Re: [FFML] [Announce]Change of address...


Sohryuden: Legend of the Dragon Kings
Interlude


The morning sun is cut to pieces by,
The ringing resonance of the story telling bell.
This time you'll soar high,
like the wind, you'll be,
Flying with your own wings.

Soon you'll get beyond the fear of your getting hurt,
But if you let me go, I will disappear...

But in the future you'll be holding me,
So until this dream comes to an end,
I'll run through anything to you.

All of the sad memories I will now release,
I will give them up right at this moment, now...



	The end of summer was coming fast, the oppressive heat that had held 
Tokyo and it's outskirts in it's shimmering grip had finally given way to a 
gentler warmth broken by a steady breeze that held the cool promise of autumn. 
Tsuzuku Ryudo strolled across the park-like grounds of Kyowa College with a 
book on dragons tucked under one arm. He intended on finding a nice shady spot 
under a tree and do some research while he waited for his two younger brothers 
to finish at the campus library.

	He had learned long ago to ignore the admiring and sometimes jealous 
stares and whispers from the young women and men he passed, yet today they 
bothered him. It had been a hard week on the second born Ryudo and he was 
starting to question many of the things he had thought he had accepted about 
himself.

	First and foremost was the assumption that he'd be able to control the 
Dragon if it manifested. It hadn't happened that way. He had barely held onto 
his consciousness as he had sworn he would do, but  the sheer primal power of 
the creature he was had overwhelmed him and he'd become lost in it. He'd 
caused a great deal of property damage to downtown Tokyo and had injured many 
people. He closed his eyes for a moment against that wince of his soul. And 
The Four Sisters where still hunting them, that he and Hajime knew for sure.

	He sighed, changed trajectory slightly to avoid a group of doe-eyed 
girls heading his way. That was one of the other things he was wrestling with. 
He knew he had the reputation of a rake, had taken many of the girls that 
chased after him out, yet never more than once. So far, none had truly 
interested him and that bothered him. Many where true beauties and full of 
intellect and wit, yet they were like a fun diversion, nothing more and he 
would string none of them along, not wishing to hurt any of them.

	He decided he'd have to talk to Hajime about it. Though his oldest 
brother seemed to have as much interest and luck with the lady's as himself. 
He wished Grandfather had not died so soon. He knew that the old man had died 
without passing on many of the family secrets.

	The breeze pressed against his back and he stopped mid-stride as he 
caught sight of the translucent fabric which had draped itself across his 
shoulders from behind and fluttered out in front of him on each side. Then the 
breeze seemed to turn playful, sending one end of the scarf up to brush 
against his face as he grabbed for the other. The scent it brought with it set 
his senses tingling. It was of jasmine and fresh turned earth and the salt 
filled wind off the sea. He smiled as he pulled the scarf off his shoulders, 
brought it to his face and inhaled deeply. What a wonderful perfume! Then he 
held two of the corners and shook it out to see what the glimmer of gold in 
the pattern was. He gasped as the fabric flowed down to reveal an almost 3 
dimensional golden dragon on an opalescent white background. It was beautiful!

	"Hey! You!"

	Tsuzuku turned, the scarf still between his hands to see a medium-tall 
young woman about his own age in stylishly torn black Levi's and a gray 
mid-drift top. Her long copper colored braid was flying behind her as she came 
running and waving his way.

	"You caught it! Thanks so much!" She smiled as she hopped to a stop in 
front of him, put her sunglasses to the top of her head. He could tell 
immediately by her accent that Japanese was not her first language.

	He almost forgot his manners as he gazed into her face. She had to be 
one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen. It was as if the best 
features of both east and west combined in her face. And those eyes! They 
where almost golden! The same perfume that clung to the scarf wafted towards 
him in the breeze from her. He swallowed hard and blushed, covered it with a 
bow and offered the scarf to her. 

	"This is yours, I take it?"

	"Yes. This is the third time today it's taken off on it's own to sight 
see." She gave a sigh and glared at the scarf reprovingly as she took it, then 
seemed to remember her manners and bowed back quickly.

	"Jasmine-san!" They both looked up to the new arrivals. One was a 
younger Japanese woman, the other was a girl around Amaru's age, with the same 
features as the one they had called Jasmine but softened by youth and 
blue-black hair and violet eyes instead of the older woman's auburn and gold.

	The Japanese one was out of breath, just waved her hand back and forth. 
The girl was not and put her hands on her hips as she looked up at Jasmine and 
said something in English that he couldn't quite catch in a scolding tone.

	"Don't be rude, Elenora." Jasmine scolded back. "This nice man just 
rescued my scarf."

	"Ryudo Tsuzuku." Tsuzuku introduced himself with another little bow.

	The girl gave a proper formal bow and said in perfect Japanese, "Forgive 
my rudeness, Ryudo-San. I said that maybe we should staple the bloody thing to 
her head."

	Tsuzuku fought hard to stifle his laugh at that and the hard stares the 
two gave each other.

	"Esa-chan, remind me to leave her at home next time we go out!"

	Esa-chan had gotten her breath back, grabbed Elenora by the hand. 
"Jasmine-san, we've got to go! The bus is getting ready to leave and Shubata 
Sensei will kill me if he has to send a car for us!" She gave Tsuzuku a little 
bow as she turned and started trotting back the way they came.

	"Thank-you again, Ryudo-san." Jasmine bobbed at him and started to turn.

	"Um...wait, please!" Tsuzuku for once found himself unsure of what to 
say as she turned back to him. "May I ask where you got that scarf? It's 
beautiful."

	Jasmine looked at the length of fabric in her hands with a soft, secret 
smile. "Yes, it is, isn't it. It was a gift, so I'm not sure where it came 
from."

	"Oh. That's a shame. My family is very partial to dragons and I would 
have liked to get one." He flushed as he said it, felt like he was stumbling 
over the words.

	She smiled at him, their eye's locking for a moment. Then she looked a 
little startled and blushed back as she lowered her gaze to stare at the scarf 
in her hand. It fluttered out as if reaching for the beautiful young man 
before her.

	"Jasmine! Now!" The girl's voices carried back to them on the breeze. 
Tsuzuku could hear a bus horn honking.

	"Coming!" She yelled back over her shoulder, then made a deep formal 
bow. He bowed back, was startled when she stepped up close, draped the scarf 
around the back of his neck. "Here." She whispered then was off and running 
before he could straighten.

	He pulled the scarf into his hands and stared at it in amazement for a 
few moments then yelled, "Wait!" as he ran after her, using as much of his 
supernatural speed as possible without attracting undue attention. The bus was 
just gaining speed and merging into traffic as he reached the gates. Damn! How 
did she get to it so fast? He had started to take a few steps after it when a 
hand on his arm brought him to a halt. He snapped his head sideways with an 
angry frown that quickly changed into an apologetic grin as Matsuri blinked 
back up at him, a little startled. Tsuzuku never frowned like that.

	"Are you all right, Tsuzuku-kun?" She asked in a small voice.

	"Yes, Matsuri-chan. You just startled me, that's all." He looked after 
the bus with longing disappointment.

	She noticed the scarf in his hands and followed his longing look at the 
departing bus in suspicion. "Who where you chasing?" She asked sweetly.

	"I'm not sure." He answered, looking at the fabric between his hands 
with that little smile that melted girls hearts.

	"Nani?! Let me see! Oh, that's beautiful, Tsuzuku!" She smiled with 
delight as he let the scarf out, took the bottom to keep it steady in the 
breeze. "Where did you get it?"

	"This woman just gave it to me." He said quietly.

	"Is that who you were chasing?"

	He nodded.

	"Was she beautiful?" Matsuri asked playfully as she helped him fold it, 
expecting one of Tsuzuku's glib brush-offs.

	"Yes. She was very beautiful." He sighed, looking dejected.

	That startled her. Normally Tsuzuku just smiled gently and shook his 
head with something along the lines of 'no, Cousin, I'm not interested' when 
she asked questions like that. She smiled inwardly. Tsuzuku finally interested 
in a girl? But who was it? 

	"Do you recognize this perfume, Matsuri?" He asked, offering the thin 
rectangle to her.

	Matsuri took it, held it to her nose, frowned. "I don't smell anything, 
Tsuzuku."

	"Are you sure?" He asked, sounding startled. He could smell it from 
here.

	Matsuri inhaled again deeply. "Nope. Nothing. Sorry! Why? What do you 
smell?"

	"Jasmine and the sea. You really can't smell it?"

	Matsuri shook her head as she gave it back. "So, who was it? You got her 
name, right? Are you going to call her?"

	"Matsuri-chan!" He said with a shy blush.

	Matsuri had a hard time constraining herself. She was so happy, it was 
about time!

	"Well?!" She demanded an answer.

	"Not really."

	Matsuri groaned inwardly.

	"Her friend called her Jasmine. She's American, I think, and has a 
sister named Elenora. But other than that, I don't have much to go on."

	"Well, that's not much." Matsuri agreed. "So, how are you going to find 
her?"

	"I don't know." He gave a little, elegant shrug and a determined smile. 
"But I will."

	"Hey! Tsuzuku-kun! Matsuri-chan!" Amaru and Owaru called together as 
they came up.

	Tsuzuku put the folded fabric into his front pants pocket quickly, gave 
a little warning shake of his head and pleading smile to Matsuri who nodded 
with understanding and greeted his brothers back.

************

	Elenora frowned at her sister as she settled next to her on the bus, 
distracted from her eavesdropping on Esa-chan in the seat in front of them. 
Their escort was still trying to fend off the advances of the young man who 
was sitting next to her and had been trying to pick her up through-out the 
whole tour. Elenora had decided that after the next stop, she'd swap places 
with Esa to give her a break.

	"You didn't loose it again!" She almost growled.

	"No." Jasmine leaned across her to look back out the window. Elenora 
turned with her, saw Tsuzuku Ryudo pause at the gates to the school they had 
just visited, the unmistakable white and gold gleam of the scarf in his hands.

	"You gave it to him?!" Elenora whispered with shock.

	"No. I let him borrow it." Jasmine smiled playfully, then settled back 
into her seat. 

	"But why?" That scarf was the family heirloom, passed down through a 
hundred generations from Mother to Eldest Daughter. That Jasmine should give 
it to a stranger was beyond belief. Unless...she focused on her sister, fine 
tuning her senses.

	Jasmine shrugged. "I don't know. It just felt right. I think it wanted 
to be with him for a while. Don't worry so much! I'll go and get it in a few 
days or it'll come back on it's own."

	Elenora continued to study her sister, her expression and manner much 
more mature than her 12 year old body, saw something that Jasmine was not yet 
aware of in spite of all her power. "He's one of them, isn't he?"

	Jasmine nodded, all traces of humor gone from her face. "Yes."

	Catherine had sent them to Japan two days ago at the request of Shubata 
Chiba, the Elder that was in charge of the main Chapter House in Japan. It 
seemed that they where having a little 'problem' with dragons and wanted the 
Order's own pair to check it out. Shubata had sent them on a series of 
whirlwind tours with no briefing, wanting to hear their first impressions 
without the coloring of outside information.

	The first one to the artillery range was 'private', arranged by a 
younger member of the Order who was with the JSDF. The others were arranged as 
'public', meaning time spent on a tour bus. They had both groaned and grumbled 
at that, but Shubata simply told them that it would be a good chance for them 
to further their education, that he expected a written essay on the different 
styles of architecture and it would also give them a chance to get the 'feel' 
of Tokyo.

	The range, the remains of the bridge and the government building had 
reeked of dragon energy. Jasmine could detect four, two at the range, one 
very, very powerful, beyond anything she had ever sensed before, one at the 
bridge and that same one and a different one at the government building. 
Elenora confirmed her but swore she could feel three at the government 
building. They had chatted with the people in the areas, asking innocent but 
leading questions and had pieced together the basic story.

	At the range, one of Japan's oldest and most renown philosophers had 
died in a tragic accident involving a freak typhoon and minor earthquake. The 
Lieutenant who was escorting them through the shattered grounds hemmed and 
hawed and finally admitted that he thought he had seen a huge black dragon. 
They had both tried to wheedle more information out of him, but he had nothing 
more he was willing to say. He had given his word to Matsuri and her cousins 
that what he saw that day would remain his secret alone until he died.

	There where many more witnesses to the bridge and government building 
disasters, but in the way of all civilized and educated people, most had 
dismissed the Fire Dragon as a trick of the flames itself, or some special 
effect created by the terrorists who had set the bomb to scare people.

	Jasmine couldn't wait to get back to the Chapter House and get the whole 
scoop. And she wondered if Shubata had sent them to Kyowa College in the tour 
of Tokyo's landmark buildings just to see the beautiful old grounds and halls 
or to meet one of his troublesome dragons themselves. She suspected the later.


************


	Tsuzuku spent most of that evening drawing sketches of Jasmine, Elenora 
and Esa-chan and keeping an eye on his brothers. Hajime had gone to meet 
Shinkai to sneak into the reporters building for a late night foray into the 
top secret morgue to attempt to gather some more information on the Four 
Sisters. He had talked himself out of looking for her as he drew, convinced 
himself that a relationship with a girl was not a wise thing right now with 
all that was going on. It would just give their hunters another target and 
another pawn to use against them.

	"Wow! Who's that?" Amaru asked from over his shoulder.

	"Just some people I met today." He answered nonchalantly.

	"Ooooh. Uh-huh." He winked at his brother slyly. "Which one do you like? 
It's gotta be this one, huh?" He pointed to Jasmine. "Hey, Owaru! Come here 
and see this!"

	"Wait! I've almost passed my record for killing tanks!" Owaru called 
back through the wide arch, focused on the video game he was playing in the 
adjoining room.

	Tsuzuku closed his sketch book firmly, looked sideways at his youngest 
brother.

	"What?" Amaru asked all innocence. "I just wanted Owaru to see how good 
you draw."

	"I think it's time for bed. It's past ten."

	"Aw, that's not fair, Tsuzuku!" Amaru pouted.

	"Fair or not, it's time for bed. Owaru, you too!"

	"O.K. Just one more min... ah, shit! Ooops..." Owaru grinned over his 
shoulder at his brothers, looking sheepish. "Sorry."

	"Bed." Tsuzuku sighed with a resigned smile.

	"O.K., O.K. Come on Amaru." Owaru grumbled.

	Tsuzuku listened to the sound of his brother's settling in for the night 
as he made some coffee, read over the notes Hajime had added on the Four 
Sisters. Nothing much more than they already knew or had guessed. The question 
was, how much did the Organization really know about them? Maybe more than the 
brother's knew about themselves? That thought made his stomach knot. There 
where so many pieces of the mystery that they were missing. Important pieces. 
He had taken over researching the family tree and legends letting Hajime focus 
on their enemies. So far he had only come across tantalizing hints hidden in 
the abstraction of myths.

	He paged through the book he had borrowed from the library again, wished 
he had access to the records that Kamadura no Gozen had told Hajime he had 
studied at the Village of the Dragon Springs. Maybe it was time to take a 
family trip and disappear into China for a while. It might also throw their 
hunters off their trail, give them some time to breathe. He'd have to suggest 
that to Hajime in the morning. He stopped at the picture of the Red Dragon 
glowing against white clouds, touched it with a tremble in his fingers. So 
much power. So much passion. So much destruction. Was this what he really was?

	He shut the book firmly then went to the open window to enjoy the cool 
evening breeze, finish his coffee and just listen to the night. The clock in 
the hall struck eleven thirty. Hajime had said he'd be late and not to wait 
up. He washed the coffee carafe and his cup, walked through the house turning 
off all but the kitchen and main hallway lights on his way to bed.

	He quietly opened the door to Amaru's room, peeked in. The youngest of 
them was curled around his pillow, smiling at some dream. He closed the door, 
padded down the hall and frowned at the light coming from under Owaru's. He 
opened the door ready to scold. His frown softened as he was greeted by his 
brothers soft buzzing snore somewhat muffled by the manga draped tent-like 
over his face. He turned the light off, closed the door behind him and headed 
for his own room.

	He undressed by the hamper, pulling the scarf out of his pocket before 
he tossed his pants in. He shook it out wanting to look at it again. The 
perfume rose up out of it, still as strong as it had been this afternoon. He 
inhaled deeply, closing his eyes. It filled his nostrils and he swore he could 
taste the jasmine. He realized he was getting an erection. That was some 
perfume. He still couldn't understand why Matsuri hadn't been able to smell 
it, it was so strong! The breeze from the window blew against the scarf and it 
wrapped itself around him, it's edges fluttering against the naked skin of his 
back like feather soft fingers. A little shiver of pleasure ran through his 
frame. He 'tsk'-ed with a self-recriminating smile, determined not to start 
something that could not be finished.

	His body had sexually awakened when he had turned fourteen and he knew 
from reading and locker talk that it was normal for boy's his age. Being 
curious, he had tried to relieve himself and had just succeeded in making 
himself very frustrated. No matter how hard he tried, what he visualized, he 
could not orgasm. When he turned sixteen, he decided to stop trying. It hadn't 
been hard, he had never felt the burning passion the other boys described. It 
had been more like an annoying tickle that could be ignored. Yet still he felt 
it was something, like his good looks, that just set him farther apart from 
the rest of his class mates. He had been too embarrassed to mention it to 
Hajime, still couldn't. He wondered if his eldest brother or Owaru had the 
same problem. He wondered now if it was part of being a dragon.

	He tried to fold the scarf back into it's rectangle, but the breeze kept 
fluttering it around, seeming to give it a life of it's own as one corner or 
the other continued to escape his hands and reach out to caress him. He got 
the absurd notion that the thing was trying to seduce him. He got a little 
alarmed when he realized it was succeeding. He let go of it, stepped back away 
from it breathing fast as it puddled onto the floor, still. What was going on? 
It was a scarf, nothing more.

	He took a few deep breaths, concentrated on slowing his breathing, 
getting his heart rate back under control. He was almost afraid to touch it 
again, then shook his head. He was being silly. It was a scarf, nothing more. 
He picked it up off the floor, shook it out. It hung limp, barely moving on 
the gentle breeze. He folded it with no more problems, put it on top of his 
dresser. He put on his pajama's, turned off the light and stretched out on his 
bed and tried to relax.

	He couldn't. He shifted positions uncomfortably, ended up back on his 
back. It was too hot. Everywhere the fabric of his pajama's touched him 
prickled and scratched. He couldn't stand it anymore, leapt to his feet and 
stripped till he stood naked. Why was it so hot in here? The cool evening 
breeze gusted, flowed through the window and over him and he threw back his 
head at the sensuous shudder that it caused, flaming the need that was growing 
in him. Was this what the other boys meant?

	The smell of jasmine and the sea grew stronger. He lifted his eyebrows 
as he turned towards the dresser. The white and gold rectangle seemed to glow 
in the moonlight. He crossed to it quickly, obeying some instinct that he 
didn't really understand. He wanted release from this fire that burned in him 
and this scarf somehow held the key. He shook it out violently, held it up 
before him. It swayed gently then hung straight, now resistant to the breezes.

	"All right!" He whispered at it in a fierce hiss. "You started this, you 
end it!" A part of him wondered if he was going insane, talking to a piece of 
fabric like it was a sentient thing. He let go of the edges in startlement as 
it came to life in his hands, wrapping itself around him lengthwise, the 
breeze pushing at him gently, back toward the bed. He stepped back as the 
fabric whispered against his skin like the silken touch of butterfly wings, 
sending little tingles of erotic pleasure through him as he followed it's 
urging until the edge of the bed hit the back of his knees.

	He sank down, lay back and closed his eyes as the scarf continued it's 
roaming dance over his body. It was so easy to imagine the golden eyed woman 
from this afternoon taking the place of this piece of fabric and the touch of 
it changed from the cool soft whisper of fabric to the warmth of fingertips 
and soft hot kisses. He groaned softly, his body arching with tension as the 
sensations engulfed him, didn't know that he was hovering above the bed and 
glowing with red power that could not reach beyond the translucent golden 
bubble that had formed to contain the passion of a Dragon.

	Tsuzuku rode the wave of pleasure up, hung for a moment as nothing but 
pure sensation, then was engulfed by the thundering red brilliance of his 
release. The scarf stretched out to cover him as he settled to the bed, 
panting, the tingles of his orgasm still running through him. He put one hand 
possessively on the scarf, held it against his chest. That was...incredible. 
He smiled, realizing that word and none of the others that popped into his 
head could accurately describe what had just happened. He knew he should get 
up and put his pajama's back on. Matsuri was coming in the morning to cook 
breakfast and help clean the house and tended to open doors without knocking 
first. But he was tired. No exhausted, he corrected himself with a wry grin, 
every part of his body was loose and relaxed and resistant to his mental 
commands to move. He'd just rest for a few minutes, then get up.


*************


	On the other side of Tokyo in an upstairs bedroom of the Japan Chapter 
House of The Order of Solomon's Seal Jasmine sat bolt upright, breathing hard 
and blushing. She took a few shuddering breaths, blinked into the softly 
moonlit room and hoped she hadn't woken any of the other 'sensitive' members 
sleeping there tonight. She had had erotic dreams before, but nothing like 
this! It had been so real and full of Tsuzuku Ryudo. She drew her knees up, 
wrapped her arms around her legs, holding the position by clasping one hand 
around the other wrist and rested her forehead on her knees, worked on slowing 
her breathing.

	She knew Elenora had come in from the adjoining bedroom, didn't look up 
as the bed moved slightly as the girl jumped up to sit by her sister.

	"You smell like sex." The twelve year old said frankly.

	"I know." Jasmine whispered back.

	"I told you you should have gone and gotten it back as soon as we found 
out who they were." Elenora sighed.

	"I know. I just didn't think that this would happen. I'm not even sure 
what happened! I hope I didn't wake anyone." Jasmine sounded so unsure of 
herself, a rarity in her sister.

	"I don't think so." Elenora reassured her as she leaned against Jasmine, 
wrapped an arm around her waist in a loose hug. "If you had, they'd be 
knocking by now, I think."

	Jasmine nodded, gave her a little smile. "You're right, as normal."

	Elenora snorted with a self-righteous grin. "Nice of you to admit it. 
But still, maybe we should turn on the TV and see if there have been any 
reports of a Fire Dragon running amok."

	"That's not funny, Elenora." Jasmine responded with a worried scowl.

	"I know. I'm sorry, Jasmine. Uh-oh." She said as the soft knock came on 
the door.

	"Come in." Jasmine called softly.

	Shubata opened the door with one hand, his diminutive frame wrapped in a 
simple kimono as he balanced a tray on the other, switched on the overhead as 
he came in.

	"Well, well. That was...interesting, Jasmine." He said with a gentle 
grin as he brought the tray with teapot and cups to the bed. "And no, there 
are no reports of a Red Dragon running rampant." He  sat on the bed by her 
feet, smoothed the blanket down so the tray would stay steady and began to 
pour them tea. "Though the observer on the Ryudo house called in scared out of 
his wits. Seems like there was a sustained visual coming from Ryudo Tsuzuku's 
bedroom window, but it never manifested. We were lucky, Jasmine."

	"I'm sorry, Sensei! I didn't know this would happen! It just seemed the 
right thing to do! It wanted to go with him!" Jasmine wavered on the edge of 
tears which frightened Elenora. Whatever had happened had affected her more 
than any of them suspected. Jasmine hadn't truly cried since their parents had 
died eight years ago.

	"There, there, Jasmine-chan." The old man soothed and patted her hand, 
took it into his own and pressed a warm cup into it. "Drink. It will help 
settle your nerves. It is as much my fault. I should have known that if I let 
two such powerful dragons meet, sparks would fly." His eye's sparkled with 
internal humor.

	Jasmine smiled tentatively back as she blew over the surface of the tea, 
then sipped at it.

	"So, tomorrow, you go and get it back. I don't want anything linking 
either of you to them, especially since Tamanji and her crew have arrived." He 
told them with a frown.

	"Tamanji's here?" Elenora squeaked.

	"Yes, she's here." Shubata nodded solemnly.

	"Why?" Jasmine demanded, her mood shifting to deadly seriousness.

	"I don't know yet and that is causing me some anxiety. They've managed 
to totally elude the Observers set on them again. You know we lost track of 
them three months ago. It was just through sheer luck, if you believe in such 
things, that they where spotted downtown. They are either here because you are 
here, or because they too have heard the reports of dragons. Either option is 
not good and we'll all have to be on our guard."

	"I'll go get it right now." Jasmine started to uncurl, stopped when 
Shubata put a restraining hand on her arm.

	"It will wait until morning, Jasmine. You are tired and need to sleep." 
He mentally re-enforced the effects of the herbal tea, caught the cup as it 
slid from her nerveless fingers and he lowered her back onto the pillows 
gently, all ready asleep as Elenora watched in shock.

	"What did you do!?" Elenora growled at him, the dark violet aura of her 
power starting to form around her.

	Shubata sat up slowly, regarded the young dragon calmly. "There are many 
herbs that work on the Children of Dragons, young lady. You should make a 
study of them. Your sister is exhausted, more than she realizes and needs to 
have all her powers and wits about her if she is to deal with the Dragon 
brothers or Tamanji. She is asleep, nothing more. Which is what you need to be 
also. Would you care for a cup of tea?" He finished with a quizzical smile.

	Elenora's aura vanished as she shook her head wide-eyed, no.

	"Then off with you! This old man wants to grab a few more hours also." 
He made a graceful motion with his hand towards the little bedroom off of the 
main one.

	Elenora hopped off the bed, gave him a suspicious glare. Shubata could 
feel her 'look' at him with her power. She nodded, seemingly satisfied with 
whatever she saw, gave him a formal bow, then yawned, all of the sudden 
nothing more than a sleepy twelve year old girl.

	"Good-night, Sensei." She muttered, heavy eyed as she wandered back to 
her bed. "Oh, I would like to see those books on dragon affecting herbs, too."

	"I'll have them sent to your room tomorrow." Shubata smiled at her 
retreating form. He tucked the light blanket in around Jasmine, then gathered 
the tray, walked silently to Elenora's door, peeked in. She was already taking 
the deep breaths of sleep. How he envied the young. He knew he would get no 
more rest this night.

	That Jasmine would give Ryudo Tsuzuku that damned scarf had been totally 
unexpected. What had she been thinking, to do such a thing? But then again, it 
might not have been her choice. He had taken the most of this opportunity to 
study it and had asked two of the most powerful psychics in his jurisdiction 
to 'read' that innocuous piece of fabric. It had knocked one out and left the 
other in shock.

	He had read the faxed notes Catherine had sent, but it didn't hold 
anything he didn't already know. It was an heirloom of the Tanaka Family and a 
precious relic in it's own right, the Order being able to trace it back almost 
two thousand years. They suspected it was even older. That it held some 
sentience was beyond doubt and all of it's Dragons had treated it like a 
living entity. None of the Elders could decide if it was a psychic 
manifestation or a magical thing. Catherine herself believed it a combination 
of both. It didn't matter. All that mattered was that it was in the hands of 
the Ryudo Dragons and that put the lives of 'their' Dragons in jeopardy.

	When that freak accident had orphaned Jasmine, Tamanji and Elenora at 
eleven, nine and four the Order had broken it's rules for the third time in 
it's thousand year history and interfered in the affairs of a Family it 
Observed. Catherine had taken them under her wing, raised them and taught them 
to use the powers of their unique heritage. Powers that vastly benefited the 
Order also. Unfortunately, they had lost Tamanji along the way. That one could 
only see the darker side of her soul and the wealth, pleasure and power her 
talents could bring accompanied by an unreasoning hatred for the Order and her 
eldest sister.

	He shook himself slightly, roused himself from his reverie. "Good-night, 
Little Dragon." He whispered with a fond smile, then his face turned serious 
and he went to tend to business.


************

	It was just past two in the morning when Hajime got home, his soft 
leather briefcase bulging with papers. He really had to dip into their meager 
savings and buy them a good computer. It would have been so much easier to 
just make copies of the disks instead of waiting forever for the print-outs. 
He slid out of his shoes, wandered through the darkened house to drop the 
briefcase on his desk then took the stairs two at a time.

	He made his rounds, peeking in at Amaru, then Owaru, then headed for 
Tsuzuku. He knew that Tsuzuku would be embarrassed if he knew his eldest 
brother still checked on him at night but it had become a habit from younger 
days when Tsuzuku had suffered from nightmares after their parents had died on 
a holiday trip in that earthquake.

	Many people had come to the funeral and had told him and Grandfather 
that his father had literally held up the ceiling of the hotel, giving so many 
of them the chance to escape. Mother had helped carry the wounded out, thrown 
a little girl out of a third story window to her mother just as the building 
gave totally away and buried both Father and Mother in tons and tons of 
rubble. It had taken the clean up crew a week to reach their bodies.

	He leaned to glance around the door, straightened and started to close 
it, froze as his brain caught up with what his eyes thought they had seen. He 
could have sworn he saw a small golden dragon stretched out over his brothers 
naked form, it's nose resting against the hollow of his shoulder and it's tail 
wrapped around and down one of his legs.

	He opened the door enough to step through quickly, pushed it shut, his 
body taunt as he prepared to met whatever threat might be lurking. One part of 
his brain tried to identify the faint musky smell that hung in the room as he 
relaxed a little with a perplexed smile. What he had thought was a dragon was 
nothing more than a sheer fabric scarf with a dragon's image on it. But why 
was it draped over his brother like that and why was Tsuzuku naked? He never 
went to sleep nude. None of them did because none of them knew for certain 
when Matsuri would decide to pay them an unscheduled early morning visit.

	His unease grew as he moved silently to his brothers bed, his vision 
shifting slightly on it's own as it had started to do of late. The thing 
glowed with power. He reached down and closed his hand around one end, pulled 
gently, his intention to ease it off his brother for a closer look. Tsuzuku 
frowned in his sleep, hugged it back to his chest with both arms as it rose, 
rolled to his side away from him taking the end from his grasp.

	That decided him. He was getting it away from his brother now, whether 
he woke him or not. He went around the bed, leaned down and took a firm hold 
of the side of the fabric in both hands and pulled. Tsuzuku opened his eyes. 
Hajime stared in shock as they glowed solid with white power. Tsuzuku kept the 
scarf pressed to his chest with one hand, reached out with the other to touch 
Hajime on the center of his chest with his fingertips. The small surge of 
power sent him reeling backwards.

	"Tsuzuku!" He whispered in shock as he rubbed at his chest. Tsuzuku 
closed his eyes, rolled to his other side, the top of the scarf with the 
dragon's head shifting as he moved so that it hung down across his back and 
seemed to regard Hajime with a it's dark gold eyes.

	*What is that thing and where did he get it?* He narrowed his eyes back 
at it, his unease turning into fear. Whatever it was, it was effecting his 
brother dangerously. Then his brain clicked in with the awareness of where he 
had smelled that vaguely familiar musk. He had been seven when he'd walked in 
late one night on his parents making love, frightened by a dream of dragons. 
This same smell had permeated their room.

	His eyes widened in surprise. He went back around the bed, switched on 
the lamp on the night stand to it's lowest setting. "Tsuzuku!" He called 
softly. "Tsuzuku-kun, wake up!" He touched his brother's shoulder cautiously, 
avoiding the fabric of the scarf, ready to leap back if Tsuzuku should strike 
out again. His brother's skin was reassuringly cool under his fingers. He held 
his breath, waiting. It seemed as long as he didn't touch the scarf his 
brother wouldn't react. "Tsuzuku-kun, wake up!" He said a little firmer and 
gave him a little shake.

	Tsuzuku blinked sleepily at him. "Hajime?" Then he sat up quickly, his 
stomach fluttering at the alarm he saw in his brothers face, the scarf sliding 
down to pool in his lap. "What? What's wrong?"

	"Are you all right?" Hajime kept his voice calm and even as he moved to 
sit at the foot of his brother's bed.

	Tsuzuku gazed at him, his brow wrinkling in incomprehension, then he 
looked down at his naked self and blushed, reached out to pull the sheet up to 
his waist over the scarf. "Yes. I'm fine."

	"What happened, Tsuzuku-kun?" Hajime asked, all of his senses tuned to 
their limits, trying to detect just what kind of hold that scarf had on his 
brother.

	"It was nothing, Hajime-kun." He smiled gently and shrugged.

	Hajime folded his arms across his chest, shifted his weight back, his 
expression full of questioning disbelief.

	"I had an interesting dream, nothing more." It had to have been a dream.

	"Share it with me." His brother asked.

	Tsuzuku paused for a moment, tried to find a graceful way to explain 
what had happened. "It was personal, Hajime."

	Tsuzuku wondered at the little flicker of alarm he saw flash across his 
brothers face, but it was quickly hidden by a knowing smile.

	"Ah, I understand." But he didn't, not really. From everything Grandfather 
had told him and his own experience, what had happened to Tsuzuku wasn't 
possible, yet.

	"Tell me about the scarf, Tsuzuku." Hajime demanded in a quiet tone. He 
needed to know what was happening if he had any hope of keeping them all safe.

	Tsuzuku raised his eyebrows but obediently answered the question as he 
pulled the scarf out from under the sheet. "A young woman I met at the school 
today gave it to me." He shook it out, down towards his brother. The perfume 
of it rose up just as strong as it had been this afternoon.

	Hajime took the end and straightened the image. Now that he could see it 
in the light, he could tell it was a masterpiece of work. "A woman you didn't 
know just gave this to you?" His voice was full of suspicion.

	"Hajime-kun, women I don't know give me things all the time." He 
reminded his brother with a wry smile. He normally just gave them right back, 
like he had tried to do with the scarf.

	"Women give you flowers or candy or love notes or trinkets. Not a 
masterpiece like this. It should be in a museum." His brother answered back, 
reaching out cautiously to touch the golden embroidery like he expected it to 
shock him. "Who was it, do you know?"

	"Not really. She was with a tour group. Her name was Jasmine. I think 
she was American." Then what Hajime was suggesting came together in Tsuzuku's 
mind. "You think she was an agent of the Sisters? But...it's just a scarf, 
Hajime! What harm can it do?"

	"They seem focused on you more than the rest of us, Tsuzuku. They've 
tried brute force, maybe now they are going for subtler methods. And it's not 
just a scarf, it's something more." His brother scowled at it.

	"Well then, that's that." Tsuzuku ran his fingers over the yellow dragon 
with a sad, resigned smile then began to fold it. "Do we get rid of it or keep 
it?"

	"Keep it, I think, until we discover what it is and how they intended to 
use it."

	"It will be safer with you then." Tsuzuku brought it to his face for one 
last breath of that mouth watering scent, then offered it to his brother. "Do 
you smell a perfume on it, Hajime?" He questioned softly.

	Hajime took the rectangle of fabric, brought it to his face. "Maybe. 
Something floral. Why?"

	"Matsuri couldn't smell it at all. I find it almost intoxicating."

	Hajime looked to his brother, startled. "What do you smell, Tsuzuku-kun?"

	"Jasmine and the sea. It's very strong, at least to me. We should see if 
Amaru or Owaru can detect it in the morning. A sex pheromone to trap a Dragon 
with, perhaps?" He asked with a calculating smile.

	"Perhaps." Hajime nodded, running his thumbs over the soft fabric of the 
folded scarf in his hands.

	"So, did your midnight skulking turn up anything worth while?" Tsuzuku 
asked, changing the subject.

	"I think so. I'll need to go over the files again in the morning." He 
yawned, the long day finally catching up with him.

	"Go to bed, Elder Brother. You are tired and I am all right. We can 
discuss this more in the morning, it you'd like." Tsuzuku suggested diffidently.

	"I always value your insights, Tsuzuku-kun. You know that." Hajime 
smiled fondly at his brother as he rose, reached out to give his shoulder a 
squeeze.

	"They have not been very helpful of late, I think." Tsuzuku shrugged 
back with a small frown.

	"As valuable as my own. We will go over them together after Hurricane 
Matsuri is finished with us, O.K.?"

	"Hai." Tsuzuku grinned at his brother's pet name for their Cousin in one 
of her cleaning moods. "Good night, Hajime-kun."

	Hajime nodded at his brother as he yawned again on his way out. Tsuzuku 
waited until Hajime had closed the door, then rose and put his pajama's back 
on, turned off the light and settled back against his pillow with a sigh and a 
frown. Now that he thought about it, that meeting couldn't have been mere 
coincidence. He started to go over every nuance of his encounter with the 
women he had met this afternoon, hunting for some tell-tale clue that might 
betray them as Four Sister agents. He was still searching when he drifted back 
to sleep.


	Hajime brought the scarf to his nose one last time, trying to get more 
of the scent that Tsuzuku said was so obvious to him. Still he could detect 
nothing more than a vague impression of flowers. What were their enemies up to 
and how could they have found a scent that would effect Tsuzuku but not him? 
What frightened him was the suspicion that somehow the International Conglomerate 
known as The Four Sisters had managed to find Tsuzuku's 'right' woman and had 
her under their control. If that had happened, he might loose Tsuzuku to them 
forever. He put the scarf on his bedside table as he sat on his bed, then 
stretched out with a weary sigh. He had just about decided to surrender 
himself to The Four Sisters if they would give him the assurances he would 
arrange to make sure his brothers where left alone.

	A memory of Grandfather on a fall afternoon came back to him. He had 
been fifteen and had finally gotten up the courage to ask Grandfather if his 
'problem' was related to the special powers that ran in the family. 
Grandfather had laughed, ruffled his hair, told him he was growing up too fast 
and then had turned serious.

	"It's just the way we are, Hajime. You won't find a release for that 
passion until you meet the 'right' woman." Grandfather had stressed that word.

	"What do you mean by 'right', Grandfather?" He had asked, upset. That 
was not the answer he had wanted.

	"Oh, you'll know it when it happens, Grandson. It will be a woman with 
some trace of dragon blood in her veins and you'll be able to smell her unique 
perfume. It will call to you. I found your Grandmother that way." He got a far 
away look in his eyes. "Followed her scent right to her house." Grandfather 
had blinked a few times, pulling himself back into the present. "Don't worry 
and be patient. You'll find one." He had given Hajime a sly wink. "There are 
not many of us in the world, but like calls to like." Then he frowned. "Except 
in the case of your Aunt. I still don't know why she married Toba, but she did 
and that's that."

	Hajime gave a rueful smile. He should have known that Grandfather was 
right, but after two years of waiting, he had to test it anyway. He had been 
seventeen and taken Sutzuki, who had been madly in love with him for two 
years, to a hotel. They had both been frustrated by her inability to bring him 
to release and even though she insisted that he had been a wonderful and 
gentle partner, he had felt like he had failed her. She had insisted they try 
again a few weeks later, that the fault had been hers, not his as he kept 
telling her, but had the same results. He had broken off their relationship as 
gently as possible, knowing now that what his Grandfather had said was true.

	He had learned to ignore that part of his essence, as he assumed Tsuzuku 
had. His brother had never come to him as Owaru recently had, as upset and 
frustrated as he himself had been at fifteen, demanding information. Owaru had 
dealt with it better than he had expected, simply crossing his arms with a big 
grin on his face and a sigh of relief. He had been afraid it was something 
permanent and was determined to 'sniff' out a girl as soon as possible.

	He'd have to tell Tsuzuku about what Grandfather had said about the 
Ryudo's and women in the morning and where should he take that scarf to get it 
examined? He was debating between a lab and a spiritualist when he finally 
slid into sleep.

	The breeze blew into the Eldest Ryudo's window, swirled around the room, 
pushed at one corner of the folded scarf, snuck under it, lifted it to unfurl 
and carried it back out into the night. It twisted and spun, seeming to dance 
with the wind then soared back into Tsuzuku's window. It headed for the 
ceiling over his bed then spread and opened itself to it's full length and 
width as it drifted slowly down.
	
	Tsuzuku was curled into a fetal position, his face a mask of horror as 
he re-lived in his dream the manifestation of his dragon. He breathed fire and 
power in fury at the buildings and puny creatures that had dared to hurt him 
and threaten his brothers, intent on killing them all. He could hear Hajime 
yelling at him, pleading with him. "Tsuzuku, stop! Isn't this enough? Aren't 
you satisfied?"

	But he couldn't. He stretched up his neck, lifting his muzzle to the sky 
and roared out his pain and fury. Gods, he hurt and his brain was on fire! And 
it just fueled his anger and outrage more. Then he heard it. The Fire Dragon 
cocked his head, a part of his mind telling him that this wasn't what happened 
but willing to go anywhere to get away from the memory of the coming power 
that his brother had thrown at him to get him to stop. A whisper that called 
to the Dragon over and over. He rose to follow it then was falling into the 
darkness.

	He panicked for a moment then relaxed as he realized that the whisper he 
had heard was the rhythmic voice of the ocean. It was joined by the plaintive 
call of sea gulls, then the smell of jasmine and brine on the wind that cooled 
the warmth of the sun on his skin, the awareness of firm sand against his 
back. A soft, sweet voice was humming a soothing melody in time with the rush 
of the waves and he could feel fingers running gently through his hair. He 
sighed, contented, opened his eyes to look up. It wasn't Jasmine, as he had 
expected, but an older woman with the same golden eyes, her long fair hair 
blowing free around her body in the wind. He wondered maybe if it was her 
mother as the lullaby seeped into his mind, soothing the Dragon into sleep.

**************


	Matsuri unlocked the double doors to the old Ryudo mansion with her key, 
flung them opened and crowed "Good morning!" as she bounded in full of 
enthusiasm and good humor. She loved mornings like this, had been invigorated 
by it on her bike ride over. She trotted up the stairs, flinging open Owaru's 
door first.

	"Wake up, sleepy head!" Owaru groaned, pulled one of his pillows over 
his head, threw the other at her. She giggled, shut the door and heard it hit 
the other side with a soft 'thup'. She opened it again. "What a bear! Or 
should I say Dragon?"

	"O.K. Matsuri. I'm up. Now go away." Owaru grumbled at her as he sat up 
in his bed.

	Amaru passed her with a mumbled, "Good morning, Matsuri-chan." around a 
yawn as he headed for the bathroom.

	She opened Hajime's next. "Hajime-kun! Time to be up!"

	Hajime opened one eye, glanced at the clock. 6:59 a.m. "I have another 
minute still, Matsuri-chan."

	"Fine. I'll go wake up Tsuzuku and be back to make sure you're up, 
though. I brought some fresh squeezed orange juice I 'borrowed' from Father." 
She added to give him some incentive.

	Hajime closed his eye, determined to make the most of his minute, then 
sat up suddenly. The scarf was not on the table next to the clock where he had 
left it last night. Where was it? He looked over the side of the bed, thinking 
that maybe it had slid off onto the floor. He didn't see it anywhere and felt 
a little flutter of panic. Tsuzuku! He surged out of the bed, ran towards 
Tsuzuku's room, side-stepping around Owaru's groggy form heading for the 
bathroom.

	Matsuri looked at him startled as he came charging up to pause by her in 
the door frame. Tsuzuku was sitting on his bed, holding the scarf in front of 
him and staring at it in confusion.

	"Hajime, didn't you take this with you last night?" He asked his brother 
with a little quaver of alarm in his voice.

	Owaru and Amaru came and jostled with each other, trying to see what was 
going on around Matsuri and Hajime's bodies.

	"Tsuzuku, get away from it. Now." Hajime commanded.

	"What's going on?" Amaru demanded from behind him, wiggled his way 
between his eldest brother's hip and the door frame into Tsuzuku's room.

	Tsuzuku let it go, slid off the bed and backed away, toward them. "How 
did it get back in here?" He asked.

	"I don't know." Hajime almost growled and advanced cautiously toward the 
bed. He had just paused at the side, was studying it with narrowed eyes when 
he saw it start to glow. It lifted on a gust of breeze and headed for Tsuzuku. 
He grabbed the end as Tsuzuku stepped back involuntarily, bumping into Owaru. 
The free end fluttered just short of touching his face.

	"What the hell?" Owaru muttered.

	"Tsuzuku, get out of the room! Matsuri, go with him and close the door."

	Owaru grabbed Tsuzuku's shoulders and spun him around into the hall. The 
breeze pulled at the scarf gently in Hajime's hand, making it seem to reach 
for Tsuzuku's retreating figure but nothing more. It settled to the ground, 
limp after Matsuri shut the door.

	"What the hell are you?" He muttered at it. He had expected some violent 
resistance, especially with the power that had been radiating off of it, not 
this gentle surrender. It confused him.

	"I think it's got a crush on Tsuzuku-kun." Amaru piped up with a grin as 
he came close, put his hands on his hips and studied the fabric dragon.

	"Don't touch it, Amaru!" Hajime warned, not sure if he should let it go.

	"O.K." Amaru nodded back, wide-eyed. "It sure is pretty, though. Is it 
dangerous?"

	"I don't know. Go and close the window then get me one of those zip-lock 
bags from the kitchen, would you?"

	"Hai!" Amaru answered as he went to close the window.

	Hajime waited until he had gone through the door and shut it behind him 
before he let go of his end of the scarf. It settled to the floor, nothing 
more than a piece of fabric again. He picked it up and folded it quickly. 
Amaru came back in, handed Hajime the bag.

	"Tsuzuku's really upset. His hands where shaking while he was making the 
coffee." Amaru told him in concern as he watched his brother carefully slide 
the rectangle of the scarf into the bag and begin to zip it.

	"It's O.K., Amaru-kun. We were just startled, that's all." He reassured 
his youngest brother, stopped closing the bag, pulled it back open. "Amaru, 
can you smell anything on this scarf?" Hajime asked, holding the bag down to 
his brother's level.

	Amaru took a few deep breaths, frowned with concentration. "Just barely. 
Some kind of flower?"

	Hajime nodded. "Yes. Thanks. Let's go down and see if Owaru has any 
better luck."

	Owaru was sitting at the kitchen table, his chin in his hand watching 
Tsuzuku with a worried expression. His brother was leaning against the wall by 
the coffee maker, his back to him just staring at the slow flow of water 
running from the basket into the pot. Matsuri quietly bustled about making 
breakfast, knowing that the boy's would fill her in as soon as they figured 
out what was happening. Hajime and Amaru came in together. Matsuri noticed 
Tsuzuku stiffen slightly.

	"Owaru, do you smell anything coming off this scarf?" Hajime asked, 
offering the bag to his third brother.

	Owaru looked at his brother with a questioning expression. Hajime nodded 
to the bag. Owaru shrugged, stuck his face in the opening, took a deep breath, 
making the sides of the bag suck in a little.

	He looked up with a "Nope."

	"Nothing at all?" Hajime asked.

	Owaru repeated his sniff. "Nope. Nothing." He handed it back to Hajime 
with a shrug.

	"I can smell it clearly, all the way over here and over the coffee." 
Tsuzuku said softly, his back still towards them.

	Hajime zipped up the bag as he walked to a cupboard, opened it and 
pulled another bag out of it and zipped the first one into the second one.

	"Is that better, Tsuzuku-kun?" He asked.

	"Somebody want to tell me what's going on?" Owaru asked crossly as 
Tsuzuku nodded at Hajime.

	"Is that the scarf that girl gave you yesterday? Amaru-kun, would you 
pour the juice and Owaru-kun set the table, please?" Matsuri asked as she 
decided to make scrambled eggs instead of fried and started cracking shells 
against the bowl. It was going to be one of 'those' days in the Ryudo 
household and she didn't want to have too much of her concentration on her 
cooking.

	Hajime sat in his chair at the head of the table and turned the bag 
entrapped scarf around in a circle on the tabletop with one forefinger, lost 
in thought for a moment.

	"Yes." Tsuzuku gave her a little smile as he brought the coffee pot to 
the table, poured a cup for Hajime and himself.

	"So, a woman gave Tsuzuku a scarf. What's the big deal?" Owaru grumped 
as he set out the plates.

	"It's affecting Tsuzuku strangely." Hajime answered.

	"How?" Owaru frowned at Tsuzuku, couldn't see anything different about 
him.

	Tsuzuku shrugged, looking unconcerned, answered with his normal gentle 
self-assured smile.  "Just a few strange dreams and it seems to have a perfume 
on it that only I can smell and an ability to move by itself."

	He didn't fool Matsuri. She could tell that he was very upset as she 
finished up the breakfast, began putting the platters on the table.

	"I think it has a crush on Tsuzuku-kun. I'll bet he's the only person in 
the world to get a piece of fabric to fall in love with him." Amaru teased as 
he very carefully walked across the floor to set the tray with the glasses 
full of juice on the table.

	"I think that might be an accurate description, Amaru-kun." Tsuzuku 
nodded as he watched the entrapped scarf spin slowly under Hajime's finger.

	"A girl gave you a scarf with a scent on it that only you can smell?" 
Owaru frowned as it clicked. "Aw, that's not fair!" He grouched as he reached 
for a piece of toast.

	"What's not fair?" Tsuzuku asked in surprise, his hand and coffee cup 
pausing in mid-air.

	"You know!" Owaru grinned and winked.

	"No, I don't." He said firmly, put the cup down and looked at Hajime, 
waiting for clarification.

	Hajime sighed, rubbed at his forehead. This wasn't how he'd wanted to 
tell his brother and not with Amaru and Matsuri at the table. "Later." He said 
with a hard look at Owaru, tucked the bagged scarf under the rim of his plate.

	Owaru blinked, looked toward Amaru and Matsuri and blushed.

	"Hajime?" Tsuzuku questioned.

	"Later, Tsuzuku-kun." He answered with a soft plea in his eyes.

	"Hai, Elder Brother." Tsuzuku gave a little half bow.

	Amaru looked at his brothers, trying to figure out what was going on. He 
hated it when they did this, decided that he was too young for some piece of 
information.

	Matsuri wondered if they wouldn't talk about it because of her presence 
or Amaru's, or maybe both? She'd have to figure out a way to eavesdrop when 
Hajime and Tsuzuku went into the den later.

	The breakfast continued in a strained silence, Matsuri snatching the 
platter of eggs away from Owaru as he tried to take a third helping, put some 
more onto Tsuzuku's plate. "You haven't been eating enough lately, Tsuzuku-kun. 
I'm going to have to take all of your pants in soon." She tried teasing him, 
hoping to break the mood. "And you know what a bad seamstress I am."

	"Heaven's forbid! I'll eat! I'll eat!" He responded in mock horror.

	That set all of them smiling and had the effect she wanted as a normal 
morning conversation started back up.

	She did notice that after a few bites, Tsuzuku just pushed the food 
around on his plate then leaned back and sipped at his coffee. She sighed, 
wishing her beautiful cousin would eat more. She was starting to get concerned 
for him. None of the boy's had ever been sick, but Tsuzuku had not been eating 
well this past month and it was starting to show on his frame.

	She understood why. This constant hounding, first by Kamadura no Gozen 
and now by The Four Sisters was wearing at all of them. She was worried that 
if Tsuzuku didn't start taking better care of himself his special gifts might 
weaken and put him and all of her cousins in more danger. She decided she'd 
make him something special for dinner.

	Amaru helped her clear the table as the rest of his brother's went to 
wash up and change. She left the dishes soaking as she looked through the 
pantry and refrigerator and made out a shopping list. Owaru wandered in first.

	"Here." She handed him the list.

	"How come I always get stuck doing the shopping?" He let out a very put 
upon sigh. 

	"Because your always the first one down." She scowled playfully back. 
They both knew it was an act. Owaru always managed to be the first one down to 
see if she had any errands that needed to be run, taking advantage of the 
chance to be out and about without Amaru in tow.

	"I'll go now, I guess, and get it over with." He winked at her.

	"Only one game at the arcade, Owaru-kun. And pick up Amaru's manga when 
you get your own. And be careful!" She called after him with a grin as he 
hurried out the back door.

	She was drying the dishes when Tsuzuku came in, started fixing a tray 
with cups and the coffee pot. "Matsuri-chan, I will help you with the chores 
in a little while. I need to talk with Hajime first, if you don't mind?"

	"Of course not, Tsuzuku-kun! But will you take out the trash first? It's 
starting to gas me out. I'll take the tray in for you."

	"Your wish is my command, Mademoiselle." He gave her an elegant bow and 
small grin.

	"Oh, stop!" She blushed.

	"Matsuri-chan, you do so much for us and we rarely tell you how much we 
appreciate it, so let me flatter you once in a while."

	Matsuri beamed with pleasure. "It is nothing much, Tsuzuku-kun. I wish I 
could do more."

	"Ah, but it is, Cousin! None of us could survive long with out your care 
or cooking."

	"Thank-you, Tsuzuku-kun." She bowed. "Now, enough flattery and take out 
the trash." She commanded regally with a playful gleam in her eyes as she 
picked up the tray and headed for the den.

	Tsuzuku smiled to himself as he pulled the bag out of the can, tied it 
as he headed out the back door and across the yard towards the outside trash 
cans by the back gate. All of them did depend on Matsuri for so much, but she 
was eighteen now and should be out looking for a potential husband, not 
focusing all of her energies and attention on them.

	He had just put the metal lid back on the can when a wolf-whistle from 
the top of the high brick wall snapped his head up. He threw the lid of the 
can frisbee like at the dark clad figure with the gun at the same time 
something hit him hard at the base of his throat, just above the inside corner 
of his collarbone. He saw the lid connect squarely with the middle of his 
attacker, knocking him backwards and into the alley then swayed and stepped 
sideways, trying to keep his balance as the world began to spin. Why hadn't he 
sensed this one coming?

	"Hajime!" He tried to yell, but it came out as a whisper as his muscles 
went heavy and lax. He fell to his knees, catching himself on his hands. He 
shook his head, trying to clear it, the numb spot at the base of his throat 
flaring into throbbing, stinging life. He managed to reach up and pull the 
dart out, glared at it as he slid forewords head first onto the grass and 
floated into unconsciousness.

	Hajime was sitting at his desk, sorting papers into piles, back to the 
open picture window when Matsuri came in with the coffee.

	"Anything interesting?" She asked as she bent to set the tray down on 
the little table between the two big over-stuffed chairs in the center of the 
den.

	"Maybe. They've hidden their trail well, it's hard..." Matsuri glanced 
up as he stopped suddenly, saw the dark back lit figure standing framed in the 
window, balancing on the sill, a gun pointed at her cousin's back.

	"Hajime!" She screamed, threw herself between them. The dart caught her 
in the right shoulder, spinning her around and knocking her to the floor.

	Hajime whirled in the desk chair, barely managed to turn enough so that 
the next dart skimmed across his chest, leaving a long tear in his shirt as it 
continued on to lodge in the wall. He threw himself out of the chair, rolled 
for the thick protection of one of the armchairs as the form in the window 
sprang into the room, trying to track him. He needed to make this quick so he 
could check on Matsuri. He launched himself up and over the back of the chair. 
Another dart dug a shallow furrow across his cheek then he was on his 
attacker. He realized it was female but was so angry he didn't care as he 
closed one hand around her neck, the other grabbing the wrist with the gun and 
ran her backwards into the wall across from the door.

	"I've had just about enough of you people." He growled, tightening his 
hand around her throat and punctuating each word with a bang up against the 
wall. The gun fell out of her hand but she grinned at him as her face started 
to purple. He narrowed his eyes at her, then let out a startled grunt as three 
darts slammed into his back in rapid succession.

	"What?" He hissed, startled as his body began to go limp. The woman 
caught him as he sagged against her, began to fade out.

	"Piece of cake." Tamanji grinned as she carefully lowered Hajime Ryudo 
to the floor. "Took you long enough." She scowled at the two dark clad men who 
moved into the room. The towering hulk of the pair had the baby of the family 
tucked limply under one arm, the smaller lithe form had Tsuzuku Ryudo draped 
over a shoulder.

	"Any problems?" She asked her partners as she pulled the three color 
coded darts out of the eldest Ryudo's back and rolled him over. Two where 
coded yellow for the youngest, one red for the second born.

	It had taken Doc only two weeks to find just the right combination of 
'herbs and spices' that would have the effect they wanted on a dragon and the 
correct dosage for their quarry's weights. But then he had something that all 
the secret labs of The Four Sisters did not. Three willing dragons to 
experiment on. At thirty mil for one and ten mil apiece for any extra's, they 
were all willing subjects. She made a quick calculation as Lee muttered a 
curse as he shrugged Tsuzuku off his shoulder and let him drop heavily to the 
floor.

	"Bastard broke one of my ribs." He pressed his palm against his right 
side as he moved to sit on the edge of one of the chairs and poured himself a 
cup of coffee.

	"You think that's bad?" The big red haired man glared at his white-blond  
companion as he gently put Amaru down on the carpet by his brothers. "I've got 
a pencil stuck all the way to the eraser in my thigh, the little shit! Hey, 
Lee, this one is even prettier than you are!"

	"Fuck off." Lee muttered back, eased himself gingerly back into the 
chair.

	"Jonah, gun." Tamanji commanded. The red-head put it into her hand and 
she took careful aim at Hajime and put another yellow dart into him at the 
base of his throat, just to make sure.

	The twins came in, nodded. "House is clear." Then moved to take up 
guarding positions, Rahne at the door and Ayisha at the window.

	She pulled down her mike, said "Pick up. Doc, come on in." As Jonah went 
to sit in the other chair and stretched out his injured leg.

	She watched Doc shrug out of his pack and start pulling out gear, felt 
strangely disappointed. It had been too easy. She gave an involuntary internal 
shudder as he started to lock the high tech collars that were very effective 
psionic dampers and neural scramblers around the Dragons necks. She had 
volunteered to test that piece of equipment when it had arrived from the Dupon 
research boys and had loathed the disjointed awareness it had produced. She 
hadn't been able to do more than basic tasks during their test of it and those 
with difficulty.

	Doc seemed to have his end of things well in hand. She went and stood 
over the girl. She recognized her as Matsuri Toba from the briefing pictures. 
This one had the Blood in her too, but apparently so diluted that it hadn't 
made her anything special. She squatted down and pulled the dart out of her 
shoulder and wondered if she'd survive the dose meant for Hajime Ryudo, 
shrugged as she tucked the spent cartridge into her jacket pocket. Wasn't her 
problem. Silly girl should have just turned and ran. They'd have let her go, 
she wasn't on their list.

	She went to the bookcase across the room, pulled the third dart she had 
fired from the spine of a thick book, headed for the desk and the dart in the 
wall behind it.  She glanced at the mounds of papers, frowned as she 
recognized names, shuffled through them. Busy, busy boys. This would have to 
go with the pick up team.

	"Do we wait for the fourth one?" Lee asked, sipping his coffee as he 
watched Jonah take the silently offered forceps from Doc and use them to pull 
the pencil out of his leg with a growling curse.

	"No." Tamanji answered curtly. It annoyed her too that they had missed 
one, but she had learned from experience not to get too greedy. The operation 
had gone pretty flawlessly. If they stayed for Owaru Ryudo, they'd be winging 
it and that's when screw-ups happened.

	 A gleam of gold from under the desk caught the corner of her eye. She 
leaned down and stretched her arm under to pick up the doubled plastic bags. 
She took in an involuntary gasp of air as she recognized the golden eye 
staring back at her.

	"Are you O.K. Tammi?" Jonah asked, seeing her stiffen by the desk.

	"Oh, yes, I'm just fine." She said with a cold smile matched by the 
gleam in her eye as she opened the bags.

	She kept a good hold of it as she brought the scarf out and let it 
unfold down with a soft hiss of fabric. She couldn't believe it. The scarf? 
Now she wished she hadn't killed the Order's observer that had been stationed 
on the Ryudo house. But that is was here could only mean one thing. She smiled 
meanly, cat-footed behind the chair Lee was sitting in, tossed it up and let 
it settle over the handsome white haired young man.

	"What?" Lee hissed in a startled voice, grabbed for the fabric but 
Tamanji flicked it up out of his reach, came around the chair making sure she 
stayed out of his range.

	"Look what I found, Lee!" She grinned, twirled, let the fabric wrap 
around her.

	"No way!" Lee bellowed, trying to grab the scarf.

	"Seems like the choice was made and it wasn't you! I wonder which one it 
is?" She slunk towards the unconscious Ryudo's, Lee glaring at her with 
stunned disbelief.

	Doc eyed her suspiciously, reached over and started to peel the back off 
of an adhesive patch that held a small dose of the drug that had brought the 
Ryudo's down. It took something with the force of a bullet to get through 
dragon skin but he had discovered that topical suspension delivery applications 
worked just as well on dragons as humans. He held it ready as she let it 
dangle over the youngest.

	"Huum, not this little dragon." She glanced at Lee gave him a playful 
smile.

	Lee pushed himself off the chair and headed for her, fury all over his 
face as she moved it quickly to hang over the eldest. This had to be the one. 
He was the most powerful of the four, she knew it instinctively. She wasn't 
surprised when it glowed but that it slithered through the tight grip of her 
fingers and drifted sideways to cover Tsuzuku Ryudo's face and chest caught 
her totally off guard.

	Doc muttered "Shit!" as the green stat light on the second eldest's 
wrist monitor started blinking amber, turned red.

	"Shit!" Tamanji echoed him much louder, grabbed the scarf with both 
hands and leapt back as Tsuzuku tossed his head from side to side, his eye's 
cracking open as a red glow began to flicker haphazardly up and down his body.

	Doc slapped the patch against his neck, hoping he wasn't too late. He'd 
seen the dragons he worked with do some pretty impossible and incredible 
things, but nothing even close to the manifestation that Tsuzuku Ryudo had 
thrown when he'd been seriously injured in the failed attempt by the Mulligan 
Foundation to capture him. He  took a deep breath, relieved he wasn't going to 
be Doc flambe as the second eldest's stats quickly went back down and the red 
LED shifted back to green.

	"That was stupid, Tamanji!" He croaked at her in the scratchy ruin of 
his voice. "Put it up. You can play later when we've got them secured."

	Tamanji was already stuffing it unfolded back into the inner bag, 
frightened yet excited at the same time. She knew that even drugged if his 
power was allowed to awaken the three of them would be hard pressed to take 
him, if they even could! What power! To come up through the drugs and the 
scrambler was way impressive! She licked her lips and grinned, her eye's 
gleaming with cold calculation. She had plans for Jasmine's dragon.

	She was brought out of her reverie by Doc's, "Back off, Lee. Now."

	She realized the air temperature had plummeted and she growled softly as 
she focused on Lee standing by Tsuzuku's head, the beautiful white sparkle of 
his power building around him as he glared down at the unconscious Ryudo. She 
pulled her gun out of it's holster as she closed the distance between them, 
put the cold muzzle against the back of his neck.

	"Lee, touch him and I'll trank you. Then I'll kill you if we survive." 
Her voice was calm and soft, yet full of deadly promise. "And I really don't 
want to do that. Besides, he's worth so much more like this, don't you think?" 
She finished with sweet reasoning.

	"Come on, bud! Chill." Jonah interrupted and grinned at his teasing 
reference to Lee's power as he limped up to stand beside him. "Let's go see if 
there's any brew in the fridge." He suggested as he crossed his arms and 
looked down at the Ryudo and shrugged. "Not worth it. Not now."

	Tamanji's finger tightened on the trigger as Lee's aura flared for a 
moment, relaxed with a little internal sigh of relief as it winked out. She 
really did like Lee and would have been sad to have to carry through on her 
promise.
	 
	"Pick up's here." Ayisha told them from her position at the window.

	Lee turned towards Jonah, totally ignoring Tamanji and moving himself 
away from the gun. "You're right, Jonah. Let's go find a beer. Need a 
shoulder?" He offered, his fury seeming to vanish with his power.

	Tamanji stared at their retreating backs suspiciously. She'd have to 
keep an eye on Lee. One of the things that made him tick was his 
vindictiveness and she knew for certain that another male after the dragon he 
considered 'his' was more than he would tolerate. She wondered how she could 
use that to her advantage as the pick up team hurried in, dressed as movers. 
That was apt and it amused her. She pointed to the desk, two going over to it 
as the others started to secure and transfer the Ryudo brothers to the van.

	She looked down at her watch, gave a pleased smile. 9:46. Fifty million 
U.S. for twenty-six minutes of work. She could live with that.

*******************

	Jasmine almost bent the steering wheel in frustration, rested her 
forehead against it instead. What should have been a thirty minute drive was 
edging over the hour mark as she and Elenora crept along the highway in 
gridlock. And they were only half-way to Shinjuri at that. Elenora glanced up 
from her map, said "Be back in a minute." and proceeded to open the car door 
and step out.

	"Where are you going?" Jasmine leaned out the window and yelled.

	"Just up a bit so I can see what the next exit is. And I've got to go to 
the bathroom!" Her sister called back to her as she disappeared through the 
once more stationary traffic.

	"Just great." Jasmine muttered, glanced at her watch. 9:15. "We could 
have made it faster on foot. Next time we take a cycle, whether Shubata 
approves of them or not." She had moved maybe another forty feet when Elenora 
slid back in.

	"Take the next exit, Sis. We can get there on the back roads from here."

	"Great." She turned on her turn signal, started trying to edge her way 
across the three lanes separating her and the exit ramp. They'd made one, no 
way they where going to get all the way across before they passed the ramp. 
"Elenora, get out."

	"What are you going to do?" Elenora asked with a grin. She knew that 
look in Jasmine's eye.

	"Move the car to the exit. Are you going to help me or not?"

	"We shouldn't, you know. Shubata will have a cow if he finds out. And 
he'll tell Catherine and we'll have to write another novel on "Why the Order 
Has the Rules It Does."

	Jasmine shrugged. "At the moment, I don't care. I'm either going to move 
this car or start throwing a temper tantrum. Which do you think is the lesser 
of the two evils?"

	"You want me to take the front or the back?" Elenora asked.

	"The back. And be careful that you don't drop it, 'kay?"

	Elenora nodded, moved to the back of the little two door, gave the 
bumper a firm shake to make sure it was attached well enough to handle the 
weight. She turned and glared at the older man in the car behind them who 
stuck his head out his window and yelled, "Get back in your car! We're going 
to be moving again in a minute."

	"We'll be out of your way in a few seconds, Sir." She said with a little 
bow. She heard Jasmine begin to count down from three, turned back to the car. 
On 'One', she hefted the car up and held it over her head. They carried it  
between them as they sidled through the traffic followed by many stunned and 
startled looks and a few, "Hey, way to go, girls! Take mine next! Hey, no 
fair!"

	The traffic was backed up on the ramp too. Jasmine paused by the red 
sedan right where the little triangle of space separated the off ramp from the 
lane, shifted her grip and knocked on the driver's window. The man looked over 
at them his eye's going wide in shock. She made the universal roll down your 
window gesture at him. She wondered for a moment if he would or if she'd have 
to yell, but after seeming to realize that a woman holding a car four feet off 
the ground one handed wanted to talk to him and it might be detrimental to his 
health not to be polite, he rolled it down.

	"Excuse me. We're in a little bit of a hurry and need to get off here. 
Would you mind if we cut in front of you?" She asked sweetly.

	"No...uh...fine...whatever you want." He stammered, rolled the window 
back up and swore he'd go to the local temple and make an offering as the cars 
behind him began to honk as they could see the traffic moving down the ramp. 
He waited until the girls had put their car down and gotten quite a ways ahead 
of him before he put his car in gear and eased down the ramp, making sure he 
left plenty of space between their car and his.

	Finally they were off the exit ramp and into the maze of streets that 
created downtown Tokyo. Elenora kept one foot up against the dashboard for 
balance as she directed Jasmine through, but finally they where into the wider 
straighter streets of the wealthier residential Shinjuri section. 

	"Nice houses!" Elenora exclaimed as Jasmine looked at her watch as they 
pulled up behind the van with Tokyo Electric written across it's side that was 
the Observer's station for this watch. 10:10. It had taken them almost two 
hours to get thirty miles. They both piled out, Jasmine reaching into the back 
seat to grab the basket with fresh coffee and biscuits as Elenora knocked on 
the van door.

	Jasmine looked at her sister questioningly as no one answered. She slid 
the door open and grimaced, Elenora gasping and pressing close to her as they 
saw what was inside. The Observer had been Tang Mei, a sweet round faced man 
with glasses who had been more than helpful yesterday afternoon when he'd 
spoken with them about 'his' dragons. His dead eyes stared back at them, his 
head twisted around backwards so his chin rested between his shoulder blades. 
Jasmine slammed the door shut, put her arm out straight and against it, leaned 
her weight forewords, dropped her head.

	"Tamanji!" She whispered in a shocked and angry voice, then lifted her 
head, her face and manner calm and composed.

	"Elenora, put this back in the car, please." She handed her sister the 
basket as she pulled the slender cel phone out of her pocket, dialed with her 
thumb. She hit the number key as the chime sounded, a double check in case of 
a mis-dial, waited for it to connect.

	"This is the warehouse. May I help you?" A woman answered.

	"Yes, I'd like to report a problem with a piece of equipment. It's died 
on me and I need another one as soon as possible. Better make that two. I'm at 
1620 Osha." She hated having to report a death in this manner, but precaution 
was the watch word of the Order.

	"I'm very sorry to hear that. I'll have someone get on it immediately. 
Thank you for calling." The line went dead.

	Jasmine stuck the phone back in her pocket as she padded up to her 
sister who was leaning against the grill of the car and staring down the 
street at the Ryudo mansion. She tapped her on the shoulder, made a 'let's go' 
motion with her head.

	They made an outside circuit of the high brick walls first, then jumped 
with an easy bound to the top of the east wall by an overhanging tree that 
would give them cover if anyone was still in the house. Jasmine reached out to 
steady Elenora as she swayed dangerously for a moment, then they both huddled 
into the shadows of the tree and studied the house with all of their 
heightened senses. She could detect no trace of Tamanji, Lee or Jonah. That 
made her uneasy. Maybe they had just come for a once over look at the house 
and Tamanji had left the Order a calling card, just to let them know she knew 
they knew she was here.

	Jasmine raised her eyebrows questioningly at her sister, who shook her 
head back, confirming her. They leapt lightly down into the yard, hugged the 
walls just in case as they headed for the front of the house. Jasmine knocked 
on the double doors, waited for a few minutes, knocked again, then tried the 
handle. It was locked.

	"Maybe they went out to breakfast or something." Elenora suggested.

	"We'll hope it's something that simple." Jasmine answered back in a 
serious tone. "Well, we still have to get my scarf. Let's hope that Tsuzuku," 
she smiled, liking the way his foreign name tickled her tongue, "wasn't so 
enthralled with it that he's taken to wearing it. The back windows were open. 
Let's take a look."

	They ran back around the huge old house, Jasmine jumping up to grab onto 
the sill of the big picture window at the west side and chinned herself up to 
glance in, Elenora keeping watch on the ground. She didn't see anything 
unusual, pushed herself up and swung her legs over the sill. As soon as she 
was mostly in the room she muttered "Ah, hell." She could 'taste' the cold 
tang of the after impression of Lee's power, but it was faint, as if he hadn't 
brought it all the way into being. Then she saw the girl.
	
	"Elenora! Careful!" She summoned her sister as she pushed off the sill 
and headed for Matsuri Toba's still form.

	She knelt down beside her, reached to take her pulse under her jaw, 
frowned at her gasping attempts for breath. Her heartbeat was fast and thready 
under her fingers.

	"Is she O.K.?" Elenora asked as she came to them.

	Jasmine shook her head, pulled the cel phone out and flipped it open, 
pushed Matsuri's shirt off her shoulder as she saw the small spot of blood on 
it, narrowed her eye's at the small puncture wound and darkening bruise.

	"What's the emergency number here?" She asked Elenora as she stood up, 
turned toward the small sound she heard coming from somewhere else in the 
house.

************

	Owaru was just paying for the manga's when the little twinge went off 
inside his head, followed by a sick fluttering feeling in his stomach. 
Something was seriously wrong and it concerned his brothers. He grabbed the 
stack, stuffed them into his bag as he turned and started running for home, 
ignoring the vendor's yell to wait, he forgot his change.

	He stuck to the alleys, hoping that no one would see him as he kicked 
into high gear. He slowed to a walk as he came up the little alley that 
separated their wall from their neighbors, peeked cautiously around the corner 
and up toward the gates of his driveway. The three Tokyo electric trucks 
farther up the street caught his attention for a moment, but they were all in 
uniforms and seem busy doing something up there.

	He backed up a little ways, leapt to the top of the wall and stared at 
his house, looking for anything out of place. Everything seemed all right. He 
jumped down, went and let himself in the back door. He heard two tense female 
voices coming from the den, snuck towards it quickly.

	He paused for a second in the doorway, exchanged startled looks with the 
woman with the phone that was standing over his fallen cousin, bellowed as he 
launched himself. "Matsuri-chan! What did you do to Matsuri!" 

	The woman stepped sideways, guided his blow past her with her forearm, 
but lost the phone in the process, tried to back off.

	"Wait! You don't understand!" She yelled at him as he attacked again.

	He was startled as she deflected all of his punches. *No way!* He 
growled, jumped and launched a kick. She caught his foot and with a heave, 
sent him crashing into the wall.

	"Listen, idiot! We're not the bad guys!" She yelled at him in 
frustration as she dove for the phone.

	Owaru pushed himself upright, keeping the wall to his back, full of 
uncertainty, set himself in a defensive stance. Were where his brothers?

	"Jasmine, I think it's too late." The young girl kneeling next to his 
cousin said softly.

	"No!" Owaru whispered, frozen with shock as the woman called Jasmine 
hurried to Matsuri's side, thrust the phone at the girl as she tipped back 
Matsuri's head and started to breathe for her.

	The girl started punching the numbers into the phone then stopped with a 
gasp as Matsuri began to glow gently with a pale green light. Both the girls 
backed off quickly as it engulfed her, hid her from sight, then faded.

	"Matsuri-chan?" Owaru asked tentatively as he rushed to her side, 
gathered her up into his arms.

	The woman knelt next to him, pressed her fingers to his cousins throat, 
looked relieved. "She'll be all right." She told him, examined Matsuri's 
exposed shoulder. All that was left was the faint brown outline of the bruise.

	"Who are you?" Owaru growled as he hugged Matsuri to him and backed them 
away on his knees.

	"Tanaka Jasmine. This is my sister, Elenora. You're Ryudo Owaru?"

	"What are you doing in my house?! What happened to Matsuri?! Where are 
my brothers?!" He demanded.

	The two girls exchanged uneasy glances. "Matsuri was drugged, I think. I 
have no idea where you're brother's are. Don't you?" Elenora answered.

	Owaru shook his head, fighting tears. He just 'knew' that something 
terrible had happened to his brothers. For the first time since he'd been a 
little boy he was truly scared.

	"It's O.K. Owaru." Jasmine told him gently. "Do you have any smelling 
salts in the house?"

	Owaru shook his head, practically bristling with distrust.

	"Elenora, go to the car and see if we have any in the first aid kit, 
would you? And bring in the basket while you're at it."

	Elenora nodded, understanding. They both knew that Matsuri would be out 
for hours from the manifestation of her power to save her life but this would 
give her a chance to report to the Order's people who would be doing the clean 
up at the Observer's station and see if they had any  new info to share.

	"Your one of them, aren't you?" Owaru accused.

	"One of who?" Jasmine answered calmly. This kid was scared out of his 
wits and being what he was, it wasn't wise to push him too far.

	"An agent of The Four Sisters. What do you want with us? Why don't you 
just leave us alone!" He finished in a yell of frustrated anger.

	She kept the shock out of her voice and off her face as that little bit 
of information clicked into the puzzle. Shubata had thought that the problems 
the Ryudo's where having was local. Now she knew why Tamanji and the other's 
had been here. The Big Boy's had gotten to them and they where in a whole heap 
of trouble.

	"No, Ryudo Owaru, I swear to you that I'm not an agent of The Four 
Sisters. I'm just here to get my scarf back." She gave him a small smile.	

	He looked at her, stunned. "Your scarf? That dragon scarf?"

	"That's the one." She said in a friendly tone.

	"You're Tsuzuku's girl?" He sounded relieved now.

	She cocked one eyebrow at him, intrigued by his wording. "Tsuzuku's 
girl?" She echoed.

	"Yeah, you know. Isn't that why you gave it to him? Tsuzuku's the only 
one who can smell the perfume on it." Owaru asked her, uncertain again.

	That caught her totally off guard and she reached over and lowered 
herself into one of the chairs, stunned. *Tsuzuku Ryudo? My dragon? No way!* 
But it made sense. Why else would the scarf do that? How could she have been 
so blind?

	"Where is it, Owaru?" She asked, full of dread. Tamanji had been here, 
the scarf had been here, Tsuzuku Ryudo had been here.

	"I don't know. Hajime had it this morning. We had to put it into two 
plastic bags before it stopped bothering Tsuzuku. What's wrong?" Why did she 
look so frightened?

	Jasmine closed her eyes, concentrated, tried to call the scarf to her. 
It wasn't in the house.

	"Oh, God!" She whispered, leaning forewords to cover her face with her 
hands. Tamanji would know! And what she could do to Tsuzuku Ryudo with that 
knowledge frightened her.

	"What's wrong!" Elenora yelled as she burst into the room, the basket 
swinging in one hand, ran to her sister.

	"Tsuzuku Ryudo's my dragon, Elenora. And Tamanji's got him and the 
scarf." She whispered in English.

	Elenora nodded to herself. She'd know that from the time Jasmine got 
back on the bus without it. She should have told her. Now they were in it 
deep.

	"It'll be O.K., Sis. We'll just go get them back." She said it in 
Japanese, gave Owaru a reassuring smile and Jasmine a big hug.

	"It's not going to be that simple. Tamanji's working for the Four 
Sister's."

	"Oh, man!" Elenora whispered. This was getting worse and worse.

	Jasmine rubbed at her forehead, then straightened. "Owaru, we're going 
to have to trust and help each other. Can we do that?"

	Owaru looked down at his cousin's sleeping face, felt very lost and 
alone. He had no idea even how to start to look for his brothers. That this 
strange woman had tried to help Matsuri and was connected to Tsuzuku gave him 
hope. He would trust her, but not too much. Not yet.

	"I guess."

	"Good. Now, why don't you take Matsuri to a bed and let her sleep." 
Jasmine suggested, her eyes distant as she started to plan.

	"O.K." Owaru lifted Matsuri in his arms.

	"Mind if I go with you?" Elenora asked, wanting to get the layout of the 
house and pick this dragon's brain.

	Owaru shrugged as he headed for the stairs, Elenora tagging behind. 
Jasmine flipped open the phone, started dialing. She talked to Shubata first, 
explained the situation, asked for a computer and a modem to be delivered to 
the house. She had just disconnected and was dialing in Catherine's private 
number as she heard her sister and Owaru come back down the stairs, headed 
away for another part of the house.

	Elenora's innocent charm had worked on the young dragon and he was 
chatting with her easily. She nodded, knowing that Elenora would pass on 
anything interesting he let slip, dug the thermos out of the basket and poured 
coffee into the top, willed the tremble in her hand to stop as she sipped at 
it as she waited for the international call to connect.

	"Yes." Catherine's voice held no trace of sleep, even though Jasmine 
knew she'd woken her.

	"Catherine, it's me."

	"Jasmine, honey? What's wrong?"

	"We've run into some problems." She fought to kept her voice calm, like 
she was giving a normal report.

	"O.K." Catherine's voice paused, waiting.

	"Tamanji was here. She got three of the Ryudo brothers." She could 
envision the woman she considered her mother narrow her eyes at that.

	"O.K. Now tell me what's really wrong."

	"Did you know that Tamanji was working for The Four Sisters?"

	"I suspected as much. I want you both to come home. Now."

	"I can't Catherine. Did you know that Tsuzuku Ryudo was my dragon when 
you sent me here?" She tried to keep the accusation out of her voice but some 
of it slipped through. As much as she loved Catherine and knew Catherine loved 
her and Elenora, considered them the children she couldn't have, she knew her 
other mother was a master manipulator and would consider a line of Dragon 
Children born into the Order a coupe. That she might have known and not told 
her hurt and infuriated her.

	"What?!" Catherine's startled response reassured her and she relaxed, 
let go of her anger. Catherine would never do anything to hurt her or threaten 
their relationship. She should know that by now.

	"Tamanji has him and my scarf, Catherine." She got out around the tight 
pressure of tears that pushed against her.

	"Your scarf?" Catherine asked in a tight voice.

	"Yes." Jasmine answered back in a little one, wiped at the few tears 
that had leaked from the corner of her eyes with the palm of her hand.

	"I'm not even going to ask how that happened."

	Jasmine waited, listening to the hiss of the connection as Catherine 
thought. "You're going after them, aren't you?"

	"Yes. I've got to. I just want to know if you'll help me or not." She 
braced herself mentally, marshaled all the arguments she had thought of to 
counter Catherine's reason's why she shouldn't and couldn't.

	"O.K. We'll have to keep the Order out of it, though. You know that. But 
you tell me what you need and I'll see what I can do. Have you checked to see 
if they've left the country yet?"

	Jasmine was so surprised that she just stood dumbfounded for a minute.

	"Jasmine? Are you still there?"

	"Um...yes. I mean no. Shubata is sending a computer here. As soon as I 
get it, I'll start working on it."

	"O.K. Give me what info you can now and I'll see what I can find out on 
this end and call me as soon as you find anything out. Where are you, by the 
way?"

	"I'm at the Ryudo house." She shifted into her 'report' mode, gave 
Catherine what little facts they had gathered so far.

	"O.K. Not much to work with yet, but I'll see what I can do. Call me 
soon, honey and give my love to your sister. And Jasmine, be careful. Please."

	"Thanks, Catherine. I will." She hit the disconnect button, smiled as 
Elenora and Owaru came into the room.

	"So, what do we do first?" Owaru asked.

	"Order lunch and get to know each other better while we wait for the 
computer to get here. What would you like?" Jasmine answered.

****************

	Half a world away, Catherine sighed as she pushed her graying bangs out 
of her eyes and put her phone back on it's base. 

	"Problems?" Logan asked as he pushed himself up onto his elbow.

	"Not really. Go on back to sleep." She assured him as she slid out from 
between the sheets.

	"Yeah, right." Her companion grumbled as he watched her go to the set of 
clothes that was draped over the chair of her computer desk, always ready for 
the business that tended to come up in the middle of the night.

	She smiled tolerantly as she pull on the leggings and shirt, came around 
the bed and gave him a kiss on his cheek. "Duty calls."

	He reached up, wrapped his arms around her and pulled her down, burying 
his face between her breasts. "I know. I just get jealous."

	She rested on him unresisting for a moment, almost succumbing to her 
desire to do nothing more than crawl back between the sheets and cuddle 
against his warm strength, then pushed herself up. "I'll be back soon." She 
told him, caught the amusement sparkling in his black eyes. He knew her better 
than that.

	"I'll be here." He answered, the amusement replaced with earnest 
sincerity.

	"I know, Logan." She caught herself almost apologizing, pressed her lips 
firmly together. That was something she had promised herself she would never 
do. She was one of the nine elders that steered the Order. It came first. She 
let herself give him a fond smile, though. He had stuck with her for five 
years, three more than any of her other lovers. He understood. He didn't like 
it much at times, but Logan understood.

	"Well, go on. I'll see you at breakfast, if not sooner." He grinned at 
her with a lecherous gleam in his eye.

	It made her laugh. She rose as she did, pulled the covers up over him as 
he snuggled back into the pillows with a yawn.

	She padded down the quiet corridors of the Boston Chapter House, heading 
for Tita's quarters. She needed some advise, needed to know if the future of 
her daughters was as troubled as she suspected. The door opened just as she 
raised her hand to knock.

	"I hate it when you do that." She told the tall, ancient, willowy woman 
who stood before her.

	Tita shrugged with a small amused smile, stepped out of the way to let 
her in. Catherine saw the coffee pot, a steaming cup filled with the strong 
brew the way she liked and some coffee cake cut and ready waiting on the short 
table in front of the small couch.

	"You knew I was coming." She stated with a frown. That bothered her.

	"I knew that you might come." Tita corrected her with her firm 
contralto. "The future is never definite. A baby with a bad case of hiccups 
can change the course of history. You know that, niece." She scolded.

	Catherine looked down at the carpet, feeling for a moment like the ten 
year old that had first heard those words, then shook her head with a wry 
smile. She wondered if her Aunt had that effect on everyone. Tita walked 
beside her, her ninety-seven year old stride as long and firm as Catherine's 
own as she went to the couch and coffee. Tita settled beside her with a sigh, 
waited while Catherine took a sip of her coffee and nibbled at a slice of the 
cake.

	"I'm worried about the girls." Catherine finally said.

	"I know. Yet you sent them to the newborn Dragon Kings with the 
suspicion of what would happen." Tita answered her with calm assurance in her 
voice and face.

	Catherine looked at her sharply. Newborn Dragon Kings? What did she mean 
by that? Catherine would admit that she sent Jasmine and Elenora to Shubata 
with the hope that one of the Ryudo males would be Jasmine's waiting mate and 
through that mating the hope of bringing all four of them into the Orders 
sphere of influence.

	"Why do you come to me now? You have already set your schemes in 
motion."

	Was Tita angry with her? Catherine put down her cup, turned to the older 
woman with an expectant look. "Tell me what you've seen." She didn't ask as 
Tita's niece or as Jasmine and Elenora's worried mother. She commanded it as a 
controlling member of the Council of Elders.

	Tita smile was as hard and sharp as her black eyes. "Are you certain you 
wish to know, Elder Catherine? Knowledge of the possibilities of the future is 
a heavy burden to carry."

	Catherine felt her heart flutter in foreboding. "Yes. I need to know." 
She forced the words out.

	Tita shrugged. "Your daughter's destinies are linked to that of the 
Dragon Kings. And theirs to the coming Darkness. All of the paths come 
together at one point. The Nemesis is coming, Catherine."

	Catherine swallowed hard as she stared at Tita, her mind working as it 
put what she had considered non-important pieces of information and events 
together into something very disturbing as her soul wailed that Tita must be 
wrong.

	"What connection do my girls have to this possible event, Seer?" 
Catherine demanded, falling back into the old formal address of the Order in 
her shock.

	"Catherine, I wish I could tell you." Tita answered, compassion touching 
her eyes. "I warned you. The images are tangled and shifting even as we speak. 
There is nothing more I can say."

	"You can. You just will not!" Catherine growled at her she stiffened.

	"Don't try that with me, Missy!" Tita snapped back as she felt Catherine 
try to push her way past her mental shields, her maternal panic to protect her 
children overriding all of the etiquette and manners so carefully drilled into 
all the members of the Order.

	Catherine listed sideways as Tita gave her a hard mental slap.

	"Get a hold of yourself, Elder! You shame your position!" Tita barked at 
her.

	Catherine swayed blank eyed for a second, then sank back against the 
back of the couch, covered her face, her hands trembling as she flushed with 
shame. "I'm so sorry, Aunt. I just..." how could she explain such an 
unforgivable act?

	Tita patted her knee with one thin hand. "I do understand, Catherine. 
This is why pre-cogs are so hesitant to speak about what they see. I have told 
you what I can, now you must live with the knowledge you asked for." Tita 
moved her hand, poured herself a cup of coffee as she waited for her niece to 
regain her composure. She was stirring the cream into it when Catherine came 
out from behind her hands.

	"Are they going to die, Tita?"  This time she was nothing more than a 
mother pleading for reassurance.

	Reassurance that Tita couldn't give her, even though she wished she 
could. It was something that those who did not share this gift that was really 
a curse could not understand. One could not predict the outcome of the many 
different paths one saw, no matter how hard one tried, how much one wanted 
too. There was only one thing she was sure of. The Nemesis. She suddenly felt 
very, very old.

	"All things die eventually, Catherine." She said as gently as possible.

	Catherine stood abruptly, stalked for the door. Tita sighed as it 
slammed shut behind her, took another sip of her coffee and closed her eyes, 
the images of things to come rising up unbidden.


*******************
	

	The computer arrived just as they where finishing lunch. Jasmine sent 
Elenora and Owaru off to visit the neighbors and see if anyone noticed 
anything unusual going on at the Ryudo house this morning as she set it up, 
hacked her way into the linked commercial airport computers searching the 
private flight logs. All but ten where small private props. She check the ten 
Lears against the list of companies that had connections to any of the 
corporations that composed The Four Sisters. All ten were and each one headed 
for a different part of the country. She frowned as she started at the screen, 
waved but didn't look up as Owaru and Elenora came back in.

	"Well?" Jasmine asked as Elenora and Owaru came to hover at her 
shoulder.

	"Someone saw a moving truck pull in around ten, but didn't remember the 
company name. Just that it was blue." Owaru answered, made a little noise of 
shock as he figured out the information on the screen. "How are we going to 
check all those places?"

	"A blue moving truck?" Jasmine tapped both forefingers on the table 
before the key board, narrowed her eyes, then closed them.

	"Yes. So how..." He stopped when Elenora put a hand on his arm, shook 
her head and brought her finger to her lips.

	"What?" He whispered.

	"She's thinking. Don't distract her." Elenora answered softly.

	Jasmine had what Catherine called a 'functioning eidetic memory'. If she 
focused and concentrated, she could remember in detail anything she had ever 
seen.

	Jasmine's eyes snapped open as she reached over and wrote quickly on the 
pad of paper by the mouse. "We passed it. I remember looking at it, there was 
something off about it."

	Owaru frowned at the unfamiliar English characters, but recognized the 
set of letters and numbers that could only come off a plate.

	"Owaru, phone book?." She gave a small, hard smile at the screen, copied 
it.

	"What about the planes?" He asked as he came back in from the hall with 
the listings.

	"Smoke screen probably. First we have to find where that truck went."

	Matsuri staggered in, looking groggy while Jasmine was chatting with the 
dispatch operator for the moving company.

	"Owaru?" She asked in a confused little voice, blinking at the two 
strangers.

	Jasmine didn't pause in her conversation, just pointed at Owaru then the 
door.

	Owaru hurried to his cousin, guided her gently out and toward the living 
room, Elenora following behind.

	"Where's Hajime-kun? Is he O.K.?" Matsuri asked as she leaned against 
her cousin.

	"I don't know, Matsuri-chan. Can you tell me what happened?" Owaru 
answered as he sat them both down on the sofa, Elenora pausing in the doorway.

	"There was someone with a gun in the window. He was going to shoot 
Hajime! Where is he, Owaru-kun? Where's Tsuzuku and Amaru?" Her eye's pleaded 
with him to tell her they where O.K.

	"I don't know, Matsuri-chan." He gathered her close in a gentle hug and 
rocked her back and forth. "But we're looking for them. We'll find them and 
get them back, don't worry. We'll get them back if I have to kill every single 
one of those bastards that took them!"

	Elenora went back into the kitchen, giving the cousins some privacy to 
share their worry, shook her head at her sisters raised eyebrows as she 
continued with the dispatcher. Elenora checked the tea pot, took it and a 
clean cup back to the living room.

	"I did what?" Matsuri was asking Owaru when she came back in.

	"You glowed all pale green and then you were better." Owaru grinned at 
her. "Guess you're a dragon after all."

	"Here, Toba Matsuri." Elenora offered her the warm tea cup and a formal 
bow, hoping to make a good first impression and gain Matsuri's trust.

	"This is Tanaka Elenora. That was her sister Jasmine in the kitchen." 
Owaru introduced them.

	"Thank-you." Matsuri gave her a tentative smile as she took the cup, 
held it between her hands. "So, who are you and what are you doing here?" She 
asked in her straight forward way.

	"Just another dragon here to lend a hand." Elenora answered with a wry 
smile.

	"Really?" Matsuri stared, not sure what to think.

	"Really. My sister is the proud owner of that scarf that was giving your 
cousin Tsuzuku fits."

	"Really?" Matsuri stood up, headed for the kitchen. She wanted to take a 
good look at the woman who had turned Tsuzuku's head.

	Jasmine was leaning back against the table edge, head down and arms 
crossed, thinking, when she became aware of Matsuri studying her from the 
doorway, Elenora and Owaru standing behind her.

	She looked up, smiled. "Do I pass inspection, Toba Matsuri?"

	Matsuri blushed and nodded. "I didn't mean to stare. You are beautiful, 
just like Tsuzuku-kun said."

	"You honor me too much, Matsuri-san." She bowed to hide her blush. 
Tsuzuku thought she was beautiful? "So, are you feeling better?" She asked.

	"Hai. Have you found my cousins yet?"

	Jasmine nodded, her face serious. "Maybe. Or at least a solid lead."

	"Great!" Owaru slid by Matsuri, came to the table. Matsuri and Elenora 
followed. "So?" He asked as he sat.

	"The moving company had no record of a stop here, but that truck was 
thirty minutes late for it's first scheduled stop at the Yokamo Air Force Base 
to deliver some desks."

	"Good, let's go get them!" Owaru sprang up, frowned at the serious looks 
on Elenora's and Jasmine's faces.

	"Odd are they're already gone, Owaru." Jasmine told him softly.

	"Gone where?" He asked, already knowing the answer but not wanting to 
hear it.

	"Home. To America. But we'll go check. I can't break into a military 
computer with this anyway," she gestured at the lap top, "so we'll have to try 
to get a hold of the flight logs at the base. Matsuri, you should go home."

	"No way. I go where Owaru-kun goes." Matsuri stated firmly.

	"Matsuri, this is going to get dangerous. You've already been seriously 
hurt once and your Blood is not strong enough to protect you when the serious 
stuff starts. Please, go home. We'll keep you informed of anything that 
happens."

	"No. I need to be there, whatever happens. If you try to leave me 
behind, I'll just follow you and if I don't know your plans, I might put you 
in danger." Matsuri crossed her arms, stared hard at Jasmine.

	"She's got you there, Sis." Elenora said up with a grin.

	Jasmine scowled at her sister, looked at Owaru. "Tell her to stay, 
Owaru."

	"Tell Matsuri-chan to do something she doesn't want to? I don't think 
so. Besides, I want her to come. I'd feel better if she was where I could keep 
my eye on her." He winked at his cousin, didn't let it show that he was 
hanging onto her like a life-line, needing her to keep him focused and out of 
despair.

	Jasmine looked at her sister, who shrugged with a smile. "Seems I'm out 
voted. This is the deal then, Matsuri-san. I want you to swear to me that 
you'll do what I ask. If you don't, you might get us killed or Owaru 
captured." She realized she was pulling a Catherine, playing on Matsuri's 
fears for her cousin. But if it got her what she wanted...

	"I swear it, Tanaka Jasmine." Matsuri said as she gave a deep formal 
bow. She'd do anything to help get Hajime back. And Amaru and Tsuzuku. But 
Hajime...the idea of anything happening to Hajime made her very soul ache.

	"O.K. I need to make a call and then we'll get going." Jasmine picked up 
the cel phone, headed for the hall and some privacy. "Matsuri, you might want 
to bring some drinks and snacks. We might have to wait a while before we can 
go in." She called back.

	Owaru and Elenora helped Matsuri throw stuff in a bag as Jasmine called 
Catherine to check in.

*******************

	"O.K. Owaru. Tell me what's been happening with you and your brothers. 
What exactly happened to bring on those manifestations of power." Jasmine 
asked as they drove.

	Owaru and Matsuri exchanged uneasy glances in the back seat. "Not until 
you tell us more about yourself first." Owaru answered.

	Jasmine looked at them through the rear view mirror. "What do you want 
to know, Owaru?" Owaru hated that he couldn't see her eyes through the mirror 
of her sunglasses.	

	"I want to know who you are, how you know about us, why you're helping 
us." He said it in a rush, trusting the feeling he had that they knew much 
more than they where letting on.

	He saw Elenora give her sister with a questioning look. Jasmine 
shrugged. "We are Dragon's Children, just like yourself, Owaru. Different 
Bloodline but still similar. Our family originally came from China. Our 
Great-grandfather emigrated to the United States in 1806, taking his three 
sisters and two brothers with him." She paused, focused on weaving her way 
through a heavy area of traffic and debated how much more she would tell them 
and how much she would have to bend the truth. "We don't know that much about 
you, really. One of the reasons we are here is because we too are hunting 
dragons."

	She saw Owaru stiffen in the back seat, wondered if he'd try to jump out 
of the car. "Relax, Owaru. Elenora and I didn't even know you and your 
brother's existed until yesterday. Unfortunately, some others did. Elenora, 
show them the pictures, see if they recognize any of them."

	Elenora dug around in Jasmine's purse, pulled out a day planner, 
unzipped it, took three photo's out and turned to hand them back. She stayed 
that way, studying their faces for any reaction as first Owaru, then Matsuri 
looked at them.

	"I don't recognize them. Matsuri?" He did notice that the girl looked a 
lot like Elenora. When they got a chance to talk in private, he'd have to ask 
Matsuri if she thought so too. 

	"Me neither." She said, handed them back. "Who are they?"

	"Other dragons who are working for The Four Sisters now, it seems." 
Jasmine said with a frown.

	"If The Four Sisters already have dragons, why are they hunting us?" 
Owaru asked.

	"I doubt that The Four Sisters know they are dragons, Owaru. It's not 
something that is wise to go about flaunting, you know? These three work as 
mercenaries with a small group of psychics and that's how they hide who and 
what they are." She narrowed her eyes, the steering wheel creaking in distress 
under her hands. "They can get you anything you want if you can meet their 
price. Apparently The Four Sisters could and the thing they wanted was you and 
your brothers."

	"How do you know all this?" Matsuri asked suspiciously.

	"We both belong to an organization that studies paranormal and supernatural 
events. We came here because we'd seen the news casts on that Fire Dragon that 
ate downtown Tokyo." She said it lightly, hoping to break the tension that had 
formed a line between the front seat and the back.

	"That's not funny." Owaru growled, crossed his arms. Matsuri smiled in 
spite of herself.

	"You're right. Which one of your brothers was it, Owaru?" She asked, her 
face innocent as she started to steer him in the direction she wanted.

	"Tsuzuku. Only he and Amaru have changed. He must have been hurt bad. 
They had to blow Amaru up to get him to change."

	Matsuri pinched him on the thigh hard, shook her head with a frown. She 
still didn't trust these two.

	"What more do you want to know of us, Toba Matsuri?" Jasmine asked, 
catching that bit of by-play in the mirror.

	"I want to know about Tsuzuku and the scarf. That seems just a little 
too convenient to have happened by itself." That was the only hole she could 
detect in their story. They still weren't telling them the whole truth.

	Jasmine shrugged again. "It was a coincidence, Matsuri. Nothing more. I 
didn't set out to find your cousin, believe me."

	"What about the scarf?" Matsuri insisted.

	"It's a family heirloom and is very old and seems to have a mind of it's 
own." She gave a hard smile.

	"So, what was it was doing to Tsuzuku?"

	Jasmine turned and looked at her in surprise. "Jasmine!" Elenora yelled, 
bringing her attention back to the road. She barely managed to swerve around a 
slow moving truck.

	"You don't know?" Jasmine asked, keeping her eyes on the road.

	"No. I don't. I think someone should tell me." She said with a scowl at  
her cousin who was blushing bright red.

	Owaru 'umm'-ed, looked to Jasmine with a silent plea.

	"When a male with Dragon blood finds his mate, he can smell her. It's a 
scent that only he can detect, like a pheromone." Jasmine explained as they 
turned and followed the road that ran beside the high barbed wire fence of the 
base.

	"Oh." Matsuri said quietly, dropped her head, thinking. Did Hajime smell 
her? He certainly never reacted to her presence like Tsuzuku did to Jasmine 
and her scarf. She wanted to know more about this, but would wait until she 
had a chance to talk to Jasmine in private.

	Jasmine pulled the car off the road and into a stand of tall trees.

	"So, what do we do?" Owaru asked as they got out.

	Jasmine could tell he wanted to just go charging in. "First off, can you 
'feel' them here, Owaru?" She asked.

	Owaru turned to look at the open expanse of runways and buildings, shook 
his head. "I don't think so." He answered uncertainly.

	Elenora exchanged looks with her sister. Owaru hadn't even tried. Now 
that she thought about it he seemed to have been blocking all but the basic 
uses of his natural senses and instincts since she'd met him. She wondered 
what was wrong.

	"O.K. Well, we'll do a little outside recognizance then and see what can 
be seen." Jasmine popped the toggle for the trunk, went around and pulled out 
a pair of binoculars, turned and looked up at the trees, picked the highest 
one and started climbing.

	Owaru followed her up, settled into the crook of a lower branch as she 
studied the layout of the base as she scanned the buildings and planes. "No 
signs of unusual activity."

	She dangled the binoculars down by their strap to Owaru's level. He 
reached out and grabbed them, took his own look.

	"So what do we do?" He asked full of impatience.

	"Wait 'till sundown." She checked her watch. It was still four hours 
away. She hated having to wait, but what else could they do?

	They climbed down the tree, Owaru going to sit on the blanket that 
Elenora and Matsuri had spread out in the shade as Jasmine went and pulled a 
radio out of the trunk, tuned it to one of the news stations.

	"Uck. Why that?" Owaru stuck out his tongue and grimaced.

	"Just in case their are any reports of unusual occurrences." Elenora 
answered as she dug in the bag and pulled out a soda and tossed it to her 
sister. "Any one else want one?"

	Owaru nodded, Matsuri shook her head. Elenora tossed another one at 
Owaru then got one for herself.

	"Owaru, Matsuri, you need to tell us about what's been going on. 
Please." Jasmine asked as she popped open the lid.

	Owaru looked at his cousin, who nodded. They told them together about 
Kamadura no Gozen's hounding and attacks that ended with Amaru getting blown 
up at the artillery range and changing into the Black Dragon. Jasmine choked 
on her soda when they told her about no Gozen's attack on the three of them 
and the reasoning behind it.

	"He turned himself into a dragon by drinking a dragon's blood and wanted 
yours too?" She managed to get out around Elenora's thumping on her back.

	"Yes. It was really gross." Matsuri shuddered at the memory. "He took 
Hajime out with one punch and had just bitten Tsuzuku when Amaru came to the 
rescue. That was really something!"

	"Wait a minute. You said that Amaru tuned into a dragon?" Jasmine 
frowned at them.

	"Yup." Owaru answered proudly.

	"You're sure it wasn't just an image of a dragon with Amaru in it?" She 
felt a tremor of fear go through her. Actually turning all the way over had 
never happened as far as the Order could determine. They didn't think it was 
possible.

	"No, he was a dragon. The Black Dragon King of the North, just like the 
legend."

	"What legend?" Jasmine and Elenora asked together. This was going way 
beyond anything the Order had on this Family. *At least anything they admitted 
to.* Jasmine thought with a frown. The next time she saw Shubata, she'd make 
sure to find out.

	"Well, it's just a legend. No Gozen told it to Hajime. Let's see, how'd 
it go? Yeah. O.K. Three thousand years ago, the King Dragon had four son's. 
The Blue Dragon King of the East, the Red Dragon King of the South, The Black 
Dragon King of the North and the White Dragon King of the West. That's me. 
Well, the four brothers took human form and ruled China. They married with 
human women and had children. Now, we're missing a big part here. Tsuzuku is 
trying to figure out what happened, but there is a prophesy that after three 
thousand years the descendants of those four brothers would reclaim their 
Dragon forms. Seems like it's us."

	Jasmine worked on digesting that. *Good God! Real dragon's? Why? And 
what would happen if all three of the brother's that Tamanji had changed at 
once.* She didn't like the uneasy feeling that settled on her as she thought 
about that  and the legend and all the implications that flowed out of it.

	"So what happened that made Tsuzuku change?" Elenora asked.

	"The Four Sisters came after us after Amaru killed no Gozen. They set up 
a trap to lure Tsuzuku in alone. I still don't know exactly what happened. 
Tsuzuku won't talk about it. But I guess he was hurt bad enough to make him 
change like Amaru did. But Hajime got him to change back." He said with a 
grin.

	"How? Do you know?" Jasmine wanted that vital piece of information 
badly.

	"Not really. Amaru," he paused, looked down and swallowed hard, "wasn't 
conscious when he changed. He didn't have any control over what he was doing, 
just striking out in pain." The sound of his little brother screaming in 
anguish in his dragon's voice still haunted him. "He finally just ran out of 
power and changed back. We were really scared that he was going to be a dragon 
forever. I guess Hajime did something similar to make Tsuzuku shift back." He 
trailed off, his eye's getting distant.

	"Wonderful." Jasmine muttered as she studied the slowly shifting 
patterns created by the sun through the leaves. Real, very powerful dragons 
with little or no control over their transformed selves. Now she knew why 
Owaru Ryudo was fighting his power. He was scared of it. Scared of becoming a 
'real' dragon.

	Matsuri reached over and patted her cousin on his leg and gave him a 
brave smile. "It'll be O.K. Owaru. Everything will work out."

	"Well, I, for one, am going to take a nap. It has the potential of being 
a long night." Jasmine said in a bright tone, stretched out on her back and 
folded her arms behind her head and closed her eyes. "You might want to 
consider it also, Elenora."

	"Hai, Eldest Sister." Elenora said playfully curled up next to her.

	"Owaru, you and Matsuri should too."

	"I can't." Owaru said as he rested his chin on his knees and stared at 
the landing field. "I'm too keyed up."

	"Sing me a lullaby, Jasmine." Elenora asked, knowing that her sister 
would pick up on what she was suggesting.

	"O.K." Jasmine started to sing a wordless tune softly. It was one of the 
first things that Catherine had taught her to do to help soothe Elenora and 
Tamanji back to sleep when they'd wake up with nightmares. In the olden days 
it would be called a spell. It was nothing more than a focus of will behind a 
learned series of pitches. Basically, she hypnotized them. In ten minutes, 
both Matsuri and Owaru where asleep and would stay that way, even through the 
noise of aircraft coming and going until she woke them.

	She relaxed, watching the gentle sway of the tree branches as she 
figured out their plan of attack for tonight, then thought about what Owaru 
had said about Kamadura no Gozen. It was a part of the Dragon mythos that if a 
human could catch a dragon and drink it's blood he would acquire that dragon's 
powers. But it was just a myth, or so she had thought. That no Gozen had done 
it and succeeded frightened her. Was that what The Four Sisters where after? 
Or just having the brother's under their control?

	Catherine had said that she'd put the Order on alert for any sighting of 
Tamanji or the others, that being something normal for the Order to do with a 
fresh sighting and would call her if anything came of it. Then her thoughts 
turned toward Tsuzuku Ryudo. She wondered what he was like, really. She just 
had what was in the briefing docket. He was nineteen to her twenty, an honor 
student who's teachers said he'd excel in whatever field he finally committed 
himself to. He was said to be reserved but had a razor sharp wit and a 
reputation for playing the field with the ladies. Images of Lee sprang 
unbidden into her mind.

	She had been seventeen and on a two week skiing trip over winter break 
in Colorado when she had run, literally, into Lee. She knew immediately that 
he was one of their Blood, but had no idea that the still unknown person that 
was the brains behind the Dragon Ops, as the group of mercenaries that Tamanji 
had linked up with called themselves, had sent him to seduce her and try to 
get her to join them also. He had been good, hiding his real intent so well 
she was clueless to it. He had stolen her heart for a while and almost 
succeeded in stealing her soul.

	She had been flattered and pleasantly embarrassed by his flamboyant 
courtship and 'surprises' and had found herself falling in love with him by 
the end of a week. She figured he was 'her' Dragon, drawn to her by her scent, 
though she had been puzzled by the scarf's total lack of interest in him. 
Mother had told her when she was little that the scarf had a way of choosing 
it's keepers mate. She had waited to call Catherine, who was out doing a 
lecture tour in her public guise and had taken Elenora with her, wanting to 
surprise her when she got home. It was Friday of the second week when Lee had 
given her the engagement ring. She'd been so happy.

	It was then that he had told her who he worked for, had pleaded with her 
to come with him and join the team, that he loved her. She had told him that 
she needed to think about it a little, unsure and her heart almost breaking 
from her suspicions. She had just found out a few days before she'd left for 
this trip that Tamanji had been seen in the company of some of the members of 
this mercenary group in California.

	She had settled in the big over-stuffed chair in front of the fire in 
her room and turned the ring around and around on her finger with her thumb as 
she stared into the hypnotic flicker of the flames. She wasn't sure when she 
dozed off but she remembered the dream as if it had happened yesterday.

	The soft hiss and pop of the flames changed into the soft hiss of waves. 
She stood in lightening twilight on a beach with sand so white it glowed, a 
dark craggy cliff to her back, facing the ocean. The sky to her left was 
starting to glow with the coming colors of dawn as she took in deep breaths of 
the clean air that blew over her from the sea. A flicker of white and movement 
to her right caught her attention. She turned and saw Lee standing down the 
beach. He held out his hand and smiled, wanting her to come to him. She took a 
few steps towards him then two hands closed lightly on her shoulders from 
behind, bringing her to a gentle halt.

	She stood in that grasp and looked longingly at the handsome white 
haired man that wanted her, then the hands turned her 180 degrees so she faced 
east and toward the rising sun with an irresistible yet soft pressure. There 
was another male standing farther up the shoreline, his back to her, also 
watching the sun rise. A faint scent of cinnamon floated towards her as the 
breeze shifted direction and blew against them both. The sun lifted itself in 
a huge ball of orange glory, out-lining the figure before her in a fire like 
glow.

	"Wait." The soft sweet female voice had whispered in her ear.

	She had woken up with a start, realized that the soft blur to her vision 
wasn't the fog of sleep but the sheer fabric of the scarf. She sat up, pulled 
it off of her face and hugged it against her chest with tears in her eyes. She 
had fled from Lee that night, leaving the ring in a envelope with nothing but 
his name on it with the consignor.

	She knew now that that figure had been Tsuzuku Ryudo. She let herself 
drift into a light doze but kept a small part of her mind aware of the outside 
world and the passing time. She woke them just as the sun was going down.

	
	Owaru was awed at his glance of high tech equipment that crammed into a 
duffel that Jasmine unzipped in the trunk of the Tanaka's car. "Where'd you 
get all this stuff?" He asked as he took the heavy yet supple kevlar vest that 
Jasmine handed him. 

	"I told you we work for an organization that studies paranormal 
phenomenon, didn't I? Believe it or not, it's dangerous work and requires a 
lot of sneaking around." Jasmine answered as he frowned at the vest, balked at 
putting it on.

	"I don't know about you, Owaru, but I think that bullets holes hurt."  
Jasmine said with an easy smile as she helped Elenora shrug into and fasten 
hers. He put it on, Matsuri helping him adjust and tighten the velcro 
fastenings, taking clues from watching Jasmine do her own as Elenora passed 
out the lightweight headset communicators and night vision goggles.

	"You too, Matsuri." Jasmine handed her the last vest. "We might have 
some annoyed military folk chasing us when we exit and I'd hate for you to get 
shot accidentally.

	"O.K. Mike check." Jasmine said, pulling the thin bar down to rest 
against her check. "Hear me?"

	"Yes. Cool!" and "Hai." Came back into her ear from Elenora, Owaru and 
Matsuri.

	"O.K. Matsuri, you stay with the car and have it ready and running. If 
anything happens and we should get captured, you call that number I gave you. 
But under no circumstances do you try to come in after us on your own. 
Understand?" She focused her golden stare on the young woman.

	"I understand Jasmine. I'll stay here and man the phone and be ready to 
go." Matsuri nodded back. The plan was that Owaru, Jasmine and Elenora would 
go and check through the base, hoping to find Hajime, Amaru and Tsuzuku still 
there. If that happened, it was up to her to make sure the car was open and 
running for their get away.

	"O.K. Let's do it." Jasmine gave Owaru and Elenora a tense smile as they 
stayed low and slunk towards the fence. She was relieved to see that there was 
no infrared security beams on the perimeter, just the 'Danger! Electrified 
Fence! Keep clear!" signs in English and Japanese very fifty feet or so.

	Jasmine went to stand with her back close to the fence, interlaced her 
fingers and nodded at Elenora. Her sister took a few running steps, jumped 
with one foot into her hand and flipped up, over and clear of the twelve foot 
razor wired fence with a little heave from Jasmine. She looked at Owaru who 
shook his head.

	"I can do it myself." His voice was full of confidence in himself and 
the assurance that he'd find his brothers here.

	She nodded as she watched as he too took a few running steps then 
crouched and did a twisting layout over the top. He grinned back at her 
through the fence. *What a smart ass!* She thought, amused as she grinned 
back, backed up and launched her herself over the fence and landed next to 
them in a crouch.

	Matsuri had a hard time tracking them as they sped hunched over with 
that supernatural speed across the wide expanse of the landing fields with the 
heavy strange shaped night-vision binoculars, then lost them as they separated 
when they hit the first group of buildings, Jasmine going to the left, Elenora 
and Owaru going to the right. She pushed the mike up and whispered a prayer to 
whoever might be listening that her three cousins where still here and 
Jasmine, Elenora and Owaru would bring them back safely to her.

	The waiting wasn't as bad as she had expected since she could hear the 
three talking softly to each other, reporting back and forth as they snuck 
through the base. Her stomach began to knot with anxiety as Owaru's voice got 
harsher and tenser as they checked building after building with no luck.

	"O.K. Everyone to the flight tower. Matsuri, get ready." Jasmine said in 
her ear.

	"Hai, Jasmine-san." She whispered back, her heart heavy. They hadn't 
found them.

	Owaru tensed as a figure formed out of the darkness heading straight for 
the stack of storage barrels and shadows that he and Elenora where hiding in, 
relaxed a little as he recognized Jasmine's lithe form.

	"What are we going to do, just walk in?" Owaru demanded as Jasmine 
looked at the isolated tall building at the edge of the landing fields.

	"Yup. That's exactly what we're going to do." She answered, looking 
sideways at him.

	Now he was glad he had accepted the protection of the vest. This crazy 
woman was going to get him hurt.

	"Just trust us, Owaru." Jasmine said, returning her focus to the tower, 
checked her watch. They should have thirty five minutes until shift change. 
"O.K. Everyone up the stairs, fast. Elenora, you're rear guard. Ready?"

	Elenora and Owaru nodded, Owaru looking a little concerned. "You can 
wait, if you want." Elenora said softly.

	"No way." Owaru grouched at her. Anything that a little girl could do, 
he could do.

	Elenora shrugged, pushed him forwards as she realized that Jasmine had 
already started across the open space towards the towers stairs.

	Owaru noticed that Jasmine pushed her glasses to the top of her head and 
had begun to glow faintly with a soft yellow light as they neared the top of 
the stairs and the door.

	"Take your glasses off, Owaru." Elenora warned him through the mike.

	He had just shoved them to the top of his head but still could see her 
shoulders lift as she took a deep breath right before the door, threw it open 
and stepped through in an explosion of light.

	Owaru threw his hands up to shield his eyes as Elenora pushed in around 
him. "Come on, Owaru! Shut the door before someone sees!"

	"What...what is she doing?" Owaru asked as he reached out and pushed the 
door shut. Jasmine had her head down, eyes closed and face showing signs of 
concentration and strain as the yellow light glowed steady from her outstretched 
hands. Everyone in the room was sitting still and staring into space or down 
at their boards with blank expressions.

	"Later." Elenora snapped as she headed for the flight logs. "Help me 
before we're the cause of a mid air collision or something." They both flipped 
and scanned through them hurriedly, Elenora pulling the thin Polaroid camera 
from her vest pocket and taking pictures of the seven pages that spanned the 
time frame they were looking for, tucked it back in her pocket and grabbed 
Owaru's hand and ran back out the door.

	"What about Jasmine?" Owaru asked as he followed her over the rail to 
drop the last fifteen feet to the ground.

	"She'll be here." Elenora responded tensely as she huddled into the 
shadow thrown by the stairwell. This was the hard part, getting out with out 
someone figuring out what happened and sounding an alarm.

	Jasmine hit the ground next to them, staggered a little, breathing hard. 
She gave Owaru a tired smile as he reached out to steady her. "Need to go. 
Stay low. Matsuri, we're coming."

	Matsuri turned on the engine then jumped out of the car, hurried to open 
all the doors then stood on the edge of the far back door frame and watched 
the base come alive with lights. "Come on! Come on!" She whispered as she 
watched headlights speed out onto the runways.

	Owaru soared out of the dark to land by the car, followed by Elenora, 
then Jasmine. They all slid in, Jasmine having the car in gear and fishtailing 
out onto the road before they had the doors shut. She kept it down to the 
posted limit once they'd reached speed, hoping to appear nothing more than a 
car driving along the access road.

	"Take your gear off, now!" She commanded as she snatched her own off and 
threw it on Elenora's side of the floorboard as she watched the jeep coming up 
behind them on the base side of the fence. It paced them for a minute, then 
snapped on it's side light to illuminate the inside of the car.

	"Wave. Look friendly." Jasmine said with a forced smile as she wiggled 
her fingers at the men in the jeep as Elenora leaned across her to stare with 
wide-eyed innocence into the light.

	The light snapped off and the jeep accelerated past them. Jasmine let 
out a big sigh of relief as Elenora giggled, "Piece of cake."


	They drove in relative silence for a while after that, Elenora turning 
on the car radio to one of the pop stations and singing along with it softly 
as the cousins sat close for comfort in the back, downhearted and whispering 
quietly together. Jasmine pulled into a restaurant after they'd put some 
distance between them and the base and took the photos in with them, began 
going over them as they waited for their order.

	She found what she was looking for in the fifth photo. A private 747 
took off from the field at 10:55 a.m. with flight plans listing the Navy Base 
in Hawaii for a refueling stop and then on to a commercial field in Maine. 
She'd have to double check the registration of the plane, but she had no doubt 
at all that it belonged to one of the Big Four and that Tsuzuku and his 
brothers had been among it's passengers.

	"Found it." She told her table mates.

	Owaru raised his eyebrows at her, his mouth too full to ask as Matsuri 
looked to her with hope in her eyes.

	"They're heading for the States." She glanced at her watch. "In fact, 
they're there by now."

	"How are we going to get to the United States?" Owaru asked with a 
little hint of panic as he exchanged glances with Matsuri. "We can't afford 
it!"

	With Hajime having been 'removed' from his teaching position at the 
school by Uncle Toba, finances had been tighter than normal in the Ryudo 
household. Owaru knew that Matsuri had been adding her own money to what 
Hajime had budgeted and left for her in the shopping envelope.

	He watched Jasmine narrow her eyes slightly, could almost hear her 
thoughts. This would be the chance for the two sisters to dump them and strike 
out on their own.

	"Please, Tanaka-san, don't leave us behind. I'll get the money." Matsuri 
pleaded in a soft voice. She was pretty sure she had enough in her personal 
account to cover two tickets to the States even though it would wipe her out. 
If she didn't, she'd weasel a loan for the rest out of her penny-pinching 
father, one way or another.

	Jasmine turned her small tea cup around and around on the table, focused 
on the poorly rendered red Chinese dragon that was painted on it with a slight 
scowl. It went against her better judgment to take these two with them. They'd 
just get in the way, especially since Owaru wasn't comfortable or schooled in 
anything but the basic use of his powers. But she understood them both. If 
something like this happened to Elenora, or even Tamanji she thought with a 
sigh, she'd be hysterical and would move the Earth itself to find them.

	Elenora reached under the table and gave her knee a squeeze. "They can 
help, Jasmine. And we are going to need help." She told her sister in English.

	Jasmine looked up into the two pair of worried and anxious eyes across 
the table and made the only decision she could.

	"Don't worry about it. Consider the tickets a gift." She told them with 
a reassuring smile, felt herself blush with embarrassment at the amazed looks 
of gratitude and relief that appeared on the two cousin's faces.

	"Jasmine-san..." Owaru started, his last little bit of doubt about the 
two sisters gone with that generosity. He wanted to thank her, tell her how 
much this meant to him.

	Jasmine held up her hand and shook her head, forestalling any outward 
shows of gratitude. She'd accept them only when and if they got out of this 
alive and with all of the Ryudo Dragons in tact.

	"It's O.K. Now, does everybody have a passport?" She asked as she pulled 
enough money out of her wallet to cover the bill, reminded herself to make a 
stop at an AMT on the way back to the Ryudo's house.

	The amount of food that Owaru had just eaten amazed her. And she had 
thought Elenora had an appetite! But then again, they were both growing young 
dragons. She smiled fondly at her sister and grinned as Owaru reached over and 
started helping himself to some of the leftovers on Matsuri's plate as both 
the cousin's nodded. Hajime had taken all of them all down to get their 
photo's and fill out the paperwork weeks ago in the event that they'd have to 
flee the country to get away from their pursuers.

	"Here." She handed the money to Elenora as she rose. "Take your time. I 
need to make some calls. I'll be in the car and yes, there is enough for a 
sweet."

	Elenora grinned up at her as both she and Owaru reached for a menu. 
Their debate on which was the perfect desert followed her out.

	She called Catherine first to check in and ask her to run the 747's ID 
through her own PC, knowing it was linked directly into the Order's mainframe. 
Catherine had the results in seconds, confirmed her suspicions. It was the 
executive jet registered to the Mulligan Foundation and had been in Japan on a 
supposed 'mercy flight'. Her second mother had let out a hard laugh as she 
said that. It had arrived in Ellsworth, Maine at 10:20 a.m. EST.

	*Two hours ago.* Jasmine thought with a frown as she looked at the 
display on her watch.

	She told Catherine that she was going to make reservations for the first 
flight out they could get and she'd e-mail her the flight info as soon as she 
got to her computer. She hung up, shuffled through the maps in the glove box, 
found the detailed one on the States and studied it as she called the airport 
and got them reservations for the 6:00 am flight into New York and then onto 
Bangor, was just finishing with the Hertz desk to make sure there would be a 
full sized van available when they arrived when Elenora and the cousin's got 
into the car.

	She handed Elenora the map to fold as she got them back onto the 
highway, then she tried one more time to dissuade Matsuri from her determination 
to accompany them.

	"Matsuri, what are you going to tell your parents?" She asked. "Are they 
just going to let you take off to the States with two girls they don't know 
for a week or two?" She hoped it wouldn't take that long, but it might, or 
even longer if they didn't catch up with Owaru's brothers before they were 
moved again and possibly separated. That was a very probable scenario and it 
fueled the growing knot of worry in her mind that they were already too late.

	Matsuri shifted uncomfortably in the back seat, studied the back of her 
hands where they rested on her knees. She hadn't figured that one out herself. 
But it didn't matter. She was going. Period. "I'll think of something, 
Jasmine-san." She said with a confident smile.

	"Are you sure you want to do this, Matsuri-chan? I cannot guarantee your 
safety. But I can guarantee that it's going to be difficult and dangerous to 
rescue them." Jasmine responded, her voice hard. She really wanted this young 
woman to understand what she was getting into. "The people we are going up 
against are ruthless and powerful. They'll pull their punches with Owaru 
because they want him. They won't think twice about killing us. Or you."

	She had thought about that this afternoon as she waited to wake them. 
Why hadn't the Dragon Ops taken Matsuri Toba for The Four Sisters when they'd 
had the chance? The brother's obviously doted on her and would probably do 
almost anything to insure her safety. As far as she could figure it was a 
horrendous oversight on their part. Either a case of the right hand not 
knowing what the left was doing or they were so certain in their methods of 
control and containment of the Brothers that they felt Matsuri wasn't 
necessary. Jasmine hoped it was the former.

	Owaru chewed on his lower lip and studied his cousin out of the corner 
of his eye as he listened to Jasmine. Up till now he had been sure of his 
ability to keep his cousin protected, but as he thought about it he became 
more and more uncertain. The three Dragon's that Jasmine said had captured his 
brother's had done so with out with out a fight. What chance did he stand of 
keeping her safe if they could take Hajime and Tsuzuku out so easily?

	"Matsuri-chan. I think she's right. You should stay behind. Hajime will 
kill me if anything happens to you. I would kill me if anything happened to 
you." He told her with a teasing smile and gave her hand a squeeze.

	Matsuri looked at her younger cousin, startled, then turned her head so 
she could rest her forehead against the cool glass of the window and watched 
the lights of the city go by as she thought. Jasmine and Elenora stayed quite, 
waiting for Matsuri to speak first.

	"I go. I'll wait in the car or wherever you say, but I go. I understand 
the risks involved and accept them. Don't even try to talk me out of it, 
Owaru." She said firmly to her cousin as he started to open his mouth.

	Jasmine shrugged. "O.K. Matsuri. But that's probably what you'll end up 
doing. Waiting in the car. Are you really willing to accept that?"

	"Hai, Jasmine-san! If that's all I can do to help." Matsuri answered, 
hoping it wasn't.