Happy New Year! Sorry for the huge break in updating...holidays got too overwhelming for me to remember to update(*sweatdrop*). With ff.net willing, heh, I should have more up soon and if I don't, I apologize. Been doing some editing to the chapters to follow and I still have a handful left to write before it's all done. Be patient, heh, I'm not about to let this fic be forgotten 'till it's done. :) For now, enjoy the touching reunion and thankie thankie thankie to those who have reviewed and sss979 for being my editor and catching what I missed! And a thank you to Jess for the gorgeous pic of the Great Elemental from Star of the Elements and for offering to do fanart...'tis much appreciated. :) Until next time... - TN

Slowly, I opened my eyes, finding myself back in the dungeon. I was almost relieved, except that I knew that I was still chained and that Aku could come for me at any moment. My body ached all over and my soul was not much better in terms of how much my heart ached for my lost family and people.

I lowered my head, knowing that there was nothing to do now but hang here and wait for the end to come.

Suddenly, my ears caught the sound of high heeled shoes clicking on stone and it was getting close. I looked up through my hair that had since been torn from its topknot, wondering if it was perhaps Ekirei returning to torment me further. I watched the door carefully, waiting, not at all expecting what I saw.

There, illuminated by the eerie orange lights behind her, stood Chimitsu. She was wingless and wearing a different set of clothes this time. Instead of the green blouse and white skirt, she wore a purple blouse with a shorter black skirt that revealed much of her slim legs. On her feet were a pair of elegant black heels that clicked noisily on the stone ground when she walked.

I closed my eyes, trying to deny that she was there. It was impossible. She was wingless, a mortal now, how was it that she could have made it all this way into Aku's fortress without being harmed? Yet the sound of the clicking heels walking towards me was no illusion.

Looking down through the curtain of hair, I could see the heels as she stopped right in front of me. Gently, she tipped my chin up so that I could look at her, her eyes showing her usual compassion and cheeriness. She was even smiling at me, clearly relieved to see me again.

I swallowed hard, feeling the fear rise in my chest. I had seen her lose her wings, seen her struggle to fight against a mob of humans without her power. If she could not fight her way through that, then how could she have fought her way through countless minions to this dungeon?

Something did not feel right about this. Even I would have had some trouble fighting my way down here, yet she did not appear to have even a scratch upon her pale skin. The only way she could have come this far was if she was Aku or Ekirei, a thought that I did NOT wish to think about.

In no way did I ever want to face another Ikra.

Slowly she leaned up closer to me and I could not resist, finding it hard to believe that she was really here, safe and sound, and had come for me. I closed my eyes as I felt the petal-soft lips on mine again, praying that this was no illusion or trick of Ekirei's. That it was honestly, truly Chimitsu standing there, gently kissing me.

I responded warmly, urgently, very much wanting to believe that it was her there safe and sound, even without her wings and her power. It looked and felt like her, even kissed tenderly like her. I desperately wanted it to be her and not some illusion, even though an illusion seemed so much more likely.

I could feel her hands on my face, her fingers sinking into my hair a bit as the kiss began to get a bit more desperate. I did not know what to think or believe now, torn between wanting it to be Chimitsu and fearing that it was Aku or Ekirei. A part of me felt stronger as a result of such a kiss, as if I could break free from these chains if I wished it, but I did not understand how this could be, especially when it could be coming from my mortal enemy.

But she was so soft, so warm, and I could smell the scent of a soft spring rain radiating from her. There was no mistaking it. She was here.

You wish it was you and dear little Chimitsu there kissing like that, don't you?

Ekirei's words from the night before ran like ice down my spine and once again, I debated on whether or not I had wanted it to be Chimitsu and myself in their shoes. Did I want to kiss her so lustfully? Would she want to be kissed like that? I had the chance, but I was still so very uncertain.

Slowly, she pulled away, gazing into my eyes with a gentle smile on her face as she lightly caressed my jaw.

Behind her, I heard more footsteps approaching and saw the silhouettes of Ekirei and Mad Jack approaching. They entered the dungeon, eyes showing a bit of disbelief upon seeing Chimitsu, but slowly smirked. Damn...they knew exactly what I knew, that she was human and that they could kill her now. I tensed, which drew Chimitsu's attention and she turned around, facing them.

"Welcome, Chimitsu. Come for your samurai, I see. A pity that you can't do a thing to save him now." my double said.

As if on cue, Eki held up a hand and fired a green orb in our direction at blinding speed. I could not move and there was no way that Chimitsu could block it or get out of its way in time. This was it. We were going to both die and there was nothing we could do about it.

But, it seemed that Chimitsu was unafraid.

As the orb closed in, she stood a few feet in front of me, her left arm raised and crossed over towards her right shoulder. Stupid! She was going to try to block it and take the brunt of its force for me! She was going to be killed instantly!

*SWAT*

I stared at Chimitsu in disbelief as she smacked the green orb aside as if it was an annoying toy, sending it flying down another corridor, where it exploded and took out a good portion of the wall with it. Impossible! I had faced those orbs before and knew that no mortal could ever do such a thing.

Mad Jack and Eki stared at her in shock, also wondering how a mortal could have deflected a killing strike like that. The silence that had fallen upon the dungeon was deafening. Nobody moved, nobody even seemed to breathe. The only one who did not seem at all shocked by this was Chimitsu herself.

Suddenly, the back of her blouse split apart into tattered threads as two white wings sprouted from her back. I stared, my eyes wide at the sight. She had lost her wings. I had seen them disappear with my own two eyes. Eki had known and said that Chimitsu was human, that she could never regain her wings and her power as the Wind Elemental.

Yet she stood there before me in her green Chinese-print dress, her white wings whole and unfurled behind her, blocking our doubles from getting to me.

"That's impossible! She lost her wings! She was human! A pitiful mortal! She can't do that!" Eki cried in frustration.

They began to run towards us and I tensed, knowing that there was no way Chimitsu could keep them both at bay. Yet, she did not have to. She sent them back with a short burst of wind and then, miraculously, my katana appeared in her hands.

"Chimitsu-chan...how?" I asked.

"No time to explain. First we fight, then I'll explain after we've gotten out of this hellhole."

I held still as she unsheathed the blade and aimed it in my direction. I swallowed hard, realizing that she kill me in an instant with it and there was nothing I could do to stop it. I swallowed hard and closed my eyes, bowing my head in what I knew was going to be certain defeat.

In one clean strike, she shattered the chains holding me. I dropped to the ground and quickly got to my feet, taking only a split second to shrug my shoulders to get the circulation going in my arms again. She had freed me. She could have struck me down and she did just the opposite.

Now there was no doubt in my mind that it was Chimitsu, although I was not the only one who had realized this. Mad Jack and Eki were beginning to recover from the initial shock of seeing her, too. Chimitsu wasted no time and tossed my katana to me, the blade shimmering in the light of the dungeon.

I caught it effortlessly, relieved to have it back in my hands. Whenever it was not at my side, I was uneasy. I always felt safer whenever it was at my side or close at hand within easy reach. Chimitsu unsheathed her nodachi from her back and spun it around in her hands expertly as the others closed in, heading immediately for Ekirei.

That was just fine with me.

"I don't know how your little angel girl did it, but she's gonna regret ever regaining her wings." he snarled.

I roared furiously and swung down, catching him across the shoulder. He was going to pay. He was going to pay for what he had done to her, hurting her, driving her into such a state that she lost her wings and her power!

Never before had I felt like taking revenge like this before. It was one thing for him to try killing me, to stir people up just to draw us out and hunt us down, but to come so very close to raping Chimitsu? It was completely unforgivable on any level.

I wanted to see him suffer, to see him begging for mercy. I did not want to give him any such satisfaction, either, not when he had not shown Chimitsu any mercy when he had thrown her to that conjured bed. He did not deserve it and I would certainly not give it to him, no matter how hard he pleaded.

No, the only thing he deserved was pain and suffering.

He retaliated and I just barely avoided a strike aimed for my throat. With a soft growl, I swung back, meeting his blade, pushing against it, trying to force him back. It was impossible for me to snap the blade and we both knew it.

He grinned sadistically and began to slash furiously at me. I quickly dashed out of the way, feeling the tiny burst of wind as the blade passed inches from my body, giving me no room for a mistake. The only trouble was, he was now backing me up and I did not want to do that.

With a burst of strength, I pushed back against him, shoving him away before making a quick strike that caught his side. He snarled and ignored it, blocking the next strike with such force that I was almost knocked off balance. I had to be careful. The last time we had met, I almost did not survive.

Over and over again he struck, but unlike last time, he was unable to land as many blows on me. Was it because I had simply been in shock of seeing him again last time or was it something more? He was an Elemental now, he had the same amount of strength, if not more, than Chimitsu and her double Ekirei had, which meant that any of them could clearly outdo me in sheer power.

Yet I was able to easily keep up with him this time.

Every move he made, ever strike that came my way, I was able to see and almost before he made it. Something had happened between the last time we had met and now, I just did not know what. Last time he had seemed so powerful, so utterly unbeatable and now it felt as if his defeat was well within my grasp.

Left, right, left, right, strike, block, every move was easily matched. I could not even feel the burning ache in my arms as they strained to keep up with the movements after being chained still for so long. I hissed in pain as his blade raked along my back over my shoulderblades, forcing it down long enough to block the strike aimed for my side.

I was beginning to tire, not just from the battle, but from the lack of food, sleep, and the mental exhaustion I had endured. Of course, as an Elemental, my dark twin had no such limitation. He had not even broken a sweat yet and I knew it would be some time before he did, likely long after I had worn down to the point of faltering and being killed.

"Tired?" he asked.

"Not by a long shot. I will fight to the death if I must."

"Then I'll try to make it a quick one."

He slashed again and I blocked, trying to push him down. He allowed this for a brief moment before shoving upwards, making me take a few steps back. A stinging blow tore open my thigh and with a roar, I charged, slashing viciously with renewed strength.

I could not allow myself to tire or succumb to the pain of my injuries or the ache that was making itself well known in my arms and shoulders. I could not give up, not for any reason. To give up meant my death and likely Chimitsu's as well.

He backed up, blocking, but it was clear that he was having difficulty in doing so. He wore a furious, determined expression, but I could see in his eyes that he could not believe that I was landing more blows on him this time instead of the other way around like the last time. Of course, the last time he had seen me, I had been so defeated and worn, waiting for the end.

Now I had been fueled by the sight of Chimitsu regaining her wings and a desire to live, to not give up. I felt foolish for ever thinking about giving up, knowing that my father would never have given up, no matter what the circumstances. He would have kept a strong hope until the end as I had a feeling he did.

Despite what had appeared to me in the dream, I knew that both my father and my mother died with the hope that someday, I would return and finish off Aku once and for all. If I gave up, that would never happen and I could not possibly disappoint them or any of the people that I had met who had such faith in me.

All those children I had seen on occasion, waiting to catch a glimpse of me on the streets, dressed in replica kimonos like mine, carrying wooden swords as I had once done as a child. Those children had a hope I never had, a hero to look up to. I had my father, but seeing him fall to Aku had broken my heart, realizing that even heroes could fall.

I still loved my father and missed him dearly, even hoped beyond hope that I would see him again someday, though the logical part of me knew that it was next to impossible to do so. I would not let those children down, let them see their hero fall so that they lose hope. It would break my heart to see those children lose hope that one day, this world would be rid of Aku.

I dashed in again, slicing with lightning speed, striking once, twice, three, four times on his shoulder, back, forearm and shin. He was not at all happy about this and came back with as much speed and power as I had summoned, forcing me to block. I yelped as he tore away a part of my kimono on my back that had already been shredded, the white silk falling away to reveal the family crest I had tattooed there.

"What's this? The Minamoto mon?"[1] he asked.

I had nearly forgotten about it. I had received it upon my return to Japan from my training, at the temple where I had found my mother. All that I had left of my kimono from before was a tattered scrap that held the family crest and it was from that worn piece that the monks had given me the tattoo as a sign of who I was, so that I would never forget. It was on my shoulderblade, where they had placed it so long ago.

"Yes. So I would never forget who I am, no matter where I went."

"Heh. Sentimental fool."

Our blades met over and over again, sparking wildly until we came face to face with each other, the sharp edges of our twin katanas just inches from our necks.

"I fight for my family, my friends, my people...to all those who believe in me. Who do you fight for, futago?" I taunted.

"I fight because I can. Do you really think you can outmatch the Elemental of War?"

I gasped and snarled as his katana bit deeply into my right arm close to my shoulder. He had taken advantage of my momentary surprise and struck painfully. I held my left hand over the wound to try and stop the bleeding while my head spun from the shock of his revelation.

Elemental of War? Now that explained a lot. Why he was so strong, why he had such skill and cleverness besides that which I possessed. No wonder he could match me so easily and why he brought me down so fast last time. I had not been so surprised that I could not fight. He simply had more power to him this time around.

That...was not a good thing.

"I see. You may be the Elemental of War, but I know how you think. You and I are still one and the same." I said, straightening.

"Heh. Are you sure 'bout that?"

He struck and I blocked, returning the strike. Left, right, left, right, up, down, left, right, over and over our blades clashed once more. I dodged, he dodged, both of us equally matched for the moment. I circled him, watching him carefully, knowing that he would be trying to think of something I did not already know about.

And then there was his darkness, which meant that he was prone to trickery and cheating. The words "fair fight" were not at all in his vocabulary. I already knew to be careful, but somehow, I doubted that he was going to use any magic that he might have known on me. He enjoyed a good, old-fashioned, hand-to-hand battle instead of finishing me quickly with magic.

Quickly, I dashed in, springing into the air. He matched the move, both of us heading for the other with rapid speed until we finally collided. The force of the blow nearly took me off balance, a large spark flying from our blades as they scraped against each other, actually making a small crater in the ground where it landed.

I landed and turned to face him, feeling my exhaustion begin to weigh heavily on me. This battle had to end very quickly or Chimitsu and I would never get out of here. I caught brief glimpses of her and Ekirei on occasion, both using identical nodachis, each as equal in power to the other as Mad Jack and I were. At least for the most part. He had the advantage of being an Elemental and both Chimitsu and Eki were Elementals.

I sprang forward, intending on ending this immediately, slashing furiously with one last burst of strength. I was tiring now and I was certain he could see that in me, even feel it along our connection. I could have tried to draw on his power, but I did not have the strength to fight him for it at the moment.

He pushed me back and brought his katana down hard, forcing me to block awkwardly. Instantly, I could feel my wrist snap and went spinning to the ground from the sheer force of the strike. I fell hard, catching myself with my left hand before I struck the ground, panting hard.

Shit...that hurt....that hurt bad....almost took my hand off....

I could sense him standing behind me with a nasty grin on his face, gloating triumphantly. I could feel the feeling of victory radiating from him along our connection, sense him spin his own katana around in his hand. Looking down at my right hand, I could see it hanging at a bad angle, shattered and useless now. However, that did not mean that I could not fight. I still had my left hand and had been trained to fight ambidexterously.

My own katana was a few feet away, just within reach if I timed this just right. I could feel him take a step forward and raise his katana overhead, intending on cutting me down. He apparently did not know that I could fight with either hand or figured that I was not thinking of it at the moment.

At the last moment, I pushed off my hand and feet, rolling out of the way and coming up with my katana in my left hand. Before he could counter or dodge, I slashed down at an angle, slicing from shoulder down to hip, right to left. He gasped and fell to his knees, pressing his hands to his soft side where I had struck deep, trying to prevent the wound from bleeding too much.

I stood there, panting, exhausted, watching him back up and retreat a bit, not wanting to continue the battle. Nonetheless, I still did not dare to take my eyes from him lest he actually try to attack again. I sheathed my katana and gently cradled my right forearm in my hand, keeping it against my stomach to keep it from moving too much until Chimitsu could get to it.

"Minamoto-kun, abunai!"[2]

I whirled around in time to get caught with a shimmering blue orb in the chest, watching it sink into my body instead of knocking me over like the usual green ones did. Chimitsu wasted no time in viciously slamming the hilt of her nodachi into her double's chin to stun her, but the damage had already been done. I had already been weakened by the stress and fight with my own dark twin and it did not take much for the effects of the blue orb to be revealed.

Within moments, my body began to weaken and my head began to spin dizzily. I felt so very ill, falling to my knees as the exhaustion swept over me. My vision began to swim and blur, so much that I almost did not see Chimitsu running over to catch me before I collided with the ground.

"Minamoto-kun! Minamoto-kun!"

Slowly, her panicked voice began to fade and once more, I slipped off into darkness.

[1]mon= family crest
[2]abunai= look out!