Urg. Well, I thought this was the end. Unfortunately, there seems to be one more chapter after this. Ah well. Hope you enjoy the almost conclusion anyway. Arigatou!

Assassin's Shadow

Chapter seven: Shards of the Soul

Uriko crept down another nondescript backalley in the pouring rain, flinching as lightning lit up the sky and thunder rumbled overhead. She hated rain. She hated being cold, chilled and sodden. Kenji teased her about it sometimes, making reference to her feline half-beast mode, but she couldn't help it. Thunderstorms were the perfect time to curl up in bed with a book, or on the couch with a mug of hot cocoa and a significant other. It was not the perfect time to go traipsing around in the rain, getting wet and cold and risking pneumonia, no matter how much Kenji insisted it was an invigorating experience. She had tried it once before, giving into her boyfriend's pleas of going for a quick run in the middle of a storm. She'd ended up catching the flu, and though it was fun having Kenji wait on her hand and foot in apology, she hadn't been eager to try it again.

Thinking of Kenji made her throat close up, as tears pressed stubbornly behind her eyes, mingling with the rain. He was the reason she was out here, risking cold and flu and pneumonia, as well as the predators of the night. Sickness wasn't the only thing to worry about, in this city that hid creatures like Shen Long and Busuzima. But she didn't care about the danger, or the discomfort, if it meant finding him. He was worth any price she had to pay. For Kenji, she would risk everything.

She shivered as she crept along a brick wall, seeing dark shapes huddled around a lamppost on the other side of the street. This was definately the seedier side of town, and she could feel hungry eyes on her as she made her way down trash strewn sidewalks, willing herself not to trasform, not yet. Scurrying past an empty basketball court, she darted under a highway bridge and leaned against the graffiti spattered wall, grateful to be out of the rain, if only for a moment.

"Hey, kiddo. Whatcha doin' out here all alone? Ain't it past your bedtime?"

Uriko jumped and cringed back, realizing she wasn't the only one there. A young man crouched there in the shadows, watching her with strange bright eyes. He wore black jeans and no shirt, and his spiky hair was a silver that reminded her distubingly of Xion.

He grinned. "Aw, don't look so scared, princess. I'm not gonna eat you. Unless, you want me too, of course."

"Try it, and you'll be brushing your teeth through the back of your skull!" Uriko countered, raising her fists. The silver haired man laughed, rising to his feet with all the grace of a jungle cat.

"You sure, baby girl? You never know; you might enjoy it..."

"And you might enjoy eating pavement," Uriko snarled, crouching down for a fight. She felt the beast rage rise up in her, and her muscles coiled under her skin. If he took one step toward her, he would get a faceful of screeching, slashing, snarling half-beast, who would rip that arrogant smirk right off his lips. But, the man raised his hands in mock surrender and took a step back.

"Relax, princess. I've got better things to do than play around with a half-grown kitten in the rain. You'd better be careful, though. There are more dangerous things than me out tonight. Take my advice and go home. It ain't a good night for kittens to be wandering about." Without waiting for an answer, he turned and strode off into the shadows. Uriko could see the dark lines of a tattoo spread across his back as he walked away, some kind of celtic design, she thought. Then, there was a blinding flash of lightning, and she couldn't see him anymore.

Uriko shivered. "Creepy," she muttered to herself. "What a weirdo. Well, I guess I'd better keep going." Gazing mournfully into the rain, she took a deep breath, steeling herself to venture out into it again.

There was a tingle at the base of her neck, a sort of warning prickle she only felt in cat form, when something was approaching her from behind. Whirling around, she peered into the storm, and her heart leaped to her throat.

There was a figure coming toward her, blurry and unidentifiable in the rain. He moved with a slow, halting step, staggering as if hurt, but she knew who it was. Beyond any doubt. Her heart only reacted this way to one person.

"Kenji!" she shrieked, dashing up to him, heedless of the water pouring down. She couldn't believe it, but there he was; looking ragged, exhausted, and waterlogged, but alive! He raised his head at her scream, and she saw the gleam of his grey eyes, before she flung herself into his arms.

"Kenji!" she sobbed, burying her face in his chest, hugging him with desperate strength. His arms encircled her, strong and real and alive. She almost fainted with happiness. "You're back. It's really you." Pulling away suddenly, she glared at him, fear and relief raging inside her like a whirlwind. "You...you baka!" she cried, punching him in the shoulder. He flinched, but took it without expression. "I thought I lost you. If you ever pull something like this again, I'll...I'll smack you senseless!"

"Uriko," he murmured, as those strong arms wrapped around her again, crushing her close to him. "Uriko, I'm so sorry. I've been gone so long; please forgive me. What are you doing here?"

"I came to find you!" Uriko answered, laughing and crying at the same time. "I couldn't take it anymore, wondering where you were, so I decided to look for you on my own." Kenji's arms tightened, and she buried her face in his chest, soaking up his heat and listening to the steady thud of his heart. "I was so worried about you," she whispered at last. Where have you been?"

"Uriko, listen," Kenji muttered, pulling back to look her in the eye. "We have to get home. Busuzima's made a clone of me; an evil Kenji who's bent on killing everyone I know, you included. We have to warn everyone." Kenji's eyes narrowed, darkening with some intense emotion as he stared at her. "I won't lose you," he swore. "Not to him."

"You're not going to lose me," Uriko promised, smiling up at him. She was so happy and relieved, she barely heard a word he was saying. "But, you're right; we have to get home. I'm sure Sis is worried sick, and Yugo is going to be so happy to..."

She trailed off when she saw his face, staring at something behind her, and her stomach clenched painfully. She felt the same warning prickle at the nape of her neck, felt the iron hard muscles tighten in Kenji's arms, and spun around.

Her mouth dropped open, and for a moment, nothing made sense. For there was another Kenji standing under the bridge, watching them with hunter like intensity. Uriko blinked, rubbed her eyes, and looked behind her to see if she was dreaming. No, there was her Kenji standing next to her, waterlogged and ragged looking, and there was the other Kenji, who was just as drenched and raggedy as the first. She could feel the heat from their gazes sear the air between them, and suddenly felt like she was in the middle of a warzone.

The other Kenji, the one under the bridge, swept a panicked gaze to her and held out his hand. "Riko!" he called. "Get away from him, now! That isn't me. That's Bakuryu!"

"No!" The first Kenji looked at her, frightened and vunerable. His pleading eyes searched her face. "Riko, don't listen to him. This is me. You know it's me, don't you?"

Uriko's mind spun, and she backed a few steps away from him, trying to collect her fractured thoughts. Two Kenjis! And one of them wasn't Kenji at all but Bakuryu, the most dangerous assassin the zoanthrope world had ever known. She looked from one to the other in despair. I can't tell them apart! she thought, appalled at herself. They both look exactly the same!

"Uriko," the Kenji closest to her was saying. "Look at me." Wrenching her gaze from his twin, she looked him in the eye. "I love you," he murmured, the same, sweet Kenji she had always known. "You've always been there, through everything, even when I was ready to give up. I can't live without you, Uriko. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me."

Uriko's heart twisted. Yes, those were Kenji's words. This had to be her Kenji; Bakuryu would never say something like that. Unless...and a little worm of doubt wiggled into her mind, ...unless he's picked something up from Kenji, and is just saying that to lower my guard...

"Don't listen to him, Riko!" the other Kenji shouted, echoing her thoughts. "Bakuryu knows me! He knows everything I've ever said to you, and he'll use it to get you to trust him."

"Riko," the first Kenji pleaded, "listen to me. I know Bakuryu better than anyone. This is what he does; playing with your emotions, making you doubt your friends and the people you trust the most. Then, he'll stab you in the back when you turn on each other. Don't fall for it. Please. You have to trust me, now."

"Uriko," the other Kenji called, taking a step forward.

"Uriko," the first Kenji echoed at the same time.

Uriko nearly screamed in frustration and despair. "I don't know!" she exploded, burying her face in her hands. "How can I decide which one of you is real? If what you say is true, there's no way I can really tell for sure, can I? Cause Bakuryu knows all the answers Kenji does. So, even if I ask something personal, like: what's my favorite T.V. show..."

"Sailor Moon," both Kenjis said in unison.

"Shut up, both of you! Let me think." Uriko bit her knuckle, wracking her brain for a way to tell them apart. The two Kenjis watched her patiently, their expressions giving nothing away. "You know," she growled, eyeing the both of them, "whichever one of you is Bakuryu, you really suck, playing such a sick little game. I sure hope you're enjoying yourself, you bastard."

"Uriko."

The second Kenji's voice came quietly over the rain, and she turned to glare at him. He blinked at her furious look, but did not glance away.

"Remember what you told me, that night in the lab?" he asked softly, holding her gaze with his own. She frowned, not remembering at first, but then it came to her with a violent jolt. The dream. Impossible as it was, he was talking about her dream. "At first, I thought I was hallucinating, because there was no logical way you could have found Busuzima's hideout. I was hurt so badly, and so out of it, I thought it was a dream at first. But, you were there, weren't you? Somehow. You told me you loved me, and not to give up." Kenji smiled, that faint, gentle smile she adored, and held out his hands. "I'm here because of you, Riko. You saved me, one more time."

"Kenji," Uriko whispered, her eyes swimming with tears. She took a step toward him, but then, with a horrible chill, realized that if this was the real Kenji, then the person at her back must be...

Something hit her in the back, jolting her up on her toes. She heard Kenji scream, and wondered why, until she glanced down and saw four long claws protruding through her stomach. Dazed, she stared at them, wondering why it didn't hurt, vaguely aware that it should. Then, Bakuryu ripped his claws from her stomach, through her back, and pain seemed to explode through her body. She screeched in absolute agony, the high pitched scream of a cat, and fell backwards. She didn't remember hitting the pavement, but suddenly she was lying on her back in the rain, staring up at the sky. Far, far away, someone was calling her name, a familiar, beloved voice. But then darkness closed around her from every side, and she fell into oblivion.

Kenji reached Uriko's body just as the girl, now in half-beast form, slipped into unconsciousness.

"Uriko!" he cried, cradling her limp body in his arms. Blood soaked his sleeves and the remains of his shirt, a horrible dark bloom spreading over her lower chest. "Uriko, stay with me! Hang in there; you can beat this." Trembling with rage and a sick, mind numbing fear, he clutched her tightly, pressing his face to her neck. The pulse was there, faint and irregular, but it was there. Her beast healing had gone into effect the moment she trasformed. Now, Uriko's survival depended on how much energy she had, and her stubborn will to live.

"Don't you die on me," he whispered, his words choked with emotion. Tears started in his eyes, but he pressed them back, trying to will some of his life into her fading body. It was terribly ironic, that only now he should understand what she went through, every time thoughts of suicide crossed his mind. "Please, stay with me, Uriko," he murmured into her neck. "I'll never leave you again. I swear, I won't even think about it. Don't leave me here alone..." His throat closed up, and the words stuck in his throat. The thought of life without his sweet, cheerful, fun loving cat-girl ripped a raw, gaping hole inside him, one he knew would never heal unless she was there. Tears flooded his eyes again, and this time, he let them crawl down his face. "Uriko..."

"Ba...ka..." whispered a faint, pain filled voice above his head. Kenji's heart leaped, and he pulled back to look Uriko in the face. One blue eye was half open, and she glared at him in amused exasperation, despite the agony shining through. "So...all I had to do...was threaten to die...to get you to promise that?"

Relief swelled inside him, and he refrained from hugging her in estatic joy. "I'm so sorry," he whispered, hoping she didn't hate him for being such a stubborn idiot. "Forgive me, Riko."

She wrinkled her nose. "You're forgiven," she murmured in a completely serious voice, "as long as we're done with this "you're better off without me" crap." I need you, Kenji. I...I can't imagine a life without you." She paused for breath, grimacing in pain, and Kenji tightened his hold on her.

"If you die, than my life is over too, you know?" she whispered, echoing the words in Kenji's mind and heart. "If you do decide to leave one day, premature or not, than I'm just going to follow you. 'Cause I love you too much to let you make the journey alone, and besides, you might get lonely on the other side without me."

For a moment, Kenji's throat was too tight with emotion to answer. He swallowed hard and looked her in the eyes. "I promise," he whispered solemly, taking one of her hands in his, "from now on, we do everything together."

Uriko's faint, familiar grin warmed his heart. "I'll hold you do that, Mole-boy," she murmured, right before he kissed her. Her lips were warm and soft, despite the cold. And, for a split second, kneeling in the pouring rain, mud soaking his pants and drenching his clothes, everything was right with the world.

Until Uriko broke away, one hand over his mouth, fingers gently brushing his lips. "Except for this," she said, making him frown in confusion. Her eyes flicked to something off to the side, then back to Kenji, full of anger and regret. "I can't face him with you this time," she whispered. "You'll have to fight him alone."

And Kenji remembered.

Cursing himself for his inattention, he gazed around for the assassin, well aware that Bakuryu could have easily snuck up and stabbed him in the back while he was bent over Uriko. Fortunately, his dark twin seemed to have other ideas. Bakuryu was still standing a few yards away, watching him with a cold smirk on his face. He had morphed out of his mole form, and his arms were folded over his chest, one arm soaked to the elbow in Uriko's blood.

Kenji went very still. Bakuryu grinned at him, a silent challenge. Never taking his gaze from the assassin, he carefully picked up the girl and backed away towards the bridge. Uriko whimpered a bit and clutched his shirt, but didn't cry out as he carried her away. Bakuryu didn't move, though his grin never faded and his eyes followed Kenji under the bridge, where he gently set Uriko down against the wall. For a moment, Kenji took his eyes from the assassin to glance at his beloved, hoping she would be safe here, wishing he could take her farther away from Bakuryu's evil. She was healing rapidly, but if Bakuryu decided to attack her, she was still vunerable.

"Will you be all right?" he asked, if only to reassure himself. Uriko looked at him with gleaming blue eyes, and shot him a fearsome grin.

"Kick his ass for me, Kenji!"

Kenji nodded, a faint smile quirking his mouth. She would be fine. Giving her a quick, final kiss, he turned and walked back through the rain, to where his twin waited for him.

It was time to end this.

So sorry to leave it there! Not to worry though; the next chapter will be the last, I promise. Everyone's been so patient and wonderful, I can't thank you enough. The end is in sight. Just one more to go.

Silverkitsune