Wow, you guys just keep coming to this fic don't you, no idea why. Though I will admit to feeling like the hit : review ratio is a bit off (2,000 hits, 10 reviews) to be honest I'm grateful to anyone for even taking the time to read this. Reviews are nice but hits are awesome too XD

Now then, to business. I have so far been choosing which sentence to write next based off of the rolling of percentile dice and halving of the result. This has given me the prompts up to the Fifth Feather. After this however I have a little idea, namely why don't you guys suggest which one to go next. This is not just a shameless attempt to pander reviews, I really would like to open the forum, hell I'm kinda tempted to start asking for prompts. Maybe for a sequel fic, or if I start to have some more time free.

Either way if anyone has an idea for which one goes sixth that'd be cool, 49 and 50 are being saved, aside from that anything goes. Now to the reason you're here...


Third Feather

It should have been raining.

If it was a story it would have been raining, the heavens pouring out their grief at what was happening. The world flooded by misery. Everything soaked in bitter, cold, numbing, painful-

A hand on her shoulder snapped Haihane from her reverie, wandering thoughts scattered and morose musings replaced by a far worse reality. Yet the sun still beamed down, pouring in the windows scattered in the walls and ceiling of the waiting room.

The waiting room in which they were stuck, the doctors having drawn the line at how many could wait closer. She'd intended to threaten them only to remember that these were the same personnel who would be treating...

She could not even think it. She simply could not. It wasn't fair, it wasn't right, it-it-

"Why the hell did he do that!" she roared. The explosion of noise and movement startling Musubi. The brawling Sekirei had been gently shaking her friend's shoulder for several unresponsive minutes by this point. A few shrugs her only other reaction.

This perseverance paid off as Haihane's anger was cut off sharply when she noticed Musubi sprawled behind her. Having been crouched to the level of Haihane's seat upon the floor Musubi had been easily toppled. Now she looked at Haihane with hurt eyes, the pain in them snapping the pale girl to her senses.

'I'm not the only one hurting here, can't let them down.'

Her thoughts newly resolved Haihane offered a hand and when it was taken, easily yanked Musubi to her feet. Patting the other girl off, more out of courtesy then any actual dirt on her. Hospitals were pretty clean places, especially MBI miracle hospitals full of wonderful advanced techniques for...

"Minato-sama will be fine, Musubi knows MBI has the best medicine in Japan." chirped Musubi, the shake in her voice barely there even to those who knew her well.

"Our Husband will not give in to such minor injuries as those he has sustained. You are foolish to worry so." was Tsukiumi's confident declaration. The water user keeping her face averted as if it would make her attempt to cheer her friends less obvious.

It was appreciated nonetheless, both girls misery at what had happened was not helped by their distance from the emergency room. That only one of them was any closer did make it a little easier to handle. The ache of separation shared along with the panic in each of them.

It was not as though they needed to be close for a verdict. Their termination was immediate if he...

Died.


The battle had been sudden, bitter and cruel.

An ambush while they were out, some no name Ashikabi. Raw cunning and power taking the place of numbers. They had split the group (already without the flame Sekirei) and used one ruthless tactic after another to draw them into a steadily worse position.

They had even gone so far as to take hostages, the Ashikabi drawing a smuggled gun as his Sekirei hurled some poor family's two children in his direction. So held at bay neither Akitsu nor Kazehana could do a thing to fight back. The others unable to get to them with any degree of speed they could barely defend Minato.

Finally they had been told to stand still or he would shoot the kids. His gun now aimed at the helpless Kazehana, neither Sekirei able to attack faster then he or his Sekirei could kill one of the children.

Then a few confused events ran together, the Sekirei disabled for a few moments as Minato sprung the trap he had been quietly readying as they fought, the Ashikabi realising his disadvantage and firing. A spray of blood across Kazehana's face, Minato falling, the gun's mechanism chambering another round, useless for the tiniest span, Akitsu cutting his hand off in those moments. The Sekirei disabled more permanently as the others arrived, cries and screams and denials and yelling into phones and a medical helicopter and the rush to the hospital.

In the confusion it had been Musubi, acting on Matsu's words who stayed calm enough to try and treat him, basic first aid and a kiss. The energy going in reverse this time from Sekirei to Ashikabi. Desperation forcing the process, love keeping him alive just a little longer.

Then had come the hospital and the doctors, emergency room coming up and the red light flashing on. An argument with the staff, doubt that they can all wait here Akitsu chosen if only due to being the most quiet. The doctor oblivious to the anger brewing within the stoic girl.

Waiting...


The wall had a lot of tiles. She had tried to count them but found that the calming exercise was in vain with her Ashikabi bleeding and dying in the next room over. Well more accurately he was a few rooms away, didn't really matter, even this kind of thinking wasn't helping.

Wasn't enough to distract her from the horror. He had taken a bullet for Kazehana, could have just as easily been aimed at her. Either way he had gotten hurt with her mere metres away. She had seen the bullet enter his body, the spray of blood as a rib was pushed slightly through the surface of his chest, tried to hold him, to hear him as his mind swum in pain and shock and his voice was choked with the blood in his lung.

Then she had failed again, for all that she had even then remained her normal calm, she had been to fixated on the blood to listen to Matsu's frantic commands or the inbound Homura's helpless additions. She hadn't even been like Tsukiumi holding Haihane back from slaughtering the one who did it. Nor like Kusano, hugging the wind mistress quietly going into something like shock. Heedless to the blood, fighting through the panic the youngest of them had held off Kazehana's breakdown before it truly began, Tsukiumi had pinned Haihane to the road, refusing to let her act rashly and regreattably.

And she had just sat and stared. All she could see was him dying, and now all she could think of was him still dying. She was meant to be some existence above a human, and yet here she was. Utterly useless.

Maybe it was part of being broken, a discard, would those with a real connection to him always be better? Was her cobbled together link with his mind not enough? Was that why she had been so worthless, what good was she if she failed him now? How did she even deserve to have such an Ashikabi?

How could she deserve an Ashikabi capable of such selfless stupidity. He had known his death would terminate them, he must also have known that it would be only a 'level 1' termination. That they would recover, did he think they would find any worth in a life without him? Did he think for even an instant they would choose a greater chance of returning to the world over his survival? That they would not rather even die fully, end forever. Why? Why? Why? Why?

All through these thoughts, Akitsu's face remained perfectly still. Not so much as a twitch of the mouth or twist of a brow revealing the storm within. Eyes stayed open and alert. She was after all here to keep him safe as well.

'I will not fail. Not again!'

She almost laughed at it regardless, she was to keep him safe as he died. She could feel only flashes through her connection, anaesthesia further diminishing what little route her mind had to his. What she felt was nonsense. The almost stirrings of a drugged mind, pain and confusion the only meaningful elements, the word hospital surfacing at one point. That he gathered that within his addled state a testament to her beloved Minato-sama's buried genius.

She was surprised by the fresh wave of grief when she realised he would not be going peacefully into death. She had not thought she had any room left for more misery. She almost hated him, hated him for saving her from the clutches of Mikogami. For taking her before the uncaring boy could grasp her. For showing her such happiness before catching a bullet.

For making her wish he had simply ordered her into the path of the bullet, for making her wish he had let one of them die. For making them all realise the cost of his love for them. That they paid for their happiness with his blood. His love for them a wonderful thing that went hand in hand with such terrors.

"It would have been better if you felt no such thing for us Minato-sama. If we were naught but tools awaiting your command."

She voiced her thoughts to the empty room, wishing for the nature to vent more of her feelings. For the surroundings to do so if she had possessed the nature. For the foolishness to feel better afterwards if she had the first two. Or did that fall under nature? More distraction, still not working. He'd been in there for hours now, how much longer could he hold on.

Was it possible he might not die?

"Please." was whispered to an empty hall.

Was it a worthwhile trade. It was too late for her to believe a ruthless Ashikabi to be someone showing love with cold words and commands. She had already tasted heaven. Could she stand him to turn into a demon. To become uncaring, cruel...safe.

She knew the answer, knew the others' answers. Knew any loss was worth his happiness, his life. Wondered if there was anyway to make him change like that. If he survived she would try. Make him hate them, if he didn't already, he had to be tired of being injured in this battle for an insane man and some girls desperate to latch onto his kindness.

If not then Akitsu doubted she had the strength to change him...to change him. Why was she even thinking of such things. Of hanging her Ashikabi would she decide to tie him to a chair next, keep him locked away with an IV feed and a catheter. Keep him safe by taking away his will.

She nearly slapped herself. Instead renewing her focus on what little she could sense from the operation. Was he fighting on...for them...

He was, he was definitely fighting. She didn't need to feel it to know that he was fighting. That he'd sooner suffer endlessly then give up when they needed him. They would always need him. So he had not given up, yet here she was giving up on him. Surrendering to the pain. As though it was better to change him, to betray all he was and all he believed. To sacrifice the dreams they had promised to bring him to.

Sacrifice them so she didn't have to face the fear he bore so easily. The terror of trusting another to bear your dreams. To set the weight on their shoulders knowing if they collapsed it would be you that did it. No, that wasn't right. It was their choice to be with him. To love him.

'It is his choice to return what we give him. To give it back a thousand times over.'

A heartbeat reverberated in her chest. A strong beat that she could feel repeated in eight other chests. One far away, six closer in and one...closer then any other. A strong beat.

Akitsu leaning back every so slightly. Tiny shifts in her posture telling all to the eyes that were not on her. To the man even now pulling through. After several hours of tense misery, Akitsu relaxed.

An idle toe traced frozen hearts on a hospital floor. Not even glancing at the light that just went off above the door. Barely turning to the smiling doctor that came out. A small nod all she gave before getting up to tell the others.

Inside she was screaming her delight to the heavens.


It was one of the strangest things to get used to, their connection normally at rest just beneath the surface, requiring some effort or event to bring it to the fore.

When he awoke it was different, he wondered if it was the aftermath of a deeper connection while he slept, or maybe of an absence of connection. If he was waking up then it might be part of re-establishing contact. Checking he was there.

Whatever it was Minato had found that he awoke not only to himself but to them. On leisurely mornings he could sink into it. Float on the feelings of each of his Sekirei as they awoke one by one; or simply took some time to notice him.

This was not so leisurely.

For one thing his chest hurt like hell. Hurt so much that more imaginative metaphors escaped him. Instead he simply focused on breathing, keeping them shallow as he waited for the first soothing contact.

There it was, Matsu the first to notice him, her attention focused elsewhere but her mind finding his. The connection returned and he felt her relief, her joy. He tried not to transmit his own guilt, he had put them through a lot.

Then came Kazehana, mind without it's normal clarity, she had been drinking seriously this time. Normally she got tipsy at worst, this time he could feel the shake in her step. The shoulder beneath her arm. The lingering horror and feeling of his blood across her face, some of it in her mouth, hot steel. He swept all this away, trying to rush into her mind in these moments of time where their connection was tangible. The smile she would soon give him made it clear he had succeeded.

Then was Kusano, her legs still shook along with her mind. Terror had been pushed down to help her Onee-chan, now all she could think of was that Onii-chan was in pain and she hadn't even gotten to hug him properly before they left that morning. He let his pride wrap around her. The terror forgotten her pace quickening even as his mind linked to another.

Next came Tsukiumi, rare doubt filling her thoughts. Uncertainty, should she have stayed with him, should she have let Haihane go, was it true that her friend would have regretted it, was it right to let such scum live? He had few answers but as he saw what she had done he let gratitude and love follow him into her thoughts. He took her doubt upon his own shoulders, sharing it's weight as he sought another mind actively this time.

He found Haihane, shame overpowering him and answering the doubt. She was appalled, that she had nearly gone against his beliefs, the beliefs she had taken much of as her own. She had almost killed in cold blood once again. Slain a man no longer a threat rather then help her bleedi- He cut her off. Calming her thoughts. She didn't do it. That was what friends did, stopped us when we can't stop ourselves, even then he let trust support her. She would have stopped herself anyway.

Drifting for a moment he flowed into Homura, her guilt flooding into him in turn. Her absence in the battle plagued her thoughts, filling them with a thousand scenarios where she wasn't elsewhere and he wasn't hurt. He ignored every one, calming the inferno and simply reminding her that her obligations would have been their regardless. That she could not have known and that she was not his guardian, she was far more precious than that.

He found Musubi now, letting his thoughts lighten with her exuberance. Reassurances flowing both ways. He struggled to truly express his thanks to her. She had saved him yet again.

Finally his mind fixed onto Akitsu's. That she was last was usual, he often found connecting with her to be harder. This time it came easily, even though these moments when he was with them without regard for distance were nearly up he still felt her as surely as the others. Her mind was calm as ever, a resolve he almost envied, a stoicism he longed to plunge past. The blush on her cheeks was proof he had some success. As the connection faded to the subconscious he smiled.

They had not slept while he had been in danger, nor while he gathered his strength to wake once again. Even with MBI medicine that was no small devotion, especially from Kusano. He resolved himself for the millionth time to repay that devotion with his own. To love them just as they loved him. A tired smile lighting his face at that thought.

'It fits the mood of the day,' he thought as he looked over to the window, 'It's a beautiful day after all. The weather seems to agree.'

Even as a stampede of cheerfully angry Sekirei sounded down the hall, thunderclaps lent their own percussion to the mix. The rising patter of a rainstorm joining soon after.

Third Feather; Devotion


Not too much to say about this one, hope you liked it.

EDIT: Woops, missed out my Homura segment of this, took me months to even notice it wasn't there.