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"I believe 'this' belongs to my friend Usagi!"

Usagi blinked. That was Donatello's voice. His new friend, brother of his other new friend, was still locked in combat over the Daimyo's life!

The Samurai rose and looked around. There! Donatello's staff.

He picked it up as he rose. Then he raced to put it to good use. He swept the assassin's legs out from under him like Donatello had, so the foe fell to his knees. Then he slammed the staff into the assassin's chest to send him back from the Daimyo.

Usagi looked up at his fellow warrior with a grin. "And I believe I have something of yours Donatello san!" The warrior in purple smiled back. They tossed each other their weapons.

Ahhhh … Despite the truth of what he'd told Leonardo earlier about having to make every weapon you used a part of your body, having both of his "own" blades in his hands was an experience like no other! Of course, "Willow Branch" and "Young Willow" were like no blades ...

Donatello jumped at the assassin with the spear. He began to go on the offensive exchanging blows while also delivering questions. "Why did you attack the Daimyo? Who are you working for?"

Usagi had to turn from this sight. The assassin with the chain had returned. He approached him possibly because he stood nearer the Daimyo than Donatello did.

Usagi cut the assassin's weapon in half with his blade. The assassin switched tactics by using both chains in a new attack. He tossed both weight ends of the now two chains at Usagi's head. Usagi dodged through the chains while flying at his foe. Then he leapt over the assassin's head. Upon his landing and turning to face his opponent again, the assassin's chains wrapped around him pinning his arms. Then they spun his body, so his back was to his attacker. Usagi flung his upper body forward. The assassin went flying over his head. While he was still in the air, Usagi flung his upper body back sending his foe around in the air and into shelves of healing supplies. After crashing into them, the assassin fell to the ground. Many boxes fell on top of him.

Even while locked in combat with the spear-wielding assassin, Donatello san noticed this. He turned his face away from his own fight to speak. "Easy Usagi, we can't get information out of them if they're out cold!"

Usagi slipped out of the now lax chains. Then he held up his hands and gave his friend a chagrinned smile. "My apologies, Donatello san."

He felt especially apologetic, when the distraction of reprimanding him apparently became too much for Donatello's split attention. The assassin with the spear used his friend's moment of inattentiveness to send him flying. Then the assassin moved toward the Daimyo.

Usagi leapt forward. He landed between his fallen blades, picked them up, and leapt again. As the spearhead came down, "Willow Branch" and "Young Willow" blocked it. He shoved the spear upwards breaking the assassin's hold on it. Then Donatello slammed into him with his bo staff sending the assassin hurtling to the side.

On his landing, this assassin remained conscious. Donatello held him down with his bo staff pressed across the assassin's chest. Usagi decided to do his part to make up for knocking his own opponent unconscious. "He" would ask the question this time. "Now, tell us who you serve assassin or face the wrath of my blade." He pointed "Willow Branch's" tip down at the assassin's chest to make his point clear.

The assassin looked over Donatello's head and squinted. The kame in purple twitched in nervousness. "Usagi, do you get the feeling he knows something we don't?"

Usagi heard the sound of many feet landing behind them in chorus. Either the combined sound was too much even for these assassins' stealth skills, or they simply didn't care anymore. He feared the latter.

Usagi's eyes slid to the side. Could he see those approaching without letting them know? No, he could not. He turned fully around to see who stared at him. He counted them.

Eight.

He and Donatello had had to fight hard just to defeat two. "Donatello. I get the feeling we are in for the fight of our lives." As Usagi said this, four assassins jumped down from the round ledge under the windows. Yes, they were in for the fight of their lives.

The kame came to his side as another two, new assassins landed behind the first pair. The Samurai spoke swiftly to his new friend as he lowered his swords into a block and backed up slightly into the doorway. "We must protect the Daimyo!" All capturing and questioning opportunities were now gone perhaps forever. Survival and protecting their host could be their only priorities.

"And if we can't?"

It was a good question considering the odds. Usagi put all the courage and honor he had into his reply. "Then we shall perish with honor."

The kame twirled his staff as he replied, "Let's try to leave the whole 'perishing' bit out of it, okay?"

Usagi had thought that obvious. Of course, he was a traveling Ronin whose Daimyo and parents were dead. Only a few scattered friends in his homeland would mourn him if he fell, and perhaps these two kame if they survived. This kame, though, had a living father (he hoped) and three living brothers, (he also hoped). Usagi supposed their perspectives would be a little different.

Still, the kame did not run. He stayed at his side guarding the way to the Daimyo with him. A swell of pride flooded Usagi's chest for Donatello's courage.

Then their foes were upon them. They attacked many at a time. He could just force one backward at a time. A few seemed to leap back themselves while another leapt at him. Now there was one on both sides of him. He hopped back almost into the back of an assassin Donatello was fighting. He was also flanked on both sides.

Donatello leapt out of those two's reach only to be flanked by two more. Apparently, the last two deemed him the lesser threat. Usagi noticed they let the two, new attackers handle the kame and came his way instead. It had been a few days since he'd fought more than four at a time. Good practice for him if he survived.

A fifth turned from Donatello even as the kame sent the last coming at him flying backward with a blow from his staff. Usagi didn't have time to keep track of his friend's movements as he blocked the flurry of attacks sent his way. They were coming from all sides. He feared that soon the time it took him to turn would mean his death. Then he heard his friend's voice from beyond the circle of foes around him. "Usagi, think fast!"

How did the kame think he'd survived thus far? Usagi ducked and rolled in case the kame meant to aid him. "Many" of Donatello's attacks were hard blows meant to send his enemies far, far away.

To Usagi's surprise, one of the healing pavilion's mats flew into some of his foes leaving him only one to deal with. Then another mat swallowed that one as well. Donatello used not only true weapons, but things not weapons to tackle foes and it worked. Usagi made note of this.

Then a beautiful sound drew his and Donatello's attention. Leonardo groaned. Leonardo moved! He raised a hand to wipe at his face.

The largest grin Usagi had seen on Donatello's face covered it. His voice sounded soft and musical like a breath through a flute. "Leo ..."

Donatello's foe took advantage of his joy. The assassin the kame had just knocked down and away flew at him. Before Usagi could warn him, two assassins were on him as well. They were back to fighting. Or at least, he was.

Donatello went flying through his line of sight. He heard him crash hard into something. It might be just him now. He knocked his two attackers back in time to look up and see four assassins crawling into the private healing chamber. "The Daimyo!"

Usagi got in the doorway to see one foe had raised his sword over his host. "Stop assassins!" Thankfully, his voice got that one's and all the others attention.

He launched himself, stepping over the raised shaft of a spear held to block him and into his foes' midst. He kicked one foe in the face sending him flying back. Another gestured with his spear at him. Usagi snarled back. The one with the spear came at him. The Samurai fended off his blows and kicked him in the side as he passed him. That assassin flew back into a column. Then another came at Usagi. He sent him into the other and the column as well causing the first to drop his spear.

He heard a sword being drawn and turned his attention toward the sound. He fought two assassins with swords at the foot of the Daimyo's mat. Then two more approached, one with a sword and one with a chain. He had not forgotten the feel of chains around him yet.

He fought those two with flying kicks meant to pull their defenses upward, maybe giving him an advantage on his landings, which did work once. Two more came up as well. He thought he saw a fifth with a sword approaching out of the corner of his vision, but could afford to pay him no mind yet.

Then that one fell back onto the floor. The other assassins paused to take in their companion's state. Usagi took that moment to glance up too. Donatello stood there over their fallen foe at his feet. The kame grinned back at Usagi, placed his fist in his other palm, and bowed to him. Usagi smiled back. The kame who'd been so suspicious of him earlier now honored him.

Usagi heard metal whistling through the air at his back. He turned. A weight at the end of a chain flew toward him. It hit him driving him off his feet, through the air, and into a column. Then that same chain wrapped around him. He was bound. He flexed against the chains. All he accomplished was a pain that caused him to drop his swords. "Willow Branch" and "Young Willow" lay out of his reach on either side of his feet.

He raised his head and scowled at his foes. One with a spear said, "Time to skewer the rabbit," and came toward him. That one lowered the spear, to bring it more even with his belly, Usagi assumed.

Donatello cried out to him from nearer the doorway. "Usagi! Nooooo!"

As he drew closer, the assassin raised the spear. It was now even with Usagi's head. So, he meant to make it a quick, if messy, end. Would Donatello and Leonardo survive this? The Daimyo likely wouldn't. Usagi scowled deeper at this thought.

Others crossed his mind. Katsuichi who had first brought him here and taught him so much. Lord Mifune already gone as he would soon be too. He hoped he'd be proud of his Samurai. Tomoe Ame and her Lord Noriyuki, the first so beautiful, so fierce, and so skilled, the other so young and niave, yet trying hard to be all he had to be to lead his people. They would mourn his passing. He feared for them both when he could no longer be of aid to them. And of course, Gennesuke. He might just be mad enough to tear something up upon learning of his death. Usagi wondered if his friend would even remember to collect or pay his winnings or losses on that bet.

The last face to come to mind surprised him. He hadn't seen it in years. Mariko. Those more curved, white ears seemed trained on him, and those large, brown eyes seemed to stare at him again. He hoped Kenichi made her happy. He never would have. At least, she didn't have to be a widow now. She'd better not be already, or he and Kenichi would have words!

God Bless

ScribeofHeroes