Chapter 1: A vow for revenge

"The night is dark... I don't like it." Kashue stated as he moved from Rinku to Zeki. “Watch the den closely... And keep Mila out of the forest. I don't want anything to happen to her. You two---"

"Yeah, yeah. We know what we're supposed to be doing, Kash." Rinku retorted, rolling his eyes. He crossed the clearing and flopped down next to his twin sister, Zeki. She shifted her view from their mutual younger sister, Mila. The fox kit was wandering close to the edge of the trees and the twins called out in unison, "HEY!" She spun on her heels and shot them an innocent glance. Rin, knowing all too well that she hadn't meant the mock innocence gave her a withering glare whereas Zek herded her back to where they were stationed under a tree. Rin rolled his yellow eyes again and leaned far back against the tree.

He lay his head back on the cool trunk, shifting his body to make it more comfortable. He placed his foxtail across his lap, trying to ward off the cold of the night. His ears, foxin ears perched at the top of his head, swiveled to the sounds of the surrounding forest and he slowly started to block out the day's events. His mind began to swim from practicing assassin skills with Zeki to racing her home to find Kashue and beg him for more tips to the agony that awaited them... He couldn't help but let his thoughts drift to the events of the evening. Zek elbowed him awake. He'd drifted off into a light snooze apparently.

"You oughtn't fall asleep when you're on guard, Rin. What type of assassin do you hope to become with those kinds of habits?" She scolded gently. Turning his back to her and curling up in front of the tree, Rin moved his knees up to his chin and wrapped his arms around them. Why did he have to be on guard right in front of his own home? It wasn't right, he thought. How could she be so light at heart after all that had happened to them, after what happened to him?

He snuggled into his own tail and was soon nodding off into sleep again, despite his sister's admonishment. She was never a responsible one anyhow. Besides, he was the sort of the runt of the two and he needed his rest otherwise he might fall ill, especially after today. It had happened all too many times. He dropped his ears off to the sides of his head, trying to dull the woodland sounds as he saw Kashue drift off into the woods. He slid his eyes over to Zeki and Mila... His twin was struggling to get the fox kit under control so that she too might fall asleep. Rin took his glimmering yellow eyes from them and dropped his heavy lids, letting sleep steal over him.


The dreams came quickly. He was standing along the rim of trees of this same clearing and surveying Zeki show him her control over her transformation. She stared at him with identical yellow eyes, the slit pupils thinning as she narrowed her view and closed her eyes tightly. She dropped her hands to her sides, the whiteness of her skin glistening with sweat from utter concentration and the result of her sparring session with Rin. Her red fox ears, tipped in black swiveled back, and her bushy red tail dropped low, the band of black and the white tip curling by her ankle.

Rin watched with genuine fascination---He'd never been able to control the transformation between being half fox and all fox. Zeki screwed up her face and went ridged. With a POP and a puff of smoke, she turned into a fox; red, with ears and feet tipped in black, her face and stomach were white and her tail remained the same. Rin goggled her only for a second as he made a loud pop and became a fox as well. He'd forgotten the two of them were linked; thus, when she went fox, he went fox, when she hurt, he hurt... It even went so far that the two of them could almost, and often did, understand each other's thoughts and emotions.

'Kuso... Why do I have to change when you do, it's not fair. Why can't I change on my own?' Rin gave a mock sob.

'Because you're a talent less whelp?' She simpered and strut by him, running her bushy tail under his snout. Rin narrowed his eyes and snapped at her tail, but she was too quick. She spun and caught his muzzle in her own jaws. Rin growled and cuffed her upside the head, only just catching her as she ducked down, taking his head with her. Rinku's black fur bristled and his white stomach and face became dirty as Zek shoved them into the ground. Rin grumbled and tried to dust off his face with his red paw, ears pinned back in annoyance. He ruffled his black tail and curled it at his side, the white tip ridged with ferocity. 'Aw, come off it. I was only playing around.' She rutted up against him.

Rin gave a brooding expression and flopped down on his paws. Zek watched him intently and padded over, head low. 'Really, Rin... I was only joking; you shouldn't take it so heavily... Come on, you've advanced in loads of fields where I haven't!' Zek exclaimed in a cheery voice. Although her mouth and snout weren't moving, Rin knew what she'd said---their fox speech sort of floated into the mind of those around them.

'Yeah? Name one,' retorted the sullen twin. Zek gave an expression of extreme thought, but gave up on trying to name one. The truth was, she couldn't name one. Rin was always the sickly, ill-humored one of the fox's family and he'd never shown any real talent in any fields. 'Exactly. I should just give up. I'm not as stealthy as you are; Kashue has all of dad's powers and Mila... Well Mila is all around better at shadow skills and even her spiritual powers are growing more rapidly than mine... AND SHE'S ONLY A KIT!' He finished, exasperated.

'Rinku, please, calm down. Your time will come! Really, you and I are linked... I can never be more than you'll become... Say, why don't we race home? Huh? C'mon!' She romped around Rin and nosed his ribcage to get him to stand. 'C'mon! I'll bet anything you win! You are faster than I am! More streamlined, I suppose...' She blinked, thinking and again prodded Rin in the ribs until he too was on his feet. They lined up, Rin not saying a word and Zek broadcasting a smile to him.

They crouched and without a word were off, racing through the woods, blurs of red and black with the occasional white strip. Rin was ahead, supposing that Zek let him beat her. They emerged only seconds later having run across a quarter mile to have Rin as the winner. He stopped dead in his tracks at the den where his parents housed themselves. He could only stare as ugly black smoke billowed from the den and his eyes slowly roamed downward to see something that would imprint itself in his mind forever.

There, lying on a heap of ashen logs, ropes burning on his body, was Rinku's father, a nine-tailed demon fox, in his glorious fox form. His pure white fur was singed and stained with blood and his blue eyes were fixed in death, his face portraying a perpetual scowl. His tongue hung out of his mouth, sitting on broken fangs that were being carved off by demons in black. His nine tails, each long, bushy and made up of pure white fur were being sawed from his body. Rin's eyes filled with swift tears as he changed with a loud pop involuntarily into a human fox. He stood, transfixed, speechless, striving for words horrible enough to tell off the assassins mutilating his father. Pain, fear, hatred; these emotions surged through his system, adrenaline pumping as tears streamed unchecked down his face.

'See, Rin! You won---' She came bounding from the forest, humanish again, and paced level with him. Her face fell at the sight before her. Rin clenched his fists tightly; the claw like nails digging into his skin. Zek made a strangled choking noise and fell back a pace. Tears soon burst out on her own face as Rin advanced his tail ridged and straight down, almost between his legs. His face was set in a most withering glare, eyes gleaming wildly in the evening light.

His ears spun back violently, showing how very enraged he was. He grit his teeth, baring his elongated canines, the fangs he'd inherited from his father. Without thinking, he ran forward and lobbed a punch into the side of one of the assassin's heads. He'd lost it, Zek observed as she fell back into the woods, hiding from view. She was certain her twin would be killed as she turned tail and went in search for Kashue, their eldest half brother.

Rin was blind with rage, attacking, swerving, biting, clawing, scratching; he did whatever it took to catch them all off guard. However, there were at least twenty of them and only one of him. Throwing stars were sticking out of his arms and back, a kunai knife stuck out of his right arm, which hung limply at his side. It didn't stop him, he kept advancing, striking and using his own blood to impair his adversary's vision. His shallow health and the fact that the den area was covered in his own thick blood, mingling with his father's, hindered him to a slow shuffle as he tried desperately to breathe.

Snickering, the remainder of the assassins closed in on him, brandishing weaponry of all styles. Rin saw no escape he was cornered. His wild spirit let loose, he looked frantically for an escape route, but none was visible to his crazed eyes. He was utterly cornered, blades flashing in his eyes, reflecting the hatred that he felt coursing through his veins. Something clicked inside of him. He went numb. His body slumped, head hung with his chin on his chest. His arms blew in the breeze carrying ashes from the bonfire surrounding his father.

Suddenly his head came up with a snap, tears had stop running from his eyes, they were shining eerily, flooding the darkening forest with yellow light. His face was blank of thoughts, devoid of emotion, not divulging any smidgen of his next action. His body convulsed and he soon split open his clothing, fur growing rapidly on his white skin, ridged and spiked. His forearms became large, rippling with the muscles he never quite had. His chest grew to a huge size, bending him over as he changed into a werefox. His eyes turned into pure red, misty, orbs, lighting the assassins' stunned and wary faces. He snarled savagely, his edged tail swishing low behind him.

He advanced one giant-clawed paw and the assassin's scattered. He was too quick for them, leaping forward and grabbing up his prey in his jaws, crushing them in one bite. In only a few moments the whole of Rin's father's murderers were lying in a heap of blood and guts. Rin growled menacingly and turned his head wildly side to side, searching, almost lusting for more blood to spill.

Kashue emerged from the woods, ready in every way to attack any takers. His face fell into a distressed and stunned expression as he surveyed the damage by this giant, black, totally unfamiliar werefox. He dropped his knife in astonishment as the mighty beast turned his head, looking ready to kill Kashue with the slightest movement out of line. Kashue's eyes lit with perfect surprise to find that this great and terrible being was his own half brother, the sickly one who'd never been able to reach a normal fox stage on his own, let alone anything this magnificent.

Rin's eyes were blood red, just as the saliva and the assassin entrails littering the ground under his jaws. Zek was hiding in the trees behind him, totally invisible to prying eyes. She was quite astonished she'd not turned into such a thing as well. Even more so, she couldn't believe Rin to have reached a level where only Kashue had been able to turn into willingly. Rin's bloody face was savage and he growling menacingly in challenge to Kashue.

The twins' older brother frowned very slightly and advanced on Rin. He held out his hands in surrender, not wanting to startle him in such an unstable form. Rin had no control over himself; it was like he was sitting back watching a movie out of a monster's view. He wanted to know that this was Kashue, his older sibling, the one who actually cared for him, but all he could remember was the half brother endowed with all of his father's skill, who picked on the skinny, runty Rinku.

He snarled, gnashed his teeth and advanced, pouncing at Kashue, who merely jumped into the air, his eyes shining blood red as he himself changed into the form of a gigantic pure white fox, equipped with bigger claws, fangs and body. Three tails swished behind him, his gift from his father. Opening his great maw, Kashue bore down on Rin's neck, pinning the smaller werefox to the ground helplessly.

'KASHUE! Don't hurt him! He... He can't help it! I know!' Zek burst fourth from the woods, a mixture of fear and worry etched into her features. Kashue observed her with one pure red eye and let go of Rin. Her twin shuddered, fell to his haunches and pitched forward, unconscious. Slowly, as if reluctantly he changed back into his human form, the half demon form. He lay naked in a mess of bodies, all of which were ripped to shreds, almost unrecognizable as having a semblance of form. Zeki paced over cautiously, dropping to her knees in front of her blood stained twin. He had cuts and deep gashes along his body and on his neck was a bite mark, made by Kashue.

Rin curled into a ball, blood covering him, staining his white hair the same color as its tips. The cloth wrapped around his hair had split and let forth the shock of white hair, down to his elbows, splayed across his front. Zek leaned over him, brushing back his hair and lifting his surprisingly light and gangly body. Kashue strode over, back in his regular form--- Ninja attire, blond white hair spiked straight up, a bandana over his left eye socket (the one without an eye) and the face mask covering his mouth and nose. The only visible feature of his face was his right eye and eyebrow. This was enough to show Zek that he was concerned for his half brother's predicament.

High-pitched laughter rose out of the haze of smoke surrounding their father's ashes. 'Oh, good show. Very good show. Pity you didn't get one of the people who actually slayed the Nine-tails. Oh, but good show!' A rolling voice sounded the mocking words from a formless body. It soon materialized out of the smoke billowing across the den. He strode forward, laughing and clapping loudly. He was a tall, terribly muscular man; a shock of blue hair was blowing in the breeze as he advanced. The rest of his body, besides his hands were hidden behind a long, dark blue cloak he wore around his shoulders. A curved spike served as a shoulder pad on each of his sides, supporting the cloak. 'Do try to find them, however. If the show was as good as I just witnessed, I'll be there to watch.' He laughed shrilly again and stood a menacing beacon among the debris of his men.

'Seiku... How could you?! We were partners... How...' Kashue stammered, obviously lost and confused. His one eye was showing how utterly lost for words he had become. Zeki growled, holding the limp form of her twin, knowing the exhaustion and near death experience he'd been through to try and exact revenge upon his father's murderers. She grit her teeth, knew girlish tears were running down her face and called Seiku a name that in any other circumstance Kashue would have scolded her militantly for vocalizing.

Kashue only scowled all the more, his one brow furrowing violently, contrasting to his usually cheery nature. Seiku laughed heartily at this show of family pride and clapped all the harder. Kashue lashed out, throwing a barrage of kunai knives in Seiku's general direction. The villain moved swiftly to the side and vanished. His laughter and clapping left with him and Kashue's knives plunged deep into the trees right behind where the traitor had been, embedding themselves with a ringing thwump.

Rin was waking, his wounds closing already---a gift he'd gotten from his all demon father. His blurred vision only just made out his sister's form. He sobbed suddenly, his true loss finally catching up with him. He didn't even care to look for the remains of his human mother. Kashue turned from the place where Seiku had soiled the ground with his presence and walked sullenly to Rin, his expression still clouded and dark. Rin's body was shuddering with sobs; he laced his arms around Zek's neck and cried into her shoulder. He felt ashamed for what he was doing, but the pain was over whelming.

When his last tear was spent, he vowed to himself that he'd never again cry over anything, nothing was worse than this feeling. Kashue lightly tapped his half brother on the shoulder and handed him a cloak to wrap around himself. Shakily, Rinku stood and covered his cold, bloody body. They then filed silently from the wreckage to where Kashue and Zek had hidden Mila away to hide.

The little orange-brown fox kit scampered out to meet them and Kashue hefted her into his arms, then turned to bring them all to a clearing in the woods, in earshot and view of their den. He sat down, under a large oak tree and explained to Rin and Mila what he'd witnessed. Rin gave him his own version, shivering in the cold of the night. Soon, he was all healed, only scarlet scars remained to mar his white skin, but they too would soon be gone. Kashue left for a bit and came back with clothing for Rin and directions on what to do. Rin dressed off to the side, silently vowing revenge upon Seiku. 'The night is dark... I don't like it...' Kashue was starting to say to him. His voice was drifting away in waves of molten lava. Or was it something else... Rin couldn't focus.


He opened his eyes to see the sun baring down through the trees, covering them in an orangey red glow. He sat straight up, a cold sweat drenching his body and clothing. Zek was lying close by, Mila curled in his twins tail. Kashue was crouched over a fire he'd built that was now dying. "Awake finally?" He asked Rin, not looking up at him. Rin cleared his throat and strode over to the fire, his legs feeling like jelly. He opted to sit back down as a safety precaution because he wasn't sure how long his legs would even support him. "I'm going to try to find somewhere else to live. I'm supposing you and Zek---"

"I'm going after him. I'm going after Seiku. I don't care if I die, I don't care if I am killed in the process---I want revenge and by all means I will dedicate the rest of my life to achieve it." The pure conviction and dead set expression on Rin's face made little room for protest from Kashue. He silently agreed that revenge was what had to be done, although he intended to do it.

"Then Zek and you...."

"Will be on our own. I don't know if she'll agree to it, but even so... I'm going."

"Fine... Listen, Rin... Your human mother---"

"Gone I suppose. I don't want to find her... But if you do... Honor her for me, please." A pang of guilt hit his heart, but he steeled it against emotion.

"Right, and... Mila stays with me. I want to train her up to be more than the silly girl she is."

"Fair enough. She might get in my way," Rinku retorted flippantly. In truth, he'd never bonded much with Mila. Kashue nodded and went to collect the sleeping kit. Zek was soon awake and informed of Rin's plan. After a moment of silent thought, she agreed heartily to go along with it. She and Rin set out that morning. She waved goodbye to their siblings and Rin gave a nod to Kashue who was standing alone, Mila asleep in his arms, his expression devoid of emotion; he then turned and disappeared into the woods.

"We're on our own now, Zek. We must find Seiku, no matter what happens to us. I will do it before I die." Rin was staring straight ahead of him, walking somewhat aimlessly on the road; his fists still clenched too tightly. "It'll be a wickedly bloody path to walk..." he added in an undertone.

"I know, Rin. I know."


Chapter 2: Just in time

Two bushy tails could be seen dangling from a tree branch. Then, a black form was thrown from the tree, landing hard on the ground. It was followed by a head popping down from the branch laughing.

"OW! Zek! Why did you do that?" A disgruntled Rinku stood up, rubbing the back of his head, where he could feel a lump forming. He flicked his tail irately and glared horribly up at his twin. Zek turned around and hopped lightly to her feet on the floor.

"If you weren't sleeping all the time, I wouldn't have to wake you so rudely. Honestly Rin, why do you sleep so much! If you want revenge, we haven't got time to dawdle."

"I can't help it... I need sleep. Especially after what... happened. I'm just so...so..."---He yawned widely---"Tired."

"Well, we'd better head out. If that monk was right, one of our targets is living not too far from here. Let's see... Tarakane. Yep, he's a powerful shadow master. We'll need to use all father taught us of stealth. It'll be a gamble..."

"Demon? I mean... only demons could have taken out our father, no?"

"Yes, demon... Um... Heh, obviously, a shadow demon."

"It's a good thing we found that escapee from our den. If we'd never found him and made him talk we'd never have gotten so far." Rin grinned wickedly, his fangs flashing and cracked his knuckles. "Let's go for him, I'm more than ready." Indeed, he was prickling with excitement, yet also with apprehension. Were the two of them strong enough to take down a fully-grown, highly capable shadow fiend?

"If you're so eager, then lets get moving. The sun is up; we want it high in the sky by the time we get there, that way there won't be many shadows for him to hide in. C'mon." She started off into the mesh of trees, Rin considering what she said, agreed and started to follow. Only a few minutes into the woods and his ears picked up a soft movement. The birds, normally chattering in the day's heat, had all gone quiet. Within seconds there was a pop accompanied with the transformation into a fox and he made his own as Zek padded silently back and motioned for him to get low. Rin crouched and snuck over to where she was huddled under a bush. He shot her a questioning glance, which she answered with a shrug.

Something was moving closer to them. They could hear the footstep's soft thuds on the ground, coming closer and closer. Rin went ridged. If this was Tarakane, it would be his first ambush. He was ready for it, ever since he vowed revenge; he was stealing himself against fear and apprehension. He was thrilled, ready to jump at any moment. His hackles raised, his ears pinned back, his tail hung low, and he leapt upon seeing Tarakane, who indeed was the one coming to them. Rin sprung as Zek cried out, "No! It's not time, it's all wrong!"

Rin, however was blind with the thrill of fighting, he leapt without thinking, straight onto Tarakane, biting his shoulder. Tarakane was swift to react and threw Rin off with one easy swipe of his arm. He landed on his feet however and with a vicious snarl threw himself onto Tarakane's back, clawing, biting and ravaging wherever he could get a hold of on the demon.

Zek had no choice but to show herself as well. She came out a blur, changing quickly into her humanish body and slicing Tarakane with a kunai knife, all in one fluid motion. A rip forming on the shadow beast's chest let loose a torrent of black blood, spraying Rin, who was now changed in form and attacking from the front. No longer taken off guard, Tarakane lashed out with a black sword, supposedly made of shadow. Rin was blinded with his tar like blood and reeled back, scratching frantically at his eyes.

Zek tore after Tarakane again, streamlined, her arms out behind her she was a barely visible blur, but Tarakane saw her attack and shifted to the side, getting himself lost in the shadows of the surrounding trees. Panting, Zek stopped and slid in front of Rin. "Rin, get up. He's disappeared. Be on guard." Rin, having scraped what he could from his vision, stood back to back with his twin, pulling out a kunai knife in one hand and throwing stars in the other from packs on his side and belt. Zek, having caught her breath and standing in a ready-to-jump stance, tensed against Rin and closed her eyes. "Listen." She whispered, "We're not going to be able to see him, no doubt. Just... listen."

Rin cleared his mind, cleared it of all excitement, fear, rage. He let his ears relax backward and forward, swaying around him. The forest was deadly silent. None of its usual inhabitants were moving around, all he heard was his and Zek's breathing. His own heart beat pounded in his ears. It was all he could hear. A droplet of sweat rolled down his nose and fell. There.

A movement and the rustle of leaves without a breeze, Rin flew forward and just as the drop of sweat hit the ground, his stars were pelting Tarakane's arm. Recovering from his attack, Rin was the perfect target of Tarakane's sword blow. He caught his back and granted him a slash down it. Rin fell to his hands and knees; sweat trickled all down his face, around his wide eyes. Rolling over, he heard Zek cry out "Hyah!" and she sprung at their mutual enemy.

Lifting himself upon his elbows and slowly rising to a standing position, Rin stood defiantly and charged again at the shadow demon. Zek was dodging around him, just missing his word strikes, not able to make her own. Rin caught up with them and joined the fray, causing Tarakane to have to use both arms and two swords to ward off the fox twins. Dogging Tarakane's moves, Rin was able only once to slice him close to the jugular vein. Raging, the shadow demon struck out only on Rin, his sword plunged deep into the fox's abdomen.

Time seemed to slow for Rin, he watched Tarakane's ugly face become even more wicked as a dreadful grin spread his lips, revealing putrid yellowing fangs. Rin's hands dropped to the sword, deep in his own body and struggled to stop it from going deeper. His vision blurred, but Tarakane was clear to him. He cried out, but was choked off when a green sort of vapor leaked from Tarakane's free hand and drifted into Rin's blood stream. He recoiled and pulled out his sword, dropping Rin's writhing and twitching body to the floor.

Zek was stunned. Her twin was dying, bleeding to death and poisoned, but there was nothing she could do for him. She had to kill Tarakane. Rage welled up inside her as she charged Tarakane's back and plunged her kunai knife deep into his neck. Shocked and in pain, Tarakane turned to see Zek spring from his back and throw knives and stars right at him. He had little time to escape, but instead of using it to run, he attacked as well. Tarakane moved his hands in blurs to make symbols of power, finishing just as the stars hit him. Zek, falling to the ground in a crouch was bombarded with small blades that scratched and gouged her white skin, now tainted red.

Tarakane was no more; his body turned to blackened ash and blew away in the breeze. Rin was lying motionless, staring at Zek. He could barley move, but managed to drag himself up and leaned against a tree. Guiding his way feebly across the blood drenched forest floor, with one hand, the other clamped immobile over his wound, Rin collapsed near Zek, coughing up wave after wave of his own blood. He had to find someone to help them, anyone. Taking off and wrapping his own shirt around his wound, he stood and staggered to find help. Not far away, he could no longer walk and fell against a tree, moaning with pain and half-delirious from intoxication; Rin passed out, in a place he was sure he was going to die in.


An angelic being stood over him, white light surrounding the unearthly figure. Rin could only open one eye; the other was blinded with blood and half swollen over. A cold sweat covered every inch of his body and he tried feebly to reach out to this figure, which moved his face into view and smiled. "Hello there, Rin," exclaimed Loki. Blond bangs hung over crystalline blue eyes, other than the bangs; the rest of the hair was long and pure black.

Rin couldn't recognize him at the moment; the poison had almost hit his whole system. Above the "angel," the fox could see another, darker figure move into view. Brown spiky hair and bangs covered two emerald eyes and its lank limbs were riddled with scars and cuts and even stitches. Black-banded restraints were clasped to its neck, wrists and ankles. Psymon walked closer on his wolf feet and dropped his cigarette to the ground, stomping it out.

"Is he alright?" Asked a sultry, somewhat bored voice.

"Kuso, he's bleeding like mad, Psymon, I have to heal him." Rin could feel a warmth spreading through his body from where the sword had embedded itself. Rin's vision cleared, but dull pain attacked his limps still. Delirious with poison, he grabbed Loki, the angel helping him.

"ZEKI! We need to... "He panted fiercely, his breath ebbing. "Ze....k.... Find her, I can't... Feel her... She's not... She's not..." He swooned, dropped over Loki's shoulder and spilled more blood out of his mouth. Loki gently laid him on the ground and did his damnedest to stop Rin's illness. Psymon paced over and leaned down, crouching awkwardly on his bestial feet. Loki brushed back his blond bangs into his dyed black hair and furrowed his brow. Rin wasn't improving, whatever he did to heal Rin nothing helped.

"Something's wrong, Psy. I don't know what it is... Rinku, please, stay awake," Loki's voice quavered with worry. Rin was muttering to himself, sweat now coursing in rivulets down his body. He'd gone very cold. His eyes rolled back into his head and his lids drooped. Loki was frantic and tried again and again to heal him. Each time he did, Rin would start and try to get up. "I'm going to have to find Zek, she can tell us what's wrong." He paused and added, "Maybe."

At the mention of his twin's name, Rin opened his eyes wildly and flung himself up, causing blood to flow more freely from his abdomen. He scrambled with strength he didn't know he still had and fell, face down, pointing in the direction of Zek's body. Psymon walked into the woods warily and came back with Zeki's limp form in his arms. She didn't look particularly hurt, only scratched and bruised, as well as knocked out. Psymon lay her against a tree and stood back in the shadows. Loki crouched at her side.

"Zeki... can you hear me... Wake up..." He shook her shoulders very slightly and her head lolled. However, she looked up with a dazed look and gasped when she saw Psymon standing there. He looked remarkably like Tarakane's shadowy form. Turning her gaze ever so slightly, she saw Loki and relaxed for a moment. She stood silently and saw Rin. She ran over to him, lowered herself shakily to her knees, hunched over him. She turned him on his back and looked him over. All of his other wounds were healed, except for the sword wound in his stomach.

"Is he..." She choked back the rest of her sentence and stared at Loki longingly.

"We... Don't know. What happened to him, why won't he heal?" He tried desperately again to heal him with, yet again no success. Zek filled him in on the story as he tried one more time. This time however, Rin woke up frantically and saw his sister above him.

"My fault! It's my fault! She... Zek... " His eyes stared at a point just to their right. Zek held his hand soothingly and tried to hush him.

"Poison, you think? Well... Psy? Do you---"

"We'll have to bleed him," said Psymon, coming closer, trying to keep up his mental block on Rin. He crouched next to him and to Zek said," I'll have to let him bleed out the poison, meaning, I need to open the wound wider and let fresh blood flow out. He may well bleed to death... But wait, you can give him some of your own blood. You are twins..." Zek nodded in agreement and stood back. Psymon brandished his wolf-like claws and dug deep gouges around the wound, fresh warm blood started to flow, but Rin also began to flail and fight back.

He felt cornered again and he wasn't at all sure what they were doing to him. In his eyes, they were enemies too, come to kill him off and take Zek. The same wild instinct clicked in his mind, making him feel as if a cold liquid was being poured down his head and shoulders. He went ridged and his body convulsed, changing into a demon fox. "HOLD HIM DOWN!" Psymon started to lose his grip on his block and felt very sick to his stomach.

Rin flailed and beat out, clawing the ground around him, trying to break free and change completely. Psymon yelled and sent a psychic wave through Rin's brain. He convulsed again and fell back down, in his human form. Psymon breathed hard, sweating as well, a sickly green tinge sweeping over his face. Panting, he finished the cuts he was making and held out his hand for Zek's arm. He had the feeling that if he spoke; his insides would lurch out of his body.

She handed him her arm, palm facing up. He ran one claw down it and let the blood mingle with Rin's. The poison gone, his blood being restored, Rinku's face cleared of the pained expression it held. Loki moved in quickly to heal the new wound. It cooperated nicely and Rin was now in a deep sleep. Loki healed Zek's arm while Psymon staggered off to purge his system of the nasty toxins he felt in his stomach. She noticed that where Psymon had cut her, a scarlet line had formed on Rin's arm.

Zek moved Rin into a comfortable sitting position and flopped down beside him. She turned her face to Loki, the mischievous grin she always had spreading across her face. "So, where did you two come from?" She slid her view to Psymon who was re-entering the place of Rin's delirium. She smiled more broadly at him and shifted closer as he sat under a tree. Loki watched Rin's face a moment and answered Zek's question.

"We... were on a mission," he stated with a flippant wave of his hand. "It's not too important. Are you okay, Psy?" Psymon nodded once and lit a cigarette. He took a deep drag on it and slowly blew out the smoke. Watching it, Zek's eyes filled with sudden tears. She tried to blink them away as she lowered her face, but Loki saw them. "What's wrong?"

"Sorry..." Psymon said at the same time.

"It's not y-you," she choked. "Oh, I'm so childish," she chided under her breath. Swiping away the tears and stealing herself, she looked into the faces of Psymon and Loki and related the tale of her father's demise. "And so, Rin here told me that he'd swore revenge on Seiku and I agreed to help," she finished.

Psymon was looking at her with a mildly sympathetic look, whereas Loki's brows were furrowing further. Zek sighed and pulled her knees under her chin, just as a soft moan came from Rin. Loki looked over at his friend, thinking about how they'd always been so childish together, how they seemed so carefree when the world was such a horrid place. Thinking of the Nine-tails' death, Loki's eyes clouded over plunging deeply into his own loss in death. Psymon started to pick at stitches on his arm, deep in his own experiences with the great equalizer. Rinku moved and propped himself up on his elbows.

"Where am I? Loki?" He looked slightly startled and then a smile broke the shadows of death on his face. "I thought I saw an angel," he continued.

"Well, welcome back to the world of the living," Psymon muttered, not looking at the teen fox and taking another long drag on his cigarette. Rin's ear pinned back as he stared at Psymon, thinking. He sighed and asked, "What happened... I remember fighting Tarakane, then searching for help and that was it..." Loki told him what he knew and figured he'd dragged himself to where they found him.

Zek was curled silently near Psymon, thinking about how much dread had come over her in the past week. Twice she'd thought she was going to lose her twin for good, yet miraculously, Rinku survived both encounters with death. She closed her eyes and the day's events took its toll on her as Rin and Loki's voices droned on in conversation. She felt her head drop forward, but snapped it back up. Assassins mustn't fall asleep without wanting to, she quickly reminded herself. She did really want to sleep though.

Psymon dropped his cigarette butt and seemed to read her mind. He fell asleep within an instant and sat lightly snoozing in front of Zek. Rin and Loki had moved on, turning to the sun, which was now beginning to set. She figured, what could it hurt and allowed herself to lean against the tree trunk and drift off. Moments passed and she too was asleep, but since her body was worn from the fight with Tarakane, she couldn't stay upright and slide onto Psymon's shoulder.

He woke with a start, which in turn woke Zek. "Oh! I'm sorry, I must have just..." Zek was blushing horribly and Psymon's expression seemed welcoming, highly nervous and terribly startled all at once. She shifted up and he leaned back, relaxing, brushing off her apology with a mumbled, "S'okay," and a flippant wave of his hand. A minute later he was fast asleep again. She too had nodded off, into a deeper sleep. Again, she began to slide. Loki was watching and a grin, with mischief written all over it played on his face. Rin watched intently, wondering what his best friend was up to.

Zek's head dropped to one side, leaning on her own shoulder and her weight seemed to be falling over with it. Loki got up as quietly as he could and pushed her opposite shoulder, forcing her head to lie on Psymon's lap. He turned and sprinted back to sit as if he'd done nothing. His sides were convulsing with suppressed laughter and Rin was grinning broadly. Zek started to make herself comfortable, she snuggled closer to Psymon and nudged his leg with her cheek. Her tail lay over her side, the end on Psymon's knee. The tickling fur must have woken the half wolf, for his eyes slit open a moment, blinked and he became aware of what was going on. Loki and Rin spun their heads away so violently they felt an unpleasant crack.

Psymon's eyes lit with confusion and he tensed under her. What do I do? He asked himself silently. He swallowed hard and stared down at her. One thought played on his mind: Mearyn. His expression softened, his eyes a bit unfocused, seeing what he wanted instead of what was there. Unwittingly, his hand lifted and came to brush back her bangs, but he stopped, seemed to snap out of his delusion and repeated to himself: This is only my friend.

He shifted, trying to move out from under her, but she woke up before he could escape. Curling tighter, she blinked, yawned and turned over. Seeing Psymon's face, she smiled dreamily, then snapped to attention. She sat bolt up and moved away very quickly indeed. Psymon balked at her and raised one hand to rub at his neck. He looked off, mildly embarrassed and snatched out his cigarettes. Smacking the bottom of the pack and grabbing one out, he lit it in no time at all and dragged on it, resting his head back against the tree.

Zek stared wide-eyed in wonder. What had she just been doing? Surely, she hadn't fallen asleep and fallen on him again... Had she? She could feel her heart beating in her throat and felt her stomach make an odd sort of flip inside of her. What was going on? Oh, well, Psymon doesn't seem bothered why should I? She stared at the ground a long time before turning and lying with her back to Psymon, thinking hard. Finally she fell asleep and left the conscious world to dream of fighting Rin and again being close to Psymon...


Loki and Rin were enjoying a nice laugh, while they rubbed their necks free of the crick. Psymon sat in a cloud of his own smoke, thinking of people in his past. His emerald eyes were hazy and he wanted desperately to get a fix and drown out the world around him. He resorted to picking at the stitches on his wrist. Night had started to fall, Zek was asleep, Psymon started a fire and an exhausted Rin agreed it was a good time and place to zonk out. So, he did. He and Loki fell asleep, side-by-side, heads dropped forward, snoring very lightly.

Psymon just couldn't sleep. Something about what happened with Zek had rattled him. He stayed up all the night, staring at the sky, then at Zek, then to Loki and Rin. By the time the first sun rays were peaking over the horizon, he was sitting next to a pile of spent cigarettes, with an empty pack on top. He'd lie in wait for the rest of his companions to wake, so they might figure what cards the day would deal them.


Chapter 3: In the company of friends

"Ah... What a beautiful morning!" Rin enjoyed a stretch and some sun as he exclaimed the wonder of the morning. "Can you feel that breeze? Hmmmm." He closed his eyes and stood there, beaming just as brightly as the sun was beaming on him. He was exceedingly thin, seeming to have lost much weight in that short period of his sickness. His once nice fitting clothing now hung loosely on him. He hitched his pants a little higher and turned to Psymon, the only other person awake.

The half wolf looked dreadfully tired, yet he couldn't sleep a wink. Rin had shadows under his own eyes and they seemed sunken, almost invisible save for the fact that they gleamed brightly even without light. He pushed back his white bangs, tipped with maroon and pulled his hand all the way down the cloth wrapping the rest of his hair. Sitting down next to Psymon, he began to unravel it and brush his fingers through his elbow length white hair.

"Why do you have such long hair... It looks girlish." Psymon sniffed, irate without having something to smoke.

"We don't cut our hair... It's... Um... I guess it's a tribute to our human side? See foxin hair doesn't much grow... But since we're only half fox, we let ours grow," Rin shrugged. "I know, it's really stupid, but hey, why not?" He finished combing it through and turned to retie the cloth. Psymon didn't reply. He had his own worries about his mind at the moment. Rin finished with this and paced over to peer into his sister's face to see if she was still sleeping. He blinked and muttered, "Who's the one always sleeping now?" He stuck his tongue out to her when a sharp pain hit his shin. "KUSO! What was that?"

"I wasn't asleep," Zek berated and moved her leg from where she'd kicked him. "Honestly, how could anyone sleep with you piping like that?" She looked at Loki and added, "Never mind." He was fast asleep still, lounging against a tree. Rin laughed and climbed the tree above Loki. Hanging down he went to wake Loki up in a most unorthodox fashion when Loki's hands came up and pulled him from the tree. He landed on his back with a thump, and gasped as the wind was knocked out of him. Loki was grinning madly; his mischief played; he got up and stretched.

"Morning all!" He said to them cheerily. Rin righted himself and growled at Loki. He rubbed his back and limped over to Psymon, muttered, "How do you deal with him..." and sat down. He sighed; his good mood could not be so easily thwarted. He soon jumped to his feet and went racing down a slope and out of sight.

"RIN!" Yelled Zek, completely taken by surprise. She sprung to her feet and sprinted after him. Loki, offering Psymon a confused shrug, sprang after them. The half wolf took his time in getting up and sauntered after them.

Rin was running blindly, just like running through trees he'd grown up in. This forest was just like every other forest, glorious and full of thriving life. He ran to the edge of the trees and stopped, his eyes falling on a beauteous lake. Crystalline water sparkled partially in shade and sunlight. His eyes were full of laughter as he stripped off his shoes and shirt and dove straight into the water. He submerged just as Zek came frantically from the woods, panting and stared around for him.

"RINKU!? Where the hell did you go?" She found his clothes as his head suddenly popped out of the water and he snaked out a hand to drag her in too. Surprised beyond reason, Zek fell gracelessly into the water's depths and floundered under the combined weight of her wet clothes and her surprise. Rin laughed out loud and disappeared under the surface again, his tail plunging in after him.

Loki and Psymon peered from the trees to find Rin's scattered clothing, Zek gasping for breath on the shore, looking mightily agitated. "That ass..." She was cursing softly, wringing out her shirt and tail. Loki grinned, saw Rin surface on the opposite bank and with a flying leap, the flutter and toss of his shoes and shirt, Loki made a mighty splash into the water.

Psymon, however, sat down under a tree and watched Zek, laughing to himself. She found it useless to get the water from her shirt and opted to get a new one. She grabbed Rin's dry black, three-quarter-sleeve shirt and dragged it over her head while she pulled off the wet one. She shook herself and sat gloomily, wondering what she'd do with her soaked pants. Rin kept popping up and down on the surface and Loki seemed to be chasing him.

Zek's gloom cracked when she saw the delight written in every feature on her twin's face. He seemed so very down lately, his eyes never danced with laughter like they were doing now. She smiled, a glazed sort of expression on her face. Would they ever feel happy like this ever again? Would tragedy be the only thing awaiting them when they caught up with Seiku?

Rin gulped air down and dove deep into the water, spinning over so that he was hovering just above the bottom. Loki came rocketing out of no where, having pushed off a rock to catch him. Rin crouched and swam as fast as he could towards the surface. Loki reached out and caught his tail, dragging him back and swam, with a smile on his face to the surface. He flung his head back to free his vision of bangs and waited for Rin to come up.

He tread water for a few minutes and then something white floated to the surface---- Rin's hair. Next came a head, face down, his body floated up next, he was limp and didn't seem to be breathing. His hair and limbs were splayed outward and moving with the soft waves. Loki panicked and reached out a shaking hand to his friend. Hand quivering, he made contact with Rin's shoulder. To his surprise, and immense relief, Rin flung himself upward, gulping air and dunking Loki under.

Laughter erupted behind Zek. She turned to see Psymon chuckling to himself. "Tricky, that one. That was good," he was saying, as Loki came back up for breath, cursing softly and searching for Rin. Zeki smiled and again began to wonder if she should join in their high jinks, in case it really was the last time they'd ever have a chance.

She stripped off her, or rather Rin's, shirt, tactlessly diving in with only her bra and pants on and swam to Rin, pulling him under. He looked mildly surprised to be pulled under, as Loki had disappeared, but when he spun to see who was there, he looked into his own yellow eyes. Shocked, he shot backward and saw Zek be dragged by her tail in the opposite direction.

Paddling madly he tried to catch Loki and inform him that he had the wrong twin in his grasp. Too late, Loki had drug Zek to the shore and came out laughing. He turned to see Rin glaring at him hotly, but saw the face of his twin instead. Zek cocked her head to one side and grinned.

"Loki!" Rin came splashing up, trying to warn him that his female twin had joined their games. Loki blinked and mouthed 'Oops' and apologized to Zek. She stared at him and made a confused sort of face.
Apparently her joining the game was not allowed. She looked upset and turned to Rin, who was shifting his weight uncomfortably from foot to foot. Loki reached his hand to the back of his neck and rubbed. Zek got up hotly and walked to her clothes. "Fine," she was muttering, clearly upset, "if you don't want to let me join in your fun, just say so." Rin went to grab for her shoulder, but stopped. He felt the rejection his twin was feeling and furrowed his brow, clearly confused about the feeling. He shot Loki an innocent and forgiving glance and began to pace after his twin. "Zeki---"

"They didn't meant to exclude you," shot in a sultry voice, "it's just how kids are." Psymon was watching their every moves and fixed Loki a foreboding glare. Rin interjected, "Yeah, you know us irresponsible, talent less whelps can't comprehend the needs of such high class, powerful beings!" Loki thought this too much and finished off with, “Sorry, Zek. I just didn't know I had you. I thought it was Rin. I was just surprised, is all---Nothing against you!"

The two of them were floundering for words to say that would make her feel better... They failed miserably. Zek sat with her back to them all, brooding, wishing she weren't the only girl into their little band. "Immature imps... That's what they are, all of them. UHG! Men!" She crossed her arms in front of her chest and gritted her teeth while slowly letting out a sigh. Yet she sat hoping someone would come and comfort her. Moments later she heard Loki and Rin splash back into the water and continue their game. She felt empty. Why couldn't she have a female twin?

The day wore on, Zek resorted to lying under the sun, drying herself while Loki and Rin splashed and sprayed all around them. Psymon was itching for something to either smoke, or give him a high. He felt himself slipping into old memories that hurt too much to relive. He got up silently and slipped off into the woods alone for a walk. Soon Rin and Loki, tired of their water antics, lay out in the sun as well, drying in the dying rays.

Rin's abs donned an ugly, jagged, circular scar where Tarakane had run him through. It pulsed now and then with pain, but the half fox ignored it. His eyes danced with laughter and it lasted him all evening. Around sunset, they met back up with Psymon, who seemed to have acquired a few more, various slits in his skin. Picking out stitches on his arm, he joined them silently and stayed behind, trying to rid his mind of old traumas. They walked off, down a dusty road laughing and having a wonderful time. Soon only their dark outlines were visible against the orange red sun, from the view of an onlooker.


Chapter 4: A halt on life

"Where does life lead? What is the true reason we are all placed on this sordid ball of treachery and death? Are we here to fulfill some mission in creation, to leave a mark to show others how not to live? Answer me this: Are we merely puppets that some vast entity is controlling for it's own amusement? Sometimes I wonder."

"You wonder too much if you ask me, Rin," chided Zek. "You're giving me a headache with all of this deep, intellectual hoo-ha! Where is the Rin I know, who barely gives a damn about the end of his own tail, much less his future?" She placed a hand on his head and ruffled his hair. Rin dropped his ears and frowned at his twin's flippant tone. He turned to consider her, dropped his chin and fell silent in thought.

"Nah, I think he's got a point. What are we here for? Is there a reason we suffer through a lifetime of pain, sorrow, angst... fear... Is there any point to it all?" Psymon interjected his own thoughts, a sedate face set, staring on ahead.

Zek went to continue talking, frowned, brows furrowed, feeling berated. Rin looked over to Psymon, a very faint smile playing on his face. Zek's ears went down and her head sunk, again she felt not one of them. Such a hard life it was being the only girl. Psymon closed his eyes and from his vantagepoint of a foot or less above them, could see a clearing ahead.

"Maybe we should stop and rest a bit. Maybe find shelter before the night?" He was talking to a distracted Loki, who'd been strangely quiet the whole walk. He snapped his attention from the sky to his companion.

"What---Oh, yeah. Say, Rin? Why do you ask... I mean, if there is a higher entity controlling our fates?"

"Well, it doesn't seem to fair the way he's playing out some of our lives. Hard hit after hard hit. Ya know?"

"Yeah, I know---"

"Who ever said it was a HE?" Zek asked hotly and pulled ahead of them all, walking faster to separate herself from what seemed to be a tightly forming pack that excluded her. She shivered slightly in the dusk's chill and took a sharp turn into the woods. "Let's go here and see what we can make of it." Without letting them agree she disappeared from sight and left the boys standing a bit dumbstruck.

"What's up with her?" Asked Loki to Rin, who answered by shrugging and tugging at the earrings in his foxin ear. He moved ahead silently, taking lead of the boys. Loki and Psymon filed after him, deeming it best to leave brooding twins to their own devices.


Zek had found a nice open clearing, but the ominous clouds over head made it seem as if a nice open clearing would be treacherous. Psymon managed to build and light a fire as Loki was staring with a glazed look in his eyes at the stars. They were mirrored in his crystalline blue eyes, twinkled luxuriously until the clouds hid them from view. Loki inhaled and exhaled in a deep, shuddering sigh.

Rin hadn't said a word since his twin's minor explosion and instead sat in a pile of brush, his hand under his shirt, methodically tracing the scar left by Tarakane. To him, in the short time he'd donned it, it became a reminder of just how susceptible he was to death. He figured it stayed as a nasty scar due to half his blood being human, otherwise it probably would have fully healed.

It gave him a jolt of pain as he shifted. He coughed out as one who'd just had the wind knocked from him. Loki sat up, startled and Zek turned to him. "What was that?" She asked, her hand sliding unwittingly to her own stomach. Rin could feel Psymon's emerald gaze slide over to him, a narrowing look slicing into his side. Rin waved it away and sat back, breathing somewhat sporadically. Hearing his friend's reassurance, Loki went back to star gazing to find no stars.

The clouds had totally blocked all view of the sky. Small droplets of liquid fell one by one onto the campsite. First Psymon was hit, then Rin, Psymon again, now Loki and the rain spread. Thick sheets of precipitation were now falling from the sky. "Beauteous," muttered Zek as she backed under a tree. Psymon and Loki joined her, but Rin sat where he was, staring at the sky, an odd mixture of welcome and fear thrown onto his face.

"We're going to need a shelter," he said abruptly. " I'll go find one. I like this forest... It has a lively scent to it." He got up, took off his shirt in on fluid movement and handed it to Zek. "Keep it dry, will ya?" Without waiting for an answer, he sauntered off into the woods.

"Err... We need dry wood. Psymon, go find some. Loki, think you could help him maybe?" She asked a bit indignantly, as Loki was just staring skyward. He winced and nodded.

"What made you the authority?" Psymon asked, still edgy without his cigarettes. He gave Zek a loathing, sidelong glance that she shot right back at him in full, drawing herself to her full height.

"I said so. I am the oldest. So just do it!" This new sense of power and force in Zek made Psymon raise his brows and turn on his heels to assist Loki. She sniffed and sighed, turning back to look where Rin had gone. He'd disappeared. Great. Now what was she to do? Irately, she settled to picking up the packs she and Rin carried and making sure they didn't sustain too much rain content.

Rin had wondered far, aimlessly walking into the woods. His eyes were a light with dancing laughter and he seemed to be drunk on the rain. He spun around, arms flung wide to catch what he could of the rainfall. He laughed heartily to the sky, staring at the clouds. Turning swiftly, he walked straight into a woman.

She stared at him with light blue eyes, long blonde hair swaying out as she backed up a pace. "Sorry," muttered Rin, brushing past her and walking further into the woods. She turned around and butterfly wings fluttered out behind her. Rin stopped, blinked and turned, staring. "You... You're..."

"Hello. My name is Summer Winds. Yes, I'm a fairy. I am an air fairy. I live in a cottage just over the hill." She smiled warmly at him. "And you are?"

"Mm... The name's Rinku! Pleased to meet you, Summer Winds!" He was strangely cheerful and unwary of the stranger. A dull ache was forming in the pit of his stomach, yet he ignored it whole-heartedly. He took a happy jaunt towards the woods, spun around a couple more times. Summer giggled and followed him a bit. "So, you live in this wonderful forest? I love the forest. I grew up in one! See, I'm part fox!" He pointed out his ears and tail and did another drunken spin. His stomach gave a funny lurch, but again he totally ignored all pain. Summer paced over to him, giggling.

"You're a funny thing! Rinku? I've heard that name before...." She donned a thoughtful expression and paused.

"Means 'link'! Heh, it's funny 'cause I'm half human, half fox, ya know, a link between the worlds? Ha ha ha!" He spun again and his eyes fell on a small pond, glimmering as it was being pelted with raindrops. "Oh! I'd fancy a swim, I would!" With nothing else to say, he stripped off his shoes and took a flying leap into the water. He splashed around and swam in circles before coming out shivering. Summer never took her blue eyes off him once. Sopping wet, he shook himself like a dog and wrung out his tail.

"How was it?" Summer asked.

"Bloody freezing, that water is!" He put on a big stupid grin and flopped onto his back in the grass. Summer, standing near a ring of toadstools, sat on the one nearest the water. Her cheeks were lightly brushed with red and she flipped back her hair. She laughed at Rin's response and watched the fox as his rippling muscles glistened with water droplets. He heaved a sigh, his ribs were showing all to well, due to his brush with death and loss of appetite. Her eyes roamed over his body, taking in every feature.

She stopped when she came to his abdomen, where the nasty scar from Tarakane was singed into his skin. Rin stretched, his abs glittering in the rain. He stood abruptly, just now remembering what he'd been sent to do and how he'd ignored his task until now. "Oi, I have to find a...." But he never finished his sentence. He doubled, pitching forward on the ground, curling around himself, his hands clutching his stomach.

"RINKU!" He heard Summer scream distantly. He moved his sparkling yellow eyes to her. She was crouched over him, pulling him up into a sitting position. He looked around frantically a moment before catching her gaze and being locked in a stare. Tears seemed to have welled up in her eyes; they were a shimmering hazy blue. Rin's yellow eyes flickering with a wild light that she found most enchanting, a blush spread over her cheeks. "Are you alright?" she asked, genuine concern in her voice. Rin nodded, but the pain he'd just experienced was almost utterly unbearable. What had happened?

Sitting up and lacing his arms around his knees, he pulled them up under his chin and sat in thought. Summer was still gazing at him, worry apparent in her eyes. “Really, I'm fine." He reassured her, putting on a mock smile. She returned it and relaxed, easing into a seated position. Rin's hand was clamped over his stomach and something warm started to trickle onto it. He thought it nothing at first but when a stabbing pain accompanied a larger flow of liquid, he looked down to see the scar ruptured and bleeding freely. Summer gasped, eyes widening at the site of the blood. Rin grit his teeth against the pain, his hand starting to shake as he lifted it to survey the damage. Staring at his abs he saw a river of his life's blood pouring from his body and soaking the ground before him.

He tried to gasp but something was blocking his airways. Instead, he sputtered and coughed up a good amount of his own blood. Summer looked frantic, she was calling his name, but Rinku couldn't hear her as if she were miles away instead of right next to him. Doubled over coughing, Rin's consciousness was fading. His ears pulled back violently and the smell of death---his death---filled his highly sensitive nostrils. He swooned and fell forward, cheek hitting the ground. Summer lunged for him and held onto his shoulders, hoping to revive him somehow.

Blood splattered all over his white body, still flowing freely; Summer was desperate to help her newfound friend. She called out to the fairies of the surrounding woods and two responded. Together, they hefted up the surprisingly light Rinku and flew him into the forest. Rin was stained with blood and somewhere through it all his hair tie had ripped and pure white flowing locks billowed about him. Except now all of his was stained red, for it often blew into the wound or was splattered with blood.

Zek turned her head so violently to the side, that she felt a painful crack. She thought she heard something in the woods, a cry, but nothing followed it. She left it for an animal of sorts, but for the warning in her heart she listened more alertly. No other sounds came from the direction, save the owls and crickets. She sighed and deemed it a false alarm. Settling against a tree she sat and wondered what could be taking the boys so long. Psymon and Loki had been gone an awful long time to be only collecting wood. And Rin, well Rin was another case entirely. He hadn't seemed himself when he set off and she was mildly worried for that.

Psymon trampled over the brush leading to the clearing, a stack of small logs and branches clutched in his scar-ridden arms. Zek unwittingly beamed at him, which caused him to cock a brow and stare at her awkwardly. Loki bounded out afterward, also holding a fair share of wood. The rain had let up and even though it had been down pouring, the wood was relatively dry. Zek set her mind to building a decent fire and took it off of her wandering twin.

She felt something brush on her arm and lifted a hand to scratch it. Going back to what she'd been doing, Zeki found that her arm still itched. Looking down she saw the oddest thing: a neat red line was formed down the inside of her arm and throbbing. She wondered at it and Psymon caught her goggling. He'd been feeling quite woozy himself and looked to Zek's face, then her arm. “What?" He asked.

Zek froze; his voice had given her a wild idea. This cut, the neat red line was from when he cut her open. This line had somehow linked her twin and her further. She just knew in her heart that somewhere in these enchanted woods, her brother was hurt, maybe on the brink of death and left without her. She stare around the ground, uncertain what to do when fear and pain gripped her. “RIN!" She cried out, a cloudy expression in her eyes. Psymon stared and felt a prick of pain slide down his arm and something bubbled in his stomach.

“The--- The toxins! They're still active!" He informed the other and leapt to his feet. Zek staggered up, Loki hastening to her aid. “We need to find him..." He let loose all of the walls he'd held up to protect himself from his companion's minds. Immediately he was panic ridden and riddled with agony. Hastily reforming his barricades, he straightened, blood trickling from his lip. “We need to find him, he's in bad, bad shape"

“Psymon... You're bleeding..." Zek went to show him but he smacked away her hand licking up the blood and marching into the woods. “Rin is more important right now," he called back, disappearing at a trot.

“Quickly, to the springs!" Called Summer to her helpers. They nodded and sped to a beautifully glittering waterfall. At the end was a basin of crystal clear blue water that seemed to have little lights dancing upon its surface. Summer plunged her hands into the water, cupping them and splashing the cool liquid over Rin. Blood washed away, but was soon replaced with fresh blood. Summer frantically repeated the act and eventually succeeded to wake Rin.

The half fox sat bolt up, sputtering blood from his mouth and crying out in pain. His red hands were caked with blood and clenched over his wound. Summer tried to assist him in any way but he dragged himself away. The waters hurt, they stung the wound and he didn't want any more pain. Desperate for a clear trachea and floundering to stand, Rinku possibly made his problem worse. The cut seemed to have split wider, spraying the grass and ground with his life's liquid. His yellow eyes were feverish and a haze over them restricted his vision. His head was spinning; a cold sweat had broken over his forehead, causing the droplets to rain down to the ground.

“Where"----Blood poured from his oral cavity----“Am I?" Summer came to his side and pat his back, ever so lightly.

“Rinku, please calm down.. It'll be---" He turned on her, gazing at her with a wild sort of madness present in the vibrant yellow of his eyes. He scuttled backwards, clawing at the ground to get away, clearly not having a clue as to what was transpiring. “Rinku! Please," Summer reached out, desperate. His eyes widened and he flinched at his own name. Looking frantically about, he seemed to be looking for a way to escape when suddenly a click sounded in his head and he stiffened on the spot. Half crouched between Summer and the open wood, Rin got a glazed look on his face and dropped to the ground, lying perfectly still, his eyes half open and staring fixedly on the nothingness just to Summer's right.

Anxious and confused, Summer went to go for his side when winds picked up from nowhere around Rin's form. She fell back, shielding her face from flying debris. She commanded the winds to back off with her gifts and found Rin floating more or less than two feet from the ground, glowing with a black aura. She gasped and jumped to her feet.

“What's going on?" She breathed and stared at Rin awestruck. Zeki came crashing from the woods, having blindly run through them toward the distress of her twin. She stopped dead next to Summer and goggled Rinku's floating body. Blood ran off his sides into a quickly forming pool on the ground. Hovering, his eyes closed and he seemed totally relaxed. Could this be the powers of the fox blood in him? She was asking herself. Was it somehow soothing his mind? Zek was not entirely sure she liked the look or smell of these shadows around her twin. TARAKANE! The name shouted in her head, even surprising her enough to make her flinch. This had to be the work of that treacherous shadow beast! Zeki started to advance, not at all sure of what her plan of action was, when Rinku's eyes snapped open.

She fell back a few steps, just now noticing Summer Winds, having come level with her. Rin's head dropped back and rolled from side to side as his arms and legs shuddered, thick fur growing on them. His mouth hung open and two very large canines grew much larger and longer, as did the rest of his teeth. His nose and face began to elongate as fur sprouted in different patches and different colors all along his body. His tail grew longer and fuller as his whole body convulsed and he landed on the ground a fully-grown werefox.

Gnashing his teeth, he was vaguely aware anyone was standing near him. He turned his bloody face back to lick his stomach clean, the scar still clearly open and splashing more blood around. He glanced up when his ears caught a sob let loose by Summer and immediately his hackles were raised. He lowered his head, growled most maniacally and bared his bloody teeth. His brow wrinkled in a scowl, eyes narrowed threateningly, tail hung low under his tense body. Seeing two more forms emerge from the woods, one quite stunned, the other staggering, Rin shook his head and licked the blood flowing from between his fangs away.

Four people now stood in front of him, but he didn't recognize a single one. Turning on his feet, and digging his foot long claws into the ground to add leverage, Rin bounded into the woods and out of site. Summer collapsed to the floor sobbing. Zek stood staring, felt a wave of dizziness hit her and fell over. Psymon staggered closer, his mind had been straining to stay out of Rin's and came to Zek's side. He wiped sweat from his brow and lifted her. Loki looked utterly shocked and hadn't moved an inch since Rin's flight.

Psymon passed him as he set Zek down and splashed water onto her face to revive her. She opened her eyes narrowly and looked up at him, tears forming in her yellow eyes. She remembered how painful it was to look into her twin's fox demon eyes, voids of bloody red, emotionless and cold; and curled in a ball, her arm clutched to her chest. Psymon seemed to be the only one with a clear head now and elbowed Loki from his trance.

“What--  What do you suppose happened?" Loki stammered, his face was clearly still written over with surprise. A voice choked by sniffles chimed in behind the group. "I'll--Snuffle--Tell you."  Each turned their heads as if seeing Summer there for the first time. She crawled over, finding comfort in their huddle and regaled them with the events that occurred from her first meeting with Rinku.

Zek shuddered softly and moved closer in for warmth. The shocked tears were blinked from her eyes and she tried to keep her face straight, not betraying her inner thoughts. She was sure this would be the very end of Rin, if he was not found right away and treated. She retreated to standing by a tree and slipped off into the night unnoticed. Or so she thought. Psymon watched her go and slipped off as well, in pursuit of Rin.


Chapter 5: Delayed Reaction

Barriers that had been put up for good reasons fell down with a crash as the rushes of emotion, thoughts and memories bombarded Psymon's head. He gasped in pain, clutching his throbbing temples, the blood rushing and pumping hard. Slowly, a trickle of thought waves made itself more detectable than the rest. Psymon mentally grabbed it, latching onto its patterns, reading it word for word. His frame shook as an overwhelming sea of emotion struck him hard and fast. Must hunt. Must kill, eat, ravage...The ravenous voice was mingled with a softer, frightened voice----I must find Zek, I must find my friends. I have to stop the pain, the unbearable pain! He quickly damned up the sea of information and spit blood from his mouth.

“He's fighting with his own mind..." Psymon informed himself. Loki and Summer had stayed behind incase the disgruntled Rin wandered back in search of them. Zek on the other hand was probably out here running blindly around to find her panic-stricken twin. Psymon shook his head and took a weary, but firm step to where he caught the wavelengths.

Upon pacing further into the darkness, Psymon heard crashing and prepared himself for what was coming. He slowly rolled around a tree to find fangs and claws waiting for him. A flash of red and black was Rin's claws reaching for the half wolf. They missed as the blood damp fur on his face impaired his vision. His muzzle was red and the soft white fur was stained the wretched color. Psymon grimaced, his barriers becoming thinner and thinner. He let them down again and was instantly racked with the pain of a thousand knives stabbing into his abdomen.

Doubled over and panicked, he tried to sooth the dying beast back into the friend he knew. He called out to him mentally, seeing the fox was weak and falling to his knees. (Rinku. Listen to me, it's Psymon--your friend! Please, you need to calm down, you need to stop fighting and relax.) He received no response but a guttural cough accented with flying droplets of blood. Trying again, forcing his will on the fox he repeated his arguments and added a small blast of power. Rin gnashed his teeth and swayed on his paws, clearly unable to support himself any longer.

The beast's eyes flared red, his tongue licking his blood-flavored jowls and then slipping back into his mouth as his face contorted in pain. He let out a howl of misery as Psymon's psychic wave hit his fragile mind. He snarled when it had passed and lunged at the frail form of the half wolf in front of him. He was willing himself to remember that Psymon was his friend and that he'd never want to hurt him for any reason! However, the conscious part of the old Rin had no control over the body. To him, it was as if he was sitting back and watching a movie, unable to change the events, no matter how loudly or forcefully he yelled.

An agonizing scream split the air and Rin's vision left him. He was horrified to realize that the scream had come from his mouth. He was falling, or he had the feeling of falling. The instant his body had morphed, it felt numb and distant, and now the pain came flooding back with agonizing force. Feeling as if he'd just been dropped in a frozen lake, Rin's chest tightened, his breathing considerably restricted. He scrambled to regain his footing, claws digging deep gashes into the flesh of the earth. Flashes of hot ravaged his forehead and all time and actuality left the boy. Flickers of green eyes, hard and defiant shone in his mind's eye, briefly and blinked out.

Psymon hovered near Rin, surveying what he'd just accomplished. The giant fox had again melted away into the frail young half fox, his friend. Woozy and sick with pain, Psymon went to relieve his stomach of the quaking liquids. He never made it past a few feet of Rin. Collapsed at the base of a tree, Psymon slipped out of the clutches of consciousness.

Too many damned trees! Zek smashed wildly through the brush and brambles of the accursed forest. Summer had somehow found Rin's twin and demanded to know what was going on. After irately regaling the Fairy with Rin's dread story, Zek furtively insisted they go hunt him down. Letting slip the fact that she could feel a numbed replication of his pain, Summer deducted that the closer they got the more it would probably hurt. Zek grudgingly agreed that her prediction was right and had been aimlessly stumbling through the woods in hot pursuit.

Her attempts were all but futile. Within the span of ten minutes, she'd pin pointed a spot where Rin could be and came crashing through the undergrowth towards it. Summer fluttered above her, butterfly wings carrying her gracefully and swiftly through the trunks of very old trees.

There, just a little further ahead, Zek could see the dying light of red eyes and the melting away of thick fur and foot-long claws. “I've found him!" With a burst of speed, she left Summer to choke on her dust as she jettisoned to her twin. She burst onto the scene to find a naked Rin, lying half on his side, utterly drenched in his own blood. The scar on his abdomen gurgling and flowing with fresh, warm fountains of red blood. Rin's enchantingly white skin and hair was now stained red. His eyes were closed tight, as if they could ward off the pain if he didn't see it happening. Zek ran to him, staring down at him in disbelief. She thought and felt the worst for her twin and noticed Psymon, going to his side instead.

Loki decided he'd better make himself known and thrust aside the bushes he was crouched in. He'd watched in horrified silence as Psymon mentally broke Rin down and forced him back. He sprung at Rin, propping his head up in his lap. Hefting his shoulders as well, Loki eyed the damage. He winced in indecision, hesitantly placing his hand over Rin's stomach. He swallowed hard and concentrated, his eyes closed peacefully as white light dispersed from his palms and contacted Rin's bloody skin. The beam cleansed the fox's skin of blood, as well as his hair. The crystalline blue of his eyes became liquid azure, now gazing with a soft light down on Rin, their gaze inspiring warmth and integrity.

“Rin? Wake up, Rin," Loki said softly. His voice had deepened since the use of his talents, soon going back to its normal pitch. “Rinku," he called again. The scar had healed over, a fresh layer of skin formed, thin and weak, but enough to hold back the blood flow. Rin's eyelids flickered, the pupils moving wildly underneath them. Loki leaned closer; his breath was on Rin's cheek. The fox's ears twitched and his eyes snapped open, staring around blindly until finally focusing upon this beacon of light in front of him. He blinked back the pain of Loki's vibrant eyes and dropped his head to the side.

“You---" He was forced to stop speaking to painfully clear his throat. “You should have let me die..."

“Now why would I have done that?" Loki blinked, astonished at the statement. A shiver went along Rin's spine causing him to curl his bare body. Loki frowned and closed his eyes, concentrating again. White robes were laced on Rinku's body when he opened them again.

“Because... I'm nothing but a worthless second son... and a half-breed at that. I should have let Kashue deal with the revenge.. I've only managed to disgrace my father further..." His enchanting yellow eyes lost their glow, not even the moon was reflected in their molten depths. They looked hollow.

“Oh shut up! What is it with you half breeds and your sour senses of worth? You don't really believe that, do you? I surely don't, and I'd never let you die from such a selfish reason as low self-esteem. You've got too many friends here that don't want you to go..."

Rin let out a soft chuckle that cost him dearly. His frail shoulders heaved with a hacking cough, blood flecked his lips and sprayed from his mouth. In a very low and eerie voice he retorted, “What is it with you higher beings that you think you know everything?" Loki couldn't help but smile. Rin continued, not catching the gentle look of restraint on Loki's face. He wanted sorely to comment that there was truth to be had in his earlier statement. “This scar will haunt me all my life, won't it?" His molten eyes slid to look at his battle scar; he fingered the edged of it gingerly. “It's gotten smaller..." He remarked with wonder, to himself.

“Maybe so,"  Loki answered him. “Are you alright now?"

“Alright as I'll ever be... Just tired, is all."

“I see..."

Rin rolled onto his stomach and lifted himself onto all fours. Teetering, he got to his feet, as did Loki. He tried to take a step, but came crashing down like a rag doll instead. Loki held out his arms to catch the fox. Peering into Rin's face he found him dead asleep, he'd fallen into slumber as he stood. Loki shook his head and propped Rin against a tree. Dropping next to him, he saw Zek and Psymon, off to the side, just as his heavy lids closed and sleep stole over his exhausted body, spent of its energy.

“Psymon! Have you taken wound?" She ran to his side, to find him, collapsed and unconscious. Lifting his head and shoulders, she delicately placed him on her lap. Peering over his face, she called his name again. Slowly, as if reluctantly, Psymon's lids permitted his emerald eyes to view the disturbance to his sleep. Two anxious, nervous orbs of yellow shone full into the tender parts of his cornea. Groaning with pain, Psymon got to his feet, immediately regretting the action for the pain dispersing through his brain.

Shoving down the aching feeling where she had held Rin's self-preservation, Zek was wholly concerned for Psymon. For all she knew, her twin was dead; she even fancied that she could feel a cold spot where he'd been. Psymon clutched at his head, messaging his over-worked temples. Zek laid a hand on his shoulder, hesitantly, as if it was some forbidden thing to do. Psymon tensed underneath her gentle fingers and finally answered her; “I'm fine... Just a bit shaken, I s'pose..."

“Good... I wasn't sure what had happened to you!"

Suddenly rounding on her, a wild look on his face, he cried out---"Where is Rin?!" Zek fidgeted uncertainly and glanced about her. She'd actually forgotten about him...“There!"She said with a sigh of both relief and great anguish. Her roving eyes caught a glitter of white against a tree; Rin. Loki seemed to have passed out with the effort of healing his friend. Now quite sedate, Psymon shook his head and leaned it on his palm, which in turn was upright, the elbow resting on his knee.

“I don't know what's up with him, Zek" But he doesnt seem quite the same. Zek wasn't focusing any more attention on her twin. She was watching Psymon, in his fatigue, taking in every slight detail of his face and body.

Fully absorbed in her desire, she hadn't noticed he was talking, or swaying a bit. He allowed himself to fall back against the nearest tree. Zek broke from her trance and dropped her ears back. Fully aware of Psymon's weakened condition, she let him be, but watching him and being so close caused her to experience a flipping, fluttering feeling in her stomach. Psymon's eyes snapped open form their dazed position and regarded her lazily.

“Are you ok?" He asked in dull, mollified tones. She looked startled, and the flipping feeling traveled from her stomach to her throat, restricting her voice. Psymon lifted his head and in sincere concerned asked, “What was that?"

Unwilling to explain her feelings Zek shrugged evasively and replied, “Nothing."

“Like Hell, Zek. I can feel it," He said in a dry tone.

“I said nothing." She put up such a mental block, that Psymon was jolted from her thoughts and sat, watching her, with his lazy expression. Blinking, he dropped back again, unable to get that fluttery feeling from his stomach. Now he grew uneasy and subconsciously reached for a pack of cigarettes, yet found he had none. Sighing in annoyance, his thoughts turned inward. He was lost in memories.

Zek shifted in position, not at all comforted in the silence. Her tail brushed against Psymon's arm, jolting him from his reveries. Easing her wall, Zek watched the sky. She hummed a lilting tune, mellow and sweet; it brought back painful memories to Psymon...

“Why have you left me..." He murmured, not intentionally saying the words aloud. Zek, ears pivoting towards him, asked, “What was that?" She eyed him with those oblique, yellow crystals she termed eyes.

“I was merely lost in the past..." He amended. “Remembering an old love... My only love... My Mearyn," again the words were murmured and not meant to be uttered with sound. Strangely, though, he felt oddly comforted in the environment to relate his story to Zek.

“Mearyn?" She queried, thin brows knitting together.

“Yes, Mearyn. She was mine... Or so I had thought, foolishly. It was all a lie..." She said she loved me. Such petty words can ensnare the listener in the span of a heartbeat. And so I comforted myself in the phrase, unable at the time to realize its falseness. Wrapped in the blanket of deceit, I'd poured my whole being into her, we shared so much... But all dreams must come to an end where the dreamer is awakened, left to the cold of the real world. She had set me up; dispatched by the government to trap me, trick me into coming to them. Once captured, I was indentured and Mearyn left me. She denied any feelings for my pathetic existence; swore it was all a lie to get what her employers wanted. All the words...and the passion we shared together, a lie. An outright falsehood..."

He was staring at the ground with glassy eyes. “Ever since," he continued; “I've had to work as I do. Acting out the government's dirty work; taking innocent lives with which I had no conflict. But did I care? No... I was left alone; utterly so, without a heart to ever give again. I retreated inside of myself; wounded like an animal."

His tone had dropped to one of contempt and angst. His emerald eyes were misty and obscured, staring fixedly at the ground, as if he were viewing his whole life before them. Zek was deeply saddened, yet overcome by his reliance in her to have told such a heart-wrenching tale. She swallowed hard, collected her thoughts and answered---

“I can't say I know how you feel," she started hesitantly, then continued on, in a consoling tone; “But you have my sympathy, as much as I can give." Psymon nodded in return, having heard her distantly. Dashing his dark thoughts, he relaxed against the tree and began to nod off some. Zek simply beamed a wide smile, full of warmth and compassion at him. A bit overcome, Psymon glanced to her and watched her sit next to him. She stared steadfast at her sleeping twin.

“It's hard to be the only girl here... I feel so alone... So... Isolated." She blurted out.

“Alone? I'm used to being alone."

“No one should have to be …used to being alone... You're not alone. Don't be lonely, Psymon..."

“I've never much had anyone to depend on, so why not just stay to myself? I can always depend on my own strengths... I've never had anyone to trust; not even once." His last sentence was a bit choked with the taint of more memories.

“I'm not used to being lonely... And you shouldn't be. You have people to trust and rely on now. You have Loki, Rin and ...Me." She desperately hoped he felt he could rely on and fall back on her, if he needed.

“I suppose," was the terse response. His eyes wandered among the foliage of the great oak they rested against.

“You shouldn't just accept being alone, Psymon. It's not a feeling anyone should bare, ever, no matter the circumstances...I mean, doesn't it feel better to finally have someone to care...to be with?"

“Indeed... I suppose you're right." He answered, a tinge of doubt accompanied the words. He sunk against the tree trunk so that only his head rested against an upraised root. With a muffled popping noise, Zek changed herself into a fox. She lay down, paws under her snout and asked, “You suppose?" She was some what put out.

Psymon nodded in response, (“Mm-hm") having lost the desire to go further into this conversation. He rubbed her large ears, not really knowing why, but his hand had levitated to them and began the motion involuntarily. Zek eased closer to him, brushing lightly against his leg, relaxing. Psymon briefly apologized for disturbing her, but his words slurred together as the day's workout caught up with him and he drifted off to the realm of slumber. Zek wasn't bothered at all. In fact she was comforted.

Through the course of the night, the four companions slept soundly, even the disturbed Rin. Before falling to sleep herself, a thought crossed Zek's mind. What had become of Summer, the air fairy? She dismissed the thought and let herself drift off as well. She dreamed of strong arms around her, scars laced over the pale skin.


Chapter 6: In death, do we part

Rin slept soundly that night and the day following. He dreamt of many a thing, not really grasping the thoughts floating around in his head. His companions had woken well into the next day, their bodies taking advantage of the down time. First to wake was Zek, having only been through emotional trauma and nothing compared to Psymon or Rin. Loki however, was fatigued with the effort of saving his friend.

Zek wandered about until she found a cool stream. She splashed the waters onto her face and sighed contentedly as a soft breeze tugged at her loose hair. The breeze grew however and then stopped altogether. Standing next to her was Summer, sullen and weary. Zek started, jumping to her feet, alarmed. Summer watched her with soft blue eyes and removed blond locks from her face.

“How is... Rinku?” She inquired. Zek, a bit more settled, blinked and answered with a shrug. Summer’s thin brows came together to mar her beautiful face with soft creases. “Is he… going to live, at least?” Truthfully, she was rather shaken after seeing her new friend change into such a fearsome beast.

Zek felt bad for this obviously lovesick fairy. She wondered briefly what sort of spell of the heart Rin had cast on her. She dismissed this thought, but couldn’t help wondering why Summer would even consider Rin being someone of interest… Realizing she’d been staring distractedly at Summer, who was now anxiously awaiting an answer and rocking her weight from foot to foot nervously. She floundered for words.

“Rin’s err… Fine. He’s been sleeping since last night, so I haven’t gotten a chance to ask him how he is,” she finally managed to spit out. Summer nodded slowly and turned on her heal to leave. She seemed to have turned her thoughts inward, after getting all the information she needed from Zeki. The fox twitched her ears and commenced in brushing her pants of the brush they’d acquired.

What a strange being, Zek mused to herself. Within moments, she re-entered the campsite to find Rin still asleep, Psymon gone and Loki just waking. “Morning!” She beamed at Loki. He nodded and waved, yawning and looking disgruntled. “Is Rin up yet?” Loki shook his head and swaggered off in search of a stream. Zek kindly pointed the path out.

Leaning over her twin, Zek lightly poked him in the ribs. He didn’t respond whatsoever. A brief wave of panic took her where she knelt by him and shook his shoulders. Again he did not respond, but she noticed the gentle rise and fall of his chest. Sighing, she lowered her body next to his and lay her head on his shoulder. She closed her eyes and pretended her twin was well and awake. She put her hand in his and gently entwined the fingers.

Psymon came back to see this and lingered near the clearing’s edge. He dare not disturb the peace of the twins. His emerald gaze fell heavy on them. He shifted his weight from foot to foot, a bit uncomfortably and cleared his throat. He was loath to see Zeki’s eyes open to see him. She hastily untangled herself from Rin and left her sleeping twin’s side. She stood and began to fidget with their bags. Psymon entered the clearing and spoke: “Loki and I have to go….”

Zek spun round. “What?! Why! You can’t just leave! What about Rin, what if he’s not O.K.?!” She was on the verge of hysteria, and Psymon seeing this, opted to try and calm her down.

“I’m pretty sure he’ll be ok-----”

“Pretty sure?!? What if that ‘pretty sure’ isn’t reliable enough!” Zek came level with him, gazing up into his eyes, pleading with him not to go. She had to look up far, considering how much taller he was. Psymon only gazed back with a mild glimmer of sympathy in his eyes. Zek had him by the shoulders, frantically searching for any hint of relief in those emerald eyes. He gently plucked her off and said---

“Look, we have to go. We have no choice, but if it makes you feel any better, we won’t leave until Rin wakes. And I’m sure he will. Now calm down.” He sent a soothing thought and she backed off, falling silent as she walked back to her twin’s side. She smoothed back the bangs from his wasted face and lifted his chin. She opened one of his lids to peer into the molten yellow depths. He didn’t wake.

“It’s like he’s in a coma!” Zek muttered, distressed. Psymon paced over, crouched next to Rin and let his mental blocks dissipate. The fox’s thoughts were all blank now. Indeed, it did seem that he was in a coma. Psymon sniffed and pulled out a cigarette pack that he’d mysteriously acquired. Lighting it, he took a long drag and let it out to the side, mindful of Zek’s vexation at the smell of smoke. Loki had wandered back, looking much more awake.

“He’s still sleeping?” He goggled Rin and poked him in the ribs with his toe. When Rin didn’t move or respond, Loki employed one of his favorite tactics for waking his friend. Crouching with Psymon, Loki sidled next to Rin’s fox ear. He inhaled deeply and before either Zek or Psymon could stop him, he yelled at the top of his lungs, “RIN!!!” straight into the fox’s delicate ear. Normally, Rinku would have jumped to his feet, cradling his ringing ears and yelled at Loki. Now, not even a twitch from his ears.

“DON’T EVER DO THAT AGAIN!” The scolding didn’t come from whom he’d thought. Across from him Zek was checking gingerly for any blood flow from her pinned back ears. Cursing lightly under her breath, she glared at Loki most angrily. Loki stood and backed off, clearly not wanting to incur Zek’s wrath further. Psymon even fixed him with an affronted glance. “What! He usually wakes to that!”

The half fox didn’t wake for another day and night. Between that time, Zek had mapped out their course for once Psymon and Loki had gone. She planned on attacking another demon as soon as Rin was able. Which to her, would be as soon as he was conscious. Psymon had to drag Loki from Rin’s side once he was awake so they could leave.

“You have to go already? I only just woke… What day is it?” He blinked the sleep from his eyes and stared lazily about him. His limbs were having a hard time reacting to the command to move. Instead he just lay back against the tree, lounging. Zek sighed heavily and goaded him to his feet. Handing him some fresh clothes and a tie for his hair, she explained that they had a tight schedule. They didn’t need distraction from friends. Rin sniffed irately and waved them off.

“You can be so much like an adult sometimes, Zek. It’s rather bothersome,” chimed Rin from behind a tree. Zek rounded on him, admonishing the trunk.

“And you can be a really hard-headed child, alright! Just stop it and get ready to go. We’ve a hit that has to be executed in the span of a day. There’s no telling what sort of destruction this guy can be reeking while you chat amongst your happy little trio.” Rin made a pouting face as he stepped out of his cover. What crawled up you ass and died? He asked himself regarding Zek. She seemed to have heard it and set her face in a withering glare. Rin cringed and made an apologetic grin.

“So… Who’re we going after now? What’s the ID on this guy?” Rin asked sheepishly.

“Name’s Kirotu. No additional information besides he’s some sort of creature beast with a nasty temper,” Was the snappish response.

“Oh…” Rin said quietly. “So…. Where do we find him?”

“Find a cat demon city and follow the path of destruction. C’mon. We have to get going now.”

“Alright, Zek,” he said, falling into step behind her.


It took all day to find the city. Indeed, it had seemed like a dragon had swept through and razed the place with its deadly breath weapon. Rin’s eyes beheld such utter and meticulous destruction, he wasn’t sure if this civilization had just recently been eliminated or if it was destroyed in ancient times and then left to erosion. Once tall buildings and elegant structures didn’t even have foundations left. Only blackened rings and squares of ash were left.

Rin let out a low whistle. “Man… whoever did this was truly precise about it, no? It’s as if he or it was planning it for a lifetime!” The twins cautiously entered the death city, inspecting the damage.

“Yeah, I know what you mean…” Zek answered in placid tones. Her ears were so far back, it seemed to Rin they might fall off. Indeed, his had fallen back as well.


“You know, I had the most wonderful dream, err--- when I was asleep, I guess… I’d met a beautiful woman in those woods we left. She was a fairy, Zek. It was like I was on a real adventure with people after me and everything. Except…” he paused. “Except I was the villain, I think.”

The two had been wandering about the place, skirting the edge. Rin walked with his back hunched some so that his hands could be dug into his pocket. His posture was never perfect to begin with. His shirt folds hung loose over his wrists, the collar of the shirt hanging lower than usual. It seemed he’d lost much of his mass in the few weeks since they’d left home.

“Rin… Are you sure you’re up to this? You look ghastly thin…” Zek asked, stopping him.

“That was random…” Rin blinked.

“Answer me, dolt!” Her worry was tinged with annoyance. Rin was obviously walking on thin ice here.

“Yeah! I’m fine… Just… Not hungry.” He shrugged. He’d lost all shreds of an appetite since their first battle. Zek sighed heavily and figured her twin was brushing off his ailments lightly again. She wished he’d take things more seriously.

“Look!” He came to a full stop. Zek lifted her gaze and fell back a step or two.

“For the love of the gods…” She made a protective symbol over her heart and slid her hand to her belt. Rin was already hunching in a defensive stance. A spitting hiss split the air. A dark shadow fell over the twins, assailing their courage. Steeling themselves, Zek and Rin advanced…

Before them towered a massive creature. There was no doubt in either of their minds that this was the great destroyer of the village, Kirotu. The creature reared a hideous cat-like head, donning a diamond crystal in the middle. It sported two demon wings of the blackest night on its shoulders and behind loathsome claws, a tufted tail switched back and fourth.

Upon second glance, Rin noticed a second tail… A nekomata? Kirotu’s bestial saber teeth were coated in his feast’s life blood. Rin grimaced and shielded his nose from the wafting intoxicating death. Kirotu dropped his head below his shoulder blades and his hackles rose.

“Living beings… But they don’t look like cats…” He was muttering to himself. He compulsively licked a striped shoulder and hissed. “Back off our food!” His foul maw came shooting towards them. Rin shot to the air and Zek flipped over the cat beast. She lighted on it’s fetid mane. The feral fur lined his spinal cord. She grabbed a handful and swung full into his face.

His expression livid, the beast made to roll, but caught the fleeing Zek with a massive paw. Claws ripped into her side. Fortifying his defenses, Rin shot forward before the cat could recover. Dutifully, he arched his arm back and planted himself on Kirotu’s flank.

The Demon-spawn bellowed and swatted Rin with both tails. The fox was helpless. He tried to push off, but only found himself tangled in the creature’s wing membrane. Thwap. The wind was knocked from his lungs as a barrage of attacks assailed his person.

“OVER HERE!” Called Zek, leaping and landing a blow to the thing’s face. His long bat-like ears swung back in dismay. He threw his head, but Zek managed to free herself of damage. Rin slid to the ground like mush. He was having a hard time of catching his breath again. Meanwhile, his twin was getting all the demon hunting done without him!

The male fox stood and brandished a kunai knife. His fingers formed a series of power symbols over the knife. He took it up and held the blade facing his arm. The steel was warm. In a controlled sprint, he rushed the beast.

He overtook Kirotu from the underside. While Zek was busy keeping the eyes distracted, Rin took the liberty of disemboweling the beast. He dragged the knife along its abdomen and up along the torso. Warm, fresh blood, accompanied by entrails fell after the fox. Zek let off.

With a blood-curdling oath, Kirotu’s insides turned out. Rin made the final symbol of power and the cat burst into flames. The smell of his flesh out weighed that of the villagers. The foxes blanched and sought refuge from the rank odor.

“Uch! That’s horrid!” Zek ran behind a tree and wretched. Rin watched his twin with a somber expression.

“Should we bother looking for survivors?” Rin’s voice was low, sullen given the circumstances. Zek poked out an impatiently fluttering hand. Rin eyed it and sighed. “I’ll go, but first… Can I have a clean shirt? This one is soaked in demon blood.” He waited for an answer, but became impatient. “Y’know what, scratch that. I’ll go shirtless.” He stripped it off.

He looked at himself. “What a mess,” he muttered. Bruises were forming over his chest and abdomen, making the scar more prominent. A slash was placed right above his heart. “That could have ended badly…” He laughed slightly and started off.


The would-be domicile shells were burnt. Bodies lay scattered and torn on streets, sidewalks and buildings. The people that were able to be made out were human looking, save for their ears. They had cat ears at the sides of the head with tufts of soft fur sticking out. Tails were also seen among the corpses, not always attached to their previous owners…

The devastation dredged up painful memories for the fox. He stood stock-still and cringed. His tail, once switching behind him, ceased all motion and curled between his ankles. “Such destruction… is so pointless…” He said a prayer for the dead and began his search.

Walking the narrow pathways he started with the perimeter of the land and moved inward on intervals. Nothing seemed alive. He found himself in the middle of nowhere, in every direction he looked, there was nothing but burnt land. The place was razed, nothing could be living still, and this was stupid. Just as he was about to give up his search, a small squeak sounded behind him. His eyes grew wide. “H-Hey? Anyone there?”

A cat bolted by him. With a sigh of relief, he sunk against a half-assembled wall. “The tension around here is just too much for me. At this rate I’ll pass out from fatigue before I get anything done.” He’d picked up the habit of talking to himself lately. Shaking his thoughts clear, they were immediately refilled. The squeak again!

“All right---Who is doing that?” He’d become impatient. Indignant and slightly on edge, the fox hazarded a peek into a particularly dark alley. Once his head permeated the darkness however, the sort of black fog lifted. “Holy---” There, lying sprawled on the ground in a massive puddle of blood was what seemed to be a cat woman. Her garb was foreign to Rin, but that was to be expected. She wore a purple dress and a jade green cloak.

His brows were level, but his eyes were overflowing with grief. He knelt beside the poor female and lifted her face toward him. To his surprise, her eyes fluttered open wildly and caught Rin staring at her. She was alive! He’d never have guessed. She turned a fraction of an inch, but recoiled in pain. “Corth-iffe, meko nekai…..” She stammered.

Rin, obviously not used to this demon tongue, made an apologetic face and returned, “ I’m sorry, but I don’t understand you.” She goggled him and managed a smile. Her smile was beautiful and must have captivated many in the peaceful times of her village. It wrenched at Rin’s heart to see her in such a state.

“Water….” She amended shortly. Rin blinked, but did not reply. He went to his side and detached a skin of water, lifted it to her lips and let her drink. The cool liquid slid easily down her throat through cracked lips. Rin sat her comfortably against his chest and noticed a disheveled bundle clutched under one arm. “Rowan…. Rowan….” She was moaning.

“Who is Rowan?” The fox’s curiosity was kicking in. The woman eyed him and struggled to reach for the mound of cloth at her side. Rin, brows knit in anxiety, bent and looked over the fabric. A tiny furry tail curved out and switched back and fourth. He reeled back.

“A kid?!” His lip curled back in a sneer. The woman winced with the effort of hugging her child. It seemed asleep, the shock of curly red hair just brushing his eyebrows. Rin held back the urge to leave the scene right then. No matter how much he disliked children, its mother needed help.

“Please, you must take him…” She tried to lift the sleeping babe. Rin humored her and helped with the labor, but instead of taking the child into his arms he wrapped hers more tightly around it.

“Hold on to him. I’m going to get you help. You two are the only survivors. Just hang on a bit longer,” he said silkily. She watched him a moment longer. Her head seemed too much to support now and it swung back, dead weight. Rin tensed. “Lady, please! Try to hold on!”

She was staring at him with fixed eyes, fevered eyes that were on the brink of death. The deep greens swam and clouded over in a fog. Her cat pupils thinned, narrowing on the sky above Rin. “Liam…” she whispered.

Rin grit his teeth and grunted with the effort of lifting mother and child. “Look, pray to whatever gods you worship, if any, but do not die on me!”


‘Don’t leave us! I need you here, with me…’ The woman clung desperately to a tall cat-man figure. The blue-haired man only smiled lovingly and lifted her chin to his. The two shared a most passionate kiss.

‘Jiri, I have to go. If I don’t, we’ll be short on defenses. Take care of yourself and Rowan.” His icy eyes glimmered with tears that never left their ducts. Hers, however were coursing down in rivulets.

‘I will guard him with my life, you know that. He might be all I have left of my belov---’ She was choked off in tears. The man held her very close and whispered into her ear.

‘Don’t speak like that… I’ll never leave you, Jirinx…’ He walked off.


“Liam... Liam…” The name had been uttered so many times in the last half hour that Zek sorely wanted to know who this infamous Liam character was. The survivors Rin had carried back were both still sleeping. The mother had been treated, but she was still in a state where she could go either way. Rin hadn’t left her side since placing her down. The child named Rowan hadn’t stirred or cried out at all since the move.

“Do you know who this Liam guy is?” Rin was startled to have the silence broken by louder words. He blinked out of his stupor.

“Not a clue, I planned on asking when she woke, though.”

“Okay, you do that. I’m going to sleep. Can you handle this?” Rin nodded. “Good, I’m exhausted.” She settled on her side, bunched a bag under her head and fell silent.

“’Course I can handle this… how much trouble can a kid and female be?” He stretched and crossed his arms over his bare chest. Closing his eyes, he dropped into a light snooze.

“LIAM!” The woman cried out vehemently, tossing up an arm. Rin started, flinched away from impaling himself on a wayward branch and struggled to his feet. He knelt next to her.

“Are you awake?” His eyes were twinkling with a serene radiance, the reflection of the flames being outdone with the unique brilliance. The woman’s jade eyes locked onto his and she let out a long, painful sigh.

“Yes, I am awake now. I’m very sorry to be a burden on you.” She turned away, lids coming down.

“You’re not as much a burden as you think. I need a good rest from traveling! I mean look at me! Does it look like my body possess enough strength to continually be in motion?” He spread his arms to show how thin he was, his body outline showing through the thin fabric. The fire was placed perfectly behind him and the dark of his flesh was clearly distinguishable from the shirt. His attempt to lighten her mood was only a mild failure.

She smiled, but it didn’t reflect in her eyes. Instead, tears were now pouring out. “ Hm…” She hummed thoughtfully.

“Did I upset you? I didn’t mean to… that is… I was only trying to make you laugh.” The fox hung his head, ears dropped back unsure. The smile spread genuinely across her face.

“No, you brought me much joy, friend. You’ve reminded me of someone I cherished very much. May I ask your name?”

“Rinku. Call me Rin. Everyone does.” His ear perked and he smiled back at her, that hauntingly charming grin. The woman nodded as to register the information.

“My name is Jirinx. But, since you might be the last people I ever have to here it from, you may call me Jiri. It was a very treasured nickname….”

“Jiri. That’s a very nice name. Do you mind… If I ask who this person was? Could it have been this Liam guy?” Rin asked hesitantly.

Jirinx flinched slightly and nodded wordlessly. Her expression talked loudly enough to the fox. “So… is he the kid’s father?” Jiri broke down into sobs. “Oh, Gods! I didn’t mean---”

“No! It’s alright. I will be with him soon enough! Yes… He was Rowan’s father… but he’s dead now.” A sedate shadow fell on her face. No longer did the tears flow, but those that had remained anchored in her long lashes. Rin sat silently, waiting for her to go on.

“In our village… There were classes to our society. I was among a spell casting caste. Liam,” she seemed to be fighting herself just to say his name. “He was a warrior. Trained and raised to know only the fight, many were surprised that he could even feel genuine love for another being. Life couldn’t have gotten better for me when he was allowed to marry me and Rowan was born. I was so happy.” She smiled sweetly and laced her fingers together over her breast.

“You see, there had not been any threats on our way of life in a long, long time. We were very isolated, and perhaps that is why we have been wiped out. But I’ve gotten ahead of myself. The castes of Norkin--the village-- were not always in existence. Powerful mages were always in our ancestry, but we needed brute strength for defense against non-existent foes.

“So that magic was put into breeding warriors and through many years gone by we managed to create the divisions. The Elders came out with Spellcasters, Warriors, Scholars and Diviners. Each also had branches under the same label. For example, I am universally known as a spell caster, but my sub-division is a Felinmag--- A shadow mage. You encountered one of weaker shield spells when you found me…

“Now, as pleased as the Elders had become with this progress, they wanted more. So work was done on beasts to create mounts and protectors. However, the research and development became too advanced. The Neko were becoming too smart and often tried to rebel. We still had the edge, though. Then advances granted these Neko wings. With such advantages, the Neko began to rise up against us, their slave drivers. Many of my people protested further development. The Diviners foresaw great travesty… And it seems that it has befallen us…

“Kirotu. He was the most advanced of his kind. The first to have received wings, his mind was allowed to develop. His way of thinking was that we were his captors, having enslaved his race---When really he was one of a kind in hindsight---and he rose up against us. Natural weaponry like his claws, fangs and wings were quite effective in rending our bodies a part. The warriors were quickly dispatched to contain him…” Jiri trailed off, eyes closing, catching her ragged breath.

“You say he was the smartest among them?” Rin was suppressing laughter. “He seems rather easily outsmarted if you ask me.”

Jiri gave him a soft glare. “He was easily caught the first time. However, after a few months of imprisonment, he went madder than at first. He broke loose and went for his greatest foes---those that confined him. Liam was among them. He went off the defend the innocents… and I have never set eyes upon my beloved since. Needless to say, Kirotu overwhelmed them, somehow harnessing flame… I’m not clear on details. He then wreaked havoc upon Norkin. And you see it as it’s become. I don’t know what became of Kirotu…”

“We killed him,” Rin stated bluntly. Jiri goggled him and coughed harshly. Her hand pressed over the near-fatal wound on her stomach.

“You… You two defeated that beast?”

“Yeah.”

“Cats gods be praised… you are more than you seem, friend.”

Rin beamed at her, straightening his back and puffing out his chest. “That’s what I like to hear! Always like to keep my true strength hidden.” He winked at her. She managed a laugh.

“You remind me a terrible lot of Liam. So… So… What’s the word? Good-humored, even when you and I both know this wound is rather life-threatening.” Rin bit down on his lip so hard, his fox-fang tore the tender flesh. He sucked away the blood.

“Don’t talk like that…”

“I know I am going to die. Death is not feared in my beliefs. It’s life one last adventure where no one can tell you what to expect…”

Rin’s face was thrown into shadow. Jiri’s voice was the calm, mellow pitch of a being that knew the end was here and accepted it. The fox lifted his chin to the sky and traced with his eyes patterns of stars his father had shown him once. “ I s’pose, in a certain respect, that you’re right. But what about your son?”

Rowan had begun to fidget in his bundle. Two orange-red cat ears poked out of the shock of red hair as his head bobbed up. His lids lifted to show Rin the clearest dark blue eyes he’d ever seen. “He’s got his father’s eyes…” Jiri beamed at her son and kissed his forehead gently.

“How old is he? He looks almost two…”

“He’s only about four months. We age quickly in our younger years, but the process slows around puberty. So he won’t be a small child for much longer.” She was running her fingers along the babe’s chest, causing him to erupt into laughter. Rin had to smile. Without warning, Rowan fell silent and toddled over to Rin. The fox almost went cross-eyed to watch him. The cat child’s mask was broken when a huge smile spread his lips and he grabbed Rin’s tail.

“Brithe-kai, mokee-ni! Yaazi! Yaazi!” The child squealed the latter many times, all the while tossing the fox’s bushy tail.

Jiri’s hand covered her mouth as she watched. Rin blinked and gave her a questioning look. “He… He called you Father.” She blinked new tears from her eyes. “ I think… We’ve solved the problem of Rowan, once I go.” She fell silent, her eyes seemed empty.

“I hate kids…” Rin muttered under his breath. Rowan curled next to the fox and used his tail as a pillow. He was soon fast asleep. Jiri had moved onto her back and closed her eyes. Her breathing was shallow. She seemed to have come to terms with all attachment in this world and cut it off. Unable to move away due to the youngling on his tail, Rin was forced to sleep where he was. However, he never went to sleep. Death weighed heavy in his mind and for the remainder of the evening he stared skyward, star-gazing.


Morning came soon enough for the troubled fox. He hunched over his aching legs and tried to move his tail, but was only met with the resistance of Rowan’s little body. He sighed and lifted the child, replacing him on a bunched up shirt.

“No one’s up yet…” He looked from his sister to the still form of Jiri. Still, so still… “Jiri!” Rin cried and crawled to her side as fast as his sleeping muscles would allow. He grabbed her hand, her cold hand. She did not wake. She did not move. She’d passed in her sleep. “No!” It was Rin’s turn to cry. His vibrant eyes were hazed with tears.

“What is it?” Zek looked disheveled, but came to her sobbing twin. “What’s wrong?!”

“She’s dead, Zek! Dead!” He hunched closer to the stiff body and rocked gently over it. Zek frowned and in her flippant way said:

“Rin, everyone dies… Too bad though, we needed directions…”

“DON’T YOU CARE AT ALL?” Rin rounded on his twin, astonished, tears streaking down his face and pouring onto Jiri’s cold hands. “How can you just sand there! A woman is dead, Zeki---Dead! Do you understand? She’s left the world, left her child! Left him to a cruel world where he has no place!” He was trying to make her see, to make her understand his grief. Rowan was now just like him... The softhearted fox had become amazingly attached to Jirinx in the short while they knew each other.

“Rin… you’re amazing. Sometimes you can steal yourself so well, it’s hard to tell if you feel emotion. And then you turn around and start to ball your eyes out over the first dying person you stumble upon. Pull yourself together!”

“How can you say that? How can you---” His voice cracked from strain. Swallowing tears he looked away from her, ashamed to be her twin. “You don’t have to care…” His voice was edged in icy daggers. “I’ll bury her myself. Rowan is coming with us.” Without a glance toward his sister, Rin made the child more comfortable, turned and wrapped Jiri in her blankets. He then left his twin’s presence with the dead woman’s body in his scrawny arms. He left to bury her alone, praying that she met her Liam in the afterlife.

Zek stood still. Her face gave no indication as to what she was thinking. Her way was always detachment. People were always coming and going in life. She couldn’t understand how Rin could get so close to this stranger in only one night. Then again, how could Zek have feelings for a man who barely spoke about himself? She knew close to nothing about him…

Rin returned to find her in the same spot, still thinking. His eyes were dull, save for having a blinding fire behind them when he looked at her. His rage seemed to be surmounting. He lifted Rowan and gingerly placed him in a pack. The child was still sleeping.

“He sure does like to sleep…” Zek stated. Rin ignored her and shouldered the pack as well as his others.

“Which way?” He said in dead tones. Zek shrugged and pointed in the direction of a road. Rin started off without waiting for her.

She stood in thought a moment longer then snapped to grabbing her things. Rin was becoming distant, she ran to catch up. She slowed to his pace and observed her seething brother.

Every time he meets someone his nature is to be brotherly, she realized. He makes these impossible bonds in no time at all and they are so easily broken… Each time, he leaves a little of himself with those who leave him.

She stopped suddenly with the burden of this revelation. She finally understood. Rin was so kind-hearted that no matter what kind of person they are, if he could help or reach out to them, he would. So that was the reason he took the child with him, even though she knew he couldn’t stand most kids.

Time slowed for her in the instant. Impatiently, Rin turned his head and glared at her. She started to walk again. Though they were still silent to each other, by letting it go, Zek could tell Rin was warming back up to her. They plunged into a conversation soon enough. However, Zek could detect a distinct distant in her brother’s voice.

Come to think of it, he’d never been much of a people person. She figured that was due to people he met’s tendency to leave him. Jiri may have been the last cry for companionship he’d make. She was rather worried for her twin now. He didn’t usually hold grudges, so this distance had to be something else, something deeper.

“Rin, are you alright?”

“That’s a stupid question. No, I’m not.”

“No I mean… Are you going to be alright? Will you get over this?”

“Don’t know, Zek.” The ghost of a smile played over his lips. “Death seems to take everything from me. I’ll have to settle that score one day.” He gave her a funny look, when she didn’t laugh, he sighed and pulled ahead, clearly wanting to be left alone.

“He’s trying to anchor himself in this world,” she said aloud to herself. “He feels… Alone, so alone! But I’m here for you Rin, I always have been…. How could you have been so close to a stranger and yet so… distant with your own sister? Your twin no less…” She hung her head and kept walking.


THE END FOR NOW