten rock…twisted in the form of Shitakarahi. It slammed down into the snow and ice, and was rapidly covered by the emerging blizzard.

As for the queen, she exhaled once and then collapsed into the snow as well.

Dead.

Jiro couldn't explain the feeling inside him as he looked at the corpse of the queen, slowly being covered with snow as well. Normally, he would be overjoyed at a time like this. Seeing the snow coming down and the horrible heat giving way to a very long, severe blizzard as a result of that abrupt discharge of power. The life of a mortal didn't mean anything to him, after all.

And yet…he didn't feel "good" looking at her body…

After a moment, not changing the grimace on his face, he turned and looked to the "statue" of Shitakarahi. He knew better, of course. It wasn't a statue at all; it was his form completely restrained by that outpouring of power. And yet, as he looked to it, he sensed lingering power inside it. The humans that had made the pact with him couldn't have it broken so easily. Somehow they were feeding him strength. Very, very slowly, but they were feeding him none the less.

Odd…considering the fact they weren't praying to him anymore…

He turned his head to the sky, hearing a voice.

"She's dead." He told them. "The demon was right: she was only half god. Her body couldn't withstand the full power of her soul coming through it." He paused, as if listening. "No, she didn't succeed. He's sealed away, but it won't last. He's made some sort of pact with the humans; likely without their knowledge. He's rebuilding his power. It will take generations but he'll be out again. And then he'll regain it as fast as he did this time."

He kicked off of the ground and "reclined on air", bracing his staff over his lap.

"So…what now?"

He continued to listen for a short while.

After a bit, his eyes opened wide.

"Oh…" He slowly exclaimed in realization. "So…that's the reason you wanted her soul to be immortal…"

Three hundred years had passed. The long winter that came in the wake of the first hime's release of power had broken. Miraculously, as cold and hard as it was, the people survived it without one death. And among them was the younger sister of the hime who, after having her older sister buried, took over the role and maintained the dynastic line. The land slowly recovered from the horrendous heat and brutal winter. It seemed there was almost a blessing on the land to ensure it was so. The statue of Shitakarahi was buried in a profane place where none would ever see it; no one expecting that it wasn't his likeness but the individual himself.

Water began to flow again, trees grew, cities rebuilt, and people married and were given in marriage and had children. Creatures were born, had children of their own, and then died. The land began to resume looking like its former self, and slowly the story of the queen and the fire demon passed into history to tradition to legend to folklore to finally bed time story.

And it was about that time that a strange girl was born to the nobility of that region. A girl who looked nothing like her parents. A girl with pale skin and white-blond hair. A girl who mysterious phenomenon surrounded, leading her to grow nervous and secluded. Her only companion was her little sister, born only a few years after her. But to her parents, she was an object of confusion and fear. Rumors always dogged and surrounded her.

Yet it would be years before those fears would impact the eight-year-old child when she went out one evening into the garden that her family had planted. Civilization had grown; had gotten wiser and more refined. The tribes had begun to condense and form greater kingdoms. The era of the shoguns was still a long way away, but homes were getting more elaborate and neater, and pleasantries such as this beautiful flower garden, enclosed by high walls, with a lovely stream going through it, were now in the realm of the wealthy.

The girl, properly having her hands folded in her kimono, kept her head down as she walked the path; thinking about the strange power in her. Realizing that not everyone had it. Wondering why she woke up in an inch of snow sometimes or why she was able to make flurries indoors for her sister's amazement, and why it made her parents so fearful and nervous… Was it really such a horrible thing? Was it really so terrible to have this ability? Why was it something to fear?

"Hello there."

The girl nearly leapt where she was; causing frost to form around her feet. She whirled around and saw a young man sitting on a rock. He was pale white, both his skin and his hair, and he had a jovial look about him. A staff was braced over one shoulder, and he seemed perfectly friendly and casual, but also not of this world. He had some sort of power in him that the girl could sense.

"What's your name?"

The girl didn't answer. She quivered all over instead. She trembled a bit before she drew herself up. She started to open her mouth.

He held up a hand to stop her. "Now, now…I'd appreciate it if you didn't call for help."

Then, to her shock, he began to levitate off of the stone. Her mouth opened and her eyes went wide. The young man, Jiro, merely snickered.

"I'd hate to have to fly away and make you out to be a liar…Princess Eiko, was it?"

The girl, Eiko, blinked a few times. She seemed rather nervous, but then straightened herself up. She was trying her best to look like a "proper noble" it seemed, in spite of her age.

"…Men aren't allowed in this garden. My father forbids it on pain of death."

"Then it's a good thing I'm a kami and not a man, isn't it?" Jiro answered with a shrug as he removed his staff from his shoulder, pointed it to the sky, and let out an icy flash of light. Eiko, stunned at this sudden move, recoiled for a moment, but only a moment. That was because soon after a gentle snow began to fall down around them. Her mouth hung open wide as she looked at it.

"That's…that's just like what I can do!"

"Told you." Jiro turned over in mid-air and crossed his arms to lay on his staff.

Eiko looked at the snow fall. She reached out a hand and let it rest in her palm, as if not believing it was real. But when it landed, and she felt it tangible and frozen, she looked back up in amazement. She marveled at the snow for a bit longer before she looked back to Jiro.

"Wait…you can make it snow and get cold…and you're a kami…" She stated slowly, making a connection. "Does…does that mean I'm…I'm…"

"Well, not exactly." Jiro answered with a smile and a shrug. "You're someone more special than that. You've got an amazing power inside you."

Eiko paused, but then frowned and slumped. "It sure doesn't feel that amazing to me. My parents don't like it. It scares everyone who sees it except my sister… They want me to keep it a secret and hide it from everyone…to hold it in and never let it show."

"Well, it's true not everyone will understand something so amazing and special." Jiro hovered closer to her. "But believe me…you should never hold it in. It's part of who you are. It's marked within your very soul. If you deny it, you're denying yourself and who you truly are. And that's never healthy…or ends well for anyone. But don't worry."

He landed on the ground before her and smiled wider.

"I'm here to teach you all about it, including how to control it and do all sorts of things with it."

The girl blinked, confused…but also a bit excited. "Really?"

The young man nodded. "Of course! You've got to learn how to use it sometime. Especially since you'll get even more power as you get older. But for right now…"

He looked around a bit, seeing that not only was snow gently falling, but an inch-high layer was already on the ground. He leaned over and scooped some up in one hand, and then began to form a ball with it.

"There's only one thing to do, for starters."

Eiko, genuinely intrigued, blinked in response. "What's that?"

She gave a mild cry a moment later as a snowball pasted her in between the eyes.

Jiro grinned. "Have some fun."

Eiko was shocked and stunned for a moment, and even looked a bit indignant. She was a princess, after all. The only one allowed to "rough-house" with her was her little sister. Everyone else had to treat her with dignity and respect and keep their distance. Especially since she was the eldest child. Yet as she shook the snow free from her eyes, and saw Jiro laughing at her and casually standing there, bo staff once again across one shoulder...a crafty smile appeared on her face. She held out both hands and immediately formed two more snowballs in them.

"You'll pay for hitting a noblewoman." She grinned.

The next few years were wonderful and light.

Since Eiko didn't need any sleep, she could "be a princess" all day, and all night hang out with Jiro. He didn't keep her up the full night, but he worked with her. At first it was all fun and games. Various activities and tricks with snow and ice that seemed like they were just for fun, but really teaching her fine control with her powers and, more importantly, keeping her heart and soul light. Knowing that a kami was actually praising her and saying how wonderful her powers were, along with her sister, kept her insulated from the condemnation and fear of those around her; even her parents. She remained happy as she slowly grew into adulthood, increasing in intelligence, wisdom, and beauty, and peerless among all the women in the country. Always she looked forward to time with Jiro, especially after days that nearly got her down. But thanks to her always being happy and light, her soul remained "clear" and her power remained in her control. As she got old enough for more serious lessons, she took to them well, gaining more of a handle on the scope and ability of her power with a fine degree of control.

Jiro had to admit he enjoyed the time with her. He even enjoyed his time in the region. Until now, he had always just brought cold and frost and played games of mischief. Yet now that he found himself watching Eiko day after day, he needed to do something to pass the time. So, taking advantage of the invisibility that the gods had given him to anyone except who he wished to reveal himself to, he went out and played with other kids like Eiko. It turned out he rather enjoyed it. Giving them unexpected snow to romp in. Snowball fights. Running around on ice in slick getas. Building forts. Or just enjoying watching it fall. He had never thought much of humans until now save as a source of amusement, but now he found himself gravitating to them.

All the while, Eiko continued to grow in knowledge and power, and finally into womanhood. He continued to assist her even then. Yet as he did so…he frequently found himself staring at her. She was so beautiful…her mind and soul matching that beauty perfectly. She was seen by so many as being a woman out of place or too unusual or tomboyish, but to him she was magnificent. He realized she was truly closer to the ideal of a perfect woman: a woman beautiful not only in body but in mind. He found himself getting closer to her with their lessons, being extra tender when she faltered, speaking in softer voices…

Likewise, Eiko, as her own womanhood developed, found that Jiro was a rather attractive man in human form. She frequently blushed around him, or would nervously tuck her hair behind her ear, or would giggle almost like her younger sister on getting a compliment. So often she was far more in control, composed, and mature…but not around Jiro. She couldn't help but feel a different sort around him.

Without saying a word, without ever making it explicit, the two began to hold hands. They started to stare longingly into each other's eyes without saying a word. They started smiling just at the thought of one another. And both of their hearts began to resonate, seeming to surge when the other was near. As Eiko finally learned of her own heritage from Jiro, she realized, in spite of her mortal half, there was no other man alive that she desired more than him. And the frost kami, in spite of the spirit he was only a short decade earlier, realized just how much he loved this half-mortal woman…

The night before it happened, they were back in the garden of her parents. Eiko, a beautiful young woman now in a splendid silk kimono, sat nestled against Jiro who kept his arms around her. Her own head rested against his chest. Snow gently fell around both of them yet the sky remained clear to bathe them both in moonlight. They were so close as they looked to the sky.

"…So…tomorrow it is." Eiko slowly exhaled.

Jiro didn't like interrupting the moment thinking of that, but he stayed calm. He nodded. "Yes."

The woman, now a hime, spoke further. "He'll gain enough power to break free. And this time…he'll be expecting me. Unlike with my last incarnation, won't he?"

"You're stronger and smarter too." Jiro answered confidently. "You have greater grasp of your powers. He won't stand a chance."

Eiko closed her eyes and smiled again.

"Alright…I believe you, Jiro. If it's coming from you."

The frost kami held longer, continuing to look to the moon.

"…Eiko?"

"Yes?"

He paused. "…After this is done…after Shitakarahi is defeated…" He held again. He couldn't believe it. A merry frost spirit like him; terrified of this. In spite of his attempts, he felt himself sweat. But he forced it down. He didn't want to ruin this.

"…I want to be with you."

Eiko's eyes slowly opened. She turned her head to him, looking a bit surprised.

"But Jiro…I'm half mortal…"

"I don't care." He softly cut off. "I've been alive for thousands of years, but I don't think I ever truly felt that way before I met you."

The young woman looked back. She was definitely a bit perturbed. She obviously knew what this meant. And with her looking at him like that, the frost kami grew anxious. Had he overstepped his bounds? Should he have held his tongue? He nearly apologized right then and there…

…When her look turned to a soft smile.

"Jiro…I honestly can't imagine my life without you. The only thing about what's coming that scared me is the thought that after the fire demon is gone...you'll leave me forever. But now that I know you'll still be here, there's nothing more that I want. I don't know how we can work it out…I know I have duties as a queen and that I'm expected to marry for political reasons…but I don't care. Somehow we'll make it work. Even if I have to leave this land and become an outcast, I don't care so long as I'm with you."

The frost kami blinked. Until now, he had some doubt inside that Eiko didn't share his feelings. He feared, somewhere, that she was just putting him on or being frivolous like other humans. But seeing her look at him with her soft blue eyes, and that wonderful smile, he knew he had nothing to fear.

After a moment, the two drew together and kissed; both eagerly awaiting the end of tomorrow.

Right on schedule, it happened.

Though buried beneath the ground, the statue had been gleaming for a while, growing red hot like lava. Jiro had sensed the horrendous sun try to reform multiple times but it failed each time. The fact that Eiko even existed was putting a check on Shitakarahi's power, keeping him from being able to manifest it to strengthen himself. And now that his seal was breaking, the frost kami was confident that it could be ended.

They were in the profane country right now. Jiro was far at a distance. His superiors told him too. After all, even weakened, Shitakarahi was more than a match for him. Eiko, on the other hand, was dressed in her finest kimono and standing her ground at the edge of the blackened, forsaken land; which of late had been smoldering and burning. No one else was present for miles. No one else even knew what was about to happen.

Suddenly, the sky turned red. A small orb of fire began to appear in the sky and bathed the area in heat. As it did, cracks appeared in the ground. Light and fire began to leap forth from it…horrible, twisted, burning fire. It continued to swell and crack, belching far more heat along with bits of magma and lava; all while the demon sun over head drew in more heat and light.

Finally, the ground erupted and he came forth. He was covered with fresh flame, back to his original size, and dripping horrendous heat and power from his profane fire. Eiko was nearly burned in his wake, but Jiro had taught her to wrap herself in cold, and so she was protected.

Shitakarahi himself hissed and snorted for a moment, stretching his limbs and letting fire pour off of them. He seemed to be adjusting after his imprisonment. Soon, he looked down to Eiko standing beneath him and growled.

"You… Even your flesh looks like that of your former life…" He snarled. "You're the one who stole what was rightfully mine by pact 300 years earlier. And now it seems you're here to try and do so again."

Eiko's gaze narrowed. "I am. I may not remember my former life, but all of my feelings are those of hers. So I'll tell you the same thing she did. I'll give you one chance to remove this sun and begone forever bef-"

Abruptly, the woman was cut off, going pale as a spike of red-hot magma erupted out of the ground behind her, smashed through her spine, ripped through her heart, and erupted out of her chest in a mess of blood, burnt flesh, and bone.

Her face was aghast in shock…

…and so was Jiro's. His heart froze. The rest of the world seemed to stop as he looked at the only woman he ever loved…impaled so horrifically. Her very wound began to roast and burn before his eyes as her face remained locked in agony and horror.

The demon's face grinned.

"You didn't really think I was going to be foolish enough to just sit here and let you hit me like last time, did you, woman? I'm afraid the only one who's going away this time is you."

Jiro fell to his knees. His lip quivered. He couldn't move. He couldn't react. He only watched as the fires continued to spread on Eiko, her limbs began to weaken, and her body began to slide down the spike. The life was leaving her quickly. Her soul fading…

When, suddenly, in spite of the pain, in spite of the fact she was dying, the woman used what was left of her strength to make her brow crease. Blood fountaining from her mouth, most of it burned, she slowly began to lift her arms…

Shitakarahi saw this and scowled. "And just what do you think you're doing, little mortal?"

Eiko didn't answer. She merely stopped where she was a moment, let out a ragged gasp…then used her last breath to force her hands up at Shitakarahi and bring all of her life energy into another massive, freezing, icy beam of light.

The demon, seeing this, lost his scowl and turned to aghast shock. "No…NO! Not aga-"

Before he could do any more, the beam struck him and once more threw him into the sky. Screaming in anguish all the way at having been stopped again, he was once more thrown into his still-growing orb and blasted into it. The icy power immediately flowed into it, making it shrink and cool rapidly again. The beam was much, much weaker this time. It didn't break forth a brutal winter with it. However, Shitakarahi was also much weaker too. His cry of anguish was swallowed up as his orb once again turned dark and cold, shrank around him, and sealed him once again in a twisted statue. The beam cut off a moment later and he was again dropped to the ground with a heavy thud, once more over the profane country.

The arms of Eiko went limp, and as the spike in her chest cooled she went totally lifeless while hanging on it.

Dead.

The voices of the gods continued to call out to Jiro but he didn't answer. He was told not to interfere, not even a little…but after an hour of standing apoplectic, looking at the body of the woman he had trained since she was a child, who had given him immeasurable joy with her smiling, laughter, and games, now a corpse suspended on that spike...he finally was able to get enough of his composure to pull her off, set her on the ground, close her eyes, and cover her wound.

But that was all he could do. She was gone.

As the gods demanded a report from him…for, once again, Shitakarahi was sealed but not gone, already rebuilding his power…he didn't answer. He merely dropped to his knees next to the woman and stayed by her side until some of her servants, seeking her out, came and found their beloved queen dead.

Time marched on yet again. The rest of the forests regrew until the land was unmistakable from how it once was. Everything was balanced again. The story gradually faded from human tongues. It remained only among the yokai, and even then it passed into tradition and no longer history. The land that was once profane had any religion that declared it to be so dead and forgotten. The growing kingdom built over it, but eventually the land was taken by an emerging noble with great power. The land that Eiko's sister's family inherited was farther north, closer to the colder regions. And they held it for several generations as various women came and went, various children were born and died…

Until at last, after 300 years, a girl with pale skin and white-blond hair was born, much to the unease of her family, but to the delight of her younger sister; especially when she showed the ability to make snow and frost.

She looked stunningly like her ancestor, even at eight years old. Although a new garden had been made in the land where they had moved, she didn't wander in this one. Her family had a much larger house, and so her parents confined her there instead; not even wanting her to go out. It made her miserable. Much like her ancestor, she hated how only her younger sister seemed to like her power. Everyone else either feared it or forced her to hide it. Once again, she didn't know why. Why it had to be something everyone feared or why she had it to begin with. It was so confusing…

As she sat there thinking, looking out the window at the clear, full moon shining bright, she heard a voice behind her.

"Lady Eiko."

The child was so surprised that someone had spoken out to her from within her own separate bedroom, recently forced to move there and away from her younger sister, that she missed entirely the tone of the voice. How breathless it sounded…like someone who thought they had lost a loved one years ago was seeing them alive and well for the first time.

Instead, she snapped around, and nearly cried out on seeing a young man with frost-lined clothes and a bo over his shoulder looking back at her. For a moment, he looked awestruck to see her but then he quickly calmed before the first sound of a noise could come out of her mouth.

"Wait! Don't yell! I'm not here to hurt you!"

Eiko hesitated. She wasn't sure why but she did as she was told. It wasn't just the calm and innocent demeanor of this man. It also wasn't the fact that, as she looked on at him and his pale features, she began to realize he wasn't a man at all. Something inside her seemed to resonate with him. She swallowed.

"You're not supposed to be in here. Any man who breaks into this wing of the castle at this time of night is doomed to die."

Jiro exhaled. He let out a small chuckle as he eased up a bit.

"Well…like I said before, it's a good thing I'm not a man, but a kami."

Eiko's eyes widened. "You…you're a kami?" She blinked. "Wait…what do you mean you said it before? You didn't say that before…"

Jiro hesitated, but then shook his head. "Um…nevermind that for right now. Anyway…the point is, I'm here to teach you to control your power."

The little girl forgot her question and looked up. "What…really?"

"Your power is very important, Eiko. It's going to make a big difference in the lives of a lot of people. I'm here to make sure you can use it to the best of your ability."

Eiko slumped a bit. "…My parents say I should hide it. That people will just hate me and fear me if I let it out. They don't even like me using it around my little sister…"

"Well, you don't have to show it to everyone…but make no mistake, Eiko." Jiro went on. "Your power is as special as you are. You're going to get older and stronger using it, and it will do things you never dreamed of. But…"

His gaze turned a bit firmer here.

"Before we get too far in all of what you can do, I want to start teaching you how to defend yourself with it…"

The first two months were not nearly as happy as the former ones. Whereas before they had been filled with fun and games, Jiro found himself swiftly turning into a rather harsh instructor. Rather than a few hours a day, he kept Eiko up all night, every night, drilling her on combat. He had never exclusively focused on that before, but now he not only did so but he put her through the wringer. He made her dodge projectiles from him fired in bursts, continuous surprise attacks, force attacks that would have broken a bone normally…and, most of all, making blunted spikes of ice shoot out from behind her and for her backside.

It wasn't long before Eiko was not only sore and tired all the time, but also unhappy. She didn't like how Jiro continuously yelled at her to get up and do better every time she failed, or, when she succeeded, raised the bar sharply. She didn't like how his tone turned progressively more rough when she didn't perform. And she definitely didn't like him continuously trying to hit her from surprise angles, and often succeeding and ending up hurting her. Her father and mother were beginning to ask where she got bruises during the night, and were starting to suspect something was up. She was too tired to play with her little sister too. But worst of all, she was scared of every session she would have with Jiro. They always ended up in pain. They always had him yelling at her. It scared her, as fierce as he got sometimes…as much as his eyes burned at her…

Now was one of those moments.

They were currently facing each other in one of the open rooms of the castle, not being used at this time of night. It was wide and enclosed, providing a good training ground. At the moment, the frost kami was standing to one side, hovering in mid-air, staff out, and eight-year-old Eiko was nervously at the other, expecting more pain.

Abruptly, Jiro formed a rather powerful ice ball and flung it at her head. She quickly dodged to one side to avoid it, barely missing it. However, Jiro's teeth clenched at her doing that, and he immediately made two more; firing them at her much faster. She cried out as one hit her in the stomach and the other the head. They weren't enough to seriously injure, but they knocked her back to the floor.

"No!" Jiro shouted at her, his voice growing angry by now. "I've told you! Don't dodge! Use your shields!"

Eiko slowly began to peel herself up. "I can't! You're going too fast for me! I haven't mastered them yet!"

"Learn to think quicker!" The frost kami shouted as he swung his staff at her while she was still rising, sending a shower of blunted ice shards at her. Eiko, still recovering, gasped at the sight, and quickly spread her hand out. In response, a shield of ice sprung out of the ground in front of her, but Jiro merely flew into the air and sent out another storm after her at a different angle. She nearly cried out as she threw up another shield, but went running back as she did so, nearly stumbling. One of the shards struck her shield off center, making her nearly fall.

Growing angry, Jiro shot after her and kept firing. "Keep your head together! Block me!"

"You're too fast!" Eiko shouted back as she tried to get away, only for Jiro to keep pummeling her with ice balls from overhead. She soon gave up on ice shields and went to try and dodge. "I'm tired! We've been doing this for five hours!"

"Stop whining!" The frost kami yelled as he intensified his attack. "You think your opponent is going to go easy on you? You think he'll hesitate to kill you? He'll attack again and again until you're dead!"

"What opponent?" Eiko whined back as she turned and broke into a run away from him. "Can't we do something else?"

"NO!" Jiro shouted as he made an ice wall pop up in front of Eiko, stopping her in her tracks. A moment later, he struck her with another shower of icicles, making her wince and cry out. "You learn to defend yourself or nothing else matters! Suck it up!"

Eiko, however, after getting this latest pummeling…the shards hitting her enough to scratch and bruise…grit her teeth and looked up defiantly at him.

And as she did, the wind around her picked up and snow began to form.

"I'm tired of this and I'm tired of you! All you do is hit me with ice all night! You said you'd help me control my power! But all you do is yell at me and hurt me! My power is getting more out of control! I'm leaving ice in my room! I'm making my sister cold when I'm around her! I'm freezing my food before I bite into it! I'm getting less control!"

"I don't give a damn!" Jiro shouted as he swung his staff down and began to blast her with even more ice than before, causing her to recoil and wrap her arms around her face and eyes. As his look turned almost wild, the shards grew sharper, enough to hurt her if they poked her in the eye…

"I don't care what you do with your family or how many things you ice over or how much you whine or how much you complain! I am going to drill you as many times as it takes and as long as it takes for you to learn this! I am not going to watch you go out unprepared again! You will learn to defend yourself from anything if it kills me!"

He continued to batter her; the ice getting sharper and deadlier. His own soul was in flux, and it was causing his power to warp. His own body was surrounded by an icy chill that began to spread frost into the room. He didn't know it but if any normal human was in this chamber now, they'd be in danger of freezing to death. Yet he only pushed more, hitting Eiko again and again; seeing that look on her face…seeing that spike in her chest…seeing her breathing her last…and feeling tears in his own eyes come as he did so…

Unfortunately, Eiko finally had enough when one of the shards went by, ripping her kimono, and drawing a few drops of blood underneath.

At that, she suddenly looked up, her face tight with fear and anger, and shouted.

"You're hurting me!"

The voice was so loud and powerful that it resonated through the chamber, and as it did streams of icy blue energy erupted from Eiko's body in all directions, leaving ice everywhere they landed.

One of them struck Jiro in the chest.

The frost kami actually gagged as he felt what seemed like an icy knife stab him in the heart. Instantly, he dropped like a stone to the ground, ending his attack and any cold generation he was doing. He stiffened and writhed; his face clearly in pain.

But Eiko, her own eyes filling with tears now from all the pain and fear, sniffled and wiped for her nose. She saw she had clearly hurt Jiro but she was too upset to focus on that. Sniffling more and starting to cry, she turned and ran for the doors to the room. On reaching them, they rapidly iced over from being close to her, but she pushed on them anyway and broke them open before it got too bad. She vanished into the hall soon afterward.

As for Jiro, he slowly recovered but lay on the floor anyway. His own look of hurt was gone. Instead, what he had just heard rang through his head…what Eiko had screamed at him…

What was he doing? He was making everything worse. Eiko's soul was completely out of flux. At this rate, she'd freeze the whole country and kill everyone in it long before Shitakarahi appeared. And he was the cause. He was pushing her harder and harder because his own soul was in flux…terrified…rippled with fear… He was lucky that she was fighting him just now. If that blast had hit a mortal in the heart…

Yet the worst part was what she said…

The last thing he ever wanted to do was that, and here he was doing it out of fear.

An hour later, and Eiko was still awake. She was in her room, door pulled, and hunched against it crying and sobbing. A small amount of frost and ice surrounded her from cast-off power, but she didn't care. She only continued to cry softly.

After a while she heard a figure approach. It was still late at night. Everyone else was asleep. As the figure came to a stop outside the door, she knew who it had to be.

"Eiko…"

"Leave me alone!" She called back. "Go away before you wake someone up and get me in trouble!"

A pause, but then he spoke again softly. "Eiko, I'm sorry…I'm really sorry. I was scared. I'm so scared of you getting hurt…or dying… And it led me to do things that hurt you too. I'm really sorry for that. You're right, I'm doing this all wrong." A pause. "…Can we try again?"

"No!"

"I promise we'll do fun things now. Come on…please?"

"I don't believe you!"

Eiko kept her head down and sniffled. She didn't say another word, but neither did Jiro. However, he didn't leave either. So she just sat there and waited.

A moment later it began to gently snow around her. She didn't pay it any mind. She didn't even bother looking at the falling flakes.

Soon after, frost began to form on the ground in front of her. She looked up to this, as it became a large white patch. Soon after, it began to etch, as if an invisible finger was writing on it. Slowly, it made a picture of what looked like a little girl princess in a kimono, standing outside on a sunny day. It was made very much in kid style, but the girl was smiling and had her hair. Then, a moment later, to her surprise, the drawing began to move on the ice, walking forward and through a field full of flowers and birds.

In spite of being upset, Eiko felt the corners of her mouth begin to turn a bit at this. However, she forced them down, huffed, and kept holding.

The drawing slowly came to a field that had little rabbits on it, and the girl began to play with them and pet them. She did so for a moment before the rabbits slowly "expanded" out of the drawing. Snow formed in mid-air and gathered around their etchings, building them as they came out, until bunnies made of snow and ice had emerged. They immediately started to sniffle the ground and then hop forward and around Eiko like real rabbits.

Again, the smile began to form. Her eyes brightened a bit. Still, she held on.

"I'm still mad at you…"

The bunnies came in close and began to sniff her. Although they had whiskers of ice, they tickled, and soon she was giggling. Suddenly, one leapt up and into her lap, making her lean back. As she did, the rabbit's ears fell back, it put its paws together, and it made small pleading motions. Its eyes seemed to enlarge as that happened.

Unable to take anymore, Eiko began to giggle audibly. And when that happened, it wasn't long before she burst out into more chuckles and finally laughs. Soon, all of the rabbits began to do the same, and that only made her laugh louder.

Finally she eased up. When she did she was smiling and much calmer. She slowly turned and looked to the door behind her. She could see the shadow of Jiro on the other side. After a moment more she finally got up. As the snow bunnies crumpled into powder and blew away, she reached over, grabbed the handle, and opened it a crack.

Jiro's hopeful face was looking in.

"…One condition. Show me how to do that before anything else."

The next few years were far happier after that. Jiro didn't push her that way again, although he did focus more on combat after taking a year off. He focused on fun and using her power in beautiful and fantastic ways, and managed to still her soul again before long. Her power was once again under her control, and she grew up happier. Soon she started to look at Jiro with the same amount of trust and admiration she had in her past life. He told himself that this was risky; that he had to focus on teaching her more how to defend herself. And as she aged, he did indeed focus more on that. He got rough again at points too. But the bottom line was he wanted to keep her spirit still and serene…and he didn't want her to hate him. He didn't want to risk losing her again like he nearly did.

He also realized he didn't like seeing any children in pain and suffering. And therefore, when he went out these times during breaks, enjoying playing with the kids once more, he made a special target of those with abusive parents, the orphaned, the neglected, and the unhappy. He didn't like seeing them miserable. It reminded him of how miserable Eiko had been… So he not only enjoyed being with them again, but he made it a point of showing them "fun". Making them forget their worries and troubles and enjoying the good parts of life and childhood…

Other than that, history repeated itself all too well.

He knew all along he loved Eiko, and as she grew each day to resemble his old love, he felt his attraction only grow. There were times he would look at her with just a lovestruck smile…and tears in his eyes. Seeing her do things "for the first time" she did in her past life...it made his heart ache a bit. And likewise, it was just the same as it was with her. Eiko, as she came of age, looked to him with blushes, leaned in closer to him, spent more time just staring at him…until, once again, their unspoken love became undeniable.

It was painful to Jiro, even scary, and yet he didn't say no. He didn't push her away. Because as much as it reminded him of pain he wanted this. He wanted to be close to her again.

And at last, after the years had passed, the night before came again.

Jiro tried his best to be calm as he kept his arms around Eiko, almost leaning his head on her shoulder as he looked out the window with her at that moon; big and beautiful again. Yet this wasn't like the other nights where he held her close. She could tell he was scared. Everything about him showed it. He told himself again and again that he had taught her well…that she was stronger and wiser this time… He couldn't catch her off guard anymore with his own power. Neither would Shitakarahi. It would be different…

Wouldn't it?

"Jiro?"

He nearly snapped when she spoke, looking to her. Her eyes were filled with concern.

"What's wrong?"

He stared back silently. He had told her about what she needed to do and why, but he never told her what happened last time. How could he? It would only scare her to know that her ancestor had done this and died in the process…

"I'm…just nervous about tomorrow, I guess."

Eiko looked down as well. "…I am too, to be honest. I know what will happen if I fail. What will become of my people…my kingdom…"

Jiro looked at that, and couldn't help but smile.

"That's all you're scared of? Eiko…you're wonderful. You always only think of others…"

She looked back up and softly smiled. Soon after she leaned forward. In response, he closed his eyes, and soon their lips met. They shared a kiss for a few moments.

"Don't worry." She reassured. "Tomorrow he'll be gone…and we'll have the rest of our lives together free from fear. Think of that."

Jiro stared back silently for a time; struggling to keep his smile so he wouldn't upset her.

"…I'll try."

It was more valiant this time, for certain. Definitely more drawn out. Harder for those in the surrounding lands not to see the sparks of fire and ice going up into the air and the clouds of steam that resulted. Harder to miss the red sky and sun and the demonic bellows.

Yet after a pitched fifteen minute battle…a statue of Shitakarahi, frozen in his latest moment of rage and anguish, his lips still bellowing how he could have been beaten by this half-mortal yet again, fell to the ground.

Joined moments later by a woman covered with third degree burns and still smoldering.

Dead.

And less than a minute after that, a frost kami clutched the burned body to his chest and cried loud and long into the night.

And so it went again and again for the next few thousand years.

It was odd how history repeated itself so well. Always they would find her dead body. Always she would have a younger sister who would take the throne and continue the dynasty. Always time would pass and Shitakarahi would revive but not before Eiko was reborn. Always she would be the outcast, shunned by all, including her parents, save for her sister. Always Jiro would be sent by the gods to her while she was young, to prepare her for what was coming. He would always befriend her, becoming her favorite teacher and playmate (outside of her younger sister). She would always grow up full of beauty, knowledge, and power. The admiration and respect she had when she was younger for Jiro would always blossom into love. Always they would share a few months together toward the end when their feelings became known to one another, always they would pledge themselves to each other the night before…

And, always, she would die sealing the demon.

Jiro tried everything over time. He tried focusing on combat, teaching her to avoid the mistakes she made last time. But Shitakarahi learned and remembered too. After all, he had hundreds of years to think of what to do next time too. He tried distancing himself from her, not getting attached, but it was hopeless. Trying to be away from her was even more painful than each 300 year wait. Besides…it hurt her too. She didn't have the memory of her past lives, but all of the feelings were in her soul. Rejecting her only caused the woman pain. And even if such wasn't disastrous to her power, he couldn't bear to cause her pain or grief. Each life only increased his love for her.

And made it all the more painful to watch her die again…and again…and again…

The last time had been the most painful. She had won…had gotten off the final attack before Shitakarahi could respond. She was freezing him…sealing him away… Jiro felt his heart surge. This was it. This was the chance to be rid of him forever and he and Eiko could be together afterward...

And then the demon fired off one last beam of heat at her body before turning rigid.

It didn't even hit a vital right away. But it was so hot it had to have cooked her insides…

He hunched over her body, using that technique he learned over the years from the human apothecaries to try and pump her heart, trying to get her to recover, trying to get her to rise… It was raining this time. It poured down and soaked both of them…his tear-streaked face…her broken, smoldering body…

He continued to pound on her chest almost frantically.

"No, not this time…not this time! Just this once! Please, just this once! LIVE!"

His echoes fell on deaf ears, sinking into the rain, and still Eiko's body lay there lifeless.

This was far from Arender-ken. More in his "element". On top of Mt. Fuji, covered with snow and ice. The sky was still storming from the rain…at least, below him it was. The sky where he stood was empty and clear; a brilliant, starry sky with the moon beaming overhead. It was isolated up here. No one was around for miles and miles save for the frost kami, perched on a loose boulder that had once been a lava bomb and was now covered with snow. He looked up into the sky, knowing voices heard him and hearing them in turn. Nothing that any mortal could see or hear, but he did clearly.

His normally happy face was gone. His body was slumped. His look dour. His eyes void of warmth and life.

"…I'm not doing this anymore."

He heard more than one voice not accepting that.

"No. I can't do this anymore. I can't take it." He paused, but then his face tightened. "It's not fair! She's suffered for all of those worthless men and women who made that pact! Hasn't she done enough?! Intervene! One of you! Let her win! Let this suffering stop and put that monster away forever!"

Calm voices answered him…void of emotion…void of pity…simply stating things as they were. However, they spoke for a long time. And as Jiro listened to them his anger was replaced by shock.

"What…are you saying?"

More voices came to him. His face turned to fury again at what he heard.

"So that's what this is all about?! You're stopping that demon and sentencing her to this hell?! You mean for this to keep happening?! For your answer to her 'prayer' to be the same thing condemning her for eternity?! What kind of twisted 'balance' is this?!"

The voices remained calm and slowly answered. However, they only infuriated Jiro more. His yells echoed all over the mountaintop.

"No! No more riddles! No more waiting! No more of this 'humanity must break the pact' crap! If you don't even know what's going on here, I'm not going to let this happen anymore! She's an innocent woman! She doesn't deserve this! She doesn't deserve to die again and again! I don't care if 'she took it'! I don't even care that I helped her choose it! It has to end! It has to stop!"

Again, the voices were calm. Jiro's anger slowly abated but he continued to clench his hands into fists. He could hear the wood of his staff groaning. He glared hard at the sky.

"…Fine. If none of you will help, I'll do it myself."

He turned to fly off only to hear the voices again. This time they were emotional. Strong…fierce…even a bit angry. However, Jiro merely snapped his head back to the heavens.

"To hell with that and to hell with you! This is why they rejected you all in the first place! You see the innocent suffer and the guilty prosper and then you just nod like a bunch of doddering old judges! You all make me sick! I'm stopping this!"

The voices blasted louder than before. This time, they were accusing. Biting. Telling him what this was really about…about his love for a half-mortal. And hearing that cut Jiro to the quick. It made him pause. It made his head bow as they related all that they had seen him do. All of the incarnations of Eiko he had romanced and loved. Yet in the end, he grit his teeth and spat back.

"So what? So I learned to love someone! That's more than I can say for any of you!"

One voice answered…and it said something that, in spite of his anger, made Jiro fearful.

You'll ruin her, her people, this world…and yourself.

It made him hesitate. He stood there, and for a moment nearly reconsidered. Yet in the end, he refused. He couldn't live any longer like this. He couldn't sit here waiting for another 300 years to see her, to be so close to her, and then watch her die painfully and miserably again.

Without a word, he went down the mountain.

In three hundred years, it seemed as if Jiro had forgotten about that night. He went back to being his jovial, merry self. He went back to playing pranks and entertaining children in despair. He smiled, flew about, reveled in his power, made winter fun…everything that one expected of him normally. The death seemed to fade from his mind. His care about what had happened appeared to fade. He didn't give the slightest indication he thought of Eiko as the next three hundred years passed.

When they came around again, the land was now under the shoguns. The land was called Arender-ken, and the current castle was under construction. Eiko was born in a smaller palace that was overseeing the massive pagoda being built out on the coast, with stone bridges spanning to lead in and out of it, making it unassailable under normal conditions. It only had one floor for now, but it would be spectacular one day.

Just as before, they met, they laughed, they played, and the years passed with them at each other's side. As always, Jiro taught Eiko to embrace her power and keep her soul calm in spite of the fear and anxiety of those around her. As always, she grew up beautiful, wise, and intelligent. And again their love for each other grew…always more beautiful the next time than the one before.

Again, Eiko knew of her responsibility, the reason for her power, but nothing of her past identities. Only that she needed to stop Shitakarahi. And so, right down to the day before, she suppressed her fear and readied herself, confident she would win…confident she could save her people…confident that a life with Jiro awaited after tomorrow…never expecting the inevitable would happen again.

The only thing that was different was that night.

"What…what are you saying…?"

Jiro only held Eiko's hands more fiercely, looking into her eyes more desperately.

"Right now, Eiko. Let's leave. This world is huge. There's plenty of places we could go. With your power, you could make any place cool or cold. We could make a paradise just for the two of us…"

Eiko, however, only looked uneasy as she tried to pull her hands away. "Jiro…this…this is odd… I've never seen you like this before…"

"Eiko, please. Let's just do it." He offered a weak smile. "Come on! It would be spontaneous! Crazy! Fun!"

The desperation in his voice belayed his true feelings, and made Eiko more uncomfortable as she removed her hands from him. "…I'll be happy to do something like that after tomorrow, Jiro…"

"No! Not tomorrow! Now!" He shouted, his face going desperate. "Don't wait for tomorrow! Tomorrow may never get here! We have to go right now!"

Eiko looked uneasy, definitely not liking this outburst, but turned firm a moment later. "Jiro…no. I have a responsibility here. The people of Arender-ken…of Japan…they need me to defeat Shitakarahi. If I don't this place will turn into a living hell. Once I've stopped him tomorrow we can do whatever-"

"NO!" Jiro cut off; finally losing himself. "Don't say that! You say that every time! And you always…always…"

He trailed off…but it was too late. Eiko heard this and her own stern look vanished. Her eyes widened at what he just said. The frost kami continued to pant and seethe for a moment before he swallowed and eased.

"…Always what, Jiro?" She asked after a time.

The young man didn't answer. He bowed his head and looked away. His hands uncomfortably grasped his staff.

Eiko blinked once before her own arms fell.

"…Always die." She quietly finished. "It makes sense, now that I think of it. Why else does Shitakarahi always come back… Why else have so many of my ancestors had to do this…"

Jiro's look turned somber. His eyes filled with sadness as he looked to the ground.

Eiko held a bit longer, and then looked up. "Maybe this time will be different. No…this time will be different. You've taught me well. You-"

A sigh from Jiro cut her off. "It won't, Eiko. I've told myself that again and again…and it's always exactly the same. That's what the gods want. That's what they insist repeat itself until the 'pact is broken'…whatever that means. It's going to happen the same way it always happens… You always die…and you always use the last of your strength to seal him away first…and I always get left crying over your body." He exhaled, and shook his head. "I…I really can't take it anymore, Eiko… I can't stand it. I can't have my heart ripped out once every three hundred years and then wait nearly three centuries for it to come back only to get ripped out again thirteen years later…"

He looked up to her, his eyes forming tears.

"Please…please…just leave with me. If you don't fight him it won't happen…"

Eiko looked back at him. Her own stare was fearful and anxious. And somewhere in there, a part of her wanted to take him up on that. Wanted to leave with him. He could tell.

Yet in the end, she swallowed and shook her head.

"I can't, Jiro. I just can't…"

His face began to tense. "Eiko…"

"Jiro." She cut off, putting her hands up. It caused him to pause, although he looked to her longingly. She slowly exhaled and inhaled.

Then she took a step backward…away from him.

Shock began to fill Jiro's eyes. "No…no, Eiko…"

"My people will die, Jiro. This land will die. Everything will die. I have to go. But…"

Tears began to fill her own eyes.

"…I can't stand to see you get hurt anymore. If it's true…if it's what's been going on for so long…" She swallowed. "…Then leave me. Leave me now. Go away from here."

Jiro began to shake all over.

"No…no, you can't…"

"I've made up my mind, Jiro…but if I'm doomed to die I don't want to know you're in pain. Go. Get away from me."

This only made him more incensed. "Don't say that! Just stop this, Eiko! Just leave it be! Don't perform this stupid play any longer! Leaving you isn't going to help anything! I'll know what happened! And I can't let you anymore! You can't expect me to sit here and watch you die forever!"

"You have to!" Eiko shot back. "It's never going to change! My ancestor brought this on me! I can feel it in my soul! But if I can help my people…if I can keep this demon from having his way…I'm going to! Forever, if I have to! So you have to leave, Jiro! Don't let this hurt you anymore! I don't remember our past lives, but I know you do! And I won't make it worse! Leave me!"

"No, Eiko!" The frost kami shouted, moving in on her. "Don't do this to me! I love-"

He froze.

Eiko waved her hand and a wall of ice spikes blossomed around her…blocking Jiro from coming any closer.

The woman's eyes were filled with tears but her hand was aimed at him.

"Just…just walk away, Jiro… Please, I beg you… You have so many of my deaths on you already…don't see any more… Please…"

The frost kami didn't move. He stared at Eiko; his own cheeks stained with tears. The two realized the full truth. Their timeless love that had lasted thousands of years could never be. They were sentenced to this grim fate forever. To go through this 'play' again for the rest of time…to never be together…to always feel even more and more pain for their love for each other…unable to take it anymore…

Finally, Jiro, closing his own eyes, clenched his staff, turned away, and took off into the sky. In spite of her own tears, Eiko couldn't stop watching him as he flew up and off into the night.

Eiko was already burned in four places. Her strength was fading. Her hands were quivering. Yet her face had lost none of its determination. She knew, unlike her ancestors, that the fate of this battle had been predetermined. She knew she was doomed to die. But she refused to spend her last breath until she sealed Shitakarahi away yet again. She struggled to focus on that now…to not think of Jiro, to not think of pain,to not think of anything but the future she had to secure for everyone…for her people…for her sister…

The hideous flaming monstrosity reveled in front of her, melting the ground around him, belching ash and smoke into the air, rippling with horrible heat. Parts of his body were dimmer than others: the only indication that he had taken any damage at all. But his burning eyes continued to glare ravenously at Eiko as the horrible sun overhead continued to blaze and grow larger. He snarled as he started to step forward. His terrible rat claws flashed as he grit his horrendous teeth.

"You don't even have anything new this time, woman… I already know exactly how this is going to end…and you, poor fool, know nothing. You know nothing of how many times I have gone through this. No matter how much you struggle…no matter how much you rage…you will always be weaker. That's your fate just as it's my fate to kill you. And eventually you'll fail for good…and I'll triumph. And then my will shall be done."

A rumble went at Eiko's feet. She knew what that meant: lava spikes from the ground. Quickly, she snapped her hand down and spread out ice over them, freezing the spikes as they erupted, turning them into nubs of rock moments before they could come out at her. However, she heard a sound over that of the crinkling of ice stopping them. Another rumble behind her. Quickly, she spun to one way, and screamed in pain as a lava spike came out and ripped through the flesh of one of her arms, burning and injuring her. Still, it was better than what nearly happened…her getting impaled through the back by it.

However, the demon grinned at this and opened its mouth; sending out what seemed almost like a ray of fire at her. Many years in the future, scientists would recognize it as plasma but to her it was merely heat energy, pure and simple, burning and bright. She reacted in shock, seeing it was meant to catch her off guard. Quickly, she brought up her good arm and generated a wave of cold to protect her…and was immediately ripped off of her feet, launched backward, and slammed into a boulder so hard that she felt her lower ribs break. She cried out in agony but kept her arm aimed in front of her. She grit her teeth, bit through the pain, and generated just enough cold to protect her.

Shitakarahi continued to pour out more energy, washing her entire body in intense heat and flame. The rest of the world around her melted, the air began to ionize, and aside from where she lay the rest of the boulder behind her disintegrated. She held on none the less but slowly the heat crept in around her. For all of her pushing and strength, it grew warmer. Soon it gave way to heat as she started to sweat. Her clothing began to smolder. Her old burns started to agitate. Her hair began to twist…

The demon grinned maliciously, thinking perhaps now would finally be the time…

"Let her go!"

Then he snapped his head to the side…and saw something new, to his surprise. A frost kami diving at him from out of the sky, aiming his staff at him, and firing off a beam of icy blue energy right at his face.

The beam impacted a moment later and caused the demon to hiss in anger, but more irritation than pain. He cut off his own beam, letting Eiko, half burned again, fall to the ground. She panted hard, weak and drained, but somehow used her one good limb to push herself up to look at the source. To her shock, Jiro was flying straight at Shitakarahi, face tight with anger, blasting him for all he was worth with his staff. Yet for all of his power the monster was only annoyed. He winced under the beam as he flew at him but nothing else. He merely snarled. Eiko knew why. She experienced it firsthand. His power, even weakened as he was, was so strong compared to the young man...

Face tightening with fear, she forced her weak and wobbly legs underneath her and started to push up. "No…Jiro…run away…!"

The frost kami didn't listen. He only prayed that he was making a difference, that maybe his little bit of power might actually tip the scales…let her win for once…end this nightmare…

Then, to his own horror, as he was still diving down, Shitakarahi was suddenly outside of the path of his beam and right at his side, grinning at him evilly. The frost kami was stunned, not able to believe he had moved so fast…

Then…he felt pain radiate through him as a clawed fist swung around and smashed into the small of his back. He felt his own spine crack from the blow, setting his clothes on fire and immediately putting a huge fist-shaped third degree burn along his backside. His power was knocked out of him in an instant. His body went limp, twisting into a broken, lifeless doll around the blow. His hands opened, letting his staff fall out and to the ground. And once away from his coldness it instantly burst into flame and burned away.

He began to fall…but he didn't have the chance to far. Immediately, the massive fist wrapped around his body and began to pump heat into him. He writhed and cried out as he felt his own flesh burning. Not only his skin, but the heat going inside him… A non-kami would have been dead by now as the heat threatened to melt him away.

Eiko, by now, was on her feet again, and aiming her hand upward…only to freeze in terror. Shitakarahi had Jiro in his massive flaming hand. He was glaring at him in rage, lava dripping from his teeth.

"What have we here? A weak little boy who got lost? Trying to protect your 'mommy', tiny snowflake?"

The queen realized something terrible. She had been ready to blast Shitakarahi while he was exposed and off guard…seal him away with her blast of ice energy. But this attack was so potent that it could kill even those who were immune to cold. It had force on it and not just temperature, after all. And now she realized that Shitakarahi had Jiro. There was no way she could hit him with everything and not hit the frost kami as well. Her heart began to pound. She cried out instead of shooting.

"Let him go!"

The demon actually reacted, looking surprised. He turned his head down and saw Eiko with her hand aimed at him. Immediately, he scowled.

"You're the most foolish one yet, stupid woman! Look at you standing there stupidly shouting at me! You had your first chance in all of your miserable lives to strike me when I was off guard, and what do you do? You shout out your position! How foolish can you be? Why in the world would you-"

He cut himself off and paused. He looked to Jiro, then back to her, then to him again.

Slowly a smile appeared across his face…evil and wicked as Eiko began to tremble.

"…I'm such a fool. I understand now. Why, in spite of me killing you again and again, you always know what my last moves were… Why this little snowflake is always watching from the side… It's all so clear now…"

He grinned from ear to ear.

"You love this weakling, don't you? You care for him deeply…and he obviously cares for you too… That love you have for each other…so pure…so full of darkness and misery when broken…when torn…"

Eiko was shaking all over now. It was pointless to deny it. To even lower her hand. She couldn't. It would make things even more obvious. As for Jiro, he weakly cracked his eyes open as his body continued to burn. Finally, Shitakarahi swung his fist forward and held Jiro's limp body in front of him like a shield.

"Lower your hand now, woman…or I'll burn him into nothingness."

Eiko's face paled as she gasped.

"He's not like you, woman. His soul isn't immortal." The demon went on. "He dies…it's for good. And you'll never see him again. After all…you can't die. You'll be separated for all time…"

"Shoot…him…" Jiro croaked. "Eiko…kill him now…finish him…"

Eiko's eyes shimmered as she looked back. "I…I can't… I'll kill you…"

"He'll kill me…and you anyway… Please…"

"I'm not going to wait but a moment longer…" The demon hissed.

The queen hesitated. She looked to Jiro. His eyes pled with her, but she couldn't stand it. The reason she sent him away was to help him…to spare him pain. But to ask her to move now, to be the source not only of his pain but his death… She couldn't possibly do that. She didn't want him to die but she couldn't stand to be the one who caused it either. She bit down and held, her hand shaking…her body quivering…

And finally, to the tune of tears rolling out of her eyes, lowered her hand.

Shitakarahi laughed so resounding that his voice carried for the entire country. "I can't believe it was so easy! After all these years, I've wasted my time trying to deal with you! All I needed to do was cause your worthless weak heart to pine for something else and threaten that! That's what makes all of you creatures so sickeningly weak…your foolish, pathetic hearts… Anyway, I suppose this is your end, woman…and my ascension."

He raised his own claw, the tip of one of the talons beginning to glow. Eiko could only stay there trembling, face filled with sadness and anxiety. Jiro, seeing what was about to happen, weakly looked up.

"Eiko…shoot…"

The woman wouldn't move. She continued to tremble and cry. "I can't…I can't kill you…"

"You have to…"

"To think this is how our struggle would end…almost pathetic." The demon sneered as the beam glowed brighter.

Desperate, Jiro did the only thing he could. With all of his remaining strength and air, he shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Think of your people! Your sister!"

Eiko's eyes widened…just as Shitakarahi let the ribbon of fire fly. It moved like a bolt of lightning and soon pierced her right through the heart. But it was so intense, it quickly expanded in heat, rippling through her, melting her flesh, burning her bones, and quickly turning her and her entire body into ash…

…but not before she managed to snap her arm up and fire off the fully-powered beam of cold once again.

In spite of seeing her burn away before him, seeing her face tight with agony as she was consumed by fire once more, Jiro managed a weak smile as the huge beam of cold slammed into him and Shitakarahi. The force ravaged his body, breaking more of his bones, rending his flesh, and wrapping him in cold and ice so painful and bitter even he felt it. Both he and the demon were thrown back again, slammed one more upward and into the molten sun. Yet even as Jiro plunged into the dark flame, all he could feel was coldness and ice as it wrapped around him, beginning to freeze him inside and out, chilling his very spirit as well as his body…

However, before he froze he thought he would receive some joy, hearing the misery of the demon with him…realizing in spite of his best efforts, he still failed…

Unfortunately he heard none of that.

Before the cold claimed him, he heard only a dark chuckle.

"Next time, little woman…I…and the snowflake…will be ready for you…"

At that, Jiro's eyes flew open fully as he came to full consciousness.

Now he understood.

He had been imprisoned along with Shitakarahi the last time. He had been sealed in that molten prison along with him, his soul trapped with his. Yet while he remained weakened, his power fully suppressed by the infernal fire coming from the demon's spirit, Shitakarahi once again regained his own strength, getting more and more powerful as the years went on.

He remembered what it was like in there now: chained inside a volcanic hell…tormented every minute of every day of that hellish time by the demon…pained and tortured again and again…until his mind began to fracture. Until his memories began to fade. Until he succumbed fully to amnesia just to preserve his sanity. But now, thinking back, he knew why. The demon did that on purpose. He made him forget everything rather than restrain him; rather than destroy him or keep him locked away. And then he released him in advance three years ago.

He didn't want Jiro to train Eiko this time because Jiro's training of Eiko kept her soul clear and calm. It enabled her to use her power. It enabled her to control it around others. Without Jiro there to help her as she grew up, she lived a life of fear. Her power spiked out of control, caused trouble, and led her to be shunned and afraid. Her soul grew more and more turbulent, and she never learned control at all. All so that the events of a few weeks ago could happen…she'd lose the ability to restrain it and then cause chaos. To rally everyone against her…to make them all hate her and hunt her…

Even he, he realized grimly, was released early so that he could be a source of torment for her. With his memory gone, he couldn't make the conscious connection with her. Certainly not within a few days. Yet it was there regardless. They both felt it even if they couldn't remember it. And as a result, when he did something to "break" it, it caused Eiko more agony and despair than ever. Enough to make her give up…to fully surrender her power…to enable Shitakarahi to revive.

He had planned this all out perfectly. He used both his sworn enemy and Jiro as a pawn. And Jiro couldn't remember it, couldn't realize what was going on, because doing so meant remembering his true agony. The agony he had felt of seeing his one true love die repeatedly. The fact that something had made him forget it, even for a terrible reason, even to just use him…it was something he couldn't go back on. He couldn't stand to think of Eiko dying anymore. Nothing else had brought him more pain. Even the torture of Shitakarahi was nothing compared to it.

Yet now, as all of this finally came back, he took in a deep breath.

Eiko…

She's in trouble!

In spite of the agony his body was in, to say nothing of the burns which, fortunately, were healing due to the cold and his kami nature…

That's right. I'm a kami…not a yokai at all. I guess I should have known… I'm not much of an 'animal' like the others…

…he forced himself up and to his feet. He was wobbling and weak, but he couldn't afford to sit around. He had to get moving. And fast. With his past now confirmed he realized where he was. He didn't know how it had happened. He wasn't conscious when Hachiro struck. But he knew, somehow, the power that was sealed in the Frozen Heart had to have been used to freeze the remains of this place and seal him inside. Even now, it was nearly pitch black and freezing cold. It was a relief to him…

But not to whoever was left.

And definitely not to Eiko.

"Eiko!" He started to shout. He couldn't see overhead, and walls of ice in a narrow path seemed twisted all around him. Nevertheless, he began to move through it. He didn't know where, but he had to go. He kept his hands in front of him, feeling for turns and breaks. "Eiko!" He shouted again. "Takara! Takeshi! Sat…" He trailed off. Would it really matter if Satoru heard him? He shook his head at the thought. "Satoru! Eiko! Where are you?"

He soon was winding his way through the icy path. There was no sign of lava or heat of any kind anymore. It had frozen and fractured due to thermal shock. The path began to dip down as well as weave between the ice pillars, or, at least, rock pillars that had been frozen into ice. This place had become another maze in the wake of all of the coldness and stress. And far overhead, outside, he heard the window howling as the snow battered down against the ceiling. It wasn't just the storm. It was getting late. It had to be desperately cold in here now. And Eiko, in a human form, only having Jiro's outer robe for any protection…

"Eiko! Eiko, where are you?!" He shouted more desperately. He feared the worst. How long had he been out? How long had it taken him to remember? What if she was already dead? What if…?

Suddenly, very weakly, almost lost on the sound of the icy wind, he heard a voice call back.

"J-J-Jiro…?"

The young man immediately snapped his head. "Eiko! Shout out again!

"I'm…I'm here…"

Quickly, the frost kami moved through the cracked, misshapen landscape. He didn't like the fact that there didn't seem to be an clear way out of this. Especially since he didn't have his staff. He lost his ability to fly along with it… Yet he didn't care about that so much for right now as finding Eiko. He wound around the icy chasms, calling out again and again, having a hard time finding her echoes, and finally going into a path that led further downward. Finally, emerging into a small enclave that looked almost like an icy cave or chamber, he saw her.

She had spread as much of Jiro's haori around her as she could, tucking her arms in and wrapping them around herself, and trying to pull her feet off of the ice and into the robe as well. Even so she was shivering all over, clearly freezing. One could barely make out any fine detail in this dark place, but he managed to see Eiko lift his head to him. He could almost hear her teeth chattering.

"Eiko!" In spite of the situation, in spite of how desperate everything seemed right now, he felt a bit of joy in his heart just seeing her alive, having not been slain by Shitakarahi for once… On reaching her, he immediately bent down and nearly extended his body around hers…

And stopped. Already, a bit of dread sank into him. Never before had he ever had the problem of needing to keep someone warm by himself. Especially never Eiko. The girl couldn't get cold in all of her past lives. But now, to his dread he realized if he tried to put his arms around her and hold her close, it would only make her colder.

And already, she looked terribly cold. She was shivering uncontrollably, huddled as best as she could be and yet not getting nearly enough protection from the haori. It already looked as if her consciousness was slipping.

At any rate, her eyes managed to open enough to see him.

"I'm…s-s-such a f-f-fool… All I d-d-do is mess things up…"

"Don't say that." Jiro immediately answered. He started to look her over. She had that nasty wound on the side of her head, but he thought the dried blood he saw was simply due to being a head wound rather than serious, considering how much they bled. "Are you hurt bad?"

Eiko exhaled, and then bowed her head in response.

"What d-d-does it matter?" She slowly answered. "I've ruined everything… I've k-k-killed Arender-k-k-ken… I've s-s-sentenced my p-p-people to d-d-death…" She swallowed, and tightened up. "I've k-k-killed my own s-s-sister… I k-k-keep my p-p-power…and I hurt p-p-people. I give it up…and I hurt p-p-people… I'm j-j-just a c-c-curse on this world…"

"No, you're not!" In spite of himself, he reached out and grabbed her shoulders where the robe was. "Stop talking like that! I know things are bad and this is horrible but it's still a mistake! It's not your fault!"

Eiko's only answer was to close her eyes. To Jiro's fear, she began to slip, slumping down.

"I'm…s-s-sleepy…" She slowly murmured. "I…d-d-didn't know I c-c-could b-b-be…s-s-so s-s-sleepy… I…need to s-s-sleep…j-j-just a little…"

This caused Jiro to tense up. Immediately, he got his arms underneath her and, against her will, started to get her up. "No, Eiko. You can't sleep." He told her firmly. "You've got to get up. You've got to get moving around. Come on. Stay awake."

Eiko fought him only a little, but her will was shattered. He began to force her up to her feet. He still had more than enough strength for that. He wished desperately he had footwear to give her, but it couldn't be helped. Once she was up, he helped pull the haori around her as tight as possible, and then put his arm around her side. He forced her to start walking around. Eiko kept her head bowed and continued to shiver, but she did as he made her do and started to walk around the chamber. She had been smart getting in here, which protected her from most of the wind, but Jiro realized it was far too cold for her. She had to get out of here and warmed up somehow. Yet he could do nothing to help her. Even if he had full control of his powers, they were only good for making things cold…

After a time, Eiko sighed. "J-J-Just…leave me, J-J-Jiro… I nearly k-k-killed you… My s-s-sister's g-g-going to d-d-die b-b-because of me… If…if the others d-d-die…it'll b-b-be b-b-because of me… I…I j-j-just want t-t-to lie here and f-f-freeze t-t-to d-d-death…"

"No! Eiko, stop talking like that!" Jiro shouted back. Nearly insisting. "You aren't to blame for this! None of it!" He held a moment, and then turned his own head away. "…You're always like this. No matter how many times I run into you, you always think you have to take everyone's blame on yourself. You always have to be the sacrifice for everyone. But it's not your fault this time; it's mine. This is what happened because I was just so desperate to change your fate…and mine."

In spite of her listless state, Eiko looked up at that.

He exhaled. "I finally remembered… I'll tell you everything. Maybe it'll help keep you awake…"

Satoru's kusarigamas flashed out again, striking against the dome of ice surrounding the place. Once more, gleaming slashes were cut into the thick icy shell only to close up again as soon as he pulled them back. Flipping around and switching to the hammers, he sent them flying out. They knocked cracks into the shell, sending out fragments of ice. And yet the cracks repaired themselves and the pieces regrew just as quickly. Tightening his face, he slashed and smashed more rapidly, and, for a brief moment, as he assaulted it furiously, he seemed to be "gaining ground" in spite of the regeneration.

But then, he suddenly made a face showing pain and faltered down to all fours. The break allowed the damage to repair in moments.

Takara, who, along with Takeshi, was taking refuge in an icy embankment nearby, curved over like a sort of cave and providing a wind-break against the storm, let out a gasp. Takeshi himself was alert again, but was leaned up against the wall, arms around his middle, shivering a bit but holding out for now. Takara was far colder, her arms wrapped around herself and rubbing vigorously. She was not in the least bit happy that she was grounded again but that was the least of her worries now.

"Don't hurt yourself even more, Satoru!"

She groaned and looked to Takeshi.

"I don't get it… He could shatter ice so easy before… Is he that weakened?"

"The damn prison is 'alive', like those ice samurai…" The Ghost Hare hissed. "At least that's what I figure… It'll regenerate everything we do to it, and none of us are strong enough to bust through in one shot…" He turned his head down and snorted. "Hardly matters. We're all going to freeze to death soon anyway…"

Satoru slowly got up, making his kusarigamas vanish as he did. Gritting his teeth, and limping a bit from his pain, he put his arms around himself and began to head back toward the other two. As for Takara, she bowed her own head and sighed.

"I don't usually like looking on the bad side of things…but I have to admit we're not doing so good right now. Even if we could break out, the whole place is buried in a blizzard. We'd freeze to death before getting off the mountain. And even if we did that, we'd still have to deal with that flaming demon and Itachitoko. And even if we did that, it doesn't change the fact Akiko's going to die…and Nobuyuki's…"

She couldn't finish. She only began to sniffle.

Takeshi sighed. "The big guy was right." He quietly stated after a moment. "I kept giving that kid a hard time. And, truth be told, he did deserve some of it…but…we should have listened to him. Hell, we should have even listened to Akiko. I fault humans for always thinking the same way when…when the fact of the matter is if I had a bit more hope that I say I'm always doling out, none of this would have happened."

The Tooth Dragon looked to him. "You can't just blame yourself. We all could have had a bit more faith. I don't think any of us, deep down in our heart of hearts, really believed things could go as well as Akiko said. We all thought that this would come to a fight…that she was doing this on purpose…"

Satoru, entering the cave and beginning to move close to them, let out a jingling.

Takeshi frowned. "Well we should have been smart enough not to get suckered in by that weasel man… Now everyone's going to pay for it…" He sighed. "…and two of us have already paid for it…"

The other two said nothing. They slumped as well and looked around at the blowing wind and watched the falling snow on the other side of the dark shell. They didn't like to think that this was it. That everything was over. Yet the truth was staring them in the face. After having been five strong a few days ago they were now down to just the three of them. And it was only a matter of time before they froze to death, which might preferable to what was happening. They thought they could at least defend Akiko but now both she was gone as well as Eiko. And they had lost Jiro and Nobuyuki as well. There was as chance the first might still be alive in here somewhere, but none of them could go out and look. They didn't even have their capes and cloaks anymore. They'd freeze in no time in their weakened condition. Besides, if they couldn't break out of here, if they couldn't find a way to keep warm, then it didn't matter…

Yet as despair began to settle on them, Satoru let out a small jingle.

Takeshi raised his head. "First time I ever heard you make a jingle without saying anything…"

The Sand Moth looked up and blinked and soon jingled again, a bit stronger.

Takara raised her head. "Yeah…me too…"

Another jingle, even louder. Another jingle, more conversational, soon followed.

"What do you mean you're not doing it?" The Ghost Hare answered, before he suddenly paused. "Wait…I felt that…"

"What are you…" Takara began to say before she stopped too. "The ground…it's shaking…"

Sure enough, there was a light tremor. But it wasn't continuous. Instead, it was more periodic…rhythmic. It was getting stronger too. Periodically shaking the ground again and again, growing in intensity each time. Soon, bits of snow and ice on pillars began to break off and crumble. The three continued to look around, before they realized it was coming from outside, and around the corner. In spite of the cold, they all got up and looked out.

By this point, the shaking was so fierce it disturbed all of their footing. But that wasn't all they heard. Cracking was starting to ring out. The sound of ice and rock alike smashing. The three searched for the source before they saw some of the ice beginning to fracture and buckle. They focused on that as it kept getting higher, continuing to break and grow larger, before, at last, it split.

With a tremendous gesture of force, the icy shell over the floor of the area erupted, and a massive, monstrous fist from what looked like a bear claw broke through.

To be continued...