Disclaimer: The characters are not mine, with the exception of the originals.

Gossamer Remembrance
By, Heather B. Kytes
Chapter Summary: "What do I get out of it, huh, Buffy?" he asked snidely. "Do I get to die needlessly, too, or will I just be there to watch the guards cut you and Kyoko down?"

Chapter Seven
Beautiful Liar

Buffy walked with Tohru to the room she had spent the night in after having breakfast with Yuki. Shigure had been conspicuously absent from the breakfast table (as had Kyou, but Yuki said that was normal), so Buffy had asked where he usually spent his time in preparation for her quest to convince Shigure to drop the charges against Kyoko Honda. Yuki had informed her that Shigure spent most of his free time in a private study, as it was also where he got his writing done. The Slayer planned to go there after letting Tohru know everything that was going on.

Tohru smiled at Buffy and sat on the edge of her bed. "Everything is so nice here," she said cheerfully. "Don't you think so?"

Buffy shrugged, thinking that while the house was certainly a pleasant, if not extravagant, setting, the Soumas themselves weren't exactly the nicest bunch she had ever come across. "I guess so. Did you sleep well last night?"

Tohru laughed. "You already asked me that this morning. Yes, I slept fine. Did you?"

"Like a baby," Buffy admitted grudgingly. "That bed is damn comfy." She paused, trying to remember her train of thought. "I talked to Akito, like he wanted."

"What happened?" Tohru asked, watching Buffy intently.

"He gave me the run-around, teasing me with tiny bits of useful information in between the useless dramatics." Buffy shook her head ruefully. "I didn't get the feeling he was holding anything back, but with him, I couldn't tell one hundred percent."

Tohru looked thoughtful. "Maybe I should talk to him."

"No way," Buffy said quickly and firmly. "He doesn't exactly give off the 'I'm not insane' vibe."

"What?"

"He's a nutjob. Crazy," Buffy said in plainer terms. She tried to file away for future reference the fact that these people wouldn't necessarily be familiar with her way of talking. "I don't think you should be involved with someone like that."

"Involved?" Tohru asked. "No, I just thought I could talk to him. I was really close to the Akito in--"

"Not the same," Buffy said quickly, with sympathy in her voice. "This is the guy that Kyou swears sold his soul to the demons. He weirds me out, and believe me, the only things that weird me out are the ones that turn out to be not of the good."

Tohru looked unsure. "I know the Soumas are all different here," she said quietly. "The past three years have changed them. But they're the same, deep down. They have the same souls."

Buffy lifted her shoulders, giving Tohru a helpless look. "Can we say that for sure? All we DO know is that this isn't our reality. Not by a long shot. We're dead here, we shouldn't be here." Part of Buffy couldn't believe such words were coming from her lips, but she felt them to be true. "We can't say for sure what the nature of this reality is. We can't trust them."

By the look on her face, Buffy knew Tohru wasn't used to being suspicious of others' behavior. She was obviously a very trusting girl, and that was all good and well in a world where she had a family of big, strong men to watch her back. But here the rules were gone and Buffy had to stand alone. She had taken it upon herself to bear the burden of Tohru's well-being as well, because damn if the girl wasn't in the same boat as herself. The only difference was the girl's lack of experience and power, and Buffy wasn't yet sure how useful either of those would be to her survival here.

That was the goal now. To live through this and get home. A part of her still hoped the Scooby gang was finding a way to get her back, but another part of her worried about Tohru's fate if she got yanked away.

They'll eat her alive.

She could always ask the gang to bring Tohru, too, but what if her world wasn't the same as Tohru's? It was a question that caused serious pounding of the cerebral lobes, so she ignored it. "Look, we just have to be careful."

Tohru was staring down at her hands. She didn't look sad, but she wasn't smiling anymore, either. "I just think the Soumas will help us out. They're letting us stay here, aren't they?"

"Yeah," Buffy said, feeling distracted. "I don't know why. Akito didn't say anything." Actually, the words Akito had spoken to her were blurred in her mind like the memory of a fading dream. The only vivid recollection was the slimy feel of his lips against the sensitive skin of her neck, his icy breath, and his warning.

I said demons would not harm you, this is true. They are under my control. Humans are harder to control than demons, Miss Summers.

The only humans around were the Soumas.

"What are you thinking about?" Tohru asked Buffy, peering earnestly at the girl with large blue eyes. An ocean of innocence was poured into those orbs, and Buffy felt a pang of regret that her own would never hold the same blissful sparkle. She had seen too much in her short life, and she knew she would be seeing a lot more if enough time was afforded her.

I'm still a Slayer, Buffy thought. And that means I'm still going to die young and leave a pretty corpse.

Thinking about her inevitable death made her heart heavy as she remembered her lost mother. Her eyes drifted to the locket hanging around Tohru's neck. How Tohru managed to deal with her mother's death in such a dignified and mature manner baffled Buffy. She was still pissed at the world she had saved so much for taking her mother away from her and leaving her with nothing but responsibility, burdens, and duty. Her mother was gone, not even a part of the world anymore. Friends, even hers, whom she loved dearly, were expendable and couldn't always help her in the big battles. She had to stand alone then, and she wondered what was she fighting for.

On one hand, Buffy realized that she couldn't shy away from her Slayer duties, at least not back in Sunnydale where she was the only Slayer around. The world needed her, and there were innocent people depending on her for their lives. It was only occasionally that she would sink into her despair and think to herself, Why the fuck should I care about any of this? I can protect myself, and that's enough.

Through the thick haze of her jumbled emotions, she remembered Tohru had asked her a question. "Not much," she replied. "I'm just thinking of the best way to approach Shigure about this."

"About what?" Tohru asked, and Buffy realized she hadn't told Tohru about Akito's proposition, or the fact that her "mother" was set to die the next day.

"Well," Buffy started slowly, unsure if she should tell Tohru at all. We're in this together, she thought finally. I have to be straight with her. "Akito has set Hana and Kyoko's executions for tomorrow."

Tohru's mouth dropped open in disbelief. "W-what?"

"Tomorrow," Buffy repeated for emphasis. "He says their crimes were grievous and can't go unpunished."

Tohru was having trouble digesting the information, at least she seemed to be from the confused veil skimming over her eyes. "H-how could he say that?"

"Look, I already told you that Akito's a sadistic whack. He gave me the opportunity to help them out: if I can convince Yuki and Shigure to drop their charges, Hana and Kyoko are free to go."

"We have to help them!" Tohru exclaimed, fire igniting in her eyes and burning through the veil of shock. She jumped to her feet and reached out, grabbing Buffy's hand tightly. "I have to help you."

Buffy hesitated. A snide voice in her head remarked, what can she do? She's just a stupid girl. Meeting the "stupid girl's" strong gaze, Buffy knew she was making the right decision when she said, "Okay, Tohru. What do you want to do?"

Tohru paused. "I had a nice talk with Yuki earlier. Maybe I can convince him."

Buffy nodded. "That might work out better, actually. I've barely said two words to the guy, so he might not warm up to my suggestions. Just be careful, okay, Tohru?"

"Okay," Tohru said. The smile was back on her face, but only because she obviously believed convincing Shigure and Yuki was going to be a piece of cake. "I'll have to ask one of the serving girls where Yuki is. Do you want to meet back up somewhere when we're done?"

"Yeah. Why not come back here when you're done, and I'll do the same. Just come back whether he says yes or no. We can think of something to do if either one of them declines."

"He won't say no," Tohru said brightly. "He seemed so nice. I'm sure I can convince him to let her go."

Buffy was unconvinced, but left her suspicions inside. "All right. Remember, Yuki's the one who got Hana put away, not Kyoko."

Tohru nodded swiftly. "I got it." She walked to the door and paused in the middle of the frame. "Buffy?"

"What?"

"Please help Kyoko," Tohru said, great feeling seeping into her subdued voice. "I would give a lot to see her again."

She's not your mother, and they're not your Soumas.

"I will," Buffy replied surely. She spoke for Tohru's benefit only. "Count on it."

Tohru smiled gratefully and walked out into the hall.

Buffy steeled herself, mentally preparing a few remarks for Shigure. She wasn't placing too much emphasis on preparation, though. She knew the encounter would be mostly extemporaneous.

It depends on how much of an ass he decides to be, Buffy thought.

Buffy hurried into the hall and practically sprinted to Shigure's office at the end. The door was closed, so she knocked.

Shigure's delayed reply was testy, "What is it? I'm busy."

She cleared her throat. "It's Buffy. I need to talk to you about something important."

She heard nothing for a few moments, then the door opened and Shigure peered out at her, rubbing at his tired eyes. "It can't wait?" he asked.

"Nope."

"Come in." Shigure stepped aside and Buffy walked through the door, whirling around as she heard it shut behind her. "Does the door need to be shut?" she asked curiously.

Shigure shrugged. "Does it need to be open?"

Why am I nervous? He can't hurt me, even if he wants to. Buffy placed her irrational anxiety aside and shrugged. "Whatever. Anyway, I'm going to get to the point. Akito told me you're the reason Kyoko Honda is incarcerated."

Shigure nodded. "I suppose there's some truth to be found in that statement."

"So you're going to play the flippant card? All right, I can deal with this," Buffy replied coolly, placing her hands on her hips. "First things first, would you mind telling me why you had the woman arrested and put to death? I've heard so much about this 'grievous' crime, I'm just dying to find out what it was."

Soft brown eyes watched her carefully. His lips curled in a wry smile that held every essence of charm he possessed in it. Buffy supposed any girl with a working pair of eyes would have been affected by such a face. He was a handsome devil, no doubt about it. However, Buffy maintained her emotional distance from him for two reasons. One, she had a friend on the line whose very life was depending on this conversation, and two, he was old, and that was kind of creepy.

"Miss Summers, it's a very grievous crime to be so beautiful. Did you know you're even hotter when you're pouting?" Shigure asked teasingly.

Buffy wrinkled her nose and twisted her mouth into a stern frown, making absolutely sure not to pout. "Don't get all cute and sexy and flirty on me and expect it to work. You can put that stupid smile away."

Shigure's smile widened. "Why, Miss Summers, I had no idea you thought so highly of me. Cute? Sexy? I'm flattered."

Buffy's frown deepened as her anger boiled hot. "You can call me Buffy, thanks. See, I'm American. I don't give a flying fuck about your polite Japanese customs. I won't be talked down to."

Shigure showed no interest in matching Buffy's serious demeanor. He twirled a pencil on his desk as he draped himself over the edge of it. "I'm not talking down to you, Miss Summers. It would interest you to know that I view you as a very capable young woman." His eyes raked shamelessly over her body. "You'd be happy to know I think you look very much the part of a woman as well."

The urge to punch the man rising, Buffy refused to display any of her anger.Nonetheless, she was glad the clothes she was wearing (that the servants had given her that morning) didn't hug her figure or show it needlessly off. "Ha, ha. This isn't a time for jokes or sexual innuendo. Though I'm glad to offer you such amusement, I'm trying to save an innocent woman from a very painful--"

Shigure cut in before Buffy could finish. The mirth was wiped from his face and in its place was cool detachment. "Kyoko was a servant here. She worked for me. She refused an order. That simply isn't done."

"Kyoko, this sheet has a wrinkle in it! To the chair with you!" Buffy mocked. "God, what is wrong with you people? I would think that having faced hell on earth would make everyone realize how stupid all this tyrranical crap is. What happened to everyone being equal?"

"I don't question Akito," Shigure said calmly. He had switched his attention from the pencil to a crystal-looking paperweight. "He makes the rules, and we follow them."

"You expect me to buy this?" Buffy asked, raising an eyebrow at the man. "You, Shigure Souma, are the Lord of this land, you have got to make at least some of the rules."

The infuriating mouth opened and spewed forth a yawn. "The more unimportant rules, sure. You know, we Warlords have an obligation to supply the Coliseum games with 'players'. Or so the Lord Akito decrees. What can I say, Kyoko was the best candidate."

"So she didn't even DO anything?" Buffy exclaimed. The situation was getting more and more ridiculous. "What was all that crap about not following orders?"

"She was an insolent one, that Kyoko," Shigure recalled, almost fondly. "She talked back, didn't do anything unless she felt like it. I compared her to the rest of the staff, and she just fell short, I suppose. She deserved what she got."

"How can you say that someone deserves death? Are you God? It doesn't sound like she did anything to me except maybe stand up for her rights as a human being. Did you ever ask her if she wanted to be your servant?"

Shigure flashed an amused smile. "No. I'm sure she would have much preferred to be left out in the street and eaten by wild demons."

"She dead either way, isn't she?" Buffy said darkly. "Don't act like this is the only safe haven in the whole damn world. What about that village me and Tohru went to when we first got here? Those people are okay."

"Those people are governed by Akito. They're no better off than the servants here. Either way, they have to obey his orders." Shigure shrugged. "We're keeping them safe, using our own guards and resources. If we weren't looking out for them, they would be demon food."

"No," Buffy said firmly. "They have the Slayer."

"Scarlett?" Shigure choked out, laughing uproariously. "That girl doesn't give a fuck about them! She's on Akito's leash, just like anyone else. She only looks out for herself."

"No, not Scarlett," Buffy said, the humor and pleasantness completely wiped from her face. She looked at Shigure with the cold precision of a girl who knew how to kill and wouldn't hesitate if it needed to be done. "Me."

Shigure was courteous enough to pause for a moment, appraising the girl in front of him with curiousity. "You? What do you plan to do to salvage the demonic wasteland that is the country of Japan? All of the major cities have been leveled. All you will find is ramshackle villages poised on top of what were some of the most prosperous cities in the world. You could leave. You could probably find some way to the mainland of Asia, or to the Americas, since that's where you hail from. You won't find anything different in either place. The Hellmouths opened, and the demons came out. They destroyed every hallmark of human civilization they saw. It's a miracle in itself that Scarlett was called and found a way to close the Hellmouths. This is the aftermath of the apocalyse, Miss Summers. Humanity has been set back to the time before civilization even existed. We don't need a Slayer. We need a miracle."

Buffy was silent, taking in the information she had been given. It was a lot to think about. It almost made her forget the reason she was standing there in Shigure's office, but not quite. "This is interesting, I suppose. That doesn't change the fact that I'm not going to let Kyoko Honda die."

Shigure's face darkened. "You can't stop it," he said flatly.

"I can. I will. I tried doing it the nice way and asking politely, but you wouldn't have it. So now we're going to do things the Buffy way." She flashed a fake smile, stretching her lips wide. "Thanks for your time. It's been real."

Shigure was up and intercepted Buffy as she turned to make her exit. "If you think you can get this accomplished by force, you're wrong," he said.

Buffy placed her hand on the man's shoulder, and squeezed hard, holding back on her strength so she wouldn't injure him. She flexed her fingers and shoved him aside with all the might she could muster. Shigure stumbled sideways over a pile of cardboard boxes and landed with a loud thump to the carpeted floor. He lay in agony, clutching at his left side which had taken the brunt of the force from the fall. He looked like he wasn't used to pain. Buffy gave him a last emotionless stare before speaking.

"You're wrong."

She raced out of the room and down the hall.

She didn't have a lot of time left.

Grunting in anguish, Shigure pulled himself into a sitting position. He surely wasn't used to pain, and his left hip and elbow felt like cement blocks had slammed into them. His right side was mostly unscathed, however, and he reached into the pocket of his trousers and pulled out a cellular phone. A small smile crept over his face as he speed dialed the first number in his digital phone book.

"It's me," he said when the other end picked up. "Yes, it's done. There's nothing to save."

"Miss Honda, what a nice surprise," Yuki said, smiling warmly at the girl who stood in the doorway of his room. He stepped aside and let her walk past him. "Did you come to talk about your home some more?"

Tohru giggled nervously, making her way into the spacious room. The walls were painted a powder blue color, matching the rest of the blue-themed room, from the royal blue curtains to the midnight blue bedspread. The furniture was sparse; only the essentials of a bed, a dresser, and a desk appeared to be present.

Tohru moved over to the chair next to the desk and said quickly, "No, not about that. May I sit down?"

"Of course," Yuki said pleasantly. "You don't have to relegate yourself to the chair. You're welcome to sit with me on the bed."

"Okay," Tohru said, sitting on the edge of Yuki's downy-soft bed. She smiled at the boy at he took a seat next to her.

"Now what did you need to talk about, Miss Honda?" Yuki asked softly.

"Well, it's about Hana," Tohru began hesitantly, "Hana Sakejime. You... remember her?"

"Yes." Yuki nodded. "She worked here."

Tohru shook her head. "The one that was in the Coliseum yesterday. Well, um..."

Yuki was watching her intently. He nodded slightly. "You know I'm the one who got her put in jail," he said firmly.

Tohru was surprised. "Yes, actually, I do. Buffy told me."

"Buffy? How does she know?" Yuki wondered.

"She talked with Akito this morning," Tohru replied. "He told her that he would release Hana and Ma -- Kyoko Honda if we could get the people who pressed charges against them to drop the charges." She felt sheepish and ducked her head. "I -- I don't know what the crime Hana committed was, but..."

Yuki raised his hand in the air, stopping Tohru's apologetic tirade. "You don't have to feel sorry, Tohru. I appreciate you coming here to talk to me."

"Really?"

Smiling brightly, Yuki nodded. Tohru noticed that his movements were just as graceful as the Yuki she knew when he got to his feet and walked to the dresser beside what must have been the closet. He lifted an arm and placed his thin hand on the receiver of a phone that rested there. He paused in his actions and looked back at Tohru. "Yes, Miss Honda, I'm glad. I've been feeling guilty about Hana ever since her arrest three weeks ago."

Tohru felt great relief flood over her. "Really?"

"Yes. I was having a bad day, and when she refused my order, I'm sorry to say I snapped. I never intended for her to be used in the Coliseum games." Yuki's eyes darkened with regret. "That's Akito's way."

Tohru felt such happiness at Yuki's remorse that she barely listened to what he was saying. She was basking in the afterglow at the thought that her best friend would be free. "Thank you so much," she gushed. "I don't know how I can repay you for this."

Yuki abandoned the phone and moved to Tohru, taking her hand in his and bringing it to his lips. "I thank you, Miss Honda. Your concern for Hana lifts my heart. If not for you coming here, I may not have had the courage to do anything about this mistake."

Tohru looked up at Yuki, and for a moment it was like she was back home. The way he looked at her felt so familiar, so warm, she felt tears fill her eyes and threaten to spill forth.

Upon seeing her watery eyes, Yuki was quick to drop her hand and step back. "Miss Honda, is something the matter?"

"I'm happy," Tohru said, wiping at her cheeks as the tears slid down. "Really, this means so much to me."

Yuki reached into the pocket of his well-pressed shirt and pulled out a purple handkerchief. "Dry your eyes, Miss Honda. Your tears of joy look too much like tears of sorrow to me. I cannot stand to see them on your face."

Tohru smiled and used the handkerchief to wipe her face clean of tears. Yuki returned to the phone and picked it up, dialing quickly and turning his back to Tohru. "Yes," he said after a moment. "This is Yuki Souma with an order for the Coliseum guards. They are to release Hana Sakejime and Kyoko Honda immediately and send them to Hanabi Village, where they are to seek temporary shelter in the Inn there, in the reserved room."

There was a long pause, and Yuki's impeccable posture faltered, his back hunching slightly. "I see," he said finally.

He hung up the phone.

When he turned around, his face was mysteriously blank. Tohru went to speak, but he beat her to the punch, his words escaping his lips in hushed tones.

It took a moment for the information to absorb into Tohru's mind. She was left staring at Yuki, her mouth dropping open.

Tohru's grip faltered on the handkerchief, and it fell to the floor.

There was no time to meet Tohru in the room and tell her that Shigure had refused to drop the charges against Kyoko. He knew Buffy was going to try to break her out, and he was certainly going to warn Akito as soon as he could get up from the floor. She cursed herself for giving away her plans, but in the heat of the moment, her anger at Shigure's refusal had come pouring out. Now she was in a race against the clock, and she knew she was going to have to hurt a lot of people to get what she wanted.

Buffy was lost in frantic thoughts, racing down the final hallway towards the staircase when she ran into Kyou.

"Dammit!" Kyou shouted, bracing himself against the wall in order to stay upright. When he saw who had smacked him, he rolled his eyes. "I should have known. Why are you always smacking into me?"

"Why are you always in my way?" she exclaimed, glowering at the boy as he blocked the entire hallway with his arm. "Do you mind?"

"Where the hell are you going to, anyway?" Kyou asked, drawing his eyebrows down in a scowl. "Why the hell are you running like that?"

Buffy took a deep breath to calm herself, but it didn't work. Her heart was pounding a mile a minute, and her adrenaline was pumping overtime. "Just move!" she said. "I have to go."

Kyou rolled his eyes and removed his arm from the wall. "Don't trip on the stairs again, you crazy bitch," he said snidely, glancing as she whizzed right by him.

She was halfway down the stairs when a realization hit her. Kyou can help me.

Buffy had been daydreaming yesterday when she had ridden with Shigure and Hatori to the house in their car (which had been driven by a chauffer), so she couldn't remember exactly where the Coliseum was. She smacked herself lightly in the forehead and turned to race back up the stairs. She had to catch Kyou before he disappeared into a room. She did not have time to check the twenty or so rooms on the third floor.

Buffy turned the corner in the hallway, hoping to see the orange-haired boy's back. She caught a glimpse of a door shutting, and she ran to it, pulling it open and peering inside frantically.

Kyou whirled around, looking at the intruder with a sour face. "What do you want now?" he spat.

"I need your help," Buffy said breathlessly, trying to gather her thoughts into coherent sentences. Her mind was still all over the place, and an invisible weight was pressing down at the center of her being. She felt like she was being held down by something, but she didn't know what it was.

Kyou rolled his eyes. "No, thanks," he said. "What's your problem? You look like hell."

"Look, I need you to tell me how to get to the Coliseum," Buffy said in a rush. "If I don't get there fast, someone is going to die."

Kyou looked bored. "So what else is new? People are always dying there."

"And you condone this?" Buffy said, her anger rising to the surface again. "Are you Soumas all sadistic freaks or what? I mean, what is the deal with this place?"

"Akito," Kyou answered simply. "You talked to the guy, right? You know what he's like."

Buffy paused. "How would you know I talked to him?" she snapped.

It was Kyou's turn to hesitate. "I saw you leaving his office this morning," he said.

"What, you were spying on me?" Buffy exclaimed.

"No. I was on the roof and looking around," Kyou replied sharply. "Why the hell would I spy on you?"

"I don't know! Why the hell would you sit back and let an innocent woman die? Who knows what any of you are thinking!" Buffy yelled. "I need your help, Kyou, or Kyoko Honda is going to die tomorrow."

"Oh," Kyou said, sitting back down on the bed behind him. Buffy had been so focused on her own emotions, she hadn't realized she was probably inside Kyou's bedroom. It was nice, painted in sunset shades of yellow, red, and orange. There was little more than the bed and a dresser for furnishings, but the colors gave it an odd sort of appeal, at least when compared to the bland gray of the guest bedrooms.

"Look, Buffy," Kyou said. "Forget about Kyoko. She was as good as dead three weeks ago. She knows it. She's probably come to accept it."

"What are you talking about?" Buffy asked, feeling a lump rising in her throat. She swallowed thickly. "I talked to Shigure. He said she didn't do anything. She was just randomly picked for those stupid Coliseum games."

Kyou cast his gaze downward and tilted his head. Orange bangs tumbled into his face, rendering Buffy unable to see anything but shadows. "It wasn't random," he muttered.

Buffy could accept that Shigure had lied to her. He had never had an obligation to tell her the truth. Yet something puzzled her about Kyou's assertion. He knew something she didn't. "Why?" Buffy asked. "Why was Kyoko picked?"

Kyou paused again before answering. "She disobeyed an order."

Letting out an annoyed grunt, Buffy said, "Yeah, Shigure said something like she was reluctant to follow orders. But I don't get why that earns her death. He could have just sent her out of the house, right? To one of those villages?"

"That's not how it works," Kyou said stiffly.

"Your system sucks," Buffy said bluntly. "I've wasted too much time here. Will you help me get to the Coliseum or not?"

Kyou didn't answer her. He remained hunched over, hidden by his mass of carrot-colored hair.

"Fine," Buffy said, feeling disappointed. She would have to ask someone else to tell her where the Coliseum was located. She turned around and made her way into the hall, no longer running but keeping a quick pace to her footsteps.

Buffy was stopped when someone grabbed her arm roughly and whirled her around. She found Kyou looking at her with wide, curiously blank eyes. His grip on her arm was rough, almost to the point of painful, and they must have stood in silence for ten seconds before she broke it with a curt, "What?"

"Don't," Kyou said, his voice as empty as his expression. "Don't try to help Kyoko. You can't."

Buffy wrenched her arm free and rubbed at the sore spot. "I'm not going to sit by while she's killed for... nothing. Don't you get how ridiculous this entire thing is? I have to help her. Tohru asked me to."

Kyou's face twisted in an odd expression of disgust. "The girl you met a few days ago, right? What is she to you, really? I mean, why do you care enough to risk your stupid life just so that ghost can have her fake mother back?"

Buffy pushed Kyou hard in the chest, causing him to stumble backwards and grapple at the wall for support. "I care because I have to! That's what a Slayer does. Maybe it seems stupid to you and your evil family, but I use my strength to help out people who can't do it themselves. That's what my strength was given to me for. It sucks, and it's hard, and yeah, I guess I could die. I don't care. I have to try."

Kyou's head hung as he leaned against the wall for support. He was breathing hard, and she could see he was trembling slightly. "You will die," he said quietly.

Unsure of how to respond to Kyou's statement, Buffy lifted her shoulders in a shrug. "You don't know that," she replied. "You don't know what I'm capable of."

"I know Akito. I know what he's capable of," Kyou replied. "If you rescue Kyoko, and you go on the run, hide her somewhere, he'll find you. He'll kill you, both of you. It's foolish."

The earlier weight on Buffy's center returned, and she recognized it to be hopelessness. She met Kyou's stare and felt a crushing sense of loss slam into her gut. "No," she said. It came out feeble. She shook her head slightly. "No, I promised."

Kyou looked frozen in place. When he didn't speak, Buffy asked quietly, "Will you help me, Kyou?"

After a moment of silence, Buffy figured she had once again blown it, but Kyou spoke. He lifted his head so that she could see the angry light in his eyes. "What do I get out of it, huh, Buffy?" he asked snidely. "Do I get to die needlessly, too, or will I just be there to watch the guards cut you and Kyoko down? They won't hesitate, you know. They have their orders not to let prisoners escape at any cost. Are you fast enough to outrun bullets, because I can guarantee Kyoko isn't."

Precious seconds flew by, and Buffy waged an internal war with herself, wondering if there was any point in trying to convince Kyou that her goal was worthwhile. To see that she couldn't turn her back on this. She glowered at him, fed up with his stubborn attitude. "I get that there's a death risk involved, Kyou. I'm not that stupid, despite what my blonde hair tends to indicate. I'm not asking you to come with me and put your life on the line. I'm asking you to give me directions. It's not exactly leaping into the fray of a sword fight, now is it? I don't think the words will grab little knives and attack you."

"Excuse me if I feel a bit reluctant to give you directions to certain death," Kyou said sourly.

"Quit talking to me like I'm some helpless girl throwing herself against an army of millions. I'm a Slayer. I have the strength of demons. I think I can handle a few guards," Buffy said crossly.

"No, don't you get it? You can't handle them! You think Akito would just leave a few hapless idiots to guard the prisoners? They're guarded by hundreds of human and demon guards, each having his own array of weapons. Guns, swords, claws, teeth. You'll die, you'll fucking die. That's what you're running to."

"No, I'm--"

"So you go there, foolishly thinking you can win against the odds and save Kyoko. And you die, because there's no fucking doubt about that happening. Think about what that means for Tohru. Sure, she wants you to save her mother, ya know, that worthless cunt who happens to look like her, but she wants you to be here for her even more than that. She needs you to protect her, and shit, she wants you here because she likes you. She wants you to be okay. If she was here, she'd tell you that," Kyou continued.

"Do you hear yourself?" Buffy exclaimed, her anger exploding in an instant. "You go on about how Kyoko isn't the same mother that Tohru knows, when here you are talking about Tohru like you know her! I don't have time to stand here and argue with a hypocrite." Buffy turned on her heel and stalked away.

Her arm was grabbed again, but she was ready for it. She shoved Kyou away from her, and this time he fell to the floor, cursing as he landed roughly on his rear. "I'll get someone else's help, thanks," she said harshly. "You've been a complete waste of my time. I shouldn't have expected any more than that from a Souma."

Kyou wasn't done with her. He got to his feet surprisingly quickly and blocked the punch she threw at him, pushing her back against the wall and leaning over her almost menacingly. "Why can't you understand? You can't save Kyoko! She might as well be dead. All you're going to do is earn yourself a spot next to her in the ground!"

"You're in my way," Buffy said icily, avoiding his stare by averting her eyes to the side. "So move."

Kyou didn't budge, so Buffy lifted her eyes and finally met his gaze. He was watching her with indescribable feeling, like he was struggling to think of how to put his emotions into words. Not having time for his dramatics, Buffy repeated herself. "Move."

"Okay," Kyou said finally, the fire extinguished from his voice. He looked defeated as he stepped back, setting her free. "Fine. Okay."

"Okay," Buffy echoed dully, turning away from him to head down the stairs.

Before she reached them, she was stopped by Tohru, who ascended the staircase just as Buffy had taken a few steps away from Kyou. "Buffy," the girl said, standing in front of her. Her lovely face was streaked with fresh and stale tears.

"Tohru, what's wrong?" Buffy asked.

Tohru wiped at her eyes with a violet handkerchief. She went to speak, but fresh tears poured out of her eyes.

"Tohru?" Buffy repeated, moving towards the girl.

Yuki blocked Buffy's progress. "It's Hana and Kyoko," he responded softly.

"What?"

"They're dead," Yuki said.

"What? No. Their execution was set for tomorrow," Buffy said, feeling panicked.

"It was," Yuki agreed, watching the Slayer carefully. "They attempted to escape, and the guards cut them down."

Buffy felt like all the life drained from her then. She could barely find the energy to speak, but somehow she managed it. "Why?"

Yuki's eyes softened. He was almost six inches taller than Buffy, so he had to tilt his head down to meet her gaze, as they were standing only a foot apart. He lifted his hand up briefly to touch the side of Buffy's face, his fingers startlingly cool against her hot cheek. "I'm sorry," he said sincerely. "I gave my consent for Hana to be released, and I called the guards to tell them to let her go. That is when they informed me of what had happened."

Tohru moved past Yuki and leaned against Buffy in a hug. She was still crying quietly, as Buffy could feel the salty tears soaking through the thin material of her shirt. "We tried," the girl whispered. "We did what we could."

Buffy felt sick to her stomach. She craned her head back to look at Kyou, wondering what his reaction was to this news.

He was gone.