Kindred Souls of Adona
By Len (Emprez@starmail.com)

Disclaimer:
All characters are property of Leo & Ban.  The story is
was plotted out and written by myself, Len.  Any use of
the characters in this story must be asked for approval
by it's original creators, Leo & Ban.  (leoandban@hotmail.com)
Not from me! 

Character Guide:
Good Guys -
	Rion (kindred soul of the Priest of the West)
	Reshi (kindred soul of the Priest of the East)
	Suzu (kindred soul of the Priest of the South)
	Kaze (kindred soul of the Priest of the North)
	Yvonne (High Priestess of Adona)
	Haruka T (Guardian of the Spirit Gates: Fire)
	Haruka S (Guardian of the Spirit Gates: Water)
	Minami (Priestess of the South)
	Lavender (Priestess of the North)
	Ryu (Priest of the East)
	Oni (Priest of the West)
Bad Guys - 
	Khayyin (High Priest of Adona)
	Rowina (Priestess of the South)
	Jana (Priestess of the North)
	JCL (Priest of the East)
	Red Fox (Priest of the West)
__________________________________________________________

	"Poverty...destruction...pain...all one area completely
covered with darkness..." the woman whispered.  She looked
down at the white orb on her lab as she sat down on her 
throne. "I cannot do a thing to stop those demons from
reeking havoc all over Adona...what good is my power if I
cannot even seal one wretched gate!" she cried.  She lifted
her barefooted legs up to her chin and curled up in her
large, marble throne.
	"My Lady," a voice said at the doorway to the throne
room.  She looked up with sad blue eyes, her golden hair
falling over them. "I am afraid I am a bringer of bad
news."
	"Speak, Haruka S..." she told him, her voice slightly
shaky.
	The man watched his ruler sulk in self pity as he
walked closer to her. "High Priestess...it seems that all
four of your Beacons are getting weaker and weaker...
and it is because of HIS doing."
	"Those devils are the ones causing the pains of my
Beacons!" she gasped.  Her eyes narrowed and tears rimmed
on her bottom eye lid. "Haruka S! Isn't there anything you
can do?  You are a guardian! DO SOMETHING!"
	"I'm still trying to find a way to help them, my Lady,
but I have not yet found a cure for the illness!" Haruka S
gasped as the woman tugged his cloak closer to stare him
in the face.
	"Find SOMETHING that can at least help me seal the
Four Corners or the Spirit Gate!" she hissed.
	"But the Beacons are the only ones that CAN seal them,"
Haruka S answered. "They are without the Rings and without
them, they cannot seal the corners or gate. And they are much 
too weak to go searching for them."
	"I'm not weak!" a voice yelled from the entryway where
Haruka T had entered. A man was leaning tiredly against a woman.
His hair was blue, long and held back.  The other person who was
trying to keep him from falling down and had bright red hair. 
At first glance, she seemed male, but on closer inspection, she
was a woman.
	"He insisted on coming here," the red head sighed.
"I couldn't stop him...you know how stubborn Ryu gets."
	"Don't talk as if I'm not here, Haruka T." Ryu snapped.
"My Lady, please let me go out and look for my Ring!"
	"No," the woman on the throne answered powerfully. "You
are ill! You return to your chambers and concentrate on
getting well again! If you are well enough, I will allow you
to leave and search for your Ring, but not when you are 
partially dead!" 
	"But Lady-"
	"You heard her," Haruka T told her comrade. "Haruka
S, take Ryu back to his chambers and make sure he stays there
this time."
	The man with the light blue-gray hair nodded and turned
Ryu around.  Ryu complained as the quieter man lead him back
to his room.  Haruka T stood in front of the miserable High
Priestess.
	"Tired?" she asked casually.
	"I'm more than just tired," she whispered. "My people
are dying...I can't even save them OR my Beacons..." she
stammered. She looked up at her, tears streaming down her
cheeks as tired to wipe them off with her long sleeves. "I
don't know what to do, Haruka T..."
	She closed the door and approached her.  She bowed down
and signed. "Haruka T and I will find some way," she
whispered.  "Don't cry...you are our leader...how will you
make the people feel if you cry?"
	"I...can't...help...it!!" she gasped as she cried.  She
felt the woman lift her up and sit down her place, with her
body now leaning against her.
	Haruka T's white outfit was wrinkled under the Priestess'
long white gowns as she cried.  She hugged the high priestess
comfortingly. "You have to be strong...if you cry now,
what'll happen to us all?"
	
	Minami looked out her window from her bed.  She felt so
weak...her entire body ached.  She had gotten paler, she knew,
even without looking into the mirror.  Ever since the Spirit
Gate of Adona was broken, Haruka S and Haruka T had no where to
stay and nothing to guard.
	To make matters worse, it made it easy for demons, as well
as the normally welcomed spirits, to enter Adona and do as they
pleased.  At first, Haruka S and Haruka T were able to contain them,
but all their power couldn't save them from the complete unsealing
of the Demon Gate or the Four Corners.
	They went to the High Priestess for help and she took them
in, trying to seal the demons back using her Beacons.  However,
all four of her Beacons were affected by the Khayyin's spell.
He had somehow stolen their Rings.
	"Khayyin..." Minami whispered.  Her eyes narrowed and she
heard the door open.
	"Minami, my love?" a normally angry voice whispered from the
doorway. 
	"Ryu..." Minami whispered, a smile spreading across her face.
"What are you doing here?"  Slowly her smile left her face as a 
look of concern took it's place. "You're just as sick as the rest
of us! You should return to your chambers."
	"I don't want to be there alone," he answered as he closed
the door.  He walked slowly, painfully, to her bed and sat down 
on her right side.  "I missed you, too much.
	Minami blushed and felt herself growing warm, reguardless
of the coolness of her body. "I want to get better, Ryu," she
whispered. "Why can't we just go attack Khayyin...won't we get
better once he's sealed?"
	"We can't just waltz up to his Shadow Palace and attack..."
Ryu told her reasonably.  "Especially not while we're ill or
with those ill foresaken priests of his."
	"Where did he get the strength to put this spell over 
us?" Minami mumbled as he cupped her face with his hand. 
	"I don't know..."

	"Master Khayyin..." a black haired woman asked as she 
entered the chamber.  Her black hair was pulled black into a
pony tail and she wore a black gown that touched the floor.
It was sleeveless and went over her shoulders. "Are you
checking the orbs again, Master?"
	"Aren't they beautiful, Rowina?" he asked quietly. His
eyes looked at the balls of white energy, about the size of
a person's head.  A gold ring was around each of the four
balls with twelve certain colored crystals hanging from them.
	"Yes, Master..."
	"That is the energy of the Beacons of High Priestess
Yvonne," the gray haired man told her. "Soon, they will
touch the rings around them and we shall have captured the
life forces of the Beacons."
	"And then?" Rowina asked quietly, watching her leader
look at the swirling white spheres.  He wore a long, gray
robe, darker than the shade of gray his hair was as it was
trailed behind her, longer than his hair. 
	"We shall transfer that life force to you four," he
told her simply.  "And then we shall be unstopable."

			*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

	"You want ME go to with YOU to that weirdo's HOME?"
a girl asked as she walked along the sidewalk with her 
brunette friend. "I think not." she stopped and crossed
her arms.
	"Oh, but, Suzu-chan! He asked for my help-" the
girl with the glasses replied deserpately.
	"And you were more than happy to give it to him,
right?" Suzu asked. "There is no reason you should be 
going into the freak's house."
	"He's not a freak, Suzu! He's very nice.  Besides,
who else could help him, but me!?  A daughter of a famous
archelogist." the girl begged.
	The pink haired girl looked at her friend and gave
a heavy sigh. "You don't have to hide it from me, Rion.
I'm your best friend.  You know, as well as I know, that
the only reason you are here is because you think that 
Reshi-san is the best thing to come out of the male gender
since-"
	"Are you going to come with me?" Rion asked quietly.
Suzu bit her lip. 
	"Yes..."
	"Thank you!" Rion gasped.  She threw her arms around
the girl and squeezed her. "I KNEW you wouldn't let me 
down.  You're such a softie, Suzu.  No wonder everyone at
school likes you!"
	"Well, what can I say?  I'm as lovable as a teddy bear."
Suzu grinned as they continued to walk. "But don't make a
habit of this.  This is the *LAST* time I come with you
on a night like this to visit pyscho-boy." 
	"Promise me you won't call him that in his face..."
Rion sighed.
	"Yeah, yeah...so where does he live, anyway?" Suzu
asked her friend. "Do you even have an idea where he resides?"
	"Of course I do!" Rion smiled and stoppped in front of
a black iron gate. "Right here." She pointed to the mansion
behind the high black fence. 
	Suzu's mouth dropped. "Since...WHEN?"
	"Since always..." Rion answered.  She paused before she 
pressed the intercom button. "You mean you've been going
to school with Reshi for years and didn't know his family
was wealthy?"
	"But he has no taste in clothing!" Suzu gasped. "I'm
not rich...I consider myself poor, actually, and I manage
to dress accordingly."
	Rion groaned and rolled her eyes.  She bent over and
pressed the intercom. "Hello?" a voice asked on the other
line.
	"Hi, Reshi-san! It's me, Rion!"  she smiled as she 
spoke.  Suzu rolled her eyes and waited.
	"Oh, hi!" Reshi's voice said. "Thanks for coming! The
gate will open any second, so just step back."
	"Okay!" Rion stood aside, next to an uninterested Suzu
as the iron gates opened.  The excited brunette took Suzu's
hand and dragged her up the walkway to the mansion.  
	A butler opened the door and lead them to a den, 
covered wall to wall by books.  "Whoa..." Suzu mumbled.
	"Thanks for coming, once again, Rion!" a voice said.
They turned their heads and saw a young man walk up to
them.  His hair was blue and his face was familair, yet
they could not place the face. 
	"Reshi, I'm looking for my stash of potato chips, but
I can't find them," another voice said. "Did you eat them
again?" A head poked out from behind them.  The young man
had teal hair, very light, slightly long.  
	Suzu had to struggle to keep from dropping her mouth
once agian. "Rion, Suzu, this is-"
	"Ikeda Kaze!" Suzu gasped. "Captain of the kendo team...
at our school!"  She turned to Reshi, who she know recognized
as he put on his reading glassed. "But how!?"
	Kaze laughed and ran his hand through his hair.  He sat
down on the couch with a can of soda. "You didn't know? You're
Furukawa Suzukiyoki...one of the most popular girls at school and
you had no idea that my best friend is Reshi?"
	"But you two never hang out together at school!" Suzu
gasped.
	"There is more to life that just school," Kaze grinned.
Suzu turned red.  She turned around and saw that Rion had
left her.  She was already across the room, helping Reshi
go over a thick large book. "Reshi's been my friend since...
oh, I'd say...since we were four. Have a seat, Suzu, don't
look so shocked."
	"Rion, I'm going home!" Suzu stated loudly.  The 
brunette turned around from where she was and looked at her
with a look of surprise on her face.
	"What? Why?" 
	"I don't like the company," Suzu whispered under her
breath.  She turn to leave when a picture caught her eye.
It was on a shelf with many other pictures. She slowly 
walked over and looked at the picture closely. She took it
and turned her head back to the room. "Whose the girl in
this picture?" Suzu asked. "The red head?"
	"That's Reiko," Kaze answered as he chugged back his
soda and grinned boyishly. "She graduated last year from
a private school."
	"Oh..."
	"Tell them what else she is, Reshi!" Kaze yelled.
	Reshi turned red. "She's my girlfriend."
	Rion felt her heart break into a thousand pieces as
Suzu's eyes turned to her in worry.  She kept a straight
face, however and beamed a bright smile. "She's gorgeous,
Reshi!  How ever did you meet her?"
	Reshi blushed again and looked back down at the
book. "Oh, don't make him tell you!" Kaze exclaimed. 
"He'll just zone out thinking about Reiko."
	"Shut up, Kaze!" Reshi hissed.  "She's just someone
very special to me."
	Suzu stood there, admiring Rion for being able 
to concentrate on the book rather than cry her heart
out after finding out the guy she had been crushing on
for the last few months turned out to have a girlfriend.
	"Aren't you leaving?" Suzu turned her head and saw
Kaze giving her a 'I'm bored with you, go away' look.  
She narrowed her eyes and slowly grinned, putting her 
hands on her slim waist. 
	"No, Kaze-honey, I think I'll stay right here
and keep you company." she stood over him and glared
at him with narrowed eyes.
	"Sheez...if looks could kill..." Kaze mumbled. He
turned his head away and called to Reshi. "Hey, Reshi,
what's that book about anyway?"
	"That's what we're trying to find out," the blue
haired young man replied. "Listen...I know you think I'm
obsessed with this book-"
	"You are."
	Reshi glared at him. "Ahem...anyway, this book
has been in my family for generations.  I just want 
to know what exactly it's about.  My great grandparents
didn't know and I was hoping that maybe Rion here could
help."
	"This text is incredible...it's obviously very
old, but the ink is still perfectly legible...it doesn't
seem to have aged at all," Rion mumbled.  She was leaning
over the book as she adjusted her glasses.  "Amazing..."
	"Yeah, yeah, yeah...can you just tell the man what
the book is about already so we can get out of here?"
Suzu asked as she leaned against the wall. 
	"I can sound it out, but I don't think I'll understand
it!" Rion laughed casually.  "Let's see..."

			*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*	

	"You want us to do WHAT?!" Haruka T gasped. "High 
Priestess, with all due respect, do you really think this
will work?"
	"It's the only think I could come up with!" the woman
told them. Behind her, Haruka S was helping the four
Beacons into position. 
	"Could this kill the Beacons!?" Haruka T asked in
frustration.
	"No! They're just here so I can match up their souls
to their kindred souls!" the High Priestess told her. 
"You and Haruka S just focus on opening that gate way to
that other dimension.  This is our only change to bring
gain enough power to battle Khayyin and reseal the demons,"
she glared at Haruka T. "This is an order!"
	The red head stood there, unable to speak.  She
looked down at the ground and nodded. "So be it..." She
turned her head to her partner. "Haruka S!  Let's open
the gate for High Priestess Yvonne."
	The young man had a look of confusion in his eyes,
but never questioned her orders.  He stood in front of 
Haruka T and held her hands in his.  Their eyes closed
and their bodies glowed with a white aura.  
	White swirled around their bodies, lifting and
turning their loose, drape like clothes.  Their hair
whirled around their faces as a circle was created 
above them.  Their energy grew and the circle grew
larger and larger until they both could be swallowed up
in it.
	The High Priestess stood in front of her Beacons
and held her arms out.  She closed her eyes and slowly
felt the souls of her beacons.  They were weak and tired
and it made her want to cry.  She turned her body to
face the guardians and lifted her face up to look into
the portal which the two guardians created.
	She lifted her arms up in the air and four colored
spheres, glowing with energy appeared.  She threw them
into the portal and fell to her knees.  Yvonne looked
up at the two guardians.  They would stand there until
all four spheres found the kindred souls of the Beacons
they belonged to.
	"High Priestess," a voice whispered behind her.
She recognized it immediately as that of Oni, the Priest
of the West and one of her Beacons. "Will it work?"
His voice sounded weak, tired, and desperate for an 
answer.  
	She closed her eyes tightly. "Yes, Oni...it will
work..."

			*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

	"Let me see..." Rion looked at the words and opened
her mouth. "Vistak agarash ha gou hagad emaray.  Jasvin 
laksa papakuva tash gar." Her eyes slowly had a glazed over
look as she read the words.
	"Rion?" Reshi asked as he stood next to her.  He
looked at the book and saw a white light coming from the
center of the page where Rion was reading.  "Oh, my God!"
	"Hanaray," Rion mumbled as her hair began to slowly
move, as if a wind were pushing it away from her face.
"Kugaro..." 
	"Rion! What the hell?!" Suzu ran over to her as the
white light from the book grew brighter.  Wind came out
of the book and blew Reshi and Suzu's hair around.  "Rion,
stop it!"
	"Mistak hamar omet tash gar," Rion mumbled again.
"Hanaray kugaro..."
	"Make her stop, Suzu!" Kaze yelled as he stood behind
her. 	
	"She's not stopping!" Suzu yelled over the roar of
the wind.  "What's going on? Make it stop!" she screamed. 
"I don't like this!" She tried to turn away from the light,
but founder herself not able to turn away.  
	"It's a spell!" Reshi yelled. "I understand it! Rion
is opening a gate!!"
	"How do you know!?" Kaze yelled back as he clamped
his arms on Suzu to keep her from screaming hesterically.
	"Call it a feeling!!" Reshi screamed. The white
light flashed several times and seemed to have scooped
the four people into the white light.
	They screamed as they fell into the light.  It
was a bottomless free fall as Suzu screamed in fear.
Kaze held her tightly, all the while looking for Rion 
and Reshi.  He caught saw them falling just as fast
as he was.  Reshi was yelling his heard out and Rion
had an empty look on her face. 
	"What the hell is going on!?" Kaze yelled. 

	Screaming could be heard from the portal as the
four glowing spheres returned and re-entered the body
of the High Priestess.
	"AHHH!" A body flew through the portal and landed
on the floor in front of the High Priestess.  Another
body landed on top of the first one, but this one was silent.
	Lastly, two more people, holding on to each other,
landed right next to them.  "Ugh!" Haruka S and Haruka T
pulled away from each other, breaking the portal from
their dimension to a foreign one. 
	Haruka T shook her head. "Well...I'll be..." she
said as she saw the four on the floor. "It worked!"
	"Are they okay?" Haruka S asked.  He walked over
to the four people on the floor.  Suddenly, an arm
reached up and grabbed his collar.
	"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!?" a man with long
teal hair growled. "Where the hell are we!?  Send
us back to Reshi's house!"
	"Hey let go!" Haruka S pulled himself away from
the young man and straightened his cloak's collar. 
"Everyone is so damned demanding now a days...High
Priestess, are these the ones who you have summoned?"
	"I did not summon them," the High Priestess
answered. "I only found them.  Only they can summon
their powers."
	"What are you talking about?" Suzu grumbled as
she sat up.  She looked around the marble palace room
and gasped. "What's going on?  Is this another one
of my dreams?  I'm usually flying."
	"I don't think this is the perfect time to talk
about your dreams, Suzu-chan," Rion said. She sat up,
wobbily. She grasped her head and groaned. "What the...?
My head is pounding..."
	"Rion, do you know what you just did?" Reshi
asked excitedly next to her. "You brought us into another
world!"
	"I didn't BRING us anywhere..." she mumbled. She
looked at the beautiful blond woman in front of her.
"Miss...where are we? What are we doing here?"
	"You are in Adona, a world where spirits and 
mortals live together," she explained. "You are here
to help save it."

	"Master Khayyin," a voice said.  The tall man
was in front of the mirror, looking at his reflection
when he heard the voice. "I think I might have some
information you might want to know about."
	"Not now, Red Fox...can't you see I'm busy?"
Khayyin asked.  He brushed his silver hair aside
and tied it back.  He admired himself in the mirror.
	"It has to do with the High Priestess and her
Beacons." Red Fox said from the door way. 
	Khayyin stopped.  He slowly turned around to 
look at the red head at the door way. A look of
interest was on his face as he grinned. "What kind
of news?"

	"Adona has a Spirit Gate.  It is a gate where
spirits must go through to enter Adona.  Haruka S
and Haruka T were gaurdians of the gate.  Somehow,
an extremely powerful evil spirit, or demon as we
commonly call them, possessed a High Priest by
the name of Khayyin," Yvonne told them. "Khayyin's
body accepted the demon and turned against us.  He
and four other demons tore down the Gate.  Even un-
sealing the Four Corners which protect us. Haruka S
and Haruka T were unable to stop them."
	"He is quite powerful," Haruka T informed
them. "The little bastard was able to get through
us...I couldn't believe it."
	"They came to me...and I tired to seal them up
again and used my Beacons...but..." Yvonne slumped
down in her throne. "Khayyin's four demons, his
own 'Beacons', stole four of the five Sacred Rings."
	"What are those?" Rion asked.
	"Each of my Beacons had one.  The Rings come
from their hearts and keep their energy and powers
under control.  Now that they're gone, my Beacons
are losing their energy and powers.  My Ring is
still with them," she put her hand over heart. "But
I alone cannot destoy them."
	"So...what do you want us to do?  Barge in
there and attack?  How are we supposed to do that?
We're weaker than you!" Kaze exclaimed.
	"Will you shut up and listen to her plan first?"
Haruka T groaned as she rolled her eyes.  
	"You were brought here because you are kindred
souls to those of my four Beacons.  You each have
something like a Ring within you, however it's much 
weaker because you have not exercised it."
	"Everything is weaker when you don't exercise,"
Kaze mumbled again. "That's why I like to-"
	"Shut up," Suzu hissed. "Or I swear I'll kick 
you in the area you like to exercise."
	Kaze merely ignored her and continued to listen
to the High Priestess.
	"You'll be strong enough to enter his Shadow
Palace and attain the rings. But...I'm afraid that
you'll be attacked by his Beacons."
	"That in itself is enevitable." Haruka T added.
	"Perhaps we should go with them, High Priestess,"
Haruka T suggested. "We might be of some service."
	"High Priestess," Reshi said. "How ARE we supposed
to defend ourselves in case of an attack?"
	"I'll have to teach you how to use your powers,"
she sighed. "But...I wish my Beacons could...since they
have mastered their powers.  But they're so weak..."
	"Maybe if we speak to them personally, they could
shed some light on how we're supposed to fight." Rion
suggested.
	"That would be a great idea," Yvonne smiled. She
turned to the two guardians who stood on either side
of her throne. "Haruka S, Haruka T, take them to each
of their kindred souls' rooms."
	"All right." Haruka T replied.
	"How will we know who belongs where?" Haruka S
asked as she walked down the steps and towards the
four people.
	"You'll know."
	
	Rion and Kaze walked behind Haruka S down the
torch lined halls silently.  Reshi and Suzu had been
lead away down the other hall.  
	"I know why you came," Kaze whispered to Rion
as they walked side by side. "To see Reshi today."
	Rion blushed. "Yeah...to help with the book-"
	"No, that's not it," Kaze told her.  He kept
his face straight. "Listen, don't get between Reshi
and Reiko.  I love those two like my own flesh and
blood.  You're a good person, Rion, I can see that.
So don't waste your time on him."
	Rion turned her head to look at him, but found
him only staring forward.  Before she could ask
him a question, Haruka S turned around. "Rion," he
said. "This is the room of your Beacon.  His name
Oni and he is the Priest of the West."
	"Oh, okay." she mumbled.  She lifted her hand to
knock, but Haruka S just smiled. 
	"Just walk in there, it's not like he's naked
or anything." Rion turned red and Kaze snickered.
	He elbowed her. "Now there's an idea.  A sickly
priest in a bed naked. Hehehe..."
	"Shut up, Kaze." she growled.  She glared at 
him as Haruka S lead him away. She stood in front
of the door and opened it slowly.  It creaked quietly
and she stuck her head in, looking around.  There was
a large bed draped with brown satin sheets and a
canopy of the same fabric.  Brown gauze like curtains
hung down from the canopy.  She could see a figure
in the bed, laying down.  It was still.
	"I'm awake," the voice said, a tone of amusement
in it. "You can come in."
	Outside the room, Haruka S lead Kaze to the 
last room.  He turned to the teal haired young man.
"Inside this room is Lavender," he told him sternly.
"She is the Priestess of the North."
	"A SHE, huh?" Kaze mumbled. He received a glare
from Haruka S and gulped.
	"I'll see you inside..." Haruka S mumbled. He
opened the door slightly and walked in.  "Lavender,"
he cooed quietly. "Are you awake?"
	"Is my kindred soul here?" she whispered. "I
must teach him."
	"Would you like me to stay with you?" Haruka
S asked. 
	"No." she stated quickly. Kaze slowly walked
inside.  There was a large canopy bed, draped in
violets and purples.  The figure on the bed was
sitting up, leaning against the head board. 
	Haruka S cringed at her rejection and slowly
sulked out of the door.  "Miss Lavender?" Kaze
whispered.  
	"Well, it seems I have a student," the woman
smiled from the bed. "Calling me Lavender is fine,
my pupil.  What is your name?"
	"Kamiwara Kaze," he replied as he stood by her
bedside. "But Kaze is fine."
	"Let's get started right away.  If you all
don't hurry, the Beacons and I will die and no one
will be able to seal the gate." 

	"Here is the door to your Beacons." Haruka T
explained to the two behind her.  
	"They're both in there?" Reshi asked. Haruka T
grinned and nodded.
	"Yeah," she had a smug look on her face. "I'll
leave you to them.  Good luck with the training!"
she walked past them and headed back up the hall. 
	"You first." Suzu said, signaling for Reshi to 
open the door.  He looked at her and hesitated. 
Slowly, he took the handle and opened the door.
	"Um...I was expecting sisters or brothers, but
not this." Reshi mumbled.  Suzu entered behind him
and her eyes grew large. 
	A blue haired man was leaning against the head
board and a woman with long red hair was asleep next
to him.  He opened his eyes and looked at the two
confused and embaressed people at the door.  
	"You must be our kindred souls," the blue haired
man said as he smiled.  His speaking woke up the 
woman asleep next to him. She opened her eyes and
smiled weakly. "I am Ryu, the Priest of the East."
	"I am Minami, the Priestess of the South." she
whispered.
	"I'm Reshi," the younger man mumbled. "Um...I
don't know who is my kindred soul..."
	"Oh, you should know that by now," Minami
laughed. "It's my darling Ryu."
	"Um...do you two have to be so close together?"
Suzu mumbled. "It's making me uncomfortable." 
	"I'm sorry, dear," Minami whispered. "You are 
my kindred one...what is your name?"
	"Suzukiyoki.  But everyone just calls me Suzu."
the pink haired girl answered.  She watched as they
slowly moved a little bit from each other.  Ryu
was wearing a white robe, signature of a Priest of
his calibur.  Minami was wearing a red one.
	"Well...Reshi," Ryu said.  "I'm very weak,
could you help me to my quarters?  We shall leave
Minami and Suzu to practice."
	"Yeah, sure." Reshi mumbled quietly.  He stood
next to the man and put his arm around his shoulder.
He helped the older man up, finding him much taller
and well built.  
	They slowly made their way out of the room.
Minami looked at Suzu. "So you are my kindred soul,"
she smiled brightly despite her paleness. "Where shall
we begin?"

	"THEY WHAT!?" Khayyin growled.  He stood up from
the dark throne he sat upon.  Four people were kneeling
before them, afraid to look up into his angry eyes.
"How could you let this happen!"
	"Forgive us for not watching them close enough,
Master!" Rowina begged from her kneeling position. 
"We thought she would be too weak!"
	"Fools!" Khayyin growled. "I TOLD you to watch 
them carefully! Now Yvonne has brought in the kindred
souls of those Beacons of hers.  Who knows what she's
planning to do with them!"
	"Perhaps retrain them into becoming her new 
Beacons, Master." Jana suggested.  Her brown hair fell
over her face as she stared athe floor.
	"No...they can't be Beacons of her's unless they
are strong enough..." Khayyin walked past them, his
long gray cape going over them as he walked away. 
"They'll need those rings to becoming true Beacons."
	"So they'll come after the rings, Master?" JCL
asked.  
	"Of course they will..." Khayyin said.  He opened
the door to dark room where three balls of energy
were collecting.  
	"But how are they going to get them?  They're
not strong enough as you said.  They don't have 
enough time to learn enough magic to battle us.  By
then, it'll be too late and the Rings would have
collected all the energy from the Beacons." Rowina
told them.
	"They're not learning it by themselves," Khayyin
hissed as he watched the rings bring in more and
more energy. "They're being taught!  They'll learn
faster."
	"What should we do, Master?" Red Fox asked.
	"Don't do anything yet...they'll come to us,"
Khayyin answered, his voice like deep poison. He
turned to the four who now stood behind him.
	Two women draped in black dresses, one with
long sleeves and a high neck line, and the the other
with completely strapless. The two men wore black
suits, almost like tuxedos without bow ties.
	Khayyin crossed his arms. "Find a way to speed
up the process for the Rings to collect energy,"
he ordered on of the men. "The rest of you patrol
our borders."
	"Yes, Master!"

	"How are they doing, Haruka S, Haruka T?" 
Yvonne asked as she looked into her white orb.
"They must hurry...Khayyin knows that they are here."
	"How do you know, High Priestess?" Haruka T
asked.
	"I sense nervousness around Khayyin.  Very
little, he must think he can defeat the kindred souls
of my Beacons." Yvonne whispered.
	"What do you think, High Priestess?" Haruka S
whispered behind her.
	"I don't know yet..."
	"High Priestess!" a voice said from the door
way.  Haruka S and Haruka T turned around quickly
and saw a girl with pink pig tails walking in. "I
would like to know when we are departing."
	"Do you think you're ready?" Yvonne asked.
	"My kindred soul just passed out," Suzu told
her. Haruka S and Haruka T looked at each other.
Without another word, they ran out of the room to 
check on the other Beacons.  "She woke up," Suzu
completed, "But she is so weak.  I doubt they can
continue much longer.  As soon as my friends are
ready, I would like to leave."
	"I agree with her," Rion said as she entered
the room. "High Priestess, I think we have just
learned all we could learn from your Beacons.  They
are much to weak and tired to continue training
us."
	"But-"
	"High Priestess," Reshi and Kaze said at the
same time as they entered the throne room. "They're
very weak..."
	The blonde woman stood there.  She closed her
eyes. "Very well...I will not let you go unarmed,"
she told them.  She put her hands by her heart,
one on top of the other, and pulled something out.
It was a white ball of energy with a ring around it.
The four young men and women watched as the ball
split into four small balls and head for each of them.
They held out their hands and held the spheres as
they floated over their palms. "This is my Ring."
	"What are they?" Kaze whispered.
	The woman now looked paler. "My Ring is a weapon
for each of my beacons."
	"High Priestess...if you give these to us...won't
your energy drain away like the Beacons?" Rion asked.
	"As long as my Ring is in the hands of my Beacons,
or at least in the hands of the kindred spirits, you
four, of my Beacons, I will be all right." she told them.
	The white spheres began to move again, floating
above the hands of the four and slowly coming closer.
Suzu screamed. "What are they doing?!" she gasped.  The
sphere made contact with her body, right over her heart.
It began to enter her body.  
	"Do not panic," Yvonne told them calmly. "It will
stay there until you need it.  Do not worry...it will come
out and take it's form when it is needed and it will retract
and re-enter your bodies when it is not." 
	The four felt warmth flood them from their chests
as the spheres finished entering their bodies. Just as that
finished, Haruka T ran in, running her hand through her 
short hair.  She looked tired.
	"So far...Minami and Ryu are drawing energy from each
other...it's making them only slightly stronger..." Haruka
T sighed. "They were meditating together and their aura's
were both weak."
	"Where is Haruka S?" Yvonne asked.
	"He's with Lavender," Haruka T grinned. "I don't
know if she's awake yet...but Oni is sleeping."
	"I see...it's getting worse and I fear for my Beacons."
she whispered. "Haruka T...please go with the kindred souls."
	"What!?" Haruka T gasped. "High Priestess, you can't
be serious! I am needed here at at the palace-"
	"You are needed to guide them! They are our only chance
to defeat Khayyin.  No one else can guard them...Haruka T 
can take over your duties here while you are away." the woman
told him. "This is an order, Haruka T...not a request."
	Haruka T took a deep breath.  It was not often that 
the High Priestess stated an order rather than just ask them
to do as she pleased.  The red head looked down and nodded. 
"Yes, High Priestess...."
	"Excellent.  You are free to leave when you feel you 
are ready.  Just remember to watch out for the Beacons of
Khayyin...if not Khayyin himself." Yvonne reminded them.
	Haruka T bowed and turned to look at the other four
behind her. She lifted her chin high, in order to assert
leadership. "Are you all ready?" she asked them, her voice
stern.
	"Yes." the group echoed. Haruka T turned back to the
High Priestess.
	She bowed. "Good-bye, High Priestess Yvonne."
	"Good-bye...and good-luck."

	Khayyin laid on his bed.  He was staring up at
the cieling which was painted black.  The walls held
up dim, but glowing yellow crystals. 
	He looked at the mirror across from him and saw
his body stretched out on his bed.  His hair falling
over the dark, satin cushions. 
	"Are you all right?" a voice whispered cautiously
next to him.  He looked to his right and saw that Rowina
was waking up.  She looked at him with dark eyes. "Are
you contemplating Yvonne's plans?"
	"I'm just considering how I should handle her when
I defeat her half hearted attempt to save her beacons.
Should I just kill her or make her a slave?  The 
posibilities are endless..." Khayyin mumbled.
	Rowina narrowed her eyes and leaned back down
against his chest, knowing that he wasn't telling the
truth.  *He's worried...he's doubting us...* she
thought to herself as she closed her eyes. *They're
coming...I know it.*

	Haruka T lead the group as she rode a gorgeous
white horse.  It had it's mane cut short, just like
the hair on it's tail to keep it clean cut.  Haruka T
had a black saddle with a blessing burned into the 
leather.
	Behind her, three horses carried the four kindred
souls.  Rion was riding calmly on a brown horse, speckled
with black spots on it's back legs.  Her eyes were glazed
over and the horse seemed to be controlling itself as she
dazed off.
	On her right, riding along side of her was Reshi
who seemed to be quiet and thinking about what he had
gotten into.  His glasses were gone and he looked concerned
for their future.  His horse was gray with white blotchs
here and there.
	On Rion's left was a brown horse with an aruging
duo on it.  The horse itself seemed to look slightly 
annoyed as Kaze, who sat in front, was barking orders
of silence to Suzu, who sat behind him, complaining about
how she could no longer feel her right butt cheek.
	"Will you just shut up!?" Kaze growled.
	"Hey, it wasn't my idea for me to sit back here,
was it?" Suzu snapped.
	"If you knew how to ride a horse, you'd have your
own!" Kaze hissed back.
	"Oh, yeah?" she growled. "Well, excuse me for being
a city girl!"
	"Stop holding me so tight! I can't move or manuver
the horse!" Kaze yelled.
	"I'll hold on as tight as I damn well please!" Suzu
yelled back.  She re-wrapped her arms around him, trying
to get a better grip.
	Kaze turned red. He closed his eyes and put his head
down, embaressed. "Please don't touch me there." he mumbled.
	Suzu's faced slowly turned scarlet as she realized
what he meant.  She let go quickly and moved her hand up
higher. "Sorry..."
	"Haruka T?" Reshi said.  He gently nudged the horse
closer to the red headed guardian.
	"What?" the woman said casually.
	"What will happen after we get the rings back?" Reshi
asked. "Will we be returned to our world?"
	"Only after you bring them back," Haruka T sighed.
She looked down. "However, I'm concerned...even if you are
able to retrieve the rings and return them to the Beacons,
they will still be weak."
	"Will they get weaker even though we're carrying them
back to them in our bodies?" Reshi asked.
	"No...they'll stop weakening, but their state will
remain the same," Haruka T explained. "Once the rings are in
their presence, they will strengthen.  The closer you get
to them with the rings, the stronger they will become. But
even once the rings are returned, they will still be weak
and I'm questioning their ability to transport themselves
to the Four Corners for the sealing."
	"What about the gate?" he asked again.
	"The Four Corners must be sealed first.  That will
strengthen the Beacons even more.  Then they will be able
to help us seal the Demon Gate and then Haruka S and I
can be able to seal Spirit Gate and guard it again," 
Haruka T told him. She grinned. "I will miss the palace,
however."
	"You can't return?"
	"Only for an emergency.  Haruka S and I were born
for the sole purpose of protecting that gate.  We will only
be replaced when we die.  And let's face it," she smiled.
"That won't be for a long time."
	Rion appeared on the other side of Haruka T's horse.
"So...you can't have any relationship...like a husband or
something because you'll end up living in the gate?"
	"We can...but...we'd hardly ever see that person,"
Haruka T sighed slowly. She looked up into the sky. "Not
that I have anyone in mind.  But Haruka S is in love with 
Lavender...and she won't give him the light of day.  Maybe
it's for the best.  I know the only reason she's like that
is because she doesn't want to commit to a man who'll leave
her as soon as his job returns.  Women are like that."
	"I have to agree with you there," Reshi sighed. "My
girlfriend, Reiko..." he blushed slightly, but frowned. "She
won't commit to me.  I mean, we're together and all that
offically, but...she knows that my first love has always
been historical stuff and that I want to be an archelogist.
And she doesn't want to travel or anything..."
	Rion paid close attention to him.  Was he starting
to doubt his long relationship with the 'older woman'?  
She felt a slight chance of hope, but quickly dismissed
it. She knew that they had been together for a long time,
and even Kaze had told her to stay away from them.  So
she refused to believe any sign of wavering in the 
relationship.
	Meanwhile, behind them, Kaze and Suzu were at
each other's throats. "Rion! Rion, let me ride with
you!" Suzu yelled from behind her.
	"No, Suzu...I...I need to think..." the brunette
replied.
	"Hah, even your best friend doesn't want you,"
Kaze began.  His comment was soon followed by a sound
of pain. "Ow! What the hell!?"
	Rion rolled her eyes and Reshi looked back with
an amused smile on his face.  "You little prick!!"
Suzu growled as she stretched out his face with her
hands.
	"Oh boy..." Haruka T grumbled to herself. "This
is going to be one hell of a long trip."

	"Where is the Master?" Red fox asked as he 
sat crosslegged in his place a top a pillow.  It was
floating in the dark abyss along with three other
pillows.  
	Rowina sat on the red pillow to Red Fox's right.
Across from her sat Jana on a black pillow.  To the
left of Jana was JCL on a blue pillow.  The pillows
began to slowly go around in a circle as the four
talked.
	"He is planning some tests to find out the
strength of the Beacon's kindred souls." Rowina reported.
	"So, he's ignoring you, Rowina?" Jana asked
with a sly grin.  
	Rowina shot her a deadly look.  "No," she hissed.
"He's just planning for the worst."
	"I don't see why that's necessary," JCL sighed
in a bored tone. "We're going to destroy those rookies
anyway."
	"Don't underestimate them," Red Fox told him.
"You never know what they will do."
	"Do we at least know when they will arrive?"
JCL asked. "Providing they get past the Master's 
'tests'?"
	"Two moons, perhaps?  They are on horse back,
therefore I speculate sooner." Rowina answered.
	"That includes their rests at night?" Jana
asked.
	"That includes them." Rowina answered again.
	"Why should we wait for them to come here?
Why can't we just go ahead and attack them before
they reach us and get rid of them once and for
all?" JCL questioned.
	"We must follow the Master's orders," Red Fox
told the other man casually. "He knows what's best."
	JCL mumbled something under his breath and
crossed his arms. Rowina narrowed her eyes at him.
"What did you say?" she asked quickly.
	"Nothing." he hissed back.  He jumped off
his pillow and left the abyss for his room.  
	"He better not try anything stupid," Jana
said as she slid off her pillow. "The fool doesn't
realize that if we split up now, our powers weaken."

	"How much further?" Suzu grumbled as she 
fell on her make shift sleeping bag.  She groaned
and buried her face in the pillow that she was
provided with. "I hate this..."
	"Awww...what's the matter?" Kaze mocked as he
sat down next to her and made faces. "Is the little
princess tired?"
	That earned him a pillow to the face as Suzu
pinned him to the ground with her tiny body and 
tried to suffocate him by putting the pillow over his
face. 
	"Oh geez..." Rion mumbled as she watched them
from where she sat by the fire that Haruka T and
Reshi were trying to create.
	"I seriously think he's losing air this
time, Suzu," Reshi told her quietly. "Maybe...um...
maybe you should stop and let him go."
	"Oh, non-sense," Suzu said as she continued
to struggle with Kaze under her. "He's FINE...he's...
stop moving!...one of those...you better not be 
drooling on my pillow!!!...people who just don't
quit."
	Kaze was trying his best to squirm away from 
her, but found that the pillow was cutting off his
air supply.  He resorted to what he considered
'forbidden'.  His arms reached up and grabbed Suzu's
chest.  
	Time seemed to stop as Suzu froze.  Suddenly,
a scream echoed through the valley they were in.  
Rion, Reshi, and Haruka T all turned and gasped in
surprise.  Kaze took his hands off and tore the
pillow, which Suzu let go off in her scream, off his
face.
	"Hah! Take tha-" *SMACK*.  Before he could finish
his sentence, his nose was bleeding and Suzu's fist was
was preparing for another hit. "AHH!"
	Suzu slammed her fist into his eye, sending a
shock of pain rushing through him.  "Suzu!" Rion screamed.
She ran over and grabbed her friend tearing her away from
the aqua haired prey.
	"I'm going to KILL that mother fu-" 
	"Suzu, calm down!" Rion gasped as she held back a
furious Suzu. 
	"I was totally pure! Untouched by men until now!"
Suzu hissed. "I'm going to kick his ASS!!!"
	The pink haired girl tried to leave Rion's grasp,
but found her too strong.  Meanwhile, Reshi was tending
to his bleeding friend.  "Oh my, God..." Kaze gasped as
Reshi wiped away his blood. "Dammit, Suzu!"
	"You started it!"
	"What do you mean?  You didn't have to hit me!" 
Kaze retorted, nearly shoving Reshi away as he sat up
straight.
	"You GRABBED my...my..." Suzu was still red as
she motioned to her breasts. "YOU PERVE!"
	"Me!? Whose the one who started to suffocate 
people, huh?  I had no choice!" Kaze growled back in
his defense.
	"Like hell you did!" Suzu hissed. "How dare you
even consider for a second TOUCH something sacred to
a woman!?"
	"Sacred!?  Hey, who was the one that grabbed me
while we were riding the horse?!  Tell me, Suzu? Who
was it?" Kaze yelled back.
	"Oh, I get it," Suzu said, Rion finally letting
her go.  "You did this to get back at me? It was all
revenge huh?  Did you plan all that out yourself, Kaze?
You sick little dog...you planned this out from the
beginning huh?"
	"I did not!" Kaze yelled.  
	"Okay, you two," Haruka T said as she stepped
in. "That's enough from either of you.  Suzu, you're
riding with me the rest of the and Kaze you stay
away from her."
	Suzu stuck her tongue at Kaze.  Haruka T continued.
"And Suzu...you stop provoking Kaze." This time, Kaze
stuck his tongue at her.
	"Will you two grow up," Rion sighed. "We're in
something serious here!"
	"I know that," Kaze said as he passed Rion, his right
eye now swollen. "Tell that to the boxer."
	"You know what Kaze, just fu-" 
	"Suzu!" Rion said. "Stop it." She tugged the pink
haired girl away and sat her down across from Kaze, the
fire between them.  
	Haruka T took out some rations and was about to 
prepare them, when something caught the corner of her eye.
She froze.
	"Haruka T?" Rion whispered. "Are you all right?"
	Haruka T slowly drew herself out of her trance and
nodded. "Yes...yes, I'm fine...I just...thought..."
	"Thought...?" Rion encouraged.
	"Nothing," Haruka T answered.  "Never mind." Rion
studied her face and looked down, trying to dismiss the
thought that Haruka T was hiding something.
	The red haired guardian merely continued to squat
down and cut the vegetables.  She tossed them into the
put above the fire one by one.
	Suddenly, a dark flash caught their eyes and Haruka
S gave out a grunt.  "OhmiGod!" Suzu screamed.  She stepped
back, recoiling in horror.  Haruka T was on the ground, her
hands against the paws of a black wolf.
	It's eyes glowed an eerie red and it seemed to be
made of of the shadows.  However, it's teeth looked real
enough...as well as the drool that flew out of it's mouth
as it snarled at the struggling Haruka T.  She kicked it
off long enough for her to grab her staff and hold it 
above her, blocking the dog from biting into her.
	"Someone help her!" Rion screamed.
	"How!?" Kaze yelled back as he turned Suzu to have her
back to the struggling Haruka T.
	"I don't-ah!" Next to Rion, Reshi was thrown the
ground as another demon wolf heaved him up and tossed him
back down.  Reshi looked up as he struggled to have his
arms lift him up.  
	The snarling wolf was turning and heading back
at him. "RESHI!" Kaze yelled in horror.
	The wolf's mouth was wide open, trails of saliva 
flying from it's mouth.  It leaped into the air.  Rion
saw the paralyzed and terrifed looks on Kaze and Suzu.
	She looked back at the blue haired young man on
the ground, covering his head in a desperate attempt
to save himself from the jaws of the demon.  
	Rion raised her right arm in the air as a warmth
swept through her.  Her heart beated with the glow of
a white light.  It rose from her chest to her arm and to
her hand. It gathered in her palm and her fingers closed
around it.
	It solidified and created a green disc.  Rion brought
her arm across her chest, getting ready to fling the disc
forward.  Gold leaves emerged from the edges and she threw
the disc straight at the wolf as it was about to land on
Reshi.
	"AHHH!!!" Suzu's scream rang in the air.  The disc
sliced through the wolf and the creature's body dissolved
in the night air.
	Reshi, after feeling no pain, looking up.  He saw 
nothing above him.  The disc turned and flew back towards
Rion.  The brown haired girl realized what she had done
and opened her mouth to scream as the disc returned.  She
had no idea how to catch it.  It slowed down as it returned
to her and re-entered her chest.  
	Her arms were at her sides in amazement.  Reshi
slowly stood up and looked at her, his hair was a mess,
but he was alive.  To him, that was what was important.
"Rion..." he gasped. He smiled brillantly. "Thank you!"
	"Hey, no problem!" Rion said, blushing madly.  She
smiled.
	In front of her Reshi took a step back and gasped.
"Rion, watch out!" he yelled.  He grabbed her by the
shoulders and pulled her down with him.  A growl was
heard passing over them as they looked back up.
	Another demon wolf was staring them in the face.
"Re...shi..." Rion whispered quietly, her voice shaking.
	Reshi narrowed his eyes. "Not this time!" He yelled.
He raised his arm up, just las Rion did.  The same white
light that ran up the arm from the chest in Rion repeated
itself in Reshi.  Over, as it came out of his hand, it
continued to rise until a blade was formed and the light
vanished.  
	He put the sword in front of him and stood in front 
of Rion protectively.  "Reshi! What are you doing!?"
	"Hey, you're my friend! You saved my life, I owe you!"
he yelled.
	"You're crazy!"
	"About you!" he yelled back.  Rion gasped and her
eyes grew large.  
	"Wha...?" she gasped.  
	The wolf growled and eyed the ice blade that Reshi
hand in his hands.  It shimmered like the placid water in
a lake.  The wolf continued to look at the blade as if
wondering if it could beat it or not. 
	It took a final growl and then began to run towards
them.  It lept into the air and Reshi gave a yell.  He
swung the sword down, vertically.
	*Whoa!* he thought to himself. *It's like slicing
through cold air...* The blade cut through the demon
like a hot knife through butter.  Reshi gasped for
air from the rush he just had and looked back at Rion
with a smile.
	"Haruka T!?" Suzu was yelling.  Their attentioned
turned from each other to the pink haired girl. She
was standing over the coughing Haruka T.  The demon
wolf that was on her was go, probably destroyed by her
hands.
	"What where they!?" Kaze gasped.  Haruka T stood
up and wiped her brow.
	"Wait." she stated.  She closed her eyes and
concentrated on listening.  A cool breeze swept through
their camp and the flame in the camp fire moved.  She
opened her eyes after a while and looked around. 
	"Haruka T?" Rion asked.
	"Those were shadow wolves," Haruka T told them.
"They were demons that were summoned by a negative
energy source..."
	"Meaning...?" Kaze asked.  
	Haruka T gave them a morbid look. "Khayyin sent
them...as a test."
	"WHAT!?" the gasped. "Whoa...why?  Why just a
test?"
	"He wants to see what you have learned from the
Beacons," Haruka T explained. She looked at Reshi and
Rion. "And by you two showing that you can wield the
weapons of the two beacons you learned from."
	"Do you think that we can?" Suzu asked. "Wield
the weapons that is...? Since Reshi and Rion were able
to?"
	"We can't be sure, Haruka T told her. She looked
up at the dark sky. "I hope so."

	"That's right Haruka T," Khayyin said to himself
as he looked into a mirror that was flat on the table.
It's elaborate gold borders were tarnished with dirt
from the years of handling.  The mirror, however, was
still as perfect as the day the first High Priest forged
it from his magic hands.  "You're not as dumb as you
look, guardian..."
	He continued to watch them through the mirror.
Haruka T raised her middle finger at the sky and yelled
curse words at him, fully aware that he was watching
them.  
	He sneered at the mirror. "The little bitch..."
he grumbled. "That male wanna be...I'll fix you when
you arrive here..."
	He turned his back to the mirror and his reflection
returned instead of the view of the kindred souls. Khayyin
opened a cabinet that was embedded in the darkness of
his room.  He ran his fingers gently across the spines of
dozens of leather bound books.  
	Khayyin's sinister eyes gazed their titles for the
book he was searching for.  Three copies exsisted, as far
as he knew.  One was for the High Priest, the position he
held before the demon entered his heart.  One was for
the High Priestess, meaning it was in the hands of Yvonne
at her palace.
	The original copy disappeared so long ago, it's
very exsistance was questioned.  Khayyin wanted that original
copy.  The legend stated that the original copy contained
the spells the ancients used and were banned when the newer
versions of the book was created. 
	He found the spell book and took it out of it's shelf.
He blew over the cover, sending the dust flying into
the darkness.  He ran his hand over the title.  It was burned
into the book and then filled in with gold. It had been
stolen from the hands of different High Priests several times
as well as been been abused.  
	Khayyin remembered the last time he had taken a 
look at the book.  He had put it with his collection of
other spell books, but the last time he looked at it was
when he was dubbed the new High Priest.
	The code of the High Priest was inbedded in this
version, as the code of the High Priestess was inbedded in
Yvonne's.  By reading the code, he could tell why he 
truly wasn't qualified to be the High Priest.
	"Undying faith..." he mumbled as he read the text.
"Love for his people...strength from his heart and his
mind..." He took the book and tossed it aside violently.
He slammed his fist against the cabinet and and took
a deep breath. He looked up at his face in the mirror
to his left. "No vanity..." He touched his face in the
mirror. "I broke all the rules of the High Priest..."
he said.  "All because of my gorgeous face."
	"I foresaked the people of Adona because of this
face...I'm killing because of this face..." he said
as he looked at himself.  "No vanity...did they really
think I was strong enough to put aside my vanity for
my position?  Did I fool them all into thinking that?"
	His handsome face distorted in the mirror, a dark
image now looking back at him.  He jumped back in 
surprise, but knew the face well.  "You have your beauty,"
the being in the mirror told him. "What else could you 
want?"
	"I don't know..." Khayyin whispered back.
	"You wished to have your beauty for eternity and
I gave it to you," it said. "Without me, you would have
turned ugly and aged..." the image disappeared and
replaced itself with an image of Khayyin slowly ageing
from his youthful good looks to the wrinkled face of
age. "Is that what you wanted?"
	"NO!" Khayyin growled. "I don't to age!!!"
	"Then you have your wish..." the creature hissed
as it reappeared in the mirror. "You're not aging...
neither are your Beacons.  With them alive you will
be strong and handsome forever.  Isn't that what
you wanted?"
	"Yes..." Khayyin sighed in disappointment at himself.
	"That is what I thought..." the creature hissed one
last time.  The image in the mirror disappeared slowly 
and the reflection of Khayyin was there again.
	He thought about his choices in life as he looked
at his now shaken reflection.  What had appeared in the
mirror earlier was a demon.  The demon that he let enter
him for the sole purpose of keeping his beauty.

	"Vanity," Yvonne said as she sat on the bed next
to Lavender.  She put a damp towel on her forehead. 
"That is a weakness in any one.  Vanity, whether it
be about one's looks or wisdom can be one's downfall."
	"Understandably." Lavender gasped out quietly.
	"Now on to more important things," Yvonne said
as she took the towel off of Lavender's head and dried
it with a dry towel. "Haruka S."
	"What about him?" Lavender asked quietly. 
	"You know what I mean..." Yvonne persisted. "You
know how much he cares about you."
	"He's just infatuated.  That'll pass soon." she
assured Yvonne as she turned her head away.
	"For years?" Yvonne asked in disbelief of her words.
"It's obvious...everyone knows it.  I bet even the kindred
souls are aware of his feelings towards you." 
	"High Priestess," Lavender said as strongly as she
could. "It may be true that he is affectionate towards 
me-"
	"Affectionate?" Yvonne gasped in faked laughter.
"That's an understatement.  He's head over heels in love
with you.  I know you understand and know that, Lavender,
so please...before he leaves, give him a direct answer.
Follow what your heart says.  Don't just brush him off
like this...he's never loved someone more than you.  He
deserves to know how it feels to love someone before
he leaves."

	Rion sat in the water next to Suzu, who was 
chatting vigorously with Haruka T.  Her mind was in
another place, contemplating what Reshi had told her
earlier.  
	"You're crazy!"
	"About you!"
	*Did he really say that...?* she thought to 
herself. *Or am I just loosing it and dreamed it all
up?*  She was dazing off and suddenly, a jab at
her rib snapped her out of her daze. 
	She turned to see Suzu looking at her in a 
concerned way.  At that, she turned bright red and
Suzu instantly knew WHAT Rion had been thinking off.
	"I see..." Suzu mumbled. "You're already 
here with the guy...you don't have to have some
sick day dream of him any more."	
	"Suzu!!" Rion gasped, bluishing more that 
ever. "I...I wasn't-"
	"Sure..." Suzu said as she ran her hand
through her straight pink hair.  It clung to her
head and was darker than usual because it was wet.
Suzu crossed her arms and gave her a disapproving
sigh. "I can't believe you...you used to be such
a good, hormone-less girl...now..." Suzu gave
a sigh. "Now, I don't know what to think." She gave
a fake gasp and sob and then giggled.
	"Shut up..." Rion grumbled as she turned her
head away.  Haruka T was getting out of the inlet
where they were bathing.
	"I'm going to change...do you think you two
will be all right?" Haruka T asked. 
	"We'll be fine," Suzu said. "Don't worry...
we'll scream if anything happens."
	Haruka T raised one of her eye brows in 
question and sighed as she continued to leave
the inlet. "Let's just hope I don't hear a scream."
	After she left, Rion looked at Suzu. "What
about you and Kaze, huh?  Getting all physical."
	"Physical!?" Suzu growled, anger flooding her
veins. "Since when!?"
	"You grabbed his-"
	"It was an accident!!" Suzu insisted, turning
red at the memory of it. "I swear!!!"
	"Then what about when he grabbed your-"
	"He's a pervert! You never know what those
perves will do!" Suzu insisted once more.  She earned
a disbelieving look from Rion.
	The brunette grinned and leaned against the
rocks behind them. "Maybe you were right earlier."
	"About what?" Suzu asked, confused.
	"Maybe Kaze did plan it all out from the beginning
and he just wanted to grope you," Rion snickered. 
"After all, you are one of the most popular girls in
the school."
	Suzu flushed, turning a shade of red beyond 
the color of Haruka T' hair. "That has nothing to do with
it! He's just one big pervert," she leaned closer to
Rion. "Although, I think you should watch out.  After
all Kaze and Reshi HAVE been friends for a LONG time..."
	"So now Reshi's a pervert, too?" Rion asked, 
raising her eyebrow in question.
	Suzu shrugged. "You never know..."
	"Hey! Are you two done there yet!?" a voice
yelled behind the line of rocks that created the inlet.
It was Kaze's impatient voice. "Dammit, I wanna take
a bath, too!!!"
	"Shut up!!" Suzu yelled. "You can wait, you jerk!"
	"Why are you girls taking so long anyway?" Kaze
persisted.
	"Kaze...let them take their time..." Reshi's
quiet voice said behind him.
	"No way, I'm tired.  I want to take a quick swim
before I go to bed." Kaze replied.  	
	"We better get dried up and change before Kaze
takes matters into his own hands and jumps in here."
Rion said.  She began to make her way to the edge
across from them where their clothes were.  Kaze and
Reshi were behind them, on the other side of the rocks.
	"You can do what you want, but I'm not done,"
Suzu said.  She kicked off from the rock and began to
swim in a little cirle in the cramped inlet. "I'm 
going to enjoy this moment before we're attacked again."
	"Suzu, really..." Rion sighed. She grabbed Suzu's
arm and dragged her to the shore to dry off.  A few
moments later, Suzu and Rion emerged from behind the rocks,
fully clothed. "It's all yours!" 
	"Thank you, girls!" Reshi said as he began to make
his way around the rock bend.
	"About time..." Kaze said with a smug grin as 
Suzu passed him.  She turned around, kicked him in the
back of the leg and took off running. "Hey!" Kaze
turned around, gripping his leg.  By the time he turned
around, Suzu was far away, arms in the air as she ran
back to the camp. "Creepy little..."
	"Kaze...shut up and take the damn bath already!"

	Rowina peeked into Khayyin's room.  He was 
gone, down in the room, watching the energy collect
from the High Priestess' Beacons.  
	The dark haired Rowina slipped into his room,
her long dark gown trailing behind her.  It was
the darkest shade of red, the color of dry blood.
It was sleeve and collarless, becoming a hatler at
her chest.  It showed off her pale, sloping shoulders.
Her neck had a black, obsidian ring around it.
	Her dark hair was down and she knelt down by
a fallen book. "What are you doing?" a voice barked
behind her.  Rowina jumped and turned around quickly.
	Leaning against the entry way of the room was
a black dressed Jana.  The other woman's dress
covered her entire body, including her hands.  Her
face was the only skin peeking out. "Jana! I didn't
hear you."
	"That was the plan," the other woman said. "So,
what are you doing in the Master's chambers?  Waiting
for him to return?"
	"None of your business." Rowina hissed back.
	Jana grinned slightly. "Come now, you can tell
me...do you think I'm still jealous because he picked
you over me?"
	"No, I never thought that," Rowina answered,
lying to Jana. "I should be asking you what your 
business here is."
	"Humph..." Jana smiled slowly, a sly smile.
"So you are snooping in the Master's room?  Why...
are you afraid he's cheating on you?"
	"Shut the hell up!" Rowina growled viciously.
"What is between him and I is none of your business!
You leave this area at once or I'll tell the Master!"
	Jana raised her hands up in defense. "Fine...
suit it yourself..." Jana stepped back slowly and
turned around to leave. "By the way...that book you
were about to pick up...It's the Sacred Book of Adona.
It holds the spells in Adona and that particular
version was specifically made of the High Priests'
use."
	"Why...why does Khayyin have it?" Rowina whispered.
	Jana continued to walk towards the exit. She
slowed down, knowing that she caught Rowina's attention.
"Don't you remember?  Before all this happened?  Khayyin
WAS the High Priest of Adona."
	Jana left and Rowina stood there.  She thought for
a moment and realized...she couldn't remember anything
past a few years ago.  How could Jana remember, but not
her? She didn't know how long she stood there, frozen
in time, lost in her thought.
	A voice cut through her thoughts and she snapped
back into reality.  Khayyin was at his dresser, taking
off his heavy day robe.  "Rowina?" he called again. He
turned around and saw her looking at him.
	She offered him a smile. "I'm sorry...I was just
thinking."
	"Ah..." he said.  He walked over to her and put
his hands on her shoulders. "Figuring out a way to 
destroy those Beacons already, eh?"
	"Khayyin..." Rowina whispered as he bent down 
and began to kiss her neck. "Khayyin...why can't I
remember anything past a few years ago?"
	Khayyin stopped.  He lifted his head from the
base of her neck and looked at her. "What do you mean?"
	"I...I can't remember anything past a few
years ago...and I don't know why." she told him cautiously.
	Khayyin looked down at her.  "Dammit..." he hissed.
He shoved her aside and headed for one of the mirrors.
"Stay there!" he ordered. Khayyin stood in the mirror where
the demon appeared earlier.  "Where are you!?" he hissed.
"Show yourself! I have a question!!"
	"What do you want...?" a low voice hissed as a 
dark being appeared in the mirror.  
	"Why doesn't she remember!?" Khayyin growled as
he gripped the edge of the mirror that hung next to the
spell book cabinet. "Why doesn't she remember anything
past a few years ago!?"
	"You wanted her to love you," the demon answered
simply. "You wanted her to love no one, and nothing
else, but you...don't you remember."
	"Yes, I remember! But what does that about to do
with her not remembering anything!?" Khayyin growled.
	Behind him, Rowina watched as her Master yelled
at the mirror.  She looked past him and saw his reflection
in the mirror.  She tilted her head, confused.
	"In order to have her love no one and nothing else
but you, I had to wipe out memories of her childhood,
her family, and everything else she loved. All she remembers
now is how much she loves you.  That is all she knows."
the demon answered.
	Khayyin's face paled.  The demon disappeared and
he turned back to look at Rowina.  The woman looked back
at him.  He put his hands on her shoulders gently and
pulled her against him. "I'm sorry..." He whispered.  
Rowina felt his hand on her head, gently caressing her
hair.  "I'm so sorry..."
	
	JCL looked out his window of the Shadow Palace.
"Hey," a voice said behind him.  He didn't have to 
turn around to know who it was.  Red Fox continued to
make his way towards the restless individual. "You
better not try anything drastic."
	"Don't warn me about trivial things like that,"
JCL snapped. "I don't like this...just waiting for
them to strike...we should take care of them before
they reach us and eliminate them!"
	"So you think that you alone will stop four
of them AND the guardian?" Red Fox scoffed.  "You're
dreaming."
	"Then join me," JCL said casually.  He leaned
against the window frame. "Or are you afraid?"
	"Only of betraying the Master's orders." Red
Fox said. 
	"Forget the Master," JCL hissed. "He's nothing
but a vain pervert anyway."
	"So the truth comes out," Red Fox grinned.  He
crossed his arms. "You're bitter."
	"Why would I be bitter?"
	Red Fox gave a laugh. "Don't be blind...we all
know why you dislike the Master so..." Red Fox grinned.
"Rowina."
	"I couldn't care less what that bitch did!"
JCL grumbled. He turned to Red Fox with a hidieous
glare. "She's nothing more than an empty box."
	Red Fox laughed.  "A box that you once were 
willing to die for!" JCL turned his head away from
the other man. "Until she fell in love with Master
Khayyin, she would have been yours!"
	"She WAS mine!" JCL growled. "That son of a
bitch STOLE her from me!  You KNOW that!"
	"It's not like you did anything to stop him,"
Red Fox replied. "You didn't put up a fight with
him.  You let him take her away."
	"I was sworn to be his Beacon...just as you
were...just as Jana and Rowina both were!  I couldn't
betray him-"
	"But you let him betray you?"
	JCL jumped out of his place from the sill and
grabbed Red Fox's collar.  "Listen, you piece of
crap, you get out of my room.  I'll do as I damn
well please!" He shoved Red Fox away and stood
there, fists as his side, ready to defend himself at
all costs.  
	Red Fox slowly stepped back until he exited
JCL's room.  JCL looked at the door and then back
at the window.  

	"They're so weak..." Haruka S reported as he 
knelt down in front of the High Priestess. "Minami
can hardly keep her eyes open.  Oni can't move a
muscle and Ryu...he isn't even putting up his usual
fights."
	"And Lavender?" the High Priestess asked.  She
swept aside her long locks of blond hair. 
	Haruka S looked away. "She...she won't see me."
	"I see..." Yvonne answered.  She leaned back
on her throne and slowly straightened her long white
gown. Her eyes narrowed in determination. "Enter her
room by my orders.  Tell her to take it up with me
if she has problems with you, but don't take no for
an answer."
	"Are you sure, High Priestess?" Haruka S asked.
	Yvonne nodded. "Positive."

	"By tonight," Haruka T said as they rode through
a desert valley. "We'll reach the area where Khayyin
is based.  From our perspective, you will be able to
see the Shadow Palace."
	"Will we attack tonight, then?" Kaze asked.
	"No," Haruka T replied. "You all are far to tired.
I'll need you fresh and early in the morning.  However,
it is not safe for us in that area.  You all will have
to be on alert."
	"Will we be attacked?" Suzu asked from behind Kaze.
	"Yes..." Haruka T answered. She looked straight
ahead in an intense gaze. "Demons will attack us because
we are in their territory.  Do not let them influence
you.  Once they you allow them into your mind, they'll
enter your heart...from there, you will become one of
with them...and a demon yourself."
	"Couldn't you just get them out of us?" Suzu
asked.
	Haruka T nodded no. "In order to do that...we
would have to kill you." Suzu's eyes grew large. Kaze
leaned back and whispered something to her.
	"Don't worry...I'll save you." he grinned.  Suzu
knew what he meant and jabbed his stomach. "Hey...!"
he gasped.  He looked back her. "Stupid...I meant I
wouldn't allow that to happen."
	"Sure...like the thought of you 'killing' me
in order to 'save' me didn't cross your mind once." Suzu
mumbled.
	"Of course not!" Kaze gasped in false shock. He
turned back to the reins of the horse and grinned.
"It crossed my mind several times."
	Kaze felt her bite into his shoulder and he
yelled in pain. Rion, Reshi, and Haruka T ignored
them.  Reshi nudged his horse over to Rion. "They make
a good couple, huh?"
	"Those two?" Rion gasped.  She gave him a 
look of concern. "Are we watching the same two
people?"
	Reshi laughed. "Yes! Kaze is obvioiusly crazy
about Suzu!"
	"How can you tell through the screaming and
hitting?" Rion asked.
	Reshi smiled. "Kaze is usually a gentlemen to
girls...There have been only two women where he's
treated rude and jerk-like towards," Reshi looked
back at Kaze and Suzu who were calling each other
every single profaine word in the dictionary. 
"His ex-girlfriend, whom broke up with Kaze because
she found someone else, and now...Suzu." 
	"So...he acts like a jerk towards girls he
likes?" Rion asked to make sure.  Reshi nodded. Rion
looked back at the two. "Weirdo..."
	"Yeah, well...Kaze always liked the girls who
he could verbally spar with.  I was always the shy
one," Reshi admitted. "It's hard to believe that
I've been with Reiko this long."
	"Well," Rion smiled pleasantly, trying to hide
the hurt inside.  *Maybe what he said yesterday was
just in my head...* "You're one of the lucky ones!"
	"No..." Reshi whispered quietly.  "Can I tell
you something later, Rion?"
	Rion looked at him and nodded. "Yeah...of
course."

	They looked around their new setting.  It was
far different from the green and clean setting where
the High Priestess' palace was settled. Instead, it
was wasteland of ruins.  
	Villages were torn down, ruins of burnt down
homes and dead crops were all over the valley below
them.  It was wind swept and in the distance, they
could see a looming dark castle.
	"That's it," Haruka T told them. "That's
the Shadow Palace."
	"It's so dark...what's that stuff around it?"
Rion asked.  She motioned her hand towards the hazy
dark clouds that circled the palace like a dark wind.
	"Demons," Haruka T explained.  "They congregate
around the dark energy source...in this case, Khayyin."
	"Are they strong?" Reshi asked.
	"Not very...I'm assuming...there are a lot
of them and that could be a problem.  There are plenty
of weak demons which we could cut through easily...
it's the stronger demons that can take root in your
heart.  They're the ones that can turn you into a demon
and they're the ones I'm worried about." Haruka T
added.  
	"What...what did this use to be?" Suzu asked
quietly.  The cold wind that blew fiercely across
the mountain side made her shiver.  She squeezed Kaze
harder.
	"It used to be a farming area.  It's all gone
now...it was one of the first areas hit by Khayyin's
demon Beacons," Haruka T whispered. "I was born there,"
she mumbled quietly, looking to her left.  "This was
MY home."
	"Oh...Haruka T...I'm so sorry..." Rion whispered.
	"Don't be..." the guardian told them. "My family
has long been gone and I have gone through the process
of grief already.  All I can do now is perform my duty
to the best of my ability...that will bring honor to
the destruction of my family."
	"Whoa...someone had a speech ready..." Kaze mumbled
under his breath.  Suzu jabbed him again and glared at 
him.
	"Don't be insenstive!" she hissed in his ear. Kaze
nodded and looked down, slightly embaressed. 
	"We'll camp over there tonight," Haruka T told
them, her voice powerful and demanding.  She pointed to
a rock formation that could act as a wind break. "I
know this area well, so I'll go look for the wood for
the fire.  You four set up camp." 
	"Yes." they chorused. 

	"They're in the vicinity, Master," Red Fox reported.
as he stood in front of Khayyin's huge bedroom door.  
"Master!?"
	"I am aware!" Khayyin barked from within. "Send out
JCL to track them down."
	"Is that wise, Master?  You know how impatient he
gets." Red Fox questioned.
	"Just DO IT!" Khayyin growled.  Red Fox jerked his
head back the door.  Khayyin opened it enough so that
Red Fox was confronted with the half dressed body of his
leader. "Make sure he attacks them to find out how much
power they have then report back to me.  I will give you
orders on what to do then afterwards!" 
	"Yes, Master!" Red Fox said.  He bowed and looked up.
Behind Khayyin was a large canopy bed.  A sleeping 
Rowina was still fast asleep under the layers of blankets
and sheets.  Red Fox turned and ran to tell JCL his
orders.
	Khayyin slammed the door and stood there, one
hand against the door as he looked down, breathing with
anxiety.  
	"Master?" a voice asked from the bed.  He didn't
turn around. "Will they attack today?"
	"Yes..." Khayyin answered. "I must prepare."

	"JCL!" Red Fox yelled.  He slammed his fists on
the door of the other man's door.  "Dammit! Open the
door!"
	He stepped back and created an energy ball in his
hands.  The threw it at the door handle and pushed the
door open. His eyes scanned the empty room for any sign
of JCL. 
	The window was opened and the dark curtains blew
in the entering wind.  Red Fox walked over to the window
and looked outside.  He leaned over the edge and didn't
find any sign of JCL.  
	He turned around and saw the unmade bed and the 
clothes tossed carelessly on the floor.  JCL's favorite
necklace was gone.  It was a set of green beads strung
on a plastic wire.  Rowina had given it to him long
ago.  Red Fox narrowed his eyes.
	"The idiot left."

	The sun had long set, although, even when it was
up in the sky, the area was covered by thick clouds that
draped the valley in eternal darkness.  Rion sat up
and looked to her left.  Suzu was sleeping on her stomach,
her face facing her.  
	Suzu's pink hair was let loose for the night,
rather than in it's usual pig tails.  Next to her, Kaze
was asleep on his side, his front facing Suzu.  His 
aqua hair draped over the damp pillow.  It had originally
been Suzu's but, she spilled some water on it and Kaze
traded it when the girl went to get more water. 
	Haruka T was tending to the fire, still wide awake
despite the lateness. She didn't have look up to know
that Rion was awake. "He's waiting for you by the horses."
She told her casually.  
	Rion nodded.  She reached for her glasses and slid
them on.  She stood up, gently moving her blankets away
from her to get up.
	She made sure Suzu and Kaze were still asleep as
she scurried down the mountain side to where the horses
were sleeping.  Sitting on a rock, facing the horses,
was Reshi.  
	His blue hair swept around his face as the cold
wind cut down the mountain side.  "Hey," she whispered.
He turned around and welcomed her with a warm smile 
that made her forget about the cold.  "What did you want
to talk about?"
	"Have a seat," he told her kindly.  He moved over
on his rock and patted the area next to him.  Rion
sat down next to him and let her feet hang a few centimeters
away from the ground. She turned to look at him.  He
was staring off into space.  "I couldn't talk to 
Kaze about it...he'd have a much to bias opinion."
	"What is it about?" Rion asked casually.  She looked
down at Reshi's feet.  The tips of his shoes touched
the ground.  
	"Reiko," Reshi admitted.  Rion looked back at him
with a surprised look. Reshi was looking down, embaressed.
"See...if I had talked to Kaze, he wouldn't understand.
Reiko and he are very close.  The thing is, Reiko and
I have decided to break up."
	"But...didn't Kaze just say-"
	"Kaze doesn't know," Reshi cut her off.  He looked
up at the sky and leaned back against his arms. "We've
been together for a long time...I don't even remember
when it started.  All I know is that over the years we
started going our different ways.  We began to find that
we were less and less alike.  A month ago, we broke up.
Both of us agreed not to tell Kaze yet, since he would
do everything in his power to stop it."
	"Why would she want to break up with you?" she
asked him.
	He laughed quietly and looked at her with an
amused smile. "Why does SHE have to be the one that
breaks up with ME?" he laughed. "No...I broke up with
her.  We figured it was for the best.  I found out
the night you came to help with the book that she
had a new boyfriend.  I figured that I should tell
Kaze then.  I...I just haven't had a chance yet."
	"What do you think he'll say?" she asked.  
Rion re-adjusted the glasses that were sliding down
her nose.
	"He won't like it...but it's not up to him,"
Reshi sighed.  He looked at her with an intense
look. He had the faintest blush on his face.  The
darkness made it nearly invisable.  "I like you."
	"Me?" she mumbled, looking back at him with
confused eyes.
	"Yes," Reshi said. "You're the kind of girl I
can see myself with.  Very understanding...kind...
patient..." Reshi's blue eyes were drawing Rion in,
making her gravitate towards him.  Their eyes never
left each other. "Smart...funny..." She could feel
his breath on her face.  "Beautiful..." 
	Their foreheads were touching as they tilted
their faces to opposite sides slowly.  Rion closed
her eyes.  She could feel Reshi's lips about to
touch hers. "Do you like me?" he asked her quietly,
his lips nanometers away from hers.
	"Yes..." she gasped out quietly. "A lot..."
He closed in.
	"That's disgusting!" a voice growled above
them.  That made them jump apart, flustered and
red.  Rion turned her head away from him and tried
to fix her hair.  Reshi looked up.
	"Who the hell...?" Reshi gasped, looking up
at the figure above them.  
	"I am the Priest of the East!" the voice
growled again.  Lighting behind Reshi and Rion
illuminated his face.  It was contorted in anger.
	Rion noticed that he could have been handsome,
had he looked kinder, but it was obvious that he
was enraged.  "That's not possible!" Reshi yelled
back, jumping up and standing in front of Rion.
"The Priest of the East is RYU!"
	"I'm not one of High Priestess Yvonne's
Beacons!" the man yelled.  He grinned, as he 
crossed his arms.  The wind around him caused
his black, button up coat to blow around him.
It started at his neck and finished buttoning
at his thighs.  The coat itself reached his 
ankles.  His pants were black, and his boots that
reached his knees were just as dark.  "I am one of
High Priest Khayyin's Beacons!"
	Reshi and Rion's eyes grew large. "Haruka T!!"
Rion screamed as loud as she could.  
	"Shut up!" he yelled.  His dark brown hair
was let loose and reached past his shoulders.  It
was straight.  He raised his arms and water began
to swirl around his arm.  Only the water that
was being created was black.
	"JCL!" Haruka T growled behind them, above
them on the hill. She held her staff in her arms.
"So, Khayyin's sent you as his first wave of 
attack, huh!?" she yelled.  She held her staff
horizontally in front of her with both hands.  It
began to glow red and fire swirled out of it, 
circling the ivory material of the staff. 
	"The fire guardian!" JCL gasped.  He grinned.
"It doesn't matter! You've been out of practice
for a good long while, haven't you, Haruka T?"
	"Not long enough to save your ass!" Haruka
T yelled.  She threw her right arm back.  Her right
hand held the staff.  She paused, then threw her arm
forward again, pointing the staff up in teh air.
	A zig-zag flame flew from the staff and headed
for JCL.  He crossed his arms over his face and
threw them out.  As he did so, a water shield appeared
before him.  
	The flame was re-directed around him and didn't
touch him. "SHIT!" Haruka T swore.  
	"What's going on!?" Kaze yelled.  He had just
arrived behind Haruka T with Suzu.  They looked up. 
Suzu, whose hair was still down, screamed.
	"Not again!" Suzu yelled. She looked down the
mountain side and saw Reshi and Rion. "Kaze!" she yelled.
She tugged on his shirt sleeve and pointed down at
the other two.
	"What the hell are they doing down there!?" Kaze
gasped. 
	"It doesn't matter!" Suzu yelled. "My friend is
down there and that maniac is up there wanting to kill
her!" Suzu lifted up her arm.  A white light from her
chest rose up her arm and appeared in her hand. It
formed a set of long red pins.  They seemed like
chop sticks, only shiny, metalic, and sharp. Two were
between each finger.
	"And what exactly is that supposed to accomplish!?"
Kaze hissed.  Saw Suzu move one set of four pins to
her other hands.  She crossed her arms and stepped back
a few steps.  She began to run and jumped up.  
	Suzu threw her arms out, sending the red pins flying.
in mid-air, they turned into a flaming pins.  Rion and
Reshi watched as Suzu's pins managed to go around JCL's
shield and cut him up. 
	"All right!" Rion yelled. "Great jog, Suzu!"
	"I can do better." Kaze said.  He repeated the same
motions that Suzu did and the white light created a medium
sized baton in his arms.  It had the light feeling of
wood, however, it was silver.  He threw it at JCL. 
	"Oh yeah, very impressive..." Suzu grumbled. "You
threw a stick at him."  
	"That can't possibly be it..." Kaze mumbled.  They
watched as the silver baton spun in a horizontal circle.
A whistling could be heard in the air and the baton began
to turn into a ball of air.  Kaze grinned, happy it at
least did something.
	The air ball quickened it speed and slammed into JCL.
It knocked Khayyin's priest back.  JCL shook his head.
He looked down at the five below with an angry look. 
	"You haven't seen anything yet!" JCL growled.
	"Go ahead!" Kaze yelled back. "We can take you!"
	"Don't provoke him!" Suzu hissed.  
	Reshi arrived, running up the hill.  He was dragging
Rion by the hand behind him.  "Haruka T...was he sent to 
kill us?"
	"Who knows," Haruka T replied. She took a defensive
position. "But that Khayyin is pretty stupid to send just
ONE person...reguardless of their rank or power, come to
take on the five of us!"
	"I don't need the others to finish you off!" JCL
yelled. "I can take you all on!"
	"Foolish Beacon!" Haruka T yelled back. "You won't
win!"
	"I sure as hell will!!" JCL growled.  He put his
hands forward and sent out a thick and strong beam of 
water.  It slammed into the mountain side just below
the five.  The ground beneath them shook from the force.
	"A landslide!" Suzu yelled.  She fell back on her
butt as the ground began to slide down.  The horses awoke
and took off running in all directions.  
	Haruka T tried to keep her balance using her staff,
but like the others, fell.  Rion clung on to the dirt
as she slide downwards ahead of her friends.  
	"Rion!" Reshi yelled.  He grabbed her arm and tried
to pull her up higher, where he was.  The land proved
too strong and he slid slower to where Rion was.
	"AHHH!!!" Suzu's voice could be heard screamed.  Rion
and Reshi looked up.  Rion's eyes grew large and she 
screamed in horror.
	Suzu's body was being drawn under the moving 
dirt.  "SUZU!!!" Rion screamed.  
	"Shit!" Kaze yelled.  He was higher than all of
them.  Haruka T was too absorbed in attacking JCL
as she slid down the mountain side that she didn't
even hear Suzu's screaming. 
	"SUZU!!!" Rion yelled again.
	Suzu's head was being drawn under and her arms
were in the air, flaring for help.  Kaze rolled his
eyes. *I'm going to regret this...* he thought to 
himself. Kaze dove towards Suzu and grabbed her hand.
Her panicking fingers wrapped around his and he tugged
hard.  
	Her head poked through the moving dirt and she
gasped for air.  Kaze tugged again, this time grabbing
her arm with his other hand and pulling her up.
He managed to pull her against him and she clung on
to him, caughing and choking on dirt.
	Just as she began to catch her breath, the ground
finally reached the floor of the valley.  They stood up
as quick as they could.  Suzu was still leaning heavily
against Kaze.
	"Combine your attacks!" Haruka T ordered.
	"Let me...HUFF...breath...GASP...first!!" Suzu 
gasped.  She wiped the dirt off her face and looked
up angrily at JCL.
	"I guess it's now or never!" Reshi yelled. He
took a step back and prepared to attack. "Let's see
if we can fight, too!"
	"I'm all for that!" Kaze added.  He gently
pushed Suzu away and put his hands together.  His
hands assumed a prayer position and he pulled them
apart quickly. 
	A silver beam appeared and he grabbed it with his
right hand. He moved it around in a circle and until
the beam created a glowing silver circle.  "Western...
Thunder!" he yelled.  The silver glowing grew more
intense.  Energy crackled around the ring and a small
circle appeared in the center.  It collected energy
from around it.  The circle shot out a thick beam of
energy at JCL.
	"SHIT!" JCL yelled.  The beam hit him and he
fell back.  He put his hands forward and tried to 
battle Kaze's beam with his water based beam attack.
	"NO!" Kaze yelled.  His hands were on either
side of the energy ring, powering the beam.  He
concentrated on focusing his energy to support the
attack.  His beam was being pushed back by JCL's
water attack.
	Reshi stood by his friend's side and made
a cross in the air with his hand.  When he finished,
the cross turned blue and he put his hand in the center.
He pulled the light back and aimed for JCL.  
"Sacred Eastern Water Attack!!!"  He opened
his hand the the blue energy spiraled towards the
enemy.
	"Excellent!" Haruka T said, smiling.  She narrowed
her eyes and grinned at JCL.  "Time to say good-bye!
And don't worry! Your fellow Beacons and Khayyin will
join you in hell soon!" Haruka T made sure that JCL
was struggling to fight back the two attacks.  She
lifted her staff and moved it in the same way she did
earlier. 
	The zig-zagging flame cut through the night sky 
and slammed into JCL's body.  The triple attack, pushed
him back and his body gave out on him.  His attack
ceased and Reshi and Kaze's attack impaled him in the
stomach.  
	"AH!" Rion gasped in surprise.  She was helping
Suzu take the dirt off her hair as they watched in 
shock.  JCL's body fried in mid-air and turned into dark
smoke.  
	Just as his head was about to evaporate, a smile
spread across his face.  He had just felt peace.

	Rion was picking the last of the dirt off of 
Suzu's pink hair.  Haruka T was tracking down the
horses, afraid that they would die in the arid land.
	Reshi and Kaze were sleeping on opposite sides
of the camp.  Reshi was on his back, his arms at his
sides, and his head tilted. Kaze, on the other hand,
was very restless.  He continued to turn and grumble
in his sleep.
	The very fact that he was uncomfortable made
Suzu annoyed.  Rion finished brushing out her hair
and stepped back. "I'm going to get some sleep now,
Suzu..." Rion yawned.  "Are you going to be okay?
Do you want me to stay with you?"
	"No, I'll be fine..." Suzu smiled. "You go ahead
and get some rest.  I'll watch the fire."
	Rion smiled.  "You take things so easily...
especially after you nearly died in a land slide today."
Rion headed for her make-shift bed by Reshi.  Suzu
grinned and shrugged.  She sat cross legged on her side,
in front of Kaze. 
	Suzu half hearted poked at the fire.  Before
long, she could hear Rion's content snoring over the
crackle of the fire.
	She felt something brush her back.  She whirled
around, still tense and alert from the earlier attack.
Kaze was on his side, picking a piece of dirt off her
shirt.  He looked up casually.  He gave no effort
to reguard her in anyway as he looked back down and 
continued to pick off the caked dirt.
	"I can do it myself," she said, pulling away
from him. "You don't have to." 
	"It's a large spot," he told her quietly, calmly.
His voice was almost toneless as he kept it low so
as not to wake up Rion and Reshi. "You won't be able
to reach it unless you take off your shirt."
	"I'll do it some other time, then," she told
him, pulling away again.  She heard him rustle the
blankets behind her and then move.  He sat down,
cross legged, next to her.  He took the wooden poker
from her hand and began to poke at the logs in the
fire.  The flames rose higher.  Suzu put her arms
around herself. "I didn't tell you thank you yet,
have I?"
	Kaze merely shrugged.  Suzu realized that he
was quiet, rather than his usual loud self.  She looked
at him as he stared at the fire.  The red and orange
flames were reflected in his eyes.  "Thank you." she
whispered.
	Kaze didn't give a response.  Suzu was starting
to feel uncomfortable and narrowed her eyes.  She
didn't like his feeling and as far as she was concerned,
it was all Kaze's fault.  "Dammit, SAY something!" she
hissed.
	"Don't make me regret it." Kaze replied calmly.  
	"There we go...at least I know you were listening,"
she sighed.  She stretched her arms in the air and
yawned. "Well, now that you're watching the fire, I'm
going to turn in.  Good night!"
	She turned was about to lay down in the spot that
Kaze had vacated.  "Suzu," Kaze said.  Suzu turned
to look at him before she laid down.  Her put the stick
down next to him and turned his back to the fire. He
faced Suzu, who was sitting up.  "You're welcome." He
said.  
	His hand slipped under her chin and he tilted
her head up to kiss her gently on the lips.  Suzu 
closed her eyes and didn't pull away.  They took a
breath and continued.  
	In the shadows behind them, Haruka T stood. She
leaned against a tree with her arms crossed and smiled.
She ran her hand through her red hair and looked up
at the sky.  "At least something good came out of this
night."

	Khayyin was sitting in the room where the energy
was being collected.  He opened his eyes slowly as
he sat there, thinking.  
	He heard running in the hall way behind him.  
It stopped and there was a knock on the door. "Enter."
Khayyin authorized.  
	"Master Khayyin!" Red Fox said as he bowed
from the waist up.  He straightened himself. "I have
some news.  JCL-"
	"Is dead," Khayyin stated simply.  "I am aware
of that..."
	Red Fox had a confused look on his face and he
nodded. "What are the orders now, Master?"
	"We know that those kindred souls of Yvonne's
Beacons are strong...strong enough to destroy JCL..."
he paused. "But he wasn't that strong in the first 
place.  He had been neglecting to practice is powers.
Therefore he had gotten weaker."
	"I see..." Red Fox mumbled. 
	Khayyin stood up and turned to face Red Fox.
He stood slightly taller than Red Fox and walked
past him. "There is nothing we can do but let them
come to us...if they pass the ghost villages 
without being absorbed by the demons, their hearts
hold true and pure."
	"So...we're just going to sit back and let
him come to us?" Red Fox asked. "Why can't we attack
them now while they are recovering from JCL's attack."
	"A true hunter will wait long enough for his
prey to come into his terrority before he strikes."
Khayyin stated.  
	Red Fox nodded. "I shall tell Jana and Rowina
of the plans, Master."
	"Red Fox," Khayyin barked.  The other man froze
in his place and turned back around.  He looked at
Khayyin, who had stopped with his back turned to 
Red Fox.  "If they do arrive at the Shadow Palace...
you and Jana shall be in charge of destroying them. 
If they live...you better hope you die at their
hands.  Or you shall die at mine."
	Red Fox gasped and jerked his head back. He
looked down slowly. "And what about Rowina?"
	"Leave her to me," Khayyin instructed him. "Now,
if I were you...I'd go and brush up on my powers with
Jana."
	"Yes, Master." 

	Jana was meditating in the Beacons' pillow room.
The dark abyss where pillows floated.  JCL's had
dropped into the abyss, signifying that his life force
was gone.  
	"Dead." Jana had mumbled as she sat there.  Across
from her, Rowina was meditating.  They were using their
opposite energy to harness their powers to greater
levels.  
	Rowina felt a slight prang of guilt and saddness
in her heart.  She quickly pushed it away. "So they are
coming here now...?" 
	"That is correct," Jana stated. "But don't worry,"
she said, grinning. "Master Khayyin won't let you get
hurt."
	"Why wouldn't he?  I am a Beacon just as you...
and JCL.  Why wouldn't he let me?" Rowina asked.
	Jana scoffed out a laugh. "You're stupid," she
laughed. "Master Khayyin would never let his beloved
bedroom toy be put in danger."
	"Bedroom toy!?!" Rowina gasped.  Her eyes flew
open and her concentration completely lost.  "What
do you mean by that?"
	"You know exactly what I mean," Jana grinned
sinsterly.  "What did you think?  That he LOVED you?
Men don't LOVE...they LUST.  There is a difference."
	"And what is that?" Rowina asked defensively.
	"They LOVE you for what you are, what you think.
They LUST for your body...now tell me," Jana told her.
"When has he ever seen you outside of the bedroom
just to tell you that he loves you?  Or brought you
presents?  Or had a long talk with you just for the
sake of it?"
	Rowina opened her mouth to answer, but found
that there was no such time that any of those senerios
ever occured.  She closed her eyes tightly, willing
the tears of embaressment back.
	"Jana," a voice said at the enterance of the
abyss.  Red Fox appeared behind Rowina.  He couldn't
see her face, but he could see Jana sitting across from
her. "We must talk.  The Master has plans for our 
visitors."
	"What about me?" Rowina asked, jumping around
quickly, her eyes hopeful that Jana wasn't right.
	Red Fox laughed slightly. "Master Khayyin 
said to leave you to him.  You don't have to practice
with Jana and myself."
	Jana grinned and hopped off her pillow.  She
walked smugly past Rowina.  "I told you..." she
whispered as she passed the other girl.  She followed
Red Fox out and Rowina bit her lip.
	
	"It's quiet..." Rion mumbled as she rode along
side Reshi. "TOO quiet...something is terribly wrong."
	Reshi thought for a while and then his face lite
up.  He looked back to where Kaze was riding with 
Suzu in back of him.  Her arms were lazily around his
waist and her head leaning against his back, a soft
smile across her face.
	"I think they finally saw eye to eye on something."
Reshi smiled. 
	Rion looked back as well and gasped in surprise.
She turned back around and covered her mouth to hide
her surprise.  "What happened when I went to sleep 
last night!?" she gasped to herself.
	Reshi laughed quietly. "And there is still the
unfinished business between you and I." 
	Rion blushed and looked down.  Reshi moved his
horse over to Rion's and let his hand touched hers as
they passed by each other. 
	"There it is," Haruka T's powerful voice sounded,
killing the moment.  She stopped ahead of them and
pointed to the dark, looming castle, a little more than
thirty meters ahead of them. "Prepare yourselves...I
have a feeling we'll be seeing those Beacons of 
Khayyin any time soon."
	"Try NOW!" a voice boomed behind them.  Haruka T
looked behind her, while still on her horse.  She saw
an energy beam heading straight towards her.	
	"SHIT!" Haruka T yelled.  She jumped off her horse
and jumped farther away.  The beam sliced past the horse,
sending the animal into confusion and running away.  
Haruka T landed on her feet and knelt down.  She looked
up and saw two people standing behind them.
	"Haruka T!" Suzu yelled.  
	"Ah...Haruka T...so we meet again!" the man with
the long red hair grinned.  He stood next to a woman
with short brown hair and blonde bangs.  She wore a 
black outfit, seemingly out of leather.  Her boots
were high, reaching her thighs.
	She wore a buttoned up coat that flared at her waist
to create a short skirt for her.  Her arms and hands were
covered by the black material.  The man more similar
clothes to what JCL had been wearing.  Black buttoned
up coat that reached his feet.  His pants were black,
just as his boots.
	"Really, Haruka T..." the woman next to the man
laughed. "After we destroyed the Spirit Gate, I figured
that you were smart enough never to come after us! 
Especially since you AND the High Priestess and her 
Beacons couldn't re-create the Gate!  I guess I was
wrong!" She raised her arms and pointed her index
finger at Haruka T.
	Dark green vines flew from the tip of her 
finger and split into multiple vines.  They slammed
into the ground all around the five, scaring
the horses.	
	"Whoa!" Kaze yelled. "Suzu, hang on! She's
scared!"
	Suzu clung to him as Kaze struggled to keep
the animal under control.  "Rion!" Suzu yelled.
She opened her eyes and looked at Rion, was was
having a harder time.  Another vine flew down
next to Rion and landed right in front of the horse's
head.
	The animal kicked up it's front hoofs and began
to try to kick Rion off. "Rion!!!" Reshi yelled.  
He jumped off his own panicking horse and grabbed
Rion's flailing hands.  He pulled her down next to
him.
	She clung to him as the two horses ran off.
"AHH!!!" Suzu screamed hysterically as the horse
she and Kaze were on kicked up it's rear and threw
her off.
	"SUZU!!!" Kaze yelled. 
	"SUZU!!!" Rion screamed.  The pink haired 
girl felt herself falling.  She was too afraid
to say anything. 
	As she fell back, she fell against something.
Relief spread over her as she realized that she
was alive.  However, a cold shock spread through
her and she stiffened.  "Oh, God...no..." she
whispered under her breath.  She turned around
and saw that the arm around her waist that
held her back from her group belonged to one of
Khayyin's priests.
	"Red Fox!" Haruka T growled. "I'm giving
you one warning...you better let Suzu go or
I'll destroy you!"
	"You wouldn't dare! Not with this girl
in front of me!" Red Fox laughed.  His hand
went around and gripped Suzu's slim neck.
	The girl gasped in horror.  Rion froze,
no knowing what to do.  "Hold on, Suzu!"
Kaze assured her. "We'll get you out of there!"
	Suzu looked down at the hand around
her next, terrified.  "Rion...Kaze..." she 
gasped.  	
	"Just break her neck already, Red Fox,"
the woman next to Red Fox sighed.  Her tone
was bored. "Don't hesitate."
	"Sure, Jana, why not?" Red Fox grinned.
He took his other arm off of Suzu's waist and
put it around her forehead.  Suzu closed her
eyes, her lip trembling. Red Fox got his grip
ready and squeezed her head.
	"Good-bye..." Suzu whispered, tears
sliding down her cheeks.
	"NOOO!!!!" Rion screamed.  She raised
her arms and threw them down.  Wind from
underneath her lifted her hair and blew her
clothes around.  Her glasses flew off her
face and her eyes glowed an eerie green
color.  
	Red Fox paused to look at her.  "Shit..."
he mumbled.  He looked back at Suzu. "Better
do this quick!"
	"Western...Astral Deflection!" Rion 
screamed at the top of her lungs.  Her body
projected a light that grew brighter.  Suddenly,
the white light around her body exploded.  
	The blast blanketed the area in white
light.  Jana hissed and covered her eyes. Red
Fox gripped Suzu tighter as he squeezed his
eyes closed.  The light was blinding, and even
the kindred souls had to cover their faces
from the blast.
	In the Shadow Palace, Khayyin's sharp
eyes caught a leak of white light.  As small as
the source of it was, it flooded the room with
light.  
	"What is that?" Rowina asked next to him.
She sat next to him as he watched the energy
of the Beacons absorbed into the rings. 
	Khayyin narrowed his eyes. "Nothing..."
he said. "Ignore it."
	"But, Master," she insisted. "That light
isn't from here-"
	"I said ignore it!" his barked.  Rowina
shut up.  "I'll take care of it.  You stay here."
He stood up and left the room.  Rowina watched
him leave.  
	"I can help, too..." she whispered.  The
door closed.
	Meanwhile, back outside, the light that
originated from Rion faded.  The brunette groaned
as she stood there.  Her body began to sway and
Reshi rushed behind her to catch her as she fell.
	Haruka T made a scan of the area. "Well,
I'll be damned..." she mumbled.  Jana and Red 
Fox had both disappeared.  Laying down in the
pile of ashes that were the two Beacons of Khayyin,
Suzu was passed out.
	The faint bruise where Red Fox as gripped
her could still be seen on her neck.  Kaze rushed
to her side and gently moved her body into a 
sitting up position.  "Suzu..." he whispered.
"Suzu!"
	"Both of them have to wake up before we go
through the ghost village up ahead," Haruka T
told them. "Hurry and wake them up."
	"Dammit, Haruka T!" Kaze yelled as he
cradled Suzu against him. "They're passed out!
We can't just wake them up that easily!"
	"Can't we...you know...just go in with them
sleeping?" Reshi asked quietly.
	Haruka T gave them both a look of absolute
authority. "You don't realize it do you?  If they're
asleep, their conciousness is left unguarded.  If
we're passing throught the ghost village while 
they sleep, the demons and easily enter their
hearts AND minds!"
	Kaze and Reshi looked at each other. They
looked back down at the girls they were holding
and in a panicky action, began to try to wake
them up.
	"Suzu...hey, baby, come on! Wake up for
me! Come on! Please?  Hurry up, we have to get
going...Everyone's counting on us!  Suzu, baby,
wake up!" Kaze said, gently, but firmly shaking
her.
	"Rion...Rion...wake up...Rion!" Reshi
said.  He was trying to caress Rion's face, 
hoping he'd get some movement.  "I'm sorry...but
this is necessary!" He took a deep breath to calm
himself.  Reshi lifted up his right hand and
pinched the brunette's nose closed.  
	"AHH!" Rion's eyes flew open, her arms 
in the air.  She shoved Reshi away as she gasped
for air.  She caughed in her attempt and Reshi
gave a sigh of relief.
	"DAMN!!!" Kaze was yelling.  Reshi and Rion
looked over at him.  His hands were gripping Suzu's
collar and he was shaking her insanely.  "WAKE
UP!!!"
	"Stop..." Suzu said as her body was shaken.
"Shaking...ME!!" 
	Kaze froze.  "Oh...you're okay." She narrowed
her eyes at him.
	"If I didn't like you, I'd kick your ass."
Suzu mumbled.
	Kaze grinned and touched his face. "Yeah...well,
my beauty is pretty fine isn't it."
	*BAM* Kaze grumbled as he rubbed his head. 
Suzu walked in front of him confidently.  "Yeah...
lets see you try to be arrogant again..." Suzu
hissed.  Kaze cowered.
	"Now's not the time," Haruka T told them.
"We have to get there soon.  Don't forget that
the Beacons back at the palace are getting weaker
and weaker as he take our time."
	"Then let's go!" Suzu said. "We went through
a lot to get here already...I won't return to find
the Beacons gone!"
	
	Khayyin stood right outside the gates of his
palace.  He stood at the edge of the ghost village.
It was a run down and dark village that surrounded
the palace.  
	Khayyin lifted up a hand mirror.  The image
in the mirror looked back at him.  "Demon...where
are you?"
	"I'm right here..." the image hissed.  It
slowly transformed into a black, smoke like creature
in the mirror.  "What is that you want?"
	"Flood this place with your demons! Have them
enter the bodies of the High Priestess' minions!"
Khayyin ordered. 
	"Right away..." the creature hissed.  The
image in the mirror returned to that of Khayyin.  Dark
smoke wafted from the mirror and began to spread in
the village, like an evil fog.  
	Khayyin made sure that the fog of demon energy
had spread, then turned and re-entered the palace.
All he could do now was wait.

	Yvonne paced at the foot of her throne.  She
was concentrating on any way to stop or at least slow
down the energy releasing process of her Beacons.
	She had just finished sealing them under a 
sleeping spell.   That would slow down the energy
release process for a while, but not for long.
Haruka S was watching over them at that very moment.
	Yvonne bit her lip.  "Oh, God...I hope they
return soon..." 

	Haruka S sat at the edge of Lavender's bed,
gently holding her hand.  She had been sealed in
the sleeping spell and was resting. 
	He looked down at her and bit his lip. "I'd
never be able to tell you this in your face. So
I think I'll tell you here...why you're asleep."
	Haruka S ran his hand through her short
lavender hair, which was her name sake. He took a
deep breath.  "I love you.  I've loved you for
such a long time.  Your face was what kept me
going while I was at the Gate.  You're everything
to me, Lavender and if you leave me now..."
	His voice trailed away.  He closed his eyes
tightly to keep from allowing the tears to slide
down his face. "Please...don't leave me."
	
	"You don't have to do this," Suzu said. "I'm
fine.  I can walk."
	"I WANT to do this." Kaze insisted for the
twentith time.  His arms were under her legs and
back, holding her up as he walked.
	"Kaze...you might hurt yourself," Reshi said
as he turned back at the aqua haired young man who
held the pink haired girl. "Suzu's probably very
light, but..."
	"I can handle this." Kaze insisted again. 
"What?  Do you guys think I'm weak or what?"
	"More like stupid..." Suzu mumbled under
her breath.
	"What?" Kaze asked.
	"Nothing," Suzu smiled and put her arms
around his neck. "You're sweet." 
	"Is it just me or does this street seem
neverending?" Rion sighed heavily.
	"No..." Haruka T informed them. "It's just
a slight up hill incline."
	"No wonder..." Rion mumbled.  
	"I want you all to be very careful," Haruka
T told them. "This village that surrounds the 
Shadow Palace is populated with demons.  If you
have any doubt in your heart at all...and they
find them..."
	"We know, we know," Suzu said. "They'll
possess us."
	"This is no laughing mater, Suzu." Haruka T
replied.
	"I know," Suzu said. She looked at Kaze. She
began to wiggle so he'd loose his grip. "Stop," she
ordered him.  Kaze stopped and finally allowed her 
to hop out of his arms. "I think it's safer it we
walk."
	He nodded. He put his arm around her waist and
continued.  Reshi walked slowly ahead of them.  He
glanced back at Kaze and Suzu.  *I...I should tell
him.* he thought to himself. *About Reiko.*
	Reshi looked snapped out of his concentration
when he noticed the black fog around them. "Haruka
T," Reshi called back.  "What's the black stuff?"
	"Black stuff?" Haruka asked. She looked at him
with a confused face. 
	"Reshi, there isn't any black stuff here..."
Rion added. "What are you talking about?"
	"The black fog on the ground?  Don't you see it?"
Reshi insisted. 
	Haruka thought for a moment then her eyes
grew large. Her mouth opened. "RUN!" she yelled. 
	"What?" Reshi yelled.  Haruka T grabbed his
arm and tugged him up the hill. "What are you doing!?"
	"YOU have doubts in your heart!" Haruka T
growled. "The black fog you see IS the demon! It's
after YOU!"
	"WHAT!?" Reshi yelled as he ran along side the
guardian.
	"Run as fast as you can to the end of the village
and wait for us there!" Haruka T hissed. "Otherwise,
it'll get you!"
	"What about the others!?" Reshi gasped.
	"I'll get them! You RUN!!!" She stopped and turned
back to the others. "C'mon!"
	Reshi raced up the hill.  He turned around and
saw the dark fog gathering behind him.  His heart began
to pump quickly.  He turned back around and continued
to run.  
	His breathing became shallow as he neared the end.
He saw the end of the village coming up and the edge of
the Shadow Palance. *Almost there...*

	"Haruka T, where is he!?" Rion gasped as she
ran along side the guardian.  
	"He should be waiting for us at the end of the
village," Haruka T gasped.  "Don't worry, it's coming
up."
	They ran up the final stretch to the top and saw
Reshi standing there, huffing for air.  He looked up
and smiled.  He stood up straight and looked at the
group.
	"Hey, Reshi, man," Kaze gasped. He and Suzu
leaned against each other. "You all right?"
	"I'm perfect," Reshi said.  His tone was a
bit arrogant.  "But you aren't."
	"What?" Kaze asked.  He looked at Reshi with 
a look of confusion. "Reshi, I think you ran a little
TOO much.  Are you sure you're feeling okay?" Kaze
walked forward and put his hand on Reshi's forehead,
to feel for a fever.
	"Like I said, I'm fine," Reshi answered.  He
lifted up his hand. "But you won't be for long."
	"HuH=?" Reshi grabbed Kaze's hand and pulled
him closer.  "ACK!" Kaze's neck tilted back and
his eyes rolled back.  He shoved Reshi away
and fell backwards.
	"Kaze!?" Suzu screamed.  Kaze was gripping
his side with both hands.  A dark liquid was staining
his pale shirt and Suzu screamed again. "Reshi,
what the hells wrong with you!? He's your best friend!"
	"You want to die to?" Reshi asked, plainly.
He lifted up his hand.  A dark blade as in it, making
him bleed as well because it had no handle.  Smoke
wrapped around his hand.  His eyes were glazed over.
	"Are you fucking insane!?" Kaze yelled. "What
the hell was that for!?"
	"Shit!" Haruka T growled. "He's possessed!"
	"What!?" Rion gasped.  She turned to look 
at him. "No!" Reshi's darkened eyes turned their
attention to Rion. "Reshi!"
	He lifted up his hand up to stab the terrified
Rion. "NO!" Suzu yelled. She raised her hands up. "I'm
sorry, Reshi!" Red energy gathered in her hand and she
aimed at Reshi. "But this is for your own good!
Southern Energy Surge!"
	The red energy flowed out of her hand and began to
surround Reshi. Reshi frooze when he noticed the red
energy.  It quickly spun around him, tying him up. 
	"Thanks, Suzu!" Rion gasped. Suzu nodded her head
no.	
	"That attack won't just tie him up..." Suzu mumbled.
Rion looked at Suzu and then back at the struggling Reshi.
The energy began to expand around him and keep in him an
egg like cage.  Suddenly, explosions of red energy slammed 
into his body from all sides of the enclosure.
	"SUZU! What's happening to him!?" Rion gasped.
	"I'm sorry!" Suzu yelled. She knelt down next to 
Kaze.  Haruka T was tending his wound, healing it with
herbs.  "But...he was going to kill you!"
	"Suzu..." Rion stared up at Reshi, who was being
tortured in the cage.  "Oh, Reshi..." She pressed her
hand against the cage.  She quickly turned back to 
Haruka T. "Isn't there anything we can do?"
	Haruka T looked up slowly.  "Only he can reject 
the demon...just pray that he'll escape it."
	Rion looked up at Reshi. "Reshi!" she begged the
young man.  Dark smoke was exiting and re-entering his
body.  "Reshi, reject it!" she screamed. "Come on, we
need you!"
	"Reshi..." Kaze gasped. "Man..." His arm rose
to touch the red energy egg.  "Hey...come on, stupid.
This isn't the right time..." Kaze took a deep breath.
"Dammit, Reshi!"
	Rion pounded on the egg.  Reshi's body continued
to convulse as the demon energy struggled to regain
control and perhaps break out of Suzu's attack. Inside,
Reshi gritted his teeth. 
	"Kaze!" he made out.  His eyes flashed from dark
to it's regular color. "Rion!" 
	"He's fighting it!" Rion gasped excitedly. "Please,
Reshi! Come back to us!"
	Suzu was forcing Kaze to lay down, so the herbs
could work.  He kept his head turned to the orb to see
if Reshi was changing in any way.  Rion looked through
the orb desperately.  Her hands were agianst the material
between her and Reshi.  Kaze watched her. 
	"Rion..." Reshi gasped from inside the enclosure,
"I'm so sorry..." he gasped. "Please forgive me..."
	"Reshi..." Rion mumbled.  His hands met agianst
hers on the other side and Kaze closed his eyes.
	"Are you all right?" Suzu whispered.  He looked
up.  His head was on Suzu's lap and her hands held
his.  
	Kaze slowly smiled. "I'm fine." 
	"The black smoke..." Haruka T mumbled.  "It's 
being killed off the the energy shocks in Suzu's attack,"
Haruka T told them. "Don't worry..." she smiled. "I think
he'll be all right."
	The others let out a sign of relief.  "What about
the attack?" Rion asked. "How will he get out?" She
looked at Suzu.
	"Once there is no more negative energy," Suzu 
recited as Minami told her. "The bubble will disappear."
	"Will he be all right?" Rion asked.
	"Tired...but all right." Suzu assured her. 
	"What do we do know while we wait?" Kaze asked. 
Haruka T looked past them and at the gate way and waited
for them.
	"Figure out how we're going to pull this off."

	Khayyin slammed the door to the room where the
energy had stopped collecting. "They're too damn close!"
Khayyin growled.  He walked angrily down the dark
hall. As he passed a doorway, he caught a glimpse of
Rowina sitting down in the middle of the room.
	He stopped and took a step back.  Khayyin looked
into the room.  Rowina's long black dress trailed behind 
and flowed around her.  Her hair was down and she
was staring directly ahead.  
	Khayyin looked at her, concerned. Without looking
at him, Rowina spoke. "Why won't you let me battle them?"
	"Because you don't have a chance," Khayyin answered
softly. "You haven't practiced for a long time."
	"Don't give me that," Rowina said blandly. "You
knew that the others didn't have a chance as well and 
you let them go out to die.  What's different with me?"
	"I didn't love them," Khayyin told her. "I love
you."
	"Then let me go," Rowina told him.  Khayyin had
walked inside and stood in front of her.  Rowina stood
up. She faced him. "I am a Beacon of yours, too.  I
have a right."
	"If you go...you won't come back alive." Khayyin
warned.
	"I know." 
	She had emotion in her eyes and Khayyin sighed.
"I don't want to loose you."
	"You are being greedy." she told him. He looked
at her and nodded his head no.
	"I know..." he whispered.  Rowina walked past
him and paused at the doorway.
	"Good-bye."

	"It's starting to disappear," Haruka T informed
them.  Rion noticed.  The red of the bubble wasn't as
dark as it was.  Reshi was weak inside, but at least
he wasn't possessed. "How is Kaze?"
	"The herbs you gave him really work," Suzu said.
"He stopped bleeding and the wound is all closed."
	"Just a hideous scab now..." Kaze sighed, still
laying his head on Suzu's lap.  He caressed his aqua
hair as he closed his eyes, obviously enjoying the 
gesture.
	Rion was silent.  She just watched Reshi from
outside. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves.
	Haruka T turned her head from Reshi's bubble to
the gate of the Shadow Palace.  She held her staff
in front of her and walked forward.  Suzu, Rion,
and Kaze all heard it.
	Foot steps.  They were coming from inside of
the palace.  Rion stood up.  She looked past where
Haruka T stood in front of them and into the palace.
	The foot steps got louder.  Pale skin draped
in darkness emerged gracefully from the shadows of
the palace.  Haruka T took a deep breath and lifted
her chin. "Rowina."
	"Haruka T," the woman said tonelessly. "I'm
free." she whispered.
	Haruka T nodded.  She held her arm to her side
to stop Rion or any of the others to continue forward.
Haruka T took her staff and took out a red knife from
the side of staff.  The blade was red and it glowed.
	Rowina took a step forward and whispered
something.  Her hand rose and a small attack came out.
Flames surrounded them in a circle.  Suzu dragged Kaze
into the center more so as no to be burned.
	Rion stepped back in surprise.  Haruka T was
silent.  She allowed the fire to spread around her. 
She lifted up the red knife.  Rowina stood still and
spread her arms away from her body.  
	Rion, Suzu, and Kaze all watched as knife 
plunged into Rowina's chest.  The woman's eyes grew
large and rolled back.  Her arms to her side, she
smiled.  
	Her body exploded in black dust that rejoined
the earth where it came from.  The fire around them
vanished in a second.  Haruka T took the red knife
and placed it back in the staff.
	"What happened?" Rion whispered.
	"She knew she didn't have a chance," Haruka
T explained. "She wanted to die."

	Khayyin sat in the darkness.  A mirror was in
front of him.  His arms wrapped around his body as
he looked up.  The creature of darkness in the
mirror looked back at him with dead eyes.
	It began to laugh at him.  Knowing it had just
ruined his life.  Khayyin reached for a vase to his
side.  He lifted it up and aimed for the mirror.
	He threw the vase at the mirror. "Damn YOU!!!"

	"Are you all right?" Rion asked. Reshi was
stumbling a bit as he walked, but was otherwise all
right.
	"I'm fine...don't worry about me." he said.
	"Why shouldn't I be?" Rion snapped. "You just
got the demon literally beaten out of you!  No one
can walk away from that without feeling even a little
pain."
	"Rion, I don't feel a little pain," Reshi 
sighed. He winced. "I feel a lot." 
	"Oh..." Rion helped steady him.  
	"What about you?" Suzu asked as she walked next
to a seemingly healthy Kaze. "Are you sure you can
walk?"
	"No," Kaze told her. "Why don't you carry me?"
	Suzu gave him a looked. "Yeah right...why don't
I just break my legs right now?"
	"Funny."
	Haruka T walked in front of them, leading through
the dark palace.  "Um...Haruka T?  Where are we going?"
Rion asked.
	"You mean you still don't get it?" Haruka T 
chuckled.  "Follow the energy that calls to you.  Don't
you feel it trying to lead you to it?"
	"Can you feel it, Haruka T?" Suzu asked.
	"All I feel is energy...but I'm not sure." The
red head replied.  "Just follow what is trying to
lead you."
	"Easier said than done." Kaze grumbled.  They
wound their way through the palace. 
	"Kaze," Reshi said finally, breaking through
the silence. "I wanted to tell you back there...about...
about Reiko." 
	Kaze looked at his friend, who had fallen into
step next to him.  Next to Reshi was Rion.  He was
squeezing her hand for support.  Kaze bit his lip.
"Yeah..."
	"Well..." Reshi took a deep breath, unable to
have the words come to him.
	"I know," Kaze mumbled. He looked down sadly. "I
was hoping what I was sensing wasn't true.  She hadn't
come by for the longest time.  You never talk about
her...and then Rion..." Kaze sighed. "You broke up with
her...when?"
	"A few weeks ago," Reshi replied. "I'm sorry."
	"The only thing you should be sorry for is that
you kept it from me," Kaze told him. "I'm your best
friend and, yeah, Reiko is one of my best friends, too.
But how your relationship is with her is none of my
business...no matter how much I might have wanted
to interfere."
	Reshi nodded. "I didn't know how'd you react..."
he mumbled.  Kaze took another deep breath.  
	"Just don't do it again..." 
	"Whoa..." Suzu mumbled in front of them.  She
was staring up at a huge door. "I guess...this is 
where we were lead to."
	"Finally..." Kaze mumbled.
	Haruka T held them back again by holding her
arm out.  "Wait..." she said cautiously. "Are you 
possitive you have the right room?"
	"Yeah...I mean...we did wander through the
palace and it lead us straight here..." Suzu said.
"Isn't that what's supposed to happen?"
	"Then something else is in there..." Haruka T
mumbled.  "Stand back."  She raised her staff and
sent a blast of fire through the door, throwing them
off their handles and opening it for them.
	"OhmiGod..." Rion gasped.  Four glowing spheres
were in the room.  "Are thoses...?"
	"That's them." Haruka T assured them.
	"Welcome," a voice said.  The five gasped and
looked past the spheres.  A dark figure stood in the
darkness. "Let me come forward more so we can be
formally introduced," the voice said.  The male figure
melted from the darkness.  Silver hair reached past
his waist and his dark clothes made his paler hair
and skin stand out. "I am Khayyin...the High Priest."
	
	"High Priestess!" Haruka S yelled.  He came
running into the throne room.  The blonde priestess
was draped across her throne, her eyes glazed over
from the stress.  At the sound of his voice, she
jerked up.
	"What is it, Haruka S?" she asked.
	"The sleeping spell is wearing off! They're
waking up!" Haruka S gasped.
	"Oh no..." Yvonne gasped. She jumped off
her seat. "What if they haven't reached the Shadow
Palace yet?"
	"They don't seem weaker, High Priestess,"
Haruka S reported.  He smiled wearily. "Perhaps they
are close enough to have stopped the energy drain."
	Yvonne's eyes lit up.  "Oh, I pray so!" she
gasped.  She walked past him.
	"High Priestess, where are you going?" Haruka S
asked as she ran towards the hall.
	"I'm going to check on them," she told him.
"Go make sure Lavender is all right."
	"La...La...Lavender!?" Haruka S gasped. "Why
her?"
	Yvonne rolled her eyes and looked at him. "Don't
be stupid! We BOTH know why! Now GO!"
	"Yes, High Priestess!" Haruka S gasped.  He
bowed and ran for the door.  Yvonne watched him scurry
down the other hall and smiled. 
	*Good luck.*

	Haruka S took a deep breath.  He had his hand
on the doornob of Lavender's bedroom.  Slowly, he
turned it and opened the door.  He slipped inside
as quietly as he could. 
	"Haruka S..." a voice whispered from the bed.
He gulped and froze in front of the door.
	"Yes?" Haruka S mumbled.
	"Come here," Lavender gasped quietly.  Haruka
S walked over to her, slowly.  He stood next to her
bed, avoiding eye contact. "Sit down."
	"What is it?" Haruka S whispered. "Are you getting
weaker?"
	"No...I think it's stopped for now," she answered.
She reached for his hand and took it.  Haruka S turned
bright red. 
	"Uh...what are you doing?" he mumbled. *Oh my GOD...
She's holding my HAND!!!*
	"I think we should talk." Lavender told him. *Is
he blushing?*
	"Um...okay...sure, whatever you want." He smiled
and tried to laugh.  It was more nervous than anything
else. *Okay...don't look stupid, Haruka S.*
	"They will return...and we will get better...then
we can seal the gates," Lavender said.  She took a
deep breath.  "And you and Haruka T will leave." 
	"I know..." Haruka S whispered. *Oh, geez...she's
just counting down the days until I leave.*
	"And I'll never see you again..."
	Haruka S paled. *She IS counting down the days! I
knew this was too good to be true.*
	"And I want to tell you that if you ever come back,
come straight to me." she whispered.
	Haruka S jumped up and tore his hand away. "Listen,
I know you don't love me! Do you have to rub it in..."
he paused and looked down at her. "What did you just say?"
He looked down at her with large with confused eyes.
	"I said," she said, smiling, "That I love you."
	Haruka S stood there.  A smile spread across his
face. *It's good to be alive...* Suddenly, he crumpled
to the ground.
	"Haruka S?!" Lavender gasped.  
	"I'm...I'm right..." Haruka S gasped as he pulled
himself up on her bed. "That was...just such a shock..."
	Lavender laughed. "Come here...I want to spend as 
much time with you until you leave."

	"Khayyin..." Haruka T hissed. "Get out of our
way or we'll have to destroy you."
	"These energy orbs are all I have left," Khayyin
barked back.  He narrowed his eyes. "I've lost my soul,
my love, every fucking thing I have ever worked for!"
he yelled. "I sure as hell won't lose these spheres!!"
	"Then too bad for you!" Reshi shouted.
	"After what you, Shit head, put us through!" 
Kaze growled. "Fuck no!"
	"I'm going to get you for what you did to my
friends..." Rion hissed.  "I'll destroy you like I
did your little Beacons..."
	"Ah...but you see..." Khayyin smiled. "I'm not
a Beacon." He threw his arms in front of him and black
smoke flew from his hands.  It came out quickly and
wrapped itself around the necks of the kindred souls
and Haruka T.
	"AH!" Suzu gasped and tried to grab the smoke.
Her hands went right through, however the pressure
on her neck was increasing. "What the hell!?"
	"Don't be scared..." Khayyin told them calmly.
"Soon you'll all be resting in peace!" He raised his
arms in front of him and a black smoke flew out of
his finger tips.  It was fast and wrapped around the
necks of the kindred souls and Haruka T.
	"Ah!" Suzu gasped.  She tried to get her hands
on the choker, but found that her hands just went tough
the black smoke and that the pressure around her neck
was still getting tighter.
	"I'm not going to let you kill us," Kaze gasped
as he fell to his knees. "Especially after I just
found a girlfriend!"
	"Kaze!" Suzu gasped, turning red. She struggled
to talk as the smoke continued to suffocate her. "Do
you (gasp) mean it!?"
	"Shut up! (gasp) We'll talk about that later!"
Kaze gasped.  He raised his hands. "Northern...Thunder!"
	His attack stormed towards Khayying.  The silver
haired man merely deflected it with a wave of his
hand.  Kaze stepped back.  "Sacred Easter Water Attack!"
Reshi yelled.  Rion and Suzu joined him, trying to do
a triple attack.
	"Western Astral Deflection!"
	"Southern Energy Surge!" 
	The triple attack spiraled towards Khayyin.  The
man yawned and once again deflected the attack.  As his
eyes narrowed, the smoke around their necks tightened
and the rest of the fell to the ground. 
	"We can't let them die!" Haruka T gasped.  He
raised her staff.  She aimed at Khayyin then closed
her eyes. "Adona Gate...Forbidden Attack!!!"
	Khayyin heard those words and turned to look at
her.  "What the hell do you think you're doing!?" he
growled.  There was an explosion behind him and then
he looked behind him. 
	The space behind him was swirling in a vertical
worm hole.  Suddenly, a wind swept through the room,
lifting up their hair and clothes. "Get the orbs!"
Haruka T ordered. 
	As Khayyin lost his concentration, the smoke around
their necks losened.  They jumped up and ran for the 
floating orbs.  "Which is which!?" Suzu yelled.
	"You STILL don't get it!?" Haruka T barked. "It
will FIND you!!" 
	Suzu looked at the spheres floating in front of
her then at her friends.  She took a deep breath and
grabbed the one in front of her.  It was absorbed into
her hands and the light from the energy warmed her body.
It could be seen traveling up her arms and entering her
heart where, it stayed and dimmed out.
	"You...aren't going to get rid of me!" Khayyin
yelled. He was being sucked into the worm hole.  The
kindred souls ran for the door, carefully avoiding
the hole. "Wherever I will be, I will find you!!!"
	Haruka T slammed the door and leaned against
it.  She took a deep breath and looked at the huffing
and puffing kindred souls.
	"What happened to Khayyin?" Rion gasped as she
took a deep breath.
	"I sent him to another dimension..." Haruka T
told them.  "I don't know where."
	"Will he return?"
	"There is always a chance," she said as she took
her staff and put it in front of her. "But I doubt it."
	"One more question," Kaze said. "How are we going
to get back?  Our horses are gone..."
	"I'll take care of it...now that Khayyin is gone,
I can take us there from here," Haruka T told them.
"With him gone...the seal over the palace is broken and
we can freely move between the two places." She put her
staff in the middle of the group. It's red crystal at
the top turned bright red and floated there as she let
go.  
	She took their hands and they created a circle
around the staff.  They closed their eyes and felt the
wind blow around them.  
	Suzu sqeezed Rion's hand.  Rion squeezed back.
"Rion..." Suzu whispered as the wind picked up more and
began to lift them off the ground.
	"Yeah?"
	"Remember how I said this would be the last time
I go with you somewhere?" Suzu whispered.
	"Uh-huh..."
	"I take it back." Suzu smiled.  Rion smiled and
allowed her body to be taken away.

	 Haruka S leaned down again and kissed Lavender
for the umpteenth time.  She had her hand on his cheek
and kept him close to her.  "You're getting stronger."
he gasped between kisses.
	"I think they made it..."
	"LAVENDER!" a voice yelled.  The door flew open
and Kaze ran through.  He froze and turned red.  
Haruka S and Lavender looked at him. Lavender merely
smiled as Haruka S stood up off the edge of the bed
where he was sitting. "Am I...uh...interrupting something?"
	"No, Kaze," Lavender laughed.  "We were just...
talking."
	Kaze looked at them with a sweat drop. "Sure...
May I enter?"
	"Of course!" Lavender smiled. "I am glad to
see you back here!  I was getting stronger, therefore
I assume that..."
	Her voice trailed and Kaze nodded.  He lifted his
hand up and a glowing white ball appeared.  It floated
off of his hand and entered Lavender's chest.  
	Warmth filled her body and she smiled.  "Are you
all right?" Kaze asked.  She nodded.
	"Perfect," she smiled. "Now, you head out with
Haruka S and go see the High Priestess.  I'm going to
get ready."
	"For what?" Kaze asked.
	"To seal the Four Corners...and then the Gate."

			*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

	Light filtered through the palace windows.  The
High Priestess at on her throne, smiling down at her
now Healthy Beacons.  The Four Corners had finally 
been sealed...and the Gate of Adona was reconstructed.
	Haruka T and Haruka S were still at the palace
to perform one more task.  The Beacons were on either
side of the High Priestess.  The four of them stood
there, in their now cleaned original clothes.
	"I shall ask you this one more time," Yvonne
asked. "Are you sure you want to return?"
	"High Priestess," Rion smiled. "This place as
been magical.  It was a wonderful world and I know that
we would live blissful lives if we stayed...but..."
Her voice trailed off, still unsure of what to say.
	"But we just don't belong here..." Reshi concluded.
	"Thank you for everything-" Suzu began.
	"We should be thanking YOU," Minami said.  She 
smiled. "Without you four, we wouldn't be here right now."
	"Yes, we owe you are lives," Ryu added.  He stood
next to Minami.  "Once you leave...you may never return.
But if you do...you will always be welcomed here."
	Haruka T gave a heavy sigh. They looked at her.
"I think you guys should stay," she told them straight 
out. "When Haruka S and I return you...time will have
passed and it would be like you never spent that time 
here.  Also...you will have forgotten all about Adona
and your adventures...and RELATIONSHIPS that you forged
here."
	"We already know that," Kaze told her. "Do you
have to keep telling us that?"
	"We're just making sure..." Haruka T stated.
	"If it was meant to be," Rion said. "We'll find
each other again.  Don't worry."
	"I agree with her." Suzu said.  "We should
return."
	"Haruka T...Haruka S," the High Priestess said
as she stood up.  The two guardians stood across from
each other in front of the kindred souls.  "Open the
gate."
	The two of them concentrated and as before,
they opened the portal to another world.  Rion and
Reshi looked at each other.  Suzu and Kaze gave each
other a kiss.  Kaze jumped through the gate.  
	Suzu waved good-bye to everyone, then jumped
through as well.  Rion turned to Reshi and cupped his
face in her hands.  She brought his face down to hers
and kissed him strongly.  
	When they parted, his face was red.  "Just in
case," she said tearfully. "It wasn't meant to be."
She entered the portal.  Reshi looked at everyone.  He
gave a final bow and then entered the gate.

			*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

	"Rion!" a voice called.  The brunetted turned 
around.  Her short brown hair was up with her bangs
over her eyes.  She smiled and waved her hand in the
air. "Nice dress!" an energetic Suzu said as she
arrived.
	"You, too..." Rion replied over the roar of
the music. "Hey, you guys did a great job decorating
the gym for the dance!"
	"Of course!" Suzu laughed. "I was the head of
the committee!!! But that little trouble making
prick, Kaze, kept disagreeing with me!"
	"Hey, he didn't get his way though did he?" Rion
told her.
	"Of course not!" Suzu grinned. "Like hell I'd
let him!" The two girls laughed.  Suzu's hair was
up as well, at the back of her head.  Her dress was
pink and clung to her body.  It reached her ankles
and was trimmed with silver.  Her shoes were silver,
as were the thin straps that held the dress up. Silver
earrings and pins were in Suzu's hair.  
	Rion wore a dark brown strapless dress that
matched with her shoes and hair.  Her glasses were off,
showing off her beautiful eyes.  "So who are you
here with?"
	"No one," Suzu sighed. "I was so caught up in
the decoration committee, I completely forgot about
the whole date factor! What about you?"
	"Same," Rion replied.  "Only I just came because
you wanted me to." Suzu smiled. 
	"Suzu!" a girl said as she ran up to the pink
haired girl. "Kaze is taking over the ticket area."
	"Oh, crap..." Suzu said.  "Not the same time
as my shift..." She crossed her arms and groaned.
"Who made this schedule!?" she turned to Rion. "Hey,
I'll see you later.  I have to go make sure he
doesn't screw up."
	"Gotcha." Rion smiled and waved good-bye to 
her friend. 
	"Rion!" This time a deeper voice called her.  She
turned around again and saw Reshi making his way over
to her. "Do you think you can come help with the book
tomorrow since you couldn't make it the other day?"
	Rion blushed at the slight of him, dressed up in
a black suit and a satin looking blue tie.  She nodded
aimlessly. "Uh-huh...sure..." 
	"Wow!" he smiled and took her brown gloved hands
into his.  He lifted her hands up and looked at her.
"You look beautiful in that dress!"
	*Am I melting?* Rion thought to herself.  She felt
her face get hot and merely smiled. "Thank you! You look
hot-I mean...handsome...HANDSOME in that dress-er-suit!"
She smiled and mentally slapped herself.  
	"So who is the lucky guy escorting you tonight?"
he asked.
	"Oh, no," she smiled. "I'm here by myself-"
	"Suzu made you come, huh?" he laughed. "Yeah, Kaze
forced me to come...but he's working for the dance
tonight and leaving me alone."
	"Oh, you don't have a date?" Rion asked.
	"Well, since you don't...I guess I do now," he smiled
and kept holding her hand. "What do you say?  Would you
like to be my date for the night?"
	Rion merely nodded and blushed more.  "Of course."
	"Great!" Just as he said that, a slow song started.
Reshi looked around and saw couples dancing around them.
"Perfect timing huh?" 
	"Yeah..." Rion smiled.  She put her hands on his
shoulders and felt his hands slip to her waist.  The
lights were dimmed and she rested her head against his
chest.  His chin rested atop her head. 
	They danced around in a small circle. "Rion," 
Reshi whispered. "This probably sounds weird...but,
this feels right."
	"It does..."
	"I think..." he smiled down at her. "That we were
meant to be."  Rion looked up and smiled.  His lips touched
hers.

	"I don't understand why we have to sit out here
when the dance is almost over," Kaze hissed. "Whose the
idiot who made the schedule?"
	"Probably you when you were drunk or high..."
Suzu hissed under her breath. 
	"What!?" Kaze growled, glaring at her.  His suit
was black and buttoned up to his neck without a tie.  
	"I said I haven't even had a chance to dance yet!"
she told him.  
	"Then what the hell are we waiting for?" he said,
standing up. "It's almost over...no one else is coming..."
They were outside, sitting on the table.  However, they
could still hear the music from inside clearly.
	"What are you doing, idiot?" Suzu hissed.
	Kaze took her hand and pulled her up. "Dancing.
Now shut up and dance," he told her.  She blushed and
sighed.  "C'mon..."
	"Fine..." she put her arms around his neck and
made sure she stayed away far enough away from him.  
	"Oh, geez," Kaze grumbled.  He put his hands on
her hips and pulled her towards him.  Her body felt
warm against him and looked down at her. "You know,
I don't know why you act like such a bitch in front
of me..."
	"Because you disagree with me on EVERYTHING!"
She hissed.
	Kaze rolled his eyes. "So what?  The point is
that the only reason I joined that stupid decor 
committee was because of you.  So after spending 
hours helping you and the rest of those girls 
decorate the damn gym, the least you can do is let
me have one dance."
	He heard Suzu giggled.  Kaze gently pushed
her away a bit to look at her face. "Kaze..."
she smiled.
	"What's so funny?"
	"It's like we've been through all of this before,"
she smiled.  She brought herself closer to Kaze and
pulled his face down lower.  Kaze had a light blush on
his face. "I like you, Kaze..." She pulled his face down
further and kissed him.  "I like you alot."
	Kaze smiled slowly and held her tighter.  "I
like you, too."

			*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

	Across the street, narrowed eyes watched Kaze and
Suzu dance.  The man tugged the jacket around his body
and lifted the hood over his silver hair. "Hello...
Beacons."

__________________*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*_________________

				The End

Author's Note:

There you have it! I'm done!! Hope you guys enjoyed.
This is the first story I wrote with characters that I didn't
create.  I'm sorry I couldn't fit in all the characters that
you guys had, but I got in most of them.  Take care!

- Len