HANABUSA

At long last, they had arrived at their destination. Although they had yet to join the battlefront, the capital loomed ahead of them, a dark and ominous sentinel. Ahead of them, Hanabusa could see the dark scratch of dirt where the advance troops had dug in around the outer walls of the city at a distance. That was where they would be headed, first to reinforce the men, and then to infiltrate the city.

It was a fool's errand to attempt to take out Shizuka before defeating her men, but...perhaps it would work. With Shizuka gone, her soldiers would have little reason to continue holding the city. At least that was his hope. Still, the force that would be sneaking into the city was pitifully small, and Kaito was the last person he would trust to have his back. If anything, Shizuka's sworn Bloodguard should be executed, not only for his role, but also for his attempted assassination of Zero; however, Hanabusa had no choice but to respect Yuki's wishes on the matter.

Pausing on the path, the blond wrinkled his nose and commented, "You can smell the shit 5 miles away."

A few feet away, Zero snorted in response.

"We'll separate here," Hanabusa said as his friends came and closest allies came to a stop around him. "Senri, Rima, Ruka, Yori, you will go with the reserves. The rest of us will join the forward troops, where we'll unite with our men and attack the capital."

"Even though we won't be physically together, remember that we are only as strong as we are united and as weak as we are divided," Yori advised, hands clasping with Yuki's, who gave her a warm smile in return.

"Don't hold back the reserves too long. No matter what, we need Shizuka to come at us full-tilt," the Aidou noble told Yori, who would be in charge of giving the order. "The men can't take a long siege."

To his left, Yagari looked at him and shrugged. "It's no good worrying about it. What's coming will come, and we'll meet it when it does."

Akatsuki nodded in agreement. "Yes. We march to victory or we march to defeat, but we march forward."

It was Yuki's turn to speak now, her tone far more somber than he was used to. "War is happening, and none of us will be spared…" She paused, then glanced at the dark-haired man with the eyepatch. "You were a guard before. Any advice?"

Yagari scoffed. "Don't lose."

"Hanabusa, we'll hold back the troops like you ask, but you will have to send a bird when you have news. Otherwise we won't know the best time for them to join you," Yori told him seriously. "Report only what you know to be true. Behind the lines, we'll be lost in a fog of rumors and falsehoods. I will not dare to act until I know for certain what is happening."

Hanabusa nodded. "Then, this is it…" A grim silence fell over the group as realization set in that this may be the last time some of them saw one another...alive, anyway.

"Don't get all sentimental on me," Yagari muttered. "I'm going ahead." Behind him, Kaito fell in line, and the two men started moving towards the battle.

"We will await you in the medical tents," Rima told Yori. As the two mages moved away, Hanabusa thought he heard Senri murmur to his companion, "Stay with me until death," as their hands joined.

The blond Bloodguard swallowed, thinking of Yori, and forced his eyes away. He couldn't let even an ounce of weakness creep in now, not when his resolve had to be stronger than his blade.

"If we lose this battle, I am never going to Rido alive, do you understand me?" Ruka demanded of Akatsuki, her strident tone fortunately distracting Hanabusa from any such weakness.

"Ruka...a loss would not dissolve our engagement," the redhead chastised.

"Yes, but…" The honey-haired noble huffed.

"Are you trying to undo it already? Just be mine already…"

At this, Ruka blushed furiously and Hanabusa held back a laugh. "I'm going on!" the noblewoman announced and abruptly stormed off after the mages. It seemed like Akatsuki had finally made some real progress with his ladylove, after all. The blond hoped that they both lived long enough to enjoy that progress.

"We'll see you there," Zero said, interrupting Hanabusa's thoughts. The others went on ahead, giving the blond lord a moment alone with his wife.

"What made you change your mind about staying behind the lines?" Hanabusa asked Yori suddenly. Recently, Yori had seemed a bit distant. He knew she was feeling anxious; she often had nightmares and picked at her food, but perhaps it was something more than nerves?

The blond knight was sure he didn't imagine her slight grimace, or the way her eyes flicked away for the briefest of moments. Yet, when she wet her lips and spoke, her words were calm and unquestionable, "I am an archer, not a swordsman. Since you'll be infiltrating the city, it would be difficult for me to shoot in the narrow streets. I feel like I could be of more assistance helping the healers. Besides, your mother was quite relieved to hear of my decision. I can still hear her nagging voice in the back of my head..." She raised her eyes skyward.

He chuckled. "She was rather insistent."

"So were you." She poked him in the ribs and smiled.

"Is it so wrong that I want my wife to be safe?"

"I guess not. Is it so wrong that I want my husband to stay safe, too?"

"You know I cannot remain behind," he chastised her softly. "Besides, we won't be out in the open much. Once we get inside, there's a tunnel that will take us directly into the castle itself. It's kind of funny, actually... We originally fled out that passage, and now we're returning through it."

"Do you really think the fighting will stop when Shizuka is dead?"

"That's the hope."

"Well, you needn't worry about me. Rima and Senri will be with the healers, as well. If they're as powerful as Yuki says, no one will get past them."

"I'll admit I'm fairly reassured that they'll be staying behind." He paused, then drew her towards him, pressing a kiss to her brow. "Take care of everyone while I'm gone."

She leaned into him, wrapping her arms tightly around him. "Come back safe."

"I will."

After a moment, she murmured, "Yuki really won't be dissuaded from going with you, huh?"

Hanabusa sighed. Really, the Kuran princess was the biggest idiot he knew. For her to dash into the heart of the enemy's fortifications was pure stupidity...but...perhaps because of that, Shizuka wouldn't expect to find her there. Charging headlong into the capital might just be the safest place for the princess. Besides, she would be well-defended, and she knew the castle better than anyone. If she needed to make a run for it, Hanabusa was fairly confident she could escape. Although, of course, he hoped it wouldn't come to that.

"She is adamant," he answered.

"Adamantly naive," Yori muttered, straightening and then asking, "You leave at dusk?"

He nodded. "Yes. It's the best time to slip in unnoticed."

She took a breath, obviously steeling herself. "May your sword strike true," she said, reciting the parting words many lords and ladies gave their knights before a battle.

"May your heart never waver," he recited back, leaning in to kiss her.

"Hm. My heart is true to you," she whispered against his lips.

"My Lord," a voice interrupted urgently.

The knight heaved a sigh. "Duty calls."

Yori squeezed his hands and smiled. "When you're back, you'll know where to find me."

"I'll head straight there," he promised before turning his attention to the soldier, who began informing him of the situation.

Truly, it was quite irritating that the fate of the Nine Kingdoms had to interrupt his love life. Again. Maybe after this was all finished, the two of them would have to take a vacation very, very far away. Far enough away that the kingdoms would leave him in peace.

Turning his head, he took in the sprawling expanse of the capital and sneered when he caught sight of the castle, where the root of all this evil had taken hold. Soon, they would reclaim it. Soon, Yuki would at last be back where she rightfully belonged. With that thought, he squared his shoulders and followed the soldier to where Zero, Yuki, and the rest were waiting for him to join them.


AN: Next time, the battle begins.