Author's Notes The usual jazz applies here. I don't own either Ayane, Kasumi, Genra or Hayate. I don't own Dead or Alive or the concepts of the Mugen Tenshin Tenjin/Hajin-mon or anything related to either of them. They belong to Tecmo and Team Ninja and whatnot. And let it be known that this is a shoujo-ai story; i.e. girl-girl love. If you don't like it, don't read it. There's plenty of other DOA fanfics around. Okay, on we go. ********** The Moth and the Flame ********** Katsuragi Forest, Osaka Prefecture, Japan Of all the forestry of Honshu island in the nation of Japan, Katsuragi Forest stood out in some palpable but inexplicable way. It was prevalent with nature's bounty. The ground was paved graciously with light emerald blades of grass and thickening roots woven into the soil. Those roots aligned with the tall and overpowering trees of the forest. Along them were the thick and supporting branches, laden with vines and moss that had gathered over the years. Within the heart of the forests were the animals that grazed there for nourishment. Tiny pouting-cheeked squirrels nuzzled themselves in the underside of many of those tree roots. Certain birds both unique and non-unique to Japan landed upon the twig-made nests they had constructed for themselves in the high repose of their trees. Geological and Naturalist researchers alike often came here to Katsuragi to observe the concord and beauty of this place in their spare time. But the peace of the forest was every so often disturbed by forces beyond the knowledge or control of the animals that dwelled within them... or the people who observed it all as an occupation. Little to the common knowledge, places like 'Katsuragi Forest' were playgrounds for those kinds of forces. And six of those 'forces' happened to be moving through it now. Birds launched from the perch of their nests and flocked into the air, fleeing the roof of the treetops and out into the cool morning sky, their haste caused by the movements being undertaken in the forest itself. A blur of movement vaulted from branch to branch of the trees that were strewn out across the woodland. To the human eyes it would have appeared to have been no more than a rough zephyr blowing through the branches. To the trained human eye; it would have revealed a certain kunoichi A woman shinobi who had resigned a sad heart to the life of the outlaw at the behest of necessity. A female ninja who had betrayed the Mugen Tenshin in its hour of disarray in order to satiate personal desires provoked by her love for her brother. That one was known as Kasumi. The one who abandoned her seemingly fated role to undertake her place of leadership of the Mugen Tenshin Tenjin-mon The Runaway Kunoichi. The chestnut-haired woman jumped across the many aerial brushwood of Katsuragi Forest's trees with all the superhuman speed blessed upon her by her ninja training The path was moving ever northward. But there were five shadows behind her. And she had become aware of their existence moments ago. The question was if they knew that she was aware. Kasumi cast a careful eye behind her; being sure not to alert them of it as she jumped across the trees. Five Mugen Tenshin ninja had been mobilized by the clan this time. It was not a large number considering the gravity of her crimes. But with the skill at their fingertips; it was clear that this was no ordinary attack squad. The five ninja trailed after the seemingly unaware Kasumi and readied themselves, then suddenly; all five of them shot their hands into the pouches behind their backs and withdrew ten kunai (two for each hand of each shinobi). And in one more act of unison they threw all ten of the kunai at Kasumi as they all dashed through the trees. Kasumi swung herself around and gasped when the ten metal throwing daggers were cast in her direction. A cry of agony was heard as each kunai made its mark. Two of them lanced her in the right leg, drawing blood. Another four were impaled in her left leg. Two nailed her in the left arm. And the remaining two stabbed Kasumi in either shoulder. None of the kunai had hit a vital spot. But then that was not the intention. The intention was to disable at this point. The girl shrieked and was plucked from the branches. The five Mugen Tenshin ninja watched Kasumi's body drop from the trees and down into one of the large bushes of the forest floor. They then jumped down from the trees themselves and landed on the grounds next to them. Four of the ninja remained stationary at that point While the one who seemed to be leading the group, Ninja #1, advanced on the bushes that Kasumi had fallen into. He rushed up to them and pulled them apart. But he was forced to gasp when he saw what was in them. A one-leafed log of oak, which happened to have ten kunai embedded in them. "Shit!" The ninja cursed, "An illusion!?" All of a sudden, an unharmed and very determined Kasumi rushed down at Ninja #1 violently The man gasped when a quick but powerful blow extended from the leg of the girl, cracking his jaw back like peanut brittle. He toppled over and screeched, clutching at a jawbone which had obviously been shattered. Kasumi landed on the grass right ahead of him and faced off with the four others that had been under that man's service. Two of them reached into their pouches once more and hurled four shuriken at the woman. Kasumi reached back swiftly and withdrew the short sword attached to her waist. When the shuriken came hurtling for her, she struck at each of them in turn with a sleek and fluid wave of her blade. Metal clashed with metal -- the sound vibrating throughout the forest -- and all four of the throwing stars were repelled. But when Kasumi looked back at the ones who had thrown them, she saw that only two of the shinobi were standing there. Her ears then caught onto the distinct sound of battle cries. The brown-haired woman looked upwards and saw the other two, Ninja #2 and #4, looming over her in a downwards spiral. She acted fast and sheathed her blade; then began a systematic series of back flips. Each one of which placed her a little ways further out of harm's way. By the time the two ninja landed on the ground where their missed target had been, Kasumi was more than twelve metres away. Ninja #3 and #5 followed up the failure of their brethren and charged the girl. They drew their own short swords during this. Kasumi narrowed her eyes and did the same, unsheathing her sword, while Ninjas #5 and #3 neared her. Ninja #3 was the first to act and slashed at Kasumi horizontally. The runaway parried the slash with one of her own and made her lightning-fast reprisal She kicked hard into his stomach; forcing Ninja #3 to lurch forward. With that sheathed her blade once more and grabbed him by the neck. Kasumi swung herself around his head with both arms whilst extending her leg. The incoming Ninja #5 was pelted across the face by her swinging kick; and knocked backwards into the dry soil and grass. Kasumi swung herself back around the head of the third ninja, but this time tightened the grip. The clash of tension between the skull and the spinal column was inevitable. A second and a half later the horrific sound of a neck bone snapping in half could be heard. Kasumi winced at it; as well as at the dying chokes of her victim. But she continued unabated and propelled herself forward from Ninja #3's now misshapen neck. While he dropped dead, Kasumi lunged down at the grounded body of Ninja #5 and unsheathed her short sword yet again. She brought its edge to the man's neck and solemnly spoke; "I'd ask you to leave... but there's no hope for that, is there?" The man didn't even need to reply to that; even if Kasumi had given him the time to do so. With a heartfelt frown she slashed across the crux of the man's throat, tearing through the arch of his neck. Blood choked him to death in mere seconds. But Kasumi only withdrew her bloodied sword and leaped upwards from Ninja #5's corpse. Her movements were so swift that she once again appeared as no more than a blur. She jumped speedily up the trunk of one of the thousands of trees that occupied Katsuragi Forest until she was once again standing upon its branch. The remaining ninja, #2 and #4, had vanished. But the disappearing act did not last long. One of them, Ninja #2, materialized mid-air in a charging vault towards Kasumi's branch The other descended on her from above. Both of them had withdrawn their swords Kasumi sighed and used her left hand to make the two-fingered sign of the shinobi By shutting her eyes she disappeared once more with the rough chime of blur movement She quickly reappeared before the aerial-borne Ninja #2 with such speed that he was unable to counter it. Kasumi cried out femininely and thrust her elbow into the shinobi's face. His jaw line cracked just like that of his leader before him, and the sudden pain and force of the strike caused him to drop his blade With more of her kunoichi speed Kasumi leaned back in the air and thrust both her sandaled feet into Ninja #2's stomach. Using her own leverage and her target's body as a springboard; she propelled herself backwards with a somersault. As she flipped backwards (and a stunned Ninja #2 dropped out of the air) she launched herself at the incoming Ninja #4. When her body evened out she swung her fist at him. This time he was quicker than his cohorts. He leaned back and avoided it, whilst pulling out a shuriken. Kasumi yelped when Ninja #4 cast that shuriken at an odd angle; towards her ankle. It slashed her, cutting under the fabric of her shin guards and leggings. Blood was drawn and Kasumi wobbled unceremoniously afterward. The opportunity Ninja #4 had been waiting for came and he slashed at Kasumi with his sword. The girl caught his wrist seconds before the blade connected with her face -- and the two dropped out of the air with each other, reaching the pinnacle of their jump's momentum. A desperate struggle began between the last of the five shinobi and Kasumi as they plummeted to the ground head first. Kasumi held the man's sword back as best as she could, while Ninja #4 pulled back his free hand to punch her. Kasumi tucked her head to one side and dodged the punch, her auburn ponytail whipping about her head. It was the break in concentration she needed and she regressed the pressure her hand had on the ninja's wrist. Not realizing what she intended to do, the last of the Mugen Tenshin attack squad sliced with his newly freed sword; seemingly slicing the head right off her shoulders. He blinked once. And when he opened his eyes again he saw that he had merely chopped the top off of another log of wood. He gasped at the failure of his technique and lost sight of her. It was too late for him to do anything about it when he collided with the ground head-first. A scrambled cry was heard when Ninja #4's head splintered into shards of bloody bone and brain matter against the forest floor. The soil of Katsuragi Forest was not hard; but at that height any fall could kill. It was the end of that attempt on Kasumi's life. Three of the five had been killed and the other two would be out of commission for some time. The blue and white ninja clad woman landed down to the forest floor at a slow rate and quickly caught her breath. But when she put pressure on her ankle she remembered what had happened up on the branch. A shuriken had injured her. In the heat of battle that injury hadn't seemed to be much. But now that the fight was over she was starting to feel it. Kasumi grit her teeth and struggled to stand evenly. She would have to find somewhere in the forest to camp for the night, then apply some treatment to her wound. It would be a gamble; but trying to move on a wounded limb would just cause deeper injury. Kasumi cast her sad golden brown eyes away from the decimated and bloodied remainders of the Mugen Tenshin's minuscule assassination squad and hobbled away. Perhaps it was because of her injury that she had not realized that three others had watched what had just transpired. They stood together on one of the thick branches of the trees. Two of them were just ordinary ninja of the clan, dressed in the same grey shinobi outfits of the men that Kasumi had just defeated. But the one leading them was far from insignificant. A kunoichi dressed in fine violet and red shinobi clothing, with a large bow attached to the back of them. She possessed short lavender hair and eyes that held the deepest and most expressive shade of red that someone so beautiful could ever hope to ask for. The most prolific prot‚g‚e of Genra and arguably one of the most promising young shinobi in the land; along with Kasumi herself. She was the woman they referred to as the 'Female Tengu'. Ayane. The second of Ayane's ninja companions spoke as they all watched her leave. "Impressive. This chase had lasted for longer than anyone of us had hoped that it would... and now I see why. I thought that Master Hayate had only been embellishing when he spoke of her strength in the past, but..." "If you talk like that then you've given up already," Ayane barked scathingly, "If you wanna lick at the girl's boots then do so. Seconds before I destroy you." The second of the ninja tightened up and silenced himself. He may have been larger and physically stronger than she was. But he was well aware of the power of the Woman Tengu. No one in the Mugen Tenshin Hajin-mon had the level of skill that Ayane did... no one other than Genra. The first of her partners adjusted the wrapping around his face and said; "It was a wise move sending in drones to weaken her. Normally I would have thought that this would stay the Tenjin-mon's business, but... the Master was quite clear..." Ayane sighed irritably. "Stop bleating about it. Master Genra was explicit and... that's just how it is. But we'll leave the rest of this up to me. She'll try and cloak her energy signature before nightfall so tracking her down will be easier on my own. Send word to Master Genra." "Are you sure you want to pursue her on your own?" Asked the first of the shinobi. The lavender-haired woman scowled and lowered her head. "Don't make me repeat myself just follow my orders. I can handle her on my own. What I didn't do at the Dead or Alive Tournament I'll do now. Now just get going!" Both ninja nodded with uniform cries of 'yes ma'am' and leapt up into air, vanishing. This left Ayane behind. The girl stood on the tree branch By now Kasumi was out of sight. But she could easily find her. The Woman Tengu closed her eyes and made the two-fingered sign. From her soft pink lips came the muttering of a chant, one that invoked the mystical and ancient principles of Mugen Tenshin Hajin-mon ninjutsu. Slowly a glittering footprint of gold appeared on the ground more than thirty metres below Ayane. Another appeared ahead of it but with an opposing arc. And another one came ahead of that as well. A trail of footprints extended from that one point and inched deeper into the forest. Those were the spiritual representation of Kasumi's tracks. Ayane opened her eyes and smiled darkly. "Keep running, little bitch," She seethed presumptuously, "I'm always three steps behind you." ********** "Do you know what he said when he coughed up his lifeblood? 'Accept a corn of wheat fallen to the ground and die it abideth alone!' Wheat, eh? There's enough of it. We can afford to waste as much as we want..." ********** Night fell swiftly. More than fourteen hours had passed since Kasumi's clash with the ninja sent from the Mugen Tenshin to kill her. With their defeat she had proceeded even deeper into the trees and vines of Katsuragi. By now she had settled in a small clearing in the forest. It was surrounded by dense bushes and overhung by more trees. Thanks to that, the clearing would not stand out from an aerial point of view; which made the prospect of spending the night here more comforting. Kasumi had come to this clearing a few hours ago and began making the necessary preparations for her stay She rustled up some firewood and used her spiritual energy to ignite a fire. She had gathered together some nearby rocks as well so that she could cordon off the flames to stop them from spreading embers onto the grass around it. After that it was just a matter of getting something to eat. With all her ninja training, Kasumi knew that she could last at least five weeks without food and two weeks without water. But that took into consideration the minimal amount of energy use. To keep ahead of the shinobi hunting her and to fight them off should they happen to catch up with her again; she would need her full strength. In which case feeding was in order. There was no lake or river nearby to catch fish from; so the woman was forced to trap and kill one of the hares that ran around the bushes for sustenance While the skinned carcass of that creature cooked on a stick over the fire; Kasumi went about tending to her injury. Her first act was to remove each piece of her clothing. The blue and white garbs she wore while on the run were shed from her body, along with her white leggings and sandals, as well as her wrist/shin guards and short sword. Her gear was rested on the short grass next to her by the crackling fire, which left her body concealed only by her white underwear and the slip that kept her ponytail in place. But Kasumi's attentions remained on her ankle. Now that her leggings were removed she could see the wound. It was light, not all that deep considering how sharp Mugen Tenshin shuriken could be; but it was still slowing her down. It was just a good thing that Kasumi had the means to do something about it. Without second thought she reached beside her and grabbed the lower pelt of her ninja top. She then ripped the bottom part of it off. Kasumi took the torn piece of fabric and reached into the underside of the garment for something else. It was a small and un-labelled jar. Kasumi put down the fabric and opened the lid of the jar, frowning at the pungent odour that emanated from within. Though it didn't look or smell like much, it was one of the many secrets of the Mugen Tenshin Tenjin-mon A balm created with spirit water and a particular set of crushed herbs and fruit leaves. It had a property which hastened the healing of bruises and broken bones; as well as helping to re-weave the flesh of an open wound without leaving any scarring. That was what Kasumi needed from it now. So she dipped two of her fingers into the goop of the jar and took a sample. She then grit her teeth and seethed violently as she spread that gelatinous substance over the cut on her ankle. The stinging was also a drawback of the concoction, but beggars couldn't be choosers. This was really best she could do for herself outside of a hospital. After she (slowly and painfully) applied the balm to her injury, Kasumi closed the lid of the jar and took up that ripped piece of her uniform. She tied it around her ankle -- tight but without heavy pressure -- to secure it for now. Kasumi exhaled after that and lay back over the green blades of the grass, casting her eyes up to the starry night skies above. You couldn't get a clear view of the stars in the cities because of all the pollution and light. But in the country, the night out here granted a wonderful view of them, and allowed people to bask in an unfettered moonlight. Considering how much crap Kasumi went through day in and day out as a runaway ninja... small pleasures like a good view of the stars might not seem very significant or even important. But they were important to Kasumi. Seeing such beautiful things in a world saturated by the will of super-conglomerates like DOATEC and God-players like those of the Superhuman Development Project, was a good sign. It meant that life was still worth fighting for. Kasumi sighed as she looked up at the stars. "...I wonder how far I have come." The total distance that Katsuragi Forest covered over the Osaka prefecture was around three miles. Judging by how dense the trees were to each other in the forest at this point around the clearing, Kasumi had made it to the very seat of the woodland If the shinobi that had been sent out after her this morning were just a part of a larger squad then they would likely be moving for her soon. Perhaps that made the idea of setting up a campfire in the middle of a forest clearing seem... well... stupid. Judging by the clothing of the shinobi this morning; they had been sent by Genra of the Mugen Tenshin Hajin-mon. They were known for their tracking skills. But at this point Kasumi's mind was too wistful to think of concealing her presence. There was little difference in either case. And so far so good. Or so she thought. While Kasumi lingered on the ground, she shut her eyes and tried to get some sleep. Once her eyes closed her main point of sense now became her ears. In the background she heard the distant squawk of the birds, the rustling of the leaves in the wind and the crackling embers of her fire. But one of her golden-brown eyes opened when she heard a sound that was not expected. The sound of the bushes begin disturbed Then her whole body reacted when she heard the sound of travelling metal. Kasumi scowled and urgently rolled to her left. A kunai knife shot from the north bush and spiked the soil around the fire. The teen woman looked to the bush and vaulted up into a stand, switching her hands into a fighting pose. The bush was still. Kasumi stared hard with confusion. Until she once more heard a sound. The sound of wind resistance against a body. And quite a nimble one. Kasumi didn't even have to look up to realize that something was coming down from above. She skidded to the right of the fire and out of the way. A shadowed figure landed where Kasumi had once stood, that person's fist stomping the ground beneath with a forceful punch. "The Art of Misdirection," Her eyes latched on to the whom had used it, "Ayane!" Ayane spread a dark grin across her beautiful face and stood upright, withdrawing her fingertips from the inch-deep fist print her punch had left in the earth. "The rabbit won't stop running, huh? What more should I expect from YOU of all people. You're such a goddamned coward." "Ayane..." Kasumi said softly, catching her breath. The lilac-haired kunoichi pressed her palm against her hip. "You know, don't you?" "Yes..." Ayane didn't have to clarify that for Kasumi to know the meaning. God forbid that semantics ever play a part in a conversation between the two, "he's taken his rightful place as leader. I knew that he would. I was expecting it... from the day... he recovered his memories. After Project Epsilon..." Ayane grimaced. "I don't wanna hear it. It's not like you had anything to do with it. Those bastards might have delayed things but it's business as usual. I'm going to destroy you... once and for all" Kasumi tightened her fighting stance. "Is this why the Hajin-mon are after me rather than the Tenjin-mon?" Neither Kasumi nor Ayane had a solid answer to that query. And neither of them wanted to bring themselves to fully question the cause or the meaning. But there was a similar suspicion in their minds, one with opposite results to either girl. It brought some small comfort to Kasumi but only served to anger Ayane further. The Woman Tengu transformed her grin to a frown and clutched both of her fists together. She swiftly jumped backwards to put some distance between herself and Kasumi. The brown-haired woman saw that and kicked at something on the ground beneath her. A wire. When that was kicked and the wire was disturbed, its almost invisibly small size was reflected in the moonlight. It wove around the trees surrounding the dell and pulled at something hidden in the darkness between two trees directly adjacent from Ayane More than fifteen kunai knives were thrown from the blackness of the shadows and thrown in the Hajin-mon successor's direction. Ayane scowled at that and made the two-fingered sign. The army of flying kunai struck her repeatedly in the air. Outwardly. Seconds later the 'wounded' form of Ayane reverted into a one-branched log of wood. Kasumi blinked; and in her urgency, realized that her short sword was gone A moment afterwards Ayane was right behind her with Kasumi's short sword in her hand. She yelled a battle cry and thrust the metal weapon straight into her target's back. "You're so cocky," Ayane bragged, closing her eyes with a smirk, "D'you really think I'm stupid enough to fall for your tricks? I knew you'd defend yourself with some kind of shitty little trap when you got here." A familiar voice replied to that from behind Ayane's shoulder. "I'm cocky?" Ayane gasped and opened her eyes once again. And when she did she saw that another log was skewered on the end of Kasumi's blade. Not Kasumi herself. Then Kasumi acted and thrust her leg straight into her rival's back. Ayane grunted and stumbled forwards from the kick, scuttling around until she and the runaway were face to face. "Ugh!" Kasumi stared blankly at the Hajin-mon kunoichi. "When will this end?" "Pleading for your life?" Ayane remarked, "Cheap shots still don't come for free after all." "Answer my question." Ayane growled at that and charged straight for Kasumi. Though she was clad only in her underwear, Kasumi was more than ready to fight back. A swing of the hips came with an extension of the leg from Ayane. And Kasumi pulled up her arms. The 'whap' of a clothed leg meeting dead with bare arms was heard. Kasumi replied by crouching down and whipping her right leg around the ground. Ayane hopped over the 180 degree sweep and moved across. Leading in with her knee she attempted to hit Kasumi at that point. The runaway ninja crouched down fully to avoid the attack and rolled forwards underneath her. The two of them alternated positions and turned back around to face each other. Then they charged each other at the same time. Kasumi and Ayane kicked in unison at each other. The legs met together and deflected with a clap of force. They both turned around with identical moves and thrust one of their fists at the other. The punch of the lilac-haired woman met with that of the auburn-haired one, producing another beat of force. Ayane narrowed her eyes and attempted another kick. Kasumi blocked it with her right arm and wrist. Then she herself tried a punch. As fast as it was Ayane caught it long before it landed They scrambled away from each other and then attacked once more. Ayane lunged for Kasumi leading by the hand. Kasumi tilted her nubile body back and grabbed Ayane by the shoulders. She dragged the slightly younger girl down with her for a moment Then Kasumi rolled back and kicked into Ayane's stomach, launching her diagonally into the air with a potent rolling throw, which finally caused Ayane to drop her sword. The Woman Tengu scowled and rotated her body mid-air. She then span herself around and pressed her feet against the bark of the tree trunk she had been thrown at with the momentum. Then she used that same momentum to launch herself back at Kasumi like a human bullet. Once again Ayane rotated herself so that she led in with her feet. Kasumi yelled out and the pupil of Genra struck her hard with a double-kick. It was so strong that Kasumi skidded back from the pressure. Ayane then landed and Kasumi paused. Both of them caught their breaths and studied the other. It was a draw so far. It was no secret that the two half-sisters were almost evenly matched. Kasumi had often been proclaimed to be the better skilled kunoichi And despite her fragile heart, she was. But the difference between them was so small that it was almost irrelevant. Almost There was no mistaking the fact that Ayane had won no victories over Kasumi, in either training or fully-fledged combat in the past. So spoken by the burning jealousy (or at least what seemed to be jealousy) mirrored in Ayane's gleaming crimson eyes. Kasumi's ample chest heaved up and down against her bra while she caught her breath, and she spoke softly, maintaining her fighting stance. "Why do... you pursue me?" Kasumi questioned, "Why... must we do this again?" Ayane regained her smile. "For God's sake, is running away your knee-jerk reaction to any kind of crisis?" "Why, Ayane? Why? Why must we do this when you know it means nothing? I know what I am and what I did and I refuse to apologize for it. I only did what I thought was right." "Oh, spare me your bullshit!" The younger one replied, "You're a fugitive, too scared to accept her duties!" "Wouldn't you have done the same if something like that had happened to Genra?" Kasumi asked. Ayane's shoulders jerked at that. A brief look of realization crossed her face. But it was replaced by another hateful, angered smile. "Don't you DARE speak his name! As far as I'm concerned you're nothing but a worthless coward, Kasumi!" Kasumi steeled her will. "Then why? If I'm worthless as you say then why even bother with me?!" There was a moment of confusion and indecision at that point. It then became a pause before action. Ayane scowled once more and jumped from her point, pouncing forwards. But this time Kasumi was in no mood to entertain the possibilities. This time she truly wanted an answer and she would go out of her way to get one before the night was through. Ayane thrust a punch her way. Kasumi paced herself and then grabbed the wrist of that incoming arm. The caster growled femininely and followed up with a second from her free right hand. Kasumi caught that punch dead-on and held Ayane firm. The younger one gasped and struggled to get free, doing her best not to meet eyes with Kasumi. And Kasumi herself took the initiative. She pushed her weight down and forced Ayane to the ground. When the Hajin-mon ninja's back slapped against the grassy ground she found herself pinned down by the wrists, with Kasumi straddling her waist. A contest of strength ensued from that point, with Ayane unable to break Kasumi's grip and Kasumi struggling to keep the grip in application over Ayane. Eventually the two extra pounds worth of weight that Kasumi had over Ayane prevailed. Now Ayane was forced to look in Kasumi's eyes. Forced to see the sadness and seriousness that existed within them. There was no avoiding it like this. Kasumi spoke once Ayane stopped struggling. "Just tell me, Ayane. Even if you hate me... just... tell me the truth." The answer existed as a ghost. A ghost that had been chasing her just as much as she chased Kasumi. She had been fighting it ever since the Tenjin-mon and the Hajin-mon had been forced to display the talents of their finest progeny to each other at the behest of the elders. Those days of childhood seemed too far away from this moment Who could remember such things in a delusional world still reeling from the many revelations of the Tengu and the games of the Superhuman Development Project? But Ayane could. Her life as an assassin could never conceal what those times meant to her. When she looked back to those times she could clearly remember three faces Two of them being Hayate and Genra. The other was Kasumi. The rivalry Ayane had with her had been long and arduous, ever since they were first introduced. There was only one reason behind it. One that they both knew and felt... ...and yet... ...Kasumi was too scared to admit to it. And Ayane was too proud to do so. Ayane jerked her face to the side and frowned. A moment later a tear dropped on her cheek Ayane's eyes widened at the salty wetness dotted on her cheek, which was momentarily followed by three more. She looked up and saw those tears of Kasumi for herself. And finally noticed how much Kasumi was trembling. "Do you hate me that much...?" Kasumi whispered solemnly, "...Am I so... abhorrent...?" The Woman Tengu's throat quivered. And she noticed a sudden quickening of the beats of her heart. As well as a abrupt twinkle of butterflies in her stomach. Seeing Kasumi smile was enough to make her retch. Yet seeing her tears had a completely opposite effect. Conjuring emotions and feelings she thought she had buried years ago. And Ayane now felt them once again when Kasumi's tears trickled down the curve of her cheek. She looked up again at her. She saw the frailty and insecurity in Kasumi's golden brown eyes. It stunned her to no end that someone so emotionally unstable could ever be a better kunoichi than herself. But the part of Ayane that looked beyond all that, the part of her that wasn't willing to lie to herself, was simply drawn in by it. And thus she acted of no more than her feelings. Ayane suddenly reached out and placed her hand against Kasumi's soft cheek, possessively, verging on tenderly. Kasumi blinked at the sudden touch. "A-Ayane...?" "Don't talk." If the caress wasn't abrupt enough then the kiss that followed it certainly was So much so that Kasumi barely even knew what was happening until it occurred. Ayane leaned upwards and pressed her lips against those of the former Mugen Tenshin Tenjin-mon ninja. Kasumi cried out a muffled gasp which melted into a startled moan. Despite the situation a kiss was the last thing she had been expecting. Yet all the same she made no attempt to stop it. With all her ninja-honed skills, Kasumi's body was certainly capable of it. And even so that same body was betraying her. Or rather the Id of the mind was -- the superego falling to the one great weakness of mankind, the will to pleasure. Kasumi sighed delicately -- a sigh that transformed into a whimper, her lips claimed and prised open by Ayane's. Her eyes closed in the moment. And she was more than startled to hear herself moan into Ayane's warm mouth... the beginning of the thing she would have wanted to avoid most of all. The beginning of that bittersweet mantra -- of flesh meeting with flesh -- the appraisal of a relationship so pointless and yet so magnetic. Why are moths drawn to the flame? Why does the heart exist? Why is the mind so susceptible to the heart with regards to the pleasures of the flesh? Propagation? Sustenance? Relief? Why itself is an answer needed? Truth lies in the fact that there is no truth. There is no teleology to the heart and to the emotions it brings. To the one mindful of the double standard -- it is a fallacy. To the one mindful of themselves comes the uncomplicated riddle; existence exists to exist. To Kasumi and Ayane, now, there is no meaning. The lifetimes of suffering ahead mean nothing to this one moment of duality, between happiness and sadness. It is not on Earth as it is in Heaven; for there is no 'Heaven'. Only this... ...that which is the moment. Perhaps that is why neither of them understood just how bleak this road will be. ********** End of Chapter One ********** Kaiser's Afterthoughts * This is the first fanfiction I've written in nearly half a year. I was originally going to make this a simple one-shot lemon, but after proof-reading it I decided that I'd extend it a little so it could pan out at a similar length to one of my older Kasumi and Ayane stories; Heartbreaker. It should run for about three chapters -- possibly more considering how open-ended I see this story being right now. * This fic takes place between Dead or Alive 2 and 3. I haven't played Dead or Alive 4 yet, so if there is something in here that contradicts the current canon (beyond the fact that Kasumi and Ayane aren't actually attracted to each other) then feel free to point it out and I'll try to amend it. * The last 130 words of this fiction may have confused you a little. I've been reading a lot of Friedrich Nietzsche recently; someone who's read his books may understand where I'm coming from with this. If you don't, just take it as my way of saying that people don't need to ask why they do stupid things (like embarking on relationships with people they know to be wrong for them) in terms of how they feel. * The battle scenes in this chapter were heavily inspired by the Naruto series. Pretty obvious, huh?
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