First Heart: Snow Princess
(published: 11.19.12 - beta: None )

The one lesson that life taught that I will never forget is: things can always get worse.

I thought I had hit the bottom of the barrel when I woke up in a hospital minus an arm and an eye. It didn't last half a day that Betty Director destroyed that misconception with few short sentences.

Fine, dealing with the downfall of my sudden popularity was a pain, but one I could live with. There was a lot of work ahead for me to do, but for once in my life the thought didn't scare me. A little settling in with a crazed mutant woman after a long heart to heart discussion with my best friend since pre-k and thing were back on track once more.

Then I went to Yamanouchi and things started going pear shaped again. First, Yori gave me the cold shoulder for reasons I didn't quite understand, then the other students decide to kick my ass because I'm an outside and finally my body decided that blowing up was a fine idea. Only the timely intervention of my teacher saved my skinny white butt.

But of course that wasn't enough for lil ol' me, was it? Once my body was stabilized I had to be dragged into a butchered murder attempt at the expenses of my doctor, recently turned friend.

Fine, fine. No big, dealing with crazy people is something I was already used to so it wasn't much of a stretch from my usual routine. Let's give the damsel in distress a hand where is needed and then let's go back to where I came from.

That was supposed to be the easy part.

For anybody else, it probably would have been. For me it meant finding the place I considered a second home burned to ashes and people I called friends killed in horrifying ways.

That was it. That was the bottom of the pit. Nothing else could top that. Anyone would think that at that point, wouldn't they?

They'd think so, but they'd be wrong.

There is always, ALWAYS worse.

I don't know exactly how long the descent lasted. Time has a funny way to stretch indefinitely when you're in a world of pain.

The only thing I know is that at one point I was falling through pitch black darkness while my entire existence was being torn apart by curses and evils that weren't' mine but that were pushed onto me anyway.

I was disappearing. Eaten from the inside out by a malice that was born from mankind but had long since transcended its maker. I would have been destroyed from within if suddenly somebody reached out to me and pulled me out through a red blinding light and I woke up.

No, that is not correct. I wasn't dreaming before, no matter how nightmarish my situation was. I was dying. I was being devoured. I was being violated and defiled and then it stopped.

I was dreaming now. That was much certain, but that didn't mean it wasn't real as well.

An eerie red moon shone over me, filling the starless sky with its magnificence. It wasn't natural, no way in hell that such an vision could be normal either. But it was right. To me it was perfect. And it was familiar too. It filled me with a sense of belonging that I never knew before that time.

However, the focus of my attention wasn't the all-encompassing orb but rather the equally red eyes of the woman that was cradling my head in her laps, staring at me as she hummed a song that I couldn't understand.

'Who are you?' I asked without words.

No, that wasn't the right question. I knew who she was. I always did but I just couldn't recall where or when I had met her.

'What is your name?'

And she told me. Without words she spoke her name and I heard it without a sound. As I fell asleep within the dream, I wondered exactly how I knew it even before she told me.

Ouch.

That's what I thought when I opened my eyes again and I was overwhelmed by a feeling of déjà-vu. Why is that every time I woke up after a traumatic event I always felt like I went through a meat grinder. I seriously need to start questioning my lifestyle, or at least have a few words with whomever is in charge of my Karma.

Ignoring the pain as best as I could I took a breath and forced myself to look at my surrounding.

I was lying in a bed with my real arm attached to an IV. I didn't know where I was but the room was scarcely furnished. There was a small desk with a chair, a wardrobe and a night table near my bed.

I could have mistaken it for an hospital but it lacked the peculiar smell of disinfectant and other medicinal. It also lacked any window and for a moment I thought that perhaps I had been taken prisoner by whomever was behind the slaughter at Yamanouchi.

Ugh. I had to choke down the need to vomit again as well as the sting of tears behind my eyes. That wasn't the time to be overwhelmed by what happened. I needed to figure out where I was and where was Mishana.

The last thing I remember was passing out in front of the temple and nothing more. No, If I really tried I could recall something beyond that. Flashes and glimpses of something but my head hurt badly when I tried to recall and my mouth was filled with taste of blood.

… Nevermind. I shook my head and stood up on unsteady legs. Shit. How long had I been in bed? I stumbled to the desk for support and it took me a few minutes to steady myself.

When I was about to try again the door to that room opened. I had no time to put my guard up to face the newcomer and thankfully there was no need. That person was unmistakable to me, even if it felt like a lifetime since I last saw her.

Yori.

Our eyes met and surprise flashed across her face. The small water basin and the towels in her hands clattered on the floor and I had no chance to react to the sudden movement.

"Stoppable-san!"

Her arms wrapped against my torso and her momentum pushed both of us against the wall. It was only because her weight pinned me against it that I didn't fell flat on my ass.

"Stoppable-san! Stoppable-san!"

Every repetition of my name was chocked out. The damp feeling on my chest told me that the kunoichi in my arms was crying her eyes out.

"Yori," I whispered, running my hand against her back in a comforting manner. Suddenly my vision went blurry and my face felt wet as well.

Tears. I was crying as well. Only in that moment I realized just how terrified I was that Yori could have been dead or worse. But she wasn't. Yori was alive and apparently well.

The sense of relief was so overwhelming that my arms wrapped around her and I joined her in cry.

"Yori," I choked out. "Yori." I had little strength in my body but all of it was dedicated in squeezing the girl in my arms, seeking confirmation that she was real and not just a delusion of my twisted mind.

I don't know how long we remained there. In a very selfish way I pushed aside the questions about the well-being of my other friend aside and simply reveled in the warmth and overwhelming comfort provided by the presence of the kunoichi.

It wasn't very long but at one moment Yori was crying in my chest and then she suddenly stopped. She looked up at me and our eyes met.

"Ah," she squeaked out as her eyes widened and her burned in what I suppose was embarrassment. Faster that I could follow she jumped backward, putting a good couple of meters between us. And here I thought I was fast at running away.

"I'm sorry, Stoppable-san," she bowed in apology. "I don't know what came over me."

"It's okay," I replied wiping my tears. Be a man and don't cry Stoppable. "I'm glad you're okay Yori. I was worried… for… you…"

It was all I managed to say before the world spun and darkness claimed me again.

The next time I woke up it was better than the previous. I wasn't feeling as nauseous and Yori was sitting on a chair beside my bed, looking at me with worry in her eyes. I tried to pull myself to a sitting position at least, but Yori small hands pushed me back.

"Stoppable-san, you must rest," she insisted. "You are not in condition to stand. Your body is still healing."

Healing? When was I wounded exactly?

"Yori, what happened? Where are we?"

"This is one of the many safe houses we have around Japan. I… am not sure what happened to you. The only thing I know is that one of our teams found you and a woman at," she took a deep breath," at the ruins of Yamanouchi. They brought you here three days ago."

"Mishana is here? How is she?"

"We… are not sure of her condition. She was passed out by your side and she was wounded badly."

"Wounded how? I don't remember her being hurt or anything."

"I do not know. I arrived here only yesterday and by what I have been told she had not regained consciousness the entire time. The one thing that I can tell for sure is that her life is not in danger. From what I have been told the extent of her wound would have killed anybody but she healed at an impressive rate."

"Yeah. Yeah that's Mishana for you. Damn. I just can't remember… Nevermind that. Yori what happened at the school? Who else survived?"

Yori face darkened and her eyes narrowed. The look in her face was the familiar frown of hatred that I came to know so well myself.

"Setsuninto," she answered as if spitting a curse."The killing blade. An enemy of Yamanouchi since ancient times. We believed them extinct or at the very least scattered. We were mistaken."

"What…?"

"Our history with them is far too long to be retold in one sitting, Stoppable-san. Suffice to know that they used to be people who lived for the sake of furthering their skills with the sword by killing every enemy Their creed is 'kill at all costs'. Their belief is that the lives they take makes their swords and skills sharper."

"Is that why…? Is that why they slaughtered a school full of children?"

"Yes. There was a time when they would have never raised their swords against a bystander but things have obviously changed. They used to have honor."

"What changed?"

"With the coming of the Meiji era Japan finally exited its long isolation. It was a time of turmoil for this country. Foreign cultures clashed against our long standing traditions and not everyone welcomed the change. Many battles were fought between the progressive and the conservative sides.

"Let me guess," I grumbled, "the Setsuninto were at the head of the conservative side."

"No," Yori shook her head. "The Setsuninto were at the head of both sides."

"What?"

"I told you. They craved the conflict and they had no qualms to pit themselves against each other. In fact that was their ultimate goal. Fighting was their reasons to exists, their purpose. And they purposely stirred even conflict so that they could revel in never-ending battles. That is until one day the Emperor put his foot down and ordered them to stop. They didn't listen and after several unheeded warnings Yamanouchi was sent to dispose of them."

"Oh boy."

"Indeed. Yamanouchi carried out the order and assassinated the leaders of the movement, destroying the clan and scattering the survivors. The few disciples that were not targeted continued their quest by joining other groups, but singularly they didn't matter much. By the time the conflict ended no one should have lived and even if they did their philosophy was destroyed."

"Guess it didn't work out as expected, uh? But I don't understand why coming after Yamanouchi now. I mean, yeah, Yamanouchi more or less kicked their asses a century and a half ago but would they really hold a grudge over things that happened so long ago?"

"I do not know. Even if there may be other reasons behind their recent offensive, simply wanting to restore their clan would require the elimination of those who caused their downfall."

"How did they manage to get to the school? There was no trace of battle on the path to the mountain."

"There is a chance we have been betrayed from within but it is impossible to tell as of now. When it was clear that the school was lost we scattered and went dark. Many of us are still missing and unaccounted for. "

"What about Sensei?"

"The last time I saw him he was battling against the leader of the Setsuninto on the cliff overlooking the school. They were evenly matched in spite of Sensei being barehanded but I could not keep observing them. I was in charge of evacuating the children."

"The… children?"

"Yes," she said sorrowfully, her eyes filling with tears once more. "I managed to evacuate more than half of them but the others…"

"Yori…"

"They tortured them, Stoppable-san," she cried, tears falling freely from her eyes. "They made them scream to force us to come back and fight. Many of us died trying to free them with no avail. I wanted to go back myself. They were… calling for me. Yori-Onee-sama they cried," her hand tightened in her lap. Her tears fell, staining her clothes. "They cried my name and I could do nothing, because if I did I would have died and no one would have taken care of the other children. I watched them cry and scream and die without doing a thing."

She was too taken in her own grief and guilt to stop me from sitting up. Too lost in her haunting memories to oppose any resistance to my arms. I pulled her into my lap and cradled her against me while she cried her heart out once more.

I thought I had it bad so far, but my grief was small thing compared to Yori's. The people at Yamanouchi were like family to me. To Yori they were her actual family. She had grown up with them. She had studied and fought alongside them. She guided and in turn she was guided by them. The magnitude of her loss couldn't be compared to mine.

So I didn't cry. I had no right to. But I had the duty of holding her and be strong in her place. Time passed, this time in the hours. Yori cried until she fell asleep in my arms. I made no effort to wake her up. The dark circle around her eyes were the telltales of sleepless night.

Much like with Kimberly, if my embrace could keep her nightmares at bay I had no qualms with holding her through the entire night.

At one point another Shinobi from Yamanouchi came into my room, certainly looking for sleeping kunoichi. He stood at the door and watched us. He said nothing but he narrowed his eyes at me. I responded in kind and tightened my grip around the girl asleep in my arms. His gaze drifted to her and then back to me. We locked in a silent match of staring but after a moment he gave a short, stiff nod and left, closing the door behind him without a sound.

Huh. Looks like I managed to gain the approval of at least one person in what remained of Yamanouchi. Baby steps went for the distance, as usual.

I woke up when I felt her stirring against me. I opened my eye and I found myself staring at Yori's confused gaze. It took her a moment for the gears inside her head to turn and put together the situation we were in.

"Ah," she yelped, her face coloring once more in embarrassment. "Stoppable-san I'm sorry I…"

I cut her off by tightening my grip around her arms.

"It's fine," I told her with certainty. "Don't worry about it."

There was nothing to be embarrassed about. I had been truly introduced to Japanese culture a few days before but I already knew how they regarded physical contact, especially with the opposite gender. Yori had probably a stricter upbringing compared to other girls from her country but I wasn't about to let her be embarrassed by what happened between us.

It wasn't a matter to be embarrassed about to begin with. It wasn't a improper closeness between a man and a woman. It was a matter of comradeship and I wasn't about to let her be ashamed about having relied on me in a moment of need.

She stared at me, long and hard. The redness disappeared from her face and she finally gave a shy if appreciative nod. I let her go and she stood up straightening her clothes. I followed her. My body had seemingly shaken off the previous weakness and I was feeling good enough to stand up.

"How are you feeling, Stoppable-san?"

"Meh, I have been better but I've been much worse. Don't worry, I can walk just fine. More importantly, what are we going to do now?"

"We are still trying to gather the survivors. The standard procedure in this cases is to isolate every unit and proceed to investigate the matter separately."

"Isn't that counterproductive?"

"Normally it would but as ninjas we are trained to operate mostly alone or in small groups. Furthermore if there actually is a traitor in our ranks this prevents all units to be compromised."

"I take that every safe house is known only to each team then."

"With the exception of Sensei that is exactly so. We are trained to act independently and even if this attack was unpredicted it didn't take us completely unprepared. Yamanouchi has withstood many assaults over the centuries. This probably isn't the worst we have been trough in our history."

Somehow I didn't want to picture what could have been worse than what led up to this point, but I supposed that Yori knew what she was talking about.

"Hm," I agreed, trusting her judgment in that matter. Without other words she led me through the corridors of the safe house. The place was amazingly large and judging by the lack of any window probably underground. She took me to another room and when she opened the door my heat cringed.

Mishana was laying on a bed surrounded my medical apparatus that monitored her condition. She was pale but she was breathing steadily, much to my relief.

"Mishana," I rushed to her side. "What's wrong with her Yori?"

"She's in a coma," she replied. "Her condition is improving but when cannot say when she will wake up."

"Damn it. At least she's going to be okay, right?"

"Most likely. Her condition is improving without much intervention on our part. It is my opinion that whatever ability granted her advanced regeneration has put her in a forced coma to minimize her pain. That aside, I would like to know why this person was with you, Stoppable-san. Bringing strangers at the school is not something that is normally done."

"It's a long story, actually. She's a friend of Sensei from what I managed to gather and she was in a tight spot. Besides, she saved my life. I couldn't just leave her to her fate," I frowned, "then again I probably have dragged her in an even worse situation."

"Don't blame yourself, Stoppable-san," she said putting an hand on my shoulder, "there is no way you could have known about this incident."

"Yeah," I agreed, "I know but it still sucks."

The discussion was halted when another Shinobi came into the room.

"Tanaka-san," he said addressing Yori, "the White Princess arrived."

"The… White Princess?" I asked, curious about the odd name. I followed Yori out of the room after stealing a glance at Mishana unconscious form.

"Yes," Yori confirmed as she led me through the corridors once more. "She's the current head of a clan that has been aligned with us almost since the foundation of Yamanouchi. They are perhaps the strongest sword-wielding clan on par with the Setsuninto."

"Sword… wielding clan?" I mulled those words in my mouth. There was something oddly familiar with that description. Japan sure was a big country with an extremely long history compared to the States. I shouldn't have been surprised that there was more than one group that dabbled with the sword.

However, considering how things had gone up to that point I shouldn't have shrugged the coincidence. When Yori opened the door to what was a decently big meeting room my eye widened. And so did the eyes of the white haired woman in a school uniform and a katana strapped at her side.

"You!" we both growled when our gazes met.

"Stoppable-san, do you know each–eep!"

Yori question was cut when I jumped from behind her toward the target of my hatred. The sight of the white haired girl who almost got Mishana killed reached deep down into me, bypassing all logics. I wanted her dead. I wanted to rip her apart and mount her head on a pike. I wanted to violate her corpse and shred her dignity….

I realized right there and then that those thoughts weren't exactly mine but it was a moment too late. My vision went red, literally. My mouth filled with the taste of blood and I wanted nothing else but to sink my teeth in the her neck and rip her heart of her chest with my bare hands.

Her hand went for her blade but in her half seated position my foot connected before she had a chance to draw it. To her credit she managed to put her forearm in the between my foot and her stomach, but the strength of my blow still managed to send her flying.

She landed gracefully a couple of meters away, her hand once more reaching for her sword. I wouldn't have nothing of that. I was in her face before an inch of her sword made it out of the scabbard. The close proximity forced her to defend herself barehanded.

I assaulted her with the fury of a rabid beast, which was exactly what I happened to be at that moment. I wasn't thinking clearly, or at all. I was driven by a primordial hatred that was too alien for me to explain or even just understand. It was all consuming and all encompassing. There was no opposing and no denying it.

I was only mildly aware of the chaos around me. My numbed consciousness only managed to register the people from Yamanouchi trying to hold back the bitch's bodyguards without a full out conflict. I could hear the faint voice of Yori calling out to me, begging me to stop.

Oddly enough, the minor distraction allowed the white haired girl to draw her sword. A pure white blade came out of the scabbard with an hiss of steel. The world around her froze. Literally.

The thing that drove me halted. Its beastly instinct screaming in danger. It didn't care for my life nor it did its own existence. However it wasn't stupid. The woman was now not just prey but a threat. It had to be dealt accordingly.

"Turn the world white, Yukihime (Snow Princess)!"

She announced the true name of her blade for everyone to hear. In response to her summon the temperature of the room dropped several degrees. Ice begun forming around the girl, affecting her surrounding but not her.

The beast faltered and my consciousness slipped to the surface. I was again in control, if just barely. However that didn't mean the situation was any better. Regardless of the foreign hatred bubbling inside me I personally wanted the white haired bitch. I promised her that I would take her life for hurting my friend and I was a man of his word.

My hand stretched out, seeking for the one thing I knew would match the threat of the sword in her hand.

"Rule over the Heavens, Tsukuyomi! (Mistress of the Mirror Moon)."

I didn't know where she had been held until now but from the moment I woke up I could feel her voice within me. She answered to my summon in her usual fashion. The room went dark, lights swallowed by the intense red mist that swirled around us throwing chairs and in the air and making the meeting table shake under the pressure.

The contact with my hand was soothing and her presence cleared my mind from the intruding malevolence that had ruled me almost up to that moment. Yes, my mind was freed but it changed nothing. The bitch was about to down.

"Stoppable-san," Yori cried. This time her voice distinctly reached me. "Please stop this madness."

"No way," I growled. "I promised I would make her pay for what she has done the last time we met. I'm so going to keep my promise here and now!"

"Very well, Stoppable-san," the other girl said spitefully. "If a premature death is what you want I shall endeavor to fulfill your wish immediately."

"JUST WHAT I WANTED TO HEAR!" I roared and charged at her. Instead of blocking my sword she rolled into my blind spot. I didn't need to see her to know she was about to strike. I jumped in the opposite direction, feeling the chill of her blade missing my face by mere inches.

Even though her blow missed, half my face went numb as well as a good portion of my neck. Breathing had suddenly become very difficult and with the ground rapidly freezing even just standing required more focus than usual. She looked completely unhindered by the change in battleground. The power of her sword didn't affect her at all and even the floor beneath her was lacking the thin white frozen layer.

She came at me almost faster than I could react and in spite of my desire to kill her I was forced to dodge. Her sword was able to affect the environment just by being unsheathed. There was no telling what it would do upon contact. As far as I knew it'd turn me into an icicle on the spot.

But running and winning are usually on the opposite side of the spectrum. Trust me, I'd know. Beside turning my back on her and just leave wouldn't have made me look quite the fool after my earlier proclamation.

Therefore when I stood back up from my roll I lifted the blade and held my ground.

/Come at me bitch!/ the Jester shouted, both in my mind and aloud.

"Die!" she screamed as she swung her blade, ignoring the fact that I had my guard ready. As I suspected her powers would probably effect me even if I blocked.

"Stoppable-san!" Yori cried, predicting the same outcome as I did.

CLANG!

Our blades clashed and my world was enveloped in white.

"Otou-sama," a little girl cried, her white haired head was cradled between her knees. "Otou-sama, why am I different from everybody else?"

"You have been blessed by the snow, my princess," the deep baritone voice answered as the man's hand reached to stroke her head. "There is no need for you to be ashamed of yourself."

"They said that I am cursed. They said that Oka-sama died because of me."

"They don't understand you," he replied soothingly. "And they fear what they don't understand."

The scene shifted and the little girl wasn't so little anymore. She looked like she was around twelve years old.

"Did you hear?" a boy in his late teen whispered to another as they walked not too far behind from her. "She has already achieved the final stage of her Reiken."

"At her age? It is said it requires a lifetime to even just hope of finding the potential."

"She's a monster."

"What a freak."

The scene changed once more. Her father smiled at her and ruffled her hair.

"I'm so proud of you my child."

"I tried my hardest, Otou-sama, but still…"

"They still fail to accept you."

"Yes," she replied sadly. "Father is there something wrong with me?"

"Fear not, my princess. One day you will certainly find someone who will accept you wholeheartedly. Keep looking and never give up."

"I don't need that," she smiled hugging her father. "I have my Otou-sama."

"That you do, Hime-sama," the man chuckled returning the embrace. "That you do."

Another shift in scenery and the girl was in a crowd of swordsmen. They were all older than her and looked far more intimidating than she was. Yet there was a wide space between her and the next closest person. They all regarded her with a mixture of respect and fear. No one dared to approach her. In return, her face betrayed no emotion and she closed the rest of the world outside.

The scene shifted again. This time she stood in front of her father barely breathing body.

"I'll find her Otou-sama," she pledged and a tear fell on the manly hand firmly held between hers. " I'll find the witch that did this to you and deliver justice with my own sword. I swear."

Wiping the tear she stood straight and left the room. She scolded her feature in an emotionless mask. Beyond the door a group of man waited with their swords strapped at their sides. They were strong looking but the expression in their eyes as they regarded the snow haired woman was one of utter fear.

She walked away and they followed silently. No one dared to defy the monster in shape of a woman that had taken charge of their clan. She was a demon. An Yuki-Onna. If they opposed her rule they would die in a drowning in an ocean of white.

They knew nothing of her. She was different and they feared for that. She didn't care about them at all. So long as they followed her she had no qualms in being the demon they thought she was. Even if it meant burying her heart deep under the snow.

The light faded. The girl with white hair, Yukiko as I recalled, was now again in front of me. Surprisingly I was still alive and on top of that I didn't even feel the cold any more. Her expression was a mirror of my own. Surprise and disbelief defined her features. She wasn't however shocked by my unlikely survival but rather it was locked on the swords between us. I followed her gaze and then I understood.

Interlocked twin white swords separated us. The Lotus Blade plain if secretly powerful form had shifted to match its opponent. It wasn't just a matter of appearance. The reason why I was no longer affected by the power of Yukihime was that I was now shielded by the same protection. Because I was now wielding the same sword.

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. A thousand times stupid. That was the real power of the Lotus Blade. Not some mere shape shifting but perfect replication ability. The ultimate mimicry of everything bladed.

"How dare you?" Yukiko hissed. Her shoulders trembled and the vibration echoed from her blade to mine. She wasn't still looking at me. Her gaze was pointed downward, her white bangs shielding her eyes from my sight. When they snapped up to glare at me I was shocked to see such fiery fire burning under her ice. "How dare you steal my sword?"

She pushed me back and I staggered. She was surprisingly strong for a girl that thin. Then again I should have been used to women being stronger than they looked by then.

I spun on my foot and brought my version of Yukihime in the path of her next blow.

"YOU ARE NOTHING BUT A FAKER!" she raged. Again and again the blades clashed together with the sound of steel and cracked ice. As our confrontation progressed the room froze all the more. The other people were force to leave least they turned into ice statues.

She was undoubtedly strong and skilled. It was only her rage that offset her otherwise smooth technique enough to allow me to math her on even ground. As we were out duel would end only with the death of one of us.

What was the problem with that you ask? Well, after looking into her history like I did I wasn't quite so willing of killing her anymore. I still didn't like her and I still hated her guts for what she did to Mishana. However, I couldn't quite summon my previous rage against her. That being said, I had obviously no intention of dying either and there wasn't a chance she would give up now that I riled her up so much. You reap what you sow after all.

In the end the solution to our conundrum came from a third party. The last person I expected to interfere, if had to be honest.

Before any of us could react someone entered our guard from the side. A hand wrapped around my throat as it did with hers and squeezed.

"Gha!" we both grunted when the sudden jolt of pain went through our bodies, forcing us both to our knees and to drop our swords. The coldness receded so fast that it almost seemed to have never happened.

"Such unruly children" a familiar elderly voice sighed. In spite of the pain in my body I looked up and smiled. I couldn't quite believe what I was seeing but damn it, it was a sight for sore eyes.

"Sensei," I managed to choke out. Happiness and relief seeping into my voice in spite of the strain of speaking.

The elder teacher gave me a grandfatherly smile, but still held my neck with an iron grip. Maybe, just maybe, things would start making sense from now on.

XXX

A/N:

I can't believe it's been almost six months since I last updated this story. I'm sorry for the long wait and while I can't promise anything about the update rate I'm trying to return to the KPverse. I got caught in my other fics and since I've been quite inspired with those I had an hard time getting back in the swing of things with Identities.

In any case have no fear. This story is definitely not abandoned.

Thanks for reading everyone!