Author's note: So a few days ago I checked my stats for the first time in years, and it seems a few chapters ago passed the 400000 words uploaded mark

Chapter 76

"I am afraid I have not been completely truthful to you, my niece."

"What? What do you mean?" asked the now confused Tomo. She didn't quite understand what the man meant- he had said they weren't related. And her friend beside her still wasn't moving. Tomo found herself caught between two feelings- confusion over what was happening and a strange feeling of fear, of worry. She suspected something bad was about to happen…

"What's wrong with Sakaki?" added Tomo as she leaned over to stare Sakaki in the face. The tall girl's eyes were still wide open but they didn't move at all, they didn't blink. Tomo leant further forward, very close to Sakaki now, but the girl didn't flinch at all.

"Though she is a very nice girl, I am afraid she would simply be in the way for now," said Takino. "You are the only one I want to speak to now. For many years, so many years I've wished to talk to you Tomo. You don't know how much I wished to talk to you about everything when I first met you. But the things I have to say…they are truly terrible things. They are things I wished to keep away from you for two decades."

"Yo-what? Make Sakaki normal again! Bring her back, this is weird!" said Tomo.

"I cannot," replied Takino with a wave of his hand. "And there should be a more important question you should be asking Tomo."

"Huh-what?" asked Tomo.

"The matter of me calling you my niece," said Takino calmly. "That should be more important to you."

Tomo stared towards Takino. She had briefly heard him mention the word niece but had been more worried about her friend. She had had little time to worry about what else was being said, she just wanted her friend to return to normal. But now that he had said Sakaki wouldn't be returning to normal…she had time to think it over. She couldn't do anything to Takino yet. She didn't know how to get Sakaki out of what had happened to her. She would need Takino to stop it…she couldn't do anything. Yet.

"So you're my uncle?" asked Tomo.

"Yes I am," said Takino as he remained standing. "I was there the day you were born. I was there…I was there when your father died. I saw him seal you with the demon. I had something I was meant to do…but I could not. I could not do it at that time" continued the man as he bowed his head slightly.

"My dad?" asked Tomo.

"Of course," said Takino with a smile. "I was very close with my brother. And of course with my father as well- we all loved one another. We wished to work together, to carry out fathers plan. We started the plan over two decades ago but it cost the life of both my father and dear brother. But I remained and ever since I've carried on with the mission. All of these long years I've had to watch over my brother's daughter from a distance. And all this time I knew that eventually this day would arrive. I don't want to do this, but after the time and lives spent on this I have no choice Tomo."

"Plan? What did my Dad do?" asked Tomo. "What do you mean no choice?"

"I do not wish to give you all of the details Tomo. I feel it would be better for you not to know. From now on I suspect this will all just be a pleasant dream for you. And I would consider that to be for the best. I know what I have to do. But you are still family. Whatever happens I don't wish to subject you to anything more then is necessary."

"More then necessary? Why are you talking about me like that? I'm not going to just let you do whatever the hell you're talking about!" said Tomo in an angry voice. Her tone almost matched that of her former teacher Yukari. At another time and place it might have startled her at how similar she sounded.

More then just confused she was now also getting annoyed. She had spent all this time and effort trying to rescue Takino and now that she had found him, he was talking like this. Talking about her like she was some kind of object to simply be used by him. She had had a long and painful night and all she wanted was to return to a warm bed. But now she found a man she had trusted talking to her like this. A man who was apparently family- and the only one she had ever known.

"I'm sorry Tomo. But at the end of the day what I have do is what I have to do," said Takino with a grim tone of regret. "We had never planned for it to be you. We had never intended to subject you to all that you have faced. That demon within you. How the villagers treated you for all of those years. That was never meant to have happened."

"Don't I get to have a say in this?" asked Tomo.

Takino slowly shook his head. "I am afraid not Tomo. I'm afraid this is now something…something bigger then merely you or I."

"Yeah," said Tomo in a deeply uncommitted tone as she slowly backed away from the man. As Takino opened his mouth to speak again Tomo turned and ran. The man merely stood still and raised an eyebrow. He dusted himself down and followed the girl at walking speed, patting Sakaki on the shoulder as he walked beyond her.

"I'm sorry Sakaki, I'll be back soon," said Tomo quietly to herself as she ran along the corridor. She couldn't stop the feeling of guilt that gripped her chest, but she knew she had no other choice. If she had stayed there Takino could have done the same thing to her as he had done to Sakaki. Then what would have happened?

She had to get away, try to regroup with the others and then go back to get Sakaki. She was tired and injured from the battle with Botan. Now that the power of the demon had vanished again she was starting to feel the after effects of using the power within her. Just running down the corridor had caused her to start breathing heavily. She came to a sudden stop as someone she hadn't been expecting came into view, standing still with his arms behind his back.

"Sen?" asked Tomo while taking in deep breaths. "What are you doing here?"

"I was able to find my way here after I discovered what happened," replied the man.

"Where are the others?" asked Tomo. "Did you see them?"

"No I'm afraid I didn't Tomo," replied Sen. "I haven't seen anyone on my way up here."

"You didn't? But Fuka and Kaorin…they should have been there. Unless you used a different-huh?" trailed off Tomo.

She looked down in surprise as the bandages slowly wrapped around her legs. She tried to step forwards and tripped. She went to break her fall but her hands never touched the floor as another bandage gripped her around her midriff and lifted her up. With wide eyes Tomo glanced across at Sen who still stood with his right arm behind his back. Sen's eyes narrowed slightly but his mouth didn't move at all.

"What are you doing?" asked Tomo. "Sakaki's back there! We have to help her!"

"Unfortunately for Sakaki there are more important things I need to deal with," said Sen as Tomo struggled to break free. With her hands now pinned to her sides she tried biting in desperation.

"We have to get Sakaki!"

"You took your time," muttered Sen as Kline and Shuzo joined the man in the corridor.

"I wasn't aware you would be coming here now," replied Kline. He almost sounded annoyed.

"Hey I recognize your voice!" said Tomo. "You told that Botan person to hurt Sakaki!"

"I've done a lot of things Tomo," replied Kline. "Far more then you could imagine."

Tomo heard footsteps from behind her and was able to just about turn her head to see Takino slowly marching towards the small gathering. He had a stern look upon his face, but Tomo was surprised to see the man didn't look angry. Instead he almost seemed upset.

"Ah Sen you join us slightly ahead of schedule," said Takino.

"How will we be transporting the cargo?" asked Kline in a disparaging manner.

Tomo saw a brief change in Takino's face, a look of disproval before returning to normal.

"Shuzo, it's up to you," said Takino after a few moments pause.

"Are you certain?" asked the man as he stepped towards Tomo. Takino nodded his head.

Shuzo stood next to Tomo and quickly performed a set of hand signs. As his eyes turned a piercing blue he directed his hands towards the girl. Tomo turned to face the man and started to yell out as her legs were encased in ice. Suddenly the bandages were pulled away by Sen. She started to yell out something but wasn't able to complete it as within a few seconds the girl became totally entombed within ice. The block of ice seemed to float, but it slowly lowered to the ground as Kline moved his arm down.

"Is she dead?" asked Sen.

"No, no she isn't," said Shuzo placing his hand on the ice. "She is still alive."

"It's the power of the demon within her that keeps her alive," said Takino. "That would kill normal people, but it'd take more then that to end one who possesses the power of this demon."

"So time to leave?" asked Sen. "I know it is a while before you can act, but we should leave now."

Takino paused for a moment.

"Do not worry about the other girl," said Kline as though he knew what Takino was thinking. "She has no role to play in this."

Takino nodded his head. Kline smirked as Sen lifted the un-melting ice with his bandages. It seemed almost weightless in his grip. With no more words the group walked away.