Part Seventeen

Tsukiyono Castle stands tall and looming on its large track of land, well protected and deeply coveted by many. Room upon room is filled with Takatori secrets and ambitions, some reserved for treasured servants while others are the private living quarters of the last member of the clan to carry the family name.

Takatori Saijou.

"Hehehehehe…yes…come to me, Mamoru. Come…"

"Omi…daijoubu?"

The second youngest of the group that is stealthily preparing their impending attack has just been asked a question by the youngest. He turns to look at Nagi at his left and for once knows better than to attempt a false smile. "I will be, Nagi. Shio-kun…he explained everything I needed to know. I understand why things are this way, and…I am grateful. Let's just worry about our part, okay?"

Taking in his companion's difficult optimism, Nagi nods, his face a serious mask in preparation for the battle ahead.

The pair along with Rindou is by the far gate, charged with disabling as much of the perimeter's defenses as possible. There are only a few guards on watch here, but once the group gets inside they must act quickly to finish their job before any more guards can be called. The ultimate goal is to take the entire castle, but the more gradually it is done the better for the sake of the few members on their side compared to the many opponents inside the castle.

Rindou is proving to be a very efficient and amiable partner in this, and Omi and Nagi are quick to admit they enjoy being on his team. Even the older man seems to be enjoying this task, for the first time in a long time working on a mission that does not ridicule his lingering morals.

"Abyssinian, Siberian…" Rindou speaks into his communicator, eyeing his two companions to tell them he is ready for them to move in. "…Bombay, Prodigy, and I are ready to go. You'll be on in 2 minutes. Be ready."

With a nod to one another the three men move ahead to play their part, while the others lie in wait for the signals to begin their own.

At the front entrance, Ran and Ken stand vigilant. They will be entering from right where they are, like knocking on a neighbor's front door. If all goes to plan, most of the guards will be pulled away to the back to investigate the commotion created by the three 'kids' as Shion lovingly called them. Rindou, of course, sneered at such an insinuation.

Bouncing on the balls of his feet anxiously, Ken flexes his claws in and out, watching closely the gate beyond their cover of trees.

Ran is unnerved by Ken's demeanor and the expression on the redhead's face as he watches Ken betrays this. Part of him is glad that they have been paired so he can keep an eye on Ken, though he admittingly feels guilty for suspecting his companion of…murderous intent. After all, they are on a mission to kill where at all necessary; Ran just doesn't want Ken to enjoy it.

Noticing he is being watched with a less than enthusiastic stare, Ken turns to Ran sheepishly, dropping his heels down to cease his movements. "Sorry. Just antsy. Don't…look at me like that, okay? I'm not…" he trails off slightly, clearing his throat to bolster his confidence. "I won't let it get to me. That's a promise."

Ran nods without hesitation, taking Ken's words for as much as he feels he can. He wants to believe. He wants to believe so much everything that is leading him down this new and exciting path.

There is a sudden eruption of activity at the entrance and both assassins' eyes shoot to the action, watching as a majority of the guards hurry off. They share a look to be sure both are prepared, and then—weapons ready—move in to make their entrance.

Youji, Azami, and Ayame have already entered the castle from over one of the side walls, moving silently over the lawns as the guards rush to the back of the compound. They reach the safety of an alcove and stop for breath, being sure all three are together and arrived unseen.

Their role in this is to enter without being detected and to then lure the guards inside into a fight before they can head outside to aid their comrades, making sure there are never too many opponents in one place.

"Exciting, ne?" Ayame says with a sly grin sent at Youji. "How does it feel to be on a mission with true professionals…child?"

Knowing he is and always will be the oldest of his group, Youji tries not to be affected by the older man's teasing words. "So far uneventful. You're rather disappointing, Ayame-san."

The fair-featured brunette holds back a grimace. "Such gall. And will you stay my hand from killing women as you did before, even if they are tearing at your limbs or shooting through your condescending flesh?"

"Only if I think you'll enjoy it too much."

"Haha. I always enjoy it."

"Then learn a new trick."

"For you, child?"

"For yourself. So I don't have to kick your scrawny ass."

"Oh really?"

"Stop it, both of you." intervenes Azami, pulling his violin's body and bow from within his long coat. "The enemy tonight, gentlemen, is not one another. Please try and remember that."

Ayame huffs at his friend's chiding, but turns away from Youji, seemingly compliant to an extent when it comes to his tall companion. Youji looks to Azami with sympathetic emeralds, almost in apology, and Azami nods in acceptance of the expression, even if he would never ask for the pity he sees behind those eyes.

Taking a final once over of their surroundings, Azami takes point and motions for the others to follow him, and soon they are heading deeper into the castle to carry out their part of the plan.

The final few in this mismatched group are Shion and Shioshiro. They have also already entered the grounds, having snuck in on the opposing side from the quarreling trio. Just inside the castle walls now, Shion and Shioshiro move through the corridors with ease, proving to be equal partners. Their job is the most crucial. Shion must engage whatever guards remain after they have been called out to various parts of the compound while Shioshiro deals with the master of the castle himself.

"Are you up to this, my boy? Really up to it? Your part is the most important after all."

"Do you doubt my sincerity or my abilities then, Shion-sama?" Shioshiro responds caddishly to such a question.

They share a smile. "Neither, of course." Shion says. "Just wondering about your motivation for taking on this role. Am I not entitled to an explanation before putting my life on the line for you?"

Shioshiro chuckles genuinely. "Quite the time to ask for it, I must say." he teases, knowing he is only being pressed because Shion is curious, not because the man would betray them if Shioshiro's answer is not to his liking. "I promised Omiji I would handle this personally. I promised him that he would never have to meet the man. I promised…it would end in a night with nothing of the Takatori clan left to survive. This fits your goals as well, does it not? But it is my promises that motivate me, if you are indeed so desperate to know."

Regarding the youth beside him as they approach their destination, Shion cannot help a certain surge of pride. Perhaps it is only delusions of grandeur to think his influence on Ran transferred to the raising of this boy, but there seems to be certain likenesses that he cannot deny.

And he rather enjoys that.

"It seems there are only a handful of guards left. A shame. I leave you to your task then, young Shioshiro." Shion says with a smile, lifting his sword in preparation for the fight at hand, and peering at the guards just around the corner from them. "Good luck to you."

Once Shion has gone, Shioshiro listens to the sounds of fighting, of metal striking metal and soon tender flesh. As expected, the sounds grow fainter and fainter as Shion leads the last of the interior guards away from the door Shioshiro must soon go through. It is Saijou's most precious chamber, a shrine set up to the Takatori family and those who have passed on from this life, most notably the great matriarch, long dead.

For Omi's sake—and also his own—Shioshiro will face Saijou and the horrid visions inside the shrine. In so many ways the man behind the door ahead is the cause of all the heartache Shioshiro's loved ones have gone through. Yes, it is true that Estet is a great evil, but the original force behind Weiss is right there with that evil, having plotted everything for his own gain and advancement rather than the preservation of innocence.

Now that Shion and the guards are out of sight, Shioshiro approaches the room in front of him, resolve hardening his lovely, pale features. He reaches for the handle, pushes forward, and slowly…steps inside…with the door closing soundlessly behind him.

"Come on! With the surveillance out of commission the guards in this area won't have a clue. It's our job to get rid of them."

"We're right behind you, Rindou-san!" Omi calls, dashing forward beside Nagi to keep up with the older man ahead of them. "I hope the others are doing well." he mentions thoughtfully, quickly brushing any concerns aside to better concentrate on their own battle.

He cannot help wondering about Shioshiro, though, and how that young man is the key to everything, facing Omi's own grandfather probably at this very moment.

No, Omi thinks with blue eyes turned forcefully cold, Takatori Saijou is not his grandfather. He is Takatori Mamoru's grandfather, and that child died years ago. The lord of this castle has nothing to do with Tsukiyono Omi, Bombay the tactician of Weiss.

Nothing.

A small hand fits for a moment into Omi's, lacing pale fingers with his gloved ones. Omi's smile does not need to be forced this time.

The young couple shares an expression of understanding and true acceptance before Nagi at last pulls his hand back again, leaving them free to fight the guards that are now appearing before them. Rindou pulls out his deck of cards, Omi levels his crossbow, and Nagi focuses his powers as their final part in the fight begins.

Back at the front, Ran and Ken have disposed of the remaining guards along with those who came rushing to their fellows' aid. Now the pair rushes into the main entrance of the castle, coming to the courtyard just inside. At the same time Youji, Azami, and Ayame come rushing into the courtyard from inside the castle's corridors, bringing a few remaining guards with them, though they are easily disposed of.

Once they are alone, the groups nod to one another, pleased to see that everyone is so far all right. So far being the operative word, of course.

"Ah!"

All eyes dart to Youji as the tall blonde lets out a scream, his arm being suddenly wrapped by a painfully striking whip. He pulls his arm free, holding it protectively to his chest a moment as the now joined group's eyes look up to see who has attacked them.

A few remaining guards flank a pair of women with—naturally—spiked whips held within their slender hands. The women are clearly twins from first glance, young and quite beautiful.

Youji, even injured, isn't one to miss such a detail.

He lets out a whistle. "Such lovely enemies. I don't know what to do with myself. Gotta say though, sweethearts…" he shrugs, injury forgotten as he pulls his wire taught between gloved hands. "…I don't particularly enjoy being whipped!"

Wire cuts through the air like strips of paper under the power of a razor, barely being evaded by the enemies on the landing above them. The battle continues. Soon the guards are on the ground, as well as the women, and the group is equally matched, nearly outnumbered, but resistant to failure at all costs. They must take care of this threat to ensure Shioshiro's success, just as Shion, Rindou, Omi, and Nagi are all doing their parts for the same ultimate end.

Ken has a certain issue with whips, and remembers with no present fondness the scars on his forearm after an attack similar to what befell Youji. He feels for his friend and fights on, wanting very much to get a piece of one of those twins rather than wasting his time on poorly trained guards.

Rushing towards one of them from the side, Ken's brown eyes catch those of the woman's and he hesitates. It isn't that he has any problem fighting women, but being put in the role of assassin for the first time since his talk with Ran and since the realization that his 'problem' is still with him even after Shioshiro's arrival…sets him on edge. He does not want to prove his fears right. He wants to be a man—the man he is and could be. He wants to be…a friend. A lover. A…father…

Not a killer.

With that thought strong in his mind Ken lashes out at the woman readying her whip. No, he is not a killer, but he will finish what needs finishing for the sake of the greater good, never forgetting that the goal he longs for is a life where death is not a necessity. There is only one necessity in his life.

Ken thinks fondly of his soccer days for only a fraction of a second. Okay…maybe two necessities.

Fighting alongside Youji with the remaining twin, Ayame seems somewhat disappointed once realizing Ken has dispatched one of the women himself. Thank goodness for genetic curiosities, then, the madman thinks, eyeing the woman in front of him. This prey is his.

"Such a lovely young woman…" he taunts, darting towards and away from her as she snaps her whip. She is equally distracted by Youji's wires and does not answer. "…ah, but are your skills honed enough to avoid this…?" Ayame's smile stretches frighteningly, and he pulls his boomerang back, releasing it to send it spiraling towards the woman's vulnerable neck.

It never makes impact though, stopping in the grip of a—once again—well-prepared hand, gloved protectively for just this moment.

Ayame seethes.

Youji smirks, but ignores the older man near him, turning to the somewhat confused young woman. "So sorry, honey, but I'm afraid this was only a temporary rescue. You picked the wrong side to fight for, I'm afraid." And with an honestly sad quirk at his lips, Youji finishes Ayame's kill with the man's own weapon, cleanly ridding the woman of her finely shaped head.

The others efficiently dispatch the remaining guards then, but as everyone begins to take in the possibility of the mission being near complete, a new threat suddenly rears its head.

"You bastard!"

Youji barely has time to turn and see the attack coming before Ayame has thrown himself upon the blonde, with pale, thin fingers clutching at Youji's throat and squeezing mercilessly in the smaller man's rage.

"I'll kill you for that! I'll kill you!" the brunette screams, indigo eyes large and wild in his heightened madness.

Caught off guard, Youji is surprisingly helpless, lying pinned under the man's light weight, but still outdone in that the man's small but powerful grip has cut his air supply so fast. He stares up into that crazed look, wires loose in one hand, Ayame's boomerang having fallen from the other, and no voice with which to speak words that might stay the man's anger.

"I'll kill you…I'll…kill you…"

"Ayame, stop!" calls Azami's deep, worried voice, rushing to the scene before the others can even register the danger. "He is not your enemy. He did no true wrong. The mission is still complete."

"What does it matter!" Ayame screams back, his voice shrill in his fury. "She was mine! He had no right. No right…"

"Ayame, please…" Azami pleads, distracted for a moment as he picks up movement in his periphery and sees it is the approaching figures of Ran and Ken, both with their weapons at the ready should Ayame not listen to reason. "If you do not cease in this, they will kill you." he says evenly, knowing full well his words are fact from the looks on the approaching pair's faces. "…and I may not be able to stop them. And then…I too will die. What good will that bring us? None. Please, listen. Youji-san is a good man, he only…he is pained by your actions and reacts accordingly. Please do not take out your frustrations on a new friend."

The persistence of Azami's voice reaches Ayame slowly but effectively, and soon the man's hands have loosened, pulling away to rest on Youji's clavicle as the blonde gasps for air. "New friend for you, perhaps…" Ayame breathes bitterly, before being dragged forcefully off of Youji by Ran and Ken, each having hold of one of the man's arms.

Ayame struggles fiercely until they release him, leaving him as they rush to Youji's side to be sure he is uninjured. Youji motions that he is fine, but gasps and coughs anyway, trying to get back his lost breath.

Azami and Ayame are separated by the Weiss trio crouched on the ground, but their eyes meet and lock, regarding one another with a barrage of mixed and varied messages.

"You asshole, what the hell is wrong with you!" Ken yells suddenly, his claws shooting out reflexively as his fists clench and he lifts himself from the ground to address the man only a few feet from him. "You try something like that again, I swear to God I'll--"

"Please, don't make this any worse than it is." Azami beseeches the angered brunette, stepping around Youji and Ran—still on the ground—to approach the standing pair. "He lost himself for a moment, but it doesn't matter now. He won't try it again, I assure you."

Ken and Ayame both look to Azami skeptically, each filled with their own variations of righteous anger.

Soon, Ran and Youji are standing as well, watching cautiously as electricity seems to gather in the air around the brunettes.

Azami takes another step closer to his long-time companion. "Ayame…please…you do not need any of this. You do not need to kill…anyone. We have done this mission, but…I wanted it to be our last, somehow. Please…"

"What are you asking of me?" Ayame sneers, head high and proud as he look down his nose at his…friend. "Are you giving in so easily to these fools, Azami? This mission was a compromise, not a promise. Rindou can take command of Kritiker if he wishes. Shion can fade into whatever shadows he decides are fitting. But I have no intention of stopping, whether there are true missions before me or not. I am what I am, Azami. And you…I don't understand you. If you despise what I have become so much…why do you stay? Why do you cover for me every time? Is it your boyhood duty lingering, believing you must protect the damsel in distress? Is that it? I'm not that little girl anymore, Azami! I'm not…what you want me to be."

Everyone holds back in mute shock. Ran and Ken know nothing of what lies between these men, not as Youji does, but Youji too is shocked, feeling an overwhelming sense of pity for the man he feels such a morbid connection to. Azami and himself…they have suffered similar pains. He would rejoice at the man's happiness if such a thing could be attained.

As it stands, Azami's face is crestfallen and flat, his heart broken so many times up to this point, he doesn't even recognize its fractured beat.

"I only…I never…I…I just wanted to be with you…always…Ayame…" he forces out with much difficulty, his violin, clutched so loosely now, almost falling from his grasp as it rests at his side. "I would have done anything. I have…done so many things…all for you."

"You think I don't know that." Ayame practically scoffs, his tone bitter and harsh. "You could have been one of the greats with your talent on the violin, but you followed me, became an assassin with me and lost all those dreams. Why? So you could protect some little girl that doesn't even exist anymore…?"

The corners of Azami's lips begin to press further and further down, his expression heart-wrenching and pitiful, but strong amidst his obvious suffering. "I have no concern for the dead, Ayame, only the living. And you, the man, are living. It is only you I want to protect, even if it is yourself I am saving you from."

"Heh. Good luck then." Ken growls under his breath, turning on his heel to leave the pair to themselves as he rejoins Ran and Youji a few feet away.

Azami turns with a scowl at Ken's words. "Ayame is not insane." he asserts, sounding as if he truly believes his words. "Before he joined Weiß, he didn't want to kill women. It was when that man...Takatori Shuuichi, made the mistake of inviting him to join--"

"Azami, you're the one who's insane, you know?" Ayame breaks in, his harshness lost somewhat as he speaks. "Following me, becoming a murderer with me…"

"I don't care..." Azami says, turning back to Ayame with all his longing and…love bare on his sleeve. "…as long as I'm with you."

A soft and genuine laugh leaves Ayame's pretty lips and he shakes his head. "Azami...sometimes…I wish you were a woman..."

"I... don't care whether you're man or woman..."

"Baka..." Ayame breathes, his words barely an audible breath.

Azami smiles, though the expression is as lost and sad as his weak heart, still so unsure whether or not Ayame really understands what it is he feels for him. "Heh...I know. I'm an idiot…"

BOOM.

Sentiments interrupted, all eyes turn suddenly towards the back of the compound, where a billowing of smoke has appeared after the sound of what must have been an explosion. The gathered group looks frantically to one another before deciding they have no choice but to leave matters as they are, and take off in the direction of that smoke.

Deep in the heart of the castle, Shioshiro is slowly approaching a kneeling figure inside the Takatori shrine. Saijou does not seem to notice him, wrapped in his own thoughts and lamentations, but Shioshiro remains cautious, wary of any movement or wayward sound.

He tries not to look at his surroundings but finds he cannot help the occasional glance. He knew long before entering this room what it is he would find.

Bodies.

Three to be exact. They could be wax statues of Takatori Shuuichi, Takatori Reiji, and Sakaki Ouka, but Shioshiro knows the truth. They are indeed the bodies of those dead persons, grotesquely preserved for Saijou's own perverse pleasure.

Shioshiro represses a shudder, remembering the story Omiji told him of how Oran, having realized the horrid truth, cut off Ouka's arm to prove she was indeed the real Ouka, and not entirely wax. The image was cause for quite a few nightmares to be sure, and Shioshiro is glad now to rid his uncle of such a memory.

A particularly resonating brush of his foot along the stone ground alerts Saijou to Shioshiro's presence and the older man's body stiffens.

"Mamoru--!" he begins, turning quickly to face the entrance. He stops dead upon seeing the shadowed figure approaching him who is most definitely not his petite and blonde grandson. "Who…who are you!" he demands, his aged voice quaking with surfacing fear. "How dare you enter this room! Guards!"

"No need for that, old man. There are no more guards in this castle. In fact…I doubt there is anyone left alive…other than you."

Saijou's eyes widen, his mind running wild with thoughts of such a thing being true. He cannot believe it; he refuses to believe it. "Impossible! These grounds are the best protected lands in all of--"

"You're finished!" Shioshiro yells, his violets blazing as he steps into a section of distilled light, his dark hair brushing his pale face in places, causing a haunting contrast that makes Saijou back away clumsily. "You and your family are through, and there is no one now to continue this black legacy. No one."

"There….there is still Mamor--"

"Takatori Mamoru is dead. He has been for years."

"That…that's a lie! I have been watching him all this time! I know he lives!"

"I'm afraid you are mistaken…Takatori Saijou. You alone make up your lost clan, and tonight you too will join the rest."

Features hard as stone, rivaling his redheaded father's coldest expression, Shioshiro raises his sword above the cowering man now left only to defend himself, which he is in no shape to do.

As the sword begins its descent, a familiar voice echoes through Shioshiro's head, similar and yet different from that of its owner these days, for it was over a month ago—and 30 years from now—that these words were spoken…

"Shio-kun, I am asking this of you as a favor. I do not want to know him. My father…my true father…deep down I always knew it was him and not Reiji. But this man…Takatori Saijou…was never family. I bent to his will only under obligation as a son to his family, and that is something I never should have allowed. Please…do not let me live that lie."

'My promise is fulfilled…' Shioshiro muses as the sword hits, meeting its mark flawlessly, and ending his part in the mission with that single strike. '…Omiji…'

"What the hell happened!" Ken shouts above the roar of flames and the blinding billowing of smoke.

The larger group has arrived at the back, where a large section of the castle is in ruins now after the explosion. Their fears had surged within them at first, but upon reaching the rubble, the three members of their crew they had been fearing for appear out of the shambles, unharmed.

Ken rushes over to Omi, who is being braced against Nagi's smaller frame. "Omi, shit, are you guys okay?" he asks hurriedly, coming up to Omi's other side to offer added support.

Nagi is thankful for the help, and Omi nods in response to Ken's worried question, seeming only to have a slightly twisted ankle from diving to the ground in order to avoid the brunt of the blast. Nagi is unhurt, and Rindou too seems fine, though he lingers in the debris, staring down at one of the few, trapped bodies.

Ayame and Azami join him when he looks their way to silently signal for their attention. The trio regards the man at their feet now, looking to one another questioningly.

"Kyousuke Nakatsugawa..." Rindou says softly, though his companions know full well the identity of the man before them. "All for the best I bet. I never trusted him."

"As well you shouldn't have." puts in a new voice to the group, coming from a figure joining them from behind the wall of smoke. Shioshiro. "He was planning to betray you. I had hoped he would be here tonight."

The enlarged group looks to their arrived leader, seeing that his blade is indeed stained from use. The question does not need to be asked; they know his job is done.

As the group moves away from the immediate debris, coming together on an area of open grass to check over those suffering small wounds, Shion too joins them, having come from the last bit of still standing walls along the castle's rear.

The compound has been cleansed.

'I hope I timed this right, between times when there would be victims here…' Shioshiro ponders, secretly hoping to never find out if he indeed sent them into this mission during a time when innocents would be kept in the castle.

"May I ask where the hell that explosion came from?" Rindou asks the brunette suddenly, after the entirety of the group had come together at a safe distance.

Shioshiro looks to his elder with a smile, albeit tired and only half-hearted. "Unstable machines, I suppose. You've heard rumors of the atrocities at Tsukiyono castle, ne? Just think of this as…having gotten rid of something unseemly, and having come out of it without too many scratches. I'm sure its best if you don't know what the things that exploded had been built for."

"Hmph."

No arguments are raised; this mission has been trouble enough, and its success is its own reward, not needing to be sullied by further questions.

As the group begins to make its way back the way they came, a few unexpected visitors appear on the scene. At the arrival of these swift vehicles, the members of the expanded Weiss instinctively ready their weapons, but when a redhead and a brunette step out of the first car, they relax, feeling foolish for having jumped to conclusions, but…feeling a little confused right now as well.

"Birman, Manx? What are you guys doing here?" Ken asks incredulously, noting that the older members of their team seem to be slightly more on edge than the rest.

Shioshiro steps forward to ease tensions and addresses the advancing women. "Right on time. We have subdued the castle and it is ready for your team to sweep through. Please, if any of the team wishes to intervene or aid you, I ask that you grant them that liberty."

"Of course…so long as these boys know how to behave." Manx replies, making it quite clear that she is referring to Shion and his companions. Birman too has her doubts about working so closely with such dangerous and unstable men, but realizes how she has been doing just that for years.

Pleasantries are more or less exchanged and the task of cleaning up the mess they have just made gets underway. There are documents and artifacts to be collected, as well as rubble to search to be certain no one has escaped. Injuries are also treated and the gathering of groups seems almost commonplace amidst the commotion, not merely the promise of a conditional truce.

Shioshiro makes his way to each member of the old Weiss, speaking privately, and heatedly in some cases. Rindou is introduced formally to Manx and Birman under the pretense of discussing his possible takeover of the organization that is obviously still running itself smoothly enough to be of such service now. As for Azami and Ayame, though they were addressed separately, their paths are inevitably connected, and therefore they stand together now to discuss what path exactly they plan to take.

"He wants to commit me, you know." Ayame explains matter-of-factly, looking out at the busying people working so hard to put out the flames.

Standing at the shorter man's side, Azami too stares ahead. "He wants to help you."

"He's arranged for private, professional help, all to be on Kritiker's bill, of course."

"So he told me."

"Then you agree that this is best."

"It may be."

"You think I'm…crazy?"

"As I said before…" Azami stresses, turning to face Ayame with his whole body. "…I do not believe you are crazy. You are merely…confused. Is it so wrong for me to…want what's best for you? For me to want you to be happy outside of…death?"

Ayame does not turn to meet Azami's rapt attention. "What if there is no happiness for me outside of death?"

Dark eyes close tight, banishing as best he can so many images of women's bodies, cut and stacked by his own hands. "Please…is all that remains of your heart…filled only with desire for vengeance…?"

There is no response at first, only silence, intensified by the wind and crackling sound of lingering flames.

Azami swallows hard, eyes still tight. He is so closed off he nearly jumps when a warm hand suddenly touches the soft of his cheek.

"There has always been a place in my heart for you."

Azami's eyes open wide, meeting dark indigo and a sense of calm in his friend's expression that he is no longer used to.

"My desires remain…but…I can imagine attempting what that boy is asking of me…if you really believe it could change things. But…what if I can't be helped? What if I still long for what I long for--for their blood on my hands and hair through my fingers…? What then?"

Turning into that touch on his cheek with as much boldness as he has in him, Azami raises his own hand to close over it, looking deep into the eyes watching him. "Then I will follow wherever you go, wherever you end up, until the end of my life. Even if it means these new friends will once again be our enemies."

Ayame's melodic laughter rings gently, his hand slowly stroking Azami's face as it pulls away and falls to land back at his side. "You say such sweet things…"

The pair shares a smile, and everything between them is understood as well as it can be…at least for now.

Rindou, having made his decision and finished now with his talk with Manx and Birman, approaches Shioshiro. The brunette is standing a ways off on his own, having just finished watching the exchange between Ayame and Azami and feeling as if a little headway has been made.

He smiles when Rindou is suddenly blocking his view. "Made up your mind then, Rindou-san?"

The older man smirks a little, tilting his head while one gloved hand comes to rest on his hip. "I have. Seems those girls could use someone with vision like me…and I don't see why I should deny them the pleasure."

Shioshiro's smile widens; he so enjoys the fortuneteller's humor. "Good to hear. I am sure you will do a wonderful job and change the things you and your companions thought of so negatively. Is there anything else I can help you with then, or is this just your way of saying thank you?"

Rindou's smile widens; he enjoys Shioshiro's humor as well. "Actually…I thought I might try my hand at telling your fortune." he speaks with a noncommittal shrug. "If Mr. High-And-Mighty cares to have it told."

A laugh. "You don't think such a thing would be bad luck for the rest of my mission?"

"Depends on the fortune."

"Haha. Well then, I guess you better give it to me."

As if from the very air, Rindou's cards appear as the man begins to shuffle them, cutting them once, twice, before reaching for the one now on top and pulling it up to reveal Shioshiro's future.

Rindou's smile instantly falls. Shioshiro looks apathetically unsurprised.

"Well…isn't that unfortunate." the brunette speaks softly.

Rindou shakes his head. "You know…this card…it doesn't always mean--"

"I know. But I think in my case it might."

"But…it might just be--"

"I realize that. Really there is no need to get upset over such a silly thing. I understand the stakes of what I am doing."

Rindou can only stare. Often has he pulled this very card, but never before has he been so upset by it. He doesn't understand at first how Shioshiro can appear so uncaring, but the truth begins to dawn on him. "You expected this…didn't you?"

A momentary shadow crosses Shioshiro's expression, darkening his usually amiable nature. "The mission is what matters, and I will complete this mission. Besides," he adds with a renewed smile, strained but strangely honest. "Nothing is ever set in stone, especially divination. I know one particular psychic who has been proven wrong more than once."

"Then let me be another." Rindou responds with a renewed smile of his own. He extends his hand proudly to the boy before him, feeling much like his old self, a man who fought for justice and won—once in a while. "It has been a pleasure. In my new position I swear I will offer whatever help you need in the battle to come."

Shioshiro gladly accepts that hand. "I thank you for that and I wish you luck, Rindou-san. It has been my pleasure as well."

With the more difficult of tasks out of the way, one figure remains who has yet to clarify what future actions he plans to take.

Far from the action and the gathered others, Ran walks towards his former mentor with his sword tucked reverently back. Shion is on the ground, legs beneath him and eyes closed, as if in meditation. Ran does not speak as he reaches his old teacher, but kneels beside him, mirroring the position in everything but the closed eyes. He turns his head to stare at that familiar though slightly aged face and waits.

He does not wait long.

"Worried I'll turn on you now that this is ended?" Shion speaks, otherwise unmoving.

"I think you would have acted by now if that were the case." Ran replies. "Besides, your companions seem to have already sided with us."

"Aa. So it seems."

"Then…what have you--?"

"Are you happy, Ran?"

The redhead starts at this sudden question, something he honestly doesn't have an immediate answer for, if he even has an answer at all. He thinks on it a moment, slightly annoyed that Shion's eyes are still closed. "I have…found certain happiness from time to time."

Shion smiles. "That isn't good enough."

"Then what do you want me to say?" Ran nearly growls, struggling for the self-control to keep his temper in check. "How can an assassin ever be happy? This mission is built on the promise of happiness, and I now wish to see that promise fulfilled."

"And…do you think you will find your happiness--"

"Perhaps--"

"—with your darling brunette?"

Ran starts again. Oh how he hates being forever thrown off guard by this man. Fists clenching to stay his anger, Ran takes a few even breaths. "As I have told him, I wish to try and see if that may be the case. I can make no promises, but…if there is happiness to be found…it…it could be with him."

"Then I want you to promise me something."

This time when Ran turns to look into Shion's still face, the swordsman's bronze eyes are looking back at him, holding nothing but honest care and concern. Ran listens with abandon he has not shown since being this man's faithful student.

"When you are sure, when you know for certain whether or not this man can bring you the happiness I have always wished for you…promise me you will not run from it. Tell him. Love him. And never think it right for you to give him up for the sake of something lesser, because anything outside of such a love would be lesser. Believe me…I know. My wife has long since remarried, and my daughter…should be graduating from high school this spring."

Ran is amazed to hear such details of a man who always kept so many secrets from him. He knew Shion had a family, but it was never spoken of, never pressed. This openness is enough to break Ran of all lingering resentment towards the figure at his side.

"I threw away my wife, threw away my child, threw away my name, and lived by the sword." Shion continues, eyes trained on Ran's very pupils. "I have made friends, lost friends, betrayed and been betrayed, become bound into insignificant plots, all distant from the enlightenment I once believed I was seeking. In this world, there are many who have already fallen into Hell while still alive, but I know now that life by the sword, living in that Hell, is not the way to enlightenment. The truth…the truth…is you cannot attain enlightenment…without a heart of mercy."

Ran is so hypnotized by Shion's voice, his words, his constant stare, that when his own hand is suddenly grasped, turned over, and has something small and cold placed in its palm, it takes him a moment to realize anything has happened.

Collecting himself, Ran at last pulls his gaze from the stare of his mentor, and looks down to discover a very simple but finely engraved gold ring.

Violet eyes instantly dart back up. "But…this is your wedding--"

"I am more than certain you will make better use of it than I ever did."

"I…I can't accept--"

"You can and will." Shion says firmly, closing Ran's fist over the dimly glittering ring. "It is what I owe you, and your accepting of it is what you owe me."

Without so much as any further explanation or words, Shion rises from the ground, checks to be sure his sword is safely secured within his coat, and offers Ran a smile…of farewell.

Ran scrambled quickly to his feet, pocketing the ring with mild reluctance, and looks hard into the eyes looking back at him, feeling as if he is once again about to be cheated. "You're…you're leaving then?"

A twist of sadness enters the older man's smile. "For now. I have spoken to your dear son and since I have some things to do on my own I will be departing until you need me for the final battle. The same is true for the others, I do believe, so there is nothing for you to get so flustered about. We will see each other again in…too short a time I'm sure. Assuming you survive your trials until then, of course." he adds with the hint of a smirk.

There is nothing for Ran to say, so he merely nods, knowing it is foolish for him to be getting so emotional over all of this now, when so much of it is behind them. Still, there is a part of him that feels as if he is losing a father…for a third time.

Shion gives a small nod only before moving as if to leave. Before carrying through with the act however, a sudden thought strikes him and he looks to Ran quite seriously. "When all of this has ended…do one thing for me, Ran, will you?"

There is no hesitation. "Of course."

An almost wicked smile, if only for the difficulty fulfilling the request he is about to make will be. "Go back to your sister."

Ran stands alone on his patch of grass for a long time after Shion has left, thinking over the tasks and gifts he has been handed. His hand is still fingering the ring in his pocket when the sight of a bounding brunette comes into view.

As Ken makes his way towards him, Ran is accosted by the memory of current events. So much has transpired in so short a time, but if he stops to think about it, he has very little regrets at this point, and though he doubts whether or not he can fulfill his master's final wish for him, he finds himself almost smiling as brown eyes come close enough to look deeply into his.

"Bye! Write me when you get there!" Aya chirps excitedly, hugging her friend tight as they stand at the airport terminal.

Sakura is despondent despite her best efforts to share in her friend's happiness for her. "Sure..."

"This is so great, Sakura-chan! I wish I could study in Paris, too, but without a junior high record I haven't a chance. I guess I'd better keep at the part-time school, which isn't really all that bad, and--" She stops abruptly, noticing that Sakura isn't nearly as thrilled as she is. "What's the matter? You don't seem too excited..."

Realizing she has been caught, Sakura's shoulders slump even further. "No...I just…feel like I'm letting you down..."

"About what? Oh, you mean about the store? That's okay! We'll just be missing some of the guy regulars without you around." Aya beams, hoping to cheer her friend up.

Sakura shakes her head. "I'm not worried about the shop. You're always on top of things..."

"Then..." Aya doesn't at first finish, hesitant to say what she knows the truth must be. "Then…is this about my brother?"

There is a slight pause, but soon Sakura nods, her head held very low as she searches the ground for solace and answers it can never give her.

"Actually, I was really surprised when you told me you were going to Paris." Aya comments, unbraided hair bouncing to one side as she tilts her head in thought. "I was happy you cared so much about my brother, but I was also worried you would never be happy."

Sakura jolts out of her severe thoughts as these words are spoken, looking up. "Never be happy? What do you mean?"

Aya's ever-present smile turns somber. "Well, even if you wait until you're old and gray, I really wonder...really wonder if he'll come back...and...though you've never really told me any details...he's not a very good person, ne?"

"No! That's not true at all!" Sakura jumps in immediately, the handle of her carry-on clutched even tighter in her hands as she leans in towards Aya to stress her point. "Aya-san...Aya-san's a wonderful person!" she asserts. "That's all there is to say!"

"O...okay..." Aya replies timidly, not sure whether or not Sakura is only saying such things to ease her mind.

"Aya-san saved my life. He looked after me. He's really a kind, gentle man. You've got to believe that, Aya-chan!" the short-haired girl continues firmly, holding Aya's gaze unwaveringly until it seems the other girl might be closer to believing her.

In truth Aya is still skeptical, but the memories she has of the brother she knew before losing those two years…they are still dear to her, dear enough for her to hope. "Okay..." she says a little more boldly. Then, shaking herself of such somber thoughts on what should be a glorious and exciting day, she brightens, her smile returning in full. "Sorry, I didn't mean to bring this up. Ah! Oh no! The plane's almost departing! You better hurry! Bye, Sakura-chan! Take care!" she says, hugging her friend once more for good measure.

"You too, Aya-chan!" Sakura beams back, holding her smile for as long as she can as she waves to Aya before rushing down the ramp and onto the plane.

Once she has reached her seat and settled in the last of that smile fades from Sakura's face. She is excited to be studying in Paris, but…her thoughts stray to their usual focus regardless.

'Aya-san...I don't want to forget you...no, I couldn't possibly forget about you. But I'm done waiting for you. It hurts too much to live only with your memories. If I let this continue, I don't think I could make anything of myself. So, Aya-san, you can forget me, but never forget about Aya-chan. Please go back to her, please, Aya-san!'

Soon, the plane has hit the runway and is taking off, gaining altitude as it begins to soar away, taking Sakura and many painful memories along with it.

'Go back to her…one day…'

tbc...

A/N: Whoa. Long and lovely. I'm rather proud of this chapter and I hope you share my love for it. :-)

M-chan: I hope what I did for Ayame and Azami worked for you. Nothing too set in stone, but hopefully hopeful.

Constatine: HAHAHAHA!

Sachiko V: Picture? Don't say it if ya don't mean it, onegai:-)

Spirited-Away: Actually I haven't heard/read translations of Holy Children, though I have heard of it. The other stories I know but do not plan to address. If you can send me Holy Children though, I would be eternally grateful. I do not plan on using it though, seeing as how whatever might have happened...wouldn't have with Hiro's arrival. Things got sped up and moved past it, if that makes sense, so Nagi and Ken should be fine. I thought I had covered everything that would pose a threat and I hope not using Holy Children or the others won't deter you. Thanks for the comment though, I like being corrected when it has merit, and I hate to think there is a piece of Weiss I don't know.

Grasshopper: You are one of the most fascinating reviewers, going over so may points. Groping Yuushi even, naughty girl! Just wait til he come in. ;-) Oops, did I day that?

HeatherR: Ya know...I don't know if he was adopted, but I don't think so. I think Kase and Ken met in the missionary and grew up as orphans, but I can't be sure. I am sure about the missionary itself though. No disowning. :-)

elishaan: Nope, he didn't choose his own name, just heard about his namesakes. Redhaired, brown eyed girl, huh? Interesting idea. Yes, there are many concerns, and you seem to be on top of alot of them. One thing I can tell you is that Schwartz will be back, Brad and Schu before Farf and Sally. It's funny, Farf used to be my fave character, but he really won't be in much of the story at all.

Does anyone know where to find the Weiss complete relationship web? It's something I came across years ago that basically is a translation of a web that lists all the characters, like ALL, even Ouka and the DP people, and Crashers, and the people at the temple with Ran, etc. Anyway, on that web there was a name that connected to Ken and said "Lovers" but I can't remember the name. It isn't someone I remember ever hearing about, not Yuriko or Reiko or Kase (for those who think yaoi thoughts) but something...ambivalent, so I don't even know if it was a guy or girl. If anyone knows what I'm talking about, please let me know. I can deal without it but...I really want it. Why or why didn't I save it then!

Welp, that makes another chapter, with many more yet to come. Next is Gluhen, and I'll just come out and tell you right now, NO, Sena and Kyo will not be in it. It's too early for Kyo's brother to have died, and Sena...I haven't decided yet actually, but if I do something with him, he probably won't make an official appearance. Also, in the next few chapters...well...better not spoil it, but...sooner or later this fic will be bumped to an 'R' and its gonna be a bumpy ride getting there. :-) Love you all!

Crim