Ice Chronicles

Chapter 28: Darkness vs. Light

We were all outside in the backyard. Yamato was staring us down, as did my sekirei and I. There was absolute silence. The only thing you could hear was the howling of the wind and the rustling of the trees. The wind caused a leaf to fall towards the ground. The moment it touched ground level,

"Let's go!" I shouted. Yomi was the first to rush forward with Yamato closing in. She twirled the scythe to increase power then swung horizontally. Yamato ducked and slid under Yomi, getting behind her; but she slammed the shaft on the ground to turn around and threw a kick. Yamato blocked the kick with his wrist and grabbed her leg. He smirked as he pulled Yomi and started spinning in circles. After he picked up enough speed, Yamato let her go, throwing Yomi towards the rest of us. I had my arms out to stop her, but she used her hands to slow herself down.

Toyotama and Uzume then rush at Yamato. Toyotama swung for the head, causing Yamato to duck; but she followed up by swinging low. Yamato used his lowness to jump up higher, but waiting for him was Uzume, who used her drill shaped veils to push him back down.

"Take this!" She exclaimed. The two crashed into the ground, creating a dust cloud. It was silent again, until the two jumped out on opposite sides. There wasn't a scratch on Yamato, which surprised Uzume.

"What the; how are you completely unscathed?" She questioned. Yamato didn't reply and went for Yomi. I took notice on why he went for her. Toyotama and Musubi got in front of Yomi and attacked at the same time. Yamato jumped over them and cocked his arm back. Yomi took firm hold of her weapon and rushed him. She spun around and met Yamato's attack, which succeeded and sent him back. Yomi then started spinning the scythe above her until it resembled a helicopter's propeller. She smiled confidently and with all her might, she swung downward.

"Wind Devastator!" She exclaimed and many wind currents flew towards Yamato with incredible speed. There was something different about her wind sickles. I could feel something resonating within her moves. There was more power in them than her usual attack. Even the speed of flight was faster than normal.

'She's gotten more powerful from the way it looks. I have seen her skills greatly improve, but so quickly as well. Hmmm, I wonder.' I said in thought. I looked at Musubi, Akitsu, and Tskumi and thought of a plan.

"Okay, this should work; I want you three to triangulate Yamato. That will cut off his escape and limit his movements. He may be skilled, but he can't dodge attacks from all corners," I explained. They shook their heads and jumped off to three positions, surrounding Yamato in a triangle. Matsu walked up beside me.

"That was a nice strategy," she complimented. "But do you think it will be enough?"

"I honestly don't know, but it's the best thing I can come up with," I told her. "If we can limit his movements, then we can win."

Yomi continued on the offensive. She came down with an overhead slash, but Yamato jumped back and noticed Toyotama coming straight down. He waited for the right moment, sidestepped out of the way, and got behind her. He was about to strike, until he received a windblast. Yamato slid across the ground and pushed himself up with his hands. He looked up and saw Kazehana smiling. Yomi used the distraction and rushed at him. As she ran, there was an aura surround the blade end.

"Now let's see how you handle this!" She exclaimed. Yomi repeatedly slashed away, leaving streak tails following the blade. Yamato smiled at her, but just stood there and dodged each attack. Yomi crouched and came back up. Yamato stepped back; however, he wasn't prepared for the wind sickle that flew and hit him. The sickle ripped his clothes and cut his torso. He quickly jumped back, only to see water, ice, and light coming his way. He didn't have time to dodge so he put his arms together and took the impact. The three elements collided with each other and erupted a big explosion that kicked up a huge gust of wind.

"Did we get him?" Yomi asked aloud. There was no response, increasing suspense. Suddenly, there was laughter.

"Oh you've got to be kidding me," Toyotama stated.

"How did he survive that?" Matsu asked.

"High defensive stat," I responded. "Hmmm, then let's see him survive this."

Once the smoke cleared, Yamato was still standing with his arms crossed. He did take a sufficient amount of damage.

"Not a bad try; but it's gonna take a lot more than that to take me out," he stated. Yamato put his arms down and saw Yomi charging at him. The same aura appeared around her scythe, reinforcing the blade; it was shinier and its color was different. She twirled the scythe, creating a circle with her aura. Yomi jumped up while still twirling the scythe.

"Scythe Tempest!" She yelled and chucked her weapon. The scythe started flying around Yamato, encasing him in a twister. If heard carefully, there were many slashing sounds emanating from it.

"Akitsu and Tskumi, fire at the twister," I told them. Following my order, the two waved their hands and summoned a dragon with their elements. The two fused together and grew bigger in size.

"Let's do this! Dragon Supreme!" Akitsu and Tskumi shouted in unison. The dragon roared loudly and flew towards the twister. The beast wrapped around it and dispersed, making the elements swirl along the twister. The twister itself fused with the elements and became even larger. The power from it was enough to make me plant my feet to keep from flying away.

"Musubi, when I say now, jump into the eye of the twister," I told her.

"Right," she replied. Musubi started concentrating intensely. There were more and more slashing happening in the tornado and Yomi repeatedly fire off air currents to ramp it up. That's when the twister started breaking apart, signaling me.

"Now Musubi," I stated. She followed command and rush to the tornado. With her speed, she jumped up high in the sky and held her fist up in the air. A pink energy started to engulf her fist and she began her descent. The twister concealed her presence as she continued descending. The tempest dispelled, revealing Yamato and Musubi. Before Yamato could act,

"Bear Fist!" Musubi shouted. She impaled the ground, causing a bright light to flash and blast up in the sky. A powerful gale kicked up and blew Matsu and me back. I planted my feet and stopped myself, but Matsu couldn't. I got in her way and caught her just in time.

"You okay?" I asked her. She sighed in relief and straightened her glasses.

"Yeah, I'm okay. Thanks for catching me," she replied. I nodded my head and looked at the damage. My eyes widened when I noticed the huge ass crater in the yard. There was dust rising from the ground.

'Whoa, incredible; her power has exponentially increased as well. There's no way Yamato could've come out of that." I said in thought. The dust started to clear, but not before Yamato rushed out and threw a punch at Yomi. She deflected the attack in time, but she wasn't fully prepared and the attack knocked the scythe out of her hand.

"Ahhhh!" She yelled as she flew back. I managed to catch Yomi and stop her from crashing into the patio.

"Aw man; I lost my scythe. Sorry Ren; I couldn't stop him," she said. I rubbed and patted her shoulders.

"It's okay Yomi; you're still safe and that's what matters to me," I replied. Yamato caught the scythe and twirled it above him then pointed the head at me.

"That was a good tactic you thought of. However, I am much more agile than you might think. While the twister slashed away, I could dodge each attack; and even the combination of water and ice couldn't hit me. Musubi however, she was the closest to touching me. But she's a little off-balance with her mind like it is," he explained. I greeted my teeth and noticed Akitsu and Tskumi firing barrages of their elements. Yamato just smirked. Without looking, he started moving left and right; dodging the elements and making them fly at me instead. I got in front of Yomi and Matsu and braced myself. The others were too far away to help; but that's when the elements suddenly dispersed. I turned back around and saw Yamato's eyes expand in surprise. He looked at Akitsu and Tskumi. Both had their arms and fingers extended. They stopped the attacks just in time and started swaying their arms in harmony. The water and ice particles started shaking and then came back together. The two waved their arms as if they were dancing; as a result, their respective element flew back at Yamato.

I put my hand under my chin in thought.

'Hmmm, so now they can now control their powers with their limbs. Instead of just waving their arms, they can move around and their element will respond to their movements.'

"Hm, so now you spring this on me," Yamato said. He lost the smirk and his black aura reappeared. The ice and water flew in a pattern at their target as the girls rolled in midair so elegantly. The elements came close, but Yamato suddenly disappeared from his position. The girls noticed this and raised their arms, sending the remainder of their shards into the air. The girls turned their backs to each other, making their pieces fly their separate zone. The girls lowered their arms and signaled their shards to rocket downward. Yamato reappeared in time for the shards to hit the ground; but with his lightning speed, he was only a shadow as he easily dodged the attacks. Tskumi gritted her teeth while Akitsu showed no expression.

"Tskumi, Akitsu, divide and conquer," I stated. Akitsu nodded her head.

"Of course!" Tskumi exclaimed. She pointed at Yamato.

"You may have dodged our last wave, but now you will face my wrath."

Yamato just looked at her and pointed the scythe.

"I believe it's the other way around," he taunted. "But let's see what you got."

A vein popped into Tskumi's head.

"Why you; I'll show you!" She declared. Tskumi raised her hand and Akitsu mirrored. Their elements rose up high and went opposite directions. The girls clap their hands together as they turned and pivoted back, thrusting their arms out. Their respective weapons dove down and then cut forward. Tskumi's went for Yamato's front side and Akitsu's flew towards his blind spot.

"Try and dodge this," Tskumi stated. Yamato didn't respond and held out the scythe. He started twirling it around him as fast as he could, which created shadow scythes from moving too fast. With the incredible speed, Yamato deflected every shard that came at him.

"What!"

"No way," Yomi stated.

"Awesome," Toyotama spoke up.

"Toyotama this is not the time to be impressed," Matsu pointed out.

"I'm sorry, but I can't help it," she replied.

Yamato spun around and slashed the blade with him, creating a wind circle that destroyed the remaining element shards.

"Impossible!" Tskumi exclaimed. Both she and Akitsu were panting heavily whereas Yamato kept his breathing normal. He rested the shaft of the scythe against his shoulder and glared at me.

"Your sekirei can't touch me Ren; and now it's time for you to step forward," he stated. "There's a reason why your sekirei can't touch me."

"And what's that?" I questioned.

"It's because they see you in me," he replied. "Even though we're different beings, our appearances are identical; and their hearts don't have it in them to hurt their most precious person."

"That's a lie!" Someone spoke up. Everyone was surprised to hear that come out of Akitsu's mouth. She looked at Yamato with menacing eyes. He noticed and smiled at this.

"You have something to say?" He asked her.

"I see my master in no part of you," she stated. "I've been with my master longer than the others and I know how he acts, how he thinks, and how he feels," she stated. "I can tell just by looking at the two of you that my master resembles nothing of you. When I look at you, I don't see my master. All I see is some doppelganger of the past that opened the wrong door," she responded. The rest of us were flabbergasted. For Akitsu, the ice goddess, who rarely show her emotions to end up snapping like this.

"Whoa; I never thought she could snap like this," Uzume spoke up. The girls nodded in agreement. I smiled after listening to her speech.

'So you've spoke what was on your mind Akitsu. Hm, great job.' I thought. I removed my hands from Yomi's shoulders and proceeded ahead of the girls.

"Ren, what are you doing?" Yomi asked.

"Wait; Ren, you can't be serious," Matsu said.

"I am; Musubi let me borrow your gloves," I replied. She looked at me curiously, but complied and handed me her gloves. I put them on and pounded my knuckles together. I could feel my power skyrocket just from wearing them. The power of a fist-type sekirei is combining with my natural strength. I walked towards Yamato and stopped several feet away. He pointed the scythe's head at me.

"So you're stepping up. That's good; now we can finish this battle. Are you ready?" He questioned. I smiled at him.

"Ready as I'll ever be," I replied.

"Wait Ren," Matsu interrupted. "You shouldn't be doing this. Let us handle this; if we combine our powers, we can take him down."

I sighed and turned to look at my sekirei.

"Listen; I know it's a big risk here, but I'm the only one who can match him. He may have the advantage on me. But have that ever stopped me before?" I asked them.

"He has a point you know," Toyotama agreed.

"I don't care how right he is. I will not let you fight," Tskumi stated.

"I agree with Tskumi. Nothing we did could take this guy out, so what makes you think you can do it?" Uzume questioned.

"They're right; it's too dangerous master," Akitsu warned. I sighed and shook my head no, but I looked back them smiling.

"You're gonna have to trust me on this. I know he's stronger than I am; but as Matsu can tell you, brain beats brawn. And I'm confident that I can find a way to outsmart him. Who else knows me better than me myself?" I asked them. They didn't have a retort. I looked at Kazehana.

"Kazehana; if it's alright with you, I want to reschedule our date to tomorrow."

"Ren," she whispered and put her hand to her chest. She smiled at me.

"I would love that; but don't forget okay?" She asked. I nodded and turned to face Yamato.

"You should know that I never go back on my word. And Toyotama, try to contain yourself," I told her.

"Huh? Uh, okay," she replied.

"Same to you Yomi," I said.

"Hold on; I never agreed to this," Tskumi stated.

"It's too late Tskumi. There's nothing any of you can say that will make me stand down. Now I suggest you move back. This might get epic," I stated. Yamato was leaning against the scythe bored out of his mind.

"It's time we start."

He took the scythe in his hand.

"It's about time; I was getting bored," he replied. Yamato raised the scythe and pointed it at me. He then held it out beside him and started spinning it. A powerful gust of wind kicked up, but it didn't bother us.

"You know there's a saying about doppelgangers. 'Clones are never as good as the original.' Let's test that saying and see if it's true!"

Yamato turned sideways and readied the scythe for an attack. I pounded my knuckles together again and kept them touching. We looked at each other and lost the smiles. Unconsciously, my aura suddenly channeled itself. Yamato's aura suddenly appeared as well. The two resembled flames except caused another huge burst of wind to blow.

"What's happening?" Yomi asked aloud.

"Their auras are clashing, making this wind pick up. The combined forces had a strong effect," Matsu explained.

'I can't lose. I have a lot at stake if I lose. My family, my friends, my life, and of course my sekirei; if I die then I'm going to lose them all.' I said in thought.

I crouched low to the ground, as did Yamato. No other words were said, and we rushed each other with lightning speed. A trail of dust tailed behind us. I threw a straight punch and Yamato swung for my head. I caught the head, but Yamato blocked with the shaft. I pulled my arm back and thrust it forward again. I pushed him back and charged forward then threw another punch. Yamato quickly disappeared and reappeared behind me. Before I could react, he slashed downward. I quickly dashed to the side and ran around the yard, trying to confuse him. Yamato just stood still with his eyes closed. Suddenly, his eyes shot open and he started slashing away all around him. His power created multiple wind sickles that flew in all directions. Now instead of trying to confuse him, I had to dodge each sickle. Watching the attacks carefully, I moved accordingly and managed to get away safely.

Just when I was safe, Yamato suddenly appeared in front of me and cut my shoulder. Blood immediately flew out and poured to the ground. I jumped back and held my shoulder. I looked at Yamato, only to see him keep on the offensive. He repeatedly slashed the scythe left and right, but I managed to avoid his attacks and counter with my own. I lunched at him, but he jumped over my attack and kicked me in the back of the head. He then raced back and I quickly followed. We raced around the yard as fast as we could, throwing attacks right after the other. We reappeared for a brief moment with Yamato slashing at me but I blocked with my wrist, and then we vanished again. All around, shockwaves covered the place. The last shock sent us back, but we didn't let up. I tightened my fist and tried to do what I did with the sword in Yamato's realm. I held my fist out and let my aura engulf it.

Yamato smirked at me and did the same with the scythe. I resumed my stance and charged head on. Yamato followed suit and held his arms back.

"HAAAAAAAAAA! HAAAA!" We cried. I punched down and he slashed upward. The two clashed and caused another big shockwave. We jumped back and rushed at each other again, repeating the same collisions.

"You're getting better; I guess what's at stakes are motivating you," Yamato said as we kept fighting. Another big shockwave erupted and I crashed into the fence. I got back on my feet, panting heavily. My entire body was covered in bruises and the gash on my shoulder kept slowing me down. I wiped the sweat from my mouth and responded.

"I have a lot at stake here; and I won't give up so easily. The day I give up."

I pointed at Yamato.

"Will be the day I die! So as long as there is breath in my body, I will continue to fight."

Yamato started snickering and then burst out laughing.

"Is that so huh? Then let's see what you got," he stated. I took my stance; my confidence now higher and I'm ready to fight. Yamato twirled the scythe around and swung three times, sending wind currents my way. He spun around and used the momentum to fire an even stronger current after the rest. I stepped left and right to dodge the first two and then backhand the third, breaking it apart. I straight punched the last one and caused it to disperse into multiple pieces. I looked up and smiled at Yamato and he returned it. He went right so I went left and we vanished. We resumed fighting at sonic speed, but I could see his attacks more clearly now. At first, they were too complex to dodge; but now I can see them coming. I dodged another attack and threw a haymaker. Yamato didn't use the scythe to block and instead jumped out of the way. He got a good distance away and slashed upward, sending a powerful current at me. I focused my strength into my fist and threw a dynamic punch. The current and my fist met each other and created visible electricity. The sound of static emanated through the air. I held my ground and pushed forward. With my free hand, I went for the uppercut and broke the sickle into fragments. I went for Yamato and he ducked under my punch. He came back and slashed up. I weaved right, but was still too slow. The scythe hit me in the chest, making me breath even harder. I gripped my chest as if I was having a heart attack. Yamato slammed the scythe into me and hard as he could. Blood flew as I hit the fence and he held the shaft against my neck to keep me there.

"You're slipping; I can feel it. What happened to all that motivation you had? Are you just going to give up? I guess you should; because after all, you're family never cared for you," he stated. My eyes expanded and something started rising inside.

"Now I see why your parents were so neglectful. With brothers like yours, who needs you?"

I gritted my teeth.

"Stop it," I said.

"Oh, did I say something to piss you off?" Yamato taunted. I tightened my fist and grr'd softly. I could hear my heart beat louder, my sanity being lost, and for some reason my anger keeps rising. I closed my eyes and immediately shot them open. I could feel something inside trying to force itself out. There was no sorrow, no jealousy; only anger.

'GRRRRRR! HAAAAAAAAAAA!" I cried. I punched Yamato dead in the face. He flew back and slid back. I was free from his hold but didn't let up. While he was surprised, I ran at him and uppercut him. I followed up with a right hook and hit his side. Finally, I threw a punch at his chest and sent him crashing across the ground. I ran and jumped up over him. I cocked my fist back as I came down, using gravity to speed me up. I launched another attack, but Yamato rolled out of the way before I could hit his head. I groaned in anger and stood up. I shot daggers at him as Yamato wiped the blood from his mouth.

"What the hell? Where did this come from?" He questioned. I didn't respond and kept glaring at him. Yamato crouched low and rushed at me.

"It doesn't matter though; you're still going to die!" He yelled. Yamato hacked for my head; but I grabbed the blade and stopped it cold. He tried pulling back, but I refused to let go. I pulled my free arm back and punched the blade as hard as I could. The blade broke off and shattered into tiny pieces. Yamato eyes widened as the shards flew past him.

"AHHHHHHHHHHH! MY DEATH SCYTHE!" Yomi shrieked. Yamato jumped back held the broken scythe up. The blade was completely broken, leaving only a little piece and the shaft.

"Musubi's combat gloves multiply my strength. Breaking that scythe was child's play now. You may have had the upper hand before; but now, it's time to turn the tables," I said. Yamato gritted his teeth and twirled the scythe. He rushed at me and swung downward. I stepped out of the way and threw a high kick. Yamato ducked down and swept my legs. I punched the ground, stopping his attack. He stumbled back and I punched him in the stomach.

"HAAAAAAAHH" He gasped for air. Yamato fell to his knees and gasped at the ground. His positions caused me to laugh out loud for everyone to hear. I don't know why but I just had to laugh.

"I'm laughing at how fast I managed to turn the tables," I responded. He just looked at me confused so I pointed it out for him.

"Look at where you're kneeling."

He slowly looked down and gasped when he saw his position. He was standing in the middle of a circle with seven lines sticking out along it. The lines when connected create another circle with smaller ones going around it and the lines point to those small ones.

"What is this?" Yamato questioned. I answered that surrounding my fist in my aura again. I slid my foot forward and swept it to the right. I took off around the circle, but I ran even faster this time. Yamato was surprised, and by the look on my girls' faces, so were they. I kept running until there was not one, but seven of me. The seven of us stood in a circle with our fists blazing; however, it wasn't blue. It was black. The girls gasped when they noticed.

"Ren no! You can't continue! Please stop!" Matsu shouted, but I ignored her words. Yamato was looking back and forth, trying to find the real me.

"You can't find me can you?" All of us asked. "What you see is me, but only one is key. While the others are shadows, the damage they inflict is real."

Yamato had his eyes closed, concentrating on the voices. As for us, we held our fists out and let the aura spread down our arms. We raised our fists in the air and shouted,

"Shadow thunder!

At the same time, we threw a punch at the ground; but Yamato reacted by firing wind sickles at the clones. Their punches hit the ground, but the doubles phased away before something could happen. Even though the scythe was broken, Yamato still managed to fire wind currents. Now I was the only one left, making Yamato smile in satisfaction.

"I must say; that was quite the surprise. But it failed," he told me. I on the hand started laughing again. Yamato didn't bother asking anything. I held my hand over my mouth to calm me down, but it didn't work.

"I have one more trick and surprise. The surprise, is me," I or actually, my clone stated. He vanished out of sight. Everyone looked up and saw me diving straight down. Yamato readied the scythe and smiled at me.

"You idiot! Now that you're airborne, you can't dodge my attacks. This is your end!" Yamato exclaimed.

"HAAAAAAAAAA!"

He send wave after wave of currents. I readied my fists and threw a barrage of punches. My fists and the currents collided one after another. There were shrieking sounds as sparks fly. I got to the end and we threw separate attacks with the same color auras following our weapons. On collision, the two surged and a black pillar of light shot up. A powerful gale kicked up and blew everything away. Yamato and I were in the middle holding each other back. He was struggling, but I was holding back.

"Face it Yamato; you're powerless. You can't beat me; it's over for you," I told him. He smirked at me and then started laughing.

"I've still won this fight," he said. I narrowed my eyes and unleashed my power. The sudden increased intensified the light and finally pushed Yamato back. He hit the fence and fell on his back. The light soon dimmed and the original light shined the entire area.

"I told you it was no use," I said to myself. I walked over to Yamato and looked down at him. The scythe was lying right beside him so I kicked it away from him before he could grab it. I lost the smile and tapped into my aura; however, it still turned out black. The girls were shouting at me.

"Ren stop!" Toyotama shouted.

"Get a hold of yourself!" Uzume yelled. I ignored their shouting and grabbed Yamato by the collar. I cocked my fist back ready to finish him.

"You've lost Yamato. Is there anything you would like to say before I kill you?" I asked. He smiled and laughed at me again.

"You're the one who lost Ren," he said.

"What," I replied. He laughed harder.

"I'm the winner here. No matter how you slice it, the victor is me," he stated. He pointed at me.

"And if you don't believe me, take a look at your hand and then your sekirei."

I did as he said and took a look at my hand. My eyes widen when I came to realization about my aura.

"No," I said. "No not that."

I released Yamato and stood up. I looked at both hands and tapped back into my aura again; but it was still black.

"No; why isn't it turning back? Why is still dark? Turn back, turn back; please turn back."

No matter how hard I tried, the color still turned out the same. I was scared; I became what I tried not to. Slowly, I turned my head and looked at my sekirei. They were just as scared as I am. Their eyes said it all. I turned back to Yamato and placed my hand over his face.

"So this is it; I can't move and my weapon is broken. I'm done here; but it was worth it. Now you know the pain I felt and how much it hurts," he said. "Get on with it; but you should know. Your heart will never be the same again. You may can make things right; but you betrayed the most important thing in your life, your heart. You gave into your anger and let it consume you, turning you into the person you never wanted to become. Now that you know what you've become, what will you do?"

I didn't say a word and kept doing what I was doing. Yamato's being started dematerializing. In order for me to get rid of him, I had to do the same thing he did to me. I tried my hardest to hold back, but it hurts so much. I couldn't contain them and tears fell down my cheeks. Yamato's head was the only thing left.

"Sorrow, jealousy, anger, the three most powerful negative emotions; and you have fallen victim to them. Your anger is strong; but in the end, not even you could withstand its temptation."

I let go and stood up. The rest of Yamato dematerialized and faded away. A small gust of wind blew, blowing away the leaves. I grabbed Yomi's broken scythe and walked over to my sekirei with my head down. I stopped in front of Yomi and held out her scythe. I didn't say anything and waited for her to take it. She grabbed the shaft and took it from my hands. She was about to say something, but Uzume stopped her. Turning to my left, I walked away, leaving them behind. I exited the walkway and took off running. I didn't look where I was going and just let instincts guide me. I ended up in the park and walked the trail. When the sun started setting, I was sitting on a bench in an area people hardly come to. I heard footsteps approaching and saw someone's feet.

"What is it?" I finally spoke. I didn't bother looking up, but I already knew who it was.

"Why are you here Jason?"

"Is that anyway to greet a friend?" He asked back. I sunk lower on the bench.

"Is that the answer to my question?" I interrogated.

"Sigh, I saw what happened. I was here with my sekirei and then we saw a black light coming from the inn. When we arrived, I saw you give Yomi back her weapon; but your head was down and I could see you crying. Matsu explained to me what happened in words I could actually understand," he explained. "Ren, look at me; I have something to show you."

Reluctantly, I raised my head to look at him. BAM! Jason punched me in the face full power. I turned my head back at him and rubbed my cheek.

"You used your defensive ability for an offensive attack," I said.

"The best defensive makes a great offense. And you deserve it," he replied. He crossed his arms.

"I'm ashamed Ren; you were the last person I'd expect would give in to his anger. I don't know what that double said, but he was right. You betrayed your heart and entered the darkness. Your sekirei had the most depression look I've ever seen on them before."

I stayed quiet and let him continue.

"Talk to me Ren; you've helped me out so many times. Now it's my turn to help you."

"I don't deserve help," I said. BAM! Jason punched me again.

"Don't give me that crap. Now talk; I want to hear every single detail. I told you about my past. Now it's time you told me yours," he said. I wiped the blood from my mouth and put my hands over my lips. Jason sat down beside me and listened to my story. I told him the same thing I told my sekirei a long time ago.

"Sigh, we both have family problems. I can see why you became what you did; but Ren, it wasn't your fault. I know things turned out bad, but do you honestly think you would become such a way? Do you actually believe you would willingly give in to your hatred?"

"I'm not as good hearted as you make me out to believe," I told him.

"And what makes you think that?" Jason asked.

"I don't think deflowering five girls count as good heartedness. I foolishly gave in to my anger and became what I never wanted. And let me prove it you," I answered. I stood up and faced him.

"The lightning flashed and the thunder crashed; make my speed reach a pinnacle that cannot be surpassed. Lightning and thunder fuse inside this being. Make my speed increase further. Grant me the power, of Zonin Thunder."

The effects of the chant made aura rise again; however, its color was still black. I could feel the pain of my heart. My act of betrayal caused this. I died the aura down and sat back down.

"See? I'm not that good hearted. If I were, I wouldn't have this color aura. And the most obvious fact is the hatred my heart feels for me now. It's one thing to betray my sekirei; but betraying the heart is another thing."

"Was is your fault?" He asked.

"What," I said. Jason looked at me.

"I said was it your fault? Was everything your doing? Did all of this happen because you forced it; or was it some outside force?"

I looked back down at the ground.

"It was me; I'm the one who built up those emotions. I'm the one who allowed my anger to consume me; and look at what it did," I replied. Jason sighed.

"I see. So you're just gonna sit on your ass and mope all day. Then let me ask you; who are you?" Jason asked.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" I asked back. He stood and walked in front of me.

"Who are you; my name is Jason. Have we met before? You seem awfully familiar, as if I've met you before," he said.

"Jason, you know my name is Ren," I said.

"Ahh, what a coincident; my friend's name is Ren too," he stated.

"You do know that's me," I told him.

"Huh? No, you're not. You're not the Ren I know. You may be the same height and have the same faces, but the Ren I know is much stronger. He's a great friend and I look up to him. He's like the older brother I always wanted. He's helped me out so many times; and I've constantly watched him grow stronger and stronger with his special friends." Jason stated. He smiled at me. That's when I heard more footsteps approaching and the two of us turned our heads. Approaching us was Akitsu. Jason saw the look in her eyes and walked away. Akitsu walked up to me.

"Master," she called out. I rested my head on my palm.

"Why are you here Akitsu; and how did you find me?" I questioned. She sat down beside me.

"Matsu tracked you down; and I'm here to bring you to the others," she explained.

"Don't bother; I've already done enough damage. I bet they don't want to see me," I replied.

"That's not true master; we all want you back," Akitsu told me. "We all want you to come back to us."

"Sigh, I can't Akitsu," I stated.

"But why master? Why do you refuse to come back?" She asked. I twiddled my thumbs.

"Akitsu; I've seen the look on your faces, the look in your eyes. You were scared Akitsu; and it was because of me," I said. I put my hand over my face.

"You saw how I acted. You noticed the change and yelled at me to stop; but I didn't listen. I let my anger get to me and let it change me. I let it take over and bring out what I never wanted to let you see and become."

I covered my face with my hands and shook my head.

"I never wanted you girls to see me that way. And now the look of terror I saw in your eyes is forever framed into my head."

Akitsu grabbed my shoulders and pulled my head in between her breasts. She rubbed my head.

"It's okay Ren; it's going to be okay. No one is blaming you for what happened. We know it wasn't your fault, so don't beat yourself up about it. Yes, were scared; but it was only because we lost you to that impostor. We lost the real you and feared you would never come back," she said. She continued rubbing my head and brought my face up to look at her.

"Ren, nothing was your fault; it was just something in the past."

"A past I've ignored and let it come haunt me," I said. Akitsu rested her head on my shoulders and embraced me.

"It's not your fault master," she said more firmly. She looked at me again.

"Stop beating yourself up about it; you are better than that. I know you master. I know how much you love us and how much you care for Jason and the others. So why do you believe you would do such a thing. You are levelheaded, observant, and courageous; we know you would never let anyone control you."

"But Akitsu,"

"NO BUTS!" She yelled. Her scream surprised me.

"Ren; stop doubting yourself; it's not like you. You're not the type of person who just gives up. You're the person who gets back up and try harder. We all know how you felt when you came to realization and we're here for you Ren. We're always here when you need us. You always reassure us that you're here and will always be there for us. Now it's our turn to be there for you."

As she talked, tears started filling up her eyes. I took her words into my thoughts and sent them to the place where it's needed most, my heart. I cupped her cheeks, making her stop talking. I gently wiped the tears from her eyes and leaned closer. Akitsu noticed and closed her eyes. I closed the distance between us and kissed her on the lips. She wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me back. We separated and looked into each other's eyes. I caressed her cheek softly and she placed her hand on top of mine.

"I love you Ren," she stated. I kissed her again and responded.

"I love you too Akitsu. I will always love you and the others. But there's no mistake in what I did," I replied. "Akitsu; I've made a lot of mistakes in my life; but my biggest one, is making you girls see that darkness."

"It's okay Ren; we can help you. We're not just your sekirei; we're your family, your lovers, and your wives. We have to help our husband and show him how much we love him," Akitsu replied. She brought her face closer until we could feel each other's breath hit our lips.

"I love you Ren. Do you love me?"

I nodded my head yes.

"Of course I love you Akitsu," I stated. We kissed once more before Akitsu dragged me back to the inn. When I entered the walkway, Yomi and Toyotama ran to me and hugged me. I returned their hugs. They kissed my cheeks and told me how much they missed me. I met Matsu in her room to see her again. Even though there was a situation, she tried to get me to 'experiment' with her. Since Miya and Takehito won't be back until tomorrow, she wanted to use the opportunity; but I didn't want to risk anything. I talked to Musubi and noticed she was doing better now. Tskumi was scolding me again with Uzume laughing and watching. It was when nightfall came that I confronted Kazehana. She was sitting on the roof watching the moon.

"You're back; I'm glad you came back to us," she stated.

"Kazehana; I have something important to tell you," I replied. She turned her head and looked at me. She decided to standup and face me. The night wind started blowing, making her hair flow majestically.

"Kazehana, remember how I said I wanted to change our date to tomorrow?" I asked her. She put her hand in front of her chest and nodded.

"Yeah, I remember," she replied.

"I still want to," I stated. She jumped in surprise and a small blush appeared on her face.

"Ren; you don't have to,"

I shook my head no.

"No Kazehana; I still want to go out with you. I know there were some complications that happened before, but that doesn't mean I should go back on my word. I promised I would take you out and take you out I will," I interrupted.

"Ren," she whispered. Kazehana smiled at me; her smile was so beautiful. I walked to her and intertwined her fingers with mine. I cupped her cheek and gazed into her eyes.

"So tomorrow, I'm going to show you how much I truly love you. Okay, honey?" I told her. Her blush brightened and her smile widened.

"I love you Kazehana."

I kissed her on the lips, eliciting her purple wings to flash and shine brightly. The light affected me as well. I could feel my strength returning. I could feel my confidence build back up; but there was something left unchecked. We separated and I kissed her hand. I stepped back and chanted my norito. It felt different; it was warmer, softer, and stronger. I took a deep breath and looked at my arms.

"Gasp."

The color of my aura has changed. It wasn't black; but it wasn't blue either. It was like a fusion of the two. I was happy to see the change and picked up Kazehana, spinning her around while hugging her. I held her up and she wrapped her arms around my neck. Under the moonlight, we kissed again and let her wings flash brightly.

A/N: Here you go guys, the next chapter; I hope you like it. I'm sorry if the fight scenes are too repeating but I'm terrible at writing it. I'm actually surprised I did this much. Anyway, next chapter will be about Ren and Kazehana's date and feature the next lemon. Now, I have some requests. The chapter after the date, I need you guys to give me some ideas for both this and my new story. I'm drawing a blank. I already have the 29th chapter thought out, but I need help with the second chapter for Heart of Shadows. I would greatly appreciate it. With something to think about, this has been MalevolentDarkness16. And Happy Thanksgiving everyone.