In the eyes of an Angel Chapter 23

By: Mia Dorothy Rain Sanada Winner Kasshu

~*~

A few days and fights passed since the questioning, and still Kina and Kyoji remained undefeated. So was the rest of the Shuffle Alliance undefeated. But, Kina's next opponent was Kaman Soyuz, her attacker from before. He was the Gundam Fighter from Neo-Hong Kong. Domon vaguely remembered Master Asia having any other pupils besides him.

"But Master Asia could have had trained Kaman before he trained you." Kyoji pointed out.

"But, Kaman looks like he's only in his early twenties." Domon protested.

"Well, not to worry. I think I can defeat him." Kina sighed as she absentmindedly popped her knuckles.

"Kina, there is something to worry about. If Kaman knows all Master Asia's techniques, then you could actually lose this match." Domon warned her.

"I know. But, I've got to take my chances. I also know that the schools' of the undefeated of the South and East are major rivals. So, probably, my moves will be close to his." Kina pointed out.

"Have you mastered anything like the Sekiha-Tenkyouken?" Domon asked her.

"I think it's called the Lekiho-Menkosen.* And I'm still working on mastering it." Kina told him.

"Lekiho-Menkosen?!" Kyoji and Domon asked her.

"It's exactly like the Sekiha-Tenkyouken, but with the school of the undefeated of the South twist. I'm this close to getting it mastered." Kina made a motion with her fingers that only separated the two fingers by millimeters.

Domon smirked, "Well, let's see whatchya got down."

"Well, I can do the Sekiha-Tenkyouken," Domon's mouth dropped, and Kina continued, "But there's this one part in the Lekiho-Menkosen that I can't master."

"Then let's see your version of Sekiha-Tenkyouken." Domon pushed.

"Fine." Kina calmed herself down. 'I'm gonna try Lekiho-Menkosen instead.' She thought as she began her chant, "From the school of the undefeated of the south, the unspoken words of the queen, the ultimate technique……" Kina pulled her arms above her head, and concentrated the power there, between her palms. Kina leaned back on her heels, spun on them, "Lekiho-Menkosen!" She called for the power as she fell back on her feet from her heels, and shot the blue colored power beam at Domon.

Domon called for the Sekiha-Tenkyouken, to try and counter her Lekiho-Menkosen. But, the blue beam hit the red beam, and started pushing the red beam of the Sekiha-Tenkyouken back. Domon struggled to keep his strength, but the Lekiho-Menkosen pushed the Sekiha-Tenkyouken away and forced Domon against the wall.

Kyoji whistled and clapped as Domon got back onto his feet. Kina relaxed into her original state of mind, and curtseyed at the applause from her lover. Domon grumbled, "And you can't master the Lekiho-Menkosen?" He asked Kina.

"Well, I couldn't until now. Guess you kinda helped. Domo, Domon." Kina smiled.

Domon felt a blush cross his face, 'She just smiled.' He thought as he went to grab his cloak.

"What? Leaving so soon?" Kyoji asked his younger brother.

"Yeah. I told Rain I'd meet her for dinner." Domon responded as he wrapped his cloak over his shoulders.

"Oh, Domon?" Kina asked him.

Domon turned around, "What?"

"You will be there to see my match tomorrow with Kaman, right?"

"Yeah? Why do you wanna know?" Domon responded.

"Gee, little bro, she just hopes that you'll be able to see her new technique in battle with Kaman." Kyoji interjected.

"Honestly, Domon. Will you come? Not just by obligation you feel from being a Shuffle partner, but because you wanna see it?" Kina asked him again.

"Of course I will. I didn't mean it that I didn't wanna see it. I don't think I've ever seen a woman fight as hard as you do. Or with the same skill as you do." Domon told her.

Kina nodded, "Thank you." She told him, then turned to Kyoji, "Let's go. I've got to find a good pizza place around here and get something to eat!"

"Yeah, I agree there." Kyoji chuckled as he hopped off of the ledge he was sitting on.

"I know! Why don't invite Rain to the pizza place, and we'll have a 'double date?'" Kina suggested to Domon.

"Nah, she needed to talk to me about something. Rain check?" Domon asked Kina.

Kina smiled, but with a little disappointment, "Sure. But it expires when the championship is over!" Kina told him.

Domon nodded, chuckling, "Right." He said as he went the opposite direction of Kina and Kyoji to Neo-Japan's place. On his way there, a million thoughts raced through his mind about Kina, 'Why is she so friendly all of a sudden? Is it because she is finally warming up to the idea that we're the Shuffle Alliance? Or is it because Kyoji's my older brother? Something hasn't happened to them, has it? I kinda felt an uneasiness between them tonight. Maybe Kina's just nervous about the upcoming fight with Kaman, and Kyoji's worried that she could get killed in this match.'

"Domon!" Rain called out behind him. She kept calling for him, while running towards him.

Domon, not hearing Rain calling out for him, kept walking, 'Kina reminds me of Allenby, but not as obnoxious. Kina would kill me for thinking that.' Suddenly, a pair of arms wrapped around his neck. He tensed up, but realized it was Rain, and relaxed.

Rain let go, "Domon, why didn't you answer me?"

"You called for me?" Domon asked her. Rain nodded, "Uh, I was just lost in thought, I think."

"About who?" Rain asked him.

"Let's go find some place to eat, and I'll explain it to you there." Domon told her.

Rain looked curiously at the side of Domon's face, "What is that?" She asked him, pulling out her mirror for him to look.

Domon looked in the mirror, and examined the small blue line that traced up his jaw line. He looked at it with curiosity, and touched it with his forefinger. Immediately, his finger froze. Rain helped him break the ice off his finger. Domon winced as her fingernail went through the ice, 'Must be an after attack.' Domon thought as Rain and him finally broke the ice that had surrounded his finger.

"I know who you were talking to, or rather, fighting with." Rain stated with a smile at the tall Neo-Japanese fighter.

"Who?" Domon looked at her with mock curiosity.

"Kina Motsuya of Neo-Antarctica." Rain told him, pushing her finger into his chest and tracing upwards.

"What didya want?"

Domon and Rain turned around to see the two fighters from Neo-Germany and Neo-Antarctica. Kyoji smirked, "So, we meet again, little bro." He gave an evil smirk.

Kina poked Kyoji, "Don't look like that. It scares people." She told him.

Kyoji sighed, "Right, Ai." He softened his look.

Domon laughed, "You two are crazy." He shook his head.

"Speaking of crazy, how would you two like to join us for dinner?" Rain invited Kina and Kyoji.

Kina looked at Domon, who's mouth hung agape, then back at Rain, "Is okay with Domon? He told us that you had something important to tell him."

"Oh, I had forgot about that!" Rain chuckled.

Kina noticed that the blue strip still ran down Domon's jaw line. So, she walked over to Domon, and traced her finger over the deep blue scar. Domon stood still as the finger traced down his jaw line.

Kina pulled her finger back and looked back at Domon, "That's the part of the Lekiho-Menkosen that I can't master. Every person I try it on, they get this freeze scar that runs down their jaw line, and if anything touches it, it'll freeze."

"Anything?" Domon asked Kina.

Kina nodded, "I'm surprised it hadn't engulfed you."

"Engulfed?"

"Yea, I saw that you touched it with your finger, and it froze your finger. I'm surprised that it didn't engulf you immediately." Kina said, walking back to Kyoji's side.

"Uh, we better get going. We'll take a rain check?" Kyoji began to tug at Kina's shirt and pull her along.

"Right. We'll see you tomorrow?" Domon asked them.

"You bet! This is the last match before the battle Royale, ya know." Kina reminded as the two walked off. Indeed, Domon had remembered, but it was the least of his worries. He was also worried about Kina in this upcoming match, not only because Kaman had somehow mastered all of Master Asia's techniques, but that Kaman had also confessed to Kyoji that he was a follower of the Devil Gundam. And Kina, Rain and him were witnesses to it.

"Come on Domon! I've got to talk to you!" Rain pulled on his arm.

"Gee, Rain! Hold on!" Domon told her as she pulled him along, "What did I do now?!"

Rain had pulled him into a sit outside café and sat him down. Domon's butt hit the seat hard, while Rain sat down herself, "Domon, I hafta tell you something……."

~*~

Kyoji and Kina sat only a couple restaurants away. The waiter came by and asked for their orders. The couple ordered, the waiter nodded and left, as Kyoji scooted himself next to Kina-instead of across from her- and looked, "So, what do you think they're talking about?"

Kina shrugged, "Dunno. I can only hear bits and pieces of their conversation. Mainly Rain is talking."

"What words?" Kyoji asked, even more inquisitive than before.

"Fight……" Kina squinted, "Love…….and something else." Then she turned to Kyoji, "Why the hell are we spying on your brother and his love?"

"Ssshh, see if you can hear more…"

Kina stood up from her seat, "I'll be damned if I will Kyoji! At least until you answer my question! Now why are we spying on them?!" She hollered. Suddenly, everyone stopped moving and looked at Kina. Even Rain and Domon. Kina blushed, "Uh…." She chuckled, "Konichiwa minna-san!" She waved to everyone as she sat down.

Domon turned around and glared at Kyoji, who had met eyes with his brother. Domon turned around, held up his forefinger at Rain, who nodded, and walked over to the table where Kina and Kyoji left.

Kina stood up, "Uh, gotta use the little girls room!" She gulped and dashed off, leaving Kyoji to fend for himself.

A hand went straight down on Kyoji's table, "Why are you spying on Rain and I?"

Kyoji chuckled, "Uh…..cause you're my little bro and I hafta keep tabs on you." He made up.

"Where did Kina go?" Domon asked as he took her seat at the table.

"Heh, the little girls room." Kyoji chuckled, 'I'm in trouble now.'

Domon stood up and headed in the direction Kina left. He jumped the fence that led into an alley way, knowing that she went this way. But he looked, and there was no sign of her.

Kina sat in the corner between the fence and the wall. She had her knees against her chest, and her arms wrapped tightly over them to keep from making noise. She watched Domon from that corner, and quietly slipped up from her position. She tried to jump the fence without a noise, but her sandal hit the fence.

Domon, hearing the sound, turned around to see the blonde Neo-Antarctician running away. He quickly jumped the fence and followed her weaving pattern through the crowd. Finally, he saw her disappear into another alley. He followed her, making sure he checked every place she could possibly be. A trash can rattled, and Domon saw that Kina had started running again. Domon quickly dashed after her, and finally caught up to her. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pushed against the wall, holding her hands up against the wall over her head.

"What is it that you read?" Domon spat at her.

"I only heard Love and Fight. That's all." Kina spat back.

Domon glared at her, "Are you sure?"

"What? You don't trust me?!" Kina yelled back at him.

"Hey you two! Stop it!"

"Shuddup, Rain!" Domon told her as he kept his focus on Kina.

"Will you quit looking at me like that?! It creeps me out!" Kina exclaimed as she kicked him in the stomach, using that force to push herself out of his grip on her arms. Domon fell to the ground as Kina walked off, "I know what Rain said, but if it's that important to you, I will not tell Kyoji. So, screw off, Domon Kasshu!" Then Domon heard her add, "I wasn't gonna tell him anyways. If you wanna bitch at someone, bitch at Kyoji, not me." Kina walked off just as rain started to fall from the sky.

"Dammit." Domon cursed as he sat up.

"I can't believe you Domon. I thought you were getting better at that!" Rain scolded.

"Rain, wait! What do you mean?" Domon asked her.

"About harassing people like that." Rain responded, "I knew Kina was watching, I saw her out of the corner of my eye. I know that what I'm about to tell you that Kina already knows."

"She knows?" Domon asked standing up.

"Yes, I went to her for help on how to say this." Rain told him.

"What is it?" Domon walked closer to her, putting his hands around her arms.

"Domon, I hafta go back to the colony."

"Why, Rain?"

"I haven't been feeling well at all, and I know I haven't shown any symptoms of being sick, but they want to have a look at me back on the colony."

"But, can't you stay until I win the championship again?"

Rain shook her head, "No, I can't. They're sending a ship for me tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?!"

"Right. They're just thinking it's just some common virus that they have here on Earth, but they just want to make sure."

"Oh, Rain."

Lightening struck in the distance. The two stood silent for a few minutes. Their eyes held each others gaze as the rain soaked their clothes and hair. Finally, Domon scooped Rain up, and the two headed to the Neo-Japanese place.

~*~

"So, after this match, huh?"

"Yes, Devil Gundam will be finished."

"Ya know, this is just like the championship before?"

"I know. But, I've got to put Neo-Antarctica in total control."

"Is that the most important thing to you?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"Never mind."

"So, where is the Battle Royale taking place?"

"Easy, where Tokyo once stood."

"I don't understand."

"Now, that Tokyo has been destroyed, the whole place can be like a ring. Especially with the many obstacles the fighters will hafta overcome."

"Can't you just make an island like Wong did?"*

"That would take too long. Let's just have where Tokyo stood."

"But…."

"There'll be a wide fighting area, therefore another fights will not interfere with other fights."

"Fine."

"Now, we'll wait until tomorrow's match with Neo-Antarctica versus Neo-Hong Kong's newbie, Kaman Soyuz."

"Yes, I look forward to this match."

~*~

Kina walked into the empty arena, rain soaking her inside and out. She looked around, memories flooding into her mind.

"What are you thinking about?" An older voice came from behind her. Kina turned to see an older man, with Kyoji's fighting garb and mask on.

"Who are you?!" Kina asked the man.

"I am the real Schwartz Bruder." He responded, turned his eyes on her.

"But….he's….well…"

"Dead? I know. I am. See?" The older man went to touch Kina's hand, but his hand went right through hers.

Kina watched this, amazed to see him standing in front of her, "How can you be alive?"

"Well, I saw that you had fallen in love with the man that took my life and my Gundam, and I had to come and see for myself just who you really are."

Kina sighed, moving her eyes off of the man to the ground, "Yeah, well…"

"What's wrong?" The man asked her.

Kina didn't respond, but only remembered what happened between them, right before she came to the arena.

~*~

"Damn you Kyoji Kasshu!" Kina shouted as she picked up her coat and had begun to storm off.

Kyoji put down his slice of pizza, laid money down on the table, and grabbed his coat, "What was that for?"

"Damn you and your pathetic brother, Domon Kasshu!" Kina exclaimed, not stopping.

Kyoji ran after her, his heart racing. When he finally caught up to her, he told her, "Look it was only a joke. Domon raced off before I could tell him that."

"It's not that. I knew what Rain was gonna tell him." Kina stopped, her head hung.

"You did?"

"But I'm not at liberty to tell you. I was gonna let Rain tell you guys when the timing was right." Kyoji moved in front of her, and lifted her chin up. Kina pulled away from him, "Why, Kyoji? Why?!" Kyoji looked at her, tears streaming from her eyes,

"Why what?" Kyoji asked her.

"You don't think that what you did was wrong?"

"Yes, I did. I feel for bad. I shouldn't have done that."

"Then why did you?"

"I don't know. But I am sorry for whatever he did to you."

"What he did?! But you're not sorry for how you brought me into it?"

"I thought you wanted to go along with it!"

"You didn't ask! I told you they probably just wanted their privacy!"

"And they did!"

"Exactly!"

"Then what's the problem?"

"You just assumed! That's what it was!"

"Fine! I won't assume anymore! I'll always ask you your opinion before we do anything!"

"That's not what I was talking about."

"No, then what was it?"

"You didn't come for my rescue when Domon chased after me."

"I figured you would yell at me if I did."

"No, I wouldn't've. Instead of you coming, Rain did. What if Domon really planned on hurting me?!"

"I don't think Domon would've done that."

"He sure looked at me with the intent of hurting me."

"I think you're misjudging him."

"Oh! So now you're sticking up for him? That man looked like he was gonna kill me! Rain thought so too! She even started yelling at him about it! What? Am I not more important to you than Domon? Domon's supposed to be your enemy!"

"He's supposed to be yours too! And you are important to me!"

"Then why didn't you come for me? Even just to see if I was okay?!"

"'Cause I knew you could take care of yourself!"

"Did you even worry about me?"

"Of course I did! You think I'm that cold hearted?"

"Well, you didn't come for me. When I came back, you just were eating pizza like nothing was happening! Like you didn't even care!" Kina exclaimed as she ran off in the direction of the arena she was to fight in the next, knowing that was where she could chill out for a few minutes.

"Kina! Wait a second!" Kyoji called out to her. Kina ignored him and kept running. When she stopped, she looked to see Kyoji standing there, in the same spot, hand in a tight fist. His head hung, like he was struggling with whether or not to go after her or not. Kina, still crying, began her running to the arena.

~*~

"So, that's what happened." The older man said, pulling at the edges of his mask.

"Yeah." Kina sighed.

"Do you think he was entirely in the wrong?" He asked her.

"What do you mean?"

"I can tell, he loves you. He cares for you. But, I have a question for you, why did you leave when Domon came over?"

"I really had to pee. I knew there were port-a-potties behind that store, and went there. When I came back I saw Domon, coming over the way that I went. So, that's when I ducked into the corner."

"Maybe Kyoji thinks that you were running away from Domon, and that's why he didn't come for you."

"You think he would think that?"

The older man nodded, "I'm most positive. Even though my body is really gone this time, I can still sense some of his feelings."

"Really?"

"That's how I knew he had fallen in love. His feelings became abnormal one day, and I checked it out. When I did, I found about you. I can see why he likes you so much, you're one tough girl. But, I can see you have your soft spots as well."

"So, really, was this my fault?"

"It's a fault on both of you. I know you have a match tomorrow, against an opponent you are afraid of. Kyoji's fearful for your life, and so are you. Tell him that. You want him to be open with you, but you need to open up to him."

Kina nodded, "Right. I'm such a fool."

"No, you're not."

"Nani?"

"You're a talented young woman, with strength and potential to win this championship. But, make sure you always remember that you do have back up. You have friends, not just Kyoji, but the rest of the Shuffle Alliance."

"Right."

"They're all behind you, and tomorrow's match they will be there to support you as well. Including Domon."

Kina remembered, "I'm hoping they will be."

"Think about, Kina Grace Motsuya. Think about yours and Kyoji's love for one another." The older man began to walk off.

"Wait a second! Are you really the real Schwartz Bruder?" Kina asked, running after the man. Kina hit a rock in the ground and tripped over it, losing her balance and falling in the mud.

"Yes. I am." The man responded as he disappeared.

Kina stayed on the ground, her face and clothes covered in mud, but her mouth was open. She had never thought, of all people, for him to be the one to give advice. She closed her mouth and tried to push herself off of the muddy arena floor, when she heard someone call out for her. Kina looked up to see Kyoji standing at the gate of the arena, hands at his sides.

"Kyoji?" Kina asked, making sure her eyes didn't deceive her.

"Yeah?" He asked in response. Kina quickly rose to her feet. Kyoji looked at her clothes when she stood up, "What happened? Why were you on the gro….." But he was cut off by Kina, who leapt into his arms. Kyoji decided that his questions weren't important, he was just glad to have her in his arms.

~*~

*Lekiho-Menkosen: An attack I made up. I know it sounds corny, but oh well.

*"Can't you just make an island like Wong did?": I know that Lantal Island was real. I really don't know why I made this person say this, I guess it kinda fit.

~*~

Ending Comments: Well, this is a longer chappie. Kinda depressing too, I guess. I dunno. We've been having rain here, and rain makes me depressed. I guess that's why the chappie turned out the way it did. But, no worries! Kina and Kyoji are back together! Well, the 24th chappie is soon on its way!

May your days be as evil as mine are, ^_^*

~*~Mia Dorothy Rain Sanada Winner Kasshu aka the queen of war!~*~