I OWN NOTHING BUT THE STORY LINE AND THE CHARACTERS THAT YOU DON'T KNOW FROM THE ANIME/MANGA!

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Chapter Twenty

Peace At Last

Inside the Capital there were even more Nobusari waiting on them, Aito and Akahana slashing through them. They had been waiting for them to board and were ready. It didn't take long for them to run into Heihachi as he tried to make it through the hall and bring this floating object down. Akahana was relieved; that meant Kambei and the others were on their way, if not already there.

Aito didn't use his wind as he slashed through the enemy, trying to save his energy for the one bastard that he had been waiting so long for. It had been nearly a month since he had encountered Kisuke through the screen on that Nobusari and he had been dreaming about getting revenge; literally. Every time he fell asleep he saw Kisuke betraying them. Saw Shin and his sister's body. His Fiancé's face…the smile she wore, knowing that she was going to do…it got to him every time.

He also saw all the wounds on Akahana's body, the burn marks that she endured from her own power losing control. He knew that it was Akahana's powers that burnt down the city but he didn't blame her for it; he never had. It was all Kisuke's fault.

In all honesty, Aito admired his sister. Akahana refused to use her Fire unless she had to. She felt that it was a way of cheating when it came to battle and, so she tried to keep it hidden. He should have done the same. Instead he flaunted it and used his wind like it was a damn toy while he was bored. Aina only used her for healing and a few things here and there but he abused it. He had been lazy as a child and used it to do the smallest of tasks. He had been using so much of it for so long that his energy was out of this world. That's the only reason that he was able to save Kirara and Aina when they fell back at the very beginning of this very journey. Though skilled with a blade, Aito felt that both his sisters were stronger then him; both mind and body.

"Katsushiro." Akahana blocked the bullets that were aimed at the child, a frown on her face. "Stay focused."

He nodded. "Yes, Sensei!"

"Aito, stay with Heihachi," Akahana ordered her brother. "Keep him alive so he can return to Makoto."

"But…" Aito went to argue but then gave in. He wanted nothing more than to kill Kisuke himself, but at the same time he had also accepted that this was his sister's fight to finish. If he were to take this away from her…

Kisuke had taken more from her than he had the rest of them.

"Stay with me, Katsushiro," She told him. "Just like we practiced, yes?"

"Yes!"

Aito wanted to watch, to see just what his sister had been teaching the boy, but his attention was full in keeping Heihachi alive. He didn't want to have to deal with Makoto's mouth if her boyfriend got hurt a second time while fighting these guys and so kept his complete attention on protecting him as the shorter man hurried through, dodging bullets here and there as he did his job. It was a good thing, too. One of the large swords almost struck Heihachi but Aito took care of it in a jiff, blowing it back out into the battle outside and destroying its wielder as Heihachi finished his job.

"Get off the ship and back to the village when you're done," Akahana ordered the duo when they had a moment to breathe. "They'll need you more than we do. Katsu-"

"No, I'm not leaving you!" The young warrior cried. "You said I could stay with you as long as I did what you said."

"And I'm telling you to leave."

"I won't. I won't-" All muscle control left his body as Akahana hit a pressure point in his neck.

"Forgive me, Katsu," She picked up his body and tossed it at Aito. "All of you, get out of here!"

Aito glared at his sister. "If you don't come back from this, I'll never forgive you!"

Akahana gave him a reassuring smile. "I came back last time, didn't I? Besides…without me, you and Aina would be lost."

"You damn right we would be!" He growled. "So, hurry this up!"

Akahana gave him a firm nod before taking off into the doorway that led her to another part of the Capital. She cut through anyone that tried to get in her way, but they seemed to all be heading towards another part of the floating object. Kisuke said that she would be able to find him with the Emperor, but she had said man first.

There was no doubt in her mind now that Kambei and the others were causing havoc somewhere else on the Capital. Part of her wanted to run off and find them but the rest of her wanted to find Kisuke and finish what was started five years ago. This was something that she had to do alone; it was why she sent Aito off. She didn't want anyone else getting involved with what she was about to do, and she knew that by getting in touch with Kambei, the older man would do just that.

She went to rush past a set of large doors, but something made her stop. Turning back to look, there was something that seemed to be pulling her towards them, as if asking her to enter the room. With a set face, she shoved a shoulder against one of the doors and entered.

Silence traveled all around as the cool air drifted over her skin. The room was dark, save for the patch of light that was coming in through the window as the sun began to rise and shine outside. A single man sat there in the light, as if meditating. He didn't even turn at her entrance.

"It's almost an exact re-enactment of five years ago, isn't it? Our roles are just reversed. Instead of you waiting for me in the throne room, I am the one left waiting for you."

Akahana had to bite her tongue. There was nothing more than curses and swears that she wanted to throw at this man but instead she stayed silent, just staring at him and waiting for him to make the first move. Her silence received a sigh in reply and the man stood, turning to face her. She fought a frown.

Kisuke's face was burnt to unrecognition, save for the left upper corner of his face. He was undoubtedly blind in his right eye but there was a single blue orb that stared at her. She'd recognize those eyes anywhere. This entire time she was praying that this was truly some imposter that was playing tricks on her or someone from Almoth Plains that was trying to make her suffer for what she had caused five years ago. But now she no longer had any doubts.

"As I told your friend back in the city," Kisuke closed his eyes. "I didn't come to the Capital to find you. I didn't think I'd ever seen any of you again. But then I saw you on security cameras, helping the Samurai. It must have been fate. My suspicions were confirmed when I was able to talk to your brother. To think that we would be brought together again in a place like this. Fate is the only explanation."

"Fate?" Akahana cursed with a glare. "How did you survive?"

"I'm a healer, Akahana, and a much more experienced one than you seemed to think. I concentrated my powers inside my body to keep my organs alive. It cost me my skin but…I learned to live with that. It…was not enough to pay for my sins, though. Which is why I revealed myself to you."

His words…they infuriated her even more. "You want me to believe that you fell any remorse for what you did? You want me to pity you!?"

"I didn't ask for pity or understanding. I didn't ask for anything from you or come here to argue. I understand what I did is wrong but I will apologize for doing what I think was right."

"What you thought was right? What you thought was right!? You massacred the entire castle! You killed people that trusted you and looked up to you. You cut the tendons in my arm and betrayed me! Nothing you ever say will make anyone forgive you!"

Kisuke moved from the light in silence before moving towards the wall. Akahana hadn't noticed the staff that leaned there until he grabbed it. It wasn't the same staff that he had used five years ago.

"I remember adamantly what I did. I also know what you've come for. No amount of talking will change your mind…nor mine. Let's take care of this; allow me some peace of mind."

"Peace of mind…" She closed her eyes, placing her right hand on her blade. "No matter what happens, I will always live with the guilt of what I did, voluntarily or not. There will be no peace of mind in this; not for me."

Kisuke gave a silent sigh as their battle began. There was no doubt that Akahana was stronger than she was five years ago, but he had grown stranger as well. He was impressed that the woman had trained her right arm to wield her sword in such a short time. Had she still been able to use her left arm then this would have been a horrible fight.

Nothing else matter to the duo, their concentration centered on the one before them. No fire or water was used, Kisuke didn't even stop to heal the bleeding from the wounds she gave to him. He wanted to see her fire again but his conclusion that she was too afraid to use them anymore was proving itself to be true.

Nothing but grunts and cries echoed around the room, everything happening outside with the Samurai and the Nobusari and the village meant nothing to the duo as their long-held rage and hatred spilled out. Anything that had been in the room had been reduced to shambles from their blades and bodies as sweat and blood began to mix and paint the floor.

Nothing interrupted their battle until the door flew open and a figure in robes ran in like there was a fire under his ass. Akahana glanced at him and recognized Ukyo immediately, the look of panic and fear painted on that weird face of his. More movement from the doors caught her gaze and she glanced; Kyuzo, Shichiroji, and Kambei had joined them, all three relieved, and surprised, to find her there. Not wasting her time, she turned to see that Ukyo was begging Kisuke for protection; his answer was the other man's spear being used to slice his throat open.

Kisuke smiled as Ukyo's body crumbled before him. "Shall we continue?"

Kambei watched with wide eyes. Kisuke had just killed the Emperor, leaving what was left of the guards on the Falling Capital with him, Shichiroji, Kyuzo, and Akahana.

"You two, go," Kambei told Kyuzo and Shichiroji before anyone else could speak or move. "This Capital will fall into the ravine unless we do something. Go help the others. Grab Kikuchiyo, too. I'll stay here."

"Come back; both of you." Shichiroji told him.

"I don't need your help," Akahana grumbled, refusing to take her eyes off of Kisuke.

"I'm not here to help," He replied to her. "This is your fight, but if he does something to immobilize you, like cut your tendons again, then what will you do?"

"You trust this man this much, do you?" Kisuke chuckled from his spot. "I'm surprised that you let anyone that close to you again after last time. I'm also surprised that you're able to fight with your right hand so well. Kalhu chose a good successor…if only you had more time to learn before he did so."

"There wasn't a choice," Akahana reached over to her other blade with her left hand. "And you didn't leave me as immobile as you think you did."

Kisuke frowned as she drew her other sword. "Yes, I was interested in how you were able to move your left arm with the tendons cut; it should have been useless like this."

"Aina was able to heal the tendons together, just not perfectly," Akahana told him. "The pain of using my arm is almost unbearable and so I try not to as much as I can, in or out of battle. But still…I still trained and trained it, pushing myself to the point of exhaustion. Some nights I cannot even sleep due to what happened," She bared both blades at him, ignoring the pain that shot through her arm. "It's all your fault. Everything that happened at Almoth Plains was all your doing! Every time I close my eyes all I see is accusing faces of my people. All I see is…is his precious face…" Her voice quivered. "Malix…I'll never get to see his face…ever…"

"Malix?" Kisuke felt something break inside. Shin had been the name of her student, not Malix? Who was she talking about? Could she…had she been with another man before everything happened? "I wasn't good enough in the end after all, was I?" He growled. "This Malix, did I kill him myself or did he die in your fires of hatred?"

"How…how dare you," Her shoulders trembled, the blades shaking in her hands. "I was pregnant, you bastard!" Akahana cried. "Pregnant when you rammed your spear through my stomach. You killed your own child!"

Kisuke had no time to react. He had been frozen by her words, resulting in her leg slamming into the side of his head. Kambei was shocked too. She had been pregnant? That explained a lot of things, especially her words back at the Firefly House.

"I feel so bad for Rikichi," Kirara sighed. "What can we do to help them?"

"Why get involved?" Akahana's answer came. "We saved her and we're taking her back home. You can't rush things like this. If the woman is truly suffering from Stockholm Syndrome, then it's better to let it all take it's time. Forcing anything could just make it worse."

"How can you be so heartless?" Kirara cried.

"Heartless or not, there's nothing to be done. You can't force her to the way she was before. It takes time. She might not ever return. All you can do is be there with her. If she's as strong as you think she is, she'll come back."

Kambei frowned while staring at Akahana. For some reason…he felt that it wasn't Sanae that she was talking about.

In her anger, Kambei watched as fire began to erupt all around the room, little explosions here and there as she continued to beat Kisuke's body. He could barely see her face, but he could see the tears streaming down it. For five years she had been hiding her pregnancy from everyone just to finally release it all at once on the man that she loved, that had given her the said child and then taken it away from her. All her emotions were bursting at once, just like it had at the Palace five years ago. His panic doubled when the walls around them caught fire.

Kambei watched as both blades flew through the air, followed by Kisuke's head. Kambei watched the blood seep from the fallen body as the head rolled away from them before both pieces caught fire.

He stood there, expecting the fires to die down but he realized that something was wrong when they didn't. Akahana was just repeatedly kicking the flaming body, ignoring as her own clothes were beginning to smolder.

~She's losing control!~ Kambei cursed. If she wasn't stopped, they would have another Almoth Plains tragedy on their hands. He had to think; fast. She hadn't come all this way, fought this hard, just to fall here. He couldn't let her do that; he wouldn't let her do that.

He doubted that trying to fight her was a good idea. He didn't know if he could actually do it, and not because of how strong she was. It was because of his feelings for her. It was the only plan he could think of.

Moving before her, her stomping stopped but the anger was still there. Reaching forward, Kambei cupped her face in his hands before crashing his lips to her. It caught her off guard like he thought it would, considering that all her movement stopped. He wanted to open his eyes and see her own, but he feared what he would see.

He expected her to struggle but he got quite the opposite. She pressed back instead, making the kiss deeper. He couldn't help but feel the excitement in his chest rise; and the relief as all the fire around them died down. No doubt that there was going to be a long, awkward conversation after this was all over, but he was willing to accept that if he could just hold her right now…

Something made the Capital jerk, breaking the duo and their enjoyable moment apart. Akahana glanced around and noticed a shift in the wind; it made her smile. Aito was trying to stop the Capital from passing the Ravine. Aina, no doubt, was helping to push it back, too. This was her chance to finish all of this. To end it all.

With a silent glance at Kambei, who gave her a short nod, the duo ran out of the Captial and into the sun as they neared the Village even more.

Jumping down the front of the Capital, she saw Aito and Aina not too far from the edge of the village, right where she had stood to take care of the Nobusari not long before. Their force was slowing the object down, giving her and Kambei enough time to join them. Kambei backed off, leaving the trio to do their work as he and the others gazed on together.

Using her Fire, it joined in with the wind and water, slowing the Capital down even more and yet the large object continued to inch forward more and more.

"We need to drop it into the Ravine!" Aina cried. "That's the only way it won't make it to the village."

"I know that," Aito cried from her other side. "But it's still moving too fast. We have to slow it down even more so it won't glide right over."

"Or hit it from above," Akahana glanced at her brother. "Get above them damn thing and push it down. Aina and I can hold it back for now. When it hits the ravine, you should be able to force it down."

"Are you sure the two of you got this?" He sounded worried and unsure. If they couldn't hold this…

"Just go, Aito," Aina told him. "You're the only one that has enough strength to push it down. You're the only one that can save Kanna now."

"Hurry up so we can sleep and eat!" Akahana told him. He was still for a moment before nodding his head.

The moment his wind was gone, the two women felt more force bearing down on them. Firmly setting their feet in the sand, both used more strength and focused on the Capital as it began to cross the Ravine.

At first nothing happened and Akahana feared that her plan was going to fail, but then she saw the object begin to tip and as it did so, Aito's wind whipped around them all. Changing the angle of her fire, she began to pound down on the tipped platform, sending more force with it down into the ravine, careful of the explosions that were continuing to break out on it.

Aina gave a cry of relief as the Capital tipped enough into the ravine to continue falling on its own. She happily released her water and jumped on her sister when Akahana had dropped to her back in exhaustion.

Aito, dropping back to the ground from the sky, collapsed on the ground beside his sisters, all three breathing heavily as they stared up at the sky with grins, listening to the cries of joy from the village behind them.

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