• Water beaded on the ghost-white strands of hair of this mysterious being dropped on Horo's boot. Black, innocent eyes looked up hopefully to Horo. They seemed to bore through her very existence, as if the being was looking past her, not at her. "Horo, are you okay?" was the cry that came from Hina, hopelessly frazzled as her small hands clasped her sister's. Not a wrod came from Horo. Up in the delicately patterened sky, the moon seemed to be watching this puzzling occurrence. The wind whipped across their faces as they watched the form hike itself out of its asteriod.
    "Kyuu." murmured a quiet voice. Gentle and thin, Hina and Horo had to take a good five seconds to process if whether this was a voice they were hearing, or if they weren't playing with a full deck. "Kyuu." The voice repeated. Only this time, there was a twinge of firmness to it. As if this... this thing wasn't sure if itself before. The being slowly turned around, the rich green grass seeming to almost happily fold beneath its feet. A woman. The creature was a woman--but she held something.
    A mask from Masquerade. But the last masquerade hasn't been around in forty years, Hina thought to herself with a vague frown, plastered onto her face. Her furrowed brows betrayed the expression of shock. Horo, trembling and on the verge of screaming, mustered up the courage to speak. Her voice crackled to life. "What is your name...?" She asked, her hand gripping Hina's ever tighter. The very presence of this being was one that would make grown men cower in fear. "My name is Kyuu." Said the being; if you listened closely, Hina inquired, you could hear a slight lisp. Very faint, but there nonetheless.
    The outlandish attire of this woman--a tunic with loose-fitting shorts and knee-high boots, not to mention her mask--made her all the more intimidating. But her mask... It seemed to have a life of its own. Hina could only guess that it was made by an artist. The lips, sensual and pressed into a smile, were painted with the deepest coat of crimson she had ever seen. They were glazed over with something that resembled soft glass, and they seemed to twitch as Kyuu spoke. Kyuu held the mask over her mouth steadfastly and proceeded with another statement. "Does anyone know... Does anyone know where I could find proper shelter?" she asked.
    Hina nodded eagerly, her white hair tossed about with the zest of her nod. Hina and Horo each took the lady's free hand. Maybe she is wearing the mask because of an ailment?" Horo thought to herself with a curious smile. They skipped happily to the Great Tree of Nedyia. The only thing that broke the endless landscape of the serenity that is Nedyia. The moon and stars seemed to urge them along, bringing gentle winds that lightly, carefully, pushed them onward. They opened the door to their home and invited Kyuu in.
    "Is this where you reside, Hina and Horo of the demon clan?" Kyuu asked inquisitively. Hina could have sworn her heart skipped a beat. Horo, on the other hand, was struck dumbfounded by this woman's knowledge of their names and race. The dim candle-lighting of the tree-house made Kyuu's shadow seem to reach out to them, call to them. A harsh wind blew in through the window, knocking down the makeshift windchime and casting an aura of menace over the twins.
    "What are you?" The two asked, in unison. They bored at Kyuu with their soulless eyes.
    "That is for me to know and for you to find out," Kyuu said elusively. With a clap of her hands, she ordered, "Where can I find the restroom, ladies?"