A siblings dilemma…

Death. The smell and feel of it almost sent Kirei reeling. She had to find Kaji.

Kirei ran and ran through the forest. The rain and darkness making the situation almost seem hopeless.  Kinu and the others had separated by pair. Since the first time they met, Kirei had found herself attracted to the human. Suffice to say that compared to the others, she and Kaji were the most civil to each other.

It was not as if Kinu and Mizuru weren't, but they just tended to hate bending over each other's wishes. Niji and Chikyuu were just… plain naive.  Hooseki and Kaze drove each other crazy… Kirei stifled a laugh in spite of the circumstances.

Kaji's blank eyes implied that he saw nothing. Nigami smirked as she contemplated what to do when his rescuer arrived. Hidden on a cave near the cliff, the place was dark and damp. "Oh, dear" Nigami muttered sarcastically as she saw Kirei a few meters away. The corners of her mouth tuned up in deadly glee. "We'll see how she fares against one of her own."

Kirei regarded the foot of the cave warily. She could feel Kaji's presence, and another's. The other's chi was foreboding and scary. She could only guess it was the woman who had taken Kaji and told her to follow if she wanted to ever see him again.

Kirei clutched her abdomen as a wrenching pain hit her. She gritted her teeth and closed her eyes, remembering how she had fallen unconscious when the blast from the woman who took Kaji hit her.  She had woken up with Kaji gone and with a message to come or else.

Kirei forced herself to stand up and enter the cave. The pain was gone. She could only hope that Kaji was all right. Studying the cave, she frowned at the lack of light. It would mean that they could attack her from any side without warning.

An eerie sound emanated to her left, Kirei ran quickly through the entrance leading to the sound. She narrowed her amber eyes as she tried to adjust to the dim light. "Hm, so you finally found us ne?" Kirei glanced behind her, where the voice came from and saw her…

"Nigami desu, I've come to witness your end." Nigami smiled cruelly at her. "This should be interesting to watch." Behind her, Kaji stepped out. "Kaji!" Kirei exclaimed in relief. Those were her last words before something painful at her arm. Kirei gasped in pain and clutched at her arm. It was bleeding. She looked at it in surprise.

But who…what?

She jumped just in time to miss the other one that almost hit her. Kirei suddenly felt faint as she saw what was coming after her.

Kaji's shurikens.

"Kajiiiiiii!!!!!!!" Kirei screamed. She faltered as one of the shurikens embedded itself into her leg/ She bit her lip at the searing pain that threatened to consume her if she paid it notice. Kirei jumped attempting to avoid the blows while she tried to plan a strategy that could save them both. Kirei glanced at Kaji. He was immobile, controlling the shurikens with his mind, as if…

Kirei's mind accepted what her heart couldn't. Kaji was under control somehow and she was powerless to break it. Summoning her twin katana, she was able to deflect most of the shurikens.

She didn't see Kaji coming at her though. Suddenly, Kaji's hands were around her neck. "You will die-" he stated, it was so cold, so matter of fact that Kirei froze. She stared at him, believing it was her end.
 

Nigami watched silently from the shadows, her dark emerald eyes cold, giving no himt of emotion whatsoever. Her cape billowed around her, giving an eerie effect.

Kirei's eyes snapped open when she suddenly felt Kaji's hands around her neck loosen. She stepped back as Kaji fell to the ground, and saw Kinu and the others coming towards her. "How…?" she asked softly.

Kinu shrugged at her, and replied, "Niji." Kirei understood, Niji had the power of truth and sight, she would always know when one of them  was in trouble.

Kinu glanced at Kaji as he was rising and silently contemplated what to do. "Kirei, any good ideas?" Kinu resumed a defensive stance.

We can't hurt him, but we need to get him out of this alive. I can only hope Kirei has a good idea for this mess.

Everyone uttered a cry as they scattered and Kaji slashed at them. D**** it! Mizuru cursed.

"Tate no Soyokaze!!!!!!"

A gust of wind acting as a barrier summoned by Kaze separated Kaji and the others, giving them time to contemplate an acceptable plan of action.

Nigami regarded the situation with obvious glee. It was obvious that they would not hurt him. Suddenly, Kinu happened to glance up.

An idea suddenly occurred to Kinu.

What it…?

Would it break her hold on Kaji?

A thousand what ifs ran through her mind, making it hard to make the decision. Mizuru gently clasped her shoulder and gave her an encouraging nod.
 

Kinu nodded. It was the only way.

Chikyuu put his palms on the ground, concentrating deeply, and Kinu started praying.

Please, please let this work.

The earth suddenly sprang up and imprisoned Kaji, holding him immobile and out of the way. Niji tried to break whatever it was that was holding Kaji's mind in its strong hold. "It's too strong, I don't think I'll be able to break it,   the magic that has been used on him isn't what I've seen before. I'm afraid the only way to bring Kaji back will be the reversal of the spell of the one who did this to him…" Chikyuu smiled grimly at Niji. "Keep trying…"

Nigami jumped just in time to avoid getting hit by a blast constituting of water. "What the hell…?"

"As they say, game's up" Nigami found herself surrounded.

So this is they're game, they're trying to force me to concede in hopes that I reverse the spell.

Nigami's lips curved into a cruel smile, she folded her arms in front of her. "Do you really think I would reverse my hold on him?"

"Actually, no, but then I would have such a great time killing you for hurting him!" Kirei's lips curved into a smile similar of that to Nigami's. Hooseki knew Kirei well enough not to interfere. There were very few times she had seen Kirei like this, as in really pissed off. Hooseki almost pitied Nigami.

Kaji was slowly making his way toward them, how he got out of it, God only knows.

Everyone assumed his or her defensive stances except Nigami. "I think I've let you live long enough. A dark sphere emanated from Nigami's hands. She hurled it toward Kaji. "DIE!"

Kaji's body was thrown back as the blast hit him, he crumpled to the floor, his body in pain.  Kaji's glazed eyes seemed to have snapped back into reality, he screamed as his mind was bombarded with images of the past.

Silence.

Everybody's attention had reverted to Kaji who was in pain. Kirei walked over to Kaji, "Kaji… daijobu?" Kaji's eyes fixed on Kirei, focusing his mind back on the present. His hand rose out of its own accord, cupping Kirei's face.

Nigami was seething in anger. Kaji was still alive and out of her possession. Very well, she would kill them both.  She silently summoned another dark sphere and hurled it at them while Kirei had her back turned. Kaji saw the blast and didn't have time to think. He tacked Kirei down to protect her from the blast.

Kaji looked down at his beloved prize, and by fate he would not see in this life again. Kirei glanced up at Kaji, and when she saw his eyes, she knew that something was wrong. The usually bright amber color that it had was fading. "Kirei…" Kaji's lips gently met hers and was gone. He was trying to pull himself up into a sitting position but failing.  Nigami's fury was fueled even more. She brandished a sword and ran toward them.

Kinu and Mizuru had enough. They intercepted Nigami, but they knew that they couldn't kill her. That honor would be for Kirei alone. After what she saw in Kirei's expression a few minutes ago, she was almost afraid.

Mizuru's blast had propelled Nigami to the other side, away from Kirei and Kaji.

From the corner of her eye, Kinu saw Kirei laying Kaji down.

"You'll pay for this Nigami…" Kirei's voice was almost indistinguishable from the sweet girl Kinu knew.

An aura of a metallic color was surrounding Kirei. The ever-present ribbon on her hair snapped, but what was most different was her eyes. The plain brown was a startling hazel and full of hate.

Kirei leapt toward Nigami and held one of her katanas at her throat.

Nigami gulped. She had never seen such power before.

How…? Why does anger make them so strong?

"Ah Kirei, would you be the cause of our sister's early demise?" An unknown voice bit out from the darkness. Kirei froze. She knew that voice. She had heard it in her dreams. "Who are you …?"

A sword suddenly embedded itself in Nigami's back. She let out a bloodcurdling scream. Kirei looked dispassionately at the woman who was supposed to be her sister. She had hurt her too much. Forgiveness didn't come easily to Kirei especially at these times.

She walked toward the darkness, her eyes easily adjusted to the darkness, in her past form, where all of her senses were tuned as a warrior's, she had no difficulty tracing where the voice came from. Kirei's mind reeled.

Would you be the cause of our sister's early demise?
Our…?
Our?

Am I to see all my relatives today? Feel the scent of death again and again…? I do not understand why this has to happen. And all I know is that I have to survive this. I see all of them in the side of evil, those who kill like savages, killing in cold blood. I almost did that a while ago. Could it be possible that I am just as evil as the rest of them?

"… am I just as evil as the rest of them?" Kirei's head snapped up as the very thoughts inside her head was recited word for word. She came face to face with a man. He looked exactly like kirei, in height and color. The only difference was that he was a man.

"To be truthful sister, I would have you stop this turmoil. Your death should do that satisfactorily enough." He charged at her with the sword that he used to kill Nigami. Kirei took a defensive stance, the years of training as a child enabling her to move with ease.

Kirei noticed even if  Kootaku was powerful, he was quite impulsive and left a lot of openings. She deduced that despite his same appearance in height, he had less experience in fighting  She brought her katana down, embedding it near Kootaku's abdomen. The blow would render him unconcious but it would not be fatal.

"Damn you Kirei…" He croaked out before falling into unconsciousness.

Kirei saw Kootaku's eyes close and left him there. Walking towards the mouth of the cave, she saw the others waiting for her. They had already buried Kaji's and Nigami's body. Kirei kneeled in front of the burial site and prayed.

She walked towards the small group, their friendship had matured over the time they had been with each other… Kirei knew that somehow, Kaji would still watch over them, and with them. And until then,  she would wait.

Till we meet again Kaji… I'll be waiting.

** this story is copyright Lindsay, 1998 if by some force of nature do you want to use this stuff, kindly e-mail me first Thanks!**

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