A/N: Here's chapter seven. I hope you like what happens, let me know if you do :) Also I want to say thanks to the people have left reviews so far, it means a lot :D

Chapter Seven

"Go guys! Run! Get out of here, hide until I come and get you! Go!"

Lord Isao and his family had been at the palace for a couple of weeks when the incident took place.

"Nicole, sing the song again, please," Kiku begged.

I looked up from my knitting, Chieko-sensei had taught me how, she also taught me how to croquet and I discovered I loved it. Today the kids were cloud watching in the garden, "Sing it again? It's not even bed time yet."

Yuu rolled over on his stomach to look at me, "But it's really nice to hear you sing."

I laughed at the boy's statement, "Well you sure know how to flattered people to get what you want, don't you?"

The boy smiled sheepishly, "But it's not a lie."

I rolled my eyes, "Fine I'll sing," and I did. Right I as finished our song I felt a rain drop hit my forehead, "Uh oh children we better go inside before we melt!" I yelled dramatically. All the kids ran screaming and laughing inside the palace. It took us maybe a minute to get inside and we were already soaked. "Ugh, alright everyone go to your rooms change into some dry clothes and meet in Rin's room in five minutes. Everybody understand?" they nodded, "alright, go!" I clapped my hands and everyone took off towards their rooms.

Five minutes later we were all in Rin's room looking out the window.

"Well, I guess we can't play outside anymore today," I pointed out to them.

"Aw," Rin pouted.

"But playing inside is so… boring," Sho complained.

"Yeah! There's nothing to do inside," Takara frowned and the others nodded in agreement.

"I don't know guys, there's got to be something to do inside," I told them.

"Like what?"Yuu challenged.

"Hmm…" I thought for a moment, "well I could teach you all how to knit."

"No!" they all shouted.

"Oh, alright geez, calm down guys. No need to shout. Well then… we could always read? Or I know! I could go get Chieko-sensei to teach us a lesson!" I teased the children.

"Ew! No!" Kiku squealed.

"We don't want to learn, we want to play!" Arata explained to me.

I laughed, "oh, well why didn't you say so? Well then we could always play hide and seek…"

"Yeah!" all the children agreed.

"Okay then, here are the rules. One: you can't go downstairs or upstairs, you have to stay on this floor." They all nodded. "Two: try to stay in this hallway if possible, preferably only hide in our rooms. That way we don't bother anyone else." Nods. "Three: no cheating and no being mean. If you're found you're found. End of story. And four: if the person that is it shouts 'come out, come out wherever you are!' then that means they give up and everyone has to come out and we will start a new round. Got it?" More nods. "Alright who wants to count first?" No answer. "No one? Really?" I sighed, "I guess I can count. I'll count to fifty. Ready? One… two… three…" the children ran away squealing and laughing.

We played hide and seek for about two hours. It was going great until I heard one of the children scream out in surprise. Suddenly everyone was out, wondering who had made that noise. It turned out to be Takara, she was hiding in Rin's closet.

"Takara, what's wrong?!" I asked running over to her, checking her to see if she was alright.

"Nothing, I'm fine. I'm fine," she told me.

"What happened?"

"I fell."

"Fell?"

She nodded, "Yeah I was leaning up against the wall and it just kinda… moved."

"The wall moved?"

She nodded again, "I swear!"

"I believe you. Can you show me?" she nodded and led me over to where she had been hiding. Sure enough there was a gap in the wall. "That's really strange." I pushed on it and it gave away, "Whoa!"

"Cool, it's a tunnel," Sho said coming up beside us.

"I wonder where it goes," Rin said.

"Can we go see?" Kiki asked.

"Yeah can we Nicole?" Yuu asked.

"Can we, can we?" Arata begged.

I looked at the kids, they were all giving me these huge puppy dog eyes. I was hesitant, what if something bad was down there? What if there were venomous spiders or snakes? Or the tunnel caves in. Or…or…or…really how bad could it be? "I guess…" the kids cheered, "but! We have to bring torches so we can see. And we have to be very very careful. Agreed?"

"Agreed!"

We traveled through the tunnel with our torches very slowly. The children were chattering and giggled together the whole way. Imagining where the tunnel might lead them. I almost think they were a little disappointed when found out that it only led to the garden. We stood in the tunnel and watched the rain fall on the flowers for a moment. It was beautiful and peaceful. Every one of us was content just to stand quietly and watch. It was almost like the calm before the storm. A really bad storm.

"I'm so glad that we are finally starting to agree on some things Lord Sesshomaru," Lord Isao stated that morning during breakfast.

"Indeed," if Lord Sesshomaru was glad too you couldn't tell from his voice.

It was one of those rare moments when everyone was free to have breakfast together. I don't think I had seen either of the lords at meals in weeks. I hadn't seen Lord Sesshomaru at all. I was a little worried that he was still mad at me for being late to dinner on the first night of Lord Isao's arrival. It seemed silly to think that, but I could never be sure with Lord Sesshomaru. All I knew was that I hadn't seen him and he hadn't so much as looked at me since then. Not that I wanted him to. But I couldn't help but sneak little glances here and there trying to gauge his mood. Which did absolutely no good.

"That means that we can probably head home in a couple of days, doesn't sound great kids?" Lord Isao asked the children. They were silent, Lord Isao and Lady Emi looked confused, "What you don't want to go home?"

"Well…" Yuu started, "I miss home… but it's really fun here."

"Yeah, do we have to go home?" Takara asked.

The Lord and Lady looked surprised and then Lord Isao laughed, "Well Rin it seems our kids have taken a liking to you."

Rin giggled, "And Nicole too." It was my turn to be surprised, I knew I liked the kids and I knew they had fun. But I didn't think they had had so much fun that they wouldn't want to go home.

Lord Isao laughed again, "And Nicole too." He turned his attention back to the kids, "Unfortunately we do have to head home as soon as my business with Lord Sesshomaru is done. There is trouble in the North remember? I have to make sure everything is fine." The children nodded but they seemed to sulk. "Come now, don't be sad. I'm sure Lord Sesshomaru will let us come over again, or maybe Rin and Nicole could even visit us next time."

The kids perked up and started telling Rin all of the things they could do together if she were to come to the North. I watched them talk excitedly and couldn't help but smile. To be honest I was a little sad too. I liked these kids. I liked them a lot. I felt like we had become close over these past weeks. Somehow all those children had wormed their way into my heart, and I would miss them when they were gone.

My attention was taken off the kids when I saw Lord Sesshomaru get up and head out of the dining room, Lord Isao got up as well.

"Well everyone, I guess its back to negotiations," he kissed his wife on the forehead and followed Lord Sesshomaru. I followed them with my eyes until I could no longer see them.

When I turned my attention back to the others Lady Emi was smiling at me. I expected to say something but she just shook her head, smile still on her face, and went back to eating.

It didn't happen until later that day. It was still raining outside so the children and I were playing in Rin's room again when we heard it. A scream. An ear piercing, glass shattering scream. We all jumped. My heart immediately went into overdrive. This wasn't the kind of scream you heard as a joke. No, especially when it wasn't only coming from one person. It sounded like several people were screaming. I looked at the kids, some of them were watching the door and the rest were watching me. I put a finger to my lips to silence any of their questions and motioned for them to stay put. I quickly but silently crept over to the door and opened it just enough so that I could see into the hall. Maids and servants were running everywhere nonstop screaming. I looked at what I could see on the main floor, it looked like people soldiers? were busting their way in through the front door, some had already made it inside and were going after anyone they could get their hands on. It was absolutely terrifying. I wanted to crawl into a ball and hide. But I couldn't. I carefully shut the door and looked back at the kids, now all of their eyes were on me. I had to think. I didn't know where the guards were. I didn't know where Lord Sesshomaru was. And we couldn't just stay in here. Think! Suddenly I had a plan. I ran over to the window. I scanned the garden, there was no one out there. Good. The children could go hide in the forest just beyond the garden. I got in the closet and motioned for the kids to follow me. Once we were all shut in the closet I spoke to them in hushed tones.

"Listen, I want you, all of you, to go through the tunnel and I want you to go hide in the trees. Do you hear me, run, don't look back and hide. And don't come out until I find you."

"But how will we know it's you?"

"Umm… I…I'll sing. Our song. Only we know our song right?" They nodded. "So I'll sing our song, once you hear it you'll know that it's okay to come back out. Do not come back out until you hear that song. No matter what they say. Do you understand?" They nodded again.

Tears started welling up in Rin's eyes, "Nicole, I'm scared."

I smiled and ruffled her hair, "Don't be kid, I won't let them hurt you. Any of you."

"Aren't going to come with us?" Arata asked.

"No."

"Then I'm not going," Rin said.

"Yes you are. And you need to go now." I looked at Lord Isao's kids, "You guys are demons remember, you're not afraid of anything. And you're faster than Rin, so I need you to help her run. Do not leave each other. Now go guys! Run! Get out of here, hide until I come and get you! Go!" I pushed them towards the tunnel and they were off. I moved the wall back behind them, that way no one could tell there was a tunnel there. It was perfect timing too because right then the doors to Rin's room busted open.

"There's nobody in here, I thought you said the kids were in here," a voice hissed.

"That's what the maid said, she said this is Lord Sesshomaru's ward's room," another voice growled.

"Then they must be hiding." I could hear them throw things around the room from my place in the closet. Getting closer until finally the closet door flew open. "My my my, what do we have here?"

"She's human and she pretty young, maybe she's Lord Sesshomaru's ward."

The first man grabbed me by the arm and pulled me to stand in front of him. "Well is it true, are you Lord Sesshomaru's ward?" My heart was pounding and my breathing was erratic. I didn't know what to do, but I knew I needed to stall so the kids could get farther in the woods. So I turned my head to the side, in what I hoped came off as defiant and not pathetic, and didn't answer the man. "I asked you a question woman?" He started shaking me. Still I didn't answer, "Are you or are you not Lord Sesshomaru's ward?" I could tell he was starting to get really angry because he had to choke out the words through clenched teeth, but still I refused to answer. Smack! It made my ears ring, it's that the slap hurt so much as it was just loud. But I think that was the point, this man wanted to scare me. That slap was a warning, a promise of what was to come if I didn't start cooperating.

"Yes!" I yelled desperately, "yes I'm Rin, Lord Sesshomaru's ward."

The other man laughed, it was a mean, heartless laugh, the complete opposite of Lord Isao's laugh, "See that wasn't so hard was it? We just need to barrow you and the other children for a while. Just until we get what we want. Now tell us where to other children are."

I stared into the man that held me's eyes, ice. He glared back at me and then he sneered, "She's lying."

"What!?"

"I said she's lying. She's not Lord Sesshomaru's ward."

"How do you know that?"

The man didn't answer, instead he dragged me out into the hallway, "Grab that maid." The other man did as he said and grabbed maid that happened to be by us. He held her by her hair. "Is this Lord Sesshomaru's ward?" The maid didn't answer and I don't know if she could. The man holding her jerked her head back and the man holding me spat, "Is she," he shoved me towards the maid for emphasis, "Lord Sesshomaru's ward?"

The maid cried out as the man jerked her again, "No! She's not! She's not Lord Sesshomaru's ward!" the woman took deep, gasping breaths. "Please let me go! Please!"

The man that was holding her hit her and knocked her out, then he wiped his hand on his shirt like he had been holding something filthy, "Damn, she was annoying."

I gasped as I watched the maid hit the ground and again when the man jerked me back to his side and he smiled. That smile chilled me to the bone, "You lied to me. I don't like being lied to." Smack! I had to blink to clear my vision, that one was defiantly harder. "Now tell me, where is the real ward at? And the rest of the children?" I couldn't tell him, no matter what. Instead I let my eyes slide towards my bedroom door. And he took the bait, "Oh so they're in there are they?" He didn't wait for me to answer, not that I expected him to, and he pushed me into the room. Together the men ransacked my room. And the man that had been holding me came up spitting, he stalked over towards me, "You wench!" Smack! "You lied to me again!" Smack!

He seemed to take a minute to get himself back under control, and then he smiled again. "Tsk tsk, I thought we had gotten past this. I'm disappointed in you." He shook his head in mock derision, "Now we know that you know where the children are because we found you hiding in their room. So why don't you just tell us and make it easier on yourself." I looked away from the man, with that smile he was more terrifying than even my worst nightmare, he grabbed my chin, "You had better start talking now woman."

Summoning up courage I didn't know I had left I replied, "No."

The man laughed, "No, huh? Well let me take you for a little stroll." He walked me out into the hall, men were still chasing people. But it looked like to me that Sesshomaru's guards had finally started fighting back, now it was anybody's battle. "Shucks, it doesn't look like we can go out that way. We'll just have to go out the back." I wanted to panic, if we went out the back that would bring him to the garden and closer to the children. I wanted to stop right there and try to lead him in another direction but I was afraid that would make him suspicious. I was at a loss so I just let him pull me through the back doors and into the garden.

"What about out here? Are they out here?" I didn't answer and because I didn't want to give anything away I stared into the man's face. Soon his smile turned into a sneer, "I'm losing my patience with you, wench, I suggest if you want to live that you tell me where the children are now." That statement made me think of home. When I was little my cousin and I used to fight nonstop and he used to threaten me like this. Never this severe, he'd more likely to threaten to steal one of my toys. So I did to the man what I would do to my cousin at times like this, I spit in his eye.

"Arg!" The man screamed and threw me to the ground, and vigorously wiped his eyes. He blinked a couple of times and then stomped towards me. I could tell I was in some trouble now. He jerk me to my feet so fast it hurt my arm. "Tell. Me." Smack! "Where." Smack! "The. Children." Smack! "Are."Smack! "Now." Smack! To be honest my head was a bit fuzzy at this point. But I guess the man took my silence as more disobedience because his masked dropped for a second. For that one second that man's face showed nothing but unleashed fury, but soon he was smiling again. "This really is disappointing. And I had such high hopes for you, but unfortunately you've tried my patience and now I'm going to kill you." The man raised his arm and I closed my eyes, trying to prepare myself for the strike that never came. However, the man's grip did tighten to the point I was sure that it left a bruise on my arm. Slowly I opened my eyes, the man's face wasn't smiling any longer. No, the only thing the man's face showed now was complete and utter surprise. He still had his other arm extended in the air but he was gasping for breath, I looked down and was surprised myself. He had a hand sticking through his mid-section and I could hear it sizzling.

Suddenly the man dropped and so did his grip on my arm, and standing there instead was Lord Sesshomaru. And behind him were Lord Isao, Lady Emi, Jun, Jaken, and several guards. Relief rushed my body and I sagged, almost landing on the ground once again but a strong hand caught my wrist and kept me steady. I stood there staring at the hand on my arm, and then at the owner. Then at everyone else. And then I couldn't hold it in any longer, I laughed. I laughed and laughed until my eyes watered, and then it turned into huge, gasping sobs. And then as quickly as they began they stopped and I took a minute to catch my breath. Lady Emi came up during the ordeal and wrapped her arms around my shoulders and had started telling me that it was 'okay now' over and over again. But that didn't comfort me as much as the fact that Lord Sesshomaru still hadn't removed his hand.

"Wh-what happened to everyone?" I asked.

"The enemy are all dead," Lord Isao assured me.

I nodded and Lady Emi tried to lead me inside but I shook my head and pulled away from her. Everyone looked at me quizzically but I ignored them as I walked to the edge of the garden and stopped at the beginning of the forest. I took a deep breath and then, "Five little ducks went out one day…" I figured I looked pretty peculiar but I didn't care I needed to know the kids were safe.

One by one the exited the woods and I couldn't stop myself from falling to my knees in relief. I opened my arms and they ran into them. We just stood there hugging. Lady Emi and Lord Isao soon joined us and hugged their children and Rin. I hung back when they all started towards the palace and just watched them, still unbelievably relieved that everyone was okay.

But then I saw him at the edge of the garden, getting closer, ready to attack. One of the enemy had survived. I didn't think I just reacted. I moved faster than I had ever moved in my life and stepped in front of children just as the man had thrust his sword. Only I didn't feel it and when the man pulled the sword back I killed him. I felt power surge through me, I could feel my newly acquired wound healing, I could hear the blood rushing through my veins. But for a moment all I could do was stare at the blood on my hand. Finally I turned to the group with a look of confusion and shock on my face. The looks I got back only served to confuse me more. Lady Emi, the children, Jun, Jaken, the guards all looked at me in shock. Lord Sesshomaru's eyes had gotten almost imperceptibly wider but otherwise his face remained blank.

Lord Isao, however, outright laughed, "I thought so. I thought you looked like her."

I stared blankly at the man, "Like whom?"

"Why, Princess Mizuki, of course, the Princess of the panther demons."

"Wha-" I wanted to ask more questions but everything went black.