Dear guest reviewer, why do you feel dread when I update? Are you worried I'm going to kill somebody off or something or…? I dunno… suddenly go out of canon? I'd ask you in a PM but I can't. I'd really like to know these things… THEY DRIVE ME CRAZY.

PM me. Or tumblr me. I don't bite.

Also, to the other guest reviewer: Yes. There will be an ending to this story.

Big thanks to Azalyn for getting me over the writers' block hump.

0

"Be with me always—take any form—drive me mad! Only do not leave me in this abyss, where I cannot find you!" – Emily Bronte.

Ren couldn't decide if he wanted to be flabbergasted or furious with his brother as he watched his cousin's retreating form. Peridot eyes darted from the woman to the wind user and back.

He heard that wrong. Right? Kazuma would never accept a hit on Ayano. He loved her.

Didn't he?

Nanika chose that moment to return to them, red-faced and a little winded. She coughed to clear her throat. "Father says." Another cough, the soot in the air was quite irritating. "Ahem. Father says she should be returned alive. Ideally, the heir should sacrifice herself. That said, if the heir were to fall in fair battle with you then that would be acceptable. Two hundred up front, eight when the deed is done."

"Half."

The woman blinked rapidly at him. "What?"

"I'm not settling for anything less than half." The wind user looked downright bored. "I have to protect my assets here, too, you know."

Nanika glanced away from him, a gray haired man had shuffled into view some distance away and she waved to get his attention. Raising her palm, she splayed her fingers wide, then closed them into a fist to indicate the number five. The older man made a face but nodded his head quickly in the affirmative.

Kazuma smirked and reached for his pocket, flipping open his phone, he tapped a few keys. "Your father drives a hard bargain." He glanced up from the device. "Hand over your phone."

Their cousin obeyed, watching as the wind user punched the keys on her phone, then his own. Nanika's phone hummed a moment later. Seemingly satisfied, he handed it back to her.

"There. I've texted you the number of an off-shore account of mine. Wire the money into that account and we'll be in touch."

The girl bobbed her head in a nod once, then turned and disappeared into the smoke. The moment she was out of sight Ren rounded on his brother.

"Kazuma!" He hissed, eyes glittering. "Why did you take the money?"

The wind user slanted his eyes in his direction and lifted a shoulder. "Because it was easy."

"Easy?!" Ren nearly choked on the word. "But—Ayano-I thought you wanted to protect her. All this time… were you lying? Biding your time? What?"

"Of course not." Both arms wove together over his chest, his hunched shoulders the only indication that he didn't like the turn to their conversation.

"Then why—"

The boy gasped when Kazuma grabbed him by the arm and hauled him away bodily. When they were safely obscured behind the charred remains of a guest house the wind user rounded on him.

"Shut up and listen. I'm only saying this once." He ground out, teeth flashing in the night. "I needed to know which family members are still loyal to Ayano. The ones willing to pay are the ones who threaten her safety the most."

"Oh." The Kannagi boy suddenly felt infinitely foolish. Of course his brother had a plan! When did he not?

Kazuma wasn't finished. "As for the loyal relatives; Jugo's probably sending me a text—ah. There it is."

"What is it?" Ren stood on his toes to look over his fingers at the words on his screen.

"These are the family members who tattled on the paying family members."

"…meaning they're loyal to Ayano?"

"Exactly." He snapped the phone shut, a frown fixed firmly on his features. "The bad news is… there are way fewer loyal members than I thought."

"Damn."

Kazuma raised an eyebrow at him, the corner of his mouth quirked upwards. "My, my, I didn't realize you swore, little brother."

Heat stained his cheeks, as old as he was blushing always had a way of making his face appear cherubic. He hated it. "Sh-shut up." His whining did not help.

The wind user clapped a hand on his shoulder. Pulling him around the corner of the building, he marched them both into the open. "That's more like it… someone's got to stay innocent around here. Now then, can you keep a little faith in me? I need to see who else is biting…"

Ren was fairly certain his head would pop off if he got any redder. "S-sure. Then after can we go see Ayano?"

Kazuma scratched his chin. "Well, I'm going to go get her. You're going to stay here and keep an eye on the family."

He craned his neck to look back at him. "But, Kazuma-!"

The boy yelped as he was tugged back around to face his brother, mahogany eyes glittering with flecks of gold in the light of dying flames. "I need you to be my eyes and ears here. Besides, the family will start asking questions if the next head of the family is missing, right?"

The reminder left a cold feeling in his gut. It was so cold Ren could not help but clutch at his shirt where he was certain the ice might seep out into his fingers. "Yeah, but, you'll make sure that doesn't happen… right?" He broke eye contact to gaze at the tips of his blue and gray sneakers. "I don't want to be head of the family…"

Kazuma squeezed his shoulder gently. "I know, Ren, I know. Don't wor—"

"Kazuma! There you are!" A heavy-set man lumbered towards them, huffing and puffing as he navigated the shattered terrain. "You remember me, right? Uncle Masahito, from your eighth birthday party?"

"Ah, yes," The wind user had already plastered on his best business smile. "Masahito, how can I help you?"

Ren watched as the big man swiped at his sweaty brow with a cloth produced from a breast pocket. "Come, let us speak somewhere more private…" He cast a jaundiced glance his way before wrapping an arm around his brother's shoulders, directing him away.

The boy shook his head and turned in the opposite direction. "Might as well find Jugo…" He muttered to himself as he trudged off.

0

The silence in the tiny bunker would have been crushing, had it not been for Misao. The nun, seemingly aware of the ex-fire user's discomfort, had begun to sing while she busied herself mending Ayano's shirt with a travel sewing kit she had uncovered.

Ayano had napped a little. Exhaustion and depression had sent her into a dreamless sleep not long after they had wrapped up their conversation. She awoke disappointed. She lay on her side on the cot, staring at her hands resting near her face. She had hoped to see more of the vision surrounding her and Kazuma's pasts. Does it only happen when Kazuma is doing whatever it is he was doing to me?

Another thought clicked into place. Haven I seen his eyes glowing like that before? Her heart gave an erratic and painful thump in her chest. Yes. Yes I have.

The fingers of one hand moved to feather across her lips. Every time he kissed me was he…? What was he doing? Another thought made the pain in her chest blossom into a searing heat.

Was it all a lie? All those times… The pain flared as her mind jumped from the memory of one kiss to the next. He'd plied her with alcohol the first time, but she remembered the blue eyes. Then there was the second kiss. That intense, wonderful kiss. Her hands instinctively attempted to cover the warmth spreading across her cheeks. The things they'd almost done! She struggled to suppress a groan, pressing the heel of her hand into her lips to keep it at bay. Stupid, stupid-!

"I see you're awake."

Misao's voice broke her train of thought. With a start she tilted her head up from the cot towards her. "Oh, yeah. Sorry. I was just thinking."

The nun tilted her head in her direction. "About what?"

Ayano thought fast. She really didn't want to have a discussion with her old competition about Kazuma's intentions towards herself. That was plain weird. Placing her palms beneath he head, she levered herself up into a sitting position, buying herself some precious time to think.

"I've been having… visions."

Misao set down the shirt she had been working on to direct her full attention towards her. "Visions? Of the future?"

The ex-fire user shook her head. "No, of the past. Like I lived through them, but the memories belong to someone else."

"My word…" Dainty fingers covered her lips, large dark eyes opened wide.

Ayano leaned forward, dread making itself at home in the pit of her stomach. "What? What's wrong?"

"That is a very rare gift, indeed, Ayano."

"What do you mean?" The little angry knot untangled slightly, interwoven with snarls of confusion.

"Fire leaves behind scars; physical and emotional. The archives have shown in very rare instances those blessed by the Fire Lord receive the ability to recall memories through these scars."

"So I can see memories through scars? How does that even work?" Her fingers moved through her black locks absently, scratching gently at her scalp in an unconscious effort to soothe her nerves.

The nun shook her head. "We don't know. The gift is very rare, indeed, the last time it was recorded in the archives happened some three hundred years ago." She smiled wanly. "Record keeping was less… specific… then."

Interesting…"Hey, Misao, how do you know so much about the Kannagi archives?"

A slow, fond smile spread across her features. "My dear, I used to tend to them. I've read every book in the library."

The dread vanished completely, replaced with the spark of excitement. She leaned forward, resting her palms on her knees. "No way! Hey, if I described something to you… do you think you could tell me what it is?"

"If it is recorded, then, yes."

"Great! Okay, it's gold…"