A/N: I'm getting ideas and chapters up pretty fast now. I have ideas even for the next chapter? Wow, I must be getting better… or really, really bored.

Chapter 15: Friends Once Gone

How dare he! In the middle of a battle, he just calls up his ninjas and leaves. And with Diana! Has he turned into a coward? Would he rather preserve his own pathetic life instead of honor?

I look down at Diana's little kitten. The thing glared up at me for having let Kakon get away with her master.

How he had found out about Diana and I, I have no clue. Unless of course Father let something slip about how I was "playing" the princess of the Moon. I wouldn't put it past him, he likes to boast about anything that his sons are doing.

Sighing, I crouch down to look the cat in the eyes. They were oddly enough, the color of slightly burning coal. They narrowed a little as we stared eye to eye.

"Well cat, looks like it's just you and me. So, where do we start?"

Not really expecting an answer, she was just a dumb battle cat anyways, I reach towards her to pick her up. Within seconds, flames surrounded her, and therefore, burning my hand. Pulling it back, I glare menacingly at this stupid feline and growl.

"What was that for you mangy alley cat?"

The neko mata only snorted daintily at me before haughtily turning away. She padded silently across the threshold of this odd cemetery and back to the gate whence Diana had come from.

As I was walking to speak with Amaterasu earlier, Diana's scent, thick with fear, reached my sensitive nose. Reacting instinctively to that fear mixed with her personal, intoxicating scent of lavender and vanilla, I followed that scent. It led to her paralyzed form in front of that big brute of a beast. The thing must have just been created, for I had heard nothing of a new species of Immortal.

Mumbling to myself, I got up and followed the cat, which was obviously waiting for me, as if there was nothing wrong. She must be in some hind of denial, since she was pretty calm, to have just seen her master being stolen away by something as fowl as Kakon. I think the kidnapping was to bring out something I thought I would never had to use…

So are you going to stop being a leiko and do what needs to be done? Or are you just going to sit back and see what happens in this outcome? Just like you did with Chinpou?

Shut up! You know I'm going to do something about it! You don't have to bring u ancient history. I didn't know what was going to happen then.

On impulse, my body just followed to where the cat was leading me while I was "talking" to The Voice. She led me out to the courtyard and to the practice grounds. Soon realizing where she was leading me, I went to the weapons shack and opened the door. The practice weapons were all in here and in place, but what was strange was that the room was unlocked. Lady Kel always kept that door locked, for thinking of someone tampering with the weapons.

Sakura just went right in and turned the corner to the room where the real weapons were kept, if the student did not own their own weapons by the time there were being taught with real weaponry, they could borrow one of the palace's.

Not wanting anyone to see me in here, I shut the door quietly. I then follow to where Sakura was sitting on the floor by a stool, licking a paw. I looked down at her, a frown between my brows. Confusion was all I got when I tried to think why she brought me here. A light, feminine laugh awoke that reason.

"I see that Sakura has a grudge against you. But no worries, as my Father once told me, 'This too, shall pass'."

I stared in astonishment. This was the owner of The Voice; there was no mistaking it. She was standing here, in the middle of a building, taking to me. Now I've seen some super natural things in all my six-hundred-fifty-six years and three months, but never had I seen a god. Or even heard that of a god speaking to any living mortal or immortal. Her hair was the color of sunshine and seemed to have an internal glow. As did her eyes, they were a golden color, like mirrors to the sun.

She wasn't like the other gods I ever heard of either, she wasn't the image of a human. The goddess was the image of a pure blood youkai, complete with pointed ears, fangs, and claws.

"Well, you seem quite different than I pictured. I've only accessed your verbal memory."

She walked around him, as a horse trader might a stallion she was to purchase. Her eyes, if anything, lit up a little more. She smirked at him, then leaned against a wall in the room.

"All right Sosonokatsu, what are you going to do about Kakon and Diana?"

At first I was dumbfounded. She just comes and has a cat bring me to her. Then she basically demands me to help Diana. Do gods interfere in people's lives like this? I had no idea. I only know that she was in mine.

"I'm going to get her back."

"Well, good luck without a plan or weapons. Besides that, you keep thinking of Kakon from when he was younger. That will get you killed."

"How did-"

"I know? I've been in you head, remember?"

"What god are you? I've never heard of you before."

She chuckled lightly at the confused look on my face.

"First of all, Goddess. My name is Amaterasu. I'm the goddess you worship. But I also talk to Diana. Some of her people still worship me."

"But if you're my goddess, then why-"

"Speak to her? Because I believe that you and Diana are meant for each other. And if you become mated, then the war between you people mostly likely will end. Either that, or you'll be kicked out of your Clans to start you own. But you most likely wouldn't be."

"How do-"

"I know that? Easy, like Diana, you have no younger sibling any longer, and you are also the heir to your father's throne."

"What do you mean that I 'have no younger siblings any longer'?"

"Your younger brother and Diana's eldest brother, who was heir to the Eiki clan, killed each other in the battle a couple weeks ago. Diana is now second in line to her father's throne, but has been heir to her mother's throne for two of your years now."

Now is the time to learn a little more about Diana from what she wouldn't tell me.

"I thought that she had two elder sisters."

"Had is correct. The first was killed when she was four human years old. The other she was quite close to. She had been fourteen in your years when her sister was assassinated by a Dark assassin."

"How do I start with getting her back? I can't leave her in the hands of Kakon. I no longer know what he would do to her."

"Well we could start with a plan. How are you going to get into Akushou Castle? What are you going to do when you get there?"

"There were old escape tunnels that led into the dungeons of the castle. I could use those to get in and out, but Diana is most likely not in the dungeon, so I'm going to have to search the castle to find her. Once I have her, I'll just leave."

"Good, but do you have a weapon good enough to fight in the castle as well?"

"I have the Heir's Sword, it'll have to do."

"No, it will not. It cannot stand up to the pressure of the Darkness. Besides, it couldn't kill the Akutenshi and she is most likely in the inshi. Have this, it will help you. But be careful of Jashin's chosen one."

She pressed her hands against his wrist and something cool appeared there. When she took her hands away, a bracelet was in its place. On the gold bracelet was a sunstone, an amber colored stone that looked as if the whole thing was a fire. My brow furrowed in confusion.

"It will be what you need it to be, when you need it. Diana will soon have one similar to yours, but it will be of my brother's choice."

"Who is you brother?"

"Why, it's Tsukuyomi of course, the God of the Moon. You don't want to meet him, trust me. You'd think him an embarrassment to male society."

"What do you mean by 'It will be what you need it to be'?"

"Exactly what I said. Now, go onto your plans. I might see you later, you never know."

Just like she was there, she was gone. I blinked my eyes and looked down at Sakura. She was looking up at me expectantly. Sighing, I bend down and look at her closely.

"Are you going to allow me to pick you up now?"

She looked at me for a second then leapt up onto my shoulder. I took that as a yes and turned and left the building. I slipped out quietly and shut the door behind me. Just to be on the safe side, I make sure that the door locked. Then, I flash back to my room, using abnormal speed to make sure that I was not being followed.

Once in my room, Sakura leapt off and onto my bed and curled up on my pillow. Ignoring her, I went to where my weapons lay on their racks. I selected carefully, wanting only the ones I knew were sturdy and powerful enough to puncture armor. Once I had the correct bow and arrows, I grabbed the sword made out of the poison of a cobra youkai. It was what I needed if I were to silence someone, for it killed instantly, making the major internal organs explode.

Crinkling my nose in disgust, I grab my clawed gauntlets and put them on. They fit perfectly as I flexed my claws. I then place on my breast armor, the thick spikes on the front glinted with a hidden intention. I then place on metal boot-like gauntlets over my shoes and buckled them all the way up to mid-shin. I put no helmet on, for it disrupted my vision.

Now I had only one thing to do. That was to tell my superiors what I was about to do. Father would probably get wind of this, but I will deal with that when the time comes. Now, I must deal with the problem in front of me. I glance down at the neko mata looking up at me with a blood lust sparkling in her fire like eyes, and smirked.

"Are you ready cat?"

If anything, her eyes shone a little brighter before she leapt onto my shoulder. I cracked my neck and stepped out of my room, ready to face death in the face if I had to. I wasn't going to allow anything stop me now.

"Let's go."

Translations

Akutenshi: evil angels

Haku: white

Hanyou: half-breed

Inshi: shrine of evil deity

Inu: dog

Katana: a type of curved sword that Japanese samurai use, or in this case, Yamani samurai

Kimono: a Japanese outfit that the girls wore

Kobodou: fighting in close combat with weapons

Leiko: arrogant child

Neko: a cat

Obi: the sash around the middle of the kimono to hold it shut

Sakura: the blossoms of a cherry tree

Sensai: a teacher or tutor

Sensu: a flip fan used in Japan

Youkai: demon

Name Meanings

Akushou: evil nature

Amaterasu: sun goddess

Chinpou: sunrays

Jashin: evil god

Kakon: root of evil

Katsu: to convert, change, transform

Makurayami: total darkness

Soso: graceful and neat

Sosonokatsu: to instigate and/or to seduce

Tsukuyomi: moon god

A/N: Yeah, I got the chappie done. I am now working on the next chapter. This is the fastest I've worked in a long time. Please, please review. I like this chapter. It's the longest I've done in Soso's POV. I just found out something interesting too. I keep calling Sosonokatsu Soso, and Soso means to be graceful.

Kristiana: Your welcome. :) And thank you for the admiring comment. I just like to poke fun at my reviewers. ;;) And I'm working pretty fast, aren't I. It was only two days, and here's the next chappie.