Vampire Princess Miyu Fan Fiction ❯ When Friends are True-A Vampire Miyu Saga ❯ Red Dawn ( Chapter 26 )

Author's Note: YEAY! School is OVER! I'm FREE! Well, kinda, but certainly free enough to start writing again! Gah, I am soooooo sorry about the tardiness of this chapter…but it is not dead! I will go on! And on, and on…and on. It's a long one, folks, but stay with me. How long, you ask? Well, this chapter crossed the 200 page mark. Hazzah! And it's only 1/3 done! **hangs head** What have I gotten myself into….? This was the most painful chapter I have even written, so don't expect a whole lot for this. I tried guys, I really did…

Chapter Twenty-Six

Red Dawn

The clouds had moved back over night, a thick gray blanket that smothered the sky from view, but the forest of the Fifth Layer was alive with the dancing reflections from blades and swords of every type. The whole sight made Miyu uneasy. This was a battle of magical and mental strength, not one of physical deftness. There was little chance that their swords and weapons would do a great deal of good once they were faced off with Caial and her son, but she could get an idea of why the other Shinma kept their weapons bared. It was a sense of security, of something that they could use to defend themselves if it came down to it. It gave them confidence. Miyu almost wished that she had a sword too.

The whole idea of fighting this small-scale war scared her. In her entire carrier as guardian, she had never fought anything but random fights with various Shinma, which were usually brawls consisting of everything a Shinma had against her all-mighty flame. This, though. This was different. She was now fighting an enemy with a reason to fight her, rather than because of who she was and it was what she did. Caial had a reason to kill her. This was not some mindless brawl; it was an actual battle. That little difference made all the difference in the world. And that's was what scared her.

Larva felt the unease too. Compared to the Chinese and the Western Shinma, Miyu looked small and defenseless. Where they had armor and weapons, Miyu only had her fire that was called at her will. True, her flame had never failed her before, but he wished, deep inside, that there was something else. And she looked scared. That was what unnerved him the most, but he knew better than to think of Miyu as not being able to take care of herself. He knew for a fact that she was strong and fearless, despite her appearance; she had the true heart of a warrior, and there was not a thing yet that she backed down to.

The only thing that broke Miyu's deep foreboding train of thought was when Larva lay a hand on her shoulder; comforting and giving her the support she needed then. Miyu tilted her head back slightly to look up at him, golden eyed that met ruby eyes that spoke to her; "Do not fear today's events; we will be near to protect you. I will always be near to protect you." Miyu cracked a small, thankful smile, raising her arm so she could place her hand on Larva's, squeezing his fingers. Somehow still, with all the support she had and with Larva closer to her than ever, she had never felt so helpless.

YOU MUST NOT WASTE TIME. Came Mori's voice from behind, making several of the Shinma jump a few feet in the air. No one had any idea she had been standing there. THE ENEMY DRAWS NEAR.

"Holy jeez, will you not do that?" Kitsune grumped, clutching the fabric of her shirt over her heart. "If I'm going to die today, I don't want it to be from a heart attack before the battle even starts!"

Mori gave the fix girl a quick, hard warning stare before continuing. IF YOU PLAY CAREFULLY TODAY, CHINESE SHINMA, THEN NON OF YOU HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT DYING, BUT IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE OF THAT, YOU MUST ACT NOW. REMEMBER THAT THE QUARL ARE PARASITES, AND THE CLOSER THEY GET TO THE HEART OF THE DARKNESS, THE STRONGER THEY BECOME. THEY WILL LAP UP THE STRONGER POWERS OF THE LOWER TIERS, SO IT IS INEVITABLE THAT YOU ACT QUICKLY.

"Well, there's no better time than now." Yoshi said, pitching his scythe-bladed sword over his shoulder. "If you want to stop the fire, then you must stop it while it's still a spark. Are you absolutely sure that the last two Western Shinma won't be helping us?"

"Positive." Larva's answer was short, and to the point.

"Pity. We could sure use the fire-power."

"Mori," Yoto spoke suddenly, as if Yoshi's words had brought a new thought to mind. "Do you think that we alone are enough to withstand Caial?" Everyone stopped at this question, eyes locked on the massive form of the ancient Elder, anxiously awaiting her answer.

And to their discontent, the Elder did not answer right away, only looking back at them with those unblinking golden eyes, obviously choosing the right words to answer with. KNOW ONLY THIS; THE QUARLS ARE LIKE PARASITES. THEY FEED OFF THE POWERS AND MAGIC THAT THIS LAND HOLDS, GROWING FROM IT. THE CLOSER THEY GET TO THE FIFTH LAYER, THE STRONGER THEY BECOME, AND CAIAL HAS ALREADY HAD A LONG TIME TO REGAIN THE POWERS THAT SHE HAS LOST… I AM UNSURE OF THEIR STRENGTH AS OF NOW. Miyu tried not to notice how nervous the other Shinma were looking.

There was a rustling in the brush around them, and not more than an instant later two snowy white objects shot out of the shadows; Mioshi and Okkoto drew up beside their mother, tongues lolling from their jaws, their lean chests heaving in ragged pants. It was no mystery that they had just come from a very long distance away, running very hard and very fast, in desperate attempt to deliver whatever message Mori needed to hear. THEY COME, MOTHER.

"The Quarl?" Everyone was suddenly at attention, glancing around them as if expecting the enemy to burst forth.

Mori raised her nose into the air, testing it, but there was no alarm in her nature. She did, however, snap her head back down with a short, disgusted snort, her lips curling into a sneer. A soft growl emitted from her throat, and only a few of the Shinma were able to distinguish it as words; Not now.

Miyu felt what was wrong long before she had to ask. It was a combination of a chill running, clawing its way up her spine and every single hair on her neck and arms standing on end, as if hit by an electric charge. There were Japanese Shinma coming into the area. A lot of Japanese Shinma. A lot of really, really powerful Japanese Shinma, and coming very close.

WESTERN SHINMA, STAND DOWN. THESE ARE NOT SHINMA TO BE DEALT WITH LIGHTLY. YOU AS WELL, CHINESE SHINMA. Mori commanded to them, and they all did exactly what she told them to do.

They arrived with a flourish and an aura of which Miyu had never seen before. Only a few appeared in the clearing of the Fifth Layer from the shadows, a familiar entrance used by those not wanting to make a spectacle, but the others seemed to like drawing attention to themselves. The air rippled and shimmered as Gates and Dimensional Folds were opened before their eyes, and Japanese Shinma dressed in their full formal attired and airs of their own superiority stepped out, congregating before Mori and the others. Although Miyu held a straight and serious face, it was not easy to mask her otherwise bewildered feeling. These were Shinma that she had never seen before. They were more human than most of the Japanese Shinma she had to deal with, with minor variations such as pointed eyes, slit-pupil eyes and tattoo-like marking on their faces. They dressed in ancient samurai and warrior armor that looked restored to new and elaborate robes and kimono, and nearly all of them were baring a weapon of some sort. The air of the Fifth layer was electrified with all the collected power, and the warrior-types fingered the hilts of their katana sword as they eyes the odd party of Shinma closely and dangerously. New Shinma as they were to her, Miyu could guess what they were. Fourth and Fifth Layer Shinma, who were so powerful and so arrogant that they never ventured to the Earth realm, so she never had to worry about dealing with them. Right now she was more than grateful that she never had to; their mere auras gave an undertone of how strong they really were.

Three Shinma stood out among the rest, their faces set and hard and their eyes eerily cold as they sized up the Western and Chinese Shinma that stood behind Miyu. The only one who really stood by her side was Larva; even the Chinese Shinma were on their guard.

Two of the Shinma were wearing armor that she had only seen in books and museums from the old Feudal age. One wore a breastplate and shoulder and arm armor over an orange kimono and deep green pants, the armor bound over his torso by white sashes. His hair was dark, long and tapering off in between his shoulder blades with two pointed animal-like ears poking up from the top of his head. The other wore less armor, but the traditional robes he wore beneath were more elaborate, his long hair pure white with dark stripes slashed across his pale face. And standing behind them was none other than Somuku, all spikes and tusks and bad attitude, the Elder of the Third Layer.

SOMUKU… Mori's voice dripped with bitterness. WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS? DO NOT TELL ME THAT YOU ARE RESPONCIBLE FOR THIS RALLY? IF YOU HAVE NOT NOTICED, WE ARE ON A BIT OF A TIME CONSTRAINT.

MORI…I CANNOT STAND FOR THIS ANY LONGER. ALLOWING THE WESTERN SHINMA ONTO OUR LANDS IN THE FIRST PLACE IS UNACCEPTABLE. BUT NOW…NOW YOU ARE ALLOWING THEM TO FIGHT ALONG WITH US? THAT IS AN INSULT TOO GREAT FOR US TO BEAR.

YOU'RE STUMBLING OVER YOUR OWN SPEECH, SOMUKU. Mori rumbled deep in her throat. AND WE DO NOT HAVE TIME FOR THIS. IF YOU HAVE NOT NOTICED, THERE IS A RATHER DANGEROUS ENEMY LOOSE ON OUR LAND, AND THEY ARE HEADED THIS WAY. IF YOU STAND IN OUR WAY, THEN THEY MAY BE UNSTOPPABLE BY THE TIME THEY REACH THE FIFTH LAYER. RIGHT NOW, IT DOES NOT MATTER WHO HELPS US, NOT WHOSE PRIDE IT RESTS ON.

"But I think it is our concern, Elder." Although still speaking to her in respect, the dark-haired Shinma's tone was challenging. He gave the immediate impression of one with a cocky, know-it-all attitude that Miyu disliked as soon as those words left his mouth.

Trying not to draw attention to herself, Miyu leaned over and whispered to the Chinese Shinma from the corner of her mouth: "Guys, who are these people?"

"About the last people we want to deal with right now, short of the Quarls." Tacha whispered back. "These are the stronger Shinma of the Third and Fourth Layer; there are even some Fifth Layer inhabitants mixed in there as well. The two you see by Somuku are Ohei'na and Seishimaza, the Sentinels of the Third and Fourth Layer, but almost every knows they've been after the higher positions for centuries."

"It is not so much that you are allowing the Western Shinma to assist us in fighting in our battles." The white-haired Shinma, Seishimaza, responded. His voice was cooler than Ohei'na, but still held the same air of arrogance. Miyu was beginning to dislike them more and more every moment they stood there. "It is there mere fact that they are here in the first place, and why they were not dealt with when we first got wind of their kind on our land." Miyu felt the hairs on the back of her neck prickle; she could already tell where this was heading.

"Correct." Ohei'na said with a sneer, and looked directly at Miyu. Unlike other Shinma, the Sentinel of the Third Layer did not lower his eyes when he looked into her own golden orbs. "If the guardian had done her job, then we would not stuck in this mess to begin with." There was a ripple of agreement from the Shinma standing behind them. Behind her, Miyu felt a stir of anger radiating from the Chinese behind her. She could even sense Larva next to her twitch internally, wanting to protect her from that slanderous remark, but no one moved, not including Yoshi who was trying hard to struggle out of Yoto's grip. It was a little difficult to keep the bat-boy back from clobbering the daylights out of the Japanese Shinma who had insulted her. And Miyu stood her ground, jaws slightly clenched and her eyes narrowed, but she did not advert them from the hard gazes of the challenging Shinma.

YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO BLAME THIS ON MIYU'S FAULT. Mori's Voice was calm, but it was edged like a razor. SHE WAS ONLY TOLD AT HER AWAKENING THAT SHE WAS TO RETURN THE STRAY SHINMA TO THE DARK. FIGHTING OFF A FOREIGN INVADER WAS SOMETHING SHE WAS NEVER EXPECTED TO PREPARE FOR; IT WAS NEVER EVEN MENTIONED.

BUT SHE WAS TOLD SHE WAS TO PROTECT THE LAND FROM ANY AND ALL HARM OF DISTURBNACE AT ANY COST; IT DOES NOT MATTER FROM WHOME THEY ARE OR WHO THEY ARE FROM. Somuku retorted bitterly. Miyu tried hard not fidget, but it was a little difficult when the two most powerful Shinma in the realm were speaking of her as if she was not there.

"Allowing her to bond to a Western Shinma was stepping near the boarder line, but to allow others to wander free is unacceptable." Seishimaza spoke. If you have not forgotten, Mori, they were responsible for collapsing the Western Gate and for the death of the Elder of the First Layer! We have killed our own kind for less than that."

Ohei'na curtly nodded in agreement. "They should have been dead when they set foot on this shore."

HAD YOU BEEN PAYING ATTENTION TO THE SITUATION, Mori countered, THEN YOU WOULD HAVE NOTICED THAT MIYU HAS HAD NUMEROUS OPPORTUNITIES TO KILL THE WESTERN SHINMA; HER POWER FAR SUPPRESSES THEIR OWN, YOU CAN FEEL IT IN THE VERY AIR. I AM SURE SHE HAS HER OWN REASONS FOR KEEPING THEM ALIVE UNTIL NOW. BESIDES, YOU FORGET THAT SHE IS THE LIVING FLESH AND BLOOD OF KYUKO, THE ONE THAT SAVED US ALL FROM A DISASTROUS FATE ALL THOSE YEARS AGO. SHE HAS KYUKO'S SPIRIT AND HER FIRE. SHE WILL NOT ALLOW HERSELF TO DO ANYTHING FOOLISH.

So she says. Miyu thought bitterly, desperately hoping that none of the Shinma could read minds. Had I had my way, they would have been dead for what they did to me and Larva. It because of the current situation that they are still alive. It's the Quarls they should be thanking, not me.

Then it happened, the one and last retort that the Japanese Shinma had up their sleeves; the one that all of them had anticipated one way or the other, but it struck a nerve nonetheless.

"True…she may be the living heir of Kyuko and the vampires." Came the jeer of another young, cocky Japanese Shinma. "But Kyuko would not have passively allowed her own death by her own Shimobe, even if he was originally her enemy come to kill her in the first place."

The reaction to his words resulted in sheer pandemonium. The world seen through Miyu's eyes grew red with anger, set on fire from the harsh words that came from the mouths of seemingly her own people, but she still somehow managed her keep her cool. Only her lip turned up in a small snarl, exposing her enlonged canines. The reaction of the Chinese Shinma, though, was much different; they threw every curse they knew at the offenders, but Miyu did not hear half of it; her mind was filled with a horrible buzz, the echo of what they had just said. The taunts of the Chinese Shinma only stopped when Ryuko and Yoshi had to pounce on Larva, holding him back from trying to cut each and every one of their throats, regardless of their powers and rank, or what they could do to him as their hands moved cautiously to their weapons. If their verbal attack had been physical, then Larva had been fatally wounded; she could feel the anguish of his heart through their bond. The feeling, that horrible, twisting sickening mix of anger and guilt made tears want to rise to her eyes, but she would not allow them to come. She could not appear weak before these incredibly cruel creatures.

Once they were a bit calmed down, silence settled into the area, thick and heavy but as fragile as spun glass, waiting to be broken at the first breath of a spoken word. Each side waited for the other to respond first; it was Mori's voice that shattered it.

WELL THEN, MIYU. WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY TO THAT?

Miyu let her eyelids drift close, but not to hide them from the others, but to clear her mind as she calmed her mind, turning the muddied thoughts into crystal-clear water, choosing her words carefully. When she finally opened them, whatever look they held in their golden depths was far more chilling them any before, because all the Shinma facing her, including the Sentinels and even the Elder, took a step back in surprise, their own eyes, however many they had, widened slightly in surprise.

"It's ironic that you speak of 'our' land… an foreign enemy in our land. Allowing who were once enemies to fight along side us. But, from what I have noticed, you may have issues about my decisions, but the lot of you have not done a goddamn bloody thing about it other than choose the most inappropriate time to complain about it." Miyu, surprisingly, was able to keep her voice calm, even, and unwavering despite the rage she felt burning inside, but each word stuck at those listening like a dagger of ice. Had they been any more accurately and chillingly punctuated, then the Shinma would have flinched at each syllable. "You speak of yourselves as superiors, as having power that would suppress my own, whatever they may be, and yet you only sat in whatever realm you may call home, letting these invaders destroy the Gates, killing our Elders…" She gave a short, cruel laugh. "Some pride you have for your home. You did not do a damn thing about it.

"And now…now, there are monsters loose in our forests, in our mountains. I assume most of you were alive during these so-called 'Shinma Wars', so you must know that these are the same enemies as before, not those who are standing behind me. The real enemy are the one who invaded the land, who my ancestoress battled against, who as killed by them; the Western Shinma were your allies then, or are your prides too large to remember that? Yes…I could have killed them when they first arrived and had all the reason too, even though now I do not know why. If you think I am wrong for this, then you can kill them yourselves. Go ahead. They're right there, helpless and defenseless." She could almost hear the blood draining from their faces, and was very relieved when none of the Japanese Shinma moved.

"It is time to see who is the real enemy we must fight, even if it means burying our own pride and siding with those we would think to be the last ones to fight along side with. I think that now is one of those times. You speak of how it is my duty to guard this land, but what have you been doing before I Awoke, since the last vampire was alive? Sit back and let whatever happen to the one place we have to live in? I may be the guardian, but it is up to all Japanese Shinma to guard this land.

"So if you have problems about the job I have been doing alone for all these years, I will be more than happy to step down and let you handle this on your own. And if this realm is destroyed because of your lack of compatibility, then so be it." Those last three words were the harshest she spoke, making almost everyone in the clearing cringe and shrink back. The silence returned, giving her speech time to sink in.

WELL THEN. The light tone of Mori's voice caught everyone off guard, since Miyu's tone had before been so much more forceful in their attention-holding death-grip. I THINK THAN THAT SETTLES IT. SOMUKU, YOU WERE INDEED A FOOL TO HAVE DOUBTED MIYU IN HER ABILITY TO UPHOLD THE GUARDIAN OF THIS LAND. HER SOUL IS STRONGER THAN ANY OF US PUT TOGETHER, THERE IS NO DOUBT ABOUT THAT, AND I STAND BY HER AS STRONGLY AND AS CLOSELY AS I STOOD BY KYUKO AND THOSE BEFORE. IT IS THESE TYPES OF LEADERSHIP QUALITIES THAT THIS REALM NEEDS, AND THAT WE HAD NOT SEEN SINCE KYUKO WAS ALIVE. THEREFORE, IF THEY ARE TO SURVIVE TODAY'S ENCOUNTER WITH THE ENEMY, I HEREBY APPOINT MIYU THE HIGH VOICE OF THE JAPANESE SHINMA REALM. THE RETURN OF THE QUARL WILL CERTAINLY DRAW ATTATNION TO US, SEEING AS THEY CAUSED SO MUCH TROUBLE IN THE PAST. CHANGE IS COMING, I CAN FEEL IT IN MY VERY BONES. WE WILL NEED… AN APPROPRIATE VOICE FOR OUR LAND.

Miyu did not dare to tear her eyes away from the other Japanese Shinma, but whatever this "High Voice" thing she was supposed to be was apparently a big deal. The Japanese Shinma began to whisper among themselves, and she could barely hear the Chinese Shinma behind her. The only one who did not seem shocked was the Third Layer Elder, who kept his sharp, piercing gaze locked with Miyu's. She could tell that he was sizing her up, weighing his thoughts of her capability to be what Mori said she was going to be in the future. For a moment, she was sure he was going to reject Mori's seemingly solid proposal, until…

I HOPE YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING, MORI. I FEAR FOR OUR CLAN'S SAFETY IF IT IS TO BE TRUSTED WITH A CHILD. And before anyone could respond, he turned, and with a flick of his tail, disappeared. The other Japanese Shinma remained behind, obviously too much in shock from Miyu's speech and Mori's inevitable decision.

"If you're going to help," her voice was once again deadly calm. "Then follow me. Anyone else, get out of my way. I have a job to do." Without waiting for anyone to respond, Miyu pushed her way past the Japanese Shinma - it was not a huge task, as they all jumped out of her way - and she disappeared after Somuku.

From in back where the vampire once stood, the Chinese Shinma and Western Shinma alike stood in shock, pressed hard against each other, eyes wide. It was not until she was gone that they remembered to breath once again. "Ah…we should follow her, shouldn't we?" Kitsune asked, disturbing the stunned silence that had followed her departure. There was no verbal agreement, only a wave of released magic as one by one, the Chinese Shinma disappeared after their friend.

"Holy good God…" Spartoi breathed when the last tail disappeared, and he turned to Larva. "That doesn't frighten you at all?"

Larva returned his friend's look with a cool and steady gaze; he was perhaps the only one among the remaining Shinma who did not seem shaken in the slightest. "Why should I be?" He turned, and disappeared as well, leaving the Western Shinma to follow, hesitantly, after him.

* * *

"Holy crap!" Were the first words to reach their ears when they appeared out of their Gates wherever it was that Miyu had taken them. "That was pure genius! What side of whose bed did you wake up on this morning?"

"I really…don't know." Miyu said, all her previous cool composure lost. She was leaning up against the trunk of a huge spruce, holding her head in her hand, her legs slightly buckled and shaking. "I'm just…tired of people telling me how to do my job after years of me doing it on my own… if they think that they can do it any better, then why aren't they the ones out here? And now we're expected to go out and fight this battle? Oh, my head…"

"You can only hit someone so long before they hit back." Yoto quoted from the side, looking off into the forest, looking as if he was expecting someone.

"Besides, what was that…thing Mori wanted me to be? The High Voice?"

To her discomfort, the Chinese Shinma exchanged nervous glances with each other, the look that told her that they knew, but they were not going to tell her that instant. And the looks exchanged were also worried, hesitant, and deciding that she did not need any more stress than was already on her shoulders, she merely grumbled: "Forget I asked" and when back to massaging her eyes. A gentle hand on her shoulder made her look up into Larva's concerned gaze. She reached up and touched her hand to his, acknowledging his presence and forever silent support. In the challenge coming up, it was nice to know that she would have at least one person by her side the entire time.

"Well, it's about time!" Came a high voice from the forest, and Ichirou burst from the foliage, pale and panting, and he looked very, very spooked, not like his usual perky, energetic self. "Miyu, we have a real crisis on our hands! The Quarls have just breached the Second Layer, they're heading here on the warpath! They're taking out any Shinma in their path! We already have twenty dead Shadow Eyes on our hands! You gotta hurry, Aoi and Ranka are already baring the path, but their shields are only so strong!" He then noticed the Western Shinma standing by. "So I guess you didn't run back with your tails between your legs, huh? Great, we need all the firepower we can get! Now come on, we got to move!" In a flash, he was gone again, and without another word, they followed.

They arrived in the middle of a vast field, the long grassy rippling in the wind, and below the blanket of gray clouds, a blood-red sun was rising. The world looked empty except for three figures standing in the field… Well, two were standing; one's tall frame silhouetted against the dawn sky, white hair blowing into the wind, the smaller werewolf at his side, while their companion knelt on the ground. There was a heavy presence in the air, as if something was pressing in around them, and when Miyu took a step forward, she saw a shimmer of iridescent light against the gray and red sky. A shield that the two Shinma have put up to keep them from pressing any further without resistance, but the shimmer of light was a sign that it was weakening.

They approached the two Shinma at a brisk jog, and saw immediately why Ranka was kneeling. Laying on her lap was a young Shadow Eye, her shawl removed, blood oozing from her mouth as her hand gripped a gaping wound in her side, the red liquid making the grass sticky and gave the illusion that the very earth was bleeding. "It's not good." Ranka said, not even looking over her shoulder when they others drew near. "She's beyond help now."

"I know her." Spartoi said with a hint of sorrow in his voice. "She was the one who lead us to the lower Layers."

Mashu coughed, sending up more blood. Her eyes were unfocused beginning to glaze over with death, but when she saw Miyu they snapped open, pulling herself into a sitting position, taking hold of Miyu's yukata and pulling her towards her. "You can't let them win!" The dying ninja choked out, shuddering so hard that Miyu felt herself shaking. "Don't…don't let them kill us! You….you… you have to…" With a final cough, she slumped forward, and her skin turned cold, and her body slowly turned to mist to be taken away on the wind.

"It starts." Ranka said, unshaken by the death of the young Shinma, brushing the blood from her kimono. "I hope you have prepared yourselves enough." Miyu slowly stood back up, moving towards Larva, and the Chinese and Western Shinma were huddled in their own groups, looking anxious.

"And you think that you would have all the fun?"

Everyone jumped that that one; several of the Chinese Shinma even fell to the ground. "I really wish people would stop doing that!" Kitsune shouted up at Nagi who stood grinning over her, Yui and Senju at close hand.

Nagi let out a huge, fake sigh. "I guess since we were already involved, we might as well help you finish it." He said as the others picked themselves up from the ground, brushing themselves off. Yui rushed over to Miyu and gave her a quick hug before returning to Nagi, as if afraid that something would snatch her away if she was away from his side too long.

Thunder cracked across the sky, lightning shattered the sky, making them all wince but hold strong. "What was that?" Ichirou asked, looking skyward.

"It's coming!" Ranka shouted, and not more than a heartbeat later it seemed as if the ground under them had exploded, but it was actually something punching into the earth from above. A huge ball of light and energy seemed to be thrown from the sky, crashing into the earth and blowing a crater in the ground a hundred feet across and twenty feet deep, burning away the grass and turning the field into a landscape of barren rock and towering boulders. Brown smoke and dust filled the sky, and the Shinma and Shi alike had to shield themselves to the best of their abilities against the rain of rock and shrapnel that hammered down upon them.

Finally, the smoke cleared, and standing in the middle of the crater were two figures baring the presence of a hunger for death and destruction. One of them was unmistakably Cait Sith, an ugly smirk plastered on his dark face. And standing beside him was a woman dressed in a long black dress and a tall white turban with a presence unlike Miyu had ever felt before.

"Well now, children." She said in a voice as smooth as silk that had been soaked in poison. "Is it time to play already?"

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TO BE CONTINUED…

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