Author's Soundtrack:
Aroul (Escape) by Taalbi Brothers

Do you Realize by Ursine Vulpine (at the line break)

Chapter Fourteen

Nestled in the foothills of the Sierra de las Minas mountains, a small village hurried to board up its windows, close its doors, and seek refuge from the nightmare that had been terrorizing them for weeks. It only came after sunset, stalking the dirt covered paths like a bloodthirsty demon. Any who were caught outside were whisked away like spirits, their bodies to be found days later, abandoned at the border of the village, mutilated and drained of blood.

At first, the villagers thought it was a jaguar, picking off stragglers who traveled alone along the mountain trail. But when the bodies of the hunting party were scattered along the outskirts of the village they knew they were dealing with something else entirely. The men were strong and experienced. A single jaguar wouldn't have, and couldn't have, killed them all. Now, their small population had been reduced by half, leaving mostly the weak and elderly. What warriors did remain, dared not risk the safety of the village by attempting another hunt, and no one dared brave the long, 2-day journey to seek help from the closest city. They only hoped the monster would grow tired and leave just as quickly as it came.

This night, a young woman risked attack. Her child was sick with fever, and the medicine woman had only just finished preparing the medicinal herbs. She stepped out of the hut and eyed the last rays of the setting sun as it disappeared behind the mountain peaks. A chill ran through her. She could make it if she hurried. Her hut was only a few hundred yards away.

A shutter snapped closed, causing her to jump as it echoed ominously in the empty street.

Patting her chest to steady her hammering heart, she chanted a small prayer. Turning, she ran directly into a tall, unfamiliar man. Though he smiled down at her with moon white teeth and friendly eyes, she knew he was dangerous.

"Tell me, little sparrow, would you care to meet the Devil?" His grin widened and something in her told her to flee, but he took her by the shoulders and held her firmly in place. "If you come with me, you can meet him. One as lovely as yourself, perhaps you will survive the bite of the apple."

"Please," she begged, her voice quivering in fear, "my child-"

"The Devil has no interest in children. He needs adults, healthy ones. You will come," his smile twisted, turning sinister, "willing or not."

Eyes widening in fear, she pulled away and started to run towards her hut. Burly fingers wrapped around her throat and squeezed hard. Gasping for air, she clawed desperately at his hand, her fingernails digging into his flesh and leaving behind raw red marks. Specks of black clouded her vision and she knew her life was forfeit. The bag of medicine fell to the dirt.

When the woman ceased to struggle, he released his hold on her and caught her around the waist as she fell. She wasn't large, and he worried she wouldn't be enough, but she would have to do. There weren't many more choices left, the village nearly depleted of its desirable stock. Another rotation might be necessary. He cringed at the thought, hoisting the woman over his shoulder. Moving was such a pain in the ass.

The sting of a blade at his throat caused him to still. He'd been distracted, but he should have heard an approach. Whoever got the jump on him was certainly skilled. His dark blue eyes followed the threatening glint of silver to the hulking man holding the sword and nearly gawked in surprise. To have missed this giant's approach was laughable, but he wouldn't give the man the satisfaction of knowing he'd shocked him.

"Sado," he greeted in a casual and friendly manner. A cool smile slipping onto his lips. "It's been a while."

"Dordonii. . . put the woman down."

Sado's deep voice rumbled like thunder and might have intimidated a lesser man. Instead, Dordonii pressed his lips into an amused smirk. They'd been friends once; he the charismatic lover who secretly enjoyed their true nature, Sado the silent and intimidating behemoth who had a gentle heart. Sado couldn't kill an old friend, even for the council he'd thrown away everything for.

"Come now, Sado. We both know you don't have it in you to kill an old friend, especially over a simple meal."

The lumbering titan was quiet for a moment. "Depends on your answer."

Dordonii risked slicing his neck as he turned to get a better look at Sado. Dark, curling strands fell in front of the man's eyes, concealing his thoughts and intentions. What was it he wanted to know that put Sado's love of humans on the back burner? It didn't matter. Reading Sado was like reading an encrypted message without the key - pointless.

Under normal circumstances, Dordonii would have fled preferring the danger of running from a hunter over angering his master, but he was truly curious.

"And what is the question?"

"Where is he?"

"Who?" The corner of Sado's lips twitched in irritation, and Dordonii laughed at having riled his old friend.

"The man you betrayed your council for. I want his location."

"Ah, yes, him." Dordonii hummed thoughtfully, as if recalling a distant memory, and then he grinned. "Wish I could help you, but I'd rather pick a fight with you over pissing him off. You wouldn't think him to be a moody man, but he's like a woman scorned when people lie and deceive him."

There was a low growl, deep and quivering like the earth before the violent eruption of a volcano. Dordonii managed to suppress his laughter. Sometimes it was too easy to anger the man. His betrayal and new found loyalty seemed an especially touchy subject.

"I can't protect you if you give me nothing."

It was a laughable concept, and Dordonii did little to hide the humor in it. The thought of being protected was ridiculous and ultimately fruitless. One wrong word could equal his death. There was no stopping it. He liked Sado, but he wasn't willing to die for him.

"Guess you'll have to kill me then - if you can catch me."

Dordonii shifted back to avoid the slicing motion of the sword and tossed the woman into the air. The colossal teddy bear that Sado was, he would go for the human and try to keep her from dying. As he reached for her, Dordonii fled. His goal was the dense forest surrounding the village. If Sado managed to catch up it would be a miracle. Sado had his strength, relying on his size and bulk for an advantage in power, but Dordonii had speed. He was lean and light. The thicket of trees would have an effect, but he could still out-maneuver Sado and make his escape.

Yet Sado now stood between him and his freedom, forcing Dordonii to a stumbling halt.

Dordonii visibly gawked. It shouldn't have been possible. Sado was slower, especially when tied down by his sense of duty. Had he, in fact, abandoned the woman to ensure his capture? Glancing back, Dordonii spotted her being pulled into one of the huts. No. Somehow, Sado had managed to get her to safety and still beat him to the forest. It was mind boggling, and frustrating. It was already going to cost him precious minutes luring Sado away from the village so he could double back and claim the woman. His master would be furious if he took any longer.

"What happened to you?" Dordonii stared at Sado with a bored sneer at the typical question.

"Are we really going to do this song and dance again?" He sighed, shaking his head at how hopeless his old friend truly was. Even after all these years he still held out hope for him. It was sweet and equally pathetic. "I was tired of being the Council's bitch, tired of pretending to be something I'm not."

Sado was quiet, considering his words, frowning in his failed attempt to understand a simple concept like greed and selfishness. "What about fighting for our people?"

Dordonii groaned, hanging his head in dramatic exhaustion. "Please. That's your whole schtick. I've never been interested in what's good for our people, just what's good for me. All I ever wanted to do was get drunk, screw some gorgeous women, and fight. All the Council wanted me to do was be a good little soldier and do what they told me to do without question. What the hell kind of life is that? It's bullshit. And now that I've finally found someone who lets me do whatever the fuck I want and you want me to feel bad? Screw that."

"You've changed."

There it was. That look of mournful disappointment. It used to hold some sort of sway over him, momentarily convincing him to try to be someone better, someone who could meet Sado's expectations, someone worthy of being called "friend". But not anymore. His new life wasn't as free as he would have Sado believe, but it was a hell of a lot better than being under the Council's thumb all his life - unless he didn't get back with the meal. Too much longer and Aizen would send that ghoulish pet of his to come fetch him, and he had no interest in dealing with that freak.

"No, Sado, you just never knew me."

Dordonii rushed him.

As expected, Sado swung, large and wide, exposing his left side. Dordonii feinted and aimed for the opening. The wound wouldn't kill him, but it might buy him time to fetch the women and escape. Sado shifted, twisting and avoiding the piercing jab of his sword while continuing his momentum and bringing his weapon hurtling towards Dordonii's head. Digging his heels into the soft earth, Dordonii managed to halt his movements enough to avoid the deadly blow as Sado's sword buried itself in the ground. Dordonii grinned, using a small gap he spotted in Sado's defenses, and struck.

But the sliding of metal on metal and the shiver of his blade, cooled his jubilation and gave him pause. He was quick to put distance between them, avoiding being clobbered in his stupor. Studying the area where there should have been a bloody wound, he saw what had blocked his attack. Shining through the new hole in Sado's shirt, was metal plating. Lines and pleats in Sado's clothes hinted at more metal beneath, almost like a skin-tight suit of armor. Only his neck and head were exposed in blatant challenge.

"You've got armor," Dordonii observed aloud, unable to hide the shocked awe in his voice.

"You always aim for my openings."

Dordonii couldn't help but laugh. "Well played. Is it heavy?"

"Exceedingly."

He smiled, but Dordonii wasn't entirely amused. Fighting was no longer an option. Any advantage he might have had over Sado was gone. Turning on his heel, Dordonii made a mad dash for the other end of the village, putting all his energy into his legs. He would have to come back for the woman later, after he managed to escape. As much as he hated to admit it, he might need to bring reinforcements.

When the edge of the forest was in range, he chanced a quick look back to see how far behind Sado was. To his complete surprise, Sado hadn't moved a single step. Like a statue, he stood frozen in time, watching Dordonii with a disturbing expression of sadness.

"You should watch where you're going."

Her melodic voice was the only warning before he felt the bite of steel against his throat and the spilling of his own blood. A partner. He hadn't considered it. How unfortunate.

Sado stood over Dordonii's headless body, unsure if he should feel relieved, sad, or frustrated by his old friend's death. His partner didn't give him much time for reflection, cutting the air with her sword, spattering the ground with blood, as she snapped at him.

"Where's my 'thank you'?" Cirucci glared at him through thickly painted lashes, clearly insulted by his silence. Instead of giving him time to amend the situation, she carried on. "Hope you aren't peeved I killed your bestie. He's had an annoying knack for escaping, and I didn't feel like chasing him through the mountains in my new shoes."

At the mention of them, she inspected the pointed heels and wrinkled her nose in distaste at the discovery of muck. Why she wore such impractical shoes during missions was beyond him. It was impressive she could even walk, let alone fight, but he wasn't stupid enough to make a comment. Doing so would only result in hours of her chattering about his lack of taste and how she needed to teach him about the latest trends, of which he had no interest.

"Alive would have been preferable," Sado remarked, choosing to focus on their work instead of her wardrobe. "We can't interrogate a dead man."

"It's not like he would have told us anything anyway," she replied with a shrug. "Little shits always kick it before we can even get them back to the car."

As much as he hated to admit it, she had a point. Everyone involved with Aizen was killed in some gruesome way before they could begin interrogations. Dordonii likely wouldn't have been different. Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise. His friend died quickly instead of slowly as his insides were consumed.

Sheathing his sword, Sado lifted Dordonii's body and slung it over his shoulder like a gym bag. Cirucci made a face, but he ignored it. "Grab the head."

"Ew." Her face scrunched up more. "Why? That's the Cleanup Crew's job."

"The rains washed away the only road leading to the village. We have to bring the body to them."

Considering the matter closed, Sado headed out of the village. It would take them an hour of straight running to reach the rendezvous point and he wanted to get home. This night weighed more heavily on his spirit than he thought it would, and he wanted to find peace.

"Can't we just leave him here for the animals to take care of?"

"And risk poisoning the ecosystem with whatever destroys the bodies?" If she gave a retort, he didn't hear it, choosing to slip in his earbuds. The soul-strumming music of Rodrigo Y Gabriela did wonders for keeping out Cirucci's grousing as they began the long trek back to the main road. Unfortunately, it did little to tune out his own thoughts, which continued to wander back to his old friend.

His grip on Dordonii's body tightened. They'd grown up together in a little town to the north and joined the Council as soon as they were permitted. Within their unit, they maintained top marks and were offered first pick of assignments upon graduation. They'd been a team - a good team, and then Dordonii disappeared only to return as a bloodthirsty glutton who lived for his instincts and desires instead of his mind and soul. Was it because Sado never really knew him or had he been changed? Did Aizen truly have the power to manipulate those around him, twisting them into someone completely different? If so, he was a more terrifying man than they thought.

The Clean Up Crew was waiting for them at the edge of the mud-covered road, relaxing in the back of their pickup and arguing about something sports related. Cirucci, glad to be rid of her baggage, tossed Dordonii's head into the back. Marco and Alejandro cursed colorfully at her as they jumped out of the bed of the truck, trying to avoid the splattering of blood and dangling tendons.

"What the fuck, Cirucci? Have you been this bitchy all night?" Alejandro demanded.

Ignoring him, she inspected the trunk of a fallen tree and took a seat. Giving her a disapproving glare, Sado set the body gently in the truck. Marco covered it in tarps and bags to conceal it from prying eyes when they reach the city.

"No, no. Don't get up and help," Alejandro shot bitterly at Cirucci.

She shrugged with disinterest. "This was supposed to be my night off, I'll have you know."

"Hunters don't get nights off," Alejandro informed her smugly.

"Like hell we don't! I even filled out that damn form!"

"Manny made that thing as a prank." Marco sniggered at her horrified expression.

"That fucking weasel! I'll gut his stubby ass!"

Sado was quick to answer his ringing phone, glad for an excuse to escape the loud bickering of his peers.

"Yasutura," he answered, stepping away from the others and towards the quiet of the forest.

"Councilor Reyes on the line for you." The clipped voice of the Councilor's assistant gave way to the smooth tone of the Councilor of Security, Councilor Consuela Reyes.

"Agent Yasutura. I heard your hunt was unsuccessful in regards of gathering more intel. How unfortunate."

"I can at least confirm he was working for Aizen."

"Which means, even if you did manage to capture him alive, Dordonii would have been dead before you could even finish asking him a question." She sighed in exasperation. "In that case, considering the traitor is no longer a threat, I would say you did what you could. This won't reflect poorly on your record."

"Thank you, ma'am."

"It's good this wrapped up when it did. I have another mission for you. Be in my office in forty minutes."

An abrupt click signaled the end of the conversation. Councilor Reyes was known for her curt, no-nonsense demeanor. It earned her a glaring reputation as a hard ass, unsympathetic to excuses and failure. Many complained, but she was a good leader. Under her leadership, their territory was more secure, the people safer. Aizen's persisted presence was a blemish on her own record, and she wouldn't stand for it. Dealing with Aizen and his people was her top priority, which made Sado wonder why she was dragging him in for a different mission rather than continuing to focus on finding him.

"Alejandro," Sado called, rejoining the others, "can you give me a ride back to the Consulate?"

Alejandro saluted casually. "Sure thing."

Cirucci rounded on him with a vicious scowl. "You just told me I couldn't get a ride with you! Hypocritical asshole!"

Alejandro and Marco both flinched as her voice climbed an octave. "That's because you want us to take you back to that weird-ass club you like. It's an hour out of our way. At least the Consulate is en route."

"Ass! Fine! I'll take a cab and risk getting mugged."

Alejandro snorted. "Please. You'd eat any mugger alive - literally."

"That's beside the point!"

Feeling the painful throbbing of an oncoming headache, Sado climbed into the cab of the truck and informed Alejandro of the deadline and who was waiting. Not wanting to be the one to piss off Reyes, Alejandro flipped Cirucci the finger and slipped into the driver's seat. Marco got into the back with the body and waved mockingly at Cirucci as they left her behind.

They reached the city of Coban within a half an hour and in relative quiet. The thundering truck pulled up to the Consulate, a small building easily mistaken for a private office. Sado thanked the crew and made his way towards the front door as they drove off towards the morgue. The guard gave him a stiff nod as he entered.

It was late and most of the lights were off, save a few from the late night worker trying to get through the slog of paperwork. Reyes' assistant was waiting for him and was quick to show him to the Councilor's office.

Reyes sat at her desk, her sharp features hidden behind a veil of black hair. Holding a finger in the air, she penned something onto a piece of paper. As soon as she was finished, it disappeared into one of the neat piles of paper on her desk. The assistant closed the door, and left them to their business.

"Have a seat, Agent Yasutura," Reyes motioned to one of the chairs in front of her desk. "A couple of hours ago, I received a call from the Chancellor. Both the Federal Council Agency in the States and the British Council have requested permission to enter our territory to find and retrieve a missing British councilor."

Sado took a seat and studied his superior. The request seemed simple enough, certainly not worth the irritated scowl that lurked beneath her stone-like features. There was something she didn't like, something she didn't trust.

"The Chancellor is certain their councilor is here?"

She nodded. "It seems they have a very reliable source."

A source they clearly didn't intend to tell them about, making the information questionable. The Chancellor wasn't one for being jerked around and lied to, so he either knew the source or had some reason not to ask.

"Do you think they're using the opportunity to spy?"

"Normally, I might consider it a possibility," she replied tersely, her lips pressed into a thin line of displeasure. "But the Chancellor is willing to risk it."

"Why?"

"It seems the councilor they're searching for was captured by Sousuke Aizen."

Sado clenched his jaw, finding himself unsurprised by the revelation.

Reyes leaned back in her chair, and clasped her hands together thoughtfully. "We finally know where he is. The other council agents won't be permitted unlimited access and will need to be supervised by one of our own, but they are giving us a rare opportunity to deal with this man. After we've helped them retrieve their councilor, we will go after him with the full force of the council."

"Wouldn't it be beneficial to do it with their assistance?"

Reyes smirked bitterly. "The Chancellor has other concerns that he would like to deal with now. Matters that need to be addressed before we can go after Aizen directly."

Reyes leaned forward, resting her hands on her desk. "The FCA gave us the location where Aizen is holed up so we can do some reconnaissance before the mission. During your scouting, the Chancellor wants you to find where Aizen might keep important work and information. Once inside with the others, you are to retrieve specific information. That will be your top priority."

Sado stared at her for a moment, trying to understand what it was she was telling him. When he was sure he understood, he was baffled. What was so important that he was to prioritize it ahead of rescuing a councilor? To do such a thing would endanger their already weak relations, and to betray even temporary members of his team? It didn't sit well with him.

Reyes scowled. "Don't give me that look, Agent Yasutura. While we may not agree with him, it is our sworn duty to protect our council and obey our Chancellor."

Duty and loyalty were sometimes bitter pills to swallow. Dordonii's words echoed quietly in his mind, mocking whispers that laughed at him. He was quick to push them aside.

"It will be difficult for me to move without their growing suspicious. Knowing what we do about Aizen, accessing and escaping his facility will be nearly impossible without their assistance."

"Ideally, we'll both get what we want out of this arrangement and we can keep our relationship in tact."

Reyes looked confident as she stood and offered him a set of files. Sado hoped she was right.

"We have a day, at least, before the foreign agents arrive. Find and gather as much intel as you can about the facility before then. Sort through it and make sure nothing compromising is included. I'll deal with making sure we have their full cooperation."

Sado took the files, already running through his scout team selections in his head. He would need experience, stealth, and cool heads. If he planned this right, both sides would come out of this without sacrifice. If not, one way or another, there would be hell to pay.

Dark.

Everything was dark, a yawning expanse of black emptiness.

She might have thought herself dead if not for a pounding headache and obnoxious dripping of a pipe in the far corner of the room. Chipped metal bit into her wrists, pinning her arms behind her back and anchoring her to the floor. The fractured tiles beneath her were cold and wet, cutting across the skin of her legs. Wherever she was, they had a serious water issue. The air was chilly and damp, coating her naked skin in tingling goosebumps. Modesty made her grateful for the dark, but a nagging at the back of her mind told her it would always be the least of her concerns.

Recalling how she ended up in such a pathetic predicament, anger scorched her body, chasing away the chill that clung to her. To have let sentiment dictate and control her - how childish. She knew the man with her husband's face was someone else. Evidence might have indicated otherwise - the knowledge, the memories, his scent - but he was missing the thing she loved about him the moment she met him.

To have allowed that shell of a memory close enough to incapacitate her was a deplorable disgrace to Kaien's memory and their love.

But now wasn't the time to dwell on her mistakes. Pushing all other thoughts aside, she focused on figuring out how to escape. The length of time needed to heal something like a broken neck wasn't long. She had to be somewhere near the city. And yet, she couldn't hear the sounds of impatience familiar with a large place like New York City, which meant. . .

What did it mean? Were they in the suburbs? Had they managed to go farther?

She tried to think, evaluate the information she had and make the best determination, but everything was cloudy and aching, and her mind protested with the strain of use. Thoughts were sluggish to form and difficult to interpret. Concussion? Drugs? She didn't recall hitting her head or being struck, so they must have drugged her. If that was the case, then there was no telling where she was or how much time had passed. Screaming through clenched teeth, she jerked her chains in frustration.

Footsteps halted her movements. There were three sets. One was certainly a woman, given the snap of her heels on the hard floor. The other two were unknowns, but she had a good idea who they all might be.

The loud clanking of a heavy metal latch assaulted her ears, her head hammering from the grating noise. The following screech of the door as it opened did little to help, but as the figures stepped inside the room, she managed to focus the pain into a sardonic laugh.

"I'll admit, I expected your reaction to be quite different." His heavy voice was like acid, dripping over her and eating away at her layer by layer, but she refused to show its effects.

"How unusual for you," she remarked with mild satisfaction, glowering up at Aizen with a mixture of hate and bitter amusement. "Would you prefer I cower in fear? Perhaps curse you and try to kill you?"

Tugging at her chains, she shrugged. "Apologies, but that might be a bit difficult given my current accessories."

The corners of his lips twitched and her own smirk collapsed. "What do you want with me, Aizen?"

Those hard brown eyes studied her. "I'm a little disappointed you haven't figured it out."

She snorted as she laughed. Hardly becoming, but her appearance was her concern at the moment. "No you aren't. You're quite pleased about it. If there is anything you love more than yourself, it's being several steps ahead of everyone else and given the opportunity to brag about it. And my ignorance can hardly be helped in this instance."

Giving herself a cursory glance, she turned her gaze back to him. "You're certainly giving mixed signals."

"Ah, yes," he said with a chilling smile. "A necessity. Given what we'll be doing, your clothing would only cause problems."

Rukia clenched her jaw, her mind working to figure out his true intentions. Rape was unlikely. There was no benefit for him. Aizen was a monster, but he had no interest in the physical unless it served a purpose, and raping her had none. So what was it he wanted? Halibel and Gin stood behind him, the former taking scrupulous notes while the latter surveyed the area with bored interest.

Her head hurt and demanded she stop trying to use it.

"Perhaps if you hadn't pumped me full of drugs after sending that monstrosity to fetch me, I might be in a better state to play your games."

"Do you like him?" It was clear he was more amused rather than curious about her feedback. "I hadn't intended for you two to meet quite so soon. How did you feel, seeing him again?"

Love, anger, disgust all coiled into a scorching ball rolling about her stomach and trampling her insides. Every time she thought she understood his depravity, he added another layer. "Nothing to rekindle love like a bad impersonator and broken bones. Where is that thing anyway?"

"He's currently being punished. As I said, your meeting wasn't intended to happen quite yet and he acted without orders."

Aizen crossed the room and inspected her restraints. She forced herself to stay put, unwilling to give him the satisfaction of seeing her worry.

"You shouldn't be so cruel," he whispered. "Ever since I brought him to life and told him all about you, he's been rather anxious to meet you. Personally, I'm surprised he's done so well. I thought for a while he might have gone insane. Not everyone did well in that particular experiment."

What did he mean? Had he created Kaien or had he revived him? Aizen's words hinted at possibility without giving her the answer, and it was pissing her off. But no matter what he had done, she was baffled by the decision nonetheless. Why go through all of that to bring Kaien back to life? Was it all in an effort to capture her or were his motivations something else entirely?

Her head throbbed, pressing against her skull, and she cringed. She couldn't think about any of that right now. She needed to concentrate, gather what information she could, and find a way to escape.

"Am I to be another experiment?"

Aizen stood, a smile still on his lips. It was warm, inviting, gentle. She might have found comfort in it, but she knew the reality. It was a mask and nothing more. Reaching up, he caressed her cheek. Biting the tip of her tongue, she managed to keep herself from jerking away.

"Have you ever wondered to what extent that blood protects you? If its power is truly unlimited?" She flinched when his smile widened, knowing he saw the truth in her eyes. "Well, I want to find out in a more official capacity."

"I have a suggestion," she ground out, fear starting to claw at her insides as she realized what he intended, "why don't you start by finding a volcano and jumping in it?"

Recalling Ashido's suggestion brought her temporary comfort, but it was quickly destroyed when Aizen considered her thoughtfully.

"An intriguing idea. I may add it to the list." He turned to the others. "Let's begin with the first test. We'll start with the basics."

Author's notes: Chad has arrived! And Rukia and Aizen have finally been reunited! Well, that last bit isn't as exciting for her. . .

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Sorry I was a little late in posting it. Friday was spent cleaning my house to prepare for a few guests, and then Saturday was spent with my friend helping her sell her stuff. She's moving to Japan and is trying to get rid of as much stuff as possible.

Thank you to everyone one who read this chapter and still enjoy the story! Thanks to NieveDrop (who also pointed out a confusing section in the last chapter that I ended up editing for clarity), IchiRuki 4vr, and Haru! Please keep R&Ring! I love hearing from you guys!