A/N: Well here it is guys, the last chapter. First and foremost, I wanna say a HUGE thank you to all my reviewers, the one timers and the one's who review every chapter or so. You are my reason for improving and you guys make me smile every time I read what you write about my work, whether it's good, bad, or just constructive criticism. It really is the reason I've become the writer I am. Anyways, enough with the notes and let's get to the chappy already! I don't own anything except Mirai, hold on cause it might get a little rough and here we go…

I ran as fast as I could, pushing myself to my limits and trying not to hit trees as the forest became darker and darker around me. I was sore and full of bruises from tripping over tree roots and hidden rabbit holes, my palms and lower back badly scratched, scraped and in some places cut open because I used my own body to shield Mirai each time I fell. It felt as if my lungs would explode with every breath I took, but I didn't care. My only thought was 'if you don't keep running, she'll die in your arms and you won't be able to save her'.

I ducked under a low branch and narrowly avoided hitting the trunk of an oak with my head as my frantic dash brought me nearer and nearer my goal. As I ran I kept the girl in my arms cradled against my chest, hoping against hope that just the sound of my racing heart might save her. Suddenly, I felt my foot catch on a tangle of weeds and I crashed to the forest floor. I twisted myself so that my back was on the floor, keeping Mirai close to my chest and out of harm's way. I slid on the wet grass and crashed into a rose bush, the delicate branches snapping as my body smashed a path through the leaves. I came to a stop a few inches away from the plant's center amidst a shower of soft red petals and pollen. Luckily I was facing away from the bush and its thorns couldn't hit my face or Mirai's still form, but I still managed to get the tiny, spear-like things into my arms, back, and the palm of my right hand, which I had used as a level to keep Mirai from slipping sideways off of me. Tears sprang to my eye as I felt thousands of tiny daggers piercing my skin, driving themselves deep under my flesh and sending rivulets of blood sliding down my back.

I lay still for a minute, exhaustion and a feeling of hopelessness keeping me pinned to the ground. I'd never make it…Mirai was going to die in my arms in the middle of a dark forest and there wasn't anything I could do about it.  I felt tears slip down my face and join with the blood slowly coursing down my shoulders as I closed my eyes against the sudden wave of sadness that swept over me. I lay my head down on the grass, heedless of the thorns that drove themselves into my scalp as I sobbed helplessly.

Just as the first waves of darkness started to wash over me, Hikou's warning resounded in my mind 'You must bring her to safety if you do not wish to lose her. Hurry…there isn't much time.'  I forced myself to my feet thinking that even if it was a lost cause I had to at least try and save Mirai. After all how many times had she saved me? How many times had she gently pushed back my silvery-blue bangs and told me it would be okay, how many hours had she spent curled up in my arms offering silent acceptance and comfort? How often had she trusted me to keep her safe and how many times had I let her down…

As this last thought crossed my mind I found my feet hitting the soft ground faster and harder than before, my tired body drawing strength from the intense feeling of determination coursing through me as the single-minded desire to save the child I had come to love more than life itself replaced all other conscious thought in my mind. I fought through the dense forest and undergrowth for a long time knocking aside branches and bushes, sending startled wildlife scrambling out of my path.  More than once I received a hard hit in the head as the branches snapped back to their original positions and several of the bushes I plowed through were thistle-patches that tore through the thin material of my pants to rip at my legs and the pain nearly drove me to my knees again, but I kept on. All that mattered now was getting Mirai to safety.

For hours I ran until, finally, I burst through the trees and into an open field. The village Mirai had told me about peeked out from just over the next hill and I let out a sigh of relief as I felt my legs shaking beneath me. I stood for a minute watching the sun set beyond the horizon, Mirai held in one arm, the other resting on my knee as I tried to catch my breath. Once the fire in my lungs had abated somewhat, I started forwards again, intending to reach the village before nightfall, but before I could even take a step, my knees gave out and I collapsed, my body finally giving in to exhaustion.  My last conscious thought was, 'I'm sorry…I've let you down again. Forgive me…'

I don't know how long I lay there, but the next thing I knew my eye had fluttered opened and I found a tiny figure kneeling before me in the darkness gently pulling my tunic over my head, which was being supported by one small hand.  

"Mirai?" I called weakly.

The hand that was supporting me lowered my head to the grass and reached out to touch my cheek. "S'okay." she murmured, giving me a small smile and slipping my arms into the sleeves of my shirt. "Back t'sleep, my Houjun. Tomorrow we go t'the village and find the doctor. For now, sleep. Be okay, I'll wait for Houjun-san. Don't be scared…"

"But you'll never make it…" I protested, my voice starting to get fainter as the blackness threatened to claim me once more. " I've got to save you… I've…got to…save…you…" With that I fell into the darkness gathering at the edge of my brain and my eye slipped shut once more.

Someone was repeatedly hitting me over the head with a tree-branch, or at least that's what it felt like. My head was throbbing and every part of me felt like it was made of lead. With a visible effort I forced my eye opened, trying to ignore the blazing sun that was nearly blinding me.  I turned my head to the side in an effort to get the sun out of my eyes and found Mirai sitting on her knees, watching me. When she saw that my eyes were open, she smiled at me. "Better?" she asked quietly.

I nodded slowly, my mind trying to push some important piece of information through the fog in my brain. Mirai nodded and got unsteadily to her feet, holding out her arms for balance. "C'mon." she said taking a shaking step forward "Gotta get t'the doctor's, 'member?"

I pushed myself into a sitting position as the fog finally lifted from my mind and I remembered why I had pushed myself so hard the previous day. Ignoring the pain that shot through me with every move I made, I forced myself to my feet and swept Mirai into my arms, taking off at a run. I was moving more slowly than the day before because of I still wasn't fully recovered from my exhaustion and I silently cursed myself for being so weak, pushing myself to go faster as I saw the village getting closer and closer on the horizon. We reached the village about half an hour later and I stopped to get my bearings, frantically looking around for any signs of the monastery. Mirai must have sensed my urgency because she gently tugged on my sleeve. I looked down at her, my eyes full of concern. "What's wrong?" I asked worriedly "Are you okay?"

She shook her head and pointed to her right. "This way." she said simply. "Come, I'll show Houjun-san th' way." She wriggled out of my arms and fell heavily to the dirt path below. With obvious effort, she pulled herself to her feet and took my hand for support.

"Mirai, no. You have to stay in my arms, you're too weak." I protested, reaching out to pick her up again.

The girl shook her head stubbornly. "Faster like this. I don't wanna leave Houjun-san all alone, gotta hurry."

An icy stab of fear swept over me at these words and I nodded mutely, knowing that we didn't have any time to waste arguing. Mirai smiled reassuringly at me and took a step forward, holding onto me tightly as she almost fell to her knees. I reached out and took her other hand, keeping her upright.

We kept going, Mirai leading the way and me trying hard not to cry, feeling sick with worry over the tiny girl I was supporting as she forced herself to put one foot in front of the other. It seemed like days before we finally reached the other end of the village, but it had only been four hours. Mirai looked up at me, sweat standing out on her forehead as she used what little energy she had left to turn around and face me. I caught her in my arms as her knees gave way beneath her and she whispered "Straight." I nodded and took off again, forcing myself to run as fast as I could.

I flew over another hill and the monastery rose up before me like a beacon of hope. I sighed in relief, stopping in my tracks and just staring for a minute at the simple yet elegant structure standing only a hundred yards from where I was.

Shaking myself out of my reverie, I started running again only to have Mirai grab my sleeve and say something so softly that I couldn't hear her. I stopped again, tilting my head so that I could hear Mirai better. "What did you say?" I asked between gasps for breath "I didn't hear you."

"Said stop." the child repeated, her voice faint. "Stop, can't hold on anymore…"

My eyes widened in fear, not wanting to believe what I had just heard. "Yes you can, we're right there. Just hold on a little more…" My voice shook as I looked pleadingly into Mirai's soft green eyes.

"Can't." she repeated, reaching up to put her hand to my cheek. "I'm sorry, my Houjun, I wanna stay but 'Kaa-san's calling me. She wants t'see me…"

"N-no, you-you can't!" I cried in desperation, sinking to my knees on the soft grass beneath me and pulling Mirai closer to me "You can't leave me like this…I-it isn't fair…we're so close…" I squeezed my eye shut against the sadness that washed over me as tears coursed down my cheeks. "I can't lose you when we're this close…"

Mirai gently lifted my face so that she was face to face with me and I opened my eye. She was pale as the white clouds above her and her arms trembled as she held her small hands to my face in sympathy. "I know…" she whispered very softly, her voice starting to fade as she got weaker and weaker with each passing second. "Close, but too late…I'm sorry…never wan'ed to make Houjun-san so sad, but I gotta go..." she stopped for a second, her brow creasing as she struggled to hold onto her train of thought  "Don't worry, when I'm up there" she gestured to the blue sky above "Be your angel…F'rever an' ever..."

I slowly shook my head, starting to rock back and forth as I held the girl as close as I could. "No…" I sobbed over and over "Please… please don't leave me… Please!"  As much as I cried and as much as I begged the gods not to let it happen, I knew what was coming. Mirai was going to die in my arms no matter what I did. Even if I could somehow instantly transport myself to the monastery, she would still die. She was too sick. I hadn't been fast enough to save her…Just like with Hikou I had let Mirai down… I hugged her close as sobs racked my body, burying my face in her small shoulder and wishing I could die instead of her.   

"Houjun-san?" Mirai said tentatively, her voice softer than the wind and fainter than a mouse's whisper.

I pulled away and looked down at her, unable to speak around the lump in my throat.

"I love you an' don't forget, always be with you. Here," she put her hand over my chest "An' here…" She gently brushed her hand over my forehead. Her hands dropped to her sides and a feeling of peace descended around us as her eyes slid shut for the last time.

I look up at the clear blue sky, blinking back tears as memories of that painful day flash through my mind. Getting to my feet, still sobbing uncontrollably and carrying Mirai's lifeless body to the monastery…how the monks there had taken me in with no questions asked, telling me I could stay with them for as long as I felt the need to…the earth beneath my hands as I knelt beside Mirai's grave… the gentle hands that had helped me to my feet and led me away from the cemetery and brought me to the gardens where I spent many hours praying for the little girl I had held so close to my heart.

Eventually I learned to accept her death and the fact that I had killed three people, perhaps not intentionally, but it was still my fault that they had died. I can't hold them back anymore and the tears spill from my eye as I take off my mask and let the golden rays of sunshine stream across my scarred face. For a minute I let myself cry, letting the pain that I hold locked away in my heart flow freely throughout my being. Then I take a deep breath and slowly brush the last teardrop from my face, pushing the sadness back into its little box in the back of my mind. After all it wouldn't do to fall apart now, not when we're leaving for Hokkan the next day. I reach for my mask and turn sharply as I feel another hand beneath my own.

A little girl with sparkling green eyes, soft chestnut hair, and a gentle smile on her face stares back at me, her features faint and unclear as the sunlight passes through her slight form to play on the surface of the water shimmering only a few feet away. "Good luck, my Houjun." she says softly, pressing my mask into my hand "I'm watching you."

I swallow hard as I stare into the face that has haunted my thoughts for the last five years. I close my eyes for a moment as pain washes over me but when I open my eyes again she's gone. I look at the mask in my hands and gently set it down again, giving in to the sadness inside of me. It wouldn't hurt to cry for her one last time, she is my angel after all…

A/N: well I had an amazing time writing this, but I'm afraid it ends here. Before I go into the many 'thank you's I want to say, I'm going to take this opportunity to answer Flighting Dreams's very observant question, 'why is it that no matter what happens, Mirai is always the one to make Houjun stop his 'angsting'?'. Well it's simple really, if not her, then who? What I mean is Mirai and Houjun are in it together, just the two of them, so if one breaks down it's up to the other to try and offer comfort. And besides some of the time it's Houjun who helps himself, like in chapter seven where Mirai ends up crying so hard she can't talk anymore and Houjun calms himself down so that he can help Mirai. Or else it's Houjun who gets Mirai t stop 'angsting', they help each other because that's all they have in the world- one another. I know that wasn't the most coherent thing in the world but hopefully I answered the question. Anyways, thank you's are right under here and hope to see some of your names on the boards for my other stuff, but if not that's okay too.

Otaku Pitcher: Thanks for offering constructive criticism, advice or praise throughout this whole story and in a lot of my other work as well. You really made me smile every time I saw one of your reviews on the board because when you're having a bad time writing something, nothing helps you focus like an honest reviewer who gives you something to work with and build on.

Flighting Dreams: Really appreciated having someone ask so many questions and telling me that something was missing every so often. It's because of reviewers like you that I actually stop to think about what fits where before I start writing, because with my early work I would just type whatever came into my head first and then my story would be awful. So thanks for being curious and thanks for reading too.

Roku-chan: What can I say? No seriously, thank you just isn't the right word, but there's no other way to say it. You have no idea how many times I thought of just giving up on certain chapters- this one in particular- but then I'd read over my reviews see your name up there and my face would-and still will- light up. I'd be inspired to push myself farther than I would have ever thought I could go because I knew you might read it one day. Thanks for your advice and for the encouragement, but most of all thanks for taking time out of your day just to review my small-time-not-so-amazing-but-still-decent story. It really means one hell of a lot to me to know that my hero likes something I've done.

Last but not least, there is Spak-chan: You're the best beta-reader in the world! You've been with me since the very beginning of my writing career and so, thanks for sticking with me and for reading through my ugly, messy handwriting when I asked you to tell me if something was good or not, but mostly thanks for telling the truth and never being too harsh when you told me something wasn't that great.

Oy, that's a lot of typing! Anyways hope this chapter wasn't a huge let down and glad you read it.

Later days,

~Tenshi Kitsune~