Author's Note: Ok readers, after reading reviews I'd like to just quickly address a few things concerning this story. First, I would like to reiterate my statement in the first chapter of this story. IM NOT from Japan, so I admit that I am ignorant when it comes to their culture and their history although much of this story revolves around what research I have done. But in order to make everyone happy I'll just say this…This is MY story and I'll write it how "I" choose, whether its historically/etiquettely/culturally accurate or not. Can't handle that? Then don't read it!

Second, my thanks go out to all who have reviewed so far. I know many are waiting for Sei/Sub to make an appearance and trust me when I say that they'll DEFINITELY be in the story, but I'm still working on how I want to portray them. So if you have an opinion, I ALWAYS love to hear suggestions!

That's about it, so without further delay…please enjoy chapter two!


"So….I'm thinking that once we reach that sakura tree there we should stop and eat lunch! What do ya say Sofu?" Sorata grinned as he pointed to a large blossoming tree a few yards away with his shakujo.

"Sorata…. On life's journey, faith is nourishment." The old stargazer sighed while shielding his eyes as he glanced up at the sun. "Besides, it's not even noon yet and we just had breakfast. If we stop to eat every few hours, we'll never reach Ise by tomorrow."

"But Gramps! We started so early this morning! Breakfast was forever ago and it's *nearly* noon!" Sorata pled overdramatically as he dragged his feet alongside the surprisingly lively old monk.

"Hmm…" the old man considered as he scanned the tree just ahead and the position of the brightly burning sun. "Tell me of the four things that we as monks are to rely on and then we shall eat." He smiled warmly.

Sorata immediately straightened his tall frame out of his "woe is me" stance and slowly and reverently recited the reliances that he knew by heart as they continued to walk.

"First, I must rely on the spirit and meaning of our teachings…not merely on the words…."

"Why?" the stargazer interrupted without hesitation.

Sorata looked over at him with a carefree smile. "I guess it's because, without spirit or meaning behind them, words are empty and worthless."

The old man returned the boy's smile with a nod to continue.

"Second, I must rely on the teachings…not on the personality of my teacher…..no matter how much I like and respect him!" Sorata quipped happily as they pressed forward.

This time the old monk couldn't help but smile back. "And why must you rely on this Sorata?" he asked quietly.

Sorata looked thoughtful for a moment before answering, "Perhaps its because… if one became more loyal to the teacher than to the teachings, then the teacher has the potential to lead his student astray if his mentor should go astray too…"

The old man also looked thoughtful as he continued to keep pace with his much taller traveling companion. "Indeed."

"But…if you had a teacher, who was good in every way, who would never deviate from his true path…then is it so bad to want to emulate him?" Sorata asked slightly troubled.

"There is no wrong in admiring the good qualities that can be seen in others my son." The old man reassured as he patted Sorata kindly on the back. "But, when one relies on that person, rather than on what has been taught…then what would the student do when his mentor has passed on?"

Sorata laughed suddenly as if the old man had just told him a joke. "Gramps, I think you'll probably outlive everyone I know, including me! So there's no need to worry about that!"

As Sorata continued to chuckle happily, the old man simply smiled knowingly. "Even the all knowing stars in the sky fall at times my young friend. And, like them, my time will come as well. And when it does, I hope you know on what it is that you can rely on."

Sorata closed his eyes but continued to smile softly. "I won't allow you to die old man." He said somberly, "You still have so much to teach me. I need you too much."

The stargazer stopped then and waited until Sorata realized he was walking alone and then stopped too, turning back to his sensei in surprise.

"That's exactly the point of the second reliance Sorata." He spoke seriously. "All the strength you need, all the wisdom you have gained, all the power you can wield….it all rests within yourself…not in this old man." He asserted while pointing his own shakujo at Sorata's chest, the rings jingling loudly.

"But Sensei, even you told me that I still have much to learn. As far as you've told me, I still haven't reached my power's full potential yet. How will I learn to harness and control my abilities if you aren't there to teach me!?" Sorata questioned, becoming obviously upset by where this conversation was going.

The old man smiled slightly. "Don't worry my son… when the time is right and your moment has come, you will have the control that you need and the knowledge to use it wisely."

Sorata still looked doubtful.

"Besides… I'm not planning on going anywhere just yet." He grinned as he continued to walk again. "But, if we don't eat soon, this old monk is going to waste away and your promise to keep me alive earlier will have been broken."

Sorata looked around them and realized that, while they'd been talking, they had gone far beyond the tree that he'd pointed out for them to stop at without even realizing it. Very clever Sofu…very clever. He thought admiringly.

The old monk stopped suddenly again and Sorata turned in surprise to see the old man clutching the robes tightly above his chest.

"Gramps!?!" Sorata worried as he rushed over to him.

"Something's wrong Sora…" the old man whispered as he looked up to the horizon.

"What's wrong Sofu?! Are you hurt?" he questioned as he placed a comforting hand on his mentor's shoulder.

"Not me." He spoke while still scanning the sky. "Something has happened…at Ise."

"Something at the shrine? But what could be wrong!?" Sorata asked as he too looked to the horizon where, somewhere far beyond them, laid the holy sanctuary. All he could see in the distance however were dark gathering storm clouds.

"I'm not sure…" the stargazer murmured, "but something is terribly wrong. We need to get there as quickly as we can."

"Then we'd best be on our way." Sorata stated with determination as he once again straightened his tall frame, all thoughts of food forgotten.

Gripping his shakujo tightly, the old stargazer also straightened. Nodding with resolve he quickly restarted their trek to Ise, doubling their pace from earlier. "If we stay at this pace, we should reach Ise sometime tonight."

Sorata only nodded as he fixed his gaze on the path before them. He worried slightly that the old stargazer wouldn't be able to keep going at this speed for long but he decided to wisely keep his mouth shut concerning his doubts. He instead turned his thoughts to Ise. He wasn't sure what to expect once they arrived there…he had never been to the shrine before, but if the old man said it was bad…then it must be grave indeed….


The sun had set quite some time ago, but for the past few hours the awful smell of smoke hung heavy in the air and in the distance great pillars of black smoke could be seen rising steadily above the tree line. It was bad indeed, though both Sorata and the stargazer were completely unprepared for just how bad it truly was.

The sky was now black as pitch from angry storm clouds that enveloped the heavens with darkness. Sorata could practically feel the electricity that tingled in the air from the massive clouds that rumbled and lit they sky every now and then with thunder and lightening, but had yet to pour rain. Sorata cursed inwardly, wishing the rain would fall to diminish the awful smell that grew worse and worse as they approached the city. But, realizing that it would put out the fires than were now the only light guiding their steps, he relinquished his wish.

The old man had stayed grimly silent the whole way until just before they entered the city. He stopped them just a mile or two before and stared at the ground troubled. "There's an army here…" he whispered, looking back up at Sorata. "The ground has been trampled by the feet of many men and horses..."

Sorata stooped down to touch the trodden grass, surprised that he hadn't noticed the obvious. "But why would an army come here? And who's army is it? The emperor's?"

The old man shook his head. "I don't know, but it can't belong to the emperor. Ise is peaceful and the home of one of shinto's greatest shrines, the emperor would never send an army through this sacred place…."

Standing, Sorata frowned as he looked toward the trees that surrounded the city. "So it must be someone else…but who? And why invade Ise?"

"This was not an invasion my son..." The old man spoke grimly, "…this was a massacre. And there's only one reason I can think of why someone would do this….I only hope that we are not too late…."

Sorata was about to ask more when a woman's cry shattered the silence. An icy chill ran down his spine at the sound of it…it was the sound of great suffering. Following the scream was a light rumbling sound and Sorata grew angry as he realized that it sounded like laughter.

Without thinking, the young monk started towards the city quickly, determined to stop whatever was going on, but was almost immediately stopped by his mentor.

"Slow down Sorata. Whatever is happening, we can't just go charging in there! We must be cautious or else we'll be of help to no one if we are caught or killed." His sensei asserted while blocking Sorata's way.

Grudgingly, Sorata nodded in agreement. The old stargazer smiled slightly and squeezed Sorata's arm reassuringly. "We must leave our belongings here as they'll only weigh us down. We'll return for them later. Also, remove your kesa. This will make it easier to move around in and will make us less visible."

Sorata did so quickly and was grateful that their robes were black. Indeed, if they were careful, they would be difficult to spot. Hiding their things beneath a tree, they swiftly and silently made their way to towards the city….

The sight that lay before them was nothing short of a gruesome nightmare. The inhabitants of the city had been slaughtered, their homes and buildings burned to the ground. Men, women…and even children…no one had been spared. The acrid smell of burnt flesh and death hung so thickly in the air that Sorata nearly gagged and placed a hand over his nose and mouth to try and block the scent.

They made their way stealthily towards the shrines but slowed as they started to come across armed men, no doubt part of the army that had done this. The closer they got to the main shrine, the greater the number of samurai they found. Many were headed towards the main shrine as well which made it difficult to move without being seen. But gradually they made their way there until Sorata gasped in shock at what he beheld….

Many of the smaller shrines were now nothing more than smoldering ashes while the main shrine was filled with many fiercely clad samurai. The temizusha, a sacred pool used to purify ones self before entering the shrine, was now reduced to nothing more than a watering trough for horses. The atrocious defilement of something so many considered holy caused Sorata's stomach to churn in disgust. But what shocked him most was what was taking place at the entrance to the shrine…

Tied mercilessly between the large poles of the main torii gate was a young woman dressed in priestess robes. Her head hung low, her long dark hair covering her face from view. Her arms were outstretched to their limit, raised slightly higher than her shoulders. Her wrists, visibly bleeding from being bound tightly by the ropes tied to the torii gate, appeared to be only things holding her upright as her body slumped slightly forward against her restraints. Her knees were slightly bent, unable to support her weight any longer, which Sorata assumed was out of pure fatigue…she must have been tied there for quite sometime.

She hung there unmoving and for a moment he feared she was dead. The cruel act enraged him and he clenched his fists tightly in anger for the poor girl. But the thought struck him that she was also gagged, and there was no point in gagging a dead body, so she must still be alive...at least…he hoped she was. So many had died already.

A great streak of lightening lit up the sky above, causing many heads to turn to the sky in wonder as an earth-shattering crash of thunder followed. Within seconds rain began to pour down in ruthless torrents and both Sorata and the stargazer pulled an inner portion of their robes up to cover their heads. The soldiers groaned irritably and placed their helmets on as the rain pelted them without mercy. Within moments the young woman was completely drenched, entirely helpless against the elements that now raged so fiercely, but she stayed unmoving.

"Who is she?.." Sorata whispered weakly as he continued to watch the still form of the captive girl, unable to look away.

"She, Sorata, is the Kakushi Miko." The old monk whispered as he too eyed the girl carefully, his face full of concern.

"The hidden shrine maiden!?!" Sorata uttered in surprise as he inched a bit closer from their hiding place behind several large trees to try and see her better.

"That's right my son. She is the protector of Ise and the guardian of…"

The old man stopped suddenly as he noticed movement at the shrine's entrance. Both he and Sorata both squinted to see the faces of the people who were now approaching the torii gate. "Monoe Fuma..." the older monk whispered harshly.

"You know him Sofu!?" Sorata whispered back, whipping his head around to face the stargazer.

The old man nodded but said nothing as he watched the tall dark figure of Fuma, flanked by several others he recognized, come to stand before the powerless miko.

Fuma glared at the girl for a moment, as she seemingly ignored his presence, choosing instead to remain still. Savagely, he reached down and grabbed a fistful of the shrine maiden's dark hair and jerked it back cruelly, forcing the young woman to look up at him. To her credit, the young girl stifled the cry of pain that nearly escaped her lips beneath the gag and glared at the man who still gripped her dark and dripping tresses.

"I've given you plenty of time to think about what you've done..." He stated mockingly, loud enough for all to hear over the pouring rain. "…By hiding what is rightfully mine, you have forced me to do all this!" he shouted while waving his other hand about, indicating the vast destruction that had been done by he and his men. Many of the soldiers laughed as Fuma turned back to look at the girl, his grip tightening little by little.

Sorata's eyes widened in absolute shock as he finally saw the face of the shrine maiden of Ise. The sheer intensity of her eyes caused his heart to freeze with awe in his chest. The beauty of her face would have easily brought him to his knees had he not already been kneeling. She was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen…and in that instant he vowed that he would make these men pay dearly for what they had done to her….

Bringing his face closer to the girl's, Fuma sneered at her in disgust. "I know it's inside of you somewhere priestess and I won't rest until I have that mirror! You can either give it to me willingly…or I'll take it by force! What is your answer!?" he snapped while ripping off her gag.

The shrine maiden jerked her head back the instant her gag was gone and spat defiantly in his face. "BITCH!" Fuma snarled in rage and brutally backhanded the young woman, making her cry aloud in pain as fresh blood began to flow from the corner of her mouth.

Sorata's temper flared wildly and he instantly rose to his feet, preparing to tear the warlord apart when the old stargazer tackled him to the ground. "Don't be a fool Sorata! You can't help her now! They'll kill you the second they see you!" He hissed as he tried to keep the younger monk still. If it hadn't been for another loud clap of thunder, they'd have been heard and spotted by now.

Sorata struggled against the surprising strength of his mentor, desperate to release the miko from her captors. "I WONT just sit here and hide while I watch those bastards lay their hands on her Sensei! I..I just cant!" He growled as he continued to glare daggers at the warlord.

"I understand your feelings my son, but if you wish to save her then we must exercise patience! Do this Sorata, and I promise you…we WILL free her." The old monk vowed as he felt Sorata slowly relax.

Sorata sighed heavily in frustration as he finally looked up at his mentor, his eyes filled with pain… pain for a young priestess whom he had never met nor seen before now. The old man was somewhat shocked by the intensity of Sorata's concern for the miko. Usually Sorata was very laid back and easy going in the midst of adversity but this particular situation had him worked up in such a way that the elderly monk had never seen before.

With fatherly affection, the old man squeezed his student's shoulder in reassurance. "I promise." He whispered again. Sorata's face was grim but he nodded in agreement and turned back to watch the shrine maiden.

Her face was turned away from the warlord, but Sorata could easily see that the young girl was fighting to stay calm and collected in a hopeless situation. Wiping the spit from his face, Fuma grabbed a dagger from his belt and with his free hand grabbed the priestess by the throat, forcing her once again to look at him.

"Something like that is going to get you into a lot of trouble miko." He growled as he tightened his grip on her throat. "I should gut you right now for such insolence, but I can't risk losing the mirror, so I'm afraid we'll just have to be patient until the rest of my comrades arrive. I know one who will be especially interested in meeting you."

The girl began to struggle weakly for air but to no avail. Fuma smiled at her discomfort, purposefully holding his fierce grip on her. Then, as though another thought struck him, his sadistic smile deepened. He leaned in so close to her that his lips practically brushed hers as his voice dropped to a deep seductive purr, though it was still loud enough for all his men to hear. As he spoke, his dagger hand trailed the cold blade teasingly along the skin of her neck, slowly working his way down to deep V of her kimono. "You know priestess, I have many lonely samurai here who would love to get their hands on someone so…pure, so innocent….I wonder if you would still be able to maintain the mirror then….if you were no longer a maiden."

Cruel laughter and vile cheers rang out among his troops as the miko's eyes widened in absolute horror at his threat. Sorata's hands shook almost violently with barely contained fury and fought desperately to control his temper. How DARE he threaten to defile a helpless girl, let alone a sacred Shinto shrine maiden!?! His mind roared as he watched the warlord finally release his grip on the girl's neck. "I'm going to kill him!" Sorata vowed as he helplessly watched the girl gasp and choke for air.

His mentor looked at him in surprise. Sorata was not prone to violence, in fact, he was a boy who was kind and compassionate, who abhorred death and violence, and had a desire to protect life. But perhaps his desire to now protect this girl was much more serious than the monk had first realized.

Fuma straightened as he watched the miko struggle to breath and casually circled around to her other side. "I'll see what my Onmyoji has to say when he arrives tomorrow and if he can't get you to relinquish the mirror, then I will make good on my threat priestess. You can count on it." he snapped and then turned to one of her guards. "Gag her and make sure no one touches her until I say." He orders and without another word he heads back for the shelter of the main shrine.

Reaching out to still one of Sorata's shaking fists, the old man placed a bony finger to his lips and nodded towards the way they had come. Sorata frowned, knowing his sensei was ready to draw back and formulate a plan, but part of him refused to leave their position, refused to lose sight of her. A careful tug on his hand though, elicited a nod from him that he was coming. Offering a silent prayer for the girls protection and taking one last look at her, Sorata followed his mentor into the night……


Thanks everyone for reading! Hope you liked it and PLEASE, if you have suggestions or would just like to comment, I LOVE to hear from you in reviews! Thanks again to ALL who have already reviewed and I'll do my best to meet expectations! -Miko