Weiss Kreuz Fan Fiction ❯ Shadows ❯ sacrifice, part 2 ( Chapter 26 )

Shadows

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chapter 15

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sacrifice, part 2

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Cassandra watched the revelers sing and dance in the Koneko's main room, and her mouth tightened into a grim line. While these people drank and acted like proper fools, her loved ones were busy fighting for their lives. Summer solstice was the time for light beating back the darkness, of things coming to fruition and sweet life to sustain one when the darkness reigned supreme. But today, it was a time for death and sacrifice. She just hoped that none of her loved ones paid too high a price.

Feeling a hand rest on hers, Cassandra looked up at Mickey, who was standing beside her trying to press a cup of wine in her hand.

"Drink up, Cass. It's going to be a long night, and you'll need something to sustain you. Jo said to let you know that the ducks will be done soon, and that she'll be saving a couple breasts for you. You'll eat them, if you know what's good for you." Mickey tried to smile at her over Jo's protective bossiness, but he was too tense to successfully pull off the expression.

Taking the cup of wine, Cassandra quickly drained it in a matter of seconds. Then she handed back the empty cup and patted Mickey's hand.

"They'll be fine. I've seen nothing that would lead me to believe that your brother and his lover won't return home." She honestly hadn't, but Cassandra quickly shoved aside the thought that there was a lot that she hadn't seen involving the battle tonight. As much as she cared for Aya, the man's effect on her talent was seriously exasperating her.

Mickey sighed and hugged an arm around her shoulders. "I know, Cass, but I'll worry until they're safely home. It's so hard to let Teddy and Koyu go off alone into something…."

The young man's voice faded away, as a vision overtook Cassandra. Just when it started to make sense she heard a chiming sound that had a few people in the Koneko looking about curiously, and Mickey suddenly stood up straight.

"Botan's wards! That was his wards being set off…."

"Upstairs!" Cassandra grabbed Mickey's arm and started for the stairs. "Someone is trying to break into Aya and Yohji's room! Their magic is what set off Botan's wards!"

Shrugging his arm free, Mickey stepped in front of Cassandra and used his bulk to quickly clear a path for the two of them. Still, it took precious seconds for them to make their way to the hallway, and Cassandra was beside herself when they started up the stairs. It was Touya's turn to guard Aya and Yohji's room, and she feared that her promises that no sorrow would befall the Koneko had been false. Racing behind Mickey, she used her bound speed to keep up with the man's long legs.

Spilling into the hallway, they turned the bend and then came to a halt. Standing before the doorway to the bounds' room was a man dressed in faded brown, who held a knife to Touya's throat. Cassandra's heart seized painfully at the sight, especially when she could see blood start to trickle down Touya's neck and stain his red tunic.

"Stop right there! Come any closer and I'll kill him!" The man pressed against the wall, trying to keep Mickey and Cassandra in his line of sight as well as Jo. Cassandra finally realized that the other woman must have run up the back stairs when she'd heard the chimes, and she noticed the gleam of the knife that Jo held in her hand.

"Kill him and we'll kill you, you moron," Jo snarled. While the woman had a point, Cassandra didn't think it was a good idea to antagonize the stranger. Emanating calm and innocence, she stepped closer to the man.

"We don't want anyone to be hurt. Please, put the knife away and let the boy go."

The stranger looked back and forth between her and Jo. "I'll kill him if you step any closer. Now where is he? Where's the kage?"

Coming to a halt, Cassandra held her hands out at her sides. "He's not here, he's at the wedding reception."

"You better not be lying to me, you old bitch." The man jerked Touya closer to him as he glared at Cassandra.

Biting back on a snarl, Cassandra kept her voice calm. "I'm not. He's at the wedding reception, or you'd be dead right now."

Her words appeared to make sense, and the man's body slowly relaxed. However, the knife remained at Touya's throat.

"At the wedding reception, eh? The damn freak's turning against his masters, is he? Thought he could escape? He can't, and he'll regret what he did." Brown eyes narrowed on Cassandra. "You know what he is, you must be helping him. You'll regret it too, if you helped him. Now I want you to go inside this room and fetch me the ball he's hidden away." Touya let out a squeak as more blood started to flow down his neck.

"There's no telling what surprises he has in there, but I bet he trusts you. You've been here often enough, and out there with him in the garden. Fetch me the damn ball and don't even think to tell me you don't know what I'm talking about. The boy will die if you play stupid with me."

Mickey stepped closer to her, but Cassandra waved at him to stop. She could sense the intruder's panic and haste, and knew that he was too on edge for Mickey to try and rush the man. No, Jo was closer, and she'd need to give the other woman a shot at taking the Takatori agent down.

"Then follow me, the… kage's room is up another flight."

The man laughed and cruelly dug his fingers into Touya's arm, causing the boy to cry out in pain. "Don't play games with me you old hag. You wouldn't be guarding this room if the kage hadn't hidden something in there. Not to mention that I saw him looking out this window, earlier. Now go in there and fetch me the damn ball." He was growing more and more frantic by the moment, as the realization that if the kage was indeed at the palace, his employers might not be alive for long.

Knowing that if she stepped into the room it would be her death, due to the wards that Aya was sure to have set in place before his departure, Cassandra nevertheless walked towards the door. She needed to make the man expose his back. As she approached he started to slink away from the doorway, giving her the opening she needed.

When her hand was scant centimeters from the doorknob, Cassandra cast an illusion of Aya walking down the hallway. The agent let out a cry of fear, one that quickly turned to pain. Spinning around with enhanced speed, she quickly grabbed the hand that held the knife and yanked it away from Touya's throat. The boy instantly went limp, falling to the floor and out of the stranger's grasp.

The man took a step to the side, his free arm twisted around awkwardly as he tried to pull out the knife stuck in his back. He managed another step before Mickey was on him, grabbing his chin and spinning his head back with brute force. There was a sickening `crack', and then the man's body fell to the floor.

Jo instantly stepped over the body and gathered Touya in her arms, kissing the teenager on his face and holding him tightly. When he started to squeak for air she released him, snatching at her apron and using it to staunch the shallow cuts on his neck.

Looking up from the body, Mickey stared grimly at Cassandra. "What are the chances that someone else will try and retrieve the sphere?"

"I don't know. It depends on how desperate the Takatoris become, and how much longer they live." But at least this agent hadn't been given kage blood, which might have fooled Aya's wards. No, judging from how easy he'd been to kill, Aya's former masters had sent a spy or another underling here to fetch the kage's sister.

"We better remain vigilant, then." Mickey stooped down to pick up the body and hauled it onto his shoulder. "Cass, I need you to help me sneak this down to the compost heap. Jo, take care of the blood and Touya, and guard the room until I come back. I'll be on watch for the next couple hours, just to be on the safe side."

Still hugging Touya, Jo nodded her head. "I think that's for the best. Now hurry up, because I need to pull those ducks off the spits or they'll be charcoal soon. And try not to leave any blood on the stairs, I just washed them!"

Sharing a quick grin with Mickey, Cassandra headed for the stairs, using her empathic abilities to make sure that there would be no one witnessing them dispose of the body. Attempted coups, break-ins and death-threats were nothing to worry about. Jo furious at you for soiling her clean floors… now that was.

*******

Birman kept her post in front of her warded king and queen, and along with a handful of Guards managed to keep any mercenaries from trying to breach the magical shield. Around her was chaos: the screams of the wounded and dying, cries of panic from the people trapped in the room, occasional explosions and the sizzling, crackling sound that accompanied magic. But despite the dread she'd felt when she'd seen over two hundred warriors unsheathe their weapons and start attacking, Birman felt sure that things would end well. She had the bounds to thank for that.

It was amazing to see the amount of destruction they could manage, and that seven men, eight including Ken, which she still found impossible to believe, could defeat so many. Granted, the Guards were now able to hold their own, but they were still outnumbered at least three to one. But the bounds were turning the odds to their favor.

If she somehow managed to live through this, and retained her post when the king found out just how much she'd known beforehand, Birman resolved to seriously look into hiring bounds to work for her. She'd probably lose her position for just making that suggestion, but after witnessing the fighting today, she should have enough evidence to support her wild idea. After all, bounds had been created to spy and fight, why not give them employment that put those skills to use? Not to mention that having seen what they were truly capable of, Birman strongly believed in having bounds on the king's side. Should the magical beings decide to rally together and pay back all the abuse they'd suffered over the years… considering the scene before her, she knew it would be a bloodbath.

*******

Koyu, maintaining a firm grip on Teddy's arm, tried to keep his lover close to him as they fought through the crowd of panicked people desperate to flee the violence and death behind them. Koyu's other arm was around his Guildmaster, who had almost been crushed by the mob before they'd stumbled upon him. His harp was slung across his back, although no longer in one piece. During their attempt at escape, a soldier had slashed at Koyu's back. His harp had saved him, and Teddy had leapt on the man, preventing him from striking another blow. The shadows on Teddy's wrist had wrapped around the soldier's throat, and they'd left him choking on the floor behind them as they escaped.

"I'm beginning to think that maybe Yohji had a smart idea after all, honey."

Feeling a tired grin spread across his face, Koyu couldn't help but shake his head. Things had to be bad if Teddy was, albeit rather reluctantly, admitting that Yohji had been right. But as much as he agreed with his boyfriend, Koyu wouldn't regret attending the wedding reception. At least, not if Teddy and he made it out alive. His head was already filled with lyrics describing the battle, of the magicks, sacrifices and astounding feats he'd witnessed this day. Looking over his shoulder, Koyu found himself reluctantly wishing he could remain here and watch the battle to its conclusion.

Teddy muttered a truly obscene curse and yanked on Koyu's arm. "I know that look, dammit. It's the one that had us staying on Mount Ginrei so you could see what an avalanche looked like for a damn song. Move your ass, Koyu." Teddy yanked again. "Dammit, why aren't these people moving?"

"Because fear has robbed them of their senses, Kudoh," Guildmaster Daithi wearily replied. "And don't be angry at your boyfriend. I half wish you two hadn't decided to drag me along with you. This battle will be sung about for centuries to come! It's not often that a Harper has a front row seat at such an event."

"Well, it's hard to sing if you've been skewered by a sword or trampled to death," Teddy snapped. "For fuck's sake, move it!"

Trying to soothe his lover, Koyu used his greater height to his advantage and tried to crane his head over the crowd of people before him. He was trying to see what was causing the people to stop when they were so near the door.

After a few more steps he was able to identify the problem. It seemed that some mercenaries had decided that the best way to prevent people from escaping, and eventually reinforcements from arriving, was to kill them and leave a pile of bodies blocking the door. Already over a dozen innocent guests had been killed, and a couple Guards were trying valiantly to prevent any more deaths. Trapped as they were between the people pressing behind them and the ones pushing back on them, Koyu let out a curse and tried to pull Teddy closer.

A mercenary, perhaps seeing his and the Guildmaster's red outfits, cut a path toward the three of them. Pulling out one of his few remaining knives, Koyu tried tossing it at the man, but he was much better at slashing and stabbing than tossing. The knife was deflected by the soldier's armor, failing to penetrate the seam in the lacquered wood, and was lost in the crowd. Koyu immediately fumbled for the knife in his boot while the crowd parted before the soldier, fleeing from him.

Just when his hand brushed the hilt, the mercenary closed the last of the distance between them. Koyu was trying to straighten up when the sword came swinging at him. With a yell, Teddy pushed him backwards. Crying out to see the blade swipe across his lover's face, Koyu lifted a hand, as if to stop the blade in its tracks.

Something black flew from his wrist, as Aya's shadows leapt at the mercenary's face. The man let out a scream and dropped his sword, clawing at his eyes as blood and viscous fluid dribbled down his face. Taking advantage of the situation, Koyu slashed his knife along the man's throat. Holding Teddy close, he pushed past the dead man, the older Harper clinging to his arm all the while. He used his knife to force the people in front of him to move out of his way, desperate to reach the doors and the medical attention that had to be waiting on the other side. Beside him, Teddy held his hands up to his face and moaned in pain.

*******

Seeing most of the guests leaving through the doors and knowing that the rest of the Guards and the Royal Army were waiting to rush inside the ballroom, Yoru spat out a curse and caused wards to spring up over the entrances. Several people were killed as the magic passed through their bodies, and the survivors huddled by the doors and screamed. That taken care of, Yoru returned to focusing on the ward that barely kept Botan's spells from harming him.

He surveyed the carnage before him for a moment. Eto's troops were dying left and right, not able to withstand both Guards and bounds. The sight of a kage slaying the hired soldiers with a shadow blade made Yoru curse Fate. There was the creature he'd desperately sought, and to get him he had to defeat the other bounds and all the Guards, not to mention two wizards. While his spells had killed several of the Guards already, they were having no luck against any of the bounds. They were protected by the same charm that kept Botan from being harmed by Yoru's spells.

Yoru thought about unleashing the oni, but he knew he'd never be able to control them once that happened. They wouldn't harm him, Eto or Masafumi, but they'd try their best to kill the kage. If he loosed them, he could be depriving himself of the very prize he sought.

A particularly strong spell cast by Botan caused him pain, and Yoru knew that his shield wouldn't last much longer. His only hope rested in Eto and the lord's troops somehow managing to rally and fight back the enemy. Yoru spat another curse at Fate for that, knowing just how futile that was.

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"They've what?"

The Guard, somewhat taken back by Kikyou's loud tone, tried again. "Sir, the doors have been sealed, by magic this time. No more people will be escaping, and we can't enter the ballroom and save the king."

Biting back on a curse, Kikyou tugged on his hair for a moment. Dammit, he should have just ordered the Guards to force their way through the fleeing mob and save King Shuuichi. Lives would have been lost that way, but lives were being lost now, due to the wards preventing his Guards and the Army from entering the room. The hope for the king's safety now lay with the Guards that were already inside, and Botan. But Kikyou didn't know how much good they would be, having been caught unaware as they had been. All the Guards inside were only equipped with their dress swords, which while the weapons were functional, was not much of an armory.

Stalking past a lady who was babbling something about monsters, Kikyou started to snap orders. "Brennan, I want to know where the hell those palace Healers are that I asked for, and for you to go gather every available one in the capital." The Guard went scurrying off.

"Moira, find me a wizard. We need someone to try and break those wards so we can get inside that room. Tsubaki, we need to figure out if there is another way inside." Kikyou ordered his people about, leaving it to General Matsu to try and control the hysterical crowd that filled the palace hallways. His job was to protect the king, and he wouldn't rest until he did just that. Cursing his decision to double-check the duty roster for the night before attending the reception, Kikyou wished he was inside fighting.

He walked through the crowd, continuing to call out orders and trying to project the image that he knew what the hell he was doing. The sooner the people calmed down, the sooner they could find out what was happening inside. Besides, it gave him something to do while Tsubaki returned with hopefully some good news.

"Sir, Guard Talia has reported that the windows have also been warded."

"Captain, I've managed to track down some of Botan's assistants. They're looking into the wards as we speak."

A woman dressed in a military uniform of dark green bowed to Kikyou. "Sir, the General would like a word with you. It seems that cooperation will be needed if there is any hope of resolving this situation."

Damn right it was needed. Matsu might have the greater numbers, but the Guards knew the palace best and were trained to fight indoors. Following the woman, Kikyou gazed at the people huddled on the floor and grouped together in the great hall. Most of their finery was torn, and many looked wounded. Most likely by each other as they'd fled the fighting.

The sight of white and teal caught his eye, and Kikyou glared when he recognized young Lord Cheung, the heir of the highborn family. The man looked dazed, the side of his face bruised, and he was lacking his usual bodyguards.

Kikyou's step faltered. In all this confusion and death, would anyone notice if he slipped up behind the lord and killed one of the men responsible for his sister's rape and murder? His hand itched and crept toward his dagger. No one would know if he walked past Cheung and slid the blade into the man's spine. Or better yet, between his ribs, causing a wound that would take a few minutes to kill. The murder could be blamed on the mercenaries….

He actually stopped for a moment, about to turn and lose himself in the crowd. But the sound of someone calling out his title made Kikyou sigh and shake his head in regret. He could take his revenge, but valuable time would be wasted. No matter what the reason for his joining the Guards, he had an oath to honor, and a crisis to attend to. Cheung would survive this day, much to Kikyou's regret. When his revenge wouldn't interfere with saving lives, then the lord would die by his hands. Besides, he wanted the bastard to see his face and know why he was dying. Kikyou would wait for a better time.

Running to catch up to the soldier, Kikyou let his hand fall from his weapon as he pushed his revenge out of his thoughts.

*******

As his soldiers were being killed before his eyes, Hajime felt a growing fear in his chest. This wasn't how things were supposed to turn out. His mercenaries were supposed to be successful, killing the Guards and the king. Then they'd flee the palace, aided by Yoru, and he'd be able to lay the blame for the carnage at Prince Reiji's feet. But that wasn't what was happening now. He appeared very close to losing. All it took was one captured mercenary revealing who had hired him, and Hajime would fall.

If only it wasn't for the Royal Wizard and the costumed men who he suspected were bounds, Hajime would have been king by nightfall. But those creatures were the ones responsible for many of the hired soldiers' deaths, and Botan was preventing Yoru from doing little more than defend himself. Unsheathing his dress sword, Hajime started to stalk closer to the wizard. Botan was suitably distracted by preventing Yoru's spells from harming innocents and wouldn't notice him until too late.

When he was little more than a few feet away from the Royal Wizard, Mamoru slid in front of Hajime, his right wrist raised and something gold glinting on it.

"Lord Eto, stop."

"Get out of my way, Mamoru." For a moment Hajime thought about how much the boy looked like his sister, but it didn't make him lower his sword. Takatori blood flowed through Mamoru's veins, and if it hadn't been for the boy, maybe Kikuno would have recovered from what had happened to her. It hadn't been until after the boy had been born that she'd killed herself.

Raising his sword so he could strike the prince, Hajime suddenly found himself flying backwards. A sharp pain blossomed in his chest, and as he looked down, he saw something gold sticking out of it. Falling to the floor, Hajime barely had the time to work out what had happened before he died.

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Hunger. Everything was hunger, and heat. Ken still felt empty, but he was so hot that sweat poured off him in rivulets, leaving trails in the blood that liberally covered him. Howling, he slashed at another mercenary and reveled in his claws sinking into flesh as if it was paper. The sweet flesh and even sweeter blood helped to quench the hunger that filled him and drove him on.

He saw a man dressed in dark blue, and though his hunger cried out for more, Ken turned away and looked for an appropriate victim. Everything was so confused in his head; it was as if there was this new voice screaming at him to be fed, and it was so hard to think. But the sight of the blue coats stirred something inside of him, and instinctively he knew it would be bad if he harmed them… just as it was bad to harm those who carried a smell similar to his own, not human and not demon. He was part of their pack, and he could never hurt a pack mate. But those who sought to hurt his friends….

Ken chased after a soldier, desperate to sink his teeth into the woman's throat and drink deeply. His prey tried to hide among the throng of people who smelled of fear and flowers, who he also knew it would be bad to hurt. But the one who carried the taint of blood and metal was fair game, and he wanted her. Chasing after the soldier, Ken knocked people left and right until he tracked her down.

Her sword was sent flying with a single blow from his right hand, and his prey screamed in pain as her wrist snapped. Darting forward, Ken grabbed her by her shoulders and bit deep into her neck, his eyes closing in pleasure as the salty, hot fluid flowed into him. From far away he heard someone crying at him to stop, but his hunger was too great for him to listen to that voice. He drank until the blood stopped flowing.

Dropping the body, Ken looked to see a woman in a yellow gown standing before him, crying. He could smell blood on her, and at first he only recognized that coppery scent. Then something deep inside him stirred, something buried beneath the hunger, shock and pain.

"Yuriko…." He held out a clawed hand to her. Yuriko sobbed and took a step away from him, almost tripping on the hem of her long gown. When Ken stepped after her she spun around and ran.

Giving chase, Ken stumbled after his lover, shoving aside the people who got in his way. He cried out Yuriko's name, the hunger suddenly not so important anymore, but despite his best attempts Yuriko remained just ahead of him. Her smaller form slid through the crowd more easily than he could.

Yuriko continued to run, not seeming to care where she went. Ken cried out her name again when he saw her heading towards some people fighting, and he increased his speed. Yet he could do little more than watch as a mercenary grabbed Yuriko and used her as a shield. The Guard, a look of horror on her face, couldn't completely stop her sword from carrying forward. Yuriko let out a cry of pain and crumpled to the floor.

The mercenary never got a chance to strike back against the dumbstruck Guard since Ken was on him in an instant. He slashed the man's back, through the disguised armor and into the flesh beneath. Shoving the body out of his way, he continued to attack the remaining mercenaries, not caring in the slightest about the blows that landed on his body. His hunger had been overwhelmed by the fury inside him, calling for him to kill those who had hurt his loved one.

Eventually he ran out of bodies to tear apart, and Ken sank to the ground beside Yuriko. His lover was unconscious, blood flowing from her side with each breath. He hunched over her and pressed his hands against the wound, trying carefully to keep his claws from harming her any more. Ken shuddered as his body was wracked with pain, and his hunger cried out again, wanting more blood and flesh to help heal his wounds. He ignored it and remained where he was, determined to protect Yuriko for as long as his strength held out.

*******

Omi turned his back on his uncle and tried to find a new target. He had to start watching how many more arrows he shot, as he was beginning to feel weak from blood loss. But he'd already managed to shoot more than Botan had told him he could, and most likely would continue to do so until the fighting ended. Which hopefully would be soon, as not many of the enemy were left standing.

Taking a step closer to the edge of the platform, Omi hoped to see how his friends were faring. He was near the edge when someone tackled him, sending him crashing to the floor. Landing painfully on his back, he could only stare in shock as the girl with blue hair, who he had thought to have killed earlier, smiled at him, her hands wrapped around his neck.

"Bad boy. Papa said you were to die." Blood trickled from the wounds in her chest, staining her page's uniform, but the girl had more than enough strength to prevent Omi from tossing her off him. He desperately tried to form another ward, but the pain and the lack of air was starting to get to him. Another knife formed in his hand, and he weakly sliced at the girl's arms. All she did was giggle and squeeze his throat even tighter.

He was finally able to gasp in a huge lungful of air as the girl was lifted screaming into the air. At first thinking that Nagi had saved him, Omi slowly realized that it was Jei who was holding the girl by her neck a couple feet off the floor. The bound bared his bloody teeth at the girl, as Omi watched Jei punched his hand through the girl's abdomen and up under her ribcage. She screamed in pain, thrashing about as blood and other bodily fluids fell to the floor.

Smiling all the while, Jei ripped his hand out of the girl's chest cavity, tearing out organs and tossing them aside. He did the same with the girl a moment later, sending her flying through the air as if she was a rag doll. Jei turned around and smiled down at Omi as he offered him a hand, thankfully not the gore covered one. Trembling slightly, Omi accepted the help getting back onto his feet.

"There, Nagi won't be mad at me now." Jei sounded pretty sane, so despite the gruesome display, Omi smiled back. He could see the various cuts and wounds that covered Jei's body.

"Are you all right?"

"Right as rain, boyo." Jei's teeth flashed again, and his eye glowed like a piece of amber held up to the sun. The pupil was so tiny that Omi could barely see it. "That's the last whore." Jei lifted his hand and licked it. "She wasn't as sweet as the other two. But now I can eat their master's heart." He wandered away from Omi, still licking his hand.

*******

Turning away from the boy, Jei decided that now was the time to face Masafumi. He stroked a finger over the black ring on his right hand and smiled. The wizard didn't stand a chance, just like his whores hadn't. With his hunger crying out for blood, Jei sniffed the air and followed the scent of magic.

Masafumi was trying to break through the wards that protected the king, and bodies lay scattered about him. Off to the side was the Spymaster, trying to regain her feet as she glared at the wizard. For a moment Jei chuckled at the sight, amused by the woman's spunk. Such a frail thing, so easily broken and torn, and she thought to take a wizard on by herself.

The chuckle turned into a snarl. Masafumi was _his_ prey. The wizard would die by his hands alone. He would be made to hurt and to regret ever having been born. Foul, traitorous bastard. Magic wielders were foul things, enjoying the pain they inflicted on innocents. Jei would make sure Masafumi never did that again, and he would enjoy doing so.

The wizard caught sight of him out of the corner of his eye and spun around, trying to cast a spell on Jei. All he felt was a tingle over his skin as the scent of magic enveloped him. Baring his teeth, Jei sauntered towards his prey.

Masafumi tried another spell before he called out for one of his women. "Hell!"

"Hee, the whore won't come. The whores are no more, wizard." Jei smiled and reached into his vest. He pulled out the souvenir he'd removed from the dark-haired whore who had reeked the most of the magician and tossed the eyeball at Masafumi. He'd eaten the other one.

Catching the object, Masafumi let out a yell of horror as he recognized what it was and dropped it. He then cast another spell at Jei, which only made him laugh. As did the sight of Masafumi pulling a dagger from the sheath on his belt and charging towards him, the weapon held high.

"You filthy bastard! I'll kill you myself."

Laughing gleefully, Jei held his arms out to the side, an open target for the wizard to strike. When the man was within a meter of him he spun around fluidly, sliding behind him. He wrapped his arms around Masafumi's shoulders and neck, trapping the wizard still.

"Filthy wizard. Your kind live to hurt, lie and kill all that's good. I won't let you walk the same earth I do, I won't let your kind live any longer than it takes me to track you down. I'll hurt you as much as you've hurt me and mine. I'll make you scream in pain." Jei bent his head, and in a parody of a kiss he bit a chunk out of Masafumi's throat, just missing the major veins.

Masafumi screamed and struggled in his arms, but it did the filthy wizard no good. Jei took another bite, this time the man's right ear, and he used his claws to rip out his prey's tongue. He hated it when they screamed like that, hurting his sensitive ears. Next was a chunk of the wizard's shoulder swallowed at the same time as he disemboweled Masafumi. Grabbing a length of intestine, Jei pulled on it and shoved it in the wizard's mouth.

Taking his time with a few more bites, Jei eventually slid his claws along the wizard's chest, and with a forceful blow broke through Masafumi's ribcage. Yanking out the still beating heart, he allowed the wizard to fall to the floor. Eyes that were slowly losing their light stared up at him as he bit into the organ, tasting the bitterness of fresh blood. Jei relished his treat until it was all gone, even licking his fingers clean.

There was one less filthy wizard left to cause pain, and one more for him to play with. He'd honored Crawford's order and had waited as long as he could. Stalking his new prey, Jei smiled some more as he thought of what lay in store for the foul thing.

*******

Looking away in horror when Jei started to eat his cousin, Omi ran over to Birman and helped her onto her feet. After making sure the Spymaster wasn't seriously hurt, he left her to find out what was happening with the rest of his friends.

Schuldig and Masato were fighting back to back with Yohji by their side. The mercenaries seemed to have figured out that they stood no chance while the bounds were alive, and the few that were left were taking them on in number. Not that it was doing them any good.

Crawford was managing rather well, considering he was by himself. His moves were smooth and economical, and though he was covered in blood, Omi noted that very little of it looked like his. Of Ken there was no sign.

Trying to find Nagi and Aya, Omi looked about for the largest concentration of shadows. He finally spotted his lover across the ballroom and made his way to him. Bodies littered the floor, some of them moving but most not. Watching where he stepped while checking for any approaching enemy, Omi caught sight of a familiar shade of blue. At first thinking it was just a fallen Guard, Omi's eyes went wide when he recognized who it was.

Running over to Ken's side, he shot an arrow at a mercenary between him and his friend. A wave of nausea washed through him as the bolt struck the man in the throat, and Omi stumbled the last of the distance to Ken. He fell down beside the Guard and wearily called the bolt back to him. Not that it would do him much good, as Omi realized that he'd finally reached his limit. Now all he had to rely on was his human forged knives.

Filled with dread, he lifted Ken's head. His friend growled at him, but when the brown eyes slowly opened they seemed to recognize him. Omi sobbed in relief and patted Ken's cheek. Beneath the injured man was Yuriko, who was still breathing. Omi surmised that Ken had been so badly injured trying to protect his wounded lover.

There was still fighting going on, and Omi knew that the worst was yet to come. He couldn't just abandon Ken and Yuriko to the mercenaries or oni, but he didn't know how he'd protect him. Looking at the warded doors, Omi realized he'd have to try and cast another ward. His magic scared him and made him doubt who he really was, but it had proved effective before. Closing his eyes, Omi tried to recreate the magical shield.

*******

Yoru cursed as he readied another spell to level at Botan, and when the power was released he quickly glanced around him. Eto's army was largely defeated, and the precious kage that he needed so desperately appeared completely unfettered by any bindings whatsoever. The creature wasn't aiding the Takatoris; it seemed to have broken from the royals in some manner, and if they had no hope of controlling it, that meant neither did he. Perhaps one of the bounds fighting beside it was the key to its heart, but they were just as immune to magic as the kage and the damn Royal Wizard was.

It was over, the runes had told Yoru the truth. All there was for him was death and darkness, just as the stones had predicted. Masafumi was dead, and gone was the knowledge the man held about kage blood and any possible means of controlling the creature. He couldn't keep Botan at bay any longer, not when all his magic did was slow him down. The death he had sought to avoid all these years had finally caught up with him. But if he couldn't have the immortality that he wanted, then he would have another.

Letting out a mad laugh, Yoru unleashed the bound oni.

*******

Using his shadow blade to slice through a mercenary's neck, Aya shuddered as a wave of magic coursed through the room. He cursed as he felt the trapped oni let out a howl of exultation. Shoving Nagi in Omi's direction, Aya tried to warn the others before it was too late.

`Schuldig, the oni are being loosed. Tell Botan to throw up a ward of some sort around the remaining people and the doors in case my shadows fail, and tell the others to prepare themselves.'

<What the hell? Oh shit….>

The oni broke free, and Aya felt his heart grow cold at the sight of the demons, eyes aflame and fangs bared. They loomed above everything else in the room, their claws unsheathed and hatred and hunger radiating from them. Knowing that Botan hadn't been warned in time, Aya called on all the shadows he could and had them cloak as many of the bystanders as possible. The ballroom was about to become a deathtrap, and each person killed would only make the oni stronger. He also warded the doors, not trusting Yoru to keep his up. The oni couldn't be allowed to escape into the city.

The demons let out another cry when the pack started to disperse. Seeing one of the demons head for Yohji, and hearing Botan's desperate voice as he tried to create new wards to hold the creatures back from those helpless to fight against them, Aya let out a cry of his own. It reverberated around the room and the few remaining shinigami that hadn't left as the fighting had died down flocked towards him. The sound also caused the oni to come to a halt. As the flaming eyes turned toward his direction Aya shed his armor and shaped his katana into a dagger. He then sliced himself across his chest, hissing in pain at the sting.

The scent of his blood seemed to rivet the oni, buying Botan the precious seconds that he needed to finish the wards. But the burst of magic as the wards went up snapped the oni out of their reverie, and they howled and gnashed their fangs. Several headed for Aya, but the rest of the pack scattered through the room. While the weaponless bystanders were for the most part safe, there were still the few remaining mercenaries, the Guards, and Aya's friends for the creatures to attack.

They were on Aya in a second. He reformed his katana and armor and was barely ready before he was attacked. Surprisingly, the shinigami around him leapt to Aya's defense, engaging the oni in battle, but that still left a couple for him to deal with. Calling on the shadows, Aya tried to rip the demons apart.

The shadows formed around the oni, wringing cries of pain from them at their touch… and did little else. The oni weren't solid enough for his power to affect, and a blow to his right side taught Aya that his shadow armor wasn't as effective as usual against this foe. He could feel the blood from the narrow slashes trickling down his ribs.

Desperately parrying the creatures' claws, Aya listened to what the shadows were whispering to him. The shinigami had killed a couple of oni, but they were the only things that were successfully defeating the demons. His friends struggled against the creatures, and the humans were quickly falling. Some of the oni were trying to breach Botan's wards, while the rest of them were fighting Yohji and the others.

Aya knew that if his armor failed to withstand the oni's claws, that Yohji's wouldn't either. He caught a quick glimpse of his mate and found him bleeding from several slashes and attempting to entangle the oni in his wire. From the pain he was sensing the cuts weren't deep, and Schuldig and Masato were fighting beside Yohji, helping to protect him, but it wouldn't be much longer before the enraged and ravenous oni prevailed.

Slashing one oni across its face, Aya snarled and drank in as much energy from the death around him as possible. The Guards were being killed at an alarming rate, and the beasts quickly slaughtered the remaining mercenaries. With each death the oni grew stronger and could devote their attention towards Aya and his friends. They would keep attacking until every person in the room was dead.

/Let it go, let it go, let it go, young one./

/Horror, horror, trapped as you are. Break free, young one./

/Weak, too weak. Release your soul or perish./

The shinigami were all around him, whispering as they drank in all the death and fought the oni. Aya had never heard their voices so clearly before and never felt them so strongly. The more he gave in to his true nature, snarling and hacking at the oni attacking him, the louder their voices became. The more sense their words made.

/One of us, to fall to the oni. Shame. Shame and horror, what they've done to you./

/Fight, young one. Let it go, stop holding back and fight./

Not sure how he was still holding back considering how far into the darkness he already was, Aya let out a cry of pain as an oni slashed him across his back. It seemed the more he bled the more demons he attracted to him, determined to make him bleed even more. They were mostly congregated around him and his friends, most likely attracted to his magic that they all bore. Aya wanted to call out and tell them to throw away their rings, but that would leave them to focus on just him and Yohji. He couldn't allow that to happen, Yohji was already having difficulty facing the oni around him.

There was another flash of pain, and this time it wasn't his. Aya knew that Yohji had been hurt somehow, but the oni snapping at his throat prevented him from seeing Yohji and finding out just how much.

/Let it go. Give in to your darkness./

There was another cry, this time from Nagi. The boy had been fighting to protect Omi and hadn't taken refuge behind Botan's wards as he'd hoped. Aya gritted his teeth and drove his dagger down the oni's throat, scraping his arm along its fangs as he pulled it back. The demon fell gurgling to his feet, but another immediately took its place.

/Let go./

There had been no guarantee of their survival, only faint promises from Crawford and Cassandra, teasing hints about the future. Aya found that he didn't want to die, and he most certainly didn't want to lose Yohji or Nagi.

/Let it go, and fall. Be yourself, young one./

Choking on a sob, Aya gave a brief thought to the promise he had made Yohji then willfully reached deep into the darkness within himself, farther than he'd ever gone before. He gave in to the shinigami's pleadings and released the weak hold he had on his human emotions and thoughts. The world grew dark, then washed out into black, grey and white, a landscape possessing unimaginable texture and depth. The only sparks of colour emanated from Yohji, the shinigami, the oni and the few dying people scattered about.

The world took on new texture, but Aya felt the loss of something tangible about himself. He felt… out of phase with reality, and when he looked down at his chest, he found that he'd become slightly transparent. Yet when he parried an oni's arm, he was finally able to get a good grasp on the demon. Baring his teeth at the sense of surprise he felt from the creature, Aya called the shadows to him. They formed a jagged armor all over his body, and when the oni tried to hit him and make him let go, it howled in pain as the armor tore into its flesh. Smiling, Aya lifted his hand, the shadows forming wicked claws on his fingers, and he tore into the oni. He drank in its death, feeling rejuvenated from the energy that was sweeter than anything he'd ever tasted before. Aya eagerly turned to the other oni near him, wanting more of that taste.

*******

Nagi crouched in front of Omi, using his power to protect his lover. Omi had formed another ward, this time around Ken and Yuriko, but had little energy left for fighting. So Nagi used the knife Jei had given him and his power to keep the oni at bay as best he could. They attacked him on several fronts, occasionally breaking through his barrier, which forced him to parry their teeth or fangs with the knife.

"Omi, join them behind the ward!"

"Nagi, I don't know if I can extend it any more. If I tamper with it and it fails, you might have to protect four of us, not two. And I won't hide behind a ward while you fight!"

The stupid fool. Nagi didn't know how much longer his power would hold out, he already felt so weak, but he'd fight for as long as he could. He wasn't about to end up as supper for an oni. All he could do was hope that Omi recovered soon enough to be able to ward himself as well then Nagi could return to Aya's side. That way he'd know that the two people he cared most for were as safe as they possibly could be.

"I can't believe you wanted to be one of these things when you were a kid," Nagi muttered as he forced back yet another oni.

*******

"Yoru, reseal the oni! You did it once, you can do it again. Yoru!" Botan called out to the other wizard, desperate to make him see reason. Too many people were dying, and his wards were barely keeping back the creatures. He had no magic to spare for his friends, and when his strength ran out the wards would fall. Only Yoru held the hope of stopping this slaughter.

"Yoru!" He could see the old man huddled over himself behind a ward. "Do it, and I'll let you walk out of here alive!" Botan would, too, if only to keep more people from dying.

Yoru lifted his head and laughed, a broken sound that caused Botan to grit his teeth. Tears streamed down the man's face, and he held out a shaky hand to Botan.

"You promise me safe passage? You? Death is all through this room, I can feel them. They're waiting for me, you know. Your words mean nothing to them. Let everyone die alongside me. I won't go alone!"

"I'll see you from this room myself, Yoru. Just reseal the oni!"

"No." That was it, only one word, and Yoru hunched over again, muttering and cackling as screams were heard in the background. The floor shook as the one Guard let off more of his bombs, and Botan felt his stance waver for a second. Deciding that there had been enough destruction, he set out to breach Yoru's ward and shake the man until he saw sense.

He was almost there when a blur of grey and red darted ahead of them. Catching the scent of blood, Botan stumbled forward when he recognized who had passed him. Calling out Jei's name, all he could do was watch as the bound strode effortlessly through Yoru's ward.

Jei snatched the elderly wizard and jerked his head back, exposing Yoru's neck. The old man continued laughing, and Botan heard him say that he would always be remembered. Yoru started to say something else when razor sharp claws tore out his throat. Jei's mouth fastened to the gaping hole, sucking down the blood as it pumped out the wound. Botan watched the best chance they had of containing the oni die before his eyes.

"You bastard! We're all dead now!" He hurled a small spell at Jei, one that would normally knock a person back several feet, but all it did was sparkle around the bound. Who looked up at him, his face a bloody mask, and snarled viciously. Jei took a step towards him, and Botan wondered if he was going to be killed by his own ally, when the flesh gaki-bound suddenly clutched the hand that bore the kage ring. Snarling, Jei spun around and charged after a cluster of oni.

As before, with the mercenaries and the Takatoris, Jei was an unstoppable force of destruction. He slashed at the oni, driving them off the Guards and even pulling one off of Crawford, and Botan sank down to the floor, desperate to maintain his wards as long as he could. Jei seemed to have some effect on the demons, mainly because he was attacking them so forcefully. Aya had the most oni gathered around himself, and Botan could see him fighting back and managing to hurt his attackers. A spark of hope, however foolish, filled his chest. Perhaps he would live through this and be able to see Kaede one day….

*******

Yuushi stood in front of Reiichi, determined that the demons weren't going to get another friend of his. Reiichi lay gasping on the ground behind him, clutching the leg that an oni had ripped to the bone. He wove his whipsword through the air, determined not to leave an opening for the demons to slide past. All over the room, the remaining Guards were huddled over their fallen comrades, protecting them the best they could. The occasional explosion could be heard when Naru released one of his few remaining bombs, which would cause the oni to scatter for a few valuable moments. But they would always come back. Though by now, it was the weaker, wounded oni that were attacking the Guards.

The stronger oni were focused on the bounds, and Yuushi knew that if he survived this, it would be because of them. They kept fighting on, showing remarkable strength and fortitude. Three of them were clustered together in the middle of the room, one protecting the crown prince and Hidaka, and another fought near the warded king and queen. The one that Yuushi suspected was a kage was over in a corner, facing more oni than the rest of them, and the last bound tore through the room, slashing at any demon he came across.

Choking back a cry when an oni managed to slash his arm, Yuushi stumbled backwards, his shoulders hitting the wall behind him. Reiichi braced his knees, and he barely managed to remain upright. Cursing, Yuushi slashed at the demon, wishing his sword was doing as much damage as the bounds' weapons were. Across the room he heard a shrill cry, and he looked in that direction, desperate to see if another of his Guards had fallen.

"Who was it, Yuushi?"

Yuushi swallowed, his throat tight with grief. "They just got Liss." He watched as some of the oni left the body of the woman and prepared to attack Miko and Toshi. Not wanting to see more of his friends die but unable to look away, Yuushi let a cry slip past his lips when he saw the bound costumed in grey rags force the oni away from his friends. If the bound had appeared possessed before, he showed even greater vigor as he beat the oni away from Liss' body. The sight distracted Yuushi and almost allowed a demon to slip past his guard. Cursing, he barely got his weapon up in time to repel the attack.

He wasn't going to let another friend fall to the monsters, nor himself. Forcing his tired body to move, Yuushi bared his teeth at the oni milling around him and refused to go down beneath them.

*******

Yohji panted as he tossed out more wire, forcing his tired body to pull forcefully on the thin threads. His weapon, like the other enchanted ones used by his friends, managed to do some damage to the demons, but all he could really do was drive them back and not kill them.

Using his wire as a lariat to pull an oni away from Schuldig, Yohji cursed and formed a net of wire around his friend. Schuldig had been slashed along his abdomen, and was now hunched on the floor. Masato was behind him, ferociously driving off an oni with his staff, his arms in such constant motion that the demon could not get past the golden staff. Then sharp blades suddenly appeared from one end and Masato used them to slash the oni, making it cry in pain.

"Schu, are you all right?"

"Fine… Masato." Schuldig glanced up at Yohji. "Thanks."

He was prevented from answering by another oni trying to rip out his throat. The armor deflected the worst of the injury, but Yohji still felt some blood start to trickle down his chest. Cursing, Yohji cast out another net, making the wire as sharp as he could to inflict as much damage as possible. For once in his life he wished he had a sword.

With the shadows by him trying to protect him from the remaining oni, Yohji took in a deep breath. He noticed a cold sensation start to creep into his bones, causing him to shiver. Realizing that the sensation was coming from Aya, he looked about for his mate and found him across the room, surrounded by shadows. Nagi wasn't by his side, a fact that had Yohji cursing and about to run to Aya when he saw the man rip into an oni, causing the creature to dissipate as if smoke. A tingle of heat joined the coldness, a brief flame of strength that Yohji's tired body immediately soaked up.

The cry of the destroyed oni had the rest of its pack pausing in their attack and turning towards the sound. Yohji watched along with them as Aya tore into the oni surrounding him, killing them with an ease that frightened Yohji. All of them had been fighting frantically against the demons: mage, human and bound alike, and had been barely able to remain alive. But now Aya was destroying them with ease, ripping through them as if the demons were nothing more than a chill fog. With each `death' Yohji felt another trickle of energy, but it became fainter and fainter each time - as did the sensation of Aya.

*******

Aya felt the shadows surround him, stroking his body until he shivered in pleasure. The shinigami joined in, touching him gently and soothing him, helping to center him in this new world. He'd killed all the oni around him, and now the creatures were backing away from him, trying to retreat from the room. But they were warded in, by both Botan's magic and his shadows, and Aya wasn't about to let them go. He felt a deep hate for the demons, and a passion for their energy.

/Foul, foul things. Jealous they are of us, our power. Attack you they did, thinking you were weak. Now they see you are truly one of us./

/Kill them, drink in their essence. Demons are much sweeter than humans. With them we drink just the spare energy, and send the souls on to the next realm. But demons… all the energy is ours. Join us in the feast, young one./

/Feed us, young one. Feed us and yourself./

/Yes, revel in your strength./

There were answers here, Aya thought dimly; knowledge interspersed with the pleas. He found himself wanting more of that energy, needing it after his wounds and all the fighting. He wanted the oni gone, never to harm Yohji or Nagi again.

Commanding the shadows about him, he had them tear through the room, ensnaring all of the oni present. Aya called more shadows, out of the castle's foundation and walls, lending strength to the net of darkness he was weaving. The oni gave up their desperate attacks on the wards and his friends, trying to escape the shadows but soon becoming trapped.

/Yes, do it, do it./

/Kill them./

The shinigami whirled around him, dark dervishes crying out their joy and hunger. For a moment Aya felt the pull to join the shinigami, but the shadows loosened as he turned his thoughts from them, and the oni struggled to break free. He couldn't let them… Yohji would be hurt if he did. That thought caused Aya to shake his head and to focus back on his net. He tried to ignore the shinigami as he called as many shadows to him as he could.

/Tear them apart, young one. Do it. Use the shadows./

/Can't. We can't. Incorporeal we are, but you… horror, young one, what they did to you, but powers, yes, powers you've gained. Do it./

/Do it. Feed us./

/Help you we did. Feed us now./

/Do it./

The sibilant voices whispered in his head, crept along his skin, and Aya found himself shivering at their sound. Unable to resist them, he sent a command to the shadows to tear and destroy. They willingly did his bidding, ripping the oni into shreds that vanished as smoke.

The wave of energy that was released crashed into Aya, flooding his body with arcane energies. He felt his hold on the world fade ever so slightly, felt that less real and solid as the energy thrummed through him, healing his wounds instantly. It was too much, sending him falling farther and farther into the darkness, until everything faded away but the sibilant voices.

/Yes, young one, you did it. Powerful, yes, very powerful you are./

/So sweet! So delicious! Thank you, young one./

Aya couldn't feel his body anymore and wasn't sure if his eyes were open or not. Darkness was all there was, and the light, the warmth that he'd discovered these past few weeks was nowhere to be found. That caused him to panic, to try and scramble out of the darkness.

/Shh, young one, don't struggle so./

/Stay here, young one. Stay here and be free. Powerful you are, but vulnerable as well. Stay here and be yourself. Join us, and you'll never be alone./

/Stay./

/Be yourself, young one. Shinigami you are, the concerns of the other world are not for you. Remain here./

/Yes./

Fighting the voices, Aya tried to claw his way out of the darkness, but it completely surrounded him. His link with Yohji had faded away, and he had no beacon to follow back to his mate. As Aya scrambled about, he feared that he had no choice but listen to the shinigami.

*******

Letting out a sob of relief, Omi wiped at the sweat trickling down his face and ran after Nagi. His lover, along with several other people, was headed straight for Aya, who lay crumpled on the floor, amid the dead and the wounded. Yohji was the first to reach the kage, and he called out Aya's name while he cradled the man against his chest.

Nagi fell onto his knees next to the couple, and as Omi watched the teenager held out a hand to his friend, as if to touch him and make sure he was all right. But Nagi's fingers appeared to sink into Aya's body, causing Nagi to gasp and jerk his hand back. Yohji stared in horror at his lover, who rested in his arms, perfectly still.

"What happened to him?"

"I don't know, I just felt him grow so cold, and then our link faded out." Yohji started to shake Aya, letting out a curse when his fingers, clenched tightly around Aya's shoulders, disappeared the slightest bit into Aya's body.

"Oh fuck, this is bad. Aya, wake up and stop this!"

Pressing his hand to his mouth, Omi sank down next to his boyfriend and stared at the kage. "I don't understand, how is he doing that? It's as if… he's becoming a shadow."

"The Captain was said to be able to melt into any shadows around her, to become intangible at will. No blade could harm her as long as she willed it not to. But I haven't heard of any kage being able to repeat that feat, even if just partially."

Omi looked up to see Crawford walking towards him, his white costume covered in blood. However, the man didn't appear to be wounded other than a slice down his left arm, from his shoulder to his wrist. Crawford's eyes were focused on Aya, and an odd smile tugged at his lips, out of place in a scene filled with so much bloodshed and death.

Behind him were Schuldig and Masato, the younger man held in his mate's arms. Schuldig was covered with blood too, and had an arm wrapped around his chest and an expression of pain on his face. Masato's face bore claw marks down the left side, and he was limping slightly with each step he took. Checking for the rest of his comrades, Omi found Botan and Birman near his father, and Jei was bent over Liss' body, tears streaming down his face as he stroked the dead Guard's hair. Ken and Yuriko were still lying where Omi had left them behind the ward he'd created.

Crawford reached out a hand and touched Aya's forehead, ignoring the warning snarl that Yohji produced at his audacity. His smile growing wider, Crawford stepped back from Aya and looked up at Yohji.

"He's becoming a shinigami, somehow overcoming the limits set upon him by his physical body. The fight with the oni must have forced him to rely on his true nature to such an extent that it's affecting his body. The Captain could become incorporeal for a short time only, and ultimately her wish to become a shinigami unencumbered by a human body was what drove her to allow her king to kill her."

"Fuck." Yohji paled and rested his head against Aya's. "What does that mean for Aya?"

"It's hard to tell, since he's a kage, and somewhat different from the Captain. It's possible that he'll completely return to normal, or keep becoming more incorporeal until not even you can touch him any longer. It's also possible that even if he returns to normal he'll be too much of a shinigami to be able to handle being trapped in flesh any longer."

"Crawford, shut the fuck up. You don't know what you're talking about." Schuldig snapped at his father while Yohji let out a low moan and held onto Aya tighter. "Don't listen to him, Yohji. Aya has something that the Captain never had: a reason to be as human as he can. He has you."

Yohji buried his face in Aya's hair for a moment, then lifted his head and frowned at his comatose lover. "Listen to me, Aya. You promised me to always come back, as long as I wanted you. Well, I still do, so stop this shit and wake up. Return to normal, cat, and open your eyes. This is not the best time to be pulling this shit. Come back to me."

Yohji kept repeating the last few words as he shifted Aya about in his arms. Nagi scooted closer to Omi and leaned against him, so he wrapped an arm around his boyfriend's shoulders. Looking up from Yohji and Aya, Omi saw his father, flanked by Manx, Birman, Botan and several Guards, approaching them. Omi kissed Nagi on the cheek and scrambled to his feet, not liking the look on the king's face, nor how the Guard had their weapons held at the ready. He took position in front of his friends.

King Shuuichi came to a stop a few feet away from him, a concerned look on his face. When the Guards shifted around his father and tried to encircle Omi's friends, he concentrated on the spark of power that had kept him from being killed during the fight, and Ken and Yuriko safe from the oni. Omi felt a draining sensation, but slowly a ward formed to protect his friends once again. The Guards came to a sudden halt as they encountered the wall of magic.

"Mamoru…." Omi's father stared at him in wonder. "Son, please lower the ward."

"No."

The king seemed taken back by his flat denial, and Omi called on all his strength so he could straighten his stance and look the man in the eye. "I'm not lowering the ward until I'm sure that you won't hurt any of them."

Birman and Botan approached Omi, able to breach the ward due to their rings and took positions on either side of him, while at the same time Omi felt Nagi pressing against his back, the smaller boy's chin resting on his shoulder and his arms coming about Omi's waist. Feeling strengthened by his friends' and lover's support, Omi continued to stare at his father.

Who was starting to look uncomfortable, and Omi could tell when his gaze slid to rest on Nagi, as the man's eyes immediately jerked back to his face and his father grimaced slightly. Resting his hands on Nagi's arms, Omi turned his gaze on the assembled Guards.

"No one will harm them, not as long as I live."

"Mamoru, think of who you're protecting, please. I can allow the other bounds to go, except for the flesh gaki, but…." King Shuuichi shifted about uncomfortably, his eyes not meeting Omi's. "That's a kage behind you. We can't… I can't allow him to leave this room alive."

Hearing Nagi start to growl, Omi lifted a hand to touch the boy's face, stroking his cheek tenderly. In contrast to his actions, his eyes and voice took on an edge of pure ice. "Each and every one of the men behind me, including the flesh gaki-bound and the kage, risked their lives to save you and everyone in this room. They prevented two coups against the throne. If they hadn't put their lives at risk and sacrificed so much, you would be dead, and in all probability a pack of oni would be loose in the city, killing everyone they came across. You owe them your lives, and yet you want to kill them."

Omi continued on, his voice dripping with disdain. "As for you Guards, you'd be killing one of your own, too. Ken gave up a piece of his soul so Reiji wouldn't be able to control Aya any longer and wouldn't have to obey the order to assassinate the king. Now he's become a bound himself, a flesh gaki one at that. Will you obey the order to kill him? A loyal Guard?"

Yuushi looked over his shoulder at where Ken lay, and then back at Omi. He noticed that the weapons of both the blond Guard and that of his friend, Naru, started to lower to the floor. The Guards behind them started to mutter, their tight formation breaking apart. Omi continued, looking back at his father.

"I don't think they can kill one of their own, not after the man made such a sacrifice for duty and king. What about you? Can you kill the son of your best friend?" The king appeared startled by that question, and Omi gave him no time to speak or think. "Can you kill Ranmura Fujimiya's only surviving child, after the man gave up his place here at Court to keep an eye on your own brother? Can you kill his son, when the man has just saved your life and kingdom? If you can…" Omi let out a breath and shook his head. "If you can, I won't be your son any longer. I'd rather stand by my friends and pay the same price they do for daring to save your life than stand by your side ever again."

King Shuuichi's face blanched with shock, and he tried to look over Omi's shoulder to where Aya lay. "But… Ranmura's child? Little Ran? How can that be possible?"

"I don't know, but every word Omi said is true." Birman quickly jumped into the discussion, giving her king no time to collect his thoughts. Omi gratefully yielded the floor to her.

"He's Lord Fujimiya's child. I've had men investigating his past and found out that instead of dying with their parents as we were told, Ran and his sister were taken in by your brother. Prince Reiji knew that the boy was a kage, and he planned on using him to kill you. Which Ran didn't do; instead he saved your life."

"You knew about this, Birman?" Manx spoke for the first time, stepping to King Shuuichi's side as she did. Omi noted that her wedding finery was now stained with blood along the hem, from walking across the ballroom floor.

Birman nodded her head and looked away from Manx to stare at the king. "Your Highness, I have Kudoh and… Ran's promise to serve the Crown. Both men come from families that have been in the Takatoris' service for centuries, and both have risked their lives for you. They knew the dangers they faced by fighting today, and not just against demons, mercenaries and wizards. They knew they would be in danger after the battle was over, but they still fought. If you can't recognize their sacrifice…." Birman took a deep breath and reached for the ring on her right hand, the one that was the symbol of her office as Spymaster, and pulled it off. She held it out to her king.

"If you intend to harm them, then I can't be yours any longer."

The king's face tightened, and he patted Manx's arm when she made to speak. As his bride fell silent, King Shuuichi looked at Botan.

"Well, I've heard from my son and my Spymaster, what about my Royal Wizard?"

"I stand by the Crown Prince, your Highness." Botan rested his hand on Omi's shoulder. "He at least understands loyalty and sacrifice, and how to look beyond prejudice and fear. Harm any of the bounds present in this room, and you will face me. May I remind you at this moment that this room is warded by me, and no one, other than the bounds behind me and the three of us will be able to leave as long as those wards remain."

As threats went, it was a subtle and inspired one. Botan had just told the king that there needn't even be a fight over the bounds, all they had to do was retreat behind Omi's ward and depart, while the king and his Guards were left here, unable to leave themselves. Omi wanted to hug Botan, but remained as he was. He could hug Botan later, if they managed to pull this off.

"Guards." His father's voice had become as cold as Omi's, and his face perfectly impassive, save for a glitter of anger in his eyes. Inwardly sighing, Omi concentrated even more on his wards, hoping that they would hold long enough for Aya, Schuldig and Ken to be taken to safety, since they were unable to escape by themselves.

Yuushi stepped forward to the front of the king and bowed. "Sire… all of us present risked our lives and our positions to fight against an evil that plotted against you, one that we had no idea of how extensive it was, hence our secrecy. How can we kill people who did the same as we did, with no oath to bind them to you? How can we kill two of our own?"

Manx was the next to speak, which surprised Omi, especially when he heard what she had to say.

"Shuuichi, he's right. They risked their lives for you, and you would repay them with death?"

The king shook his head. "I'll allow Kudoh to live, and Hidaka as well. I can even turn a blind eye to the others, but the kage…. I'm sorry. I don't want to kill Ranmura's son, but if word gets out about a kage, there will be a panic. I'm sorry." He looked at Omi when he said the words a second time.

Manx squeezed his hand to regain his attention. "Listen to me, Shuuichi. No one outside of this room needs to know about a kage being involved with what happened here. Tell them it was only wizard's magic, what they saw. And if anyone does suspect the truth, it will be to your benefit." Manx glanced about the carnage that surrounded them. "There can be no doubt that the kage is yours, not after you walk out of here unscathed. If anyone believes that a kage exists, they will know that he is yours."

Omi wanted to yell at Manx that Aya was nobody's, except maybe Yohji's, but Botan's hand on his shoulder caused him to snap his mouth shut as the wizard stepped forward.

"She speaks the truth, your Highness. You have enemies that you don't know about, that the bounds can tell you more of than I can. Enemies that are very powerful. There may be others as well, and if anything will give them pause in attacking you, it will be the thought that you have a kage to protect you."

Birman stepped forward also. "Please, your Highness, listen to us. We had no idea of Lord Eto until the bounds informed us of his plot. They knew about your brother's plans, too. We can use their help in the future and will be well served by their loyalty. But if you kill these men, we'll never be able to count on their kind in the future, which will hurt Kritiker greatly, in my opinion."

Everyone in the room fell silent as the king made his decision. Omi heard Yohji muttering behind him, but he couldn't make out the words. Nagi hugged him and whispered in his ear.

"Aya's awake now, but weak. However, he said that if need be, he can cloak all of us long enough to escape."

<Also, Jei is taking advantage of no one paying any attention to him, and he's almost at Ken's side. We might be keeping quiet during this discussion, but we've been busy. And while I appreciate your concern for us, we're not in as bad a shape as you think. We'll be able to escape with no problem if your dad decides to be an asshole.>

Omi smiled bitterly at Schuldig's words, but he tilted his head back to nuzzle Nagi's cheek. Things were so confusing right now and changing too fast for him to keep track of. He had the ability to cast magic spells, something he'd denied to himself for years. Botan, Birman and Yuushi Honjyou were prepared to disobey their king, and in the case of his two friends do much worse than that, and Manx was arguing with his father to allow a kage to live, something he would have never suspected from the woman. But he still had Nagi and knew he always would, even with him being a wizard.

Nagi kissed him on the temple, and when Omi pulled away and looked over at his father, he found a look of tenderness on the bearded man's face. His father stared at him for a few moments then lowered his head.

"Mamoru, I would like to see him. Ranmura's son, I mean."

Staring at his father, Omi tried to figure out if this was a trick of sorts, and if he should honor the odd request.

<Do it, chibi. I think your old man's coming around, and I don't sense any trickery from him. Plus, Crawford said it's okay.>

Doing as he'd been asked, Omi reluctantly lowered the ward. He turned around, and Nagi removed his arms from Omi's waist but caught one of his hands. They walked over to where Yohji and Aya were sitting on the floor, both of them looking completely exhausted. Aya was in Yohji's lap, his arms hugging Yohji's tightly to his chest, and shadows skittered around the two of them. Their costumes were torn and their lovely masks nowhere to be seen.

Yohji tensed when King Shuuichi approached them, and Omi heard a low growl. Aya lifted his head and stared his father's best friend in the eye. The king's step slowed the closer he got to the couple, and he let out a gasp as he came to a halt just a few feet away from them.

"Arashi. You look so much like your mother, Arashi. But… you have your father's mouth, and his build, Ran."

Aya closed his eyes and shook his head. "It's Aya, not Ran."

"But that was your sister's name, Little Aya, with hair just like your father's, who took after his mother. Where is the girl? Birman, didn't you say that my brother took them both in?"

Omi watched as pain flickered over Aya's face as Birman quietly informed the king that the girl was dead. When the king started to ask what had happened to her, Aya interrupted him.

"My name is Aya."

His father gazed in confusion at the kage, and then Crawford cleared his throat. When Omi looked over at the man, he noticed that somehow Crawford had managed to straighten up his rumpled appearance, and had even roughly combed back his hair.

"The young man is right. He is now Aya. There are few people who know of Ran Fujimiya's existence, and it would be best if they believed that he is no longer in this world. Let Aya…."

"Kudoh," Yohji supplied in a husky voice as he tugged on one of Aya's eartails. He smiled when his lover made a small spitting sound and snapped his teeth.

"Let Aya Kudoh take his place, which is much safer for all involved." Crawford tugged on the blood soaked cuffs of his jacket and gazed evenly at King Shuuichi.

"Why do I have a feeling that there is much I need to know about, and that I won't like what I hear?" No one answered the king's rhetorical question. "Very well, as of now, all of you, including Aya Kudoh, are guests of mine. I will treat you with every courtesy, in thanks for your heroic sacrifices here tonight, and in hopes of hearing things that I really don't want to, but need to."

Crawford nodded his head showing his approval. "A wise choice, your Highness. If I may suggest, we are all a bit… battered and tired. If the explanations can wait til tomorrow, that would be for the best. I think that maybe you have more pressing issues to deal with at the present." The precog looked around the ballroom, at the dead bodies and the few wounded people scattered about. Over in the corner Aya's shadows and Botan's wards still remained, protecting the partiers who hadn't managed to escape through the doors when Eto's mercenaries had attacked.

King Shuuichi let out a sharp breath, one that was almost a laugh. "Yes, it's not a typical wedding night that I have to look forward to. Botan, we need Healers in here right away for the survivors, but can you manage to keep your friends out of sight when you bring down the wards? I imagine that the rest of the Guards and half the Royal Army is stationed just outside of the ballroom, waiting to charge in here the moment you drop them."

"I can't, but Aya should be able to manage that. I take it you would like me to remain here?"

King Shuuichi nodded his head and turned towards Birman. "Can you take them somewhere safe and quiet? The royal wing should be suitable."

"I'll do that, your Highness." Birman looked at Yuushi. "I'll need some Guards on duty there, and I'd rather not inform any others about our guests. Can you manage that?"

Yuushi tucked back his hair with a grime covered hand and focused his attention on the Guards behind him. He was quiet for a moment and nodded his head.

"We should be able to manage guard duty, albeit in short shifts. I'll take the first one, along with Miko and Toshi. Naru, I want you to remain here and look after our wounded. Make sure that they understand that they are to keep their mouths shut about what happened tonight, no matter who asks them. Understood?"

Naru puffed out his chest. "I can do that, Yuushi. I think half of them have heard what's going on, and I'll make sure they remain near the unconscious ones. You can trust me on this."

"I know, Naru." Yuushi briefly ruffled the smaller Guard's hair. "Look after Reiichi while you're at it, please." He then returned his attention to Birman.

"I'm very glad to see you handling things this well, Honjyou. Now I want you, Chen and Amuro to stand over there," Birman motioned to the corner just left of the main doors, "with our guests and me. As soon as everyone is done rushing in, we'll slip on out."

"Yes ma'am. The rest of you remain here, and let the Spymaster do the talking for you. I feel she'll be able to explain your presence here better than we ever could. Glen, Ana, and Declan, I want you to report to the royal wing in three hours time. You'll take the next shift. Get washed off and a little rest, do you hear me?" The people in question nodded their heads.

Stepping closer to his father, Omi nervously twisted the hem of his deep blue tunic with his right hand. It was one thing to stand up to the man and threaten to disown him, now Omi was unsure how his father would act towards him.

"Sir, do you want me to remain here, or…."

His father smiled at Omi and patted him on the shoulder. "Go with your friends, Mamoru. I appreciate your offer, but I think it will be easier to tell people that the Guard Hidaka managed to ferret you away safely when the fighting started than explain what the two of you were doing during the battle. Get some rest, and I'll speak more to you in the morning." The king paused for a moment, and then he pulled Omi into a rough hug. "Just so you know, I'm proud of you, of the way you fought and how you stood by your friends. You're a good son, Mamoru, and you've never given me cause to think otherwise." A kiss was pressed to his forehead and then Omi was released.

Blinking back tears, Omi walked backwards, to the appointed corner, Nagi holding his hand and helping to navigate him around the various pieces of broken furniture and dead bodies. He joined his friends: Yohji holding a muttering Aya, who complained about being able to walk, a passionately kissing Masato and Schuldig, who didn't seem to mind being carried in the least, Crawford, Jei, and Ken, who was being carried by the one-eyed man. As soon as they, Birman and the Guards were clustered close together, Aya called the shadows to them, pulling them away from the protected bystanders, and Omi shivered with cold.

They were surrounded by darkness, but Omi could still see when the rest of the Guards and a good bit of the Royal Army rushed into the ballroom, crying out at the sight of so much destruction and cheering when they found their king unharmed. Moments later the cries of the warded partiers joined theirs as the wards were lowered, and the room was filled with mass confusion as people ran about, checking the wounded and trying to calm those having hysterics. Omi saw Kikyou rush over to his father and Manx and wondered what story the man would be told. He guessed that he would find out in the morning.

<Come on, chibi, we're leaving now. A hot bath and a soft bed are awaiting you. Right now that sounds like heaven to me.>

Omi heartily agreed. He was alive and not disowned, his friends were mostly unharmed, and Nagi was by his side. No doubt tomorrow wouldn't be the best of days, but it would be better than tonight, and the people he cared most about were safe. He was ready to call it a day.

*******