Fan Fiction ❯ New Dawn Of The Heart ❯ In The Darkest Hours You Can Only Hope That The Moment You Fear Will Not Come To Pass ( Chapter 10 )

Taki slowly looked down at the ground trying to forget that memory, she wanted to forget it so much. She put a hand through her hair they had just blamed each other that day. She had shown no respect for what Sophitia was going through she hadn't even reacted well to the woman's anger and violence, which was the fading spell talking. She had taken it all so badly and she knew she could've taken it better she could've comforted her.

She looked at her hand for a long moment, her gaze moved slowly as Sophitia's boots came in to view. She slowly looked up meeting the light green gaze. Sophitia smiled at her then sat down on the bed in the room. Sophitia slowly pulled up her sword looking at it for a moment then turned back to her girlfriend. "Taki is something wrong?"

Taki calmly stood up she slowly sat herself down next to younger woman putting her arm around her waist "No…I'm fine I was just concerned about how many people where going to have kill before we get to Suzuka." She leaned over putting her hand on the silver dragon's head that was hanging above bed "It's not going to be pleasant, I'm guessing Suzuka's going to heavily guarded."

Sophitia slowly put her hand through Taki's long dark ponytail "I'm guessing she'll be in the main hall, I remember you saying the temple has a main hall." Taki slowly put her hand on the dragon's mouth "It does and your right she's probably in there sitting her ass on my father throne…the bitch."

She jammed the dragons jaw up, her gaze shifted as the floor started to move she watched as the trails of blood half vanished and the floor grinded forcefully back in to place. There was a creaking sound as it closed fully, she calmly pulled her hand away from the dragon's jaw putting it on Sophitia's "I hate that this isn't going to be easy…I just wish we'd been more prepared."

Sophitia slowly pulled up Taki's hand "We are prepared I mean you said it yourself we can beat her." Taki shrugged slightly " Yeah I did but I'm still worried about what kind of forces she got inside the main room…there's probably twenty guards in there at least."

Sophitia leaned forward slowly pushing some off Taki's hair out of her eyes " I'm betting she doesn't have her army with her, I mean I got the impression that she thinks she's the best fighter in the world." She turned looking at her weapon "In truth if you defeated her and I killed her then the both off as together shouldn't have any trouble."

Taki gently leaned forward kissing Sophitia's lips softly "Your right, guess I'm worrying unnecessarily." She slowly eased herself off her the bed gently bringing the younger woman up with her "I say we ought to go kill the rest of her army, if there anywhere near as hard as the bunch in here it won't be very difficult."

She slowly let go off Sophitia's hand, easing it on to the sliding blind which she eased back then raised the Jin Uni Ki weapon "It's a very long corridor which we'll need to go up, plus I need to get to my room, there's some explosives stored there they'll be very useful." Sophitia slowly stepped forward "You have gunpowder?"

Taki smirked slightly "Not gunpowder it's something far better which Yosho made. My older brother being the genius he is made a power that can set any thing alight even stone. It's also forms a ring around the person making it so they can't escape, quite brilliant if you ask me." Sophitia raised an eyebrow "No kidding…Sound really vicious."

Taki pulled up her hand rubbing two fingers together "Actually it works really well when you throw it in people faces." An evil grin slowly spread across her lips "You get this moment of quite then they start screaming, works really good on demons to." Sophitia breathed in deeply "Taki…you can be really shocking sometimes."

Taki' smile widened "Oh come on Suzuka's assassin clan really hurt you in the first fight, I bet you can't wait to get even with them." Sophitia eased up the weapon "Yeah I do but I can't get over the fact your being so nasty." Taki turned slightly "I'm not being nasty I just want my home back, these bastards stole it from me. It was never there's to take."

She slowly took a step in to the long corridor she turned slowly the whole place was dead quite. She watched as Sophitia followed easing the blind shut behind her. Taki pulled up her weapon hand "My room's the second to last one. Just my luck that I sleep very close to the temples hall."

Sophitia leaned over slightly "They all have images on them what should I be looking for on your blind?" Taki flicked her weapon slightly "A huge white dragon like the one we saw in the labyrinth." She took another step forward " Don't touch the blind with a red tiger on it or the one with the a Japanese's lady dressed her Kimono they both have spells on them."

She slowly walked forward "Hiroshi and Nagmo both have an arrow trap which goes off when you try to force the blind open." She pulled up her weapon hand "They both don't like unwanted guests in their rooms, so if you're not a ninja it will go off as soon as you try to open it."

She turned her head checking the corridor behind them "Don't open Yosho's blind with the birds on it ether that works the same except it's a fire trap." Sophitia slowly stepped past the first blind "I'm guessing the only reason there aren't dead bodies around here is because Suzuka told them about the traps." Taki slowly eased herself past Hiroshi's blind "Probably…I believe she knew about them before we kicked her out."

She raised an eyebrow "Come to think off it she did spend post off her youth with Ryoko, I wouldn't doubt that she knows the traps are there." Sophitia moved slowly past the blind near her "Who did you spend time with in your youth?" Taki slowly took a few steps forward "Me, I liked to spent my time with Yosho mostly, the rest with my brother Hiroshi and my little sister Rei."

Sophitia slowly let her gaze travel across the blinds "Your little sister Rei sounds very sweet." Taki turned slightly "She is very sweet, I know this is going to sound very strange, but I think Cassandra and her would get on really well." Sophitia looked up slightly "Are you saying that because my sister has a love off cute sweet things."

Taki stiffened slightly "No that's not the angel I was coming from, it's just there both the same age." She breathed in deeply "Okay maybe the whole liking of cute things as well." She narrowed her gaze "Doesn't your sister have a young cat?"

"I just saw her pull it out off the basket when I arrived, it kept on brushing against my leg while I was trying to eat that lovely meal your mother made for me." She took a slow step forward "You know it's very irritating while your trying to eat." Sophitia shook her head "That's cats not hers it belongs to one off her friends, I just know she's going to turn around and ask me for one soon."

Taki slowly turned meeting Sophitia's gaze "Ask you for one? I thought younger siblings begged to there parents." Sophitia sighed aloud "Normally they do, but she likes to ask me. I get the impression that if I like the idea she tells my parents, they'll be happy that I liked the idea and go and find her one or buy her one."

She shrugged her shoulders "You no sometimes, I think she's take advantage off the fact that when I'm tired I'll just say yes to anything. Because I'm so desperate to get some sleep that having her voice in my ear becomes really irritating and I just want it to go away."

Taki sniggered slightly "I know that feeling I remember Rei waking me up before sunrise just so she could ask me questions…About boys and girls and relationships and questions about sex." She groaned aloud "You know early morning is not a good time for me, I just start going off on one because my brain hasn't kicked in."

Sophitia's smile widened "So I'm guessing you came out with perverted things right?" Taki slowly looked down towards her room, which was just starting to come in to view "No I came out with stupid things, things which she didn't need to hear about in vivid detail."

Sophitia turned eyeing the blind next to her "Well it could be worse you could've been naked and drunk while talking to her." Taki pulled up sharply "You have a point there…that would have been far worse." She slowly stepped forward "Actually if I'd done that it would've been one of worst thing I've ever done in my life."

Sophitia turned seeing the blind with the white dragon on it "What is the worst thing you've done to date then?" Taki felt herself tense up "Oh that would have to hanging over your bed frame so I could watch you sleep…I can't believe I did that, I was such an idiot."

Sophitia slowly moved closer to Taki putting her hand on her girlfriends arm "You know if you hadn't done that we both wouldn't be together now…you doing that got my brain spinning. I wouldn't even have considered that you had feeling for me if I hadn't seen the look on your face when I threw you out. Before that I thought your strange behaviour was you trying to be more friendly."

Taki's eyes widened "Are you telling me that when you hugged me that day on the platform in the Royal gardens you knew?" Sophitia raised an eyebrow "I had an idea but I can't say as I was sure but I knew you where hiding something important. That frustrated face of yours was quite saddening you looked so unnerved. That's when it hit me that you really could have something for me."

Taki groaned aloud "I must've really freaked you out I mean I kept on trying to touch you an hug you." Sophitia slowly eased herself up against Taki's blind "Okay it was a little but I love you hugging me now." She slowly eased up her girlfriend's hand "I like your touch to…I find it so loving."

Taki leaned forward putting her hand on her blind "I no that look your giving me means you need a kiss." She watched Sophitia pull back as she pushed the blind back "Just lets get out off this corridor first." Sophitia took a step back in to the room she turned watching as Taki walked through closing the blind behind her.

She turned slightly she felt her smile drop the room was a mess it looked like someone had ruined it! She turned slowly to Taki "I can't believe it! Suzuka's men raided your room!" She pulled up her hand "Look at it…how could they do that, especially to you!"

Taki felt the air leave her lungs she looked down at her feet feeling the embarrassment wash over her. She slowly put her hand through her hair feeling the frustration off what she was going to have to say next. How could she say this was her room? How the hell was she going to say it…Sophitia was probably not going to see this a good thing in a partner.

She growled aloud what the hell was she going to say? Hi there I'm your new girlfriend and I live like some fifthly backward warrior who can't clean up her own mess. Oh that'd be great as if Sophitia was going to like that. She'd completely forgotten about her messy habits in all this, she'd wanted to clean this room before she'd show if to Sophitia at least show that she could be decent.

Sophitia slowly turned to meet Taki's gaze the ninja looked completely un nerved, her hand was twitching slightly it was a pure look off frustration. She slowly took a step forward putting her hand on Taki's she watched the women turned sharply to look at her "Are you alright?"

Taki stared for a moment at Sophitia she slowly pulled up her hand "They… didn't trash my room." She could feel herself loosing pace "I…don't clean my room, no one apart from me spends anytime in it…so I never make it decent."

Sophitia pulled back in surprise she turned looking at the room for a moment then turned back to Taki "Oh…" She slowly put a hand through her hair, a wide smile slowly spread across her face "Hey it's nothing that a little cleaning can't fix, so what if it's not clean right now I mean we can clean it up later."

Taki found herself turning in surprise, that was the last thing she'd expected Sophitia to say. She took a step forward until she was close to her girlfriend "You…don't mind?" She pulled up a hand "I mean look at this place, it's terrible!" Sophitia slowly put her hand around Taki's "I was surprised but hey I come from a large family, my little brother is messy actually so is Cassandra at times."

She gently kissed Taki's hand " So what if you you're a little messy, I mean it's not the end off the world. I mean you've been on your own for ages I'm not surprised you let things slip a little. If you have no one to share things with you don't really think about what people will think off you or your room." She sniggered slightly "I can't count the number off times Cassandra messed up my room…sharing a room with your sister can be annoying."

Taki stood still for a moment the words not quite coming to her she was speechless again. Sophitia was full off surprises she hadn't expected that reaction at all. She slowly straightened up feeling her smile widen "Well at least I don't have that…it must be very annoying I bet she takes your clothes with out asking."

Sophitia slowly put an arm around the ninja's waist "She does, they don't fit her ether it looks odd sometimes. Most off her clothes were mine anyway, she just loves to try on my new things when ever I buy them."

Taki slowly put a hand under Sophitia's chin pulling her head up "Sorry to change the subject but don't I owe you a kiss?" Sophitia turned slowly meeting Taki's dark brown gaze "I think you…" Her words where suddenly cut short by ninja's lips.

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Seung Mina sighed aloud she turned slightly looking at the darkened mirror "You know at least seeing them both made me feel better." She sat up slightly "It's odd that now I can't see them I feel worried about them." Kilik leaned putting his hand on hers "There both okay, I mean Taki can take anything the world throws at her. I'm just glad they've made it this far."

He looked at the door with the two guards standing by it "They did better than we did, I mean look at as we screwed up big time our only way out ended up just causing as to be trapped again." He slowly eased up Mina's hand stroking her fingers " I bet Taki's got a plan…at least she's always got one of those unlike as." Seung Mina slowly eased her hand up running it down his face "I just hope Aeon is alive, I just hope he can find as."

Kilik leaned over slightly gently kissing her lips "He'll come the guy is as tough as nail and I'm betting he's on his way right now." Mina pulled back slightly "What if he did die? Sophitia is so going to hate me for this I mean I was always horrible to him from day one. I just had no idea, I guess all I saw was the beast who hurt me in battle I just couldn't see past it."

Kilik slowly brought up her hand kissing it "I heard from Xianghua that he did in your shoulder with his sword hilt." Mina sighed aloud " It was a very bad day that day, everything we intended to do just went wrong from the start. Rock, Taki, Sophitia and myself where trying to get to your sister and free her…the whole thing just got screwed up so badly."

She looked at her hand "Taki had a hunch that Xianghua's weapon was why she'd been captured off cause we thought we could just take down's Aeon's unit of half demons and lizard men…It was the biggest mistake we made Taki didn't realize that Aeon always had a hidden back up unit which followed not far behind his main one."

Mina felt her self sigh aloud "We where so out numbered even Rock couldn't help as we had to pull back what was left off the Chinese unit we'd brought along. We could only retreat but Sophitia got pushed back in to the blockade.

She couldn't get out and it was to late before Taki and I could get to her, by that time Aeon had knocked her up badly, and his men where knocking her around as well. "She growled aloud "I hate to say it but Sophitia only lived that day because Ivy was kind enough to stop them hitting her. That bitch was more than happy to carry off. I tried to get to her but Aeon hit me really hard."

"He broke my shoulder bone…I'm just grateful that Taki can heal bones that are badly broken with her spells." She shook her head "We lost almost all the Chinese soldiers from that unit. Plus Sophitia's fate got worse I know they did horrible things to her she also got turned in a violent half demon. Even when she was healed and back to normal she was really messed up for a while."

She looked down at the table "Just getting her to talk was hard she'd just clam up, I knows she's fine now but I dread to think what she went through. It must've made her feel terrible about herself." Kilik shook his head "From what I heard from Xianghua who got locked in the prison cell near the forts lower levels she heard Sophitia screaming a lot."

He slowly pushed his hair back "She felt bad because Ivy had just knocked her around, but she'd never hurt her with that evil blade off hers." He ran his hand down her chin "Plus I've heard Greeks don't talk no matter how much you hurt them, I know ninja's and Samurai are the same. Samurai wont defy their lords and ninja's swear oaths to their clans."

Mina breathed in deeply "Sophitia won't talk because she won't defy her god, that evil bastard priest probably wanted to know what her sword does and why it's so powerful. They could've hit her till she died but she wouldn't have talked, I'm guessing that's why Ivy tried to break her by trying to sleep with her. Shame I wasn't there to see Sophitia kick her in face, I would've loved to see that."

Kilik sighed aloud "I understand how you feel about her, she humiliated you and tried to hurt your pride, I promise that she won't ever do that again to you." Mina moved her finger in a circular motion " I hate that bitch Suzuka going through my mind like that…my memory's are important to me even the bad ones because they're mine."

She looked at the table "No wonder Sophitia never talks about the Soul Edge swords, if a lesser sword could make me feel so ill and hurt what they did to her before she smashed the one off the blades must've been terrible." Kilik shrugged his shoulder slightly "I heard the Soul Edge swords see in to your mind, I heard that they play with your thoughts and show you what your most afraid off."

He gently kissed Mina's hand again "I've heard that when the warrior is at his most weakest that's when it strips them off their soul, don't know if its true though I hear far to many rumours floating around the Ming Empire these days. Even though the swords have both been destroyed people still tell their tails, hell they even no who Sophitia is even if they don't know what she looks like."

Mina smiled "Yeah I hear those stories to they amuse me because Taki gets called the Demon Huntress and she's meant to be six feet tall and built like a bull. She's so strong she can rip out whole walls with her hand." She found herself sniggering " I love what they call Sophitia it kinda cracks me up, she's the blonde Greek maiden who's sword caused the light to hit the heavens."

Kilik found himself laughing slightly "People really do get things wrong, but then I guess that's what happens with stories they get blown out off proportion." Kilik's smile widened "I guess it's not all bad at least your name gets around, it's just a shame your appearance changes so much from what it is." He sniggered slightly "I have to admit Taki's sounds different."

"It does."

Kilik slowly turned he watched as Rei sat herself down, the young girl smiled for a moment then shook her head "I'm guessing the part about her taking a wall down with one hand is one off our ninja spells, it's blows down demon defences." Ryoko opened one eye she turned slightly from her position on the pillow " Ah yes Yosho's famous wall trashing spell, I always liked that one."

Nagmo grunted "Ah yes the one you used on that Chinese temple a few years back killed the demon but got you in a whole heap off trouble. As I remember we had to pay for your release from the cells." Ryoko looked up slightly "True but it was worth it, I've never seen anything so powerful, plus the cells aren't that bad I got put in with some good looking Chinese guy."

Nagmo breathed in deeply "Oh I can see where this is going, let me guess you screwed him right?" Ryoko sneered slightly "Oh as if I'd tell you, don't want you to put your hand down your pants now do we." Nagmo grunted aloud "Hey since I'm your friend I want to know, there's the fact that I might die never knowing the great time you had with this Chinese's boy."

Ryoko narrowed her gaze slightly "You've been an asshole for the past three hours why should I tell you anything?" Nagmo put a hand his chest "Because I'm your asshole friend and when you don't talk it brings out the worst in me. Okay where've all being infected by Mekki-Maru, which is why your being bitchy normally you'd tell me your wonderful sexual stories."

Ryoko glared at him for a second "Maybe I don't want to tell you this one, maybe it was better than any sex you could ever hope to get. Plus telling you about it would just ruin the mood." Hiroshi laughed slightly "She has a point when ever people tell stories its spoils the mood as well as the memory." He pulled up a hand "But then telling anything to you Nagmo spoils the mood."

Nagmo slowly sat up "Yes maybe your right Hiroshi but then watching you try to set up traps is painfully amusing, I mean you so piss poor at it that it spoils my mood." Hiroshi turned slightly "Well hey at least I'm not the one who catches big furry panda's in his traps." Nagmo's hand formed a fist "Oh well we can all remember the time when you got caught in your own that's was amusing."

Hiroshi pulled back sneering "Oh and as if we all haven't done that, I just want you to catch Taki again someday, so she bloody your nose up again." Nagmo growled aloud "That was an accident! I never meant to catch her, plus it was her fault for eyeing up the dame girl. Which might I add was an illusion off the mind meant for Jumo demon we where trying to catch."

He pulled up slightly "Geez… she can be even worse than the demons sometimes, show her a pretty face and her brain just sinks to her lowers." Hiroshi looked up slightly "Now in some cases I'd agree but not in this one, you see the illusion spell was meant to completely send the demon's brains to its lowers. It's just it wasn't perfected so we had no idea off the effects it had on people."

He shrugged "Worked on her though, god that is the one time where I've actually seen Taki acting like an utter moron, god could she have been drooling anymore." He shook his head "I mean what the hell was she seeing? I've only seen her act that soppy around Sophitia…it wasn't Sophitia was it? I mean that's wasn't long after Taki returned from defeating Cervantes."

Nagmo slowly leaned back "How the hell should I know, I just made it so who ever got effected by the spell saw their ultimate fantasy. Plus she hit me again and she wouldn't come out off her room for a day after I told her that what she saw wasn't real." He shrugged "I don't get why she was so pissed off I mean it was only a spell!"

Ryoko raised an eyebrow "You moron she didn't come out because you utterly embarrassed her, you showed her something that she couldn't have at that time. Hell it's like tempting a little child with a sweet candy stick then saying they can't have it. On top off that she was starting to say and do things which she'd never do in front off as because they're personal to her."

She shook her head "Taki might be cold sometimes but she does have feelings and you really hit them hard that day." She folded her arms " That's Taki, okay she can be a bitch at times, but I wouldn't want to get embarrassed like that in front off my clan. I mean she was just spilling her emotions out like anything. She really thought what she saw was real, and she didn't want to except at first that it wasn't."

She sighed aloud " I mean all she did for a few days after was draw pictures in Chinese ink off this girl she saw, shame she never wanted to show any off as them." She turned gazing at Rei "Although I heard you got see them Rei, so tell as who was Taki's dream girl, was she purely imaginary or was she some one real?"

Rei turned slightly "They where very beautiful pictures, she put a lot off effort in to them but frankly who the girl was is none off your business." Ryoko sat up sharply "Oh don't do this Rei, I know you really like Taki but I want to know if it was Sophitia who she saw and drew pictures off."

Rei sneered slightly "Then go ask her yourself, when she frees as from this room." Ryoko's gaze narrowed "You no some times your really unfair." Rei slowly ran her hand across the table "Oh I see you think that just because you're my big sister and the oldest in this family that I'll just tell you anything…I think not."

Ryoko slowly eased herself up in to a sitting position "Your really cold sometimes! You know that!" Rei turned meeting her gaze "No more colder than you are, I mean you're just the ice bitch off the clan when you want to be. Hell you're even colder than Taki when it's suits you."

Ryoko pulled up her hand "Shut up! I am not cold!" Rei slowly took a long sip from her water skin "Could've fooled me, I heard that you wanted to throw me back out in to the cold when I was first found by Taki." She snarled aloud "Apparently I was a hard case, since I'd had the pleasure of watching a fat ugly fuckin Jumo eat my mother in front of me."

Ryoko felt her fist clench "That is not true! I wasn't sure how to deal with you because you're where a five year old who kept on screaming and trying to hit every ninja you saw including Taki. I felt sorry for you, you where a lonely traumatized little girl who probably couldn't deal with what she'd seen happen to her mother."

Rei sneered slightly "Yeah right, you thought I was just broken goods, not good enough ninja material, hell showed you didn't I. Shoved that long bladed dagger of yours right back in to your thigh!" Ryoko found herself snarling aloud "Shut up Rei! I didn't expect a five year old to do that to me, plus I couldn't walk for ages because of that."

Rei shrugged her shoulder slightly "Ah…poor little you, doesn't it just suck so bad when you find your wrong. Oh yeah aren't you the one in this family who think your always right, well doesn't that day make it even worse for you." She sat back slightly "Taki had to pull the big long dagger right out of your thigh in front off everyone how embarrassing."

Ryoko put a hand through her hair "Would you be quite! I never got you at times you where the only one of our orphans who spent time with Taki, why Taki?" Rei turned sharply meeting her gaze "Because she killed the bastard demon that eat my mother stupid! She saved me from become a demon sex object. That's what the Jumo do they take little girls so when they hit women hood they can become sexual objects!"

Ryoko narrowed her gaze "I know that I'm not a moron! It's just the moment Taki put you down all you did was scream and curse at her. Then a couple off weeks later all you wanted to do was spend time with her, funny since most children would hate the person who couldn't save their mother."

Rei slowly pulled up her hand "Yeah well I guess you would but then that's just you isn't it." Ryoko slowly leaned forward "You know I really wish you'd just give your insulting remarks a rest!"

"Hey calm down! Don't start arguing the last thing we need is you two bitching at each other!"

Ryoko turned her gaze to Hiroshi "As if you can talk all you've done is argue with Nagmo! So don't tell me to shut up!" Hiroshi felt his teeth grinding together "Well looks like Mekki-Maru's finally got to you both hasn't it? Or haven't you to even thought about stupid the argument is your having." He shrugged slightly "Your fighting over your past since when have ether off you ever cared for this issue?"

He leaned forward "If I remember right you both buried this argument almost twelve years ago, and nether off you care for it anymore." He turned his gaze to Rei "Your pretty much over this issue with your mother, okay it still hurts but you've learnt deal with it despite how difficult it was for you."

He turned slightly "Don't disappoint our father now, I mean we've held out this long." Rei turned slightly gazing at her father, who was sitting quietly in the corner deep in thought. She found herself sighing aloud "I want to get out off here!"

Hiroshi turned slightly "Suzuka's going to open that door soon and we will be ready when she does." He pulled up his hand "She's got to come in here, I mean even if she doesn't Taki will be the one who opens the door." Ryoko breathed in deeply "Yeah and Suzuka might just open the door so she can toss Taki's dead body in here. That would be just wonderful wouldn't it? We can watch our sisters lower intestines fall out before she hits the ground."

Hiroshi snarled aloud "Quit with your stupid sarcastic remarks! They do nothing for the clan plus they make you come across as a fool. Plus don't give Rei ugly mental images like that she cares about Taki a lot!" Rei slowly folded her arms "Oh leave her Hiroshi she's in her own world of trying to make herself come across as clever, only problem is she just mimics Nagmo."

She shook her head "I feel sorry for her right now, she lacking in just about everything including brains." She shrugged slightly "Hey come to think off it by the end off today she'll have her foot permanently inserted in her mouth, how pathetic will that be." Ryoko felt her whole body tense "What I wouldn't give right now to knock your teeth out Rei!"

Seung Mina turned slowly on the spot, this was just unbelievable these ninja where seriously loosing control, it only took the slightest thing to make them mad. She slowly watched as Toki came out off his thoughts the ninja master was trying very hard to keep them calm which just seemed to be getting harder and harder.

She turned to Kilik sighing slightly then slowly pulled herself up she calmly walked between the two women whose tempers where on the verge off blowing up. She calmly folded her arms "You know you two should just calm down!" She watched as Kilik pulled himself to his feet her boyfriend turned slowly looking at Ryoko "Yeah I don't how this is helping you!"

Ryoko turned slightly noticing the Chinese girls cold stare "Oh look the Chinese girl wants to play, how nice." Mina turned feeling herself tensing "Be quite! Hell hasn't Toki told you enough times how irritating you all are when you're mad? Also I'm Korean you stupid moron!"

Kilik slowly took a step forward putting his hand gently on Mina's shoulder "Easy now…I don't believe she meant to insult you, she's just afraid." He eased up his hand watching as Toki slowly walked towards him "They all are, which is something I really don't understand. I mean there all ninja's."

Toki slowly stepped forward "Can you blame them though? I mean in truth your right they are ninjas but even ninja are afraid at times." He breathed out heavily "We just want to be free from this room and to take back what's ours but all the odds are against as, that's not to say we can't win."

He put a hand on his chest "We've never been in a situation like this before, but that's not to say we wont fight for our lives when the times comes. My children are brave if I can get through the horrors of Taki's weapon so can they. They just need something small to tip the scale in their favour."

Seung Mina turned to gaze at the guarded door "I just hope it comes soon, I mean the bitch has to screw up sometime." Kilik slowly nodded "Patience is all that needed here if you ask me." Toki slowly nodded "We just need a little more time, just enough to help as further our plans."

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Taki slowly pulled open the large wooden chest she breathed deeply pulling out a pile off ripped ninja clothes. They where mostly old body suits which the demons had torn with their claws during battles. She tossed them aside she'd never bothered to repair them, but then her sewing skills weren't that great anyway. She'd just kept them thinking a day would come when she would repair them.

She was also annoyed that she'd found a blood trail leading in to the middle off her room, some bastard had bled all over the place. Why couldn't he have bleed somewhere else? Her gaze narrowed who ever had been in here before them had also taken an old scroll off hers, one which contained a few personal thoughts which was annoying her even more.

It wasn't enough that these bastards had to take her home but they where quite happy to go through her personal belongings to and take them. She tossed a wooden knife aside so much for honour among assassins they where no better that thieves. She threw some old rusted thickets to one side somehow she was surprised that they hadn't raided this chest.

She tossed another ripped body suit a side they'd probably left it alone for fear that it had some kind off a trap on it, which it didn't it was just her chest of broken things, the only thing that was of any value was the spell which was hidden in a secret compartment. She turned slightly her true treasures where kept somewhere else and that did have a very vicious spell on it.

They where kept under her bed in a compartment that was strapped to the inner frame, anyone who pulled that loose would be killed instantly by the dagger that would fly up from between the floorboards slamming itself right through their chest or stomach depending on how they where lying. She'd made sure it was only her hand that could touch that box and no one else's.

She eased her hand down further pulling out one of her old yukata, she looked at the old festival dress for a moment it wasn't really her colour. Her gaze travelled to Sophitia who was sitting next to her it would suit her far better. It would probably look even better than that Chinese robe she'd brought for her. She put it down by her side the blues and gold's would go well with Sophitia's hair.

She smiled at Sophitia for a moment then turned back to the box she slowly pushed one of wooden weapons away revealing the bottom of the chest she slowly pulled back the velvet revealing a small box which had been pushed in to the chests far side. She quickly opened it pulling out the little brown bag that was in it, she found her smile widening "This is it."

Sophitia turned slightly, she gazed at the bag in her girlfriends hand "That's it…I thought it would be bigger." Taki slowly turned around her gaze slowly met Sophitia's "You know things don't have to be big to be dangerous, I know one spell that my clan can do that is nothing more than a dart in the neck but it paralyses your body to the point you can't move or see."

Sophitia turned slightly "Interesting thought, I wonder why no one in Greece thought about that during the civil war." Taki sat up slightly "Probably because its no good on battlefield unless its at close quarters, plus you could end up hitting your own." Sophitia smiled slightly "Shame it could have still been useful against the army factions."

Sophitia slowly looked up her eyes narrowing "Don't you just hate when someone's trying to listen in on you?" Taki pulled up sharply "What!" Taki didn't get a chance to move as Sophitia suddenly burst in to action, the young woman's sword came out in a flash of silver hitting it target, which was directly behind them.

There was an agonizing cry of pain Taki watched as a sabre blade hit the floor, it rattled before becoming silent, she turned quickly seeing that Sophitia had impaled one of the assassins guards. The man had a look of terror on his face he looked down slowly noticing that the blade had gone right through his stomach.

Sophitia shoved the blade slightly "I'm guessing his sword blade was meant for you." She looked up ignoring the dripping sound as the man's blood hit the floor. Taki leaned over slightly "How did you know he was behind as?"

Sophitia looked up at the dying man's face "He's got the Chinese robe you brought for me in his belt, I spotted it hanging down out off the corner off my eye." She grabbed the robe with her free hand pulling it from the assassin's belt "It not his, its mine."

Taki raised an eyebrow "I should put him out of his misery for you." Sophitia turned slightly "I can't stand thieves." She thrust the weapon in further ignoring the mans sudden cry of pain "Especially ones that steal something precious to me, which my girlfriend brought!"

Taki slowly put her hand on Sophitia weapon hand "If I where you I'd just pull your sword out and let him die slowly." Sophitia turned meeting Taki's gaze "I'd rather he not bleed all over your floor." Taki shrugged her shoulders slightly "Who cares… we where going to clean the place anyway." Sophitia looked up slightly "Trust me when this is all over I'll clean up any mess I make."

Taki slowly opened the Chinese robe looking at it "On the bright side he hasn't ruined it." She turned sharply hearing a sudden agonizing groan Sophitia had pinned the man against the wall she suddenly ripped the blade out, causing him to cry out. He hit the floor on his side his hands over his stomach. His dark shirt slowly beginning to stain red, a steady blood stream began to flow on to the floor.

Sophitia pulled the weapon up looking at it the blade was covered in blood, which was running down the weapons middle. She looked at it for a moment then lowered it, how she was hated having to do things like this. The truth off the matter was there was no way around this all these assassins where no better than Suzuka.

It was strange how easy it had been for her in the past to kill half demons and kill lizard men from the Dark army, but this was so different. These men had once been good men, but now they had become misguided and greedy. Becoming thieves and assassins willing to do anything for money. Somehow she could only pity what they'd become which no more than shadows of their former selves.

She sighed aloud she turned feeling Taki's hand on her shoulder, her girlfriend had a white cloth in her hand. Taki slowly leaned down pulling up Sophitia's weapon hand she slowly ran the white cloth up the sword getting rid off the blood on it "I no how hard this is for you." She gently kissed the side off the younger woman's face " There's nothing you do for these men, you can't help them there to far gone."

Sophitia slowly lowered her gaze "I no, that's why its so depressing, no can reach them." Taki slowly eased her arm around Sophitia's waist "If it helps I'd just look at them like there demons it makes the sword swing easier." She slowly put a hand under Sophitia chin "Always helped in the past thinking that. I mean for all we know all these men could be half demon's anyway."

Sophitia slowly turned eyeing the still dying man "Your right Suzuka's probably changed them all." Taki slowly let her gaze wander over the man's weapon, she slowly leaned down picking it up off the floor "This guy really is a scum bag, this is one of the Chilli San costal guards weapons. I bet he killed one of the guards and took this from him, taking away his sword of honour so he couldn't be honoured in death."

Sophitia looked at the shining sabre "That's such a cruel thing to do." Taki pulled up the sword "It's one of cruellest things you can do to the Costal Defence Force, I'm guessing that the poor mans parents are still waiting this to be returned, then they can lay their son to rest."

She flipped the blade over "I `m guessing every weapon these men have was taken from some one, the guy who I killed in Ryoko's room had a Samurai Generals sword. This one has a Costal Defence Force sword easy to tell because they always have a dragon hilt and their owners name caved in to the blade."

"My family are going to have to return all these weapons to the families that they belong to as well as the Samurai factions." She slowly put the weapon the bed next to Sophitia's robe "I hate that doing that isn't going to be easy we'll have to sneak them back in, if we give them back openly people will think we took them."

Sophitia watched in silence as the dying man's eyes rolled back in their sockets, his whole body shuddered then went still as death finally took him. She turned away trying to ignore the stream of blood that was flowing past her boot. She slowly folder her arms "If I live to see tomorrow I'll come with you and hand them over personally, they might see you differently if I'm with you."

Taki slowly breathed in she looked at the bag in her hand "Oh yes I can see it now…they say who's the blonde and I'll say this is my beautiful girlfriend who saved my life." She smiled widely "I can just see the look on their faces, it would be total surprise…sadly I can also see someone asking if they could pay as so they watch as perform sexual acts."

Sophitia could feel herself blushing "I can see you punching them." Taki slowly let her hand form a fist "Why off cause, wouldn't want to let anyone embarrass you like that." She slowly eased her hand under the younger woman's chin "Wouldn't be right anyway I like watching you blush far to much."

Sophitia turned slightly "Do you think our friend had anyone following him?" Taki turned slowly the blind to her room had been pulled open slightly "I doubt it, he was probably just a lurking the corridors hoping to find something new to steal." She put a hand under her chin "Our voices just put him off and he tried to sneak in here."

She slowly eased up her hand "Not that that was the cleverest decision he ever made." She took a step forward kicking the dead carcass "I hope Emma-O the lord off hell is there to greet him, where ever he's gone." She kicked the dead man again "I can see his face right now…it'll be screaming for the rest of eternality."

Sophitia slowly put a hand on Taki's shoulder, her girlfriend turned slightly "Stop kicking him he's dead." Taki found her self snarling aloud "Real shame that I would've liked him to stay alive a little longer…then maybe I could've have used my dagger to rip his eyeballs right out off their sockets."

Sophitia found herself breathing in deeply "Stop being so horrible…I'm beginning to think you like doing horrible things like that." Taki shrugged slightly "Yeah well I do like doing things like that its just normally I do it to demons." She found herself sighing aloud "This is hard for me these people have probably locked my family up somewhere."

"I dislike all of them for what they've done, I guess thinking off horrible ways to hurt them doesn't make me any better than them. It's just saying it makes me feel better even if I don't do it." She slowly gazed at her hand "I don't truly like doing horrible things, it's just this whole situation makes me feel like doing horrible things."

Sophitia slowly met Taki's gaze "We will find your family." Taki looked up slightly "I hope so, I just hope she hasn't hurt them." Sophitia slowly put a hand under her girlfriends chin "I doubt she would, I think she'd keep them alive and use them as bait." Taki slowly eased up the Jin Uni ki weapon looking at it "I hate to say that your right about that, she would always have a card to play…Its just how the bitch thinks."

She leaned over kissing the side off Sophitia's face "Its just she doesn't no who she's dealing with, we've both fought her before. She lost to both of as she'll just loose again, she's just an arrogant fool who can't hope to win." Sophitia slowly put both arms around the ninja's neck "I believe you're right about all this, like you said I doubt she'll be ready for our plan."

She felt Taki's arms slowly move around her waist she closed her eyes feeling Taki nuzzle her hair. Deep down in the pit off her stomach she felt very different about all this, it feels like that feeling you get when you are so unsure. The one that's comes to all those before they truly draw there swords to fight, that cruel feeling and weird feeling that feels like butterflies flying around inside.

She closed her eyes tighter finding her grip on her girlfriend tightening she just wanted it to go away. Was she being tested? Was this going to her moment of glory or her moment of failure? How she hated to fail those around her, she didn't want to fail not on this night underneath this Japanese sky.

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Aeon slowly took a step forward he tapped his clawed foot slightly "I have to ask this because it's been bothering me for sometime." Keiko turned slightly "What's that?" Aeon pulled up his sword slightly "I see you have huge swords and bows, but what else do you have to take down a Nacrinoth?"

He slowly pulled up his shield arm "I don't mean to sound rude but a beast of that power can burn through your weapons very easily, swords are useless against those things." Jiro laughed slightly "Don't think yourself as rude we understand your point off view, but I'd like to enlighten you further."

He slowly raised himself slightly on his hind legs pulling up his huge weapon "Jin Uni Ki weapons are made by hand and contain many demon killing spells which are permanently imprinted inside the blade." He shook his main "Much like the blade your carry which has great power, ours are powerful to. Although maybe not to the extreme off yours but they do there job."

His grin widened "Because we are very much allies off the Fu-ma clan we have learnt to share spells and incantations, it's been very useful to as a pack to learn from the ninja's above." Aeon smiled slightly "That's makes a lot of sense, what better way to enhance weapons than to share information with the ninja's above."

Keiko turned her head slightly she slowly eased her huge sword out off its scabbard "Personally I like sharing things with the clan, Taki herself taught me how to make fire weapons." She turned the weapon in her hand its lower blade gleamed red as ruby, the fire some colour creeping up the blade to its centre " Although I did enhance it, I just added on some off my own spells to make it's blows much more fearsome."

Aeon watched her re sheath the weapon "I'm guessing you added the spell that paralyses demons." Keiko cocked her head to one side then carried on moving "Something like that, not that the true strength of the blade comes from but that spell it is in there." Aeon looked at the brightly lit tunnel ahead "How far is it until we get the central labyrinth?"

Keiko smiled slightly she turned watching the other Jin Uni Ki moved through the corridor "Since this is one of our secret passages it wont be long, we should come out through a hidden door, which is very close to the central labyrinth." She shook her main "I sense that something's worrying you, what is it?"

Aeon looked at his weapon "Its just when I went up there last time when I was searching for my friends I found the whole central room had been shut off." Keiko raised an eyebrow "I see…well that's not going to be a problem, we have ways to open up traps which have been triggered."

She slowly put a clawed hand on Aeon's shoulder "You shouldn't worry yourself, we have many ways and means to open any door which can't be opened." Aeon looked up slightly "Maybe I'm just desperate to fight, the idea of killing this bitch of a ninja feels good. It's just deep down it feels wrong as well. Its so easy to kill demons yet bringing your sword down on people is always harder."

Keiko looked up slightly "Well I wouldn't worry yourself about this woman, I don't believe she's human and neither should you, and even if she was we are doing this for the Fu-Ma clan. These brave children of Toki are our allies and friends, we honour them by fighting by their side. That is our destiny and we are happy to walk with them through it."

She leaned forward "We are honoured to have you here Aeon, you are the proof off all things that beings from the darkest places be they half demons or full demons like as and Lizard men can find there souls again. You managed to defy your nature the greatest thing the Jin Uni ki did so many centuries ago."

Aeon looked up slightly "You honour me to much, I'm only here like this because fate played a strange role." Keiko slowly went back down on all fours "Again you lower yourself, there is no real need to do that. You are a warrior you'll always be a warrior it's in your blood you have as much honour as any other." She turned looking at the corridor "Before this night is over you will prove it to all off as."

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