Notes: my favorite chapter - I won't spoil it. once again, special thanks to Mink for her comments & advice on Japanese grammer. arigatou~!
Beneath the reddened trees in the courtyard, Ayame readied her stance, her knees bent and hand on the hilt of her sword. As soon as the target came into view, she released the blade and sliced through it so swiftly that no one actually saw the movement. Her feet meeting the ground once more, she lifted her head to see the scattered shreds of leaves fall all around her.
"Sugoi!" Hanakoji commented, he and Kazuma clapping their hands as she stood and wiped the sweat off her face. "You have very impressive skills, Ayame-kun." Wearing a hakama, Ayame blushed and bowed her head towards them.
'Today we have been invited to Hanakoji-hakushaku's estate. It's a lovely place at the foot of Fuji-san. The scenery is so beautiful and peaceful - I wonder if that has helped my concentration... or perhaps it is because I decided to no longer pursue any thoughts for Shinguji-taisa...'
She turned towards the cheerful Kazuma as he came out to join her for sword practice. The wind picked as they drew their swords and moved in unison. Ayame couldn't help but smile as her actions become more and more relaxed and natural.
'I still have lots of admiration for Shinguji-taisa. I can't help it; he's very brave and kind. But, I've finally realized that we're just not meant to be. This realization and decision has lifted something from my conscience. I think I'm ready to move on.'
"Otsukaresama." Kazuma softly said, as he handed her a towel at the end of practice.
"Un!" she said, following him towards the mansion. 'Demo,' she thought, 'Why can't I fight this way in battle... when it matters. The last battle, I couldn't do anything... I was so useless. If it wasn't for..." She then stopped and looked around. 'Are? Where is Yamazaki-shousa...??'
* * * * * *
A humming Yamazaki stood in the kitchen, making rice balls. Yoneda, looking bored, watched with his head down on the counter. "Fuuaaa! A smart kid like you sure knows how to do everything... Even the tedious of tasks..."
"People have to eat, right?" Yamazaki replied, placing a finished one in front of the sleepy old guy, "Why don't you call everyone? We can all eat together."
"Chotto matta," Yoneda said, sitting up and leaning in, "I want to talk to you about Ayame-kun..." He watched as Yamazaki's shoulders caved a little. "Nan da? Don't you like her?"
"What kind of question is that?" he grumbled, finishing another tray, "It doesn't really matter anyhow."
"Maa maa... you're sounding like a bitter guy again. You know Ayame-kun has grown comfortable around you - and she's gotten used to your mood swings. I think she could come to like you if you give a little chase, loverboy."
"I'm not listening to you anymore, jiji!" Yamazaki sighed, trying to concentrate on the onigiri, "The misunderstanding you've caused was not at all funny. Ayame-kun has already told me her answer, that she doesn't give a damn about me."
Yoneda scratched his head as the boy continued to work himself into a fury. "That can't be so... Did she answer right away? Did she have to take a moment to think about her answer??"
"Aa sou..."
"That means she hesitated. Girls never straight out tell their true feelings to their loved one." Yoneda noted. Yamazaki shrugged. "Look, I'll find out the truth for you...!"
"Heh?!" Yamazaki watched in surprise as Yoneda rushed out the room. "Ch-Chotto! Shirei, y-yamero!!"
Yamazaki chased after him, the two of them going out into the courtyard. Hanakoji and Kazuma stared at them in surprise. "Where's... Ayame-kun...??" Yoneda panted as Yamazaki hovered over him raging.
"She's taking a bath." Kazuma explained, looking back and forth, "Doushita?"
"This kid wants to talk with her about some serious matters." Yoneda explained, "We'll just have to wait."
Yamazaki just sighed and covered his face. 'How do I get myself into these things...?'
* * * * *
"What did I miss?" Ayame asked, coming to the patio table in a white dress with a blue cardigan. She took a seat next to Yoneda and gazed at the pile of riceballs in the center. "Aa! Onigiri!"
"D-Douzo..." Yamazaki stammered, offering her the tray. He then shot a glare towards the chuckling Yoneda, who later choked on his sake. "Sword practice went well?"
"Un, Taisa showed me a new move." Ayame replied, pouring the teakettle, "Next time why don't you join us, Shousa?"
"Iya... my sword skill isn't even comparable." he noted, waving his hand.
"Don't be so modest!" she laughed, handing him a cup of piping hot jasmine tea, "It's unlike you, Shousa."
Kazuma nodded cheerfully. "Yamazaki, you've been acting strange these past days. Is there something we need to know?"
"Iya... bezuni..."
Yoneda burst into laughter, but Yamazaki gave his foot a good stomp to shut him up. As those two got into a glaring contest, Hanakoji spoke with the others. "The real reason I asked you here is that there's a shrine on the mountainside that I want you to check out..."
"A shrine..." Ayame uttered, wiping some rice off the side of her mouth, "Is there something special about this shrine?"
"Legend has it that once every fifty years, the owners of the shrine celebrate the birth of Japan's formation. It is said that they keep the three scared talismans in this small shrine and bring it out at sunrise of the appointed day."
Kazuma crossed his arms, "The three talismans... I've heard all about them from my family." Ayame saw the look in his eye turn dark as he gripped at the tablecloth. "Hakushaku, is this our mission...?"
"Our enemy has made plans to take them from the shrine. You must do whatever it takes to keep the enemy from getting their hands on it. I suggest you leave at nightfall and stake out the shrine."
The Tai Kouma Butai nodded their heads. "RYOKAI!"
* * * * * *
After the light snack, everyone went about their own business to mentally prepare themselves for their new mission. Ayame came to the Salon to look through a book she had found in the library. 'The history of the Yamato Clan...' she read, curling up in an armchair, 'Three sacred talismans given to the first emperor by the sun goddess, Amataresu, in order to protect Japan...'
"YO!" Yoneda's abrupt greeting surprised her and made her fall out of the chair. "Daijoubu?? Ayame-kun, you need to calm your nerves before we go out on the field."
"Hai hai..." she sighed, rubbing her head, "Shirei, is there something you need to talk to me about?"
"I was wondering," he uttered, tapping his chin. In the corner of his eye, he saw that the window was open and that Yamazaki was sitting on a tree, glaring at him. Yoneda quickly pulled the curtain to cover him. "About Yamazaki! Heheheh!"
"W-What about him?" Ayame stammered, crossing her arms. (Outside, Yamazaki growled, 'JIJI...')
"What do you think about the boy? Is there any possibly for... you know...??" he started to say, but she had sunk into the chair covering her embarrassed face. "Come on! We're adults here - you can tell me!"
"W-Why would I have any interest in that guy?!" she cried, getting up and pacing the room, "He thought I was a hooker the first time we met! And then he made fun of me about it for three months!"
"Oi oi, let's not base it on that!" Yoneda gasped, "The kid was just playing with you. He's got a sense of humor, but he didn't mean any real harm!"
"Still! He's rude and so sure of himself. He's always complaining - just because he's so flawless, doesn't mean everyone else has to be! He hates his own parents - what kind of person could do that?"
"Maybe he has good reason." Yoneda replied, "Can you really hate him for being honest in his actions?"
"No," Ayame sighed, clutching her arm as she stopped by the window, "And yet, there are times when he surprises me. Like when he was talking with Kaede-san... And then the battle a week ago... At those times, I don't know what to think about him..."
"Ayame-kun..." Yoneda uttered, putting his hands on her shoulders, "Do you realize that this could be the first symptoms of love?"
"Iya yo!" she cried, breaking away from him, "It's obvious that he doesn't care about me..."
Yamazaki's eyes widen. 'Sonna...!' He leaned in a little bit towards the curtain, looking at her shadow. But he leaned a little too much and lost his balance. He almost fell but was now hanging upside down. 'Not good...'
* * * * * *
Kazuma sat out in the courtyard, watching the leaves in the wind. But as he lifted his teacup, he saw it suddenly cracked. With a shaking hand, he placed the broken cup down onto the mat. 'A sign...?'
"I don't believe in omens." interrupted a voice. He turned and saw Hanakoji approaching him, "A young man like yourself shouldn't be worrying about them either. You've still got plenty of time."
"Do I?" Kazuma asked, lifting his head, "If these are really the legendary talismen... the 'Majinki'... then... Time..." He felt too choked up to say anymore so he reached in his coat and found a bottle of sake. Drinking its entirely he tossed the empty bottle aside and clutches his head. "This is the reason I was born... I shouldn't be uneasy..."
"Kazuma-kun," said Hanakoji putting his hand on his shoulder, "The Time will come... just not yet."
* * * * * * *
Yamazaki brushed the stray leaves from off his shoulders and fixed his blue necktie. He had managed to fall out of the tree without breaking anything. Peering into a room, he saw Ayame at a grand piano.
'She thinks I don't care for her...? I don't understand girls at all...Looks like I better do something... but what?'
Suddenly, Yoneda's drunken voice popped up in his conscience: 'Goo for it, Yarou! *hic* AHAHAHAHAHA!' Yamazaki clenched his fists, tearfully staring up at the ceiling. 'JIJI!!'
Blotting out all thoughts about a certain lieutenant, Yamazaki slowly approached the girl. He stopped right behind her and saw that she was trying to figure out a song. "Aa! Sou ka!" she said happily, going to play the tune more solidly.
"What are you playing?"
His voice had startled her, but Ayame wasn't going to stop playing. "D-Don't you know?" she said, looking up at him as she continued, "That song... you were humming when you looked after my wounds..."
"I don't remember," he replied, sitting next to her on the bench, "Do you know it?"
"No, I don't know what the song is... Demo I play by ear, so I was able to figure out the notes," she explained. She saw the mischievous look appear on his face. "Hah? C-Chotto!" A hand covered her eyes, yet the music continued. "You can try to make me mess up, but it won't happen!"
"Honto??" he chuckled, uncovering her eyes. She turned towards him, awaiting his next attack. But all he did was smile. While staring into his face, he captured her left hand and started to the play alongside her.
"Y-You do remember?"
"Iie, I play by ear as well..."
Ayame slowly relaxed and began to have fun with the duet. She even quickened the beat and added variations, but Yamazaki read her move and was able to keep in harmony with her. Just as they were reaching the part of the song that they liked the most, Yamazaki lifted his free arm and wrapped it around her waist. At this moment, Ayame froze and couldn't play anymore. "A-Ano..."
"Can this be our song?" he whispered over her shoulder. She turned her head towards him and gazed closely into his face. Nothing but sincerely shined in those blue eyes as he smiled and raised his other hand to her cheek, "Ayame-kun... I love you."
"Ya... Yamazaki-shousa--"
But he cut her off with a kiss. It wasn't hungry or intense as Ayame pictured her first kiss to be, but sweet and almost innocent. Completely lost to what was happening, she could only hang onto him - otherwise she would have fallen off the bench. Yamazaki held her close but not tightly, his hands moving into her soft hair that came out of its ponytail and fell all around her shoulders. The air very thin and the room spinning, he concentrated only on the lovely flower in his arms.
While this was happening, Kazuma was coming down the hallway. And, as mentioned before, certain occurrences just had to happen for absolutely no reason other than to make a very inconvenienced interruption...
"Ayame-kun~!" Kazuma said, barging into the room.
Immediately this got the attention of the lip-locked couple. "KYAAA!" they both yelled, pushing away from each other. Yamazaki landed painfully on the floor while Ayame fell backwards and hit her head on the piano.
"S-Sumimasen..." Kazuma stammered, as the two of them rubbed their sore heads, "I seemed to have came in at a bad time... Sorry to interrupt..."
"Nothing was going on!" Ayame cried, wiping her mouth and stumbling onto her feet. She instantly tied up her hair and tried to stop her face from flushing, but with little hope. Just looking at Yamazaki made her a little dizzy.
Yamazaki suddenly got up and walked out the room without a word. The other two exchanged looks and then faced each other. "I was just coming to ask if you were calm about the mission." Kazuma uttered, walking up to her, "I see you have other dilemmas."
Ayame nodded her head. Finding her legs no longer able to support her, she fell into an armchair, her heart still beating loudly. 'Yamazaki-shousa...'
"Ayame-kun," Kazuma said, "I told you that you should go with your feelings. Right now I am not one who can go with my own words. Right now, I feel only anxiety and fear."
"Ta... Taisa...?" Ayame's eyes widened as he pulled her to him. Unable to move at all, she could hear him murmur somethings she couldn't pick up. But she could see Yamazaki in the doorway; his dejected face as he backed away and disappeared. Meanwhile, Kazuma's hold was becoming tighter and tighter. "Taisa!" she gasped, "Please let me go... you're hurting me...!"
"Gomen nasai!" he cried, finally releasing her, "I just have too many things going on in my mind right now... I'm sorry for getting carried away. The truth is - since the moment we met I've felt a connection between us."
"Taisa...?" she uttered, as he knelt in front of her, bowing his head and fighting back strange emotions. "A connection...?"
"Please listen to what I have to say, Ayame-kun..."
* * * * * *
Yamazaki stormed outside into the courtyard and gazed up at the darkening sky. "DAMMIT!!" he exclaimed, "Why did I listen to that bastard Yoneda?! Why did I even bother?!" Tearfully leaning his head against a tree, he sighed and banged his fist against the trunk, "Dammit it all... I screwed up once again...!"
While he wallowed in self-pity, the shadows came closer and closer. It wasn't until they came within a foot's length that he actually noticed the small crowd of demons that had circled him for an ambush. "KIIIIII!!"
"GAAAAH?!!!"
Ayame lifted her head. "OH!!" She pushed away from Kazuma and grabbed her sword, leaping out the open window. From the tree branch, she landed amongst the fray. "Yamazaki-shousa!!"
Yamazaki had already received wounds and couldn't move. Lying in the grass while the beasts clawed and bit him, he lifted a pleading face towards her. "Get back, Ayame-kun... don't come any closer...!"
She tearfully shook her head, glaring at the demons. "IYAAAAA!!! DAMEEE!!"
Releasing the blade, Ayame slashed through a couple of them. Kicking another one off him, she made a full rotation and ripped apart all the surrounding ones. When a new layer leapt out into the open, a white blast emitted from her and destroyed all of them.
"A...Ayame...kun..." Yamazaki uttered as she threw her sword aside and knelt down at him, "Do you really... like him... more...? What can I do... to make you... to make you understand..."
She tearfully threw her arms around his neck, "Don't say anymore, Yamazaki-shousa... I'm so sorry I didn't get here sooner..."
"Shh," he uttered, lifting a hand to her cheek, "You're here now... that's what matters..." His voice trailed off as he fell unconscious.
"Shousa! Shousa!" Ayame cried, afraid that he had left her for good. Hugging his lifeless body, she yelled out, "YAMAZAKI-SHOUSA!!!"
* * * * * *
~ "A connection... I thought it could be 'love'..." Kazuma had said.Ayame went pale as he said this and started to walk around the room nervously. "It can't possibly!" she argued, "You have a wife and kid and...!" "Sou desu," he uttered, "Demo, I can't help but feel like there's something between us. Like we were meant to meet..." He faced her again, this time holding out his hand."Ayame-kun, I told you already - I felt something when we met... your power, a bright light." "You did say that... demo, you also said you were going to stand by me and that I had nothing to fear. That has not happened in the last battles. I had only fear, and not your support. Just fear... soshite... Yamazaki-shousa..." Making this realization, she gasped, "Perhaps it's been Yamazaki-shousa this whole time..." Kazuma backed away, smiling slightly. "I see, you've come to a decision..." ~
The scene replayed in her mind in jumbled mess. Sometimes the words didn't come out right or make sense. But she knew it was over with and in the past.
'Shinguji-taisa has apologized to me... It seemed he had too much sake and was looking for comfort in the wrong place. Yoneda-shirei says certain people shouldn't drink sake when they are feeling concern about their future. Time is one of mankind's greatest enemies, but worrying about the future seems a bit unavoidable.'
Sitting in the dark shrine, Ayame shivered and tucked her hands into her arms. It was her turn to stay up for night watch. Outside, her comrades were asleep in the jeep. They had been staking out the shrine for the entire night.
'Yamazaki-shousa's wounds were looked after. We left him behind at the house since he hadn't awakened. However, I have awakened... my power, my courage. When I saw him in danger, I couldn't help but let it out. For Yamazaki-shousa - I'm glad I was able to do it. Now if he could forgive me for all the suffering I have caused him...'
A creak in the wood caused her to turn her head. Yamazaki slowly limped towards her. "What are you doing here?" she gasped, "Your wounds...you shouldn't be moving around." He still didn't answer her, his blue eyes glassy as he gazed at her. "Shousa, please talk to me."
He sat down behind her, his back up against hers. "Daijoubu da. My wounds don't hurt at all. And if you care to know - I walked here. For you guys to leave without me and then place an inexperienced cadet like yourself to guard this shrine - I'd think that the Tai Kouma Butai were all intoxicated..."
"Yamazaki-shousa," she said, feeling glad that he was back his old self, "You came because you were worried...?"
"So what if I was?" he replied hastily.
A long pause followed. Ayame leaned her head back onto his shoulder. It would be dawn soon and if Yoneda and Kazuma were not up by sunrise, she would have to face the enemy on her own. Smiling a little, she felt warm and safe with this special company.
"You don't have to worry about me... From this moment on, I'm going to be stronger... I'm not going to be scared anymore... because... you are with me, Yamazaki-shousa."
"Sou ka...Jaa..." he uttered trying to conceal the happiness in his voice and picturing her face that was unseen to him. "Let's protect Teito together, Ayame-kun."
"H-Hai!"
Sitting in the dark, they waited for the enemy to come... while humming their song.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Final Episode: "The Endless Cycle"
(Yoneda's letter)
I've watched you grow up from a little child... But at this time you will need to surpass your own limits. This is a defining moment for the Tai Kouma Butai. If we cannot pass this test, then we will cease to exist. If we do get back, we'll be sure to have a great party - It's a promise! But you must look into your heart and find the truth. Only the Truth will lead you through the darkness...
