I don't any of any of the characters belong to Koei Temco.
Between Friends
The sound of a waterfall always calms me down. I wish I could be more like water. Shapeless, formless, just flowing down river. My master says I need a lot more training before I'll be that good. Master Hayate is a master and he's not the older than me. Master Ryu is a master too. Soon, I'll be a master just like they are. But I'm taking my time. No need to rush it. I'll get there, eventually.
"There you are." Someone said from behind me.
I turn around to see the bright smile of my good friend, Ayane. She's so cool. She's training to be a ninja, just like me. A lot of people in this village give her a lot of mean looks and call her nasty names, I don't know why though. She's nice to me and I'm nice to her. That's what matters. Ayane sits down next to me and we just sit there. I could tell Ayane is getting bored, so she nudges me.
"Hey, want to play some games?" Ayane asked.
"Like what?" I ask her.
"Let's have a race." Ayane said jumping up to her feet. "Let's go from here to the village gate and back. I'm so fast, I bet I'll leave you in the dust."
She's full so much energy today for some reason. Ayane is usually not like this, but the confidence is always there. She thinks she's so much better than me.
"Okay, let's do it." I said getting to my feet.
We go the edge of the pond. Ayane, has a big smile on her face. Seeing her smile makes me smile. I'm going to leave her in the dust.
"Okay, ready, set…." Ayane said before taking off.
She didn't even say go. She's cheating already. Wait, why am I thinking about this, I got to go. I rushing off after her. It didn't take long for me to catch her and now we are matching each other stride for stride. We make to the village gate and turn back. Passing by the people, but no knocking them over or anything like that. I start to get in front of her. I'm going to win. I'm going to beat her. Then, I hear a thud. I stop and turn around. I see Ayane on the ground.
"That's what you get, you demon." Some guy said standing over her.
Ayane tries to get up, but this bully kicks her. I walk over and help her up. I brush the dirt off her face and her clothes. Then, I dive face first on the ground. I can here some gasps as my face his the ground.
"What are you doing?" Ayane asked.
I try to talk, but the ground mumbles my words. So I turn my head.
"We have to be even." I said. "You fell, so I'm going to fall. We still have a race going on, hurry up and go before I get up. You have about ten more seconds."
I hear her giggle.
"You're so weird." Ayane said between chuckles before running off.
I wait ten seconds before running off after her. As I chase after her, the villagers are letting me pass. I'm about to catch her, but she finishes before me. We both are catching our breath when I start to smell strawberries. I turn around and to see Kasumi standing there with her big brother Hayate.
"What was that back there?" Hayate asked looking at me.
"What...was...what?" I ask still catching my breath.
"Hayate were coming back from gathering food and we saw what happened when that jerk tripped Ayane." Kasumi said. "Hayate was about to step when we saw you fell on the ground. Why did you do that?"
"We have to be even." I told them. "Ayane and I were having a race, that I was winning by the way."
"I had you right where I wanted you." Ayane said.
"Whatever." I said.
"I wanted you to get a little cocky before I blow by you." Ayane countered.
"We can do this again." I said turning to her and getting in her face. "From here to the gate and back. And I'll give you your head start again."
"You should you're not going to need it." Ayane said going nose to nose with me. "With how you're huffing and puffing, you might cough up a lung."
Kasumi starting giggling for some reason.
"Back to the fall guys." Hayate interrupted.
"Oh yeah, well after that guy tripped her, I decided the only way to be fair was to fall myself." I said scratching the back of my head. "I had to be fair. And I make no excuses for my loss. Ayane beat me fair and square."
"I see, you're different." Hayate said.
"I seem to be getting that a lot these days." I said sheepishly.
"No, that's a good thing." Hayate said putting a hand on my shoulder. "I wish more people were like you. And someday, maybe they will be. Well, we should be going. Come on, Kasumi."
Hayate walked off.
"You're a nice person." Kasumi said before chasing after her brother.
I watch Kasumi leave. Ayane pokes me in the rib. I turn to her and she's pouting.
"What's up?" I ask.
"Kasumi, what do you think about her?" Ayane asked.
"She's looks nice with her hair down instead of that braided ponytail." I said. "I don't think she looks nice in blue. Maybe white, or pink. She isn't the best fortune-teller I've met. She needs to work on that."
"Do you like her?" Ayane asked.
"She's okay, I don't hate her or anything." I said.
"Do you like her more than me?" Ayane asks continuing give me questions.
"No, I like you more." I said.
This makes her smile. I don't get girls sometimes. Her face starts to turn red, she starts to play with her thumbs, and starts squirming around. I walk up to her and feel her head. Then she turns away from me.
"What's wrong?" I ask.
"There's something I have to tell you." Ayane said.
"Okay, what is it?" I said.
"You know Genra?" Ayane said.
"Yeah, your dad." I said.
Ayane starts shaking, and I see tears start to form
"Well, he's not my real dad." Ayane said. "Raidou, is my real dad. He raped Kasumi and Hayate's mom. That's how I was born."
I don't get it.
"Ummm…..okay." I said straching my head again.
"That's why everyone hates me." Ayane said as the tears start to fall. "How I was born is wrong so the villagers say I'm cursed. And now you hate me too."
I still don't get it. Maybe this is another girl thing? But guys are mean to her too, so maybe it's not a girl thing. This must be a grown up thing. Yeah, that's it But I can't have her cry. So I bring her close and wipe her tears.
"Hey, don't cry." I told her. "We're still friends. Kaidou being your dad doesn't change anything. Friends till the end. So you don't have to cry."
"It's Raidou." Ayane said.
"That's what I said, Kaidou." I told her.
"No, it's Raidou." She says.
"Whatever, Kaidou, Raidou, Genra, it doesn't matter." I said. "We are still friends, no matter what. That's what really matters."
"Thank you." Ayane said.
Ayane leans on me and presses her lips on my cheek. Whatever that was, it was very wet. I look into Ayane's red eyes. She looks very pretty. Now my face is getting hot.
"You want to come over?" Ayane asked.
"Sure." I said.
We walked to Ayane's house. As we walk Ayane grabbed my hand and I interlocked my fingers with hers. Going through the village we got dirty looks. It didn't matter. Ayane and I smiled the whole way through. Because as I as I can remember, whenever we are together, it's like we are in our own little world.
Author's Note: It's been awhile since I did anything Dead Or Alive related. Please review, tell me what you think. Fav it, follow it, but most importantly, thanks for reading it
