AN: Thanks everyone for reading and reviewing!! I always love getting reviews, so know that if you leave me one you make my day a little happier. I'm trying to be more consistent with my updating so please bear with me. Any suggestions or opinions on the story are welcome!

Spring came back to the island with a burst of heat; Yuhana had been a little better in the weeks prior, and seemed to have more energy. Kenru was still gone, but he had left enough to take care of them with relative comfort. She still didn't feel like eating very much. Yuki and Ikuno were still around much of the time, and it helped her handle Mugen every day.

"I'm so glad you are feeling better lately Yuhana!" Yuki said to her. "I'm sure you will get well soon." she told her.

Yuhana only smiled. Sometimes, Yuki's constant optimism made her feel better, even though she knew it was generally misplaced. She had almost gotten used to coughing all the time, and she coughed up blood much more now than she was allowing her friends to know. She wondered if her poor appetite had anything to do with the amounts of blood she swallowed every day.

"Come little Mugen, let's go down to the shore and look for sea stars!" Yuki said, bending down slightly to hold the little boy's hand. He toddled happily through the doorway with his companion, and Yuhana looked after him sadly. She was beginning to fear now that she wouldn't wake up when she lay down at night. She wondered every time she saw him before she closed her eyes if it would be the last time.

"We will always look after the boy." Ikuno said.

"Thank you." Yuhana whispered, tears sliding silently down her face; she knew what Ikuno meant. She tried to stop it, but found that she couldn't, and suddenly her body was shaking with sobs. She pressed her hand tight against her mouth and squeezed her eyes shut, hot water spilling over her fingers. Something about her friend's words had truly made her situation real to her in a new way. She felt a hand on her shoulder, and Ikuno had come to sit behind her, trying to comfort her in whatever small way. She reached back and clutched her hand tight until her crying had eased.

A few nights later, a driving storm thrashed the rickety ship that Kenru was aboard. Few lanterns would stay lit, and the men on board were arguing amongst themselves. Their looting of passing ships hadn't been going well, as word had spread among the fleets of the danger of skirting too close to the islands. They were having to go further and further out to sea to bring in any haul worth their time. Now, in the driving rain and wind, they could barely see anything. On this night, they had gone into unfamiliar territory at the behest of Koji, one of the crewmen who was said to have inside information on the shipping routes. Their ventures this outing hadn't garnered them very much of anything with worth.

"You stupid bastard!" their 'captain' yelled. "You dragged us all the way out here for nothing! We can't even see a ship if there's one nearby!" he shouted above the storm. Kenru sat back and watched the men squabble.

"I'm tellin' ya, trade ships always come through this way on their way to Naha. I've got first hand information." he said cooly.

"Just where in the hell did you get this information of yours?" the leader asked. "I think you're full of sh..." he said, but his words were interrupted.

"Look boss, I see a light up ahead, it must be a ship! There's no land around here!" one of the crew shouted, pointing just off the port bow. "We can probably get to it if we handle the ship hard!" he told him.

"See, and you thought you couldn't trust me." Koji said with a smug and nearly toothless grin. Kenru looked hard at the new crewman. Something about him just wasn't right; he was too confident and cocky. He wasn't nearly as desperate and hardened as the rest of them.

The captain fought with the ship and the rain began to slack off. Soon, the ship was sailing much more smoothly and they were making fast progress toward the ship in the distance. It seemed to be getting closer at quite a good speed. Kenru watched it closely. He had never seen them gain on another ship so quickly. The rest of the crew shouted with joy at their good fortune. Then, when they were only a short distance away, Kenru realized what was happening.

"You idiots!" He shouted. "Are you blind? We're comin' up on them so fast because they're anchored!" he told them, as some turned with confused looks toward him.

"Even better!" Kenji shouted to them. "They're sitting ducks! They must be in trouble already; they'll be easy pickin' for us!"

"How do you know all this crap?" Kenru asked him, staring at him with distrust. "All this looks a little too good to be true to me." he said.

"Prepare to board ship!" the captain called, before he could say more. Koji gave him another of his smug grins and turned away, heading for the group getting ready to attack the unsuspecting ship just in front of them. They pulled alongside it, and saw the lanterns on board lit, but no one seemed to be out on deck. Suddenly, a door burst open on the side of the ship's cabin. Men came pouring out, rifles in hand and began to swarm the vessel that had come to raid it.

There weren't very many of them on board the little makeshift ship, and they were overtaken in only a few moments. Amid the gunfire and chaos, Kenru saw Koji slinking away toward the larger ship. In a haze of rage, he ran toward him and grabbed him, throwing him to the deck.

"You piece of shit!" he hissed in his face. "If we're going down, then your lyin' ass is goin' with us!" he said, plunging his sword through his heart before he could beg. No sooner had he done it, than a strange feeling ripped through his midsection, and he looked down to find blood spreading from a hole just under his sternum. He tried to take a step, but he stumbled and fell against the railing of the ship, sliding down beside the body of their betrayer. He tried to draw quick breaths, but they were ragged and he felt dizzy.

An image suddenly flashed to his mind, and he didn't see the chaos around him anymore. It was of Yuhana, standing on the beach the first night they were together. He had found her there after waking up alone, and had followed her footsteps to the shore. She had looked so different the last time he had seen her. At that time, she wasn't ill or worn down by the harsh life of the island. He had thought secretly to himself that night what a lucky bastard he was to have found her. It seemed to be the only bit of luck he had come by in the ragged existence he had called a life.

Then, another scene, of her lying on the beach, just after the boy was born. Their boy. His boy. Mugen. He had given him that name to give him strength, so nothing could bring him down. He was angry, again. He was going to die here on this miserable piece of wood, like a common fish skewered by a fishing spear. He hoped Mugen would make a better end someday. He felt like he was drowning, and everything seemed to be turning black and fading away. After a moment, he could see something, and it seemed as though there were people standing around him, but he was in a different place.