Back to ze past

Yuki nodded. "I understand." he said.

---

"Can't say I've been all daisy's and roses." Ayama said, her hands in her back pockets as she looked around. "And can't say being the only one left alive, and having seen everyone one of my friends and family murdered or killed has done wonders for my ego. But at least were all here now right?"

"Want some water?" Sadaharu asked, offering a small flask. "I'll have to ask about your companions later" He stated.

--------

"Apparently so." She said, crossing her arms, a little nonplussed at her attiitude. "What, may I ask, did you need of me?"

Yuki took the flask. "Englishmen." He told his friend.

---

"Ahhh." Ayama smiled before bowing. "I wish to offer my services."

"Ah. I see..." He said, frowning and starting to clean his katana's blade. "What are they doing all the way over here?"

-----

"Your services? i'm assuming then you know the situation?" She queried, swilling a bottle of sake.

"Very long story, resulting in a relationship declared evil by a binding king of England." Yuki said.

----

Ayama took Staori's bottle of Sake and sat on Satori's chair. "Anyone with eyes and a nose can tell what you two are up to." She said, taking a swig of the drink. "So, do we have an Allyship?" Ayama leant forward

"Allies" Satori declared, reclaiming the bottle and taking a small sip. "It's good to see you" She said after a small pause.

--------

Sadaharu rose an eyebrow. "Interesting. haven't killed off one monarch just to get in trouble with another have we?"

"Ay." Ayama agreed. "It is. We have so much to talk about." She stood. "Including a ctach up on what your loverly Boyfriend is doing." Her fist clenched

---

Yuki laughed. "No mate, why bother? The princess requested the help of a Lord, she got the help of a handsome Demon. What else does she want?"

"Mori?" Satori started, eyes widening. "You've seen Mori? What's he been doing?" She demanded.

-------

"I see your point!" Sadaharu laughed.

"So you do care." Ayama said, leaning back. "Our good friend Mori has been... lets just say his mind may have broken. he killed himself you know." Ayama added as an after thought. "Jump right off a bridge in front of me. Couldn't help your children though... One died due to injured obtained by one Hikaru, while the other... She killed herself in an Aslym. Seems the DPA deemed her dangerous and one would tink so, seeing as how she murderd Yui."

---

"Ha!" Yuki winked. "You agreed I was handsome. Now hlep me up Kiddo."

Sadaharu hellped yuki up, pulling the rat's arm around his shoulder so as to support him.
"Put any preassure on that leg and i'll teach you pain!" The healer warned in passing, helping the young panther limp alongside her. Sadaharu smirked. "Careful".

----------

Satori dropped into the spare chair on the other side of the tent.
"Say... What?!" She gaped, brain struggling to slot all of the information into place. That wasn't right. Couldn't be right.
"Etsuko?! Killed Yui?! Mori killed himself?!" Her voice trembled very slightly before she managed to reign it in. "How did all of this happen?"

Yuki laughed and saluted the healer.

---

"Mori fell into a depression after you died." Ayama said, looking at the bottle she amnaged to get back. "Slowly he turned into suicidal so after one last visit to your grave he jumped off a bridge. A few weeks, if not days after Sadaharu died. Yours and Mori's deaths had shaken him, he turned angry and fell to the bottle and I wont be surprised if Drugs were involved.
"He than Attacked Hikaru when she came to visit your grave, poor girl ended up nerly dead. Amaterasu saw it all, well at least Sadaharus passing that is. When I returned home I found blood coating the walls, the floors and your little girl. After all, they were just playing. Must have been a brillaint game because It killed Yui."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
the twins after leaving the meeting room were led by the messenger to the Kitsune
responable for the capture

he bowed to the twins and gave his report
"They are about an hour away now, shall they be brought before his majesty?"

Hikaru shook her head
"Continue on to the castle, Our Lord shall see to them there." she said sternly

"begone" said Koaru and the messenger departed

on the walk back to the meeting room Koaru pulled Hikaru aside
"are you okay? the Kurohyou leader..."

"I am alright Koaru, we should get back to Onii-dono"

"Hika..."

she ignored him and they returned to the meeting

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
By the time hikaru had re-entered the room, Satori had fully regained her composure.
"There. Now we're both clear whey we're here. We do not plan on leaving, we are here to stay" She said cooly, lacing her fingers.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The twins sat down on either side of their brother

Tasuo addressed the Panther leader;
"begone from our lands we have neither been hostile toward your clan nor tresspassed on your territory. If you withdraw your troops now there is no need for further blood shed.
but let this be known, if you continued with this unprovoked invasion then we will not hesitate to retaliate with as much force as nessicary from both the Kitsune clans, the InuYoukai and the rest of our allies. If you insist on this attack we will drive you back, and take whatever land we conquer. So i emplore you, return to your homeland, leave us in peace and we will do the same."

"and thats why he's in charge" said Koaru silently over his link to his sister

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Must I remind you who it was that occupied that land not a hundred years ago?" Satori started, in regard the the inuYokai's lands. "Not only that, but the lands you call your own at this moment were not yours to begin with." She said, Shio grunting in agreement behind her. "Surely this was an expected threst?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. "And I assure you, your attempts at driving us back will be futile".

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tatsuo raisede an eyebrow
"I beg to differ. I am not responcable for the actions of our allies.
If it upset you so, then why have you waited nigh a century to object?"

"If you claim to know so much of my clans and our schedule, surely you've been ignoring the state of command our land has been under? A tyrant king is never a good leader to follow into war." She said lowly. "Too long, our borders have been pushed back. If I did not act now, there would be nothing left but wasteland

------------------

The small reprieve that the Kistunes had allowed them whilst they sent a messenger off, no doubt about them, was not enough. he had lost count of how many hours their forced walk had gone for now and, he threw a glance over his shoulder and was instantly backhanded for it, he was starting to worry about the health of the weaker two.

"Oh something that dishonorable gets around quite quickly you see.
What good is a Tyrant Queen then kinslayer? What have you accomplished?
A wasteland comes of bad leadership, blaming your misfortune on your neighbours is not so noble a trait is it not? child."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Satori clenched the ends of the table, outraged. "My father! He led the panthers into such decay. I am acting now to reverse it." She stopped, removing her nails from the polished wood. "Stop these petty insults and accept the facts. We are invading. We will reclaim our lands and there is nothing you can do about it." She said and sat back, anger blazing in her eyes. "And unless you want the bloodshed to begin in this very room, I would propose you refrain from insulting us."

Tastuo raised an eyebrow
"Oh really?"
The Kitsune's in the room loosened their weapons
"I do hope it doesn't come to that..."
he smiled
"restore what you have instead of taking from others. as far as i have seen you have done nothing to improve the standard of living in your lands. Impulsive behaviour with get you to places you don't want to go. If you cannot control your emotions i fail to see how you will fair with an army let alone an entire race."

Shio snarled and the panthers flanking Satori gripped the hilts of their own weapons.With a shake of Satori's head, they backed off again.
"You seem to believe there is something worth saving there. I assure you that there is nothing that can recultivate those lands. They are very nearly desert. We'll see how you fare when your entire race has been forced to live in those conditions." She said lowly.
"The purpose of this meeting was to reach an understanding of what we want. Now you know. Nothing will change the facts." She said and rose from her chair.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tatsuo rolled his eyes at her and said dryly
"I pray that that day never comes."
he sighed, "I was under the understanding that meetings like these were created to prevent war and needless bloodshed. You say your people suffer? then why lead them to the slaughter? Why not negotiate a treaty with the neighbouring clans for the good of your people at the expence of your pride? Why so inflexible, a ruler gains much by listening to others. but i see your mind is set. If you have nothing else to say then I would take my leave."

Satori paused by the door, looking suddenly amused by this onslaught.
"Sleep well. Just be careful through, I'm not sure if my inflexible pride can hold on to the truce of this outpost" She warned, smirked and strode out, warriors chuckling behind her.

The Kitsune patrol that was now prisoner escorts was heading northwest
when the leader called for them to make camp.

when asked why the leader pointed out that dead prisoners were no good to anyone and annoying to carry

As soon as it was made apparent that they were stopping, Shade forced his way over to where the fool and Elizabeth had been deposited onto the floor, looking thoroughly disgusted with their situation. When one of the guards restrained Shade from getting any close at the risk of conspiration, Shade became enraged.
"Can't you see that they're hurt?!" He snapped, guesturing furiously at the prone harlequin. Damn that language barrier. Taro moaned pitiously and curled in on himself slightly. Shade jabbed a hand at the two of them.

Itashi (aka the leader) ordered the raving half-wit to be bound and gagged until further notice. that was quite enough of his gibberish.

He called two of his men over to the prisoners the half-wit had been flailing at
after all a dead prisoner was no use to anyone

the Kitsune's got to work healing the captives
and Itashi saw to it that the half-wit was held away from the others
some of which seemed to grasp some meaning to his mad ranting

Upon closer inspection of the pale prisoner, stirring pitiful objections from the delirious fool, the Kitsune healer easily figured out the problem. Black and blue bruises almost completely covered the man's chest, signifying internal bleeding, and two of the ribs showing clearly from under his skin were obviously broken. Not much that could be done in that case, except perhaps a different method of travel. The Kitsune bandaged the harlequin's chest tightly to secure the ribs - elicting a few noises of pain - and then let him be, retreating to leave the guards their most unentertaining job. Elizabeth's legs were also bound.

Shade, now bound and gagged, had abated his struggled when he saw them getting cared for, although he showed much agitation when they neared Elizabeth.

Tatsuo returned to the Kitsune camp close to the panther outpost they had just exited
his siblings shadowing him.

"Onii-dono?" Hikaru asked when they reached their quaters "What now?"

"we leave in the morning" he said leaving the room "do not stray far"

Hikaru went quickly outside and was at the outskirts of the camp before her twin caught up with her.
"where are you going?! You heard Isao-Oniisama!!"

Hikaru grinned "I'm not going far. cover for me yeah?" she ran into the trees without a backward glance (when i say ran i mean sorta walked fast cause those skirts are a real bitch)

Koaru sighed and sat down on a rock to keep watch for his strong willed twin