Summary

Unfortunately, my episode 18 isn't working when I try to play it on the computer, so I won't be able to make any screencaps. However, I did get the disc to work in my dvd player so I can at least get the summary up.

Kusanagi is parachuting out of a helicopter (I don't know if this is a past flashback or something that happened earlier that day). As he is gliding to the ground, he watches a flock of birds fly by and sadly thinks to himself that many things on the earth are going to break down (die?).

Yuzuriha is running through the subway stations. She turns the corner and slams into someone. It is Fuma. He catches her as she falls. Yuzuriha apologizes for running into him. He helps her up and says he is fine and walks away telling her to take care. Yuzuriha watches him leave and thinks to herself that he looks a lot like Kusanagi. She tells Inuki to come on (he is still staring at Fuma's back) and hurries away.

Kusanagi and Yuzuriha meet outside on the street. He seems happy to see her and bends down to greet Inuki and pet him. He asks Yuzuriha how she is doing and she says she is fine. She reminds him of his promise to tell her all about himself today. Kusanagi looks a little embarrassed and says there isn't much to tell. Yuzuriha talks Kusanagi into going and getting ice cream with her.

At the restaurant Yuzuriha and Kusanagi are eating sundaes together. Yuzuriha teases Kusanagi about having such a sweet tooth. Kusanagi smiles and says he probably looks like the type that loves hard liquor. ^_^

Yuzuriha tells Kusanagi that she bumped into someone today that looked just like him. She said he also had an "atmosphere" that felt like Kusanagi and it made her feel like she had met him somewhere before. Kusanagi thinks about it for a moment. The he unhappily says to himself, "it could have been…". Yuzuriha asks Kusanagi if he knows him. Kusanagi says no, that he is not sure, but there is someone that he knows of who can look like anybody and can look like no one. Kusanagi goes on to say that this person can throw away his identity to be the one that people want him to be. Yuzuriha listens thoughtfully. Then Kusanagi quickly tries to change the subject. He is interrupted by Inuki, who stands up from his spot by Yuzuriha's feet and starts to growl. Yuzuriha asks Inuki what is wrong. She then turns to look out the window by their booth and sees the red lightening of the DoE flash across the sky. Kusanagi sees it too. After grumbling to herself about the DoEs bad timing, Yuzuriha jumps up from her seat and quickly excuses herself, telling Kusanagi she has something important she needs to take care of and she will call him later. As she runs out of the restaurant, a surprised Kusanagi stands up and calls out after her, much to the amusement of the other restaurant customers.

Satsuki is inside Beast and is scanning over the buildings of the city. Yuzuriha jumps on top of a building and forms her kekkai. Beast responds by attacking Yuzuriha with its cables. Yuzuriha dodges the cables and whistles for Inuki. Inuki transforms into a sword which Yuzuriha catches and uses to slash the cables. As she is doing this she is asking out loud, "Why are you doing this?" "Don't you care if people die?" Satsuki stops her attack as she recognizes Yuzuriha as the girl she met while biking (episode 7). She uses a large billboard monitor to project her image onto. Yuzuriha is startled as she recognizes her attacker as well. Satsuki, talking to Yuzuriha through the monitor, tells her it is surprising that they are both DoE and DoH. She then brings up Yuzuriha's question about whether or not she cares if people die. Satsuki tells Yuzuriha that she will answer her question if Yuzuriha answers a question first. Yuzuriha agrees. Satsuki asks Yuzuriha why it's not okay to kill humans. Yuzuriha is surprised by the question and says the answer should be obvious. Satsuki asks why the answer is obvious. She says people kill a lot of species and wants to know if it's alright to kill a species with low intelligence that we can't communicate with. Yuzuriha, a bit flustered, answers "no". Satsuki points out that people have been stealing the lives of other species by eating meat, and polluting the oceans and forests. She asks Yuzuriha if humans are superior. Yuzuriha says that they are not. Satsuki tells Yuzuriha that any species will kill another in order to eat and survive, but humans are different. Humans will kill when they feel something is inconvenient. They will even kill their own kind. Yuzuriha argues that not everyone is like that. Satsuki agrees, but points out even the ones not like that, still kill living things. She asks Yuzuriha again why it is not okay to kill humans. Yuzuriha is now very flustered and near tears as Satsuki presses her over and over again for an answer. Inuki is standing by Yuzuriha's side, watching the monitor cautiously. Satsuki again demands and answer and sends Beast's cables spearing straight towards Yuzuriha. Inuki protectively jumps in front of Yuzuriha and is impaled by the cables. Yuzuriha screams Inuki's name as he falls lifelessly at her feet. She starts to cry and buries her face in Inuki's fur. Satsuki watches impassively from Beast. Yuzuriha hugs Inuki to her and is pleading for Inuki to wake up when he fades into a bluish light and vanishes. She screams for Inuki not to leave her as Satsuki attacks again with Beast's cables, destroying the building that Yuzuriha was on. Kusanagi arrives in time to grab Yuzuriha, who is unconscious, and carries her out of Beast's range. When the smoke clears, both Yuzuriha and Kusanagi are no where to be seen on Beast's monitor.

Satsuki shuts down Beast. Yuto, who is waiting for her below Beast, remarks that it was a hard question to answer. He says he feels sorry for the girl for being a DoH and not being able to answer that question. Satsuki jumps down from Beast and tells Yuto that there is a moralistic answer, an idealistic answer, and even a biological answer. But there is no perfect answer. She asks Yuto what he thinks and he replies that he's not sure, but thinks that humans do feel sadness. Then Yuto smiles and puts his arm around Satsuki and suggests they go for tea. They leave the room together as Beast watches.

Yuzuriha is dreaming that Inuki is running away from her. She wakes up in a hospital bed screaming Inuki's name. Kusanagi pulls aside the curtain divider and enters her room. He asks Yuzuriha if she is alright. Yuzuriha, surprised to see Kusanagi, asks where she is. He tells her that she's in the medical room of the Self Defense Force Garrison. She remembers what happened to Inuki and starts to cry. Kusanagi sits down near her bed. She tells him that Inuki is dead because she couldn't answer a question about why it's not okay to kill people. She says she didn't know the answer and couldn't say anything. Yuzuriha covers her face, crying hard now. She tells Kusanagi that because she hesitated, Inuki is dead and it's her fault. Kusanagi listens to her with a thoughtful expression. He then tells her that it's not her fault because she did know the answer. He closes his eyes and smiles a little. Yuzuriha looks up at him and he repeats that she did know the answer. Yuzuriha tearfully argues that she doesn't know but Kusanagi interrupts her and firmly says she does. He leans over and wipes away her tears with his finger and tells her that this is her answer. He says the answer is that people who cry, exist. He explains that when a living thing dies, there will always be others who will be sad. He asks Yuzuriha if she would be sad if a living thing died, even if it was a stranger or not a human. Yuzuriha says that she would. Kusanagi tells her that it's because people mourn. That is why we shouldn't kill. Then Kusanagi tells her that for Inuki's sake, she can be sad and cry all she wants. Yuzuriha cries herself to sleep while Kusanagi watches over her. Later, after Yuzuriha is asleep, Kusanagi gets up to leave the room. He looks back at Yuzuriha and then sadly looks down at the floor as he thinks about what terrible luck it is that he is a member of the DoE while Yuzuriha is one of the DoH.

The next day, Kusanagi and Yuzuriha are standing outside. Yuzuriha is getting ready to go back home. Kusanagi asks her if she is feeling better and she says she is. Yuzuriha looks down, blushes, then looks back up at Kusanagi and tells him that she loves him. Shocked, Kusanagi just stares at her, speechless. Yuzuriha, crestfallen, looks back down and asks Kusanagi if it is a burden that she loves him. After a moment of silence, Kusanagi leans down towards Yuzuriha. He smiles, and places his hand on her head, telling her that to have such a cute girl saying that she loves you… no one would say "no" to that. He then starts to say "but…" and Yuzuriha interrupts him, saying she already knows that he thinks she's just a child, but even so, she still wants to know all about him. She asks if this is okay. Kusanagi, looking a little touched, tells Yuzuriha he was thinking the same thing. Yuzuriha, still red-faced, is so relieved to hear Kusanagi say that, she starts to cry again. She thanks Kusanagi and quickly turns to leave. As she runs off, Kusanagi, who seems a bit puzzled by her abrupt departure, yells after her to take care. Yuzuriha is running and still crying some. She talks to Inuki in her mind, saying that she told Kusanagi that she loved him and that he said its okay for her to love him.

Fuma is standing on a signpost behind Kusanagi. He has been watching the exchange between Kusanagi and Yuzuriha. Kusanagi, as if sensing Fuma's presence, turns around and looks behind him but Fuma is already gone.

Yuzuriha passes a tree as she is walking. Fuma is leaning up against it. She stops and turns around but he is no longer there. When she turns back around he is standing in front of her. Startled, she recognizes him as the man she bumped into yesterday. Fuma tells Yuzuriha that she doesn't seem as happy today and that he thinks she will no longer be able to create a kekkai. Yuzuriha jumps back from him as she realizes he is the DoE. Fuma smiles and asks her what she is going to do now. Yuzuriha jumps into the air and forms her kekkai. She land on top of a building with Fuma is close pursuit. As Fuma blasts the walls and ground near her, Yuzuriha observes that he is missing on purpose. Then Fuma does hit her and slams her into a concrete wall. Shaken, Yuzuriha tries to get to her feet. Fuma waits until she is standing again then blasts the wall she is leaning on, taking out most of the building as well. When the dust settles, Yuzuriha is lying on a ledge. There is nothing on either side of her but a drop off, and she has nowhere to escape to as Fuma approaches her. He tells her it is a shame that she went to all the trouble to make the kekkai, only to make it useless again. She screams at him that she will not let that happen, then stops as Fuma turns into Kusanagi, then back to Fuma again. He asks Yuzuriha if he looks like someone she knows. This angers Yuzuriha and she tells him he doesn't and that he doesn't look like anyone at all. Fuma slowly walks towards Yuzuriha. He tells her that she has suffered so much and that she has lost somebody important. He says that she has suffered so much, that she would rather die. Yuzuriha flinches at his words. He then asks her if he is wrong, and Yuzuriha looks away from him, tears forming in her eyes. Fuma teases her about not being able to answer a question again. As he continues towards her, Yuzuriha scoots to the edge of the ledge. Fuma says that if she truly wishes not to die, then maybe she won't die. Yuzuriha lowers her head, crying. She thinks to herself that Inuki sacrificed his life to save her and would be sad if she were to die now. Fuma, reading her thoughts, tells Yuzuriha that maybe Inuki would be happier if she were with him. Crying, Yuzuriha says no and that if her kekkai were to break, people would die and many would mourn. Fuma, who is now kneeling in front of her, tells her that if everyone dies, those who mourn would also be dead. He grabs her by the front of the shirt and pulls her towards him. He then pulls back his hand, in preparation to deliver the killing blow. Fuma asks Yuzuriha how she knows that Inuki would mourn for her since Inuki is already dead. Yuzuriha, crying pretty hard now, tells Fuma that Inuki is here. He is here inside her heart. She looks at Fuma defiantly, and tells him that is why she will live on. She closes her eyes and says she will no longer cry anymore, and that she doesn't want anyone else to be sad. Fuma looks at her coldly then goes in for the kill. Before his strike hits her, Yuzuriha wishes to herself that she could protect everyone… always. A burst of blue-green light erupts from her chest, throwing Fuma backwards. The globe of light circles around to land in front of Yuzuriha. Fuma, looking genuinely surprised for once, watches from a few feet away. Yuzuriha's eyes widen as the light starts to fade, revealing a small form beneath it. It is a puppy that bears an uncanny resemblance to Inuki. Fuma raises his hand to kill the puppy but Yuzuriha grabs it, hugging it to her protectively. She looks up and glares at Fuma. Fuma halts his attack and watches Yuzuriha and the puppy with interest. Then he senses something behind him. Behind a pillar, hidden from view, is Kusanagi. He is poised to attack Fuma from behind. Fuma smiles to himself, and then tells Yuzuriha that it seems her feelings to stay alive today were true after all. He turns and walks away. As he passes Kusanagi's hiding place, he stops. Fuma asks Kusanagi if he had intended to kill him. Kusanagi says maybe. Fuma asks him if he wishes to switch sides and become a DoH. Kusanagi says that's not really it and he will wait and see where his path lies. Fuma looks back at Kusanagi and remarks that he is an interesting man. Kusanagi tells Fuma that he is one to talk. Fuma gives a small laugh and walks away. Yuzuriha, from her spot on the ledge, watches Fuma walk away in disbelief that he would just let her go (she doesn't know Kusanagi is there). The puppy jumps up and licks Yuzuriha's face and she hugs it close as tears run down her cheeks. She asks the puppy if it came from within her and then says she believes it did. She thanks the puppy for saving her and asks the puppy to always stay with her. Yuzuriha tell the puppy she will give it a name. She will call it "Inuki". She tells Inuki that this time; he will be with her forever. Inuki looks over Yuzuriha's shoulder as she hugs him and meets Kusanagi's eyes. Kusanagi smiles at the puppy for a moment before he quietly slips away, unseen by Yuzuriha.