Rikku: Konnichiwa minna! (Hi everyone!) I'm so excited about this fic that I'm starting one chapter straight away after the other. You probably know who made the big entrance and if you don't... then you're probably brain dead. Haha, just kidding, just kidding.

Thanks to:

Nakashima-Michiyo

sakura-star69

Sentra

dranzy (lol, noooo!)

star pana

shaman7

aaaa322

saber-kon (Dewa Mata means See you later.)

syaoranz gurl

Rikku: So... here's the chapter most of you have been waiting for... enjoy!

Winter of Love

Chapter 17: The One that Holds my Heart

My hand trembled in Kamui's and I slowly felt a familiar feeling return to me...

... he was here.

Kamui fixed a gaze on the intruder, Akira stood up from his seat abruptly and the bridesmaids were all gaping like a school of fish.

... And he just stood there. In the middle of the open door frame with the sun's light slowly inching into the church around him. It almost looked like a scene pulled out of a movie.

He was watching me... with the same eyes Kamui had been watching me with before the intrusion. And I stood there. With my hand wrapped in Kamui's, trying to decipher what those eyes were trying to tell me.

I knew it...

If I waited... he would have come.

I slowly retreated my hand away from Kamui and turned to face the visitor.

... he came for me.

"Horo!" I cried as I pulled the veil off my head and broke into a sudden run.

Away from Kamui...

...from Akira...

... and straight past the guests, back down the aisle and into his open arms.

I wept into his shirt, holding onto him... afraid to let go. I felt his arms hold me tightly... just like how they used to.

Back into his arms... where I truly belonged.

"Miho..." he softly whispered... his voice told me he had been through a lot... so much, I thought, that I couldn't help but feel so guilty...

"You came for me..." I spoke in between sobs, refusing to let go.

"It's okay," he assured me, kissing my forehead lightly. "don't cry... I"m here." he softly nudged me to let go, and hesitantly, I did so. Eyeing me with a wide grin, he finally spoke again. "I'd never thought I'd see you in a dress..." he blushed a small tint of red. "... you look beautiful, by the way."

Hearing him say it made me feel more like it then when Kamui had said so... it felt so natural to hear his words. "And you still look as good as ever." I chuckled.

He smirked and snaked an arm around my waist as he spoke to the person at the altar. "You Kamui?"

Kamui, who had been watching in mild shock, nodded slowly. "Yeah, that's me."

"I'm here to take Miho back." Horo said sternly.

This time, I could hear the girl from the crowd shout, "Yesss!"

That's when everyone there broke into outraged whispers.

"Chotto... (wait...) who's he?"

"Does Miho know him?"

"He's cute!" (Rikku: Grr... he's mine! All mine! ...Ahem, heh heh, I mean, he's Miho's.)

"What does he mean take back?"

Akira's hands were formed into fists now- they seemed to be shaking as well...

"HoroHoro! Wait up, will ya!?"

Horo and I turned around to see two familiar faces approaching. Yoh was running towards us with Anna camly trailing behind.

"Hey... tomodachi... (friend...)" Yoh panted. He patted my shoulder weakly.

I couldn't find a single word that could describe the overwhelming feeling growing in me. I was with my life's love and two of my best friends... and they were going to help me escape from the nightmare my father had created. "Yoh..." I tried hard to crack a smile through my tears as I caught Yoh in a tight embrace. "Arigatou! (Thank you!)"

"Hey," Anna said softly, once I pulled away from the previous hug. "you know, the shrine's not really the same without you."

"Anna..." I sniffed, hugging her as well.

And to think...

I almost doubted I would have been in that happy atmosphere ever again...

Horo took hold of my hand next and I comfortably cuddled up to his arm as he turned to my father. "Well...?" he began. "You're not really going to deprive your daughter of this kind of happiness, are you?"

Everyone in the church turned to Akira and Seiji, finally getting the picture. A couple of outraged rich women clung onto their jackets, purses, whatever, as they gasped in horror.

Seiji hastily wiped his forehead of the sweat that had began dripping as he sunk lower into his seat. Akira, didn't seemed one bit effected however.

Kamui sighed and mumbled something incomprehensible under his breath as he took a seat on the carpeted steps he stood on.

...Silence...

"Oh Kami-sama! (Oh God!)" a perky voice suddenly cried. It was Yuki. "You mean, it was arranged!?"

Ahh... a little slow as well.

Everyone ignored her cry as Ayumi took care of it by slapping the back of her head. "Oww..." she whined.

I sighed. "Akira... father... Horo is who I truly love... you can't force me to leave him again now that he's with me." I paused to check his reaction- still no emotion. "Gomen nasai. (I'm sorry)."

"Sugiyama-san," Yoh bowed to Akira. "With all due respect, sir... we're here to take Miho home... this isn't her place."

"Akira," Anna seemed to be a bit far off from polite. "We're prepared to take on any task you shall put before us, should you choose not to co-operate."

"Yeah, dude." Horo grinned. I slapped his arm disaprovingly. "Ow... I mean, ahem, sir..." he slowly frowned. "I'm not going to let you take Miho away from me again to marry some random rich guy, and I'll fight you if I have to."

"Then so be it." Akira grumbled, moving away from his seat to the aisle. "If a fight is the real way to settle this-"

"Chotto matte kudasai. (Wait just a moment.)"

Akira and Seiji quickly turned to look at Kamui. He had his head lowered and his elbows propped on his knees with his hands on the back of his head. He looked up slowly. "I'll fight for Miho."

I frowned. "Kamui... yameru (stop), you don't know what you're doing."

"Actually I do." he got up and brushed the dust off of his jacket. "I'll do anything it takes to marry you."

Seiji hastily got off his seat, but quickly sat back down as his wife made a funny fainting sound and collapsed to the floor.

Horo released my hand to form his own into a fist and rub it with the other. "Good, I could really use a practice dummy."

"You won't be saying that after I beat you." Kamui took a few steps forward.

"You sure talk a lot... but can you back up all those words, blondie?"

"Don't get cocky with me." Kamui grinned. "You know what they say. All talk no action, ya freak."

"Is anyone gonna fight?" Yoh asked, yawning. Anna nudged him hard in the side.

"Oh, right." Horo chuckled. He reached for the snowboard tied to his back and Kamui went to break a thick wooden stick off the windows- that is, before a loud voice stopped them.

"Iie! (No!)" the priest shouted. "Not in the church."

A few groans came from the audience and sighs of relief from the older women.

"Then let's go outside!" Ayumi shouted anxiously.

Heh... it seemed I hadn't figured everything out about Ayumi yet.

So... that's what everyone did. Well, most of the other guests were held back by Kamui's bodyguards, so only Horo, Kamui, Anna, Yoh, Akira, Seiji, Ayumi, Yuki, Yoshiko and I were permitted to go. (Special passes for my new friends. :P)

Anna and Yoshiko stayed behind with me, however, to help me slip into the more comfortable outfit Yoshiko had hidden in her bag. The whole time, she had planned for me to escape if Horo hadn't come... go figure. ;)

The fight had been brought to the church's backyard... basically a sandy pit. And although, just a second ago, everyone had acted as if it were a circus act, everything seemed to have tensed up. I ran outside and all but collapsed into Horo's arms. I clenched his shirt tightly. "Don't screw up... just win."

He pulled me back so that I could have a good look at his reassuring smile...

...one I loved more than any Kamui could have flashed at me...

"Everything will be okay." he assured me.

"I believe in you... I have all this time." I smiled as well. "You won't let me down, right?"

Horo glanced at Kamui. "Don't worry... I won't let Goldie-locks over there get his hands on you ever again."

I bit my bottom lip. "I'm holding you to your word, by the way."

"You haven't changed, you know." Horo laughed. "Still the same demanding bitch-"

"Hey!"

"- that I love." he finished.

I stayed frozen to my spot at his words... it had been so long since the last time I heard him tell me he loved me. "I love you too..."

The shaman sighed contently. "I spoke to Ren, by the way..."

"Oh..."

"Now he understands it all and so do I. There's no more hard feelings between the two of us now... he says he doesn't love you the way I do," he shrugged. "and that he'll give Pirika a shot, but he just wants you to be happy. And you're happiest with me... right?"

I nodded. "Hai. (Yes.)"

"Guys?" Yoshiko interrupted. We turned to see her and everyone else with an expecting glare. "We want a fight, you know... Kyo. (Today.)"

"Better listen to the angry mob." Horo chuckled. I smirked and walked over to Anna's side.

I watched him intensely for a moment as he took a few steps forward and pulled the snowboard off his back. "If he doesn't win..." I trailed off at the sentence...

"He will." Anna said calmly. "You trust him, don't you?"

"Of course..."

"And with an advantage like that, he'll only fight stronger." she folded her arms. "If he knows you believe in him, he'll make a better effort to win you over. Kamui doesn't have your trust... so he pretty much doesn't have as much as HoroHoro does to fight for."

Yoh laughed and slung an arm over Anna's shoulders. "Yeah, what she said." he smiled. "Us guys will do anything for our girls. You see, if it wasn't for the eyes, lips, smooth legs, soft skin, pretty faces, slim bodies, boobs or butts, we'd never even lift a finger."

Anna quickly shrugged Yoh's arm off with an annoyed sigh. I merely stared at Yoh before breaking into laughter. Maybe he was right...

Akira stepped up between the two shamans- he seemed to have been in deep conversation with Seiji only moments before. "If... you two... agree," he sighed, as if regretting his next few words. "...the winner of this fight takes my daughter's hand in marriage... whoever it is."

My jaw dropped. "N-nani? (what?)"

Horo shook his head disaprovingly. "You can't-"

"Seiji and I spoke about it," Akira nodded toward Kamui- obviously, he still favoured him. "and we think it's fair."

"All is fair in love and war, ne?" Seiji shrugged from the sidelines.

"A-Akira-san..." Yoshiko stammered. "Surely, the wedding will still end up arranged- no matter who the winner really is."

"I am aware of that." Akira said. "I'll leave you two to think about it." he glanced at both Horo and Kamui before striding over to me. I stepped back. "Miho... I think it's about time we really talk..."

"What do you mean talk?" I raised a brow.

"All your life... I've been making desicions for you... you made that clear."

Where was he going with this...?

"In a year, you'll be an adult. Which means you'll be able to take care of yourself- and so," Akira took a deep breath and turned to the shamans. "I have to stop trying to control you... this... this, will be my last desicion for you."

"Y-you mean for me to marry the winner, right?" I asked.

"Yes- that's my final wish..."

"So I'm nothing but a trophee wife..." I sighed. 'His last desicion, huh?' I had been waiting for that all my life- to truly gain my independence from him... and his last desicion was going to be the biggest one of my life...

'Now Horo has to win... onegai (please)... just,' "Ki o tsukete! (Be careful!)" I hollered.

I watched Horo hop onto his snowboard as Kamui tightly clenched the short wooden stick one of his bodyguards had just given him- ahh... kendo. He called on a spirit with a similar stick. It was tall with a glare cold enough to send chills down my spine and his sharp teeth seemed so vicious. A revenge seeker no doubt.

"Kororo..." Horo grinned. The Koropokkuru quickly entered the snowboard with hesitation.

"Who's he calling for?" Yuki questioned. "I don't see anyone..."

"Yeah..." Ayumi frowned. "Why is he on a snowboard anyway?"

Kamui made the first move after his spirit had engaged into his kendo stick, heading in for a hit. He swung his stick skillfully, but Horo quickly dogged it.

"Sugoi! (Wow, amazing!)" Yoshiko gasped. "How is he able to make that snowboard float?"

Horo then returned the attack with his own Kau Kau Furi Wenfei, piercing Kamui hard in his left arm. He slightly winced at the pain, gently tabbing his fingers on the cut and glancing to see blood stained all over his hand. He smirked and spun the kendo stick in his hands so rapidly, it nearly disappeared from sight. Kamui then unleashed a deafening blow by smashing the tip onto the ground, causing it to break apart into a large crack as a source of energy flowed through it, sharply connecting with Horo's entire body.

"Abunai! (Look out!)" Yoh called, clenching his own sword as if ready to strike as Horo's back up.

I clenched my hands into tight fists... "C'mon Horo..."

Horo suddenly emerged from the blow as the energy seemed to have faded away with a few scratches on his arms, legs, and across his face. One of his eyes seemed to have been slightly damaged as he had it shut with only the other open for sight. He flew closer to Kamui, trying to counter with his Ebishingi Tesshipe, but Kamui seemed too quick as he dodged and stabbed the end of his stick into Horo's stomach.

I half wanted to run over to his side and fight off Kamui on my own, but the other half prevented me from going and glued me to my spot.

Akira and Seiji seemed satisfied as they smirked in an evil manner. Yoh watched the battle intensely, Anna stayed calm though I did noticed a few drops of sweat on her forehead and Yoshiko, Ayumi and Yuki stared in utter confusion.

"Please be okay..." I whispered.

Horo slid back from the attack, still on his board but breathing slightly harder. I watched his lips form into a grin as he slowly steadied himself for what I'd call the finishing blow.

Kamui seemed to have sensed Horo's energy,- as did the rest of us, minus the three lost women- judging by his widened eyes and dropped jaw. Horo's grin widened in a way similar to the facial expression of movie star ready to pull a kickass move in a karate filled movie. Kamui bit his bottom lip, looking around as if for a shield.

His mind seemed to have struck an idea as he began running toward Horo.

"What is he...?" I began, only to trail off as I watched Kamui pass by Horo and come running for the others and I...

"Kamui!" Horo yelled angrily as the other shaman chuckled slightly, quickly manuevering in order to grab a hold of my neck by his left arm from behind.

I struggled hard to breath as his arm crushed harder against my neck. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him toss away his stick and reach for his side where he pulled out what seemed to be a sharp dagger...

He held it to my neck, the tip touching it slightly as it cut lightly into my flesh. "Anyone make a move... and she gets it."

"Get your hands off of her!" Horo shouted.

Akira approached Kamui and I cautiously. "What are you doing to my daughter!?"

I remained calm, bringing my hands up to his arm in hopes of prying it off me.

"You can't attack me if it'll hit her as well." Kamui said fiercely to Horo.

Desperate one, ne?

Anna and Yoh watched helplessly from the sidelines. I couldn't tell what Yoshiko and Ayumi were doing but I could faintly here Yuki scream in terror.

"Kamui..." Horo warned, "Just back down and claim your loss."

"Iie... (no...)" Kamui's voice pressed hard against my now bleeding neck. "I love Miho and I'm not going to give her up so easily..."

"So you're willing to put her life in danger?" Anna asked in disbelief.

"Leave him be." Seiji said calmly.

"What do you mean by that?" Akira thundered, now turning around to approach Seiji dangerously.

"Don't touch him either." Kamui warned Akira, twisting the blade slightly deeper into my neck. I winced, unable to even make a squeak out of fear.

Time seemed to have stopped.

Akira stopped his approach toward Seiji.

Yoh and Anna prevented themselves from doing anything, in fear of pushing Kamui too far.

Yuki had fainted again and Ayumi was by her side, but she was watching me instead of the nineteen-year-old and Yoshiko stayed frozen.

Horo watched me painfully, uncertain of what to do.

I tried telling him with my eyes that it was okay... that I could slip out of this and he could attack... he had to win me over... for the sake of our relationship.

"Horo..." I whispered, hoping he could hear. The result ended with Kamui pressing his arm harder to my neck.

Horo's eyes then locked with mine and I tried slowly to nod... to tell him to attack.

'Just do it!'

Horo walked toward us slowly, mouthing an, "Are you sure?"

I nodded again.

He stopped walking and took a deep breath.

"What's he...?" Akira inquired in mild shock, unable to finish his sentence.

Horo steadied himself again and moved swiftly, ready to deliver his Mososo Kurrupe.

(Rikku: By the way, I'm sorry if the attacks don't exactly fit the description of how they form, how they attack, etc., etc., but then again, I've only watched the dubbed and well, you know how horrible it's dubbed.)

"HoroHoro, no!" Yoh cried.

I watched the attack form as I acted quickly by twisting Kamui's arm. He stumbled back, holding it painfully as I made my next move by elbowing him square in his guts. I then ducked down, creating an opening for Horo's attack as it then connected with Kamui forcefully, creating a massive amount of smoke.

I felt the salvation return to me as I fell onto my knees, hastily breathing in fresh air and clutching my shirt almost fearfully. Horo ran over to me and knelt down by my side to check my state.

"Daijobu ka? (Are you okay?)" he asked, brushing blood away from my neck. His voice had cracked uneasily.

"Daijobu... (I'm okay...)" I nodded, still gasping for air. "Did you win?"

"I'm not sure..." Horo stood up.

I sighed, weakly standing up and leaning on Horo for a bit of support. "Why don't we ever get a break?"

Sure enough, a limp body struggled to walk out of the smoke. Kamui was gripping onto his kendo stick tightly...

"What the fuck...?" Horo swore, training his focus on the blond.

"He's insane!" Ayumi squealed, then turning to Yuki to shake her hard by her shoulders.

"Seiji..." Akira warned, glaring daggers at the millioniare.

"I won't give up... not that easily..." Kamui panted, holding his stick steadily and breaking into another run towards Horo and I as the weapon glowed with a source of energy.

"Get out of the way!" Horo cried hastily, grabbing me by the shoulders and pushing me roughly to the side.

I stumbled a few metres away, watching Horo quickly blocked Kamui's attack with an attack of his own.

The two clashes fused together into a giant energy bomb, then engulfing the two shamans into a massive amount of smoke, swarming the entire area, leaving everyone else either shielding their eyes or breaking into coughing fits.

"Horo!" I coughed, retreating my arms away from my eyes to watch the smoke fade away slowly... I could faintly see the outline of a figure standing while another laid limp on the ground...

This was it...

The last one standing... was the victor...

That one person standing won my hand...

In marriage...

But who was it?

Rikku: Another cliffy and I have a feeling most of you are going to kill me for it. Meep! Runs to hide behind Horo-kun.

So... will this end happily or will the whole nightmare repeat itself all over again?

Stay tuned to find out and don't forget to leave me a review!! (If you don't kill me first! :P)

Dewa Mata! (See you later!)

x-Rikku-x