Hi there and Happy new Year! Sorry for taking so long to post the forth and last chapter, but life kept me too busy. So here it is and I hope you like it :)

Gol D Aiko: thank you so much. Yeah I know, there are no fics with Kazama and Sen and I really really this couple.

Chapter 4 – Scarlet Fragments

Sen-hime's P.O.V.

"It's so beautiful," I muttered softly.

I was mounted on a pretty white horse, heading west, and I can't help but be touched by the wonderful natural colors that adorned the air and earth all around us. The sun was up in the sky, but hiding behind the clouds, revealing itself every now and then.

"Autumn is indeed a wonderful season, my princess," Kimigiku said walking at the front and I agreed with her with a nod and a positive sound.

I tilled my head toward the sky, filling my lungs with fresh air and allowing the wind shuffle my hair, touching my face with a soft caress of affection. We were on the main road of an old path. Deep inside fall the leaves had ceased to be green and alive on the trees, but as the rain was falling, and painted the world with red and golden hues.

A strange sensation was flying with the winds like a forgotten memory. Perhaps it was only in my head, but I could still hear the sounds of the guns and the smell of the scorched earth, as if it was still all alive, when humans and demons were fighting endlessly, years and years in the long past.

I stopped my horse and closed my eyes for a second. I allowed myself to sink deeper into a strange emotion that had been bothering me for many months now. Was I doing the right thing? I was wondering and I had no answer. The future was and always remained a mystery, until it became the past.

I knew I had already made my decision, spending days and weeks over uncertainty, but it wasn't too late to retreat. I could still change my mind, but was it really what I wanted?

"My princess?"

Kimigiku's voice cut through my train of thoughts and forced me back to reality. No, I had made my decision and it was too late to step back now. After all, nothing would change and if this was the only way, I was ready to take my chances. After all, I was a demon, and it was only natural to wed someone like me. Feelings had no value at this point and my emotions would only get into my way; not everyone could live their dream with a cherry tree's blossoms.

"My princess?"

I took a sharp breath snapping out of my own personal sphere of wonders, and looked upon my guardian. "Let's move, Kimigiku. It's pointless to waste our time here."

I was about to give my horse the nudge to start again when Kimigiku gestured me to stop with her hand, taking a battle position.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Can you feel that, my princess?" she replied to me with a question, and I needed only a moment to pull myself and my mind together to realize that she was right.

"A demon is up ahead," I stated.

"What do you want to do, my princess?"

"Let's wait for them to come to us," I suggested, and within a moment a figure showed up from behind a tree, causing my horse to act up. I was trying to calm my horse down when I came face to face with the familiar red-haired demon. "Amagiri."

"Sen-hime? What are you doing in the Kazama family's territory? This domain is outside of your jurisdiction and I must ask you to leave," he said coldly, yet politely. He sure hadn't changed a bit even if I hadn't seen him for five years.

"Let me speak," I said to my guardian, lifting my head and turning towards him. "My apologies for showing myself in your domain, without your permission, but I'm Sen-hime, a pure-blood demon from the main family, and I need to speak with your master. Please allow me to pass."

Amagiri bowed his head with respect, however he refused me entry. "My master didn't know about your arrival here, Sen-hime, therefore he is not waiting for you and I have no order to allow you to walk further into his territory. If you wish to speak with him, you have to get his permission, and I'm willing to become your messenger, but I have to ask you to stay here until his final decision."

I grunted, irritated; this was getting a bit annoying, yet I couldn't deny that Amagiri was right and I had no choice. "Very well then… we will do it your way …"

I was ready to get off my horse and allow him to leave with my message, but at the same moment a gust of wind blew, making the leaves to stir up towards the sky and it didn't take long to realize what caused it.

I was watching his back when he said, "That would be unnecessary."

"Kazama…?" I called, watching him turn slowly to face me.

His expression revealed a little bit of surprise, but I thought I saw a strange glimmer shining in his eyes. "Sen-hime? To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?"

"Kazama Chikage, I wish I speak with you."

"I'm surprised I didn't get any message informing me for your arrival," he said coldly, and narrowed his eyes a little, like he was thinking to reject me.

I could feel my blood starting to boil. After a long trip and many weeks of thinking and rethinking if I was making the right decision, here I was, being treated like no one important. Let alone that I had months – nearly a year – to see Kazama and I barely forgot how annoying he could be.

"Now I can't help and wonder what it could be? Because I can't believe that you made such a big journey all the way from Kyoto simply because you miss me."

I was fighting to ignore the little voice at the back of my head that wanted me to snap at him and surpass the urge to turn and leave when Kazama spoke again, before I get the chance to speak a word.

"If I knew it then I would have arranged a better welcome, Sen-hime."

"What?" I gasped staring at him bewildered.

"Now it's too late for that," Kazama, made a gesture, like he was both welcoming and pointing out to me that he was accepting my proposal. "However, I'm sure that you're aware of it, therefore it wasn't something you didn't wait for."

I took a deep breath and let the air come out, trying to calm my nerves. That idiot was sure messing with my temper that for a moment I wondered if he was doing it on purpose or not.

"Honestly, Kazama, if you're trying to make me angry…"

"Why would I want to do such thing, Sen-hime?" he asked with the air of a gentleman around him.

However, it was his tone that was affirmed all my suspicions, since I was able to detected hints of joy, and his eyes were shining strangely. He walked slowly in my direction, ignoring Kimigiku, who took a battle position – and with her alarmed, Amagiri reacted all the same in no time.

Kazama stood near me, and offered me his hand, in a gentle gesture. "After all, I'm obligate to treat a princess the way she deserves."

I was feeling myself getting even more annoyed by his attitude, but I took his hand, as he helped me to get off my horse.

"And I cannot help myself, but wonder what a pure-blood female demon from the royal bloodline would like to discuss with me."

"It's strange, hearing you say this and seeing you acting with all these manners, Kazama. It's almost hard to believe that you can be such a gentleman."

"I think that you misunderstood me, Sen-hime," he said with a smirk, and looked at me like he was over-enjoying the moment.

I tilled my head, taking a breath. "Anyway. I have something I would like to talk about with you, if you don't mind."

"I already accepted your request."

"Alone," I added this time.

I saw him narrowing his eyes for a second, before he bowed his head. "Very well then. You can follow me into a more private area."

Without waiting for my reply, he turned his back to me, heading to the forest and getting off the main path.

"My princess?" Kimigiku looked at me, all worried, but I stopped her.

"Wait here."

"But my princess, it's dangerous to leave you alone."

"Don't worry about me. Wait here with Amagiri, and don't come after me."

I saw my guardian getting upset, totally unsure, but it was an order that she couldn't ignore. "But if you need anything, my princess…"

"No, I want you to stay here."

"Are you coming?" Kazama asked me from afar.

"I am," I replied, and followed his lead into the forest.

The trees increased and the landscape became more rugged, but simultaneously more natural, as if the hand of man hadn't been able to touch this part of the world, while leaving nature to dominate. We walked in peace without talking, until Kazama reached a small glade.

He stopped and turned to face me, standing at the middle. "No one will interrupt us here, Sen-hime."

I took a look around, feeling breathless at the beauty I was viewing. The wind was blowing and the leaves were falling like a red rain. Suddenly I felt a wave of weakness, but I didn't let it take the best of me. I had reached and passed the point where I could step back and now I could only look forward.

I walked towards him, but passed past him; now standing only a few meters away. I had my back turned to him when I started talking, having, for the moment, no desire to look at him. "Years ago you reveled me your reasons of why you were after Yukimura Chizuru."

Even if I wasn't looking at him, I immediately sensed him getting tense.

"Huh?"

"You also told me that she belongs to the past and you have no intention to make her your wife. However, you left without any further explanation of why you decided to let her go."

"If you came here, in search for some answers, then I have to inform you that you'll leave without any of them."

"I don't need your explanations anymore, Kazama Chikage," I stated turning slowly to face him. "I learned from Chizuru the reasons why you gave up on her."

I saw him narrowing his eyes in anger. "Hmm, I'm surprised at you for going so far and searching for Yukimura Chizuru, just to get some answers that have nothing to do with you. However, you're here and yet you haven't told me what you wish to talk with me about. This, obviously, has nothing to do with the female demon."

I took a deep breath, trying to ignore him, but he was right. I was walking in circles instead of telling him my intentions. "You told me that things changed, but not your wishes."

"What is your point, Sen-hime?"

There was a hint of threat in his voice. I turned my back to him again, taking deep breath. "Yukimura Chizuru is not the only female demon with royal blood in her veins." I turned to face him, locking my eyes with him, determined –nothing could stop me now. "There is at least one more that can help you make your wishes come true."

There was a moment –only a moment – where I felt Kazama's gaze on me: so tense that it almost pierced me, but I didn't fear him; I didn't move, standing there, waiting for his answer. My words were making everything clear, so there was no need to add anything else. Kazama wasn't a fool.

He stared at me, with an expressionless face. "So, you wish to be taken by me?"

His question came so soft and effortlessly, within a gust, waking some memories from the past, as if it wasn't the first time I was hearing him asking me the same. Last time he found me unprepared, and my answer slipped my lips without much thinking, but I never regretted my answer it.

Perhaps Kimigiku tried to help back then, but I couldn't be more honest when I told her some months ago, that I wanted to be loved for who I was and not for the blood that was flowing in my veins. And the man before me was putting his personal feelings behind, in front of a greater purpose. Under other circumstances I would have given him the same answer, but not now.

I was ready to reply, when I lost my chance.

"This sure brings up memories," he said, walking and standing next to me. He turned to look at me, when he continued. "It makes me wonder if your answer changed from back then and that's the reason of why you came to see me. However, I can't help but wonder what could have possibly happened in those years to make you change your mind."

"Things can change, Kazama."

He sure knew what I was talking about and it wasn't hard to accept my answer, without any more questions. I wish things were as I wanted them to be, but I could still be happy in my life. I could choose a life with someone like me, or I could choose to spend the rest of my life alone. This was something Kimigiku said to me some time ago, and she was absolutely right; he was the perfect man for me.

"I'm not as mean as you think I am, Sen-hime," he said with a strange tone, which made me lift my head to look at him as he was staring at the leaves dancing in the winds. "I won't force you to do anything, but demons can have feelings, like humans; however, unlike them, we can respect and value the honor of our word," he turned to face me. "If you want to bind yourself with me then you can do it with your own will, but if you choose to do it then you must honor your choice," he ended.

He offered me his hand, allowing me to accept and take it, or reject it and turn around to leave. I came here with my own free will, yet he was still giving me the choice; I couldn't ask for more.

"The decision has already been made," I announced with a strong voice, lifting my hand to take his.

Kazama's eyes shone and, holding my hand, he turned, taking a few steps to get off the glade and standing at the edge of a cliff. The sun was setting at the faraway horizon, filling the sky with red hue colors – red as his eyes. Fields with trees were resting at my feet; winds were blowing, filling my sight with thousands of scarlet fragments which were swaying into the four winds. I wished I could fill my life with cherry tree's blossoms, like Chizuru, but sometimes the petals could transform into drifting leaves or dancing snowflakes or heavy rain drops. And that wasn't bad.

"The future is in our hands," Kazama said, turning to look at me.

I was his and he was mine.

"The future is ours," I added, and there, at the last rays of sunlight, I felt that I was in a place where I belonged.

He peered into my eyes, bowing his head to bring it closer, until his lips touched mine – gentle, sealing the upcoming days; forever.

The End

I want to give special thanks to all my betas.

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