Hazuki looked down at Hatsumi with an anguished expression on her face, the lovely blonde looking up at her with kindness and a bit of pain. "Please," the tall, black haired woman said softly, "I just want to be with you once again." Hatsumi shook her head no sadly as she said, "I'm sorry... I can't." She reached up, laying a hand caressingly against Hazuki's cheek as she said to her tearfully, "If there was any way I could I would, but my destiny lies elsewhere." Hazuki turned her head, savoring that gentle touch on her cheek. "I could learn to hate destiny," she said, her voice choked. 'It's too cruel,' Hatsumi thought to herself, gazing into Hazuki's anguished eyes. "I can't be with you," she finally said softly, "but there are those who you've met in your travels... I could, if you choose, send you back to one of them." "I don't understand," Hazuki said, holding on to Hatsumi's hand. "In your journey across the worlds you have lingered in the hearts and minds of those you met," Hatsumi quietly explained, "Quill, Princess Fuji and many others. More than one would long to see you once again." "I want to be with you," Hazuki shook her head. "There was one who touched you heart," Hatsumi said to her perceptively, "I know it." "I..." Hazuki looked away from her with a blush, remembering a bit guiltily an old fashioned room, how her head was held in another's lap as exhaustion and pain were soothed away for a time under her gentle touch. "Ah," Hatsumi's eyes brightened slightly, almost as if she could read Hazuki's mind. She stood a bit closer then moved to kiss her gently on the lips as she murmured softly, "I will always love you, Hazumi." "Wait..." Hazuki cried out then Hatsumi began to glow, green light washing out the world of garden's around her. The image of Hatsumi lingered, looking both utterly human and purely divine, then Hazuki felt the familiar sensation of worlds shifting. ---------- It was a different era in Japanese history, a place where things were settled by violence and the sword as much as by calm words. The things that mattered here were loyalty, strength and duty, in the hearts of both the warriors and the ones that they served. The black haired figure strode down the road confidently, the white traveling coat of a samurai flapping in the breeze, a bag carried over her shoulder, her baggy black leggings flowing as her sandals clomped against the rough road. The woman looked like a part of this world, almost like she had stepped out of a samurai story, but looks were deceiving. Hazuki kept a wary eye out as she walked up into the hills, her one hand resting comfortably on the hilt of her sword. Bandits had attacked her not long after she first arrived a few days ago, though it had turned out to be a piece of good fortune. In the booty that she had recovered from the crooks had been this garb, and once she washed them a few times in a icy mountain stream they were remarkably comfortable. 'I'm glad I did that cosplay for a samurai once, or I wouldn't have known how to wear this,' Hazuki mused. 'Let's see,' she thought as she stood near the forest, 'I met the nine tailed fox girl here, so I need to go this way.' She turned on the road... "Help me!" the familiar voice cried out. Without a thought Hazuki was off, racing towards the sound of the voice. The trees parted to reveal a clearing, several masked figures menacing another young woman. Hazuki instantly recognized the band of ninja women that she had fought here the last time, when they had attempted to take away Princess Fuji's magic comb. "We know that you serve the Princess Fuji," the blonde leader of the ninjas said to the figure they surrounded, blocking her from Hazuki's sight, the woman holding her blade threateningly as the others stood in a half circle, "if you don't help us get the treasure we seek, you and all of your family will suffer most dearly." 'Damn them,' Hazuki thought with a burst of fury, racing out from cover to leap into battle. The first ninja barely had a chance to react as she cut her down, turning to swing at another as the ninja scattered in alarm. "You!" the ninja leader cried out in alarm as she drew her sword, her bikini like garb barely holding back her assets. Hazuki met the first strike, her sword blazing with it's unearthly fire, then swept her back with a viscous strike. The ninja clearly weren't prepared for battle, striking wildly and disorganized, and Hazuki was able to defeat two more before they could recover. "Threatening a girl?" Hazumi said coldly as they gathered a little ways away from her, "You're beneath contempt." The leader of the ninja studied her warily, "We'll finish this later." With that she and the others seemed to disappear, fading into the woods around them. "Big sis!" the happy voice squealed, running in a circle around her before looking up at Hazuki in surprise. "Spiritual fox?" Hazuki blinked, recognizing the orange haired fox-girl instantly. "Yes!" she beamed. the fox girl looking her over. "What happened to the odd clothes you had?" she asked. Hazuki simply nodded to her bag, "So you now work for Princess Fuji?" "Yes I do," the fox girl nodded as they walked up the path, "she took me in not long after I arrived." A smirk, "Over the objections of her samurai." Hazuki fought back a laugh, remembering how annoyed the fox had made the samurai. "How long have you been there?" she asked. "Nearly three months," the fox admitted, "since I left the garden world." "Three months?" Hazuki looked down at her in surprise as she said, "But it's been less than a week for me." "I'm just glad your back," fox answered with a smile, "Princess Fuji has missed you." The older samurai stood by the gate, sternly talking to the two guards there when they saw a flicker of movement up the trail. He turned, the metal of his eye-patch shining then called out, "Who goes there?" Beside him the others drew their swords with a steely hiss. Hazuki put her hand on her sword but she kept her voice calm. "Do you really want me to disarm you all again?" she asked mildly. He looked at her in surprise then blurted, "Lady Hazuki?" "Lady?" Hazuki managed to get out before the older man clasped her in a firm hug, the other samurai looking on in awe. "Princess Fuji called you that," he almost sounded fatherly, "and so do we all." Hazuki pulled back, meeting his eye as she asked, "How is the Princess?" "Well enough," he said, "but she misses you, I think more than she expected." "Me too," Hazuki admitted, "may I...?" He smiled as the guards swiftly moved aside. "Of course," he said, "and good luck." Hazuki walked down the halls guided by memory, her steps taking her unerringly to the room overlooking the stream. She tapped gently on the wooden frame of the door and heard the Princess Fuji call out, "Yes?" Soundlessly the door slid aside and Hazuki felt her breath catch a bit as she looked at the lovely young woman who knelt on a mat within. Fuji's blonde hair nearly glowed in the dim light, her kimono flowing around her slim body as she looked up to see who was entering. Her blue eyes widened, first in confusion then in a growing joy as she murmured, "Lady Hazuki?" Hazuki felt her heart lift at the pure welcome in her eyes, the familiar beauty nearly overwhelming her. But even more than Hatsumi was, Fuji's eyes were filled with tender caring. "I'm back," she smiled, entering the room to kneel down beside her. "I'm glad," Fuji's eyes seemed to glow as she reached out, taking Hazuki's hand. She studied Hazuki's face a moment, "Your quest, it didn't end well?" "No, it didn't," Hazuki softly admitted, then she haltingly began to tell a tale of Eve, Hatsumi and cruel destiny. Out in the shadows of the forest they watched, carefully concealed by the many branches of trees. "Hitomi, is that the one our sisters fought?" the ninja asked reverently, her long red hair flowing down her back. The leader of the ninja nodded, her eyes narrowed behind her mask. "Yes, that's her," Hitomi agreed softly. "Yomi, have you called the others?" The redhead nodded as Yomi said, "They're on their way now." "Good," Hitomi said coldly as she studied Hazuki intently, "then soon we will see... if she's really as good as we think she is."
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