Bason nodded, still worried about Xing. As he watched, he could see sweat beading on his brow, and his breathing was getting more rapid and shallower. "Now!" He said.

---

Xing was terrified. No, more than terrified; scared completely shitless. He had been beheaded, yet not only was he still alive, he could feel everything that was being done to his body. His eyes were tearing up from the pain of his heart being taken out, but he couldn't scream--his vocal chords had been left with the rest of him. And he was stuck watching. No, this is too damned fucked up, he thought. He wished he could yell and swear as his heard was finally yanked out completely. He could only watch as the organ was squeezed, before it all went white.....

---

Elliot picked up her knife and fork and started in on her pizza. "And it tastes good, too." She said.

Taki nodded ,he snapped his fingures,the oendent emidatly stopped pulsing ,and swing,allowing Xing to wake up.
__________________________________________________ _________________________________________

Shiki did the same."yeah its great!"

Xing woke up with a gasp, and shot up on the bed, patting himself to make sure everything was there. He relaxed. "Holy...shit...damn it...." He gasped between pants. "'bout time!"

---

Elliot nodded in agreement. "So, got any plans for after the shaman fight?"

Taki sighed."so you remebered the dream i take it?",he said looking worried.
__________________________________________________ ____________
Shiki looked thougt full as he ate."none yet",he said calmly.

Xing nodded. "It scared the living daylights outta me. Now I'm glad I don't remember them."

---

"I see," Elliot said.

Taki sighed."i can always erase the memory of them",he said calmly then blinked looking to the windowat the loud crack of thunder,and a flash of lightning. His eyes widened seeing in the distanse a spirit like shape of a wolf howiing then cringe some."......no",he muttered slowly.
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________

Shiki smiled."what about you?",he asked then jumped t the sound of thunder and looked out seeing the lightning."wow bad storm comng in",he said then blnked seeing the spirit worlf howling."wierd",he mutterd.

Xing got up and strode to the window. "What is it?" He asked.

---

Spire ruffled his feathers as well, looking to the source of the thunder. "Spire's acting funny too." Elliot said.

Shiki looked to Spire then back out the window."wierd
____________________________________________

Taki looked to him."somethings happened to AbbY",he said worried

"That's not good," Xing said. His eyes strayed to his puado. "Should we go check it out?"

---

Elliot nodded in agreement, then paused. She sent out her senses, checking for anything out of the ordinary. She drew back with a concerned look on her face. "Abby...something's happened."

Shiki blinked looking to her."what do you mean?",he asked looking extreamly concerened.
__________________________________________________ ________________________

Taki nodded."yeah lets go",he said quickly going outside.

"I couldn't feel Abby's spirit pressure," Elliot replied. "Something bad's happened."

---

Xing grabbed his puado and followed Taki outside. As he did so, he sent out his senses to try and pick up Abby's spirit pressure. Nothing. Damn...that's bad, REALLY bad.

Shiki face paled."w-what",he muttered.Seeming in a bit of shock.
__________________________________________________ ____

Taki wizzed a long,trying to pick up Abby...but couldnt sence her at all. no way,he thought lowly. Then as they reached the city park he stopped seeing all the tornament prontoctors,one of then was cuffed up,being scolded, the others were standing around talking,one of them was oaver with Zeki who was sitting there in a small aze ,talking with the pronctor. Taki no longer senced the dark spirit that had took over Zeki ,and made him kill everyone in his family."what the hell is going on?",he said quitely looking around.

"I know. It doesn't feel right at all." Elliot said quietly.

---

It wasn't long before Xing caught up with him. He looked from Zeki, to the proctor in cuffs, then to Taki and back again. "What's...what happened?"

A pronctor looked to the group going over."im sorry young shaman but im afraid you'll have to take you spirit friends and leave",he said calmly.

Taki glared."wheres Abby?!",he yelled out still trying to sence her.

The proctor looked to Taki and then to Xing."...your friends of Abby?",he said in a solom tone.
__________________________________________________ ________________________________________

Shiki looked to her."s-should we go check it out?"

Xing nodded. "What's happened to her?" He asked, concerned.

---

Elliot hesitated. After a few moments, she nodded. Their dinner was nearly done, anyway.

Shiki frowned ,sad that there date got interupted, but was concerned abbout what was going on with Abby.
__________________________________________________ ________________________________________

The proctor was silent a moment then sighed."she ... she's dead...."

"I can get a doggy bag for the rest of the food while you track down Abby." Elliot said. "I'll be right behind you."

---

A pang went through Xing. Abby's...dead? He thought. Throat and mouth dry, he asked, "Are...are you s-sure?" It came out as a hoarse whisper.

Taki was frpzen...it couldn't be true.

The pronctor slowly nodded."yes ... there removeing her body as we speak",he said lowly.or whats left of it,he thought looking to Xing."I am sorry....."
__________________________________________________ _________________________________________________

Shiki looked to her."right",he said getting up.

Xing blinked, frozen to the spot. "C-can...can we see her at least?" He asked.

---

Elliot nodded and called over the waiter to request a doggy bag and pay for the meal. She could get the money out of Shiki later.

The pronctor flinched."i ... im afraid not",he said not looking to them.

Taki growled."why not?!"

The pronctor sighed."th- .....there wasnt .....the dark spirit didnt leave much for anyone to see",he said trying to be calm.

Taki growled looking a Zeki. "why isnt HE the one in cuffs....he killed her didnt her!!!"

The pronctor shook his head."the dark spirit that took over him did, he has no recilection of the past 15 years of his life ...."

Taki growled angrely."and the pronctor is in cuffs because why?"

The pronctor looked to him."he allowed it all to happen ...."
__________________________________________________ _______________________________________________

Shiki shook his head to her and paid."it was my treat ...remeber?",he said softly,looking nervous.

"Convinient that the guy who committed the murder has no idea what happened." Xing said coldly. "How do we know he didn't possess you instead?"

---

"Right," Elliot said as the wiater handed them their doggy bags. "Let's go see what happened to Abby."

Shiki nodded as they headed out.
____________________________
The pronctor looked to him."we have pronctors cheaking his memories ... ",he said calmly."i can understand your anger..."

Taki looked to Xing."hes not possed,I can sence it",he said calmly.But was clearly holding back his anger.

"I sensed her spirit pressure drop-off near the park," Elliot said. "My guess is that's wherever what went down happened."

---

"So that spirit just....vanished?" Xing asked. "Damn it...I doubt that." He had trouble believing that the last of the Asakuras was gone.

Shiki nodded."right! lets go"
________________________

The pronctor looked to Xing."no ....he didnt just disapear ,hes more than likely in hideing, a spiritualist we know has gathered mutch information.... that dark spirit took Abbys sole with him,more then likely useing that power she has to make him stronger...and we found out another thing",he said calmly.

Taki glared."and whats that",he said feeling more angry then ever.

The pronctot looked to them." There is still one Asakura very much alive ..... Taki, your mother and father had another daughter , ...four years after Abby was born .... the year you and Abby visited your aunt ...and did schooling with her.... she ,was ,is,the strongest of the Asakuras yet ... your parents sent her away,to keep hidden, but that dark spirit knws of her,and is now searching for her"

Elliot nodded and started off in the direction of the park, not bothering to make sure Shiki was following. "Spire, see if you can spot anything from overhead." She said.

"On it." Spire said, taking flight.

---

"Wait...Abby wasn't the only Asakura? Why didn't she or Taki know about their sister?" Xing asked.