Within Demon's Realm, three forms of darkness from the Nether Realm appeared a short distance away from a village of revered wolf Demon ninja.  The trio materialized in the middle of the shadow-covered forest outside the village.  There was a lake not far from this forest, which was surrounded by a vast mountain range.  This was somewhat south of the center of Demon Realm's Kingdom.  With the appearance of these Nether Realm inhabitants, this autumn night would be a night that would begin to change the fate of the other four Realms.

A Vampire watched as his master shivered from the chilly air.  "Zekku, fetch Raiku-dono his cloak," he ordered the Lifeless, indicating the sack that the Lifeless was holding.

"Yes, Shion-sama," Zekku answered hastily, plunging its arm into the sack and pulling out a pitch-black cloak.  This Lifeless was special; Zekku didn't have the short legs that all other Lifeless had.  To discern Zekku's status as servant, the yellow-eyed creature wore a collar and a short charcoal-colored vest.  The down-curved, large horns weighed Zekku's head down, and if a Human child had Zekku's physique, their head would surely have snapped off.

Zekku handed the cloak to Shion, who walked to the tallest figure.  He draped the cloak over the person, sliding the large bat-like wings through the slits made in the material.

"Shion, Zekku, I have a task for you;” Raiku finally spoke up, drawing the cloak closer to him and shivering.  “Both of you find me a live Demon body that will enable me to talk freely in the sunlight here," he said to the Vampire and Lifeless.

Zekku looked up at the Vampire-Angel.  "Raiku-dono...Surely, your Vampiric powers prevent your travel in sunlight, but isn't that countered by your Angelic---"

"Silence, Zekku!" Shion cut Zekku off in a yell, his white fangs glinting as he grabbed Zekku by the little worked tail and lifting the Lifeless into the air angrily.  The Vampire's pale blue hair gleamed in the little moonlight that streaked through the thick trees.  Even without light, Shion's crimson irises were apparent as he glared the Lifeless down.  Shadows appeared on his face due to his high cheekbones and the lighting.  "You dare attempt to defy Raiku-dono's will?" Shion snarled, causing Zekku to cringe.

“True, I cannot walk in sunlight because of my state of being, Zekku,” Raiku muttered quietly so that Shion had to lower his growl and listen carefully.  “But remember, if I were to control the body of a Demon, it enables me to achieve my goal,” he finished, looking up at the moon.  It was as full as his eyes.

“Then we shall set to the task at once, Raiku-dono,” Shion started before Zekku could blindly interrogate Raiku once more.  He dropped Zekku onto the ground and began striding in the direction opposite of the lake, not bothering to wait for Zekku.

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After a few minutes of walking with his master, Zekku spoke up.  “Shion-sama, would those Demons there satisfy Raiku-dono?”  The creature asked, indicating a cave towards their right.  Several female leopard Demons were inside, all sleeping save a wide-eyed and violet-haired adult.

Shion rolled his eyes, stopped walking, and spat at Zekku.  “Idiot, do you think that our Ruler would like to travel in a female body?” He growled, and then his glare shifted into a thoughtful look.  “They do seem…vulnerable,” he noted, glancing at the one that was awake.  He licked his lips slightly.  “I’ll come back for a couple of them, I suppose.  A trip to Demon’s Realm is rare and I’ve been craving blood for a long time.   Having one of these Demons to produce a child for me would also shake other Vampire females off of me…I’d much rather the mother of my child was a Demon so that the child could actually serve a purpose to Raiku-dono,” he muttered after a few seconds.

Zekku chuckled as the lone female mewed and retreated inside hastily to alert her clowder.  The Lifeless and Shion stepped into the shadow of a tree and shut their eyes, now indiscernible in the darkness.  The pair listened as the leopardess unsuccessfully tried to convince the group of the two beings on their doorstep.  Once all of them seemed to be sleeping, the two stepped out of the shadow and continued their trek.

“Shion-sama--Ahead of us, look!” Zekku suddenly said, the creature’s large, egg-shaped eyes glinting in amazement.  The Lifeless had spotted a lone figure sitting at the base of a tree.  

“Perfect, Zekku; it seems to be a wolf Demon.  You have some use after all, it seems.  Now, do us a favor and go get Raiku-dono…I’ll probably get distracted by those lovely leopard Demons,” Shion muttered as a smile crossed his face.  He kept his crimson eyes locked on the figure as Zekku backtracked, watching the figure like a cat does to a mouse.

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Imako Okatsuki felt that he was lost in the desolate forest outside his home.  The village leader was stressed and felt ready to snap.  His youngest daughter was clinging tightly to her mother, who never seemed to show any affection to anyone nowadays.  Even his oldest daughter thought of her teacher and his wife as more suitable parents.  The wolf Demon knew he was a horrible father.  He was a great leader, perhaps, but not a father.

The moon shone on his black wolf ears, his spiky white hair gleaming. His shaggy tail swished and fell limp to the ground, accompanied by his sigh.  A beating of wings got his attention and made him look up.

“Imako-san,” greeted a blood-red Dragon.  The massive winged beast landed on the ground with a thud and inclined his head.  “I am terribly sorry to bother you this late.  My granddaughter is hatching very soon.  Imako-san, I’m inviting you to come meet her tomorrow night,” he said in a rumbling voice.

Imako smiled slightly.  “Perhaps I shall, Kin.  You said before that her father was a falcon Demon?” He asked the aged Dragon.

“Yes, he is.  I did not consent to the marriage at first, but he has proved to be a good man for my Miyako,” Kin replied, shutting his eyes.

“It depends on my schedule tomorrow, but I hope to make it,” the wolf Demon said with a smile.  Perhaps the birth of a child would help him temporarily forget about his problems.

“Then I shall see you soon,” Kin inclined his head again and beat his wings until he could soar away safely.

Imako felt quite peaceful after speaking with his long-time friend, watching Kin fly south towards the crags.  He tightened his grip on a blanket that lay over his body, sighing again.  Would his wife let him go?  What kind of leader was he if his wife did all the ordering around?  What kind of man was he?

A baying of wolves interrupted his thoughts for a second, and then he felt himself on the verge of tears.  The village knew he was missing.  No matter how loud the crying got, he remained where he was, covering his ears when he heard a scream from his oldest daughter.  Imako knew that the village people cared about him, but he felt overwhelmed at the thought of facing his wife again, knowing that she didn’t care.  “Shihai, take care of her…” he whispered, knowing that the top-ranked ninja in the village was the ideal father figure for his oldest daughter.  

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Not too far from Imako, Shion waited until he heard footsteps.  “Over there, Raiku-dono,” he muttered as Raiku approached with Zekku trailing behind him.

The Vampire-Angel smirked.  “Excellent work, the both of you…now return home and wait for further instructions,” Raiku told the two, his spiky black hair waving slightly.  His bat-like Wings were quivering in excitement.

“Yes, Raiku-dono,” Shion and Zekku said in unison, and then went back to the clowder of leopard Demons.  

“Zekku, when I’m done, open a portal back to Nether Realm,” Shion ordered, walking quickly to the cave.   His pace increased as he saw the lone leopardess from earlier sit up and scream.

The Lifeless watched as the massacre unfold.  Shion’s pointed nails made quick work of the few that tried to escape the cave.  The Vampire’s fangs plunged into any Demon flesh that they came into contact with.  Zekku’s legs were tired, but the Lifeless knew that there was no point in sitting down now; the cave was silent.  Shion emerged from the bloody mess, holding a flailing but gagged female; the one who was causing so much trouble.

Zekku made a swiping motion horizon in the air; a black void emerged.  Shion stepped into it, his grip tightening on the Demon.  Zekku followed Shion and caused the void to vanish behind him, leaving no signs behind except a patch of dead grass.

:.:~__~::.^.::~__~:.:

Imako jolted up as he woke from a series of screams.  “Those nomad leopards…what happened?” He wondered, and then put his face in his hands.  “This place is miserable enough…why should I make it worse?” He asked himself, the tears finally falling.

Raiku stood in front of the pitiful village leader, looking down his pointed nose at Imako.  He reached to his side and drew a dagger from his sheath.  “I’ll be happy to grant you your death, wolf,” he stated, causing Imako to look up.

The last thing that Imako saw was a pair of sky-blue eyes.

:.:~__~::.^.::~__~:.:

The Princess sat up quickly, her breathing quickening.  Sweat fell from her face into her long apple-green hair.  Tears formed and fell from her matching eyes.  “Uncle…” she whimpered, and then remembered that a piece of amber fell from a metal coil that was part of a necklace that Imako wore.