Waterfall & Wings Version 1

23rd March 1185, one day before Battle of Dannoura.

Yoshitsune holds a strategy meeting with the rest. Kagetoki volunteers to lead the vanguard for this battle (he blabbers something about this being the chance for him to show Yoritomo his utmost loyalty and blah... urusai na~ like who cares about you?? The important thing is to defeat the Heike... -__-) but Yoshitsune appoints Miura no Yoshizumi instead as the latter is more accustomed to the sea. Kagetoki gets very upset and complains that Yoshitsune is neglecting Yoritomo's own men (that is, Kagetoki himself... -_-).

(Point to note: Miura no Yoshizumi is originally Noriyori's subordinate since long before Noriyori joined Yoritomo. So to Kagetoki, he is not 100% Yoritomo's men. Therefore, he is against Yoshitsune appointing Yoshizumi to be the vanguard for this battle. To Kagetoki, this final battle should be won by "Yoritomo's men"... you tell me how petty this man is???? GAWD!!! *kicks his fat butt* All Yoshitsune wants is to pick the right man for the right job but here Kagetoki prides himself on such crap stuff... he's the reason why "racism/class difference" exists!!! COCKY OLD MAN!!! Not to forget that he wants the credit of being the vanguard if they win the battle.)

Kagesue gets embarrassed about his own father's behaviour and tries to calm him down but to no avail. Yoshitsune tries to talk some sense into the stubborn old man.

Yoshitsune: "We should stop differentiating between the armies. Winning the battle and retrieving the Three Sacred Treasures is top priority as opposed to worrying about who takes credit. At the end of the day, we are all working for Yoritomo. We are all Genji. "

Kagetoki storms off in anger and Kagesue chases after him.

Akirakeiko lets Yoshiko out of the shed and brings her to Tokiko and Muneko, who are discussing about what to do with her now that she found out about their secret plan. Tokiko decides to leave Yoshiko behind when battle begins.

Yoshiko: "I know the identity of my mother and my brother bothers the family. But the blood of Kiyomori-sama runs in me too! Please, take me whenever you go! I want to go through all these with the Heike."

Tokiko is touched by Yoshiko's words.

Tokiko: "Alright. You shall follow us. But you understand there is a chance that you may have to die with us?"

Yoshiko: "Hai!"

With that, the Heike ladies proceed to board the ships. Kenreimonin separates from Antoku and boards the same ship as Shinno and Tokiko while Akirakeiko takes care of Antoku on another ship. Meanwhile, Heike's commander Tomomori preps his men.

24th March 1185.
The day of battle finally arrives.

Yoshitsune worries about Yoshiko's safety but knows there is nothing more that he can do except hope that she follows his instructions.

Otoku and Karasumaru watches the battle from afar.

Out at sea, the ships of the Heike and Genji approach each other in great numbers as they converge at the narrow passing of Dannoura. Showers of arrows begin to rain on each fleet from the opposite side. Soldiers disguised as women trick Yoshitsune into thinking that they found the ship which is carrying Antoku and gives Heike the chance to surround the Genji's ships. Yoshitsune orders his men to take down the oarsmen to try and disable the Heike's movement but that has a limiting effect. The sea current is flowing from west to east, giving Heike a natural advantage. For a moment, things seem to be going Heike's way.

Just then, one of Heike's major allies Taguchi no Shigeyoshi (father of Taguchi no Noriyoshi who has joined Yoshitsune earlier) betrays the Heike and joins the Genji. The west-east sea current also stops momentarily. Suddenly, Genji has the upper hand. Yoshitsune realises he has to find the ship that Antoku is on to win the battle as soon as possible. They spot two ships that are bigger and more protected than the rest. Yoshitsune concludes that the second one is the one with Antoku.

Benkei: "Why are you so sure? The two ships look exactly the same!"

Yoshitsune: "Even though both are surrounded by us, the smaller boats stick to the second ship closely and do not leave its side to attack us. There must be something onboard that ship that needs to be protected like this!"

Yoshitsune's ship approaches Antoku's ship and Yoshiko, who is on the same ship, decides to do something to keep Yoshitsune from attacking their ship. She risks her life and goes onto the deck, covering herself with a white cloth. Yoshitsune sees that and stops his men from attacking that ship. Just then, Antoku suddenly appears behind and Yoshiko rushes to cover him with the white cloth. Before Yoshitsune can go nearer to get a better look, more Heike ships arrive and seperate his ship from Yoshiko's.

Onboard the ship carrying the "fake emperor" Shinno, Tokiko suddenly has a change of heart and decides that all the Heike ladies and children should stick together. With Kenreimonin's permission (I feel it is soooo weird that Tokiko has to bow and talk to Kenreimonin Tokuko in *such* formal terms.. i know she is the Empress but Tokiko is still her mum right??? I mean, this is the same Tokuko that Tokiko used to scold when she was reluctant to marry Emperor Takakura at first...), they board Antoku's ship and reunite with the rest.

Tokiko briefs the rest on the new plan of action. The Three Treasures is to be split up. Sukeko will hold the mirror, Muneko the jewel and Tokiko herself, the sword.

By noontime, the sea current has totally reversed and now flows east to west in Genji's favour. Yoshitsune finally runs into Tomomori and persuades him to surrender to save his life. Tomomori refuses of course, and the two begin to fight each other. Yoshitsune slips and Kisanta throws a bag of gold dust at Tomomori to distract the latter. (Thou I have no idea... what's the gold dust there for in the first place??) The bigger and stronger Tomomori tries to attack Yoshitsune but the agile Yoshitsune jumps from ship to ship, dodging his attacks. (This is supposed to be the famous "八艘飛び" (Hassotobi, meaning jumping eight ships) but it looked kinda bimyou... yappari, they need HK's action chereographers...) Suddenly, scenes of his childhood with Yoshitsune and Shigehira surfaces in Tomomori's mind.

Tomomori: "Is our fate of meeting today as enemies sealed since that time?"

By now, the Genji is totally winning the battle. Tomomori reports the situation to Tokiko and the other Heike ladies with much regret.

Tokiko: "Everyone, after Kiyomori passed away, you have all stuck by the family. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Ever since that incident at Yashima (where the fan got shot down by Nasu no Yoichi), i already sense the coming of this day. This is our destiny. The seas of Saigoku (current day Kyushu) has always belong to the Heike. Shall we return to that sea together? Kenreimonin-sama...?"

Kenreimonin: "I will go together with you all." (She always talk in a monotonous tone... WHAT DID ROYALTY DO TO HER???)

Akirakeiko: "Shinno-sama too?"

Tokiko: "We will all go together."

Shinno: "If everyone goes together, no one will feel lonely."

Akirakeiko: (in tears) "Hai!"

Antoku: "Are we returning to the sea?"

Tokiko: "That's right."

Antoku: "What is there?"

(His voice scared me... but there is something very special about this boy's eyes. Very piercing...)

Tokiko: "Under the sea, there is the 'dream capital' that Kiyomori built. I think Shigemori, Koremori and Kiyomori are waiting there for us."

Antoku: "If Grandfather is there, I want to meet him soon!"

Suddenly Tokiko thinks of something.

Tokiko: "No! Your Majesty (Antoku), you shall remain on the boat. Yoshiko, do not leave his side!"

Tomomori: "Mother!"

Tokiko: "She is Yoshitsune's sister. They will not hurt her. Antoku will be safe with her."

Yoshiko agrees in silence.

Tomomori: "That's it! Everyone, I will leave you all now."

Tomomori stands to leave the room for his final showdown but his wife Akirakeiko stops him.

Akirakeiko: "No! We will definitely meet again in the 'dream capital'!"

(Gaaaahhhh, POOR AKIRAKEIKO!!! How sad is it that when you know that is the last time you are ever going to see your husband??? T-----T)

The sun shines brightly as the Heike ladies and their maids line up along the deck. One by one, they jump into the water. Yoshitsune is shocked at this scene and yells at them from his ship to stop but to no avail. He orders his men to steer the ship nearer to save them from the water. Just then, Tokiko and Yoshitsune's eyes meet. (I believe this is the first time Yoshitsune sees Tokiko?? But I am sure that somehow he knows she is Kiyomori's wife.) Staring at Yoshitsune, she smiles at him before jumping into the water carrying Shinno and the sacred sword.

They enter the water and the sword sinks into the depths of the sea.

Yoshitsune: "Someone!! Save the women and children!!"

While the women jumped into the waters bravely, Munemori (on another ship) has to be pushed into the water by his man, but Kagesue fish him (and his son) out immediately. On another ship, the brave Tomomori continues to fight as long as he can. Finally, he too jumps into the water holding on to the ship's anchor.

Yoshitsune watches all these with tears in his eyes but unable to stop them.

The battle finally comes to an end with the sea filled with bodies and red Heike flags.

Yoshitsune stares out into the sea sadly as the sun sets, his kerai afraid to disturb him.

The once formidable Heike clan built by Kiyomori is now annihilated... by Yoshitsune.

~End of Episode 35~