Author's Note: This chapter was one of the harder ones to write and I hope I got the feel I wanted to get across down. The title, in case you didn't know, is Latin for "remember you must die", which is important here. It's one of the final chapters in the story, but not the final one (there's 1 or 2 left), and I hope you enjoy it as usual!

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The smell of smoke was beginning to pervade the area around Gajou. Thick, black clouds of it continued to rise from the flames shooting out of the forest around the great stone structure, and with every passing second it was getting harder and harder to breathe for the dogs of the Ohu Army. Exhausted, bloodied, and supporting one another, they walked quickly and quietly into the fortress's main entrance, heads looking around in every direction to make sure everyone was there. At the front of the group was Weed, who, while stubbornly refusing to be supported by Akame and his father, loped inside and leaned dizzily against the wall, his side oozing blood from the deep slash that Scimitar had made there. Akame came up to the young leader as Lydia leapt on Jerome happily behind him, licking his face and joyfully exclaiming that he was alive while their companions quickly got as far back into the cave as possible, laying down to avoid breathing in the smoke.

"Weed," the ninja-dog said concernedly. "You really need to lay down and let us clean that wound."

Weed turned to answer him, looking a little unsteady on his feet as he did, but then he froze, his gaze focusing on something behind Akame by the wall. His heart jumped into his throat and he felt a rush go through him as he pushed gently past the ninja dog and walked silently over to it, everyone around him stopping their talking when they saw it as well. Laying by the wall, panting and leaning against it with a weary look on her face, was Koyuki. As Weed walked up, she said his name in a relieved voice, her expression containing a combined joy at his being alive and horror at the condition he was in. Weed's gaze, however, was on the ground by her stomach…and the four squirming puppies that were lying there, pushing their tiny muzzles into their mother's underside to try and get milk. Weed fell to the ground in front of her and gave a laugh of sheer happiness, his mate's tongue cleaning the blood from his face around his now empty left eye socket.

"They're…beautiful." he said softly and she nuzzled him.

"Three males and a female." Koyuki responded. "You have three sons and a daughter, Weed."

"What are their names?" Weed asked her and she smiled.

"I was waiting for you." she answered and he looked back down at them affectionately as dogs near them crowded around to see.

Suddenly, a faint gunshot sounded and Weed glanced quickly back over his shoulder at the sound. Koyuki looked around.

"What was that?" she asked, looking nervously at him.

Weed smiled reassuringly and then stood slowly, licking the backs of each one his pups as he did.

"Nothing." he answered, nuzzling her. "It'll be all right. I promise."

Then he turned and walked back over to the entrance, passing Jerome and Tesshin, who were getting tended to by Lydia and the Kogas respectively.

"Weed, what are we going to do?" Kyoushiro asked to his right, ignoring his own bleeding wounds the way he always had. "We can't fight off humans!"

"I know." the Akita answered without looking at him and Sasuke spoke up.

"We have to run!" the Shiba Inu said intensely. "They won't follow us through the fire if we leave quickly!"

"Leave?!" George responded angrily. "After everything we just went through to defend this place?! You want to run?!"

"We don't have a choice!" Sasuke insisted as the two growled at each other. "Or do you want to stay and get shot?"

"We can't leave." Tesshin said from his position on the ground, and when they looked at him he added: "We have injured and pups here and won't be able to move fast enough to escape the fire. And even if we did, they would follow us anyway. You heard Scimitar. They think we're responsible for what happened in Oroshi. We'll be putting anyone whose territory we're in in danger just by being there."

"So we just sit here?!" Sasuke asked incredulously and Gin nodded behind him.

"Right now that's all we can do." he said sternly. "Tesshin's right. We're in no condition to move anywhere and even if we did, we couldn't go to a neighboring territory without putting the dogs there in danger too. We just have to hope that the fire stays as intense as it is and prevents them from getting any further."

"And we should make sure that everyone is accounted for in the meantime." Jerome said, standing up stiffly from where he had been laying. "We need to get everyone we can inside Gajou quickly."

"Some members of my pack are still in the forest." Suzaku spoke up urgently as Akame retook his place by Gin. "I told them during the battle to make sure that Takeshi's group didn't try and escape through the trees. We need to go get them now!"

Weed stood by the entrance, listening to his comrades talk without acknowledging them. He stared out at the burning trees and felt a tear trace its way down his furred cheek. There was only one possible way to make sure that all these great dogs were safe. The humans wouldn't stop just because of a fire. There was something else they needed before they would leave for good. And he knew what it was. Clenching his eyes shut, Weed suddenly felt something lightly nudge his ankle and he opened them as he looked down. Lying beside him, looking so small that he practically didn't exist, was one of his pups. It was one of the males, and Weed saw him trying unsuccessfully to stand and imitate his father's powerful pose, falling flat onto his face before he even reached his feet. Weed smiled affectionately at him and leaned down as the pup turned to him and licked his nose.

"You're a tough one," he said. "Being away from your mom this fast. I can tell already your gonna be a handful one day."

The pup let out little growl and bit at Weed's paw, and the Akita let him, hearing his friends still talking in the background. Then Weed nudged him off gently and turned the little pup to meet his gaze.

"I know you can't understand." he said. "But I'm going to make sure that you're safe, that you're all safe. This is something I have to do. One day, you'll understand that. When that happens, all you have to do is call me, and I'll be there…one way or another. Until then, take care of your mom, and take care of your brothers and sister. And keep an eye on the rest of these guys for me will you?"

He licked the pup's face and then stood, taking a few steps out the entrance. Then he turned back and, smiling, spoke words that had been spoken to him long ago.

"Become great." Weed said. "Become strong…Orion."

Then he departed out the opening of Gajou, unseen by all except the small pup, who looked after his father with confused, innocent eyes, wondering silently what the strange world around him really had in store.

Daigo heard a shell casing go flying as he fired his rifle, and the dog he had been aiming at fell in a heap a second later, blood and brain matter exploding out of the side of his head as he did. Next to him, he heard more shots and then Kanaye lowered his own gun, a grim smile on his face.

"Got another!" he called and Daigo glanced over at him.

"How many does that make?" he asked, wiping sweat off his forehead from the nearby flames.

"I don't know." Kanaye answered. "25? 26 maybe? Either way, it should be enough. We just got word from the helicopter that the town sent up like 20 minutes ago, and they say that there's bodies all over the place by that pile of rocks up ahead."

"Bodies? They're sure?"

"Yeah, looks like there was a big fight or something." Kanaye said, watching nervously as a nearby tree came crashing to the ground, fire engulfing its branches. "Either way, our job is done. We got paid up front for this anyway, so let's get out of here!"

"Not yet." Daigo answered, shooting another dog. "We need to get the leader."

"Are you crazy?! Look at this fire!" Kanaye shouted incredulously. "Besides, do you know how long it would take to even find the right mutt in this? We were hired to cripple the pack, Daigo-san. Their home territory is a fucking inferno, we've killed almost 30 of their pack, and from that report it sounds like the rest killed themselves off for us! They've been crippled! Let's book it!"

"As long as their leader is alive, they can rebound!" Daigo shot back. "Once we kill him, then we can go! When I'm hired to do a job, Kanaye, I get it done! No one leaves until we get that dog!"

Kanaye sighed, shouldering his rifle once more.

"Yes sir." he said, clearly unhappy with the older man's stubbornness. "Where to?"

"Look for a bluish grey Akita!" Daigo said. "That's what the report we got said the boss dog of this pack looked like! We don't have time to look too carefully though, so if you see any dog that even vaguely matches that description, shoot him!"

Kanaye shot another fleeing dog and cocked the rifle once more.

"Whatever you say, boss." he replied, moving forward. "Whatever you say."

Daisuke grimaced as he twisted the wrench. The bolt that he was trying to turn in the engine of his truck just wouldn't move and the thunderstorm that the news had been tracking had increased its speed, and would be there within hours if not sooner, effectively ruining his plans for a late night outing with his girlfriend, Kazuko. She didn't mind, he knew, but it still made him a little bit irritated that after he had planned it all so perfectly, life felt the need to step in the way…just like what was happening with Gin and his pack.

Before taking Kazuko out to dinner, Daisuke had planned on driving out to Futago Pass and getting Gin and his top dogs to come with him back to the hotel, where he could keep them safe until all the anger against them died down and was forgotten about. It wasn't as impossible as it sounded. After all, if Gin trusted him enough to get into his truck (as he had in the past), the others surely would follow his lead. It might have taken a couple minutes, but he was still confident that it would've happened. That is, if his truck hadn't decided to die on him right as he was getting ready to leave. He shook his head.

"Only when I really need you to work do you decide to break down." he grumbled to the vehicle. "Well just you wait."

As he twisted the wrench again, he heard Kazuko call him from her perch on the hotel's front porch.

"Do you want me to get your tool kit, Daisuke?" she asked and he shook his head, looking up.

"No, that's all right, babe." he said. "I'll fix this thing…eventually."

Suddenly he trailed off and froze. From his new position, he could clearly see thick, black smoke pouring out of the woods up in the mountains…right in the heart of Futago Pass. The fire that was causing it must have been a huge one, he decided, and he immediately dropped the wrench.

"Kazuko," he said urgently. "Call the fire department! Quickly!"

"Why?" she asked, looking up with a frown. "What's going –?"

Then she saw it too and gasped.

"Oh my god!" she exclaimed and Daisuke went running down the main road back towards town.

"Tell them there's a fire up in Futago Pass!" he yelled over his shoulder as he saw the hospital come into view over the hill in the road.

Suddenly, he saw someone coming the other way and realized it was Hidetoshi right as the older man trotted up to him.

"There you are, Daisuke!" he said. "I've been trying to call you for 20 minutes!"

"My phone was off." the younger man responded. "Sensei, there's a fire up in the mountains!"

"We know." Hidetoshi replied. "That's what I wanted to tell you. I'm heading up there with the fire crews right now to help. They already sent up the hospital's helicopter to get see how big it is."

"I'm coming too!" Daisuke said, then added. "Can I borrow your car?"

Hidetoshi gave him a confused look.

"What for?" he asked. "Just ride up with the trucks like I am."

Daisuke didn't answer and held out his hand. Hidetoshi gave him an exasperated look, realizing what his intentions were.

"Daisuke," he said sternly, handing him the keys to his car. "Don't go running after those dogs! Not with that fire there!"

Daisuke grabbed the keys and ran off down the street towards the hospital.

"Thanks, Sensei!" he called and Hidetoshi contemplated running after him.

After a few seconds, though, he turned and headed for the fire station, hoping that the trucks hadn't left already without him.

Jerome watched as Teru stood, getting ready to leave. It had been decided minutes ago that the young ninja dog would go into the forest and lead the remaining dogs from Suzaku's pack back to Gajou to safety. Rocket had offered to go, but Gin had refused, telling the Ohu scout that given his larger size and brighter fur color, he was a much easier target to shoot despite his speed. He didn't like the idea of Teru going either, none of them did, but they had all agreed that someone had to try and help their ally's companions, and Teru was fast, relatively small because of his youth, and agile, all of which gave him an advantage that everyone else there didn't have given the current situation. Jerome stepped up next to Akame and Gin as the older Akita addressed Teru.

"Remember, get in and get out." he said. "Try and get as many as you can to follow you, but don't get too close to those hunters."

Teru nodded.

"Yes, Gin-sama."

"And for god's sake, Teru." Kyoushiro said from his position by the wall. "Be careful will you?"

The younger dog grinned and then took off out the entrance without another word, Jerome following him with his eyes. Once he had, he stopped in surprise, seeing a tiny figure by the cave's opening, staring out at the fire as if transfixed by it. It was one of Weed's pups. He smiled slightly and walked up to the pup.

"What are you doing over here?" he asked in a kind voice, walking up to him. "You should be with your mother."

Then Jerome followed the pup's gaze and suddenly froze. There were tracks in the dirt leading away from Gajou towards the forest, and they definitely weren't Teru's. Jerome leaned down and sniffed at them, giving a start of shock seconds later. Weed's scent was all over them and he quickly glanced back into the cave, his head whipping around as he looked for sign of the young leader. He was nowhere in sight. The Shepard looked intensely back at the tracks. They were leading towards the sounds of the hunters' guns, he saw, and they hadn't been made too long ago. Jerome frowned.

"Why would you…?" he whispered in confusion, staring in the direction his friend had gone.

Then Jerome gasped and he froze again, feeling a frightened chill go through him. He knew what Weed was doing. It was the only reason he would go right at the hunters in his condition, and by himself.

"No…" he said to no one. "Weed, you – you wouldn't."

Jerome turned and gently picked up the whining pup in his mouth, depositing him seconds later with his siblings at their mother's side, then turned and ran for the opening. When he was halfway out, he heard a voice call his name.

"Where are you going Jerome?"

The Shepard turned and saw Tesshin, looking better but still the worse for wear, staring at him confusedly.

"Weed is gone, Tesshin." Jerome said urgently in a low voice. "I have to find him."

"What?!" the ninja dog exclaimed and looked swiftly around the cave the way Jerome had done. "Where?!"

"I don't know." Jerome lied, not wanting to panic him. "But tell Gin and the others and then follow me quickly. We have to get him back here!"

Tesshin nodded and raced back inside to tell the others as Jerome ran out of the opening, his wounds throbbing painfully as he broke into a full run once he was on open ground. He tightened his jaw.

'Please,' he thought. 'Let me be in time!'

Weed limped slightly as he walked through the trees. His side was still oozing a little blood and his left-side blindness was beginning to get to him. Strangely, the roaring flames around him, which he could swear were beginning to die down a little, didn't make him that nervous, a thought that the young Akita found bizarre. As he looked around at the ruins of the forest, he could almost see what it had looked like before this all had started. He could picture the green trees that they would run through and the small animals that they would hunt for prey, playfully stealing each other's kill to see what the reaction would be. He missed that. Suddenly, he felt a presence and paused briefly, wondering where it was.

"What are you doing, Weed?" came an ethereal sounding voice and the Akita almost smiled.

"What I have to, GB." he answered and resumed walking as the Setter was suddenly beside him, his form ringed by the same ghostly green glow that he had had last time.

"Are you sure it's your only option?" GB asked, his eyes not judgmental or angry in any way as Weed looked at him.

"If I don't go, then the humans will kill them all." he responded solemnly. "I know more about them then the others know. They haven't stopped because they're looking for me, the leader. If they don't get me today, they'll come back to finish what they started, and then everyone will die. I can't let that happen."

"And that's your decision to make." came a second voice, and suddenly Riki stood on his other side, bathed in the same otherworldly glow as GB. "Just be certain it's the right one."

Weed looked back at GB.

"You told me before that I would know when it was my time." he said. "Well…you were right."

After a pause, GB smiled and Riki mirrored him.

"I'm proud of you." the Setter said and Weed watched as the two of them moved around to his front, making him stop again.

"We'll be waiting." Riki said and Weed watched wide eyed as a third spirit emerged from behind him, stopping in between the other two.

It was Kagetora. The young Kai dog smiled.

"We'll all be waiting." he said and then, just as suddenly as they had appeared, they were gone.

Weed blinked, shaking his head to clear it. He took a few cursory steps forward, then paused again, hearing someone calling his name. Realizing that the voice was coming from behind him this time, he turned. A dog was bounding up to him and when he realized who it was, he felt his stomach lurch with dread. It was Jerome. The Shepard was limping a little as well, still not fully recovered from his fight with Ronin, but had a fierce determination in his eyes, and Weed wished to god that he hadn't shown up.

"Weed," Jerome said loudly, looking him right in the eye. "You can't do this!"

"Jerome…"

"No! I will not let you do this! Not after all we've been through!"

"There's no other way." Weed responded, surprised at the calmness in his own voice as he spoke.

"Bullshit!" Jerome shouted. "There has to be another way!"

Weed turned to face him.

"Like what, Jerome?" he asked almost matter-of-factly. "You know how determined humans can be. What other options do we have?"

The Shepard paused at this, and Weed could clearly see him desperately trying to work out an alternative in his mind. After a few seconds, he shook his head and met the Akita's gaze again.

"We'll figure it out, Weed." he said. "If we stick together as a pack, we'll figure it out."

Weed shook his head sadly.

"There's no time." he answered softly and Jerome let out a growl.

"How will killing yourself help anyone?!" he yelled. "Huh?! Think of your pups, Weed! Think of your son! How will growing up without a father help him at all?!"

"At least he'll be able to grow up." Weed insisted. "I'm doing this so he might live. And not just him, all of you. If those hunters reach Gajou, everyone there will die. And if you all die, Jerome, then everything we've fought for was for nothing, and Scimitar will win. And I will not let him win. This will keep you safe. This will give you all the chance to be happy, to actually live in our Paradise."

"So you have to die for us to be happy?!" Jerome sputtered, jumping in front of him to block his way. "No! I won't let you!"

Weed sighed deeply, looking away and closing his remaining eye.

"Jerome, please…" he mumbled quietly, avoiding the Shepard's gaze. "Just…go be with your family."

"You are my family."

Weed shook his head and, pushing past him, began walking faster towards the sound of gunshots. Jerome growled loudly.

"God damn it, Weed!" he shouted. "No you don't!"

On the last word, he tackled the Akita hard and the two males fell down the hillside to their left, tumbling end over end and entangled in one another, before landing at the bottom in a panting heap. Weed immediately kicked him off and leapt to his paws, but Jerome recovered quickly and leveled him with a painful paw smack to the face. When he came in for a second one as Weed stumbled back, the Akita dodged and grabbed him by the side of the neck, throwing him roughly to the ground with a second movement. Jerome rolled and leapt at him, and the two friends traded blows, trying not to hurt one another, but using their remaining strength to try and overpower the other. Given Weed's weakened state, however, Jerome had the advantage, and after knocking the Akita off his paws and onto his back, the Shepard dove on him, pinning the younger dog by the shoulders.

"You listen to me, you son-of-a-bitch!" Jerome snarled, panting as his eyes flashed angrily. "This pack has lost too much already! We just lost Kagetora, and that was devastating enough. How do you think it'll affect them if you die too?! HUH?!"

Weed stared up at him, panting as well, his eyes looking sad and regretful. Jerome didn't budge.

"You and I have been friends for 4 years." he said forcefully, looking Weed right in the eye. "We have survived everything that has been thrown at us, and now we are both going to be fathers. I have lost too much in my life already to lose you too, so don't you dare...do this to me now. Not now!"

Tears began sliding down Weed's face, and he suddenly hugged the Shepard tightly to him with his front legs, holding him close and clenching his eyes shut as Jerome hugged him back. Not breaking his hold, he put his muzzle close to his friend's ear.

"I'm sorry, Jerome…" he whispered, his voice breaking a little. "I'm so sorry! This has to happen. It's the only way. We've suffered long enough. I won't have these humans destroy the peace this pack has fought so hard for. I won't!"

Then Jerome heard him whisper something else in his ear, and though at first he was confused, his eyes soon widened in shocked understanding. He pulled away abruptly and gaped at Weed, his voice speechless.

"You – " he said, "You want me to – …"

Weed looked him in the eye.

"Forgive me…" he said softly.

Then he suddenly threw Jerome off him and sent the Shepard flying into a tree. After he hit its trunk, Jerome tried to get up again but before he could, Weed head-butted him hard in the side of the face, and before he could protest further, the already injured dog's vision faded entirely, and he knew no more.

"Jerome! Jerome, wake up! WAKE UP!"

Jerome's eyes fluttered open painfully, replacing the black world he had been in with a fuzzy bright one, and he stayed where he was as his vision started to come back into focus. Once it had, he looked up and saw that there were dogs standing all around him, every one of them wearing a concerned expression on their face. Closest to him was Gin, and Jerome realized that the elder Akita had been the one speaking to him. He sat up fast and looked around, a small trickle of blood coming from his left temple where Weed had hit him. Gin got his attention quickly and Jerome could see when he looked at him that the former Ohu leader was frightened.

"Jerome," he barked urgently, Joe and Kurotura standing beside him. "Where's Weed?!"

Jerome stood shakily.

"I don't know." he responded. "He knocked me out when I tried to stop him."

Then he looked right at Gin.

"We've gotta stop him, Gin." Jerome said. "He's going to sacrifice himself to make the humans leave."

Everyone there gasped.

"He wouldn't do that!" Kyoushiro said angrily and Mel nodded in agreement next to him.

"Yes he would." Rocket spoke up suddenly and everyone looked at him. "He knows there's nothing we can do to stop them. The fire's starting to subside and if it does, they'll reach Gajou and we'll all be killed. Weed would do anything to keep that from happening. That's just who he is."

Realizing Rocket was right, Gin looked nothing short of frantic.

"We have to find him!" he said loudly and Akame called him from back up the hill where Weed had been walking originally before Jerome had tackled him.

"His scent leads this way!" the ninja dog told them and Gin leapt after the trail, Jerome and the others right behind him.

Daigo swore as he looked through the rifle's scope. He had just missed a small, fast dog that had disappeared into the trees in front of them, leading the few remaining dogs near them away from the area and out of their reach. Kanaye had just checked in a minute ago and reported that there had been no sign of any dog matching their target's description, and the elder hunter had not been pleased with the news. The section of the forest they were in was still burning fiercely and the flames were beginning to make Daigo nervous. Much as he hated to admit it, Kanaye had been right. They couldn't stay out in this much longer. In a few minutes, if they didn't get their quarry, he would have to call it off and wait a day or so until the fire was controlled. Then they could come back and do a more thorough search, maybe eliminate all the dogs if they were lucky. Daigo, however, just wanted to leave. He scowled, looking through the eyepiece.

"Come on you bastard." he said under his breath. "Where are you?"

Suddenly, he saw movement and aimed up at a rocky outcropping of the hill to his left. When he saw its source, he froze. Standing on the edge of the rocks, looking down at the chaos below, was an Akita, its bluish grey fur tinged with red in numerous places from various wounds. He quickly turned and leveled the rifle's scope on the dog's head, hearing Kanaye and another hunter come up beside him. Daigo breathed deeply, relieving his shaking hands, and put a finger on the trigger.

"There you are." he whispered as the dog turned and looked right at him. "I've got you now…"

Jerome felt Joe come up beside him as they ran, and kept his pace steady, his wounds becoming increasingly painful and difficult to ignore. The trail they were following was only minutes old at the most, and Gin was leading the group at a feverish pace, making Jerome wonder if he or Akame even realized how close they actually were getting to where the gunshots had originated from. Suddenly, as they rounded a bend in the path, the two older soldiers skidded to a halt, and the others behind them did the same, looking around them to see the cause. When he saw why, Jerome's jaw dropped, and he felt a thrill of fear go through him.

Weed stood on a rocky outcropping of the hill up ahead, and below him, silhouetted in the light from the fire, were the human hunters, aiming their long guns at him steadily as Jerome and the others watched. As if he had sensed their presence, Weed turned and looked right at them, and Jerome saw a sad smile creep onto his muzzle. Gin took a step forward, Joe and Akame standing motionless on either side of him.

"No…" he said, sounding horribly helpless. "Please no…"

Weed's expression didn't change, and Jerome saw his gaze linger on each one of them for a moment before he looked back at Gin, appearing more powerful in that moment than he ever had before.

"I'm sorry." they heard him say clearly. "I love you all."

Then 3 shots rang out, splitting the silence like a knife, the noise from the fire sounding practically insignificant. Jerome watched as the first two bullets whizzed right past his friend, ricocheting harmlessly into the underbrush behind him. The third hit him right between the eyes. Jerome felt his whole body go numb as Weed's head whipped back, blood exploding out of the back of it, and then he fell, disappearing behind the rocks and out of sight. In the background, Jerome registered the cries of horror from his companions, but he didn't care. All he knew was that the best friend he'd ever had was finally, forever…gone.

"Got him!" Daigo exclaimed, shouldering his weapon quickly. "Now gather up everyone and let's get out of here!"

"You got it!" Kanaye answered back, gesturing wildly to a couple of men who had strayed from the group a little. "Nice shot, Daigo-san!"

"Yeah, sure." the older man answered, not sounding as enthusiastic as they ran back through the trees towards the town. "Now let's go. I'm gonna need a drink and a good night's sleep tonight. We're heading back to Tokyo in the morning."

"Already?" Kanaye asked in surprise. "Why so soon?"

"No reason." Daigo shrugged, shoving a cigarette into his mouth and thinking silently about Hidetoshi's young friend whose name he suddenly couldn't remember. "I just think it's time to go."

"Suit yourself, boss." Kanaye responded, shouldering his own rifle beside him. "Suit yourself."

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