Author's note: This is set after Terrible Things Happen to Mai's main ending, so uh... you should probably read that first.


As the sun set over the Emperor's dynasty, Empress Akane watched the sky turn orange from the palace balcony. It had been close to a year since she married her husband and helped him become ruler. She had spent the early months of the marriage using the unearthly power he granted her to serve as his devoted warrior and eliminate his rivals, and the newlyweds had celebrated their honeymoon intermittently after each of her conquests. As she contently watched some her subjects move about in the garden below, she silently recalled everything that had happened between then and now. She stood with one hand on the ivory balcony banister and the other gently resting on her seven-month belly.

Akane's imperial dress lightly draped over her frame, but hugged her closely enough to make her pregnant state rather obvious. When she would walk through the palace grounds with her condition modestly on display, she couldn't help but feel proud she had been the one entrusted to carry the Emperor's precious cargo.

When her eyes turned toward to the banister in front of her, Akane reached for a small white bowl she had set down when she first stepped out on the balcony. The bowl contained an herbal remedy Akane had prepared for herself each evening using her skills as a healer, and the dose was just enough to help the mother sleep peacefully through the night while the child received extra nutrients to ensure healthy growth. She took a small whiff of the steam rising from the medicinal tea to verify she had used the correct amount of each ingredient, and she soon felt the baby happily twitch within her in anticipation of receiving its favorite treat. She then lifted the bowl to her lips and drank its contents in a single delicate sip. The liquid washed a soft minty taste across her tongue and down her throat, and she found its flavor alone to be slightly pacifying. When she was done, she placed the bowl back on the banister and returned to her reverie.

The cheerful Empress's thoughts were interrupted with a slight start when she suddenly felt a pair of warm, slender arms wrap around her from behind. She quickly relaxed, however, when she recognized the feeling of her husband's boyish hands embracing her and his gentle breath brushing the back of her neck. She turned slightly to see her lover's smiling face leaning over her shoulder, and she returned his expression when she softly spoke his name.

"Kazu..."

She closed her eyes and raised her head to lock her lips against his. After her tongue playfully danced with his for a few moments, the couple softly broke their kiss, allowing Akane to look into Emperor Kazuya's gentle blue eyes. She knew that her deity still lingered somewhere behind the young ruler's human complexion, occasionally influencing Kazuya's actions in slight ways. Akane could see her loyalty had removed any malice the god once had, however, and Kazuya himself would never struggle against the being's will as long as his wife was happy. This was the ideal life the couple had always wanted to live together, and neither of them could bring themselves to question the unusual element that had provided them with this paradise.

As he gazed back into Akane's sparkling brown eyes, Kazuya spoke.

"How are you feeling, Akane?"

The Empress replied in a merry tone.

"I'm fine, Kazu. I'm just glad things have been so peaceful lately."

Kazuya carefully placed his hand on the swell of Akane's stomach to feel the tiny life thriving inside of her before softly speaking again.

"Good. And how's the baby?"

Akane giggled quietly to distract from a light blush that had formed on her cheeks, then responded.

"They've been kicking a lot. I bet they'll grow up to be just as powerful as you, Kazu."

Kazuya's face filled with joy at these words, as the entity sharing his body couldn't have received better news. He enthusiastically spoke again.

"Have you decided on the name yet?"

Akane replied with hopefulness in her voice.

"Hmm... if you like them, I was thinking of Takumi if it's a boy and Haruka if it's a girl."

The Emperor tilted his head slightly to the side, finding these choices to be somewhat curious.

"Akane, you're not still worried about what happened during the Festival, are you?"

Akane looked downward in guilt when she responded.

"Well, I still feel a little bad for what I did to the other Hime..."

She raised her head and looked out toward the orange horizon before she continued.

"But what you... I mean, what Obsidian Lord said was right. If I hadn't done it, the world would still be at war and we would never be together."

Akane's gaze now turned to her bulging belly. She moved her hand over her abdomen in a slow circular motion.

"I don't want the other girls' losses to be meaningless, though, so I figured I could start with this."

Kazuya felt a slight mist form in his eyes as he was touched by Akane's words. Even after the atrocities of the Hime festival and the brutal things she had done to secure his kingdom, she never lost her gentle compassion for others. He nodded slowly when he spoke again.

"Those names are perfect, Akane."

Akane warmly smiled at her Emperor's approval, but then spoke with a slight worry in her voice.

"Kazu, if it's a girl... you won't be angry, will you? I know how much you want an heir..."

Kazuya only chuckled softly at Akane's worries. He slowly brought his wife into his arms to hug her when he quelled her concerns.

"Akane, don't worry about something so silly. All that matters is that we'll have a family to share our love with and continue our legacy. It wouldn't make any difference to me if all we ever have are daughters."

He paused to seemingly think to himself.

"And if any of my advisers try to say otherwise, they can be... dealt with."

Akane thought she saw her lover's eyes flicker in a darker blue hue for a split second, but she wasn't startled by this in the slightest. She simply smiled in relief, and happiness returned to her words.

"That's all I want, too, Kazu."

After sighing in relief and resting her head on his shoulder, she quietly questioned him again.

"Is there anything you need me to do right now?"

He shook his head and replied in a caring tone.

"Just look after yourself, Akane. If any more rebels show up, have Kagutsuchi handle them. I don't want you hurting yourself or the baby. No matter what happens, never fight the enemy directly while you're like this, understand?"

Akane quickly nodded. She knew her current state made her very fragile, and she would never do anything that would put the Emperor's child at risk.

"Of course, Kazu."

After she spoke, Emperor Kazuya leaned forward to kiss her again, and the Empress pleasantly returned his gesture. When the kiss ended, the royal couple both turned to the horizon and watched the remaining sunset together.