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The daemon froze, refusing to look at the kazetsukai.
At least until Kazuhiko suddenly latched onto him. "What the hell!" Aoikage shouted, his wings pushing against Kazuhiko and trying to throw the boy turned man off of his back. "Don't just stand there, Aoki! Get the brat off me!"

~ ~ ~

"I'm not leaving, my dear." Konton hissed, his gaze on the woman at his feet. "Not until what is mine... has been returned to me."
Po-ar laughed, "He isn't yours, Konton. Just because..."
"He isn't?" the demon asked, cocking his head to the side. "The Muse is pure chaos, Po-ar-kun.... did you think it just 'happened' by chance?" he nodded with a smirk. "Yes, there are good muses I suppose but some... some aren't sent from any source of light, you know. For every light, there is shadow and all of that rubbish... Who do you think gave Ainsu-kun his gift, hmm?"

Kaguyo lifted her head shakily, gritting her teeth. "You're not getting him." she willed the courage back into herself, "There isn't a chance in hell Po-ar would let you, right Po-ar-san?"
This was her mind; the only one who could technically kick people out entirely was herself. Well, as far as she knew. She had to take back control...
But she was weak....
Very weak...
"Get out." she growled, trying to rise to her feet, "Get OUT!"

Kazuhiko shrugged. "You don't want to get in trouble with Konton, so you won't. I will." he answered the daemon, sitting on the floor. He was attempting to heal his ankle, but he wasn't altogether sure what had to be done. "The blame isn't on you for being betrayed now... You simply tried to bring me back to Konton, that's all." he looked up at the daemon. "You can't help being held against your will now can you?"

~ ~ ~

"That..." Aoikage sighed, hands on his hips as he looked up at the ceiling. "Kazuhiko. Aoki KNOWS I wasn't taken against my will. He probably heard the entire damn conversation." the daemon shook his head. "I'm dead..."

Konton laughed, "I'm not leaving... at least not permanently." the demon spoke before turning his back to the two and walking back down the hill.
When he was gone, for the demon disappeared not long later, Po-ar sighed and let his ki dissolve.
"I'm waking you up as soon as I'm out, Kaguyo. I swear. Morrigan's already awake and ready." the Tarnb-jin smiled slightly to the woman. "Don't worry. He won't get in again... we'll figure out how to shut Konton out. I promise."
And suddenly, Po-ar was gone and back at Morrigan's side.
"Konton." he spoke quickly, before moving to a cabinet. "Where's the adrenaline?" the man whispered to himself, looking for it in a near panic.

~ ~ ~

"Other cupboard." Morrigan answered, quickly rushing to get a syringe, "Her heart's calmed down... No wonder..."
Every time she heard Konton's name it made her feel weird, like there was something she'd forgotten.

Kazuhiko shrugged. "Well then you were screwed from the start." he answered logically, "This is the safest place for you now, baka. At least while you're here give it a chance, ne..? If Mum and Da tweak, if they try to be cruel to you, I'll admit I was wrong and take you back myself. Deal?"

Kaguyo took a deep, deep breath, falling to her hands and knees again.
Even if Konton was gone, just trying to endure that onslaught of energy was exhausting....
The snow was still stained black where he had been. She watched those spots carefully, tentatively pressing her fingertips into the ice; it almost made her ill.
"Hurry, Po-ar." she whispered, "Just hurry up already..."

~ ~ ~

"Take me back and Konton'll pull off my wings." Aoikage spoke with a sigh before collapsing in a nearby chair.
His wings, oddly enough, had disappeared into his back.
"This is ridiculous..." the daemon hissed, watching as Kazuhiko tried to heal his own ankle.

Sighing, Po-ar pulled out the proper bottle and quickly injected a syringe into it. "This is insane!" he spoke, obviously shaken and frustrated over everything.
Bringing it over, the Ouji made sure that there was no air in the syringe, before injecting the liquid into Kaguyo's arm.
Quickly, he threw the needle across the room. The last thing he needed was Kaguyo to wake up and see him holding that...

~ ~ ~

Kazuhiko didn't seem to mind. "Told you I'd get you back." he murmured. "And just wait, Okaasan will probably bake cookies or something awesome.... Chikuso! Motherf#ck!"
He gripped his ankle tightly, wincing and gritting his teeth. "Kaze-no-baka..." he hissed, "Baka baka baka..."
With a loud crack, he had reset the bone. Wiping the sweat off his brow, he began to try and mend them together again.
"I mean honestly," he paused, thinking before looking at Aoikage, "There was a time when Fir-sama and Okaasama weren't friends, and she still managed to accept him as an Oniisan of sorts...."

Kaguyo came to with a gasp, sitting bolt upright. "b*****d!" she shouted, taking long, deep gulps.
She trembled a bit before composing herself, ripping the IV out of her arm. "What the HELL is THIS?!!"
"Calm." Morrigan hushed her, "You're ok here."
"Yukatta..." she took another breath, "Yukatta..."
She leaned back in bed, closing her eyes. "My stomach hurts like a b!tch.... what the hell were you thinking, haven't you ever heard of painkillers?!! My head..." she groaned, "F#$king A, I hurt everywhere...."
Well, she was glad to be awake, even if it wasn't immediately obvious.

~ ~ ~

Sighing, Aoikage closed his eyes. "This is still ridiculous..." he whispered before looking to Ainsu.
The man was still deeply asleep.
"You know he's broken, right?" the daemon asked. "I mean... seriously. Not even you'll be able to fix that, Kazuhiko. Deranged, that one."

"Calm down, Kaguyo." Po-ar spoke, wincing when her voice set off his own headache. "We'll get something stronger. Konton didn't come back, did he?" he asked seriously, standing in front of the woman, his arms crossed over his chest.

~ ~ ~

Kazuhiko looked at Ainsu closely, but there was a ghostly, sad smile on his face. "Hai, I cannot.... but then again, it isn't my place to." he answered Aoikage, tilting his head slightly. "You know exactly whose job that is, as do I."

Kaguyo thought deeply, shaking her head. "He could still be in there." she answered honestly. "The snow is still black where he was.... It didn't fade when he left. He may be." she closed her eyes, shuddering. "In fact, I don't doubt it's highly likely he's still around. He's waiting for Su-kun. Not a chance..." she tried to calm herself down, "I won't let that happen again..."

There was only one thing that Aoki could do now that would save his a** from getting killed.
He hovered outside the palace on Tarnbsei, glaring at the walls as if that would make some difference. He had to come up with a plan...
"When the guard dog's away, the wolf can play..." he murmured to himself, looking around at the actual city. "All of them lambs to the slaughter...."
He actually began to smile, quite pleased with himself. "Not a chance he could ignore that."
In the middle of the capital, the winds were picking up; thunder and lighting crashed and echoed through the hills. To anyone else, it would've appeared that a very, very severe storm was on its way---not exactly surprising for a Tarnbsei springtime.
But the longer the storm developed, the more quickly it became clear that this was unlike any storm they had weathered before.
Over the city, four tornados were beginning to form. Within the next minute, they would touch down, and begin destroying his kingdom altogether.

~ ~ ~

It really didn't take long for Aled to gain control of his kingdom once more. In fact, when the storm began, he was meeting with a few of his advisers and trying to sort out the problem of the people in the dungeon.
He'd let go those he knew were innocent, especially those from Ainsu's theatre, and was looking over criminal charges on other inmates when the thunder began to boom.
Curious to the sudden change in weather, Aled made his way back upstairs and out onto his private balcony from his bed chambers.
What the Tarnb-jin Ou saw, worried him deeply.
Tornadoes were forming over the city. Not one to usually try and avert a natural disaster, for those were just parts of nature... Aled turned to go back inside.
However, something made him pause and turn back as he watched the first funnel cloud slam into a nearby building.
Ki flaring dangerously, Aled sent a spiraling blast toward the tornado, one that was designed to break apart and interrupt the air currents causing it's destructive force.

"He's gone." Po-ar spoke calmly, shaking his head at the woman. "The snow will remain black. He's touched your mind, Kaguyo... it's only natural that he leave a stain. He'll have left by now... or else you'd be paralyzed by fear."

Aoikage laughed darkly, "She's not going to fix him either. Hell, Kazuhiko... no one can. Muse can, but he won't because he takes too much sick joy in watching the true man destroy himself. Konton could too I'd wager... but like the Muse... he's a glutton for pain."

~ ~ ~

Kazuhiko just smiled. "Wait and see, Kage-kun." he answered, "He may be... but perhaps Kaguyo is the only one who will ever be able to accept both sides." he pointed out. "Perhaps she'll manage something yet."

Kaguyo bit her lip, taking a deep breath. "I suppose you're right." she murmured, but she still felt as anxious for safety as she did before his arrival.
She knew he was watching, wherever he was. He'd made a promise to get the Muse back; he was just biding his time, waiting to pounce. "If he was hiding in me... You need to be careful with Ainsu." she warned him. "We can't take any risks with that again..."

The tornado blew apart, as expected; at first Aled could've allowed himself a bit of relief.
But whenever the tornado simply reformed into two new ones, there was no doubt as to who was instigating the situation....
Aoki just laughed hysterically, waiting in the middle of it all.

~ ~ ~

"Aoki!" Aled shouted above the howling wind.
In truth, the man had no defenses where he was standing... and Aled's position on the balcony was just begging for the kazetsukai to attack.
"Stop this madness! I doubt Konton wants to rule rubble!"

Po-ar sat down in a nearby chair. His energy was gone... not even a flicker of ki from the man.
"I'm more worried about Konton trying to get INTO Ainsu's mind. Hell, I don't even want to THINK about trying that... entry could kill someone at this point." sighing, he looked to Kaguyo. "I'm not going to lie, Kaguyo... he's bad. Really bad. Even... even stealing those memories of his... I..." the Ouji shook his head. "I've never seen him like this... ever."

"Except he'll probably kill someone the second he wakes up." Aoikage pointed out, watching the bed carefully. "Muse was bad enough... nutter really... but this..." he shook his head. "Take the worst of both people and merge them together and you'll get what he is now. I guarantee it."

~ ~ ~

Kaguyo looked grim. "When do you want me to see him?" she asked quietly, already trying to stand up out of bed. "Take me to him."

And attack Aoki did....but not as expected.
The very rubble he was creating, he flung at the balcony, people and all.
"Didn't you know?!" his voice laughed, the very wind around him, "Konton wants all of your people destroyed, Aled...! Whether the Muse is on the throne or not, the outcome is the same..."

Kazuhiko nodded grimly. "Likely." he agreed. "Should get some sedatives or heavy drugs..." he murmured, watching the sleeping time bomb, "But I still think Kaguyo can do it. Otherwise the Muse wouldn't have tried to kill her so many times before, right?"
He only knew about the most recent time from sensing; he didn't even know what had happened between Ainsu and Kaguyo this time. "Sometimes the best thing to do is have faith, Kage-kun."

~ ~ ~

"Yes well, you've seen how far that faith has gotten me." Aoikage replied darkly.
He stood, moving over to the side of the bed and looking down at Ainsu.
"I'd kill him." the daemon spoke, his tone serious. "He won't go back to normal... and he's dangerous to boot."

Flying into the air, Aled shot down the larger portions of rubble. He wasn't particularly concerned with if people got hurt or not... but smaller pieces did cause less problems.
"Stop hiding, Aoki!" he shouted into the wind, knowing that the man was using the tornadoes for cover. "Fight me! Face to face! Not one of your damned illusions but the real you! We'll see who's the stronger!"

Po-ar laughed, "Kaguyo, as much as I'd love to take you to him... I can't." he closed his eyes for a moment. "I have NOTHING left... I barely got out of your mind that last time. If I open a portal now, something could go wrong..." he glanced to Morrigan. "We could always call Kazuhiko back though..."
There was no way in hell that Po-ar was moving from the chair.
Well... unless Konton popped up in front of him.

Morrigan was caught off guard, but snuggled into his arms, closing her eyes. "I missed you too... I'm exhausted my love..." she whispered, leaning her head on his shoulder, "What is there to eat...?"

Kaguyo smiled softly at Aoikage. "Well welcome back regardless kid." she sat down, watching Ainsu, "It's good to see you've gotten so strong."
She was quiet for a while, just holding Ainsu's hand.
After all, it had been a long time since she'd been able to do something so simple.
"What has Konton done to you, my dear..." she sighed deeply, stroking his cheek, "Yare yare..... yare yare..."
She rested her head on the bed beside him, just savoring the moment--even if he wasn't conscious, she knew he was in there. "I wonder what you're thinking...."

Kazuhiko just sat there quietly, watching the two with a carefully masked expression. To Kaguyo, he seemed calm and serene, even happy...
But Aoikage would be able to see the difference beneath the facade. If what Aoikage said was true...
Well, he couldn't help but feel immensely depressed watching the entire situation.

Aled was outnumbered, there was no doubt about that. Even as the clones shattered, the fragments launched at him in a whirl of shrapnel; in a way, Aoki had a point.
Even if 299 of them were illusions, the damage they did was all too real.
Kick after kick, blow after blow was dealt to Aled, at least until he was too dazed to be on guard....
"And now..." they laughed, each of them lighting up like a forest fire, ki blazing brilliant enough to turn the night to day, "..The GRAND FINALE!"
All at once they released their charges, which erupted like a volcano stuffed with fireworks.
If Aled managed to survive that, there wasn't a chance in hell he could escape Aoki afterwards.

~ ~ ~

Po-ar laughed softly, "I have no idea... oh s**t..." he sat up suddenly, "We may want to wake Yuki, seeing how Watari seems to still be stuck in a trance..."

Sighing, Aoikage turned and simply left the room.
He didn't want to be in there... especially since he knew that Ainsu's brain was more or less fried.
"What did Konton do indeed?" he whispered to the walls of books in Po-ar's library. Laughing at the irony, Aoikage closed his eyes and leaned against a tall shelf.
He'd seen Ainsu's torture... and he's seen the things the Muse put him through.
He knew...

As for Ainsu himself, the man didn't wake, but he did move slightly. His fingers curled around Kaguyo's own, holding her gently.
The man's empathy felt her there, picked her up and started to push Ainsu toward waking.

Bleeding and bruised, Aled had luckily taken out about 150 of the illusions before he felt too weak to continue.
Surrounded and still holding himself in mid-air, the Ou quickly put everything he had into shielding himself from the attack.
Crossing his arms in front of himself and tucking his legs in, his ki flared, staving off the attacks of the Aoki mob.
But when the fire ended and the smoke cleared... it was easy to see that Aled was beaten.
He held himself in the air for a few seconds. Covered in blood, his left arm burned black and his robes tattered beyond recognition... Aled's ki finally gave out and he collapsed down onto the palace rooftop.
The Ou wasn't unconscious, but he wasn't far from it.
Carefully, he got his knees under himself and started to stand.

~ ~ ~

Kazuhiko followed after, watching Aoikage closely. "You really think there's nothing you can do?"

"Wake up, Su-kun."
Kaguyo's voice was starting to dig deeper into Ainsu's mind, becoming more and more clear.
"Suuuu-kun..." she kissed his hand, "I know you're in there my dear..."
God it was still almost odd for her to be so gentle to someone.
"I've missed you, Su-kun." she brushed a few strands of hair from his face, "So much.... I...I don't want you to blame yourself, either. You shouldn't.."
She took a deep breath, closing her eyes. "I know... I know it upsets you, my dear, but it was inevitable with all the chaos around us.... But don't you worry." she smiled warmly, "We'll try again... We'll be married, and we'll be happy... I promise you, Su-kun..."
She was quiet for a little bit, debating her next sentence. "Even.... even if it means I have to accept the Muse as well as you..."
She closed her eyes briefly, before smiling sadly at her unconscious lover. "If that's the sacrifice I must make to be with you, so be it... So long as we can be happy, that's all that matters."

Aoki smiled, quietly stepping behind Aled. "Thank you for saving my life." he grabbed the Ou by the hair, starting to drag him off. "I fear Konton would've had me for his next meal if you would've put up any sort of resistance... Funny, what was that you said about being able to beat me..." he chuckled, smirking, "Eh, guess it doesn't matter now, does it...?"

Morrigan watched the two, debating it seriously. "Hmmmm....."
Yuki's drool was becoming a sizeable puddle on the floor and bedsheet.
"Tough call, huh...."

~ ~ ~

"Nothing." Aoikage whispered softly. "Kazuhiko... I've seen what happened to him, how he's changed, what his mind's been put through. He can't ever go back now. I'm sorry."

"I'll kill you..." came Ainsu's voice.
But it wasn't angry or threatening, it was sad and apologetic. His dark eyes opened, locking on the woman who sat at his side.
"I'll hurt you... he'll make me, Kaguyo... please... just stay away." the playwright whispered, trying to pull his hand from her grasp.
But he was still a bit under the influence of the herbal tea.

Gasping as his hair was roughly jerked, Aled's bloody hands went up to try and untangle himself from Aoki. "Doushite, Aoki?" he asked suddenly. "What has Konton promised you, hmm? What made you sell your soul to the devil?"
In truth, the Ou knew he wouldn't be able to pry himself from Aoki. He was exhausted in all honest truth.

"She's tired... but I'm worried about keeping Watari like that too long..." Po-ar whispered, gently kissing the side of Morrigan's jawline.

~ ~ ~

Kazuhiko nodded solemnly. "Which means.... I have to go back in time and save him too." he closed his eyes. "Go and defeat Konton long before any of this happens, and we'll all be alright again...."
It seemed like a long shot, but Konton had taken him there before....
Well, maybe not him, but he knew of others, Aoikage being one of them.

Kaguyo shook her head. "Shut up." she smiled warmly. "That's no way to speak...."
She wouldn't release his hand, resting her head on his shoulder. "I'm not afraid of either of you anymore." she whispered softly. "I accept you both... he's part of you... right...? If I don't accept him, I don't accept you.... and.... if I don't accept you, I don't love you. But I do love you, very, very much baka..
Ashley says:
Very, very much...."
She closed her eyes, nuzzling him gently. "I accept you both." she repeated over and over, "I am yours, and only yours. I swear it."

Morrigan smiled, leaning her head against Po-ar's. "You know, so long as it has a purpose..."
She glanced over to Watari, examining him closely. "Hey, Watari, can you hear me? If you can---what are you doing in trance buddy?"
She at least wanted to see what was going on. She was naturally curious after all.

"My soul." Aoki answered with a smile, "My life... power... You name it, it's mine." he answered. "So long as I'm alive..."
In truth, he didn't have much choice against Konton to begin with. He didn't really feel like delving into all the secrets of his life, especially with an enemy. "Now I suggest you be quiet..." he advised the Ou, "Konton won't be so gracious as I am."
They were headed toward the mountains, beneath which Konton made his home; Aled would know all too well what that meant for him: Torture, at worst.... At best, a quick and painless death.

~ ~ ~

"You can't change the past." Aoikage spoke coldly. "Only the future, Kazuhiko... and you would do well to remember that."
It was true.
If the past could be changed... Aoikage would be dead at that very moment. But instead, Konton was vying for the present, the demon's own future, and to take complete control over Tarnbsei through those means.
"If you, for instance, went back in time and saved me from what I am right now... what would have spurned you to go save me in the future?" the daemon asked logically. "The same is true for Ainsu. If you went back in time to prevent the Muse from being allowed to live, then you're present self (at that time) wouldn't know about the Muse and thus, your future self (the you right now) wouldn't know you needed to go back and get rid of the Muse."


Closing his eyes, Ainsu sighed. "He'll come back, Kaguyo... and I won't be able to stop him til it's too late again..."
How deeply he loved her... wanted to be with her, be held by her, hold her in turn and simply live with Kaguyo...
The playwright winced, "He's there..." Ainsu whispered, his voice slightly panicked. "Waiting... just for the right moment... watching everything..."

It took a few moments before Watari spoke up. "Trying to remember..." he whispered.
This made Po-ar raise an eyebrow. "Remember what, Watari?"
"What Konton did."
Looking at his love, the Tarnb-jin Ouji shook his head, "He doesn't need to remember that. Trust me, Mor-chan. We should snap him out of the trance."

"And if I'm not quiet?" Aled asked, trying to somehow get his feet under him so he could mount a decent defense. "If Konton wanted me dead, why not just kill me on the rooftop, Aoki? What's the demon planning?"

~ ~ ~

Morrigan silenced Po-ar briefly, slowly moving over to the scientist. "Why on Earth would you want to remember something like that, Watari-sama?" she asked gently, "Why would you want to relive that torture?"
He had to have a good reason; Watari wasn't the type to wake sleeping dogs without suspecting something bigger would come of it. "Why, Watari-sama?"

Kaguyo frowned slightly. "The Muse?" she tilted her head, "I told you already... I accept you both." she repeated herself. "The Muse said he would've taken me as a wife if I didn't cause so much trouble between you both... Well... if that's what it takes to be with you, I'm still willing to accept that fate, so long as you both agree..."
She could only hope he didn't mean Konton instead. If the demon arrived amongst them, he was right; there would literally be nothing they could do against him. "Please... don't turn me away...."

Aoki resisted the urge to giggle. "If I told you, what would the fun in that be???" he tilted his head, wagging a finger. "No, no... We'll let Konton tell you himself." he smiled, quickly letting Aled's head hit off a rock. "Actually, perhaps we should fly, shouldn't we?? Would be terrible if you got frostbite.... Still cold out for spring, ne??"
With that, they sprung into the air, making their way towards the mountain. **I have a special surprise for you, Konton-sama....** Aoki's thoughts reached out smugly, **I think you'll be most pleased...**

Kazuhiko sighed deeply, nodding. "I suppose you're right.... Damnit...!" he shook his head, "Damnit...!"
Well, he still needed to kill Konton, whether it was now or in the future. That was one thing that hadn't changed.
"You know I've never forgiven myself for letting him get you." he admittedly after a good ten minutes of silence, "I still get nightmares about it.."
He was browsing through his father's and grandfather's libraries, unsmiling and serious. "There has to be something we can use against him... A single page, somewhere in here..."

~ ~ ~

"Just in case there's something..." Watari whispered, almost distractedly. "Something important that... that can help..."
Po-ar stood, shaking his head, "We can't let him, Mor-chan. Please. Just trust me on this..."

Strangely enough, Ainsu didn't say anything.
He could feel the Muse walking about in his mind, almost like a second skin somehow.
Two in one.
"Just don't..." Ainsu whispered urgently. "He'll wait til your guard's down. I don't care what he said about you being his wife, Kaguyo... it's a lie... all of it... I..." but the man winced against before his eyes opened and he smirked at Kaguyo. "Wasn't all a lie really." the Muse laughed.
But he made no move to attack Kaguyo at all.

A good smack to the head nearly had Aled unconscious. When he had collected himself enough to speak, his cold eyes locked onto Aoki's form. "You'll kill everyone, you b*****d." he spoke, obviously angry, his nails digging into the kazetsukai's hand and wrist.

"Nightmares..." Aoikage spoke before laughing.
The sound was long and dark, almost insane to tell the truth.
After a moment, the daemon looked at Kazuhiko, "Him taking me was hardly nightmare material... what happened after..."
He left his sentence unfinished.

Smirking darkly, Aoikage watched Kazuhiko as if he had won something. "If you don't control your emotions, Kazuhiko," the daemon spoke, his voice deadly serious. "He will take you."
It wasn't a threat.
It was a warning.
"Anger and fear. The demon prides himself on controlling both. With me... it was my fear that ensnared my soul. With you... it will be your anger."
Aoikage reached out, placing a gentle hand on the boy's shoulder. "Trust me, Kazu-kun..." he whispered, using the name he had once called his friend. "Seeing is completely different than feeling or living through the experience. Your mother may have forgotten many of her memories of Konton, but your father hasn't. Why do you think he hesitates to attack my master, hmm? His downfall... will be his fear, just like me. But he'll turn you into an even stronger weapon, Kazu-kun. Anger is a much better fuel."

~ ~ ~

"I think you're an idiot to be honest." Aled replied, anger tinting all of his words. "You think the demon'll let you run free... he's broken his word too many times, Aoki. Just think for a moment. Do you have ANY sort of assurance or leverage?"

~ ~ ~

Watari was silent for a long moment. "Don't know." he replied, slightly confused. "But there might be something we can use against him from my memories... something..."
Po-ar wanted to object again, but he knew that look from Morrigan...

~ ~ ~

"A deal?" the Muse asked, fully sitting up and smirking to the woman.
He leaned against the headboard, watching her carefully. Ainsu was too weak to fight against the Muse, they both knew it, and the Muse used what strength he found in the Tarnb-jin's body... to his advantage.
"I'm a parasite, you know. I'll be in this body forever... so... tell me... what sort of deal could you possibly be wanting to make, hmm?"

"Why would I give you that?" the Muse asked, reaching a hand out to place his fingers against the side of Kaguyo's face.
He was gentle, calm... but his eyes were a ticking time bomb.
"What chaos is there in making you happy? What fun in stopping this body's torment?" he laughed darkly. "I enjoy listening to his screams, Kaguyo. So no. I would never let you have him. He may appear... but it's only so I can relish his pain."

~ ~ ~

Aoikage moved off of the bookshelf, his wings sprouting from his back and carefully coming to enclose himself and the boy in his arms. No one could see them, the wings blending perfectly with the darkness of the study.
But that wasn't the only reason Aoikage did that.
Carefully, he turned Kazuhiko to where he had access to the scar. Gentle hands probed the once torn flesh.
"The demon's scars never heal naturally." he whispered before a strange reddish light came from his fingertips.
Pressing that light to the scar, the wound faded within moments.
"I can't heal all wounds... only those made by demon-kind." Aoikage whispered, smiling to the boy. "Now, you needn't worry your parents."
The daemon carefully held onto the boy. "I know your sorry." his voice was soft. "I didn't want to believe you cared, Kazu. To survive... I couldn't believe that."

~ ~ ~

Po-ar cursed softly, "In short, if Watari's Tarnb-jin abilities are gone, we're screwed." he sighed, rubbing his eyes for a moment. "Something's blocking them. His ability to change gender isn't the problem... it's his power of invention."
"I can't bring them to life..." Watari whispered, the trance keeping him searching as he was asked questions.
"Whatever he draws, he invents. It's how we've gotten half the stuff we use to be honest. He makes it, then figures out how it works then duplicates it." The Tarnb-jin Ouji was standing at Morrigan's side. "Konton must have done something to block his specific powers. If he can do it to Watari... he can do it to any of us."

~ ~ ~

The mountain loomed over them, and the feeling of fear crept into the pit of Aled's stomach.
This wasn't going to be his end.
It couldn't be.
With grim determination, Aled's ki flared and, with a thin bolt of his own spirit... the Tarnb-jin Ou severed his silver hair, just below the ear.
This, of course, got him out of Aoki's grasp. His new problem, was simply going to be escape.
He couldn't fight, that much was clear.
'KAZUHIKO!' Aled's mind screamed out as he used his ki like a beacon. 'PO-AR!'
One of them would find him.
One of them had too...
In the meantime, Aled got into a fighting stance, ice cold eyes glaring at Aoki. "I won't let you hurt my son or grandson again."

The Muse began to laugh, his grip on Kaguyo's cheek turning into him having a fistful of the woman's hair.
"You don't get it, do you? The two of you can't have a child." his eyes burned darkly, a look so foreign and evil that it was almost as bad as looking at Konton himself. "I'm a curse, Kaguyo. What I am will pass to your child... and the child after and after and for generations I'll keep trying to wipe out all living things on Tarnbsei." his voice turned dangerously soft. "Would you really want to see that? I know I would..."

~ ~ ~

"Stop snuggling me, please." Aoikage spoke softly, not pushing the boy away but obviously uncomfortable.
Kazuhiko sitting in his lap was fine.
But this?
Then suddenly the boy was gone and, after a few moments, he reappeared with a passenger in tow.
Of course, Aled had basically been pulled through the portal. The Tarnb-jin Ou collapsing against a bookshelf, knocking it over before wincing.
"Kazu... if I wanted to hurt anyone... right now I wouldn't be able to." Aled spoke softly, pushing himself up until he was at least sitting against the wall near the fallen bookshelf. "Aoikage-san?"
The daemon's gaze narrowed. "You're bleeding." he stated matter-of-factly.
"No s**t." Aled replied, running his fingers through his now shortly chopped hair. "Damned Aoki... he..."
"I can kill him, you know." Aoikage suddenly spoke up. He drew his sword. "I can track and kill his true self, not his ridiculous illusions or clones or whatever the hell they are. He really is a b*****d, you know."
"Really? Hadn't noticed." the Ou spoke before looking at Kazuhiko. "Arigatou, Kazu-kun. Your father?" he asked, hoping Po-ar was alright. "And Kaguyo? I felt her spirit fading..."

~ ~ ~

Visibly wincing, Watari seemed to be searching through his mind.
And the images were hardly pretty.
After a while, the scientist whispered what he'd found.
"I was unconscious... the Muse did something... there was this blinding light and I can't... I can't remember... everything went dark."
Po-ar sighed softly, "Whatever he did... he did it while Watari was unconscious it seems."

"While the two of you... discuss how to kill him... Kazu... send me to your father." Aled spoke softly.
In truth, he didn't want to burden the young boy... especially since Aled was going to pass out any minute now.
That, and his burned arm hurt like a b***h... probably had a concussion too since everything was a bit blurry.

"Yes." Aoikage replied seriously. "Why do you think I was following him? Konton didn't want Aoki getting a big head about things. I can track him down and kill him... but it can only be done once. He'll figure it out the second time."

~ ~ ~

The Muse smirked darkly. "Then kill me." he whispered before claiming her lips in a fierce kiss.
And then suddenly, his grip lessened and the man beneath Kaguyo shivered slightly.
"Gomen..." Ainsu whispered, releasing the woman completely after breaking the kiss. "Gomen, Kaguyo."
The Muse was gone...
For now.
Looking deeply into Kaguyo's eyes, Ainsu heard a voice in his mind. It was like the words were stuck in his empathy... unable to get out...

"So then, may I ask what it IS you love about me?" Ainsu asked with a smile.
Kaguyo smiled warmly. "Everything." she replied without hesitation. "Your soul, really.... The way we communicate, the bond we've created. Your faults, your strength..." she shrugged. "Everything. You're going to change one day, even if it's only a little bit... And what sort of love would I have for you if I didn't love those changes that make you grow, hmm? For instance, what if one day you lost your charms and were as blunt as I am? Well, you can be sometimes... But if it worked for you, why should I be against it?"
Ainsu laughed, "It's good to know you'd love me even if I became a blathering idiot one day." he smiled, kissing the woman softly.

"Kaguyo..." Ainsu whispered, shaking his head slightly, "I never wanted to cause you such pain. Don't tell me it's not my fault because it is. I was careless... So many times I was careless... I thought I was invincible..." the man laughed softly. "But I've changed... I can't be who I was... and I know that now."

~ ~ ~

"Do you?" came a voice from behind a few cloth banners.
Konton stepped into the throne room of the Ou of Tarnbsei, a rather displeased look on his face.
"Aoki. Remind me again why I don't just do your damn job for you?" the demon asked angrily.