O.K. Next bit! Fire at will!

(Windlily ducks and covers...)


						*****

	Tita-san was waiting for her at the bottom of the hill. The old woman
beckoned as she turned and started for the tree line.

	"Tita-san? Where are you going?" Matsuri asked as she fell into step
beside her.

	"I'm going to wait in the car, Matsuri. But there is something I want
to tell you first," she stopped and turned to face the young woman at
her side.

	Matsuri blinked at her. There was something...strange...about her. A
little shiver went down her spine as the bright grays eyes trapped in
the spider web of wrinkles focused on her.

	"The Blue Dragon King loves you more than life itself, as does Ryudo
Hajime. Remember that, Toba Matsuri!"

	Matsuri stared at her in dumb amazement. *Hajime loves me?*

	"Oi! Matsuri-chan, they're close!" Amaru yelled from the edge of the
high bank that lead down to the beach.

	She turned her head and waved to let the him know she had heard then
turned back, but Tita's retreating figure was already under the trees.
She frowned and considered chasing her, but she wanted to be the first
person Hajime saw when he came back. A thrill ran through her as
Tita-san's words sank in. Hajime loved her! Could it be true? Tita-san
had said that she could see the future, had she seen them together?

	"Matsuri-chan!" Amaru called once again as he bounced on the balls of
his feet as if that would help him see over the arc of the darkened
horizon.

	Her thoughts were joyous and full of fantasy as she turned and ran to
her cousin and the two sisters that flanked him on either side.

						***

	Tita slid onto the soft leather seat of her town car and wrapped her
trembling hands around the steering wheel then leaned forwards to rest
her forehead against the top of it's curve. It had been so hard to keep
what she had seen hidden from them throughout the day. But she had to.
Any warning would change what must happen for the events of the future
to follow the best course. She decided she was definitely getting to old
for this kind of shit as she took a deep breath and pulled herself
together. There was something she had to do. She straightened and took
the Cel phone out of the glove box and dialed Catherine's private
number.


						***


	Matsuri gave Jasmine a silly grin as she came to stand behind Amaru and
put her hands on his shoulders.

	"There!" Amaru pointed and in a moment the tiny, glowing figures of
dragons appeared.

	There was quite a distance between the Blue Dragon and his brothers.
Matsuri assumed it was because he was anxious to get back to them. Then
Amaru stiffened under her hands.

	"Amaru-kun?" She questioned and saw Elenora turn her head to look at
her youngest cousin.

	"Something's wrong," Amaru answered.

	"What, Amaru? Are they hurt?" Matsuri jerked her gaze back to the
incoming dragons trying to see if any of them moved as if they were
injured.

	"Yes. No. I don't know! I can't hear them! But there is something
wrong!" There was frustration in his voice.

	Jasmine tensed beside her, her eyes narrowing as she leaned forwards.
The Blue Dragon had turned and stopped so the Red and White could catch
up with him. Red and White faced the Blue and hovered. They were still
so far away! But Matsuri could hear their faint roars as her hands
tightened on Amaru's shoulders. And they sounded furious!


						*****


	Tsuzuku had thought at first that Hajime was only anxious to return to
Amaru and Matsuri, but as he and Owaru labored to catch up with him, he
had noticed something strange. At first he thought that the darkening of
the electric blue of his brother's aura was some strange trick of the
light from the fading sun. It was almost imperceptible at first, but it
had definitely gotten darker. And Hajime had ignored his and Owaru's
calls to wait. And he couldn't 'hear' anything from his oldest brother
though Owaru's unhappy mutter as he grumbled to himself was crystal
clear. It was if Hajime had closed his mind to them.

	As the outline of the coast came into view something else happened.
Something that frightened him. A black shadow appeared under the blue of
Hajime's aura and outlined his body.

	*Hajime! Stop!* He bellowed and put all his will into the command.

	*What is it, Tsuzuku?* The dragon hissed as his brother's annoyed voice
rang through his head while Hajime stopped and coiled to face them.

	*What is wrong?* Tsuzuku kept his mental tone calm, repressed the growl
that rumbled in his throat.

	*Nothing. Why?* There was anger growing in Hajime's tone.

	*There is something wrong with you, Elder Brother. There is a black
shadow all around you! Can't you see it?*

	Hajime blinked and snorted. *You are imagining things, Tsuzuku-kun. I
feel fine and there is no shadow.*

	*Um...Elder Brother...there is!* Owaru added softly.

	Hajime hissed at Owaru, the fury in it making the White Dragon recoil
away from him.

	*Are you going to start questioning me also, Little Brother?*

	Owaru shook his head. *No! It's there, Hajime-san! It is!*

	*Elder Brother, we both see it. There is something there and it is
affecting you strangely,* Tsuzuku soothed, alarmed to the very core of
his being.

	*And what makes you such an expert on the behavior of Dragons, Little
Brother?* Hajime's tone dripped with sarcasm as he turned his attention
back to his second brother.

	*I never said I was, Hajime-san!* Tsuzuku tried to keep the fear out of
his tone as he pulled on his power to sharpen every sense and studied
his brother and the strange shadow. Suddenly he could smell it and
choked as the odor hit him. It was the over-sweet scent of rotting
flowers combined with rancid meat. He heard the soft sibilant whisper
that slid through his brothers mind. He couldn't understand what it said
but the tone was sweet and soothing yet tinged with malice!

	*Of course you aren't, Tsuzuku-kun!* Hajime's tone echoed the thing
with him. *And do you know why?*

	*Hajime!* Tsuzuku tried to warn him, tell him that something evil was
in his mind with him but his brother didn't pause.

	*It's because you are afraid of the Dragon! You always have been! You
disgust me!* Those venom filled words stuck like a physical blow.

	*Hajime!* It was a small and wounded whisper.

	Owaru growled and hissed. *Hajime! What are you doing!*

	Hajime ignored him as he lashed out with his verbal whip once more.
*You are not worthy of your heritage!*

	*Owaru, get out of here!* Tsuzuku screamed as Hajime sprang at him.

	*Brother! Stop it!* Owaru bellowed in confused fear as he hovered over
both of them as Hajime wound himself around Tsuzuku.

	Tsuzuku writhed and tried to break free but Hajime had him trapped.
Fire sprang into being around him as he struck back, tried to get Hajime
to loosen his grip enough to let him escape.

	Hajime laughed and said *ouch* as his coils tightened. His talons sank
deep into his brothers shoulders as he rubbed his cheek against
Tsuzuku's, his neck entwined around his brother's so he couldn't bite.

	*Owaru, get out of here!* Tsuzuku bellowed once more as he saw the
white form of his brother hovering in stunned disbelief.

	*You want so much to be a normal human being?* Hajime almost purred,
then the entwining neck was gone. *Then be one!*

	Tsuzuku snaked his head around and screamed in anger and fear as
Hajime's crystalline fangs touched the flesh at the place where his neck
joined his shoulder. He sank his teeth into the Blue Dragon's broad
chest as his brother gave him an almost gentle nip. Numbing cold flowed
from those teeth. He bit harder hoping the pain would shock his brother
back to his senses, or hurt him enough to make him let go!

	He heard Hajime growl as his blood filled his mouth.

	*Stop it! Please...brother...* Tsuzuku begged as the numbness spread,
the cold burning almost as much as the fire it extinguished. He tried to
screamed as the Change ripped through him with excruciating pain. He
felt himself falling and heard one last thing from his brother. It was
tinged with bitterness and frustrated fury and something else...

	*Let's see what your beautiful lady thinks of you now!*

	He knew what that something else was as he started to black out. *Oh,
Gods! Matsuri! He's going after Matsuri! Owaru! Amaru! Protect Matsuri!*

	But his brothers could no longer hear him.