AN: Sorry for the Delay everyone, Life has been Hectic recently. Thanks for all the Support this 'Brain-Child' of mine has been given, I was blown away by how much love and support this has received (4257 views, 116 Favorites, and 148 Followers!).There is a poll up on my page now for who you'd like me to introduce... I'll have a new one every few chapters.
I suppose I should point this out now as many of you did not seem to understand this during the first chapter... This story takes place in an AU (Alternate Universe) and has Characters being OOC (Out of Character). I'll update the Summary of the story to reflect that.
Furthermore, I have Four (4) places marked with Asterisks (*) in the story; these are all places that I have made allusions to other series (Hint: the first is a game, the other three are animes). I'll think of some prize for whoever can identify the most. Another tidbit of information, all reviews that have questions will either be addressed AFTER the chapter or in a PM. One final remark: Thanks to Dogsfang, Blacklight in Whitedarkness, and Zaralann for their encouraging words. I HIGHLY recommend you check out their works, Dogsfang and Blacklight in Whitedarkness have written some of the best stories I have read to date.

"Gentlemen, all I ask for is war. War so grand as to make Hell itself tremble. We are a clenched fist, ready to strike down all who oppose us with our might. We are but a single battalion, remnants of a defeated army, numbering less than a thousand strong. However, I believe that one of you old warriors is equal to a thousand of their sickly, soft children. So... Friends, let's bring them Hell."
-The Major

A Key to help your Reading:
"Thoughts"
"Speech"
Scene Shift

As always:
The following is a fan-based adaptation of Sekirei. The Manga is owned by Sakurako Gokurakuin; While the Anime is produced and directed by Seven Arcs and Keizo Kusakawa, respectively.
Please support the official release.

... Enough of my rambling. Let us return to our Hero...

Chapter II: A Vision from the Past

Minaka looked down over Shinto Teito and sighed. "Where is she I asked for her to come up half an hour ago…"

"Looks like I have to fetch the she-devil myself then!" With a half-hearted laugh, Minaka turned around and moved to walk down the stairs back to his office; only to feel cold steel upon his neck.

"Ara-ara, who were you calling a she-devil?" As the cold feminine voice spoke up from behind him, the blade in the woman's hand pressed slowly against Minaka's throat drawing blood. In an attempt to free himself from the "psychotic bitch", as he had labeled her, Minaka attempted to capture her attention with some small talk as he tried to slip free of her blade.

"L-Lovely Weather we're having… right Karasuba?"
"But, isn't it raining? …And so help me; if you called me up to talk about the weather, I'll happily lop of your head. Understand?" She turned Minaka around and gave him a wicked grin that promised a slow and painful death.

Minaka swallowed the lump that formed in his throat and carefully chose what could've possibly been his last words.

"Moving on… I have an errand for you!" At these words the blade was pressed even tighter to his throat.

"Your charades bore me old man… If this is another "Go fetch me a cup of coffee" 'mission', I will castrate, strangle, and then kill you, laughing all the while." Minaka sweat dropped at the thought of the torture he was being threatened with. "I suppose it wasn't too bright an idea to send a trained killer, on a simple coffee and donut run…"

"I suppose that was a waste of your 'unique' talents… In any event, the reason I called you up here was regarding our escaped friend: Miya." At the mention of her name, Karasuba's eyes immediately lit up and the blade's pressure on Minaka's throat immediately lessened. Taking this as a good sign, Minaka continued speaking.

"As I was saying, I need some help recovering Miya. It seems during the whole 'Adjusting floor being demolished' fiasco yesterday, she managed to escape… "

"So, to cut your monologue short… you need me to fetch her? By ANY means possible?"
"Yes, well no… sort of. It seems she has already found her Ashikabi, so I will need you to bring both back. Unharmed. You are only to fight if provoked, do you understand?"
"If this does not prove entertain, I promise I'll show you just how proficient I am with a blade."
Karasuba removed her blade from Minaka's neck, and sheathed it with a quick flick of her wrist. She turned and walked back down the roof's stairs, leaving Minaka once again to his own thoughts. He took a handkerchief from his pocket and began to dab at the shallow cut on his throat; after which he took one last moment to look at the first rays of the sun, before retreating inside as well.

"I feel bad for the sucker who ends up being her Ashikabi!"

Meanwhile… In Minato's Apartment…

Minato shivered involuntarily and pulled the covers further up around himself, as he returned to his dreams.

Minato opened his eyes to pouring rain in the middle of a pitch black alley. As he turned to leave the foreboding area, he felt a presence behind him.

"Huh… this feeling… it seems so familiar… it reminds me of Miya."
He turned and called out her name only to get no reply. Ignoring the sensation, Minato prepared to leave the dismal area; only to hear the grating of steel dragging against the slick concrete. Getting a bit more worried, Minato turned once again; and this time saw a pair of narrowed red eyes focusing on him. A voice called out, from who he guessed was the owner of said eyes.
"Hey… Let's play a game…"

After the voice finished speaking, the eyes seemingly disappeared. Not liking where the situation was going, Minato decided to attempt a sprint to the alley's end. He began to get closer to what he supposed was freedom, only to see a flash of red and gray out of the corner of his eye. He attempted to ignore, until a sharp pain in his right leg caused him to stumble and fall. Looking down with horror, he saw his calf had been split open. He attempted to stomach the bile in his throat, and continued onwards crawling.
The voice spoke up again, echoing off the alley's walls, "I long to bathe naked… IN YOUR BLOOD!"(*)
When he was perhaps a few meters away from the light outside the alley, the flash of red and gray appeared again. This time followed by a sharp pain in his left hand. His sight began to fade as a person walked into his field of vision.
"What a shame, here I was thinking I could get more out of #01's Ashikabi, I suppose this is all you can expect when you trust things such as love."

The woman spat out the final word with distaste before Minato's world went black.

Minato woke up to the familiar surroundings of his room in a cold sweat. He attempted to stretch his limbs, only to find himself pinned. After his eyes adjusted to the poor lighting of the room, he once again attempted to stretch, only to feel the pressure keeping him down increase. Seeing his movements were futile, Minato attempted to twist his head to see what, or who, was keeping him in such a position. After a few seconds Minato's head came into contact with something white and rather soft.
"How'd my pillows get over there?"

Craning his head around the other way, to confirm his pillows were indeed where he had left them last night, he returned to the matter at hand.
"This nostalgic feeling… why do I feel like this has happened before?"

As he continued to ponder what was happening, the covers shifted slightly and Minato felt something squeeze up against his back.

"Why does this sensation seem so familiar… That's it! It was like the time when I first meet Miya! But that would mean…"

The covers shifted again, downward this time, and Minato heard someone give a yawn behind him. As the pieces all fell in place in Minato's mind, he felt something around his waist; and looked down to find a pair of slender arms encircling him.
"Not that I don't appreciate the company Miya… But… WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING IN MY BED!"

"Don't you remember our conversation last night?"
"You mean after the lights blew out?"
"Exactly!" Minato opened his mouth to say something, only to close it again and reconsider his words.

"Well… not exactly, I got the candles to have some more light in the room; but while she was talking I passed out. Although I have the feeling she won't like hearing that, I'd guess it'd probably end up worse if I lied."

"The thing is…"
"You passed out, right?"
"How'd you know?"
"The guilt was visible on your face… In that case, I suppose I should RE-tell you what we spoke about last night."
"Which was about?"
"What it means to be my Ashikabi."
"That sounds reasonable, however… can you let go of me? Not talking face to face seems a bit awkward." As soon as Minato finished speaking, he felt her grip on him loosen slightly allowing him to turn around. It took his brain a few seconds to register what she was wearing, causing his face to instantly flush a dark shade of scarlet.
"She was wearing only that skimpy T-Shirt the entire night?!"
"Oh, is Minato thinking ecchi thoughts about me? How lewd. And here I thought you were a gentleman." Minato's mouth flapped open and closed in an attempt to find a response; which earned a laugh from Miya.
"Don't worry so much. It was simply very hot in the room, so I choose to remove some clothing. However it got too cold, so I used you as a body pillow. But that's beside the point. The topic at hand we were going to discuss was what being an Ashikabi means." Minato meekly nodded in reply.
"You mentioned it various times last night, and called them 'life-mates'. What exactly does that mean to me?" Miya shifted her legs up, resting her arms on her knees; and began to speak to Minato.
"In your language I suppose you'd call it…" As she continued talking Minato's focus slowly shifted downwards.
"Wait, she's not wearing any panties under that nightshirt?! Then again she did escape with just a lab coat. Maybe I should take her shopping? UGH! With what? The money I receive as my 'allowance' is barely enough for one person to live now. And… Wait, I still have to find a new house as well since the Landlord will be evicting me today. Shit, Miya was still saying something… Maybe I should just smile and nod." Doing exactly that, Minato earned a sigh from Miya.
"Should I start over, again?"
"Hearing it another time would help."

"As I was saying before, in Sekirei society we take on Ashikabis to be our 'life-mates' or 'Destined Ones'. In your culture the most similar thing would be marriage. In essence, when you became my Ashikabi, you became my husband, and I am your wife. Of course legally, that isn't the case; however, all the Sekirei that are in M.B.I. will acknowledge this fact."

"I… see."
"You seem to be taking this rather well."
"Well considering I've never once had a girlfriend or, well, any luck with girls; I suppose this is the best thing I'll get in my life. Anything else you'd like to share with me?" Miya shifted again on the floor and tilted her head in thought.
"I suppose it would be important for me to actually explain WHAT happened last night. When a Sekirei is near their Ashikabi, or someone they believe might be their Ashikabi, their body temperature begins to rise. This drives them to attempt a union with their Ashikabi known as 'Winging'. A 'Winging' occurs between an 'Unwinged' Sekirei and Ashikabi whenever they swap DNA; whether it's on purpose or not. In other words, it's the equivalent of Marriage Vows. That was when we, ah, kissed last night. As an eternal reminder of what happened a crest is left on our necks."
Miya turned around and pulled down the T-Shirt slightly, to reveal a lavender dove-like bird that appeared to be tattooed on her neck.

"Hmm… I see. But why did you bite my lip as well?"
"It's an older, more intimate form of the 'Winging'. By mixing our blood during the 'Winging', I was able to bestow on you only the smallest fraction of my power and extend your lifespan to match that of mine. As you saw during the 'Winging' when the light bulbs blew out, my power is manipulation of energy, in myself and other objects to a degree. Finally the words I recited following the 'Winging' are known as a 'Norito'. Originally it was a promise of love and protection between the Sekirei and Ashikabi; however due to Minaka's meddling, it allows the Sekirei that have been 'Adjusted' to access their true powers. It's activated by the Ashikabi kissing the Sekirei, followed by the Sekirei speaking the 'Norito'. The power of the Norito depends on the Sekirei; however, please know before you ask to use mine, the energy output would be enough to vaporize a part, if not most of the city."

Minato sat back for a few seconds in stunned silence.

"So the reason you were being intimate with me this morning was because of the 'Winging'?"
"More or less. Although we are not married in your society's typical way, I still view you as my spouse, and most precious person."

"I appreciate that Miya, and I want to return your feelings; but I also want to learn a bit more about you first. Okay?" She considered his words for a second, before nodding.
"Thank you. Now how about we get changed and start packing. I'd prefer to be out of here as soon as possible so we'll be able to find a new home." Minato threw on a faded pair of jeans and an equally worn jacket over a white t-shirt. Going into the closet he searched until he found some older articles of clothing that no longer fit him. After sifting through them, he pulled out a simple pair of gray sweatpants and a purple shirt that was a size to small for him. Turning to Miya he offered the clothes.

"I'm sorry, but for now this is all I can offer you. Once we find a place to stay, I'll take you shopping for some new clothes." Miya took the clothes from him, her hand brushing against his, causing both of them to blush lightly.

"Anyways, I'll take care of boxing the few things around here. After I finish we'll get going." He turned and walked back into the closet to retrieve a few cardboard boxes. He glanced wistfully around the apartment one last time; and then began to place his few meager possessions, mostly books and clothes, into the boxes. Once done, he sealed and moved the boxes towards the door. Taking one final glance around the room he thought of all the memories he made here.
"Now that I think about it… All I ever really did here was study for the University. Maybe a change of scenery will do me some good after all." With these thoughts, he turned back to the bedroom.
"Miya! Are you ready yet?" As if on cue, she walked out in the clothes Minato had given her and stood still. To say they were small would be in understatement. Her current state of dress left little to the imagination. Seeing this may present a problem for her when walking down the streets, Minato took off and offered her his coat. Miya hesitantly took it, her puzzled expression asking the unspoken question.
"Well… uh… It's still early in the year, and I don't want you to catch a cold… So it'd be best if you wore this for now." Miya leaned over and planted a light kiss on Minato's check causing his checks to tint a shade of red.
"Thanks for your concern; but another thing I suppose I should mention is that due to the increased healing rate we have, it is impossible for us Sekirei to contract human diseases."
Minato scratched the back of his head shyly and gave a simple "Oh," In reply.

"I suppose we should get going, I imagine it won't be easy to get a place to stay with the amount of money we have. We'll just leave the boxes here until we know where we're going for the night." Minato grasped the handle of the door and pulled it open for Miya, before exiting the room himself.

A Rooftop Several Blocks Away…

A silver haired woman looked down on the streets swarming with people, and sighed deeply.

"That cryptic bastard always explains things so vaguely. It wouldn't have killed him to give me a face, along with the name of the Ashikabi I'm searching for. I know what Miya looks like… But I need both of them!" Karasuba began to pace on the edge of the building, looking down occasionally, hopeful that she'd spot her targets.

"With all the money and technology they have, it'd take a matter of seconds to find him… but NO, I have to do all the grunt work today." With a huff, she stopped and looked at the pedestrians below her.
"Such pathetic beings. It'd be a shame if I was tethered to a creature with such a boring life for all of eternity." She glanced down the street and, once again seeing no sign of her target, turned and bounded across the adjoining rooftops. Several blocks over, she dropped down into a narrow alley, and moved towards the street. She glanced out into the crowed avenue that lay before her.

"Perhaps it'll be easier to spot her if I actually mover among the crowd." No sooner had she said this, she saw a flash of purple hair pass by her outside the alley. With inhumane speed and strength, Karasuba grabbed the passerby's arm and pulled them into the alley.
"HA! I have you now Mi- wait… who the Hell are you?!" The human in question broke into tears, and threw her purse at the feet of Karasuba.
"Please Miss! Let me live! There's my purse… it may not have much money in it, but I hope it's enough." Karasuba looked intently at the woman.
"Shit I grabbed some random human… hopefully no one saw that." Karasuba turned and punched the wall, causing some of the bricks to shatter. Using Karasuba's momentary inattentiveness to her advantage, the frightened human quickly ran past her out of the alley. Karasuba, noticing this slumped in disappointment; sad that she couldn't 'play' with the human a bit more before she got away. Composing herself, she moved to the mouth of the alley again and looked out upon the crowd dumbfounded. Before her hundreds of people were walking around with hair the exact same shade as Miya's.

"… WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?!"

Further Down the Same Street…

"Damn… That's the sixth real-estate agent we've been turned away from today." Minato said as he and Miya left said building. Taking a look around, Minato noticed an incredibly large amount of people with the same color of hair as Miya.

"Uh, Miya… You see all the lavender-haired people too, right?"
"Yes. Why is something wrong with that?" Minato mentally face-palmed as he realized he just sent the wrong message to Miya.
"Not at all! There's nothing wrong with it! I love your hair's color… But, the thing is, not many people 'naturally' have that hair color. Well actually… I can't think of a single person besides you… Anyways, maybe if we look around a bit we can figure out what's going on." Doing just that, Minato glanced down the street to see a large parade float covered in Purple ribbons and flowers, with a sign in large letters that read:
"Be the solution to the problem! Stop Child Abuse!"

"Huh, I had no idea, that it was such a big problem in Japan. But what person would organize a parade in the middle of a week?"

In the Heart of the City… On Top of M.B.I.'s Headquarters…

Minaka looked around at the festivities going on below him.

"Oh I do hope Karasuba will still enjoy her hunt with the 'few' complications I added!" He gave a hearty laugh at this, only to be interrupted by someone clearing their throat behind him. Turning, he saw a sharply dressed man in a formal business suit.
"Ah, Natsuo, I forgot you were here. How are the preparations for Miya and her Ashikabi's return going?"
"They're proceeding along as well as you projected they would. Aren't you afraid however that she'll kill you? Or perhaps Karasuba will when she learns that you interfered with her hunt?"
Minaka turned with a swish of his cape.

"Well, considering I hold all the 'crown jewels' of this game, I believe neither of them are in a position to threaten me. If it comes down to it, I can always use the escape pod I installed in my office. Anyways, I've lived with the horror that Takami is. I believe I'll be able to survive against just a few Sekirei. So don't worry."
"But Sir…"
"No! And that is final."
"… Yes, Sir. I still advise you wear the body armor, as either way, one or both of them are going to be pissed." Minaka gave him a slight nod of acceptance, followed by a wave signaling his dismissal. Natsuo sighed and walked back inside. He looked back over his shoulder once more to find Minaka cackling on the edge of the roof. "That old fool is going to fall again if he keeps standing on that edge." As he walked past the windows of Minaka's office, he saw a flash of white pass him outside. He looked out to see a parachute billow out, taking it's owner gently to the streets below. Natsuo shook his head disapprovingly before he took out his phone.

"Yeah, it's me again. You know that order of parachutes I put in earlier? I think I'm going to need to triple it."

Back to Karasuba…

Karasuba grabbed another random, purple-haired pedestrian for the umpteenth time, yet another failed attempt at trying to find her target; causing her to cry out in anguish.
"Will nothing go my way?! It's not like I'm just going to bump into them!" As she finished talking, a black-haired man, who's hand was linked with a woman with lavender hair, bumped into her. Barely being able to resist the urge to remove the man's head from his body, Karasuba yelled after him.
"Watch it asshole!" The man in question took one look at Karasuba before scuttling off, leaving the poor woman he was escorting behind.

"Minato, wait for me!" The woman yelled after the man. Karasuba watched with slight interest as the woman ran into the crowd after the man. "That voice seems so familiar… it couldn't have been…" Pushing aside these thoughts, Karasuba wadded through the crowds after the couple. Keeping her distance, Karasuba attempted to follow the two as they seemed to wander aimlessly throughout the city. "It wouldn't kill me to see if they're the ones I'm looking for… I can't promise the same for them however," She thought with a slight smirk on her face.

On the Streets of Suburban Shinto Teito…

Minato trudged slowly down the street with his head down.

"I don't believe it… We couldn't find a single house!" He lamented. Miya came up beside him and wrapped an arm around his shoulder.

"It's alright Minato. I don't care where we live as long as I'm with you. I'm sure if we are destined to get somewhere to stay, it will come to us in time." Minato sighed and turned to talk to Miya.
"I appreciate your optimism Miya. But the only place we could afford would need to be extremely cheap, or hell, even free; and deals like that don't smack you in the face."
"Dear…" Miya pointed forward.
"Wh…" Was all Minato could get out before his face met the sign Miya was gesturing to. After pulling himself up, Minato looked at the sign: Izumo Inn- Accepting New Tenants, Rent will vary. Minato clapped his hands together and bowed his head with tears in his eyes.

"Whatever god or gods that exist, I thank you for this stroke of luck!" Taking Miya's hand, Minato slowly entered the yard of the house, glancing around the property for any sign of life. The yard seemed half way between life and death, with weeds choking out what little grass remained. On closer inspection the house seemed to be devoid of any life or recent activity; as the windows remained closed, and the rooms within darkened. Minato continued to look around as he neared the doorway. The few remaining path stones were cracked and crumbling, while the frame of the door was covered in cobwebs. Minato approached the door warily, skeptical of who or what might greet them inside. He raised his hand to knock, and brought it down for a light 'tap' upon the aged wood, causing the door to loudly swing in on ancient hinges. Minato turned and gave Miya a look that said, "There's always the streets instead." Only to earn a shake of the head saying, "No," in reply. Minato sighed and took a step inside.
"Hello… Is anyone here? HELLO?" He continued forward and stepped into what he thought might have been the "Dinning Room" for the tenants. He cast his eye around the room, finding nothing in particular that he would consider important. He turned to leave.
"Looks like it's been abandoned for quite some time." He walked back into the entry hall, not even noticing that Miya had let go of his arm.
"Minato, I believe you missed something." Hearing his name being called from the other room, Minato returned and walked to where Miya stood near the head of the room's table. Where the head of the house would have typically sat, stood instead a small package instead. Minato picked up and examined the package, reading on the front: To Whom it May Concern. Minato shrugged and then ripped open one end of the package, at which point he emptied the contents onto the table. Several Keys, followed by a slew of paper fell out. Miya reached for the top sheet and began to read loud enough for Minato to hear as well.
"If you're reading this, I am currently traveling the world in an attempt to find myself… or maybe I'm dead. Anyways, you-the lucky tenant, tax-collector, government agent- whoever the hell you are, have inherited control of Izumo Inn, all the necessary documents are in this file, as well as the key to the house. So long as this house is kept in a relatively good condition, you're welcome to stay as long as you want. If I do ever return from my journeys, we can discuss the issue of who shall hold ownership; however if I am in fact dead, this letter acts as my final will and testimony, and you are the sole proprietor of this property."(**) The bottom was signed by a man whose name Minato and Miya could barely discern as Keitaro.(***) Minato slumped unto the floor in disbelief.

"I-I just can't believe it… It's all just so…"
"Surreal?" Miya offered. Minato meekly nodded before he shot back up and broke out laughing. He picked Miya up and spun her around before he kissed her lightly. Miya smiled warmly back at him.
"Our new life together begins now."

"Well after we get the things from my old apartment… and I get a job to support us… But I suppose you're right." Minato let Miya out of his grasp, pocketed one of the several house keys, and turned back towards the entryway. Upon reaching the door, he jammed a hand in his pocket and fumbled around in search of his cell phone. After a few moments his hand flew to his other pocket.
"Odd… I could've sworn I put it into my pocket before we left the apartments…" He called back to Miya who still remained in the other room.
"It seems I forgot my phone back in the apartment. I'm going to go back and see if I can get an old buddy of mine to help me move the boxes here. The last I heard he was an intern at MBI… knowing him though he most likely got into some trouble and was thrown out." Minato smiled remembering the fun times he had with the man.

Elsewhere…

A man gave a hearty sneeze, then proceeded to scratch the 5 O'clock Shadow that graced his face.
"Better not be coming down with something…"
"I swear if you're trying to fake a cold to avoid ANOTHER day of work, I'll beat you senseless," Said a woman to his right. As he turned to explain this wasn't the case, another woman-possibly a twin of the first-spoke up on his left.
"Why did we have to be stuck with such a useless man like you?" The man, infuriated, turned to the second and was ready to belittle her; only to decide that it would prove useless. He sighed threw an arm around the girls' hips and continued down the dim street he was on.

Back in Izumo Inn…

"As long as I can get his help, I'll be back in no time. Do you mind 'holding down the fort' while I'm gone Miya?"
"I'm not against it… but I'd prefer to be by your side Minato," she said, a light shade of pink gracing her cheeks. Minato turned away, flustered by her response.
"D-Don't worry, I won't be gone long."

"I'll be counting each second we're apart," Miya said, as if she was trying to quote a cheesy Romance. Minato exited the house, glancing over it one more time before he set off down the street. The entire time he was unaware of a shadow following him…

Miya's POV…

"I'll be counting each second we're apart!" As Minato turned the corner and walked out of sight, Miya mentally berated herself.
"I hope I didn't sound overly attached… unless… does Minato want me to be like that?" After a few moments, Miya shook her head and pushed this thought aside. She returned to the entry hall and thought again of something that had bothered her ever since she entered the house.
"It seems so familiar… just like the place Takehito told me about, but why did that letter say that 'Keitaro' owned it? If I want to know if it truly is 'that' place, I suppose I should check upstairs." She began to climb the stairs, brushing aside cobwebs as she passed up to the second floor.

"Minato's working hard to help us start a new life together. The least I could do is make this place more livable." She looked down one end of the hall, and saw several doorways leading to what she presumed were bedrooms or a bathroom; then she cast her eye down the opposite direction, noticing only a dead-end and a small table which stood in front of it. Walking forward, she arrived at the table and noticed a small picture of a gray-haired man in a lab coat and turtleneck; with his arm around a man who was dressed similarly, the only difference being the glasses he wore. Miya felt a wave of sickness and nostalgia hit her, as she remembered the last conversation she held with the man in the photo…

Flashback…

Miya looked down at the fragile human who was bleeding out in her arms. She tried to ignore the gaping hole in his stomach, and the entrails that had been strung around the room like streamers. She took the gray haori off her shoulders and pressed it to the man's abdomen in a futile attempt to stop the bleeding. The man attempted to sit up, only to fall back as he coughed up a copious amount of blood. He stretched a hand out to Miya, which she firmly grasped.
"I-I've done what I could… It's up to you to protect your sisters and brothers from this world and the cruel ambitions of its people…" The man tried to smile at her, only to grimace in pain instead and once again hack up blood. A solitary tear ran down Miya's check.
"Y-you can't go… I-I need you… I LOVE YOU!" The man offered a sad smile to her.
"I'm sorry, but I don't feel the same way…" At this, something broke inside Miya and the tears flowed freely. A blood-soaked hand rose shakily to her check and attempted to wipe away the tears.
"Promise me something Miya…" The blood flowing from the man's wounds seemed to lessen, and his voice grew raspy.

"Pro-Promise me… That you'll find… Your Ashikabi… That you and he may set things right." Miya grasped the man's hand with both of hers.

"I-I promise Takehito! I'll make them pay for what they've done today!"The man barely shook his head in disapproval.

"The path of Revenge leads to nowhere…" He coughed up blood once again, this time a horrendous shade of black.

"Trust in your friends Miya… they will offer you a place of solace in hard times…" The man's eyes grew distant and his breathing shallow. Miya stared down at the cold corpse before she collapsed down and cried.

Flashback End

Miya wiped away the tears that had been brought up by the memory and went to pick up the picture frame, only to find that it seemed to be stuck to the table. Applying a bit more effort to moving the picture, she succeed in lifting it up, only to hear a small 'click' and the harsh grating of metal upon metal. She stumbled back and looked at the wall panel next to her which had slid back to reveal a secret room. She entered it, and gave it a quick glancing; thinking it was odd to have such a room, but keep nothing in it. As she turned to leave a small square of white caught her attention in the corner of the room. She picked it up and noticed it was a letter addressed to her. A closer investigation revealed it was from Takehito.

"Miya- I had hoped that this room and letter would remain undiscovered. However, if you are reading this, it would mean the worst has happened and Minaka has continued with his 'Sekirei Plan'. For one reason or another, you and your Ashikabi have discovered this place and received ownership of it; as per the instructions that I left for my friend when I gave ownership to him. I wish I could be there now to help you, but I leave that job to your Ashikabi now. If you're curious about WHY this room was built, it was due to the fact that I assumed your Ashikabi might attract some rather eccentric Sekirei, who might run into some trouble with the local officials or even MBI; your 'genius' sister who I brought out of stasis and helped adjust had always been a bit… difficult, as you might remember. In any event, the house is yours to do with as you want, I just ask you remember the promise you made, and always protect your 'family'. I am happy to have been able to know you and share many memories with you."

-Takehito
Miya felt a degree of peace and contentment come over her as she finished the letter and dried the tears from her eyes. With her conscience clearer, and her heart lighter, she set out to clean up the Inn and make it something her and Minato would come to love.

Back to Karasuba, following Minato's departure…

Karasuba continued stalking her newest enigmatic prey until they arrived at a dilapidated Inn. The man suddenly started shouting and bowed down to the empty house before him earning a snort of amusement from Karasuba.

"Such a lowly creature is my prey… how could Miya have chosen such a weakling as her partner?" Karasuba continued to watch her prey from a nearby rooftop until they entered the house. Guessing that they might be inside for quite some time, she stretched out on the rooftop with a yawn. She then proceeded to reach into her robe and procured a cell phone. She opened it and located the only number within it. She dialed it, only to hear the phone continue to ring, her irritation growing each second the person on the other line refused to pick up.

"Oh! Karasuba, can you hold for a moment? Natsuo and I were in the middle of a Wii Golf game, we still have 4 holes left." Karasuba suppressed the urge to destroy the object in her hand and run the man on the other line through with her Nodachi. After several seconds, the Minaka spoke up again.

"Ahem. As Natsuo reminded me, you were on an assignment. I honestly didn't think you'd find you target so quickly, with the parade and all today…" At this Karasuba slammed her fist down in irritation, cracking the roof's tiles.
"Karasuba, you're unnaturally quiet today… do you need me to send Benitsubasa and Haihane to help you with the retrieval?" Finally Karasuba snapped following this statement.
"This is MY prey you old coot. If you, or either of them touch it, I will kill you." Silence followed on the other side of the line. Karasuba composed herself then spoke up again.
"Am I to retrieve just Miya, or the Ashikabi as well?"
"Both would be preferred for my plans to fall into place, my dear. I can't afford to lose a piece before the game even starts." Karasuba held the device away from her ear as Minaka cackled manically on the other end. The man's laughter continued, as Karasuba's eyes glanced over the Inn that sat opposite her. Her mark emerged once more from the house and embraced Miya; which rather than causing a feeling of repulsion in her, it brought forth a twinge of… jealousy? Karasuba shook aside such a weak and useless emotion as she watched the man walk around the corner. Realizing that the phone's line was still open she snapped it closed and kept her gaze on the man sauntering down the street. She turned back and forth between Miya and Minato trying to formulate a plan. A wicked smile graced her lips, as she chose her path, and dropped to the streets below.

Minato's POV...

As Minato walked along the empty streets he couldn't help but feel that wherever he went, someone was watching him. After this persisted for several minutes, he increased his pace and took a side street that cut to his old apartment. He arrived there, his breathing rapid and short and he leaned up against a nearby wall. After his short respite, he walked towards the building where he found the pile of boxes he had packed that morning conveniently left at the bottom of the complex's flight of stairs. He leaned over to search through the boxes to find his phone, unaware of the person moving towards him. He sighed after his search proved useless.
"Great, now what am I going to do? I couldn't possibly carry all these myself…"

"How would you like an extra set of arms then?" A bone-chilling voice from behind him asked. He turned and found himself face-to-face with a gray-haired woman. Upon examination she had curves that would've rivaled Miya's and a youthful appearance that contrasted the gray hair. Despite this Minato couldn't help but be intimidated by the woman, as she carried a Nodachi as if it were her purse. And if the sword she was carrying wouldn't have been enough to scare Minato shitless, the way she looked at him-like an animal hunting its prey-only amplified the effect.

"Uhhh… I don't wish to be sexist ma'am… but these boxes are quite heavy, nothing someone as… 'Delicate' as you may be able to lift; and on top of that, I'm not traveling a short distance." The woman simply shrugged off his reply and walked towards the boxes. Minato slowly moved back and decided to give the woman the opportunity to see the truth of his words.
"If she chooses not to heed my advice, then I suppose the best thing for her is to learn from experience," he thought with a smug grin on his face. The woman walked forward and deftly grabbed and stacked four of them in a pile. Without a second's thought, she picked up the entire pile as if it were a stack of pillows. With a grin she turned towards Minato.
"If you're done sitting around, can we get going?" Baffled by the impressive display of strength by the woman, Minato offered a brilliant response:
"Uh… right, right. We're headed to the North of the City." Pushing his pride and manliness aside, Minato gathered what remaining strength and motivation he had and picked up the remaining two boxes. He turned out of the apartment complex, with the mysterious woman in tow, and walked in the general direction of the Inn. He began to think of what he just saw as they walked.

"From that display of strength, she either HAS to be a bodybuilder, or a Sekirei… and considering her physique… I'd say the second is more likely. But if she's a Sekirei… does she think I'm her Ashikabi? Or does she already know I'm Miya's and she's searching for a fight?!" As they continued down the sidewalk, Minato's mood seemed to get worse with each passing minute.

Izumo Inn, Sometime later…

Eventually, they arrived at the Inn without any unforeseen complications, which brightened Minato's mood considerably. Minato gestured for the woman to follow him inside.

"I'm back! I was lucky enough to find someone who was willing to help me move the items. I've invited them in if you'd like to meet her Miya!" There was the sound of footsteps as Miya came down to greet the 'compassionate' visitor. As Minato set the box down he heard a sharp gasp from Miya. He looked up to see her pointing at, or more accurately, behind him. As he turned around he heard the boxes drop from the guest's arms and heard the sliding of her blade from the sheathe. Before he understood what was happening, Minato found his arms pinned to his back, and the mysterious woman's Nodachi pressed to his neck.

"Any sudden movements and you're dead," She whispered into his ear. After receiving a nod of conformation from him that he understood the message, the woman looked at Miya to find her fists clenched.

"It's been too long… Onee-chan. If you don't want me to butcher this pathetic excuse of a life-form, I suggest you return home with me." Miya contemplated this for a moment before lowering her hands.

"…Fine, so long as you leave him out of this." Karasuba grinned wickedly at this.
"No promises." As she said this, she released the Nodachi from Minato's neck, only to give him a swift chop to the back of the head knocking him out.

"He'll be a little… insurance if you will," Karasuba said. She continued to hold Minato's unconscious body limply as she sheathed the sword and searched for something within her garments. After several silent and tense moments passed, she pulled out what looked like a simply ballpoint pen and clicked it.

M.B.I….

A blinking light came up on a monitor on Minaka's desk, distracting him from the latest project he was tinkering with on his desk.
"By the gods… SHE ACTUALLY DID IT!" With a burst of laughter he sprang up to the roof and whipped out his phone. With inhumane speed, he quickly sent a message to Natsuo requesting his presence on the roof. Within a few minutes Natsuo stood before him.
"It seems we'll need that limo after all… against all odds Karasuba actually managed to succeed!" Natsuo looked quizzically at Minaka.
"Did you suspect she would fail?"
"Well, I had hoped I could enjoy this a little longer with the parade and all that had gone on." Natsuo paled considerably.
"You don't mean you arranged all that, did you?"
"Of course, it wouldn't have been fun if Karasuba had a straight shot to her target." Natsuo mentally face-palmed.
"You do realize that she'll kill you if she finds out, right?" Minaka just laughed off the remark and stood silently for a moment considering why he had called Natsuo up in the first place.

"Hm… Oh, right. As I was saying, I'll need you to go retrieve the Ashikabi and Miya. The world will change soon Natsuo, and only those who are ready can rise to the challenge." With another eerie cackle, Minaka turned away from his assistant and looked down over the city.

"I shall bring all the pieces back as I promised. Back to my favorite battlefield… Back to the beloved war I am planning!"(****)

AN:

Thanks to all of you who've been reading this, and a huge thanks to everyone who has been following or reviewing the story.
Especially:
"Revan193" who posed a valid question: If they could make Pharmaceutical Technology... what's stopping them from creating Weaponry on par with the Sekirei's Mother ship/Warship (Ex: M.B.I.'s Military Satellites)
"Wind"- who also pointed out some thoughts I've taken into consideration
"The Sky King"- As I loved his little rant(?) It was a VERY true point. Also, I have something in store for Takami...
"DraXXter"- for the "I freakin' love how this is" sort of review. It's a very encouraging thing for us authors to see.
"ThatGuy51"- for catching my ode to another story. (In all honesty it's been so long I actually can't name who wrote it... I would like to say 'lord of the land of fire'?)

And two honorable mentions for such horribly negative Reviews that made me laugh my ass off:
"Grinja"-who I suppose must be a fan of stories that stick to Canon (or at least where the characters do)
and
"Jimbobob5536"- who seems to have loathed my first few paragraphs, as again, I would guess they're a Canon fic sort of person