In the Kinkou camp, Shen was preparing himself to travel to Zed's order. He wasn't scared, or nervous, only concerned.

"Shen, is something bothering you?" Akali asked as she put on his bag for him.

He sighed.

"It's.. Zed. You understand that we still have the mental connection that brothers of Twilight have, yes?"

"Well, yes, but I don't understand the issue."

"You see.." He turned to face her. They both sat down at the edge of the bed.

"Our connection is still there, and it's still strong. But I fear direct contact could.. Cause something terrible to happen."

"Like what?" She began to look concerned, her neutral face becoming distorted with the look of sadness and shallowness as they both looked over to Raiden's crib.

"It happened with my father and his brother.. My father decided to stay within the Twilight tribe, but his brother went astray, seeking out assistance from the shadow Isles.."

"The Shadow Isles?!"

"Yes.."

"Brother, please, re-think your chosen path. It is not a smooth nor safe course to take."

"Raiden, I do not care!" He retorted with anger in his voice.

"You are the reason I wish to be a part of the Shadow Isles! I want to know the secrets of the dead and dying, the secrets of the underworld! You are holding me back from accomplishing the dream!"

"Because I do not want you to die, brother!"

"To hell with you, Twilight scum."

Raiden shook his head, and felt a small tug at the side of his trousers.

"Daddy.." The child yawned. "Why are you shouting at Uncle?"

"Shen, it is far past your bed time!"

"But it's past yours too and you're still awake."

"Shen, do not argue with me. Go. To. Bed."

Shen looked at him with a blank expression.

"NOW!" He shouted.

He ran off crying. "Mummy!"

"Heh, you never were the best father, were you?"

"I'll tear you to pieces!"

Raiden dashed towards him, his anger sparking something inside of him that he would never do - hurt his brother.

"You bastard!" He shouted.

"Get away from me. You are not brother to me. No brother of mine wishes to follow the shrouded path."

"With pleasure.." He muttered.

"What did you just say?"

"I said, brother.. With PLEASURE!"

He stomped the floor, sending out an array of black spikes meters high shooting up from the ground, and impaling everything in sight. Raiden ran as fast as possible away from the area, and ducked behind a tall oak tree that was just behind him.

"You fool Raiden! It's a good job your family is no where near you! But I will be back.." A green like aura opened up behind him, Raiden looked on in utter disbelief. A lantern flew out of the green fog, and a distant, but haunting laugh could be heard.

"You see, brother, I have already chosen my path." He grabbed the lantern. "It's just a shame that I'll meet you on the other side."

In a flash of green light, he disappeared.

"Raiden, what on earth is going on here?" Katsumi was holding a crying Shen in her arms. Her soft features stood out in the moonlight, and her long, jet black hair flowed gently in the midnight breeze, slowly falling over her eyes, making Raiden fall in love with her all over again.

"Katsumi.. My brother.. He was followed their path."

"I knew it. I warned you."

"I know, I know.." He gently strolled over to her, and took Shen from her arms, he wriggled in disagreement, and turned his head as far away from Raiden as humanly possible.

"Shen, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to shout at you.." He stumbled over his words, and began to feel incredibly weak.

"Raiden are you alright?" She snatched Shen off of him and ordered him to go to bed, he did. Shen always listened to his mother.

"Yes.. I think s-" He fell to the ground. What felt like a crushing and collapsing ribcage, high blood pressure and a racing heart, Raiden's body was completely fine.

"You're freezing! My god! Someone help us!"

"What's wrong?" Asked a villager.

"He just collapsed!"

Meanwhile..

"Are you feeling.. fine?" Evelynn asked.

"Just.. Lightheaded, that's all.. Stupid broth-"

Evelynn gasped and leaned down towards him.

"Leave him be, the weakling does not understand his true origin." Thresh ordered.

"What do you mean? Look at him! He looks like death."

"Well, he is dying, after all." He laughed.

She gave him a deathly stare. "Thresh, tell me now!" She ordered.

"To put it.. Simply, for you, when two ninja's connected from either birth or the 'ceremony'. Let's say, without his brother.. He is as good as dead. Unless.. Hehehe.."

"Unless what?"

Thresh begun to swing his lantern around playfully, and laughed.

"Unless we get Raiden's soul, of course."

"Zed, how are we going to kill him?" Asked Hei-An.

"What about the child?" Asked Ven.

"Look, there is no child! I had a huge thought process about this.. Shen does not care for children, he would pursue the task at hand - which is to kill me. He has not done that yet, meaning whilst I am still alive, personal things, as well as outside relations are to be on hold." He looked to both Hei-An and Ven who both looked concerned.

"Shen is my brother, trust me, ladies, I know him better than all of you." He lowered his head almost in shame as the tone of his voice deepened.

"The fool should know better than to attempt neutrality." He mumbled.

"Perhaps, Zed, he has given up on pursuing his goal?" Syndra questioned.

"..Or he's trying to create a ruse, to kill you." Hei-An said.

The entire room filled with shocked stares, flinging from one person to another.

"..Zed.." Syndra mumbled. She felt tears forming in her eyes, and quickly grabbed Zed's arm and pulled him outside. She led him over to their favourite resting place, the Silver Grove. On a full moon, which tonight was, the Aura surrounding the grove would enlighten everyone within it's path, which explains why they liked going there, it clear their heads.

"Syndra, what's wrong?"

"What if.. What if it's all a trap? Are we ready to take them on? We have no idea how strong or weak they are!" She slowly began to levitate off the ground.

"Syndra, calm. Down."

"No!" Her voice was morphing into the true Soveriegn within.

"I will protect you and this order with every last breath I have, even if it chokes me."

Zed allowed her to do as she pleased, not wanting to pull any attention closer to them. The grove that she destroyed at their last encounter was also sacred, and Zed didn't want to disturb the equilibrium here too.

"Then we will kill him, IF, and if we only need to."

She lowered herself to the ground.

"Syndra, if we attack him first, who knows what forces and back-ups he has, we can't risk it."

"I.." Her voice returned to normal. "I understand."

He walked towards her with his arms held out, she copied him but stood still. They met with a soft thud, and a tight squeeze from Zed.

"I won't let anyone hurt you, Syndra. Not after everything we've been through together, you mean far too much to me."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

And they sealed the promise with a kiss. A promise that the two enemies of Ionia would not break.