This is Monster, Part C. Be sure to read A & B first, neh? XD

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“The hunter is a very old, very powerful soul, with anger and resentment, a cold empty hole hidden in that pretty body,” Hanneke commented quietly, sipping a bit at the tea held in her hands. The blonde woman let out a small sigh, shaking her head. “I was afraid this would happen.”

Sanosuke frowned, leaning back in his seat, taking in the odd demon’s words. She’s really hard to figure out. Five minutes ago she was jumping me, now she’s sitting here drinking tea with that serious look on her face again. The teen wasn’t quite sure what to make of this newest comment. A hunter?

“So, uh, this hunter? Who is it and what is it hunting?” he questioned, his dark brown eyes focusing on the demon’s young striking face. Young and striking at the moment, anyway.

“This hunter is a lion. He hunts who he is told to hunt, you see,” Hanneke responded quietly, her green eyes focused on the dark liquid in her teacup. “He wears a smile and has no warmth. He’s dark and cold inside, lost all of his warmth. He’s a hunter, you see?” she went on to say, a frown on her red lips.

“Uh, no, I don’t see. Could you please cut the riddles and just talk like a normal person?” Sano snapped irritably, moving his gaze to the dark window across the room. The cream colored curtains were pulled back, revealing that foreboding, rainy scene... A hunter? Lions... What is she talking about?

“The tempest said that I should not get involved, yet...” the woman trailed off, the frown deepening on her lips. “This is not good. My Malba has already been bitten by one lion, now he faces the hunter. He cannot defeat the hunter. This is not good,” the demon sat her tea-cup down, moving to clasp her hands nervously. “I do not like this.”

Wait, Malba? Bitten by a lion? “Hey, wait, what about Malba? Is he okay? Are Rae and Malba okay? Have they gotten the medicines?” he questioned uneasily, that ominous feeling he had felt by the window earlier once again washing over him. This isn’t good. I’m not sure what the hell she’s talking about, but it’s definitely not good...

“My Malba and Rae have stolen the potions from the lion’s den, yet... He awoke the lions. My Malba was bitten by a lion...” she trailed off, biting her lip, her green eyes filling with tears. “She said not to get involved, that there is nothing that can be done, yet...”

Sano swallowed nervously, his gaze focusing on those teary green eyes. This is bad. The teen felt his unease steadily increasing, anxiety rushing upon him at the sight of the woman nearly in tears. I’m used to her being a freaky perverted old lady, but... Now she looks like she’s going to cry. “Hanneke, what happened to Malba?”

“My Malba is bleeding and weak, yet the hunter has found them. Why mustn’t I interfere? I do not understand. The tempest told me to stay here, that I cannot help... I know I cannot help, but... I do not like this, my rooster,” she commented quietly, fretfully wringing her hands, her watery green gaze focusing on the rain pelted window. A bright flash of lightning briefly lit up the darkness, followed by a sharp crack of thunder. “I do not like this.”

Sanosuke closed his eyes for a moment, attempting to curb the irritation rising within. Why won’t she just tell me what the hell she’s talking about? “Hanneke. What happened? What’s going on? Will you stop being so damn vague?” he questioned through gritted teeth, opening his eyes to meet her gaze. “What happened?”

“My Malba was a lion once as well. Long ago he was a lion, along with the hunter. The hunter bitterly resents his departure from the lion’s den. He takes his orders for this hunt very seriously, as he wants to make my Malba suffer,” she replied, unclasping her hands to reach for her tea, slowly taking a sip, her hands trembling. “He shall hurt my Malba.”

The spiky haired teen let out an aggravated groan, running a hand over his eyes. This isn’t getting me anywhere. Malba was a lion? What the fuck is she talking about?! “Look lady, if you don’t hurry up and start making sense, I’m leaving. I’ll go find Malba and Rae myself!” he snapped angrily, his brown eyes flashing with irritation. I don’t know how I’ll find them but anything’s better than sitting here, being completely useless.

“You can’t leave, dear. The tempest said to stay,” Hanneke replied with a small shake of her head, her silky blonde hair shimmering in the kitchen’s lantern lighting. “I would like to leave as well... Yet she said it would not be wise, that I should wait... We cannot do anything.”

The tempest again... “Tsepmet, right? Who the hell is she and why should we listen to her? If Malba and Rae are in trouble we should be helping them, not drinking tea,” Sanosuke snapped, banging a hand on the wooden table, agitation flooding his voice. “Why are we just sitting here?”

“I cannot defeat the hunter either... I cannot help. I never am able to help, I can only watch. Watch and feel the pain. I want to help, don’t you see? I want to help, but I can do nothing. The hunter is so very strong. Even my Druuvbin-sama is not able to match that strength. Not really... Not anymore...” the blonde demon trailed off, her gaze dropping, focusing on the blue chicken by her feet. “Chippora, would you like some tea, my doomed foul fowl poultry product?”

Sano frowned at this comment, (ignoring the woman’s odd offer of tea to the bird) his anxiety swiftly rising. Which really wasn’t good as the teen was already beyond nervous. How strong is this guy? And who is he? Why is he after Malba or whatever? Damn it... We don’t have time for this. Druu’s dying and... Now Malba’s hurt too? Can this day get any worse? “So what do we do?”

“We... Do nothing, my rooster. We hope the lovely storm is correct,” she responded quietly, not meeting the teen’s gaze, instead focusing on that eerily dark window, the rain and wind blown trees...

“Brawkk,” Chippora chirped as if in response, hopping onto the table, rubbing her head against the woman’s hand. “Brawk.”

“Yes, you are correct, you bad poultry product. There is nothing for us to do. We must... Have faith,” she muttered quietly, running a hand over the bird’s feathered head.

That... Is a weird chicken... The bird looked... sad? That bird is definitely not normal. Well, obviously. I mean it’s blue. That in itself is weird... And for someone who hates chickens so much, Hanneke seems to like it awfully well, the teen thought, watching the demon gently stroke the bird. “Faith? Do nothing? Do you really want to just sit here and not do anything?” he then questioned, raising an eyebrow at the blonde woman.

“I do not want to, yet there is nothing for us to do,” Hanneke replied with a small sigh, closing her green eyes. “We must wait.”

Sanosuke let out an aggravated growl, shaking his head. “Well, do what you want. Sit here and drink your tea and play with your stupid pet bird! I’m out of here,” he snapped, rising from his sitting position, crossing his arms defiantly. “I’m not sitting here, waiting for some weird hunter or whatever to kill Malba and Rae while Druu lies dying. No way.”

“You cannot leave,” Hanneke responded softly, opening her eyes to focus on Chippora, continuing to pet the bird. “You can’t do anything, my brave rooster.”

“Yeah well. We’ll see about that. Where are they?” he bit out in response, an angry expression on his attractive face. “And stop calling me a rooster!” Why does everyone have to call me that?!

“You cannot leave, dearie,” the woman repeated, moving a hand to take hold of her tea-cup, sipping at the contents. “I know you are angry with me, but you must understand, dearie. You cannot do anything. Not a thing. Defeating Veenom and defeating the hunter are entirely two different things. So glare at me angrily if you must. I cannot let you leave,” she went on to say, her voice flat, eyes watery.

The spiky haired teen met the woman’s tearful gaze, the anger slowly dissipating as he took in her expression. She’s really upset. It was unnerving to see the lecherously insane demon so serious, to see her eyes so... “Uh... Look, I’m sorry, alright? I just... I’m not the kind of guy that likes sitting by and waiting.”

“I know that, dear,” she stated with a small smile, turning her gaze back to the window on the opposite side of the spacious room.

Sanosuke let out a sigh, uncrossing his arms. “So... We just wait? What if they get killed, huh? Then what?”

“...They will not be killed.”

“How do you know?” he muttered, slumping back onto the wooden chair, leaning his elbows on the kitchen table.

“Death is not the hunter’s intention. The lions’ orders are far more sinister, you see,” she stated slowly, moving a tan slender hand to once again pet Chippora.

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Sanosuke responded with an eyebrow raised, unsure what to make of that. Far more sinister? What? What does that mean? he frowned, an involuntary shudder coursing up his spine.

“The lions... Are to be feared...”

The brunette let out a groan, rolling his eyes. “You know what? You really don’t make any sense. You seriously need to work on that,” he muttered, lowering his head to the table with a thump. I want out of here... Druu’s dying and... Rae and Malba are being hunted by some lion, whatever the hell that’s supposed to mean. I thought they were going to Kopaka’s apartment. How is that a lion’s den? I really don’t get it.

“What’s this? That fox woman has made a very reckless decision... It’s unlike her,” Hanneke suddenly commented, her voice tinted with surprise. “That may not have been wise.”

NOW what? “Huh? Fox woman? You mean Kitsune, right? Reckless?” the teen questioned, exasperation entering his voice. What now? What may not have been wise? This old hag is driving me crazy, he thought, pulling his head away from the table’s surface to focus on the demon.

“That woman... I do not like her. She steals my Malba,” the blonde responded with a pouty frown, moving her hands away from Chippora, crossing her arms about her chest. “Though she is very, very pretty. Foxes are very lovely after all. Hm... Maybe I should reconsider. She does have such exquisite eyes. And such beautiful--”

“Uh, could you focus? Perverted old hag!” Sano interjected irritably, rolling his brown eyes. “What may not have been wise?”

“The fox woman has crossed worlds in a place she should not have crossed. Though I must say I cannot blame her... She said words that cannot be erased from her thoughts,” Hanneke replied softly, a sad expression flittering through her green eyes.

“Huh?” the spiky haired teen blinked, once again only further confused by the odd demon’s statement. “What are you talking about?”

“It would be a doomful sadness if that were the last real words to be exchanged. That fox woman would not recover so easily I think. A painful sadness...” she trailed off, shaking her head, her loose blonde hair swinging about her face with the movement. “That woman isn’t as cold as she seems. The ice isn’t in her heart, not like her father at all.”

“You don’t make any sense even when you’re not being a pervert. I give up!” Sano snapped, dropping his head back to the table’s smooth surface, a groan escaping his lips. I don’t know what the hell she’s talking about... Well. Except the not ‘as cold as she seems’ part. Yeah that bitchy fox probably isn’t as bad as what she wants everyone to think she is. Kind of like Malba, actually. They’re both complete jerks, but...

“I so very much hate doom,” she commented, running a hand through her hair, twisting a strand around her finger. “Doom...”

“Don’t start that again,” Sanosuke moaned, an almost pleading tone entering his voice. The teen was extremely tired of hearing the word ‘doom’... Doom this, doom that...

“I’m tired of special tea. No more tea,” the woman suddenly stated, eyeing her tea-cup with a disdainful look. “I cannot have non-doom tea of doom when so much doom lurks about. Doom. I hate doom but it’s always there. Doom,” Hanneke muttered with a frown, sighing as she slowly stood from her sitting position. “No more tea.”

Sanosuke shook his head, rolling his eyes with an exasperated sigh. Doom. Ugh... “Fine, no more tea,” he went on to say, an uneasy expression flickering across his face. So if she doesn't want tea... What does she want to do? the teen thought, watching the lecherous woman nervously. “So... Uh... Now what?”

“Now... Now we wait dearie. However... I want to see this doom,” she replied, a frown on her red lips. “Follow me, my brave little rooster. Chippora, you clean up the tea, yes? And wash the dishes,” she then stated, her green eyes briefly focusing on the blue bird still perched on the kitchen table.

What the hell? How is a chicken supposed to wash dishes? Sano raised an eyebrow, once again reminded of just how insane the odd demon really was... Sure, do the dishes. Right... “Follow you where?” he went on to question, deciding to ignore the woman’s peculiar orders to the bird.

“Ah, I shall show you. Follow me to my lovely crystal ball of wonder,” she chirped, the frown suddenly disappearing from her face, instead replaced by that trademark lewd smile. “I shall show you my crystal ball of wonder. Unless you want to play that is... Would you like to show me your--”

“Uh, to the ‘crystal ball of wonder’ then,” he cut the woman off, really not wanting to hear what the demon was going to suggest he 'show'. Damn freak...

“Yes, yes. We’ll have time to play later, I’m sure,” Hanneke commented, winking suggestively at the horrified teen. Later?! How about never, old hag, he thought, eyeing the woman fearfully. Man... Why do I always end up in situations like this?

“Come, come,” the woman went on to say cheerfully, turning and gracefully exiting the kitchen’s only doorway. Sano frowned but followed Hanneke, back into that long hallway. I still don’t remember this place being so big, he thought, attempting to focus in the weak lighting. “So, uh where is your ‘crystal ball of wonder’?” Sanosuke questioned, following the woman as she continued her slow graceful pace down the long hallway.

“Ah dearie, my crystal ball of wonder is in my crystal ball of wonder room of wonder. Where else would it be?” she replied, as if the answer should have been obvious.

“Uh... Right...”

With a shake of his head the tall lanky brunette silently followed the woman, doing his best not to stumble in the darkness. How long is this damn hallway? he thought as they continued their trek, passing door after door in the dark corridor. He remained silent however, deciding that asking the demon how the hall could be so long would only get another insanely weird response.... Yeah, like ‘it’s the amazing hall of doom’ or something...

“No, no, dear. This is not the amazing hall of doom. It’s the mansion hut house of doom. There is a very important difference,” the blonde woman suddenly commented, turning to give the teen a sultry smile.

Wha--? “Hey! How the—Hey! Don’t read my mind! That’s just... Wrong,” he snapped nervously, his eyes widening. She can read minds? That’s... She’s scary... Sanosuke shivered, his superstitious side quickly kicking in.

“But dearie. You have such a lovely mind. I like examining every part of my pretty rooster man,” she responded, a small pout on her lips, a lecherous look in her green eyes.

“Hey! No examining my anything! Old freaky hag!” the teen retorted angrily, a blush erupting on his face. I’m going to get molested before I get out of here.... I know I am... Why me? he thought with a small annoyed groan. Really, it just wasn’t fair. At all.

“Come dearie, come,” Hanneke cooed, grabbing the teen’s arm, hugging onto him as she pulled Sano along. “My ball of wonder awaits us.” With that said she directed the brunette a bit further down the hall, stopping near a large dark door on the right side of the corridor.

“Your ‘crystal ball of wonder room of wonder’ I take it?” he questioned with a touch of sarcasm, raising an eyebrow. What’s she going to do with her crystal ball, anyway? Even if she sees something, she’s already said there’s nothing she can do.

“Of wonder dearie, of wonder and doom,” the blonde replied, reaching out a slim hand to turn the old black doorknob, shoving open the heavy door. “Come, come.”

Sano nodded, following the woman into the ‘crystal ball of wonder room of wonder’. He glanced about this new room, taking in the décor. The room was medium sized, not overly large or small. The room held no lanterns or lights, only dimly lighted with four blue pillar candles surrounding a small low table. On the circular table sat an odd green sphere, the ‘crystal ball of wonder’, Sanosuke assumed. He turned his gaze to the walls, noting the purple paint and dark blue star accents... Okay... I really don’t remember this room either....

“I remodeled. You like?” Hanneke questioned, moving to sit by the low table, on a large blue pillow cushion lying on the wood floor. “Sit down, dearie.”

“Remodeled, huh?” he commented, raising an eyebrow. The room had no windows, and was rather dark, yet... The teen was almost glad for the windowless atmosphere. At least this way he didn’t have to see that dark rainy scene, the lightening and wind... With a small frown the teen nodded, moving to sit across from the woman, on a purple pillow cushion. “So... Now what?”

“Now... Hm....” she mumbled, moving her tan lean hands to caress the large green crystal ball resting on a small brass stand in the center of the table. “Now we look into my ball of wonder, dearie.”

This is ridiculous. Sanosuke didn’t want to look into a stupid crystal ball. He wanted out of this damn ‘hut mansion of doom’ or whatever the hell the demon had called it. He wanted to be... I want to know where Rae and Malba are and I want to get that medicine to psychic boy... “Yeah, well. Look away,” he muttered, rolling his eyes.

“Oh doom. The reception is always so bad. And it doesn’t get cable. Isn’t that awful?” the blonde frowned, her green gaze focused on the sphere. “Don’t you hate bad reception?”

“Huh?” Sano questioned, giving the woman a confused look. Cable? Isn’t that something to do with that Tee Vee thing in Rae’s time? Do they have Tee Vee in this world too? Oh well, I guess they probably do... the teen thought, pondering the woman’s words. Yeah if they can make weird experiments like Kouji, I’m sure they have Tee Vee, he decided with a small shrug. Hey, but what the hell does cable have to do with a crystal ball? He really didn’t get the demon...

“Oh. Hm. Well, let’s see. Ah! Dooom,” the woman suddenly exclaimed dramatically, her eyes focused on the green sphere. “Doom I say! I see doom!” she stated woefully, melodramatically raising a hand to her head. “Doom!”

“...I don’t see anything,” Sano stated flatly, raising an eyebrow. It just looks like a green hunk of crystal to me.

“Hush, dearie. I’m setting the mood,” she replied, waving a hand dismissively. “Now. Where was I? Oh yes. Dooom! Doom I say!” Hanneke shouted loudly, running a hand over the green crystal.

...Setting the mood... Right... “So what is this doom? And uh, I still don’t see anything,” he remarked, his dark brown eyes focused on the ball, however... All he could see was just... A green crystal ball. Is it defective or something?

“Hm? Oh dearie. It’s all for effect, you see,” the blonde demon responded with a shrug, not taking her eyes away from the ball.

“Effect?”

“Yes, effect. What, do you really believe in magick crystal balls, dearie?” the woman questioned, raising a blonde eyebrow. “It’s for effect. Effect! Doom effects!” Hanneke stated theatrically, her green eyes locking on the ball. “Dooom! Doom I say!”

What... The hell? “What do you mean do I believe in magick crystal balls? You’re the one with the ‘crystal ball of wonder room of wonder,’ you old hag!” Sanosuke snapped, crossing his arms, an angry expression in his eyes.

“Shh! Dearie, I’m concentrating on the doom. Hush now,” Hanneke replied distractedly, running a hand over the crystal, her fingers lightly massaging the sphere. What, she even molests her crystal ball? the teen thought, watching the blonde run her fingers sensually along the green ball with an uneasy look in his eyes. She better not get any ideas about doing THAT to me...

“So... Uh... You see anything?” he questioned hesitantly, watching the demon as she continued to massage the crystal. “What... What the hell are you doing?” Did he even want to know? Probably not...

“Ah my crystal ball is very cranky, you see? I must ease the bad moods away with my magickal fingers of doom. This crystal is a very temperamental crystal. The reception is doom,” she answered matter-of-factly, her green eyes never looking away from the sphere.

“...Temperamental? A temperamental crystal ball?” Sano inquired slowly, a look of disbelief on his face. Does she REALLY believe that? How crazy is she? I mean a moody hunk of crystal? Come on, he thought, shaking his head.

“What dearie, you’ve never heard of a moody crystal ball?” the blonde remarked, a surprised tone entering her silky voice. “Of course there are temperamental crystal balls. You must work out the tension, you see?” she went on to say, nodding her head at her own words.

“Right...Work out the tension...” he muttered, irritation once again coursing within at the woman’s eccentricities. “So hurry up and un-tense it or whatever so we can get on with this,” the teen grumbled, uncrossing his long legs and stretching them out on the large purple pillow. This is so ridiculous.

“Oh, hm... What’s this? I believe I may see something, dearie,” the woman suddenly commented, a small frown appearing on her red lips. “Reception! Bad, bad reception! Doomed reception!” she went on to exclaim, banging on the crystal. “Ah, there. That’s better. Now, let us see....”

Sanosuke narrowed his eyes, his hands twitching in irritation. He really wasn’t in the mood for the woman’s odd theatrics. “What do you see? And I thought you said it’s just for effect? So is the crystal real or not?” the brunette questioned with a small annoyed sigh. Make up your mind, is it real or not?

“Hm? Oh dearie, it is for effect. Yet I can see, you see?” Hanneke responded cheerfully, her green eyes gazing deeply into the green sphere. “Hm... This is something I must see... Something... The lovely storm said I must not interfere, as a shadow shall come... Could that mean...” the woman trailed off, a thoughtful expression in her dark green eyes. “Hm.”

Sanosuke rolled his eyes, not even bothering to contemplate the meaning behind the demon’s vague statement. By this point, he really just wasn’t up for it. I’m getting tired of trying to figure out what the hell she’s talking about... “It would be nice if you could make sense. Just once,” he mumbled, moving a hand to adjust his red headband. “So. What do you see?”

“My poor Malba,” the blonde whispered, a frown forming on her lips. “I do not like this,” Hanneke stated, apprehensively biting her lower lip as she continued to gaze into the crystal. “My lovely tempest, I do not like this.”

She keeps talking about that weird Tsepmet woman... Who the hell is she and why is Hanneke listening to her anyway? What the hell is going on? Sano rubbed a bit at his temple, feeling a tension headache starting to set in. Great, now she’s literally giving me a damn headache, he thought with a roll of his brown eyes. “What do you see?” the teen repeated, fighting the urge to scream at the blonde demon.

“I see... A shadow,” the woman responded softly, her voice growing distant, her eyes locked on the green crystal. Sanosuke watched Hanneke for a moment, noting the faraway look in her eyes. Er... is she going into some kind of trance or something?

“Uh, a shadow?” the teen questioned, frowning as he slipped into thought. A shadow... “Er, you mean like the uh, ‘shadows’ in Druu’s mind?” the teen inquired, quoting her earlier words. That’s what she said about Druu. That he has shadows pulling him into the darkness. Whatever the hell that means. Well, I guess she probably meant his sickness is the shadow and the darkness is death... Or something.

“No dear, not that shadow. This is a different shadow altogether,” Hanneke responded softly, her eyes faraway, her tone soft. “This is not a bad shadow. I see now. So that is why my storm told me to stay...” the blonde trailed off with a sigh, closing her eyes. “Yes, that is why.”

“What? What are you talking about now?” Sano questioned exasperatedly, letting out an irritated groan, again moving a hand to rub his temple. Definitely giving me a headache.

“This is a good thing, dearie. My Druuvbin-sama would be happy if only he were awake. My suffering Druuvbin-sama. He has so many shadows in his head,” Hanneke commented quietly, not opening her eyes, instead letting out another soft sigh. “I see... Yet I hope that this is enough...”

I really give up, the teen thought with a frown, crossing his arms, glaring irritably at the blonde demon. “So are Malba and Rae okay?” the teen snapped, irritation bleeding into his voice.

“No. They are not. However... We must wait. Faith in the shadow... Is that what we must have, my storm?” Hanneke replied, finally opening her green eyes, focusing on the spiky haired teen. “Faith and hope are such fragile things, don’t you agree? Once broken, it can be a hard thing to mend. I wonder if it shall break this time as well?” the woman inquired softly, running a trim manicured nail along the green crystal ball, a frown on her red lips. “I wonder...”

Sanosuke’s frown deepened, his irritation somewhat fading. The serious look was once again present on the blonde’s face, her green eyes troubled, anxious. Man. She has serious mood swings. With apprehension flittering through his thoughts he looked away from Hanneke, not wanting to see the solemn expression in her eyes. Faith and hope are fragile huh? Yeah, I guess there is some truth to that... But what the hell does that have to do with anything?

“My rooster. At least with you here, the doom does not hurt quite as much. It gets tiring, seeing so much doom, with no one to share it with. Do you see? This mansion house hut of doom? It gets lonely,” she suddenly stated, her green eyes dropping, once again focused to the green crystal on the low table.

Lonely? Yeah... I guess it would be... She meant that seeing things was hard to face alone, right? Being a psychic, living alone in a weird forest... “So why do you live here all alone? I mean you are the one who hides away in a dark forest. That’s not helping anything,” Sanosuke commented evenly, moving his gaze to focus on the woman.

“Why? Hm... Because... I grew tired of... Of facing the dark shadows in this world. It seemed easier to hide away, in the shadows instead of facing them, you see?” Hanneke replied, running her hands gently over the crystal ball, a thoughtful look passing through her eyes. “I believe that is why my Druuvbin-sama is much stronger than I. He did not hide. He hears the voices, sees the shadows just as I do, yet he does not hide. He has lived even longer than I, yet he does not hide. I admire that,” she went on to say, a small smile forming on her lips.

I can’t decide if she’s completely crazy or not... One second she’s rambling about chickens or doom, and then the next second she’s actually kind of making sense. Wait... Did she say... “Huh? Druu’s older than you?!” he questioned with wide eyes, disbelief in his voice. That’s not possible!

“Hm? Oh he is, dearie. My Druuvbin-sama has many years on his weary shoulders,” she stated with a nod, turning her gaze away from the crystal, meeting Sano’s gaze. “Many years.”

Psychic boy is older than Hanneke? But... “So why are you old looking? I mean no offense, but in your real form? You look like you’re over a hundred years old or something. Druu barely looks twenty five. If that. That doesn’t make sense,” Sano stated with a blink. How old is Druu?

“Hm? One hundred? Heeh. Thank you, dearie. Only one hundred?” the woman chirped happily, a smile appearing on her lips.

“That... Wasn’t a compliment...”

“Heeh. One hundred years young! You are such a sweet rooster!”

Sanosuke rolled his eyes, deciding to drop the subject, as obviously the demon wasn’t going to make any real sense anyway....

“Hm? Oh? Hm... What’s this? There... There is something else I see, my rooster, though I do not quite understand it,” Hanneke abruptly commented, her green eyes suddenly holding a somewhat confused expression as she turned back to her crystal ball.

“What is it?” Sano questioned wearily, his brow furrowing as he noted the woman’s perplexed facial expression. Man... Now what?

“A sea of grey washing upon someone... It tears him away. It comes and takes this soul into a grey void, a wave of grey,” the blonde demon stated softly, a frown forming on her red lips. “Yet I do not understand what this means... A fragmented, clouded memory and a sea of grey... What could this mean, my sexy rooster man?” she inquired uncertainly, her green eyes focusing on her crystal ball.

A sea of grey? What in the... She looks genuinely confused too... What the hell could that mean? Grey? “Uh, a sea of grey? I don’t know. Can you see anything else?” the spiky haired teen questioned, somewhat unnerved by the woman’s statement. A sea of grey takes someone away, into a grey void?

Grey? Why... Why did that.. Something about that seemed...

“I see... I’m not sure what I see. Only that time runs short, but the clouded memory will not stay clouded. Someone will remember... Remember what? A past that has been buried by a sea of grey. Hmm. No, I definitely do not understand this, dearie,” the green eyed demon responded, her soft voice puzzled, unsure. “I do not believe I have ever seen anything quite like this.”

Sanosuke frowned, perplexed by the woman’s words. It was frustrating. Her riddles and vague cryptic predictions... I’m getting really tired of this... “I don’t know what it means, Hanneke.”

“A sea of grey tears... I feel sadness. He does not want to be pulled away,” the blonde whispered, her gaze locked on the crystal, the dim candle-light shimmering in her green eyes. “Someone can stop it... But... At a cost. I simply do not understand.”

The spiky haired brunette felt a small shiver run up his spine, though not entirely sure as to why. The demon’s words for some reason... Though he really didn’t get what the hell she was talking about... Something... It was an odd feeling. A sea of grey... Wait... Grey! The teen's eyes widened as he suddenly realized why the demon's words had sent shivers up his spine.

---“He’s all grey, every last bit of him. It’s all really grey, but it’s a secret.”- With Kouji's words echoing in his mind he recalled the previous day, in that crowded nightclub. Kouji's words... About Yuki. A grey wave? What... What does that mean? Is she... Is it Yuki?

"Hanneke... Is it... Do you see anything about Yuki?" he questioned hesitantly, closely watching the blonde woman. "You remember Yuki, right? Do you see anything about him?"

Hanneke frowned, her green eyes focused intently on the crystal. She remained silent for a few moments, then turned her gaze to Sanosuke, confusion flickering across her slim, attractive face. "I know my little Yuki. He is the pretty little one with the lovely hair... Grey.. Yes. I... Something clouds me. This grey wave... I believe my little Yuki holds secrets and sadness, shrouded by grey. It will take him away," she whispered quietly, her tone unsure. "Yet... I do not know what this means."

Sanosuke lowered his gaze to the old wooden floor, the purple cushion, a fresh wave of anxiety washing upon him. Is... Is Yuki in trouble or something? Sure, he wasn't exactly happy with the little guy for lying and hiding things, but despite that... He still cared about him, and... Grey? Kouji said something about it, and now Hanneke... What's going on with you, Yuki? "Is, is he okay? What do you mean, it will take him?" he inquired uneasily, a frown on his lips.

"I... I do not know. I'm sorry. Perhaps... I shall see more of this grey wave in my dreams... Dreams reveal doom even more so than crystal balls of wonder, you see," she commented softly, her gaze again focusing on the green sphere, a troubled look in her eyes. "My dreams are full of doom."

The brunette's frown increased, another shiver running up his spine. Grey... It will take him away? What... What does that mean? Man... This day has really been stressful. I don't know how much more of this I can take. The teen was stressed, to say the least. His head aching from the tension, his nerves on edge. What does it all mean? Druu's sickness, the lions that she keeps talking about, this grey wave... I don't get it. Really don't get it.

His thoughts were interrupted as the blonde demon cleared her throat, her gaze moving away from the green crystal, instead focusing on the teen. “There is too much doom, it makes my head spin, dearie. Hmmm... I believe all of this doom is making me quite doomful. I need a distraction... Don’t you agree?” she questioned playfully, her eyes running over the teen’s lanky body.

Oh no... Sanosuke swallowed nervously as he focused on the demon’s face. The grin was back, once again a perverted, lecherous expression flittering through her green eyes. Not again...

“Maybe I should keep you, what do you think?” Hanneke questioned sultrily, leaning on the low table, her revealing top revealing quite a bit of tanned flesh. “May I keep you, my sexy rooster?”

Not again... Not again... Damn it! Sano’s eyes widened and he scooted back a little, an uneasy expression in his eyes. “Uh, no. You can’t.”

“Hm, that’s no good. I believe all of this doom calls for a distraction. I need to be distracted, yes?” she smirked suggestively, running her tongue over her lips in a flirtatious manner. “Care to be a distraction, dearie?”

“What?! No!” he snapped fearfully, his eyes widening as the woman’s grin only grew, a downright wicked look flickering in her green eyes. “No distractions! You haven’t, um, you need to look at your ‘crystal ball of wonder’ some more, right?” he went on to say, crossing his arms as he watched the lecherous demon cautiously. Stop looking at me like that, crazy hag! Why me? Why do I ALWAYS end up in situations like this? he wondered not for the first time.

“Hm? Oh no, dearie. The crystal ball of wonder is only for show. Now I need my sweet distraction. My doomed distraction of non-doom!” the woman chirped happily, her green eyes twinkling as she stood, moving closer to the spiky haired brunette.

“No! No distractions! You need to tell me more about uh, the storm and um, the lions and shadows and the grey wave and uh, uh--” the teen started but was cut off as Hanneke jumped onto him, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. “HEY!! GET OFF!”

“Mnn, dearie, there will be time to discuss all of that later, don’t you agree?” the woman whispered into Sano’s ear, pressing closer to the teen. “My brave little rooster man of dooooom!”

“Geh---Get---Off—Of—Me!” Sanosuke practically screeched, struggling against the demon’s tight grip... To no avail. Instead Hanneke pushed him back into a lying position, straddling his hips, a perverted grin on her now old and withered face. “HEY!!!!!! GET OFF!!”

“Heeh! Distractions are nice, yes?”

“No! Distractions are NOT nice!”

“Heeeh.”

Malba, Rae, you two better hurry up and get rid of that hunter or whatever so you can get me the hell OUT OF HERE! the teen thought with a groan, angrily glaring at the old nymphomaniac perched on top of his lean body. “Hanneke. Get OFF OF ME!!!”

“But dearie....”

“Off!”

“Hmph. You are simply no fun at all.”

Sanosuke rolled his eyes, muttering a few curse words as the woman pouted, crossing her arms. Again, why the hell do I always have to be the one who gets jumped? It’s really not fair. At all.

The teen was getting beyond frustrated by this point. He had learned basically nothing from the crazy woman, only cryptic talk of shadows and darkness, lions and hunters.... A grey wave... A new rush of uneasiness coursed through him and he frowned, unsure what to make of all of the enigmatic predictions the woman had made. A foreboding feeling eveloping him, he sighed, glancing at the pouting woman resting on top of him. She might be crazy, but all those things she said... He was worried. Really worried. Things about Druu, about Malba and Rae, about Yuki... Shadows, lions and a grey wave...

What does it all mean?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

This has really not been my day, Xzai thought to himself as he bit his lower lip, nervously fumbling with the worn wet paperback in his hands.

First Mals shows up, which wasn’t that bad because you know, I let him in. Not that big of a deal, no one noticed, didn’t get fired or arrested. That was fine. Then he shows up again with a blood covered human girl and wants back out. So I let him out. Then he comes back dripping blood, wanting in again.... the orange haired demon’s thoughts trailed off as he tossed the novel to the ground, a frown on his lips. He wasn’t really in a reading type of mood. At all.

He was bleeding pretty bad.... Xzai had done his best to bandage the sprite’s wound with the shirt and all, yet... That little crappy bandage isn’t going to help much.

I can’t believe he went to the Tevrra base... Malba, that wasn’t good.

Not to mention that apparently Druuvbin had fallen ill again... Man, is he sickly. Poor guy. Oh but the badness hadn’t ended there. Oh no. It just had to get worse. Yeah, way worse...

Just minutes earlier... It figures. I get to have a little ‘encounter’ with the head official of the Tevrran research base. Aevik Kaine, two faced psycho extraordinaire.

Only moments after Malba and the human girl Rae had headed towards the slums, heading for the back gate....

Kaine... Why, why, WHY did he have to be here? the orange haired man thought with a nervous frown, his hands fidgeting, absentmindedly kicking the stool he sat on with his black boot.

Aevik Kaine, head of the Tevrra research military base... When the blonde haired demon had approached Xzai, he’d nearly had a heart attack. I’ve never been such a good actor, and...

The head of the Tevrra base had requested Xzai to open the front gate, stating he was ‘leaving’... Which would have been great, if it had been true. I thought that was a good thing, if he left, Mals would have had a chance to get into Kainitif and jump.... But...

The blonde demon had paused, his eyes focusing on the small bloodstains on Xzai’s sleeve. He just HAD to notice...

--“Hm, Xzai, it would appear you have blood on you. Are you injured?”-- Kaine had questioned, pleasant and polite as always. That nice gentle smile and calm demeanor... Xzai hadn’t bought it for a second of course. He knew it wasn’t my blood.

The orange haired demon bit his lip harder, glancing about the rainy town square, abandoned and dark. Damn it...

--“Ah, uh, Kaine sir. It’s just, um... I get nosebleeds sometimes, that’s all. But I’m fine now, no problem,-- he had lamely stuttered. Yeah, that was smooth.

The demon’s yellow eyes had narrowed behind those wire framed glasses, locking on the blood-stained sleeve... --“So tell me Xzai. Do you make it a habit to disobey your government’s orders and allow clearance to wanted criminals?”-- The man had stated it so calmly, the smile never leaving his lips, yet his yellow eyes... Pure ice.

Xzai swallowed nervously, his orange eyes still focused on the square, his heart racing and his hands clenching. Yeah, that was interesting... He had been speechless, unable to say a word as the blonde stared daggers at him...

--“I have just received a report that my facility has been infiltrated by a mutual friend of ours, isn’t that interesting? I was just about to head back and investigate this matter, however I believe you may hold the answers I need, wouldn’t you agree?”-- Kaine had went on to say, drawing closer, grabbing Xzai’s arm, examining the sticky bloodstains on his hand.

The ember haired demon let out an agitated sigh, running a hand over his wet uniform, trying to calm his frayed nerves. Which, well. Was really just NOT working. How could he possibly remain calm? Damn it!

--“I don’t know what you’re talking about, sir,”-- Xzai had replied nervously, avoiding eye contact with the Tevrran demon. Damn you, Kaine...

--“Really Xzai. Lying isn’t one of your strong points. This blood? I happen to know with complete certainty it is not your blood. Care to guess why?”-- he had questioned, his voice losing that pleasant tone, growing cold, emotionless even. At that point he had jerked Xzai’s hand up to his lips, moving to lick a bit of the sticky, drying blood. --“Our friend Malba’s blood has quite a unique scent. A unique taste as well. Ah, but I suppose that’s only natural, as we both know very well that Malba’s blood is far from normal, now isn’t that right, Xzai?”--

The gate-keep shuddered at the memory, the way the blonde had licked the blood from his hand... His eyes empty, his voice... That guy is seriously scary. Malba, I’m sorry. God I hope you’ve already jumped...

--“I suppose Malba is somewhere in the city then, hm? This blood is fairly fresh. Well. I better go and say hello to him. Oh and don’t worry, I won’t tell your superiors that you let in an unauthorized guest. Though do be aware that I’ll be watching you, Xzai.”-- With that said the Tevvran demon had let go of his hand, a calm smile once again on his lips. With a small nod of his head he simply turned, walking back into the city... Towards the slums...

Xzai shuddered again, running a hand through his wet ember hair, his mind racing. What if he catches up with Mals? And I can’t do a damn thing about it.

What should he do? The demon chewed his lower lip anxiously, his eyes darting about the quiet main square. What the heck should I do?

Malba was a good guy, he really didn’t want him getting hurt... Any more so than what he already was of course. That wound was pretty bad... Now Kaine’s onto him... This is really not good. At all.

He’d known the temperamental darkness sprite for over seventy years, probably closer to eighty and... He worried about the guy. He’s got a lot to deal with and... Xzai stood from his sitting position, exiting the small gate-keep booth. He really couldn’t stay still enough to sit anymore. He had always been a high energy type of guy anyway, now with the added nervousness... This is so bad.

The orange haired demon paced restlessly, allowing the cool drops of rain to fall on his face, pelting his already soaked uniform and hair.

Please, please don’t catch up with him. Use that weird jump thing, Malba. Get the hell out of here, he thought with a frown, pacing in front of the main gate with a troubled look in his eyes.

That weird 'Jump' thing... Such a strange device. Who knew there were whole other dimensions out there, hah... That other place is better than here. Malba and them should just stay there. Why bother with this damn world? Hey, maybe I should have Mals jump me there and I’ll stay there. That’d be neat. I’d have to get contacts and hair-dye so the humans wouldn’t freak out... No demons in that world. Or not very many, anyway. Humans don’t even believe in us there...

That ‘other world’ was definitely odd. Eerily similar in some ways, even a lot of the same languages spoken and all... But then again, there were definitely some major differences as well. Our world is kind of a weird mix of technology and primitiveness. Tevrra is a super powered technology driven giant, Laineka is stuck in the past, there are at least thirty different wars going on at any given moment and... Yeah. The other world is a little more balanced or somethin’... A lot smaller too. Xzai lifted his head, raising his eyes to look at the dark sky.

Wet cool drops of rain pelted his face and the man let out another sigh. He tapped his foot, unable to stay still, nervous energy racing through him. Aevik Kaine... The demon pulled his gaze away from the sky, once again returning to his anxiety driven pace, his boots clunking on the wet stone street. What should I do?

Kaine would get to him, Xzai knew he would. Now that he knows Mals is here, there’s no way in hell Malba will be able to get away. Kaine is going to find him... “Damn it!” the orange haired man bit out, his voice echoing throughout the empty square. Plus now Kaine is going to be ‘watching’ me, whatever that’s supposed to mean.

The demon moved to stand near the main gate, leaning his back against the thick wood, crossing his arms and tapping his foot. Somehow I’d say it’s about time for me to think about getting out of Laineka... I mean the pay’s good and all, but... Laineka bites anyway and now Aevik Kaine, one of the most vicious cold bastards around... Is going to be ‘watching’ me. Oh that’s great. Right.

“See Mals, you’re always getting me in trouble,” the man grumbled aloud, leaning his head back against the gate, his orange eyes darting nervously about the deserted town square. Not that I mind being dragged into things, but still. In truth, Xzai was really starting to grow kind of tired of the whole ‘legit’ job thing anyway...

“Man. What should I do?” He was half tempted to go running after Malba in a futile attempt to warn the guy, but that really wouldn’t do any good. Xzai knew that, yet... This sucks. What could he do? Nothing. I’m stuck.

Agitated and nervous he moved away from the gate, once again pacing about near the gate-keep booth. The man simply couldn’t stay still. His nerves were frayed, his mind racing. Kitsune is going to be SO pissed at you Malba... And man, I hope Druu’s okay. Ugh. This really, really isn’t good.

Xzai was jolted from his thoughts as a loud knock sounded on the gate-keep window, startling the already tense demon. The ember haired man jumped, a small startled yelp escaping him. Oh, that was manly, he then thought, rolling his eyes at his own jitteriness. “Uh, hold on a sec,” he called out, taking a deep breath as he attempted to calm his racing heart.

“Come on Xzai, hurry up! I’m getting soaked,” a voice called out from the other side of the gate and Xzai’s eyes widened. No way. No way.

The orange eyed demon quickly moved into the booth, hurriedly opening the gate-window. “Hey! Am I glad to see you!” he exclaimed, quickly moving to throw the switch for the main gate. “Get in here!”

“Huh? What’s wrong, Xzai?”

Malba, I can’t help you, but... But he might be able to.

“It’s Malba. Kaine’s here and uh, just get in here and I’ll explain.”

“Damn it. What did Malba get himself into now?”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Rae: Not over yet! XD Go to part D now. -->