Back to ze past

It took a few painstakingly slow moments for Shade to remove patrs of the wall without causing the whole thing to come crashing down onto the three of them. Finally, there was a sizable hole in the wall and Shade urged Yuki to hurry as the pile of rocks swayed unsteadily. Taro woke a fraction and his pale fingers tightened around the bit of Yuki's shirt he was holding. "Here, do you want me to take him?" Shade offered hastily, not sure of Yuki's current strength. small rocks began to fall from the ceiling seemingly of their own accord, and dust was filling the air.

The troops were massing out the front of the fortress and, upon Shio's signal, they all fell into their ranks. Satori strode out the front, armed and dressed for the occasion, black cloak waving in the breeze. She grinned, baring her fangs.
"Time to take back our lands!" She declared loudly. Cheers answered her. She nodded to the commanders and, after a small speech, she wove the army on, stepping into stride near the front of the army, flanket by the leaders.

three days later
.....................................

The Kitsune twins trotted to catch up with their older brother
"You have to let us come with you!" said Koaru
"I said NO!"
"But Isao-chama!!!" whined Hikaru
"Don't call me Isao!"
"Isao! Isao! Isao! Isao!" they both chanted
Koaru added another "Isao" for punctuation
"FINE! but on my terms!"

On the third day of the army's mach, Satori had lapsed into silence. Her mouth was set in a thin line as she walked, not paying attention to her surroundings and ignoring her nobles and apponted royal guard as they discussed the oncoming battle.
Mori.
She rose a hand to her face for a moment, in the act of shielding her eyes from the weak rays of sunlight. Since returning, she had been busy. The throne waas now hers, her father dead. Killed by her own hand. An onslaught of guilt still managed to eat away at her when she looked back on the memories of her friends. She hadn't searched for them. She didn't know how she wasn't dead, how she was back here, but she had long decided not to question it. Her main motivation was that she simply couldn't leave her home in the state it was in.

She suddenly became aware of their location. the outpost they were currently using was just ahead of them. She rose her head and smiled grimly as they arose, heading straight to the small room that the meeting was to be held in.

As the Kitsune party aproched the meeting point Hikaru scowled
"I don't like Onii-dono's terms..."
Koaru sighed
Hikaru was back in the formal Kimono befitting her rank (hair ribbons and everything),
and not likeing it

Tatsuo called to them from the front,
"We're here,"

the twins stood straighter and walked on either side of their brother as they strode into the meeting room to face the feline leader and generals...

Satori's smirk slid neatly from her face when Hikaru walked in, and she froze, suddenly having no eyes for the others as different emotions warred on her features. She sat on the far end of the table, her generals seated beside her.
"Samaria-ou?" Shio murmured. Satori snapped out of it quickly, feeling as if she'd just been doused in ice-water. She drew herself up in her chair and waited for them to sit. Shio folded his hands on the table, staring down the Kitsunes as they entered.

Yuki handed Shade Taro best he could, hoping there was still time for him to get out as well.

Shade took hold of the slender fool, with a small noise of pain from Taro, and moved swiftly outside.

Yuki slowly moved himself out. But he was too late. His pained cry echoed throughout the small space as the rocks crumbled on his leg.

Shade carefully put Taro down beside Elizabeth and swore furiously, darting back to the cave and scrabling madly to get nearer to where yuki went under.

--

The patrol group of panthers, numbered about ten, were nearing the cave. Sadaharu paused, hearing the clamour of rockfall just ahead and the others stopped, waiting for an order. The hanyou frowned and wove the group on. They moved quickly through the trees and, reaching the clearing that the pile of rocks occupied, halted. Sadaharu was shocked. For starters, the cave was obliterated, pretty much a pile of rocks. Secondly, amaterasu's scent had caught his nose. His mind reeled and he started forwards.

"YUKI!" Amaterasu exclaimed, running over to the rocks. Ayama swore loudly and rushed forward also.

Elizabeths hands flew to her mouth as her eyes grew wide.

---

They scuttered in from the right, they smelt Panther and Panther was not allowed.
However they saw Humans and two demons. No panthers.
The panthers must be coming.

The kitsunes hissed.

"No! Get them! Protect the others!" Sadaharu ordered, dropping down from the tree he had been hanging onto. The small group raced forwards, weapons bared. Shade had no idea what was going on. He was torn between digging for Yuki and protecting the two under the tree. He furiously chose to stand over Elizabeth. He couldn't let her get hurt, he just got her back. The two groups met just to one side of the collapsed cavern, the panthers in their lesser numbers spread out in a line to keep the Kitsunes back. Sadahar didn't spare his old friends a glance, focusing on keeping the groups leader's blades away from his kneck.

Elizabeth looked up at Shade, she was scared, this place was scary, and she couldn't use her legs. She probley looked a mess as well, but really, she really couldn't use her legs.

"Sadaharu..." Amaterasu whsipered, looking at the boy she once loved. He was so different, so different. She went to move, but Ayama held her back.
"Not our fight." Her mother whispered.

The kitsunes hissed and growled, some sperted fire and otyhers attacked with their teeth. They attacked left right and centre, hardly allowing any room for the Panthers to get an attack in.
They wanted them down and out for the count.

"Don't break the line!" Sadaharu yelled as they were forced back. He turned his head suddenly and ducked his opponent's blade. "Amaterasu! Get them back!" He called, turning just in time to block yet another attack of the razor sharp blade, arm muscles taught as he held the Kitsune off. "Get out of here!"

"GET BACK!" Amaterasu yelled, motioning those of her group to get back, once she was sure hermother was back she ordered the older woman to get them out of here.
Amaterasu went to find her brother.

The kistunes charged at the Panthers, all together, all at once.

It wasn't expected to say the least. Not only were they forced back nearly to the friinges of the trees, but they were hard pressed to stay alive. One went down with a strangled cry, a sword in his side. Sadaharu leeapt over and quickly killed the Kitsune, standing over the fallen fighter. Fury marked the hanyou's face as he fought back, eyes snapping to and fro to catch a glimpse of the others.

The kitsunes hadn't passed over the Panthers call to one of the groups members, and how that member of the group reacted.
While magority of the Kitsunes fought to keep the Panthers back, one of the Kitsunes grabbed the girl who fought at the rocks.
They pressed a blade to her throat and whisptled out to its group members, and the panthers.
Amaterasu tried to fight bak, only to have the blade draw blood on her throat.

At a hissed command from Sadaharu, the panthers fell back. Knuckles white on the hilt of his sword, Sadaharu glared at the kitsunes, eyes cold. "Release her, vermin," He commanded, voice ringing. "Or you will come to regret this".

Shade dropped his own sword when a look was shot at him, cursing softly. What had they just been made a part of? He scowled but didn't move from in front of Elizabeth. Taro stirred beside Elizabeth, eyes fluttering open.

"Leave our lands, Half breed" The kistune growled. "Or this girl will find herself in need of more blood, and we will find ourselves with a full stomach."
Amaterasu growled before hissing as the blade was pressed tighter against her throat.
"get the others." The kistune comanded, motioning over to the group

Sadaharu snarled at the demons, but stepped back. The panthers vanished into the shadows of the trees. Shade found himself with his arms twisted behind his back. Taro and Elizabeth each being hauled upright by two soldiors. Taro cried out softly as he was slung over the kitsune's shoulder, his weight placed on his already injured chest. Elizabeth recieved similar treatment. They weren't planning on their new prisoners slowing them down. Hard times demanded hard measures.

Elizabeth cried out in pain.
Ayama hissed as the soilders walked towards her. She lashed out and jumped out of their reach. They wouldn't be able to find her if they tried.

Amaterasu tried to catch Sadaharus eyes to let him know Yuki was still in need of help.

Sadaharu, from the treetops, had already noted Yuki's scent and, from the way they kept throwing glances at the cavern... He sucked in his cheeks. He could piece together what had happened. All it woulld take was for the foxes to leave, then they could work on extracting Yuki from the mass of rocks. He signalled one of the trackers to follow the Kitsunes when they left. It wouldn't do to lose them.

And like that, Elizabeth, Shade, Amaterasu and Taro were dragged from the camp, the stronger two walking with their arms twisted cruelly behind their backs. Shade tried twice to break out of the iron like grip, but both times he was simply beaten over the head for it.

------

Once the Kitsunes had very much left the area, Sadaharu and a few panthers leapt from the trees, one staying behind to mind over the injured one. The half demon wasted no time in reaching the ruined cave, pausing to try and find his friend's scent.

'yuki?!"

Yuki heard his name and roused from his sleep. He blinked a few times and coughed as the dust filled his lungs.
he ried to move and a loud yell was admitted. His leg was twisted around the wrong way.

"Yuki! Stay calm, We're going to geet you out of there!" Sadaharu yelled, quickly locating the best spot to remove rocks. this way they could dig straight down from the side and, hopefully, not threaten Yuki's life. While he and those under his command shifted the rocks in a large-scale version of that foreign he'd learned... jenga, Sadaharu had time to remember the last he'd seen of the others.

Finally, they managed to open up the cave and, as carefully as Sadaharu could, pulled Yuki away from the chunks of rock encasing him.

Yuki let out a yell as his leg hit against the rocks. Now he could see his leg his eyes widend... His bone was.. Visable