A/N: Hello minna-san! I know the suspense over Mizumi's situation ought to be killing you all. So, here's the dramatic conclusion that you've all been waiting for! To do the disclaimer today, February 10, 2009, (the same night I've finished chapter 24) will be Sesshoumaru!

Sesshoumaru: Aki-san does not own Inuyasha, Naruto, Memoirs of a Geisha, or any other such work that is not of her own creation. She owns her stories, her plot, and her characters. The following characters are not Aki-san's creation: Mizumi Ichitani, Kyoriko Ryoshima, Ikarisu Nintai, and Miseru Sen belong to Carrie, Aki-san's personal muse-slash-coauthor, and the character Zetsuei Ayasegawa belongs to A.J., or as he's known here, RenegadeAmish. Now, without any further delay, I humbly present chapter twenty-five.

(Secondary A/N: There is a bit of citrus-like content in the following chapter. In a previous version, it was a lemon, it has since been edited as of Jan 1, 2012. I personally, do not see the scene as too explicit, but I'm giving you the courtesy of a warning here at the beginning of the chapter anyway.)

Chapter Twenty-five: Lust

The room was silent upon receiving the news. Kyoriko stood before Sesshoumaru and Hana, trying to catch her breath, desperation in her eyes.

"Please! I beg of you, Sesshoumaru-sama! Save Mizumi-sama!" The Nekoyoukai maid pleaded, dropping to her knees. "Don't let him kill her!"

Finally, Sesshoumaru spoke. "How long has it been since you fled from the East, under Mizumi's orders, I presume?"

Kyoriko looked up, a glimmer of hope dancing in her eyes before it was abruptly replaced with seriousness. "It's been six, maybe seven hours. Mizumi-sama instructed me to come here with all due haste and seek you out and request your aid. Under her orders, I am under your command." She replied quickly, urgency laced with hysteria clouding her tone.

"Sou ka," The taiyoukai said slowly, bringing a hand up to cradle his chin, a gesture suggesting that he was deep in thought.

"What shall we do, anata?" Hana asked, her voice filled with concern. "The East will be destroyed without Mizumi. Noboru will undoubtedly make things worse than when Masashi was in power."

Sesshoumaru nodded once, determination in his eyes. "Hai. We will not leave Mizumi vulnerable like this. We owe her a considerable debt for her assistance in the past battle at Nagashino as well as keeping us well-informed about her father's and Harukichi's plans," he paused briefly, collecting his thoughts. "We will assist Mizumi in whatever way we can."

Kyoriko's eyes filled with tears as she threw herself at Sesshoumaru's feet. "Arigatou gozaimashita, Sesshoumaru-sama!" she sobbed. "You have no idea what this means to me—to the people of the East! Thank you! Thank you so very much."

The taiyoukai sighed, glancing down at the maid. "Do not kneel to me. I am not your lord. Raise your head and stand. Mizumi will not be saved on your knees."

Kyoriko went stiff with shock and nodded, getting to her feet. "H-Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama," she said thickly, scrubbing the tears from her cheeks with the back of her hand.

"Hana," Sesshoumaru called. The miko-youkai looked up at once, staring at her mate. "Inform Shippou and Rin that they will regrettably, need to step in as regents yet again. We depart for the East immediately."

x0x0x0x

KLANG!

Mizumi ducked at the last second, her blade parrying against Noboru's just inches above her head. Wrenching her sword away, she lunged into a somersault, letting the momentum carry her across to the other side of the room. The Neko no Taisho got to her feet and leapt at the pseudo-Taisho from behind.

"Himori!" she cried, a barrage of thin, razor-sharp spears of ice surging out from the blade of her sword. (A/N: New attack name "Ice Lance." Yeah, lame, I know. I have no leet skills with Japanese attack names, unlike Dragon Man –sighs– Anyway, forgive the lameness.)

Noboru whirled around at the last second, slicing the icy lances in half before they could do any damage.

"You'll need to do much better than that, girl!" The Torayoukai taunted.

A feral snarl tore its way between Mizumi's clenched teeth as she went into a low crouch, preparing to strike yet again. Her body became a blur as she rocketed forward, fangs bared, completely lethal. Mizumi's aura screamed death and slaughter—she was furious and consumed by an overwhelming desire to kill the man before her.

"Your killing intent tickles," Noboru goaded her, not at all affected by the undiluted hatred pouring off the Neko no Taisho in waves. "Is that really all you've got? Perhaps you should be instructed from a more learned ruler like myself," he paused a moment, grinning at Mizumi sinisterly. Noboru's eyes lost all traces of humor and smoldered with the lust for blood. His aura became pitch-dark and thick with the desire for one thing and only thing only: Mizumi's head rolling across the floor.

The youki was heavy on Mizumi's small frame and the intensity of it crippled her. She fell to her knees and struggled to stand. Noboru laughed at her weakness.

"This, Mizumi, is how it is done! This is true killing intent!"

Snarling in both anger and frustration, Mizumi forced herself to her feet, pushing hard against the suffocating aura of death that tried to pull her down.

Now on her feet, Mizumi raised her sword at the pseudo-Taisho, her sapphire eyes glittering malevolently. Noboru smiled gleefully and beckoned her forward. Mizumi hissed angrily, tightening her grip on the sword hilt and readying her stance. Noboru's reign of terror would end here and now. Mizumi was going to kill him; she would make that bastard pay for his misdeeds.

'Time for round two…'

And then, she charged.

x0x0x0x

Sesshoumaru, Hana, and Kyoriko raced out the eastern gate of the palace, determined to reach their destination. They had to make it to the East. Mizumi was counting on them. She had asked for help and no one was about to let her down. Not Sesshoumaru, who ran forward to keep his promise to an ally; not Hana, who pressed on towards their goal to give aid to a friend in need; and not Kyoriko, who sprinted with everything she had to uphold the oath of loyalty she had sworn to her lady and her vow to save her from this dismal fate.

Their three minds were working in a near-complete harmony with one another. Together, as they ran, they made a silent promise, their reasons to fulfill this promise overlapping with one another.

'I'm not losing you!'

'You don't deserve to die like this!'

'Mizumi, you are going to live!'

And then their thoughts joined as one as each hardened their resolve.

'We are going to save you!'

x0x0x0x

After some time, Tsukimisou returned to her room, surprised to find herself alone once inside. Zetsuei was gone. There was hollowness in Tsukimisou's chest. With the hollowness, came pain, excruciating pain, the pain of loneliness.

This room, which was one a place of love and happiness, had become desolate and empty. Her room so easily mirrored the feelings she harbored deep within her heart. With Zetsuei gone, all the light and life that had brightened her room before had vanished.

Zetsuei's departure had taken away many things. Happiness, warmth, love, all these things were gone from this place. But most importantly, Tsukimisou's heart was gone. Zetsuei had taken it with him.

Tears brimmed in her amber-gold eyes, her features awash in misery. In her agony, she flung herself onto her futon, not yet put away, and buried her face deep into the quilts as if hoping burying herself deep enough would suffocate her and thus alleviate her pain. She sobbed piteously into the mattress as the tears spilled over, occasionally crying out in anguish as waves of pain and loneliness wracked through her body.

'Why did he have to leave? Where did he go? Why did he leave me alone like this?' She asked herself over and over again. 'Why couldn't he have stayed? Why did he have to go?'

So many whys, so many questions, yet there were no answers.

'Why does it hurt so much? Is this what it feels like? A broken heart?' she wondered, wrapping her arms tightly around her body, hoping to offer herself some comfort. But it did no good. Her arms were not the arms she wished to feel embracing her. She wanted his arms to hold her, to have his fingers twine themselves with her own, to have him stroke her hair…to have his lips against hers.

In her pain, Tsukimisou drifted far away from the confines of her room. She had found a world where she and Zetsuei could be together always. In this imaginary place, Zetsuei was lying at her side, holding her close. In this place, Tsukimisou was happy. She turned and kissed her Zetsuei and moved deeper into his warm embrace, smiling contentedly.

But the dream was short-lived and Tsukimisou came back to reality, struggling to hold onto the beautiful illusion she had seen. Coming back into her agony from such a happy place was like a knife being plunged into her already-bleeding heart. Curling into a ball, shuddering as a fresh wave of tears came on, she cried herself to sleep and was lost to the peace that oblivion granted her.

"Zetsuei…kun…"

x0x0x0x

"Keep going! Mizumi may not have much time left!" Hana called over her shoulder at Kyoriko who in her exhausted state, was struggling to keep up.

Sesshoumaru glanced back at the maid and his mate, picking them both up and encasing them into a speeding orb of white light. The three of them zipped through the forest and were moving so fast that trees shuddered in the wake of their passing, some small animals and youkai falling out of said trees as a result.

Within minutes, the palace of the East was just visible on the horizon. At this distance, Sesshoumaru could see smoke rising from behind the palace gates and the orange glow of fiery embers. He increased his pace and came up to the palace wall a second later, leaping over the obstruction and onto the palace grounds.

Nekoyoukai guards shouted in alarm at their arrival, but were too slow to follow after the taiyoukai.

"Where is Mizumi?" Sesshoumaru asked urgently.

"She should be in her office," Kyoriko answered. "Southeast corner—that way!" she pointed.

They moved in the indicated direction and barreled past the surprised guards in their path. Mizumi was close; her youki and her scent were nearby, looming closer as they approached. Sesshoumaru drew his sword and disengaged the speeding orb, setting down Kyoriko and his wife. They ran forward to the wall separating them from Mizumi and Noboru and charged in.

"Let's go."

x0x0x0x

"Agghhhhh!" Mizumi screamed in pain. She dropped her sword to apply pressure to the large gash in her upper arm. Blood streamed down the now-useless limb, painting it crimson.

"Do you surrender, Mizumi?" Noboru demanded, his face looming eerily before hers.

The Neko no Taisho scowled and spat in his face. "Screw you. I'd rather die than surrender to the likes of you!"

Noboru growled and wiped the spit from his cheek, backhanding Mizumi across the face. He calmed himself and smiled devilishly.

"So, you're stubborn, I see," he paused. "I'll give you a chance to save yourself. Sign a declaration of war against the Inu clan; join me, and your life will be spared. All I ask…is for your allegiance."

The pseudo-Taisho reached into the collar of his robes and withdrew a scroll and unraveled it, giving Mizumi a chance to read it.

"Now, sign it."

Mizumi glared at him. "I refuse."

"Sign it before I make you sign it."

"Go right ahead, you prick."

Noboru slammed Mizumi's face into a wall and grabbed her from behind, twisting an arm behind her back and pressing a sword into the base of her neck. He laid the scroll out on the Neko no Taisho's desk and forced an ink brush into her free hand.

"Now…sign, or die."

"Go fuck yourself."

Noboru laughed with amusement. "Is this what you've got left, Mizumi? I've cornered you and all you have to show in your defense is to spit fire and deliver tongue-lashings? How pathetic."

"At least I'm not a fraud."

The pseudo-Taisho smirked, a new plan forming. "While that may be so, Mizumi, at least I am not afraid to die."

"Go ahead and kill me, see what happens. I'll come back and kick your ass into the next millennia." Mizumi challenged.

"No, I've got something better," Noboru replied, shaking his head. "You will sign, I'm sure of it."

"And what makes you so confident? You can't make me do a damn thing."

"Or can I?" He smirked again, the malice in his expression causing the Neko no Taisho to shudder. "What about Tsurugi, hm? How about if I kill him in front of you if you don't sign?"

"You wouldn't dare."

"Oh, but I would. You know that. You know exactly what I'm capable of. Just look at what I did to my own brother and nephew. I am quite capable of killing. And rest assured, Mizumi, I will kill every person precious to your heart, starting with that boy," he paused, tightening his grip on the Nekoyoukai girl's snared arm. "Now, sign it."

Mizumi gritted her teeth against the pain and slowly raised her writing hand, grasping the brush firmly between her fingers. With great difficulty, she began to write the first character of her last name.

'Why am I doing this?' she questioned herself. 'Why have I already given up? Why won't I fight back?'

But Mizumi knew the answers already. She had no more options left. Noboru had won and he had found her weakness: the one person she had kept close to her own heart. She'd thought her feelings were hidden, but they were plain to see, after all. Mizumi sighed. Nothing mattered more than Tsurugi's life. The West needed to survive. As long as a few good people remained, the continent could be saved. There was hope yet, for the rest of Japan.

And so, she signed. (A/N: I'm pretty sure the kanji below—if it actually displays—is incorrect. I was looking this up by its root words: "ichi", "tani", "mizu", and "mi".)

一沢水剣.

Noboru laughed again, sounding delighted. "I knew you'd sign. I told you that you would, did I not?"

Mizumi growled low in her throat. "I hope you die a slow and painful death, you bastard."

The pseudo-Taisho grinned and released Mizumi's arm. "Good. Now I don't need to kill you. We're allies now,"

"I am not your ally,"

"According to this," Noboru said, gesturing at the signed scroll. "You are," he paused before picking it up to read it. "'By signing this, all signers hereby declare total war against the Inuyoukai clan of the West and her allies. Signers of this declaration are henceforth in a battle alliance and this contract shall not be terminated until the purpose of the war has been fulfilled either through victory or defeat. The parties declaring war shall sign their official request to call to arms below: I, Ichitani Mizumi, Neko no Taisho of the East hereby declare war and hostilities against the enemy clan of the West, the Inuyoukai and sons of the Inu no Taisho and their allies of the North, the Ryuuyoukai of the Spirits, and of the Western Coast, the Yamainu, and of the South, the Kitsune youkai,'" he paused again. "You've signed it, and thus, you are no longer my enemy. But by signing it, you've just sealed Tsurugi's fate. Now he's sure to die!"

"NO! You bastard!" Mizumi lunged at the pseudo-Taisho, picking up her katana and pressing the sharp edge of the blade at his throat. "I should cut off your head," she began in bitter rage. "But I should leave it to your nephew, when he supplants you and reveals you as the fraud you truly are. I'll make a personal request to watch your execution, traitor."

"You're far too overconfident, Mizumi! Do you honestly think you're capable of killing me?"

In a swift motion, Noboru threw Mizumi off and the tables turned yet again. Now Noboru had Mizumi cornered and facing death at the edge of her own sword.

"Forget our allegiance. I can see where your heart truly lies! You would betray me in the end anyway," he said in a low growl. Then Noboru raised the sword and prepared to deliver the finishing blow. "Goodbye, Mizumi of the East, the last leader of the Neko clan."

CRASH!

The far wall exploded and crumbled to bits, shooting a cloud of dust and debris at Noboru and Mizumi. When the dust settled, Sesshoumaru, Hana, and Kyoriko emerged through the newly-created opening.

"Release Mizumi-sama this instant!" Kyoriko shouted, pointing an accusatory finger at the pseudo-Taisho.

"You have committed a great crime, Noboru," Sesshoumaru began. "Attempted murder of a clan leader is punishable by death."

Noboru scowled, driving a fist into Mizumi's stomach in rage. "You called for help? You insolent little bitch!"

Now it was Mizumi's turn to laugh. "What took you so long, Sesshoumaru? Did you get lost on the way?"

The taiyoukai's lips twitched into a slight smile. "No, not at all. We had a bit of a problem with your guards. They seemed adamant on deterring us."

"I see," the Neko no Taisho responded. "Now if you don't mind, Noboru, get the fuck off me!" Mizumi pushed her sword away from her chest with her hand and delivered a swift kick to the pseudo-Taisho in an area quite sensitive to pain for males and was promptly released. She fell to the floor and staggered away from the Torayoukai, kicking him once more before retreating to a safer area of the room. "He's all yours, Sesshoumaru."

Sesshoumaru approached the now-groaning Torayoukai—who was still nursing himself from the double assault against the body parts that declared he was indeed a man—and circled around his prey much like a vulture does before going in for the kill. Noboru was quick to recover and lunged for the taiyoukai, who immediately dodged.

But Noboru wasn't aiming to attack. Instead, he fled out the newly-created exit of the destroyed wall and ran at full speed until he was out of sight.

"Coward," Mizumi said spitefully after his retreating form.

"Shall I pursue him?" Sesshoumaru questioned.

"Iie. You only have jurisdiction here, in the Neko clan lands. If you enter Torayoukai boundaries, you won't have any immunity against them whatsoever," Mizumi replied. "Noboru will be back. He plans to destroy you and your family," she moved to pick up the scroll and promptly shredded it, tossing the remains into the fire burning in the brazier that sat in a relatively undamaged section of the room. "We need to be ready for his next move. Noboru is ruthless; who knows what he'll try next time?"

"First things first though, Mizumi-san," Hana began. "I need to treat you."

Mizumi laughed nervously. "Oh, right. That would probably help…"

x0x0x0x

Noboru returned to the Torayoukai lands and stewed angrily at the recent turn of events. How was he going to take down the Inu clan? He wondered. How would he ensure his position of Taisho? How would he keep his nephew from finding out the truth?

The pseudo-Taisho knew his time was short. It wouldn't be long before he was revealed as a deceiver. But what to do? He asked himself.

Then, all too easily, the answer became clear: he'd simply kill his nephew, thus legally securing his position as the last remaining member of the family with noble blood, and ensuring his right to do battle against the West.

It was too easy, child's play.

"Masahiro," Noboru called.

The one called Masahiro entered the room. "Hai, Noboru-sama?" he asked, going into a full bow.

"You are my closest aide and general. I have orders for you,"

"What orders, sir?"

"Go into the village and spread the word that all Torayoukai youth aged seventeen to nineteen shall be brought to the palace and executed,"

"Sir?" Masahiro questioned. "I don't understand. Why are you ordering this?"

"We're going to weed out any of the Torayoukai that could be the rightful heir to my throne. I can't have anyone deposing me as ruler."

"Why would you wish to kill your successor?"

"Because he wishes to kill me instead. We cannot have a future murderer on the throne, now can we? I wish to nip the problem in the bud, while I still have a chance to do something about it."

"Wakarimasu, Noboru-sama. It will be done."

"Spread the word across the continent. The brat may be hiding outside our lands. We must find him, wherever he is."

"Hai!"

Masahiro disappeared at once.

Soon, all of Noboru's dreams would come true. The first part of the plan had just been set into motion. All Noboru needed to do was sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride.

x0x0x0x

Word spread like wildfire and the Torayoukai lands were in total chaos. Young Torayoukai boys and men were being snatched off the village streets and taken prisoner without explanation. Mothers and fathers were crying out in outrage and injustice. Torayoukai guards rounded up the youths and herded them into the palace while other guards swept the perimeter of the surrounding lands, going province by province, returning with more boys to be detained.

It was not long before word reached Zetsuei. Not only did he fall within the parameters of Torayoukai boys to be captured and killed, but he had information regarding the true heir's identity and he knew that the heir would be in serious jeopardy. The true Tora clan heir couldn't afford to be captured. Zetsuei knew what he needed to do. He needed to go back to the West and open the scroll and bring the heir to safety, far from Noboru's reach.

With all due haste, he ran back towards the West, towards Tsukimisou, towards the future.

x0x0x0x

Night fell dark upon the land, and soon the Neko clan territory found itself flooded with distraught Torayoukai whose sons had been taken away. The angry Tora clan members demanded justice and sought Mizumi's aid to pass judgment against Noboru.

"We want justice!" They chanted in the streets.

Soon they all converged outside the palace gate entreating Mizumi to come out. After some time, the Neko no Taisho emerged, one arm bandaged and the other in a sling, and called the crowd to order.

"For what reason have all of you come so distressed to converge upon my palace walls?" she asked.

"Our lord has done us a great injustice—he's taken our sons!" A woman cried.

"Your sons?" Mizumi questioned.

"Hai! All of our young men, from seventeen to nineteen years of age! Noboru-sama has ordered all Torayoukai males within that age range to be captured and imprisoned in the palace," A man answered.

"They all face the death sentence!" Another woman added. "Noboru-sama plans on executing our boys!"

"Please Mizumi-sama, we beg of you, save our sons!"

The Neko no Taisho's features hardened. She now knew Noboru's next move. Noboru was going for the heir. He was trying to lure him out so that he could kill him. Mizumi growled in anger, finding that her shoulders shook with rage.

"I will get your sons back to all of you. That's a promise! If you wish to stay here until the situation is resolved, please, I welcome you into my honored house. If not, you may return home or go wherever you like."

A chorus of thank you's and blessings rang out through the crowd as the wronged Tora clan members expressed their gratitude to the young Lady of the East.

Mizumi quickly retreated to the confines of her palace and opened the gates to allow entry for the Torayoukai wishing to stay before heading to her study, still in the process of being repaired and called on Sesshoumaru and Hana for counsel.

When the three of them had gathered in a private room, Mizumi opened the meeting with the current matter at hand.

"We've got a serious problem here," The Neko no Taisho began.

x0x0x0x

Tsukimisou sat alone in her room, reading in absolute silence. The atmosphere in the West was somber—her father and mother had run off suddenly during the morning hours to render immediate aid to the East; Zetsuei had disappeared after denying that he had any feelings beyond friendship for her.

Yet, after she had cried, after she had felt the embrace of loneliness and the blackness of unconsciousness, Tsukimisou had managed to pull herself together. She had taken time to think and through her thought processes, she realized something—Zetsuei was lying. He had to have been. She knew him; he could never look her in the eye whenever he said things that weren't true. And when he had said those painful parting words, Zetsuei's eyes were averted to the wall. It was a lie; Tsukimisou almost believed it to be the truth.

Hope sparked deep within her chest and she wished desperately that Zetsuei was lying, that he would come back to her and apologize for being so stupid, for being so concerned with propriety, and simply confess his true feelings. Tsukimisou wished for Zetsuei to return and ask her to be his. She knew she would give herself to him without question.

And as if fate or Kami-sama, or some higher force had been listening to her silent pleas, Zetsuei's steadily approaching presence lingered at the edges of Tsukimisou's senses.

Her courtyard door slid open, the gossamer curtains blowing in the evening wind. And through the door, Zetsuei appeared, sinking to his knees as a gesture of respect.

"Tsukimisou-sama," he greeted.

The Taisho heiress tried not to wince at the degree of formality Zetsuei used when he said her name. "Hai?" she asked softly.

"Something terrible has happened. The heir is in danger. I must find him and protect him. This is a matter of grave importance."

"What's going on?"

"Noboru has given an order to kill all Torayoukai boys of similar age range as the heir."

"Age range?"

"Seventeen to nineteen years,"

Tsukimisou paled. "But that includes you too!" she protested.

"I know, but my life is of little importance. The true heir cannot be led like a lamb to the slaughter! I need the scroll, Tsukimisou-sama."

"The scroll? You just need his name? And then what will you do?"

"I'll find the heir and bring him here; at least he'll be safe here. He'll be out of Noboru's reach."

Tsukimisou nodded slowly. She set the book she had been reading aside and walked over to her dressing cabinet and produced a small bloodstained silk scroll. It still remained sealed.

"Here," she said, handing it to the Torayoukai scout. "Open it and do what you must."

Zetsuei took it, fingers trembling with anticipation. Slowly, he slipped a finger under the scroll's edge and broke the seal. He started to unravel it, only to stop in mid-motion.

"I'm sorry, I can't do this," he murmured. "Tsukimisou-sama, could you…?"

The Taisho heiress nodded and took the partially unraveled scroll and unfurled the rest of it, and began to read.

"Your father's death was no accident. Your uncle planned it from the start. This humbled scribe tried to protect your honored father, but was defeated and mortally wounded as a result. Your uncle is ruthless and cunning and cares not for the lives of others, including those of his own blood. By the time you read this, you will be of age and know of your uncle's misdeeds. The time has come then, for you to take your rightful place. Take up your honored father's mantle, supplant your uncle, and remove him from his position of power. Take back the name of Taisho, for you, Ayasegawa Zetsuei, are the rightful honored ruler of your people—"

Tsukimisou broke off suddenly, staring at the scroll with wide eyes. Zetsuei stared too, his expression was equally stunned.

"Repeat that last?" he said slowly.

"Zetsuei-kun…it's you. You're the Tora no Taisho. Noboru is your uncle," Tsukimisou whispered.

"W-What?"

"You're the heir. I'll read it again: 'Take back the name of Taisho, for you, Ayasegawa Zetsuei, are the rightful honored ruler of your people. May you have a long and fruitful reign over the East and do your honored father proud, Zetsuei.'"

Zetsuei was shocked. Him? Him? He was the heir? He was the Tora no Taisho? He, who had absolutely no social status whatsoever, was actually of noble birth? The Torayoukai scout was overwhelmed with a chaotic flood of emotions.

Rage at what Noboru had done to him; for lying to him about his past, for keeping the truth of his identity secret. Empowered at what he could now achieve, what he could do to save the East and root out the seeds of discord that had sprouted within the province. Vengeful for desiring to make Noboru pay for his crimes, to supplant him and take his rightful place. But most of all, he felt…relieved. Zetsuei no longer had to lie to the woman he loved. He could tell her the truth and not worry about propriety or nobility and ranking.

"So it's me, then?" he asked.

Tsukimisou nodded. "Hai, it's you."

"That's all I needed to hear,"

And then, for the first time, Zetsuei let desire control him and he leaned in and kissed the Taisho heiress. Tsukimisou was surprised, but quickly kissed him back, throwing her arms around him. There was longing in their kiss—oh how long they'd waited for this moment! Their lips found one another's again and again, unwilling to be parted.

But at long last, they broke away for air. Tsukimisou, breathless regarded Zetsuei with an impish grin.

"I thought you didn't love me," she said, still grinning.

"I lied." Zetsuei replied, unable to help but grin back before moving in to kiss the Inuyoukai girl again.

They parted for a second time, gazing into one another's eyes, amber-gold meeting a lush, depthless magenta. They stared at one another in silence, afraid to break the connection, afraid that by doing so would take this moment—their moment—away from them. At long last, Zetsuei averted his eyes, looking to Tsukimisou's hand, resting inches away from his own. Gently, he twined his fingers with hers, and met her unwavering gaze once more.

"I should have told you from the moment I met you," he murmured. "I love you. I always have, and I always will."

Tsukimisou felt a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "I always knew you loved me," she whispered.

"You changed me in a way no other has been able to achieve. Tsukimisou, you taught me how to feel. You gave me back my humanity. Before all this, I felt no need to exist for anything more than being a tool, a loyal servant to be used at my lord's will. You showed me there was more to life than that; that there was something for me worth doing, worth living for. You gave me purpose, you gave me companionship, and you gave me comfort. You gave me all the things I never knew I was missing, all the things I ever wanted.

"But then, as I began to feel again, I started to realize my feelings weren't at the respectable level that they should have been. I yearned for you. I began to feel and want things that I knew I shouldn't. I have never felt frightened before, not until that moment. I was afraid of how you would react if you discovered my affections for you, of the potentiality of disaster should my feelings be allowed to continue, and the inevitable rejection either I or you would have to face as a result.

"I hadn't considered it possible that you would want me. And yet, when you told me you loved me, the sheer joy those words brought me was near impossible to contain. But I knew then that I had to end it. The one thing I wanted most, I could not have,"

Zetsuei paused, at last, seemingly to collect his thoughts before continuing. Tsukimisou waited patiently, listening in silence.

"But things are different now," he began again. "This," he gestured at the scroll still in Tsukimisou's other hand. "This changes everything. For once in my life, I can have no regrets. I can have what I want…if you'll let me?"

As if in answer to his question, Tsukimisou took his hand, still entwined with her own, and led it to her back where the tight knot of her obi rested. Casting aside the scroll in her free hand, she reached for Zetsuei's other hand and led it to the same spot on her back and with great care, helped unravel the knot and pull the wide sash away and cast it aside, the silk floating to rest in the corner.

With nothing to hold it closed, the front of her kimono loosened, exposing a couple inches of the bare flesh of her chest and stomach. The rest of it threatened to fall open, the fabric fluttering with each breath, only staying secured by the silk that lay covering the gentle swell of her breasts.

She released his hands, letting her own cup his face and she stared determinedly into his eyes. "Take me," she said. "I'm yours." It was both a promise and a request. Zetsuei was only too happy to oblige. He descended upon her mouth and claimed her lips with his own for a third time. There was a certain note of urgency in his kiss, of want, of need. Tsukimisou kissed him back, the fierceness in it matching Zetsuei's own.

And almost in repetition of their previous actions, Zetsuei took Tsukimisou's hands into his own, guiding her as they pulled the knots of his haori and hakama free. She pushed the haori from his shoulders; he shrugged his arms out of the sleeves easily. The Inuyoukai girl's eyes were immediately drawn to the bare skin of his chest. She had seen it before many times, but never like this. All those other times, Zetsuei had been wounded; his beauty was marred by angry red slashes. But now, the skin was flawless, perfect. It was as if Noboru's attempt on his life had never happened.

Her fingertips traced the line of his jaw, trailing down his neck and pausing for just a moment at the spot where the neck and collarbone joined—the spot where soon, Tsukimisou knew, she would be placing her mark upon him, thus laying claim to Zetsuei, her Zetsuei. The Torayoukai responded instantly to her lingering touch, a pleasant involuntary shudder racing up and down his spine. Tsukimisou grinned and continued her ministrations, letting her hands travel lower, making fiery paths over his pectorals and down the flat planes of his stomach and abs.

A low growl rumbled in Zetsuei's throat in response to the feeling of the Inuyoukai girl's hands roaming across his body. He stilled her hands and wrapped his arms around her and gently lowered her to lie against the floor, a blazing look in his depthless magenta eyes.

Ever so slowly, he slipped off the Inuyoukai girl's loosened kimono from her shoulders, exposing her to him, the heavy fabric falling to the floor resembling a pair of butterfly wings. Zetsuei withheld a gasp as his eyes roved over Tsukimisou's body.

"What?" she asked innocently, looking shyly up at him from beneath the fringe of her eyelashes.

"You're beautiful," he murmured.

"So are you,"

She let a hand trail down the muscular expanse of his chest, smiling slightly as she felt him quivering under her fingertips.

Zetsuei purred in contentment, letting his hands roam freely over her body in a gentle caress. Tentatively, he palmed her breast and squeezed lightly. Slowly, he planted kisses down Tsukimisou's neck, coming to a stop just above her left breast, close to her heart, letting his lips linger there. In a matter of moments, he would be placing his mark there, claiming her as his forever. Zetsuei smiled against her skin, feeling Tsukimisou trembling beneath him.

It felt so strange to be touching her, loving her like this. It was nothing like Zetsuei had ever experienced before; to be free, without limitations or restriction, it hardly seemed real. He could love her, all of her, with no regrets.

Tsukimisou moved to tilt his head upward, pressing her lips against his, and continued her exploration of his body, running her fingers slowly over the smooth skin. Zetsuei grinned against her mouth, a low growl of contentment rumbling in his throat. The Inuyoukai girl smiled, still kissing him, and let her hands travel lower, reaching the desired spot. The Torayoukai gave a sharp intake of breath at the feel of the girl's fingertips against him. Tsukimisou moved to pull away, stopped short by Zetsuei's warning growl as he moved himself closer to her hand. The Taisho girl laughed lightly and continued to stroke him, every once in a while, feeling the Torayoukai's hips jerk against her in response to her ministrations.

It was too much. Zetsuei couldn't take a minute more of this torment. He needed her; he needed to feel her and have her in his arms to claim as his own. With a growl, he broke off their kiss and pulled Tsukimisou's hand away.

Nuzzling her neck, he murmured, "I need you," against her skin.

Tsukimisou nodded. "Me too," she gasped.

Zetsuei wasted no time after that. He positioned himself atop her, lining up his hips with hers. "Ready?" he asked.

"Yes."

Then he started to push forward, entering her ever so slowly. She felt so good—it took all the restraint Zetsuei had to resist pounding into her; the last thing he wanted to do was hurt her.

Tsukimisou noticed the strain and felt the tension in his body, feeling concerned. She knew it would hurt the first time. Reika had mentioned it once, many years ago. The Taisho heiress gently cupped Zetsuei's face in her hands, meeting his eyes which were full of uncertain reluctance.

"I can handle it," she said reassuringly. "It's okay. I want this, I want you."

Slowly, he nodded. "If it hurts too much, tell me, and I'll stop."

She nodded, feeling Zetsuei pushing forward more. Then, she felt it. It was a sharp lancing pain; she winced slightly and felt Zetsuei hesitate.

"Don't stop," she whispered.

The Torayoukai complied with her request and gradually increased his pace until they both found a good rhythm, moving together in perfect harmony. Tsukimisou started to moan, reveling in the feeling of Zetsuei moving inside her. It felt so good—she felt whole, complete, with him here, making love to her.

Zetsuei could feel his own release fast approaching. He would have to place his mark on Tsukimisou soon; before they both reached their peaks. He could sense that Tsukimisou was getting close—her moans had risen in volume and she had her lips pressed against the hollow formed in the spot where the Torayoukai's neck and collarbone joined, ready to place her own mark on him at a moment's notice.

Suddenly, Tsukimisou reached out to tilt Zetsuei's head to the side, tangling her fingers in his long, dark green hair and she bit down against the skin she'd had her lips and placed her mark. Zetsuei growled, kissing a line down from her jaw to the base of her throat, letting his lips trail to her left breast, stopping close to her heart, biting down lightly, placing his own mark in turn.

Then, Zetsuei could feel a tingling sensation running up and down his spine, pressure pooling in his groin. He was on the verge of release, but Tsukimisou got there first, watching as an expression of total bliss crossed her face. Her pleasure became his pleasure—he could feel her through their mark; everything that Tsukimisou felt, Zetsuei could feel as well. He'd never felt closer to her than he did at that moment. His muscles contracted and he was overwhelmed with the feeling of his own release. But Tsukimisou could feel his pleasure, doubled with her own throes of ecstasy.

The sensations tripled and quadrupled as they felt one another through the mark, experiencing the other's pleasure as their own, every emotion, every feeling that the other felt became their own. Their bodies writhed and twisted as they were lost in the throes of their shared sexual bliss, the pleasure so intense it brought them to release again and again.

They were now connected so intricately, in body, heart, and soul. They were each a part of the other; they would never be whole again without the other. From this point forward, they would be able to feel everything that their beloved did, know when something was wrong immediately—if they were hurt, in pain, or scared—or sense danger approaching their precious one. Should they ever be separated and get lost, they would always be able to find one another again through the connection they now shared. This was the union—the bond forged between mates. A bond so sacred and intimate, that should never be defiled. To sever this bond would mean the death of the other; their lives were now joined together forever.

They lay together on the floor, embracing, entwining their bodies together as closely as they had just entwined their souls. They gazed lovingly in one another's eyes, awaiting the coming dawn.

x0x0x0x

Meanwhile, Tsurugi was on guard duty. He was circling the perimeter of the palace, which was normal. He reached the courtyard that bordered his sister's room, only to see a dark shape zip past him and enter Tsukimisou's room through her courtyard door, leaving it open. That was not normal. The Taisho heir moved in closer to investigate, and saw that the dark shape he had seen was Zetsuei. The Torayoukai and Tsukimisou seemed to be discussing something of grave importance. Curious, the Inuyoukai boy inched closer, just within hearing range.

"What's going on?" He heard his sister ask.

"Noboru has given an order to kill all Torayoukai boys of similar age range as the heir," was Zetsuei's reply.

'The fake Taisho is trying to murder the rightful heir to the Tora clan?' Tsurugi thought in outrage. 'That's high treason! AGAIN! Noboru needs to be executed—two times over.'

The Taisho heir continued to listen, intrigued. Apparently, Noboru's kill order had encompassed a wide range of the male Torayoukai youth, Zetsuei included. Naturally, Tsukimisou had expressed her distress over this new tidbit of information. Tsurugi sighed.

'Of course she'd worry about him. She's completely in love with him.' He mused, letting his attention return to the conversation taking place.

"I know, but my life is of little importance. The true heir cannot be led like a lamb to the slaughter! I need the scroll, Tsukimisou-sama." He heard Zetsuei say, casting aside Tsukimisou's worries.

'Scroll? What scroll?'

"The scroll? You just need his name? And then what will you do?"

"I'll find the heir and bring him here; at least he'll be safe here. He'll be out of Noboru's reach."

'Provided the heir's still alive, you mean, right Zetsuei?'

Tsurugi watched as his sister moved to retrieve the scroll in question and handed it to the Torayoukai scout. Zetsuei broke the seal but couldn't unroll it. He asked Tsukimisou to open it and read it instead. She took it and began to read it aloud.

"…Take back the name of Taisho, for you, Ayasegawa Zetsuei, are the rightful honored ruler of your people—"

"WHAT?" Tsurugi gaped, mouthing the word in shock.

Apparently, he wasn't the only one that was surprised. Tsukimisou had to reread that part of the scroll for Zetsuei. When she did, he was smiling. Tsurugi raised an eyebrow with interest and watched as the Torayoukai leaned in to kiss his sister.

'About damn time!'

He kept watching; Zetsuei was speaking at length about not being able to have the one thing he wanted the most because of a lack of status. When he had finished speaking, Tsurugi felt his eyes widen as he saw his sister take Zetsuei's hands and undo the knot of her obi and toss it aside. Then the Taisho heir felt his jaw drop in shock as he watched as Zetsuei took Tsukimisou's hands to undo the knots of his haori and hakama.

'They're not going to do what I think they're about to do, are they?' Tsurugi asked himself, bewildered.

Zetsuei had taken Tsukimisou's kimono off.

'THEY ARE!'

Tsurugi flushed beet red and quickly averted his eyes, but wasn't quick enough. He'd just seen his sister naked.

Then came the sounds. The Taisho heir could hear his sister moaning and risked a quick glance and almost immediately looked away again. He shouldn't be watching this; he shouldn't be here. They deserved their privacy. But yet, Tsurugi couldn't make himself move. Besides, if he did, his sister and Zetsuei might hear him—although he highly doubted that possibility, seeing as both of them had appeared thoroughly distracted.

He continued to listen to his sister's moans, finding himself wishing that those moans belonged to someone else. He longed to be in Zetsuei's place, and in his sister's place, the one woman he'd ever yearned for—Mizumi. He wanted to be the one to love her, kiss her, and touch her. He wanted to be the one to make her cry out in pleasure and scream his name.

'Oh. My. God.'

The images now filling Tsurugi's head were far from appropriate. Various scenes of him ravaging the Nekoyoukai ran rampant in his mind, causing unexpected physical responses to arise within the Taisho heir's own body.

His hakama felt a little tighter than usual. He looked down.

'OH MY GOD!'

Tsurugi frantically regarded his surroundings. He had to get these damned images out of his head. The east side of the wall bordering the castle was near. He bolted for it.

"Must stop thinking inappropriate things, must stop thinking inappropriate things," he started chanting to himself, as if hoping to say the words would will the images away.

Instead, he made his mental images worse. Mizumi bent over as he took her from behind, Mizumi pinned against the wall in his bedroom as he took her there, Mizumi in the hot spring, Mizumi tangled deliciously between the silken bedding of his futon, Mizumi moaning and asking him to take her harder, faster—the images kept coming and kept getting worse. His hakama was getting tighter.

"AGHHH!" Tsurugi growled, frustrated. He slammed his forehead against the wall.

The sharp pain in his skull made the images stop momentarily, starting again once the shock of the blow subsided. He slammed his head into the wall again, repeatedly, hoping to use physical pain to drive the images out.

"Stop," SLAM! "Thinking," SLAM! "Impure," SLAM! "Thoughts!" SLAM! He scolded himself, between head-slams.

Tsurugi continued banging his head against the wall, finally stopping once he was no longer threatening to burst out of his pants. He had a pounding headache, but he didn't care. The pain was well worth it.

"Lust," he murmured. "It's going to be the death of me."

A/N: Can I just say how very, very, very, very, very, very, VERY sorry I am for taking this long with an update? For obvious reasons (cough) lemon (cough) I took a very long time to finish this chapter. I'm a very shy individual and I normally don't write things in such detail nor do I normally write things of that subject matter. But it is not my first time writing such a scene. I've actually written three. The first was for a fanfic that I've dropped, the second was actually Mizumi and Tsurugi—unrelated to the plot—and the third was an early draft of the scene in this chapter. (Note: Both the second and third scenes were written TWO YEARS AGO. So yeah, this scene wasn't a spontaneous desire for fan service. It's been planned for quite a while.) Anyway, I just wanted to get out at least ONE update before I started my second year of college, which by the way, is this Thursday (Sept. 24) the day after my birthday (Sept. 23) YAY! Not. Again, I'm very, very sorry this took over seven months. I'll do my best to not let it happen again, but I can make no guarantees. I predict I'll be quite busy in the coming months in school. I'm trying to get into medical school and I need to load up on the pre-med classes required to even qualify for med school. Plus, over the summer, I decided to rewrite my novel, and I've been working on it intermittently. But anyway, I hope I've made up for the insane delay. This chapter is the longest this fic has ever had (It's 18 pages in case you're wondering). Review, bitch, complain, yell at me, or whatever. Thanks.

*EDIT: 1/2/2012 – In compliance with 's no MA content policy, I have removed the more explicit portions of the chapter and have done minor rewrites that both preserve the original content but make the chapter adhere to the rating policy. I feel that what I have now presented in the above chapter is not too explicit, but still quite adult in nature. If you, the reader, feel that the scenes in question are still too graphic, please do not hesitate to let me know and I will take measures to amend this. I wish to be in compliance with the rules here on and I have no desire to have my membership to this site either suspended or revoked as I am fond of this community and the people I've managed to meet since joining it.* (I apologize for any inconsistency in the aforementioned scene. I didn't do a complete rewrite, just a partial one. So much is the same, some is different)