A/N: Sorry for the really, really long time between updates, guys! I have been really busy and away from home for quite a while, and I have finally found some free time with which to update this little story of mine. Again, sorry for the wait, and I hope you enjoy this chapter. Please review and let me know what you think!

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The Final Piece
Chapter Seven

"We'll be right behind you the whole time, Himeno! We'll back you up! You just fight with all you have, and we will do the same. We are going to make her pay for all that she has done." Kei promised.

Himeno could only nod. "Thanks, guys. Just keep your guard up...and try to be careful. I don't want this fight spilling out into the city. There doesn't need to be any more destruction than there already is around here."

The group nodded and smiled.

"Where are..." Himeno began, but Goh cut her off.

"They're still in Leafenia, just like you wanted them to stay. They will know when to come if they are really needed. They aren't going to get hurt."

Himeno seemed to sigh with relief for a short moment before she took another deep breath and tensed herself up slightly. Throughout her entire conversation with the knights, Yayoi had yet to say anything to them, nor had she made any attempts to attack them yet. She just stood there, smiling down on them in a way that made Himeno sad and made her skin crawl all at the same time.

"Himeno, do not take pity on her! If she realizes that you are sad for her, she will use it against you! Just attack her so that the battle can be over with. No, we will not kill her, if that is what you are wondering, but she needs to be sealed in Leafenia, so that this world will be protected from her."

Himeno nodded, although no one else could hear what was being said to her. "I understand." she whispered, pulling the wind sword seemingly out of nowhere and directing its blade straight at Yayoi.

Yayoi only laughed. This seemed to be the only thing that the dark princess could manage to do in the face of danger. "I've been waiting for this part..." she laughed.

Himeno blinked, and her grip on the wind sword loosened slightly. "Yayoi, this is not one of your books...and I am about to make you understand that. You will not get away with all that you have put me and my family through. When I am done with you, I will make sure that you are never able to hurt anyone ever again."

"There you go! Now attack! Goh and Kei will be able to cover you from behind!" Hayate shouted into her ear. "Now, while you still have the chance!"

Himeno charged forward as Hayate commanded her to do. As she did so, several of Yayoi's leafe-sucking demons seemed to pop out of the ground, surrounding her in the center of a protective live cocoon. Himeno stopped short and leapt to the side as one of the demons reached out to grab her. Goh and Kei charged forward to deal with the new threat.

"I was expecting something like that to happen..." Hayate nodded.

"So why didn't you warn me about that?" Himeno demanded.

"You should have known on your own!" Hayate said in a whiny voice, although with a slight laugh behind it.

"All right, I guess I won't be making that mistake again..." Himeno nodded to herself.

"No...I don't think it'd be a good idea to charge into a barrier of demons..."

"Shut up, Hayate." Himeno groaned.

"There! Go!" Hayate yelled.

Himeno looked over. Goh and Kei had managed to break through the barrier of demons that had only moments ago been blocking her ability to attack Yayoi. She once again charged forward, the wind sword out in front of her, and aimed straight at Yayoi.

She was only inches away when she heard a voice she was not at all expecting to hear. It was the voice of her father. Moments ago, she had doubted she would ever get to talk to her family again, but she was certain it was him. She turned...but he was not there.

"Himeno, what's the problem?" Hayate demanded. "She'll hurt you if you just stand there!"

"I heard...I heard my father, Hayate..."

"Don't worry about him right now," Hayate warned. "If you want to protect your family...if you want all this to end, you have to keep your mind on the task at hand. All right? Attack!"

Himeno nodded, a look of pure determination on her face, and charged toward Yayoi for a last time. Yayoi, however, had finally decided to defend herself, and Himeno was almost immediately pushed back into her home's garden wall. She groaned in pain and quickly got to her feet. Brushing the dirt off of her, and picking up her sword, she shook her head.

"What the hell just happened there?" she frowned, shaking her head. "How did she do that?"

"You were expecting her to just sit there and let you run her through with your sword?" Hayate smirked. "You should know better than that! Just because she hasn't attacked you yet didn't mean she wasn't going to defend herself if you attacked..."

Himeno frowned. "I know." She shook her head. "She needs to make up her mind, though."

"And make this any easier for you? Ha! I doubt it!"

"Don't you mean 'us'?" Himeno smirked.

"Himeno...quit wasting your breath talking to yourself and listen to me for a moment." It was Yayoi. Himeno looked up. "There is no way that you can defeat me just on your own. I am not like any of your other problems. Your little attacks aren't going to work. Why else do you think I have just been standing here? I do not need to do anything else. This battle will be simple. You and all of your precious knights are going to die. This time, the bad guy is going to win..."

Himeno blinked. "What do you mean 'just on my own'?" she repeated.

"You can not defeat me on your own." Yayoi smiled. "Figure that out on your own..."

Himeno sighed deeply. What does she mean? She asked Hayate inside her head.

He replied quickly. "We aren't on our own. If you were on your own, really on your own, you would already be dead. My power has been combined with whatever power you already held on your own. It is our power...we are one...so that means..."

"I know what that means..." Himeno realized. "But...my question is...is it even possible?"

"Is what even possible?" Hayate asked.

"Is it...is it possible to pret...with two of you at once?" Himeno wondered out loud, and Goh and Kei stopped in their tracks to stare at her.

"What did you just say?" Kei wondered, his jaw hanging and his eyebrow rose until it seemed to lift off of his very face.

"You heard what she said." Goh smirked. "Which one of us will be the one to try it, though?"

"Try it?" Kei gasped. "Are you sure?"

"Sure?" Himeno repeated. "It wouldn't...it wouldn't hurt you guys, would it?"

"Himeno, actually...I'm not too..." Hayate began.

"I don't know." Goh answered.

Kei nodded. "You know, there is only one way for us to find out..."

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A/N: Yet another cliffie I'm afraid, but you guys know how I operate. I hope you liked this chapter. Please review and let me know what you think!