Chapter Twenty Eight

Bastet was looking at Ruby and Raleigh as they cornered her on the porch. She relaxed and fell back against the chair she sitting in. She still had Rowen's salty taste in her mouth, and she was trying to enjoy it.

Ruby crossed her arms, "you better understand this, Bastet, you're not part of our lives. You are not Hoshi, you are only here to keep her body alive."

"Haven't I already answered that," she replied with a shrug and she looked warily at Raleigh. "Do you think your little dog is going to make me tremble in my boots?"

Ruby shook her head at a tensed up Raleigh, if she had been in her wolf form her hackles would be raised up, "no, this is merely our statement. I know where the Light is, but I won't let it come through."

"You won't," Bastet asked with a grin.

"I won't, and I know how they used to wake the Light," she said as she glared at the smug god. "It's not going to happen, I won't let Hoshi die."

"I really don't have any clue what your talking about," Bastet smiled, obviously lying, "but maybe you should tell your ronin friends the consequences of your actions before you make executive decision? Don't you think?"

Raleigh looked at her and then to Ruby, I owe her my life, I will not let hers be taken.

"Be that as that may, perhaps you know less of what's going on than you think," Bastet said sadly as she got up. She pushed past them and paused to smile at Ruby, "you don't scare me, coward."

Ruby just glared as Bastet walked off. Her heart was racing, she was sure that Bastet probably could smell her adrenaline oozing off of her.

Raleigh sighed, are you sure that this is what's going to happen?

"Without a doubt, yojimbo," Ruby mumbled as she looked up at the night sky. "I'll make myself the devil if I have to for her."

She heard someone walking through the back door, ad looked back to see Rowen. Both her and Raleigh greeted him with a soft smiles, he was hurting as much as Ruby was. She really wanted them to be happy, and felt most of the responsibility for all the trouble in their lives.

"The guys are back with ice cream," he said softly.

Raleigh looked at Ruby, Is it some sort of treat?

"It's a dessert, you should try some," Ruby chuckled as she looked at the man. "So, Star Boy, how was Bastet?"

He flushed and looked at her, "how did you know?"

"I knew she was going to try it, you just confirmed it is all," she said to the blushing ronin. "She's an Old One after all, their appetites were always a bit more sultry."

"I won't let someone else touch her," he blushed and she nodded, she wasn't going to judge him for the action. It was just how things would go in that sort of situation.

"I guess I would have done the same, I mean its Hoshi's skin," she said feeling the burn on her lip. "Though, I would die for such a pleasure."

Rowen felt bad seeing the burn on her lip, "why can't you touch her?"

"Hm, she's an oracle. They're naturally toxic to us," she paused and motioned for Raleigh to leave. The wolf girl bowed and disappeared. "I would give anything for her, Strata, but she could never live a good life with me."

Rowen sat down at the deck chair, "I'm sorry she never noticed."

Ruby shook her head, "I never wanted her too."

"You know you've sent the boys a bit crazy with that kiss you gave Bastet," he laughed and she turned red as well.

"I cant help that human men find that sort of thing attractive," she blushed and he chuckled again. "Nether spirits don't identify by gender as clearly as mortals do."

"Look, we'll get her back," he said trying to encourage her a little, she even seemed nervous around him.

"Rowen, if you had a choice..." she paused as his attention focused on her. "Would you want your personal happiness, or the happiness of mankind?"

"What sort of decision is that," he asked bluntly.

"You might have to choose, Rowen," she paused, her eyes tearing up. "I can't make this decision, I'm too much of coward. I'll fight for her, but that's all I'm good for. I'm not good to love her, I'm not good to let her die, but there will be a sacrifice Rowen. I just can't do it."

"What in blazes are you talking about," he asked as he saw her sob into her hands.

"The light, I know where it is, but the Light isn't so easy to obtain," she cried. "Athena sealed it away, because of all the blood that was used to make it."

"Blood?"

"It takes the blood of an Oracle to summon it," she said finally, she continued to weep. Her shoulders shaking. "I can't do it. I can't let you blindly go into this thinking that the Light will be so easy to obtain. You have to choose! Do you let her die, or do you let Bastet live in her for the rest of her life and the darkness take over the planet."

He placed his hands on her shoulders, "you've been bearing this darkness for a while."

"The moment I found out my father was dead, I knew she would be brought into this, I tried to stay close to her," she cried. "I really tried..."

"You are no coward, Ruby," he said softly to her. "There is no right decision in this..."

"Yes there was...If I had killed my father like I knew I should have...there would have been no need for you ronins and maybe you would have met her whole and complete," she cried, her tears stung her eyes and her shoulders shook. "None of you would have had to bare the burden of the armors, and none of the tortures either. All of you could have been happy."

"You can't go back and change things..."

She looked up at him with tearful eyes, "I'm sorry, Rowen of Strata."

"What do you plan to do," he asked. "Is this just a suicide mission?"

"For me," she said as she looked out on the lake. "I'm going to get her soul back, even if it means I destroy the balance all together. If it means I become worse than my father, I will become the devil itself."

He paused, "what do you expect me to do?"

"Make the decision, Strata," she paused to wipe her eyes. "Either way, I will save her."

Cye stuck his head out the back door, "you guys better hurry, Kento is going to eat your share!"

Ruby wiped her eyes, "No, he's not! Hardrock is gonna get my foot if he tries!"

She ran in and Rowen walked in after them a little slower.

He felt the weight on his shoulders again, would he let his love for Hoshi get in the way?