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The ride took nearly another full day, and by the they arrived at the Mountain, it was already early in the evening. Takara had been quiet throughout the ride, her mind occupied with thoughts of what may come. Once Moon stopped, she dismounted.

"Moon, go to the usual meadow, we'll meet you back there."

Moon left once Tochi had dismounted, heading for the nearby field where she would wait for them since it would be difficult for her to climb up the mountain's steep slopes. Takara turned to look at Tochi, keeping the worry from her eyes as her features resumed their usual calmness.

"There's a little valley just over this mountain, but we're taking a short cut that goes right through. We'll have to climb a bit to reach the it since its entrance is hidden among the rocks."

She looked around for a path that was nearly invisible if you didn't know what to look. She climbed it up and about five minutes later, she stopped on a ledge in front of a tall, narrow crack in the mountain's fascade. It was just wide enough for a person to go through sideways. Takara slipped through, feeling her way through the darkness towards the tiny point of light at the end. They eventually ended up in the valley, through which ran a stream that was fed by a small waterfall. In the shade of some willows, two graves could be seen. Takara went over and knelt before them in respect. The sun was setting, giving the place an unearthly glow of shades of red and orange. Now they'd have to wait for the moon to rise.

Once she had paid her respects, Takara stood and went over next to Tochi.

"This place, it's been seen by very few, and has hardly been tainted by pollution, war, and whatnot. It's one of the most peaceful place I know of, the other being the Pagoda of course."

She sighed as she looked about her.

"You're nervousness is making me even more nervous. I doubt anything will happen til nightfall, if anyone attacks, it will be then. In the meantime, it's pointless to worry."

She leaned on his shoulder, comforted by his presence as she watched the sun slowly sink towards the horizon. Night would come in a few hours.

"That I do. Sorry I brought you into all this and for the trouble I've caused....Tochi, if I don't survive tonight, please promise me you'll forget me and move on and live out a happy life. I can't bear the thought of anyone being unhappy because of me, most of all you."

The uncertainty of the night weighed upon her heart. She had a feeling something would happen, as much as she wished things to turn out all right, she couldn't push the feeling away.

Takara stayed still in his arms, wishing they could stay together. All too soon, the sun set and the moon slowly rose up into the sky.

"I must begin the spell to strength the bindings of my dark side and finish before the moon sets; this usually takes at least a few hours. I'm afraid I won't be able to fight if anyone attacks. Be careful."

She kissed him on the cheek before sitting down, her legs crossed as she closed her eyes and softly muttered an incantation. A glowing silver circle appeared around her with strange symbols surrounding its border.

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The night seemed quiet as silence filled every part of the valley. A mere hour after the moon had risen, a dozen shadowy figures descended down into the valley. The intruders moved quickly and silently, their footsteps softer than the wind. The night demons slowly surrounded the two people, hiding in the shadows and preparing to attack once everyone was in place.

The barrier around Takara slowly brightened as the moon rose higher in the sky. Once the moon reached its highest point, the spell was half done.

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A volley of arrows sped through the night towards Tochi, Nina, and Takara. The arrows rapidly sliced through the air without a sound as they were quickly loosed from the surrounding shadows.

The leader of the demons looked about puzzledly, wondering where Tochi had gone. He signaled to those in sight of him, who in turn passed his instructions to the others. A group of three demons appeared from the shadows and cautiously walked towards Takara.

The leader decided the time for stealth was over. The demons around Nina broke a glass ball on the ground, which emited a green poisonous gas, which wouldn't effect the demons as their masks protected them. A group of five demons raced towards Takara, swords/daggers their hands. They constantly teleported between shadow, barely discernible with the naked eye. To add to the commotion, a pair of red dragons rose from the shadows of the mountain, shedding their cloaking spells as one of them hurled a breaking spell at Takara's barrier, immediately shattering it and knocking her back a few yards to hit a tree. She woke from her meditation with a start and confusedly looked around, drawing her sword as her mind was brought back to the present.