Wow, it seems like I just updated this.... *shrugs* Oh well! I just couldn't stop typing this chapter!! A hell of a lot of stuff happens in this chapter... and maybe the next.... *does weird eyebrow thing*
This chapter made me sad!! TT0TT A lot of crying, screaming, and pain--

Youko: *points to the title* Hence what this chapter is called. *smirks*

Me: *hits him in his bicep* Don't sound like a know-it-all, smartass!
Anyway, please read and review! *brings out Kuronue's pendant, waves it in front of readers* You will leave a review, you will leave a review...

Chapter 12: Pain

Pain, searing pain, that's all I feel. Blood trickles/pours down my arms, legs, face, trunk, and mouth. I pant heavily as I look over the demon.
He has snow white hair that runs down to his neck, blood red eyes, and white skin. My blood is splattered over his noble clothing.
I grip onto my katana's handle as I glare at him. While whistling he twirls his weapon, a giant axe, which he can handle as if it weighs like a feather, in between his fingers.

"I'm surprised that you haven't fainted from blood loss, Ookami."
My eyes widen. How does he know my nickname?!
He chuckles. "Or should I call you by your original name…, Mark."
"No…." I growl.
"Hm?" he stops twirling his axe and puts it in the ground. "Why is that, Mark?" he grins.
"Only my friends call me those: 'Mark' and 'Ookami'." I snarl at him. With strength I never knew I had, I stand up. I hold up my sword, glaring daggers at him.
The demon sighs and lifts up his weapon. He balances his axe on his shoulder. "I thought this was going to be fun," he sighs. "Oh well. Jarith-sama wants the crystals."
"Jarith-sama?" I question.
"Hai, but since I'm in the mood…" his grin is sickly. "I'll make your death pleasurable."
How can death be 'pleasurable?'

He lifts the axe off his shoulder and slashes it toward me. I jump out of the way, only to have my shirt torn and more blood to erupt. An extensive amount of wind blows me into a tree.
"Ah, Hell!" I groan. My body feels like it's weak. "Damn-… it…."
I look to my left. My weapon is out of my reach.
"Shit."
My hand inches toward the black handle.

"Ookami?"
That voice! With wide eyes I look forward. No… way…!
"Hey, there, Ookami! What's up?"
"Glow-chan…?" I whisper.
"You~ betcha!" she winks. Glow walks up to me. I'm astounded that she's wearing her school uniform.
She holds out her hand to me.
"Why don't we go find Kitty-Cat-chan, and then I'll fix those wounds up for ya'!"
I'd never thought that I would be so happy to see her, her joyous chocolate-brown eyes and her smile.
But… her eyes… and smile… why is there an evil in them? I squint to look closer at her.
"Nani?" she tilts her head.
I ignore her. I place my hand over my stomach wound, wanting to stop the bleeding, and walk toward my sword. I grip to the handle with my bloody hand. "My sorry…." I whisper.
"Hmmm?"
I whip around and slash the blade into her side; she lets out an inhuman screech. I cringe at the sound. She stumbles back a few.
"You bastard…." She glares at me.
As I look at 'her,' her face twists and distorts. Her brown hairs shorten into white tresses, and her eyes mix until they're blood-shot red. Along with her hair and eyes, her body transforms into the demon I am fighting.
His hand meets the wound on his side. Though, it seems to be healing quickly.
I stare at him absently.
"Never do that." I tell him.
"How did you even know?"
"Her eyes, and smile for one. You also weren't concerned about my wounds – like she would've been. True she would be worried about Kitty-Cat-chan, but seeing how I am," I raise my arms, to show him the gashes. "She would treat these. A damn-stupid mistake." I glare at him.
Why does my katana feel so heavy?
His fangs enlarge and his hackles rise. He pulls his out axe, from the holder on his back.
My sword falls from my hands.
There's a numb, sweltering pain through my body.
Everything goes black.

Third person

Mark falls back onto the dark red earth with a splattering 'thud'. His dark emerald eyes haze over, dead. The demon, Sullivan, walks up to him with a cocky grin on his lips.
He wiggles his axe out of the human and places back in its holder.
A light purple, three dimensional kite-like shaped, crystal shimmers and out of Mark's chest. Sullivan bends down and scoops up the glowing crystal. It floats above his blood covered hand.
Blood slides down his, once snow white hair.
"Such a bother," he gazes down Mark and gives a sickly grin. "But worth it."
He carefully maneuvers the Crystal of Courage into a little side pouch, on his right hip.
"Buh-bye." He smiles down at Mark.

He turns on his heel and walks into the dark forest. His white, blood-splattered cape flows behind him.

+Gloria's POV (first person)+

I grasp a fist full of cloth, over my left breast, and fall to my knees. Tears fall from my eyes as I try to catch my breath. I cough but nothing comes up, like I thought it would.
It feels like something was just ripped from my heart.
I close my eyes and yell; "Damn-it!!!!!!!" a fresh load of tears comes out. I scream in pain.
Not again. Not this pain again! I think to myself. I felt this just hours ago.
I continue to scream and cry in agony.
Why? Why?!
"WHY?!!!!!" I screech. "I just wanna go home!"
My tears fall to the earth and go unnoticed, watering the soil.
Bit by bit pieces of my cracked heart falls. I scream in turmoil. I wrap my other arm around my stomach; wanting the vomiting sensation to go away.
A flash of Mark's content face goes through my mind. Before it was Rebecca. I lean forward.
"No…." I groan. How dare they?! How dare they leave me all alone!! "Stupid… selfish… jerks!" I quietly insult them. They just left me here!
I cry. My entire body shakes as sobs rip from me.

A twig snaps under pressure.
"Oh, my." I hear a cool voice.
I look up at hearing the voice; I see that it's a male demon. Through blurry eyes I can make out that he has red hair, tan skin, and green and yellow clothing. I sniffle and rub underneath my eyes, wanting to rid myself of these troublesome tears.
"What's wrong?" he kneels down in front of me.
I close my eyes as I let out a sob, not being able to say anything. I feel his rough fingers cradle my chin and something, silk-like tab under my eyes.
"Why is an S-class crying?" he asks himself.
I open my eyes once he stops trying to dry my face. I gaze into his feline dark violet eyes.
They're pretty, almost like jewels…. I think to myself.
"What ails you?" he tries again.
Why does he care, he's a demon, right?

"My-My-My fr-fr-iends-" I'm unable to finish as I begin to cry again. The pain in my heart triples; I scream.
The demon wraps his arms around me. I cry into his green sash, that's over his right shoulder. He rubs my head in a soothing matter.
Are they really gone? No! They can't be! Why would they just leave me here?

Slowly my crying ceases, but I remain still. I just want to be held right now….
"Arigatou…." I whisper to this strange, yet kind demon.
"'Twas nothing."
I unwilling pull myself away from him. My eyes remain down as I do so. They widen at mark just below his collar bone.
Five kite shaped marks are in the form of a sakura blossom, and from his left shoulder down to his right hip is a scar.
I resist moving my fingers across it, like I normally do/did to Mark.

"Are you alright?" he asks.
I nod, but fail to meet his eyes.
"What of your friends?"
I grip the fabric harder as the pain comes back. I roll my teeth over my lower lip.
I must look pathetic to him. He thinks I'm am S-class demon – the highest of classes, I recall.
"I-I-I…" tears again fall from my eyes. "I think they're dead!" my face twists with sadness. This pain is far too great for someone like me to take!
"I'm sorry for your loss…."
Why is this demon being so… so… compassionate, when all the others were so… so… uncompassionate…? Aren't demons supposed to be cold-hearted?
An image of Achlys and Youko flash through my mind. Those two were kind-hearted, minus Youko's flirts, so can this one be… be kind?
"… Arigatou…." I whisper.
His hands travel up to my elbows; I feel his fingerless gloves too. Slowly he raises me up. I stand on shaky legs. The knots in my stomach fail to go away, as well as the pain in my heart.
"I apologize." I look up at him. "For your loss…."
He's so kind!
"Do you wish to look for their bodies?"
I bite my lower lip, but nod my head. His fingers intertwine with mine and he leads me toward my friends' bodies.
I gaze down at the ground, catching glimpses of this demon's black shoes and his yellow army-like pants.

"Watch out!!" Rebecca's warning rings throughout my mind.
I look up at the demon.
He's so kind, do I have to be aware him? … Nah!
His bright red hair is pulled back into a low ponytail; the length runs down past his rear.
"You know where they are?" I ask him.
"Well… no…." I can just picture the sheepish look on his features.
"Oh…," I sigh.
He stops and looks over his shoulder. "Can you not sniff them out?"
Shoot! Their sense of smell. "Uhh…, there's too much stuff in the air…." I blush at my excuse, praying that he can't hear my heart that well. Or, at the very least, think I'm still upset of the loss – which I am.
"True," he buys it.
Must be a low class, I figure. His sense of smell isn't all that great.
There is a sudden pang of pain in my breast. "GAH!!!!!!!" I scream. I rip my hand away from his, grip onto my heart, and double over. I continue to scream in pain.
Why? Why am I feeling this pain again?!
Tears force their way out of my closed eyes.
My screams are so high-pitched that birds fly out of the nests, and young/small demons skitter away. I try my best to catch my breath before I scream again. I fail miserably. My body trembles. I continue to bawl and howl in pain.
The demon, though tense, walks to my side and rubs my lower back.
My brown, very long hair acts like a curtain; hiding my twisted expression.
"Shhh…." He tries to sooth me. I just ignore him. "Shhh…." He sounds more urgent.
He scoops my shaking form up, like a bride, and takes off. I cry into his green sash.
I just want this pain to go away!!
It feels as if someone is repeatedly stabbing my heart, with a fine tipped dagger.
I scream more frequently and my tears come out faster.
I feel something pinch in between my neck and shoulder.
Everything goes black.

...

Plep. Plep. Plep.
There's a constant dripping sound echoing around me. I groan in protest, wanting the sound to stop and go back to sleep. How can someone sleep peacefully if there's such an annoying sound?
I attempt to move my arm, but grunt in pain. My eyes are heavy with sleep as I open them. Blinking back the blurriness, they widen. My mouth slowly opens and an ear-splitting scream tears from my vocal cords, and large amounts of tears fall from my eyes.
There are two bodies in front of me: Rebecca and Mark. I scream again, noticing the smell and sight of the blood. In Rebecca's left breast is a dagger; blood soaks her kimono. Mark is in the worst of shape; he's covered in blood. I scream and sob at the sight.

The smell, oh the smell!! The putrid smell brings back painful, dreadful memories for me.
I shake my head to rid of the faces, voices, and stench. I whine at my failure. But I try to push them back, back into the dark corners of my mind.
I look back down at Rebecca and Mark, and sob. They're tied down to slab stone tables, with rope.
I try to move my arms again, only to fail again.
I try to move my stiff legs, failure.
I weep. I begin to imagine what will happen to me; I tremble.
They'll surely torture me, until I beg for death! They can't kill me if I hand over my Heart Crystal, though.
I don't want to die, but I don't want to stay here all by myself either.
I chew on my lower lip, the salty taste of my tears enter my mouth.
There's the sudden pang of pain in my chest again, only this time it goes throughout my entire body. I scream in agony. I aim to break free. The bindings, the chains nearly crush my wrists and ankles. I scream again at the raw feeling. My head hangs.
I can't break free….
I try to catch my breath as I look around me.
We're in a dimly lit dungeon. There are shackles on the left and right of me; I cringe at the sight of abnormal skeletons. I sniffle and gaze out the little barred window, seeing the red moon brings back the previous night's dream. Despite the sight in front of my body, a small smile goes across my lips as I remember it. But frown soon after and tears fall from the corners of my eyes.
"Please help…." I whisper.
If only he were real! My mind screams.
"Oh, but he is real." I snap my head forward, looking at the open doorway, at the familiar voice.
"Get me out of here! Please!!" I beg.
His features darken and a sickening smirk goes across his lips. His violet eyes are just as evil looking. His footsteps terrifyingly echo off the empty walls.
My breath hitches in my throat as his hand rests on the left side of my face. His demonic eyes bore into my human ones.
He slowly runs his thumb underneath my eye. "Why so tense…, Gloria?"

Damn-it! I was supposed to watch out for him!!
He chuckles. "But of course you were."
My eyes widen if fright.
He can hear my thoughts?
"Yes, I can." He tells me.
"What have you done…?" I whisper at him.
His thumb's claw pierces my skin. I flinch on reflex, but I felt nothing. His claw sluggishly goes down to the corner of my lip. He retracts his hand. From just below my eye I see white sparkles; my wound is healing itself.
"We've down everything possible to get your Heart Crystal out of you." he tells me. "Drowning you, hanging you, ripping you from limb to limb, setting you on fire, snapping you in half," with each way of killing me his grin got wider. "Of course you were still unconscious. You, also, healed quickly." He shows his white fangs. I cringe as visuals of what my body went through come to my mind.
"But they," he jerks his head toward Kitty-Cat-chan and Ookami. "Weren't as lucky as you, Kitsune."
I gaze at my friends, practically family. My vision becomes blurry with new found tears. I hang my head in shame.
If none of us separated they would still be here…. I whine.
"No, that's not true." He grips onto both sides of my wet, tear-stained face. His voice is mocking. "We would've found some way to separate you three." He barks out his laughter.
I shake my head; his hands fall to his sides. I cry into my left bicep, my brown tresses acting like a sheer curtain.
This smell, and this painful feeling, it's all too much for me!
"Oh-ho~!" he sings. He pulls back my hair. "What are these images I see?"
It doesn't take a genius to know that was a rhetorical question, and that he now has the Crystal of Knowing.
"Get out…." I can just feel him digging through my mind. "Get out!" I shake my head, as if that would get him out.
He chuckles at my pathetic attempts. "How interesting…."
"Get out!!" my scream bounces off the walls.
"Hmmm, isn't this some sort of human holiday? Christmas, am I right?"
I chew on my lower lip as tears force their way out of my eyes.
"And what is this: your mother placing you in somewhere, a closet maybe; strange men, thieves, bursting in; them tearing everything down; and… what's this?!" he grips onto my face. "They killed your family…."
I continue to cry; as the images of my dying parents returns to my mind, and the ruined holiday. I feeling so helpless, like I've could of down SOMETHING to save them!!
"You loath them, right, the thieves." His cool, alcohol scented breath tickles my ear.
I nod.
"What if I told that you were serving them?"
What? My eyes widen that the very thought. There's no possible way!
"And that Youko Kurama, the cold-hearted one and one in your dreams, are the same person?"
My body trembles. I almost kissed a thief?!?!!
Wait…. Did I really… really….
An image of us kissing, many nights ago, flashes through my mind.

"OH!!" he sounds astounded, at what he sees. "He kissed you! And he's so flirtatious in your dreams!"
Sick bastard! Get out!!
He chuckles. "Yet, he's a cold hearted bastard in real life."
"Shut-up!" I pull my head out of his grasp. "Shut-up, shut-up, shut-up!!!" I shake my head.
I cry.
Why must I be so helpless? Why can't I be strong like my friends?!
The demon chuckles in a sinister way. "Why did they call you 'Kitsune'?" much to my dismay he grasps onto my chin. "You are far too idiotic; a real kitsune wouldn't have fallen for such an easy trick." I feel is free hand slide down my side and his eyes roaming my body. "Your looks are just painfully normal: brown hair and eyes. Your body is just so… so," he sighs and shakes his head.
"Stop," I beg.
I'm depressed enough as it is! Tears begin to fall from my eyes, and join in with the sound of falling water.
He places his right hand over my left breast; I tense at the unwanted touch. He leans in. "All you have to do is hand over your Heart Crystal, and it'll be over."
Hand over my Heart Crystal?
"Unlike your friends," he holds out his hands, for me to see, and there are two levitating, shimmering crystals – one in each hand. Both are light purple, but in the center there are different colors. In his left the crystal has a light blue color, while the other has a dark green. Rebecca and Mark.
Tears continue to fall from my eyes.
He closes his hands, absorbing their power. His body glows.
"No!!" I scream in protest. I attempt to break free, but wince at the numbing sensation.
"Unlike your friends," he begins again. "You have to hand over your Crystal."
If I hand it over, I'll die.
I sniffle.
Please someone help!
I begin to chew on my lower lip.
The demon takes hold my chin again. I'm forced to look into his violet eyes.
"There is no one to come and save you." He tells me. I let out a sob. He already saw so many things, so many things that I wanted to hide from other people.

"Jarith-sama!!!" another demon, one with long black hair and two copper eyes, slams open the door that the demon, Jarith, closed once he entered. His skin glows from the light behind him. "Youko Kurama and his band of thieves are at our borders!"
"Nani?!" Jarith barks.
Youko… Kurama…?
An unwanted pain slowly begins well-up in my gut, and wraps around my heart.
"Stop them by any means!"
"Hai, Milord!" the demon servant leaves.
Jarith turns his attention back to me.
"Now," he begins. "Care to hand over that Heart Crystal?"
What's the point in resisting anymore? Even if Youko comes in and gets me out of here, he'll just kill me. He is a thief after all and thieves are cold-hearted monsters. What makes him so different? To make it worse he's a demon, a demonic thief!
The worst….
"I… I…"
"Yes?" he's getting impatient.
"I," I swallow a lump in my throat. "I give up my-"

"Don't do it!!!"
Two extremely familiar voices sound. My moist eyes widen and I look around.
Didn't Jarith hear them? … Guess not.
I look behind him. I don't believe my eyes!
Rebecca and Mark…. They're… they're….
With great difficulty I swallow down a lump in my throat.
"You give up what!?"
I ignore his roar and continue to stare at them.
Rebecca is wearing a light blue, silk, off the shoulder dress. That I imagine falls down to her ankles. She holds an ancient, yet glorious, looking book close to her chest.
Mark is dressed up like a knight, with silver armor. A sword is at his at his side, the hilt is dark brown with emerald jewels.
"Don't you DARE hand that over!!" they both shout.
I absently nod my head.
"What are you nodding at?" Jarith shouts.
The painful feeling in my chest slowly dissipates into something wonderful. The pressure around my wrists and ankles melts away.
I glare at him. "I'm not giving up my Heart Crystal!"
The Crystal of Knowing and Courage float out of Jarith's chest and goes into mine. I suddenly know more than I ever did before and I feel unstoppable.
Everything whites out.

...

I float aimlessly about in this white nothingness.
I hear nothing.
I see nothing but white.
I feel nothing. The pain that was in my chest before is gone.
My hair and clothing act like they're underwater, yet I can breathe just fine.
I turn my head left and right. My body feels like its asleep, heavy.
What is this place? I wonder. I can't be dead, can I? I never said I gave up my Crystal….
My nose involuntarily sniffs the 'air'.
Roses?
I smile at the scent.
Why do roses always make me smile?

"Bark!"
I pull myself up onto my feet, looking for the creature that made that sound.
"Bark!" A different one sounds.
Their barks echo. I noted
No soon later where there numerous, different types of barking.
"Nani?" my soft voice echoes.
I look around me. Small arctic foxes prance and twirl around my feet barking. I raise an eyebrow at them.
Aren't foxes supposed to be shy of humans?
They come to a slow stop.
The little foxes sit down, facing me, and blink at me with their coal-black eyes. I blink as they smile.
"Bark!" they all sound at once; I flinch.
They lay down with their rears, and tails, in the air.
I squeal and shield my face, on reflex, as they jump at me. Only I don't feel them, but I feel comforting warmth surrounds me.

The white slowly fades to black.
I bring down my arms and look at them.
Good thing I'm not afraid of the dark….
I knit my brows together as I see a floating orb coming up to me.
"Gloria," the light blue sounds.
"Rebecca is that really you?" tears brim my eyes.
"Yes." The orb tells me. "Please follow me!" her voice is urgent.
"Okay," I nod my head and walk behind her. We only take three steps, but I see a flickering light on the 'ground'.
"Mark!!" my yell echoes. I run up to him.
I fall to my knees and scoop up the dark green orb in my hands.
"Mark?" my voice trembles.
He doesn't respond, but his light slightly fades. It pains me to see him like this! I look up to Rebecca but gasp as she slowly falls down, her light flickering. Putting Mark in one hand, I catch Rebecca with the other.
"Why….? What…?"
They don't answer me.
"You guys!" my tears fall into my lap. "Please don't go!!"
My hands suddenly glow a bright, blinding white. I close my eyes.
Once I open them again, I see Mark and Rebecca are gone.
"Don't worry," I hear Rebecca whisper. "Our Heart Crystals are back now, and we're fine."
"Thanks, Gloria." Their voices sound simultaneously.
They're gone, out of my mind.

I close my eyes and sigh.
I open my eyes and my body goes tense. My heart gains a pang of pain. I'm surrounded by silver roses, and my kimono transformed into the white dress.
"Get out," I growl. My hands form into fists.
I hear the flowers move behind me.
He's a thief! A cold hearted thief!
RUN!!
"Get out!!" I scream.
I bolt up sensing him right behind me. Whipping around I see that he lost his 'normal' playful expression.
Why is he causing me so much pain? Tears fall from my eyes.
He steps forward, I step backward.
I grasp onto my head, and shake it. "Wake-up, wake-up, wake-up!" I whisper, knowing fully well that I'm dreaming.
He's a thief, run!!
I bite onto my lower lip.
"Gloria…." He reaches out.
I flinch and back away from the dark clawed hand.
"No!" I scream.

...

I gasp as my eyes snap open and I bolt up.
I gotta get out!
I rip off the blankets and dash out of the white room. My vision becomes blurry, as I forbid tears from falling out.
I run out of the hideout, and to somewhere I don't know.


Author's Note: *continues to wave pendant in front of you* You will leave a review, you will leave a review....

Kuronue: *walks in* Has anyone seen my-- *sees me grinning sheepishly*

Me: *wiggles fingers* Hi~!!!! Kuronue~!!!!!

Kuro: Give me back my pendant!!!! *launches at me*

Me: *runs out of the way, holds the pendant close to chest, growls* Not until I get my reviews!!!!

Kuro: What does my pendant and your reviews have to do with the same thing!!?

Me: Your pendant can hypnotize people!!!

Youko: *crosses arms, grins* DUH!!

Kuro: T^T Just give it back! Damn-it!!

*Kuronue chases me as I put on his pendant*

Youko: *a bystander, wiggles his ears and tail, sighs* How very mature.... *looks toward the readers* Please leave a review, so that Kuronue can get his pendant back.

Me: *squeals as Kuro throws his scythes*