General Tani was standing behind the chair to his desk, gazing out of the window when his retiring second in command, Corporal Kirsty, came in. She had changed out of her uniform and was wearing a black, knee length skirt and a white, short sleeved blouse with the top two buttons undone and black, high heeled sandals. She wore her long blonde hair down for a change. It reached a third of the way down her back. The General was surprised at how she looked. She put him in mind of a secretary.

‘General, the new Corporal ought to be arriving soon,’ she said. ‘I still can’t believe this is really happening.’

‘You don’t have to go, Kirsty,’ replied Tani.

‘I do. After that injury I received from Takeshi’s henchmen, I can’t possibly go back to trying to take him out.’

Her eyes misted over as she remembered when she sustained an injury that put her career on halt. She somehow managed to avoid a damn-near accurate stab wound to the heart area which miraculously missed puncturing any vital organs, and took a hard blow to the head so she was temporarily concussed, and was thought to be suffering mild brain damage.

There was a soft knock at the door, which the ex-Corporal answered. She stepped aside to reveal the figure of Kirsty’s replacement. Both the woman’s and the General’s stomachs knotted when they laid eyes on one another.

She was already wearing her new uniform, which matched General Tani’s exactly. She wore a heavy, thick black jacket with a gold collar, a row of closed gold buttons and an Oriental style dragon dancing around on either side of the row of buttons. On the back was one more, larger dragon. She had the black trousers with a yellow stripe down the outside legs, which were tucked into yellow boots.

The girl had pale, ghostly white skin, large brown eyes which were glancing around the room, and at the other two persons in the vicinity nervously and sleek, waist length black hair. The General noticed, though worried she may be, she was also extremely pretty.

Her eyes lingered on the General’s face for a minute or two, studying his features as she knew full well he was doing to her. He had short black hair, brown eyes, like herself, but, unlike herself, his skin was a healthy brown colour.

‘This is Lockheart Galena. Japanese born, but of English origin,’ said Kirsty, her voice sounding slightly bitter.

Tani held out his hand to the woman, who seemed mildly frightened. She hesitated a second before accepting it, a broad grin spreading across her face. His attention turned to Kirsty, who had picked up a large plastic bag that was underneath the General’s desk. She straightened up with the bag clasped firmly in her hands, tossed her golden blonde hair out of her face and said her goodbyes. She shook the General’s hand for what she knew would most likely be the last time and gave Galena a reassuring smile.

‘You know you’re welcome back any time Kirsty,’ said Tani. The ex-Corporal Kirsty smiled and gave a soft giggle. She opened the door and stepped through it, closing it behind her, concealing herself from view.

Galena looked away from the shut door and examined the office she was in. She was strongly reminded of a lawyer’s office in American films. It had that kind of look about it. The opposite wall was made entirely from windows. There was only one door, a wooden one, with a painted gold doorknob. Just ahead of her was a desk sticking out with two leather chairs seated at it. The chair that was nearest the wall had been placed in front of a computer, the other half of the desk empty, nothing on it.

Against the other wall a solitary filing cabinet. All of the walls were covered with photographs of people she vaguely recognised to be Count Takeshi and his ruthless Emerald Guards. She could feel the gaze of her new General on her, but she did not want to meet his eyes and instead of looking at him occupied herself by examining the photographs. When she felt that she could no longer ignore the General anymore, she turned away from a photo featuring an Emerald Guard known as Animal. He was grimacing.

‘Is there anything that I need to do?’ she asked. Her voice sounded strained. She knew that this was because of nerves.

‘As a matter of fact, yes, there is something that you could do. I was going to save this job for one of those who normally go into battle against the Emerald Guards, but as you’ve asked, you might as well do it instead,’ replied General Tani.

He told her to wait and he walked through the door, closing it behind him. Galena anxiously awaited for his return, staring absent mindedly out of the window. She sank down onto the table, only half listening for sounds of the General returning. She could not believe her good fortune at getting the job as his Corporal. When she found out that Kirsty was retiring, she jumped at the chance to get in the same office as Tani and was probably one of the very first to apply for the job. She felt slightly guilty that the only reason she wanted the job was because of reasons she would not admit to, rather than wanting Takeshi to be stopped.

The door opened and Galena jumped up, almost falling off the desk. She stared ahead while standing to attention her eyes still wide with the shock. She heard a chuckle and saw Tani shut the door, holding something on a coat hanger inside a protective plastic bag. She could see the metal hook from out of the top in the General’s hands.

‘You don’t have to jump up like that when I enter the room. This isn’t the military. I’m not going to reprimand you for sitting down when I enter a room,’ said the General. His voice was soft and sympathetic. He knew he had startled the poor girl when he opened the door.

He unzipped the zip at the front of the plastic bag and took out a brightly coloured uniform. It was grotesque to look at. It was mainly a deep turquoise in colour. It had one pink and one yellow stripe running down the outside of both legs and around the cuffs of the sleeves. Where the waist of the wearer would be at the back was a zip reaching up to the back of the neck.

General Tani pulled back the chair in front of the computer and lifted up a helmet and placed it on the table. He tucked the chair under it again.

‘I take it you want me to dress up in the Emerald Guards’ uniform and go to Takeshi?’ asked Galena.

‘Close, very close. You’re going to pretend to be an Emerald Guard that isn’t yet on file, so we’ve got an excuse when Takeshi says that he doesn’t know who you are. Anyway, that’s going to be for later. When he first sees you, he won’t care who you are because what he will notice is that you have ‘captured’ me,’ explained Tani.

He explained his plan very carefully. She would have to dress up in the uniform, and before they left the building, she would have to handcuff him and lead him along, holding a knife to his jugular. Either Takeshi or one of his Guards will stop them coming up to the castle and take him down to the prison. She would then have to spend the rest of the day in the company of Takeshi and find out what he is planning on doing, and then when the coast is clear, bust him out again and they can take action based on what Takeshi has let slip.

‘But, what I don’t understand, is why you have to be taken along and imprisoned.’

‘Well, to start off with, it will act as something to catch the Count’s eye, giving you the chance to get some information of out him before he figures he’s never seen you before in his life. Also, I may be able to pick something up from the Guards that keep watch over the prison when they’re in use. Those Guards are not exactly rocket-scientist material. They’re loud. There’s a chance they might let something slip,’ replied Tani. ‘I’ll leave you to get changed.’

‘Do I have to wear the helmet as well?’ the Corporal asked, looking at it with revolt. Tani did not answer, but just laughed again and exited the room.

Galena picked up the uniform. It shone in the sunlight from the window. She turned it around so she was looking at the back and undid the zip. She rested it on the table for a minute while she pulled off her trousers and boots. She slipped her legs into the trouser-legs of the uniform. She picked up her discarded trousers and folded them in half, placing them on the back of the chair nearest to her. She undid the buttons on her jacket and shrugged it off, carefully placing it on the chair, over her trousers. She then removed the black t-shirt that was underneath, and pulled the top half of the uniform up, slipping her arms into the sleeves. She moved her shiny black hair over her shoulder and groped at the zip, pulling it up as far as she could. She twisted her arms behind her back trying to do it up. Feeling embarrassed, she opened the door and asked General Tani if he could do it up for her. He followed her back into the office after she had thanked him and gone back inside.

She sat at the table where the helmet still lay and pulled her boots back on, tucking in her trousers.

‘I feel so stupid in this,’ she said, mainly to herself.

‘Don’t worry,’ the General reassured her, ‘you look it.’

She failed to contain a smile as she lifted the headgear from the table. It was white with a blue fin down the middle in a straight line. On either sides of the fin were the same pink and yellow stripes that were on the uniform. Galena tucked her hair behind her ears and placed the helmet on her head, feeling even more ridiculous than she had done before.

General Tani picked up a kunai and a set of handcuffs from on top of the filing cabinet and held the door open for his Corporal.

‘After you, Corporal Galena,’ said Tani, directing the girl out of his office.

‘That sounds weird,’ replied Galena, with a giggle.

They moved to the bottom storey of the building, Galena attracting odd looks from the others working in the campaign against the Count. Several times the General had to explain their plan very briefly, and reassure them that Galena was not an Emerald Guard. As they reached the front door, Tani stopped her and told her to place the handcuffs on him.

'Why do I have to do it now? Why can't I just cuff you before we come into sight of Takeshi in his castle?' asked Galena.

'Because,' said Tani, 'the Guards roam the streets, looking for either possible candidates to join his fight against us, or to see if they can spot one of us. If a real Guard sees us walking along, chatting peacefully, he will become suspicious and the plan will be ruined.

Galena's mouth formed a large O as comprehension hit her. She opened the door and swung it open, grasping the General's shoulder with her right hand and holding the kunai to the vital vein in his neck in her left. She roughly forced him through the door and kicked it shut, and started towards the Count's castle, listening to Tani's whispered remarks.

'If I didn't know that you were with me, I would have really thought that you were with the Emerald Guard,' muttered the General as the cold steel of the blade pressed into his throat. Galena could not think how to reply, so she chose not to.

She was almost inaudibly guided to the castle, uncomfortably aware of the looks of passer's by, who watched her and the General with great interest. She kept her eyes open for any real Guards, hoping that they would not run into any, because, despite she was with the General, she could not help but think that any real Guards would become highly suspicious of her, and that the excuse the General made up would not work.

They made their way around the back of the castle. Galena stared at it as they crept nearer. There were a number of staircases leading up to the magnificent construction; Galena had to force herself to keep moving. She really wanted just to stand and admire the castle.

Inside the castle, in the room by the back door, were the Count himself, his heir and nephew, Jo Michiru, his counsellor, Ishikura Saburo and three of his most talented Emerald Guards: Kobayashi Strong, Tankobo Kibaji and the worst of them all, a Western man nicknamed Animal. All six of them were sitting cross legged on large cushions. Michiru and Takeshi were wearing large matching billowing robes of silk, both of them surrounded, enveloped in orange. Saburo was wearing a similar one, but it was of a deep, dark blood red. The Emerald Guards with them were the only ones that did not have to wear the ugly, lurid uniform that Galena had worked her way into, and instead, the best friends Kibaji and Strong were wearing horrible patterned komodos. Animal was weighted down by a massive black flared komodo that almost covered his whole body.

Michiru Jo walked over to one of the windows and caught sight of Galena holding the General. He let out a loud laugh of joy.

'What?' grunted Animal, looking up at the figure who was practically dancing around with joy.

'One of your Emerald Guards has captured General Tani!' shouted Michiru.

The Count hurriedly stood up and gaped out of the window. A grin spread across his face. He pointed at Animal.

'You can come down with me and take General Tani to the prison,' he ordered. Animal nodded and followed him down.

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General Tani had to work to keep his face straight when he saw Animal and Count Takeshi head over to them. He whispered to Galena.

'It's worked.'

'I can see that,' she replied, keeping her voice low and trying not to move her lips.

Count Takeshi stood in front of the General and stared at him.

'I see you managed to work your way into the hands of one of my Emerald Guards.'

Tani did not reply. The Count looked at Galena.

'You can release him. Animal will take special care of him,' he instructed with an evil smile.

Animal grasped General Tani roughly around the back of the neck and pulled him away, out of Galena's grasp. He stared hard at her.

'I don't recognise you.'

He leaned forwards, thrusting his face up close to her's. She leant back, her eyes widening. Takeshi laid a hand on Animal's shoulder.

'Relax, this Guard probably just isn't on file yet.'

'You're female,' muttered Animal to Galena. She sighed and rolled her eyes.

'You know, these are such a giveaway,' she sarcastically retorted, pointing at her breasts.

Takeshi instructed him again to take General Tani away, and this time, Animal obeyed, but not before giving Galena one more suspicious look. The Count took her by the hand and told her that because of her capture, she was to spent the remainder of the day in his company. Galena was torn between jumping in the air in victory at the opportunity to pump the Count for information, and running far, far away.

She allowed the Count to take her inside the castle, into the company of Michiru, Kibaji and Strong. She nervously sat on an empty cushion, wondering what was going to happen to her.

'So what are you going to do now that you finally have General Tani caught?'

'What do you think? I'm going to kill him. And his ex-Corporal, that English Kirsty woman.'

'What about the next Corporal he has? He's replaced Kirsty already,' intervened Kibaji.

Takeshi thought hard. Galena felt more and more uncomfortable. She wanted nothing more than to run away.

'That bitch will have to go as well. Once we find out who the hell she is.'

'Probably another English cow,' said Strong. 'He's got a bit of a thing for an English accent.'

Galena desperately kept her head turned away, determined not to look at anybody, or speak. She continued to listen to the Emerald Guard insulting General Tani, wondering who his new Corporal was, and making snide comments about her. She remembered suddenly that he was supposed to be getting information out of the Count, and wondered if she could fake a Japanese accent.

'What are you going to do about those supporting the General? Any ideas on an attack on them?' asked Galena, praying frantically that Takeshi was already going to attack them, that she had not planted an idea into his mind.

'Day after tomorrow I shall send my best Emerald Guards to take care of them. I've found out where they're hiding. My spies in with the General are being very useful.'

Spies! He has got spies? God knows what else Takeshi has found out! Information may even be on the way now about me being the new Corporal! thought Galena, horror struck.

The door burst open and Animal walked back in, taking the remaining unoccupied cushion.

'Who are the spies?' she asked, forcing herself to keep her voice calm.

'You don't seriously expect me to remember the name of every single person in the Emerald Guard do you?' asked the Count incredulously.

'I would have thought that you might remember the names of some you've entrusted with the job of pretending to be in league with General Tani,' he replied, spitting the name of her beloved General, in the same venomous tones as what had been used whenever his name is mentioned.

To her dismay, Takeshi shook his head.

'Speaking of spies,' started Animal, staring hard at Galena, 'you could very well be one for Tani. It's common knowledge he has a fetish for English accents, and you've got an English accent. See my point?'

'The only reason I speak like this is because I've spent the last few years of my life in England,' lied Galena, her tone icy. 'I am Japanese, but I haven't been back here long enough for my accent to wear off.'

'You don't look Japanese.'

'Neither do you. For all we know, you could be a spy for the General.'

Animal gave her a furious look and stormed off, leaving an uncomfortable silence in his wake. Before the door closed, another Emerald Guard, in the same disgusting uniform as Galena ran in, blindingly obvious with some information to tell.

'Yes, what is it?' asked the Count in a bored voice.

'I've found out the name of the new Corporal!' said the Guard. 'I've never seen her, can't put a face to the name, but it's some woman called Lockheart Galena!'

Galena gaped up at the man, containing the urge to snap his neck before he could give out anything else vital. Count Takeshi congratulated the Guard and instructed him to send out a search party for Galena. She almost froze when he turned his attention to her.

'What's your name?'

Galena momentarily stumbled on a false name.

'Takeuchi Miyako.'

'I shall have to remember that name, Miyako.'

_____________________________________________________________________________

Galena was forced to stay in the company of Takeshi and the three Guards - Animal never returned - until the evening, just before six o'clock.

Takeshi had sent for one of his assassins and instructed him to go to the ex-Corporal's house and hunt down Kirsty, reminding him sternly of the consequences if he failed. Galena was able to make her way down to the cellar that had been turned into a prison, where she saw General Tani leaning again the bars, drifting off to sleep. She saw his katana on the opposite side of the prison, underneath a hook with a bunch of keys.

Galena carefully, cautiously made her way to him, keeping an eye out in case any of the real Emerald Guards should walk in on them and poked him. He muttered in his sleep and changed position slightly. She poked him again, more pointedly, until he awoke.

He stood up, rubbing his eyes and stifling a yawn.

'You have to get out of there!' I've found out loads! Takeshi has sent an assassin after Kirsty!' whispered Galena urgently.

Without waiting for Tani to say anything, she swiftly and silently ran over to his katana, picked it up and snatched the bunch of keys and made her way back to the General, forcing each key in turn into the lock until she found the right one. The door to the cell opened with heart stopping silence as they made their way out of the prison, keeping in the shadows.

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Kirsty was in her kitchen, humming to herself as she chopped up vegetables and put them into the saucepan she had on the cooker. She stopped, listening. She was certain that she could hear somebody trying the front door, trying to force entry. She shook her head, dismissing it. The injuries she sustained to her brain must be worse than she thought if she was now hearing things.

A loud thud sounded as somebody attempted to break down her door. Kirsty gasped and turned, knife in hand around to the kitchen door, and stood in the doorway leading to the living room, where her front door was. She could see a dark shadow through the window next to the front door struggling with the handle and slamming his shoulder into the door again. Kirsty gripped her knife tighter.

Another thud, and the door broke down, revealing Takeshi's assassin. He saw her and made his way through the living room to her. Kirsty bolted, in her fear dropping the knife. She ran through the kitchen and into the living room through the door at the other end and up the stairs which was situated in the middle of the back wall in the front room.

The assassin was hot on her heels and chased her up the stairs, and snatched at her clothing on the landing. She struggled with him, trying to block his grasping hands as he tried to get a proper grip on her.

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General Tani and Galena ran through the broken down door in the frame and heard the noises of Kirsty's struggle. Galena spotted the knife that Kirsty had dropped in her fear and picked it up. Tani glanced over at her and started to make way up the stairs and pull the assassin off Kirsty when she was given a hard push and tumbled down the stairs. Tani tried to catch her, but she went sailing past her arms. Her head made a loud crack on the bottom step.

Galena ran over to Tani. The assassin followed Kirsty down and punched General Tani deftly in the face. The General ignored the pain shooting across his face and pulled Kirsty out of the way of the battle. Galena kicked the black clad man sharply in the shins. He called out, casting a look over her shoulder, at the General.

The assassin shoved Galena out of the way, and started forwards to attack Tani. With only a split second to do something, Galena reacted. She lunged forwards with the knifed and pressed the blade into his back. The assassin froze as Galena guided him to the front door and kicked him out of it, withdrawing the knife from his back. He tried to get back in, but a well placed kick to the chin caused him to slump down on the ground, unconscious. Galena pulled the door back into its frame and joined Tani, who was trying to bring Kirsty around.

The blonde groaned and opened her eyes, resting instantly on Galena. She paid no heed of the damage she had sustained, and tried to back away from the new Corporal in Tani's arms.

'Hey, I'm not an Emerald Guard,' said Galena, aware of what was unnerving Kirsty.

'She's not,' added the General, when Kirsty continued to try and scramble away from them both.

Tani and Galena stayed with Kirsty for a while longer, making sure that she was alright, and explaining what they had found out from Takeshi so far. When the pair finally left Kirsty's house, neither of them noticed that Takeshi's assassin, who was unconscious was no longer on the ground where he had fallen.

Galena was walked back to their headquarters and was inside General Tani's office when she remembered.

'Takeshi knows where we are. He knows that I'm your new Corporal, although he doesn't know what I look like. He's got spies in his Emerald Guard pretending to be allies for you, and he's going to attack the day after tomorrow.'

Tani listened to what she had to say with a heavy feeling in the pit of his stomach. Takeshi was sending spies? He did not know what to think. He trusted everybody who was in league with him. He did not want to think that any of his people were really with Takeshi. He looked at Galena and studied her for a while, until she looked away from him out of sheer embarrassment.

'Did he give you any names?'

'He doesn't know. I tried to get the names of the spies out of him, but he said that he couldn't remember the names of all of his Emerald Guard. Even if they are trusted with the job of being lying and deceitful,' spat Galena angrily.

General Tani was leaning against the edge of his desk and looked up at the ceiling. He closed his eyes and sighed.

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Takeshi's counsellor, Ishikura Saburo found himself walking up to Takeshi's castle with a feeling of dread weighing him down, the assassin who was sent to the ex-Corporal's house with him. He let himself in and walked into the large room where the Count slept and gently woke him up.

Takeshi looked at the clock beside his bed and glared at Saburo.

'What the hell do you think you're doing?' he snapped. 'And what's he doing here?' added the Count, staring at his assassin.

'He has some valuable information for you sir, which he believes you should know as soon as possible,' explained Saburo, his tone one of caution.

The Count stared at his assassin.

'I...tried to get to Tani's old Corporal, but before I could complete my task, the General himself and another person - who was dressed in the uniform of the Emerald Guards - came to her aid.'

'Did I hear that right? Did you just say that one of my Emerald Guards is really with - with - him?' Count Takeshi sounded angrier with each syllable.

The assassin nodded.

'Wait, wait. You said that when you went to the cow's house, a woman and Tani himself showed up? But Tani is in a cell! He's locked up!'

Takeshi looked at Saburo and ordered him to go and check on the cells. An uneasy silence broke out in the counsellor's absence. When he got back, Takeshi looked at him expectantly, but Saburo shook his head.

'His cell is empty.'

Takeshi let out an angry noise. Then turned his attention to the unhappy looking and scared assassin shaking at the foot of his bed.

'Come on, I need details man, details! What did she look like, this woman with the General? Did you hear her speak?'

'No, I did not. But she looked young, perhaps in her mid-twenties. Long black hair down to her waist. Brown eyes. She looked Western, and was, like I said, wearing the uniform of your Emerald Guards.'

Takeshi pondered over what he was being told, trying to imagine the mystery woman who came with General Tani to save Kirsty.

'Miyako,' he muttered. 'That woman who turned in the General today. Takeuchi Miyako! Damn! I was too overwhelmed by seeing Tani finally in my grasp, I told her things that I shouldn't! She knew that I was going to lead an attack on Kirsty, oh hell, Tani probably knows that I'm planning on attacking him. Change of plan. We attack the General's hideout tomorrow, instead of the day after.'

The assassin winced and tried to fumble at something on his back.

'What's up with you?' asked Saburo in a disapproving voice.

'I was stabbed.'

Takeshi ignored this and told his counsellor to send word out to his Guards that first thing in the morning, they were going to be sent out to annihilate the General.

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General Tani seemed insistent on walking Galena back to her house, in case any of Takeshi's men were on the prowl. She walked up the three stone steps to her front door and turned back to wish Tani good night. She was answered with a smile and he stepped back into the night.

Galena allowed herself into her house and locked the door, setting her keys on a small table near the door and walked into her bedroom, setting her uniform jacket on her bed as she changed into pyjamas. She slipped into her bed and closed her eyes before finally noticing that when she and the General left Kirsty's house, the assassin that she thought she had knocked out was not on the ground. She wondered if he had gone to Takeshi and told him that one of his Emerald Guards was a spy. She hoped that he did, because that information would be wrong. Yes, thought Galena, I was spying on Takeshi, pumping him for information, but I lied about being in his Guard.

Irresistible waves of sleep washed over Galena, and before she could worry anymore about Takeshi, she was snoring gently.

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General Tani was woken by a loud hammering on his door. He raised his head off his pillow and looked at the clock. It was five past six. Damn. He had not intended to get up for another hour yet. Who was that, knocking so insistently on his door?

He kicked the duvet off him and padded out of his room to the front door, not caring that he was wearing only his boxer shorts. He felt cold and wrapped his arms around his muscular torso, trying to keep himself warm.

When he opened the door, he saw one of his allies, Shinra Kyoda, looking around in fear, total panic shining in his eyes, only dying down for a second when he took a good look at his leader.

'General Tani - sir - you need to come - quick - Takeshi -'

The young man was stuttering in his anxiety and was pulled inside by Tani. He closed the door and rubbed his eyes after covering a yawn.

'What's going on?'

'Takeshi! He's attacking at the headquarters!'

His last statement made sure that Tani was wide awake. He ran back into his bedroom and pulled on his uniform, picking up his katana and then heading out the door.

'Get Corporal Galena! I'm going to go on ahead!'

_____________________________________________________________________________

Galena was already awake and was wandering around her house in her pyjamas, wondering if she felt up to eating breakfast. Her decision was make for her as somebody constantly rang her doorbell.

'What?' she snapped as soon as she opened the door.

Five minutes later, after hearing about Takeshi attacking, Galena was in uniform as well, and was running down the street, katana in hand, her yellow boots thudding noisily on the pavement. People stared at her in curiosity as she sped past them in a black blur.

When she reached the street the headquarters were situated, she saw the chaos that had been unleashed. Innocent people who were with neither Takeshi nor Tani were fleeing. The Emerald Guards were breaking into the HQ, and Tani's men were resisting. It was a shame that they were not resisting successfully. Many of them were wounded, dead, or being taken capture or held hostage.

In the middle of the mass of turquoise, was a figure in black, whose long, curly dark hair and beard was familiar. Animal was directing the Guards, telling them who was dispensable, where to go and who to take hostage. Animal himself was keeping a lookout for a woman who identified herself to the Count as 'Takeuchi Miyako'.

Galena forced herself past the crush of people, assisting her allies and taking out as many Emerald Guards as she could whilst passing, trying to avoid Animal all the while. Eventually she made her way into Tani's office, where she found him in a furious fight with two men.

They were identical in appearance, both wearing the same clothing. They both wore baggy robes, which allowed them to move freely without being constricted. They kicked at the General and tried to hold him down, to take him capture again. Galena reached out and grabbed the clothing of the nearest Guard, who she realised were twins and hurled him past her, and hip height.

He crashed to the ground painfully on his side, but quickly scrambled to his feet and lunged at Galena. She dodged out of his way and the Guard cascaded into his brother and the General. She helped Tani to his feet and they both dragged their oppositions to their feet. Galena received a punch in the face and staggered backwards. Before she could move, she felt the Guard's arms around her, and she was led out of the room, struggling all the way.

She kicked his shins, threw her head back and head butted him, but he gave her a light push forwards and grasped her roughly around the neck, putting a heavy force on it, which hurt her lots.

A fresh scream sounded outside the headquarters. Tani was thrown into the window of his office and saw, on the ground, Kirsty, who had evidentially heard about Takeshi's attack and came to see if she could help.

As Tani pushed himself away from the window, the Emerald Guard he was still fighting landed a heavy punch on his handsome face, forcing his head back, which smashed against the window again, cracking the glass.

General Tani managed to catch the fists that were flying towards him again, and used his grasp to his advantage. He swung the Guard around, until he cascaded into the window, and sailed through it. He then burst through the door and tore down the stairs to the ground level, trying to see either Galena, Kirsty or both.

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Kirsty was punching her captor, landing blow after blow on his body, beating him in the same way he had tried to beat her. She tried to kick her leg up and catch him in the throat, but the skirt she was wearing again this day did not allow her to get her leg up that high, and she was made to settle for winding him.

She was distracted by a body falling out of a window on the second storey and crashing down in the middle of a group of Emerald Guards, not too visibly wounded. This distraction cost her. She was grabbed around the neck and forced away from the battle. She fought against the pull, but she could not resist it. She saw, being dragged out of the building by one of the twins in the Emerald Guard, Galena. This surprised Kirsty even more. She did not know too much about the new Corporal, but she was given the impression that Galena would do anything in her power to avoid being taken away like she was. Obviously, Kirsty was wrong.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Galena was unarmed. The man holding her had stolen her katana and thrown it to the ground. She suddenly felt that there was no point in trying to break free from the vice like grip she was in. It seemed likely that she was going to be killed. The Guard holding onto her shouted to Animal and motioned to the Corporal. He took in her clothing and knew exactly who she was.

'So you are the new Corporal under General Stupid. I knew you weren't in the Emerald Guard. However did you manage to fool Count Takeshi?'

'Fooling him is hardly a great achievement. It's not exactly difficult,' she retorted, and was answered back with a slap around the face. Her cheek glowed red where Animal had hit her.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Tani found himself in a fight with another one of Takeshi's henchmen, Tankobo Kibaji.

General Tani was at the door of the headquarters, trying to force his way out, seeing both the women he was looking for, but unable to reach them. He lunged with his weapon to try and stab Kibaji, but he moved out of the way. He flicked with vivid red hair off his shoulders and grabbed the blade of the katana. Tani pulled at it, so the metal slid out of his closed palm, slitting his hand.

Kibaji hissed and pulled his hand to his face, surveying the damage. General Tani saw his chance and look it, running for the door. He choked as Kibaji snatched at the back of his golden collar and pulled him back into the fight.

The General's hands were moving wildly by themselves, attacking the Guard, kicking, biting, punching, scratching at any part of Kibaji that got in the way. Tani slapped the bottom of his palm into the face of Kibaji and made another attempt to get out onto the street. Kibaji grabbed the door handle and slammed the door shut on Tani's hand. The General swore loudly and viciously, holding his wrist and staring at his aching hand.

The fingers of Kibaji snaked their way around Tani's neck, and the Guard picked him up and threw him into a wall. Kibaji rested his foot on the fallen General's chest to prevent him from rising. He kicked Tani in the face. The General spat out blood and wondered how many teeth had been knocked out of his mouth. He was picked up again and, wounded, he did not try to resist the pull on him. Kibaji kicked him once more, and rested the General's head on the doorframe.

If he had not had been in so much pain, Tani would have wondered what Kibaji was about to do. But he would not have had much time to think about it, because Kibaji slammed the door on his head this time and opened it again, crushing the General's skull repeatedly, until he was no longer fighting for his consciousness.

Kibaji carried him out of the headquarters. He knew that Takeshi would want him locked up. He glanced around and saw several ambulances screaming loudly as they tore down the roads. Two paramedics in jumpsuits were currently lifting Kirsty onto a stretcher, and placing her inside one of the ambulances.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Takeshi was walking around in his castle, waiting for his Emerald Guards to come in with some of the prisoners they had captured. He hoped that among them, they had remembered to get a hold of General Tani and his Corporal, and the woman who posed as an Emerald Guard.

He heard a door swing open and Kibaji entered with Animal, Tani and Galena in tow. The General was carelessly dropped on the floor, but Animal still kept a tight grip on Galena's arms. She met the glare of the Count head on. He walked over to her and stopped right in front of her.

'Ah. So, not only did you lie about being an Emerald Guard, you also gave me a false name. Well done. I admit, you had me fooled. For a while. Judging by your outfit, you are the new Corporal. Lockheart Galena. Am I right?'

Galena did not answer, but just bared her teeth and snarled at the Count. Animal struck her around the back of the head.

'Take them down to the cells,' ordered Takeshi.

Galena was shoved by Animal, walking behind Kibaji, who had only paused momentarily to grab one of Tani's limp wrists and drag him across the ground. Luckily, his head was off the ground, and did not have to suffer hitting each stone step, giving himself more damage to his brain as he was taken down to the cells.

Kibaji almost stuffed him into the same cell he was situated when Galena had to break him out, and she was practically thrown into the one next to him.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Kirsty had been rushed to the nearest hospital, the staff rushed off their feet with all the people coming in with wounds and broken limbs and head injuries which needed treating fast. She had been rested in a bed, and doctors had examined her body, discovering a broken neck, and that her left arm was also broken in two places.

She had been fitted with a neck brace, and her arm had been awkwardly placed in a sling. The man in the bed next to Kirsty was groaning loudly, complaining to whoever could hear about his broken ankle. He caught a glimpse of a blonde as the curtains around her bed were being drawn.

'Hey - who was that in there?' he asked as the doctors walked past his bed. One stopped and looked at him, shaking her head sadly.

'General Tani's ex-Corporal,' she replied.

'Kirsty?' exclaimed the man.

'Mr Shinra, please keep your voice down!' snapped the doctor.

Kyoda slumped back in his bed, staring at the curtains which were hiding Kirsty. The pain in his ankle grew, causing him to screw up his face and try to reach down to hold it. Whilst he and his colleagues were fighting the Emerald Guards after alerting General Tani and Corporal Galena, one of them managed to knock him to the ground and force the blade of their katana through his ankle, breaking it.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Days, weeks, months passed while the Corporal and the General were locked up underneath the ground of Takeshi's castle like animals. But it felt more like years. Animal came down into the cellar where the pair were locked up once a week with a few scraps of food the Count felt was necessary to give them.

Bored out of their minds and nursing several injuries which were sustained after they tried to over power Animal and escape, they found that the only way they could cling onto their sanity was to try and talk to each other. The air in the cellar was freezing. Galena was huddling in one corner of her cell, Tani watching her as she shivered.

'You cold?'

Galena gave him a look.

'Just slightly.'

Tani unbuttoned his jacket and pressed it through the bars of their neighbouring cells into Galena's.

'Why are you giving me this?' she asked.

'It can't be said that I'm an unreasonable man. Just put it on,' he replied.

'But you're just in a shirt!' laughed Galena. 'You'll freeze to death!'

She pressed it back through the bars to Tani as Animal threw open the door to the cellar and came down the stairs.

He stared at them both, making them feel uncomfortable.

'Is there something we can do for you?' queried Tani coldly, his face hardened at the sight of the Guard.

Animal snorted.

'Stuck in there, I don't think you can do anything for anybody,' he retorted and walked back out the cellar, smirking to himself.

The pair stayed silent as the door closed again, thinking. Tani wondered what had happened to Kirsty. He wondered where she was, if she knew what had happened to Galena and himself, and if she did, then why the hell was she not trying to free them. Come to think of it, he thought. Does anybody know where we are?...Did the Emerald Guard attack us so hard we were all so busy fighting them to notice what was happening to anybody else? Are most of my men lying in some hospital, or even worse, dead?

Galena sighed.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Kyoda awoke as the curtains in his ward were opened, and the nurses started to wake up the patients. He glanced over to his left, to Kirsty's ward. She had come out of her coma a few weeks back, and was healing fast. Or so she was told.

The ex-Corporal looked at Kyoda and smiled. He had a very strange appearance. He had dyed his naturally black hair a deep blue colour and twisted it into spikes. He was mostly seen in faded, once black, now grey, three quarter length jeans with a chain on his wallet in one of his pockets and the other end attached to a belt loop, almost hidden by an old heavy metal band t-shirt.

He came over to Kirsty and sat on the end of her bed.

'What do you think happened to General Tani and Corporal Galena?' he asked Kirsty, careful to keep his voice low, as he knew that they had been mixed with some wounded Emerald Guards.

'I don't know. I didn't see them after the Emerald Guards attacked us. But I bet he's trying to think of another way to get rid of Count Takeshi. After his attack on us, I doubt Tani is going to let him get away with it. You know what he's like,' replied Kirsty.

'But that's just it. Takeshi probably knows this. None of us have seen either him or the Corporal since the attack,' came the reply. 'Mina claims to whoever will listen that she saw Tani and Galena being taken away by Animal and Kibaji, but her word is hardly trustworthy, is it?'

'Maybe she's right. Takeshi launched an attack on us two months ago, and neither of them have seen General Tani or Corporal Galena since then, except for her, and she says that she saw them both being taken away by two Emerald Guards. I'd much rather think that she's telling the truth this time. Mina may lie to us about some things, but I seriously doubt she would about something this important. She knows full well that it's more than her job is worth. Once I am fully healed, I'm going to break into his castle and see if they are locked up.'

'No!' whispered Kyoda. 'We can't wait until then. They could have been put to death by then, if they haven't already. Tell you what, let's get Mina to do it.'

Kirsty thought this over and nodded, telling him that it seemed like a good plan, and as a nurse came past, he collared her and asked if he could use the hospital phone. He followed the nurse and thanked her when she left and called Mina's mobile.

'Hello?' her voice is flat, because she and Kyoda do not get on very well and she does what she can to avoid him.

'Got a proposition for you,' replied Kyoda, his voice just as cold as Mina's.

'Go on.'

'Now, where did you say Tani and Galena were taken after Takeshi attacked us?' he queried, keeping an eye out for anybody he did not want to hear his conversation. There was a heavy sigh on the other end.

'Oh, for God's sake, Kyoda, I've said it hundreds of times. In Takeshi's castle-cellar prison,' snapped Mina.

'Good, that's what I thought. Now, Kirsty or me would do this ourselves, but we ain't allowed out of this hospital yet, so you're going to have to do this.'

'Do what?'

'Break into the prison and bust them both out, of course.'

'Get somebody else to do it. I'm busy.'

'No you're not, because you've got to fight for your General, like the rest of us.'

'Then get somebody else to fight for our General,' retorted Mina.

'You know what? I heard Galena telling General Tani that Takeshi has spies in with us, feeding information to him. You're acting suspiciously untrustworthy. Anyone who was really loyal to General Tani would be going in there, all guns blazing to try and get him out. Catch my drift?' growled Kyoda.

'You mean you think I'm a spy?' asked Mina.

'Bingo. So if you don't agree, then I'm going to have to tell everybody else my suspicions, because that is what we are supposed to do, isn't it? Something like that isn't to be kept quiet.'

'Fine. I'll do it.'

'Tonight?'

'I don't think so. I really can't tonight.

Kyoda lightly held one hand over the mouthpiece of the phone and shouted, 'Hey, Kirsty!' as if she was near enough to hear him.

'No!' cried Mina. 'Okay, okay, you win, I'll go and bust out Tani and Lockheart tonight. But after you put down this phone, you're to drop all this spy crap, got it?'

'Oh, I guess,' replied Kyoda.

There was a click and he was listening to a dialling tone. He walked back, grinning broadly.

'Well? What did she say?' asked Kirsty as he rested awkwardly on her bed.

'She didn't want to at first, but I changed her mind.'

'What did you do? I know that grin. What did you do?'

'I'm shocked that you think I had to do anything to make her co-operate. All I said was that she was acting suspiciously, as though a spy, and Tani knows that there a spy in with us, and I just said that I may have to tell who I think it is.'

You blackmailed her?' said Kirsty, one eyebrow raised.

'That's such a negative way of saying it!'

'Not to mention truthful.'

'Yeah, yeah, okay, I blackmailed her. But it worked.'

Kirsty rolled her eyes to the ceiling.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Shinra Mina was standing in her room, looking at her reflection in the full length mirror opposite her bed. She felt infuriated that her worthless older brother had to force her into this job. As though she did not have anything better to do. As it happened, she had an important meeting she was going to have to cancel because of Kyoda. Her phone rang.

'Hello?'

'Mina. It's Saburo. I hope you are still coming up here later?'

Yes, but not in the way you're thinking of, Mina said to herself.

'Something has come up, Mr Ishikura.'

'Oh dear, you're going to make me give bad news to Count Takeshi, aren't you?'

'Sir, this is unavoidable. I know that if Tani knows I am a spy for Count Takeshi, he will kick me out. You and me both know that this is not what the Count wants.'

'Very well. I shall tell him now. But you will have to make up for it.'

'Yes sir, I shall.'

Ishikura hung up on her, and Mina continued to survey herself in her mirror, feeling more angry at her brother. She knew that Kyoda did not really know she was a spy for the Count. Kyoda had always done things like that to her. Always made her lack of enthusiasm for things into something sinister, and was now accusing her of spying, only this time, not realising that he was finally right.

Mina had feathery soft lilac hair which fell just below her chin, her fringe nestling above her sparkling light brown eyes. She was wearing all black to help her blend into the shadows so when she was inside the castle, she would not be seen, with any luck.

She pulled the hood over her top over her hair and put on black gloves, slipping her feet into light shoes with a thin sole. She exited her house after one final glance at herself and headed towards the castle.

_____________________________________________________________________________

General Tani and Corporal Galena were sleeping uncomfortably in their cells when Mina finally came down into the cellar, always looking around, even more apprehensive than anybody else would be, trying to break Tani and Galena out, because she had more to lose if she was caught.

Mind picked up Tani's katana and prodded him with the sheath to try and wake him. He stirred and tried to kick it away to continue sleeping, but Mina poked him even more sharply with it, and he sat up sharply, looking around and rubbing his side. His eyes narrowed in a question when he saw Mina. She pulled down her hood and shook her hair free so he could get a proper look at her face.

'Mina!' he whispered. 'What are you doing here?'

'To poke you with a stick all night,' replied Mina sarcastically, her voice low. 'To break you out of here, of course.'

Tani grabbed Galena's shoulder through the bars of their cell and shook her roughly.

'What -?' she started

'Mina's going to get us out of here!' murmured Tani excitedly.

Mina handed Galena and Tani their katanas and snatched the keys which were still hanging on a hook on the other side of the cellar. Despite when Galena posed as an Emerald Guard and busted out Tani, Takeshi had not yet taken the hint about his cell and had not moved the keys to a safer place.

After they escaped the prison and made their way quietly out of the castle, Mina made her excuses and hurriedly got away from their company. General Tani was insistent on walking Galena back to her house, and so she allowed him to.

Galena thought about what she would have said and done if Tani was walking her home before Takeshi attacked and they were locked up. There would probably be an uneasy silence the whole way. At least on her behalf, anyway. She had to admit, she and the General had become good friends in the time they had been locked up. As strange as it may sound, being trapped in Takeshi's prison had one good side to it, and that was making a new friend.

As they walked up the three stones steps to Galena's front door, Tani clapped a hand on her shoulder and when she turned around he kissed her on the forehead.

'Night.'

'Night,' replied Galena. She opened her front door and closed it, pressing her back up against it once she was safely inside feeling shocked.

He kissed me! though Galena. He actually kissed me!

Galena held her hand up to the place where his lips touched her forehead and shook herself mentally, telling herself that it probably meant nothing.

_____________________________________________________________________________

General Tani was walking along the road to his own house with his hands shoved into his trouser pockets, a smile plastered across his face. It felt so good to feel the wind lightly ruffle his hair and blow past his face once again. He felt free. Free at last after months of being locked up and starved. He let himself into his house and rummaged through the kitchen before collapsing into an armchair in front of the television in his living room. He was set for the rest of the night.

_____________________________________________________________________________

He woke up in the morning by somebody hammering on his front door. He opened his eyes and rubbed them, trying to clear his blurry vision and lumbered out of the room, an open packet of crisps falling off him. He self-consciously brushed crumbs off his clothes and opened the door, where he was met with a fully recovered Kirsty and Kyoda.

'Kirsty!' he cried, and she leapt into his arms in a big hug. 'What happened to you? What the hell have you been doing? Do you know your sister broke me out last night?' added Tani to Kyoda. He nodded.

'I've just come out of hospital. Broken neck and arm. But I'm fine now. The hospital didn't want to let me go just yet, so I had to discharge myself.'

Tani exhaled loudly.

'No need to be like that! I'm fine! I feel completely normal.'

Tani rolled his eyes and suggested that they go back to their no longer secret headquarters to try and decide what to do about Count Takeshi.

'It was all over the papers,' said Kyoda as they entered Tani's office. 'Every paper you can name were writing about Takeshi's attack. Seems it didn't do much for his popularity.'

'What I want to know, is how come Takeshi attacked a day before Galena said he would. She said that Takeshi freely told her when he was planning to attack, but then he seemed to have changed his mind and attack a day earlier.'

'Perhaps Galena was lying?' suggested Kyoda.

'Not everybody is like your sister,' retorted Kirsty.

'Ah, yes. So I forgot.'

'Wait!' cried Kirsty. 'I've got it! When I first saw Galena, it was when she had pretended to be an Emerald Guard, wasn't it? So it was that day Takeshi told her, and passed on the information to you. In other words, it was the same day that one of Takeshi's assassins tried to kill me, but you both came to help me. That must have been something else the Count let slip. When you finished with the assassin, Galena kicked him outside and closed the door. But when you left, I've just remembered! He wasn't there anymore, but none of us really registered it at the time! And so I'm betting that the assassin went to Takeshi, told him everything, about you and Galena coming to help me, about Galena being dressed as an Emerald Guard, and maybe, just maybe, Count Takeshi realised that the fake Guard who was with you then was the same one pumping him for information!'

Tani and Kyoda simply stared at her.

'Well, I thought it seemed logical.'

'Jeez,' muttered Kyoda, shaking his head.

'Kirsty, I think the doctors were wrong. You're not brain damaged at all. Not if you could come to that conclusion. You know what? I think you're right. I think that's exactly what happened. So when he realised that he had been a total fool, he changed the day of his attack just to screw with us...'

Tani stayed with Kyoda and Kirsty for the rest of the day, trying to think of a plan to get back at Takeshi, and if possible, kill him, but there were no practical idea that they could come up with which was not suicidal, because all of Tani's men were either too wounded to fight, temporarily or permanently, or dead. He left in the evening and walked home, feeling irritated and got changed. He wondered what Galena was doing and thought that he would like to see her.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Galena pulled herself off the sofa with a sigh as she heard a knocking on her door. She opened it and stepped aside to let in her visitor.

'General Tani!' she gasped.

'Please, Galena, I have a first name. It's Hayato,' smiled Tani.

Galena surveyed him. He was wearing a black shirt with the top two buttons undone and black jeans with black boots. She had to admit, he was looking particularly sexy. She realised that Tani was giving her the same look, and felt embarrassed by what she was wearing. She had half a mind to change.

She was wearing a tight black top, which gave Tani more than a hint of the pattern of her bra underneath it, with sleeves which reached her elbows, and baggy black knee length trousers. She was barefoot.

Tani closed her front door and kicked off his shoes, and then walked into her living room. Galena followed him, and he started to say something, when her phone rang.

'Hold on,' she said, holding up a hand to him and walking off to answer it, leaving Tani standing in her living room with his mouth open.

She hurriedly finished her phone call with whoever was on the other end and came back to where Tani was still standing, but thankfully, had avoided looking gormless by closing his mouth and shut the sliding door.

'Sorry about that,' she said. Tani smiled mischievously at her.

'Just for that you have to give me a back rub.'

'A back rub?' repeated Galena, smiling slightly to hide her confusion, one eyebrow raised.

'Yup.'

Before Galena could say anything else, Tani lay on her living room floor on his stomach, and twisted his head around to look at her. Still feeling confused, she got on her knees beside him and started to rub his back.

'No, no, no, sit on my back,' Tani said.

Galena did what she was told and straddled him, massaging between his shoulder blades. She suddenly felt uncomfortable with the level of intimacy between them.

'You're good at this,' said Tani suddenly. He had his chin rested on his hands and his eyes shut. Galena did not know how to reply, so she chose not to.

'A bit lower. Bit lower. Mmm, that's it, perfect,' mumbled Tani, twisting around to guide Galena's hands to the small of his back. She raised her eyes.

'Why don't you just make me rub the whole of your back?' she asked sarcastically.

'Good idea. Go on.'

Galena tutted, but obliged, making circular motions with her hands all over his back. She stopped as Tani moved, turning over until he was facing her, still under her. Anybody who walked in on them at that moment would have thought that they were making love in Galena's living room.

Tani rested his hands on Galena's hips and started to massage her, his hands getting higher and higher until they were just under her breasts.

'Hayato...' Galena warned.

'Relax, I just wanted to give you one,' replied the General.

Galena flushed furiously and turned away from him, staring wide eyed at a suddenly interesting wall. Tani realised what he had said was a rather sexual innuendo, and not what he had meant at all.

'I meant a massage,' he explained, smiling.

He rested himself on his elbows, still smiling at Galena. He raised one hand and beckoned to her.

'Come here.'

Galena leant forwards slightly, thinking that he just wanted to tell her something.

'No, closer.'

She leant forwards even more, until their faces were only inches apart. There was no going back now....

Tani placed his hand on the back of her head, on her neck, and drew her the last few inches to him, kissing her. Galena felt shock-ridden, but allowed herself to relax, now starting to enjoy the intimacy between them.

She felt Tani starting to move and readjusted herself, until they were both standing on their knees, still locked in their kiss, not once breaking apart. They raised up, until they were standing completely and guided each other out of the living room. Galena only broke off from the kiss to open the sliding door to her living room, Tani kissing her neck as she did, and then struggled to stop her legs from collapsing underneath her.

As they tumbled through the door, Tani clasped her again and kissed her once more and slid open the door to her bedroom and fell onto the double bed, pulling Galena down with him.

_____________________________________________________________________________

The sunlight shone through the windows in Galena's bedroom, into her eyes, waking her. She wondered how come she had not closed the curtains. She always made a habit of closing the curtains before going to bed, so she would not be woken up by the sun. She sat up, holding the duvet and feeling cold. Then she realised that she was naked. As though she already knew what was going to happen, she turned her head to the left and saw, the bared body of General Tani sleeping peacefully next to her.

'Oh, my God,' she mouthed.' Oh, my God, my God, my God, my God.'

She forced herself back under the covers and turned her back on Tani, feeling scared and almost paralysed with anxiety. She heard movement next to her, and felt a hand on the curve of her torso on the covers. She pushed it off instantly.

Tani leant on his elbow, staring at the back of Galena's head. He wondered what was wrong.

'Are you okay?' he asked. She turned to face him, and he wished she would not. He could tell that she was going to give him bad news, just by the look in her eyes.

'Look, last night...I,' she stopped. 'I don't think it should have happened.'

Tani looked away. What could he say?

'Do you want me to leave?'

'Yes please. Don't take it personally, but I'd rather be alone at the moment,' replied Galena.

Sighing, Tani threw the covers off him and fumbled around on the floor, picking up his clothes. Galena turned her back on him again so she did not have to watch him get changed. He dressed quickly and paused in the doorway of her room. He looked back at her.

If only you knew how I felt, he thought, feeling miserable. If only you knew. I love you. I love you Lockheart Galena, and you don't love me back...

Trying to contain the tears building up in his eyes, he walked to the front door and slipped on his boots and left, closing the door. Only once he was out of her house did he allow the first tear to fall from his eyes.

Galena listened to the sounds of Tani leaving, but did not get up until fifteen minutes later. She pulled on the clothes she was wearing the day before, and forced a brush through her hair. She made her bed and busied herself with other boring chores, to try and push the memory of last night out of her mind. She did not want to remember sleeping with her General.

She finished cleaning her house at midday, her night with Tani firmly out of her head finally. The doorbell went, and, cursing to herself she reluctantly went to answer it, and was greeted by a man hidden from view by a dozen red roses. Laughing, she signed for them ad took them into her kitchen and fished out a vase. After she put the flowers in it, she then read the card. It read:

'To Galena,

Sorry if you thought last night was a mistake,

I would deliver these myself but I'm busy today,

love, Hayato

xxx'

Galena felt even more confused at these flowers. She did not know what he felt for her, but she was sure that he did not love her. But then why did he send her flowers, worrying about what she thought? Maybe he did love her after all. She was also unsure of how she felt about him. Yes, she knew that she fancied him, she thought that he was the most gorgeous man she had ever laid eyes on, but was there love there as well? She did not know.

About an hour after receiving the flowers, her doorbell went again. She answered the door and froze when she saw who was on the other side. She stepped aside to let in her visitor. She walked off, with her back to him, chewing idly on a thumbnail.

'Galena, I need to talk to you.'

'I think you said everything you did last night,' she replied.

There was a hand on her shoulder, turning her around.

'Galena, I...' She looked into her the eyes of the man before her. 'Look, put your arms around me.'

He rested her hands on his waist, and gently held her shoulders.

'I love you.'

Hayato paused, waiting for her to say something back. There was a long silence stretching out in front of them. She still did not know how she felt about him. Galena smiled at the seriousness of Tani's expression.

'What?' she laughed.

'I was waiting for you to say that you loved me back.' He so badly wanted to hear her say those words, for her to love him as he loves her. He would give anything for it. He would kill for it.

She decided then. Love or lust.

'But I don't,' she replied, and Tani's face visibly fell. 'Those three words are so meaningless, they - they don't do justice to how I feel. They're a huge understatement.'

Tani grinned and kissed her. Galena held onto his neck, running her fingers through his silky black hair, keeping him pressed up close to her. When they broke apart, Tani spoke.

'I'm sorry if you thought that last night was a mistake.'

Galena smiled and shook her head.

'I was just worried that it was a one night stand.'

Galena was certain that Tani shuddered slightly.

'No, it wasn't. I try to avoid one night stands. I hate them.'

They exchanged another sheepish grin and kissed each other once more.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Kirsty was sat on Tani's desk in his office, when he and Galena walked in, both uniformed and hand in hand, ignoring the looks that they were getting from the few people walking around in the corridors, finally healed from their wounds that were inflicted from Takeshi's attack.

She jumped off as Galena closed the door and did not return his smile.

'What's the matter?'

'Is it true that there are spies for the Count here with us?' she demanded. 'And if it is, why was I not told?'

'Kirsty,' began Tani, 'you're not supposed to be getting involved in this anymore. The doctors you saw forbade you to, and you, okay, while reluctant to leave, knew that it was for the best. Let me worry about spies.'

'You've changed your tune,' retorted Kirsty. 'You almost begged me to stay.'

'And you were almost itching to get out.'

'Don't twist things around.'

'I could say that to you.'

The door opened and Mina walked in, as bold as brass as though she had every right to be there and stopped in front of the General.

'Yes?' he asked, looking at her.

'I just came here to ask permission to leave early because I have a family crisis at the moment, and I really need to support my relatives,' explained Mina, not missing Tani's hand still holding onto Galena's. Tani nodded. Mina thanked him and walked out, not daring to turn around to face the three in there again.

She ran down the corridor and almost flew down the stairs, burst out the front doors and ran all the way until she came to the back of Takeshi's castle. She knocked on the door and Saburo opened it. He pointed her in, and Mina instantly saw Takeshi behind his counsellor with an ugly look on his face.

'I hope you have made up for missing my meeting by coming here with some useful information you are itching to tell me,' whispered the Count, his voice deadly cold.

'Yes, sir, I have,' replied Mina, almost breathless with apprehension at the sight of Takeshi's bad mood. 'It seems that Tani has allowed himself to get involved with one of his people.'

Takeshi looked interested.

'His new Corporal, that Lockheart Galena,' continued Mina.

Takeshi and Saburo exchanged a grin.

'You are certain?' asked the counsellor.

'General Tani does not make it a practice to go around holding hands with every woman who looks at him.'

_____________________________________________________________________________

Tani was standing at the back of his office, leaning against the wall of windows with one arm, staring hard, thinking. He needed a plan that would help him figure out who Takeshi's spies were, he needed to think of a way to stop him totally from doing anymore damage to a country which was already falling prey to him.

The door burst open again, smacking into the wall from the force. Kyoda tripped into the room, looking uncharacteristically terrified.

'Mina's been kidnapped!' he screamed.

Tani spun around, eyes widened in shock.

'What?'

'My sister has been kidnapped!'

Tani pushed his way past Galena and Kyoda and ran at full speed out of the building. Kirsty and the Corporal held each other's gaze for a second and tore after him. As they reached the front door, they started to go through it, when they collided with the solid wall that was Animal and Kobayashi Strong.

Strong snatched at Kirsty and Animal seized Galena.

'Well, well, well. We just seem to be running into each other more often these days. Just can't resist me, can you?' growled Animal, holding the struggling Galena in his arms.

They were dragged away from the building, unable to resist the pull unless they wanted to be tugged along on the ground.

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Tani heaved himself into the door of Takeshi's castle, but it did not budge and he ran up and struck it again, forcing it open with his shoulder. A quick look around told him that present were only three people, not including himself. Ishikura Saburo was lurking behind him in the shadows, trying to surreptitiously close the door, Count Takeshi was standing directly in front of him, and in his hand was the wrist of Mina. Had the General looked closely enough at her, he would have seen that her look of terror was faked.

Saburo tried to strike the General on the back of his head. Sensing movement, Tani turned around and caught Saburo's fist and held it tightly in his own hand. They struggled as Takeshi pulled Mina further and further away from the battle.

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Takeshi pulled Mina right to the back of the castle, where he saw the head of his Emerald Guards.

'Go. Now. He have Tani out of the way. Animal and Strong are going after the Corporals. Release your Guards.'

'Yes, sir.'

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General Tani caught himself as Saburo aimed another punch at him, but was distracted by a large group of surviving Emerald Guards exiting the castle, and heading towards the town. Saburo caught him right in the face, smashing his fist into Tani's chin. He shoved Saburo to one side, and fought to get outside, but the Count's counsellor kept a tight grip on him.

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Galena and Kirsty fought with all their might to break free from the grasp of the Guards holding onto them, but no matter how hard they threw back their heads and butted them, no matter how badly they beat their captors' shins, they could not loosen the grasp on them.

A horde of hideously uniformed Guards came marching down the street. The helmets of their awful uniform glinted brightly in the lamplight on the streets. It just dawned on Galena how late it was. The sun had set and the stars were out.

A penetrating freezing cold wind whistled around them, ringing in their ears. It was all a plot, Galena realised. She was willing to bet that somebody had tipped off Kyoda that his sister has been kidnapped, because they knew that he would go to the General, and Tani would go ballistic. Whoever had thought up this plan must know a lot about Tani and his people, to be able to profile their actions so accurately.

Galena suddenly worried about what had happened to Tani, whether he was being held captive by Count Takeshi, or had been killed, or what. She tried to signal to Kirsty, to somehow make her understand her query without either Animal or Strong catching her.

Kirsty saw Galena's frantic, yet well disguised attempts at catching her attention, but did not understand what Galena was mouthing to her.

The people who were with neither Takeshi or Tani saw the Emerald Guard walking down the road, with the same evil glint in their eyes as they wore when they attacked. People panicked, and pushed past each other to get out of the paths of the uniformed men.

Galena and Kirsty stopped trying to escape when they saw all the Guards, making their attack on anybody who was identified as with Tani.

A storm which had been brewing up chose that moment to kick up, and the first rain drops burst wetly on the ground.

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Tani had managed to free himself from his fight with Saburo, much to Takeshi's anger, as he heard the Count return and scream furiously as he slammed the door shut behind him and ran like hell. Tani's boots slapped the wet ground as he ran, trying to find where the Emerald Guard were. He did not have to be a rocket scientist to hazard an accurate guess on that.

When he arrived outside the door of his headquarters, he saw, Galena and Kirsty near the entrance struggling with Animal and Strong, Emerald Guards running around on the street, forcing themselves inside the building and out again, surrounding anybody they managed to round up and slowly killing them. People who were not mixed up in the battle were shrieking, scared beyond belief.

A woman, her clothes stuck to her skin from the rain stumbled into Tani and grasped him with her hands by the shoulders. She stared deeply into his eyes.

'You have to do something! Please, General Tani, you have to stop them. Stop Takeshi...'

She sank to her knees in front of him, holding a wound in her stomach, in too much pain to speak anymore than what was necessary. Either Takeshi was now attacking innocent people, or she was in the wrong place at the wrong time and caught a blow by a katana.

Tani realised with a jolt that he had no katana. He was unarmed in a street filled with Emerald Guards who were after his blood and the blood of those with him. He looked around and snatched up a katana of a dead Guard, pulling it free from the limp grasp on it.

He was almost locked in a circle. He kicked and punched and stabbed his way out of the crowd of Guards and tried to edge closer and closer to Kirsty and Galena.

Strong had one fist at Kirsty's throat and was doing his best to throttle her. Judging by the way she was gasping for breath and her face was turning various shades of all kinds of strange colours, he was succeeding. She managed to pull his hand off her neck just as Tani threw his katana. Kirsty ducked and heard a sickening slicing noise and a loud grunt of pain and a soft thud on the ground.

When Tani threw his sword, it caught Strong's hand and separated it from his wrist. He rushed up to his ex-Corporal and held her by the shoulders.

'Go!' he instructed.

'No, I can stay and fight!'

'Go!'

Kirsty was not stupid enough to argue with him and hurried off, dodging any Emerald Guards and praying she would be able to get out of this without being maimed anymore than necessary.

She sprinted along the ground, her arms wrapped around herself to try and keep her body reasonably warm.

Large puddles had formed, and the air was starting to crackle, in a way it always did before a storm. As Kirsty prayed that there was not going to be any thunder, the first crack sounded with the first jagged bolt of lighting streaking across the sky. Her blouse was turning see-through from the rain, making her feel even more vulnerable than she already did.

She stopped suddenly when she saw a pair of yellow boots in front of her, and raised her vision to see that she had almost run headlong into somebody who could not have been any less welcome; and Emerald Guard.

He grabbed her by the arms, muttering that he was going to turn her into Animal. He felt pleased with himself, because he knew that Count Takeshi wanted ex-Corporal Kirsty, the new Corporal Galena and General Tani locked up, or even better, dead.

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Count Takeshi himself had shown up in the streets, surveying the deadly atmosphere he had created. He felt happy, knowing that soon Tani would be outnumbered and forced to back down. He had a knife concealed in his clothing, so if anybody felt that they had to try and attack him, he had a means of self protection. He saw Galena and Tani nearby, and wandered over to them.

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Tani froze in his battle with Strong at the sound of an ear splitting scream. Strong was attacked from behind by another one of his men, who had thankfully managed to survive so far. Tani turned and saw Galena, rigid with fear, held up to Takeshi. Tani felt like his heart had stopped. One of the Count's arms was stopping Galena from moving her own arms, and his other hand was holding the knife at her throat. Galena's breathing was louder and jagged.

'No,' he whispered, almost to himself. Galena gave a frightened whimper.

'Don't do it!'

Tani turned and saw, in the arms of another Emerald Guard, Kirsty.

'Kirsty! What are you doing here?' called Tani. Kirsty nodded to the Emerald Guard holding her. The sound of Galena's heavy breathing returned to his ears, and the General forced himself to look at her, feeling an emotional pang at the sight of her in Takeshi's arms.

Takeshi himself was grinning from ear to ear, his eyes narrowed evilly. He pulled at the knife, cutting Galena's throat so much, he almost decapitated her. She gave a tiny little gasp of pain when the blade moved the first millimetre across her throat. He released the body and she slipped to the ground, tumbling down onto her back, her mouth half open, her eyes gaunt and staring, her head at an angle which showed off clearly the severity of the cut in her throat. The Count started to walk off, and watched the General with Animal nearby.

Tani's hair was matted and stuck to his forehead. Tears dripped down his face. He stared at Galena's body on the floor and collapsed onto his knees. Rain slid down his face, down the side of his nose and under his eyes, mingling with his tears. Clutching the katana tightly in his hand, he ran at Takeshi, screaming furiously. He forced the blade of his weapon into Count Takeshi's shoulder, straight down and into his heart. Takeshi froze. Tani dropped the katana and the Count also dropped to the floor, stone dead.

Feeling tortured, Tani ran. He turned on his heel and ran, finding a little alleyway away from the fight and sobbed solidly until the battle was over.

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Finally, the streets were empty, the only bodies were of those who were dead. Tani stepped back and crouched down by the body of Galena. He held her head in his arms, trying to make it look like she had not had her throat cut. He felt Kirsty stand behind him but ignored her. Near his lover's body was part of a katana blade, snapped off. He snatched at it, without Kirsty noticing and dragged it across the surface of the skin on his right wrist, breaking the skin and the vital vein underneath it. He hugged Galena, quickly bleeding to death.

After a few minutes, he keeled over, lying on the ground, still with Galena in his arms. Kirsty examined his body and found the slit on his wrist and instantly knew what he had done. He had killed himself to be with his partner again.

Kirsty screamed in her own depression and anger and fear. She screamed and screamed and screamed, until her throat gave out and dissolved into a fit of tears. She had lost two friends on the same day, just because of Count Takeshi's malice. They had won, Takeshi was dead, but it did not matter because General Tani Hayato had willingly sacrificed his life to be with Lockheart Galena. The one and only love of his life.

THE END