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Hitomi watched as Eve fell and quickly went to her side grabbing the small bottle from her belt giving it to her, she looks around and sees how slowly the group was being overwelmed from the extreme cold. "This is getting way too rediculous, my sister will kill us in the cold before her little trap will get to us first, I cant believe she would pull such a cowardly stunt so her little life can be spared....she's become a more worst with than Sara was!" She pops her hand to her mouth gasping, this was the first time she ever insulted Yuki in such a rough matter but she knew it was the truth, Yuki isnt even herself anymore but almost like a more sinister version that sara was and it was out of control. All that matter now was trying to help out the weaker members and get through the blizzard before some started to die, seeing everything in front of her started to bring tears in Hitomi's eyes but shoked most of them off and continued to help out and help Eve come too by any means she could think of, thinking of anything she took off her own winter garments to the others shivering who barely had much in the beginning.
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It had been a few hours since the execution but somehow the satisfaction of getting rid of the rebels wasn't enough to keep Yuki's worries away,"I dont understand.....I stopped a rebellion from starting to form but why is it i still have fear within my body for the coming time.....however, something is a bit off in that clan that i seem to keep my fears." She walks up to the vanity and takes a closer look at the clan, seeing they have made great progress through the storm it started to infuriate her. "Those fools....they still are coming through even in the coldest of storms......well well, seems this group is more couragious then I thought." Yuki watches everyone but her eyes turn towards Hitomi as she was barely wearing a thing again and helping Eve staying by her side, at this point yuki was getting more curious about her, she had no clue it was actually her sister Hitomi and that she believed she died in the quells but in her disguise it was hard to tell. Tapping on the edge of the vanity she plans an idea to figure out who exactly was that woman and figure out if she too was a threat, taking to her black books she chants a copying spell and within her sight a shadow form of Yuki is sitting next to her dressed as it did in the previous quells with the same kitsune mask like hers,"I want you to follow the group.....find out who is that woman with the black hair and find out her identity, if need be kill anyone who gets in your way now go!" the shadow simply bows and is off in a purple mist about a few feet from the group. Yuki paces a bit thinking of her worries,"We shall see who i'm actually dealing with.....something doesnt add up and i'm going to find out."

Out in the white out they were both able to pick up a small dark figure running at them like that of a phantom and Hitomi kept her ground knowing if it was someone sent to spy on them she would be ready, waiting for a few more minute they realized what it was and was a little surprised, they were seeing Yuki or at least thinking they were,"I know that mask from anywhere....its Yuki's marks but why would she..." looking to the figure closer it rarely touched the ground that gave it away it was a shadow clone Yuki had sent to possibly spy or try to kill off the clan, she looks to the reaper and sees him watch the clone get close,"Clones in your image?....Yuki you really are something I'll take care of this master." Hitomi left the barrier just for a minite till she feels his hand on her shoulder trying to get her back in but nudged him off and took flight racing towards the Yuki clone, once she touched ground the two stared off at each other waiting for the first move and it was the clone that started off lunging at Hitomi conceling something in its cloak, she dives into the snow and notices a shine and takes out her own weapon worring if she used Ketsueki in battle yuki would be watching and her secret would be out,"With Ketsueki I can easily take her down but of course that would just take me out later when Yuki will know I'm alive and kill me simply.....I guess its an assasion battle this time better watch out."

With a flick of her wrist she flings two dagger in its way, she moves to the right dodging the first but the second catches on her arm dripping black fluid apparently its blood onto the snow. She looks to her and comes running but vanishes into the air, hitomi looks around and cant see anything in the snow and is sent into the snow herself with huge force, looking up she sees her and realizes she vanished to confuse her and came from behind shoving her into the snow. the clone pins her trying to reach for one of her daggers but Hitomi kicks her off and takes flight but so does she, the sky was hard to see with visability low but was able to see the streaks of black and blocked any attacks that came at her,"You are tough and may look like Yuki but like any shadow there is a weakness." Hitomi watches as she tries to lundge at her again and dive low grabbing hold of her arm and piercing a needle into it, falling to the ground the clone spills more blood literally painting the snow in black but recovers and comes at her but pulls a trick and separates creating four more Yukis shocking hitomi. looking around she gets surrounded and lands trying to see the real one and attacks one that lands a few feet from her, Hitomi attacks but it vanishes...it was a copy of the original and turns to see several daggers come at her and dodges missing a few but gets two caught in her midsection and arm and falls.

Her blood sprayed onto the snow along with the clones and tried to remove them quickly and flips as the clone comes from above trying to attack arial and misses, the two fight for almost and hour dodge and taking flight attacking in the air and thudding to the ground, a mix of black and red blood painted the snowy ground as each were given a lot of damage hitomi with the more critical unable to avoid the clone's copy attack and getting hit hard. Finally she sees an opening as the clone tries to attack from the sky once again and take hold of a dagger readying herself, once the clone was inches from her Hitomi leaps up and pins her dagger into the clone's chest but felt a pain in her waist, as they attack at the same time they were both hit by the other's dagger.

Hitomi slowly fell into the snow and watched as the yuki clone layed motionless in its own blood and knew she killed her as the clone faded away leaving Hitomi alone,"I...I got her, took some damage but I got her and Yuki wont know anything of the clan or my identity......something good i've done thats true." She tried to get up but dripped blood as she did and she knew the range of her injuries but didnt bother with it and headed back towards the group knowing there safe for now. Her arm burned even laying in the snow and felt it trying to ease the pain but failed, somehow during the fight the clone scratched her when she ran out of needles trying to almost tear off Hitomi's arm but was unable to, even in the cold it continued to burn along with the pain of her wounds.

Yuki waits paitently for the clones return but hours went by and she hears nothing and see nothing in her mirror and starts to grow impaitient,"I send out a clone to do one task....one simple task and it cant do anything." She yells sending various things across the room till one of her royal advisors peeks his head through the door but ducks as a purfume bottle and brush flys right at him,"Forgive me of the intrusion and ummm....little tantrum but we have news of the clone you sent....I think you might want to sit for this."

Yuki put down the other purfume she was about to throw and sat in a chair wanting to know if anything happened,"We have recieved word of the clone's progress but sadly she was killed by the target herself and all that returned was the mask." He handed the mask to Yuki and stares at it long till her grip crumbled it in her hands,"However she was able to inflict a lot of damage to the target even with her good assasion skills the clone was able to injure her well and even scratching her with pure evil in her arm." Yuki looks up and nods briefly,"So she might not even survive the night.....thats good then one less worry I have to deal with....very well thank you for the news you may go." He bows and backs away quietly but takes off once hes at the door, since Yuki's reign many of the people who work for her dont like being near her especially during one of her fits and end up being used for target practice.

Yuki sits on the bed and thinks not even daring to look to the mirror for awhile till her shakes of worry go down,"This is alright, true i dont know the identity of that woman but if she has the essence in her body she wont last for long." She lays down and drifts to sleep something she hasnt done for awhile since her deep sleep.
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The storm started to blew harder even with the barrier intact strongly everyone burrowed in the snow as told, noone was in sight covered within the handmade snow mounds. Hitomi huddled in her burrow staring into nothing thinking of what had just happened and was still shocked,"So my master is more then what he has told me....a legend and a
vampire!......what else is he or can do." She looks to her arm clenching it still but sees
he marks left from the attack, they were almost like her regular red marks but were
permenant and darker then her normal skin tone.

Everything was quiet as it came to close afternoon but hitomi didnt want to be bothered by anyone even the reaper and
shes supposed to serve him and respect him but after the stuggle she gave him she felt bad even thinking of fighting back with him and regreted doing everything she did, like
she did in the quells she slacked out and showed her true ways of the assasion and wasnt herself which was something she had to overcome or fear reverting back to her emotionless killing ways. Hitomi huddled lower tears in her eyes trying to just keep away from the others and recovering from the fight.

Once Drako left Hitomi looked down thinking about having to fear nightmares from the Netherworld, it was common for her since many times before in the black rose assasions she would dream the horror of that days kill waking up thinking it was her in the place of the target so nightmares shouldnt be a problem for her then or now. However looking down to her scar she wondered if it would cause something later on or even if Ketsueki can sense it, she soon got her answer as he appeared next to her,"I see you have been in conflict with shadow....quite dangerous creatures they are but the answer to your question is yes, I too can feel the evil that lingers inside your body and I'm afraid its too much for me to get rid of
it.....somehow I think theres a link and the sad and horror part of it is that its linked to Kurai."

Hitomi looked puzzled,"But I thought he was taken away long ago.....never to return and....wait...." Ketsueki nods seeing she already figure it out, true Kurai was taken away from Yuki but something Hitomi knew too much from experience watching her sister changed that evil always finds a way to come back and in most cases they can be severe. "You see my child Kurai has many ways to return causing mayhen in its path, yes he was taken away from Yuki awhile back but since then with the power she has and all the chaos she's caused he gets
attracted to it and finds a way back.....he did this long ago to his last vessel the late king Cyrus and tragicly he ended with his life and I'm afraid what my brother is doing is using all of your
sister's hatred till the vessel is used up......in the end killing her."

Her eyes widened thinking that all of this is getting worse because Kurai has returned and Yuki was the vessel to be used
till her end, "Ketsueki I just dont know if she can be saved, I mean I dont have the same power as she does heck she can easily defeat me in battle in a few good shot and-" Ketsueki
hushed her and lays her down to settle,"Enough talk of things we're not too sure of, listen to your master...he knows many things and has experience for many years....I think its time you
take his advice and use it well, you'll be grateful afterwards trust me....now its late you need to rest up, the more you rest the faster you'll heal your arm since you are a key person in this
group to guard the many who think its time for change.....dont let them down my child."

Hitomi nods and huddles next to Ketsueki as he wraps his tail around her while pulling the coat over her as a blanket,slowly without thinking of the nightmares to come drifted asleep
knowing she had Ketsueki to watch her through the night, with luck Yuki wont detect him and her identity was safe thanks to her snow burrow.
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Yuki was in deep sleep but in her mind she was as active as ever thinking what should of been a mere dream but was possibly a premonition, inside she was in a vast area almost like the one from the final battle fifty years ago possibly was, there she was in her kitsune form only much more fierce looking grasping her sythe wrapped in the nightshades like when Sara invaded her realm.

Across from her she couldnt tell who it was but another woman looking almost like Eve but has some characteristics of her past mentor Scarlet Knight, she too weilded a sythe bigger then Yuki's infused with her Netherworld seal. The two fought for what seemed like days but the area glowed of shadow and fire as the battle between hell and the shadows went on displaying every chant and spell ever to be think of clashing against each opponet with enough force to knock the other down to the ground with that of a powerful blast, sparks rained at each sythe met with the other blade cutting into skin blood spilling onto the ground.

She then got to the close end of it and sees the other standing above her while she bled on the ground, the woman spoke a few words but Yuki couldnt hear any of it and blacks out. She
wakes in a sweat panting like someone had sufficated her but she was alone in the room, only her and the echos of her cry were present,"I see.....this must mean what Scarlet met of the end of my riegn.....no! I wont go down that easily, not by the hands of her." She lays back down and falls asleep but never notices she wasnt alone, up above her canopy a pair of glowing
purple eyes watched her as she slept, its tail swaying side to side spying on her as she tried ever so much to fall asleep till the next day.

Yuki wakes once again but senses she wasnt alone in the one place she should feel secure but not this time, there was something or someone in her room and she started
to get angry. "Whos there?......answer me this instant or i'll take you out of hiding and you'll regret crossing me.....so now come out!" Yuki looks around waiting to hear something or see a shadow to pinpoint them,"Oh my even in person the realm lady Yuki Nightshade can be fiesty when she angry....isnt that just cute." a voice of a man lingered rom above but she couldnt tell were it was coming from till the feeling of hands came on
her shoulders and she turns quickly tearing up part of the canopy curtain,"I dont like games.....this isnt funny show yourself coward!" Just as she said that a shadow comes from the canopy and thuds to the ground by the window,"Its been a long time child of the Darkness....my your anger has grown since I last saw you......you were so weak but now I see what you have been doing and its amazing in my eyes."

She growls spotting the intruder and starts to pounce but is sent back flying hitting the wall and hears laughing,"Tsk tsk is that how a queen should act at lest from my view simple talking is first then a fight if necissary.....now let me rephrase myself once again, you have made great progress and I believe your on the right track even more than your father was." Yuki
springs up hearing about her father,"How do you know about my father?!.....he has been gone since-" "Since you were oh I dont know thirteen am I right?.....I think so." Her eyes were in terror, this person knew her father somehow but couldnt tell exactly who, the moonlight shifted and the shadow revealed a human with kitsune features the same as yuki but black and he too had a moon on his forehead but purple and eyes glowing bright purple, he wore all black as if one of the black rose assaion smiling at her,"I think now you remember who i am little Yuki, the heir to the Shadow realm who ran away from it all crossing the path of Scarlet Knight an returning to bear a daughter and finding out you have a lost sister.....you know well who I am." Yuki couldnt believe her eyes but had a hunch who the man was and didnt want to believe it,"......Kurai?!" He smiles and nods finally getting it in her head that he had returned once again.

Hitomi heared comotion from outside and came out to investgate surprised to see Eve on the ground, she tried to wake her up but she wasnt responding and went to find Dracko for help. Hearing her cries he finds her and she tell about Eve and he goes to her aid but as Hitomi goes to help something flew past her stopping her in her track,"Now what first a surprise now this....anything else can go wrong?" Looking to the far north something watched the camp whispering Hitomi's name in a hollow tone luring her closer, looking behind her she sees Drako tending to Eve while Hitomi takes off to see what was it lurking. There have been several shades coming and attacking the clan but somehow the one she was seeing would be quite a fight then the last one deguised as her sister,"I dont know you game Yuki but this is going way too far.....what do you plan this time....another of you only to die like the last one." the shade stares at her staying motionless but sounded like it was laughing but what tripped Hitomi was it almost sounded like her voice only more sinister but gasped as she saw the mask, it was the same as Yuki's only this one was with red marks,"No.....Yuki you didnt did you?" The shade takes off its mask and revealed itself....it was in the form of Hitomi dressed as she was in the Black Rose assasions"Yuki you....you witch! pairing me and my past self.....you have no heart."


Hitomi had no choice but to fight but felt something tug at her,"Hitomi this time.....I think its time to use your past to beat this one." "What do you mean use my past you dont mean." Hitomi thinks back from her assasion days and sees she had a trick none of the other members had......her fan the grim's fan. Ketsueki reminds her of it and by now it was time to use it,"This shall refresh your memory.....I shall summon your Grim's fan." A glow of red came around her then the wind started to pick up engulfing her in a cyclone of her energy spinning fast enough nearly knocking down the shade where it stand, once it faded Hitomi opened her eyes to feel something heavy in her hand and looks eyes widened, "My fan! I thought I would never use it but its here.....in my hand after all this time." it wasnt just her fan that appeared her apperance changed as well, red kitsune marks appeared on her face as well as her white clothing had been replaced with a red cheongsam detailed in gold with the Nightshade crest on the front. Ketsueki nods realizing Hitomi knew what was needed to be done as she nods,"Looks like my past will be my key here....might as well give it a shot."


The shade grew angry and lunged itself toward her but she unfolds the fan and it blocks the attack acting as a shield, they both take to the sky attacking each other but with her fan Hitomi had the upper edge sheilding from the several daggers that the shade threw out. Once she found and opening Hitomi's eyes went solid silver as Ketsueki's power fused with her moving in the air waving her fan sending gusts of air striking the shade till it could barely stand. With one last blast of air Hitomi sent her fan flying straight at the shade spinning so fast all it saw better yet all it hear was a whistling till there was hissing......the fan went through the shade slicing it in half and returning to Hitomi's hand. It grew quiet again and she touch down regaining back to normal and realizing something important,"Drako wanted me to become one with my element....I tell myself I dont know my element but after what I experience.....I think I found it."

She was truely surprised but spooked a bit when the words many live to tell about,"I guess there are many things I dont know till I see it for myself." Looking on the fight had grown to a full on war with several elements and magics coming together clashing to the shades as they some out from the snow, unfolding her fan it was time for battle with no mercy to the shades who decided to try their luck to kill off the clan, she knew well having to almost be consumed herself but was left a reminder of the close call. Everyone was head on as several shades came out randomly knowing where to strike but some ended up being blasted away or incinerated on the spot, Hitomi took to the air along with a few who were able to and they became the aireal assult being cautious not to get lost in the blizzard or to be confused as a shade, she sees one strike from behind and hoisted her fan above her creating a gust sending it flying to a man who shocked it till it vanished and had an idea as three came at her, she goes to a member using the wind and one fire,"We can use the wind and combine with fire creating a attack to knock them off." They agree and the wind user went her opposite side spinning the air while she spinned with her fan the same direction, with the signal the other shoot fire into the current sending a wall of flame right into the trio of shade burning them on target. Combinations of one with another was becoming an advantage on the ground and the air as the shade keep coming in numbers, Hitomi glides on slicing through any shades that come close dodging those in her blind spot using the wind to be acrobatic as she strikes forcing the wind with her fan. The fight seemed to weaken at times but as they thought it was the end a new swarm comes at the clan when the previous get defeated,"Yuki doesnt seem to know when to call it quits....does she really think sending more swarms of shades will weaken us?....she thinks were playing a game but she's wrong." Hitomi was right on the point, Yuki considered the group as a threat and with her barriers thought the killing would be easy but little did she know she was messing with those who knew how to bends even the strongest of walls and get close to her, by know this little display was showing truthfuly she was beyond terried to face her fate and accept that her reign was coming down.

Things had settled down finally at the small camp as the shades has finally stopped coming.There were a few that were injred reletivly bad and Drako had set to work healing them with his powers.Both Eve and Hitomi looked at each other in wonder and shrugged. Then went to help the others even though Eve's shoulder was slashed and bleeding while Hitomi had cuts that were only skin deep on her face, they were still bleeding pretty good.When They entered the tent that had been set up for the infermery,Drako turned and took a gulp of air as his eyes went wide when he saw how bad off the girls were.He then right then and there dropped what he was doing and rushed over to them.He took one look at Eve and suddenly his fangs came into view.His face looked horrified as he tried to hide them from her but she saw them and sighed." Do what you have to do!" Drako was suprised but took a hesitent step toward her and then lowered his head to her shreded shoulder.He licked it a few times to get the blood off and then started to weave magic that started to pull the skin together.Finally her arm was healed and then then he did the same to Hitomi.
"I'm sorry if I scared you in battle. That is where my true power lays and sometimes I have to access it in order to fight.In useing that power though, I sometimes go slightly mad." Drako quietly answered with his words slightly distorted. He then turned his back on them and returned to helping the others.Hitomi and Eve looked at each other and then Eve nodded her head out toward the door and they pushed the flap covering the inside out of the way as they exited.
" I saw that you can now use wind! that's awsome!" Eve suddenly said somewhat excited. " To think that with both our powers combined would be a force to recone with." Hitomi didn't say anything as she watched Drako finally leave the tent as well but as soon as he did, they both watched as he stumbled a few times before they saw him collapse in the snow and not get back up.They paniced and ran toward him only to see that he was deathly pale when they removed his mask." He's sick! We need to get him to one of the tunnels with a fire!" Eve cried out and Hitomi had already been dragging him toward her little ice cave.
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Scarlet had known throughout her life that Jay and loved her but she could never marry him because his life was too fragil for her to risk his life.Instead what she did was made him a genral in her army and he had exceled at that as well as she gave him the gift of life. She knew that there would be a time taht she would gone and that they would need help.That was one of the reasons why she had reapeared to Jay. She needed him to back Drako up as they started to advance toward the huge army taht was set up to wipe them out.She needed him to cover them otherwise they were screwed.