A/N: Woo-hoo! I made it! The last actual chapter, the epilogue is still to come. But still. Woo, the main story is ready. One of my rare finished fics. So, enjoy it!

Thank yous to Bluesakuramon, kanamey and azn anime addict47.

X/X

"She... she's...?" Arameda gasped for air. Then she frowned, her eyes turning into thin slits and she yelled:

"You're lying! Jirohino.. Jirohino's not gone!" Yoruhito turned to smile to her.

"Oh? And how are you going to prove it?" She turned and extended her hand towards Jelora. The brown-haired girl jerked back and collapsed on her knees. She shouted from pain.

"Jelora!" Marande exclaimed and tried to move towards her sister, but Arameda said:

"Don't! Don't leave your place! It'll make sure we lose!" Marande reluctantly stayed still, and Yoruhito focused all her mind at Jelora. The girl struggled under her strong powers. Finally Yoruhito slitted her eyes, making a grasping gesture in the air, and Jelora fell to the floor, crying out with pain inside her.

Yoruhito smiled satisfacted.

"See? It's impossible for you to resist me anymore. Your little Hino-chan's gone.. and soon Jelora-chan as well-"

"You.. son... of a.. bitch.." Jelora croaked hoarsely, getting up from the floor.

"Jelora-san!" Marande said surprised. Her sister got up wearily.

"You're nothing.. than just a liar. You cannot kill Jirohino. And you cannot get her powers.. you're not born to that." Yoruhito stared at her. Then she smirked.

"Oh yeah? And what do you know? I could take your powers", she snapped her fingers, "in a second."

"Then why won't you?" Jelora asked. Her sisters noticed her aura suddenly started to glow brighter. Brighter than ever. Small sparkles of green randomly ran up from her feet.

"Why won't you try to take - this!" She shouted. Suddenly the floor, and the ground beneath them started to tremble. The wooden floor started to grow; sprouts, plants, vines. Jelora raised her hands, and a tower of aura swirled around her. Then they heard a loud crack. The floor... bursted open.

"Arameda! Your turn!"

Arameda merely nodded. She closed her eyes... and then opened them. Even Marande stepped back because of the burning flames bursting from her sister. And Arameda's eyes.. they weren't brown anymore. Now they were sparkling, bright red and blazing like fire.

"Marande!"

She heard a yell. She quickly closed her eyes and concentrated. A familiar, warming feeling spread from her stomach to everywhere in her body. She felt her hands started to tremble, and tried to stop it. She slowly opened her eyes and saw Yoruhito looking at her. They stared at each other for a moment.

An arrogant smirk. Marande felt her insides well with anger. She raised her hands.

"DIE!"

X/X

"What's going on!"

Tohru shrieked a bit when her teacup dropped to the floor. They all had pressed closely to the ground, which had started to shake violently.

"A- an earthquake?" Tohru asked quietly. Yuki shook his head.

"No... somehow I have the feeling this has something to do with-"

Kabam! A sudden explosion startled them all. The shaking started to decrease. Everyone slowly rose up. Several persons were gasping slightly.

"Ano.. are you sure we shouldn't go in there?"

"I'm sure. If they can't handle it, what can we do?" Hatori said, lighting a cigarette. He took a long drag from it and then slowly breathed it out. He shook his head.

"No, it's better we stay in here."

X/X

Yoruhito smirked. She slowly turned around.

"Mm-hmm. I'm quite impressed. You've really started train up a little bit. But seriously", she turned to look at Arameda, "Do you really think that's enough?"

Arameda gritted her teeth.

"At least we can try. NOW!" She screamed and sent a burst of fire towards Yoruhito. At the same moment Jelora attacked with the powers of the Earth, and Marande with Water. Yoruhito widened her eyes, then slitted them.

"You - bitches!"

The elements met the electricity. A huge explosion and a wave of pressure threw all the sisters backwards. Arameda breathed heavily and troublesomely stood up, leaning on the wall. Yoruhito greeted her with a smirk.

"And you're still figting. Didn't I tell you already?" her eyes glinted malevolently, "She's dead. Give up already."

"No..", Arameda whispered. Jelora and Marande slowly got up as well. Arameda grimaced. Her left side.. it hurt. Somewhere deep inside. She gasped from pain, then tried to pretend she didn't. She looked again at Yoruhito.

"No.. she isn't gone. She can't be!"

Arameda looked anxiously at Yoruhito. There must be... something. Something to prove she's lying. Jirohino... Jirohino can't be gone... Her eyes locked up on Yoruhito. She stared at her hair. It had turned to black, there wasn't even a single white strand in it. There must be something.. She gasped in surprise. Drew breath when hope lit up in her heart.

She waited.. it may have been just an illusion... no. Another slight sway. Her hair.. swung by the invisible wind. Arameda felt a wide grin spread on her face. She looked Yoruhito in the eyes.

"You're lying. Don't even try to deny it. I know." She stood up straightly.

"Jirohino's not gone. We will bring her back, now. And you can do nothing about it." Arameda looked at her sisters. She nodded silently.

"Now."

X/X

rohino... Hino-chan... Jirohino...

Was.. Was it ? Am I still being?

I can't think... clearly.. feel like fading...

... away..

Jirohino!

W- Who? My.. name? Jirohino.. that's... me.

Conciousness like a slippery bridge of ice. I can feel myself gliding closer to the edge.. I don't know should I stop myself..

Jirohino!

They're... who... my sisters.. They're calling me.

I can't open my eyes. It's... dark. Nothing.

I don't.. want... to...

/live/ ...don't want... /die/

... I'm not dying.

X/X

Screaming. Empty, high-pitched screaming. Yoruhito fell to the floor. Her chest was barely rising. Her breathing was broken and difficult. She turned her head and looked at each sister in turn. Her eyes fluttered closed.. and opened with much more difficulty than before.

"You.. you...", she grimaced, "..god..damn... bitches.."

Arameda extended her hand. Her eyes were cold and hard.

"It's better we finish this. Now. Jelora, Marande. Work with me." Her sisters extended their hands as well. Arameda closed her eyes and spoke in concentrated and clear voice:

"With the powers of the Fire.."

".. of the Earth.."

"..of the Water.."

"..we summon the Air. Fourth of the four will now join us and let the circle be whole. Step aside, darkness. We order you to step aside with the power of the Elements."

Arameda slowly opened her eyes. Before her, Yoruhito was covering up on the floor, her fists clechent into balls. Her whole body was shaking.

"We order you, daughter of darkness. Daughter of night, Yoruhito. Be gone. Now and forever."

Yoruhito screamed. Her head shot up and she leapt on her feet. She tugged her hair, and screamed. Electricity swarm around her, but now it was hurting her. She bit her lip, so hard the blood started to run down her chin. Her hysterical eyes stared at Arameda. Her face warped into a mask of horror.

Suddenly the electicity filled the whole room.

Arameda could feel her feet rising from the ground, and herself flying backwards through the air. There was a huge flash of pure white light - and then darkness.

X/X

Like breaking the surface of the water. I'm feeling myself rising up again. And I can breathe. It feels so good to breathe real air. I.. I-

Jirohino snapped her eyes wide open. She quickly sat up, then collapsed to the ground immediately when the pain hit her. She saw her sisters lying in the opposite corners of the small room. One of the walls... the rice-paper door was broken. She saw a figure lying in there, on the hallway, but then her wiev obscured and she fell unconscious.

X/X

Everyone was still and quiet. A few seconds before, a major explosion shook the whole room. After that it became quiet. Hatori took a sharp breath of air and leapt up on his feet.

"Haa-san! Where are you going?"

Shigure stood up and ran after him. He stepped into the hallway and saw Hatori running towards a small figure in the end of the corridor. Shigure saw a flash of red hair and frowned. He turned at the room the others were still in.

"Come on! There's something happened in there!" he said and started running.

"Gee, we surely didn't know that, did we?" Kyou said sarcastically and shut up when Yuki glared at him. They ran to Hatori and Shigure, who were kneeling next to unconscious Arameda. Hatori was currently examining the wound on her head. He turned around to Tohru, Kyou and Yuki.

"Tohru-san, Kyou-kun, go and make four beds ready for them. Yuki-kun, go and get a first-aid kit and disinfectant." All three nodded and went on their ways.

Hatori settled Arameda to lie on her back and then went inside the room. It was dark, all the light had gone out. Hatori tried the light switch. It took a moment before the lights snapped back on. Hatori saw Jirohino, Jelora and Marande lying on the floor, all unconscious.

"Shigure! You take care of Jelora-san." Shigure nodded as Hatori kneeled next to Jirohino. The girl didn't seem to be bleeding. Hatori gasped when he saw the girl's hand. It was covered in scalds, as were her feet. Hatori decided to treat them with burn cream and ice. He moved onto Marande. She had a large wound on her head, and her left hand seemed oddly limp. Hatori heard someone coughing behing him. He turned around and saw Yuki in the doorway.

"Ano.. I brought the first-aid kit." Hatori nodded.

"Good. You can help cleaning their wounds."

X/X

An hour or so later the girls were lying on futons Tohru and Kyou made for them. As a summary, Arameda had a large lump on her occiput and a small puncture wound on her left side. Jelora and Marande both had a wound on their temple, plus Marande's left arm was broken. Jirohino didn't have any other wounds than the scalds all over her body.

Tohru had promised to sleep in the same room with them.

All they could do was to wait the sisters to wake up.

All they could do, was to wait.

X/X

.. So bright.. my eyes... hurt..

Jirohino's eyes fluttered open. She closed them immediately, the sunlight made her head ache. She turned her head and let out a quiet moan. She heard movement from the room and opened her eyes again.

"Oy, you okay?"

Kyou was sitting a few meters away from her. Jirohino slowly sat up and glanced around the room.

"Wh- Where am.."

"You're in the Souma Estate. Been already for two days. Your sisters woke up yesterday so we were kinda worried about you", Kyou said. Jirohino nodded.

"So.. they are awake already?"

"Yeah, I think Jelora is taking a walk. The two others.. don't know." Kyou shrugged his shoulders. "But they're okay. How're you feeling?"

Jirohino massaged her temples.

"I...I'm fine. I think." She noticed the bruises on her arms and gasped. Kyou noticed her reaction and said:

"Don't worry. Haa-san said they're healing quite quickly." Jirohino nodded again and lowered her arms.

Somehow.. Somehow I feel different.. I can't say what it is.. I feel..

She gasped when she remembered. But... is she.. did they...

She turned at Kyou. The boy looked strangely at her.

"Oy, are you oka-"

"Kyou-kun. Hug me", Jirohino said strictly. Kyou gaped at her.

"Wha? What do you mean hug y-GYAAH!" He was cut off by Jirohino clinging to him. A moment of silence and then - POOF!

An orange cat stared fiercely at Jirohino.

"What the hell's wrong with you? Why did you just-!" He stopped speaking when he noticed the look on Jirohino's face. The girl smiled. Actually smiled. Her smile widened, she chuckled quietly..

Kyou realized it was the first time he ever heard the girl laughing. It was pure, relieved, happy laugh. He heard sounds from the door and turned around.

Arameda was standing in the doorway, watching her sister. Slowly Jirohino noticed her and smiled to her. Arameda couldn't stop herself from running to her sister and hugging her tightly. They both laughed together.

"She's gone. She's finally gone", she whispered to Jirohino.

Kyou couldn't do anything but stare. His anger... he couldn't be angry anymore. But what was it? Why was she so hap-?

Suddenly Kyou tensed in his cat form.

"Shimatta", he cursed. The girls looked questioningly at him.

POOF!

"Yaah!" Arameda quickly grabbed Jirohino's head and turned them both away from Kyou. The boy blushed and quickly picked his clothes from the floor.

"... Okay, you can look now", Kyou's rather irritated voice said behind the girls. Jirohino was furiously blushing, and Arameda was seemingly trying not to grin widely.

"Oh, Hino-chan, you must be hungry", she said, getting up, "So.. I'll go find some food, ne?" She smiled and left.

X/X

After some silence, Jirohino asked:

"Eto... Kyou-kun.. anything happened between you and Tohru?"

Kyou nearly choked on his own breath. He blushed hard and looked at Jirohino.

"Wha - H - How'd you..?" he stuttered. Jirohino flashed one of her rarely seen smiles.

"Oh, come on. A woman knows these things", she said, tapping her head knowingly. She looked at the floor and was quiet for a moment.

"You know... She doesn't hate you. Certainly doesn't. You just need to learn to control your anger. She seems to think you hate her... or something. Anyways, you both misunderstand each other. And that doesn't lead to anything, does it?"

She looked at Kyou, who stared at her his eyes wide. He scratched his head.

"Uh.. damn, I dunno.."

"Jirohino-san! You're awake!" They heard a cheery voice from the door. Jirohino grinned behind her hand.

"..speak of the devil..or an angel, more like.." she muttered to herself before removing her hand before her mouth and smiled to Tohru.

"Yeah, I've been awake for a small while now. Ara-chan went to find some food."

Tohru smiled:

"Ah, hai. I think I could go and help her. It's easy to get lost in here." She was about to leave when Jirohino hurried to say:

"Oh, Kyou-kun. Go and help Tohru-san." Kyou turned to look at Jirohino with his eyes darkening warningly. Jirohino ignored this and nudged the boy on his side.

"Go on, silly cat. Be nice to her."

Kyou lowered his head in defeat and stood up growling. Jirohino heard their voices fading away as they walked.

"A - Ano.. Kyou-kun, have you.. um, been okay?"

"..Yeah, isn't that quite obvious?"

"G - Gomen! I'm just being silly again and I.."

"No, it's... nothing. No need to apologize."

"Really? Oh, good. Anyways, I was thinking about- OH NO!"

POOF!

"Kyou-kun! Oh no! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to, I swear!"

"... you.. just... gah, forget it.."

Jirohino closed her eyes and shook her head. Well, at least I tried.