Chapter 16: Grant Finale

Jin and Asaki tearfully parted ways the following morning. They each had promises to keep, Jin with helping Fuu find the samurai that smells of sunflowers and Asaki with helping her students become swordsmen and samurai.

Jin returned with a welcome from Fuu and Mugen…sort of.

Mugen looked at him, "Finally decided to return did ya?"

Fuu hits Mugen over the head and smiles at Jin, "What he means to say is that we're glad you're back. But where's Asaki? Isn't she coming with us?"

"No. She has a promise to keep to her students."

Mugen grins, "Somebody broke up."

Fuu hits Mugen over the head again, "Will you cut that out?"

Jin glares at Mugen, "For your information, we didn't break up. We both have promises to keep."

Fuu frowned, "Hey now I didn't mean for this to separate you two…"

Jin smiles somewhat, "Don't worry. We're going to meet up again after our promises are followed through."

Fuu smiled a bit and nodded, "Well then let's get done as soon as possible so you can get back to her."

The trio continued on their journey. Meanwhile, Asaki was returning to her dojo. Unsure of what others would say or do, she cautiously approached her dojo with her swords at her side. Everything looked calm on the outside, nothing out of place. If anything it looked better when she returned than when she'd left it. She heaved a sigh of relief, sliding the dojo door open. Her eyes widened in shock of the pure horror. There, in the middle of the floor, lie three corpses, each of which she recognized. They were the bodies of her students, Yakami, Xiyan and Miage.

She rushed over to their bodies, warm tears filling her eyes and trickling down her cheeks, "No…why? Yakami…Xiyan…Miage…you three were more than my students." She hugged them all close to her body, their blood spilling onto her kimono, "Who would do this to you? You all were so kind and gentle. You did a few things in your lifetime, but they're all small mistakes that we all make, definitely not enough to warrant this punishment…"

She wept, tears streaming down her cheeks. She wondered if there was something she could've done to prevent their death. She thought that maybe, just maybe, if she were there that she would've been able to prevent the tragedy.

"It's my fault…if I hadn't been so selfish and gone to look for Jin then they would've…"

No sooner then she said that, three police swordsman walked up behind her. The taller man of the group took a step forward, "It serves them right."

Asaki's head shot back, that same anger and coldness in her eyes that she would show any enemy as the Black Raven. With anger in her voice and tears in her eyes she said darkly, "You killed them!"

The man smirked, "Don't give me all the credit. I had my men here help me out."

Asaki immediately reached for one of her blades and unsheathed it, "Assholes. You all deserve to rot in Hell!"

One of the other men stepped forward and looked down at her kneeling body, "We deserve to rot in Hell? That's funny coming from the one that use to be known as the Black Raven."

Asaki blinked, lowering her blade slightly at hearing it from their mouths, "How did you…"

"It's easy to dig up dirt on people, especially killers and murderers."

"No…I never meant to…"

"Like hell you never meant to. We all know what you meant to do. You wanted to kill everyone. Not only that, you had every intention on making these three your little understudies."

"I had no intention on making them into what I use to be if that's what you're implying."

"We have no reason to believe you Asaki, or should I say Black Raven."

"So you killed them…because of what I use to be…"

"Because of what you still are and what you were trying to accomplish. Naturally, we can't let you leave out of here alive. For the crimes that you've committed, death is your only sentence."

"Then go ahead and try. I'll defeat you all right here and now without killing a single one of you."

The taller man from before started to laugh, "I'm afraid not dear Asaki. We had to bring in someone special for this. On an order from the government, we brought him here today to fight you."

An all too familiar man walked through her dojo doors, finally seeing first hand the damage that had been done. He saw the police swordsmen standing around the way any group of people would stand around a fight or something terrible that happened. He looked at Asaki, barely able to crack a smile.

"It's good to see you again Asaki. You're as cute as ever."

Asaki blinked, looking at the man, "H-Hotsuma…you're the one that they…"

"I'm sorry Asaki. I really had no choice."

"I understand."

"Did you kill them? I heard you did but I doubt a sweet and innocent woman like you could."

She blinked and looked at the police swordsmen and glared at them, "You told him that I killed my own students!"

One of the police swordsmen nodded, "Of course you killed them. Who else was around or had the motive? Besides, their blood is on your kimono. That's enough proof in and of itself."

Hotsuma blinked, looking at her blood soaked kimono, "Asaki…your kimono. It's covered in blood…just like they said…"

Asaki shook her head, "No. I was comforting them and crying over them. They're the ones that killed them. They told me so themselves. They're trying to pin this all on me to make themselves look innocent."

The same police swordsman spoke, "Don't believe her. She's lying to you. I'll bet that she hasn't even told you that she's the Black Raven has she?"

Hotsuma unsheathed his sword and swung it horizontally at Asaki.

Asaki jumped back and frowned, the coldness in her eyes fading, "Hotsuma, please believe me. I did not nor would I ever harm my students."

"Then how can you explain their dead bodies and their blood on your clothes? Asaki, are you really the Black Raven?"

"Hotsuma, listen…that's…"

"Just a simple yes or no will do Asaki."

"I was the Black Raven many years ago. It's not like I could just come right out and say it Hotsuma. It's too hard and too painful to go back and remember."

"And what of those that you hurt and their families? Don't you think it might be a little hard for them to comprehend why they had to bury their loved ones?"

"Yes, it would be. Hotsuma, that was a part of my deep past that I've tried to prevent from coming back up. I was the Black Raven and a heartless murderer but only for a short time. And do you know what saved me? It was Jin. I remembered the way he use to fight and how he taught me over the years. I soon realized that it wasn't the right path. Quinton was the one that told me that Jin was dead and that's what caused me to become the Black Raven in the first place."

"Is that your excuse for it Asaki? Is that your excuse for killing these three young boys too?"

"I didn't kill them! I swear it! It's not meant to be an excuse for anything, especially not for my actions in the past. I don't ask to be forgiven; I only ask that I be given the chance to repent for my actions."

"By killing others? By killing the students you were trying to teach?" he swung his sword at her again.

"I didn't kill them!" she jumped back, one of the police swordsmen holding her back as another took her swords away from her. She struggled to get them off of her, but all too soon Hotsuma was before her. He raised his sword above her ready to strike in another instant. Asaki looked up at him as he was ready to strike but slid down to the floor on her knees, "If you kill me right here and now, then you're no better than I was back then."

Hotsuma blinked and stopped, lowering his blade, "What?"

Tears streamed down Asaki's face, "I was a monster back then, but I've always tried to repent for it since. If you kill me now, you'll be no better than the monster that I once was."

Hotsuma sighed, nodding with a slight smile, "Did you kill them Asaki?"

Asaki shook her head, "No, I didn't. I would never kill them. They were kind enough to keep my secret about being the Black Raven. I came back here to keep my promise to them, to teach them proper swordsmanship. I guess now…now I'll never get the chance."

Hotsuma sheathed his sword and knelt down to her on one knee. He lifted her chin up and kissed her in the middle of her forehead, "My dear Asaki, I believe you. Besides, something about these men doesn't seem right to me."

Asaki smiled and hugged Hotsuma, "Thank you."

Hotsuma wiped away her tears, "No more tears now, no more tears. It's going to be alright."

Asaki nodded some, happy to finally have someone on her side.

The police swordsmen's smiles faded. The tallest one spoke, "You dare go against the orders of the government?"

Hotsuma looked up at the men and stood up, pulling Asaki up with him, "There's a problem with your order. You see, Asaki here is a figment of your imagination. I've read the legends. They say that she existed over two hundred years ago. So explain to me how it is that she can still be here and alive two hundred years later?"

"Well she…she was…she…"

"You see gentlemen? You have no explanation for your actions. Time took its toll on her and she's already dead. You're just furious at something that doesn't exist."

"But you were just…you fought…and you talked…"

"I was merely playing along with your hallucinations. But now, I'm bored with playing. Well my job is done. I'll be going now gentlemen." He grabbed Asaki's hand and took her out of the dojo with him, leaving the police swordsmen dumbfounded long enough for the two of them to escape.

"Hotsuma, thank you for saving me."

Hotsuma nodded, "Come now Asaki. We've got to get you out of those clothes before someone else sees you and suspects something."

Asaki nodded. Hotsuma rushed into a shop and bought a kimono and let her change into it behind the trees.

She came out from the trees, fixing her obi belt, "Thanks for all of this Hotsuma, but I should be going now."

"You're leaving now?"

Asaki nodded, "What reason do I have to stay? I only came back so that I could keep my promise to my students and continue to teach them. But now they're dead."

"I'm sorry about their death and I'm sorry I ever thought that you killed them. I don't know why I even believed them in the first place."

"It's alright Hotsuma, you realized in the end. That's all that matters."

"So where are you going to go now Asaki?"

"I'm going to go find Jin. We promised that we would meet each other again after we kept our promises. I can help him keep his at least."

Hotsuma nodded with a sigh, "So you're still with him eh?" He smiled, "Well you know my door will always be open for you Asaki. Come back anytime you want and take care of yourself."

Asaki nodded, "I will. You take care too Hotsuma." She bowed to him.

Hotsuma turned to walk away then stopped and tossed Asaki's katanas to her, "Oh, you might want these for the road."

Asaki blinked, catching the sheathed blades, "How did you…?"

Hotsuma grinned, "My secret."

Asaki smiled, thinking to herself, "He's such a sweet man. Jin…I'll be coming to you soon so just wait for me…please."

After traveling for a few hours, Asaki sat down to rest on the grass. She looked up at the sky, heaving a sigh, "It sure is a hot day. Those boys…they use to love warm days like this…they…"

Before she got a moment to remember her students or even to cry, a sword came at her from behind. Her eyes shot open as she rolled forward, dirtying her kimono. She turned her head and looked back to see who struck at her.

"Nice reflexes." A woman with long brown hair and brown eyes sheathed her sword and offered Asaki her hand.

Asaki looked at the woman with narrowed eyes, "And who are you? And why have you attacked me?"

"I'm Kairi Mashima. I attacked you because I thought you would be a wonderful candidate."

"Candidate for what?"

"I'd like you to join me miss. I had to test your skills and you've obviously got potential if you can avoid my attacks. What do you say?"

Asaki stood on her own, dusting off her kimono, "I'm sorry but I can't. I have to meet someone."

"Oh, well, alright then. At least give me your name."

Asaki nodded, "Asaki." She dared not give her last name in fear that more police swordsmen would be after her. She smiled slightly and bowed to the woman. She decided it was best that she got on her way before anyone else decided to meet up with her.

She made her way into a nearby town, figuring she could rest and maybe get something to eat. After all, she'd been traveling all that way and hadn't brought anything with her. Her attention immediately went to a skirmish between an elderly couple and, who else, but the police swordsmen. She made her way over to the scene, tapping a woman on the shoulder that stood in front of her.

Asaki spoke softly, "What's going on?"

The woman whispered back, "This couple was going into town to sell their rice. The police swordsmen stopped them and told them that it was their duty to feed them. The couple said they'd be happy to serve him something else at their house and that the rice was their main source of income. The swordsmen are angry now."

Asaki growled, pushing her way through the crowd, the woman not able to stop her. Asaki's hand rested on the hilt of one of her swords, "You police swordsmen. You're just all crooks."

The captain stepped forward, "All crooks you say? And just who the hell are you?"

Asaki smirked a bit, "No sense hiding it I suppose. I am Asaki. You have two options. Leave these people alone or get forced to leave these people alone."

The captain grinned, "I have an even better set of options. You get the hell outta here and let us do our jobs or these people get killed."

"I won't let you even touch them."

The captain, his sword already unsheathed, made a quick horizontal motion toward the couple that trembled in fear. Asaki dashed over quickly, barely able to stop the captain in time. The captain unsheathed a second blade and tried to strike her. Asaki reached to her other blade and unsheathed it, blocking each of his blades with each of hers. The captain tried to strike again, first with the blade in his left hand and then with the blade in his right, Asaki blocking his attacks with her swords again. Asaki, tired of playing defense with the swordsman, decided to go on the offensive. She struck at the captain, each time her sword clashed with his the captain took a step back. It was painfully obvious that her skills far surpassed his. The captain grinned, sending in his men to fight alongside him. The crowd feared for their own lives and dared not to interfere. Asaki tried to fight them all off, but took a few hits. They managed to knock her to the ground as the captain grinned down at her bloody body, his men holding her down so that she couldn't escape. He raised his sword and impaled it into her flesh. Asaki's eyes widened as the sword impaled her, blood trickling from her mouth.

"I won't let…scum like you…have such a victory…" Asaki managed to get herself free, struggling against the police swordsmen. She grabbed a sword from one of them and went after the captain. Her vision started to blur and she stumbled toward him. She brought the blade back ready to strike but fell forward, face first into the dirt. Her wounds took too much blood out of her.

A few of the people from the crowd rushed off to get help, but by the time the doctor and other police swordsmen got there, Asaki was dead. The corrupt police swordsmen got arrested for their transgressions, the entire crowd standing around her body, mortified by what they had just witnessed. Asaki, a stranger to the town, protected an elderly couple over some rice and gave her life for it. No one said a word; they all just stood in a combination of silence and horror.

Mugen followed behind Fuu and sighed, "Why the hell do we have to go back to this town?"

Fuu looked at him, "I thought I told you, I forgot something very important."

"Oh yeah? What was it?"

"None of your business! Now c'mon, the faster we go back, the faster we can find the samurai that smells of sunflowers."

Mugen groaned and then blinked looking ahead, "Huh? Hey what's goin' on over there?"

Fuu blinked, "I'm not sure. Let's check it out."

The trio walked over, fighting their way through the crowd, all shocked at the scene, Jin being the most mortified of them all.

Jin's eyes widened, "I-it can't be. Asaki…no…Asaki…" he knelt down to her, turning her onto her back, the tears freely falling from his eyes. He hugged her tightly, holding her body close to his. His tears began to drop from his cheek onto her body. "Who did this? You promised…we…we were going to…our future…" he couldn't find the words that could describe the immense pain and sorrow that he was feeling. It felt like someone had stabbed him repeatedly, but kept him hanging onto life by a thread.

Fuu and Mugen talked to the people in the crowd trying to figure out what had happened and how she died. They finally found out and Fuu gently broke it down to Jin and told him what had happened. They buried Asaki in that town, all who were around that day attended, grief stricken at what had happened to her, not one forgetting about her courage and standing up for what was right. It wasn't until much later that Jin found out from Hotsuma what had happened at her dojo. Asaki was buried with her katana, but Jin took one thing to remember her by. And as the three continued on their journey, they would always remember Asaki, formerly known as the Black Raven. And Jin would always wear that one thing he took, wearing it around his wrist, Asaki's red beaded bracelet. It was his gift to her all those years ago.