15. One Era Ending, Another Beginning

*Present*

It had been a cool, autumn morning by the time Katagiri and the researchers met again at Katagiri's place. The time had come for things to wrap up; the octogenarian had been discussing how she and her rival came to blows. "In short", Katagiri sipped some tea. "Yui planned to kill me and sold out her own men so she can own mine. It was pretty ballsy if I say so myself."

"Did she ever discuss why she killed the other girls?" Matsumoto asked. Katagiri shook her head no.

"Delusions of a mad woman perhaps?" Katagiri shrugged. "Maybe it was practice to attack me?"

"The others did rescue you obviously", Yamano added, "why did Yui's man help you though?"

"I believe he was hurt that Yui betrayed him so easily." The saniwa looked into her cup. "They were human at one time, just like the others."

####

Sakura's stomach started growling as the clouds began to grow dark. {ShokudaikirI -san would be making dinner by now.} Yui pointed the sword at her and scowled, "what the fuck was that?"

"My stomach", Sakura rubbed her bad arm, sore from punching her captor in the face. "I'm hungry. And it looks like it's gonna rain."

Yui held her nose, bleeding profusely. "You broke my nose!"

"You knocked my two men out, not to mention me." She leaned back. "And we're about to get drenched because storm clouds are all around us. Consider us even."

Then the rain began. It came down in sheets. Sakura shivered holding her shawl together. "Yui..." She tried to bargain with her again, "this is really stupid. You have no chance against them."

"This isn't something that you can talk your way out of!" Yui drew closer to her, waving the knife until Sakura felt something pierce her. Warm red instantly gushed out, though the wound was, from Sakura's observation, wasn't too deep. Tears mixed in within the rain.

"Well", Yui's drenched looks made her look almost wraithlike, "looks like your good looks won't get you out of this one."

Sakura wanted to scream -Is this what this is all about?- but the pain was seeping in.

At the Citadel, while Mitsutada, Mikazuki, Hasebe and Yagen, along with their hostage, rode in the downpour, questions were starting to be raised as Ookurikara filled Tsurumaru in on the details. "What are we waiting for?" The crane, anxious over his beloved mistress' condition, wanted to ride off right away. "Shit."

"I know."

"One of us should've been here to protect her!" Izumi and Horikawa overheard the two Date swords, as the former sword of Hijikata was near tears. "If something happens to Master..."

"Who is this person anyway?" Horikawa asked, "Kashuu had said this was another saniwa."

"It is." Ookurikara spoke.

"And it isn't." Tsurumaru began to explain things. The two Shisengumi swords were surprised though Izumi still remained upset. "That day...I saw her go off alone and didn't think anything of it." He hit the wall in anger while his partner squeaked, "Kane-san?"

"Look, she didn't want to tell anyone about this because she wanted everyone to stay focused. If you got questions, ask her when she comes back. Otherwise, you're just being a nuisance." Ookurikara got up, "Kuinaga. Let me know when they return."

"I love her too, you know!" (Izumi)

"We all do." (Horikawa)

"Then quit being over dramatic. She'd be the first to get annoyed at this anyway." (Ookurikara)

"Our master is a strong woman".

The rain grew heavier as four of the most beloved swords rode in the rain to rescue their master. Mikazuki was trying his hardest to reassure everyone, especially Mitsutada, who looked seriously ready to kill, "It will be okay." Yagen nodded in agreement.

"Well", their hostage and key to rescuing her, replied, "she certainly is a lot stronger than I gave her credit for anyway."

"Shut up." Mitsutada growled at him. Hasebe glared at their hostage too. This didn't deter the priest though.

"I was like you once", he ignored the glares, I had a master like you. I became like this when I let myself corrupted."

"If she dies", Hasebe spoke coldly, "I will murder you and every single member of you clan until no one is left."

As the rain let up slightly, the lake was in view.

Sakura was not only in pain but now she was still hungry. Yui had her right where she wanted her, much to her annoyance.

{I can't lose here.}

"Fine", she sighed, hitting the ground. "You win. However, my men are probably going to kill you before you even bury me."

"Shit". Yui was in shock after seeing the damage she had done. She tore a part of her clothing and wrapped it around Sakura. Sakura just eyed her, as if to say, {Are you fucking kidding me?}. Yui was panicking more and more. All of this planning, from the murder of different saniwas and their soldiers to finding Sakura and even wounding her, was quickly being forgotten as Yui realized how far she had gone.

(I messed up bad. Oh God, I totally messed up everything!)

"Well," Sakura was pale as she watched Yui overreact like crazy. "Thought this out reaalllll good huh?"

"Shut up!" In her temper, Yui had slashed her friend on the right cheek. "Shut the fuck up! Why did it have to be you? Huh?"

"What do you mean?" Sakura held her bleeding wound. "You think I'm enjoying this?"

"You're so goddamn annoying". Yui calmed down. "You have all of the advantages in life; perfect grades, lots of friends and you're pretty."

"This is what you're pissed off at me about?" Horses. The men were close by. The rain had slowed down. "Yui...I'm the last person you need to be jealous of, trust me. My grades aren't perfect and I don't have that many friends. If anything, I made more friends here than anything."

"One of us", Yui dropped her arms to the side and the sword, "won't make it back."

"Who says?"

"History dictates it so." Yui looked at her. "I just wanted to succeed at something for once."

"You know", her rival smiled, "it's not too late to succeed. We go back, we'll study together. And here, I was jealous of you because of the good grades you always got."

"Really?" Yui wiped her tears. Sakura nodded.
Just then, an arrow hit Yui square in the chest. Her rescuers had arrived.

{Damn it. I almost had her}

"Sakura-sama!" "Sakura-chan!"

The men had approached the women, as Sakura just watched everything like she was in a movie. It wouldn't be until days later before she could comprehend fully what had happened as Yui's body fell into the lake. The priest, still holding the bow that launched the arrow that killed the other saniwa, slashed himself in the stomach. The last thing she had remembered before blacking out was hearing a teary Mitsutada call her name. More voices joined her.

[She is alone in the citadel when she hears a noise. "Hey...who's there?"

A woman, with similar features like Sakura's, appeared wearing a sky blue kimono. Despite not seeing her since she was three, Sakura knew who the woman was. "Okasan..."

"Look at you", Haruna grinned. "How beautiful you turned out to be!" The women hugged.

"Oh damn, am I dead?" She wondered.

"No, you're fine", her mother embraced her lovingly, "it's not your time yet. Become what you always wanted to be."

Then she saw Yui.

"Go back and live for me.", was all that she had to say. Then she faded and woke up.]

"Welcome back General. We were worried."

She had been in the medical area bandaged up. The eyes of her men were on her while her lover was holding her gently. Her wounds were bandaged up.

"Sakura-sama", Mikazuki grinned. "We're happy to have you back." Mitsutada, emotional as ever, just held her.

And Sakura had never felt more loved.

####

"So, that's that?"

Both researchers looked at each other as Yamano spoke.

"There's actually more in my diaries, to be honest." Katagiri gave them a box this time. "I wound up there for about a year and a half. Once I recovered, wars went on and eventually I lost Mitsutada and Yamabagiri in battle. They even sent another to me, as you've spoken to her already. She was a nice girl...though spacey. The Shisengumi, well...not mine anyway, but her group, liked her. Izumi was devoted to her. She had some of the same people I had, but she also had others."

Matsumoto took the box. "Thank you, Katagiri-san. It truly has been quite interesting."

"The pleasure has been mine." The older woman bowed. "Please, keep in touch. I don't have too many friends who are still alive left."

At the time, no one had realized that Katagiri would be dead twenty-four hours later. In retrospect, Yamano and Matsumoto had a feeling that the octogenarian knew that she would not survive.