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"That's no excuse," murmurs Ryuu noticing Night had wondered off to her room. He didn't want to invade her privacy to he supposed he would wander near to the room and turn his back to it before speaking, "Were you crying? Your eyes are a little puffy. Your nose is red along with your eyes too. Or maybe I'm just presuming too much. it could be allergies. But if you were crying, why? Was it because of Makka? She was a bit harsher than normal. She may have her reasons for being like that towards you but she has to learn to get over it. You're my friend and she's... You're both special to me. I want you both to get along and you're the only one doing that. I'm sorry if she upset you. I'll take her back as soon as Sai brings her back... if he finds her." Ryuu seemed to trail off. He was torn between being concerned for Night, being concerned for Makka, and being angry at Makka.

Meanwhile, in the forest. Sai trudges through the forest. His eyes slide across any and everything and his hands glide over any and every surface as he searches for the lost Makka. After a few minutes Sai stops and crouches down. he pants heavily a while before shaking his head. "It's been too long. Where's Sienna?" Sai thought for an instant before shaking the thought from his head. He had to pull himself together. Makka could be in danger. She needed protecting for her sake, her mothers sake, Ryuu's sake.

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"Hold on Night," states Ryuu grabbing one of Night's arms gently before she enters the forest. "We shouldn't leave. What if the person who took Makka tries to take you too? I think we should stay here and wait for them to return." Ryuu's grasps was half hearted. He wanted to keep Night from going out and getting taken but he didn't want to seem to be ordering her around. Ryuu sighs and releases Night. He had no right to stop her. "Never mind... Please allow me to go with you?"

Meanwhile, in the forest, Sai finally finds the area where Makka had been taken. Makka lay unconscious on the ground a few yards from Sai. "So it's a trap this persons setting. I have no choice but to fall for it," thinks Sai as he motions farther into the area. As soon as he does a strange purple barrier forms around the area, pinning Makka and Sai inside. A pitch black figure, seeming to drop from the sky and onto the ground between Sai and Makka, watches Sai carefully before speaking, "What is a homunculis doing in a place like this?"

"I can ask you the same question."

"Mhmhmhm. Yeah well unlike you I don't weaken. What's the matter? Your master gone missing? Hopefully she's dead... I mean, not dead." The figure grins a sickening grin as Sai's eyes surge a rich blood red. "And so your pathetic attempt to try and destroy me begins. I'm glad Dante sent me to do the mission for the Ensei family."

"What?" Sai's eyes fling open. But why would Ryuu's family hire a Dante and their homunculis to kidnap Makka? If he was there to bring her back then why was Makka and the homunculis still here? Was she bait? What's going on?

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"Stop her," thinks Sai to Ryuu who was following closely behind Night. Impulsively Ryuu obeys and grabs Night by the waist and tugs her back just before she reaches the barrier. Ryuu falls backward clutching Night as Sai glances over at them.

"Did you warn him of my barrier? Now that's no fun. I was hoping that she would fry," laughs the figure as Ryuu stares dumbfounded at the male Night planned to tackle. Ryuu hadn't even noticed the barrier.

"What are the two of you doing here?" Sai seemed to growl angrily as he stared at Ryuu. The growl wasn't directed towards him or Night; Sai just growled whenever he spoke in an angered state.

"I was worried you would need help and so I dragged Night out here so we could help."

"That's stupid of you Ryuu," mutters Sai as the figure inches towards Sai.

"How would you like to die, Ichazuki? Your master isn't here to save you- not that she could. I, Crape, will kill you on this day boy!" The figure bellows a laugh as the frocks upon its body tear away and its body begins bubble and shifting around before taking an odd form.

"Now die!" A claw flings back and high into the air before crashing down on Sai's stomach, piercing it. Sai stares blankly at Crape before his eyes lose their luster and he coughs up blood.

"Get... out of... here. He's... after you... Ryuu..." Sai gasps before his body falls limp. Crape bellows a laugh as the barrier around them all grows a bit wider. Noticing this, Ryuu holds onto Night and crawls back from the barrier that seemed to edge towards them. Once the barrier stops, Ryuu climbs to his feet. Tears well up in his eyes as Crape begins laughing loudly and he releases Night. If the barrier weren't there then Ryuu would have attacked that man any way he could. But against that kind of barrier, all of his attacks would be torched away.

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One of Night's hairpins glows brightly in her hair before seeming to turn an odd color of black, white, and gray. "Where's Ryuu?" The hairpin asked Night which should more than likely cause alarm in Night hearing a voice in her head. Wait. How many people did Night know who could speak to her telepathically? "Great. Now I have no body. I guess your hairpin'll do for the time being. Man, I feel so much better. Sienna's gonna be mad that I let the body she likes so much get messed up the way it did... Oh, hi Night. It's Sai. I used an Ichazuki special to basically evade death. Something called Invocation: Art of Death I think. Anyhow, I'm not exactly dead but I'm stuck in your hairpin. I need you to make a run for the docks, okay? I'll explain why later. You can't do anything other than that. If you do then you and the others will surely die."

Back to the battle: Crape ends his laughing and lets down his barrier. "If you wish to fight me then bring it on," chuckles Crape as Ryuu's hands ball into fists.

"Forget that guy, Ryuu. I have a job for you. How fast can you run? Hm. Too late to ask now. Look, the barriers down. Go and snatch up Makka and make a run to the outskirts of this village. This is Sai in case you're wondering. I'm not dead. Anyway, there's no time to explain this to you. Get a move on. The barrier has a down time so you should be able to get Makka and get out of there in time. Get 'er done." Ryuu could hardly believe the voice that was in his head. Was Sai still alive? Ryuu glances at Sai's body a moment before his head flashes up to see Crape looming over him. Ryuu dives forward just as Crape swings down an arm to strike Ryuu. Ryuu dashes forward and snatches up Sai's body before grabbing up Makka. "If you die trying to save my corpse I'm gonna be highly mad," states Sai laughing as Sai's body transforms into a katana. "That katana just might save your life if they don't get here in time."

"Who doesn't get here in time?" Ryuu asks as he runs through the forest. The echoes of Crape's angered bellows ring out all over the village before the stampede of his ascent towards Ryuu is heard. Ryuu wondered if he could make it out of this alive. Ryuu wondered if Makka was unconscious or dead. Ryuu and Makka often fought, that's what they always do, but they never do it out of meanness. And both know that the other is just fooling. This time was no different. Ryuu hoped that his and Makka's play fight hadn't cost Makka her life. Tears tumble down Ryuu's face a little before he gets a grip. Men don't cry. He wasn't a boy anymore. Ryuu comes to a high cliff and whirls around. Crape breaches the trees as Ryuu's face twists into a scowl. Now what?

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"You ran because?" Crape seemed to ask half angry and half amused. Ryuu says nothing as Crape extends a claw outward. "You wanted a death with a hint of thrill in it? I will gladly knock you and the others off of this cliff. I'll just tell our client that you resisted and ran off of a cliff." Before Ryuu can say anything Crape jams the extended claw into the earth at his feet, a huge crack shifting across the earth.

"Sai... Hey Sai? Wh-where's the assistance?" Not a single reply from Sai is heard. Ryuu begins to call Sai's name aloud when a loud crack is heard. Ryuu gazes forward as the ground he stood on begins breaking away from the village down towards a spiky sea. Ryuu rushes for the edge only for Crape to fling a claw at Ryuu and knock him back. Ryuu drops Makka and Sai before clutching his midsection. That was when the platform completely broke away.

Makka slowly opens her eyes, feeling wind whipping around her then notices she is falling towards rock spikes. Makka cries out and then feels herself jerk forward and then back like something had caught her. "I dunno who the heck you are but if you're with Ryuu I might as well save you too," states a child like voice as Makka struggles the look around. As soon as she notices Ryuu unconscious and bleeding she loses consciousness. "Akou, Akou, Akou. What kind of friends have you made?" Akou seemed to ask himself as he flaps his wings that were sticking out from his back furiously, dodging glowing spikes being launched by Crape from atop the cliff. Akou had caught Makka and Ryuu and he even had the katana that had once been Sai in one hand. Now he was dodging projectiles from Crape while trying to fly higher and away from the spikes that Ryuu and Makka were so close to falling upon.

Back at the docks Night is met by two strange people. One person was cloaked from head to toe, her golden brown hair covering much of her face. And another who seemed to be a boy... wearing a skirt. Despite that oddness the boy was gorgeous and would be very popular in certain parts of the world due to the fact that he had the look of a female though he was male.








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"I do not know why you followed me here stranger but perhaps you can help me?" The brunette asks the male beside her. The male beside her with many dark features seems to frown looking at Night before looking to the brunette.

"And what is that?"

"Watch this female. I must take care of something and cannot be with them."

"Why on earth would someone like you want to help a complete stranger? You have yet to greet this person and also haven't mentioned their name. You hang out with that group of baddies in Twilight and yet you aid the innocent?"

"Not that it is any of your concern but my comrade is here and I was instructed by my leader to come and save him."

"Him? Leader? You mean that cloaked woman?"

"She does not show her face in battle. And yes, him."

"I don't want to be here with this human. She wreaks of purity," states the male covering his nose with his forearm. "However, I do smell something evil on her person. Perhaps that little hairpin in her hand?" The man seems to grin widely before snatching away the hairpin from Night and flickering up into the trees.

"Do not cause harm to my comrade."

"So your comrade is a hairpin? I wondered why that female there was holding it close to her while her mouth moved. So you talk to hairpins?" The male was talking to Night now. The brunette sighs before walking in the direction of the forest.

"Argh! YOU TWO ARE IN MY WAY!" The muscles on Akou's arms flex as he clutches Makka and Ryuu. A projectile grazes the side of Akou's left arm and out of anger Akou accidentally flings Ryuu and Makka off in opposite directions. "Uh oh," murmurs Akou turning his head to watch them sail off.

Up on the cliff Crape begins to fire a projectile at Akou's head while he was distracted only for a blast of chakra to slam him in the back ripping away bits of his Diamond Defense and skin. He bellows in pain before turning around to see the brunette that had arrived with the dark featured male. "Nimen Karite," states Crape as the brunette focuses a barrier of chakra all around herself. Nimen flings her right hand forward, palm out towards Crape, and her left hand back in the same way. To reveal shuriken in either palm, each surging with chakra. Nimen slid her legs way out as chakra flies from her right hand and towards Crape. "Channel. Damn it!" Crape narrowly dodges the blast and falls backwards and off of the cliff. Akou uses Nimbus Acrobat to try and strike Crape as he fell only for Akou to notice Crape's entire body was radiating chakra. Akou would be torn to shreds if he foolishly flung himself at him. Akou darts pass Crape as Crape falls to the ground and creates a large tunnel do to the Dim Mak placed on his form.

"He's gone," mutters Nimen bitterly as Akou shoots up into the air and then slows. His wings wrap around his body as he falls downward and towards Nimen. Nimen extends her hands upward in order to seem like she was going to catch Akou, the chakra of her barrier growing stronger. Once Akou and Nimen's barrier connect Akou stops all together. They had canceled each other out. Akou's wings unwrap from around him as he lands on the ground before Nimen.

"I think I killed two people," states Akou bluntly as Nimen stares at him confused.

After a few minutes pass Akou and Nimen arrive at the docks. Akou makes his way over to Night, his eyes focused on the ground. "Night... I think I killed Makka and that girl with him. BUT I DIDN'T DO IT ON PURPOSE! I forget how strong I am sometimes. I flung them far from here but I'll find em. Don't worry," states Akou swiftly as he runs to the docks and then leaps off. His wings flap as he flies higher and then glides around until he's headed towards the outskirts of the village in the direction he had flung Ryuu in. Nimen stares at Night a moment before speaking in the direction of the male she had arrived with. "Sai, Crape got away. It would be unsafe for us to leave this female here. What shall we do?"

Finally Sai responds to someone speaking telepathically only to Nimen. That meant no one but Nimen would hear him. "I don't know about you but I'm going to watch over her while Akou's looking for Ryuu. Though, I hope we can take a trip to Hidden Blood so I can restore my form given I can find a body or go out and find Sienna so she can return me to a body."

"My name isn't Sai. My name is Sei." Sei leps down from the tree and stares confused at Nimen.

"I was talking to my comrade Sei."

"Aa~. I see. When can I meet your leader?"

"That's hardly important right now."

"Hmph. You humans don't know what's important, do you?" Sei sighs before flicking the hairpin over to Night. "I will follow you until you take me to your leader. I believe she is the one I seek. Her evil residue is all over you." Nimen didn't know what Sei was talking about and hardly cared. Nimen turns to Night to see what she would do. Nimen supposed she'd follow her and Sai.

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