Third Person

~

There was absolutely no way Troy could say anything. How could he tell the two people that were working with him that they would both die right before him?

That they would all fail?

That all the trials they were facing and the ones coming were all for nothing?

There were times he could still feel Kira's doubts, those moments she collapsed after a hard night of training, days when she'd just not join the conversation the others were holding, moments like now, when she was struggling to hold her emotions together because she wanted to read him and see how the situation was.

He couldn't crush her hopes now, not when she was just starting to find her footing.

Then there was Kuro, he had no idea how the younger male would react. Kuro was an erratic force of unknown attributes. Who knew what he'd do if he found out that they failed as a team?

There was a thin string holding the three of them now, a confession would bring an even more abrupt end to things. Kira would crash and Kuro would run off on his own.

As for him, he was ready to take on whatever was head but he couldn't, not as he was, and the only way he would be able to grow stronger was working and training with them.

Nevertheless, that didn't make the decision easier, he had to look away from Yamagata's devious smirk.

Kira could see it in Troy's eyes, whatever the fox spirit wanted from him wasn't going to come forth.

She should be yelling at him to drop his pride and speak up already but there was a gut feeling. A feeling that arose when he turned to her and Kuro the passing seconds.

It had something to do with them.

But why was he keeping it?

She should have been irritated, and she kind of was, but...deep down, she could relate, being unable to speak when all you want to do was say something.

If Troy thought it was best that they don't know what he had hidden, she'd respect that and trust him.

"Hey Archer!" She screamed, why was she doing this? She caught the blond's attention and Yamagata's glare, "We're fighting, don't waste your breath."

"Really?" Kuro grinned.

"You'll all come to regret this," Yamagata warned, fur standing on edge. A confrontation had been the last thing he wanted, he'd give them a scare of sorts before sending them on their way. Killing them wouldn't be worth the trouble.

Kira scowled, launching herself up with the wind, and landing on his tail, from there she was running on the length of the thrashing appendage before ascending again. Chains sprouted out, holding the fox in place as she come down for a strike with her scythe.

Yamagata scoffed, "Try harder," he said before popping into a cloud of smoke, filling the room with nauseous gray gas and mad cackles.

"Outside." Kuro ordered.

They ran out the cave barely crossing the exit when the it exploded behind them. Yamagata had grown twice his former size and snarling down at them.

"I believe in us," Kira said, "Let's hit him with all we've got and get the information we came here for."

"I couldn't have said it better myself." Kuro smiled. He pulled out his garrote, ripping a gnash on his palm with the sharp end. The blood flowed unto the wire, "Hold him."

The wire zipped through the air, making a complex web around the trees, and Yamagata's paws, before the fox spirit could react there was a deafening bang, lightning came down, forming a large crossbow which Troy fired without wasting time.

Yamagata snapped his jaws and roared with equal measure to thunder, a large energy blast pushed from his lips, colliding with Troy's blast. Kira followed up the counter with a slash which the spirit with one of his tails.

He turned to smoke once more, freeing himself from Kuro's bonds, solidifying to pounce on Kira but she was blocked by a flurry of feathers carrying talismans. He recognized them immediately, slowing his speed to vanish once again into the darkness of the woods.

"You weren't trying to hold me down were you Dark One?" The fox spirit's voice reverberated through the woods, "You were measuring me, your master finally raised a competent disciple."

"Shut up and let us knock you down already dirty old fox." The younger boy huffed, feathers zipping through the air.

"Now that's no way to talk to your elders."

Kira saw the flash of a tail but it was too quick, coming seemingly out of no where and smacking Kuro backwards.

She sent the winds to cushion his landing against the rubble of the hill but left herself open in the process.

Yamagata appeared, snatching her by the cape and flinging her upwards. Kira's breath hitched, fear seizing her briefly before he heard Lucifer's voice, get her bearings quickly.

She spun mid air, there was another bright zap from Troy, as she managed a slightly bumpy landing beside him.

Yamagata was evading all their attacks, he dodged the binding talismans and the lightning arrows. They couldn't even try holding him down as he'd just vanish and knock them down from behind.

"Come on children! Is that all you've got?" He taunted, an energy sphere forming at his snout burst free, knocking Kira back. She blew through several trees until she lost momentum and fell to the ground.

She stood quickly, fighting the dizziness, and ran back. She called on Mammon's powers, chains sprouted from the ground, one grabbed at Yamagata's paw but the spirit was gone in a plume of smoke once more, this one much thicker than the last that it covered all of them.

"Archer! Kuro!"

"Here!" Kuro called.

"Stay on your guard!" Troy added.

"Like I'd said before, you children have no hope of beating me, it was a pretty unfair match from the start." Yamagata drawled, "But you made your decision, and it was death.

It suddenly became too hard to breath, Kira coughed loudly, crumpling to the ground as the smoke wound it's way into her lungs, choking the air out of her system. Batting it away was useless, and she could hardly gain enough control to summon the winds.

She could hear Troy and Kuro struggling as well. Would this really be the end of the road for them? She didn't want it to be, but her futile attempts at fighting were only making her weaker. Soon, the familiar feeling of sinking began to wash over her, drawing her deeper into the cold void which was death.

It can't end like this, she pleaded with whoever could hear.

There was a soft breathy chuckle that lacked any true emotion, it was accompanied by a familiar magic energy.

The smoke vanished from her lungs, leaving her to sputter and gasp for air. Her teary eyes, blinked furiously up at the moon as her senses came back to her.

Yamagata was standing in solid form in front of her, blocking off the newcomer.

"Ahlai, what brings you here?" The old fox asked.

The female demon was wearing a white kimono decorated all over with red spider lily prints. Her face was hidden behind a Kabuki mask of black, gold and red swirls. She bowed low to the fox.

"Nice seeing you again Yamagata-san." She spoke.

"I can't say the feeling is mutual, now state your business before you join these children on the ground."

Kira tired to open her mouth and say that they weren't done yet but only a groan escaped because of her still aching lungs. She could feel the magic of her enhanced healing working to get her back in shape, both Kuro and Troy were struggling to get up as well. She had to join them.

"I've come to take the Keeper off your hands," Ahlai stated simply, "The master wants her."

"Request declined," Yamagata growled, turning away to face the teens who were steadily getting to their feet.

"You've got a lot of nerve, lady!" Kuro wiped the sweat from his brow, "You came out of nowhere last time but we're ready for you now, I wonder if Nightmare will come running if I beat you up."

Kira remembered the name Nightmare had called during their fight. Ahlai. So this was the Demon in question? She what powers the other possessed.

"You're the rascal that hurt the master, I'll take care of you first," Ahlai said, she didn't sound the least bit thrilled, but the eyes behind the mask glowed a dim violet.

Suddenly Kuro was on the ground, screaming, kicking at the air as he held his head in his hand. Kira raced to his side, the screams pulling at the part of her heart that ached at seeing her friends hurt.

"What are you doing?! Stop, stop it now!" She screamed trying to hold Kuro down before he took off blindly and hurt himself.

Troy made to attack Ahlai but Yamagata was already several leagues ahead, tail smacking her into the nearest boulder.

"It's rude to interrupt other people's battles scum." The fox snarled.

Ahlai sounded pleased, "I couldn't help myself, at our last encounter, I sensed such heavy dread coming off each off them, but the master ordered me not to break their minds yet which was why the Dark One escaped." She licked her lips behind her mask, "Now, it doesn't really matter, I can't can't wait to torture your minds, and feast on the despair you created for yourselves."

Kira stared in horror and anger, what the hell was this lady talking about. She was about to spring into action as well when her vision was suddenly clouded by black. The last thing she saw before it took over was Yamagata engaging Ahlai in battle.

She was just about to use her wind to clear the black mist when all of a sudden a figure emerged from the smoke.

A short brown haired girl who looked about eight years old. Similar bright green eyes stared back at her with contempt.

"No...you can't be...it's impossible!" Kira screamed stumblingly back into the ground.

"Is this really what I grew into?" The girl took a step closer, she sighed, "How disappointing."

"You're the disappointment!" Kira hissed throwing an air blast. It simply went through her younger self.

The child vanished, appearing in a flash once more but this time, close enough to Kira to knee her right in the face. Kira groaned, falling limply to the ground while her younger self leisurely pushed her head into the ground with a sneaker covered foot.

"How weak you've grown, dependent on how others see you now."

"Shut up!" Kira grabbed the foot and made to smash the child into the ground but it vanished.

She got to her feet, rubbing at her eyes, this had to be one bad dream. When she opened them again she was faced with burnt standing corpses, behind them was a familiar house, flames licking at it's beams and walks.

Her blood instantly ran cold in her veins, her hands trembled so hard it spread to the rest of her body.

'Girl, snap out of it.'

'Kira, it's all in your head.'

Mammon and Lucifer tried calling out her but their voices were distorted echoes in the vast void of Ahlai's mind space.

Kira turned to run but the corpses were before her again, faces she knew so we'll were barely recognizable now. They took shaky steps towards her, backing her towards the house.

"Nee...san...help...." The shortest one called in choked up teary whine.

"I...I can't do anything!" She screamed trying to run in anther direction but there were more of them, everywhere she turned, they were there, haunting her, misshapen faces of her parents and little brother.

"You left them!" Her younger self's voice echoed in the space, "We should be dead you know, we would have died either way," the child appeared again, sitting atop the burning house and glaring into Kira's eyes, "But I kept us alive. I protected us and made sure we survived but what did you do as soon as you found some sap willing to take you in, you ran into his arms and forgot everything, you can't throw away guilt 'Kira'"

There was the horrible thud sound followed by a crunch and screams. She put her hands over her ears but her younger self descended, dragging her by the hair forcing her to look through the path the crowd of burnt family corpses had cleared.

The image of another street, in a meadow lit by the fading lights of the evening five kids stood, younger Kira standing over one who was laying still on the ground, bleeding.

'When Katsu-chan asks for something, remember not to refuse.' She stated bluntly, voice dead and hallow, 'Understand?'

The child barely whimpered.

'You tell him, Himiko.' A slightly shorter male between two others said with a bark of laughter.

Younger Kira approached him, hand out stretched, 'I've got places to be Katsuhito.'

He placed some money into her hands, 'You're doing good, Himiko. When it runs out don't forget you can come ask again, I'll give you a target and we can do business.'

She said nothing, turning away from him and towards Kira. The scene faded with Kira getting a glimpse of those hallow eyes.

"Please, stop." She pleased with the version of herself still gripping her hair.

"Why? It's not that easy to escape the past 'Kira'! Stop trying to run!"

"I'm not running anymore!" She screamed, scythe forming in her hand, she sliced of the hand of her younger self. The appendage grew back almost immediately but Kira was already a good distance away.

"Really now?" The other version, "That's a lie and you know it, you're still running, running away from us and chasing what you can't have and don't deserve." It spat, "Just save everyone the trouble and die already."

She was about make an argument when Troy and Kuro's voices pierced through. For a split second she was excited...until she heard what they were saying.

'Testimony to how weak you are...'

'Hopeless Vermillion...'

'Don't trust you...'

'Give up too easily...'

Her free hand gripped at her chest, tightening against the hurt that threatened to rip it out and bare her for all to see.

She glared at her younger self, "You're not me, stop pretending you are. You aren't even the me from then so stop lying...stop making me hate myself more than I already do."

"I'm right and that's all that matters, the world would be better without you it wouldn't be so hard to use that scythe and end it all."

Kira gripped her weapon tighter.

She could still hear a voice trying to break through, she knew it was Lucifer, she couldn't hear what he was saying through the fog but she could almost imagine it was something along the lines of an insult, screaming at her to not be a useless meat sack and fight.

She stood straighter, "Maybe you're right, I am weak and the world doesn't need me now, but I can't let that stop me."

The smug grin on her younger self's face vanished, the ground beneath them began to tremble.

"I don't get my ass handed to me in practice every day to give up now. I've got people to protect so if you'll please excuse me...get out of my head!" She screamed.

Chains sprung from cracks in the ground, wrapping around Kira's younger self and squeezing it so tight it let out a screeched and burst into cloud of harmless purple dust. She refused to let anyone control her, not even herself, "Even if we were the same then, I refuse to be someone who hurts innocents to survive."

The dark mist cleared, leaving the battlefield field visible before her, she heard a soft chuckle in her younger voice, 'Foolish girl.'