It was a small village, the shelters were built to by quickly put up and taken down to fit the nomadic lifestyle of the people within it. Always racing against the storms that brewed just behind their backs, always just out of reach of the great bolts of lightning that cascaded down in rapid bombardments of destruction on the great plains.

At the time, Raikou had yet to grow to the age were his powers of wind would develop, at the time wind was all he had, but he could not use it, could not tap into the reserves of power that flowed through his veins. Raikou was six, a small child, and a mere two years away from coming to the age where the wind would be released.

So here we are, with Raikou, the six year old cat eyed boy, and oddity amongst his own people, his hair stark white, something never seen, as the nomadic tribe was of mostly dark haired and dark skinned people with dark eyes, but he was a complete contrast of them. His mother came out of the tiny little hut he called home, and called for him. "Raikou, go round up your brothers and bring them in, we've got to move." This was spoken so casually, the young Raikou gave a nod to his mother, then set off to the edge of the nomadic camp in search of his brothers.

Raikou found his brothers, along with his older cousing Kinzoku. Kinzoku was a blessed one to the village, the powers of earth and metal came easily to him, and at a age younger than any other's power. And this boosted the young boy's ego, he thought himself the ringleader of all the children, said he'd take over the village when he grew up, an ambition he might achieve.

So Raikou came upon his two brothers and cousin, the brothers twins in fact, Kasai and Aisu. All three of them, Kinzoku, Kasai, and Aisu turned upon Raikou the moment they heard his young and timid voice call out for them, and Kinzoku's face lit up with a wicked grin, how he enjoyed picking on his younger cousin. Almost the moment Raikou came into view, Kinzoku flexed a muscle, sent out a wave and the earth lifted under Raikou's feet, and contracted around him, leaving his shoulder and head above ground the rest below. Instantly the passive cat eyes turned into an angry glare, he struggled, grunted, screamed but couldn't get free, he cursed silently, hating his cousin more than any other. The others laughed, and Kinzoku felt fueled by the sound, so he continued, he moved the earth once more, having it take Raikou to the edge of the storm, laughing at the young one's screams of protest, the others soon stopped their laughter, saw how close Raikou was getting, how dangerous it was becoming, and asked Kinzoku to stop.

Kinzoku ignored the pleas, just called them scared, told them to run home and cry as the storm loomed closer to Raikou. Raikou's already pale face went all the whiter as the storm grew ever closer, the village was packing up, preparing to move on, and here he was put right at the edge of the massive storm that they ran from, lightning shot down around him, Kinzoku blinked, let go of Raikou, but it was too late, he was in the storm, so the other three ran, while Raikou cowered in a ball, the bolts of lightning bombarding the ground around him.

So when Kinzoku, Kasai, and Aisu made it back to the now prepared nomadic camp, and Raikou's mother came calling out to them for Raikou they could only look guiltily down at their feet, it was their fault that Raikou was stuck in the storm. Her eyes widened with horror, she ran towards the edge of the camp, and saw off in the distance, against the flashes of lightning, the silhouette of young Raikou, curled up, crying silently in fear, and then another flash of lightning, a bolt of it struck the young one, and he fell still, no movement, no more crying, by all appearances, he was dead.

Tears welled up in her eyes, she called out for her son, then wind swept up, the black storm clouds that hovered just off of the edge of the village suddenly were blown away, the storms ceased, the source of the wind came from the small lump that was Raikou. The lump stirred, Raikou rose shakily to his feet, his white hair swayed dangerously as if caught in a fierce gale, the cat eyes, cold and angry turned to the village, or more importantly, to Kinzoku. Raikou may haveve been far away, but there was no mistaking it, he was angry, he sought retribution, and he was young, he didn't know how to go about punishing Kinzoku, life and death weren't factors considered to the child, they had no meaning as of yet...

Raikou could feel the nymph?s presence before he could see her.

The air moved about Lily in the most singular fashion; the way it became saturated with her scent?it made everything seem just a bit fresher. Granted, her figure was always a bit hazy, what with all the alcohol she imbibed (it practically leaked out her pores). Still, the fae seemed to embody the ocean more than the ocean itself. The clean, crisp scent she brought with her made Raikou take a lungful of oxygen eagerly. He turned slowly about in the sand, the grains parting his bare toes most comfortably. Tawny, almost gold eyes sized up the lithe, winged creature before him. She may have been short, but this fae was all legs in a shapeless, seafoam cocktail dress. Her posture was awkwardly angular?like she was shrinking away from something, was hesitant. That was new for her. Lily was always a bubbling ball of ruthless, unstoppable energy. True to his nature, the elemental remained carefully silent, studying his company for minutes.

The nymph frowned at him, dark blue brows furrowing unhappily. Turquoise eyes darted to the vast expanse of water behind Raikou. Her lips twitched.

Was she planning on speaking any time soon?

?Look?? Lily said at last. ?I know I said I would bring you to her, but? well? I really don?t think it?s a good idea.? She was glancing warily to the bangles that were fettered to her wrists.

He was looking at the angry red welts and fresh bruises beneath them.

?I think it?s a great idea? he replied smoothly. The words were awkward on his tongue?he still wasn?t quite used to the freedom the broken seal had on his communication skills. He much preferred telepathy, but Lily always seemed to be bothered by it. The nymph was still shifting her weight restlessly. He let out a sigh.

?Lily, I just want to? talk? to her,? Raikou said flatly, the pause in his speech quite evident. He was a terrible liar. Thankfully, Lily was painfully gullible. She seemed to be quieted by this remark. With a resigned sigh, the nymph darted forward on the sand--having more grace than any woman had a right to-- and took his hand gently, pulling him toward the water. She took a deep breath, and walked straight into the surf.

At that moment, the sun hit the surface of the water brightly, and Raikou?s vision was obscured.

No. It wasn?t the sun hitting the surface of the water. It was hitting? her.

Lily was halfway submerged, but he could see where the iridescent, cerulean scales blended into her snow-colored skin. The hand that held his was now extraordinarily soft and webbed. The warm seawater licked his waist comfortably as he attempted to size up the marine half of his company. She caught the casual survey, and flipped a translucent tail fin out of the water for his benefit.
She seemed wary. ?Are you frightened?? she asked, uncomfortable. This was very unlike Lily. Maybe he was the first to see her like this. The man gave a shrug.

?I?ve seen worse.?

That comment made the fae strangely appeased. She started pulling him under the water.

?We?re going to be under water most of the way, so I?ll supply you with the air your lungs need. You need to keep your hands over your ears at all times. Can you do that?? the nymph finished, all business. Raikou gave a quick nod. How was she planning to give him oxygen while they were under? He didn?t have time to think about it; the next second, Lily had yanked him below the surf and pulled his arms around her neck. If she was speedy on land, this water sprite was lissome and breakneck below it. The water was rushing past him far too quickly to make out how far they?d gone or anything of the sort, so he made the extra effort of laying his eyes, focused, on his companion.

Lily?s marine half was certainly a sight to see. In place of her legs was one long, scaled trunk that ended in a flat, two-pointed fin. Said scales blended seamlessly into the skin of her torso, now minus one pair of wings. She moved streamlined in the water?arched her back the way a dolphin would. It was really quite graceful, though he?d never admit it. The only thing that hindered her movement seemed to be the gown she?d been wearing, now shapeless and awkward so saturated. She probably left it on for his benefit. Raikou really couldn?t imagine nymphs? line of work posing any need for extensive attire. All this soon became an afterthought, however, as the elemental was brought back to reality with the painful realization that he?d forgotten to take a breath above the surface. His lungs were on fire?clouding the forefront of his mind and causing his grip to slacken around the fae?s neck. He became vaguely aware of her cold, soft?almost slimy?hands snaking around his right wrist and pulling him partially to face her. She craned her neck, locked a hand securely behind his head, and pressed her lips to his.

All at once, he exhaled a liter of carbon dioxide through his nose, she breathed into his mouth, and he greedily drank up a new lungful of fresh oxygen. His free hand floated aimlessly down Lily?s side, pausing as he felt a cut in the fabric of her dress. No. It wasn?t in her dress. Electric eyes darted downward as he pressed more firmly on Lily?s ribs. Folds of skin shuddered and shifted beneath his grip. Lily snatched up that hand and pulled his arm awkwardly around her neck once more. He could hear her gills filtering the water again in relief.

?You do that, and I can?t breathe for either of us!? she said with a giggle, her voice as clear as if they were on land. And they were moving again, taking only what Raikou could assume were leagues of distance underwater in seconds. Soon, Lily was slowing.

?We?re getting closer. Cover your ears.? Her tone was flat. It wasn?t like Lily to be frightened. With exasperation he came to the conclusion she probably wasn?t frightened for herself, but for him. His notation was realized when her body stiffened beneath him for some unknown reason.

Then he heard it.

It was like a choir. No. A chorus. No. A symphony of angelic voices were all around him. Through him. In him. They chirped like nightingales, echoed and blended like a myriad of strings, hummed like some perfect wood instrument he couldn?t quite put a name to. Whatever it was, it wouldn?t have done the song justice. The voices said no words, but somehow Raikou knew they were singing about him?to him. He was suddenly incredibly warm, filled up, and every muscle in his body became taut, eager, desperate for more. Desperate to get closer. He needed to hear them sing. Air didn?t matter. Nothing mattered. Soon he was readily letting go of whatever it was he was hanging on to. The songs were coming from beneath him. It was a perfect harmony of sweet trilling and powerful, full-bodied resonation. They crooned him, cradled him, beckoned him. He let go entirely and made to move downward, floundering a moment as he realized his lungs were burning.

Breathe, the song told him in no words at all. And soon Raikou was more than convinced that any breath he took here would only fill him with the song, make him a part of it. And he was eager and excited for it. He opened his mouth and inhaled deeply.

Silence. Darkness.

He was only faintly aware of the most head-splitting shriek reverberating around him. An enormous jerking movement. A flurry of action going on around him was followed by hysterical, livid howling and shrill wailing. A hiss sounded near his ear.

That was wrong. The voices were so peaceful, so pleasant a moment ago. This couldn?t be the same ones. More darkness threatened as three hands simultaneously grabbed at his feet and wrist. Instinctively, feeling his strength ebb, Raikou summed up a charge beneath his skin and released a rather powerful fulgurant torturously all about him. One hand refused to let go. Another myriad of shrieks, and water was rushing past his ears.

More darkness.

It was very quiet for a very long time.

He could feel the waves crashing against him, crushing his sternum over and over.

No. It wasn?t the waves. It was too constant.

?Raikou! Raikou open your eyes! Please, Raikou! Please! Please open your eyes!!?

His lungs ached. Stop it. Just let him sleep. He was so tired.

Cold lips pressed against his. The zephyr about them flew to his eyelids, up his nose, into his mouth, beckoning him to wake. This gust, this breeze was staying his consciousness. It was almost as if the element itself was trying its damnedest to keep his wits about him.

Gradually, the sounds of the surf became much clearer, muted only by a strange ripping sound above him.

His eyelids fluttered open. It wasn?t ripping. It was sobbing. Amber eyes caught the familiar silhouette of his companion. As it became clearer, he noticed her eyes were bloodshot, her cheeks tear-streaked. But that wasn?t all. In place of her human-like teeth were two rows of sharp, pointed fangs. Her eyes were different, too. They were bloodshot, but he now noticed they weren?t the pretty turquoise he was used to. The irises were a milky white.

A dangerous white.

?Raikou! Raikou, can you hear me? Please, say something!? She was hiccupping breathlessly between sobs.

He nodded.

The nymph wept vehemently and frantically pawed at her eyes to clear her vision. ?I told you. I told you to cover your ears. I told you this was a bad idea. Are you all right? Can you speak? Are you all right??

Her wailing was augmenting the pounding headache he already had in his temples.

?Lily??

?Yes? What is it, Raikou?? She coughed and sniveled piteously.

?Cut it out.?

There was a pause. When he opened his eyes again, he saw that the nymph?s face was shocked and appalled.

?Raikou. You could have DIED. By all rights you would have! What the hell are you? How can you possibly??

?I?ve had a lot worse.?

A stinging, painful, wet slap on his cheek had him instantly more alert.

?You STUPID, STUPID mean-hearted, cruel, idiot of a man! You are stupid, and reckless, and I HATE YOU!? But her words were empty. She was crying again.

Raikou sighed and sat up, grabbing the wrist that hadn?t slapped him.

?Lily?? he crooned, but paused. His hands felt at the warped skin of her palm before he looked down. Her whole hand was almost purple?raw, blistered, and bleeding. ?? What happened to your hand??

She gave him a knowing look. He shook his head apologetically, recalling only vaguely the moment he decided to defend himself?when the shrieks had turned violent. She must have hung on.

?I?m sorry.?

She shook her head in response, a wry smile playing her lips. ?It?s fine. I wouldn?t have been able to get you away from my sisters if you hadn?t. They found you particularly? appetizing.?

This caught his attention. Raikou never thought to ask Lily about her line of work, or about her duties. But that would explain the malicious-looking fangs her sweet visage was tainted with in this form. He shrugged and took a cursory survey of the area. It was dark, and he and Lily were sitting on a large, flat rock that protruded from some kind of coral reef. There was nothing but a huge expanse of ocean before him. Behind them, he could hear the crashing of a waterfall. He looked back, and was stunned to see a mountainous cliff face, stretching east for miles, accentuated with green mosses and a crystal blue cascade of water down its center.

?Where are we??

When he looked back, Lily?s eyes were blue again. Her legs were curled under her person, ready to spring. No. Ready to bolt was more like it.

?We?re here.?

He blinked. ?A waterfall??

Lily nodded, as if he was missing something completely obvious. ?Sedna prefers fresh water from time to time. It?s refreshing.? Her tone was flat again. She looked away from the fall, back toward the ocean. Probably calculating the time it would take to run. He wouldn?t let her drag him away. Not after it took this long for her to bring him here.

?Well. Let?s go meet her.?

The nymph frowned. ?Raikou, I really-- ?

?Lily?? he chastised her. The lack of faith she had in his abilities was really beginning to irk him.

?Raikou. I can?t protect you in front of her?? she began, an unhappy look down at her shackles.

?I can.? He nodded. She was still hesitating. ?Lillia. Just a talk. There are a few things I want to discuss with her, and I am sure she feels the same about me.?

The nymph sighed and rose to her feet, pulling him with her. ?The foot of the fall,? she said quite simply.

He nodded again, wrapped an arm around her waist, and in moments the air around them had cradled their bodies and hoisted them effortlessly into levitation. Their toes skimmed the water?s surface as they speedily flew toward the destination.

Everything was very, very quiet by the time they reached the shallow water. Eerily quiet. With a start, Raikou realized that the waterfall was not roaring the way it should be?the way it had been a moment ago. It was making no sound at all. No splashing, no diving?nothing. Just as silently, a figure emerged from the cascade, her pace a casual saunter. He was not the only one with strange abilities, it seemed?this woman was walking on water.

And it was a woman. If Raikou didn?t know any better, he would have claimed she was quite possibly the most beautiful woman he?d ever seen. Milky-white, flawless skin of a perfect, voluptuous figure was accentuated by a crystalline, gossamer gown of cerulean and violet. She must have been six feet tall, and though she was standing beneath a waterfall, she was not wet in the slightest. Waist-length, loose, ebony curls flowed unheeded down her bare back, where the dress dipped notoriously low. She was beautiful, yes. But there was something wrong about her eyes.

Her eyes were white?aglow with tamed fury. Sedna, the goddess of the sea and the underworld beneath it, wore a taunting sneer.

?Raikou, is it? I?ve been waiting for you.?

The water nymph?s mouth dropped.

Did Raikou just say ?Live with me?? Maybe he was just speaking in formalities. Maybe he really meant that she should just live on the surface, and occasionally the two would visit. Still. The bold way by which he spoke to her mistress, Sedna?goddess of the sea and the unforgiving underworld beneath it?had her a bit jarred. Servile faculties kicked in, and she was on her knees pleading, her words a frantic, disconnected ream of high-pitched utterances.

?He really didn?t mean that. My friend Raikou here was just joking?just being silly. He?s always so silly. He was just joking. Tell her you were joking, Raikou!? She glanced desperately at him, but his tawny, cat-like eyes never left Sedna. A turquoise set flew between the two; Lily?s movements became jerky and panicked like a trapped rabbit in the lair of a fox.

?Raikou. Tell her! Tell her you were--?

Her words were cut off by some invisible force?as though an enormous concentration of salt invaded her lungs and dried everything up, making it impossible to speak.

The ethereal woman across from them pressed closer, her eyes aglow with amused disbelief.

?You think you?ve a right to make a request, have you? You who have been so careless, so unjustly influencing of my daughter?s life??

Raikou?s brows lifted at that.

?That?s right,? she continued. ?I created that fae?I bore her from the waves, gave her life! She is mine to cradle and mine to control,? she sniffed in derision at the blonde?s obliviousness.

?You have leagues of nymphs at your disposal,? Raikou argued fervently. ?What makes you think this one?s absence will make a difference? You have all the power you could possibly need alone! What is Lily to you??

Sedna?s lip curled back over her teeth in the most gruesome snarl.

?I allotted my power to that silly girl, gave her everything she ever needed. Everything she ever dreamed. You expect me to simply sit back after all of this betrayal, all of this disobedience, and just let her take my power and leave??

Raikou took note of the fact that she never once called Lily by her name. He gave a tentative look to Lily; where would she be if all ties to her magic were severed? She was inherently a magical being. If Lily?s powers and faculties were taken from her, would she disappear too? The desperate, terrified look Lily paid him had him second-guessing his request.

But still. Those tawny eyes moved to her frail and beaten wrists and ankles; he recalled the many times she was struck by her mistress?s rage, tortured at her leisure. The memories had drawn untamed fury to the forefront of his countenance.

?Lily?? he began soothingly, ignoring the offended gape of the mouth Sedna produced. ?Lily. Is this what you want? Would you like to be free of her? Would you like to come to live with me, away from here? And only return if you choose it??

The nymph?s wild eyes made to track over to her mistress.

?No,? Raikou said flatly. ?Don?t look at her. Look at me. Is this what you want??

Images of spending time with her ?lightning friend? flooded Lily?s mind. In an instant, an infinite montage of new and exciting possibilities was knocking at her door, begging to be let in. Or rather, let out.

Everything in that life that may come paled in comparison with the fact that she would be able to see him every day, all the time. The idea of an eternity with Raikou filled her with a euphoria she had never felt in her life. She nodded at him very slowly.

?That?s all I needed to know,? he said simply. Behind him, Sedna let out the most head-splitting, terrifying shriek?it was all he could do not to double over in agony. The hurt never seemed to end. It was never going to end. But it did, and it was as though the goddess had made no sound at all. When he turned back to the goddess, her skin had turned a sickly blue, quarter-sized scales literally cutting through the epidermis of her neck and arms straight outward, giving her the look of a feral dog when threatened. He slid a foot behind his person and relaxed his knees, revising his posture to account for a substantial offense.

Sedna?s formerly angelic features were now contorted with livid animosity. ?I will never let you leave,? she taunted him dangerously.

Behind him, Raikou heard a shuddering roar and crash. He turned around slowly.

There was a three-story high wall of water coming straight toward him.

When he landed behind Sedna, he heard the strangest cackling noise. With a start, he realized the goddess was laughing. He whirled about, nearly losing his balance. Thankfully, the air currents around him had him cradled and readily safeguarded. He was not four meters from Sedna, but it seemed like her silhouette was somewhat blurry; his onslaught of fluorescent electricity still lingered, danced over her person, but never seemed to make direct contact. He stood still for several seconds, taken aback. Why was his attack not working?

Sedna grinned at the desperate frustration in Raikou?s expression and slowly stretched her hand toward him, palm out. As she moved her limb, the blurry aura around her seemed to clear?crystallize almost, and soften. The glass-like sheen clung to the shape of her body, not five inches from her skin. Raikou blinked. The glassy sheen rippled.

The damned cheat had a ten-inch-thick aegis of solid water that was reinforced by an oxygen-buffer at her skin.

Raikou grit his teeth together. She wasn?t going to make this a fair fight. Not by half.

Sedna let out another cackle. This pathetic elemental was going to be hard-pressed to find a way to get through her shield. Though his wind-manipulation was going to be a bit of a problem. She wouldn?t be able to get close enough to drown him if he kept sending whirlwind flurries in her direction. She needed to get him underwater?drown him, or call in her daughters and subject him to the siren song. She needed to catch him off-guard.

His dangerous stance was enough to make Sedna unsettled; this one had clearly seen extensive combat. She hissed, baring a set of pointed teeth and pale gums. She wasn?t going to be able to toy with him for long. But how to catch him unawares?? He was so alert, always so poised. A sneer stole her features in irritation. Out of the corner of her eye, she picked up movement. A blink, and she turned her head toward the nymph, who had phased to her native form defensively, and was slowly pulling her half-submerged self along the edge of rock toward Raikou. Sedna smiled darkly. There was one way to distract Raikou.

---------------------------

A sweet singing filled the air around Raikou. If he didn?t know any better, he would have said the song was quite beautiful and soothing. With a start, he realized it must have been an attack; a flash lit his eyes, and soon the winds around him were a frenzied carnal of gyring flurries, forbidding any sound waves whatsoever from coming remotely close to him. He smirked at the goddess?s poor offensive tactic, and looked over at her smugly. It was then he noticed that Sedna was not looking at him, but to his left. He confusedly followed her gaze to the water beside him, and his eyes widened.

Lily was there, and she wasn?t breathing.

The girl?s body was lifeless in his hands. Raikou quickly gave a heave and pulled her out of the water. She?d changed back to her human form by then, and her lips were blue from hypoxia.

?Lily! Lily snap out of it! Wake up!? She did not move.
Not meters from him, Raikou heard a sickening thud followed by raspy heaving. He glanced up, wild-eyed. The goddess was on her hands and knees; her entire body was letting off steam from where the electricity had connected. She was glaring at him with livid murderous intent-- it brought new meaning to the phrase ?if looks could kill.?

Sedna slid a foot beneath herself to try and stand up, but her knees caved, and she collapsed again. She let out a hysterical, enraged snarl at the elemental.

She hadn?t counted on a double-onslaught. It took more concentration than she let on to keep the shield in place, and he?d not only assaulted her defenses, but drove forward with an excruciating offense straight at her sternum. At that moment, the lightning had gotten through, and the current coursing through Raikou?s body had delivered itself into her person. Her insides were on fire, and she was finding it hard to breathe.

This was impossible. She was Sedna, the goddess of the underworld! She?d legions of nymphs at her command?she controlled the seas and the cursed place beneath them. And this puny, poor excuse for a being had her gasping for air. She grew manic in that moment. There was no way she would summon her daughters to see her like this. But she was at even odds with this indecent imbecile? maybe even less-than even. Fight or flight? Fight or flight?

? She?d no reason to fight him anymore. The nymph had exhausted her use. Carefully, Sedna scrambled to her feet and gave a high-pitched whistle. The waves behind her moved in to carry her to safety.

------------------------

Raikou leapt to his feet. No. She wouldn?t get away that easily. He summoned a carnal of whirlwind behind him and launched forward again. Sedna had turned her back. Now was his chance.

He was amazed when he met with no resistance in reaching for her throat. She must have lowered her shield. He gave a secure squeeze on the wench?s neck, his eyes cold, severe.

?What did you do to her??

Sedna did not respond, only watched him blankly. Raikou squeezed harder. The goddess winced.

?I took it back. All of it,? she rasped out. The waves behind them slowed and lowered until they were flowing pleasantly at their ankles. Raikou?s brow furrowed in exasperation. He glanced back to Lily with a jerk. She still hadn?t moved.

?Took WHAT back!??

A wry smile crept across the savage?s lips. ?The magic. All of it. Your friend is dead.?

The goddess?s lips parted into a taunting sneer.

?What are you going to do? Get rid of me?? she hissed out harshly.

The side of Raikou?s palm dug deep into the base of her neck, his catlike eyes blazing with all the fury of a torrential, limitless swell in the ocean behind them. He expended an ungodly amount of restraint not snapping her neck then and there. Still, he slipped a little, and when the heel of his palm dug into the goddess?s chest, he heard a sickening, muted snap beneath her skin. She shrieked in a pitch so high Raikou felt the magnitude of seamless vibrations beneath his feet. Still, his handy elemental manipulation of the carnal around him kept his ears clear and his head where it should be.

Sedna whimpered, but breathed shallowly and managed a weak chuckle.

?You have nothing? NOTHING to offer me?!? she shrilled maniacally. She was dangerously close to losing herself in some kind of hysterical fit.

The man grit his teeth audibly, his upper lip twitching in a snarl. ?I can destroy you?? he growled lividly.

?And what can that possibly do? With me gone, she?ll never come back.? Her words were cold and deep. But still, the resolve in her eyes was waning. Who knew what kind of punishment waited for her in the dank beyond? The torture! It would be centuries before she could reach the surface again. The thought alone had her reassessing the situation. She swallowed, the action forced and painful against Raikou?s ever-present grip. Her eyes narrowed.

?What is she, anyway, but an ignorant child? What could she possibly mean to you??

If she kept up the taunting fa?ade, maybe she could convince the elemental to make her an offer. But she didn?t bank on it. The tides were rapidly turning against her.

?You can, can you?? the goddess?s voice was flat, the interrogative reading more as a statement of forfeit than anything else. Raikou glared, his hold on the savage trembling. Just one snap, and he?d have her in the rotten Abyss where her unfeeling corpse belonged. Just one little squeeze.

But she wasn?t looking at him. She was looking behind him. He would not avert his gaze. He would not give her the upper hand.

? But then he heard the sweetest sound he could have hoped for.

?Raikou?? The voice was strained and unsteady, but it was Lily?s.

The elemental immediately jerked his head in the voice?s direction. A sigh of relief escaped his lips as his eyes were blessed with seeing Lily sitting up and staring at him wide-eyed. There was something off about her color?she was paler than usual. She looked positively terrified. She should be. This damn savage he had in his grip nearly stole Lily away from him forever. The thought brought a new surge of hatred to him and through him?static electricity danced threateningly across his person, snapping and crackling with the speed and intensity of the hostility he harbored. She needed to be destroyed for frightening Lily. She needed to be destroyed regardless.

??Rai--?

He heard Lily?s breath catch. It was just barely over a whisper. He glanced sideways at her again. She was trembling. Why should she be trembling? He had her mistress in his grasp! She was safe from her! His temper surged. She had no right to have so little faith in him now, after all he did for her. A ream of lightning escaped his form and snapped halfway across the space between them. Lily gasped and shrunk back.

She wasn?t frightened of Sedna. She was frightened of him.

With a sickened swallow, Raikou stilled the hatred raging in his veins and released the goddess. She coughed, her hands flying to hold her throat in relief. She was glaring daggers at Lily.

?After all? all I?ve done for you. After everything I?ve given you?? she hissed.

Lily leapt to her feet somewhat clumsily, staggering once. What was off about her? There was something different, but at the moment Raikou couldn?t put his finger on it.

?Mother? please?? Lily whispered. But what was there to say?

Sedna shrieked in protest at the title, baring her teeth at the nymph. ?You? you impudent child? are never to come to my sea again.? She straightened, a resigned look taking hold of her. She looked almost? sad. The goddess turned her head away from the pair. ?Be gone, or I will have my daughters destroy you both.? In the distance, Raikou?s sensitive ears picked up a high-pitched, melancholy song. It was getting stronger.

Whether or not she was afraid, Raikou saw no other option. He grabbed Lily?s hand quickly and, in seconds, they were both airborne, flying back in the direction of the shore.

Behind them, he could hear the biting, sarcastic hiss of Sedna?s last words to the outcast: ?I sincerely hope you find what you?re looking for.?

-----------------------------

It had been hours since they had returned to the docks, and Lily hadn?t moved an inch. She still stood with her back to Raikou, her arms at her sides limply, staring at the ocean. The elemental sighed inwardly. He would have to speak to her sooner or later. He moved silently to her side. The air still moved so familiarly around her, but it wasn?t quite the same.

She didn?t smell like the sea.

With hesitation, Raikou finally peered around to catch a glimpse of her face.

She was crying.

?Lily?? his voice was cool, distant.

?They?re gone,? she said quietly, her voice scratchy from the strain the tears had put on her throat. ?I can?t hear their song anymore.? She did not look at him, but broke into a hysterical sob.

?And I can?t? I can?t?? her words caught in her throat. She hopelessly pawed at her eyes and her nose. ?I can?t sing. I tried, but I can?t? I can?t?? Lily stuttered and buried her face in her hands.

Tawny, cool, cat-like eyes studied the fae silently. Sedna had taken away her song, it seemed. Lily was no longer a siren. What did that mean? How would that impact her life on land? How much magic *did* she have? And more importantly, how long would she live?

The fae?s sobbing quieted. She turned to Raikou slowly, her hands demurely before her lips. She locked her fingers together, pleading at him.

?I can?t ever go back, can I??

Raikou remained silent, his gaze traveling to the quiet waves beside them. It appeared not.

Lily followed the gaze. If ever anyone in the history of man looked hopeless, this nymph looked it now.

?What do I do now? Where do I go??

Raikou had asked himself that question since he arrived on Rhy?Din. His mouth remained shut, but his voice broke through the nymph?s thoughts.

--With luck, forward.--