Soshi smiled again, but for the first time, his voice sounded a bit 
nervous. 

	"Wait for Amano-san to carry out his plan." 

	Silence filled the room as everyone present digested that news.  Judou 
nodded quietly and returned to stroking Akari's hair comfortingly.  

	Akari on the other hand, continued doing what she had done during the 
entire discussion.  Exhausted from her previous efforts, she slept on.  At 
Judou's touch she shuffled a little, but then seemed to settle against him 
comfortably.

	Kenchi seemed as if comfort was the farthest thing from his mind, as he 
was sprawled on the floor with his back against the wall.  He nervously watched 
the room, scanning it as if expecting Amano to shift through the wall for the 
escape attempt.

	Soshi returned to his meditation, but a careful observer would notice that 
his ears would perk at distant sounds, as if trying to ascertain any special 
meanings behind them.

	Shuukou stayed standing against the wall that was closet to the direction 
of outside the building.  She could feel the forces of mother nature beyond the 
walls that contained them, and was comforted to know that wherever they had 
temporarily been absconded to, they were currently back in someplace relatively 
normal.

	They didn't have to wait long.

****

Wings of Fate 
Chapter 35: The Escape
By ColdFury 

Created by Ardweden and John Evans 

****

	Amano peered down at Macha's twitching, injured form.  He shook his head, 
feeling little pity for someone who contained so much hatred for his own son.  A 
sweeping flash of pain nearly disrupted his human form and reminded him that 
time was of the essence.  The dark powers his old friend Rukeo had unleashed 
upon him was slowly fulfilling the twisted man in beige's vow of Amano's own 
death.

	"Macha!"  Amano hissed at her.  "Damn your hide I need your aid."  Amano 
reached into his pocket and pulled out a pouch that had been attached to his 
belt before he transformed into this human guise.  "These herbs will do me no 
good, but perhaps you."

	He took the small dose of medicinal herbs that he had gathered to treat 
his son or one of his friends in case of an injury in their escape.  In his 
fingers he carefully ground them up, and slipped the crumbled remains between 
Macha's lips.  He ventured to the small sink off to the side and filled a paper 
cup with water.

	"I hope you appreciate this, Macha.  Because I still have a use for you."  
He poured the water down her mouth and watched her reflexively swallow.  For a 
moment he worried even the herbs wouldn't be enough to rouse her from her state.  
A human or even a Tengu so grievously wounded would not survive such injuries.  
Yet Macha was made of a sterner stock than either.

	Slowly her eyes flittered open, and she coughed slightly.  The herbs 
dulled the pain, and their special properties cherished by the Tengu helped a 
little in her already augmented healing process, but she was still heavily 
wounded.  Her eyes met Amano, and narrowed slightly as if she didn't expect him 
to be here.

	"W-why..."  She began, but a series of coughs overcame her once more.

	"Because, wicked one, I am too weak to free my son and his friends alone.  
Together, we have a greater chance of rescuing them and escaping all together."  
Amano flinched as yet another wave of pain threatened to cease his 
transformation as a human.  "Unlike Judou, my natural reflex is to be in the 
form of a Tengu, and Rukeo's spell is... killing me.  The pain is great.  I will 
not be of use for very much longer."

	Macha processed the information for a moment, and he could see the 
strength returning to her form.  Then to his surprise, she began laughing.  
Hollowly at first, as if her lungs were still unsure of themselves, but the 
laugh became a deeper guttural roar as it progressed.  "And... why would I help 
you?"

	"Even a being like you has a code of honor.  If not for me awakening you 
just now, you would have surely perished.  Even now, your wounds are so great I 
suspect you will once again need to partake in a much loathed hibernation, at 
least for a time.  I have saved your life, your blood debt with Judou is 
canceled."  Amano reasoned slowly.

	A snarl overtook Macha's features as she listened.  "Is that your plan?  
Save my life, spare the boy's?"  

She paused for the moment, and lapsed into thought.  Amano nervously noted 
footsteps down the hallway, but they passed the medical room doors and continued 
onward.

	"Still, Amano, I have no cause to help him or his friends, even with our 
blood debt canceled?"  Macha grinned.  "I accept your help, and I will forget my 
feud with Judou, and take my leave with you."

	Macha stood unsteadily, but turned to the door to leave.  Amano watched 
after her for a moment, and then spoke.  "You agreed to this plan, beast.  You 
agreed to be captured, and then to escape with them.  Would you turn your back 
on your very word?"

	The door opening and closing was his only answer as Macha left the lab.

	Cursing, Amano nearly collapsed into the lab table, gritting his teeth to 
fight back the pain coursing through his body.  "Fine, demon.  I will have to 
rescue them myself." 

	Checking to make sure his gun he had borrowed from the guard was still in 
place, Amano rushed outside to the hall, to free his son before he ran out of 
time.

****

	"Y-you!  Stop there!"  A guard charged at her, intending to grab her, to 
stop her. 

	A quick fist to the abdomen and backhand to the face sent the guard 
sprawling into unconsciousness, not to mention the floor.  Macha snarled her lip 
as she continued on.  "Fool.  When I do not wish to be held, you will not hold 
me."

	Amano's words hung heavily on her mind.  She had agreed to this entire 
folly, willingly at that.  So eager was her lust for Judou's demise that she had 
agreed to the entire damnable plan, and the fact that her own plan had failed 
didn't free her from that agreement, did it?

	Another guard charged at her.  A shot rang down through the corridor.  
Swaying heavily to the left to avoid the bullet, in an instant she covered the 
dozen feet separating them and disarmed the guard.  She glowered at the 
terrified man before her.  Her eyes widened almost imperceptibly as an idea 
crossed her mind.  

	She muttered an ancient swear word long forgotten by human languages, and 
let the guard go.  He scrambled off, presumably to sound the alarm.

	"Go.  Get your friends.  Even injured, Macha will teach you the folly of 
crossing her!"  She snarled and gathered what strength she had into her form.  
"Amano, you had better know an opportunity when it strikes you."

****

	The aforementioned Tengu was around the corner from his son's prison, 
panting heavily.  He had so far avoided detection, but his human form wavered 
every few instants now, and he feared he wasn't far from passing out.  His time 
was almost up.

	He gripped the gun in his hand tighter.  Tengu abhorred guns normally, but 
he supposed there was always an exception to every rule.  His fingers shakily 
disarmed the safety and he prepared to leap to the around the corner.

	"WARNING!  WARNING!  ALL GUARDS TO SECTION B-12!!  PRISONER HAS ESCAPED 
FROM THE MED LAB!  WARNING!  WARNING!"  Red light filled the halls as the alarm 
klaxons sounded.  Amano blinked in surprise.  "Macha?"  A small smile crossed 
his lips.  "Very well then, I thank thee, ancient one."

	He furrowed his brow, and his human form steadied for the moment.  He ran 
around the corner, gun drawn in his right hand and his left hand clutching his 
abdomen as if he was injured.  "H-help!"

	The two guards standing before Judou and the other's room were looking at 
each other in an unsure manner.  Leave their post and help the others or ignore 
the pleas and do their duty?  Amano's sudden appearance jolted them out of their 
thoughts.  "Holy!  Are you okay man?"  One of them rushed to Amano's side, who 
wisely kept his face down and panted heavily.

	"She.. she's loose.  She tore through us at the medical lab.  They'll.. 
they'll need everyone possible!"  Amano grunted between his half acted pants.  
The pain was increasing even more.

	"Crap.  Look, can you guard these guys?  I don't think they'll be any 
trouble from behind that door..."  The guard glanced at the other.  "We'll go 
try to help and if we see and Docs we'll send them your way."

	Amano nodded.  "Just...go!"

	The two guards nodded at each other and took off down the hall.  Amano 
waited a moment and then straightened with effort, and limped toward the door.  
His vision started to haze at the edges, and it was with much will and effort 
that he managed to grasp the lock and undo it.  His human guise gave up the 
ghost and he stood revealed in Tengu form as he pulled the door open... and 
collapsed.

****

	"FATHER!"  Judou stood suddenly, giving Akari a frightening wake up call 
to consciousness.  He dashed to the door and checked on his father while the 
others all stood cautiously.

	"This is it... our last chance."  Shuukou murmured.  "We have to make good 
on this one."

	"So we're finally escaping?  For good?"  Akari looked around the room, 
then nodded.  "Let's go!"

	Soshi held up his hand.  "I will be... separating myself from the group 
during the escape.  Do not worry, or wait, for me.  I have something I need to 
do."

	Kenchi put his hand on Soshi's shoulder.  "You sure it's worth it?"

	A smirk crossed Soshi's lips.  "Indeed."

	They all looked at each other, and then to Judou, who was helping his 
father stand again.  Amano was clearly worse for wear.  Kenchi hurried to the 
two to help prop Amano up.

	"Let's go!"  Judou gestured down the hallway.  The five of them took off 
down the hall, following barely whispered directions from Amano.  Soshi looked 
after them, and concentrated for a moment.  He shimmered for a moment, and then 
was cloaked in a veil of magic that would render him invisible to human eyes.  
He dashed down the hall in the opposite direction as his friends, towards his 
objective, towards the reason this entire trial had begun.

****

	Kenchi and Judou carried Amano as quickly as they could, with Akari 
sticking close to them, and Shuukou taking the point position a few feet ahead.  
She came to a halt as they came to a fork that went left or right, and peeked 
her head out.

	"The... r-right." Amano managed to get out.

	Shuukou quickly ducked her head back in as bullets from the right side of 
the hallway quickly raced past her.  "I ascertained that.  Apparently our escape 
has been detected as well.  There's a half dozen guards clustered in the hall, 
blocking the passage..."

	Silence hung for a moment.  Kenchi was the first to finally speak.  
"Perhaps I can entrance them all long enough to..."

	"No."  Shuukou took a deep breath.  "I'm tired of being a thing to be 
rescued.  It's my turn to pull my weight."  Before anyone could protest, her 
eyes closed, and it almost seemed like she was praying.

	What she actually was doing, however, was attuning herself to the forces 
of nature surrounding this complex.  She reached out with her consciousness to 
try and contact the forest she knew was simply outside.  She was delighted and 
surprised to feel the response so close to where she was.  "We're close..." she 
muttered.  Internally, she greeted the trees, and welcomed their embrace.  For 
too long she had been separated from them.  They knew who she was, they sensed 
her.  They offered their help, and she gratefully accepted it.

	"It's done."  Shuukou opened her eyes just as the earth beneath them began 
to rumble.  The entire complex shook as the floor before them split asunder,  
massive tree root whip lashing out of the ground beneath the cluster of guards, 
throwing them about and knocking them into the surrounding walls.  After a few 
moments, the root stopped motioning wildly and sunk back into the earth.  
Shuukou stepped around the corner to see the guards all unconscious, yet not too 
injured in any case.

	"Come on!"  Shuukou dashed onwards, guided by the spirits of the trees 
towards the exit.

	Kenchi smiled as they picked the pace up once more.  "You know, I think we 
might just make it."

****

	His footsteps echoed down the hallway, but only to his own ears, he knew.  
Still, he couldn't help but feel nervous.  This was his largest expenditure of 
power in some time.  He hurried even faster to his goal.  Over time, and during 
the course of their last breakout, he had familiarized himself with the basics 
of the layout.  He had a fair guess as to where the command center would be.

	He rounded what he assumed to be the last corner, and was astonished as to 
what he saw.  A dozen bodies lay on the ground, all still breathing, but broken 
and mercifully not conscious.  Macha stood panting, her recent wound bleeding 
once more, as yet another pair of guards attempted to stop her.  One swung a 
club at her only to be cracked in the head, and the other actually landed a fist 
to the side of her skull.  Angrily she slashed at him, and sent him flying to 
the ground with blood leaking from a vicious series of gashes on his chest.

	Macha paused, and looked directly at Soshi for a moment.  Her smile 
widened.  "I see you have indeed escaped.  Good for you.  My debt... is 
finally.. paid."  

	Another set of guard's footsteps echoed down from the hallway as Soshi 
stared at Macha wordlessly.  She nodded to him.  "Go, gather the records you 
have come for.  I will hold them for a bit longer."  With that she dashed past 
him and towards the coming footsteps.  As he turned to do just what she said, he 
could already hear the gunfire and the bloodthirsty snarl of Macha.

	He entered the command center and found the main computer.  A few quick 
keystrokes later, and he was in their mainframe.  Soshi quickly began the task 
of ransacking their files, gathering anything that seemed relevant.

****

	They burst from the door of the complex, eager to embrace the moonlight 
and fresh air that greeted them.  "Finally!"  Akari squealed.  "We're free!"

	Kenchi grinned, and even Judou's spirits seemed somewhat higher, at least 
until he glanced at his rapidly deteriorating father.

	Shuukou opened her mouth to reply, when suddenly the spirit of the trees 
cried out to her in warning.  "Look out!"

	Gunfire rang out over their heads as Shuukou tackled Akari.  Judou and 
Kenchi also both dropped to the earth, taking Amano with them.  At least a dozen 
soldiers emerged from the woods surrounding the compound, all with their guns 
drawn on the five figures.  "Don't move."

	"Shuukou!"  Kenchi hissed.  "Can you get the trees to.."

	"They're among the trees!  The trees might injure themselves or the 
soldiers might panic and destroy them with explosives!  I won't endanger another 
forest like that!"  Shuukou's voice sounded panicked.

	Judou hesitated.  "Then it's through."

	Amano coughed as his head turned skyward.  "N-no.  Look..."

	Their heads whirled as one as they turned to see what Amano was talking 
about.  They were all surprised, but none more-so than Judou as the sky was 
filled with an army of at least two dozen Tengu, each rapidly dropping from the 
sky.

	"Wha!?"

	"Impossible!"

	"N-no!" 

	The soldiers were shocked as the black feathered beings dove at them from 
the midnight colored sky, disarming each of them with an ease only befitting 
highly trained martial arts warriors.  Within moments, the fight was over, and 
nary a Tengu was injured.

	Judou stared at the leader of this sudden influx of his kin.  "Uncle."

	Judou's great-uncle Goranu stood before them, shaking his head.  "Amano.  
You have gone against the ruling of our kind, and look at what has become of 
you."  Tears filled the eyes of the elder Tengu, as he looked upon his nephew 
and grand-nephew.

	"Uncle, I--"  Judou began.

	"Do not.  As much as it pains me, Judou... the ruling of our people is 
that you are no longer our concern."  Goranu turned his head away from Judou.  
"I'm sorry.  I'm here to take Amano."

	"To do what?  Punish him for actually helping us?!"  Kenchi clenched his 
fists in frustration.  "It's not--"

	Akari put a hand on Kenchi's arm.  "He's dying, Kenchi."  Kenchi stopped 
suddenly and turned to his friend.  "There's nothing I can do, nothing we can 
do.  Maybe with his own people..."

	Judou nodded.  "I understand."

	Goranu turned his back to Judou.  "Say your good-byes."  He paused a 
moment before stepping away.  "We may not be able to help your father, Judou."

	His eyes clenched shut momentarily, and he took a deep breath as 
realization dawned on him.  Quietly, he kneeled next to his father, and grasped 
his hand.  "Father..."

	Amano looked at him hollowly, his breath shallow.  "Son."

	A million things ran through Judou's mind as he cognitively realized that 
this might be his last time to talk to his father.  His last chance to tell him 
everything, to make amends for all the distance, all the pain.  "I'm... sorry."  
His last chance to make amends.

	"Don't be... Judou."  Amano coughed again, and took a moment to lock his 
vision on Judou."  I love you, son."

	"I-I love you too, Father."

	Judou embraced his father quietly for a moment, while the others looked on 
sadly.  Goranu looked pained at the exchange.  Akari held back a sniffle as a 
tear ran down her cheek.  Shuukou and Kenchi looked on silently in sorrow.

	"It is time, Amano."  Goranu put a hand on Judou's shoulder.  "We'll do 
what we can."

	Judou nodded, and helped Amano stand once more, and then helped pass him 
to two nearby Tengu.  "Thank you."

	"Good luck, Judou.  You and your friends are finally on your own.  You 
will not see us again for quite sometime."  Goranu took to the air, as did the 
other Tengu.  Amano looked down on his son as he was escorted off.  

	Kenchi was again the first to break the silence.  "We need to get going."

	"But what about Soshi?"  Akari asked.  She sounded drained, but the 
concern in her voice was evident.

	"Soshi is right here."  Judou turned to look to his side.

	The air Judou looked at shimmered for a moment, and Soshi appeared before 
them.  "Indeed."  Soshi nodded.  "I didn't wish to disturb our Tengu friends."

	Judou nodded.  "Let's go."

****

	Macha nodded to herself as the last of the guards in the area fell to the 
ground.  She had taken minimal life, as she knew would be inline with the 
other's expectations of her.  But she had done her part.  And now it was time to 
go.

	She looked at the artificial ceiling, and felt the many layers between it 
and the moon that separated her.  She felt them, but did not care.

	Leaping off the ground with fists raised, she smashed through the floor 
above her, and above that, and above that, leaving at least a dozen startled 
people in her wake.  Bullets chased after her, but those were inconsequential 
things to her, truly.  Finally she burst forth the final rooftop, and was 
greeted by the moonlight.  Putting distance between herself and the complex, she 
noted a gathering of Tengu in the distance, retreating into the night.

	Along the ground, sprinting through the forest, she saw Judou and the 
others heading toward where their vehicles would be hidden.  All was done. 

	Her injuries reminded her of her need for sleep, and she took flight.  She 
didn't know where she was going, nor how long she would stay in slumber there.

	But she did know that her time in this quest was done.  "Good bye, foolish 
Judou and his friends.  Whatever fate decreed to you, I hope you find it 
terribly painful."  Macha grinned to herself as she took off into the night.

****

	His failure stung on his cheek, like a powerful slap to his ego.  His 
injuries had healed, with some aid from his masters dark powers, and now he was 
to stand before them.  Any other person might surmise that they would not bother 
healing him if they were going to destroy him for his failure, but Rukeo knew 
better.

	If they tortured him, they wanted him to feel it for as long as possible.

	Rukeo knelt apprehensively in the chambers of his masters, the Wu-long.

	He waited for what seemed like an eternity, but was more in the order of 
around fifteen minutes.  Then without any noise of door openings or foot 
shuffling or any other sort of indication, he knew that they were there.  He 
looked up, and there they stood.  The three grand wizards of the Wu-long.  He 
knew not their names, only that each was a force to be reckoned with.  And that 
the on in the center was by far the most powerful, and the one whose voice was 
loudest heard in the organization.

	"You have failed us, Rukeo."  The one on the left stated.

	"Despite our warnings to the contrary, you have failed to kill the humans 
and have not returned with the Tengu."  The one on the right added.

	"Masters, forgive me.  There was another who interfered, a demon of some 
sort..."  Rukeo dropped to both knees as he pleaded for his life.

	"We know of the other."  The one in the center began.  "Many things have 
happened.  Things are building to a crescendo, quickly.  A crescendo that will 
end with the Iron Dragon broken visibly before our feet and our goals 
accomplished.  Do you wish to see these things, Rukeo?"  

	Their faces were not visible to Rukeo under the large black cloaks that 
they wore, but his was clearly visible to them.  His panic was evident.  "Yes, 
master I do!"

	"The five have been abandoned.  Your orders are as before.  Go to them, 
and bring back the Tengu after you have killed the others.  His secrets must be 
ours."  The one in the center intoned solemnly.  "I grant you the power to call 
upon as many beasts from the realm of shadow that you may need.  Go.  Open a 
portal from our realm to theirs and do not return through it until your task is 
done."

	"Ye-yes!  Masters, your forgiveness is a an unexpected ho--"

	"GO."

	Rukeo quickly hurried out of the room after a rushed bow.  

	The wizard on the left turned to the one in the center.  "The Iron Dragon 
are waiting for our movement.  They will detect his portal."

	"They will find us through him."  The wizard on the right finished.

	"Indeed."  The wizard in the center cackled gleefully.  "The fools will 
find us, finally, and they will martial their forces for a final assault on our 
strongholds.  And they will find us more prepared for them then they have ever 
imagined."

	"What of the Tengu and his friends?"  The wizard to the right intoned.

	"They are irrelevant.  My... sources.. in the Iron Dragon have indicated 
to me that their method was flawed.  They are indeed powerful, and have much 
potential.  But they will not live to see it."  The powerful wizard shook his 
head.  "They are now, quite simply, bait.  Be it at this time by our hand or the 
Iron Dragon's, or at a later date by the course of their own actions, they are 
done."

	"Then they will die?"

	"Indeed."

****

	When they arrived in the outskirts of Tokyo, Kenchi had told them to wait, 
and quickly headed off in the direction of a household.  He knocked on the door, 
and after a moment of discussion with the apparently bewildered man who was 
surprised to have visitors at 5am, he slipped inside.

	Within 15 minutes the man and his entire family drove off, and Kenchi 
walked back to them with keys.

	"Kenchi..."  Akari started.

	"Don't worry, they didn't just hand it over.  They were compensated quite 
nicely."  Kenchi grinned.  "My accounts are still quite healthy, I can assure 
you.  I've had the money stashed in this car since before our capture."

	"I knew I should've asked you what you were planning."  Judou shook his 
head.  "It's covert enough, we should be okay for the time being."

	"Probably not."  Soshi intoned.  "I fear that even my skills cannot 
overcome the devices of either of our pursuers.  It's not a matter of if, it's a 
matter of when."

	With that foreboding warning, the group settled into their new abode.  
They rested, gathered supplies, and generally recovered from their ordeal.  
However, two of them were not quite as at ease as the others.  Soshi pulled 
Akari aside that same day, and revealed to her the fruits of his labor.  Disks 
full of decrypted information about their dilemma.  Some of it contained 
advanced medical data that he was quite sure he could not comprehend alone.  So 
for three days they worked at understanding the data in regards to the medical 
data gathered, and at discerning the importance of files in regards to the 
organizations after them.  

	Their work was not for naught.

****

	The room was tense.  Judou could feel it in the back of his head that 
something important was about to happen.  Maybe it was a side effect of his 
powers, but he could sense that something important was barreling his way down 
the road of fate.

	Kenchi and Shuukou seemed nervous too, he noted as he watched them enter 
the room and sit on the couch and in a wooden chair, respectively.  The days of 
rest had been good for them all, but their freedom still seemed somewhat hollow, 
too new to be real.

	Akari entered the room, and Soshi followed behind her.  Akari seemed 
drained, and somewhat pale.  Judou resisted an urge to go to her and comfort 
her.  Her work with Soshi had consumed her time since they'd gotten here.  They 
hadn't had the time to talk about the things that had happened.

	Then he noted that even more disturbing was the fact that Soshi seemed a 
bit pale too.  He saw Kenchi stiffen as well, and both knew then that whatever 
was coming, truly was not good news.

	Soshi stood in the center of the room, with Akari to his side as he 
addressed the room.  "I thank you all for coming so quickly.  We have... 
disturbing news."  He glanced back at Akari, but she was looking down at the 
floor, unable to meet the gazes of her worried friends.

	"As you remember, when we were escaping from the facility, one I now know 
to be run by an organization known as the Iron Dragon, I split off from you to 
go on an errand.  As you might have surmised, I found their main computer center 
and downloaded as much as I could decrypt and burn onto CDs."  Soshi permitted 
himself a small smile.  "I gained much information."

	His face turned solemn.  "I will summarize my part quickly.  We are being 
pursued by two groups.  One, the Iron Dragon, are the ones behind the facility 
that captured us.  The other, the Wu-long, are behind the shadow demons and the 
Man In Beige named Rukeo."  Soshi nodded at Judou.  "In fact, these two groups 
are struggling over us, quite likely in an effort to duplicate our experiment's 
success."

	"Who are these people?  Wizards?  Military?"  Kenchi asked curiously.

	"The Wu-long?  No one is sure.  They are a maverick group, who pop up and 
cause havoc whenever possible.  In this scenario, I would say that the Iron 
Dragons are the 'good guys', trying to contain mystical situations that face 
Japan.  The Iron Dragon is a group of politicians and other influential beings 
from the country's infrastructure that seek to guarantee the safety of the 
populace, and by extension the stability of the government."  Soshi sighed.  
"However, I do not think the Iron Dragon are going to be much of a threat to us 
in the future."

	Judou narrowed his eyes as the tingling sensation in the back of his skull 
increased.  "Why?"

	"Because, part of the files I decrypted were detailed results from the 
various medical tests they ran on all of us during our 'stay' with them.  I 
could not decrypt the results myself.. and that is when Akari comes in."  Soshi 
turned to defer to the young girl.

	When Akari rose her head, it was clear that she was and had been crying.  
Tears streamed down her cheeks from her bloodshot watery eyes.  "We're dying."

****

	It was all unbelievable.  Excess mystical energy causing a breakdown of 
our cells at on a atomic level.  There was no way their own research and tests 
could detect any of it, they hadn't the knowledge or the machinery to detect 
such things.  But the Iron Dragon did.

	"Eleven months.  It is such a short time, isn't it?"  

	Shuukou was startled from her starlight reverie by the sound of Soshi's 
voice. 

	Soshi bowed his head slightly.  "I'm sorry if I'm disturbing you... if you 
wish to be alone I can--"

	"No, it's alright."  Shuukou sighed.  "I don't think any of us needs to be 
alone right now."

	His eyes gazed to the stars momentarily, and for a moment Shuukou wasn't 
sure if he had heard her.  "I missed it, you know.  Balls of gas, millions of 
miles away, emitting light only visible where our own source of light is unable 
to reach us.  But still... beautiful.  When I was blind... I missed it."

	"And now that you have your vision back, you only have a limited time to 
enjoy the things you missed."  Shuukou stood and nodded.  "How infuriating."

	"We may still find a cure, a way to save us."  Soshi began.  "Akari and I 
have--"

	"Ideas, yes.  But are any of them going to work for sure?"  Shuukou asked.  
Soshi's silence gave her his answer.  "I know there are probably ways to save 
us.  But what if they revolve around us giving up our power?  You and I, more 
than the others, are specially attuned to our powers, Soshi.  Akari, she can 
heal with her hands with or without her powers.  Kenchi, he's always been a 
persuasive bastard.  But you and I... we are enveloped in our abilities.  I 
embraced my new bond with nature so tightly..."  She paused.  "And you..."

	"Have embraced the entire of magiks at my disposal, and have spun natural 
and magical cocoons around myself to cut myself off from others.  To be alone as 
I so often sought."  Soshi replied thoughtfully.  "The idea did cross my mind.  
Could we give up our powers?"

	Neither responded for some time.  Shuukou tore her gaze from the sky and 
looked at Soshi, and stepped closer to him.  "Do you really wish to be alone?"

	Soshi met her gaze with his own, and thought for a moment.  "At times."

	"I did.  Not alone as you might see it, but I wished to be cut off from 
humanity, and be one with nature."  Shuukou smiled wistfully.  "If these events 
have taught me anything, it's that we need each other.  All of us."

	Soshi didn't respond.  Shuukou peered at him curiously.  "You know it too, 
don't you?"  She didn't wait for an answer that she knew she wouldn't receive.  
Instead she sought solace.  Solace from their predicament and to share solace 
amongst between the two people in their group that always pushed the others 
away.  Solace between them.  She leaned forward, with her hand softly caressing 
Soshi's face, and she kissed him gently on the lips.

	For a moment, time stood still.  Then, just as suddenly, it jerked back 
into motion.  She stood straight, and smiled at the perplexed Soshi.  Then she 
turned and walked inside.

	Soshi's face betrayed little emotion other than surprise.  But after she 
left he cautiously touched his fingers to his lips.  

****

	Akari sat on her bed quietly.  She stared at her hands.  Her hands which 
were so full of healing energy.  Of magic that she could only describe as being 
good.  The very same magic was destroying her and the others from the inside.  

	Part of her was screaming on the inside.  At the unfairness of it all.  At 
the trials they had faced and overcome, only to be waylaid by their own nature.  
They knew when they set out this might happen, of course.  But still... to be 
taken in such a way.

	The other part of her, a quiet part of her, was glad that at least out of 
all of them, Judou would be spared.

	A knock at her door knocked her out of her reverie.  She stood cautiously 
and answered it.  Judou stood behind the door, his face looking stricken.  She 
walked away from the door, leaving it open.  "Come in..." she said quietly.

	Judou closed the door behind him as he entered.  He turned to face her.  
"Akari..."  Tears filled his eyes as he relived the news.  He relived the part 
where she told them that he would live, and that she and the others would die.  
Their powers would slowly slip from their control, and their bodies would slowly 
cease to function.  Eleven months was the estimate, with no idea of how accurate 
that assessment was.  There weren't many medical journals that helped gauge this 
sort of thing, after all.

	He snapped out of his daze, and saw her looking at him with a depressed, 
empty gaze.  He rushed forward, and held her.  Both of them burst into tears, 
into apologies.  Both held the other tightly.

	Judou pulled himself away from Akari to look her in the face.  "If there's 
anyway we can avert this..."

	"I know."  Akari nodded quietly.

	"I'm sorry that... that I am unaffected by this.  It's not fair."  Judou 
pleaded her with his eyes to be angry at him, to validate this guilt that 
permeated him.

	"Don't be."  Akari actually smiled at him somewhat.  "I'm glad.. that... 
that you'll be alive still."  Her voice turned quieter, and her eyes shimmered 
slightly.  "How could I be angry at that?  I love you."

	Judou smiled at that.  "I love you too Akari."

	"We.. we haven't had much time to ourselves since we got back."  Akari 
began shyly.  "We haven't talked about what happened back at..."

	Judou grinned wider, their troubles temporarily lifted from their 
shoulders as they dealt with something more familiar.  Newfound love.  "I think 
we just did."

	Akari blushed, then turned away from Judou.  "Judou..."  She began in a 
half whisper as she seemingly clasped her hands together in front of her.  "I 
have a question about Tengu?"

	Perplexed, Judou rubbed his nose nervously.  "What about us?"

	Her voice was barely a whisper as she turned to face him.  Her cheeks 
blushed red, and it was apparent that her hands weren't quite clasped together 
while she wasn't facing Judou, but were carefully unbuttoning the front of her 
blouse.  "Can they make love to a human?"

	Judou stood there, stunned speechless as Akari's blouse fell to the floor.  
Akari reached forward, and pulled Judou into her, kissing him softly on the 
mouth, her other hand reaching around him to pull him against her tighter.

	And as they stumbled back softly against her bed under Akari's guidance, 
it appeared that she would be getting her answer indeed.

****

Author's Notes:

	Hey all!  I'm sorry about the long wait that was involved with this 
chapter.  I can attribute it to a few factors, but none of them make up for the 
delay truly.  My most sincere apologies, and I hope you all are still reading 
and enjoyed the chapter!  

	I originally intended to show the final showdown with Rukeo in this 
chapter, but I decided that should best be left in the hands of the master 
artisan that is Ardweden.  Who knows where this ending will go, but if the 
opening is any indicator, I doubt it will go where any of us expect it to.

	It's been a blast, even though I've written for this sucker more times 
that I ever anticipated.  I truly enjoyed this story, and I just want to give a 
shout out to Arwen & John for starting it.  And to everyone who wrote for it, 
good job!  

	Also a thanks to Chu for being so understanding for all my difficulties, 
and for firmly but gently setting a final deadline at a time when I could write 
to get my butt in gear.  He deserves a medal for having to put up with me, I 
swear.

	And now... the Omake:

	"I did.  Not alone as you might see it, but I wished to be cut off from 
humanity, and be one with nature."  Shuukou smiled wistfully.  "If these events 
have taught me anything, it's that we need each other.  All of us."

	Soshi didn't respond.  Shuukou peered at him curiously.  "You know it too, 
don't you?"  She didn't wait for an answer that she knew she wouldn't receive.  
Instead she sought solace.  Solace from their predicament and to share solace 
amongst between the two people in their group that always pushed the others 
away.  Solace between them.  She leaned forward, with her hand softly caressing 
Soshi's face, and she kissed him gently on the lips.

	For a moment, time stood still.

	That's when Judou, Akari, & Kenchi leapt on them and the orgy began.

	Shuukou shrugged to the perplexed Soshi.  "I did say we all need each 
other.  *gasp* OOOOH You naughty Tengu you!"

****

	I eyed the orgy nervously.  We'd put off this assignment long enough.  So 
long, in fact, our story had actually ended and now this one was about to.  We 
had no choice to make our move now.  If only I could get H off of Itami.

	And if I could untangle myself from Aika.  Who knew the real thing would 
be more of a fireball in the sack than her imposter?  

	After a few quick movements and motions, I dismissed the idea of finishing 
our assignment.  Aika was persuasive.

	After all, who needed Magical Wings of Hunters when you had Pretty Deadly 
and Sailor H to keep you occupied?

****

	Looking back on my work on Wings of Fate, I have to say this:

	Am I Akari's pimp or what?  Ooooh yeah.

--ColdFury
6/2/02

v1.0