Sachiko felt her heart stop at his words. Placing another soul in her body? But wouldn't that cancel her own soul out? Fear continued to sink in as the realization hit her hard. He was intending to kill her. Tears formed in her eyes as it was as if everything was flashing before her eyes. Growing up with her cousins. Training. Fighting. Birthdays with her father. Being with her aunts and uncles. She couldn't stop thinking of her entire life. Then her mind went to the first day she saw Liu. She had been in the arena with her father fighting as she had made it to the finals. But her gaze was captured when she first noticed him. He was different. Which is the very thing she liked most about him. She had even kissed him in front of everyone knowing nothing was going to hide it. Even her father. At that moment she didn't care, it was her decision and she took her moment. She was focused then. She could sense her father- barely. The magic around them must be blocking her spirit energy.

Zakos rose from the ground to stand. Looking over the girl before him, he couldn't believe how much she and Saia looked the same. But they were not the same person but her strength alone would help Saia's soul adjust. Sachiko was the perfect choice. Stepping away, closing his eyes he gathered his energy and began chanting. It would only take a few moments but Saia's soul would have to be brought from the spirit world and very quickly placed in Sachiko. Then the process of extracting Sachiko's soul would have to be quick. But he had to be careful. Extracting a soul was far more delicate work then retrieving a soul from the spirit world. The magic shifted. Zakos looked over his shoulder and saw Hideki and the twins from before. So they had found them. No matter, it wouldn't change his plans.

" Sachiko! Hey, can you get up? Are you okay?" Ren was down next to her cousin so fast to help her. Ren gripped Sachiko's arm to pull her up only she didn't move.

" He casted a spell or something. I can't move."

Hideki got between the girls and Zakos. His sword was drawn which was engulfed in green and black flames. " Release her."

" No." Zakos spoke as he finished his chant and lowered his hands,

" What did you do to her? What are you even doing?" Yukio said, as he took a stand with Hideki.

"He is bringing his girlfriend's soul from the spirit world to this world so he can place it in Sachiko's body." Liu said as he came up to everyone with Ronin and Kurama with him.

" So you figured it out. Guess you read those books I told you not to read." Zakos looked at his brother. His eyes were sad and uneasy. But the look in Liu's eyes was anger. Disappointment was there as well. He deserved that. But he came this far, nothing was going to stop him.

" Yes I did. But you seem to be forgetting something very vital to what you are doing. The host body will only live a few hours. If that. You will not only be killing Sachiko but you will see Saia die for a second time. Is that really what you want?" Liu stood his ground.

Zakos was wide-eyed as he heard those words. He was sure how he casted this spell he could bypass that issue. This was going to work. It had too. Saia was coming back. He had used everything he had to do all this. Nothing was going to happen to mess this up. Then he felt the magic disappearing. Looking around he saw the magical energy was weakening. He wasn't the one doing it. Liu came up to him as thick vines circled around them, caging them in.

" Dad! What are you doing? Get him away from there!" Sachiko said. Her body moved then. The magic holding her down was gone. But seeing the spell he cast before to bring Saia's soul back was still going on strong. But something was off. What was going on? Next thing she knew her father had her in his arms. The embrace was tighter than she ever remembered. Wrapping her arms around her father she couldn't help but hug him back.

Liu saw everyone around her and was happy. That made him happy as well. Looking to his brother he knew he had to finish this. But he was waiting for one more thing to happen so he could cast a spell that would allow everyone to be free from the school and this madness. " You said at the dance you were going to make the ones responsible pay with their lives. Yet this has nothing to do with them."

" Yes it does. There is more than one way to make someone die then actually killing them."

" Really? Then why don't you tell her that?" Lui said as he motioned behind him.

Zakos turned to see Saia. Her corporeal body stood before him. She was beautiful. Just as he had remembered her. Her blonde hair and blue eyes made him smile. The grace and elegance of her made him feel as if he was when she was alive. He reached through the vines. Wanting nothing more than to touch her. " Saia. I have missed you so much."

" Zakos. Is it really you? I don't understand." She looked over and gasped. Could this be? " Ren? Sachiko? I shouldn't be able to even see you."

" I brought your soul back. I am bringing you back Saia. Back to being with me."

Saia looked at him. Was he serious? If he was doing that, why was everyone there? She saw Yukio and Hideki too. Sachiko's father looked as if he was holding onto her for dear life. They all looked upset and ready to fight. Even as a spirit she could tell something was off in the air. What had Zakos done? She could tell he was trapped in the cage of vines for a reason. The person trapped with him looked as if he was growing weaker. Maybe her being here was hurting him. The tears in Sachiko's eyes told her that he was important to her. She couldn't stay here. She didn't want to hurt anyone. Sachiko had been one of her few friends. Ren had been the one to get the closest. Her being back here was not to be and that was okay. But she knew she would have to convince Zakos of that first.

Liu gripped the vines behind him to steady himself. He was using every ounce of magic he had to cancel out magic and the curse Zakos placed to increase the magic around the school. He had Kurama put the vines up to keep them separated because he knew how this was going to end. So let him have his moment with his girlfriend, it was going to be his last one.

" Zakos. I understand that you have missed me. I missed you as well. But whatever it is that you are doing to bring me back…..I don't think it's the right thing. I can see everyone here and something about this whole thing seems wrong. You need to let me go. Honestly, it is okay."

Zakos felt his heart sink.

Had she really just said that to him?

She wanted him to forget her. No. No he couldn't.

" Z." Saia called to him.

Zakos looked and saw the spell was lifting. Saia was far more transparent than before. No! He had to transfer her soul to Sachiko now. Or it would be too late. " Release me now! I need to help her! She belongs here with everyone." He felt his body growing weaker. He had to hurry.

" I don't belong here. What I did, what I did. It was selfish and stupid. I left you heart broken and alone and I am so sorry for that. Ren and the others did nothing to you." Saia looked at Ren, giving a small smile. " I am so sorry you found me that way. I should have listened to you and talked to your dad or someone. I shouldn't have gone as far as this. I never meant for any of this to happen because I took my own life. Forgive me."

Ren choked back tears and nodded her head. She squeezed Yukio's hand as he held onto her. The support from her brother was also something she needed.

" No. Saia. Please stay with me. You made all the darkness leave. I was alone. Abandoned by my own parents. You made it all go away and I felt happy. Please I need that again." Zakos begged. Yanking on the vines to get free. But he couldn't. He felt weaker every second that passed.

" You were not alone." Liu snapped. " I was abandoned by them too, Z. You were never alone. I was there. Trying hard to be there for you. I needed my brother and he left me too. I had to learn really fast how to grow up and take care of myself, while taking care of my brother who did nothing but run away. Then you were happy and you were the brother I looked up too. Then you came home one day and you dove into those books and forgot about me even being there. I was there for you and you ignored that." The bitterness was hissed with every word.

Zakos looked at his brother. Each word hit him like a punch. He had done that. He left him alone and ignored him. He was a terrible person. He had just forgotten his little brother. Never took care of him and helped him grow. Didn't even watch him grow into the strong young man he is today. All he had cared about was bringing Saia back to be with him. He went as far to place a curse on Liu for more power. Damn it all he was the worst brother. He looked back at Saia who smiled as she waved to him, tears in her eyes. She was then gone. Gone forever. His body then sank to the ground. He saw Liu barely hanging on to his footing. Oh damn it all . He had figured out how to stop the blood curse he had casted. That explained why the magic had been slipping away. The vines then vanished. Liu dropped down on the ground. Not moving.

Sachiko got up and ran over to him. Pulling him into her lap. " Liu, Hey look at me. Hey no, open your eyes." Sachiko was frantic and checking him for wounds or something that happened.

" Sachiko." Liu's voice came out low. So soft she almost didn't hear him.

" What did you do? Tell me how to help." She was crying now. Wrapping her arms around him trying to get him to get up.

" You can't. He undid the blood curse I placed on him." Zakos said. His voice sounded the same as Liu's.

" What do you mean by that? What curse?" Ronin said as he came closer to his friends.

" To undo the curse, I or the one that the spell was casted on must die." The glares of anger and hate pierced him. His brother had truel made some amazing friends. " I needed more magic to do what I needed to bring Saia back. Same for the tournament and the way I did it to pick Sachiko for her replacement body. I needed more magic which was why I had the creature everywhere. Even the ones I brought back. I was able to pull the magic I had used to bring them back to even increase the barrier I had around the school. The ones I even sent in town were just to get everyone's attention. Not to hurt anyone. But when I casted the curse I knew what it was going to do… Liu, I am sorry. I raised you then just left you just like our parents. Then all this- it was never meant to go this far." He reached out to his brother.

Hidieki picked Zakos up and took him to his brother's side. Ronin helped him lay him down next to Liu. They stepped back giving them some room.

" Liu." Zakos took his brother's hand. " It's over. You did it."

He looked up at Sachiko. Her sad face made his heart ache. He had given everything to stop the energy around the school so Zakos couldn't use it to kill her. The energy was probably to help aid Saia's lifespan if he had gotten to pull it off. But he stopped it. But he had used all his magic and his life energy to do it. Sachiko was safe and that was the most important thing to him. " I'm sorry. I couldn't think of anything else to do. Don't be sad."

" How can you ask me that?" She cried even harder now. " Please stay with me. Everything is okay now thanks to you. You helped us stop him. You saved me. You helped me save our parents. Please stay."

" I wish I could. But I don't think I have much more left. Thank you for loving me. Thank you everyone for being my friends. Thank you for giving me everything." As his eyes closed his last breath left him as well.

One week Later

Sachiko at Liu's grave. She held a white rose in her hand. Leaning down, she placed it on his grave . Tears slowly came down her face. She missed him. They had finally cleaned out his room. He didn't have much. Everything he had was in a small box which she kept in her room. She hadn't been able to bring herself to take it away. They had even buried Zakos next to him. It only seemed right to honor Liu that way. No matter what Liu had still loved his brother through it all, they respected that. Standing up she wiped the tears away. Looking over her shoulder she saw Hidieki. His hands in his pockets as he walked up to her.

" How are you today?" he asked.

" Better. Just taking it slow." said said.

" I am sorry."

" For what? You did everything you could." Sachiko said as she looked at him.

" No. I am sorry for not trusting him. He was a true team player and - he truly cared for you. I shouldn't have acted the way I did with him. You deserved better from me. Not just as your cousin. But as your friend." Hidieki said. He didn't look at her. He dare not. He was unprepared for her reaction.

Sachiko held him to her in a tight hug. After a moment he returned the embrace. They were family and that honestly was the most important thing to them both. Pulling back she smiled. Looking back toward the school they saw the others waiting for them. Walking back to them with Hideki, Sachiko knew it would get easier. It would just take some time. Knowing Liu was one of the best things in her life and she would never forget him for everything he gave her. His memory would always make her smile as she moved on with her closest friends.