Chapter 18

"So what's it gonna be?! Two against seven? How unfair!" Everyone turned around to find Taka, Tamahome, and Tasuki standing behind him or her. Emi went straight to cloud nine along with Yume.

"No, it'll just be 4 against 2. That alright with you?" Tamahome said in ready stance.

"Fine! Come on, we're waiting." Izumi shouted.

"Ladies first." Tasuki replied. Usagi lifted her right hand to her mouth and giggled.

"Aw, how cute. Too scared to make the first move."

"Yeah, everyone knows that ladies first is a bunch of bullshit!" Izumi retorted.

Aoi spoke out. "Stop this! Why are you doing this guys?! Have you all gone mad?! What's wrong with you!" Everyone ignored her and attacked each other. Usagi took on Emi and Tasuki and Izumi had Yume and Tamahome. Confused and unable to stand, Aoi backed away in horror.

Chichiri grabbed Aoi close. "Jen, look at their stones, they are not their regular colors, they're tainted with malice. Darkness is taking over their souls, there's nothing we can do." He whispered.

"No. I refuse to believe that. There's always something you can do!" Aoi fought out of his arms. She looked at the beginning war. She gasped. Emi was hurt and unable to protect herself while Tasuki was already across the room on the ground as well. Usagi jumped in the air with her sword out, ready to stab her.

"AAAIIIIEEEE!!!!" Emi covered her face and waited for impact.

"NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!" Aoi screamed.

"GYAHHH!!!!" Emi opened her eyes. Was that her that screamed? She didn't even feel the pain. A drop of blood landed on her nose and she opened her eyes. To her surprise, Taka was stabbed in through the stomach, hunched over to save her. Her eyes watered.

"Ta..ka... Why?" She pulled herself from under him. She shook him. He wasn't moving. "Taka?! Taka!! Get up, please!"

"Ugh..."

"Taka?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Taka touched his stomach, the sword still intact.

Usagi was a little stunned at first but she quickly regained her confidence. "Aw, how sweet. Save the one that you barely even know. Of course, the one that really loves her is no help at all." Usagi looked over in the direction of the other fight. "Now, if you don't mind, I'll be taking my sword back." Usagi pulled the sword out of his stomach, releasing the flowing blood onto Emi's legs. Taka keeled over.

"Taka!!" Taka slowly disappeared in Emi's arms. "NO!!!!! Taka come back!! COME BACK!!!!" Emi's scream drowned out the sound of another cry. Tasuki was stricken. There was a loud thump to the ground. Yume ran over to him.

"Tasuki! Tasuki!!" Izumi and Usagi watched in what looked like horror. Regaining their stance they stood triumphantly.

"HA! Two of your men are already useless! Are you eating your words now?!" Izumi yelled. A single teardrop ran down Emi's cheek. Another ran down Yume's. As the tears dropped, they crystallized into the power stones they needed.

"I will not let Tasuki die. You coulda killed me, you coulda tortured me, and I don't care." Yume stood up. "But I will not allow you to hurt Tasuki again!"

"How dare you? You killed... You killed Taka!" Emi shouted. Jolting up as well. "How could you?! Izumi?! You loved him as much as I did! Perhaps, and I would hate to admit it, even more than I loved him!"

Izumi's eyes grew wide. She backed up a little, losing her footing. A sudden force hit her and she fell to her knees in pain.

"NO!! You are lying! Stop it!!"

"And you Usagi! Do you not love Tasuki?! I know you do! Its not hard to figure it out!" Yume shouted.

"Liar!" Usagi fell down as well. "You've got to be lying..."

"No, we're-"

"I think that's enough of that." Suboshi walked towards Usagi. He lifted her head and kissed her. "Its alright, I'll take care of it, don't worry." Amiboshi soon joined him after doing the same to Izumi.

"How about we give these guys a real run for their money. What do you say brother?"

"I say, they should get the best their money can give."
Helpless, Chichiri and Aoi watched another battle start. The girls behind the boshi twins stood up, heads lowered to the floor. They walked up behind them and clung to them in a loving way. Amiboshi kissed Izumi hand and Suboshi kissed Usagi's arm.

"Amiboshi..."

"Suboshi..."

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry!" They said in unison. At that moment, they held them in headlocks.

"Yume! Emi! Obliterate them now!" Izumi called.

"You traitorous bitch! What are you doing?!"

"Hurry! We don't know how much time we have! The darkness will take over our souls again soon!" Usagi declared.

"We can't with you there!"

"Its the only way!" The boshi twins were struggling to break free and succeeding quite well.

"Do it now!"

"NO!!!" Aoi screamed.

"PLEASE!!!" They pleaded together. Emi and Yume obeyed and with a twirl and them locking the stones together, they sent a blast of chi at the four.

"NO!!!!! PLEASE DON'T DO IT!!!!!!!!" Aoi ran out of Chichiri's arms and tried to save the girls before the blast hit. To no avail. She was a second too late. The girls were blasted against the wall and the guys had disappeared. There was not trace of them except some scraps of clothing.

"Izumi, Usagi... Why?" Aoi asked. Emi, Tamahome, Chichiri and Yume who was helping Tasuki walk crowded around them for the last time. Gazing down and knowing what was about to happen. Emi was holding Usagi while Aoi held Izumi.

"It was the only way..."

"Tasuki..." Usagi called in a raspy voice.

"Yeah, I'm right here."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I did love you, not that it matters now." She tried to laugh but it came out as a cough that hacked up blood.

"Don't say anything. Get your strength back, we can talk about this later. Just don't give up!"

"I'm afraid it's already too late..." Usagi closed her eyes and she slowly disintegrated to nothing.

"Tamahome, Tasuki, Chichiri... Please take care of my friends... I can't take care of them anymore..." The boys nodded, Izumi smiled. "Guess I'll get to see Taka now huh?" Izumi motioned for Aoi to come closer. "Aoi, he still loves you, you will still have Chichiri... Ask him why he broke up with you, say it's a favor to me. Izumi disintegrated at the end of the sentence. Everyone burst into tears at the loss of their two friends. Chichiri held Aoi close to him. Tamahome held Emi, wrapping her in his strong arms. Yume collapsed to the ground and Tasuki hovered over her, eventually falling down and comforting her. On this day where so much was lost, you'd never expect that four more would be dying soon.

TO BE CONTINUED