A/N: so another chapter. My muse.. She is playing hide and seek again. If you find her, ask her very nicely to please come home. I promise I'll give her extra special attention. To those who don't know. I've dabbled my hand into scanlation over the last few months, and with the main supporters gone my time has been more of a premium. (Upside.. Is as a result I'm also now working with someone to try to get more of sekirei actually translated and released.)

mordreek: thanks for the support. I love Beni. I do. She has one of those Tsunderederedere personalities I think. Given the right attention, she could outdo Tsukiumi. The danger is her Tsun side. She has zero tolerance for stupid. Unfortunately, have you looked around recently? Unless you're really lucky, there be a wealth of stupid to piss her off. And no. I promise only one cross over and that has its own title. See my response to Rowyko. Takami isn't... I think she is misunderstood. However, having been raised by a single mother I look at it from a certain perspective. Certainly she has little to defend, and if it wasn't for minaka..,awe crap.. Forget it. It wouldn't have mattered if it was MBI or Zombie research. She woulda gotten involved in something creepy and not been able to be home. Stalkers and bullies? Heh, I have some experience with those. Makes it semi easy to write particularly bad ones. I was a bit worried about not having kazehana pop right out to save the day. But then I remembered all the times she wanted him to show her what he had. She's the opposite to Tsukiumi in that regard. So much more to say but...

Kurogano Yokaze: I am so glad. I thought that ending it where I did gave too much away. I'll honestly try to give you much better cliffhangers making you actually PULL OUT the pitchforks in the future. Clearly I'm not doing my job if you're warning me first.,. ;)

TrueRedDragonEmporer: we will see more of akitsu soon enough. She tends to stick her head in when I'm writing and give me one of those ice cold hands on the small of the back wake up calls. DONT FORGET ME she says... I promise I won't.

Rowyko: thank you. I hate picking names out of thin air for characters. I hate even more mentioning a character no one has a clue about or why they are there. So I try to use names people will recognize and portray the personality from another anime or manga. Those two are total sex fiends who are relatively harmless. Relatively.

Jugar38: Minato has balls. He really does. However he's had the long haul in growing into them. At least in manga and anime he knows he has work cut out for him. In fact many fail to realize the entire 185 or so chapters take place inside a three or four month period. Do you know ANYONE who changes from looser ronin to a Gary Stu without huge tragic loss events? He still has a long way to go...

- o -

Minato's eyes slowly opened to a blur. He couldn't see anything for the bright light and the mucus covering his sight path. He moved to clear his eyes and his arms felt heavy. Barely being able to move his arms collapsed to his sides.

Soon enough, through the foggy haze of voices calling to him he passed out once again.

o - o

His fingers. They had encompassed her breast. It was his reward to her. His face had flushed a deep red hue as he did so. The last thing he wanted was to do this sort of thing in public, yet he had made a promise. He had given her a reward for reaching him. He had to take responsibility. In fact he heard THAT VOICE from his childhood constantly reminding him to take responsibility for his actions. Or his inactions. The voice certainly didn't help his situation.

"Gods above Minato. Can't you take a little responsibility?" The words had rang in his mother's voice as he sat slumped with Benitsubasa and Haihane against him. No.. Having memories of his mother pop into his head while playing with his sekirei's small breasts didn't help him in the slightest. Minato silently thanked the universe she at least wasn't present to witness it.

Benitsubasa nuzzled into him, with a deep sense of contentment reminiscent to him of Kazehana embrace after she had embonded herself to him. Total satisfaction seemed to conquer her entirety. It almost felt to him like this was how it was meant to be. A slight sigh slipped through her lips as she relaxed into her prize.

He had taken a brief moment to survey the mess in the alleyway. The fuss that he knew that was about to come down around his head. MBI would be arriving to collect the terminated body of Tonfa. Yodogiri's unconscious body slumped further back was more of a concern to him. Yes, it was a childhood bully revisiting terror upon him. Yet he was ONLY an Ashikabi. An Ashikabi who took a full brunt strike of a very angry Benitsubasa.

Beni's fingers teased at his cheek as his attention on her flagged, and drew his eyes back to hers. "My Ashikabi-sama " she whispered "forever and ever" she smiled as she touched her lips to his once more. It had been ... hell, Minato had lost count of how many reward kisses the red haired Sekirei had taken from him. Each one however he returned softly as her wings came alive or seemed to extend their lifespan. His hand teased her B cup breast and couldn't help but play against the hidden nipple beneath as his face blushed. He had to take responsibility. He missed the racing games in that moment. They were much less taxing on him.

Benitsubasa would groan in that moment when her Ashikabi would shift his hand without thinking.

"You know... I am still here right? If it wasn't for ME, you'd not have gotten your 'prize'" Haihane half pouted. She had removed the claws from her hands so she wouldn't accidentally jab Minato, or Beni in the process of nuzzling closer.

Beni just eyed Haihane ruefully, considering sharing her prize with her partner. "No way" she muttered as she once again seemed to monopolize the young bruised ashikabi's attentions.

Haihane sighed as she took what she could in leaning against him, a minute later however, his arm strayed and collected her against himself also as his fingers fell softly over her bandaged chest. Minato felt a pain shoot along his insides at the movement he made. A quick jealous and possessive glance from Benitsubasa went unseen and the chuckle brought a kiss from his lips to hers.

The two Sekirei simply lost themselves in the attentions granted each. Neither would object to the others presence. Benitsubasa however ensured his lips remained hers for the duration.

He had vaguely sensed MBI personnel descending on the site of the battle as exhaustion set in, the injuries he experienced having caught up to him as the adrenaline dissipated. His body hurt, throbbed as Benitsubasa stole another reward from him. His lips weakly returned her kiss before he collapsing unconscious. His body limp against Haihane and Benitsubasa's

The personnel dropped from ropes, ladders, winches, whatever the rescue style helicopters came equipped with. There certainly was no safe place to land such a vehicle. He had faintly made out a fuss and crowd forming down the street. Another MBI security detail seemed to be blocking the gawkers path.

- o - o -

Takami was livid. The sake fresh on her breath as she was called out. "What the fu-" she had muttered to herself as she consulted the data scrolling in on her datapad. "Oh god..." She rose and darted out her offices exit quickly. Her feet carried her frantically to the helicopter as it was preparing to depart. A deep panic had set in. She silently cursed the damned game as memories flit through her mind of the last time her son had been injured, and of the injuries he had sustained.

It took far to many precious minutes in her mind in the journey up the elevator. She was wheezing on her cigarette as she exited to the small helipad reserved for emergency retrieval. In her mind, awash as it might be in the sake she had been imbibing in earlier, the pilot took his sweet time lifting the craft into the air. Her inability to quicken the ascending craft drove her insane in that moment.

Takami watched out the side as she worked to catch her breath, all the while ensuring most lungfuls came through her still lit cigarette as her heart seemed to attack her chest in fear and anxiety.

o - o - o

He struggled again to open his eyes. The fog remained as he tried to lift his sore bruised body. He recalled this hurt, yet somehow it didn't seem nearly as bad. His mind reeled again as he recalled the face of Yodogiri and his fists, his feet laying a beating on him, not just the one he had just received. But each one he failed to escape back home. The hurt was definitely comparable.

- o - o - o -

"He's coming too again" Takami called "don't crowd him, he'll still be groggy and hurting.."

Minato slowly struggled to open his eyes. The sleep setting heavy in his tear ducts as he shifted to clear the fog with his overly heavy hand.

"Easy. You took a few good hits from that ashikabi".

Minato struggled to look about him and saw Benitsubasa mirroring Tsukiumi on either side of him. They easily monopolized the space available, other than the space his mother occupied. He had been awake not more than a minute then it began, the electricity in the air vibrated between his water using blond and the crazed fist type whom he somehow as his memory recalled, managed to make his own. He could see each of his sekirei with the exception of Musubi and Kazehana standing to the side looking anxious but relieved.

"Hey, hey. None of that in here!" Echoed two voices, shocking themselves more than anyone. Haihane and Takami eyed each other carefully. Haihane chuckled softly in deference.

"Well, Uhm. I think I forgot to record my favorite anime. I'll come back later" she laughed nervously "Beni! You coming?"

"Don't be stupid. I ain't moving..."

"Yes, please. Thou shalt leave our Ashikabi's WIFE to tend his needs. Shouldst thou be needed, the concubine shalt be called for!" Tsukiumi eyed the pink haired sekirei across from her as she grit her teeth.

"Co...co...concubine? Who's the wi...wi..wife?" Benitsubasa's face became flush in frustration. "I.. I am no concubine you selfish half boiled witch!". She straightened up as if she had to defend her place beside Minato to the death.

Tsukiumi stood there, arms crossed and growled "Surely thou doest not think thou art his wife? A dog of MBI who can't even keep her... Our Ashikabi safe has no right to call herself a concubine much less a wife," the water user's voice rose in frustration. "That thou be..", Tsukiumi leaned towards her opponent even over their recovering Ashikabi.

"You bloated self inflated bag of soaked flesh. I'll show you who.." Began Benitsubasa, her voice rising over Tsukiumi's before they both got cut short. They pair of them had started to loom over Minato's just awoken body.

"Enough, both of you." Echoed Takami along with Miya this time, whom was wielding her favorite wooden spoon..

"Tsukiumi. The bathroom needs cleaning, Benitsubasa, help Musubi in the kitchen." Miya turned, ignoring the fact she had echoed Takami's own words at first. A definite sense of a cold shoulder could be felt in the room. "Anyone else who's going to argue. GET OUT!" Her voice raised further before turning on Takami. "This means you too. Understood?"

The grey haired woman simply nodded with barely a motion. "I think I know what's best for my own son!" She defended.

Miya closed her eyes and took a deep breath as she turned to glare at the source. "What was-" Miya began, It was smallest of the sekirei in her household who calmed her down in spite of herself.

"Miya?" Her small voice squeaked upwards as she clung to the land lady's skirt having seen Minato had finally stirred.

Miya nodded as a giggling sound came from the ceiling. Matsu's head stuck out from a removed ceiling tile in clear view. "Yes Ku?". A warning glance told Matsu's to mind herself as the wooden spoon danced in Miya's grasp.

"Is oniichan going to be alright?" Her eyes shifted from Miya and the clasped hand on her skirt, then to Minato who was struggling to sit upright.

Miya smiled "I'm not a doctor Ku. But think so. You should ask 'obaa-sama' over there. I think she'd know, and IS his mother. And a doctor at that" a knowing smirk formed Miya's expression as she lifted Ku from the floor and set her in the edge of the bed. "Do me a favour Ku. Make sure no one bothers him ok? If they do, come get me." Pausing long enough for Ku to nod, and to see a look of frustration erupt on Takami's features Miya departed.

"Oh and Minato. No dinner. You left and returned without the promised groceries."

A smiling Ku crawled up along Minato and nuzzled in under his arm "well, you ok oniichan?"

Minato to looked after Miya as she departed. Wondering how exactly that was his fault.

o - o - o - o

Kazehana was holding a rather large bottle of sake when Miya managed to arrive in the kitchen. "I wish you'd stop trying to win The Guinness record with MY sake reserves you lush." Miya tapped the spoon on Kazehana head firmly.

The wind user flinched from the not so hard strike and smiled playfully. "Awe but Miya. You should have seen it... Minato was such a maaaaan. Standing up to that guy like that, standing up against.. It reminded me of... " her sentence trailed off as she seemed to fade into a drunken state within her memories of Minato and the many times he had proved himself in her eyes.

"Yes. I know. You've already told it a dozen times that I'VE heard. I can only imagine how many others.." Miya rolled her eyes and announced "I'm going shopping. I need to replenish the sake!"

Musubi piped up from the counter "we need curry!" she turned with a huge plate of beef curry ready for her predicted snack.

Miya growled, her spoon landing once more, this time in Musubi's crown causing a small goose egg . "And you. No snacking between meals. Go check on Minato!"

Moments later she was out the door.

- o - o - o - o -

Akitsu remained there. She knew full well he had been injured, but kept her distance. Her mind replayed the scenario in her minds eye. Minato granting norito to a sekirei he shouldn't have been able to. It went against everything she was taught. It went against everything that felt right.

Akitsu's mind wandered. It brain breaking curious. She knew, she KNEW it was an impossibility. The event replayed itself in her mind before MBI descended on the alleyway to collect the injured parties.

Not only had he done it once. But multiple times. The longer the kiss he gave her it seemed to her the longer the wings remained and the brighter they became. It was enough to almost warm her heart.

She had nearly jumped out of her skin when the voice had came from behind her.

"He's teaching love to all his sekirei. Isn't it wonderful imouto?" Kazehana had began before Akitsu's mind could process what was right before her for evidence.

"Ah I see" came the smile as it watched the confusion in Akitsu's eyes. "You're trying to understand how my Ashikabi could give norito to another's sekirei?" The wind user paused with her hand remaining on Akitsu's cool feeling shoulder.

"B-b-but...that's.."

"Insane? Impossible? Yeah. Maybe it is.. But that man.., he's very special to us. He has shown us much love."

"L..love?" Akitsu was trying to collect herself still stunned. Her mind was still trying to wrap itself around this... Fact...

"Oh my. Didn't you know?! Sekirei are built for love. Iiiiiits aaaaaall about love!", she smiled as her body struck a pose, hands folded to her chest and imitated a swoon. Akitsu could have sworn she was about to witness a live performance that one of mikogami's other sekirei had showcased recently on the massive TV from a recent performance.

Kazehana wriggled around a bit almost losing herself before she heard Akitsu inquire. "But. A sekirei, is connected only once to a single Ashikabi. I don't..."

Kazehana smiled "well that's why he is special." She began, interrupting the ice sekirei, " that man has cried for us, shed tears for us. He has thrown himself In harm's way to protect us. To protect me.." Her voice was serious and yet almost seemed to sing a melody.

Akitsu couldn't help but remain silent. Stunned. "He. He did... That?".

"Mmmhmm" she smiled, her arms crossing below her breasts, lifting them in the tight fitting purple China dress accentuating her size as if it was needed.

"But.." Akitsu began again.

"Can't I ask you something? You're a broken number right? Discarded?" Kazehana smiled softly as she spoke watching the sekirei careful as the retrieval team was tending to terminated sekirei and injured Ashikabi alike.

Akitsu, still stunned and trying to process all she saw, all she was hearing nodded.

"You belong to the south right? Tell me. Has he ever shown love? Has he ever thrown himself into danger to protect you..? To protect any of the others?" She paused. "The few times.. I watched.. He never seemed to leave his car. He never got too close to danger unless it was for a jinki.."

Akitsu blinked as her mind was now trying to think to a time... "N..no. But he was the only one who would.."

"Would what? Take you in!? Did he find you on a park bench crying your eyes out after you had been Discarded?" Kazehana had been direct. The truth is she had seen the event in question in passing in her drunken stupor. As temporary as they seemed to be.

Akitsu remained stunned. It was as if someone was rapidly firing her life back at her. Painful moments she thought she had locked away. Was it weeks? Or months. She couldn't tell. "I... Never cried" she finally responded.

Akitsu then stiffened. What happened next shocked her as it was unexpected as it was impractical as it was foreign to her. Kazehana put her arms around the ice user and embraced her tightly. "I am sorry."

Akitsu slowly felt her arms embrace the other woman as a tear teased her cheek.

"Our Ashikabi. That man. None would die for us" came the whisper "of that I have no doubt if we let him".

o - o - o - o - o

Takami yawned. She put her bag aside having replaced the old style blood pressure cuff and stethoscope inside. "Well. You seem fine, healthy. It's actually amazing you're in much better shape then I feared. I had heard you stood up to a sekirei... I.." She shook her head furiously.

"Mom, I.. I'm fine.."

Takami erupted in that moment as Homera, Ku,and Matsu watched on. Musubi slipped in with her huge snack plate of curry at that moment.

"DONT KNOW WHAT YOURE THINKING MINATO!" She erupted. "Seriously. Are you stupid? I thought you were smarter than that. As if the bridge incident didn't teach you the damage that could be caused by a angry raging nutcase" she continued to a shocked audience. Her voice could be heard throughout the house.

Musubi moved to Minato's side as her adjuster lambasted the Ashikabi, but couldn't help smiling as she shoved a spoonful of curry into his mouth.

"I mean. I thought you learned enough to stay away from the likes of Yodogiri and Tonfa. Are you seriously stupid? No wonder you failed to get in Todai twice" Takami's hackles had rose and she had let loose her fears, her hatred of the game and frustration at Minaka, all levelled on her son.

"Mom, I.." He managed through the mouthful of curry as Musubi opted to, in that moment share another heaping spoonful with him. Shoving it in his mouth "mmmfths" he fell silent, muffled.

"DONT GIVE ME HALF BAKED APPOLOGIES. Do you know how worried I was! This damn game. I hate it. I never wanted you in Tokyo, I never wanted you involved. I never wanted you put in harms way.. I'm gonna kill him, I swear..!" She continued to rant, her target not so much her son in that moment.

"Mom.. Don't kill..." He had managed to swallow the mouthful while his mother ranted, only to have Musubi shove another spoonful at him, preventing him from continuing again.

"Don't tell me what I can and can't do. That bastard is responsible for all of this. And I'm gonna kill him!" The woman was livid, and the look of rage and murder was clearly in her eyes. "I'm so sorry Minato, but he has to die.."

Shaking his head, and this time blocking Musubi from filling his mouth with yet another spoonful of curry he finally spoke "KILL WHO." His voice had raised to get her attention.

"I'm sorry Minato, but your father, he must die."

"Wait, mom, how's my father got anything to do..."

Yukari broke in at that moment, with Shina at her side, "seriously onichan. You're SO dense."she sighed. "Glad to see you seem okay.." Her voice trailed off.

"Our father is responsible for the sekirie plan." Yukari continued,

Minato just eyed his sister carefully with a dazed confused look. "HOW-" at the same time his mother spun about.

Takami spun at the words of her daughter eying her carefully. "WHA-"

"Ah, the professor!" Exclaimed Musubi. All eyes fell on Musubi in that moment.

A/N: I know I'm not publishing on my usual nite, however I hope you enjoyed this one. That muse? She started whispering and teasing... It took a bit but I surpassed my personal minimum words before comments and notes.