Disclaimer: I do not own Samurai 7, or its character. I do own the people not in the show however.

It's the warmth of the sun and the smell of clean, fresh air that wakes Kyuzo more than anything else. He inhales the smell deep, savoring it almost; before his body agrees with the thought in his mind that it's time to get up.

The blonde samurai cracks open tired eyes to look through blurry gaze up at the trees that toward over him. He isn't sure when he had fallen asleep, but he was more surprised he had slept until now. Judging by the sun it was already late morning. He was usually up at dawn.

Now awake the samurai seems to realize that his right side being uncomfortably heavy. Which he finds odd because he doesn't think he had fallen asleep like that. He feels like he would remember that.

His red eyes dart down to his side with a frown before widening in surprise at the discovery that his side is so heavy because Mai is laying on it.

Well, not on it per say. Her head is on his shoulder, but the rest of her is more pressed against him than on him.

The red samurai tilts his head as he looks down at her. Confused and concerned as well as intrigued in what she is doing or how she ended up her. Was it by design or by accident? He couldn't be sure.

A sharp poke into his ribs through his coat with a stick brings Kyuzo back to reality and he snarls angrily as he whips around, jarring his partner in the process so that she now too is awake.

"Not to break up this probably adorable scene, but do either of you know Shimada Kambei?" Jiro asks, leaning heavily on the offending stick, and holding out a scroll to the blonde's on the ground.

At the mention of Kambei's name Kyuzo's face flashes with surprise, his ire forgotten, and he takes the scroll to unrolls it to read what it says. But there are no words on the page. Just black perforated dots stare back at him instead of kanji. The samurai glares up at the older man. He just knows Jiro did that on purpose.

Mai doesn't seem to pay attention to Kyuzo's annoyance as she takes the scroll from his hands quickly. "The execution is scheduled for noon tomorrow in Kogakyo. Apparently he tried to assassinate the emperor, in broad day light in front of the envoy council." She says as her nimble finger tips read the words in braille.

"Not a very good assassin if you ask me."

"He's a good samurai, they rarely are." Mai responds, closing the scroll upon finding that it had no more relevant information for them. "If we leave now we can make it to Kogakyo by tomorrow." She tells Kyuzo.

"If he's slated for an imperial execution, there's not much you can do." Jiro cautions.

But the decision has already been made.

They didn't come with much, so packing takes little to no time to orchestrate.

With his things in their bag and doing a mental once over of the room set for them but not slept in, Kyuzo heads down the hall to let her know he's ready.

"Samurai-kun said that you'll be heading to the capital soon. Have you thought about what you'll do after that?" Kyuzo pauses, his hand out stretched toward the handle, before he shrinks away from the door to its side. Feel that he would interrupt something if he opened it, but far too interested in whatever it was to not eavesdrop.

"Come now old man, you and I both know there's no after after this." Mai replies to Jiro in a dull, but amused tone. "If everything goes according to plan I'll be charged with killing two Grand Mals. If by some miracle they don't shoot me on site, I'll be executed not long after. And if you thought escaping an imperial execution was impossible…"

"Well, I prefer to be a forever optimist. Glass half full kind of man." Kyuzo can't see it, but he's sure Mai arches a brow at the man as if to argue with that statement. "But if all the stars should a line, and you do survive this suicide attempt, this might help." Jiro adds and there is a rustle of fabric followed by a sharp breath from the kunoichi. "It's Kenzo's last will and testament. He brought it to me a few weeks before his death. Said an old fortune teller in a tea shop told him the end was near. I told him not to believe in such silly superstitions, but Kenzo did always love to prove me wrong." The elder man supplies evenly with a small chuckle at the end for his deceased friend. "In there should be everything: You're recommendation for succession, you're legacy, his apprehension of Sho, all of it. With an unbroken seal the council will have to take it as authentic."

"What was she like?" Mai asks suddenly, and Kyuzo is certain that his face is probably just as surprised as Jiro's on the other side of the wall.

"Kaede, her name was Kaede." Jiro tells her. "She was lovely, really. She was the perfect demure daughter of a shogun, who kept her head high even after the samurai's fall. She played the flute rather nicely if I recall. Kenzo used to sap on and on about her, about how her hair was like the sun and her eyes like violets and her smile the light of the world. I cuffed him over the head more than once for it. God help me but I can't stand a man in love."

"What happened to them?" She asks curiously.

"Kenzo was slated for Mal." Jiro answered with a slight shrug in his voice. "His duty was first and foremost to the Omashu. And relationships with outsiders are already frowned upon. But had he known…well, who knows what he would have done if he had known." The old man says as if confounded by the thought. Then he pauses before he speaks again. "You know, if you and Samurai-kun both survive, you'll have to-"Thanks for letting us stay here Jiro-sama." Mai interrupts and there is another pause before Jiro scoffs amusedly.

"Yeah, come back anytime. I'm an old man now and could use a good work horse around the place again." He says before leaning lazily against his seat, once again as if he has not a care in the world.

"Then why don't you buy one like you do your women." Kyuzo can picture the smirk on her lips as she seems to ignore the older man's protests of how she's so 'stingy'.

The door opens and Mai stops abruptly as she sees Kyuzo standing there next to it on the other side. "Ready to go?" She asks, as though she hadn't been startled that he had been there and perhaps had been listening.

Kyuzo does not correct this and with a sharp nod the two head out for Kogakyo.

The pair reach the city just as the imperial airship looms over Kogakyo with its hulking mass.

The airships of the war had been designed not just to be weapons of war but also a psychological tactic against the enemy. The goal was for it to strike fear when you saw it. And it did just that.

Now, however, it was not the symbol of crushing power it once was. Instead it crushed the people under the influence of trade, not guns and metal. The people just didn't realize it yet.

Once amongst the masses of spectators with apparently nothing better to do than watch a man die, Kyuzo and Mai wait for the ceremonial execution to begin. Mai takes the added precaution of wrapping a stolen scarf around her face and hair. Kyuzo doesn't seem to care. And he's the one who actually should be taking precautions. After all, he was the former bodyguard of the city's magistrate who deserted his post to join the enemy.

But, judging by the chatter he's picked up, Ayamoro was not the magistrate anymore. Ukyo was. And that was enough to make him shutter.

You wouldn't know it to look at him, but Kyuzo knew he had a cruel streak. He had been the type of child that pulled wings off butterflies for fun. And unfortunately that wasn't something a person could grow out of.

Suddenly, the ornate doors of the air ship are opened, and a white speck of a man being lead out by guards exits.

"Kambei," Kyuzo says in a hushed tone, as if he hadn't believed it until he saw it with his own eyes. A hand suddenly clasps his own, limp at his side, and the samurai is snapped out of his revere to look down into the violet eyes staring up at him. She seems to be conveying to him 'don't do anything rash'. After all, it wasn't as if they could leap on to the platform Kambei was now forced to kneel to and save him.

At this point it seemed that they too had come all this way just to watch the man die.

Drum sound from the priestess on the screen. A hush fall over the crowd at the sound as the guards step back.

Then a new group descends the long row of stairs from the air ship. "Hello, good to see you all." He greets and the crowd mummers softly.

"Is that…Ukyo?"

"He's the new emperor?"

"That's it. It's the end of the world."

And Kyuzo couldn't have agreed more. He wasn't sure what impressive feat the man had done to go from farmer, to nobleman's son, to magistrate, to emperor in the few short years of his life but the man had to be luckier than the foot from a rabbit that ate nothing but four leaf clovers all day. He also shuttered at the thought of a selfish tyrannical brat like Ukyo running the nation. Thankfully, if he had his way and they went to the capital, it would be a reign short lived.

To his left is Tessai. He knows the man well. To his right is some cleric of the former emperor now pledged to Ukyo's service, prattling on about Kambei's accused and 'proven' crimes. Behind him he is flanked by two people he does not know.

They are dressed in black and almost uniform in their attire.

One is a woman with dark teal hair, high in a ponytail with a sharp bang by the side of her serious face.

The other is a man with black hair, tall and cocky enough in his demeanor that Kyuzo can see it from there.

He's never seen them before and wonders briefly who they are. Imperial bodyguards do not give off such killing energies, nor do they carry their weapons so obscurely.

The hand that had clasped his in order to stop him from doing anything rash suddenly tightens on his painfully and Kyuzo glances back down to see what's the matter. But judging by the zeroed in look of outright hatred and anger in her eyes as Mai stares up at the platform, Kyuzo can deduce who it is.

'Sho…' He thinks with a glare and his hand unconsciously tightens around hers in reprise, but to hold who in place he isn't sure.

The drums begin again and the executioner raises his blade to cut off Kambei's head.

But he misses.

By God somehow, some way, Kambei is able to disloged the execution block and miss the swing.

"Son of a bitch…" Mai mutters in awe, and Kyuzo has to agree.

'Well played old man'

There is a brief skirmish on the platform before Kambei approaches on Ukyo. But, unexpectantly, the pale man beats him to it.

"…these feats of samurai skill is quite inspiring." Ukyo says into the megaphone, so the people can hear the good part. "But hear me now, everyone here, the time has come to lay down our arms and put aside our differences. The war is over! And your days of suffering are at an end. But as your new emperor, I swear to you, we shall shatter the cycle of violence and I will protect the lives of all my people! Beloved subjects!" He bellows dramatically. But apparently isn't finished hearing himself talk yet, "It is true, this man tried to kill the former emperor. But his intention was only to free the women taken by my predecessor! My friends, I understand his actions. Therefore, I have decided to grant Kambei Shimda a full pardon! As for the women, I declare them all free! Tessai, see to the release of the women personally."

"Well isn't that thoughtful of him." Mai says when Ukyo is finally finished with his speech and prepares to return to his ship. Kyuzo has to agree. The younger man was not one to do things that didn't benefit him. Aside from the obvious tactic of pleasing the people, something was off.

Mai continues to glare at the air ship as the new emperor and his attends in black return into the fortress. "Another day," Kyuzo mutters like a promise and they disburse with the rest of the crowd into the streets.

They stick to the shadows of alleys and small crowds to go unsuspected as they watch the ship for hints of foul play. But finally, the metal behemoth steams and groans as it takes off into the skyline again into the desert.

"We should get going. Despite the new emperor's…generosity the others can't stay in the city for too long. We should start heading for Respite to meet the others." Mai says finally after hours of stretched silence between them, removing her stolen scarf once they are alone. Kyuzo nods in agreement.

They weave through the darkened streets, lit in this area only by the full moons light, until the samurai stops abruptly.

"What?" Mai asks curiously, having sensed no danger of predators seeking them in the dark. But apparently Kyuzo has found some and is off without her.

The blonde samurai darts this way and that through sideways and back ways until he slinks into the dark of an enclave in another to watch the scene down the way.

A porkish man he knows to be Ayamoro, in a far fall from the former state Kyuzo had left him in, snivels on the ground surrounded by men known as killers.

"W-what, what do you want from me?! Did..Ukyo order this?!" The old man quakes in fear as the men approach. They offer no answer, but one raises his sword to cut the man down as he squeals like a pig in fear. It is then that Kyuzo leaps into action. "K-Kyuzo?!" Ayamoro stammers in surprise as his former body guard rises despite the weight of the man's sword and strike to cut him and his partner down.

Kyuzo then turns on the other. And with a switch strike, he slices through his small schyte before holding him at sword point.

"Kyuzo…it's me…!"

"You will not harm him, nor Shimada Kambei." Kyuzo warns seriously, uninterested in their former acquaintanceship. They are now enemies. That's all that mattered now.

"Why not? They deserve it." The man protests weaking, flinching slighlty as the sword is raised just a hair more before Kyuzo lowers it.

He then turns, and seems to have decided to spare the man's life. "Sorry you feel that way." He tells him. And a moment later, when the man has fallen to his knees from the ordeal, Kyuzo's blade slices through him, clean and precise, before he eventually does put his swords away.

"Was all that really necessary?" Kyuzo looks over his shoulder at Mai, who has suddenly appeared next to Ayamoro with her hand on her hip. He says nothing. And she sighs. "You samurai and your lords," She says as though it's an insult, but with no venom nor true disappointment in him. They are about to leave when the man on the ground shrieks terribly.

"Wait! Kyuzo, please, take me with you! Please, I cannot stay here in Kogakyo! I'll be slain!"

"You'll be slain anyway if you don't keep your voice down. The whole city can hear your whining." Mai scolds him sharply and Ayamoro shrinks back, though in fear of her or her accurate warning Kyuzo isn't sure. "It's up to you." She tells him and Kyuzo takes a long moment to debate the situation over in his head before answering.

"Try to keep up." Kyuzo mutters, putting his swords away and heading off into the night.

"Oh thank you Kyuzo! I-" Ayamoro's winded thanks is cut off suddenly when a hand slaps across his floundering gape.

"Also try to keep quiet."

And we're back to the main story line! I'm so pleased!

Thanks to Zaryin, The Darkness Run-Away Emerald Gaze, Dalonega Noquisi, Infinity wolf, and FoxandDogchan27 as well as guests for their reviews last time!

Thanks for reading!