Ewiituntmay: Okay, I figured I'd update, even though no one really reviews...so I don't know if people actually like this story, but it gets a lot of visitors so I'm guessing it does...anyway hope you like it ^-^

Disclaimer: I only own plot and OCs, not Prince of Tennis or characters.

Recap: "QuickSilver?! What have you done?! How could you?!" I didn't turn as the voice came a little closer. I recognized the voice, it was Kira, the only person…before the team that I had trusted, no matter how shaky that trust was…especially compared to my trust in the boys standing in front of me.

~Chapter 6~

I could see the others' surprise, but I didn't say anything as she stormed over, "Kira." I still didn't turn to face her, which seemed to piss her off even more. She grabbed my shoulder roughly and turned me to face her. My position made it harder for her to turn me to face her fully, so I fell backward slightly, catching myself with my right arm.

"I was supposed to be your master! How could you even think of giving yourself to these…children?! I-"

"You aren't worthy Kira. I already told you that." I sighed gently, my earlier tears and sadness were gone, for the moment.

"Then if I kill your master…you'll be my slave?" She looked up at Fuji…the one who'd placed the collar around my neck. She even took a few steps toward him.

She pulled out a long knife-like thing, and directed it at Fuji…I hissed and grabbed her arm, painfully. She let out a cry of pain and surprise, to which I showed no emotion, only pure indifference.

"What the hell are you doing?!"

"You should know better than to even try to attack my master if I'm right here…don't you ever dare go within a hundred feet of my master with such thoughts running through your head!" My voice drifted lazily, dangerously gentle. Kira knew better than to test me when I sounded that way, and most especially when my body was most relaxed. None of the others heard any of the exchange though, I knew that they were still frightened by me, even as bound as I was.

"I just…can't believe that you've given up your freedom…so willingly. I never thought that you would ever, ever, ever, ever have a master. You were too free and whimsical…you still are. Why did you let yourself be shackled?"

My eyebrow twitched slightly, "Isn't that exactly what you wanted to do to me? And now you're saying how bad it is, just because someone else has chained me instead."

She looked up sharply, "That's an entirely different thing! You can't compare the two things, they just simply aren't the same." She stuck her nose up in the air in indignity. This time I did roll my eyes.

"Lien…who is this?" I looked over at Fuji, a cool but welcomed shiver went down my spine at his voice. A silent chord was struck in me, Master… I could feel my love and need to please him take over me, ever so slightly, he hadn't trained me yet, and wanted more a friend then a slave so I was still fairly free to do most of what I wanted.

"This is Yukawa Kira." I closed my eyes when another shiver ran down my spine. Fuji looked at her, I could feel his disdain at the way she treated me.

"You stole my slave!" She sniffed indignantly, "Hey, you didn't even tell them that I'm you're most trusted friend. Ever. In the entire world. In all of existence. Right?" I fought the urge to frown and glare at her. The only reason she had been my 'most trusted' person was because my willingness to be her slave someday had kept her loyal to me. How naïve she was then.

Fuji frowned openly, as did a couple of the other team members, I noted. I said nothing as a small wave of Fuji's irritation ran through me. I knew it was his, because for me it was as though I was being told his side of an argument. It's hard to explain what a master-slave relationship is like. I'll try to explain it as best as I can.

When an assassin gives their freedom to a master, they become slaves. They can do nothing without their master's approval, except involuntary actions (breathing, blinking, etc.) when the collar is placed around a slave's neck a bond is formed. If the master orders the slave to do something physically the slave will perform the action whether they want to or not, including freezing in the middle of doing something. In addition to that a willing slave forms an empathic bond with the master, they can feel what the master is feeling. And if the master allows, they can even form a telepathic bond…if the slave was really strong before being 'chained', but the master is the only one that can block the slave from their mind, whereas the slave cannot hide their thoughts if the master wants to read them.

There is even the possibility of having more than one master…this can happen two ways. One is that the agreed masters will place the collar around the slave's neck at the same time (they have to at least be touching it when it is placed). This causes a few different things to happen, the slave is even more subdued, which is very good for the really strong but bad slaves, and another would be the ability to duplicate yourself to fulfill both masters wishes if they wanted something different at the same time…or to protect them both from two different but very dangerous threats. The other thing is if one main master were to place the collar and then give a command to the slave to obey another's wishes, the problem with this is that unless it is specified the slave can either follow them for a really long time…or just one command. It is usually up to the slave after the first or set amount of commands given by the other…or others. These decisions were entirely up to the master…of course.

"Perhaps you could 'share' your command of Lien with me?" I glared at her thoroughly. I looked at Fuji quickly…maybe it would be best if I got Kira to leave, now!

"Kira! Don't you dare say something so carelessly. That would be…" I sighed cutting myself off, "That is entirely Fuji's decision, but I want you to know that I would not be happy with that. At all." Kira recoiled at my tone, I wasn't about to let her be one of my masters if I could help that decision in any way.

"I don't care! You were supposed to be my slave! You should be very ashamed of yourself for getting so careless and then giving yourself to a bunch of children! I want you to be my slave-"

"I don't." I looked at Fuji quickly, a shock of fear running through me, I felt as though I had failed him, and nothing was worse for a slave then failing your master. Kira looked at him angrily. Kira wasn't an assassin, but that didn't mean she didn't know how to fight. She had survived for a good twenty years all by herself after all, against the assassins that were sent after her even.

"So?!" She pulled out a weapon, it was shining and was slightly transparent. I held my breath quietly at her daring attitude, "I'm not going to let you kids be Lien's master! She is so much more effective if wielded by someone who knows what the hell they're doing."

With that she seriously charged at Fuji. I nearly growled and quickly jumped up from my still kneeling position, intercepting her. We collided, her stronger momentum forcing me backward.

"Damnit Lien! Stay the hell out of my way!" Kira backed off just a little, and I could see that she was struggling not to 'transform'. I glared wholeheartedly at her.

"No. I already warned you. If you want to kill any of them you have to go through me." I held my stance, if she transformed I was going to have a lot more trouble defeating her then if she stayed in her human form.

She growled, it was much deeper than her actual voice. I didn't move, I wasn't intimidated by her at all. Plus the fact that my master was behind me and so I couldn't afford to be intimidated even if I was. Which I wasn't.

"Are you sure you want to do that Kira…Natsume?" She growled at the name. It wasn't something I would usually resort to, but I needed to protect my master above all else and so it didn't matter what I did as long as Fuji was safe…and his friends of course…which had also been my friends for a time.

She transformed quickly, and lunged. I sidestepped allowing her to think that she would be able to get at Fuji and the others. Just before she was fully past me though, I grabbed her by the scruff of her neck and yanked backwards hard. She snapped backward, yelping the whole way. She might be a fighting beast…but she was still susceptible to pain, even an animal's pain. I released her as she flew backward letting her fly into the trees clear across the clearing.

Fuji and the others were looking at me wide-eyed. I sighed inwardly, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do anything that would frighten you anymore…but I couldn't just let her…attack you-"

"AAARRRRGGGH!" Kira was up again, and charging at me, pure hatred shining in her now red eyes. I turned halfway toward her, my irritation was plain. I really didn't want to deal with this right now. "If you won't be my slave, I'm going to kill you. And your master!"

I remained undaunted, simply glaring at her…I wasn't sure whether I should kill her or not. Before a master, I wouldn't have hesitated, especially at her very insulting behavior…but I did have a master now, and he was younger than me, experience wise, although younger by a year or so physically as well.

I didn't look away from Kira in beast form as I inquired of Fuji, Master? What should I do with her? I could feel his surprise and the way he mentally recoiled from my brief touch on his mind.

After another second though he answered, Lien? … Beat her…but don't kill her...that's an order! I still didn't turn to face him as I nodded accepting his orders, "I understand...master."

Kira heard my statement and it seemed to anger her even more. She came even faster, to which I simply let out a small snort. Without moving an inch, I stopped her mad dash, I grabbed her ear/horn-like appendages, and pushed them down with a bit of effort, so that she skidded into the ground. I walked over to her, not wanting to stop at simply defeating her, I found that I did want to kill her, as I hadn't really wanted to kill anyone. I wouldn't kill her of course, most especially because of Fuji's order, but also because I wasn't that kind of person, plus I didn't want to give The Organization the satisfaction of thinking that they had possibly turned me into a monster. Or the idea that they could possibly 'retrieve' me.

"Bitch!" Kira got up on her…knees?…she was weaving slightly. I watched her as she managed to pick herself up off the ground. Her breathing was ragged, and she was bleeding profusely from a wound on her head, most likely from the skidding, "Aren't you going to kill me yet? You're getting sloppier by the second…no doubt due to these 'children'."

"Not at all. I was ordered not to kill you. Had I not been you would have been dead a really long time ago. Be thankful that your life is being spared…although, I haven't been given orders not to sever, or break, an arm or leg." her head whipped up to look at me, I was really only saying that for dramatic effect, and it worked on more than just the intended party.

Lien?! Can you hear me? He waited until I nodded my head yes before continuing, You're not going to do that are you?

Do you want me to? …

I was quiet as I waited for his answer, No!

Don't worry master, I was really only using it for dramatic effect. She wouldn't be able to bear living with a missing body part. I was only teasing her.

sigh Can you read my thoughts all the time? Have you been able to read my thoughts since we met?

No, I can't read your thoughts if you don't want me to, although you could read mine whether I wanted you to or not, and no I haven't been able to read your mind since we met, it's an ability I…we earned when you 'mastered' me.

By putting the collar around your neck?

Yes. I looked over at him and smiled. Sometimes he could be quite amusing in his inexperience. He still seemed slightly disoriented by my 'invasion' on his mind. I knew he would need a little bit of time to get used to it.

Lien? Are you there?

Yes? I could sense his curiosity but I wasn't quite sure what it was about. I just knew it was there.

How do I know when you can hear me…other then when you …

Touch? Only when I 'touch' your mind?

Yeah.

Well, all you have to do is think my name…at me. I suppose that's the easiest way to put it without some big explanation.

Think it at you?

Yes. After that you just need to think what you want me to hear. I can train you on how to keep your private thoughts and uh…'mind conversations' with me separate…if you want.

Yeah, I think that would be good. I could feel his feelings wash over me, he was…pleased by that.

I shifted to compensate for the movements Kira made, easily managing to keep up the conversation with Fuji and keeping an eye on Kira. She growled lowly at me, I just stared indifferently, then a thought crossed my mind. I could use Fuji and the others' help if they were willing to help.

Master? I could 'feel'…'hear' his acknowledgement, I was just thinking… maybe you and the others could help, I can protect you if you all just want to stand there but, a moving target is always fractionally harder to get then a sitting target.

So…what do you need us to do?

Well… … I was thinking that if you and/ or one of the others could…be bait for her. It would make it easier for me to fight her without killing her. You don't have to…obviously. But I'll leave it up to you-- I cut myself off as Kira lunged at Fuji once again. I was a little ways away from both, and slightly in the middle of the distance between Fuji and Kira. Therefore when she jumped straight at Fuji, and I jumped at her, I caught her in the side, throwing into the trees not too far in front of me.

A/N: Whoo, chapter 6 finished, only one chapter to go...I think. Well review or message and tell me what you thought. See ya ^-^