Twin Blades

They were the daughters of the Watanabe Clan's leader. They were referred to as the Twin Blades even though they were a year apart. These two sisters, Ayame and Toyoko, were prodigies of their clan. "Death by beauty," they had said when the two sisters had slain their first demons. Toyoko was five years old and Ayame was four. After that they had grown used to hearing that expression everywhere they went.

Toyoko, the eldest, had been born early in the morning right after the sun rose, and Ayame was born a year later deep into the darkest of nights, something the clan members saw as a bad omen. It was believed that the night was the time of demons. The clan never did anything at night, not even train. Unless there was a demon attack, the clan members didn't fight at night.

The time of birth seemed to have an effect on the sisters. Toyoko seemed to perform her best during the bright hours of the rising sun and Ayame had more access to her power when the days fell into night. Their power was above even the strongest of the men in their clan. Trained by their grandmother, Riku, they were constantly bumping heads in their sparing battles, each trying to prove the other wrong in who was the most powerful. It would always end in a tie.

The clan members did not like Ayame fighting at night, so they told her not to. They limited her training to the evening hours if she wanted to train in any darkness.

Still, the sisters were harsh and brutal and strong. The Twin Blades trained the most than anyone else in the entire clan. They were the jewels of their family and clan and the talk of the country. Unstoppable and powerful, beautiful and young, they were the envy of women and the dreams of men.

Reyna's summary, though a tad crude, was a general condensation of the dozens of pages she had just read. Though there were detailed accounts of the sisters' earlier years, the ending of the story promised the following entries to hold longer, more detailed account of their teen years.

Reyna braced herself. And so I learn about you, Ayame.

Green Luminations

As the sisters grew, so did their power and spiritual senses.

Toyoko's speed was amazing. She was the fastest person in her clan and was claimed to be the fastest person in the country. She was an expert with hand to hand combat which paired with her speed made her deadly.

Ayame's powers were also dramatically growing. Her strength and skills increased every day. The capability of transferring her spiritual energy to her arrows grew more accurate, and her healing regenerations seemed to heal her wounds quicker each time.

Despite Ayame's time of birth, the clan members were all witness to her great power and would treat her with respect that only highly ranked Dominors from their clan would receive. Toyoko was also praised just as highly.

The Twins Blades' parents, Sasuke and Mimori were proud of their daughters, but had begun to voice their concern about Ayame and her future. She had been the first and thus far only Watanabe Clan member to be born during the night. They consulted their spiritual monks for guidance on the situation. They told the parents that Ayame carries a heavy destiny that will cost her, her life. They just don't know what kind of event it would be. One thing was for certain, that event would claim several lives in a bloody, merciless, massacre.

Bound by Thick Threads

Toyoko had finally "come to age" at fifteen, meaning she has been "given" to the threads of marriage. It also means that Ayame is not trailing so far behind. Toyoko has been promised to a powerful and highly disciplined monk from the well known Tsuki Clan and Ayame was planned to be given to a strong war hero warrior from the northern lands' Matsumi Clan. Both of these men were blessed with Mahou, just like the sisters.

Excited as their parents were, neither Toyoko nor Ayame were happy with the arrangement, but it's how their clan had always wed. They will have to face and accept these men as their husbands when they turn seventeen which is when their wedding vows will be sealed.

They have been told that their wedding ceremony will also celebrate their "Initiation," a qualification ceremony welcoming them as official bellatrixs even though they have far surpassed the powers of most. Their clan title recognizes them as bellatixs-in-training until they have gone through the Initiation. Their Initiation will take place the day before their wedding.

Meanwhile, still concerned with the outcome of their daughter's life, Sasuke and Mimori have decided to honor Ayame with the privilege of writing in their clan book until she decides to pass it on to her own children.

Stray Moonlight

It had become a habit for Ayame to sneak out late into the night and train, far from her dojo and home. On one particular night, Ayame sensed an immense power, one that she had never felt before, slinking towards her. Immediately, she regretted leaving her bow and arrows behind.

The demon's speed was mind blowing as were his attacks. Even with her power and skills, Ayame, one of the most powerful individual in the all great Watanabe Clan, was unable to even keep up.

Ayame lost her first battle ever.

The demon stood over her bruised body, observing her with the darkness in his eyes, his gleaming sword hoisted across his shoulder.

He spoke, asking her is she was from the Watanable Clan. She didn't say anything. It was not wise to talk to demons, she was taught. He did acquire her attention when he pointed out the fact that she was a "night born" and breaking the rule of training at night. Ayame, who had not spoken once during the battle, finally questioned how he knew such information about her and her clan's rules. Each clan had its own quirks and it was hard to keep track of them all.

He laughed, saying he knew his enemies the moment he saw them. He also seemed to have been intrigued by her rule breaking because he let her live.

"Mundus," she had mumbled when she saw his figure leave. She had come to the realization that she had just fought the most powerful demon known to mankind and he had taken something from her, leaving her with an unfamiliar sensation. She had lost.

"Farewell, Death by beauty," he had said.

Shocked, but more frightened than anything else, Ayame returned home as soon as her healed body allowed her. She suffered the unfamiliar sting of defeat. She knew she required more difficult training if such demons still roamed the land.

She intensified her training so much that the rest of the clan thought she might kill herself. Her fiancé also took notice. Ayame would not speak why she was undergoing such harsh training when asked by anyone, not even when her beloved older sister would come and question her actions and isolation.

Her tale of that night went verbally untold.

A small gasp escaped from Reyna. Mundus' essence blazed within her for a brief moment only to completely die out. Pressing her lips together, she gazed at the book, but her eyes did not read the words. It was all a jumble of distorted letters, this latest entry having been written in first person as opposed to the earlier ones that were in third.

So this is how you met her, she thought sadly.

The pen in her hand cracked. Reyna let it go, not knowing she was gripping it so tightly. The semi-transparent plastic had spider-web hairlines on it. After a few scribble test runs, the pen proved to be able to function correctly without breaking apart.

Stranger

Several months of Ayame's rigorous and severe training passed. She had pushed herself to the point of death, relying on her quick healing abilities to bring her up on her feet only to physically deteriorate herself yet again. She would mostly train away from home for weeks at a time. She'd occasionally come and visit her home in order to calm her nervous mother down. Upon one of her returns to the dojo, she had discovered that her sister had temporarily lightened her training load. When Ayame went to see her sister, she saw why.

While Ayame was away training, a bloody and hungry man had stumbled into their home. He had been the victim of a demon attack and hoped to seek help from them. Toyoko immediately fell in love with this man. She put everything aside, including her training, to tend and heal him. His name was Kuno, and he fell in love with her too.

Sasuke had grown angry that such a simple Mahou-less man would even dare fall in love with anyone in the clan, much less his daughter, one of the Twin Blades. It was even more of a mockery that Toyoko would return such ridiculous emotions on someone who was not even of noble blood. His anger grew when he received word that Sozo, the man Toyoko was engaged to, decided to stop chasing after a woman who refused to acknowledge his existence.

Ayame secretly supported Toyoko and Kuno in their relationship, knowing how desperate Toyoko felt to escape her unwanted engagement. Ayame felt the same way towards her own engagement. She would also avoid the advances of her own fiancé, Kibito, each time he would visit her at the dojo. He had also given her surprise visits at her training area.

Ayame wasn't thinking of Kibito, she was thinking of someone else.

Tangled

A few more weeks of training went by and then Ayame finally came home on a more permanent stay. She had decided to stay for her sister's sake. Toyoko needed a friend. Kuno had been hired by Mimori to be the keeper of the shrine, much to Sasuke's disgust. Mimori knew better than her husband what was going to arise from this, but she kept it to herself. Ayame knew that their dad was franticly trying to find Toyoko a new husband, something Ayame wishes he would do for her. Kibito's persistence went up to the point that she had begun to run and hide from him during his visits.

It was during one of those visits that night fell. Ayame, far from her home already in her attempt to avoid Kibito, decided to turn it into one of her nightly trainings. She soon stumbled into a pack of demonic, overgrown dogs. Strained from her training with a fractured rib, twisted ankle, and immobile shoulder, the demons were quick to surround Ayame. She saw them twitch to attack her but they soon stopped in their tracks.

Ayame had seen the quick flashes of a sword. She knew he had saved her.

"Death by beauty," he addressed her.

"My name is Ayame," she said between her labored breathing.

"Indeed."

She had trained just to see him again and prove herself in a fight against him. To show that she can overcome any obstacle, beat any opponent. Here he was, and she wasn't thinking about that anymore. Ayame realized she wanted to see him for a different reason.

Mundus sheathed his sword and once again stood over the tattered body of the bellatrix-in-training. He gazed at her until she had sufficiently healed herself enough to stand.

Their eyes met and an intensity neither of them had ever experienced roared between their gazes and traveled into their bodies.

Ayame had never been kissed before but she knew that if she had, it would not have held the same intensity and passion as the one she was in right now. It meant nothing to her that the individual who was holding her in his arms was a demon, the very entity she has trained all her life to kill off.

Reyna stopped. She had to. Just for a moment.

Jagged Path

The following two years were a whirl of vigorous training and clan demon slayings. Ayame participated in it all. Toyoko was not as active. Sometimes Ayame would train with Mundus. It was a rarity that she would spar with the demon, but it was always an amazing learning experience. Sasuke had finally accepted the fact that Toyoko would not settle with anyone but Kuno, so he placed all his burdens on Ayame. She obviously didn't tell her anyone of Mundus. She just kept playing her part in the clan.

Kibito was unfortunately chose to still chase after Ayame, and he was frequently visiting her almost each day. It was becoming more difficult for her to sneak away to train, much less see Mundus. The fact that he was experienced with the ways of war and battle both against man and demon made it difficult at times for her to acknowledge his presence but still, she seemed to escape every time.

It wasn't long until the possessive and envious Kibito began to have suspicions of another man.

Upon writing the title of the next story, Reyna paused. This was the piece that inspired the portrait she had seen of Mundus and Ayame. Preparing herself mentally and emotionally, she began to read. Immediately, her face reddened and stayed as so during the entire read of the tale. At the end, she wiped her tears away. Trying to ignore her pounding and protesting heart, she wrote down her summary as unbiased as she possibly could.

Blood and Immortality

Ayame had successfully escaped during the middle of the night to train. She was surprised to see Mundus waiting for her in the usual bare patch of land deep in the forest's vegetation.

She greeted him with an embrace she had longed for since the last she saw of him. He hugged her tight and close and kissed her. With each movement of their lips, the kiss intensified and became more passionate. Neither of them had felt such luscious vibrations run through their bodies before.

It seemed like a blur but it was remembered so clearly. Before Ayame could understand what it was that she was experiencing, she felt Mundus' touch on her now nude body. His own bare physique was pressing on top of her. She looked into his dark eyes and saw a gentle reflection of herself in them.

The grass under them folded underneath their weight and movements. Ayame could hardly believe what she was feeling. The magnificent sensation of having someone to share her love with and the satisfying emotion that, that person felt the same way. It was indescribable.

Complete.

She was one with the one she loved. He was inside her, pulling her life waves to become one with his.

They made a vow. Ayame was going to leave her clan. They would live together the best they could, without any battles or encounters with anyone or anything else.

They were in love.

Bloody Rain

It was the first time in years that the Twin Blades had such a talk. Toyoko of course knew Ayame did not like Kibito and suspected she was in love with someone else. She didn't ask anything else beyond that. Toyoko finally married Kuno at seventeen and soon became pregnant. As Toyoko's due date approached, so did Ayame's own seventeenth birthday. Ayame decided to leave immediately after the baby's birth to be certain that the Watanabe Clan's legacy would live on without her. Surly an offspring from Toyoko would be powerful. Ayame also wanted to leave to avoid wedding Kibito.

It was a rainy night when Ayame left to see Mundus, eager to tell him that the day when she would leave to be with him was soon. Caught up in her excited thoughts and emotions, she did not notice the arms that framed around her waist until they actually belted around her and pulled her.

Kibito had finally caught Ayame. As he clamped her to his body, she realized he could have caught her all along. He had merely been spying on her. He demanded to know why she was refusing him, a great war hero of the northern lands. Ayame dared tell him she loved another individual and was never going to give herself to him.

Angered, Kibito forced Ayame on the muddy ground, his strength surprising her. His weight was enough to immobilize her. The ground under them was soft, allowing Kibito to easily strip open her of her clothes and expose her body. She struggled, but he then said something that surprised and frightened her.

"You think I don't know about your demon lover? I have followed you more closely than you think."

"I don't care if you tell my family and clan what I have done. I plan on leaving all the same," she had told him.

"That's not what I plan to do. It's simple enough. Choose me or I will kill your sister's baby. Such a dishonorable conception deserves as much. It will be easy to do. Toyoko is no longer at the peak of her strength, and your father values me too highly to suspect me. Give yourself to me right now."

 Ayame couldn't believe what she had been told, but by the anger in his eyes, she knew he was not lying. She also couldn't allow something like that to happen. She agreed, quickly devising a plan to kill him while he took advantage of her, with his guard down. He kissed and entered her, and she hated it. She waited until his pleasure would overtake him. It was then in those few seconds that she would murder him.

Kibito's weight was then taken off Ayame. She saw, through the curtain of rain, Mundus standing over them. He griped a handful of Kibito's hair in one hand. Before she could react in any way, Mundus pulled Kibito's head off his shoulders. Rain mixed with blood drizzled on her skin.

Ayame saw his eyes. They were crimson.

Mundus had seen Ayame with her fiancé. Saw her undone clothes, her lack of fighting back when he touched her, kissed her, and understood it as so. She had lied to him.

Ayame tried to speak and explain to him what was going on, but he sprinted away towards her dojo, red eyes glaring through the night.

She couldn't match his speed. She arrived too late.

There was blood everywhere. He had killed everyone; everyone in the Watanable Clan was dead. Everyone but her. She was the last one of her family.

Mundus had slaughtered all her family, this was something she could not forgive. Although she still loved him, she had to kill him.

"No," Reyna whispered. The next story was one of the many she had studied in her English class, back when everything had been normal. All she had been worrying about that day was having a decent birthday party for the student body. To be able to finally initiate some relationship with Dante. That seemed like decades ago.

Dante.

Tomorrow night was their date. She had almost forgotten. It was also the night of the full moon. She was finally going to tell him how she couldn't continue this. That she had let this go on for too long. She had tried to find a place for him, but it was all just falling apart.

No, she thought. Focus on this.

But she was unable to continue reading. The next story, The Moon's Destiny, was when Ayame sealed Mundus away, thinking she had killed him. Ayame was never mentioned by name in any of the stories of her school copy. In fact, not much was. Names were a rarity as was any sense of time consistency or linear plot. However, this wasn't a plot. This was not a story. It had happened. Sakuya's Collection was a tome of forgotten histories.

"You killed her family," Reyna quietly began to sob. "Over a stupid misunderstanding."

Her fists slammed on the book, tears streaming from her eyes, dripping down her cheeks, falling onto her hands.

"But," she whispered. "If this had never happened, I would have never met you."

Suddenly sensing a familiar yet hated sensation, Reyna turned towards her doorway to see her Uncle Amon standing under the exposed doorframe. She gasped, trying to hide her tear stained face. Hadn't she closed her door?

He seemed emotionless as he strolled into her room. Scared but curious, Reyna followed his movements as he walked to one of her drawers. Pulling it open, he extracted a familiar package. Walking over with it to Reyna, he placed it on the bed and opened it, exposing the bracelet he had given her. The same one she had discarded in fear of what influence, if any, it might bestow upon her.

Amon raised the silver bracelet and clasped it around her right wrist. It was the first time she had seen it in full detail. It was a simple silver bracelet. Several tiny polished loops held it together.

Reyna locked sights with Amon's single eye. "Please," she breathed. "Tell me the origin of this book. What is it?"

Amon held her gaze a bit longer before he closed his eye and with a sad nod began to speak.

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Author's Note: Hello again! So here we have some more exposure to Mundus and Ayame's past! Yay! If anything confuses you, please tell me so I can fix it up to flow better. Thanks! :D

Hope to hear from ya! ^^

Drawing: Ayame