Sometimes It is an happy ending

China Lang stood staring out at the ever-changing view of the mountains , a low growl issued from her as she once more relived the night she nearly died and was sent here to this primitive place in exile. He was to blame, it always centered on him. He had been too weak, unworthy of all the love she had heaped on him. Always complaining, always judging. Jealous of her abilities, of her. He had turned their children against her, always judgmental, always accusing her of wrong doing. The faint cry of a child made her growl again. The cry faded out as the young girl, a low-class peasant she'd forced to accept, tended to the12 month old. He was sick, always sick, and weak. The urge to kill it flashed but she fought it down. His child, one he had no knowledge of, the thought pleased her. Today that child would live, soon he would die and He would know that it was his fault the child died.

A soft scratching at the paper on the bamboo frame doors and she called out for the male to inter. His fear, made him reek, and inhaled deeply, intoxicating.

They should fear her. She was royalty, an earth-bound goddess, they should fear and worship her, and she made sure they did. She was a child of Beset, able to shift into any form of feline due to her royal blood and these supestiouce fools thought that made her Goddess so be it, it wasn't like she didn't deserve it. If proper respect wasn't given, well sometimes death was begged for.
"Lady of the heavens, Goddess chosen by the Celestial Tiger, made flesh, I have the information you require." His voice shook, slightly muffled by his head to the floor kneel. This male was a favorite, beautiful, well built, and well hung. He was starting to lose his appeal. He was loosening weight, and began to look sickly. She frowned, and if he had been able to look upon her, he would have shook more and cried out in fear.

"Speak"

"The American female, Anna Lycaster was through customs five days ago. The watchers lost her, due to your enemies magic 2 days ago. She was headed in this direction."

China growled, nearly giving the once vital stud a heart attack, she smelled the soft stink of urine and it made her smile. "Tell them they have one hour to locate her." She turned back to the view, listening to his hasty backwards scramble and the soft snick as he closed the doors. She rang the bell, which hung on a silk ribbon. The doors slid open, and she smelled that girl. "Clean it!" she commanded. She ate the huge pile of rare beef chunks slowly, getting satisfaction from hearing the girl whimper in hunger.
They failed to locate Anna in the allotted hour and four good men lost their lives, as China made the other hunters beat them to death. Anna was spotted by sharp eyed shepherd and that man was rewarded with meat.


Anna wasn't stupid. She knew they would find her, she counted on it. She counted on being dragged to China and she counted on China wanting to end her personally. She believed she would never see her beloved Kyle and bestie Tylor again, that to kill China, to make sure she could never hurt her loved ones she'd would have to die. She stilled cried silently for Kyle and her twins. But she never counted of the white tiger that attacked the men who had captured her. It slaughtered the men with a savageness that put true fear in Anna's heart. The tiger was a bit larger than average but not the overdone of the weres. Its eyes gleamed with intelligence, more were then animal. It gathered the men's packs, slashing threw the straps as if butter. It chuffed at her and moved off, turning twice to make sure Anna fallowed. When Anna refused, determined to find China's hideout on her own, it smacked her with just enough force to make her fall and her own pack straps in its mouth simply dragged her.
She found herself in a run down, nearly a ruin of a small temple. By the remain artwork and broken statues, it was dedicated to the celestial tigers, one of 4 animals the Japanese believed guarded japan.
It had left her, to drag the packs over to a small doorway. It shook the snow off and stretched. It returned to her. It sat next to her, watching as she shook off the snow and undid some of the layers, since surprisingly this ruined place was warm and sheltering. "why are you doing this. Why are you stopping me." Anna asked, as tears slid down her face. "I have to save them from her. She has to actually die." She couldn't help the pain and pleading that colored her voice. It had turned its head side to side as she talked, more canine the feline like. It came to its paws so fast Anna couldn't hide the jump the action caused. It made a brief sound, and to Anna it was how the weretigers back home laughed at someone. It grabbed her and dragged her behind an overturned table, shaking its head when she tried to voice a protest. That's when Anna herd voices. It raised a paw to its muzzlethen repeted that head cock. Anna made the finger to her lips and it nodded.
Two badly dressed for the cold female entered from an unseen doorway.they spoke rapid Japanese at the tiger. It made several sounds, similar yet not to how weres "talk" in animal form. The cat drew with a claw tip on the floor. The two took all but 2 of the large overloaded packs, tying them together to be dragged. When they had left, the tiger mad an odd chuff growl sound and a young girl crawled out from the small door. Anna could see the girl had a child, better bundled and tied to her body, and when she began to open the 2 packs, the tiger turned made the paw to muzzle action once more, and Anna nodded. Then the tiger moved a bit to the left and nuzzled the girl's child. The hood feel back and Anna nearly gave herself away. For the child looked just like Tylor. The tiger nodded slowly. The boy, seeing the tiger grinned happily, making him look even more like Tyler. "Tina" he said happily, then raiped fire Japanese. The tiger, Tina made silly sounds and put her ears sideways. "Shinobu, remember secrete words." Said the girl in very heavily accented English. The baby nodded his little face a study in constation. "Daddy's?" he asked, both girl and tiger nodded. "Daddy find Shinobu?" more nods.
"Me scared, Tina" the tiger nuzzled him, unable to take away his fear. The girl snuggled both. "Thank you Tina." She said, coming to her feet, the end of the rope she used to tie the packs together in one hand. "Soon?" Tina nodded, and thumped paw on floor 3 times. The girls looked startled but seem to suck in some hidden strength and nodded. "# Day then, we return and you take us?" Anna saw the hesitation then a nod. They went back through the door and were gone. Tina dropped her head, shaking it, ears sideways. "Oh my god." Was all Anna could say, making Tina snap her head around, to stair.
Anna had to get a message to someone. She had to let Tylor know about that baby.
Tina knew that in 3 days Anna and the girl would be dead, in six so would Shinobu, as his father watched via live video.
Long ago, Tina had been stripped of her powers for a crime she could no longer remember. She had no idea how to save that baby. She wasn't sure she even really cared.
"I have a satellite phone. If I can find a way to charge it, I can call for help. They can be here in less than 3 days." Anna said softly, more to herself then to Tina.
~satellite phone? ~ The soft accented English in her head made Anna jump. Tia covered her eyes with a foreleg, that "laughter" once more. "Bad kitty" she snapped. "Could have warned a person. A satellite phone can be used from anywhere to call anywhere." Tina growled. ~charge means electricity?"
Anna nodded. Tina came to her paws. ~watch~
It took nearly 3 hours to undo all the wards that made the temple look like a ruin inside, and Anna realized that this place had been modernized recently. Tina collapsed, having used up all the tiny magic's she had been storing for over a decade. It would alert her jailers that she had broken the wards and in a day or so would arrive. IT didn't matter, let them punish her. She watched as Anna dug in her pack and began laying out the things she needed.
8 hours latter Anna finely reached Kyle and after him freaking out over her actions was able to tell him all she knew. She sent images of the words Tina had carefully etched into the flooring, hoping Kyle could read them. Tina had written everything she knew, including where China was, what china planed and when she guessed she would do it. And so much more. Kyle and his parents carefully stuyded the images and was able to get the info needed. In 6 more hours Kyle and Tylor where on a privet plane heading to where China was. What they couldn't know was that Tina had betrayed them, anything to get some of her power back. They had no idea that China now had Anna, the girl and Shinobu, and the knowledge that both Kyle and Tylor was on rout. That China was going to fix them, that she got word to American friends to collect her two children and bring them to here, regardless of what they had to do to get it done.
They had left the pics at Tylor's dads, and when Jades best friend, his mates and all their kids arrived, the son-in-law once trained in older Japanese writing, was able to read the real message Tina had written. "They are set up to die and I take the blame.
He quickly got this new info to Jade and His father-in-law, Raven. They had only 8 hours left.

*****6 months latter*****

Shinobu had crammed his body under the bed and shook with fear. He tried to be good; he listened as hard as he could so he would understand. Tina hadn't lied, his daddy had come. But so much bad. His caretaker had died under Tina's claws and teeth screaming. China had escaped once more and his daddy's kids hated him. His daddy hated him. He was always sick, and he didn't understand anyone. The one nice guy, mr. blade didn't speak the same dialect and to him it seemed to make it worse. He was always scared that China would find him. It was his entire fault they had to come, that people died. He watched in terror as Tina went mad and attacked anyone, and watched her be shot over and over as she attacked his daddy.
~silly boy, come out of there. ~
He whimpered in fear, it wasn't the first time he hurd her in his head, since he got here.the bed lifted and he was pulled out. He didn't know the woman. Yet she smelled like Tina. She knelt down. It couldn't be Tina; she wasn't ever to be a people. ~hi, sweetling~ she said softly. "You're not to be a people" was all he could think to say. She smiled and it was stunning. "Perhaps it the best form for now." She said in Japanese
"They hate me." He cried, throwing himself at her. She held him to her, smoothing his hair. "You're wrong"
He looked up, his face stained by tears. She kissed his brow. Did you know that keno sleeps by the window"? That bethie will sleep beside you? That daddy sleeps between you and the door? He had noticed. So I don't run off no more." She shook her head no, making the elaborate decorations in her hair chime softly. "No, sweetling. Keno guards the window so that you won't be scared, daddy guards the door so no one can enter and bethie holds you so you can sleep, and no be scared."
He looked at her, eyes huge, full of hope. They know you go under the bed yet never go away. He looked around and saw with new insight. "Tina why did you"... he couldn't finish. She sighed heavily. "To right wrongs." She said after a minute or two. Right wrongs?
She nodded. When I was young I caused evil to be unleased and cared not, punished, I only wanted revenge for mispunishement as I saw it. As time marched it became all consuming, to regain my birthright at any cost." She paused. Fully aware that Tylor was actully awake, fully aware of the weapon he had hidden but unaware of the video and audio pick ups and cameras. "I came to give you a gift." The boy moved back a bit and his face showed his confusion. He gave a hesitant nod." Perhaps it would be easier if you understood your family and they you." She touched his forehead, her magic washing over him, the nasty weapon Tylor held was no pressed tightly to her head in a scarily steady hand. Stop." Tylor said calmly.
She gave a small smile. The magic seem to wink off. ~say something to daddy. ~ She said mentally.
"Daddy, she said..." and stopped realizing he had spoken in English. It shocked Tylor enough that tina was able to move away. He scooped the boy into his arms, "say it again."
Tina watched as father and son was at long last able to communicate. Tylor's sent filled her, and tears slid down her face. She had been punished for her crimes in the worst possible way. To have found ones true soul mate and never to be together. The second was to lose her true self and never to access it. She was human now, not mortal and her powers would be used up shortly. She reached out, but didn't quite touch Tylor.
She turned and faded, appearing in a darkened room. The room darkened more and Kyle, lying nearby, struggled but failed to wake.
"Anna" Tina called watching the woman open her eyes. The body was china's, the soul was Anna.
"Let me die, he can't.... Tylor cant, please." Tina closed her eyes at the pleading in her voice.
China had hurt Anna so badly that she died, and in that second Tina regained power and knowledge.
She used her celestial powers before the heavens could stop her to switch Anna and china's souls. Then in a single act of selfness less she leaped on Anna's body and ripped it apart, as she felt every bullet the used when they open fired. She then leaped and caught the child's caretaker in her jaws, a leaped off the balcony. The act freed the girls real soul just before they both died. Tina had been give grace to fix a thing or two. Kyle could smell his mate in his twin's body and it was killing him there months old twins cried confused by sight and sound. Tylor had tried as did bethy and keno but too much terror had passed.
Tina gathered what she needed and laid hand on Anna. Kyle came awake at her pain filled screams yet unable to get through the shields Tina had tossed to give herself the needed time. The shield held only a second longer as all the power Tina had was used up. She couldn't stop him from throwing her across the room but it was Anna who called his name that stopped him from violence. He spun and she turned on a lamp and he stopped his beautiful face in shock. Tina had made Anna once more look like herself, but hadn't the power to change the body. She made her way outside to collapse in a heap. The powers she had used was to help her get all the nessasery things and skills to live as a human. She had used them to right a wrong and help a child instead. She had no idea how to be human, how to do anything. She was overcome by her body's weakness. She never felt the arms of who picked her up or was aware of being transported.
Keico stood before the 4 guardians, once more her true self. She wasn't going to be held responsible for what the demon had done when it controlled her. She was to be given a small wish, and she was ready.
"I wish that the celestial tiger know as Tina be given mercy, to be allowed her soul mate." He voice rang in the sudden silence.
Dragon cocked his head. "You ask nothing for yourself? No recourse for all you suffered?"
She spread her arms and spun slowly "Is this not recourse enough?" she countered. The four looked stern and began to shake their heads. Once more she disobeys and has been put in a hospital, unable to do as instructed she is left forfeit." Said tiger.
"Please lords, please, she knew that only death would free me and that a quick death wouldn't." the girl begged.
The building shook as the great doors flew open and in walked a goddess. "Funny how none asked what she "wasted" her powers on." Her voice rang in the room. "Remove your self beset; you have no rights in this court." Declared dragon... Beset laughed as only the Goddess of cats could. "China was a child of beset, your interference is reason enough, sir dragon. I say again, why anyone hasn't asked what she wasted those powers on"
It was forbidden for different religion deities to fight by the one true GOD.
But the cat had a point, thought tiger; they hadn't looked or asked just that it wasn't on what she had been told.
The girl took heart in the grin and wink the cat headed goddess gave her.

One month latter

They told her she had been in an accident and were healed to save her life. The told her she was Tina L, Kyle's human father's daughter. That she was 21 years old, she saw she was Japanese, could speak both English and Japanese and sound a little on the educated side. She had oddly colored eyes, an ice green. She hated she couldn't remember anything, especially meeting Tylor and his wonderful babies. She felt like she had known Anna forever and secretly thought Kyle could be a bit full of himself. She really like Shelia and wished her dad hadn't died but Shelia's new mate was was cool. A nice Japanese official had helped her with getting her passport and visa replaced and when he found she had already rented a little house near Haven and had a little in local bank she couldn't help but cry with gratitude. Shelia and Chan had said she could stay with them but this made her feel more independent and no so much a burden. She couldn't remember how to cook, write or if she ever knew how to drive, but thank goodness Tylor was a chief and willing to share. Then she had a odd dream and somehow it all got better. She did a once over, making sure everything was ready, when children's voices rang "Tina. Tina we is hear, screamed almost 2 year old Shinobu, followed by the so much old and mature Bethy at 10 and kino age 8. Tylor had been left to unload his truck and laughing Tina ran to help. He hugged her and a soft kiss.
"Hay babe" he said, making her blush.
Shinobu watched as his daddy and Tina flirted and took stuff into the house. Tina just wasn't to be people but he had given up trying to explain how she had been an evil celestial tiger who was sort of redeemed by a truly selfless act, made into a human and had all her memories whipped. He was happy that they had been the ones to find her collapsed near Uncle Kyle and Aunt Anna's and get her medical help.
"sweetling?" he spun, the words and tone so much like Tina was really. She knelt down fussing at hi clothes. "Tina? Are you evil?" he asked, a bit alarmed. She laughed. "No sweetling. Go play now ok?" he hugged her tightly and ran off to irritate his sister this time. If he had turned he would have seen that Tina's shadow was that of a tiger and that her eyes glowed slightly.

somewhere in LA

Beset pored a cup of coffee and joined her absolutely fave human ever at the table. "You're in the wrong ya know." Billy said, his tennisey accent coloring his words. She looked irritated, ears sideways. "How so?"
"She was an angel if you will, made human. they took her memories to help her cope, I think you made it worse." She made a rude noise and sipped her coffee." I didn't actually do anything." She proclaimed her innocence and he made a ruder noise. "If in you say so, miss beset." He said sarcasm heavy she giggled getting an eye roil from the handsome human. "They figure out she isn't so memory lacking and has a clue they might just kill her." Beset looked up, her whole face showed anger. "Then they best take up with the white court." And she poofed away. Billy looked puzzled for a minuet then began to laugh, that deep down belly kind.