Disclaimer: I still own Taitsu and Tohma.

Yoru: Next chapter! Sorry it took so long.

Kuronue: College stuff out the wazoo.

Yoru: Hey, Redeem, I'm glad we're on good terms now. No, the plot has not changed because of you; this is where it was going anyway. Glad you're enjoying it! And Taitsu is just hell-bent on revenge...God, he's fun to write, which is probably why he's not gone already…

Kuronue: I'm just glad you weren't in the same room or something when all the drama exploded…that would have been frightening.

Yoru: Anywho, thanks to all who reviewed and please keep the catfights to a minimum…meaning zero…no flames! None! Zip! Nada! OkiesGreat. ONWARD!!!

Youko gave a small smile.

"I'm sure we'll find some way." He stood and pushed Kuronue slightly behind him. Taitsu's rotting lips lifted in a cruel smile.

"You'll never find a way, Youko. I'm invincible."

"Nobody is invincible," Kuronue snapped. Taitsu laughed, long and hard. A blade materialized in his hand, a scythe with a short handle. Youko glared at it.

"What is that?"

"A little something I created. It'll add to the pain when I kill you." Taitsu suddenly flung it at them. Youko shoved Kuronue to the side before jumping out of the way himself. Kuronue didn't even wait for the blade to land. He caught his footing and lunged at Taitsu.

Taitsu saw him coming, but had no time to react. Kuronue's fist embedded itself in desiccated flesh. Taitsu felt no pain, but his head was half-removed by the blow.

"Turo's body is in bad shape," he muttered as he pulled himself to his feet. Kuronue disgustedly wiped his hand on the tent's side. Youko was inspecting the blade, half-buried in the ground at his feet.

"You did a good job on this," he said as he pulled it out of the ground by the handle. Taitsu smirked and yanked.

Youko was pulled across the tent floor. An almost invisible string had been wrapped around his wrist from the end of the handle. However, Taitsu had underestimated Youko's strength again. The bandit leader dug his feet in and stopped himself. Taitsu leered at him.

Youko grunted as Taitsu pulled him closer. Kuronue lunged again, but this time Taitsu was ready. A vine wrapped around Kuronue's ankle and tripped him before he could get near Taitsu. He fought with it, but it refused to let go.

"It seems we're at a standoff," Youko growled. Taitsu shrugged.

"I could kill you both with my vines right now."

Youko hid his smirk.

"Your vines?" Suddenly vines from all over the tent shot forward and wrapped around Taitsu, forcing him to let go of the string and drop the vine holding Kuronue. Taitsu cursed and fought, but the vines held fast.

"See how you like it," muttered Kuronue as he stood and brushed himself off.

"You still can't kill me! No matter how many times you try, I'll always come back!"

"We've noticed." Kuronue turned to Youko, "You sense it too, don't you?"

Youko concentrated. At the center of Taitsu's chest, a strong youki reading pulsed.

"His heart?"

"I don't know, but it feels like a weakness."

"Could it really be that simple?" Kuronue approached Taitsu slowly, ignoring the resulting growl from the captive.

"Maybe because he's in such a destroyed body, the youki is easier to read." Youko followed Kuronue, smirking at Taitsu's panicked struggles.

"You can't! I won't let you!" Vines came at Taitsu's call, but Youko waved a hand vaguely and they backed off.

"Even the plants know how superior I am to you," Youko hissed, another wave causing the vines holding Taitsu to tauten, holding him more firmly as Kuronue began to explore his chest. The Chimera's lithe fingers settled on the area pulsing with youki.

"I found it. But this is disgusting," he commented. Youko laughed.

"Come on. Just do it. If you don't I will."

"Don't discuss me like I'm weather!" Taitsu shrieked as he fought. Kuronue dug into the rotten flesh, a scowl of disgust on his face. Quickly he pulled his fingers from the body, revealing a red jewel.

Just like that, Taitsu's…Turo's…body slumped in the vines. The jewel stopped pulsing, a sign that Taitsu was gone. Kuronue stared at the jewel, which oddly bore no residue from it's previous mucky home.

"Is he really gone?"

"I think so." Youko took the jewel, holding it up to the light. It twinkled innocently, dappling his face with crimson light. Kuronue picked up the discarded blade and examined it.

"I'm going to learn to use this," he said suddenly. Youko almost dropped the jewel.

"What?"

Kuronue smiled, "I'm going to learn to use this, and I'm going to keep that jewel."

"Why?" Youko spluttered. He had been planning on burying them both far away.

"To become stronger," was the cryptic reply. Youko watched the Chimera testing the edge of his new weapon with a look of disbelief. After a moment, he reached out and took Kuronue's wrist, bringing him close.

Without a word, his lips were pressed gently to his Chimera's, savoring a moment that to Youko felt like the first kiss of forever.