here it is! almost the end of the story! (GASPS!) after this chapter, there's one more, and it's over! well, i hope you enjoy this! well, enjoy this and thanks for readin this! after this one, it's the last chappie, just to remind you! r&r! enjoy!
Rin
Mahiru tried furiously to open the trap door. Suddenly, wind whipped her hard on her back and the trap door flew open. 'Mitsuru!' she thought as she scrambled out. "Mitsuru!" she screamed. She pulled herself up. Getting out of the dungeon finally, she quickly looked around feeling the wind pull her towards where Mitsuru is. Nothing can happen to Mitsuru! She won't allow it! Mahiru gasped as she ran on legs that were numb.
Turning a corner, she ran down the halls. Her heart longed to see him.
Keiko felt the wind whip her hair wildly around her face. Hokuto's hand was still gripping onto her arm as he pulled her out. She looked up seeing the tengu flying above. A jet-black wing supporting his flight. Hokuto smirked as Keiko saw a flicker of power goes through his hand. He was planning to take Mitsuru down! But without Mutsura, Mitsuru won't be killed – just weakened. But Keiko had a feeling Mutsura was about to come.
"GET OUT OF THE WAY!" Keiko cried pushing Hokuto away from her. Just as a jolt came from Hokuto, Mitsuru dodged it in a nick of time. Keiko sighed softly. Hokuto glared angrily at Keiko and slapped her with the back of his hand. Keiko staggered and glared at Hokuto. "What are you going to do? Killing me won't kill the demons."
"Yes, but it will kill the heart of one of them," he sneered. Keiko bit her teeth together. Mitsuru balled on a jolt of lightning and shot it down at Hokuto trying not to hit Keiko. Hokuto dodged it and Keiko was hit with the aftershock of his attack.
"Watch where you're hitting!" Akira hissed. Nozomu suddenly appeared besides the girl.
"Are you okay?" he asked. Keiko nodded.
"Go look for Mahiru," she whispered. "Take back up with you, you might need it." Nozomu nodded towards Misoka and they bounded off to look for the princess. Hokuto got up recovering from the attack. "Mitsuru! Watch out! He has priest-like abilities!" A hand gripped Keiko's neck roughly.
"Shut up," Mutsura said from behind. He dropped her neck and Keiko slid down gasping for air. She bit her lips and, because of the constant biting, it started to bleed.
Nozomu and Misoka glided down the halls trying to find Mahiru. "And I thought our house was a maze," Nozomu commented. Misoka ignored it and went on ahead. A servant passing by saw the demons and tried to scream for help. Nozomu quickly slid into his human form and placed a hand over her mouth.
"Don't worry," he said. Misoka glanced at the servant and sent a hypnotic wave towards her. "Just forget everything you've seen." Nozomu told her. Wavering slightly, the servant girl moved on ahead somewhat blurry in what she saw. "I knew that's why I need to bring you."
"Charm alone can't work." Misoka murmured. This time, Nozomu ignored him and worked onwards. To their dismay, a portion of the army stood there with their arrows half-drawn back and ready to shoot and their swords half pulled out.
"Ready?" Nozomu asked. Misoka nodded. "GO!"
A jolt of lightning came down again. In a quick dash, Akira hurried and grabbed Keiko. Keiko held on to him and they rushed towards Mitsuru's side again. Rushing out again, he knocked Hokuto back. Placing a slight dent on the wooden walls, Hokuto got up. Mitsuru tried to knock the bow out of Mutsura's hand. Mutsura flicked the string sending a sound that irritated the demons.
"Akira! Akira!" Keiko cried worried. "What's wrong?" She glanced at Mutsura. What can she do? She's only a seer. Mutsura aimed the arrow at Mitsuru. Keiko glanced up trying to find a way to deflect it. Suddenly, Akira leapt forward and the arrow pierced him in the arm. He dropped suddenly turning into his human form grabbing his arm. Keiko gasped. Quickly, she ripped off part of her yakata sleeve and placed it around the wound.
"Akira," she whispered. He held onto her.
"I'm okay," he replied. Mitsuru glared at the bow as a strong wind occurred and lightning shot down at Mutsura. Mutsura let out a loud curse as it almost hit his arm and struck it off. Keiko wiped the blood off and tore off her other sleeve and tied it as a bandage around Akira's arm.
"Are you sure?" Keiko whispered. Akira nodded. Hokuto bit his lips angrily together as he worked his arms furiously fixing trying to weaken Mitsuru. Mutsura let an arrow fly. Mitsuru let the wind blow throwing the arrow of course and whirled next to him. Mitsuru felt his left wing (where the arrow whizzed by) falter slightly. 'A power arrow,' he noted.
Nozomu and Misoka stood thinking of what to do. If they alarmed these people, it won't be good. "Why won't you try hypnotizing them all?" Nozomu whispered. Misoka shook his head.
"It'd be kind of weird having them all with the same story," he retorted. Nozomu sighed.
"I guess we fight." The first row in the army let the arrows fly and those with the sword raced forward at the demons. They both knocked away the arrows (not power ward arrows) and fought hand-to-hand with the humans. "How are we going to get to the princess?" as Nozomu spoke, a loud whistled cleared the air and everyone stopped to face the person who did that.
Mitsuru flew towards Hokuto as Akira (back in his demon form) rushed at the archer Mutsura. Keiko just sat there stunned at all the action. Akira flipped backwards when Mutsura pulled out an arrow. Mitsuru was still fighting. Flinging the arrow, it struck Mitsuru in his wing. It lay limp against his side. Mitsuru growled.
Lightning and wind struck angrily around everywhere. Akira grabbed Keiko and covered her in case. Keiko's eyes widen as Akira held on to Keiko. She was about to get a prophecy. Her eyes suddenly blurred.
Mitsuru's attention was directed somewhere else. An arrow shot out – it was Mutsura's arrow. And Mitsuru fell down, dead.
Keiko gasped and shivered. She let out a grunt of horror. Akira looked down at Keiko. "What's wrong?" he asked.
"M-Mitsuru…" she whispered. Her head throbbed. "Something's going to happen to Mitsuru." Akira stared at her with wolf-eyes.
"Repeat that," he said firmly. Keiko shuddered, her head felt light-headed.
"Mitsuru, he got hit…by an arrow," she sighed. "I – I don't know when. I don't know how. I just…" her head was aching terribly.
"Keiko! Keiko!" Akira gripped her shoulders firmly. Her head swayed and she snapped out of it. Her head was aching less now.
"WATCH OUT!" she cried as an arrow came. Akira grabbed Keiko and leapt up. She leaned out and looked down seeing where the arrow struck – it struck just where they were a couple of seconds ago. Akira landed gently and placed Keiko down.
Everybody turned around and Mahiru stood there. The army bowed down. "These are just fakes," Mahiru said. "It's an illusion. I – I saw them go down over there!" Mahiru pointed to a total opposite direction and the army rushed off. Nozomu and Misoka stared at them.
"You do know I can't do illusions, right?" Misoka said. Mahiru nodded and ran in front of them.
"Where's Mitsuru?" she demanded. They nodded and led the way.
An arrow shot out and landed a few feet away from Mitsuru. He grimaced feeling his energy being pulled towards it. He jumped backwards away from the arrow and fried it with the lightning. He glared at Hokuto.
Keiko tried to get up but only end up swaying and almost falling onto the floor. Akira lay her beside the dying Sakura Tree. She placed her palm on the tree. "I need to do this," she whispered.
Mitsuru aimed at Hokuto, but he (Hokuto) threw out a jolt of power shocking Mitsuru. He fell backwards and glared at Hokuto again. Mitsuru felt his power being ripped from him. Suddenly, an arrow flew aiming directly at Mitsuru. He (Mitsuru) couldn't move, Hokuto was holding him still.
Keiko gasped and started up. The arrow whistled quickly threw the air. Mitsuru looked down it wasn't as if he was ready to accept his fate it was because there was nothing he can do to alter this fate. Ready to feel the arrow pierce him, he never felt it. Instead, green-black hair caught his eyes. He looked up seeing Keiko there – she blocked the arrow.
Keiko fell to the ground and clutched the arrow. It pierced her in the stomach. She grimaced feeling the pain. "KEIKO!" Akira cried out. Keiko pulled the arrow out as she felt her blood pour out of the wound. The pain was shooting all over her body.
Mitsuru sat there shocked at what she did. She saved him. Hokuto gripped his hand angrily glaring at the fallen girl then at the archer. Sweat fell down Keiko's cheeks as she clutched her wound. "Keiko, why did you do such a stupid thing?" Akira demanded. Keiko laughed bitterly.
"I saw it in my vision. Every year I saw a prophecy, I was – I was never able to change it," she explained. Blood trickled from her lips as she spoke. "At least now, I can alter the future." As hard as it seemed to Keiko, she knew she wasn't going to make it. Tears leaked from her eyes. She closed her eyes at the pain. Akira held her close to him.
"You are going to pay for this," he growled at the priest and archer. Anger pulsed through his veins giving him extra energy. He burst forward and held Mutsura by the neck. He tightened his grip ready to snap his neck.
"Don't do it," Keiko's voice cried. "H-he's not worth it." Even in a time like this, she's ready for any insults. "Don't waste any energy on a scum like him or H-Hokuto." She gasped at the pain. Her vision blurred. 'I'm loosing too much blood,' she thought. Before she could say anything else, her head drooped and she left consciousness.
Akira dropped Mutsura and turned around. "She's not dead, just out." Mitsuru told him. Akira nodded. Loud footsteps came to reach in Akira's sensitive ears.
"Misoka and Nozomu are back. And Mahiru's with them!" Akira informed. Mitsuru's head popped up hearing Mahiru's name. Akira started to go to greet them, but a force pulled him back. He was thrown into the further wall in the garden. Hokuto reached out and grabbed Mahiru's hand the moment she came out. Misoka and Nozomu were being held back by Mutsura's arrows. Hokuto took out a dagger and placed it on Mahiru's neck.
"Don't move, demon," he demanded. "Or she dies." Hokuto's voice told them all that he meant it. Mahiru's eyes traveled to Keiko's still body.
"Keiko!" she gasped. "What did you do to – " Mahiru's sentence was interrupted as the blade touched her skin.
"It will be simple, demon." Hokuto laughed. "Killing off the princess."
"Don't even think about it, you bastard." Mitsuru growled. Mahiru winced feeling the cold blade touch her skin again. It didn't scrape her, but she felt the pain. Her fingers twitched nervously.
A sudden jolt came from Hokuto and hit Mitsuru in the chest. He fell to his knees and spat out blood. Mitsuru felt himself lose energy and with it life. Something about Hokuto's attack sucked his life from him and gave him damage. Mitsuru tried to fight back, but an arrow suddenly pierced his chest. A power-ward arrow was launched from Mutsura's place. Through Mitsuru's eyes, he saw Hokuto let go of Mahiru and everything went black.
Immediately, Akira launched himself from the wall to Hokuto. Successfully pinning him down, he bit down at Hokuto's arm. Hokuto let out an anguished scream. Akira bit down at his throat. Hokuto's scream was muffled. "That's for Keiko." He cried. Ready for the deathblow, he shouted, "And this is for Mitsuru!" Misoka stopped him.
"Don't," he said. "Just let him bleed to death, any mercy kill is too kind for him." Reluctantly, he walked off Hokuto. Nozomu stood there with Mutsura's knocked out body in hand. He tossed Mutsura aside and quickly walked towards Mitsuru. Akira stood besides Keiko hoping she'd awaken. Too much blood was lost and her face was becoming pale.
"M-Mitsuru!" Mahiru gasped looking at his body. Blood pooled around him as Mahiru kneeled besides him, her clothes stained with his blood. Her voice was shaky and sad. Tears seemed to trickle down her face, but she kept those tears in. "M-MITSURU!" she cried out.
sorry for the suspense, i hope you enjoy this. stick with this, don't worry, i have a plan for the two of 'em (Mitsuru and Keiko) why did i do it? i really dont know. it just worked with the plot...so, please r&r! don't kill me!
Rin