┼ Heaven S e n t ┼ [ Private For Maria/Mature]

:: It appears your little friend has been caught of-guard by you. How ironic that such a guarded youkai such as himself would allow his surroundings to become muddled. Pathetic excuse for a fire demon if you will. Now listen Hatori Sohma, let me take control of this human body for the one who used to be called a friend is now an enemy. He will not hesitate to tear you or the woman into pieces. :: The gruff tone speaking in Hatori's sub-conscious mind was not his own, but an extension of the dragon blood that had lain dormant for years. Hatori Sohma had not been aware of his demon heritage until strange encounters with different demons led him to using powers that were forbidden for humans to use. And that's when Koenma contacted him to become a spirit detective despite the many instances where the brown-haired adolescent refused to cooperate with the young toddler. Though, as his most happy memories resurfaced he could see a flashbacks of how he met Hiei by accident. He'd grown to respect the short fire demon in all the time they had worked together on cases and Hatori had even lent his help when needed. Yet, his once happy memories were turning into ashes as his eyes opened to the cold reality that laid now upon him. Those good times had ended thanks to Hiei raising his sword. :: How ironic..that our strong bond turned into quick hate. Just like the saying goes..there is a thin line between love and hate..friend and foe. This time I'm more certain we both over-stepped the boundaries and now the consequences are going to bite us both. :: Hatori thinned pale lips into a harsh line, scowling silently at the raven-haired demon in front of him. How could a friendship turn so sour? It had all been going well between Hiei and him, before his choice to defend the young woman led him to making the ultimate decision. Had he been a fool to chose her over a long-time friend? Had he made a miscalculation? Could he rewrite what has already been done? All the questions that tore through the doctor's mind came with a simple, two-letter word: No. He had different beliefs in what was good and bad, his perception of the raven-haired woman led him to believe in her when everyone else doubted in her innocence. :: She rescued me. Does that make her anymore dangerous? How about us? How about you Hiei? The fire demon who thinks he is perfect..and above all humans. :: Hatori's blue eyes turned near black as the fire demon's sudden words sliced into him. He hadn't expected for Hiei to hurl such hurtful words and truth be told his very soul felt as if it had been torn to pieces. So, this is how it would end? "Such pathetic words you speak of. And you speak about true colors, when you aren't exactly the purest creature on earth either Hiei. Does speaking of my sympathy sound idiotic to you? So what...at least I fight to defend unlike you who seeks pleasure in killing just to feel strong. Though it feels strange to say this, I pity you Hiei..you really are a black-hearted monster." The young man whispered, tightening his hold on the sword. Minutes later, he could see Hiei raising his blade in the universal sign that he would attack the raven-haired girl without mercy. :: If he intends to take a life..I might have to take his instead. ::

Azure orbs falling half-closed, the young man summoned his inner strength to flow into the steel blade within his hand. A small blue-white aura began to form around Hatori as the young man allowed his demonic instincts to over-ride his human side. :: Unleash me. :: The wise reptilian voice whispered to it's human host. :: I've unleashed you..now grant me the strength to defend those who need me the most. :: Hatori muttered back at the strange voice, but he waited for the rational side of him to protest. When no protest came from his usually argumentative side, the young man raised his glowing blade which now had gone from it's usual grey to a gloomy shade of blue. "Your going to go through me first!" Hatori hissed, readying the katana to strike at an oncoming Hiei, but he couldn't help overhearing Maria's voice. Why would the young woman plea now? Didn't she understand that Hiei was intent on taking her life? "Woman..are you blind? He wants to kill you!" The young dragon snarled, forcing himself to shut out all voices. :: Attack now or forever hold remorse. :: With adrenaline pumping steadily inside his veins, the young dragon became a mindless killing machine set on destroying the very demon he'd once called a comrade. Now all he saw was an enemy intent on placing the lives of those he cared about in danger. :: I gave you a chance to back off..now I must destroy.:: Bolting forward without warning, Hatori angled his blade so that it hovered mid-line between his chest and abdomen, along the sharp edge ice had began to form as he called upon the Winds of Ice to spring forth from the pulsating sword. Swinging his arm left out, he unleashed his barrage of daggers straight for Hiei while never holding back as the fire demon's words danced in his mind. "They have both gone mad!" Shigure snapped, as the zodiac dog paused right outside the group. He could see the hurtful exchange of words between both men and the youth couldn't help feeling a sickening sensation building in his stomach. From the looks of things, the two had gone into a death-match "Aya..they're going to rip each other to shreds." He whispered, clenching his arms into a stiffening position for he couldn't act anymore once Hatori Sohma had become a full-fledged youkai intent on destroying. :: Make it stop. :: Shigure muttered mentally, his eyes unable to look away as his friend attacked the fire demon without a shard of remorse left anywhere in his vengeful body.

:: Ani Togoru...I hate you with ever ounce of fiber in my being. I shall enjoy the day when I dispose of you and Bui..:: The sun-goddess thought maliciously, while continuing to thrash around in her vain attempts to escape. But why would she keep hurting herself on purpose? Was it to discourage Bui? Or was it simply to knock herself out the reality? :: Someone kill me please..I don't want to go through another night of torture in this room. Especially with this bastard about to stick various knives into me. :: Shirauni thought to herself, suddenly slamming against the floor with enough force to leave her stunned. A sharp ache flared from her mouth and traveled downwards towards her arm which were both chained tightly together. Purple-red orbs widened in fear as the lights to the dark room flickered on, illuminating the various torture devices hanging from the wall. Every knife, every rope hung from pegs on the wall, each of them glinting dangerously beneath the light. Shirauni's mouth opened and she cursed Bui with various words. She knew keeping her mouth shut would be a better option, but the white-haired woman was beyond rational now. All she could think about was how her pureness would be taken away by the armored demon standing in front of her. "What the hell are you waiting for?! Torture me already!" She screamed in disdain at the amused giant, though her words would probably make her regret her choice. Yet, in this time what was there to worry about? The knives would be a possible means of losing her life, but Shirauni knew Ani would keep her alive just for the fun of it. :: I'm going to lose more then just blood..I'm losing my virginity. :: With the words echoing nightmarish in her head as salty tears swept down her cheeks in torrents to mix in with the gore already staining the floor.

:: They're both strong physically and mentally..but the differences in species is quite apparent. :: The raven-haired mused in desperation, his stony hues flickering towards Ayame Sohma and within minutes his lips parted "Don't you even think about entering that battle." Shigure stated seriously, moving a few steps to place a quivering hand over the male's shoulder. Lowering his head in partial shame, the young man let shaggy bangs cover watery eyes for a moment while his body struggled to regain it's composure. How could a friendship end like this? What would happen to the team now? How would Koenma react upon finding out his two best detectives had gone into a death match over a woman? :: Hatori would be punished for defending our supposed 'enemy' and Hiei would be sentenced to death for violating his parole.:: Shigure grinded his teeth as the cold reality settled into his bones. Even if he or Ayame could interfere it would mean having to restrain an enraged Hatori and trying to defeat one short-tempered fire demon. "Neither of us have the energy or strength to go poking our noses where it doesn't belong." Shigure stated gravely, knowing he had struck home with his words for even his heart shattered with what was occurring in front of them. Raising a slim hand, he wiped at his teary eyes only to stop as soft cries sliced through him. Moving his attention from the battle towards the silver-haired male, he raised an eyebrow in question as the snake of the zodiac made his way towards the distressed female. Following close behind, Shigure could feel his heart softening just a bit at how the raven-haired girl cried out in anguish. :: Even she shares our pain. :: He forgot all about the pending arrest hanging over the young woman for now wasn't the best of times to remind himself of the event. Instead, the male found himself patting Maria gingerly on the shoulder while returning his attention to the full-scale battle. Shuddering mentally, he wondered who would win? "Hatori! Calm yourself!" He called out knowing it was a futile effort..but he had to try and hope for a miracle. "It's not your fault...so don't feel bad about what happens. Tori-San made a choice to protect you and once his mind is resolved, he won't turn back until his method is accomplished." Shigure explained "Though I hope in this case...he doesn't decide to make himself a suicidal puppet." The male mumbled, while mentally praying to the heavens to end this fight before both males ended up hurt or dead.

Was it worth it to make such a hasty decision? Would it be worth the bloodshed? What about the team? How would his companions react once the dust settled down? :: If you even survive to see them again. :: His rational mind whispered back in silence. For a mere moment Hatori tried to bring himself back from the point of no return, he had started to struggle with his youkai side for control for even now the doctor did not want to murder his former friend. :: I didn't want for us to end this way. I wanted him to leave permanently...:: His voice became lost in the violent storms of emotion as the young man heard more hurtful words from Hiei come crashing into him at full speed. :: Dam you Hiei. I was fixing to spare your life...though it seems you rather fight me then leave. :: He was tired of giving Hiei chances and he was also tired of hearing insults coming from the male's mouth. Perhaps he was a monster. Perhaps he wasn't as innocent as Koenma believed he was, but still Hatori wouldn't go killing just for the sake of it. Unlike Hiei, he was different for most demons..but an enraged demon was not different from a killer. :: Indeed I've become a monster...I will not hide that fact. :: "Perhaps..I am becoming a monster...but I have my reasons." Hatori growled at last, though he began to sink again into his soulless mode. Blue orbs narrowing dangerously, the brown-haired adolescent began to sense Hiei's demonic blood taking over. Now, the short-tempered fire demon meant business and Hatori would gladly accepted the oncoming challenge. Dark rage sweeping through him, he saw his ice daggers being pulverized by Hiei's intense flames..though he began to sense danger quickly approaching him. Warning bells rang inside of Hatori, alerting him to the fact Hiei had destroyed his barrage of daggers in a single attack. And from the look of it, the young demon was using his amazing speed to charge straight at him. :: So be it. :: Hatori's hands gripped the hilt tightly, until his knuckles turned white from the effort. Beads of sweat rolled down both sides of the young man's face as he waited until the last minute to throw his katana into a defensive position in hopes of parrying Hiei's sword. Yet, at the same time his aura flared brightly as the dragon spirit residing inside of Hatori began to emerge from it's slumbering depths. How long before Hatori really turned into a real-life dragon depended on his will or if anyone decided to interfere before he was lost forever in his quest for vengeance.

:: Monster. That is all I can say about you..Bui. You are a demonic jerk in my eyes! :: The young woman laid completely sideways on her side, unable to move from the weight of the chains dragging her down. Her mouth ached as she tried to growl, but a quick kick to her sore ribs brought out an agonized shriek from Shirauni. She clamped down instantly on her tongue, muffling a few whimpers that threatened to escape her. :: Just end this...please take my life. :: The white-haired woman pleaded mentally, but she knew the walls couldn't hear her cries. No one could. She was stuck inside the dark room with a man who wanted nothing more, then to break her into a thousand pieces. And truth be told he might end succeeding in breaking Shirauni's will. Lips thinning into a grimace, Shirauni kept silent while purple orbs averted themselves to the ceiling above. Yet, the young girl couldn't stop her wandering eyes from settling on the table filled with many scary-looking devices. Tensing slightly, her breathing came to a stand still when Bui had gotten a hold of a several suitable daggers. Their steel edges gleamed cruelly beneath the bright lights, almost seeming to be mocking the frightened young woman reflected upon the polished surface. So, this would be her punishment? Knives forced into her delicate skin? She couldn't wait until Bui took her life so she would cease to suffer more of his laughter. Unfortunately life seemed to have other plans for the young maiden, for the pointed daggers began to jab slowly into her skin. White-hot shards of agony flared through Shirauni and this time her screams rose in pitch as the knives slashed her in a quickening motion. Crimson began to stain her clothing where the blade left several gashes on her fair skin, while her once clean kimono became a gory mess. Tears slipped from between Shirauni's eyelids, for the next thing to happen paled in comparison to the knives being pierced through her skin. Dimly, the young woman gazed down in horror to see that her ruined clothing had been taken of her body, leaving her completely nude. Shivers ran through her and another scream erupted from Shirauni's aching throat. "B..bastard!" She managed to growl between a sea of agony, her hands clenching to prevent a wave of sickness from washing over her. :: I'm dirty now. No longer pure..:: The thoughts swam away with the continuation of the knives being jabbed into her skin and the knowledge that Bui was taking her forcefully. His laughs chilled her to the very core, though even then Shirauni couldn't help yelping her pain. :: Stupid...I can't answer your question. :: The words slipped from mind, as darkness crept into the white-haired woman, threatening to overtake her into semi-gloom. She fought against blacking out and she began to fight back the burning feeling in her legs whenever Bui took her by force.

For what seemed like an eternity, the young maiden laid face up with purple orbs staring lifelessly at the ceiling. Salty tears continued to caress her face, while the young maiden became aware that she had been left alone in the dark room. "They expect me to die from blood lost?" Shirauni chuckled bitterly, her aching arm reaching out to grip the table's edge. "Ugh.." She winced, pausing as agony tore through her battered body yet again. How would she escape in such a condition? Should she even try to leave? :: What is the use? I'm bleeding heavily...and I'm in no condition to move around. :: Though the memories of Bui raping and stabbing her came forth to haunt the young woman, and the fresh pain brought her collapsing to the floor again. "I..I want to die.." Shirauni whispered to herself "Why did he keep me alive? " The sun-goddess muttered, reaching out to grab her blood-stained clothing which were already stiff from lying out so long. Dressing slowly, she found each movement drained her of precious energy and even now the idea of leaving seemed absurd to her. :: They'll find me. No matter where I go those demons will track me down...not unless I head to Makai. :: The thought had never occurred to her till now, but Shirauni knew Makai wasn't a world made for the weak-hearted. No, that world had it's own set of rules which were vastly different from those on Earth. "Leave or stay..." She questioned, narrowing plum hues at the bloody knives hanging from the wall. Her own blood staining the floor even now, trembling the woman whirled around without a second thought to the consequences. In front of her a window stood half-hidden by some dark curtains hanging from a rusty rod. Fisting a hand together, she smashed the glass into shards only to injure herself even further in the process. Whimpering in horrid pain, the sun goddess climbed out towards freedom and new found hope. Yet, upon hitting the lush ground Shirauni sniffed the night air deeply though all she could smell was the heavy scent of her own blood. :: I must get out of here. :: Biting her lower lip, the white-haired woman bolted from the mansion towards town. Her mind clearly set on going to Makai, but her body struggling to cope with the harsh speed Shirauni was forcing herself to endure. More blood stained her clothing as clotted wounds opened once again to cause her pain. :: Dirty wench.:: Shameful feelings etched themselves into the girl's heart as she knew tonight's memories would haunt her forever. "I must get away..now." Snarling in determination, the sun-goddess ran through town hardly paying attention to her surroundings for all that mattered now was escaping into another world to heal her serious wounds.

:: If the heavens can hear me..please answer my prayers! Don't allow harm to fall on Hatori or Hiei..regardless of who is right or wrong. :: Shigure glanced skyward at the cold stars shimmering a million feet in the atmosphere. He often times wondered how many innocent lives had been lost in pointless battles such as these, and the cold reality of the situation hit home. Not only would the team lose a valuable member, Hatori had also brought upon himself a powerful enemy who had once been his dearest friend. :: Oh dear..Tori-San look at what you've become.:: The raven-haired male shook his head sadly, one hand reaching to touch his beating heart. "Something has to give...they can't fight in that condition for too long." Shigure muttered, clenching his free hand into a tight fist from which knuckles became a pale shade of white. Teeth grinding back and forth, he flickered grey hues from face to face and winced as he could find no sign of giving in. "Their energy is rising to high levels..dang it..I feel so useless!" The dog of the zodiac snarled more to himself then to anyone else. Though all of a sudden, a young man appeared out of nowhere to wedge himself between the two fighting Youkai. Facial features going really pale, he found himself fighting against temptation as the russet-haired male began to interfere in the battle. "Is he insane?" Shigure snapped, briefly turning his gaze to look at Ayame with wide eyes. He couldn't believe it. Who in their right mind would go against two mindless youkai? Only a suicidal fool would place themselves at risk. Though as the male narrowed hues to study the strange, he saw that the young man did not appear to be human. So what was he? Was he a demon? Or a ghost? Yet, the man's species did not matter to Shigure for the staff with the moon mounted represented hope. Breath catching in his throat, the young male dug fingernails into the soft pads of his mind watching intently as Loki created a small earth quake followed by a blinding light that left him temporarily blinded. "Gah!" He yelped, shielding his face from the angry explosion. Several minutes later, he dropped his hand to glance at the scene again. It had gotten quiet real fast considering what had happened earlier and now the miracle occurred. Hatori was no longer fighting as violently as he had been before, now the male was returning to his normal human state. "Tori-San!" Shigure yelled in joy as he charged forward to embrace his cousin in relief "Thank-goodness...I thought we were going lose you." He sniffled quietly, but soon turned his attention to the stranger "Thank you very much! Risky move...but I'm happy no one lost their life." Shigure whispered in gratitude, but he felt a pang in his heart. :: Hiei and Hatori are still enemies. And now the fire demon has a grudge against poor Tori-san..but perhaps..we can be in peace for the time being. :: He smiled a bit, but soon moved his gaze to the clothing Loki had set aside "Woman's clothing? Are you going to wear them?" Shigure asked, tilting his head in a amused manner "Aww..Tori-San got kissed." He smirked, unable to keep himself from joking with his dragon cousin.

:: He is fixing to use his dragon on me. Is he that desperate to have a useless arm? :: The young youkai questioned himself mentally, but it did not matter now. He had to transform or else Hiei would lay a fatal blow to him in the process and he really wanted to be alive to see his cousins at least one more time. Sharp claws began to replace the brown-haired youth's human ones as the dragon side begun to emerge fully to the surface. Now there was no turning back. He couldn't regret his choice nor could he turn around to beg Hiei to stop this nonsense. :: I gave him a chance to leave..and he rather kill..so be it. :: Hatori was willing to turn into his full form just to destroy his best friend, but he had not been prepared for what happened next. Sword raised high in the air, the young man would have brought it down in a slash towards Hiei had a glowing staff and a strange boy not blocked his path. "What the!?" Hatori questioned, though his body was not even aware of being in the world. He still continued to charge until the stranger brought his moon staff against the earth and created an earthquake strong enough to push him back several meters. Throwing his sword out in defense, Hatori covered his blazing orbs from the blinding light..but he did drop his hand to gaze at two angry emerald eyes. :: Who is he?:: He wondered mentally, but as the anger died down inside of Hatori his dragon-like features vanished along with it. "Oww..let go of my ear." He complained, pulling away from Loki's grasp..though it was clear Hatori was back to normal. :: I'm back to being my old self. How did this happen? :: Olive orbs glanced down at the sword in hand, and soon the flashbacks came back to haunt the young man. Had he injured Hiei? Feeling dread, he glanced around only to pause on the fire demon who was backing away. Green orbs narrowing slightly, Hatori could see the sword pointed directly at him almost as if the fire demon meant to strike him now. :: Why is he hesitating? And nice..I have to face him again.:: "You're right this isn't over." Hatori replied calmly, shoving his sword into it's sheath before falling back from a strong embrace. He watched Hiei vanished from sight with a small pang slicing through his heart, though now wouldn't be the right time to regret his choice. "Don't worry Shigure..I don't expect to die anytime soon." The adolescent male replied, turning his warm gaze to the raven-haired woman. At least she was safe. Wasn't that all that mattered? Smiling a bit, he soon found his cheeks warming over in embarrassment. Why was she hugging him? And why was she worried for his well-being? "Don't thank me. I was only doing what comes naturally to a spirit detective." Hatori murmured softly, his cheeks blazing a quick shade of red "So, should we head over to the Sohma house? Her injuries need to be treated...and I need some sleep." Hatori motioned, his eyes briefly going to Loki as a silent thank you shimmered in them. Had he not interfered, the outcome could have been worse.

Worthless. Dirty. Bloodied and battered. Those were the only words Shirauni could think of on her journey towards the demon world. She tried remembering all the happy memories from her childhood, only to find that none came to mind. How could she have daydreams? Did she even have a childhood? :: I can't remember half my past...but I can still feel those knives slashing into me. :: Shirauni bit down on her lower lip, remembering how Bui had raped her without consent. Even now the man's cruel laughter was enough to push the white-haired maiden into running faster through the small town on her way towards the city limits. Purple orbs were focused completely on the path lying straight ahead, though the young wolf-goddess never knew that the same demon from before had caught her scent. And now he was a mere shadow following behind her. Hands clenching tightly, Shirauni bit back a few cries of pain from escaping her as the path became a bit rough. She should have morphed into her wolf form, but that would have taken nearly all of her precious energy in a single sitting. No, she couldn't afford to be foolish with her body in such a horrid condition. What if she encountered demons? Would she be able to fight them? Most importantly, did she even have powers? :: Why worry about that? I'd rather a demon kill me right now..instead of living in hell with a man who has taken what is dear to me.:: Swallowing, the sun-goddess could sense that the portal was near and with a quick jump through the hidden light she ended up in a place stranger then earth. :: Forest? :: Falling harshly to her feet, she held back another cry...but the blood began to seep out again as wounds opened up even further. Clenching eyes shut, the sun-goddess wavered a bit until the pain subsided enough for her to move through the path without trouble. "I need a bath." Shirauni muttered softly to herself, casting a gaze at her surroundings. So, far all she could see were trees, rocks and mountains..but water was what she was seeking the most. Sniffing the air a bit, the sun-goddess bolted towards the scent of wet earth and to her astonishment a small lake laid nestled between a wooded thicket. :: Hmm..this looks like a good place to rest..and most certainly bathe.:: Frowning, the young woman hesitated a bit as a wave of pure shame swept through her. What if someone was watching? :: I haven't sensed anyone here..so I'm safe. :: She knew it would be better to wash away the scent of blood, then to have a demon find her in such a weak state. And to add to the gore clinging to her frame, the thought of what Bui had done to her slenderbody drove the goddess into shedding all her clothing at that precise moment. Without warning Shirauni threw herself into the water, while rubbing her face with crystal clear liquid to wash away the grime. "Ack..not warm..but this should do." She young woman shivered, letting herself rise half-way from the water with long
white curls covering her chest from view.

The perverted zodiac dog covered his lips with one hand, while struggling to hold back his laughter from coming out. Though try as he might, Shigure ended up losing his composure at that instant. Merry sounds escaped from his throat, and the comical expression written all over Hatori's face made him laugh harder. "G..gomen Tori-San." The young man snorted as he battled his body for control. Dropping his hand back to his side, the youth uttered one last laugh before falling completely silent to Hatori's suggestion. "S..Sohma House?" Shigure questioned, feeling his facial features wrinkle in slight concern for he didn't know how kindly Heimdall would take towards strangers. :: Hopefully he won't make such a big deal..after all it's not like they're staying forever with us. :: The young man shook his head, burying all doubts then turned to give Hatori a strained smile "Nice suggestion." He merely stated, falling silent after a while. His inner thoughts turned towards Koenma and Spirit World. What would the demanding toddler do? Would he find out about the incident? What would he do to Hiei now that the fire demon was no longer a part of their group? Sighing softly, he couldn't help remembering those happier times when the group had been more united. What had happened to change them so much? Had his teasing brought all this? Or was it Hatori's stubborn-nature? :: Do doubt he is a stubborn character..and quite reckless to the point of suicide. :: Pushing away the thoughts, the young man followed behind the silver-haired male, his stony-colored orbs flickering towards the brown-haired male walking stiffly along side them. The blank expression etched on Hatori's face gave no sign of what he was feeling inside, but Shigure could feel the agony swirling in the young man's aura. :: Poor Tori...fighting his best friend has caused him extreme anguish. :: He looked down at the floor, wondering what he would have done had it been him and Hiei fighting instead. Would he feel the same way Hatori did? Or would he be glad to see the fire demon leave? "Bah, stop thinking about what happened today." He snarled beneath his breath and whirled around to see the doctor eying curiously. "I'm not going insane." He huffed hotly at the smirking doctor and turned away to follow the silver-haired Sohma into the house. A quick flash of lighting made the raven-haired male yelp in surprise and as his hand reached out to turn on the light switch he found that the power had gone out. "Hey! Did someone forget to pay the electric bills?" Shigure shouted, stumbling over furniture to find a few candles left over from last Christmas. Lighting them with a small lighter, he waltzed into the room to find the young children huddled near the staircase. "What the? Wasn't Heimdall here before?" He asked, frowning in anger. How could the purple-haired male be so irresponsible as to leave the young lings unattended to? And where was Kyo? He turned to the stoic doctor for help "Hatori, go search in the closet." Shigure stated, handing the dragon youkai a small candle.

He struggled to maintain his composure beneath the mountain of emotions escalating inside of him. Grief, Guilt and Anger were just a few of the feelings swirling in the pit of Hatori's stomach rendering him nearly numb to the world around him. The brown-haired male remained partially aware of his surroundings, even enough to know that the raven-haired girl had been embracing him for longer then five minutes. With Shigure's happy laughter echoing in his ears, the young man turned his attention towards the male in question. One eyebrow raised as if to warn the dog not to push his luck for the young male was in no condition to deal with childish behavior. Though he quickly shoved aside his anger towards Shigure and followed the rest of the group at a slow pace. :: At least she released me..though that embrace served in jolting some more memories. :: Swallowing he forced back the past into the darkest corner of his mind, while returning blank green hues to Loki. A serene smile appeared on Hatori's lips, but it betrayed the deep pain reflected in his eyes "I'm glad you did interfere." He confessed "Otherwise I wouldn't be standing here now." The young man finished in a quiet voice, only now realizing just how close he'd been to losing his human side to the raging demon blood flowing through his veins. :: I'm no different from Hiei then. Regardless if I killed for defense or not..it is still killing. And to think that I was so intent on taking Hiei's life. :: His hand curled into a tight fist as Hatori began to struggle with his inner demons. Above thunder exploded loudly, momentarily bringing the young doctor from his stormy thoughts. He was thankful for the sudden appearance of the Sohma House in the distance, but how would Hiemdall react to new strangers? "Hmm..I could of he was here before." Hatori answered Shigure's question and turned his attention briefly to Loki and Maria. How did the young man know the woman? Were they lovers? When he heard the term friends, the young male blew a soft sigh of relief only to slap himself a second later. Why did he feel relieved? Was he jealous? Or was it because the young woman seemed quite familiar to him? Shaking away the doubts, he found a candle being shoved into his hand "Huh?" Gazing down at the pink candle in hand, Hatori raised an eyebrow "But I paid the bills a few days ago..unless the lighting short circuited the wire. Anyways I'll go find Kyo." He mumbled, whirling around in time to see Momiji and Yuki running to meet the two new arrivals. Lips curving downwards in a gentle smile, the young man let out a small chuckle at Momiji's question "Momiji..I don't think it is right for you to bathe with Maria. She needs privacy." The young male stated, moving forward to open the closet door. Inside the orange-haired youth had been curled up into a small ball, his wide eyes stared at Hatori in fright "I..I'm scared! Tori! " He whimpered, but looked over the doctor's shoulder to see the new arrivals. Instantly at the sight of Loki, he shrieked in panic "T..That man is scary! Is he hear to abduct us!?" Kyo screamed, hiding even deeper into the closet while refusing to budge despite Hatori's encouraging words. "I won't come out! That man might be mean!" The carrot hissed, throwing a temper tantrum while the brown-haired male sat back in disbelief "Seems I can't encourage Kyo to come out." Hatori replied, while struggling again to maintain patience.

:: Now what? Do I continue bathing or should I focus on regaining my strength? :: The young woman mused quietly, as both arms wrapped automatically around her slender frame. Wincing lightly, Shirauni couldn't help feeling a small chill course through her veins. The hair on her neck stood on end, goosebumps assaulted her skin and the triangular wolf-ears flickered backwards and forwards funneling sounds from all sides. She couldn't help hunching lower into the water as that feeling of being watched began to overshadow her mind. But who would be watching her bathe? Couldn't she get at least some privacy to wash away the blood staining her hair? Growling lowly, Shirauni turned her back on the source causing her discomfort. The sun-goddess knew it was a risky move to turn her back against a real threat, but strangely she welcomed the chance to die. In reality, the white-haired woman wished Bui had killed her with the knife instead of having her scream out in agony as he tore into her sensitive skin with the blade. His laughter and the mental screams coming from her sub-conscious would be enough to drive a normal human insane. But she was not a human nor was she a demon? So what was she? A hybrid? An experiment gone wrong? :: I don't even know who my parents were. So why am I thinking about it now? :: Flattening ears against her skull, Shirauni closed her eyes as the mental images of garnet orbs came to invade her again. :: Awkward..I'm also remembering that youkai from the mirrors. Something about him seemed to strike a cord in my memory..but he shouldn't mean anything to me. :: Pushing away the thought, the sun-goddess tried to focus on getting rid of all the gore staining her frame only to fail as Hiei's face came to haunt her again. :: Damn..I can't stop thinking of him. Could be because I owe him a sword. ::
Yet, she had to admit he was a handsome demon. Cheeks feeling slightly warm, Shiranui mentally slapped herself. How could she even think of him, when he probably thought less of her? It wasn't like a demon or a human would take much interest in a girl who has lost their purity. ::Grr..that feeling of being watched again is become unbearable. :: Grimacing angrily, the white-haired woman dove underwater to grab the lake bottom pebbles from below. Hands groping around the murky lake bed, she wrapped a hand around a soft grey stone. And before her air supply ran out, the young woman couldn't help throwing the stone instinctively towards the trees where her stalker lurked. "Why did I do that? " She questioned suddenly feeling as if she had done the stupidest thing on earth. Fearfully, the sun-goddess swam for shore and tossed on her blood-splattered clothing in a hurry. Not caring that she was soaking wet and bleeding again from her wounds, Shirauni bolted towards the nearest cave wanting nothing more then to be left in peace. Though all she wanted at the moment was to end her own life. :: Gah..no doubt I'm leaving behind another blood trail. :: She winced, throwing a horrified glance over her shoulder at the penny-sized droplets of crimson splashing behind her. "Still bleeding..and still alive." Shirauni growled, stumbling into the cave as her world began to swim from sight.

:: Oh boy, Momiji always has to get his way. :: The young doctor relented to the blond-haired youth at last as a small smile crossed his lips "Alright, Momiji. Since Maria has given you permission to bathe with her, I see no problem with the others joining." Hatori chuckled, eying both Sohma's with a twinkle in his eye. Turning his gaze back to the closet, the brown-haired male could see Kyo had retreated further into the corner, nearly out of reach from his hand. "It's only lighting and rain. The storm won't harm you unless you're outside." Hatori explained softly. "I'm not coming out!" The orange-haired youth shouted, his large red-orange eyes brimming with unshed tears and to the zodiac dragon it reminded him of so many familiar memories. Averting olive hues for a minute, the young doctor felt a small flush come to his face at the sound of Kyo shouting his distrust at Loki. :: He doesn't even know him and is already assuming the worse. :: Slapping a hand to his forehead, Hatori couldn't help giving Loki an apologetic gaze "I'm sorry for Kyo's rude behavior. He has trust issues with strangers...though it seems inherited." The adolescent explained, moving aside to give the god of mischief room to assist him. At the sight of the brown-haired male coming towards the closet, Kyo cried out in panic as his lips curled into a tiny scowl. "Get away!" He cried, while thrusting his hand out in-case the young god decided to pull him out by force. Though in the process of throwing himself backwards, Kyo dislodged a few winter coats from their hangers and soon the young boy had been drowned in a pile of heavy gear. "Ahh! It's dark!" He screamed loudly enough to puncture Hatori's ear drums. Yet, at the sight of the young child looking comical beneath all the clothing, the dragon youkai held back a small snicker from escaping him. "Kyo, see what happens when you struggle?" Hatori questioned, reaching out to pull aside some of the heavy clothing from the young man. Tuffs of orange hair peeked out from the rest of the pile, and soon the young boy managed to claw his way to the surface with large hues focused on Maria. At the sound of her gentle voice, he began to wiggle his way out from the closet only to stop as the woman began to act strange. Head tilted to the side, Kyo suddenly stumbled backwards to hide behind Hatori while peeking over the doctor's broad shoulder "W...What happened?" He questioned softly.

"I don't know." Hatori answered simply, his human eyes completely blind to the pink creature attaching itself to the top of the raven-haired woman. "Are you feeling alright?" He asked, standing upwards to his full height. Coat in hand, the young doctor turned his back momentarily to place the winter gear back in place, but whirled around as the orange-haired youth gave a surprised shriek. "She poked my nose!" Kyo yelled at the top of his lungs "And she kissed me." He stated, as Shigure came in from the kitchen with large grey orbs settling on both Kyo and Hatori. "What is the fuss going on here?" The raven-haired male asked, shimmering orbs landing on the messing clothing and then falling directly upon the strange-acting woman. :: What the heck is happening to her.:: What was Punyaan? Was it the name of a song? A relative? "Tori-San? Did you give her sugar?" Shigure asked, eyes widening as he watched the hyper active girl bolt towards the silver-haired Sohma. Face paling a bit, the perverted dog of the zodiac began to hold back his laughter at the sight of his cousin being tickled. Soon, he was struggling to maintain his coffee from spilling to the floor as the next victim turned to be none other then the serious Hatori Sohma. "Hey!" Hatori protested in a muffled tone, his hand immediately going to massage his cheeks "Ow.." He groaned, olive orbs moving towards Shigure who was now under attack from the young woman. "That is what you get for laughing at me." Hatori smirked, with one index finger pointed at the staggering male. "What has gotten into you Maria?!" Shigure stammered, wiggling around like worm trying to escape from a bird. He threw his hand out to block her poking, but only succeeded in being poked anyways. "Gah!" Hatori snorted, holding back his laughter while Maria continued prodding him in ticklish areas. :: Make it stop! :: He cried out in desperation and the prodding’s stopped instantly. Sweat-dropping, the young man opened grey orbs to see Maria spinning around the room, before bolting into another part of the house. "I shudder to think what's going to happen next." Hatori whispered, running forth with Shigure and Kyo following at his heels. The three stopped at the doorway with eyes widening in shock. The glass that protected their photos appeared to have been colored on with pink marker and to top it all off the three elder Sohma's had tutu's drawn all over them. Hatori sweat-dropped in embarrassment and Shigure clenched both hands into fists "Great...there goes the family portraits I ordered." He snapped, focusing his attention on the CD table. "NO! Not my CD's!" Shigure yelped in horror, his hands burying themselves in his hair almost like he would yank it out at any minute. Lips thinned into a line and face going white, Hatori gazed at the chaos in dismay. He really had no words on how to describe the scene...but he did worry about Shigure's sanity. "That music...ugh." Hatori grumbled covering his ears, yet it appeared Kyo enjoyed the spectacle for he started clapping his hands to the catchy beat much to the horror of the zodiac dog.

So she had taken a shower to clean herself? What difference did that make? Would the cold water have taken all her pain away? Would the lake be able to erase all her memories from the cruel world? The young woman stumbled weakly into the cave, several times having to throw her arm just to keep herself balanced. Just how long could she keep moving in this condition? How long till her body ceased to work? Shirauni glanced down momentarily at a few wounds across her forearm; some were deep while others barely scratched the surface. Though she could easily tell the large ones had been caused by none other then knives being jabbed into her skin. At the memory, the white-haired woman choked back a cry as she struggled to maintain herself stable. "Grr...I can't see a thing anymore." The sun-goddess growled, slowing down her rush to feel around the cave with sensitive finger tips. As prodding fingers met jagged edges, she could feel her heart sinking lower as it seemed this cave would not make a good resting area. :: The rocks are so sharp in here. No doubt I'd slice myself open more. :: Though the idea of cutting herself to ribbons sounded almost tempting :: What are you saying? Why kill yourself? Maria still needs you to be alive. :: At the mention of her sister's name. The young maiden stiffened slightly. What was the point of wanting to see her again? She had been separated from her half-sibling for months now..and even if she could see her escaped back to earth to see Maria again what would she do then? The outcome would be bad if either Togoru captured them . Then, death would surely come to claim either girls or at least another bout of torture. Silencing the thoughts from mind, Shirauni stumbled into the middle of the cave where the ground felt smoother. As relief flooded through her aching form, the young woman laid down to rest. Yet, that feeling of being watched come to torment her again. :: Stop worrying! :: Shirauni tried calming herself, but found that the blood lost was starting to overcome her senses. :: I'm blacking out. No more..my body can not continue forcing itself like this. I must rest or else I'll faint out in the open. :: Panic seized her, though try as she might her body would not cooperate in staying alert. The last thing the sun-goddess saw before fading was the light shimmering outside the cave, before her world went completely black.

"Great now the children are acting strange." The raven-haired male snarled, throwing his hands down in an attempt to calm himself down. Though as stony orbs settled down on the ruined photographs resting against the wall and the kid's rowdy behavior Shigure could feel anger coursing deep inside of him. :: Aya-San wants me to calm down, when all my belongs are being ruined by one strange woman. :: He whirled around to face the silver-haired male with grey orbs going nearly black in madness "Don't you dare tell me to calm down! Look at what is happening! My belongings are being ruined!" The dog of the zodiac screamed his frustrations at the Sohma male until Hatori wedged himself between the two cousins. "Gure-San yelling will not repair the damage nor will it do our ears any good to hear you screaming." The dragon youkai warned, olive orbs glinting a blue tinge with annoyance. "Blah. I guess you two are right about how different she is acting. First gentle...then all hyper." The raven-haired male stated, dropping his gaze to the red carpet below. He could only hope his anger died down, before he really did something unimaginable. "Look. I think Loki is trying to reason with Maria. Perhaps he might stop the madness." Hatori reassured, his lips curving downwards in a sincere smile. Yet, the faded look in his eye betrayed any hope Shigure had of saving his sanity. "The look in your doesn't seem promising enough to me." He growled, returning serious hues towards the russet-haired god slowly approaching Maria. Pulling in a breath, the young man held it for many minutes hoping and praying to the heavens that the young woman would snap out of her spell. :: Please..don't ruin my house anymore. :: Shigure pleaded silently, his breath coming out in a defeated gesture as the raven-haired girl snatched a hold of Loki's hands. Eyes widening, both males could only watch in stunned silence as Maria spun Loki around like a top. "Oh..dear..." Hatori stammered, leaning his entire frame against the wall. Eyes widen in horror to see what suddenly came next, but despite Hatori's surprised yelp. The orange-haired youth cheered on as he watched the raven-haired Shigure get spun out of the blue. "Looks fun!" Kyo yelled out loud.

"AHH! I'm feeling dizzy! Stop it Maria!" The dog of the zodiac screamed in distress, his world spinning around in circles until faces and painting mixed into one. He tried tightening his hold around the girl's wrist, only to find that she had relinquished her grip on him. Without warning, the young male ended up slamming into the nearest table, and as fingertips gripped the lace table-cloth he found all the decorative dishes toppling over him. "I would like some French Fries with that order please." Shigure stammered, his voice sounding slurred to the point of that no one would understand him. The brown-haired male rushed forward to assist his fallen companion, while the ever curious Kyo saw Maria dash into the hallway to explore the house. Frowning, he decided to follow after the woman and soon found himself growling angrily at the sight of Loki going down the aisle. Was he looking for a place to hide? Did he want to steal something? Or was he trying to be mean to Maria? Puffing out his chest in a heroic manner, the young orange-top bolted down the hallway with orange orbs shimmering brilliantly. Inch by inch, the youth reached the private hot springs where he caught sight of Loki staring at Maria in such a strange way. "Nani?" Kyo questioned, tilting his head innocently to the side. Though an evil image entered the young man's mind. What would happen if he pushed Loki into the springs? Should he do it? Well, the stranger had scared him senseless at the closet so he should get a little payback. Smirking, the orange-haired youth went behind Loki and with hands thrusting outwards he pushed the god of mischief towards the water below. "Ha!" Kyo smirked, but minutes later he ended being pushed himself into the water by accident. Rising to the surface, he sputtered to see Hatori running in with Shigure floundering around the room like a fish out of water. "Where am I!? I can't see anything!" Shigure yelled, latching a hold of Ayame's trousers by mistake while struggling to stabilized himself. With his jerking movements, the perverted dog ended up pushing Hatori into the springs with a loud splash that sent ripples through the entire area. "Darn it! I'm soaked." He protested as Kyo began to laugh at their misfortune.

:: Am I dead? Can I finally rest in peace from the world? :: The young sun-goddess mused in silence, her eyes remaining tightly shut as her body began to feel half-numb from the pain. How long would she last in this condition? Would another demon make lunch out of her? What would the Togoru's say at her disappearance? With each question invading her mind, Shirauni felt like opening her eyes to see if the nightmares would come true. Though, the maiden knew better then to struggle in her weak state. She wouldn't last again Ani if he decided to chain her down again like he had at the alleyway. And most certainly Bui would end up slicing her to ribbons. :: I'm trapped in a world. Where I don't belong. I'm unloved...I feel worthless. :: The words continued to flow through the young woman's body even when on the outside she remained knocked out. Yet, in the sub-conscious part of her mind Shirauni felt a strong demonic aura approaching the cave and soon the tiny sound of pebbles shifting invaded her sensitive ears. No, her worst fears had been realized. Now what could she do? Without being alert to fight, the sun-goddess resigned herself mentally to her fate. No matter what it was. But the moment of fear turned into confusion as her aching wounds began to feel less painful. What was happening? Why were her cuts ceasing to hurt? Was the demon nursing her back to health? :: For what? To torture me again? :: The negative thoughts came to haunt the young woman once more. Pushing away the doubtful feelings, Shirauni felt her body being tended to and bandaged. Soon, her ears began to strain as the sound of footsteps faded away into the forest, leaving her disheartened. Had her savior left? :: Don't leave me. :: She pleaded mentally, though paused as the feeling of warmth began to leak into her bones. Fire. From where? And the tasty scent of fish? :: Whoever they are brought me food...but I don't deserve it. :: Exhaling a gentle breath, Shirauni left herself fall into a state of semi-animated suspension in which her wounds would heal properly by themselves; though automatically the sun-goddess moved to the nearest source of warmth which happened to be Hiei. Eyes completely closed, she snuggled up to the little fire demon's chest for warmth while muttering "Arigato." Beneath her breath before falling into a deep slumber.

:: Water! I hate water! Especially when baths are involved! :: The orange-haired youth shouted mentally, small hands punching the crystalline-liquid until droplets rained down from the force of his movements. Furiously, he sought the culprits for his fall into the hot springs and gulped in surprise to see the three older Sohma's toppling into the shallow water. Orange orbs widening in shock, Kyo wasn't even aware of Maria calling out to him until the raven-haired girl made her way over to him. Stiffening instinctively in her embrace, the youth glanced momentarily upwards to see familiar crimson orbs framed by wet strands of jet black hair "I...I fell in." Kyo stammered in reply, his cheeks burning a soft tint of red. Yet, the embarrassment vanished upon seeing the look of irritation she gave Loki. Score. That was exactly what the young man wanted to do. He wanted to make get the brown-haired male in trouble for many reasons. One could be because, the little boy viewed Loki as a threat to Maria. Another could be said that the zodiac cat is naturally nasty to strangers. And in this case, the poor god of mischief would not escape Kyo's wrath. Of that he would be certain. Though why would the young boy become so possessive over a strange woman? What were the reasons? Could it be that she filled in an empty space in his heart? Shaking his head to clear away all the questions, he clung protectively to Maria's frame as a sly smirk crossed his lips. "Don't blame me for your clumsy nature." Kyo huffed in annoyance, his crimson orbs shimmering innocently, though he felt a bit bad for lying. But hey, the russet-haired male had been staring at Maria in an odd way that made Kyo feel something was wrong. He had only acted out to protect his 'mother' from a potentially dangerous situation. Flipping his attention back to the other adults, he couldn't help bursting into gales of laughter to see his uncle Ayame being thrown into the shallows with his pants puffing underneath the water's crystal clear surface.

"Gah! The room keeps spinning in circles!" Shigure exclaimed, his hands flopping around uselessly as he flailed around to maintain his balance. Unknowingly, he had gotten a hold of a course material which he assumed to be a curtain hanging from the door. Pulling downwards, Shigure tried to haul himself to his feet though a minute later Ayame's scream made him lose focus. "What!?" He cried out, slamming straight into the poor doctor who had come to aid him. "Eck!" Hatori shouted, but his yelp had been silenced as a loud splash followed shortly by his cousin Shigure hitting the water at a rough pace. Both Sohma's floated to the surface, sputtering for air and flopping about in confusion. "What the heck happened?" Shigure questioned, wiping wet strands from his forehead. Blinking he glanced down to see that his entire kimono had soaked through, leaving him with a heavy feeling blanket draped over his entire body. "Grr.." Snarling, the raven-haired male whirled around to gaze at the snake of the zodiac with wide eyes "Aya-San?! Why are your pants down?" He questioned, cheeks blazing red as the older male scowled at the silver-haired male. "Don't you remember Shigure?" Hatori's voice interrupted, as the brown-haired male popped to the surface with shaggy strands of hair plastered across his face "You were dizzy..and ended up pulling Ayame's pants down." He snickered, covering his mouth to prevent a laugh from escaping at his cousin's unfortunate accident. :: To top it all of he pretends to be drowning. :: The dragon of the zodiac shook his head in dismay, but quickly whirled around to see a naked Maria approaching them. Cheeks blazing a dark red hue, the doctor tried to keep a straight face, but it seemed his cousin Hatori couldn't keep his nose from bleeding at the sight of a naked girl. Oh, dear. Could the day get any worse? Hatori slapped a hand to his mouth, olive orbs averted sideways to gaze at the child clinging to her chest. Kyo obviously looked comfortable wrapped around Maria, like a small baby. Though the young man wondered how long the boy would remain possessive of her. "We are alright." He finally answered, darting a glare at the bleeding Shigure :: Though I doubt Shigure is ever alright in a naked girl's presence. :: Sighing again, he wrapped wet arms around himself as Ayame began to interrogate the young woman about her actions. Eyes enlarging, both Sohma males turned to look at Loki with glinting hues and soon found themselves focused on a pink blob-like creature hovering near Maria's shoulder. "Eww...looks creepy." Shigure muttered, rubbing his neck sheepishly "I guess we owe Maria-Chan an apology then." He replied, sweat-dropping at the suggestion coming from Momiji's mouth. "But.." Hatori began, only to be silenced by Shigure as he smirked "I wouldn't mind taking a bath here." He smiled, then turned to Ayame "How about you? Do you mind?" The perverted-dog asked while Hatori face palmed in frustration.

Disobedience came at a really high price now, didn't it? For running away twice she had gotten slashed opened and raped tilled darkness had taken a hold. After her punishment was over, the armored giant had left her lying alone in the dark room to wallow around in never-ending sorrow as his cruel laughter still buzzed in her ear. Every single detail branded into her memory, made the sun-goddess tremble in fear. Would she ever recover from those emotional scars? Would she ever find love? At the mention of the word, Shirauni felt a pang in her heart that wavered much deeper then the young maiden could have imagined. She wanted to love and be loved. It had been a feeling the young woman had seen between human couples and now the urge came crashing into the wolf-goddess at an alarming rate. Though she knew love would be an unreachable goal, for who would want a girl already stained by sorrow? Forcing back the negative thoughts, the white-haired woman buried her face against the warmth of Hiei's chest and paused a moment to hear his heart beat increase in tempo. Was he nervous? Or was he mad? She didn't know, but the sudden shift in position let her know something was amiss. Minutes later, her body felt an arm wrapped around to secure her in place. Almost protectively and she welcomed the feeling of security that came with that simply gesture. Never in her life had Shirauni felt this comfortable sleeping against a stranger. :: Yet, I know all good things come to an end. :: With eyelids clamped down tightly, the maiden continued to rest and dream of the fire demon with those dazzling garnet orbs. As sleep pushed Shirauni deeper into a dark world, the sun-goddess began to speak in soft broken syllables "T..That fire youkai from earlier...was handsome." She whispered softly "I..almost wish I could see him one last time."

Frowning at the silver-haired male, Hatori opened his mouth to retort against Ayame's words. Though he paused long enough to analyze that arguments would be pointless against either male Sohma. :: Perhaps Ayame is correct in calling me a worry wort. I do tend to be up-tight sometimes. :: Throwing his hands down in defeat, the brown-haired male wadded over to the shallow corner of the springs. Unbuttoning his white shirt, Hatori slipped it off with a frustrated glare at the wet clothing "Great..no doubt this shirt won't be as nice as it was before." Shrugging, he decided he could always use the clothing as a replacement rag to clean around the house or wipe oil whenever his car stopped working. "I'm coming in a minute." He answered calmly, casting a single glance over his shoulder to see Shigure and Ayame undressing. Perverts. Didn't the males know how to respect a girl? Obviously, the adults weren't setting a good example for the young children. Olive orbs wandered over to Yuki and Momiji, his lips curving downwards in a gentle smile to see that both kids seemed to be enjoying themselves with the cute pink creature splashing water at them. :: I guess it doesn't hurt to let the children enjoy their fun while it lasts. :: Dismissing anymore negative thoughts, he whirled around to join the other two Sohma’s and paused in surprised at how quickly Loki seemed to have undressed before them. Green orbs widening in shock, he could only watch as the russet-haired male made his way towards the raven-haired and the playing children at the other end of the pool. Extreme anger rose inside the dragon youkai's heart. What was that feeling stabbing at his heart? Was it rage? Or jealousy? Growling softly, Hatori slipped his gaze towards Shigure and Ayame "Someone is eager now. Aren't they?" He smirked, hiding his annoyance behind a blank stare. :: Making moves on a poor unsuspecting woman. :: The voice whispered in Hatori's mind, prompting the young man to gaze at the orange-haired youth clinging to Maria. It also seemed the boy was getting mad with Loki's closeness for the young child was giving Hatori a look of let's-work-together-to-send-this-guy-flying. Chuckling lowly, Hatori went behind Shigure and morphed into his seahorse form. Sure, being a tiny marine animal amid giant bodies wouldn't be a good idea. But right now, Hatori was ready to risk everything. :: Making a fool out of your self and in front of the children. I won't allow this. :: Flapping translucent fins underneath the water, he swam towards the small group while his small head raised itself to the surface. Beady yellow orbs glinting furiously, he pointed a tubular mouth at Loki's face and sprayed a thin jet of water straight at him.

Mate? What could the brown-haired male mean by mate? Did he mean to take her away from him? Growling soundlessly, the orange-haired youth wrinkled his tiny forehead in anger. Indeed from Loki's body language, he could tell that the male meant to court Maria. But what was he planning on doing with her later? Would he take her away tonight? Raising a tiny eyebrow, the young zodiac cat began to feel the hair on his neck rising on end. He was coming closer and closer to him and the raven-haired girl which meant sooner or later Kyo would be squished between two adult bodies. :: I don't feel like becoming an organic pancake today! :: Moving orange orbs sideways, he caught Hatori's angry stare from across the pool. And giving the young doctor a look, he begged him to come separate the two from making a scene in public. Just as it appeared Hatori wouldn't help, the seahorse appeared out of nowhere to assault Loki with a strong jet of spring water. Lips thinning into a line, Kyo struggled to hold back his bouts of laughter. Though, now it was his turn to make the male give them some personal space. Hissing loudly, the orange-haired youth turned into one angry cat. Leaping away from Maria's wet body, he slammed into Loki's face with ivory fangs bared in a display of aggression "Go away!" His crimson orbs seemed to shout in anger, as the young feline decided to claw on Loki's face for invading his personal property. :: Stay away from Maria and me! ::

"He must still be furious at me for damaging his sword." The white-haired woman whispered in the softest of tones, while unaware that her mouth betrayed her inner thoughts. She fell silent for a few minutes, pulling in a few shallow breaths to replenish the oxygen running low in her lungs. Who knew that speaking would drain so much energy from her slim frame, but it was not Shirauni's fault for the lack of strength. Her rib-cage ached terribly and had Hiei looked even closer he might have seen the formation of purple-blue splotches starting to form where Bui's metal boot had connected with her fragile ribs in his vengeful bout to shut her screams. With great effort, the sun-goddess began to shift, all of a sudden her primal instincts suddenly alerting her to the fact that someone or something had invaded her personal space. But who? Could it be a predator? Could it be a demon searching for a place to sleep? Or could it be the one who stayed with her? She wondered especially about the demonic aura surrounding her, the intensity of it burning a hole into her soul. Pausing a bit, the young woman felt no danger from the wavering energy. Instead the feelings leaking forth from the stranger's aura felt quite strange to Shirauni, she had encountered youkai's and humans with aura's that reeked of death and destruction. Yet, this one was different. Very different from the ones she had previously sensed. This unknown user radiated a type of curiosity that led Shirauni to begin opening plum-colored orbs to see the identity of her visitor. Half-lidded eyes clouded in sleep, the young woman shifted upwards completely unaware that the fire youkai had leaned in close to observe her while she had lain dormant and speaking of things she couldn't quite remember now. Ever so gently, the sun-goddess tilted her head slightly skywards making a move to stand, though in an instant her lips pressed firmly against Hiei's soft mouth. What could it be? As sleep wore off, Shirauni's orbs came into focus and soon the face of her savior came into view. Clear as crystal, the young woman found herself gazing into the most beautiful ruby-colored eyes she had ever seen in her life. Stiffening in place, the girl did not know what to do at that instant. Should she pushing away? Should she scream? Or should she back away from him? :: Wait a minute. That familiar aura and those red eyes. Where have I seen them before? :: With her mind going back and forth, the images of the fun house and the young fire demon came into view.

Cheeks burning a dark shade of crimson, Shirauni jerked her self viciously away from the fire youkai. Eyes wide in both surprise and fear; she backed away until the cave wall forced her to stop in place. Now she was trapped like a wild animal in a cage and the extreme fear shimmered brightly in the girl's purple eyes. "Y..You?" She questioned shakily, hands curling into tense fists. Fingernails dug into the soft skin of her palm, drawing unknown amounts of blood from the sensitive surface as she eyed the male wearily. Why was he here? No doubt he might have followed her here to charge for the damage done to his sword. Yet, hadn't she paid enough for her troubles? While standing at the back of the cave, she continued to gaze at Hiei as if he would bring harm upon her. :: I can't trust myself anymore...so what makes me want to trust in a demon now? :: She thought to herself, glancing back to the fire crackling in the middle of the cave. Ever so slowly the young woman took her attention to the cooked fish on a stick and her own wounds which had been painstakingly taken care of. The fear in Shirauni's eyes vanished to be replaced by a profound feeling of confusion "Did you do all this?" She questioned softly, bringing a bandaged forearm to examine the work. No doubt he had done a very good job in closing the wounds inflicted by Bui and she warmed again in shame wondering how much of her he'd seen. Yet, why should she feel shame? Was it because her behavior towards Hiei could be labeled as harsh? Grinding her teeth as conflicting feelings entered her heart; the young woman was obviously having difficulty coming to terms with herself. Half her instincts told her to run, while the rest continued to tell her that Hiei meant no harm. For his scent was all over her and inside the cave walls, he had been the one to attend to her gashes when no one else cared enough. :: Could this be kindness? Or pity? :: Shirauni didn't know which of the two it could be, though all she knew was that the feeling of anguish growing in her chest had become to strong to bare. And rather then breaking down in tears right where she stood, the sun-goddess bolted swiftly from the cavern towards the opening. Violet orbs blurred by tears escaping, the young woman simply wanted to cry where no one would be present to make fun of her. :: If I cry in front of him. No doubt he would laugh at me. :: The wolf-goddess pondered, struggling wildly to contain her feelings of agony and self-loathing.

What could be the strange feeling rising inside of Hatori's heart? Was it jealousy? Disgust? Or a combination of both? He couldn't understand the basic mechanics for what triggered such complicated emotions within him. Years of studying medicine in college had prepared him in knowing what sicknesses could do to the human body, but his experience had never touched on feelings. Was it possible to even get sick from an emotion such as love or hate? The young man was uncertain, but his mind quickly turned away from the boring subject matter. Now was not the time to think of school or feelings, he had a job to do with Kyo. Luckily, his water spray had been strong enough to wake Loki up from his seemingly sick fantasy with the raven-haired female. Though his small tail curled in alarm as he heard the russet-haired male scowl out in anger. Judging from his body language, Loki appeared as if he would lash out at him any second now. Gulping softly he ducked swiftly beneath the water's surface just in time to see a bright shade of orange skim over the spring's surface. :: Kyo! :: Hatori called out mentally, Back fin moving endlessly, the young man backed off into the relative safety of the steel railing jutting from the concrete floor below. Tail wrapping across around one of the steel beams, he poked his head out of the water to see the room bursting in chaos. He hadn't expected Kyo Sohma to be brave enough to attack a strange, yet now the feline proved his mirth. Flaming-colored fur sticking out on all ends, Kyo continued hissing and growling at the face beneath him. Sharp claws kept lashing out at the russet male as he attempted to drive the god of mischief from Maria. But, with the jerking movements coming from Loki and the sudden driving force, Kyo could feel his grip on Loki's face slipping. :: I'm not a thing! My name is Kyo Sohma! :: He hissed in disdain, ears flattening against his skull. For one this arrogant male would have to learn his name correctly. And for another reason, he would to have to stop being a hot-headed fool.

"What the heck?" Shigure questioned in stunned surprise, wide grey hues flickered forward to see a recognizable splotch in the water. Little by little the dark shape formed into a small sea horse found exclusively in aquariums and salt water. Though in this case, the water in the Sohma Springs was fresh water and the possibility of sea creatures living here would impossible. He couldn't help sweat-dropping at the knowledge that one of the two would end up finding out who the attacking animals in fact were. :: I just hope you two are careful. :: The zodiac dog swallowed nervously, his body tensing a bit to see the scowl on Loki's face after his unexpected encounter with Hatori's attack. Would the male strike out at his cousin? He knew such a hit would end up knocking the poor little sea horse against the concrete embankment. Yet, thankfully Kyo's body slamming into the god of mischief's face worked out nicely. His cousin was safe from harm and he could relax now. Or so he thought. Turning his head sideways, Shigure saw Ayame morphing into his zodiac form. But why? Tensing down upon hearing shouting coming from the opposite end of the pool. Anger appeared to have taken a hold of Loki's voice and it sent shock waves through Shigure's spinal cord. What should he do? Should he call the police? Should he count on Hatori to go attack again? Without hesitation, he let his eyes fall closed until the canine within stirred from it's lazy slumber. Losing his human form a sleek black dog appeared in the water with small fangs bared. Dart orbs darting over to the chaotic scene, he could see that the children had hitched a ride on Loki as well. :: I'm afraid of them getting hurt! :: Fur standing on end, the young dog charged forth only to pause as water splashed around them. Blinking in confusion, he could see that the god had fallen on top of Maria. Snarling he lunged himself against Loki's frame, trying to pry him off with force while barking as loudly as he could into the male's ear. On the left side, Hatori appeared to shoot more sprays of water at the man's face in hopes of getting the boy of the poor raven-haired woman. "Hey! Get of her!" Hatori shouted loudly, though if anyone turned to look he wasn't anywhere in sight.

Leaving was the only option left in Shirauni's arsenal of weapons, she couldn't stay in the cave anymore for fear. But what did she fear in reality? Did she fear Hiei? Or was it again that feeling of hatred towards herself? She groaned softly, unable to piece together the puzzle with her emotions nor able to comprehend what was going on with her. Ever since childhood, Shirauni had perfect control of her composure. Always cool and calm, completely obedient to what the Togoru's said until their cruel ways sickened her into changing. She had always been present to see Ani and Ototo torture their prey in that little dark room holding most of her dark childhood. :: The 'dark' room or death chamber as most of the prisoners called it. The one place where Maria and I would spend days on end listening to one another get punished in such horrid ways. But when did we start losing contact with each other? When did we finally cease to be whole sisters? :: With the thoughts clouding her mind, the sun-goddess tried putting another burst of speed only to wind up at the cave entrance. Body stiffening, the young woman could feel a strong grip latching her wrist. Numbly, she turned around to see Hiei's hand wrapped around her slender hand, preventing the sun-goddess from escaping towards freedom. Why did he do this? Why didn't he want her to go? Shirauni frowned in confusion, purple orbs flickering downwards to meet soft garnet orbs. "I..I.." She opened her mouth to speak, though it became quite difficult to tell the fire youkai what she wanted to say. A part of her wanted him to leave, while another begged for him to stay. :: If he leaves, I'll be in danger from other demons...and from myself. But if he stays..and sees me break down..then what? :: How would he react if the small barrier holding back her tears broke? Would he abandon her still? Swallowing uncertainly, "I..don't want you to go." Shirauni stated at last, pulling her hand out of his grip and falling to the floor on both knees. Ivory-colored bangs shielding her watery hues from view, the sun-goddess struggled to hold back her tears. Yet, in the end her pain was to great to endure. Without further notice, Shirauni let her tears fall to the floor in large quantities. She desperately tried to keep from showing the signs of crying, but even that failed her as the last barrier broke to leave her completely exposed to Hiei.

Shigure's sensitive ears twitched in annoyance as the russet-haired male began mimicking his hoarse barks. Black-lined lips pulled backwards to reveal lethal white fangs as the canine grew extremely angry with Loki copying him. Not only did the male have the audacity to mock him. He had not even gotten the message to get off the raven-haired woman. Was he stupid? Or was the god of mischief plainly oblivious to the young woman's pleas? :: I have to do something now. :: Growling lowly, he bent his head to the ground in the characteristical sign that he would soon be charging at Loki's side at full speed. He meant to ram the male forcefully away from Maria, if he had to. Though all his plans changed when Loki did the unthinkable, amid the chaos with Shigure ramming Loki repeatedly in the side, Hatori yelling from the water and Kyo clawing at the youth's face, the dog of the zodiac had no idea what had happened. An instant later, Kyo went flying high into the air from the force of an unseen shove. Horror igniting a spark inside Shigure's heart, the dog abandoned his attack on Loki for now. Whirling around with ears flattening against his skull, the black canine jumped into the air to capture a falling Kyo inside his jaws. Gently closing his teeth around the cat's scruff, he landed into the water rather ungracefully. Small waves rose from the place, where his medium framed had slammed into the surface but at least the orange-colored feline laid nestled against his chest. "Kyo, are you alright?" Shigure asked, keeping his ears pinned as concern appeared in his obsidian hues. Beneath him, the feline merely nodded in response "Yes, but what about Maria?" He questioned, immediately raising himself from the water to swim towards shore. Shigure followed shortly behind the male, only to stop in place as the woman's screams sliced into his mind. What was happening? Was Loki trying to rape her in public? Snarling, the black dog jumped around to face the scene with white fangs exposed, straightening he dared himself to cast a look at Maria's face. A dozen emotions seemed to be passing through her pretty features, yet the one feature that dug at his heart were the way those crimson orbs widen in fear. Was she having flashbacks? "What the heck?" Kyo pondered, pressing his pink nose against Shigure's foreleg "Hey! Why is she screaming like that? Did that man hurt her? Who is Karasu? “The orange-feline asked a billion questions which left poor Shigure reeling in anguish. How could he tell the little boy such graphic things? How would he explain to Kyo without hurting him? Swallowing, he felt his heart sink as the feline lowered his head in shame "Gure-San...I think Maria hates us." Kyo uttered in despair just as the young woman vanished from the room. "Kyo, she isn't ashamed of you or the others. Don't you ever think that." He replied, turning his entire attention on Loki with furious orbs glinting in hate. :: The cause of all evil. ::

One minute he was spraying Loki with jets of cold water and the next thing he knew it had been time to retreat from the male's rising anger. Hatori Sohma hadn't been expecting to see Loki chase after the raven-haired woman, while juggling one furious orange cat stuck to his face. He would have expected the russet-haired male to stop before he caused more trouble, but the brown-haired male knew his guesses were wrong. Almost in horror, he watched the youth fall over the raven-haired woman into the springs. :: I can't do much, but risk myself by spraying more water at his face. :: Without second thoughts, Hatori raced over to attack the male and soon saw that he was being aided by Shigure who bombarded the god of mischief with head butts. :: That boy is stubborn. He won't get of Maria no matter how much she pleas with him. :: Though the chaos, none of the Sohma’s had been prepared for what happened next, Loki appeared to have done an indecent gesture for the black-haired girl shoved him violently aside. In the process with the rough push, Kyo Sohma had been sent flying high into the air at great velocity and it appeared as if he would slam into the water head first. Thankfully, Shigure's quick thinking saved the cat from a fatal fall. Yet, the sea horse couldn't help feeling a slight pang in his heart at the way the young woman had acted in front of them. Who was this Karasu? What had he done to make Maria so upset? :: I must find out who he is. If what I think is true...then that name might be associated with the Togoru's. :: Shaking his tiny head, Hatori swam to the stony steps without a second thought as to his own safety. Jumping out of the water, he flopped his way into the hallway where all his clothing had been left previously. Morphing into his human form, the young male peered out at the silent hot springs. He could tell from the look on the elder Sohma's face, that they were accusing Loki of Maria's sudden outburst. "There has to be more to this. But what? Something tells me it isn't Loki's fault at all. Though I must know who this Karasu person is...and what he has to do with Maria." Lips thinning into a stern grimace, he dressed in his semi-wet clothing before waltzing down the hallway in search of Maria. After a fruitless search downstairs, Hatori ascended towards the top of the stairs, his muscular frame pausing in hesitation. What right did he have to comfort the girl? It wasn't as if he had anything to do with her misery? So why get involved? :: I'm starting to sound like Hiei. :: Shaking his head in disgust, Hatori pushed forward with his hands pushing open bedroom doors gently to peer in. He didn't find the ice goddess in any of the other rooms, so where should he look next? His room? :: That's the last place left. :: Padding lightly to his door, he could see the wooden door had been left slightly ajar and for a minute he felt like yelling for the intrusion on his private sanctuary. Swallowing the urge to scream he entered his room without the slightest bit of hesitation. Green orbs flickering towards the bed, he could see the young woman crying on his bed "Maria is everything alright?" The young dragon asked, going over to pull a chair so he could sit directly in front of her. "Did we offend you in anyway?" Hatori asked, settling himself down into his office chair with a worried expression etched across his face.

Why did she trust a complete stranger with her emotions? Why did Shirauni allow herself to cave so easily in front of Hiei? Why didn't she let him go? Was it from pure loneliness or was it the urge to have company so strong inside of her? The young sun-goddess didn't understand her feelings or why she acted completely out of character. Allowing others to see her weakness had been a trait Ani Togoru had beaten into her several times, though the girl couldn't help showing stress underneath the rough demons. For years, the man who she knew as 'father' showed her that trust could be broken within a matter of seconds, all the love Shirauni had felt for the one who adopted her had gone down the drain in seconds. Not only had he beaten her for showing emotions, he had shouted obscene words at the poor sun-goddess whenever another demon had torn her kimono open. It had never been her fault or her sister's, but why did the males choose to torture them? Why did they separate her from her half-sister? :: I'll never understand how we lived through the torture. Yet, I'm happy to be away from the Togoru's now. But alas I know not what happened to Maria. I hope she is alright. :: Shirauni mused, her eyelids clenched tightly shut as crystalline tears dripped down her cheeks. Body trembling the young woman couldn't help crying harder, all the pain that had been building inside of her exploded into the open. Shame, guilt and anger all mixed into one ball of feelings from which she couldn't escape, but a gentle touch to her face made her freeze in place. Daring to flicker plum orbs to the side, the maiden saw herself gazing into Hiei's soft garnet orbs. His expression and his words tore at her heart, for she had never known anyone to show the slightest bit of kindness towards her. :: He's comforting me. How could that be when we met on bad terms...and now? He’s different from the last time. :: Shirauni couldn't help raising a hand to give Hiei a warm squeeze as alien feelings began to form inside her heart. Why did she feel so comfortable with him? Why did she feel joyful to be with him? :: He seems so familiar. I just wish I could remember who he was...:: She tilted her head to the side, listening intently to his comforting words and it shocked her to see how deep they affected her. "I..." The maiden tried to speak, but couldn't bring herself to say anymore to him. Yet, acting upon a urge that had sprung up inside her heart Shirauni snuggled up against Hiei with her head resting against his shoulder and both arms wrapping around his mid-section to bring him closer to her. Blushing a light shade of pink, the young woman raised her face to gaze into his orbs with her purple ones "I promise I won't cry anymore and thank you." She whispered, bringing herself to place a gentle kiss on his cheek as a sign of appreciation to what he had done for her. :: I feel utterly comfortable with him. I don't know why. :: Though a few seconds later, the gleam of the gem around Hiei's neck drew Shirauni's interest quickly "Interesting. You have a sun-stone around your neck." The young woman replied softly, her sad expression seeming to turn into a forlorn one instantly as she spoke "I've heard rumors that those stones are only given to those chosen by the gods to protect."

Marvelous. Just marvelous. How could an evening of fun quickly go sour? How did everyone go from smiles to frowns in mere seconds? There were so many questions rising in the young man's mind, he couldn't even sort out where to start. Whose fault had it been? Loki's? Or theirs? Had they done the mistake of trusting a man who would lie to them? What if he really wasn't an old friend of Maria's? What if he was related in a way to the Togoru's? Shaking his head sullenly, Hatori pushed away at his current worries for now his angry towards the russet-haired male lessened as he stood at the doorway. Ear pressed against the wall trimming, he could hear every single detail of Maria's prayers. His heart sunk down to the bottom of his stomach, invoking some strange emotions to invade his heart and mind. So, the raven-haired woman felt like a burden to them? Why did she think that? He couldn't understand how Maria would come up with that notion, for the Sohma children had taken to her kindness quite quickly. If she truly had been a strain upon the family, Shigure and Ayame would have cast her out without a second look. :: Just like I did with Hiei. :: At the thought of what he had done to his friend, chains of pain wrapped around his heart squeezing his chest until breathing became all but impossible. He couldn't allow this to happen again. Especially with an already messed-up conscious Hatori wouldn't allow the raven-haired girl to continue suffering. Gathering courage inside his heart, the male entered his room without a second thought, though he couldn't help feeling as if he were trespassing on unknown territory. How ironic. He felt like a complete stranger in his own room, perhaps because no one else had ever set foot in his private quarters; except for him. Extending his hands out in front of his body, with palms spread flat Hatori managed a sheepish smile "No, no!" He replied as calmly as he could to the startled girl "It's not your fault for not knowing which room was mine. We never got to tell you which rooms are ours and which ones are empty." Hatori explained, dropping his hands down into his lap. Now what would he do? What could he say? Yet, the doctor had not been prepared to blurt out the questions that had formed privately inside his mind. :: What the hell am I doing? I'm questioning her about her private feelings. It is not within my right to ask others about their emotions. :: He made a sudden move to stand up from his chair as if to leave the girl to her thoughts, only to stop as she began to explain. Whirling around, Hatori sat back down to hear Maria out. Her words made his eyes widen in shocked disbelief, did she actually think they would be offended for worrying about her. It wasn't as if their hearts were made out stone, opening his mouth Hatori replied calmly "Don't feel bad if we show concern for you Maria-Chan. Only complete monsters wouldn't care about others in need or in pain." He tried to explain, even if the words came out in choppy sentences. Who knew that trying to comfort a soul in anguish could be so hard? He could only hope his attempts to comfort the young woman wouldn't end in misunderstanding.

:: What a headache today. First having to deal with a perverted young man and now having Maria-chan break down emotionally thanks to this idiot. :: Shigure clenched obsidian orbs shut in frustration, his throat constricting against the barrage of curse words threatening to escape. He couldn't allow himself to lose his composure here. Especially when such tender ears were present, though he could see Momiji and Yuki clambering towards the doorway. Eyes widening he cried out to them "Wait!" Sighing, he tried holding the only Sohma child left by his side. Placing a foreleg directly in the feline's path, he wedged his narrow body in front of Kyo. "Move Gure-San. I want to see what happened to Maria." Kyo pleaded, his beady orange orbs glistening with unshed tears. Ears flattening against his head, the young cat meowed cutely until the older male relented to his wishes. "Go ahead...I won't stop you." Shigure replied, returning his loathing gaze towards the god of mischief. Bristling in fury, he could feel the urge to grab the man by the ear and throw him out into the streets naked. If the police caught him out there, it wouldn't be his fault. Or would it? No, doubt the cops would be asking to many questions in the long run. Swallowing back a small growl, he turned keen orbs towards the zodiac snake in agreement "You're right, let's make sure he isn't plotting anything sinister." Morphing back into his human form, the raven-haired male grabbed his wet kimono. Wringing out the excess water from the cotton fabric, he dressed quickly as to not get left behind. Yet, a look down at the water's surface revealed how terrible his clothing looked on him, all wrinkled and stiff from lying against the ground. :: Have to make sure to wash this kimono or else I'll smell like old rags. :: Tying his obi around his waist, Shigure followed Ayame up the stairs as grey orbs narrowed in suspicioun. Where had everyone gone to? He skidded to a stop straight-away at the sight of everyone standing outside Hatori's doorway. "What in tar nation is going on?" He whispered, more to himself then to anyone else. Scrunching himself next to the wall trimming, he could hear a few words escaping from the doctor's room. Yet, what he heard served only to drive daggers into his heart.

:: She shouldn't feel this way, everyone has burdens in their lives… and sometimes it gets to uncomfortable to deal with them alone. :: Grey orbs softened momentarily to see the young children enter Hatori's room, much to the doctor's dismay. The look on Hatori's face appeared a bit comical, for he clearly hadn't expected the entire household to gather in his room. Smirking a bit at the young doctor, he allowed himself to enter Hatori's private room for the first time in years "Whoa. I would've of expected your room to be more colorful." Shigure said, eying the plain white walls and cedar shelves lined with dozens of medical books. No doubt the doctor spent the majority of his time in here studying or plotting tactics for capturing the Togoru's. Shaking his head to rid himself of those thoughts, Shigure paid close attention to the young children asking a dozen questions and getting answers which would bring new hope into their little hearts. Sniffling sadly, he wiped at a few stray tears that had begun to leak from his eyes and even the indifferent Hatori had to turn away from showing his locked emotions. Though a knowing look etched itself across Shigure’s pale face; Hatori was indeed crying from the young woman's words except he was to ashamed to express himself in front of so many strangers. "Maria-Chan don't you think of yourself as a burden. For Yuki is right, you're indeed heaven-sent as this family has never had strangers set foot into the Sohma House before. Do not be ashamed of sharing feelings with us for you have become like family to us and like a mother to the children. So, I for one insist that you stay here with us." Shigure stated, smiling a bit as Hatori nodded in silent agreement with his suggestion. "Yes! Please stay!" The orange-haired youth jumped onto the bed, his large orange eyes pleading "You're the only one who hasn't been ashamed of whom we are! So, please don't abandon us now!" The young man begged, clasping both hands into tight fists as he prayed the heavens that Maria would accept Shigure's invitation to stay. He really wanted a mother figure in the house, even if their bloodlines weren't related. After all it isn't a mother who has you, it's a mother who takes care of their child no matter what the circumstances are. Wiping away the tears from his face, the youth decided that enough sadness had gone on for a day, time to cheer up the mood if he could that is. Waltzing of the bed, he waddled into Hatori's private office where the young doctor occasionally left CD's stored in the shelves. Rummaging carefully, he found nothing but classical music lined neatly against the shelves. "How boring...doesn't he listen to anything else besides instrumentals?" Kyo scoffed, but paused as he grabbed a small basket full of other CD's. Various artists from Madonna, Michael Jackson to Selena laid hidden underneath the desk, though Kyo brought out another CD labeled with Beyonce's name in the front. "Hmm...I wonder if I should put this downstairs." Grinning to himself, he took a few CD's and hurried downstairs to invade the music player with loud resonating music. "I want to party." He smiled to himself, hoping the others would come down to at least enjoy themselves.

Life really did have funny ways of reuniting enemies or friends together at least that's what the sun-goddess had learned in such a short period of time. Yet, life hadn't exactly shown her kindness or done anything necessary to erase the anguish stored in her heart. Every single day the white-haired maiden spent with eyes wide open brought on a new reason to escape reality. At times she wanted to runaway from home, while other times ending her life seemed like the easiest option available. :: I don't understand how all those urges to kill myself haven't realized themselves yet. What is it that keeps me binded to this world? :: She questioned, going back mentally to her childhood to find the answer. Sadly, all she could think about were the times Ani beat her with the whip and the times when he would take her away from Maria for extended amounts of time. Though one event overshadowed the rest of her nightmares, if the torture with knives had been enough to make her bleed physically, then the part involving raped served in wounding her emotionally. That would probably cause her to remain alone for the rest of her life, for what man or demon would set eyes on a girl tainted by evil. Her thoughts were interrupted as the scent of salt water invaded her sensitive nose, flickering plum orbs upwards Shirauni found herself gazing into Hiei's face. He appeared to be crying, but for what reason? No, it had to be a trick of the sun behind them..it had to be an illusion. How could a fire demon cry? How could he express sadness when earlier he had been so mean to her? :: Perhaps, he isn't bad at all. Just misunderstood in many ways like I am. :: Fingers shaking a bit, the young woman reached out to tenderly wipe the stray tear from his face, her face neither changing in expression nor her lips moving at all. Yet, her sparkling eyes warmed in compassion towards Hiei, even if she had issues with communicating her feelings with him. "Don't cry." She finally managed to reply, dropping the hand that had been touching his cheek towards the ground. A slight ache hit her body, but she knew it was from the physical pain of being beaten. :: I don't understand how I'm so comfortable snuggling up to a complete stranger. I feel as if I know him, but from where? What is his name? :: Shirauni wanted desperately to ask him for his name or anything that could lead her to remembering him if he had even existed at all in her memories. Was he really known to her? Or could she be mistaking him for another? Whatever the case should be, her worries disappeared as Hiei snuggled against her warm body. Face turning a light shade of pink, Shirauni focused on his words rather then how close they were in contact to each other. :: Forbidden child? Why is he calling himself that? :: She couldn't help raising plum-colored orbs to gaze into Hiei's garnet orbs "Yeah, those are the rumors I've heard involving the sun-stones. I guess it's simple myth or simply people telling tall-tales." Shirauni responded at last, letting her rest lightly again the young demon's shoulder as the last of his words sliced into her mind "Whoever called you a cold-hearted monster is wrong." The white-haired woman answered flatly "The one I see in front of me is not emotionless nor is he cold as you say. In fact you are the warmest person I've met in my life." The goddess assured him with a kind smile appearing on her lips as a slender hand went to caress the yellow stone by instinct alone. To her surprise the cold stone began to glow a soft shade of honey-yellow as she touched the polished surface :: I feel weird. :: She mused a bit, only to find that her eyes were beginning to close rapidly as sleep appeared out of nowhere "My eyes feel heavy...I guess it's time for me to rest a bit." Shirauni whispered up at Hiei, her head lowering down to his shoulder as she fell into a deep sleep.

"I'm so relieved to see that the conflict has passed." The raven-haired male stated happily, his lips curving downwards in a positive smile. Needless to say, their day had been filled with several chaotic experiences that had nearly drowned them in despair. Twice in one day heaven had answered their prayers, first to save Hatori from becoming a heartless monster and another for having the young woman stay at their house. Perhaps gods did exist? Or it could be a sign to strengthen their fate in each other. "Whatever the case maybe, miracles do exist for those who have fate." Shigure whispered softly to himself, drying the wetness from his cheek with a rough kimono sleeve. "You okay Hatori?" The young man asked his silent cousin, who had kept his face hidden from sight all along. "Yes." His simple reply came as the doctor rose from his chair with a blank expression. Rolling grey orbs, the zodiac dog could see the slight shimmering in Hatori's green orbs signaling he was internally happy at the young woman's choice to stay. :: The usual emotionless Tori-San trying to make himself cold as usual. As if I didn't spot that spark of happiness within your eyes. :: The male smirked, his mouth opened a bit to tease his cousin relentless yet he stopped as the brown-haired male had vanished into the bathroom with dry clothing in hand. "Bah, good idea. We should all change into dry clothing or else expose ourselves into getting a cold." He replied, glancing momentarily down at the raven-haired girl with a crooked smile appearing on his face. How had the atmosphere changed from tension to happiness in such a short while? Would the Sohma family become united once again? Though the most important question remained in Shigure's mind, and it bothered him a bit to even think about it. How long would their happiness last? Pushing away the thought, he focused his attention upon the many faces inside Hatori's room. :: Tori-San won't be happy to see the mess we all made in his bedroom, though at least we know what it looks like in here. :: He giggled silently, but nearly yelled in surprise as loud music began to leak from downstairs . "Gah! It's loud music! How turned it on!?" Shigure stammered, plugging his sensitive ears as Micheal Jackson music rocked the house. Shaking his head, the perverted dog opened his mouth to speak "I hear no such music." He assured, swiftly breaking from his spot to follow the snake downstairs and towards the source of the noise. How odd. Shigure stopped at the very bottom of the steps, his eyes widening to see the CD player turned on without anyone else in the living room. Paling a bit, he cried out "What if it's a ghost!? How did we even get this kind of music!?" The young man yelped, making a big deal of the situation as the music drowned out his distress.

He watched the large group in stony silence, his expression giving away no indication of what he could be feeling internally. Only his glittering green orbs showed his happiness for the decision Maria had taken in staying with the Sohma family. Hatori knew the children would benefit from having a loving mother figure who would give them the love they so desperately needed. If only he would have had such a person when he was growing up all alone, without parental guidance. :: Ignorance is bliss as the saying goes. Yet, I'm happy the children will have a chance to grow up being nurtured..unlike those of us who grew up without loving parents. :: Turning back to his childhood memories, he couldn't think of any good ones except for the one hour meals shared around a silent table. Growing up back then had been a difficult stage for young Hatori Sohma, his father had not only been one of the greatest doctors in the medical field. He even had a unique gift for erasing the memories of strangers who dared to learn of the zodiac secret, and it was the same gift Hatori had inherited from his father. How many memories had he erased in his life time? The young doctor had forgotten by now who he'd yanked dreams from, but his most recent encounters with the weird ability led to having a large burden placed upon him. "Enough." Hatori growled to himself, standing abruptly from his seat after Maria had left the scene "I'm going to change." He stated simply, leaving his zodiac cousin in half conversation. Inside the bathroom, he took a quick shower and dressed in casual blue jeans and a button-down white shirt from his closet. Combing wet strands backwards, Hatori came out of the shower ten minutes later to see Shigure shouting in distress. Just what was the crazy dog doing? Instantly, his olive orbs were drawn to Ayame who had asked a question that was rather obvious to the Sohma male. Yet, he hadn't been expecting his hidden CD's to be playing out in public, but who could have found them? Battling back a small blush, he shook his head nonchalantly "I don't understand how the music could have gotten so loud." The young man shrugged, quickly darting downstairs to see that the music player had been turned up quite loudly. To his horror, a pile of his favorite artists were lying on the table in plain view to see. "What the? Who found these?" He gasped in shock. Great. Just great. If the family found how who the owner of the CD's was, they would never let him live it down. :: I should hide these before anymore weird things happen. :: He rushed over to the CD player attempting to open the lid and take out the disc, but before he could do it another song came on. Nearly screaming in embarrassment, Hatori bounded backwards in shock as another one of his favorite artist began to sing. :: Haha! I've gotten everyone's attention! :: The orange-haired youth smiled happily, his hands holding onto a small remote used to control the tracks on the player. Crimson orbs glittering softly, he turned his head around at the sight of a hand waving at him from behind the scene. Kyo found himself several seconds later looking into Maria's eyes with his huge ones. She looked different, but quite beautiful in those strange clothing..but he couldn't help nodding at her "I will grant you the favor." Kyo smirked, sneaking away from the area to where he wouldn't be seen. Using the remote to control the CD tracks, he quickly changed the song from Thriller to Naughty Girl within a flash. :: Hatori has been exposed. :: Kyo giggled quietly, keeping his figure hidden behind the curtains.

:: Time to wake up. :: The voice in her head prompted Shirauni to open her eyes hesitantly, she didn't want to face reality all over again. "Where am I?" The sun-goddess questioned softly, raising herself into a seated position with both hands extended upwards to stretch sore muscles. Around her jagged rocks curved overhead to cover her head in a layer of protection, while in front the opening led to a strange forest lit up by early sunlight. So where had she gone to? How had she gotten here? Fear clutched a bit at her heart as the young woman struggled to stand on uncertain legs, her mind flashing back to the recent events. First she had escaped from the earth and ended up in this cave after running away, and then meeting up with the fire demon who had fixed her wounds. "That's right. I fell asleep yesterday here." Shirauni scoffed at herself for forgetting the minor details, though she suddenly felt empty inside. Glancing around the cave, she could sense no sign of the young fire demon from yesterday. Was it possible he left for breakfast? Or maybe he left her for good? :: Why do I feel sad knowing he left? I should learn to depend on myself instead of growing attached to strangers. :: The young maiden didn't know whether to consider herself lucky or unlucky at that precise moment, but she quickly bounded out of the cave to catch some rays. Inhaling the sweet scent of pine, Shirauni caught a faint scent on the wind and it smelled familiar. Could it be he was still near the area? Clenching her fist, the goddess set out to search for the young fire youkai amid the thick bush. Her ears twitched constantly to funnel in the sounds from the forest, as she quickly arrived to the same spot from yesterday. Eyebrow raising in question, she wondered why her nose would lead her here. Though her eyes quickly traveled to a few belongs piled against a rock, so who did these belongings pertain to? Standing on tip-toe Shirauni glanced through the tall reeds to see the fire demon bathing in the lake. Embarrassment quickly washed over the maiden's body, but she refused to walk from the area. :: I have a feeling he was the one watching me bathe...so I should give him a taste of his own medicine. :: Stalking innocently forward, with facial expression looking unaware, the sun-goddess bounded straight into Hiei's view. She stayed frozen to the shoreline like a deer in headlights, unable to move nor take her eyes of Hiei as a small flush appeared on her face. :: Dam it..he's handsome. ::

"A ghost? Don't adults know any better? Ghosts are just figments of some movie director's over-active imagination." Kyo snickered lowly from behind the curtain, his hand laying the remote carefully against the window sill. "I'll just put this remote here so I won't lose sight of it." The young child mumbled quietly, turning his attention back to the scene occurring before his very eyes. A satisfied smile appeared against his lips at the reaction coming from the two older Sohma's. He clasped a hand against his mouth, battling the mirth's of laughter threatening to escape from his throat. How silly of Shigure and Ayame to think ghost were real? Didn't they recognize the voice? Or were the males completely ignorant? Maybe it was both? As the saying goes, ignorance is only bliss. Kyo turned his back on the scenery behind him, forehead pressing against the cold wall in another attempt to keep himself from spilling the beans. He couldn't laugh or else he would ruin the surprise Maria had in store for the adults. :: I have a feeling she might hate me for ruining her performance if I did or the adults would place me in time out for committing such a joke. :: He couldn't help himself especially after seeing such a heavy atmosphere looming in Hatori's room. After all Maria did promise to stay, so this was a chance to party. Though did it give him a right to break the rules? Did it also give him the right to rummage through Hatori's personal belongings? The feline questioned himself, but shook his head in dismay. Time to stop worry about the consequences, he could enjoy himself time that was for sure. Blinking twice, he closed red hues to hear Maria's voice mimicking Beyonce's in the background. "Amazing she sounds exactly like the original." He said softly, peering again from behind the curtain to watch the ice maiden come out from behind the Japanese screen doors. A slight blush came to his cheek as he watched the strange display towards the adults. What was she doing? Was that the new style of dancing? Kyo Sohma did not know, but he thought of only one word; Sexy. Biting his lower lip in dismay, the orange-haired youth ran a hand through his shaggy hair, unable to comprehend why he was acting in such a strange way. Could Shigure's naughty nature be sticking to him? Or was the boy trying to act like a grown-up himself?

No one ever said the Sohma House would be haunted ever. Could it be the zodiac god rising to protest against them? Had they violated the rules for inviting two strangers into the house? The raven-haired male turned around constantly, staring at the dark aisles with intent grey orbs. In fact it was strange to be thinking of ghost, when he didn't even believe in their existence. :: Perhaps, the disembodied spirits have come to haunt us for being skeptics. :: He swallowed harshly, opening dry lips to speak "Ayame, I don't think the world went mad...I believe our house has become an epic-center for paranormal activity." Shigure stated, lacing the nervousness in his voice with a fake tone of bravery. No matter how brave he could try acting, the fact he was scared shimmered brightly in his orbs like a becon in the night. "Blast! I'm going to go turn those songs of." The young man snarled, stomping forth towards the table only to pause as Loki relayed his observations "Nonsense. If ghosts aren't present then why are the hairs on my neck standing?" Shigure questioned Loki, with a slender brow raised in his direction. Shaking his head in dismay, the zodiac dog continued moving forward again in time to see his cousin acting strange. Facial features setting themselves into a questioning expression, he stopped in mid-stride to gaze at the shocked Hatori "Something wrong Tori-San? Did you see something strange?" He asked, moving his eyes to follow Hatori's line of sight towards the CD's on the table. Seeing the stunned emotion on the doctor's face brought upon suspicious feelings to invade the zodiac dog's heart, did the CD's belong to Hatori? "Hello?" He quickly asked, grabbing a hold of Hatori's white sleeve, with a gentle tug he pulled hard trying to capture the doctor's frozen stare. Shigure would have kept insisting, had it not been for the sudden change in music that took everyone completely by surprise. "Gah!" He cried out in surprise, jumping several steps backwards to avoid being slammed by Ayame. Beyonce's familiar voice echoed in his ear, but another voice that sounded exactly like the singer made him spin around to stare "Our house has been invaded by ghosts! Please don't hurt us! We swear we won't sin anymore!" Shigure pleaded loudly, clasping his hands in a sign of prayer. Yet, as he saw the silver-haired male turn around, he followed until grey orbs locked onto the Japanese screen to see a shadowy figure dancing seductively. "Huh!? Are we getting invaded with female ghosts? If so I'm happy then." The perverted dog joked nonchalantly, though he fell backwards in astonishment as the slim woman twirled completely out of sight. :: What the heck!? :: He blinked several times in confusion to what was going on, but froze in fear as cold leather touched his throat. Opening his mouth wide, Shigure let out a terrified yelp "NO! I'm to young to die!" The young man screamed while pulling in a sharp breath of air to calm himself. :: I'm not going to die! :: He repeated over and over in his mind, though paused a moment to hear a female voice calling him an animal. "An animal?" He questioned stupidly, cheeks starting to go a dark shade of red as he turned around to see a very pretty woman dancing on the tables. "Oh..my.." He stammered softly, unable to gaze away.

How did his private music get downstairs in the first place? Could it have been one of his older cousin's deciding to play a cruel trick? Or was it really a paranormal occurrence in the house? Lips thinned into a firm line, Hatori reached out again to take the Thriller disc from the player. He scanned his surroundings to make sure no one else was watching his stunned expression, but to his horror Loki had already seen his face. :: Damn. :: He thought sourly, as the russet-haired male asked him such an embarrassing question in front of his cousins. Straightening to his full height, Hatori opened his mouth to deny everything, but stopped again as Ayame interrupted his words. "Well.." He tried to find his voice as to explain why he had jumped backwards in shock, yet it seemed his hide was saved by the sudden change in music. Raising an eyebrow nervously, the brown-haired male observed the music box intently, wondering how the tracks would change by themselves. :: Wait. Doesn't the CD player work with a remote? :: He made a turn towards the shelves, though came to an abrupt halt once Beyonce's sensual voice hit his ears. Biting his lower lip, he whirled around to hear a woman's voice mimicking the lyrics to the song Naughty Girl. Olive orbs widening in astonishment, he gasped softly "What is going on? Who is that singing?" He questioned, taking several steps backwards to avoid Ayame by a wide margin "Heck no! You can hold yourself Aya!" The young man shouted indignantly, while his index finger waved mockingly in mid-air. His attention became diverged with Shigure and Ayame turning in a different direction to look at the elegant screen on the opposite side of the room. Turning his head slightly, he could clearly see a shadowy outline of a woman dancing seductively from behind the screen. Swallowing harshly, Hatori found his cheeks draining of all color as cold chills began to go up and down his spine. What if there was really a ghost? Maybe they had done something to disturb it's rest? Or could hiding his CD's from view have something to do with all this? Gulping silently, he stayed frozen in place, cheeks paling more as the mysterious woman from the screen vanished without a trace "Where did she go?!" The zodiac dragon called out, checking his surroundings carefully until the feel of fingers running through his soft hair caused him to tremble. "Shigure, stop touching me." Hatori snarled angrily at his cousin, though stopped instantly upon seeing the fair amount of distance between him and the other Sohma's. So, if it wasn't anyone else touching him, who could it be? Grimacing fearfully, he almost jumped from the ground as a sexy female voice whispered in his ear. Blushing a dark shade of crimson, the young man bounded around to gaze at Maria in shock. Was that even her? She looked so different it couldn't possibly be her. Breathing faster now, Hatori whispered softly "I think we have our own Beyonce performing for us." Hatori replied, unable to take wide olive orbs from her sensual figure.

Wasn't it wrong to disturb another's privacy? Wouldn't it be disrespectful to just stare at Hiei in the way she was looking at him now? Should she turn around to leave? The questions swirled around in Shirauni's head, conflicting heavily with the devilish temptation growing steadily within. Hadn't he been spying on her in the first place? Didn't he think once that she might want to get some payback for being disturbed as well? :: Two wrongs, don't make a right. :: The sun-goddess reminded herself of the saying, but found that her slender frame refused to move from the shoreline. She remained frozen to the same spot watching Hiei intently with plum orbs observing his facial features. A line of redness had appeared upon the fire youkai's handsome face, and he appeared to be struggling to contain his feelings. Why? Was he afraid of being mocked? Was he scared of what she would say? Vaguely aware that her body had started to move on it's own accord, Shirauni averted purple orbs to the ground in shame. How could she be so low as to interrupt another bath for the sake of getting even? She wasn't like that, so why start acting now? Ears twitching at the sound of Hiei's voice, the young woman raised her head to look at him from the far side of the lake, he was actually speaking to her. But from the tone in his voice, he sounded quite embarrassed for having been walked upon. :: I won't blame him if he starts hating me for doing this. I had no right to walk in on him. :: Though she hadn't just come looking around for pay back for what he'd done earlier to her, she had come searching for him after not seeing him in the cave. Truth be told that the sun-goddess had started worrying for his safety and the fact that he vanished without leaving a trace. Yet, why had his disappearance bothered her so much? Was she concerned for him? Had she grown attached to him doing their short time together? Swallowing back in realization, the white-haired woman knew she had developed a fondness towards the fire youkai. :: Being a wolf with canine instincts..I tend to trust those who help me out. Yet, I've come to realize these feelings driving me here aren't based on loyalty...it has more to do with affection then anything else. :: Violet orbs softening, Shirauni opened her mouth to apologize "I..I'm sorry I didn't mean to interrupt." She replied, clenching fists tightly as her nerves began to grab a hold of her again "I don't need anything...but not seeing you at the cave made me worry about you." Averting shimmering orbs to the water below, Shirauni could make out the soft pink blush dusting her cheeks. Had she just confessed worrying about Hiei's welfare? Would he scoff at her for confessing how she felt? Hopefully he wouldn't make fun of her as the other demon's had whenever she'd voice her emotions. Glossy lips also parted to let out the last of her sentence "I had also assumed you left..." She bit the last bit of sentence of before she could blurt out more words that would embarrass her. He didn't need to hear what she felt, for obviously it wouldn't be reasonable to get close to him. Then again, why was she so hesitant to leave his side? Shaking her head in dismay at the thoughts, Shirauni began to walk along the shore making as if to leave when a sudden pang slammed through her. Agony tore the sun-goddess from the inside out, nearly making her cry out in fear as the world swam away from sight. The next instant she knew, her slender frame wobbly unsteadily :: Dang it! I'm about to black out any second now! :: No sooner had she thought of the words, that her slim body slammed straight into the cold lake waters.