(A/N)This chapteris dedicated to Nikana Olos, Kree the Wolf, and Trillinka. I won't say how close you came to the truth, you'll have to read and find out. :D

The Soul of a Warrior

By: Tellemicus Sundance

Chapter 11--Take Flight, Gentle Dove

The fight had taken a turn for the deadlier. The only warning that the spectators had of this was shattering of the roof when Ulrich had been thrown through. But when the structure collapsed shortly after the combatants reentered it, it took all of them by surprise.

As the dust cleared and the rubble settled down, the people watched in vain hope for their fighter and friend to emerge. Kurowana felt a grin spreading his face. Daisuke must've lost; he knew the teenager's pride demanded that should he ever lose, he'd bring his opponent with him.

"Ulrich-san!" a young girl cried out nearby him.

It was only a moment later when he saw the source of the voice. It was the spawn of Riyo—Taki, wasn't it? She sprinted for the debris, barely restraining her tears of fear. Perfect, Kurowana thought evilly.

"Get away from there, brat!" one of his ninjas shouted. "This fight isn't over yet!"

Disregarding the warning, Taki reached the pile and began throwing the rubble aside. Her actions, though understandable, played right into Kurowana's plans. Perfect, perfect!

Facing Riyo, Kurowana tried to suppress his grin. "Tampering with the battle is expressively forbidden according to our agreement, Riyo. By law, she must be punished—"

"DEATH!" one of his ninjas cried out, almost too enthusiastically.

"—I hesitate to say." Kurowana finished as though his underling hadn't spoken.

Riyo's face deceptively empty as he watched his granddaughter dig through the debris. When he heard her relieved cry, he faced Kurowana with his hand resting nonchalantly on his katana hilt.

"Punished she will be," he said evenly. "But she is only a child—"

"That is no excuse!" Kurowana barked.

The warriors on both sides visibly tensed, each fighter unconsciously reaching for the reassuring feel of their weapons. It was a powder keg just waiting for a spark.

And it got it.

One of the ninjas slowly unsheathed his katana. In the silence of the morning, the scratching of steel on steel echoed loudly throughout the area. Then all hell broke loose.

It was hard to breathe, that was his first conscious thought. Then the pain reached him. With the heavy mass on top of him, Ulrich couldn't move from his sprawled position. Groaning against the pain that was racing up his spine, he tried futilely to pull himself out.

Hearing his groans, Taki found him easily. Throwing back a section of the roof, she found him trapped on his chest with an enormous part of the roof lying on his back. His left arm was visible but his right was pinned underneath him.

The large portion of roof that had collapsed on top of him was pressing his down deeper into the rubble. Though its sheer weight was considerable, the rubble around him, which was mostly pillars, had provided enough support that he hadn't been crushed outright when it came down.

"Ulrich-san!" Taki cried, tears dropping from her eyes, despite her best restraint. "Ulrich-san, are you okay?"

Rushing to him, she grasped his wrist, feeling his pulse. It was as strong as ever. Breathing a sigh of relief, she knelt down and tried to heave the wood from him. It was too heavy, much too heavy.

"I wanna go home," Ulrich moaned, more to himself than anyone else.

Taki heard him and looked down at him. His eyes were closed, but his face was facing her. On it she could see many scrapes and growing bruises, battle scars from his fight and attempted escape.

"If you can," Taki said as she resumed her struggles. "Try to help me lift this."

Then the sounds of battle reached them. Both saw the horrific scene that lay before them. The samurai and ninja, when facing each other, seemed to be of an even match, but the ninja also preyed upon the villagers that had gathered there as well.

It was then that as he watched the villagers he'd come to know dying, Ulrich felt something rising within him. A rage he could never have imagined he possessed. The ninja, no matter who they were, were killing people who had lives and dreams, and were his friends.

"Stop it!" he cried out. But his voice was too weak to be heard over the din of the battle. Taki looked down at him in surprise; something had changed in his voice.

Tadashi fought beside Riyo as they tried to defend young Nozomi. Though he had several slashes across his thighs, Tadashi forced himself to remain standing. Riyo, though not visibly injured, was clearly tiring, his considerable age catching up to him. Nozomi, however, was lying on the ground in a heap with several cuts across his small torso.

Taking as deep a breath as he could, he screamed louder. "STOP IT!"

Takei, who, for the first time since Ulrich's arrival, had left his smith shop to watch, was on the ground bleeding from a deep stab wound to his gut. Before their eyes, a ninja walked up to him and, in one swift movement, decapitated the blacksmith. And so the battle continued.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!"

Ulrich's furious cry finally attracted the attention of Kurowana. Shoving the corpse of a samurai he'd just slain to one side, he walked over to the pair of children. His face held the grin of a man who knew that he'd finally found his calling in life.

"What do you want, boy?" he asked almost casually.

"TELL THEM TO STOP IT!" Ulrich screamed.

"You are hardly in a position to give orders, boy," Kurowana said as he drew his katana back. "Prepare to die!"

As the blade was descending toward Ulrich, Taki suddenly rushed forward and slammed her shoulder into Kurowana's side. Hit unexpectedly, Kurowana was thrown to the side and almost lost his balance.

Facing Taki, he glared menacingly. "That was your last mistake, girl," he growled.

Dropping into a defensive stance, Taki awaited the inevitable. Then, with a flick of his wrist, Kurowana sent a dagger sailing through the air at her. She couldn't dodge, despite her throwing herself to the side in a hurry. The dagger blade buried itself in her chest.

"TAKI!" Ulrich screamed, feeling tears coming to his eyes.

Taki glanced down at the weapon that was killing her. With a tear stained face, she faced Ulrich as she fell to her knees. Reaching futilely forward in a blind attempt to help his friend in any way, Ulrich failed to notice Kurowana standing triumphantly over her.

"Ulrich-san," Taki managed gasp out pleadingly.

Before either of them could say other word, Kurowana's blade flashed down in a bloody arc. Taki's body collapsed under its own weight as her head rolled to the side. Ulrich couldn't help but to stare.

His face was taunt with the strain of far too many emotions that were trying to spill out. Unnoticed tears fell shamelessly down his cheeks as his pupils dilated to pinpoints. His skin turned deathly pale as he gazed upon her.

She had been his only real friend here. She had always been kind to him. Always there to give some helpful advice and to help him with his injured body and pride. He had always taken her kindness for granted. What did he do to deserve a person such as her to look after him in this strange land?

Finally looking away from her, he glared up at the foul demon that stood before him. Kurowana had his bloodstained katana resting nonchalantly on his shoulder. His grin was large and full of arrogant self-love.

"Don't cry, boy," he said, unable to contain his pride. "You'll be joining her soon enough."

Closing his eyes, Ulrich tried to will away all of the death and agony. It's just a dream, he kept telling himself. Just a dream…make it stop! He could feel any self-control that he may have still possessed rapidly disappearing.

Taki, he said to himself. In his mind played hundreds of memories from the past six weeks. I know that you loved me. But to give up your own life for me! I…I let you die…I—I can't DO that! I won't watch anymore!

Then, behind his eyelids, he glimpsed a blinding golden light. Opening his eyes, he hoped to see an approaching light that rewind time to allow him to fix what went wrong.

It was only the morning sun peeking over the mountains finally.

Then, as the light blinded his eyesight, he felt his rage finally break loose. It was like a frail, mangled rope that had been holding a heavy crate snapping from under the strain. A strange whiteness began to consume his mind as he felt himself losing himself.

I WON'T WATCH THIS ANYMORE! was his last coherent thought as his rational reasoning evaporated. Then with a deafening scream of unfathomable fury, the gentleness in Ulrich took flight like a frightened dove.

(A/N) For those you who were hoping for another Time Reversal, I'm sorry to say that that one in Just In Time will probably be the only one.

I hope you all enjoy this chapter. Please review for me, or I may not continue!