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Chapter 20
The Final Battle
The four demons entered the lone building. The room they stood in was shrouded in darkness, as the electricity wasn't working. Looking around, they saw the room was in disarray. Furniture was broken, glass sparkled across the floor, pieces of plaster covered the area in a dusty smell. Both of the kitsunes frowned. Slowly, the four spread out, walking cautiously around the room.
"There's a stairway here," Kuronue called to the others.
They came over, peering up into the darkness above. Minai drew her kunai out fully. Kuronue gripped one scythe, and Kurama and Saira prepared their weapons. Kuronue led the way up.
It was a tense climb. Each of the demons strained to hear anything coming from above them, but all was silent.
"Something isn't right," Saira whispered to Kuronue.
"It's too quiet," he agreed.
Almost as if in answer to them, a deep rumbling sounded. The stairwell shook beneath them, almost knocking the small company down. Minai clung to the stair, and Kurama supported Saira as they waited for the noise to stop. But it didn't.
"What in the seven hells!" the silver fox shouted above the sound.
"Kalani!" Minai cried. "I'll bet she's trying to finish off Ningenkai."
"And us!" Saira yelled.
"We need to move, then," said Kuronue.
Minai shook her head. "Kalani could never do things like this before... could it be the stones that she stole?"
"At this point," Kurama hollered, "anything's possible."
The rumbling grew louder as the four fled up the stairs. The sound echoed off the walls and rattled the stair rail. As they continued to run, Minai wondered what Kalani had in store for them. They reached a landing and the thundering noise stopped. Hesitantly, Saira walked over to the door on the landing, and pushed it open. She stopped, staring at the sight beyond. Kurama, Kuronue, and Minai came over to look too.
A group of humans dancing around a cardboard statue of a disturbing man in a purple coat, top hat and leather gloves.
The demons looked at each other, bewildered, before slowly backing away and shutting the door. Saira gave her moon demon friend a disturbed look.
"Their, possibly, final moments to live, and what to these humans do? Dance like chickens," Minai scoffed, shuddering.
"Ningens are so...odd," Kurama muttered.
The four of them turned back to the stairs that continued to rise upward. "Only way to go is up," Kuronue said softly.
"I'm going on alone," Minai said softly.
"No."
"What?"
"No way!"
Minai turned slowly to her friends. "Kalani was my friend. It's my fault she's doing this. I don't want any of you to be hurt because I failed to be there for a friend when she needed me long ago."
"What do you expect us to do? Dance with the humans?" Saira snorted.
Minai smiled weakly. "No, no...but I can't ask you to fight for me, either."
Kuronue watched her intently. "It's your choice, Minai, I just wish you wouldn't do this."
She gave the three of them a falsely cheerful smile. "I know. Don't worry; I'll be all right. I've gotta come back to you, right?"
"Yeah, yeah, you do," Saira said, sadly.
Minai smiled at them, turning to the stairs. She looked for a moment and the kunai in her hands before taking the first step up.
"Minai!"
She turned and glanced back at Kuronue. The koumori stepped over to her, wrapping his arms around the young princess. "Promise me you'll come back to us," he whispered softly.
Minai buried her face against his shoulder for a moment, trying to memorize how it felt to be held by him. "I promise. Nothing could keep me from returning to this."
He released her and stepped back, looking faintly depressed. Minai stifled a sob and turned back to the stairs. Setting in her face doggedly, she started up, not looking back.
The stairway ended abruptly in a large, dark room. Electricity crackled from broken wires. Minai entered cautiously, her eyes darting around quickly. The room was cold, she noticed as a cool breeze brushed across her skin. All the windows had been shattered. Minai moved into the center of the room.
A slow, mocking clap reached her ears.
She spun around to the sound and saw Kalani sitting on a desk by the shattered bay windows. "How heroic of you to come, Princess." Her voice dripped with sarcasm and bitterness.
"Kalani. It doesn't have to be this way. We can end all of this now," Minai said, holding out her hands pleadingly.
"No, this is how it has to end. Don't you see it, Minai? This all just one wonderful play, and we are the characters. A play must always have a dramatic ending, don't you think?" She stretched out her legs and stood up, drawing out a long, black twisted blade. "But the question on everyone's mind must be who will win... The lovely, honorable little princess? Or the ambitious, strong servant who broke her master's bonds? Hmm?"
The dark-haired demon came forward slowly, lowering her wicked blade with both hands. Minai raised her daggers, frowning. "Kalani, please, there must be some other way..." she started. Her speech, however, was cut short, as the darkened sword was swung at her head. Minai ducked, only to be caught in the chest by a powerful kick. She stumbled back, but managed to regain her balance.
Kalani grinned darkly at her. "Come one, Minai, it's oh so much more fun when you fight back!" With the last words, she whipped her blade around, slashing at the princess' chest. Minai blocked, and her temper finally snapped. She swiped her other kunai at her one-time-friend, cutting her arm deeply. Kalani moved back, smirking "That's better, Princess, much better!"
The black sword came down in a wicked arch toward Minai's head. She threw up both daggers, catching the blade before it could kill her. Kalani pushed her weight onto the blade, forcing it downward a bit. The princess strained to keep the weapon at bay. Her arms began to ache. Swiftly, she brought her foot up and kicked Kalani in the stomach. The other backed away for a moment, still grinning.
Minai ducked in this time, both of her blades flashing. One slashed Kalani across the cheek, the other cut into her shoulder. The curved, black sword cut across the blonde demon's stomach. Minai gasped softly as the cold blade caught her. She stepped back, but Kalani wasn't done. The dark-haired girl slashed at Minai, and the princess staggered back as the blade cut her hand and arm. Her kunai fell to the floor, only to be kicked away. Minai kicked at Kalani, but the other caught her booted foot and flipped her onto her back. The other dagger fell from her grip as she hit the floor.
Gasping to regain her breath, Minai rolled onto her stomach. The gleam of her dagger caught her eye, just above her head. She stretched one arm out, reaching for the handle that was just beyond her reach. Her finger barely brushed the leather-wrapped metal.
"No no, that's a bad little princess," Kalani sniggered.
The next thing Minai saw was the black sword swung down toward her, and she couldn't stop it. There was a sharp, burning pain in her wrist, and warm blood flowed heavily down her arm. She thought she screamed, but there was no way to be sure in the haze of pain. It was hard to even see. Twisting onto her back, she cradled what was left of her bloody arm to her chest. She tilted her head back and screamed through clenched teeth, her eyes closed tightly. She opened them slightly, and found herself looking up at her kunai...and her bloody, severed left hand.
Kalani tilted her head to one side, clearly amused by the princess writhing on the floor before her. "Can you hear me, Minai? Or is the pain that bad?" she asked tauntingly.
Minai drew a deep hissing breath. "You bitch," she gritted out.
"I'll take that as a 'yes'," Kalani sneered, leaning closer to her. The amused grin left her face. She straightened and leveled her sword at Minai's throat. "This is the end, Minai. You were a good friend once, but it was destined to be this way."
Minai glared up at her, breathing harsh, clutching her bloody arm tightly to her chest. 'I'm sorry, Kuro, looks like I'll have to break my promise to you,' she thought.
Kalani shifted the sword to her left hand, reaching under the collar of her tunic with her right. She drew out a thick black cord. Hanging from it was an arrowhead. It was made of stone, chipped to be sharp, and was about three inches long. "Do you remember when we found this, Minai?" Kalani asked. "We were both you...about Michiko's age... exploring the old ruins. You found it and gave it to me, because some boys had been picking on me. You told me that if they did it again, I could defend myself. Told me that we may not always be there to protect each other. You should have stayed there, Minai, with me, protecting your loyal servants. Instead, you went of with that vixen and had grand adventures. You don't know how many times I wished I could have joined you. And then I realized that my best friend had left me behind, no longer cared about me at all."
"That's not how it was, Kalani," Minai gasped.
" You used me and threw me away," she snarled. Then she calmed. "But that's how it is when you're royalty, no? Well, this time, I'm leaving you behind, Princess Minai. Goodbye."
Minai's eyes widened sharply. What happened next seemed like a dream. Kalani threw the sword away into the corner of the room, and, lifting the cord from around her neck, plunged the arrowhead into her stomach as far as it would go, up and under her rib cage. Blood quickly stained her hands and clothes red, and her legs gave out beneath her.
Gritting her teeth, Minai crawled over to her one-time-friend. Kalani smiled slightly at her, and for a moment she was the old demon that Minai had grown up with.
"I'm sorry, Minai, I was jealous of you, but this is how it ends. Go on," Her voice was becoming softer, weaker. "Go back to the friends who love you."
"Kalani..." Minai shook her head softly.
"Go back to your koumori prince," Kalani whispered. She closed her eyes for the last time.
Minai closed her eyes for a moment. Forcing them open again, she worked up her strength and pulled the arrowhead out of her friend, and her enemy's, stomach. Shakily, she got to her feet, still hugging her bleeding arm to her body, and staggered to the stairs, and down.
Saira's ear twitched, and her head snapped up. "Minai!" she cried.
The blonde Moon demon staggered down the last of the stairs, blood stained all of her clothes, and ran down her arms and stomach. Her wrist was wrapped in a torn piece from her tunic. Sweat ran down her cheeks. She looked up at them and gave a weak smile, before her legs gave out from under her. Kuronue jumped forward, catching her.
"Gods, Minai, what happened?" Saira gasped as she and Kurama rushed over. Kuronue kneeled, still holding her in his arms.
Minai smiled shakily and swallowed before daring to speak. "I think I lost," she murmured.
"What?" Kurama asked.
Minai closed her eyes, laughing softly. "She beat me. Badly... then..."
A tear slid down her cheek and the soft laugh turned into sobs. Kuronue wiped away her tears gently, holding her tightly to his chest. "Minai, what happened?" he asked as gently as he could.
"She killed herself," The blonde sobbed. "She stabbed herself with an arrowhead I gave her when we were young." She said more, but it was lost to her sobbing. Kuronue held her tighter and stroked her hair. Saira gently touched her arm, while Kurama stood back. Minai just closed her eyes and cried for the loss of so many things: her hand, her friend, and, in a way, some of her innocence.
She stood at the edge of the balcony, looking out into the darkness of the night. The cool breeze shifted her gold hair. It had grown so long, she thought smiling. She shivered slightly, and warm arms wrapped around her from behind.
"Must you insist on being out in the cold night?" Kuronue asked her teasingly. Minai smiled softly, turning her head to one side. "If it'll get you to hold me like this, then yes, I must."
He laughed softly, resting his head against hers.
It had been months since the battle with Kalani in Ningenkai, and Minai had recovered from her wounds. Kuronue, Saira and Kurama had stayed with her the entire time. Per Minai's orders, the Moon demon kingdom was changed. There were no kings, or royalty. It was more fair to commoners, and Minai didn't have to be a queen. She didn't have to leave her thief.
Minai closed her eyes, enjoying the night, being held in her lover's arms. "Where are Kurama and Saira?"
"I dunno."
They both fell into silence for a while. Minai raised her hand and gently stroked his cheek. For a moment, her eyes fell on her left arm, and the custom leather gauntlet she now had to wear. She turned to Kuronue, burying her face in the crook of his neck. He smiled and stroked her hair.
"Minai?" he asked softly.
"Mmm?"
"What will we do now? There are no evil demons to stop, you're not a queen, so what will happen now?"
She thought for a moment, before smiling against his neck. "Do you know how those Ningen stories always end with 'And they all lived happily ever after'?"
"Yeah?" Kuronue smiled, looking down at her.
Minai raised her head to look him in the eyes, smiling lovingly. "I think that sounds pretty good, don't you?"
His only reply was to kiss her gently. When they broke, Minai couldn't help but smile. "For a while, anyway," she grinned, before kissing him again, more passionately.
That's it... The grand finale. I hope you all enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. And I hope you all enjoyed the last great plot twist. I'm sure you all know by now how much I love them. Thank all of you so much.
Fire Gemron
