CHAPTER 12: Fight The Power!

Kataru could tell Mawata wasn't happy. He didn't need to see her face to know that. They were in his room at the Palace of Leafe and she was sitting on his bed, watching him pull his armor (which he hadn't worn since the last battle and would be bloody lucky to squeeze into now) out of the storage trunk, straightening it out on the floor.

"So... you're a prince?" she asked softly.

"Yep. Don't I just scream royalty?" he teased, flashing her a quick smile. Deep down, he was nervous as hell.

Mawata didn't even smile. Damn, she was REALLY upset. "And you absolutely HAVE to go to war?"

"S'not like I bloody want to get meself covered in nasty bits. As the Prince, I kinda have to, though."

"Oh."

Sighing, he sat back on his heels, really studying her for a while. It wasn't the fact he'd hid his secret from her that had her so sad. She was scared of him going to war and possibly not coming back. Was it really sick of him to be flattered by that? Naw! Sighing again, he stood up, climbing onto the bed to half-sit in the middle of it with her. He took her hand, squeezing it. "Look, you shouldn't worry 'til ya see the body bag, okay? 'Sides, I kicked this ruddy bitch's arse once before, I can bloody well do it again." That got him the smile he was looking for. He kissed the dimple on her cheek, lips lingering a little. If he didn't come back, at least he had this to take with him. "Oi, got an idea, love." He spoke with his lips still hovering against her cheek.

"You do?" she asked suspiciously, turning toward him slightly. Their lips were just a few centimeters from touching and he really wanted to close the distance... but he knew if he did they probably wouldn't stop.

"I just remembered I bought a new hair dye...let's dye our hair!"

Mawata laughed, pushing him away from her. "I can't dye my hair!"

"Why the hell not? Don'tcha think we'd be soooo cute together with matchin' hair?" He grinned, poking her side playfully. "It's a nice color, too."

"What color?" There was a mischievous sparkle to her eyes as she spoke.

He knew with that he had her. Smile turning wicked, he wiggled his eyebrows. "Me to know and you to find out when yer hair dries. C'mon, let's do it."

Sighing, Mawata scooted off the bed. "It better not be yellow. I'd look awful with yellow hair."

Laughing, he grabbed her hand and the small bag he'd brought with him and dragged her into the bathroom. "We've gotta be quick, though. Not too long 'fore I've gotta get suited up in me pretty gear!"

Kei glared at Sete. Sete glared back. "You are the most stubborn woman I've ever had the unfortunate experience of sharing my bed with!"

"And you're the biggest asshole I ever decided to grace with my presence," she snapped back, eyes suspiciously shiny. Like she was about to cry. Ha, as if tears would work on him!

"If you're so insistant on going to war with me, you keep your ass at my side at all times," Kei shouted back.

"Fine! What, do you think I'll run off with Mannen in the middle of the fight or something?"

"MANNEN? Dear, aren't you a little old to be looking at Mannen?"

Sete gasped, hands going to her hips. "Are you saying I'm old?" she demanded.

Kei shrugged. "Three words: anti-aging cream."

"Shows how much you know, dumb ass! That's two words. 'Anti-aging' is hyphenated!"

"And just when the hell did you get a job with Webster's Dictionary, you damn tart?"

"TART? First I'm old, and now I'm a TART? At least I don't look like a drag queen reject!"

Kei bristled at that, golden eyes glaring into jade ones. "What, jealous I look prettier than you?" He grabbed her wrist as she brought her hand back to slap him, pulling her in tightly to him. Sete struggled against his hold, wrists pinned behind her back in both of his hands. She let out a frustrated growl, struggles ceasing abruptly. Kei arched a brow questioningly. "Was that a good enough argument?"

"Yes," she mumbled.

"So can we move on to the actual kissing stuff?"

"Yeah, yeah...horny bastard."

He smiled as he kissed not her lips but the side of her neck, running his mouth lightly over the pulse beating steadily. He knew that she enjoyed having her neck kissed and bitten lightly very much. And he wasn't disappointed in her reaction either. Her back stiffened a little before relaxing with a shudder, a small sigh breaking from her throat. "Mm... you like it. You think I'm hot stuff, admit it."

"AND your arrogant!"

Kei drew back scowling. "Are you about finished with the insults, woman?"

Sete's lips fought the smile forming. "Just about... boy."

"GOD! Why do I put up with you?"

Giving him a teasing pout, she said mockingly, "Aw, you like it. You think I'm hot- mrph!"

He kissed her roughly to get her to shut the hell up. And this time she let him without a fight.

Feryn held Yayoi, head resting on hers, swaying slightly. Her mp3 player was on, playing their song and they were dancing to it. 'Breathe' by Faith Hill. Such a perfect song for them, even if it was a country artist. He kissed her hair gently, letting her scent envelope him. A year ago, he would not have thought he would be so happily in love. What he had with her was only something he had found in books. And to think it had been while he was trying to seduce Himeno that he discovered Yayoi! He loved her, more than anything in his entire life. She was his reason for drawing breath and staying alive. She was IT, as Kataru would have put so bluntly.

"Feryn?" she whispered, sniffling. She was trying so hard not to cry, and he hugged her tighter for a moment, proud of how very strong she was.

"Oui, ma belle fleur?" he whispered back, pulling back slightly to stare into her eyes.

Tears trembled and threatened to fall, but she sniffed them back again, voice wavering as she spoke. "Do you think... we'll have our happily ever after?"

He smiled, leaning down to kiss the tip of her nose gently. He knew she did not like her nose. Or her eyes and hips, either. Thus, he dedicated more time to those areas than anywhere else. He wanted her to know how truly beautiful she was. "I will not settle for any other ending," he answered, fingers slipping back into her hair.

Yayoi smiled and nodded as she leaned up into his kiss. "Good," she said against his lips.

Ginshima and Kinshima sat together on the Queen of Nightmare's throne, one on each arm. They'd been left with a very special mission from their Queen, though both were uneasy at not being by her side for the final battle.

"How long does it take for a man to notice his female is gone?" Ginshima ranted, silver eyes flashing in the dull light coming from a source slightly above the throne.

Kinshima smiled patiently, very familiar with his twin's impatience for a fight. "Don't worry, Ginshima. The Knight of Wind will be here soon. In fact, if I'm not mistaken, I believe he just arrived."

Both twins stood as one as a fierce wind pounded against the window pains of the throne room, pulsing on the wooden doors. There was a sharp cracking sound and then the doors were ripped from their hinges, hurling across the room and into the wall behind the twins without ever touching them. A dark figure stood there, black hair whipping around freely. The only thing clearly seen from him were glowing blue eyes, the paler flecks snapping against the darker background like lightening strikes.

"Well, if it isn't the Knight of Wind coming to save his Pretear bitch," Ginshima taunted as Hayate entered the throne room, the wind growing stronger the closer he got. Kinshima smirked at his brother's words.

"Where is she?" Hayate demanded, his voice resounding and carrying with the wind so that it was both deeper and more powerful than normal. Both of them frowned identically. It was almost like the knight was becoming his leafe. How...odd.

The twins exchanged glances, slow smiles spreading across their faces. Finally, an opponent who MIGHT stand a chance against them. Slowly, they turned back to him. "We have no reason to tell you, Leafe Knight," Kinshima replied.

"Then I'll give you a reason!"

Both men quickly threw up shields as the winds rose to a frightening new force, cracking at the stones around them, sending the throne smashing into the wall only to have the pieces picked up and turned into dangerous weapons sharp as any blade. He was MUCH stronger than they'd anticipated... but not as strong as the two of them combined! Looking at each other again, they nodded as one. They both made the same motion, bringing their hands together in front of their chests. There were twin flashes of gold and silver that faded quickly to reveal the two covered over in the metals they controled. The wind beat and slammed into them, digging deep furrows into the gold and silver coating, but it didn't actually touch the twins.

"Normally, I would be opposed to the uneven numbers," Kinshima said calmly, twin swords forming out of his metal covered hands. "But our Queen commanded that we were not to let you pass."

"Oh, don't sugar coat her words, brother?" Ginshima said mockingly, swords forming down both his arms as well. "She said something about painting her throne room floor red with his blood. I like that so much better!"

"As you will then, brother. Well, Knight of Wind, arm yourself!"

A slow smile spread across his face. The sheer malice behind it made both brothers shiver a little. The wind began to gather and solidify near both his hands, taking on long thin shapes that soon became blades. And still the wind howled and whipped around them, nearly knocking them off their feet. Amazing... it took a lot of leafe to create a weapon, and here he made two AND still maintained the leafe's natural power! This was going to be a glorious fight! "You said something about painting the floor with my blood," Hayate said coldly, the little smile still on his lips. "Are you going to give it a try or stand there all day talking tough?"

Ginshima and Kinshima charged as one, their four swords to his two. MUCH better odds than those of the Knight of Wind's!

Himeno could hear her pulse beating in her ears under the water, her hands still pulling on Jikan's wrists. She'd run out of air long ago, her lungs burning for the oxygen not too far above her. Hayate... where was he? He should be here by now, right? The lack of air was starting to make her whoozy, black spots eating at her vision. This wasn't good! If she passed out now, she was dead for sure. Her heart beat became louder and slower, her eyes heavy. She was tired... so very tired. All she wanted to do was sleep...

Except, if she slept, she was dead. And she'd never see Hayate and the others again. Well, she couldn't just wait here, drowning, for him to save her. If she wanted to live, she had to save herself! Her hands had fallen away from his wrists a long time ago, floating in the water near the surface. Himeno felt his fingers move away from her bruised throat, felt the water shift as he stepped away from her. Opening her eyes, she made her move, surging from the water and sucking the air into her lungs greedily, arm swinging forward to connect with the ruined side of Jikan's surprised face.

Jikan hit the water hard, floating away from her and spluttering in shock. "But... you were dead!"

"Don't be stupid," she sneered, body falling easily into a defensive stance, fists raised. The water dripping from her hair into her eyes was a little annoying, but she didn't dare take the time to move it. The Knight of Time was fast. One blink and she could be down under the water permanently. "You should never assume someone's dead if they aren't moving!"

Pushing to his feet, Jikan twisted his neck around, cracking the joints. "How foolish of me to assume you would die easily. No matter, if it means I get to kill you again, so much the better!"

Himeno braced herself as he came charging toward her, faster than she could follow almost. She managed to dodge the first few flurried attacks and even got a few more punches in, wheeling around as he circled behind her, constantly keeping him in sight.

Jikan stopped on the stairs leading out of the pool. smiling grimly. "I have a surprise for you, Pretear Himeno," he called out. He stepped aside, a knife flashing in his hand as he plunged it home in the chest of the person behind him.

Himeno's eyes widened, her fists dropping. "HAYATE!"

Hayate fell to his knees, staring at the knife in his chest. His blood flowed down his front and into the water, sitting just below the still surface. Moments later, he fell forward over the steps, hand trailing into the pool and completely limp.

Himeno screamed again, rushing over as Jikan stepped back, laughing shrilly.

Shimura smiled happily, her lovely dragons champing at the bridle impatiently. The cloud of nightmares and darkness spread before her, sucking the leafe up and feeding it to her, creating more horrors than before. Her army marched before her, the Dark Knights standing close to her side should she need them.

And right before her was the pathetically small army of Leafenia. One lone figure stood out front, white armor shining against the growing gloom. Shimura's pale blue eyes narrowed, smile fading as a hiss broke from her mouth. "Kataru." She spat the name like it was a curse, and to her it was. The last time she'd entered Leafenia, he'd been there and he'd fought her off. The battle had cost them both dearly. But she was stronger now, fueled by her collection of pets, and soon enough the White Pretear herself. IF Jikan did his job for a change. She'd left him in charge of making certain the White Pretear went completely mad before trapping her on the wall with the others. With the strength of will the White Pretear possessed, it was necessary to have her mind weakened in order to suck the leafe from her. Sane, and she could still fight back.

"Queen Shimura?" one of the knights asked from her side.

Smiling again at a sudden wash of leafe into her system, she laughed loudly, her voice raising above the cries of the army. "Make Leafenia mine!"

The armies screamed in response, rushing toward the awaiting dead men.

Kataru took a deep breath, watching as the Shadow Army came toward them in what felt like slow motion. His newly dyed violet and white striped hair blew back slightly in the soft breeze. His lips were moving slightly, and only Kondhae and Otoshi were aware of what was being said. Or, rather, sung. "Time to face the change. Ch-ch-changes."

"Sir?" Otoshi asked softly, eyes flicking over to the quickly advancing army.

Kataru smiled softly, shaking his head. "Bloody predictable bitch. Kondhae, break your team across the front, Otoshi hold back."

Both captains frowned at the orders. Kondhae's team was to sweep from the left across to the right? "But, sir, shouldn't I handle..."

Nodding in the direction of what looked to be Erelah's team, the Topaz Prince said, "That's not Erelah. Those are nightmages disguised as the ugly bastard."

"How do you know?"

"Because Alayna wouldn't be smilin' like that. Plus... Erelah isn't that hot to begin with. He's hidin' in that mass o' ruined leafe across the field. Otoshi, hold back and stay steady for the first blows. Signal for Ravijot to close in from the side and have Kei take his team to the air, but don't mess with the Queen o' Pansies. She's mine!"

Both hurried to do as he ordered, leaving Kataru to finish his song. "Time may change me, but I can't change time." Taking another deep breath, he called forth his spear, holding it high to give the signal for the teams to move. A cry rose up from behind him before Shimura's army was obscured behind Kondhae's swiftly moving team, Aleina and Kondhae having preted and taken the lead. "God, never asked you fer much before now... but I'd really like to come out o' this alive, and with me people safe. So, hopefully ya haven't stepped out an' turned yer answerin' machine on. You mate, Kataru."