Konbanwa! I hope that the begining of the school year is going well for everyone. Minna, I'm a senior in college! How insane IS that? Not gonna lie, I suffered a tiny bout of senioritis on my 2nd day of classes. Yes, I'm that girl. Oh so we just learned how to type hiragana in my Japanese class. I'm super excited. Maybe I'll write something you guys next time.

There's some warped flashbacks, freaky n twisted dreams, and introspection in the beginning. Anyways, I realized that once I hit 18 pages, that this was going to be a long battle. Yeah, I know I've give you guys much longer chapters. But this just felt like Part 1 to me so I'm stopping here and continuing on in a bit, gotta get my thoughts together. And I decided that since I haven't updated for like a month, I would give you guys what I've got. I'm not sure about the ending and the revelation at the end. So I'd like some feedback about it. Tell me if it was believable or too rushed, etc. I think it will help me in the future. Thanks!

Disclaimer: I don't own Gravitation or "Memories in the Rain" from Bleach. See, I always ask for these lyrics like years in advance. But I use them!

Songs I wrote this to: "I Talk to the Rain" from Tsubasa Chronicles, "Bleed all over me" by Wicked Wisdom, "Memories in the Rain" from Bleach, "The Catalyst" by Linkin Park and "The Outsider Apocalypse Mix" by A Perfect Circle.

Mika sat at her desk with her head in her hands. She could recall that first "Father's Day" like it was yesterday. If only her Mother was still alive; she would know what to do. But there was no point in wishing for the dead to return. Besides, she had more important things to worry about.

For one thing, her husband, Tohma was in jail. With Noriko. Who was not Mika. Who was alone in a cell with her husband. The thought of that human being with her husband make Mika want to hurl. Not that she loved Tohma or anything, it was the principle behind it. The fact that Tohma had and always would love that ridiculous human and he didn't care if he embarrassed his own wife by practically proclaiming it to everyone.

"My life is in the dumps…" Mika groaned out loud.

The second biggest problem was Seki. Every since the woman had died, she had lived in their castle. The woman was so much like her own Mother it was sickening. And the worst part was, Lord Lucifer was beginning to pick up on it. He was becoming more like his old self: less cold, more reasonable. He was scowling less and less. Mika hated it. She didn't want that stupid human to take her Mother's place. She would have killed Seki a long time ago, if the despicable human wasn't under the divine protection of Shu himself. Slowly but surely, Seki was making a positive impact on Lord Lucifer's life, something that no one else could do. It thoroughly disgusted the brunette.

The third problem was Seki's son, Shuichi. It had taken Mika a while to get used to… Tatsuha's "homosexual tendencies" and now Yuki had to go back to being "bi" for the stupid half-demon. Shuichi was jeopardizing Lord Lucifer's already shaky relationship with Nuri. And go figure, the half-demon's best friend was doing the same. It was probably a conspiracy between the two. Mika knew Shuichi was up to no good; she knew as soon as her brother stormed into her office and demanded to see Shuichi's file. Believe me, if the half-demon had died, Mika would have thrown a party.

So needless to say, Mika had a hate list on her. She had a feeling that Shuichi really was dead. And where would he probably go? To this very castle, to see his Mother. And when he finally arrived, she would be waiting. She would get rid of him then. Mika was strong; she had trained under a relative of Tohma's and honed her skill: plant manipulation. She would squeeze her vines around the boy's neck and watch as he slowly choked to death-

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO:

REMEMBER

(PART ONE)

Shuichi stared up at the sky lazily. The sea breeze ruffled his pink locks. The ocean extended for miles and miles. There was no sign of life in the water. Tiril and Riku were bickering back and forth about inconsequential things. The half-demon didn't bother to listen. The teen believed that Tiril just needed someone to argue with now that Suzu was gone. And Riku just liked to talk.

Thinking about Suzu made him wince. He missed her. Sighing, the pink-haired male rubbed the bridge of his nose. He thought back to the first time they sang together on stage. I've certainly come a long way from prostituting myself… He thought as his eyes drifted shut for just a moment, just a moment…

Shuichi quickly finished his lunch, wiping his hands on his legs. He was about to sing for the first time in under an hour, and he was nervous. Well, at least this job didn't involve any taxes or lengthy job interviews or fights with coworkers. How Suzu had got him a job singing Monday through Friday every week Shuichi didn't know. It couldn't have been easy, but then again she could be very persuasive.

Ame ... Mae no hi mo ame de

Sono mae mo ame de

"On a scale of one to ten, how worried are you?" Suzu plopped down in the seat next to him, placing a full plate of food on the table.

SLOW MOTION ai wa totsuzen ni

Ore no mae de kowarete

"Ten billion." Shuichi mumbled darkly, running his fingers through his hair. "I have no idea what to sing… I keep trying to think of an easy song, but I can't think of anything."

Hitotsu dake, tada hitotsu dake

Mamorenakatta kara

"Yeah, but you won't be up there alone! You'll be with me and the piano the safe house people provide!" Suzu grinned joyfully and stuffed her mouth full of rice.

Tatakai wa mada tsuzuku

Hokori no tame ni

"Safe house people?" Shuichi replied, smiling slightly.

NO TIME TO CRY

"Well, the owners or whoever they are. They provide all the instruments and sound equipment needed." Suzu gulped down her third strawberry milkshake. "All you have to do is open your mouth and sing into the microphone."

Naku no wa ato da

Rokugatsu no ame ni mata chikau dake

"But… I can't pick a song. Suzu, I can't do this." Shuichi groaned out loud.

Kedo atatakana ame wa

Ore no hoho wo nurasu

Tiril skipped over to their table and sat down next to Suzu. He was so hungry, he didn't say anything and began to stuff every bit of food down his throat, only pausing to chew and breathe through his nose.

SLOW MOTION atsui suzushisa de

Ore wo tsuyoku michibiku

"Fine. I'll pick the song, you loser." Suzu rolled her eyes. "And if it makes you feel any better, I'll sing with you, too." Her mouth opened and she sang the next part of the song:

"Omoide" nante namanurui mono dewanai kara

Wakaranakutemo, ima wa hashiru shika nai

Everyone's watching, everyone's watching, everyone's watching, sweaty palms, gripping the mike, but it might fall and never come back… but wait… he knows the words. He knows these words. He's sang this song before. He's ready, he's been ready. He can do this!

NO TIME TO CRY

Grinning, grinning so widely demons stare, suspicion coating their veins, their dead, useless veins. How could someone so dead be so happy? That is what they thought. But he didn't care, because he had Apollyon and Suzu and Tiril so he just opened up his mouth and began to sing:

Tsuyoku naru dake

Rokugatsu no ame wa tada inochigake

Shuichi was on stage now; all the lights were on him. No one could believe their ears. No one could believe his voice had such beauty, such depth. They were shocked. Smiling widely, he turned to Suzu. She had such confidence, he could see it in the way she held the microphone, the way she swayed and sashayed around the stage. Her voice didn't change, whether she was dancing around or standing still.

NO TIME TO CRY

And they would sing together. Suzu and him… just like they did that first time; they were beautiful together… the music they created when they blended their voices in a heavenly duet. Shuichi looked back at Suzu. Her purple eye gazed back at him. She was there, but at the same time, she wasn't. And it was then, as Shuichi opened up his mouth to finish the song with his Twin Flame, that he realized this was a dream…

Tsuyoku naru dake

Rokugatsu no ame wa tada inochigake…

See that wasn't so hard, now was it? You can sing and you can perform; it's natural to do so. It's what you've done all your life. Perform and put on shows for an audience. You're used to being watched and observed. You know how to behave. Fake? Does that make you fake? Are you ever really yourself? Do you know yourself? No, you do not. You have forgotten the most important thing. Or perhaps, you have not forgotten it at all and instead choose not to remember. What was it like to have a mother? You don't know. What was it like being a half-demon child, living in Kyoto? You don't know. What was it like, playing games with Crimson, inside of your head? You don't know. You should know. You should not have forgotten.

I do know myself! I do! And it's not my fault I have amnesia!

Lies… you are so used to hiding the truth, pretending to be fine when you are not. But you cannot lie to me. You cannot deceive me. You cannot best me, because of who I am.

Who are you?

I am the "you" that you forgot. I am what you cannot remember. I am the truth.

Shuichi reached out to touch a blue star, but of course, he couldn't reach it. "I don't know why a dream will teach you how to summon. It's almost as if you choose to forget things." The voice was back.

"What do you mean?" For some reason, those words haunted Shuichi, stabbing his heart. A green star spun around him, as if trying to comfort him.

"There are many ways a being learns to summon: reading a passage out loud, standing out in the midst of a thunderstorm, being in mortal danger and having nowhere else to turn, hearing a certain song, being lost at sea… However, this is the first time a being has learned to summon through a dream. You will most likely not remember what has happened here.

"The means by which you learn to summon is a direct reflection of your soul. For instance, the one who spoke with me beforehand learned to summon through hearing me sing a song. She finds music very inspiring and her soul delights in hearing certain melodies." The voice paused dramatically.

"Suzu!" Shuichi shouted out instinctively.

"Is that what she's called nowadays? Interesting." The voice commented. "Your soul, like hers, enjoys hearing good music. But there is dark uncertainty present in the depths of your soul. This darkness will prevent you from remembering what has happened here.

"Because you are so young, your soul cannot handle all the power you are about to receive. Unlike your predecessor, your summoned beings will appear through a medium, a weapon of your choice. But beware of this: the beings you summon are not your equals. They are not your companions and should certainly not be superior to you.

"You are the one who controls them. The minute you think of them as equals, they will become beasts and ravage the earth, the skies, and the waters until you reestablish your authority. The same will happen if those you summon become more powerful than you. They will not respect a weak Master. Is this understood?" The voice explained gravely. A gold star twinkled in the distance.

But Delia… she's not my equal. She's a million times stronger than I am. If anything, I am inferior to her. Am I wrong? Am I a "weak Master"? I have always been weak, always, always. It's so easy to hurt me. I'm not strong… but I want to be…

Again, you forget what is important and dwell on things that have no significance. You are so quick to belittle, to doubt. Why?

Why? WHY? If you're me, then you should understand! Horobosu! He knew me, he knew my deepest fears and used them and threw them in my face! How can you say I'm forgetting what's important? That WAS important to me and it still is and I won't forget it, I won't forget how easily he reduced me to nothing, HOW he stripped the life away from me and ripped my soul out of my body. How can you say-

You would not have suffered if you knew the truth.

Shuichi was breathing heavily, tears streaming down his cheeks. "Leave me alone…" The half-demon whimpered, his soul full of despair. Why was this happening to him? This phantom was attacking his soul, just as someone else had attacked his mind. Because he knew this demon, he had been in this room before, but his memories, his memories were all gone and he couldn't summon them at all. Someone had blocked them. All he knew was what was right in front of him. His only reality was the demon lord before him. But it couldn't be all there was. There had to be more. There had to be more than this.

Lord Seguchi uttered a few words and they both heard something shatter. Without warning, Shuichi's body slid forward from underneath the bed. "There's no use in you staying under there, right?" He smiled menacingly. Shuichi stood next to Lord Seguchi, his face emotionally blank. He had accepted his fate. "You will die and you will die here for the crime you have committed."

"Enough." A surprisingly cold voice said from behind them… and with that, Shuichi's awareness returned. This was the day of his mother's death. This was the day everything changed… this was the day Shuichi had forgotten completely because of his amnesia. He had blocked this memory out for so long, only remembering the sound of Lord Seguchi's cold voice, always haunting him in the sheer darkness, always within his deepest, darkest fears. And now it was here before him, in this distorted form, this illusion. Horobosu had been inside Shuichi's mind, because how else would the demon know of this? How had he dug inside the teen's consciousness so deeply as to find a memory that he himself had forgotten a decade ago?

With new tears streaming down his cheeks, Shuichi slowly turned his head. Now he would be forced to watch his mother die again, right in front of him. And she stood there boldly; ready to once again sacrifice her life for him so that he could be safe, so that he could survive. She wore a bloodstained, white dressed that flowed to the floor; was armed with a bow, arrows, and a small, red book. Her long, pink hair, the hair that matched his and her dark, blue eyes that seemed to shine like Crimson's… it was too much. He didn't think he could break again... but he did.

"It didn't work!" Shuichi screamed at her desperately, but it was like she didn't even hear him. "You died and for what! Yuki and Ryuichi left me… King Sakuma NEVER came to get me… I was kidnapped and tortured… I don't even know WHAT happened to me because I forgot it all. I forgot you! I forgot all about this day! I almost forgot everything… everything…" Even Lord Seguchi didn't reply. It was like he was frozen in time, he was screaming and screaming, but no one could hear him. No one would listen. He was all alone.

Shuichi slowly sunk to the floor, sobbing. He was in so much pain. He just wanted it all to go away. When would this pain end? His life, his entire life had been full of such destruction and such suffering. He was sick of it, he was sick of it all. He wanted this vision to end… he didn't want to see his mother die again… but he wasn't in control, Horobosu was. And somewhere else, somewhere else he was dying and no one would be able to help him…

"Open the book!" Seki cried out as she shot an arrow at Lord Seguchi, halting him for a moment.

No… I don't want to… no… Shuichi began rocking back and forth, staring at the book fearfully. He knew that she was going to die soon. He didn't want to see it. He couldn't see it again. I can't lose you again, not again… don't leave me alone!

Shuichi could only watch with horror as the book opened up on its own, revealing its blank pages. "I seal thee away, thy treacherous demon. I seal thee away to Gehenna for all eternity." Seki closed her eyes and her remaining energy formed a ball around Lord Seguchi. It was going to happen… and he couldn't stop it.

"NO! NO!" Both Lord Seguchi and Shuichi voiced their protests. The demon lord's body was transported into the book, which closed as soon as his body went in. Shuichi kept on screaming in, banging on the floor. His mother's arms enveloped him… for the last time. He stopped pounding and simply stayed still. His mother was holding him... and even though it was an illusion, it was real enough for Shuichi. It felt real.

"You're safe, Shuichi, you're safe…" Seki kissed him numerous times and ordered him to open the book again. Her hair curtained around the both of them.

"No, no I won't do it." Shuichi whimpered. "Please, don't die again. Don't leave. You can't die!" Seki opened the book herself.

Seki didn't answer and used one of her arrows to give herself a new wound. Blood dropped onto the open white page and disappeared. She leaned forward to write in the numbers "666" twice in the book, using the arrow's tip as a utensil.

The book glowed and floated away from them. "My son, I love you. Remember: never take off your seal or tell anyone of your last name. You will survive, Shuichi, because your heart is strong. You will survive. You will-" Seki, Shuichi's mother, closed her eyes and her body slumped forward.

Shuichi held his mother's dead body in his arms and shrieked hysterically. She was dead again. Again, he had to deal with the pain of losing her. Her blood was all around him, on him, on the floor. She was everywhere and he was nowhere.

"Mommy! Mommy!" Shuichi cried out, rocking back and forth again, holding on tightly to Seki. "Why'd you leave me? Why'd you have to go? I miss you so much… I needed you and you weren't there. I needed you to hold me and kiss me and love me. Why weren't you there? Why did you leave me again? I miss you… I'm so alone..."

Shuichi closed his eyes, being in this room, reliving this memory for the first time in a decade… it made him feel nauseous beyond belief. Then, he could feel the darkness creeping up on him. He was going to black out again… and his torture would continue. Horobosu would continue until he died from his physical wounds. The demon would continue to tamper with his memories, taking and giving and warping as he pleased.

"No! No! Not again!" Shuichi screamed in vain as his world went black. He couldn't do this again. He never wanted to remember…

You're no better than Horobosu! Why would you make me relive that again? WHY?

You pushed it away, acting as if you were not broken and focused on other things. Crimson, Suzu, Apollyon, and Riku became more important than your own past. You allow novel things to take over and become absorbed into them, so you do not have to focus on me.

How do I even know you're real? What if you're not mine? What if you're just made up?

Until you face me, you will never know.

Face? I'm not fighting you. You keep saying that you're me. Why are you so angry?

Do you not see? Do you not understand? You cannot keep me locked inside of you. I cannot remain here, in the recesses of your mind. I am your greatest strength, but thrown away, I become your greatest weakness.

If I am to remember, I don't want to remember like that. Never again.

Do you want to remember? Do you want me back?

... Of course I do.

Long, pink hair surrounded him and he was falling, falling, falling why couldn't he remember? Why did Horobosu have to be the one to make him relive her death? Why did it have to be him? Blood, blood was everywhere, in his eyes and his ears and it coated his skin and was it hers? Was it hers? Or was it his own? Was he alive? Was there blood running through his veins? Or was it all out, was it all spraying out, bursting out, spilling out him. He couldn't get it back, he needed it. Why… oh why couldn't he have it?

I want it. I want it back. Give it back to me.

You did this to yourself. YOU did this. Not me.

I have suffered for so long. I did not punish myself. I would not punish myself! I did not!

It was not punishment, it was asylum.

I want it. I want it back. Give it back to me.

You shall have it back. But know this. It was you. It was YOU.

I want it. I want it back. Give it back-

"Nee, Shuichi, wake up!" A childish voice whined.

Shuichi groaned as something landed on his chest. Opening his purple eyes, he grinned as he found himself nose-to-nose with Riku. He ruffled the boy's messy hair. "Sorry… I didn't even realize I was sleeping."

"Did you have any dreams?" Riku giggled as Shuichi sat up, holding the boy to his chest. He's so warm…

"… No, I don't think so. I can't remember…" The half-demon frowned slightly. He had the feeling that he dreamed. And his chest felt heavy, laden with something… but what?

"You kept saying that you wanted it back. I'm not sure what you want, though." Tiril offered with a cock of his eyebrow.

"It's your Mommy! You want her back!" Riku piped up.

"Yeah…" Shuichi trailed off uncertainly, scratching his head. I have a feeling I forgot something important… He brushed the feeling off as he stretched. He was probably just nervous about reaching Ichiban, which was completely understandable.

Delia sang soothingly at the teen and he started to feel more relaxed and awake. "Hey, Riku? Why do you think you can understand Delia?" Shuichi asked curiously.

"I dunno… when she sings, I can hear Delia talk like you're talking to me now." The sandy-haired boy responded with a shrug.

"But she's not." Tiril pointed out flatly. "She's singing in a completely different language." Something is translating what she's singing. And it's probably whatever's inside his head.

"Well, I don't know why." Riku huffed.

"It's okay, Riku." Shuichi reached over to ruffle the toddler's hair. "I was just wondering. We'll figure it out, no worries."

I hope the voice in his head doesn't kill us off first. Tiril crossed his arms over his chest. "Say, Riku… do you ever hear voices in your head?" The Fallen blurted out.

"What?" Shuichi turned to Tiril, a look of shock on his face. "Why would you say that?"

"Uh… nothing… I was just curious. That's all." Tiril babbled, a blush dusting his cheeks. "I mean we all have voices in our heads. I was just wondering if there was one in Riku's head… that was converting Delia's language into ours."

"… That's not a bad idea." Shuichi pondered for a moment.

"If I had a voice in my head that was bilingual, don't you think it'd be doing a lot more than just translating stuff?" Riku frowned.

"I don't know Riku. You tell me." Tiril shot back.

"Whoa, whoa!" Shuichi looked from Riku to Tiril. "What's going on between you two?"

"Honestly, Shuichi, you just pick up some random kid off the streets that EVERYONE seems to hate and no one will tell us why. You're not the least bit suspicious?" Tiril rolled his orange eyes. "He could end up getting us killed. They could banish us from Ichiban Castle and then you'd never see your Mother."

"I understand your concern… and I agree. I don't think it's coincidence that I found Riku; all the more reason why I want him by my side." Shuichi smiled. "I want to see how this all plays out."

"Che, fine, but don't say I didn't warn you." Tiril scowled, wrapping his arms around his knees and glaring out at the Zeitgeist Sea.

"Tiril… is there something you're not telling me? I mean, I know the circumstances are shady, but you seem to have been against this from the start." The half-demon narrowed his eyes at the Fallen.

"I tried to see if there was anything I could… learn about Riku. And I didn't get anything. Not a phrase or a word about him." Tiril admitted grudgingly.

"What do you mean learn?" Riku gave Tiril a wary look.

"It shouldn't matter unless you've got something to hide." Tiril retorted.

Shuichi groaned and smacked his forehead. "A little help would be nice, Delia." He looked at the mysterious water nymph, who was gazing out at the ocean.

Delia turned around, her blue hair trailing in the wind. Her purple eyes locked onto Tiril. A flash of light hit the boy in the face and he fell over onto his back. She looked at Riku and the same flash of light him.

Tiril was the first to sit up, massaging his jaw. "Do you know what corporal punishment can do to a child? Jeez…" He pouted.

"Well I'm sure you know. You just know everything, don't you?" Riku glowered at the Fallen. "And it's your fault my face hurts."

Shuichi shook his head. "Be quiet or I'm freezing both your mouths shut." He warned, giving each child a stern look.

"You have no concern for my psychological development, do you?" Tiril threw his hands in the air. "You must want me to grow up to be an axe-murderer. Because that's the path that I'm going down right now… the axe-murdering path of doom."

"Look, I get that you miss Suzu… but now isn't the time for this behavior, alright?" Shuichi sighed, running a hand through his hair. "What you said before indicated that we're going to be attacked soon. So I need us to get along. Right now, we're all we have."

"Fine… but next time, I get to pick the straggler we adopt." Tiril shrugged, avoiding Shuichi's gaze.

"Done. I hope I've deterred you from the path of axe-murdering doom." Shuichi smirked, earning giggles from Riku and Tiril.

"Yup. I'm back on the path of righteousness no-" Tiril broke off as a thought bombarded his skull, screaming its significance. He blurted it out instantly: "An army of tree nymphs has been summoned to Ichiban Castle."

"Tree nymphs? What the heck are those?" Shuichi groaned. "And who summoned them?" I know I've heard of them before… The memory flashed in his brain rapidly:

"Tatsuha! Oh, that mischievous child. He used to antagonize Mika's tree nymphs and they would shriek at him and whip their roots at his knees. He was as naughty as any boy, rash, immature… oh and all he had to do was flash that dazzling, manipulative smile of his and I'd soon forget the reason why he was in trouble in the first place." Persephone couldn't help but chuckle.

"I can picture him getting beat up by a group of nymphs." Shuichi chortled, his voice rising with excitement. "I can't wait to tease him about it!"

"Uh oh… I think I've figured out who's going to attack us." Shuichi gulped. "Seguchi Mika… Lord Lucifer's daughter… we're so screwed."

"W-what?" Tiril shouted out. "T-that's not good! We can't fight the Devil's daughter! Aw man, that is so not going to get us diplomacy points."

"Tree nymphs… what are they?" Riku pulled on Delia's watery tresses. Delia sang back at him and her voice raised a few octaves. "She says that tree nymphs only obey a strong master, someone who knows of Mother Nature."

"So basically a tree nymph is going to be like Delia… but more treelike?" Tiril asked cautiously. "And Seguchi-san's element should be earth, just like Shuichi's is water. Crap, how the heck are we supposed to beat her?"

"I don't know… how are we supposed to beat an army of nymphs?" Shuichi pulled on his hair. His fingers lowered to touch the silver ring hanging around his neck. Persephone told him to give it to Mika. But would he even get a chance? It didn't seem like Mika wanted to talk to him. People that summoned armies were generally past the "Let's Talk About It" stage.

Riku starting staring down at the water as the icy disk flew on. "Nee, Delia, what's that?" The brunet pointed down at the tiny flowers floating in the water below. Delia crooned back at him gently. "Oooh… water lilies? They're pretty!" Riku's attention was completely drawn to the beautiful flowers. He noticed that the further they flew, the more flowers appeared in the ocean. Maybe the plants liked this part of the sea.

The tiny demon gazed down at the flowers. When he closed his silver eyes, he felt as if he could feel the energy of the ocean roaring inside of him. Something is wrong, the waves were telling him. Something is wrong. His eyes flashed open as he heard Tiril's voice:

"-well… trees can be burned… and cut down." Tiril gestured towards the Blade of Lamentations, which was still embedded in the icy disk. "A couple tornadoes could do some damage, too."

"Yeah… I'm not sure if my water would help or harm them…" The half-demon continued on thoughtfully. "I could form the water into acid and burn them… jeez this is horrible! I don't want to fight Yuki's sister!"

"I don't think we have a choice." The Fallen replied with a shrug. "She clearly wants to fight us."

"Shuichi?" Riku cocked his head to one side.

"Yeah?" The pink-haired teen turned to the toddler.

"Can you-" Riku broke off as he spotted something up ahead. "It's the castle!"

Shuichi whirled around, practically falling off his icy disk to peer into the distance. For miles and miles, he saw ocean… but then… he saw the outline of a huge island. The island was covered with trees. And as he looked up and far away, he noticed towers pointing up towards the sky. He mentally urged his icy disk to fly faster and faster. This was it, this was it. They were he-

"Aaaaah!" Tiril let out a scream as he stared below.

Shuichi rapidly followed the boy's gaze. A gigantic swarm of green vines had erupted from the ocean and was ascending towards them. The green mass was twisting and coiling and was coated with white water lilies.

Delia flew off of the icy disk and hovered in the air. Shuichi rose to his feet, snatching the Blade of Lamentations out of the ice. "Tiril, give Riku your brooch." The half-demon formed twenty clones of himself using the water from the ocean below. Each clone had its own icy disk. He mentally commanded his twenty clones to each release five tiny bubbles into the air.

"What? Why?" Tiril protested.

"Do it now!" Shuichi snapped out. The vines were also embedded with thorns, the half-demon realized as the mass grew even nearer to them. He started pushing and pulling the tiny bubbles all around until they were all positioned exactly where he wanted them.

Tiril scowled, but gave in, putting his brooch around Riku's neck. "My barrier will protect you." The Fallen put his hands on the toddler's shoulders. "I'm letting you borrow this so don't lose it!"

"I won't!" Riku put a hand protectively over the trinket.

Tiril released his wing and lifted himself into the air, using the wind to propel him. He formed two big energy blasts, holding one in each hand.

Shuichi stole one look at Riku and frowned. In an instant, one more clone was hovering behind the tiny boy, purple eyes narrowed protectively. The clone picked a squirming Riku up, placing him on its icy disk. The icy disk expanded in width to accommodate the space that Tiril's barrier would take up.

Delia started singing to the ocean. The waves started becoming rougher and rougher. She watched in faint interest as more vines kept on ascending from the waves, but they were moving slowly, due to the force of the ocean.

The coiling mass of vines started shooting out razor sharp thorns at the group. The clones dodged most of them or encased them in ice while keeping their respective bubbles safe. Shuichi smacked a few of them away with his blade, while Tiril blew them away with a mighty gust of air. "Everyone! To the castle!" Shuichi shouted out, commanding his clones to keep on flying east.

The clone guarding Riku did a flip in the air and placed himself right in the middle of the other clones. Tiril flew in the front of the group, carrying his huge energy blasts in his hands. His orange eyes were locked onto Ichiban Castle, which was becoming more visible by the second, as was the island around it.

Shuichi and Delia remained behind, as did one-hundred teeny, tiny bubbles. The half-demon stayed perfectly calm as the green mass started to surround them. I knew it wanted me… The teen smiled. Just as one of the vines began wrapping around his ankles, he had his clones pop their respective bubbles. Delia simultaneously let out an angry shriek and the ocean below roared in return.

The noise was deafening. One-hundred water cyclones pummeled the mountain of vines back into the sea. Shuichi and Delia flew back to avoid the crashing and twisting water around them. The half-demon converted the water from his cyclones into acid and watched as the fire spread rapidly through the vines.

Delia began swaying her arms and the ocean pulled and pushed to match her movements. The seas parted below them to expose the entire mountain of vines that waited for them on the ocean floor. She kept the water away from the mountain so it wouldn't douse the fire nor stop the explosions.

Shuichi and his water nymph turned to each other at the same time and nodded. He withdrew all of his acid from the vines and she released her hold on the ocean, allowing it to crash down onto the pile of charred vines. He then changed the acid back into water and compressed it into a circular shape the size of a basketball. The dense water ball attached itself to his icy disk.

The duo soared side by side quickly, catching up with the Shuichi clones, Riku, and Tiril. Delia brought up the rear and Shuichi made his way to the front. The force of one-hundred cyclones… I must use it wisely. Shuichi frowned to himself.

Finally, they could see Ichiban Castle. It loomed in the distance, a beacon, a symbol of endings and beginnings. The island that encompassed the castle was huge and shapeless. Half of the island was covered with dense woods and the other half seemed to be covered with grass. Either way, Mika clearly had the advantage. But… the island was completely surrounded by the Zeitgeist Sea.

As the group drew even nearer to the island, Tiril realized it first: "There's a barrier around the island!" The Fallen pointed straight ahead. Sure enough, a barrier with a greenish tint surrounded the area.

"Dammit! How are we supposed to get inside?" Shuichi growled out, commanding his icy disk to fly faster. He didn't stop until the barrier was an inch away from his nose. The half-demon slashed at the barrier once, but it didn't even leave a mark.

Tiril shot both of his energy blasts at the barrier. But as the smoke cleared, they saw that this had no effect either. The green-haired boy glared at the barrier. "What the heck?"

"Nee, look over there!" Riku pointed down past the barrier, past the wave of trees that greeted them. There was a wide clearing that was almost vacant… except for the woman standing by herself. The moment Riku's eyes locked with hers, he froze in fear, for he felt the malice behind her gaze.

She had brown hair that extended to the middle of her back, with bangs that curved around her narrow face. Her dark blue eyes were tinted with pale grey and a copper beret adorned her head. The brunette was tall, with fair skin and stood proudly. She was wearing a burgundy, long-sleeved jacket with golden buttons, a matching skirt, and matching heels. In her hands, she held a long wooden staff, carved from the bark of an aging tree. The top of the staff widened like a claw, protectively holding a glowing white orb.

"You will never step foot inside this barrier." The brunette spoke up, breaking her gaze with Riku to glare at Shuichi. "Not while this thing is with you. I must say, half-breed, I didn't think you would make it this easy for me. I never intended to let you inside of the castle. But you gave me a legitimate reason to deny you access."

"Why?" Shuichi smacked his blade against the barrier furiously. A tiny crack formed but it instantly vanished. Why wouldn't she let me in? What did I do to her?

"Ha! Fool, you cannot break MY barrier." The brunette threw back her head and laughed. "No one can."

"That's her." Tiril whispered. "Seguchi Mika. That's Yuki's sister." A black cloud appeared in the sky above them.

"Any barrier can be broken!" Shuichi narrowed his purple eyes. He commanded his clones to each create ten tiny bubbles. "Tiril, I need more!"

Tiril inhaled deeply, reaching into the recesses of his mind. That was where his power was, that was and always would be his greatest resource. He slowly willed more and more cumulonimbus clouds to appear.

Riku inched closer to his guardian, sweating under the heat of Mika's glare. Delia screeched angrily and began swaying her arms. A mighty ocean wave crashed up against the barrier, but it only shook the ground upon which Mika stood.

"Please, I don't want to fight you!" Shuichi banged on the barrier with his fist. "Can't we talk?" I might as well try…

"What is there to talk about?" Mika barked out, stamping her staff on the ground.

"I'm supposed to come here! My Mother is inside the castle, isn't she?" The half-demon pleaded. "I've been traveling for so long and so far… and all I want is to see my Mother again. That's all I want."

"Boy, are you stupid? I never intended to let you inside." Mika narrowed her eyes. "Your actions have only affirmed my beliefs. You are nothing but a harbinger of disorder. I will not allow you inside. And as for your Mother… she doesn't even know you're here."

"What? What do you mean?"

"She has been distracted with mountains of paperwork. And even if she did happen to notice that I'm gone, all she will be told is that I am dealing with intruders."

"I am coming inside and there is NOTHING you can do about it. You can't keep me from my Mother! I haven't seen her for years!"

"Why should I let you inside? You DARE bring him here? And you think I'll let you in my home, you pathetic excuse for a half-breed?"

Shuichi bit his lip angrily. "No one saw fit to tell us WHY we couldn't bring him!" What is this feeling I have? Shuichi could feel the hatred seething out of Mika. It was floating towards him, trying to choke and consume him. But why… why did she hate him so? And it wasn't just hatred for him, but for Riku, too.

"That thing carries the blood of a traitor, a monster, a fiend!" Mika Seguchi hissed out, her eyes locked onto Riku's terrified face. "I will dispose of him first."

"You will do no such thing!" Shuichi roared, his eyes flashing. "Why would you want to kill him? He's JUST a little boy!"

"You don't know! You honestly don't know!" Mika let out a bark of laughter. "And you think you deserve my brother? You think love him? What do you know of his past? You know nothing! If you knew, you would not have brought that thing here. My brother clearly didn't trust you enough to tell you."

Shuichi turned to Riku. "What does she mean by that?" The half-demon frowned. "Do you know Yuki?"

"N-no… I didn't do anything!" Riku stammered out.

Shuichi inhaled deeply. He felt it again. Mika's hatred for him… he gripped the Blade of Lamentations tighter. The emotions were staggering. There was so much coursing through him right now it nearly drove him mad. But the strongest feeling of all was the anger he felt at being kept from his Mother. What gave her the right to do so?

"Ohmygod…" Tiril gasped out in shock, looking at Riku in surprise. "Ohmygod!"

"Tiril, what? What is it?" Shuichi demanded, jolted from his thoughts, his eyes widening as he noticed the look Tiril was giving Riku. It was the same look everyone else had been giving the toddler, that look of disgust.

"His father raped Yuki!" Tiril pointed at the sandy-haired toddler. Riku's eyes filled with tears and his chin quivered.

"What…" The teen whispered out, looking at Tiril in disbelief. "What did you just say?" Delia flew over to the toddler and put a graceful arm around his shoulders.

Tiril shook his green head. "It all makes sense now. That's why everyone hates him."

Shuichi swallowed thickly, unable to think for a moment. He felt like he was lost, like he was frozen in time. He couldn't picture anyone hurting Yuki. Rape was… rape was it was horrible. It was one of the cruelest acts that could be done to a living thing. He couldn't believe it. Someone had taken advantage of Yuki, broken the blonde's trust, and and…

Tears fell down Shuichi's face before he could stop them. How could someone do that to Yuki? How could they? He could feel it, the pain and anger filling his body. It was going to take over him, to consume him. He wanted to destroy something, anything, everything. He wanted justice and revenge. Mika's hatred mixed in with his own and raced through his veins, stabbing his heart, his soul, his mind, anywhere it could reach.

"Do you see now? Do you understand? Throw that thing back into the ocean and let the monsters feast upon his corpse!" Mika growled out. "If you prove yourself to me, I might allow you inside Ichiban Castle. Get rid of that spawn."

Shuichi slowly turned to Riku. The toddler instantly burst into tears at the intense gaze behind those purple eyes. "P-please I'm s-s-s-sorry I d-d-didn't h-hurt him I d-d-don't k-k-know and I'm sorry myDaddyhurthimIdon'tknow w-why…" Riku scrunched his eyes shut as he felt a rush of energy pass over him. He was sure that it was Shuichi, coming to kill him. But when he cracked open his eyelids, he saw Shuichi soaring at the barrier instead.

Murder a child? NEVER. The half-demon was enraged. He had been tricked, fooled from the start. He could read her emotions. Whether he killed Riku or not, she wouldn't let him in. So he would have to break in. It was never about Yuki or Riku or his Mother. It was about him. Everything else was irrelevant.

Shuichi held his sword back, not even realizing that the hieroglyphics were glowing madly. The eye was fixated on the barrier, widening in anticipation as the half-demon poured more of his pain and anger into the blade, releasing not only his emotions, but those he felt coming from Mika. "LAMENT!" He cried out, thrusting his blade right through the transparent barrier, watching in satisfaction as it shattered and cracked.

Mika gawked in shock as her barrier fell to pieces around her. Fractures and fissures ran all down the sides of the barrier. A sound akin to shattered glass rang through the land. The greenish shards started fading away into nothingness. That half-demon just ruptured my barrier with one attack… The demon bit her lip in frustration. She had underestimated the boy.

"Is that your answer? You would betray my brother?" Mika seethed out, not betraying how surprised she was. "I will NOT let you near him."

"You cannot punish the son for the sins of the father." Tiril uttered, his orange eyes holding an ageless wisdom that temporarily unnerved the brunette.

"This has nothing to do with Yuki." Shuichi spat back. "I can feel your hatred for me. You've got a problem with me, let's settle it! Don't use Yuki as an excuse to attack me! Don't use Riku as an excuse to hate me!" The half-demon hovered in the air above the female.

"Oho… you're smarter than I thought, half-breed." Mika grinned maliciously. "Shall we begin then, boy?"

Hii! Hope you liked it! I did my best, but I'm not entirely satisfied with Part 1. I haven't started working on Part 2 yet, but I will. Thank you to my reviewers: The Lady Caroline Muze, ichika7walkure, chocowilliams, RiverSakina, Delia, & lilgurlanima! And to those of you who added Prediction to your favorites and/or alert list, I really appreciate it :)

I've decided that Hiroshi & Ayaka's daughter will be named Dahlia. Runner up gets the middle name?

Feedback is always welcome! Thanks for reading! Oh and if you found any mistakes, kindly let me know :)