(Countdown: 2 more chapters!) And for all those who are guessing the location of the fight, I'm not telling! Read on to find out! Haha.

Chapter 18- Storm Clouds

"My father is ill…very ill…I'm leaving for Kyoto tomorrow."

Hao stared at Kaede in concern, then nodded quickly. "I'll go with you…" He told her. She nodded and flashed him a weak smile. "Thank you…"

"I can send you over in my private jet…" Hao and Kaede turned around and saw Ren standing in front of them calmly. Kaede nodded and walked up to her room to pack her belongings, but Hao remained there, staring at Ren.

"What the heck did you do to Lyn?!" Hao shouted, grabbing Ren by the collar and slamming him back into the wall. Ren calmly removed Hao's hand from his collar and walked away in silence.

Hao stared at Ren's disappearing figure in confusion. How could he have been so calm? What had happened between Ren and Lyn?

Hao shook himself out of his thoughts and ran up the stairs to his room. The sooner he and Kaede could leave, the better. She would be very worried about Daisuke, more than she let out, and it would be better for her to set some of her worries to rest.

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Lyn sat at her study table, staring out the window at the gently falling snow. Breaking up with Ren had hurt her more than she had expected.

From the start, when she had decided to initiate the breakup, she had known that it would be hard. But it had been ten times worse to have actually done it.

It had hurt her. But she did not regret her decision. It was better this way, and if she was given a second chance, she would not have done anything differently. The next confrontation with Shinn would be the last. She would make sure of that. And she would be there, at the location he had stated, alone. She would not put any of her friends at risk. This was her fight, and hers alone.

Lyn stared at the piece of paper in front of her. When was the appointed time and where was the appointed place? Then, a line of the poem caught her eye.

And nothing will change it, seven suns from here

That line could mean two things. It could be an implication of time, which meant that the confrontation would take place a week from today. It could also be an implication of place, which meant that it would be in a place several suns away.

That was a long way away. One sun was far enough, let alone seven suns. It didn't seem to make any sense to travel so far. By the time they reached the seventh sun, they would have been ghosts for at least a billion years. So, that line was probably an implication of time.

The poem no longer looked like a harmless poem. It was full of clues, and Lyn wondered why she had not seen them earlier. Perhaps the confusion at Shinn's sudden change in behaviour had gotten to her head.

She now knew what she had to do. She would have to get ready. The sooner she got there, the better. She would have more time to make her preparations.

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Ren pushed his body mercilessly, moving from one form to another as he trained. Sweat was trickling down his back in steady beads, dripping onto the fresh layer of snow on the ground. He was breathing heavily, his breath forming a white mist in the cool morning air.

Still, he continued pushing himself. It was the easiest way to vent all the frustration he had inside. First, Hui…and now, Lyn. It was just happening too fast.

He replayed that scene in his head as he trained. The scene where she had so coldly told him that it was over. He had looked into her eyes for any sign that she was lying. Those eyes which were never able to hide her emotions from others. But at that point in time, her eyes had been as cold and hard as her voice.

That fleeting glitter of tears in her eyes. Had that all been his imagination? He desperately hoped that it wasn't. He wanted her to be happy, but in this case, he'd rather see her cry and know how much she was hurting, rather than see her smile and wonder if she was lying.

He would be fine with this, if only she was happy. But she wasn't. He had never seen her expression so cold and emotionless before. How could she be happy if she was going around with that expression?

Ren trained for hours, until even his pants were damp with sweat before he finally decided to take a break. He turned and walked towards the rock by the pond where he had left his towel, and to add to his frustration, Hui was sitting there with a smile on her face.

Hui held out his towel, and he took it without so much as a thank you. He wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead and dried his damp hair before turning away to resume his training. He had no desire whatsoever to talk to anyone right now.

That girl was creepy anyway. What was she doing up so early? It was barely four in the morning, and he had been training since midnight.

"Renny…" Ren clenched his fists when he heard her address him in that manner. He hated it when people gave him all sorts of funny nicknames. He held back the desire to just shout at her and calmly ignored her.

"Renny…why don't you want to talk to me? Did I do something wrong?" Hui asked. "Just leave me alone…" Ren muttered in reply.

"But Renny…I want so much to get to know you better…And I want to know what's bothering you…" She whined, causing Ren's eyebrows to twitch.

"And stop calling me Renny…I have a name, and Renny is not it." He continued, pointedly ignoring her words. He pulled his shirt on and buttoned it up. He had just lost the desire to train. Not with her around.

He turned around and began walking back to the house, and she ran after him, hooking her arm around his. He tried to shake it off, but her grip was tighter than it looked.

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"Ren…can I sleep with you?" Ren's eyes widened in surprise and he gave his hand a hard jerk, shaking her hand off his.

"What the hell is wrong with you?! It's not normal for a girl to ask a boy if she can sleep with him!" Ren exclaimed, his face flushed.

"Oh Renny…Don't we have a dirty mind?" Hui said, a sly smirk on her face. "That wasn't what I meant at all…It's so cold, and my blankets aren't helping, so I felt like cuddling up to you for warmth."

Ren felt his hair stand as she said that. Cuddling? With her? "No. Go to your own room." He told her shortly, stalking up the stairs.

"Why? What's wrong with us sleeping together?" She asked, following him closely. "We are going to get married after all…"

Get married? Not if I can help it…

At the top of the stairs, he saw Lyn walk out of her room with Heartblade in its scabbard, slung over her shoulders, and her duffel bag in hand.

Lyn's eyes widened in surprise when she saw Ren, then she walked past him coldly. He reached out and grabbed her wrist, holding her back.

"Where are you going?" He asked concernedly. "None of your business." She told him coldly, wrenching her hand out of his grip. She continued walking down the stairs, and Ren stared helplessly as she walked out of the Inn.

Hui's eyes narrowed when she saw the somber look in Ren's eyes. She would make him forget that girl. Through any means necessary. He was hers, and hers alone.

And I will have him, or no one will get him at all.

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Kaede quietly followed Hao, Ren and Hui through the airport, deep in thought. She didn't notice an overloaded trolley hurtling her way, and the two nearly crashed.

Hao grabbed Kaede and pulled her towards him in the nick of time, the runaway trolley rolling past where she had been standing a second ago.

"Are you alright? What are you thinking about?" Hao asked Kaede concernedly. "Are you thinking about your father? Don't worry…he'll be fine…" He continued, giving Kaede's hand a gentle squeeze.

Kaede nodded slowly, looking at Hao with a somber smile. He ran a hand through her hair with an encouraging smile. "Don't worry too much…I'll be here with you…" He told her, and she nodded distractedly, looking through the crowd.

"What? Did you lose something?" Hao asked her worriedly. She shook her head, her blonde hair moving along with her head. "I thought I saw Lyn…But I guess that's not possible…she left two hours before we did…"

Hao put her hand around her shoulders with a small smile. "Don't worry so much about her…I'm sure she has her reasons for doing these things…"

But what would be reason enough to hurt the one she loves?

Kaede heard a small cough and she looked up in surprise. Then, she noticed Ren waiting for them, his foot tapping slightly with impatience. She had forgotten that he was there! He had probably heard everything, including what she had said about seeing Lyn.

Ren sighed and began walking again, Hao and Kaede following him. Kaede hadn't been the only one. He thought he had seen Lyn too. Maybe it was just his imagination? Perhaps he was that desperate for a break.

He had thought that offering to give Hao and Kaede a lift would give him some time alone, but Hui had insisted that she wanted to come along.

Hui narrowed her eyes as she gripped Ren's arm possessively. He still looked quite upset. She would not allow it! Ren tried to remove his hand from her grip, and she held on even harder.

Unknown to them, Lyn was hiding in a dark corner somewhere behind them. She let out a sigh of relief as they walked away. She had almost been spotted. She shook herself out of her thoughts and walked out of that corner, towards her boarding gate.

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"Dad!" Kaede exclaimed, running to the bed where Daisuke was lying, asleep. He opened his eyes and smiled weakly, patting her fondly on her head.

"Are you alright?" Kaede asked worriedly. Daisuke smiled and nodded weakly. "The servants are overreacting…I'm fine…It's just pneumonia. The doctor said that all I needed was some rest." Kaede nodded, although she continued chewing on her lower lip worriedly.

Hao patted her on the shoulder, giving her an encouraging smile. Daisuke nodded in approval at this. "I'm glad that the two of you are getting along so handsomely. I wouldn't want to entrust my precious daughter to someone who didn't love her."

Hao nodded and put his arm around Kaede's shoulder. "I will love her with my life." He told Daisuke, then let go of Kaede's shoulder to help him sit up. Daisuke looked around and smiled at Ren, who was leaning against the wall near the door. He frowned slightly when he saw Hui, who was clinging on to Ren again.

"Have I met you?" He asked, and Hui shook her head. "I'm Hui! Ren's fiancée!" She told him, smiling happily. Daisuke looked at her in surprise, before nodding thoughtfully.

"Where's Lyn?" Daisuke asked, looking at Kaede curiously. She shrugged uncertainly. "She left the inn before we did." Daisuke nodded, and knowing his daughter's tendency to worry, smiled encouragingly.

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Ren sat cross-legged on the floor, his eyes closed, deep in thought. Kaede had invited him to stay over at her house for a few days, telling him that it might help him feel better, and he had agreed. Of course, Hui had invited herself without asking anyone, assuming that others owed it to her.

Memories of the times he had spent with Lyn flooded him, and he found himself laughing at her silliness once again, and smiling when she was happy. And when he replayed the scene after her parents had died, he found himself drowning in his feelings of helplessness once more.

He felt something slide up his arm and he opened his eyes. His eyes widened in shock when he saw what Hui was doing, and he flushed.

Hui slid her toe up Ren's arm, purring as she did so. Then, she took her leg away and leaned in towards him, forcing a kiss on him.

Ren could feel his face flaming by now, and he pushed Hui off roughly. "What the hell is wrong with you?" He growled angrily. Hui shrugged with a sly smile. "What's wrong? I am your fiancée after all…"

"Just leave me alone and keep your body parts to yourself." Ren growled, shifting so he was sitting even further from her. He frowned slowly. There was something wrong with this, but he couldn't quite place his finger on it.

Then, sudden realisation hit him like a bolt. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING IN MY ROOM, WEARING ONLY YOUR ROBES?" He thundered, his face burning from a mixture of embarrassment and anger.

Hui let her sleeve drop so part of her smooth skin at her shoulder was revealed, and she put a finger in her mouth, blinking at Ren innocently. "Why not?" She purred seductively, crawling towards Ren and letting her robes hang down so her plump breasts were partially revealed.

Ren stood up and turned his back to her. "Get out of my room…" He growled coldly, an aura of cold, seething rage surrounding him. "But Renny…" "Get out of my room. If you aren't going to leave, I will." Ren said coldly, cutting her protests off.

Hui pulled her sleeves back over her shoulder and tied the belt of the robe tightly before exiting the room, shooting death glares at Ren's back. So she hadn't succeeded this time. Well, she would succeed the next time!

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"And there's the matter of inheritance. I want a half of his wealth in cash. I did, after all, bear him a daughter, so I deserve to inherit some of his wealth when he dies."

Kaede stared at the woman sitting opposite her in disbelief. What was she thinking? As she droned on and on, Kaede felt her rage slowly building up, slowly adding to the pressure until it would explode.

"And I demand that I be given control over his company. I was, after all, his wife for a period of time."

Kaede saw Hao clenching his fists so hard that his knuckles turned white, and she held on tightly to his fists. "I will handle this…" She whispered to him, and he nodded grimly.

"When is he going to die anyway? I think he deserves it, for playing around with so many women behind my back."

Kaede could no longer hold her anger in. This woman was going too far. She didn't care if she was her mother. She was insulting Daisuke, and all those insults were untrue.

"Daddy never played around with women behind your back. He was faithful to you, even when you were making his life hell! And now you're trying to make my life hell too?! Let me tell you this! Daddy would never give you a single cent of his wealth! He has already told me that he wants half of it to go to charity, and the other half is for me to continue the company. And I respect his decision. You won't get a single cent!"

Yuri gasped and feigned shock. "Is that the way you should speak to your mother? How has your father been raising you all these years? Whatever happened to my dear, quiet daughter?"

Kaede breathed heavily, trying to keep her cool. "You married into a rich Chinese family after you divorced Daddy, and you aren't poor or starving! Your daughter, my half-sister, is marrying into another affluent Chinese family! So why must you come here and make such a big fuss? Let me tell you one thing! Daddy is not going to die so soon! So you can just get the hell out of here!"

Yuri glared at Kaede, her eyes bulging with rage. She narrowed her eyes and continued sitting on the couch, feigning ignorance. Hao saw Kaede clenching her fists so hard her arm was shivering, and he could no longer bear to see her so upset.

"Kaede might not be able to do it, but I don't give a damn about who you are. If you don't get out right now, you are going to be burnt to a crisp. Spirit of Fire!" Hao growled, Spirit of Fire appearing behind him.

Kaede stared at him in shock, and he gave her a smile to tell her he knew what he was doing. Yuri's eyes widened in fear and she stood up, walking to the door.

"I hope you all die a painful death!" She shouted before she left the house. Kaede flopped down onto the sofa and let out a sigh, and Hao sat down next to her.

"Maybe we shouldn't have been so extreme?" Kaede said uncertainly, looking up at Hao worriedly. Hao grinned and ruffled her hair. "You're too kind at times…someone like her needs to be given a hard shove before they agree to listen. I know because I was like that. I had to be beaten by Yoh before I agreed to listen to reason…"

Kaede nodded slowly, then slumped down into the sofa tiredly. She could only hope for the best about her father now...

"You know, your mother seems to bear a strong resemblance to someone, both in personality and in looks…" Hao commented, causing Kaede to look up at him in surprise. "Who?" She asked curiously.

"Hui."

O.o! This wasn't supposed to happen! Yuri and Hui were not supposed to be mother and daughter! But it just seemed so appropriate while I was typing. I'm as shocked as any of you guys. That's what happens when you can't plan. You get shocked by your own plot. RARR! Damn that means that Hui and Kaede are half sisters? OMG poor Kaede…

And Hui's such a slut…Bleah…should I kill her? Or should I not? Hmm to kill or not to kill? What do you guys think?